People have been warned to look out for an early warning symptom of dementia which can appear when walking up or down a set of stairs.
25.11.2023 - 05:23 / dailyrecord.co.uk
The construction of two delayed and overbudget ferries has “robbed taxpayers”, Lord Robertson claimed as he criticised the Scottish Government’s handling of island issues.
The Labour peer and former defence secretary from Tony Blair’s government is set to retire from his role as chairman of Western Ferries, a privately-owned firm operating between Gourock and Dunoon, at the end of the year.
But before he steps aside, he has urged Scottish ministers to work with island communities to devolve the operation of local services.
He said the “fiasco” at the Ferguson Marine Shipyard in Port Glasgow, which has seen two new vessels built to bolster Caledonian MacBrayne’s (CalMac) fleet in the west of Scotland, set back by multi-year delays and significant overspends.
It is estimated the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa vessels will accumulate a £360 million price tag by completion, despite initial contracts having estimated a total of £97 million.
Lord Robertson, former general secretary of Nato, told the PA news agency: “The taxpayers are being robbed here. These will probably be the most expensive ferries in the world. They probably could have been gold-plated and would have saved money.
“It’s a sad reflection on Scotland today, where we used to build the great liners of the world. It is now reduced to one shipyard that can’t apparently build two simple car ferries.”
Meanwhile, he accused the Scottish Government of losing focus on island communities following significant disruption to lifeline ferry services in the summer.
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“The communities based on the islands have been compromised, affected, limited, and in some cases
People have been warned to look out for an early warning symptom of dementia which can appear when walking up or down a set of stairs.
Police have closed a section of the A1 in East Lothian following reports of a crash.
The Scottish Government must not prolong the legal battle following a defeat over Holyrood’s gender reform laws, former SNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes has warned.
The UK Government’s Rwanda plans are a “real dark day” for the country, Humza Yousaf has said.
Absolutely Fabulous star Jane Horrocks has shared details of a nasty fall from her bike and warned her fans about the dangers of black ice. Jane, 59, who is best known for playing Bubble in classic BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, was rushed to hospital after hitting a slippery patch of road and falling off her bike. She has since revealed that she has a broken wrist and some bruised ribs.
Police have issued a warning after 'heartless' fraudsters conned two elderly Scottish women out of thousands of pounds.
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More than 30 flood warnings are in force across parts of England as the UK faces heavy rain but a decreasing risk of snow, forecasters have said.
It's set to be another cold start to the week in Greater Manchester - with Met Office snow and ice warnings remaining in place until lunchtime today.
The heartbroken mum of a boy who fell down a manhole and died is to sue a construction firm over her son's tragic building site death. Shea Ryan, 10, died after he slipped on a ladder and fell inside the hole close to a play park near his home in Glasgow's Drumchapel on July 16, 2020.
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 has struck off the coast of the southern Philippines island of Mindanao.
Temperatures plunged below zero again last night. And the bad news it looks like the big freeze is here to stay for a bit longer.
A yellow weather warning will remain in place in Scotland today for snow and ice.
Drivers could be slapped with a fine and three points on their licence if they break a rule while de-icing their car windows this week.
There is the chance of widespread overnight frosts and a risk of snow across parts of Scotland this week, according to Met Office meteorologists.
Scots looking to rent a home face "astronomical" costs after the average price of a two bed property jumped by 14.3 per cent in the last year.
A woman was dumped by her boyfriend after finding Lord of the Rings books in her wardrobe after going through her things while she was at work. She couldn't believe her ears when he decided to end their relationship over the closet find.
MSPs have backed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as Scotland’s First Minister described the “cruelty” facing patients in hospitals in the region.
A potential volcanic eruption in Iceland could spark travel chaos across Europe as experts warned of potential flight disruption across the continent.
A murderer who stabbed his victim 142 times and left a knife lodged in his eye socket has admitted attacking feared gangland killer Paul Lyons in a vicious jail brawl.