Here’s the link to all the platforms on which to hear the latest episode of Rock n Roll Politics..delving deep: listen.podmasters.uk/QvLq6sTL?at=10…

Misleading. Although EU law (which the UK agreed to) governs the *structure* of excise duties, it sets low minimum duty rates - so the UK could always have made alcohol cheaper while in the EU, by cutting the rates which it charged (which were well above the EU minimum).

Blocking the roads like this is completely unacceptable. They should lock up the people who did this and throw away the key. #JustStopOil

Now they've helped Nigel get his Coutts account back up and running, perhaps the government can turn to lesser priorities. theconversation.com/homelessness-i… via The Conversation

On days like today I’m reminded of this clip.   John McCain defending Barack Obama:   “No Ma’am.   “He’s a decent family man & citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues.”

There was one person in my audience today when I performed my one woman play, ‘Sunsets’ at #edfringe. It’s fine, isn’t it? It’s fine…? 🥹

Pro cyclist Mathieu van der Poel warms up for Sunday's UCI World Championship road race with a jaunt up the notoriously steep Montrose Street in Glasgow...

'Students have got fewer options and are getting less support if their results don't match their long-term performance' Education writer James McEnaney breaks down changes to the exam appeal procedure

It's just a few days to go until #SQAResults are sent out to students and it seems that many people don't know about changes to the appeals system. Watch my short video to stay informed 👇

What the hell is an ampersand and why does it look like that?! The first thing you need to know is that "&" used to be the 27th letter of the alphabet... But there are three parts to this story. And the first begins over two thousand years ago in Ancient Rome with a single

My latest The Herald interview is with education researcher and commentator Dr Barry Black. We talked about his childhood, his research into narrowing options for poorer children, and why he's ok getting political. Read the full version online: heraldscotland.com/news/23701532.…

Having read this report, who on earth would want to be a teacher? A child gets a mild blister from unsupervised use of a glue gun, a good teacher goes through the ringer as the parent overreacts, goes to a tabloid and *the police* and case referred to Education Sec. Madness.

We’re going to need a wide degree of consensus to meet the challenge of climate change. Dismal, then, that Rishi Sunak has decided to turn it into a “wedge issue”. My column. prospectmagazine.co.uk/views/columns/…

It was a pleasure to help Matthew get this story together and published in The Herald. If any other budding journos have stories for which they need a bit of support then get in touch. Once a teacher and all that.

Brexshit Britain …. Investigation after 57 world triathlon championship swimmers fall sick and get diarrhoea in Sunderland race theguardian.com/environment/20…

Interview on this year’s Rock n Roll Politics at the Edinburgh Festival starting on August 13th: wp.me/p4gV9I-22lN via Edinburgh Reporter

It’s a national disgrace Fifty-seven swimmers fall sick and get diarrhoea at world triathlon championship in Sunderland theguardian.com/environment/20…

Rock n Roll Politics opens a week today at the Edinburgh Festival..and then there’ll be a different show each day to make sense of it all..sort of. Tickets here: tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/steve…

🚨Exam results go out on Tuesday!🚨 As always, lots of young people will get grades lower than they expected, need ... or even deserve. Last year they could appeal and have other evidence (eg prelims) looked at. This year? That appeals route has been completely removed.

I just spoke to a parent who, having read the official SQA Appeals advice, thought it meant that prelims would be looked at if exam grades were lower than expected. This happened last year. It happened when many of us did our exams. But that policy has been scrapped in 2023!