The Snippet: 24th January 2025
Storm Eowyn, Trump 2.0 and how Scotland could be impacted by the TikTok ban...
Welcome to the second edition of The Snippet, your weekly round-up of the top Scottish politics stories.
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⚠️ Red weather warning issued for Storm Eowyn
A red weather warning has been issued across central and southwestern Scotland as Storm Eowyn is set to bring strong winds of up to 90mph.
The Met Office has warned of a “danger to life”, with many public transport operators suspending their services and councils shutting schools.
First Minister John Swinney has urged people to follow Police Scotland advice not to travel on Friday (via gov.scot)
The last time there was a red weather warning in Scotland was 13 years ago on January 3, 2012. At the time, it was deemed to have been the strongest storm to hit central and southern Scotland in 13 years, following the Boxing Day Storm of 1998. (Christopher Blanchett, BBC Weather)
Get all the latest advice from the Met Office website here – stay safe!
🇺🇸 Scotland reacts to Trump 2.0
The First Minister congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration, which took place on Monday, saying he hoped the “strong and lasting” ties between Scotland and the United States would “flourish” under his administration. (Chris McCall, Daily Record)
The Scottish Greens said Trump’s second inauguration was a “dark day”, with the party’s co-leader Lorna Slater describing Trump as “a clear and present danger to our climate and to human rights around the world.” (Andrew Quinn, Daily Record)
A Scotland Office minister said they will work with Donald Trump to advance Scottish interests. Midlothian MP Kirsty McNeill told the Sunday Show: "The American public have made their choice, this UK government looks forward to working with President Trump as he takes office to make sure we advance the best interests of the people of Scotland." (Ian Swanson, Edinburgh Evening News)
📲 Scottish creators impacted by TikTok ban
In case you missed it: TikTok temporarily “went dark” in the United States for nine hours over the weekend after a new law banning the social media platform came into effect. When Donald Trump assumed office on Monday, he issued an executive order to give the app a 75 day reprieve.
(It’s worth mentioning that TikTok was banned on Scottish Government phones in 2023)
The potential ban won’t just affect America - many Scottish creators have huge US followings and will see a loss in income as the result of a ban. East Ayrshire creator Millie Graham, who goes by the username “whatsername.01”, said Tiktok gave her the opportunity to be creative “even though there weren’t any creative opportunities around me”. (Amie Flett, STV News)
🗣️ FMQs
John Swinney was told by the Scottish Conservatives to sack Health Secretary Neil Gray following a row linked to his use of ministerial cars to attend football games. (Alistair Grant, The Scotsman)
Meanwhile, John Swinney claimed Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is “worried about his position” ahead of the next Holyrood election. (Hamish Morrison, The National)
Things got a bit heated as MSPs were threatened with expulsion from the chamber (Xander Elliards, The National)
🩺 Young cancer patients face treatment delays
More than 200,000 young people in Scotland have faced delays to cancer treatment in the last decade. Since 2014, 2418 cancer patients under the age of 50 did not receive treatment within the 62-day target. (Hannah Brown, The Herald)
🎓 Calls for Scottish graduate visa
John Swinney has offered to work with the UK Government on a bespoke Scottish graduate visa scheme. Speaking during a speech at JP Morgan in Glasgow on Wednesday, he said he was “ready to put in the hard yards” to make it happen. (Katrine Bussey, Press Association, via The Scotsman)
Here’s a handy explainer on how the Scottish graduate visa could work, via Xander Elliards, The National.
🚨 Polmont fatal accident inquiry
Towards the end of last week, a fatal accident inquiry found that the deaths of two vulnerable young prisoners could have been avoided if precautions were taken.
Katie Allan, 21, and William Lindsay, 16, took their own lives in separate incidents at Polmont Young Offenders Institute in 2018.
In his determination published last Friday, Sheriff Simon Collins KC said both deaths were partly due to “systemic failures”. (Kevin Scott, STV News)
The families of Katie Allan and William Lindsay are set to meet with the First Minister (Mark McDougall, The Herald)
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