Talkback poll

Most of us have been out with friends when all of a sudden their mobile phone comes out and they start tweeting and texting. Our conversation, it seems at the time, is just not as exciting as their social media aps. Do they really need to tell their Facebook friends that they’ve just eaten a

This week the controversy over wind farms took a new turn, when Scotland’s charity regulator intervened in the development of a major new wind farm development in Shetland. It prevented Shetland Charitable Trust from investing £6.3m in the Viking Energy development, which will see 103 turbines built on moorland on Shetland’s main island. The islanders,

As we head into a double dip recession and the number of unemployed young people in the UK continues to rise, should there be more government control over high interest loan companies such as wonga.com? So called payday lenders have been accused of helping their customers into a cycle of debt, making them even poorer.

The trial of Anders Behring Breivik, who murdered 77 people in a brutal killing spree last July, is being played out for all to see on international TV. But cameras were banned from recording Breivik’s own statement due to fears that this would provide him with a platform for his extreme views. Breivik’s views may

From Finance Secretary John Swinney to billionaire philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter, there has been no shortage of people publicly denouncing George Osborne’s new cap on tax reliefs for charitable giving this week. The cap is being introduced as part of a range of measures designed to close loopholes in the tax system which see some of

In the UK, we pride ourselves on being a multi-cultural, open society accepting off all faiths. Yet with church attendance in decline and more than half of all Britons saying they have “no religion”, many of us are still forced to take Christian holidays off work. With airports and roads set to be gridlocked, and

Our love affair with the car is wearing thin. Spiraling fuel prices, expected to hit the £1.50 a litre mark next year, combined with this week’s panic buying of fuel, is making life exceptionally hard for car owners. Is it time to seriously consider other options when it comes to transport? They say our infatuation

Debate over whether the so-called Granny Tax will reduce pensioner’s incomes or be off-set by increases to the state pension raged this week following George Osborne’s budget. Some people expressed the opinion that pensioners have been let off lightly in the government’s austerity measures until now, while others argued the move will unfairly penalise older

Alex Salmond has once again defended his backing for 16 & 17-year-olds to be given the vote. Supporters of the Votes at 16 campaign argue that lowering the voting age will inspire young people to get involved in our democracy. 16 & 17 year olds can already legally get married, pay income tax & National

Invisible Children’s 30-minute film about the use of child soldiers by Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army has been viewed nearly 20 million times on YouTube. While the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Luis Moreno has said he supports the social media campaign that aims to capture the alleged Ugandan war criminal Joseph Kony, others have accused

Greggs the bakers this week became the latest big name to walk away from the UK Government’s controversial work experience scheme, which sees young people potentially lose benefits if they leave the initiative. The voluntary scheme is open to 16-24 year olds who have been unemployed for three to nine months. Young people who sign

Charity shops up and down the country have just reported record sales over the Christmas period, and with their offer of ‘value laden, guilt-free shopping’, their popularity with shoppers continues to grow. However, there has been animosity from independent retailers who believe that charity shops get preferential treatment from landlords, making it easier for them

Leaders from Scottish political parties have united in their call upon Glasgow City Council to refuse the far-right organisation, the Scottish Defence League (SDL), permission to march later this month. MSP HumzaYousaf, said: “I am a firm believer in free speech – regardless of how unsavoury it may be. However it is imperative freedom of

Today Lord Steel, former Liberal leader and Holyrood’s first Presiding Officer, has warned that Westminster should keep out of the pro-UK referendum campaign. Steel advises Westminster politicians “don’t understand Alex Salmond” and are not well placed to take part in the referendum debate. It looks like Lord Steel might be putting himself forward as the

This week, we are launching the Big Public Service Debate. To kick this off, we are asking if the third sector is treated fairly by councils? And please tell us why? Note, although an email address is required in order to post, it will not be displayed

2011 has been a year of economic doom with rising youth unemployment, high inflation and low interest rates. Scotland elected it’s first majority government and a referendum on independence looks to be round the corner. The year is ending with a high for Scotland, as it two newest residents – Tian Tian and Yang Guang

NEW figures from the Charities Aid Foundation have revealed that more people are giving to charity but giving less. They also provide a league table of causes based on popularity. Medical charities, such as Cancer Research, top the list receiving 38% of all charitable giving. The arts are right down at the bottom, receiving just

The Levenson inquiry into media ethics has highlighted some shocking practices in the UK newspaper industry – not least the publication without permission of Kate McCann’s private diary, written in the days after her daughter Madeleine went missing. Does this evidence prove that the tabloid press is not capable of regulating itself? Is it time

The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator took some flak this week for taking three years to assess the charitable status of four Scottish private schools. Under the Charity Act 2006, charities have to prove that they have a charitable purpose, such as providing education, and provide a public benefit. The public benefit must also

Islamist group, Muslims Against Crusades, has been formally banned by the state under the Terrorism Act 2000 amid fears it was planning to interrupt the Armistice Day two-minute silence. The organisation, which burned two large poppies near the Royal Albert Hall in London on Remembrance Day last year, is said to be a successor to the

Children’s charity Barnardo’s released the findings of a survey in which 49 per cent of people said children are starting to behave like animals and 44 per cent agreed children in this country are becoming feral? In reality children’s behaviour is much better than these figures suggest but do you agree? Please feel free to

A new survey by Girl Guiding has revealed the reason why more teenage girls than ever before are drinking excessively: one third – 34 per cent – of them admitted to needing alcohol for extra courage. Girls are being bombarded by images, messages and role models, which create a casual acceptance of drunkenness. With ladette culture

Following his stint living in Edinburgh’s Pilton for the reality TV show the Secret Millionaire, self-made millionaire Ivan Massow has said that he could be quite happy living as he did while filming the programme. Massow spent time living in a Pilton estate and visiting local charities before revealing himself to be a philanthropist willing

A which? undercover investigation has revealed that energy companies are giving inaccurate and misleading advice to people who ring up to enquire about switching tariffs. The six major energy suppliers were called 12 times in one week and in nearly a third of calls made the company failed to offer its cheapest deal. With escalating

As increasingly deeper cuts to the public sector filter through to voluntary groups, pay and conditions for staff are being affected. But charities say they are caught between a rock and a hard place. Some of the top organisations in the country are having to cut pay and scale back working hours in an effort

The age old question of how international aid money is spent in the developing world has cropped up again this year, particularly in light of the East African food crisis, which has been exacerbated by ongoing war in Somalia, for example. Former cricketer Imran Khan this week urged the UK to cut aid to his

The standoff between resisdents of the UK’s largest illegal travellers’ site, Dale Farm in Essex and Basildon Council has dominated the headlines this week. The Council hopes to overturn an injunction won by the residents to stop them being evicted from the site. A Royal Courts of Justice hearing will decide their fate today (23

A report, compiled by Alcohol Research UK, has found that people are sceptical about Alex Salmond’s minimum pricing policy amid concerns that it could create or increase crime or encourage drinkers to turn to drugs instead of alcohol. Those questioned also thought that minimum pricing should be introduced with additional policies to fight alcohol abuse,

This week the National Blood Donor Service announced it is to relax its ban on gay men giving blood. From November this year, gay men who have been celibate for 12 months will be able to donate. It follows a review of the rule that was put in place in the 1980s in response to

Scots were left stunned, confused and perplexed this week when the John Wilson was cleared of assaulting Celtic manager Neil Lennon. A jury found Wilson not guilty despite an admission by the defendant’s lawyer that he had been prepared to plead guilty to assault but denied it was motivated by religious prejudice. In the end

TABLOID journalists and opinionated high-street shoppers will have one less thing to whinge about now that the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA) is coming down hard on the crux of modern evil – street fundraisers. The PFRA’s new rule book includes a series of incursions for which a miscreant chugger can build up penalty points.

The Public Fundraising Regulatory Association announced new rules for on-street fundraisers this week. Now so-called chuggers could face fines of over £1000 for persistently breeching the rules, including obstructing people walking down the street, walking alongside them for more than three steps, or standing too close to cash machines. Are chuggers really that bad? Is

Earlier this year, modern technology and social media sites were lauded as bastions of democracy when they aided people in north African and the Middle East to organise resistance to oppressive governments. There was an international outcry when the Egyptian authorities blocked social media sites at the height of the uprising there. This week seemingly

SNP MSP John Mason caused controversy this week with a motion in the Scottish Parliament opposing gay marriage. But should religious freedom come before equality? Do objections on moral grounds still have a place in today’s society? What do you think? Is religious opposition to gay marriage immoral

Should maternity rights be scrapped

The University and College Union (UCU) have published figures which show 35.3% of over 16s in Glasgow North East left school without passing a single examination. The table highlights a clear Glasgow-Edinburgh divide, with every Edinburgh constituency placed in the top third for educational achievement across Britain, while parts of Glasgow and the surrounding area

One lucky Scottish couple has scooped a whopping £161m in the Euromilions. But is this right? Does anyone need this much money? Would it not be fairer to have created 161 millionaires? Or give more of the cash to good causes? What do you think?   Please feel free to leave a comment below. Please

The announcement this week of the closure of the News of the World came after advertisers fled under revelations that the phone of missing school girl Millie Dowler was one of thousands tapped by the paper. Will this move lead to a clean up of British journalism or is it a cynical business ploy from

Public sector workers set up picket lines across the country this week with many schools in England and Wales forced to close as teachers were amongst those taking action against government proposals to change the terms of their pensions. People in the private and voluntary sectors look enviously on their public sector counterparts for their

Do faith schools nurture sectarian attitudes

Should assisted suicide be legalised

Home Secretary Theresa May this week outlined the Coalition Government’s plans to tackle extremism.  As well as trying to prevent violence, the government has been criticised for its plans to tackle “non-violent extremist attitudes”. Already, teachers in schools and colleges are being asked to monitor children in case they have become radicalised, leading to some

This week has seen care services across the UK come under fire. From the shocking abuse in a Bristol care home revealed in the BBC’s Panorama programme to the closure of an Edinburgh nursing home, questions are being asked about whether our care system is in crisis. What do you think? Is our care system

Alex Salmond warned this week that Scotland’s legal system is being undermined by rulings from London after the Supreme Court overturned the verdict in a high-profile murder case. Nat Fraser was ordered to serve a minimum 25-year term after being found guilty by a jury in Scotland of killing his wife Arlene, whose body has

Should the Edinburgh tram scheme be scrapped

    Please feel free to leave a comment below. Please note, although an email address is required in order to post, it will not be displayed

    Please feel free to leave a comment below. Please note, although an email address is required in order to post, it will not be displayed