"The Scottish parliament has voted overwhelmingly for “historic” long-term rent controls – a first across the UK ... It sets deadlines for landlords to address issues ... hazardous to tenants’ health and stronger support for social tenants facing domestic abuse." www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Delighted that our Housing Bill was just passed by the Scottish Parliament. It will deliver a fairer deal for tenants - more affordable rents, safer homes, stronger protections. It will help prevent homelessness, and ultimately, change lives. And it will bring new investment in housing.

Good BBC report on life in asylum hotels www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

11 years ago, Scotland was inspired to think big. To imagine a better future, in our own hands. Today, the case for independence is stronger than ever. Independence is the fresh start Scotland needs - with lower bills, a fairer society, and our rightful place in Europe.

Scotland is a nation - and nations have the right to decide their future. Today I have launched and signed the Right to Decide declaration. Let’s make Scotland’s voice heard loud and clear. Add your name here: yes.scot/decide

The SNP Scottish Government will continue implement our world-leading New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy and will always do everything in its power to welcome those who need sanctuary when fleeing persecution. 3/3

The Home Office needs to remember that human rights apply to everyone, including refugees, and that seeking asylum is not illegal. We can’t risk the loss of human rights for the sake of pandering to Farage. 2/3

Yesterday’s UK Government announcement that family reunification for refugees are being suspended is a cruel and inhumane policy. The UK Government can’t reduce illegal immigration by closing down the few safe and legal routes for people seeking sanctuary. 1/3

Tha sinn air bhioran fàilte a chur oirbh uile an-diugh. Dèan cinnteach gum bi botal uisge (bùrn👀) agaibh, tha i gu bhith blàth!

This World Breastfeeding Week, the focus is on Creating Sustainable Support Systems. 💜 The UK needs to do more to support mums returning to work while breastfeeding. Your workplace should support you to breastfeed as long as you choose. Info from Maternity Action and @wbtiuk.bsky.social #WBW2025

📢 New research shows women face barriers & abuse as political candidates. In our new report, we wanted to dig deep & explore the candidate journey for women, from preparing to stand as a candidate, including interview & vetting processes, to being elected & what happens after 🧵⬇

LATEST: A project hailed as a 'shining example' of urban regeneration is to receive £3.5 million of Scottish Government cash, the First Minister announced

🚨 Thousands of trafficking survivors continue to be denied permission to stay in the UK despite their critical need for safety and support — a new report by @helenbamber.bsky.social, ATLEU & @ecpatuk.bsky.social reveals. Instead survivors are left in fear and at risk of further exploitation. 🧵1/3

“My inescapable conclusion has become that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” writes Omer Bartov, a professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University. “I have been teaching classes on genocide for a quarter of a century. I can recognize one when I see one.”

The most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty is to abolish the two-child limit, which would cost £7,480 per child lifted out of poverty. If it is not scrapped then one-in-three children will be in poverty by 2029-39, including half of children in large families 👉 buff.ly/oiV5Re2

Great video from our friends @savechildrenuk.bsky.social The government must scrap the two-child limit.

'A total of 3,670 women had to declare that they had been a victim of rape in order to gain an exemption from the two-child limit on benefits.' @bigissue.com www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

Data published by the UK Government today shows that across the UK, almost half a million households are now affected by the two child limit policy. The UK Government must scrap the limit which is denying children the childhood they deserve. #NoLimitsToChildhood

The DWP published this year's stats on households impacted by the two-child limit today, which include some welcome new breakdowns on gender and ethnicity, receipt of health/disability benefits, conditionality group, and whether households are affected by the benefit cap. Quick thread/

1.7 MILLION children live in households restricted by the two-child benefit limit. That's 1.7 MILLION children whose parents have to split their child benefit to care for their kids. This policy is directly damaging 1.7 MILLION life chances. Lift the limit immediately.

It hasn't made much of a splash, but new figures out today show that close to 1.7 million children live in families affected by the two-child limit. This can & must change as @kittyjstewart.bsky.social and I argue in @theconversation.com theconversation.com/over-1-6-mil...

New government data on the impact of the two child limit: 469,780 households now affected, with 1,665,540 children in those households Almost 40,000 more children affected since last year It's a child poverty machine & it will cost us all more in the long term - get rid of it

The UK cannot cherry-pick who deserves safety. Keir Starmer's 'one-in, one-out' deal with France risks breaching asylum rights and ignores the reasons people are forced to cross the Channel. It won’t stop smugglers, only punish people with no safe route and no chance to rebuild their lives safely.

In case you missed it: Afghan scheme closed immediately and major changes to skilled worker route – statement of changes: HC 997 | Sonia Lenegan

ILGA's annual Rainbow Report highlighted that the ongoing treatment of refugees, migrants and people seeking asylum continues to put these communities at serious risk. 1/4

If you chose to live here you are Scots. 'The New Scots refugee integration strategy sets out a vision of a welcoming Scotland where people are able to rebuild their lives from the day they arrive.' www.gov.scot/policies/asy...

A somewhat truncated full council this cycle as @scottishlabour.bsky.social didn’t bother getting any motions in before the deadline 🫠

Hard to say how disappointing this morning‘s speech really was. Morally AND intellectually. Agree with every line here by @iandunt.bsky.social 👇

The Prime Minister’s statement on immigration today will damage our economy, the NHS, social care and our universities. It ignores the need to boost Scotland’s working age population. This sort of divisive language only plays into Nigel Farage’s hands. Not in Scotland’s name.

Imagine, just for one moment, that a UK government put as much imagination and effort into making life better for people as they do making life worse for migrants. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Increasingly hard not to think Starmer doesn't actually believe anything and is just an empty vessel for focus group outcomes to be poured into. Disgusted by today's nonsense, but a reminder, as if it were needed, that we'll only have a humane, welcoming migration policy with independence.

My hearty congratulations to my colleague, ally and friend Alison Thewliss. I’ll be in Team SNP to make sure she wins Glasgow Central in 2026.

“The more they sing our tune, the more we win.” Listen to this. Understand it. Labour will adopt Reform policies thinking that it takes away from Reform's appeal. It's the exact opposite.

Glenrothes Central and Thornton (Fife) by-election, first preferences: SNP: 1439 (47.6%, -1.1) Labour: 649 (21.5%, -6.4) Reform UK: 541 (17.9%, new) Lib Dem: 207 (6.9%, +2.9) Conservative: 185 (6.1%, -5.9) SNP elected stage TBC. Love to stay up for a result and then Bluesky falls over :))))

This is very much worth a read - the family mentioned remind me of many constituents I'd supported over the years.

☀️ The sun was shining in Burnbank today campaigning for @snp.org candidate @katyloudonsnp.bsky.social. @thewliss.bsky.social

😀Number of LGBT+ people who have had their privacy/safety violated by the Home Office 😀Number of people who have died or disappeared after deportation to an unsafe country 😀Amount of money spent on policies that are known not to work 😀Number of people who do not care about Reform.

😀Number of people who have died at the border 😀Number of people who have died under responsibility of private companies or prisons services 😀Number made street homeless once they receive status

😀Number of charities Govt. refuses to consult with 😀Number of mistakes made by the Home Office per application 😀Number of people trapped by e-visa system not working 😀Number of people who have fallen out of the system because they can't afford extortionate fees

😀Wrongful/illegal detention and deportation 😀Domestic abuse victims whose visas are reliant on a partner 😀Trafficking victims who are treated like criminals 😀Number of raids carried out 😀Number of racist stop and search

😀People traumatised by Home Office process 😀Number of lies told about in the media 😀Children undergoing inhumane age assessments 😀Young people born in the UK who can't go to university 😀Visas denied due to racist decision making 😀Families separated by minimum income requirements

Numbers Labour could publish on foreign born people instead of criminal history: 😀Windrush without compensation 😀People who have experienced hate crime 😀Stats on NRPF that they refuse to publish 😀Stats on race/ethnicity that they refuse to publish 😀Visas denied due to racist decision making

As weather improves we will see more crossings, for the very simple and unavoidable reason that there are no alternative, safer, routes for many of those seeking asylum in the UK. While the government postures with "tougher border policies" more people will die. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Section 28 didn’t come out of nowhere. It came from a society where 75% thought homosexuality was wrong. From a society that feared the sight of a man in drag would corrupt. From a society that believed ignorance was better for children than any knowledge of gay lives. 🧵 1/16

Along with @lgbtiscotland.bsky.social, we've published our reaction to the judgement in the UK Supreme Court today. There will be more we want to say to trans people directly once we have a chance to catch our breath. www.equality-network.org/uk-supreme-c...

Sexual Violence exists in a pyramid and jokes, objectification and problematic language can quickly change to harassment, rape or murder. Let's call out bad behavior at its root, before it escalates. #sexualviolence #scale #endvawg

Our own Professor Gerry McCartney's work on the impacts of austerity on population health ⚕️ features in this recent article: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2503736... Check underpinning reserach 👇 1️⃣ www.bmj.com/content/388/... 2️⃣ www.bmj.com/content/388/...

We worked with researchers to make an animation and an e-learning module for the project. They both highlight the major barriers teachers and parents face when tackling #GBV at schools — like the harmful mindset that it’s "just a joke." 🎥 Watch, share it, and sign up to the training!

🎬 #Adolescence on Netflix is getting people talking about toxic masculinity, incel culture, and the hidden impact of gender-based violence in schools. If you’re a teacher or parent wanting to dive deeper, we highly recommend Equally Safe at School 👇 buff.ly/8oNiTay

*shakes head in disbelief* Well. That's certainly one way to ensure that current trends continue.