Environment
Scotland’s green watchdog wined and dined by polluters
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has been repeatedly wined and dined by the fish farming, whisky and power industries.
Neil Findlay
Human rights
Watchdog probes freedom of information failings by Scottish Government
The new Scottish Information Commissioner has launched an investigation into allegations that the Scottish Government has blocked or delayed freedom of information requests.
Environment, Human rights
Pesticide report suppressed after freedom of information warning
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency ditched a toxic pesticide report after fears it could attract freedom of information requests.
Environment
Airport blunder mars consultation on new flight paths
Edinburgh airport accused of “convenient incompetence” after admitting that a blunder resulted in consultation responses being rejected.
Environment, Fracking
Revealed: Scottish ministers’ meetings with fracking firm
Scottish ministers have held private meetings with the fracking firm Ineos and Grangemouth executives from China five times in 13 months.
Politics
Charlotte Street Partners lobbying for Rupert Murdoch papers
Influential PR firm Charlotte Street Partners is lobbying on behalf of Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper titles in Scotland.
Fracking, Politics
Ineos boss lobbied Osborne to bust unions and back fracking
Jim Ratcliffe, boss of Grangemouth petrochemical giant Ineos, secretly lobbied George Osborne when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer to muzzle the unions.
Environment
Pollution watchdog using polluters to help hire staff
Scotland’s environmental watchdog has been accused of being “in bed” with big companies after inviting the whisky industry to help appoint a pollution regulator.
Finance
Revealed: the £932m cost of private finance projects
Private finance schemes are to be investigated by public spending watchdogs after they punched a £932m hole in the Scottish Government’s budget.