A DRUG dealer who blasted a man with a sawn-off shotgun during a cannabis deal is facing a life sentence after being convicted of murder.

Kevin Addison claimed he shot 30-year-old Dodou Leigh “by accident” as the pair grappled for the gun as a drug deal went sour.

But at the High Court in Edinburgh, a jury rejected the 28-year-old’s story and found him guilty of the murder at a flat in Hawkhill Close, next to Hibs’ Easter Road stadium.

His friends and co-accused, cousins George and Roche Thomson, who were in the flat at the time of the shooting, walked free from court after their murder charge was found not proven.

Detective Inspector Scott Cunningham, from Police Scotland’s Specialist Crime Division, said: “Dodou Leigh was shot by Kevin Addison, who fled the scene, leaving his victim to bleed to death within the flat.

“His murder caused considerable concern within the community. It is my sincere hope that today’s conviction provides some closure for Dodou Leigh’s family, who have suffered a harrowing ordeal as a result of his death in such violent 
circumstances.”

Addison and the Thomsons were buying cannabis from Mr Leigh, who was originally from Gambia, and were caught on CCTV running from his flat 
following the shooting.

The end of the gun barrel and nine cartridges kept in a sock were later recovered in Tranent, but not the murder weapon.

The jury heard Addison of Well Wynd, Tranent, had a long record of offending, including convictions for violence.

Giving evidence, Addison told the court that he was going to pay £7000 for a kilo of cannabis but became worried that he was going to be “bumped” – or robbed – during the buy.

He sourced the shotgun from a Tranent drug dealer before setting off to Hawkhill Close on December 4 last year.

Hiding the gun down his trousers, Addison said he decided to leave the flat when the deal was taking too long, but panicked when he heard Mr Leigh’s footsteps behind him.

He said: “He tried to grab me round the back of the head with his right hand. He grabbed the gun. We pulled it away from each other and then there was a bang.”

Addison had offered to plead guilty to culpable homicide, admitting in court that “I don’t expect to get off lightly for this”, but denied the shooting was 
intentional.

But DJ and music producer Ibrahim Krubally, 33, a friend of Mr Leigh who was also in the flat, said that Addison also pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger, but the weapon did not fire.

Roche Thomson, of Tranent, and George Thomson, 30, of Wemyss House, Port Seton, had denied murder, claiming they never saw Addison’s shotgun until after it was fired.

Addison is expected to be sentenced next month when judge John Morris QC has 
received background reports.

A SCIENTIST who claims to have been cured by homeopathy has said that lives will be ruined by the decision to axe the service on the NHS.

NHS Lothian last month decided to scrap the controversial clinics, which had cost £240,000 per year despite studies generally finding homeopathy offers no more than a placebo effect to patients.

The health board won praise for the move among campaigners who have argued that public cash should not be used to fund homeopathy, which sees substances heavily diluted in water to the point that there is often very little or none of the ingredient remaining by the time it is given to the patient.

But Patricia Nelson, who worked for NHS Lothian for a decade as a clinical scientist at Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, says homeopathy paid for by the health board has cured her twice in the last decade and said she was devastated that others would now no longer be able to benefit.

Ms Nelson, 45, said that homeopathic powders had helped restore an underactive thyroid to its normal function and that following a car accident, which left her in so much pain that she was unable to sleep lying down, homeopathy had produced near-miraculous results.

She said: “I had Hashimoto’s disease – an underactive thyroid – there were lots of symptoms. I didn’t feel well and had loss of hair and joint pain. It got worse over two or three years and I was referred to the homeopathy clinic in Dalkeith. Within three months the results were almost back to normal, and within six months they were normal. It has remained normal for the last seven years.”

More recently, the mum-of-two, who has a PhD in clinical science, began experiencing severe back pain and near-total loss of feeling in her hands following a car accident. She said that within days of the second homeopathy treatment, in January, she had been able to sleep in her bed for the first time in 18 months.

She added: “Physio did help with the pain but didn’t bring me anywhere near back to normal. By the time I had homeopathy, I had been suffering for a year and a half. By the second dose the results were really dramatic.

“Homeopathy has had a tremendous impact on my quality of life. Suggesting it’s a placebo is complete nonsense. NHS Lothian will spoil other peoples’ lives and I know most of the patients were very happy with the service.”

Keir Liddle, president of Edinburgh Skeptics, suggested that Ms Nelson had been “fooling herself”. He added: “There is no plausible mechanism to support the efficacy of homeopathy.”

Professor Alex McMahon, Director of Strategic Planning, Performance Reporting and Information at NHS Lothian, said that a consultation process had shown the majority were against continued 
funding of homeopathy.

He said: “We have listened to the views of the majority of respondents who cited lack of evidence for homeopathy and supported investing the funds currently spent on this service into other proven healthcare services.”

A SUPERMARKET chain is today under pressure to ditch a Saltire-inspired logo over claims that it is misleading 
customers.

German budget retailer Lidl, which has stores in Granton and Dalry, has been promoting products including fat and sugar-laden caramel shortcake slices with a heart-shaped design that incorporates the St Andrew’s Cross.

The logo is almost identical to the one used by Healthier Scotland – the Scottish Government programme which aims to improve health particularly in poorer areas – leading to fears that some customers could be under the impression that calorific treats have been given the official seal of approval.

The Government said that while its logo was always accompanied by the words “Healthier Scotland – Scottish Government”, it was “crucial that consumers are not mislead”.

The controversy follows the publication of an extensive health survey in Lothian, which revealed soaring obesity levels and a widening health gap between the richest and 
poorest in society.

Margaret Watt, chair of the Scotland Patients Association, said it was a “perverse irony” that a heart was being used to promote a product which could lead to coronary problems.

“It’s very misleading and it’s naughty,” she said. “If they’re using the Saltire, they should do so responsibly. Someone who has a heart condition could think they’re good for the heart. This is morally wrong.”

Four caramel shortcake slices, which contain 1209 calories and 71 grammes of fat, cost just 99p. Poor diet, particularly in low-income areas, has been partially blamed for health inequalities which are an increasing issue across Scotland.

Lyndsey McLellan, a Senior Food and Health Development Worker with Edinburgh Community Food, said that supermarkets could often “clearly aim to mislead” with 
marketing material.

She added: “We aim to educate people to wade through all the misleading graphics and messages and pick out information that is based on science. We know this isn’t always easy and hope that food manufactures and supermarkets would help to make the information easier to understand.”

A spokeswoman for Lidl said that since its introduction in June 2010, the heart logo was used “primarily to highlight products of Scottish origin” and had been well-received by customers.

She added: “Although the concept of the design holds similarities to that of the Healthier Scotland logo, there are marked differences between the two, such as the angle, shading, outline as well as a white circle around the logo.”

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: “Last month, we announced the details of the new voluntary UK front of pack labelling scheme we are recommending in Scotland. All leading retailers, including Lidl, have signed up.

“As well as this, through our framework for voluntary action, we are inviting the food industry, including Lidl, to explore what we can be done in partnership to support healthy choices for customers.”

LOTHIAN Buses boss Ian Craig today emerged as the highest paid chief executive of any public organisation in Scotland.

His £265,000 pay package is £90,000 more than a High Court judge, more than twice the amount paid to the people in charge of Scotland’s prisons, museums, galleries and environmental protection and more than three times the salary paid to the chief executive of Historic ­Scotland for looking after the ­nation’s heritage.

There was an outcry when it was revealed last month that Mr Craig had been given a 26 per cent pay rise. Lothian Buses drivers, who earn around £25,000, got a 2.8 per cent increase.

The latest hike takes Mr Craig’s pay packet above the £227,000 received by Edinburgh University principal and vice-chancellor Professor Sir Tim O’Shea, who has refused a rise for the past four years.

Mr Craig was already being paid more than city council chief executive Sue Bruce who gets £158,553 a year and NHS Lothian boss Tim Davison on £173,840.

Now a survey of top salaries in other public sector organisations in Scotland shows the Lothian Buses chief executive is paid more than almost anyone else.

His £265,000 package is comfortably above First Minister Alex Salmond on £142,257, High Court judges on £174,481 and the £200,000 paid to the chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, whose pay rate has caused controversy in the past.

Mr Craig is paid more than double the chief executives of the National Museums of Scotland, the National Galleries of Scotland, arts body Creative Scotland and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), as well as countryside quango Scottish Natural Heritage, exam body the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Scottish Funding Council which hands out cash to universities and colleges. He gets three times the £70,000-£75,000 salary of Historic Scotland chief executive Ian Walford.

And he is paid twice as much as Scottish Prison Service chief executive Colin McConnell, who has a salary of £110,000-£115,000 for being in charge of 16 prisons, including two privately-run, with 7800 prisoners and 4350 staff.

Others whose salaries are significantly lower than Mr Craig’s include Scottish Ambulance Service chief executive Pauline Howie (£140,000-£145,000) who is responsible for a £200 million budget, 4500 staff and 100 ­ambulance stations across the country, dealing with 600,000 emergencies every year.

Lothian Buses has around 2000 employees and 650 buses serving Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Deputy council leader Steve Cardownie said: “You wonder how difficult it is to run a bus service, especially one you have inherited that is successful.

“There are people who have to deal with a whole raft of different kinds of problems and emergencies on a day-to-day basis.

“I’m not criticising Ian personally because the salary goes with the job, but it does seem inordinately high for running a bus service in a city of less than 500,000.”

Steve Burgess, leader of the Green group on the city council, said Mr Craig seemed to be doing a good job, but his pay was too high.

He said: “Salaries should really be in line with the level of responsibility and the size of the 
business they are operating. This obviously seems way beyond that.

“It’s not a personal thing – anybody who is in charge of Lothian Buses obviously has quite a lot of responsibility, but if you ­compare it with something like the prison service that perhaps involves more responsibility than running a bus company, albeit one of the best in Europe.

“There should be a maximum salary level for people in public office and it should be in line with the level of responsibility they have.”

Scottish Water chief executive Douglas Millican is one of the few public sector bosses with a pay package which exceeds Mr Craig’s. He was only appointed to the post in February, after four months as interim chief executive, but his £236,700 salary could be topped up with a bonus of up to 40 per cent if targets are met.

A Scottish Water spokesman said: “Our chief executive’s remuneration package is the lowest in the UK water industry for chief executives, and his salary is ten per cent lower than that of his 
predecessor.

“He runs the fourth biggest water and waste water business in the UK and is in charge of one of the biggest investment programmes per household in the UK, which supports thousands of construction jobs.”

John Sharkey, chief executive of the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC), which is 91 per cent owned by Glasgow City Council, is ­another of the highest-paid ­public sector employees, whose pay package could rival Mr Craig’s.

No figure is available for his current salary or even how much he was paid last year. An SECC spokeswoman said his 2012-13 remuneration would be revealed when the annual report is published in the next few 
weeks.

But Mr Sharkey’s salary for 2011-12 was £190,000 and he received a bonus of £47,500 bonus, which the spokeswoman said he had distributed among staff. His package also included a Long Term Incentive Plan payment of £38,000 which will not be received until July 2014 and only if performance targets are met.

Eben Wilson, director of TaxpayerScotland, said Mr Craig’s £265,000 pay package was too high, adding: “Those working for organisations need to consider their public service role in the amount they take in salary.

“Salaries above £100,000 have to be genuinely earned – in both the public and the private sector.”

Lothian Buses declined to ­comment.

Council to take control of all cash decisions

COUNCIL chiefs have already made clear they plan to rein in the huge salaries of Lothian Buses bosses.

The company’s annual report revealed its four top directors – chief executive Ian Craig, operations director Bill Campbell, engineering director Bill Devlin and finance director Norman Strachan – shared a pay, pensions and benefits pot of more than £1 million last year, the first time the total has smashed the seven-figure mark.

Until now, despite the council owning the vast majority of shares in Lothian Buses, it has had no say over salaries and benefits – which are decided by the company’s board.

But now council chiefs are to be given new powers to scrutinise and veto pay packages as part of plans to bring tram and bus operations under one umbrella.

A pay panel made up of two councillors and a director will determine salaries and bonuses for senior staff, returning control to the Capital’s elected representatives.

A WAR of words has broken out over the design of the new Boroughmuir High School.

The Capital’s Green party said the new building is “uninspiring” and barely merits a C grade – but education bosses have hit back by giving the ­critics an A+ for “moaning and negativity”.

Leaders of Edinburgh’s Green group said plans drawn up by Allan Murray Architects failed to inspire young people, with one observer remarking the proposed school building looked more like a “multi-­storey car park with glass”.

Councillor Gavin Corbett, Green member for Fountainbridge and Craiglockhart, said the designs were good in part but should have been far more impressive given the building will be the home of Scotland’s top state secondary for decades to come.

He said: “The question at this stage is whether it is yet as good as it could be. The reaction of the young people I’ve spoken to suggests that they are not so far inspired by what they see.”

The criticisms come as consultation on the new designs continue ahead of Friday’s deadline, with education chiefs hoping to begin work in a year’s time and the school built in Fountainbridge by summer 2016.

It is estimated the building will cost between £30 million and £40m.

Cllr Corbett said concerns had been raised over the building’s “monolithic” appearance, adding that parents were worried about whether there would be enough outdoor green space for pupils.

He said a lack of parking space meant an active travel plan would have to be developed to avoid cars spilling over into surrounding streets, while the building’s reliance on mains gas and electricity meant its eco-­credentials were “commendable rather than exemplary”.

Awarding the designs a “report card of C”, he said: “There’s a year to go before the shovels start on the site so I hope the council can use that year well to deliver the school, building Scotland’s best high school merits.”

Cllr Corbett was backed by community leaders.

Mairianna Clyde, chair of Merchiston Community Council, said: “More could be done about how the building will interface with Dundee Street and Viewforth. All that is showing at present is a block-like featureless wall.”

But education chiefs attacked the Greens’ negativity.

Cllr Paul Godzik, education leader, said: “While I welcome legitimate questions which attempt to improve the design, I find it unfortunate – but not surprising – that the Green Party seems unable to welcome progress of any kind, not just on this issue but across the council. Once again, they would get an A+ for moaning and negativity.

“The parent consultation meeting was very well attended and extremely positive. Both the headteacher and the parent council have given the design their overwhelming backing.”

Steve Cardownie and Lesley Hinds extol the virtues of the radical shake-up of the city centre ahead of this year’s Festival.

By Steve Cardownie

The festivals are often associated with just the Old Town, but that hasn’t always been the case. One of the things that’s exciting about what’s happening in George Street is that it’s helping to bring back some of the festival atmosphere to the New Town.

A more even spread of activities will ease the pressure on the area around the Royal Mile, but it also means that businesses in and around George Street can gain from there being more to attract customers during our peak tourist season.

Another benefit is that we get a chance for more of the continental cafe culture that many of us would like to see in Edinburgh, and that would fit well with the existing George Street vibe.

We’ve already seen the success of last year’s set-up outside the Assembly 
Rooms with the Spiegeltent. Now, there’s the chance to use the whole length of the street for drinking, eating and special events that altogether make Edinburgh such a special place in August.

The festivals are part of what makes the city unique and also make a huge difference to our economy. Without them, Edinburgh would be a poorer place in many senses.

The plans for George Street will help us keep our reputation, keep people coming and keep Edinburgh among the very best culture and visitor spots in the world.

Councillor Steve Cardownie is the deputy council leader and the city’s festivals champion.

‘IT HELPS US SEE WHAT THE FUTURE MIGHT HOLD’

By Lesley Hinds

Edinburgh is blessed with several iconic thoroughfares, with George Street one of the most elegant and vibrant streets in the country.

The plans we’ve agreed with Essential Edinburgh and local businesses are a great example of how we can work together to create better public spaces for locals and visitors.

Thankfully, we’ve been able to plan transport arrangements that maintain parking and keep traffic flowing during the three-and-a-half weeks, starting from August 1.

But it’s not just all about the festivals. Doing events like this helps us to see what the future might hold for areas like George Street.

Any city has to evolve and develop if it’s going to continue attracting people, whether that’s for a day or a lifetime. We will be able to learn from August’s changes – what people liked, what we could do better and what, overall, does it tell us about how the city centre should look like in years to come.

The changes that took place on the Royal Mile several years ago were greeted, by some, with concern. But now I think it’s fair to say there’s a consensus now that it only made the Old Town even

stronger.

George Street has already transformed over the years – for the better – and now we might get a glimpse of the next stage in its development.

Councillor Lesley Hinds is the city’s transport and environment convener.

Watching the British and Irish Lions at the weekend, I recalled a recent conversation with a friend who is an out-and-out Unionist.

“You lot in the SNP would even wreck the Lions,” was the printable version of what he said, displaying all the logic, positivity and tact which has so far characterised the No campaign – sense the irony, please.

With more than a year to go before the referendum, the scaremongering and overwhelming negativity of the Unionist side is becoming very ho-hum grating. Not only have the tabloid press and political commentators who are really party hacks in disguise – come on guys and gals, state your party allegiances as I always do – gone for the fear factor every time, they have positively gloried in Unionjackitis.

The Olympics, the Lions – yes, we are all better together, as if sport somehow always melds the four disparate nations of these islands. It doesn’t. Look back at the Olympics and see how few Scots actively supported Team GB at football and let’s wait until August 14 when England play Scotland at Wembley and see how better we are together . . .

The point is that in any sensible person’s list of priorities, sporting success by a small elite wearing whatever flag comes well down the list. A prosperous economy; equality for all regardless of background; improved creation of, and fairer distribution of, wealth; the eradication of child poverty; better health; free, or at least affordable, education; proper care of the elderly; decreasing criminality; genuine regard for the environment; and, most pertinent of all, an end to the public school posh toffs’ war on the poor – these are the real priorities for Scots, English, Welsh, and Northern Irish alike.

The difference is that we in Scotland next year have a chance to assert these priorities by withdrawing from a Union which has singularly failed to deliver them for Scotland for many years. Only by running our own affairs and taking control of our own resources can we ensure that Scottish priorities are met.

Independence supporters are not fixated on trivial matters such as Team GB’s continued existence. But success at elite sport is important to many people, so let me deal with some relevant issues.

If Scotland becomes an independent country and is recognised by the United Nations and International Olympic Committee – the latter’s recognition usually follows the former – the governing bodies of those sports which are organised on a Great Britain and Northern Ireland basis will be expected to realign themselves. For example, our athletes and cyclists will compete in the Olympics and every other international tournament for Scotland, opening up more opportunities for them – and yes, an independent Scotland will invest MORE in sport, not less.

The British and Irish Lions will continue as before – after all the Republic of Ireland is represented on the Lions through the all-Ireland Rugby Union, so why not an independent Scotland?

Best of all, the whole Team GB nonsense will have to cease, for Great Britain will continue only as an island, not an entity. And for what it’s worth, if Scots are not involved in a competition, I’ll happily support South Britain and Northern Ireland.

Trust Labour to lose its focus

Since the police are now involved in investigating the great Falkirk Labour seat-rigging scandal, comment on the issue must be limited due to Scotland’s strict contempt of court laws.

All I’m going to say is that it looks as though the Labour Party that I supported as a youngster, long before I joined the SNP, is alive and kicking – the comrades are still the best at breaking the rules and fixing everything to suit their pals.

And if Ed Miliband thinks that calling in the police will stave off a serious crisis of trust in his party, he has another thing coming.

Sizzling job . . for a wee while

Couldn’t help but stifle a smile when I read the News’s exclusive about Edinburgh City Council employing wardens to stop barbecues scarring our parks.

It is a genuine problem, and I’m sure the wardens will do a good job, but as jobs go, with our weather, being a barbecue warden in Scotland has to be the shortest of short-term contracts.

BEST OF THE BEST

No doubt many Festival visitors will wonder why Edinburgh has never been a European Capital of Culture, or attempted to be British City of Culture. Simple answer – we don’t need such meaningless

baubles.

Munro honour is fitting for John

We said farewell to one of the best at the weekend. John Main was a much-loved family man, a loyal friend, a pillar of the lovely St Philip’s Church, a rugby man to his boots, no mean chanter, and the kind of decent banker this country needs.

Taken too early at 59, John wasn’t quite able to fulfil one great ambition. A keen climber – he once trekked to Everest base camp for charity – John died having ascended 272 of Scotland’s 284 Munro mountains. His family will complete the final dozen and crack a bottle of champagne on the last Munro top.

Those of us who can’t make it in body will be there with them in spirit.

“Paper Never Dies.” That’s the admirable motto of Poland’s Big Book Festival where Peter Kerr, back from Warsaw, was one of the 90 guests.

The only Brit invited, he couldn’t have got lost in the crowd. The Poles, he insists, are super-efficient at this sort of thing.

“I was touting my own books, of course, but certainly it was a privilege to be asked back this year. I wholeheartedly empathise with the Festival’s motto.

“It started at 10am on Saturday and finished at 11am next day, so there’s work to do, hard-selling my own wares. Nobody hangs about.

“They’ve got some adventurous ideas, for example taking authors out of familiar pigeonholes and presenting them on the same bill, so to speak. Some 50 events at 32 venues including hotels, shops, buses, cinemas, hairdressers.

“The Poles are convinced books in their current format have a bright future. The motto underlines their faith in books and the power of paper. I left Warsaw spiritually uplifted, I must say.”

Say what you like, Pete, this is supposed to be a free country. His latest literary work is Song of the Eight Winds and he’s busy on a racy recollection of his years as a professional jazz musician.

Signor service

Still the tittle-tattle of the avenues and alleyways of Queensferry Street, the fate of the thoroughfare’s best-known ristorante. Its owner Mario Cugini is still tight-lipped over as to who’ll taking over the up-for-grabs Bar Roma.

The exit date for Mario is still August 31 and in the latest call-over the front-runners are still JD Wetherspoon. Go on, Signor Cugini . . . surprise us!

JUST a little piece of advice for everyone - never have your living room painted while away on holiday.

Arriving home late on Sunday night, with all the lights in the sitting room unplugged, I was unable to see that all the furniture had been put back in the wrong places.

Instead if being nice and fresh for the next few months ahead, I ended up getting into the office late the next morning... although at least the furniture was back in its correct place.

Just before I left Norway, yet another show cancelled. Michael Mittermeier, a brilliant German stand-up had to cancel his Festival show, due to a slipped disc. He is obviously very apologetic and has had to cancel a whole tour and most of the work he has over the next few months.

Obviously, this is unavoidable and we all wish him the best in his recovery, however, it does not help the gap in our programme. It seems this is the year of the cancelled shows, never before have so many people had to pull out of their commitment to perform at the Festival.

We are lucky that Alan Davis is coming and will take Michael Mittermeier’s place in the Nightclub, instead of the Billiard Room, where I had programmed him last week.

This means that I have a huge whole in the Billiard Room. Any funny folk, or shows that are having to move venues, please get in touch. It does also mean, of course, that I can put on extra shows, should any of our shows sell-out. We will be doing our best to make that happen.

In the meantime, Paul Zerdin has been selling very well and has already asked for extra dates. We will see what we can do on that front.

Kiss Me Honey, Honey the play with Grant Stott and Andy Gray has been selling extremely well and they are about to start rehearsals. We will push them to extra shows, perhaps, though the play will be tough-going on the guys, with multiple parts to play and lots of tomfoolery.

It remains to be seen if they have the stamina to do extra shows - I challenge them.

THE cleric chosen to assist the Duchess of Rothesay in her new role as Chancellor of Aberdeen University has now been appointed Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland.

As Dean of the Chapel Royal, Professor Iain Torrance will be responsible for the oversight of the ecclesiastical establishment in Scotland, which is part of the Royal Household.

Prof Torrance takes on the role following the retirement of the Very Reverend Dr John Cairns. Prof Torrance is a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Divinity at Aberdeen University. He was appointed a Chaplain to the Queen in 2001.

He has also been appointed Pro-Chancellor of Aberdeen University to assist the Duchess of Rothesay in her role as the first women to be appointed Chancellor of Aberdeen University.

Commenting on his appointment, Prof Torrance said he was greatly honoured by the trust which the Queen has placed in him. He has a particular interest in inter-faith dialogue and the welfare of people who migrate to Scotland.

Prof Torrance said: “Between 2014 and 2018 we will be involved in a national commemoration of the First World War and we need to find appropriate ways to learn from it.”

The Right Reverend Lorna Hood, the Kirk’s Moderator, said: “The Chapel Royal will be delighted in the appointment of Iain Torrance as its Dean and we thank John Cairns for his years of diligent service to the church in a variety of roles but especially at this time as Dean of the Chapel Royal.

“Both John and Iain have faithfully served the church with distinction and we rejoice with them in this recognition by the Queen. The Church of Scotland is proud of its relationship with the Royal Household and we look forward to maintaining those links in the future.”

A SENIOR nationalist has called for two keynote TV debates, involving both referendum campaigns as well as the UK and Scottish governments, to take place in the run up to the vote on independence.

Margo MacDonald said Alex Salmond should go head-to head against both David Cameron and No campaign leader Alistair Darling in two separate live TV debates in 2014.

The Independent nationalist MSP said “that’s the fairest way of doing it” as she said she would raise the issue at Holyrood when MSPs return after the summer recess.

She insisted that a deal was needed on the issue to avoid a damaging row similar to that over the controversial exclusion of the SNP from the leader’s debate at the 2010 General Election.

Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg all took part in leaders debates ahead of the 2010 election on ITV, BSkyB and the BBC over three successive Thursday evenings.

Ms MacDonald also wants Labour and the Greens to be represented in any TV clashes as well as saying she would be prepared to act as Alex Salmond’s seconder in any debate against Mr Cameron.

Mr Salmond has so far said he wanted to take part in a debate with the Prime Minister in the run-up to a referendum, although Mr Cameron is understood to be opposed to the move.

Better Together leader Mr Darling has also publicly challenged Mr Salmond to a separate debate, although the First Minister has yet to agree to it.

Representation

However, Ms MacDonald insisted that the two campaigns and the Holyrood and Westminster parliaments both had to be represented in the televised debates.

She said: “Let’s have the two guys who head up the two institutions of Holyrood and Westminster going up against each other.

“It’s also absolutely fair that the leaders of the two movements should debate with each other.

“The Yes campaign is effectively fronted by Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling has validity as the leader of the No campaign.”

Ms MacDonald will lodge a motion at Holyrood on the issue with MSPs asked to back an agreement between both sides on referendum campaign TV debates.

The Lothians MSP insisted that Salmond should lead for the Yes side in two TV debates because of his position as First Minister and as “de facto” head of the Yes campaign.

Ms MacDonald, who is a former SNP deputy leader, said Labour leader Johann Lamont should be involved in a Mr Salmond versus Mr Cameron debate.

She said: “Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie should be Salmond’s running mate in a debate against Darling, with Labour deputy leader

Anas Sarwar also represented.

She said: “I’d choose Patrick Harvie, who’s possibly the best debater in the parliament.

“There is no one else in Alex Salmond’s position. He leads the movement and leads the parliament so he’s de facto leader of the Yes campaign.”

SEE ALSO:

• Scottish Independence: Alex Salmond challenges David Cameron to TV debate

Today . . .

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PASSENGER growth at Edinburgh airport accelerated last month to a record June after its figures were in the doldrums for a year, thanks to new routes by EasyJet, Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic.

Scotland’s busiest airport announced today it handled 956,562 passengers, up 8.4 per cent on a year ago - speeding up its long-awaited return to growth, which started with a 7.4 per cent rise in May. It handles 9.2 million a year and is the sixth busiest in the UK.

Officials said new routes such as EasyJet’s to Hamburg and Berlin had added passengers, along with more flights to Turkish Airlines’ hub in Istanbul.

Heathrow traffic also increased thanks to Virgin Atlantic competing against BA on the route since April, with BA’s figures also up, partially because of adding extra flights since it took over former rival Bmi last year.

The sale, which led to uncertainty among passengers, was a major factor in Edinburgh seeing traffic levels decline over the last year.

The airport now expects to handle more than 1 million passengers for the first time this month, which would make July its busiest month ever.

Chief executive Gordon Dewar said: “It’s great to see we’re continuing our record-breaking summer season, with both May and June seeing the highest number of passengers ever.

“It’s hugely encouraging to see another positive increase to our domestic and international traffic figures, which are continuing to rise as a result of good performances from our domestic airlines and the introduction of new international routes.”

Mr Dewar also appeared to hint at Edinburgh’s ambition to grow further, including win more long-haul flights, over which rival Glasgow continues to have the lion’s share.

In a reference to the airport’s current slogan, he said: “We’re looking forward to a great summer which will continue to see Edinburgh airport be the place where Scotland meets the world.”

Scotland’s other major airports are due to announce their June figures on Thursday.

FLIGHTS at Edinburgh airport have suffered delays today because of “technical problems” by air traffic control firm NATS in southern England.

The airport - Scotland’s busiest - reported five “small” delays so far as a result of the glitch at NATS’ main control centre in Hampshire.

Glasgow airport said it was business as usual. A spokesman said: “We have not experienced any disruption, and do not anticipate any. However, that may change.”

Aberdeen airport said it had not been affected.

A spokesman for NATS said: “NATS is experiencing technical problems at our Swanwick control centre and we are working to restore full operations.

“This has not resulted in the closure of UK airspace or the suspension of all flights in or out the UK.

“However, to maintain safety, NATS is restricting the number of aircraft flying across the south of England and those taking off from airports.

“We regret any inconvenience this may cause however our first priority will always be the safety of the flying public.

“NATS is taking every step to restore services and has contingency plans in place to minimise any disruption.”

ED MILIBAND was last night facing a backlash from within the Labour movement after he vowed to reform his party’s relationship with the trade unions following the Falkirk ballot-rigging allegations.

Mr Miliband made the biggest gamble of his Labour leadership in a speech pledging to end the system that sees trade unionists automatically contribute to party funds. The move will almost certainly see Labour lose millions of pounds.

The measures set out in a speech in London yesterday were designed to draw a line under the biggest crisis of Mr Miliband’s leadership, sparked by claims that Unite tried to fix the selection of Labour’s general election candidate in Falkirk by packing the constituency with 100 or more of its own members, some of them without their knowledge. An internal party report on the allegations has been handed to police.

In a hard-hitting address, Mr Miliband said events in Falkirk represented “part of the death-throes of the old politics”, and he hoped to usher in an “open, transparent and trusted” system, which would engage more union members directly.

Rather than being automatically affiliated to Labour unless they opt out, union members should be asked to make an active decision to join, he said.

“I do not want any individual to be paying money to the Labour Party in affiliation fees unless they have deliberately chosen to do so.”

Mr Miliband hoped introducing an “opt-in” system would lead to thousands of working people signing up to Labour, increasing its membership beyond the current level of 200,000.

The Labour leader announced plans to establish a code of conduct for would-be election candidates and to introduce primary elections for Labour’s next candidate for London mayor.

Mr Miliband also announced a Labour government would impose a limit on MPs’ earnings from second jobs and called for the reopening of stalled talks on the funding of political parties.

Yesterday, MPs and union leaders expressed reservations about Mr Miliband’s attempt to dilute the link between trade unions and Labour.

Katy Clark, Labour MP for North Ayrshire and Arran, said: “There is no appetite from most people in the Labour Party to break the links with the trade unions.”

Brian Donohoe, MP for Central Ayrshire, said: “Unless we grow our party to a mass membership party to the extent where we have enough money to run elections, I would go softly, softly on this one.”

Some union leaders warned of a financial risk.

GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said: “The changes Mr Miliband seeks will mean none of the funds that would have gone in political affiliation fees will be available to fund Labour Party operations.”

Bob Thomson, former chairman of the Labour Party in Scotland, said: “This really is a Blairite coup and I think it is a very profound mistake.”

Although Mr Miliband faced stirrings of discontent, the angry response many had expected from Unite leader Len McCluskey failed to materialise.

Although he and Mr Miliband were at loggerheads last week over the decision to bring in the police, the Unite leader described yesterday’s speech as “bold and brave”, adding: “It may well be a historic one if Ed’s vision comes to fruition.”

Mr McCluskey found himself in the unusual position of being in accord with former Labour prime minister Tony Blair, who said: “Frankly, probably I should have done it when I was leader.”

Analysis by John Curtice: Gamble may lose Labour cash – but it could prove costly for Cameron too

What do you call a proposal from a politician that appears to bite the hand of those that feed him? Brave or foolhardy? Which adjective applies to Mr Miliband’s speech may not be evident for some time.

Money raised by the trade unions’ political funds has long been Labour’s financial lifeblood. Not least of the reasons why it has proved so lucrative is that those trade union members who do not wish any of their dues to reach Labour’s coffers have to go to the trouble of explicitly opting out from paying. Most simply do not bother.

Until now Labour has doggedly defended this practice, which it itself introduced after 1945, thereby reversing much-hated 1920s Conservative legislation that had required trade union members to opt into the political levy.

The trade unions value the arrangement too. The more members a union affiliates to the Labour Party via its political fund, the more votes it has at conference.

Meanwhile, these members get the chance to vote in the election for Labour leader, votes that in 2010 the trade unions helped push decisively in Ed (rather than David) Miliband’s direction.

Now Mr Miliband says he wants to end a much-prized symbiosis that proved crucial in enabling him personally to win the Labour crown.

Much would seem to rest on Labour’s ability to persuade trade union members to sign up to the party.

If they do, not only will Labour still get their money, but also a much larger membership in each and every constituency. Constituency parties with low memberships are always be vulnerable to takeover through recruiting new members – as allegedly was happening in Falkirk.

However, as Mr Miliband acknowledged, joining a political party is not very fashionable nowadays. Persuading people to sign up and stay may well prove difficult.

And if, as in London, people are to get the chance to help decide Labour’s mayoral candidate without paying any dues, then what incentive will there be for them to do so?

Still, Mr Miliband may have been more canny than seems at first sight.

He is not proposing that trade unions should scrap their political funds. He is simply saying that they cannot use those funds to make their members individual “affiliates” of the party. He did not say that trade unions would not be able to use their political funds to send Labour a donation – should they wish to do so.

All this could have one big advantage. It will make it easier for Labour to argue big business donations should be capped too. And that could prove rather expensive for Mr Cameron.

• John Curtice is professor of politics at Strathclyde University

SEE ALSO:

• Brian Wilson: Handing power back to the people

• Leaders: Miliband decision on unions the right one

• Comment: Labour Falkirk cynicism the real scandal

AN MSP leapt into his former wife’s home brandishing an airgun, a court has heard.

Bill Walker’s second wife, Anne Gruber, said she got “the fright of her life” when he turned up uninvited with the weapon.

She said she had been out for a birthday meal with another man that day.

Walker, 71, is on trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court charged with a string of attacks against Mrs Gruber and three other women.

The independent member for Dunfermline denies 23 assaults over a 28-year period, as well as a charge of breaching the peace with an air rifle.

Mrs Gruber, also 71, told the court she moved with her children to an address in Liberton, Edinburgh, in 1978 after the couple separated.

She said she was sitting in the living room chatting to her friend when her dog began behaving strangely at the window.

“I opened the French window,” she said.

“Mr Walker jumped in with an airgun, which I recognised as a gun he used to use for shooting the pigeons.

“I got the fright of my life.”

Mrs Gruber told fiscal depute Les Brown she could not remember her ex-husband saying anything.

“I just ran to the phone and phoned the police and he disappeared and so did my friend.

“He must have climbed over the fence to actually get to where he was.”

She told the court that Walker threw an empty wine bottle at her on one occasion at the address.

“He has a very quick temper and some minor thing would trigger off great anger and violence,” she said.

Read more on Bill Walker

• MSP arrested after domestic assault allegations

• Walker in court of 24 domestic abuse charges

• Walker faces domestic abuse charges in court

• Bill Walker claims self defence in assault case

• Ex-wife claims former SNP MSP punched her

THIS autumn we’re not talking about leather and plaid, the deep V-neck or the revival of the round shoulder – though, for the record, these are some of the biggest trends you’ll see come September. But, no, the biggest story to hit fashion in years is less about the catwalk, more about crowd funding.

Wowcracy is an online fashion buying platform that allows designers to sell exclusive access to themselves and their collections in a bid to raise the full amount needed to fund an entire collection.

Pre-order something you like on the site, but no money will change hands until the designer meets or exceeds their goal. Once that happens, funds are transferred, the design process rolls into action and the customer waits patiently for their exclusive piece of fashion to arrive on the doorstep.

Supported by Vogue and Glamour, the project has just awarded one of its coveted places to Fort William-born, Edinburgh-based Judy R Clark – the only Scot on the books. Having worked for Alexander McQueen and designed exclusive pieces for Emeli Sandé, this time Clark has the not inconsiderable task of raising £4,000 in just 90 days if she is to produce a collection of exclusive Harris Tweed and Scottish lace frock coats.

“I receive emails every day from people asking where they can get hold of my garments or how they can order my designs,” says Clark. “Wowcracy

is the perfect platform to showcase

my work to a global audience. Through the site, anyone can buy into my

entire design process from start to finish.

“I am offering numerous parts of the journey, from a regularly updated email blog, limited edition postcards and prints of the designs, to a studio visit inputting to the overall look of the garments, to, of course, owning one of my jackets, including a frock coat named in their honour.”

Everything will be made in Scotland from Scottish textiles, including Harris Tweed and lace from the Ayrshire mill Morton, Young and Borland.

For the customer, as little as £5 will get you named on the website, with regular updates on the project. Spend £10 or £50 and a pack of hand-drawn postcards or a visit to Clark’s Edinburgh studio could be yours; £420 and you get an exclusive jacket – one of only 25 worldwide – and £850 ups the stakes to one of just two incredible frock coats, named after you and delivered to your door around September this year.

“By using this crowd-funding approach people will essentially pre-order

my creations and become part of my exclusive fashion brand.”

Twitter: @Ruth_Lesley

• To support Clark, see bit.ly/JudyWow www.wowcracy.com

A passenger killed in a car crash in the Highlands has been named by police as 21-year-old Greg Anderson, from Kingussie.

The young mechanic was travelling in the car which left Carr Road, near to Carrbridge, and crashed into a tree on Saturday night.

The driver suffered serious injuries, but police said they were not life threatening.

Tidal turbines stretched across Pentland Firth off Orkney could generate the equivalent to almost half of Scotland’s electricity needs, a new study has revealed.

• Oxford University researchers have claimed that tidal turbines installed across Pentland Firth could generate equivalent of almost half of Scotland’s electricity

• Report says that Pentland Firth “promises to be one of the best sites in the world for tidal power”

The research led by a team from Oxford University claims the 1.9GW figure it has predicted is considerably lower than some early estimates.

It takes into account factors such as how many tidal turbines it would be feasible to build, how a series of turbines would interact with each other, and averages out variations caused by the fortnightly and seasonal cycle of the tides.

The new calculations suggest that the prospects of extracting the first 500 megawatts (MW) of energy are very promising. Due to the increasing difficulty of extracting more and more energy towards the maximum of 1.9GW the researchers believe that a target of extracting 1GW is realistic.

A report of the research appears in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A.

It states: “Pentland Firth promises to be one of the best sites in the world for tidal power, what our research shows is that it could potentially generate power equivalent to almost half of Scotland’s annual electricity consumption,’ said Dr Thomas Adcock of Oxford University’s Department of Engineering Science, lead author of the report.

“Our study provides the first robust data about how much energy it would be feasible to extract, it also suggests that to be efficient any scheme would have to be ‘joined up’ so that, for example, individual tidal turbines do not cancel each other out and provisions are made to store the greater energy produced by spring tides and feed these back in at neap tides.”

When looking at the feasibility of a scheme for Pentland Firth the researchers assumed that, to be viable, the potential energy generated by each tidal turbine would have to be greater than that of off-shore wind turbines, due to the higher loads they would have to endure and higher maintenance costs.

They also used mathematical models to investigate how different rows of turbines would interact, working out how to arrange them so as not to ‘steal’ each other’s tidal energy, and calculating how power generation for the overall scheme might be maximised.

The report said: “Building handfuls of tidal turbines in ‘plots’ of ocean leased out to individual developers is not going to extract the maximum energy from Pentland Firth,’ said Dr Adcock. ‘To make the most of this unique site the placement of turbines would need to be carefully planned.”

The work was commissioned and supported by the Energy Technologies Institute.

The research was a carried out by Dr Thomas Adcock, Professor Guy Houlsby, and Sena Serhadioğlu of Oxford University’s Department of Engineering Science, Professor Alistair Borthwick of University College Cork, and Assistant Professor Scott Draper of the University of Western Australia.

SEE ALSO

• {http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/opinion/comment/comment-tide-needs-to-turn-for-wave-power-industry-1-2936094|Comment: Tide needs to turn for wave power industry|May 18, 2013}

THE way has finally been cleared for the North Sea’s fleet of Super Puma helicopters, grounded since last October following two offshore ditchings, to resume vital crew-change flights for Britain’s oil and gas industry.

All 16 Super Puma EC225s operating in the North Sea – one-fifth of the entire offshore fleet – have been grounded since 22 October last year when a Super Puma EC225 operated by CHC Helicopters was forced to ditch off Shetland. Another ditched 30 miles off the coast of Aberdeen in May last year.

Both ditchings led to the discovery of “potentially catastrophic” mechanical failures in the gearbox – identical cracks near a weld in the main vertical gear shaft of the workhorse of the North Sea. In both cases, tests showed identical problems which resulted in a false alarm being issued over a lubrication system failure.

Eurocopter, the French manufacturer of the Super Puma EC225, has been carrying out tests on the faulty gearbox since last year to determine the exact cause of the problems.

Now the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published an airworthiness directive which has approved a technical solution proposed by Eurocopter for its EC225 fleet.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority said it will allow aircraft to return to service once the requirements of the directive are met.

According to an EASA spokesman the safety agency has put in place a new set of checks and modifications which will help engineers detect potential weaknesses and improve safety.

The Civil British Aviation Authority has accepted the EASA suggestions and said the Super Puma helicopters would be returned to service once the modifications had been made.

A spokesman for Eurocopter said the company had carried out an investigation into cracks found in the Super Puma engines and had suggested ways the helicopters could be made safer. This is a major milestone to ensure that the first EC225s of the suspended fleet can be ready for a return to flight in July.

He said: “We expect the operational restrictions imposed by certain national aviation authorities to be lifted shortly. Eurocopter is now focused on supporting customers to put in place the required modifications and maintenance activities.”

A spokesman for Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority said: “Following publication of an airworthiness directive by EASA, the UK Civil Aviation Authority will amend its operational restriction on the helicopter type, allowing each aircraft to return to service once the requirements of the EASA directive are met.”

It was revealed earlier this year at a summit in Aberdeen that the confidence of the vast majority of the offshore workforce in the safety of the North Sea’s helicopter workhorse has been shaken as a result of the two Super Puma ditchings.

Two-thirds of the 1,604 oil workers who took part in an online survey, commissioned by industry body Oil & Gas UK, said their confidence in the safety of the Super Puma EC225 had decreased since the 2012 incidents.

An Oil & Gas UK spokesman said of the EASA announcement: “The safety barriers proposed will give several layers of assurance that this helicopter is safe.”