REFUGEE PLEDGE: The leaders of four of Scotland’s five main political parties have signed the Scottish Refugee Council’s (SRC) election pledge.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie of the Greens, Willie Rennie of the Lib Dems and Labour’s Anas Sarwar agreed to “make Scotland a welcoming place” and to stand up for refugee rights. 

SRC chief executive Sabir Zazai said this pledge was “simply doing the right thing.”

AMAZON: Unite has launched a new hotline and campaign to get a “new deal” for Amazon workers in Scotland. 

The union is passing on the message to Amazon workers that they can blow the whistle and expose poor treatment. 

Unite is calling on Amazon’s owner Jeff Bezos to sign up to a “new deal,” including commitments that recognise workers’ right to unionise.

MAYORS: Introducing directly elected mayors in Scotland would give people a “local hero” to represent their communities, a think tank says.

Reform Scotland urged the next Scottish government to establish such positions in a new report, saying it could help switch power from Holyrood to local councils.

Report author Alison Payne said: “Scotland is far too centralised and needs to see a shift in power from Holyrood to local authorities.”

SCOTTISH LABOUR: The party has expressed its disappointment after losing a last-minute bid to include Anas Sarwar’s name on ballot papers.

The party took legal action after the Electoral Commission refused to allow “Anas Sarwar — Labour’s National Recovery Plan” to appear on May 6 regional-list ballots.

The body said Labour made its application very late and should not be “pushed up the queue,” despite claims it could cause the party an unfair electoral disadvantage.