LOCAL GOVERNMENT: The Unite union has called on Nicola Sturgeon to intervene urgently to settle a row over a much-criticised pay offer to council workers.

Unite Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty said the offer made so far is “more like a slap in the face rather than a clap for local government workers.”

The union is recommending that its members reject the offer. Mr Rafferty said: “This just can’t be right … after a decade of local government being starved of funds.”

POLITICS: Scottish Labour has announced a range of policies designed to put women “at the heart” of Scotland’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Launching the party’s “women’s manifesto,” deputy leader Jackie Baillie said investment in creating a fairer country could enable women to be an “economic powerhouse.”

Labour’s pledges include a requirement for annual pay reviews and the establishment of a central fund to finance historical equal-pay claims.

ARTS: Artists should be allowed to occupy empty spaces on high streets in a bid to reinvigorate them, the Scottish Greens have said.

Party co-leader Patrick Harvie said changes to planning policies proposed by his party could provide a boost to local areas hit hard by the pandemic.

Using “local place plans,” the Greens hope that disused shops could be turned into artist-led spaces such as studios, cinemas, workshops or venues.

INFORMATION: The Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland (CFoIS) has launched its manifesto ahead of the Holyrood elections on May 6. 

The CFoIS is calling for candidates to back three key asks ahead of May’s vote, including reform of existing legislation. 

Campaigners also want candidates to acknowledge that the right to access information in the public interest is a human right, with any reform based on human-rights law.