Labour will find increases in the state pension age are unacceptable, just as cuts to the Winter Fuel Allowance, personal independence payments and universal credit are — it needs to change direction immediately, writes PCS general secretary FRAN HEATHCOTE

EDINBURGH Council’s plan to force the owners of empty homes to sell up is the kind of common sense approach that’s missing from much of our housing debate.
Last November it was reported that Scotland has 80,000 empty homes — a seven-year high. Meanwhile, it is thought there could be as many as 200,000 Scots waiting for a council home.
A foothold in our sordid private-rented sector, therefore, is thought of by many young people as a blessing. But while it may give you a roof over your head, a room in a shared flat can arrive with unsolicited side orders of damp, broken facilities, unresponsive landlords, sky-high utility bills and exorbitant rents (especially in Edinburgh).

CONRAD LANDIN offers a guide to the diverse shows at Edinburgh Art Festival