Every 6 hours in Scotland, someone dies of a preventable drug related death. We have the worst drug death rate in Europe & without action it will only get worse. That's why I have launched my Bill consultation in @ScotParl to establish Overdose Prevention Centres. Watch 👇👇

We need to get out of this mindset that wars are won by soldiers alone. They're won by supply chains, factories and the country behind them. That's the conversation we need to have.

Getting close to topping out second building. It’s been tough. First month me and our Dir of Arch and Cons were on site daily 7:30am - 7:30pm with masons. 4 weeks straight. Had to lay stones for them, correct small details, put up leads—had to act as lead mason, essentially. Now our Superintendent and Field Tech know how to do these things which has freed me back up. But we are having to hold masons hands the whole way. We were supposed to be going faster with 2 simultaneous crews going, but 2nd crew got scared of trying. Along with 10 other crews. We’ve rearranged schedule to make up some time elsewhere, but ultimately it’ll just be 6 weeks slower than we’d planned. On development side we’re okay; still going through equity, no bank debt yet so no unplanned interest. We’re in budget. And it’s looking freaking amazing—and word is getting out on lease up. But, this isn’t for the faint of heart. I get asked all the time “how to do this”. I tell most people don’t try. Unless you are really, really committed, and are willing to blow up your schedule and work 80 hour weeks just to keep it on track. Thankfully I have an amazing team and we are that committed. My goal is to make it easier over time. Train more masons, clear documented systems, etc. But when innovating, it is hard—and you have to make up for a lot with sheer effort. It’ll make the final product all the sweeter, knowing what went into it.

"The Haussmann block mixed incomes vertically, by floor, so no single district rose or fell as one." yes, and importantly, it did not achieve that diversity by requiring developers to sell 20 percent of units at prices affordable to households earning 60–80% of AMI. Mixed income was partly a natural consequence of the building type itself. The same building contained larger and smaller apartments, premium and secondary floors, and units serving households with different incomes and needs. Crucially, it provided apartments attractive enough to retain upper- and middle-income households in the city, rather than pushing them to single family mansion neighborhoods. Contemporary cities could recover some of that diversity by incentivizing a similar fine-grained apartment type: roughly 65 feet wide, 40 feet deep, and six stories, producing about 15,600 gross square feet and perhaps 14 apartments averaging around 1,000 square feet. Rather than forcing a small building to absorb deeply discounted units, a city could incentivize ~20 percent of its apartments to accept housing vouchers.

Malcolm was a government Minister when Grangemouth announced it would close - what did he do about it? Not a thing. He wouldn’t even fund a study into supporting future industries on the site.

A fantastic 1936 shot of the Pratt truss railway bridge that crosses the Shettleston Rd end of Duke St to this day. The signage is for the benefit of tram passengers on their way to the Carntyne stadium, popular at the time as a greyhound track 📷 Glasgow City Archives #glasgow

Looking up at the facade of the former Cooperative Hall on Dalintober Street on the Southside of Glasgow. Built in the 1890s, it's part of Cooperative House, the former headquarters of the Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society. #glasgow #architecture #architecturephotography

The UK actually has a ton of frontier or near-frontier global companies for a country of its size and I think its economic problems could basically all be solved with “YIMBY stuff” in a way that isn’t true elsewhere. slowboring.com/p/hard-work-i…

Misrepresented in headline by Times but this, from Burnham, is eminently sensible. So sensible, in fact, that I doubt it survives impact with the Ministry of Defence and the civil service.

Britain needs a bigger, stronger electricity grid after years of underinvestment. New independent research published today shows overheard lines and pylons are still the most cost effective way to get the electricity transmission network built.

Casework win 👏 A constituent got in touch with concerns about a long-running bill dispute with their power provider. After intervention from my office, the constituent received a £6,000 refund. If you have any local issues or concerns, please get in touch: 📧 paul.sweeney.msp@parliament.scot 💻 pauljsweeney.com/contact 📱0131 348 6388

👀If you'd set aside some time today to read the Defence Investment Plan and are now wondering what to do with yourself, how about having a read of my paper on the MOD’s perpetual procurement crisis and what should be done about it: 😀 policybrief.org/briefs/the-m… #ICYMI #DIP

Last night I attended a community meeting at Wallacewell Primary to discuss concerns around school provisions. Many families have been left feeling frustrated and overlooked by the lack of capacity and ability to place children in local a nursery or school. A reminder that if you're a Robroyston resident, you can take my survey to share your experience with local schools 👇 pauljsweeney.com/robroystons…

'the “fifth largest defence budget in the world” bought nowhere near the fifth most capable armed forces' - a must read with more zingers from @edwardstrngr65 .newstatesman.com/politics/uk…

We owe those who serve the UK the kit to do the job and the loyalty to stand by them when it's done. We are failing on both. I’ve spent my whole time in government making that case. Number 10 will not listen, so I am resigning as Minister for the Armed Forces. Letter to the PM below.🫡🫡🫡⬇️⬇️

John Healey has given this country serious service in a serious time. He took on the Ministry of Defence at a moment when the world was getting more dangerous, not less, and he carried that weight with the discipline and decency that the job demands. I worked alongside him closely. I saw the hours, the care, and the seriousness he brought to every brief, including the hardest ones. There are issues facing this Department that do not lend themselves to easy answers. The work on funding, on veterans, on Legacy, on the welfare of those who serve. The threats facing this country have not paused for a change of Secretary of State. Our Armed Forces remain on operations around the world, standing with our allies, protecting our interests, and keeping the British people safe. They deserve a Ministry of Defence that matches their seriousness with our own. That is the job. It continues today.

Had a great time visiting Big Noise Govanhill earlier this week. It was fantastic to hear some of the young musicians rehearsing ahead of their concert and to chat about my role as an MSP and how our Parliament works. Big Noise and @sistemascotland do incredible work improving lives and strengthening community through music, and it is always inspiring seeing them in action. Wishing everyone the best for the concert!🎻

My letter to the Prime Minister

No one in Scotland should live in fear due to the colour of their skin of their religious belief. The displays of hate witnessed in the city are the antithesis of the compassionate and welcoming spirit of Glasgow, and will not be tolerated.

We have seen the darkness of barbarism and the light of civilisation in the last 24 hours

The Gloria from the Missa de Angelis (Mass of the Angels). It is one of the most magnificent, uplifting Gregorian chants in the Roman Catholic liturgy