Sign in
☰
People MPsHouse of LordsGovernmentOppositionPartiesCommittees Votes Commons votesLords votesVotes by issueTopicsStats & rankingsParliament in numbers Legislation BillsEarly day motionsPetitions Elections Election resultsConstituenciesWho is my MP? Scotland OverviewMSPsScottish GovernmentVotesBillsMotionsCommitteesConstituencies & regionsElections Search Sign in

Motion · S6M-17387 · 29 Apr 2025

Concern Regarding PA Media’s Proposals on Jobs and Political Coverage in Scotland

Lodged by Neil Bibby (Scottish Labour) Standard Motion 28 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament notes with dismay PA Media’s reported proposals to cut the Scottish politics reporter specialism and reduce the overall reporting team in PA Scotland; further notes with serious concern the impact that it believes these reported proposals will have on jobs, with PA Media’s current proposals reducing the number of reporting staff in Scotland by two, losing a dedicated Scotland editor, as well as changing job specifications in other roles; notes the belief that these proposals will impact all aspects of the news operation in Scotland, with the reduction of sub editors and amalgamation with sport production potentially leading to breaking news being delayed and standards slipping; understands that, despite assurances from management, PA Scotland’s current team believes that this will lead to a reduction in politics coverage as fewer staff will be covering a broader range of topics; notes the belief that this will have a significant impact on coverage of the upcoming Scottish Parliament elections in 2026, when it will be vital to have accurate and impartial reporting to inform voters' decisions; understands that these reported proposals are part of a wider consultation affecting 74 editorial staff across the UK in the news, features, social, pictures, production and sports teams, with a potential loss of up to 25 jobs, and calls on PA Media to reconsider these proposals and work with the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) to retain jobs and skills at PA Scotland.

Supporters (28)

Source: the Scottish Parliament motions and amendments record.