As events around the world continue to take a dark turn it is worth remembering that hope still shines bright in communities across
Scotland. That is why every year the Daily Record stages the Pride of Scotland awards to recognise ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
The star-studded awards ceremony is one of the highlights of the TV calendar and those nominated get an opportunity of the recognition they deserve. Today we give all of our readers the chance to nominate the local heroes they think should be among the winners. The categories include brave 999 heroes, children of courage and a special inspiration award.
And launching this year’s Pride of Scotland nominations process is a woman who is an inspiration to all of us. When she was just 19, Lucy Lintott Smith became the youngest Scot ever to be diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) and was told she was unlikely to fulfill her dream of having a child.
But Lucy, 30, of Elgin, has defied the odds to give birth to three healthy babies – the only MND sufferer to do so. Please read her story and let us know about all the special people in your community who deserve to get their story out there. You can nominate an unsung hero for a Pride of Scotland Award with P&O Cruises, by going to the prideofscotland.org website.
Family’s fight
First Minister John Swinney and Justice Secretary Angela Constance did the right thing in meeting with Emma Caldwell’s mother yesterday. Emma’s killer Iain Packer evaded justice for 19 years. Her family had to suffer for nearly two decades while he was free to roam the streets.
Police officers have been accused of sabotaging the investigation and falsely accusing others of Emma’s murder. This should never have happened. Emma’s family are calling for a judge from outwith Scotland to lead an inquiry into the botched police investigation. This could be a judge from England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Scotland’s judiciary has historic links to the case and it would be difficult to find a judge who hasn’t spent time at either the Crown Office or the defence bar in the last 20 years. For the inquiry to be truly fair and objective, there needs to be a fresh pair of eyes overseeing it – and a senior legal figure from outwith Scotland fits the bill.
Emma’s family have strived for decades to get answers on what went wrong in the investigation into her murder. Anything that helps them finally get the truth must be seriously considered by the First Minister.
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