The winners of the latest series of the BBC’s Race Across the World have been crowned
Race Across the World has revealed its 2026 winners.
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Best friends Jo and Kush claimed victory at the final checkpoint following a frantic last-minute sprint, screaming “oh my God” as they became the first pair to cross the finish line at Lake Khövsgöl in northern Mongolia.
“I can’t put it into words!” said Kush. “We’ve done it!”
“It’s hard to get my head around it,” Jo admitted. “First win for Liverpool!”
Five teams had embarked on the latest series of the popular BBC programme, which challenges contestants to race vast distances without mobile phones or bank cards, carrying only the equivalent of what their flights would have cost, reports the Mirror.
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Jo and Kush, cousins Puja and Roshni, siblings Katie and Harrison, father and daughter Molly and Andrew, and in-laws Mark and Margo were challenged to travel from Europe “to the uncharted edges of Mongolia” in what the BBC described as “the toughest journey yet”.
Andrew and Molly finished in second place, with Katie and Harrison close behind. Mark and Margo arrived last, more than a day later, visibly emotional as they paid tribute to Julia, Mark’s late wife and Margo’s sister, whose last wish had been for the pair to forge a friendship.
The teams had departed from the sun-drenched streets of Palermo, covering more than 11,000km across Europe and Asia. Their route wound through Italy, Greece, Türkiye, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, before concluding on the banks of Lake Khövsgöl in northern Mongolia. In the most demanding race to date, conditions shifted from 30 degree Mediterranean warmth to subarctic temperatures of –20°C, which the teams had to traverse on less than £26 per person per day.
The contestants all encountered various obstacles during the journey.
Katie and Harrison were initial frontrunners, succeeding in reaching checkpoints hours before the remainder of the field, but they failed to maintain their advantage. Meanwhile, cousins Puja and Roshni were knocked out early after placing last in one leg, leaving the other four vying for the £20,000 prize.
In the concluding leg, the remaining contenders had to cover a distance of 950km to reach the finish line in Hatgal.
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The final leg proved emotional for Andrew and Molly, who became tearful after they realised that they had taken a wrong turn that could eliminate them from contention.
And Margo and Mark – who were competing together in an attempt to forge a friendship following the death of Mark’s wife and Margo’s sister Julia – encountered financial difficulties, with their budget diminishing rapidly.
Race Across the World first premiered in 2019 and has now aired six series, alongside a celebrity spin-off edition.
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Race Across the World is available on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
Here’s what the stars have in store for your day (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
With the Sun in tandem with Uranus in Gemini, you have all the tools you need to navigate any sticky situations you find yourself in. Trust the cosmos.
Aries, Gemini and Cancer, expect a breakthrough today. You are perceptive and bussing with ideas, so use the opportunity for growth.
Things could feel a little unsettled, but trust yourself to weather the chaos. Even if you don’t feel in control, the planets are on your side.
Ahead, you’ll find all star signs’ horoscopes for today: Friday May 22, 2026.
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Aries
March 21 to April 20
As the Sun connects with the ingenious Uranus for the first time in the buzzy Gemini sign in nearly 80 years, your ideas can go from speeding up to being absolutely brilliant. The key to making this work for you productively is to embrace and convert them into your everyday life. It’s also a great time to learn new technical skills or to share or teach your knowledge.
You’re a sign that has an innate appreciation of value, and yet, whether it is for everyday essentials, your love of luxury or your personal worth, you can start to look at things in a fresh way. This might prompt you to make an impulse purchase, but you may also decide to sell something you feel no longer has practical benefits. Ideas to make money can increase, though.
You could find yourself suddenly rethinking a plan or lifestyle situation in a completely fresh way. Now, mental stimulation is something you often happily embrace, Gemini, but today’s energies could be slightly unsettling yet provide a pathway to a more up-to-date and exciting future. Equally, you may add some quirky or unusual choices to your wardrobe.
Your ruler, the Moon, means that you’re often perceptively sifting and shifting, as your inner voice nudges you to adapt. Today, as the Sun applies to the restless Uranus, your thoughts may suddenly turn to a past situation or person in a way that may surprise you. Embrace such memories. View them afresh, see what you can gain and then release what no longer serves.
We all have our long-term hopes, but one interesting thing that can happen is that, as we move closer to achieving them, we realise something newer is capturing our imagination. And this is what can play out precisely for you at present, Leo. It doesn’t mean your current plan isn’t still worthy; it just means you have evolved, and your aims need to evolve too.
An unexpected opportunity could come up today. It may be linked to your career or to your activities in your local community. Either way, people can become more conscious of your unique capabilities, which can be positive. However, if you don’t feel valued professionally, you can start exploring new jobs, or you might consider self-employment, Virgo.
Cosmic messages for Cosmic messages for Virgo today
Libra
September 24 to October 23
You may crave change. Whilst many of us enjoy a change of scene from time to time, today the desire to do something different, or freeing, could be compelling. In fact, you may look to liberate yourself from a commitment and head off to do something adventurous and daring. If you’ve yet to book your annual holiday, you may do so now. A new car could also appeal
You can gain some powerful insights today. Some of these can be practical, others financial, whilst others a realisation of a mindset that’s inhibited you or kept you attached to a self-limiting view of yourself. If you are in a close relationship that feels stale, you can feel a need for your own personal space or to work out what you really want.
You can be direct and forthright. Those who know you well appreciate that they know where they stand with you because of this. However, today, someone may be more outspoken with you. If you can receive and accept their point of view, this can be very healthy. Relationships, in general, can have a greater sense of excitement. Solo? Sparks can soon fly.
If you feel overloaded with demands, you may feel edgier, but with the Sun and Uranus combining today, you could also have a brainwave about how to adjust to make things easier. If you can, do try to share the domestic load or at work, suggest novel ways to make things run more smoothly for all. Most of all, don’t be too rigid; look to flex into solutions, Capricorn.
Although many people can view Water Bearers as being very “out there” because your co-ruler Saturn is much more traditional, not all Aquarius people are as radical as some may imagine. Yet today, the Sun combines with your modern guide, Uranus, to give you the push to feel freer and more liberated and most of all, worry less about what anyone might think.
Something about your emotional conditioning, perhaps right back to your early life, may be ripe for release. The world then and now is likely very different, and some of the guidance or instructions you had then may have much less relevance now. Yet breaking free of what no longer serves you may not be easy, especially if other family members still conform.
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It’s Christmas Day, our first in Italy, and I’m frantically attempting to use my poor language skills to communicate over the phone with the one vet that is open.
I learned a lot of handy phrases in preparation for our travels. “My senior dog has a UTI and is peeing blood,” wasn’t one of them.
Jess is 14 now, and just four weeks since leaving home in Scotland, this is our first indicator of how much life with her has changed.
“Fine.” I still remember the sound of my dad giving in all those years ago. When he’d returned from visiting my great uncle and mentioned that there was a one-year-old border collie that needed a new home, I don’t think he realised how much 16-year-old me would pounce on the opportunity.
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It had been seven years since our family dog, Glen, had passed at the ripe old age of 16. Since about a year after Glen left a hole in our lives, my mother and I had been begging for another dog.
So when I found out about the young sheep dog that was free to a good home, I put on the pressure. Alongside some willing family members, I laid it on thick, applying a significant amount of guilt.
My relationship with Jess has been nothing short of Hallmark-movie wholesome. The dog-obsessed teenage girl with so much love to give, and the intelligent, excitable animal who just wanted to be loved. From day one, we were inseparable, and what followed for the next decade was nothing short of the greatest love story of my life.
Photo Courtesy Of Lois Mackenzie
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Jess celebrating the author’s graduation from university in 2019.
From moving with me to university and attending graduation, to sitting beside my husband as he proposed and running down the aisle on our wedding day as the cutest flower girl to walk this earth, Jess has been present for the biggest and best moments of my life.
She’s spent her whole life following me everywhere. So, when my husband and I made the decision to leave Scotland to travel indefinitely in her 14th year, there was no question she was coming.
We’d always had vague plans to travel in the future, and we’d hoped to embark on our big adventure before Jess turned 10, before life (and an unforeseen global pandemic) got in the way.
But thankfully, at 14, Jess is doing remarkably well. Fellow dog walkers are often shocked to hear her age after seeing her sprint around with her annoying little sister (our four-year-old border collie, Mara).
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After receiving a clean bill of health from her vet, our bags were packed. The first stop: Paris, before heading onto Turin for the next three months, and after that, who knew?
Jenny Appleton Photography
Jess taking center stage as flower girl on the author’s wedding day in 2021.
Jess has always been an excited, adventurous dog, and she took in all the new scents and experiences that I never could have given her if we had stayed in Scotland.
In six months, she’s been to five countries, travelled on all modes of transport from tram to cable car, and been photographed at some of Europe’s most iconic sites. She’s been fed cheese at a food market in Rome, floated through Venice in a gondola and made countless friends who speak languages she doesn’t understand.
But I think back to that Christmas Day in Italy a lot. We were lucky to find an English-speaking vet who could assist where my language skills fell short, and after a few visits and a couple of rounds of antibiotics, she was fortunately back to her old self. And at every turn, people have been willing to step in and help. (Italy truly is the most dog-friendly country I’ve ever visited.)
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But it was the first time I realised how quickly plans can shift around her now.
I thought I’d prepared everything before we left. I ordered months’ worth of medications and supplements, filling more than half my suitcase with whatever she might need. I organised all her paperwork and packed two of her favourite toys, just in case we couldn’t find a quacking ducky in Italy. I’d even mentally prepared myself for the fact that, if we stayed away for a while, she might not see our home of Scotland again.
Photo Courtesy Of Lois Mackenzie
A weekend in Rome celebrating the author’s birthday.
But this was really the first indicator that it wouldn’t always be easy. Travelling with a pet is hard enough at the best of times, especially when you’re carrying your life on your back and moving between places constantly, often by public transport.
While Instagram stories show waggy tails at the Colosseum or cute family photos in front of the Eiffel Tower, what they don’t show are the days when our plans changed entirely because the day prior had been too busy and Jess needed to recover, or because it was too hot, or because she’d just had enough.
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She’s changed how I travel. I don’t plan full days every day, or try to see everything just because we’re somewhere new. We rush through places (and life) less, and enjoy actually living in them for a bit, alongside her.
Because of this, I now have fond memories sitting with both Jess and Mara at my favourite aperitivo spot in Italy, opting for short walks and Aperols after they’d spent the day running around and eating snow on the Alps. Or having her inquisitive nose turn pages in my book as we sat by the Neretva River in Bosnia and Herzegovina on a day that was just too hot for any strenuous exercise.
Yes, maybe if we didn’t have Jess, or if she was a few years younger, we’d spend every day on the go. Maybe we’d summit more mountains, or take her to steeper viewpoints. Maybe we’d hop on planes instead of taking long, expensive train rides.
But as we approach her 15th birthday, I’m sharply aware that time is precious. I’ve started to realise that those slower days aren’t interruptions to the trip, they are the trip.
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Photo Courtesy Of Lois Mackenzie
The author, Jess and Mara at the top of Trebević in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As I approach 30, I’m no longer the teenage girl begging my dad for a dog. I’m not the young university student taking my dog to my adviser meetings, and I’m not the bride choosing flowers to sit on my best friend’s harness. And as much as it hurts to accept, she’s not the young pup jumping up onto the couch or running up hills 10 times faster than I can, and she’s not the dog with years of life ahead of her.
We’re both now moving through different stages of life, and if this is the last chapter of it we get to share, then I’m grateful she’s been there for all of it. I’m nowhere near ready for life without her, but while I’d love it if she could live forever, my number one goal is to make sure she’s always happy.
So, what a joy it is to spend a day with her sitting by the river with a book. Or winding down in a coffee shop and watching the world go by. Days that would have once felt uneventful now feel like the most important ones, because these are the moments I’ll remember long after she’s gone.
Lois Mackenzie is a freelance journalist from Scotland. She is currently travelling around Europe with her husband and two dogs, Jess and Mara.
June 18 is set to be a seismic moment in British politics.
Voters in Makerfield will decide who they want to be their new MP in a race between Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and Reform’s local plumber Robert Kenyon.
If Burnham wins, he will likely look to overthrow Keir Starmer as prime minister.
The by-election was triggered by Labour MP Josh Simons, who stood aside so Burnham could run for parliament.
After Labour’s horrific performance in the elections in England, Wales and Scotland on May 7, MPs are desperate to turn the party’s fortunes around.
As the most popular Labour politician in the country right now, many MPs believe only the mayor can lift the party out of its slump in the polls and beat Reform’s rise.
Burnham was an MP between 2001 and 2017, and became a minister in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
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He ran for Labour leadership elections in 2010 and 2015 – then promised not to run again, but evidently has his eye on the red throne once more.
Burnham was blocked from his attempts to be an MP by Labour’s executive body, the National Executive Committee, in February, on Starmer’s orders.
But the PM is no longer strong enough to block the mayor after multiple ministers and almost 100 MPs called on him to resign over the local elections.
It’s not a straight-forward contest, though.
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There’s absolutely no guarantee Burnham will win this by-election, given Reform won all eight council wards in the constituency earlier this month.
Makerfield voted heavily for Brexit in the 2016 referendum, which makes life especially tricky for Remainer Burnham.
He said only last year he hopes to see the UK back in the EU in his lifetime.
Reform are likely to highlight the mayor’s pro-EU views and turn voters against him. Nigel Farage is already calling him “Open Borders Burnham”.
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The right-wing party is also trying to paint the by-election as a “David vs Goliath” battle, by suggesting Burnham will only see the constituency as a stepping stone on the way to No.10.
The result is set to be on a knife-edge.
The fate of the Labour Party also rests on the outcome because a Burnham victory would almost certainly trigger a leadership contest.
Labour rules state a rebellious MP needs the support of at least 81 MPs to invoke a leadership race – a threshold Burnham is widely expected to reach.
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Ex-health secretary Wes Streeting is also predicted to run on his own ticket to be the next prime minister, hoping to appeal more to the right of the party.
Other potential candidates include former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, energy secretary Ed Miliband, defence secretary John Healey, and veterans minister Al Carns.
But, if the mayor loses to Reform in Makerfield, all eyes will be on Streeting to see if he triggers a challenge to his old boss.
Would he have the support of enough MPs to topple the prime minister?
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Listen to this week’s Commons People as we look at Burnham’s popularity, the fractures in the Labour Party and how Starmer’s future hinges on voters in Makerfield.
Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
The Met Office expects temperatures to reach 33C on Monday – which would constitute a new record for May.
“It is likely that the May and Spring UK temperature records will be broken over the Bank Holiday weekend, with forecast temperatures surpassing the existing record of 32.8C,” Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Steve Kocher said.
This comes after a study published last summer by Met Office scientists found the chances of surpassing the May temperature record set in 1944 have been increasing as our climate changes.
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The study found that breaking the 32.8C May record is around three times more likely now in our current climate than it would have been in a natural climate not impacted by greenhouse gas emissions. What was around a 1-in-100 year event is now around a 1-in-33 year event.
Healthy n Happy’s Executive Director Mark Soanes accepted the award, alongside Susie Heywood of Suicide Prevention Scotland and Nicola Reed of Cruse Scotland.
Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust was delighted to win a ‘Saving Lives’ award at 1st Class Credit Union’s Money Made Human Awards.
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This was in recognition of their Creating Hope In Our Community campaign, which promotes positive mental health and suicide prevention across Cambuslang and Rutherglen, through creative, engaging and impactful activities.
Held at Hampden Park, the awards highlighted what it truly means to be human, through local connections that are made, communities that are strengthened and lives that are enriched, recognising the impact that can be made together.
Healthy n Happy’s Executive Director Mark Soanes accepted the award, alongside Susie Heywood of Suicide Prevention Scotland and Nicola Reed of Cruse Scotland.
Mark said: “A huge thank you to 1st Class Credit Union for hosting such a fantastic event, celebrating local people and organisations that are making a difference.
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“We are incredibly proud to receive this award in recognition of our work to improve mental health and prevent suicide in CamGlen.
“While this recognition means a great deal to us, we know there is still much work to be done in this area. We would encourage local residents, organisations, community groups, charities and businesses to become part of this vital movement, so together we can continue responding to local need and creating hope within our local communities.”
For more information and how to get involved with Creating Hope In Our Community campaign, visit www.healthynhappy.org.uk
Stephen Bunting signed off his Premier League campaign in style as he overcame defending champion Luke Humphries 6-3 in Sheffield to claim his second nightly win of the year.
The Bullet was in fine form throughout the night and, roared on by a South Yorkshire crowd keen to see Leeds United fan Humphries beaten, raced to a dominant victory with seven 180s and a 106.37 average.
At 5-3 up, Bunting started with six perfect darts to raise hopes of a nine-darter to clinch it but had to settle for finishing off a fabulous display in 12.
Despite his defeat in Thursday’s final, Humphries did enough on the night to move up to third overall in the season’s standings and avoid a semi-final against world champion Luke Littler on finals night at London’s O2 Arena next Thursday.
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Instead, Humphries will take on Wales’ Jonny Clayton, with the Ferret’s compatriot Gerwyn Price facing Littler.
Victory moves Bunting above Gian van Veen and Michael van Gerwen to secure a fifth-place finish in the final standings.
“I was probably a bit hard on myself. I’m up to fifth! I’m so happy with that,” Bunting told Sky Sports.
“People wrote me off and said I shouldn’t be in it. I want to be in this Premier League for years to come. That was a massive statement from me.”
Mr Ravichandran Sivaguru has applied for a licence to open and sell alcohol between 7am and 11pm from Your Local Food and Wine at High Street, Willington.
As part of the application, Mr Sivaguru said all staff would receive full training and a Challenge 25 scheme will be in operation.
If approved, CCTV would be installed to film the interior and exterior of the store.
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But objectors have warned that another store in the area is not needed.
Mr Ram Babu Nagubadi, a nearby postmaster, said the store would impact his and other local businesses.
“The introduction of another licensed premises so close to my own will significantly affect my livelihood. As a long-standing business, I rely on alcohol sales as a key part of my trade, and this could result in a substantial loss of income,” he said.
As a long-standing member of the village, he told the council he is “committed to maintaining responsible retailing standards and supporting the local area.”
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Mr Nagubadi added that it would be unfair if the new store were granted a licence from 7am, since he cannot sell it until 8am.
He said: “There are already seven provisions for alcohol sales within the immediate area. Granting another licence does not appear to serve a clear need within the community.”
Members of Greater Willington Parish Council warned that the new store could have a negative impact on the area.
The application will be considered by Durham County Council’s licensing committee on Friday, May 29.
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Mr Sivaguru will appear at the hearing next week to respond to the concerns.
The show in Dumfries on Thursday May 21 was paused for presenter Fiona Bruce to share a huge update on the next two BBC shows – before discussions on drilling in the North Sea
Question Time presenter Fiona Bruce halted tonight’s show to make two huge announcements.
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The show in Dumfries on Thursday May 21 included panelists; Cabinet secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport Steven Flynn, Kirsty McNeill Scottish Labour MP, Conservative MP Harriet Cross, Thomas Kerr Scottish Reform Deputy Leader and Ross Greer Co-leader for Scottish Greens.
Following a heated discussion about food price caps, she said: “Before we go on, I want to tell you about our programme next week, because… we are going to be in Dulwich in South London for a special programme about artificial intelligence. So many questions we get, probably not every week, so we’ll probably get two or three. But I have to say they just build up over time, and we decided we’re going to tackle this subject.
“Do we understand it? Can we control it? Are we all going to lose our jobs? What it will mean for us, so that’s a special programme on artificial intelligence next week. If you would like to come and be part of that audience, Dulwich in South London, we would love to see you,” she told viewers.
She then teased the upcoming edition of the show on Thursday, June 4, telling viewers: “The week after that, you might have noticed there’s a by-election happening in Makerfield. We’re going to be there,” she revealed.
“So two programmes, don’t want to miss them”, Fiona concluded.
BBC Question Time returns on Thursday May 28 in DUlwich and Thursday June 4 in Makerfield.
The First Minister has issued a state apology after a damning review found vulnerable children were repeatedly failed by authorities for years before the horrific “Beastie House” abuse ring was uncovered.
Rachel Keenan, Press Association Scotland Politics Reporter and Gemma Ryder Reporter
21:03, 21 May 2026
Scotland’s First Minister has apologised to those involved in a “deeply distressing” major report into a notorious abuse ring.
John Swinney offered an apology on behalf of the state for any failures outlined in the report into the so-called “Beastie House” gang.
The 75-page report published on Wednesday found several children at the centre of a Glasgow abuse ring were failed by authorities despite clear warnings and cries for help over the course of years.
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The learning review found it was “difficult to comprehend” that abuse was not detected earlier despite more than a decade of involvement from social work and a host of other public agencies.
When asked by journalists in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday if he would make an apology for failures outlined in the report, Mr Swinney said: “Yes, I would make that apology because I think the contents of the report are deeply, deeply distressing.
“Lord Beckett – when he summarised the court case and disposed of the case and stressed the extreme nature of what he had experienced, what had been presented to the court – Lord Beckett made the point that the court hears terrible things, but that was of a different order.
“I think that is completely unacceptable, and I apologise to everybody who has been involved.”
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Two women and five men were all convicted of gang raping a child and abusing other children, and were given sentences of between eight and 20 years in jail before they can apply for parole.
Iain Owens, 46; Elaine Lannery, 40; Lesley Williams, 43; Paul Brannan, 42; Scott Forbes, 51; Barry Watson, 48; and John Clark, 48, were convicted in November 2023 following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Four of the group – Owens, Lannery, Brannan and Williams – were found guilty of attempting to murder a child by pushing them into a microwave and trapping them in other places.
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Wednesday’s review found staff repeatedly failed to thoroughly investigate abuse and neglect of several children between 2012 and 2019.
This was despite mounting evidence over more than a decade, including adults around them taking drugs, several children missing multiple teeth at a young age, reports the children were dirty and smelled like urine, and one of the children saying they wanted to kill themselves.
Glasgow City Council chief executive Susanne Millar held senior roles in social work services during this time.
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In 2012, she became the city’s assistant director for social work and retained the chief social work officer job while taking on roles for planning and strategy until she became interim chief officer role in 2019.
Mr Swinney was asked if Ms Millar should resign given her role in social work during this time period.
He said: “I think, obviously, there’s proper discussions that have got to take place by the individual responsible bodies, and it shouldn’t be for me to comment on those issues.
“For my part, I obviously lead the Government, and this is a deeply distressing report about an extreme example where child protection has clearly failed. There’s no other way to talk about it.
“We have had other examples where there have been failures in performance, and there are measures taken to strengthen that. There is obviously inspection regimes taken forward of individual child protection arrangements. Indeed, this review is part of that process to identify where there are failings, and where those failings have got to be addressed.”
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Glasgow City Council have been approached for comment.
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