Scottish Parliament e-Brief, Issue 252

First Minister sends message of condolence
First Minister Jack McConnell has sent a message of sympathy to the people of London following the fatal terrorist attacks in the centre of the city.

"I had planned today (Thursday) to have a conversation with Mayor Ken Livingston to congratulate him on the success for London yesterday in Singapore in winning the Olympic Games for 2012.

"Instead I have sent a message of condolence on behalf of the people of Scotland to the people of London and the families of those who have been injured or deceased in the terrorist atrocities that were seen in different locations in central London today.

"We utterly condemn those atrocities, we condemn those responsible, we condemn what they stand for and we restate here in Scotland our commitment to democracy, freedom of speech, dialogue and the actions that we want to see taken to create a better world."

The world leaders at G8, plus the leaders of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa, also issued a four-point statement condemning the "barbaric attacks" in London.

G8 ends at Gleneagles
The G8 Summit has drawn to a close with agreement on increased aid for developing countries.

As the world leaders left Gleneagles, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said "substantial progress" had been achieved on the issues and, although it would not change the world tomorrow, it was "a beginning and not an end".

At a briefing, First Minister Jack McConnell spoke of the benefits the G8 has brought to Scotland and the legacy of the decisions made at Gleneagles this week:

"Scotland has reinforced old friendships, made new friendships and not just reinforced the image of Scotland around the world but shown a modern Scotland."

"Everyone I've spoken to this week, be they G8 leaders, officials or international journalists, has been struck by the way Scottish police have managed to contain organised disruptions and ensured that the Summit go ahead with minimal disruption.

"This is the first international summit that has been attacked by anarchists which hasn't resulted in any casualties. The actions of the terrorists and anarchists should reaffirm our commitment to hold these summits."

The First Minister also praised the decisions reached by the G8 leaders on Africa, saying that the decisions announced today would potentially liberate those countries.