Rankin joins literacy campaign

BEST-SELLING crime writer Ian Rankin is today helping to launch a campaign to make Scotland "fully literate".

The Edinburgh-based creator of detective inspector John Rebus has been appointed to a Labour commission to tackle a decline in literacy among young people.

Labour education spokeswoman Rhona Brankin will join the author at a Gorebridge Primary School in Midlothian. She said: "Our vision is that Scotland can become the first country in the world to become fully literate.

"The job of the commission that will include members from a range of interests including education, parents and business, will be to develop a national plan that will support those delivering education in Scotland to achieve a step change in literacy levels."