The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Scotland's deficit narrows to £25.3bn but gap with UK widens, GERS shows
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
12 Aug 2026 at 9:24am
Scotland's notional deficit fell to £25.3 billion in 2025-26, with revenue rising 6.9%, but the gap between Scotland's finances and the UK's widened as Westminster's deficit improved at a faster pace.


Herald cartoon: Camley on civil servants' office figures
12 Aug 2026 at 7:35am
What do you think of today's Camley cartoon?


Explained: what GERS does ? and does not ? tell us about Scotland
by jody.harrison@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Jody Harrison
12 Aug 2026 at 7:15am
GERS sets out Scotland?s taxes and spending as part of the UK. Here is what the figures cover, what they do not, and why they fuel the constitutional debate.


Scots ministers found to have broken environmental law over seabed failings
by martin.williams@theherald.co.uk | Martin Williams
12 Aug 2026 at 6:29am
Scots ministers have been found to have failed in their legal duties to protect the nation's precious seas - after a statutory target for the condition of the nation's seabed to reach the required environmental standard by 2020 was missed and remains unmet, it can be...


Green MSP slams minister for ignoring Police Scotland rape workload crisis
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
12 Aug 2026 at 5:00am
Scottish ministers have refused to investigate claims that a single Glasgow detective is handling around 200 rape cases simultaneously prompting fury from the Scottish Greens and the Police Federation.


Remote working: Scottish Government stops publishing office attendance figures
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
12 Aug 2026 at 5:00am
The Scottish Government has stopped publishing how often core civil servants attend the office amid scrutiny of hybrid policy.


Young people across Scotland challenge plans for under-16 social media ban
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
12 Aug 2026 at 5:00am
More than 150 youth groups and young people in Scotland urge Andy Burnham to rethink an under-16 social media ban, warning it could drive teens to riskier spaces


Smart glasses complaints ?inevitable? as lawyer calls for Scottish privacy right
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
12 Aug 2026 at 5:00am
A Scottish privacy lawyer says complaints over covert 'spy glasses' filming will rise and urges Holyrood to consider a standalone right to privacy.


Scotland's GPs left 'gazing into chasm' as new NHS clinical IT system hit by ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
12 Aug 2026 at 5:00am
Software being rolled out to all Scottish GPs to manage electronic patient records and appointment scheduling keep crashing and causing problems for practices.


Campaigners demand John Swinney meeting on hyperscale data centres over fears
by Katrine Bussey
12 Aug 2026 at 12:01am
Campaigners calling for a moratorium on new hyperscale data centres are pressing for a meeting with the First Minister amid concerns over the ?disastrous effects? of such developments on both communities and the environment.


Nicola Benedetti performance delayed by pro-Palestine protest
by brian.ferguson@newsquest.co.uk | Brian Ferguson
11 Aug 2026 at 8:05pm
A performance by Edinburgh International Festival director Nicola Benedetti was held up by heckling from a pro-Palestine protester.


Housebuilding giant urges Government to 'act now' as market faces 'uncertain'...
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
11 Aug 2026 at 4:34pm
Bellway calls on ministers to support market as it reports demand has 'moderated' since April


Stroke thrombectomy rate in Scotland falls as charity warns of six-year lag b...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
11 Aug 2026 at 3:48pm
Scotland's thrombectomy rate has dropped to 1.9%, leaving the country six years behind the rest of the UK, as campaigners and opposition politicians demand urgent government action to deliver round-the-clock access to the life-saving procedure.


Police officers 'encouraged not to arrest' as custody suites close across Sco...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
11 Aug 2026 at 3:28pm
Crime in Scotland rose 10% in 2025/26 while custody arrests fell by more than 15,000, sparking a public row between senior officers over whether the justice system itself has quietly dismantled policing's power to arrest.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Nicola Sturgeon is an asset not an embarrassment, says deputy first minister
12 Aug 2026 at 1:11pm

Jenny Gilruth also rejects claim there will not be a female SNP leader any time soon

The First Minister raised the proposed Chinese investment when he met Andy Burnham in Glasgow last month.

The North East Scotland MSP was nominated by the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Tuesday.

Devolved revenues have grown faster than public spending in Scotland

Union bosses have also appealed for the Prime Minister to review the security concerns raised over Ming Yang?s plans to build a facility in the Scottish Highlands.

Parents say they are left unsupported and in the dark due to years-long waiting lists to get their neurodivergent children diagnosed.

Pete Wishart MP said the Jackdaw gas field would ?make absolutely no difference to energy bills but will have a profound impact on our already chaotic climate.?

The Scottish Police Federation said the capacity is ?no longer there?, but Police Scotland denied the claims

Wings over Scotland

The Other Kind Of Winning
12 Aug 2026 at 12:28pm
The National runs headlines like this quite often. The sort-of newspaper doesn’t actually have a sports section – it just publishes The Herald’s – but if it did you have to wonder what it would look like. That IS the story, too. The actual figure in the poll The National reports is 35%, almost exactly …

The Party Of The Dead
6 Aug 2026 at 2:17pm
The SNP’s latest accounts are out. And the zombie shambles on for another year. The headline figures sound reasonable – the party has turned a 2024 deficit of nearly £400,000 into a surplus of just over £500,000. Unfortunately that’s only had the effect of increasing its bank balance by around £110,000 to £384,320. And that …

Anatomy Of A Grift
5 Aug 2026 at 2:48pm
It’s sometimes tempting to believe that transactivists, and in particular the extra-loud attention-seeking type, are simply mad and/or stupid. But that’s not always the case, because this sounds like some actually pretty cunning work. (Click pic to enlarge.) But let’s start at the beginning. In May this year, the former Scottish Greens candidate Euan “Sophie …

The Plague
4 Aug 2026 at 3:32pm
Ever-alert Wings readers will be aware that for the past three and a half years or so I’ve been the target of a campaign by disgraced former policeman Lynsay Watson, who over that period has relentlessly attempted to get me arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned for knowing – and saying – that human beings can’t change …

Or Something
3 Aug 2026 at 9:37am
We have today sent the following email to the Crown Office. – 3 August 2026 Thank you for your letter of 30 July. I offer one last chance to reconsider. I do so having, once again, taken advice from the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates. On 1 July, you wrote to me saying inter …

The Deaf Eyes
2 Aug 2026 at 12:03pm
This email actually came in a couple of days ago, but we’ve been too dumbstruck to respond to it until now. Because, like, wow. Firstly, let’s take a moment to note the weird font change halfway through that central paragraph, as though someone else entirely butted in. Which in a sense they have, as the …

The Nobodies
27 Jul 2026 at 5:10pm
Apologies for the slightly shonky quality of this video, readers, which is due to the fact that ITV are such monumental self-sabotaging clowns that it’s not actually possible to screencap any sort of digital broadcast of theirs – screw YOU, viral content! – so we had to do this by videoing our iPad with our …

Ain?t it funny how things change?
22 Jul 2026 at 11:29am
Then, and now. (Click pic to enlarge.) Scottish politics: where repeated catastrophic failure is just another way to succeed.

The Wheels Of Industry
20 Jul 2026 at 2:49pm
Last Friday’s edition of The National ran this guff: And as we often are, we were put in mind of the greatest politics book ever written. We’d really need to quote a much longer section to fully convey the point – ideally just read all of the piece linked above – but this passage will …

Progressing To Oblivion
19 Jul 2026 at 3:21pm
It’s now more than three years since this site drew attention to the curious case of Progress Scotland, the zombie “polling company” run by the SNP’s Angus Robertson that had no employees and hadn’t published any polls since October 2020, but was apparently still accepting, and soliciting, donations from subscribers, and appeared to have disposed …

Craig Murray

A Tide in the Affairs of Men
7 Aug 2026 at 9:20pm

Between ten and five years ago, specifically in the light of Brexit, it was not in the least unusual for Scottish Independence supporters to discuss a declaration of Independence as the way forward. Debate more often centred on who should make the declaration – the Scottish parliament or some form of national convention or assembly. …

A Tide in the Affairs of Men

The Hard Right Packing of the UK Supreme Court
2 Aug 2026 at 7:00pm

Unlike the USA, where it is obsessively watched, the UK has no political culture of scrutinising the political composition of its Supreme Court. This is a big mistake. The UK Supreme Court has been deliberately and openly, even ostentatiously, packed with hard-right judges selected on the specific criterion that they will not oppose the will …

The Hard Right Packing of the UK Supreme Court

Scottish Independence: Set the Date!
29 Jul 2026 at 6:30pm

  The Scottish Government urgently needs a bold and radical approach to achieving Independence in spite of the firm London veto on a referendum. It is plain that there is no plan at present. The Scottish Parliament has a pro-Independence majority and government. This is how to achieve Independence consistent with international law and practice. …

Scottish Independence: Set the Date!

Narratives of Moral Conflict: Karim Khan and Delcy Rodriguez
26 Jul 2026 at 6:09am

Social media is not conducive to nuance. In the interest of reach, cut and dried positions are more effective and binary moral judgement expected. This leads to over-simplification of complex issues, and to skipping over facts inconvenient to your chosen narrative. There are issues affecting two high-profile people where it is worth considering the detail …

Narratives of Moral Conflict: Karim Khan and Delcy Rodriguez

Where Are We Going?
20 Jul 2026 at 1:25pm

An advert for the RNLI caught my attention because it indicated that the majority of their income comes from bequests in wills. The pitch was that, after you provide for your loved ones, you should leave money to the RNLI. I have no problem with this, having generations of lifeboatmen in my ancestry, but it …

Where Are We Going?

Extreme Unionism and Res Judicata
14 Jul 2026 at 5:02pm

Unsurprisingly, today at the Court of Session Lord Young refused to lift his suspension or “sist” of the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. He did however grant us leave to appeal against this decision. What was surprising was an extreme extension of the UK government’s argument. The UK government stated that …

Extreme Unionism and Res Judicata

BBC Scotland

Scotland's public spending deficit falls as tax take rises
12 Aug 2026 at 11:43am
Ministers have published the annual Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (Gers) report.

Swinney calls for Burnham rethink on Chinese factory in Highlands
12 Aug 2026 at 2:58pm
The first minister is dismissing claims he is putting political point scoring before national security concerns.

Homes near pylons to get £250 a year off energy bills ? first sites revealed
12 Aug 2026 at 8:30am
Households living within 1,600ft of upgraded pylons will get £250 a year off their electricity bills.

What is happening with the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields?
11 Aug 2026 at 6:03am
The UK government has moved a step closer to making a decision on whether to approve further drilling.

MSP apologises for hurt caused by rape 'demonisation' comments
10 Aug 2026 at 6:22pm
Scottish Green MSP Q Manivannan is facing criticism from rape survivors groups and politicians over a podcast interview.

Sarwar stands by call for Lords to be abolished despite accepting peerage
9 Aug 2026 at 6:38pm
The former Scottish Labour leader tells BBC Scotland News he still believes the UK should have an elected senate of the nations and regions.

Sturgeon has not spoken to Murrell since he was jailed for embezzling SNP funds
8 Aug 2026 at 5:46pm
The former first minister also told a podcast she would not visit her estranged husband in prison.

Sturgeon's criticisms of Swinney reveal tensions in SNP ranks
6 Aug 2026 at 11:01pm
The former first minister's attack on the SNP's 2026 election campaign has led to rebukes from ex-colleagues.

SNP write-off value of Murrell motorhome in party accounts
6 Aug 2026 at 4:14pm
The luxury vehicle was bought for £124,550 by the party's former chief executive as part of a £400,000 embezzlement.

Nominations open in Scottish Labour leadership contest
3 Aug 2026 at 10:23am
Candidates in the race to replace Anas Sarwar have two weeks to secure the support needed to reach the ballot.

Amnesty apologises to JK Rowling's sexual violence support centre
31 Jul 2026 at 6:50pm
The centre, funded by the Harry Potter author, had threatened Amnesty with legal action after it was labelled "anti-rights".

Scotland MP Joani Reid readmitted into Labour Party after suspension
31 Jul 2026 at 7:39am
She voluntarily suspended herself after her husband was arrested on suspicion of spying for China but no further action is being taken against her

Scot Goes Pop

Scotland wants OUT of Burnham's United Kingdom PRISON, shows dramatic indepen...
11 Aug 2026 at 11:23am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.I now have sixteen regular monthly Ko-Fi supporters - many thanks to them all.  I re...

Bafflement as Gerry Hassan claims the 1979 devolution referendum, in which Sc...
9 Aug 2026 at 1:49pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.I now have sixteen regular monthly Ko-Fi supporters, thanks to a new sign-up a few h...

Robin McAlpine wants us to stop using the ballot box to try to win independen...
7 Aug 2026 at 12:02pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.I now have fifteen regular monthly Ko-Fi supporters, thanks to someone new signing u...

"Does PALESTINE need nuclear weapons?" - a perfectly logical question if nucl...
6 Aug 2026 at 9:04pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.I now have fifteen regular monthly Ko-Fi supporters, thanks to someone new signing u...

The BBC's attempts to sabotage the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will never...
4 Aug 2026 at 11:12am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.I currently have fourteen regular monthly Ko-Fi supporters.  I reckon if I could get...

The Craig Murray and Xander Elliards blueprints for securing Scottish indepen...
30 Jul 2026 at 9:20pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.I currently have fourteen regular monthly Ko-Fi supporters.  I reckon if I could get...

John Swinney's strong denunciation of Burnham's outrageous "off-limits" comme...
27 Jul 2026 at 7:37pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.I'm delighted to say I now have fourteen regular monthly Ko-Fi supporters, as a resu...

No. 10 North: How Burnham is signalling with his choice of name that "England...
26 Jul 2026 at 1:56pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.More people have become Ko-Fi supporters of my content over the last twenty-four hou...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Swinney urged to meet campaigners demanding pause on hyperscale data centres
12 Aug 2026 at 7:01am
Councils are due to decide on two proposed data centres in Auchertool, Fife, and Larbert, near Falkirk.

Green MSP apologises after rape ?spectrum? comments
10 Aug 2026 at 3:27pm
Manivannan faced backlash from Scotland?s children?s minister, as well as Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

JK Rowling seems to be obsessed with me, says Nicola Sturgeon
10 Aug 2026 at 8:57am
The former first minister made the comments during an appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Financial support of £3m announced for islanders affected by ferry disruption
10 Aug 2026 at 7:43am
First Minister John Swinney said that island businesses were too often ?held back by circumstances outside their control?

Andy Burnham faces choice on drilling as North Sea consultation closes
10 Aug 2026 at 7:37am
As Britain braces for its fifth heatwave, environmental groups have urged the Prime Minister to refuse permission for oil and gas production in two areas

Scottish Labour leadership race about finding ?party?s missing soul? ? Lennon
9 Aug 2026 at 10:42am
Monica Lennon is yet to gain the support required to be on the membership ballot

Andy Burnham to go on national tour to hear cost of living concerns
8 Aug 2026 at 9:48pm
The PM says he will be in 'listening mode' during his summer tour of the country, but the Lib Dems describe his trip as a 'vanity tour'.

I?m SNP to my core, says Sturgeon as she rules out joining Greens
8 Aug 2026 at 7:21pm
The former first minister had been critical of the SNP campaign in the new foreword to her book

Nicola Sturgeon feels like a ?mug? over Murrell and won?t visit him in prison
8 Aug 2026 at 3:53pm
Peter Murrell, the SNP?s former chief executive, was jailed for embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP.

Unison backs Monica Lennon to become Scottish Labour leader
7 Aug 2026 at 7:48pm
The MSP still needs the backing of at least one more Holyrood colleague to enter the contest

SNP writes off value of Peter Murrell motorhome but party still owes him £60,000
6 Aug 2026 at 12:45pm
The vehicle was bought by Murrell as part of a £400,000 embezzlement from the SNP

Double Scotland?s organic farmland by 2031, charities urge government
6 Aug 2026 at 7:07am
Scottish Environment LINK said increasing organic farming could help farms, reduce climate emissions and boost nature by cutting pesticide use.

?We?re with Ukraine until they win?, says defence secretary on visit to Kyiv
5 Aug 2026 at 4:00pm
Wes Streeting's visit to Kyiv came just hours after fresh Russian strikes on the city.

The prime minister is on holiday, so who is in charge?
4 Aug 2026 at 2:48pm
Unlike most of his Labour party predecessors, Andy Burnham chose not to appoint a deputy prime minister, so who takes the reins when he is having a break?

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

?Hostile times? for women in politics as online abuse becomes 'normalised'
12 Aug 2026 at 1:55pm
Jenny Gilruth said it is now ?much harder for women to operate in a much more combative political environment?.

John Swinney branded 'irresponsible' in row over Chinese-owned wind turbine f...
12 Aug 2026 at 1:17pm
The First Minister accused Westminster of taking an "anti-Scottish move" by blocked the Ming Yang plans.

GERS figures 2026: Why Scotland continues to enjoy higher public spending tha...
12 Aug 2026 at 10:39am
Scotland continues to enjoy higher average spending on public services than other parts of the UK. But what is the GERS report and why is it important?

Scottish Labour MP claims party must not be ?overly dramatic? after latest el...
12 Aug 2026 at 10:13am
Energy Security Minister Michael Shanks aimed a dig at Scottish Labour leadership contender Monica Lennon in a BBC interview.

Scots over 60 saving £1,000 thanks to bus passes
11 Aug 2026 at 3:37pm
Single bus fares will be capped across England at £2 from January - but no firm date has been announced for when such a scheme will apply across Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon accuses critics of Scots education system of 'talking ourselv...
11 Aug 2026 at 1:33pm
The ex-SNP leader - who once declared she wanted her legacy to be judged on education - insisted the "system is not failing" and claimed she had done "a lot" to overcome the challenges facing pupil...

Police Scotland 'encouraged not to arrest people' due to lack of cell space a...
11 Aug 2026 at 10:19am
The SPF warned Scotland's national constabulary does not have the "capacity" to arrest the amount of people it used to.

'Horrified' Green trans MSP apologises over rape 'spectrum' remarks
10 Aug 2026 at 6:09pm
Q Manivannan has issued an apology after telling a podcast last year there is a "demonisation of rape".

Nicola Sturgeon will be 'thrown under the bus' by SNP after criticising John ...
10 Aug 2026 at 4:06pm
Joanna Cherry blasted the former first minister at a Fringe show and claimed "unlike you I have a very happy and meaningful career to fall back on".

Livingston MP calls on Scottish Government to end "erosion of neighbourhood p...
10 Aug 2026 at 11:58am
New analysis of Police Scotland workforce data shows the number of local police officers in the Lothians and Scottish Borders division has fallen from 911 in 2017 to 880 today ? a reduction of 31 o...

The National

The National | Politics

Jenny Gilruth warns of 'hostile times' for female politicians as abuse ?norma...
12 Aug 2026 at 1:16pm

DEPUTY First Minister Jenny Gilruth has warned of the ?hostile times? women in politics face, as she argued that social media abuse has become ?normalised? for female politicians.

SNP MP blasts 'Unionist cronies and aristocrats' plotting Peter Murrell probe
12 Aug 2026 at 12:51pm

CALLS for a Lords probe into the SNP over the Peter Murrell scandal have been dismissed by an MP.

Unionist politicians flout expert warning on GERS figures
12 Aug 2026 at 12:11pm

UNIONIST politicians have flouted a warning from economic experts as they claimed new Scottish Government spending figures undermined the case for independence.

BBC blasted for defying experts on GERS and Scottish independence
12 Aug 2026 at 10:53am

The BBC has been blasted for misleading Scots on what GERS figures show about Scottish independence

Andy Burnham to 'consider' banning disposable barbeques in response to wildfires
12 Aug 2026 at 10:52am

ANDY Burnham has said the UK Government will ?consider? banning disposable barbeques amid a summer of wildfires.

Countryside treated as 'playground for blood sports' as grouse shooting seaso...
12 Aug 2026 at 10:51am

Scotland's countryside is being treated as a 'playground for blood sports', the Scottish Greens have warned

Labour donor suspected of spying for China 'had access to senior party figures'
12 Aug 2026 at 10:26am

THE former Labour advisor who was arrested on suspicion of spying for China had access to senior ministers in the party through his role in a key party fundraising group, it has emerged.

Scottish Government revenue growing faster than spending, GERS figures show
12 Aug 2026 at 9:20am

SCOTTISH Government revenue is growing faster than spending, new GERS figures show.

Andy Burnham urged to rethink blocked plans for Chinese turbine factory in Hi...
12 Aug 2026 at 8:51am

John Swinney has urged Andy Burnham to reconsider plans for a Chinese company to open a wind turbine factory in the Highlands after the UK Government blocked them

Andy Burnham to chair emergency Cobra meeting over 'extreme' weather
12 Aug 2026 at 8:05am

Andy Burnham will chair a meeting of the UK Government?s emergency Cobra committee on Wednesday in response to extreme heat

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Spending outstrips revenue raising in Scotland but gap narrows as taxes rise
12 Aug 2026 at 11:42am
National insurance and income tax decisions by both governments raised significant revenue

Youth organisations call for re-think over U-16 social media ban
12 Aug 2026 at 11:09am
Announced in June under then prime minister Keir Starmer, the ban will prevent children accessing platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram. It is expected to come into force early next year.

Majority of Scots back restrictions on cancer-linked ?forever chemicals?
12 Aug 2026 at 6:00am
Two Scottish MPs have backed the call to ban hormone-disrupting chemicals until thorough testing takes place

Stroke care target missed for eighth year in row
11 Aug 2026 at 6:14pm
The Scottish Government is still ?failing stroke patients?, a charity has warned

Companies warned over the use of AI chatbots in customer service
11 Aug 2026 at 11:35am
The Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland, a social enterprise, said chatbots and virtual assistants could create new opportunities for criminals if not configured correctly.

Q Manivannan apologises for comments about rape being 'on a spectrum'
10 Aug 2026 at 3:46pm
The Green MSP said the ?mischaracterisation of my words has now returned me to my trauma?

Support package announced for Scottish islands hit by ferry trouble
10 Aug 2026 at 8:30am
John Swinney sets out on three-day island tour

SNP membership falls - as Labour loses thousands more
6 Aug 2026 at 2:26pm
Annual accounts published

Scottish Government announces fire relief funds
5 Aug 2026 at 3:23pm
Commitments for Edinburgh and Cairngorms

Joe Fagan ?will not stop lobbying? Andy Burnham for Rosebank and Jackdaw appr...
4 Aug 2026 at 3:54pm
Labour made a manifesto commitment not to approve any new licences for North Sea oil

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Immigration minister says poorer areas have taken ?fair share? of asylum seek...
12 Aug 2026 at 2:41pm
Anna Turley backs up Andy Burnham?s suggestion that affluent areas should house more asylum seekers in futureJust 20 staff are working on climate adaptation within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the part of government tasked with protecting the environment and maintaining...

Amnesty International says Farage putting ?hate and inhumanity? over leadersh...
10 Aug 2026 at 5:03pm
A spokesperson for the human rights group likened the proposal to ?financial brutality with British taxpayers? money?Farage and Yusuf are now taking questions.Q: From Jack Fenwick from the BBC Are there other countries where you might send foreign offenders? And how much would this cost?We have...

Nicola Sturgeon ?has not spoken to? estranged husband, Peter Murrell, since h...
8 Aug 2026 at 3:50pm
Scotland?s former first minister says she will not visit Murrell in prison, where he is serving five-year sentence for embezzling SNP fundsNicola Surgeon has said she will not visit her estranged husband, Peter Murrell, in prison, has stopped speaking to him and views herself as a ?mug? for worry...

UK politics: Tories? Philp rejects French claim that shots fired from naval b...
28 Jul 2026 at 6:01pm
Shadow minister says there was no warning and ?it looked and sounded like deliberate intimidation?Conservative MP accuses French navy of firing shots near him in ChannelIt is not just the Russians firing on Brits in the English Channel; Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, has accused a French...

Poll shows Labour ahead of Reform UK for first time since Burnham became PM ?...
27 Jul 2026 at 5:45pm
New PM says he ?wouldn?t get carried away? by latest polling but says he is pleased if he has ?connected with people?I have already posted lines from Andy Burnham?s BBC interview on reforming social care (see 9.03am), making council tax fairer (see 10.03am), and ruling out an early election (see ...

Evacuated villagers in Cairngorms allowed home after wildfire threat lifts
25 Jul 2026 at 11:08pm
Scottish first minister thanks Nethy Bridge residents and aid workers after earlier requesting UK military aid to fight 10-day fireResidents of Nethy Bridge have been told they can return to their homes after a large fire broke out in the Cairngorms national park.Supt Judy Hill of Police Scotland...

Scottish Labour?s rivals decry ?chancer? Anas Sarwar for resigning to join An...
22 Jul 2026 at 11:17pm
New prime minister has made Sarwar ? the first senior Labour figure to call for Keir Starmer?s resignation ? a peerScottish Labour?s rivals in Holyrood have slammed Anas Sarwar?s shock decision to resign as leader to sit in Andy Burnham?s new government, calling him a ?chancer? and accusing him o...

Celtic leaders doubt Burnham?s devolution drive will go beyond England?s borders
6 Jul 2026 at 4:00pm
Would-be prime minister has made basic missteps in pitches to Wales, Scotland and Northern IrelandAndy Burnham?s devolution promises are yet to impress sceptical Celtic administrations hoping for a reset with Westminster, sources in Cardiff and Edinburgh have said.Burnham, who is expected to take...

Celtic nations begin to plan for breakup of UK in event of Reform election win
4 Jul 2026 at 7:00am
Politicians brace for constitutional turmoil if Nigel Farage?s party ends up in government ? or even as a strong oppositionThe rise of Nigel Farage has prompted political leaders across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to game the unthinkable: the breakup of the United Kingdom.Unioni...

Badenoch urges Burnham to condemn defence investment plan as No 10 says fundi...
1 Jul 2026 at 6:00pm
Minister and MPs have raised concerns that his ?poisoned chalice? plan will take cash from much-needed road projectsMinister and MP ?furious? over cuts to road projects to fund defence planDan Sabbagh is the Guardian?s defence and security editor.Andy Burnham is a ?true patriot? who will provide ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

GERSmas Day 2026
11 Aug 2026 at 8:22pm
It’s always welcome to have some good news for independence, but that’s especially true on GERSmas eve as the British media in Scotland and anti-independence campaigners gear themselves up for their annual orgy of too wee too poor too stupid in the form of GERS Figures which purport to demonstrate that Scotland is an economic …

The nasty party gets nastier
9 Aug 2026 at 3:04pm
The Tories are on a mission. Having had the title of the Nasty Party wrested away from them by Reform UK and by the even more unpleasant Restore Britain, Kemi Badenoch is determined to prove that the Conservatives are the original and best, or should that be worst, nasties of them all. Last week we …

Even good news is spun into SNPbad by the media in Scotland
5 Aug 2026 at 6:58pm
It’s often said there are two kinds of people in the world, those who say the glass is half full, and those who say it’s half empty. This is in fact inaccurate as there is a third kind, those who say: “Oh my God! That glass is about to shatter into a thousand jaggy shards, …

Burnham?s mini bounce
1 Aug 2026 at 1:39pm
Our visitors have left now. It was lovely to see them. As far as the blog is concerned I’m able to type again. There was a problem with the keyboard on my laptop which has now been repaired. Top tip, don’t spill tea on your laptop. So it’s back to blogging as usual. Andy Burnham …

Why you should subscribe to The National
1 Aug 2026 at 1:15pm
The National’s summer sale is running until Thursday 6 August. During this limited time period you can purchase an annual subscription to Scotland’s only pro-independence newspaper for the bargain price of £20. You might not agree with everything published by The National, but that’s inevitable in a publication which carries the weight of an entire …

Lord Sarwar of Brass Neck
21 Jul 2026 at 9:59pm
It seems to be a law of Scottish politics, or perhaps it’s more likely it’s just a personal curse, but whenever I try and take some time off from the blog a big story breaks and it’s back to the keyboard. What is most definitely a law of Scottish politics is that I’m not nationalist …

Silly season politics
17 Jul 2026 at 4:01pm
With Friday’s coronation of Andy Burnham as leader of the Labour party and his official accession to Ten Downing Street on Monday, the UK is now on its seventh prime minister in ten years. Meanwhile the man who wants to become prime minister after the next general election is fighting a by election with a …

Reform UK?s attack on Scottish languages
14 Jul 2026 at 4:44pm
It’s the greatest attempted Westminster assault on Scottish culture since the Jacobite wars. Reform UK has proposed an amendment to the UK Government’s elections bill which would criminalise the use of any languages other than English or Welsh on electoral material and impose a punishment of up to six months in prison and/or a fine. …

Ich bin ein Bin liner
12 Jul 2026 at 6:08pm
Last week, Nigel Farage announced that he was going to resign as the MP for Clacton in order to fight a by election to become the MP for Clacton. In a pity political broadcast from Reform UK headquarters which was broadcast live by the BBC and Sky News, Farage railed at the media for unfairly …

Alister Jack?s colonialism remains a threat to Scotland
9 Jul 2026 at 5:15pm
The former colonial governor of the northern province, Alister Jack, who was given a peerage by Rishi Sunak as part of a back room deal. Jack rejected an earlier nomination by Boris Johnson in 2023 to avoid triggering a by-election while he was still an MP, only later to stand down for the 2024 General …

The Courier

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Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

Could Rosyth-Europe ferry set sail thanks to Brexit reset?
27 May 2025 at 6:01am
Hopes have been raised for a simple solution to a cross-border problem.

Kirkcaldy MP demands pro-suicide forum is torn down
26 May 2025 at 6:01am
Around 100 suicides have been linked to the sickening forum which provides guidance to people on ending their life.

UHI Perth aviation students warn of ?unsettling times? after training firm?s ...
26 May 2025 at 6:00am
Worried Samuel Hughes, 19, is among students sharing their fears at a time of crisis for Perth College.

Fresh Dundee University strike begins over compulsory Levehulme Centre job cuts
26 May 2025 at 6:00am
University staff are taking five days of industrial action as the institution pushes ahead with plans to axe the forensic research hub.

NHS Fife nurse at centre of controversial trans tribunal suing her own trade ...
25 May 2025 at 2:32pm
A&E medic Sandie Peggie is now taking legal action against the Royal College of Nursing.

EXCLUSIVE: Dundee University still to strike rescue deal with government
23 May 2025 at 5:46pm
Opposition MSPs have expressed concern at the time taken to agree a deal almost a month after the fresh recovery plan was unveiled.

6 senior figures who left Dundee University during financial crisis
23 May 2025 at 5:10pm
Several university chiefs have moved on since £30m financial black hole emerged.

Dundee University activist artist leads degree show protest over financial cr...
23 May 2025 at 4:45pm
Duncan of Jordanstone student Finn Millar says he wants to play a part in "keeping the university alive".

John Swinney admits constituents have expressed Perth leisure concerns to him
23 May 2025 at 6:01am
The first minister wants further talks between both sides of Perth leisure debate.

EXCLUSIVE: Dundee University chief operating officer Jim McGeorge quits
22 May 2025 at 1:58pm
Dr Jim McGeorge ? who was responsible for good governance - had been on a period of extended leave.

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland

The real Glasgow hospital scandal ? In the WHOLE world only one government ha...
12 Aug 2026 at 2:58pm
In previous reports on the inquiry hearing expert witnesses, we’ve revealed that of 7 recent new large city hospitals across the UK, including in Manchester, only Glasgow City Council, in 2008, opted to build right next to a large raw sewage plant. In the years that followed after the SNP took power in 2017, Anas Sarwar groomed the traumatised parents of cancer victims, where autopsies had reve...

?Panic? and fear of ?serious sexual or violent re-offence or even murder? in ...
12 Aug 2026 at 10:44am
BBC UK online and repeated across BBC Breakfast today, has dramatic and deeply disturbing news: The chief inspector of probation for England and Wales has told the BBC the early release of thousands of prisoners could lead to “a serious sexual or violent offence or even murder” because of the demands on probation staff to monitor offenders. and One probation officer told the BBC the upcoming re...

GERS does not even claim an independent Scotland would have faced a deficit l...
12 Aug 2026 at 10:30am
Scotland would have faced last year. You decide – BBC Scotland staff are thick as mince or institutionally corrupt? Is this claim today by BBC Scotland, true? No. It’s a dirty big lie. The GERS (Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland) figures published on 12 August 2026 for 2025-26 report a notional net fiscal balance (deficit) of £25.3 billion, or ?10.9% of GDP, for Scotland as part of th...

New transmission infrastructure in Scotland is primarily required to transmit...
12 Aug 2026 at 10:19am
to where it is consumed, mainly Central Scotland and England. BBC Scotland’s insert into BBC Breakfast makes the above explicit claim that new pylons and infrastructure are needed to ‘shift’ energy from the north to central Scotland. Notably the full BBC Scotland report online does not make the above claim. Another Reporting Scotland special? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8rn42jp7d6o Is ...

English drug baron?s county lines gang exploiting vulnerable women and childr...
11 Aug 2026 at 4:26pm
From the P&J yesterday, the above and: Viktor Kihu, 25, recruited people to his OCG which was called Harlem to use their properties in county lines drug operations. The Inverness Courier on the same day, revealed his wider empire: With the same text – This case follows another important development in the recognition of this plage: In the P&J today, the above. What has driven his demand? Police...

Bacterial infections linked to child cancer deaths at Glasgow super-hospital ...
11 Aug 2026 at 3:56pm
Detail and sources – https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/08/11/the-bacterial-infections-linked-by-media-to-cancer-deaths-at-troubled-glasgow-super-hospital-were-due-to-labours-astonishing-decision-to-build-it-near-a-raw-sewage-works/

As giant, clearly not troubled, Glasgow hospital is shown to be as safe as al...
11 Aug 2026 at 2:25pm
From Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios April 2025 to March 2026, the above graph and this explanation: Assessing patient safety and the quality of care delivered in hospitals is essential. The Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio (HSMR) is a key indicator that measures hospital mortality. It compares the observed number of patient deaths associated with a hospital to the number predicted ...

Better resourced NHS Scotland sees only half the TB numbers
11 Aug 2026 at 2:23pm
From National quarterly report of tuberculosis in Scotland Provisional data for quarter 2, 2026, the above graph and: There were 125 TB notifications. TB notifications decreased by 21.9% when compared with quarters 1?2 2025 when there were 160 TB notifications. The percentage of TB notifications that were male was 65.6% compared with 59.4% in quarters 1?2 2025.  Source: https://www.publichealth...

Scotland, as a nation, has been ?let down time and time again? by the Labour ...
11 Aug 2026 at 1:09pm
By Liz S ?The Scotsman today quotes a Labour MSP saying ?Our islands have been let down, time and again, by the SNP ?. Well when I read this I automatically thought this: Scotland , as a nation, has been ?let down time and time again? by the Labour party (that is the Labour party at all political levels). Mind you Scotland has also been ?let down time and time again? by the so called (but clear...

Herald campaigns on behalf of private landlords desiring socialism for them b...
11 Aug 2026 at 9:16am
As the Herald today, campaigns on behalf of private landlords desiring socialism (government-aid) for them but capitalism for their customers, here’s what the Scottish Government is doing, sensibly and ethically, with your taxes: Full text at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=build+to+rent

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

BBC blasted for defying experts on GERS and Scottish independence - The Natio...
12 Aug 2026 at 11:52am
BBC blasted for defying experts on GERS and Scottish independence  The National Scot

UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits - Al Jazeera
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits  Al Jazeera

New Scottish independence referendum ?off limits,? UK prime minister tells Sc...
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
New Scottish independence referendum ?off limits,? UK prime minister tells Scottish leader  Anadolu Ajans?

Scottish leader John Swinney calls for independence to thwart Reform - RNZ
10 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish leader John Swinney calls for independence to thwart Reform  RNZ

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation

First independence poll of Burnham era predicts Scotland would leave UK - The...
11 Aug 2026 at 5:03pm
First independence poll of Burnham era predicts Scotland would leave UK  The National Scot

New PM Andy Burnham tells John Swinney 'agree to disagree' on Scottish indepe...
21 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
New PM Andy Burnham tells John Swinney 'agree to disagree' on Scottish independence  BBC

Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum - BBC
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum  BBC

John Swinney says he will continue independence push despite Downing Street s...
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
John Swinney says he will continue independence push despite Downing Street saying referendum is ?off limits?  Holyrood Website

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
29 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP MP blasts 'Unionist cronies and aristocrats' plotting Peter Murrell probe...
12 Aug 2026 at 12:57pm
SNP MP blasts 'Unionist cronies and aristocrats' plotting Peter Murrell probe  The National Scot

Exclusive: SNP three year teacher guarantee 'could increase insecurity for ex...
12 Aug 2026 at 6:00am
Exclusive: SNP three year teacher guarantee 'could increase insecurity for experienced staff'  The Scotsman

Sturgeon has not spoken to Murrell since he was jailed for embezzling SNP fun...
8 Aug 2026 at 5:46pm
Sturgeon has not spoken to Murrell since he was jailed for embezzling SNP funds  BBC

SNP writes off value of Peter Murrell's motorhome but still owes him £60k - S...
6 Aug 2026 at 3:50pm
SNP writes off value of Peter Murrell's motorhome but still owes him £60k  Sky News

Remote working: Scottish Government stops publishing office attendance figure...
12 Aug 2026 at 5:20am
Remote working: Scottish Government stops publishing office attendance figures  heraldscotland.com

Burnham must live up to Labour promise and slash energy bills by £300 ? SNP -...
12 Aug 2026 at 11:14am
Burnham must live up to Labour promise and slash energy bills by £300 ? SNP  London Evening Standard

Former Scottish National Party chief Peter Murrell pleads guilty to embezzlin...
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Former Scottish National Party chief Peter Murrell pleads guilty to embezzling $920,000  RNZ

Is the SNP turning on Nicola Sturgeon? - UnHerd
8 Aug 2026 at 8:38am
Is the SNP turning on Nicola Sturgeon?  UnHerd

John Swinney accused of 'weakly watching on' during SNP oil and gas 'civil wa...
12 Aug 2026 at 6:00am
John Swinney accused of 'weakly watching on' during SNP oil and gas 'civil war'  The Scotsman

Scotland's papers: MSP 'rape spectrum' apology and SNP's ferry 'U-turn' - BBC
11 Aug 2026 at 6:36am
Scotland's papers: MSP 'rape spectrum' apology and SNP's ferry 'U-turn'  BBC

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits - Al Jazeera
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits  Al Jazeera

First independence poll of Burnham era predicts Scotland would leave UK - The...
11 Aug 2026 at 5:03pm
First independence poll of Burnham era predicts Scotland would leave UK  The National Scot

Burnham tells Swinney independence is 'off limits' at Commonwealth Games meet...
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Burnham tells Swinney independence is 'off limits' at Commonwealth Games meeting  BBC

New Scottish independence referendum ?off limits,? UK prime minister tells Sc...
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
New Scottish independence referendum ?off limits,? UK prime minister tells Scottish leader  Anadolu Ajans?

Scottish Parliament backs move for new independence vote - NZ Herald
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Parliament backs move for new independence vote  NZ Herald

Scottish leader John Swinney calls for independence to thwart Reform - RNZ
10 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish leader John Swinney calls for independence to thwart Reform  RNZ

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation

Poll reveals voters' verdict on declaring Scotland independent without refere...
12 Aug 2026 at 8:33am
Poll reveals voters' verdict on declaring Scotland independent without referendum  The National Scot

Beyond Constitutional Groundhog Day: The 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election...
15 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Beyond Constitutional Groundhog Day: The 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election  Verfassungsblog

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
29 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government