The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Andy Burnham tells Scottish Labour MPs he will not agree to independence refe...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
5 Jul 2026 at 10:41am
Andy Burnham has privately told Scottish Labour MPs he will flatly reject a second independence referendum when he becomes Prime Minister.


Calls for fresh standards probe into Farage over funding from convicted crimi...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
5 Jul 2026 at 10:02am
Nigel Farage faces urgent calls for a parliamentary standards investigation following revelations that convicted fraudster George Cottrell funded his personal security, social media staff, and a luxury London townhouse.


'I love the Fringe - where else can you talk to comics, drag queens and clowns?'
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
5 Jul 2026 at 10:00am
The two-man chamber play hones in on two neighbours, Max and Rusty, and explores ?how words can inflame, confuse and divide?.


Scotland has a sex crime contagion, so why are we in denial about it?
5 Jul 2026 at 8:30am
HIGH-ranking public officials in Glasgow may be dreading the outcome of the Scottish Government?s public inquiry into grooming gangs. The Inquiry needs specifically to address the appalling case of the child sex abuse ring that had operated in Glasgow since 2012


Scots back compulsory voting at UK elections, new poll suggests
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
5 Jul 2026 at 5:00am
Scots back compulsory voting at UK general elections, a new Convergent Opinion poll for the Campaign for Compulsory Voting shows, amid concern over low voter turnout in Scotland.


As America turns 250, just how far removed is it from its founding ideals?
by david.pratt@heraldandtimes.co.uk | David Pratt
5 Jul 2026 at 6:15am
Unruly politics is nothing new in the 'land of the free' but two Trump presidencies have strained it like never before. Foreign Editor David Pratt examines the state of US democracy


Was Monklands Hospital risk flagged before polling day? Tory MSP asks
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
4 Jul 2026 at 5:00am
A Scottish Conservative MSP has demanded John Swinney reveal whether any risk to approving or delivering the £2.1bn replacement hospital was recorded before the Holyrood elections.


Campaigning Scot who fought assisted dying after being paralysed in freak inj...
4 Jul 2026 at 6:33am
From her brightly-coloured wigs to her infectious giggle, Michelle-Anna Moffatt, who has died aged 44, was vivacious and vibrant. When you spent time with her, it was easy to forget just how ill she was. That?s why the death of one of Scotland?s most loved campaigners has come as such a shock.


Rural Scots face 'big access issue' getting morning-after pill, doctor warns
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
3 Jul 2026 at 5:00am
YouGov data shows 66% of Scots fear emergency contraception is difficult to access after 10pm, as doctors call for the morning-after pill to be sold in shops.


Peter Murrell will not appeal against his prison sentence
3 Jul 2026 at 6:09pm
The former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell will not appeal against his sentence, The Herald can reveal.


Scots peer draws response from UK minister amid concern over SME finance
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
2 Jul 2026 at 5:00pm
Lord Stockwood responds to concern raised by Labour peer Catherine MacLeod over access to finance for small businesses in Scotland


Former Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain to become a judge
2 Jul 2026 at 4:42pm
Former Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC has been appointed as a judge and will take up her new role in January.


Inside story: What's behind Sir Mark's resignation as chair of troubled HES?
2 Jul 2026 at 4:05pm
The Scottish Government's heritage agency Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is searching for a new chair after Sir Mark Jones resigned after just nine months.


Video shows students storming out of graduation ceremony at ancient university
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
2 Jul 2026 at 3:16pm
A video posted to social media shows around half a dozen graduates leaving the university?s first ceremony of the summer on Wednesday.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


SNP ministers urged to take AI data centre planning decisions away from local...
5 Jul 2026 at 6:00am

Sandy Begbie, chief executive of Scottish Financial Enterprise, said decisions around whether AI data centres should be built are ?of national importance for economic growth, resilience and security?.

Warnings have been issued that some NHS waiting times have stuttered amid calls for a ?comprehensive plan for the future of the NHS? to be drawn up.

Andy Burnham will give Labour a credible chance of winning the next general election and this will encourage many Scots voters to return to the party.

Yi-pei Chou Turvey is hoping her experience of growing up in Taiwan and Belgium will help her bring new ideas to the Scottish Parliament.

Wings over Scotland

Narrowing the options
3 Jul 2026 at 12:12pm
We’ve just sent this letter to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Dear Sirs/Madams, Thank you for your response, which I have considered with care. I note you have advised that ?full consideration was given to whether the crime of fraud could be established. That investigation did not disclose sufficient evidence of fraud, or …

Fob, Fob, Fobbing Along
2 Jul 2026 at 4:49pm
We have received a further reply from the Crown Office. Alert readers may note that while Wings has repeatedly noted that the misappropriation of the fundraiser money by the SNP could constitute either fraud OR embezzlement (or both), entirely separate to the embezzlement FROM the SNP by Peter Murrell, the Crown Office continues – as …

Tuning In The Shine
2 Jul 2026 at 1:39pm
For any of you who haven’t caught it yet, my interview from Monday’s BBC Scotcast (which is also available on Spotify). ? Sadly due to a summer scheduling quirk the video version won’t go out on the telly, and seemingly not on the BBC YouTube page either, so you’ll just have to listen to the …

Strike A Pose, There?s Nothing To It
1 Jul 2026 at 12:05pm
We’ve already discussed the contents of the videos released last week by the BBC containing interviews with Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston of Police Scotland and Crown Agent John Logue of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. But videos (especially lengthy ones) are always a bit of a pain to reference, and these are …

ACC Houston, We Have A Problem
1 Jul 2026 at 12:04pm
We’ve already discussed the contents of the videos released last week by the BBC containing interviews with Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston of Police Scotland and Crown Agent John Logue of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. But videos (especially lengthy ones) are always a bit of a pain to reference, and these are …

The Fast Track
29 Jun 2026 at 2:32pm
I’ve just recorded an episode of the BBC ScotCast podcast, which should “drop”, as we say in the media biz, around teatime tonight. It focused largely on issues around Operation Branchform, and the fact that only one of the two crimes it concerned has been resolved. Time always flies when you’re having fun, so I …

Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No
27 Jun 2026 at 2:44pm
Alert readers will have found it hard not to notice that Wings is currently focused on trying to solve one mystery above all others: why nobody has been prosecuted for a massive theft of hundreds of thousands of pounds, which took place in open sight, beyond any dispute, and is openly admitted by someone who …

The Promise
26 Jun 2026 at 3:18pm
This is the letter the SNP sent donors to the ringfenced 2017 fundraiser. The terms are right there in the first sentence, and repeated several more times. The money will be “ring fenced for a future referendum”. It’s to “build up a sizeable war chest to fight the campaign when the time comes”. It’s to …

The Guilty Party
25 Jun 2026 at 1:47pm
These are the people whose job it was to stop the leadership of the SNP from stealing almost £700,000 of “ringfenced” fundraiser money from independence supporters, and who utterly failed at that job. It was also their job to stop Peter Murrell stealing the best part of £500,000 from the SNP, in a separate but …

Hey Lord Don?t Ask Me Questions
23 Jun 2026 at 2:13pm
This really isn’t going to go away. No matter how hard Nicola Sturgeon gets Aamer Anwar to scream about it. Because every time anyone says anything in an attempt to shut down questions, it just raises a whole bundle more questions. The reported comments by Police Scotland today are a remarkable case in point. What …

Craig Murray

Palestine Action Proscription: We Fight Back
1 Jul 2026 at 12:50pm

I publish below in full the Note we have submitted to Court today to re-establish the separate Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. Not only is the state doubling down on prosecution of pro-Palestine activists, a new National Security State Threats Bill is being fast tracked through parliament to extend the attack …

Palestine Action Proscription: We Fight Back

The Middle East, Hormuz and the New Mercantilism
29 Jun 2026 at 9:50am

The provisional surrender document signed by Donald Trump appeared to represent a triumph for Iran and indeed for the world; but neither the USA nor Israel has the slightest sense of honour and they cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith. Iran knows this – after all, the USA twice attacked Iran actually during …

The Middle East, Hormuz and the New Mercantilism

The UK Joins the Pirates
15 Jun 2026 at 1:21pm

I was genuinely surprised by the Starmer regime’s refusal to state that the Israeli boarding of the Global Sumud flotilla on the High Seas was illegal. I did not realise it was because the UK was planning to undertake similar illegal seizure itself. The Gaza Flotilla seizure was illegal: while for obvious reasons freedom of …

The UK Joins the Pirates

Sentencing the Innocent
13 Jun 2026 at 4:41pm

Judge Johnson had proved his fascist credentials through rulings much earlier in the Filton trial than his vicious sentencing. Indeed, he had arguably already shown them when he released Tommy Robinson from a prison sentence, or when as a barrister he had chosen to work for the intelligence services and Ministry of Defence. But in …

Sentencing the Innocent

The Joy of Resistance
6 Jun 2026 at 9:51am

Just a quick note to say that I am very aware that lately I have been rather bitter, which is not good for anybody, especially me. The disappointments and state outrages have been no worse than usual; my frustration at my poor health, and the subsequent constraint of my ability to fight back, has rather …

The Joy of Resistance

The Power of the UK State Over Scotland
28 May 2026 at 7:50am

I went through yesterday’s preliminary hearing in the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action with a sense of mounting horror. We had the same judge as at the permission hearing, Lord Young. We had exactly the same arguments and the same case law being deployed again by the UK government as at …

The Power of the UK State Over Scotland

BBC Scotland

I was 'slam dunk' for SNP leadership until revealing gay marriage views - Forbes
3 Jul 2026 at 6:23am
The former deputy first minister says she was advised to lie about her opinions on same-sex marriage.

Burnham showed 'lack of knowledge' about Scotland - Swinney
1 Jul 2026 at 12:07pm
The first minister has criticised the Labour MP after he suggested power north of the border was too centralised.

What does the Royal Navy's drone warship plan mean for Scotland?
1 Jul 2026 at 6:15am
The UK government's long-awaited defence spending plans are out, but is it good or bad news for Scottish shipbuilders?

Charges for hate crimes in Scotland soar to record high
30 Jun 2026 at 11:55am
A total of 7,115 charges with at least one element of hate crime were recorded in 2025-26.

Andy Burnham vows to decentralise power in Scotland
29 Jun 2026 at 2:18pm
The Labour MP, who is expected to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister, said he wants to take power away from devolved parliaments and empower communities.

Scottish Labour's election 'disaster' due to unpopular PM - Lennon
28 Jun 2026 at 12:43pm
Former Labour MSP Monica Lennon says voters could not get beyond Keir Starmer's unpopularity.

Scottish Parliament restores online gender search for MSPs
29 Jun 2026 at 5:45pm
Visitors to the Holyrood website are able to search for parliamentarians by their sex and trans status.

King urges MSPs to help build a 'fair and prosperous society'
27 Jun 2026 at 1:13pm
The ceremony, which featured pageantry, poetry, drama and music, marked the beginning of the seventh session of Holyrood.

Ferries agency pays in full for unfinished CalMac ships built in Turkey
26 Jun 2026 at 3:31pm
CMAL has taken legal ownership of three ships as the shipyard faces economic challenges.

SNP whistleblowers were 'intimidated' for raising finance concerns
25 Jun 2026 at 6:23pm
Cynthia Guthrie and Allison Graham said they had been blocked from carrying out their jobs auditing the party's finances.

Scottish government rejects £2bn hospital replacement plans
26 Jun 2026 at 4:20pm
The health secretary said the Scottish government was unable to approve the plans in the current financial climate.

Why is the King opening the Scottish Parliament during summer recess?
26 Jun 2026 at 6:20am
King Charles and Queen Camilla will be at Holyrood on Saturday to mark the official start of the 7th session of the Scottish Parliament.

Scot Goes Pop

Another stunning SNP by-election GAIN as the Tories go into FREEFALL in the n...
4 Jul 2026 at 2:11pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE. A great reply semi-ruined by the final sentence. Stew? In Scotland?! The very ...

"IS THAT IT, ANDY?!" Only a 2% Burnham bounce for Labour with YouGov, as SNP ...
1 Jul 2026 at 11:59am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Burnham in danger of making government from Manchester as remote...

King of the South: Andy Burnham will make rule from Manchester as detested in...
30 Jun 2026 at 3:42am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Yet another poll suggests Burnham surge is a damp squib - SNP do...

Yet another poll suggests Burnham surge is a damp squib - SNP are dominant in...
29 Jun 2026 at 2:28am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.As regular readers may recall, I've been an elected member of the SNP's Policy Devel...

By-election sensation as SNP *gain* seat in Aberdeen - John Swinney's party a...
27 Jun 2026 at 8:40pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Scotland immune to Burnham effect? SNP buoyed by stellar subsamp...

Scotland immune to Burnham effect? SNP buoyed by stellar subsample result in ...
26 Jun 2026 at 9:27am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Andy Burnham's plan to rip up the Barnett Formula means he is ri...

How it is still mathematically possible for Scotland to qualify for the secon...
25 Jun 2026 at 2:12pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Andy Burnham's plan to rip up the Barnett Formula means he is ri...

REVEALED: Andy Burnham wants to rip up "The Vow", making a second independenc...
24 Jun 2026 at 3:47am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Grim news for Labour, but good cheer for the SNP, in first poll ...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Scots counting cost of two years of ?disastrous? Labour government, Tories say
4 Jul 2026 at 10:04am
Scottish Conservatives deputy leader Rachael Hamilton says Sir Keir Starmer?s time in office had been 'disastrous'

Starmer must say what he will cut to fund £15bn defence rise, SNP says
2 Jul 2026 at 6:57am
Dave Doogan, the party?s Westminster leader, warned the PM's 'unfunded' plans could take 'vital' money away from schools and hospitals

Westminster asks Holyrood about joint inquiry into SNP Murrell scandal
1 Jul 2026 at 5:25pm
The Scottish Affairs Committee is writing to MSPs in a bid to work together

Former MSP to face trial accused of causing crashes while drink-driving
1 Jul 2026 at 2:33pm
Colin Smyth, 53, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Wednesday

Starmer accuses SNP of ?pretending? not to know about Peter Murrell crimes
1 Jul 2026 at 1:45pm
Murrell was jailed for five years and three months for embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 12-year period.

Swinney rejects Burnham?s claim Scots feel distant from Holyrood
1 Jul 2026 at 10:56am
The First Minister accused the Labour leadership hopeful of trying to ?lecture? him and described his comments as ?polemics?

Nigel Farage declares £270,000 payment for promoting gold bullion
30 Jun 2026 at 8:23pm
This is Farage's single biggest payment for work outside his role as an MP.

Cancer patients ?waiting longer than they should? as treatment targets missed
30 Jun 2026 at 1:39pm
No health board in Scotland achieved the goal of having 95% of patients urgently referred start their treatment within two months

Energy and road projects axed to fund £15bn defence investment plan
30 Jun 2026 at 1:22pm
Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had to be prepared for war

Asylum seekers to pay £10,000 towards cost of accommodation and support
30 Jun 2026 at 6:51am
Under new plans, asylum seekers will have to pay off the full amount before they can be eligible for settled status

What does Andy Burnham?s vision mean for Scotland?
29 Jun 2026 at 6:13pm
Labour's newest MP has called for Westminster's powers to be decentralised and expand devolution

How is Andy Burnham planning to ?fix politics??
29 Jun 2026 at 4:05pm
The likely next prime minister has said "Westminster is broken" and vowed to "do things differently".

Scottish Government failed to provide legally required health checks for arou...
29 Jun 2026 at 2:17pm
The Health and Safety Executive found that the Government made two breaches linked to statutory health surveillance of staff

First Minister John Swinney opens Glasgow?s first walk-in GP service
29 Jun 2026 at 1:01pm
The Cardonald Centre is the ninth practice opened across the country

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Cops probe claims of 'missing £1.5m' from Indy campaign group with close link...
5 Jul 2026 at 4:30am
Police are investigating claims £1.5million went missing from the accounts of the 2014 Yes campaign.

UK Government 'will not rest until every penny owed' by Michelle Mone and PPE...
4 Jul 2026 at 4:30am
A Scots MP called on Keir Starmer's successor to "make sure the government does everything in its power to claw back the taxpayer money wasted on this dodgy and dangerous contract".

Kate Forbes 'treated very badly' by SNP as former MSP claims she was told to ...
3 Jul 2026 at 1:08pm
One Forbes supporter told the Record "discrimination is unacceptable except for those who are in the Free Church of Scotland, in which case anything goes".

Vaping could be banned within 15m of schools in Scotland
3 Jul 2026 at 4:30am
SNP ministers are considering how to apply the Tobacco and Vapes Act which handed Holyrood beefed-up powers to crackdown on vape use.

Scots MP holds back tears as she describes experience of being adopted
2 Jul 2026 at 3:19pm
The MP for Edinburgh North and Leith welcomed Keir Starmer's decision to issue a formal apology for the historic forced adoption of babies from unmarried mothers.

Barlinnie prisoners locked up for '23 hours a day' in 'degrading' conditions ...
2 Jul 2026 at 1:51pm
The SNP Government has been warned it lacks a "coherent" strategy for dealing with the overcrowding crisis in jails, despite releasing hundreds of prisoners early.

Scotland's most sinister Nazi groups unmasked as followers recruited on socia...
2 Jul 2026 at 4:30am
Investigations by the Daily Record have unmasked several facist groups operating in Scotland.

Peter Murrell scandal risks making Scottish Parliament 'laughing stock' if in...
2 Jul 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: A Scottish political veteran said he "really resented" the damage being done to Holyrood's reputation by the fall-out from the Murrell affair.

Prosecutors deny Sturgeon was spared 'embarrassment' after women's items dele...
1 Jul 2026 at 3:00pm
EXCLUSIVE: One of the first complainers in the Branchform case said it "beggars belief" the items were not removed to spare the former SNP leader's blushes.

Keir Starmer accuses SNP of 'pretending' to know nothing about Peter Murrell ...
1 Jul 2026 at 1:39pm
The Prime Minister claimed Nationalists "couldn't even see the motorhome parked in the driveway".

The National

The National | Politics

Andy Burnham's indyref block 'flies in the face of democracy', Labour warned
5 Jul 2026 at 10:16am

Andy Burnham's decision to reject calls for a second Scottish independence referendum 'flies in the face of democracy', the Greens have warned

Nigel Farage 'secretly funded by convicted criminal', reports say
5 Jul 2026 at 9:16am

Nigel Farage received financial benefits from a convicted criminal in the year before entering Parliament, potentially breaking MPs? rules by failing to declare them

Andy Burnham REJECTS second Scottish independence referendum if he becomes PM
5 Jul 2026 at 8:25am

Andy Burnham has rejected a second Scottish independence referendum if he becomes prime minister

As America turns 250 just how far removed is it from its founding ideals?
5 Jul 2026 at 5:00am

Supersonic F-35 stealth fighters flying overhead, massive pyrotechnics and multinational defence and oil company interests at the heart of events

SNP should look to play Andy Burnham at his own game in Scotland
5 Jul 2026 at 5:00am

I SPENT 21 years of my life in Yorkshire, eight of them working on regionalism that John Prescott advocated and indeed rolled out with quite a bit of regenerative economic success, albeit through quangos.

'Hire a Scottish commissioner to tackle pensioner poverty' urges charity
5 Jul 2026 at 5:00am

OLDER Scots risk being trapped in poverty, it has been warned.

Inside the web of money behind grifting Nigel Farage and Reform UK
5 Jul 2026 at 5:00am

ALL eyes were on the £270,000 Nigel Farage made for just four hours work as an ?ambassador? for a gold bullion company, but the web of money behind Reform UK goes much deeper.

Scottish independence is in a deadlock. Is this the plan to break it?
5 Jul 2026 at 5:00am

MOVING forward with Scottish independence is proving a difficult task for the SNP.

Scottish Labour MSP earns up to £60k from rental properties in own region
5 Jul 2026 at 5:00am

A SCOTTISH Labour MSP makes an estimated £60,000 a year from renting two private lets and two commercial properties, it has been revealed.

New SNP MP urges Andy Burnham to scrap 'hammer blow' NI hike
5 Jul 2026 at 5:00am

Prospective prime minister Andy Burnham should scrap the Labour Party?s ?short-sighted? national insurance tax hike, a new SNP MP has said

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Swinney ?running scared? of inquiry into Murrell scandal
2 Jul 2026 at 6:45pm
Tory MSP Tim Eagle, a member of the standards committee, urged the Scottish Affairs Committee to carry out its own investigation

Lisa Nandy announces government department will leave X
2 Jul 2026 at 6:38pm
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport is the second to do so

Anti-torture group calls for ?coherent strategy? to address overcrowding in S...
2 Jul 2026 at 6:03pm
A?human rights organisation?has published a report calling for a ?coherent strategy? to address overcrowding in Scottish prisons

Murrell scandal: MPs call on Holyrood committees to help investigate
1 Jul 2026 at 5:50pm
Scottish Affairs Committee decides next steps

ScotlandIS appoints new chief executive
1 Jul 2026 at 2:44pm
ScotlandIS has appointed Andrew Weir as its new chief executive

Scottish Government publishes new guidance for phone-free classrooms
1 Jul 2026 at 12:07pm
The new?advice encourages schools to restrict the use of mobile phones by following updated national?guidance, published this week

Hate crimes reach record levels in Scotland
30 Jun 2026 at 12:41pm
The lord advocate said the increase ?should concern us all?

Fewer than half of MSPs disclose whether they are male or female
30 Jun 2026 at 11:29am
Equalities efforts becoming harder, senior Scottish Parliament official warns

Andy Burnham: ?Broken? Westminster needs ?radical change?
29 Jun 2026 at 1:34pm
The MP pledged to deliver further devolution, including to cities and towns in Scotland

Crime gang members who used encrypted devices sentenced to nearly 350 years b...
29 Jun 2026 at 12:54pm
Operation Venetic, which Police Scotland has been working on alongside the National Crime Agency (NCA) and other international partners, has seen 76 people?sentenced during the six years it has been running

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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 end 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.Unionis...

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 ...

The Guardian view on the politics of Scotland: like Labour, the SNP is in nee...
23 Jun 2026 at 6:25pm
The sentencing of Peter Murrell brings limited closure to a major scandal. But John Swinney?s government faces new challenges in a changing landscapeThe Scottish National party (SNP) is accustomed to presenting Westminster dysfunction as a boost to its case for independence. But the political dra...

Peter Murrell jailed for five years after embezzling £400,000 from SNP
23 Jun 2026 at 2:29pm
Estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon is sentenced for stealing from party over 12-year periodMontblanc pens to Le Creuset ramekins: police photos show Peter Murrell?s spending habitPeter Murrell has been sentenced to five years and three months in jail after he admitted embezzling more than £400,...

Montblanc pens to Le Creuset ramekins: police photos show Peter Murrell?s spe...
23 Jun 2026 at 1:37pm
Haul is only a fraction of what the former SNP chief executive bought using embezzled party moneyPeter Murrell jailed for five years after embezzling £400,000 from SNPThe white police evidence tags on the unused Montblanc pens, picnic sets, Le Creuset ramekins and the chrome Alessi teapot tell a ...

?This changes everything?: how Brexit altered Scotland?s political landscape
21 Jun 2026 at 12:00pm
Former party leaders reflect on the turbulence that followed the referendum in which most Scottish voters backed the losing sideThe decision to quit the EU bolstered support for Scottish independence, which a decade after the Brexit referendum is at near record levels, according to Scottish Labou...

Burnham calls for ?new path for Britain? as Starmer vows to fight any leaders...
19 Jun 2026 at 6:30pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here:Cabinet loyalists tell PM he has weekend to set out timetable for exit?Now is the change moment?: Burnham staff have no doubtsPodcast: will Burnham become prime minister?What would ?change? look like if Burnham becomes PM?David Blunket...

Scottish Conservatives win Aberdeen South in shock loss for the SNP
19 Jun 2026 at 12:29pm
Tories? Douglas Lumsden says city has spoken ?loud and clear? in support of the North Sea oil and gas industryThe Scottish National party has lost the formerly safe seat of Aberdeen South in a shock loss to the Scottish Conservatives.Douglas Lumsden beat the SNP?s Richard Thomson by 6,050 votes, ...

?No friends to the oil and gas industry?: Aberdeen South, the byelection wher...
17 Jun 2026 at 3:00pm
Peter Murrell affair may feature, but contest seen as straight fight between SNP and Tories over energy policyThe contest for Aberdeen South, a constituency that spans urban social housing and detached homes with sculpted gardens, has been dominated by one topic: the future of North Sea oil and g...

UK defence spending plan ?well short of what?s required? and harder choices n...
16 Jun 2026 at 6:08pm
Ex-defence secretary John Healey and ex-defence minister Al Carns have given resignation statements to MPsSpeaking to reporters at the G7, Keir Starmer also defended the defence investment plan (DIP) draft that led to John Healey?s resignation as defence secretary last week. Starmer confirmed tha...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Labour?s attempted theft of the Holyrood election is being aided by the media
3 Jul 2026 at 3:32pm
Something is seriously wrong with democracy in Scotland, but the media has told us vastly more about Peter Murrell’s cruet sets than it has about what can only be described as an attempt by the Labour party to steal the Holyrood election. In fact the attempted subversion of the result of the recent election has …

Labour?s nuclear power, an offer we can refuse
2 Jul 2026 at 3:30pm
It’s an offer we can refuse. The Labour government has identified a number of sites across Scotland on which it would like to build new nuclear power plants. A report was published this week by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the political ashtray Michael Shanks, the most disappointing MP in a …

Burnham, the GB Energy of devolution
29 Jun 2026 at 9:06pm
Andy Burnham’s big plan for the UK is still lacking in detail, but it’s already looking suspiciously like another of Westminster’s power grabs at the expense of the Scottish and Welsh parliaments. Burnham’s big speech on Monday during which he unveiled his plans for a Number Ten North. No, Scotland, not THAT north, Burnham’s north. …

The feeding frenzy
26 Jun 2026 at 12:13pm
Peter Murrell was sentenced on Tuesday for a crime of which the SNP was the victim. That has not diminished the appetite of the media in Scotland to continue its witch hunt. Ever since Murrell pleaded guilty the media in Scotland has descended into a feeding frenzy. You’d be forgiven for thinking that it was …

Burnham?s threat to the Scottish budget
25 Jun 2026 at 1:18pm
While the media in Scotland continues to scrabble around in the bins in search of another desperate angle on the Murrell scandal, it’s looking almost certain that there will be no leadership contest in the Labour party. Close Starmer ally Darren Jones, who had been tipped to make a leadership bid, has said he will …

The burst socks of British politics
22 Jun 2026 at 3:49pm
Starmer has gone, a man whose main achievement as Prime Minister was to throw away a landslide majority in the House of Commons and make himself even more unpopular than Liz Truss. The UK is now heading for its seventh prime minister in ten years, meaning that British prime ministers don’t last as long as …

Three by elections and no one cared about the Murrell affair
19 Jun 2026 at 12:42pm
The Tories are celebrating their Westminster by election win in Aberdeen South today. But just as Labour celebrated its Holyrood by election win in Hamilton, Larkhall, and Stonehouse in 2025 only to go on to lose this year’s Holyrood election, all this by election result really tells us is that tactical voting in by elections …

The world?s crappiest whodunnit
17 Jun 2026 at 12:20pm
I’ve had my cataract operation, the op was a couple of days early as there was a cancellation. The recovery period is four weeks, but I already notice a massive improvement in my eyesight. The fog has lifted and I’m now able to read much more comfortably. I’m hugely relieved it’s over. Right now, there’s …

Sarwar learns the law of unintended consequences
11 Jun 2026 at 11:52am
Anyone with two functioning braincells knows that the only reason the anti-independence parties and the SNP’s enemies are so keen on an inquiry into the Murrell scandal is because they seek to make political capital out of it, damage a party that keeps defeating them at the ballot box, and with it hinder progress to …

Westminster goes Trumpian and the media in Scotland jumps the SNPbad shark
7 Jun 2026 at 7:26pm
At the behest of Tory MP Andrew Six Chips Bowie, Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee is to vote next week on whether to hold an inquiry into the finances of the SNP. Bowie is of course only interested in good governance and looking after the best interests of the SNP members whose money was stolen by …

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

Return of the Poseur ? BMA Scotland?s Dr Iain Kennedy gets over BMA UK?s fond...
5 Jul 2026 at 10:31am
Iain Kennedy, GP PT, poses, POSES, with a stethoscope trying to remember when he last used it, reflected by himself posing again in the mirror. Kennedy, known for the Union Flag in his twitter account, has been missing recently, as his bosses in BMA UK have praised the SNP Government’s recent respectful dealings with their colleagues resulting in NO, NO NHS strikes.. He’s back today, in Scotlan...

As Ayr remembers the tens of thousands of Scots who died in the Battle of the...
4 Jul 2026 at 8:08pm
In the Ayr Advertiser today, the above and: From July 1-13, 140 silhouettes are being displayed in Wellington Square to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. 1 From the National Records of Scotland in January 2001: The Battle of the Somme was a mass allied offensive of the First World War by the British and French armies against the Germans. Conceived by General Haig, th...

?Independent Scotland as foreign country could get no Royal Navy work? argume...
4 Jul 2026 at 4:26pm
Many thanks to reader rptscott for alerting me to this: From the UK Defence Journal, yesterday, only two years after the one above: German propulsion specialist RENK Group has entered into a binding agreement to acquire David Brown Defence, the Huddersfield-based manufacturer of gearboxes for the Type 26 frigate and other major naval programmes, from private equity firm Stellex Capital Manageme...

Scotland?s Ross Kemp spots Blackshirts ?on our streets?
4 Jul 2026 at 12:46pm
In the place where you can trust it to provide fake news, The Herald, another of Neil Mackay’s ‘Horrible Hyperbole‘ series, yesterday. I take the laughable graphic was done by the same guy who delights in wee girls in red running down dangerous alleyways clearly in Rochdale and sad wee rough-sleepers to represent weans in temporary accomodation. Neil writes: ‘It?s been a while now since the myt...

When illegal drugs have been flooding across your border for more than 20 yea...
4 Jul 2026 at 10:24am
From Memorandum submitted by the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (CS 1) submitted to the UK Parliament in May 2003! The great majority of Class A drugs enter Scotland across the English border, either as a result of secondary distribution in England or drugs destined for Scotland but smuggled through English ports. Crime groups make extensive use of the UK infrastructure, particularly the moto...

How have we known for at least a decade that Scotland?s maternity services we...
4 Jul 2026 at 9:26am
In the Guardian 19 February 2026, the above and: The NHS will have to spend more money settling lawsuits involving negligence during childbirth after a supreme court ruling that lawyers said puts right a ?historic injustice?. The court ruled on Wednesday that children in England who suffer catastrophic injuries while they are being born can claim damages for future earnings they would otherwise...

Patient sexually assaulted and killed in her bed, six staff jailed including ...
4 Jul 2026 at 8:57am
You could be forgiven for thinking that NHS England’s worries were confined to maternity services and to NHS Nottingham with its criminal police investigation labelled perversely ‘Operation Perth.’ After decades of centre-right, cost-cutting, government and unprotected by a centre-left SNP government, protecting public services from the worst of austerity politics, all public services in Englan...

The Herald ? Not trusted since 2013
3 Jul 2026 at 6:39pm
Popping up in my inbox today, the above spoof, one of the funniest things you’ll see in a while. Why so funny? Well these: Full text for all of these and for the hundreds back to 2014, at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/page/5/?s=Herald Full text for all of the above and for the hundreds back to 2014, at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/page/5/?s=Herald

Immigration crime crackdown was not ?Scotland-wide? with only 1%, only a tent...
3 Jul 2026 at 3:54pm
Glasgow Live today, above joining the others with a dramatic headline and: Businesses across Scotland have been raided by police amid a country-wide crackdown on immigration crime, which “exploits vulnerable people by facilitating illegal entry into the UK”. and: Agencies interacted with 109 people, identifying 10 irregular migrants, Police Scotland said. 43 business compliance checks were carr...

Extreme Right-Wing elements are almost three times more common in England & W...
3 Jul 2026 at 3:52pm
With little sense of irony regarding the messages in advertising, The Times tries to make sure Scots don’t start thinking they’re better, ie not Nazis or fascists, like the ones all over the MSM apparently lining up next to Glasgow Cathedral: It’s an undeniably unsettling image which therefore clearly needs a bit of context. How many far-right extremists are there in Scotland and how does that ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Scottish independence is in a deadlock. Is this the plan to break it? - The N...
5 Jul 2026 at 10:14am
Scottish independence is in a deadlock. Is this the plan to break it?  The National Scot

Burnham indyref block flies in face of democracy - Scottish Greens
5 Jul 2026 at 10:12am
Burnham indyref block flies in face of democracy  Scottish Greens

Andy Burnham 'rules out second Scottish independence referendum' - The Scotsman
5 Jul 2026 at 10:57am
Andy Burnham 'rules out second Scottish independence referendum'  The Scotsman

Scottish Independence: More show. Less tell - Enlighten - Scotland's Independ...
16 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Independence: More show. Less tell  Enlighten - Scotland's Independent Think Tank

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

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

Andy Burnham REJECTS second Scottish independence referendum if he becomes PM...
5 Jul 2026 at 10:11am
Andy Burnham REJECTS second Scottish independence referendum if he becomes PM  The National Scot

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

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

Scottish Bonds to Create ?Financial Referendum? on Independence - Bloomberg.com
15 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Bonds to Create ?Financial Referendum? on Independence  Bloomberg.com

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

I was 'slam dunk' for SNP leadership until revealing gay marriage views - For...
3 Jul 2026 at 6:23am
I was 'slam dunk' for SNP leadership until revealing gay marriage views - Forbes  BBC

SNP should look to play Andy Burnham at his own game in Scotland - The Nation...
5 Jul 2026 at 5:10am
SNP should look to play Andy Burnham at his own game in Scotland  The National Scot

How former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell spent the £400,000 he embezzled ...
1 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
How former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell spent the £400,000 he embezzled  BBC

We know what former SNP chief Peter Murrell bought with £400,000 of embezzled...
29 May 2026 at 8:00am
We know what former SNP chief Peter Murrell bought with £400,000 of embezzled funds. What I?d like to know is why  The Guardian

Operation Branchform timeline: The downfall of ex-SNP chief executive Peter M...
30 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Operation Branchform timeline: The downfall of ex-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell  Sky News

Big salaries, a motorhome and SNP accounts: The Nicola Sturgeon interview unw...
1 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Big salaries, a motorhome and SNP accounts: The Nicola Sturgeon interview unwrapped  BBC

Sturgeon defends 'no comment' police interview after SNP funds probe arrest -...
27 May 2026 at 8:00am
Sturgeon defends 'no comment' police interview after SNP funds probe arrest  BBC

Sturgeon showed 'remarkable lack of curiosity' over SNP finances, Cherry says...
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Sturgeon showed 'remarkable lack of curiosity' over SNP finances, Cherry says  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

Peter Murrell sentence: How long could former SNP chief executive spend in pr...
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Peter Murrell sentence: How long could former SNP chief executive spend in prison?  BBC

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Andy Burnham REJECTS second Scottish independence referendum if he becomes PM...
5 Jul 2026 at 10:11am
Andy Burnham REJECTS second Scottish independence referendum if he becomes PM  The National Scot

Andy Burnham 'rules out second Scottish independence referendum' - The Scotsman
5 Jul 2026 at 10:57am
Andy Burnham 'rules out second Scottish independence referendum'  The Scotsman

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

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

Scotland clearly an afterthought for Burnham devolution plans - Scottish Greens
29 Jun 2026 at 1:07pm
Scotland clearly an afterthought for Burnham devolution plans  Scottish Greens

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

Scottish Bonds to Create ?Financial Referendum? on Independence - Bloomberg.com
15 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Bonds to Create ?Financial Referendum? on Independence  Bloomberg.com

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

What could Andy Burnham as PM mean for Scotland? - BBC
28 Jun 2026 at 11:08pm
What could Andy Burnham as PM mean for Scotland?  BBC

How do views of Brexit differ between England, Scotland and Wales, 10 years s...
19 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
How do views of Brexit differ between England, Scotland and Wales, 10 years since the referendum?  YouGov