The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Businessman funding Salmond case backs Sarwar remaining Scottish Labour leader
19 May 2026 at 5:00am
A musician and businessman funding the late Alex Salmond's case against the Scottish Government is backing Anas Sarwar remaining in charge of Scottish Labour.


John Swinney 'confident he will win the vote' as MSPs to elect new first mini...
19 May 2026 at 12:01am
MSPs will vote for Scotland?s newest first minister following the Holyrood elections.


??Unspun Morning Briefing: Return of the John and a crude awakening
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
19 May 2026 at 8:00am
John Swinney is set to return as First Minister while questions over independence, North Sea policy and Holyrood?s newest faces begin shaping the next Parliament.


Racism allowed to ?flourish? in NHS as abuse against nursing staff surges, sa...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
19 May 2026 at 5:00am
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has accused health leaders and politicians of allowing racism to "flourish" in the NHS as more than 21,000 incidents of racist abuse against nursing staff have been reported across the UK in the past four years.


Newcomer and old hand to battle for leadership of capital's SNP council group
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
18 May 2026 at 5:08pm
A Liberton/Gilmerton councillor, Ms Macinnes was elected in 2017 and served as deputy group leader for seven years.


Seagull plan agreed for Inverness amid claims birds have 'colonised' city
18 May 2026 at 5:06pm
Feelings ran high in a debate over new plans to help tackle Inverness and Nairn?s seagull population.


??Unspun: The by-election that could force the SNP's hand on oil and gas
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
18 May 2026 at 4:06pm
With a by-election looming in Aberdeen South, the SNP faces pressure to clarify its position on North Sea oil and gas and voters there know the detail.


Swinney: I have no intention of apologising for Sinn Fein ?move on? comments
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
18 May 2026 at 2:22pm
John Swinney has ?no intention? of apologising after he urged people to ?move on? from the Troubles in Northern Ireland.


Greens: Swinney must keep day one promise on independence
18 May 2026 at 12:24pm
John Swinney must keep his day one promise on independence, according to the Scottish Greens.


John Swinney to consider pitch invasion ban following Celtic fan disorder
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
18 May 2026 at 12:11pm
Following chaotic scenes at Celtic Park and violent clashes in Glasgow's Trongate area, First Minister John Swinney has condemned the "astonishingly poor behaviour" of fans.


MSPs should be 'deeply concerned' over university transparency row, union bos...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
18 May 2026 at 9:37am
Sophia Woodman of the UCU told The Herald that legislation passed in 2016 was meant to prevent situations like the one at Edinburgh.


??Unspun Morning Briefing: Swinney appoints his top team
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
18 May 2026 at 8:00am
Another busy week ahead, with Holyrood votes, reshuffles, by-elections and uncertainty over the Prime Minister's future.


I lost my school friend to an IRA bomb and John Swinney is wrong about Sinn Féin
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
18 May 2026 at 5:00am
Labour MP Graeme Downie, who lost his childhood friend Tim Parry in the 1993 Warrington IRA bombing, has condemned John Swinney for suggesting people should "move on" from Sinn Féin?s links to the Provisional IRA.


Reform candidate describes actors as 'satanic worshipping trash' in LinkedIn ...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
18 May 2026 at 2:37pm
Reform UK Aberdeen South candidate Jo Hart faces scrutiny after historic LinkedIn posts described actors as "satanic worshipping trash" and appeared to link 5G masts to health concerns.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


The hidden epidemic harming millions of children that should be a global emer...
19 May 2026 at 6:00am
Eight out of 30 children may experience sexual exploitation or abuse online by the time they leave school


Why the two Westminster by-elections are the SNP's to lose
19 May 2026 at 6:00am

After the Holyrood election results, there will be two by-elections held in Scotland.

John Swinney is due to select his new Cabinet later this week.

It is Scotland?s first return to the World Cup in 28 years and First Minister John Swinney will be there to watch the game in person

The Greater Manchester Mayor told voters he knows why they were unhappy - showing that he understands them more than the PM.

Wings over Scotland

The Land Of No Laws
17 May 2026 at 2:20am
This game of football is not over. Except for viewers in Scotland, where no laws apply. Don’t get us wrong, readers. In the (minimum of) 32 seconds that were left to play, it was highly unlikely that Hearts were going to score the two goals they needed to win the league. It is improbable that …

Steadying The Ship
15 May 2026 at 3:20pm
Looks like this, apparently.

The Broken Rainbow
13 May 2026 at 2:04pm
The image below is a graph illustrating how many seats each party won in last week’s supposedly “proportional” Scottish Parliament election, compared to how many they would have won if the electoral system had been actually proportional. The SNP and Greens are now over-represented by 37% and 50% respectively, while the Unionist parties are all …

The Hills Of Far Away
12 May 2026 at 10:01am
Anyone seeking to make a compelling argument for the proposition that Scotland’s politicians and lawmakers are simply too farcically incompetent to ever be trusted with running an independent country had a gift-wrapped Godsend delivered to them last week by the idiot student children of Edinburgh. But we can’t really put the blame on the colourfully-haired, …

And Nothing Happened Forever
9 May 2026 at 3:22am
Well, we told you so. We told you in March (and indeed long before then) that the 2026 Holyrood election was a giant waste of time and money that would deliver exactly the same useless Parliament we already had, and so it proved. The SNP ended up giving half-a-dozen seats to the Greens, Labour donated …

Pick Your Poison
7 May 2026 at 12:43am
At the end of last year we noted the unusual and persistent levels of divergence in Scottish political polling. As polls have become much more frequent during the election campaign, nothing about that has changed. The final polls, published yesterday, are so far apart from each other that they tell us basically zip. Analysing this …

The value bet
6 May 2026 at 4:25pm
To pass the time on (praise be to Baby Jeebus) the last day of the Holyrood election campaign, we thought we’d do a catch-up summary of all the seat projections we could find from last month and this month. Here it is. Now, as it happens we think the potential seat ranges are significantly wider. …

Anas Sarwar is a winner
6 May 2026 at 3:14am
Specifically, of the Single Most Toe-Curlingly, Face-Palmingly Cretinous Thing Said In The 2026 Holyrood Election Campaign, And Possibly Any Election Ever, Prize. We mean, wow. We could easily write a 1000-word article purely on the top 10 things that are fatuously, obviously idiotic about those three short sentences, and so could you. So imagine how …

Binfire Of The Vanities
4 May 2026 at 3:52pm
For a nation that prides itself on hating the Tories, this is very odd. And if you don’t see how, let us illustrate. If you simply combined the Tory and Reform votes from the latest poll, the election would be on a knife-edge, with the right-wing alliance just three points behind the SNP on the …

Seven Days Too Long
30 Apr 2026 at 1:57pm
It’s nearly over, readers. Just one more week of this to endure. The most miserable Holyrood election campaign of all time will end next Thursday with an election which will deliver Scotland’s most miserable devolved government of all time. Only the exact form, colour and shape of the misery remains to be determined. So as …

Craig Murray

Dr Manivannan
14 May 2026 at 6:00pm

The furore around the election of Dr Manivannan to the Scottish Parliament is deeply troubling. There is no argument whatsoever that they were eligible to stand for election. The law was changed specifically in order for those on temporary visas to be able to stand in Scottish parliamentary elections. I confess I am not sure …

Dr Manivannan

URGENT FILTON TRIAL UPDATE
13 May 2026 at 6:03am

While the Court of Appeal has now stopped the High Court contempt of court action against Rajiv Menon KC for defending his client, this is purely on procedural grounds. They ruled that Judge Johnson had to go via the Attorney General to the High Court, not direct. It is now referred back to Johnson who …

URGENT FILTON TRIAL UPDATE

Zionism Has Poisoned the UK?s Central Nervous System
11 May 2026 at 7:32pm

Unquestioning Zionism has for decades been the entry ticket to the British political and media Establishment. Anybody who was not a fully certified and compliant zionist would find their career limited – as Jeremy Corbyn, Alan Duncan, Robin Cook and David Mellor all found. Most others, of course, were never allowed to progress that far. …

Zionism Has Poisoned the UK’s Central Nervous System

The 2026 Scottish Elections
6 May 2026 at 5:40pm

We get so trapped inside the logic of the UK’s crazy electoral systems we often do not see what is really happening. Two thirds of active voters, voted against Starmer’s Labour at the last general election. He was always highly unpopular. Just as Starmer’s landslide victory in the 2024 general election was based on only …

The 2026 Scottish Elections

The Morass of Injustice
2 May 2026 at 11:24am

A vast cloying morass of injustice has visibly submerged the British legal systems in anything connected to Palestine. In a quite incredible series of linked and kinked events this week, the senior KC representing one of the Palestine Action activists in the Filton trial was in the Court of Appeal arguing against being found in …

The Morass of Injustice

An Inspiring Story
21 Apr 2026 at 7:54am

In 2018, at the height of the economic crisis in Venezuela through crippling sanctions, Kellogg’s announced the overnight closure of their Maracay factory with hundreds of redundancies – and massive knock-on effects in the local community. The workers refused to accept the closure and, with government assistance, restarted the factory. It is still running eight …

An Inspiring Story

BBC Scotland

Swinney defends food prices policy ahead of first minister vote
19 May 2026 at 10:06am
The SNP leader says the proposed price cap on basic foodstuffs is not intended to force a fight with the UK government.

'I've had my nose broken twice' - assaults in schools 'becoming the norm'
18 May 2026 at 6:03am
The incident is one of thousands of attacks on teaching staff each year and many now say violence in the classroom is out of control

Scotland's top law officer Dorothy Bain to step down
15 May 2026 at 9:46am
The lord advocate leads the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and also acts as chief legal adviser to the Scottish government.

How holding the UK together became part of Labour's power struggle
15 May 2026 at 11:55am
The leadership drama at Westminster has implications that reach into the UK's home nations.

Potholes compensation: How much is your council paying out?
15 May 2026 at 6:44am
Scottish councils paid out more than £2m to drivers for pothole-inflicted vehicle damage over the past five years, a BBC investigation has found.

MSPs sworn in at Holyrood before electing new presiding officer
14 May 2026 at 7:54pm
Kenneth Gibson has seen off competition from two party rivals and Lib Dem Liam McArthur to land the job.

Starmer agrees to meet Swinney in face-to face meeting
12 May 2026 at 11:30pm
Swinney says the meeting will discuss the constitution but Sir Keir says it is just to talk about "shared issues".

Expert calls for safety review at Scotland's troubled superhospital
13 May 2026 at 6:10am
Andrew Poplett says it is "incredibly difficult" to say whether the hospital is safe or unsafe for all patients.

Why is there a row about an MSP's immigration status?
13 May 2026 at 5:51pm
Q Manivannan, originally from India, is on a student visa which is due to expire at the end of the year.

Teachers defend Higher Maths exam as pupils criticise questions
13 May 2026 at 6:11am
Pupils told the BBC that the wording of the questions was confusing so they did not know what was being asked.

Inquiry launched into Scottish Youth Parliament after former chairman jailed
12 May 2026 at 1:13pm
Jordan Linden carried out some of his crimes while he was the parliament's chairman between 2015 and 2016.

SNP elects Dave Doogan as new Westminster leader
12 May 2026 at 10:50am
Doogan will lead the SNP's group of MPs after Stephen Flynn was elected to the Scottish Parliament.

Scot Goes Pop

Israel's need to artwash the genocide continues to bring Eurovision to its kn...
17 May 2026 at 2:32am
At this time last year, someone left a comment on this blog to say that they'd actually been hoping for an Israeli win, because the prospect of a contest in Tel Aviv would have caused the whole hou...

How rigged will Eurovision be in favour of Israel this time?
16 May 2026 at 6:33pm
That, I'm afraid, is the correct way of posing the question, because there is no doubt that the voting system remains wide open to abuse by Israel's supporters across Europe, who will not only cast...

It's all or nothing for Andy Burnham - the by-election of the century will ta...
15 May 2026 at 1:32pm
Catch up with Wednesday night's blogpost: "S*** just got real, lads. The famously always wrong blogger "Stew", who said there was "zero chance, barring nuclear war or an alien invasion" of the Holy...

Two crucial Scottish parliamentary by-elections have been triggered - one sho...
14 May 2026 at 4:22pm
So the moment that couldn't be avoided has now arrived: Reform UK have, at least for the time being, overtaken the SNP as the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons due to Stephen Flynn and S...

The Scot Goes Pop fundraiser: time to aim for a rocket boost
14 May 2026 at 3:23pm
So I just thought I'd put this post up to try to give another little boost to the ongoing Scot Goes Pop fundraiser, and I'll probably keep it pinned second from top on the blog over the coming few ...

The BBC's sly defence of Israel's Eurovision participation is profoundly cyni...
14 May 2026 at 12:22pm
*  *  *If you enjoyed Scot Goes Pop's 2026 election coverage so much that you started to feel an inexplicable urge to buy me a hot chocolate or a ham-and-cheese toastie, donations are very welcome....

S*** just got real, lads. The famously always wrong blogger "Stew", who said...
13 May 2026 at 8:10pm
One of the most important truths about life, which has been passed down from father to son and from mother to daughter over the centuries, is that you always know you've succeeded in getting right ...

Wes Streeting makes his move - but the soft left should be able to block his ...
13 May 2026 at 2:17pm
*  *  *If you enjoyed Scot Goes Pop's 2026 election coverage so much that you started to feel an inexplicable urge to buy me a hot chocolate or a ham-and-cheese toastie, donations are very welcome....

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

MSPs to elect new first minister after Scottish elections
19 May 2026 at 6:57am
John Swinney says he is confident of winning the vote at Holyrood on Tuesday.

First Minister John Swinney to look at football banning orders and pitch inva...
18 May 2026 at 1:08pm
John Swinney said the scenes that unfolded at Celtic Park on Saturday were 'completely and utterly unacceptable'

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain tells First Minister John Swinney she intends to s...
15 May 2026 at 8:55am
Dorothy Bain came under fire earlier this year after it emerged she told John Swinney of the charges against Peter Murrell before they were made public

MP quits to make way for Burnham to return to Parliament and challenge Starmer
14 May 2026 at 5:59pm
Josh Simons said he was standing down so the Mayor of Greater Manchester can 'drive the change our country is crying out for'

SNP?s Kenneth Gibson voted in as Scottish Parliament?s new presiding officer
14 May 2026 at 5:05pm
Gibson saw off challenges from fellow MSPs Liam McArthur, Stuart McMillan and Clare Haughey

Wes Streeting resigns as health secretary as pressure on Prime Minister Keir ...
14 May 2026 at 1:14pm
Streeting said in his resignation that it has become 'clear' that Starmer will not lead the party into the next general election

MSPs sworn in at Holyrood for new Scottish Parliament term
14 May 2026 at 12:58pm
SNP leader John Swinney was the first of 129 MSPs to take the oath in a ceremony at the Scottish Parliament

Ex-Aberdeen and Angus SNP MPs Stephen Flynn and Stephen Gethins hit out at We...
14 May 2026 at 12:23pm
The former SNP MPs have been elected to the Scottish Parliament after last week?s election.

Swinney to discuss independence referendum with Starmer in bid to end ?stalem...
13 May 2026 at 6:33pm
Swinney has said he will discuss the cost of living concerns during the face-to-face meeting

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage faces parliamentary watchdog investigation over...
13 May 2026 at 1:04pm
Farage received the undeclared gift from Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne in 2024

SNP seeks to force vote on Keir Starmer?s future
13 May 2026 at 10:57am
New SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan said the 'leadership circus can?t go on any longer'.

Wes Streeting visits Keir Starmer at Number 10 for crunch talks as unions pul...
13 May 2026 at 9:02am
The health secretary visited the Prime Minister for less than 20 minutes on Wednesday morning

Second IndyRef on agenda in upcoming meeting between First and Prime Ministers
13 May 2026 at 6:59am
The meeting was agreed during a phone call on Tuesday evening.

Sir Keir Starmer vows to fight on as Prime Minister, so what happens next?
12 May 2026 at 2:07pm
At least 81 out of Labour?s 403 MPs have now demanded Starmer's departure after the party?s electoral mauling last week.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

George Galloway giving 'active consideration' to fighting Westminster by-elec...
19 May 2026 at 12:00pm
The left-wing firebrand has made winning Westminster by-elections a speciality - but has tasted less success in Scotland.

John Swinney to be reelected First Minister as poll finds independence is not...
19 May 2026 at 4:30am
The NHS, the economy, and the cost of living are all ranked as greater priorities for voters than an IndyRef2, according to a new poll.

Holyrood can't go into hiding any time disorder rears its head at Scottish fo...
18 May 2026 at 5:00pm
Politics and football don't always mix - but MSPs must make their views known on important matters of public safety, says Chris McCall

John Swinney has 'no intention' of apologising for Sinn Fein remarks
18 May 2026 at 2:52pm
Families of Scots killed in the Troubles have demanded the SNP leader apologise.

John Swinney says pitch invasions could become illegal in Scotland following ...
18 May 2026 at 11:40am
The First Minister condemned the aftermath of Saturday's dramatic Scottish Premiership title decider and slammed the "unacceptable behaviour of a minority of fans" who invaded the pitch.

IRA victims to protest outside Holyrood after John Swinney says people must '...
18 May 2026 at 10:44am
The First Minister claimed people had to "move on" after he was questioned about Sinn Fein's historic links to the Provisional IRA.

This SNP Government will get on with the work of delivering what we promised
18 May 2026 at 4:30am
In his first column for the Record since his party's election victory on May 7, the First Minister says there is "clear momentum" behind Scotland?s "right to decide our own future".

Food banks risk becoming 'permanent' fixture in poorest Scots communities unl...
18 May 2026 at 4:30am
Good Food Scotland works with housing associations and local charities to open stores in neighbourhoods which often lack regular retail outlets.

M8 motorway demolition in Glasgow could take inspiration from 'New York and S...
17 May 2026 at 5:00pm
The Woodside viaducts are crumbling - despite tens of millions of pounds being spent on propping them up - and some residents want radical alternatives to be considered.

SNP Government condemns 'disgraceful scenes of violence' in Glasgow following...
17 May 2026 at 2:20pm
The Government said it supported Police Scotland "to respond appropriately and protect the public" following the disorder in the Trongate.

The National

The National | Politics

Andy Burnham tipped to reward 'ship people smugglers to Scotland' ally with t...
19 May 2026 at 10:33am

ANDY Burnham is tipped to reward the former boss of a dodgy think tank who called for people smugglers to be sent to Scotland with a Government job after helping to pave his route to No 10.

Irish president's sister among those kidnapped by Israel on Gaza flotilla
19 May 2026 at 10:15am

THE Irish president has expressed concern after it emerged her sister was one of dozens of activists to be kidnapped by Israel while taking part in a major aid flotilla to Gaza ...

Live as MSPs head to parliament for vote on the next First Minister
19 May 2026 at 8:30am

MSPs are heading to Holyrood today to vote on who should lead the government in its next session. John Swinney is widely expected to retain his position after pro-independence parties won 73 seats

Rachel Reeves issued stark warning ahead of cost of living announcement
19 May 2026 at 5:00am

Rachel Reeves is being urged to go ?much further? to help households struggling with the cost-of-living crisis ? with the SNP accusing the Labour Government of having ?abandoned the ?squeezed middle?? ...

How and when to watch MSPs elect Scotland's first minister today
19 May 2026 at 5:00am

MSPs will vote for Scotland?s first minister following the Holyrood elections. Here's how to watch today

Benjamin Netanyahu commends Israeli soldiers for 'thwarting' flotilla aid mis...
18 May 2026 at 8:32pm

BENJAMIN Netanyahu commended Israeli soldiers for ?thwarting" the Global Sumud Flotilla aid mission, while describing it as "a malicious plan designed to break the isolation we are imposing on Hamas terrorists in Gaza?

Scotland?s independence movement must find an answer to this economic question
18 May 2026 at 7:39pm

IF Scottish independence is to mean more than constitutional change, the movement must show how it would extend democracy into the economy itself

Andy Burnham?s strategy is high-risk and may well backfire
18 May 2026 at 7:30pm

I CANNOT be the only one who thinks that Andy Burnham is being incredibly arrogant, with a galling sense of entitlement, if he thinks he can win a recently vacated seat by saying ?vote for me, I will go down to Westminster and be the next PM and sort out all the problems with the Labour-led government.?

The UK Government does not have ?all the power? over our independence
18 May 2026 at 7:00pm

IN James Walker?s piece on Sunday 17 (Convention could ?backfire? on efforts for independence), senior law lecturer Nick McKerrell implies that Holyrood?s powerlessness to run an indyref without London?s consent prevents Scotland from deciding its own fate on independence: ?There is a clear legal statement now on Section 30, but politically it still feels unfair that all the power sits with the...

John Swinney finalising new Scottish Cabinet picks as new Holyrood era begins
18 May 2026 at 5:12pm

You can get The National's Real Scottish Politics newsletter free and direct to your inbox every weekday.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Tories set to force vote on new North Sea drilling during energy security debate
19 May 2026 at 1:00am
The Conservatives have called Labour's Energy Independence Bill, which seeks to ban the awarding of new oil and gas licences, 'deluded'

Jack McConnell joins Lisa Nandy?s team for ?ambitious? sports push
18 May 2026 at 12:35pm
Labour peer appointed as ministerial adviser

The Cost of Inaction to the Scottish Public Purse: Why Restoring Nature Is No...
18 May 2026 at 8:00am
Investing in nature is not an optional environmental concern, it is a fundamental economic necessity.

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain to step down
15 May 2026 at 11:26am
Scotland's most senior law officer set to leave office

Kenneth Gibson elected Scottish Parliament presiding officer
14 May 2026 at 5:31pm
Gibson was elected after three rounds of voting, winning by 74 votes to Clare Haughey?s 54

Wes Streeting resigns from UK Government
14 May 2026 at 2:44pm
He is the first cabinet minister to resign since Labour suffered heavy defeats in the Scottish, Welsh, and English local elections

Wes Streeting resigns from government: Statement in full
14 May 2026 at 2:39pm
Wes Streeting has resigned as health secretary - read his statement in full

Swinney says food price cap plan won?t see costs passed onto farmers
14 May 2026 at 2:20pm
The SNP leader said the cost-of-living crisis would be top of his agenda as first minister

Whip Scottish MPs to vote down Starmer, SNP urges Anas Sarwar
14 May 2026 at 8:00am
Call to back amendment to King's Speech

Government rejects calls for new oil and gas licences in the North Sea
13 May 2026 at 5:33pm
Labour said the recent energy shock underlined the need to get off the ?fossil fuel rollercoaster?

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Starmer has ?full confidence? in Streeting despite health secretary?s allies ...
13 May 2026 at 6:00pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here:Streeting to resign and challenge Starmer, allies sayLibby Brooks is the Guardian?s Scotland correspondent.An odd dispute of interpretation has emerged overnight between the Scottish and UK governments. Yesterday evening a Scottish gov...

Streeting to meet Starmer on Wednesday as the prime minister defies calls to ...
12 May 2026 at 9:22pm
A number of Streeting?s allies resigned from their ministerial posts on Tuesday and called for Keir Starmer to quitStarmer tells cabinet he will not quit without leadership challengeHere are some pictures from No 10 this morning.Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the PM, is now being interviewe...

2026 UK elections: full results from local, Scottish and Welsh votes
12 May 2026 at 8:35am
From devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales to councils and mayoralties in England, find out what happened in your areaElections mapped: how Labour lost ground in different directions Continue reading...

2026 elections mapped: how Labour lost ground in different directions
11 May 2026 at 7:43am
Keir Starmer?s party lost out to Reform and the Greens, with no respite in Scotland, Wales or England. These maps show the scale of the historic resultsFull results from England, Scotland and WalesLabour has suffered heavy losses across England, Scotland and Wales, losing ground to opponents on t...

Minority groups brace for surge in racism after Reform UK election gains
11 May 2026 at 6:00am
Members of minority communities in Birmingham and elsewhere fear results could lead to rise in hostile rhetoricConceding defeat at the election count at Birmingham?s Utilita Arena on Friday, the outgoing Labour leader of the city council, John Cotton, made a plea. ?What I would encourage the next...

Angela Rayner calls blocking Andy Burnham?s return to parliament a mistake as...
10 May 2026 at 6:09pm
Catherine West issues ultimatum for PM as ex-minister Josh Simons joins calls for prime minister to quitAt the start of her programme Laura Kuenssberg addressed Catherine West and Bridget Phillipson who were sitting waiting for the main interviews.Kuenssberg told West she wanted a cabinet ministe...

Don?t let Farage and Reform divide us, Labour?s Sarwar urges Holyrood leaders
10 May 2026 at 1:30pm
Scottish Labour leader says he aims to hold SNP to account after his party tied for second with Reform in electionsThe Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, has warned other Scottish political leaders not to spend the next Holyrood parliament ?shouting about Nigel Farage?, saying his job is to ens...

Swinney keen to work with fellow nationalist devolved leaders in UK
9 May 2026 at 5:24pm
SNP leader wants to ensure voices of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ?are heard loud and clear?John Swinney has said he plans to work with the nationalist first ministers in Wales and Northern Ireland in a coordinated opposition to Labour?s policies on the cost of living and UK government sp...

The SNP may have won again but Scottish politics has been upended
9 May 2026 at 7:50am
Public frustration gave the SNP a muted victory, while Labour tied with Reform for second and the Greens claimed a ?seismic? resultLong before the final votes were counted in Scotland, veteran Labour politicians said it was a defeat made in Downing Street.When the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sar...

John Swinney urges Starmer to show Scotland ?greater respect? after SNP victory
9 May 2026 at 1:36am
Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, concedes his party was comprehensively beaten in election as count puts his party on 17 seats, a tie with ReformElection 2026 live: latest news updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesJohn Swinney, the Scottish National party leader, has challenged...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Something wicked this way comes
17 May 2026 at 1:27pm
We are rightly concerned about Reform UK, which has now gained representation in the Scottish Parliament, although as I had hoped, it performed more poorly than most polls forecast and failed to win a single constituency seat, narrowly missing out to the SNP in the Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituency which had been widely tipped …

The Celtic Alliance can break Westminter?s constitutional logjam
15 May 2026 at 6:33pm
One of the biggest developments in British political history came to pass after the recent parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales, yet it predictably went all but unnoticed by a British media which struggles to comprehend England outwith the M25 and for which Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are terra incognita marked “here be dragons” …

Labour?s rigged electoral system has bitten it on the bum
13 May 2026 at 3:51pm
Ever since the Holyrood election last week in which the SNP won a crushing victory over the dependency parties, those parties and their client media have been crowing that John Swinney must drop his “obsession” with independence because the SNP “failed” in the election and did not win an outright majority for the SNP. Alex …

John Swinney is right to lock out Reform
12 May 2026 at 3:02pm
It hasn’t even been a week since the Holyrood election which took the SNP to its record fifth election win in a row, securing more MSPs than all the anti-independence parties combined, and winning more seats than Labour ever has. The British parties and their friends in the press are getting their hysteria and outrage …

Labour and the British media, stuck in the first stages of grief
10 May 2026 at 7:37pm
They’re not taking it at all well are they. Ever since the SNP handsomely won the Holyrood election, for the fifth time in a row, winning more seats than all the branch office parties combined, and together with a record performance from the Scottish Greens, the two pro-independence secured the largest ever independence majority in …

Mission (almost) accomplished
9 May 2026 at 2:40pm
Originally I had intended to blog yesterday as the results came in, but they arrived later than I had expected and we did not have the certainty that the new Scottish Parliament would have a pro-independence majority until well into the evening. The final set of results, the allocation of list seats for the Highlands …

The British media is getting its excuses in early
6 May 2026 at 1:58pm
The British media in Scotland is getting its excuses in early. Gina Davidson, the Scotland political editor of LBC, wrote on social media that the SNP falling a couple of seats short of an absolute majority – based on the YouGov poll published the day before the election – would be a “poor result for …

Thomas Kerr, the Dumb Corleone of Scottish politics
5 May 2026 at 4:22pm
Reform’s opportunistic Thomas Kerr has completed his transformation from one nation liberal Tory to complete heid banging fascist. On Tuesday, Shettleston’s Dumb Corleone doubled down on his party’s exciting new election tactic of threatening the voters, proving that Reform UK struggles to grasp the difference between a democratic election and a protection racket. Kerr released …

Reform UK, the bastard offspring of Oswald Mosley and Coco the Clown
4 May 2026 at 5:17pm
  Reform has introduced a novel new campaigning tactic in the days leading up to the Holyrood election. Vote for us or we’ll put a concentration camp in your neighbourhood. It’s certainly a ‘bold’ move, but only if you define bold as utterly insane and disgustingly vile. On Monday Reform’s chairman Zia Yusuf, who is …

Shooting for the Moon on Thursday
3 May 2026 at 3:41pm
Shoot for the moon, as the saying goes, even if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars. With that in mind that’s what independence supporters need to do on Thursday. An opinion poll by the traditionally No-friendly Norstat for the Sunday Times records a whopping 55% Yes response. The media in Scotland have been very …

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

How BBC Scotland tried to shift the blame for a Labour council?s ?litany of f...
19 May 2026 at 8:27am
Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: From BBC Scotland yesterday: Edinburgh council reaches settlement after suing tram law firm – The City of Edinburgh Council has settled its multi-million pound damages claim against a law firm that advised it over the first tram project. The local authority was seeking more than £200m in compensation, claiming DLA Piper failed to give adequate warnings ...

Only BBC Scotland reports on racism in the NHS yet on their own figures it is...
19 May 2026 at 7:57am
in Scotland last year. BBC Scotland‘s short insert in BBC Breakfast show this morning reports on a survey by the Royal College of Nursing on racist incidents in the NHS and suggests the above figures for NHS Scotland. It’s not covered by BBC Breakfast or on the websites of BBC Wales, Northern Ireland, nor for that matter, BBC Scotland with the implication then that it must be worse here. The Gu...

Significantly fewer Scots dissatisfied with social care services but Royal Co...
18 May 2026 at 6:37pm
Treat negativity about Scotland?s NHS and social care services with healthy scepticism: evidence of the Royal College of Nursing being plain wrong and opting to omit relevant positives. My apologies to stewartb but I’ve used my perhaps unattractive unilateral editorial powers to replace his more mature header above with my more combative version at the top! By stewartb When political advocacy i...

Massive fall in violent crime in Scotland especially among younger adults as ...
18 May 2026 at 3:15pm
There is a clear positive trend revealed in the data above from Re-conviction statistics for male offenders: FOI release published today. Violent crimes over the eight year period from 2012/13 to 2020/21, among under 21s fell from 181 to 44, more than three-quartered! For 21 to 30 year-olds from 492 to 231, it more than halved! Then, however, for all of the over 30 years groups, there were much...

Restore Britain?s position ? You live in England, you speak English
18 May 2026 at 1:58pm
By Liz S Rupert Lowe , an English Nationalist , has now created a new party that he has called ?Restore Britain?. Reading his many daily posts on ?X? you will see how often he sees England and English as the same as Britain and Britishness , as for him there seems to be no distinction between the two. Yesterday he wrote (yet another) long post about Councils , Reform UK ones, ?spending hundreds...

Top History Professor says ?All of my students must use AI? ? Me too!
18 May 2026 at 1:57pm
Regulars will have noted that TuS has been making increased use of AI in the last year or so and getting some criticism of that. I understand why many are concerned but my view is that this is another technology, like those before, we must master, a ‘tiger we must ride.’ Famous last words perhaps but we humans didn’t get where we are, on top because we are the meanest SOBs on the planet, just t...

Nurses fight for band 7 status after missing out on £9,000 pay rise in NHS Wa...
18 May 2026 at 1:55pm
From Nursing Standard on 7 May 2026, the above and: A group of 100 health visitors are taking to picket lines for two more months after their NHS employer ?refused to acknowledge? a job evaluation appeal that would see them get a pay increase of up to £9,000. The specialist nurses, who work at the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB ) in south Wales, are fighting for their Agenda ...

HS2 despite chopping link to Scotland to take 2 to 3 times as long as Japanes...
18 May 2026 at 1:53pm
From BBC UK today: The failings surrounding the HS2 rail project are partly due to a focus on achieving the highest possible speeds and political pressure for progress on the scheme, a review is expected to find. The scheme has been undergoing a “reset”, and in March Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander asked HS2 bosses to look at lowering top speeds to save money. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/art...

RCN Scotland?s claim of ?unsafe? patient loads on nurses ignores NHS Scotland...
18 May 2026 at 9:23am
As the Royal College of Nursing launches research claiming ‘Two-thirds of NHS nurses believe lack of staff is putting patients at risk, survey finds’ and ‘across the UK’, at their conference in Liverpool today, their Scottish branch continues to ignore, conceal, the facts on staffing. In the Herald today, there’s no mention of this crucial context their readers might need: There are 67 700 nurs...

Scotland?s environment agency is TWICE as effective in closing illegal waste ...
18 May 2026 at 8:55am
BBC UK and other MSM this morning reporting on illegal waste dumping ‘loopholes’, do not refer to the situation in Scotland. Their reports are based on this from the UK Government, published today: New reforms are set to tighten the net on waste criminals with tougher sentences for those illegally dumping waste, and advanced background checks to help put rogue operators out of business.   As pa...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

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

Scotland?s independence movement must find an answer to this economic questio...
18 May 2026 at 8:07pm
Scotland?s independence movement must find an answer to this economic question  The National Scot

Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots? - France 24
27 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots?  France 24

The question of Scottish independence is alive but not kicking - The Economist
30 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
The question of Scottish independence is alive but not kicking  The Economist

Greens: Swinney must keep day one promise on independence - The Herald
18 May 2026 at 6:14pm
Greens: Swinney must keep day one promise on independence  The Herald

John Swinney to be reelected First Minister as poll finds independence is not...
19 May 2026 at 4:30am
John Swinney to be reelected First Minister as poll finds independence is not top priority for most Scots  Daily Record

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028 - BBC
12 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028  BBC

SNP can make ?Scotland?s oil? a rallying cry for independence once again - Th...
17 May 2026 at 4:51pm
SNP can make ?Scotland?s oil? a rallying cry for independence once again  The Times

Swinney must keep day one promise on independence, say Greens - Scottish Greens
18 May 2026 at 12:18pm
Swinney must keep day one promise on independence, say Greens  Scottish Greens

Swinney: election result shows 'urgent' need for Scottish independence - Sky ...
9 May 2026 at 8:00am
Swinney: election result shows 'urgent' need for Scottish independence  Sky News

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Business rates must be reformed 'as quickly as possible', says new SNP MSP - ...
19 May 2026 at 12:24pm
Business rates must be reformed 'as quickly as possible', says new SNP MSP  The Scotsman

Why the two Westminster by-elections are the SNP's to lose - The Scotsman
19 May 2026 at 6:00am
Why the two Westminster by-elections are the SNP's to lose  The Scotsman

The SNP may have won again but Scottish politics has been upended | Scottish ...
9 May 2026 at 8:00am
The SNP may have won again but Scottish politics has been upended | Scottish elections 2026  The Guardian

Final YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election shows the SNP falling short of...
6 May 2026 at 8:00am
Final YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election shows the SNP falling short of a majority  YouGov

SNP wins Scottish election as Reform and Labour tie for second - BBC
8 May 2026 at 8:00am
SNP wins Scottish election as Reform and Labour tie for second  BBC

The results are in ? general election 2026 - SPICe Spotlight
9 May 2026 at 8:00am
The results are in ? general election 2026  SPICe Spotlight

SNP is Scotland's biggest winner with pressure for independence vote likely t...
9 May 2026 at 8:00am
SNP is Scotland's biggest winner with pressure for independence vote likely to follow  Sky News

More in Common Final Holyrood MRP - More in Common UK
4 May 2026 at 8:00am
More in Common Final Holyrood MRP  More in Common UK

SNP on track for majority ? and fresh referendum on breaking up the UK - The ...
15 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
SNP on track for majority ? and fresh referendum on breaking up the UK  The Telegraph

John Swinney urges Starmer to show Scotland ?greater respect? after SNP victo...
8 May 2026 at 8:00am
John Swinney urges Starmer to show Scotland ?greater respect? after SNP victory | Scottish politics  The Guardian

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

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

Scotland?s independence movement must find an answer to this economic questio...
18 May 2026 at 8:07pm
Scotland?s independence movement must find an answer to this economic question  The National Scot

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028 - BBC
12 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028  BBC

The question of Scottish independence is alive but not kicking - The Economist
30 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
The question of Scottish independence is alive but not kicking  The Economist

Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots? - France 24
27 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots?  France 24

SNP vows to push for new independence vote with or without a majority - Finan...
27 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
SNP vows to push for new independence vote with or without a majority  Financial Times

Support for independence is not surging in Scotland - The Spectator Australia
14 May 2026 at 9:56am
Support for independence is not surging in Scotland  The Spectator Australia

'Independence not impossible but Scotland is currently like a bust company' s...
17 May 2026 at 4:30am
'Independence not impossible but Scotland is currently like a bust company' says Labour donor  Daily Record

Scotland political snapshot, Spring 2026 - YouGov
8 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland political snapshot, Spring 2026  YouGov

Keir Starmer rolls back on independence referendum talks with John Swinney - ...
13 May 2026 at 8:04am
Keir Starmer rolls back on independence referendum talks with John Swinney  The National Scot