The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Scottish Green MSP breaks down in tears over Bute House
26 Apr 2024 at 6:05pm
Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay broke down in tears as she discussed the end of the Bute House Agreement with the SNP in a radio interview


Humza Yousaf housing funds are not enough for charities
26 Apr 2024 at 5:13pm
Housing organisations have given a lukewarm response to Humza Yousaf's announcement of £80 million of funding to purchase empty homes for social housing.


Humza Yousaf defiant he will not resign on Dundee visit
26 Apr 2024 at 4:05pm
A defiant Humza Yousaf repeatedly insisted he will not resign as First Minister despite two motions of no confidence from opposition parties.


BBC Question Time: Did a Minister confuse Rwanda & Congo?
26 Apr 2024 at 11:46am
Tory minister for policing appeared to confuse Rwanda with another African country on BBC's Question Time on Thursday.


Ash Regan writes to Yousaf with demands in exchange for vote
26 Apr 2024 at 8:23am
Ash Regan, a former SNP minister who defected to Alex Salmond?s party, said she wanted to see progress on Scottish independence and defending ?the rights of women and children?


Gaza priest visiting Glasgow makes ceasfire plea
26 Apr 2024 at 12:15pm
Father Gabriel Romanelli is visiting Glasgow and said Palestinians living in ?hell? as he made a ceasefire plea.


What US talk show hosts (and politicians) are saying on Trump trial
26 Apr 2024 at 7:12pm
America?s talkshow hosts (and politicans) take aim at Trump.


Slater: Greens were the 'glue holding stable government together'
26 Apr 2024 at 2:19pm
The Scottish Greens were the ?glue holding stable government together,? the party?s co-convenor has claimed.


Yousaf 'absolutely' not resigning ahead of no confidence vote
26 Apr 2024 at 12:17pm
Humza Yousaf will not be resigning ahead of a no confidence vote in Holyrood next week


Scottish Labour to trigger vote of no confidence in SNP government
26 Apr 2024 at 10:20am
Scottish Labour will trigger a vote of no confidence against the Scottish Government.


Yousaf cancels independence speech amid leadership crisis
26 Apr 2024 at 9:41am
The First Minister has cancelled a major speech he was due to give at lunchtime today in Glasgow.


Stephen Flynn won't stand to be SNP leader if FM resigns
26 Apr 2024 at 9:20am
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn rules out leadership bid if Humza Yousaf stands down


How Humza Yousaf's resignation could trigger an early election
26 Apr 2024 at 7:18am
Explainer: How Humza Yousaf?s resignation could spark an election


Ross Greer: Humza Yousaf panicked over Bute House Agreement
26 Apr 2024 at 6:01am
Humza Yousaf has been accused of panicking over the Bute House Agreement in his decision to end the deal just days after backing it.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Green MSP Gillian Mackay bursts into tears on BBC radio at Humza Yousaf endin...
26 Apr 2024 at 7:20pm
?A lot of people will have seen me being upset?


SNP leader Humza Yousaf says he will not resign as First Minister amid no con...
26 Apr 2024 at 6:22pm
The First Minister insisted he was confident of winning the vote


Humza Yousaf: Is there anything left for SNP leader to ?come out fighting? fo...
26 Apr 2024 at 6:08pm

As Humza Yousaf?s future hangs in the balance, does he have anything to ?come out fighting? for?

Humza Yousaf is facing a vote on his future as First Minister - but even winning might not be enough to save him

The SNP is in crisis and Humza Yousaf is facing a vote on his future - but how likely is all of this to end in a Scottish election?

Anas Sarwar says he no longer has confidence in the Scottish Government after they ditched their power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens

Holyrood?s only Alba MSP Ash Regan says she wants progress on Scottish independence, women?s rights, and a return to competent government from the First Minister

Like the Tories? Rishi Sunak, SNP leader Humza Yousaf is not a winner and everyone knows it, writes Alistair Carmichael

Wings over Scotland

The Labyrinth Of Stupidity
26 Apr 2024 at 12:45pm
It’s probably as good an illustration of the madness currently engulfing Scottish politics as anything that unlikely suspect Anas Sarwar may have just – temporarily at least – saved Humza Yousaf’s job. And although our head hurts already, we’ll try to explain why. The fundamental problems of Humza Yousaf’s position are all still present, and …

Here You Go Again
26 Apr 2024 at 12:12am
We’ll make this short, because we’ve had a long day. Wings is told by a very reliable source that there’s ANOTHER emergency Cabinet meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning, which at least means we get to use this image now. So here’s the “exclusive” you’ll be getting from Paul Hutcheon seven hours from now. For a …

Fanny Dancing
25 Apr 2024 at 4:04pm
Oh, wait, scratch everything. Because this guy’s just wasting everybody’s time. And the reason is this: Because a vote of no confidence in the First Minister and a vote of no confidence in the Scottish Government are two entirely different things. The first one carries no legal force whatsoever – it’s basically just a ticking …

The Asking Of The Question
25 Apr 2024 at 1:13pm
At FMQs today, Douglas Ross announced that he was putting down a motion of no confidence in the Scottish Government in the wake of the collapse of the Bute House agreement. That creates an enormously interesting situation, because the arithmetic of Parliament is extremely finely balanced, and particularly in the light of Patrick Harvie’s subsequent …

The People We Don?t Want
25 Apr 2024 at 8:45am
We tweeted this last night as a teaser for our big exclusive. (Which is now hilariously being claimed by Paul Hutcheon of the Daily Record seven hours later.) And it does now seem to be the case that the news is that the SNP are ending the Bute House Agreement and kicking out the Greens …

An Uncommon Occurrence
24 Apr 2024 at 11:47pm
News reaches Wings this evening that Humza Yousaf has called an emergency meeting of the Scottish Cabinet at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning, just a couple of hours before FMQs. (This information has been confirmed directly to us by a source very close to a member of said Cabinet.) An emergency Cabinet meeting is an extraordinarily …

Grooming Class
24 Apr 2024 at 1:16pm
Daniel Sanderson of the Telegraph has filed a series of excellent but deeply disturbing articles this month about the growing presence in Scottish primary schools of LGBT Youth Scotland, a charity which has been heavily involved in not one but two serious child abuse scandals, one of them the most horrific in Scottish history. But …

Hobson?s Law
22 Apr 2024 at 1:40pm
While we all wait for the thing we all really want to happen this week, try to pretend that the disastrous and pitiful “indy march and rally” at the weekend never took place, and do our best to ignore the fact that thanks to the weakness of Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf our country’s government …

Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
20 Apr 2024 at 3:58pm
There are, at the most generous possible maximum estimate, maybe 1600 people here, including the wee knot of 100 or so Unionists circled at bottom left. That is now the size of the self-styled “mainstream independence movement”. (Although actually it’s even less than that, as a significant section of the crowd came from a separate …

2015: Hamish?s Nightmare
20 Apr 2024 at 6:59am

Craig Murray

Worse Than You Can Imagine
26 Apr 2024 at 7:46am

Governments cannot take big decisions extremely quickly except in the most extreme of circumstances. There are mechanisms in all states that consider policy decisions, weigh them up, involve the various departments of the state whose activities are affected by that decision, and arrive at a conclusion, though not necessarily a good one. The decision to …

Worse Than You Can Imagine

The Farce of Diplomatic Assurances
17 Apr 2024 at 6:34am

The United States has now, on the face of it, produced the Diplomatic Note giving the two assurances required by the High Court to allow the extradition of Julian Assange to proceed. The assurance that Julian Assange will be allowed to rely on the First Amendment in his defence is a blatantly weak piece of …

The Farce of Diplomatic Assurances

I Stand in Blackburn
16 Apr 2024 at 6:32am

I shall be standing for election to Parliament as the member for Blackburn. This unexpected turn of events requires an honest declaration. 1) I am standing because of the Genocide in Gaza. 2) I am standing because of the appalling pro-Genocide stance of the Labour Party and Keir Starmer’s continued support of arms exports to …

I Stand in Blackburn

Free at Last
15 Apr 2024 at 12:41pm

I have today the permission of the surgeon to use my right hand for typing for the first time in over three weeks, provided I am careful not to extend the arm. On Saturday I put my arm in a sleeve and managed to remove my sling while making a speech in Blackburn, which I …

Free at Last

An Urgent Message About Gaza
2 Apr 2024 at 12:33am

I can’t type much with my left hand but I wanted to get this out there. It then took me ten hours to upload with a maximum speed here of 0.5mbps. Still more breaking news now. May do a follow-up tomorrow. Transcript now available: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h0C2UQPGZa03_4xcS7kJD5mFyIzOFQaMHrgtQ0i9_v4/edit?usp=sharing   Forgive me for pointing out that …

An Urgent Message About Gaza

The Assange Hearing Permission Appeal Judgment: Mad and Bad.
29 Mar 2024 at 8:38am

The latest judgment by the High Court in the Assange case achieved completely the objectives of the UK and US states. Above all, Julian remains in the hell which is Belmarsh maximum security prison. He is now safely there alone and incommunicado, from the authorities’ point of view, for at least several more months. Importantly, …

The Assange Hearing Permission Appeal Judgment: Mad and Bad.

BBC Scotland

Will winning a confidence vote be enough to save Yousaf?
26 Apr 2024 at 10:40pm
The future of Scotland's first minister is far from secure after a week of turmoil.

Yousaf will not resign as Scotland's first minister
26 Apr 2024 at 3:06pm
Humza Yousaf says he is confident of winning a no-confidence vote next week despite opposition calls for him to quit.

Who is Ash Regan, the woman who could be key to Yousaf's fate?
26 Apr 2024 at 11:39am
The Alba Party MSP could play a crucial role in whether Humza Yousaf continues as first minister.

Humza Yousaf: Who is Scotland's under-threat first minister?
26 Apr 2024 at 4:48pm
A profile of Humza Yousaf, the SNP leader, who faces a no confidence vote in the Scottish Parliament.

Ditching the Greens is a defining moment for Humza Yousaf
25 Apr 2024 at 2:02pm
The first minister has torn up one of the most significant elements of Nicola Sturgeon's legacy.

Can Yousaf survive as Scotland?s first minister?
25 Apr 2024 at 11:26pm
The first minister is fighting for his political career and his best chance may be a figure from his party's past.

SNP's power-sharing deal with Greens collapses
25 Apr 2024 at 4:50pm
It follows the government's decision to scrap climate targets and its response to a gender services review.

How big a threat to Humza Yousaf is a no-confidence vote?
25 Apr 2024 at 5:14pm
How likely is the first minister to be ousted by a vote of confidence in the Scottish Parliament?

Cash-for-bottle deposit scheme delayed until 2027
25 Apr 2024 at 4:29pm
The planned recycling scheme has been pushed back following disagreements between devolved administrations.

Former SNP council leader in court on sex offences charges
25 Apr 2024 at 4:38pm
Jordan Linden, 28, who stood down as leader of North Lanarkshire Council two years ago, is accused of 17 charges altogether.

Green co-leader will quit if party ends power-sharing deal
23 Apr 2024 at 5:09pm
The party is set to vote on whether to continue the Bute House Agreement with the SNP.

Further delays to repairs on main Arran ferry
24 Apr 2024 at 3:29pm
The ferry operator has confirmed the MV Caledonian Isles will remain out of service until August.

Scot Goes Pop

Are we moving into the final days of Yousaf's leadership?
26 Apr 2024 at 10:19am
It was just over a year ago that I was struggling to work out how seriously to take the pronouncements of "Smitty", a commenter on Wings who seemed to be leaking inside information about the SNP le...

Even on a non-binding vote, Yousaf's job would be on the line
25 Apr 2024 at 6:06pm
OK, this is my fourth post of the day, but I'm having to do this just to keep up with the pace of events.  Two things have changed since my last post - to my surprise, it turns out the Greens will ...

Now that Alba have gained the balance of power, they'd probably be unwise to ...
25 Apr 2024 at 4:43pm
Since writing my previous post about Alba's enviable new position as holding the balance of power at Holyrood, I see that Stuart Campbell is trying to coax the party into voting against the SNP gov...

Humza Yousaf has just handed Ash Regan the balance of power in the Scottish P...
25 Apr 2024 at 1:56pm
The Bute House Agreement was not signed until August 2021, which meant that for three months after the May 2021 election, the SNP continued with what was billed as a "minority government".  That wa...

Why has the coalition been ditched, and what now?
25 Apr 2024 at 10:15am
It's difficult to blog about something I don't fully understand.  One of the things that had defined Humza Yousaf's leadership was his cast-iron commitment to coalition with the Greens, and while t...

No, Sarwar does not lead Yousaf on "best First Minister" polling - that was l...
23 Apr 2024 at 9:36pm
This is a rare example of me rushing to defend Humza Yousaf, but an element of 'professional pride' kicks in whenever I see Wings deceive his readers about opinion polls - "Anas Sarwar is preferred...

The case against a small political party treating its own members as the enemy
21 Apr 2024 at 8:24pm
As regular readers will remember, I was elected at the start of the year to a working group which is reviewing the Alba Party's constitution.  For confidentiality reasons I can't give a running com...

On the whole, it would be a relief if the Greens withdraw from the coalition
20 Apr 2024 at 11:43am
As long-term readers may recall, I initially supported the idea of an SNP-Green coalition after the 2021 election.  The unionist establishment and media were rather implausibly arguing at the time ...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Scottish Labour to lodge no-confidence vote in Scottish Government as Yousaf ...
26 Apr 2024 at 10:45am
Anas Sarwar's motion could bring down the entire government if passed - but the Greens have suggested they won't back it.

Humza Yousaf says he won?t resign as Scotland?s First Minister amid threats o...
26 Apr 2024 at 9:35am
First Minister says he is 'confident' he won't be ousted as he fights for his political survival.

Alba?s Ash Regan writes to Humza Yousaf with demands as he battles for future
26 Apr 2024 at 8:19am
Yousaf is battling to save his position as First Minister after the Scottish Greens vowed to vote against him in a motion of no confidence.

Humza Yousaf ?considering his position? as he faces being ousted as First Min...
25 Apr 2024 at 10:37pm
Scotland's First Minister could resign before he faces a difficult vote of no confidence next week, STV News understands.

Delay to UK deposit return scheme branded ?extremely disappointing? by McAllan
25 Apr 2024 at 9:31pm
Scottish Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan hit out after Defra confirmed the scheme should now start in October 2027.

Humza Yousaf?s fate hangs on single MSP as Scottish Greens will vote to oust ...
25 Apr 2024 at 4:55pm
Balance of power hangs with former SNP rival as the First Minister faces the biggest threat to his career.

Ex-SNP North Lanarkshire Council leader appears in court accused of 15 sex of...
25 Apr 2024 at 3:03pm
Jordan Linden appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court on Thursday accused of 15 sex offences.

Humza Yousaf faces no-confidence vote after ?terminating? Bute House Agreemen...
25 Apr 2024 at 12:27pm
Labour and LibDems commit to Tory motion while Greens refuse to say if they will back Scotland's First Minister.

Prosecutors yet to receive police report on Peter Murrell?s SNP embezzlement ...
25 Apr 2024 at 12:11pm
Nicola Sturgeon's husband was charged in connection with embezzlement of SNP funds a week ago - but police have yet to send report to the Crown.

Furious Greens ?can?t trust weak and thoroughly hopeless? Humza Yousaf after ...
25 Apr 2024 at 10:30am
Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater accuse SNP of 'betrayal' as both lose their jobs as ministers.

SNP breaks off power-sharing Bute House Agreement with Scottish Greens
25 Apr 2024 at 7:51am
Greens co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater are sacked from government after First Minister Humza Yousaf ended the historic deal.

Scottish ministers urged to ?poverty proof? childcare by expanding free place...
25 Apr 2024 at 6:53am
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) says the First Minister should follow through on his commitment in the SNP leadership contest.

More workers moving to Scotland from rest of UK than leaving after SNP tax ri...
24 Apr 2024 at 12:15pm
HMRC found 'limited evidence' of a decrease in migration numbers for higher earners going to Scotland from other parts of the UK.

PMQs live: Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden and Labuur?s Angela Rayner fil...
24 Apr 2024 at 10:53am
Labour's deputy leader will go head to head with Oiver Dowden while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is out of the country.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Humza Yousaf is leading an ungovernable SNP and an independence movement in f...
26 Apr 2024 at 4:38pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says the problems facing the SNP have not been caused by Yousaf, but that means nothing in politics.

Humza Yousaf insists he will not resign as First Minister as pressure mounts ...
26 Apr 2024 at 1:58pm
The embattled First Minister told journalists in Dundee he fully intends to fight two motions of no confidence lodged against him and his Government.

Scottish Government announces extra £80m for affordable housing over next two...
26 Apr 2024 at 1:23pm
It comes after the Scottish Government slashed the housing budget in December by nearly £200 million.

Five SNP MSPs who could replace Humza Yousaf as leader if First Minister resigns
26 Apr 2024 at 11:02am
Yousaf's spell as SNP leader could come to an abrupt end if he loses a crunch Holyrood vote.

Humza Yousaf cancels public appearance in Glasgow as First Minister battles t...
26 Apr 2024 at 10:50am
The under pressure SNP leader was supposed to deliver a speech at the University of Strathclyde today before taking questions from the media.

Anas Sarwar launches no confidence motion in Humza Yousaf's Government
26 Apr 2024 at 10:30am
The move goes further than the Tories' motion of no confidence in Humza Yousaf as it would require the First Minister to stand down if it passed.

Alex Salmond's party names price to save Humza Yousaf in crunch confidence vote
26 Apr 2024 at 9:43am
Alba MSP Ash Regan may have the power to decide whether Humza Yousaf stays on as First Minister

Alex Salmond warns First Minister he could be remembered as 'Humza the brief'...
25 Apr 2024 at 6:15pm
The former first minister and Alba leader said "if Humza Yousaf was a horse I wouldn't be backing him".

Humza Yousaf is a lame duck First Minister who is crawling towards the end
25 Apr 2024 at 6:06pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says Humza Yousaf will not be able to withstand the pressure from opposition parties trying to topple him.

Alba MSP Ash Regan to have critical vote in Humza Yousaf no confidence motion
25 Apr 2024 at 5:46pm
The former SNP leadership candidate is the only MSP who could stop a motion of no confidence against the First Minister passing.

The National

The National | Politics

Israel accused of holding up Freedom Flotilla aid ships going to Gaza
26 Apr 2024 at 8:30pm

AN international naval convoy looking to deliver much needed aid to Gaza has been stalled due to what they claim are ?underhanded? tactics from Israel ...

Will the Unionists win out with Humza Yousaf in trouble?
26 Apr 2024 at 7:02pm

IT?S day two of the post-Bute Agreement Scottish Government and the question which dominates the media is whether the administration led by First Minister Humza Yousaf can survive ...

Tearful MSP tells Humza Yousaf to resign over binned SNP-Green deal
26 Apr 2024 at 6:38pm

A SCOTTISH Green MSP launched an emotional attack on Humza Yousaf for ending the Bute House Agreement, holding back tears as she spoke live on the BBC ...

Humza Yousaf warned against Ash Regan's indyref2 bill
26 Apr 2024 at 6:00pm

A FORMER Scottish secretary has warned Humza Yousaf against backing Ash Regan?s indyref2 bill ? saying it risks a repeat of Westminster-vetoed transgender law reforms.

SNP leader Humza Yousaf 'not ruling out early Holyrood election'
26 Apr 2024 at 5:46pm

HUMZA Yousaf has insisted he is not ruling out an early Holyrood election as he looks to survive two no-confidence votes in the Scottish Parliament ...

IN FULL: Ash Regan's letter to Alba members on confidence vote
26 Apr 2024 at 5:47pm

HUMZA Yousaf's decision to end the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens has left him facing two confidence votes in the Scottish Parliament ...

Andrew Tate's 'false' Humza Yousaf claim sparks news agency fact check
26 Apr 2024 at 4:48pm

A TOP news agency has put out a fact check after a "false" claim about Humza Yousaf from global misogynist Andrew Tate ...

Faroe Islands mark special 'Flag Day' at Scottish reception
26 Apr 2024 at 4:58pm

ON Thursday, the Faroese Representation held their Flag Day Reception in Edinburgh, the first time this event had been held in Scotland ...

Humza Yousaf begs Greens to reconsider position ahead of crucial vote
26 Apr 2024 at 3:41pm

HUMZA Yousaf has urged the Greens not to support a Conservative bid to bring him down as First Minister as he insisted the parties still have many shared priorities.

Inside the thinking behind binning the SNP-Greens deal
26 Apr 2024 at 4:00pm

HUMZA Yousaf?s decision to suddenly boot the Scottish Greens from government may have seemed incomprehensible to some observers of and actors in the nation?s political scene.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Humza Yousaf will not resign ahead of no confidence vote
26 Apr 2024 at 3:15pm
The first minister is under mounting pressure after ending the Bute House Agreement yesterday

Scottish spaceport achieves ?historic milestone? inching closer to first launch
26 Apr 2024 at 1:02pm
The SaxaVord spaceport is now only one license away from its first launch after securing a range and a vertical launch license.

Labour to lodge motion of no confidence in Scottish Government
26 Apr 2024 at 11:21am
Anas Sarwar said the SNP should not 'impose another unelected first minister' on the country

In full: Kingmaker MSP Ash Regan?s letter setting out demands to Humza Yousaf
26 Apr 2024 at 11:10am
Regan?s support will be crucial to Yousaf?s surviving a no-confidence vote next week

Humza Yousaf?s future as first minister in doubt as Greens confirm backing fo...
25 Apr 2024 at 6:36pm
Labour, the Lib Dems and the Scottish Greens have confirmed they will support Douglas Ross's motion of no confidence in the FM

Greens to back no-confidence motion in Humza Yousaf
25 Apr 2024 at 6:24pm
Labour?s Anas Sarwar and Lib Dem Alex Cole-Hamilton had already confirmed their MSPs would back a no-confidence vote

Patrick Harvie rules out further co-operation with the SNP as Bute House deal...
25 Apr 2024 at 2:39pm
Greens co-leader suggests the FM will now have to rely on 'right-wing forces' for a majority

Patrick Harvie questions whether current government will be in place by the n...
25 Apr 2024 at 12:32pm
The co-leader of the Scottish Greens was speaking to journalists in the Scottish Parliament Garden Lobby when he was asked if his party will still be as cooperative with the government as they were before the Bute House Agreement

Bute House Agreement between SNP and Greens scrapped
25 Apr 2024 at 12:09pm
The decision follows an emergency cabinet meeting at Bute House this morning

In full: Humza Yousaf's letter to Scottish Greens ending Bute House Agreement
25 Apr 2024 at 11:40am
'The cessation of the Bute House Agreement should not be a barrier to our parties continuing to work together'

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Humza Yousaf cancels Glasgow speech as speculation grows over political future
26 Apr 2024 at 11:43am
Allies of Scottish first minister say he ?will come out fighting? after Greens say they would back no confidence motionScotland?s first minister has cancelled a speech he was due to give in Glasgow amid speculation over his political future.Humza Yousaf had been expected to speak about the labour...

Humza Yousaf fights to stay on as second no confidence motion tabled
26 Apr 2024 at 5:24pm
SNP leader says he will take party into general election, as Scottish Labour submits motion against his governmentHumza Yousaf is fighting for his political life as he faces two no confidence motions submitted against him and his government in the space of 24 hours.Yousaf insisted he would not re...

Humza Yousaf says he?s ?very confident? of winning no confidence vote and he ...
26 Apr 2024 at 4:11pm
First minister says he has ?every intention of winning? vote of no confidence and ?believes in ability to work with and negotiate? with opposition leaders. This live blog is closedHumza Yousaf is expected to make an announcement about housing this afternoon. It is expected early afternoon rather ...

Martin Rowson on the travails of Humza Yousaf ? cartoon
26 Apr 2024 at 3:36pm
Continue reading...

The SNP ditching its Green allies has backfired on Humza Yousaf ? and set bac...
26 Apr 2024 at 3:21pm
The first minister?s latest misstep will worsen his party?s split along culture war lines. It?s a mess, but a boon for Scottish LabourThe Bute House agreement (BHA) was supposed to stabilise the SNP. Brokered by Nicola Sturgeon in August 2021, the coalition with the Greens at first appeared a mas...

Humza Yousaf in peril as Greens say they will back no confidence motion
25 Apr 2024 at 7:14pm
Former coalition partners? decision brings Scottish first minister to brink of losing vote, which could make his position untenableExplainer: what was the SNP and Greens? deal?Humza Yousaf could be forced to quit as Scotland?s first minister after the Scottish Greens announced they would back a m...

The Guardian view on the SNP-Greens split: an unsurprising but costly rift | ...
25 Apr 2024 at 6:47pm
Humza Yousaf?s position as first minister is in danger, but the problems predate his leadershipA year ago, Scotland?s newly elected first minister, Humza Yousaf, said that the Scottish National party?s 2021 pact with the Scottish Greens ? giving him a majority in the Holyrood parliament ? was ?wo...

Humza Yousaf forgot the rule: leaders who want to look tough look stupid | Jo...
25 Apr 2024 at 6:23pm
Only this week the first minister said he was delighted with his coalition with the Greens. But then ?Be careful what you wish for. It?s hard not to feel a scintilla of sympathy for Humza Yousaf. On a human level, if not a political one. For well over a decade the SNP had ruled more or less uncha...

What was the SNP and Greens? deal and what happens now it has ended?
25 Apr 2024 at 5:35pm
Coalition agreement has frustrated many in the SNP who fear the party is losing support by prioritising the wrong issuesIn August 2021, Nicola Sturgeon, then the dominant figure of Scottish politics, announced a ?groundbreaking? alliance with the Scottish Greens at Bute House, the elegant Edinbur...

Ex-Post Office executive says she does not recall email telling her Horizon t...
25 Apr 2024 at 4:49pm
Angela van den Bogerd says she forgot about email in 2010 saying cash balances in post office operators? accounts could be remotely accessed. This live blog is closedHumza Yousaf, the SNP leader and Scottish first minister, is holding a press conference now.He says he has been in the post for lit...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The flame remains undiminished
26 Apr 2024 at 2:29pm
Back in 2014 in the immediate aftermath of the independence referendum, I published a piece about the importance of keeping the flame of hope alive. Right now, we need that flame of hope more than ever, the candle is guttering and the storm winds of despair are blowing stronger than ever. In recent weeks the …

The Scottish press, a catastrophist?s wet dream
25 Apr 2024 at 12:30pm
It has become commonplace in the media in Scotland for every initiative from the Scottish Government to be greeted with dire and apocalyptic warnings of catastrophe. When the Scottish Government raised income tax on higher earners the Scottish Tories, and some Labour figures immediately wailed that there would be queues of traffic on the M74 …

Wee Ginger Crowdfunder 2024
22 Apr 2024 at 1:17am
It’s that time of the year with the blog that always makes me apprehensive, the annual crowd funder. I am launching it a bit early this year as there is a lot of chatter about an early general election and I don’t want it to fall into the official election campaign period. Although I have …

The turbulent river
21 Apr 2024 at 1:03pm
The big story in Scottish politics today is the one that cannot really be commented on due to Scotland’s strict laws about contempt of court and not saying anything in public which might prejudice the outcome of criminal proceedings. Last week former SNP Chief Executive Peter Murrell, the husband of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, …

When is a convention not a convention? When it?s a Sewel Convention
18 Apr 2024 at 7:45pm
The fundamental plank of the devolution settlement is the Sewel Convention, which states that the Westminster government will not interfere with the powers of the Scottish Parliament or intrude upon devolved competencies without the consent of Holyrood. This convention is vital if devolution is to work in a British constitutional system which fetishises the absolute …

Labour?s Scottish branch office: the most dishonest party in Scottish politics
16 Apr 2024 at 11:27am
Anas Sarwar, the branch manager of the Labour party’s Scottish accounting unit, gave a speech over the weekend which was breathtakingly hypocritical and mendacious even by the standards of a party for whom breathtaking mendacious hypocrisy is very much its USP. Speaking ahead of the STUC congress which is being held in Dundee this week, …

Vote Tory vote flag shagger, Vote Labour vote flag shagger
9 Apr 2024 at 12:38pm
Voters in most of the UK have a very clear choice at the next Westminster general election, they can vote for the British flag shagging party, or they can vote for the British flag shagging party. Keir Starmer constantly boasts about how he has changed the Labour party, it is not an idle boast, he …

A Tory solution to a Tory-made problem
3 Apr 2024 at 12:39pm
You know that the performative cruelty and downright nastiness of this government has really gone over the top when it’s too cruel and nasty even for Conservative MPs. The Criminal Justice Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, seeks to replace the 1824 Vagrancy Act. Although the bill supposedly repeals the English legal …

Starmer?s devolution deceit
29 Mar 2024 at 11:00am
As he launched his party’s election campaign for the local and mayoral elections due in England on 2 May, a little over a month away, Keir Starmer promised that if he becomes Prime Minister after the Westminster general election expected to be held later this year his government will introduce “full fat devolution”. That’s a …

Starmer?s most shameful U turn yet
26 Mar 2024 at 12:03pm
Another day, another Labour U turn. It has got extremely tiresome to write that sentence, and no doubt equally tiresome to read it. Keir Starmer’s right wing U turns have become drearily predictable. At this point the only question is how many more can Starmer squeeze in before the general election. Probably quite a few …

The Courier

Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

Humza Yousaf retreats to Dundee ? but vows to struggle on as first minister
26 Apr 2024 at 4:26pm
With his political career hanging in the balance, Humza Yousaf ditched a planned speech in Glasgow and stayed in his home city to announce £80 million housing investment.

Fife Green Mark Ruskell vents over SNP betrayal as Humza Yousaf?s future hang...
25 Apr 2024 at 5:59pm
The Greens will go against the SNP leader in a no confidence vote - leaving the first minister's future in the hands of Alex Salmond?s Alba Party.

Humza Yousaf boots Greens out of government saying it no longer guaranteed ?s...
25 Apr 2024 at 10:00am
Green co-leader Lorna Slater accused the first minister of listening to the "most reactionary and backwards-looking forces" within the SNP.

Tayside Green MSP Maggie Chapman has made decision on SNP coalition deal ? bu...
25 Apr 2024 at 6:00am
The politician, who covers Dundee and Angus, says she'll "honour commitments" before saying if she supports party leader Patrick Harvie's call to stay in power.

The Stooshie: Finance regulator could get Commons grilling over conman Alista...
25 Apr 2024 at 6:00am
Three MPs tell our politics podcast how the case could be raised at Westminster and Holyrood, in the hope of turning the screw on the Financial Conduct Authority.

Tories struggle to find Fife election candidates as faith in Rishi Sunak sinks
23 Apr 2024 at 6:00am
Exclusive: The ruling Conservatives are still searching for candidates in Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline.

Delays to huge offshore wind farm off Fife coast in further blow to Humza Yousaf
21 Apr 2024 at 3:24pm
The Berwick Bank development in the outer Firth of Forth has the potential to create 4,650 jobs in Scotland.

Alex Salmond?s long road to 2026 election, as Fife?s Neale Hanvey confirmed f...
21 Apr 2024 at 6:00am
Candidates are being revealed for contests in seats including Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy ? while Mr Salmond holds back for a later Scottish parliament comeback bid.

Nicola Sturgeon breaks silence after husband Peter Murrell charged
19 Apr 2024 at 2:07pm
The former first minister spoke to reporters briefly outside her home in Glasgow.

Nicola Sturgeon?s husband Peter Murrell charged in connection with embezzleme...
18 Apr 2024 at 5:25pm
Police Scotland said a 59-year-old man was taken into custody on Thursday morning for questioning.

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland / Scottish media fact checking is like shooting fish in a...

Supposedly top policing journal is just a one rich man?s show with a pet edit...
26 Apr 2024 at 4:19pm
How did we get to ?know nothing?? Why the search for progressive policing insights must not go down the old postmodern ?rabbit hole.? Professor John Robertson I submitted this to Policing Insight: : Global progressive policing last week. It was rejected. I complained. The dark but comic response is after the piece I wrote below: Some weeks ago, I saw in Policing Insight: Global progressive poli...

Desperate stalking and shoddy journalism to find the lost self-dentists of Sc...
26 Apr 2024 at 3:48pm
Professor John Robertson We’ve seen the above practice before, especially from the well-named Fiona Stalker of Revolting Scotland and Good Mourning Scotland. It’s a desperate ploy. When the statistical facts say things are better than you’d hoped for, creepily beg the street pundits to come forward with their own wee tales to contradict the facts and act as if these snippets were the real thing...

Pupils feel far safer in Scottish schools than elsewhere in the UK but our me...
26 Apr 2024 at 10:27am
By Professor John Robertson In the Guardian today: Only two in five children in England say they always feel safe at school, according to a government survey, and teachers from across Britain have told the Guardian they have seen pupils? behaviour deteriorate over the last two years. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/26/two-in-five-pupils-in-england-always-feel-safe-in-school-surve...

CalMac currently operating at over 99% reliability with most destinations at ...
26 Apr 2024 at 9:59am
The Times, the Scotsman and many others are going with a ‘summer of chaos‘ narrative for Scotland’s ferries because of delays with two new boats and extended maintenance for the MV Caledonian Isles but surely those are current problems for the ferry service, affecting current performance? By Professor John Robertson, Talking-up Scotland’s International Ferries Correspondent Gee, I wonder how we...

If the Scottish Greens decide to become a Thorn in the SNP?s side then it wil...
25 Apr 2024 at 9:14pm
By NMRN End of the SNP agreement with the Scottish Green party?. Cue Mr Harvie & Ms Slater ?..when chased down by the media for their reactions. Mr Harvie?was asked ?whether the Scottish Greens would be as co-operative with the government over things like the budget, he replied: ?Do you think the current government will still be in place for the next budget???. Ms Slater ?described the ending o...

Cannabis use by Scotland?s teens ? Lisa Summer?s deliberate attempt at obfusc...
25 Apr 2024 at 8:57pm
By stewartb The availability of the cannabis use statistic for Scotland may be very ?fortuitous? for the headline writer of the BBC News website?s article on?Scotland. The same website?s piece on its main UK page which focuses on England tells us: ?NO DATA ON CANNABIS WAS PROVIDED FOR ENGLAND.? (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68884005) The article on England now only has prominence on the BB...

Nearly a third more likely to vote SNP after Greens split and hardly any less...
25 Apr 2024 at 7:04pm
I know, this is not a credible sample upon which to base any confident conclusions but it’s still, in its limited way, interesting as it reinforces my gut feelings and those of everyone I’ve spoken to today. First off, I have a lot of respect for the Greens, particularly Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater. I agree with many Green policies, often to the left of the SNP, with me, on social and econo...

Encouraging research reveals Scotland not ?worst in world? for teen drinking ...
25 Apr 2024 at 9:44am
By Professor John Robertson In the Guardian today, there’s some pretty bad news in the above graph regarding England’s 15 year-old girls, with a sharp increase from 2018 in the percentage having smoked. There’s some but far less so for Scotland, as our 15 year-old boys and girls, reveal a slight fall to stay significantly below the average in this WHO survey of 280 000 children in 48 countries ...

?Don?t forget to use a photo of the minister which is as unflattering as poss...
24 Apr 2024 at 10:08pm
By stewartb It?s not hard to imagine a regular editorial meeting in Pacific Quay every weekday at c. 1600 hours with a single agenda item: to review the latest Scottish Government press releases (they appear each day at around this time). Might it go something like this? ?We?re here to rank the latest SNP press releases for likely attractiveness to voters. For those attending this meeting for t...

BBC Scotland and newspapers hide official evidence that thousands more taxpay...
24 Apr 2024 at 6:55pm
By Professor John Robertson In the National today: SCOTLAND’S annual net migration from the rest of the UK has continued to grow, with more people coming in to the country than leaving, figures show. The latest figures from National Records Scotland (NRS) show that since 2010, Scotland?s annual net migration from the rest of the UK increased from 2909 to 8914. In 2021, inflow from the rest of t...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Scotland's Yousaf cancels major speech as job under threat - Le Monde
26 Apr 2024 at 2:34pm
Scotland's Yousaf cancels major speech as job under threat  Le Monde

Scotland deserves better than this - The Telegraph
26 Apr 2024 at 10:00pm
Scotland deserves better than this  The Telegraph

Who is Ash Regan, the Alba MSP who could be key to Yousaf's fate? - BBC.com
26 Apr 2024 at 2:22pm
Who is Ash Regan, the Alba MSP who could be key to Yousaf's fate?  BBC.com

Humza Yousaf: Scotland's first minister cancels speech as he fights for his p...
26 Apr 2024 at 11:18am
Humza Yousaf: Scotland's first minister cancels speech as he fights for his political survival  Sky News

Humza Yousaf will not resign as Scotland's first minister - BBC
26 Apr 2024 at 3:06pm
Humza Yousaf will not resign as Scotland's first minister  BBC

Scotland's leader faces knife-edge no-confidence vote after collapsing coalit...
25 Apr 2024 at 6:34pm
Scotland's leader faces knife-edge no-confidence vote after collapsing coalition  Reuters UK

Scottish independence poll 2024 - Statista
10 Apr 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2024  Statista

Scottish leader splits from Green partners | Arkansas Democrat Gazette - Arka...
26 Apr 2024 at 9:47am
Scottish leader splits from Green partners | Arkansas Democrat Gazette  Arkansas Online

Humza Yousaf will not resign as Scotland's first minister - Yahoo Singapore News
26 Apr 2024 at 1:57pm
Humza Yousaf will not resign as Scotland's first minister  Yahoo Singapore News

Humza Yousaf cancels speech on independence amid confidence vote row - The Na...
26 Apr 2024 at 10:33am
Humza Yousaf cancels speech on independence amid confidence vote row  The National

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

The SNP ditching its Green allies has backfired on Humza Yousaf ? and set bac...
26 Apr 2024 at 5:56pm
The SNP ditching its Green allies has backfired on Humza Yousaf ? and set back the cause of independence  The Guardian

Humza Yousaf under fire from opponents as SNP-Green Scottish government power...
26 Apr 2024 at 5:30pm
Humza Yousaf under fire from opponents as SNP-Green Scottish government power-sharing deal collapses  BBC.com

The SNP is finally paying a political price for its breathtaking failures - T...
25 Apr 2024 at 8:00pm
The SNP is finally paying a political price for its breathtaking failures  The Telegraph

Humza Yousaf facing no confidence vote as Scotland?s SNP-Green coalition coll...
25 Apr 2024 at 7:31pm
Humza Yousaf facing no confidence vote as Scotland?s SNP-Green coalition collapses  The Independent

Humza Yousaf puts SNP on election footing after coalition with Greens collaps...
25 Apr 2024 at 9:14am
Humza Yousaf puts SNP on election footing after coalition with Greens collapses  The Guardian

How a climate U-turn broke the Scottish government - POLITICO Europe
25 Apr 2024 at 2:58pm
How a climate U-turn broke the Scottish government  POLITICO Europe

The Guardian view on the SNP-Greens split: an unsurprising but costly rift - ...
25 Apr 2024 at 7:15pm
The Guardian view on the SNP-Greens split: an unsurprising but costly rift  The Guardian

What was the SNP and Greens? deal and what happens now it has ended? - The Gu...
26 Apr 2024 at 2:31am
What was the SNP and Greens? deal and what happens now it has ended?  The Guardian

SNP's power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens collapses - BBC.com
26 Apr 2024 at 6:25am
SNP's power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens collapses  BBC.com

JK Rowling may have the last laugh on SNP's obsession with trans rights - The...
25 Apr 2024 at 9:28pm
JK Rowling may have the last laugh on SNP's obsession with trans rights  The Telegraph

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Scotland's leader faces knife-edge no-confidence vote after collapsing coalit...
25 Apr 2024 at 6:34pm
Scotland's leader faces knife-edge no-confidence vote after collapsing coalition  Reuters UK

SNP backs revised plan for Scottish independence referendum - Financial Times
15 Oct 2023 at 8:00am
SNP backs revised plan for Scottish independence referendum  Financial Times

Labour ahead of SNP in Scotland for first time since independence referendum ...
10 Apr 2024 at 8:00am
Labour ahead of SNP in Scotland for first time since independence referendum  YouGov

Alex Salmond launches new Scottish independence plan - BBC
30 Nov 2023 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond launches new Scottish independence plan  BBC

SNP backs Humza Yousaf's Scottish independence plan - BBC.com
16 Oct 2023 at 8:00am
SNP backs Humza Yousaf's Scottish independence plan  BBC.com

Scottish Independence Referendum & Westminster Voting Intention (3-4 February...
4 Feb 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish Independence Referendum & Westminster Voting Intention (3-4 February 2024)  Redfield & Wilton Strategies

Liberty's in every blow! - The Duck of Minerva
31 Jan 2024 at 8:00am
Liberty's in every blow!  The Duck of Minerva

SNP rejects using next election as 'de facto' referendum on independence - Sk...
15 Oct 2023 at 8:00am
SNP rejects using next election as 'de facto' referendum on independence  Sky News

Scottish independence has become a long game - The Economist
17 Oct 2023 at 8:00am
Scottish independence has become a long game  The Economist

'Get Humza OUT!' Pro-Union demonstrators rally against SNP as Scottish nation...
20 Apr 2024 at 4:50pm
'Get Humza OUT!' Pro-Union demonstrators rally against SNP as Scottish nationalists demand new referendum  GB News