The Herald

The Herald | Politics


'The scandal of millions spent on Monklands hospital before a brick is laid'
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
30 Jun 2026 at 3:38pm
Ministers call it a reset, but millions have already been spent on Monklands hospital plans now facing redesign. So how much public money has been wasted?


John Swinney says Andy Burnham has ?a lot to live up to? on devolution
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
30 Jun 2026 at 2:26pm
John Swinney has said he hopes to work constructively with Andy Burnham on strengthening the powers of the Scottish Parliament if he becomes Prime Minister.


Scotland 'missing out' on nuclear or are renewables the future? Energy row re...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
30 Jun 2026 at 2:00pm
UK energy minister Michael Shanks says Scotland is missing out on nuclear jobs and investment, as the SNP insists the country?s future lies in renewables.


Keir Starmer's delayed defence plan and what it means for Scotland
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
30 Jun 2026 at 11:54am
John Swinney says Trident spending hampers conventional defence as GMB Scotland warns Starmer?s £15bn plan must deliver Scottish jobs.


New director joins board of troubled Scots shipyard
by jody.harrison@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Jody Harrison
30 Jun 2026 at 10:46am
A new non-executive director has joined the board of the troubled shipyard building Scotland's "fiasco ferries".


Demand for MSPs to investigate impact of landmark ruling on sex offence trials
30 Jun 2026 at 5:01am
Holyrood's new criminal justice committee is being urged to investigate the impact of a landmark ruling on evidence in sex offence trials.


A major shift is underway in Scottish Labour - and Andy Burnham may accelerat...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
30 Jun 2026 at 5:00am
Andy Burnham may not yet be in Downing Street, but the prospect of his premiership is reigniting debates about devolution in Scotland and the internal structure of the Labour Party.


King welcomed to Edinburgh with traditional Ceremony of the Keys at Holyroodh...
by rose.moncur@newsquest.co.uk | Rose Moncur
30 Jun 2026 at 4:42pm
King Charles has arrived in Edinburgh for his annual Royal Week visit, taking part in the traditional Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.


'High potential' - the major report that could reignite Scotland's nuclear de...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
29 Jun 2026 at 10:30pm
UK-backed study finds Scotland has strong potential for new nuclear sites, reigniting debate over SNP opposition and future energy policy.


Looked-after children being failed as attainment gap widens, Labour says
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
29 Jun 2026 at 5:00am
Scottish Labour claims the SNP is breaking The Promise after figures showed a widening attainment gap and lower positive destinations for looked-after pupils.


Andy Burnham pledges devolution powers for Aberdeen in major speech
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
29 Jun 2026 at 12:42pm
Andy Burnham has pledged to devolve more powers to Scotland as part of what he describes as the "biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen".


Thousands march in solidarity with victims of suspected anti-Muslim attacks
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
28 Jun 2026 at 6:28pm
The ?Reclaim our Streets? rally was organised by Stand up to Racism (SUTR) Edinburgh following the attacks.


Scottish Government faces legal action threat over Monklands hospital redesign
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
28 Jun 2026 at 12:40pm
North Lanarkshire Council could sue the Scottish Government after ministers ordered a redesign of the £2.1bn Monklands Hospital replacement plan.


Scottish Labour could consider breaking away from UK party in summer review
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
28 Jun 2026 at 10:49am
Former MSP Monica Lennon says Scottish Labour breaking away from UK Labour is ?an option? as the party prepares a summer review after its Holyrood defeat.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


The big problem with Keir Starmer's drone army on the cheap ? Lt Col Stuart C...
30 Jun 2026 at 4:45pm
Labour?s defence spending plans fall far short of the £28 billion needed to maintain existing programmes


Why Labour and SNP's plans to outlaw conversion therapy are so dangerous ? Mu...
30 Jun 2026 at 4:45pm
People who simply hold the view that individuals cannot change sex through self-identification may find themselves criminalised and even jailed


SNP and Labour must embrace 'Scotlandism' and finally start working together ...
30 Jun 2026 at 4:45pm
The SNP and Labour need to put their differences aside and prioritise the national interest


Why I'm convinced SNP deliberately misled voters over new £2.1bn Monklands Ho...
30 Jun 2026 at 4:45pm
Former SNP MSP Alex Neil has has described the Monklands hospital scandal as ?deception of the worst kind?


Faslane to receive multi-billion pound upgrade from UK Government's Defence I...
30 Jun 2026 at 4:24pm

The infrastructure at HMNB Clyde will be ?transformed? over multiple decades, in the £15 billion Defence Investment Plan announced by Sir Keir Starmer.

A week is a long time in politics - with a new favourite to move into Number 11 Downing Street.

The prime minister in waiting writes for The Scotsman

In his first speech since Sir Keir Starmer announced he was resigning, prospective prime minister Mr Burnham vowed to give more devolution to local areas in Scotland

Wings over Scotland

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Craig Murray

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

Palestine Action Scottish Judicial Review ? Stitch-Up Incoming?
27 May 2026 at 12:58am

The proscription of Palestine Action was sold to MPs and the media on the basis of a deliberate campaign of lies, fronted by Yvette Cooper, then Home Secretary, and Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan police. Both have deep commitment to Israel. Cooper is owned by the Israel lobby. What is worse, they then attempted …

Palestine Action Scottish Judicial Review – Stitch-Up Incoming?

BBC Scotland

Scottish government has 'no idea' what Burnham's devolution plan involves
30 Jun 2026 at 10:26am
SNP ministers have reacted with scepticism to the Labour MP's proposal to redistribute power across the UK.

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.

Big changes proposed to reduce Scotland's prison population
26 Jun 2026 at 7:25am
The changes would see fewer criminals jailed and hundreds of prisoners get out of jail earlier in an attempt to tackle the prisons overcrowding crisis.

Further delay to completion of £209m HMP Highland
25 Jun 2026 at 5:22pm
The new jail being built in Inverness was originally to be finished in 2020.

Scot Goes Pop

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 ...

Grim news for Labour, but good cheer for the SNP, in first poll of the Burnha...
23 Jun 2026 at 2:27pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister has made Scottish i...

Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister has made Scottish independence I...
22 Jun 2026 at 3:17pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos: SNP settle for one by-election win out of two - but Keir Starme...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

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

Andy Burnham won?t take questions after speech setting out vision
29 Jun 2026 at 10:57am
The senior Labour politician is on course to become prime minister in three weeks? time

Scotland?s safety put at risk by Westminster?s armed forces cuts, says SNP
27 Jun 2026 at 7:27pm
Analysis commissioned by the party shows the size of the UK armed forces has been cut by every Labour and Tory government for nearly half a century.

King calls for debate with ?respect? at opening of Scottish Parliament session
27 Jun 2026 at 2:27pm
Charles and Camilla also met local heroes nominated by MSPs for their ?extraordinary contribution? to communities

How are Scottish Labour MPs handling Keir Starmer?s resignation?
26 Jun 2026 at 6:42pm
Andy Burnham is the party's latest MP, and also looks set to take the reins from Starmer

John Swinney blasts ?baseless claims? of SNP ?cover-up? over Peter Murrell?s ...
25 Jun 2026 at 3:49pm
Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay had insisted the First Minister was ?at the heart of the cover-up?.

John Swinney to face FMQs following Peter Murrell sentencing for SNP embezzle...
25 Jun 2026 at 2:02pm
MSPs will pose questions to the First Minister in the final FMQs before summer recess

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scots shipyards face competing with each other to secure UK Government naval ...
30 Jun 2026 at 5:00pm
Some industry experts fear a return to the 1990s when yards in Scotland were forced into competition with those in England, with job losses the inevitable outcome, says Chris McCall

Higher defence spending must secure shipbuilding jobs in Scotland, UK Governm...
30 Jun 2026 at 2:35pm
Defence experts warned there were now "question marks" over the future of Scottish shipbuilding after it was confirmed a new fleet of destroyers would not be built.

Scotland's housing emergency causing 'misery for families' as SNP 'breaks pro...
30 Jun 2026 at 12:34pm
Shelter warned rising homelessness in Scotland is "caused by the political choice not to build enough social homes".

Operation Branchform cops' decision to drop SNP donations probe could face ju...
30 Jun 2026 at 10:41am
A decision by detectives in 2023 to focus their probe on Peter Murrell has left some complainers unhappy.

Andy Burnham urged to help Scots councils 'starved of cash' under SNP Government
30 Jun 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: A Scottish Labour MP told the Record he wanted to "see less power concentrated in Edinburgh, and more power given to the country's 32 local authorities".

Andy Burnham must tackle the cost of living or hard-up Scots will soon lose p...
29 Jun 2026 at 5:00pm
Pledging to devolve more powers away from Whitehall is welcome, but the next PM's honeymoon will be shorter than a Scottish summer if bills don't start coming down, says Chris McCall

Andy Burnham pledges to devolve more power across Scotland away from 'distant...
29 Jun 2026 at 12:20pm
Burnahm told an audience in Manchester "the people of Dundee and Bangor feel just as distant from Holyrood and the Senedd as they do from Westminster".

NHS 'wasted' £42m on Monklands hospital replacement plans rejected by SNP Gov...
29 Jun 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: NHS Lanarkshire has spent tens of millions of pounds on plans which were last week rejected as unaffordable by Angela Constance.

Yet more chaos in Westminster makes the case even stronger for Scottish indep...
29 Jun 2026 at 4:30am
In his regular column for the Record, the First Minister claims whoever is resident in Downing Street will never operate in the interests of Scotland.

Peter Murrell scandal puts role of Crown Office in the 'spotlight' after Doro...
28 Jun 2026 at 5:00pm
The Crown has repeatedly denied Dorothy Bain had any role in the decision to prosecute Peter Murrell and drop an investigation into Nicola Sturgeon.

The National

The National | Politics

What has Andy Burnham actually achieved on housing in Manchester?
30 Jun 2026 at 6:11pm

Andy Burnham made a series of lofty, if unspecific, promises in a speech on Monday, billed as an opportunity to set out his policy agenda

Reform condemn hate crime surge in Scotland ? without a flicker of self-refle...
30 Jun 2026 at 6:09pm

REFORM UK had the audacity to condemn the recent rise in reported hate crimes in Scotland ? completely absent of any self-reflection on its own rhetoric.

John Curtice verdict on what Andy Burnham means for Scottish Labour and SNP
30 Jun 2026 at 5:25pm

JOHN Curtice has given his verdict on what an Andy Burnham premiership might mean for Scottish Labour and the SNP ...

JK Rowling meets with the Queen in Edinburgh royal residence
30 Jun 2026 at 4:39pm

The Queen has held an audience with JK Rowling at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh

Nigel Farage declares £270k payment for just 12 HOURS' work promoting gold bu...
30 Jun 2026 at 4:25pm

Nigel Farage has declared his largest single payment yet for work outside his role as an MP, after earning £270,000 for promoting gold bullion

Where Labour want new nuclear power plants in Scotland ? see the map
30 Jun 2026 at 4:10pm

The Scottish Government has long opposed new nuclear power, but Westminster commissioned a report anyway

Andy Burnham 'doesn?t know what he means' with Scottish devolution plan, SNP ...
30 Jun 2026 at 3:49pm

A Scottish minister has said Andy Burnham ?doesn?t know what he means? with his stated plans to reshape Scottish devolution ? and added ?I have no idea what he means" either

Asylum decisions by public 'a reckless gamble with human lives', charity warns
30 Jun 2026 at 3:27pm

Labour's plan to hand asylum process decisions to the public has been described as "a reckless gamble with human lives" by a leading refugee charity

Andy Burnham makes major Scotland errors in 'tartanised' pitch to voters
30 Jun 2026 at 3:23pm

ANDY Burnham's pitch to Scottish voters was a "tartanised copy and paste" job that made multiple errors about Scotland's political set-up, it has been claimed.

All Scottish Labour are offering is uncertainty dressed up as change
30 Jun 2026 at 3:00pm

SO a senior figure in the Labour Party states that nothing is off the table as Scottish Labour are going to rethink their stance on devolution and independence for Scotland and for the Scottish branch of the Labour Party.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

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

Beyond the Medals: Why Scotland Must Protect Its Pools
29 Jun 2026 at 7:00am
By acting now, we ensure that when Scotland applauds its next generation of sporting heroes, we can also celebrate the thriving community pools that helped foster their success.

John Swinney urged to apologise to former SNP members ?bullied into quitting?...
26 Jun 2026 at 6:00pm
Tory leader Russell Findlay raised the issue at FMQs

Kate Forbes: Christian viewpoints being squeezed out of UK politics
26 Jun 2026 at 11:28am
Former deputy first minister of Scotland gave speech at Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference

Why the summer of sport matters for businesses and communities in Scotland
26 Jun 2026 at 7:00am
Scotland's summer of sport creates an opportunity to strengthen communities and ensure the benefits of these events are felt long after the crowds have gone home.

John Swinney shortlisted for Holyrood?s MSP of the Year
25 Jun 2026 at 11:48am
Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson and Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie are also in the running

Reform councillor censured for ?aggressive? shouting at official
25 Jun 2026 at 10:49am
Alan Buchan found in breach of code of conduct

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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...

France accuses Israeli firm of interfering in Scottish elections and targetin...
12 Jun 2026 at 3:00pm
Cyber agency says BlackCore targeted John Swinney, as well as interfering in New York and French electionsFrance?s cybersecurity agency has accused the Israeli tech company BlackCore of interfering in the Scottish elections earlier this year by targeting the first minister, John Swinney.The disin...

Dan Jarvis named new defence secretary as Al Carns quits government ? UK poli...
11 Jun 2026 at 10:53pm
Government confirms Jarvis?s move from role as security minister to replace John HealeyRyan Henderson, assistant chief constable for the Police Service of Northern Ireland, is about to hold a press conference about last night?s rioting.Andy Burnham is facing criticism after saying that he thinks ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

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 historic failure of the media in Scotland
4 Jun 2026 at 1:28pm
The issues in my left eye, my better eye, seem to be getting a bit better so I’m only half blind now. Many thanks to everyone who left kind messages of support. Hopefully after 16 June when I have the cataract operation my eyesight will improve markedly. The Murrell scandal is of course still rumbling …

Seeing the path ahead clearly
31 May 2026 at 2:45pm
I’m not going to be blogging so much over the next couple of weeks. For the past year or so I’ve had a cataract in my right eye, which has rapidly worsened over recent months such that at an eye test at the opticians last week I found to my horror that I could not …

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

NHS Scotland has met the national drug and alcohol treatment waiting times st...
30 Jun 2026 at 5:14pm
From National drug and alcohol treatment waiting times 1 January 2026 to 31 March 2026 Accredited official statistics, published today: Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/national-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-waiting-times/national-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-waiting-times-1-january-2026-to-31-march-2026/ Since 2021, when the current system of recording was put in place, NH...

NHS England waiting list queue is 300 000 or 5% longer than Scotland?s
30 Jun 2026 at 4:57pm
From Stage of treatment waiting times New outpatients, inpatients and day cases published today, the above graph and: At 31 May 2026, there were an estimated 579,814 individuals on at least one new outpatient, inpatient or day case waiting list. This is equivalent to around 1 in 10 of Scotland?s population (mid-2024 estimates).1 All things being equal, pro rata, the figure for England with 10 t...

NHS Scotland cancer treatment facing massive increase in referrals since pand...
30 Jun 2026 at 4:41pm
From Cancer waiting times 1 January to 31 March 2026 published today: There were 4,668 eligible referrals where the 62-day standard applied, a decrease of 2.7% from the previous quarter, but an increase of 25.4% from the quarter ending 31 December 2019, the last full quarter pre?pandemic. 72.2% of patients started treatment within 62 days, compared with 72.6% in the previous quarter. There were...

SNP Government builds 6 times as many and sells 18 500 times fewer council h...
30 Jun 2026 at 3:47pm
From Housing statistics quarterly update: new housebuilding and affordable housing supply published today, we see that Scotland’s local authorities built 1 707 council houses in 2025, down 17 from the previous year but up by nearly 600 on 1 123, ten years before, in 2016.1 All things being equal and now two years into a Labour government, you might expect England to be building around 17 00. Hm...

Scotland generates ?huge amount ? of surplus renewables electricity to transf...
30 Jun 2026 at 3:46pm
From Energy Statistics for Scotland – Q1 2026, published today, the above graph showing Scotland’s ever-increasing renewable electricity capacity and, of note, the levelling of on-shore and surging of off-shore capacity. Scotland?s capacity for electricity generation from renewable sources has increased substantially over the past 10 years and currently stands at 18.1 GW ? a 3.2% increase compa...

Glasgow becomes more lawful as youth violence falls amid anger over Scottish ...
30 Jun 2026 at 3:41pm
The Daily Express yesterday, based on anecdotal evidence gathered by the Scottish Conservatives has the above and: Furious Glasgow residents have claimed they are being subjected to a wave of terror by youth gangs wielding weapons such as knives, saws and axes. Locals in the Southside area of the city voiced concerns around youngsters in the Pollok, Crookston and Paisley Road West area of the c...

Scotland?s most rebutting ? With greater resourcing Talking-up Scotland is su...
30 Jun 2026 at 10:13am
Halfway through 2026, with increased resources kicking in, Talking-up Scotland is surging. We’re already, for the first six months of 2026, at more than one third more visitors and, crucially, one third more of our fully-researched reports posted, rebutting inaccuracy and revealing hidden truths, at a level (6 per day on average) and in the range of issues covered, way ahead, on this evidence, ...

Labour civil war will go ?nuclear? if Michael Shanks tries to push his small ...
30 Jun 2026 at 8:52am
Headlining on the Herald today, the above fantasy platforming the views of junior minister Michael Shanks (left) and of Ed Milliband. Troubled former Modern Studies teacher, Shanks is still tasked with promoting the building of new small modular reactors in Scotland, regardless of Scottish Labour’s near extinction event in the last Holyrood election and the clear signs of a civil war in the bra...

Desperate and pathetic ? Report damns all maternity services in England as ?n...
30 Jun 2026 at 8:20am
high quality or compassionate care. The top story everywhere in England today, the utterly damning findings of the Amos review of maternity care in England, being investigated by Nottingham Police as curiously ‘Operation Perth!’ You can smell the panic at BBC Scotland as they scrabble around their contacts to find something, anything, bad about NHS Scotland. There is no maternity crisis in Scot...

NHS England authorities paid £33 per patient to remove thousands of them from...
29 Jun 2026 at 4:15pm
In the Guardian today: NHS England authorities have paid providers £33 per patient to remove thousands of them from the lists, many still in great need, and a survey of nearly 2,600 people in England found 16% had used the private sector in the past year. Fewer names on the lists help the government to seem to ?reduce backlogs? and ?meet waiting time targets?. NHS Scotland does undertake regula...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

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 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

Scottish Labour to rethink stance on independence and referendum, senior figu...
28 Jun 2026 at 10:58am
Scottish Labour to rethink stance on independence and referendum, senior figure says  The National Scot

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

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

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

Why should Scots stick with UK after Starmer debacle? - The Australian
26 Jun 2026 at 9:10am
Why should Scots stick with UK after Starmer debacle?  The Australian

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

Investors warn Scotland to avoid long-term debt to limit independence premium...
8 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Investors warn Scotland to avoid long-term debt to limit independence premium  Financial Times

Friend or foe? How Andy Burnham will deal with the SNP - The Times
27 Jun 2026 at 6:00pm
Friend or foe? How Andy Burnham will deal with the SNP  The Times

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP are 'bankrupting' Scotland as benefits spending spirals out of control un...
30 Jun 2026 at 1:35pm
SNP are 'bankrupting' Scotland as benefits spending spirals out of control under John Swinney  Scottish Daily Express

SNP Government under fire over latest batch of 'shameful' NHS stats - Scottis...
30 Jun 2026 at 12:24pm
SNP Government under fire over latest batch of 'shameful' NHS stats  Scottish Daily Express

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

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

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

In pictures: The shopping spree Peter Murrell went on with money embezzled fr...
23 Jun 2026 at 10:32am
In pictures: The shopping spree Peter Murrell went on with money embezzled from SNP funds  Sky News

SPICe general election Scotland 2026 results and analysis - SPICe Spotlight
9 May 2026 at 8:00am
SPICe general election Scotland 2026 results and analysis  SPICe Spotlight

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

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

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

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

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

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

Scottish Labour to rethink stance on independence and referendum, senior figu...
28 Jun 2026 at 10:58am
Scottish Labour to rethink stance on independence and referendum, senior figure says  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 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 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

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

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

Investors warn Scotland to avoid long-term debt to limit independence premium...
8 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Investors warn Scotland to avoid long-term debt to limit independence premium  Financial Times

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