The Herald

The Herald | Politics


New oversight group announced for troubled Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
3 Feb 2026 at 7:23pm
Health Secretary Neil Gray has unveiled a new oversight group to rebuild trust at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, but critics say unanswered questions, whistleblower fears and years of denial still haunt one of the NHS?s deepest crises.


Sixteen Ukrainians were released from the seized Marinera - where have they g...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
3 Feb 2026 at 6:00pm
Mystery surrounds the status of 16 men released from a seized Russian tanker, after they asked not to be returned to Ukraine


Ex-prison governor warns court transgender prisoners are 'serious risk' to women
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
3 Feb 2026 at 5:18pm
A former prison governor has warned placing transgender prisoners in the female estate poses a ?serious risk? to vulnerable women.


Regan's prostitution bill defeated in crunch Holyrood vote amid SNP rebellion
3 Feb 2026 at 5:14pm
Ash Regan's bid to outlaw the buying of sex in Scotland has been defeated following a crunch vote in Holyrood this afternoon.


Key points as For Women Scotland condemn Scottish Government's trans prison p...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
3 Feb 2026 at 4:41pm
For Women Scotland's legal challenge on the Scottish Government's policy which allows transgender prisoners to be placed in the female prison estate began on Tuesday.


Tory MSP calls on Kate Forbes to resign after Glen Rosa ferry costs hit £197.5m
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
3 Feb 2026 at 3:40pm
Tory MSP calls for Kate Forbes to resign after ministers confirmed the long-delayed MV Glen Rosa will cost £197.5 million ? nearly five times its original price.


Scottish Parliament pays tribute to former deputy first minister Jim Wallace
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
3 Feb 2026 at 2:44pm
The Scottish Parliament has paid tribute to the late Jim Wallace, describing the former deputy first minister as an architect of devolution and a man of deep faith and integrity.


Scottish MP to lead debate on 'fast tracking' visas for Americans fleeing Trump
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
3 Feb 2026 at 2:06pm
Jardine said that some people asked her how to apply for the scheme, believing it had already been put in place.


Sir Tom Hunter calls for Scots politicians to be barred from pubs
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
3 Feb 2026 at 1:50pm
One of Scotland?s most prominent business leaders has called for government ministers north of the Border to be banned from pubs.


Mandelson quits Lords after Starmer and Brown call in police over Epstein emails
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
3 Feb 2026 at 1:41pm
Downing Street has called in Scotland Yard after explosive claims that Peter Mandelson shared market-sensitive government information with Jeffrey Epstein during the financial crisis.


Scotland's emergency departments have 'best December' since pandemic
by Craig Paton
3 Feb 2026 at 1:31pm
Statistics released by Public Health Scotland show 67% of patients were seen within the four-hour target time in the last month of 2025.


Constance challenged to tackle 'downward trend' in police officer numbers
by Katrine Bussey
3 Feb 2026 at 1:21pm
The Scottish Government report detailed how the number of FTE officers ?have been on a downward trend".


LIVE: Scottish Parliament debates Unbuyable Bill to criminalise sex buying
3 Feb 2026 at 12:33pm
After months of scrutiny, Ash Regan's Unbuyable Bill is set to be debated at the Scottish Parliament. Today, MSPs will vote on whether or not to support the bill's general principles. The Scottish Government does not support the proposal, which would criminalise sex buying, but we could see several MSPs break with the party line.


Number of children stuck in temporary accommodation hits a record high
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
3 Feb 2026 at 12:12pm
Record numbers of people in Scotland, including more than 10,000 children, are trapped in temporary homelessness accommodation, according to official figures.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Prostitution Scotland: Proposals to overhaul law fall at the first hurdle
3 Feb 2026 at 7:55pm

Six SNP MSPs voted against the government, but it was not enough to see Ash Regan MSP?s bill pass

The SNP?s justice secretary says recent early prisoner release programmes have not managed to tackle chronic overcrowding.

Karen Titchener said a number of patients and nurses had complained to her about single-sex spaces.

Scotland?s patient safety commissioner says she is determined to improve whistleblowing on the back of the Eljamel and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital scandals.

It is alleged Mandelson passed highly-sensitive government information to the disgraced financier.

Wildfires in Scotland jumped to record levels in 2025, according to new data.

Anna is now living in safety in Scotland and has been brave enough to tell her story of being trafficked as a young mother

Campaigners are calling for MSPs to back legislation that would criminalise sex buyers as new analysis shows the extent of trafficking in Scotland

Wings over Scotland

The Marshalling Plan
2 Feb 2026 at 1:25pm
Another month has passed, so we suppose it must be time for the third of our polling-analysis pieces for the Scottish Parliament election in May. (Last time round we assessed the grotesque rank idiocy of voting SNP on the list if you want a pro-indy majority, and the time before that we considered the possible …

Shield Of The Phantom
26 Jan 2026 at 1:02pm
Well, we gave it a go. It seems that it’s fine to farm important judgments out to mysterious shadowy figures who just make important chunks of them up out of thin air, and then issue them in your own name. Back in your boxes, plebs.

Yelling at the tide
21 Jan 2026 at 9:26am
We figured someone had to at least try. So in the light of this, we’ve sent a letter. - TO: Judge Susan Walker, President, Employment Tribunal (Scotland) Dear Madam President, I read with considerable dismay and alarm your response to a recent complaint from a Mr Ewan Kennedy regarding the conduct of Employment Judge Alexander …

The Secondhand Amendment
19 Jan 2026 at 12:04am
We’re really not sure this makes things any better with regard to the incredible tale that’s unfolded around the judgment in Sandie Peggie vs NHS Fife. In fact, on any interpretation we can think of, quite the reverse. But we’d better give you some context. The quote in the image above comes from the reply …

Learning Insanity
14 Jan 2026 at 4:29pm
This clip was broadcast on ITV News Wales this week. ? It’s a staggeringly obvious mess for a whole raft of reasons – a number of completely spurious, illogical and unsupported claims are accepted as facts without any sort of challenge or balancing voice (which has been standard practice on ITV News for a while …

Governing For Beginners
12 Jan 2026 at 2:31pm
My first ever real experience of politics was playing Dictator. Originally written by Don Priestley for the Sinclair ZX81 in 1982, it was a simple text-based game which subsequently came to other formats including the Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Elan Enterprise and the ZX Spectrum, which is where I encountered it. (Its legacy very much …

Grandpa John?s Nightmare
7 Jan 2026 at 12:17pm
It’s almost – almost – worth voting SNP in May because of this: ? Because it would be at least momentarily absolutely hilarious watching Swinney try to explain why his “100% guaranteed” second indyref didn’t happen if the SNP actually did get a majority on 30% of the vote (which is narrowly feasible on current …

Failure To Learn
5 Jan 2026 at 1:32pm
Scotland take on Haiti on Sunday 14 June (in the wee small hours of the morning), so this is nice, isn’t it? At least, it would be if incompetent idiots weren’t in charge. Firstly because the SNP – a party with a long and dismaying record of promising things it then doesn’t deliver – has …

And every day was exactly the same
3 Jan 2026 at 7:00am

List Voting For Cretins
2 Jan 2026 at 9:00am
This week The National published a poll it commissioned from Find Out Now for this May’s Scottish Parliament election, alongside a seat projection from Sir John Curtice. Here are the list-vote figures from the poll. The seat projection calculated that the election would result in 59 SNP MSPs (six short of the number John Swinney …

Craig Murray

Trump, Pirate of the Caribbean
3 Feb 2026 at 11:14am

I have now been here a week and I think that I have absorbed enough to attempt a little analysis, as opposed to the simple impressions I gave shortly after arrival. Those impressions remain valid however: this is not a repressive state. I was on the Randy Credico show live on WBAI New York on …

Trump, Pirate of the Caribbean

Palestine Action Judicial Review
29 Jan 2026 at 6:59pm

I attach the full text of Lord Young’s decision granting the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine. A few points. Judicial Review can only be granted where the judge believes it has a realistic chance of success. Lord Young evidently believes that we have a realistic chance of success on our three grounds …

Palestine Action Judicial Review

Being There ? In Venezuela
26 Jan 2026 at 9:46am

I have now been in Caracas for 48 hours and the contrast between what I have seen, and what I had read in the mainstream media, could not be more stark. I drove right through Caracas, from the airport through the city centre and up to posh Las Mercedes. The next morning I walked all …

Being There – In Venezuela

Resisting the Respectable Opinion on Iran
15 Jan 2026 at 3:13pm

Iraq. Libya. Egypt. Syria. Gaza. Somalia. No CIA- and Mossad-constructed regime change operation in the Middle East has ever made life better for the ordinary people of the country, nor even delivered the promised increase in personal and political freedoms. The only limited improvement that might be gained comes from the lifting of Western sanction …

Resisting the Respectable Opinion on Iran

A Step Towards Sanity
13 Jan 2026 at 6:50pm

To my great surprise, the video recording of yesterday’s Court of Session hearing on the judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action is still active on the court’s website, and you can watch it. I do not know how long this will last. https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/livestream/court-of-session/case-p1017-25/#6dcfe87a-d9b7-49ba-9f01-ad69b8ad9c45 I have been used to the ludicrous restrictions on the …

A Step Towards Sanity

Court of Session Tomorrow on Palestine Action
11 Jan 2026 at 1:45pm

In the Western world today, fighting for freedom feels Quixotic, but I shall nevertheless wake early tomorrow to be at the Court of Session in Edinburgh by 9am to fight the proscription in Scotland of Palestine Action. I remain extremely concerned for the lives of the Palestine Action hunger strikers. As I predicted, Starmer’s government …

Court of Session Tomorrow on Palestine Action

BBC Scotland

Scottish Parliament rejects prostitution bill at stage one
3 Feb 2026 at 7:38pm
Ash Regan's proposals would have made the act of paying for sexual services a criminal offence.

New oversight group for Glasgow hospital linked to infections
3 Feb 2026 at 8:09pm
The health secretary hopes the new oversight group will boost public confidence in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

Prisoners to be released earlier in bid to end jail overcrowding
3 Feb 2026 at 7:32pm
The release point for certain short-term prisoners is to be cut to 30% of their sentence, down from 40%.

Woman prisoners 'treated as pawns' by Scottish government, court told
3 Feb 2026 at 4:51pm
The campaign group For Women Scotland is challenging the guidance which helps decide which prisons trans people are held in.

Further drop in year-long waits for NHS treatment
3 Feb 2026 at 2:51pm
One in nine Scots are on still on an NHS waiting list but year-long waits are falling, new figures show.

Patient watchdog 'not confident' Eljamel would be stopped
3 Feb 2026 at 6:01pm
Brain surgeon Sam Eljamel harmed dozens of patients and left some with life-changing injuries.

Record number of children in temporary housing
3 Feb 2026 at 3:16pm
There has also been a rise in rough sleeping, though there has been some improvement in other housing statistics.

Government confirms it will not back prostitution offences bill
2 Feb 2026 at 6:33pm
Independent MSP Ash Regan's bill would make it a criminal offence to pay for sex in Scotland.

New exams body plans to shake up qualifications system
2 Feb 2026 at 1:43pm
Qualifications Scotland announces a major review of the exams system saying it wants to ensure they are "absolutely fit for purpose".

Call for urgent action to reduce autism and ADHD waiting lists
2 Feb 2026 at 7:49am
The Scottish Parliament committee is concerned that people are waiting years for neurodevelopmental assessments.

Seven deaths now probed for potential links to Glasgow hospital infections
31 Jan 2026 at 1:59pm
In some of the cases Scotland's prosecution service is considering whether to bring corporate homicide charges.

Bosses on six figures at under-fire health boards to get 10% pay rises
31 Jan 2026 at 8:20am
The temporary increase for executives at NHS Lothian and Greater Glasgow and Clyde is worth up to £20,000 a year.

Scot Goes Pop

Why is YouGov under-representing Yes-voting Glaswegians in its independence p...
3 Feb 2026 at 4:06pm
Towards the end of this video, I also give my reaction to the Scottish Government's welcome announcement that they will not be supporting Ash Regan's private member's bill, which seeks to introduce...

Stew's "ten-year masterplan" nears its petty climax: how Somerset's most cont...
2 Feb 2026 at 4:47pm
Incidentally, I recorded this video before I saw Campbell's latest "I luv Nige" fanboy blogpost, so the similarity of titles is just a coincidence - albeit an extremely telling coincidence in the c...

Sizzling YouGov numbers put pro-independence parties on course for 53% of sea...
30 Jan 2026 at 5:11pm
There aren't many outlets that report Scottish polling accurately and without unionist bias.  If you value the service Scot Goes Pop provides, you currently have a thrilling opportunity to help wit...

Spectacular full-scale Scottish poll from YouGov shows the SNP and Greens on ...
29 Jan 2026 at 6:48pm
I will record a video about this poll at some point, but as I'm on a bus right now, I'll go retro and briefly give you the results in text form for the time being.Should Scotland be an independent ...

"Unaffordable and exploitative": the Alba Party hammers its long-suffering me...
27 Jan 2026 at 3:53am
Apart from the shocking membership fee news, which Alba members already know about (as long as they've been checking their emails closely enough), this video also contains the latest gossip from my...

The Blocking of Burnham: Doomsday for Labour, Christmas for the SNP
26 Jan 2026 at 2:44am
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

SNP secure stirring VICTORY in the Glenrothes West & Kinglassie by-election
23 Jan 2026 at 3:40pm
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

Yet ANOTHER poll shows a pro-independence majority as natty Norstat (formerly...
20 Jan 2026 at 2:44pm
Before anyone says anything, yes, I know I screwed up and randomly started referring to Norstat as "Panelbase" midway through the video.  I haven't got time to re-record it at the moment, so just s...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Officials ?looking at? release of QEUH documents, says health secretary
3 Feb 2026 at 9:28pm
MSPs demanded the Scottish Government release documents relating to the Glasgow hospital last week

Holyrood pays emotional tributes to its first deputy first minister Lord Wallace
3 Feb 2026 at 5:09pm
A motion of condolence was heard in the Scottish Parliament

Scottish Government ?committed to dualling A96? despite fiscal challenges
3 Feb 2026 at 3:46pm
A more phased approach to delivery of the project will be taken

Women prisoners treated as ?pawns? by ?Orwellian? policy on trans inmates, co...
3 Feb 2026 at 2:04pm
For Women Scotland is challenging the current guidelines on the management of transgender prisoners

ExxonMobil?s Mossmorran plastics plant closes weeks early with 400 jobs lost
3 Feb 2026 at 11:52am
The Fife Ethylene Plant employs 180 staff, 200 contractors and dozens of others

Why is the Scottish Government being taken to court over trans prisoners?
3 Feb 2026 at 6:42am
For Women Scotland is challenging the current guidelines on the management of transgender prisoners.

Ministers ?regretfully? refuse to back Regan?s Bill to criminalise buying sex
2 Feb 2026 at 6:05pm
The Scottish Government said there is not enough time to change proposed legislation

Full investigation into Mandelson needed after Epstein revelations, SNP says
2 Feb 2026 at 9:59am
The SNP?s Westminster leader has written to the Prime Minister?s ethics adviser

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar vows to ban phones from classrooms if elec...
1 Feb 2026 at 4:36pm
The Scottish Labour leader said the devices are having a 'catastrophic' effect on young people

Extra £3.4m announced to improve neurodevelopmental support in Scotland
1 Feb 2026 at 1:14pm
The Scottish Government said it brings investment in neurodevelopmental supports and services to £5m

Starmer says Government will stay neutral on assisted dying
30 Jan 2026 at 9:41pm
There has been speculation that the Bill could fall if peers do not get through the more than 1,000 amendments tabled.

Jim Wallace Obituary: ?If Donald Dewar was father of the nation, Jim Wallace ...
30 Jan 2026 at 5:24pm
The former deputy first minister died on Thursday after complications from surgery

Glen Rosa ferry costs rise by £12.5m after latest six-month delay
30 Jan 2026 at 4:13pm
The overall estimated cost now stands at £197.5m

Scottish Labour accuses Swinney of fabricating hospital inquiry evidence
30 Jan 2026 at 3:55pm
Swinney said the inquiry?s counsel confirmed there was no political pressure to open the hospital on time

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

JK Rowling 'changed Britain' but her political influence also shaped Scotland
3 Feb 2026 at 8:00pm
The billionaire author has made a huge political as well as cultural impact on Scotland over the last 25 years.

MSPs vote to reject bill criminalising sex buying after stormy Holyrood debate
3 Feb 2026 at 6:58pm
Ash Regan's Bill was defeated after SNP MSPs were whipped to oppose the plans.

SNP Government orders investigation into safety levels at scandal-hit hospital
3 Feb 2026 at 6:20pm
Health Secretary Neil Gray was forced into the move after political pressure over concerns about safety at the Queen Elizabeth University hospital (QEUH).

Criminals to walk free from Scots prisons after serving just 30% of sentence ...
3 Feb 2026 at 4:20pm
The SNP has been accused of "putting criminals ahead of the law-abiding public" as it backs another early release scheme for prisoners.

Peter Mandelson to quit House of Lords following latest Jeffrey Epstein scandal
3 Feb 2026 at 3:14pm
Mandelson has already quit the Labour party and will now stand down as a peer

Mossmorran plant shuts early as trade union blasts US oil giant for job losses
3 Feb 2026 at 2:10pm
The Fife Ethylene Plant has ceased production after four decades.

Anas Sarwar urged to withdraw whip from Labour MSP over friendship with seria...
3 Feb 2026 at 1:46pm
Cross party calls have been made for the Scottish Labour leader to withdraw the whip from Glasgow MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy.

ScotRail shares 'fascist' logo on new trains destined for east coast mainline
3 Feb 2026 at 1:27pm
ScotRail insisted the image did not represent what the new trains will look like when they eventually enter service.

Scots children 'paying the price' for SNP failure on housing as record number...
3 Feb 2026 at 10:58am
Shelter, a leading housing charity, warned high levels of homelessness in Scotland were becoming "the new normal".

Why we should be preventing crime and properly rehabilitating people in prison
3 Feb 2026 at 10:43am
In an article for the Record, Martyn Evans, who is the Chair of Scottish Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission, writes about the importance of wiser sentencing.

The National

The National | Politics

Remember betrayals of the Waspi women when casting your vote in May
3 Feb 2026 at 8:00pm

IN the coming Holyrood election I hope voters will remember that Labour have yet again betrayed the Waspi women.

Time for pro-independence parties to tell us why our votes will count
3 Feb 2026 at 8:00pm

WHEN is a crossroad not a crossroad? When it?s a Holyrood election of course. It would appear that some parties are actually surprised by the fact that elections come around regularly in Scotland. It?s almost as if they?re caught on the hop.

Officials ?looking at? release of QEUH documents, Health Secretary says
3 Feb 2026 at 7:24pm

OFFICIALS are ?looking at? how documents demanded by MSPs relating to an infection scandal at a Scottish hospital can be released, Health Secretary Neil Gray has said.

Peter Mandelson to face criminal investigation over Epstein emails
3 Feb 2026 at 6:11pm

A CRIMINAL investigation has been launched into allegations Peter Mandelson passed market-sensitive information to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein

Torture, murder and David Bowie ? How to read the Epstein Files properly
3 Feb 2026 at 5:38pm

The Epstein Files have thrown a merciless light on the private life of one of the world?s most notorious sex offenders and his coterie of politicians, royals and celebrities

500-year-old Scottish castle's future under 'very real threat', council warned
3 Feb 2026 at 5:03pm

A SCOTTISH council is being asked to step in to fund the future of a 500-year-old landmark castle.

King Charles 'must face police questions' amid new Andrew-Epstein allegations
3 Feb 2026 at 5:00pm

KING Charles has been urged to cooperate with police, including answering questions and publishing royal records of Jeffrey Epstein visits, following new allegations involving Andrew that have emerged from the most recently released "Epstein files" ...

Bill to criminalise those who use sex workers defeated at Holyrood
3 Feb 2026 at 4:20pm

ASH Regan?s bill seeking to criminalise buying sex has failed to pass the first stage of scrutiny in Holyrood

Nigel Farage refuses to reject Tommy Robinson endorsement in key by-election
3 Feb 2026 at 4:22pm

NIGEL Farage has refused to reject an endorsement from Tommy Robinson ahead of a major Westminster by-election.

Fury as 'timewaster' Tory MSP withdraws bill seconds before debate
3 Feb 2026 at 4:01pm

A TORY MSP has prompted fury after withdrawing a Holyrood bill seconds before it was due to be debated in the chamber.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

MSPs vote down Ash Regan?s prostitution bill
3 Feb 2026 at 5:06pm
The government said it could not support it despite agreeing in principle the purchase of sex should be criminalised

Peter Mandelson quits Lords as UK Government refers Epstein leak fears to police
3 Feb 2026 at 3:04pm
Keir Starmer says the former US ambassador 'let his country down'

Information commissioner launches Grok investigation over explicit deepfakes
3 Feb 2026 at 1:06pm
The ICO said the reported creation of such content raised ?serious concerns? under UK data protection law

Patient safety commissioner still has ?concerns? about health board at centre...
3 Feb 2026 at 11:17am
'Families are lied to' within the NHS, MSPs are told

Putting ports at the heart of Scotland?s economic future
3 Feb 2026 at 12:02am
Scotland?s ports sit at the nexus of the energy transition and economic growth. Forth Ports argues that only decisive action and faster delivery will turn ambition into lasting success.

SNP reports Peter Mandelson to police
2 Feb 2026 at 4:00pm
The party has asked the police to investigate whether there is sufficient evidence of criminality in his long-standing relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his actions whilst he was a UK Government minister

Scottish Government refuses support for Ash Regan?s prostitution bill
2 Feb 2026 at 12:37pm
While the government support the principle of the bill, there is too little time left to address concerns, the minister has said

Homegrown Energy and Industrial Strength: Securing Britain's Energy Future
2 Feb 2026 at 2:00am
That future depends on pragmatic decisions now: back homegrown energy, back our skilled people, back our potential.

Fraser of Allander Institute: Scottish business confidence remains weak
2 Feb 2026 at 1:32am
The latest Scottish Business Monitor suggests that fragile confidence is largely due to cost pressures, subdued investment, and a lack of expectation for short-term relief

Tributes paid following the death of former deputy first minister Jim Wallace
30 Jan 2026 at 7:08am
First Minister John Swinney said he was 'profoundly shocked' by the death of the former Scottish Lib Dems leader

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Campaigners challenge Scottish policy on transgender inmates in female prisons
3 Feb 2026 at 2:45pm
For Women Scotland objects to use of individual risk assessments, saying it is contrary to supreme court rulingFemale prisoners are paying the price for an ?Orwellian? Scottish government policy that allows some transgender inmates to be housed in female prisons, Scotland?s highest civil court ha...

Lord Wallace of Tankerness obituary
1 Feb 2026 at 5:39pm
Influential Liberal and Lib Dem politician who served as Scotland?s deputy first minister from the outset of devolutionJim Wallace, Lord Wallace of Tankerness, who has died aged 71 following complications after surgery, was an influential Liberal figure who achieved the extremely rare distinction...

Starmer announces visa-free travel to China after talks with Xi in Beijing ? ...
29 Jan 2026 at 5:32pm
Downing Street gives no date for when the agreement of 30 days of visa-free travel will come into forceFor more context on today?s Starmer-Xi meeting, China is the world?s second-biggest economy and Britain?s third-largest trading partner ? to which it exports £45bn of goods and services a year ?...

Deacon Blue ?appalled? by Reform UK?s Scottish leader quoting their song lyrics
27 Jan 2026 at 11:04am
Exclusive: Band hit out at party?s ?poisonous rhetoric? after Malcolm Offord makes reference to Dignity during speechOne of Scotland?s most celebrated rock bands, Deacon Blue, say they are ?appalled? that one of their greatest hits is being used by Reform UK?s new Scottish leader to bolster his p...

Tories withdraw ?mental health? briefing about Suella Braverman after former ...
26 Jan 2026 at 6:10pm
Her defection means there are now eight Reform MPs in the CommonsKeir Starmer was being interview by Beth Rigby from Sky News this morning when he defended the decision not to let Andy Burnham be a byelection candidate.After Starmer delivered his first answer (see 10.15am), Rigby asked him to wha...

Reform says it would cut green policies to fund £2bn income tax cut in Scotland
26 Jan 2026 at 4:36pm
Party?s pitch to voters in May Holyrood elections dismissed as ?profoundly unserious, almost comically so? by head of IPPR ScotlandReform UK would slash what it calls ?highly dubious? environmental protection measures to help fund a £2bn cut to income tax in Scotland if it won May?s Holyrood elec...

Scottish health board admits hospital water system linked to fatal infections
19 Jan 2026 at 12:03pm
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde makes last-minute U-turn in submission to hospitals inquiryScotland?s largest health board has finally admitted that contaminated water at a Glasgow super-hospital caused serious infections in child cancer patients that were linked to four deaths.NHS Greater Glasgow ...

Multimillionaire leader of Reform in Scotland refuses to reveal net worth
15 Jan 2026 at 3:26pm
Newly appointed Malcolm Offord, who became a Tory life peer in 2021, plans to stand for Holyrood in MayUK politics live ? latest updatesThe multimillionaire financier who has been made leader of Reform UK in Scotland has refused to say how wealthy he is, claiming that is a private matter.Malcolm ...

Scottish budget: SNP government cuts taxes for lowest earners
13 Jan 2026 at 7:06pm
Ministers will hope package of measures can aid efforts to retain power in May?s Holyrood electionsMinisters in Scotland have cut taxes for the lowest earners by a modest £11 a year, as the government dug into its reserves, cut spending and increased borrowing to fund new election pledges.With fo...

UK politics: Tories call for block on Chinese super-embassy amid claims of hi...
13 Jan 2026 at 6:11pm
Shadow home office minister Alicia Kearns says unredacted plans show 208 secret rooms and approving plans would be ?insanity?Q: Why are the Liberal Democrats still using X?Davey says he is not afraid to pick a fight with Elon Musk. He says Musk has interfered in British democracy ?in the most out...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

What happens in the Welsh election could be key to Scotland too
2 Feb 2026 at 4:27pm
The well known traditional curse, “May you live in interesting times” is often ascribed to an ancient Chinese text, although there is no evidence for this. Be that as it may, it cannot be denied that we are cursed with living through interesting times. Keir Starmer was elected to head a Labour government with a …

BBC Scotland?s look at nuclear through Labour Rose tinted glasses
31 Jan 2026 at 1:39pm
The bias of the BBC, particularly BBC Scotland, against the SNP Scottish Government in particular and the wider Scottish independence movement in general is well documented by pro-independence campaigners, but ignored by the Scottish media which is itself overwhelmingly biased against Scottish independence, the somewhat less than half of the Scottish population which opposes independence …

Wee Ginger Annual Fundraiser 2026 part 2
30 Jan 2026 at 6:08pm
Unfortunately when I published the previous post about this year’s fundraiser, I pressed publish too quickly and omitted the full details for donating via PayPal or Ko-fi. Here they are now and here is the link again to the GoFundMe fundraiser. Many thanks for supporting my work. It’s greatly appreciated.   https://www.gofundme.com/f/wee-ginger-dug-annual-fundraiser-2026   I?ve added …

Wee Ginger Annual Fundraiser 2026
30 Jan 2026 at 1:33pm
It’s that time of the year again, when I ask readers of this blog to make a contribution, big or small, to keeping this blog running for another year. As we approach the Holyrood elections, I have been increasing the frequency of new posts on the blog from theprevious two or three per week to …

Trump?s lawlessness comes to Scotland
29 Jan 2026 at 3:48pm
Donald Trump is infamously lawless. He is the first convicted criminal to be elected to the White House. That conviction alone, by no means the worst crime the oranged faced felon has allegedly committed, should have been enough to disqualify him from holding public office, but he was ushered into power by a corrupt Republican …

Reform UK?s authoritarian project for power
28 Jan 2026 at 2:55pm
The American author and poet Maya Anjelou famously wrote: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” That has never been more true than where we are now in British politics with the rise of the far right, the performative cruelty it espouses and its dehumanisation of minority groups. Reform UK …

England is driving on the right politically
26 Jan 2026 at 3:05pm
All is not well in the Labour party. Over the weekend Keir Starmer and his allies took the decision to throw away a by election in order to buy the politically ailing Starmer some more time in office. Starmer and his allies on Labour’s NEC voted to refuse permission to Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to …

The BBC?s bad treatment of NHS Scotland
24 Jan 2026 at 1:03pm
When a parent loses a child it is an unbearable tragedy, and I want to preface this blog piece with the important caveat that I in no way wish to cast any aspersions on the bereaved and fully support their drive to uncover the truth about what went on at the new Southern General Hospital …

The rich are enemies of democracy and of an independent Scotland
23 Jan 2026 at 4:39pm
The biggest political issue of our days is one that few politicians are talking about. That’s the increasing concentration of wealth in the hands of a small minority. In 2023, the world?s richest 1%, defined as those with more than $1 million, owned 47.5 percent of all the world?s wealth ? equivalent to roughly $214 …

The fork in the road for Scotland, independence or the Golf of America
21 Jan 2026 at 1:51pm
Over the past week, the reasons for Scottish independence got even more pressing and urgent. Donald Trump, the so-called ‘Peace President’, is openly threatening Greenland, Denmark, Canada, and Latin America. Trump’s unilateral destruction of the post WW2 international order as he seeks total US hegemony over the Western hemisphere and the annexation of Greenland. Once …

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 continues to steadily increase number of operations with 98% on ...
3 Feb 2026 at 5:13pm
Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy From Cancelled planned operations Month ending 31 December 2025, published today: There were 24,441 operations planned to take place across NHS Scotland. This is 10.7% higher (+2,368) than the number planned in December 2024 (22,073). The number of planned operations increased gradual...

NHS Scotland A&E departments still performing far better than NHS England
3 Feb 2026 at 5:12pm
Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy From Public Health Scotland Accident and emergency Accredited official statistics for December 2025, published today, 63.5% were treated within 4 hours and 2.1% waited more than 12 hours in Type 1 full Emergency departments. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/healthcare-system/urge...

Scottish GP?s rep lies about research based on only 222 out of nearly 5 thous...
3 Feb 2026 at 5:11pm
Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy Being reported repeatedly by BBC Scotland today in broadcasts and more fully on their website: According to the Royal College of GPs (RCGP), about a quarter of working time for general practice doctors in Scotland is spent supporting patients who are waiting for specialist appointment...

Delayed discharges fall by 8% in one year, in a two-year trend as ?Scotland?s...
3 Feb 2026 at 5:08pm
Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy From Delayed discharges in NHS Scotland monthly Figures for December 2025 published today: Timely discharge from hospital is an important indicator of quality. It is a marker that care is person-centred, effective, integrated and harm-free. A delayed discharge occurs when a hospital p...

Great start, thanks
3 Feb 2026 at 12:32pm

Why did the SNP ?fraud? case attract offers of help from other agencies yet n...
3 Feb 2026 at 12:08pm
Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy From BBC Scotland today: An investigation into the original inquiry into the murder of Emma Caldwell has stalled because prosecutors cannot find a police force from outside Scotland to take on the task. Scotland’s top law officer, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain, announced two years ago sh...

?Aggressive assertion? in Spain and England fans ? two former imperial powers...
3 Feb 2026 at 11:14am
Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy Two stories today have got my goat. Yes, I know you know my goat well. First, in the Guardian today: ?The referee has to be neutral?: Rodri claims Manchester City are victims of injustice – Rodri said: ?I know we won too much and the people don?t want us to win, but the referee has to...

Good news you won?t be told ? ?Additional investment for neurodevelopmental s...
3 Feb 2026 at 9:52am
Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy Above all of the coverage from a search for ‘Additional investment for neurodevelopmental support’ and the third isn’t even it at all. From the Scottish Government two days ago so plenty time to write a wee piece on it, if the MSM in Scotland wanted to report something good about the ...

What First Minister Anas Sarwar offers you ? Only weeks after SNP government ...
2 Feb 2026 at 10:46pm
Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy Note that unlike the recent EIS ballot for teacher strike action, they got a majority response. What happened in Scotland? Resident Doctors have called off proposed strike action across Scotland after the British Medical Association (BMA) Scottish Resident Doctors Committee agreed to ...

2024 Labour voters get a big slap ? let?s hope they remember
2 Feb 2026 at 4:21pm
By Liz S Mandelson , the once Business Secretary in Gordon Brown?s cabinet and also he was once appointed as the UK ambassador to the US by Keir Starmer, is yet another Labour scandal coming just after the other recent big Labour scandal . It was reported that ?Jeffrey Epstein made $75,000 (£55,000) of payments to accounts connected to Lord Mandelson, bank statements released by the US Departme...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence - gatescambr...
3 Feb 2026 at 10:32am
New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence  gatescambridge.org

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
26 Jan 2026 at 4:30pm
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push - Reu...
18 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push  Reuters

Scottish independence polls & surveys - YouGov
30 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence polls & surveys  YouGov

Jeffrey Epstein discussed how to profit from Scottish independence vote, file...
2 Feb 2026 at 4:17pm
Jeffrey Epstein discussed how to profit from Scottish independence vote, files show  TheNational.scot

No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says - BBC
27 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says  BBC

The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage - politico.eu
13 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage  politico.eu

A Fresh Start with Independence - The Scottish Government
8 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
A Fresh Start with Independence  The Scottish Government

Scottish independence poll 2025 - Statista
28 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2025  Statista

OPINION: 'If it?s ok for Greenland to decide its own future, why not Scotland...
3 Feb 2026 at 9:55am
OPINION: 'If it?s ok for Greenland to decide its own future, why not Scotland?'  Dunfermline Press

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Scotland's papers: SNP reports Mandelson to police over Epstein - BBC
3 Feb 2026 at 7:04am
Scotland's papers: SNP reports Mandelson to police over Epstein  BBC

Regan urges former SNP colleagues to back Nordic Model - Morning Star | The P...
3 Feb 2026 at 4:44pm
Regan urges former SNP colleagues to back Nordic Model  Morning Star | The People?s Daily

SNP ministers sought early sight of EHRC sex guidance amid looming trans pris...
3 Feb 2026 at 2:31pm
SNP ministers sought early sight of EHRC sex guidance amid looming trans prison case  TheNational.scot

SNP must be brought to heel on Supreme Court?s gender ruling - The Telegraph
3 Feb 2026 at 6:54pm
SNP must be brought to heel on Supreme Court?s gender ruling  The Telegraph

SNP Appoints Kuldeep Solanki and Harold Zhang to Strengthen Asia-Pacific Lead...
3 Feb 2026 at 8:41am
SNP Appoints Kuldeep Solanki and Harold Zhang to Strengthen Asia-Pacific Leadership  Bisinfotech

SNP lead, Reform UK in second in YouGov January 2026 Holyrood voting intentio...
29 Jan 2026 at 1:58pm
SNP lead, Reform UK in second in YouGov January 2026 Holyrood voting intention  YouGov

Providers lock in on ratings, I-SNP rules and denials ahead of final ?27 MA r...
3 Feb 2026 at 12:14am
Providers lock in on ratings, I-SNP rules and denials ahead of final ?27 MA rule  McKnight's Long-Term Care News

Conservatives criticise SNP over Future Farming scheme transparency - The Sco...
3 Feb 2026 at 6:00am
Conservatives criticise SNP over Future Farming scheme transparency  The Scottish Farmer

Scotland's papers: SNP reports Mandelson to police over Epstein - Yahoo News ...
3 Feb 2026 at 7:04am
Scotland's papers: SNP reports Mandelson to police over Epstein  Yahoo News Canada

Scottish Parliament rejects prostitution bill at stage one - BBC
3 Feb 2026 at 7:06pm
Scottish Parliament rejects prostitution bill at stage one  BBC

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push - Reu...
18 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push  Reuters

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
26 Jan 2026 at 4:30pm
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says - BBC
27 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says  BBC

Scottish independence polls & surveys - YouGov
30 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence polls & surveys  YouGov

David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit - Britannica
27 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit  Britannica

In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland indepen...
3 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014...
27 May 2025 at 8:00am
Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014  The Conversation

Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shi...
24 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shifts  Courthouse News

Gordon Brown still blames Better Together for Labour's collapse in Scotland -...
1 Feb 2026 at 1:58pm
Gordon Brown still blames Better Together for Labour's collapse in Scotland  TheNational.scot

Scottish independence poll 2025 - Statista
28 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2025  Statista