The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Curtice: Sturgeon could 'head up campaign for independence' to bring value to...
22 Dec 2024 at 5:01am
With Nicola Sturgeon expected to step down in 2026, Prof Curtice discusses whether her SNP role could be heading up campaign for independence.


?Dual mandates end will appeal to voters ahead of Holyrood elections?, says p...
22 Dec 2024 at 5:00am
A bill banning politicians from having two jobs will get the approval of voters ahead of the 2026 Holyrood elections, a pollster has told The Herald.


Groundbreaker or backslider? How young Scots view Humza Yousaf's legacy
22 Dec 2024 at 5:30am
Former First Minister Humza Yousaf's decision to step away from frontline politics has raised questions about his legacy. Here Young Scot politicos give their view.


Trump 2.0 is on its way to the USA ... but is the rest of the world prepared?
22 Dec 2024 at 6:15am
In January the president-elect takes office, but his presence home and away is already being profoundly felt. Foreign Editor David Pratt examines the likely long-term impact


Kenny MacAskill: 'I have always believed Abu Agila Masud is Lockerbie bomber'
21 Dec 2024 at 12:21pm
The former Scottish justice secretary spoke out ahead of the trial in the US next year of Libyan national Abu Agila Masud, who is accused of making the device that blew up Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988, killing 270 people.


'If we can keep three men out of jail every year then we?re saving taxpayer 1...
21 Dec 2024 at 10:00am
Barlinnie?s Peer Mentor project is a truly innovative enterprise by Parkhead Citizen?s Advice Bureau with the assistance of funding from the Lottery Community Fund. Its part of their larger Changing Lives programme.


Labour Lords: Party to announce new peers to boost numbers
20 Dec 2024 at 7:53am
A raft of new peers are set to be announced, with numbers expected to be boosted on Labour?s benches in the House of Lords.


?Scottish Labour must make Starmer reconsider?, says Waspi woman 
20 Dec 2024 at 5:00am
Anas Sarwar must demand full compensation for women across Scotland impacted by state pension age increase, a coordinator for Women Against State Pension Increase (Waspi) campaign has told The Herald.


Civil service boss hits back at watchdog as Sturgeon probe secrecy row continues
20 Dec 2024 at 5:01am
"Consistent with the legal advice published I am satisfied that throughout ministers had a stateable case," wrote John Paul Marks.


COSLA warns billion pound budget boost ?may not reverse cuts to vital services?
20 Dec 2024 at 4:59pm
Despite a £1 billion funding increase for local government in Shona Robison?s budget, COSLA warns that councils face a £780 million gap by 2026/27, threatening vital services and social care improvements.


Sue Gray, Wendy Alexander and Margaret Curran among Keir Starmer's 30 new peers
20 Dec 2024 at 4:24pm
Sir Keir Starmer unveils 30 new life peers, including former Scottish Labour MSPs Wendy Alexander and Margaret Curran, despite Labour's promise to reform the House of Lords. Sue Gray also join the list.


Constance and family member ?driven to Old Firm cup final in Government car?
19 Dec 2024 at 10:31am
Justice Secretary Angela Constance travelled with a close family member in a ministerial car to the Old Firm league cup final on Sunday, it has been reported.


Labour insider says Scottish party 'risks being brought down by Starmer'
19 Dec 2024 at 5:00am
Scottish Labour is becoming increasingly worried and concerned about the damage  UK Labour could do to the party north of the Border, an insider has told The Herald.


Scottish Government urges Home Office to intervene over Afghan women visas
19 Dec 2024 at 5:00am
The Scottish Government has urged the UK Home Secretary to intervene as Afghan women studying in Scotland have been footed with a £50,000 bill.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


How Scotland and Trident would benefit the most from 2.5% defence spending rise
22 Dec 2024 at 6:00am

Labour has committed to increasing defence spend, but Sir Keir Starmer has not said when the target of 2.5 per cent of GDP will be achieved

Donald Trump?s decidedly lukewarm support for Ukraine have raised fears he will cut off US military support

The removal from his post of a Scottish organiser of Nigel Farage?s Reform UK was par for the course.

The families of the 350 Scottish Harland and Wolff workers in Scotland received great news this week.

Wings over Scotland

Bad Santa
21 Dec 2024 at 12:37am

The Cost Of Truth
17 Dec 2024 at 1:39pm
The Scottish Government just issued another response in the long-running Freedom Of Information battle with alert Wings reader Benjamin Harrop over its conspiracy to frame and imprison the late Alex Salmond on false charges. Here’s a genuine extract. Yeah, definitely nothing to hide here. The release came a couple of days after the Scottish Information …

Trump?s Card
14 Dec 2024 at 6:59am

Keeping the fire burning
12 Dec 2024 at 12:21pm
Since it was founded back in November 2011, Wings Over Scotland has been solely financed by its readers. The site has never carried any advertising, we have no secret corporate backers, everything we do is funded by transparent voluntary donations and subscriptions, mostly of a few pounds a month. We have the freedom to write …

The Wage Thief
9 Dec 2024 at 2:33pm
6 November 2024 was a normal sitting day in the Scottish Parliament, so we shouldn’t be surprised that Nicola Sturgeon spent the previous evening in London, watching a special screening of a dreadful BBC Three sitcom about – of course – drag queens. But remarkably, though she must have been puffy-eyed and weary, the 6th …

Take your partners
7 Dec 2024 at 10:18am

The New Britain
3 Dec 2024 at 2:43pm
So things are getting pretty strange. Polling in Scotland, the UK and Wales in the last few days has shown Great Britain taking a fairly heavy swerve to the right after just five months of Sir Keir Starmer’s government. Labour now lead Reform (who have five seats to Labour’s 411) by just three points in …

What Went On
28 Nov 2024 at 12:51pm
The proceedings at the Supreme Court this week were a tough follow even if you could get the court’s abominably bad livestream to work. They’re all archived here now, but non-lawyers will probably glaze over quickly during the nine hours of intense legalese. We’re not allowed to clip up any illustrative sections, on pain of …

A Personal Best For Kezia
25 Nov 2024 at 6:53pm
Credit where it’s due: 17 months is the quickest she’s ever caught up with us. Fascinating new territory indeed.

The Unbargain Bin
23 Nov 2024 at 7:01am

Craig Murray

Lebanon and Syria: My Interview for L?Indipendente
17 Dec 2024 at 9:46am

What’s happening in Lebanon: interview with former British Ambassador Craig Murray 11 December 2024 – 19:00 The current situation in Lebanon is more delicate than ever. Despite the entry into force of the fragile cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel, the Jewish state continues to violate the terms of the agreement, claiming that it is only …

Lebanon and Syria: My Interview for L’Indipendente

Imperialism is Winning
16 Dec 2024 at 12:57pm

After six weeks in Beirut, duing which I witnessed a substantial swing in the balance of power in the Middle East in favour of the Greater Israel project, it is time to take stock. My reporting and advocacy work has no source of finance at all other than your contributions to keep us going. …

Imperialism is Winning

Abolishing Democracy in Europe
14 Dec 2024 at 2:17pm

On 4 October I spoke to a meeting of the United European Left group of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Arriving a bit early, I sat through a presentation by a Moldovan judge, Victoria Sanduta, who was formerly the President of the Association of Judges in Moldova. She had recently been dismissed, …

Abolishing Democracy in Europe

Costs ? Much Less Boring Than You Expect
12 Dec 2024 at 8:27am

You have probably noticed my frenetic and uncharacteristic appeals for donations across social media. This has been an experiment as to whether genuinely independent reporting from a colonialist war zone is possible, and the answer may be “No”. I want to explain the costs to you. Leaving aside for a paragraph or two the costs …

Costs – Much Less Boring Than You Expect

On the Lebanese/Syrian Border
11 Dec 2024 at 6:36am

Where reality is very different from what the BBC and CNN are telling you. My reporting and advocacy work has no source of finance at all other than your contributions to keep us going. We get nothing from any state nor any billionaire. Anybody is welcome to republish and reuse, including in translation. Because …

On the Lebanese/Syrian Border

The End of Pluralism in the Middle East
6 Dec 2024 at 8:34am

A truly seismic change in the Middle East appears to be happening very fast. At its heart is a devil’s bargain – Turkey and the Gulf States accept the annihilation of the Palestinian nation and creation of a Greater Israel, in return for the annihilation of the Shia minorities of Syria and Lebanon and the …

The End of Pluralism in the Middle East

BBC Scotland

Glen Sannox begins passenger service on 13 January
20 Dec 2024 at 10:04am
The CalMac ferry will begin timetabled sailings after a long-running political row over its construction.

Has Swinney got the SNP 'back on the front foot'?
20 Dec 2024 at 6:18am
From fears of an election wipeout to bouncing back with the budget, John Swinney reflects on a chaotic 2024.

Minister defends chauffeur trip to Old Firm final
19 Dec 2024 at 3:33pm
Angela Constance has been criticised after her son joined her in a taxpayer-funded trip to Hampden.

Labour retains Edinburgh Council leadership
19 Dec 2024 at 12:49pm
The party keeps hold of the capital after a scandal which saw former leader Cammy Day stand down.

Starmer wrong to deny Waspi women payout - Sarwar
18 Dec 2024 at 5:19pm
The Scottish Labour leader says he is disappointed the UK government is not providing compensation.

Reform remove Scottish official after family claim
18 Dec 2024 at 2:45pm
Nigel Farage's party insisted it "will not tolerate discrimination of anyone in any form".

Swinney: Waspi pension decision an 'embarrassment'
17 Dec 2024 at 5:47pm
Scottish Labour says it wanted "some form" of payout for women affected by pension age changes.

MSPs back plans to end 'double-jobbing'
17 Dec 2024 at 6:01pm
MSPs will no longer be allowed to sit in the House of Commons and Holyrood at the same time.

King's former school ends deal with spy row firm
17 Dec 2024 at 4:27pm
The deal with would have led to five new schools opening in China, all with close links to Gordonstoun.

Humza Yousaf to step down as MSP at next election
17 Dec 2024 at 11:31am
The former SNP leader says it will be the "right time" to leave the Scottish Parliament.

Who is Humza Yousaf? The rise and fall of a former first minister
17 Dec 2024 at 9:54am
A profile of Humza Yousaf, who has announced he is standing down as an MSP at the 2026 election.

Ministerial advisers able to launch conduct probes
17 Dec 2024 at 12:44pm
Ethics officers will be able to launch investigations without needing a referral from the first minister.

Scot Goes Pop

Your golden link to keep handy for whenever you encounter a true believer in ...
21 Dec 2024 at 10:11pm
I'd encourage everyone to read Owen Jones' remarkable investigative piece on Drop Site News about the sources of the BBC's pro-Israel bias during the ongoing genocide in Gaza.  And then I'd invite ...

A reply to Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp
21 Dec 2024 at 11:46am
Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp, who was ultimately responsible for commissioning the Norstat poll question about the monarchy and independence, left a series of irate comments on Scot Goes Pop yesterday.  Q...

What is the 1989 analogy here: is it Wenceslas Square, or a prelude to Tianan...
20 Dec 2024 at 8:51pm
I follow the MoskvaDown to Gorky ParkListening to the wind of CHA-ANGEAn August summer nightSoldiers passing byListening to the wind of CHA-ANGETake me To the magic of the momentOn a glory nightWhe...

More analysis of the Norstat poll suggesting 59% would vote for independence ...
20 Dec 2024 at 4:48pm
Just a quick note to let you know I have a new analysis piece at The National about the new poll suggesting a commitment to republicanism would increase Yes support by five percentage points.  You ...

No, the Believe in Scotland poll does not mean promising a republic would boo...
19 Dec 2024 at 8:33pm
As you may have seen by now, Believe in Scotland have commissioned a Norstat poll asking about support for independence in the hypothetical scenario that the Yes campaign promises that the monarchy...

Wings is following the "OTHER STUFF" signpost
18 Dec 2024 at 2:38pm
A typically jaw-dropping comment from Wings in his latest blogpost - "And to be honest, readers, living to see the truth finally come to light is the main driver that?s keeping this website going. ...

It's incoherent to stand in constituency seats while still telling voters to ...
17 Dec 2024 at 6:26pm
This is something that genuinely puzzles me, and I know it's a point that has also been made by Colette Walker of ISP.  If the Alba Party are planning to take the (unwise, in my view) step of inter...

My appeal against expulsion from the Alba Party will be heard in early January
16 Dec 2024 at 4:37pm
Chris McEleny told me last week that the clerk of the Appeals Committee would be in touch "in due course" about the details of my appeal, and I did wonder when he said that whether the clerk of the...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Two-child cap is ?cancelling Christmas for vulnerable children?, says SNP
22 Dec 2024 at 9:50am
The party highlighted the impact of the cap in the run-up to Christmas, accusing the UK Government of a 'dereliction of duty'.

Kenny MacAskill says he has ?always believed? Masud is Lockerbie bomber
21 Dec 2024 at 1:01pm
The former Scottish justice secretary spoke out ahead of the trial in the US next year of Libyan Abu Agila Masud ? who denies three charges.

John Swinney to face FMQs amid Labour WASPI compensation backlash
19 Dec 2024 at 11:32am
The First Minister will face questions from the opposition this afternoon.

I feared an SNP wipe-out in general election, says Swinney
19 Dec 2024 at 10:29am
The party was reduced from 48 seats at Westminster to just nine in July.

Constance and family member ?driven to Old Firm cup final in Government car?
19 Dec 2024 at 10:15am
It comes after health secretary Neil Gray received criticism for being chauffeured to a series of football matches.

Anas Sarwar calls decision not to compensate WASPI women ?deeply disappointing?
18 Dec 2024 at 5:38pm
The UK Government announced there would be no compensation for the women on Tuesday.

Humza Yousaf: I wouldn?t have survived UK General Election even if SNP ?consc...
18 Dec 2024 at 5:24pm
The former first minister announced on Tuesday that he would not seek re-election in 2026 following a turbulent year in politics.

Scotland?s top civil servant John Paul Marks to leave role for HMRC
18 Dec 2024 at 4:00pm
John Paul Marks was appointed permanent secretary in 2022.

Health secretary asked if pensioners could die after losing winter heating pa...
18 Dec 2024 at 1:35pm
Wes Streeting was asked about a 2017 Labour estimate that 4,000 people could die if the then government removed the payment.

PMQs: Keir Starmer faces MPs amid outrage over WASPI women payment decision
18 Dec 2024 at 12:09pm
The decision was blasted as 'absolutely disgusting' by campaigners, who have criticised the way changes to the state pension age were communicated.

Reform UK Scottish organiser sacked over loyalist paramilitary links
18 Dec 2024 at 12:00pm
Craig Campbell was removed from his position and is no longer a party member.

WASPI women criticise ?absolutely disgusting? compensation ?betrayal?
18 Dec 2024 at 8:44am
The UK Government is facing a barrage of criticism after choosing not to follow the recommendations of an independent watchdog.

?Double-jobbing? ban: Holyrood votes to block MSPs sitting as MPs after amend...
17 Dec 2024 at 6:21pm
It comes in the wake of a row involving Stephen Flynn, who announced he would be running for Holyrood while remaining an MP.

Target to decarbonise all passenger trains pushed back by decade
17 Dec 2024 at 2:59pm
Originally planned for 2035, ministers now say the complete removal of diesel trains will need to take place by 2045.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Labour received Cammy Day sexual harassment complaint almost two years before...
22 Dec 2024 at 4:30am
SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: The complaint from a constituent alleged Day had sent persistent and unsolicited intimate images which made the person feel uncomfortable.

Scots MP vows to continue fight against Starmer WASPI ruling
22 Dec 2024 at 4:30am
Brian Leishman is the only Scottish Labour MP to speak out against the decision not to compensate the women affected.

Councillor under investigation for inappropriate conduct has Labour whip remo...
22 Dec 2024 at 4:30am
SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: Bryan Pottinger has had the whip removed from the council group weeks before a disciplinary hearing.

NHS Scotland maintenance backlog hits 'staggering' record of £1.3bn
21 Dec 2024 at 4:30am
A Freedom of Information request showed that the maintenance backlog had hit record levels.

SNP accused of breaking promise as number of Scots worried about food poverty...
21 Dec 2024 at 4:30am
The latest Scottish Health Survey from 2023 one in seven Scots - some 14 per cent - were worried might not have enough food.

Former Scottish Labour minister Margaret Curran appointed to House of Lords
20 Dec 2024 at 3:24pm
Curran served in the Scottish Government and later as shadow Scottish secretary in Westminster.

Teaching union to ballot members over potential strike action in Glasgow
20 Dec 2024 at 2:22pm
The EIS will open a ballot on January 6 as it looks to pressure the council into reversing cuts to teaching numbers passed earlier this year.

Long-awaited ferry the Glen Sannox to enter service within weeks, says CalMac
20 Dec 2024 at 11:17am
The Glen Sannox was built at the beleaguered Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow and was initially due to be delivered in 2018.

Flights from Edinburgh to London cheaper than getting to Glasgow by train
20 Dec 2024 at 6:43am
The Scottish Government has been urged to reduce the cost of rail travel after a price comparison found it was cheaper to fly from Edinburgh to London than commute from the Scottish capital to Glas...

MSPs given pre-Christmas warning about using phones abroad following Michael ...
20 Dec 2024 at 4:30am
MSPs were warned that not telling Holyrood IT services they are going abroad "will result in expensive out of tariff charges or loss of connection".

The National

The National | Politics

John Curtice says Nicola Sturgeon could lead SNP's independence campaign
22 Dec 2024 at 8:54am

A LEADING pollster has suggested that Nicola Sturgeon?s ?value? to the SNP could come in ?heading up the campaign for independence?...

Keir Starmer is ?giving an open goal? to Nigel Farage's Reform UK - here's why
22 Dec 2024 at 5:00am

KEIR Starmer?s Labour Government are ?giving an open goal? to Reform UK with a mix of ?unpopular decisions? and ?poor communication?, according to experts.

Calls to scrap controversial plans for fees to sail on Clyde as petition laun...
22 Dec 2024 at 5:00am

CAMPAIGNERS are calling for plans to charge small boats to use the River Clyde to be scrapped as the move ?threatens? Scotland?s sailing community ...

Andrew Tickell: Labour's lengthy list of broken promises and pledges is baffling
22 Dec 2024 at 5:00am

IT comes back, in the end, to a problem of under-definition. Some political strategists promote the benefits of creative ambiguity...

'Abhorrent' two-child cap is ?cancelling Christmas for vulnerable children?, ...
22 Dec 2024 at 5:00am

THE two-child benefit cap is effectively ?cancelling Christmas for Scotland?s most vulnerable children?, the SNP have said.

Donald Trump's second presidency is on the way ? but is the world prepared?
22 Dec 2024 at 5:00am

LIKE an inbound hurricane, you can almost already feel the first gusts that presage his imminent arrival. One month out from when Donald Trump makes landfall at the White House for a second term as US president, his presence is blowing in across the stormy US and global...

We must grasp the opportunity presented by latest Scottish independence poll
22 Dec 2024 at 5:00am

JUST when you think nothing will ever change, and the dark nights and the short days of midwinter encourage you to despair, a glimmer of light beckons. Winter is here. Spring is coming...

Ian Murray urged to back campaign for Scotland games to be broadcast free
22 Dec 2024 at 5:00am

THE Greens have urged the Scottish Secretary to ?give Scotland the gift of football? this Christmas and back the party?s campaign to have national games on free-to-view TV...

New book questions Robert Burns' ties to Scottish independence movement
22 Dec 2024 at 5:00am

A NEW book raises the question of whether Burns is the best cultural icon for the Yes movement...

SNP slammed over MSP's leadership of 'Building Bridges With Israel' group
21 Dec 2024 at 5:00pm

THE SNP have been condemned over an MSP?s continued leadership of the ?Building Bridges With Israel? cross-party group ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Wendy Alexander to enter House of Lords as new peers named
20 Dec 2024 at 4:05pm
Sue Gray and former Scottish Labour figures named

Man convicted for threatening MSP after new parliament monitoring scheme intr...
19 Dec 2024 at 4:37pm
Security analysts were able to identify the individual?s social media account and track his threatening and racist language made against a male MSP using open-source data

John Swinney accused of underfunding health IT infrastructure after collapse ...
19 Dec 2024 at 3:01pm
First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Sandesh Gulhane clashed during?First Minister's Questions?over?the suitability of NHS IT infrastructure.

John Swinney criticises Anas Sarwar over UK Government Waspi compensation dec...
19 Dec 2024 at 2:25pm
The pair were taking part in the last FMQs of the year

Labour holds on to Edinburgh council as SNP-Green challenge falls
19 Dec 2024 at 2:09pm
Minority administration survives by four votes

Anas Sarwar: Government wrong not to compensate Waspi women
19 Dec 2024 at 7:03am
The Scottish Labour leader said 'a fairer compromise' could have been found

John-Paul Marks to exit Scottish Government for HMRC
18 Dec 2024 at 3:40pm
Permanent secretary to Scottish Government confirms departure

Scottish ministers to end WhatsApp use for official business
17 Dec 2024 at 4:00pm
Messaging apps will be removed from government devices next spring, Kate Forbes confirmed

Ongoing investment needed at Ferguson Marine as it faces ?uncertain? future
17 Dec 2024 at 11:35am
Deputy first minister Kate Forbes has said the government was ?committed? to putting the yard back on sustainable footing

Pressure on John Swinney to make statement after Information Commissioner rebuke
17 Dec 2024 at 11:27am
Scottish Labour called on Swinney to explain his role after the?commissioner?wrote a letter to John Paul Marks, the country's most senior civil servant

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

UK politics: Waspi campaign accuses Starmer of misinformation over claim 90% ...
18 Dec 2024 at 6:06pm
Activists say ombudsman?s findings ?based on rigorous evidence 60% had no idea? of changesScottish ministers are to set up a pilot project to test the automatic enrolment of young people on the electoral register, as part of a modernisation of Holyrood?s election laws.The trial is expected to inv...

Nigel Farage and Nick Candy say they met Musk at Mar-a-Lago to discuss doing ...
17 Dec 2024 at 5:46pm
Farage and Reform UK treasurer met Musk at Donald Trump?s Florida home, party saysJonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, has announced that the scope of the compensation programme for victims of the Post Office scandal will be extended to cover earlier potential victims.The government already...

Humza Yousaf to stand down and warns over Elon Musk?s UK election threat
17 Dec 2024 at 10:01am
Scotland?s former first minister to quit frontline politics and says alarm bells should be ringing over potential Musk interferenceHumza Yousaf, Scotland?s former first minister, has announced he is to quit frontline politics at the next Scottish elections as he criticised Elon Musk?s interferenc...

Nicola Sturgeon rues descent into ?toxic? debate on topics such as equal marr...
16 Dec 2024 at 5:00am
Former first minister marks 10th anniversary of legislation in Scotland with call for vigilance over polarisationThe ?civilised? debate that led to the legalisation of equal marriage in Scotland would not be possible 10 years on amid a global trend towards polarisation and the increasing inabilit...

?I feel I?ve upset a few people over the years?: actor Brian Cox on overrated...
7 Dec 2024 at 7:00am
He?s famed for grumpy roles and outspoken views, but don?t be fooled ? the Succession star is a pussycat at heart. He talks about growing up in poverty, falling in love with his wife ? and out of love with LabourAs I leave the office, my editor wishes me luck. ?Hope he?s not too grumpy!? she says...

PCS union says Starmer?s criticism of civil servants ?inaccurate and cowardly...
6 Dec 2024 at 5:22pm
This live blog is closedHere is the ?family photo? from today?s British-Irish Council (BIC) summit in Edinburgh. The BIC was set up 25 years ago, after the Good Friday agreement, and today?s summit is the 42nd it has held.In an interview on LBC this morning Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister...

Two-child benefit cap ?will be scrapped? in Scotland, vows SNP
4 Dec 2024 at 5:50pm
Scotland?s finance secretary, Shona Robison, reveals plans in budget to end ?pernicious? policyThe Scottish government has unveiled plans to scrap Westminster?s controversial two-child benefit cap to lift thousands of ?children out of poverty?.Scotland?s finance secretary, Shona Robison, said her...

Scottish ministers mull tax rise for wealthy amid tricky budget decisions
3 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
Finance secretary must find way to bring either Greens or Lib Dems onboard while plugging possible £200m shortfallScottish ministers are contemplating modest tax increases for the better off and plan to scrap the freeze in council tax rates as they search for extra money in this week?s budget.Sho...

Reform UK ?bullish and optimistic? as polls predict success in Scotland
1 Dec 2024 at 11:03am
Recent polling puts party above 10%, which could result in up to 12 MSPs at next Scottish parliament electionsReform UK is celebrating ?an extraordinary sense of momentum? north of the border, as Scotland?s top polling expert predicts the populist right party could end up deciding the next Holyro...

Mourners honour ?political genius? Alex Salmond at Edinburgh service
30 Nov 2024 at 3:52pm
Family and friends gathered for speeches and musical performances from the Proclaimers and Dougie MacLeanThe former prime minister Gordon Brown and the Scottish first minister, John Swinney, were among those who gathered at a memorial service for Alex Salmond after his sudden death in October at ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Record support for an independent Scottish republic
19 Dec 2024 at 6:48pm
The pro-independence campaign group Believe in Scotland has released an important new poll. The group asked an additional question in the recent Norstat poll published in the Sunday Times which showed support for independence at an impressive 54%. The Times poll asked the question, Should Scotland be an independent country? This question produced the result …

Starmer?s Waspi betrayal will come back and sting him
17 Dec 2024 at 7:03pm
What exactly is going on with this Labour government? It’s like they have decided to set out to piss off as many pensioners as they can in the shortest amount of time. If that’s what they’re doing, then they are certainly one of the most successful governments in modern history. Perhaps they’re hoping all the …

2026 could be the last chance saloon for independence
16 Dec 2024 at 11:05am
There was the usual flurry of outrage from the usual suspects in the comments section of an article in the Sunday edition of The National which reported that the SNP leadership does not intend to use the recent positive opinion poll putting support for independence on 54% in order to press for an immediate independence …

Starmer?s Scottish chickens are coming home to roost
9 Dec 2024 at 11:23am
A Scottish opinion poll published following the announcement of the Scottish budget appears to show that in a sharp rebuke to Keir Starmer and the neo-Blairites who have captured the Labour party, Holyrood is set to have a pro-independence majority following the next Scottish elections, and support for independence is at 54%, its highest level …

Starmer continues the Tory war on devolution
6 Dec 2024 at 9:45am
The Labour party isn’t even pretending to respect the devolution settlement now. Labour’s idea of Scottish devolution is that they’ll support it as long as Scotland votes for a Labour controlled Scottish Government. It’s the do as we say because you can’t be trusted school of British nationalist paternalism. It’s not for a government in …

Farage and Musk are coming for Scotland
3 Dec 2024 at 10:14am
? ?Farage has KGBNews, Elon Musk and Twitter, he’s all over TikTok. The Trump cultists and all the power behind their libertarian aims back him too, as well as the dark money funded ‘think tanks of Tufton St. Farage is the UK face of a world wide and well funded movement to turn democracies into …

Institutional disobedience could be the way forward for independence
25 Nov 2024 at 11:57am
There’s a very interesting and important article in The National this Sunday by the much respected writer and commentator Neal Ascherson about charting a way forward for the independence campaign and breaking through the current constitutional impasse. His argument follows from two key points. Firstly, the idea of independence as a plausible and realistic constitutional …

Sarwar?s U turn is not what it seems
19 Nov 2024 at 6:34pm
When is a promise not a promise? When it’s a promise made by the Labour party in Scotland. Then it’s not a promise, it’s a lie. Right now on BBC Scotland there’s a programme about exposing scammers who call people making fake promises and end up ripping them off. It would be nice if BBC …

The X-odus to BlueSky: a dug in a blue sky
15 Nov 2024 at 6:31pm
Last week the Guardian newspaper announced that it would no longer be posting on Twitter. I refuse to call it X. You tweet on Twitter – what do you do on X? You excrete of course, and since the platform was taken over by the world’s biggest attention seeker Elon Musk, Twitter has become a …

The far right could come to Scotland too
12 Nov 2024 at 12:06pm
With the decisive victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential elections and his MAGA Republicans taking the Senate and edging towards a majority in the lower chamber, the House of Representatives, far right post-truth populist nationalism has scored its greatest achievement ever. The American Government is now in the hands of climate change denying …

The Courier

Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

Dundee University cuts postgraduate teaching posts in cash crisis
20 Dec 2024 at 2:34pm
University chiefs told some students no new tutoring contracts will be handed out for the rest of the academic year.

Dundee University staff overwhelmingly vote ?no confidence? in bosses over fi...
19 Dec 2024 at 2:17pm
Staff at Dundee University panned the leadership of the remaining management team after principal Iain Gillespie quit suddenly.

3 Dundee University successes achieved while bosses preside over financial cr...
19 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
Despite the huge deficit facing the university, staff have often been at the cutting edge of research.

ALASDAIR CLARK: John Swinney has reshaped struggling SNP into party eyeing un...
19 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
When he took over many predicted John Swinney would manage the SNP's decline. Instead, all eyes are on a potential fifth term in government.

7 times Dundee?s Humza Yousaf hit the headlines ? from suing nursery to fall ...
17 Dec 2024 at 11:14am
The ex-SNP leader announced he plans to leave Holyrood at the next election, less than eight months after quitting the top job.

Dundee-based former first minister Humza Yousaf to quit at next election
17 Dec 2024 at 8:42am
The Glasgow MSP - who lives in Broughty Ferry with his family - will not seek re-election in 2026.

Readers react with fury to £15 a day Dundee driving charge idea
17 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
Courier readers were astonished at the transport proposals we published on Friday.

EXCLUSIVE: Fife businessman?s links to alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo revealed
16 Dec 2024 at 5:17pm
Alistair Michie, from Pittenweem, is co-director of a UK-China business with Yang Tengbo, an alleged Chinese spy with links to Prince Andrew.

Dundee University: Key ?court? roles under scrutiny as crisis deepens
16 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
The board that oversees the university's finances is being asked who knew what and when.

John Swinney hails budget rise for Perth and Kinross council as it mulls huge...
16 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
John Swinney said his government's budget gave Perth and Kinross Council's more money than it planned for when councillors backed a tax hike of 10%.

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland

Safe drug consumption ? handing the fruits of the SNP?s long efforts to Labou...
22 Dec 2024 at 8:33am
Professor John Robertson OBA The Guardian above, painting a very Scottish initiative as belonging to the UK. UK Conservative governments have long refused, since at least 2019, requests from the SNP Government in Scotland, for permission to even pilot a safe drug consumption room. In 2021, long after the first calls were made, the Scottish Government published an evidence paper1 which made the ...

Rail performance ? BBC Scotland seeking to frame and amplify a newspaper?s fr...
21 Dec 2024 at 6:15pm
By stewartb The iWeekend?s front page is reproduced prominently in the Scotland section of the BBC News website today. One has to magnify the picture on the web page to read the text immediately below the headline which notes: ?? with Scotrail performing better than most?. This appearance of the I?s front page on the BBC site provides yet another ?noteworthy? example of editorial choices by the...

Imagine Calmac risked your life for corporate profit?
21 Dec 2024 at 4:09pm
People injured after P&O cruise ship involved in ‘weather-related incident’ in Mallorca As CalMac cancels sailings today, It’s worth remembering incidents like the above in 2023. Leaving aside weather cancellations for winds above 45knots, how does CalMac do, while keeping everyone safe? Take the much talked-about Arran service? 97% on time: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/h...

Imagine if this happened in Scotland ? 1 in 4 NHS England trusts raised parki...
21 Dec 2024 at 3:30pm
From BBC England today: A rise in the cost of parking at hospitals is unfairly penalising patients and their families, a charity has said. The Patients Association was responding to news that one in four NHS trusts had raised charges at at some point in the two years to March 2024. Oxford University Hospitals, Royal Berkshire and Hampshire Hospitals NHS trusts were among those to have upped the...

The importance of distinguishing the Scottish Society for the Prevention of C...
21 Dec 2024 at 2:17pm
From the Guardian today, above, and this below: The BBC presenter Chris Packham and the former Green party leader Caroline Lucas have resigned from the RSPCA animal-welfare charity, accusing the organisation of ?legitimising cruelty?. It comes after an undercover investigation from Animal Rising, which campaigns for a plant-based food system, used hidden cameras to reveal animal cruelty at RSPC...

How a ?Scotland Edition? is completely off-track and failing to tell you that...
21 Dec 2024 at 12:51pm
Today’s iWeekend title page, clearly completely ignorant and unconcerned, to provide Scots with the truth. What is the truth? ScotRail has been named as one of the most reliable train companies in the UK in a new study. Analysis of official figures for the UK?s 24 major train operators, focusing on the percentage of train journeys either cancelled or delayed by 15 minutes or more, showed ScotRa...

3 years after SNP end all hospital parking charges, hospital staff in England...
21 Dec 2024 at 10:28am
Frankly, I’m shocked to hear today, the BBC report that one English hospital has just announced free Christmas parking, only days after a Brighton hospital essential worker reported paying more than £50 per week. Yesterday, I parked free at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank, never thinking for a minute than anyone paid to park for a hospital visit, these days. The SNP scrapped the charge...

Too positive to be newsworthy? Scotland?s train cancellations found to be low...
20 Dec 2024 at 2:59pm
By stewartb ?Worst major train stations for cancellations named? is the headline of a BBC News website article today (December 20). Despite being Great Britain wide in scope, the story features in the site?s news for England. The same story featured prominently in Radio 4?s Today programme (also on December 20), both in news bulletins and in interviews, including with a Westminster government m...

Listen to Australian Labor Party?s academic expert as she warns nuclear energ...
20 Dec 2024 at 11:30am
The Labour Party in Scotland fully backs the UK Government plans to build new nuclear power stations in Scotland, regardless of widespread opposition to the idea among the population and UK research linking these installations to a range of cancers, but especially breast cancer, thyroid cancer and child leukaemia, in surrounding areas.1 Meanwhile, in Australia, the Labor Party is campaigning ag...

?Scots flooding across border to snap up cut price alcohol? ? How the media a...
20 Dec 2024 at 11:24am
Anonymous Last Sunday this was the headlines on The Sunday Post?s front page. ?Scots flooding across border to snap up cut price alcohol? Where apparently alcohol was being bought in ?bulk? by Scots when in England. Apparently this was during trips to England, so people are not specifically going to England just to buy alcohol in bulk then ? As in the same alcohol that if bought in bulk and the...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

New book questions Robert Burns' ties to Scottish independence movement - The...
22 Dec 2024 at 5:01am
New book questions Robert Burns' ties to Scottish independence movement  The National

Will Scotland ever become an Independent nation-state? - Forbes
19 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Will Scotland ever become an Independent nation-state?  Forbes

Sturgeon predicts independence and united Ireland in UK 'shake-up' - BBC.com
17 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Sturgeon predicts independence and united Ireland in UK 'shake-up'  BBC.com

Scottish independence poll 2024 - Statista
9 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2024  Statista

Is the dream of Scottish independence over? - POLITICO Europe
1 May 2024 at 8:00am
Is the dream of Scottish independence over?  POLITICO Europe

10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum - Sky News
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum  Sky News

Scottish independence: 10 years on - YouGov
17 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence: 10 years on  YouGov

Representing Scotland: Conservative narratives of nation, union, and Scottish...
24 Jun 2024 at 12:17pm
Representing Scotland: Conservative narratives of nation, union, and Scottish independence  Frontiers

Ten years on from Scotland?s independence referendum - The Economist
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Ten years on from Scotland?s independence referendum  The Economist

Alex Salmond, former Scottish first minister who nearly got Scotland?s indepe...
12 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond, former Scottish first minister who nearly got Scotland?s independence from UK, dies at 69  PBS NewsHour

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Has John Swinney got the SNP 'back on the front foot'? - BBC.com
20 Dec 2024 at 6:16pm
Has John Swinney got the SNP 'back on the front foot'?  BBC.com

Curtice: Sturgeon could 'head up campaign for independence' to bring value to...
22 Dec 2024 at 5:07am
Curtice: Sturgeon could 'head up campaign for independence' to bring value to SNP  HeraldScotland

John Curtice says Nicola Sturgeon could lead SNP's independence campaign - Th...
22 Dec 2024 at 8:56am
John Curtice says Nicola Sturgeon could lead SNP's independence campaign  The National

Nicola Sturgeon knows 'nothing more' about SNP police probe - bbc.co.uk
16 Dec 2024 at 9:50am
Nicola Sturgeon knows 'nothing more' about SNP police probe  bbc.co.uk

Two-child cap is ?cancelling Christmas for vulnerable children?, says SNP - S...
22 Dec 2024 at 9:51am
Two-child cap is ?cancelling Christmas for vulnerable children?, says SNP  STV News

MSP accuses SNP of breaking food poverty promise - Shetland Times Online
21 Dec 2024 at 2:48pm
MSP accuses SNP of breaking food poverty promise  Shetland Times Online

Election 2024: Scotland headed for huge change with SNP set to lose dozens of...
31 May 2024 at 8:00am
Election 2024: Scotland headed for huge change with SNP set to lose dozens of seats to Labour  The Conversation

Nicola Sturgeon knows 'nothing more' about police probe 18 months after arres...
16 Dec 2024 at 2:04pm
Nicola Sturgeon knows 'nothing more' about police probe 18 months after arrest  Sky News

Salmond aided police in SNP finance probe - The Spectator
19 Dec 2024 at 12:20pm
Salmond aided police in SNP finance probe  The Spectator

Genome-wide association testing beyond SNPs - Nature.com
7 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Genome-wide association testing beyond SNPs  Nature.com

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

The agony and ecstasy of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum - BBC.com
17 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
The agony and ecstasy of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum  BBC.com

Is the dream of Scottish independence over? - POLITICO Europe
1 May 2024 at 8:00am
Is the dream of Scottish independence over?  POLITICO Europe

Alex Salmond: Scotland?s first nationalist leader and a tireless campaigner f...
12 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond: Scotland?s first nationalist leader and a tireless campaigner for independence  The Conversation Indonesia

10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum - Sky News
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum  Sky News

Scottish independence poll 2024 - Statista
9 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2024  Statista

Ten years on from Scotland?s independence referendum - The Economist
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Ten years on from Scotland?s independence referendum  The Economist

Scottish independence referendum: legal issues - Commons Library
16 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence referendum: legal issues  Commons Library

Scottish independence: 10 years on - YouGov
17 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence: 10 years on  YouGov

Alex Salmond, former Scottish first minister who nearly got Scotland?s indepe...
12 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond, former Scottish first minister who nearly got Scotland?s independence from UK, dies at 69  PBS NewsHour

Alex Salmond, leading figure in Scottish independence movement, dies at age 6...
12 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond, leading figure in Scottish independence movement, dies at age 69  CNN