The Herald

The Herald | Politics


'Happier than ever': Has Nicola Sturgeon already checked out of politics?
11 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
Nicola Sturgeon resigned dramatically as First Minister three years ago. What has she done since and has she essentially already bowed out of frontline politics?


Scotland?s pubs and clubs fear 'severe' consequences as Budget looms
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
11 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
Scotland?s hospitality industry has warned that pubs, clubs and restaurants face job losses and closures unless business rates relief is extended in Tuesday?s Budget, piling pressure on ministers as finances tighten and revaluation hikes loom.


Russia?s 'dark' fleet is out of the shadows ... but will likely go even darker
by david.pratt@heraldandtimes.co.uk | David Pratt
11 Jan 2026 at 6:17am
The risky operation last week to seize a sanctions busting oil tanker ratchets up tensions in an already volatile world, writes Foreign Editor David Pratt


As Trump plunders, Keir Starmer refuses to stand between the trolley and the ...
11 Jan 2026 at 6:15am
THERE was a time, not long ago when my personal code prevented me from watching footage of real-life killings on the internet.


Peter Mandelson refuses to apologise to victims over Jeffrey Epstein relation...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
11 Jan 2026 at 11:18am
Peter Mandelson refused to apologise to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein for his close relationship with the convicted paedophile.


You can feel it already: Scotland is on the edge of an AI reckoning
by Ronee Hulk
11 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
Edinburgh-based author and entrepreneur Ronee Hulk argues Scotland must move faster, think bigger and decide whether it leads the AI era or merely hosts it.


Protesters swarm US consulate in Edinburgh call for release of Maduro
by Rachel Keenan
10 Jan 2026 at 2:39pm
The protest was held following the attack on the South American country last week


Greens call on Government to bring in ?mansion tax? in Budget
by Katrine Bussey
10 Jan 2026 at 1:48pm
The policy, Mr Greer claims, could raise £125 million for local services every year


John Swinney angers medics with remarks on A&E corridor care levels
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
10 Jan 2026 at 6:00am
John Swinney has angered senior medics after he claimed corridor care conditions in A&E were "sustainable".


'Not racist': Reform MSP defends Nigel Farage amid controversial remarks
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
10 Jan 2026 at 5:30am
Nigel Farage and Reform UK are not ?racist?, the party?s only MSP has said amid intense scrutiny.


Labour funding shake-up puts Glasgow jobs schemes in 'serious jeopardy' warns...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
10 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
Susan Aitken warns Labour?s Local Growth Fund risks cutting jobs and community programmes across Glasgow City Region.


More than 100 sex workers sign open letter to MSPs opposing 'dangerous' Regan...
10 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
A total of 120 sex workers have signed an open letter to MSPs urging them to oppose Ash Regan's 'Unbuyable Bill' which they argue will put them at further risk of violence.


Scotland?s new food tsar reveals the truth about meals in our schools and hos...
11 Jan 2026 at 6:15am
Jayne Jones has just become head of the new Scottish Food Commission. She talks candidly to our Writer at Large about why the SNP government needs to up its game


?Half my twenties were wasted?: Woman waiting years for gynaecology care in S...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
10 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
A woman stuck waiting for gynaecological care has told The Herald that half of her twenties have been wasted in pain and uncertainty, as experts warn Scotland?s gynaecology waiting lists are at crisis levels.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Scotland on the 'front line' of Trump-Putin tensions, says defence expert
11 Jan 2026 at 12:36pm

Three US special forces aircraft landed at Wick John O'Groats airport in Caithness last week before seizing a Russian-flagged oil tanker accused of sanctions busting.

Campaigners say public diners should become commonplace across Scotland.

Social Security Scotland?s staffing levels soar above those of the DWP despite the Scottish Government claiming it is reducing civil service headcount

From tackling the loneliness epidemic to helping people with the cost-of-living, people should be open to the idea of public diners.

Edinburgh Council said it was ?appalled? by the vandalism

Shona Robison will deliver her final Scottish Budget this week.

Campaigners have hit out at the Scottish Government?s blueprint to cut waste.

Protesters have gathered outside the US consulate in Edinburgh to demonstrate against the arrest and detention of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Wings over Scotland

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 …

The Gulf War
1 Jan 2026 at 7:00am
Yesterday we noted in passing that independence support now outstrips that of the SNP by more than 20 points, making the party into a gigantic liability as the vehicle for enabling Scots to leave the UK. Put simply, even when voters want independence (as most now do), they’re not willing to vote SNP to get …

The Fear Of The Briar
31 Dec 2025 at 11:42am
With Reform now pretty consistently miles in front in polling for the next UK election, logically this is brilliant news for the Scottish independence movement, isn’t it? So can anyone explain why the SNP is so desperate to stop them? That’s a rhetorical question, of course. As we’ve repeatedly explored on Wings over the last …

The Curious Fringes
29 Dec 2025 at 2:14pm
There’s a post on the superwoke poll-analysis account Ballot Box Scotland today bemoaning the lack of interest in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election from polling companies, and presenting it as some sort of anti-Scottish conspiracy. The real reason nobody’s very interested, of course, is that as things stand the election is an obvious foregone conclusion …

A matter of class
19 Dec 2025 at 5:14pm
Something very odd happened when the Sandie Peggie employment tribunal delivered its judgment – and it wasn?t just the made-up quotes and mangled law. Call it institutional bias, ideological capture, or just the law doing its job, but what Employment Judge Sandy Kemp?s tribunal delivered was the most one-sided outcome since Butch and Sundance decided …

Contempt Of Government
19 Dec 2025 at 11:47am
This is actually pretty serious. Because, y’know, you can call us old-fashioned purists or sticklers or whatever if you like, but government ministers probably shouldn’t openly lie in prepared statements to the High Court in order to pervert the course of justice. And this is as clear a knowing, deliberate lie as you could hope …

The Idiot Rodeo
14 Dec 2025 at 2:12pm
As recently as this weekend, the Scottish Government claimed that it has “made clear it accepts the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland and is taking forward the detailed work necessary”. But as with so much the Scottish Government says, it’s a barefaced lie. And we know that not just from its total inaction, …

Craig Murray

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

Venezuela and Truth
4 Jan 2026 at 10:21am

The mainstream media covered Venezuela non-stop yesterday. They many times mentioned Delcy Rodríguez, Vice President, because Trump stated she is now in charge. They never mentioned that 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the torture to death of her father, socialist activist Jorge Rodríguez, by the CIA-backed security services of the US-aligned Pérez regime in …

Venezuela and Truth

Hunger Strikes and Court Cases
16 Dec 2025 at 9:15pm

Fighting the proscription of Palestine Action has become more urgent as eight brave activists enter the crucial period of their hunger strike. 12 January has finally been set for the court hearing on holding a Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. I am frankly terrified for the hunger strikers. Qesser Zuhrah Amu …

Hunger Strikes and Court Cases

The Skripal Novichok Hoax
12 Dec 2025 at 9:58am

I did not anticipate that an open public meeting in Salisbury itself would be 95% sceptical of the official Novichok hoax – but it was. Thanks to UK Column for putting this on. I hope you find it enlightening – there is information which goes beyond my previous articles on the subject. In about a …

The Skripal Novichok Hoax

Your Party, and Its Conference
9 Dec 2025 at 1:14am

It is probably no bad thing that health struggles have delayed my writing up Your Party’s extraordinary Liverpool founding conference. Perspective is definitely helpful to process something unique. Personally, I could not help but be struck by the number of participants who approached me as regular readers of my blog, certainly well into three figures. …

Your Party, and Its Conference

The Filton Trial
7 Dec 2025 at 8:35pm

“The policewoman attacked by a sledgehammer” has been the constant refrain of the government against Palestine Action. A couple of days before the judicial review of the proscription in England, and despite fierce reporting restrictions on the trial, the prosecution released to the media highly edited video footage from the current trial in Woolwich Crown …

The Filton Trial

BBC Scotland

Doctors strike called off as union backs latest pay deal
9 Jan 2026 at 4:06pm
Medics had been set to go on the first national walkout staged by NHS workers on Tuesday in a dispute over pay.

Ministers 'concealed' they had no money to build bypass - MSP
9 Jan 2026 at 2:16pm
The claim was made by former SNP MSP Fergus Ewing, who broke away from the party after falling out with colleagues over oil and gas, gender and roads.

Swinney would send Scots troops to Ukraine if peace agreed
9 Jan 2026 at 6:19am
The first minister also warned that the post-war peace in western Europe could be under threat.

Labour's plans to get Anas Sarwar into Bute House
9 Jan 2026 at 4:45pm
Scottish Labour faces a tough fight to win at Holyrood in May but party insiders believe Bute House is within their reach.

Scottish Parliament backs new tax on housebuilding
8 Jan 2026 at 5:42pm
MSPs have voted in favour of the general principles of a bill that aims to raise money to repair unsafe cladding.

Swinney backs action against Russia after Scots airports used during tanker o...
8 Jan 2026 at 1:46pm
The first minister says he was not briefed on a US-led operation a few hundred miles off Scotland's coast.

Delayed discharges costing NHS Scotland £440m a year
8 Jan 2026 at 4:26pm
A report from Audit Scotland says one in nine hospital beds were occupied by patients who could have been discharged.

US planes land at Scottish airport during operation to seize tanker
7 Jan 2026 at 5:42pm
Three U-28A Dracos - used by the US Air Force special operations command - stopped at Scottish -government owned Wick airport before heading north.

Justice secretary found to have breached ministerial code
6 Jan 2026 at 4:16pm
Angela Constance was given a written reprimand following a row over her comments about grooming gangs expert.

MSPs to get £3,000 pay increase next year
6 Jan 2026 at 4:47pm
The 4.3% salary hike will lead to salaries at the Scottish Parliament rising from £74,507 to £77,710.

Scottish party leaders set out stalls ahead of election
5 Jan 2026 at 2:15pm
John Swinney, Anas Sarwar and Russell Findlay have made their pitches for May's Holyrood vote.

Public holiday to celebrate Scotland's World Cup return
5 Jan 2026 at 12:14pm
Scotland will face Haiti in Boston on Sunday 14 June before taking on Morocco and Brazil in the US.

Scot Goes Pop

Has Trump ushered in an American FASCISM? His administration now has SEVEN o...
11 Jan 2026 at 9:45am
I know we were all keen for RevStew to finally put a sock in it about the trans issue, but given that he's replaced that obsession with 24/7 apologism for a woman's murder, perhaps he should be enc...

SNP have FOUR TIMES as much support as Labour in YouGov's astounding first su...
9 Jan 2026 at 1:35am
In the video below, I also give my thoughts on Stuart Campbell's frankly disturbing reaction to the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, which has shocked even his habitual supporters and defenders to th...

Alba's death-throes UPDATE: party insider makes explosive allegation that Ken...
7 Jan 2026 at 3:12pm
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...

Through their craven silence on Venezuela, the leaders of European countries ...
5 Jan 2026 at 9:44am
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...

An update about the Great Scot Goes Pop Video-Blogging Experiment, and the pr...
3 Jan 2026 at 4:31pm
A few minutes ago, my phone spontaneously managed to escape from my pocket onto the road outside my house for the second time in the space of six months, smashing the screen yet again.  I thought I...

Professor John Curtice projects the SNP *are* on course for Holyrood list sea...
3 Jan 2026 at 9:11am
The video below also briefly touches on an astoundingly ill-informed tweet from "RevStew" about Quebec politics, which rather calls into question the oft-heard claims that he's some sort of highly ...

New Year, NEW STEW? Controversial blogger dramatically ADMITS an average of ...
2 Jan 2026 at 9:38am
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 pretty close to halfway to its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

"Simply spellbinding": analysis of new Find Out Now poll showing support for ...
30 Dec 2025 at 8:18pm
Just a quick note to let you know that I have an analysis piece at The National about the new independence poll that the paper has commissioned from Find Out Now, and which has Yes comfortably ahea...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Scottish Budget ?to focus on NHS and cost of living support?, vows Robison
11 Jan 2026 at 10:47am
Robison will set out the pre-election draft Budget to Holyrood on Tuesday.

Greens urge Scottish Government to bring in ?mansion tax? in Budget
10 Jan 2026 at 12:35pm
Party co-leader Ross Greer claims a tax on the three most valuable property bands could raise £125m for local services every year.

Scottish doctors strike suspended after ?intense negotiations? amid fresh pay...
9 Jan 2026 at 12:16pm
Doctors were due to walk out between Tuesday, January 13 and Saturday, January 18 but negotiations have now led to a vote on a new offer.

NHS Scotland ?repeatedly releasing? bodies to wrong families
8 Jan 2026 at 2:27pm
NHS bosses launched an investigation after a family cremated the wrong remains.

John Swinney to face questions after delayed discharges cost NHS £440m
8 Jan 2026 at 11:16am
An Audit Scotland report released on Thursday showed more than 720,000 bed days were lost in 2024-25.

I want to be first minister, says potential Reform leader in Scotland
8 Jan 2026 at 10:36am
Lord Malcolm Offord said his name is in the hat for the role of the party?s Scottish leader.

I can still be Scotland?s next first minister, says Sarwar as he backs Starmer
7 Jan 2026 at 11:26am
The Scottish Labour leader said: ?I believe we will elect a new first minister in this country and I believe that will be me.?

?Ease the pain? and slash Scots? bills, Tories tell Swinney ahead of budget
7 Jan 2026 at 7:13am
The Scottish Conservatives have called on John Swinney to cut taxes on people and businesses.

MSP Ash Regan suspended from Holyrood for two days
6 Jan 2026 at 6:47pm
Regan was found to have breached the MSP code of conduct.

Justice secretary ?unintentionally? broke ministerial code, investigation finds
6 Jan 2026 at 3:14pm
Constance was accused of misleading MSPs by misrepresenting comments made by an expert on grooming gangs during a Holyrood debate in September.

MSP salary to rise by 4.3% in April
6 Jan 2026 at 1:40pm
The increase will see the annual MSP salary rise from £74,507 to £77,710.

First minister receives report into justice secretary misconduct claims
6 Jan 2026 at 1:26pm
Constance was accused of misleading MSPs by misrepresenting comments made by an expert on grooming gangs during a Holyrood debate in September.

Holyrood rivals clash on independence, cost of living and immigration
6 Jan 2026 at 7:11am
Senior figures from the six main parties went head-to-head in a special Scotland Tonight programme.

Scottish Labour?s Anas Sarwar admits Starmer ?not popular with public right now?
5 Jan 2026 at 4:21pm
Anas Sarwar said UK Labour had done many things well, but he said there were still many challenges they had to confront.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scotland on 'front line' of increasing tensions between Donald Trump and Vlad...
11 Jan 2026 at 11:00am
Russian aircraft and naval vessels have repeatedly strayed into Scottish airspace and maritime zones in recent years.

Scots firefighters warn lives will be lost if service hit with more cuts
11 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
The warning comes ahead of Tuesday's Scottish Budget where SNP Finance Secretary Shona Robison will set out the government's spending plans.

Burst pipe halts operations at scandal-hit Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
9 Jan 2026 at 5:30pm
EXCLUSIVE: The "very concerning incident" occurred at Scotland's flagship hospital, which has been plagued with issues since its opening in 2015.

John Swinney 'worried' his son may have to fight in a future war due to 'turb...
9 Jan 2026 at 1:54pm
The First Minister spoke of the pain his mother endured after her brother was killed aged just 21 in the final days of the Second World War.

Scotland 'must follow Wales' and legally enforce 20mph speed limit in built-u...
9 Jan 2026 at 11:32am
EXCLUSIVE: The Scottish Greens argue the law must be changed to ensure a nationwide approach to 20mph speed limits and improve road safety.

Scots face huge council tax increases in 2026 as local authorities 'close to ...
9 Jan 2026 at 10:24am
The majority of Scotland's 32 local authorities have warned they are at risk of insolvency.

Scots firefighters report 500 injuries while working in just three years
9 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said the figures proved the need for continual investment in training and improved safety equipment.

NHS 'repeatedly releasing bodies of dead Scots to wrong families', Swinney wa...
8 Jan 2026 at 5:33pm
MSPs have urged the First Minister to take action after the recent "wrongful release" of a person was only discovered after they were cremated.

SNP Government Budget to pass after Scottish Labour signal abstention over ta...
8 Jan 2026 at 4:03pm
Anas Sarwar says he will not make the Budget "fall" after it is announced next week.

Scots airport may have been used as 'staging post' by US military to seize oi...
8 Jan 2026 at 2:23pm
The First Minister said he had "no knowledge" on whether the American aircraft which landed at Wick were part of a military operation in the North Atlantic.

The National

The National | Politics

Scotland 'on the front line of Nato defence against Russia'
11 Jan 2026 at 1:18pm

Scotland is on the 'front line' of Nato?s defence against Russian aggression, a former Tory cabinet minister has said

John Swinney needs to lead with the honesty UK lacks
11 Jan 2026 at 12:00pm

If John Swinney truly believes in independence, honesty is required

SNP ramp up bid to strip Peter Mandelson of peerage after BBC interview
11 Jan 2026 at 12:02pm

The SNP are set to escalate their attempt to strip disgraced former ambassador Peter Mandelson of his peerage

Estate swallows £1.5m in public money despite deer failings
11 Jan 2026 at 11:00am

A Highland estate which Scotland?s wildlife agency says failed to stop rampant deer from harming protected areas has received nearly £1.5 million in public subsidies

Peter Mandelson refuses to apologise to Jeffrey Epstein victims
11 Jan 2026 at 10:32am

Peter Mandelson has refused to apologise to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein for his relationship with the convicted paedophile

Fury as Peter Mandelson appears on BBC despite Jeffrey Epstein links
11 Jan 2026 at 9:59am

The BBC has been met with fury after Peter Mandelson appeared on the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme

The questions the SNP must answer on independence and defence
11 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

?I DON?T need international law,? Donald Trump said this week, after the US kidnapped Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker, and ...

BBC Scotland errors outpace rest of BBC UK branches combined, analysis finds
11 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

MORE error corrections have been issued for BBC Scotland over the past three years than for BBC Wales, BBC Northern Ireland, and all the regional English BBC offices combined

The safety of our nation will rely on European links
11 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

The only part of the world that has actually maintained solidarity and co-operation is the EU ? that?s the team Scotland needs to be part of

Phoney war almost over for Scotland?s political parties in election year
11 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

Suddenly, or so it seems, the next Scottish election is almost upon us. Suddenly, all the Scottish Party leaders felt the urge to address their nation last week

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

X limits Grok AI image generation feature to paid users after reports of sexu...
9 Jan 2026 at 1:00pm
Earlier this week, the tool had been acting on requests by some X users to make ?sexualised images of children? and undress women

Robison facing ?1bn black hole ahead of Scottish budget
9 Jan 2026 at 6:00am
Analysis by the Fraser of Allander Institute found a gap in the capital budget that is ?too large to fill?

Port of Aberdeen: Built for Scotland's energy future
9 Jan 2026 at 6:00am
The path Scotland chooses will have lasting implications for its energy, economic and environmental legacy.

John Swinney ?not living in real world? on delayed discharge
8 Jan 2026 at 2:52pm
Anas Sarwar said an Audit Scotland report was ?damning? and should "shame" the government

First minister questioned over ?secret? attempt to challenge Supreme Court ru...
8 Jan 2026 at 2:51pm
Michelle Thomson asked about a report in The Times that in November the Scottish Government wrote to the Advocate General for Scotland, Baroness Smith of Cluny KC, who advises the UK Government

Former cabinet minister urges UK Government to abandon X
8 Jan 2026 at 2:39pm
Louise Haigh said using the platform was ?unconscionable? amid concerns its AI was generating sexualised images of children

Delayed discharge costs NHS Scotland ?440m a year
8 Jan 2026 at 7:00am
Watchdog warning as one in nine hospital beds are occupied by patients well enough to go home

New cross-government cyber unit announced
7 Jan 2026 at 10:02am
The unit is being created as part of the government's cyber action plan, which was launched on Tuesday

MSPs to receive ?3,000 pay rise
6 Jan 2026 at 4:21pm
MSPs? salaries will rise from ?74,507 to ?77,710 beginning in April

Angela Constance breached ministerial code but resignation not required
6 Jan 2026 at 3:22pm
Independent advisers said the justice secretary had made two errors but a sanction beyond a reprove was not needed

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Software tackling deepfakes to be piloted for Scottish and Welsh elections
8 Jan 2026 at 6:07pm
Electoral Commission says tools to detect AI-generated content could be in place before campaigns beginElection officials are working ?at speed? with the Home Office on a pilot project to combat the use of deepfakes to target candidates standing in this year?s Scottish and Welsh elections.Officia...

Liz Kendall says Elon Musk?s X must urgently deal with ?appalling? sexualised...
6 Jan 2026 at 5:49pm
Science secretary says the deepfake content being produced on the platform is ?unacceptable in decent society?In her Today programme interview this morning Kemi Badenoch tried to outflank Nigel Farage on net zero scepticism by claiming (wrongly) that she started talking out this before he did.Ask...

No 10 suggests UK would not vote for UN security council resolution condemnin...
5 Jan 2026 at 6:10pm
PM?s spokesperson did not contest report claiming that the UK will abstain on a possible UN voteSpeaking to reporters this morning, Keir Starmer said Nicolás Maduro, who was president of Venezuela until he was arrested by the Americans on Saturday and taken to a US jail, was not a legitimate rule...

Scottish Labour urges Keir Starmer to stay out of Holyrood campaign
5 Jan 2026 at 2:53pm
Anas Sarwar says prime minister?s missteps have left party clear underdogs in run-up to May electionUK politics live ? latest updatesKeir Starmer and senior ministers have been urged by Scottish Labour to ?stay behind their doors? in Whitehall to avoid turning the next Holyrood election into a re...

Nativism and the disintegration of the UK
1 Jan 2026 at 5:07pm
With the weakening of pro-integration parties, Ben Wellings warns that the continuation of the UK in its current form cannot be taken for grantedStalking your editorial on the new political geography emerging in Britain (25 December) is the fear of disintegration. This is a political outcome that...

The Guardian view on May 2026 elections: a new political geography is coming ...
25 Dec 2025 at 5:30pm
Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today we look at the impact of devolution on growing volatility of party political allegianceNext year will be pivotal in British politics, and 7 May will be the point around which things pivot. Elections ...

Keir Starmer planning new king?s speech after May elections
18 Dec 2025 at 1:19pm
Timing seen as moment to reset after potential loss of hundreds of council seats in England and defeat in Wales and ScotlandUK politics live ? latest updatesKeir Starmer is planning for a new king?s speech after crunch elections in May next year as a reset moment for the government amid speculati...

UK politics: Trump talks ?complete nonsense? about crime in London, says Met ...
12 Dec 2025 at 4:30pm
Mark Rowley says capital is a safe city, and claims of no-go areas are ?completely false?Members of the House of Lords have proposed ?totally unnecessary? and ?very cruel? amendments to the assisted dying bill in a bid to scupper it, Kim Leadbeater, the MP leading the campaign for the legislation...

Scotland?s looser rules on assisted dying could lead to ?death tourism?, say ...
10 Dec 2025 at 5:11pm
Cross-party group of MSPs says bill going through Holyrood could attract people from elsewhere in UKSenior Scottish politicians fear there could be a risk of ?death tourism? from terminally ill people travelling from other parts of the UK to end their lives in Scotland.A cross-party group of MSPs...

?It?s Scotland?s energy?: SNP to focus on renewables in Holyrood election
8 Dec 2025 at 6:05pm
Leader John Swinney says independence could cut household energy bills by a third in the long termThe future of Scottish renewables will underpin the Scottish National party?s Holyrood election campaign, the party leader, John Swinney, has said, as he claimed independence could cut household ener...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The BBC?s shameful enabling of fascism
8 Jan 2026 at 3:56pm
The failure of the BBC to report fairly and without bias on Scottish politics is a regular theme in this blog and amongst other supporters of Scottish independence. The favouritism which the Corporation displays towards Nigel Farage and his ghouls is likewise well documented, especially on the disgrace to political broadcasting that is BBC Question …

A fake rebellion from a fake party
7 Jan 2026 at 11:28am
While we are distracted by Donald Trump’s attack on Venezuela, the kidnapping of its president and his threats to take over Greenland, here in Scotland the parties are getting into gear for the Holyrood election campaign. Anas Sarwar has got off the starting blocks with a carefully orchestrated ‘rebellion’ against his intensely unpopular boss, Keir …

Greenland, a nation, not an American possession
6 Jan 2026 at 4:46pm
With the Trump regime ramping up its threats against the Arctic nation of Greenland, it’s a good time to take a closer look at the history and culture of Greenland. Greenland is officially called Kalaallit Nunaat in the Greenlandic language, the language of the great majority of the country’s 57,000 population. Greenlandic, or Kalaallisut, is …

In May Scotland?s destiny is in our hands
5 Jan 2026 at 6:51pm
Speaking to SNP party members in Glasgow as the campaign for the Scottish elections in May starts to ramp up, First Minister John Swinney has said that the Scottish media should be ?livid? at the UK Government’s refusal to spell out the democratic route to a second independence referendum. If we lived in a normal …

The superpower of piracy
3 Jan 2026 at 5:22pm
The international rule of law has been on life support for some time. It was battered and bludgeoned by the West’s invasion of Iraq. Israel casually ignored international law as it pursued genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank while the West, most notably the USA and the UK, enabled Netanyahu and …

Making plans for Nigel in 2026
31 Dec 2025 at 2:37pm
It’s nice to end what has been at times a trying year with some good news. On a personal level, in 2025 my mum lost her battle with cancer, and my good friend and former neighbour Mary Docherty, a stalwart of the Glasgow North East SNP branch, passed away after a long illness. Both are …

It?s not just independence that?s at stake in May?s Scottish election
29 Dec 2025 at 7:33pm
Another opinion poll has suggested that the pro-independence parties are on track to win a convincing majority in Holyrood in May’s Scottish parliament election. The poll, by Find Out Now for The National, paints a grim picture for both Labour and the Conservatives, who seem set to return their worst results in the history of …

Hope will start to dawn in 2026
27 Dec 2025 at 2:34pm
Making predictions in politics is a mug’s game, particularly if those predictions concern a year ahead. It has famously been said that a week is a long time in politics, so a year is the equivalent of a geological aeon. All sorts of unforeseen events could transpire between now and the end of next year. …

BBC Scotland, cheerleaders for Farage
20 Dec 2025 at 5:56pm
On Wednesday evening BBC Scotland’s flagship evening news programme Och Aye the News, AKA Reporting Scotlandshire carried its second puff piece about Reform UK’s recent narrow council by-election victory in West Lothian in which a Reform candidate with a questionable past scraped his way into a council seat on a 22% turnout. BBC Scotland never …

What?s in a name? The SNP and nationalism
15 Dec 2025 at 7:04pm
There’s nationalism and there’s nationalism. On the Rest is Politics podcast hosted by Tony Blair’s erstwhile Director of Communications Alastair Campbell, First Minister John Swinney addressed the issue of the SNP’s name, or rather, the non-issue. Both previous first ministers, Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon had expressed some disquiet that the SNP’s name, Scottish National …

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 'Albatraz'

CalMac chief with 36 boats and 50 ports paid only half what English ferry chi...
11 Jan 2026 at 11:00am
So far today, the Scottish Government is accused of spending too much on social security staffing and too little on jotters in schools. What’s next? Ferries!!! Yay, haven’t had a ferry fiasco story since…yesterday. I wonder where that ‘Anger’ is coming from? Just Martin Williams? Anas Sinking Sarwar? Anyhow, never mind, is that CalMac guy better remunerated than say at some other UK ferry servi...

The UK DWP is 20 times bigger and costs 20 times more than Social Security Sc...
11 Jan 2026 at 10:28am
The Scottish elections loom and universally the media are coalescing around a drive to try to stem support for the SNP with reports of supposed evidence of incompetence by that party in government. This, they and the opposition will repeat daily along the lines of – ‘If they can manage….how could they expect to run a country?’ We’re going to be busy here these next 5 months. As with the Sunday ...

Scottish Government gives schools 20% more cash and 30% more teachers but the...
11 Jan 2026 at 9:48am
The Sunday Mail, now day after day, campaigning for Labour with some dreamed up statistics, set out by some undereducated or dishonest Labour spad, for them. No way would I pay less than a quid, never mind £3.40, to find out, nor will I do them the honour or marking their sums. The idea that the Scottish Government/SNP is in any way responsible for how much a headteacher gives a class teacher t...

Why shops on Scotland?s islands will not have to charge more like those on th...
10 Jan 2026 at 7:08pm
From the Jersey Evening Post on 5 January 2025: THE firm that runs M&S stores in Jersey says that its prices on the shelves will have to go up next month when DFDS starts to add harbour dues levied by Ports of Jersey on to its bills. No actual figures are as yet available but imagine that was on a Scottish island served by CalMac. Imagine the media coverage, the opposition partys’ faux fury. Wh...

Five serious incidents in only two years including drifting powerless near a ...
10 Jan 2026 at 7:06pm
From Wellington.Scoop on January 10th 2026: Bluebridge troubles continue; crossings cancelled after ramp fault – More Bluebridge ferry services are being cancelled since a winch problem left passengers stranded overnight on the Connemara in Wellington Two hundred passengers spent about 15 hours on the vessel after Thursday?s 8.30pm Wellington to Picton service had to return to the capital short...

Though domestic abuse far less common, Scottish Government again first in UK ...
10 Jan 2026 at 10:32am
BBC Scotland has a tasteless, exploitative image, we won't be using here. From BBC Scotland News today: Social landlords are set to be given powers to remove domestic abusers from tenancy agreements, making it easier for some abuse survivors to stay in their homes. Regulations laid before the Scottish Parliament will bring into force provisions on tenancies that were part of a domestic abuse la...

Reliable transparent 12 hour A&E figures confirm corridor care in NHS Scotland...
10 Jan 2026 at 10:01am
It’s another single case plucked out by grubby figures, taking advantage of a distressed family and platformed, front page, by a newspaper little better than a Labour party election leaflet. Explicit figures are not published anywhere but there?s a good proxy for corridor care and that?s 12 hour waits in A&E. By definition if you?re waiting 12 hours after triage assessment and maybe some treatm...

BMA leaders praise Scottish Government on ?our shared ambition of making Scot...
9 Jan 2026 at 7:42pm
From the BMA in Scotland today, absent the views of Dr Iain Findlay whom I’m guessing the Scottish resident doctors have never heard of: Strikes by resident doctors in Scotland due to begin on Tuesday have been suspended following a new offer on pay and contract reform. The BMA Scottish resident doctors committee recommends members accept the offer, which is the equivalent of a 9.9 per cent end...

Only two months after the last time a ?troubled? CalMac ferry built in ?troub...
9 Jan 2026 at 6:34pm
In the Ayrshire Advertiser, yesterday, the above news. Only two months ago: The National?s piece, above, on the latest problems for the MV Caledonian Isles has no historical perspective on this long-troubled vessel, leaving some to think it?s another ?SNP ferry fiasco?. Here it is: Readers will already know that the MV Caledonian Isles had been in dock for repairs following botched work by Camm...

Thanks to mutual respect and constant effort by SNP health secretaries Scotla...
9 Jan 2026 at 6:32pm
Less than one month ago, BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers announced gleefully: Scotland’s resident doctors are to go on strike in a dispute over pay – the first time a national walkout has been staged by NHS workers. Their union BMA Scotland had accused the government of reneging on a commitment to restore pay to 2008 levels. With 92% of those who turned out voting in favour, strike dates have been ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

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 questions the SNP must answer on independence and defence - TheNational.scot
11 Jan 2026 at 5:04am
The questions the SNP must answer on independence and defence  TheNational.scot

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

Farage is pushing Scotland to independence - The Times
30 Dec 2025 at 8:00am
Farage is pushing Scotland to independence  The Times

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

Reform's Malcolm Offord says 'there might be' a future independence referendu...
6 Jan 2026 at 3:38pm
Reform's Malcolm Offord says 'there might be' a future independence referendum  The Herald

Kenny MacAskill: Where?s the excitement about the Scottish independence polli...
7 Jan 2026 at 12:06pm
Kenny MacAskill: Where?s the excitement about the Scottish independence polling?  albaparty.org

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

Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scotti...
9 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scottish independence has grown stronger  The Conversation

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

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Poland and Austria complete semi-final line-up at packed SNP Dome - EuroHockey
10 Jan 2026 at 1:09pm
Poland and Austria complete semi-final line-up at packed SNP Dome  EuroHockey

SNP ramp up bid to strip Peter Mandelson of peerage after BBC interview - The...
11 Jan 2026 at 12:05pm
SNP ramp up bid to strip Peter Mandelson of peerage after BBC interview  TheNational.scot

Scottish Budget: What to expect in SNP's spending plans ahead of Holyrood ele...
11 Jan 2026 at 6:00am
Scottish Budget: What to expect in SNP's spending plans ahead of Holyrood election  The Scotsman

SNP target free childcare and tax ?quirk? in ?giveaway? Scottish budget - The...
10 Jan 2026 at 8:00pm
SNP target free childcare and tax ?quirk? in ?giveaway? Scottish budget  The Times

SNP has no right to defy Supreme Court gender ruling - UnHerd
9 Jan 2026 at 7:25am
SNP has no right to defy Supreme Court gender ruling  UnHerd

SNP Stock Today: January 9 ? Sinopec Capital backs Forvia hydrogen push - Meyka
9 Jan 2026 at 11:50pm
SNP Stock Today: January 9 ? Sinopec Capital backs Forvia hydrogen push  Meyka

Ministers 'concealed' they had no money to build bypass - MSP - BBC
9 Jan 2026 at 2:16pm
Ministers 'concealed' they had no money to build bypass - MSP  BBC

Scotland's towns and cities will become ghost towns if SNP punish businesses ...
11 Jan 2026 at 12:32pm
Scotland's towns and cities will become ghost towns if SNP punish businesses at Budget  Scottish Daily Express

How a Medicare Advantage proposal could shake up Medicaid - Modern Healthcare...
7 Jan 2026 at 11:03am
How a Medicare Advantage proposal could shake up Medicaid  Modern Healthcare News

Swinney relies on his ?improbable? list - Daily Business Magazine
11 Jan 2026 at 10:41am
Swinney relies on his ?improbable? list  Daily Business Magazine

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

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

'Referendum in ten years? That would be problematic' - The Herald
10 Jan 2026 at 6:35am
'Referendum in ten years? That would be problematic'  The Herald

Scottish party leaders set out stalls ahead of Holyrood election - BBC
5 Jan 2026 at 2:15pm
Scottish party leaders set out stalls ahead of Holyrood election  BBC

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

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

Part Two: What an independent Scotland could look like - A Fresh Start with I...
8 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Part Two: What an independent Scotland could look like - A Fresh Start with Independence  The Scottish Government

Reform UK peer Malcolm Offord admits indyref2 could come in 10 years' time - ...
6 Jan 2026 at 4:52pm
Reform UK peer Malcolm Offord admits indyref2 could come in 10 years' time  TheNational.scot

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

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