The Herald

The Herald | Politics


American investment fund sues Russia over $200bn century old debt
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
16 Jan 2026 at 6:07pm
An American investment fund is attempting to recover $225.8bn from the Russian government due to debt on bonds issued by the Tsarist regime


What the Darlington trans changing room case means for Sandie Peggie appeal
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
16 Jan 2026 at 5:30pm
The Sandie Peggie and Darlington nurses cases relate to transgender changing room rows. But the judgments are nuanced.


Scottish Government given contempt of court warning over Sturgeon and Salmond...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
16 Jan 2026 at 5:20pm
The Scottish Government has been warned it faces potential contempt of court proceedings if files relating to secret evidence given to the James Hamilton investigation into Nicola Sturgeon are not released by next week


Sandie Peggie hopes NHS Fife ruling 'overturned' after Darlington trans row j...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
16 Jan 2026 at 3:18pm
Sandie Peggie has said the judgment in the Darlington transgender changing room case shows her ruling should be overturned.


Findlay is 'very best person to be FM' insists Badenoch during lifeboat centr...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
16 Jan 2026 at 3:25pm
Kemi Badenoch has dismissed dire polling for the Scottish Conservatives, insisting Russell Findlay is the ?very best? future First Minister while attacking Labour?s energy stance, Reform defections and what she calls a lack of political seriousness at Holyrood.


Pollster rubbishes Farage claim Reform UK in 'two-horse' race with SNP
by Katrine Bussey
16 Jan 2026 at 2:13pm
Mark Diffley said there was an ?an absolute toss-up? between Reform and Labour for second place


Court of Session bins Biffa?s £51.4m Deposit Return Scheme claim against mini...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
16 Jan 2026 at 1:26pm
Court of Session rejects Biffa?s £51.4 million claim against the Scottish Government over the collapse of the Deposit Return Scheme.


'I am deeply disappointed': Pam Gosal withdraws domestic abuse bill
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
16 Jan 2026 at 5:05pm
A Scottish Conservative MSP has withdrawn her domestic abuse bill after the SNP refused to back plans she said would protect victims.


£44.5m Turkish ferry handed over to CMAL following months-long delay
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
15 Jan 2026 at 7:56pm
After a series of delays, the ship, which will serve Islay and Jura, has become the property of government-owned Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL).


What the latest Holyrood poll really tells us about May's election
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
15 Jan 2026 at 6:44pm
Scottish Labour has slumped to its lowest polling of the parliament, falling behind Reform and haemorrhaging support among its own 2024 voters. Survation?s latest snapshot points the finger squarely at Keir Starmer.


SNP MSP in scathing warning to John Swinney over transgender prison policy
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
15 Jan 2026 at 3:18pm
SNP MSP Ruth Maguire told John Swinney she was "appalled" the Scottish Government had defended its transgender prison policy.


Reform boss say he gets cost of living crisis as he goes camping with 'normal...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
15 Jan 2026 at 2:46pm
Reform?s has unveiled millionaire financier Malcolm Offord as its Scottish leader.


'Not a sound use of resources': GPs criticise John Swinney's flagship walk-in...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
15 Jan 2026 at 2:13pm
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Scotland said the money could be better spent elsewhere. 


Scottish Government could implement buffer zones at asylum seeker hotels
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
15 Jan 2026 at 1:41pm
Previously, the government said there were no plans to bring in the controversial exclusion areas, but it now appears that ministers are reconsidering that decision. 

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Deposit return scheme case against SNP government thrown out by court amid 'w...
16 Jan 2026 at 2:53pm

Scotland?s deposit return scheme has been paused by ministers

A poll by Survation found just 13 per cent are opposed

The SNP government has not published an energy strategy since 2017.

The UK Tory leader said she does not expect a flurry of further defections from her party to Reform

The former Shadow Justice Secretary was booted out of the Tories earlier on Thursday for planning to defect to Nigel Farage?s party

The MP was in Scotland to unveil his party?s new leader north of the Border

Wings over Scotland

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 …

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 …

Craig Murray

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

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

BBC Scotland

Court throws out £50m claim over failed bottle return scheme
16 Jan 2026 at 3:21pm
Waste firm Biffa claimed it invested heavily after being given assurances about the recycling scheme only to see it collapse a year later.

New strike ballot to be held in teachers dispute
16 Jan 2026 at 6:38pm
A ballot which closed on Wednesday failed to give the EIS union a legal mandate to go on strike because the turnout was too low.

Lord Offord named as Reform UK's Scottish leader
15 Jan 2026 at 5:13pm
The former Conservative minister and Scottish Tory treasurer has been officially unveiled by Nigel Farage.

First new CalMac ferry handed over by Turkish shipyard
15 Jan 2026 at 9:22pm
MV Isle of Islay will soon make the two-week journey to Scotland and is expected to enter service in early spring.

Sarwar in 'unequivocal' apology over made-up quote
15 Jan 2026 at 3:57pm
A Scottish Labour campaign leaflet featured made-up quotes from a Stranraer maternity campaigner.

Location of first walk-in GP clinic announced
15 Jan 2026 at 5:11pm
The new clinic in Edinburgh is the first of 15, which will be open seven days a week.

Who is Reform UK's Scottish leader Malcolm Offord?
15 Jan 2026 at 4:09pm
A banker from Greenock who joined the House of Lords in 2021, Malcolm Offord has made much of a relatively short political career.

Swinney to consider buffer zones around asylum hotels
15 Jan 2026 at 12:51pm
The first minister says people have a right to protest but it is unacceptable when it becomes "threatening".

Review recommends custody death FAIs should be completed in a year
15 Jan 2026 at 5:50pm
The Scottish government ordered the review of fatal accident inquiries following the deaths of two young people.

Labour MSP urged to quit over friendship with sex offender
15 Jan 2026 at 2:24pm
Pam Duncan-Glancy has been criticised for maintaining contact with former councillor Sean Morton.

Teaching union set to reveal strike ballot results
15 Jan 2026 at 3:20pm
National strike action by the EIS union over teachers' workloads could potentially close almost every school in Scotland.

Pro-Palestinian protesters get inside BBC Scotland HQ
15 Jan 2026 at 3:34pm
About 10 campaigners with flags and banners staged a short demonstration in the reception area of Pacific Quay in Glasgow

Scot Goes Pop

SNP and Greens remain firmly on course for Holyrood pro-indy majority in supe...
16 Jan 2026 at 8:50am
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...

Sensational numbers for both the SNP and Plaid Cymru in two new YouGov polls
14 Jan 2026 at 8:36am
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...

The party of Tas-beens: Alba's notorious unelected dictator finally departs -...
13 Jan 2026 at 4:20pm
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...

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...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Kemi Badenoch: ?Nigel Farage is doing my spring cleaning for me?
16 Jan 2026 at 2:53pm
The Tory leader said that the people who causing problems for the party are leaving.

All the former Tories who have defected to Reform UK
15 Jan 2026 at 9:40pm
Just this week alone, Nigel Farage's insurgent Reform UK welcomed two high-profile former Conservative politicians.

Robert Jenrick defects to Nigel Farage?s Reform UK after Tory sacking
15 Jan 2026 at 5:26pm
Robert Jenrick was fired from the Tory party on Thursday morning for 'plotting to defect'.

?Ban Trump from using Scottish airports for Greenland attack?, Swinney urged
15 Jan 2026 at 4:53pm
It comes after US President Donald Trump has continued to step up his calls for Greenland to become part of the US.

John Swinney comes under fire from Scottish Conservatives over ?smallest tax ...
15 Jan 2026 at 3:51pm
The First Minister was challenged over the SNP?s tax and spending plans for the coming year.

?Unequivocal? apology to campaigner misquoted on Labour leaflet
15 Jan 2026 at 2:33pm
Claire Fleming claims she was misquoted on a Labour campaign leaflet.

?Wall of money? to invest in Scottish nuclear power if Labour win election
15 Jan 2026 at 1:20pm
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the SNP were saying Scotland was 'shut for business'.

John Swinney faces FMQs after unveiling tax and spending plans
15 Jan 2026 at 11:53am
The Scottish Budget includes changes to income tax, increases for Scottish child payments, and separate taxes on mansions and private jets.

Who is Nigel Farage?s new Reform leader in Scotland Malcolm Offord?
15 Jan 2026 at 11:35am
Lord Offord has been chosen to lead the party into the Holyrood election in May.

Robert Jenrick sacked by Kemi Badenoch after ?plotting to defect?
15 Jan 2026 at 11:24am
Reform leader Nigel Farage has said he has had conversations with the shadow justice secretary.

Starmer, Farage and Badenoch expected to appear in Scotland
15 Jan 2026 at 8:16am
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to make an announcement on clean energy after confirming one of the world?s largest offshore wind farms will be built off the coast of East Lothian.

Nigel Farage reveals Reform UK?s new leader in Scotland as Lord Malcolm Offord
15 Jan 2026 at 7:24am
The former Tory minister, who defected to Reform late last year, will lead the party into the Holyrood election in May.

Scottish Government committed to A96 dualling despite Budget mistake
14 Jan 2026 at 5:11pm
An infrastructure document neglected to include the full A96 in its plans.

Scottish Labour slams Farage?s Reform party as ?Tories in disguise? 
14 Jan 2026 at 4:34pm
Farage is expected to travel to Edinburgh on Thursday to announce the party's first leader north of the border. 

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Malcolm Offord refuses to say how many homes he has as Reform's Scottish lead...
16 Jan 2026 at 2:59pm
Baron Offord of Garvel has been quizzed on the extent of his wealth.

SNP still 'weak' on defence despite u-turn on munitions funding ban, says MOD...
16 Jan 2026 at 11:03am
EXCLUSIVE: The Defence Secretary reignited a row with the Scottish Government over its failure to invest in a specialist welding school near Glasgow.

Keir Starmer?s woes are nothing compared with the Tories as Reform grow
16 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
Record View says the Conservative decline is welcome but Nigel Farage and Reform are not the answer.

Keir Starmer asks 'Where is the money, John?' in dig at SNP leader on flying ...
15 Jan 2026 at 4:23pm
Starmer would not be drawn on whether his job was at risk if Labour performs badly at the Scottish Parliament election in May.

Nigel Farage suggests Scottish independence referendum could take place in 2030s
15 Jan 2026 at 3:36pm
The Reform UK leader said an IndyRef2 could be "reexamined" in the "decades to come".

Anas Sarwar apologises over Scottish Labour health campaigner blunder
15 Jan 2026 at 2:29pm
He apologised after maternity campaigner Claire Fleming said she did not say the quoted words that were in her name on a leaflet.

Millionaire Malcolm Offord quotes Dignity when asked what a yacht owner knows...
15 Jan 2026 at 12:57pm
The new Reform leader in Scotland and former Tory donor said "I go camping with normal people" when questioned about his net worth.

Kemi Badenoch sacks Robert Jenrick over 'plotting' as Tories descend into civ...
15 Jan 2026 at 12:17pm
The shadow justice secretary was axed over claims he was planning to defect to Reform UK

Labour MSP urged to quit Holyrood immediately after new details of friendship...
15 Jan 2026 at 11:49am
EXCLUSIVE: Pam Duncan-Glancy continued her friendship with Sean Morton after he committed more child sexual offences.

Reform UK and Scottish Labour in battle for second place at Holyrood election...
15 Jan 2026 at 8:47am
The SNP remains on course to be the largest party - but will fall short of the majority John Swinney says the party needs to demand an IndyRef2.

The National

The National | Politics

Anas Sarwar faces new questions over fake quote leaflet despite grovelling
16 Jan 2026 at 6:07pm

ANAS Sarwar is facing fresh questions after he apologised for making up quotes from a woman in his election pitch.

It's easy to celebrate Labour's dire polling ? but the results predict a dark...
16 Jan 2026 at 5:47pm

THEY say rain is good weather for the ducks. Well, this week has been whatever the equivalent of that is for pollsters

The Tories 'broke Britain'. Their outcasts could break Nigel Farage
16 Jan 2026 at 5:30pm

I?VE started a new project with a lot of people who vocally dislike me and whom I fundamentally distrust. I think it?s going really well.

Muscular Unionism may 'make big comeback' if Labour lose 2026 elections, expe...
16 Jan 2026 at 5:00pm

MUSCULAR Unionism will make a ?big comeback? if the SNP win the Scottish Election and Plaid Cymru form the Welsh government, a political expert has predicted.

Andrew Neil fumes at 'death wish' Scots for backing SNP
16 Jan 2026 at 4:50pm

Andrew Neil had some hyperbolic analysis of the latest Holyrood poll ...

Why I had to hide my press badge when interviewing a Labour minister
16 Jan 2026 at 4:23pm

Was a mistake on our journalist's pass a Freudian slip or innocent error?

Expert gives verdict on neo-Nazi posting by Donald Trump's White House
16 Jan 2026 at 4:26pm

THE White House?s online neo-Nazi references reflect the extreme content people at the heart of Donald Trump?s administration are viewing, an expert has said.

Councillors call on Scottish Government to create 'fairer' local funding system
16 Jan 2026 at 4:19pm

Glasgow will push for proposed reforms to 'look beyond' just council tax, as councillors want a 'fairer' approach to funding public services

Scottish Labour deny 'paying for bots' after odd activity on Anas Sarwar's In...
16 Jan 2026 at 3:27pm

SCOTTISH Labour have categorically denied using fake online bots to boost party leader Anas Sarwar?s presence on social media

If Donald Trump gets what he wants in Greenland, is Scotland next? Expert wei...
16 Jan 2026 at 3:17pm

DONALD Trump?s obsession with Greenland has caused some to worry about whether his attention will next turn to Scotland .

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Biffa?s ?51.4m deposit return scheme claim rejected by court
16 Jan 2026 at 3:45pm
The waste management?firm claimed?that it was negligently misled by Scottish ministers that the scheme would go ahead, but this?was rejected by Lord Sandison

?Appalling?: SNP MSP hits out at Scottish Government's single-sex prisons stance
15 Jan 2026 at 1:34pm
John Swinney under pressure on transgender prisoners as For Women Scotland hearing nears

?Miserly? income tax cut used for ?cheap headline? ? Russell Findlay
15 Jan 2026 at 1:03pm
John Swinney said his government was ?on the side of the people of Scotland?

Malcolm Offord confirmed as Reform leader in Scotland
15 Jan 2026 at 11:36am
Offord has also announced his retirement from the House of Lords

SNP on course to win election while race for second place neck-and-neck
15 Jan 2026 at 10:21am
Reform and Labour are tied on 18 seats for second place, according to a poll projection

X acting to comply with UK law, says Keir Starmer
14 Jan 2026 at 3:11pm
Ofcom launched an investigation into the site on Monday

Michael Shanks: Scotland?s energy future is on the ballot
14 Jan 2026 at 3:10pm
The UK energy minister warned delegates during a speech at?Holyrood?s?Energy Summit in Edinburgh that a party that opposes nuclear?power?will??fragment the GB energy market?

Contract awarded to build one of world?s largest offshore wind farms in Scotland
14 Jan 2026 at 11:38am
The Berwick Bank wind farm in the outer of the Firth of Forth will be constructed by SSE and will feature 307 turbines generating enough electricity to power up to six million homes

Government U-turns on controversial digital ID plan
14 Jan 2026 at 11:16am
The government said the scheme would no longer be mandatory

Tech support ?barely mentioned? in Scottish budget
14 Jan 2026 at 11:03am
The chief executive of ScotlandIS said the growing cluster requires focused support from the Scottish Government if it is to reach its full potential

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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...

?The response is a beautiful thing?: how Glasgow is squaring up to Reform
12 Jan 2026 at 5:36am
In the face of Nigel Farage, flag-waving and a longstanding housing crisis, some Glaswegians are taking on anti-immigration rhetoricSelina Hales has a thing about pineapples. She is talking in a quiet office, set aside from the bustle of Refuweegee, the charity she founded 10 years ago, and the w...

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 ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Reform?s Scottish ?leader? ? the FIFA Peace Prize of Scottish politics
15 Jan 2026 at 2:15pm
Spare a thought for poor wee Malkie Offord, over the years he’s thrown hundreds of thousands of pounds at the political scene in a bid to make himself relevant, firstly with his ludicrously misnamed and suspiciously well funded Vote No Borders astroturfing campaign during the 2014 independence referendum, a cringeworthy campaign which made no impact …

Reform?s failing charade and the three pronged attack on Westminster rule
14 Jan 2026 at 4:34pm
Perhaps Reform UK’s bubble is about to burst. Although the private company owned by Nigel Farage is still leading in the polls in England, the far right ghouls’ polling lead has been falling in recent weeks. On Tuesday the weekly Sky News poll from YouGov put Reform on 24% across the UK as a whole, …

Farage?s new tartan puppet
12 Jan 2026 at 8:00pm
On Monday, Nigel Farage preened his insufferably smug way through a press conference at which he introduced the latest opportunistic Tory defector to Reform UK. This time it was Nadhim Zahawi, who was very briefly the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson. Zahawi was later found to have paid a seven figure penalty to …

BBC Scotland, an anti-independence party in May?s Scottish election
11 Jan 2026 at 4:57pm
The parties are gearing up for May’s Scottish elections. On one side there’s the SNP and their frenemies the Scottish Greens – parties which disagree on many things but which share a common belief in the principle that the people of Scotland should be the sole arbiters of government policy in Scotland and the future …

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 …

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'

BBC, STV and the press not touching a story of the SNP?s attempts to limit ?t...
16 Jan 2026 at 2:05pm
Thus every kind their pleasure findThe savage and the tenderSome social join and leagues combineSome solitary wanderAvaunt away! the cruel swayTyrannic man’s dominionThe sportsman’s joy, the murdering cryThe fluttering gory pinion Now Westlin’ Wins by Robert Burns, 1786 Robert Burns, 200 years ago, a farmer unavoidably pragmatic about his animals you have to assume, seems to have had no time fo...

BBC Scotland desperately keen to headline their hoped for ?closure of almost ...
16 Jan 2026 at 2:03pm
BBC Scotland, 15 January 2025 from first thing. This captured at 10am. The following day it remained the headline story in the BBC Scotland inserts in BBC Breakfast. One of the teaching unions, the NAS UWT, had already given up because not enough members had voted but the BBC team still seem hopeful today that they might get some bad news they can connect to the Scottish Government. It’s now an...

BBC Scotland on lack of autism support today repeat Mail?s neglect of facts l...
16 Jan 2026 at 10:22am

Labour?s culture of bare-faced lying in elections, from Dumfries to Denbigh a...
15 Jan 2026 at 11:36pm
From BBC Scotland today: Sarwar apologises to campaigner misquoted on Labour leaflet – Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has given an “unequivocal apology” after a party leaflet was delivered to homes with a made-up quote from a maternity campaigner. Claire Fleming spoke out after her picture and a quote criticising NHS provision was posted out in Glasgow. Fleming is quoted on the leaflet sayi...

Shock as BBC UK use annual data to reveal that NHS Scotland did nearly twice ...
15 Jan 2026 at 11:23pm
On BBC News at 1pm today, revealing a decline in the number of hospital treatments carried out under Labour in 2025, from 7.4m to 7.31m. All things being equal, pro rata, that’d be around 730 000 in Scotland. According to Audit Scotland, no friend to the Scottish Government, the equivalent figure was 1.3m pushing twice as many. Source: https://audit.scot/publications/nhs-in-scotland-2025-financ...

Shock as BBC UK reveal that TWICE as many NHS England Type 1 A&E patients wai...
15 Jan 2026 at 11:20pm
On BBC News at 1pm today, revealing an increase in the number of A&E patients waiting 12 hours or more, to 10.5% under Labour in 2025. In NHS Scotland, the average was 5.5% marginally over half the number waiting 12 hours or more. Source: https://publichealthscotland.scot/healthcare-system/urgent-and-unscheduled-care/accident-and-emergency/main-points/all-ae-sites What did Jackie Baillie think ...

Police Chiefs confirm Scotland is victim of drug gangs from London, Birmingha...
15 Jan 2026 at 11:17pm
Thanks to stewartb for alerting us to this: From the National Police Chiefs Council (for England & Wales and with Police Scotland in attendance): the above graph makes clear the hard evidence that four major police forces in England have the evidence of a significant flow of drugs into Scotland by criminal groups in their areas. Notably, the reported presence of these gangs in 50 locations, fro...

Lifeline burned by State Governor ? 19 000 Canadian islanders with no bridges...
14 Jan 2026 at 9:15pm
The San Juan Islands are part of an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of San Juan County. In the archipelago, four islands ONLY are accessible to vehicular and foot traffic via the Washington State Ferries system. https...

Three out of 21 ferries pulled out of service in first 3 days of year to crip...
14 Jan 2026 at 9:13pm
From Marine Link yesterday: Trio of WSF Vessels Pulled from Service for Mechanical Issues – At Washington State Ferries, 2026 has started with a thud, one ferry each of the first three days of the year were pulled from service for mechanical problems. Here’s a rundown. Tacoma 29 was taken off our Seattle/Bainbridge route Saturday night, Jan. 3. The ferry has an oil tube problem that?s causing...

Scotland completes disability benefit assessments in half the time and with d...
14 Jan 2026 at 9:11pm
In June 2015: How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity1 Statement by Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the UK Mission to the UN at the Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict in June 2015. In the same year, Ryland’s government’s treatment of the disabled in the UK, featured in the research report: ?First, do no harm?: are disability assessme...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Trump-inspired instability is a reason for independence ? not against it - Th...
16 Jan 2026 at 5:09am
Trump-inspired instability is a reason for independence ? not against it  TheNational.scot

Nigel Farage names Lord Offord as Reform UK's Scottish leader - BBC
15 Jan 2026 at 5:13pm
Nigel Farage names Lord Offord as Reform UK's Scottish leader  BBC

Iranian bots tied to Scottish independence go silent - The Jerusalem Post
13 Jan 2026 at 1:04pm
Iranian bots tied to Scottish independence go silent  The Jerusalem Post

Scottish independence accounts go dark after Iran internet blackout - The Tel...
12 Jan 2026 at 4:07pm
Scottish independence accounts go dark after Iran internet blackout  The Telegraph

Scottish parliament set for pro-independence majority after May elections: Po...
15 Jan 2026 at 11:23am
Scottish parliament set for pro-independence majority after May elections: Poll  Anadolu Ajans?

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

Pro-Scottish independence accounts on X go dark in Iran internet blackout - a...
13 Jan 2026 at 12:05pm
Pro-Scottish independence accounts on X go dark in Iran internet blackout - after experts revealed how thousands of posts are linked to Tehran regime  Daily Mail

Network of Scottish X accounts go dark amid Iran blackout - The Herald
12 Jan 2026 at 3:30pm
Network of Scottish X accounts go dark amid Iran blackout  The Herald

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

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Pollster rubbishes claim Reform UK in 'two-horse' race with SNP - The Herald
16 Jan 2026 at 3:11pm
Pollster rubbishes claim Reform UK in 'two-horse' race with SNP  The Herald

Scottish budget: SNP government cuts taxes for lowest earners | Scotland - Th...
13 Jan 2026 at 7:08pm
Scottish budget: SNP government cuts taxes for lowest earners | Scotland  The Guardian

This dangerous fact about SNP list votes can?t be ignored - TheNational.scot
16 Jan 2026 at 3:04pm
This dangerous fact about SNP list votes can?t be ignored  TheNational.scot

Scottish Budget 2026: Finance Secretary Shona Robison unveils SNP government'...
13 Jan 2026 at 5:15pm
Scottish Budget 2026: Finance Secretary Shona Robison unveils SNP government's spending and tax plans  Sky News

SNP ministers warned they face contempt of court over failure to release secr...
16 Jan 2026 at 6:44pm
SNP ministers warned they face contempt of court over failure to release secret Sturgeon files  The Scotsman

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

What does the Scottish Budget mean for you? - snp.org
16 Jan 2026 at 12:38pm
What does the Scottish Budget mean for you?  snp.org

SNP on course to win election while race for second place neck-and-neck - Hol...
15 Jan 2026 at 10:29am
SNP on course to win election while race for second place neck-and-neck  Holyrood Website

SNP still 'weak' on defence despite u-turn on munitions funding ban, says MOD...
16 Jan 2026 at 11:03am
SNP still 'weak' on defence despite u-turn on munitions funding ban, says MOD chief  Daily Record

SNP MPs go missing for a day at Westminster, despite questions on energy, pov...
16 Jan 2026 at 5:01pm
SNP MPs go missing for a day at Westminster, despite questions on energy, poverty, the World Cup and Palestine  Scottish Daily Express

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

Scottish parliament set for pro-independence majority after May elections: Po...
15 Jan 2026 at 11:23am
Scottish parliament set for pro-independence majority after May elections: Poll  Anadolu Ajans?

Nigel Farage says Scottish independence could be revisited 'in decades' - The...
15 Jan 2026 at 1:06pm
Nigel Farage says Scottish independence could be revisited 'in decades'  TheNational.scot

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

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

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

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

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