The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Irish republican march to take place in Glasgow streets on Saturday
25 Apr 2025 at 7:18pm
Hundreds of Irish Republican supporters will march in Glasgow tomorrow.


Homeless hotel owners see a massive jump in cash from council
25 Apr 2025 at 8:07am
The owners of hotels for homeless people in Glasgow have seen a huge increase in income from the council.


Disillusioned Scotland: Poll finds widespread anger and disconnection from po...
25 Apr 2025 at 5:00am
New polling reveals Scots feel anxious, exhausted and angry ? with trust in political parties and politicians at rock bottom. But most say they want leaders who build consensus.


CalMac rival hands new vessel deal to English shipyard
25 Apr 2025 at 4:34am
Boss of Dunoon-based operator hails 'commercially compelling case' tabled by Cammell Laird


Edinburgh Council considers cash payments for homeless unable to be accommodated
25 Apr 2025 at 4:08pm
New figures show the council is increasingly unable to find temporary accommodation for people presenting as homeless.


The Herald's latest series: Scotland's Forgotten Children: Poverty in Focus
25 Apr 2025 at 8:00am
Next week, The Herald launches an investigation into child poverty in Scotland. Join us as we investigate whether the Scottish Government can meet its ambitious targets.


Ian Murray switches on new Moray wind farm with energy for over a million homes
24 Apr 2025 at 1:24pm
A new offshore windfarm has been switched on by the Secretary of State for Scotland


Swinney urged to remove male prisoners from women?s jails after landmark ruling
24 Apr 2025 at 2:29pm
John Swinney is facing renewed calls to remove trans-identified male prisoners from women?s jails after the Supreme Court?s ruling on the legal definition of sex.


First Minister John Swinney to attend major climate event in Glasgow
24 Apr 2025 at 10:54am
First Minister John Swinney will headline one of the biggest environmental events to be held in Glasgow since COP26


University of Edinburgh: 350 staff take voluntary severance
24 Apr 2025 at 10:32am
Edinburgh University says 350 staff have taken voluntary severance, saving £18m ? but further cuts and job losses may still lie ahead.


First Minister John Swinney to attend funeral of Pope Francis
24 Apr 2025 at 9:58am
First Minister John Swinney will attend the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican City


Families could be stuck on Scottish housing list for more than 100 years
24 Apr 2025 at 9:00am
Families could be waiting more than 100 years for a social rented home with three or more bedrooms in Glasgow.


New Moray wind farm will get UK 'off the fossil fuel rollercoaster'
24 Apr 2025 at 7:31am
A Scottish wind farm hoped to power up to 1.3 million homes will help the UK in ?getting off the fossil fuel rollercoaster?, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has said ahead of it being switched on.


Kate Forbes flags 'very clear lines' on any Prestwick Airport sale
24 Apr 2025 at 4:35am
'Very clear lines' on any Prestwick Airport sale highlighted by Kate Forbes

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Reform says membership in Scotland has topped 10,000
25 Apr 2025 at 4:40pm

Nigel Farage?s party says it has more members north of the Border than the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Alba

There have been several calls for the Green MSP to be removed from the committee after accusing the Supreme Court of ?bigotry?

Deputy leader Jackie Baillie begins Labour campaign for key contest with attack on nationalist candidate Katy Loudon?s record

Wings over Scotland

Unhinged Malady
23 Apr 2025 at 12:39pm
Yesterday the Scottish media gave Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman what she’s never willingly given anyone else – a platform on which to make her case. Most did a very poor job challenging her on her outrageous comments about the Supreme Court, with BBC Radio Scotland’s Drivetime show being an especially wretched example of allowing …

The Disgrace Of Holyrood
22 Apr 2025 at 2:08pm
At the weekend, Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman was filmed applauding as a notoriously unhinged transactivist ranted through a megaphone to a small and almost exclusively male crowd of protestors about how he was going to openly break the law by continuing to use women’s public toilets, and addressing JK Rowling with the words “We …

The Peacemaker
21 Apr 2025 at 12:03pm
Regular readers of Wings won’t need any reminding that Dani Garavelli of the Herald is, among some very stiff competition, one of the most contemptible pieces of nightsoil currently operating in the Scottish media. But if you’re new here, we can give you a quick illustration. If the sneering piety of that opening paragraph made …

Some People Try To Fuck With You
20 Apr 2025 at 8:25am
Well, it’s always nice to be a landmark for free speech. But let’s start at the beginning. This is Lynsay Watson, formerly known as Alex Horwood. He’s pretended to be a woman for more than half of his life. As you might expect, then, he’s a very unwell man. In 2023 he was sacked by …

Tough Calls
19 Apr 2025 at 5:33am

The Moral Vacuum
17 Apr 2025 at 10:31pm
Scottish Greens candidate and transactivist Matt “Ellie” Gomersall, with whom Wings readers will be familiar, appeared on the Jeremy Vine show today and blundered straight into an elephant trap a myopic mole could have seen coming on a foggy night. Having just embarked on a diatribe in which he dismissed as “ridiculous” the idea that …

March Of The Ferrets
17 Apr 2025 at 5:38pm
Get ready for a lot of this in the coming days and weeks. Obviously, don’t believe any of it. Pretty soon now, nobody in a position of power will admit to ever having thought that transwomen were women. But don’t worry. We’ll remember.

The Day Everything Changed
17 Apr 2025 at 11:24am
We’ll be honest, readers, we gasped out loud when we saw this. That such a basic, fundamental truth of human existence should ever be front page news with the capacity to shock 100,000 years after we invented language is a sign of just how insane our world has become since 2015. But magnificent as it …

Learning To Cope
16 Apr 2025 at 9:23pm
We wouldn’t be Wings if we didn’t round off this evening with a representative selection of some of the more measured and thoughtful responses from transactivists across the UK to today’s Supreme Court judgment. So fetch some sort of celebratory beverage, settle down in your comfiest armchair in front of the fire (‘cos it’s been …

The highlights show
16 Apr 2025 at 2:54pm
For those among you who don’t have the time or patience to wade through 88 pages of judicial lingo, we’ve distilled today’s Supreme Court judgment down to its key points. Much of it, of course, can be summarised as “the bleeding obvious”. At numerous points, the judgment essentially makes the crucial point that a Gender …

Craig Murray

Syria to Recognise Israel By End 2026
14 Apr 2025 at 6:04pm

A British diplomatic source tells me that “President” al-Jolani aka al-Sharaa has assured the UK that Syria will “normalise relations” with Israel, recognise the State of Israel and exchange ambassadors, by the end of 2026. This is part of a deal in exchange for substantial Western financial support and the lifting of sanctions on Syria. …

Syria to Recognise Israel By End 2026

Trump, Tariffs and Trade
11 Apr 2025 at 11:31am

There is a giant problem that commentators are ignoring. The United States’ trade deficit is of incredible proportions and is only sustainable because the dollar is the world’s reserve currency – a status it is going to lose. The US trade deficit in 2024 was approximately 1.2 trillion dollars. GDP was approximately 30.1 trillion dollars. …

Trump, Tariffs and Trade

Is This The World We Created?
7 Apr 2025 at 12:11am

It is all a part of the same phenomenon. Western governments actively assisting genocide in Gaza; attacks on benefits for the disabled; a deliberate official narrative of Russophobia; rampant Islamophobia boosting the rise of extreme right-wing parties and fuelled by government anti-immigrant rhetoric; an incredible accumulation of wealth by the ultra-rich; rampant erosion of freedoms …

Is This The World We Created?

Liberation Scotland
2 Apr 2025 at 3:27pm

It is remarkable that few would dispute that Ireland was a British colony before most of it became Independent, but to point to Scotland’s highly analogous colonial position brings howls of anger. All Empires employ the human resources of their colonies. India was conquered for the British by Indian soldiers, not by British troops. Nearly …

Liberation Scotland

Starmer?s Thatcherite Economics
24 Mar 2025 at 7:41pm

You can only support the current manifestation of late-stage capitalism, if you believe that massive inequality of wealth is necessary to wealth creation, or if you believe that the total amount of wealth is unimportant so long as a very small minority are extremely wealthy. “Trickledown economics” is at heart simply a statement of the …

Starmer’s Thatcherite Economics

Artificial Intelligence vs Corrupt Judges
21 Mar 2025 at 11:41am

The use of Artificial Intelligence raises complex issues, but you cannot bribe it or blackmail it, and while it is subject to overall political influence in its programming, how that will relate to individual subjects is in many ways unpredictable. Rather on a whim, I decided to ask easily available and free Artificial Intelligence sources …

Artificial Intelligence vs Corrupt Judges

BBC Scotland

Scotland's exams will test pupils - and ministers
25 Apr 2025 at 6:24am
Last year Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said the results were "not good enough".

Parents 'elated' by ruling over single-sex toilets in schools
24 Apr 2025 at 4:30pm
Sean Stratford and Leigh Hurley complained about a council installing only gender neutral toilets at a new primary school.

New sex-based rights guidance on way, says Swinney
24 Apr 2025 at 2:19pm
First minister promised "timely" guidance covering the issue of single-sex spaces following a Supreme Court ruling.

River City stars protest soap's cancellation at Holyrood
24 Apr 2025 at 4:54pm
BBC Scotland last month announced the decision to axe the soap, citing changes in audience behaviour away from long-running series.

Scottish government drops key climate target to cut car use by 20%
23 Apr 2025 at 5:58pm
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop told MSPs that the goal was "not realistic and will need to be changed".

Judge orders schools to provide single-sex toilets
23 Apr 2025 at 6:54pm
A case was brought against Scottish Borders Council which had installed only gender neutral toilets in a replacement school.

Scotland's values under threat from 'hard right' - Swinney
23 Apr 2025 at 5:10pm
The first minister hosted a forum of political, civic and faith groups in Glasgow.

Angus Council SNP administration toppled in vote
23 Apr 2025 at 11:07am
A new Conservative, Labour and Independent coalition will now take control of the local authority.

Lawyers criticise MSP's attack on gender ruling
22 Apr 2025 at 1:49pm
Maggie Chapman was filmed condemning what she called "bigotry, prejudice and hatred" by the Supreme Court.

FM defends excluding Reform UK from anti-far right summit
20 Apr 2025 at 1:35pm
Reform claims the meeting is really an "anti-democratic" attempt to curb its growing electoral support.

Trans people will feel anxious over gender ruling - Swinney
19 Apr 2025 at 8:06pm
Scotland's first minister comments on the Supreme Court ruling as protests are held in London, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Tory leader will not attend anti-far right summit
18 Apr 2025 at 4:03pm
Russell Findlay accused John Swinney of using Wednesday's forum to 'deflect from the SNP's dismal record'.

Scot Goes Pop

More analysis of the SNP's astonishing landslide victory in Glenrothes
25 Apr 2025 at 5:39pm
Just a quick note to let you know I have a new article at The National about the SNP's extraordinarily strong performance in the Glenrothes Central & Thornton by-election, which bodes extremely wel...

SNP storm to landslide triumph in Glenrothes by-election
25 Apr 2025 at 8:48am
Glenrothes Central & Thornton by-election result on first preferences (24th April 2025):SNP 47.6% (-1.1)Labour 21.5% (-6.4)Reform UK 17.9% (n/a)Liberal Democrats 6.9% (+2.9)Conservatives 6.1% (-5.9...

Twenty's Plenty: Thanks to Liz Kendall, Labour are hurtling towards an electo...
24 Apr 2025 at 10:04pm
GB-wide voting intentions (Find Out Now, 23rd April 2025):Reform UK 28% (-)Conservatives 20% (-)Labour 20% (-2)Liberal Democrats 14% (-)Greens 13% (+3)SNP 3% (-)20% is a new post-election low for L...

"The only boy who could ever reach me was the son of a toolmaker": IN YOUR DR...
24 Apr 2025 at 3:01pm
One of the curious features of YouGov polling since "the Kendall event" is that Labour had until now remained consistently in first place even though their vote share was hovering at or close to th...

Just when you thought Alba couldn't lose the plot any more than they already ...
23 Apr 2025 at 9:35pm
Although Mike Dailly only joined Alba about six or seven months ago, it's pretty obvious that at the point of joining he had some sort of "understanding" with the leadership, because since then he'...

Scot Goes Popcast Episode 24: Learn more about the new "Get Counted" campaign...
22 Apr 2025 at 9:39pm
For episode 24 of the Popcast, I learned about the new "Get Counted" campaign, which is asking Yessers to register their support for independence via the IndyApp.  I was joined by Jason Baird of th...

Landmark MRP poll shows Reform on course to defeat Labour UK-wide - and the S...
21 Apr 2025 at 11:50am
First of all, just a brief word about the Pope. I don't know about historical Popes, but Francis was undoubtedly the best of my lifetime, and was about as progressive as any Pope can reasonably be ...

ALBA CLUEDO EASTER SPECIAL - Damning *audio* evidence of Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh...
20 Apr 2025 at 10:42pm
Let's imagine, and of course I'm speaking purely hypothetically here, that there was until recently a rogue employee within the Alba Party.  Let's imagine he had full access to the secretive meetin...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Scottish Borders council to consider closing list of pools and libraries
25 Apr 2025 at 4:49pm
There are at least five libraries throughout the Borders slated for closure alongside of four swimming pools, six community centres, multiple museums, as well as town and public halls.

MSP who accused Supreme Court of ?bigotry and hatred? facing committee removal
25 Apr 2025 at 12:43pm
The MSP previously said she will not apologise, stand down or reconsider her role in the face of the controversy.

Holyrood immigration power could help with ?offsetting? Brexit damage, claims MP
25 Apr 2025 at 12:30pm
Stephen Gethins proposed the Devolution (Immigration) (Scotland) Bill to devolve immigration powers to Holyrood.

Businesses ?crying out? for Scottish visas to boost workforce, says SNP MP
25 Apr 2025 at 10:31am
Stephen Gethins argued the UK?s current ?one-size fits all? approach to immigration is not working.

Dundee University staff ?overwhelmingly? back strike action in fight for jobs
25 Apr 2025 at 10:05am
There will be a rally of trade unionists, community activists, students and workers outside of Dundee's Caird Hall next Tuesday.

Scottish Labour demands apology from SNP by-election candidate
25 Apr 2025 at 7:49am
Labour accused Katy Loudon of voting against investment for the Hamilton area.

Attending funeral of Pope an ?honour?, says Swinney
25 Apr 2025 at 7:32am
The Scottish First Minister will be part of the UK delegation at the ceremony in Rome on Saturday.

Keir Starmer?s choice: Fixing Brexit or fixing Trump
24 Apr 2025 at 4:51pm
Starmer is facing competing global pressures pulling at his government.

First Minister to headline European climate event in Glasgow
24 Apr 2025 at 12:57pm
John Swinney said tackling climate change is ?intrinsically? linked to Scotland?s success as a country.

Swinney to face questions after Scottish schools told to have single-sex toilets
24 Apr 2025 at 10:26am
Holyrood is returning from Easter recess, and opposition leaders are likely to ask the First Minister about the judgment.

John Swinney to attend Pope?s funeral
24 Apr 2025 at 9:58am
The 88-year-old Pope died on Easter Monday following a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure.

Retailers warn First Minister against ?unwanted surprises? in legislative plans
24 Apr 2025 at 7:31am
The Scottish Retail Consortiam said John Swinney should use his upcoming Programme for Government to focus on achieving growth.

Swinney refuses to say if trans women are women
23 Apr 2025 at 10:26pm
The First Minister said only that the issue had been ?settled? by the Supreme Court and he accepts its judgment.

John Swinney?s ?anti far-right? summit didn?t invite Reform ? but they were t...
23 Apr 2025 at 7:00pm
The First Minister was asked by journalists if by not inviting the party, the summit was 'an inadvertent advert for Reform'.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scots paying five tax hikes this year with council, booze and income taxes al...
26 Apr 2025 at 4:30am
Household budgets are being stretched ever tighter for many Scots. Here's a reminder of some tax changes that have recently taken force.

Labour blocks bid to allow SNP Government to bring in more foreign workers
25 Apr 2025 at 2:56pm
The SNP accused Labour of running down the clock to stop a vote from taking place on devolving immigration powers.

Supermarket deliveries could be at risk as mechanics balloted on strike action
25 Apr 2025 at 2:12pm
GMB Scotland will ballot mechanics at the complex in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, on industrial action after managers refused to engage in pay talks.

Labour candidate says Rangers pal Barry Ferguson has 'harder job' than him as...
25 Apr 2025 at 12:36pm
David Russell launched his campaign for the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election in the village of Quarter.

Former SNP MP slapped down for suggesting John Swinney had endorsed him in MS...
25 Apr 2025 at 10:26am
David Linden - who was MP for Glasgow East until July - was reprimanded by SNP business convener Angela Constance in a strongly-worded email to party members.

SNP defeat Labour in council by-election as Reform UK support surges
25 Apr 2025 at 7:10am
The by-election in Fife showed Reform pushing Labour close for second place.

Scottish Labour accuses SNP of 'parachuting' candidate into Hamilton by-elect...
25 Apr 2025 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: SNP candidate Katy Loudon does not live in the Hamilton constituency - but has promised to run a by-election campaign "centred on local values".

Tory by-election candidate claims he was 'vilified' after being revealed as f...
25 Apr 2025 at 4:30am
Richard Nelson hit back after the Record revealed he called punters "a***hole" during his shows.

Income tax changes for Scots this month - how it affects your family
25 Apr 2025 at 4:30am
The Record goes over the income tax changes for people living in Scotland that came into force earlier this month

Six Scottish Labour MPs sign letter calling for young Scots to be able to wor...
25 Apr 2025 at 4:30am
Graeme Downie, Gregor Poynton, Kenneth Stevenson, Irene Campbell, Lillian Jones and Maureen Burke have signed a letter calling for the European Union to have a similar scheme to Australia and Canada.

The National

The National | Politics

Scottish Labour spend £20k on Facebook ads through 'anonymous page'
26 Apr 2025 at 5:00am

SCOTTISH Labour have spent more than £20,000 running Facebook ads through a small page ?hiding? its party branding ...

Labour 'worsening cost of living crisis for Scotland', SNP say on campaign la...
26 Apr 2025 at 5:00am

LABOUR have worsened the cost-of-living crisis for Scots, the Finance Secretary has said ...

Owen Jones: How Gary Lineker perfectly highlighted BBC hypocrisy on Israel
26 Apr 2025 at 5:00am

IT should not require Gary Lineker to give the BBC a lesson in journalism. Beloved though he is, he is a very popular football icon turned sports presenter, rather than the editor of BBC news output. Yet this week, the presenter ? now departing from the BBC ? did just that in an interview with Today presenter Amol Rajan.

John Swinney to 'show Scotland's respect' as world leaders gather for Pope's ...
26 Apr 2025 at 5:00am

FIRST Minister John Swinney has said he will ?express the respect of the people of Scotland? when he attends the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday ...

If Scotland has an 'independence cohort', they have a lot of work to do
26 Apr 2025 at 5:00am

A ?COHORT? ? if the term comes to your mind at all ? sounds military. Indeed, it was the name for one-tenth of a Roman legion. But that itself came from the Latin ?cohors?, meaning enclosure, farmyard or retinue.

Kate Forbes: For Scotland to thrive in an uncertain world, it must look east
26 Apr 2025 at 5:00am

IN a world of global uncertainty and often strained international relationships, it remains crucial that Scotland is out in the world highlighting our greatest opportunities ...

EHRC issues guidance on single-sex spaces after Supreme Court gender ruling
25 Apr 2025 at 9:50pm

THE UK?s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has issued legal guidance on the implications of the Supreme Court?s gender ruling, saying it is ?compulsory? for workplaces to offer single-sex toilets and changing facilities ...

Scottish Government urged to extend Glasgow abortion clinic buffer zone
25 Apr 2025 at 7:00pm

A SCOTTISH Green MSP has called on the Scottish Government to review the size of a buffer zone for anti-abortion protests outside of a Glasgow hospital.

Wee Ginger Dug: Why won't Labour give Scotland same deal Canada gives provinces?
25 Apr 2025 at 6:48pm

BOTH Anas Sarwar and Jackie Baillie promised voters, during the UK election campaign last year, that a Labour government ...

Keir Starmer's global statesman pretensions ruined by week of UK humiliation
25 Apr 2025 at 6:00pm

TODAY, a eulogy for Keir Starmer?s coalition of the willing.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Maggie Chapman to face vote on continued equalities committee membership
24 Apr 2025 at 6:28pm
Members of the committee will vote on a motion to remove her on Tuesday

?Around 350? University of Edinburgh staff to take voluntary redundancy
24 Apr 2025 at 4:27pm
Earlier this year, the university confirmed it was seeking to make cuts of ?140m to address a black hole in its finances

FMQS: John Swinney under pressure to increase STEM teacher numbers
24 Apr 2025 at 3:30pm
Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the Scottish Government had significantly underperformed in its teacher recruitment targets

Russell Findlay calls on John Swinney to apologise after Supreme Court ?woman...
24 Apr 2025 at 2:02pm
The first minister said he accepted the judgment ?unreservedly? and his government had started to consider its impact on public bodies

John Swinney to attend funeral of Pope Francis
24 Apr 2025 at 11:21am
'I am deeply honoured', FM says

Ofcom announces new rules to keep children safe online
24 Apr 2025 at 11:19am
Social media apps and other online sites will have to modify algorithms and introduce robust age checks by July to comply with the new code of practice

Scottish businesses raise costs and hire fewer staff due to National Insuranc...
24 Apr 2025 at 11:00am
Weak economic growth expected, bosses say

John Swinney: ?Wrong? to accuse Supreme Court of prejudice
23 Apr 2025 at 6:21pm
Green MSP Maggie Chapman told a protest at the weekend that ?bigotry, prejudice and hatred? is ?coming from the Supreme Court"

John Swinney to convene anti-far right summit in Glasgow
23 Apr 2025 at 6:00pm
The summit is set to be attended by opposition party leaders Anas Sarwar, Patrick Harvie, Lorna Slater and Alex Cole-Hamilton

Scottish space sector calls for dedicated minister to deliver defence plans
23 Apr 2025 at 2:08pm
Speaking at?the?Scottish Affairs Committee, representatives of the space industry called for more ?central coordination?

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

UK politics: Reform UK on course to win in two mayoral contests ? as it happened
25 Apr 2025 at 4:20pm
Polling predicts victory for party in Greater Lincolnshire and Hull/East Yorkshire with the Greens possibly taking West of EnglandThere are six mayoral elections next week. Two of them are for single-authority mayors (Doncaster and North Tyneside), but the others are for combined-authority mayors...

UK politics: Reform will axe councils? special needs funding if they win in l...
24 Apr 2025 at 5:35pm
Party?s education spokesperson says Farage?s comments about doctors over-diagnosing children shows he wants to cut spendingJohn Swinney, the first minister of Scotland, is attending the funeral of the Pope on Saturday, the Scottish government has announced. In a statement Swinney said:His Holines...

Badenoch declines to criticise Jenrick over Reform coalition comments ? as it...
23 Apr 2025 at 5:45pm
Spokesperson for Tory leader says she agrees with colleague that ?we need to bring centre-right voters together?. This blog is closedRosie Duffield, the independent MP who left Labour after the election in part because she felt her gender critical views made her unwelcome in the party (although h...

Scottish Greens table amendment to scrap king?s stamp duty exemption
23 Apr 2025 at 3:45pm
Changes to housing bill would require Charles to pay same tax as everyone else on property he buys in Scotland Opposition politicians in Scotland have called for King Charles to lose his unique exemption from paying stamp duty on his property transactions.The Scottish Green party has tabled chang...

Scottish government has ?no plans? to bring back gender bill after court ruling
22 Apr 2025 at 6:52pm
Social justice secretary says Holyrood ?fully accepts? supreme court ruling and will amend guidanceThe Scottish government has ?no plans? to return to its controversial bill on gender recognition, the high-water mark of Nicola Sturgeon?s progressive agenda, as it attempted to reassure the trans c...

Scottish ministers accused of failing women who cannot get later abortions
21 Apr 2025 at 11:40am
Campaigners say ?extremely vulnerable women? are having to travel hundreds of miles to visit English clinicsCampaigners have warned Scottish ministers that they are failing in their legal and moral duties as growing numbers of ?extremely vulnerable women? have to travel hundreds of miles south be...

Legal definition of woman is based on biological sex, UK supreme court rules
16 Apr 2025 at 7:21pm
Judges say Equality Act definition excludes transgender women, after gender-critical campaigners? challengeWhat does the UK supreme court?s ruling on definition of ?women? mean?The UK supreme court has issued a historic and definitive ruling that the terms ?woman? and ?sex? in the Equality Act re...

What does the UK supreme court?s ruling on definition of ?women? mean?
16 Apr 2025 at 6:27pm
Top court?s ruling that ?sex is binary? in law has implications for trans people and single-sex spacesLegal definition of woman is based on biological sex, UK supreme court rulesThe UK supreme court has ruled on how a woman is defined in the Equality Act, deciding unanimously that this does not i...

UK supreme court to rule on legal definition of a woman
16 Apr 2025 at 5:00am
Judges to decide if Equality Act protections include transgender women with gender recognition certificatesHow UK court definition of ?woman? could affect sex-based rightsEqualities campaigners in the UK are braced for a supreme court ruling that could have a significant impact on the rights of t...

How UK court definition of ?woman? could affect sex-based rights
16 Apr 2025 at 5:00am
What the supreme court has been asked to rule on ? and the implications for women and trans people in Scotland, England and WalesUK supreme court to rule on legal definition of a womanThe UK supreme court is to rule on how a woman is defined in law, the culmination of a long-running challenge bro...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The unlamented death of the Tories, and their replacement with something worse
25 Apr 2025 at 8:21pm
Just over one hundred years ago, the two major political parties in the UK were the Tories and the Liberals. Then the Labour party rose on the left – Labour really was a left wing party back then, and in the years following the First World War, Labour entirely displaced the Liberals as the main …

Shining a linguistic light on pronouns
23 Apr 2025 at 8:52pm
In recent years the previously innocuous, even arcane, matter of pronouns has become intensely politicised in the often toxic debate around trans issues. I’ve tended to steer clear of this topic, partly because as a newly disabled person who was coming to terms with the life-altering effects of a massive stroke my over-riding imperative was …

Starmer?s failure is Scotland?s opportunity
22 Apr 2025 at 9:35pm
What exactly is the point of Starmer’s supposedly Labour government? Just a few days after we learned that Starmer and his Chancellor Rachel Reeves are considering tax cuts for billionaire tech oligarchs, we discover that Labour ministers are ruling out the abolition of the two child benefit cap on the grounds of cost, even though …

The UK as currently constituted is dying off, Scotland is on a path to indepe...
20 Apr 2025 at 3:35pm
For quite some time a definite pattern has emerged from opinion polling on Scottish independence, younger generations are more likely to support Scottish independence than older folk, the oldest generation consistently shows a substantial majority against independence whereas amongst younger people there is majority support for it. So for example, according to a recent study …

Fundraiser update
17 Apr 2025 at 3:29pm
Just a quick update to let everyone know that this year’s annual fundraiser has reached its target in record time, the target of £6000 was reached on Thursday morning, within ten days of being launched.  I must be doing something right, and whatever it is, I will keep on doing it for another year thanks …

Wee Ginger Dug on Independence Live?s TNT Show
16 Apr 2025 at 8:17pm
I was the guest on this week’s Independence Live’s TNT Show with John Drummond. If you missed the live stream, you can view the programme on YouTube From all sources, I am now just £291 away from hitting the fundraiser target of £6000, please help with that final push! ___________________________________________________ A reminder that I am …

The good news continues, a record pro-indy majority in Holyrood is possible
15 Apr 2025 at 7:30pm
Following on from yesterday’s exceptional news from a poll which gave independence a double digit lead, The National has followed up with Holyrood polling from the same poll, which, if replicated in the Scottish election which is now only a year away, would give the pro-independence parties a massive majority of 29 in Holyrood, with …

Scotland is on the threshold of real change when Yes has a double digit lead
14 Apr 2025 at 7:49pm
It’s definitely happening, as anyone who’s been paying attention knew it would. The experience of a Labour government which was elected on a promise of change but which has proven to be in office all but indistinguishable from the Tories Labour ousted, has very predictably driven Scots to the realisation that the only way in …

2025 Fundraiser, an update on progress so far
14 Apr 2025 at 12:09pm
Just a quick update on the progress of this year’s blog fundraiser. The fundraiser has now been running for just seven days and of its target of £6000, a total of £4957 has so far been donated either on my GoFundMe page, via PayPal, or through Ko-Fi. That’s an amazing 82.6% of the target figure …

Get counted for independence
12 Apr 2025 at 12:05pm
A guest post by Jason Baird The grassroots #GetCounted for Independence campaign goes public today (April 12th) Campaign aims ? Break out of the activist bubble and engage the ordinary YES supporter. ? Count and network as many of Scotland’s already convinced YES majority as possible. ? Make the currently ignored YES majority permanently visible …

The Courier

Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

UHI Perth bosses branded ?utterly disastrous? for failing to react to aviatio...
25 Apr 2025 at 2:29pm
UHI Perth bosses were told seven months before AST collapse company was in trouble.

What does Glenrothes by-election win mean for SNP as huge Holyrood test looms?
25 Apr 2025 at 2:15pm
First Minister John Swinney told The Courier he was delighted with the by-election result - the SNP's best performance in 20 months.

EXCLUSIVE: Pressure grows to pause Holyrood grilling for ex-Dundee University...
25 Apr 2025 at 6:01am
There are fears an explosive evidence session with the former principal could damage the university as it negotiates with its lender.

Dundee University could gain from Broughty Ferry MP?s immigration bid
25 Apr 2025 at 6:00am
SNP MP Stephen Gethins will attempt to devolve new powers over immigration to Holyrood on Friday.

Dundee University rector Maggie Chapman could lose spot on Holyrood committee...
24 Apr 2025 at 5:23pm
The Green MSP faces a fight to stay on the equalities and human rights committee after a motion was submitted to remove her.

Concern Maggie Chapman controversy could hit Dundee University?s reputation
24 Apr 2025 at 6:00am
The university's rector-elect faced criticism for comments she made in response to a Supreme Court ruling on the meaning of biological sex.

How the SNP was left out in the cold by Angus Council no confidence coup
23 Apr 2025 at 5:00pm
A Tory-dominated coalition seized control of the Forfar chamber during a special meeting of the council on Tuesday.

EXCLUSIVE: Full timeline for Dundee University crisis probe revealed
23 Apr 2025 at 4:59pm
Investigator Pamela Gillies says forensic investigators are undertaking an extensive and detailed analysis of documents dating back to August 2021.

Arbroath and Broughty Ferry MP Stephen Gethins slapped with Russian sanctions
23 Apr 2025 at 4:07pm
The SNP MP and critic of President Vladimir Putin's regime has been banned from entering Russia.

5 Glenrothes Central and Thornton by-election candidates set out pitch to locals
23 Apr 2025 at 6:00am
We spoke to each candidate hoping to win the contest called after the death of veteran politician Ross Vettraino.

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland

In the wake of SNP progressive tax and benefit changes, shoplifting in Scotla...
25 Apr 2025 at 10:45am
Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: From Crime in England and Wales: year ending December 2024, published yesterday: The number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales has passed half a million for the first time, figures show. PA says: A total of 516,971 offences were logged by forces last year, up 20% from 429,873 in 2023. The figure ...

Scotland?s islanders to get 10 TIMES the subsidy for their ferries than those...
24 Apr 2025 at 9:29pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From Richmond News today: Right now, B.C. Ferries, which according to the union carries more than 21 million passengers and $8 billion in cargo each year, receives about $35 million annually from Ottawa.1 BC Ferries has 41 vessels serving 47 locations to 21 million passengers per year.2 CalMac has 36 vessels serving 50 locations to only 5.3 million passengers per ye...

They get the feast we get the crumbs, again ? Labour?s GB energy projects ?ac...
24 Apr 2025 at 8:48pm
By Liz S ?Miliband said, ?I?m not going to take a decision that is going to raise prices in some parts of the country. That is not what I?m going to do? Really ? Yet when he was interviewed by ITV in March of this year, where they reported that he said this (and he did , because he also tweeted this himself). ?It?s going to make a difference to so many pupils and so many patients? Ed Miliband s...

Scotland?s prison population falls to more than 300 below capacity
24 Apr 2025 at 5:04pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From the data tables for Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: April 2025 published today, we can see that Scotland’s prison population has fallen from a peak of 8 326 in February 2025 to 8 147 last week. Weekly figures fluctuate but suggest no significant growth trend.1 In June 2024, Scotland’s prison population was feared to climb to a maxi...

?They didn?t know their backyard creek carried nuclear waste. Now, they?re dy...
24 Apr 2025 at 4:35pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From CBS News and other US media yesterday: When Linda Morice and her family first moved to St. Louis in 1957, they had no idea they had anything to fear. Then, people started getting sick. “It was a slow, insidious process,” Morice said. After the death of Morice’s mother, her physician uncle took her aside and gave her a stark warning: “Linda, I don’t believe St. ...

Starmer?s celebratory video for his (real) country?s patron saint, that is En...
23 Apr 2025 at 6:34pm
By Liz S Well here we are again , another St George?s day and another yearly ?special? celebratory video from the now, checks notes, UK PM , Sir Keir Starmer. Prior to him becoming the new UK PM, as in when he was merely the official opposition UK leader , Keir used to also do a ?special? celebratory video for his (real) country?s Patron saint, that is England. Scotland & Wales are not given th...

How Starmer, backed by Sarwar, want new mini nuclear power stations in Scotla...
23 Apr 2025 at 3:08pm
Professor John Robertson OBA In the i in April 2025, the above and: Sometimes he would patrol rural lanes on foot, carrying his assault rifle, looking out for any terrorists hiding in the countryside. On other assignments he would man machine guns mounted on armoured ships, watching for any sign of hostile vessels coming his way. Or he would drive in weapons-laden road convoys, monitoring poten...

Has the Scottish Child Payment reduced shoplifting for ?cost-of-living? food ...
23 Apr 2025 at 2:43pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From Shoplifting cases recorded in Scotland since 2019: FOI release, published yesterday, the number of cases reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has fallen from 19 225 to 16 426 and the number proceeded against in Courts has fallen from 12 104 to 8 601: https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202500454372/ In July 2023, BBC Business reported: I...

As UK Labour plan big cuts and more face-to-face assessments of the kind whic...
23 Apr 2025 at 2:17pm
Professor John Robertson OBA Getting little media coverage today – the National, the Record, the Mirror, some locals, but not BBC Scotland or STV: ‘Milestone’ as SNP launch new disability benefit across Scotland That’s the Ardrossan Herald, above, recognising the headline-worthy, you’d think, nature of this announcement. From Econostratum today: A new benefit has been introduced for older peopl...

49 year-old Canadian ferry causes Easter Monday ferry fiasco stranding 300 pa...
22 Apr 2025 at 6:09pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From the Economic Times of Canada, today: Holiday travel plans took a frustrating turn for many on Easter Monday as a key BC Ferries vessel, the Queen of Coquitlam, suffered a mechanical breakdown, leading to disruptions on the busy Langdale-Horseshoe Bay route. The incident, occurring around 1 pm Vancouver time, stranded passengers for approximately three hours and...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Scotland shouldn't aim for independence without a currency plan, says expert ...
25 Apr 2025 at 5:02pm
Scotland shouldn't aim for independence without a currency plan, says expert  TheNational.scot

Scottish independence poll 2025 - Statista
2 Apr 2025 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2025  Statista

In the UK, Scottish independence and Irish reunification have lost their appe...
10 Jan 2025 at 8:00am
In the UK, Scottish independence and Irish reunification have lost their appeal  Le Monde.fr

Scottish independence given new hope as poll shows shocking amount of support...
22 Apr 2025 at 8:37pm
Scottish independence given new hope as poll shows shocking amount of support  dailynews.lk

All to know ahead of the first Scottish independence march of the year - TheN...
25 Apr 2025 at 3:11pm
All to know ahead of the first Scottish independence march of the year  TheNational.scot

Is indy inevitable? The signs are looking good for Yessers - The Herald
24 Apr 2025 at 4:03pm
Is indy inevitable? The signs are looking good for Yessers  The Herald

John Swinney: Scottish independence vote left 'positive legacy' - BBC
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
John Swinney: Scottish independence vote left 'positive legacy'  BBC

Scotland?s pro-independence warriors are shifting on nuclear weapons ? slowly...
1 Apr 2025 at 8:00am
Scotland?s pro-independence warriors are shifting on nuclear weapons ? slowly  politico.eu

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

Scotland March 2025 snapshot - YouGov /Research
27 Mar 2025 at 7:00am
Scotland March 2025 snapshot  YouGov /Research

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP win by-election with more than double Labour vote as Reform UK surge - Th...
25 Apr 2025 at 11:48am
SNP win by-election with more than double Labour vote as Reform UK surge  TheNational.scot

SNP Holyrood hopefuls are ?political junkies? from the party ranks - The Times
25 Apr 2025 at 10:32pm
SNP Holyrood hopefuls are ?political junkies? from the party ranks  The Times

Angus Council SNP administration toppled in no-confidence vote - BBC
23 Apr 2025 at 11:07am
Angus Council SNP administration toppled in no-confidence vote  BBC

SNP lands taxpayers with ?staggering? rise in lawyer costs amid court defeats...
25 Apr 2025 at 5:59pm
SNP lands taxpayers with ?staggering? rise in lawyer costs amid court defeats  The Telegraph

Former SNP MP rapped for false 'John Swinney support' claim amid Holyrood bat...
25 Apr 2025 at 3:59pm
Former SNP MP rapped for false 'John Swinney support' claim amid Holyrood battle  Yahoo News UK

The SNP?s pious anti-Reform summit had no answers - New Statesman
25 Apr 2025 at 8:08am
The SNP?s pious anti-Reform summit had no answers  New Statesman

Reform and the SNP have much in common - The Spectator
23 Apr 2025 at 5:26am
Reform and the SNP have much in common  The Spectator

School exams Scotland: SNP risks getting marked down if grades do not improve...
26 Apr 2025 at 12:01am
School exams Scotland: SNP risks getting marked down if grades do not improve  The Scotsman

STEPHEN DAISLEY: An apology? No, because the SNP are still gaga for all that ...
24 Apr 2025 at 8:46pm
STEPHEN DAISLEY: An apology? No, because the SNP are still gaga for all that woo woo  Daily Mail

SNP's 'Scottish visa' plan is 'absurd' as Stephen Gethins told 'you're to bla...
25 Apr 2025 at 2:48pm
SNP's 'Scottish visa' plan is 'absurd' as Stephen Gethins told 'you're to blame'  Scottish Daily Express

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Scotland shouldn't aim for independence without a currency plan, says expert ...
25 Apr 2025 at 5:02pm
Scotland shouldn't aim for independence without a currency plan, says expert  TheNational.scot

In the UK, Scottish independence and Irish reunification have lost their appe...
10 Jan 2025 at 8:00am
In the UK, Scottish independence and Irish reunification have lost their appeal  Le Monde.fr

John Swinney: Scottish independence vote left 'positive legacy' - BBC
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
John Swinney: Scottish independence vote left 'positive legacy'  BBC

Scotland?s pro-independence warriors are shifting on nuclear weapons ? slowly...
1 Apr 2025 at 8:00am
Scotland?s pro-independence warriors are shifting on nuclear weapons ? slowly  politico.eu

Scotland March 2025 snapshot - YouGov /Research
27 Mar 2025 at 7:00am
Scotland March 2025 snapshot  YouGov /Research

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

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

How attitudes towards independence reshaped Scottish elections: A longitudina...
3 Nov 2024 at 7:00am
How attitudes towards independence reshaped Scottish elections: A longitudinal analysis (1999?2021)  Wiley Online Library

How Brexit has changed Scotland?s constitutional debate - National Centre for...
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
How Brexit has changed Scotland?s constitutional debate  National Centre for Social Research