The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Reform leader accuses rival parties of ?gaslighting? voters on immigration
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
1 Apr 2026 at 4:32pm
Reform UK has accused rival parties of ?gaslighting? voters over migration and housing pressures in Glasgow.


Why Scotland may soon have a new Lord Advocate, and it's not the reason you m...
1 Apr 2026 at 4:00pm
A few weeks ago the Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC told MSPs she would not be resigning after she was pressed by opposition parties on a memo she sent the First Minister about charges facing Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive and estranged husband of Nicola...


What are the security risks behind blocked Chinese turbine company deal?
by vicky.allan@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Vicky Allan
1 Apr 2026 at 4:00pm
"National security" was the reason given for the blocking last week of the deal with Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Ming Yang. But what does that mean?


Reform refuses to rule out re-airing controversial Anas Sarwar advert
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
1 Apr 2026 at 3:48pm
Reform UK has refused to rule out reusing a widely condemned advert targeting Anas Sarwar. The Lib Dems have described the advert as racist.


Inverclyde Council staff will not get World Cup bank holiday
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
1 Apr 2026 at 1:48pm
Inverclyde Council has become the latest local authority to opt against giving staff a day off for Scotland's World Cup opener


SNP councillor who defended sex offender dropped as candidate at last minute
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
1 Apr 2026 at 1:55pm
Leaked recordings reveal that Cllr Carragher spoke out in support of Linden during a 2022 meeting.


Labour candidate axed after appearing in court over allegations of fraud
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
1 Apr 2026 at 12:57pm
Mohammed Ameen, the party?s candidate for Glasgow Southside, was suspended from the party after appearing in Ayr Sheriff Court last week.


Scottish Tories vow to scrap parking charges for stays of under two hours if ...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
1 Apr 2026 at 12:20pm
Russell Findlay has announced the proposal as part of the Tories? manifesto ahead of May's Holyrood election. 


SNP will stand by candidate who defended convicted sex offender Jordan Linden
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
1 Apr 2026 at 12:02pm
John Swinney confirmed an under-fire Holyrood candidate will not be dropped despite controversy over Jordan Linden investigation.


Anas Sarwar 'deeply concerned' by MPs alleged relationship with submarine cap...
1 Apr 2026 at 11:35am
Anas Sarwar has addressed the allegations suspended Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid had an 'inappropriate relationship' with a submarine captain.


North Sea gasfield ?could supply UK by winter if drilling block lifted?
1 Apr 2026 at 10:40am
A North Sea gasfield would be ready to supply homes and businesses in the UK by winter if a Labour Government block on drilling was lifted, its developer has said.


Prime Minister says UK will host meeting on opening Strait of Hormuz
by jody.harrison@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Jody Harrison
1 Apr 2026 at 10:29am
The Prime Minister spoke at a press conference in Downing Street this morning


Anas Sarwar says it's 'disgusting' for John Swinney to link him to Reform
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
1 Apr 2026 at 7:31am
Anas Sarwar has used the Holyrood campaign to define himself as a strong but compassionate leader, defending his break with Keir Starmer and warning Scotland cannot afford another SNP term or ?toxic politicians?.


Russell Findlay: 'Woke' SNP turned Holyrood into weird idea lab
by Rachel Keenan
1 Apr 2026 at 7:13am
Party leader Russell Findlay said the ?woke? SNP has turned Holyrood into a lab for ?weird and wacky ideas?

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Labour replace Glasgow candidate after fraud charge
1 Apr 2026 at 6:40pm

Glasgow Southside seat is currently held by former first minister Nicola Sturgeon

Malcolm Offord also opened the door to voting for Anas Sarwar as First Minister.

Tracy Carragher was a witness in the trial of former the former North Lanarkshire Council leader

The Times reported that Joani Reid left the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (AFPS) last year after she was ?carried away? during a visit to Faslane.

All six parties took part in the event in Edinburgh?s Assembly Rooms on Tuesday night.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was candid with former spin doctor Alastair Campbell about the challenges facing the party

Housing completions and starts in Scotland have declined in the space of a year, new statistics have revealed

There is mounting cross-party pressure for Tracy Carragher to be dropped as a candidate and removed as the SNP leader on North Lanarkshire Council.

Hustings chaired by The Scotsman sees political rivals clash over tone of debate in run-up to Holyrood election

The politicians had little to offer for the Scottish public, but jumped to action when attacking Reform

Recap what happened at The Scotsman?s election hustings.

Wings over Scotland

Clocks And Calendars
30 Mar 2026 at 1:06pm
We think the lads at The Scotsman might have gotten a bit confused and/or carried away when it came to putting the clocks forward at the weekend. At 6am on Sunday morning they tweeted this: But the link was a 404. We checked the print edition of Scotland On Sunday but there was nothing there …

Sicknote Slippers
29 Mar 2026 at 6:09pm
The turnout at the “independence march and rally” yesterday was so abysmally poor that it seems almost unfair to pick on any of the scores of SNP elected representatives who didn’t bother to show up. But dear old Cosy Feet Pete Wishart had the most chef’s-kiss excuse of all. The reason he didn’t fancy getting …

Protest But Don?t Survive
28 Mar 2026 at 5:20pm
If events in Edinburgh today are anything to go by – when a march and rally announced with great fanfare seven months ago, backed by both the “independence” parties in the Scottish Parliament and featuring the First Minister as main speaker, attracted perhaps 1,500 people at the most to Calton Hill on a bright and …

Let?s Call The Whole Thing Off
24 Mar 2026 at 12:59pm
The last faint hope of any remotely positive or at least interesting outcome of May’s election just left the building. It wasn’t MUCH of a hope, and it’s absolutely no surprise in the wake of the comically shambolic, belief-defyingly inept farce that has been the birth of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s fringe-of-the fringe party, …

Irony you can?t buy
20 Mar 2026 at 12:09pm
Posted without comment. But the reason you can’t buy the irony is that she doesn’t need the money. So that’s quarter of a million pounds just for running away when things got a bit sticky, on top of the circa £225,000 in wages she’s trousered since resigning as FM despite never turning up for work …

Looking up at the stars
10 Mar 2026 at 6:24pm
A fascinating line from the BBC this evening: The number of parties who got MSPs elected at the last election is? five. (Though in fairness there are now six, Reform having a single MSP after Graham Simpson defected from the Tories. The Lib Dems are even outnumbered by independents, of whom there are seven.) Also …

Scotland?s Most Frightened
4 Mar 2026 at 5:52pm
This was just two months ago. (Longer version here.) ? And we’ll bet you anything you like he’s already wishing he hadn’t said it. Because a recent study suggested that Swinney might just achieve the impossible task he set for himself, and if he does then he’s REALLY screwed. Now, we don’t actually think that’ll …

Two Men Unalike
28 Feb 2026 at 1:41pm
So Cathy Newman of Channel 4 News got herself a scoop last night. And to be honest, readers, we were a bit confused. “Gender critical views” are not only lawful things to hold and express, they’re one of a small subset of opinions that are explicitly protected as such in law. And why would a …

The Tactics Of Suicide
26 Feb 2026 at 1:48pm
Sorry, readers, we’ve been too busy boiling with rage at revolting, cretinous Americans for the last few days to trust ourselves with writing a full-length article, but we’ve just about calmed down enough in time for this month’s polling analysis. Which is handy, because today is also the day of the Gorton and Denton by-election …

When the law breaks the law
19 Feb 2026 at 1:33pm
There is a not particularly funny joke that is sometimes told in legal circles about why a law student failed to finish his coursework ? because he had no conviction. With rare exceptions lawyers aren?t renowned for their sense of humour but I can?t help thinking someone, at the highest levels of our justice system, …

Craig Murray

The Weight on Delcy Rodriguez
31 Mar 2026 at 1:16pm

As I was leaving the University of the Communes in Tocuyito, after a joyful and uplifting visit, an earnest young Professor came up to me and pulled me aside. Very quietly, he asked me what was going to happen. A number of the students were terrified there would be regime change and they, picked as …

The Weight on Delcy Rodriguez

The Caracas Metro
26 Mar 2026 at 6:46am

The extreme nature of sanctions against Venezuela made it very challenging to keep economic activity going. One example is Caracas’s impressive five-line Metro system, where for almost twenty years they had to keep things running with no spares or maintenance support from the train manufacturers. Yet resilience and ingenuity kicked in, and Venezuela actually reverse …

The Caracas Metro

The London Ambulances Attack: Of Course It Was A False Flag
24 Mar 2026 at 12:04pm

The notion that the Iranian state would discredit itself by choosing to attack an ambulance service in London is crazy. Iran has not even attacked any hospitals or ambulances in Israel. Iran has absolutely zero record of attacks on healthcare facilities. That is of course in stark contrast to Israel which specifically targets them in …

The London Ambulances Attack: Of Course It Was A False Flag

Seeing Trump Clearly
21 Mar 2026 at 12:19pm

What if Trump’s apparently chaotic thought processes and intuitive decision making are all a blind, a charade? What if we are really witnessing, in the Middle East and more widely, a carefully constructed plan with very definite objectives? Has Trump in fact “planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway”, while flinging the …

Seeing Trump Clearly

Radicalism and Scottish Independence
14 Mar 2026 at 4:18pm

There is no place like home, and a few hours after arriving back in Scotland I was in Glasgow giving a talk to Pensioners for Independence. I still covered quite a wide sweep, but my focus came back to what I care about more than anything – the freedom, prosperity and just position in the …

Radicalism and Scottish Independence

Has Venezuela Abandoned Socialism?
13 Mar 2026 at 5:48pm

I interviewed a prominent academic who is a profound critic of the Venezuelan government, and in contrast a strong academic supporter. The conversations were relaxed, open and I believe worthwhile. There is no serious dispute that the Venezuelan government shifted to some degree towards economic liberalism under President Maduro. The question is to what extent …

Has Venezuela Abandoned Socialism?

BBC Scotland

SNP candidate ditched over handling of Linden complaints
1 Apr 2026 at 3:08pm
Tracy Carragher was a deputy council leader when it was reported that her former colleague had made unwanted advances towards a teenager.

Navy investigated links between nuclear sub commander and MP
1 Apr 2026 at 5:44pm
No disciplinary action was taken over the allegations of an inappropriate relationship with Scottish MP Joani Reid.

Labour drops election candidate after fraud charge
1 Apr 2026 at 2:37pm
Glasgow Southside hopeful Mohammed Ameen made no plea when he appeared in court last week.

Call for business rates reform as Scots face cost of living crunch
1 Apr 2026 at 4:50pm
One live music bar firm in Glasgow says it is facing a near six-fold increase and may have to lay off staff.

The huge task of rewiring Britain's electricity grid from top to bottom
1 Apr 2026 at 9:12am
The massive task of getting the power from where it is generated to where it is used involves a massive upgrade of the grid.

Green candidate replaced by rival who complained about him
31 Mar 2026 at 5:22pm
Guy Ingerson was due to top the North East list for the party until he was dropped due to an unresolved complaint.

Former SNP candidate accused of sex offences
31 Mar 2026 at 5:25pm
Fife councillor Stefan Hoggan claims there is a "a vile and disgusting vendetta" against him.

Parents promised more free childcare by party leaders
31 Mar 2026 at 1:51pm
Tax breaks for parents, more funded care for nursery-age children and help to get parents back into work are among the campaign pledges.

Bus firm Alexander Dennis to close Falkirk site with loss of 115 jobs
31 Mar 2026 at 5:20pm
It comes six months after the Scottish government announced a furlough scheme aimed at saving the firm's operations in Scotland

Party leaders pledge to fix ferries chaos and blame 'incompetence'
30 Mar 2026 at 4:24pm
John Swinney has expressed his regret as CalMac confirmed eight vessels were out of action.

Five years on: Why the SNP is still the party to beat in Scotland
29 Mar 2026 at 8:17am
After a major setback two years ago when Labour defeated them in the UK general election, the SNP's political luck seems to have turned.

First Minister apologises to victims of ex-council leader
29 Mar 2026 at 11:28am
Jordan Linden was last week found guilty of five assaults and sending unwanted sexual communications to teenagers.

Scot Goes Pop

Joani of (Noah's nuclear-armed) Arc
1 Apr 2026 at 5:04pm
The senior naval officer Reid was reported for 'inappropriate' behaviour with at Faslane is *separate* to the captain she is linked to tonight by the FT's @LOS_FisherThe captain has reportedly step...

Shock poll portends weather boffin coup threat for Atlas chief Lyon
1 Apr 2026 at 8:57am
You've probably seen the propaganda poll from yesterday that the hapless Alliance to Liberate Scotland, aka "the Atlas", commissioned from Find Out Now.  It used the infamous Archie Stirling questi...

The Alliance to Liberate Scotland and their "Big Lie": the Sovereignty Party ...
31 Mar 2026 at 3:06am
My latest Holyrood constituency profile for The National is Edinburgh Northern.

A brief reply to Ballot Box Scotland about my profile of the Edinburgh Centra...
30 Mar 2026 at 2:27am
Allan Faulds, the former serial Scottish Green Party candidate who runs the psephological Ballot Box Scotland site, has taken a passive-aggressive swipe at me because of something I wrote in my pro...

"Alliance to Liberate Scotland" angrily defend their pact with the far-right ...
28 Mar 2026 at 2:44am
Later in this video, I also give my thoughts on the extraordinary but somehow totally unsurprising news that the self-styled 'independence ultra' Chris McEleny, who expelled and drove out so many g...

Revealed: the far-right have almost totally taken over the "Alliance to Liber...
26 Mar 2026 at 6:45pm
I said in my video about the far-right elements of Barrhead Boy's new fringe party "Alliance to Liberate Scotland" (aka "the Atlas") that I had spotted at least two of the party's candidates as bei...

Let's keep the independence movement clean: avoid the dodgy far-right links o...
25 Mar 2026 at 3:02am

The NHS is Reform's Achilles heel, and they should be hammered on it
24 Mar 2026 at 11:23am
I received a Reform leaflet through the door this morning, emblazened with photos of Malcolm Offord.  And because I'm interested in polls, I immediately noticed the rather amusing error in the Lib ...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Labour candidate dropped after being charged with fraud
1 Apr 2026 at 12:51pm
Mohammed Ameen was running in the Glasgow Southside constituency

SNP pledge to open ?heart and lung MOT? centres
1 Apr 2026 at 8:43am
The centres would screen for diseases including cancer, COPD and heart disease

End ?ridiculous? royal tax breaks, Greens urge in election pledge
1 Apr 2026 at 8:18am
The party it was unfair the ?scandal-ridden? family were given perks while costs were soaring for regular people

Sarwar: SNP has sold out Scottish industry by sending jobs and investment abroad
1 Apr 2026 at 8:14am
The party leader promised that a Scottish Labour government will build and buy more in Scotland

Starmer to update on cost of living as Iran conflict pushes diesel tank to £100
1 Apr 2026 at 7:10am
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is due to speak at a press conference later on Wednesday morning

Greens pledge £600m renewables investment through carbon capture cuts
31 Mar 2026 at 7:06am
The party also called for the UK Government to de-link cheaper electricity prices to ?extortionate? global gas prices

SNP plan for NHS is working, says Swinney
31 Mar 2026 at 7:04am
The First Minister said it was only the SNP which had ?a plan to deliver? on the NHS

Findlay promises permanent tax cuts for business and Scottish ?Canary Wharf?
31 Mar 2026 at 7:04am
The Scottish Tories have pledged to overhaul rates and reverse what they described as ?damaging cliff-edge? tax rises facing firms

Labour pledge two weeks of funded summer childcare in Scotland
31 Mar 2026 at 6:58am
Scottish Labour said the policy would only involve additional funding for councils already running the clubs

Tories call for more drilling in North Sea with new draft law
31 Mar 2026 at 6:45am
The Bill proposes to remove the requirement for downstream emissions to be considered in planning decisions.

Scottish election March 30: Parties pledge to fix ?broken? transport system a...
30 Mar 2026 at 12:09pm
Eight CalMac ferries are out of action, with disruption impacting 'virtually every island' served by a major vessel

I don?t trust Swinney to control Scotland?s energy, says Badenoch
30 Mar 2026 at 12:07pm
The Tory leader touted her party?s new campaign to ?get Britain drilling? in the hopes of increasing energy security

Scottish Greens pledge integrated transport ticketing system
30 Mar 2026 at 10:39am
The system would be funded by scrapping road-building projects, the party said

Labour vows to merge ferry bodies and fix ?broken system?
30 Mar 2026 at 10:31am
Anas Sarwar will visit Stornoway on Monday, as he warned the ?SNP?s ferry fiasco is a symbol of their incompetence and waste?

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Reform UK's Glasgow press conference shows they are one trick ponies with lit...
1 Apr 2026 at 5:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon was left unimpressed with Malcolm Offord's media event in Scotland's largest city.

SNP candidate Tracy Carragher who defended sex offender Jordan Linden suspend...
1 Apr 2026 at 1:12pm
Carragher was suspended by the Nationalists just hours after John Swinney suggested she would continue as a candidate.

Scottish Labour drop Glasgow Southside candidate after fraud charge
1 Apr 2026 at 12:00pm
EXCLUSIVE: Mohammed Ameen will not contest the election for Labour

Joani Reid reports 'deeply concerning' as SNP calls for probe into 'murky sit...
1 Apr 2026 at 11:54am
The MP for East Kilbride voluntarily stepped down from Labour last month after her husband was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.

Royal Navy officer quits nuclear submarine role over 'flirtatious' messages w...
1 Apr 2026 at 9:06am
The unnamed senior naval officer was reportedly found to have exchanged messages with the MP for East Kilbride.

Unions blame SNP Government for handing bus contracts to China for closure of...
31 Mar 2026 at 5:00pm
Trade unions reacted with fury after Alexander Dennis announced it would shutter a bus factory after 68 years while vehicle orders are sent abroad.

Former SNP councillor faces police investigation into alleged sexual offences
31 Mar 2026 at 4:14pm
Scottish Labour MP Graeme Downie claimed "the SNP is knee-deep in sleaze".

Anas Sarwar brands John Swinney 'desperate' as Labour rules out Reform deal
31 Mar 2026 at 1:16pm
The SNP has repeatedly suggested Labour could rely on Reform votes at Holyrood to elect Sarwar as First Minister after the election on May 7.

Bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis to slash Scots jobs and close factory in Fa...
31 Mar 2026 at 12:00pm
Completed buses will no longer roll off the Alexander Dennis production line in Falkirk for the first time in over 100 years.

100,000 Scots families to receive tax free childcare boost under Scottish Lab...
31 Mar 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Anas Sarwar has promised to make childcare more affordable if he becomes First Minister.

The National

The National | Politics

Where's the evidence we are held against our will by London?
1 Apr 2026 at 6:30pm

YOUR letters page of March 31 opens with three moaning missives, all written in complete seriousness by genuine supporters of independence, and complaining about the treatment of indy by the Union establishment.

The overlooked Scottish election polling that points the way to an SNP majority
1 Apr 2026 at 5:49pm

ONE of the most consequential dynamics of the next Scottish election may be hiding in plain sight ...

Prosecutors give update on police investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
1 Apr 2026 at 4:38pm

PROSECUTORS have given an update on the police forces probing the former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Labour grandee Peter Mandelson ...

Party leaders urged to oppose Palantir in Scotland's NHS
1 Apr 2026 at 2:19pm

SCOTTISH political leaders are being urged to oppose any future NHS contracts with IDF-linked tech giant Palantir.

Reform slammed for 'racist scaremongering' as election advert unveiled
1 Apr 2026 at 2:05pm

Reform UK's new campaign billboard has been slammed as 'racist scaremongering' by the Scottish Greens.

SNP candidate suspended after supporting Jordan Linden
1 Apr 2026 at 1:44pm

THE SNP?s group leader on North Lanarkshire Council has been suspended by the party, it has been announced.

Is Scotland facing a fuel supply shortage as petrol stations close?
1 Apr 2026 at 1:44pm

DRIVERS across the country are seeing some petrol pumps closed, but retailers are saying there are no issues, so what is going on with the fuel supply in Scotland ...

'Significant mistake': John Swinney pans Keir Starmer for Scotland Cobra snub
1 Apr 2026 at 1:08pm

JOHN Swinney has said Keir Starmer made a "significant mistake" in shutting out the Scottish Government from a key Cobra meeting which discussed the implications of the Iran war

Scottish Labour replace candidate after he is charged with fraud
1 Apr 2026 at 12:53pm

Scottish Labour have replaced their Glasgow Southside candidate after he was charged with fraud, the party has said

Labour MP's alleged relations with submarine captain 'news to me,' says Anas ...
1 Apr 2026 at 12:53pm

ANAS Sarwar has said claims that Labour MP Joani Reid had an inappropriate relationship with a captain of a nuclear-armed submarine were ?news? to him, adding that it is ?deeply concerning? ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

SNP candidate dropped over handling of Jordan Linden complaints
1 Apr 2026 at 3:00pm
The SNP councillor has been accused of ignoring or downplaying allegations about Linden in a council motion. ?

MP Joani Reid in submarine base conduct allegations
1 Apr 2026 at 1:19pm
Reports emerge of separate incidents

AI NHS integration a ?significant challenge?
1 Apr 2026 at 11:27am
Good governance and building public trust must be part of the rollout, an innovation agency has said

Local Authorities Guide: Scottish Borders Council
1 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Council leader Euan Jardine answers questions about local authority

SNP and Labour blame each other amid jobs risk at Alexander Dennis
31 Mar 2026 at 4:55pm
Up to 115 roles are at risk of redundancy

Scottish university partners with bank on agentic AI research programme
31 Mar 2026 at 12:01pm
Experiments to test the efficacy of agentic AI in software teams

Poll: SNP miss majority but well ahead of nearest rivals
31 Mar 2026 at 11:06am
Reform would be second largest party, beating Labour by one seat

John Swinney says SNP's NHS plan 'working'
31 Mar 2026 at 1:01am
The first minister is expected to be in Dundee today, where he will highlight that the SNP?s NHS ?plan is working?

CalMac technical cancellations sharply increased over last ten years
30 Mar 2026 at 2:18am
New figures obtained by Scottish Labour through freedom of information requests reveal that the number of ferry services cancelled for technical reasons between 2015 and 2025 has risen more than tenfold

Almost half a million affected by Lloyds banking app glitch
27 Mar 2026 at 11:50am
The banking group includes Lloyds, Halifax and the Bank of Scotland

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Reeves criticises Trump for starting Iran war with no ?clear plan? to get out...
1 Apr 2026 at 5:15pm
This blog is now closedStarmer says he understands why people are concerned about the cost of living.He says he has already set out a five-point plan to deal with the crisis.Just look at what?s happening today. Today your energy bills will be cut because of the action that we took at the budget. ...

Starmer pledges to tackle new cost of living crisis at May elections campaign...
30 Mar 2026 at 3:11pm
Prime minister says 7 May vote is coming at time of ?war on two fronts? as Labour braces for heavy losses at pollsUK politics live ? latest updatesThe 7 May elections are taking place against a backdrop of ?war on two fronts?, Keir Starmer has said, as he pledged action to tackle the resurgent co...

Glasgow arts hub tenants condemn ?unsustainable? rent rises by landlord
30 Mar 2026 at 8:17am
City Property, which manages buildings for council, accused of ?coercive and unfair? increases and issuing eviction noticesTenants at one of Glasgow?s leading cultural hubs are battling what they describe as ?unsustainable? rent increases, with critics describing the landlord responsible as a ?ro...

Reform busy firefighting in Scotland but may yet set Holyrood?s politics ablaze
26 Mar 2026 at 6:29pm
With Nigel Farage?s party neck and neck with Labour for second place behind the SNP, disruption seems likely Hope, change, progressive change, change with fairness at its heart ? from a harbour north of Edinburgh to a hipster arts venue in Glasgow?s Barras Market, Scotland?s political parties sp...

UK politics: Trump says UK?s aircraft carriers are just ?toys? ? as it happened
26 Mar 2026 at 6:00pm
The comments were part of a broader address in which he condemned Nato alliesYesterday the Conservative party said that it wanted to ban political parties from distributing campaign literature in a foreign language. Announcing a plan to propose an amendement to the representation of the people bi...

UK politics: Tories claim McSweeney has ?serious questions? to answer about p...
25 Mar 2026 at 5:52pm
Shadow cabinet officer minister claims ?this whole thing stinks to high heaven?Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question at PMQs.Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has urged people to reject ?conspiracy? theories about the loss of Morgan McSweeney?s phone. Continue reading...

?Anyone but Labour? or ?anyone but Reform?? Clash of animosities likely to de...
23 Mar 2026 at 7:00am
While Labour braces for a rout that could see off Starmer, a rising drive to keep out Farage is complicating expectationsSmall swings, high drama: why UK polls are less volatile than they seem ? in chartsLocal elections are often regarded as a referendum on the sitting government, with many previ...

What?s at stake for UK in May?s elections: six key questions
23 Mar 2026 at 7:00am
Reform, Plaid Cymru, the SNP and the Greens are all banking on big gains and nationwide repercussionsOn 7 May, three of the UK?s four nations go to the polls in a series of elections with much potential significance, not just for who ends up governing various bodies, but also for the future polit...

Labour dismisses Reform UK MSP candidates as ?hopeless Tory rejects and oddba...
20 Mar 2026 at 4:50pm
This blog is now closedSeverin Carrell is the Guardian?s Scotland editor.Malcolm Offord, Reform UK?s Scottish leader, has doubled down on his defence of the party?s vetting by dismissing remarks by candidates backing Tommy Robinson or describing Humza Yousaf as an ?Islamist moron? (see 10.12am) a...

Reform UK suspends Scottish candidate less than a day after announcing him
20 Mar 2026 at 2:24pm
Stuart Niven found to have diverted Covid grants to personal account as party faces criticism for candidates? Islamophobic remarksReform UK has suspended one of its Scottish candidates after it emerged he had been struck off as a company director, and the party faces growing attacks for fielding ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

It?s not just independence which is at stake in this election
31 Mar 2026 at 6:13pm
The weekend kicked off the election campaign with a well attended march and rally for independence held in Edinburgh on Saturday. I’m sure you all followed the reports about it on BBC Scotland, oh, right. It was far too busy talking about the ferries again wasn’t it. Every political party talks up its chances during …

The rapid implosion of Reform?s Scottish campaign
26 Mar 2026 at 3:05pm
As the saying goes, you’d need a heart of stone not to laugh. Within just a few days of Reform UK launching its Scottish election campaign to much fanfare and racist ‘jokes’ about tartan burqas, the wheels are already coming off Farage’s septic tank pumper wagon. The party has already lost no less than four …

James Dornan MSP looks back on his career
24 Mar 2026 at 1:49pm
A guest post by James Dornan MSP   Today veteran SNP MSP James Dornan makes his last speech in the Scottish Parliament, and steps down to retirement and to give way to a new generation. To mark the occasion, he has very kindly written a guest post for this blog in which he looks back …

Reform?s chaotic launch and the implications of the Iran war for May?s election
20 Mar 2026 at 8:53pm
Nigel Farage came to Scotland on Thursday to launch his party’s manifesto for the Scottish elections on 7 May and to introduce Reform UK’s almost half former Tory slate of totally well vetted candidates. Reform UK there, promising to fix Broken Britain with a slew of the former Conservatives who were responsible for breaking it …

Thoughts on the failure of the assisted dying bill
18 Mar 2026 at 2:46am
Back in 1998, after we had moved to Spain, my late husband Andy and I became very close friends with our new neighbour, a Norwegian woman called Ellie who had moved to Spain after retiring from a career on the Norwegian oil rigs in the North Sea. She was looking forward to spending her final …

Scotland: Too wee?
17 Mar 2026 at 9:11am
Is it time to look again at the long-debated theory that Scotland is ?too wee? to be a successful independent country? A guest post by Diane Izzett https://bsky.app/profile/dizzyscot.bsky.social With the yes voters taking a lead in recent polls, do the facts support this or is it just the final death throes of a coloniser losing …

Lessons from 2014 for next time round
14 Mar 2026 at 6:23pm
An important new academic book looking at the 2014 Scottish independence referendum has just been published. The snappily titled “Discourse, Voice, and the Politics of Participation in the Scottish Independence Referendum” by Dr Maike Dinger, a Lecturer in Communications, Media and Culture at the University of Stirling is available on Amazon for £104.99 hardback or …

So-called muscular unionism is a sign of Westminster?s fragility
12 Mar 2026 at 4:30pm
The Labour party has responded to the leak of a memo from Starmer to cabinet ministers in which he tells them not to be “deferential” to the devolved governments and not to hesitate to override them even on devolved matters. Starmer was questioned about the memo by SNP MP Stephen Gethins at Prime Minister’s Questions …

Devolution has run out of road
10 Mar 2026 at 6:48pm
This always happens, every time I decide to take a bit of time off, a big news story breaks and it’s back to the keyboard. On Tuesday, a Labour government memo was leaked which proves that Keir Starmer is hell bent on undermining the devolution settlement. In the memo, sent to all members of the …

What the end of Alba means for May?s election and the broader independence mo...
9 Mar 2026 at 5:35pm
Well that’s it. The Alba party has gone and will not be contesting the Holyrood election in May, or indeed any elections in the future. Unlike some, I am not gloating about the party’s demise even though I was never a supporter of it. I kept my thoughts about Alba largely to myself despite coming …

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

Reform UK make the case, again, for Scottish Independence.
1 Apr 2026 at 4:27pm
Above the utterly implausible hazardous routes by which small boats full of migrants would have to travel to come ashore in Berwick or in Stranraer but, hey, geography was never Reform UK’s strongpoint judging by their new campaign vans below. So, they’re not coming to Scotland by boats. They’re coming by bus, train or car, up the road from England? Easily solution full independence and border ...

Scotland is first to recognise and to invest in research into Childhood Demen...
1 Apr 2026 at 4:09pm
to officially recognise childhood dementia and the Scottish Government has provided £118 000 to Alzheimers Scotland to employ two Childhood Dementia Development Officers but for Sophia that’s coming too late. BBC Reporting Scotland today at 1pm had a report on the above, featuring an interview with a father that had me in tears. So moved, I did not notice the above comment that came half-way th...

A1 Edinburgh to Lamberton road deaths and overall accident rates plummet to c...
1 Apr 2026 at 4:08pm
Eight months ago, the Scotsman had the above, platforming some opposition politicians. It’s behind a paywall so who cares. Note the ‘alarming’ casualty toll. Finding the above report was triggered by seeing Transport Scotland number of collisions on the A83: FOI release, published today, which revealed: I wonder if this FOI was requested by those well-known figures, Edinburgh MSPs, Alex Cole-Ha...

As gangs of youths run riot in Clapham for second night will Scotland?s plumm...
1 Apr 2026 at 4:06pm
In the Telegraph and other media today, the above story and: Another day, another mini-riot, as gangs of marauding youths run amok ? this time in Clapham, south London. A few days ago social media was full of footage of what seemed to be teenagers (they were all in hoodies so one can?t be sure how old they were) causing chaos in Wolverhampton, throwing eggs at anyone they could find. Video then...

Dear George (Monbiot), here?s why ?this country? is not a dump?
1 Apr 2026 at 4:05pm
George Monbiot in the Guardian today: This country?s a dump. I don?t mean that metaphorically. I mean it literally. From the point of view of criminal waste gangs, it is one big potential landfill. The chances of being caught range between minimal and nonexistent, and the penalties are mostly laughable. Successive governments have given criminals a licence to print money. Last week, the Commons...

A Guardian picture tells a story of Scotland?s place even amongst England?s l...
1 Apr 2026 at 4:04pm
See those Ivory Coast players in orange, very bottom left in the (just) ‘More sport’ afterthought section? That’s the report of Scotland’s 1 nil defeat last night, right at the bottom. I read the Guardian all the time but won’t pay until they change their editorial policy to oppose Scottish independence at the same time as not opposing any other country’s departure from the brutal empire they a...

Increased violence against teachers in English schools DOES make sense
1 Apr 2026 at 4:00pm
BBC Breakfast today had an extended piece on violence in the classroom increasing. It made sense in the context of worsening youth violence against adults across society, in England. There are similar reports from BBC Scotland. They don’t make such good sense. More on that below. First, of direct relevance, from the Guardian on 31 December 2025: The number of violent offences involving an adole...

Scotland?s own global celebrity drug baron is not your main concern
1 Apr 2026 at 3:59pm
The media operating in Scotland have loved Scotland getting to this ‘world-cup’ of global celebrity drug barons ‘masterminding hits’ on other global celebrity drug barons and the associated relatively minor collateral violence back home in Scotland. As that peaked in the summer of 2025, the Telegraph had: A wave of violence The flames have been there for all to see. Over six weeks in March and ...

Number of children requiring state protection falls by a quarter and is less ...
1 Apr 2026 at 8:43am
Sources at – https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/03/31/number-of-children-requiring-state-protection-falls-by-a-quarter-and-is-less-than-half-that-in-england/

Number of properties for private rent increases to second-highest level since...
1 Apr 2026 at 8:42am
From Housing statistics: Scottish Landlord Register Data published today, the above data suggesting a robust, largely unchanging picture to further expose the ‘housing emergency‘ narrative, so popular with critics of the Scottish Government, as mere propaganda. Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-landlord-register-data/

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

SNP and Greens join independence march ahead of Holyrood election - BBC
28 Mar 2026 at 6:24pm
SNP and Greens join independence march ahead of Holyrood election  BBC

Energy crisis could strengthen case for independence. Here's how - Thenationa...
1 Apr 2026 at 5:05am
Energy crisis could strengthen case for independence. Here's how  Thenational Scot

New pro-independence candidate standing in Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and...
1 Apr 2026 at 10:00am
New pro-independence candidate standing in Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent  East Lothian Courier

Could Scotland leave the United Kingdom by accident? - The Times
29 Mar 2026 at 4:55pm
Could Scotland leave the United Kingdom by accident?  The Times

Five years on: Why the SNP is still the party to beat in Scotland - BBC
29 Mar 2026 at 8:17am
Five years on: Why the SNP is still the party to beat in Scotland  BBC

Thousands march for Scottish independence in major Edinburgh rally - Thenatio...
28 Mar 2026 at 3:50pm
Thousands march for Scottish independence in major Edinburgh rally  Thenational Scot

See Brian Cox's full speech at major Believe in Scotland independence rally -...
28 Mar 2026 at 3:03pm
See Brian Cox's full speech at major Believe in Scotland independence rally  Thenational Scot

Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland - BBC
2 Mar 2026 at 8:00am
Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland  BBC

Watch the Believe in Scotland Edinburgh march and rally live - Thenational Scot
28 Mar 2026 at 7:05am
Watch the Believe in Scotland Edinburgh march and rally live  Thenational Scot

See all the pictures from today's major Scottish independence rally in Edinbu...
28 Mar 2026 at 3:35pm
See all the pictures from today's major Scottish independence rally in Edinburgh  Thenational Scot

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP candidate ditched over handling of Linden complaints - BBC
1 Apr 2026 at 3:08pm
SNP candidate ditched over handling of Linden complaints  BBC

SNP calling, haplotype phasing and allele-specific analysis with long RNA-seq...
30 Mar 2026 at 11:16am
SNP calling, haplotype phasing and allele-specific analysis with long RNA-seq reads  Nature

SNP candidate suspended after supporting Jordan Linden - Thenational Scot
1 Apr 2026 at 4:58pm
SNP candidate suspended after supporting Jordan Linden  Thenational Scot

SNP councillor who defended sex offender dropped as candidate at last minute ...
1 Apr 2026 at 3:25pm
SNP councillor who defended sex offender dropped as candidate at last minute  The Herald

SNP candidate dropped over handling of Jordan Linden allegations - Holyrood W...
1 Apr 2026 at 11:43am
SNP candidate dropped over handling of Jordan Linden allegations  Holyrood Website

Swinney says SNP improving NHS as lung and heart health ?MOTs? plan announced...
1 Apr 2026 at 2:08pm
Swinney says SNP improving NHS as lung and heart health ?MOTs? plan announced  London Evening Standard

Former SNP candidate accused of sex offences - BBC
31 Mar 2026 at 5:25pm
Former SNP candidate accused of sex offences  BBC

SNP councillor suspended by party over handling of Linden complaints - The Sc...
1 Apr 2026 at 12:51pm
SNP councillor suspended by party over handling of Linden complaints  The Scotsman

SNP sacks North Lanarkshire group leader - Rayo
1 Apr 2026 at 3:21pm
SNP sacks North Lanarkshire group leader  Rayo

The overlooked Scottish election polling that points the way to an SNP majori...
1 Apr 2026 at 6:05pm
The overlooked Scottish election polling that points the way to an SNP majority  Thenational Scot

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

SNP and Greens join independence march ahead of Holyrood election - BBC
28 Mar 2026 at 6:24pm
SNP and Greens join independence march ahead of Holyrood election  BBC

See Brian Cox's full speech at major Believe in Scotland independence rally -...
28 Mar 2026 at 3:03pm
See Brian Cox's full speech at major Believe in Scotland independence rally  Thenational Scot

Majority for SNP will lead to independence vote as Starmer too 'weak', says B...
30 Mar 2026 at 1:52pm
Majority for SNP will lead to independence vote as Starmer too 'weak', says Badenoch  The Herald

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
26 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

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

'Weak' Sir Keir Starmer 'will grant John Swinney another independence referen...
30 Mar 2026 at 1:26pm
'Weak' Sir Keir Starmer 'will grant John Swinney another independence referendum'  Scottish Daily Express

Thousands attend Believe in Scotland rally in Edinburgh - The Edinburgh Reporter
28 Mar 2026 at 8:32pm
Thousands attend Believe in Scotland rally in Edinburgh  The Edinburgh Reporter

Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland - BBC
2 Mar 2026 at 8:00am
Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland  BBC

First Minister John Swinney?s speech to the SNP?s 2026 Campaign Conference - ...
14 Mar 2026 at 7:00am
First Minister John Swinney?s speech to the SNP?s 2026 Campaign Conference  snp.org

Scottish independence is up for grabs, John Swinney insists ahead of march - ...
28 Mar 2026 at 5:06am
Scottish independence is up for grabs, John Swinney insists ahead of march  Thenational Scot