The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Healey offers 'breathing space' but OBR warns of year with no real earnings g...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
28 Oct 2026 at 6:29pm
Chancellor John Healey's Budget offers a £100 one-off payment to 20 million households and extends energy bill relief, but the OBR warns that living standards will stall in 2027 as the Iran conflict drives inflation to 3.5%


Gilruth says Burnham holding back for snap election as Budget 'leaves Scotlan...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
28 Oct 2026 at 5:36pm
Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth has warned that Scotland faces a real-terms cut of around £650m next year despite the UK Budget's headline boost.


Stark contrasts at the heart of Healey?s first Budget
by ian.mcconnell@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Ian McConnell
28 Oct 2026 at 4:43pm
There were a couple of stark contrasts at the heart of John Healey?s first Budget.


'Hammer blow' for north east as Acorn project loses £200m funding promise in ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
28 Oct 2026 at 2:20pm
The Acorn carbon capture project at St Fergus has been left without confirmed grant funding in the Budget, as the UK Government diverted £200 million towards defence and prioritised clusters in Teesside, Merseyside and North Wales, putting 15,000 North Sea jobs at risk.


Scottish Greens accuse 2026 Budget of letting oil and gas giants ?off the hook?
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
28 Oct 2026 at 2:07pm
Scottish Greens? Ross Greer accuses the UK Government of sparing oil and gas giants in the 2026 Budget as fuel poverty and energy bills soar in Scotland.


UK launches data centre covenant in 2026 Budget with jobs and water protectio...
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
28 Oct 2026 at 1:32pm
UK Government unveils British data centre covenant, requiring local jobs, community investment and water protection in return for faster grid connections.


Former presiding officer given honorary doctorate for 'fostering respectful d...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
28 Oct 2026 at 11:46am
Alison Johnstone, who has also served as a Lothian MSP and City of Edinburgh councillor, received an honorary doctorate from Edinburgh Napier on Tuesday.


SNP warns scrapping gas standing charges could raise bills for Scots
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
28 Oct 2026 at 10:50am
Scottish households could end up paying more for gas under the Chancellor's plan to scrap standing charges, the SNP has warned.


Polyamorous conference motion shows Greens must stop giving opponents opportu...
by Kathleen Nutt
28 Oct 2026 at 10:27am
The most interesting aspect of Ross Greer's speech to the Scottish Greens' conference was when he warned members not to give opponents opportunities to attack the party.


Who is Nus Ghani, the deputy speaker who presides over the UK Budget 2026?
by joe.donnelly2@newsquest.co.uk | Joe Donnelly
28 Oct 2026 at 8:23am
Nusrat Ghani, the Commons deputy speaker, chairs the Budget. Here?s who she is, what her role involves, and why she oversees major parliamentary debates.


Councillors set to adopt code of conduct cracking down on ?derogatory language'
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
28 Oct 2026 at 6:30am
The charter asks councillors to "treat all individuals with dignity, courtesy, and respect, regardless of political affiliation, role, or background".


Budget RECAP: Scottish Government confirms £100 energy payment for Scots
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
28 Oct 2026 at 6:20am
Chancellor John Healey has delivered his first Budget, promising ?breathing space? for households alongside targeted cost-of-living fixes. Follow for full coverage and reaction.


Number of empty council houses in capital fall 66 per cent amid homelessness ...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
28 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
Just 474 council houses were recorded as vacant during the 2025/26 financial year, down from a high-water mark of 1,386 in 2022/23.


John Healey promises 'fresh hope' in first Budget but polls shows public pess...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
28 Oct 2026 at 12:01am
Chancellor John Healey delivers his first Budget promising resilience and relief, but with fiscal headroom potentially halved to £12bn and public scepticism high, Scotland's leaders are demanding more than warm words.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Budget 2026 RECAP: Chancellor John Healey's spending plans and what they mean...
28 Oct 2026 at 5:05pm

The Chancellor has announced his tax and spending plans in the Commons

Alcohol duty will rise again in line with inflation

The Scottish government said it will replicate a policy announced by Chancellor John Healey

The danger is that the government sends a message that success makes an industry an automatic target for the Treasury

The move has been presented as part of a raft of measures to tackle rising household costs,

The Acorn carbon capture funding will be repurposed to help pay for defence investment.

Although dull, the Chancellor?s statement will likely have achieved what it intended by not annoying too many people

The Chancellor has set out his spending plans in John Healey?s first Budget.

The Chancellor will also ?start the long-term action needed to get energy costs down for good? in his statement to MPs.

Labour MP Euan Stainbank said Reform ?owe refinery workers and answer? after senior MP Robert Jenrick suggested halting the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism

New statistics showing an 8 per cent drop in housing completions has been branded ?appalling?.

The power station is reliant on carbon capture technology to mitigate some of the climate impact of burning gas to generate electricity

SNP government officials have insisted Scotland ?has one of the most comprehensive public EV charging networks in the UK?.

Grangemouth?s future matters to the whole of Scotland

Wings over Scotland

Vibecoding A Better World
28 Oct 2026 at 3:13pm
AI may very well kill us all in the coming weeks and months, but in the meantime it’s a magical tool that enables even near-idiots to perform near-miracles. While the Scottish Parliament has been off for the October half-term and nothing’s been happening in politics, I’ve been occupying myself with modifying some very old computer …

Faces In Sand
17 Oct 2026 at 3:53pm
Ladies and gentlemen, the next leader of the SNP. ? To be scrupulously fair to the huffing dolt-child, we suppose in grey, chilly Aberdeen there could be some confusion on the matter. But remarkably, the above isn’t even nearly the dumbest thing that’s happened (so far) at this year’s SNP conference. It’s probably not even …

The fight about to come
14 Oct 2026 at 3:20pm
The obvious question is “Why haven’t you made a bigger one in all that time?” Did it not seem important until now? Was there nothing significant going on? Or were they just a little short of cash for some unknowable reason? Still, Keith’s going to make a “launch” speech. He makes it every year. It’ll …

Still Time To Save Her
9 Oct 2026 at 2:32pm
We’ve just had an extraordinary email from Police Scotland, readers. Here it is. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the real-life Timecops. Operation Branchform was closed on 20 March 2025. Nicola Sturgeon gave her infamous interview to Laura Kuenssberg – stating that she would not be handing back any of the items gifted to her by Peter …

There May Be Justice
5 Oct 2026 at 12:40pm
In a little under three days, Phase 1 complete. Wings readers: still the best. But what now? A couple of people have asked about the “stretch target” on the website. That was something CrowdJustice asked for and the reason it’s so high is that that figure was our lawyers’ estimate of the total cost of …

The Love Of Big Brother
3 Oct 2026 at 1:24pm
We were trying to work out what this reminded us of. And the answer was in the same place it usually is. It all checks out. The SNP spend their time grooming your children and trying to make basic parenting a crime. They endorse “gender-affirming care” that sterilises them and will stop them ever having …

In The Eyes Of The Law
1 Oct 2026 at 2:15pm
Our fundraiser to bring a judicial review of Police Scotland’s decision not to charge anyone with embezzlement in the case of the SNP’s missing £700,000 indyref fund is now live, and can be reached by clicking on this image, or here. The target of £30,000 represents the cost of the initial application (with contingency for …

Whatever Can Have Happened?
30 Sep 2026 at 1:50pm
Yesterday afternoon John Swinney announced an independent review into the dual roles of Scotland’s main law officers, the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General, which have been a subject of great controversy since the Scottish Parliament was re-convened in 1999. Wings welcomes this development unequivocally, albeit we’re slightly concerned that the former judge leading the …

The Turning Point
28 Sep 2026 at 1:10pm
We don’t have much to say about this graph that it doesn’t say for itself. The arrest of Peter Murrell on 5 April 2023, just a couple of weeks after his wife had realised the game was up and walked away before the cops came round and put a big blue tent up on their …

Cowering From Destiny
24 Sep 2026 at 11:29am
Alert readers will recall that last year the SNP convened a summit in Glasgow for the sole purpose of uniting the nation in preventing Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister. The party also regularly tells us that to actually achieve independence, support would have to build to an overwhelming consensus into the 60-65% range, rather than …

Craig Murray

The Epidemic of Billionaires
21 Oct 2026 at 11:54am

It takes a lot to get tens of thousands of people to riot. For it to happen simultaneously across several countries points to a supranational underlying cause, as opposed to local grievance at an egregious state injustice. That the temporary collapse of authority and restraint will allow some opportunists to loot is an inevitable concomitant. …

The Epidemic of Billionaires

The Unjust State
15 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm

“Forget justice, it’s much too expensive and time consuming. Plus if you take the government to court, you will have to spend your own money, and we are saving you from that”. That is a fair summary of the judgement by Lords Pentland and Troy and Lady Wise in our appeal against the suspension of …

The Unjust State

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?
12 Oct 2026 at 10:29am

Tomorrow at 10am we get the judgement in our appeal against the suspension of the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. We cannot have won as the appeal – held by “urgent process” – was intended to allow a judicial review before the Supreme Court meets in the Ammori case on 4 …

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?

Fatuous False Flags
2 Oct 2026 at 10:16am

Rather than abandoning the plainly nuts Fairford narrative, Burnham and his government are doubling down on the claim it is an Iranian terror plot. It remains quite possible the men were indeed fuel thieves, simply stealing fuel from farms. They appear to have been equipped for fuel theft and all they were carrying was petrol. …

Fatuous False Flags

Losing My Religion
29 Sep 2026 at 12:07pm

I have lost faith both in Western social democracy, and in the institutions of international law. As both have been fundamental to the work of my life, this is rather a blow as I approach 70. A number of deeply shocking things have happened this past three years, not as extraneous events, but as conscious …

Losing My Religion

Palestine Action Judicial Review
23 Sep 2026 at 4:51pm

On Friday we have our appeal against the suspension of the Palestine Action judicial review in Scotland. Our legal crowdfunder has been closed down by the card processors following Trump’s designation of Palestine Action as a global terrorist organisation. https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/scottish-challenge-to-proscription/dashboard/ If you can, please come to the Court of Session in Edinburgh for 10am. If …

Palestine Action Judicial Review

BBC Scotland

Scottish government aiming to replicate chancellor's £100 energy payment scheme
28 Oct 2026 at 4:35pm
John Healey has announced households south of the border in council tax bands A-D will receive the one-off payment.

Budget 2026: Key points at a glance
28 Oct 2026 at 4:55pm
Here?s what you need to know from John Healey?s first Budget, as the chancellor sets out the government?s tax and spending plans.

Government minister calls for review of 'unacceptable' BBC Scotland channel c...
28 Oct 2026 at 5:41pm
The BBC announced the dedicated Scotland channel would move online as part of measures to make savings of £500m.

Scotland's recycling rates at five-year low. How is your area doing?
27 Oct 2026 at 3:32pm
Environmental regulator Sepa says households recycled 42.8% of waste in 2025 - down from 44.3% the previous year.

MPs and MSP detained by Israel and barred from entering West Bank
27 Oct 2026 at 4:34pm
SNP MP Lara Bird and the Scottish Greens MSP Kate Nevens were part of an international delegation turned away by Israeli security forces.

Political battle intensifies within Labour over Rosebank oil field
26 Oct 2026 at 6:09pm
Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra is urging the energy secretary to approve the controversial plans.

Police Scotland could cut officer numbers to lowest level in 20 years
26 Oct 2026 at 2:38pm
The Scottish Police Authority says a funding standstill could lead to an end to an end to recruitment.

Scottish Greens call on Swinney to stop 'swithering' on oil and gas
24 Oct 2026 at 3:35pm
Gillian Mackay hits out at Andy Burnham and John Swinney over Jackdaw approval at the party conference.

Police find no criminality in Yes Scotland finances
23 Oct 2026 at 5:56pm
In July, a newspaper published claims by an activist that it was not known how income of more than £1.5m had been spent.

Is the UK set to green-light a huge untapped oil field?
22 Oct 2026 at 7:09am
Scotland editor James Cook visits Rosebank - the UK's largest known untapped oilfield - in the North Atlantic.

Rosebank: Life on the oil field at the centre of a political storm
25 Oct 2026 at 7:15am
Scotland editor James Cook finds out what life is like on board a ship in an untapped oil field awaiting its fate.

Chris Mason: Jackdaw approved but tricky energy trade-offs remain
21 Oct 2026 at 9:49am
Jackdaw and Rosebank are case studies in the slow motion awkwardness the UK has over energy.

Scot Goes Pop

Was the SPUC's attempted fringe meeting in Aberdeen a "classic McEleny politi...
28 Oct 2026 at 2:59pm
Also in the video below - SHE'S BACK!!!  Corri Wilson, matriarch of the "Corri Nostra" faction of the defunct Alba Party, has emerged from hibernation, and this time she wants to "explain democracy...

I'm sensing a pattern here...
28 Oct 2026 at 8:06am
My YouTube channel has reached two new milestones over the last few days - it's hit 2000 subscribers, and for the first time one of the individual videos has exceeded 10,000 views.  That prompted m...

Majority of Scots want independence, says ELEVENTH Norstat poll IN A ROW - ev...
25 Oct 2026 at 6:38pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Mounting evidence that the SNP leadership would be serious about using a hung...
24 Oct 2026 at 3:31am
Over the last few days, several people have been asking how I fared in the SNP internal elections.  As I explain in the video above, I'm pretty much certain that I've been elected to one of the fou...

The BBC, realising they haven't betrayed Scotland quite hard enough yet, anno...
21 Oct 2026 at 12:07pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *Just a reminder that the YouTube videos I create are unlikely to ever produce...

How did we end up with such a poor media? STV can't even get the basics righ...
20 Oct 2026 at 11:58am
I haven't watched any TV news over the last few days, so my main knowledge of the McGill's meltdown comes indirectly from social media, but I've just watched a full three-minute report from STV New...

GOD BLESS MOTHER NATURE! It's raining Survation polls showing Scotland wants ...
19 Oct 2026 at 7:33am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

52% support for independence - 14-point lead for SNP - new Scottish poll is C...
15 Oct 2026 at 10:35pm

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Scottish Government to pass on £100 to Scots for winter fuel bills after Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 4:05pm
Around 20 million households will get £100 from the UK Government this winter to help with energy bills, John Healey announced on Wednesday

Budget 2026: What it means for your bills, pay and pension
28 Oct 2026 at 2:17pm
John Healey unveiled the UK Government's tax and spending plans in the House of Commons.

Chancellor John Healey to outline tax and spending plans in 2026 Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 11:17am
The chancellor will unveil the first Budget of Andy Burnham?s premiership at 12.30pm on Wednesday

Majority of responses to consultation on smoking Bill ?generated by AI bots?
28 Oct 2026 at 9:27am
The responses were ?overwhelmingly targeted? at opposing plans to restrict the sale of disposable vapes

Swinney calls for ?substantial support? with energy bills in UK Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 7:20am
Scottish First Minister John Swinney spoke out ahead of Chancellor John Healey?s first UK Budget on Wednesday.

Andy Burnham urged to deliver ?meaningful help? in Budget instead of ?showboa...
28 Oct 2026 at 7:01am
The SNP's Kirsty Blackman has demanded action from Burnham to help those facing cost of living pressures

Reform UK Scottish leader announces frontbench reshuffle at Holyrood
27 Oct 2026 at 3:54pm
Malcolm Offord said he had ?shuffled? his MSP team ? with the announcement coming after MSP Amanda Bland quit the party

SNP MP and Scottish Green MSP detained by Israel after trying to enter Palestine
27 Oct 2026 at 8:05am
Lara Bird was detained by Israeli authorities after trying to enter the West Bank

Scottish ministers urged to set new tax on private jets at ?sky high? level
27 Oct 2026 at 7:42am
Campaigners at Oxfam Scotland want the new charge to help ensure the ?biggest polluters pay? for the impact their actions have on the environment.

Scottish Government urged to commit £100m for work to help prevent homelessness
27 Oct 2026 at 7:26am
Crisis Scotland urged ministers to provide the funding over the next two years, ahead of new duties coming in in November 2028.

?Show intent? to end homelessness by scrapping benefits cap, charities urge
26 Oct 2026 at 7:05am
A coalition of 38 Scottish charities has written to the Chancellor urging him to ditch the 'damaging' measures at Wednesday?s Budget

800 Scottish public sector workers being paid for jobs that don?t exist ? report
25 Oct 2026 at 2:38pm
The Sunday Times reports around 800 NHS workers no longer have a fixed role but remain on the public payroll, at a cost of at least £27m per year.

SNP says UK must rule out use of Scottish revenue for English nuclear energy
24 Oct 2026 at 7:47pm
The new fund was announced alongside the approval of the Jackdaw gas field near Aberdeen earlier this week.

Greens promise ?millennial rail card? paid for by wealthy flyers
24 Oct 2026 at 2:24pm
Ross Greer, the party?s co-leader, said the 31-49 age group was the only one not to be offered a discounted rail fare scheme

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

John Swinney accused of 'lying' and 'scaremongering' over pensions remarks
28 Oct 2026 at 6:52pm
A Labour minister has accused the SNP leader of trying to make "cheap political points to scare pensioners"

Budget 2026: 10 things Scots need to know from John Healey's big announcement
28 Oct 2026 at 4:09pm
John Healey's first Budget speech lasted 55 minutes. But what was in it for Scots?

John Healey paves the way for early general election but long winter lies ahe...
28 Oct 2026 at 3:23pm
Andy Burnham and John Healey may never have a better opportunity to call an early general election - provided they can get through a long winter first, says Chris McCall

Budget 2026 LIVE as John Healey blames Donald Trump war in Iran for rising pr...
28 Oct 2026 at 1:40pm
John Healey will today unveil the UK Government's spending plans for the next 12 months as the cost of living continues to hammer households budgets.

Scots households in line for £100 energy payment this winter if they meet cou...
28 Oct 2026 at 1:36pm
John Healey confirmed millions of homes in England will qualify for the new payment - and urged the SNP Government to extend the benefit to Scots.

John Healey Budget will deliver 'plenty extra money' for the SNP Government
28 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
If the UK Government spends more money to end rough sleeping and reduce homelessness, the Scottish Government must follow suit, says Chris McCall

Furious flood-hit business owners 'failed' over decision not to raise crucial...
27 Oct 2026 at 6:54pm
Business owners in Renfrew told how they battled knee-deep torrents as they scrambled to protect their properties when water from the River Clyde burst into the town on Saturday night.

Housebuilding in Scotland plummets despite record number of kids living in te...
27 Oct 2026 at 2:41pm
Experts warned "we are simply not building social homes fast enough, nor investing at the scale Scotland?s housing emergency demands".

Poorest Scots 5 times more likely die from alcohol than the richest as health...
27 Oct 2026 at 12:34pm
Deaths from alcohol were higher than the national average in Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire, Dundee and Renfrewshire.

Scots towns with no pubs or restaurants could become the new normal
27 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
John Healey should use his Budget to offer the hard-pressed hospitality industry a break, says Chris McCall.

The National

The National | Politics

75 UK MPs and peers sign letter to Ed Miliband demanding further Israel sanct...
28 Oct 2026 at 7:25pm

SEVENTY-FIVE UK parliamentarians have called on the UK Government to impose further sanctions on Israel over its obstruction of humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

Scotch whisky dealt 'disappointing blow' by 2026 UK Budget duty increase
28 Oct 2026 at 6:40pm

A MAJOR association of Scotch whisky companies has warned a fourth consecutive duty increase on spirits will have damaging consequences for the sector and supply chains

How economics experts reacted to a Labour Budget that ?lacked vision?
28 Oct 2026 at 6:21pm

THE UK Government?s Budget has left the public waiting for answers on huge questions including around disability benefits, plans for social care, defence spending, experts have warned ...

Full list of food items to become cheaper under new UK Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 5:59pm

MORE than 100 food products are set to have import tariffs removed under new measures announced in the UK Budget.

Andy Burnham has one choice to avoid certain doom after do-nothing Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 5:44pm

THE first Budget of Andy Burnham?s premiership gives us a clearer idea of what he?s really about.

Andy Burnham rules out early General Election ? but bookies' odds say otherwise
28 Oct 2026 at 5:31pm

PRIME Minister Andy Burnham has ruled out calling a snap General Election in the next 12 months ? but bookmakers? odds are predicting the opposite ...

Scottish communities 'missing' from UK Budget's 'data centre covenant'
28 Oct 2026 at 5:00pm

CAMPAIGNERS have said that Scottish communities have been left out of the Chancellor?s freshly announced ?data centre covenant? ...

Richard Murphy: Forget what was in the Budget. It?s what was missing that mat...
28 Oct 2026 at 4:51pm

I NEVER expected John Healey to deliver much in his first (and I rather hope last) Budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the latest dismal Labour government in Westminster. He did not ? and to that extent I cannot be disappointed with the outcome.

7 key things Scots need to know from the new UK Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 4:31pm

LABOUR have been accused of not ?doing anywhere near enough? as the first Budget of Andy Burnham?s premiership was unveiled.

?Helpful sticking plasters?: Scotland's top trade unions react to UK Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 4:28pm

SCOTLAND?S leading trade unions have accused the UK Government of failing to deliver the scale of change needed for working-class families, despite welcoming measures on energy bills, jobs and investment

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

UK Government invests in Edinburgh and Glasgow in ?breathing room? Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 2:23pm
The Scottish Government has confirmed it will pass on a ?100 energy payment to households

Budget: Scotland to host new ?18m tech academy
28 Oct 2026 at 12:27pm
UK Advanced Chip Design Academy announced

?Wholly unacceptable?: Culture secretary urges Ofcom to review BBC Scotland c...
28 Oct 2026 at 10:53am
The move to axe the linear channel was announced last week

AI bots sent three in four responses to UK smoking consultation, report claims
27 Oct 2026 at 10:30pm
Safeguard call for public health policymaking

Malcolm Offord reveals Reform UK Holyrood reshuffle
27 Oct 2026 at 2:14pm
The changes come after Amanda Bland quit the party

Alcohol deaths still ?far too high? despite decrease, minister says
27 Oct 2026 at 10:45am
Campaigners are calling for more action to further drive the number down

Chancellor to cut food costs as part of 'everyday fixes' package
27 Oct 2026 at 12:27am
The chancellor's Budget?on Wednesday will include a package of "everyday fixes" to give families dealing with the cost-of-living crisis "breathing space"

MSPs to take hyperscale datacentre evidence
26 Oct 2026 at 5:07pm
Debate over consents for new centres continues

Police say no further investigation required into Yes Scotland finances
23 Oct 2026 at 2:40pm
The force was looking into the group following a complaint submitted over the summer

Addressing loneliness and isolation
23 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
CWAS is not just about a unique form of transport and promoting active travel, it is also about improving society?s physical and mental health and wellbeing through human contact, mutual support, camaraderie and exercise.

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

No 10: Hegseth ?wrong? to say most non-US Nato soldiers didn?t fight in Afgha...
19 Oct 2026 at 5:18pm
Downing Street delivered a rare rebuke to a senior member of Donald Trump?s administrationAsked why the Lib Dems were opposed to a third runway at Heathrow when they professed to be in favour of growth, Cooper said she did not accept that a third runway would produce all the benefits its supporte...

SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun?
17 Oct 2026 at 4:45pm
John Swinney tells party conference SNP will use ?six-figure war chest? to renew argument for leaving UKJohn Swinney has said that the second referendum campaign for Scottish independence ?has already begun?, revealing a nationwide effort to renew the argument for leaving the UK in his keynote ad...

Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference?
15 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
Prime minister presents new kind of challenge for SNP, and his Scottish visit will loom large over its big eventThis year, even Andy Burnham is invited to the Scottish National party conference. But by the time John Swinney stands up to address members on Saturday afternoon in Aberdeen to reinvig...

Burnham tells Zelenskyy?s UK?s support for Ukraine ?will not change? ? as it ...
14 Oct 2026 at 6:06pm
Zelenskyy says he will be discussing intelligence sharing ?difficulties? and Starlink access with BurnhamPMQs is about to start.Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.After @genevieve_holl reported this last night, various sources in the Trump administration who are supportive of Farage s...

MI5 chief Ken McCallum confirms Russia did interfere in Brexit referendum but...
13 Oct 2026 at 5:23pm
He argued there was no evidence to suggest the result of the Brexit vote had been swayed as a result of the effortAndy Burnham promises ?serious dialogue? over UK?s relationship with EUZia Yusuf, Reform UK?s home affairs spokesperson, has said he does not agree with his colleague Suella Braverman...

UK politics live: Pat McFadden tells Labour activists they should not defend ...
27 Sep 2026 at 6:11pm
Work and pensions secretary says the current system is flawed because it consigns too many people to a life on benefits when they would be better off working?I can deliver?: Burnham pledges radical change on eve of Labour conferenceKuenssberg puts it to Burnham that, according to the Health Found...

New powerful synthetic opioids behind sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths
23 Sep 2026 at 2:12pm
Eleven per cent increase in fatalities last year partly down to presence of nitazenes in Scotland?s illicit drug marketNew forms of a powerful synthetic opioid have contributed to a sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths, with the latest data showing an 11% increase in fatalities last yearAnnual figu...

Scottish Labour?s new leader backs Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gasfields
19 Sep 2026 at 1:52pm
Michael Marra supports development of the North Sea sites, calling for a ?more rational? approach to energy policyScottish Labour?s new leader Michael Marra has backed the development of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gasfields in the North Sea in one of his first acts after being elected, call...

Planning permission for new Scottish AI datacentres suspended for up to a year
16 Sep 2026 at 7:28pm
MSPs vote for strict environmental impact assessments and will delay decisions until national strategy is developedHolyrood has voted to pause planning applications for all new AI datacentres for up to a year until the Scottish government has developed a national strategy.On Wednesday, MSPs backe...

UK politics: Farage hints that Reform?s £72m donations may not be legal under...
14 Sep 2026 at 6:04pm
In an interview about the donations, he said they are compliant with the law ?today?Andy Burnham has cancelled engagements today and tomorrow following the death of his father Roy, who was suffering from Alzheimer?s, the Press Association reports.Burnham has spoken about his father?s illness whic...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

These Islands? dishonest best out of three indyref plan
28 Oct 2026 at 11:44am
In an interview with The Herald, marking a significant shifting of the previous intransigence of a die-hard Unionist campaign group, Professor Colin Kidd, a historian who is a member of the advisory board of the anti-independence campaign organisation These Islands has acknowledged that opponents of independence “can’t keep on saying no indefinitely to a second …

The paramilitary far right must be nipped in the bud
27 Oct 2026 at 2:01pm
We have now had another fascist military style parade consisting of men dressed all in black, often wearing black ski masks or balaclavas and scarves to hide their faces, parading in formation in public spaces in Scotland, in what is clearly an attempt to intimidate and sow fear. On Friday, around 100 men dressed in …

Newly independent countries can quickly establish a currency
25 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm
One of the biggest mistakes the Yes campaign made during the 2014 referendum campaign was Alex Salmond’s declaration that a newly independent Scotland would enter a currency union with the remnant UK and continue to use pound sterling as its currency. This gave the Better Together parties the opportunity, which they immediately took, to assert …

BBC Scotland?s useful idiots
24 Oct 2026 at 11:34am
Police Scotland has announced that it will make no further investigations into the finances of Yes Scotland, having found no evidence of criminality. Headed by Blair Jenkins, Yes Scotland was the organisation which represented the official Yes campaign in the 2014 referendum. It handed over its full accounts to Police Scotland after a complaint was …

The £1 trillion cost of the Union to Scotland
23 Oct 2026 at 1:46pm
Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey has admitted that if the UK had in set up a sovereign wealth fund on the basis of income generated from North Sea oil and gas as Norway did in the 1980s, it would currently be worth in excess of the eye watering sum of £1 trillion pounds. That …

The BBC, switching off Scotland
21 Oct 2026 at 1:57pm
The BBC has announced that the BBC Scotland channel is to close in spring 2027 as part of its cost-cutting measures. Also ceasing linear broadcasting will be BBC Three and BBC Radio 4 Extra. The channels will become online only. The BBC Scotland Channel was established in 24 February 2019, replacing the BBC Two Scotland …

Buses, indy and Reform?s implosion
19 Oct 2026 at 2:16pm
Despite BBC Scotland doing its best to ignore or marginalise the recent SNP conference in Aberdeen, the SNP have come out from their conference, united, confident and energised with a batch of eye-catching policies which are likely to be popular with the public, not the least of which is the commitment to take Scotland’s bus …

Pulling Focus
17 Oct 2026 at 10:47am
It’s a sign of how spooked they are by the Celtic Alliance and the question of Scottish independence that just won’t go away that both Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch decided to pay visits to Scotland during the SNP conference in desperate and transparent attempts to pull focus, like a narcissistic mother with a bad …

It?s time to abolish the Scotland Office
16 Oct 2026 at 1:06pm
On the first day of the SNP conference, the membership voted overwhelmingly for the abolition of the Scotland Office and the post of Secretary of state for Scotland, also known as the Scottish Secretary. The vote was of course symbolic as the Scotland Office is a department of the Westminster government while its head, the …

SNP conference, day 1 and the Choose Scotland campaign
15 Oct 2026 at 2:46pm
It’s sod’s law. Just as the SNP party conference gets underway and the biggest push for independence in a decade has been announced, WordPress, the platform this blog uses, has implemented an update which has run into some glitches and is preventing many people from being able to post comments or replies. If you 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

Scots to pay for a steel works, a national care service, an illegal dumps cle...
28 Oct 2026 at 5:28pm
Read evidence at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=pay+for From the Scottish Government today at 3.45pm, 90 mins ago, but no mention on BBC Scotland website. Increased drug deaths typically takes them 15 mins to get up: The Deputy First Minister also confirmed that the Scottish Government will ensure that households in Scotland benefit from the £100 payment for energy bills support. Jenny Gi...

English babies and young children failed amid surging poverty and inadequate ...
28 Oct 2026 at 4:14pm
Featured in BBC Breakfast this morning and in Glasgow Live, today the above, with a tasteless image, and: A charity has claimed that babies and young children in the Scottish care system are being failed by delays in decisions on their permanent homes. NSPCC Scotland and the Parent Infant Foundation have organised the National Summit on Permanence for Babies and Young Children amid ‘serious con...

Desperate stuff from BBC Scotland as alcohol deaths fall, among women too
28 Oct 2026 at 2:41pm
From BBC Scotland, today, the above and: The number of women who died last year in Scotland from alcohol-related illnesses was up by 3% on the year before, official figures show., external Overall, the total number of people who died from alcohol-related conditions fell slightly, to the lowest rate since the pandemic. There were 1,152 alcohol-specific deaths registered in Scotland, a decrease o...

Not one police officer injury at Bonfire Night last year and only one the yea...
28 Oct 2026 at 2:13pm
From BBC Scotland, today, the above and: Scotland’s biggest police operation since the visit of President Donald Trump last year is to take place on Bonfire Night, in the face of a “unique” combination of safety concerns. As many as 1,700 officers could be deployed on and around 5 November to deal with fireworks-related disorder, a European football match involving Celtic and potential protests...

Massive, almost 50% fall in opioid dependency among 15-34 year-olds
28 Oct 2026 at 1:31pm
From: Estimated numbers of people prescribed opioid substitution therapy in Scotland2025/2026 published yesterday, the above and: It is estimated that a minimum of 26,851 people in Scotland were prescribed an opioid agonist therapy (OAT) medication for the treatment of opioid dependence. This was a 4%decrease compared to 2024/25 (28,015). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/presc...

After 20 years Scotland has almost 50% more social housing per head with an e...
27 Oct 2026 at 1:28pm
From Excel Tables: Social housing stock, published today, the above and: These figures provide the total number of social housing stock in Scotland. They are updated each year using information from Housing Statistics Annual Returns and stock figures from the Scottish Housing Regulator. https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-social-housing-stock/ Comparisons with England Per capit...

Homicide in Scotland trend still significantly down, 37% in last 5 years, 60%...
27 Oct 2026 at 1:27pm
From Homicide in Scotland 2025-26 published yesterday: In 2025-26, 56 victims of homicide were recorded, 19% (or nine victims) more than the 47 victims recorded in 2024-25 (Table 1). This is the fourth lowest number of recorded homicide victims since comparable records began in 1976. Over the latest 10 year period from 2016-17 to 2025-26, the number of victims fell by 14% (or nine victims) from...

Just a few of those interviewed by Scottish media to attack SNP or Scottish G...
27 Oct 2026 at 11:43am
Toni Dawson, Largs shop-owner, interviewed by STV after flood damage just the latests of thes. Professor June Andrews (multiple appearances, 2024?2026): A dementia specialist and former nurse (often billed by expertise and OBE) appeared on BBC Radio Scotland?s Good Morning Scotland supporting means-testing of the Winter Fuel Payment (comments later used to challenge an SNP minister) and on Scot...

From Gimmicks to Everyday Fixes
27 Oct 2026 at 11:07am
By Mark E. Saunders of ?The Scottish Minuteman? https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 Hold on just a wee minute here. When John Swinney announced a proposal to make food more affordable for Scottish families ? by capping the prices of essential food items in large supermarket chains ? what was the reaction from opposition parties at Holyrood? A ?political stunt?. A ?snoozefest...

BBC Scotland could be misleading you on likely police officer numbers with jo...
27 Oct 2026 at 10:20am
From BBC Scotland, the above and: Police Scotland will have to cut officer numbers to their lowest level in 23 years if it gets a “devastating” flat cash funding settlement, an oversight body has warned. The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) says recruitment would have to stop, taking officer numbers down to 15,600 – the lowest figure since 2003-04. Police Scotland is currently in line to receive...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leade...
22 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leader says  BBC

Currency should be a non-issue in independence debate ? just look at other co...
28 Oct 2026 at 10:52am
Currency should be a non-issue in independence debate ? just look at other countries  The National Scot

Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which i...
8 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?  The Conversation

Third independence referendum should follow any Yes vote, says leading histor...
27 Oct 2026 at 7:58pm
Third independence referendum should follow any Yes vote, says leading historian  The Herald

Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda - Bloomberg.com
17 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda  Bloomberg.com

Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination - A...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination  Al Jazeera

Scottish independence - Politics.co.uk
24 Sep 2026 at 12:55am
Scottish independence  Politics.co.uk

SNP must answer mortgage question if it?s serious about independence - The Times
27 Oct 2026 at 5:12pm
SNP must answer mortgage question if it?s serious about independence  The Times

Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference - Financial...
13 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference  Financial Times

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
29 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

'No Scottish chancellor would have delivered this Budget', SNP say - The Nati...
28 Oct 2026 at 3:32pm
'No Scottish chancellor would have delivered this Budget', SNP say  The National Scot

UK Budget 2026: SNP ministers under pressure to pass on £100 energy payment t...
28 Oct 2026 at 3:39pm
UK Budget 2026: SNP ministers under pressure to pass on £100 energy payment to 1.8 million homes  The Scotsman

Why the SNP needs to press pause on a new arts company that nobody seems to w...
28 Oct 2026 at 10:35am
Why the SNP needs to press pause on a new arts company that nobody seems to want  The Herald

SNP ministers accused of ?climate hypocrisy? over new gas plant - Morning Sta...
28 Oct 2026 at 5:24pm
SNP ministers accused of ?climate hypocrisy? over new gas plant  Morning Star | The People?s Daily

SNP spends millions on public sector ?ghost jobs? - The Telegraph
25 Oct 2026 at 3:00pm
SNP spends millions on public sector ?ghost jobs?  The Telegraph

SNP Ministers were warned about oil and gas investment ?slump? - Energy Live ...
27 Oct 2026 at 12:01pm
SNP Ministers were warned about oil and gas investment ?slump?  Energy Live News

The Scottish National Party turns to the right - The Economist
19 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
The Scottish National Party turns to the right  The Economist

Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference? - The Guar...
16 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference?  The Guardian

MPs and MSP detained by Israel and barred from entering West Bank - BBC
27 Oct 2026 at 7:57am
MPs and MSP detained by Israel and barred from entering West Bank  BBC

SNP urged to scrap compulsory redundancy ban over ?ghost workers? - The Times
27 Oct 2026 at 7:38pm
SNP urged to scrap compulsory redundancy ban over ?ghost workers?  The Times

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which i...
8 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?  The Conversation

Second Scottish independence referendum 'must be a double vote', historian sa...
27 Oct 2026 at 6:02pm
Second Scottish independence referendum 'must be a double vote', historian says  The National Scot

Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham - BBC
17 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham  BBC

'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum - BBC
15 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum  BBC

If Scotland votes for independence, we need a third referendum to make it sti...
27 Oct 2026 at 5:35pm
If Scotland votes for independence, we need a third referendum to make it stick  The Herald

Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination - A...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination  Al Jazeera

Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same - Calgary J...
20 Oct 2026 at 1:52am
Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same  Calgary Journal

Andy Burnham?s speech a distraction from anti-democratic block on independenc...
16 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Andy Burnham?s speech a distraction from anti-democratic block on independence referendum, say Greens  Scottish Greens

Labour: There won?t be a Scottish independence referendum - ITN
16 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Labour: There won?t be a Scottish independence referendum  ITN

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaders unite behind independence push f...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:18pm
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaders unite behind independence push from UK  Courthouse News