The Herald

The Herald | Politics


SNP ministers ?dragging feet? on response to court ruling on definition of woman
22 May 2025 at 3:10pm
MSPs accuse Scottish Government of delay in updating guidance after Supreme Court ruling on sex definition and Equality Act implications.


'Good kids are being hurt:' Swinney under fire as SNP blamed for youth stabbi...
22 May 2025 at 12:58pm
John Swinney faces pressure to act after fatal stabbings of teenagers across Scotland prompt urgent calls for tougher action on youth violence.


20 Scottish mums start hunger strike in protest against Israel's actions in Gaza
22 May 2025 at 9:12am
A group of 20 Scottish mums have gone on hunger strike in protest for Gaza.


Teenage girl who died of cancer had urgent referral downgraded due to her age
22 May 2025 at 5:00am
Isla Sneddon's cancer referral was downgraded from urgent because of her age. After her death in March, her family warn paediatric guidelines must be reviewed.


Millions made available to regenerate derelict sites across Scotland
22 May 2025 at 12:10am
Two dozen derelict sites across Scotland are to be revamped and revitalised through a cash injection from the Scottish Government.  


First Minister to review children cancer guidance following Isla Sneddon's death
22 May 2025 at 1:05pm
The First Minister has said he will 'pursue' reviewing clinical guidance around young people with cancer after a teenage girl died following a downgrade to her urgent referral.


Empty chairs and hollow excuses: The disappointing by-election set up
22 May 2025 at 12:43pm
With only two weeks to go until some Scots decide who their next MSP will be, the race is underway but can candidates prove they are worthy of a seat in Holyrood?


Mental health cuts to Scottish Government budget creating 'perfect storm', wa...
22 May 2025 at 5:00am
The British Psychological Society (BPS) has warned that "disproportionate cuts" to the mental health budget by the Scottish Government have created a "perfect storm" which must be urgently addressed.


Gordon Brown calls for government to tax bookies to scrap two-child benefit cap
22 May 2025 at 11:56am
Gordon Brown has called for the abolition of the two-child benefit cap, warning that ?austerity?s children? are paying the price for past political decisions.


Sandie Peggie demands nursing union intervenes in NHS Fife single-sex spaces row
21 May 2025 at 3:46pm
Lawyers representing Sandie Peggie have written to RCN Scotland to seek clarity on whether it will intervene in an ongoing single-sex spaces row with NHS Fife.


Are we about to see a 'summer of discontent' hit the Edinburgh festivals again?
21 May 2025 at 2:15pm
Are we about to see another 'summer of discontent' and will it hit the Edinburgh festival?


John Swinney warns 'history will judge harshly' as he condemns Israel attacks...
21 May 2025 at 12:36pm
John Swinney has condemned Israel for renewing attacks in Gaza and for restricting vital aid to the region.


Ash Regan claims fellow MSPs are buying sex as she introduces Nordic Model bill
21 May 2025 at 9:38am
Ash Regan has claimed MSPs in Scotland are buying sex from prostitutes.


'Our community is being attacked': Queer Glaswegians to call out Israel durin...
21 May 2025 at 5:30am
?No Pride in Genocide? was set up last year to protest over Glasgow Pride?s partnerships with companies linked to Israel, such as JP Morgan and Merck.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


SNP told to take 'tougher approach' to tackle youth knife crime after 'sicken...
22 May 2025 at 2:10pm

Carrying a knife is ?dangerous? and ?damaging?, John Swinney has warned young Scots as he condemned recent violence.

Police Scotland vows to bring forward a significant update next month linked to the Supreme Court gender judgment.

Scottish ministers have been told to implement the interim guidance from the EHRC urgently.

The agreement would largely see the UK hand control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The funding gap has been blamed on ?incompetence and cuts? overseen by SNP ministers.

A reversal of the UK Labour government?s position on winter fuel payment cuts has been foreshadowed by Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister?s Questions.

To some arch-Brexiteers, even making it easier to bring your pet into the EU is an act of ?betrayal?

Questions have been asked by Sandie Peggie, via a letter from her solicitor, of the Royal College of Nursing.

Wings over Scotland

The shifting sands of memory
21 May 2025 at 12:31pm
We were a bit bemused by this yesterday. The Scottish Tory MSP reacted furiously to a story in The National which said Scotland had been absorbed into England by the 1707 Act Of Union, rather than becoming a “partner” in anything, and had ceased to exist as a state in international law. Which was a …

Just a couple more shots
20 May 2025 at 1:10pm
We’re getting there, folks. Keep pushing. . FOOTNOTE: For readers less familiar with the Dodonpachi videogame series than this site is, the title of this post is semi-ironic. It’s going to take quite a bit of firepower yet to get this job done once and for all. But the dominoes are falling now.

The Ace Attorney
19 May 2025 at 4:27pm
Despite everything, we almost allowed ourselves just the very tiniest little micro-flicker of optimism when we read Tommy Sheppard’s latest in The National. Because that much is certainly true, and it’s uncommonly candid to have anyone in the SNP admit it. So what’s the answer? Oh. We’re going to do some more demanding. Great. Can’t …

Well, this is a little embarrassing
17 May 2025 at 8:51am
Not for us, admittedly. (Kelly?s article is here. Link to Grok?s answer here. The ChatGPT analysis that triggered the article can be read in this tweet thread. A verifiable analysis by Grok of the debate, based on a neutral question, can be read here.)

Barbie Stories
16 May 2025 at 12:19pm
So this is where the SNP are at now. The legal imprint at the bottom means that that’s official SNP election communication. One assumes it’s intended for leaflets to be put through actual voters’ letterboxes. We’re almost lost for words. The optional accessories are nice, though. And we suppose it’s an improvement on her younger …

Some Attention For James
15 May 2025 at 11:54am
Hi! I noticed, with very considerable amusement, your complaint last night that I hadn’t made a “substantive reply” to the EDIT EIGHT posts (totalling nearly 11,000 words) of semi-coherent ranting about me that you’ve made on your site in the last eight days. (I’ll be absolutely honest, I’ve only skimmed the last few.) We both …

The Undertaker
14 May 2025 at 11:53am
In so far as it’s worth talking about Scottish constitutional politics at all these days, it’s worth taking a moment to analyse the bloodless, anodyne nothingness spouted by the First Minister on The Sunday Show at the weekend. ? That clip is less than three minutes long, but it’s so soul-crushingly boring and full of …

The Blindness Of Hatred
11 May 2025 at 12:06pm
Warning: despite the quite zingy title this is actually going to be a very dry stats post, readers. It is, on the other hand, based on a man having something disturbingly close to a complete psychotic mental breakdown, so there’s always that for a bit of colour. Because the paragraph above, and in particular the …

A Poor Example
9 May 2025 at 1:26pm
Social media was having a good chuckle at this earlier today. ? But as it turns out, it’s a bit more than just an embarrassment. There’s no law against a former First Minister and current MSP shilling for his wife’s therapy business on the internet, even if some people might think there should be. But …

The Last Thing They?ll Expect
8 May 2025 at 5:23pm
The deranged stalker who’s now posted 72 blogposts totalling 62,500 words attacking Wings in the last few years had another go last night, over this. And as a rule we don’t bother addressing them because they’re so demented you could spend 5,000 words pulling apart all the individual strands of lunacy every time, and lunatics …

Craig Murray

MI5 Take Us For Fools
20 May 2025 at 10:33am

Imagine my hilarity when the front page headline new “Iranian plot”, trailed by MI5 as involving weapons stores, attacks on the Israeli Embassy and on Whitehall, turned out to be yet another faked “surveillance operation” against Iran International, the “media company” that is dodgier than Al Capone’s accountant. The BBC still made it the second …

MI5 Take Us For Fools

MI5?s Fake Terror Plots
10 May 2025 at 7:31pm

Back in the “War on Terror” days, the UK security services fabricated multiple fake terror plots. There was, for example, the 2009 Easter Bomb Plot in Manchester, taking entire front pages of newspapers. Gordon Brown as PM hyped it as a “very big terror plot”. It was a total fabrication, nobody was convicted and it …

MI5’s Fake Terror Plots

The Strange Death of Social Democratic Britain
5 May 2025 at 9:53am

The UK’s first-past-the-post electoral system can have some remarkable results and is capable of enacting extraordinarily quick political revolution, as in the triumph then rapid fall from power of the great Liberal Party in the first quarter of the twentieth century. We are in such a moment now. The Labour Party today has a Commons …

The Strange Death of Social Democratic Britain

Kashmir and the Indus
27 Apr 2025 at 1:31pm

India’s Hindutva President, Narendra Modi, has used the Kashmir terrorism incident to abrogate the 1960s Indus Waters Treaty – a longstanding goal of Modi. The Indian version of the “terrorist attack”, most of whose victims were Muslim, has largely been accepted by Western governments without evidence. False flags abound nowadays. You may recall that we …

Kashmir and the Indus

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

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

Syria to Recognise Israel By End 2026

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

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

Trump, Tariffs and Trade

BBC Scotland

Reform accused of 'blatant racism' over Sarwar ad
22 May 2025 at 3:13pm
Reform insisted the advert featuring clips of a speech by the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was not racist.

Scotland's councils make cuts to plug £650m budget gap
22 May 2025 at 8:22am
Funding has not kept pace with inflation, higher costs and increased demand, a watchdog has found.

Why are councils so short of cash when tax is going up?
22 May 2025 at 12:26pm
Potholes are unfilled and prized local services like libraries and nurseries are coming under threat because of a £650m budget gap.

Scotland given new 20-year targets in climate report
21 May 2025 at 6:21am
Ministers are expected to adopt the recommendations after abandoning repeatedly-missed targets last year.

Sex worker 'terrified' by plans for new prostitution law
20 May 2025 at 10:45am
Alba MSP Ash Regan's bill would change the law to make it an offence to pay for sexual services.

EU deal disastrous for Scotland, says fishing body
19 May 2025 at 4:59pm
A new deal extending access for EU boats in UK waters has been agreed as part of a wider softening of relations with the bloc.

What does the new EU deal mean for Scotland?
19 May 2025 at 6:31pm
The new agreement is set to affect sectors including fishing, agriculture, hospitality and defence.

'Build baby build' to tackle housing crisis - Hunter
18 May 2025 at 1:24pm
Businessman Sir Tom Hunter says more money could be invested in housing if the Scottish government had clearer policies.

Gove 'in agreement' with Swinney over second independence referendum
18 May 2025 at 1:36am
Former Tory MP Michael Gove reveals his change in position over a second vote.

NHS Scotland staff vote to accept two-year 8% pay offer
16 May 2025 at 5:59pm
About 170,000 nurses, midwives, paramedics and other staff will receive the rise which includes an inflation guarantee.

Lavish spending at water watchdog was unacceptable, says report
16 May 2025 at 10:18am
Thousands of pounds worth of public money was claimed as expenses by management at the Water Industry Commission for Scotland.

Loch Lomond Flamingo Land resort set for approval
16 May 2025 at 3:21pm
The theme park operator wants to build a £40m resort with a waterpark, monorail, hotel and restaurants.

Scot Goes Pop

The remarkable YouGov polling that shows the Scottish public are totally oppo...
22 May 2025 at 1:40pm
Still smarting from Bonnie Prince Bob's excoriating video calling him out on his apologism for the genocide in Gaza, Stuart "Stew" Campbell has made a quite astoundingly defamatory statement about ...

Hapless Starmer now trails Reform by EIGHT points in latest GB-wide More In C...
21 May 2025 at 11:21pm
There's been a lot of focus on the Tories' polling problems recently, mainly due to them slipping to fourth place in the latest GB-wide YouGov poll, but the horror show continues for Labour too.  B...

BREAKING: Controversial "Stew" blogger dramatically fails to deny reports tha...
21 May 2025 at 2:20pm
Stew on Twitter: ("UPDATE: I?ve been told of this passing mention in a hilarious paranoid fantasy in which I?m planning a coup to take over Alba or something. Official statement: I have no plans to...

One potential side-benefit of the Reform surge may be the end of the BBC's an...
21 May 2025 at 12:38pm
Right at this moment, Reform UK are the outright favourites on the leading betting exchange to win most seats in the next general election.  They are priced at 2.5, with Labour just behind at 2.64,...

They don't call him "Mad Dog" for nothing - the Alba Party may face a coup at...
20 May 2025 at 1:16pm
Below is an up-to-date screenshot of the Alba Party's registration with the Electoral Commission. As you can see, one of the party's three official "officers" (officers recognised by the Electoral ...

Are the Tories vanishing into history? Landmark new YouGov poll has them in ...
20 May 2025 at 10:09am
GB-wide voting intentions (YouGov / Sky, 18th-19th May 2025):Reform UK 29% (+1)Labour 22% (-1)Liberal Democrats 17% (+1)Conservatives 16% (-2)Greens 10% (+1)SNP 2% (-1)Plaid Cymru 1% (-)The data ta...

"Ooft": with just one word, Somerset's controversial "Stew" blogger issues a ...
19 May 2025 at 6:35pm
Ah. Both-sidesing genocide yet again, I see.? James Kelly (@JamesKelly) May 19, 2025 You?ve been crying genocide since the 12 Oct 2023 - less than 5 days after Oct 7 attack. You are not a serious...

Fears mount that Stew may face relentless "It's just a flesh wound" mockery a...
19 May 2025 at 3:49pm
It's been obvious for months that controversial Bath-based blogger Stuart "Stew" Campbell intends to endorse a vote for the far-right anti-independence party Reform UK at next year's Holyrood elect...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Councillor switched to Reform Scotland after being rejected as Tory candidate
22 May 2025 at 3:22pm
A councillor who defected from the Tories to Reform did so after being rejected as a candidate for next year?s election, the PA news agency understands.

Reform accused of ?blatant racism? in Sarwar attack ad
22 May 2025 at 3:00pm
The advert, which shows an edited clip of the Scottish Labour leader, claims he said he would prioritise the Pakistani community.

?Inspiring? scheme helping youngsters funded with £26m seized from criminals
22 May 2025 at 1:09pm
CashBack for Communities uses money recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act to deter young people from becoming involved in crime.

John Swinney to face questions amid financial warnings and youth knife crimes
22 May 2025 at 11:50am
There have been 12 alleged knife incidents involving youths since March.

Net migration halves as fewer people come to UK for work and study
22 May 2025 at 10:11am
This is the biggest calendar-year drop since the early stages of the Covid pandemic.

UK banned from concluding Chagos Islands deal by last-minute court injunction
22 May 2025 at 8:04am
The Prime Minister was expected to complete the deal on Thursday, handing control of the islands over to Mauritius in a virtual ceremony.

Keir Starmer?s winter fuel payment U-turn is empty, says Forbes
21 May 2025 at 5:42pm
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced a U-turn on his controversial cuts to winter fuel payments for pensioners.

Tourist tax will be ?death knell? for businesses, former minister warns
21 May 2025 at 4:52pm
Fergus Ewing described the Highland visitor levy proposal as ?outrageous and poorly designed?.

Calls for non-fatal strangulation offence to ?give survivors justice they des...
21 May 2025 at 4:11pm
Fiona Drouet is campaigning to make non-fatal strangulation a stand-alone offence following the death of her daughter Emily in 2016.

Climate watchdog warns Scotland needs to take ?immediate action?
21 May 2025 at 3:02pm
The Climate Change Committee is calling for a 'rapid increase' in the number of electric vehicles and heat pumps.

Prime Minister announces U-turn on winter fuel payments
21 May 2025 at 12:45pm
Keir Starmer said he wants more pensioners across the UK to be eligible for the benefit - after cutting it.

Government green aviation investment could deliver 350 jobs
21 May 2025 at 12:06pm
Scottish Enterprise?s £9 million investment comes months after £20 million from the Scottish National Investment Bank.

Keir Starmer to face questions about rumoured winter fuel payment U-turn
21 May 2025 at 10:13am
The PM is also likely to be asked about a row between two of his most prominent ministers.

Scottish Government borrowing limits raised to nearly £5bn
21 May 2025 at 6:35am
The new limits will take effect from June 30.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

SNP Government has 'no plan' to end Scotland's housing emergency as spending ...
22 May 2025 at 3:49pm
A leading housing charity blasted John Swinney's Government and said it was time for ministers to be "frank" with the public.

John Swinney insists Scotland is 'safe' as Kayden Moy becomes third knife cri...
22 May 2025 at 1:36pm
The First Minister today responded to an open letter published in the Daily Record calling for action to stop a rise in violence among young Scots.

More Scots struggling with energy bills as number of households in debt hits ...
22 May 2025 at 11:11am
A third of people said they could not heat their home to a comfortable level because of worries about the cost.

Net migration in UK falls by half in boost to Prime Minister Keir Starmer
22 May 2025 at 10:17am
The figures showed the figure fell to 431,000 in the year to December last year.

Two Israeli embassy staff shot dead in Washington DC, sparking massive anti-t...
22 May 2025 at 4:40am
At least two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead in the heart of the US capital on Wednesday evening, with a 'person of interest' having been arrested by law enforcement

John Swinney warns Donald Trump tariffs on whisky are 'very damaging' to Scot...
22 May 2025 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The First Minister said the removal of the 10 per cent levy on Scotch exported to the US must be a "negotiating priority".

Reform UK accused of racism by Anas Sarwar over 'Pakistani community' by-elec...
22 May 2025 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Holyrood parties united to condemn an advert branded 'despicable'.

Perpetrators of violence against women have walked the corridors of our Parli...
22 May 2025 at 4:30am
In an article for the Daily Record, Alba MSP Ash Regan says the reality of prostitution must be brought "out of the shadows"

Anas Sarwar demands investigation into claims male MSPs paid prostitute for sex
21 May 2025 at 3:21pm
The Scottish Labour leader spoke out after the claims by Alba MSP Ash Regan.

Humza Yousaf describes Gaza as 'hell on earth' and accuses Israeli Government...
21 May 2025 at 1:53pm
The former SNP leader accused Israeli leaders of wanting to make Gaza "uninhabitable" by destroying all of its buildings and infastructure.

The National

The National | Politics

Labour admit 'not a penny' of £200m Grangemouth rescue fund spent so far
22 May 2025 at 1:31pm

LABOUR?S touted £200 million rescue package for Grangemouth remains entirely unspent, a UK Government minister has admitted.

UK Government responds after sending spy plane over Gaza to help Israel
22 May 2025 at 1:28pm

THE UK Government has confirmed that it will share information gathered from spy plane flights over Gaza with the Israeli military ...

Wales to host major conference of Europe's independence movements
22 May 2025 at 12:33pm

WALES is set to host a major European conference on independence ...

It is too late for Keir Starmer's Labour to try and row back on Gaza now
22 May 2025 at 12:18pm

AFTER much wondering, it seems that 60,000 was Keir Starmer?s ballpark number. The ballpark number of Palestinians that had to die ...

Scottish Tory councillor defects to Reform in new blow for struggling Conserv...
22 May 2025 at 11:45am

A FOURTH Scottish Tory councillor in Aberdeenshire has defected to Reform UK ...

Scottish Labour by-election candidate 'can't string a sentence together'
22 May 2025 at 11:57am

SCOTTISH Labour?s candidate for a key upcoming by-election has been accused of being unable to ?string a handful of words together?.

Scotland 'on course for an unjust transition' from oil and gas, report warns
22 May 2025 at 12:05pm

Scotland is on course for an ?unjust transition?, a report has found, with the Government accused of having no plan for oil and gas workers ...

Michael Gove introduced to House of Lords as 'Baron of Torry of Aberdeen'
22 May 2025 at 11:25am

FORMER Tory minister Michael Gove has been introduced to the House of Lords ...

20 Scottish mums start hunger strike in protest over Israel's Gaza genocide
22 May 2025 at 11:20am

TWENTY Scottish mothers have started a hunger strike in protest for Gaza ...

BBC under fire for refusing to broadcast their new documentary on Israel and ...
22 May 2025 at 11:09am

PRODUCERS of a documentary about Israeli attacks on hospitals and medics in Gaza have said they fear the BBC may never let it see the light of day ? as almost 35,000 people signed a petition demanding its release.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

FMQs: Deaths of teenagers prove weak justice system, opposition claim
22 May 2025 at 2:25pm
Pressure from Conservatives and Labour over youth violence

?Personal and sensitive? data stolen in West Lothian Council cyber-attack
22 May 2025 at 1:40pm
West Lothian has confirmed a ?small percentage? of information was stolen by cybercriminals, including personal and sensitive data

Councils' ?650m funding gap threatens services, watchdog warns
22 May 2025 at 8:00am
Residents' expectations grow but rising costs mean change is needed, report finds

Keir Starmer announces winter fuel payment U-turn
21 May 2025 at 2:19pm
Many Labour MPs believe the decision to restrict the payments last year?has played a big part in the party's sharp fall in popularity since its general election victory in July

Chief constable forced to ?cannibalise? the force under inadequate government...
21 May 2025 at 2:04pm
Senior policing officer calls for funding, saying services are ?stretched to breaking point?

'Scotland's Chernobyl' cost council ?3million, MPs are told
21 May 2025 at 1:51pm
Ghost estate subject to demolition after fees rack up

'Immediate action? needed on net zero, Climate Change Committee tells ministers
21 May 2025 at 7:01am
The statutory body has set out its recommendations for carbon budgets that will see Scotland reach net zero by 2045

Scotland poised to become major travel tech hub, research reveals
21 May 2025 at 1:01am
UK travel tech companies secured record-level?investment in 2024, largely due to Scotland-born AI innovation

Minister will not intervene in Flamingo Land Loch Lomond plans
20 May 2025 at 3:41pm
A planning reporter has issued a notice of intention grant planning permission in principle

Glasgow charities secure half a million pounds to tackle digital exclusion ?
20 May 2025 at 12:55pm
Six charities have secured ?545,000 in funding to help take down digital barriers across Glasgow

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Starmer says Chagos Islands deal to cost £100m a year ? UK politics live
22 May 2025 at 3:48pm
PM says government was likely to lose cases in international courts if it resisted Mauritius?s claims of sovereigntyThe Conservatives are taking the credit for the near-50% fall in net migration. They say it is the changes to visa rules that they introduced that brought the numbers down.This is f...

UK politics: No 10 won?t say if fuel payments U-turn will be implemented in t...
21 May 2025 at 6:03pm
Downing Street unable to say how many more pensioners would receive winter fuel payments or when changes would come in. This blog is now closed, read our report hereYouGov has published more details of its polling on the electorate?s relationship with Labour, as covered in the Sky News report men...

Watchdog urges Scotland to take action after repeatedly missing climate targets
21 May 2025 at 12:01am
Climate Change Committee says original goal of a 75% emissions cut by 2030 will now be delayed by up to six yearsThe UK?s climate watchdog has warned that Scotland needs to take ?immediate action at pace and scale? to cut its emissions after ministers axed a series of policy pledges.The Climate C...

Starmer rejects claim ?win-win? UK-EU deal has sold out fishing sector ? as i...
19 May 2025 at 7:32pm
PM says deal is ?good for fishing? with reduced red tape and uncertainty caused by annual negotiationsQ: Will the UK now be subject to EU rules?Reynolds says he would push back against that. He says UK and EU rules are currently aligned. If EU rules were to change, the UK would want a say in shap...

Assisted dying proposal passes first stage in Scotland
13 May 2025 at 7:50pm
Bill to allow assisted dying for terminally ill adults will now go forward to parliamentary committeeThe Scottish parliament has voted to consider a bill to allow assisted dying for terminally ill people for the first time, after a prolonged debate by MSPs.Holyrood decided by 70 votes to 56 to ba...

Give terminally ill people choice in how they die, MSP urges Scottish parliament
13 May 2025 at 4:55pm
Liam McArthur opens debate on assisted dying, saying too many face ?horrendous choices and bad deaths?Scottish politicians have been urged to show terminally ill people compassion and choice in how they die as they began to debate a new law to permit assisted dying.Liam McArthur, a Scottish Liber...

Labour MP says Starmer?s ?island of strangers? warning over immigration mimic...
12 May 2025 at 6:11pm
PM unveils new policies meant to drive down net migration by end of this parliamentQ: If you want to grow the economy, won?t these plans make it harder because it will be more difficult for people to get UK citizenship?Starmer says he does not accept the argument that high immigration is always g...

Labour?s delay on conversion practices ban is ?dangerous?, campaigners say
12 May 2025 at 2:03pm
Exclusive: Failure to act sends message ?our safety is optional?, says coalition of LGBTQ+, faith and mental health organisationsThe Labour government?s continued delay in delivering its promised UK-wide ban on conversion practices is disappointing, dangerous and sends the message that the safety...

UK politics: Tariffs cut on UK cars, steel and aluminium in US trade deal, sa...
8 May 2025 at 6:55pm
Car exports will face 10% tariffs while levies on steel and aluminium are cut to zeroTrump and Starmer confirm ?breakthrough? UK-US trade dealThe Liberal Democrats treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper has reiterated the party?s position that any trade deal with the US should be put to parliament fo...

Tory extinction ?can?t be ruled out?, says Jeremy Hunt ? as it happened
7 May 2025 at 3:46pm
Former chancellor says he does not expect the Conservatives to die out as a party but he says it is a possibilityKeir Starmer starts by saying rising tensions between India and Pakistan will be of serious concern for many across Britain. The government is enouraging de-escalation, he says.He says...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The difficulty of tactical voting in the Holyrood list vote
20 May 2025 at 11:04am
It is now less than a year to the next Scottish Parliament elections and once more social media screen space is being consumed with arguments about tactical voting in the regional list vote. Every time there’s a Scottish election this argument comes up, even though tactical voting on the regional list vote has never worked …

Starmer?s Enoch Powell moment
14 May 2025 at 7:08pm
The fall out continues over Keir Starmer’s gob-smacking speech on immigration on Monday in which he echoed the language of the notoriously racist “rivers of blood” speech delivered by Enoch Powell in 1968 to a meeting of the Conservative Political Centre in Birmingham. At the time Powell was the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence …

The right wing takeover of the Labour party is now complete
12 May 2025 at 1:47pm
The unpalatable truth for Labour supporters, that is those who adhere to the traditional values and beliefs of the Labour party as they were understood throughout the entire twentieth century, is that the Labour party they believed in is dead. It’s deader than the parrot in the famous Monty Python sketch and it’s every bit …

How polls turn a lead for Yes into a lead for No
8 May 2025 at 4:34pm
You may have seen that a poll on support for Scottish independence was published this week. The headline figures on the poll, carried out by Survation, put No ahead on 44%, with Yes on 43% and undecided on 12%. When the undecideds were stripped out, this gave a result of 50.57% (rounded up to 51%) …

Iain MacWhirter gets it wrong again
5 May 2025 at 9:59pm
Former Herald columnist Iain MacWhirter has completed his journey from semi-detached sympathiser with Scottish independence – although he never fully abandoned his delusional hopes of a federal UK – to fully fledged cheerleader for the British establishment. MacWhirter always used to position himself as one of those “critical friends” that the Scottish independence movement seems …

Starmer is fuelling the rise of the far right
3 May 2025 at 5:53pm
Britain is broken, and sadly things are going to get much worse. Indeed there is currently no clear route to a UK which is more just, more humane, and more equitable. Even the drubbing that the Labour party received at the local elections in England on 1 May do not seem to be forcing Starmer …

The far right is now calling from inside the building
2 May 2025 at 4:09pm
I got my review pack for Adult Disability Payment. It was very quick and easy to fill in. I checked the box confirming no changes to my condition and sent back the form with a copy of a letter written by my occupational therapist when I was discharged which confirms that my needs will be …

Social Security Scotland, first impressions as a service user
30 Apr 2025 at 8:23pm
I had planned to write a blog article on Wednesday despite the fact I am struggling with a bad cold and hayfever simultaneously. It’s a joy. However instead I had to sort out what is going on with my review for Scottish Adult Disability Payment, which was supposed to have started on Friday. It’s now …

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

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

The Courier

Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

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.

Willie Rennie names Newburgh rail station revival in pitch for Holyrood re-el...
22 May 2025 at 6:01am
The Lib Dem MSP tells The Courier about his successes and unfinished business one year before the next Scottish Parliament vote.

Crisis-hit UHI Perth appoints retired vice principal as new interim chief
21 May 2025 at 10:06am
Catherine Etri will take on the top job in a wider executive shake-up at the university after Dr Margaret Cook quit with immediate effect.

EXCLUSIVE: NHS Tayside estates chief suspended and escorted from hospital
21 May 2025 at 6:01am
Head of estates Garry Johnstone was seen being escorted from the premises on May 9.

Dunfermline boy denied free life-prolonging drug still waiting despite SNP he...
21 May 2025 at 6:00am
Six-year-old Jamie Tierney could have his life extended by the new DMD treatment - but the NHS has so far refused to make it available.

EXCLUSIVE: £2m St Andrews University donor disputes principal?s funding claim
20 May 2025 at 6:02am
Principal Sally Mapstone said the university risked losing out on a seven-figure donation from The Wolfson Foundation.

EXCLUSIVE: Raac homeowners in Dundee facing ?enormous anxiety? admits John Sw...
19 May 2025 at 1:31pm
The first minister committed his government to engaging with residents and Westminster on the issue.

Inside St Andrews rector probe as emails reveal university chief secretly sha...
18 May 2025 at 6:00am
Governance chief Alastair Merrill has been a central figure in the controversy surrounding the probe into 'genocide' remarks made by rector Stella Maris.

Firefighters watched helplessly as Fife family home burned ? but why did fire...
17 May 2025 at 6:00am
A Fife couple, who stood watching with firefighters as fire destroyed their home, are demanding answers over hydrant maintenance amid fears others could be at risk.

John Swinney told SNP choices causing UHI Perth College cash crisis
15 May 2025 at 4:37pm
First Minister John Swinney was told his government's underfunding of colleges was behind the £2 million deficit.

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland

US doctor sees a trend in young St. Louis cancer patients living near nuclear...
22 May 2025 at 12:11pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From Fox News yesterday: ST. LOUIS ? A St. Louis doctor is looking into cancer rates across the region, trying to figure out why he?s seeing more younger patients.  One of his younger patients was Dre Bergeson, a loving wife to her husband, Darryl, and mother to their 8-year-old son, Finn.  ?She was kind, compassionate, and loving, always thinking about everyone els...

The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election ? That?s your answer as to ...
22 May 2025 at 11:55am
By Liz S The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election. That?s your answer as to why we see, yet again, the ?Daily Record?s sickening and repeated exploitation of tragedy and failure to inform their readers as murder by knife and possession of knives plummet in Scotland, only?. ?Failure of government? ? The Labour London Mayor Sadiq Khan , was Knighted in the 2025 New Years Honours list for...

Stricken!! The Herald and local haulier conspire to hide the deep satisfactio...
22 May 2025 at 11:41am
Professor John Robertson OBA, Fact-based Ferry Correspondent of the Year The Herald’s Martin Williams today has the latest in his Fiasco Journalism Series: A new “fiasco” caused by a ferry breakdown has sparked a row over the delivery of vital supplies on an island on the eve of its world famous whisky festival. The key ferry for Islay, MV Finlaggan has been sidelined as problems have emerged d...

A first as BBC Scotland tell us where the drug gangs terrorising Scotland and...
22 May 2025 at 9:31am
Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland today with a drug gang killing in Scotland included. It would better read: Despite their ongoing refusal to headline these County Lines gangs, all based in English cities, causing devastation across Scotland and impeding the fall in drug deaths, with new, more powerful, cheaper, drugs backed up by extreme violence, as in this case, this is a breakthroug...

Daily Record?s sickening and repeated exploitation of tragedy and failure to ...
22 May 2025 at 8:57am
The Daily Record in March Professor John Robertson OBA What?s wrong with these front pages, factually? First, Murder by stabbing in Scotland has fallen in a steady trend to half of the level 6 years ago ? From Knife crime statistics: FOI release, published today, we see that there were 49 homicides by knife in Scotland in 2017/2018 and that there has been a steady and significant fall to 25, in...

Which Scottish public service has the highest customer service rating? I?ll g...
21 May 2025 at 3:45pm
Professor John Robertson OBA How trusted are the police in the UK? 66% in Scotland, 34% in Northern Ireland, 49% in Wales and mostly around 50% in England.1 How trusted are civil servants in the UK? 6o% in Scotland, 26% in Northern Ireland, 38% in Wales and mostly around 40% in England.1 How satisfied are people with the NHS in the UK? 21% in England2 67% in Scotland,3 28% in Wales.4 How satisf...

88% customer satisfaction with CalMac?s Oban to Mull and other Argyll ferry s...
21 May 2025 at 3:18pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From a survey of 2 826 in October 2024, quite contrary to MSM reports, we see a stunning 88.3% satisfaction level with CalMac’s ‘Argyll’ ferry services – Oban/Craignure, Oban/Lismore, Oban/Coll/Tiree, Tobermory/Kilchoan, Fionnphort/Iona, Fishnish/Lochaline and Gallanach/Kerrera. This survey is in the public domain and CalMac can be approached by any doubting ‘journa...

Does the Herald think that police numbers should go up as crime falls more th...
21 May 2025 at 10:19am
Professor John Robertson OBA Taking a break from ferry fraudulence to policing propaganda, Martin Williams (Herald sole staff member on Wednesday?), has this today: Scotland has lost nearly 800 police officers since it became a unified national force 12 years ago leading to concerns about how it is able to cope, it can be revealed. The policing strength of Police Scotland has dropped from 17,32...

Our ferries are subsidised at nearly £1 billion, never full and the Arran ves...
20 May 2025 at 5:27pm
Professor John Robertson OBA We regularly see media reports of long car queues for Scotland’s ferries presented as if somehow the Scottish Government has failed to run the service properly. We never, to my knowledge, see these basic facts about the actual utilisation of car deck space and passenger seat take-up despite the presence of such data in the public domain, published by CalMac because ...

Even on Arran, nearly 80% satisfied with CalMac ferries and dangerous weather...
20 May 2025 at 3:49pm
Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Bob Lamont for suggesting this. I can?t believe I?ve missed out on the regular large-scale surveys of CalMac ferry performance, published but ignored by MSM, as they pursue a different agenda regardless of the facts, and fully transparent. Any journalist can scrutinise these surveys, demand all information, and report on any debates within them. Notably no...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Michael Gove 'in agreement' with SNP leader John Swinney over independence - BBC
18 May 2025 at 1:36am
Michael Gove 'in agreement' with SNP leader John Swinney over independence  BBC

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

Reform would block Scottish independence referendum 'if they were in power' -...
18 May 2025 at 1:18pm
Reform would block Scottish independence referendum 'if they were in power'  TheNational.scot

SNP?s independence fever dream is a boon for malign forces - The Times
20 May 2025 at 6:00pm
SNP?s independence fever dream is a boon for malign forces  The Times

Gordon Brown declares pro-independence self-government for Scotland - Argia
17 May 2025 at 4:04pm
Gordon Brown declares pro-independence self-government for Scotland  Argia

Swinney reignites Scottish independence campaign with 'democratic majority' c...
7 May 2025 at 8:00am
Swinney reignites Scottish independence campaign with 'democratic majority' call  The Herald

Keir Starmer hands SNP new Scottish independence loophole through Brexit 'bet...
20 May 2025 at 3:24pm
Keir Starmer hands SNP new Scottish independence loophole through Brexit 'betrayal'  Scottish Daily Express

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

Keir Starmer Is Driving Scotland Towards Independence. The Least He Can Do Is...
15 Apr 2025 at 8:00am
Keir Starmer Is Driving Scotland Towards Independence. The Least He Can Do Is Let Us Go  Novara Media

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

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Genome-scale metabolic modelling identifies reactions mediated by SNP-SNP int...
20 May 2025 at 10:15pm
Genome-scale metabolic modelling identifies reactions mediated by SNP-SNP interactions associated with yeast sporulation  Nature

SNP must tread carefully on energy market reform - The Herald
22 May 2025 at 11:32am
SNP must tread carefully on energy market reform  The Herald

Number of foreigners who can vote doubles under SNP - The Telegraph
22 May 2025 at 3:21pm
Number of foreigners who can vote doubles under SNP  The Telegraph

SNP Minister tells Scots who live in cities to ditch their cars to help get t...
22 May 2025 at 11:50am
SNP Minister tells Scots who live in cities to ditch their cars to help get to net zero  Scottish Daily Express

SNP and Scottish Labour unite to condemn 'blatantly racist' Reform UK advert ...
22 May 2025 at 8:33am
SNP and Scottish Labour unite to condemn 'blatantly racist' Reform UK advert  TheNational.scot

SNP told to take 'tougher approach' to tackle youth knife crime after 'sicken...
22 May 2025 at 2:10pm
SNP told to take 'tougher approach' to tackle youth knife crime after 'sickening rise'  The Scotsman

Michael Gove 'in agreement' with SNP leader John Swinney over independence - BBC
18 May 2025 at 1:36am
Michael Gove 'in agreement' with SNP leader John Swinney over independence  BBC

How John Swinney revived the SNP in Scotland - Financial Times
8 May 2025 at 8:00am
How John Swinney revived the SNP in Scotland  Financial Times

North Sea oil and gas workers braced for 'unjust transition' as SNP ministers...
22 May 2025 at 10:31am
North Sea oil and gas workers braced for 'unjust transition' as SNP ministers have 'no plan'  The Scotsman

'Mental health cuts to SNP budget create perfect storm' - The Herald
22 May 2025 at 5:01am
'Mental health cuts to SNP budget create perfect storm'  The Herald

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Michael Gove 'in agreement' with SNP leader John Swinney over independence - BBC
18 May 2025 at 1:36am
Michael Gove 'in agreement' with SNP leader John Swinney over independence  BBC

Reform would block Scottish independence referendum 'if they were in power' -...
18 May 2025 at 1:18pm
Reform would block Scottish independence referendum 'if they were in power'  TheNational.scot

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

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

Referendum rejection would need to be reviewed if there is ?overwhelming desi...
18 May 2025 at 1:23pm
Referendum rejection would need to be reviewed if there is ?overwhelming desire?  London Evening Standard

Scottish independence referendum: legal issues - The House of Commons Library
16 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence referendum: legal issues  The House of Commons Library

Reform chief claims party will be second biggest in Scotland as he rules out ...
18 May 2025 at 12:34pm
Reform chief claims party will be second biggest in Scotland as he rules out another independence referendum  Scottish Daily Express

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

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

Bavaria Party hopes to ride on Scottish independence vote - Euractiv
15 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Bavaria Party hopes to ride on Scottish independence vote  Euractiv