The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Activists to swarm Glasgow city centre to protest 'Trump?s Gangster Grab on G...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
12 Feb 2026 at 8:22pm
The protest is aimed at Donald Trump?s recently formed Board of Peace, which he says will help to rebuild the bombarded enclave.


'No confidence' in MacAskill as Alba MSP candidate kicked off regional list
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
12 Feb 2026 at 8:10pm
Party activist Morgwn Davies told members that he had been deselected by Alba?s governing body just 12 hours before the list announcement.


Scottish Government urged to release funding in bid to lower Glasgow bus fares
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
12 Feb 2026 at 7:44pm
Speaking in Holyrood, Paul Sweeney said that Glasweigans are paying ?unfair? prices when compared to other large UK cities, like Edinburgh and London.


Revealed: Impact of Trump tariffs on Scotch whisky exports laid bare
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
12 Feb 2026 at 6:30pm
New figures show exports to Scotch whisky's biggest have fallen since Trump returned to White House


Japanese ambassador visits 'world's most famous traffic cone' in charm offensive
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
12 Feb 2026 at 5:44pm
Hiroshi Suzuki is visiting Scotland's largest city this week as part of his diplomatic duties.


Scottish Government budget passes after SNP agree £178m pub boost with Lib Dems
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
12 Feb 2026 at 5:38pm
Scotland's hospitality businesses have welcomed a late rise in business rates relief, after Finance Secretary Shona Robison agreed a £300 million budget deal with the Scottish Lib Dems.


Hot dogs, helmets and Holyrood: Will the NFL come to Scotland?
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
12 Feb 2026 at 4:00pm
Anas Sarwar?s call to bring the NFL to Scotland was overshadowed by his decision to knife Sir Keir Starmer in the front, but is it an idea worth pursuing?


Ex-SNP MP to stand as lead Alba candidate on Highlands regional list
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
12 Feb 2026 at 3:08pm
The 55-year-old emerged as a critic of the nationalist party at the end of his stint in Parliament, and was expelled from the SNP in August 2023.


John Swinney has 'confidence' in ex-nursing chief amid QEUH 'bribe' claims
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
12 Feb 2026 at 2:17pm
John Swinney has confidence in Fiona McQueen, the former chief nursing officer accused of offering a grieving family £20,000 and a holiday after their baby died at QEUH.


Glasgow Uni Tory Society member sacked for calling Pakistanis 'the worst of s...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
12 Feb 2026 at 2:00pm
Messages viewed by the university?s student newspaper Hillhead Review show the member commenting on the potential resignation of Keir Starmer.


'Utterly disgusting': Sarwar condemns Jim Ratcliffe immigration comments
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
12 Feb 2026 at 1:24pm
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire boss of Ineos and Manchester United, made ?utterly disgusting and offensive? comments about immigration, Anas Sarwar has said.


Scotland's national bank in spotlight again after latest failure
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
12 Feb 2026 at 4:32am
Events at Aberdeen-based Trojan Energy and space company Orbex have placed Scottish National Investment Bank under fresh scrutiny


Billionaire brothers rally behind Sarwar over Starmer row
12 Feb 2026 at 6:30am
Three of Scotland?s largest and most influential Labour donors have expressed strong support for Anas Sarwar, following the Scottish Labour leader?s call for Sir Keir Starmer to resign over the Peter Mandelson scandal.


?Affront to victims?: Findlay clashes with Swinney over bus driver's killer r...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
12 Feb 2026 at 12:37pm
Russell Findlay confronted John Swinney over the possible early release of a bus driver's killer, criticising SNP justice approach during First Minister's Questions.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


How Highlands and Islands farmers have come to expect to be let down by the SNP
12 Feb 2026 at 4:45pm
The treatment of small farmers and crofters is emblematic of the growing disconnect between rural Scotland and the Scottish Government


Trump wants Ukraine to give up the Donbas in return for security guarantees. ...
12 Feb 2026 at 4:45pm
Ukraine could allow its own version of the Maginot line to be bypassed if it accedes to Russia?s demands


Jim Ratcliffe apologises after claiming migrants have ?colonised? the UK
12 Feb 2026 at 11:46am

The founder of Ineos said he is sorry if his comments ?offended some people?

?Linco has made a significant impact since its inception - and has significant opportunities ahead? ? Fraser MacDonald

First Minister John Swinney said the move will help commuters with the cost-of-living crisis

Masud is alleged to have made the device that was used in the Lockerbie bombing.

Social Security Scotland?s ?dignity? ethos has raised concerns about how Adult Disability Payment is awarded

The funeral for Jeane Freeman will be held at the University of Glasgow

Wings over Scotland

The Modern Politician
10 Feb 2026 at 5:17pm
A play in three acts: And you thought ours were spineless. Poor old Anas, though. If 24 hours is a long time in politics these days, a week is forever. And a month hardly even bears thinking about. As for a year and a half, well, the less said the better.

A Dumber Nation
9 Feb 2026 at 3:52pm
In politics, readers, evil and stupidity aren’t the same thing. But nor are they exclusive. Before we ask you to consider which of the terms applies to the Scottish Government led by John Swinney, we’d like you to read this letter sent to Wings by the auntie of two women imprisoned in Scottish jails. “I …

Echoes of history
8 Feb 2026 at 5:26pm
The Sunday National’s front page today elicited a sigh of “So what?” from most. We’ve already GOT a “pro-indy” majority at Holyrood and have done for the last 10 years, for all it’s been worth. But to be fair there was a paragraph in the article that at least raised a quizzical eyebrow. Because, y’know, …

A Stitch In Timing
5 Feb 2026 at 4:09pm
Readers will probably be aware that literally as you read this, the Scottish Government is in court trying to defend its policy of letting male murderers be housed in women’s prisons by arguing that the Equality Act 2010 (as ruled on by the Supreme Court in the For Women Scotland case) is incompatible with the …

The Marshalling Plan
2 Feb 2026 at 1:25pm
Another month has passed, so we suppose it must be time for the third of our polling-analysis pieces for the Scottish Parliament election in May. (Last time round we assessed the grotesque rank idiocy of voting SNP on the list if you want a pro-indy majority, and the time before that we considered the possible …

Shield Of The Phantom
26 Jan 2026 at 1:02pm
Well, we gave it a go. It seems that it’s fine to farm important judgments out to mysterious shadowy figures who just make important chunks of them up out of thin air, and then issue them in your own name. Back in your boxes, plebs.

Yelling at the tide
21 Jan 2026 at 9:26am
We figured someone had to at least try. So in the light of this, we’ve sent a letter. - TO: Judge Susan Walker, President, Employment Tribunal (Scotland) Dear Madam President, I read with considerable dismay and alarm your response to a recent complaint from a Mr Ewan Kennedy regarding the conduct of Employment Judge Alexander …

The Secondhand Amendment
19 Jan 2026 at 12:04am
We’re really not sure this makes things any better with regard to the incredible tale that’s unfolded around the judgment in Sandie Peggie vs NHS Fife. In fact, on any interpretation we can think of, quite the reverse. But we’d better give you some context. The quote in the image above comes from the reply …

Learning Insanity
14 Jan 2026 at 4:29pm
This clip was broadcast on ITV News Wales this week. ? It’s a staggeringly obvious mess for a whole raft of reasons – a number of completely spurious, illogical and unsupported claims are accepted as facts without any sort of challenge or balancing voice (which has been standard practice on ITV News for a while …

Governing For Beginners
12 Jan 2026 at 2:31pm
My first ever real experience of politics was playing Dictator. Originally written by Don Priestley for the Sinclair ZX81 in 1982, it was a simple text-based game which subsequently came to other formats including the Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Elan Enterprise and the ZX Spectrum, which is where I encountered it. (Its legacy very much …

Craig Murray

Is The USA Controlling Venezuela
7 Feb 2026 at 5:54pm

My first video report from Venezuela: My being here reporting is entirely possible due, as is all my journalism and activism, to your individual subscriptions and donations. We now have a Venezuela reporting crowdfunder. I have simply edited the Lebanese GoFundMe crowdfunder, because that took many weeks to be approved and I don’t want to …

Is The USA Controlling Venezuela

Filton Acquittals Demolish Starmer and Cooper Lies About Palestine Action
5 Feb 2026 at 6:49pm

As the trial finished at Woolwich Crown Court of the six Palestine Action activists who entered the Filton factory to destroy Israeli killer drones, Starmer, Cooper, Lammy and Mahmood are left bereft of a single guilty verdict in the case on which they relied heavily to label Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. I could …

Filton Acquittals Demolish Starmer and Cooper Lies About Palestine Action

Trump, Pirate of the Caribbean
3 Feb 2026 at 11:14am

I have now been here a week and I think that I have absorbed enough to attempt a little analysis, as opposed to the simple impressions I gave shortly after arrival. Those impressions remain valid however: this is not a repressive state. I was on the Randy Credico show live on WBAI New York on …

Trump, Pirate of the Caribbean

Palestine Action Judicial Review
29 Jan 2026 at 6:59pm

I attach the full text of Lord Young’s decision granting the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine. A few points. Judicial Review can only be granted where the judge believes it has a realistic chance of success. Lord Young evidently believes that we have a realistic chance of success on our three grounds …

Palestine Action Judicial Review

Being There ? In Venezuela
26 Jan 2026 at 9:46am

I have now been in Caracas for 48 hours and the contrast between what I have seen, and what I had read in the mainstream media, could not be more stark. I drove right through Caracas, from the airport through the city centre and up to posh Las Mercedes. The next morning I walked all …

Being There – In Venezuela

Resisting the Respectable Opinion on Iran
15 Jan 2026 at 3:13pm

Iraq. Libya. Egypt. Syria. Gaza. Somalia. No CIA- and Mossad-constructed regime change operation in the Middle East has ever made life better for the ordinary people of the country, nor even delivered the promised increase in personal and political freedoms. The only limited improvement that might be gained comes from the lifting of Western sanction …

Resisting the Respectable Opinion on Iran

BBC Scotland

Row as Scottish Borders set for 8.5% council tax rise
12 Feb 2026 at 5:15pm
Councillors argue the inflation-busting increase is needed to preserve front-line services.

Release of bus driver's killer 'sickening', says Tory leader
12 Feb 2026 at 1:47pm
Keith Rollinson, 58, died of a cardiac arrest after being attacked by a teenager in Elgin.

Health board bosses have 10% pay rise suspended after union backlash
12 Feb 2026 at 6:01am
Executives at NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde were previously handed temporary rises worth up to £20,000 per year.

How community service showed me a different way to live
12 Feb 2026 at 6:02am
Josh Andrews tells BBC Scotland News that prison would have derailed his recovery and left him anchored in a life of crime.

ScotRail fares to be frozen for the next year
12 Feb 2026 at 11:11am
First Minister John Swinney says the move is part of the government's "resolute focus on the cost of living".

MSP defends friendship with sex offender after Labour suspension
11 Feb 2026 at 4:49pm
Pam Duncan-Glancy has lost the party whip due to her ties to former Moray councillor Sean Morton.

Sarwar denies being part of wider plot to oust Starmer
11 Feb 2026 at 5:13pm
The Scottish Labour leader says he stands by his call for the prime minister to resign.

Scottish Labour suspends MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy
11 Feb 2026 at 11:13am
The MSP has had the party whip removed in the Scottish Parliament over her friendship with sex offender Sean Morton.

MSPs reject protected status plea for wild goats
11 Feb 2026 at 2:34pm
A committee is told it is "utterly bizarre" that gulls are protected while the "cute goats" are not.

Will Sarwar's 'Hail Mary' be a points scorer in the election?
10 Feb 2026 at 11:06pm
The Scottish Labour leader made his biggest political play by calling for the prime minister to stand down earlier this week.

Starmer claims 'huge respect' for Sarwar despite resignation call
10 Feb 2026 at 5:08pm
It comes after the Scottish Labour leader called for the prime minister to quit at a dramatic press conference on Monday.

Lord Wallace remembered at funeral for 'integrity, sincerity and humility'
10 Feb 2026 at 2:11pm
The former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, who was Scotland's first deputy first minister, died last month at the age 71.

Scot Goes Pop

REVEALED: It was the Alba Party's acting Chair, DEBBIE EWEN, who was behind t...
12 Feb 2026 at 6:52pm

BREAKING: Alba takes another major step towards total disintegration, as the ...
12 Feb 2026 at 3:53pm
It shows you the level of (justified) paranoia within the ultra-Stalinist Alba party that three different people (who as far as I know are all unconnected with each other) have contacted me about a...

"The joke is over": Now even the SALMOND FAMILY have turned their backs on th...
11 Feb 2026 at 3:28pm
Today brings the news of the resignation of Gail Hendry, Alex Salmond's sister, from the Alba NEC, and indeed after making the video below I was told that several other NEC members (plus at least o...

Which leader did Anas Sarwar just bring down - was it Keir Starmer, or himself?
10 Feb 2026 at 4:27am
There aren't many outlets that report Scottish polling accurately and without unionist bias.  If you value the service Scot Goes Pop provides, you currently have a thrilling opportunity to help wit...

Nigel Farage, so long the favourite to be the next Prime Minister, has slumpe...
7 Feb 2026 at 1:54pm
This video also contains more information about the More In Common independence polling I mentioned yesterday.   There aren't many outlets that report Scottish polling accurately and without unioni...

"Well, they're certainly keeping quiet about THAT bit!": More In Common poll ...
6 Feb 2026 at 3:14pm
There aren't many outlets that report Scottish polling accurately and without unionist bias.  If you value the service Scot Goes Pop provides, you currently have a thrilling opportunity to help wit...

My appearance on the "Two Davies" show
5 Feb 2026 at 5:55pm
Earlier today, I took part in a live stream on the "Two Davies" YouTube channel, and we all answered viewers' questions about quite a wide variety of subjects, including the current polling situati...

Gosh, I wonder if Stew has ever demonstrated quite so unwittingly and vividly...
4 Feb 2026 at 1:17am
Quite a number of years ago now, I got into a mildly bizarre email debate with someone who shall remain nameless, but who is widely regarded in Scotland as bona fide journalistic royalty.  Basicall...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

MSPs vote to back draft Budget as Lib Dems agree deal with Scottish Government
12 Feb 2026 at 6:44pm
The Lib Dems confirmed they had struck a deal on social care, hospices and hospitality

Release of drunk teen who killed bus driver ?weak justice?, says Tory leader
12 Feb 2026 at 2:13pm
The teenager who killed Keith Rollinson could be released within weeks after two years in secure accommodation

Sir Jim Ratcliffe apologises for claiming immigrants had ?colonised? the UK
12 Feb 2026 at 12:14pm
The Ineos boss and Manchester United co-owner said it was 'important to raise the issue' of controlled immigration

John Swinney to face FMQs ahead of first Budget vote
12 Feb 2026 at 12:01pm
The First Minister announced rail fares will be frozen for the next year ahead of the vote

Sir Jim Ratcliffe made ?mistake? with immigration comments, says John Swinney
12 Feb 2026 at 11:05am
The Ineos boss and Manchester United co-owner said the UK had been 'colonised' by immigrants

ScotRail fares to be frozen for 12 months by Scottish Government
12 Feb 2026 at 9:46am
Freeze will apply to all train tickets, including season tickets and Flexipass

Sir Jim Ratcliffe?s ?UK colonised by immigrants? claim branded ?disgraceful?
12 Feb 2026 at 8:44am
The Manchester United co-owner made the comment in an interview with Sky News.

Finance Secretary Robison urges MSPs to back Budget ahead of first vote
12 Feb 2026 at 8:26am
The Budget has increased the Scottish Child Payment and paved the way for a levy on private jets and a so-called ?mansion tax?

Keir Starmer faces fresh questions over judgment after Lord Doyle controversy
12 Feb 2026 at 7:49am
Lord Doyle has had the Labour whip removed.

?Clearly not?: Lucy Powell asked if she would have ennobled Lord Doyle
11 Feb 2026 at 8:31pm
The peer, who has had the Labour whip removed, earlier apologised and said he believed Morton?s initial assertions of innocence.

Suspended Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy defends friendship with sex offender S...
11 Feb 2026 at 5:01pm
Pam Duncan-Glancy stood down as education spokesperson after revelations about her ties with Sean Morton

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar denies being part of wider attempt to oust...
11 Feb 2026 at 4:16pm
Anas Sarwar became the most senior Labour figure to call for Sir Keir Starmer's resignation

Keir Starmer accused of ?stuffing Government with paedophile apologists? by B...
11 Feb 2026 at 12:35pm
Keir Starmer's former spin doctor apologised after having the Labour whip removed over his links to Sean Morton

Sir Keir Starmer to face PMQs after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar calls ...
11 Feb 2026 at 11:53am
Anas Sarwar said the 'distraction needs to end' over the scandal surrounding the appointment of Lord Mandelson

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scottish politics today: Jim Ratcliffe 'sorry' for 'choice of language' in im...
12 Feb 2026 at 5:00pm
The Record brings you its daily 5pm briefing of the top stories in Scottish politics.

John Swinney backs ex-SNP Government adviser after claims she offered grievin...
12 Feb 2026 at 4:08pm
Fiona McQueen remains the chair of the Scottish Police Authority, a position she was appointed to by the SNP Government, despite controversy over the QEUH scandal.

Jim Ratcliffe should be 'utterly ashamed of himself' as Man Utd co-owner apol...
12 Feb 2026 at 2:34pm
Anas Sarwar said people across the UK would be "furious" with the billionaire's comments.

Grangemouth owner Jim Ratcliffe faces backlash after billionaire claims UK 'c...
12 Feb 2026 at 11:13am
The billionaire owner of the Scotland's largest industrial site said "you can't have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in".

ScotRail fares to be frozen by SNP Government from April 1st this year
12 Feb 2026 at 9:02am
EXCLUSIVE: Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced the move in a written answer to Holyrood.

MP mocks Anas Sarwar's 'Brooklyn Beckham' moment in explosive Labour meeting
12 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Chris Murray cracked the joke at a tense summit of Scottish Labour MPs on Tuesday.

Suspended MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy defends friendship with prolific paedophile
11 Feb 2026 at 5:29pm
Duncan-Glancy said Morton was like "family" and added that she had never condoned his crimes.

Scottish politics today: Alba Party is 'over' and Anas Sarwar 'stands by' Sta...
11 Feb 2026 at 5:00pm
The Record brings you its daily 5pm briefing of the top stories in Scottish politics.

Ex-SNP cabinet minister claims he quit Sturgeon's government because she was ...
11 Feb 2026 at 4:10pm
Alex Neil quit Nicola Sturgeon's Cabinet in 2016 shortly after she refused to honour an SNP pledge to abolish and replace council tax.

Anas Sarwar will campaign alongside Keir Starmer at Holyrood election 'if he ...
11 Feb 2026 at 3:09pm
The Scottish Labour leader he "stands by" his demand for the PM to resign after he claimed on Monday he had become a "distraction".

The National

The National | Politics

Why Scottish Labour's silence in Budget negotiations speaks volumes
12 Feb 2026 at 7:00pm

SCOTTISH Labour have yet again abstained on the Scottish Budget.

MSPs vote to back draft Budget as Lib Dems agree deal with Scottish Government
12 Feb 2026 at 6:45pm

MSPs have voted to back the draft Scottish Budget at stage one as the Scottish Government announced changes due to a deal with the Lib Dems ...

International flotilla launches in bid to deliver vital aid to Cuba amid US b...
12 Feb 2026 at 6:34pm

AN international coalition has launched a flotilla in a bid to deliver ?urgently needed? humanitarian aid to Cuba amid an intensifying blockade of the island by the United States ...

Anas Sarwar has declared his excuse for being trounced in the election
12 Feb 2026 at 6:30pm

WITH PM Starmer?s average net approval rating of -46, haven?t the Westminster Labour MPs, in supporting this unpopular PM, clearly put their own interests before the nation that has signalled that Starmer should go?

SNP must avoid the Labour trap of thinking voters 'belong' to them
12 Feb 2026 at 6:30pm

WE need to remind ourselves, when we are considering the Scottish parliamentary elections, is that we actually have two elections in May, not just two votes, but two separate elections. The constituency section of the election is the largest part, and returns 73 members, running on a first-past-the-post system. The second section is the regional vote and it returns a total of 56 members but is ...

Why not get rid of the House of Lords and do this instead?
12 Feb 2026 at 5:44pm

This week a new crop of Lords appeared at the top of our legislative food chain ...

SNP strike Budget deal with LibDems despite free pass from Labour
12 Feb 2026 at 3:10pm

THE SNP Government has struck a deal with the LibDems to pass its Budget

Former SNP MP says John Swinney 'leading Scots up garden path' on independence
12 Feb 2026 at 4:41pm

FORMER SNP MP Angus MacNeil has accused John Swinney of ?leading people up the garden path? with claims that a majority for his party will lead to a second vote on independence.

Outrage as oil lobby urge Scottish politicians to back Rosebank despite huge ...
12 Feb 2026 at 4:17pm

SCOTTISH politicians have been urged to back continued oil and gas extraction ? including the Rosebank oil field ? by an industry body ahead of the Holyrood 2026 election, prompting outrage from climate campaigners.

Fact check: Nigel Farage defends Jim Ratcliffe, but is he telling the truth?
12 Feb 2026 at 4:04pm

MANCHESTER United co-owner and INEOS CEO Jim Ratcliffe has apologised that his claim Britain has been ?colonised? by migrants ?offended some people in the UK and Europe?.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Anas Sarwar: Jim Ratcliffe ?colonising? comments ?disgusting and offensive?
12 Feb 2026 at 2:21pm
The billionaire has apologised for his ?choice of language? following backlash

Russell Findlay calls for ?lighter? under-25 sentencing guidelines to be scra...
12 Feb 2026 at 1:42pm
John Swinney said that "all sentencing options including imprisonment" were open to judges

John Swinney slams ?destructive? Tories as Lib Dems confirm budget support
12 Feb 2026 at 1:40pm
'Neither the Scottish Conservatives nor Scottish Labour got a penny from this budget'

Unite behind SNP budget, Shona Robison urges rivals
12 Feb 2026 at 6:00am
Lib Dems call on Scottish Government to 'meet half-way'

Changing the DNA of Care: how earlier insight can strengthen Scotland?s socia...
12 Feb 2026 at 6:00am
If we truly want to support independence for longer, we must equip care professionals with the tools to act earlier, not later.

Keir Starmer says peer with links to paedophile did not give ?full account of...
11 Feb 2026 at 12:55pm
Lord Doyle, Starmer?s former director of communications, has been suspended from the parliamentary Labour Party over his links to Sean Morton

UK at ?crucial moment? as Westminster considers social media ban for under 16...
11 Feb 2026 at 12:38pm
One of Scotland?s leading child psychotherapists said the UK Government must use the consultation to ask difficult questions about how young people?s mental health is being affected by social media platforms

NSPCC Scotland and Scottish Youth Parliament launch partnership to make child...
11 Feb 2026 at 12:24pm
It?includes?new tools aimed at helping children and young people to better understand the risks online,?such as?artificial intelligence, online bullying, and misinformation

Pam Duncan-Glancy suspended from Labour
11 Feb 2026 at 7:18am
The MSP stood down as the party?s education spokesperson in December

Pass new law to protect Scottish transport staff, union urges MSPs
10 Feb 2026 at 3:49pm
'People who look after the public transport network should be safe'

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Jeane Freeman obituary
12 Feb 2026 at 5:57pm
SNP politician who served as Scottish health secretary and led the government?s response to the covid pandemicJeane Freeman, who has died aged 72, held two critical roles in the SNP government at Holyrood, leading the Scottish government?s response to the Covid pandemic alongside Nicola Sturgeon ...

Anas Sarwar says Starmer can campaign in Scotland after calling for him to quit
11 Feb 2026 at 5:59pm
Scottish Labour leader agrees PM can support party?s effort to win May?s Holyrood election in abrupt about-faceThe Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, has agreed that Keir Starmer can campaign for the party in the Holyrood elections just days after calling for the prime minister to resign.In a m...

Anas Sarwar says Starmer welcome to campaign for Labour in Scotland, days aft...
11 Feb 2026 at 5:56pm
Two days ago, the Scottish Labour leader said he wanted the prime minister to avoid Scotland during the election campaign because of his deep unpopularity with votersFamilies of nurses and carers have said they fear being torn apart under an immigration crackdown condemned as ?an act of economic ...

No 10 confident Sarwar acted alone in call for Starmer to go
10 Feb 2026 at 8:17pm
Downing Street initially feared Scottish Labour leader?s move was part of a wider leadership challenge Downing Street is increasingly confident that Anas Sarwar?s call for Keir Starmer to stand down was not part of a coordinated plot by a leadership rival to bring down the prime minister, the Gua...

Starmer says he ?will never walk away? as Burnham joins Labour figures backin...
10 Feb 2026 at 6:12pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereKemi Badenoch has said that Keir Starmer just received a ?stay of execution? yesterday. Speaking to reporters on a visit this morning, she said:Starmer is in a very dangerous place. The Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the quie...

Starmer survives ? but for how long? ? podcast
10 Feb 2026 at 3:00am
Helen Pidd follows the twists and turns on Monday as the prime minister fought to keep his jobOn Monday morning, the prime minister was preparing to reset relations with MPs after the resignation of his chief aide, Morgan McSweeney.Just before midday, news broke that Tim Allen, Keir Starmer?s dir...

Starmer tells Labour MPs he is ?not prepared to walk away? after call for him...
9 Feb 2026 at 9:50pm
Prime minister addresses parliamentary Labour party amid Mandelson scandal falloutScottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar calls on Keir Starmer to stand downTim Allan said he was standing down to allow Keir Starmer the opportunity to build a new team.In a statement, he said:I have decided to stand dow...

Sarwar has shown his ruthless streak. But will his swipe at Starmer mean anyt...
9 Feb 2026 at 4:20pm
Scottish Labour leader is gambling that by declaring his loyalty to Scotland, the electorate will rally behind himAnas Sarwar calls for Keir Starmer to stand downAnas Sarwar has shown he has a ruthless streak. Once one of Keir Starmer?s staunchest cheerleaders and allies, the Scottish Labour lead...

Scottish Labour leader calls for Keir Starmer to resign as PM ? video
9 Feb 2026 at 3:51pm
Anas Sarwar, the leader of the Labour party in Scotland, called on Monday for Keir Starmer to resign, saying the government's failures had 'drowned out' its accomplishments. Calls for the prime minister's resignation have been growing this week after new Epstein files revelations about Peter Mand...

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar calls on Keir Starmer to stand down
9 Feb 2026 at 3:40pm
Sarwar tells press conference: ?The distraction has to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change?Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, has called on Keir Starmer to stand down, throwing the prime minister?s leadership of the country into serious peril.At a hastily arranged press c...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Labour?s real problem in Scotland is that Sarwar and Starmer are the same.
12 Feb 2026 at 9:10am
It’s hard to overstate just how much of a shambles the Labour party in Scotland has got itself into. On Wednesday The Herald was reporting that branch manager Anas Sarwar had doubled down on his call for Keir Starmer to stand down as Prime Minister while at the very same time The Guardian’s Scottish correspondent …

Labour sleaze and its dangerous association with Palantir
11 Feb 2026 at 2:35pm
To paraphrase Shakespeare, Oh what a revolting web we weave when we mire ourselves in sleaze. Labour’s self inflicted paedophile adjacent chaos continues. Starmer has now belatedly removed the Labour whip from Labour peer Matthew Doyle, who served as Starmer’s chief of communications until March last year. Doyle was given a peerage by Starmer on …

Starmer and Sarwar, the Tweedledum and Tweedledumber of political arrogance
10 Feb 2026 at 1:26pm
If you’re having a bad day today, console yourself with the thought that Anas Sarwar is having a much worse day than you are, cue the world’s tiniest violin. Sarwar can’t do anything right, not even lay claim to the title of Scotland’s leading self-important nepo-baby, Fergus Ewing has got that one sewn up. In …

Keir Starmer gets bitten by his soon to be neutered Scottish poodle
9 Feb 2026 at 4:23pm
I’m not going to lie, I never expected that in 2026 I’d have “Excitedly awaiting a press conference from Anas Sarwar” on my bingo card. Due to the rapidly unfolding Mandelson scandal, in the space of 24 hours Keir Starmer has lost his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and his director of communications Tim Allan. …

Starmer, Corbyn, and implications for May?s Scottish elections
9 Feb 2026 at 11:55am
The big political story of the moment is of course the psychodrama enveloping Keir Starmer and the Labour party over the fallout from Starmer’s decision to appoint serial sleaze magnet Peter Mandelson to the high profile position as British ambassador to the USA despite Mandelson’s close ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and decades long …

it?s not John Swinney who must be held to account for Mandelson, it?s Starmer...
8 Feb 2026 at 1:56pm
Certain individuals such as the execrable Russell Findlay, the soon to be electorally humbled branch manager of the Tories in Scotland, and Mandy Rhodes, the editor of Holyrood Magazine, a publication with considerably fewer readers than this blog, are attempting to make political capital out of the fact that when on an official visit to …

YouGov?s independence polls are comfort blankets for Unionists
6 Feb 2026 at 12:28pm
This is an expanded and revised version of a piece I wrote for The National newspaper earlier this week. Since writing it further information has come to light which casts even greater doubt on the validity of a YouGov poll on Scottish independence which was published last week, a poll which was received with immense …

Mandelson, the sleazy heart of Starmer?s right wing Labour party
5 Feb 2026 at 3:13pm
Keir Starmer’s leadership of the Labour party and his position as Prime Minister have been on a shoogly peg for some time. After being elected in July 2024 with a landslide victory in the Commons, albeit on a mere one third of the popular vote, Labour MPs were looking forward to settling down to a …

The independence movement must commit to a Scottish republic
4 Feb 2026 at 2:02pm
It’s well known that people in Scotland are less enamoured with the self-promoting antics of the Windsor family than people in other parts of the UK. Large royal events with all their pomp and pageantry paid for at public expense are typically met in Scotland with widespread apathy, if not anger and ridicule. The street …

What happens in the Welsh election could be key to Scotland too
2 Feb 2026 at 4:27pm
The well known traditional curse, “May you live in interesting times” is often ascribed to an ancient Chinese text, although there is no evidence for this. Be that as it may, it cannot be denied that we are cursed with living through interesting times. Keir Starmer was elected to head a Labour government with a …

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

What kind of miserable wee s***e had the meanness of spirit to ask how much i...
12 Feb 2026 at 11:59am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. On the 23rd January, someone wrote to the Scottish Government to ask: Please provide copies of any internal correspondence, submissions, briefings or approvals relating to the decision. Please provide the total cost incurred by the Scottish Government in producing, packaging and...

Another attempt to hide the true NHS England performance as waiting lists in ...
12 Feb 2026 at 9:50am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Today, BBC UK present, uncritically, the suggestion that waiting lists are falling at the same time as they’re getting longer, in NHS Alice in Wonderland: BBC analysis shows more procedures and treatments are being carried out across the NHS in England, but still not enough to m...

BBC UK find ?55 babies who died may have survived with better care? to add to...
12 Feb 2026 at 9:12am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. First thing today, on BBC Breakfast, we hear of a joint BBC News/New Statesman, external investigation into maternity care at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UH Sussex) which has found: No government nor former government minister is associated, in the BBC Heal...

Starmer told Sarwar to call for his resignation allowing him to seem to be s...
11 Feb 2026 at 9:12pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. At 2.30pm on February 9th, Anas Sarwar called for the resignation of the deeply troubled Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer. He ended up acting alone. The big beasts, Streeting and Raynor, hesitated then pledged loyalty to Starmer. If anything, Starmer is now strengthened and his j...

Talking-up Scotland pushes well beyond 1 000 readers per day average but cann...
11 Feb 2026 at 7:27pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Talking-up Scotland has been growing and improving since its first crowd-funders, in February and September 2025, as is clear from our monthly WordPress report, above. In January 2025, we had only 31 254 discrete visitors and only141 posts published, compared to 38 575 visitors a...

An actual 97% resident doctor vote to call off strike action is not news yet ...
11 Feb 2026 at 7:02pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Four hours ago on the Scottish Government‘s latest news site, surely followed by all political editors: Resident Doctors have voted to accept a revised pay and contract reform offer and call off strike action. The British Medical Association (BMA) has confirmed that its members h...

First new GP walk-in service opens but is also not news for BBC Scotland
11 Feb 2026 at 7:01pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. On STV News and in the Herald but, again, hidden by BBC Scotland: Patients will have access to GP-led care on the same day without an appointment as the First Minister opens the first of a new network of walk-in services. The new services will make it easier for people to get urg...

Young Phineas fogs the truth but after two decades away from London party ove...
11 Feb 2026 at 4:57pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In the Guardian today: Even multimillionaires can?t escape Britain?s cowboy builders, it seems. Last week, residents of One Hyde Park, the UK?s most expensive flats, won a £35m court case against the contractor that built their homes. The high court ordered the construction compa...

Scottish Labour ? Not just friends of paedophiles but by far the most actual ...
11 Feb 2026 at 11:59am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. To be fair, she’s in the top position, though we’ll soon see how long she lasts there and you’ll note they’ve kept the ‘sex offender‘ bit small and the ‘paedophile‘ bit invisible. In an extended piece by Andrew Kerr, there’s complete avoidance of the word ‘paedophile‘ and absolut...

Reports of pupils carrying knives in Scottish schools fall by more than three...
11 Feb 2026 at 9:53am
No tasteless exploitative images here. Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From BBC London this morning: Police are continuing to question a 13-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, as counter terrorism officers lead an investigation into the stabbing of two boys at a school in north-west London. ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Jeffrey Epstein advised to bet on sterling before 2014 referendum - The Times
12 Feb 2026 at 6:46pm
Jeffrey Epstein advised to bet on sterling before 2014 referendum  The Times

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

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

Angus MacNeil to Lead ALBA's Highland Charge - albaparty.org
12 Feb 2026 at 6:07pm
Angus MacNeil to Lead ALBA's Highland Charge  albaparty.org

The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage - politico.eu
13 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage  politico.eu

No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says - BBC
27 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says  BBC

Ex-SNP MP announces bid to stand as Alba Holyrood candidate - The Herald
12 Feb 2026 at 3:08pm
Ex-SNP MP announces bid to stand as Alba Holyrood candidate  The Herald

Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scotti...
9 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scottish independence has grown stronger  The Conversation

New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence - gatescambr...
3 Feb 2026 at 10:32am
New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence  gatescambridge.org

Your Party Scotland conference votes for radical vision - Socialist Worker
8 Feb 2026 at 10:24pm
Your Party Scotland conference votes for radical vision  Socialist Worker

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP strike Budget deal with LibDems despite free pass from Labour - TheNation...
12 Feb 2026 at 6:39pm
SNP strike Budget deal with LibDems despite free pass from Labour  TheNational.scot

SNP are being dogmatic over nuclear - Energy Live News
12 Feb 2026 at 4:01pm
SNP are being dogmatic over nuclear  Energy Live News

Rai selects Imagine SNP for IP migration - SVG Europe
12 Feb 2026 at 12:29pm
Rai selects Imagine SNP for IP migration  SVG Europe

SNP Schneider-Neureither & Partner SE: Release according to Article 40, Secti...
12 Feb 2026 at 10:32am
SNP Schneider-Neureither & Partner SE: Release according to Article 40, Section 1 of the WpHG the German Securities Trading Act with the objective of Europe-wide distribution  TradingView

Easter Ross SNP activist and teacher Peter Newman?s Caithness maternity claim...
12 Feb 2026 at 3:24pm
Easter Ross SNP activist and teacher Peter Newman?s Caithness maternity claims spark backlash  John O'Groat Journal

Ex-SNP MP announces bid to stand as Alba Holyrood candidate - The Herald
12 Feb 2026 at 3:08pm
Ex-SNP MP announces bid to stand as Alba Holyrood candidate  The Herald

SNP accused of care betrayal with stealth budget cut - The Times
12 Feb 2026 at 6:00am
SNP accused of care betrayal with stealth budget cut  The Times

Scottish Government budget passes after SNP agree £178m pub boost with Lib De...
12 Feb 2026 at 5:38pm
Scottish Government budget passes after SNP agree £178m pub boost with Lib Dems  Yahoo News UK

Jeane Freeman obituary - The Guardian
12 Feb 2026 at 5:59pm
Jeane Freeman obituary  The Guardian

How Highlands and Islands farmers have come to expect to be let down by the S...
12 Feb 2026 at 4:45pm
How Highlands and Islands farmers have come to expect to be let down by the SNP  The Scotsman

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says - BBC
27 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says  BBC

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

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

Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn - The Scotsman
8 Feb 2026 at 12:14pm
Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn  The Scotsman

David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit - Britannica
27 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit  Britannica

Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn - Yahoo News UK
8 Feb 2026 at 2:21pm
Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn  Yahoo News UK

Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shi...
24 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shifts  Courthouse News

Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014...
27 May 2025 at 8:00am
Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014  The Conversation

In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland indepen...
3 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Part Two: What an independent Scotland could look like - A Fresh Start with I...
8 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Part Two: What an independent Scotland could look like - A Fresh Start with Independence  The Scottish Government