The Herald

The Herald | Politics


No criminal charges against capital's alleged business rates dodgers since 2024
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
20 Aug 2026 at 6:30am
Without clear evidence of deceptive and deliberate non-compliance, authorities are prevented from bringing criminal charges against tax dodgers.


Sparing hundreds of criminals from prison puts victims at ?serious risk?, SNP...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
20 Aug 2026 at 5:00am
Sparing hundreds of criminals from prison by discouraging judges from issuing sentences of less than two years will put victims of serious crime at risk, SNP ministers have been told.


Scottish Government urged to take 'long, hard look' at dealings with GFG Alli...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
20 Aug 2026 at 5:00am
The Scottish Government is pursuing legal action against GFG Alliance over transactions at the Lochaber aluminium smelter that bypassed ministerial consent, reigniting scrutiny of a controversial £586 million taxpayer-backed guarantee struck a decade ago.


SNP depute cleared of breaching MSPs' rules in Bridge over Atlantic traffic l...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
20 Aug 2026 at 5:00am
Keith Brown, the SNP's depute leader, has been cleared of breaching Holyrood's code of conduct after lobbying Argyll and Bute Council on behalf of a constituent over traffic light plans for the 233-year-old Clachan Bridge.


Whistleblower doctor warns NHS Scotland still puts reputation before patient ...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
20 Aug 2026 at 5:00am
Outgoing BMA Scotland chair Dr Iain Kennedy says NHS boards put reputation management ahead of patient safety and warns whistleblowers still face bullying.


Call for 'punishingly high' private jet tax to be brought forward by a year
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
20 Aug 2026 at 12:01am
A group of millionaires are among those calling for the Scottish Government to bring forward plans to implement a tax on private jets


'Continuity Starmerism': Scottish Labour leadership rivals clash in fiery TV ...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
19 Aug 2026 at 10:00pm
Scottish Labour leadership candidates Michael Marra and Joe Fagan faced off in a fiery STV debate.


First Minister and officials rack up £98,000 bill watching Scotland at the Wo...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
19 Aug 2026 at 9:10pm
John Swinney's trip to watch Scotland at the World Cup in the United States has left taxpayers with a bill of £98,442.


Marra's vow to 'end offshoring of good jobs in Scotland' with public contract...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
19 Aug 2026 at 6:00pm
Michael Marra has pledged to embed a jobs guarantee in public contracts if he becomes the next First Minister of Scotland.


Ithaca says Rosebank production to start next year as it eyes BP North Sea as...
by mark.williamson@newsquest.co.uk | Mark Williamson
19 Aug 2026 at 5:00pm
North Sea oil giant highlights growth opportunities in the area after acquisitions support strong first half performance


GMB: Glasgow's equal pay deal leaves 'too many risks unassessed'
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
19 Aug 2026 at 4:31pm
GMB Scotland has warned that Glasgow City Council's equal pay settlement leaves too many questions unanswered ahead of a crunch vote on Thursday.


Community lobbies MPs and MSPs over ?ludicrous' law endangering historic ferr...
by craig.williams@newsquest.co.uk | Craig Williams
19 Aug 2026 at 2:33pm
Campaigners have called on politicians to step in to help a tiny West Coast community which has to pay thousands of pounds each year to an "absentee landowner" to operate a historic ferry route.


MSPs back UNESCO bid for Scotland's 'iconic' morning roll
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
19 Aug 2026 at 11:43am
A Holyrood motion backed by 12 MSPs, including Greens co-leader Ross Greer, supports a campaign to have the morning roll recognised by UNESCO as living heritage.


Almost £22m in Scottish public sector fraud and error identified
by Craig Paton
19 Aug 2026 at 7:26am
Almost £22 million in public sector fraud and error has been identified, according to a watchdog.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Use facial recognition to stop football violence, says police chief inspector
20 Aug 2026 at 6:00am

A number of police forces in England use Live Facial Recognition (LFR), but Police Scotland does not

The two men wanting to become the next Scottish Labour leader went on the attack in the STV Scotland Tonight debate.

In today?s attention economy, transgression is the new currency

The Scottish Greens have backed a campaign to give the Scottish morning roll UNESCO status

Wings over Scotland

The Land Of Do-As-You-Please
17 Aug 2026 at 12:15pm
The contempt for the Scottish public being openly shown by public servants paid from the public purse to answer to the public has at this point reached such endemic levels that we’re not sure an acceptable level of trust can ever be salvaged. The reply above is not just evasive, not even just pathetic, it’s …

Believers In The Ruins
13 Aug 2026 at 2:01pm
Not done with celebrating defeat in an imaginary UDI yesterday, The National has gone with another big polling-based front cover today, and the party’s woke young stormtrooper drones are beside themselves with malignant glee. Let’s just see what they’re cheering about. Oh. That 29% figure is actually one point DOWN on the SNP’s support in …

The Other Kind Of Winning
12 Aug 2026 at 12:28pm
The National runs headlines like this quite often. The sort-of newspaper doesn’t actually have a sports section – it just publishes The Herald’s – but if it did you have to wonder what it would look like. That IS the story, too. The actual figure in the poll The National reports is 35%, almost exactly …

The Party Of The Dead
6 Aug 2026 at 2:17pm
The SNP’s latest accounts are out. And the zombie shambles on for another year. The headline figures sound reasonable – the party has turned a 2024 deficit of nearly £400,000 into a surplus of just over £500,000. Unfortunately that’s only had the effect of increasing its bank balance by around £110,000 to £384,320. And that …

Anatomy Of A Grift
5 Aug 2026 at 2:48pm
It’s sometimes tempting to believe that transactivists, and in particular the extra-loud attention-seeking type, are simply mad and/or stupid. But that’s not always the case, because this sounds like some actually pretty cunning work. (Click pic to enlarge.) But let’s start at the beginning. In May this year, the former Scottish Greens candidate Euan “Sophie …

The Plague
4 Aug 2026 at 3:32pm
Ever-alert Wings readers will be aware that for the past three and a half years or so I’ve been the target of a campaign by disgraced former policeman Lynsay Watson, who over that period has relentlessly attempted to get me arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned for knowing – and saying – that human beings can’t change …

Or Something
3 Aug 2026 at 9:37am
We have today sent the following email to the Crown Office. – 3 August 2026 Thank you for your letter of 30 July. I offer one last chance to reconsider. I do so having, once again, taken advice from the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates. On 1 July, you wrote to me saying inter …

The Deaf Eyes
2 Aug 2026 at 12:03pm
This email actually came in a couple of days ago, but we’ve been too dumbstruck to respond to it until now. Because, like, wow. Firstly, let’s take a moment to note the weird font change halfway through that central paragraph, as though someone else entirely butted in. Which in a sense they have, as the …

The Nobodies
27 Jul 2026 at 5:10pm
Apologies for the slightly shonky quality of this video, readers, which is due to the fact that ITV are such monumental self-sabotaging clowns that it’s not actually possible to screencap any sort of digital broadcast of theirs – screw YOU, viral content! – so we had to do this by videoing our iPad with our …

Ain?t it funny how things change?
22 Jul 2026 at 11:29am
Then, and now. (Click pic to enlarge.) Scottish politics: where repeated catastrophic failure is just another way to succeed.

Craig Murray

Scottish Judicial Review Hearing Tomorrow
19 Aug 2026 at 10:05pm

After eight months of obstructionism from the Labour Friends of Israel government of the UK, tomorrow is the day on which the Scottish Court of Session will finally decide whether to go ahead with the judicial review it granted in January, or kowtow to Downing St. I publish below two of the three main papers …

Scottish Judicial Review Hearing Tomorrow

A Tide in the Affairs of Men
7 Aug 2026 at 9:20pm

Between ten and five years ago, specifically in the light of Brexit, it was not in the least unusual for Scottish Independence supporters to discuss a declaration of Independence as the way forward. Debate more often centred on who should make the declaration – the Scottish parliament or some form of national convention or assembly. …

A Tide in the Affairs of Men

The Hard Right Packing of the UK Supreme Court
2 Aug 2026 at 7:00pm

Unlike the USA, where it is obsessively watched, the UK has no political culture of scrutinising the political composition of its Supreme Court. This is a big mistake. The UK Supreme Court has been deliberately and openly, even ostentatiously, packed with hard-right judges selected on the specific criterion that they will not oppose the will …

The Hard Right Packing of the UK Supreme Court

Scottish Independence: Set the Date!
29 Jul 2026 at 6:30pm

  The Scottish Government urgently needs a bold and radical approach to achieving Independence in spite of the firm London veto on a referendum. It is plain that there is no plan at present. The Scottish Parliament has a pro-Independence majority and government. This is how to achieve Independence consistent with international law and practice. …

Scottish Independence: Set the Date!

Narratives of Moral Conflict: Karim Khan and Delcy Rodriguez
26 Jul 2026 at 6:09am

Social media is not conducive to nuance. In the interest of reach, cut and dried positions are more effective and binary moral judgement expected. This leads to over-simplification of complex issues, and to skipping over facts inconvenient to your chosen narrative. There are issues affecting two high-profile people where it is worth considering the detail …

Narratives of Moral Conflict: Karim Khan and Delcy Rodriguez

Where Are We Going?
20 Jul 2026 at 1:25pm

An advert for the RNLI caught my attention because it indicated that the majority of their income comes from bequests in wills. The pitch was that, after you provide for your loved ones, you should leave money to the RNLI. I have no problem with this, having generations of lifeboatmen in my ancestry, but it …

Where Are We Going?

BBC Scotland

John Swinney defends £45,000 business-class flights to World Cup
20 Aug 2026 at 10:53am
The Scottish government spent almost £100,000 on official visits to the United States in June.

Taxpayers will foot bill for shortfall on PFI hospital upgrades
19 Aug 2026 at 5:56am
Tens of millions of pounds will be needed to bring the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh up to scratch when it transfers to public ownership next year.

Watchdog finds £22m of fraud and errors in Scotland's public services
19 Aug 2026 at 5:56am
They include overpaid pensions, council tax discounts that should not have been claimed and £1.1m in duplicate payments for goods and services.

Ferguson shipyard to cut a quarter of its workforce
18 Aug 2026 at 1:56pm
The state-owned yard on the Clyde will lose 70 of its 283 staff through a voluntary redundancy process as it awaits confirmation of promised new orders.

Lennon criticises 'nasty' Scottish Labour as leadership bid fails
17 Aug 2026 at 5:39pm
Michael Marra and Joe Fagan secured enough to support to run to replace Anas Sarwar.

What is happening with the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields?
17 Aug 2026 at 8:58am
The UK government has moved a step closer to making a decision on whether to approve further drilling.

Hospital concerns ignored for 15 years, scientist tells inquiry
16 Aug 2026 at 4:42pm
Dr Michael Bradnam said recurring patient safety issues at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital were ignored.

Victims call for sex attackers to be excluded from early release plans
14 Aug 2026 at 6:16am
Scottish government plans could see long-term prisoners released early to free up more space in prisons.

Temporary ban on disposable BBQs as military deployed to help battle wildfires
15 Aug 2026 at 4:58am
Single-use grills pose a "significant risk to the public" in current drought and heatwave conditions, the government warns.

Count Binface to perform at Fringe after by-election defeat
14 Aug 2026 at 2:56pm
The alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey finished second to Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election.

Scottish Labour leader hopefuls warn against party divisions
12 Aug 2026 at 10:20pm
Monica Lennon, Joe Fagan and Michael Marra are competing to fill the post vacated by Anas Sarwar.

Scotland's public spending deficit falls as tax take rises
12 Aug 2026 at 11:43am
Ministers have published the annual Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (Gers) report.

Scot Goes Pop

YouGov poll suggests Andy Burnham is faring about as well in Scotland as the ...
19 Aug 2026 at 1:24pm
History doesn't record whether the Roman Emperor tried to win over the reluctant Caledonian tribes by setting up a "Senate North" somewhere really northern and close to them (like Milan), but even ...

Liberation Scotland's wish to disenfranchise one million "incomers" - isn't t...
17 Aug 2026 at 11:02pm
I was thinking of writing a blogpost tonight about the latest chapter in Stew's prolonged temper tantrum about the Crown Office and Police Scotland impertinently refusing to accept that he is their...

"Yeah, you know that John Major guy? The Council of Europe FORCED him to giv...
17 Aug 2026 at 1:02pm
As I said in a recent video, I've tried hard to remain open-minded about Salvo's approach to independence campaigning - not because I think there's the remotest chance of them achieving their state...

Some free - and mostly sincere - advice for Scottish Labour
16 Aug 2026 at 10:30pm
Scottish Labour have finally learned the lessons of two decades of defeats and realised what they need is another soul-crushing machine politician from Lanarkshire that no-one has ever heard of. Be...

Stew reacts badly to poll showing the SNP with a double-digit lead over Labou...
15 Aug 2026 at 11:17pm
The controversial Faragist blogger Stuart Campbell, known almost universally as "Stew", urged his followers to help elect a Labour government at the 2024 general election on a tactical anti-SNP bas...

Seven Days Of Retro Scot Goes Pop - a marathon of conventional text-blogging ...
14 Aug 2026 at 11:45pm
Click here to go straight to my Ko-Fi donation page.Those of you who have been keeping an eye on the footer of each post will know I've been making slow but steady progress towards using Ko-Fi to m...

Analysis of the very strange Clacton by-election result
14 Aug 2026 at 11:07am
Just a quick note to let you know that I was up early this morning to write an analysis piece about the Clacton by-election result for The National, and you can read it HERE.I know that Reform have...

The Scottish REVOLUTION! Almost half of Scottish voters demand U.D.I. in hist...
13 Aug 2026 at 10:17pm
I now have seventeen regular monthly Ko-Fi supporters, thanks to another recent sign-up.  I reckon if I could get up to several dozen monthly supporters that would make it sustainable for me to kee...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Scottish Labour leadership candidates clash in lively STV debate
19 Aug 2026 at 9:44pm
Michael Marra and Joe Fagan went head to head in a special Scotland Tonight debate.

Scottish Labour leadership contenders to face off in Scotland Tonight hustings
19 Aug 2026 at 11:47am
STV political editor Colin Mackay will moderate debate between Michael Marra and Joe Fagan.

Hatred and extremism have no place in Scotland ? First Minister
18 Aug 2026 at 10:30am
John Swinney will bring together anti-racism organisations on Tuesday

Reform?s welfare pledges aim to please pensioners
17 Aug 2026 at 5:06pm
Reform UK announced that the party wants to stop foreign nationals receiving benefits ? including EU citizens with settled status

Scottish Labour leadership nominations closed as candidates narrowed down to two
17 Aug 2026 at 11:01am
Only Marra and Fagan were successful in meeting the threshold required to be eligible for the leadership ballot. 

Nominations close in contest to be Scottish Labour?s new leader
17 Aug 2026 at 8:01am
Anas Sarwar quit Holyrood to join the Lords and be a minister in Andy Burnham?s government.

PM urged to stick to spirit of Labour manifesto and reject Jackdaw and Rosebank
16 Aug 2026 at 7:34pm
The plea to Andy Burnham comes from campaigners at Stop Climate Chaos Scotland.

Flynn reveals he resigned as Westminster leader weeks before Holyrood election
15 Aug 2026 at 6:39pm
Former Westminster leader Stephen Flynn made the comments at Edinburgh Fringe event Political Party with Matt Forde.

Swinney urges commentators to ?consider impact of words? after Jason Arday death
15 Aug 2026 at 6:01pm
Scotland?s First Minister described the death of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday as being a ?deeply concerning and sad case?.

Sturgeon?s SNP book comments were a ?mistake?, says Flynn
15 Aug 2026 at 3:58pm
The former Westminster leader was asked about the comments at the Edinburgh Fringe event the Political Party with Matt Forde.

Scottish Labour must be bold in wake of election defeat, says leadership hopeful
14 Aug 2026 at 11:49am
Joe Fagan said the party must now look to ?shape what happens next?

Farage wins in Clacton as police contest ?credible threat? claim at count
14 Aug 2026 at 8:57am
A record 34 candidates were standing, with satirical candidate Count Binface as Farage's main challenger, after the other mainstream parties declined to stand

Scottish Labour has said it must change ? but I can?t see much on offer to do so
13 Aug 2026 at 1:08pm
Colin Mackay looks at how the Scottish Labour leadership contenders fared as they faced each other for the first time at a party hustings

Scottish young people call on Andy Burnham to rethink social media ban
13 Aug 2026 at 7:29am
Youth groups have warned the Prime Minister the plans could lead young people to less regulated parts of the internet.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scottish Labour leadership candidate under fire over cuts to free school buse...
20 Aug 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Joe Fagan's administration in South Lanarkshire pushed through a cut that scrapped the eligibility for free transport for over 1,000 pupils.

Private jet users in Scotland should face 'punishingly high' taxes, demand ca...
20 Aug 2026 at 4:30am
John Swinney has promised action on private jets and campaigners are now calling for him "to prove he means business" on the issue.

Joe Fagan claims 'I'm not the continuity candidate' in fiery Scottish Labour ...
19 Aug 2026 at 10:00pm
A blame game over why Scottish Labour crashed to its worst election defeat of the devolution era has become a central issue in the party's search for a new leader.

Scottish Labour MSP says a woman must be a candidate in all future leadership...
19 Aug 2026 at 10:18am
EXCLUSIVE: Katy Clark said Scottish Labour's rules must change to guarantee a female is a candidate in the future.

Alex Salmond legal action against SNP Government 'moving towards' court hearing
19 Aug 2026 at 4:30am
A spokesman for Paul McManus told the Record the aim of the legal action is to seek "damages from Scottish Ministers arising from the unlawful handling of complaints against the late Alex Salmond".

Michael Marra to back commission to slash child poverty if he becomes Scottis...
19 Aug 2026 at 4:27am
EXCLUSIVE: The North East MSP likened his plan to the Smith Commission set up after the independence referendum.

Scottish Labour leadership candidate says dying mum shared ward with 'violent...
18 Aug 2026 at 7:51pm
Michael Marra shared the personal anecdote when explaining his support for single sex spaces.

Nicola Sturgeon: It's not for me to apologise for the crimes of Peter Murrell
18 Aug 2026 at 4:59pm
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the former first minister described the SNP as her "extended family" - but refused to be blamed for crimes committed by her husband during her...

Joe Fagan rules out ever supporting indyref2 if he becomes Scottish Labour le...
18 Aug 2026 at 12:00pm
EXCLUSIVE: The South Scotland MSP slammed the door on any suggestion of a Labour u-turn on a referendum.

Ferguson Marine to slash shipyard jobs after 'calamitous' ferry contract awar...
18 Aug 2026 at 9:45am
The Port Glasgow shipyard has struggled to deliver a contract awarded in 2015 to build two large car ferries.

The National

The National | Politics

Labour blocked £1.5bn Scots factory to 'avoid aligning with SNP', ex-UK minis...
20 Aug 2026 at 9:30am

A FORMER UK business secretary has questioned the UK Government?s block on a Chinese firm?s £1.5 billion factory in the Highlands ? suggesting it arose because Labour ministers did not want to "align with the SNP? ...

GB Energy staffing figures expose gulf with Labour's '1000 Scottish jobs' pledge
20 Aug 2026 at 9:09am

LABOUR?s flagship GB Energy ? which was touted as creating 1000 jobs in Aberdeen ? has just 53 full-time staff and more than one-third of its workforce lives outside Scotland ...

UK vows 'comprehensive' action to prevent Israel's illegal E1 West Bank settl...
20 Aug 2026 at 8:19am

THE UK will set out ?comprehensive? measures to protect the viability of the Palestinian state amid an escalating threat from Israel, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has said ...

Working in Keir Starmer's government 'was unbearable', former chief of staff ...
20 Aug 2026 at 7:34am

WORKING in No 10 was ?definitely unbearable?, Keir Starmer?s former chief of staff has said in her first interview since resigning ...

Scottish private jet tax 'could raise £400m by next election', analysis finds
20 Aug 2026 at 5:00am

A PRIVATE jet tax could raise almost £400 million for the public purse over the current parliament, according to new analysis ...

Lesley Riddoch: BBC documentary has dragged back Glasgow's violent reputation
20 Aug 2026 at 5:00am

I watched BBC Scotland?s Welcome to Glasgow documentary and it is indeed tough viewing with drug dealing, casual violence and a

Former Tory Scottish Secretary takes £5k donation from 'dark money' trust
20 Aug 2026 at 5:00am

A FORMER Tory Scottish Secretary accepted a £5000 donation from a ?dark money? group, the MPs register of interests has revealed.

Trumpism makes Thatcherism look like a benign socialism
19 Aug 2026 at 7:30pm

IN the majority of previous US administrations, the state of Israel has been indulged as a rabid dog on a chain, guarding vital spheres of influence in the Middle East, particularly during the period of the Cold War, to ensure perceived enemies of the West cannot gain strategic domination over their interests.

Elderly residents 'trapped' in block of flats for weeks after only lift breaks
19 Aug 2026 at 6:30pm

ELDERLY residents in a four-storey retirement home in Falkirk have been left ?trapped? and feeling like ?nobody's bothered about them? after the building's only lift broke and is not expected to be fixed for four weeks ...

Douglas Alexander is happy to see Scottish Labour reduced to irrelevance
19 Aug 2026 at 6:04pm

DOUGLAS Alexander has come up with a novel explanation of why his party were dealt a humbling defeat at this year?s Scottish Parliament election.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

From Cloud-First to AI-First: Why Scotland?s Public Sector Must Lead from the...
20 Aug 2026 at 7:00am
The foundation is there; now we must build on it.

Use facial recognition tech to stop football fan disorder, HM inspector?s rep...
20 Aug 2026 at 1:01am
Drone use could boost public safety, authorities told

Scottish Government launches surveys on children?s experiences of online life
19 Aug 2026 at 4:21pm
Answers to these ?digital wellbeing? surveys will help shape action to be taken in devolved areas

AI business adoption programme opens for second year
19 Aug 2026 at 3:43pm
It is backed by ?1.8m

National fraud exercise saves over ?20m in two years
19 Aug 2026 at 7:00am
It takes the total saving since the National Fraud Initiative began in Scotland to ?201m

Up to 70 job losses expected at beleaguered shipyard
18 Aug 2026 at 11:56am
The CEO of Ferguson Marine said redundancies were needed due to an ?inevitable gap in workload?

Satellite tech to be deployed on remote ScotRail service
18 Aug 2026 at 1:01am
It is hoped the trial will improve internet access on West Highland services

Scottish Labour dismisses ?no confidence? motion against general secretary
17 Aug 2026 at 4:48pm
'Deep concern and anger' over selection process

Scottish ministers tighten planning approval process for large-scale data cen...
17 Aug 2026 at 1:00pm
Public finance minister Hannah Mary Goodlad has intervened in three proposals

Monica Lennon fails in Labour leadership bid as nominations close
17 Aug 2026 at 12:10pm
Head-to-head between Joe Fagan and Michael Marra confirmed

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Police Scotland warns ?robust security? needed to stop attacks on AI datacentres
14 Aug 2026 at 5:05pm
?A great deal of public opposition is likely? to a proposed datacentre near Edinburgh, the force saysPolice in Scotland have issued a stark warning about the need for ?robust security measures? to stop proposed AI datacentres from being attacked by protesters.There has been mounting opposition to...

Polls open in Clacton, where Farage spent more than £10,000 in byelection aga...
13 Aug 2026 at 3:54pm
The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelectionThe number of patients in England being cared for in hospital corridors or makeshift areas has remained above 3,000 a day for the second month in a row, as the NHS experiences a ?summer surge?, the Pre...

UK politics: Burnham urges retailers to stop selling disposable barbecues aft...
12 Aug 2026 at 7:10pm
PM warns extreme heat conditions ?could be with us fo some time yet?Just 20 staff are working on climate adaptation within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the part of government tasked with protecting the environment and maintaining food security, a freedom of information ...

Amnesty International says Farage putting ?hate and inhumanity? over leadersh...
10 Aug 2026 at 5:03pm
A spokesperson for the human rights group likened the proposal to ?financial brutality with British taxpayers? money?Farage and Yusuf are now taking questions.Q: From Jack Fenwick from the BBC Are there other countries where you might send foreign offenders? And how much would this cost?We have...

Nicola Sturgeon ?has not spoken to? estranged husband, Peter Murrell, since h...
8 Aug 2026 at 3:50pm
Scotland?s former first minister says she will not visit Murrell in prison, where he is serving five-year sentence for embezzling SNP fundsNicola Surgeon has said she will not visit her estranged husband, Peter Murrell, in prison, has stopped speaking to him and views herself as a ?mug? for worry...

UK politics: Tories? Philp rejects French claim that shots fired from naval b...
28 Jul 2026 at 6:01pm
Shadow minister says there was no warning and ?it looked and sounded like deliberate intimidation?Conservative MP accuses French navy of firing shots near him in ChannelIt is not just the Russians firing on Brits in the English Channel; Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, has accused a French...

Poll shows Labour ahead of Reform UK for first time since Burnham became PM ?...
27 Jul 2026 at 5:45pm
New PM says he ?wouldn?t get carried away? by latest polling but says he is pleased if he has ?connected with people?I have already posted lines from Andy Burnham?s BBC interview on reforming social care (see 9.03am), making council tax fairer (see 10.03am), and ruling out an early election (see ...

Evacuated villagers in Cairngorms allowed home after wildfire threat lifts
25 Jul 2026 at 11:08pm
Scottish first minister thanks Nethy Bridge residents and aid workers after earlier requesting UK military aid to fight 10-day fireResidents of Nethy Bridge have been told they can return to their homes after a large fire broke out in the Cairngorms national park.Supt Judy Hill of Police Scotland...

Scottish Labour?s rivals decry ?chancer? Anas Sarwar for resigning to join An...
22 Jul 2026 at 11:17pm
New prime minister has made Sarwar ? the first senior Labour figure to call for Keir Starmer?s resignation ? a peerScottish Labour?s rivals in Holyrood have slammed Anas Sarwar?s shock decision to resign as leader to sit in Andy Burnham?s new government, calling him a ?chancer? and accusing him o...

Celtic leaders doubt Burnham?s devolution drive will go beyond England?s borders
6 Jul 2026 at 4:00pm
Would-be prime minister has made basic missteps in pitches to Wales, Scotland and Northern IrelandAndy Burnham?s devolution promises are yet to impress sceptical Celtic administrations hoping for a reset with Westminster, sources in Cardiff and Edinburgh have said.Burnham, who is expected to take...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The BBC?s Glasgow hit piece says more about the BBC than Glasgow
19 Aug 2026 at 6:20pm
I’ve already briefly mentioned BBC Scotland’s disgraceful hit job on Glasgow which was broadcast earlier this week, but it’s worth exploring the issues around the programme in more detail, as the programme and its broadcast tell us far more about the priorities and concerns of the BBC in Scotland than they do about the state …

The BBC, the Reform UK Broadcasting corporation
17 Aug 2026 at 4:04pm
Although in recent weeks the Reform UK bandwagon looks as though it has hit a roadblock in the form of scandals about the party’s addiction to dodgy donations, the media in the UK continues to do its utmost to treat Farage’s party as the government in waiting. Reform has a mere eight MPs, it is …

Farage?s pyrrhic victory over a bin
14 Aug 2026 at 11:38am
Of course Farage won the by election in Clacton which he called in an attempt to pre-empt a Parliamentary investigation into his dodgy finances. And of course Farage is crowing about his “decisive victory against the “establishment” candidate, a vainglorious boast when that candidate was a man with a bin on his head and all …

GERSmas Day 2026
11 Aug 2026 at 8:22pm
It’s always welcome to have some good news for independence, but that’s especially true on GERSmas eve as the British media in Scotland and anti-independence campaigners gear themselves up for their annual orgy of too wee too poor too stupid in the form of GERS Figures which purport to demonstrate that Scotland is an economic …

The nasty party gets nastier
9 Aug 2026 at 3:04pm
The Tories are on a mission. Having had the title of the Nasty Party wrested away from them by Reform UK and by the even more unpleasant Restore Britain, Kemi Badenoch is determined to prove that the Conservatives are the original and best, or should that be worst, nasties of them all. Last week we …

Even good news is spun into SNPbad by the media in Scotland
5 Aug 2026 at 6:58pm
It’s often said there are two kinds of people in the world, those who say the glass is half full, and those who say it’s half empty. This is in fact inaccurate as there is a third kind, those who say: “Oh my God! That glass is about to shatter into a thousand jaggy shards, …

Burnham?s mini bounce
1 Aug 2026 at 1:39pm
Our visitors have left now. It was lovely to see them. As far as the blog is concerned I’m able to type again. There was a problem with the keyboard on my laptop which has now been repaired. Top tip, don’t spill tea on your laptop. So it’s back to blogging as usual. Andy Burnham …

Why you should subscribe to The National
1 Aug 2026 at 1:15pm
The National’s summer sale is running until Thursday 6 August. During this limited time period you can purchase an annual subscription to Scotland’s only pro-independence newspaper for the bargain price of £20. You might not agree with everything published by The National, but that’s inevitable in a publication which carries the weight of an entire …

Lord Sarwar of Brass Neck
21 Jul 2026 at 9:59pm
It seems to be a law of Scottish politics, or perhaps it’s more likely it’s just a personal curse, but whenever I try and take some time off from the blog a big story breaks and it’s back to the keyboard. What is most definitely a law of Scottish politics is that I’m not nationalist …

Silly season politics
17 Jul 2026 at 4:01pm
With Friday’s coronation of Andy Burnham as leader of the Labour party and his official accession to Ten Downing Street on Monday, the UK is now on its seventh prime minister in ten years. Meanwhile the man who wants to become prime minister after the next general election is fighting a by election 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

Last Post of the Poseur ? BMA Scotland?s Dr Iain Kennedy gets over BMA UK?s f...
20 Aug 2026 at 9:37am
Front page in the Herald today, the British Medical Associations’ branch convener, part-time GP and a man who used to have a Union Flag at the top of his x/twitter page, Dr Iain Kennedy leaves with this absurd claim: Just how privatised is NHS Scotland? Here are just a few comparisons with NHS England: Kennedy’s ‘forced to go private’ claim is also easily rebutted: This one? This one? This one?...

Fantastic news as Scotsman predicts its readers with second homes WILL face t...
20 Aug 2026 at 9:04am
The Scotsman today, once more on the side of the little but well-off man, bleating in his behalf. Well actually, ‘some of whom’ will face an extra charge of ‘nearly £16 000.’ We saw, in April 2026, the second-home owners defended by the Telegraph and the answer is the same (below). In the Telegraph 7 April 2026, the above and: They were not wrong. Back in September last year, they had: Scotland...

The real Scotland behind BBC Scotland?s lies:
20 Aug 2026 at 8:50am

Reposted as BBC Scotland persist in their attack on our sense of safety:
20 Aug 2026 at 8:47am

Scotland producing ?only? FIVE times as much gas as it consumes ? how could w...
19 Aug 2026 at 3:33pm
From the Guardian today: The penny is dropping in government. Britain, even in rapid energy transition mode, will still need a lot of gas in the years ahead ? and needs to know how the gas will arrive. It could hardly be otherwise when there are 24m households with a gas connection, largely for heating, and the pace of heat pumps adoption is miserable. Last year gas comprised about a third of t...

Thanks to these Ian Lang, Michael Forsyth and Donald Dewar Scottish taxpayers...
19 Aug 2026 at 3:32pm
From BBC Scotland today: Tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ cash will be needed to bring the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) up to scratch when it transfers to public ownership next year, BBC Scotland can reveal. The RIE was built in 2002 using the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) model which saw operator Consort Healthcare receive around £1bn to build and then maintain the hospital ov...

Scotland rejected failing NHS England cancer diagnosis system revealed to be ...
19 Aug 2026 at 3:28pm
From the Guardian today, the above and: Cancer diagnoses have been missed or delayed because of a system designed for GPs to seek specialist advice before referring patients to hospital, according to an investigation. The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) identified patient risks linked to how advice and guidance (A+G) services have been implemented across England. A+G was brou...

Burnham?s second plan to get rough sleeping off streets will struggle to matc...
19 Aug 2026 at 3:25pm
No exploitative images of hooded weans sitting in the rain begging, like the media love, here. From BBC UK today: Every rough sleeper in England will be offered accommodation this winter, the prime minister has said. Andy Burnham made ending rough sleeping his first pledge when entering Downing Street in July and now says he wants “to get everyone in for Christmas”. Emergency accommodation will...

Tory spokesperson in Scotsman hiding NHS Scotland?s cancer treatment performi...
19 Aug 2026 at 10:08am
In the Scotsman today, under the frontpage headline ‘Ministers warned of ‘ticking timebomb’ of cancer cases’, Miles Briggs (above) is allowed to present the fakest of fake news with a view to undermining the SNP: Leaping over the opening statements to the ten year change figures which do show significant increases in cancer incidence over that decade, he ignores the fact that this has resulted ...

Proportionally 4 times as many children in England & Wales face domestic abus...
19 Aug 2026 at 9:27am
made about domestic abuse has increased by more than a quarter in a year. The NSPCC Helpline Made 276 referrals to agencies in Scotland las year where the main concern was domestic abuse. That’s up 27% on the previous 12 months. This is another of those Reporting Scotland stories not fully written up on their website. Often this means that the dramatic figures will not stand up to scrutiny. How...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

What the SNP can learn about Scottish independence from movement in Wales - T...
19 Aug 2026 at 4:43pm
What the SNP can learn about Scottish independence from movement in Wales  The National Scot

UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits - Al Jazeera
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits  Al Jazeera

New Scottish independence referendum ?off limits,? UK prime minister tells Sc...
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
New Scottish independence referendum ?off limits,? UK prime minister tells Scottish leader  Anadolu Ajans?

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation

Burnham tells Swinney independence is 'off limits' at Commonwealth Games meet...
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Burnham tells Swinney independence is 'off limits' at Commonwealth Games meeting  BBC

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

Andy Burnham would oppose second Scottish independence referendum - BBC
6 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Andy Burnham would oppose second Scottish independence referendum  BBC

Beyond Constitutional Groundhog Day: The 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election...
15 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Beyond Constitutional Groundhog Day: The 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election  Verfassungsblog

Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots? - France 24
27 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots?  France 24

Is Scotland still divided on independence? - The Week
28 May 2026 at 8:00am
Is Scotland still divided on independence?  The Week

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Sparing hundreds of criminals from prison puts victims at ?serious risk?, SNP...
20 Aug 2026 at 9:33am
Sparing hundreds of criminals from prison puts victims at ?serious risk?, SNP told  The Herald

Labour blocked £1.5bn Scots factory to 'avoid aligning with SNP', ex-UK minis...
20 Aug 2026 at 9:33am
Labour blocked £1.5bn Scots factory to 'avoid aligning with SNP', ex-UK minister says  The National Scot

SNP plans human rights law to ?get around? Supreme Court sex ruling - The Times
15 Aug 2026 at 8:00pm
SNP plans human rights law to ?get around? Supreme Court sex ruling  The Times

SNP fail to block AI Data Centres - Scottish Greens
17 Aug 2026 at 1:49pm
SNP fail to block AI Data Centres  Scottish Greens

Sturgeon says she was ?never even considered for prosecution? over SNP cash -...
19 Aug 2026 at 11:26pm
Sturgeon says she was ?never even considered for prosecution? over SNP cash  London Evening Standard

Mizuho finds healthy demand for two-part SNP offering - Global Capital
19 Aug 2026 at 6:36pm
Mizuho finds healthy demand for two-part SNP offering  Global Capital

SNP appoints Neeraj Athalye as India MD to expand partner-led SAP transformat...
19 Aug 2026 at 10:17am
SNP appoints Neeraj Athalye as India MD to expand partner-led SAP transformation  CRN Asia

SNP and Palantir Form Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Secure SAP Transfor...
7 Aug 2026 at 8:00am
SNP and Palantir Form Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Secure SAP Transformations  Palantir IR

SNP writes off value of Peter Murrell's motorhome but still owes him £60k - S...
6 Aug 2026 at 8:00am
SNP writes off value of Peter Murrell's motorhome but still owes him £60k  Sky News

Why Investors Are Moving On From Synopsys (SNPS) - Yahoo Finance
17 Aug 2026 at 8:48pm
Why Investors Are Moving On From Synopsys (SNPS)  Yahoo Finance

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits - Al Jazeera
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits  Al Jazeera

What the SNP can learn about Scottish independence from movement in Wales - T...
19 Aug 2026 at 4:43pm
What the SNP can learn about Scottish independence from movement in Wales  The National Scot

Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum - BBC
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum  BBC

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation

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

New Scottish independence referendum ?off limits,? UK prime minister tells Sc...
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
New Scottish independence referendum ?off limits,? UK prime minister tells Scottish leader  Anadolu Ajans?

Beyond Constitutional Groundhog Day: The 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election...
15 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Beyond Constitutional Groundhog Day: The 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election  Verfassungsblog

Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum - ...
11 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Burnham tells Swinney independence is 'off limits' at Commonwealth Games meet...
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Burnham tells Swinney independence is 'off limits' at Commonwealth Games meeting  BBC

Nationalist Governments Now in Both: The 2026 Parliamentary Elections in Scot...
31 May 2026 at 8:00am
Nationalist Governments Now in Both: The 2026 Parliamentary Elections in Scotland and Wales  Open Canada