The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Inside Scotland?s safest jail where Peter Murrell is expected to serve sentence
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
4 Jun 2026 at 4:02pm
Peter Murrell is expected to be placed in HMP Dumfries - considered the safest prison in Scotland.


Peter Murrell facing celeb protection in Scotland?s safest jail after SNP fraud
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
4 Jun 2026 at 3:21pm
Peter Murrell will be given 'close protection' offered to 'celebrity' inmates at Scotland's safest prison, experts have said.


Greens MSP defends decision not to quit councillor role after two resignations
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
4 Jun 2026 at 1:56pm
The 27-year-old, originally from Motherwell, previously worked in the charity sector and managed Lorna Slater?s parliamentary office.


SNP to pursue lengthy legal action against Peter Murrell over £400k embezzlement
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
4 Jun 2026 at 12:11pm
It is understood John Swinney suggested the party tries to recoup the embezzled funds.


FOI Chief: Scottish Government handling of Salmond files release ?shambolic?
by Lucinda Cameron
4 Jun 2026 at 11:51am
David Hamilton said the length of time it took to produce the information was 'ridiculous'


SNP demands probe into Scottish Secretary over Mandelson meeting
4 Jun 2026 at 9:35am
The SNP?s Westminster leader has called for a probe into Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander after it was revealed he was in contact with Lord Peter Mandelson following the Epstein scandal.


Jenny Gilruth: Ministers working on ?delivering? private jet levy and mansion...
by Katrine Bussey
4 Jun 2026 at 7:11am
Jenny Gilruth said the Scottish Government is ?delivering? on its commitments


'Nothing happening': Anger over lack of progress on Union Corner after fire
4 Jun 2026 at 5:00am
Demands are being made for an update from Glasgow city council on work to redevelop Union Corner after the site remains vacant after a devastating fire three months ago.


Why MasterChef star is backing campaign for major Scottish industry
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
4 Jun 2026 at 4:31am
Scottish hospitality industry makes case for help as businesses feel cost pressures


Kuenssberg on Sturgeon: What happened when the cameras went off
by alison.rowat@theherald.co.uk | Alison Rowat
4 Jun 2026 at 1:30pm
Laura Kuenssberg appeared on the BBC?s The Media Show this week to talk about her headline-making interview with Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister of Scotland. She reveals her approach to emotional guests and confirms the identity of a figure in the background of the interview.


SNP in talks with taxman after Murrell embezzlement, Swinney reveals
4 Jun 2026 at 4:08pm
The SNP has started talks with His Majesty?s Revenue and Customs the to see if VAT was illegally reclaimed on purchases made by the party's former chief executive Peter Murrell as he embezzled more than £400,000, John Swinney has revealed.


Campaigner who triggered Murrell probe calls for fresh police investigation
by stewart.paterson@eveningtimes.co.uk | Stewart Paterson
3 Jun 2026 at 5:40pm
The campaigner for independence who sparked the operation that led to Peter Murrell pleading guilty of embezzlement has made a further report to police.


Court reprimands Scottish Government over FOI response delay on Salmond files
3 Jun 2026 at 5:33pm
The Scottish Government has been admonished by the Court of Session for failing to respond to an order from the Information Commissioner in time.


How Scotland?s legal aid rules let Murrell get help with SNP embezzlement case
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
3 Jun 2026 at 4:27pm
The decision to grant Peter Murrell legal aid has caused controversy. He admitted to embezzling £400,310.65 from the SNP over 12 years.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Coastguard's decision to stop paying brave volunteers is dangerous and cannot...
4 Jun 2026 at 4:45pm
We cannot allow one of our keystone public services to be undermined for generations to come, writes Alistair Carmichael


Why Scotland can expect a snap election and a new government within just two ...
4 Jun 2026 at 4:45pm
John Swinney?s minority SNP government may soon discover that it?s harder to pass a Scottish Budget than ever before


SNP accused of hijacking key Holyrood committee to undermine scrutiny
4 Jun 2026 at 4:45pm

Critics said it was ?akin to putting Dracula in charge of a blood bank?

The SNP and HRMC are in talks over whether Peter Murrell?s falsifying of accounting records have have resulted in VAT fraud.

The restraint order has set out Murrell?s assets that could be used to repay the money he embezzled from the SNP.

The SNP?s ruling body agreed to a proposal by First Minister John Swinney to launch legal action

Angela Constance has suggested members would donate more money if another independence referendum was held after the fighting fund was spent by the SNP.

A key vessel has arrived at Rosebank as developers carry out work at the controversial development.

The target is in line with official advice but has prompted concern among the farming community

The party says they are ?very pleased? to be chairing two of the parliament?s most important committees.

Richard Thomson said ?it makes no sense? to import oil and gas from abroad ?when we could produce it at a lower environmental cost? from the North Sea

The SNP had pledged that no one would wait over a year for treatment by March - but this was missed

Wings over Scotland

For Me, But Not For Thee
4 Jun 2026 at 1:00pm
Huh. Well, that’s nice, isn’t it? The SNP are hoping to make out like bandits from Peter Murrell’s conviction. Despite Swinney’s admission yesterday that the party stole £700,000 from donors to two “ring-fenced” fundraisers, it stands to pocket a surprise bonus of £400,000 from recovering his criminal proceeds (on top of Swinney’s boasted “significant increase” …

Kings Of Crisis Management
4 Jun 2026 at 10:18am
If you subscribe to the theory that it’s better to fight 100 duck-sized horses than a single horse-sized duck, the SNP is knocking it out of the park today. Because the papers just can’t make their minds up about the biggest story with which to attack John Swinney’s beleaguered party. While the Sun leads with …

Everything Is Awesome
3 Jun 2026 at 11:10pm
You’ve had a few pretty gruelling pieces to get through in the last week or so, readers, so here’s something a little more light-hearted. It’s from an episode of Broadcasting Scotland on 27 November 2020, a month after we confirmed our big story about the SNP accounts and the missing fundraiser money. In it, snug-toed …

The Truth Does Out
3 Jun 2026 at 7:18pm
Sometimes you have to wait a while for people to catch up. But patience is everything, readers. All things, we hope, come to those who wait. The SNP tried all sorts of excuses. First up, in February 2020, immediately after Wings had broken the story that “hundreds of thousands of pounds from two supposedly ?ringfenced? …

Up The Hill And Down The Slope
3 Jun 2026 at 9:12am
On Sunday, Nicola Sturgeon told Laura Kuenssberg that the SNP’s accounts “went up and down” as her excuse for not noticing that hundreds of thousands of pounds had suddenly vanished from them overnight. ? Several things leap out immediately from that clip. One, there absolutely very much WAS “something glaringly suspicious in the accounts that …

Pandora?s Campervan
2 Jun 2026 at 11:48am
To tell you the truth, readers, we’re suffering from a little bit of option paralysis at the moment, although happily not in the same way Peter Murrell is. The endless torrent of revelations following on from Murrell’s conviction a week ago isn’t just fascinating in its own right – it also forces numerous historical issues …

The View From Row Z
31 May 2026 at 3:11pm
Sadly, this turned out to be prescient this morning. Laura Kuenssberg did give Nicola Sturgeon an uncomfortable time in their interview on her Sunday programme on BBC News, but when confronted with the one gaping open goal that Sturgeon has no answer for – and even when Sturgeon TWICE set it up on a plate …

Nicola?s Summer Reading List
30 May 2026 at 4:16pm
Now that Nicola Sturgeon is finally free of her gruelling MSP workload, which could give her anything up to two extra hours of spare time a week, she might like to start making a proper dent in the contents of her fully-loaded bookshelves. (At least until they’re seized and sold under the Proceeds Of Crime …

Marvola The Memory Woman
29 May 2026 at 7:53am
The multi-statement meltdown that has been the unravelling of Nicola Sturgeon this week has been quite something to behold. Last night, for example, we swear our Twitter feed presented these two tweets one after the other. But then we read something even more extraordinary. Firstly, as Conor Matchett of the Scottish Sun noted, that is …

Friends Without Benefits
28 May 2026 at 1:16pm
We’ll be honest with you, readers, if we were in a situation where a lawyer was issuing statements for us, this isn’t what we’d want to hear. “If my client had been charged, she’d be in prison right now” is a worrying distance short of a vote of confidence in your client’s innocence. But the …

Craig Murray

The Power of the UK State Over Scotland
28 May 2026 at 7:50am

I went through yesterday’s preliminary hearing in the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action with a sense of mounting horror. We had the same judge as at the permission hearing, Lord Young. We had exactly the same arguments and the same case law being deployed again by the UK government as at …

The Power of the UK State Over Scotland

Palestine Action Scottish Judicial Review ? Stitch-Up Incoming?
27 May 2026 at 12:58am

The proscription of Palestine Action was sold to MPs and the media on the basis of a deliberate campaign of lies, fronted by Yvette Cooper, then Home Secretary, and Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan police. Both have deep commitment to Israel. Cooper is owned by the Israel lobby. What is worse, they then attempted …

Palestine Action Scottish Judicial Review – Stitch-Up Incoming?

Dr Manivannan
14 May 2026 at 6:00pm

The furore around the election of Dr Manivannan to the Scottish Parliament is deeply troubling. There is no argument whatsoever that they were eligible to stand for election. The law was changed specifically in order for those on temporary visas to be able to stand in Scottish parliamentary elections. I confess I am not sure …

Dr Manivannan

URGENT FILTON TRIAL UPDATE
13 May 2026 at 6:03am

While the Court of Appeal has now stopped the High Court contempt of court action against Rajiv Menon KC for defending his client, this is purely on procedural grounds. They ruled that Judge Johnson had to go via the Attorney General to the High Court, not direct. It is now referred back to Johnson who …

URGENT FILTON TRIAL UPDATE

Zionism Has Poisoned the UK?s Central Nervous System
11 May 2026 at 7:32pm

Unquestioning Zionism has for decades been the entry ticket to the British political and media Establishment. Anybody who was not a fully certified and compliant zionist would find their career limited – as Jeremy Corbyn, Alan Duncan, Robin Cook and David Mellor all found. Most others, of course, were never allowed to progress that far. …

Zionism Has Poisoned the UK’s Central Nervous System

The 2026 Scottish Elections
6 May 2026 at 5:40pm

We get so trapped inside the logic of the UK’s crazy electoral systems we often do not see what is really happening. Two thirds of active voters, voted against Starmer’s Labour at the last general election. He was always highly unpopular. Just as Starmer’s landslide victory in the 2024 general election was based on only …

The 2026 Scottish Elections

BBC Scotland

SNP may have claimed back tax on Murrell's illicit purchases - Swinney
4 Jun 2026 at 3:52pm
The party has contacted HMRC over fears public funds may have been misused as part of the £400,000 embezzlement.

Why is there a row about the SNP's £667,000 independence fund?
4 Jun 2026 at 3:51pm
The party is facing a fresh police complaint about cash raised for a campaign on the country's constitutional future.

Companies offered contracts worth £2bn to dual last 58 miles of A9
4 Jun 2026 at 1:41pm
It said the first of these final contracts would be for the Dalraddy and Slochd section.

Scottish government found in contempt over Salmond files
3 Jun 2026 at 5:31pm
The Court of Session said the Scottish government repeatedly missed dates to disclose information requested by FOI.

Swinney says £660,000 independence fund used on SNP 'objectives'
3 Jun 2026 at 2:45pm
Questions over the fund led to the police investigation that has exposed Peter Murrell's £400,000 embezzlement.

SNP demand probe into Alexander meeting with Mandelson's firm
3 Jun 2026 at 6:35pm
Newly-released files confirm Douglas Alexander met with Global Counsel in summer 2024 but it was not publicly declared until earlier this year.

Will Aberdeen's energy future decide the by-election?
3 Jun 2026 at 6:26am
The forthcoming poll in the north-east is a reflection of a local and national debate about Scotland's energy future.

We now know how Peter Murrell embezzled from the SNP - but not why
3 Jun 2026 at 6:26am
Details revealed in court show the persistence, cynicism and devious tactics used by the former chief executive.

Murrell used fake invoices to cover up £400,000 spending spree
2 Jun 2026 at 4:08pm
The former SNP chief executive is facing a lengthy jail sentence after admitting embezzling funds from the party.

How former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell spent the £400,000 he embezzled
2 Jun 2026 at 6:30am
BBC Scotland News has collated all of the goods bought by ex-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell in his £400,000 embezzlement.

Schools urged to act on mobile phone use ahead of law change
2 Jun 2026 at 5:41pm
A consultation on legislation and new national guidance will be launched by the end of June.

Call for Holyrood and Westminster to hold joint inquiry into Murrell crimes
1 Jun 2026 at 4:03pm
Former first minister Jack McConnell has backed a dual probe into the former SNP chief executive.

Scot Goes Pop

RUPERT LOWE, of all people, could be the unintentional midwife of Scottish in...
4 Jun 2026 at 12:18pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE. Other recent videos: ONE-FIFTH of Reform UK voters in Scotland would vote Yes to independence, says new Norstat pollASTOUNDING poll su...

ONE-FIFTH of Reform UK voters in Scotland would vote Yes to independence, say...
1 Jun 2026 at 2:25pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE. Other recent videos: ASTOUNDING poll surge for SNP: how Stew's "Accidental Clouseau" moment may have SAVED party he hatesMore polling ...

ASTOUNDING surge for SNP in new Norstat poll: how Stew's "Accidental Clouseau...
31 May 2026 at 3:27am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE. Other recent videos: More polling reassurance for SNP as by-elections approach, while Greens reclaim second place GB-wideGreens almost...

More polling reassurance for SNP as by-elections approach, while Greens recla...
30 May 2026 at 2:21am
In view of recent requests, I've also uploaded a podcast version of the above video on Soundcloud as a trial run, just to see if there's any interest in the audio-only format.  It's on Spotify too....

Unveiling the new funding model for Scot Goes Pop
28 May 2026 at 7:26pm
Click here to visit my new Ko-Fi page.On Sunday I published a blogpost explaining that my experiment of using YouTube as a more sustainable funding model for Scot Goes Pop wasn't really working out...

Greens almost draw level with Labour in GB-wide YouGov poll, SNP have double-...
28 May 2026 at 8:00am
In view of recent requests, I've also uploaded a podcast version of the above video on Soundcloud as a trial run, just to see if there's any interest in the audio-only format.  It's on Spotify as w...

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION: Newly-elected Scottish Parliament decides by 72 votes to...
27 May 2026 at 8:36am
Other recent videos: Is Scottish independence "closer now than on the day before the 2014 referendum"?What was the REAL vote share for pro-independence parties at the 2026 Holyrood election?First M...

As "Self-determination Tuesday" dawns, is Andy Maciver right to say independe...
26 May 2026 at 2:05pm
For anyone who would like to help support my YouTube channel, I've set up a new Ko-Fi page HERE, which offers the options of either a small recurring monthly subscription, or a one-off donation.  (...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

John Swinney to face First Minister?s Questions as Peter Murrell continues to...
4 Jun 2026 at 1:13pm
The First Minister has said the party will sue Murrell in a bid to recover £400,000 embezzeled from the SNP

SNP to sue Peter Murrell and try to get stolen £400,000 back
4 Jun 2026 at 11:03am
The former SNP chief executive embezzled the cash over the course of 12 years

Ministers working on ?delivering? private jet levy and mansion tax, says Gilruth
4 Jun 2026 at 6:52am
It comes after this year?s Scottish budget included plans for two new council tax bands on the most expensive properties by April 2028

Scottish Government found in contempt over Salmond files
3 Jun 2026 at 3:58pm
Judge Lady Poole said the government had shown a 'lack of respect' for the Information Commissioner.

Keir Starmer faces questions after Henry Nowak case triggers violent clashes
3 Jun 2026 at 12:18pm
The student?s killer claimed he had been the victim of a racial attack while Mr Nowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying

Swinney pledges to expand mental health support
3 Jun 2026 at 6:43am
Swinney said his Government would support the 'valuable work' the Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) has done.

Education secretary urges schools to act ahead of new legislation on mobiles ...
2 Jun 2026 at 10:07pm
The education secretary insisted there was a 'spectrum of harm' linked to the use of mobile phones and similar devices

What did the second tranche of the Mandelson files reveal?
2 Jun 2026 at 5:18pm
A second tranche of documents on Mandelson's appointment have been released

John Swinney tells of ?horror? at Murrell?s ?colossal breach of trust?
2 Jun 2026 at 2:10pm
The former husband of Nicola Sturgeon stole more than £400,000 from the SNP over 12 years

Peter Murrell?s £124,000 motorhome only ?driven four miles?
2 Jun 2026 at 10:30am
Further details of the former SNP chief executive's embezzlement have been revealed

Serious questions remain over Lord Mandelson appointment despite files releas...
1 Jun 2026 at 5:47pm
Dave Doogan, the party's Westminster leader, said the appointment of Mandelson showed a 'deep rot' at the heart of the government

UK will not have to pay Rwanda millions of pounds over failed migrant deal
1 Jun 2026 at 10:54am
The east African nation sued Britain for more than £100 million after Labour scrapped the Tories' plan under which four people had been deported.

No 10 braced for further embarrassment as more Mandelson papers to be published
1 Jun 2026 at 5:22am
The release of documents is expected to include messages between Lord Mandelson and ministers and government advisers.

Nicola Sturgeon says Murrell has never explained his embezzlement crimes to her
31 May 2026 at 3:43pm
Murrell pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh this week to embezzling the sum from the SNP between 2010 and 2022

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

John Swinney putting party over country as he tries to block scrutiny of Pete...
4 Jun 2026 at 5:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says John Swinney's refusal to back an inquiry will look like he is trying to protect Nicola Sturgeon.

Police Scotland declines to reinvestigate SNP over how £660,000 of donations ...
4 Jun 2026 at 4:36pm
The national constabulary said "no further action will be taken at this time" after John Swinney admitted the "ring-fenced" donations had already been spent.

SNP could face HMRC probe over 'VAT fraud' linked to Peter Murrell scandal
4 Jun 2026 at 3:30pm
Anas Sarwar revealed Scottish Labour has written to HMRC asking it to launch a "full investigation into this potential defrauding of the public purse".

SNP to demand stolen cash back from Peter Murrell after ex-CEO convicted of e...
4 Jun 2026 at 10:44am
The party's governing body has agreed to a proposal by John Swinney to launch legal action against Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband.

SNP blowing £660,000 IndyRef2 fighting fund is 'internal party matter', claim...
4 Jun 2026 at 9:19am
The SNP is under pressure after the party finally admitted it has spent all of the donations raised in 2017 to fight an IndyRef2 campaign that never happened.

John Swinney 'reported to police' over £600,000 indyref2 donations
4 Jun 2026 at 8:31am
Campaigner Sean Clerkin has contacted Police Scotland after the First Minister suggested the donations had already been spent.

Stripping Peter Mandelson of peerage would be purely symbolic but should stil...
4 Jun 2026 at 4:30am
Record View says all parties, north and south of the Border, need to take action to root out sleaze and corruption.

The SNP's Holyrood election win is tainted by the Peter Murrell guilty plea
3 Jun 2026 at 5:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says voters cast their ballots on May 7th without crucial knowledge of Murrell's corruption.

John Swinney admits SNP has spent £650,000 donations 'ring-fenced' for indepe...
3 Jun 2026 at 1:59pm
Concerns over how the supposedly "ring-fenced" cash was spent by the SNP ultimately led to the Operation Branchform investigation and the conviction of Peter Murrell.

Activist who campaigned for far right in France given taxpayer-funded job by ...
3 Jun 2026 at 1:43pm
EXCLUSIVE: John White is doing "comms and research" for Glasgow MSP Thomas Kerr.

The National

The National | Politics

What 72 hours in Belfast and Cardiff taught me about the cause of independence
4 Jun 2026 at 5:17pm

THERE was palpable tension when our British taxi driver when he began to probe our fellow passenger, as an insider of the nationalist side of the Northern Ireland Executive, if she could answer him a question.

Police Scotland confirm there will be no new probe into £600k indyref2 fund
4 Jun 2026 at 4:47pm

POLICE Scotland have confirmed that there will be no new probe into the SNP accounts ...

Scottish Labour took £75k from director of Labour Together before Holyrood el...
4 Jun 2026 at 4:16pm

SCOTTISH Labour accepted £75,000 from a director of the scandal-hit Labour Together think tank in the months leading up to the Holyrood election ...

Media 'reported SNP embezzlement differently' than other scandals, Mhairi Bla...
4 Jun 2026 at 3:57pm

SCANDALS involving millions in public money have "not received anywhere near the same level of coverage" in the media as Peter Murrell's embezzlement from the SNP, former MP Mhairi Black told The National?s podcast ...

People will talk about our Sturgeon interview for 10 years, BBC host boasts
4 Jun 2026 at 3:49pm

FORGET the World Cup. Producers at the BBC seem to be taking part in a different sweepstake altogether. That is: How many days of mileage can we get out of Laura Kuenssberg's interview with Nicola Sturgeon ...

John Swinney says SNP in talks with HMRC over Peter Murrell tax implications
4 Jun 2026 at 3:06pm

JOHN Swinney insisted that his comments stating the £650,000 independence fighting fund had been spent is ?nothing new?.

Power grab left SNP members unable to challenge the party's leadership
4 Jun 2026 at 3:22pm

LIKE many of your correspondents, I find the idea that the SNP, or indeed the internal functioning of any political party, should be subject to inquiries by Westminster a deeply anti-democratic concept that is simply a ploy to embarrass the SNP and the First Minister, and it must be rejected as a political ploy.

US tech firm Palantir wins £9 million contract to manage UK firearms licensing
4 Jun 2026 at 2:30pm

A US tech firm which has assisted ICE operations and has links to Israel's genocide in Gaza has won a 10-year contract to manage firearms licenses in the UK

New poll shows huge majority of Labour members support full arms export ban t...
4 Jun 2026 at 2:27pm

A NEW poll of Labour Party members shows an overwhelming majority back a ban on UK arms exports to Israel and trade with illegal settlements in the West Bank ...

'The war has not stopped': Israeli airstrikes kill nine Palestinians
4 Jun 2026 at 1:31pm

Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least nine Palestinians overnight, according to local hospitals.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

SNP approaches HMRC over possible illegal VAT claims linked to Peter Murrell ...
4 Jun 2026 at 4:09pm
Anas Sarwar welcomed the decision but argued it demonstrated the need for a parliamentary inquiry

SNP committee ?power grab? likened to ?putting Dracula in charge of a blood b...
4 Jun 2026 at 3:49pm
Full list of 16 Scottish Parliament committees

John Swinney says ring-fenced independence fighting fund was used for ?SNP ac...
3 Jun 2026 at 5:40pm
More than ?660,000 was raised through donations between 2017-19 to help campaign for a second referendum

Scottish Government found in contempt of court for not releasing Salmond file...
3 Jun 2026 at 5:30pm
The information commissioner has said ministers must ?reflect carefully? on the ruling

Douglas Alexander meeting with Mandelson firm left off lobbying list 'in error'
3 Jun 2026 at 4:07pm
Talks with Global Counsel held weeks after trade appointment

Scottish Greens confirm frontbench team
3 Jun 2026 at 1:17pm
Three of the party's new MSPs take on cabinet-level portfolios

Scottish Government urges schools to act on mobile phones ahead of legislation
3 Jun 2026 at 12:31pm
Education secretary M?iri McAllan confirmed to parliament that the government will launch a consultation on phone-free classrooms within the first 100 days of government

Peter Murrell campervan was filled with embezzled goods, court hears
2 Jun 2026 at 11:43am
Ex-chief executive's false files revealed

MSPs asked to disclose trans status as Holyrood moves to restore sex data
2 Jun 2026 at 10:46am
A non-binary category was first added to the listing for male and female members after the election before the information was removed altogether

Scottish private hospital admissions reach record high in 2025
2 Jun 2026 at 1:01am
Private hospital admissions in Scotland increased by six per cent last year

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Starmer to meet Henry Nowak?s family this afternoon, No 10 says ? as it happened
4 Jun 2026 at 5:33pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereKemi Badenoch has posted a message on social media saying she met Henry Nowak?s father, mother and stepmother this morning. She praises their courage, and says:Henry?s family do not want anger to tear communities apart. They are a famil...

A new elephant in Nicola Sturgeon?s room | Brief letters
2 Jun 2026 at 5:38pm
Murrell?s motorhome | Hooked on Alan Rickman | Football fans | Nine times table | Beauty of maths | It all adds upFollowing Nicola Sturgeon?s bravura performance on BBC One?s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme (Nicola Sturgeon: I feel as if I?m serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit,...

Starmer says he ?felt sick? watching video of Henry Nowak?s arrest ? as it ha...
2 Jun 2026 at 5:32pm
The prime minister said: ?I have seen the body cam footage, it?s harrowing, and I have to say, as a father of a 17-year-old boy, I felt sick watching it.?BBC Scotland has more details of the Peter Murrell hearing this morning on its live blog. And, on its live blog, Sky News has pictures of some ...

Motorhome bought by Murrell with stolen SNP money was driven only 4 miles, co...
2 Jun 2026 at 1:29pm
High court in Edinburgh hears £125K vehicle was described as a van in faked invoice and stocked with luxury goodsThe luxury motorhome that Peter Murrell bought using money stolen from the Scottish National party was driven for only four miles, sitting unused for more than two years.Murrell, then ...

Mandelson described Starmer?s No 10 operation as ?beleaguered and bereft? in ...
1 Jun 2026 at 6:18pm
Peter Mandelson?s unfiltered remarks to cabinet officials are made public in hundreds of pages of documents relating to his appointment as US ambassador Mandelson files show no mitigation of security concernsAt the Downing Street lobby briefing the PM?s spokesperson said the release of the Mandel...

The Guardian view on the Aberdeen South byelection: the politics of energy ta...
31 May 2026 at 5:30pm
While Westminster?s attention is focused on Andy Burnham and Makerfield, another pivotal byelection is taking place in Scotland?s north-eastThe coming byelection in Makerfield, from where Andy Burnham aspires to make rapid progress towards Downing Street, is perhaps the most consequential in Brit...

Nicola?s only crime was to love too much. And to not notice the Jaguar on the...
31 May 2026 at 5:27pm
Rather than being one of the shrewdest operators in British politics for a decade, it turns out Sturgeon was just too trustingYou know how it is. You wake up and look out the bedroom window. You see a brand new Jaguar worth £81,000 parked in the driveway. You smile to yourself. That?s what you lo...

Nicola Sturgeon: I feel as if I?m serving a sentence for a crime I did not co...
31 May 2026 at 3:47pm
Former Scottish first minister says she will not apologise for actions of her ex-husband found guilty of embezzlementNicola Sturgeon has said she feels as if she is serving a sentence for a crime she did not commit, as she denied ever ?consciously? seeing the motor home bought by her estranged hu...

Nicola Sturgeon: ?I should not be held responsible for the wrongdoing of men?
29 May 2026 at 7:41pm
Ex-SNP leader says she appeared on more front pages than her husband this week, adding: ?I don?t think that?s right?Nicola Sturgeon said she ?should not be held responsible for the wrongdoing of men? after Peter Murrell, her estranged husband, admitted to embezzling hundreds of thousands of pound...

We know what former SNP chief Peter Murrell bought with £400,000 of embezzled...
29 May 2026 at 6:00am
His guilty plea means motive will for ever be a mystery. It just proves that the world can look as hard as it likes at someone?s marriage and never know what?s going onIt sounds like the haul of an unhappy trophy wife, filling her empty days with retail therapy. Three Fortnum & Mason advent calen...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The historic failure of the media in Scotland
4 Jun 2026 at 1:28pm
The issues in my left eye, my better eye, seem to be getting a bit better so I’m only half blind now. Many thanks to everyone who left kind messages of support. Hopefully after 16 June when I have the cataract operation my eyesight will improve markedly. The Murrell scandal is of course still rumbling …

Seeing the path ahead clearly
31 May 2026 at 2:45pm
I’m not going to be blogging so much over the next couple of weeks. For the past year or so I’ve had a cataract in my right eye, which has rapidly worsened over recent months such that at an eye test at the opticians last week I found to my horror that I could not …

The first salvos have been fired in the latest stage of the independence camp...
27 May 2026 at 4:20pm
On Tuesday, the first working day of a new Scottish Parliament, with a record pro-independence majority, the fourth such majority in a row, MSPs voted by 72 to 55, a majority of 17 to adopt a motion calling on the Westminster government “to make a Section 30 order under the Scotland Act 1998 to devolve …

Explaining a parliamentary mandate for the staunch of hearing
26 May 2026 at 3:16pm
Today Holyrood gets the ball rolling on putting into action the pro-independence mandate given to it by the people of Scotland at the recent election, which as we all know by now resulted in the largest ever majority of pro-independence MSPs in the history of the Scottish Parliament. I’ll blog about the debate and vote …

Branchform?s over and the SNP is still standing
25 May 2026 at 1:41pm
Well, after five long years, murder tents, and over £2 million in police costs, it’s all over bar the inevitable shouting, and of course the not insignificant matter of what is likely to be a substantial custodial sentence. Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. …

The supposed ?Once in a generation? pledge is a Westminster myth
23 May 2026 at 12:31pm
On Thursday evening’s edition of BBC Reform Time, Fiona Bruce, the completely unbiased and neutral right wing unionist host, editorialised in aid of Tory MP Harriet Cross who had insisted that the question of independence had been “settled” in 2014 and attempts to revisit the matter “have to end, they have to end.” Bruce interjected …

John Swinney fires the starting gun on independence push
22 May 2026 at 1:30pm
He’s not mucking about. On the back of Holyrood’s record pro-independence majority, John Swinney has announced that there will be a debate and vote in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday on securing a Section 30 order for an independence referendum. With 72 pro-independence MSPs in the chamber, the motion will pass easily despite the predictable …

The British media is hiding Holyrood?s independence majorities
20 May 2026 at 5:01pm
Something interesting, and entirely predictable, has been happening in the British media since the SNP comprehensively defeated the parties of Westminster rule in this month’s Holyrood elections, being returned for a fifth term in office in a Scottish Parliament which has its largest ever pro-independence majority, making this the fourth Scottish Parliament in a row …

Something wicked this way comes
17 May 2026 at 1:27pm
We are rightly concerned about Reform UK, which has now gained representation in the Scottish Parliament, although as I had hoped, it performed more poorly than most polls forecast and failed to win a single constituency seat, narrowly missing out to the SNP in the Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituency which had been widely tipped …

The Celtic Alliance can break Westminter?s constitutional logjam
15 May 2026 at 6:33pm
One of the biggest developments in British political history came to pass after the recent parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales, yet it predictably went all but unnoticed by a British media which struggles to comprehend England outwith the M25 and for which Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are terra incognita marked “here be dragons” …

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

A Voter?s Guide for Aberdeen South ? SNP/Scottish Government vs Reform UK 
4 Jun 2026 at 5:13pm
With the Aberdeen South by-election just two weeks away on 18 June 2026, this short cut-out-and-keep guide has been written specifically for voters in Aberdeen South and Aberdeenshire.  The area is at a crossroads: we still depend on North Sea oil and gas jobs, yet we?re also facing the huge challenge of a fair energy transition, rising living costs, and the need for strong local support for fa...

Why Scotland needs ?No gods and precious few heroes!?
4 Jun 2026 at 10:22am
Some ask why Scotland is the least into organised religion part of the UK. Here’s Dick Gaughan performing the words of the great Hamish Henderson: No Gods & Precious Few Heroes I was listening to the news the other dayHeard a fat politician who had the nerve to sayHe was proud to be Scottish, by the wayWith the glories of our past to remember“Here’s tae us, wha’s like us”, listen to the cryNo s...

Baroness Amos is investigating 8 000 cases where babies may have died or been...
4 Jun 2026 at 8:27am
at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, faced long delays for labour to be induced – the longest waits at potentially almost eight days. Notably, in the wake of last night’s dramatic Sky TV News reporting on the maternity crisis in NHS England as they await the Baroness Amos Inquiry report, BBC Reporting Scotland, this morning in their BBC Breakfast insert, headlined the above report which ...

Sky News reports on dying during childbirth ?in the UK? and other maternity s...
3 Jun 2026 at 8:38pm
The Sky News special tonight on maternity services, ?in the UK, is of course only about England. They go on quickly to relate their special to the forthcoming report by Baroness Amos and this along with the only example health trusts which they use, confirms that. Why? Baroness Amos looked only at England. Is the Sky News special likely to be informative on Scotland? No, because: Thousands of b...

Significant economic growth across Scotland?s industry sectors
3 Jun 2026 at 3:34pm
From: Industry statistics: Economic statistics for industry sectors in Scotland, last updated 3 June 2026  Notice anything? Significant growth over the last 15 years of SNP administration? Growth in the last two years? Growth across the majority of sectors? No media coverage? Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/industry-statistics/

STV News seems unable to tell us how tiny the percentage is in Scotland and t...
3 Jun 2026 at 3:32pm
STV News yesterday had: The number of private healthcare admissions in Scotland has hit record levels for a fifth consecutive year, figures show. Statistics released by the Private Healthcare Information Network (Phin) show about 54,000 admissions to private settings in 2025, an increase of 6%. Some 29,470 people were admitted using their private medical insurance, an increase of 5%. The number...

Fair unbiased and accurate assessment of Scottish Government (SNP-led) action...
3 Jun 2026 at 10:52am
By Jim Mennie Reform raised this at FM’ Questions yesterday 2nd June and @StephenFlynnSNP replied. I think it’s only fair that this should be reported factually. The Scottish Government remains the SNP minority administration (58 MSPs). Reform UK holds 17 regional list MSPs and has no executive power. Only the Government can fund, procure and build these projects. Opposition parties can scrutin...

Who says Scots are not different? Frailty among older people is less common t...
3 Jun 2026 at 10:48am
In the Guardian today: GPs in England are so ?overloaded? that they cannot help older people who are at risk of falling in what NHS bosses accept is an unacceptable failure of care, the House of Commons? public accounts committee has said. Pressure on GPs? time has intensified as a result of the government?s decision to give patients online access to their services, according to a report by the...

Murder by stabbing in Scotland has fallen in a steady trend to half of the le...
3 Jun 2026 at 9:36am
BBC UK is focused today on the terrible murder by knife case and subsequent riots in Southampton and BBC Scotland is doing its best to include Scotland in the wider anxiety. Why is it wrong, uninformative? 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 b...

Alexander must resign after a career of closeness to Mandelson
2 Jun 2026 at 5:51pm
What are the full reported instances of Douglas Alexander praising Peter Mandelson AFTER the latter had supported and stayed in the home of the convicted paedophile and child trafficker Geoffrey Epstein? Key Reported Praises by Alexander (Post-2024) These emerged from released documents/WhatsApps in 2026, drawing criticism (e.g., SNP calls for Alexander to resign over “sycophantic” messages): h...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 4:20pm
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation

Why is there a row about the SNP's £667,000 independence fund? - BBC
4 Jun 2026 at 12:30pm
Why is there a row about the SNP's £667,000 independence fund?  BBC

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

Republic Of Scotland T-Shirt - Scottish Independence Referendum Yes/IndyRef S...
2 Jun 2026 at 8:25pm
Republic Of Scotland T-Shirt - Scottish Independence Referendum Yes/IndyRef SNP Support  Santo André BIZ

Is Scotland still divided on independence? - The Week
28 May 2026 at 1:34pm
Is Scotland still divided on independence?  The Week

Scots would vote for independence in second referendum, poll finds - The Nati...
1 Jun 2026 at 12:36pm
Scots would vote for independence in second referendum, poll finds  The National Scot

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

Swinney admits SNP independence £600,000 fund was spent on 'general party bus...
3 Jun 2026 at 2:00pm
Swinney admits SNP independence £600,000 fund was spent on 'general party business'  The Herald

Police Scotland confirm there will be no new probe into £600k indyref2 fund -...
4 Jun 2026 at 4:47pm
Police Scotland confirm there will be no new probe into £600k indyref2 fund  Yahoo News UK

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

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Swinney says £660,000 independence fund used on SNP 'objectives' - BBC
3 Jun 2026 at 2:45pm
Swinney says £660,000 independence fund used on SNP 'objectives'  BBC

SNP crisis management looks more like crisis extension - The Times
4 Jun 2026 at 5:45pm
SNP crisis management looks more like crisis extension  The Times

SNP in talks with HMRC over potential illegal VAT claims linked to Peter Murr...
4 Jun 2026 at 5:07pm
SNP in talks with HMRC over potential illegal VAT claims linked to Peter Murrell embezzlement  Sky News

Police Scotland confirm there will be no new probe into £600k indyref2 fund -...
4 Jun 2026 at 4:53pm
Police Scotland confirm there will be no new probe into £600k indyref2 fund  The National Scot

Peter Murrell pleads guilty to embezzling £400,000 from SNP | Scotland - The ...
25 May 2026 at 8:00am
Peter Murrell pleads guilty to embezzling £400,000 from SNP | Scotland  The Guardian

Sturgeon showed 'remarkable lack of curiosity' over SNP finances, Cherry says...
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Sturgeon showed 'remarkable lack of curiosity' over SNP finances, Cherry says  BBC

SPICe general election Scotland 2026 results and analysis - SPICe Spotlight
9 May 2026 at 8:00am
SPICe general election Scotland 2026 results and analysis  SPICe Spotlight

Final YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election shows the SNP falling short of...
6 May 2026 at 8:00am
Final YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election shows the SNP falling short of a majority  YouGov

Former Scottish National Party chief pleads guilty to embezzling $540,000 - R...
25 May 2026 at 8:00am
Former Scottish National Party chief pleads guilty to embezzling $540,000  Reuters

Sturgeon defends 'no comment' police interview after SNP funds probe arrest -...
27 May 2026 at 5:50pm
Sturgeon defends 'no comment' police interview after SNP funds probe arrest  BBC

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 4:20pm
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation

Why is there a row about the SNP's £667,000 independence fund? - BBC
4 Jun 2026 at 12:30pm
Why is there a row about the SNP's £667,000 independence fund?  BBC

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

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

Republic Of Scotland T-Shirt - Scottish Independence Referendum Yes/IndyRef S...
2 Jun 2026 at 8:25pm
Republic Of Scotland T-Shirt - Scottish Independence Referendum Yes/IndyRef SNP Support  Santo André BIZ

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

Scotland Renews Push for Independence With Labour in Turmoil - Bloomberg.com
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland Renews Push for Independence With Labour in Turmoil  Bloomberg.com

Scottish Parliament backs plans for route to second independence referendum -...
26 May 2026 at 6:01pm
Scottish Parliament backs plans for route to second independence referendum  Holyrood Website

Scottish Devolution: Section 30 Orders - The House of Commons Library
25 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Devolution: Section 30 Orders  The House of Commons Library

Swinney admits SNP independence £600,000 fund was spent on 'general party bus...
3 Jun 2026 at 2:00pm
Swinney admits SNP independence £600,000 fund was spent on 'general party business'  The Herald