The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Civil servants rarely in Scottish Government buildings despite 40 per cent ta...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
16 Feb 2026 at 6:15pm
Civil servants are rarely in Scottish Government buildings despite the 40% hybrid working target, new figures have revealed.


I've spend months challenging FOI refusals. This is why reform is necessary
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
16 Feb 2026 at 5:30pm
FOI reform proposals will be voted on at Stage 1. As a journalists who has spent months challenging refusals and redactions, this is why its important.


Family of Jeane Freeman launch fundraiser for cancer charity she volunteered ...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
16 Feb 2026 at 4:36pm
The formidable Scottish politician won acclaim for her intellect and commitment to criminal justice reform.


Alba Party in dire financial straits amid police probe into alleged fraud
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
16 Feb 2026 at 3:23pm
Speaking to the Sunday Mail, Alba boss Kenny MacAskill said the party believed it had been ?the victim of a fraud?.


Strike threat at Scots university as staff back industrial action
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
16 Feb 2026 at 3:19pm
Staff at the University of Aberdeen have backed industrial action in a dispute over cuts, with possible strikes on the table


Russia issues warning over shadow fleet after capture of tanker north of Scot...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
16 Feb 2026 at 2:34pm
Russia's deputy foreign minister has warned against 'experiments' with the capture of ships which are part of its shadow fleet, such as the tanker seized north of Scotland last month


Starmer 'white washing' claims Labour think tank spied on journalists, allege...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
16 Feb 2026 at 2:08pm
Labour Together is said to have paid public affairs firm APCO £30,000 to "investigate the sourcing, funding and origins" of a Times story.


Sandie Peggie to pursue appeal against Dr Beth Upton despite exit from NHS Fife
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
16 Feb 2026 at 2:00pm
Sandie Peggie's lawyers have said Dr Beth Upton's exit from NHS Fife will not impact the employment tribunal appeal.


Who is Dr Beth Upton, the trans doctor who was at the centre of Sandie Peggie...
16 Feb 2026 at 1:00pm
Dr Beth Upton was the second respondent in the legal case involving nurse Sandie Peggie at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy and NHS Fife.


Father who lost son in car crash calls for Scottish control of driving licences
by Katrine Bussey
16 Feb 2026 at 7:51am
Alan Knox wants the UK Government to ?give Scotland the same opportunity? as Northern Ireland


Anger over 'dangerous' corridor care as hospital A&E exceeds capacity by 225 p...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
16 Feb 2026 at 5:30am
Corridor care has been described as "dangerous" after a hospital's A&E capacity exceeded 225%.


More than 5,200 violent pupil attacks left Scottish teachers needing treatment
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
16 Feb 2026 at 5:00am
More than 5,200 violent incidents in Scottish schools left teachers needing medical treatment, with hospital visits rising sharply over five years.


SNP presiding over ?secret Scotland? in freedom of information laws, says Kat...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
16 Feb 2026 at 5:00am
Labour MSP Katy Clark says Scotland is ?falling behind? on transparency laws as Holyrood prepares for a crunch vote on reforming freedom of information.


Senior Scottish civil servant quizzed over past Mandelson links
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
16 Feb 2026 at 5:00am
One of the Scottish Government?s most senior civil servants, Dr Gregor Irwin, has been questioned over his past leadership role at Lord Mandelson?s lobbying firm, Global Counsel, amid renewed controversy linked to the Epstein Files.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Don?t be fooled by Keir Starmer?s 'imaginary hobgoblins'. He's the real problem
16 Feb 2026 at 4:47pm
The UK is governed by a political elite who put our security, liberties and future prosperity at risk


Brexit: Why UK needs ambitious new deal with EU as it contemplates protectionism
16 Feb 2026 at 4:45pm
A ?Made in Europe? initiative is causing concern for British businesses about protectionism in the EU as it responds to increasing global instability


Who Will Be The Next Labour Leader? Here are the 12 favourites to succceed Ke...
16 Feb 2026 at 3:50pm

The Prime Minister seems to be safe...for now.

He is demanding the introduction of graduated driving licences.

Wings over Scotland

The Longest Road
16 Feb 2026 at 1:23pm
As the six-year fight for justice for Alex Salmond continues, we thought you might like to see this clip from this morning’s Mike Graham Show, interviewing Paul McManus, the businessman and drummer in Glasgow rock band Gun who’s stepped up to fund the Salmond family’s case against the Scottish Government despite disagreeing with much of …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Craig Murray

Postpone The Celebrations
14 Feb 2026 at 7:46am

On the face of it the English High Court ruling that the Palestine Action proscription is unlawful makes the decision that the proscription remains in place pending appeal utterly illogical. But what if the High Court ruling is deliberately designed to fail at appeal? I believe that it is. They chose an extremely narrow path …

Postpone The Celebrations

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

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

Is The USA Controlling Venezuela

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

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

Filton Acquittals Demolish Starmer and Cooper Lies About Palestine Action

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

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

Trump, Pirate of the Caribbean

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

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

Palestine Action Judicial Review

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

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

Being There – In Venezuela

BBC Scotland

Officers call for police cars to be equipped with guns
16 Feb 2026 at 2:38pm
The Scottish Police Federation wants the country to follow New Zealand in allowing officers to quickly access weapons in emergencies.

New adverts urge boys not to share sexist content online
16 Feb 2026 at 11:54am
The Scottish government campaign highlights the hurt that online misogyny can cause to women and girls.

Sarwar says Starmer 'welcome to chap doors' during Scottish election campaign
15 Feb 2026 at 12:08pm
The Scottish Labour leader has said he stands by his decision to call for the prime minister to resign.

Government sues dentists for not treating enough NHS patients
14 Feb 2026 at 1:54pm
More than 250 dentists are understood to be facing legal action as ministers look to reclaim bursary funding.

Desperate times are behind Sarwar's PM resignation call
14 Feb 2026 at 9:14am
Anas Sarwar's demand for Sir Keir Starmer's resignation may look disloyal but it was borne of fear and frustration.

Glen Sannox ferry return delayed by anchor fault
13 Feb 2026 at 6:42pm
The CalMac ship was been out of action since November for annual overhaul and other work

Peter Murrell accused of embezzling £459,000 over 12-year period
13 Feb 2026 at 5:57pm
The former SNP chief executive is accused of illicitly purchasing items including luxury goods, jewellery, cosmetics, two cars and a motorhome.

Rock musician to fund Alex Salmond case against Scottish government
13 Feb 2026 at 5:32pm
Paul McManus, drummer with Scottish band Gun, has taken on the legal action from Salmond's family.

Sarwar stands by resignation call in conversation with Starmer
13 Feb 2026 at 3:12pm
The Scottish Labour leader has described speaking to Sir Keir Starmer days after calling on the PM to quit

Scottish government bans wet wipes containing plastic
13 Feb 2026 at 11:28am
This type of wipe is a common source of marine litter and can break down into microplastics over time, harming the environment.

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

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

Scot Goes Pop

"Harken, brothers, what is that irritatingly persistent yet strangely compell...
16 Feb 2026 at 4:03pm

REVEALED AT LAST: What Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh NEVER wanted you to know - the "s...
14 Feb 2026 at 3:36pm
In October 2023, Alex Salmond took to the stage of Alba's 2023 conference in Glasgow, theatrically brandishing what he claimed was a "black dossier" containing unspecified evidence of unspecified w...

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

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

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

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

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

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

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Public will value my honesty in call for Starmer to quit, says Sarwar
15 Feb 2026 at 11:40am
The Scottish Labour leader was pressed on whether his own position has been weakened by the events of this week.

Swinney: Timing of Murrell embezzlement hearing is matter for the courts
14 Feb 2026 at 1:24pm
The First Minister spoke after a hearing for former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell was moved until after the election

Labour should reverse ban on new oil and gas licences, Blair?s think tank says
13 Feb 2026 at 8:32pm
The windfall tax, currently set at 38%, was introduced under the previous government in May 2022.

I did not step back from urging Starmer to quit in call with him ? Sarwar
13 Feb 2026 at 4:51pm
The Scottish Labour leader said he spoke to the Prime Minister on the phone on Thursday

Millionaire takes over legal rights to Salmond case against Scottish Government
13 Feb 2026 at 4:41pm
The former first minister took action against the Government, naming Nicola Sturgeon and former top civil servant Leslie Evans specifically

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scottish politics today: John Swinney has 'confidence' in super hospital safety
16 Feb 2026 at 5:00pm
The Record brings you its daily 5pm briefing of the top stories in Scottish politics.

John Swinney insists £1bn Glasgow super hospital is safe despite families war...
16 Feb 2026 at 11:33am
The SNP Government has faced accusations the hospital was rushed open in spring 2015 before it was safe to do so.

Scots children could be banned from social media this year under Keir Starmer...
16 Feb 2026 at 9:53am
The Labour Prime Minister will announce an Australia-style ban could be introduced across the UK without the need for a further standalone law.

Fury as Scots wait up to five years for hearing tests sparking calls to scrap...
16 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The SNP Government has been accused of shelving an independent report on how to improve hearing services - with Scots facing long waits for appointments as a result.

Pam Duncan Glancy's top aide quits over MSP friendship with prolific paedophile
16 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Glasgow Councillor Catherine Vallis stopped working for the MSP in the wake of the row over Sean Morton.

SNP Cabinet Secretary accused of hypocrisy over call for new GP walk in centr...
16 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
Labour MP Imogen Walker said Mairi McAllan had made the "cynical" pre-election plea and accused the SNP Government of presiding over the decline of local GP services.

The SNP have wreaked havoc on public services and let down Scotland
16 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
In his Daily Record column, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar calls out the SNP Government for what he says is a long list of failures.

Labour peer says Anas Sarwar call for Keir Starmer to quit was ?best Machiave...
15 Feb 2026 at 5:49pm
EXCLUSIVE: Lord Haughey said the Scottish Labour leader's gamble has benefited him and Keir Starmer at the same time.

Anas Sarwar has paved the way for a separate Scottish Labour party
15 Feb 2026 at 5:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says the Scottish Labour leader calling on Keir Starmer to quit is a defining moment for his party.

Anas Sarwar hits out at MSP friendship with sex offender as he says paedophil...
15 Feb 2026 at 10:48am
The Scottish Labour leader rejected MSP Pam Duncan Glancy's defence of her friendship with serial paedophile Sean Morton.

The National

The National | Politics

The House of Lords gravy train must be brought to a halt
16 Feb 2026 at 7:30pm

IT?S difficult to get an official estimate, but the House of Lords must cost more than £100 million per year to run. It?s a paragon of cronyism, unfairness, inequality and indulgence while normal working people struggle with austerity.

Jim Ratcliffe believes his opinions matter just because he is wealthy
16 Feb 2026 at 6:30pm

IN the 1974 film The Godfather Part Two, Mafia boss Michael Corleone tells a corrupt US Senator (is there any other kind?) ?we?re all part of the same hypocrisy.? It?s a wonderful line that summarises the unscrupulous and deviant world in which the film is set and the stark reality of how the rich and powerful employ the dark arts to maintain their grip over political and economic forces nation...

Why does Laura Kuenssberg behave like it's OK to knock the Scots?
16 Feb 2026 at 6:30pm

LAURA Kuenssberg pretty well opened her Sunday show with a ?pop? at Scotland?s rugby win on Saturday. Was this necessary? No!

Labour Together row erupts months after The National?s expose. But why only now?
16 Feb 2026 at 5:46pm

ON my commute to work on the morning of February 6, I spotted what appeared to be a wild story ...

Scottish Labour MP denies 'stitch-up' as new branch boss 'leant on harassment...
16 Feb 2026 at 5:34pm

A SCOTTISH Labour minister has denied claims of a stitch up amid an overhaul of his and Anas Sarwar?s local branch.

Concern as US military flights via Prestwick Airport double in a month
16 Feb 2026 at 5:11pm

US MILITARY flights from Prestwick Airport nearly doubled in January when Donald Trump?s forces were accused of violating Scottish law, figures have shown.

Labour Together's worst moments ? from dodgy money to spying scandal
16 Feb 2026 at 5:10pm

LABOUR Together have gone from one of the most influential organisations in British politics to a pariah in an astonishing fall from grace which strikes right at the heart of Keir Starmer?s premiership.

Scottish Labour accused of 'giving paedophile clear run' in council elections
16 Feb 2026 at 5:00pm

SCOTTISH Labour have been accused of giving a ?clear run? to paedophile Sean Morton during his attempt to win re-election in 2017

British Museum boss responds to 'removal of Palestine' from displays
16 Feb 2026 at 4:18pm

THE boss of the British Museum has responded to "frustrating and concerning" reports about the removal of the word "Palestine" from displays.

50,000 people call for inquiry into pro-Israel influence in UK politics
16 Feb 2026 at 3:38pm

A PETITION calling for a public inquiry into pro-Israel influence in UK politics and democracy has surpassed 50,000 signatures, with a significant chunk coming from Scotland.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Scottish Government official questioned over Mandelson ties
16 Feb 2026 at 4:23pm
The Director-General for Economy has been questioned over his contact with Peter Mandelson, according to?reports

Revolutionising NHS Scotland?s Digital Healthcare: A Unified, National Approach
16 Feb 2026 at 6:00am
By working in partnership, OneAdvanced and NHS Scotland can accelerate digital innovation, improve outcomes for patients and clinicians, and establish a future-ready health and care system aligned to Scotland?s long-term strategic ambitions.

Millionaire rock drummer takes on Alex Salmond case against Scottish Government
13 Feb 2026 at 2:45pm
Paul McManus of Gun brought in thanks to Fergus Ewing MSP and PR guru Jack Irvine

Peter Murrell accused of embezzling ?460,000 from the SNP in eight court charges
13 Feb 2026 at 10:27am
The estranged husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon is alleged to have used party funds to purchase luxury items, including a campervan, cosmetics, and jewellery

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Michael Duncan obituary
16 Feb 2026 at 8:39pm
My friend and fellow architect Michael Duncan, who has died aged 86, imbued his architecture with human scale and proportion, whether for the extensive buildings for Stirling University, at Victoria Quay housing the Scottish Executive in Leith, or in the modest yet stately headquarters for United...

Scottish Labour leader says he doesn?t regret calling for Starmer to quit ? U...
13 Feb 2026 at 4:30pm
Anas Sarwar said that he stood by what he said when he announced on Monday that he wanted the prime minister to stand downThe Equality and Human Rights Commission has welcomed a high court ruling defending the interim guidance it issued to organisations about the implications of the supreme court...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Fundraiser update and a look to the election in May
14 Feb 2026 at 12:54pm
I thought I’d publish an update on the progress so far of the 2026 Wee Ginger Dug annual fundraiser. This is always an anxious time of the year as I ask other people to put their money where my mouth is. The blog is free to read for all and eschews advertising, paid content or …

Billionaire tax evader blames poor people for Britain?s problems
13 Feb 2026 at 1:05pm
73 year old billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, the UK’s own racist granddad, moved to the tax haven of Monaco in 2020 in order to avoid paying his fair share of taxes. He’s doubtless one of those English people living abroad who considers himself an ‘expat’ and not an immigrant. It’s equally likely that he doesn’t speak …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Courier

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Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

Could Rosyth-Europe ferry set sail thanks to Brexit reset?
27 May 2025 at 6:01am
Hopes have been raised for a simple solution to a cross-border problem.

Kirkcaldy MP demands pro-suicide forum is torn down
26 May 2025 at 6:01am
Around 100 suicides have been linked to the sickening forum which provides guidance to people on ending their life.

UHI Perth aviation students warn of ?unsettling times? after training firm?s ...
26 May 2025 at 6:00am
Worried Samuel Hughes, 19, is among students sharing their fears at a time of crisis for Perth College.

Fresh Dundee University strike begins over compulsory Levehulme Centre job cuts
26 May 2025 at 6:00am
University staff are taking five days of industrial action as the institution pushes ahead with plans to axe the forensic research hub.

NHS Fife nurse at centre of controversial trans tribunal suing her own trade ...
25 May 2025 at 2:32pm
A&E medic Sandie Peggie is now taking legal action against the Royal College of Nursing.

EXCLUSIVE: Dundee University still to strike rescue deal with government
23 May 2025 at 5:46pm
Opposition MSPs have expressed concern at the time taken to agree a deal almost a month after the fresh recovery plan was unveiled.

6 senior figures who left Dundee University during financial crisis
23 May 2025 at 5:10pm
Several university chiefs have moved on since £30m financial black hole emerged.

Dundee University activist artist leads degree show protest over financial cr...
23 May 2025 at 4:45pm
Duncan of Jordanstone student Finn Millar says he wants to play a part in "keeping the university alive".

John Swinney admits constituents have expressed Perth leisure concerns to him
23 May 2025 at 6:01am
The first minister wants further talks between both sides of Perth leisure debate.

EXCLUSIVE: Dundee University chief operating officer Jim McGeorge quits
22 May 2025 at 1:58pm
Dr Jim McGeorge ? who was responsible for good governance - had been on a period of extended leave.

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland

What is going on with Talking-up Scotland?s surge?
16 Feb 2026 at 7:18pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. View and visitor stats today, above, show another massive, for us, increase in the levels we’re used to. Not just one apparent spike of the kind I have seen in the past but two close together and a run of five at double or more than the usual level. Is there a type of story hitt...

Official figures even in mid-winter reveal CalMac?s high performance standard...
16 Feb 2026 at 6:27pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From CHFS3 Monthly Performance Report December 2025 published on 4th February 2025, for the winter month of December 2025, the following data based on sample size 28 000 travellers: Note – vehicle deck utilisation reveals the generosity of the Scottish Government funding, paying...

Nurses in Starmer and Streeting?s NHS England to get 14% lower pay rise ?on t...
16 Feb 2026 at 6:23pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From Nursing Standard on 12 February 2026: NHS nursing staff to get 3.3% pay rise in April – Nursing staff on Agenda for Change contracts will receive their annual pay award on time for the first time in six years, however unions have expressed their anger at ?insulting?, below-...

As Covid Inquiry reconvenes ? How and why Scotland had fewer Covid deaths tha...
16 Feb 2026 at 3:02pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Evidence here: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/02/16/as-covid-inquiry-reconvenes-today-a-reminder-of-how-fm-nicola-sturgeon-and-the-scottish-government-kept-excess-mortality-here-at-one-third-lower-than-the-uk-average-saving-thousands-despite-the-d/ Please Support Talking-...

Enfield Measles Outbreak ? Is it insensitive to want border control for Scot...
16 Feb 2026 at 9:40am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From BBC Breakfast above and BBC London yesterday: At least 34 children have been infected by a “fast-spreading” measles outbreak in several north London schools, health officials have said. The cases from Enfield were confirmed in laboratory tests in January, the UK Health Secu...

As Herald today misleads with unreliable methods on ?corridor care? figures, ...
16 Feb 2026 at 9:23am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. This is the second attempt by the Herald, based on unreliable statistical methods by the Daily Record (No surprise there) to misrepresent the level of ‘corridor care‘ in Scotland’s hospitals. Explicit figures are not published anywhere but there?s a good proxy for corridor care ...

As Covid Inquiry reconvenes today, a reminder of how FM, Nicola Sturgeon, and...
16 Feb 2026 at 8:38am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. I?m grateful to @amaccj for reminding me of this and for the link to the source. When the final assessment is made, we need to set the scene with these facts: Two years later, in February 2022, as the pandemic receded, the simple consequences in terms of mortality in different p...

Anas tried to be a real big tough guy ? a folk rock song on lament (not) of L...
15 Feb 2026 at 6:52pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Youtube version – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-hvsbZdngk Lyrics: Anas tried to be a real big tough guy But London Labour gives no more For him than they do for any of us He?s back in his box and it?s shrinking Well, it?s goodbye to Labour now Well, it?s goodbye to Labour no...

The number of women murder victims has fallen dramatically, almost by half, o...
15 Feb 2026 at 4:35pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In 2007/2008, in the the first year of the SNP minority government in Scotland, there were 28 women victims of murder.1 Last year, there were 15, up two from 13 in the previous two years.2 Yet, today, the Sunday Post has nearly 200 victims on its front page. What kind of image o...

?Major leak at Highland nuclear site triggers hunt for mystery bunkers? remin...
15 Feb 2026 at 4:33pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. The National‘s report today with the above headline, reminds me. Of what? First, increased child leukaemia: I asked the Elicit AI for scientific research which claims to help researchers be 10x more evidence-based: How dangerous is it to live 5km from a nuclear power station? Af...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

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

Scottish independence views 'like belief in God', says Alex Cole-Hamilton - T...
15 Feb 2026 at 11:03am
Scottish independence views 'like belief in God', says Alex Cole-Hamilton  TheNational.scot

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

SNP still insist independence means cheaper energy bills despite mounting evi...
16 Feb 2026 at 1:08pm
SNP still insist independence means cheaper energy bills despite mounting evidence against it  Scottish Daily Express

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

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

X feature exposes Iranian-run pro-Scottish independence accounts - UKDJ - ???...
24 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
X feature exposes Iranian-run pro-Scottish independence accounts - UKDJ  ????? ??????????

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

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

Jeffrey Epstein advised to bet on sterling before 2014 referendum - The Times
11 Feb 2026 at 9:21pm
Jeffrey Epstein advised to bet on sterling before 2014 referendum  The Times

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell accused of embezzling £459,000 over ...
13 Feb 2026 at 5:57pm
Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell accused of embezzling £459,000 over 12-year period  BBC

SNP body-swerves the difficult issues by hiding behind others - The Times
16 Feb 2026 at 3:24pm
SNP body-swerves the difficult issues by hiding behind others  The Times

Peter Murrell accused of embezzling £459,000 from SNP, court papers show | Sc...
13 Feb 2026 at 7:02pm
Peter Murrell accused of embezzling £459,000 from SNP, court papers show | Scotland  The Guardian

SNP call for independent inquiry into Labour Together 'spying scandal' - TheN...
16 Feb 2026 at 12:49pm
SNP call for independent inquiry into Labour Together 'spying scandal'  TheNational.scot

What a vote for the SNP means - snp.org
16 Feb 2026 at 1:16pm
What a vote for the SNP means  snp.org

February 14: Peter Murrell Indictment Puts SNP Finances, Vote in Focus - Meyka
14 Feb 2026 at 9:51pm
February 14: Peter Murrell Indictment Puts SNP Finances, Vote in Focus  Meyka

Peter Murrell Accused Of Embezzling SNP Funds Over Decade - Evrim A?ac?
13 Feb 2026 at 4:02pm
Peter Murrell Accused Of Embezzling SNP Funds Over Decade  Evrim A?ac?

Self-catering business to get non-domestic rates relief after SNP-Lib Dem bud...
16 Feb 2026 at 5:30pm
Self-catering business to get non-domestic rates relief after SNP-Lib Dem budget deal  Inverness Courier

SNP call for parliamentary inquiry into alleged Labour spying - The Herald
16 Feb 2026 at 2:11pm
SNP call for parliamentary inquiry into alleged Labour spying  The Herald

Stuart McMillan says SNP government is getting on with the job amid Labour ch...
16 Feb 2026 at 11:30am
Stuart McMillan says SNP government is getting on with the job amid Labour chaos  Yahoo News UK

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

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

Swinney sets out latest plan for an independence referendum - BBC
4 Sep 2025 at 8:00am
Swinney sets out latest plan for an independence referendum  BBC

Scottish independence views 'like belief in God', says Alex Cole-Hamilton - T...
15 Feb 2026 at 11:03am
Scottish independence views 'like belief in God', says Alex Cole-Hamilton  TheNational.scot

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

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

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

Swinney says SNP win would trigger new Scotland referendum | Daily Sabah - Da...
18 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Swinney says SNP win would trigger new Scotland referendum | Daily Sabah  Daily Sabah

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

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

First Minister John Swinney sets out latest plan for independence referendum ...
4 Sep 2025 at 8:00am
First Minister John Swinney sets out latest plan for independence referendum  Sky News