The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Calls for public inquiry into Alex Salmond 'conspiracy' after Herald interview
6 Jul 2025 at 1:54pm
Mr MacAskill had told The Herald on Sunday: "I will not forgive the behaviour of Nicola Sturgeon towards Alex Salmond. And indeed, the lies told by others.


Alba's Kenny MacAskill on party infighting, independence, and Scotland's energy
6 Jul 2025 at 10:00am
?Ash and I don't have the same relationship that Alex and I had. But we fully respect the work that she's doing in Holyrood."


Who are the shadowy figures running the US-Israeli aid operation in Gaza?
6 Jul 2025 at 6:08am
Foreign Editor David Pratt runs the rule over the assorted former CIA officers, mercenaries, financial consultants and evangelical Christians who claim to be doing ?good? in Gaza but are roundly condemned by the global humanitarian community


Treasury committee hears how poverty premium leaves Glasgow's poorest paying ...
6 Jul 2025 at 5:00am
Treasury Committee members visit Glasgow to hear how the ?poverty premium? and decline of cash acceptance is affecting low-income communities.


'I will never forgive Nicola Sturgeon', former Justice Secretary says
6 Jul 2025 at 5:00am
Alex Salmond?s successor said while he would not rule out working with the SNP in government, the party?s leaders must be held accountable for their conduct


Robison: Reeves must tax the rich to fix Labour?s £5bn black hole
6 Jul 2025 at 5:00am
Shona Robison says Labour could avoid welfare cuts by adopting the SNP's tax on higher earners.


SNP urge UK Labour rethink over reports scrapping two child cap ?dead in the ...
6 Jul 2025 at 12:07pm
The SNP has warned Keir Starmer not to ?punish children? over ?mistakes? he has made around welfare cuts amid growing reports that Labour will break its commitment to end the two child benefit cap.


Scottish Labour blast SNP for lack of housing plan following Herald interview
6 Jul 2025 at 11:21am
 Scottish Labour name the SNP's approach to the housing crisis "hugely concerning" following the cabinet secretary's interview with The Herald.


McAllan feels 'personal weight' to prioritise lifting children out of tempora...
6 Jul 2025 at 5:00am
Màiri McAllan sits down with The Herald to discuss her new brief, returning from maternity leave and succession planning.


Housing secretary pledges to deliver emergency plan after summer
6 Jul 2025 at 5:00am
The housing secretary wants to ?step up? action as she admits plummeting house building figures are taking Scotland in the ?wrong direction?.


?Causing chaos?: Nearly 11,000 ferries cancelled due to technical faults
6 Jul 2025 at 5:00am
Nearly 11,000 sailings were cancelled due to technical faults with ferries in Scotland since 2023, new research can reveal.


Top lawyer warns men accused of rape may not get a fair trial
5 Jul 2025 at 5:00am
Top criminal defence advocate Thomas Leonard Ross KC has warned men accused of rape or serious sexual assault may not receive a fair trial because of rules over what evidence can be heard in court.


What is it really like living next door to Scotland's first drugs consumption...
5 Jul 2025 at 7:00am
All eyes have been on Calton in Glasgow's East End since the UK?s first Safer Drug Consumption Facility began in January, allowing people to inject illegally-bought heroin or cocaine under medical supervision. Now some politicians and local campaigners are blaming the facility for increasing public drug use and discarded needles in the area. So what is the truth?


.MP resigns Reform UK whip amid ?business propriety? investigation
5 Jul 2025 at 3:35pm
MP James McMurdock has resigned the Reform UK whip from himself amid questions over ?business propriety during the pandemic?.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


How transport will boost Scotland's GDP - and is changing under a SNP Government
6 Jul 2025 at 6:12am
Since becoming Cabinet Secretary for Transport, seeing first hand the impact transport has on the people of Scotland has been revelatory.


Ex-EU diplomat brands SNP Government decision to axe Europe scholarships as '...
6 Jul 2025 at 6:00am

Federica Mogherini, former vice-president of the European Commission, has spoken about the Scottish Government?s decision to axe scholarship funding.

Wings over Scotland

Too Tight To Mention
2 Jul 2025 at 11:30am
So this snuck out quietly at the bottom of page 2 of today’s Daily Record. And like, we suspect, most of Scotland, our response was “WHAT?” Peter Murrell has been very well paid for most of the last 20 years – somewhere in the ballpark of £100,000 a year – and there’s very little evidence …

The Con Merchant
28 Jun 2025 at 2:11pm
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, before the internet, scammers used to have to work a bit harder to cheat people than they do now. A popular method was to advertise a “clearance sale” in the press. You’d see an ad in the Daily Record or a local paper for an event in a High …

The Art Of Noise
27 Jun 2025 at 12:37pm
Genuinely, can anyone tell us what the heck this actually means? ? Because to us, it’s just meaningless quacking to fill a void. It’s very short, so let’s transcribe the whole thing. “I want to do spectacularly well in the 2026 election, that’s what my sights are on.” Well, duh. And there was us thinking …

And it?s goodnight from he/him
26 Jun 2025 at 11:18am
And now for tonight’s headlines. Police Scotland have nevertheless denied that prisoners in their custody are being excessively pampered, following reports that a man was hustled out of St Leonard’s station in Edinburgh with an electric blanket over his head. Meanwhile, following the Supreme Court ruling in the For Women Scotland case, the force’s HQ …

But Don?t Give Yourself Away
25 Jun 2025 at 2:51pm
Seamus Logan, an SNP MP of whom it has often been said “Seamus who?”, has an article in The National today categorically ruling out Scotland achieving independence via a democratic vote in an event fully recognised by the UK government. That in itself shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to Wings readers, as this …

Anatomy Of A Lunatic
23 Jun 2025 at 10:00pm
Honestly, folks, I don’t even want to do this because almost nothing is more tedious for anyone else to read than two people having an internet beef – a lesson that I learned, ironically, from reading the site this post concerns, which does little else – but as well as reacting on a basic human …

A different school
23 Jun 2025 at 11:51am
Tommy Sheppard knows a John Swinney you don’t know. And who, conveniently, you’re not allowed to see. Traditionally, this is the opposite order to how things are done in politics: Normally, you tell people what you’re asking them to vote for BEFORE they actually vote. You don’t explain your plans AFTER the election, especially when …

Holiday Relief
17 Jun 2025 at 10:27am
We’re thinking of just handing over Wings to Grok for the summer so we can spend all our time feeding the swans, readers. Here’s what the Twitter artificial intelligence bot said when we asked it to assess today’s National front page. Sounds about right to us. We’re off for a walk.

Let?s Not Make Some Plans
13 Jun 2025 at 12:17pm
At first, this merely sounds like the worst day out ever. But for supporters of independence, in fact it’s even grimmer than that. Because if the above line-up of insomnia cures weren’t bad enough, wait until you hear what it is they’re going to be droning on to an audience of God-knows-who about. We know …

The Grand Tour
10 Jun 2025 at 6:50pm
Lacking anything better to do on a grey and cloudy day in Bath, we thought it might be a lark to go through every Holyrood constituency in Scotland and contemplate where it might go in next year’s election, based on the current state of polling. And just to make things interesting, compared to our last …

Craig Murray

Lucy Connolly Should Be Released
3 Jul 2025 at 9:37am

The political Right throughout the Western world is baying to lock up all opponents of genocide. The very notion of free speech is under fundamental attack. We need to take a long hard look at the question of imprisoning people for saying things. Lucy Connolly, a 41-year-old mother of a 12-year-old, was imprisoned for 31 …

Lucy Connolly Should Be Released

Dystopia UK: Genocidal RAF Squadron Targeted by Palestine Action is Owned by ...
25 Jun 2025 at 6:58pm

If you thought RAF jets were owned by the RAF, think again. The RAF squadron targeted for a repaint by Palestine Action due to its involvement in supplying Israel’s genocide, does not in fact belong to the RAF at all. It belongs ultimately to Polygon Global Partners LLP, a Hedge Fund. Through a chain of …

Dystopia UK: Genocidal RAF Squadron Targeted by Palestine Action is Owned by a Hedge Fund

The Phantom Ceasefire
24 Jun 2025 at 10:58am

The Phantom Ceasefire is simply Trump’s off ramp. He announces a ceasefire and bows out, having been advised that regime change would only be achievable with extreme military commitment and massive cost in lives and treasure. You can never trust the Israelis – or indeed the Americans – with either a ceasefire or a negotiation. …

The Phantom Ceasefire

You Cannot Negotiate with the Zionist West
23 Jun 2025 at 12:40am

Israel and the USA have each attacked Iran in the middle of negotiations. Iran must not fall for it a third time. Negotiation is dead. Israel attacked Iran during negotiations between Iran and the US, with the next scheduled meeting just three days away – including assassinating the lead negotiator. Trump then gave Iran a …

You Cannot Negotiate with the Zionist West

War With Iran
20 Jun 2025 at 7:56pm

For 18 years, the Iranian nuclear programme has been one of the top 10 targeting objectives of the US intelligence services. In 2007 they first conducted a formal inter-agency review. It is done every year. This is not a minor process. A great deal of input is received from dozens of Washington stakeholders, led by …

War With Iran

Starmer and Lammy are Terrified
15 Jun 2025 at 3:37pm

Western governments’ abandonment of the very system of international law which they created was embodied in a tweet from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which sought to justify the illegal Israeli attack on Iran as “Targeted strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities”. The former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Authority, Mohamed ElBaradei, was …

Starmer and Lammy are Terrified

BBC Scotland

Shipyard needs urgent investment to survive, MSPs warn
4 Jul 2025 at 11:31am
A Holyrood committee says a lack of orders and reputational damage need to be overcome for the Ferguson Marine yard to prosper.

How does Starmer's NHS plan compare to Scotland's?
3 Jul 2025 at 3:58pm
The prime minister and John Swinney both have ambitions to reform health services, but there are many difficult challenges to overcome.

Welfare system will 'explode' without reform, says Murray
3 Jul 2025 at 6:03pm
The Labour minister has defended his government's benefits bill after backbenchers forces a major climbdown.

Peter Murrell granted legal aid over embezzlement charge
2 Jul 2025 at 10:38am
The husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon was charged in a police investigation into SNP finances.

Starmer's approach to welfare reform 'appalling' - Swinney
2 Jul 2025 at 5:36pm
The first minister says the UK government has "preyed" on vulnerable claimants after a dramatic Commons U-turn.

Who are the welfare bill rebels? Find out how your MP voted
1 Jul 2025 at 8:06pm
Check whether your MP voted for or against the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill

Future of delayed NHS surgery centres is unclear
30 Jun 2025 at 11:16am
The future of five already delayed NHS treatment centres to deal with a backlog of operations will not be known until December.

New SQA chief named months before exams body scrapped
27 Jun 2025 at 4:24pm
The news comes less than 48 hours after the Scottish government passed legislation to replace the SQA.

David Murray says sorry over disaster of Rangers sale
27 Jun 2025 at 12:37pm
The former Rangers owner says he regrets what happened to the club's staff and fans as he publishes his memoirs.

GPs in 'formal dispute' with ministers over funding
26 Jun 2025 at 6:50pm
BMA Scotland has told the Scottish government the next step would be to ballot doctors on disruptive action.

Tommy Sheridan loses social work job legal challenge
26 Jun 2025 at 5:33pm
Glasgow City Council said there was an "unacceptable level of risk" in hiring him as a social worker.

'Incompetent' former university boss considers returning £150,000 payout
26 Jun 2025 at 2:50pm
Prof Iain Gillespie was giving evidence to MSPs over the financial crisis at Dundee University

Scot Goes Pop

The last days in the bunker: Alba's leader channels Comical Ali as he insists...
6 Jul 2025 at 2:45pm
Kenny MacAskill is one of the few people in the upper echelons of the Alba Party who I still have respect for.  Even he has far too authoritarian a mindset (he once told someone that new people wer...

What exactly is "real Yes" when it's at home?
5 Jul 2025 at 1:44pm
I still intend to take pre-moderation back off at some point, because it's a right pain in the neck for all of us, but at the moment it's not possible because the levels of abuse in some of the sub...

Will Corbyn and Sultana be spoilers for the SNP, or will they pave the way to...
4 Jul 2025 at 9:57pm
My attitude to the prospect of a new Corbyn-led or Corbyn-founded or Corbyn-backed party of the left has been "I'll believe it when I see it", and in a strange way that hasn't changed as a result o...

Was Rachel Reeves weeping for the failure of her political project, or for th...
3 Jul 2025 at 12:24pm
It now appears (although we'll have to wait for people's memoirs to know for sure) that Rachel Reeves' tears at PMQs yesterday may have been triggered by something that loveable ol' Lindsay Hoyle s...

Ipsos poll confirms that the end is nigh for Alba
2 Jul 2025 at 10:19am
I didn't get around to giving you the party political voting intentions numbers from the Ipsos poll yesterday, so here they are...Scottish Parliament constituency ballot:SNP 34%Labour 23%Reform UK ...

More analysis of the Ipsos poll showing a pro-independence majority
1 Jul 2025 at 6:21pm
Just a quick note to let you know that I have an analysis piece at The National about the new Ipsos poll, which shows Yes in the lead by 52% to 48%, and a substantial SNP lead in both Westminster a...

Ipsos abandon a decades-long tradition of phone polling in Scotland - but con...
1 Jul 2025 at 5:56pm
As you'll remember from a few days ago, there was a GB-wide poll from Ipsos which used a new methodology.  Ipsos announced they were moving away from telephone polling in favour of using an online ...

A question for Mandy Rhodes: who has killed the most women over the last year...
30 Jun 2025 at 11:34am
I saw a furious response on Twitter to a Mandy Rhodes article about the Israeli assault on Iran, and having taken a look I can understand where her detractor is coming from.  Ms Rhodes seems to hav...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

SNP urges Starmer not to ?punish? children by keeping benefit cap
6 Jul 2025 at 1:11pm
The party made the plea following reports that Labour?s welfare U-turn will see it keep the two-child benefit cap.

Reform MP James McMurdock removes whip ?from himself? pending investigation
5 Jul 2025 at 2:21pm
The move was made 'pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations that are likely to be published by a national newspaper'.

Campaigners from Sex Matters demand action from Scottish Government over sing...
4 Jul 2025 at 2:36pm
Sex Matters wants Scottish ministers to make a statement that facilities designated as male or female mean biological sex.

UN expert Reem Alsalem backs Ash Regan?s proposed Bill to criminalise the buy...
4 Jul 2025 at 1:40pm
The Alba MSP says the proposals would help women ?trapped? in prostitution, which she described as a form of male violence.

SNP attacks ?disastrous? year of Starmer ?U-turns, scandals and failure?
4 Jul 2025 at 8:26am
Stephen Flynn said Labour had failed on the economy and ?removed optimism from a public who were so desperate for change?.

Urgent investment needed to secure future of Ferguson Marine, MSPs warn
4 Jul 2025 at 8:12am
Holyrood?s Public Audit Committee highlighted repeated failings at the state-owned shipyard, including in its leadership, board and oversight.

Issues near drug consumption room ?already there? before opening, says minister
3 Jul 2025 at 7:19pm
Maree Todd visited The Thistle drug consumption facility in Glasgow on Thursday.

Rachel Reeves appears with Keir Starmer day after tears at PMQs
3 Jul 2025 at 12:05pm
Reeves appeared in public smiling and laughing with Keir Starmer in a public show of unity on Thursday.

Alexander Dennis extends redundancy deadline to explore options to save jobs
2 Jul 2025 at 5:42pm
Alexander Dennis has put about 400 jobs at its Falkirk and Larbert factories at risk.

No 10 says Starmer backs Rachel Reeves after Chancellor?s tears in Commons
2 Jul 2025 at 1:30pm
Downing Street said the Prime Minister supported his Chancellor after Sir Keir Starmer declined to commit to her future in the Commons.

Keir Starmer to face PMQs after watered-down welfare reforms vote
2 Jul 2025 at 10:11am
Starmer's government was forced to backtrack not once but twice before the crucial vote on Tuesday.

Peter Murrell granted legal aid after embezzlement charge
2 Jul 2025 at 9:40am
Nicola Sturgeon?s estranged husband was arrested in April 2023 in a police probe into the SNP?s finances.

Former health secretary Matt Hancock to face Covid Inquiry for sixth time 
2 Jul 2025 at 6:25am
Hancock is scheduled to face questions on Wednesday as the inquiry takes evidence on the pandemic's impact on the care sector.

MPs vote Prime Minister Keir Starmer?s watered-down welfare reforms through f...
1 Jul 2025 at 7:42pm
The PM's Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill passed its first hurdle, with MPs voting 335 to 260 in favour.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Nicola Sturgeon was involved in 'political conspiracy' against Alex Salmond, ...
6 Jul 2025 at 2:28pm
Kenny MacAskill renewed his calls for a public inquiry into the events surrounding an investigation into the late Alex Salmond.

Jeremy Corbyn breakaway party should be named 'Farage assistance group', clai...
6 Jul 2025 at 12:19pm
A former Scottish Labour MSP claimed "people need an alternative to the establishment parties who have failed us for years".

SNP MSPs call for Israeli Defense Forces to be proscribed as a terrorist orga...
6 Jul 2025 at 10:58am
A motion attacking Israel's military was signed by several MSPs from the SNP and Scottish Greens.

Reform MP suspends himself from party over allegations around business affairs
5 Jul 2025 at 2:21pm
James McMurdock MP wrote to Reform's Lee Anderson saying that allegations were likely to be published by a national newspaper.

Buy British buses to save 400 Scottish jobs at Alexander Dennis, says MP
5 Jul 2025 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Euan Stainbank said procurement rules needed reform to ensure UK manufacturers were given priority when it came to investing in public transport.

Jeremy Corbyn to launch new political party as former Labour leader pledges t...
4 Jul 2025 at 1:57pm
The former Labour leader said the "democratic foundations of a new kind of political party will soon take shape."

Scottish Labour MP calls for third UK Government U-turn over Waspi women comp...
4 Jul 2025 at 12:04pm
Douglas McAllister said "an apology is not enough" and urged his party's government to "get around the table with the Waspi women and avoid years of court battles".

Former SNP MSP warns Holyrood has too many politicians who 'blindly follow th...
4 Jul 2025 at 11:16am
John Mason admitted his stance had got him "into a lot of trouble" after he was booted out of the Nats last year for comments about Gaza.

Labour Government report card as Keir Starmer marks one year in power after t...
4 Jul 2025 at 4:30am
Labour has endured a difficult year in office since returning to power at Westminster for the first time since 2010. But how is the UK Government performing on the big issues?

Clyde Tunnel toll would be 'devastating' for people living near Glasgow, warn...
4 Jul 2025 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: A group of MPs from the west of Scotland have warned a proposal to charge drivers from outwith Glasgow would amount to a "tax on jobs".

The National

The National | Politics

SNP left wing push back against internal 'inertia' over indy strategy
6 Jul 2025 at 5:50pm

A left-wing branch of the SNP is set to launch a bid to 'tackle the seeming inertia' in the party's bureaucracy on the strategy to achieve Scottish independence ...

Details emerge of Scottish arm of new Corbyn project
6 Jul 2025 at 3:39pm

Jeremy Corbyn's new party will have a Scottish branch, it has been confirmed, as details have begun to emerge.

Devolved relations reset with Labour has 'failed', says SNP official
6 Jul 2025 at 1:56pm

Labour ministers have been accused of consistently ?undermining devolved relations? and have failed to reset the relationship between the UK and Scottish Governments, an SNP official has claimed ...

New poll predicts Reform Westminster win with no Scottish MPs ? see the map
6 Jul 2025 at 1:10pm

A new poll has suggested Reform UK could be within touching distance of winning a majority in Westminster - without any Scottish MPs.

The SNP need a new people-first strategy to win in 2026
6 Jul 2025 at 12:00pm

There is nothing wrong with the Scottish Government delivering good governance ? although better late than never ? but they have become their own worst enemy ...

The Union is the last desperate grip of an empire refusing to let go
6 Jul 2025 at 12:00pm

The question of Scottish independence is often dismissed as a romantic nationalist fantasy or a petty regional squabble ...

Marchers hit with air pellets during Glasgow Orange Order Walk
6 Jul 2025 at 11:51am

Four Orange Order marchers were hit with suspected air weapon pellets during a walk in Glasgow City centre ...

IDF should be proscribed as terror group rather than Palestine Action, says S...
6 Jul 2025 at 11:14am

An SNP MSP has said that the Israel Defense Forces should be proscribed as a terrorist organisation ? rather than Palestine Action ...

Plans to keep gas plant open could ?blow hole? in Scotland's climate targets
6 Jul 2025 at 11:00am

ENERGY giant SSE may keep Scotland?s dirtiest power station open until 2040 ? 10 years longer than planned ? which critics fear could ?blow an enormous hole? in the Scottish Government?s climate strategy.

Review into Flamingo Land plans to be led by official who approved it
6 Jul 2025 at 11:10am

A review into the Scottish Government's decision to approve Flamingo Land's controversial Loch Lomond resort is being led by the same official who first gave it the go-ahead

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Nature groups hail success as government-backed connectivity project massivel...
4 Jul 2025 at 2:50pm
The revised plan marks an 83 per cent drop on the number of 4G masts initially planned for instalments across rural Scotland

Urgent investment needed for state-owned shipyard, MSPs say
4 Jul 2025 at 2:00am
The audit committee said cost overruns associated with the building of two new ferries, the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, had caused 'significant reputational damage to the yard'

Scottish growth forecasts downgraded as Trump tariffs and National Insurance ...
4 Jul 2025 at 1:00am
Optimism waning, according to analysts

Call for UK firms to bid to lead a ?75m-worth pioneering space mission
3 Jul 2025 at 4:55pm
UK firms have been invited to bid for a ?75.6m contract, which will be a first-of-its-kind mission to crackdown on space debris

Creative Crossroads: Will AI kill the arts?
2 Jul 2025 at 1:01am
Copyright is the backbone of the creative industries and many fear the ongoing push for innovation could soon leave the sector without a foundation

UK Government welfare bill passes after major concessions
1 Jul 2025 at 9:00pm
335 MPs voted in favour of the legislation on Tuesday night

Tech companies set to transform the public sector announced
1 Jul 2025 at 4:41pm
A group of 13 companies will have access to multi-million-pound?funding to prepare their products for public sector challenges, following the conclusion of of the CivTech10 challenge

Scottish Green leadership critic suspended from party
1 Jul 2025 at 1:49pm
The suspension also prevents Niall Christie from running for parliament next year

Labour rebels stand firm as UK Government tries to sell welfare concessions
1 Jul 2025 at 1:34am
Over 130 Labour MPs, including 12 Scottish MPs, signed a reasoned amendment to the welfare legislation last week, which would have effectively blocked the government?s proposed reforms

Tech firms face new Ofcom measures to stop harmful content going viral
30 Jun 2025 at 5:11pm
Ofcom has launched a?consultation seeking views on a raft of new measures that aims to keep UK users, especially children, safe from online harms

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Starmer dismisses welfare cuts revolt as ?noises off? and defends his leaders...
25 Jun 2025 at 5:15pm
This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereKemi Badenoch has said it would be ?pathetic? for Keir Starmer to postpone the vote on the UC and Pip bill. She posted this on social media, as a comment on the tweet from Kitty Donaldson. (See 11.22am.)This is pathetic. Starmer mu...

Peter Krykant obituary
20 Jun 2025 at 12:04pm
Drugs policy campaigner whose commitment to harm reduction led him to set up an overdose prevention serviceThe drugs policy campaigner Peter Krykant, who has died suddenly aged 48, advanced the cause of the harm reduction movement through a transformative act of civil disobedience.Fitting out a v...

DWP says transitional payments scheme for those losing Pip ?one of most gener...
18 Jun 2025 at 6:02pm
Department for Work and Pensions publishes text of bill cutting benefits and claims three-month transitional period is ?one of most generous ever?Angela Rayner, the deputy PM, will be taking PMQs shortly. And she will be up against Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary.When Kemi Badenoch became ...

MPs back bill to end criminal penalties for abortion in key vote ? as it happ...
17 Jun 2025 at 8:24pm
Parliament votes on biggest shake-up to reproductive rights in England and Wales in 60 yearsCasey says in the past government has talked relentlessly about the need for better data sharing between departments.But she says there is a need to consider making this mandatory.I was there when the trag...

Cooper says law on rape being tightened so adults cannot use consent as defen...
16 Jun 2025 at 6:01pm
Yvette Cooper tells parliament that Louise Casey audit found some cases were downgraded from rape to lesser charges ?because 13- to 15-year-old is perceived to have consented?Starmer launches new grooming gangs investigationIn his interview on the Sky News this morning Chris Philp, the shadow hom...

For Women Scotland group mulls more legal action after UK supreme court gende...
14 Jun 2025 at 1:36pm
Campaigners say they have spoken to Scottish government about lack of action on prisons and schools guidance amid focus on toiletsFor Women Scotland, the group responsible for April?s landmark supreme court ruling on biological sex, is considering further legal action against the Scottish governm...

?Disastrous?: John Swinney facing SNP backlash after Hamilton byelection loss
12 Jun 2025 at 9:45am
Leader hears demands for a clearer vision focused on independence ahead of next year?s Holyrood electionsSNP activists and senior figures have vented their frustrations at their leader, John Swinney, after a ?disastrous? byelection campaign that saw the party lose a pivotal Holyrood seat to Scott...

Winter fuel payments U-turn likely to lead to higher taxes or other welfare c...
9 Jun 2025 at 6:22pm
Treasury says move to restore the funding for most pensioners will cost around £1.25bnWinter fuel payments threshold to rise to £35,000The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are both trying to take credit for the winter fuel payments U-turn by the government.This is from Kemi Badenoch, the T...

The Guardian view on Scottish politics: Labour wins the seat but not ? yet ? ...
6 Jun 2025 at 5:44pm
A Tory collapse, the SNP?s slump and Reform?s rise signal a volatile shift ? and the return to deal-making after the next Holyrood electionLabour?s victory in the Holyrood byelection offers the UK government a rare political comfort but not, perhaps, the strategic breakthrough it might like to im...

Tory proposal to leave ECHR would put peace in Northern Ireland at risk, Labo...
6 Jun 2025 at 3:57pm
Labour dismisses Kemi Badenoch speech on European convention on human rights as an attempt to appease Reform UK and Robert Jenrick. This live blog is closedAs Jessica Elgot and Amelia Gentleman report, Downing Street is exploring new proposals for a digital ID card to crack down on illegal migrat...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Starmer?s year of lies and betrayals
4 Jul 2025 at 3:43pm
It’s exactly a year since the Labour party under Keir Starmer swept to power in the Westminster general election and won a landslide majority of over 170 seats in the Commons, albeit on a mere 34% of votes cast, such is the distorting effect of the first past the post system. In fact, fewer people …

The importance of wording: ?nationalism? vs ?unionism? and ?welfare? vs ?soci...
30 Jun 2025 at 8:33pm
Language is important, and the choices we make with words can have an important and even decisive influence on how we understand and perceive a topic. As a linguist and a lover of words and language I am acutely aware of how important it is to choose the correct words when discussing an issue, although …

Some good news for a change
27 Jun 2025 at 11:54am
In an increasingly dangerous and uncertain world in which the far right is on the rise, and war and death stalk increasingly large parts of the globe, it’s nice to be able to report a hopeful development for a change. God knows we need it. Democratic primaries in an American mayoral contest are not generally …

My mum
21 Jun 2025 at 2:45am
The inevitable has happened. On Friday evening my mum lost her battle with cancer. The past three weeks have been really tough on her and on my whole family. As I sit here trying to wrap my head around the new reality in which I find myself, with my mother, confidante, and biggest fan and …

The Scottish languages bill
19 Jun 2025 at 5:03pm
The Scottish Parliament has unanimously passed the Scottish Languages Bill. The bill will pass into law once it receives the formality of royal consent. The bill makes Gaelic and Scots official languages in Scotland and also introduces measures aimed at boosting the use and development of both languages. Making Gaelic and Scots legally the official …

My mum, an update
15 Jun 2025 at 4:33pm
I thought I should give an update on my mum. It’s fair to say that this past week has been the hardest our family has faced. My mum wasn’t just mother to myself and my brother and sisters, she also stepped in to look after her brother and sisters after her own mother died tragically …

Thoughts on that by election
8 Jun 2025 at 12:23pm
My mum is not doing any better. She’s not really conscious any more. They are giving her strong painkillers and sedatives to keep her comfortable but are no longer giving her any other treatment. We are going to see her this afternoon. I fear it’s only a matter of time now until she passes away. …

Making plans for Nigel
2 Jun 2025 at 5:38pm
I’ve been preoccupied with a family emergency involving my mother’s health, which has taken a sharp turn for the worse, so I’ve been too distracted to sit down and write a piece about recent political developments. However, on the basis that the best thing to do right now is find something else to focus on, …

A case for independence to break through the lies of the far right
29 May 2025 at 6:07pm
We are facing a serious political crisis. The next Westminster general election is four years away, given the size of Starmer’s majority in the Commons it would require a rebellion of unprecedented magnitude to unseat him. Despite the rumblings of discontent from Labour’s left wing old guard, there is little likelihood of there being enough …

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 [Collective]

To save an English oil refinery so that it can replace a Scottish oil refiner...
6 Jul 2025 at 12:54pm
Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to rtpscott for alerting me to this: From Daily Business two days ago, the above and: British taxpayers could be on the hook for more than £1 billion following the collapse of the Lindsey oil refinery in North Lincolnshire. HMRC is said to be owed £250m in unpaid taxes, while the facility?s decomissioning costs could be up to £3bn. The refinery is at risk aft...

?How much difference does it make to the results of political opinion polling...
6 Jul 2025 at 12:45pm
stewartb The ease of asking questions of these AI tools is ?interesting?! My question: ?How much difference does it make to the results of political opinion polling in Scotland if the polling company does or does not apply a 2014 weighting to its survey findings?? ChatGPT said:?Applying or not applying a 2014 independence referendum weighting to political opinion polls in Scotland can significa...

?When a polling company reports a survey of political opinion in Scotland wei...
6 Jul 2025 at 12:37pm
stewartb: I asked the question of Chat GPT (for free) as a place to start ? other AI tools are available. From Chat GPT ? (see https://chatgpt.com ) My question: ?When a polling company reports a survey of political opinion in Scotland weighted to 2014 what does it mean?? ChatGPT said in response: ?When a polling company reports a survey of political opinion in Scotland ?weighted to 2014,? it u...

Want a No lead? Ask Survation. Want a crazy big No lead? Ask YouGov. Want a Y...
5 Jul 2025 at 1:38pm
Professor John Robertson OBA The two recent polls by Ipsos and Norstat showing Yes leads, have reversed what seemed to be a counter trend with four No leads, from Survation but especially, with bizarre whopping No leads, from YouGov. These four polls were ‘counter‘ in the most obvious of ways – counter to the plummeting reputations of Labour in late 2024 and early 2025, as they went full-on aus...

Just Yorkshire Water spends 345 times as much as Scotland on sewage spills cl...
5 Jul 2025 at 11:03am
Professor John Robertson OBA This morning the Herald front page was all about the supposedly high cost of Scottish Water’s sewage spill clear-ups. In 2024, the most recent figure, according to the Herald’s freedom of information ‘scoop’, it was £136 268. Figures for the whole of England are not easy to find, but in August 2024, RWB Group, Specialist Providers of Inspection, Surveying, Flood Res...

Cost of sewage spill clear-ups plummets for second year in a row but the Hera...
5 Jul 2025 at 7:53am
Professor John Robertson OBA In a classic primary school method (failed), the Herald writer gets the Scottish Water figures for sewage spill clear-ups, spots the falling trend, shrieks, then just ignores that and adds them all up to get a big number and still pretend it’s bad news. The costs were: 2021 – £397 745 2022 – £539 717 2023 – £344 303 2024 – £136 268 Couldn’t be clearer, a sharply fal...

Dear England, we can help you see through the media spin distorting your reality
4 Jul 2025 at 2:19pm
Brenda Robb Today the media are full of articles, opinion pieces and comments on UK Labour?s plan to transform the NHS. We in Scotland would like to check if you are happy with what is being said because we have considerable experience of political & media spin distorting the real issues. Wes Streeting is offering a 3 pronged approach. Let’s start with the digital app, the doctor in your pocket...

Traveller movement was included in Covid data systems for vaccination but onl...
4 Jul 2025 at 9:33am
Professor John Robertson OBA From Closing Statement of behalf of Public Health Scotland (PHS) in the UK COVID-19 Inquiry relative to the Module 4 hearing, published today: PHS would highlight two parts of the evidence in this regard. Firstly, the inquiry heard that data from the Traveller Movement was not included in the NHS England ?data dictionary?. The point made was that inadequate data c...

100 vulnerable Scots exploited by violent drug gangs from somewhere but that?...
4 Jul 2025 at 9:04am
..to tackle the exploitation of vulnerable people by drug dealers. Officers went to more than 40 addresses where dealers were believed to have taken over vulnerable people’s homes. Police say they’ve helped more than 100 people and seized hundreds of cannabis plants worth more than a quarters of a million Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland’s insert in BBC Breakfast this morning had the a...

Lisa Summers asks ?How does Starmer?s NHS plan compare to Scotland?? before c...
3 Jul 2025 at 4:20pm
Professor John Robertson OBA Summers does not, of course, answer her own question truthfully. She dare not. Here’s why:

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

SNP left wing push back against internal 'inertia' over indy strategy - TheNa...
6 Jul 2025 at 5:51pm
SNP left wing push back against internal 'inertia' over indy strategy  TheNational.scot

SNP out in front in Scotland as Starmer?s satisfaction ratings fall - Ipsos
1 Jul 2025 at 8:25am
SNP out in front in Scotland as Starmer?s satisfaction ratings fall  Ipsos

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

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

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

Beyond isolationism: the moral path for Scottish independence - The Times
3 Jul 2025 at 9:05pm
Beyond isolationism: the moral path for Scottish independence  The Times

Why is John Swinney talking about independence now? - BBC
17 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
Why is John Swinney talking about independence now?  BBC

The rise of Nigel McFarage - The Economist
18 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
The rise of Nigel McFarage  The Economist

Is Scottish independence inevitable? The relationship between birth cohort an...
18 Apr 2025 at 8:00am
Is Scottish independence inevitable? The relationship between birth cohort and secessionism in Scotland.  Centre on Constitutional Change

Scotland among seven countries to sign landmark independence declaration - Th...
5 Jul 2025 at 7:13pm
Scotland among seven countries to sign landmark independence declaration  TheNational.scot

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP left wing push back against internal 'inertia' over indy strategy - TheNa...
6 Jul 2025 at 5:51pm
SNP left wing push back against internal 'inertia' over indy strategy  TheNational.scot

SNP out in front in Scotland as Starmer?s satisfaction ratings fall - Ipsos
1 Jul 2025 at 8:25am
SNP out in front in Scotland as Starmer?s satisfaction ratings fall  Ipsos

SNP shambles as 10,000 ferry trips to Scotland's islands scrapped - MSN
5 Jul 2025 at 11:01pm
SNP shambles as 10,000 ferry trips to Scotland's islands scrapped  MSN

The SNP remains dangerously oblivious to the perils of a population drunk on ...
6 Jul 2025 at 11:00am
The SNP remains dangerously oblivious to the perils of a population drunk on taxpayer-funded welfare  The Telegraph

SNP urge UK Labour rethink over reports scrapping two child cap ?dead in the ...
6 Jul 2025 at 12:11pm
SNP urge UK Labour rethink over reports scrapping two child cap ?dead in the water?  The Herald

Scottish Labour blast SNP for lack of housing plan following Herald interview...
6 Jul 2025 at 11:21am
Scottish Labour blast SNP for lack of housing plan following Herald interview  Yahoo

Mairi McAllan faces impossible task as SNP have 'little confidence' in housin...
6 Jul 2025 at 8:20am
Mairi McAllan faces impossible task as SNP have 'little confidence' in housing vow  Scottish Daily Express

How Labour's NHS reforms in England pose a real threat to the SNP - The Scotsman
6 Jul 2025 at 6:00pm
How Labour's NHS reforms in England pose a real threat to the SNP  The Scotsman

Multi-omics analysis identifies SNP-associated immune-related signatures by i...
4 Jul 2025 at 6:18pm
Multi-omics analysis identifies SNP-associated immune-related signatures by integrating Mendelian randomization and machine learning in hepatocellular carcinoma | Scientific Reports  Nature

Calls for IDF to be banned as a TERROR group by SNP ministers leave UK Jews '...
6 Jul 2025 at 4:40am
Calls for IDF to be banned as a TERROR group by SNP ministers leave UK Jews 'horrified'  Daily Express

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

SNP out in front in Scotland as Starmer?s satisfaction ratings fall - Ipsos
1 Jul 2025 at 8:25am
SNP out in front in Scotland as Starmer?s satisfaction ratings fall  Ipsos

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

Scotland's independence campaign gets boost with new banners delivered nation...
3 Jul 2025 at 5:13pm
Scotland's independence campaign gets boost with new banners delivered nationwide  TheNational.scot

Why is John Swinney talking about independence now? - BBC
17 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
Why is John Swinney talking about independence now?  BBC

Starmer says no independence referendum while he is prime minister - BBC
3 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
Starmer says no independence referendum while he is prime minister  BBC

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

The rise of Nigel McFarage - The Economist
18 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
The rise of Nigel McFarage  The Economist

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

Is Scottish independence inevitable? The relationship between birth cohort an...
18 Apr 2025 at 8:00am
Is Scottish independence inevitable? The relationship between birth cohort and secessionism in Scotland.  Centre on Constitutional Change

Bavaria Party hopes to ride on Scottish independence vote - Euractiv
5 Jan 2025 at 9:28pm
Bavaria Party hopes to ride on Scottish independence vote  Euractiv