The Herald

The Herald | Politics


SNP manifesto pledge could move Edinburgh tram-train plan a step closer
20 Apr 2026 at 11:47am
The SNP pledges to fund a tram-train study for Edinburgh?s South Suburban railway if elected, aiming to boost public transport and extend the city?s tram network.


Reform UK urges Sarwar to back Offord in bid to oust Swinney after bombshell ...
20 Apr 2026 at 10:52am
Reform UK is urging Anas Sarwar to back its Scottish leader Malcolm Offord to be First Minister.


??Unspun Election Briefing: Starmer on the ropes and the next Kate Forbes?
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
20 Apr 2026 at 8:10am
With hours left to register, Scotland?s election is shaping up as one of the tightest in decades. Read The Herald's new morning newsletter.


Gillian Mackay eyes key government role in strongest hint of fresh SNP-Green ...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
20 Apr 2026 at 5:30am
Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay is interviewed on her party's fortunes for The Herald's Unspun Live podcast.


?All to play for?: Bombshell poll reveals dozens of Scottish seats on a knife...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
20 Apr 2026 at 12:01am
A new MRP poll suggests the results of 39 constituencies could be within five percentage points. More in Common forecasting also suggests that at current levels of support there could be a pro-union majority in Holyrood.


Keir Starmer to face MPs over Mandelson vetting row as calls grow for resigna...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
20 Apr 2026 at 12:01am
Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure after revelations that Peter Mandelson failed key security vetting before his US ambassador appointment.


Manifesto apprenticeship pledges fall well short of the ambition Scotland needs
by Paul Sheerin
20 Apr 2026 at 4:32am
Scottish engineering and other sectors need more apprentices that number pledged by politicians


Area of Scotland 'most difficult to call' according to top pollster
by caroline.wilson@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Caroline Wilson
20 Apr 2026 at 5:30am
The constituency has been held by the SNP for the past 10 years but is an area that was once a Liberal Democrat heartland.


Outsourcing across Scotland?s local authorities up by 40 per cent, says STUC
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
19 Apr 2026 at 10:00pm
Scotland?s largest trade union body has called for a major shift in how public services are delivered, warning that a sharp rise in outsourcing is draining billions from the public purse.


Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale appointed chairwoman of Stonewall
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
19 Apr 2026 at 6:00pm
Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has been appointed as the new chairwoman of human rights charity Stonewall.


Unionist voters could back the SNP to stop Reform, says polling expert
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
19 Apr 2026 at 2:11pm
The rise of Reform UK is reshaping Scotland?s electoral map, with research suggesting some pro-Union voters may back the SNP to keep the party out in key Holyrood contests.


Aberdeenshire candidate ?concerned? that he has not appeared on official website
by Rachel Keenan
19 Apr 2026 at 1:21pm
An Independent candidate in Aberdeenshire has said he is ?concerned? after he has not appeared on the council?s official website as a candidate.


John Swinney challenged over withheld SNP WhatsApps on Alex Salmond
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
19 Apr 2026 at 10:29am
Previously unseen WhatsApp messages linked to complaints against Alex Salmond have reignited fresh scrutiny on John Swinney and questions over what was shared with the Holyrood probe.


There's one key question that remains over Malcolm Offord and his Reform lead...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
19 Apr 2026 at 6:30am
Malcolm Offord could become the leader of the opposition after the Holyrood election with Reform UK - but who is he? And what does he really believe?

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Scotland needs a long-term plan that removes party politics
20 Apr 2026 at 8:22am

Nothing should be out of reach when it comes to addressing the key issues affecting Scotland

He spoke about the prospect of another referendum as he launched the SNP?s election battlebus

The new poll also means the unionist parties could band together to lock the SNP out of power after May 7.

The former Scottish Labour leader will take up the new post in September.

Wings over Scotland

The Pit Of Vipers
19 Apr 2026 at 2:50pm
It’s hard to know where to start with the Sunday Mail’s lead story today. Especially if one doesn’t want sent to prison. So we hope you’ll forgive us if we’re extra-careful. The article contains things even we’d never read before. The Mail has redacted some of the names, but – well, we’re not going to …

The Narcissism Of No Differences
17 Apr 2026 at 3:29pm
So that’s the full set of manifestos in. You can download them all here in a oner, if you’re REALLY bored. But we don’t advise it, because we can just tell you what they say in a couple of minutes. SNP: “If you’re even reading this we know you’re absolute idiots, so here are a …

Happy Anniversary
16 Apr 2026 at 10:56am
It was exactly one year ago today that the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in the case of For Women Scotland Vs The Scottish Ministers, a judgment which has still not been implemented by the Scottish or UK governments, so it was quite bold of the SNP to choose it as the launch date for …

Do You Believe In The Westwood?
10 Apr 2026 at 12:27pm
As all alert readers will know, this site likes to keep a watchful eye on the shady and disturbing activities of paedophilia-plagued charity LGBT Youth Scotland. So we were naturally intrigued to hear that they’d hired a new convenor last month. And if you’re sitting there thinking, “Blimey, AI Christopher Walken looks very very ill”, …

Not So Octopus
9 Apr 2026 at 1:48pm
Alert readers will have noticed something of a minor furore in recent days around a boneheaded Scottish Greens candidate (as if there were any other kind) calling for the complete abolition of prisons. So far Kate Nevens – who on the latest polling has a very reasonable chance of being elected on the list – …

The quality of mercy
3 Apr 2026 at 1:09pm
Let’s just deal with this quickly. Because the truth is that we should all be quietly sending BBC Scotland bouquets in appreciation for doing the independence movement a favour for once. Belief in an independent Scotland IS as strong as ever, which is to say it’s pretty much where it’s been since 2014 – two …

Clocks And Calendars
30 Mar 2026 at 1:06pm
We think the lads at The Scotsman might have gotten a bit confused and/or carried away when it came to putting the clocks forward at the weekend. At 6am on Sunday morning they tweeted this: But the link was a 404. We checked the print edition of Scotland On Sunday but there was nothing there …

Sicknote Slippers
29 Mar 2026 at 6:09pm
The turnout at the “independence march and rally” yesterday was so abysmally poor that it seems almost unfair to pick on any of the scores of SNP elected representatives who didn’t bother to show up. But dear old Cosy Feet Pete Wishart had the most chef’s-kiss excuse of all. The reason he didn’t fancy getting …

Protest But Don?t Survive
28 Mar 2026 at 5:20pm
If events in Edinburgh today are anything to go by – when a march and rally announced with great fanfare seven months ago, backed by both the “independence” parties in the Scottish Parliament and featuring the First Minister as main speaker, attracted perhaps 1,500 people at the most to Calton Hill on a bright and …

Let?s Call The Whole Thing Off
24 Mar 2026 at 12:59pm
The last faint hope of any remotely positive or at least interesting outcome of May’s election just left the building. It wasn’t MUCH of a hope, and it’s absolutely no surprise in the wake of the comically shambolic, belief-defyingly inept farce that has been the birth of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s fringe-of-the fringe party, …

Craig Murray

Vote for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland
15 Apr 2026 at 12:48pm

It was not my intention to run for election to the Scottish parliament from a hospital bed in Caracas, but sometimes we have to take what life gives us. I went to a clinic a week ago feeling dizzy and was immediately rushed to hospital. My heart rate was fluttering and below 20 bpm. I …

Vote for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland

The Strait of Hormuz
8 Apr 2026 at 5:02pm

In international law, Tehran has every right to close the strait of Hormuz to nations with which it is in armed conflict. Two vital points: 1) States who permit attacks on Iran to be launched from their territory can be blocked 2) Iran can block neutral ships from trading with states with which it is …

The Strait of Hormuz

The Weight on Delcy Rodriguez
31 Mar 2026 at 1:16pm

As I was leaving the University of the Communes in Tocuyito, after a joyful and uplifting visit, an earnest young Professor came up to me and pulled me aside. Very quietly, he asked me what was going to happen. A number of the students were terrified there would be regime change and they, picked as …

The Weight on Delcy Rodriguez

The Caracas Metro
26 Mar 2026 at 6:46am

The extreme nature of sanctions against Venezuela made it very challenging to keep economic activity going. One example is Caracas’s impressive five-line Metro system, where for almost twenty years they had to keep things running with no spares or maintenance support from the train manufacturers. Yet resilience and ingenuity kicked in, and Venezuela actually reverse …

The Caracas Metro

The London Ambulances Attack: Of Course It Was A False Flag
24 Mar 2026 at 12:04pm

The notion that the Iranian state would discredit itself by choosing to attack an ambulance service in London is crazy. Iran has not even attacked any hospitals or ambulances in Israel. Iran has absolutely zero record of attacks on healthcare facilities. That is of course in stark contrast to Israel which specifically targets them in …

The London Ambulances Attack: Of Course It Was A False Flag

Seeing Trump Clearly
21 Mar 2026 at 12:19pm

What if Trump’s apparently chaotic thought processes and intuitive decision making are all a blind, a charade? What if we are really witnessing, in the Middle East and more widely, a carefully constructed plan with very definite objectives? Has Trump in fact “planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway”, while flinging the …

Seeing Trump Clearly

BBC Scotland

MSPs need to work together to reform council tax - SNP
19 Apr 2026 at 3:39pm
Representatives from six Scottish political parties agree that the council tax needs to be reformed, but how exactly is a contentious issue.

Starmer accused of 'skulking' and shunning Sarwar in Scotland
18 Apr 2026 at 4:46pm
It is the first time the prime minister has been north of the border since the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for him to step down in February.

Ex-Scottish Labour leader Dugdale appointed as Stonewall chairwoman
19 Apr 2026 at 12:58pm
Dugdale, who is currently chairwoman of Shelter in Scotland, said she was "thrilled and honoured" to secure the post.

Swinney predicts SNP majority at Holyrood election
18 Apr 2026 at 6:00am
The first minister has told BBC News that his party will return at least 65 seats at next month's vote.

Lib Dems vow action on NHS and cost of living in manifesto
17 Apr 2026 at 10:45am
Scottish leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has announced plans to spend an extra £400m on social care.

The Lib Dems' manifesto pledges analysed
17 Apr 2026 at 3:16pm
We have analysed some of the policies in the Scottish Lib Dems' manifesto for the 2026 Holyrood election.

Swinney denies SNP grocery price cap is 'potty gimmick'
17 Apr 2026 at 9:28am
The first minister defends his party's plans to impose a limit on the cost of "essential" items.

Supermarket food prices to be capped under SNP manifesto pledge
16 Apr 2026 at 2:49pm
The cost of "essential" items such as bread, milk and cheese are to be limited under John Swinney's plan.

Labour's Sarwar brands Scottish Reform leader 'a liar' over deal claim
15 Apr 2026 at 1:15pm
Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar brands Malcolm Offord "a pathetic, poisonous, odious little man" after a TV debate clash.

The SNP's manifesto pledges analysed
16 Apr 2026 at 2:12pm
We have analysed some of the policies in the Scottish National Party's manifesto for the 2026 Holyrood election.

Scottish Green co-leader undecided over constituency vote
15 Apr 2026 at 11:14am
With Greens only standing in six constituencies, the party's co-leader does not have the option of backing his party for the seat where he lives.

Sarwar rules out 'harsh' cuts to bring down benefits bill
14 Apr 2026 at 10:12am
The Scottish Labour leader says he wants to bring down social security spending, but not by slashing benefits.

Scot Goes Pop

A heads-up: a new Scot Goes Pop-commissioned opinion poll will be published b...
19 Apr 2026 at 10:44pm
So a small announcement - I have commissioned Scot Goes Pop's first opinion poll since the two that were done back-to-back during the SNP leadership election in early 2023.  For cost reasons, it's ...

You now have less than 30 hours to ensure all the independence supporters in ...
19 Apr 2026 at 6:32pm
In a sense the title says it all, but it perhaps doesn't quite capture the scale of the problem, because data from 2023 suggests 20% of the adult population of Scotland are either not registered to...

List seat BONANZA forecast by MRP poll as JL Partners suggest the SNP are on ...
16 Apr 2026 at 10:48am
I feel like I should say something about the new JL Partners / Telegraph MRP poll for the Holyrood election, but I'm actually struggling to find much information about it.  JL Partners' own website...

The question that Anas Sarwar now needs to answer
15 Apr 2026 at 12:44pm
The Scottish Labour party and its allies, including Paul Hutcheon of the Daily Record and Professor James Mitchell (who is increasingly dropping the pretence of being anything other than a Labour p...

In an analogue age Anas Sarwar might have got away with that - but this is a ...
15 Apr 2026 at 12:26am
I forgot all about the Channel 4 leaders' debate, so I didn't watch it live, but obviously I soon heard of Offord's revelation about Anas Sarwar approaching him about a post-election deal to keep o...

The Greens have now been crowned the undisputed Olympic champions of misleadi...
14 Apr 2026 at 12:16pm
A few weeks ago, the Green co-leader Ross Greer posted a Labour leaflet from Strathkelvin & Bearsden, mocking it for containing a particularly extreme example of a misleading Lib Dem-style bar char...

REVEALED: The hard science that makes Both Votes SNP such an effective strate...
12 Apr 2026 at 6:24pm
OK, the title of this blogpost is mainly there to wind up Stew, but there is actually a very serious point behind it, and it's one that may make you think about the importance of voting SNP on the ...

Even YouGov now say the Union Jack could soon be LOWERED as sensational MRP p...
10 Apr 2026 at 10:55pm
MRP Seats projection (YouGov / Sky News / The Times, 23rd March-8th April 2026):SNP 67Reform UK 20Labour 15Greens 11Liberal Democrats 9Conservatives 7Now, I've estimated the chances of the SNP winn...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Scotland?s ?dangerous? pothole problem revealed
17 Apr 2026 at 3:29pm
STV News reveals pothole capital as Scotland's roads are compared to the surface of the moon

Lib Dems launch manifesto with call for change ?with fairness at its heart?
17 Apr 2026 at 1:06pm
The party has set out its ?realistic? plan ?to get things done, focused on the things that matter most?

Benefits system being ?abused on an industrial scale?, says Findlay
17 Apr 2026 at 12:19pm
The Scottish Tory leader said he wanted to cut income tax funded by introducing restrictions on adult mental health benefit claims

Starmer ?furious? he wasn?t told Mandelson failed vetting as he faces calls t...
17 Apr 2026 at 11:04am
Officials overruled the recommendation from UK Security Vetting

?Pressing need? for post of minister for older people to be reinstated ? charity
17 Apr 2026 at 8:03am
Age Scotland is campaigning for the position to be restored after the May 7 Scottish election.

Top civil servant ousted after Foreign Office overruled Mandelson vetting
16 Apr 2026 at 11:02pm
Security officials initially denied Lord Mandelson clearance, but Foreign Office officials took the rare step of overruling the recommendation.

Keir Starmer ?not aware? Foreign Office overruled Lord Mandelson vetting proc...
16 Apr 2026 at 6:24pm
Security officials initally denied Lord Mandelson clearance, but this was overruled by the FCDO

SNP vow cost of living action with price cap of supermarket essential foods
16 Apr 2026 at 11:19am
John Swinney has unveiled the party?s manifesto for the Holyrood election on May 7

John Swinney pledges national ban on phones in classes if SNP wins in May
16 Apr 2026 at 9:00am
The First Minister and SNP leader is vowing to legislate on the issue if his party wins the Scottish Parliament election

Transport Secretary?s car towed away after hitting ?crater? pothole
16 Apr 2026 at 8:32am
Heidi Alexander was driving her Mini Cooper to her constituency from a Labour fundraising event

Anas Sarwar calls Reform leader a liar over claims Labour wanted deal to oust...
15 Apr 2026 at 12:00pm
Lord Malcolm Offord said Sarwar sought a deal with Nigel Farage?s party to defeat the SNP in May?s election

UK to send £752 million and 120,000 drones to Ukraine
15 Apr 2026 at 5:03am
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to confirm they payment to Kyiv ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

Greens promise to make bus travel free for all in election manifesto
14 Apr 2026 at 1:05pm
They also said Scotland?s buses should be back into public ownership

Scottish Labour puts NHS at heart of election manifesto
13 Apr 2026 at 3:48pm
Anas Sarwar also said he wanted a ?productive partnership? with the UK Government despite calling on Keir Starmer to quit

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Reform candidate blasted 'deplorable' Nigel Farage and derided party as a 'co...
20 Apr 2026 at 11:10am
Arthur Keith's foul mouthed tirade came after MP Rupert Lowe was suspended

Over 500 firefighter jobs could be lost as warning issued over SNP Government...
20 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
EXCLUSIVE: Official papers reveal the extent of the losses if uniformed staff are hit.

Capping food prices and bus fares shows SNP is on the side of Scots in cost o...
20 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
In his Daily Record column, SNP leader John Swinney sets out his plan to put more money into the pockets of Scots.

Unionist parties could win tight majority at Holyrood election, new poll sugg...
20 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
The poll, if replicated at the election, could make the SNP vulnerable to losing power at Holyrood for the first time since 2007.

Scottish politics today: Alex Salmond row erupts during Holyrood election cam...
19 Apr 2026 at 5:00pm
The Record brings you its regular 5pm round-up of the day's Scottish politics stories.

Millionaire banker Malcolm Offord criticises minimum wage rises for low paid ...
19 Apr 2026 at 3:59pm
Reform's leader in Scotland claimed hikes could be counter-produtive.

Alex Salmond's allies demand probe into 'shocking and devastating plot to des...
19 Apr 2026 at 12:00pm
The late ex-first minister said after winning his 2020 court case there was evidence of a plot that would eventually 'see the light of day'.

Bombshell Salmond text messages reveal high ranking SNP figures ?conspiring? ...
19 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
The Sunday Mail is today revealing communications appearing to show senior party operatives conspiring against ex-leader.

Reform 'gateway drug to fascism' claims top Scots trade unionist in election ...
19 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
Roz Foyer, general secretary of the STUC, also warned mainstream politicians in 'last chance saloon' to deliver for working people.

Failure to publish sewage dumps data before Holyrood election branded 'stinki...
19 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
The Scottish Water data was due to be published before the end of March but has now been delayed until after May 7.

The National

The National | Politics

Brian Cox urges Scots to 'vote for independence' in SNP campaign clip
20 Apr 2026 at 12:38pm

SUCCESSION star Brian Cox has urged Scots to ?vote for independence? in an SNP campaign clip.

Our insipid leaders must stand up to rogue states Israel and the USA
20 Apr 2026 at 12:00pm

I THOUGHT the picture of the Warsaw uprising captives in The National was so poignant. The stance of the female captive showed so much strength and dignity. It was inspirational in the face of violence.

'No certainty' Keir Starmer will remain Labour leader, Douglas Alexander says
20 Apr 2026 at 11:20am

There are ?no certainties? about whether Keir Starmer will still be leading Labour by the next General Election, Douglas Alexander has said

Protesters install 10-foot wind turbines on Donald Trump's Scottish golf course
20 Apr 2026 at 10:54am

ACTIVISTS have built a windfarm on one of US president Donald Trump?s Scottish golf courses in a pro-renewables protest ...

US tech firm Palantir slammed after releasing 'evil' 22-point mini-manifesto
20 Apr 2026 at 10:54am

US surveillance firm Palantir has been widely condemned after sharing what it described as a ?brief? 22-point summary of CEO Alex Karp?s book ...

'Grim reading' for Labour as poll finds most Scots oppose nuclear power
20 Apr 2026 at 10:16am

A POLL has found a "miserable" level of support for nuclear power in Scotland while more than half believe the main focus should be on renewables.

Live updates as Labour face Peter Mandelson scandal amid Holyrood campaign
20 Apr 2026 at 8:41am

The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, will face MPs this afternoon aimd calls for him to resign over the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal. It comes after he visited Scotland over the weekend.

Scottish Greens vow to launch repair voucher scheme amid cost of living crisis
20 Apr 2026 at 7:59am

THE Scottish Greens have pledged to introduce a repair voucher scheme which they said would put money ?back into people?s pockets? ...

Keir Starmer must resign for 'shameful role' in Mandelson scandal, says Steph...
20 Apr 2026 at 7:53am

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has called for the Prime Minister to resign over his ?shameful role? in the appointment of Peter Mandelson ...

Scotland will vote for independence in 2028 referendum, John Swinney insists
20 Apr 2026 at 5:00am

JOHN Swinney believes he can win an independence referendum in 2028 ? with the SNP leader vowing he will then run to be the first leader in an independent Scotland in 2031.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Half of Scottish constituencies on a knife-edge with SNP ?squeezed on all sid...
20 Apr 2026 at 8:36am
More in Common polling finds Holyrood will have more pro-union MSPs

Improving safety, compliance and care outcomes across Scotland
20 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Chris Field discusses how digital services can support and improve safety measures in Scotland's public sector

John Swinney: ?Incompetent? Keir Starmer must resign
17 Apr 2026 at 12:33pm
Prime minister 'furious' over Mandelson vetting latest

Women?s charities ignoring Supreme Court ruling, according to new report
16 Apr 2026 at 4:28pm
A new report by Murray Blackburn Mackenzie has identified?a range of women?s charities?it says?are?extending?their reach to include biological?men?who identify as women

SNP pledges to cap food prices and bus fares if it wins election
16 Apr 2026 at 2:17pm
Supermarkets targeted in cost-of-living move

Local Authorities Guide: West Lothian Council
16 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick answers questions about local authority

EU age verification app ready to protect children?s rights, Von Der Leyen says
15 Apr 2026 at 4:54pm
'Children's rights in the European Union come before commercial interest'

Anas Sarwar calls Malcolm Offord ?a liar? over claims of a deal to work again...
15 Apr 2026 at 4:00pm
Reform's leader in Scotland said Sarwar had privately said the two parties needed to work together

Michael Shanks: Labour government should have done more for North Sea transit...
15 Apr 2026 at 1:51pm
Minister reveals latest GB Energy headcount

Digital transformation in the Scottish public sector: turning strategy into b...
15 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Pulsion partners with Scotland's public sector in developing digital strategies

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

How Reform is exposing the reality of Scotland?s views on immigration and ide...
19 Apr 2026 at 11:00am
Once a progressive outlier, Scotland is facing a political reckoning as Reform benefits from growing social divisionIt?s Monday evening in Aberdeen, and George Preston is wearing his union flag suit to the Reform UK rally. He joined the party in 2024 as it gained ground in the north-east of Scotl...

?Things could go backwards?: Kezia Dugdale on safety, LGBTQ+ rights and the f...
19 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Exclusive: Former Scottish Labour leader says she feels more scared as a lesbian today and calls for a kinder debate on transgender issuesKezia Dugdale, the former leader of Scottish Labour, says she is now ?quite scared? as a lesbian in Britain and has started to feel nervous holding her wife?s ...

Badenoch calls Farage an ?opportunist? after he urges Scottish nationalists t...
16 Apr 2026 at 7:17pm
Tory leader criticises Farage for saying that holding another independence vote ?probably quite reasonable?Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative party, has accused Nigel Farage of being an opportunist who does not believe in unionism after he urged Scottish nationalists to back Reform.Far...

No 10 claims Starmer did not know Mandelson failed security vetting until thi...
16 Apr 2026 at 6:54pm
The prime minister was not aware that the former US ambassador had failed the vetting process, according to Downing StreetSwinney says this is a manifesto for the whole of Scotland.He confirms that the SNP would argue for the Scottish power to have more control over energy policy (still largely r...

SNP pledges to cap bread and milk prices if it wins Scotland?s parliamentary ...
16 Apr 2026 at 3:38pm
John Swinney unveils his party?s manifesto, saying cost of living is the ?defining issue? for voters on 7 MayThe SNP will cap supermarket prices for essential goods such as bread and milk if it retains power, John Swinney has pledged, after describing the cost of living as ?the defining issue of ...

Scottish Labour leader says claim he tried to do Reform deal is ?desperate lie?
15 Apr 2026 at 5:42pm
Anas Sarwar says there have been ?no stitch-ups, no deals, no backroom chats with Reform? over Holyrood electionsAnas Sarwar has dismissed as ?a desperate lie from a desperate man? a claim by Reform UK?s Scotland leader, Malcolm Offord, that he offered to do a deal with the rightwing party to kee...

Reeves condemns Trump?s decision to launch war against Iran as ?folly?? as it...
14 Apr 2026 at 5:32pm
Chancellor ?frustrated and angry? at the effect on UK firms and families and says US went into war without a clear exit plan Q: Why are you calling for an inquiry into Nigel Farage?s investment in a bitcoin firm?Davey said that, in investing in crypto, Farage, the Reform UK leader, seemed to be c...

Scottish Greens pledge free bus travel and basic income in election manifesto
14 Apr 2026 at 3:13pm
Party says plan for ?radical change? will be funded in part through higher taxes on aviation, gambling and landlordsUK politics live ? latest updatesThe Scottish Greens have called for free bus travel, thousands of extra teachers and doctors and a universal basic income among hundreds of uncosted...

MSPs not told about collapse of funding deal for Scottish nature restoration
14 Apr 2026 at 6:00am
Exclusive: Ministers accused of trying to keep investment firm?s withdrawal from partnership with NatureScot under wrapsA funding deal to raise £100m from private investors for urgently needed nature restoration in Scotland has fallen through without the Scottish parliament being told.The Guardia...

Shabana Mahmood says Southport inquiry report exposed ?systematic failures ac...
13 Apr 2026 at 6:16pm
The home secretary made the comments after an inquiry revealed that the system ?completely failed?Keir Starmer has confirmed that he wants to stop children being exposed to addictive scrolling features on their phones as part of measures to protect them from social media.The PM is under pressure ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Labour?s Holyrood campaign lurches from one crisis to another
19 Apr 2026 at 2:26pm
There’s less than three weeks to go until the Holyrood election and the wheels have well and truly come off the Labour campaign. With the headlines being dominated by the Mandelson story – Anas Sarwar’s erstwhile old friend – and mounting speculation about how long Starmer can survive as Prime Minister, Sarwar, talking to the …

We can win an SNP majority despite the moral bankruptcy of the media
17 Apr 2026 at 3:21pm
The Scottish Parliament election campaign is now well underway. Yesterday (Thursday) saw the launch of the SNP manifesto. The response of the British media in Scotland to this, and to a defining event of the campaign earlier this week Reform’s Malcolm Offord blurting out that Anas Sarwar had bounced up to him and spoke of …

The overwhelming evidence that Labour is willing to do a deal with Reform
15 Apr 2026 at 3:12pm
Sometimes events happen which define an entire election campaign, last night Reform’s Malcolm Offord responded to Anas Sarwar’s assertion that he’d never do a deal with Reform because it fields racists by saying: ?This does not square with you coming up to me at the start of this campaign, bouncing up to me at Paisley …

Labour can?t be trusted not to do a deal with Reform
14 Apr 2026 at 9:43pm
I don’t usually pay too much attention to leaders’ debates in the run up to elections. They are invariably too shouty with the leaders vying to talk over the top of each other. Anas Sarwar is invariably the worst offender. On both the leaders’ debates so far, his behaviour has bordered on the offensive, he’s …

Labour?s Scottish manifesto launch, not a campaign, a damage limitation exercise
13 Apr 2026 at 2:22pm
On Monday, Anas Sarwar launches Labour’s manifesto for the Holyrood election and attempts to reboot his party’s faltering campaign, a campaign which was holed below the waterline yesterday, firstly with Wes Streeting’s arrogantly colonialist dismissal of an independence referendum, and secondly by Sarwar’s rude and entitled performance in Sunday evening’s party leader debate, in which …

Wes Streeting?s attack on Scottish democracy will backfire
12 Apr 2026 at 9:50pm
Just when Anas Sarwar thought that the Labour campaign in the Holyrood election couldn’t get any worse, along comes Wes Streeting. Labour’s oleaginous answer to Michael Gove, the private healthcare loving health secretary in the Labour Government in Westminster, who is currently presiding over an NHS England in chaos due to a junior doctor strike …

Anas Sarwar, the Wile E Coyote of Scottish politics
10 Apr 2026 at 9:34pm
You can smell the desperation from Scottish Tory Holyrood leader Russell Findlay. At a campaign event, the soon to be sacked Findlay, pulled out the anti-English racism card against the SNP, accusing them of basing many of their policies on “a pretty bitter streak of anglophobia.” That’s rich, coming from a man who has doubled …

Daring to dream of an SNP majority
7 Apr 2026 at 11:35am
Yet another opinion poll has placed the SNP on track to win a majority in its own right in May’s Holyrood election, a majority which First Minister John Swinney has said would trigger a second independence referendum. The new poll, by Find Out Now for The National, projects the SNP to take 67 seats, giving …

Shettleston doesn?t need Reform?s racism, it needs to be part of an independe...
2 Apr 2026 at 1:10pm
On Wednesday, April Fool’s Day, Reform UK unveiled its racist and scaremongering advert for the Scottish election next month. It was appropriate that they did so on April Fool’s Day because they are taking the electorate for mugs. The consists of image showing apparent migrants crowded onto a small inflatable dinghy with text reading “Scotland …

It?s not just independence which is at stake in this election
31 Mar 2026 at 6:13pm
The weekend kicked off the election campaign with a well attended march and rally for independence held in Edinburgh on Saturday. I’m sure you all followed the reports about it on BBC Scotland, oh, right. It was far too busy talking about the ferries again wasn’t it. Every political party talks up its chances during …

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

How can South Uist have no ?mainland? ferry service when the Skye Bridge offe...
20 Apr 2026 at 1:38pm
Keeping the Ferry Frenzy kettle boiling right up to the election, BBC Scotland today has the above and: The owner of a South Uist tourism business has said they are dealing with a wave of cancellations thanks to on-going disruption on the ferry network. The island remains without a direct mainland ferry after CalMac said the route’s usual vessel – the MV Lord of the Isles – is required to opera...

Are Labour politicians now telling us how crap it is for Scotland to be withi...
20 Apr 2026 at 12:55pm
By stewartb Strange times for Unionists in Scotland!  The Daily Record has just told its readers that ?Anas Sarwar has claimed voting for Scottish Labour is not an endorsement of Keir Starmer or his struggling Government‘. So casting votes in Scotland for Starmer?s Labour Party in the last General Election has been proven to be a mistake? Election promises for Scotland in Union betrayed by Labo...

Contrary to England, vulnerable children in Scotland must be placed in regula...
20 Apr 2026 at 11:44am
Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. In the Guardian today: Ministers must get to grips with the ?national scandal? of England?s shadow child social care system, the children?s commissioner has warned, as a report reveals the number of children in unregulated settings has increased by more than 370% in five years. Some of the most vulnerable children in England are being temporarily placed...

Scotland remains a progressive outlier with only half the level of concern ab...
20 Apr 2026 at 10:18am
YouGov, no friend of the SNP sees no sign of Reform UK coming first anywhere. Reform UK in Westminster polls – ahead consistently with up to a third of the voters. Reform UK in Scotland – well behind consistently, often third and with less than a fifth of the voters. In the Guardian today, the consistently confused or just too lazy to do research, Libby Brooks, has: How Reform is exposing the r...

Health visitors in England are key to Labour?s preventative strategy but they...
20 Apr 2026 at 8:23am
From BBC Breakfast early this morning (06.17 to 06.20am) and repeated with the above shocking figures throughout the show: The number of health visitors in England has fallen by almost half over the last decade – meaning some of those who remain have caseloads of more than a thousand families each. Now the Institute of Health Visiting is calling for caseloads to be limited to 250 families per v...

Prof Mary Beard agrees with me (us) on listening to Tucker Carlson regarding ...
19 Apr 2026 at 9:53am
My main critical friend, who when I became addicted to opioid painkillers, constructively said ‘Some f*****g professor!’ , agrees with me on Tucker Carlson, a Christian and a Trump fan, despite him holding those two positions which we both reject. I think she agrees that he has the clearest, most direct, most convincing, most penetrating and most entertaining take on Trump and the war on Iran, ...

The causes of healthy life expectancy falling ? Scotland already has far more...
19 Apr 2026 at 8:59am
The Herald today has: Scotland already has far more, per head of population, GPs, nurses, midwives and other professionals than other parts of the UK (table above, sources below) so Prof Cameron’s theory seems a little thin, simplistic. Here’s another explanation but one of course which cannot be laid at the door of the SNP Government’s limited devolved powers. The major rise in processed/UPF a...

UK Government ?austerity? measures the key driver of Scotland?s falling life ...
19 Apr 2026 at 8:37am
The Herald today has: The graph above from the BMJ in 2022 puts the trend in an historical perspective, revealing that expected life expectancy in ‘good health’ remains significantly higher than it was 30 years ago. The Herald report surprisingly, or not, dies not seem to have looked at the work of Glasgow University researchers led by David Walsh in 2022, which found Concerning changes in mort...

Hell hath no fury like an MP scorned
18 Apr 2026 at 3:32pm
By Liz S Here?s something that the UK MSM will make a big thing about, indeed they have already started. It is a book , soon to be released , that will not be given such a negative and critical reception as Ms Sturgeon?s book was given, that?s for sure. Indeed, I anticipate a media and political feeding frenzy?..with Sarwar and others rubbing their hands in glee, so job done then Ms Cherry. Joa...

NHS England is ?being rewired by the policy of foreign governments?
18 Apr 2026 at 3:26pm
stewartb ?The NHS being rewired by the policy of foreign governments is an unusual step, and needs well-informed debate. We urge the UK government to publish these details.? This is the observation of the health think tank, the Nuffield Trust on April 3: ?We need transparency about diverted NHS funds under US trade agreement ? Nuffield Trust response to US-UK medicines partnership?. The Trust?s...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

John Swinney predicts SNP majority at Holyrood election - BBC
18 Apr 2026 at 6:00am
John Swinney predicts SNP majority at Holyrood election  BBC

The great independence charade - Financial Times
16 Apr 2026 at 12:03pm
The great independence charade  Financial Times

Alan Cumming: 'The High Life was always about Scotland?s place and the notion...
17 Apr 2026 at 7:03am
Alan Cumming: 'The High Life was always about Scotland?s place and the notion of independence'  Big Issue

Brian Cox urges Scots to 'vote for independence' in SNP campaign clip - The N...
20 Apr 2026 at 12:47pm
Brian Cox urges Scots to 'vote for independence' in SNP campaign clip  The National Scot

John Swinney: I'll stand as the first prime minister of an independent Scotla...
20 Apr 2026 at 6:00am
John Swinney: I'll stand as the first prime minister of an independent Scotland in 2031  The Scotsman

Farage throws a wildcard into Scotland?s elections - politico.eu
17 Apr 2026 at 4:00am
Farage throws a wildcard into Scotland?s elections  politico.eu

Swinney says he will win independence vote in 2028 and run for election in 20...
20 Apr 2026 at 1:05am
Swinney says he will win independence vote in 2028 and run for election in 2031  London Evening Standard

Half of Scottish constituencies on a knife-edge with SNP ?squeezed on all sid...
20 Apr 2026 at 7:36am
Half of Scottish constituencies on a knife-edge with SNP ?squeezed on all sides?, poll finds  Holyrood Website

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028 - BBC
12 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028  BBC

Welsh Tories attack Reform over independence stance after Farage backs Scotti...
17 Apr 2026 at 8:43pm
Welsh Tories attack Reform over independence stance after Farage backs Scottish referendum  Nation.Cymru

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Half of Scottish constituencies on a knife-edge with SNP ?squeezed on all sid...
20 Apr 2026 at 7:36am
Half of Scottish constituencies on a knife-edge with SNP ?squeezed on all sides?, poll finds  Holyrood Website

John Swinney predicts SNP majority at Holyrood election - BBC
18 Apr 2026 at 6:00am
John Swinney predicts SNP majority at Holyrood election  BBC

SNP pledges to cap bread and milk prices if it wins Scotland?s parliamentary ...
16 Apr 2026 at 2:58pm
SNP pledges to cap bread and milk prices if it wins Scotland?s parliamentary elections  The Guardian

2026 Scottish manifesto analysis: Scottish National Party - Fraser of Allande...
17 Apr 2026 at 3:40pm
2026 Scottish manifesto analysis: Scottish National Party  Fraser of Allander Institute

Initial response to the SNP?s manifesto - IFS | Institute for Fiscal Studies
16 Apr 2026 at 2:46pm
Initial response to the SNP?s manifesto  IFS | Institute for Fiscal Studies

Reform poised for north-east gain and SNP government minister toppled, poll f...
20 Apr 2026 at 11:17am
Reform poised for north-east gain and SNP government minister toppled, poll finds  Press and Journal

Swinney appeals to Shetland voters to deliver ?historic result? to achieve ?f...
20 Apr 2026 at 11:28am
Swinney appeals to Shetland voters to deliver ?historic result? to achieve ?fresh start? for independence and ?lock Nigel Farage out of power in Scotland?  Shetland Times

Brian Cox urges Scots to 'vote for independence' in SNP campaign clip - The N...
20 Apr 2026 at 12:47pm
Brian Cox urges Scots to 'vote for independence' in SNP campaign clip  The National Scot

SNP 2026 Manifesto: Always on Scotland?s side - snp.org
16 Apr 2026 at 9:00am
SNP 2026 Manifesto: Always on Scotland?s side  snp.org

SNP manifesto pledge could move Edinburgh tram-train plan a step closer - The...
20 Apr 2026 at 11:50am
SNP manifesto pledge could move Edinburgh tram-train plan a step closer  The Herald

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028 - BBC
12 Apr 2026 at 10:07pm
Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028  BBC

The great independence charade - Financial Times
16 Apr 2026 at 12:03pm
The great independence charade  Financial Times

Swinney says he will win independence vote in 2028 and run for election in 20...
20 Apr 2026 at 1:05am
Swinney says he will win independence vote in 2028 and run for election in 2031  London Evening Standard

Welsh Tories attack Reform over independence stance after Farage backs Scotti...
17 Apr 2026 at 8:43pm
Welsh Tories attack Reform over independence stance after Farage backs Scottish referendum  Nation.Cymru

John Swinney predicts SNP majority at Holyrood election - BBC
18 Apr 2026 at 6:00am
John Swinney predicts SNP majority at Holyrood election  BBC

This is what the SNP manifesto says about Scottish independence - The Nationa...
16 Apr 2026 at 1:26pm
This is what the SNP manifesto says about Scottish independence  The National Scot

Will the Scots Get a Second Referendum? - Irish Border Poll
19 Apr 2026 at 7:05am
Will the Scots Get a Second Referendum?  Irish Border Poll

Why Scotland needs Winston Churchill's alternative to independence - The Scot...
15 Apr 2026 at 4:45pm
Why Scotland needs Winston Churchill's alternative to independence  The Scotsman

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

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