The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Streeting: 'No moral or economic case for defence firms hiring workers from a...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
26 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has challenged firms building Royal Navy ships to hire British workers, after Babcock flew in 300 welders from the Philippines ? as Scotland's defence sector faces a shortfall of nearly 9,000 apprenticeships.


Scotland NHS shake-up risks worsening pressure on doctors, ministers warned
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
26 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Scotland?s NHS reforms risk putting more pressure on doctors and patient care, experts warn, as John Swinney plans to cut health boards from 14 to two.


Police Scotland could lose 1,260 officers and staff in ?devastating? budget s...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
26 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
The Scottish Police Authority warns that a flat cash settlement would leave officer numbers at their lowest since 2003, as Police Scotland asks for an extra £110m to tackle rising domestic abuse, foreign state threats and a surge in mental health demand.


Scottish Greens? motion on polyamorous rights not debated as conference ends ...
by Kathleen Nutt
25 Oct 2026 at 3:34pm
Scottish Greens conference ends early in Inverness as Storm Boelo stops debate on equal rights for polyamorous relationships.


Ex-Reform MSP: 'It feels like I have escaped a coercively controlled relation...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
25 Oct 2026 at 3:11pm
Amanda Bland, who served as Reform UK's justice spokesperson at Holyrood, has broken her silence to allege months of shouting, intimidation and the systematic sidelining of women by the party's Scottish leadership. Malcolm Offord rejects her account.


Mackay admits she 'struggled to find the words' on Israel's right to exist qu...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
25 Oct 2026 at 11:37am
Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay has attempted to clarify her view on Israel's right to exist, saying states have no such right but people do.


SNP Cabinet Secretary says Jackdaw gas field approval was 'the right decision'
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
25 Oct 2026 at 12:17pm
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has called Jackdaw's approval the right decision ? while warning Scotland receives no financial benefit from production in its own waters.


Marra hands finance brief to leadership rival Fagan in first shadow cabinet
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
25 Oct 2026 at 10:44am
Michael Marra has named his first shadow cabinet as Scottish Labour leader, handing rival Joe Fagan the finance brief and claiming official opposition status at Holyrood after Amanda Bland's departure from Malcolm Offord's group.


Senior doctor warns SNP's NHS shake-up risks 'small death' of local hospitals
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
A leading BMA doctor warns SNP plans to centralise surgery could threaten local hospitals, emergency care and intensive care services across Scotland.


'Horrific' - Mum's warning after disabled daughter?s care support stopped ove...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
A mum has warned there is a 'cliff edge' in adult social care after support for her disabled daughter Amber, 20, stopped during transition from school.


Inside the Greens' conference as party plots new path to power amid financial...
by Kathleen Nutt
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
The mood among the three hundred or so Scottish Greens members gathered in Eden Court Theatre in Inverness was upbeat after months seeing a record 15 MSPs elected in May.


The place where disabled children find friendship and families find respite i...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Families caring for disabled children share how respite care at Aberlour Options in Elgin provides support, confidence and hope for the future.


Stakeknife's Scottish spymaster: The dark secrets of Northern Ireland's 'Dirt...
by Neil Mackay
25 Oct 2026 at 6:15am
Our Writer at Large has investigated Ulster's Dirty War for decades. Here, he talks to the veteran BBC reporter, John Ware, about the role of Scottish army officer Gordon Kerr


Greens finance committee collapsed after just one member elected, says leaked...
by Kathleen Nutt
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Documents leaked to The Herald which are to be presented to an internal meeting of the Scottish Greens this week reveal that a key party committee collapsed after only one member was prepared to sit on it.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Bus passenger numbers plummet since SNP took power as Swinney urged to allow ...
26 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

Campaigners are calling for John Swinney to expand his bus franchise plans to open the door for public ownership.

The number of alcohol-related deaths often outstrips drug fatalities but rarely receives the same focus.

John Healey has been urged to back the North Sea in his first Budget

The call comes after annual figures released last month showed homelessness and rough sleeping continuing to rise across Scotland

Speculation is growing ahead of Wednesday?s statement

The Scottish government is calling on the UK Labour government to rethink forecast cuts to Holyrood?s funding settlement

The Prime Minister wants to consider various options for a new relationship with Brussels

Wings over Scotland

Faces In Sand
17 Oct 2026 at 3:53pm
Ladies and gentlemen, the next leader of the SNP. ? To be scrupulously fair to the huffing dolt-child, we suppose in grey, chilly Aberdeen there could be some confusion on the matter. But remarkably, the above isn’t even nearly the dumbest thing that’s happened (so far) at this year’s SNP conference. It’s probably not even …

The fight about to come
14 Oct 2026 at 3:20pm
The obvious question is “Why haven’t you made a bigger one in all that time?” Did it not seem important until now? Was there nothing significant going on? Or were they just a little short of cash for some unknowable reason? Still, Keith’s going to make a “launch” speech. He makes it every year. It’ll …

Still Time To Save Her
9 Oct 2026 at 2:32pm
We’ve just had an extraordinary email from Police Scotland, readers. Here it is. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the real-life Timecops. Operation Branchform was closed on 20 March 2025. Nicola Sturgeon gave her infamous interview to Laura Kuenssberg – stating that she would not be handing back any of the items gifted to her by Peter …

There May Be Justice
5 Oct 2026 at 12:40pm
In a little under three days, Phase 1 complete. Wings readers: still the best. But what now? A couple of people have asked about the “stretch target” on the website. That was something CrowdJustice asked for and the reason it’s so high is that that figure was our lawyers’ estimate of the total cost of …

The Love Of Big Brother
3 Oct 2026 at 1:24pm
We were trying to work out what this reminded us of. And the answer was in the same place it usually is. It all checks out. The SNP spend their time grooming your children and trying to make basic parenting a crime. They endorse “gender-affirming care” that sterilises them and will stop them ever having …

In The Eyes Of The Law
1 Oct 2026 at 2:15pm
Our fundraiser to bring a judicial review of Police Scotland’s decision not to charge anyone with embezzlement in the case of the SNP’s missing £700,000 indyref fund is now live, and can be reached by clicking on this image, or here. The target of £30,000 represents the cost of the initial application (with contingency for …

Whatever Can Have Happened?
30 Sep 2026 at 1:50pm
Yesterday afternoon John Swinney announced an independent review into the dual roles of Scotland’s main law officers, the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General, which have been a subject of great controversy since the Scottish Parliament was re-convened in 1999. Wings welcomes this development unequivocally, albeit we’re slightly concerned that the former judge leading the …

The Turning Point
28 Sep 2026 at 1:10pm
We don’t have much to say about this graph that it doesn’t say for itself. The arrest of Peter Murrell on 5 April 2023, just a couple of weeks after his wife had realised the game was up and walked away before the cops came round and put a big blue tent up on their …

Cowering From Destiny
24 Sep 2026 at 11:29am
Alert readers will recall that last year the SNP convened a summit in Glasgow for the sole purpose of uniting the nation in preventing Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister. The party also regularly tells us that to actually achieve independence, support would have to build to an overwhelming consensus into the 60-65% range, rather than …

His Majesty?s Loyal Sabre
21 Sep 2026 at 1:50pm
Funny how people change, isn’t it? That sounds a lot to us like “Bombs Not Bairns”. We watched the first episode of “The Wargame” at 2am this morning (it’s toe-curlingly bad, shot like a soft-focus corporate promo with three-second cuts, constant dramatic music and the politicians delivering wooden press-conference soundbites rather than any sense of …

Craig Murray

The Epidemic of Billionaires
21 Oct 2026 at 11:54am

It takes a lot to get tens of thousands of people to riot. For it to happen simultaneously across several countries points to a supranational underlying cause, as opposed to local grievance at an egregious state injustice. That the temporary collapse of authority and restraint will allow some opportunists to loot is an inevitable concomitant. …

The Epidemic of Billionaires

The Unjust State
15 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm

“Forget justice, it’s much too expensive and time consuming. Plus if you take the government to court, you will have to spend your own money, and we are saving you from that”. That is a fair summary of the judgement by Lords Pentland and Troy and Lady Wise in our appeal against the suspension of …

The Unjust State

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?
12 Oct 2026 at 10:29am

Tomorrow at 10am we get the judgement in our appeal against the suspension of the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. We cannot have won as the appeal – held by “urgent process” – was intended to allow a judicial review before the Supreme Court meets in the Ammori case on 4 …

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?

Fatuous False Flags
2 Oct 2026 at 10:16am

Rather than abandoning the plainly nuts Fairford narrative, Burnham and his government are doubling down on the claim it is an Iranian terror plot. It remains quite possible the men were indeed fuel thieves, simply stealing fuel from farms. They appear to have been equipped for fuel theft and all they were carrying was petrol. …

Fatuous False Flags

Losing My Religion
29 Sep 2026 at 12:07pm

I have lost faith both in Western social democracy, and in the institutions of international law. As both have been fundamental to the work of my life, this is rather a blow as I approach 70. A number of deeply shocking things have happened this past three years, not as extraneous events, but as conscious …

Losing My Religion

Palestine Action Judicial Review
23 Sep 2026 at 4:51pm

On Friday we have our appeal against the suspension of the Palestine Action judicial review in Scotland. Our legal crowdfunder has been closed down by the card processors following Trump’s designation of Palestine Action as a global terrorist organisation. https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/scottish-challenge-to-proscription/dashboard/ If you can, please come to the Court of Session in Edinburgh for 10am. If …

Palestine Action Judicial Review

BBC Scotland

Rosebank: Life on the oil field at the centre of a political storm
25 Oct 2026 at 7:15am
Scotland editor James Cook finds out what life is like on board a ship in an untapped oil field awaiting its fate.

Scottish Greens call on Swinney to stop 'swithering' on oil and gas
24 Oct 2026 at 3:35pm
Gillian Mackay hits out at Andy Burnham and John Swinney over Jackdaw approval at the party conference.

Police find no criminality in Yes Scotland finances
23 Oct 2026 at 5:56pm
In July, a newspaper published claims by an activist that it was not known how income of more than £1.5m had been spent.

Is the UK set to green-light a huge untapped oil field?
22 Oct 2026 at 7:09am
Scotland editor James Cook visits Rosebank - the UK's largest known untapped oilfield - in the North Atlantic.

Chris Mason: Jackdaw approved but tricky energy trade-offs remain
21 Oct 2026 at 9:49am
Jackdaw and Rosebank are case studies in the slow motion awkwardness the UK has over energy.

Burnham defends Jackdaw decision as Badenoch urges PM to overturn ban on new ...
21 Oct 2026 at 4:36pm
The UK government says the field, which is opposed by environmental campaigners, could be producing gas by the end of this month.

What is happening with the Jackdaw and Rosebank gas and oil fields?
21 Oct 2026 at 8:55am
The UK government has moved a step closer to making a decision on whether to approve further drilling.

Councils and NHS boards take websites offline after security alert
22 Oct 2026 at 7:36am
Website owners worldwide were urged to take precautions while a fix was rolled out to make systems more secure.

Reform leader accuses MSP of 'squatting' in seat after resignation
20 Oct 2026 at 4:57pm
Malcolm Offord says he is 'disappointed' at Amanda Bland's decision to leave the party and sit as an independent.

BBC Scotland TV channel to close amid cuts to services
20 Oct 2026 at 5:14pm
The station, which started in February 2019, will move to BBC iPlayer in spring next year.

Should Scotland look to London and Manchester for inspiration on buses?
20 Oct 2026 at 5:56am
John Swinney has been compared to a dictator over plans to bring the network under public control, but is he onto something?

'Lack of detail and serious concerns' over Scottish government bus plans
19 Oct 2026 at 1:44pm
The first minister outlined plans to bring buses under public control through franchising and regulation..

Scot Goes Pop

Majority of Scots want independence, says ELEVENTH Norstat poll IN A ROW - ev...
25 Oct 2026 at 6:38pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Mounting evidence that the SNP leadership would be serious about using a hung...
24 Oct 2026 at 3:31am
Over the last few days, several people have been asking how I fared in the SNP internal elections.  As I explain in the video above, I'm pretty much certain that I've been elected to one of the fou...

The BBC, realising they haven't betrayed Scotland quite hard enough yet, anno...
21 Oct 2026 at 12:07pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *Just a reminder that the YouTube videos I create are unlikely to ever produce...

How did we end up with such a poor media? STV can't even get the basics righ...
20 Oct 2026 at 11:58am
I haven't watched any TV news over the last few days, so my main knowledge of the McGill's meltdown comes indirectly from social media, but I've just watched a full three-minute report from STV New...

GOD BLESS MOTHER NATURE! It's raining Survation polls showing Scotland wants ...
19 Oct 2026 at 7:33am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

52% support for independence - 14-point lead for SNP - new Scottish poll is C...
15 Oct 2026 at 10:35pm

I'm standing in this week's SNP internal elections - I believe we have a duty...
14 Oct 2026 at 12:57pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.

Nick Robinson and the dehumanisation of Palestinians demanded by official BBC...
11 Oct 2026 at 8:42am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

?Show intent? to end homelessness by scrapping benefits cap, charities urge
26 Oct 2026 at 7:05am
A coalition of 38 Scottish charities has written to the Chancellor urging him to ditch the 'damaging' measures at Wednesday?s Budget

800 Scottish public sector workers being paid for jobs that don?t exist ? report
25 Oct 2026 at 2:38pm
The Sunday Times reports around 800 NHS workers no longer have a fixed role but remain on the public payroll, at a cost of at least £27m per year.

SNP says UK must rule out use of Scottish revenue for English nuclear energy
24 Oct 2026 at 7:47pm
The new fund was announced alongside the approval of the Jackdaw gas field near Aberdeen earlier this week.

Greens promise ?millennial rail card? paid for by wealthy flyers
24 Oct 2026 at 2:24pm
Ross Greer, the party?s co-leader, said the 31-49 age group was the only one not to be offered a discounted rail fare scheme

Police find ?no criminality? over claims £1.5m missing from Yes Scotland fina...
23 Oct 2026 at 12:07pm
A complaint was made to the police alleging that £1.5m was unaccounted for.

Will the Rosebank oil field off Shetland be approved?
22 Oct 2026 at 10:22am
It's a yes for Jackdaw ? but now, attention is turning to the second landmark project in the North Sea

Ring-fence energy fund for North East of Scotland, says Swinney
21 Oct 2026 at 7:49pm
The call comes after the Jackdaw gas field near Aberdeen was approved by the UK Government

Chancellor to consider removing standing charges from gas bills
21 Oct 2026 at 12:24pm
It comes as the Prime Minister defended the decision to approve the Jackdaw gas field

What does UK Jackdaw approval mean for you, jobs and bills?
21 Oct 2026 at 7:31am
The fate of the largest undeveloped gas field in the North Sea has been hanging in the balance

North Sea Jackdaw gas field decision expected imminently
20 Oct 2026 at 5:26pm
The UK Government is due to make an announcement about the controversial North Sea project

Easdale dictator comparisons ?ludicrous?, says Swinney
20 Oct 2026 at 10:10am
Within hours of the bus reform announcement, John Swinney was compared to Robert Mugabe and Idi Amin

Scottish Reform candidates ?have to delete their Facebooks?
20 Oct 2026 at 9:36am
Among swathes of racist and sexist comments, the party's attempts to tighten up vetting simply hadn't worked

Indian market a ?golden opportunity? for Scottish food and drink firms ? Swinney
20 Oct 2026 at 7:38am
The First Minister will spend a week in the country where he will seek to ?build connections and seize opportunities?.

John Swinney tells McGill?s to ?watch language? after being compared to dicta...
19 Oct 2026 at 1:30pm
Bus firm boss condemned John Swinney's proposals as 'business confiscation'

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scottish Labour urges John Healey to hike taxes on UK's biggest banks to pay ...
26 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The Scottish Labour leader argued the Chancellor must make "progressive choices on tax" in order to protect public services and help ordinary families.

John Healey should use his Budget to ask the big banks to pay their fair share
26 Oct 2026 at 4:29am
Writing in his regular column for the Record, the Scottish Labour leader says the biggest businesses should be asked to do their bit at this week's Budget statement.

Michael Marra announces shadow cabinet as Scottish Labour takes on role as 'o...
25 Oct 2026 at 11:16am
The new Scottish Labour leader accused other parties at Holyrood of "pursuing issues completely disconnected from people?s lives".

SNP donors plea for formal review into why Nicola Sturgeon was not prosecuted...
25 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Three former SNP donors who gave to 'ring-fenced' IndyRef2 fundraisers had requested an internal probe.

Two young Scots dying every month in 'broken' care system
25 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Deaths of looked-after children and young people rocketed by 38 per cent last year despite 2020 'Promise' by Nicola Sturgeon to reform care.

Jackdaw gas field to supply Scots homes within weeks as Andy Burnham pledges ...
21 Oct 2026 at 7:09am
The Prime Minister said the major development off the coast of Aberdeen will "boost our energy security, back British workers... and bring down bills".

Controversial Jackdaw gas field in North Sea set to be finally approved by UK...
20 Oct 2026 at 6:46pm
Jackdaw is one of two major North Sea projects which backers claim will provide greater energy security for the UK as well as boosting Scotland's economy.

SNP slams 'despicable' benefits advice websites conning vulnerable Scots out ...
19 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Shirley-Anne Somerville hit out after the Record first reported on the worrying trend of poor Scots agreeing to hand over a percentage of their pay-outs to third parties.

The National

The National | Politics

Lula declared winner of Brazil?s election as Bolsonaro rejects results
26 Oct 2026 at 8:11am

Brazil?s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, was re-elected on Sunday in a result that provides relief to critics of widening US influence in Latin America

Inside Restore Britain's first attempt to win over Scottish voters
26 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

RESTORE Britain are making their debut in Scottish electoral politics this week, running in a by-election for a seat on Argyll and Bute Council on Thursday.

Rosebank will test the SNP's commitment to tackling climate change
26 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

SEVERAL National columnists have forensically dissected the folly of last week?s decision by the UK Labour Government to go ahead with drilling the Jackdaw gas field.

Scottish independence could transform mortgages and pensions in Scotland
26 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

TWO incredibly valuable presentations took place during the Scottish Currency Group conference in Dunfermline on Saturday.

Scottish bowls tournament accused of 'sportswashing' over Israeli athletes
25 Oct 2026 at 6:00pm

PRO-PALESTINE campaigners have called for two Israeli bowlers to be barred from competing in an international tournament in Scotland this week.

Scottish Greens condemn far-right masked protest at Edinburgh Castle
25 Oct 2026 at 4:57pm

THE Scottish Greens have condemned a far-right demonstration outside Edinburgh Castle after footage emerged showing upwards of 100 masked men dressed in black standing in formation.

Ex-Reform MSP: 'I was driven out toxic party by shouting Malcolm Offord'
25 Oct 2026 at 4:43pm

AN MSP who quit Reform UK?s Scottish branch has claimed that being in the party made her feel like she was ?in a coercive relationship? as she alleged misogyny and hostility from the leadership.

Tory suspended over 'contract killer' sting worked in Kemi Badenoch's office
25 Oct 2026 at 3:50pm

A FORMER Conservative candidate who was suspended over allegations he discussed hiring contract killers in an undercover sting reportedly worked in Kemi Badenoch?s office.

What the Scottish Greens conference revealed about the state of independence
25 Oct 2026 at 3:12pm

Scottish Greens members braved stormy weather to gather in Inverness this weekend for their autumn conference

Andy Burnham opens door to return of EU free movement
25 Oct 2026 at 2:59pm

ANDY Burnham has said he wants an ?honest discussion? about the possibility of a return to free movement between the UK and European Union as part of his plans for a new relationship with the bloc.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Police say no further investigation required into Yes Scotland finances
23 Oct 2026 at 2:40pm
The force was looking into the group following a complaint submitted over the summer

Addressing loneliness and isolation
23 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
CWAS is not just about a unique form of transport and promoting active travel, it is also about improving society?s physical and mental health and wellbeing through human contact, mutual support, camaraderie and exercise.

Hart of the matter ? who pays for deer management?
22 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
SCOTLAND: The Big Picture?s Fiadh project is aiming to catalyse fresh conversations around the often contentious subject of deer management.

Secure Jackdaw funds for Scotland, John Swinney urges Andy Burnham
21 Oct 2026 at 4:08pm
Anger from Commons Speaker over announcement to media

UK Government approves Jackdaw gas field
21 Oct 2026 at 9:05am
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said it was a ?win for Aberdeen?

Preventing poverty and its consequences: why we must close the take-up gap fo...
21 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
The moral and economic case for putting money into people?s pockets and millions of pounds into Scotland?s communities is clear, now it is time for action.

Google Cloud services mostly resolved after outage affects banks and businesses
20 Oct 2026 at 6:00pm
Google said the incident was caused by a "power event" which impacted data centres in London which began affecting services around 7am

BBC Scotland TV channel axed as broadcaster seeks ?500m savings
20 Oct 2026 at 4:31pm
The SNP has urged bosses to rethink the decision to move the channel online

Scotland's heat transition is stalling ? it needs a route that works for ever...
20 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
As Scotland?s gas network, we know the transition to a lower carbon economy requires solutions that work for every household and business, particularly when it comes to decarbonising home heating.

Blow to Reform UK as first MSP quits Holyrood group
19 Oct 2026 at 1:00pm
Amanda Bland's decision pushes Reform into third place behind Scottish Labour

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

No 10: Hegseth ?wrong? to say most non-US Nato soldiers didn?t fight in Afgha...
19 Oct 2026 at 5:18pm
Downing Street delivered a rare rebuke to a senior member of Donald Trump?s administrationAsked why the Lib Dems were opposed to a third runway at Heathrow when they professed to be in favour of growth, Cooper said she did not accept that a third runway would produce all the benefits its supporte...

SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun?
17 Oct 2026 at 4:45pm
John Swinney tells party conference SNP will use ?six-figure war chest? to renew argument for leaving UKJohn Swinney has said that the second referendum campaign for Scottish independence ?has already begun?, revealing a nationwide effort to renew the argument for leaving the UK in his keynote ad...

Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference?
15 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
Prime minister presents new kind of challenge for SNP, and his Scottish visit will loom large over its big eventThis year, even Andy Burnham is invited to the Scottish National party conference. But by the time John Swinney stands up to address members on Saturday afternoon in Aberdeen to reinvig...

Burnham tells Zelenskyy?s UK?s support for Ukraine ?will not change? ? as it ...
14 Oct 2026 at 6:06pm
Zelenskyy says he will be discussing intelligence sharing ?difficulties? and Starlink access with BurnhamPMQs is about to start.Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.After @genevieve_holl reported this last night, various sources in the Trump administration who are supportive of Farage s...

MI5 chief Ken McCallum confirms Russia did interfere in Brexit referendum but...
13 Oct 2026 at 5:23pm
He argued there was no evidence to suggest the result of the Brexit vote had been swayed as a result of the effortAndy Burnham promises ?serious dialogue? over UK?s relationship with EUZia Yusuf, Reform UK?s home affairs spokesperson, has said he does not agree with his colleague Suella Braverman...

UK politics live: Pat McFadden tells Labour activists they should not defend ...
27 Sep 2026 at 6:11pm
Work and pensions secretary says the current system is flawed because it consigns too many people to a life on benefits when they would be better off working?I can deliver?: Burnham pledges radical change on eve of Labour conferenceKuenssberg puts it to Burnham that, according to the Health Found...

New powerful synthetic opioids behind sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths
23 Sep 2026 at 2:12pm
Eleven per cent increase in fatalities last year partly down to presence of nitazenes in Scotland?s illicit drug marketNew forms of a powerful synthetic opioid have contributed to a sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths, with the latest data showing an 11% increase in fatalities last yearAnnual figu...

Scottish Labour?s new leader backs Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gasfields
19 Sep 2026 at 1:52pm
Michael Marra supports development of the North Sea sites, calling for a ?more rational? approach to energy policyScottish Labour?s new leader Michael Marra has backed the development of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gasfields in the North Sea in one of his first acts after being elected, call...

Planning permission for new Scottish AI datacentres suspended for up to a year
16 Sep 2026 at 7:28pm
MSPs vote for strict environmental impact assessments and will delay decisions until national strategy is developedHolyrood has voted to pause planning applications for all new AI datacentres for up to a year until the Scottish government has developed a national strategy.On Wednesday, MSPs backe...

UK politics: Farage hints that Reform?s £72m donations may not be legal under...
14 Sep 2026 at 6:04pm
In an interview about the donations, he said they are compliant with the law ?today?Andy Burnham has cancelled engagements today and tomorrow following the death of his father Roy, who was suffering from Alzheimer?s, the Press Association reports.Burnham has spoken about his father?s illness whic...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Newly independent countries can quickly establish a currency
25 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm
One of the biggest mistakes the Yes campaign made during the 2014 referendum campaign was Alex Salmond’s declaration that a newly independent Scotland would enter a currency union with the remnant UK and continue to use pound sterling as its currency. This gave the Better Together parties the opportunity, which they immediately took, to assert …

BBC Scotland?s useful idiots
24 Oct 2026 at 11:34am
Police Scotland has announced that it will make no further investigations into the finances of Yes Scotland, having found no evidence of criminality. Headed by Blair Jenkins, Yes Scotland was the organisation which represented the official Yes campaign in the 2014 referendum. It handed over its full accounts to Police Scotland after a complaint was …

The £1 trillion cost of the Union to Scotland
23 Oct 2026 at 1:46pm
Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey has admitted that if the UK had in set up a sovereign wealth fund on the basis of income generated from North Sea oil and gas as Norway did in the 1980s, it would currently be worth in excess of the eye watering sum of £1 trillion pounds. That …

The BBC, switching off Scotland
21 Oct 2026 at 1:57pm
The BBC has announced that the BBC Scotland channel is to close in spring 2027 as part of its cost-cutting measures. Also ceasing linear broadcasting will be BBC Three and BBC Radio 4 Extra. The channels will become online only. The BBC Scotland Channel was established in 24 February 2019, replacing the BBC Two Scotland …

Buses, indy and Reform?s implosion
19 Oct 2026 at 2:16pm
Despite BBC Scotland doing its best to ignore or marginalise the recent SNP conference in Aberdeen, the SNP have come out from their conference, united, confident and energised with a batch of eye-catching policies which are likely to be popular with the public, not the least of which is the commitment to take Scotland’s bus …

Pulling Focus
17 Oct 2026 at 10:47am
It’s a sign of how spooked they are by the Celtic Alliance and the question of Scottish independence that just won’t go away that both Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch decided to pay visits to Scotland during the SNP conference in desperate and transparent attempts to pull focus, like a narcissistic mother with a bad …

It?s time to abolish the Scotland Office
16 Oct 2026 at 1:06pm
On the first day of the SNP conference, the membership voted overwhelmingly for the abolition of the Scotland Office and the post of Secretary of state for Scotland, also known as the Scottish Secretary. The vote was of course symbolic as the Scotland Office is a department of the Westminster government while its head, the …

SNP conference, day 1 and the Choose Scotland campaign
15 Oct 2026 at 2:46pm
It’s sod’s law. Just as the SNP party conference gets underway and the biggest push for independence in a decade has been announced, WordPress, the platform this blog uses, has implemented an update which has run into some glitches and is preventing many people from being able to post comments or replies. If you are …

Emily Thornberry?s EU English exceptionalism
14 Oct 2026 at 3:53pm
Labour MP Emily Thornberry has suggested that the UK could rejoin the EU without another referendum to overturn the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum. Speaking to Sky News, she said the majority agree that Brexit was a disaster and the UK should just rejoin the EU, another referendum is not necessary in her view. …

The SNP is right to maintain its boycott of the Lords
13 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
Last week, the SNP’s former Westminster leader Ian Blackford, speaking to The National newspaper’s podcast, suggested that the party’s refusal to take any seat in Westminster?s upper chamber was a weakness as it left them with “no way of affecting legislation in that House”. While insisting that he accepts the long standing SNP policy of …

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

This weekend?s storms seem to confirm that few Scottish homes will have to be...
26 Oct 2026 at 8:53am
In the Guardian 31 January 2026: ?Homes may have to be abandoned?: how climate crisis has reshaped Britain?s flood risk https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/jan/31/climate-crisis-flood-risk-britain There?s only one mention of Scotland: But it is not just the south-west facing ever more floods as the climate crisis bites. Environment Agency data estimates 6.3m properties in Engla...

Not even one one report of a flooded home for the second year in a row ? I wo...
26 Oct 2026 at 8:42am
BBC Scotland has not one report of a family flooded out of their home this morning, despite the severity of storms this last three days. A year ago, something similar happened: STV News, 14 December 2025: Scots homes ?likely to be flooded? as amber weather warning for ?very heavy rain? issued ? The alert comes into effect from midnight on Sunday and remains in place until 11.59pm. The same hope...

BBC Scotland desperate for their first ever NHS strike, in SIX weeks, put the...
26 Oct 2026 at 8:30am
on whether to take action…………….voting due to close on 7th December. In their tiny insert in BBC Breakfast, every half-four, the BBC Reporting Scotland team gave over most of the time allocation to this possibility of a strike, in more than 5 weeks. They cannot wait to have you start the process of thinking NHS Scotland is as troubled as NHS England and for old folk to wonder if it’s worth atten...

New ?heart-pumping? BBC horror show set on a stricken ferry has to be moved t...
26 Oct 2026 at 12:11am
From the Herald yesterday: and: Only hours later, the project has had to be moved to the Isle of Wight. First the CalMac engineers failed to produce a genuinely convincing breakdown and drifting, stricken. To be fair there has never been a Calmac ferry engine failure at sea leading it being ‘stricken.’ Luckily for the producers, there have been at least three incidents where Red Funnel and Wigh...

Chancellor proudly promises to build proportionally far fewer affordable coun...
25 Oct 2026 at 7:35pm
In The Mirror yesterday, the above and: Chancellor to unveil £1billion boost to build up to 10,000 new council homes in Budget EXCLUSIVE: The Chancellor is set to announce more than £1billion of new funding for social and affordable housing, taking the total capital investment to more than £40 billion over the next 10 years. The announcement next week by Chancellor John Healey will take the tot...

After centuries of doing what they?re told by London Labour, child poverty in...
25 Oct 2026 at 4:39pm
From BBC Wales today, the above and: “I was sleeping on the sofa, she had a bed that was propped up on books. One of the legs had fallen off completely.” Sarah Ruscoe, a single mum out of work because of a health condition, said she had worried her daughter’s bed would collapse in the night after finding herself in a “dire” financial situation. A food bank user, Ruscoe said “every year seems to...

Using Scotland?s revenue to build massively subsidised nuclear energy in Engl...
25 Oct 2026 at 3:52pm
In the Herald yesterday, the above. They will, of course, do just what Keith Brown fears but I have to say, I’d be more worried about the health consequences than the theft of Scottish revenue. From the Lancet in July 2026: The Lancet is one of the world's most highly respected and influential general medical journals. Latest Journal Impact Factor (JIF): 109.0 (2025 JCR, released June 2026, bas...

?England is getting to be more like a state of the United States. Scotland, i...
25 Oct 2026 at 3:25pm
The recent TuS reports on Professor Danny Dorling of Oxford University and the Child Payment reminded me of this By reader Scott on 27 February 2020: Tonight on BBC 4?s Beyond 100 days: ?Infant mortality began to rise after 2015. More babies died at a higher rate each year in England. They didn?t in Scotland. And in Scotland they actually decided to spend more on infants and babies and there th...

Storm Boelo today is further evidence that Scotland does not need cheap, unse...
25 Oct 2026 at 9:37am
The combination, above, of adequate crew, decently paid, and the stability of employment needed to learn such skill, along with the superiority of well-built, at times 'expensive' mono-hulls over the cheap catamarans some would foist on us in a politicised media campaign against the SNP in government. Storm Boelo reminds us of this tragic event in August 2026: Widely broadcast this morning and ...

Animal experimentation in Scotland ? Ferret fact-finder plays same disgusting...
25 Oct 2026 at 9:14am
Professor John Robertson, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, University of the West of Scotland, to 2016. The Ferret, at times excellent then at others (author?) with a barely concealed Unionist agenda, is up to it again today with their piece on animal experiments. If you wanted to harm the reputation of the SNP in government, this is a good one for the Union, if the MSM pick it up: We now ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which i...
8 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?  The Conversation

New poll finds Scots back independence and almost half want indyref2 in five ...
25 Oct 2026 at 2:38pm
New poll finds Scots back independence and almost half want indyref2 in five years  The National Scot

Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham - BBC
17 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham  BBC

Andy Burnham risks 'vicious' division as Scottish independence demanded | Fra...
25 Oct 2026 at 6:31pm
Andy Burnham risks 'vicious' division as Scottish independence demanded | Framing Analysis  NewsCord

John Redwood: Scottish independence is a mistake - Conservative Home
21 Oct 2026 at 6:30am
John Redwood: Scottish independence is a mistake  Conservative Home

Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference - Financial...
13 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference  Financial Times

Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda - The Spoke...
18 Oct 2026 at 3:05am
Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda  The Spokesman-Review

Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination - A...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination  Al Jazeera

Police find no criminality in Yes Scotland finances - BBC
23 Oct 2026 at 12:03pm
Police find no criminality in Yes Scotland finances  BBC

Dave Doogan: I am an operative charged with delivering Scotland?s independenc...
15 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Dave Doogan: I am an operative charged with delivering Scotland?s independence  Holyrood Website

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP ?betraying? Scottish factories with Chinese-made schoolbags - The Times
25 Oct 2026 at 6:00pm
SNP ?betraying? Scottish factories with Chinese-made schoolbags  The Times

SNP Cabinet Secretary says Jackdaw gas field approval was 'the right decision...
25 Oct 2026 at 12:42pm
SNP Cabinet Secretary says Jackdaw gas field approval was 'the right decision'  The Herald

Proceeds of crime action against former SNP chief Murrell delayed - BBC
11 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Proceeds of crime action against former SNP chief Murrell delayed  BBC

New DDRop Attack Breaks Intel TDX and AMD SEV-SNP Confidential Computing - Th...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
New DDRop Attack Breaks Intel TDX and AMD SEV-SNP Confidential Computing  The Hacker News

Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference? - The Guar...
16 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference?  The Guardian

SNP members back resolution supporting UK-wide ban on X - The Independent
17 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
SNP members back resolution supporting UK-wide ban on X  The Independent

Read in full: SNP, Plaid Cymru and Sinn Féin sign joint memorandum of underst...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Read in full: SNP, Plaid Cymru and Sinn Féin sign joint memorandum of understanding  The Herald

SNP spends millions on public sector ?ghost jobs? - The Telegraph
25 Oct 2026 at 3:00pm
SNP spends millions on public sector ?ghost jobs?  The Telegraph

Exclusive: SNP under fire for lack of action to tackle alcohol deaths as focu...
26 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Exclusive: SNP under fire for lack of action to tackle alcohol deaths as focus on tackling drug fatalities  The Scotsman

Senior doctor warns SNP's NHS shake-up risks 'small death' of local hospitals...
26 Oct 2026 at 12:13am
Senior doctor warns SNP's NHS shake-up risks 'small death' of local hospitals  The Herald

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which i...
8 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?  The Conversation

New poll finds Scots back independence and almost half want indyref2 in five ...
25 Oct 2026 at 2:38pm
New poll finds Scots back independence and almost half want indyref2 in five years  The National Scot

Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same - Calgary J...
20 Oct 2026 at 1:52am
Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same  Calgary Journal

Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda - The Spoke...
18 Oct 2026 at 3:05am
Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda  The Spokesman-Review

John Redwood: Scottish independence is a mistake - Conservative Home
21 Oct 2026 at 6:30am
John Redwood: Scottish independence is a mistake  Conservative Home

Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination - A...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination  Al Jazeera

Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda - Bloomberg.com
17 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda  Bloomberg.com

Edinburgh's unionist councillors back referendum ? on boundary changes to cap...
22 Oct 2026 at 5:58pm
Edinburgh's unionist councillors back referendum ? on boundary changes to capital  The Herald

John Swinney aiming for independence referendum by 2031 - BBC
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
John Swinney aiming for independence referendum by 2031  BBC

Burnham Inadvertently Reinvigorates Scottish Separatism - The American Conser...
21 Oct 2026 at 5:01am
Burnham Inadvertently Reinvigorates Scottish Separatism  The American Conservative