The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Reform UK admits ?errors? as police assess Holyrood election spending
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
18 Oct 2026 at 2:01pm
Police Scotland is assessing whether Reform UK Holyrood candidates broke Holyrood election spending rules.


John Swinney compared to dictator as bus plans branded ?business confiscation?
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
18 Oct 2026 at 11:20am
John Swinney has been compared to dictators as McGill's Group threatens legal action over plans to bring buses in Scotland under public control.


Listen John, taking Andy Burnham's olive branch may actually grant you indyref2
by Dani Garavelli
18 Oct 2026 at 6:15am
A Labour government in Westminster should always have been a problem for the SNP, especially a deflated, too-long-in-government SNP which had failed to deliver on many of the left-wing policies it had promised. But Keir Starmer was so deeply unpopular north of the border he failed to lay a blow


Death of Scotland?s seas? Fury at SNP stewardship of country's once-bountiful...
by Neil Mackay
18 Oct 2026 at 6:15am
Campaigners are outraged at the SNP?s stewardship of the sea. Our Writer at Large hears from them, and their fishing lobby opponents who have just hired an SNP minister as CEO


I watched BBC Scotland for a night and all I got was this lousy sense of doom
by alison.rowat@theherald.co.uk | Alison Rowat
18 Oct 2026 at 6:15am
Seven years after the BBC Scotland channel launched with big ambitions, its audience is shrinking and its future is in doubt. I spent an evening watching it to find out what has gone wrong.


'Trump is watching closely' Is tomorrow?s referendum vote Canada?s ?Brexit Mo...
by david.pratt@heraldandtimes.co.uk | David Pratt
18 Oct 2026 at 6:15am
Amid claims of US meddling, oil-rich Alberta will vote on whether to hold a binding referendum on leaving Canada. Foreign Editor David Pratt examines what?s at stake


John Swinney says stars are aligning but support for independence remains stuck
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
17 Oct 2026 at 5:24pm
John Swinney says SNP independence campaign has begun at Aberdeen conference, but Scotland remains divided as polls clash over a second referendum debate.


John Swinney says the campaign for Scottish independence has already begun
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
17 Oct 2026 at 4:16pm
John Swinney used his SNP conference speech in Aberdeen to declare that the campaign for a second independence referendum has already begun.


Swinney vows to bring Scotland?s bus network back into public control by 2031
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
17 Oct 2026 at 3:34pm
John Swinney used his SNP conference speech to pledge bus franchising across Scotland by 2031, a new misogyny criminal offence before next summer, and a £30 million fund to tackle racism in communities.


Q Manivannan and US Office star beaten to University of St Andrews rectorship
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
17 Oct 2026 at 11:47am
A Scottish Green MSP and one of the stars of the U.S version of The Office have been beaten to the rectorship of the University of St Andrews


Women?s health champion rubbishes SNP plan to tackle gynaecology crisis
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
17 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Scotland?s women?s health champion has pushed back on an SNP-backed gynaecology workforce scheme as Maree Todd pledged action on rural care and abortion services.


NHS staff anger over bombshell plan to reshape orthopaedic surgery across Sco...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
17 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
A confidential Scottish Government blueprint for orthopaedic surgery ? revealed by The Herald ? calls for 100 extra clinics and 15 extra theatres monthly, while surgeons, nurses and unions say they were never consulted.


Swinney says the 'stars are aligning' for independence but polls show Scots s...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
17 Oct 2026 at 12:01am
John Swinney will tell SNP conference the stars are aligning for independence but three polls published this week show Scots are split on the constitution and rank it well below the cost of living in their list of priorities.


Scottish Greens co-leader says 'realisation' of Zionism is racist
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
17 Oct 2026 at 2:45pm
Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay hesitates on whether Zionism is racist, citing Gaza, the West Bank and Palestinian self-determination at SNP conference.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Threat posed by Russia 'a double-edged sword for Scotland'
18 Oct 2026 at 7:41pm

Dr Marc DeVore said Scotland is more exposed, but could benefit from extra defence spending

The bus operator has threatened to fight the scheme in ?every court in the land?

Andy Burnham says he wants to work with John Swinney - will this actually ever happen?

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 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

Four Days in Ekaterinburg
21 Sep 2026 at 1:26pm

I was surprised a few weeks ago to get an invitation from Yana Lantratova, Russian Federal Commissioner for Human Rights, to deliver a speech on human rights to the International Youth Festival in Ekaterinburg. It is approaching 20 years since I was last in Russia, and I tend to avoid invitations from governments. But on …

Four Days in Ekaterinburg

BBC Scotland

McGill's accuse Swinney of behaving like dictator over bus plans
18 Oct 2026 at 1:33pm
The first minister outlined plans to bring buses under public control during his speech at the SNP conference.

Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham
17 Oct 2026 at 4:36pm
The first minister also used his SNP conference speech to announce plans for Scotland's bus network to be brought under public control.

Swinney's emotional explanation for his commitment to independence
17 Oct 2026 at 7:11pm
BBC Scotland's political editor Glenn Campbell reflects on John Swinney's SNP conference speech.

Chris Mason: Burnham and Swinney tussle over where power lies in Scotland
16 Oct 2026 at 9:08pm
UK political debate has a distinctly Scottish feel after SNP's annual conference, says the BBC's political editor Chris Mason.

Burnham invites Swinney to work together on 'deeper Scottish devolution'
16 Oct 2026 at 3:36pm
On his first substantive trip to Scotland since becoming PM, he says politicians should focus on solutions "right now" and move beyond the issue of Scottish independence.

'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum
15 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
The SNP's Stephen Flynn tells his party's conference independence supporters are "winning the argument".

What does Andy Burnham have up his sleeve as he crashes SNP conference?
15 Oct 2026 at 6:18am
The prime minister's first substantive visit to Scotland coincides with the SNP's conference in Aberdeen.

Fewer than 800 Scots have received jabs for weight loss on NHS, BBC finds
15 Oct 2026 at 6:17am
Only five of Scotland's 14 health boards currently offer the treatment specifically for weight loss, it has emerged.

Obama says drift towards extremism 'not inevitable'
15 Oct 2026 at 11:51am
More than 12,000 people filled a major venue in the city to hear the former US president's take on the challenges the world is facing. .

I do not have confidence UK is safe from Russian threats - Swinney
14 Oct 2026 at 5:57pm
The first minister speaks to BBC Scotland News ahead of the SNP's annual conference in Aberdeen.

Burnham - Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas decisions coming 'shortly'
14 Oct 2026 at 3:13pm
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has urged the prime minister to stop "faffing about" with the North Sea oil and gas fields.

Swimmer Archie Goodburn thanks prime minister as brain cancer review announced
14 Oct 2026 at 8:04pm
The Scottish athlete, who has inoperable brain tumours, previously made a tearful plea for more investment in brain cancer research on BBC Breakfast.

Scot Goes Pop

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...

Sky News goes full Pravda in its coverage of the Holborn & St Pancras by-elec...
9 Oct 2026 at 1:04pm
Holborn & St Pancras by-election result (8th October 2026):Labour 45.2% (-3.7)Greens 32.8% (+22.4)Conservatives 7.1% (-0.1)Reform UK 5.9% (-0.2)Liberal Democrats 3.4% (-2.4)Restore Britain 2.5% (n/...

Tories' plan to impose new nuclear power stations on Scotland means they have...
7 Oct 2026 at 2:39am
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...

Watch out for ORCS! Rory Stewart thrillingly brings back "The Middleland", by...
4 Oct 2026 at 3:29pm
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...

Burnham's TIME-BENDING hypocrisy: "It's fine for us to consider overturning t...
1 Oct 2026 at 1:35am
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...

Burnham uses the loss of his father as an excuse for stripping Scotland of it...
29 Sep 2026 at 7:00pm
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

Reform admits ?errors? as police assess if election spending rules were broken
18 Oct 2026 at 1:14pm
It has been reported that four candidates for the Scottish Parliament did not submit returns on how much they spent on campaigns

Swinney compared to dictator over plans to bring buses under public control
18 Oct 2026 at 1:11pm
McGill's Group, owned by Sandy and James Easdale, condemned the proposals as 'business confiscation'

Buses to be brought under public control by 2031, says John Swinney
17 Oct 2026 at 5:33pm
Legislation will be tabled at Holyrood next year

John Swinney tells SNP conference of drive to deliver independence for his son
17 Oct 2026 at 5:06pm
The Scottish First Minister and SNP leader closed his party?s annual conference in Aberdeen

SNP members back resolution supporting UK-wide ban on X
17 Oct 2026 at 2:00pm
The resolution, which also said the SNP should remove itself from the social media platform, was passed overwhelmingly at the party?s conference

Scotland is one of the most centralised nations in Europe, says Burnham
16 Oct 2026 at 1:14pm
Speaking in Motherwell, the Prime Minister said devolution 'was never supposed to stop at the doors of the Scottish Parliament'

UK ban on strangulation and incest in porn to come into force
16 Oct 2026 at 9:03am
The content will be outlawed from November 6 after cross-party pressure about the negative impact on women and girls

Scottish Government pledges £10 million for two specialist defence colleges
16 Oct 2026 at 7:11am
Innovation minister Alyn Smith confirmed the Scottish Government would work with the UK Government to establish two such colleges in Scotland

Prime Minister Burnham to urge John Swinney to shift power to councils across...
15 Oct 2026 at 10:30pm
The Prime Minister is visiting Lanarkshire, crashing the SNP's national conference in Aberdeen.

Public sector reforms could be ?building blocks of independent state? ? minister
15 Oct 2026 at 5:06pm
Public service reform seretary Ivan McKee spoke out during a fringe meeting at the SNP conference

Time ahead the greatest challenge ever for independence movement, says Flynn
15 Oct 2026 at 1:18pm
Economy secretary Stephen Flynn addressed the SNP conference on Thursday

Burnham urged to ?bring it on? and allow second Scottish independence vote
15 Oct 2026 at 7:40am
Economy Secretary Stephen Flynn will make the demand as the SNP conference gets under way in Aberdeen on Thursday.

Reform councillors told to resign after ?chilling? ITV investigation
14 Oct 2026 at 9:04pm
Labour chair Bridget Phillipson said anyone found to have made "such despicable comments" must be made to leave Reform UK "immediately". 

Decision on North Sea?s Jackdaw gas field ?imminent?, Energy Secretary says
14 Oct 2026 at 5:37pm
The UK Government is considering whether to grant permission for two projects

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Energy bills support options for terminally ill Scots stuck in fuel poverty s...
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
John Swinney's government has backed the Sunday Mail's campaign to protect terminally ill patients from soaring fuel costs.

John Swinney ignores Peter Murrell elephant in the room in SNP conference speech
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
In his keynote address to the SNP faithful who were embezzled by Murrell, Swinney talked about independence and buses.

Major new North Sea gas field at Jackdaw 'to be approved by Andy Burnham this...
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Senior industry sources told the Sunday Mail the controversial project off the coast of Aberdeen is set for the green light.

Councils 'receive no correspondence' from Scot Gov on monster AI data centre ...
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Scots campaigners will take to the streets in their thousands next month opposing the controversial developments.

Bus services across Scotland to be brought under 'public control' by 2031, cl...
17 Oct 2026 at 4:14pm
The First Minister announced "by the end of this Parliament, through franchising and regulation, the SNP will bring the bus network back into public control".

Andy Burnham will deliver Devolution 2.0 to empower communities across Scotland
17 Oct 2026 at 9:15am
Writing for the Record, the Secretary of State for Scotland says the centralisation of powers at Holyrood has left the country in a "strange place".

Donald Trump sacks White House Press Secretary after disastrous week
16 Oct 2026 at 7:03pm
Katie Zacharia's time as White House Press Secretary lasted just five days as she faced questions about her qualifications

Andy Burnham shows why he's the most popular leader in Scotland with a positi...
16 Oct 2026 at 4:27pm
A Prime Minister with a positive message for Scotland clashes with the SNP's endless claims that Westminster must be viewed as the enemy, says Chris McCall

Andy Burnham says he wants to 'move beyond constitutional questions' on Scotl...
16 Oct 2026 at 1:28pm
Speaking on a visit to a college built on the site of the former Ravenscraig steel works, the Prime Minister said devolution was "never meant to end at the doors of Holyood".

Warning over horror firework injuries suffered by kids as cops warns explosiv...
16 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Firework?related injuries to youngsters have surged over the last year as police warn that pyros are getting more powerful.

The National

The National | Politics

SNP have picked up the weakest of Believe in Scotland?s ideas
18 Oct 2026 at 7:35pm

SO, the SNP?s BIG NEWS is that we?re getting a survey ... yup. That phenomenon folk of my generation associate with people in supermarkets with clipboards and insane grins asking you about washing powder.

Independent Scotland could give up share of UK military assets, SNP MP says
18 Oct 2026 at 6:32pm

AN independent Scotland would have a legitimate claim to its share of UK military equipment, but the SNP would be prepared to walk away from some of those assets rather than weaken the rest of the UK?s armed forces, Dave Doogan has said

BBC pauses secondment scheme following accusations civil servants wrote articles
18 Oct 2026 at 4:37pm

THE BBC has paused its civil service secondment scheme after it was accused of breaching impartiality rules after civil servants were found to be fact-checking and writing articles

Protests spread to Lisbon and Milan while 1800 arrested in France
18 Oct 2026 at 4:10pm

POLICE have arrested at least 1800 people across France after violent groups clashed with officers and looted shops during nationwide demonstrations, with protests now spreading to Portugal and Italy

Scotland's leaders urged to oppose Rosebank amid Israeli settlement concerns
18 Oct 2026 at 1:46pm

MAJOR human rights, climate and faith organisations have urged leaders to oppose Rosebank following news that the expansion could be affected by the UK's new sanctions on Israeli settlements

Reform UK admits 'errors' as police assess Scottish election spending
18 Oct 2026 at 12:27pm

POLICE are assessing whether Reform UK candidates broke election spending rules, while the party admitted making ?administrative errors? during the Scottish Parliament election in May

?This is mental?: Backlash after Labour peer interviews Labour Cabinet minister
18 Oct 2026 at 12:02pm

A SKY News show in which a Labour peer was interviewing a Labour cabinet minister has attracted criticism

SNP ministers among 25 politicians backing 'complete ban' on conversion pract...
18 Oct 2026 at 11:54am

A PLEDGE to ban conversion practices in Scotland has secured 25 signatures from MSPs

Deputy First Minister defends SNP bus plans after McGill?s threatens legal ac...
18 Oct 2026 at 11:20am

Scotland's Deputy First Minister has pledged to work with bus companies to bring buses back under public control after a major firm accused First Minister John Swinney of behaving like a dictator

Questions as councils reveal no government guidance on Scotland's data centre...
18 Oct 2026 at 11:06am

THE Scottish Government has been urged to provide clarity after councils with live hyperscale data centre applications confirmed they have received no guidance on Holyrood?s vote to pause applications

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Stephen Gethins: Scotland ?in danger of being left behind? on energy security
17 Oct 2026 at 7:20pm
Stephen Gethins warned that not being a part of the single market puts ?our business at a competitive disadvantage?

Angela Constance: Scotland must be ?far more joined up? to meet health challe...
16 Oct 2026 at 5:59pm
Health secretary speaks out at SNP conference fringe event

Andy Burnham: Power too centralised in Scotland
16 Oct 2026 at 1:01am
Burnham will meet young people in Lanarkshire during a visit to Scotland which coincides with the SNP conference in Aberdeen.

Dave Doogan has a secret defence plan for an independent Scotland
15 Oct 2026 at 11:00pm
He also admitted to harbouring an ambition to be the defence secretary

Dave Doogan: A plan to defend an independent Scotland is ?not an ambition, it...
15 Oct 2026 at 7:54pm
Doogan warned that ?the threats are there? and Scotland must have a plan for defence in the buildup to independence

Polling: SNP on track to be in ?most powerful position at Westminster in our ...
14 Oct 2026 at 4:26pm
The deputy first minister reacted to new polling suggesting the SNP could receive 34 per cent of the vote at the next general election

Andy Burnham: Manchester-style approach can clean up Glasgow
14 Oct 2026 at 3:59pm
Pledge to MP during Prime Minister's Questions

Majority of Scots back ?pragmatic? North Sea approach
14 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
Over two-thirds of Scots agree decisions on oil and gas should be made on a case-by-case basis

AI ?supercharging? cyber threats, MI5 chief warns
13 Oct 2026 at 5:00pm
MI5 has launched a new AI Threat Assessment Centre

Prime minister to visit Scotland during SNP conference
13 Oct 2026 at 12:22pm
The prime minister will be north of the border to discuss his plans to devolve more powers to local authorities

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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...

Westminster?s time is coming to an end, say first ministers of UK?s Celtic na...
14 Sep 2026 at 2:21pm
Leaders in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland discuss independence and call for constitutional change at summitWestminster?s time is coming to an end, the first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have said at a summit aimed at putting the UK?s Celtic nations on the path to indepe...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

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 …

Sticking with the status quo isn?t working
12 Oct 2026 at 2:53pm
Andy Burnham has decided to reopen the question of the UK’s relationship with the EU, telling MPs on Monday that it is time to “face up to the reality that Brexit has done more harm than good” and “the status quo is not good enough for Britain,” and that and “the status quo isn’t working …

America?s moral turpitude is infesting British politics
10 Oct 2026 at 2:58pm
I don’t usually blog about America unless it directly affects or involves Scotland, but for the latest example of how far that once great country has fallen into moral turpitude under Trump, I’ll make an exception. The very same people who had a collective meltdown over the sight of a Black mermaid or Black Helen …

Badenoch has killed off the once in a generation claim
7 Oct 2026 at 1:51pm
The Tories have officially ripped up the Vow to which they were signatories in 2014. This was the panicked promise made by the Better Together parties – one of which was the Conservatives – two days before the independence referendum which promised extensive new powers for Scotland, quasi-federal status, a guarantee that the Scottish Parliament …

The British right has Holyrood in its sights
6 Oct 2026 at 2:29pm
The Tories have crossed the Rubicon. Since the independence referendum of 2014, which Better Together won on the basis of false promises, not the least of which was the promise that the powers of the Scottish Parliament would never be clawed back by Westminster, the Westminster parties have largely attempted to maintain a fig leaf …

Labour?s gone from jam tomorrow to maybe jam eventually
5 Oct 2026 at 9:43am
One of the key promises of the Labour party in Scotland during the 2024 Westminster general election campaign was that a vote for Labour was a vote to save the jobs of the workers at the Grangemouth refinery which at that time was threatened with closure. As we all know, the refinery closed despite Labour’s …

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

To what extent have former colonies of the British Empire achieved independen...
18 Oct 2026 at 7:49pm
Would you trust any human, academic or otherwise, to answer that honestly? Not me so this is AI based on my thesis and post-checking: To a substantial extent. Former British colonies achieved independence primarily because of historical events that weakened the Empire and reshaped the international order, with colonial nationalism and direct efforts acting as important accelerators, localizers,...

If Canada and Oz don?t need a Douglas Alexander, why do we?
18 Oct 2026 at 2:50pm
From Nation Cymru, yesterday: Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams has called for the Wales Office to be scrapped, saying it often does ?more harm than good? and reinforces Westminster?s position rather than challenging it. Speaking to The National Podcast at the SNP conference in Aberdeen, Ms Williams said devolution had removed the need for the role. ?Over 27 years of devolution we have come...

Yvette Cooper, Health Secretary for England offers tiny 0.06% NHS winter fund...
18 Oct 2026 at 10:00am
Today in the Guardian: The NHS faces a more challenging winter than normal, the health secretary has warned, as she announced a £140m increase for urgent care in England. Yvette Cooper said the money would help increase capacity, and that the NHS has been preparing since July to deal with the impact of seasonal illnesses. Total NHS England budget for 2025/2026 was: £215 billion.1 Yvette Cooper,...

Glasgow University is a safer place to study than ALL English universities ? ...
18 Oct 2026 at 6:59am
Having just see their lame, mainstream account of drug deaths in Scotland, I wondered if they had ever shared important findings on safety from crime in Glasgow. I could only find, recently, the above, and: In June, the BBC reported that the number of sexual crimes that occur in Scotland has increased by 3% in the last year ? the highest it has been since 1971. This is a staggering and terrifyi...

Glasgow University ?official? student newspaper misinforming on ?The Drug Dea...
18 Oct 2026 at 6:40am
Self-described as: The Glasgow Guardian is the multi-award-winning independent newspaper of Glasgow University, and one of the oldest student publications to exist. We publish print editions monthly, and we?ve broken stories that have caught the attention of national press, politicians, and activists, and are made up of a thriving base of talented writers, editors and reporters. https://glasgow...

More than 100 refugee doctors trained to add to nearly 20% more than 5 years ...
17 Oct 2026 at 4:36pm
In the Herald yesterday, the above and: Funding to help refugee doctors return to the medical profession in the UK is almost doubling after the Scottish Government announced an additional £190,023 for the Bridges Programmes? Refugee Doctors Programme. The investment will help medically trained refugees gain General Medical Council (GMC) registration so they can practise in the UK, while bringin...

Scottish Government spends £107 million, £107 000 per householder, of your ta...
17 Oct 2026 at 4:18pm
BBC Scotland ‘News’ yesterday, the above from 2020, 4 years ago, and: A Hawick guest house and cafe that was partially washed away in floods has gone on the market. Video footage captured the moment river-facing walls of the Bridge Guest House building dramatically collapsed into the Teviot at the height of Storm Ciara in February 2020. Only seven paragraphs later, perhaps on the 17:30 broadcas...

As another private care home is exposed how we disclosed Anas Sarwar backing ...
17 Oct 2026 at 2:27pm
From BBC Scotland yesterday, the above and: A care home in North Ayrshire could be forced to close unless it drastically improves by the end of November. Shalom Nursing Home in Irvine has been issued with an improvement notice by the Care Inspectorate watchdog, which said there were significant concerns over the quality of care at the home. A report in August rated the care home, which looks af...

An NHS Scotland ?draft plan? with no overall ?public start date? and only a c...
17 Oct 2026 at 2:26pm
In the Herald today, the above and: Surgeons, nurses and NHS staff have reacted with anger to a secret blueprint for a massive overhaul of orthopaedic surgery in Scotland. Most only learned of the bombshell report’s existence when The Herald revealed it on Friday. Ooooh, when is management going to impose this ‘secret blueprint’ on staff? The plan is still a confidential draft (?Transforming El...

Have the Scottish Labour MPs joined the campaign against the ?shameful? Palan...
17 Oct 2026 at 2:22pm
In the Guardian today: NHS organisations that care for millions of people in England are rejecting Palantir?s patient data technology, according to freedom of information responses that reveal health bosses believe they can find better or equal alternatives in many cases. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/17/palantir-patient-data-tech-rejected-by-many-nhs-trusts-in-england In the ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

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

Independent Scotland could give up share of UK military assets, SNP MP says -...
18 Oct 2026 at 6:46pm
Independent Scotland could give up share of UK military assets, SNP MP says  The National Scot

New polls undermine John Swinney?s independence claims - The Times
15 Oct 2026 at 6:15pm
New polls undermine John Swinney?s independence claims  The Times

Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham - BBC
17 Oct 2026 at 6:01pm
Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham  BBC

Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference - Financial...
14 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference  Financial Times

Swinney insists 'stars are aligning' for Scottish independence - Yahoo
17 Oct 2026 at 9:17am
Swinney insists 'stars are aligning' for Scottish independence  Yahoo

Labour: There won?t be a Scottish independence referendum - ITN
16 Oct 2026 at 10:38am
Labour: There won?t be a Scottish independence referendum  ITN

John Swinney Tells SNP Conference Stars Are Aligning for Scottish Independenc...
17 Oct 2026 at 12:56pm
John Swinney Tells SNP Conference Stars Are Aligning for Scottish Independence: how 10 outlets framed it  NewsCord

Dave Doogan: I am an operative charged with delivering Scotland?s independenc...
15 Oct 2026 at 1:00am
Dave Doogan: I am an operative charged with delivering Scotland?s independence  Holyrood Website

Swinney says the 'stars are aligning' for independence but polls show Scots s...
17 Oct 2026 at 12:04am
Swinney says the 'stars are aligning' for independence but polls show Scots split  The Herald

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun? - T...
17 Oct 2026 at 6:25pm
SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun?  The Guardian

Swinney ends SNP conference with pledge to make Scotland a better country for...
18 Oct 2026 at 4:37pm
Swinney ends SNP conference with pledge to make Scotland a better country for his teenage son  Morning Star | The People?s Daily

Independent Scotland could give up share of UK military assets, SNP MP says -...
18 Oct 2026 at 6:46pm
Independent Scotland could give up share of UK military assets, SNP MP says  The National Scot

Death of Scotland?s seas? Fury at SNP stewardship of country's once-bountiful...
18 Oct 2026 at 3:14pm
Death of Scotland?s seas? Fury at SNP stewardship of country's once-bountiful waters  The Herald

What does Andy Burnham have up his sleeve as he crashes SNP conference? - BBC
14 Oct 2026 at 10:58pm
What does Andy Burnham have up his sleeve as he crashes SNP conference?  BBC

Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference - Financial...
14 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference  Financial Times

SNP President?s Prize awarded to Fife couple with more than a century of acti...
18 Oct 2026 at 10:10am
SNP President?s Prize awarded to Fife couple with more than a century of activism between them  Deadline News

SNP turns back on ?presumption against? oil and gas - Energy Voice
16 Oct 2026 at 6:34pm
SNP turns back on ?presumption against? oil and gas  Energy Voice

Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda - Bloomberg.com
17 Oct 2026 at 5:10pm
Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda  Bloomberg.com

Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference? - The Guar...
16 Oct 2026 at 10:36am
Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference?  The Guardian

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

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

'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum - BBC
15 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum  BBC

Burnham invites Swinney to work together on 'deeper Scottish devolution' - BBC
16 Oct 2026 at 3:36pm
Burnham invites Swinney to work together on 'deeper Scottish devolution'  BBC

Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda - Bloomberg.com
17 Oct 2026 at 5:10pm
Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda  Bloomberg.com

New polls undermine John Swinney?s independence claims - The Times
15 Oct 2026 at 6:15pm
New polls undermine John Swinney?s independence claims  The Times

Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference - Financial...
14 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference  Financial Times

Andy Burnham?s speech a distraction from anti-democratic block on independenc...
16 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
Andy Burnham?s speech a distraction from anti-democratic block on independence referendum, say Greens  Scottish Greens

Inside the independence conference debating whether Scotland is a ?colony? - ...
18 Oct 2026 at 2:35am
Inside the independence conference debating whether Scotland is a ?colony?  The National Scot

Labour: There won?t be a Scottish independence referendum - ITN
16 Oct 2026 at 10:38am
Labour: There won?t be a Scottish independence referendum  ITN

John Swinney says the campaign for Scottish independence has already begun - ...
17 Oct 2026 at 6:03pm
John Swinney says the campaign for Scottish independence has already begun  The Herald