The Herald

The Herald | Politics


FM insists QEUH A&E crisis matter for health board despite warning of patient ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
10 Nov 2026 at 4:53pm
The First Minister has defended the Scottish Government's refusal to step in at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, telling MSPs that the crisis in its A&E department is an "operational matter" for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.


Something rotten in Scotland's public bodies says MSP after Crown Estate reve...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
10 Nov 2026 at 4:05pm
John Swinney has refused to commission a review into an independent whistleblower office despite a string of bullying scandals at Crown Estate Scotland, the Scottish Prison Service, and Historic Environment Scotland rattling confidence in the country's public bodies.


John Swinney moves to protect NHS waiting lists after Royal Mail delays cause...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
10 Nov 2026 at 3:47pm
John Swinney will seek to stop patients losing their place on NHS waiting lists after Royal Mail delays of up to five weeks left Highlander missing hospital appointments.


How Hugh MacDiarmid's A Drunk Man changed Scottish literature forever
by Odhran Gallagher
10 Nov 2026 at 12:30pm
Hugh MacDiarmid transformed Scottish literature and inspired generations of nationalists. A century on, what remains of the legacy of A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle?


Scottish Labour leader calls for EU rejoin in party's next general election m...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
10 Nov 2026 at 11:37am
Michael Marra used a University of Edinburgh speech to call for UK EU membership as a long-term goal, writing to PM Andy Burnham to demand action


SNP consider increasing number of judges amid rise in 'serious criminal busin...
by Kathleen Nutt
10 Nov 2026 at 5:01am
Scotland may need more judges as High Court cases surge, with Justice Secretary Neil Gray warned victims of serious crimes could wait up to four years for justice.


I find women in burkas ?extremely intimidating?, says Reform deputy Thomas Kerr
by Craig Meighan
10 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
Reform UK Scotland deputy leader Thomas Kerr says he finds women in burkas intimidating and calls for a ban on face coverings in public.


Seven in 10 Scots back solar panels on public buildings, new poll finds
by Katrine Bussey, PA
10 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
A new survey reveals strong support for solar energy in Scotland, with 70% backing panels on public buildings and 59% supporting them on new homes.


Questions over NHS Lothian chief executive's 'inflation-busting' £30,000 pay ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
10 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
Audited accounts show NHS Lothian chief executive Caroline Hiscox earned between £225,000 and £230,000 in 2025/26. It is a 15% jump that exceeds the top of the national pay scale by thousands, with no explanation offered in the remuneration report.


Crown Estate Scotland staff report 'shocking' levels of bullying, leaked surv...
by Kathleen Nutt
10 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
Almost 30 per cent of staff at a Scottish Government public body have experienced "bullying or harassment", according to the results of internal research leaked to The Herald.


Kuenssberg on Boris, Farage and Westminster, but what of Sturgeon?
by alison.rowat@theherald.co.uk | Alison Rowat
10 Nov 2026 at 4:19pm
Laura Kuenssberg?s first book is terrific on the exhilarating life of a political journalist. But amid all the Westminster drama and Nigel Farage, Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish politics barely get a look-in


Breastfeeding boom as Scotland's poorest areas see biggest rise
by jody.harrison@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Jody Harrison
10 Nov 2026 at 12:39pm
A milestone for new families across Scotland


Here's the problem with saying the SNP and Swinney U-turned on oil and gas
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
9 Nov 2026 at 4:01pm
John Swinney was accused of a U-turn when he confirmed the SNP did not support the UK Government's ban on new oil and gas licences. Here's the problem.


MPs seek Police Scotland talks over new Fayed abuse claims at Highland estate
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
9 Nov 2026 at 2:48pm
MPs investigating the Fayed abuse scandal want to meet Police Scotland after fresh allegations involving a Highland estate, with findings set to inform a report.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Scottish Labour leader backs rejoining EU in change of position
10 Nov 2026 at 2:35pm

Michael Marra said rejoining should be included in the next UK Labour manifesto

Stephen Kerr MSP says there needs to be a ?national conversation?, accusing the Scottish Greens of gaming the system.

High Court indictments are expected to double from 110 to 240 a month before reducing to a new normal higher than before the pandemic.

The Confederation of Passenger Transport said it ?remains unclear? what the First Minister meant

Wings over Scotland

Stand By Your Posts
10 Nov 2026 at 10:16pm
We weren’t going to run this AI piece, but honestly the last line is ice cold. Regular readers will have noticed a lack of articles lately. The fault is partly mine: the editor and I have been busy with other things for a fortnight, and Holyrood has been left to its own devices. Having spent …

Vibecoding A Better World
28 Oct 2026 at 3:13pm
AI may very well kill us all in the coming weeks and months, but in the meantime it’s a magical tool that enables even near-idiots to perform near-miracles. While the Scottish Parliament has been off for the October half-term and nothing’s been happening in politics, I’ve been occupying myself with modifying some very old computer …

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 …

Craig Murray

Palestine Action Supreme Court Hearing Day 2
8 Nov 2026 at 6:38pm

I woke up at 5am, and rather than dashing back to court, I made good progress on writing up the first day. The surprising lack of demand for the public gallery was probably due to the fact that you were not actually allowed in the courtroom, but only in an overflow court. So I arrived …

Palestine Action Supreme Court Hearing Day 2

Palestine Action Supreme Court Hearing Day 1
5 Nov 2026 at 7:59am

UPDATE: this article is now complete; I published just the start yesterday. It was a remarkably mild early November morning at 6am as I left the Chelsea Cloisters hotel to get the tube to Westminster and the Supreme Court. I had been worried because I had forgotten to pack my thermal underwear. I had queued …

Palestine Action Supreme Court Hearing Day 1

To The Supreme Court
3 Nov 2026 at 11:57pm

I am in London at the UK Supreme Court for Huda Ammori’s appeal against the proscription of Palestine Action. Three Jewish groups have been granted intervention rights by the Court (two of them pro-Genocide) but no Palestinian group. One of the strongest grounds to contest the proscription was that it entails discrimination against Palestinians. That …

To The Supreme Court

The Crisis In Poland
2 Nov 2026 at 11:58am

I was First Secretary at the British Embassy in Warsaw 1994-98. While that was a long time ago, I knew personally many of the people at the heart of the current crisis, such as Donald Tusk and Radek Sikorski. 1) The first thing to say about Poland is that the current crisis is unlikely to …

The Crisis In Poland

This Cannot Last
29 Oct 2026 at 3:06pm

Netanyahu is seeking to build a new coalition with Jewish “opposition” parties to ensure the continued exclusion of Arabs from government in Israel. It will be a long and convoluted process but I expect he will eventually succeed. In the meantime he remains in power. Next week Trump will lose control of both Houses in …

This Cannot Last

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

BBC Scotland

Why is Scotland's housing shortage getting worse?
10 Nov 2026 at 10:49pm
Homelessness has hit record levels and the cost of renting or buying property has continued to rise.

Scottish Labour leader says the UK should re-join EU
10 Nov 2026 at 5:53pm
Michael Marra said he wanted "solidarity, not separation" and accepted that "re-joining the EU won't be easy".

NHS boss received nearly £400,000 'redundancy' pay-off when she retired
10 Nov 2026 at 6:20am
The payment comes ahead of a planned major overhaul of Scotland's NHS which could see the number of health boards cut dramatically.

Further BBC cuts could undermine funding model, union leader warns
10 Nov 2026 at 5:54pm
A trade union leader has warned more cost-saving measures could prompt Scots to question why they pay the licence fee.

US military aircraft landed at Prestwick Airport after leaving English base
10 Nov 2026 at 5:22pm
The departures come weeks after the US withdrew bombers from RAF Fairford airbase over a suspected Iran-linked security incident.

Senior doctors at Glasgow hospital in care delay warning
9 Nov 2026 at 4:34pm
Consultants at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital say conditions for emergency patients there are deteriorating.

Bonfire Night violence: We can't accept this as normal, says Police Federation
6 Nov 2026 at 5:18pm
Seven people were arrested and a police van set alight during Bonfire Night violence in parts of Scotland.

Scottish grooming gangs inquiry to start next week
5 Nov 2026 at 3:34pm
The independent investigation will look into group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Swinney criticises UK move to ban new North Sea drilling
5 Nov 2026 at 4:43pm
The first minister has told Holyrood fossil fuels will be required "for some years to come".

Holyrood committee conveners set for £15,000 pay rise
5 Nov 2026 at 4:46pm
The change is expected to cost the taxpayer £342,000 a year, based on this year's pay levels.

UK government to outlaw new North Sea drilling
4 Nov 2026 at 4:28pm
Labour ministers have published legislation that would end the granting of new oil and gas licences.

Scottish colleges need £2.5bn investment boost by 2037, report warns
4 Nov 2026 at 6:18am
A new report has laid bare the financial challenges facing Scotland's college sector.

Scot Goes Pop

The SIX most UNDENIABLE benefits of Scotland becoming an independent country
9 Nov 2026 at 8:12pm
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...

Scottish independence polls: how the polling companies are GASLIGHTING us abo...
8 Nov 2026 at 5:47pm
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...

I've been elected to the SNP's Conduct Appeals Committee
4 Nov 2026 at 8:25pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.

If nuclear war is to be averted, RevStew's unbroken run of inaccurate predict...
3 Nov 2026 at 9:30pm
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...

Debunking the so-called "Refnation poll on Scottish independence for the Dail...
2 Nov 2026 at 8:11pm
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...

SNP's "astonishingly commanding" victory in the Mid Argyll by-election, as Ru...
31 Oct 2026 at 3:42pm
As mentioned in the video, I also have an analysis piece in The National about the Mid Argyll by-election result, which can be read HERE.

Was the SPUC's attempted fringe meeting in Aberdeen a "classic McEleny politi...
28 Oct 2026 at 2:59pm
Also in the video below - SHE'S BACK!!!  Corri Wilson, matriarch of the "Corri Nostra" faction of the defunct Alba Party, has emerged from hibernation, and this time she wants to "explain democracy...

I'm sensing a pattern here...
28 Oct 2026 at 8:06am
My YouTube channel has reached two new milestones over the last few days - it's hit 2000 subscribers, and for the first time one of the individual videos has exceeded 10,000 views.  That prompted m...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Russell Brand case shows how celebrities can ?significantly exert power?, Joh...
10 Nov 2026 at 4:15pm
The First Minister said Brand's actions highlight how 'misgynistic attitudes' still prevail

Rejoining EU should be ?long-term objective? for UK ? Scottish Labour leader
10 Nov 2026 at 2:22pm
Michael Marra accepted his call for the UK to go back into Europe goes further than Prime Minister Andy Burnham?s position.

Why is the Scottish Government under fire for Remembrance Sunday posts?
10 Nov 2026 at 12:35pm
The Scottish Government has been accused of choosing to 'just ignore Remembrance Sunday altogether' in a row over social media posts

I find the burka ?extremely intimidating?, claims Reform deputy Thomas Kerr
10 Nov 2026 at 7:51am
Thomas Kerr said Muslim women should not be allowed to wear niqabs and burkas publicly in a 'Christian nation'

Long waits at emergency departments ?linked to 600 extra deaths?
7 Nov 2026 at 6:20pm
The Lib Dems said there has been a steep rise in the figures compared with 10 years ago.

Scottish Government staff to vote on potential strike action over home working
6 Nov 2026 at 7:22pm
The Scottish Government imposed a 40% target for staff to work from the office.

Government urged to include funding to cut teachers? classroom time in budget
6 Nov 2026 at 8:40am
MSPs on Holyrood?s Education Committee want costings for a cut in teacher?s classroom time to be set out, with funding in next month?s budget.

MSPs who preside over committees to receive £15,500 salary boost after unanim...
5 Nov 2026 at 5:06pm
Sixteen MSPs are set for a salary increase of 20% for taking on additional responsibilities

Inquiry into Scottish grooming gangs to begin next week
5 Nov 2026 at 3:53pm
Professor Alexis Jay will examine the scale, extent and prevalence of grooming gangs based in Scotland.

Data centre ?misinformation? has overblown concerns, MSPs told
5 Nov 2026 at 2:07pm
Holyrood?s Climate Action Committee was also told that Scotland?s cooler climate could make it a natural home for the facilities

Scottish Parliament votes against Reform push for burka ban
4 Nov 2026 at 7:20pm
MSPs voted overwhelmingly against the Reform motion which was described as ?racist? and ?hatemongering?.

Bus fare cap in greater Glasgow could cost ScotRail £20m, MSPs told
4 Nov 2026 at 4:33pm
The £2 bus fare cap was extended to include a vast area of west central Scotland in September, including Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire

Ministers urged to set target to almost treble Scotland?s onshore wind power
4 Nov 2026 at 7:12am
It comes as concerns were raised about the 'low ambition' for onshore wind beyond 2030

Report unable to say if SNP spending is affordable ?due to lack of transparency?
3 Nov 2026 at 7:12am
MSPs must provide 'much greater transparency' on its progress in closing a near-£5bn financial black hole.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

The EU wants the UK to rejoin and MEPs think Andy Burnham is the man to do it
10 Nov 2026 at 11:47am
Writing from Brussels, Chris McCall says the level of support for the UK to rejoin the EU is striking.

Michael Marra calls for UK to rejoin EU and says Scottish Labour will 'work t...
10 Nov 2026 at 11:21am
Marra has urged Andy Burnham to make rejoining the EU a key Labour manifesto commitment ahead of the next general election.

Give struggling Scots households £350 to help pay energy bills this winter, s...
9 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Labour warned the SNP Government not to use excess funding it receives via the Barnett Formula to plug a £5billion blackhole in Holyrood's finances.

Scottish Labour is ready to talk with the SNP to deliver more support for hou...
9 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
Writing in his regular column for the Record, Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra says the SNP has an opportunity at the Budget next month to provide more support for hard-pressed families this wi...

SNP 'failed to act' on over a dozen bullying claims against Presiding Officer...
8 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
An explosive dossier passed to the Sunday Mail reveals complaints of 'misogynistic' behaviour and bullying against Kenny Gibson sent to party HQ by independent solicitors.

Glasgow is not in decline and won't go bust, insists new council leader Ricky...
7 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Ricky Bell dismissed some of the criticism shared on social media over the condition of Glasgow city centre as "nonsense".

MSPs branded 'tone deaf' after handing Holyrood committee chiefs 20% pay rise...
6 Nov 2026 at 11:55am
EXCLUSIVE: One former committee convener blasted the massive pay award and warned it would

Reform MSP blasted for using 'far right anthem' on video calling for burka ban
6 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Thomas Kerr shared an Instagram clip of him discussing a burka ban while controversial dance hit L'Amour Toujours plays in the background.

Scottish grooming gangs inquiry date set with probe to 'ensure abuse cannot h...
5 Nov 2026 at 4:56pm
Education Secretary Mairi McAllan said the review will issue recommendations to strengthen child protections but added it would not determine criminality.

MSPs who chair Holyrood committees to be handed massive 20% pay rise despite ...
5 Nov 2026 at 3:56pm
Presiding Officer Kenny Gibson said "our committees really are at the heart of what we as a Parliament do".

The National

The National | Politics

The awkward question about independence raised by Scottish Labour's EU U-turn
10 Nov 2026 at 5:34pm

SCOTTISH Labour leader Michael Marra has backed rejoining the EU ? and opened a whole barrel of worms in the process ...

Terror ban 'wasn't on the cards' when Palestine Action started, says co-founder
10 Nov 2026 at 5:24pm

A CO-FOUNDER of Palestine Action had no expectation the group would be banned under terrorism laws, The National can reveal.

Independent Scotland would be welcomed back to EU, senior MEP says
10 Nov 2026 at 5:00pm

AN independent Scotland would be welcomed back into the European Union, a senior MEP has said ...

Could Nvidia 'spy' affair halt Scottish AI data centre boom? Expert weighs in
10 Nov 2026 at 4:52pm

THE Nvidia scandal is the biggest to hit the artificial intelligence sector since the boom was triggered four years ago.

How right-wing victory in Spain could reignite Catalan independence movement
10 Nov 2026 at 4:39pm

THE Spanish right is expected to make gains and come out on top in upcoming elections which are also predicted to revitalise the issue of Catalan independence.

John Swinney warns Brand case shows how celebrities can ?significantly exert ...
10 Nov 2026 at 3:53pm

RUSSELL Brand?s conviction for rape shows how ?celebrity can be used to significantly exert power,? John Swinney has said ...

Hundreds of UK Jews accuse Board of Deputies of 'genocide denial'
10 Nov 2026 at 3:41pm

HUNDREDS of British Jews have accused the Board of Deputies of genocide denial ...

North Sea oil powers 'held in London for good reason?, Scottish Labour leader...
10 Nov 2026 at 2:21pm

POWERS over immigration and North Sea oil and gas are best made at Westminster despite Scots supporting them being devolved to Holyrood, Scottish Labour?s leader has said ...

'I don't care' if rejoining EU enables Scottish independence, Scots Labour bo...
10 Nov 2026 at 1:57pm

SCOTTISH Labour?s new leader has said he does ?not really care? if rejoining the EU makes the route to Scottish independence easier ...

Tories' £36bn welfare cuts plan 'would take the us back to dark ages'
10 Nov 2026 at 12:51pm

Kemi Badenoch has denied blaming young people for being out of work as she set out Conservative proposals to cut billions from the benefits bill.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Scottish Labour backs UK rejoining European Union
10 Nov 2026 at 1:12pm
Michael Marra has written to Andy Burnham calling on him to include the commitment in Labour?s next manifesto

Mairi McAllan: ?BBC Scotland being hollowed out by cuts?
10 Nov 2026 at 12:01am
Mairi McAllan will lead a Scottish Government debate on the BBC and public service broadcasting following news that BBC Scotland will be moved online

Maree Todd: Thomas Kerr?s drugs genocide claim is a disgrace
9 Nov 2026 at 11:57am
Reform UK MSP says he holds SNP ministers personally responsible for his father's death

Data centres could ?torpedo? climate target, campaigners warn
9 Nov 2026 at 7:00am
The intervention comes amid a political row on the future of the sites

Voters want decisions over North Sea oil and gas to be made in Scotland
9 Nov 2026 at 12:01am
Fifty-eight per cent of those surveyed by pollsters Ipsos said the decision on licences should be made by the Scottish Government, compared with 33 per cent who said the UK Government.

?Insufficient evidence of wrongdoing? in bullying complaints against Kenneth ...
8 Nov 2026 at 4:23pm
It has been reported that a dossier of complaints was sent to SNP HQ by independent solicitors

Scottish Public Service Awards recognised by MSPs
6 Nov 2026 at 2:14pm
Annual event returns on 9 December

MSPs running Holyrood committees in line for 20 per cent pay rise
5 Nov 2026 at 4:28pm
Uplift to reflect 'additional demands'

Start date confirmed for Scottish grooming gangs inquiry
5 Nov 2026 at 3:35pm
McAllan: Abusers have 'nowhere to hide'

John Swinney opposes UK Government move to ban new oil and gas licences
5 Nov 2026 at 3:16pm
The Energy Independence Bill was introduced to Westminster on Wednesday

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Planned Tory welfare cuts ?a charter for human misery,? says Labour ? as it h...
10 Nov 2026 at 5:23pm
Conservative leader launches Welfare That Works policy document outlining benefit reductions of £36bnBadenoch and Whately are now taking questions.Q: From Rob Powell from Sky News We are running a report on the Netherlands, where youth unemployment is much lower than in the UK, but the amount t...

Burnham warns that NHS will ?struggle? to cope if consultants don?t resume ta...
9 Nov 2026 at 5:31pm
Hospital consultants are set to go on a two-day strike at the end of OctoberDowning Street has insisted that the government remains committed to the principle of the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate ? while not denying today?s Guardian report saying interim targets to achieve it are set to be ...

UK politics: Burnham says US midterm results have created ?opportunity? for w...
4 Nov 2026 at 5:01pm
?I think people want to see the world coming together and focusing on the things that matter to people,? PM saysLouise Haigh starts by saying she is standing in for Andy Burnham.She says this weekend the whole country will fall silent to mark Remembrance Sunday. Continue reading...

Why Scottish nationalists should see Burnham as a real threat ? and an opport...
1 Nov 2026 at 9:00am
The PM?s goals may spell bad news for the SNP. But his EU bridge-building could also resurrect its dreams of independenceFifty years ago this month, a group of leftwing Scots gathered in the Golden Lion hotel in Stirling for the inaugural conference of a new political party. The ?Scottish Labour ...

Local devolution decisions rest solely with Scotland and Wales, first ministe...
30 Oct 2026 at 5:53pm
John Swinney and Rhun ap Iorwerth say devolving power further is up to Holyrood and Senedd ? not WestminsterScotland and Wales?s first ministers have told Andy Burnham that decisions on local devolution rest solely with their parliaments, in response to the prime minister?s push to extend English...

Business secretary says UK needs to understand direction of EU before signing...
30 Oct 2026 at 4:21pm
This blog is now closedDowning Street has paid tribute to Patrick Stewart following the actor?s death. At the daily lobby briefing, the PM?s spokesperson gave a comment that was a bit more extensive than the usual No 10 contribution when a great British celebrity dies. The spokesperson said that ...

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...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Labour polls and Tory culture wars
10 Nov 2026 at 11:53am
It seems we have moved into the era of government by opinion polling, or at least by polling which gives results which are in agreement with the political prejudices of those in power. We learned over the weekend that Andy Burnham’s Labour government, like the Tories before it, has been using public money to commission …

Scotland bad, the constant refrain of the media in Scotland
7 Nov 2026 at 3:20pm
In a speech on Friday, Sir Mark Rowney, the head of the Metropolitan Police and the most senior police officer in England and Wales, called for “urgent reform” of the police forces in England and Wales, saying that the existing system was “heading for failure”. Rowney has suggested the merger of the existing 43 police …

The national scolding
5 Nov 2026 at 3:33pm
The complete rinsing delivered to the deeply corrupt and authoritarian MAGA Republicans by American voters in this week’s midterm elections was a beacon of hope and joy in a bleak geopolitical landscape. The Trump cultist Republicans got their public execution, just not the one they had wanted. The Democrats had been forecast to do well, …

The moral bankruptcy of the right can be defeated
4 Nov 2026 at 8:46am
The writer and journalist John Harris has written an interesting and important article, published in The Guardian about the moral collapse of the political right. You can read it here.https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/nov/03/us-midterms-hard-right-britain-empathy-politics The right used to claim it held the moral high ground and assert – hypocritically – that the cruelty which resu...

Healey?s meh-dget is bad for Scotland
2 Nov 2026 at 4:37pm
For all the hype from the British media about how we now supposedly have a “left wing” government – you’ve got to laugh – Chancellor John Healey’s meh-dget last week was not merely underwhelming, it didn’t manage to achieve any variety of whelming at all. After all the excited media hype about Burnham being a …

Blog break
30 Oct 2026 at 1:07pm
I’m currently struggling with a nasty cold so will be taking a few days away from blogging until I feel better. I had planned to write about the underwhelming budget, or rather meh-dget, and how it shows that for all the hype around Burnham, he’s very much continuity Labour centrism and is already falling very …

These Islands? dishonest best out of three indyref plan
28 Oct 2026 at 11:44am
In an interview with The Herald, marking a significant shifting of the previous intransigence of a die-hard Unionist campaign group, Professor Colin Kidd, a historian who is a member of the advisory board of the anti-independence campaign organisation These Islands has acknowledged that opponents of independence “can’t keep on saying no indefinitely to a second …

The paramilitary far right must be nipped in the bud
27 Oct 2026 at 2:01pm
We have now had another fascist military style parade consisting of men dressed all in black, often wearing black ski masks or balaclavas and scarves to hide their faces, parading in formation in public spaces in Scotland, in what is clearly an attempt to intimidate and sow fear. On Friday, around 100 men dressed in …

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 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

Smartphones are making our kids smarter ? Dare to be different Scotland
10 Nov 2026 at 3:52pm
Deep in Impacts of digital media use on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing: evidence review published today: The review has identified important methodological limitations, particularly regarding causality and the direction of associations between digital media use and mental health and wellbeing. Yet in the same paragraph, this: Whilst these limitations warrant considerati...

SNP praised as 38% fewer wait for key diagnostic tests than in NHS England
10 Nov 2026 at 3:51pm
From NHS waiting times – diagnostics Waits for key diagnostic tests, published today: At 30 September 2026, the total waiting list size (number of ongoing waits) for the eight key diagnostic tests combined was 111,561. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-diagnostics/diagnostic-waiting-times-waits-for-key-diagnostic-tests-10-november-2026/ The statistics are not ...

Soft on crime!? Scotland has barely a third of the reported rape cases in Eng...
10 Nov 2026 at 3:49pm
From Conviction rate data for cases of rape and attempted rape, published today, the conviction rate for rape or attempted rape single charge has risen from 24% in 2020/2021 to 25.5% in 2022/2023, the most recent year for which figures are available, a 6.25% improvement. For a charge of at least one rape or attempted rape with other charges, the figures improved from 48.4% to 55.8%, a 15.3% imp...

This BBC senior manager who did not know about Jimmy Savile got four times th...
10 Nov 2026 at 10:22am
From BBC Scotland today, headlining, the above and: An NHS executive has received a near £400,000 redundancy pay-off after retiring from a health board, new figures show. Following a 44-year career in the health service, Mary Morgan retired as chief executive of NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) in May. But it has now been revealed Morgan received a £378,000 payment “under contractual redund...

Six years later, The Times catches up with our observation that YouGov has be...
9 Nov 2026 at 11:34pm
In December 2020, six years ago, I noted YouGov polls reporting small Yes leads of 1 and 5% while all around were reporting on average a 7.5% lead. https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2020/12/03/dont-fear-the-next-yougov-poll-on-indepedence/ I wrote: It?s all down to their sampling bias. and suggested this might be a factor in preferring that sampling bias over those six years: YouGov was founded ...

Scotland invests 10 times as much per head in supporting families to prevent ...
9 Nov 2026 at 7:12pm
From Support for families at risk of homelessness Published 05 November 2026 09:52 £2 million funding boost for housing payment scheme. A scheme helping low-income households avoid homelessness will receive an additional £2 million this year. The Discretionary Housing Payment scheme provides direct financial support to low-income households struggling with housing costs and helps people to reta...

Unique to Scotland ? action to ensure domestic abuse survivors not unfairly b...
9 Nov 2026 at 7:09pm
From Supporting victims of domestic abuse published today: Action is being taken to ensure domestic abuse survivors are not unfairly burdened by council tax debt. The Scottish Government will create a statutory exception to joint and several liability rules to protect those who have faced domestic abuse, with a consultation launching as the first step in the process of reform. This will mean th...

Deaths by suicide in the most deprived areas of Scotland have fallen by over 40%
9 Nov 2026 at 7:07pm
From Probable Suicides 2025 Published 03 November 2026 09:30 New figures are lowest since 2017. Minister for Mental Wellbeing Maree Todd has reaffirmed the government?s commitment to tackling the underlying factors and inequalities which cause suicide, as the number of deaths by suicide reach their lowest level in the past eight years. National Records of Scotland figures show that, whilst rate...

AHOY SCOTLAND: FULL STEAM ASTERN!
9 Nov 2026 at 2:51pm
By Mark E. Saunders of ?The Scottish Minuteman? https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 ? More money to keep us afloat. Less investment to help us move forward ? Since the Labour government?s budget last month, there has been quite a bit of talk about Westminster giving Scotland an additional £600 million to ?spend?. But there?s a little more to that story than meets the eye ? o...

UK (sic) youth job crisis is 55% greater than anything in Scotland
9 Nov 2026 at 2:48pm
In the Guardian today: Fixing UK?s sicyouth jobs crisis demands much more investment, TUC boss warns. Paul Nowak also calls on government to avoid arbitrary benefit cuts before much-anticipated Milburn report is published this week. Fixing Britain?s youth jobs crisis will require ministers to drastically increase investment in employment support while avoiding arbitrary cuts to benefits, the ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

The awkward question about independence raised by Scottish Labour's EU U-turn...
10 Nov 2026 at 6:07pm
The awkward question about independence raised by Scottish Labour's EU U-turn  The National Scot

Why polls on Scottish independence are all over the place - The Times
6 Nov 2026 at 4:56pm
Why polls on Scottish independence are all over the place  The Times

The Debate: What?s the best route to Scottish independence? - Bella Caledonia
6 Nov 2026 at 8:35pm
The Debate: What?s the best route to Scottish independence?  Bella Caledonia

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

'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum - BBC
15 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum  BBC

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

Reform MSPs walk out of parliament in protest against independence debate - BBC
22 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Reform MSPs walk out of parliament in protest against independence debate  BBC

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaders unite behind independence push f...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:18pm
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaders unite behind independence push from UK  Courthouse News

UK Government admits to ?extensive? secret Scottish independence polling oper...
8 Nov 2026 at 6:03pm
UK Government admits to ?extensive? secret Scottish independence polling operation  The National Scot

Scottish independence push has ?turned a corner?, Swinney claims - The Indepe...
12 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence push has ?turned a corner?, Swinney claims  The Independent

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Half of SNP ministers still post on X despite motion to leave - The Times
10 Nov 2026 at 5:30pm
Half of SNP ministers still post on X despite motion to leave  The Times

SNP consider increasing number of judges amid rise in 'serious criminal busin...
10 Nov 2026 at 11:09am
SNP consider increasing number of judges amid rise in 'serious criminal business'  The Herald

SNP urges UK government to clean up Grangemouth - Energy Voice
9 Nov 2026 at 3:28pm
SNP urges UK government to clean up Grangemouth  Energy Voice

SNP considers reparations for gypsies over ?historic trauma? - The Telegraph
9 Nov 2026 at 2:45pm
SNP considers reparations for gypsies over ?historic trauma?  The Telegraph

Scotland?s buses are heading back into public control ? Scottish National Par...
10 Nov 2026 at 9:22am
Scotland?s buses are heading back into public control ? Scottish National Party  SNP

Readers' Letters: Is there no one in the SNP who can revive NHS? - The Scotsman
10 Nov 2026 at 7:00am
Readers' Letters: Is there no one in the SNP who can revive NHS?  The Scotsman

Scotland's papers: Predator Brand faces jail and SNP 'U-turn' on North Sea dr...
6 Nov 2026 at 6:30am
Scotland's papers: Predator Brand faces jail and SNP 'U-turn' on North Sea drilling  BBC

The Scottish National Party turns to the right - The Economist
19 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
The Scottish National Party turns to the right  The Economist

SNP urged 'don't write blank cheque' for troubled Scottish carbon capture sch...
6 Nov 2026 at 3:49pm
SNP urged 'don't write blank cheque' for troubled Scottish carbon capture scheme  The National Scot

Unis call for £100m more funding from SNP government - The Herald
10 Nov 2026 at 11:27am
Unis call for £100m more funding from SNP government  The Herald

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

The awkward question about independence raised by Scottish Labour's EU U-turn...
10 Nov 2026 at 6:07pm
The awkward question about independence raised by Scottish Labour's EU U-turn  The National Scot

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

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

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

'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum - BBC
15 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum  BBC

UK Government admits to ?extensive? secret Scottish independence polling oper...
8 Nov 2026 at 6:03pm
UK Government admits to ?extensive? secret Scottish independence polling operation  The National Scot

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
29 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits - Al Jazeera
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits  Al Jazeera

PM Andy Burnham says second Scottish independence referendum remains 'off lim...
10 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
PM Andy Burnham says second Scottish independence referendum remains 'off limits'  BBC

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation