The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Scots business chief in 'no surprise' verdict as North Sea tax row flares up
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
3 Mar 2026 at 6:30pm
Calls for energy profits levy to be scrapped renewed as Brent Crude prices soar amid Middle East crisis


Inside MSP expenses as almost £900,000 claimed in three months
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
3 Mar 2026 at 5:33pm
MSP expenses for the first quarter of 2025-26 have been published by the Scottish Parliament. Here are the big spenders.


'This is not Winston Churchill we?re dealing with:' Trump attacks Starmer ove...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
3 Mar 2026 at 5:36pm
Donald Trump has said Sir Keir Starmer is no Winston Churchill after Britain refused to join initial US strikes on Iran.


Defiant Reeves shrugs off another big downgrade and goes after Tories
by ian.mcconnell@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Ian McConnell
3 Mar 2026 at 4:48pm
Chancellor Rachel Reeves shrugged off another OBR growth forecast downgrade and went on the offensive against the Conservatives


Reeves to meet energy bosses after defending windfall tax in Spring Statement
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
3 Mar 2026 at 3:08pm
Rachel Reeves has refused to scrap the Energy Profits Levy despite mounting pressure from North Sea operators. With oil and gas prices swinging amid Middle East tensions, the Chancellor insists the windfall tax still strikes the right balance between investment and household bills.


Chancellor promises £921m boost for Scottish Government budget
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
3 Mar 2026 at 2:18pm
Scotland will receive an additional £921 million in Barnett consequentials following the Chancellor?s Spring Statement, with most of the funding earmarked for day-to-day public services. But downgraded UK growth forecasts, rising unemployment and global uncertainty cast a long shadow over the boost.


Record numbers of patients endure half-day waits in A&E amidst rising delays
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
3 Mar 2026 at 12:08pm
More than 10,000 patients waited over 12 hours in A&E in January, with delayed discharges and cancelled operations also rising.


Nicola Sturgeon praises 'class act' Hilary Clinton over Epstein testimony
by jody.harrison@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Jody Harrison
3 Mar 2026 at 11:35am
Both women walked the corridors of power and share significant overlap in their careers


What time is the Spring Statement? Time, place and key points ahead of event
by joe.donnelly2@newsquest.co.uk | Joe Donnelly
3 Mar 2026 at 11:10am
When the Spring Forecast starts, where it takes place, how long it lasts and the key announcements expected from the Chancellor.


RECAP Spring Statement 2026: Reeves to meet energy bosses amid US-Iran conflict
3 Mar 2026 at 11:21am
Rachel Reeves told MPs she had the ?right economic plan? for the UK but the Office for Budget Responsibility downgraded growth. GDP will increase by 1.1% in 2026, down from the 1.4% it forecast in November.


SNP urges Keir Starmer to reverse foreign aid cuts to protect national security
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
3 Mar 2026 at 6:00am
Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to rethink 'damaging' cuts to overseas aid to protect national security.


Swinney accused of 'disingenuous' comments to Parliament over nursery funding...
by garrettastell@gmail.com | Garrett Baylor Stell
3 Mar 2026 at 6:00am
A local council leader wrote to John Swinney, accusing the First Minister of 'misleadingly' characterising a recent council vote to cut nursery funding.


Coalition of clergy and believers says assisted dying compatible with Christi...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
3 Mar 2026 at 5:00am
A coalition of Scottish clergy says Liam McArthur?s Assisted Dying Bill is compatible with Christian teaching directly challenging senior church leaders who warn it threatens the vulnerable.


Quadruple rent and notices to quit: Inside the Trongate 103 eviction row
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
3 Mar 2026 at 5:00am
The chair of GMAC Film says he will seek support from leading actors and filmmakers after tenants at Trongate 103 were issued notices to quit. With sharply increased rents proposed by City Property Glasgow (Investments) LLP, some of Glasgow?s best-known arts organisations warn their future is at risk.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Rachel Reeves branded 'tone deaf' on energy in Spring Statement
3 Mar 2026 at 6:16pm

The Chancellor?s statement was blasted for having ?nothing in there? about what she would do ?when energy goes to the price it was during the height of the Ukraine crisis?.

MSPs grilled SNP ministers on whether publicly-owned airports in Scotland were used by the US military as the conflict in the Middle East escalates.

The Chancellor pledged more money for the Scotland, promised the public would be £1,000 better off by 2029 and pleaded with MPs not to oust Sir Keir Starmer

Economists at the Fraser of Allander Institute say the OBR forecasts will be more interesting than the contents of the chancellor?s speech.

Critics said the figures should be ?a source of shame? for SNP ministers

The PM told the Commons on Monday that ?it is my duty to judge what is in Britain?s national interest? and that he ?does not believe in regime change from the skies.?

Wings over Scotland

Two Men Unalike
28 Feb 2026 at 1:41pm
So Cathy Newman of Channel 4 News got herself a scoop last night. And to be honest, readers, we were a bit confused. “Gender critical views” are not only lawful things to hold and express, they’re one of a small subset of opinions that are explicitly protected as such in law. And why would a …

The Tactics Of Suicide
26 Feb 2026 at 1:48pm
Sorry, readers, we’ve been too busy boiling with rage at revolting, cretinous Americans for the last few days to trust ourselves with writing a full-length article, but we’ve just about calmed down enough in time for this month’s polling analysis. Which is handy, because today is also the day of the Gorton and Denton by-election …

When the law breaks the law
19 Feb 2026 at 1:33pm
There is a not particularly funny joke that is sometimes told in legal circles about why a law student failed to finish his coursework ? because he had no conviction. With rare exceptions lawyers aren?t renowned for their sense of humour but I can?t help thinking someone, at the highest levels of our justice system, …

The Future Is Yesterday
18 Feb 2026 at 2:10pm
So on the one hand there’s obviously very little point paying attention to the SNP’s regional list candidates for May’s Holyrood election, because as this website has comprehensively demonstrated over recent months, the chances of the SNP having any list MSPs elected are remote. However, nothing is impossible, so let’s take a look at the …

Scotland In Numbers
17 Feb 2026 at 11:30pm
Cost of keeping vital rape crisis services in Glasgow operating: £500,000. Amount of money wasted by the Scottish Government fighting and losing court cases to try to remove women’s rights: £1.14 million. Angry yet?

The Longest Road
16 Feb 2026 at 1:23pm
As the six-year fight for justice for Alex Salmond continues, we thought you might like to see this clip from this morning’s Mike Graham Show, interviewing Paul McManus, the businessman and drummer in Glasgow rock band Gun who’s stepped up to fund the Salmond family’s case against the Scottish Government despite disagreeing with much of …

The Modern Politician
10 Feb 2026 at 5:17pm
A play in three acts: And you thought ours were spineless. Poor old Anas, though. If 24 hours is a long time in politics these days, a week is forever. And a month hardly even bears thinking about. As for a year and a half, well, the less said the better.

A Dumber Nation
9 Feb 2026 at 3:52pm
In politics, readers, evil and stupidity aren’t the same thing. But nor are they exclusive. Before we ask you to consider which of the terms applies to the Scottish Government led by John Swinney, we’d like you to read this letter sent to Wings by the auntie of two women imprisoned in Scottish jails. “I …

Echoes of history
8 Feb 2026 at 5:26pm
The Sunday National’s front page today elicited a sigh of “So what?” from most. We’ve already GOT a “pro-indy” majority at Holyrood and have done for the last 10 years, for all it’s been worth. But to be fair there was a paragraph in the article that at least raised a quizzical eyebrow. Because, y’know, …

A Stitch In Timing
5 Feb 2026 at 4:09pm
Readers will probably be aware that literally as you read this, the Scottish Government is in court trying to defend its policy of letting male murderers be housed in women’s prisons by arguing that the Equality Act 2010 (as ruled on by the Supreme Court in the For Women Scotland case) is incompatible with the …

Craig Murray

The War for Greater Israel
1 Mar 2026 at 2:21pm

There has scarcely been an attempt to pretend any justification in international law for the attack on Iran and murder of its leader. The response of the UK government, focusing almost entirely on condemning Iran for exercising its legitimate right of self-defence, takes the Starmer dishonesty meter further off the scale. The RAF has been …

The War for Greater Israel

Rival Demonstrations in Caracas
23 Feb 2026 at 8:28am

There are two things which are extremely difficult to find in Venezuela – government repression and opposition support. I am pretty long in the tooth and very experienced in understanding politics and people around the world, and I have found it difficult to locate either. I would particularly warn you against accepting the political prisoners …

Rival Demonstrations in Caracas

Two Little Caracas Videos
17 Feb 2026 at 6:34am

I hope to write a serious article shortly about the position of Venezuela, which is rather that of a hostage with a gun to their head, attempting to appease a psychopath. But for now here are a couple of small videos illustrating that it is a lie that the country is failed, starving or repressive. …

Two Little Caracas Videos

Postpone The Celebrations
14 Feb 2026 at 7:46am

On the face of it the English High Court ruling that the Palestine Action proscription is unlawful makes the decision that the proscription remains in place pending appeal utterly illogical. But what if the High Court ruling is deliberately designed to fail at appeal? I believe that it is. They chose an extremely narrow path …

Postpone The Celebrations

Is The USA Controlling Venezuela
7 Feb 2026 at 5:54pm

My first video report from Venezuela: My being here reporting is entirely possible due, as is all my journalism and activism, to your individual subscriptions and donations. We now have a Venezuela reporting crowdfunder. I have simply edited the Lebanese GoFundMe crowdfunder, because that took many weeks to be approved and I don’t want to …

Is The USA Controlling Venezuela

Filton Acquittals Demolish Starmer and Cooper Lies About Palestine Action
5 Feb 2026 at 6:49pm

As the trial finished at Woolwich Crown Court of the six Palestine Action activists who entered the Filton factory to destroy Israeli killer drones, Starmer, Cooper, Lammy and Mahmood are left bereft of a single guilty verdict in the case on which they relied heavily to label Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. I could …

Filton Acquittals Demolish Starmer and Cooper Lies About Palestine Action

BBC Scotland

Ferguson shipyard to be given contracts to build four new ships
3 Mar 2026 at 5:09pm
The Clyde yard is to be commissioned to construct two small ferries and two fisheries research and protection vessels.

Ardrossan harbour to be taken into public ownership
3 Mar 2026 at 3:07pm
Scottish government-owned ports body CMAL is expected the finalise the purchase by the end of the month.

Four homeless deaths in Scotland a week, data suggests
3 Mar 2026 at 3:42pm
The new data was a slight decrease on the previous year's figures but "not statistically significant".

Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland
3 Mar 2026 at 6:16am
Scotland remains more or less split down the middle on independence, more than a decade after the referendum.

Scottish government increases funding for culling Uist geese
3 Mar 2026 at 11:17am
The birds are blamed for damaging crops and grazing in parts of the Western Isles.

Sir John Curtice: Which issues will decide the elections in Scotland and Wales?
2 Mar 2026 at 6:28am
A poll carried out for the BBC examines the issues which will influence how people plan to vote on 7 May.

Sarwar rejects father's tribute to Iran's supreme leader
2 Mar 2026 at 6:23pm
Former Scottish Labour MP Mohammad Sarwar praised Ayatollah Khamenei as a martyr after he was killed in a US-Israeli strike.

Alba members call on leader to 'fight election or resign'
1 Mar 2026 at 2:42pm
The Alba Continuation Group demands that leader Kenny MacAskill stand down after he said it was unlikely the party would contest May's Scottish parliament election.

Tribute from Jeane Freeman's 'soulmate' at memorial service
28 Feb 2026 at 3:16pm
A thanksgiving service followed the private cremation of the 72-year-old who died on 7 February, just 25 days after being diagnosed with cancer.

Sarwar promises housebuilding 'revolution' and affordable rent
27 Feb 2026 at 7:26pm
The Scottish Labour leader committed to expanding affordable rents and establishing a new housing investment bank.

Scandal-hit hospital left children with lifelong conditions, MSPs told
26 Feb 2026 at 6:39pm
Children treated at a Glasgow hospital are suffering from chronic stomach pain and incontinence, parents say.

Douglas Ross: My behaviour fell short of what is expected of MSPs
26 Feb 2026 at 3:18pm
The Tory MSP apologised after refusing to leave the chamber on Tuesday when being ordered to do so by Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone.

Scot Goes Pop

Alba's self-appointed Continuity Junta is accused of "lying" about its claim ...
2 Mar 2026 at 8:13pm
The dam has well and truly burst with Alba - over the last few days I've been receiving emails containing nuggets of information from multiple different sources within the party, including some I h...

244 people have pledged loyalty so far to the Alba Continuity Junta - and onl...
2 Mar 2026 at 4:47pm
As regular viewers of my YouTube channel will recall, the little-known Alba businessman Abdul Majid has an exciting habit of doing things in bulk.  In 2023, he was one of the five clear beneficiari...

Profound shock in Alba ranks after Susan MacAskill, the spouse of party leade...
1 Mar 2026 at 4:55pm
I was contacted earlier today by a member of the Alba Party, who I think was genuinely quite shocked that a controversial fellow member and convicted criminal called Dave Llewellyn had posted on Fa...

Corri Wilson, straight-talking, totally unfiltered, on why the Alba Party mus...
1 Mar 2026 at 1:17am
I've been sent an audio recording of Corri Wilson, matriarch of Alba's Corri Nostra faction and also the party's "Director of Operations", addressing what appears to be some sort of internal party ...

Popular factional matriarch Corri Wilson sends tidings of great joy to local ...
28 Feb 2026 at 4:34pm
It's the puzzler that has gripped and perplexed fashionable salons like no other since the Schleswig Holstein Question: are Alba branches accounting units in their own right?  Does their money belo...

"From this day forth, it's DNA, NOT DEMOCRACY": Christina Hendry stakes her "...
28 Feb 2026 at 8:56am
I've rarely before had much sympathy for the views of the self-styled "straight-talking totally unfiltered independent woman" Shannon Cullen (formerly Donoghue), but I checked her Twitter account l...

"Things are even worse now than when I told you the party was dead" says Alba...
27 Feb 2026 at 5:51pm
Hot off the press, here is Kenny MacAskill's latest email to Alba members, in which he gives short shrift to the presumptuous notion of the self-appointed provisional "Junta" (ie. Christina "Of The...

Stonehaven SENSATION: "Most accurate polling company" projects an SNP overall...
26 Feb 2026 at 1:51am

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Clarity sought on whether aircraft used in Iran operations stopped in Scotland
3 Mar 2026 at 5:09pm
The Scottish Government is seeking clarity from the UK Government as some airports in the country are used as stopover points for air forces

New records set for longest waits at Scottish hospital A&E departments
3 Mar 2026 at 10:30am
The Scottish Government said accident and emergency departments were 'facing sustained pressures'

What is the spring statement and why is this one different?
3 Mar 2026 at 6:31am
On Tuesday Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver her spring statement to parliament, where she'll update MPs on the economy.

Christian leaders urge MSPs to vote against assisted dying Bill
2 Mar 2026 at 8:46pm
In a joint letter, the leaders said legalising assisted dying would open people to coercion, amid other complications.

Iran attack ?against international system?, says Swinney
2 Mar 2026 at 8:31pm
The US and Israel attacked Iran over the weekend, killing its supreme leader.

Anas Sarwar condemns father for praising ?brutal? Iranian Ayatollah
2 Mar 2026 at 2:02pm
The Scottish Labour leader said his father, a former Labour MP and governor of Punjab, was ?wrong? to pay tribute to the Islamist dictator

Scottish Labour would build Glasgow Airport rail link
2 Mar 2026 at 10:09am
Party leader Anas Sarwar said a government he leads would back the link ?once and for all?

Situation in Middle East ?deeply concerning?, says Angus Robertson
1 Mar 2026 at 1:39pm
External Affairs Secretary said Holyrood ministers have been in contact with the UK Government over the weekend and are being updated on the situation

Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons resigns over Labour Together ?distraction?
28 Feb 2026 at 6:30pm
The Makerfield MP said he had ?become a distraction from this Government?s important work?.

Alba members call on leader to resign if he will not take party into election
28 Feb 2026 at 4:19pm
Members of the so-called Alba Continuation Group want to be able to field candidates on the regional list vote for the Scottish Parliament.

Starmer tells Iran to ?refrain? from further attacks after calls with EU allies
28 Feb 2026 at 2:27pm
US and Israeli forces attacked Iran on Saturday morning in what the two countries described as a ?pre-emptive? strike

First Minister John Swinney calls for ?de-escalation? after US-Israel strikes...
28 Feb 2026 at 12:21pm
A major attack on targets across Iran was launched in the early hours of Saturday

Thanksgiving service to be held for late former health secretary Jeane Freeman
28 Feb 2026 at 11:48am
She held the brief during the outbreak of the Covid pandemic

May election could be Labour?s ?only chance? to oust SNP ? Anas Sarwar
27 Feb 2026 at 4:44pm
The Scottish Labour leader was speaking as he addressed his party?s conference in Paisley

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scottish politics today: Kate Forbes has 'confidence' in Ferguson Marine to b...
3 Mar 2026 at 5:00pm
The Daily Record brings you its daily 5pm briefing of the top stories in Scottish politics.

Ferguson Marine handed contract for new ferries in relief for Scots shipyard ...
3 Mar 2026 at 2:44pm
The shipyard in Port Glasgow was nationalised by the SNP Government and has faced huge controversy over its failure to complete a 2015 order for two CalMac vessels.

Alba Party spent '£50,000 on flights' for Alex Salmond in just two years
3 Mar 2026 at 10:56am
The pro-independence movement is currently locked in a bitter struggle for survival after its leader announced it could not afford to contest the Holyrood election in May.

Lord Advocate 'neutrality' row after she attended 91 SNP Government Cabinet m...
3 Mar 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Dorothy Bain is a regular at Cabinet, despite Alex Salmond changing the policy nearly twenty years ago.

SNP demands answers over who paid for Prince Andrew donation to Virginia Giuf...
3 Mar 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: MP Stephen Gethins has written to Rachel Reeves asking for clarification on whether taxpayers had footed the bill for the donation made by the disgraced royal.

Victims of butcher brain surgeon meet First Minister for first time to demand...
2 Mar 2026 at 8:18pm
Scots harmed by the disgraced neurosurgeon held a protest at Holyrood in January demanding John Swinney?s intervention to help victims purse legal claims.

John Swinney ?deeply concerned? over Iran conflict and questions legality of ...
2 Mar 2026 at 5:22pm
The First Minister said "this type of military intervention can often be wholly counterproductive".

Scottish politics today: Anas Sarwar says his father is 'wrong' on late Irani...
2 Mar 2026 at 5:00pm
The Daily Record brings you its daily 5pm briefing of the top stories in Scottish politics.

Anas Sarwar 'embarrassed' after dad posts tribute to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
2 Mar 2026 at 1:58pm
Mohammad Sarwar, a former Glasgow MP, hailed Khamenei as a "martyr" after he was assassinated last week by airstrikes led by the US and Israel.

Donald Trump 'very disappointed' with Keir Starmer over Iran strike delay
2 Mar 2026 at 12:26pm
Tensions between the US President and UK Prime Minister are mounting after Trump's attack on Iran.

The National

The National | Politics

Donald Trump ?not happy? with UK and says Keir Starmer is ?not Winston Church...
3 Mar 2026 at 5:58pm

DONALD Trump has said he is ?not happy? with the UK after it did not initially allow the US to use its bases for strikes on Iran, and added that Keir Starmer is ?not Winston Churchill?

I toured the same Danish refugee centre as Shabana Mahmood. We shouldn?t copy it
3 Mar 2026 at 5:29pm

HOME Secretary Shabana Mahmood stepped through the gates of Sjælsmark last week ...

Scots back assisted dying law change in every constituency, poll finds
3 Mar 2026 at 5:28pm

New constituency-level polling shows that a majority of Scots support assisted dying in every constituency in Scotland

Five key things to know from Rachel Reeves's Spring Statement
3 Mar 2026 at 5:02pm

RACHEL Reeves?s Spring Statement was billed as a low-key affair and the Chancellor tried to keep it that way ? as a way of warding off too much attention on bad news.

UK to send warship after Cyprus base hit by drone as war continues to spiral
3 Mar 2026 at 5:01pm

THE UK will send helicopters with counter-drone capabilities and a warship to protect British military personnel in Cyprus, the Prime Minister has said as the Middle East war continues to spiral

Where next in the US-Israeli war on Iran? David Pratt weighs in
3 Mar 2026 at 4:52pm

ISRAEL is emerging as the ?real destabilising factor? in the Middle East after launching attacks on Iran and Lebanon ...

See the full list of upcoming council tax rises across Scotland
3 Mar 2026 at 3:28pm

COUNCIL taxes for the upcoming year are currently being released across Scotland, with some local authorities opting for increases of up to 10%

Ferguson Marine to build four new vessels, Kate Forbes announces
3 Mar 2026 at 3:10pm

FERGUSON Marine has been awarded contracts to build four new vessels, the Deputy First Minister has announced.

Scottish Government ?doesn?t know? if US used Scottish airports in strikes on...
3 Mar 2026 at 3:05pm

THE Scottish Government has confirmed it has ?no information? on whether US aircraft passing through Scottish airports were involved in recent strikes on Iran ...

Top Green official hits out after receiving death threats from Iran smear
3 Mar 2026 at 3:03pm

The deputy leader of the Green Party has slammed Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke for falsely claiming he had been 'protesting in support of the ayatollah'

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Four ferry building contracts to be awarded to Ferguson Marine shipyard
3 Mar 2026 at 3:36pm
Ministers hope this will help the yard return to the private sector in the future

John Swinney: US and Israel actions on Iran ?do not suggest? adherence to int...
2 Mar 2026 at 11:00pm
The first minister said he is ?deeply concerned? at the escalation of the conflict in the region, following ?pre-emptive? strikes carried out by the US and Israel on Iran on Saturday morning

Situation in Middle East ?deeply concerning?, says Angus Robertson
1 Mar 2026 at 11:00pm
The external affairs minister said the Scottish Government has been in contact with the UK Government and is being updated on the situation as the conflict in the Middle East has escalated over the weekend

?Hold your nose? and vote Labour, Anas Sarwar says
27 Feb 2026 at 3:28pm
The Scottish Labour leader made an appeal to would-be Reform and independence voters

Michael Marra: SNP claims that independence will cut energy bills are 'ludicr...
27 Feb 2026 at 3:20pm
Douglas Alexander hits out at 'anti-science' nuclear stance in conference appearance

Poll: SNP in pole position despite growing unhappiness with government
27 Feb 2026 at 2:06pm
The final Scottish Opinion Monitor (Scoop) poll before the election found just 23 per cent of respondents thought the party was doing a ?good job? in office, compared with 40 per cent in December 2021.

Local Authorities Guide: City of Edinburgh Council
27 Feb 2026 at 6:00am
Council leader Jane Meagher answers questions about local authority

From snapshots to certainty: using intelligent monitoring to right-size care ...
27 Feb 2026 at 6:00am

?How do you sleep at night?? First minister pressed over children left with ?...
26 Feb 2026 at 1:43pm
Anas Sarwar raised the issue during Thursday's FMQs

Scottish Government proposes criminalising intimate deepfake creation
26 Feb 2026 at 11:19am
It is one measure within a broader consultation on improving protections for women and girls

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Scotland becomes first UK country to legalise water cremations
2 Mar 2026 at 3:24pm
Hydrolysis uses alkaline and water to break down body in a few hours and is part of demand for more sustainable funeralsScotland has become the first part of the UK to legalise hydrolysis, an environmentally friendly alternative to cremation or burial, reflecting increasing demand for more sustai...

PM vows to ?keep fighting? after Greens sweep past Labour and Reform to win b...
27 Feb 2026 at 5:57pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here:Report: Labour MPs demand Starmer change directionAnalysis: clock is ticking for StarmerProfile: who is Hannah Spencer, new Green MP?Reform activists are ?hearing Matt Goodwin has all but conceded defeat to the Greens?, the UK poll agg...

Sarwar gambles on break with Starmer as Labour support slumps
26 Feb 2026 at 10:03am
Scottish Labour leader hopes distancing himself from PM will shift focus to SNP?s record, but voters remain unconvinced?People look at Holyrood and think: ?Lets give them all a bloody nose?,? says Alex, a betting shop manager. Speaking in a focus group of people who voted Labour at the 2024 gener...

Foreign Office denies minister?s claim the Chagos Islands deal has been pause...
25 Feb 2026 at 5:30pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereThe Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published figures showing that local authorities in England dealt with 1.26m flytipping incidents in 2024/25 ? 9% increase on the previous year.And there was an 11% increase in ...

Role of Scotland?s top law officer questioned after ?bombshell? over Peter Mu...
25 Feb 2026 at 2:52pm
Lord advocate Dorothy Bain informed first minister of embezzlement charges against former SNP chief executive a year before they were made publicSerious doubts have been raised about the dual role of Scotland?s top law officer after it emerged that the first minister was informed of criminal char...

The Guardian view on Scottish Labour: Keir Starmer needs Anas Sarwar?s act of...
22 Feb 2026 at 5:30pm
The leader of Scottish Labour will use its spring conference to demonstrate that he is his own man. Ironically, the prime minister?s survival may depend on his successAt Scottish Labour?s spring conference last year, Sir Keir Starmer bullishly addressed mounting discontent at his government?s per...

The Guardian view on Scotland?s housing crisis: supply has failed to keep pac...
18 Feb 2026 at 6:25pm
The country?s homelessness legislation is ambitious and humane. But too many people are still sleeping on the streets or in temporary accommodationRough sleeping in Scotland has risen by 106% over the past three years. Record numbers of children are now living in temporary accommodation, official...

?It?s betrayal?: Shetland?s scallop fishers brace for arrival of UK?s largest...
17 Feb 2026 at 12:00pm
Huge project by Norwegian-owned Scottish Sea Farms gets go-ahead amid concerns over the environmental cost of fish farming and threat to traditional way of lifeAt Collafirth, north Shetland, Sydney Johnson is unloading two-dozen bags of scallops by throwing them over his head like medicine balls ...

Tuesday briefing: The factors that will shape the future of Scotland
17 Feb 2026 at 7:55am
In today?s newsletter: As Scottish voters prepare to go to the polls, how can Labour, Reform and the Conservatives capitalise on weakening trust in the SNP?Good morning. The SNP has been in government since 2007, a phenomenal 19-year run, but polling suggests Scottish voters? trust in its ability...

Mick Duncan obituary
16 Feb 2026 at 8:39pm
My friend and fellow architect Mick Duncan, who has died aged 86, imbued his architecture with human scale and proportion, whether for the extensive buildings for Stirling University, at Victoria Quay housing the Scottish Executive in Leith, or in the modest yet stately headquarters for United Di...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Humiliation for BBC Scotland as its own poll shows a Yes majority
3 Mar 2026 at 3:26pm
BBC Scotland has done one of its pre-election polls to tell us what Scotland “really thinks” as we go into the Scottish election in nine weeks time. On Tuesday, BBC Scotland unveiled its findings on the crucial question of independence. Despite the BBC’s very own poll finding that support for independence is in the majority, …

Reform?s election denial is a cancer on democracy
3 Mar 2026 at 11:47am
Nigel Farage is not taking the electoral humiliation dished out to by the voters of Gorton and Denton at all well. Farage lied multiple times at his press conference on the Monday after the vote which saw his hand picked candidate trounced by the Greens. Farage claimed that no-one who voted Green in Gorton and …

Starmer?s support for Trump?s Epstein war may be the final blow to Labour in ...
1 Mar 2026 at 11:50am
America has gone to war in the Middle East at the behest of Netanyahu again, when Trump attacked Iran in June last year and assured us that Iran’s nuclear weapons programme had been completely destroyed it hadn’t really been completely destroyed at all. Trump lied. I’m shocked I tell you, shocked. I’m no fan of …

Goodwin ? Bad Loser, lessons from Gorton & Denton for Scotland
27 Feb 2026 at 2:23pm
Imagine being called Goodwin but being such a bad loser. This week’s by-election in Gorton and Denton in Manchester was initially portrayed in the British media as being a contest between Labour and Reform UK, with the expectation that Reform UK would coast to an easy victory. In recent days as the Greens pulled ahead …

57% support for independence in the most recent poll
26 Feb 2026 at 1:50pm
There has been another poll on voting intention in a Scottish independence referendum. The poll from Stonehaven polling for The Times newspaper which I reported on yesterday also included a question on independence. This poll had fantastic news for the SNP, reporting that an SNP majority is possible. It also has fantastic news for the …

Second poll in a month puts the SNP on track for a majority in Holyrood
25 Feb 2026 at 2:10pm
  In this bin-fire of a UK it’s nice to be able to report a glimmer of hope for a change. For the second time within a month, an opinion poll has put the level of support for the SNP at a level which would allow it to win an outright majority in its own …

Cruelty built on lies, Reform?s immigration plans
23 Feb 2026 at 3:35pm
On Monday Reform UK’s home affairs spokes bigot the millionaire Zia Yusuf announced his party’s plans for the immigration system should we be unfortunate enough to see Reform UK take power after the next Westminster general election, which due to Westminster’s corrupt and undemocratic first past the post voting system could allow Farage and his …

Rejoining the EU looks set to get much easier for an independent Scotland
22 Feb 2026 at 2:52pm
According to former SNP MP and MEP Alyn Smith, who is well informed about developments within the EU, joining the EU looks set to become a whole lot easier for an independent Scotland. The EU Commission is proposing to revamp and speed up the process through which states which are candidates for EU membership accede …

Kenny MacAskill announces that the party is over for Alba
21 Feb 2026 at 3:48pm
So much for my afternoon off. Literally seconds after publishing my last blog piece I learned that the Alba party’s leader Kenny MacAskill had issued a statement in an email to Alba party members saying that the party will not after all be standing candidates at May’s Holyrood election. The statement blames the sudden decision …

New polling and Reform may have peaked
21 Feb 2026 at 1:47pm
I’ve been blogging a lot this week, which is what happens when there’s nothing on the telly except the Winter Olympics. All power to those who enjoy that sort of thing, but watching people sliding down a mountain in the snow with two planks strapped to their feet leaves me cold, pun intended. So my …

The Courier

[CaRP] Can't open remote newsfeed [403].
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

Why NHS Scotland Emergency departments are not just a wee bit better than in ...
3 Mar 2026 at 6:59pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON Facts – https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/03/03/in-january-2026-nhs-scotlands-type-1-emergency-departments-treated-an-extra-21-000-patients-within-4-hours-30-more-than-nhs-england-would-have...

Bitter thegither? Another plague courtesy of brutal gangs from England into s...
3 Mar 2026 at 4:48pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON From BBC Tayside and Central today, the above and: Police Scotland has targeted a number of suspected brothels across Stirling and Falkirk as part of a national strategy to address prostitution ...

Anas Sarwar and his dad?s tribute to the Ayatollah disappears completely from...
3 Mar 2026 at 4:47pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON Only 15 hours, and he’s down at 11. When I looked earlier this morning, he was in 9th place. I checked with Wayback Machine to see where the story was yesterday when it was first posted, it seem...

In January 2026, NHS Scotland?s Type 1 emergency departments treated an extra...
3 Mar 2026 at 3:23pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON From Public Health Scotland – Accident and Emergency, published today, we see that 61.2% of 114 897 Type 1 Emergency Department patients were treated within 4 hours in January 2026.1 For NHS Eng...

Disappointment in BBC News as Scotland not even half way to being ?rape capit...
3 Mar 2026 at 8:41am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON BBC Reporting Scotland flying solo again to hit you with a dose of early morning anxiety, headlining with a story mysteriously and entirely absent, from their website: Why would they pull this o...

BBC Scotland take 42 days to find a sentence to use in responding to complain...
3 Mar 2026 at 8:12am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON No tasteless, exploitative and titillating images of dead children required here. On January 19th 2026, I sent this complaint to the BBC regarding their coverage of the QEUH water supply infecti...

Paul Hutcheon?s claim that SNP?s walk-in GP clinics ?widen inequalities? by a...
2 Mar 2026 at 4:49pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON In the Daily Record today from Paul Hutcheon: A top medic has claimed the SNP Government?s new GP walk-in centres will widen inequalities by attracting wealthier patients. Dr Chris Provan also s...

Everything is then to be considered as British and so ready to be privatised??..
2 Mar 2026 at 4:47pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON By Liz S The media report that ?US tech giant Palantir has wrapped its tentacles around the British state, securing major contracts with the Ministry of Defence and the NHS?. But  the US data an...

Daily Record?s ?Horror street drug ?pyro? sweeping Scotland as addicts found ...
2 Mar 2026 at 4:46pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON That’s the Record‘s headline yesterday and: Scotland’s homeless community has told of the horror of contaminated street drugs ? after 81 people died in three months after taking synthetic opioid...

How can there be an affordable housing ?crisis? in Scotland when we beat the ...
2 Mar 2026 at 4:44pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON As the Herald, today, frontpages the Scottish Conservatives, soon to face a near-extinction event and become only the 5th party in Scotland, to ‘blast’ the SNP Government and suggest once more a...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland - BBC
3 Mar 2026 at 6:16am
Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland  BBC

John Swinney to address Scottish independence rally during Holyrood election ...
2 Mar 2026 at 4:05pm
John Swinney to address Scottish independence rally during Holyrood election campaign  TheNational.scot

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

The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage - politico.eu
13 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage  politico.eu

Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland - AOL.com
2 Mar 2026 at 11:43pm
Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland  AOL.com

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

New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence - gatescambr...
3 Feb 2026 at 8:00am
New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence  gatescambridge.org

X feature exposes Iranian-run pro-Scottish independence accounts - UKDJ - ???...
24 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
X feature exposes Iranian-run pro-Scottish independence accounts - UKDJ  ????? ??????????

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

Part One: Why Scotland should be independent - A Fresh Start with Independenc...
8 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Part One: Why Scotland should be independent - A Fresh Start with Independence  The Scottish Government

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP to award Ferguson Marine with contracts to build four vessels - The Times
3 Mar 2026 at 6:33pm
SNP to award Ferguson Marine with contracts to build four vessels  The Times

SNP ministers approve 'right to roam' exemption for new Center Parcs village ...
3 Mar 2026 at 10:59am
SNP ministers approve 'right to roam' exemption for new Center Parcs village  TheNational.scot

'Don't knows' and Reform biggest winners as Scottish Christians turn away fro...
3 Mar 2026 at 11:32am
'Don't knows' and Reform biggest winners as Scottish Christians turn away from SNP, Labour  www.christiantoday.com

Why SNP have spent 20 years failing to ditch the council tax ? and why it isn...
3 Mar 2026 at 4:45pm
Why SNP have spent 20 years failing to ditch the council tax ? and why it isn't going anywhere  The Scotsman

Poll: SNP in pole position despite growing unhappiness with government - Holy...
27 Feb 2026 at 2:14pm
Poll: SNP in pole position despite growing unhappiness with government  Holyrood Website

SNP Schneider-Neureither & Partner SE: Release according to Article 40, Secti...
2 Mar 2026 at 5:12pm
SNP Schneider-Neureither & Partner SE: Release according to Article 40, Section 1 of the WpHG the German Securities Trading Act with the objective of Europe-wide distribution  TradingView

Regional ballot is the 'secret weapon' to defeat SNP - Findlay - BBC
21 Feb 2026 at 8:00am
Regional ballot is the 'secret weapon' to defeat SNP - Findlay  BBC

SNP ministers have ?killed off? Scotland?s hospitality sector, says Findlay -...
3 Mar 2026 at 3:00pm
SNP ministers have ?killed off? Scotland?s hospitality sector, says Findlay  Ireland Live

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says a 'vote for Reform lets SNP cling to ...
27 Feb 2026 at 7:20pm
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says a 'vote for Reform lets SNP cling to power'  Sky News

SNP hand new shipbuilding contract to Ferguson Marine despite massive delays ...
3 Mar 2026 at 4:03pm
SNP hand new shipbuilding contract to Ferguson Marine despite massive delays  Scottish Daily Express

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland - BBC
3 Mar 2026 at 6:16am
Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland  BBC

Report: 'Scotland needs mechanism to trigger independence referendum' - The H...
27 Feb 2026 at 7:41am
Report: 'Scotland needs mechanism to trigger independence referendum'  The Herald

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

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

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

legal mechanism for triggering an independence referendum ? The NEN - North E...
27 Feb 2026 at 2:00pm
legal mechanism for triggering an independence referendum ? The NEN  North Edinburgh News

Scottish polling for The National - February 2026 - findoutnow
25 Feb 2026 at 10:47pm
Scottish polling for The National - February 2026  findoutnow

Poll shows 'independence now there to be won' as SNP on course for majority -...
25 Feb 2026 at 1:48pm
Poll shows 'independence now there to be won' as SNP on course for majority  TheNational.scot

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

No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says - BBC
27 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says  BBC