The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Man avoids jail after threats to kill SNP MP Kirsty Blackman
3 Dec 2024 at 12:50pm
A man who threatened to kill an Aberdeen MP has avoided jail and been sentenced to a community payback order instead.


Former Lord Provost of Glasgow charged in connection with stalking offences
3 Dec 2024 at 10:31am
A former Lord Provost of Glasgow has been suspended by the Labour Party after being charged in connection with stalking offences.


Struggling parents lay out budget hopes in letter plea to Shona Robison
3 Dec 2024 at 10:00am
Struggling parents in Scotland have written to Finance Secretary Shona Robison urging her to ?invest for all children? in tomorrow?s Scottish budget.


Holyrood official who urged WhatsApp deletion gets £1.4m pension pot
3 Dec 2024 at 7:29am
The civil servant who urged Scottish government colleagues to delete WhatsApp messages during the Covid pandemic received a pension worth over £1m on his retirement


'Holyrood is Scotland?s biggest council' Ex-chiefs in call for power decentra...
3 Dec 2024 at 5:00am
Former council chief executives join forces with Reform thinktank to call for a ?Scottish Civic Convention to take forward the public conversation? on how public services in Scotland are ?organised, delivered and financed.?


Committee calls for 'substantial' changes to Scottish Government's Education ...
3 Dec 2024 at 12:01am
Legislation that will set up Scotland?s new exams body needs ?substantial amendment? to ensure the improvements ministers want to see are brought about, MSPs have insisted.


Swinney told to tackle delayed discharge 'disaster' in Scottish budget
3 Dec 2024 at 12:01am
John Swinney has been warned of turning triumph into 'disaster' unless investment is announced for delayed discharges in the upcoming budget.


Greens pile pressure over independence as SNP and Lib Dems meet for final talks
3 Dec 2024 at 5:02am
"Our concern is that the government could eliminate that work completely simply to satisfy Liberal demands."


Unite to hold Holyrood demonstration in bid to reverse winter fuel payment cut
3 Dec 2024 at 5:00am
?Scottish pensioners are facing winter right now. They must not be left to freeze just because the UK government has picked their pockets."


Anas Sarwar blames Glasgow City Council for by-election chaos
3 Dec 2024 at 1:33pm
Anas Sarwar has blamed Glasgow City Council after one of his newest councillors was blocked from taking her seat after failing to quit her job with the authority.


Distrust of Scottish Government rises as almost half suspicious of Holyrood
2 Dec 2024 at 2:00pm
Levels of trust in the Scottish Government have plummeted, with close to half of people saying they distrust the institution


Warning issued over nursing in Scotland as register 'stagnates'
2 Dec 2024 at 7:05am
The Scottish Government must prioritise boosting the country?s nursing workforce, a nursing organisation has said


Winter of discontent: Will budget help charities battling redundancies?
2 Dec 2024 at 3:15pm
Charities have warned they are bracing for redundancies. But with the Scottish budget due, will there be additional support to help them through challenges?


Explainer: What are the Greens and Lib Dems key budget demands - and red lines?
2 Dec 2024 at 5:00am
The SNP does not govern as a majority meaning that it needs another party to back or abstain its budget plans before they can be passed in Holyrood.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Why Downing Street and UK government MPs feel the need to speak on Gregg Wall...
3 Dec 2024 at 12:53pm

Downing Street condemned comments made by the Masterchef judge

Anas Sarwar would welcome a Holyrood election if a snap poll was called despite forecasts showing he would miss out on becoming first minister.

The Labour councillor has been arrested and charged by Police Scotland

ESPC called on ministers to ?build, build, build?

NHS ministers have been warned they may be forced to withdraw some NHS services to prioritise other parts of the NHS for funding.

The NHS crisis is now so bad that Scotland?s Auditor General has said that some services ?with limited clinical value? may need to be withdrawn

The Lib Dems are still some way off being ready to prop up any SNP budget.

Reform UK is set to disrupt every ?legacy? party at Holyrood

The SNP?s Budget should be awarded high marks if it shows that ministers are working systematically in our long-term interest

?We recognise it?s a concerning time for people whose livelihoods are affected and that?s why we?ve reached out to the HR teams at both companies to flag our opportunities and help get them into new roles as quickly as possible? - Sarah McNulty, Scottish Power

The number of people who do not trust the government has risen since last year

Wings over Scotland

The New Britain
3 Dec 2024 at 2:43pm
So things are getting pretty strange. Polling in Scotland, the UK and Wales in the last few days has shown Great Britain taking a fairly heavy swerve to the right after just five months of Sir Keir Starmer’s government. Labour now lead Reform (who have five seats to Labour’s 411) by just three points in …

What Went On
28 Nov 2024 at 12:51pm
The proceedings at the Supreme Court this week were a tough follow even if you could get the court’s abominably bad livestream to work. They’re all archived here now, but non-lawyers will probably glaze over quickly during the nine hours of intense legalese. We’re not allowed to clip up any illustrative sections, on pain of …

A Personal Best For Kezia
25 Nov 2024 at 6:53pm
Credit where it’s due: 17 months is the quickest she’s ever caught up with us. Fascinating new territory indeed.

The Unbargain Bin
23 Nov 2024 at 7:01am

Telling the truth by mistake
22 Nov 2024 at 12:52pm
The Scottish Government has finally, and reluctantly, published its submission for next week’s crucial Supreme Court hearing on the definition of the word “woman”. Many expert observers have already noted that the document flatly contradicts the Scottish Government’s previous repeated and strenuous assertions that a Gender Recognition Certificate confers “no new rights” on trans people, …

The Long Unravelling
18 Nov 2024 at 6:19pm
You’ve got to admit, that’s a zinger. Craig Whyte is a man who knows all about financial doom looming on the horizon of a once-powerful institution. But it doesn’t take an expert with lived experience to spot what’s coming down the line for the SNP. There are nine months still to go before the party’s …

The Way Forward
17 Nov 2024 at 1:02pm
As a lifelong political geek and former SNP and Alba Party member, I?ve spent years supporting Scotland?s independence movement. However, over the last few years, I’ve watched the campaign (as opposed to support for independence) wither away. Being a Scottish nationalist has become increasingly disheartening, like watching someone you love succumb to a slow, debilitating …

The People You Most Suspected
12 Nov 2024 at 2:02pm
We’ll give you three guesses as to the highly controversial and extravagantly taxpayer-funded organisation that has its rainbow fingerprints all over this story, readers. But you’re going to have two to spare. Because, y’know, duh. Who else would it have been? LGBT Youth Scotland is a law unto itself under the current Scottish Government. It …

The Show Goes On
9 Nov 2024 at 6:59am

How it happened
6 Nov 2024 at 8:59am
So it looks like the USA has elected a mad orange rapist convicted of 34 felonies who could yet be in jail by the time of his inauguration. (He would remain President even if that happened, which would be really funny.) And we can’t even blame them for it, because the alternative they were offered …

Craig Murray

Lebanon?s Unbalanced Ceasefire Teeters on the Brink
30 Nov 2024 at 6:38pm

Only Israel has opened fire since the start of the “ceasefire”, and Israel has done so repeatedly. Nobody has fired back. Israel has for three days in a row attacked alleged Hezbollah rocket sites with bombs or missiles, killing at least four people and probably more. Israel has opened fire on journalists. It has critically …

Lebanon’s Unbalanced Ceasefire Teeters on the Brink

Residents Return to Dahiya in Beirut
28 Nov 2024 at 5:10am

Beirut Residents Return to the Devastated Suburbs

Residents Return to Dahiya in Beirut

Displaced
26 Nov 2024 at 5:13pm

1.2 million people have been forced from their homes and have become refugees. Each one is an individual human being, and they all had lives before this calamity. In many cases, their homes and all they possess have been destroyed. We met up with some of them, so they can tell you their stories. This …

Displaced

Four Gentlemen Tour the Bekaa Valley
25 Nov 2024 at 12:23pm

On Thursday evening news came through that we had at long last gained the full list of approvals required to travel to report outside Beirut; we were cleared by the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Defence, and the local authorities. Laith Marouf of Free Palestine TV called me and suggested we go down together …

Four Gentlemen Tour the Bekaa Valley

The Effects of Israeli Barbarity
20 Nov 2024 at 9:13am

I could not tell the easy, comforting lie. “No”, I told the woman, her traumatised children clinging to her legs, “I can’t say you are safe here; not one of us is safe. The Israelis are genocidal. But in Lebanon so far, I don’t think they have bombed a school”. I was with one of …

The Effects of Israeli Barbarity

USA Tries to Pound Lebanon Into Submission
17 Nov 2024 at 7:25pm

Israel has intensified its air strikes on Lebanon and in particular on Beirut, ahead of a visit on Tuesday or Wednesday by US envoy Hochstein, at which he will press Lebanon to accept a US/Israeli ceasefire plan. This plan is touted as being based on UNSCR 1701, but in fact represents its abnegation. You may …

USA Tries to Pound Lebanon Into Submission

BBC Scotland

Scottish NHS reform 'urgently needed' - watchdog
3 Dec 2024 at 10:16am
Audit Scotland says decisions may needed about whether some services can be provided by the NHS.

'I get £770 a month - what's in the Scottish Budget affects everything'
3 Dec 2024 at 6:36am
BBC News Scotland has been speaking to people about what they want - and what they fear - from the Budget.

What are the tax options in the Scottish budget?
2 Dec 2024 at 10:56pm
The Scottish government is expected to publish a tax strategy alongside the budget for the coming year.

'Why do I get less free childcare for my two-year-old than in England?'
2 Dec 2024 at 2:09pm
In England, Fiona would qualify for 15 hours of funded childcare per week, cutting down on the extra care she needs to pay for.

Youth charity staffing slashed after funding cut
2 Dec 2024 at 1:25pm
Young Enterprise Scotland will operate with reduced staffing after 17 people were made redundant.

Tributes paid to Alex Salmond at cathedral service
30 Nov 2024 at 1:15pm
The St Andrews Day memorial nearly a month after the former Scottish first minister's death included musical performances, prayers, eulogies and poems.

What is at stake in the Supreme Court gender case?
30 Nov 2024 at 9:39am
Judges are considering how a woman is defined in equalities law - what could their ruling mean?

McArthur 'confident' MSPs will back assisted dying
29 Nov 2024 at 4:33pm
The MSP trying to legalise the measure in Scotland welcomed a historic Westminster vote in favour.

GP leaders vote to ballot on strike action
29 Nov 2024 at 5:37pm
Scottish GP representatives said they were not given fair pay rises compared to other NHS doctors.

FM meets murder victim's parents as they seek answers
28 Nov 2024 at 8:55pm
Claire Inglis was murdered by her boyfriend who was bailed to her home in Stirling three years ago.

Commitment to fully dual A96 by 2030 abandoned
28 Nov 2024 at 4:37pm
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop says the Scottish government remains in favour of full dualling.

Salmond family proud of 'him and everything he did'
29 Nov 2024 at 6:12am
The former first minister's niece was talking ahead of a memorial service in Edinburgh on Saturday.

Scot Goes Pop

Is an early Holyrood election actually in the interests of any of the opposit...
2 Dec 2024 at 2:34pm
I don't take seriously all the chatter about the Budget failing and an early Holyrood election being called, because past history shows that a resolution is generally found - even if it happens ver...

"No Due Process Please, We're Alba"?
1 Dec 2024 at 7:35pm
Iain Cameron posting this publically about Wee Annie, Scotlands hardest working independence fighter. ?????????Can @TasminaSheikh list those of us with a lifetime ban on joining the Alba Party plea...

Labour face catastrophe in Wales as Plaid Cymru storm into historic lead for ...
1 Dec 2024 at 11:46am
I can't 100% say that no polling firm has ever shown Plaid Cymru in the lead before, because Plaid had that extraordinary purple patch in the late 90s under Dafydd Wigley (people in Scotland may ha...

Ironically, the success of the unusual coalition model from the Greens' point...
30 Nov 2024 at 5:19pm
It now looks like Fianna Fáil will top the first preference vote in the Irish general election, despite the exit poll last night putting them third.  Some people are claiming that means the exit po...

A slight surprise in Irish exit poll as Sinn Féin are predicted to top the fi...
29 Nov 2024 at 10:07pm
It suddenly occurred to me a few minutes ago that I could listen live to the drama of the Irish general election exit poll reveal on RTE Radio, and although there wasn't a huge shock, there was a s...

Richard Tice's statement undoubtedly makes a Labour minority government in Sc...
29 Nov 2024 at 2:01pm
Thanks to Yesindyref2 on the previous thread for pointing me in the direction of an article suggesting Reform UK's Richard Tice has said his party would vote for Anas Sarwar to be First Minister af...

Another by-election setback for Labour - they finish just TWO VOTES ahead of ...
29 Nov 2024 at 12:44pm
West Fife & Coastal Villages by-election result on first preference votes (28th November 2024)Labour 33.2% (+0.7)SNP 33.2% (-2.7)Conservatives 16.1% (-1.0)Liberal Democrats 8.6% (+1.9)Greens 4.6% (...

Labour stunned as Kilpatrick by-election produces swing of almost 3% *to the ...
29 Nov 2024 at 12:37am
As I pointed out yesterday, both of the by-elections taking place looked almost certain to be Labour holds, because both wards were particularly favourable for Labour in 2022, at a time when the SN...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Liberal Democrats ?still some distance? from a deal to back SNP Budget
3 Dec 2024 at 4:49pm
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton spoke after Budget talks with the Scottish Government on Tuesday.

John Swinney urges political opponents to work with him ?in good faith? ahead...
3 Dec 2024 at 2:08pm
The First Minister is understood to be meeting other parties ahead of his Budget being published on Wednesday afternoon.

?Nonsense? to suggest cultural issue in Labour after two arrests ? Sarwar
3 Dec 2024 at 2:05pm
The party leader described the situation as ?deeply unfortunate?

Scottish Conservatives leader Russell Findlay says rise of Reform will only h...
2 Dec 2024 at 7:33pm
Russell Findlay said he was 'disappointed' that two of his councillors defected to Reform last week.

Glasgow by-election winner disqualified after failing to quit council job
2 Dec 2024 at 4:18pm
Mary McNab was voted in as councillor for Glasgow North East but has been automatically disqualified.

Number of people who distrust the Scottish Government surged over the last ye...
2 Dec 2024 at 11:31am
The Scottish household survey found 45% of people polled 'distrusted the Government' - up from 38% the previous year.

Budget will set Scotland up to ?win big? in future, says Robison
1 Dec 2024 at 11:21am
The Finance Secretary will outline the Scottish Government?s tax and spending plans in Holyrood on Wednesday.

Almost 28,000 homes empty while thousands live in temporary housing, data shows
30 Nov 2024 at 9:30am
Data obtained by the Lib Dems shows there are 27,954 long-term vacant properties across Scotland?s 32 council areas.

Family, friends and political leaders gather for Alex Salmond memorial servic...
30 Nov 2024 at 8:53am
Leaders from across the political spectrum attended the service at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.

Alex Salmond?s family ?still processing? death ahead of memorial celebrating ...
29 Nov 2024 at 3:29pm
A memorial will be held for former first minister Alex Salmond at St Giles? Cathedral in Edinburgh on Saturday.

Gray confirms additional £13.6m for general practice to help with staffing
29 Nov 2024 at 1:25pm
The health secretary said the funding is intended to help with staffing costs.

Scottish Government releases plan to make Scotland key producer of hydrogen
29 Nov 2024 at 8:50am
Acting Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said hydrogen is one of Scotland?s ?greatest industrial opportunities since oil and gas?.

Time is running out to save GPs, warns top doctor
29 Nov 2024 at 8:35am
Dr Iain Morrison of the British Medical Association will make the plea in a speech on Friday.

Scottish Government has ?limited room for manoeuvre? in Budget
29 Nov 2024 at 8:06am
The Fraser of Allander Institute has published a report ahead of the Scottish Budget on December 4.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

?Nonsense? to suggest cultural issue in Scottish Labour after two arrests, sa...
3 Dec 2024 at 2:25pm
The Scottish Labour leader said the situation is ?deeply unfortunate? but he added all political parties have to deal with such cases.

John Swinney urges parties to 'work together' as SNP Government set to delive...
3 Dec 2024 at 2:16pm
The SNP lacks a majority at Holyrood and must win support from at least one other party to pass its spending plans for the year ahead.

Glasgow council spent over £6m on golden goodbyes for staff after cutting ser...
3 Dec 2024 at 1:28pm
EXCLUSIVE: The sum was around nine times the amount spent over the previous year.

Glasgow Labour councillor charged in connection with stalking offences
3 Dec 2024 at 9:10am
Philip Braat, who used to be Lord Provost in the city, has also been suspended by Labour.

Top Nicola Sturgeon civil servant who destroyed covid WhatsApp messages retir...
3 Dec 2024 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Ken Thomson and five other SNP Government officials had pension benefits valued at over £1m last year.

Scottish NHS could have to 'withdraw' services to free up cash for rising costs
3 Dec 2024 at 4:30am
The latest Audit Scotland report lays out the challenge facing the struggling health service.

Scottish Labour MPs 'upset' about being kept in the dark over universal Winte...
3 Dec 2024 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Scottish Labour MPs said in a meeting that they were unhappy at not being told told about the decision before it appeared in the media.

Angela Rayner slams 'clapped-out' SNP over housing and urges them to get 'gri...
2 Dec 2024 at 4:59pm
The Deputy Prime Minister said it was "horrendous" that 242 people in Scotland died in homeless accommodation last year and said the Nationalists were "clapped-out and failing".

No Budget deal between the SNP and Greens would be good for both parties
2 Dec 2024 at 3:59pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says John Swinney is likely to get his Budget passed next year.

Keir Starmer's spokesperson blasts Gregg Wallace comments as 'misogynistic'
2 Dec 2024 at 2:35pm
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has since held talks with BBC bosses in the wake of the Wallace row

The National

The National | Politics

Scottish winter fuel debate is 'nuts', says leading think tank director
3 Dec 2024 at 4:00pm

THE debate around winter heating support for pensioners has become ?nuts?, according to the head of a leading progressive think tank.

Scottish university urged to reinstate rector's role after removal over Gaza ...
3 Dec 2024 at 3:56pm

THE University of St Andrews has been urged to reinstate its rector to its governing body following her removal last year due to her criticism of Israel?s assault on Gaza ...

Row as Scottish Labour by-election blunder 'could cost Glasgow council £200k'
3 Dec 2024 at 3:11pm

A ROW has broken out between Glasgow council leader Susan Aitken and Scottish Labour MSP Anas Sarwar over the blunder that means a council by-election has to be re-run ...

Holyrood rejects Scottish Labour's winter fuel scheme replacement bid
3 Dec 2024 at 3:10pm

SCOTTISH Labour?s proposals for a replacement to the Winter Fuel Payment have been rejected in a Holyrood vote.

'Wasted vote' to back Tories in Glasgow at next election, says John Curtice
3 Dec 2024 at 2:41pm

VOTING Conservative in Scotland?s biggest city at the next election will be a ?wasted vote?, according to a top polling expert.

Anas Sarwar denies cultural issue within Scottish Labour after two arrests
3 Dec 2024 at 2:23pm

IT is ?nonsense? to suggest there is a cultural issue in Scottish Labour following the arrests of two senior councillors, the party?s leader has said ...

Nigel Farage's Reform 'very likely' to return two Glasgow MSPs, John Curtice ...
3 Dec 2024 at 2:19pm

REFORM are on course to win two seats in Scotland?s biggest city, according to a leading political expert.

Man avoids jail after threats to kill SNP MP Kirsty Blackman
3 Dec 2024 at 2:06pm

A MAN has avoided jail after threatening to kill SNP MP Kirsty Blackman on social media ...

We have clear plan for NHS despite watchdog's warning, Health Secretary insists
3 Dec 2024 at 1:01pm

THE Health Secretary has insisted that the SNP Government has a ?clear plan? for fundamental reform of the NHS, after the spending watchdog warned ...

'Desperate': Greens reject Alba claims of dropping independence 'red line'
3 Dec 2024 at 1:22pm

THE Scottish Greens have hit out at Alba after they accused the party of dropping their independence "red line" in supporting the Budget tomorrow.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

SNP has ?weakened the NHS?, Jackie Baillie warns after critical report
3 Dec 2024 at 2:54pm
Health secretary Neil Gray said the government was ?already making progress? in responding to the challenges

No clear plan for NHS reform, says Audit Scotland
3 Dec 2024 at 12:01am
The auditor general has said the Scottish Government needs a delivery plan that clearly sets out to the public how it will reform the health service and address the existing pressures

John Swinney: Budget will prioritise NHS Scotland
2 Dec 2024 at 7:21am
Criticism from rivals as trade union calls for action

Scottish Government to introduce winter fuel payments for all pensioners
28 Nov 2024 at 4:55pm
Conservative MSP accuses ministers of 'hoodwinking' public

Scottish Government committed to dualling A96 despite review backing targeted...
28 Nov 2024 at 4:00pm
Transport secretary Fiona Hyslop left the door open to taking a ?different approach? on the road

John Swinney apologises to rape victim over delay to private prosecution deci...
28 Nov 2024 at 1:32pm
Denise Clair?s case was raised in parliament by Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay

Scottish Government expected to announce Winter Fuel Payment replacement
28 Nov 2024 at 10:22am
Ministerial statement to take place

Supreme Court: Judges retire to consider meaning of 'woman'
27 Nov 2024 at 5:24pm
The Supreme Court case was brought by the For Women Scotland (FWS) campaign group over its concerns about the impact of reforms for transgender people on women?s rights.

John Swinney defends Neil Gray using ministerial car to go to film premier
27 Nov 2024 at 4:59pm
The health secretary attended the showing of The Outrun at Edinburgh?s Cameo Cinema

Four in ten UK adults encountered misinformation or deepfakes ahead of the ge...
27 Nov 2024 at 4:12pm
Carried out in the week before the general election, the poll revealed UK adults? levels of exposure to ?false or misleading? information

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Scottish ministers mull tax rise for wealthy amid tricky budget decisions
3 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
Finance secretary must find way to bring either Greens or Lib Dems onboard while plugging possible £200m shortfallScottish ministers are contemplating modest tax increases for the better off and plan to scrap the freeze in council tax rates as they search for extra money in this week?s budget.Sho...

Reform UK ?bullish and optimistic? as polls predict success in Scotland
1 Dec 2024 at 11:03am
Recent polling puts party above 10%, which could result in up to 12 MSPs at next Scottish parliament electionsReform UK is celebrating ?an extraordinary sense of momentum? north of the border, as Scotland?s top polling expert predicts the populist right party could end up deciding the next Holyro...

Mourners honour ?political genius? Alex Salmond at Edinburgh service
30 Nov 2024 at 3:52pm
Family and friends gathered for speeches and musical performances from the Proclaimers and Dougie MacLeanThe former prime minister Gordon Brown and the Scottish first minister, John Swinney, were among those who gathered at a memorial service for Alex Salmond after his sudden death in October at ...

Scottish ministers pledge universal winter fuel payments for pensioners
28 Nov 2024 at 3:59pm
SNP says heating payment will go to ?every single Scottish pensioner? from next yearUK politics live ? latest updatesThe Scottish government will reintroduce universal winter fuel payments for pensioners, in a bid to outstrip Labour ahead of the Holyrood elections.Nearly a million pensioners will...

Badenoch suggests final Tory migration policy would be more radical than leav...
27 Nov 2024 at 6:15pm
Conservative leader says there needs to be a ?plan not just a promise? beyond leaving the ECHRWilliam Hague has achieved a rare Tory election victory; he has won the contest to be Oxford University?s next chancellor.The university has released the figures for the final round of voting, where the ...

Supreme court urged to recognise ?facts of biological reality? in sex definit...
26 Nov 2024 at 7:06pm
Scottish campaigners challenge ruling that found it lawful for guidance to extend definition of ?woman? to trans women with GRCThe supreme court has been urged to recognise ?the facts of biological reality rather than the fantasies of legal fiction? in a case brought by Scottish campaigners to re...

Russia imposes travel ban on cabinet ministers, calling it retaliation for ?R...
26 Nov 2024 at 6:22pm
Kremlin bans UK cabinet ministers including Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Yveette Cooper from entering countryThe Federation of Small Businesses applauds the ambition in the government?s Get Britain Working, but says that overcoming the ?pervasive poverty of ambition? about employment in the p...

UK politics: Badenoch refuses to commit to reversing rise in employers? natio...
25 Nov 2024 at 5:50pm
Tory leader says she will not ?comment on every bit of micro-policy?Q: Are you feeling the pressure? There is a petition signed by 2 million people calling for another election.Starmer says he is not surprised that people who did not support Labour in the first place want the election to be re-ru...

NHS was ?within hours? of running out of gowns during pandemic, Hancock tells...
21 Nov 2024 at 5:18pm
This live blog is closedBritish prime minister Keir Starmer says he is ?deeply saddened? to hear that Prescott has died, and called him a ?true giant of Labour?.In a statement on X, he said, ?I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of John Prescott. John was a true giant of the Labour movement....

Scottish bus drivers say death of colleague part of rising trend in abuse
20 Nov 2024 at 4:00pm
Keith Rollinson died in February after being attacked by a drunk 15-year-old he had refused to let on his busAfter the bus driver Keith Rollinson died at Elgin bus station after a violent assault by a teenage passenger, friends and colleagues held a candlelit vigil to remember the man described b...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Farage and Musk are coming for Scotland
3 Dec 2024 at 10:14am
? ?Farage has KGBNews, Elon Musk and Twitter, he’s all over TikTok. The Trump cultists and all the power behind their libertarian aims back him too, as well as the dark money funded ‘think tanks of Tufton St. Farage is the UK face of a world wide and well funded movement to turn democracies into …

Institutional disobedience could be the way forward for independence
25 Nov 2024 at 11:57am
There’s a very interesting and important article in The National this Sunday by the much respected writer and commentator Neal Ascherson about charting a way forward for the independence campaign and breaking through the current constitutional impasse. His argument follows from two key points. Firstly, the idea of independence as a plausible and realistic constitutional …

Sarwar?s U turn is not what it seems
19 Nov 2024 at 6:34pm
When is a promise not a promise? When it’s a promise made by the Labour party in Scotland. Then it’s not a promise, it’s a lie. Right now on BBC Scotland there’s a programme about exposing scammers who call people making fake promises and end up ripping them off. It would be nice if BBC …

The X-odus to BlueSky: a dug in a blue sky
15 Nov 2024 at 6:31pm
Last week the Guardian newspaper announced that it would no longer be posting on Twitter. I refuse to call it X. You tweet on Twitter – what do you do on X? You excrete of course, and since the platform was taken over by the world’s biggest attention seeker Elon Musk, Twitter has become a …

The far right could come to Scotland too
12 Nov 2024 at 12:06pm
With the decisive victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential elections and his MAGA Republicans taking the Senate and edging towards a majority in the lower chamber, the House of Representatives, far right post-truth populist nationalism has scored its greatest achievement ever. The American Government is now in the hands of climate change denying …

Moving to Scotland from the USA
7 Nov 2024 at 11:44am
The National newspaper in Scotland has reported that since Donald Trump won the American presidential election there has been a surge in Google searches originating in the USA for “how to move to Scotland” and “Scottish citizenship”. I have been contacted by two American friends the day after the election asking for advice about moving …

Counting the cost of royal greed
5 Nov 2024 at 11:49am
Over the weekend Channel 4’s Dispatches programme revealed the extent to which the public is being milked by the greedy and money grabbing Windsor family. Or rather, at least the extent to which the programme and the investigative reporters of the Sunday Times were able to uncover. The Windsors go to great lengths to keep …

Trump, Scotland, America and the world
1 Nov 2024 at 11:02am
Donald Trump has weighed into the Scottish independence debate in his typically incoherent and ill-informed way. Earlier this month Trump appeared on the podcast of comedian Andrew Schulz. No, I’d never heard of him either. Schulz has been criticised for his right wing takes, racist stereotyping, and his tendency to punch down, characteristics which define …

The revolving door
28 Oct 2024 at 11:35am
?The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.? George Orwell, Animal Farm. Two council by elections are due in Glasgow. This is not in itself earth shattering political news, council by elections happen all …

Scotland?s severed tongues
24 Oct 2024 at 11:16am
The Scottish languages bill is currently winding its way through the Scottish Parliament. The Bill gives the Gaelic and Scots languages official status in Scotland and makes improvement to the support for the Gaelic and Scots languages in Scotland. This also includes changes in relation to Gaelic and Scots in Scotland’s education system aimed at …

The Courier

Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

John Swinney ?traitor? accusations out of order says furious Alex Salmond ally
3 Dec 2024 at 12:19pm
Alex Neil, who served as health secretary under Alex Salmond, condemned those who targeted the first minister as he attended the former leader's memorial.

NHS Fife surgery waiting times among worst in Scotland
3 Dec 2024 at 12:01am
A new report says SNP government must be honest with the public about the services the NHS can afford to deliver and what reforms are needed.

NHS Tayside urgent cancer treatment wait times among worst in Scotland
3 Dec 2024 at 12:01am
While "significant improvement" has been made shortening wait times for children's mental health services, NHS Tayside has missed targets in other key areas.

DCA future ?hangs in balance? ahead of Scottish budget this week
2 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
Without a promised £100 million investment in Scottish culture, there are fears of radical cuts at DCA.

Eljamel outrage as new pictures show disgraced Dundee surgeon operating on pa...
1 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
Campaigner Pat Kelly, who was harmed by Eljamel, is ?horrified? for Libyans being operated on by the disgraced doctor.

Inside Reform conference in Perth as Nigel Farage ?scared of Scotland? theory...
1 Dec 2024 at 5:00am
Reform deputy leader Richard Tice insists Nigel Farage will make a visit north of border in "due course".

John Swinney booed and called ?traitor? at Alex Salmond memorial service
30 Nov 2024 at 6:00pm
Saturday's memorial service in Edinburgh was held to celebrate Mr Salmond's love of Scotland and commitment to the cause of independence.

Protestors at Perth Reform conference mock Nigel Farage no-show
30 Nov 2024 at 5:52pm
Around 300 supporters attended Reform's Scotland conference but the party leader was a no-show.

COURIER OPINION: Dundee University can survive funding crisis with imaginativ...
30 Nov 2024 at 6:59am
Dundee University is not alone is facing a funding crisis, but with all solutions on the table Scotland's prestigious higher education sector can thrive.

Drop in Dundee students costs university £2m and leaves halls like ?ghost towns?
30 Nov 2024 at 6:00am
The institution confirmed the 300 vacant rooms were a ?significant factor? in its financial struggles.

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland

Almost 90% of Child and Adolescent Mental Health cases start treatment within...
3 Dec 2024 at 2:56pm
By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, today: 89.1% of children and young people started treatment within 18 weeks of referral, which is an increase from 84.1% for the previous quarter and from 75.6% for the same quarter ending September 2023. The Scottish Government standard states that 90% of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to...

Deadly measles being held at bay by NHS Scotland?s vaccination levels
3 Dec 2024 at 2:21pm
By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, today: There were 19 laboratory confirmed measles cases reported in the first three quarters of 2024: six cases in the first quarter, eight cases in the second quarter, and five cases in the third quarter. Of these 19 cases, ten are thought to have been imported and related to travel outwith the UK, and one further (secondary) case wa...

Disgraceful journalism to exploit homelessness and rough-sleeping in the coun...
3 Dec 2024 at 10:20am
The Herald today has this nasty, exploitative image to misrepresent the nature of homelessness for children in Scotland. A child sleeping rough or begging on the streets would be picked up and taken to a safe place. Some facts about homelessness in the UK they don’t want you to know: 1 Core Homelessness lowest in Scotland ?Core homelessness? ? a concept which captures the most severe and immedi...

The nearly 2 000 saved from Covid death in Scotland that BBC will not tell yo...
3 Dec 2024 at 8:59am
The above table from the UK Covid Inquiry report, posted today by https://x.com/ammacj makes clear that Scotland had a 14% lower Covid death rate than UK and a 36% lower excess death rate than UK. The second table, above, make clear the scale of loss not at first apparent in percentages. Had Scotland’s pandemic response strategy been managed by the UK Tory government, 14%, 1 867, more might hav...

SNP economic competence saved 20 000 Scottish firms during pandemic but get n...
3 Dec 2024 at 8:03am
The above comparison from the always worth reading Ruth Henderson at: https://x.com/RuthHen05786097 is just like those simple comparisons the Unionist media love to trot out, except this time, they don’t. Now, if the rate of collapse had been the same, per head, in the UK generally, then only around 220 000 firms (11 times 20 000) would have disappeared but it was 400 000 nearly twice as many. ...

NHS Scotland?s stunning 98% completion rate as operations return steadily to ...
3 Dec 2024 at 7:32am
By Professor John Robertson OBA Less than 2 years after the World Health Organisation declared an end to the Covid-19 pandemic on May 5 2023, and the ‘Greatest test since World War Two’ according to the United Nations Secretary General, with global economic collapse and longer-term health damage to millions, and Scotland’s Auditor General seems to have ignored the evidence to deny that NHS Scot...

Cap on UK political donations to limit foreign influence would help SNP limit...
2 Dec 2024 at 10:21pm
From the Guardian today: Caps on political donations are being considered by ministers as part of sweeping reforms to the UK electoral system. Labour is examining proposals to limit how much individuals and companies can donate to political parties as part of an effort to tighten the rules around money in UK politics. In a report to be published in the coming weeks, the Institute for Public Pol...

New ferry built in Finland arrives in Scotland for $24 million berth more tha...
2 Dec 2024 at 7:31pm
In an astonishing ferry fiasco, the Government of Tasmania has delayed new harbour building for so long that a new ferry just completed in Finland must now spend up to two years either berthed in Leith because of icing problems over-winter in Finland or leased out on temporary basis to some other country. The two new Tasmanian vessels, though twice the size of the new CalMac boats, have less co...

Prepare yourself for Audit Scotland picking grudgingly and context-free at t...
2 Dec 2024 at 7:07pm
To read in full click on: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=Audit To read in full click on: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=Audit To read in full click on: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=Audit

Police Scotland Freedom of Information request regarding the unthinkable reve...
2 Dec 2024 at 12:05pm
I monitor Police Scotland’s Disclosure Log daily for anything that might be of interest. At first, I thought it best to pass this one by, but then wondered why indulge in the same censorship as BBC Scotland who, of course, will not be reporting this. From Reference: 24-2764 – Crime stats – Female Genital Mutilation – 2000 TD, published yesterday: A search of our crime recording system for Femal...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Scotland?s future: PM Farage or left-wing populist independence - HeraldScotland
3 Dec 2024 at 6:36am
Scotland?s future: PM Farage or left-wing populist independence  HeraldScotland

Will Scotland ever become an Independent nation-state? - Forbes
19 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Will Scotland ever become an Independent nation-state?  Forbes

Sturgeon predicts independence and united Ireland in UK 'shake-up' - BBC.com
17 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Sturgeon predicts independence and united Ireland in UK 'shake-up'  BBC.com

'Desperate nonsense': Greens reject Alba claims of dropping independence 'red...
3 Dec 2024 at 1:24pm
'Desperate nonsense': Greens reject Alba claims of dropping independence 'red line'  The National

Scottish independence poll 2024 - Statista
9 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2024  Statista

Scottish independence: 10 years on - YouGov
17 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence: 10 years on  YouGov

Is the dream of Scottish independence over? - POLITICO Europe
1 May 2024 at 8:00am
Is the dream of Scottish independence over?  POLITICO Europe

10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum - Sky News
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum  Sky News

Alex Salmond, leading figure in Scottish independence movement, dies at age 6...
12 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond, leading figure in Scottish independence movement, dies at age 69  CNN

Scottish Greens back down on independence spending 'red line' as they set out...
3 Dec 2024 at 9:04am
Scottish Greens back down on independence spending 'red line' as they set out budget demands  Scottish Daily Express

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Public trust in SNP government collapses - The Spectator
3 Dec 2024 at 12:13pm
Public trust in SNP government collapses  The Spectator

Only the SNP will protect the progress we?ve made together - SNP
3 Dec 2024 at 4:01pm
Only the SNP will protect the progress we?ve made together  SNP

SNP must use this Budget to fund real action on homelessness - HeraldScotland
3 Dec 2024 at 6:36am
SNP must use this Budget to fund real action on homelessness  HeraldScotland

Why SNP's brazen winter giveaway for pensioners may owe something to Scottish...
28 Nov 2024 at 6:31pm
Why SNP's brazen winter giveaway for pensioners may owe something to Scottish Labour leaving Starmer red-faced  Sky News

SNP and Plaid Cymru unite against employers? National Insurance tax hike - Th...
3 Dec 2024 at 5:07am
SNP and Plaid Cymru unite against employers? National Insurance tax hike  The National

Voices of Scotland SNP unites with the rich on farm tax - Morning Star Online
3 Dec 2024 at 12:03am
Voices of Scotland SNP unites with the rich on farm tax  Morning Star Online

SNP plans to cut staff at party headquarters - BBC.com
16 Nov 2024 at 8:00am
SNP plans to cut staff at party headquarters  BBC.com

Scottish ministers mull tax rise for wealthy amid tricky budget decisions - T...
3 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
Scottish ministers mull tax rise for wealthy amid tricky budget decisions  The Guardian

Scots face cuts to NHS services after years of SNP mismanagement, report warn...
3 Dec 2024 at 11:33am
Scots face cuts to NHS services after years of SNP mismanagement, report warns as doctors' leader says the cou  Daily Mail

Greens pile pressure on independence spending as SNP and Lib Dems hold budget...
3 Dec 2024 at 5:08am
Greens pile pressure on independence spending as SNP and Lib Dems hold budget talks  HeraldScotland

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

The agony and ecstasy of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum - BBC.com
17 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
The agony and ecstasy of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum  BBC.com

David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit - Britannica
27 Nov 2024 at 8:00am
David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit  Britannica

Is the dream of Scottish independence over? - POLITICO Europe
1 May 2024 at 8:00am
Is the dream of Scottish independence over?  POLITICO Europe

Alex Salmond: Scotland?s first nationalist leader and a tireless campaigner f...
12 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond: Scotland?s first nationalist leader and a tireless campaigner for independence  The Conversation

Ten years on from Scotland?s independence referendum - The Economist
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Ten years on from Scotland?s independence referendum  The Economist

10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum - Sky News
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum  Sky News

Scottish independence poll 2024 - Statista
9 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2024  Statista

Minister rejects call for Galloway national park referendum - BBC
28 Nov 2024 at 6:37am
Minister rejects call for Galloway national park referendum  BBC

Scottish independence: 10 years on - YouGov
17 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence: 10 years on  YouGov

Alex Salmond, former Scottish first minister who nearly got Scotland?s indepe...
12 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond, former Scottish first minister who nearly got Scotland?s independence from UK, dies at 69  PBS NewsHour