The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Shares plunge in UK housebuilder amid fall-out from Middle East war
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
24 Mar 2026 at 4:59pm
Bellway warns conflict in Middle East 'heightens the risk of both inflationary cost pressure'


Reform's Malcolm Offord donated to LGBT charity after making homophobic joke
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
24 Mar 2026 at 4:51pm
Reform UK leader in Scotland is embroiled in controversy after he made a homophobic joke during a rugby event in 2018.


Nicola Sturgeon: 'Operation Branchform hasn't soured me - it made me stronger'
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
24 Mar 2026 at 3:26pm
Nicola Sturgeon has spoken about Operation Branchform as she prepares to step down as an MSP.


George Galloway to miss Holyrood campaign launch after undergoing heart surgery
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
24 Mar 2026 at 11:58am
George Galloway will be unable to attend the Scottish launch of his Workers Party campaign for Holyrood after undergoing heart surgery


Operation Branchform is development in recent politics Scots most aware of
24 Mar 2026 at 11:00am
Police Scotland's investigation into SNP finances Operation Branchform is the political development most Scots are aware of, according to new polling by More in Common.


Fast-track visas for Americans? The bold scheme to lure US scientists to Scot...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
24 Mar 2026 at 6:28am
Her point is well taken ? American scientists and engineers appear to be abandoning the chaos of a second Trump administration for more bearable climes.


MSPs will not get pre-election update on rape trials after Supreme Court ECHR...
24 Mar 2026 at 5:00am
MSPs will not receive an update from Angela Constance and Dorothy Bain KC on the impact of a landmark ruling on how rape trials are conducted despite warnings current cases face delays while a surge of appeals against convictions is expected as a result of the judgment.


Worry over Scottish income tax falls
by ian.mcconnell@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Ian McConnell
24 Mar 2026 at 4:35am
Worry over Scottish income tax has fallen, a key survey has revealed


'It?s a crime': Why are Scottish men more likely to have stage 4 prostate can...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
24 Mar 2026 at 4:24pm
Inside Scotland?s prostate cancer drive as Sir Chris Hoy shares his diagnosis and challenges the male ?get on with it? mindset.


MSPs banned from claiming alcohol on expenses in certain circumstances
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
24 Mar 2026 at 1:23pm
MSPs will be restricted from claiming alcohol on expenses in certain circumstances following a Holyrood report on sexual misconduct.


Your Party will not stand in May's Holyrood elections, Scottish rep says
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
23 Mar 2026 at 8:27pm
A central executive committee (CEC) report viewed by The Herald details the logistical challenges in the way of standing candidates.


Scots MSP hopefuls urged to back 'comprehensive ban' on conversion practices
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
23 Mar 2026 at 7:24pm
End Conversion Therapy Scotland has called on MSP hopefuls to work to bring in a ban over the next five years. 


IFS hits back at Reform after party attacks thinktank's independence
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
23 Mar 2026 at 4:34pm
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has defended its independence after Reform UK branded it the ?siren voice of the status quo?.


Findlay claims Starmer could 'flip-flop' on opposition to second independence...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
23 Mar 2026 at 3:55pm
Russell Findlay says Sir Keir Starmer could bow to pressure for a second independence referendum if the SNP secures a Holyrood majority.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


MPs vote against Tory motion on new North Sea oil and gas projects
24 Mar 2026 at 4:29pm

The Tory opposition day motion - which also proposed ending the windfall tax on energy giants and approving the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields - was beaten by 299 to 108 votes.

Scottish leader decided to make resignation call as Mandelson scandal was overshadowing campaign

The Conservatives will also use their opposition day debate to give MPs a vote on ending the windfall tax on energy giants and to approve the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields.

Ironically, the party so often accused of not having any policies was first to announce its plans

The Institute of Directors says business leaders are growing increasingly concerned about taxation in Scotland.

Counsel to the inquiry said the Scottish government did not know about issues until after hospital complex opened

Russell Findlay is poised to lay his party?s attack on Reform thick during the Holyrood campaign, but the noise around Reform is likely to be deafening

Wings over Scotland

Let?s Call The Whole Thing Off
24 Mar 2026 at 12:59pm
The last faint hope of any remotely positive or at least interesting outcome of May’s election just left the building. It wasn’t MUCH of a hope, and it’s absolutely no surprise in the wake of the comically shambolic, belief-defyingly inept farce that has been the birth of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s fringe-of-the fringe Your …

Irony you can?t buy
20 Mar 2026 at 12:09pm
Posted without comment. But the reason you can’t buy the irony is that she doesn’t need the money. So that’s quarter of a million pounds just for running away when things got a bit sticky, on top of the circa £225,000 in wages she’s trousered since resigning as FM despite never turning up for work …

Looking up at the stars
10 Mar 2026 at 6:24pm
A fascinating line from the BBC this evening: The number of parties who got MSPs elected at the last election is? five. (Though in fairness there are now six, Reform having a single MSP after Graham Simpson defected from the Tories. The Lib Dems are even outnumbered by independents, of whom there are seven.) Also …

Scotland?s Most Frightened
4 Mar 2026 at 5:52pm
This was just two months ago. (Longer version here.) ? And we’ll bet you anything you like he’s already wishing he hadn’t said it. Because a recent study suggested that Swinney might just achieve the impossible task he set for himself, and if he does then he’s REALLY screwed. Now, we don’t actually think that’ll …

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 …

Craig Murray

The London Ambulances Attack: Of Course It Was A False Flag
24 Mar 2026 at 12:04pm

The notion that the Iranian state would discredit itself by choosing to attack an ambulance service in London is crazy. Iran has not even attacked any hospitals or ambulances in Israel. Iran has absolutely zero record of attacks on healthcare facilities. That is of course in stark contrast to Israel which specifically targets them in …

The London Ambulances Attack: Of Course It Was A False Flag

Seeing Trump Clearly
21 Mar 2026 at 12:19pm

What if Trump’s apparently chaotic thought processes and intuitive decision making are all a blind, a charade? What if we are really witnessing, in the Middle East and more widely, a carefully constructed plan with very definite objectives? Has Trump in fact “planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway”, while flinging the …

Seeing Trump Clearly

Radicalism and Scottish Independence
14 Mar 2026 at 4:18pm

There is no place like home, and a few hours after arriving back in Scotland I was in Glasgow giving a talk to Pensioners for Independence. I still covered quite a wide sweep, but my focus came back to what I care about more than anything – the freedom, prosperity and just position in the …

Radicalism and Scottish Independence

Has Venezuela Abandoned Socialism?
13 Mar 2026 at 5:48pm

I interviewed a prominent academic who is a profound critic of the Venezuelan government, and in contrast a strong academic supporter. The conversations were relaxed, open and I believe worthwhile. There is no serious dispute that the Venezuelan government shifted to some degree towards economic liberalism under President Maduro. The question is to what extent …

Has Venezuela Abandoned Socialism?

Fighting Back Against Zionist Control of the UK
12 Mar 2026 at 8:06am

I today met our legal team and instructed them to submit an application for interim relief in the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. If successful this will immediately lift the proscription in Scotland, pending the review. Scores of people in Scotland face imminent conviction for terrorist offences simply for exercising free …

Fighting Back Against Zionist Control of the UK

Metro Workers of Caracas
10 Mar 2026 at 6:39am

President Nicolás Maduro is a working-class man, a bus driver who worked his way to office through the trade union movement. Compare that to the Western “elite”. In Caracas I joined a rally of his fellow Metro workers, many of whom know him personally, demanding his release after kidnap by the US. I intend to …

Metro Workers of Caracas

BBC Scotland

Sturgeon denies 'obsession' with gender reforms when Scotland's first minister
24 Mar 2026 at 4:54pm
The ex-SNP leader, who is stepping down from Holyrood this week, has defended her support for the trans community.

Sarwar made last-minute decision to call for Starmer's resignation
24 Mar 2026 at 8:45am
The Scottish Labour leader says he only decided to speak out against the prime minister on the morning of his dramatic news conference.

Ministers confirm heat pump targets as climate plan unveiled
24 Mar 2026 at 5:30pm
The Scottish government says that it intends to wait until 2035 before ramping up the roll-out of the technology.

Target to end long NHS waits will be missed - report
24 Mar 2026 at 3:18pm
A pledge that by March of this year no patients in Scotland should be waiting longer than 12 months for their treatment will be missed.

Pain-free 'tripod' restraint brought in to Scottish jails
24 Mar 2026 at 3:23pm
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) says the technique will reduce injuries among prison officers and inmates following three pilot schemes.

MSPs to vote on proposed 'modernised' crofting legislation
24 Mar 2026 at 11:59am
The proposed bill affects the running of 21,000 crofts across parts of northern and western Scotland.

Young care leavers to get £2,000 from Scottish government
24 Mar 2026 at 12:45pm
Scottish ministers say about 1,300 teenagers a year will benefit from the new Care Leaver Payment.

Ministers 'did not know' about problems at scandal-hit hospital before opening
23 Mar 2026 at 6:03pm
An update from the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry says any political pressure to open the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital was applied "in ignorance".

UK government announces £9m Mossmorran investment
23 Mar 2026 at 5:26pm
The chemical plant in Fife ended production after 40 years and is expected to be fully decommissioned by 2028.

Has Scotland's NHS recovered from the Covid pandemic?
23 Mar 2026 at 6:20am
The sixth anniversary of Scotland going into lockdown also marks the final phase of a £1.2bn plan to help the NHS bounce back from Covid - did it work?

Outgoing MSPs leave Holyrood with relief, regret and unfinished business
22 Mar 2026 at 9:16am
A record 42 MSPs are stepping down, from grandees to first timers - they share their reasons why.

Reform UK suspends Scotland candidate over financial allegations
20 Mar 2026 at 6:54pm
Scotland leader Malcolm Offord told BBC Radio Scotland that the party had "spent a lot of time on vetting" candidates

Scot Goes Pop

Lord Ashcroft's dodgiest poll question is one the health inspectors should be...
24 Mar 2026 at 2:14am
I've been having a more leisurely look through the results of the supplementary questions in the Ashcroft poll, and I think there are three worth drawing to your attention.  First of all, Ashcroft ...

Ashcroft poll: pro-independence parties could take overall majority of VOTES ...
23 Mar 2026 at 9:24pm

Thank you, your lordship! Sensational Ashcroft poll shows SNP on highest vot...
23 Mar 2026 at 9:58am
The contents have it!  I'll try to make a video about this poll when I have a spare moment, but for now the basic facts deserve mentioning, because they bode extremely well for the SNP.  Lord Ashcr...

A further thought on the defeat of the assisted dying bill
23 Mar 2026 at 12:53am
I just want to comment briefly on Andrew Tickell's column about the Scottish Parliament's rejection of the assisted dying bill.  He argues that the opponents of the bill, if they want to be logical...

Are the results of independence polls being deliberately manipulated by organ...
22 Mar 2026 at 12:32am
As explained in the previous blogpost, my main concern about the data tables from the Survation / Scotland in Union propaganda poll is that they show beyond all reasonable doubt that some responden...

Survation cross a Rubicon by actively and knowingly pushing a fraudulent prop...
19 Mar 2026 at 10:46pm
As I pointed out in my video last night, the polling company Survation have seemingly prided themselves over the years on maintaining a particularly high standard of political neutrality and balanc...

Greens stay ahead of Labour for THIRD week in a row - SNP lead by 5 in Scotland
19 Mar 2026 at 12:52am
Later in this video I also give some preliminary thoughts on the ever-absurd latest outing for the Survation / Scotland In Union propaganda poll - although there's a limit to what I can say about i...

Why the new ScotRail minimum fare is unfair for passengers
18 Mar 2026 at 7:37pm
I only discovered a couple of days ago that ScotRail are introducing a minimum fare of £10 for tickets bought on the train, except when you've boarded at a station where there is no ticket office o...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Chancellor urged not to ?leave citizens in the cold? over rising bills
24 Mar 2026 at 8:22am
The US-Israeli offensive against Iran saw a spike in oil prices.

Greens pledge to increase child payment to £55 by 2030
24 Mar 2026 at 7:33am
The benefit will rise to £28.20 on April 1.

Scottish Government pledges £7m for communities facing climate change
24 Mar 2026 at 6:47am
The funding for 2026-27 comes ahead of Scotland?s climate change plan being presented to Parliament.

Swinney ?horrified? by arson attack on Jewish charity ambulances
23 Mar 2026 at 7:52pm
The First Minister?s comments come after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called on communities to ?stand together? following the attack.

UK Government pledges £9m to support workers at Mossmorran plastics plant
23 Mar 2026 at 3:00pm
ExxonMobil closed the Fife plant early last month after claiming it was no longer financially viable.

Do not hammer families with massive passport price hike, SNP tells Starmer
23 Mar 2026 at 7:45am
Pete Wishart said it was wrong for the Prime Minister to allow inflation-busting cost spikes to go when the cost-of-living crisis is rising.

Violent incidents in schools more than doubled since last election ? Labour
22 Mar 2026 at 2:39pm
John Swinney has been accused of ?sitting on his hands? as school violence reaches ?crisis point?

Swinney rejects assertion he cancelled briefing on US military use of airport
20 Mar 2026 at 1:22pm
The First Minister was due to be briefed on the situation on Thursday

Reform suspends Holyrood candidate less than 24 hours after being announced
20 Mar 2026 at 12:08pm
The party said it is investigating reports surrounding Stuart Niven?s financial conduct

Reform?s Scottish leader defends candidates after ?fruity? comments emerge
20 Mar 2026 at 10:17am
Malcolm Offord said everybody in their lives has ?said something intemperate?

John Swinney and Kate Forbes set for last joint engagement
20 Mar 2026 at 10:06am
The First Minister and his deputy will be in Ayrshire for an ?exciting announcement? for Scotland?s economy

Nicola Sturgeon says leaving Holyrood is a ?wrench? as she makes final speech
19 Mar 2026 at 9:00pm
The former first minister of Scotland is stepping down from Holyrood at the next election

Scotland at a crossroads ahead of ?critical? election, says Reform?s Offord
19 Mar 2026 at 6:21pm
Party members met on Thursday as Reform?s candidates were announced and the policy platform was launched

Nigel Farage says all mass religious observances should be banned
19 Mar 2026 at 5:02pm
He said the Open Iftar in Trafalgar Square on Monday was an ?attempt to overtake, intimidate and dominate our way of life?

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scottish politics today: SNP 'scared of antagonising football fans'
24 Mar 2026 at 5:00pm
The Record brings you its regular 5pm round-up of today's Scottish politics news.

Reform UK Scotland leader apologises over homophobic joke about George Michael
24 Mar 2026 at 3:46pm
EXCLUSIVE: Malcolm Offord cracked the vile joke about the pop star's late partner in 2018.

Nicola Sturgeon insists Operation Branchform investigation has not 'soured' her
24 Mar 2026 at 3:18pm
Sturgeon's estranged husband Peter Murrell is charged with embezzling £459,000 from the SNP over 12 years.

SNP to break key NHS promise to Scots to end year-long waiting times for trea...
24 Mar 2026 at 12:53pm
The SNP leader previously backed his under-fire Health Secretary and insisted he would not be resigning.

MSPs banned from sharing hotel rooms with staff under sexual harassment crack...
24 Mar 2026 at 12:20pm
The curb has been put in place after dozens of claims of bullying and harassment.

SNP Government accused of ignoring report backing ban on football pitch invas...
24 Mar 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Nationalist Ministers did not act on a report commissioned by the SFA in 2016 on creating a separate criminal offence of invading the pitch. Fans spilling onto the turf has continued, mo...

Moaning Malcolm Offord in rant about media exposes on extreme Holyrood candid...
23 Mar 2026 at 5:31pm
Reform UK's leader in Scotland lashed out after a barrage of negative publicity on his party's slate of Holyrood candidates.

Why the UK is a global leader in helping rid the world of deadly mines
23 Mar 2026 at 2:03pm
In an article for the Daily Record, Labour MP Alan Gemmell writes of his experience of demining in Angola and the vital work carried out by the HALO charity.

Scottish politics today: Reform Scotland candidate chaos continues
23 Mar 2026 at 1:46pm
The Record brings you its regular 5pm round-up of the day's Scottish politics news.

Scottish Labour promise 1,500 extra classroom assistants in schools if they w...
23 Mar 2026 at 9:20am
The promise was made after Labour announced a series of attack ads on the SNP Government on their record on schools.

The National

The National | Politics

Labour minister 'lied' with claim about Morgan McSweeney's phone amid Mandels...
24 Mar 2026 at 5:27pm

A LABOUR minister has been accused of lying to the public about Morgan McSweeney?s missing phone amid fears vital messages around the appointment of Peter Mandelson may be lost forever.

Reform UK candidate says he is not a candidate ? despite being named on list
24 Mar 2026 at 5:00pm

A REFORM UK Holyrood election pick has cast doubt on his own candidacy after saying he is not running for the Scottish Parliament and does not "want to be a politician"

Reform UK Scotland leader donated to LGBT charity after 'shocking' homophobic...
24 Mar 2026 at 4:46pm

MALCOLM Offord made a homophobic joke about the partner of the late pop star George Michael, it has been claimed ...

Scotland's richest people strongly support paying more tax, polling finds
24 Mar 2026 at 4:32pm

AN overwhelming majority of Scots support higher taxes for the wealthiest in society ? even among the rich, according to new polling ...

Reform suspend candidate over 'Islamists on horseback' jibe at Jewish securit...
24 Mar 2026 at 4:28pm

Reform UK have suspended their Hampshire mayoral candidate after he appeared to liken a Jewish neighbourhood watch group to ?Islamists on horseback? following an arson attack on Jewish community ambulances.

Ofcom probes TalkTV over 'fake climate news' claim
24 Mar 2026 at 4:08pm

THE broadcast regulator has announced it will investigate a TV channel which campaigners accused of spreading ?fake climate news?.

Nicola Sturgeon: Operation Branchform has not 'soured' me as a person
24 Mar 2026 at 3:36pm

Nicola Sturgeon has said she is ?probably happier? than she otherwise would have been following the saga surrounding the investigation into the SNP?s finances

Football team 'did not invite Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to club for photo...
24 Mar 2026 at 3:17pm

AN ENGLISH football club has received fierce backlash after Nigel Farage staged a photo opportunity at its stadium ? but the Reform Leader was reportedly not even invited ...

Israel 'deploying Gaza genocide playbook' in Lebanon, leading charity warns
24 Mar 2026 at 3:02pm

ISRAEL is using the ?Gaza playbook? deployed throughout the genocide in Palestine in its military campaign in Lebanon, a leading charity has warned

Welsh FM says Nigel Farage insulted Wales with 'foreign language' video
24 Mar 2026 at 2:57pm

THE Welsh First Minister has accused Nigel Farage of insulting Wales by describing Welsh people as ?foreign speakers? in a video.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

MSPs and staff warned not to share accommodation?
24 Mar 2026 at 12:44pm
New guidance follows reveal of staff bullying and harassment claims

Policy wins ?overshadowed? by scandals in shaping view on Scottish Government...
24 Mar 2026 at 12:01am
Policies such as free bus travel for under-22s and abolishing prescription charges also scored well in terms of issues Scots had heard about, but a ?wider cluster? of well-known moments has negatively impacted Scots view of the government

Together we can deliver a Scotland where everybody thrives
24 Mar 2026 at 12:01am
The board chair and chief executive of Public Health Scotland discuss action to improve life expectancy and reduce health risks in Scotland

Bridging the survival divide
23 Mar 2026 at 6:00am
The Scottish Government has made ?2.5m of funding available for the provision of 1,000 community defibrillators, something British Heart Foundation Scotland believes will improve survival rates in disadvantaged communities

Paul O?Kane: I regret turning off my critical thinking on gender reforms
23 Mar 2026 at 1:00am
The Labour MSP said there was ?a lot that I regret? about the passage of the bill

Reform?s self-financing tax cuts ?a mirage?, says Institute for Fiscal Studies
20 Mar 2026 at 3:40pm
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said self-funding tax cuts were a ?mirage? created by a ?misunderstanding or misrepresentation? of the devolution settlement.

Scottish Reform candidate suspended over Covid loan
20 Mar 2026 at 11:40am
Stuart Niven under investigation as Malcolm Offord defends 'fruity' candidate comments

FOI requests handled with ?impartiality and integrity?, John Swinney says
19 Mar 2026 at 3:53pm
The Scottish information commissioner said last week he could no longer trust ministers with the Salmond files

Malcolm Offord pledges to cut taxes as he sets out Reform's Holyrood manifesto
19 Mar 2026 at 3:42pm
Speaking at Reform?s conference at Bishopton near Glasgow, Malcolm Offord said he wanted to create a ?wealth economy? and that Scotland was ?broken?, languishing in ?middle-table mediocrity?.

John Swinney unable to block use of Prestwick for US jets involved in Iran war
19 Mar 2026 at 1:20pm
Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay made the call for the ban during FMQs

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

UK politics: Reform UK suspends mayoral candidate after he described Jewish s...
24 Mar 2026 at 5:30pm
Labour and Liberal Democrats welcome suspension of Chris Parry, the party?s Hampshire mayoral candidate, after derogatory remarks about Jewish groupThe live feed from the Lib Dem local elections campaign launch did not last long, and it did not include footage of Ed Davey taking questions from re...

?Anyone but Labour? or ?anyone but Reform?? Clash of animosities likely to de...
23 Mar 2026 at 7:00am
While Labour braces for a rout that could see off Starmer, a rising drive to keep out Farage is complicating expectationsSmall swings, high drama: why UK polls are less volatile than they seem ? in chartsLocal elections are often regarded as a referendum on the sitting government, with many previ...

What?s at stake for UK in May?s elections: six key questions
23 Mar 2026 at 7:00am
Reform, Plaid Cymru, the SNP and the Greens are all banking on big gains and nationwide repercussionsOn 7 May, three of the UK?s four nations go to the polls in a series of elections with much potential significance, not just for who ends up governing various bodies, but also for the future polit...

Labour dismisses Reform UK MSP candidates as ?hopeless Tory rejects and oddba...
20 Mar 2026 at 4:50pm
This blog is now closedSeverin Carrell is the Guardian?s Scotland editor.Malcolm Offord, Reform UK?s Scottish leader, has doubled down on his defence of the party?s vetting by dismissing remarks by candidates backing Tommy Robinson or describing Humza Yousaf as an ?Islamist moron? (see 10.12am) a...

Reform UK suspends Scottish candidate less than a day after announcing him
20 Mar 2026 at 2:24pm
Stuart Niven found to have diverted Covid grants to personal account as party faces criticism for candidates? Islamophobic remarksReform UK has suspended one of its Scottish candidates after it emerged he had been struck off as a company director, and the party faces growing attacks for fielding ...

Supporters of Scotland?s assisted dying bill frustrated by lack of backing fr...
18 Mar 2026 at 6:41pm
Just three of Labour?s 20 MSPs in Holyrood voted for bill, despite support for legislation in House of CommonsSupporters of Scotland?s assisted dying bill have said they are frustrated a significant majority of Labour MSPs voted against the proposals, despite Labour?s substantial support for the ...

Scottish parliament votes against legalising assisted dying
17 Mar 2026 at 10:44pm
MSPs reject bill after concerted campaign to block it and despite amendments intended to placate criticsThe Scottish parliament has voted against legalising assisted dying after critics and religious groups led a concerted campaign to block the measures.MSPs voted 69 to 57 to reject the proposals...

The Guardian view on the fragile politics of the union: Labour?s woes have co...
17 Mar 2026 at 6:41pm
Following May?s elections, first ministers committed to independence could be in place in Edinburgh, Cardiff and BelfastThe general election of July 2024 did not just call time on a decade and a half of Conservative rule. It also delivered the most pro-Union parliament since the early 2010s, when...

Zelenskyy says Europe is a ?global force? that can stand against any other po...
17 Mar 2026 at 6:22pm
Keir Starmer previously reassured that the war in Iran would not distract the UK from supporting Ukraine Nigel Farage is speaking now at the Reform UK event.The website promoting the lottery is up. It is called nigelcutmybills.com. Continue reading...

Trump says he is ?not happy? with UK as he criticises Starmer for being overl...
16 Mar 2026 at 6:19pm
President says PM should be more supportive over strait of Hormuz Keir Starmer is speaking at his press conference.The war is entering its third week, he says.First, we will protect our people in the region.Second, while taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

James Dornan MSP looks back on his career
24 Mar 2026 at 1:49pm
A guest post by James Dornan MSP   Today veteran SNP MSP James Dornan makes his last speech in the Scottish Parliament, and steps down to retirement and to give way to a new generation. To mark the occasion, he has very kindly written a guest post for this blog in which he looks back …

Reform?s chaotic launch and the implications of the Iran war for May?s election
20 Mar 2026 at 8:53pm
Nigel Farage came to Scotland on Thursday to launch his party’s manifesto for the Scottish elections on 7 May and to introduce Reform UK’s almost half former Tory slate of totally well vetted candidates. Reform UK there, promising to fix Broken Britain with a slew of the former Conservatives who were responsible for breaking it …

Thoughts on the failure of the assisted dying bill
18 Mar 2026 at 2:46am
Back in 1998, after we had moved to Spain, my late husband Andy and I became very close friends with our new neighbour, a Norwegian woman called Ellie who had moved to Spain after retiring from a career on the Norwegian oil rigs in the North Sea. She was looking forward to spending her final …

Scotland: Too wee?
17 Mar 2026 at 9:11am
Is it time to look again at the long-debated theory that Scotland is ?too wee? to be a successful independent country? A guest post by Diane Izzett https://bsky.app/profile/dizzyscot.bsky.social With the yes voters taking a lead in recent polls, do the facts support this or is it just the final death throes of a coloniser losing …

Lessons from 2014 for next time round
14 Mar 2026 at 6:23pm
An important new academic book looking at the 2014 Scottish independence referendum has just been published. The snappily titled “Discourse, Voice, and the Politics of Participation in the Scottish Independence Referendum” by Dr Maike Dinger, a Lecturer in Communications, Media and Culture at the University of Stirling is available on Amazon for £104.99 hardback or …

So-called muscular unionism is a sign of Westminster?s fragility
12 Mar 2026 at 4:30pm
The Labour party has responded to the leak of a memo from Starmer to cabinet ministers in which he tells them not to be “deferential” to the devolved governments and not to hesitate to override them even on devolved matters. Starmer was questioned about the memo by SNP MP Stephen Gethins at Prime Minister’s Questions …

Devolution has run out of road
10 Mar 2026 at 6:48pm
This always happens, every time I decide to take a bit of time off, a big news story breaks and it’s back to the keyboard. On Tuesday, a Labour government memo was leaked which proves that Keir Starmer is hell bent on undermining the devolution settlement. In the memo, sent to all members of the …

What the end of Alba means for May?s election and the broader independence mo...
9 Mar 2026 at 5:35pm
Well that’s it. The Alba party has gone and will not be contesting the Holyrood election in May, or indeed any elections in the future. Unlike some, I am not gloating about the party’s demise even though I was never a supporter of it. I kept my thoughts about Alba largely to myself despite coming …

Labour?s dangerous plans for NHS Scotland
8 Mar 2026 at 4:33pm
The Holyrood elections are just eight weeks away. This will be a critical election for Scotland’s future and it is more important than ever that Scotland returns a pro-independence majority, ideally an SNP majority to the Scottish Parliament. It’s not just the future of hopes for independence which is at stake. This election is also …

A personal milestone and yet more good polling news
5 Mar 2026 at 4:19pm
I’m going to start on a personal note. Almost eight years after we got married and over ten years that we have been together, my husband has finally become a British, or should I say Scottish citizen. It’s been a long, expensive, and stressful journey, but we got there, and now we are immune to …

The Courier

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Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

Could Rosyth-Europe ferry set sail thanks to Brexit reset?
27 May 2025 at 6:01am
Hopes have been raised for a simple solution to a cross-border problem.

Kirkcaldy MP demands pro-suicide forum is torn down
26 May 2025 at 6:01am
Around 100 suicides have been linked to the sickening forum which provides guidance to people on ending their life.

UHI Perth aviation students warn of ?unsettling times? after training firm?s ...
26 May 2025 at 6:00am
Worried Samuel Hughes, 19, is among students sharing their fears at a time of crisis for Perth College.

Fresh Dundee University strike begins over compulsory Levehulme Centre job cuts
26 May 2025 at 6:00am
University staff are taking five days of industrial action as the institution pushes ahead with plans to axe the forensic research hub.

NHS Fife nurse at centre of controversial trans tribunal suing her own trade ...
25 May 2025 at 2:32pm
A&E medic Sandie Peggie is now taking legal action against the Royal College of Nursing.

EXCLUSIVE: Dundee University still to strike rescue deal with government
23 May 2025 at 5:46pm
Opposition MSPs have expressed concern at the time taken to agree a deal almost a month after the fresh recovery plan was unveiled.

6 senior figures who left Dundee University during financial crisis
23 May 2025 at 5:10pm
Several university chiefs have moved on since £30m financial black hole emerged.

Dundee University activist artist leads degree show protest over financial cr...
23 May 2025 at 4:45pm
Duncan of Jordanstone student Finn Millar says he wants to play a part in "keeping the university alive".

John Swinney admits constituents have expressed Perth leisure concerns to him
23 May 2025 at 6:01am
The first minister wants further talks between both sides of Perth leisure debate.

EXCLUSIVE: Dundee University chief operating officer Jim McGeorge quits
22 May 2025 at 1:58pm
Dr Jim McGeorge ? who was responsible for good governance - had been on a period of extended leave.

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland

Fife Labour-led unionist coalition council agree storage of highly dangerous ...
24 Mar 2026 at 4:55pm
From Dunfermline Press yesterday: Fife Council have given the green light to Babcock for a new warehouse between docks two and three for “decommissioning operations”. The large industrial building – an ‘intermediate waste storage facility’ – will be 27 metres long and up to 20 metres in height with roller doors and security fencing. Work is currently taking place at the dockyard to cut up and d...

?World Health Organization is preparing for possibility of strikes on nuclear...
24 Mar 2026 at 1:54pm
From DAGENS.com yesterday: The World Health Organization is preparing for potential nuclear-related scenarios as conflict in the Middle East intensifies. Officials say contingency plans now include the possibility of strikes on nuclear facilities or even the use of nuclear weapons. According to Politico, the WHO is updating its internal protocols and guidance for governments and health workers....

SNP hit 42% and 26 point lead in latest YouGov Westmnister sub-poll
24 Mar 2026 at 1:06pm
It’s only a sub-poll based on 212 Scots over 18 years-of-age for the next UK election, so limited on its own, but the scale of the SNP lead and the first 40+ figure is notable. Also notable, unlike YouGov Holyrood polls, their Westmnister polls are not weighted (skewed) to mirror the 12 year-old Referendum 55/45 ratio. To illustrate the changing picture in Scotland, in early January and for mos...

Eight prisoners die in cell-fires in England, none in Scotland after SNP impl...
23 Mar 2026 at 1:47pm
Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. In the Guardian today: Tens of thousands of prisoners in England and Wales at risk of cell fires – Earlier this week, the Guardian reported on the inquest of Clare Dupree, a woman with severe mental illness who died in a fire in her cell at HMP Eastwood. There have been at least eight other deaths in cell fires in prisons since 2011. https://www.theguar...

Tory Lord ?s less 2014-like poll puts SNP close to 40%, Tories sixth and last...
23 Mar 2026 at 11:06am
Who owns Lord Ashcroft Polls: Michael Anthony Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, KCMG, PC (born 4 March 1946)1 is a British-Belizean businessman, pollster and politician. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 197223 and was the 132nd richest person in the UK, as ranked by the Sunday Times Rich List 2021, with an estimated fortu...

How can there be ?home care facing catastrophic breakdown? in a system which ...
23 Mar 2026 at 9:41am
Today, the Herald has: Home caring services are heading towards a ?catastrophic breakdown?, Scottish ministers have been told as industry leaders warn the funding deficit is becoming uncontrollable. Concerns over the sustainability of social care in Scotland have been growing in recent years, with local government body Cosla warning £750 million is needed just to stabilise the vital industry. I...

Reposted to counter Herald front page today ? Carers in Scotland now better o...
23 Mar 2026 at 9:24am

BBC Reporting Scotland Down, todays latest lie ? Prisons inspector did not sa...
23 Mar 2026 at 9:02am
facing people being held in young offender institutions. BBC Reporting Scotland in their BBC Breakfast inserts, today, repeatedly. What are the risks of? Suicide. What is the evidence? Two suicides in 2018. ‘Urgent action‘ still required after 8 years? No, the full BBC Scotland website report does not feature the word ‘urgent‘ at all. The Reporting Scotland Down editor has agreed that for effec...

As Canada today remembers a ferry sinking with two lives lost in 2004, there...
23 Mar 2026 at 12:08am
From Global News today: Twenty years after the sinking of the Queen of the North, a former chief executive of BC Ferries says the tragedy remains one of the darkest moments in the company?s history. In an interview with Global News, former president and CEO David Hahn recalled the night the ferry struck Gill Island in Wright Sound and sank, saying the situation was ?bewildering? and ?very scary...

To hit London, Iran would need a missile launch site in Europe, maybe Albania...
22 Mar 2026 at 6:48pm
BBC UK tonight telling us that Iran, after hitting Diego Garcia, could hit European cities including London with one of its long range missiles and showing us the above ranges. It was like 2003 and Iraq’s missiles, we were told then, a threat within only 45 minutes of hitting the UK. Then we got this blobby image. Why didn’t they, as expected, draw perfect circles around Tehran? Do they think w...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Analysis: Scotland's 'soft Yes' voters hold centre ground in independence deb...
24 Mar 2026 at 6:06pm
Analysis: Scotland's 'soft Yes' voters hold centre ground in independence debate  The Herald

New Scottish independence party candidate spoke at Holocaust denier's Unionis...
24 Mar 2026 at 2:46pm
New Scottish independence party candidate spoke at Holocaust denier's Unionist rally  Thenational Scot

Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland - BBC
3 Mar 2026 at 8:00am
Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland  BBC

New poll predicts huge 18-seat pro-independence majority at Holyrood election...
23 Mar 2026 at 10:53pm
New poll predicts huge 18-seat pro-independence majority at Holyrood election  Thenational Scot

SNP maintain polling lead in Scotland but four in ten say they may change the...
4 Mar 2026 at 12:16pm
SNP maintain polling lead in Scotland but four in ten say they may change their minds  Ipsos

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

Exclusive: Lord Ashcroft poll puts SNP ahead as Labour struggles before Holyr...
23 Mar 2026 at 12:10am
Exclusive: Lord Ashcroft poll puts SNP ahead as Labour struggles before Holyrood vote  Holyrood Website

George Galloway will 'campaign and vote for' Scottish independence - The Herald
22 Mar 2026 at 10:11am
George Galloway will 'campaign and vote for' Scottish independence  The Herald

Scottish independence poll 2025 - Statista
24 Feb 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2025  Statista

All for Independence ? the Many Faces of George Galloway - Bella Caledonia
22 Mar 2026 at 7:20pm
All for Independence ? the Many Faces of George Galloway  Bella Caledonia

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Sturgeon denies 'obsession' with gender reforms when Scotland's first ministe...
24 Mar 2026 at 4:54pm
Sturgeon denies 'obsession' with gender reforms when Scotland's first minister  BBC

SNP urge government not to ?leave citizens in the cold? - Morning Star | The ...
24 Mar 2026 at 3:11pm
SNP urge government not to ?leave citizens in the cold?  Morning Star | The People?s Daily

Losing an election to the SNP taught me how to build community - The Times
24 Mar 2026 at 6:00am
Losing an election to the SNP taught me how to build community  The Times

Rachel Reeves urged not to 'leave citizens in the cold' by SNP ahead of annou...
24 Mar 2026 at 5:03am
Rachel Reeves urged not to 'leave citizens in the cold' by SNP ahead of announcement  Thenational Scot

Favourability towards Reform UK dips in Scotland while the SNP?s ratings hold...
19 Mar 2026 at 9:18am
Favourability towards Reform UK dips in Scotland while the SNP?s ratings hold up  Ipsos

SNP 'downplayed' complaints about former council leader, trial hears - BBC
23 Mar 2026 at 3:36pm
SNP 'downplayed' complaints about former council leader, trial hears  BBC

SNP to hold on to power at Holyrood for fifth term despite Reform and Green s...
23 Mar 2026 at 2:07pm
SNP to hold on to power at Holyrood for fifth term despite Reform and Green surge  The Herald

Scottish politics today: SNP 'scared of antagonising football fans' - Daily R...
24 Mar 2026 at 5:00pm
Scottish politics today: SNP 'scared of antagonising football fans'  Daily Record

Exclusive: Lord Ashcroft poll puts SNP ahead as Labour struggles before Holyr...
23 Mar 2026 at 12:10am
Exclusive: Lord Ashcroft poll puts SNP ahead as Labour struggles before Holyrood vote  Holyrood Website

Nicola Sturgeon bizarrely claims she?s ?happier? because of the SNP fraud sca...
24 Mar 2026 at 3:42pm
Nicola Sturgeon bizarrely claims she?s ?happier? because of the SNP fraud scandal  The Scottish Sun

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland - BBC
3 Mar 2026 at 8:00am
Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland  BBC

George Galloway to 'campaign and vote for Yes' after U-turn on Scottish indep...
22 Mar 2026 at 11:05am
George Galloway to 'campaign and vote for Yes' after U-turn on Scottish independence  Thenational Scot

George Galloway will 'campaign and vote for' Scottish independence - The Herald
22 Mar 2026 at 10:11am
George Galloway will 'campaign and vote for' Scottish independence  The Herald

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

'Mr U-turn' Prime Minister will grant an independence vote if SNP win majorit...
23 Mar 2026 at 12:31pm
'Mr U-turn' Prime Minister will grant an independence vote if SNP win majority  scottishdailyexpress.co.uk

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 leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would ...
17 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would be green light for indyref2  Sky News

Swinney could ?bludgeon? Starmer into referendum, claims Findlay - Ireland Live
23 Mar 2026 at 2:20pm
Swinney could ?bludgeon? Starmer into referendum, claims Findlay  Ireland Live

Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shi...
24 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shifts  Courthouse News

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