The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Murrell is the biggest political scandal in a generation - but the Greens pro...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
8 Jun 2026 at 4:00pm
Why are the Scottish Greens turning away from the biggest political scandal in a generation, caused by Peter Murrell?


Who is Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive, who faces embezzlement ...
by Kathleen Nutt and Rebecca McCurdy
8 Jun 2026 at 4:00pm
Everything you need to know about former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell ahead of sentencing on June 23, 2026 at Edinburgh High Court.


SNP Westminster leader says Murrell parliamentary probe 'waste of taxpayers' ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
8 Jun 2026 at 12:00pm
The SNP has rejected cross-party demands for a Westminster parliamentary inquiry into the Peter Murrell embezzlement scandal. Dave Doogan branded the proposed Select Committee probe a partisan stunt and an unprecedented abuse of the House of Commons.


Now Scots have a new weapon to challenge the Scottish Government
8 Jun 2026 at 10:45am
A landmark Court of Session ruling has found the Scottish Government in contempt over delays in releasing Alex Salmond?related files, handing ordinary Scots a powerful new way to force transparency through freedom of information


'I'd be persecuted in Russia but I don't feel safe in Ukraine either'
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
8 Jun 2026 at 6:30am
Scotland's legal aid crisis could spell disaster for people seeking asylum, a Russian man who has had his claim rejected has warned


'Baby blind spot' leaves Scotland's youngest children in care waiting years f...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
8 Jun 2026 at 5:00am
NSPCC Scotland warns that a 'baby blind spot' leaves vulnerable infants waiting years for permanent homes, risking devastating, lifelong consequences for their mental health.


Sturgeon urged to hand over 'tainted gifts' bought with stolen SNP cash
8 Jun 2026 at 5:00am
Nicola Sturgeon has been urged to hand over gifts bought for her by Peter Murrell using stolen SNP funds.


Scotland's cash-strapped information watchdog to cap appeals after surge in c...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
8 Jun 2026 at 5:00am
Scotland's information watchdog plans to cap simultaneous appeals at five per person following an 83% surge in cases. Campaigners warn the unprecedented move will allow public bodies to deliberately frustrate the rights of Scots.


Bid to open Edinburgh?s private gardens to public to go to council vote
by Nick Forbes
8 Jun 2026 at 12:01am
Councillors in Edinburgh are set to vote on plans to open some of the city?s private gardens to the public, with one councillor saying ?the health benefits of green areas is clear?.


Sturgeon to make first public appearance in Scotland since Murrell's conviction
7 Jun 2026 at 1:48pm
Nicola Sturgeon will appear in Scotland for the first time since her estranged husband's conviction when she takes part in a literary festival next weekend.


'I watched from Glasgow as my family home in Gaza was destroyed by Israel'
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
7 Jun 2026 at 11:08am
Farida Alghoul, an English teacher, came to Glasgow last year to study for a masters degree in education at the University of Glasgow


Four SNP ministers to head to US for World Cup while Holyrood sitting
7 Jun 2026 at 11:14am
Four SNP ministers will fly to the US to support Scotland in the World Cup - despite the Scottish Parliament sitting.


'Nicola Sturgeon had no interest in the Highlands or anything outside Central...
7 Jun 2026 at 10:00am
Nicola Sturgeon 'no interest in anything outside the Central Belt' says Scottish outdoor expert Cameron McNeish


'This stinks': Peter Murrell sold villa in Portugal after claiming legal aid
7 Jun 2026 at 9:17am
The former CEO of the SNP Peter Murrell sold his Portuguese villa after he was granted legal aid for his embezzlement court case, it is being reported.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Murrell inquiry by MPs would be ?party political stunt?, SNP?s Dave Doogan says
8 Jun 2026 at 4:20pm

The party?s Westminster leader branded the move a ?party political stunt? and an ?unprecedented abuse?

?Today was a missed opportunity? - Cllr Dan Heap

Dave Doogan has refused to say if he will support a probe from the Scottish Affairs Committee into Nicola Sturgeon?s estranged husband stealing £400,000 from the party.

Wings over Scotland

The Massive Face Of Truth
7 Jun 2026 at 11:01am
If you?d like to watch a 21-minute video of me banging on about Operation Branchform and whatnot to the Scottish Sun, click the image below. If you?d rather not watch that, best not to click it.

In pursuit of clarity
6 Jun 2026 at 11:12am
Wings has today sent the following emails. - The Chief Constable Police Scotland 5 Fettes Avenue Edinburgh EH4 1RB 6 June 2026 Thank you for your (very swift) reply to my letter. However, I am afraid that it leaves more questions than answers. Firstly, you state that Police Scotland ?have been advised? that the information …

The Interesting Words Round
5 Jun 2026 at 7:42pm
We received two emails today, just a few minutes apart. There are a couple of notable things about them. The first came from Claire Somebody at the Crown Office. The second one, even more thrillingly, came from Service Advisor 1989847 at Police Scotland, which we assume is some sort of advanced crime-fighting robot. In one …

The Lord Of The Rings
5 Jun 2026 at 12:14pm
John Swinney knows the rules. He can’t pretend he doesn’t. ? So let there be no mistake about this: if Police Scotland and the Crown Office refuse to investigate the First Minister’s open public confirmation this week that a serious crime was committed by the SNP over the “ring-fenced” fundraiser money from 2017 and 2019, …

The Aims Of Justice
4 Jun 2026 at 5:59pm
Wings has today sent the following letter to the named recipients. – The Chief Constable Police Scotland 5 Fettes Avenue Edinburgh EH4 1RB Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service 25 Chambers Street Edinburgh EH1 1LA 4 June 2026 . Dear Chief Constable and Crown Office, RE: REQUEST FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION ? ALLEGED MISAPPROPRIATION OF RING-FENCED …

For Me, But Not For Thee
4 Jun 2026 at 1:00pm
Huh. Well, that’s nice, isn’t it? The SNP are hoping to make out like bandits from Peter Murrell’s conviction. Despite Swinney’s admission yesterday that the party stole £700,000 from donors to two “ring-fenced” fundraisers, it stands to pocket a surprise bonus of £400,000 from recovering his criminal proceeds (on top of Swinney’s boasted “significant increase” …

Kings Of Crisis Management
4 Jun 2026 at 10:18am
If you subscribe to the theory that it’s better to fight 100 duck-sized horses than a single horse-sized duck, the SNP is knocking it out of the park today. Because the papers just can’t make their minds up about the biggest story with which to attack John Swinney’s beleaguered party. While the Sun leads with …

Everything Is Awesome
3 Jun 2026 at 11:10pm
You’ve had a few pretty gruelling pieces to get through in the last week or so, readers, so here’s something a little more light-hearted. It’s from an episode of Broadcasting Scotland on 27 November 2020, a month after we confirmed our big story about the SNP accounts and the missing fundraiser money. In it, snug-toed …

The Truth Does Out
3 Jun 2026 at 7:18pm
Sometimes you have to wait a while for people to catch up. But patience is everything, readers. All things, we hope, come to those who wait. The SNP tried all sorts of excuses. First up, in February 2020, immediately after Wings had broken the story that “hundreds of thousands of pounds from two supposedly ?ringfenced? …

Up The Hill And Down The Slope
3 Jun 2026 at 9:12am
On Sunday, Nicola Sturgeon told Laura Kuenssberg that the SNP’s accounts “went up and down” as her excuse for not noticing that hundreds of thousands of pounds had suddenly vanished from them overnight. ? Several things leap out immediately from that clip. One, there absolutely very much WAS “something glaringly suspicious in the accounts that …

Craig Murray

The Joy of Resistance
6 Jun 2026 at 9:51am

Just a quick note to say that I am very aware that lately I have been rather bitter, which is not good for anybody, especially me. The disappointments and state outrages have been no worse than usual; my frustration at my poor health, and the subsequent constraint of my ability to fight back, has rather …

The Joy of Resistance

The Power of the UK State Over Scotland
28 May 2026 at 7:50am

I went through yesterday’s preliminary hearing in the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action with a sense of mounting horror. We had the same judge as at the permission hearing, Lord Young. We had exactly the same arguments and the same case law being deployed again by the UK government as at …

The Power of the UK State Over Scotland

Palestine Action Scottish Judicial Review ? Stitch-Up Incoming?
27 May 2026 at 12:58am

The proscription of Palestine Action was sold to MPs and the media on the basis of a deliberate campaign of lies, fronted by Yvette Cooper, then Home Secretary, and Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan police. Both have deep commitment to Israel. Cooper is owned by the Israel lobby. What is worse, they then attempted …

Palestine Action Scottish Judicial Review – Stitch-Up Incoming?

Dr Manivannan
14 May 2026 at 6:00pm

The furore around the election of Dr Manivannan to the Scottish Parliament is deeply troubling. There is no argument whatsoever that they were eligible to stand for election. The law was changed specifically in order for those on temporary visas to be able to stand in Scottish parliamentary elections. I confess I am not sure …

Dr Manivannan

URGENT FILTON TRIAL UPDATE
13 May 2026 at 6:03am

While the Court of Appeal has now stopped the High Court contempt of court action against Rajiv Menon KC for defending his client, this is purely on procedural grounds. They ruled that Judge Johnson had to go via the Attorney General to the High Court, not direct. It is now referred back to Johnson who …

URGENT FILTON TRIAL UPDATE

Zionism Has Poisoned the UK?s Central Nervous System
11 May 2026 at 7:32pm

Unquestioning Zionism has for decades been the entry ticket to the British political and media Establishment. Anybody who was not a fully certified and compliant zionist would find their career limited – as Jeremy Corbyn, Alan Duncan, Robin Cook and David Mellor all found. Most others, of course, were never allowed to progress that far. …

Zionism Has Poisoned the UK’s Central Nervous System

BBC Scotland

Scotland has more disabled MSPs than ever but challenges remain
8 Jun 2026 at 6:28am
About 24% of the Scottish population identify as disabled, while only 7% of MSPs do - an increase on the previous parliamentary term.

Minister would consider 'knife amnesty' after teenagers guilty of murders
7 Jun 2026 at 2:40pm
Neil Gray said the government was committed to a "preventative" approach, following the murders of Kayden Moy and John McNab.

Sturgeon looked 'broken' in Murrell interview, says Yousaf
6 Jun 2026 at 11:52am
The former first minister said his predecessor was a "person of integrity" and that he believes she had no knowledge of her estranged husband's crimes.

Weight-loss jab Wegovy to be offered on NHS in Scotland
8 Jun 2026 at 4:29pm
The drug works as an appetite suppressant by mimicking a hormone that makes people feel fuller, which can help them lose weight.

Thanksgiving service held for former Deputy First Minister Lord Wallace
5 Jun 2026 at 5:51pm
Politicians joined family and friends of the former Scottish Liberal Democrat leader at Dunblane Cathedral.

SNP may have claimed back tax on Murrell's illicit purchases - Swinney
4 Jun 2026 at 3:52pm
The party has contacted HMRC over fears public funds may have been misused as part of the £400,000 embezzlement.

Why is there a row about the SNP's £667,000 independence fund?
4 Jun 2026 at 3:51pm
The party is facing a fresh police complaint about cash raised for a campaign on the country's constitutional future.

Companies offered contracts worth £2bn to dual last 58 miles of A9
4 Jun 2026 at 1:41pm
It said the first of these final contracts would be for the Dalraddy and Slochd section.

Scottish government found in contempt over Salmond files
3 Jun 2026 at 5:31pm
The Court of Session said the Scottish government repeatedly missed dates to disclose information requested by FOI.

Swinney says £660,000 independence fund used on SNP 'objectives'
3 Jun 2026 at 2:45pm
Questions over the fund led to the police investigation that has exposed Peter Murrell's £400,000 embezzlement.

SNP demand probe into Alexander meeting with Mandelson's firm
3 Jun 2026 at 6:35pm
Newly-released files confirm Douglas Alexander met with Global Counsel in summer 2024 but it was not publicly declared until earlier this year.

Will Aberdeen's energy future decide the by-election?
3 Jun 2026 at 6:26am
The forthcoming poll in the north-east is a reflection of a local and national debate about Scotland's energy future.

Scot Goes Pop

The Scot Goes Popcast is now available on Apple Podcasts
8 Jun 2026 at 1:47am
I hope this will be of some use to someone, because it's taken me days of torture to get to this point.  Apple may be one of the largest companies in the world, but its website is a baffling, bug-r...

BIG BOOST for independence support in pre-election YouGov poll that no-one se...
7 Jun 2026 at 1:56pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE. Other recent videos: If this Makerfield by-election poll is accurate, it's the end of the road for Keir Starmer as PMRUPERT LOWE could...

An examination of the latest Hullaba-Stew
6 Jun 2026 at 6:36pm
Never one to resist an exercise in utter futility, the controversial Somerset-based "Stew" blogger has attempted to resuscitate a correspondence with the Chief Constable and the Crown Office that h...

Dark times for Stew as the full realisation dawns of just how *much* he's acc...
6 Jun 2026 at 12:17am
Please go gently with the controversial Somerset-based "Stew" blogger if you run into him, things seem to have really got on top of him over the last 36 hours and he's now rather overcome with emot...

If this Makerfield by-election poll is accurate, it's the end of the road for...
5 Jun 2026 at 2:07am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE. Other recent videos: RUPERT LOWE could be the midwife of Scottish independence, just as Mrs Thatcher was for devolutionONE-FIFTH of Re...

RUPERT LOWE, of all people, could be the unintentional midwife of Scottish in...
4 Jun 2026 at 12:18pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE. Other recent videos: ONE-FIFTH of Reform UK voters in Scotland would vote Yes to independence, says new Norstat pollASTOUNDING poll su...

ONE-FIFTH of Reform UK voters in Scotland would vote Yes to independence, say...
1 Jun 2026 at 2:25pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE. Other recent videos: ASTOUNDING poll surge for SNP: how Stew's "Accidental Clouseau" moment may have SAVED party he hatesMore polling ...

ASTOUNDING surge for SNP in new Norstat poll: how Stew's "Accidental Clouseau...
31 May 2026 at 3:27am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE. Other recent videos: More polling reassurance for SNP as by-elections approach, while Greens reclaim second place GB-wideGreens almost...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Child poverty should be a ?priority from day one?, say young people
8 Jun 2026 at 6:40am
Two-thirds of respondents to the Save the Children Scotland and Young Scot poll said fighting child poverty was a priority

?Eye-watering? cost of reliance on bank staff is draining NHS resources, says...
7 Jun 2026 at 4:37pm
Scottish Labour said billions of pounds of public money is being wasted on agency staffing

Scottish Government ?investing in work to prevent knife crime and gang cultur...
6 Jun 2026 at 7:07pm
The justice secretary said £6m in additional funding will be going into an initiative which provides free activities for young people

Humza Yousaf: Nicola Sturgeon looked ?quite a broken woman? discussing Peter ...
6 Jun 2026 at 10:53am
The former first minister told BBC's Newsnight he understood people's scepticism that Sturgeon was unaware of Murrell's actions

Yvette Cooper rejects calls for disappearing messages ban for politicians
5 Jun 2026 at 10:50am
A row has emerged over exchanges between Lord Peter Mandelson and Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones which were absent from a release of files.

Committee for the Future could rebuild trust in politics, Holyrood leaders told
5 Jun 2026 at 6:50am
Carnegie UK suggested setting up such a committee could 'help embed long-term thinking into everyday decision-making'

Scottish secretary Douglas Alexander under scrutiny over transparency file er...
4 Jun 2026 at 6:07pm
Douglas Alexander's Cabinet Office log has been left incomplete despite the document being uploaded to the government website

John Swinney to face First Minister?s Questions as Peter Murrell continues to...
4 Jun 2026 at 1:13pm
The First Minister has said the party will sue Murrell in a bid to recover £400,000 embezzeled from the SNP

SNP to sue Peter Murrell and try to get stolen £400,000 back
4 Jun 2026 at 11:03am
The former SNP chief executive embezzled the cash over the course of 12 years

Ministers working on ?delivering? private jet levy and mansion tax, says Gilruth
4 Jun 2026 at 6:52am
It comes after this year?s Scottish budget included plans for two new council tax bands on the most expensive properties by April 2028

Scottish Government found in contempt over Salmond files
3 Jun 2026 at 3:58pm
Judge Lady Poole said the government had shown a 'lack of respect' for the Information Commissioner.

Keir Starmer faces questions after Henry Nowak case triggers violent clashes
3 Jun 2026 at 12:18pm
The student?s killer claimed he had been the victim of a racial attack while Mr Nowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying

Swinney pledges to expand mental health support
3 Jun 2026 at 6:43am
Swinney said his Government would support the 'valuable work' the Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) has done.

Education secretary urges schools to act ahead of new legislation on mobiles ...
2 Jun 2026 at 10:07pm
The education secretary insisted there was a 'spectrum of harm' linked to the use of mobile phones and similar devices

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

John Swinney will only step out of Nicola Sturgeon's shadow if he stops prote...
8 Jun 2026 at 5:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says John Swinney is damaging his reputation by opposing any inquiry into the Murrell scandal.

Peter Murrell moved to 'cushy' jail after getting 'dog's abuse' in Edinburgh ...
8 Jun 2026 at 1:48pm
The fraudster will be sentenced later this month after pleading guilty to embezzlement.

John Swinney says court should decide if Nicola Sturgeon has to give back Mur...
8 Jun 2026 at 1:25pm
The former First Minister deferred to the court system when asked about gifts benefiting his predecessor.

Westminster probe into Peter Murrell scandal could hold 'box office' hearings...
8 Jun 2026 at 10:19am
Supporters of a Commons investigation believe evidence should be taken in Scotland.

Scottish Greens leader deletes tweet praising disgraced Peter Murrell for 25%...
8 Jun 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The gushing tweet by Ross Greer has now been deleted.

Scottish Labour candidate launches campaign for his party to become independent
8 Jun 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Jack McConnel?s ?Just For Scotland? campaign has the aim of breaking away from UK Labour.

Peter Murrell scandal is damning for 'toxic' SNP and an inquiry must be launched
8 Jun 2026 at 4:30am
In his Daily Record column, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar urges MSPs to back his party's plan for an inquiry into the issues raised by Murrell's embezzlement.

Holyrood inquiry plan into Peter Murrell scandal appears dead over Green oppo...
7 Jun 2026 at 1:17pm
EXCLUSIVE: The Scottish Greens will not vote for a Labour plan for a Scottish Parliament probe.

Peter Murrell sold holiday home in Portugal after being granted legal aid fro...
7 Jun 2026 at 9:11am
The corrupt former SNP chief executive had a villa in Portugal believed to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Scottish Labour fighting for survival as brutal stats point to existential th...
6 Jun 2026 at 4:30am
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says Labour in Scotland has been so hollowed out they no longer have a sizable core vote.

The National

The National | Politics

Can Scotland in the World Cup boost independence support? Experts weigh in
8 Jun 2026 at 5:00pm

SCOTLAND will be playing at a World Cup for the first time in nearly 30 years at the weekend and in the wee small hours of Sunday morning we will likely see a huge outpouring of national pride.

Edinburgh councillors vote against public access to private gardens
8 Jun 2026 at 4:52pm

COUNCILLORS have voted against proposals to open up some of Edinburgh?s biggest private gardens to the public ...

Scottish hospitality workers warn EHRC trans guidance leaves staff to face abuse
8 Jun 2026 at 4:26pm

A SCOTTISH hospitality workers' union has said ?very little consideration? has been given to staff who will have to enforce the UK equality watchdog?s guidance on single-sex spaces and face abuse from members of the public.

Why is the media getting irate about John Swinney going to World Cup?
8 Jun 2026 at 4:01pm

THE likes of the Daily Mail and Daily Express have gone hard on John Swinney and other SNP ministers going out to the US to follow Scotland at the World Cup, with the Mail on Sunday blasting their ?World Cup jolly? on its front page.

Labour urged to step in as illegal Israeli settlements sold at UK event
8 Jun 2026 at 2:44pm

CAMPAIGNERS have hit out at an event in London which is openly advertising the sale of land in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying it is ?unthinkable? that it should be allowed to go ahead ...

SNP Westminster leader says MP inquiry into Peter Murrell 'a waste of taxpaye...
8 Jun 2026 at 2:37pm

SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan has hit back at calls for a "politically motivated? Westminster inquiry into Peter Murrell?s embezzlement.

SNP have no plan for Scottish independence. But that's not the biggest problem
8 Jun 2026 at 2:21pm

PEOPLE are asking if the SNP have a plan for independence. No progress has been made towards that objective since the 2014 referendum ...

Passive good will is not enough from the SNP. Scotland needs a nature minister
8 Jun 2026 at 2:12pm

THE SNP are back in government after last month?s election. A new Cabinet has been formed and the absence of a minister for nature has not gone unnoticed ...

EHRC single-sex space guidance 'deep scar' on Labour's legacy, campaigner says
8 Jun 2026 at 1:39pm

THE UK equalities watchdog?s code of practice excluding transgender people from single-sex spaces will be a ?deep scar? on Labour?s legacy, it has been suggested.

Miriam Margolyes says she 'cannot accept idea of a Jewish state'
8 Jun 2026 at 1:08pm

ACTOR and comedian Miriam Margolyes has said she does not ?believe in a Jewish state? ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

SNP says Westminster inquiry into Murrell scandal would be an ?unprecedented ...
8 Jun 2026 at 4:26pm
The party?s Westminster leader, Dave Doogan, said the inquiry would set a ?dangerous precedent?

Starmer gives big tech three months to block children from accessing nude images
8 Jun 2026 at 2:24pm
'This is not an impossible challenge,' prime minister says

SNP approaches HMRC over possible illegal VAT claims linked to Peter Murrell ...
4 Jun 2026 at 4:09pm
Anas Sarwar welcomed the decision but argued it demonstrated the need for a parliamentary inquiry

SNP committee ?power grab? likened to ?putting Dracula in charge of a blood b...
4 Jun 2026 at 3:49pm
Full list of 16 Scottish Parliament committees

John Swinney says ring-fenced independence fighting fund was used for ?SNP ac...
3 Jun 2026 at 5:40pm
More than ?660,000 was raised through donations between 2017-19 to help campaign for a second referendum

Scottish Government found in contempt of court for not releasing Salmond file...
3 Jun 2026 at 5:30pm
The information commissioner has said ministers must ?reflect carefully? on the ruling

Douglas Alexander meeting with Mandelson firm left off lobbying list 'in error'
3 Jun 2026 at 4:07pm
Talks with Global Counsel held weeks after trade appointment

Scottish Greens confirm frontbench team
3 Jun 2026 at 1:17pm
Three of the party's new MSPs take on cabinet-level portfolios

Scottish Government urges schools to act on mobile phones ahead of legislation
3 Jun 2026 at 12:31pm
Education secretary M?iri McAllan confirmed to parliament that the government will launch a consultation on phone-free classrooms within the first 100 days of government

Peter Murrell campervan was filled with embezzled goods, court hears
2 Jun 2026 at 11:43am
Ex-chief executive's false files revealed

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Starmer to meet Henry Nowak?s family this afternoon, No 10 says ? as it happened
4 Jun 2026 at 5:33pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereKemi Badenoch has posted a message on social media saying she met Henry Nowak?s father, mother and stepmother this morning. She praises their courage, and says:Henry?s family do not want anger to tear communities apart. They are a famil...

A new elephant in Nicola Sturgeon?s room | Brief letters
2 Jun 2026 at 5:38pm
Murrell?s motorhome | Hooked on Alan Rickman | Football fans | Nine times table | Beauty of maths | It all adds upFollowing Nicola Sturgeon?s bravura performance on BBC One?s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme (Nicola Sturgeon: I feel as if I?m serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit,...

Starmer says he ?felt sick? watching video of Henry Nowak?s arrest ? as it ha...
2 Jun 2026 at 5:32pm
The prime minister said: ?I have seen the body cam footage, it?s harrowing, and I have to say, as a father of a 17-year-old boy, I felt sick watching it.?BBC Scotland has more details of the Peter Murrell hearing this morning on its live blog. And, on its live blog, Sky News has pictures of some ...

Motorhome bought by Murrell with stolen SNP money was driven only 4 miles, co...
2 Jun 2026 at 1:29pm
High court in Edinburgh hears £125K vehicle was described as a van in faked invoice and stocked with luxury goodsThe luxury motorhome that Peter Murrell bought using money stolen from the Scottish National party was driven for only four miles, sitting unused for more than two years.Murrell, then ...

Mandelson described Starmer?s No 10 operation as ?beleaguered and bereft? in ...
1 Jun 2026 at 6:18pm
Peter Mandelson?s unfiltered remarks to cabinet officials are made public in hundreds of pages of documents relating to his appointment as US ambassador Mandelson files show no mitigation of security concernsAt the Downing Street lobby briefing the PM?s spokesperson said the release of the Mandel...

The Guardian view on the Aberdeen South byelection: the politics of energy ta...
31 May 2026 at 5:30pm
While Westminster?s attention is focused on Andy Burnham and Makerfield, another pivotal byelection is taking place in Scotland?s north-eastThe coming byelection in Makerfield, from where Andy Burnham aspires to make rapid progress towards Downing Street, is perhaps the most consequential in Brit...

Nicola?s only crime was to love too much. And to not notice the Jaguar on the...
31 May 2026 at 5:27pm
Rather than being one of the shrewdest operators in British politics for a decade, it turns out Sturgeon was just too trustingYou know how it is. You wake up and look out the bedroom window. You see a brand new Jaguar worth £81,000 parked in the driveway. You smile to yourself. That?s what you lo...

Nicola Sturgeon: I feel as if I?m serving a sentence for a crime I did not co...
31 May 2026 at 3:47pm
Former Scottish first minister says she will not apologise for actions of her ex-husband found guilty of embezzlementNicola Sturgeon has said she feels as if she is serving a sentence for a crime she did not commit, as she denied ever ?consciously? seeing the motor home bought by her estranged hu...

Nicola Sturgeon: ?I should not be held responsible for the wrongdoing of men?
29 May 2026 at 7:41pm
Ex-SNP leader says she appeared on more front pages than her husband this week, adding: ?I don?t think that?s right?Nicola Sturgeon said she ?should not be held responsible for the wrongdoing of men? after Peter Murrell, her estranged husband, admitted to embezzling hundreds of thousands of pound...

We know what former SNP chief Peter Murrell bought with £400,000 of embezzled...
29 May 2026 at 6:00am
His guilty plea means motive will for ever be a mystery. It just proves that the world can look as hard as it likes at someone?s marriage and never know what?s going onIt sounds like the haul of an unhappy trophy wife, filling her empty days with retail therapy. Three Fortnum & Mason advent calen...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Westminster goes Trumpian and the media in Scotland jumps the SNPbad shark
7 Jun 2026 at 7:26pm
At the behest of Tory MP Andrew Six Chips Bowie, Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee is to vote next week on whether to hold an inquiry into the finances of the SNP. Bowie is of course only interested in good governance and looking after the best interests of the SNP members whose money was stolen by …

The historic failure of the media in Scotland
4 Jun 2026 at 1:28pm
The issues in my left eye, my better eye, seem to be getting a bit better so I’m only half blind now. Many thanks to everyone who left kind messages of support. Hopefully after 16 June when I have the cataract operation my eyesight will improve markedly. The Murrell scandal is of course still rumbling …

Seeing the path ahead clearly
31 May 2026 at 2:45pm
I’m not going to be blogging so much over the next couple of weeks. For the past year or so I’ve had a cataract in my right eye, which has rapidly worsened over recent months such that at an eye test at the opticians last week I found to my horror that I could not …

The first salvos have been fired in the latest stage of the independence camp...
27 May 2026 at 4:20pm
On Tuesday, the first working day of a new Scottish Parliament, with a record pro-independence majority, the fourth such majority in a row, MSPs voted by 72 to 55, a majority of 17 to adopt a motion calling on the Westminster government “to make a Section 30 order under the Scotland Act 1998 to devolve …

Explaining a parliamentary mandate for the staunch of hearing
26 May 2026 at 3:16pm
Today Holyrood gets the ball rolling on putting into action the pro-independence mandate given to it by the people of Scotland at the recent election, which as we all know by now resulted in the largest ever majority of pro-independence MSPs in the history of the Scottish Parliament. I’ll blog about the debate and vote …

Branchform?s over and the SNP is still standing
25 May 2026 at 1:41pm
Well, after five long years, murder tents, and over £2 million in police costs, it’s all over bar the inevitable shouting, and of course the not insignificant matter of what is likely to be a substantial custodial sentence. Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. …

The supposed ?Once in a generation? pledge is a Westminster myth
23 May 2026 at 12:31pm
On Thursday evening’s edition of BBC Reform Time, Fiona Bruce, the completely unbiased and neutral right wing unionist host, editorialised in aid of Tory MP Harriet Cross who had insisted that the question of independence had been “settled” in 2014 and attempts to revisit the matter “have to end, they have to end.” Bruce interjected …

John Swinney fires the starting gun on independence push
22 May 2026 at 1:30pm
He’s not mucking about. On the back of Holyrood’s record pro-independence majority, John Swinney has announced that there will be a debate and vote in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday on securing a Section 30 order for an independence referendum. With 72 pro-independence MSPs in the chamber, the motion will pass easily despite the predictable …

The British media is hiding Holyrood?s independence majorities
20 May 2026 at 5:01pm
Something interesting, and entirely predictable, has been happening in the British media since the SNP comprehensively defeated the parties of Westminster rule in this month’s Holyrood elections, being returned for a fifth term in office in a Scottish Parliament which has its largest ever pro-independence majority, making this the fourth Scottish Parliament in a row …

Something wicked this way comes
17 May 2026 at 1:27pm
We are rightly concerned about Reform UK, which has now gained representation in the Scottish Parliament, although as I had hoped, it performed more poorly than most polls forecast and failed to win a single constituency seat, narrowly missing out to the SNP in the Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituency which had been widely tipped …

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

Research by Royal College finds TWICE as many over 60s, per head of populatio...
8 Jun 2026 at 2:58pm
In the Guardian today: More than 1,300 patients a month in England are dying needlessly due to long A&E waits, a tenfold rise in a decade, figures suggest. There were more than 300 deaths linked to long waits every week in 2025, up from 30 a week in 2015, according to analysis by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. The RCEM?s president, Dr Ian Higginson, said he wondered how many more deat...

Scottish taxpayers to pay more than £300 million to share cost of Lower Thame...
8 Jun 2026 at 2:57pm
In the Guardian today: Ministers have earmarked more than £170m extra to help build the Lower Thames Crossing road tunnel, fuelling concerns over the ?spiralling? costs of one of the UK?s largest planned infrastructure projects. The proposed £11bn route under the Thames between Kent and Essex is already estimated to cost more each mile than the HS2 high-speed rail link from London to Birmingham...

The Curious Case of the Wee Blue Campbell
8 Jun 2026 at 10:44am
By Mark E. Saunders of ?The Scottish Minuteman? https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 https://www.youtube.com/@TheScottishMinuteman https://www.tiktok.com/@thescottishminuteman/video/7544331813578231062 Author?s Note: The following article is offered as speculative political commentary. It reflects personal interpretation and historical parallels and should not be read as esta...

NHS England?s diagnostic tests waiting list is shocking 800 000 or 71% longer...
8 Jun 2026 at 9:44am
In the Guardian today: Record number of people waiting for NHS diagnostic tests in England – One in five of the 1.92m patients on list wait longer than six weeks for tests such as CT and MRI scans, analysis shows. Demand for tests is outstripping the NHS?s ability to meet it and one in five of those on the waiting list ? more than 400,000 people ? are having to wait longer than the supposed six...

Alarm over freedom of information only among mass exploiters of the scheme
8 Jun 2026 at 9:22am
In the Herald today, the above apparent concerns limiting the number of requests to five at any one time. We’re not talking about just five a year, five a month, five a week or five a day, just five at any one time. This is a perfectly reasonable response to the increasing use of AI by oppositions politicians and their staff and by journalists. If the Herald gave its readers the full facts, the...

The real news ? More important than reported knife possession by far ? murder...
7 Jun 2026 at 2:15pm
Top story from BBC Scotland relating to two murders involving knives, last year. The SNP minister described the murders of Kayden Moy, 16, and John McNab, 22, in Irvine and Edinburgh last year as “shocking” amid concerns over rising levels of knife possession among youths in Scotland. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1ly5720vzdo There is evidence in police reporting of increased knife posse...

SNP-run Glasgow City build 110 times more social rent homes than Labour-run L...
7 Jun 2026 at 10:09am
In the Guardian today: Social housing lists ?would take 119 years to clear at current building rate? Research shows generations of children in England will grow up homeless unless government addresses council housing debt, charity says https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/07/social-housing-119-years-waitlist-current-building-rate Also in the Guardian, in October last year: According to ...

Hiding the blame for Scotland?s decades-long £28bn entrapment in London-based...
7 Jun 2026 at 9:18am
Major and Blair – the men responsible for Scotland’s seemingly endless PFI debt. What!? £600m in one year ‘repaying private firms?’ Surely the headline should tell us who is to blame for this massive mistake? Let’s look. Paragraph 1? Nothing. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 – nothing. Ah, there it is in paragraph 10. We’ll hear more of those parties now! Well, no, that’s it. 22 paragraphs but no repeati...

With less than 4% of the defence spending UK has no credibility in Scotland
7 Jun 2026 at 8:47am
From BBC UK today: Delays in publishing a report laying out government defence spending have undermined the UK’s credibility with its allies, a parliamentary committee that scrutinises public spending says. The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) was supposed to be published in the autumn but is now due to be released ahead of a Nato summit early next month. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says t...

BBC Scotland copies Daily Record technique to attract viewers with one cancer...
6 Jun 2026 at 10:12am
Top story today, just like the Record, three weeks ago: BBC Scotland have a tragic tale of breast cancer misdiagnosis, terrible, but a single case. How it came to their notice is not mentioned. From a family member or from a local non-SNP councillor to Fiona Stalker? How common is a breast cancer misdiagnosis? I can find no NHS Scotland research but this seems relevant. For certain cancers, res...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 4:20pm
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation

SNP have no plan for Scottish independence. But that's not the biggest proble...
8 Jun 2026 at 2:34pm
SNP have no plan for Scottish independence. But that's not the biggest problem  The National Scot

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

Ipsos Polling confirms Holyrood26 as the ?loveless election? in Scots minds -...
3 Jun 2026 at 5:28pm
Ipsos Polling confirms Holyrood26 as the ?loveless election? in Scots minds  Ipsos

Why is there a row about the SNP's £667,000 independence fund? - BBC
4 Jun 2026 at 3:51pm
Why is there a row about the SNP's £667,000 independence fund?  BBC

How Scotland voted at the 2026 Holyrood election - YouGov
5 Jun 2026 at 9:37am
How Scotland voted at the 2026 Holyrood election  YouGov

Is Scotland still divided on independence? - The Week
28 May 2026 at 8:00am
Is Scotland still divided on independence?  The Week

Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum - BBC
25 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum  BBC

Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum - ...
11 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Swinney admits SNP independence £600,000 fund was spent on 'general party bus...
3 Jun 2026 at 2:00pm
Swinney admits SNP independence £600,000 fund was spent on 'general party business'  The Herald

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Murrell affair has made Scotland a laughing stock, says historian - The Times
8 Jun 2026 at 4:35pm
Murrell affair has made Scotland a laughing stock, says historian  The Times

Humiliation for new SNP energy minister as he makes false statement in first ...
8 Jun 2026 at 4:42pm
Humiliation for new SNP energy minister as he makes false statement in first speech  Scottish Daily Express

Murrell is the biggest political scandal in a generation - but the Greens pro...
8 Jun 2026 at 5:19pm
Murrell is the biggest political scandal in a generation - but the Greens protect SNP  The Herald

Big salaries, a motorhome and SNP accounts: The Nicola Sturgeon interview unw...
1 Jun 2026 at 4:29pm
Big salaries, a motorhome and SNP accounts: The Nicola Sturgeon interview unwrapped  BBC

We know what former SNP chief Peter Murrell bought with £400,000 of embezzled...
29 May 2026 at 8:00am
We know what former SNP chief Peter Murrell bought with £400,000 of embezzled funds. What I?d like to know is why  The Guardian

Sturgeon showed 'remarkable lack of curiosity' over SNP finances, Cherry says...
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Sturgeon showed 'remarkable lack of curiosity' over SNP finances, Cherry says  BBC

SPICe general election Scotland 2026 results and analysis - SPICe Spotlight
9 May 2026 at 8:00am
SPICe general election Scotland 2026 results and analysis  SPICe Spotlight

Nicola Sturgeon denies any knowledge of items husband Peter Murrell bought wi...
25 May 2026 at 8:00am
Nicola Sturgeon denies any knowledge of items husband Peter Murrell bought with embezzled £400,000  Sky News

Final YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election shows the SNP falling short of...
6 May 2026 at 8:00am
Final YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election shows the SNP falling short of a majority  YouGov

Former Scottish National Party chief pleads guilty to embezzling $540,000 - R...
25 May 2026 at 8:00am
Former Scottish National Party chief pleads guilty to embezzling $540,000  Reuters

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 4:20pm
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation

Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum - BBC
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum  BBC

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

SNP have no plan for Scottish independence. But that's not the biggest proble...
8 Jun 2026 at 2:34pm
SNP have no plan for Scottish independence. But that's not the biggest problem  The National Scot

Ipsos Polling confirms Holyrood26 as the ?loveless election? in Scots minds -...
3 Jun 2026 at 5:28pm
Ipsos Polling confirms Holyrood26 as the ?loveless election? in Scots minds  Ipsos

Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum - ...
11 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Swinney says £660,000 independence fund used on SNP 'objectives' - BBC
3 Jun 2026 at 2:45pm
Swinney says £660,000 independence fund used on SNP 'objectives'  BBC

Why is there a row about the SNP's £667,000 independence fund? - BBC
4 Jun 2026 at 3:51pm
Why is there a row about the SNP's £667,000 independence fund?  BBC

Scottish Devolution: Section 30 Orders - The House of Commons Library
25 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Devolution: Section 30 Orders  The House of Commons Library

Scottish Parliament backs move for new independence vote - CTV News
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Parliament backs move for new independence vote  CTV News