The Herald

The Herald | Politics


North Sea transition 'too slow' as 25,000 jobs lost since election, taskforce...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
22 Sep 2026 at 9:33am
A new report backed by the British Chambers of Commerce warns that oil and gas decline is outpacing growth in renewables, with 25,000 North Sea jobs lost since the last election.


Court of Session hears Scottish Government bid to keep Salmond files secret
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
22 Sep 2026 at 4:53pm
The Court of Session has reserved judgment in the Scottish Government's legal fight to keep parts of the so-called Salmond files secret, after a day of hearings that repeatedly turned on the contempt of court conviction of Craig Murray.


Group behind anti-immigration protest in Glasgow post lengthy defence of Nazis
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
22 Sep 2026 at 3:05pm
The organisers of a protest in Glasgow which has so far seen more than 20 people arrested have posted a lengthy defence of Nazism


'Hope and a prayer': HES warned it can't rebuild leadership alone after 'turb...
by Katrine Bussey
22 Sep 2026 at 2:39pm
Scandal-hit heritage body Historic Environment Scotland (HES) needs specialist help as it seeks to recruit key figures following ?a long period of turbulence?, MSPs have been told.


A Dundee councillor?s deepfake shows AI?s threat to political trust
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
22 Sep 2026 at 12:43pm
Dorothy McHugh?s convincing deepfake shows how AI can damage political trust - and expose gaps in platform moderation and the law, writes Hannah Brown.


How Leith can regain independence, a century after controversial merger with ...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
22 Sep 2026 at 12:07pm
The district could be given its own town council as part of proposed public sector reforms by the Scottish Government.


Councillor who won her deepfake battle - but says the real AI threat remains
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
22 Sep 2026 at 11:30am
Dundee councillor Dorothy McHugh welcomes removal of a convincing AI deepfake but warns platforms still fail to tackle fabricated political videos.


Sandie Peggie v RCN: Why the nurse is taking her own trade union to tribunal
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
22 Sep 2026 at 5:00am
Sandie Peggie's latest tribunal pits her against the RCN. We explain the allegations, the union's response and why the case could have wider implications.


Fears raised over SNP plans for public bodies cull amid unclear timescales
by Kathleen Nutt
22 Sep 2026 at 5:00am
John Swinney has been accused of lack of clarity over his plans to merge environmental public bodies after a senior minister was unable to give firm timescales for the process.


Reform stages Holyrood walk out over Scottish independence debate
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
22 Sep 2026 at 3:59pm
Reform UK MSPs staged a dramatic walkout from the Scottish Parliament during an SNP-led independence debate, as Malcolm Offord branded the session "pointless" and accused ministers of ignoring Scotland's real problems.


Up to 160 community bodies proposed in Scotland's council shake-up
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
21 Sep 2026 at 7:37pm
Scotland?s current council structure could be replaced with up to 10 local authorities and 160 ?community? bodies.


Who can replace John Swinney? The SNP has no convincing answer
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
21 Sep 2026 at 4:26pm
The SNP's succession problem is becoming harder to ignore as Stephen Flynn and Mairi McAllan struggle to prove they are ready for the top job.


Inside the private SNP meeting where John Swinney hit out at independence cri...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
21 Sep 2026 at 1:55pm
A tense SNP meeting has exposed divisions over Scottish independence, with activists accusing the leadership of ignoring the grassroots.


Scottish amputee football team urged to withdraw from game against Israeli team
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
21 Sep 2026 at 12:58pm
Scotland's amputee football team has been urged not to compete in a match against an Israeli side, due to the country's actions in Gaza

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


SNP ministers clash in court with information watchdog over Salmond files
22 Sep 2026 at 6:25pm

The Scottish government argues disclosure of the material could identify complainers

Nurse Sandie Peggie is at the heart of a second employment tribunal - this time against her trade union

The Reform MSPs left the Holyrood chamber in protest to a debate taking place on Scottish independence

Charles visited the offices in Aberdeen as part of a number of engagements highlighting the energy transition in the region.

The former MSP said her time in government showed the importance of Scotland?s fishing sector.

The publicly-owned energy company will host a reception later today at its recently opened headquarters at Marischal Square.

The North Sea Transition Taskforce said oil and gas activity is declining faster than green industries are growing

The North East MSP has lodged an amendment calling for the Scottish Parliament to recommit to its target to keep relative child poverty should be below 10 per cent by 2030-31.

The former first minister plays the deputy prime minister in the Sky docudrama.

The former first minister warned against an ?alpha-male mentality? putting the UK on the verge of war - and she might have been spot on in the first part of Sky?s scenario-based drama, The Wargame.

Wings over Scotland

His Majesty?s Loyal Sabre
21 Sep 2026 at 1:50pm
Funny how people change, isn’t it? That sounds a lot to us like “Bombs Not Bairns”. We watched the first episode of “The Wargame” at 2am this morning (it’s toe-curlingly bad, shot like a soft-focus corporate promo with three-second cuts, constant dramatic music and the politicians delivering wooden press-conference soundbites rather than any sense of …

A Thousand Islands In The Sea
16 Sep 2026 at 1:22pm
We’re getting so much correspondence from Police Scotland at the moment that we’re starting to feel like their guiltily-neglected penpal. This one, though, is slightly more involved than their usual two-paragraph brushoff. Don’t get too excited, though – it amounts to the same thing. This is self-evident gibberish. Nobody was prosecuted, let alone convicted, over …

Fear And Favour
15 Sep 2026 at 1:10pm
This is what it looks like, if you’ve ever wondered. It’s basically the police’s own version of a seven-hour “no comment” interview. Let’s take a moment to remind ourselves of that letter of 20 August, because it was a pretty significant and serious piece of professional correspondence to have been so casually tossed away in …

Like Responsible Citizens Do
14 Sep 2026 at 12:13pm
Given the refusal of Police Scotland to meaningfully answer our questions, we’ve been left with no alternative but to report Nicola Sturgeon for the crime of reset. We’re sure the matter will be handled with the exact same professional diligence and complete and fearless impartiality that it would be for any other accused person. The …

A Long Hard Think
11 Sep 2026 at 3:37pm
More than three months ago now, we sent Police Scotland a Freedom Of Information request. A few minutes ago we finally received a response. Brace yourselves. That is, um… interesting. Retaining gifts you know were bought with embezzled money is the common-law crime of reset in Scots law, under the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act …

Anything But That
1 Sep 2026 at 1:04pm
The SNP really really don’t want to have another independence referendum, but if somebody somehow FORCES them into one, they DEFINITELY don’t want to have it in circumstances where they’d be starting the campaign with a 16-point lead. (We must conclude from all this, incidentally, that John Swinney LOVES the Tories, because he had no …

Haven?t had a dream in a long time
31 Aug 2026 at 8:43pm
These are strange days, readers. It’s getting hard to tell who’s on which side. To be honest, we’d take George Foulkes’ offer in a heartbeat. It’s not ideal, because there should be no limits on democracy, but the UK government can perfectly lawfully deny another indyref indefinitely anyway (and seem entirely inclined to), so we’d …

The Shortest Day
29 Aug 2026 at 1:07pm
Something rather extraordinary happened yesterday, dearest readers. Very briefly, we absolutely genuinely thought someone in a position of some influence in the SNP had taken a meaningful step towards being serious about independence. We are not being sarcastic. Look: here it is. (Transcript at bottom of article.) ? Dave Doogan is the SNP’s leader at …

The Slowest Dawning
28 Aug 2026 at 1:44pm
Now, readers, it’s not much of a secret that anyone who’s still supporting the SNP in the hopes that they’ll deliver Scottish independence is – and let’s put this as gently and kindly as possible – a bit thick. From a membership high of 125,000 in the run-up to the 2021 Holyrood election, fully 60% …

Spot The Problem
27 Aug 2026 at 12:19pm
See if you can identify why this isn’t an ideal way to run a justice system. We’ve put a couple of clues in for the slower folk. Answer below. Still, the Crown Office IS at least theoretically accountable to Parliament, so as long as the governing party is full of strong, independent, fair-minded MSPs willing …

Craig Murray

Four Days in Ekaterinburg
21 Sep 2026 at 1:26pm

I was surprised a few weeks ago to get an invitation from Yana Lantratova, Russian Federal Commissioner for Human Rights, to deliver a speech on human rights to the International Youth Festival in Ekaterinburg. It is approaching 20 years since I was last in Russia, and I tend to avoid invitations from governments. But on …

Four Days in Ekaterinburg

Dishonesty and Deceit
7 Sep 2026 at 7:31pm

UPDATE We got an expedited date to “reclaim” (appeal) against the suspension of the case, on 25 September. We shall also be reclaiming against the decision not to send the case straight to the Inner House. All parties seemed to agree there may just be time, if our appeal is successful, to finish the Scottish …

Dishonesty and Deceit

Nonsense Drones and Novichok
3 Sep 2026 at 2:14pm

Europe urgently needs to re-establish access to Russian oil and gas. Gas prices are high – as all UK energy consumers know – and German gas storage is at a record low for September. Gulf production is degraded, supplies are cut off and its long-term strategic stability undermined. German manufacturing already suffered a 9.5% production …

Nonsense Drones and Novichok

Dr David Halpin and David Kelly
29 Aug 2026 at 12:26pm

Dr David Halpin, a redoubtable campaigner over the murder of Dr David Kelly, and a friend of this blog for over twenty years, has died. He will be missed. His sister Mary was for many years an invaluable commenter here and occasional researcher for me. Unfortunately about ten years ago I banned her for comments …

Dr David Halpin and David Kelly

Of Judges, Juries and Fascism
25 Aug 2026 at 5:50pm

We still don’t have a decision on whether the Scottish judicial review of Palestine Action can proceed. Lord Young is thinking about it. Last Thursday’s hearing went about as well as it could go. The UK government produced no written argument and barely seemed to be trying. They moved in court for the Scottish judicial …

Of Judges, Juries and Fascism

Scottish Judicial Review Hearing Tomorrow
19 Aug 2026 at 10:05pm

After eight months of obstructionism from the Labour Friends of Israel government of the UK, tomorrow is the day on which the Scottish Court of Session will finally decide whether to go ahead with the judicial review it granted in January, or kowtow to Downing St. I publish below two of the three main papers …

Scottish Judicial Review Hearing Tomorrow

BBC Scotland

Reform UK MSPs jeered as they walk out of Scottish independence debate at Hol...
22 Sep 2026 at 7:18pm
The party's leader in Scotland, Malcolm Offord, describes the debate as an insult and a waste of time.

Lib Dems the most influential party at Holyrood, Cole-Hamilton says
22 Sep 2026 at 12:29pm
The Scottish party leader made the claim as he addressed the UK conference in Brighton.

Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leade...
22 Sep 2026 at 5:59pm
Michael Marra says there is a potential route to independence, but claims the Scottish government has failed to build a case for it.

Record number of homeless people in temporary housing after 10% rise
22 Sep 2026 at 2:00pm
More than 19,000 homeless households were being accommodated by Scotland's local authorities in March.

Operator paid more than £10m to keep parking free at Edinburgh hospital
22 Sep 2026 at 6:03am
The PFI firm which runs the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh has banked more than £10m in public money to keep parking free at the hospital.

Scotland's 32 councils could be cut to six under government plan
21 Sep 2026 at 4:34pm
Reforms could involve the creation of six to 10 regional authorities, as well as more than 100 community bodies.

The deadly new drugs making Scotland's fight against addiction even harder
20 Sep 2026 at 9:04am
Experts warn potent new substances are making an already deadly crisis more dangerous.

Michael Marra announced as new Scottish Labour leader
19 Sep 2026 at 11:59am
Anas Sarwar's replacement has been announced as the MSP for the North East region.

Tugs plan offers short-term lifeline for Ferguson Marine shipyard
17 Sep 2026 at 7:16pm
Ministers have agreed to provide financial backing for construction of the small vessels.

MSP considered taking own life over chronic pain
18 Sep 2026 at 6:01pm
Cara McKee MSP is preparing to return to Holyrood next week after undergoing brain surgery for trigeminal neuralgia.

Minister defends MSP colleague after Transport Scotland blunder
17 Sep 2026 at 9:56am
Collette Stevenson, who is on the transport committee, asked a meeting whether government body Transport Scotland was a registered charity.

Delay to neonatal reform is putting babies at risk, warn doctors
17 Sep 2026 at 6:04am
The plan to cut the number of neonatal intensive care units from eight to three was announced in 2017.

Scot Goes Pop

WHO KNEW that the Brit Nats would be SO triggered by the mere idea of a total...
21 Sep 2026 at 2:16pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Labour slump to THIRD PLACE in Scottish subsample as Burnham's YouGov horror ...
16 Sep 2026 at 1:53pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Burnham U-turns on the U-turn: after just 24 hours, he reverts to the previou...
11 Sep 2026 at 5:01pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Burnham's REVOLUTIONARY U-turn as he accepts Scotland can have an independenc...
10 Sep 2026 at 1:09pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Burnham suffers more Scottish poll MISERY as SNP enjoy 17-point lead in YouGo...
9 Sep 2026 at 1:15pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

A de facto referendum on independence would self-evidently not be "bonkers" -...
7 Sep 2026 at 11:01am
There has been just one occasion in history in which an integral part of the United Kingdom became an independent country, and it did not happen as the result of a 2014-style agreed referendum.  In...

"Well THAT one was worth waiting for!": SNP have DOUBLE Labour's support in d...
2 Sep 2026 at 11:38pm

RevStew can squeal but *of course* the SNP have done the right thing by rulin...
31 Aug 2026 at 9:19am
The most dispiriting aspect of the controversy surrounding Dave Doogan is that it's given the controversial Somerset-based "Stew" blogger an excuse to yet again trot out his barking mad fantasy abo...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Reform UK Scotland leader Malcolm Offord brands independence debate a ?stunt?...
22 Sep 2026 at 4:55pm
The Reform UK Scotland leader said the debate was a 'waste of time' and claimed he was representing two million Scots who didn't vote in the election

Fewer councillors but no new powers, Gilruth signals in sweeping plans
22 Sep 2026 at 2:46pm
Scotland?s deputy first minster is planning the biggest shake-up to Scotland?s local authorities in decades

Insight: What can we expect from Burnham?s meeting with Trump?
22 Sep 2026 at 10:33am
Andy Burnham will be in New York on Tuesday for a 24-hour trip, which will include a 30 minute meeting with Donald Trump

Michael Marra: Scotland has the right to decide its own future, says Scottish...
21 Sep 2026 at 5:49pm
Michael Marra was elected on Saturday to replace Anas Sarwar, who quit Holyrood for the House of Lords. 

Swinney: Flying business class to World Cup allowed me to fulfil Holyrood duties
21 Sep 2026 at 1:05pm
The First Minister?s flight cost about £18,000 when he could have flown with the Scottish Football Association for £1,000

Swinney calls on MSPs to unanimously back Scotland?s ?right to decide?
20 Sep 2026 at 12:32pm
The First Minister claimed Westminster?s position of vetoing democracy was unsustainable.

New Scottish Labour leader presses Swinney to set up commission on child poverty
20 Sep 2026 at 10:02am
Michael Marra has written to John Swinney and the other party leaders at Holyrood, urging them to back a new commission to tackle the problem.

Michael Marra announced as new Scottish Labour leader
19 Sep 2026 at 11:34am
The North East Scotland MSP defeated rival Joe Fagan by 4,266 votes to 2,485.

Tories launch new campaign aimed at keeping Scotland in the UK
18 Sep 2026 at 1:57pm
The campaign came as Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth said she was ?confident? independence campaigners would win if there is another referendum

One million new voters must be able to decide their future in indyref, says G...
18 Sep 2026 at 6:59am
The deputy first minister said a new generation of Scots should be allowed to have their say on independence

Insight: The constitution is back at the forefront of the political agenda
17 Sep 2026 at 5:52pm
A Unionist fight back meeting has been held in Edinburgh, on the eve of the anniversary of indyref

Scrap ?net zero? phrase, MPs urge government
17 Sep 2026 at 9:05am
MPs believe the rising cost of living and soaring gas prices have made people increasingly view the net zero agenda with animosity

MSPs reject moratorium on data centres as minister vows new guidance in weeks
16 Sep 2026 at 8:34pm
Public finance minister Hannah Mary Goodlad made the commitment as Holyrood rejected a Green motion

Large-scale data centres will require environmental assessment, Scottish Gove...
16 Sep 2026 at 12:39pm
The change will affect plans for all new data centres with a power capacity exceeding 50 megawatts

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Reform MSPs flounce out of Holyrood over Scottish independence debate 'farce'
22 Sep 2026 at 7:28pm
Malcolm Offord had insisted an IndyRef2 should not be debated by the Scottish Parliament as the matter is reserved to Westminster.

John Swinney warned against reforming Scots councils 'on the cheap'
22 Sep 2026 at 4:21pm
The First Minister has confirmed councillors returned at next year's local elections will serve a full five-year term - but there is no clarity on what the councils will look like.

Scots pubs face charging £10 for a pint as hospitality industry is 'on its kn...
22 Sep 2026 at 12:00pm
Leading figures from Scotland's hospitality industry have warned businesses are already on the brink - and without an urgent cut in VAT many more will go to the wall.

Scots children living in temporary accommodation hits record level as MSPs de...
22 Sep 2026 at 11:06am
SNP ministers were accused "failing vulnerable people" as homelessness across Scotland increased to record levels - while MSPs spend time at Holyrood debating independence.

SNP told to drop 'aversion to scrutiny' and give 'straight answers' over publ...
22 Sep 2026 at 4:30am
Trade unions and opposition parties fear that mistakes made during previous SNP-led public sector reforms will be repeated.

Nicola Sturgeon warns against 'alpha-male mentality' in dreary TV series The ...
21 Sep 2026 at 5:39pm
Most Scots already know the UK is ill-prepared for a major military attack from an aggressive foreign power. Perhaps Russia could be bored into submission by making them watch this dreary new reali...

John Swinney defends spending £18,000 on flight to watch Scotland at World Cup
21 Sep 2026 at 12:59pm
The SNP leader was offered a much cheaper option of flying to the US for the tournament.

Michael Marra faces 'monumental challenge' in rebuilding Scottish Labour as e...
21 Sep 2026 at 11:22am
Scottish Labour named Marra in the top job on Saturday following a two-way contest with Joe Fagan.

Michael Marra unveils education plan to stop SNP ministers 'marking their own...
21 Sep 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Marra, who took charge of Labour on Saturday, wants Scotland's education system to be restored to "world class" status after a report found it lagging behind England.

Ethics watchdog could face Holyrood free speech probe after judge's ruling
20 Sep 2026 at 4:30am
The Standards Commission was found to have acted unlawfully in Fiona Higgins case - and now faces questions over document destruction.

The National

The National | Politics

A new party is the only real hope for Scottish supporters of Labour
22 Sep 2026 at 7:36pm

IT was good to read ?Can Scottish Labour recover their lost soul under a new leader?? from Dennis Canavan (Letters, Sep 22) where, as a former Labour MP himself, he recognised that it was Tony Blair?s ?New Labour? that moved Labour from its position as a party of the people to being one that lost its connection with local communities.

Are SNP paying any attention to work done by other pro-indy groups?
22 Sep 2026 at 7:00pm

IT is sad that the SNP hierarchy has refused to permit a debate on how to advance the independence cause at the forthcoming SNP conference. It seems that, with a few tinkerings, the leadership want to continue with the failed, and still failing, methods tried so far.

US-UK relationship 'more up' with Burnham than Starmer, Trump claims
22 Sep 2026 at 6:45pm

RELATIONS between the US and the UK are ?more up? now that Andy Burnham is Prime Minister than when Keir Starmer held the role, Donald Trump has claimed ...

See how MSPs voted on motion affirming Scotland?s 'right to decide future'
22 Sep 2026 at 6:01pm

AN OVERWHELMING number of MSPs have backed a motion affirming that Scotland has a right to decide its constitutional future ...

Reform?s Holyrood stunt looks childish to everyone but themselves
22 Sep 2026 at 5:39pm

Reform have thrown their toys out of the pram again ? this time, over Holyrood?s debate on whether Scotland should have the right to choose its own future

Caledonian Sleeper under fire over contracts with Israeli settlement-linked firm
22 Sep 2026 at 5:17pm

THE Scottish Government is being urged to tear up contracts between the Caledonian Sleeper and a Spanish train firm blacklisted by the UN over illegal Israeli settlements ...

Greens slam £500m Edinburgh Airport expansion plans as 'act of climate vandal...
22 Sep 2026 at 5:00pm

THE Scottish Government has been accused of ?wilful ignorance? and committing an ?act of climate vandalism? by the Greens after ministers welcomed a £500 million investment in Edinburgh Airport ...

King Charles visits GB Energy as headquarters officially opens in Scotland
22 Sep 2026 at 4:46pm

THE King has said it is ?remarkable to see the extent of all the engineering skills in this part of the world? when visiting the offices of GB Energy after it officially opened its headquarters in Aberdeen ...

Donations to SNP 'boosted by new hearts and minds fund'
22 Sep 2026 at 4:41pm

THE SNP have seen a surge in donations off the back of their ?hearts and minds? fund announcement, The National understands ...

Holyrood overwhelmingly votes in favour of Scotland?s 'right to decide future'
22 Sep 2026 at 4:09pm

A MAJORITY of MSPs have backed a motion affirming that Scotland has a right to decide its constitutional future ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Scotland ?has right to decide own future?, MSPs say
22 Sep 2026 at 6:45pm
Reform MSPs walked out of the debate and refused to take part

Number of children in temporary accommodation reaches record high
22 Sep 2026 at 5:00pm
Scottish homelessness statistics published

'Parties need to look themselves in the mirror' over public service reform, s...
22 Sep 2026 at 3:44pm
Ivan McKee has said that other political parties "need to look themselves in the mirror" and decide whether they will support public service reform plans

It?s the boring automation projects that survive
22 Sep 2026 at 7:00am
If you are working out which of your organisation's pilots deserves to become a programme, or whether the case for one has been made yet, we would be glad to talk it through.

MSPs to vote on legal mechanism for independence referendum
22 Sep 2026 at 1:06am
Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra has said Scotland has the right to decide its own future

From reform ambition to public value
22 Sep 2026 at 1:02am
Scotland has set a clear direction for public-service reform. The opportunity now is to translate that ambition into practical changes that improve services, support the workforce and deliver lasting value for people.

Scottish Government reveals council reform proposals
21 Sep 2026 at 4:19pm
Reorganisation plan includes larger regional authorities

Scottish flights delayed after air traffic control problem
21 Sep 2026 at 1:00pm
The fault occurred at the?Nats?s?second control?centre?at Prestwick

A heartfelt appeal
21 Sep 2026 at 7:00am
As World Heart Day 2026 approaches, BHF Scotland urges Scottish ministers not to ?miss a beat? by putting in place a national plan to strengthen cardiology services

Michael Marra announced as Scottish Labour leader
20 Sep 2026 at 12:00pm
Marra described it as the ?honour of my life? to lead the party

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Scottish Labour?s new leader backs Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gasfields
19 Sep 2026 at 1:52pm
Michael Marra supports development of the North Sea sites, calling for a ?more rational? approach to energy policyScottish Labour?s new leader Michael Marra has backed the development of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gasfields in the North Sea in one of his first acts after being elected, call...

Planning permission for new Scottish AI datacentres suspended for up to a year
16 Sep 2026 at 7:28pm
MSPs vote for strict environmental impact assessments and will delay decisions until national strategy is developedHolyrood has voted to pause planning applications for all new AI datacentres for up to a year until the Scottish government has developed a national strategy.On Wednesday, MSPs backe...

UK politics: Farage hints that Reform?s £72m donations may not be legal under...
14 Sep 2026 at 6:04pm
In an interview about the donations, he said they are compliant with the law ?today?Andy Burnham has cancelled engagements today and tomorrow following the death of his father Roy, who was suffering from Alzheimer?s, the Press Association reports.Burnham has spoken about his father?s illness whic...

Westminster?s time is coming to an end, say first ministers of UK?s Celtic na...
14 Sep 2026 at 2:21pm
Leaders in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland discuss independence and call for constitutional change at summitWestminster?s time is coming to an end, the first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have said at a summit aimed at putting the UK?s Celtic nations on the path to indepe...

UK politics: Andy Burnham pressed on borrowing costs and spending at first PM...
2 Sep 2026 at 5:36pm
Burnham faced questions from Kemi Badenoch and other MPs amid speculation over budgetIn the news release to mark the first anniversary of his election as the Green party?s leader, Zack Polanski highlighted what he described as 10 achievements during his first year in charge. For the record, this ...

Swinney sticks with pledge to cap prices on basic foods in Scotland
1 Sep 2026 at 5:52pm
First minister sets out his government?s agenda and defends policy described by industry groups as a ?potty gimmick?John Swinney insisted on Tuesday he still planned to introduce a legally binding price cap on bread, milk and other essential food items in Scotland despite fierce opposition from f...

Tuesday briefing: Scotland has promised on violence against women ? can it de...
1 Sep 2026 at 6:46am
In today?s newsletter: First minister John Swinney has pledged to put an end to violence against women and girls. But can he turn ambitious laws into real change?Good morning. Violence against women and girls, in all its myriad forms ? physical and mental, blatant and insidious ? is a global chal...

Channel 5 drama to examine how Nicola Sturgeon?s estranged husband stole SNP ...
26 Aug 2026 at 2:00pm
To Nicola, Love Peter will focus on couple?s relationship during 12-year period of embezzlement and fallout of caseChannel 5 is reuniting with the producers of Power: the Downfall of Huw Edwards for a drama about how Nicola Sturgeon?s estranged husband embezzled £400,000 from the Scottish Nationa...

?Never seen this level of objection?: Scotland pushes back against datacentre...
25 Aug 2026 at 6:00am
Holyrood ?inching towards moratorium? amid concerns over massive proposed developments in Auchtertool and beyondIn a village 21 miles north of Edinburgh, a real estate consultancy plans to build a datacentre larger than the village itself ? 35 metres high, with an area larger than 100 football pi...

Police Scotland warns ?robust security? needed to stop attacks on AI datacentres
14 Aug 2026 at 5:05pm
?A great deal of public opposition is likely? to a proposed datacentre near Edinburgh, the force saysPolice in Scotland have issued a stark warning about the need for ?robust security measures? to stop proposed AI datacentres from being attacked by protesters.There has been mounting opposition to...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The settled will of the people of Scotland is for a second indyref
22 Sep 2026 at 1:51pm
As far as wanting another independence referendum is concerned, Scotland is definitely in settled will of the people territory. A new poll carried out by Norstat for the campaign group Believe in Scotland has found that 55.6% of Scots want another referendum within the next ten years while a further 12.6% believe there should be …

Err a Marra oan ra barra
20 Sep 2026 at 12:12am
I’m typing this in bed. Yesterday I had a nasty fall. Due to the stroke in 2020, I have very poor sensation and no spatial awareness in the left side of my body. This means I only know where my left foot is if I am looking at it. Yesterday when navigating some steps in …

Labour?s lying reply to Believe in Scotland?s petition
16 Sep 2026 at 2:57pm
You’ve probably never heard of Elaine Stewart. She’s my local MP, one of the least distinguished Labour MPs out of the undistinguished bunch of careerists and lobby fodder elected to Westminster in July 2024, supposedly to represent Scottish constituencies. Stewart features amongst the six Labour MPs representing Scottish constituencies who appear in list compiled by …

The positive case for the Union will be along shortly, this time they mean it.
15 Sep 2026 at 2:49pm
The flag waving We’re not nationalists we’re British brigade are seriously rattled by the Celtic Alliance, although of course they’d never admit to it, they’re currently doing their best impression of the Catherine Tate character Lauren, screaming, “Lookit my face am I bovvered?” as they go red white blue and puce in their ostensibly unbovvered …

The Cardiff Agreement marks a new chapter in the path to independence
14 Sep 2026 at 7:06pm
On Monday there was a historic meeting in Cardiff, the first time ever that pro-independence First Ministers from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland met and agreed a common framework for the pursuit of self-determination for their respective nations. The meeting was a sharp rebuke to UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, telling him that self-determination can …

Burnham?s expected reverse ferret
10 Sep 2026 at 7:23pm
Andy Burnham has replied to John Swinney after the latter wrote to him asking for a meeting to put the process for triggering a Scottish independence referendum on a legal basis after Burnham replied to a question from SNP MP Chris Law at PMQs on Wednesday asking him about that process detailed in the Good …

The independence cat is out of the bag
10 Sep 2026 at 2:43pm
Speaking to The National this week after Andy Burnham – perhaps inadvertently – set out the conditions for Scotland to hold an independence referendum, polling expert Professor John Curtice acknowledged that if an independence referendum were to be held tomorrow, Scotland would most likely vote Yes. He stated that a vote is going to be …

Burnham?s crack in the constitutional dam
9 Sep 2026 at 3:17pm
In PMQs on Wednesday, Andy Burnham was asked by SNP MP Chris Law about the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) and the trigger for an Irish unification referendum, and after Burnham stated that he was aware of every word in the Good Friday Agreement, Law asked: “So he Burnham will therefore know that the Northern Ireland …

BBC Scotland?s educational F grade
8 Sep 2026 at 8:28pm
BBC Scotland’s latest ‘Scotland is shite’ story is to tell us that Scottish educational performance has fallen behind that of England. This finding is based on Pisa rankings. However BBC Scotland, ahem, ‘forgot’ to mention a critical piece of information in its rush to let viewers know how terrible Scottish education is. That information is …

The smokiest of smoking guns
4 Sep 2026 at 4:36pm
If there are smoking guns, Channel 4 and Verbatim’s undercover sting on Reform UK is a slow motion video of the bullet exiting the barrel and hitting its target. If you haven’t seen the report it’s available on catch up or YouTube. It is very, very bad for Farage who was already in deep trouble …

The Courier

[CaRP] Can't open remote newsfeed [403].
Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Talking up Scotland

Scotland's First and biggest Rebuttal Service -Talking-up Scotland

Under Scottish Labour average homelessness applications were nearly 40% highe...
22 Sep 2026 at 4:19pm
Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 From Homelessness in Scotland: full statistical time series published today at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/homelessness-in-scotland-full-statistical-time-series/ Regulars here and...

Six times as many schools were in serious disrepair under Scottish Labour and...
22 Sep 2026 at 4:18pm
Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 From School estate statistics 2026 published today: Key points 37 school builds or substantial refurbishment projects completed in 2025-26. This brings the total number of school builds ...

Transport Secretary and more than 5 million others were ?oblivious? OF this z...
22 Sep 2026 at 4:17pm
Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 From West Coast Today, 17 September 2026, the above and: The new Arran ferry, MV Glen Sannox, leaked methane while carrying more than 80 passengers, just months after entering service. a...

Broken-down 62 year-old Canadian ferry is 50% older than CalMac?s oldest
22 Sep 2026 at 4:13pm
Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 From the Times Colonist 15 September 2026: B.C. Ferries sailings cancelled on Tuesday due to mechanical problems – Two B.C. Ferries sailings between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen were cancel...

We can reveal that three Canadian ferries had lapsed inspections and licences...
22 Sep 2026 at 4:11pm
Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 From Cape Cod Times 19 September 2026: Three Steamship Authority ferries had lapsed inspections and licenses Two Steamship Authority ferries were sidelined in the past week because of la...

University College London research reveals far lower level of ?managerialism?...
22 Sep 2026 at 10:10am
Two years ago, Jackie Baillie tried to suggest that the senior management incompetence and cover-ups associated with the Lucy Letby case were also present in the QEUH child deaths which Anas Sarwar was trying to connect to the Scottish Government. ‘Scotland?s model is the most radical, for it instead tries to align organisation with professional models and thereby use, rather than attack, the p...

Even with 55 000 more nurses NHS England would still have far fewer per head ...
22 Sep 2026 at 9:17am
The above RCN-based story is everywhere including on BBC Breakfast this morning. Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 It’s a bit of a repeat, a longer term problem, as you’ll see below: What are the latest total and ratio f...

Why is Scotland the only place in the UK with a ?housing crisis? when it has ...
22 Sep 2026 at 8:52am
I’ve checked. Based on BBC reporting across the UK and in parts of England such as the Prime Minister’s former patch, Manchester, only BBC Scotland has and is headlining a ‘housing crisis.’ Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266...

To compare an English region to Scotland
22 Sep 2026 at 12:00am
Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 By Liz S Here?s something the BBC website has added as an article onto their local news page for Yorkshire (region of England). ?MP calls for Yorkshire to get its own parliament? ?A Libe...

Agricultural support payments ? 81% paid in Scotland and ?extreme cashflow di...
21 Sep 2026 at 5:05pm
Help Talking-up Scotland keep goingCrowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 From the Scottish Government today at 10.30am but getting no coverage even on the BBC Business site. More than £296 million in agricultural support has been paid out to Scottish farmers ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination - A...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination  Al Jazeera

Reform MSPs storm out of chamber in protest over Scottish independence debate...
22 Sep 2026 at 6:39pm
Reform MSPs storm out of chamber in protest over Scottish independence debate  The National Scot

Reform MSPs stage Holyrood walkout over Scottish independence debate - The In...
22 Sep 2026 at 5:36pm
Reform MSPs stage Holyrood walkout over Scottish independence debate  The Independent

Reform UK MSPs jeered as they walk out of Scottish independence debate at Hol...
22 Sep 2026 at 5:02pm
Reform UK MSPs jeered as they walk out of Scottish independence debate at Holyrood  Yahoo News Canada

Reform MSPs walk out of ?waste of time? independence debate - The Times
22 Sep 2026 at 7:30pm
Reform MSPs walk out of ?waste of time? independence debate  The Times

Reform stages Holyrood walk out over Scottish independence debate - The Herald
22 Sep 2026 at 4:11pm
Reform stages Holyrood walk out over Scottish independence debate  The Herald

SNP ?very confident? of winning second independence vote - Nation.Cymru
22 Sep 2026 at 10:07am
SNP ?very confident? of winning second independence vote  Nation.Cymru

Labour urged to recognise Scotland?s right to choose own future - Scottish Gr...
22 Sep 2026 at 12:06pm
Labour urged to recognise Scotland?s right to choose own future  Scottish Greens

Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leade...
22 Sep 2026 at 11:00am
Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leader says  BBC

Watch: Reform MSPs storm out of Holyrood chamber over independence debate - T...
22 Sep 2026 at 4:00pm
Watch: Reform MSPs storm out of Holyrood chamber over independence debate  The Scotsman

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Are SNP paying any attention to work done by other pro-indy groups? - The Nat...
22 Sep 2026 at 7:16pm
Are SNP paying any attention to work done by other pro-indy groups?  The National Scot

Donations to SNP 'boosted by new hearts and minds fund' - The National Scot
22 Sep 2026 at 4:46pm
Donations to SNP 'boosted by new hearts and minds fund'  The National Scot

New DDRop Attack Breaks Intel TDX and AMD SEV-SNP Confidential Computing - Th...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
New DDRop Attack Breaks Intel TDX and AMD SEV-SNP Confidential Computing  The Hacker News

?Burnham will be the last PM of the UK?: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
?Burnham will be the last PM of the UK?: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?s leaders sign independence pact  The Independent

Sturgeon has not spoken to Murrell since he was jailed for embezzling SNP fun...
8 Aug 2026 at 8:00am
Sturgeon has not spoken to Murrell since he was jailed for embezzling SNP funds  BBC

SF, SNP, Welsh leaders sign deal pushing for independence - RTE.ie
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
SF, SNP, Welsh leaders sign deal pushing for independence  RTE.ie

Sturgeon's criticisms of Swinney reveal tensions in SNP ranks - BBC
6 Aug 2026 at 8:00am
Sturgeon's criticisms of Swinney reveal tensions in SNP ranks  BBC

SNP write-off value of Murrell motorhome in party accounts - BBC
6 Aug 2026 at 8:00am
SNP write-off value of Murrell motorhome in party accounts  BBC

NanoTS: a deep learning tool for accurate SNP calling in nanopore long-read t...
22 Sep 2026 at 12:05pm
NanoTS: a deep learning tool for accurate SNP calling in nanopore long-read transcriptome data  nature.com

Reform walk out of SNP independence debate - The Telegraph
22 Sep 2026 at 8:49pm
Reform walk out of SNP independence debate  The Telegraph

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leade...
22 Sep 2026 at 11:00am
Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leader says  BBC

Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination - A...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination  Al Jazeera

Majority of Scots want indyref2 in next decade or sooner, poll finds - The Na...
22 Sep 2026 at 4:01pm
Majority of Scots want indyref2 in next decade or sooner, poll finds  The National Scot

Reform MSPs in Holyrood walkout over independence debate ?farce? - Perspectiv...
22 Sep 2026 at 5:05pm
Reform MSPs in Holyrood walkout over independence debate ?farce?  Perspective Media

SNP ?very confident? of winning second independence vote - Nation.Cymru
22 Sep 2026 at 10:07am
SNP ?very confident? of winning second independence vote  Nation.Cymru

Reform stages Holyrood walk out over Scottish independence debate - The Herald
22 Sep 2026 at 4:11pm
Reform stages Holyrood walk out over Scottish independence debate  The Herald

Reform MSPs stage Holyrood walkout over Scottish independence debate - The In...
22 Sep 2026 at 5:36pm
Reform MSPs stage Holyrood walkout over Scottish independence debate  The Independent

Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leade...
22 Sep 2026 at 11:00am
Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leader says  Yahoo

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

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Unite in Calls for Independence and EU R...
18 Sep 2026 at 6:35am
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Unite in Calls for Independence and EU Return  politicstoday.org