The Herald

The Herald | Politics


UK Government set to approve controversial Jackdaw gas field off coast of Abe...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
20 Oct 2026 at 5:44pm
The UK Government is expected to approve the controversial Jackdaw gas field off the coast of Aberdeen on Wednesday.


UK Covid inquiry: Scotland first on care home isolation but sector was 'after...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
20 Oct 2026 at 4:11pm
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has found Scotland acted earlier than the rest of the UK to isolate hospital discharges into care homes, but still entered the pandemic unprepared, with 4,272 residents dying and 82% of discharges untested.


I watched BBC Scotland for a night and all I got was this lousy sense of doom
by alison.rowat@theherald.co.uk | Alison Rowat
20 Oct 2026 at 2:25pm
Seven years after the BBC Scotland channel launched with big ambitions, its audience is shrinking and its future is in doubt. I spent an evening watching it to find out what has gone wrong.


Reform calls for MSP to go show a very convenient lack of political insight
by Kathleen Nutt
20 Oct 2026 at 12:59pm
It certainly didn't take long for Amanda Bland to fall out with her party - the former Reform MSP announced on Monday she was quitting to sit as an Indepedent MSP.


Malcolm Offord: Losing MSP will not ?derail? Reform UK Scotland?s plans
by Lucinda Cameron
20 Oct 2026 at 12:41pm
The defection upsets the math at Holyrood - with Labour now second biggest party


'Postcode lottery' leaves Scottish firms lost in business rates maze
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
20 Oct 2026 at 12:00pm
New research has revealed major inconsistencies in how business rates reliefs are applied, leaving firms facing a postcode lottery across Scotland


Who's backing The Herald's campaign to reform Scotland's business rates?
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
20 Oct 2026 at 12:00pm
Business leaders, trade bodies and hospitality operators have joined The Herald's Reset The Rates campaign calling for major reform of Scotland's business rates system.


'Falls on us as a nation to restore building to its glory': MP's Mack cash plea
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
20 Oct 2026 at 11:31am
Labour MP Torcuil Crichton has called for a state-backed, Notre-Dame-style rescue of the fire-ravaged Mackintosh Building, but the UK Government says it cannot promise new money for the £265m restoration.


Scotland unemployment falls to 4.3 per cent, below UK average
by Lucinda Cameron
20 Oct 2026 at 8:29am
The latest job figures for Scotland revealed in this month's data


Inside Scotland's business rates: Who pays and how are bills calculated?
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
20 Oct 2026 at 8:01am
They are one of the biggest bills facing businesses in Scotland. But just how are business rates worked out?


Warning as backlash grows over leaked NHS orthopaedic care plans
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
20 Oct 2026 at 6:30am
Arthritis UK warns Scotland?s leaked NHS orthopaedic plan could mean longer waits and travel for surgery, as unions and surgeons demand meaningful consultation.


Reset the Rates: Six reforms to fix Scotland's broken business rates system
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
20 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
Business leaders across Scotland have joined The Herald's Reset the Rates campaign, backing six reforms to create a fairer, simpler and more predictable business rates system


Reset The Rates: The six asks of The Herald's campaign explained
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
20 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
The Herald is calling for major change to the business rates regime in Scotland - here's the detail


Seven of UK's 10 worst areas for dying before 60 are in Scotland, figures reveal
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
20 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Seven of the UK's 10 worst areas for deaths before 60 are in Scotland, with Glasgow recording the second-highest estimated rate, new analysis reveals.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Jackdaw gas field set to be approved by UK Labour government
20 Oct 2026 at 6:23pm

The North Sea project, 150 miles east of Aberdeen, could be connected to the UK network within months.

The Scottish Greens said the channel being exclusively shown on BBC iPlayer from Spring 2027 - with 10 job losses - was ?a backwards step? which ?reflects a wider cultural crisis?.

Baroness Hallett has warned that the adult social care system ?appeared to be something of an afterthought? to protect the NHS.

The Tory leader showed the Chancellor has different options, but few are taking her party seriously.

Reform UK is no longer the joint second place party at Holyrood - a situation John Swinney argued was ?an issue of deep concern?.

Labour MP Torcuil Crichton has called for UK and Scottish governments to ?raise the Mack out of the ashes?.

The Scottish government will likely not formalise a new position on oil and gas for at least another 12 months.

Wings over Scotland

Faces In Sand
17 Oct 2026 at 3:53pm
Ladies and gentlemen, the next leader of the SNP. ? To be scrupulously fair to the huffing dolt-child, we suppose in grey, chilly Aberdeen there could be some confusion on the matter. But remarkably, the above isn’t even nearly the dumbest thing that’s happened (so far) at this year’s SNP conference. It’s probably not even …

The fight about to come
14 Oct 2026 at 3:20pm
The obvious question is “Why haven’t you made a bigger one in all that time?” Did it not seem important until now? Was there nothing significant going on? Or were they just a little short of cash for some unknowable reason? Still, Keith’s going to make a “launch” speech. He makes it every year. It’ll …

Still Time To Save Her
9 Oct 2026 at 2:32pm
We’ve just had an extraordinary email from Police Scotland, readers. Here it is. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the real-life Timecops. Operation Branchform was closed on 20 March 2025. Nicola Sturgeon gave her infamous interview to Laura Kuenssberg – stating that she would not be handing back any of the items gifted to her by Peter …

There May Be Justice
5 Oct 2026 at 12:40pm
In a little under three days, Phase 1 complete. Wings readers: still the best. But what now? A couple of people have asked about the “stretch target” on the website. That was something CrowdJustice asked for and the reason it’s so high is that that figure was our lawyers’ estimate of the total cost of …

The Love Of Big Brother
3 Oct 2026 at 1:24pm
We were trying to work out what this reminded us of. And the answer was in the same place it usually is. It all checks out. The SNP spend their time grooming your children and trying to make basic parenting a crime. They endorse “gender-affirming care” that sterilises them and will stop them ever having …

In The Eyes Of The Law
1 Oct 2026 at 2:15pm
Our fundraiser to bring a judicial review of Police Scotland’s decision not to charge anyone with embezzlement in the case of the SNP’s missing £700,000 indyref fund is now live, and can be reached by clicking on this image, or here. The target of £30,000 represents the cost of the initial application (with contingency for …

Whatever Can Have Happened?
30 Sep 2026 at 1:50pm
Yesterday afternoon John Swinney announced an independent review into the dual roles of Scotland’s main law officers, the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General, which have been a subject of great controversy since the Scottish Parliament was re-convened in 1999. Wings welcomes this development unequivocally, albeit we’re slightly concerned that the former judge leading the …

The Turning Point
28 Sep 2026 at 1:10pm
We don’t have much to say about this graph that it doesn’t say for itself. The arrest of Peter Murrell on 5 April 2023, just a couple of weeks after his wife had realised the game was up and walked away before the cops came round and put a big blue tent up on their …

Cowering From Destiny
24 Sep 2026 at 11:29am
Alert readers will recall that last year the SNP convened a summit in Glasgow for the sole purpose of uniting the nation in preventing Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister. The party also regularly tells us that to actually achieve independence, support would have to build to an overwhelming consensus into the 60-65% range, rather than …

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 …

Craig Murray

The Unjust State
15 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm

“Forget justice, it’s much too expensive and time consuming. Plus if you take the government to court, you will have to spend your own money, and we are saving you from that”. That is a fair summary of the judgement by Lords Pentland and Troy and Lady Wise in our appeal against the suspension of …

The Unjust State

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?
12 Oct 2026 at 10:29am

Tomorrow at 10am we get the judgement in our appeal against the suspension of the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. We cannot have won as the appeal – held by “urgent process” – was intended to allow a judicial review before the Supreme Court meets in the Ammori case on 4 …

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?

Fatuous False Flags
2 Oct 2026 at 10:16am

Rather than abandoning the plainly nuts Fairford narrative, Burnham and his government are doubling down on the claim it is an Iranian terror plot. It remains quite possible the men were indeed fuel thieves, simply stealing fuel from farms. They appear to have been equipped for fuel theft and all they were carrying was petrol. …

Fatuous False Flags

Losing My Religion
29 Sep 2026 at 12:07pm

I have lost faith both in Western social democracy, and in the institutions of international law. As both have been fundamental to the work of my life, this is rather a blow as I approach 70. A number of deeply shocking things have happened this past three years, not as extraneous events, but as conscious …

Losing My Religion

Palestine Action Judicial Review
23 Sep 2026 at 4:51pm

On Friday we have our appeal against the suspension of the Palestine Action judicial review in Scotland. Our legal crowdfunder has been closed down by the card processors following Trump’s designation of Palestine Action as a global terrorist organisation. https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/scottish-challenge-to-proscription/dashboard/ If you can, please come to the Court of Session in Edinburgh for 10am. If …

Palestine Action Judicial Review

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

BBC Scotland

UK government to make Jackdaw gas field announcement
20 Oct 2026 at 6:33pm
The long-awaited decision about the controversial North Sea field is expected on Wednesday morning.

Reform leader accuses MSP of 'squatting' in seat after resignation
20 Oct 2026 at 4:57pm
Malcolm Offord says he is 'disappointed' at Amanda Bland's decision to leave the party and sit as an independent.

BBC Scotland TV channel to close amid cuts to services
20 Oct 2026 at 5:14pm
The station, which started in February 2019, will move to BBC iPlayer in spring next year.

Hundreds of holiday lets operating without planning permission
20 Oct 2026 at 5:55am
Hundreds of holiday-let properties are operating in Edinburgh despite being refused planning permission, new figures show.

Should Scotland look to London and Manchester for inspiration on buses?
20 Oct 2026 at 5:56am
John Swinney has been compared to a dictator over plans to bring the network under public control, but is he onto something?

Reform MSP quits party to sit as independent
19 Oct 2026 at 5:28pm
Amanda Bland's decision relegates the party to the third-largest group at Holyrood, with one member fewer than Labour.

'Lack of detail and serious concerns' over Scottish government bus plans
19 Oct 2026 at 1:44pm
The first minister outlined plans to bring buses under public control through franchising and regulation..

Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham
17 Oct 2026 at 4:36pm
The first minister also used his SNP conference speech to announce plans for Scotland's bus network to be brought under public control.

Swinney's emotional explanation for his commitment to independence
17 Oct 2026 at 7:11pm
BBC Scotland's political editor Glenn Campbell reflects on John Swinney's SNP conference speech.

Chris Mason: Burnham and Swinney tussle over where power lies in Scotland
16 Oct 2026 at 9:08pm
UK political debate has a distinctly Scottish feel after SNP's annual conference, says the BBC's political editor Chris Mason.

Shetland MSP defends hiring artist with public money
12 Oct 2026 at 6:30pm
Hannah Mary Goodlad says she is using language and culture to reach the public across her islands constituency.

Emergency doctor 'completely terrified' of looming winter pressures on NHS
11 Oct 2026 at 1:53pm
Dr Fiona Hunter says A&E departments are providing "unsafe" levels of care, with some patients spending 72 hours on trolleys in hospital corridors.

Scot Goes Pop

How did we end up with such a poor media? STV can't even get the basics righ...
20 Oct 2026 at 11:58am
I haven't watched any TV news over the last few days, so my main knowledge of the McGill's meltdown comes indirectly from social media, but I've just watched a full three-minute report from STV New...

GOD BLESS MOTHER NATURE! It's raining Survation polls showing Scotland wants ...
19 Oct 2026 at 7:33am
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...

52% support for independence - 14-point lead for SNP - new Scottish poll is C...
15 Oct 2026 at 10:35pm

I'm standing in this week's SNP internal elections - I believe we have a duty...
14 Oct 2026 at 12:57pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.

Nick Robinson and the dehumanisation of Palestinians demanded by official BBC...
11 Oct 2026 at 8:42am
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...

Sky News goes full Pravda in its coverage of the Holborn & St Pancras by-elec...
9 Oct 2026 at 1:04pm
Holborn & St Pancras by-election result (8th October 2026):Labour 45.2% (-3.7)Greens 32.8% (+22.4)Conservatives 7.1% (-0.1)Reform UK 5.9% (-0.2)Liberal Democrats 3.4% (-2.4)Restore Britain 2.5% (n/...

Tories' plan to impose new nuclear power stations on Scotland means they have...
7 Oct 2026 at 2:39am
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...

Watch out for ORCS! Rory Stewart thrillingly brings back "The Middleland", by...
4 Oct 2026 at 3:29pm
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...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

North Sea Jackdaw gas field decision expected imminently
20 Oct 2026 at 5:26pm
The UK Government is due to make an announcement about the controversial North Sea project

Easdale dictator comparisons ?ludicrous?, says Swinney
20 Oct 2026 at 10:10am
Within hours of the bus reform announcement, John Swinney was compared to Robert Mugabe and Idi Amin

Scottish Reform candidates ?have to delete their Facebooks?
20 Oct 2026 at 9:36am
Among swathes of racist and sexist comments, the party's attempts to tighten up vetting simply hadn't worked

Indian market a ?golden opportunity? for Scottish food and drink firms ? Swinney
20 Oct 2026 at 7:38am
The First Minister will spend a week in the country where he will seek to ?build connections and seize opportunities?.

John Swinney tells McGill?s to ?watch language? after being compared to dicta...
19 Oct 2026 at 1:30pm
Bus firm boss condemned John Swinney's proposals as 'business confiscation'

Labour move to second largest party in Scotland after Reform Scotland MSP quits
19 Oct 2026 at 11:48am
The resignation means that Scottish Labour are now the second largest party in the Parliament, relegating Reform to third

Reform admits ?errors? as police assess if election spending rules were broken
18 Oct 2026 at 1:14pm
It has been reported that four candidates for the Scottish Parliament did not submit returns on how much they spent on campaigns

Swinney compared to dictator over plans to bring buses under public control
18 Oct 2026 at 1:11pm
McGill's Group, owned by Sandy and James Easdale, condemned the proposals as 'business confiscation'

Buses to be brought under public control by 2031, says John Swinney
17 Oct 2026 at 5:33pm
Legislation will be tabled at Holyrood next year

John Swinney tells SNP conference of drive to deliver independence for his son
17 Oct 2026 at 5:06pm
The Scottish First Minister and SNP leader closed his party?s annual conference in Aberdeen

SNP members back resolution supporting UK-wide ban on X
17 Oct 2026 at 2:00pm
The resolution, which also said the SNP should remove itself from the social media platform, was passed overwhelmingly at the party?s conference

Scotland is one of the most centralised nations in Europe, says Burnham
16 Oct 2026 at 1:14pm
Speaking in Motherwell, the Prime Minister said devolution 'was never supposed to stop at the doors of the Scottish Parliament'

UK ban on strangulation and incest in porn to come into force
16 Oct 2026 at 9:03am
The content will be outlawed from November 6 after cross-party pressure about the negative impact on women and girls

Scottish Government pledges £10 million for two specialist defence colleges
16 Oct 2026 at 7:11am
Innovation minister Alyn Smith confirmed the Scottish Government would work with the UK Government to establish two such colleges in Scotland

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Controversial Jackdaw gas field in North Sea set to be finally approved by UK...
20 Oct 2026 at 6:46pm
Jackdaw is one of two major North Sea projects which backers claim will provide greater energy security for the UK as well as boosting Scotland's economy.

SNP slams 'despicable' benefits advice websites conning vulnerable Scots out ...
19 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Shirley-Anne Somerville hit out after the Record first reported on the worrying trend of poor Scots agreeing to hand over a percentage of their pay-outs to third parties.

Councils 'receive no correspondence' from Scot Gov on monster AI data centre ...
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Scots campaigners will take to the streets in their thousands next month opposing the controversial developments.

Major new North Sea gas field at Jackdaw 'to be approved by Andy Burnham this...
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Senior industry sources told the Sunday Mail the controversial project off the coast of Aberdeen is set for the green light.

John Swinney ignores Peter Murrell elephant in the room in SNP conference speech
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
In his keynote address to the SNP faithful who were embezzled by Murrell, Swinney talked about independence and buses.

Energy bills support options for terminally ill Scots stuck in fuel poverty s...
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
John Swinney's government has backed the Sunday Mail's campaign to protect terminally ill patients from soaring fuel costs.

Bus services across Scotland to be brought under 'public control' by 2031, cl...
17 Oct 2026 at 4:14pm
The First Minister announced "by the end of this Parliament, through franchising and regulation, the SNP will bring the bus network back into public control".

Andy Burnham will deliver Devolution 2.0 to empower communities across Scotland
17 Oct 2026 at 9:15am
Writing for the Record, the Secretary of State for Scotland says the centralisation of powers at Holyrood has left the country in a "strange place".

Donald Trump sacks White House Press Secretary after disastrous week
16 Oct 2026 at 7:03pm
Katie Zacharia's time as White House Press Secretary lasted just five days as she faced questions about her qualifications

Andy Burnham shows why he's the most popular leader in Scotland with a positi...
16 Oct 2026 at 4:27pm
A Prime Minister with a positive message for Scotland clashes with the SNP's endless claims that Westminster must be viewed as the enemy, says Chris McCall

The National

The National | Politics

Glasgow man filmed ?offering to arrange killings? in far-right investigation
20 Oct 2026 at 8:00pm

A GLASGOW man with alleged links to a loyalist paramilitary group offered to arrange murders for money while having connections to Britain?s anti-migrant protest movement, an Al Jazeera investigation has claimed

Readers appear to have attended two different SNP conferences
20 Oct 2026 at 7:30pm

JUDGING by Tuesday?s letters page there must have been two SNP conferences held in Aberdeen last week.

Care system ?unprepared? in current state for next pandemic, inquiry finds
20 Oct 2026 at 6:15pm

The adult social care sector ?cannot be allowed to enter the next pandemic in such an unprepared state? inquiry finds

Scottish AI data centres 'would be target list for hostile nations', expert w...
20 Oct 2026 at 6:00pm

SCOTLAND'S data centres ?would absolutely? be on a ?target list of any hostile nation?, a military expert has warned ...

Greens vs SNP as major oil and gas decision looms
20 Oct 2026 at 5:29pm

 A BIG decision looms in the world of oil and gas.

?Did you see any gunmen??: Garvaghy Road residents challenge media after cour...
20 Oct 2026 at 5:03pm

A GARVAGHY Road residents representative has hit out at the media over reports that dissident republicans could have used firearms against police during the Drumcree stand-off

BBC Scotland closure row escalates as Scottish Government turns to Ofcom
20 Oct 2026 at 4:02pm

Moving the BBC Scotland channel online is ?wholly unacceptable?, Scottish Culture Secretary Mairi McAllan has said

What does 'public control' of buses mean and can Scotland do it?
20 Oct 2026 at 3:28pm

MANY Scots don?t need to travel far to see the benefits of public control over bus services.

SNP accuse 'London-based BBC overlords' of 'disdain for Scotland' after chann...
20 Oct 2026 at 3:12pm

CUTS to BBC Scotland are due to ?London-based overlords? who have no desire to cater to people north of the Border, the SNP have alleged ...

Royal family targeted by protests during Sultan of Oman's state visit
20 Oct 2026 at 1:26pm

THE King, the Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales have been targeted by fresh protests during the Sultan of Oman's state visit to the UK

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

BBC Scotland TV channel axed as broadcaster seeks ?500m savings
20 Oct 2026 at 4:31pm
The SNP has urged bosses to rethink the decision to move the channel online

Scotland's heat transition is stalling ? it needs a route that works for ever...
20 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
As Scotland?s gas network, we know the transition to a lower carbon economy requires solutions that work for every household and business, particularly when it comes to decarbonising home heating.

Blow to Reform UK as first MSP quits Holyrood group
19 Oct 2026 at 1:00pm
Amanda Bland's decision pushes Reform into third place behind Scottish Labour

Smart meters: helping households take control of their energy
19 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
There?s never been a better time for households to be more in control of their energy ? smart meters are a good place to start.

Stephen Gethins: Scotland ?in danger of being left behind? on energy security
17 Oct 2026 at 7:20pm
Stephen Gethins warned that not being a part of the single market puts ?our business at a competitive disadvantage?

Angela Constance: Scotland must be ?far more joined up? to meet health challe...
16 Oct 2026 at 5:59pm
Health secretary speaks out at SNP conference fringe event

Andy Burnham: Power too centralised in Scotland
16 Oct 2026 at 1:01am
Burnham will meet young people in Lanarkshire during a visit to Scotland which coincides with the SNP conference in Aberdeen.

Dave Doogan has a secret defence plan for an independent Scotland
15 Oct 2026 at 11:00pm
He also admitted to harbouring an ambition to be the defence secretary

Dave Doogan: A plan to defend an independent Scotland is ?not an ambition, it...
15 Oct 2026 at 7:54pm
Doogan warned that ?the threats are there? and Scotland must have a plan for defence in the buildup to independence

Polling: SNP on track to be in ?most powerful position at Westminster in our ...
14 Oct 2026 at 4:26pm
The deputy first minister reacted to new polling suggesting the SNP could receive 34 per cent of the vote at the next general election

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

No 10: Hegseth ?wrong? to say most non-US Nato soldiers didn?t fight in Afgha...
19 Oct 2026 at 5:18pm
Downing Street delivered a rare rebuke to a senior member of Donald Trump?s administrationAsked why the Lib Dems were opposed to a third runway at Heathrow when they professed to be in favour of growth, Cooper said she did not accept that a third runway would produce all the benefits its supporte...

SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun?
17 Oct 2026 at 4:45pm
John Swinney tells party conference SNP will use ?six-figure war chest? to renew argument for leaving UKJohn Swinney has said that the second referendum campaign for Scottish independence ?has already begun?, revealing a nationwide effort to renew the argument for leaving the UK in his keynote ad...

Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference?
15 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
Prime minister presents new kind of challenge for SNP, and his Scottish visit will loom large over its big eventThis year, even Andy Burnham is invited to the Scottish National party conference. But by the time John Swinney stands up to address members on Saturday afternoon in Aberdeen to reinvig...

Burnham tells Zelenskyy?s UK?s support for Ukraine ?will not change? ? as it ...
14 Oct 2026 at 6:06pm
Zelenskyy says he will be discussing intelligence sharing ?difficulties? and Starlink access with BurnhamPMQs is about to start.Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.After @genevieve_holl reported this last night, various sources in the Trump administration who are supportive of Farage s...

MI5 chief Ken McCallum confirms Russia did interfere in Brexit referendum but...
13 Oct 2026 at 5:23pm
He argued there was no evidence to suggest the result of the Brexit vote had been swayed as a result of the effortAndy Burnham promises ?serious dialogue? over UK?s relationship with EUZia Yusuf, Reform UK?s home affairs spokesperson, has said he does not agree with his colleague Suella Braverman...

UK politics live: Pat McFadden tells Labour activists they should not defend ...
27 Sep 2026 at 6:11pm
Work and pensions secretary says the current system is flawed because it consigns too many people to a life on benefits when they would be better off working?I can deliver?: Burnham pledges radical change on eve of Labour conferenceKuenssberg puts it to Burnham that, according to the Health Found...

New powerful synthetic opioids behind sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths
23 Sep 2026 at 2:12pm
Eleven per cent increase in fatalities last year partly down to presence of nitazenes in Scotland?s illicit drug marketNew forms of a powerful synthetic opioid have contributed to a sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths, with the latest data showing an 11% increase in fatalities last yearAnnual figu...

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...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Buses, indy and Reform?s implosion
19 Oct 2026 at 2:16pm
Despite BBC Scotland doing its best to ignore or marginalise the recent SNP conference in Aberdeen, the SNP have come out from their conference, united, confident and energised with a batch of eye-catching policies which are likely to be popular with the public, not the least of which is the commitment to take Scotland’s bus …

Pulling Focus
17 Oct 2026 at 10:47am
It’s a sign of how spooked they are by the Celtic Alliance and the question of Scottish independence that just won’t go away that both Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch decided to pay visits to Scotland during the SNP conference in desperate and transparent attempts to pull focus, like a narcissistic mother with a bad …

It?s time to abolish the Scotland Office
16 Oct 2026 at 1:06pm
On the first day of the SNP conference, the membership voted overwhelmingly for the abolition of the Scotland Office and the post of Secretary of state for Scotland, also known as the Scottish Secretary. The vote was of course symbolic as the Scotland Office is a department of the Westminster government while its head, the …

SNP conference, day 1 and the Choose Scotland campaign
15 Oct 2026 at 2:46pm
It’s sod’s law. Just as the SNP party conference gets underway and the biggest push for independence in a decade has been announced, WordPress, the platform this blog uses, has implemented an update which has run into some glitches and is preventing many people from being able to post comments or replies. If you are …

Emily Thornberry?s EU English exceptionalism
14 Oct 2026 at 3:53pm
Labour MP Emily Thornberry has suggested that the UK could rejoin the EU without another referendum to overturn the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum. Speaking to Sky News, she said the majority agree that Brexit was a disaster and the UK should just rejoin the EU, another referendum is not necessary in her view. …

The SNP is right to maintain its boycott of the Lords
13 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
Last week, the SNP’s former Westminster leader Ian Blackford, speaking to The National newspaper’s podcast, suggested that the party’s refusal to take any seat in Westminster?s upper chamber was a weakness as it left them with “no way of affecting legislation in that House”. While insisting that he accepts the long standing SNP policy of …

Sticking with the status quo isn?t working
12 Oct 2026 at 2:53pm
Andy Burnham has decided to reopen the question of the UK’s relationship with the EU, telling MPs on Monday that it is time to “face up to the reality that Brexit has done more harm than good” and “the status quo is not good enough for Britain,” and that and “the status quo isn’t working …

America?s moral turpitude is infesting British politics
10 Oct 2026 at 2:58pm
I don’t usually blog about America unless it directly affects or involves Scotland, but for the latest example of how far that once great country has fallen into moral turpitude under Trump, I’ll make an exception. The very same people who had a collective meltdown over the sight of a Black mermaid or Black Helen …

Badenoch has killed off the once in a generation claim
7 Oct 2026 at 1:51pm
The Tories have officially ripped up the Vow to which they were signatories in 2014. This was the panicked promise made by the Better Together parties – one of which was the Conservatives – two days before the independence referendum which promised extensive new powers for Scotland, quasi-federal status, a guarantee that the Scottish Parliament …

The British right has Holyrood in its sights
6 Oct 2026 at 2:29pm
The Tories have crossed the Rubicon. Since the independence referendum of 2014, which Better Together won on the basis of false promises, not the least of which was the promise that the powers of the Scottish Parliament would never be clawed back by Westminster, the Westminster parties have largely attempted to maintain a fig leaf …

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

Oxford Prof says ?The biggest success story in social policy in the UK for 40...
20 Oct 2026 at 11:10pm
From Professor Danny Dorling of Oxford University in 2023: The best news story hopefully is there at the moment. I haven’t seen any news reports. Has there been a camera opportunity. Is Camila and Charles? Are they in Balmoral? Yeah I think they are. OK. Where they can celebrate because they’re in the only part of the Kingdom which has done the most dramatic thing. You almost certainly know a s...

Andy Burnham Labour?s Social Cleanser driving the poor out ? 7 reasons not to...
20 Oct 2026 at 11:07pm
The supposedly successful clearing of poverty in the middle of Manchester. Let’s go forward. There we go to Manchester, we now have social cleansing of the poor from the centre. They just pushed them out. This is ‘the great achievement’ of Manchester men or of part of the Labour Party….have cleared the poor out of the centre of Manchester and are proud of it. This is from a presentation in 2023...

Most of these clinics compete with each other on alternative therapies and co...
20 Oct 2026 at 11:05pm
In the Herald today, the above, and: A short flight of stone steps leads to the entrance of Health3 on St Vincent Street in Glasgow. The black-painted doorway, framed by chunky classical columns, looks more like the threshold of a private members? club than a medical clinic. Inside, the owners have taken great care to make the practice look like anything but a doctor?s office. The dark walls an...

Devolved First Ministers offer expert advice on tackling poverty to UK Minist...
20 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm
Published earlier today but as yet nowhere to be seen on BBC Scotland – Joint letter from the Scottish and Welsh Governments calling on the UK Government to scrap ?punitive? welfare policies, adopt plans to cut energy bills, and to further devolve powers to help drive continued progress in tackling poverty, posted in full here: To: The Rt Hon Pat McFadden MPSecretary of State for Work and Pensi...

English Media say maternity care there is in a doom loop (no ?) but no mat...
20 Oct 2026 at 2:04pm
In the Guardian today, the above with notably no speech marks around ‘doom loop’, and: The NHS Alliance has announced that up to 20 of the country?s 155 smaller, consultant-led maternity units, mostly in rural or coastal areas, might have to close, since their safety is in question. The problem ? which will seem very pressing and obvious to anyone about to give birth, yet quite abstract and man...

Sepsis ? STV today failed to tell us how an SNP Health Secretary made sure ho...
20 Oct 2026 at 2:02pm
From STV News, Calum Loudon, yesterday, the above and: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has been ordered to apologise to a patient after they developed sepsis and required surgery to remove their spleen following treatment for a kidney infection. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) found failings in the follow-up treatment provided to the patient, who was readmitted to hospital around fi...

Preparing for today?s lies about Covid deaths in care homes in Scotland 5 and...
20 Oct 2026 at 9:27am
The above today caught my eye because I feel sure the various authorities in England and, of course, the Conservatives. we using a smaller number before. Given their long history of fiddling A&E and drug deaths data, let’s, nevertheless let them have the above. I’ll be quick. What was the equivalent figure for Scotland. Here’s the worst one: Care Inspectorate: 3,774 notifications of COVID-relat...

Preparing for today?s lies about Covid deaths in care homes in Scotland 4 ? H...
20 Oct 2026 at 9:07am
Evidence here: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/02/16/as-covid-inquiry-reconvenes-today-a-reminder-of-how-fm-nicola-sturgeon-and-the-scottish-government-kept-excess-mortality-here-at-one-third-lower-than-the-uk-average-saving-thousands-despite-the-d/

Preparing for today?s lies about Covid deaths in care homes in Scotland 3 ? W...
20 Oct 2026 at 9:01am
All the necessary data to explain the above is deep in the bowels of the 14 000 or so Talking-up Scotland archives. I could have dug it all up and posted an answer later today but then I thought, what do I keep Grok AI (I imagine a Raven-like familiar) for? I asked him: Compare the percentage of Covid deaths which were in care homes in England and Scotland from March 2020 to February 2022? He d...

Preparing for today?s lies about Covid deaths in care homes in Scotland 2 ? I...
20 Oct 2026 at 8:56am
In the Guardian 19th July 2020, six months after Boris Johnson?s incompetence and callousness allowed the virus free access t the UK and just over three months since the SNP Government got devolved authority for the pandemic tactics, here is what happened to care home residents. In a piece broadly sympathetic to the First Minister and Scotland?s Covid strategy, the Guardian writers seemed to fe...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham - BBC
17 Oct 2026 at 6:01pm
Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham  BBC

Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda - The Spoke...
18 Oct 2026 at 3:05am
Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda  The Spokesman-Review

Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same - Calgary J...
20 Oct 2026 at 1:52am
Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same  Calgary Journal

Majority of Scots support independence as SNP hail ?emphatic? poll - The Nati...
14 Oct 2026 at 5:19pm
Majority of Scots support independence as SNP hail ?emphatic? poll  The National Scot

Harriet Cross: With thirty mentions of independence, Swinney?s conference spe...
19 Oct 2026 at 6:20am
Harriet Cross: With thirty mentions of independence, Swinney?s conference speech was Groundhog Day for Scotland  Conservative Home

John Swinney says stars are aligning for independence. His party isn?t so sur...
17 Oct 2026 at 5:03pm
John Swinney says stars are aligning for independence. His party isn?t so sure  The Times

Swinney insists 'stars are aligning' for Scottish independence - Yahoo
17 Oct 2026 at 9:17am
Swinney insists 'stars are aligning' for Scottish independence  Yahoo

Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference - Financial...
14 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference  Financial Times

Swinney says the 'stars are aligning' for independence but polls show Scots s...
17 Oct 2026 at 12:04am
Swinney says the 'stars are aligning' for independence but polls show Scots split  The Herald

Dave Doogan: I am an operative charged with delivering Scotland?s independenc...
15 Oct 2026 at 1:00am
Dave Doogan: I am an operative charged with delivering Scotland?s independence  Holyrood Website

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun? - T...
17 Oct 2026 at 6:25pm
SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun?  The Guardian

Strength in numbers: How a rare I-SNP framework made value-based care accessi...
20 Oct 2026 at 10:00pm
Strength in numbers: How a rare I-SNP framework made value-based care accessible for 5 providers  McKnight's Long-Term Care News

SNP urged to oppose new oil and gas - Scottish Greens
20 Oct 2026 at 8:21am
SNP urged to oppose new oil and gas  Scottish Greens

SNP accuse 'London-based BBC overlords' of 'disdain for Scotland' after chann...
20 Oct 2026 at 3:22pm
SNP accuse 'London-based BBC overlords' of 'disdain for Scotland' after channel cut  The National Scot

The Scottish National Party turns to the right - The Economist
19 Oct 2026 at 5:12pm
The Scottish National Party turns to the right  The Economist

SNP vote could reshape woodland-creation funding in Scotland - Forestry Journal
20 Oct 2026 at 3:32pm
SNP vote could reshape woodland-creation funding in Scotland  Forestry Journal

Ballet artists call out the SNP and the Ministry of Culture - vreme.com
20 Oct 2026 at 8:13pm
Ballet artists call out the SNP and the Ministry of Culture  vreme.com

Medicare Advantage's next golden goose: Special Needs Plans - Modern Healthcare
19 Oct 2026 at 11:02am
Medicare Advantage's next golden goose: Special Needs Plans  Modern Healthcare

Minister under fire after failing to commit to new drilling - The Scotsman
20 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
Minister under fire after failing to commit to new drilling  The Scotsman

What does Andy Burnham have up his sleeve as he crashes SNP conference? - BBC
14 Oct 2026 at 10:58pm
What does Andy Burnham have up his sleeve as he crashes SNP conference?  BBC

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same - Calgary J...
20 Oct 2026 at 1:52am
Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same  Calgary Journal

'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum - BBC
15 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum  BBC

Burnham invites Swinney to work together on 'deeper Scottish devolution' - BBC
16 Oct 2026 at 3:36pm
Burnham invites Swinney to work together on 'deeper Scottish devolution'  BBC

Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda - The Spoke...
18 Oct 2026 at 3:05am
Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda  The Spokesman-Review

Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda - Bloomberg.com
17 Oct 2026 at 5:10pm
Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda  Bloomberg.com

Andy Burnham?s speech a distraction from anti-democratic block on independenc...
16 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
Andy Burnham?s speech a distraction from anti-democratic block on independence referendum, say Greens  Scottish Greens

Labour: There won?t be a Scottish independence referendum - ITN
16 Oct 2026 at 10:38am
Labour: There won?t be a Scottish independence referendum  ITN

John Swinney says stars are aligning for independence. His party isn?t so sur...
17 Oct 2026 at 5:03pm
John Swinney says stars are aligning for independence. His party isn?t so sure  The Times

John Swinney says the campaign for Scottish independence has already begun - ...
17 Oct 2026 at 6:03pm
John Swinney says the campaign for Scottish independence has already begun  The Herald

Harriet Cross: With thirty mentions of independence, Swinney?s conference spe...
19 Oct 2026 at 6:20am
Harriet Cross: With thirty mentions of independence, Swinney?s conference speech was Groundhog Day for Scotland  Conservative Home