The Herald

The Herald | Politics


The SNP manifesto: Huge childcare pledge, cheaper buses and a risky food pric...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
16 Apr 2026 at 5:49pm
The SNP has launched its manifesto with sweeping pledges on childcare, transport and food prices, alongside a renewed push on independence. But with warnings over funding gaps, how realistic are these promises for Scotland?s future?


Kemi Badenoch: Reform 'paving the way' for SNP's second independence referendum
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
16 Apr 2026 at 4:55pm
Kemi Badenoch said Reform UK would make it easier for the SNP to secure a second independence referendum.


IFS warns Swinney's plan for '1970s-style price controls' risk food shortages
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
16 Apr 2026 at 1:31pm
John Swinney has unveiled plans to cap the cost of essential groceries, including bread and milk, as part of a cost-of-living response ? but retailers warn the move could disrupt markets and trigger wider price shifts.


Councillor who compared peer to Donald Trump did not breach Code of Conduct
16 Apr 2026 at 11:10am
A councillor who labelled a fellow elected member as a Scottish Borders town?s answer to Donald Trump in a Facebook post did not breach a Code of Conduct, it has been concluded.


Indyref2 ?reasonable? if issue becomes ?relevant? in future - Nigel Farage
by Neil Pooran
16 Apr 2026 at 10:59am
Nigel Farage has suggested a second independence referendum would be ?quite reasonable? if the issue becomes ?relevant? in future.


John Swinney pledges national ban on smartphones in classrooms if SNP wins in...
by Katrine Bussey
16 Apr 2026 at 9:22am
The First Minister and SNP leader is vowing to legislate on the issue if his party wins the Scottish Parliament election.


Liberal Democrats pledge to end 'dangerous delays' to Scotland's domestic abu...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
16 Apr 2026 at 5:30am
The Scottish Liberal Democrats manifesto will pledge to end the 'dangerous' delays to implementing aspects of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act.


?Stealth? funding shift sparks diabetes technology 'postcode lottery' fears
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
16 Apr 2026 at 5:00am
Thousands of people with type 1 diabetes in Scotland could face a postcode lottery over access to hybrid closed-loop systems after ministers shifted future funding to NHS boards. Clinicians and charities warn waiting lists may grow and rollout could stall.


Scotch whisky: Convenient campaign prop, or do politicians really care?
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
16 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
Scottish political leaders are again happy to visit Scotch whisky distilleries on the campaign trail


John Swinney promises NHS funding boost as SNP launches manifesto
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
16 Apr 2026 at 12:00am
Scotland?s NHS is at the centre of the election battle with John Swinney set to pledge more funding and reform. But doctors warn that without radical long-term change, political promises risk falling short of what patients need.


I'm a Hungarian Scot - here's my dream for my country after Orbán?s fall
16 Apr 2026 at 4:00pm
The last of the votes are still being counted in Hungary to finalise the results of Sunday?s parliamentary elections, which brought Viktor Orbán?s government crashing down after 16 years in power. It?s already clear that prime minister-elect Péter Magyar intends to bring significant changes to the country - here?s what I expect from him.


Next Scottish Government urged to seize 'watershed-moment' for salmon sector
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
16 Apr 2026 at 4:32am
Former SEPA chief Anne Anderson says it is time to fix issues plaguing salmon industry


Scottish Green co-leader ?not interested? in becoming First Minister but reve...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
16 Apr 2026 at 8:21am
Ross Greer has revealed who he thinks should be Scotland?s next First Minister, saying he is "not interested" in the job himself.


Starmer in 'resigning territory' as Mandelson given role despite failing vetting
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
16 Apr 2026 at 6:02pm
Sir Keir Starmer faces fresh calls to resign after it emerged Peter Mandelson was appointed US ambassador despite failing vetting.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Shetland to Shettleston: Mixed reception for Nigel Farage on the Scottish cam...
16 Apr 2026 at 6:01am

After a frosty welcome in Lerwick, Nigel Farage caused a stir in Glasgow?s east end where Reform supporters whisper their worries about immigration

There are warnings some of the country's most vulnerable people are being put at risk

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage shared his thoughts on the SNP and John Swinney while on a visit to a pub in Glasgow?s east end

SNP leader John Swinney will unveil his manifesto in Glasgow today.

Lord Offord doubled down on his claims, which Mr Sarwar dismissed as ?complete nonsense?

Party proposes paying for universal services by more tax increases

Today (April 15) media outlets across the country are joining a Day of Action to call for the UK Government to include anti-SLAPP protections in the forthcoming King?s Speech ??

Wings over Scotland

Happy Anniversary
16 Apr 2026 at 10:56am
It was exactly one year ago today that the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in the case of For Women Scotland Vs The Scottish Ministers, a judgment which has still not been implemented by the Scottish or UK governments, so it was quite bold of the SNP to choose it as the launch date for …

Do You Believe In The Westwood?
10 Apr 2026 at 12:27pm
As all alert readers will know, this site likes to keep a watchful eye on the shady and disturbing activities of paedophilia-plagued charity LGBT Youth Scotland. So we were naturally intrigued to hear that they’d hired a new convenor last month. And if you’re sitting there thinking, “Blimey, AI Christopher Walken looks very very ill”, …

Not So Octopus
9 Apr 2026 at 1:48pm
Alert readers will have noticed something of a minor furore in recent days around a boneheaded Scottish Greens candidate (as if there were any other kind) calling for the complete abolition of prisons. So far Kate Nevens – who on the latest polling has a very reasonable chance of being elected on the list – …

The quality of mercy
3 Apr 2026 at 1:09pm
Let’s just deal with this quickly. Because the truth is that we should all be quietly sending BBC Scotland bouquets in appreciation for doing the independence movement a favour for once. Belief in an independent Scotland IS as strong as ever, which is to say it’s pretty much where it’s been since 2014 – two …

Clocks And Calendars
30 Mar 2026 at 1:06pm
We think the lads at The Scotsman might have gotten a bit confused and/or carried away when it came to putting the clocks forward at the weekend. At 6am on Sunday morning they tweeted this: But the link was a 404. We checked the print edition of Scotland On Sunday but there was nothing there …

Sicknote Slippers
29 Mar 2026 at 6:09pm
The turnout at the “independence march and rally” yesterday was so abysmally poor that it seems almost unfair to pick on any of the scores of SNP elected representatives who didn’t bother to show up. But dear old Cosy Feet Pete Wishart had the most chef’s-kiss excuse of all. The reason he didn’t fancy getting …

Protest But Don?t Survive
28 Mar 2026 at 5:20pm
If events in Edinburgh today are anything to go by – when a march and rally announced with great fanfare seven months ago, backed by both the “independence” parties in the Scottish Parliament and featuring the First Minister as main speaker, attracted perhaps 1,500 people at the most to Calton Hill on a bright and …

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

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

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

Craig Murray

Vote for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland
15 Apr 2026 at 12:48pm

It was not my intention to run for election to the Scottish parliament from a hospital bed in Caracas, but sometimes we have to take what life gives us. I went to a clinic a week ago feeling dizzy and was immediately rushed to hospital. My heart rate was fluttering and below 20 bpm. I …

Vote for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland

The Strait of Hormuz
8 Apr 2026 at 5:02pm

In international law, Tehran has every right to close the strait of Hormuz to nations with which it is in armed conflict. Two vital points: 1) States who permit attacks on Iran to be launched from their territory can be blocked 2) Iran can block neutral ships from trading with states with which it is …

The Strait of Hormuz

The Weight on Delcy Rodriguez
31 Mar 2026 at 1:16pm

As I was leaving the University of the Communes in Tocuyito, after a joyful and uplifting visit, an earnest young Professor came up to me and pulled me aside. Very quietly, he asked me what was going to happen. A number of the students were terrified there would be regime change and they, picked as …

The Weight on Delcy Rodriguez

The Caracas Metro
26 Mar 2026 at 6:46am

The extreme nature of sanctions against Venezuela made it very challenging to keep economic activity going. One example is Caracas’s impressive five-line Metro system, where for almost twenty years they had to keep things running with no spares or maintenance support from the train manufacturers. Yet resilience and ingenuity kicked in, and Venezuela actually reverse …

The Caracas Metro

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

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

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

Seeing Trump Clearly
21 Mar 2026 at 12:19pm

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

Seeing Trump Clearly

BBC Scotland

Supermarket food prices to be capped under SNP manifesto pledge
16 Apr 2026 at 2:49pm
The cost of "essential" items such as bread, milk and cheese are to be limited under John Swinney's plan.

The SNP's manifesto pledges analysed
16 Apr 2026 at 2:12pm
We have analysed some of the policies in the Scottish National Party's manifesto for the 2026 Holyrood election.

Labour's Sarwar brands Scottish Reform leader 'a liar' over deal claim
15 Apr 2026 at 1:15pm
Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar brands Malcolm Offord "a pathetic, poisonous, odious little man" after a TV debate clash.

Scottish Green co-leader undecided over constituency vote
15 Apr 2026 at 11:14am
With Greens only standing in six constituencies, the party's co-leader does not have the option of backing his party for the seat where he lives.

Scottish Greens' manifesto pledges analysed
14 Apr 2026 at 2:14pm
BBC Scotland journalists have analysed some of the policies in the Scottish Greens' manifesto for the 2026 Holyrood election.

Sarwar rules out 'harsh' cuts to bring down benefits bill
14 Apr 2026 at 10:12am
The Scottish Labour leader says he wants to bring down social security spending, but not by slashing benefits.

Former Nato chief warns UK's national security 'in peril'
14 Apr 2026 at 9:10pm
Lord George Robertson, a former Labour defence secretary, will use a speech to accuse "non-military experts in the Treasury" of "vandalism".

Sarwar puts NHS at heart of Scottish Labour's election pitch
13 Apr 2026 at 12:14pm
The party has announced its plans for health, education and taxation ahead of next month's Holyrood election.

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028
12 Apr 2026 at 10:07pm
The SNP leader made the claim in the BBC's televised debate ahead of next month's Scottish election.

The Greens' Scottish election manifesto at-a-glance
14 Apr 2026 at 1:26pm
The party has announced its policy plans ahead of the Holyrood poll on 7 May.

Greens pledge to transform Scotland at manifesto launch
14 Apr 2026 at 12:07pm
Co-leaders Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay have vowed free bus travel for all, as well as plans to expand funded childcare.

Labour's Scottish manifesto pledges analysed
13 Apr 2026 at 4:31pm
BBC Scotland journalists have analysed some of the policies in Labour's manifesto for the 2026 Holyrood election.

Scot Goes Pop

List seat BONANZA forecast by MRP poll as JL Partners suggest the SNP are on ...
16 Apr 2026 at 10:48am
I feel like I should say something about the new JL Partners / Telegraph MRP poll for the Holyrood election, but I'm actually struggling to find much information about it.  JL Partners' own website...

The question that Anas Sarwar now needs to answer
15 Apr 2026 at 12:44pm
The Scottish Labour party and its allies, including Paul Hutcheon of the Daily Record and Professor James Mitchell (who is increasingly dropping the pretence of being anything other than a Labour p...

In an analogue age Anas Sarwar might have got away with that - but this is a ...
15 Apr 2026 at 12:26am
I forgot all about the Channel 4 leaders' debate, so I didn't watch it live, but obviously I soon heard of Offord's revelation about Anas Sarwar approaching him about a post-election deal to keep o...

The Greens have now been crowned the undisputed Olympic champions of misleadi...
14 Apr 2026 at 12:16pm
A few weeks ago, the Green co-leader Ross Greer posted a Labour leaflet from Strathkelvin & Bearsden, mocking it for containing a particularly extreme example of a misleading Lib Dem-style bar char...

REVEALED: The hard science that makes Both Votes SNP such an effective strate...
12 Apr 2026 at 6:24pm
OK, the title of this blogpost is mainly there to wind up Stew, but there is actually a very serious point behind it, and it's one that may make you think about the importance of voting SNP on the ...

Even YouGov now say the Union Jack could soon be LOWERED as sensational MRP p...
10 Apr 2026 at 10:55pm
MRP Seats projection (YouGov / Sky News / The Times, 23rd March-8th April 2026):SNP 67Reform UK 20Labour 15Greens 11Liberal Democrats 9Conservatives 7Now, I've estimated the chances of the SNP winn...

The "Make Mine A Double" voting craze that is sweeping the nation: why all th...
9 Apr 2026 at 7:41pm
 There's actually a serious point here, because Stew is far from the only right-wing commentator who has argued that a Green return to government would be an unmitigated catastrophe - we've heard t...

The crazy, topsy-turvy logic (and in some cases hypocrisy) of the "tactical v...
9 Apr 2026 at 11:05am
I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to mute certain accounts on Twitter to get through the rest of the Holyrood campaign with my sanity intact.  Every single time I log in, I see retweet after...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Keir Starmer ?not aware? Foreign Office overruled Lord Mandelson vetting proc...
16 Apr 2026 at 6:24pm
Security officials initally denied Lord Mandelson clearance, but this was overruled by the FCDO

SNP vow cost of living action with price cap of supermarket essential foods
16 Apr 2026 at 11:19am
John Swinney has unveiled the party?s manifesto for the Holyrood election on May 7

John Swinney pledges national ban on phones in classes if SNP wins in May
16 Apr 2026 at 9:00am
The First Minister and SNP leader is vowing to legislate on the issue if his party wins the Scottish Parliament election

Transport Secretary?s car towed away after hitting ?crater? pothole
16 Apr 2026 at 8:32am
Heidi Alexander was driving her Mini Cooper to her constituency from a Labour fundraising event

Anas Sarwar calls Reform leader a liar over claims Labour wanted deal to oust...
15 Apr 2026 at 12:00pm
Lord Malcolm Offord said Sarwar sought a deal with Nigel Farage?s party to defeat the SNP in May?s election

UK to send £752 million and 120,000 drones to Ukraine
15 Apr 2026 at 5:03am
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to confirm they payment to Kyiv ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

Greens promise to make bus travel free for all in election manifesto
14 Apr 2026 at 1:05pm
They also said Scotland?s buses should be back into public ownership

Scottish Labour puts NHS at heart of election manifesto
13 Apr 2026 at 3:48pm
Anas Sarwar also said he wanted a ?productive partnership? with the UK Government despite calling on Keir Starmer to quit

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar stands by call for Keir Starmer to resign ...
10 Apr 2026 at 9:15am
The Scottish Labour leader told Scotland Tonight the Prime Minister will not be part of his party's Holyrood campaign

Nicola Sturgeon opens up on arrest, divorce and ?secret rendezvous?
9 Apr 2026 at 7:00pm
Scotland?s former first minister has opened up about her personal life

Children?s specialists call for ?greater and sustained investment? in services
9 Apr 2026 at 7:22am
They urged politicians to ?seize a critical opportunity? with ?decisive action? to help improve the lives of children across the country.

Starmer: Work still to do to end US-Iran conflict and reopen Strait of Hormuz
8 Apr 2026 at 4:43pm
Sir Keir Starmer has said there was a ?sense of real relief? at the ceasefire in...

SNP extends lead while Scottish Labour support slumps, poll shows
8 Apr 2026 at 12:00pm
The SNP remains set to be the largest party at Holyrood

Findlay vows to give ?everything? to stop ?living nightmare? of SNP majority
7 Apr 2026 at 4:46pm
The Scottish Tory leader was speaking as he launched his party?s manifesto ahead of the Holyrood election next month

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Keir Starmer accused of misleading MPs after Peter Mandelson ?failed vetting?
16 Apr 2026 at 5:27pm
The Prime Minister is facing renewed calls for his resignation over the scandal.

SNP 'price capping' promise is taking Scots for fools and will never be deliv...
16 Apr 2026 at 5:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon said the commitment to cap the price of essential food items is another promise the SNP will break.

SNP pledge to impose price controls on food could cause 'shortages' in Scots ...
16 Apr 2026 at 4:55pm
The eyebrow-raising manifesto promise by the First Minister has been condemned as "undeliverable?.

SNP 2026 election manifesto: 6 things you need to know
16 Apr 2026 at 3:07pm
John Swinney today unveiled the SNP manifesto ahead of the Holyrood election on May 7. With the Nationalists miles ahead in the polls, what will be the party's priorities if they're returned to power?

John Swinney pledges SNP will introduce price controls on bread and milk
16 Apr 2026 at 11:58am
The SNP policy was branded a "1970s gimmick" amid warnings from legal experts the Scottish Government lacks the powers to dictate prices in shops.

John Swinney pushing 'fundamentalist' approach to Scottish independence as SN...
16 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Professor James Mitchell, an expert on the rise of the SNP, said an independent Scotland would "inherit all the challenges we now have and many more".

Scottish election campaign LIVE as John Swinney launches SNP manifesto in Gla...
16 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
The Record brings you all the latest news and reaction from the Holyrood election campaign trail as the SNP leader looks to consolidate his lead in the polls.

Mobile phones will be banned in classrooms if the SNP secures Holyrood electi...
16 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: First Minister John Swinney told the Record a "national ban" will support pupils and teachers.

"Farage heavies manhandled me when they took my disabled spot" Video captures...
16 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
A video obtained by the Record shows a well-built Farage aide ­grappling with OAP Don Whittle.

"Man-handling disabled Scot is new low - even for Reform"
16 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says Reform's behaviour has deteriorated during the Holyrood campaign.

The National

The National | Politics

Keir Starmer 'lied and lied over Peter Mandelson and must resign', MPs say
16 Apr 2026 at 5:39pm

KEIR Starmer ?lied and lied again? to the public and MPs over Peter Mandelson?s appointment as US ambassador and must resign, opposition parties have said ...

The National columnists react to SNP manifesto policies
16 Apr 2026 at 5:17pm

We asked National contributors to react to the SNP manifesto launch. This is what they had to say.

The inside story of why Your Party collapsed in Scotland
16 Apr 2026 at 5:07pm

THE Scottish arm of Your Party was ?largely ignored? by the UK HQ causing it to collapse and lose thousands of members, a former official for the party has claimed.

Can SNP manifesto's flagship pledge to cap supermarket prices really work?
16 Apr 2026 at 5:00pm

THE SNP?s manifesto has chalked up one win for the party already: they are dominating the conversation in Scottish politics ...

Pro-Palestine activists smash office windows of 'firm linked with Israel'
16 Apr 2026 at 4:55pm

PRO-PALESTINE activists have smashed the windows and doors of an office building in Glasgow?s city centre over the business's alleged ties with Israel ...

Peter Thiel's AI-powered truth 'tribunal' aims to make the media 'accountable'
16 Apr 2026 at 4:48pm

TECH baron Peter Thiel thinks artificial intelligence should hold the media to account.

Peter Mandelson 'handed US ambassador job despite failing security vetting'
16 Apr 2026 at 3:55pm

PETER Mandelson failed security vetting but the Labour Government decided to appoint him US ambassador anyway, it has emerged ...

I would've gone into politics if I wasn't a comedian, says Elaine C Smith
16 Apr 2026 at 3:32pm

"YOU can make a political point far better when making people laugh," Scots comedian Elaine C Smith has said, reflecting on how to convince the public to support independence

UK Government responds to SNP vow to introduce price cap on essential food items
16 Apr 2026 at 2:58pm

SNP plans to cap the price of essential food are ?undeliverable? and would cost ?millions in legal bills?, a senior UK Government source has said.

Bus fares across Scotland could be capped at £2 per journey, SNP manifesto says
16 Apr 2026 at 2:52pm

BUS fares in Scotland would be capped at £2 per journey, the SNP?s manifesto has pledged.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Women?s charities ignoring Supreme Court ruling, according to new report
16 Apr 2026 at 4:28pm
A new report by Murray Blackburn Mackenzie has identified?a range of women?s charities?it says?are?extending?their reach to include biological?men?who identify as women

SNP pledges to cap food prices and bus fares if it wins election
16 Apr 2026 at 2:17pm
Supermarkets targeted in cost-of-living move

Local Authorities Guide: West Lothian Council
16 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick answers questions about local authority

EU age verification app ready to protect children?s rights, Von Der Leyen says
15 Apr 2026 at 4:54pm
'Children's rights in the European Union come before commercial interest'

Anas Sarwar calls Malcolm Offord ?a liar? over claims of a deal to work again...
15 Apr 2026 at 4:00pm
Reform's leader in Scotland said Sarwar had privately said the two parties needed to work together

Michael Shanks: Labour government should have done more for North Sea transit...
15 Apr 2026 at 1:51pm
Minister reveals latest GB Energy headcount

Digital transformation in the Scottish public sector: turning strategy into b...
15 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Pulsion partners with Scotland's public sector in developing digital strategies

Local Authorities Guide: West Dunbartonshire
15 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Council leader Martin Rooney answers questions about local authority

Chatbots give dodgy health advice half of the time, study finds
14 Apr 2026 at 11:30pm
Five systems gave out 'problematic' answers on cancer, exercise and more

New appointments at Cyber and Fraud Centre ? Scotland
13 Apr 2026 at 5:48pm
Social enterprise expands its work

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

No 10 claims Starmer did not know Mandelson failed security vetting until thi...
16 Apr 2026 at 6:54pm
The prime minister was not aware that the former US ambassador had failed the vetting process, according to Downing StreetSwinney says this is a manifesto for the whole of Scotland.He confirms that the SNP would argue for the Scottish power to have more control over energy policy (still largely r...

SNP pledges to cap bread and milk prices if it wins Scotland?s parliamentary ...
16 Apr 2026 at 3:38pm
John Swinney unveils his party?s manifesto, saying cost of living is the ?defining issue? for voters on 7 MayUK politics live ? latest updatesThe SNP will cap supermarket prices for essential goods such as bread and milk if it retains power, John Swinney has pledged, after describing the cost of ...

Scottish Labour leader says claim he tried to do Reform deal is ?desperate lie?
15 Apr 2026 at 5:42pm
Anas Sarwar says there have been ?no stitch-ups, no deals, no backroom chats with Reform? over Holyrood electionsAnas Sarwar has dismissed as ?a desperate lie from a desperate man? a claim by Reform UK?s Scotland leader, Malcolm Offord, that he offered to do a deal with the rightwing party to kee...

Reeves condemns Trump?s decision to launch war against Iran as ?folly?? as it...
14 Apr 2026 at 5:32pm
Chancellor ?frustrated and angry? at the effect on UK firms and families and says US went into war without a clear exit plan Q: Why are you calling for an inquiry into Nigel Farage?s investment in a bitcoin firm?Davey said that, in investing in crypto, Farage, the Reform UK leader, seemed to be c...

Scottish Greens pledge free bus travel and basic income in election manifesto
14 Apr 2026 at 3:13pm
Party says plan for ?radical change? will be funded in part through higher taxes on aviation, gambling and landlordsUK politics live ? latest updatesThe Scottish Greens have called for free bus travel, thousands of extra teachers and doctors and a universal basic income among hundreds of uncosted...

MSPs not told about collapse of funding deal for Scottish nature restoration
14 Apr 2026 at 6:00am
Exclusive: Ministers accused of trying to keep investment firm?s withdrawal from partnership with NatureScot under wrapsA funding deal to raise £100m from private investors for urgently needed nature restoration in Scotland has fallen through without the Scottish parliament being told.The Guardia...

Shabana Mahmood says Southport inquiry report exposed ?systematic failures ac...
13 Apr 2026 at 6:16pm
The home secretary made the comments after an inquiry revealed that the system ?completely failed?Keir Starmer has confirmed that he wants to stop children being exposed to addictive scrolling features on their phones as part of measures to protect them from social media.The PM is under pressure ...

Anas Sarwar asks voters in Scotland to give Labour five years to ?fix SNP?s m...
13 Apr 2026 at 3:35pm
Scottish Labour leader pledges more homes and tax cuts as party tries to reverse slump in support before May electionsAnas Sarwar has appealed to voters to give Labour five years ?to fix the Scottish National party?s mess? as he pledged more homes, tax cuts and a smaller public sector.The Scottis...

Votes for populist parties in May elections will put NHS at risk, Streeting says
12 Apr 2026 at 4:55pm
Exclusive: Health secretary warns of dangers of protest vote as he pitches NHS as key elections battlegroundVoters in May?s local and devolved elections risk putting the NHS in jeopardy if they vote for populist parties, Wes Streeting has said, as he sought to make the health service a key battle...

Starmer implies he didn?t tell Trump he was ?fed up? about his impact on risi...
10 Apr 2026 at 4:30pm
Prime minister says conversation with US president on Thursday night focused on need for ?practical plan? to open strait of HormuzTony Blair, the former Labour prime minister, has joined those saying the government should allow drilling for oil and gas in the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields in the No...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The overwhelming evidence that Labour is willing to do a deal with Reform
15 Apr 2026 at 3:12pm
Sometimes events happen which define an entire election campaign, last night Reform’s Malcolm Offord responded to Anas Sarwar’s assertion that he’d never do a deal with Reform because it fields racists by saying: ?This does not square with you coming up to me at the start of this campaign, bouncing up to me at Paisley …

Labour can?t be trusted not to do a deal with Reform
14 Apr 2026 at 9:43pm
I don’t usually pay too much attention to leaders’ debates in the run up to elections. They are invariably too shouty with the leaders vying to talk over the top of each other. Anas Sarwar is invariably the worst offender. On both the leaders’ debates so far, his behaviour has bordered on the offensive, he’s …

Labour?s Scottish manifesto launch, not a campaign, a damage limitation exercise
13 Apr 2026 at 2:22pm
On Monday, Anas Sarwar launches Labour’s manifesto for the Holyrood election and attempts to reboot his party’s faltering campaign, a campaign which was holed below the waterline yesterday, firstly with Wes Streeting’s arrogantly colonialist dismissal of an independence referendum, and secondly by Sarwar’s rude and entitled performance in Sunday evening’s party leader debate, in which …

Wes Streeting?s attack on Scottish democracy will backfire
12 Apr 2026 at 9:50pm
Just when Anas Sarwar thought that the Labour campaign in the Holyrood election couldn’t get any worse, along comes Wes Streeting. Labour’s oleaginous answer to Michael Gove, the private healthcare loving health secretary in the Labour Government in Westminster, who is currently presiding over an NHS England in chaos due to a junior doctor strike …

Anas Sarwar, the Wile E Coyote of Scottish politics
10 Apr 2026 at 9:34pm
You can smell the desperation from Scottish Tory Holyrood leader Russell Findlay. At a campaign event, the soon to be sacked Findlay, pulled out the anti-English racism card against the SNP, accusing them of basing many of their policies on “a pretty bitter streak of anglophobia.” That’s rich, coming from a man who has doubled …

Daring to dream of an SNP majority
7 Apr 2026 at 11:35am
Yet another opinion poll has placed the SNP on track to win a majority in its own right in May’s Holyrood election, a majority which First Minister John Swinney has said would trigger a second independence referendum. The new poll, by Find Out Now for The National, projects the SNP to take 67 seats, giving …

Shettleston doesn?t need Reform?s racism, it needs to be part of an independe...
2 Apr 2026 at 1:10pm
On Wednesday, April Fool’s Day, Reform UK unveiled its racist and scaremongering advert for the Scottish election next month. It was appropriate that they did so on April Fool’s Day because they are taking the electorate for mugs. The consists of image showing apparent migrants crowded onto a small inflatable dinghy with text reading “Scotland …

It?s not just independence which is at stake in this election
31 Mar 2026 at 6:13pm
The weekend kicked off the election campaign with a well attended march and rally for independence held in Edinburgh on Saturday. I’m sure you all followed the reports about it on BBC Scotland, oh, right. It was far too busy talking about the ferries again wasn’t it. Every political party talks up its chances during …

The rapid implosion of Reform?s Scottish campaign
26 Mar 2026 at 3:05pm
As the saying goes, you’d need a heart of stone not to laugh. Within just a few days of Reform UK launching its Scottish election campaign to much fanfare and racist ‘jokes’ about tartan burqas, the wheels are already coming off Farage’s septic tank pumper wagon. The party has already lost no less than four …

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

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

Alex Cole Hamilton wastes your taxes again to find in an average 24 hour peri...
16 Apr 2026 at 4:48pm
Alex Cole Hamilton, Lib Dem leader, currently at home preparing for government, is a regular FOI man. Goodness knows how many thousands he’s wasted digging for dirt on the SNP. Often he doesn’t get what he wants, just adds up enough years to get a big number, forgets to mention an improving trend such as the babies born with drug and alcohol addictions and the MSM operating in Scotland help him...

Why there are no fly-tipping ?super-sites? for Scottish media to report ? mor...
16 Apr 2026 at 4:47pm
In the UK headlines today, the above video but nothing in the MSM operating in Scotland. Here’s why: BBC UK have been reporting 517 incidents of fly tipping, 11 of them ?super-sites? like the one above, in England. BBC Scotland, Scottish Labour and other media, you can be sure, have been scouring the country for something they can use to confirm that things are just as bad here. Nothing so far....

Herald?s ill-informed acceptance of the nuclear industry?s sums makes their c...
16 Apr 2026 at 4:42pm
The Herald today has the above headline and, in the text, this basis for it: Is it true? No, the NIA has a clear agenda to promote nuclear energy regardless of the facts. Prices for Scottish consumers electricity and gas are driven by international gas prices, worsened by the war in Ukraine and despite the fact that Scotland is a net exporter of gas. https://www.gov.scot/publications/energy-s...

Isle of Wight ferries ? breakdowns, cancellations, rocketing prices, THREE ti...
16 Apr 2026 at 8:31am
The Isle of Wight’s two ferry services, Red Jet and Wightlink, have a long history breakdowns, of mass cancellations and rocketing prices in an effort to keep paying shareholder dividends and executive bonuses. This very real fiasco, fuelled by greed at the top, is currently attracting attention from the Conservative Party, shamelessly forgetting their key role in enabling the kind of unregulat...

New Zealand?s Cook Strait Ferries ? unreliability alarms international tour o...
16 Apr 2026 at 8:05am
Above the only 27 year-old, Spanish-built, MV Aratere, retired after a sequence of breakdowns including two incidents of drifting out-of-control toward rocks with hundreds on board. Cook Strait Ferries, linking the north and south islands of New Zealand, currently runs only two quite young (under 30) ferries but the service is a national scandal of poor service with dangerous incidents, unrelia...

Washington State Ferries ? ancient vessels, antiquated booking system crashes...
16 Apr 2026 at 7:37am
Washington State Ferries operate out of the affluent city of Seattle in the USA and serve 20 ports with 21 vessels. 9 of these large ferries, above, aged between 45 and 59 years are older than the just retired CalMac boat, MV Isle of Arran, aged 42. WSF have a long history of poor service beyond that which CalMac users can imagine, of unreliability, soaring prices, violence on the ramps and flo...

BC Ferries in Canada ? ancient vessels, mass cancellations, rocketing prices,...
16 Apr 2026 at 7:14am
BC Ferries, operating out of affluent Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada with a fleet of 41 vessels serving 47 ports is still running the above five large vessels aged 45 to 50 years. CalMac’s oldest large ferry, the MV Isle of Arran, aged 42, is currently being retired. Over the Easter weekend, there were ‘mass cancellations’ after two large vessels broke down1 and the Queen of Surrey (abov...

A9 accidents and deaths plummet in recent years
15 Apr 2026 at 5:58pm
From Transport Scotland – Total number of collisions on the A9 between Perth and Inverness: EIR release published today, the above figures for the five years from 2012/2022 to 2025/2026 (2 February). Barring any tragic events in March 2026, the results reveal a dramatic reduction for two years in a row, from 2023/2024. The overall fall in the last two years of around one-third, 33% and by three...

Shocking incompetence as Lammy oversees the release in error of more than THR...
15 Apr 2026 at 5:55pm
Justice Secretaries David Lammy England & Wales and Angela Constance Scotland From Sky News in the last hour: 179 prisoners freed ‘in error’ in England and Wales in single year – Pressure mounted on Justice Secretary David Lammy last year following a series of high-profile manhunts. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/179-prisoners-freed-in-error-in-england-and-wales-in-single-year/ar-AA20...

Lord Offord?s revelation does seem credible considering Sarwar declared in 20...
15 Apr 2026 at 4:08pm
By Liz S Anas Sarwar, last night in the CH4 leader?s debate, was exposed by Malcolm Offord of trying to concoct a plan for his Labour party & Offord?s Reform UK to work together ?to remove the SNP?. (BTW Paisley Town Hall ,that was where Offord said Sarwar had ?bounced up to him saying we need to work together? and was where the BBC?s Debate night did their leaders debate). Now Offord?s revelat...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028 - BBC
12 Apr 2026 at 10:07pm
Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028  BBC

The great independence charade - Financial Times
16 Apr 2026 at 12:03pm
The great independence charade  Financial Times

This is what the SNP manifesto says about Scottish independence - The Nationa...
16 Apr 2026 at 1:26pm
This is what the SNP manifesto says about Scottish independence  The National Scot

SNP on course for majority in Scotland amid mounting calls for second indepen...
16 Apr 2026 at 12:48pm
SNP on course for majority in Scotland amid mounting calls for second independence referendum  GB News

I don?t care if it bores you, Scottish independence is the only issue that ma...
13 Apr 2026 at 4:57pm
I don?t care if it bores you, Scottish independence is the only issue that matters  The Telegraph

The unionist leader who won't rule out Scottish independence vote - upday News
16 Apr 2026 at 11:51am
The unionist leader who won't rule out Scottish independence vote  upday News

Green MSPs essential to delivering independence majority - Scottish Greens
15 Apr 2026 at 10:55am
Green MSPs essential to delivering independence majority  Scottish Greens

Promise of change from independence is only card SNP has to play - The Times
14 Apr 2026 at 4:50pm
Promise of change from independence is only card SNP has to play  The Times

Labour?s contempt for Scotland - Funding the Future
13 Apr 2026 at 8:18am
Labour?s contempt for Scotland  Funding the Future

John Swinney pushing 'fundamentalist' approach to Scottish independence as SN...
16 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
John Swinney pushing 'fundamentalist' approach to Scottish independence as SNP leader launches manifesto  Daily Record

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Scottish National Party pledges ?1970s-style? food price cap - Financial Times
16 Apr 2026 at 1:53pm
Scottish National Party pledges ?1970s-style? food price cap  Financial Times

SNP pledges to cap bread and milk prices if it wins Scotland?s parliamentary ...
16 Apr 2026 at 2:58pm
SNP pledges to cap bread and milk prices if it wins Scotland?s parliamentary elections  The Guardian

SNP 2026 Manifesto: Always on Scotland?s side - snp.org
16 Apr 2026 at 9:00am
SNP 2026 Manifesto: Always on Scotland?s side  snp.org

Anger as SNP manifesto only mentions dualling ?key sections? of A96 - Grampia...
16 Apr 2026 at 5:51pm
Anger as SNP manifesto only mentions dualling ?key sections? of A96  Grampian Online

Scottish retail body rejects SNP?s proposal for food-price caps - Yahoo Finance
16 Apr 2026 at 6:14pm
Scottish retail body rejects SNP?s proposal for food-price caps  Yahoo Finance

Initial response to the SNP?s manifesto - IFS | Institute for Fiscal Studies
16 Apr 2026 at 2:46pm
Initial response to the SNP?s manifesto  IFS | Institute for Fiscal Studies

Scotland's SNP vows price cap on basic foods if re?elected - Reuters
16 Apr 2026 at 2:15pm
Scotland's SNP vows price cap on basic foods if re?elected  Reuters

Deidre Brock: SNP candidate answers critics over comments on literacy and num...
16 Apr 2026 at 1:39pm
Deidre Brock: SNP candidate answers critics over comments on literacy and numeracy in schools  The Scotsman

CBI Scotland responds to 2026 SNP manifesto - Wired-gov.net
16 Apr 2026 at 5:07pm
CBI Scotland responds to 2026 SNP manifesto  Wired-gov.net

Supermarket food prices to be capped under SNP manifesto pledge - BBC
16 Apr 2026 at 2:49pm
Supermarket food prices to be capped under SNP manifesto pledge  BBC

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028 - BBC
12 Apr 2026 at 10:07pm
Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028  BBC

This is what the SNP manifesto says about Scottish independence - The Nationa...
16 Apr 2026 at 1:26pm
This is what the SNP manifesto says about Scottish independence  The National Scot

SNP 2026 Manifesto: Always on Scotland?s side - snp.org
16 Apr 2026 at 9:00am
SNP 2026 Manifesto: Always on Scotland?s side  snp.org

Scotland Decides: Leaders debate ahead of May elections - Channel 4
14 Apr 2026 at 8:31pm
Scotland Decides: Leaders debate ahead of May elections  Channel 4

Badenoch: Only Tories will stand up against SNP?s ?divisive? referendum plans...
16 Apr 2026 at 12:10am
Badenoch: Only Tories will stand up against SNP?s ?divisive? referendum plans  Hexham Courant

Streeting rules out Scottish referendum saying UK ?has had enough of chaos? -...
12 Apr 2026 at 4:23pm
Streeting rules out Scottish referendum saying UK ?has had enough of chaos?  London Evening Standard

Why Scotland needs Winston Churchill's alternative to independence - The Scot...
15 Apr 2026 at 4:45pm
Why Scotland needs Winston Churchill's alternative to independence  The Scotsman

SNP and Greens join independence march ahead of Holyrood election - BBC
28 Mar 2026 at 7:00am
SNP and Greens join independence march ahead of Holyrood election  BBC

John Swinney pushing 'fundamentalist' approach to Scottish independence as SN...
16 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
John Swinney pushing 'fundamentalist' approach to Scottish independence as SNP leader launches manifesto  Daily Record

Second referendum ?reasonable? if it becomes ?relevant? in future, says Nigel...
16 Apr 2026 at 10:52am
Second referendum ?reasonable? if it becomes ?relevant? in future, says Nigel Farage  The National Scot