The Herald

The Herald | Politics


UK must rejoin EU to be secure in 'a more dangerous' world, says SNP
24 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
The UK must rejoin the European Union to protect itself economically and to make it more secure in "dangerous world", according to a leading SNP MP.


Nicola Sturgeon says claims she put pressure on over QEUH opening 'completely...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
23 Jan 2026 at 7:01pm
Nicola Sturgeon has said it is "completely untrue" she applied pressure to get the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to open on schedule despite concerns around its water supply


'Who are the SNP trying to protect?' Regan attacks old party over prostitutio...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
23 Jan 2026 at 4:51pm
Ash Regan has launched a furious attack on SNP colleagues after they opposed her bid to criminalise buying sex in Scotland, accusing them of siding with traffickers and pimps as a bitter party divide spills into public view.


Scottish Greens call for 'immediate action' with prisoner set to begin thirst...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
23 Jan 2026 at 3:46pm
The Scottish Greens have called for "immediate action" as a protestor accused of breaking into RAF Brize Norton prepares to begin refusing water as well as food


?Come forward and be honest?: Grieving mother?s demand of Nicola Sturgeon ove...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
23 Jan 2026 at 3:32pm
The mother of Milly Main, who died after contracting an infection at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, has urged Nicola Sturgeon to be honest about what she knew before it opened, as the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry hears evidence of pressure, denial and failure.


New York mayor Mamdani sent baby box by Scottish Government
by Craig Meighan
23 Jan 2026 at 11:41am
New York mayor Zohran Mamdani has been sent a baby box by the Scottish Government.


Outrage over Trump claim Nato allies 'avoided Afghanistan front lines'
by Christopher McKeon and Ryan McDougall
23 Jan 2026 at 7:33am
His remarks drew condemnation from across the political spectrum


Calls for UK to rejoin the EU after Trump's threats over Greenland
23 Jan 2026 at 5:01am
Calls are being made for the UK to rejoin the European Union following Donald Trump's threats over Greenland and heightend tensions with the US.


Holyrood committee split on Ash Regan prostitution Bill as concerns raised
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
23 Jan 2026 at 12:01am
A Holyrood committee is split on a new Bill which would criminalise the buyers of sex


Residents of small Scottish island take to the streets over 'radical' ferry cuts
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
23 Jan 2026 at 12:01am
Campaigners will take to the streets in Millport to protest the planned cuts, which would reduce ferry frequency and capacity by 25%.


Commissioner announces legal action against SNP government over 'Sturgeon files'
23 Jan 2026 at 10:21am
The Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton has instructed lawyers to bring legal proceedings against the Scottish Government in the Court of Session.


Labour MP confirms he will stand down amid Andy Burnham by-election rumours
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
22 Jan 2026 at 4:07pm
Andrew Gwynne has confirmed he will stand down as an MP due to health reasons, opening the door for Andy Burnham to stand for parliament


The downfall of Scottish Labour and why Anas Sarwar's strategy won't save it
22 Jan 2026 at 4:11pm
Scottish Labour is in long-term decline, writes former executive committee member Coll McCail


SNP top councillor writes to Scottish Government about 'very poor' budget
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
22 Jan 2026 at 2:00pm
Ricky Bell of council umbrella group COSLA criticised the ?very poor? budget in a letter to Finance Secretary Shona Robison.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Nicola Sturgeon denies putting pressure on NHS chiefs to open scandal-hit QEU...
23 Jan 2026 at 7:39pm

Families have called for the former first minister to be ?honest? with what she knew

Al Carns, who was born and raised in Aberdeen, said the US President?s controversial comments were ?utterly ridiculous?.

Opposition politicians accuse John Swinney of withholding information to avoid ?extreme embarrassment? to the SNP government

Brian Leishman praised Mr Burnham while others are fearful of the Holyrood election impact

Bills will increase in Scotland in April - but will remain the lowest of any UK water company.

The results of the Glenrothes West and Kinglassie by-election almost exactly mirror what the Holyrood polls predict will happen in May.

Upkeep for Scotland?s longest road cost at least £28m every year between 2020 and 2025.

The First Minister was accused of withholding information to avoid ?extreme embarrassment?.

A key Holyrood committee was split on whether or not to support Ash Regan?s prostitution bill

Wings over Scotland

Yelling at the tide
21 Jan 2026 at 9:26am
We figured someone had to at least try. So in the light of this, we’ve sent a letter. - TO: Judge Susan Walker, President, Employment Tribunal (Scotland) Dear Madam President, I read with considerable dismay and alarm your response to a recent complaint from a Mr Ewan Kennedy regarding the conduct of Employment Judge Alexander …

The Secondhand Amendment
19 Jan 2026 at 12:04am
We’re really not sure this makes things any better with regard to the incredible tale that’s unfolded around the judgment in Sandie Peggie vs NHS Fife. In fact, on any interpretation we can think of, quite the reverse. But we’d better give you some context. The quote in the image above comes from the reply …

Learning Insanity
14 Jan 2026 at 4:29pm
This clip was broadcast on ITV News Wales this week. ? It’s a staggeringly obvious mess for a whole raft of reasons – a number of completely spurious, illogical and unsupported claims are accepted as facts without any sort of challenge or balancing voice (which has been standard practice on ITV News for a while …

Governing For Beginners
12 Jan 2026 at 2:31pm
My first ever real experience of politics was playing Dictator. Originally written by Don Priestley for the Sinclair ZX81 in 1982, it was a simple text-based game which subsequently came to other formats including the Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Elan Enterprise and the ZX Spectrum, which is where I encountered it. (Its legacy very much …

Grandpa John?s Nightmare
7 Jan 2026 at 12:17pm
It’s almost – almost – worth voting SNP in May because of this: ? Because it would be at least momentarily absolutely hilarious watching Swinney try to explain why his “100% guaranteed” second indyref didn’t happen if the SNP actually did get a majority on 30% of the vote (which is narrowly feasible on current …

Failure To Learn
5 Jan 2026 at 1:32pm
Scotland take on Haiti on Sunday 14 June (in the wee small hours of the morning), so this is nice, isn’t it? At least, it would be if incompetent idiots weren’t in charge. Firstly because the SNP – a party with a long and dismaying record of promising things it then doesn’t deliver – has …

And every day was exactly the same
3 Jan 2026 at 7:00am

List Voting For Cretins
2 Jan 2026 at 9:00am
This week The National published a poll it commissioned from Find Out Now for this May’s Scottish Parliament election, alongside a seat projection from Sir John Curtice. Here are the list-vote figures from the poll. The seat projection calculated that the election would result in 59 SNP MSPs (six short of the number John Swinney …

The Gulf War
1 Jan 2026 at 7:00am
Yesterday we noted in passing that independence support now outstrips that of the SNP by more than 20 points, making the party into a gigantic liability as the vehicle for enabling Scots to leave the UK. Put simply, even when voters want independence (as most now do), they’re not willing to vote SNP to get …

The Fear Of The Briar
31 Dec 2025 at 11:42am
With Reform now pretty consistently miles in front in polling for the next UK election, logically this is brilliant news for the Scottish independence movement, isn’t it? So can anyone explain why the SNP is so desperate to stop them? That’s a rhetorical question, of course. As we’ve repeatedly explored on Wings over the last …

Craig Murray

Resisting the Respectable Opinion on Iran
15 Jan 2026 at 3:13pm

Iraq. Libya. Egypt. Syria. Gaza. Somalia. No CIA- and Mossad-constructed regime change operation in the Middle East has ever made life better for the ordinary people of the country, nor even delivered the promised increase in personal and political freedoms. The only limited improvement that might be gained comes from the lifting of Western sanction …

Resisting the Respectable Opinion on Iran

A Step Towards Sanity
13 Jan 2026 at 6:50pm

To my great surprise, the video recording of yesterday’s Court of Session hearing on the judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action is still active on the court’s website, and you can watch it. I do not know how long this will last. https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/livestream/court-of-session/case-p1017-25/#6dcfe87a-d9b7-49ba-9f01-ad69b8ad9c45 I have been used to the ludicrous restrictions on the …

A Step Towards Sanity

Court of Session Tomorrow on Palestine Action
11 Jan 2026 at 1:45pm

In the Western world today, fighting for freedom feels Quixotic, but I shall nevertheless wake early tomorrow to be at the Court of Session in Edinburgh by 9am to fight the proscription in Scotland of Palestine Action. I remain extremely concerned for the lives of the Palestine Action hunger strikers. As I predicted, Starmer’s government …

Court of Session Tomorrow on Palestine Action

Venezuela and Truth
4 Jan 2026 at 10:21am

The mainstream media covered Venezuela non-stop yesterday. They many times mentioned Delcy Rodríguez, Vice President, because Trump stated she is now in charge. They never mentioned that 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the torture to death of her father, socialist activist Jorge Rodríguez, by the CIA-backed security services of the US-aligned Pérez regime in …

Venezuela and Truth

Hunger Strikes and Court Cases
16 Dec 2025 at 9:15pm

Fighting the proscription of Palestine Action has become more urgent as eight brave activists enter the crucial period of their hunger strike. 12 January has finally been set for the court hearing on holding a Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. I am frankly terrified for the hunger strikers. Qesser Zuhrah Amu …

Hunger Strikes and Court Cases

The Skripal Novichok Hoax
12 Dec 2025 at 9:58am

I did not anticipate that an open public meeting in Salisbury itself would be 95% sceptical of the official Novichok hoax – but it was. Thanks to UK Column for putting this on. I hope you find it enlightening – there is information which goes beyond my previous articles on the subject. In about a …

The Skripal Novichok Hoax

BBC Scotland

Sturgeon denies using pressure to open Glasgow hospital early
23 Jan 2026 at 6:26pm
The former first minister's remarks came as oral submissions ended in the inquiry into the design and construction of Scotland's largest hospital.

Scottish government facing legal action over failure to hand over Sturgeon in...
23 Jan 2026 at 3:21pm
The Scottish Information Commissioner is taking ministers to court after they missed a deadline to release documents.

Will the ferry link between Scotland and mainland Europe be restored?
23 Jan 2026 at 6:11am
Speculation is mounting about a potential new route between Rosyth in Fife and Dunkirk in France.

First minister rejected meeting on tanker seizure, says Alexander
22 Jan 2026 at 4:26pm
John Swinney has criticised "appalling" communication from the UK government on national security issues.

Why Scotland's assisted dying bill is on a knife edge
21 Jan 2026 at 6:21am
As they prepare for a final vote on the historic bill, MSPs are weighing a life and death decision.

Swinney announces plan for national housing agency
22 Jan 2026 at 1:54pm
The first minister says the proposals will deliver new homes more quickly and more affordably.

Key section of assisted dying bill must be cut, MSPs told
20 Jan 2026 at 2:44pm
MSPs have been told protections for medics who conscientiously object will have to be added retrospectively.

Scotland's biggest hospital 'opened too early' despite safety fears
20 Jan 2026 at 6:02pm
The public inquiry will hear final statements after NHS Greater Glasgow conceded a hospital's water system probably caused infections.

Six key takeaways from the hospitals inquiry
20 Jan 2026 at 9:10pm
As final submissions are made to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, we now have a clearer picture of what went wrong.

Teaching union announces details of new strike ballot
20 Jan 2026 at 9:44pm
A previous vote in favour of strike action was unable to pass due to a low turnout.

'Blanket rule' for trans prisoners would violate rights, ministers to argue
20 Jan 2026 at 1:54pm
The Scottish government is being challenged in court by the campaign group For Women Scotland.

Peter Murrell due in court over embezzlement charge
19 Jan 2026 at 5:04pm
The former SNP chief executive was arrested as part of a police investigation into the party's finances.

Scot Goes Pop

SNP secure stirring VICTORY in the Glenrothes West & Kinglassie by-election
23 Jan 2026 at 3:40pm
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

Yet ANOTHER poll shows a pro-independence majority as natty Norstat (formerly...
20 Jan 2026 at 2:44pm
Before anyone says anything, yes, I know I screwed up and randomly started referring to Norstat as "Panelbase" midway through the video.  I haven't got time to re-record it at the moment, so just s...

Will the Greenland - Trump crisis boost support for Scottish independence?
20 Jan 2026 at 8:43am
I made this video before the news broke about Donald Trump's comments on Diego Garcia, which has resulted in this bizarre commentary from Henry Zeffman on the BBC News website (it's possibly a tran...

It's happened: now even SURVATION are showing a pro-independence majority (al...
19 Jan 2026 at 1:39pm
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

SNP and Greens remain firmly on course for Holyrood pro-indy majority in supe...
16 Jan 2026 at 8:50am
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

Sensational numbers for both the SNP and Plaid Cymru in two new YouGov polls
14 Jan 2026 at 8:36am
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

The party of Tas-beens: Alba's notorious unelected dictator finally departs -...
13 Jan 2026 at 4:20pm
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

Has Trump ushered in an American FASCISM? His administration now has SEVEN o...
11 Jan 2026 at 9:45am
I know we were all keen for RevStew to finally put a sock in it about the trans issue, but given that he's replaced that obsession with 24/7 apologism for a woman's murder, perhaps he should be enc...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Duke of Sussex says British soldiers who died in Afghanistan ?deserve respect?
23 Jan 2026 at 8:55pm
Trump suggested in an interview with Fox News that Nato allied troops 'stayed a little off the front lines'.

Scottish Government facing legal action over Nicola Sturgeon inquiry evidence
23 Jan 2026 at 11:40am
The SNP Government has missed two deadlines to release files from an ethics investigation.

New York mayor Zohran Mamdani sent baby box by Scottish Government
23 Jan 2026 at 11:36am
Zohran Mamdani previously stated he wanted to develop his own 'baby basket' in a bid to tackle cost of living pressures in the city.

Keir Starmer and Danish PM discuss ?vital steps? towards Arctic security
22 Jan 2026 at 8:51pm
The Prime Minister and his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen met at Chequers.

John Swinney faces FMQs amid pressure from fatal water infection scandal
22 Jan 2026 at 11:39am
The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital is at the centre of the ongoing Scottish Hospitals Inquiry.

New agency to focus on boosting affordable, rural and island housing supply
22 Jan 2026 at 10:38am
Scottish First Minister John Swinney has announced his Government is setting up More Homes Scotland.

NHS staff could miss out on Scotland?s World Cup Bank Holiday
22 Jan 2026 at 10:30am
Scotland's deputy first minister said that a public holiday for staff would be a decision for each individual NHS board.

Law Society of Scotland calls for legal aid reform under justice system overhaul
21 Jan 2026 at 9:43pm
It said ?political inaction? has caused an ?ever-worsening crisis in access to justice in Scotland?.

Social media ban for under-16s backed by Lords
21 Jan 2026 at 8:45pm
Supporters of the Australian-style ban have argued parents are in 'an impossible position'.

Trump rows back on Greenland tariff threats after ?deal? talks with Nato chief
21 Jan 2026 at 7:58pm
The US president had only earlier on Wednesday doubled down on his threats to secure the Arctic island.

Quangos bonfire and 100,000 new jobs pitched in Tom Hunter?s Holyrood manifesto
21 Jan 2026 at 1:35pm
The billionaire has released a pro-business manifesto he said would let Scotland?s economy flourish while increasing investment in public services.

John Swinney urges Ofcom to reject STV plans to cut north of Scotland programme
21 Jan 2026 at 1:03pm
The First Minister said the proposals would ?set a damaging precedent and accelerate the decline of public interest journalism in Scotland?.

Keir Starmer faces PMQs as tensions flare over Greenland
21 Jan 2026 at 11:48am
The Prime Minister previously said the future status of Greenland belongs solely to the people of Greenland and Denmark.

World Cup boycott not the answer to Trump?s threats, says SNP Westminster leader
21 Jan 2026 at 9:40am
Stephen Flynn said there needs to be serious and committed international dialogue with allies.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Mum of schoolgirl who died after Glasgow hospital water infection demands hon...
23 Jan 2026 at 3:09pm
Kimberly Darroch rounded on the SNP Government over the deaths linked to contaminated water at a Glasgow super-hospital.

Widow of SNP Government official who died at £1bn super hospital says her hus...
23 Jan 2026 at 2:14pm
Louise Slorance accused NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was continuing to "gamble with people's lives" after refusing to upgrade a super hospital's ventilation system.

New York mayor Zohran Mamdani sent baby box by SNP Government
23 Jan 2026 at 1:28pm
Mamdani has previously mentioned Scotland, Chile and Finland as examples of where the policy has been introduced.

SNP Government taken to court after missing two deadlines to release Alex Sal...
23 Jan 2026 at 9:33am
John Swinney's Government faces an embarrassing day in court after missing two deadlines to release information.

SNP MP says Nationalists will back 'exclusion zone' ban for protests near asy...
23 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Veteran MP Peter Wishart also said he would be writing to all the main political parties urging them to commit to exclusion zones near the hotels.

SNP opposition to nuclear weapons 'jeopardising' UK national security in era ...
22 Jan 2026 at 1:45pm
The First Minister said he "completely and utterly" refuted the comments from Defence Secretary John Healey.

Scottish Labour MPs fear Andy Burnham standing in Westminster by-election wou...
22 Jan 2026 at 1:10pm
Scottish Labour MPs say Burnham quitting his current role would trigger a Greater Manchester mayoral contest and lead to resources being shifted from Scotland.

John Swinney denies Nicola Sturgeon put pressure on Queen Elizabeth Universit...
22 Jan 2026 at 12:39pm
NHS bosses told a public inquiry they had faced "pressure" to ensure the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital opened in April 2015.

World Cup bank holiday at risk for 180,000 Scots NHS workers, says MSP
22 Jan 2026 at 11:08am
MSP Ash Regan said NHS workers benefit from a bank holiday announced by the First Minister.

Families 'failed' by Scots superhospital say they were 'lied to and smeared'
22 Jan 2026 at 8:47am
Families of 18 children and adults, some who died, have said they were "lied to and smeared" by the health board.

The National

The National | Politics

'The world must know': Hundreds protest outside BBC over fears of 'Kurdish ge...
23 Jan 2026 at 7:16pm

HUNDREDS of people have protested outside BBC Scotland?s headquarters calling on the broadcaster and Western governments to act to prevent a ?genocide? of Kurdish people.

Nicola Sturgeon issues statement amid Glasgow hospital infections row
23 Jan 2026 at 6:21pm

Nicola Sturgeon has rejected suggestions she applied pressure to open Glasgow?s flagship hospital before it was ready, saying any such claims are ?completely untrue?

Scottish actor goes viral for 'best ever' Donald Trump impression
23 Jan 2026 at 6:05pm

SCOTTISH actor Lewis MacLeod has gone viral across social media for his ?incredible? impersonation of US president Donald Trump ...

Scottish World Heritage Site to host BBC Debate Night
23 Jan 2026 at 4:46pm

THE BBC?s Debate Night will be hosted at a World Heritage Site in Lanarkshire next month, it has been confirmed ...

Donald Trump should apologise for 'appalling' comments on Afghanistan, says S...
23 Jan 2026 at 4:12pm

KEIR Starmer said Donald Trump?s remarks about British troops in Afghanistan were ?insulting and frankly appalling? and suggested he should apologise.

Labour's 'Panopticon' dream is safe from Maga criticism. Here's why
23 Jan 2026 at 3:53pm

IT is sometimes claimed that authoritarianism is somehow un-British or out of step with the traditions of these isles.

How Douglas Alexander's own words exposed Labour's vacuous promises
23 Jan 2026 at 4:07pm

IN the 1993 classic Groundhog Day, Bill Murray?s grouchy weatherman is forced to relive the same day again and again for more than a decade. The Scottish Government must relate

MSPs call on Scottish-based oil firm to reject Israeli licence to explore Gaz...
23 Jan 2026 at 2:57pm

SCOTTISH parliamentarians have urged an Aberdeen-based oil firm to publicly state that it will not make use of Israel-granted licences to look for gas off the coast of Gaza.

Scottish Greens 'wouldn't be sad' if Zack Polanski campaigned in Holyrood ele...
23 Jan 2026 at 3:06pm

THE Scottish Greens ?wouldn?t be sad? if Zack Polanski visited Scotland to help campaign in the Holyrood election, one of the party?s co-leaders has said.

Petition demanding by-elections for defector MPs passes crucial 100k milestone
23 Jan 2026 at 2:20pm

WESTMINSTER looks set to debate forcing MPs who change parties to stand in a by-election to retain their seat after a petition surpassed a key milestone.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Information Commissioner to take Scottish Government to court after deadline ...
23 Jan 2026 at 10:00am
Solicitors instructed over failure to produce materials related to James Hamilton report

Grok generated around three million sexualised images this month, according t...
22 Jan 2026 at 4:31pm
The Center for Countering Digital Hate said the AI tool "became an industrial-scale machine for the production of sexual abuse material?

Ministers did not pressure scandal-hit hospital to open too soon, John Swinne...
22 Jan 2026 at 1:29pm
He also committed to release any information held by government relating to the opening of the hospital

John Swinney accused of hiding behind Salmond complainers in freedom of infor...
22 Jan 2026 at 1:13pm
Fergus Ewing joins questions at FMQs

Rural affairs committee supports general principles of greyhound racing ban, ...
22 Jan 2026 at 1:06pm
The committee could not reach a consensus on whether?there is sufficient evidence supporting?a ban

?No evidence? Scottish police numbers are right for the future, watchdogs say
22 Jan 2026 at 7:00am
Report raises concerns over data inadequacies

Ex-musician named Scotland?s new Chief Inspector of Education
21 Jan 2026 at 2:37pm
Excellence pledge following education reform

Opposition MSPs demand government releases all information on Glasgow hospita...
21 Jan 2026 at 12:01pm
The health board has admitted in that the super hospital was opened too soon

Gaming sector launches plan to grow to ?1bn
21 Jan 2026 at 12:01am
The plan,?Level Up Scotland,?sets out how the industry will transform Scotland?s ?secret weapon? into a major contributor to the economy

Trans prisoners rule change would violate human rights, Scottish Government c...
20 Jan 2026 at 3:29pm
Campaign group For Women Scotland seeks guidance update

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Scottish health board admits hospital water system linked to fatal infections
19 Jan 2026 at 12:03pm
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde makes last-minute U-turn in submission to hospitals inquiryScotland?s largest health board has finally admitted that contaminated water at a Glasgow super-hospital caused serious infections in child cancer patients that were linked to four deaths.NHS Greater Glasgow ...

Multimillionaire leader of Reform in Scotland refuses to reveal net worth
15 Jan 2026 at 3:26pm
Newly appointed Malcolm Offord, who became a Tory life peer in 2021, plans to stand for Holyrood in MayUK politics live ? latest updatesThe multimillionaire financier who has been made leader of Reform UK in Scotland has refused to say how wealthy he is, claiming that is a private matter.Malcolm ...

Scottish budget: SNP government cuts taxes for lowest earners
13 Jan 2026 at 7:06pm
Ministers will hope package of measures can aid efforts to retain power in May?s Holyrood electionsMinisters in Scotland have cut taxes for the lowest earners by a modest £11 a year, as the government dug into its reserves, cut spending and increased borrowing to fund new election pledges.With fo...

UK politics: Tories call for block on Chinese super-embassy amid claims of hi...
13 Jan 2026 at 6:11pm
Shadow home office minister Alicia Kearns says unredacted plans show 208 secret rooms and approving plans would be ?insanity?Q: Why are the Liberal Democrats still using X?Davey says he is not afraid to pick a fight with Elon Musk. He says Musk has interfered in British democracy ?in the most out...

?The response is a beautiful thing?: how Glasgow is squaring up to Reform
12 Jan 2026 at 5:36am
In the face of Nigel Farage, flag-waving and a longstanding housing crisis, some Glaswegians are taking on anti-immigration rhetoricSelina Hales has a thing about pineapples. She is talking in a quiet office, set aside from the bustle of Refuweegee, the charity she founded 10 years ago, and the w...

Software tackling deepfakes to be piloted for Scottish and Welsh elections
8 Jan 2026 at 6:07pm
Electoral Commission says tools to detect AI-generated content could be in place before campaigns beginElection officials are working ?at speed? with the Home Office on a pilot project to combat the use of deepfakes to target candidates standing in this year?s Scottish and Welsh elections.Officia...

Liz Kendall says Elon Musk?s X must urgently deal with ?appalling? sexualised...
6 Jan 2026 at 5:49pm
Science secretary says the deepfake content being produced on the platform is ?unacceptable in decent society?In her Today programme interview this morning Kemi Badenoch tried to outflank Nigel Farage on net zero scepticism by claiming (wrongly) that she started talking out this before he did.Ask...

No 10 suggests UK would not vote for UN security council resolution condemnin...
5 Jan 2026 at 6:10pm
PM?s spokesperson did not contest report claiming that the UK will abstain on a possible UN voteSpeaking to reporters this morning, Keir Starmer said Nicolás Maduro, who was president of Venezuela until he was arrested by the Americans on Saturday and taken to a US jail, was not a legitimate rule...

Scottish Labour urges Keir Starmer to stay out of Holyrood campaign
5 Jan 2026 at 2:53pm
Anas Sarwar says prime minister?s missteps have left party clear underdogs in run-up to May electionUK politics live ? latest updatesKeir Starmer and senior ministers have been urged by Scottish Labour to ?stay behind their doors? in Whitehall to avoid turning the next Holyrood election into a re...

Nativism and the disintegration of the UK
1 Jan 2026 at 5:07pm
With the weakening of pro-integration parties, Ben Wellings warns that the continuation of the UK in its current form cannot be taken for grantedStalking your editorial on the new political geography emerging in Britain (25 December) is the fear of disintegration. This is a political outcome that...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The rich are enemies of democracy and of an independent Scotland
23 Jan 2026 at 4:39pm
The biggest political issue of our days is one that few politicians are talking about. That’s the increasing concentration of wealth in the hands of a small minority. In 2023, the world?s richest 1%, defined as those with more than $1 million, owned 47.5 percent of all the world?s wealth ? equivalent to roughly $214 …

The fork in the road for Scotland, independence or the Golf of America
21 Jan 2026 at 1:51pm
Over the past week, the reasons for Scottish independence got even more pressing and urgent. Donald Trump, the so-called ‘Peace President’, is openly threatening Greenland, Denmark, Canada, and Latin America. Trump’s unilateral destruction of the post WW2 international order as he seeks total US hegemony over the Western hemisphere and the annexation of Greenland. Once …

The days of playing by rules stacked against Scotland will soon be over
19 Jan 2026 at 4:44pm
Just eighteen months ago, we were looking at the prospect of this year’s Scottish elections with dread and trepidation. Labour was in the ascendant on the back of its victory in the July 2024 Westminster General election and Anas Sarwar was confidently expecting to install himself in Bute House as First Minister, some excitable Labour …

Reform?s Scottish ?leader? ? the FIFA Peace Prize of Scottish politics
15 Jan 2026 at 2:15pm
Spare a thought for poor wee Malkie Offord, over the years he’s thrown hundreds of thousands of pounds at the political scene in a bid to make himself relevant, firstly with his ludicrously misnamed and suspiciously well funded Vote No Borders astroturfing campaign during the 2014 independence referendum, a cringeworthy campaign which made no impact …

Reform?s failing charade and the three pronged attack on Westminster rule
14 Jan 2026 at 4:34pm
Perhaps Reform UK’s bubble is about to burst. Although the private company owned by Nigel Farage is still leading in the polls in England, the far right ghouls’ polling lead has been falling in recent weeks. On Tuesday the weekly Sky News poll from YouGov put Reform on 24% across the UK as a whole, …

Farage?s new tartan puppet
12 Jan 2026 at 8:00pm
On Monday, Nigel Farage preened his insufferably smug way through a press conference at which he introduced the latest opportunistic Tory defector to Reform UK. This time it was Nadhim Zahawi, who was very briefly the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson. Zahawi was later found to have paid a seven figure penalty to …

BBC Scotland, an anti-independence party in May?s Scottish election
11 Jan 2026 at 4:57pm
The parties are gearing up for May’s Scottish elections. On one side there’s the SNP and their frenemies the Scottish Greens – parties which disagree on many things but which share a common belief in the principle that the people of Scotland should be the sole arbiters of government policy in Scotland and the future …

The BBC?s shameful enabling of fascism
8 Jan 2026 at 3:56pm
The failure of the BBC to report fairly and without bias on Scottish politics is a regular theme in this blog and amongst other supporters of Scottish independence. The favouritism which the Corporation displays towards Nigel Farage and his ghouls is likewise well documented, especially on the disgrace to political broadcasting that is BBC Question …

A fake rebellion from a fake party
7 Jan 2026 at 11:28am
While we are distracted by Donald Trump’s attack on Venezuela, the kidnapping of its president and his threats to take over Greenland, here in Scotland the parties are getting into gear for the Holyrood election campaign. Anas Sarwar has got off the starting blocks with a carefully orchestrated ‘rebellion’ against his intensely unpopular boss, Keir …

Greenland, a nation, not an American possession
6 Jan 2026 at 4:46pm
With the Trump regime ramping up its threats against the Arctic nation of Greenland, it’s a good time to take a closer look at the history and culture of Greenland. Greenland is officially called Kalaallit Nunaat in the Greenlandic language, the language of the great majority of the country’s 57,000 population. Greenlandic, or Kalaallisut, is …

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 'Albatraz'

Significant fall in domestic abuse-related homicides
23 Jan 2026 at 5:13pm
From Freedom of Information Response regarding domestic abuse-related homicides, Our reference:  FOI 25-3594 – Responded to:  22 December 2025 and published yesterday: Please supply the numbers of women who were killed by a partner//ex partner /relative, (including parent/child/sibling/other family by blood, marriage or adoption). Provide an annual breakdown from 2018- 2025 to date. The data: A...

In Scotland even anti-immigration groups will have nothing to do with racist ...
23 Jan 2026 at 5:11pm
From STV on 20th January 2026: A Falkirk anti-immigration protest group has announced it will disband because of the attendance of neo-Nazis at demonstrations. Campaign group Save Our Future and Our Kids Future organised protests outside the Cladhan Hotel, which houses asylum seekers, consistently over the last year. The demonstrations have attracted far-right groups, including Patriotic Altern...

As one student nurse in England faces £77 thousand in debt Scotland?s free tr...
23 Jan 2026 at 5:10pm
In the Guardian today: Helen Lambert borrowed £57,000 to go to university and began repaying her student loan in 2021 after starting work as an NHS nurse. Since then she has repaid more than £5,000, typically having about £145 a month taken from her pay packet. But everything she hands over is dwarfed by the £400-plus of interest that is added to her debt every month, thanks to rates that have ...

Scotland has world?s greatest wind capacity per head of population in the Wo...
23 Jan 2026 at 5:08pm
The above table is not clearly linked to its source. I’ve asked and will update when I get it. As you are aware, the above is doing nothing for our energy bills, the highest in the UK and in Europe so what’s happening to the electricity it’s producing? Here’s the story: The UK Energy Minister, above, appeared to claim credit for the approval of the massive 300 plus turbine, 4.1GW, windfarm off ...

Makes their flesh creep? Trump?s comments only a taste of what Scots have fel...
23 Jan 2026 at 10:58am
We?ve never needed them. We have never really asked anything of them. They?ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan ? and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines. The words of the US President yesterday shock with their under-educated insensitivity. The Black Watch, the Argylls, the Borderers, the Highland Fusiliers and others fought on the frontline in Afghanistan....

Current water bills in Scotland not ?AMONG the lowest?, BBC Scotland, but ?TH...
23 Jan 2026 at 9:32am
BBC Scotland today, has: Water bills in Scotland will rise by 8.7% in April – an average of £42 a year. The increase will take the average bill in Scotland to £532, which remains among the lowest of any water company in the UK. The rise – which works out at an average of about £3.50 extra a month – is in line with limits set by the independent economic regulator, the Water Industry Commission f...

Reposted as the media frenzy on one of the safest hospitals in the UK continu...
23 Jan 2026 at 9:11am

Reposted as the media today continue to milk the hospital inquiry with downri...
23 Jan 2026 at 9:08am

Largs to Millport ferry, four times every hour, with capacity for 6 million p...
23 Jan 2026 at 9:01am
The Herald yesterday had: Hospital visit fears as CalMac cut Cumbrae ferry sailings The Largs & Millport Weekly News had Ferry timetable changes will see regular maintenance times at intervals throughout the day – but fears have been expressed that the service interruptions will harm the fragile economy of the island. The ferry operator has cited safety as the reason for the proposed reduction ...

As Tunbridge Wells runs dry, Motherwell looks well-watered for years to come ...
22 Jan 2026 at 6:01pm
In the Guardian today: You get up and go to the loo, only to find the flush doesn?t work. You try the shower, except nothing comes out. You want a glass of water, but on turning the tap there is not a drop. Your day stumbles on, stripped of its essentials: no washing hands, no cleaning up the baby, neither tea nor coffee, no easy way to do the dishes or the laundry. Dirt accumulates; tempers fr...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

On Scotland?s nationalist fringes, a new Tartan intolerance rises - The Econo...
22 Jan 2026 at 2:07pm
On Scotland?s nationalist fringes, a new Tartan intolerance rises  The Economist

No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says - BBC
27 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says  BBC

The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage - politico.eu
13 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage  politico.eu

Scotland would vote for independence in new referendum, exclusive poll finds ...
30 Dec 2025 at 8:00am
Scotland would vote for independence in new referendum, exclusive poll finds  TheNational.scot

Swinney says SNP win would trigger new Scotland referendum | Daily Sabah - da...
18 Jan 2026 at 11:16am
Swinney says SNP win would trigger new Scotland referendum | Daily Sabah  dailysabah.com

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

A Fresh Start with Independence - The Scottish Government
8 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
A Fresh Start with Independence  The Scottish Government

Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scotti...
9 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scottish independence has grown stronger  The Conversation

Farage is pushing Scotland to independence - The Times
30 Dec 2025 at 8:00am
Farage is pushing Scotland to independence  The Times

In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland indepen...
3 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

It?s time for Scotland and the SNP to get serious about defence - enlighten.scot
24 Jan 2026 at 2:11am
It?s time for Scotland and the SNP to get serious about defence  enlighten.scot

Scottish graduates leave university £35,000 less in debt than English peers -...
24 Jan 2026 at 5:02am
Scottish graduates leave university £35,000 less in debt than English peers  heraldscotland.com

SNP victory in Fife by-election as John Swinney quips 'Farage turned up and l...
23 Jan 2026 at 9:01am
SNP victory in Fife by-election as John Swinney quips 'Farage turned up and lost'  TheNational.scot

Scottish budget: SNP tap the brakes, but the worst is still to come - Revolut...
23 Jan 2026 at 4:48pm
Scottish budget: SNP tap the brakes, but the worst is still to come  Revolutionary Communist Party

If anti-SNP deals are possible in Councils, then what, come May? - Think Scot...
23 Jan 2026 at 5:18pm
If anti-SNP deals are possible in Councils, then what, come May?  Think Scotland

Peter Murrell due in court over embezzlement charge - BBC
19 Jan 2026 at 5:04pm
Peter Murrell due in court over embezzlement charge  BBC

Info tsar takes SNP to court amid claims of 'secrecy' over Salmond probe file...
23 Jan 2026 at 8:21pm
Info tsar takes SNP to court amid claims of 'secrecy' over Salmond probe files  The Scottish Sun

SNP hit with legal action over failure to release Sturgeon-Salmond files - Th...
23 Jan 2026 at 12:35pm
SNP hit with legal action over failure to release Sturgeon-Salmond files  The Times

Legal action begins against SNP government for failing to release 'Salmond fi...
23 Jan 2026 at 12:31pm
Legal action begins against SNP government for failing to release 'Salmond files'  scotsman.com

SNP win Kinglassie by-election as Reform overtake Labour - centralfifetimes.com
23 Jan 2026 at 9:58am
SNP win Kinglassie by-election as Reform overtake Labour  centralfifetimes.com

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit - Britannica
19 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit  Britannica

No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says - BBC
27 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says  BBC

Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would ...
17 Jan 2026 at 5:03pm
Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would be green light for indyref2  Sky News

In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland indepen...
3 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Second independence referendum should be 'parked', says Scotland Reform leade...
18 Jan 2026 at 11:06am
Second independence referendum should be 'parked', says Scotland Reform leader  TheNational.scot

Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014...
27 May 2025 at 8:00am
Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014  The Conversation

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

Scottish independence poll 2025 - Statista
28 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2025  Statista

The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage - politico.eu
13 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage  politico.eu

Part Two: What an independent Scotland could look like - A Fresh Start with I...
8 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Part Two: What an independent Scotland could look like - A Fresh Start with Independence  The Scottish Government