The Herald

The Herald | Politics


What are the SNP thinking giving the Scottish Greens an indyref2 platform?
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
12 Oct 2026 at 4:26pm
Nicola Sturgeon warned the SNP about the rise of the Scottish Greens. And yet, the leadership have given their rivals a major conference platform.


'World's largest market' offers hope for Scotch whisky amid global volatility
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
12 Oct 2026 at 4:33pm
India's whisky market offers fresh hope for Scotch producers, but exports to the US remain under pressure, says industry chief Mark Kent


Portadown residents lose latest legal challenge to Orange Order parade route
by Rebecca Black
12 Oct 2026 at 4:27pm
Portadown?s Garvaghy Road residents lose Court of Appeal bid over Orange Order parade, while Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant?s ban remains in place.


John Swinney will not be investigated over claims he misled Parliament
by Craig Meighan
12 Oct 2026 at 3:11pm
The First Minister will not be investigated over claims he broke the ministerial code by misleading the Scottish Parliament, his independent advisers have decided


John Swinney warned as SNP faces legal action over 'unlawful' event ban
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
12 Oct 2026 at 2:28pm
John Swinney faces pressure to reverse the SNP's cancellation of an abortion coercion event amid the threat of legal action.


Edinburgh councillor calls for referendum on major council boundary changes
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
12 Oct 2026 at 12:45pm
Conservative Neil Cuthbert is seeking assurances that a referendum would be held in the event of ?any major change to the boundaries of Edinburgh?.


SNP facing legal action for cancelling controversial abortion fringe event
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
12 Oct 2026 at 10:19am
The SNP faces legal action after cancelling a conference fringe event on coerced abortion at its Aberdeen conference.


Push for independence has 'turned a corner', Swinney claims
by Craig Paton
12 Oct 2026 at 6:58am
The push for Scottish independence has ?turned a corner?, John Swinney has claimed.


Demands for £2 bus fare cap to be extended to night services across west of S...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
12 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Scottish Greens MSP Holly Bruce has called for the £2 bus fare cap to cover night buses in the west of Scotland, saying late workers should not pay more to get home.


Ministers have 'appetite' to weaken no compulsory redundancy protection, unio...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
12 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Scottish civil servants face uncertainty as no compulsory redundancy protection expires on March 31, 2027, amid plans to cut 20% of core civil service jobs.


Majority of Scots say country is heading in the wrong direction, poll finds
by Katrine Bussey
12 Oct 2026 at 12:01am
Ipsos polling finds 51% of Scots think Scotland is heading in the wrong direction, challenging John Swinney as support for Holyrood-Westminster ties rises.


Michael Marra accuses SNP ministers of shortchanging councils by £2bn
by Katrine Bussey
12 Oct 2026 at 12:01am
Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra accuses SNP ministers of shortchanging councils by £2 billion as debate over funding and local government reform grows.


Scottish Government accused of 'lack of will' to implement BDS vote
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
12 Oct 2026 at 12:01am
The Scottish Government has been accused of a 'clear lack of will' to enforce its own boycott, divestment and sanctions bill against Israel


'The excuse has gone?: Tories pile pressure on Burnham over North Sea oil and...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
11 Oct 2026 at 10:00pm
Andy Burnham is under fresh pressure to approve Jackdaw after Tories said his ?excuse has gone? and he admitted the UK will need oil and gas for decades.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


As a former police officer, here's why I fear local government reform could g...
12 Oct 2026 at 4:45pm
Judging by the huge reduction in police funding, the planned reform of local authorities could be used as cover for cuts to vital services


Swinney will not be investigated over claims he misled Holyrood over pensions
12 Oct 2026 at 3:22pm

The First Minister said he now considered the matter closed

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had said he was willing to support a ceasefire if Moscow did - but now reports energy infrastructure has been targeted by Russia overnight.

The Prime Minister is expected to call for greater ties to the EU when he addresses the House of Commons on Monday.

MSPs are using AI to lodge batches of up to 20 parliamentary questions at a time, it has been claimed

Angela Constance has written in The Scotsman than ?we run the risk of losing everything? if the NHS is not radically reformed.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care sets out why the Scottish Government is pursuing NHS reform

Concerns have been raised that floating offshore wind orders for Scottish ports are not coming through at the pace expected, despite vast infrastructure improvements.

Speaking ahead of his party?s conference in Aberdeen, the First Minister pointed to comments from the PM in the Commons that Scotland could have another vote on the issue should the people want it.

The SNP government should be honest about having been over-ambitious about its floating wind hopes to help revive investment hopes

Wings over Scotland

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 …

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

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

Craig Murray

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

Dishonesty and Deceit
7 Sep 2026 at 7:31pm

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

Dishonesty and Deceit

BBC Scotland

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.

No probe into claims Swinney misled Holyrood
12 Oct 2026 at 5:47pm
The first minister is facing no investigation into his comments on plans to adjust the pension triple lock.

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.

Swinney backs Flynn in ferry gas leak row and says 'nobody's perfect'
11 Oct 2026 at 12:43pm
The first minister says he has confidence in his transport secretary, who denies being briefed about the ferry incident.

Reform MSPs accused of racism over burka ban debate at Holyrood
8 Oct 2026 at 6:42pm
John Swinney criticised the party after it suggested religious face coverings should be outlawed in public.

Watchdog and critics raise concerns over reliability of NHS medical records
8 Oct 2026 at 6:02am
Victims of disgraced brain surgeon Sam Eljamel are complaining of "significant gaps" in their records.

Swinney defends claims about Scots 'losing' pensions
6 Oct 2026 at 6:48pm
John Swinney has been accused of misleading MSPs after claiming Scots could lose their pensions under Labour plans.

'Clear human rights failures' in southern Scotland, report finds
7 Oct 2026 at 5:59am
A new study concludes basic human rights - including food, health and housing - are being denied.

Scottish government 'will do all it can' to secure Syngenta site's future
6 Oct 2026 at 5:06pm
Almost 400 jobs are at risk at chemical firm Syngenta's Grangemouth plant after it announced plans to close the site

Zionism is racist, says Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer
6 Oct 2026 at 9:53am
The comments have been described as "disgusting and dangerous" by the Scottish Conservatives.

Glasgow City Council and Unison reach agreement in pay and grading row
5 Oct 2026 at 4:23pm
The local authority says this means it will not consider dismissing and rehiring its staff.

Radical change needed to cut Scottish child poverty, says charity
5 Oct 2026 at 6:35am
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation says Scotland is on course to miss legally-binding poverty targets "by a wide margin".

Scot Goes Pop

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...

Burnham's TIME-BENDING hypocrisy: "It's fine for us to consider overturning t...
1 Oct 2026 at 1:35am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Burnham uses the loss of his father as an excuse for stripping Scotland of it...
29 Sep 2026 at 7:00pm
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...

Is Robin McAlpine hallucinating, or is he trying to gaslight us?
26 Sep 2026 at 2:06am
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...

YouGov MRP mega-poll shows SNP on course to hold the BALANCE OF POWER at West...
24 Sep 2026 at 2:58pm
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

Swinney will not be investigated over claims he misled Parliament over pensions
12 Oct 2026 at 3:52pm
The First Minister said he had been informed by his independent advisers that ?no investigation is required?

More than half think Scotland ?heading in wrong direction?, poll finds
12 Oct 2026 at 7:02am
Ipsos Scotland said the figure of 51% will be a concern for John Swinney, as it has increased from 45% in May.

Corridor care ?not acceptable?, Constance says ahead of NHS winter period
11 Oct 2026 at 3:11pm
The Health Secretary said she would have a ?laser focus? on building capacity for healthcare in the community.

Scottish Government urging public to ?ask for help? this World Mental Health Day
10 Oct 2026 at 1:39pm
World Mental Health Day is celebrated on October 10.

Flynn?s office emailed about ferry gas leak before he said he was not briefed
9 Oct 2026 at 2:15pm
The transport secretary was asked about the incident on the Glen Sannox during an appearance at a Holyrood committee last month

Green MSP Manivannan allowed to continue working in UK after visa extended
9 Oct 2026 at 12:23pm
The Edinburgh and Lothians East member has secured a three-year graduate visa, to replace their student visa

College courses for parents offer sustainable route out of poverty ? Somerville
9 Oct 2026 at 10:46am
Alongside training courses, the project will provide additional support with childcare and transport costs

£1m pledged to create ?areas of linguistic significance? to help Gaelic thrive
9 Oct 2026 at 7:05am
The Scottish Languages Act ? passed last year by Holyrood ? paves the way for 'areas of linguistic significance' to be created in Gaelic communities

MSPs debate face coverings amid calls for ban after Glasgow protest
8 Oct 2026 at 4:56pm
It comes after one man was charged over the assault of a police officer at a protest in Glasgow, in which a number of men wore face coverings

Tories would scrap inheritance tax on family homes, Badenoch says
7 Oct 2026 at 2:13pm
The Tory leader said she'd allow couples to leave behind an additional £1 million tax-free

Swinney calls for ?unity over division? on anniversary of October 7 attacks
7 Oct 2026 at 8:30am
The First Minister has called for ?long-lasting peace?.

Majority of firms say Scottish Government doesn?t understand business
6 Oct 2026 at 6:57am
Economists said the figures show an increasingly ?negative picture? in the relationship between business and government.

Swinney?s poverty rhetoric ?increasingly disconnected? from action, report warns
5 Oct 2026 at 12:07pm
In a highly critical report, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation warns the Government is on course to miss its legally-binding child poverty targets

Swinney announces £1m funding boost to help get low-income parents into work
5 Oct 2026 at 11:11am
The initiative will help parents on low incomes with travel costs linked to jobs, interviews and training

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Andy Burnham says closer ties with EU would boost Scots businesses and grow U...
12 Oct 2026 at 4:12pm
The Prime Minister told MPs that rules imposed as a result of Brexit currently cost £100m a year in lost Scottish salmon exports.

Hundreds of Scots children 'growing up homeless' after spending years in temp...
12 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The SNP Government declared a national housing emergency in May 2024 but the number of children living in temporary accommodation has since increased.

Powers must be devolved out of Holyrood to supercharge Scots towns and cities
12 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Writing in his regular column for the Record, the Scottish Labour leader says power should be pushed out of Edinburgh and back to local communities.

Former Labour minister who lost son to overdose cried listening to SNP drug d...
11 Oct 2026 at 11:25am
Shocking figures published last month showed 1133 people lost their lives in 2025, an 11 per cent rise on the previous year?s total of 1017 and the worst death rate in Europe.

John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon 'still friends' despite criticism of SNP ele...
11 Oct 2026 at 10:11am
The First Minister said he last spoke to his predecessor "over the summer" after she accused him of running a campaign that lacked "vision" and "big picture thinking".

Alex Salmond sex abuse accuser benefited from nearly £100k of public money af...
11 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
The woman told a court she felt "hunted" by Salmond, who she claimed "pounced on her" in Bute House in 2014.

John Swinney urged to drop 'hokey cokey' approach to public sector reform and...
10 Oct 2026 at 10:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Scotland's most senior trade unionist said workers shouldn't be blamed for a £5 billion blackhole in the SNP Government's finances.

How Margaret Thatcher pioneered 'brute force' tactics to crush unions at Lana...
10 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
A new book by a Glasgow-based historian asks how the working class has been pushed from the centre of political life to its margins.

Lib Dems to oppose John Swinney's 'extreme' plans to merge councils across Sc...
9 Oct 2026 at 1:55pm
EXCLUSIVE: Alex Cole-Hamilton told the Record the country did not need more council areas so large they could be seen from space.

Green MSP Q Manivannan allowed to continue working in UK after visa extended
9 Oct 2026 at 12:45pm
Manivannan, who has described themselves as a ?queer Tamil immigrant?, said: ?This is my home and I?m not going anywhere.?

The National

The National | Politics

Glasgow protesters condemn far-right 'weaponisation' of sexual violence
12 Oct 2026 at 7:58pm

PROTESTERS gathered in Glasgow city centre on Monday evening to condemn violence against women and girls and its "weaponisation" by the far right.

Values the United States once proudly defended are being cast aside
12 Oct 2026 at 7:42pm

WHAT has happened to the country that once claimed to be the world?s moral compass? The prospect of America livestreaming an execution by firing squad is a chilling reminder of how far a nation that once championed freedom, democracy and human rights has fallen.

Andy Burnham fails to call out Manchester City owner 'linked to genocidal mil...
12 Oct 2026 at 5:44pm

ANDY Burnham failed to call out the owner of Manchester City?s alleged role in ?the genocide, famine and forced displacements happening across Sudan? after a challenge from an MP

Reform's asylum plans branded 'morally bankrumpt' but could Scotland stop them?
12 Oct 2026 at 5:24pm

REFORM says they'd void all asylum applications and deport "new and current applicants" if Farage came to power. But what would this mean for Scotland, and do we have any say?

SNP in ?blatant Israel boycott breach? over millions for IDF-linked US firm
12 Oct 2026 at 5:00pm

THE Scottish Government has been accused of a ?blatant breach? of its own Israel boycott pledge after millions of pounds in public funding was announced for an Israel-linked US company ...

Drumcree residents lose latest court battle as judges reject Garvaghy Road ch...
12 Oct 2026 at 4:21pm

RESIDENTS opposed to a contentious Orange Order parade route in Portadown have lost their latest bid to challenge the decision to allow it

Gordon Brown 'attended exorcism to help Raith Rovers sign player' while in go...
12 Oct 2026 at 4:06pm

GORDON Brown attended an ?exorcism? in an effort to help Raith Rovers sign a player, according to a former Scotland manager ...

Could Manchester City scandal threaten Andy Burnham as questions mount?
12 Oct 2026 at 3:38pm

ANDY Burnham is facing growing scrutiny around his relationship with Manchester City after the club was found guilty of breaking a host of financial rules.

Andy Burnham pulled up on 'wee bit cheeky' Scottish independence stance
12 Oct 2026 at 3:38pm

ANDY Burnham has been warned that his stance against indyref2 is ?a wee bit cheeky? after he said the UK public would be ?the boss? as he sought to get a closer relationship with the EU

Tory policies are at the root of UK?s lack of food and energy security
12 Oct 2026 at 3:00pm

THE so-called Britannia Shield seems to come from the Tory Project Fear playbook and looks designed to put more taxpayers? money into the coffers of their pals in weapons companies while completely missing the point on our real defence requirements.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

John Swinney will not be investigated over claims he misled parliament with p...
12 Oct 2026 at 4:49pm
The first minister said independent advisers had decided that "no investigation is required"

John Swinney urged to condemn Ross Greer remarks on Zionism
8 Oct 2026 at 6:00pm
Malcolm Offord said the comments were "blatantly antisemitic", while the FM accused Reform of "bringing racism into the chamber"

More than 2,000 objections to plans for ?world?s largest? data centre
7 Oct 2026 at 3:25pm
Locals are concerned about the environmental impact of the project at an old nuclear power plant

Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer says 'Zionism is racism'
6 Oct 2026 at 6:20pm
Scottish Greens co-leader describes the creation of the state of Israel as an 'act of ethnic cleansing'

Scottish civil servants required to work two days a week in the office, accor...
6 Oct 2026 at 6:20pm
Civil servants will be required to use a new self-reporting tool to record where they are working from

John Swinney: 'I've nothing to explain to parliament' over pension comments
5 Oct 2026 at 4:09pm
John Swinney has been called on to "correct the record" and accused of "peddling misinformation" over his reaction to the comments made about the scrapping of the triple lock

Charity warns of ?increasing disconnect? over Scottish Government poverty action
5 Oct 2026 at 8:16am
JRF calls for 'radical action' for children

John Swinney accused of ?misrepresenting? Andy Burnham?s plans on pensions
1 Oct 2026 at 6:00pm
The first minister said pensions were 'under attack' as a result of the decision to scrap the triple lock

John Swinney: Jagtar Singh Johal release is a ?significant step?
1 Oct 2026 at 5:33pm
Death penalty threat remains despite bail, family warns

Monica Lennon says bullying claims are 'a work of fiction'
1 Oct 2026 at 1:05pm
Lennon is reported to have been accused of bullying by a number of former members of staff

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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...

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

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

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

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

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

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

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 …

Labour?s gone from jam tomorrow to maybe jam eventually
5 Oct 2026 at 9:43am
One of the key promises of the Labour party in Scotland during the 2024 Westminster general election campaign was that a vote for Labour was a vote to save the jobs of the workers at the Grangemouth refinery which at that time was threatened with closure. As we all know, the refinery closed despite Labour’s …

Burnham pensions off two Better Together arguments
2 Oct 2026 at 12:41pm
One of the ways in which the Better Together campaign won the referendum in 2014 was to successfully scaremonger Scotland’s pensioners into believing that their state pensions would not be safe in an independent Scotland and that Scotland’s pensioners needed Westminster to guarantee their meagre state pensions. There were even disgraceful reports of Better Together …

Hysterical history revisited
1 Oct 2026 at 1:09pm
This is a revised version of a piece first published on this blog way back in April 2014, but I’ve republished it as it has become relevant again. Former Tory MP and erstwhile Conservative leadership candidate Rory Stewart’s unionist propaganda thinly disguised as a BBC history documentary, broadcast back in March and April 2014 during …

Burnham?s crude emotional manipulation reveals the poverty of Westminster?s case
30 Sep 2026 at 3:50pm
The only living politician mentioned by Andy Burnham during his jam tomorrow speech to the Labour party conference was John Swinney, and that was only in order to take a nasty, underhanded and emotionally manipulative dig at the First Minister in which Burnham linked the ‘hurt’ he’d felt at John Swinney calling him the last …

Hopey change and changey hope: Burnham?s conference speech
29 Sep 2026 at 3:35pm
Andy Burnham has given his first speech to the Labour party conference as Prime Minister. The speech was a whole lot of jam tomorrow, hopey change and changey hope. The only real difference from Starmer is the mood music, the substance remains much the same. Good vibes but little in the way of a concrete …

The threat to Scotland from the British far right remains urgent
28 Sep 2026 at 6:14pm
I’m still struggling to walk following the recent fall and have developed a massive bruise on my left leg. Due to the pain I’m not sleeping well, but things are definitely going in the right direction. It’s the Labour party conference this week. Delegates are basking in the relief that comes from having rid themselves …

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

As 5 000 offenders in England run tag-less and un-monitored, BBC Scotland Dis...
12 Oct 2026 at 5:34pm
In the Guardian today: More than 5,000 offenders went unmonitored in the first half of the year because probation staff failed to install electronic tags, while 1,600 tags had no signal for more than two weeks due to faults, a report has found. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/12/failure-fit-tags-offenders-unmonitored-england-wales Imagine even one offender went tag-less in Scotland...

It is entirely legal for the SNP to refuse to host groups whose views conflic...
12 Oct 2026 at 5:33pm
In the Herald today, the above and: This is nonsense, the Herald knows it’s nonsense and so will the SNP’s advisers. Parties retain substantial control over their own conferences, agendas, and who they platform. Fringe events are typically subject to approval and are not the same as membership rights. Political parties are expressive associations. They control their own conferences, agendas, an...

?England?s Atrocity? hanging petty thieves and children ? Scotland historical...
12 Oct 2026 at 5:31pm
Mark Smith, today, once more revealing his little knowledge of Scotland, tries to drag us into the wider world of state brutality, as the US plans a public execution by firing squad, with ill-researched work on the history of capital punishment in Scotland and in the wider UK. He quickly tells us of Scotland’s last hanging in 1963: but ignores this key information: Scotland historically applied...

As NHS England?s Fonagy review into mental health support reveals a ?dire lac...
12 Oct 2026 at 10:47am
In the Guardian today, we hear of  ‘an inquiry into England?s ever-extending waiting lists for the diagnosis of mental illness and neurodevelopmental conditions, and the dire lack of support for people who experience one or both of them.’ BBC Scotland relies on another RCEM Scotland claim that A&E doctors are ‘completely terrified‘ in Scotland yet not so in England where the more than 12 hour w...

England looks like ?Fly-tipping capital of Europe? with only half the level o...
12 Oct 2026 at 9:19am
On BBC Breakfast this morning and reported across their regional websites, England’s fly-tipping crisis returns to MSM. As recently as August this year, we had this kind of thing: On further investigation of the issue across the EU, England stands out for the volume and granularity of reported small-scale incidents and the public/media attention they receive but higher reported figures in Engla...

?Troubled?, not so ?ageing? Arran ferry?s ?faults? started when the contract ...
11 Oct 2026 at 6:35pm
In the Scotsman, two days ago, the above and: A CalMac ferry which returned to service a year ago after 20 months of repairs that cost £11 million is to be retired, the operator has announced. Caledonian Isles, which sails on one of CalMac?s busiest routes, is due to end its 34-year career in February as part of the replacement of three of ageing large ferries with brand new vessels. The 1,000-...

Why does the Royal College of Emergency Medicine avoid comparisons with Scotl...
11 Oct 2026 at 5:36pm
By stewartb When reading across the press statements that the RCEM makes regularly on the waiting times performances of the NHS in England, the north of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, it is rare to find it refer directly to between nation comparisons. In particular, the longstanding better performance of NHS Scotland tends not to be acknowledged although clearly evident in time series graphs tuck...

As long waits triggering corridor care surge to twice the Scottish rate in En...
11 Oct 2026 at 2:16pm
From BBC Scotland today, based on the RCEM union convener in Scotland: A leading emergency doctor has said she is “completely terrified” about upcoming winter pressures on Scotland’s already-stretched NHS. Dr Fiona Hunter, vice chair of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland, said A&E departments were providing “unsafe” levels of care, with some patients spending 72 hours on trolleys ...

LATEST ? England?s paedophile nursery crisis was averted in Scotland by Alex ...
11 Oct 2026 at 1:40pm
In the Guardian yesterday, the above and: A paedophile nursery worker was cleared by an investigation overseen by a local authority three years before he was arrested. In February, Vincent Chan was jailed after pleading guilty to 56 offences, including assault by penetration on three-year-old girls in his care at a Bright Horizons nursery on Finchley Road in north-west London. After his convict...

SNP faces zero backlash when very few will even notice this ant-abortion grou...
11 Oct 2026 at 1:24pm
In the National today, the above: SNP leaders are facing a backlash from their own members after allowing an anti-abortion group to host a fringe event at the party conference. Women for Independence (WFI) have organised a petition calling on the SNP leadership to step in to cancel the SPUC event. It is understood that, within two hours of launching, the WFI campaign had garnered support from m...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which i...
8 Oct 2026 at 4:09pm
Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?  The Conversation

Push for independence has 'turned a corner', Swinney claims - The Herald
12 Oct 2026 at 7:11am
Push for independence has 'turned a corner', Swinney claims  The Herald

Outrage as AI data centre planned for First War of Scottish Independence batt...
12 Oct 2026 at 6:15pm
Outrage as AI data centre planned for First War of Scottish Independence battle site  The National Scot

Scottish independence push has ?turned a corner?, Swinney claims - The Indepe...
12 Oct 2026 at 12:01am
Scottish independence push has ?turned a corner?, Swinney claims  The Independent

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

John Swinney claims the push for Scottish Independence has 'turned a corner' ...
12 Oct 2026 at 3:00am
John Swinney claims the push for Scottish Independence has 'turned a corner'  The Scotsman

Reform MSPs walk out of parliament in protest against independence debate - BBC
22 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Reform MSPs walk out of parliament in protest against independence debate  BBC

Push for Scottish independence has ?turned a corner? says Swinney - Morning S...
8 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Push for Scottish independence has ?turned a corner? says Swinney  Morning Star | The People?s Daily

Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leade...
22 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra says  BBC

Greens demand Findlay come clean on devolution policy chaos - Scottish Greens
7 Oct 2026 at 1:20pm
Greens demand Findlay come clean on devolution policy chaos  Scottish Greens

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Catholic Parliamentary Office warns SNP ban could cast pastoral care as suspe...
12 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
Catholic Parliamentary Office warns SNP ban could cast pastoral care as suspect  The Catholic Herald

Andy Burnham to visit Scotland in the middle of SNP?s conference - The Times
12 Oct 2026 at 7:25pm
Andy Burnham to visit Scotland in the middle of SNP?s conference  The Times

What are the SNP thinking giving the Scottish Greens an indyref2 platform? - ...
12 Oct 2026 at 5:21pm
What are the SNP thinking giving the Scottish Greens an indyref2 platform?  The Herald

SNP will push Andy Burnham after downplaying Russian Brexit interference - Th...
12 Oct 2026 at 6:32pm
SNP will push Andy Burnham after downplaying Russian Brexit interference  The National Scot

SNP ?shortchanging? communities by £2 billion with decade of council cuts, sa...
12 Oct 2026 at 12:05am
SNP ?shortchanging? communities by £2 billion with decade of council cuts, says Labour  Morning Star | The People?s Daily

NanoTS: a deep learning tool for accurate SNP calling in nanopore long-read t...
22 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
NanoTS: a deep learning tool for accurate SNP calling in nanopore long-read transcriptome data  Nature

Proposed SNP conversion therapy ban could 'weaken trust' within the home - ww...
10 Oct 2026 at 11:29am
Proposed SNP conversion therapy ban could 'weaken trust' within the home  www.christiantoday.com

Swinney must block Greens from SNP conference over ?ugly antisemitism? ? Find...
12 Oct 2026 at 6:29pm
Swinney must block Greens from SNP conference over ?ugly antisemitism? ? Findlay  London Evening Standard

SNP facing legal action for cancelling controversial abortion fringe event - ...
12 Oct 2026 at 10:30am
SNP facing legal action for cancelling controversial abortion fringe event  The Herald

SNP in ?blatant Israel boycott breach? over millions for IDF-linked US firm -...
12 Oct 2026 at 5:44pm
SNP in ?blatant Israel boycott breach? over millions for IDF-linked US firm  The National Scot

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which i...
8 Oct 2026 at 4:09pm
Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?  The Conversation

Push for independence has 'turned a corner', Swinney claims - The Herald
12 Oct 2026 at 7:11am
Push for independence has 'turned a corner', Swinney claims  The Herald

Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leade...
22 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra says  BBC

Scottish independence push has ?turned a corner?, Swinney claims - The Indepe...
12 Oct 2026 at 12:01am
Scottish independence push has ?turned a corner?, Swinney claims  The Independent

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

John Swinney aiming for independence referendum by 2031 - BBC
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
John Swinney aiming for independence referendum by 2031  BBC

Push for Scottish independence has ?turned a corner? says Swinney - Morning S...
8 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Push for Scottish independence has ?turned a corner? says Swinney  Morning Star | The People?s Daily

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

SNP MP Lara Bird outs UK comedian as 'secretly pro-Scottish independence' - T...
10 Oct 2026 at 11:49am
SNP MP Lara Bird outs UK comedian as 'secretly pro-Scottish independence'  The National Scot

Edinburgh councillor calls for referendum on major council boundary changes -...
12 Oct 2026 at 12:52pm
Edinburgh councillor calls for referendum on major council boundary changes  The Herald