The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Glasgow city leader lodges motion describing Reform as 'racist' and 'far-right'
15 May 2026 at 4:05pm
Glasgow city leader Susan Aitken refused to congratulate new Reform MSP Thomas Kerr as she lodged a motion describing his party as racist and far-right.


How 'disproportionate' voting system cost Reform a second Edinburgh MSP
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
15 May 2026 at 11:22am
Richard Wood, founder of Upgrade Holyrood, told The Herald that changes are needed to balance Scotland?s ?disproportionate? electoral system. 


Ming Yang eyes Spain after UK blocks Scottish turbine factory on security gro...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
15 May 2026 at 11:11am
Chinese wind turbine maker Ming Yang Smart Energy is looking at Spain after the UK Government blocked its £1.5bn Highlands factory over security concerns.


Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC tells First Minister she intends to stand down
by Lucinda Cameron
15 May 2026 at 8:43am
The Scottish Government said that Ms Bain has now indicated to First Minister John Swinney that she ?intends to leave office?


Hundreds of police complaints in Scotland still unresolved after 12 months
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
15 May 2026 at 6:00am
Almost 500 complaints made against police officers in Scotland more than a year ago have still not been resolved.


Highlands 'should have dedicated government minister' says Kate Forbes' succe...
by caroline.wilson@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Caroline Wilson
15 May 2026 at 5:30am
Andrew Baxter the new MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch also revealed what his predecessor Kate Forbes said to him after his election win.


Candidate for sex purchase ban commission chair withdrew over 'timescales'
15 May 2026 at 5:00am
A top candidate for chair of a new Scottish Government commission on the criminalisation of the purchase of sex pulled out of the selection process amid fears over the timetable for the work, documents reveal.


??Unspun: Election Briefing: Burning down the house
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
15 May 2026 at 8:00am
It looks as if the Prime Minister, the Labour Party and, well, the country at large will be spending the summer, at least, in a leadership battle.


The Herald announces winners of the Student Press Awards 2026
by craig.williams@newsquest.co.uk | Craig Williams
14 May 2026 at 11:00pm
The Herald Student Press Awards, in association with Weber Shandwick, returned for 2026, recognising the best journalistic talent in Scotland's universities and colleges.


Starmer's authority in tatters as Labour faces bitter and lengthy leadership ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
14 May 2026 at 7:01pm
Wes Streeting resigns with a scathing attack on Sir Keir Starmer as Andy Burnham moves to return to Westminster amid a deepening Labour leadership crisis.


??Unspun: Why Labour believes it needs a summer of talking about itself to it...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
14 May 2026 at 4:20pm
With the UK government completely stranded after a devastating set of election results, senior party figures argue that a high-stakes summer of intense, internal navel-gazing could be the only way to save the movement from collapse.


Wes Streeting quits as Health Secretary paving way for Labour leadership contest
14 May 2026 at 1:04pm
In a brutal resignation letter, Wes Streeting has accused Sir Keir Stamer of a lack of vision and drift and a "heavy-handed approach to dissenting voices".


Who is Al Carns? The Aberdeen born commando running for the Labour leadership
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
14 May 2026 at 11:05am
Raised by a single mother in Heathryfold, Aberdeen, Defence Minister Al Carns has emerged as an early Labour leadership contender. The former special forces officer argues that Labour must reconnect with working people to survive.


Explainer: How is Holyrood's Presiding Officer elected?
14 May 2026 at 9:27am
MSPs will today elect Holyrood's new Presiding Officer with voting taking place in a secret ballot.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Edinburgh trams: Council reaches out-of-court settlement in its case against...
15 May 2026 at 9:55am

Council investigation into its own role in tram project finds ?organisational incompetence?

The Highland, lowlands, the islands and beyond were all linguistically represented on the first day of Holyrood

The PM has stayed on his feet, but Burnham could land the knock-out blow.

First Minister John Swinney is searching for a new Lord Advocate

Josh Simons has said he will stand down as MP for Makerfield to allow the Greater Manchester Mayor into Parliament

The Scottish Greens say Q Manivannan has been subjected to high levels of abuse in the days after being elected

Kenny Gibson is the new presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament after winning a vote of MSPs.

The Prime Minister continues to fight for his position as a leadership bid looms on the horizon.

Wings over Scotland

The Broken Rainbow
13 May 2026 at 2:04pm
The image below is a graph illustrating how many seats each party won in last week’s supposedly “proportional” Scottish Parliament election, compared to how many they would have won if the electoral system had been actually proportional. The SNP and Greens are now over-represented by 37% and 50% respectively, while the Unionist parties are all …

The Hills Of Far Away
12 May 2026 at 10:01am
Anyone seeking to make a compelling argument for the proposition that Scotland’s politicians and lawmakers are simply too farcically incompetent to ever be trusted with running an independent country had a gift-wrapped Godsend delivered to them last week by the idiot student children of Edinburgh. But we can’t really put the blame on the colourfully-haired, …

And Nothing Happened Forever
9 May 2026 at 3:22am
Well, we told you so. We told you in March (and indeed long before then) that the 2026 Holyrood election was a giant waste of time and money that would deliver exactly the same useless Parliament we already had, and so it proved. The SNP ended up giving half-a-dozen seats to the Greens, Labour donated …

Pick Your Poison
7 May 2026 at 12:43am
At the end of last year we noted the unusual and persistent levels of divergence in Scottish political polling. As polls have become much more frequent during the election campaign, nothing about that has changed. The final polls, published yesterday, are so far apart from each other that they tell us basically zip. Analysing this …

The value bet
6 May 2026 at 4:25pm
To pass the time on (praise be to Baby Jeebus) the last day of the Holyrood election campaign, we thought we’d do a catch-up summary of all the seat projections we could find from last month and this month. Here it is. Now, as it happens we think the potential seat ranges are significantly wider. …

Anas Sarwar is a winner
6 May 2026 at 3:14am
Specifically, of the Single Most Toe-Curlingly, Face-Palmingly Cretinous Thing Said In The 2026 Holyrood Election Campaign, And Possibly Any Election Ever, Prize. We mean, wow. We could easily write a 1000-word article purely on the top 10 things that are fatuously, obviously idiotic about those three short sentences, and so could you. So imagine how …

Binfire Of The Vanities
4 May 2026 at 3:52pm
For a nation that prides itself on hating the Tories, this is very odd. And if you don’t see how, let us illustrate. If you simply combined the Tory and Reform votes from the latest poll, the election would be on a knife-edge, with the right-wing alliance just three points behind the SNP on the …

Seven Days Too Long
30 Apr 2026 at 1:57pm
It’s nearly over, readers. Just one more week of this to endure. The most miserable Holyrood election campaign of all time will end next Thursday with an election which will deliver Scotland’s most miserable devolved government of all time. Only the exact form, colour and shape of the misery remains to be determined. So as …

Push The Button
25 Apr 2026 at 12:43pm
We’ve been thinking about this all morning, readers. To the point where we’d vote for any party pledging to implement it at once. It’s the best such moral-dilemma question we’ve ever seen, and the absolute key to the state of humankind as a species. It’s a near-perfect practical illustration of the concept of “suicidal empathy”, …

How To Get Away With Crimes
22 Apr 2026 at 6:03pm
After many years of vindictively, vexatiously and maliciously plaguing innocent people, it seemed in February this year that disgraced and deranged former policeman Lynsay Watson‘s campaign of terror might be finally beginning to draw to a close. ? Attending the Civic Justice Centre in Manchester as part of an ongoing attempt to persecute the feminist …

Craig Murray

Dr Manivannan
14 May 2026 at 6:00pm

The furore around the election of Dr Manivannan to the Scottish Parliament is deeply troubling. There is no argument whatsoever that they were eligible to stand for election. The law was changed specifically in order for those on temporary visas to be able to stand in Scottish parliamentary elections. I confess I am not sure …

Dr Manivannan

URGENT FILTON TRIAL UPDATE
13 May 2026 at 6:03am

While the Court of Appeal has now stopped the High Court contempt of court action against Rajiv Menon KC for defending his client, this is purely on procedural grounds. They ruled that Judge Johnson had to go via the Attorney General to the High Court, not direct. It is now referred back to Johnson who …

URGENT FILTON TRIAL UPDATE

Zionism Has Poisoned the UK?s Central Nervous System
11 May 2026 at 7:32pm

Unquestioning Zionism has for decades been the entry ticket to the British political and media Establishment. Anybody who was not a fully certified and compliant zionist would find their career limited – as Jeremy Corbyn, Alan Duncan, Robin Cook and David Mellor all found. Most others, of course, were never allowed to progress that far. …

Zionism Has Poisoned the UK’s Central Nervous System

The 2026 Scottish Elections
6 May 2026 at 5:40pm

We get so trapped inside the logic of the UK’s crazy electoral systems we often do not see what is really happening. Two thirds of active voters, voted against Starmer’s Labour at the last general election. He was always highly unpopular. Just as Starmer’s landslide victory in the 2024 general election was based on only …

The 2026 Scottish Elections

The Morass of Injustice
2 May 2026 at 11:24am

A vast cloying morass of injustice has visibly submerged the British legal systems in anything connected to Palestine. In a quite incredible series of linked and kinked events this week, the senior KC representing one of the Palestine Action activists in the Filton trial was in the Court of Appeal arguing against being found in …

The Morass of Injustice

An Inspiring Story
21 Apr 2026 at 7:54am

In 2018, at the height of the economic crisis in Venezuela through crippling sanctions, Kellogg’s announced the overnight closure of their Maracay factory with hundreds of redundancies – and massive knock-on effects in the local community. The workers refused to accept the closure and, with government assistance, restarted the factory. It is still running eight …

An Inspiring Story

BBC Scotland

Scotland's top law officer Dorothy Bain to step down
15 May 2026 at 9:46am
The lord advocate leads the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and also acts as chief legal adviser to the Scottish government.

How holding the UK together became part of Labour's power struggle
15 May 2026 at 11:55am
The leadership drama at Westminster has implications that reach into the UK's home nations.

Potholes compensation: How much is your council paying out?
15 May 2026 at 6:44am
Scottish councils paid out more than £2m to drivers for pothole-inflicted vehicle damage over the past five years, a BBC investigation has found.

MSPs sworn in at Holyrood before electing new presiding officer
14 May 2026 at 7:54pm
Kenneth Gibson has seen off competition from two party rivals and Lib Dem Liam McArthur to land the job.

Starmer agrees to meet Swinney in face-to face meeting
12 May 2026 at 11:30pm
Swinney says the meeting will discuss the constitution but Sir Keir says it is just to talk about "shared issues".

Expert calls for safety review at Scotland's troubled superhospital
13 May 2026 at 6:10am
Andrew Poplett says it is "incredibly difficult" to say whether the hospital is safe or unsafe for all patients.

Why is there a row about an MSP's immigration status?
13 May 2026 at 5:51pm
Q Manivannan, originally from India, is on a student visa which is due to expire at the end of the year.

Teachers defend Higher Maths exam as pupils criticise questions
13 May 2026 at 6:11am
Pupils told the BBC that the wording of the questions was confusing so they did not know what was being asked.

Inquiry launched into Scottish Youth Parliament after former chairman jailed
12 May 2026 at 1:13pm
Jordan Linden carried out some of his crimes while he was the parliament's chairman between 2015 and 2016.

SNP elects Dave Doogan as new Westminster leader
12 May 2026 at 10:50am
Doogan will lead the SNP's group of MPs after Stephen Flynn was elected to the Scottish Parliament.

Holyrood leaders 'childish' for excluding Reform, MSP says
11 May 2026 at 4:49pm
Helen McDade, one of Reform's 17 new MSPs, has called for other parties to stop "posturing".

Greens say fringe party cost them Holyrood seat by 'confusing' voters
11 May 2026 at 8:38pm
The party claims that Independent Green Voice tricked voters by using a similar name and logo.

Scot Goes Pop

It's all or nothing for Andy Burnham - the by-election of the century will ta...
15 May 2026 at 1:32pm
Catch up with Wednesday night's blogpost: "S*** just got real, lads. The famously always wrong blogger "Stew", who said there was "zero chance, barring nuclear war or an alien invasion" of the Holy...

Two crucial Scottish parliamentary by-elections have been triggered - one sho...
14 May 2026 at 4:22pm
So the moment that couldn't be avoided has now arrived: Reform UK have, at least for the time being, overtaken the SNP as the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons due to Stephen Flynn and S...

The Scot Goes Pop fundraiser: time to aim for a rocket boost
14 May 2026 at 3:23pm
So I just thought I'd put this post up to try to give another little boost to the ongoing Scot Goes Pop fundraiser, and I'll probably keep it pinned second from top on the blog over the coming few ...

The BBC's sly defence of Israel's Eurovision participation is profoundly cyni...
14 May 2026 at 12:22pm
*  *  *If you enjoyed Scot Goes Pop's 2026 election coverage so much that you started to feel an inexplicable urge to buy me a hot chocolate or a ham-and-cheese toastie, donations are very welcome....

S*** just got real, lads. The famously always wrong blogger "Stew", who said...
13 May 2026 at 8:10pm
One of the most important truths about life, which has been passed down from father to son and from mother to daughter over the centuries, is that you always know you've succeeded in getting right ...

Wes Streeting makes his move - but the soft left should be able to block his ...
13 May 2026 at 2:17pm
*  *  *If you enjoyed Scot Goes Pop's 2026 election coverage so much that you started to feel an inexplicable urge to buy me a hot chocolate or a ham-and-cheese toastie, donations are very welcome....

If a Section 30 order is refused for the umpteenth time, there must be no fur...
13 May 2026 at 8:16am
I keep wondering what effect the Labour leadership crisis, immensely entertaining though it is, is having on Scottish public opinion.  The general rule of thumb is that the public will not vote for...

Post-election GB-wide poll shows Labour slumping to joint third place with th...
12 May 2026 at 12:30pm
On some measures, Reform UK actually had a poor result last Thursday.  In the English local elections, their showing in the projected national vote share dipped quite sharply from 30% last year to ...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain tells First Minister John Swinney she intends to s...
15 May 2026 at 8:55am
Dorothy Bain came under fire earlier this year after it emerged she told John Swinney of the charges against Peter Murrell before they were made public

MP quits to make way for Burnham to return to Parliament and challenge Starmer
14 May 2026 at 5:59pm
Josh Simons said he was standing down so the Mayor of Greater Manchester can 'drive the change our country is crying out for'

SNP?s Kenneth Gibson voted in as Scottish Parliament?s new presiding officer
14 May 2026 at 5:05pm
Gibson saw off challenges from fellow MSPs Liam McArthur, Stuart McMillan and Clare Haughey

Wes Streeting resigns as health secretary as pressure on Prime Minister Keir ...
14 May 2026 at 1:14pm
Streeting said in his resignation that it has become 'clear' that Starmer will not lead the party into the next general election

MSPs sworn in at Holyrood for new Scottish Parliament term
14 May 2026 at 12:58pm
SNP leader John Swinney was the first of 129 MSPs to take the oath in a ceremony at the Scottish Parliament

Ex-Aberdeen and Angus SNP MPs Stephen Flynn and Stephen Gethins hit out at We...
14 May 2026 at 12:23pm
The former SNP MPs have been elected to the Scottish Parliament after last week?s election.

Swinney to discuss independence referendum with Starmer in bid to end ?stalem...
13 May 2026 at 6:33pm
Swinney has said he will discuss the cost of living concerns during the face-to-face meeting

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage faces parliamentary watchdog investigation over...
13 May 2026 at 1:04pm
Farage received the undeclared gift from Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne in 2024

SNP seeks to force vote on Keir Starmer?s future
13 May 2026 at 10:57am
New SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan said the 'leadership circus can?t go on any longer'.

Wes Streeting visits Keir Starmer at Number 10 for crunch talks as unions pul...
13 May 2026 at 9:02am
The health secretary visited the Prime Minister for less than 20 minutes on Wednesday morning

Second IndyRef on agenda in upcoming meeting between First and Prime Ministers
13 May 2026 at 6:59am
The meeting was agreed during a phone call on Tuesday evening.

Sir Keir Starmer vows to fight on as Prime Minister, so what happens next?
12 May 2026 at 2:07pm
At least 81 out of Labour?s 403 MPs have now demanded Starmer's departure after the party?s electoral mauling last week.

SNP announces Dave Doogan as new Westminster leader as Stephen Flynn elected ...
12 May 2026 at 11:46am
Dave Doogan was unanimously elected by MPs to lead the group in London

Cabinet ministers back Keir Starmer after he vows to fight on
12 May 2026 at 9:29am
Some 72 of Labour?s 403 MPs have so far called for the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for his resignation.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Anas Sarwar faces showdown at Scottish Labour summit after Holyrood election ...
15 May 2026 at 5:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says Saturday's meeting of Labour's Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) could be awkward for Anas Sarwar and Jackie Baillie

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain to 'stand down' after row on Peter Murrell crimina...
15 May 2026 at 8:14am
Dorothy Bain is reportedly moving on after five years in the job.

Andy Burnham confirms bid for Parliament return - but hurdles still remain
14 May 2026 at 6:36pm
Former Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons said the Greater Manchester Mayor is the right man to "drive the change our country is crying out for" .

5 new MSPs who could 'shake up' the Scottish Parliament with promises to make...
14 May 2026 at 5:00pm
There are 64 new MSPs entering the Scottish Parliament for the first time following the 2026 election. The Record has picked out five worth looking out for.

SNP veteran Kenny Gibson pledges to make Holyrood 'less dull' after being ele...
14 May 2026 at 4:05pm
The former councillor for the Mosspark ward in Glasgow has now risen to become the figurehead for the Scottish Parliament.

SNP faces two tricky by-elections in north-east with future of North Sea oil ...
14 May 2026 at 1:55pm
Stephen Flynn and Stephen Gethins have both resigned their seats in the Commons after being elected to the Scottish Parliament.

Wes Streeting resigns as Health Secretary to force leadership contest against...
14 May 2026 at 1:07pm
The senior Labour MP said it was "clear" Starmer could not lead Labour into the next general election.

No royal pardon for Starmer as King's Speech does nothing to shore up authority
14 May 2026 at 4:30am
Record View says Starmer?s time as PM appears to be up ? but if Labour is to survive as a serious party it needs a plan and a leader that inspires confidence.

How a Labour Government led by Wes Streeting would impact on Scotland
13 May 2026 at 5:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says the Health Secretary is right to go early if he wants to topple Keir Starmer.

Keir Starmer ignores Donald Trump as UK Government set to legally ban new Nor...
13 May 2026 at 1:50pm
Labour's 2024 general election manifesto included a commitment to ban all new exploration in the North Sea.

The National

The National | Politics

Green grandee Caroline Lucas calls on party to help Andy Burnham into No 10
15 May 2026 at 3:42pm

GREEN trailblazer Caroline Lucas has urged her party to help clear the path for Andy Burnham to become the next prime minister.

Benjamin Netanyahu threatens to sue New York Times over Israeli soldier rape ...
15 May 2026 at 3:09pm

BENJAMIN Netanyahu has threatened the ?harshest legal action? against a major US newspaper for detailing allegations that Palestinians were raped in Israeli military prisons

The Unionist press is quite content to see Scotland held back
15 May 2026 at 3:00pm

I PROMISED we would leave Scotland if the donkey?s ass Sarwar became First Minister and meant it, as I simply couldn?t put my family through that nightmare experience.

What could Andy Burnham's return to Westminster mean for Scotland?
15 May 2026 at 1:51pm

WHAT would Andy Burnham's return to Westminster mean for Scotland?

Does Andy Burnham's leadership bid mean we will have a General Election?
15 May 2026 at 1:43pm

ANDY Burnham has fired the starting gun on his bid to become Labour leader, but does his story end in a General Election?

Humza Yousaf slams 'shameful' abuse towards Green MSP amid security concerns
15 May 2026 at 1:14pm

HUMZA Yousaf has branded those who have led a ?pile on? towards a trans Green MSP as ?shameful,? after they had to be escorted through Scottish Parliament by security guards following days of abuse after their election ...

Newspaper hits back after Nigel Farage's 'safety' fears over photographer
15 May 2026 at 1:13pm

A NEWSPAPER has said it is ?concerned? after Nigel Farage claimed that one of its photographers working outside his property made him concerned for his safety.

If being an MSP is not defined as 'work', why are they paid salaries?
15 May 2026 at 12:00pm

MAY I please use your columns to ask your readers (most of whom, I assume, want an independent Scotland) how they would feel if that independent Scotland was partly governed by 56 foreign students whose visas had expired?

Keir Starmer equates pro-Palestine march with Tommy Robinson rally in police ...
15 May 2026 at 11:37am

KEIR Starmer has equated far-right thugs who will descend on London to support Tommy Robinson with protesters who will also gather in the city to commemorate the Palestinian Nakba.

Scotland's Lord Advocate tells First Minister she will stand down
15 May 2026 at 8:39am

SCOTLAND'S Lord Advocate has informed the First Minister that she plans to step down from the role ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain to step down
15 May 2026 at 11:26am
Scotland's most senior law officer set to leave office

Kenneth Gibson elected Scottish Parliament presiding officer
14 May 2026 at 5:31pm
Gibson was elected after three rounds of voting, winning by 74 votes to Clare Haughey?s 54

Wes Streeting resigns from UK Government
14 May 2026 at 2:44pm
He is the first cabinet minister to resign since Labour suffered heavy defeats in the Scottish, Welsh, and English local elections

Wes Streeting resigns from government: Statement in full
14 May 2026 at 2:39pm
Wes Streeting has resigned as health secretary - read his statement in full

Swinney says food price cap plan won?t see costs passed onto farmers
14 May 2026 at 2:20pm
The SNP leader said the cost-of-living crisis would be top of his agenda as first minister

Whip Scottish MPs to vote down Starmer, SNP urges Anas Sarwar
14 May 2026 at 8:00am
Call to back amendment to King's Speech

Government rejects calls for new oil and gas licences in the North Sea
13 May 2026 at 5:33pm
Labour said the recent energy shock underlined the need to get off the ?fossil fuel rollercoaster?

Standards watchdog to probe Nigel Farage ?5m gift
13 May 2026 at 3:35pm
The Reform UK leader has argued it did not need to be declared

Online suicide forum provider fined ?950,000 for illegal content
13 May 2026 at 12:55pm
Firm failed to protect UK residents from harmful content, Ofcom says

SNP to bring no confidence motion in Keir Starmer at Westminster
13 May 2026 at 11:47am
Dave Doogan said his party would bring forward the motion as an amendment to the King?s Speech

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Starmer has ?full confidence? in Streeting despite health secretary?s allies ...
13 May 2026 at 6:00pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here:Streeting to resign and challenge Starmer, allies sayLibby Brooks is the Guardian?s Scotland correspondent.An odd dispute of interpretation has emerged overnight between the Scottish and UK governments. Yesterday evening a Scottish gov...

Streeting to meet Starmer on Wednesday as the prime minister defies calls to ...
12 May 2026 at 9:22pm
A number of Streeting?s allies resigned from their ministerial posts on Tuesday and called for Keir Starmer to quitStarmer tells cabinet he will not quit without leadership challengeHere are some pictures from No 10 this morning.Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the PM, is now being interviewe...

2026 UK elections: full results from local, Scottish and Welsh votes
12 May 2026 at 8:35am
From devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales to councils and mayoralties in England, find out what happened in your areaElections mapped: how Labour lost ground in different directions Continue reading...

2026 elections mapped: how Labour lost ground in different directions
11 May 2026 at 7:43am
Keir Starmer?s party lost out to Reform and the Greens, with no respite in Scotland, Wales or England. These maps show the scale of the historic resultsFull results from England, Scotland and WalesLabour has suffered heavy losses across England, Scotland and Wales, losing ground to opponents on t...

Minority groups brace for surge in racism after Reform UK election gains
11 May 2026 at 6:00am
Members of minority communities in Birmingham and elsewhere fear results could lead to rise in hostile rhetoricConceding defeat at the election count at Birmingham?s Utilita Arena on Friday, the outgoing Labour leader of the city council, John Cotton, made a plea. ?What I would encourage the next...

Angela Rayner calls blocking Andy Burnham?s return to parliament a mistake as...
10 May 2026 at 6:09pm
Catherine West issues ultimatum for PM as ex-minister Josh Simons joins calls for prime minister to quitAt the start of her programme Laura Kuenssberg addressed Catherine West and Bridget Phillipson who were sitting waiting for the main interviews.Kuenssberg told West she wanted a cabinet ministe...

Don?t let Farage and Reform divide us, Labour?s Sarwar urges Holyrood leaders
10 May 2026 at 1:30pm
Scottish Labour leader says he aims to hold SNP to account after his party tied for second with Reform in electionsThe Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, has warned other Scottish political leaders not to spend the next Holyrood parliament ?shouting about Nigel Farage?, saying his job is to ens...

Swinney keen to work with fellow nationalist devolved leaders in UK
9 May 2026 at 5:24pm
SNP leader wants to ensure voices of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ?are heard loud and clear?John Swinney has said he plans to work with the nationalist first ministers in Wales and Northern Ireland in a coordinated opposition to Labour?s policies on the cost of living and UK government sp...

The SNP may have won again but Scottish politics has been upended
9 May 2026 at 7:50am
Public frustration gave the SNP a muted victory, while Labour tied with Reform for second and the Greens claimed a ?seismic? resultLong before the final votes were counted in Scotland, veteran Labour politicians said it was a defeat made in Downing Street.When the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sar...

John Swinney urges Starmer to show Scotland ?greater respect? after SNP victory
9 May 2026 at 1:36am
Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, concedes his party was comprehensively beaten in election as count puts his party on 17 seats, a tie with ReformElection 2026 live: latest news updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesJohn Swinney, the Scottish National party leader, has challenged...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Labour?s rigged electoral system has bitten it on the bum
13 May 2026 at 3:51pm
Ever since the Holyrood election last week in which the SNP won a crushing victory over the dependency parties, those parties and their client media have been crowing that John Swinney must drop his “obsession” with independence because the SNP “failed” in the election and did not win an outright majority for the SNP. Alex …

John Swinney is right to lock out Reform
12 May 2026 at 3:02pm
It hasn’t even been a week since the Holyrood election which took the SNP to its record fifth election win in a row, securing more MSPs than all the anti-independence parties combined, and winning more seats than Labour ever has. The British parties and their friends in the press are getting their hysteria and outrage …

Labour and the British media, stuck in the first stages of grief
10 May 2026 at 7:37pm
They’re not taking it at all well are they. Ever since the SNP handsomely won the Holyrood election, for the fifth time in a row, winning more seats than all the branch office parties combined, and together with a record performance from the Scottish Greens, the two pro-independence secured the largest ever independence majority in …

Mission (almost) accomplished
9 May 2026 at 2:40pm
Originally I had intended to blog yesterday as the results came in, but they arrived later than I had expected and we did not have the certainty that the new Scottish Parliament would have a pro-independence majority until well into the evening. The final set of results, the allocation of list seats for the Highlands …

The British media is getting its excuses in early
6 May 2026 at 1:58pm
The British media in Scotland is getting its excuses in early. Gina Davidson, the Scotland political editor of LBC, wrote on social media that the SNP falling a couple of seats short of an absolute majority – based on the YouGov poll published the day before the election – would be a “poor result for …

Thomas Kerr, the Dumb Corleone of Scottish politics
5 May 2026 at 4:22pm
Reform’s opportunistic Thomas Kerr has completed his transformation from one nation liberal Tory to complete heid banging fascist. On Tuesday, Shettleston’s Dumb Corleone doubled down on his party’s exciting new election tactic of threatening the voters, proving that Reform UK struggles to grasp the difference between a democratic election and a protection racket. Kerr released …

Reform UK, the bastard offspring of Oswald Mosley and Coco the Clown
4 May 2026 at 5:17pm
  Reform has introduced a novel new campaigning tactic in the days leading up to the Holyrood election. Vote for us or we’ll put a concentration camp in your neighbourhood. It’s certainly a ‘bold’ move, but only if you define bold as utterly insane and disgustingly vile. On Monday Reform’s chairman Zia Yusuf, who is …

Shooting for the Moon on Thursday
3 May 2026 at 3:41pm
Shoot for the moon, as the saying goes, even if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars. With that in mind that’s what independence supporters need to do on Thursday. An opinion poll by the traditionally No-friendly Norstat for the Sunday Times records a whopping 55% Yes response. The media in Scotland have been very …

Whisky, Labour?s leadership, and polling, fingers crossed for a record pro-in...
2 May 2026 at 4:09pm
We’re on the home straight now for the Scottish election on Thursday, and we are well into that nail biting phase when things seem to be going well but we are always aware of the uncanny ability of Scots to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The overwhelmingly anti-independence British media in Scotland is …

George Monbiot is right, the Union has nothing good for Scotland
1 May 2026 at 3:03pm
In an interview with The National, environmental campaigner George Monbiot, perhaps the highest profile person on the English left to have come out in favour of Scottish independence during the 2014 independence referendum campaign, has said that there is “nothing in the Union” for Scotland. In 2014 independence campaigners constantly asked Better Together supporters for …

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

Reposted as Wes Streeting tries to base his leadership campaign on highly sel...
15 May 2026 at 12:45pm

News houses built in flood risk areas ? 1 in 9 in England but only 1 in 200 i...
15 May 2026 at 12:40pm
In the Guardian today, the above at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/video/2026/may/14/why-do-we-keep-building-on-land-at-risk-of-flooding The ‘one in nine’ reference reminded me: News houses built in flood risk areas ? 1 in 9 in England but only 1 in 200 in Scotland In February 2026, the Guardian had already covered this: One in nine new homes in England built between 2022 and 2024 were co...

Ayrshire MP backs leader candidate who pompously refused us a referendum, is ...
15 May 2026 at 10:48am
In his local Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald today, the above and: He insists the former health secretary already has the support of more than 81 Labour MPs – the number needed to back a single candidate to trigger a leadership contest against PM Keir Starmer. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s World at One, Mr Gemmell said: “It’s clear in conversations with MPs and with the unions that the party wants a...

Pothole damage pay-outs in Scotland ? researchers hide trend but Highland Cou...
15 May 2026 at 9:32am
for pothole damage over the last five years, a BBC investigation has found. Between 2020 and 2025, local authorities received more than 18 6000 claims but only around a quarter were successful. Highland Council paid out the most at almost £600 000, followed by Dumfries and Galloway with just over half a million pounds. Cosla which represents Scotland’s councils says intense funding pressure is ...

BBC Scotland mislead on the mental health waiting list for children and young...
15 May 2026 at 9:04am
mental health services. The scheme led by the University of Glasgow – is inspired by services in India and Uganda where members of the community are trained and supported by expert clinicians to provide assessments and treatments. It’s hoped the five-year project will highlight new and quicker ways to diagnose and treat mental health illnesses in young people. Public Health Scotland figures sho...

?This is disturbingly similar to what Donald Trump did earlier this year when...
14 May 2026 at 8:21pm
Thanks to Jim Draper alerting me to this. From the Canary factchecker today: The nuclear industry will become ?more dangerous? and regulation of the sector has been captured by ?vested interests,? campaigners and experts have told the Canary, after the Nuclear Regulation Bill was put forward in the 2026 King?s Speech. From CND: When you think of nuclear accidents like at Windscale in 1957, Cher...

County Lines ? National Police Chiefs? Council confirms exports of deadly dru...
14 May 2026 at 6:02pm

Rt Hon Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale?s thinktank tries to hide entirely En...
14 May 2026 at 1:31pm
Regulars here will recognise the rarely enlightening thinktank headed up by Lord McConnell, Chris Deerin and their totally non-academic, guide-leader, BBC average housewife interviewee, Research Director, Alison Payne. Today, they have the above and: The recent passage of a new criminal offence of cuckooing within the Crime and Policing Act marks a significant milestone after years of sustained...

Repeated as Guardian today typically misses an independent Scotland?s unique ...
14 May 2026 at 10:03am

Anas tried to be a real big tough guy ? Hard Rock version
14 May 2026 at 9:14am

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Starmer agrees to meet Swinney in face-to-face meeting - BBC
12 May 2026 at 11:30pm
Starmer agrees to meet Swinney in face-to-face meeting  BBC

Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum - ...
12 May 2026 at 1:00am
Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
1 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots? - France 24
27 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots?  France 24

Keir Starmer rolls back on independence referendum talks with John Swinney - ...
13 May 2026 at 8:04am
Keir Starmer rolls back on independence referendum talks with John Swinney  The National Scot

The question of Scottish independence is alive but not kicking - The Economist
30 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
The question of Scottish independence is alive but not kicking  The Economist

Swinney: election result shows 'urgent' need for Scottish independence - Sky ...
9 May 2026 at 3:43pm
Swinney: election result shows 'urgent' need for Scottish independence  Sky News

Why did 400,000 independence supporters abstain from voting? - The Times
13 May 2026 at 9:17pm
Why did 400,000 independence supporters abstain from voting?  The Times

Scotland Has More Pro-Independence MSPs Than Ever Before - Novara Media
12 May 2026 at 1:20pm
Scotland Has More Pro-Independence MSPs Than Ever Before  Novara Media

David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit - Britannica
12 May 2026 at 6:00am
David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit  Britannica

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

MSPs are sworn in and elect SNP's Kenneth Gibson as presiding officer - BBC
14 May 2026 at 7:54pm
MSPs are sworn in and elect SNP's Kenneth Gibson as presiding officer  BBC

Labour has not learned lessons of defeat in Scotland ? SNP Westminster leader...
15 May 2026 at 12:04am
Labour has not learned lessons of defeat in Scotland ? SNP Westminster leader  The Herald

John Swinney urges Starmer to show Scotland ?greater respect? after SNP victo...
8 May 2026 at 3:15pm
John Swinney urges Starmer to show Scotland ?greater respect? after SNP victory | Scottish politics  The Guardian

Final YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election shows the SNP falling short of...
6 May 2026 at 8:00am
Final YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election shows the SNP falling short of a majority  YouGov

The results are in ? general election 2026 - SPICe Spotlight
9 May 2026 at 9:36am
The results are in ? general election 2026  SPICe Spotlight

SNP is Scotland's biggest winner with pressure for independence vote likely t...
9 May 2026 at 11:18am
SNP is Scotland's biggest winner with pressure for independence vote likely to follow  Sky News

More in Common Final Holyrood MRP - More in Common UK
4 May 2026 at 8:00am
More in Common Final Holyrood MRP  More in Common UK

SNP on track for majority ? and fresh referendum on breaking up the UK - The ...
15 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
SNP on track for majority ? and fresh referendum on breaking up the UK  The Telegraph

The SNP may have won again but Scottish politics has been upended | Scottish ...
9 May 2026 at 9:44am
The SNP may have won again but Scottish politics has been upended | Scottish elections 2026  The Guardian

SNP wins Scottish election as Reform and Labour tie for second - BBC
9 May 2026 at 1:55am
SNP wins Scottish election as Reform and Labour tie for second  BBC

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum - ...
12 May 2026 at 1:00am
Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Starmer agrees to meet Swinney in face-to-face meeting - BBC
12 May 2026 at 11:30pm
Starmer agrees to meet Swinney in face-to-face meeting  BBC

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
1 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

Keir Starmer rolls back on independence referendum talks with John Swinney - ...
13 May 2026 at 8:04am
Keir Starmer rolls back on independence referendum talks with John Swinney  The National Scot

The question of Scottish independence is alive but not kicking - The Economist
30 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
The question of Scottish independence is alive but not kicking  The Economist

John Swinney claims Keir Starmer agreed to independence referendum talks - Th...
12 May 2026 at 10:37pm
John Swinney claims Keir Starmer agreed to independence referendum talks  The Herald

Support for independence is not surging in Scotland - The Spectator Australia
14 May 2026 at 9:56am
Support for independence is not surging in Scotland  The Spectator Australia

Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots? - France 24
27 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots?  France 24

SNP vows to push for new independence vote with or without a majority - Finan...
27 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
SNP vows to push for new independence vote with or without a majority  Financial Times

Scotland?s parliamentary election 2026: what are the big economic choices? - ...
28 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland?s parliamentary election 2026: what are the big economic choices?  Economics Observatory