The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Renewed push to make forgotten St Andrew's Day a national holiday ahead of el...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
8 Feb 2026 at 5:46pm
Former MSP and MP Dennis Canavan, who led efforts to declare November 30 as a bank holiday, said that parties should endorse the proposals.


'We deserve better': Corbyn and Sultana's new party to fight May's Scottish e...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
8 Feb 2026 at 5:13pm
69.8 per cent of party members backed standing candidates during a vote at the first Your Party Scotland conference in Dundee.


?The only honourable course?: Morgan McSweeney quits as Keir Starmer's chief ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
8 Feb 2026 at 2:18pm
Morgan McSweeney has quit as Sir Keir Starmer?s Chief of Staff, admitting he was wrong to recommend appointing Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US.


Jeremy Corbyn says it is for Scotland to decide on independence referendum
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
8 Feb 2026 at 12:49pm
Jeremy Corbyn tells delegates in Dundee that Scotland?s constitutional future should be decided by the people, not Westminster.


?Scottish taxpayers will be disgusted?: Calls for Mandelson to repay 'golden ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
8 Feb 2026 at 11:09am
Lord Peter Mandelson is under pressure to return a five-figure taxpayer-funded payout after his abrupt removal as UK ambassador to Washington, reigniting anger over Keir Starmer?s judgment and plunging Labour into another bruising political crisis.


Celtic chairman quizzed about abuse scandal in awkward on-air exchange
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
8 Feb 2026 at 10:25am
Interim Celtic chairman Brian Wilson was quizzed about the abuse scandal at Celtic Boys Club in a tense television exchange


Glasgow Life fails to spend extra budget to improve swimming services
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
8 Feb 2026 at 6:30am
Calls have been made for Glasgow Life to be returned to local authority control after the organisation failed to spend almost half of a funding boost it was given to improve swimming services in the city


'It's discrimination': Legal action if pupils can't opt out of religious acti...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
8 Feb 2026 at 6:30am
The HSS has warned that the current ?middle ground? approach could cause the government to run afoul of JR87 v Department for Education.


Yes, some men will blame not themselves but 'bitches and whores who had it co...
8 Feb 2026 at 6:15am
NOT so long ago Donald Trump ? at the behest of his then pal Elon Musk ? lashed out at Keir Starmer over the supposed cover-up of grooming gangs in UK cities. The hypocrisy was staggering. Trump with his history of sexual abuse and talk of ?grabbing [women] by the pussy?


Human rights watchdog urged to challenge prisons trans policy after court adm...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
8 Feb 2026 at 5:00am
Scotland?s human rights watchdog faces calls to challenge the legality of the SPS transgender prisoners policy amid court action


Anatomy of a crisis: Starmer and Mandelson derail Scottish Labour?s best-laid...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
8 Feb 2026 at 5:00am
Scottish Labour entered 2026 hoping to put the SNP on trial. Instead, turmoil around Sir Keir Starmer and the Mandelson scandal has derailed Anas Sarwar?s Holyrood campaign.


Was Jeffrey Epstein really the 'perfect intelligence asset? for Israel and Ru...
by david.pratt@heraldandtimes.co.uk | David Pratt
8 Feb 2026 at 6:15am
With the release of more files and their content impacting on individuals and the geopolitical landscape alike, Foreign Editor David Pratt examines the claims of Jeffrey Epstein?s spy links


Journalists should never befriend politicians - Jeane Freeman was the exception
7 Feb 2026 at 1:40pm
Kevin McKenna remembers Jeane Freeman after the former health minister died on Saturday at the age of 72


European leader says someone like 'respected' Tony Blair should handle EU dip...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
7 Feb 2026 at 12:20pm
A European Union leader has said that "someone like Tony Blair" as the head of the bloc's diplomacy.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn
8 Feb 2026 at 12:14pm

Former Labour leader also says party faces ?enormous problems?

The winner of the Holyrood election campaign might end up being who ends up the least embroiled in scandal

Scottish Labour leader would lobby the NFL to host an American football game in Scotland

The Scottish Government is working to pass new laws to regulate the boom aesthetics industry

Wings over Scotland

Echoes of history
8 Feb 2026 at 5:26pm
The Sunday National’s front page today elicited a sigh of “So what?” from most. We’ve already GOT a “pro-indy” majority at Holyrood and have done for the last 10 years, for all it’s been worth. But to be fair there was a paragraph in the article that at least raised a quizzical eyebrow. Because, y’know, …

A Stitch In Timing
5 Feb 2026 at 4:09pm
Readers will probably be aware that literally as you read this, the Scottish Government is in court trying to defend its policy of letting male murderers be housed in women’s prisons by arguing that the Equality Act 2010 (as ruled on by the Supreme Court in the For Women Scotland case) is incompatible with the …

The Marshalling Plan
2 Feb 2026 at 1:25pm
Another month has passed, so we suppose it must be time for the third of our polling-analysis pieces for the Scottish Parliament election in May. (Last time round we assessed the grotesque rank idiocy of voting SNP on the list if you want a pro-indy majority, and the time before that we considered the possible …

Shield Of The Phantom
26 Jan 2026 at 1:02pm
Well, we gave it a go. It seems that it’s fine to farm important judgments out to mysterious shadowy figures who just make important chunks of them up out of thin air, and then issue them in your own name. Back in your boxes, plebs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Craig Murray

Is The USA Controlling Venezuela
7 Feb 2026 at 5:54pm

My first video report from Venezuela: My being here reporting is entirely possible due, as is all my journalism and activism, to your individual subscriptions and donations. We now have a Venezuela reporting crowdfunder. I have simply edited the Lebanese GoFundMe crowdfunder, because that took many weeks to be approved and I don’t want to …

Is The USA Controlling Venezuela

Filton Acquittals Demolish Starmer and Cooper Lies About Palestine Action
5 Feb 2026 at 6:49pm

As the trial finished at Woolwich Crown Court of the six Palestine Action activists who entered the Filton factory to destroy Israeli killer drones, Starmer, Cooper, Lammy and Mahmood are left bereft of a single guilty verdict in the case on which they relied heavily to label Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. I could …

Filton Acquittals Demolish Starmer and Cooper Lies About Palestine Action

Trump, Pirate of the Caribbean
3 Feb 2026 at 11:14am

I have now been here a week and I think that I have absorbed enough to attempt a little analysis, as opposed to the simple impressions I gave shortly after arrival. Those impressions remain valid however: this is not a repressive state. I was on the Randy Credico show live on WBAI New York on …

Trump, Pirate of the Caribbean

Palestine Action Judicial Review
29 Jan 2026 at 6:59pm

I attach the full text of Lord Young’s decision granting the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine. A few points. Judicial Review can only be granted where the judge believes it has a realistic chance of success. Lord Young evidently believes that we have a realistic chance of success on our three grounds …

Palestine Action Judicial Review

Being There ? In Venezuela
26 Jan 2026 at 9:46am

I have now been in Caracas for 48 hours and the contrast between what I have seen, and what I had read in the mainstream media, could not be more stark. I drove right through Caracas, from the airport through the city centre and up to posh Las Mercedes. The next morning I walked all …

Being There – In Venezuela

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

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

Resisting the Respectable Opinion on Iran

BBC Scotland

Mandelson appointment 'ignored warnings' - Brian Wilson
8 Feb 2026 at 1:41pm
The former Labour MP says evidence was disregarded in the decision to make Mandelson ambassador to the US.

Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman dies aged 72
7 Feb 2026 at 12:46pm
The SNP politician was a key figure in the Scottish government's response to the Covid pandemic.

Ministers urged to rethink jail sentences of less than two years
6 Feb 2026 at 4:08pm
If recommendations go ahead, judges would have to provide reasons why jailing someone for two years or less was the only option.

NHS budget plans rely on ambitious efficiency savings, warns think tank
6 Feb 2026 at 3:01pm
Spending strategy assumes hospitals and the ambulance service can make efficiency savings, says the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Chief nurse's 'Disney trip' suggestion for bereaved families 'shameful' - Sarwar
5 Feb 2026 at 1:26pm
Scotland's ex-chief nursing officer has been criticised over remarks she allegedly made about bereaved families.

Asylum seeker barracks plans could face further delays
6 Feb 2026 at 6:16am
The Home Office may need planning permission before using Cameron Barracks as accommodation.

New rules for botox and Brazilian butt lifts backed by MSPs
5 Feb 2026 at 5:19pm
The Scottish Parliament has provisionally approved regulations for non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

Jeane Freeman: SNP politician who led Covid response
7 Feb 2026 at 8:52am
The former SNP politician spent her life in public service and inherited the health brief just before the global pandemic.

Suicide risk if trans prisoners are put in jails based on sex at birth, court...
5 Feb 2026 at 3:08pm
Lawyers for the Scottish government say moving trans woman prisoners to male-only jails would create an unacceptable safety risk.

Plan to jail bosses of major polluters passes Holyrood vote
5 Feb 2026 at 5:18pm
The ecocide bill would allow for people to be jailed for up to 20 years for damaging the environment.

MSP behind assisted dying bill backs change to eligibility rules
4 Feb 2026 at 2:42pm
The proposals would restrict assisted dying in Scotland to people with six months or less left to live.

Watchdogs raise concerns over transgender prisoners
4 Feb 2026 at 5:06pm
The government has argued having a "blanket rule" for where prisoners are housed could breach human rights law.

Scot Goes Pop

Nigel Farage, so long the favourite to be the next Prime Minister, has slumpe...
7 Feb 2026 at 1:54pm
This video also contains more information about the More In Common independence polling I mentioned yesterday.   There aren't many outlets that report Scottish polling accurately and without unioni...

"Well, they're certainly keeping quiet about THAT bit!": More In Common poll ...
6 Feb 2026 at 3:14pm
There aren't many outlets that report Scottish polling accurately and without unionist bias.  If you value the service Scot Goes Pop provides, you currently have a thrilling opportunity to help wit...

My appearance on the "Two Davies" show
5 Feb 2026 at 5:55pm
Earlier today, I took part in a live stream on the "Two Davies" YouTube channel, and we all answered viewers' questions about quite a wide variety of subjects, including the current polling situati...

Gosh, I wonder if Stew has ever demonstrated quite so unwittingly and vividly...
4 Feb 2026 at 1:17am
Quite a number of years ago now, I got into a mildly bizarre email debate with someone who shall remain nameless, but who is widely regarded in Scotland as bona fide journalistic royalty.  Basicall...

Why is YouGov under-representing Yes-voting Glaswegians in its independence p...
3 Feb 2026 at 4:06pm
Towards the end of this video, I also give my reaction to the Scottish Government's welcome announcement that they will not be supporting Ash Regan's private member's bill, which seeks to introduce...

Stew's "ten-year masterplan" nears its petty climax: how Somerset's most cont...
2 Feb 2026 at 4:47pm
Incidentally, I recorded this video before I saw Campbell's latest "I luv Nige" fanboy blogpost, so the similarity of titles is just a coincidence - albeit an extremely telling coincidence in the c...

Sizzling YouGov numbers put pro-independence parties on course for 53% of sea...
30 Jan 2026 at 5:11pm
There aren't many outlets that report Scottish polling accurately and without unionist bias.  If you value the service Scot Goes Pop provides, you currently have a thrilling opportunity to help wit...

Spectacular full-scale Scottish poll from YouGov shows the SNP and Greens on ...
29 Jan 2026 at 6:48pm
I will record a video about this poll at some point, but as I'm on a bus right now, I'll go retro and briefly give you the results in text form for the time being.Should Scotland be an independent ...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Your Party to stand in 2026 Holyrood election
8 Feb 2026 at 4:42pm
The announcement was made the Your Party Scotland conference in Dundee, where 69.8% of members voted in favour of the move

Morgan McSweeney steps down as Starmer?s chief of staff amid Mandelson row
8 Feb 2026 at 3:02pm
The Prime Minister?s right-hand man has been blamed for pushing the appointment of Mandelson as ambassador to the US

Anas Sarwar would push for NFL game in Scotland if elected
8 Feb 2026 at 11:46am
The NFL regularly plays games overseas, with nine due to take place this year

Holyrood parties urged to commit to St Andrew?s Day national holiday
8 Feb 2026 at 10:13am
St Andrew?s Day was named a bank holiday in 2007

Brown says Starmer leadership crisis is ?serious? but PM is ?man of integrity?
7 Feb 2026 at 2:33pm
Former prime minister Gordon Brown said he felt ?betrayed and let down? by Mandelson?s alleged actions

Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman dies aged 72
7 Feb 2026 at 10:25am
Ms Freeman's partner announced in a statement that she had died after receiving a cancer diagnosis in January

Keir Starmer says ?significant volume of material? to be reviewed over Lord M...
6 Feb 2026 at 9:15pm
Parliament's security watchdog will assess which documents can be released

First Minister pledges to ?secure bright future? for Scotland?s farmers
6 Feb 2026 at 7:33am
Mr Swinney will deliver a keynote speech to the NFU Scotland Conference.

MSPs back plans to improve regulation of Botox and Brazilian butt lifts
5 Feb 2026 at 6:26pm
The Bill cleared its first hurdle in the Scottish Parliament after it was passed at stage one on Thursday

Starmer ?sorry for believing Mandelson?s lies? as vows to continue as Prime M...
5 Feb 2026 at 2:21pm
Sir Keir Starmer apologised to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein

Ban phones in schools to protect children from online dangers, parents urge
5 Feb 2026 at 1:21pm
Campaigners are meeting the education secretary at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday

John Swinney to face FMQs after calling for investigation into Mandelson
5 Feb 2026 at 12:00pm
John Swinney will face First Minister's Questions on the sixth anniversary of The Promise

MPs back release of files on Lord Peter Mandelson appointment as US ambassador
4 Feb 2026 at 7:32pm
The PM backed down from his original plans for Sir Chris Wormald to choose which files could be released

John Swinney orders investigation into Scottish Government dealings with Lord...
4 Feb 2026 at 5:16pm
The First Minister said the probe will look into whether Peter Mandelson undermined the interests of Scotland

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

SNP being handed election victory 'on a plate' as Labour turmoil continues un...
8 Feb 2026 at 12:00pm
EXCLUSIVE: Professor John Curtice said it wasn't clear Scottish Labour would benefit from an immediate change in the party's leadership at Westminster.

Scottish Parliament going 'backwards' as MSPs busy 'sucking up' to party leaders
7 Feb 2026 at 12:00pm
EXCLUSIVE: A leading expert on devolution said Holyrood now lagged behind Westminster when it came to politicians willing to scrutinise the work of the government.

Scottish Labour spends nearly £80k promoting Anas Sarwar on social media ahea...
6 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: A database shows Labour out-spending the SNP while also downplaying their own party brand.

John Swinney's independence majority strategy will damage the SNP
5 Feb 2026 at 8:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says the First Minister betting the house on an outright win in May is good for him, but not his party.

Queen Elizabeth University Hospital families offered 'trip to Disneyland' ins...
5 Feb 2026 at 2:49pm
The cases of seven patients who died at the QEUH following its botched opening in 2015 are currently being assessed by prosecutors.

Anas Sarwar gives cautious support to Keir Starmer to stay on as Prime Minist...
5 Feb 2026 at 1:28pm
The Scottish Labour leader said Mandelson was a "shame to our nation" after emails showed he leaked sensitive Government information to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Hollywood star Brian Cox calls for action to end Scotland's housing emergency
5 Feb 2026 at 11:02am
The Dundee-born star said "everyone deserves somewhere affordable, safe, and stable to call home".

Dad of teen who died after hospital infection would back probe into "pressure...
5 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
John Cuddihy said he would support calling additional witnesses to find out the truth on claims of pressure applied to hospital bosses, following 23-year-old Molly's death last year.

UK Government spends £56,000 on Inverness barracks earmarked for asylum seekers
5 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The cash was spent on legionella testing and removing the MOD?s secure IT network

Anas Sarwar told to apologise to WASPI campaigners in person after UK Governm...
5 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The SNP will host a delegation of WASPI campaigners at the Scottish Parliament and has challenged the Labour leader to meet them.

The National

The National | Politics

Do Your Party have what it takes to turn words into deeds in May's election?
8 Feb 2026 at 7:19pm

Professor Gregor Gall reports from inside Your Party's founding Scottish conference, where both Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana spoke

Now Morgan McSweeney has quit, will the Labour train hit the buffers?
8 Feb 2026 at 6:46pm

NOW that the driver has left the train, we can move on to the really consequential stuff (Morgan McSweeney quits as Keir Starmer?s chief of staff amid Mandelson scandal, thenational.scot, Feb 8).

SNP are not exploiting the collapsing political landscape in the UK
8 Feb 2026 at 6:47pm

IN a week when the Labour Party?s already jelly-like spine liquified, where were the SNP? Mr Flynn did some fine flyting at Westminster, Mr Swinney attacked Sarwar with all the temper and violence of a dead sheep, yet there is an ?aye but?? hanging over it all.

Nicola Sturgeon to speak at charity ball in honour of Christina McKelvie
8 Feb 2026 at 6:00pm

ORGANISERS behind a cancer charity ball have announced that Nicola Sturgeon will address the event dedicated to the late MSP Christina McKelvie ...

Keir Starmer 'should consider following Morgan McSweeney', Scottish Labour MP...
8 Feb 2026 at 4:40pm

Keir Starmer should consider following Morgan McSweeney out the door, a Scottish Labour MP has said

Your Party Scotland votes to officially become pro-independence party
8 Feb 2026 at 3:48pm

Your Party Scotland have voted to officially become a pro-independence party

Who is Morgan McSweeney? Keir Starmer?s right-hand man quits amid Mandelson s...
8 Feb 2026 at 3:24pm

Keir Starmer?s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has quit over his role in the appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US

Morgan McSweeney quits as Keir Starmer's chief of staff amid Mandelson scandal
8 Feb 2026 at 2:21pm

Keir Starmer?s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has resigned over his role in the appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US

Your Party will stand candidates in this year's Holyrood election
8 Feb 2026 at 2:10pm

Your Party will be standing candidates in this year?s Holyrood elections

Disgraced Andrew invited Epstein and ?cute? Romanian woman to Buckingham Palace
8 Feb 2026 at 1:41pm

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor invited Jeffrey Epstein and a 'very cute' Romanian woman to dinner at Buckingham Palace, emails show

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Morgan McSweeney quits as PM?s adviser amid Mandelson scandal
8 Feb 2026 at 4:49pm
McSweeney said he accepted ?full responsibility? for the appointment with police now investigating Mandelson over his links with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019.

Tributes paid following the death of Jeane Freeman
8 Feb 2026 at 10:30am
Tributes have been paid from across Scottish politics following the death of former health secretary Jeane Freeman at the age of 72.

Jack McConnell calls for ?complete reset? in Labour leadership
6 Feb 2026 at 2:53pm
The former first minister said somebody in Labour needed to 'step up' and take over

Scotland?s prisons approach needs fundamental reform, according to watchdog r...
6 Feb 2026 at 10:33am
The report has called for stronger rehabilitation in prison, earlier release with enhanced community supervision, and long-term planning to reduce Scotland?s prison population to around the European average

John Swinney accuses Anas Sarwar of ?shameful? interference in hospitals inquiry
5 Feb 2026 at 4:00pm
The Scottish Labour leader said the FM had told parliament a "blatant untruth"

John Swinney: I stayed with Mandelson on Trump trip to save money
5 Feb 2026 at 1:51pm
Starmer says no one in government knew 'depth and darkness' of former ambassador's Epstein friendship

Set out Mandelson links, SNP urges Scottish Labour
4 Feb 2026 at 5:22pm
SNP claims are 'morally bankrupt', Scottish Labour hits back

Edinburgh Council refuses planning permission for AI data centre
4 Feb 2026 at 3:35pm
Planning officers had recommended the project be approved

Anas Sarwar backs child social media ban
4 Feb 2026 at 1:00am
The UK Government announced last month it was consulting on such a measure

From shared services to smart government
4 Feb 2026 at 12:01am
With over 40 years of experience in the Scottish market, global technology firm TCS is well placed to play a leading role in the country?s public services reform

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Wealthy use loophole to conceal value of £300m in Scottish land sales
7 Feb 2026 at 7:00am
Prices paid for large estates not being disclosed on official register, land reform advocates sayLand reform campaigners are alarmed at the increasing use of a legal loophole that allows landowners to conceal the price paid for Highland estates from the public register.Andy Wightman, a land refor...

Blanket rule on trans women in men?s prisons would deny their identity, says ...
5 Feb 2026 at 5:06pm
SNP?s lawyer argues the ?mental health and rehabilitation? of prisoners is more important than their biological sexA blanket rule to house transgender women in men?s prisons, even when they pose no risk to others, would be a ?fundamental denial? of their identity, the Scottish government has argu...

Starmer faces rising anger over Mandelson as MPs agree to release files to se...
4 Feb 2026 at 8:24pm
Starmer faces criticism from MPs on all sides of the CommonsThis liveblog is now closed. Read the politics team?s report on today?s developments herePMQs is starting soon. Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.The Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has dismissed claims that his party?s plan to su...

Campaigners challenge Scottish policy on transgender inmates in female prisons
3 Feb 2026 at 2:45pm
For Women Scotland objects to use of individual risk assessments, saying it is contrary to supreme court rulingFemale prisoners are paying the price for an ?Orwellian? Scottish government policy that allows some transgender inmates to be housed in female prisons, Scotland?s highest civil court ha...

Lord Wallace of Tankerness obituary
1 Feb 2026 at 5:39pm
Influential Liberal and Lib Dem politician who served as Scotland?s deputy first minister from the outset of devolutionJim Wallace, Lord Wallace of Tankerness, who has died aged 71 following complications after surgery, was an influential Liberal figure who achieved the extremely rare distinction...

Starmer announces visa-free travel to China after talks with Xi in Beijing ? ...
29 Jan 2026 at 5:32pm
Downing Street gives no date for when the agreement of 30 days of visa-free travel will come into forceFor more context on today?s Starmer-Xi meeting, China is the world?s second-biggest economy and Britain?s third-largest trading partner ? to which it exports £45bn of goods and services a year ?...

Deacon Blue ?appalled? by Reform UK?s Scottish leader quoting their song lyrics
27 Jan 2026 at 11:04am
Exclusive: Band hit out at party?s ?poisonous rhetoric? after Malcolm Offord makes reference to Dignity during speechOne of Scotland?s most celebrated rock bands, Deacon Blue, say they are ?appalled? that one of their greatest hits is being used by Reform UK?s new Scottish leader to bolster his p...

Tories withdraw ?mental health? briefing about Suella Braverman after former ...
26 Jan 2026 at 6:10pm
Her defection means there are now eight Reform MPs in the CommonsKeir Starmer was being interview by Beth Rigby from Sky News this morning when he defended the decision not to let Andy Burnham be a byelection candidate.After Starmer delivered his first answer (see 10.15am), Rigby asked him to wha...

Reform says it would cut green policies to fund £2bn income tax cut in Scotland
26 Jan 2026 at 4:36pm
Party?s pitch to voters in May Holyrood elections dismissed as ?profoundly unserious, almost comically so? by head of IPPR ScotlandReform UK would slash what it calls ?highly dubious? environmental protection measures to help fund a £2bn cut to income tax in Scotland if it won May?s Holyrood elec...

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

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

it?s not John Swinney who must be held to account for Mandelson, it?s Starmer...
8 Feb 2026 at 1:56pm
Certain individuals such as the execrable Russell Findlay, the soon to be electorally humbled branch manager of the Tories in Scotland, and Mandy Rhodes, the editor of Holyrood Magazine, a publication with considerably fewer readers than this blog, are attempting to make political capital out of the fact that when on an official visit to …

YouGov?s independence polls are comfort blankets for Unionists
6 Feb 2026 at 12:28pm
This is an expanded and revised version of a piece I wrote for The National newspaper earlier this week. Since writing it further information has come to light which casts even greater doubt on the validity of a YouGov poll on Scottish independence which was published last week, a poll which was received with immense …

Mandelson, the sleazy heart of Starmer?s right wing Labour party
5 Feb 2026 at 3:13pm
Keir Starmer’s leadership of the Labour party and his position as Prime Minister have been on a shoogly peg for some time. After being elected in July 2024 with a landslide victory in the Commons, albeit on a mere one third of the popular vote, Labour MPs were looking forward to settling down to a …

The independence movement must commit to a Scottish republic
4 Feb 2026 at 2:02pm
It’s well known that people in Scotland are less enamoured with the self-promoting antics of the Windsor family than people in other parts of the UK. Large royal events with all their pomp and pageantry paid for at public expense are typically met in Scotland with widespread apathy, if not anger and ridicule. The street …

What happens in the Welsh election could be key to Scotland too
2 Feb 2026 at 4:27pm
The well known traditional curse, “May you live in interesting times” is often ascribed to an ancient Chinese text, although there is no evidence for this. Be that as it may, it cannot be denied that we are cursed with living through interesting times. Keir Starmer was elected to head a Labour government with a …

BBC Scotland?s look at nuclear through Labour Rose tinted glasses
31 Jan 2026 at 1:39pm
The bias of the BBC, particularly BBC Scotland, against the SNP Scottish Government in particular and the wider Scottish independence movement in general is well documented by pro-independence campaigners, but ignored by the Scottish media which is itself overwhelmingly biased against Scottish independence, the somewhat less than half of the Scottish population which opposes independence …

Wee Ginger Annual Fundraiser 2026 part 2
30 Jan 2026 at 6:08pm
Unfortunately when I published the previous post about this year’s fundraiser, I pressed publish too quickly and omitted the full details for donating via PayPal or Ko-fi. Here they are now and here is the link again to the GoFundMe fundraiser. Many thanks for supporting my work. It’s greatly appreciated.   https://www.gofundme.com/f/wee-ginger-dug-annual-fundraiser-2026   I?ve added …

Wee Ginger Annual Fundraiser 2026
30 Jan 2026 at 1:33pm
It’s that time of the year again, when I ask readers of this blog to make a contribution, big or small, to keeping this blog running for another year. As we approach the Holyrood elections, I have been increasing the frequency of new posts on the blog from theprevious two or three per week to …

Trump?s lawlessness comes to Scotland
29 Jan 2026 at 3:48pm
Donald Trump is infamously lawless. He is the first convicted criminal to be elected to the White House. That conviction alone, by no means the worst crime the oranged faced felon has allegedly committed, should have been enough to disqualify him from holding public office, but he was ushered into power by a corrupt Republican …

Reform UK?s authoritarian project for power
28 Jan 2026 at 2:55pm
The American author and poet Maya Anjelou famously wrote: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” That has never been more true than where we are now in British politics with the rise of the far right, the performative cruelty it espouses and its dehumanisation of minority groups. Reform UK …

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

?Intelligence would have briefed No. 10 on vulnerabilities? ? It?s not just S...
8 Feb 2026 at 4:32pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. The Times in 2009 noting the closeness of PM Brown and his Business Minister. In comments reported by The Times, Brown stated: ?Peter is doing an excellent job. He has shown it was a good decision to invite him to come back from Brussels and join the Government.? He added: ?We ar...

Selective media reading of research report to hide Scotland?s stronger suppor...
8 Feb 2026 at 10:52am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In the Guardian and other UK media today: UK?s ?unsung army? of full-time unpaid carers needs more support, report says – Resolution Foundation finds one in three carers from poorer families unable to work because of responsibilities. A growing ?unsung army? of 1 million people w...

Why there are no fly-tipping ?super-sites? for Scottish media to report ? mor...
8 Feb 2026 at 9:34am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. BBC UK have been reporting 517 incidents of fly tipping, 11 of them ‘super-sites’ like the one above, in England. BBC Scotland, Scottish Labour and other media, you can be sure, have been scouring the country for something they can use to confirm that things are just as bad here....

Reform UK is now under police investigation after admitting it distributed by...
7 Feb 2026 at 3:18pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. By Liz S ?Reform UK is now under police investigation after admitting it distributed by election material disguised as a private letter from a ?concerned neighbour?. Voters in Gorton and Denton received personalised letters urging them to back Reform, presented as the views of a...

Even in death Jeanne Freeman shamefully and wrongly blamed for care home deat...
7 Feb 2026 at 10:41am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Evidence at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/02/07/shamefully-even-now-bbc-scotland-still-conceal-how-jeanne-freemans-unique-in-the-uk-quick-action-on-vaccines-saved-thousands-of-lives-in-scottish-care-homes/

Shamefully, even now, BBC Scotland still conceal how Jeanne Freeman?s, unique...
7 Feb 2026 at 10:27am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In BBC Scotland’s retrospective comment on Jeanne Freeman’s time as Health Secretary, they write: Freeman stood beside Sturgeon in press conferences throughout the next year. There would be praise for their calm stewardship and she was there at the start of the vaccine roll-out....

No media coverage as Scottish Government allocates £20m to help young people ...
7 Feb 2026 at 8:51am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From the Scottish Government yesterday into complete media silence: Plans to develop a Rural and Island Housing Grant Scheme, with an indicative budget of up to £20 million over four years, have been announced by the First Minister. Designed to help with costs in rural and islan...

As UK Labour are told to U-turn over ?loan shark? stealth tax on students, wh...
7 Feb 2026 at 8:32am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From GB News yesterday: A blistering on?air takedown of the Plan 2 student loan system by The New Statesman editor Oli Dugmore has intensified pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves, after she insisted the current arrangements are ?fair?. Appearing on BBC Question Time, Mr Dugmore...

Experienced researcher finds AI far more trustworthy on Scottish politics tha...
6 Feb 2026 at 5:11pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. I really had to laugh. I’ve done a lot of searching for information and sometimes analysis and evaluation using Grok, chatgpt and other general AI platforms. I do find bias against the independence movement, the SNP and the Scottish Government but only when the AI gives to much ...

Blue tent big enough for Mandelson police inquiry located in Ayr, Scotland ? ...
6 Feb 2026 at 5:10pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Readers will remember the scale of the police investigation into £600 000 given to the SNP by its own members for a campaign, and which they then, according to one complaint from a member of Sperm of the Gall, spent on something else. A blue tent had to be put on Nicola?s lawn, ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Your Party Scotland votes to officially become pro-independence party - TheNa...
8 Feb 2026 at 7:22pm
Your Party Scotland votes to officially become pro-independence party  TheNational.scot

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
26 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push - Reu...
18 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push  Reuters

Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn - The Scotsman
8 Feb 2026 at 12:14pm
Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn  The Scotsman

New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence - gatescambr...
3 Feb 2026 at 10:32am
New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence  gatescambridge.org

Jeremy Corbyn says it is for Scotland to decide on independence referendum - ...
8 Feb 2026 at 12:59pm
Jeremy Corbyn says it is for Scotland to decide on independence referendum  The Herald

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

Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn - The Indepe...
8 Feb 2026 at 11:50am
Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn  The Independent

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

Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn - Yahoo News UK
8 Feb 2026 at 10:38am
Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn  Yahoo News UK

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Is a positive campaign message from the SNP too much to hope for? - TheNation...
8 Feb 2026 at 8:46pm
Is a positive campaign message from the SNP too much to hope for?  TheNational.scot

Community gathers to celebrate life of Robert Burns - Border Telegraph
8 Feb 2026 at 3:05pm
Community gathers to celebrate life of Robert Burns  Border Telegraph

Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman dies aged 72 - BBC
7 Feb 2026 at 12:46pm
Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman dies aged 72  BBC

Neil Bibby MSP - 'SNP must be held to account over hospital failures' - Ardro...
8 Feb 2026 at 8:47am
Neil Bibby MSP - 'SNP must be held to account over hospital failures'  Ardrossan Herald

Keir Starmer is toast ? and Labour pains mean SNP gains in Holyrood come May ...
8 Feb 2026 at 11:18pm
Keir Starmer is toast ? and Labour pains mean SNP gains in Holyrood come May  The Sun

Jeane Freeman: SNP politician who led Covid response - BBC
7 Feb 2026 at 8:52am
Jeane Freeman: SNP politician who led Covid response  BBC

Jeane Freeman, 1953-2026 - snp.org
7 Feb 2026 at 11:34am
Jeane Freeman, 1953-2026  snp.org

Poll: Gap between SNP and Reform UK narrows, but nationalists on track to win...
6 Feb 2026 at 9:30am
Poll: Gap between SNP and Reform UK narrows, but nationalists on track to win in Scotland  The Scotsman

SNP complained about struggling communities getting cash - because it came di...
8 Feb 2026 at 4:40pm
SNP complained about struggling communities getting cash - because it came direct from Westminster  Scottish Daily Express

Repellent policy on trans inmates shows SNP chooses men over women - The Times
7 Feb 2026 at 6:10pm
Repellent policy on trans inmates shows SNP chooses men over women  The Times

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Your Party Scotland votes to officially become pro-independence party - TheNa...
8 Feb 2026 at 7:22pm
Your Party Scotland votes to officially become pro-independence party  TheNational.scot

Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn - The Scotsman
8 Feb 2026 at 12:14pm
Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn  The Scotsman

Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push - Reu...
18 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push  Reuters

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
26 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

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

Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn - Yahoo News UK
8 Feb 2026 at 10:38am
Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn  Yahoo News UK

Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn - The Indepe...
8 Feb 2026 at 11:50am
Independence referendum is Scotland?s choice, says Jeremy Corbyn  The Independent

Jeremy Corbyn says it is for Scotland to decide on independence referendum - ...
8 Feb 2026 at 12:59pm
Jeremy Corbyn says it is for Scotland to decide on independence referendum  The Herald

Jeremy Corbyn backs SNP plans to hold second independence referendum - Scotti...
8 Feb 2026 at 11:19am
Jeremy Corbyn backs SNP plans to hold second independence referendum  Scottish Daily Express

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