The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Car hire firm apologises for classifying Shetland family as 'overseas' customers
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
24 Jun 2026 at 2:09pm
Car hire giant Europcar has apologised and offered a Shetland family a full refund after a row over a policy that classified residents of UK island communities as "overseas" customers.


Tory MP urges Keir Starmer to launch probe into SNP's £400k Murrell scandal
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
24 Jun 2026 at 1:21pm
A Scottish Conservative MP has challenged Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs to launch inquiry into the Peter Murrell embezzlement scandal, after the former SNP chief executive was sentenced to over five years for stealing £400,000 in party funds.


Car hire giant leaves family stranded after classing Scottish islands as 'ove...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
24 Jun 2026 at 11:38am
A Shetland family with a one-year-old child was left stranded in Glasgow after Europcar staff refused to rent them a vehicle without passports, sparking fierce criticism from MP Alistair Carmichael over "bizarre" island discrimination.


Scotland is still undecided on Burnham - Labour could let him make his case
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
24 Jun 2026 at 11:08am
Andy Burnham is Labour?s clear favourite, but Scotland remains unconvinced. Why a leadership contest could bring scrutiny, debate and legitimacy.


Is former Rangers chairman the 'presidential historian' who compared Trump to...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
24 Jun 2026 at 9:49am
Former Rangers chairman Dave King appears to be behind a document shared approvingly by Donald Trump which compares him to the likes of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin


Extra funding to expand scheme to retrain oil and gas workers for clean energ...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
24 Jun 2026 at 9:30am
A joint programme by the UK and Scottish Governments will help more than a thousand more oil and gas workers transition to jobs in clean energy.


SNP tipped off about Murrell guilty plea before court hearing last month
24 Jun 2026 at 9:21am
The SNP was tipped off that Peter Murrell was to plead guilty to embezzlement charges three days before his court appearance, it has emerged.


Edinburgh Greens urge councillors to condemn 'unworkable' EHRC trans guidance
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
24 Jun 2026 at 6:30am
Progressive groups have criticised parts of the code they say is discriminatory against transgender people, while women's rights group have hit back.


Ten years ago today - behind the scenes of Donald Trump's visit to Turnberry
by russell.leadbetter@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Russell Leadbetter
24 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Relive the day Donald Trump flew into Turnberry to hail Brexit from a Scottish golf course, as swastika golf balls rolled towards his podium and Janey Godley?s now-iconic protest sign went viral worldwide.


UN committee finds Israel deliberately targeted Palestinian children
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
23 Jun 2026 at 7:05pm
A United Nations committee has accused Israel of deliberately targeting children in Gaza, including IDF soldiers "shooting teenage boys in a game of target practice"


Glasgow: The Next Chapter - The Herald's new series explores the future of th...
by joe.donnelly2@newsquest.co.uk | Joe Donnelly
23 Jun 2026 at 12:00pm
The Herald's latest in-depth investigative series explores the future of Scotland's largest city through the lens of culture, business, people and more.


I know the Holyrood press 'pen' seems like a diddy wee row but it matters
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
23 Jun 2026 at 4:41pm
The decision to corral political journalists into a designated pen after First Minister's Questions threatens the historic culture of openness at Holyrood.


Liberal Democrat MP ordered to apologise after breaching bullying rules
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
23 Jun 2026 at 1:45pm
A Liberal Democrat MP has been ordered to apologise for breaching Parliament?s rules on bullying


Trans prisoners to be moved from women's jails in Scotland after Ministers ba...
by jody.harrison@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Jody Harrison
23 Jun 2026 at 1:25pm
Ministers have decided not to appeal a ruling which found the practice 'unlawful'

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


SNP defends new MP accused of putting on 'fake' Scottish accent
24 Jun 2026 at 1:23pm

Lara Bird won the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election last week

?I am deeply concerned and disappointed by the scale of this compensation package? - Cllr Jane Meagher

He has conquered Everest and had several brushes with death - but can Al Carns conquer Andy Burnham and become Prime Minister?

It looks even more certain that there will be an Andy Burnham coronation as Prime Minister.

Peter Murrell cast a dejected figure in the dock of Edinburgh?s High Court as he finally learned his fate

John Swinney has suggested the SNP will be pursuing a compensation claim against Peter Murrell after he was jailed for embezzling party funds

Judge tells former party chief executive he is guilty of a ?calculated crime of dishonesty?

Peter Murrell?s case will call at the High Court again for a Proceeds of Crime hearing - but what does that actually mean?

Scottish ministers say they will not appeal the court?s decision in favour of For Women Scotland.

It looks like there will be a new Chancellor of the Exchequer in post in the next few weeks.

Wings over Scotland

Hey Lord Don?t Ask Me Questions
23 Jun 2026 at 2:13pm
This really isn’t going to go away. No matter how hard Nicola Sturgeon gets Aamer Anwar to scream about it. Because every time anyone says anything in an attempt to shut down questions, it just raises a whole bundle more questions. The reported comments by Police Scotland today are a remarkable case in point. What …

Job Half Done
23 Jun 2026 at 10:01am
Nobody?s beating this tweet today. But as Peter Murrell begins a five-years-and-three-months prison sentence – more than we were expecting, in truth – let?s not lose sight of the key fact that the theft of hundreds of thousands of pounds of independence supporters? money by the SNP, which accidentally exposed Murrell?s entirely separate crime of …

The End Of Law
20 Jun 2026 at 2:05pm
This really is the most extraordinary statement. The short version is “We’re going to keep breaking the law every day while we think about whether we want it to apply to us or not”. And the really depressing thing is that that’s very much par for the course in the world of the Scottish establishment. …

A Fishy Tale
19 Jun 2026 at 9:54am
It is, if you’re a bit dim, almost possible to believe this. But not for very long. Because while the Labour vote collapsed by a staggering 87% in Aberdeen South last night, the Tory vote only went up by about a third of that. Labour lost 10,000 votes but the SNP also lost 7,000 and …

Response Level Upgrade
12 Jun 2026 at 12:48pm
Our first letter was answered/dismissed by “Service Adviser 1989847”, so this reply to our second one, while it doesn’t say much, definitely feels like a step up. Our KC has offered all possible assistance to the Cyber and Fraud Unit in relation to the matter, and we’ll keep you posted with any developments, readers.

Wider Than A Mile
10 Jun 2026 at 1:06pm
In this scene, John Swinney is portrayed by Stewie Griffin (the baby), and the faithful membership of the SNP is portrayed by Brian Griffin (the dog). ? We’re not sure any words are needed after that, but what the heck, we’re here now. Because it’s really, really difficult to overstate the blind idiot gullibility of …

The Ever-Changing Lie
9 Jun 2026 at 12:28pm
We have an update, folks. Because they don’t even care about keeping their bullshit straight. So the full sequence now runs: (1) “The money isn’t missing, it’s all still there and ringfenced for a second indyref. Anyone who says otherwise is a loony conspiracy theorist.” (Feb 2020) (2) “Okay, it’s not ringfenced, it’s woven in …

The Massive Face Of Truth
7 Jun 2026 at 11:01am
If you?d like to watch a 21-minute video of me banging on about Operation Branchform and whatnot to the Scottish Sun, click the image below. If you?d rather not watch that, best not to click it.

In pursuit of clarity
6 Jun 2026 at 11:12am
Wings has today sent the following emails. - The Chief Constable Police Scotland 5 Fettes Avenue Edinburgh EH4 1RB 6 June 2026 Thank you for your (very swift) reply to my letter. However, I am afraid that it leaves more questions than answers. Firstly, you state that Police Scotland ?have been advised? that the information …

The Interesting Words Round
5 Jun 2026 at 7:42pm
We received two emails today, just a few minutes apart. There are a couple of notable things about them. The first came from Claire Somebody at the Crown Office. The second one, even more thrillingly, came from Service Advisor 1989847 at Police Scotland, which we assume is some sort of advanced crime-fighting robot. In one …

Craig Murray

The UK Joins the Pirates
15 Jun 2026 at 1:21pm

I was genuinely surprised by the Starmer regime’s refusal to state that the Israeli boarding of the Global Sumud flotilla on the High Seas was illegal. I did not realise it was because the UK was planning to undertake similar illegal seizure itself. The Gaza Flotilla seizure was illegal: while for obvious reasons freedom of …

The UK Joins the Pirates

Sentencing the Innocent
13 Jun 2026 at 4:41pm

Judge Johnson had proved his fascist credentials through rulings much earlier in the Filton trial than his vicious sentencing. Indeed, he had arguably already shown them when he released Tommy Robinson from a prison sentence, or when as a barrister he had chosen to work for the intelligence services and Ministry of Defence. But in …

Sentencing the Innocent

The Joy of Resistance
6 Jun 2026 at 9:51am

Just a quick note to say that I am very aware that lately I have been rather bitter, which is not good for anybody, especially me. The disappointments and state outrages have been no worse than usual; my frustration at my poor health, and the subsequent constraint of my ability to fight back, has rather …

The Joy of Resistance

The Power of the UK State Over Scotland
28 May 2026 at 7:50am

I went through yesterday’s preliminary hearing in the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action with a sense of mounting horror. We had the same judge as at the permission hearing, Lord Young. We had exactly the same arguments and the same case law being deployed again by the UK government as at …

The Power of the UK State Over Scotland

Palestine Action Scottish Judicial Review ? Stitch-Up Incoming?
27 May 2026 at 12:58am

The proscription of Palestine Action was sold to MPs and the media on the basis of a deliberate campaign of lies, fronted by Yvette Cooper, then Home Secretary, and Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan police. Both have deep commitment to Israel. Cooper is owned by the Israel lobby. What is worse, they then attempted …

Palestine Action Scottish Judicial Review – Stitch-Up Incoming?

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

BBC Scotland

Mugs in drawers and watches in cupboards: What police pictures say about Pete...
24 Jun 2026 at 6:30am
Dozens of new images released by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service now show some of the items he purchased illegally.

Dundee council leaders urge ministers to prevent further university cuts
24 Jun 2026 at 11:49am
The university has already cut 675 jobs through voluntary redundancies since it revealed it was facing a financial crisis.

Peter Murrell jailed for more than five years for embezzling SNP funds
23 Jun 2026 at 1:29pm
The former party chief executive had admitted embezzling more than £400,000 over a 12-year period.

New pictures show dozens of items bought illegally by Peter Murrell
23 Jun 2026 at 10:59am
The images include a range of luxury bags, watches and pens, as well as fresh pictures of a £124,550 motorhome.

Shame and ridicule - but no motive: Five things we learned as Peter Murrell i...
23 Jun 2026 at 1:51pm
As the former SNP chief executive is jailed for embezzlement, what did we learn from his latest court appearance?

Trans inmates leaving women's prisons following court ruling
23 Jun 2026 at 3:20pm
John Swinney confirms he will not appeal the judgement that prisoners should be housed according to biological sex.

Vape shops in Scotland to be excluded from business rates relief
23 Jun 2026 at 4:34pm
Scottish ministers also announced an independent review of how the property tax is calculated.

Sexual crimes in Scotland hit record high levels
23 Jun 2026 at 2:11pm
Recorded sexual crimes increased by 10% last year and are at their highest level since the 1970s.

Alleged anti-Muslim attacks are 'intolerance wake-up call' - Swinney
22 Jun 2026 at 5:52pm
The first minister said increasingly intolerant rhetoric in the Scottish Parliament is linked to division among communities.

Sarwar 'proud' of work with Starmer despite resignation call
22 Jun 2026 at 1:35pm
The Scottish Labour leader was the first major party figure to call for the prime minister to quit.

Sturgeon and Gove to team up for reality TV 'wargame'
22 Jun 2026 at 10:47am
The former first minister is to serve as deputy prime minister in a simulation of a Russian attack on the UK.

Historic by-election win sends message to Labour and SNP - Badenoch
19 Jun 2026 at 2:20pm
Kemi Badenoch hailed the Scottish Conservatives' first by-election win since 1973, after the party took Aberdeen South from the SNP.

Scot Goes Pop

REVEALED: Andy Burnham wants to rip up "The Vow", making a second independenc...
24 Jun 2026 at 3:47am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Grim news for Labour, but good cheer for the SNP, in first poll ...

Grim news for Labour, but good cheer for the SNP, in first poll of the Burnha...
23 Jun 2026 at 2:27pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister has made Scottish i...

Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister has made Scottish independence I...
22 Jun 2026 at 3:17pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos: SNP settle for one by-election win out of two - but Keir Starme...

SNP settle for one by-election win out of two - but Keir Starmer will only be...
19 Jun 2026 at 2:27pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos: New low for BBC as they abuse Scottish World Cup coverage as a ...

By-election analysis
19 Jun 2026 at 10:50am
Just a quick note to let you know that I have a new article at The National analysing last night's three by-election results, which you can read HERE.  I'll try to make a video later on as well, al...

Burnham still in the danger zone in Makerfield by-election, say two out of th...
17 Jun 2026 at 7:49am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos: New low for BBC as they abuse Scottish World Cup coverage as a ...

New low for BBC as they abuse Scottish World Cup coverage as a licence fee en...
14 Jun 2026 at 3:01pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos: BOMBSHELL as French Government reveals there was Israeli interf...

BOMBSHELL as French Government reveals there was Israeli interference in the ...
12 Jun 2026 at 7:10pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos: Of course Good Morning Britain should apologise for its anti-Sc...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Scotland breaking UN rules on prisoner rights, says inspector
24 Jun 2026 at 1:10pm
It comes as the prison estate has struggled with overcrowding issues in recent years

Scottish Government to exclude vape shops from business rate relief
24 Jun 2026 at 9:45am
Deputy first minister Jenny Gilruth revealed a proposal to make vape businesses exempt from relief as of April 1, 2027

SNP urges Burnham to give ?straight answers? on Downing Street plans
24 Jun 2026 at 6:51am
The former Manchester mayor is the leading candidate to take over from Keir Starmer, who announced on Monday he would stand down

Keir Starmer to face PMQs for first time since he announced resignation
23 Jun 2026 at 11:03pm
The prime minister is likely to face questions about the scope of what his government can now achieve in his final weeks in office.

Lib Dem MP ordered to apologise for grabbing staff member?s security pass
23 Jun 2026 at 3:01pm
Parliament?s complaints service found Angus MacDonald broke the rules by grabbing a contractor?s security pass

Andy Burnham to receive Government briefings as Keir Starmer looks to make po...
23 Jun 2026 at 2:30pm
Starmer has authorised Civil Service access talks to begin with 'prospective candidates'

Trans prisoners to be moved out of female jails in Scotland from today
23 Jun 2026 at 1:02pm
Ministers lost a legal battle last week over a policy of placing transgender prisoners in female jails at the Court of Session

First photos of Peter Murrell?s £124,000 motorhome parked outside mum?s house
23 Jun 2026 at 10:28am
Further details of the former SNP chief executive's embezzlement have been revealed

SNP chief Peter Murrell?s police interviews released
23 Jun 2026 at 10:15am
Murrell, the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon, embezzled funds from the SNP between August 2010 and October 2022

Scottish independence ?challenge of the next decade?, says minister
23 Jun 2026 at 7:08am
The UK backed Brexit on June 23 2016, with 52% of voters opting to leave the EU ? despite 62% of Scots voting to remain

Peter Murrell to be sentenced for embezzling £400,000 from SNP
23 Jun 2026 at 6:46am
Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband will find out how long he will spend in prison on Tuesday morning

Sir Keir Starmer resigns as Prime Minister as Andy Burnham set to step up
22 Jun 2026 at 9:23am
Former mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has announced he will stand to replace Sir Keir

Keir Starmer ?on brink of resigning? as Andy Burnham returns to Westminster
22 Jun 2026 at 5:56am
Burnham is due to be sworn in as Makerfield's MP on Monday, while the PM is reported to have spent the weekend mulling over his political future.

Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to play UK deputy prime minister in new...
21 Jun 2026 at 8:39pm
The four-part show sees an impressive cross-party cast of highly experienced public figures who must navigate a war with Russia.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Keir Starmer says SNP has 'giant' questions to answer after Peter Murrell jai...
24 Jun 2026 at 1:40pm
The outgoing PM mocked John Swinney's party as being one routinely calls "for transparency and accountability for everybody else".

Former SNP candidate and Tory defector lands top role with Reform UK at Holyrood
24 Jun 2026 at 12:03pm
EXCLUSIVE: Joe McGurk joined Reform after stints in the SNP and the Conservatives.

SNP would rather 'throw away the key' on Peter Murrell than question how he g...
24 Jun 2026 at 12:00pm
A former leader of Scottish Labour claimed the Nationalists' priority was now dodging scrutiny over how they spent more than £600,000 of donations supposedly "ring-fenced" for an IndyRef2 campaign.

How long will Peter Murrell spend in jail? Legal expert explains when SNP con...
24 Jun 2026 at 4:30am
Criminal lawyer William McIntyre says Peter Murrell would be eligible for parole after serving half of his five year and three months prison sentence

Nicola Sturgeon let down SNP members over the Murrell scandal and should apol...
23 Jun 2026 at 5:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon said Murrell's theft happened when Sturgeon was SNP leader and she should apologise.

Peter Murrell jailed LIVE as Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband banged up fo...
23 Jun 2026 at 4:41pm
The former long serving chief executive of the SNP, who was once one of the most powerful men in Scottish politics, now faces years behind bars.

Murrell banged up alongside murderers and rapists as he starts stretch at Sco...
23 Jun 2026 at 3:17pm
Race hate killer Zeeshan 'Crazy' Shahid is one of HMP Dumfries' most notorious inmates.

John Swinney says Peter Murrell scandal has been 'agony' after ex-SNP chief e...
23 Jun 2026 at 1:42pm
Swinney, who was a teenage friend of Murrell before later hiring him as SNP chief executive, said the embezzlement case had been "distressing" and "hurtful".

Nicola Sturgeon's lawyer attacks ?disgraceful and beyond outrageous? police a...
23 Jun 2026 at 10:59am
Aamer Anwar hit out after it emerged the police wanted to ask the former First Minister, who was arrested but released without charge, to answer more questions.

Newspaper editors urge journalists to ignore Scottish Parliament media 'pen'
23 Jun 2026 at 10:10am
Newsbrands Scotland director John McLellan said the decision by Holyrood chiefs brought the Parliament into "disrepute".

The National

The National | Politics

Rental giant blocks Scottish islanders' car hire as they are 'not a UK resident'
24 Jun 2026 at 1:58pm

A CAR rental giant has apologised after telling a Scottish islander that he could not hire a vehicle because he is ?not resident in the United Kingdom? ...

Keir Starmer called out for double standards after anti-Muslim attack in Edin...
24 Jun 2026 at 1:01pm

KEIR Starmer was called out for his ?silence? on the anti-Muslim attacks in Edinburgh at one of his final appearances at Prime Minister?s Questions.

SNP MP hits back as critics fume over finger-crossing during oath to King
24 Jun 2026 at 12:12pm

A NEW SNP MP has hit back at critics enraged at her crossing her fingers while taking the oath of allegiance to the king ...

Blairite former Labour minister 'set to lead Andy Burnham's No 10'
24 Jun 2026 at 12:00pm

Andy Burnham, who is widely tipped to become the next Prime Minister, has reportedly chosen Blairite and former Cabinet minister James Purnell as his chief of staff

UK sports minister in World Cup gaffe over England qualification
24 Jun 2026 at 11:01am

THE UK sports minister has congratulated England on making the World Cup?s knockout stages ? even though they could still fail to qualify ...

Will Keir Starmer still face PMQs today after resignation announcement?
24 Jun 2026 at 8:03am

KEIR Starmer announced his decision to resign as Prime Minister on Monday morning, setting out a timetable for his departure, but as he is still in his post, will he be facing Prime Minister's Questions today?

John Swinney sends message to Scotland ahead of World Cup match against Brazil
24 Jun 2026 at 5:00am

SCOTLAND can ?make history? by reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup, the First Minister has said, as the team gets ready to play its final group match against Brazil

Andy Burnham is shaping up to be just another Keir Starmer
24 Jun 2026 at 5:00am

IT took him long enough

Good riddance to a Prime Minister who enabled genocide in Gaza
24 Jun 2026 at 5:00am

?ISRAEL does have that right.? With these five words, Keir Starmer endorsed the siege of Gaza in October 2023. Not yet prime minister, the Labour leader?s intervention typified the backing he would offer Benjamin Netanyahu?s genocide from Downing Street.

A chance for independence in Europe beckons
24 Jun 2026 at 5:00am

THE next UK General Election will be fought on Europe ? and for Scotland, it may be the best chance since 2014 to become an independent country ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Keir Starmer: SNP?s refusal to hold inquiry into Murrell scandal is ?totally ...
24 Jun 2026 at 3:38pm
The prime minister was asked to set up a UK inquiry into the matter at today's PMQs

SNP finance committee members who quit over accounts break silence after Murr...
24 Jun 2026 at 11:38am
The trio have confirmed they resigned from the committee after just six weeks over concerns over the party?s financial health and governance

The heartbeat of the Games: why volunteers make Scotland shine on the world s...
24 Jun 2026 at 7:00am
As the official Learning and Development Partner of Glasgow 2026, Allwyn is investing in the people who will shape the Games experience. Through its Social Value Fund, it is ensuring that every volunteer is equipped with the training, skills and confidenc

Lib Dem MP apologises for grabbing man?s security pass in bullying row
23 Jun 2026 at 5:03pm
Angus MacDonald said he had no recollection of clash with contractor

Five Eyes warns of increasing cyber threat from AI
23 Jun 2026 at 4:07pm
The timeline for more sophisticated threats was ?not years, it is months?

?Beyond outrageous? to ask Sturgeon to comment on police briefings, says lawyer
23 Jun 2026 at 2:06pm
Nicola Sturgeon?s lawyer has said it is ?disgraceful and beyond outrageous? that she has been asked to comment on background briefings to the media by police and the Crown Office

Scottish Government will not challenge trans prisoner ruling, Neil Gray confirms
23 Jun 2026 at 1:53pm
For Women Scotland case confirmed Scottish Prison Service policy was 'unlawful'

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell jailed for five years and three months
23 Jun 2026 at 10:24am
Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband had previously admitted to embezzling over ?400,000 from the party

Economic drivers
23 Jun 2026 at 7:00am
The Highlands and Islands offer a microcosm of all the sectors required to grow the Scottish economy.

Wes Streeting backs Andy Burnham, paving way for coronation
22 Jun 2026 at 2:00pm
Streeting said the result had ?proven that Labour can still win if we have the courage to change?

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

The Guardian view on the politics of Scotland: like Labour, the SNP is in nee...
23 Jun 2026 at 6:25pm
The sentencing of Peter Murrell brings limited closure to a major scandal. But John Swinney?s government faces new challenges in a changing landscapeThe Scottish National party (SNP) is accustomed to presenting Westminster dysfunction as a boost to its case for independence. But the political dra...

Peter Murrell jailed for five years after embezzling £400,000 from SNP
23 Jun 2026 at 2:29pm
Estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon is sentenced for stealing from party over 12-year periodMontblanc pens to Le Creuset ramekins: police photos show Peter Murrell?s spending habitPeter Murrell has been sentenced to five years and three months in jail after he admitted embezzling more than £400,...

Montblanc pens to Le Creuset ramekins: police photos show Peter Murrell?s spe...
23 Jun 2026 at 1:37pm
Haul is only a fraction of what the former SNP chief executive bought using embezzled party moneyPeter Murrell jailed for five years after embezzling £400,000 from SNPThe white police evidence tags on the unused Montblanc pens, picnic sets, Le Creuset ramekins and the chrome Alessi teapot tell a ...

?This changes everything?: how Brexit altered Scotland?s political landscape
21 Jun 2026 at 12:00pm
Former party leaders reflect on the turbulence that followed the referendum in which most Scottish voters backed the losing sideThe decision to quit the EU bolstered support for Scottish independence, which a decade after the Brexit referendum is at near record levels, according to Scottish Labou...

Burnham calls for ?new path for Britain? as Starmer vows to fight any leaders...
19 Jun 2026 at 6:30pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here:Cabinet loyalists tell PM he has weekend to set out timetable for exit?Now is the change moment?: Burnham staff have no doubtsPodcast: will Burnham become prime minister?What would ?change? look like if Burnham becomes PM?David Blunket...

Scottish Conservatives win Aberdeen South in shock loss for the SNP
19 Jun 2026 at 12:29pm
Tories? Douglas Lumsden says city has spoken ?loud and clear? in support of the North Sea oil and gas industryThe Scottish National party has lost the formerly safe seat of Aberdeen South in a shock loss to the Scottish Conservatives.Douglas Lumsden beat the SNP?s Richard Thomson by 6,050 votes, ...

?No friends to the oil and gas industry?: Aberdeen South, the byelection wher...
17 Jun 2026 at 3:00pm
Peter Murrell affair may feature, but contest seen as straight fight between SNP and Tories over energy policyThe contest for Aberdeen South, a constituency that spans urban social housing and detached homes with sculpted gardens, has been dominated by one topic: the future of North Sea oil and g...

UK defence spending plan ?well short of what?s required? and harder choices n...
16 Jun 2026 at 6:08pm
Ex-defence secretary John Healey and ex-defence minister Al Carns have given resignation statements to MPsSpeaking to reporters at the G7, Keir Starmer also defended the defence investment plan (DIP) draft that led to John Healey?s resignation as defence secretary last week. Starmer confirmed tha...

France accuses Israeli firm of interfering in Scottish elections and targetin...
12 Jun 2026 at 3:00pm
Cyber agency says BlackCore targeted John Swinney, as well as interfering in New York and French electionsFrance?s cybersecurity agency has accused the Israeli tech company BlackCore of interfering in the Scottish elections earlier this year by targeting the first minister, John Swinney.The disin...

Dan Jarvis named new defence secretary as Al Carns quits government ? UK poli...
11 Jun 2026 at 10:53pm
Government confirms Jarvis?s move from role as security minister to replace John HealeyRyan Henderson, assistant chief constable for the Police Service of Northern Ireland, is about to hold a press conference about last night?s rioting.Andy Burnham is facing criticism after saying that he thinks ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The burst socks of British politics
22 Jun 2026 at 3:49pm
Starmer has gone, a man whose main achievement as Prime Minister was to throw away a landslide majority in the House of Commons and make himself even more unpopular than Liz Truss. The UK is now heading for its seventh prime minister in ten years, meaning that British prime ministers don’t last as long as …

Three by elections and no one cared about the Murrell affair
19 Jun 2026 at 12:42pm
The Tories are celebrating their Westminster by election win in Aberdeen South today. But just as Labour celebrated its Holyrood by election win in Hamilton, Larkhall, and Stonehouse in 2025 only to go on to lose this year’s Holyrood election, all this by election result really tells us is that tactical voting in by elections …

The world?s crappiest whodunnit
17 Jun 2026 at 12:20pm
I’ve had my cataract operation, the op was a couple of days early as there was a cancellation. The recovery period is four weeks, but I already notice a massive improvement in my eyesight. The fog has lifted and I’m now able to read much more comfortably. I’m hugely relieved it’s over. Right now, there’s …

Sarwar learns the law of unintended consequences
11 Jun 2026 at 11:52am
Anyone with two functioning braincells knows that the only reason the anti-independence parties and the SNP’s enemies are so keen on an inquiry into the Murrell scandal is because they seek to make political capital out of it, damage a party that keeps defeating them at the ballot box, and with it hinder progress to …

Westminster goes Trumpian and the media in Scotland jumps the SNPbad shark
7 Jun 2026 at 7:26pm
At the behest of Tory MP Andrew Six Chips Bowie, Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee is to vote next week on whether to hold an inquiry into the finances of the SNP. Bowie is of course only interested in good governance and looking after the best interests of the SNP members whose money was stolen by …

The historic failure of the media in Scotland
4 Jun 2026 at 1:28pm
The issues in my left eye, my better eye, seem to be getting a bit better so I’m only half blind now. Many thanks to everyone who left kind messages of support. Hopefully after 16 June when I have the cataract operation my eyesight will improve markedly. The Murrell scandal is of course still rumbling …

Seeing the path ahead clearly
31 May 2026 at 2:45pm
I’m not going to be blogging so much over the next couple of weeks. For the past year or so I’ve had a cataract in my right eye, which has rapidly worsened over recent months such that at an eye test at the opticians last week I found to my horror that I could not …

The first salvos have been fired in the latest stage of the independence camp...
27 May 2026 at 4:20pm
On Tuesday, the first working day of a new Scottish Parliament, with a record pro-independence majority, the fourth such majority in a row, MSPs voted by 72 to 55, a majority of 17 to adopt a motion calling on the Westminster government “to make a Section 30 order under the Scotland Act 1998 to devolve …

Explaining a parliamentary mandate for the staunch of hearing
26 May 2026 at 3:16pm
Today Holyrood gets the ball rolling on putting into action the pro-independence mandate given to it by the people of Scotland at the recent election, which as we all know by now resulted in the largest ever majority of pro-independence MSPs in the history of the Scottish Parliament. I’ll blog about the debate and vote …

Branchform?s over and the SNP is still standing
25 May 2026 at 1:41pm
Well, after five long years, murder tents, and over £2 million in police costs, it’s all over bar the inevitable shouting, and of course the not insignificant matter of what is likely to be a substantial custodial sentence. Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. …

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

Add the DUP to the history of the Tories, Liberals and Labour in covering-up ...
24 Jun 2026 at 4:01pm
The astonishing apathy of the MSM in reacting to the above sexual abuse of children contrasts with their frothing pile-on of a man clearly with a mental health problem relating to spending but it’s part of wider historical pattern. By JB Independent Inquiry Child Sex Abuse From the 2012 investigation  ?Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse Linked to Westminster?. ?This investigation concerns instit...

Multiple academic research studies suggest sexual crimes in Scotland are far ...
24 Jun 2026 at 1:24pm
No tasteless, titillating for some, exploitative Getty images of tearful young women victims of sexual violence here, unlike in BBC Scotland reporting. From BBC Scotland today: Sexual crimes in Scotland hit record high levels. Sexual crimes recorded by Police Scotland increased by 10% last year and are now at their highest level since 1971, official figures show. The message here is wrong, so w...

Edinburgh TV Festival had become costly, exclusive, elitist and in decline so...
24 Jun 2026 at 1:21pm
The Edinburgh TV Festival has become notoriously expensive for hotels and venues. Critics argue this prices out freelancers, emerging talent, working-class voices, and a broader range of attendees, making the event feel elitist or inaccessible. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/nov/20/edinburgh-tv-festival-could-move-cost-working-class-voices Long-time observers claim it has declined from ...

?Woman dies after being hit by HGV in Glasgow? but pedestrian deaths fall by ...
24 Jun 2026 at 9:14am
From BBC Scotland today in BBC Breakfast this morning: Woman dies after being hit by HGV in Glasgow The woman was crossing Saracen Street in Possilpark about 11:10 on Tuesday morning when when she was struck by an HGV being driven by a 58-year-old man. Emergency services attended but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have asked for anyone with information to come forward. Sgt C...

A reminder of NHS Scotland?s target-busting 95% drug and alcohol treatment in...
24 Jun 2026 at 8:54am
As BBC Scotland today note a local scheme to improve the treatment of drug abusers in Aberdeen, they, of course, offer no context. Such as? This: NHS Scotland?s target-busting 95% drug and alcohol treatment in three weeks or less From Public Health Scotland National drug and alcohol treatment waiting times 1 October 2025 to 31 December 2025 today, the above and: Nationally, the Standard was met...

England?s first full investigation into maternity service failures publishing...
24 Jun 2026 at 8:48am
Absent entirely from UK newspaper front pages today but featured in TV news broadcasts, the above story anticipates a report into maternity services in Nottingham which will be frankly horrific and which police locally have strangely labelled their investigation into criminality, ‘Operation Perth’: The largest maternity review in the history of the NHS – which is expected to detail widespread f...

After 20 years of centre-left government protecting services and the poorest ...
23 Jun 2026 at 3:30pm
From Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2025-26 published today, the above table of Total number of recorded crimes per 10,000 population, Scotland, 2025-26 in each council area. https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2025-26/pages/total-recorded-crime/ How do these compare with parts of England? Note the national average pushing 20% higher, the rates far higher than any in Scotland...

Scottish Government funds Transport Scotland?s award-winning motorcycle safet...
23 Jun 2026 at 2:43pm
From the Road Safety Trust today, the above image and: A report recently published on The Road Safety Trust?s website has confirmed that Transport Scotland?s award-winning motorcycle safety initiative is continuing to save lives on Scotland?s trunk road network. Believed to be the largest motorcycle behaviour investigation of its kind, Project PRIME set out to improve rider safety through the u...

Reconviction Rates in Scotland fall to tiny percentage per head of those in E...
23 Jun 2026 at 2:25pm
From Reconviction Rates in Scotland: 2022 to 2023 Offender Cohort, published today: Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/reconviction-rates-in-scotland-2022-2023-cohort/ What might account for this? There are currently 5 576 ?band 4? probation officers in England.2 Scotland does not have ?probation officers? as a distinct role. The equivalent is Justice Social Workers (also called criminal...

Did the media get Murrell 5 years in jail? In 2019 a Labour councillor stole ...
23 Jun 2026 at 2:03pm
From BBC Scotland in 2019: A former Labour councillor has been convicted of taking more than £8,000 from a local charity where she worked. Yvonne Kucuk, 52, was the company secretary for the People’s Development Trust in Dalmarnock, Glasgow. The trust ran the £3.5m Commonwealth Games legacy hub in the area, which was launched by football legend Sir Kenny Dalglish in 2015. But, later financial...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation

Scottish leader John Swinney calls for independence to thwart Reform - RNZ
10 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish leader John Swinney calls for independence to thwart Reform  RNZ

Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum - BBC
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum  BBC

Is Scotland still divided on independence? - The Week
28 May 2026 at 8:00am
Is Scotland still divided on independence?  The Week

Scotland Office blocks release of files discussing Section 30 and independenc...
21 Jun 2026 at 6:47am
Scotland Office blocks release of files discussing Section 30 and independence  The National Scot

Scottish Independence: More show. Less tell - Enlighten - Scotland's Independ...
16 Jun 2026 at 4:02am
Scottish Independence: More show. Less tell  Enlighten - Scotland's Independent Think Tank

Investors warn Scotland to avoid long-term debt to limit independence premium...
8 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Investors warn Scotland to avoid long-term debt to limit independence premium  Financial Times

Nationalist Governments Now in Both: The 2026 Parliamentary Elections in Scot...
31 May 2026 at 8:00am
Nationalist Governments Now in Both: The 2026 Parliamentary Elections in Scotland and Wales  Open Canada

Govern today, independence tomorrow: the changing nature of nationalist parti...
22 Jun 2026 at 1:12pm
Govern today, independence tomorrow: the changing nature of nationalist parties  palatinate.org.uk

Scottish independence ?challenge of the next decade?, says minister - The Ind...
23 Jun 2026 at 12:01am
Scottish independence ?challenge of the next decade?, says minister  The Independent

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Who is Peter Murrell? The former SNP chief who stole from his party - BBC
23 Jun 2026 at 10:24am
Who is Peter Murrell? The former SNP chief who stole from his party  BBCWhat stolen party funds bought Nicola Sturgeon's husband  Australian Broadcasting CorporationThe Guardian view on the politics of Scotland: like Labour, the SNP is in need of renewal | Editorial  The GuardianThe Extraordinary Embezzlement Case That Rocked Scottish Politics  The New York TimesFormer SNP chief Peter Murrell j...

Tories and SNP win Scottish by-elections - as Labour come fourth in both race...
19 Jun 2026 at 10:51am
Tories and SNP win Scottish by-elections - as Labour come fourth in both races  Sky News

What next for Scottish National Party after Peter Murrell scandal - Channel 4...
24 Jun 2026 at 10:35am
What next for Scottish National Party after Peter Murrell scandal  Channel 4 News | Substack

SNP MP in crossing-fingers row accused of faking Scottish accent - The Times
24 Jun 2026 at 1:08pm
SNP MP in crossing-fingers row accused of faking Scottish accent  The Times

New SNP MP?s accent flips from English to Scottish - The Telegraph
24 Jun 2026 at 11:59am
New SNP MP?s accent flips from English to Scottish  The Telegraph

SNP?s Peter Murrell bought wine tools with taxpayer?s cash - The Drinks Business
24 Jun 2026 at 10:40am
SNP?s Peter Murrell bought wine tools with taxpayer?s cash  The Drinks Business

SNP MP hits back as critics fume over finger-crossing during oath to King - T...
24 Jun 2026 at 12:22pm
SNP MP hits back as critics fume over finger-crossing during oath to King  The National Scot

SNP defends new MP accused of putting on 'fake' Scottish accent - The Scotsman
24 Jun 2026 at 1:23pm
SNP defends new MP accused of putting on 'fake' Scottish accent  The Scotsman

SNP tipped off about Murrell guilty plea before court hearing last month - Th...
24 Jun 2026 at 10:29am
SNP tipped off about Murrell guilty plea before court hearing last month  The Herald

Former SNP chief Peter Murrell imprisoned for embezzling £400,000 - Revolutio...
24 Jun 2026 at 3:58pm
Former SNP chief Peter Murrell imprisoned for embezzling £400,000  Revolutionary Communist Party

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation

How do views of Brexit differ between England, Scotland and Wales, 10 years s...
19 Jun 2026 at 9:55am
How do views of Brexit differ between England, Scotland and Wales, 10 years since the referendum?  YouGov

Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum - BBC
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum  BBC

Scottish Bonds to Create ?Financial Referendum? on Independence - Bloomberg.com
15 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Bonds to Create ?Financial Referendum? on Independence  Bloomberg.com

Scottish leader John Swinney calls for independence to thwart Reform - RNZ
10 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish leader John Swinney calls for independence to thwart Reform  RNZ

Investors warn Scotland to avoid long-term debt to limit independence premium...
8 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Investors warn Scotland to avoid long-term debt to limit independence premium  Financial Times

Scotland Office blocks release of files discussing Section 30 and independenc...
21 Jun 2026 at 6:47am
Scotland Office blocks release of files discussing Section 30 and independence  The National Scot

Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum - ...
11 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Ipsos Polling confirms Holyrood26 as the ?loveless election? in Scots minds -...
3 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Ipsos Polling confirms Holyrood26 as the ?loveless election? in Scots minds  Ipsos

'Complacency, naivety': Why the Remain campaign lost the EU referendum - The ...
21 Jun 2026 at 10:56am
'Complacency, naivety': Why the Remain campaign lost the EU referendum  The Herald