The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Former presiding officer given honorary doctorate for 'fostering respectful d...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
28 Oct 2026 at 11:46am
Alison Johnstone, who has also served as a Lothian MSP and City of Edinburgh councillor, received an honorary doctorate from Edinburgh Napier on Tuesday.


SNP warns scrapping gas standing charges could raise bills for Scots
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
28 Oct 2026 at 10:50am
Scottish households could end up paying more for gas under the Chancellor's plan to scrap standing charges, the SNP has warned.


Polyamorous conference motion shows Greens must stop giving opponents opportu...
by Kathleen Nutt
28 Oct 2026 at 10:27am
The most interesting aspect of Ross Greer's speech to the Scottish Greens' conference was when he warned members not to give opponents opportunities to attack the party.


Who is Nus Ghani, the deputy speaker who presides over the UK Budget 2026?
by joe.donnelly2@newsquest.co.uk | Joe Donnelly
28 Oct 2026 at 8:23am
Nusrat Ghani, the Commons deputy speaker, chairs the Budget. Here?s who she is, what her role involves, and why she oversees major parliamentary debates.


Councillors set to adopt code of conduct cracking down on ?derogatory language'
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
28 Oct 2026 at 6:30am
The charter asks councillors to "treat all individuals with dignity, courtesy, and respect, regardless of political affiliation, role, or background".


Budget live: Healey calls on Scottish Government to match £100 energy payment
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
28 Oct 2026 at 6:20am
Chancellor John Healey is delivering his first Budget in the House of Commons, promising ?breathing space? for households alongside targeted cost-of-living fixes. Follow our live coverage for full coverage.


Number of empty council houses in capital fall 66 per cent amid homelessness ...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
28 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
Just 474 council houses were recorded as vacant during the 2025/26 financial year, down from a high-water mark of 1,386 in 2022/23.


John Healey promises 'fresh hope' in first Budget but polls shows public pess...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
28 Oct 2026 at 12:01am
Chancellor John Healey delivers his first Budget promising resilience and relief, but with fiscal headroom potentially halved to £12bn and public scepticism high, Scotland's leaders are demanding more than warm words.


John Swinney calls for ?substantial support? with energy bills in UK Budget
by Katrine Bussey and Craig Paton
28 Oct 2026 at 12:01am
John Swinney urges Chancellor John Healey to provide substantial energy bill support and fulfil Labour?s £300 reduction pledge in the Budget.


Budget: Defence spending to hit three per cent of GDP by 2030 amid growing th...
by Kathleen Nutt
28 Oct 2026 at 1:00pm
Chancellor John Healey?s Budget has set out a path for UK defence spending to hit 3% of national income by 2030 amid growing threats from Russia.


Ministers accused of ?catastrophic? decision to approve new 900MW gas power s...
by Katrine Bussey
27 Oct 2026 at 6:23pm
SNP ministers approve new SSE and Equinor?s 900MW gas-fired Peterhead power station, prompting climate hypocrisy claims from Scottish environmental groups.


Sandie Peggie legal team seeks NHS Fife emails as 'highly relevant' to tribun...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
27 Oct 2026 at 5:46pm
Internal emails released to The Herald show NHS Fife's chief executive personally rewrote a tribunal statement her own lawyer had doubts about. Now Sandie Peggie's legal team wants those documents and says they support her unlawful victimisation claim.


Could Edinburgh artists facing eviction find a home in council-owned studio s...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
27 Oct 2026 at 5:19pm
A motion lodged by the city centre representative asks council officers to work closely with tenants at St Margaret?s House in Meadowbank.


Third independence referendum should follow any Yes vote, says leading historian
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
27 Oct 2026 at 5:00pm
Colin Kidd, Professor of Modern History at St Andrews, argues Brexit shows voters deserve a second chance to judge the final deal ? and proposes a binding third vote a decade after any Scottish independence, warning markets would force harsh economic choices on a new state.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Budget 2026 LIVE: Chancellor John Healey's spending plans and what they mean ...
28 Oct 2026 at 8:48am

The Chancellor will deliver his tax and spending plans in the Commons

The Chancellor will also ?start the long-term action needed to get energy costs down for good? in his statement to MPs.

Labour MP Euan Stainbank said Reform ?owe refinery workers and answer? after senior MP Robert Jenrick suggested halting the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism

New statistics showing an 8 per cent drop in housing completions has been branded ?appalling?.

The power station is reliant on carbon capture technology to mitigate some of the climate impact of burning gas to generate electricity

SNP government officials have insisted Scotland ?has one of the most comprehensive public EV charging networks in the UK?.

Grangemouth?s future matters to the whole of Scotland

It is our duty to both safeguard Scots and provide them with the skills that they will need to thrive.

The Chancellor has been told by the SNP to ?finally deliver the which was promised to halt the industrial destruction? of the area.

John Healey will set out his tax and spending plans for the year in front of MPs in the afternoon.

Wings over Scotland

Faces In Sand
17 Oct 2026 at 3:53pm
Ladies and gentlemen, the next leader of the SNP. ? To be scrupulously fair to the huffing dolt-child, we suppose in grey, chilly Aberdeen there could be some confusion on the matter. But remarkably, the above isn’t even nearly the dumbest thing that’s happened (so far) at this year’s SNP conference. It’s probably not even …

The fight about to come
14 Oct 2026 at 3:20pm
The obvious question is “Why haven’t you made a bigger one in all that time?” Did it not seem important until now? Was there nothing significant going on? Or were they just a little short of cash for some unknowable reason? Still, Keith’s going to make a “launch” speech. He makes it every year. It’ll …

Still Time To Save Her
9 Oct 2026 at 2:32pm
We’ve just had an extraordinary email from Police Scotland, readers. Here it is. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the real-life Timecops. Operation Branchform was closed on 20 March 2025. Nicola Sturgeon gave her infamous interview to Laura Kuenssberg – stating that she would not be handing back any of the items gifted to her by Peter …

There May Be Justice
5 Oct 2026 at 12:40pm
In a little under three days, Phase 1 complete. Wings readers: still the best. But what now? A couple of people have asked about the “stretch target” on the website. That was something CrowdJustice asked for and the reason it’s so high is that that figure was our lawyers’ estimate of the total cost of …

The Love Of Big Brother
3 Oct 2026 at 1:24pm
We were trying to work out what this reminded us of. And the answer was in the same place it usually is. It all checks out. The SNP spend their time grooming your children and trying to make basic parenting a crime. They endorse “gender-affirming care” that sterilises them and will stop them ever having …

In The Eyes Of The Law
1 Oct 2026 at 2:15pm
Our fundraiser to bring a judicial review of Police Scotland’s decision not to charge anyone with embezzlement in the case of the SNP’s missing £700,000 indyref fund is now live, and can be reached by clicking on this image, or here. The target of £30,000 represents the cost of the initial application (with contingency for …

Whatever Can Have Happened?
30 Sep 2026 at 1:50pm
Yesterday afternoon John Swinney announced an independent review into the dual roles of Scotland’s main law officers, the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General, which have been a subject of great controversy since the Scottish Parliament was re-convened in 1999. Wings welcomes this development unequivocally, albeit we’re slightly concerned that the former judge leading the …

The Turning Point
28 Sep 2026 at 1:10pm
We don’t have much to say about this graph that it doesn’t say for itself. The arrest of Peter Murrell on 5 April 2023, just a couple of weeks after his wife had realised the game was up and walked away before the cops came round and put a big blue tent up on their …

Cowering From Destiny
24 Sep 2026 at 11:29am
Alert readers will recall that last year the SNP convened a summit in Glasgow for the sole purpose of uniting the nation in preventing Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister. The party also regularly tells us that to actually achieve independence, support would have to build to an overwhelming consensus into the 60-65% range, rather than …

His Majesty?s Loyal Sabre
21 Sep 2026 at 1:50pm
Funny how people change, isn’t it? That sounds a lot to us like “Bombs Not Bairns”. We watched the first episode of “The Wargame” at 2am this morning (it’s toe-curlingly bad, shot like a soft-focus corporate promo with three-second cuts, constant dramatic music and the politicians delivering wooden press-conference soundbites rather than any sense of …

Craig Murray

The Epidemic of Billionaires
21 Oct 2026 at 11:54am

It takes a lot to get tens of thousands of people to riot. For it to happen simultaneously across several countries points to a supranational underlying cause, as opposed to local grievance at an egregious state injustice. That the temporary collapse of authority and restraint will allow some opportunists to loot is an inevitable concomitant. …

The Epidemic of Billionaires

The Unjust State
15 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm

“Forget justice, it’s much too expensive and time consuming. Plus if you take the government to court, you will have to spend your own money, and we are saving you from that”. That is a fair summary of the judgement by Lords Pentland and Troy and Lady Wise in our appeal against the suspension of …

The Unjust State

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?
12 Oct 2026 at 10:29am

Tomorrow at 10am we get the judgement in our appeal against the suspension of the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. We cannot have won as the appeal – held by “urgent process” – was intended to allow a judicial review before the Supreme Court meets in the Ammori case on 4 …

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?

Fatuous False Flags
2 Oct 2026 at 10:16am

Rather than abandoning the plainly nuts Fairford narrative, Burnham and his government are doubling down on the claim it is an Iranian terror plot. It remains quite possible the men were indeed fuel thieves, simply stealing fuel from farms. They appear to have been equipped for fuel theft and all they were carrying was petrol. …

Fatuous False Flags

Losing My Religion
29 Sep 2026 at 12:07pm

I have lost faith both in Western social democracy, and in the institutions of international law. As both have been fundamental to the work of my life, this is rather a blow as I approach 70. A number of deeply shocking things have happened this past three years, not as extraneous events, but as conscious …

Losing My Religion

Palestine Action Judicial Review
23 Sep 2026 at 4:51pm

On Friday we have our appeal against the suspension of the Palestine Action judicial review in Scotland. Our legal crowdfunder has been closed down by the card processors following Trump’s designation of Palestine Action as a global terrorist organisation. https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/scottish-challenge-to-proscription/dashboard/ If you can, please come to the Court of Session in Edinburgh for 10am. If …

Palestine Action Judicial Review

BBC Scotland

Government minister calls for review of 'unacceptable' BBC Scotland channel c...
28 Oct 2026 at 12:58pm
The BBC announced the dedicated Scotland channel would move online as part of measures to make savings of £500m.

Scotland's recycling rates at five-year low. How is your area doing?
27 Oct 2026 at 3:32pm
Environmental regulator Sepa says households recycled 42.8% of waste in 2025 - down from 44.3% the previous year.

MPs and MSP detained by Israel and barred from entering West Bank
27 Oct 2026 at 4:34pm
SNP MP Lara Bird and the Scottish Greens MSP Kate Nevens were part of an international delegation turned away by Israeli security forces.

Political battle intensifies within Labour over Rosebank oil field
26 Oct 2026 at 6:09pm
Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra is urging the energy secretary to approve the controversial plans.

Police Scotland could cut officer numbers to lowest level in 20 years
26 Oct 2026 at 2:38pm
The Scottish Police Authority says a funding standstill could lead to an end to an end to recruitment.

Rosebank: Life on the oil field at the centre of a political storm
25 Oct 2026 at 7:15am
Scotland editor James Cook finds out what life is like on board a ship in an untapped oil field awaiting its fate.

Scottish Greens call on Swinney to stop 'swithering' on oil and gas
24 Oct 2026 at 3:35pm
Gillian Mackay hits out at Andy Burnham and John Swinney over Jackdaw approval at the party conference.

Police find no criminality in Yes Scotland finances
23 Oct 2026 at 5:56pm
In July, a newspaper published claims by an activist that it was not known how income of more than £1.5m had been spent.

Is the UK set to green-light a huge untapped oil field?
22 Oct 2026 at 7:09am
Scotland editor James Cook visits Rosebank - the UK's largest known untapped oilfield - in the North Atlantic.

Chris Mason: Jackdaw approved but tricky energy trade-offs remain
21 Oct 2026 at 9:49am
Jackdaw and Rosebank are case studies in the slow motion awkwardness the UK has over energy.

What is happening with the Jackdaw and Rosebank gas and oil fields?
21 Oct 2026 at 8:55am
The UK government has moved a step closer to making a decision on whether to approve further drilling.

Councils and NHS boards take websites offline after security alert
22 Oct 2026 at 7:36am
Website owners worldwide were urged to take precautions while a fix was rolled out to make systems more secure.

Scot Goes Pop

I'm sensing a pattern here...
28 Oct 2026 at 8:06am
My YouTube channel has reached two new milestones over the last few days - it's hit 2000 subscribers, and for the first time one of the individual videos has exceeded 10,000 views.  That prompted m...

Majority of Scots want independence, says ELEVENTH Norstat poll IN A ROW - ev...
25 Oct 2026 at 6:38pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Mounting evidence that the SNP leadership would be serious about using a hung...
24 Oct 2026 at 3:31am
Over the last few days, several people have been asking how I fared in the SNP internal elections.  As I explain in the video above, I'm pretty much certain that I've been elected to one of the fou...

The BBC, realising they haven't betrayed Scotland quite hard enough yet, anno...
21 Oct 2026 at 12:07pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *Just a reminder that the YouTube videos I create are unlikely to ever produce...

How did we end up with such a poor media? STV can't even get the basics righ...
20 Oct 2026 at 11:58am
I haven't watched any TV news over the last few days, so my main knowledge of the McGill's meltdown comes indirectly from social media, but I've just watched a full three-minute report from STV New...

GOD BLESS MOTHER NATURE! It's raining Survation polls showing Scotland wants ...
19 Oct 2026 at 7:33am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

52% support for independence - 14-point lead for SNP - new Scottish poll is C...
15 Oct 2026 at 10:35pm

I'm standing in this week's SNP internal elections - I believe we have a duty...
14 Oct 2026 at 12:57pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Chancellor John Healey to outline tax and spending plans in 2026 Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 11:17am
The chancellor will unveil the first Budget of Andy Burnham?s premiership at 12.30pm on Wednesday

Majority of responses to consultation on smoking Bill ?generated by AI bots?
28 Oct 2026 at 9:27am
The responses were ?overwhelmingly targeted? at opposing plans to restrict the sale of disposable vapes

Swinney calls for ?substantial support? with energy bills in UK Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 7:20am
Scottish First Minister John Swinney spoke out ahead of Chancellor John Healey?s first UK Budget on Wednesday.

Andy Burnham urged to deliver ?meaningful help? in Budget instead of ?showboa...
28 Oct 2026 at 7:01am
The SNP's Kirsty Blackman has demanded action from Burnham to help those facing cost of living pressures

Reform UK Scottish leader announces frontbench reshuffle at Holyrood
27 Oct 2026 at 3:54pm
Malcolm Offord said he had ?shuffled? his MSP team ? with the announcement coming after MSP Amanda Bland quit the party

SNP MP and Scottish Green MSP detained by Israel after trying to enter Palestine
27 Oct 2026 at 8:05am
Lara Bird was detained by Israeli authorities after trying to enter the West Bank

Scottish ministers urged to set new tax on private jets at ?sky high? level
27 Oct 2026 at 7:42am
Campaigners at Oxfam Scotland want the new charge to help ensure the ?biggest polluters pay? for the impact their actions have on the environment.

Scottish Government urged to commit £100m for work to help prevent homelessness
27 Oct 2026 at 7:26am
Crisis Scotland urged ministers to provide the funding over the next two years, ahead of new duties coming in in November 2028.

?Show intent? to end homelessness by scrapping benefits cap, charities urge
26 Oct 2026 at 7:05am
A coalition of 38 Scottish charities has written to the Chancellor urging him to ditch the 'damaging' measures at Wednesday?s Budget

800 Scottish public sector workers being paid for jobs that don?t exist ? report
25 Oct 2026 at 2:38pm
The Sunday Times reports around 800 NHS workers no longer have a fixed role but remain on the public payroll, at a cost of at least £27m per year.

SNP says UK must rule out use of Scottish revenue for English nuclear energy
24 Oct 2026 at 7:47pm
The new fund was announced alongside the approval of the Jackdaw gas field near Aberdeen earlier this week.

Greens promise ?millennial rail card? paid for by wealthy flyers
24 Oct 2026 at 2:24pm
Ross Greer, the party?s co-leader, said the 31-49 age group was the only one not to be offered a discounted rail fare scheme

Police find ?no criminality? over claims £1.5m missing from Yes Scotland fina...
23 Oct 2026 at 12:07pm
A complaint was made to the police alleging that £1.5m was unaccounted for.

Will the Rosebank oil field off Shetland be approved?
22 Oct 2026 at 10:22am
It's a yes for Jackdaw ? but now, attention is turning to the second landmark project in the North Sea

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Budget 2026 LIVE as John Healey blames Donald Trump war in Iran for rising pr...
28 Oct 2026 at 1:04pm
John Healey will today unveil the UK Government's spending plans for the next 12 months as the cost of living continues to hammer households budgets.

John Healey Budget will deliver 'plenty extra money' for the SNP Government
28 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
If the UK Government spends more money to end rough sleeping and reduce homelessness, the Scottish Government must follow suit, says Chris McCall

Housebuilding in Scotland plummets despite record number of kids living in te...
27 Oct 2026 at 2:41pm
Experts warned "we are simply not building social homes fast enough, nor investing at the scale Scotland?s housing emergency demands".

Poorest Scots 5 times more likely die from alcohol than the richest as health...
27 Oct 2026 at 12:34pm
Deaths from alcohol were higher than the national average in Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire, Dundee and Renfrewshire.

Scots towns with no pubs or restaurants could become the new normal
27 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
John Healey should use his Budget to offer the hard-pressed hospitality industry a break, says Chris McCall.

Chancellor urged to help struggling Scots pubs and restaurants by slashing VA...
27 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: SNP MSP Calum Kerr has called on Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra to support its calls for a VAT cut for hospitality businesses.

John Swinney 'doing Putin's dirty work' after SNP leader claims Scottish coas...
26 Oct 2026 at 2:03pm
Luke Pollard took issue with the First Minister's recent claim that the UK Government is "failing to keep Scotland secure".

SNP scheme to hand p1 pupils free backpacks will cost millions
26 Oct 2026 at 12:44pm
The "Welcome to School Bags" were a key giveaway announced in the SNP's 2026 election manifesto but critics have questioned their benefit.

Scottish Labour urges John Healey to hike taxes on UK's biggest banks to pay ...
26 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The Scottish Labour leader argued the Chancellor must make "progressive choices on tax" in order to protect public services and help ordinary families.

John Healey should use his Budget to ask the big banks to pay their fair share
26 Oct 2026 at 4:29am
Writing in his regular column for the Record, the Scottish Labour leader says the biggest businesses should be asked to do their bit at this week's Budget statement.

The National

The National | Politics

Douglas Alexander in bizarre 'coffee machines' jibe at Nicola Sturgeon over J...
28 Oct 2026 at 12:12pm

DOUGLAS Alexander aimed a ?coffee machines? jibe at former first minister Nicola Sturgeon as he attacked the SNP?s position on the North Sea.

Labour's gas bill changes 'will put up costs for Scottish customers', SNP MP ...
28 Oct 2026 at 11:54am

THE UK Government may have just ?put up energy bills for the majority of Scots?, the SNP?s Westminster leader has said ...

We must not play by the rules of the UK?s corrupt ruling class
28 Oct 2026 at 12:00pm

I MET Peter Bell many years ago. We were both involved in (non-party-political) pro-independence campaigning. Although he and I could agree on some things, there was one fundamental difference ? about CLASS.

Decision to ban Drumcree Orange Order parade ruled lawful by High Court
28 Oct 2026 at 10:56am

The Northern Ireland Secretary's decision to ban the Drumcree Orange Order parade was lawful, a High Court judge has concluded

Critics shocked as Rosebank oilfield approval assumed in Chancellor's first B...
28 Oct 2026 at 10:41am

TREASURY and the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts are reportedly assuming the approval of Rosebank oilfield which campaigners say will be catastrophic for the climate

See Scottish Government's full letter to Ofcom over BBC Scotland closure
28 Oct 2026 at 10:08am

The Scottish Government has written to Ofcom over the 'wholly unacceptable' closure of the BBC Scotland linear TV channel

Chancellor John Healey set to announce his first Budget ? how to watch
28 Oct 2026 at 9:58am

JOHN Healey is due to deliver his first budget in the House of Commons today

Defeated presidential candidate arrives in US after Brazil cancels his passports
28 Oct 2026 at 9:18am

A SENIOR US State Department official has said Brazilian opposition candidate Flavio Bolsonaro and his family will be granted US visas after his weekend defeat to incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

What scrapping gas standing charges means for your energy bill
28 Oct 2026 at 7:52am

STANDING charges on gas bills will be scrapped from next year in a move expected to save 60% of households an average of £45 a year, the Treasury has announced ? with critics saying "millions of households won?t see a saving"

Independence depends on defeating neoliberalism
28 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

A lot of folk in the independence movement are going to be upset by what follows. However, what needs to be said must be said without beating around the bush

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Budget: Scotland to host new ?18m tech academy
28 Oct 2026 at 12:27pm
UK Advanced Chip Design Academy announced

?Wholly unacceptable?: Culture secretary urges Ofcom to review BBC Scotland c...
28 Oct 2026 at 10:53am
The move to axe the linear channel was announced last week

AI bots sent three in four responses to UK smoking consultation, report claims
27 Oct 2026 at 10:30pm
Safeguard call for public health policymaking

Malcolm Offord reveals Reform UK Holyrood reshuffle
27 Oct 2026 at 2:14pm
The changes come after Amanda Bland quit the party

Alcohol deaths still ?far too high? despite decrease, minister says
27 Oct 2026 at 10:45am
Campaigners are calling for more action to further drive the number down

Chancellor to cut food costs as part of 'everyday fixes' package
27 Oct 2026 at 12:27am
The chancellor's Budget?on Wednesday will include a package of "everyday fixes" to give families dealing with the cost-of-living crisis "breathing space"

MSPs to take hyperscale datacentre evidence
26 Oct 2026 at 5:07pm
Debate over consents for new centres continues

Police say no further investigation required into Yes Scotland finances
23 Oct 2026 at 2:40pm
The force was looking into the group following a complaint submitted over the summer

Addressing loneliness and isolation
23 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
CWAS is not just about a unique form of transport and promoting active travel, it is also about improving society?s physical and mental health and wellbeing through human contact, mutual support, camaraderie and exercise.

Hart of the matter ? who pays for deer management?
22 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
SCOTLAND: The Big Picture?s Fiadh project is aiming to catalyse fresh conversations around the often contentious subject of deer management.

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

No 10: Hegseth ?wrong? to say most non-US Nato soldiers didn?t fight in Afgha...
19 Oct 2026 at 5:18pm
Downing Street delivered a rare rebuke to a senior member of Donald Trump?s administrationAsked why the Lib Dems were opposed to a third runway at Heathrow when they professed to be in favour of growth, Cooper said she did not accept that a third runway would produce all the benefits its supporte...

SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun?
17 Oct 2026 at 4:45pm
John Swinney tells party conference SNP will use ?six-figure war chest? to renew argument for leaving UKJohn Swinney has said that the second referendum campaign for Scottish independence ?has already begun?, revealing a nationwide effort to renew the argument for leaving the UK in his keynote ad...

Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference?
15 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
Prime minister presents new kind of challenge for SNP, and his Scottish visit will loom large over its big eventThis year, even Andy Burnham is invited to the Scottish National party conference. But by the time John Swinney stands up to address members on Saturday afternoon in Aberdeen to reinvig...

Burnham tells Zelenskyy?s UK?s support for Ukraine ?will not change? ? as it ...
14 Oct 2026 at 6:06pm
Zelenskyy says he will be discussing intelligence sharing ?difficulties? and Starlink access with BurnhamPMQs is about to start.Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.After @genevieve_holl reported this last night, various sources in the Trump administration who are supportive of Farage s...

MI5 chief Ken McCallum confirms Russia did interfere in Brexit referendum but...
13 Oct 2026 at 5:23pm
He argued there was no evidence to suggest the result of the Brexit vote had been swayed as a result of the effortAndy Burnham promises ?serious dialogue? over UK?s relationship with EUZia Yusuf, Reform UK?s home affairs spokesperson, has said he does not agree with his colleague Suella Braverman...

UK politics live: Pat McFadden tells Labour activists they should not defend ...
27 Sep 2026 at 6:11pm
Work and pensions secretary says the current system is flawed because it consigns too many people to a life on benefits when they would be better off working?I can deliver?: Burnham pledges radical change on eve of Labour conferenceKuenssberg puts it to Burnham that, according to the Health Found...

New powerful synthetic opioids behind sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths
23 Sep 2026 at 2:12pm
Eleven per cent increase in fatalities last year partly down to presence of nitazenes in Scotland?s illicit drug marketNew forms of a powerful synthetic opioid have contributed to a sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths, with the latest data showing an 11% increase in fatalities last yearAnnual figu...

Scottish Labour?s new leader backs Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gasfields
19 Sep 2026 at 1:52pm
Michael Marra supports development of the North Sea sites, calling for a ?more rational? approach to energy policyScottish Labour?s new leader Michael Marra has backed the development of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gasfields in the North Sea in one of his first acts after being elected, call...

Planning permission for new Scottish AI datacentres suspended for up to a year
16 Sep 2026 at 7:28pm
MSPs vote for strict environmental impact assessments and will delay decisions until national strategy is developedHolyrood has voted to pause planning applications for all new AI datacentres for up to a year until the Scottish government has developed a national strategy.On Wednesday, MSPs backe...

UK politics: Farage hints that Reform?s £72m donations may not be legal under...
14 Sep 2026 at 6:04pm
In an interview about the donations, he said they are compliant with the law ?today?Andy Burnham has cancelled engagements today and tomorrow following the death of his father Roy, who was suffering from Alzheimer?s, the Press Association reports.Burnham has spoken about his father?s illness whic...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

These Islands? dishonest best out of three indyref plan
28 Oct 2026 at 11:44am
In an interview with The Herald, marking a significant shifting of the previous intransigence of a die-hard Unionist campaign group, Professor Colin Kidd, a historian who is a member of the advisory board of the anti-independence campaign organisation These Islands has acknowledged that opponents of independence “can’t keep on saying no indefinitely to a second …

The paramilitary far right must be nipped in the bud
27 Oct 2026 at 2:01pm
We have now had another fascist military style parade consisting of men dressed all in black, often wearing black ski masks or balaclavas and scarves to hide their faces, parading in formation in public spaces in Scotland, in what is clearly an attempt to intimidate and sow fear. On Friday, around 100 men dressed in …

Newly independent countries can quickly establish a currency
25 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm
One of the biggest mistakes the Yes campaign made during the 2014 referendum campaign was Alex Salmond’s declaration that a newly independent Scotland would enter a currency union with the remnant UK and continue to use pound sterling as its currency. This gave the Better Together parties the opportunity, which they immediately took, to assert …

BBC Scotland?s useful idiots
24 Oct 2026 at 11:34am
Police Scotland has announced that it will make no further investigations into the finances of Yes Scotland, having found no evidence of criminality. Headed by Blair Jenkins, Yes Scotland was the organisation which represented the official Yes campaign in the 2014 referendum. It handed over its full accounts to Police Scotland after a complaint was …

The £1 trillion cost of the Union to Scotland
23 Oct 2026 at 1:46pm
Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey has admitted that if the UK had in set up a sovereign wealth fund on the basis of income generated from North Sea oil and gas as Norway did in the 1980s, it would currently be worth in excess of the eye watering sum of £1 trillion pounds. That …

The BBC, switching off Scotland
21 Oct 2026 at 1:57pm
The BBC has announced that the BBC Scotland channel is to close in spring 2027 as part of its cost-cutting measures. Also ceasing linear broadcasting will be BBC Three and BBC Radio 4 Extra. The channels will become online only. The BBC Scotland Channel was established in 24 February 2019, replacing the BBC Two Scotland …

Buses, indy and Reform?s implosion
19 Oct 2026 at 2:16pm
Despite BBC Scotland doing its best to ignore or marginalise the recent SNP conference in Aberdeen, the SNP have come out from their conference, united, confident and energised with a batch of eye-catching policies which are likely to be popular with the public, not the least of which is the commitment to take Scotland’s bus …

Pulling Focus
17 Oct 2026 at 10:47am
It’s a sign of how spooked they are by the Celtic Alliance and the question of Scottish independence that just won’t go away that both Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch decided to pay visits to Scotland during the SNP conference in desperate and transparent attempts to pull focus, like a narcissistic mother with a bad …

It?s time to abolish the Scotland Office
16 Oct 2026 at 1:06pm
On the first day of the SNP conference, the membership voted overwhelmingly for the abolition of the Scotland Office and the post of Secretary of state for Scotland, also known as the Scottish Secretary. The vote was of course symbolic as the Scotland Office is a department of the Westminster government while its head, the …

SNP conference, day 1 and the Choose Scotland campaign
15 Oct 2026 at 2:46pm
It’s sod’s law. Just as the SNP party conference gets underway and the biggest push for independence in a decade has been announced, WordPress, the platform this blog uses, has implemented an update which has run into some glitches and is preventing many people from being able to post comments or replies. If you are …

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

Massive, almost 50% fall in opioid dependency among 15-34 year-olds
28 Oct 2026 at 1:31pm
From: Estimated numbers of people prescribed opioid substitution therapy in Scotland2025/2026 published yesterday, the above and: It is estimated that a minimum of 26,851 people in Scotland were prescribed an opioid agonist therapy (OAT) medication for the treatment of opioid dependence. This was a 4%decrease compared to 2024/25 (28,015). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/presc...

After 20 years Scotland has almost 50% more social housing per head with an e...
27 Oct 2026 at 1:28pm
From Excel Tables: Social housing stock, published today, the above and: These figures provide the total number of social housing stock in Scotland. They are updated each year using information from Housing Statistics Annual Returns and stock figures from the Scottish Housing Regulator. https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-social-housing-stock/ Comparisons with England Per capit...

Homicide in Scotland trend still significantly down, 37% in last 5 years, 60%...
27 Oct 2026 at 1:27pm
From Homicide in Scotland 2025-26 published yesterday: In 2025-26, 56 victims of homicide were recorded, 19% (or nine victims) more than the 47 victims recorded in 2024-25 (Table 1). This is the fourth lowest number of recorded homicide victims since comparable records began in 1976. Over the latest 10 year period from 2016-17 to 2025-26, the number of victims fell by 14% (or nine victims) from...

Just a few of those interviewed by Scottish media to attack SNP or Scottish G...
27 Oct 2026 at 11:43am
Toni Dawson, Largs shop-owner, interviewed by STV after flood damage just the latests of thes. Professor June Andrews (multiple appearances, 2024?2026): A dementia specialist and former nurse (often billed by expertise and OBE) appeared on BBC Radio Scotland?s Good Morning Scotland supporting means-testing of the Winter Fuel Payment (comments later used to challenge an SNP minister) and on Scot...

From Gimmicks to Everyday Fixes
27 Oct 2026 at 11:07am
By Mark E. Saunders of ?The Scottish Minuteman? https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 Hold on just a wee minute here. When John Swinney announced a proposal to make food more affordable for Scottish families ? by capping the prices of essential food items in large supermarket chains ? what was the reaction from opposition parties at Holyrood? A ?political stunt?. A ?snoozefest...

BBC Scotland could be misleading you on likely police officer numbers with jo...
27 Oct 2026 at 10:20am
From BBC Scotland, the above and: Police Scotland will have to cut officer numbers to their lowest level in 23 years if it gets a “devastating” flat cash funding settlement, an oversight body has warned. The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) says recruitment would have to stop, taking officer numbers down to 15,600 – the lowest figure since 2003-04. Police Scotland is currently in line to receive...

As Reporting Scotland return to the Labour RAAC controversy a reminder of the...
27 Oct 2026 at 10:00am
From BBC Scotland, today, the above and: Councillors have approved a £21m repair scheme for RAAC-affected homes in Dundee. Work will be carried out on council-owned properties and in buildings where the local authority retains an interest. The council has agreed to write to both the UK and Scottish governments seeking financial support and a dedicated funding mechanism for homeowners. Almost 1,...

Scotland is well ahead on land reform and legislative foundation is too stron...
27 Oct 2026 at 9:49am
In the Guardian today, the above, and: Plans by the government to give the public free access for the first time to information on who owns England?s land are at risk of being scuppered by landowners, campaigners have said. The Guardian has previously revealed that there are internal rifts between the government and the Land Registry ? an ?arm?s length body? that comes under the oversight of th...

STV accuse Stephen Flynn of paving over storm drains in Largs five years earl...
26 Oct 2026 at 7:16pm
Did the young STV reporter with the Ulster accent think she was speaking to a local councillor tonight in Largs when prompted by a chocolate shop owner, she accused Stephen Flynn, Transport Minister, personally and directly of having paved over storm drains. The shop owner, left, with her party leader: The resurfacing of the road outside the shop was resurfaced by Amey in 2021 with further work...

Kevin McKenna, Colonist of the Year makes the Herald a hostile place for Scot...
26 Oct 2026 at 5:00pm
The Herald’s Colonist of the Year, Kevin McKenna has been in hyperdrive recently with explicit but moronic attacks on the SNP. The one above and six below are only recent examples from a set of more than a hundred going back to before 2014. A man once admired at the Guardian is now a figure of disgust among those decent democrats, now more than 50% of the electorate, and presumably at least tha...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Currency should be a non-issue in independence debate ? just look at other co...
28 Oct 2026 at 10:52am
Currency should be a non-issue in independence debate ? just look at other countries  The National Scot

Third independence referendum should follow any Yes vote, says leading histor...
27 Oct 2026 at 7:58pm
Third independence referendum should follow any Yes vote, says leading historian  The Herald

Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which i...
8 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?  The Conversation

Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda - Bloomberg.com
17 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda  Bloomberg.com

SNP must answer mortgage question if it?s serious about independence - The Times
27 Oct 2026 at 5:12pm
SNP must answer mortgage question if it?s serious about independence  The Times

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

Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference - Financial...
13 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference  Financial Times

Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham - BBC
17 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham  BBC

Burnham rules out second Scottish independence referendum - The Telegraph
16 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Burnham rules out second Scottish independence referendum  The Telegraph

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

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Why the SNP needs to press pause on a new arts company that nobody seems to w...
28 Oct 2026 at 10:35am
Why the SNP needs to press pause on a new arts company that nobody seems to want  The Herald

SNP under attack for 'appalling' drop in new homes despite declaring housing ...
28 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
SNP under attack for 'appalling' drop in new homes despite declaring housing emergency  The Scotsman

SNP urged to scrap compulsory redundancy ban over ?ghost workers? - The Times
27 Oct 2026 at 7:38pm
SNP urged to scrap compulsory redundancy ban over ?ghost workers?  The Times

Fury as Scottish Government drops right to healthy environment from human rig...
28 Oct 2026 at 1:25pm
Fury as Scottish Government drops right to healthy environment from human rights bill  The National Scot

SNP spends millions on public sector ?ghost jobs? - The Telegraph
25 Oct 2026 at 3:00pm
SNP spends millions on public sector ?ghost jobs?  The Telegraph

SNP Ministers were warned about oil and gas investment ?slump? - Energy Live ...
27 Oct 2026 at 12:01pm
SNP Ministers were warned about oil and gas investment ?slump?  Energy Live News

The Scottish National Party turns to the right - The Economist
19 Oct 2026 at 5:12pm
The Scottish National Party turns to the right  The Economist

Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference? - The Guar...
16 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference?  The Guardian

MPs and MSP detained by Israel and barred from entering West Bank - BBC
27 Oct 2026 at 7:57am
MPs and MSP detained by Israel and barred from entering West Bank  BBC

Labour's gas bill changes 'will put up costs for Scottish customers', SNP MP ...
28 Oct 2026 at 11:54am
Labour's gas bill changes 'will put up costs for Scottish customers', SNP MP says  Yahoo News UK

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Second Scottish independence referendum 'must be a double vote', historian sa...
27 Oct 2026 at 6:02pm
Second Scottish independence referendum 'must be a double vote', historian says  The National Scot

'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum - BBC
15 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum  BBC

If Scotland votes for independence, we need a third referendum to make it sti...
27 Oct 2026 at 5:35pm
If Scotland votes for independence, we need a third referendum to make it stick  The Herald

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

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

New poll finds Scots back independence and almost half want indyref2 in five ...
25 Oct 2026 at 2:38pm
New poll finds Scots back independence and almost half want indyref2 in five years  The National Scot

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

Scottish independence referendum 'a million miles away' - Offord - BBC
4 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence referendum 'a million miles away' - Offord  BBC

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