The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Call for halt to Glasgow student flat blocks put to Swinney as beds could nea...
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
7 Oct 2026 at 5:59pm
Glasgow MSP Bob Doris calls on John Swinney to consider a PBSA moratorium as student accommodation could reach 40,000 beds amid local concerns.


Inside the top-secret operation to remove anti-migrant flags under cover of d...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
7 Oct 2026 at 4:24pm
Documents obtained via Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation reveal that multiple contractors declined to take down the Saltires amid safety concerns.


Are TV shows now avoiding the elephant in the room with the former FM?
by Kathleen Nutt
7 Oct 2026 at 4:00pm
Nicola Sturgeon was not asked any questions about Operation Branchform or Peter Murrell - but instead we heard her views on independence.


John Swinney defends Flynn amid claims Transport Secretary is 'not on top of ...
by Craig Paton
7 Oct 2026 at 3:29pm
John Swinney defends Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn as Willie Rennie questions his handling of Alexander Dennis, island flights and Glen Sannox gas leak.


Civil servants to be offered 'eyewatering' exit deals under reform cuts
by Kathleen Nutt
7 Oct 2026 at 3:04pm
Senior civil servants are being offered lucrative pay offs under a voluntary exit scheme as the Scottish Government tries to make cuts to fill a £4.7 billion black hole in public finances.


Swinney unable to say if ministers approved Jersey transfer of Sanjeev Gupta ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
7 Oct 2026 at 2:28pm
John Swinney has told Holyrood he cannot be certain ministers sanctioned the transfer of the £586m Lochaber smelter guarantee to a Jersey company.


CalMac ferry link cancelled for fifth year despite promise to return in 2027
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
7 Oct 2026 at 2:23pm
CalMac cancels the Ardrossan-Campbeltown ferry for summer 2027, prompting Kintyre anger after promises it would return, citing ageing fleet pressures.


Swinney calls for ?unity over division? on anniversary of October 7 attacks
by jody.harrison@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Jody Harrison
7 Oct 2026 at 9:22am
Swinney said the anniversary prompts reflection on lasting peace


Students to take to streets for pro-Palestine marches on October 7 anniversary
by jody.harrison@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Jody Harrison
7 Oct 2026 at 6:54am
Students will take to the streets across the country for pro-Palestine marches on the third anniversary of Hamas?s October 7 attacks.


FCA urged to compensate Aberdeen Midas victims amid Epstein whistleblower row
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
7 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
The FCA has been urged to compensate victims of the Aberdeen Midas fraud after a heated Edinburgh meeting dominated by the Simon Andriesz whistleblower case and Jeffrey Epstein links.


What happened? How Denmark pulled away from Scotland in just 25 years
by keith.bruce@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Colin McLean
7 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Scotland and Denmark began the century on similar footing. Twenty-five years later, Denmark is richer, healthier and growing faster


BBC decision to axe world piping broadcast has 'echoes of 1746' say SNP
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
6 Oct 2026 at 7:06pm
Stuart McMillan, the Inverclyde MSP and piper, has invoked the British state's crackdown after Culloden in a letter demanding the BBC reverse plans to drop its World Pipe Band Championships coverage. The corporation insists no final decision has been taken.


Swinney says £586m Gupta smelter guarantee was 'rational decision for governm...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
6 Oct 2026 at 6:15pm
John Swinney defended the Scottish Government's £586m taxpayer guarantee on Sanjeev Gupta's Lochaber smelter as 'rational' at FMQs, but declined to answer whether ministers knew investors could profit regardless of whether any aluminium was ever produced.


Has Holyrood been a launch pad for independence or a nationalist dead end?
by Rory Fell
6 Oct 2026 at 5:38pm
George Robertson promised devolution would kill the SNP stone dead. A quarter century on, with independence support approaching 50% and three pro-independence First Ministers aligned, the verdict looks rather different.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Education secretary apologises to family of student who took his own life
7 Oct 2026 at 6:49pm

The family of Ethan Brown say Glasgow University?s failures were ?catastrophic?

The Conservative Party leader criticised Prime Minister Andy Burnham for having ?clumsily opened the door? to another vote during her party conference speech.

The voluntary exit scheme is part of swingeing changes coming to Scotland?s civil service

Anders Opedal, the boss of the Norwegian state oil company, suggested the company would look elsewhere if final approval was not granted for the Jackdaw and Rosebank sites.

Wings over Scotland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Like Responsible Citizens Do
14 Sep 2026 at 12:13pm
Given the refusal of Police Scotland to meaningfully answer our questions, we’ve been left with no alternative but to report Nicola Sturgeon for the crime of reset. We’re sure the matter will be handled with the exact same professional diligence and complete and fearless impartiality that it would be for any other accused person. The …

Craig Murray

Fatuous False Flags
2 Oct 2026 at 10:16am

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

Fatuous False Flags

Losing My Religion
29 Sep 2026 at 12:07pm

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

Losing My Religion

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

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

Palestine Action Judicial Review

Four Days in Ekaterinburg
21 Sep 2026 at 1:26pm

I was surprised a few weeks ago to get an invitation from Yana Lantratova, Russian Federal Commissioner for Human Rights, to deliver a speech on human rights to the International Youth Festival in Ekaterinburg. It is approaching 20 years since I was last in Russia, and I tend to avoid invitations from governments. But on …

Four Days in Ekaterinburg

Dishonesty and Deceit
7 Sep 2026 at 7:31pm

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

Dishonesty and Deceit

Nonsense Drones and Novichok
3 Sep 2026 at 2:14pm

Europe urgently needs to re-establish access to Russian oil and gas. Gas prices are high – as all UK energy consumers know – and German gas storage is at a record low for September. Gulf production is degraded, supplies are cut off and its long-term strategic stability undermined. German manufacturing already suffered a 9.5% production …

Nonsense Drones and Novichok

BBC Scotland

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scottish Tory leader Findlay says SNP's indy 'obsession' is dangerously irres...
4 Oct 2026 at 2:10pm
Russell Findlay tells the Conservative Party's UK conference that breaking up the United Kingdom would be "a gift to our enemies".

No more cereal at the end of the aisle? New rules in Scotland's supermarkets
2 Oct 2026 at 11:47am
Restrictions are being put on products with high sugar, fat and salt content, but the meal deal lives on.

PM warned Rosebank oil field could breach West Bank sanctions
1 Oct 2026 at 7:38pm
Campaigners and Green Party leader Zack Polanski raise concerns about Rosebank's ties to an Israeli firm.

Asylum hotel's contract to be cancelled this year, says MP
1 Oct 2026 at 5:18pm
The Cladhan in Falkirk was the site of demonstrations last summer involving pro and anti-immigration group.

Doctors say radical plan to merge Scotland's health boards should be scrapped
1 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
BMA Scotland says there is no evidence that reducing the number of health boards from 14 to two will improve patient care.

Bullying claims a 'work of fiction', Labour MSP Monica Lennon says
1 Oct 2026 at 4:11pm
The Glasgow politician has described allegations about her as a "media hit job" and "vexatious".

Scot Goes Pop

Tories' plan to impose new nuclear power stations on Scotland means they have...
7 Oct 2026 at 2:39am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Watch out for ORCS! Rory Stewart thrillingly brings back "The Middleland", by...
4 Oct 2026 at 3:29pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

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

Burnham uses the loss of his father as an excuse for stripping Scotland of it...
29 Sep 2026 at 7:00pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Is Robin McAlpine hallucinating, or is he trying to gaslight us?
26 Sep 2026 at 2:06am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

YouGov MRP mega-poll shows SNP on course to hold the BALANCE OF POWER at West...
24 Sep 2026 at 2:58pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

HUGE milestone for Scottish independence as TENTH Norstat poll in a row shows...
22 Sep 2026 at 8:29pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

WHO KNEW that the Brit Nats would be SO triggered by the mere idea of a total...
21 Sep 2026 at 2:16pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

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

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

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

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

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

Minister announces 250 NHS placements to help tackle poverty
5 Oct 2026 at 8:03am
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the NHS will offer a ?real route out of poverty?.

SNP independence talk ?dangerously irresponsible? in volatile world, says Rus...
4 Oct 2026 at 7:27pm
The Scottish Conservative leader spoke at the Tory party conference in Birmingham on Sunday

Kemi Badenoch says she won?t let FMs of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland ...
4 Oct 2026 at 5:31pm
The Conservative leader made the comments during the first day of her party's conference in Birmingham

Kemi Badenoch says the Union is ?not safe? in Labour?s hands
2 Oct 2026 at 4:38pm
The Conservative leader believes Labour has taken Scotland closer to having more independence referendums

Serious concerns over Scottish Government plans to move social care under NHS...
2 Oct 2026 at 10:08am
Swinney stated in Holyrood that the NHS should be given greater control over social care to help free up hospital beds

Monica Lennon says ?hit job? bullying allegations have left her ?distressed?
1 Oct 2026 at 5:22pm
The Labour MSP has denied accusations she has bullied four former Labour staff members.

Swinney faces FMQs following Burnham speech and fire-and-rehire row
1 Oct 2026 at 2:01pm
The First Minister will take questions from opposition MSPs at Holyrood from 2pm

Flynn says failure of Alexander Dennis furlough scheme ?deeply disappointing?
30 Sep 2026 at 7:31pm
Economy Secretary Stephen Flynn said it was not possible to pay out £4m of cash from a furlough scheme set up by the Scottish Government.

Swinney to consider more powers for police to curb masked youths on e-bikes
30 Sep 2026 at 4:29pm
The First Minister was told communities are ?crying out for action? to tackle youths who ride the vehicles with their faces hidden

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scots paying 'Putin Tax' as a result of Russia's 'unconventional' war on the UK
7 Oct 2026 at 3:37pm
A new report found there have been over 300 identified Russian-linked cyber incidents hitting UK companies since 2022.

A Kemi Badenoch government would boost the SNP, not strengthen the Union
7 Oct 2026 at 1:27pm
The Tory brand remains sullied after 14 dismal years in government and the unavoidable catastrophe that was Brexit, says Chris McCall

Scotland's top civil servant dragged into John Swinney pensions row
7 Oct 2026 at 10:52am
Joe Griffin, who heads up the civil service in Scotland, has been asked if the SNP leader deliberately ignored his guidance amid a growing row over the Triple Lock.

John Swinney calls for 'unity' on October 7 anniversary as Greens embroiled i...
7 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
The First Minister has previously accused the Israeli government of genocide following its military actions in Gaza.

Humza Yousaf calls for 'third party' to broker IndyRef2 deal for Scotland
7 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
The former first minister said he would "love to be part of a team that helps to build the institutions of an independent nation" in the future.

John Swinney 'desperately trying to cover his back' as pensions row deepens
6 Oct 2026 at 5:23pm
The FM's comments sparked outrage from opposition politicians who warned the veteran Nationalist has ?pushed out misinformation? on pensions.

SNP Government urged to take 'decisive action' to protect 400 Grangemouth jobs
6 Oct 2026 at 4:06pm
Syngenta plans to sack its entire Scottish workforce by the end of next year.

NHS Scotland spending on weight loss drugs soars as top medic issues warning ...
6 Oct 2026 at 12:54pm
Almost 100,000 prescriptions were issued to Scots patients last year for tirzepatide, the drug known by the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound.

Cruel 'benefits advice' firms target elderly Scots in social media cash grab
6 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Citizens Advice Scotland warned the scale of the problem is hard to identify as many victims are reluctant to admit they were duped by third party firms.

Scots firms who dodged £250k tax 'named and shamed'
6 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Three businesses - a coach driver agency and two building bosses - were hit with penalties totalling almost £170k by HMRC.

The National

The National | Politics

Inside a day of anger, grief and protest over Gaza at Edinburgh university
7 Oct 2026 at 7:00pm

HUNDREDS of students and staff members at Edinburgh University have called for the institute to ?immediately divest? from companies they allege are complicit in the genocide in Gaza ...

It?s hard to imagine many Scots backing these Tory policies
7 Oct 2026 at 6:30pm

OK, it is the conference season and politicians addressing the party faithful can make statements that are not properly though through. However, what we have heard from the Tories this week takes some beating.

Ireland?s pension boost shows what independent Scotland could do, say SNP
7 Oct 2026 at 5:12pm

Ireland's ?10-a-week welfare payment increase shows what is possible when independent countries control their own future, an SNP MSP has said

Charity wants action after scale of alleged police violence against women rev...
7 Oct 2026 at 5:16pm

A SCOTTISH charity are calling for "greater institutional transparency" following figures that reveal nearly 70 per cent of suspended police officers are facing violence against women probes

Pressure mounts on UK and Irish governments as Drumcree standoff enters day 11
7 Oct 2026 at 4:45pm

THE Irish premier is facing further calls to help bring an end to the ?dangerous and lingering limbo? of the Drumcree dispute, as Sinn Féin?s leader called for direct intervention to the issue

John Curtice gives verdict on Tory plans to roll back devolution
7 Oct 2026 at 4:35pm

THE Tories will face an uphill battle to win the public round to their plans to tear up Scotland?s devolution settlement, pollsters have predicted.

Concerns over new masked Scottish far-right group 'trained by ex-military'
7 Oct 2026 at 4:03pm

CONCERNS have been raised over the emergence of a new far-right group which is being dubbed ?Scotland?s own version? of the so-called Patriot Platform ...

Backlash as Humza Yousaf suggests UN could 'break indyref2 impasse'
7 Oct 2026 at 3:52pm

HUMZA Yousaf has sparked backlash from figures in the independence movement after suggesting the UN could help to broker a deal to break the ?impasse? between Holyrood and Westminster.

Holyrood launches probe into 20-plus AI data centres planned across Scotland
7 Oct 2026 at 3:36pm

TWO Holyrood committees are preparing to ?dig into the details? behind planned hyperscale data centres

How the Tories have made Scotland a pawn in their play for English votes
7 Oct 2026 at 3:32pm

A TORY pledge to take powers away from Scotland is not really an offer to Scottish voters at all. It is an offer to Reform-leaning voters in England ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

?Slow pace? warning over Scottish Government offshore wind supply chain progr...
1 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Stephen Gethins defends scheme's performance as watchdog report is published

Scottish Green MSP calls for rejection of data centre at former nuclear plant
30 Sep 2026 at 3:22pm
Plans lodged for south of Scotland facility

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Badenoch has killed off the once in a generation claim
7 Oct 2026 at 1:51pm
The Tories have officially ripped up the Vow to which they were signatories in 2014. This was the panicked promise made by the Better Together parties – one of which was the Conservatives – two days before the independence referendum which promised extensive new powers for Scotland, quasi-federal status, a guarantee that the Scottish Parliament …

The British right has Holyrood in its sights
6 Oct 2026 at 2:29pm
The Tories have crossed the Rubicon. Since the independence referendum of 2014, which Better Together won on the basis of false promises, not the least of which was the promise that the powers of the Scottish Parliament would never be clawed back by Westminster, the Westminster parties have largely attempted to maintain a fig leaf …

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

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

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

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

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

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

What happened to the old consensus on an indyref trigger?
25 Sep 2026 at 6:57pm
I was supposed to have been going to Lochgilphead today to do an event for Aye Fyne, but here I am at home nursing a very painful ankle and hirpling gingerly about the house – but only when I have to – I’m trying to keep off my foot as much as possible. There has …

Illiberal and undemocratic, the Lib Dem and Labour approach to indyref2
23 Sep 2026 at 1:22pm
I don’t normally mention the Lib Dems in a blog piece, for much the same reason that I don’t mention the Monster Raving Loony Party, because they’re irrelevant, although unlike the Monster Raving Loony Party they are also insufferably self-important and talking about them only encourages them. However Tuesday’s vote in Holyrood on the inalienable …

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

Once more NHS Scotland is resourced to carry out 98% of planned operations in...
7 Oct 2026 at 4:49pm
From Cancelled planned operations Month ending 31 August 2026 published today, the above graph and: There were 25,253 operations planned to take place across NHS Scotland. This is 1% more (+247) than the number planned in August 2025 (25,006). Over the course of the last 12 months, from September 2025 to August 2026 (308,558), there was a 5.9% increase (+17,320) compared to the previous 12 mont...

Scots spend 90% of last six months of life at home or in a community setting,...
7 Oct 2026 at 4:48pm
From Percentage of end of life spent at home or in a community setting Financial years ending 31 March 2017 to 2026 published yesterday, the above graph and: In 2025/26, there were 57,913 deaths in Scotland. This includes people who died after a fall but excludes deaths from other external causes such as accidents (see excel tables for more information on the exclusions). These individuals spen...

Police Scotland clear-up rate for ?revenge porn? is TEN times that in England...
7 Oct 2026 at 4:46pm
In the Guardian today, the above and: Police forces are routinely failing to investigate complaints about the circulation of image-based abuse, previously known as ?revenge pornography?, according to research that has triggered a super-complaint over the way such crimes are handled. Lawyers have gathered evidence from 100 people who reported intimate images being shared online without their con...

Labour Education Secretary gets mixed up and sets scene for English schools t...
7 Oct 2026 at 9:29am
The above impending financial, then inevitably, educational chaos comes on the heels of research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies revealing how just far behind Scotland, in terms of the crucial funding of resources and staffing, England’s schools are. From Scottish school spending, teachers and pupil numbers Luke Sibieta Darcey Snape Published on 14 February 2025: https://ifs.org.uk/publicat...

The triple lock on the state pension will go by 2030, ?to help pay for a new ...
7 Oct 2026 at 9:13am
BBC Scotland yesterday, trying desperately to distract from the main issue by getting FM John Swinney in bother with this: Will Swinney face a Holyrood probe? Let’s not be distracted. Here are the facts again: He says the triple lock on the state pension will go by 2030, ?to help pay for a new national care service FOR ENGLAND.? Will you support that, Scottish pensioners? ?Barnett! Do you trust...

Is 70% big when it?s only 26 and really should be 0.2%? Shameful abuse of sta...
7 Oct 2026 at 8:53am
This was a shameful abuse of statistics by STV yesterday: Nearly 70% of Police Scotland officers currently suspended while under criminal investigation are accused of offences relating to violence against women, according to figures obtained by STV News. The allegations include domestic abuse, sexual offences and stalking. The figures show that, out of 53 suspended officers facing criminal inve...

As attendance soars at GP walk-in clinics, Jackie Baillie rides the Scotsman ...
6 Oct 2026 at 11:47pm
In the Ailing Scotsman today, Jackie Baillie turns up to lie about walk-in clinics. The facts: From the Scottish Government 26 August 2026: First Minister John Swinney has announced 24 more areas will benefit from new GP-led walk-in services across Scotland, bringing the number of centres planned or operational to 40. Work is underway with health boards to establish new walk-in services for com...

Scotland is not having England?s maternity-litigation crisis ? AI dismisses S...
6 Oct 2026 at 7:20pm
In the Scotsman yesterday, the above and: A long-awaited review aimed at identifying ?systemic changes? to Scotland?s crisis-hit maternity services has begun. The nine month-long nationwide review will examine how care can be improved for women, babies, and families across the country. Many believe AI will tell you what you want to hear but that is only true on subjective matters relating to yo...

Child poverty ? One picture that dramatically reveals how very different Scot...
6 Oct 2026 at 2:13pm
From UK research – Children in relative poverty before housing costs This indicator shows the percentage of children aged under 16 living in relative low income families Before Housing Costs (BHC), in the UK, for financial years ending 2022 to 2025. Data source: Department for Work and Pensions published 26 March 2026: https://www.ons.gov.uk/explore-local-statistics/indicators/children-in-relat...

Hard facts on maternity care: Patient satisfaction at ?Good? or Excellent? st...
6 Oct 2026 at 11:19am
From Maternity Care Survey 2025: national report published today, the above and: Between 2018 and 2025, the percentage of women rating their overall care as ?good? or ?excellent? has remained stable for all stages of care except care during labour and birth where it has decreased slightly. Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/maternity-care-survey-2025-national-results/ This is the public ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Ruth Davidson shares fear of 'unilateral declaration of Scottish independence...
7 Oct 2026 at 4:57pm
Ruth Davidson shares fear of 'unilateral declaration of Scottish independence'  The National Scot

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

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

Scottish independence referendum not on the table, minister insists after Bur...
4 Oct 2026 at 9:15am
Scottish independence referendum not on the table, minister insists after Burnham?s Brexit pledge  The Independent

Are TV shows now avoiding the elephant in the room with the former FM? - The ...
7 Oct 2026 at 6:57pm
Are TV shows now avoiding the elephant in the room with the former FM?  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

Scottish independence - Politics.co.uk
4 Oct 2026 at 5:36pm
Scottish independence  Politics.co.uk

PM Andy Burnham says second Scottish independence referendum remains 'off lim...
10 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
PM Andy Burnham says second Scottish independence referendum remains 'off limits'  BBC

Andy Burnham?s EU rethink is a grenade-shaped puzzle for the SNP - The Times
6 Oct 2026 at 5:00pm
Andy Burnham?s EU rethink is a grenade-shaped puzzle for the SNP  The Times

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

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP pledge to cut teacher contact time an 'unexploded bomb' - The Herald
7 Oct 2026 at 5:35pm
SNP pledge to cut teacher contact time an 'unexploded bomb'  The Herald

Ireland?s pension boost shows what indy Scotland could do, says SNP - The Nat...
7 Oct 2026 at 5:57pm
Ireland?s pension boost shows what indy Scotland could do, says SNP  The National Scot

Scotland: Catholic Parliamentary Office welcomes SNP decision to withdraw abo...
7 Oct 2026 at 4:02pm
Scotland: Catholic Parliamentary Office welcomes SNP decision to withdraw abortion motion  Independent Catholic News

Scottish Tory leader Findlay says SNP's indy 'obsession' is dangerously irres...
4 Oct 2026 at 2:10pm
Scottish Tory leader Findlay says SNP's indy 'obsession' is dangerously irresponsible  BBC

Roddy Dunlop KC to act pro bono in SNP finance scandal challenge - Scottish L...
7 Oct 2026 at 11:01am
Roddy Dunlop KC to act pro bono in SNP finance scandal challenge  Scottish Legal News

SNP and Edinburgh Uni strikers need to realise compulsory redundancies are so...
7 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
SNP and Edinburgh Uni strikers need to realise compulsory redundancies are sometimes unavoidable  The Scotsman

Top lawyer Dunlop joins blogger?s legal fight over SNP finances - The Times
6 Oct 2026 at 7:25pm
Top lawyer Dunlop joins blogger?s legal fight over SNP finances  The Times

Scotland ?one of safest places in world?, say BBC ? Scottish National Party -...
7 Oct 2026 at 5:01pm
Scotland ?one of safest places in world?, say BBC ? Scottish National Party  snp.org

Marie McNair - 'The SNP Scottish Government will deliver transformational cha...
7 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
Marie McNair - 'The SNP Scottish Government will deliver transformational change'  Clydebank Post

Ian Blackford identifies key 'regret' from Nicola Sturgeon's time as SNP lead...
7 Oct 2026 at 11:26am
Ian Blackford identifies key 'regret' from Nicola Sturgeon's time as SNP leader  Yahoo News UK

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

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

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

Ruth Davidson shares fear of 'unilateral declaration of Scottish independence...
7 Oct 2026 at 4:57pm
Ruth Davidson shares fear of 'unilateral declaration of Scottish independence'  The National Scot

Scottish independence referendum not on the table, minister insists after Bur...
4 Oct 2026 at 9:15am
Scottish independence referendum not on the table, minister insists after Burnham?s Brexit pledge  The Independent

Wings Over Scotland raises £30k for SNP indyref fund court challenge - The He...
6 Oct 2026 at 4:37am
Wings Over Scotland raises £30k for SNP indyref fund court challenge  The Herald

PM Andy Burnham says second Scottish independence referendum remains 'off lim...
10 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
PM Andy Burnham says second Scottish independence referendum remains 'off limits'  BBC

Scottish independence - Politics.co.uk
4 Oct 2026 at 5:36pm
Scottish independence  Politics.co.uk

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

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

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland voice united calls for independence and ...
15 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland voice united calls for independence and a return to the EU  Eunews