The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Second chance for Scots concrete campaigners as petition relaunched
11 Jul 2025 at 6:11pm
Campaigners hope to reach 100,000 signatures on the new petition, which would spark a parliamentary debate.


Government ?shortcomings? in Scottish Water spending saga, minister admits
11 Jul 2025 at 2:41pm
There were ?shortcomings? in the Scottish Government?s handling of spending at a water body


Angela Rayner suspended by Unite union as it considers break from Labour party
11 Jul 2025 at 12:16pm
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has been suspended by the Unite union, which has voted to re-examine its relationship with the Labour party


Sex workers opposed to Nordic Model are a 'tiny minority' says Glasgow charity
11 Jul 2025 at 11:30am
An anti-trafficking charity in Glasgow has claimed sex workers opposing Ash Regan?s plan to criminalise the purchase of sex are a ?tiny, tiny minority? ? and that most women in prostitution are victims of abuse and exploitation.


From Kate Forbes to infighting: Greer's challenges ahead of Greens leadership...
11 Jul 2025 at 5:00am
Hoping to become a Scottish Green co-leader, Ross Greer may be keen to appear optimistic to members but he faces significant challenges both within his party and beyond if he is to lead them into the next election.


'Switch Scottish whisky exports from America to Canada over Trump tariffs'
11 Jul 2025 at 5:00am
Ross Greer has said John Swinney must "de-risk" Scotland's economy by helping Scottish whisky businesses "switch" their exports from America to Canada to "protect" them from Donald Trump's "unpredictable" tariffs.


How Nigel Farage could turn the North East turquoise in 2026
10 Jul 2025 at 3:30pm
Scottish Labour has been much-diminished across the region, a far cry from their once-dominant reign over Aberdeen City Council.


UK retains national electricity price, scrapping zonal pricing plan
10 Jul 2025 at 2:17pm
The UK Government confirms it will not introduce zonal pricing for electricity, despite pressure from energy firms and the Scottish Government.


Ross Greer to stand for Scottish Greens co-leadership
10 Jul 2025 at 8:16am
The MSP is looking to succeed Patrick Harvie


Former top Tory cabinet minister joins Nigel Farage?s Reform UK
10 Jul 2025 at 7:11am
Sir Jake Berry, a former leading Conservative, has announced that he has defected to Reform UK ? in the latest move by a senior Tory to Nigel Farage?s party.


Matt Forde: 'For many, Cherry is the best leader the SNP never had'
10 Jul 2025 at 5:00pm
For many Scottish independence supporters, the former SNP MP is ?the best leader the SNP never had?, according to political comedian Matt Forde.


MP who learned of her sacking on live radio reveals why she broke whip
10 Jul 2025 at 4:14pm
A Scottish Liberal Democrat MP who learned of her sacking during a live radio interview has revealed why she broke the party whip.


I?ve been chasing NHS Fife over Sandie Peggie costs for months ? this move st...
9 Jul 2025 at 7:05pm
They fought FOI requests for months. Then, a week before the deadline, NHS Fife quietly released the Sandie Peggie tribunal costs on their website?without telling anyone. This sleekit move reeks of petty defiance.


NHS Fife reveals £220k legal bill in Sandie Peggie employment tribunal case
9 Jul 2025 at 5:35pm
NHS Fife?s has spent £220,500 on the tribunal involving nurse Sandie Peggie, the health board has admitted.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Scotland heatwave: Demand for maximum workplace temperature as accidents warn...
11 Jul 2025 at 5:30pm

Scotland is bracing for a heatwave - but what are the rules if you are working?

No date has yet been set for former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell?s next court appearance.

Wings over Scotland

Just Good Friends
10 Jul 2025 at 9:47am
It seems like almost every time somebody gets accused of rape, sexual harassment or any kind of horrible creepy sex-based sleaze in Scotland these days, the same face is always lurking around grinning in the background somewhere. Can you guess who it is yet? How many’s a trend again? Now of course, First Ministers and …

Too Tight To Mention
2 Jul 2025 at 11:30am
So this snuck out quietly at the bottom of page 2 of today’s Daily Record. And like, we suspect, most of Scotland, our response was “WHAT?” Peter Murrell has been very well paid for most of the last 20 years – somewhere in the ballpark of £100,000 a year – and there’s very little evidence …

The Con Merchant
28 Jun 2025 at 2:11pm
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, before the internet, scammers used to have to work a bit harder to cheat people than they do now. A popular method was to advertise a “clearance sale” in the press. You’d see an ad in the Daily Record or a local paper for an event in a High …

The Art Of Noise
27 Jun 2025 at 12:37pm
Genuinely, can anyone tell us what the heck this actually means? ? Because to us, it’s just meaningless quacking to fill a void. It’s very short, so let’s transcribe the whole thing. “I want to do spectacularly well in the 2026 election, that’s what my sights are on.” Well, duh. And there was us thinking …

And it?s goodnight from he/him
26 Jun 2025 at 11:18am
And now for tonight’s headlines. Police Scotland have nevertheless denied that prisoners in their custody are being excessively pampered, following reports that a man was hustled out of St Leonard’s station in Edinburgh with an electric blanket over his head. Meanwhile, following the Supreme Court ruling in the For Women Scotland case, the force’s HQ …

But Don?t Give Yourself Away
25 Jun 2025 at 2:51pm
Seamus Logan, an SNP MP of whom it has often been said “Seamus who?”, has an article in The National today categorically ruling out Scotland achieving independence via a democratic vote in an event fully recognised by the UK government. That in itself shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to Wings readers, as this …

Anatomy Of A Lunatic
23 Jun 2025 at 10:00pm
Honestly, folks, I don’t even want to do this because almost nothing is more tedious for anyone else to read than two people having an internet beef – a lesson that I learned, ironically, from reading the site this post concerns, which does little else – but as well as reacting on a basic human …

A different school
23 Jun 2025 at 11:51am
Tommy Sheppard knows a John Swinney you don’t know. And who, conveniently, you’re not allowed to see. Traditionally, this is the opposite order to how things are done in politics: Normally, you tell people what you’re asking them to vote for BEFORE they actually vote. You don’t explain your plans AFTER the election, especially when …

Holiday Relief
17 Jun 2025 at 10:27am
We’re thinking of just handing over Wings to Grok for the summer so we can spend all our time feeding the swans, readers. Here’s what the Twitter artificial intelligence bot said when we asked it to assess today’s National front page. Sounds about right to us. We’re off for a walk.

Let?s Not Make Some Plans
13 Jun 2025 at 12:17pm
At first, this merely sounds like the worst day out ever. But for supporters of independence, in fact it’s even grimmer than that. Because if the above line-up of insomnia cures weren’t bad enough, wait until you hear what it is they’re going to be droning on to an audience of God-knows-who about. We know …

Craig Murray

?We Accept Of Course That It Is Draconian: And Deliberately So?.
8 Jul 2025 at 11:34am

On Friday 4 July I headed back to the Royal Courts of Justice for the hearing brought by Huda Ammori, a co-founder of Palestine Action, on an application for relief from the proscription order against Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Huda had applied for judicial review of the legality of this order. There is …

“We Accept Of Course That It Is Draconian: And Deliberately So”.

Lucy Connolly Should Be Released
3 Jul 2025 at 9:37am

The political Right throughout the Western world is baying to lock up all opponents of genocide. The very notion of free speech is under fundamental attack. We need to take a long hard look at the question of imprisoning people for saying things. Lucy Connolly, a 41-year-old mother of a 12-year-old, was imprisoned for 31 …

Lucy Connolly Should Be Released

Dystopia UK: Genocidal RAF Squadron Targeted by Palestine Action is Owned by ...
25 Jun 2025 at 6:58pm

If you thought RAF jets were owned by the RAF, think again. The RAF squadron targeted for a repaint by Palestine Action due to its involvement in supplying Israel’s genocide, does not in fact belong to the RAF at all. It belongs ultimately to Polygon Global Partners LLP, a Hedge Fund. Through a chain of …

Dystopia UK: Genocidal RAF Squadron Targeted by Palestine Action is Owned by a Hedge Fund

The Phantom Ceasefire
24 Jun 2025 at 10:58am

The Phantom Ceasefire is simply Trump’s off ramp. He announces a ceasefire and bows out, having been advised that regime change would only be achievable with extreme military commitment and massive cost in lives and treasure. You can never trust the Israelis – or indeed the Americans – with either a ceasefire or a negotiation. …

The Phantom Ceasefire

You Cannot Negotiate with the Zionist West
23 Jun 2025 at 12:40am

Israel and the USA have each attacked Iran in the middle of negotiations. Iran must not fall for it a third time. Negotiation is dead. Israel attacked Iran during negotiations between Iran and the US, with the next scheduled meeting just three days away – including assassinating the lead negotiator. Trump then gave Iran a …

You Cannot Negotiate with the Zionist West

War With Iran
20 Jun 2025 at 7:56pm

For 18 years, the Iranian nuclear programme has been one of the top 10 targeting objectives of the US intelligence services. In 2007 they first conducted a formal inter-agency review. It is done every year. This is not a minor process. A great deal of input is received from dozens of Washington stakeholders, led by …

War With Iran

BBC Scotland

Council strikes averted as unions back pay offer
10 Jul 2025 at 3:52pm
The offer will see a 4% rise this year, with another 3.5% increase the following year.

Why zonal electricity pricing for Scotland is not going to happen
10 Jul 2025 at 4:54pm
Plans to set people's electricity bills based on where they live have been dropped by the UK government.

Ross Greer to stand for Scottish Greens leadership
10 Jul 2025 at 2:35pm
The MSP has announced his intention to replace Patrick Harvie as one of the party's co-leaders.

Ferguson Marine signs deal to build warship sections
9 Jul 2025 at 9:29am
The deal comes at a time when the state-owned shipyard had only one contract remaining on its books.

Kneecap hit out at John Swinney during Glasgow gig
9 Jul 2025 at 1:21pm
The group were originally slated to perform on Friday at Scotland's largest music festival.

Minimum age for marriage could be raised in Scotland
9 Jul 2025 at 12:50pm
Marriage laws in Scotland currently allow those aged 16 and 17 to wed without parental consent.

Amazon removes AI biographies of SNP politicians
8 Jul 2025 at 4:52pm
Error-strewn books about John Swinney, Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf were on sale from the online retailer.

How does Starmer's NHS plan compare to Scotland's?
3 Jul 2025 at 3:58pm
The prime minister and John Swinney both have ambitions to reform health services, but there are many difficult challenges to overcome.

Welfare system will 'explode' without reform, says Murray
3 Jul 2025 at 6:03pm
The Labour minister has defended his government's benefits bill after backbenchers forces a major climbdown.

Peter Murrell granted legal aid over embezzlement charge
2 Jul 2025 at 10:38am
The husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon was charged in a police investigation into SNP finances.

Starmer's approach to welfare reform 'appalling' - Swinney
2 Jul 2025 at 5:36pm
The first minister says the UK government has "preyed" on vulnerable claimants after a dramatic Commons U-turn.

Shipyard needs urgent investment to survive, MSPs warn
4 Jul 2025 at 11:31am
A Holyrood committee says a lack of orders and reputational damage need to be overcome for the Ferguson Marine yard to prosper.

Scot Goes Pop

Your cut-out-and-keep guide to how Stuart Campbell is literally treating his ...
11 Jul 2025 at 1:03pm
As promised, here is my detailed response to the controversial "Stew" blogger's latest 'radical reimagining' of his arguments for tactically voting against the SNP on the Holyrood list ballot - and...

Reform lead in latest poll for the Welsh Senedd - but could that translate to...
10 Jul 2025 at 3:57am
So I'm just catching up with the latest Welsh voting intention poll, which comes from More In Common, who don't seem to have done any full-scale Welsh polls before.Senedd voting intentions (More In...

What's in an accent?
9 Jul 2025 at 10:46am
 I thought I'd take the above screenshot as a souvenir, because when I was growing up in Kilsyth, although I used a decent sprinkling of Scots words like 'doon' and 'hoose' and 'didnae' and 'how?' ...

SNP hit fabulous forty per cent in YouGov's colossus of crossbreaks
9 Jul 2025 at 10:11am
GB-wide voting intentions (YouGov, 6th-7th July 2025):Reform UK 26% (-)Labour 24% (-)Conservatives 16% (-1)Liberal Democrats 15% (-1)Greens 11% (+1)SNP 3% (-)Plaid Cymru 1% (-)Scottish subsample: S...

Corbyn is not a "diminished figure" - his reputation has grown and grown as t...
8 Jul 2025 at 10:32am
I had a look at Political Betting (aka Stormfront Lite) for the first time in ages today, and there's a post from the site's editor TSE, who I believe self-identifies as a "moderate" or "centrist" ...

Munificent MRP poll shows the SNP on course to win almost THREE-QUARTERS of S...
7 Jul 2025 at 4:07pm
I thought I'd take a belated look at the new MRP seats projection from More In Common, which I believe was published yesterday or possibly the day before.Seats projection (More In Common MRP poll, ...

The last days in the bunker: Alba's leader channels Comical Ali as he insists...
6 Jul 2025 at 2:45pm
Kenny MacAskill is one of the few people in the upper echelons of the Alba Party who I still have respect for.  Even he has far too authoritarian a mindset (he once told someone that new people wer...

What exactly is "real Yes" when it's at home?
5 Jul 2025 at 1:44pm
I still intend to take pre-moderation back off at some point, because it's a right pain in the neck for all of us, but at the moment it's not possible because the levels of abuse in some of the sub...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Unite suspends Angela Rayner over Birmingham bin strikes
11 Jul 2025 at 3:08pm
Unite also voted to 're-examine its relationship' with Labour over the issue at a conference on Friday.

UK economy shrank unexpectedly in May
11 Jul 2025 at 6:43am
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.1% in May, following a 0.3% drop in April.

Crackdown on illegal working promised alongside migrant return deal with France
10 Jul 2025 at 11:12pm
The UK has promised extra action to tackle the ?pull factors? luring migrants across the English Channel.

Ross Greer running for co-leadership of Scottish Greens
10 Jul 2025 at 9:10am
It comes after Patrick Harvie, who has led the party since 2008, announced he was standing down in April.

Committee urges action from Scottish and UK governments to save Alexander Dennis
9 Jul 2025 at 2:06pm
Holyrood?s Economy and Fair Work Committee said immediate action must be taken to stop the end of bus manufacturing in Scotland.

Government urged to create single contact point for domestic abuse victims
9 Jul 2025 at 9:05am
Some abusers use what is called 'economic abuse' to control victims, including overseeing bank accounts and restricting access to money.

More than 300 injured in A9 crashes in four years as Tories say ?enough is en...
9 Jul 2025 at 8:25am
The road has been at the centre of a political storm for years after substantial delays to a project that would see it dualled between Perth and Inverness.

SNP urge UK chancellor Rachel Reeves not to cut tax-free allowance for ISAs
9 Jul 2025 at 7:45am
Reports suggest Reeves could cut the threshold from £20,000 for cash individual savings accounts.

Lib Dems urge Gray to apologise over cancer figures ?spin?
9 Jul 2025 at 7:21am
Health Secretary Neil Gray has been accused of 'spin' in response to new figures which Lib Dems said were 'the worst on record.'

Tory grandee Norman Tebbit dies aged 94
8 Jul 2025 at 9:04am
The Conservative grandee was one of Margaret Thatcher?s closest political allies and played a key role in Tory politics for a generation.

Almost £2bn spent on temporary nurses and midwives over five years
7 Jul 2025 at 7:20am
Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Dame Jackie Baillie called for a long-term solution.

SNP urges Starmer not to ?punish? children by keeping benefit cap
6 Jul 2025 at 1:11pm
The party made the plea following reports that Labour?s welfare U-turn will see it keep the two-child benefit cap.

Reform MP James McMurdock removes whip ?from himself? pending investigation
5 Jul 2025 at 2:21pm
The move was made 'pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations that are likely to be published by a national newspaper'.

Campaigners from Sex Matters demand action from Scottish Government over sing...
4 Jul 2025 at 2:36pm
Sex Matters wants Scottish ministers to make a statement that facilities designated as male or female mean biological sex.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Angela Rayner suspended by Unite in union backlash over long-running bin strike
11 Jul 2025 at 1:33pm
Members of Unite, a major donor to Labour, voted to ?re-examine its relationship? with the party.

SNP finances investigation costs double as no date set for Peter Murrell's ne...
11 Jul 2025 at 11:31am
The Record previously revealed how taxpayers are set to foot the bill for the former SNP chief executive's legal costs.

Zonal pricing 'uncertainty' would have hit Scotland worst in UK, says Labour ...
11 Jul 2025 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Michael Shanks said charging Scottish electricity users less than the south of England would have been a "huge risk" to investment north of the border.

Donald Trump visit to Scotland will have 'considerable' costs for police as t...
10 Jul 2025 at 3:25pm
The US President is expected to fly in during the last week of July to make appearances at his two luxury golf resorts in South Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire.

Ross Greer pledges to take on Scotland's super rich if elected Greens co-leader
10 Jul 2025 at 3:03pm
Greer launched his leadership campaign in Partick by claiming he would fight to fix a system "rigged" by the wealthiest.

Scots Lib Dem MP sacked from Westminster frontbench job rebelled in memory of...
10 Jul 2025 at 2:25pm
Christine Jardine said not voting against the amendment to slash benefits for mental health conditions was "unpalatable" because of her late husband's bipolar disorder.

Young Scots are rightly furious at a housing emergency that proves the system...
10 Jul 2025 at 2:00pm
How we fix the country's housing crisis must be a central issue at next year's Holyrood election campaign, says Record deputy political editor Chris McCall.

More than 1.6m kids across the UK hit by two-child benefit cap, DWP figures show
10 Jul 2025 at 11:48am
Numbers from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) showed that the number had increased by almost 40,000 in just a year.

SNP 'dithering' on Scotland's housing emergency as crisis becomes 'intolerable'
10 Jul 2025 at 9:21am
EXCLUSIVE: Labour warned the Nationalists' response to the housing crisis will be remembered as "one of this Government?s defining failures".

Ross Greer launches Scottish Greens leadership bid and eyes return to power w...
10 Jul 2025 at 4:30am
Greer favours working with John Swinney but has closed the door on a powersharing deal with Kate Forbes if he becomes a new co-leader of the Scottish Greens.

The National

The National | Politics

Michael Shanks 'GB wind' claim will be ignored by Scottish media
11 Jul 2025 at 7:15pm

Rutherglen's lickspittle Starmer acolyte Michael Shanks MP has been named Scottish MP of the Year by Holyrood magazine's political awards, which is something ...

Will Corbyn seize the moment, just like I did when I saw him?
11 Jul 2025 at 6:30pm

IN May, right there in his Islington North patch, I doorstepped Jeremy Corbyn. I was visiting my family, walking down the road, minding my own business, and there he was, sitting in a window seat of a local, independent coffee shop. Double take, mouth open; definitely him. I rush in, kind of throw the door open, fan gal in action: when else would I get the chance? Stopped in the doorway as sile...

Angela Rayner row shows the left can fight back against Labour
11 Jul 2025 at 6:00pm

KEIR Starmer was brought crashing down to Earth this week, as he so often is, by domestic matters.

Protests against Palestine Action ban set to take place this weekend
11 Jul 2025 at 5:12pm

A series of protests calling for the de-proscription of Palestine Action are set to take place this weekend in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Derry ...

'Skewed': BBC slated for pushing small boat crossings as top Scottish story
11 Jul 2025 at 5:00pm

THE BBC has been criticised for pushing the issue of small boat crossings to the top of its news agenda on Radio Scotland almost every day this week despite opinion polls showing it is not a leading concern for Scots.

Scottish support highlighted by DEC as over £4 million raised for Gaza
11 Jul 2025 at 4:41pm

THE support of Scots has been highlighted by the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) with over £4 million raised so far ...

Clearly now is the time for the SNP to ?seize the moment?
11 Jul 2025 at 3:00pm

THERE is a major flaw in Seamus Logan?s argument that appears to make clear majority support for independence contingent on the Scottish Government ?building up confidence in Scotland?s ability to fully run her own affairs? (PM?s lack of direction or principle will finish off the Labour Party, Jul 9).

Wages at top bank's Glasgow HQ 'closer to India than America'
11 Jul 2025 at 2:55pm

THE wages of workers at a major bank?s Glasgow base are reportedly closer to those it pays in India than in America.

UK minister pictured grinning with Israeli politician who backs starving Gazans
11 Jul 2025 at 4:09pm

A Labour minister has been pictured grinning with an Israeli politician found guilty of illegally using Palestinians as human shields ...

Angela Rayner suspended from Unite over Birmingham bin strike
11 Jul 2025 at 12:09pm

ANGELA Rayner has been suspended from the trade union Unite.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Ross Greer standing for Greens leadership
10 Jul 2025 at 3:30pm
Lorna Slater and Gillian Mackay have already announced their candidacies

Four people arrested in connection with M&S, Co-op and Harrods cyber-attacks
10 Jul 2025 at 2:58pm
Three?men?and a woman were detained in a ?significant step? in the investigation into the string of cyber incidents, against the three major British retailers

Trump set to visit Scotland later this month
9 Jul 2025 at 5:06pm
Police Scotland has confirmed preparations are underway for a potential visit by the US president in the coming weeks

From digital access to digital impact: Why Scotland?s next leap in public ser...
9 Jul 2025 at 1:24pm
As Scotland prepares to launch its NHS app by the end of this year, senior leaders across the public sector are grappling with a fundamental question: Are we thinking big enough about digital transformation?

Ferguson Marine wins contract to build parts for Royal Navy warship
9 Jul 2025 at 1:12pm
SNP ministers accused of ?hypocrisy? after welcoming news of the contract

Michael Shanks named Scottish MP of the year at Holyrood?s political awards
9 Jul 2025 at 10:09am
The Labour MP was honoured for?being a ?consistently impressive performer? at Holyrood's inaugural awards at Westminster

Amazon takes down AI-generated biographies of SNP politicians
8 Jul 2025 at 2:48pm
Amazon has removed books that give false information of the lives of John Swinney, Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf.

Desire for change greater than during the 2024 general election campaign, res...
8 Jul 2025 at 1:01am
Asked about what has changed in the first year of Labour in government, the most popular response was ?nothing?

Technology secretary demands national AI institute focus on defence
7 Jul 2025 at 1:31pm
Peter Kyle has written to the Alan Turing?Institute, calling for the body to ?prioritise?defence" with new leadership team

Scottish Greens: Who will lead the party into the 2026 Holyrood election?
7 Jul 2025 at 11:11am
Nominations for candidates opened last week and members will start voting in August

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Police in Scotland braced for large-scale protests if Trump visits new golf c...
9 Jul 2025 at 4:43pm
Long-rumoured trip to open course could take place this month after proposed meeting with King Charles shelvedPolice in Scotland are gearing up for a possible visit by Donald Trump later this month that is expected to take in his golf resort in Aberdeenshire.The long-rumoured visit is not expecte...

Starmer dismisses welfare cuts revolt as ?noises off? and defends his leaders...
25 Jun 2025 at 5:15pm
This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereKemi Badenoch has said it would be ?pathetic? for Keir Starmer to postpone the vote on the UC and Pip bill. She posted this on social media, as a comment on the tweet from Kitty Donaldson. (See 11.22am.)This is pathetic. Starmer mu...

Peter Krykant obituary
20 Jun 2025 at 12:04pm
Drugs policy campaigner whose commitment to harm reduction led him to set up an overdose prevention serviceThe drugs policy campaigner Peter Krykant, who has died suddenly aged 48, advanced the cause of the harm reduction movement through a transformative act of civil disobedience.Fitting out a v...

DWP says transitional payments scheme for those losing Pip ?one of most gener...
18 Jun 2025 at 6:02pm
Department for Work and Pensions publishes text of bill cutting benefits and claims three-month transitional period is ?one of most generous ever?Angela Rayner, the deputy PM, will be taking PMQs shortly. And she will be up against Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary.When Kemi Badenoch became ...

MPs back bill to end criminal penalties for abortion in key vote ? as it happ...
17 Jun 2025 at 8:24pm
Parliament votes on biggest shake-up to reproductive rights in England and Wales in 60 yearsCasey says in the past government has talked relentlessly about the need for better data sharing between departments.But she says there is a need to consider making this mandatory.I was there when the trag...

Cooper says law on rape being tightened so adults cannot use consent as defen...
16 Jun 2025 at 6:01pm
Yvette Cooper tells parliament that Louise Casey audit found some cases were downgraded from rape to lesser charges ?because 13- to 15-year-old is perceived to have consented?Starmer launches new grooming gangs investigationIn his interview on the Sky News this morning Chris Philp, the shadow hom...

For Women Scotland group mulls more legal action after UK supreme court gende...
14 Jun 2025 at 1:36pm
Campaigners say they have spoken to Scottish government about lack of action on prisons and schools guidance amid focus on toiletsFor Women Scotland, the group responsible for April?s landmark supreme court ruling on biological sex, is considering further legal action against the Scottish governm...

?Disastrous?: John Swinney facing SNP backlash after Hamilton byelection loss
12 Jun 2025 at 9:45am
Leader hears demands for a clearer vision focused on independence ahead of next year?s Holyrood electionsSNP activists and senior figures have vented their frustrations at their leader, John Swinney, after a ?disastrous? byelection campaign that saw the party lose a pivotal Holyrood seat to Scott...

Winter fuel payments U-turn likely to lead to higher taxes or other welfare c...
9 Jun 2025 at 6:22pm
Treasury says move to restore the funding for most pensioners will cost around £1.25bnWinter fuel payments threshold to rise to £35,000The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are both trying to take credit for the winter fuel payments U-turn by the government.This is from Kemi Badenoch, the T...

The Guardian view on Scottish politics: Labour wins the seat but not ? yet ? ...
6 Jun 2025 at 5:44pm
A Tory collapse, the SNP?s slump and Reform?s rise signal a volatile shift ? and the return to deal-making after the next Holyrood electionLabour?s victory in the Holyrood byelection offers the UK government a rare political comfort but not, perhaps, the strategic breakthrough it might like to im...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Starmer?s warped priorities only legitimise the far right
11 Jul 2025 at 3:55pm
This week President Emmanuel Macron of France was on a state visit to the UK. With so much going on in the world right now, you might have thought that Macron and Britih Prime Minister Keir Starmer would have had plenty to discuss. There’s the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the chances that war with Iran …

Starmer?s year of lies and betrayals
4 Jul 2025 at 3:43pm
It’s exactly a year since the Labour party under Keir Starmer swept to power in the Westminster general election and won a landslide majority of over 170 seats in the Commons, albeit on a mere 34% of votes cast, such is the distorting effect of the first past the post system. In fact, fewer people …

The importance of wording: ?nationalism? vs ?unionism? and ?welfare? vs ?soci...
30 Jun 2025 at 8:33pm
Language is important, and the choices we make with words can have an important and even decisive influence on how we understand and perceive a topic. As a linguist and a lover of words and language I am acutely aware of how important it is to choose the correct words when discussing an issue, although …

Some good news for a change
27 Jun 2025 at 11:54am
In an increasingly dangerous and uncertain world in which the far right is on the rise, and war and death stalk increasingly large parts of the globe, it’s nice to be able to report a hopeful development for a change. God knows we need it. Democratic primaries in an American mayoral contest are not generally …

My mum
21 Jun 2025 at 2:45am
The inevitable has happened. On Friday evening my mum lost her battle with cancer. The past three weeks have been really tough on her and on my whole family. As I sit here trying to wrap my head around the new reality in which I find myself, with my mother, confidante, and biggest fan and …

The Scottish languages bill
19 Jun 2025 at 5:03pm
The Scottish Parliament has unanimously passed the Scottish Languages Bill. The bill will pass into law once it receives the formality of royal consent. The bill makes Gaelic and Scots official languages in Scotland and also introduces measures aimed at boosting the use and development of both languages. Making Gaelic and Scots legally the official …

My mum, an update
15 Jun 2025 at 4:33pm
I thought I should give an update on my mum. It’s fair to say that this past week has been the hardest our family has faced. My mum wasn’t just mother to myself and my brother and sisters, she also stepped in to look after her brother and sisters after her own mother died tragically …

Thoughts on that by election
8 Jun 2025 at 12:23pm
My mum is not doing any better. She’s not really conscious any more. They are giving her strong painkillers and sedatives to keep her comfortable but are no longer giving her any other treatment. We are going to see her this afternoon. I fear it’s only a matter of time now until she passes away. …

Making plans for Nigel
2 Jun 2025 at 5:38pm
I’ve been preoccupied with a family emergency involving my mother’s health, which has taken a sharp turn for the worse, so I’ve been too distracted to sit down and write a piece about recent political developments. However, on the basis that the best thing to do right now is find something else to focus on, …

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 [Collective]

A free offer of a story for the mainstream media ?serving? Scotland: the Labo...
11 Jul 2025 at 8:59pm
stewartb The Royal College of Emergency Medicine issued a press statement (July 2) entitled: ?RCEM Response to NHS England?s Urgent and Emergency Care Plan 2025?. This is part of the much heralded reforms to improve NHS services in England from the British Labour Party government in Westminster. I have little doubt that the same party in the run up to the 2026 Holyrood election, with the help o...

Toxic Pfas 55% more common in England?s waters than in Scotland
11 Jul 2025 at 4:45pm
Professor John Robertson OBA I know little of this matter but in the TuS tradition can only comment on the contrast between Scotland and the rUK and leave you, the reader to decide how much it matters. From the Guardian today, the above and: Nearly all rivers, lakes and ponds in England tested for a range of Pfas, known as ?forever chemicals?, exceed proposed new safety limits and 85% contain l...

London-based Albanians run a Manchester ?county lines? drug operation into Ed...
11 Jul 2025 at 12:13pm
Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland, North-East and Inverness have no space for this Police Scotland release yesterday though I feel sure they have enough staff to monitor the site daily for a juicy news story like it: It’s typically restrained though clearly still too sensitive for BBC Scotland. Readers might twig that ‘cross-border’ means ‘from England.’ They might even know from readin...

?Learner drivers currently having to wait months until they can sit their tes...
10 Jul 2025 at 11:46pm
Liz S BBC Scotland News tweet: ?Learner drivers currently having to wait months until they can sit their tests, so can Scotland fix it?s Driving test System? ? Linked to this tweet was a video. Then there was another tweet from the BBC Scotland News twitter account correcting their original tweet and the linked video to that original tweet. ?Correction: This video refers to the Scottish governm...

Michael Shanks ? ?[Scottish] Oil and gas has played a critical role in our en...
10 Jul 2025 at 11:34pm
stewartb The recent session of the Scottish Affairs Committee of the Commons gained quite a few ?insights? from oral evidence given by Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Energy) at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) See transcript of the oral evidence at https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/16235/pdf/ Shanks ? ?Oil and gas has p...

You?ll think I must be making this stuff up but English schools permanently e...
10 Jul 2025 at 8:15pm
Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie once again for alerting me to this: In the Guardian today, the above and: More than 10,000 children were permanently excluded from England?s state schools last year, alongside record numbers of suspensions involving pupils aged six or younger or with special needs, as teachers struggled to cope with worsening behaviour. The figures for the 2023-24 a...

Supplying the UK with oil & gas from offshore Scotland or from imports? For t...
10 Jul 2025 at 7:45pm
By stewartb The head of trade body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) was moved to write (July 4) in the specialist news website, Energy Voice in order to rebut a Westminster government minister?s evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee of the Commons. The Committee was taking oral evidence from Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Energy) at the Department for En...

25% decrease in serious crimes and offences involving firearms in Scotland ov...
10 Jul 2025 at 4:22pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From Recorded Crimes and Offences Involving Firearms: FOI release published today, we see that the offence ‘to Possess a firearm with intent to endanger life, commit crime or cause serious injury to property’ has fallen from 23 offences in 2018/2019 to 17 last year, 25%, overall firearm offences are static at 189 cases and reckless conduct with a firearm has increas...

Major safety improvements in Scottish section of A1 with zero deaths compared...
10 Jul 2025 at 4:07pm
Professor John Robertson OBA The above is from Reported collisions on the A1 between Edinburgh and Lamberton: FOI release published today: I suspect the response has been a disappointment to Border Tories and their local media pals. Zero deaths and collisions more than halved. Imagine if it had been the other way and the blame thrown at the SNP Government? What’s the rest of the A1 like? Britai...

A9 collisions plummet for second year as full FoI release reveals Tory/Herald...
10 Jul 2025 at 3:49pm
Professor John Robertson OBA Two days ago, on receipt of the above Freedom of Information response, cost more than £300 from taxpayer funds, the Scottish Conservatives in the Herald had: and Note how they hid from readers the dramatic overall fall from 96 to 60 and the fall in deaths from 13 to 7, in the last two years, and the childish adding up to get a big number of little meaning compared t...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Scottish independence poll 2025 - Statista
23 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2025  Statista

In the UK, Scottish independence and Irish reunification have lost their appe...
10 Jan 2025 at 8:00am
In the UK, Scottish independence and Irish reunification have lost their appeal  Le Monde.fr

Corbyn-Sultana party clarifies Scottish independence stance - TheNational.scot
9 Jul 2025 at 5:00pm
Corbyn-Sultana party clarifies Scottish independence stance  TheNational.scot

Michael Gove 'in agreement' with SNP leader John Swinney over independence - BBC
17 May 2025 at 8:00am
Michael Gove 'in agreement' with SNP leader John Swinney over independence  BBC

In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland indepen...
3 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Is Scottish independence inevitable? The relationship between birth cohort an...
18 Apr 2025 at 8:00am
Is Scottish independence inevitable? The relationship between birth cohort and secessionism in Scotland.  Centre on Constitutional Change

The rise of Nigel McFarage - The Economist
18 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
The rise of Nigel McFarage  The Economist

Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014...
27 May 2025 at 8:00am
Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014  The Conversation

SNP out in front in Scotland as Starmer?s satisfaction ratings fall - Ipsos
1 Jul 2025 at 8:00am
SNP out in front in Scotland as Starmer?s satisfaction ratings fall  Ipsos

The pros and cons of Scottish independence - The Week
24 Mar 2025 at 7:00am
The pros and cons of Scottish independence  The Week

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Clearly now is the time for the SNP to ?seize the moment? - TheNational.scot
11 Jul 2025 at 3:02pm
Clearly now is the time for the SNP to ?seize the moment?  TheNational.scot

SNP splashes £1m in taxpayer cash on ceilidhs and cheese nights in ?fake emba...
11 Jul 2025 at 3:49pm
SNP splashes £1m in taxpayer cash on ceilidhs and cheese nights in ?fake embassies?  The Telegraph

Amazon removes AI biographies of SNP politicians - BBC
8 Jul 2025 at 4:27pm
Amazon removes AI biographies of SNP politicians  BBC

SNP out in front in Scotland as Starmer?s satisfaction ratings fall - Ipsos
1 Jul 2025 at 8:00am
SNP out in front in Scotland as Starmer?s satisfaction ratings fall  Ipsos

Why doesn't the SNP have the guts to fight for zonal pricing? - The Herald
11 Jul 2025 at 6:32am
Why doesn't the SNP have the guts to fight for zonal pricing?  The Herald

SNP punishing voters opposed to independence, claims David Mundell - The Times
9 Jul 2025 at 10:02pm
SNP punishing voters opposed to independence, claims David Mundell  The Times

SNP ministers admit 'shortcomings' in water body spending saga after £200-a-h...
11 Jul 2025 at 4:20pm
SNP ministers admit 'shortcomings' in water body spending saga after £200-a-head meals scandal  The Scotsman

Phylodynamic assessment of SNP distances from whole genome sequencing for det...
28 Mar 2025 at 7:00am
Phylodynamic assessment of SNP distances from whole genome sequencing for determining Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission | Scientific Reports  Nature

Paul McLennan MSP column: Support for disadvantaged show East Lothian's compa...
11 Jul 2025 at 1:02pm
Paul McLennan MSP column: Support for disadvantaged show East Lothian's compassion  East Lothian Courier

?Disastrous?: John Swinney facing SNP backlash after Hamilton byelection loss...
12 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
?Disastrous?: John Swinney facing SNP backlash after Hamilton byelection loss  The Guardian

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Michael Gove 'in agreement' with SNP leader John Swinney over independence - BBC
17 May 2025 at 8:00am
Michael Gove 'in agreement' with SNP leader John Swinney over independence  BBC

Scottish independence poll 2025 - Statista
23 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2025  Statista

In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland indepen...
3 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Starmer says no independence referendum while he is prime minister - BBC
3 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
Starmer says no independence referendum while he is prime minister  BBC

Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014...
27 May 2025 at 8:00am
Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014  The Conversation

In the UK, Scottish independence and Irish reunification have lost their appe...
10 Jan 2025 at 8:00am
In the UK, Scottish independence and Irish reunification have lost their appeal  Le Monde.fr

Corbyn-Sultana party clarifies Scottish independence stance - TheNational.scot
9 Jul 2025 at 5:00pm
Corbyn-Sultana party clarifies Scottish independence stance  TheNational.scot

SNP out in front in Scotland as Starmer?s satisfaction ratings fall - Ipsos
1 Jul 2025 at 8:00am
SNP out in front in Scotland as Starmer?s satisfaction ratings fall  Ipsos

The rise of Nigel McFarage - The Economist
18 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
The rise of Nigel McFarage  The Economist

Is Scottish independence inevitable? The relationship between birth cohort an...
18 Apr 2025 at 8:00am
Is Scottish independence inevitable? The relationship between birth cohort and secessionism in Scotland.  Centre on Constitutional Change