The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Reform councillor cleared by Police Scotland after 'born and bred' comments
16 Oct 2025 at 5:47pm
Claire Mackie-Brown was reported to Police Scotland after making comments about people who were ?born and bred? in the Scottish town. 


Scottish Greens membership highest since 2016 after change in leadership
16 Oct 2025 at 11:39am
The Scottish Greens have increased their membership by 10% over the last six months, top bosses say ahead of the party?s autumn conference.


Claims pupils sharing videos of Charlie Kirk?s shooting in East Lothian schools
16 Oct 2025 at 9:50am
Claims children have been sharing video footage of American activist Charlie Kirk?s fatal shooting in schools across East Lothian have sparked a call for a mobile phone ban for pupils.


'Significant concerns': HES chair addresses staff over 'culture and racism'
16 Oct 2025 at 9:05am
The newly-appointed chair of Historic Environment Scotland (HES) Sir Mark Jones acknowledged "significant issues" around ?organisational culture, staff wellbeing and racism? at the agency.


Arms and banking industries lobbied Scottish Government over Palestine protests
16 Oct 2025 at 6:30am
Barclays bank and the defence industry called for the Scottish Government to crack down on Palestine protests, documents show


PPE firm linked to Michelle Mone fails to pay back Covid money to the government
15 Oct 2025 at 5:12pm
PPE Medpro, the company linked to Baroness Michelle Mone, has not met the deadline to pay back almost £122 million to the Government


Who is Sandie Peggie, the nurse at centre of NHS Fife employment tribunal row?
15 Oct 2025 at 5:00pm
Sandie Peggie is an A&E nurse at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, with three decades of service under NHS Fife.


First Minister told to 'come clean' over 'secret' independence plan
15 Oct 2025 at 5:46pm
John Swinney has been told he must come clean on a "secret" independence plan if the SNP wins a majority of seats at next year's Holyrood election.


Complaints against National Library's gender critical book ban upheld by advo...
15 Oct 2025 at 4:42pm
An independent review into The National Library of Scotland's decision to withdraw The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht from its centenary exhibition was "inadequate".


Behind the scenes of Alex Salmond's complicated SNP conference tribute
15 Oct 2025 at 4:00pm
A 15-second tribute to Alex Salmond on the anniversary of his death was played at SNP conference. But was it enough?


Application resubmitted for controversial oil and gas field off coast of Scot...
15 Oct 2025 at 3:36pm
Norwegian state oil firm Equinor has resubmitted its application to develop a controversial oil field off the coast of Scotland


Who is Dr Beth Upton, the trans doctor at the centre of Sandie Peggie row?
15 Oct 2025 at 12:00pm
Dr Beth Upton is the second respondent in the ongoing legal case involving nurse Sandie Peggie at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy and NHS Fife.


Council pleads for help to cope with 'chronic shortage' of housing
15 Oct 2025 at 10:35am
West Dunbartonshire Council has penned a letter to the Scottish Government in a pleading bid to be granted additional funding to help cope with the 'chronic shortage' of housing


Israelis identifying second group of bodies from Hamas as fragile truce holds
15 Oct 2025 at 9:31am
Three of four bodies handed over on Tuesday night were identified as Israeli hostages but the identity of the fourth remained in question.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


'Those with broadest shoulders should pay fair share of tax', says Rachel Reeves
16 Oct 2025 at 6:51pm

The Chancellor said she wants to ?get the balance right? and not people wealthy people off coming to the UK ahead of the Budget next month.

The party now has 8,279 members - the largest number it has had since 2016.

The former Dumbarton MP is standing down early as Lord Speaker

China was carrying out "large scale espionage" against the UK, witness statements have said

Wes Streeting says the UK Government will ?pursue PPE Medpro with everything we?ve got?

The Scottish Retail Consortium said Ms Reeves? focus should be on restraint, while the Federation of Small Businesses called for the VAT threshold to be raised for small businesses

At the start of the new academic year in universities, the Minister for Fraud, Lord Hanson, writes exclusively for National World about the rise of fraud targeted at students.

Wings over Scotland

Your enemy?s mistakes
16 Oct 2025 at 5:03pm
So on the surface level this is just flat-out hilarious. Firstly because, as we showed you yesterday, the “significant proportion of Scotland’s population” which appears to have been won back to the SNP since John Swinney became its leader is… 1%. Because that’s all their vote has increased by as Scottish Labour have haemorrhaged support …

Come On Baby, Let?s Do The Twist
16 Oct 2025 at 11:34am
All of the words you’re about to read below were written by the same person in the last few days. It’s completely verbatim and none of it is taken in any way out of context. It means what it sounds like it means. But even if you’ve got a forehead the size of the “eggheads” …

A Case Study In Delusion
14 Oct 2025 at 1:19pm
Kevin McKenna has a piece in today’s Herald asking the question that is now the core issue for the Scottish independence movement. The short version of the answer is usually attributed to Mark Twain: “It is far easier to fool someone than to convince them that they’ve been fooled”. But that does nothing to explain …

The Cowards? Den
12 Oct 2025 at 4:19pm
We were going to write something today for the anniversary of Alex Salmond’s tragic death, but then we read Kevin McKenna’s piece in today’s Herald On Sunday and we can’t improve on it, so go and have a read of that before you do anything else. Alex always believed in looking forward, not back, so …

No cry of ?Pish!? rang out
11 Oct 2025 at 5:00pm
It’s really very hard to overstate what mendacious, duplicitous shite this is. ?? It did its job, though. As expected, the SNP conference comprehensively voted down the rebel amendments to Swinney’s motion on independence “strategy” and backed his grand plan of winning a majority, begging Keir Starmer for a second referendum – just like Nicola …

Send In The Clowns
11 Oct 2025 at 12:34pm
The SNP conference opened today with Stephen Flynn (primary interest: the career of Stephen Flynn), Karen Adam (primary interest: any shiny or jangly object) and Susan Aitken (primary interest: MOAR PIES), which ought to be more than enough by itself to convincingly illustrate that these are not serious people. But if you somehow still weren’t …

Simply Nothing To Be Done
6 Oct 2025 at 12:35pm
We’ll be honest, readers, we’ve spent most of the last five days sorting out our iPod music library. It’s a task that would make Hercules wince. 2,700 tracks infested with title case and all sorts of other grammatical catastrophes by crappy algorithms (there are songs on there categorised as being by variously “Adam And The …

Walking Like A Zombie
30 Sep 2025 at 2:10pm
It’d be quite hard to find an image that more completely summed up the wretched state of the SNP in 2025 than this one. Look at that tiny handful of miserable faces, sitting dejectedly around a near-empty function room. It’s so bleak Mike Leigh could make an entire movie out of it. And we know …

Betrayers Of Women
29 Sep 2025 at 1:10pm
You know something’s shifty when a news account disables replies. So let’s just have a quick investigate. The letter itself is nonsensical guff. Whether the “far right” (current population: almost everyone) are bad and racist or not has absolutely no relationship to whether they’re standing up for women’s rights. The two things are unconnected. Every …

Let?s make this simple
24 Sep 2025 at 1:04pm
We’ve written a number of extremely, painstakingly detailed articles in the last few months explaining why list votes for the SNP at next year’s election will be wasted, and will serve only to elect Unionist (and in particular Reform) MSPs. Unfortunately, some people still don’t get it. And that’s understandable, because super-detailed articles are long …

Craig Murray

Fight the Proscription of Palestine Action
14 Oct 2025 at 2:54pm

I have started legal action in Scotland against the UK government over the proscription of Palestine Action, in coordination with Huda Ammori and her team in England. The petition has been accepted by the Court and served on the Solicitor General. They now have 16 remaining days to respond. The rationale is well explained in …

Fight the Proscription of Palestine Action

A Warning from Lebanon
9 Oct 2025 at 7:32pm

In not quite one year since the ceasefire deal in Lebanon, Israel has broken the ceasefire 4,600 times. It has killed hundreds of people, including infants, demolished tens of thousands of homes and annexed five areas of Lebanon. It was supposed to withdraw completely. After a series of attacks throughout the night, the Israelis today …

A Warning from Lebanon

I?m Still Standing
1 Oct 2025 at 3:57pm

Apologies for break am very tied up with a legal case we are bringing I will tell you about in a day or two.

I’m Still Standing

What Fresh Hell is This?
26 Sep 2025 at 11:31am

Yesterday saw two announcements. Starmer is to introduce compulsory digital ID cards in the UK, and Tony Blair is put forward by the White House to be the colonial administrator of Gaza for five years. The political economy of the world appears locked in a vertiginous downward spiral. You don’t have to scratch very hard …

What Fresh Hell is This?

Staggering Hypocrisy
22 Sep 2025 at 11:26am

The outgoing Head of MI6 Richard Moore has formally admitted in a public speech in Istanbul that MI6 has been cooperating with HTS in Syria – a proscribed organisation under the Terrorism Act – for years. The government is arresting little old ladies for holding signs supporting one proscribed organisation, Palestine Action, while it admits …

Staggering Hypocrisy

It?s Your Party and I?ll Cry If I Want To
13 Sep 2025 at 9:47am

There are serious threats to “Your Party” from those attempting to exert undemocratic control, and they attack as trying to destroy the party, anyone who tries to improve things. The Labour Party is now centre-right and the large majority of us to the left of it were delighted when Jeremy took the plunge to launch …

It’s Your Party and I’ll Cry If I Want To

BBC Scotland

Baroness Mone-linked PPE firm misses deadline to pay £122m
15 Oct 2025 at 8:02pm
PPE Medpro was ordered to repay damages by 16:00 BST on Wednesday after breaching a Covid-19 contract.

A bridge, 130 convictions and a 30-year fight: The tolls that made criminals ...
16 Oct 2025 at 6:09am
More than 100 people received criminal convictions after refusing to pay tolls on the Skye Bridge.

GPs question SNP plans for new drop-in services
14 Oct 2025 at 6:16pm
The Royal College of GPs says it is not clear how the new services, promised by John Swinney, will be staffed when the GP workforce is smaller.

SNP will create network of walk-in GP services, says Swinney
13 Oct 2025 at 4:40pm
The announcement came during the first minister's keynote speech at the SNP conference in Aberdeen.

Chris Mason: SNP are the latest proof that things change quickly in politics
13 Oct 2025 at 11:13pm
The SNP are not only hopeful of victory at next year's Scottish election, but are even talking of an outright majority.

Resident doctors set for strike ballot over pay deal
10 Oct 2025 at 12:27pm
The union says ministers have "shamefully reneged" on a previous pay agreement.

Independence is back on the agenda - but can SNP win election majority?
13 Oct 2025 at 5:50pm
Party leader John Swinney's strategy is to focus on winning a majority of MSPs at next year's election.

MSPs vote against legal right to addiction treatment
9 Oct 2025 at 5:32pm
The legislation would have given people diagnosed with addiction the right to treatment within three weeks.

STV accused of financial mismanagement over plan to cut news show
9 Oct 2025 at 12:31pm
The broadcaster is planning to axe its Aberdeen news programme as part of proposals to save £2.5m.

The battle for Scotland's flag: Why the right has adopted the saltire
9 Oct 2025 at 6:23am
The saltire has long been embraced by supporters of Scottish independence ? but now it is being unfurled for a different cause.

NHS Grampian staffing levels need to be reviewed - auditors
9 Oct 2025 at 1:45pm
A report recommends an independent review and also identifies potential savings of millions of pounds.

Price agreed for Ardrossan harbour purchase
9 Oct 2025 at 11:08am
Ministers plan to nationalise the port because new ferries for the Arran route are too big to fit existing facilities.

Scot Goes Pop

Could the UK general election of 2028 or 2029 end up being the real crunch-po...
16 Oct 2025 at 1:03pm
As has been well-rehearsed, a strategic misstep was made at the weekend - a single-party SNP majority is unlikely to be won simply because the electoral system is designed to prevent it, and then w...

Make mine a double: why it has to be BOTH votes SNP next May
15 Oct 2025 at 4:51pm
And yes, I do of course intend to vote "Both Votes SNP" next May, and would urge all SNP members and supporters to do the same, for the reasons I've given umpteen times over the last fifteen years ...

More analysis of the fateful strategic decision the SNP made on Saturday - an...
13 Oct 2025 at 7:35pm
From a psephological point of view, the most interesting question about next year's Scottish Parliament election is whether or not the pro-independence parties in combination will win a majority of...

A final plug for my candidacy in the SNP internal elections - plus some photo...
13 Oct 2025 at 1:53am
I'm going to offer some more analysis, probably tomorrow, of the fateful decision the SNP have made on independence strategy.  But if you'll bear with me, given that conference delegates have only ...

SNP's decision on independence strategy is greeted with revivalist fervour in...
11 Oct 2025 at 9:04pm
I was in the second row from the front at the afternoon session of the SNP conference in Aberdeen today, when the party made its fateful decision on independence strategy.  In this video I give you...

The STUC back the principle of Scottish self-determination on an ordinary maj...
11 Oct 2025 at 1:14pm
Good afternoon from Aberdeen, where as you may have seen, Roz Foyer of the STUC made a well-judged and well-received speech just before lunch, in which she expressed her strong support for the prin...

Catch up with my election pitch to represent Central Scotland & Lothians West...
10 Oct 2025 at 9:20pm
Just a reminder that the SNP internal elections open for voting tomorrow morning (ie. Saturday morning), and it's conference delegates who have the right to vote.  I'm standing for three committees...

Ash to Ashes, Alba to Dust: the Alba Party dramatically ceases to be a parlia...
10 Oct 2025 at 1:33pm
Well, this is it: for four and a half years Alba have enjoyed continuous parliamentary representation, either at Westminster or Holyrood (or for a short while at both), but Ash Regan's resignation ...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Trump says he will meet Putin in Hungary to try to resolve Russia-Ukraine war
16 Oct 2025 at 10:17pm
Trump wrote on social media that the meeting would take place in Budapest.

Scotland?s classrooms most violent in UK, figures suggest
16 Oct 2025 at 1:24pm
A freedom of information request found Scotland has the highest rate of violent injuries to school staff in Britain.

Scottish Greens membership grows to highest total since 2016
16 Oct 2025 at 1:21pm
Co-leader Ross Greer said the party?s ?hopeful vision? was helping attract more members and could spur them to a record result at Holyrood in May.

Lord Speaker John McFall to step down months early to care for wife
16 Oct 2025 at 12:31pm
Lord McFall will be stepping down in February 2026 to care for his wife who has Parkinson's.

Starmer faces more questions after publishing China spy case evidence
16 Oct 2025 at 9:45am
The CPS dropped the case after deeming the evidence did not show China was a threat to national security.

Donald Trump: FIFA would ?very easily? move World Cup matches if asked
15 Oct 2025 at 9:45pm
The US President also indicated he would seek to move the 2028 Olympic Games away from Los Angeles if he felt the city was not safe.

Energy debt hits eight-year high ahead of winter
15 Oct 2025 at 6:59pm
The amount customers owe their supplier has increased by nearly 30% in the past year.

PPE Medpro fails to meet deadline to repay Government almost £122m after ruling
15 Oct 2025 at 5:47pm
Mrs Justice Cockerill previously ruled that PPE Medpro had breached a contract for millions of surgical gowns during the coronavirus pandemic.

Keir Starmer to publish UK Government witness statements from collapsed China...
15 Oct 2025 at 3:11pm
Conservatives have been pressing Labour ministers over their handling of the collapsed trial of Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry.

Keir Starmer to face questions from opposition at PMQs after return from recess
15 Oct 2025 at 11:47am
PMQs will be broadcast from the House of Commons at midday on Wednesday.

Warning over Scotland?s natural resilience to wildfires after spate of devast...
15 Oct 2025 at 9:35am
The agriculture minister issued the stark warning after Scotland was devastated by wildfires in recent months.

GPs cast doubt over SNP plans for drop-in services
14 Oct 2025 at 5:32pm
The First Minister said the Scottish Government will open a nationwide network of walk-in GP surgeries across the country.

Ming Campbell was only Liberal who looked like he could run country ? Tim Farron
14 Oct 2025 at 4:45pm
MPs have paid tribute to former Liberal Democrat leader Baron Campbell of Pittenweem

Tory leader Russell Findlay challenges ministers on ?Victorian secrecy? of pa...
14 Oct 2025 at 9:56am
Russell Findlay spoke out on the issue ahead of a parole hearing for the man jailed for throwing acid in his face.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Ross Greer challenges Scottish Labour to publish its membership figures as Gr...
16 Oct 2025 at 1:48pm
The Greens now claim their highest number of members since 2016 and are on track to reach a new record high by next year.

MI5 chief reveals China-linked plot disrupted last week as he warns of 'daily...
16 Oct 2025 at 1:34pm
Sir Ken McCallum, the Director General of MI5, said the intelligence service had intervened operationally after a threat connected to Beijing in recent days.

Scottish Labour MP accuses SNP of turning Glasgow into a 'sanctuary' for asyl...
16 Oct 2025 at 12:35pm
EXCLUSIVE: Joani Reid said the Nationalists were "taking the biscuit" after Stephen Flynn accused the UK Home Office of "letting down" Glasgow.

MSP tells parent that pornography has 'always' been shared by Scots pupils in...
16 Oct 2025 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: John Mason told the mum "when I was at school the pornography came in printed form rather than on phones but it was still there".

Scotland has highest rate of violent injuries to school staff in UK as classr...
16 Oct 2025 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The number of injury reports from Scottish schools has trebled in a decade - the highest rise of anywhere in the UK.

UK Home Office 'letting Glasgow down' as city grapples with homelessness crisis
15 Oct 2025 at 4:04pm
EXCLUSIVE: Stephen Flynn he would continue to put pressure on the UK Government to help find a solution to the housing crisis gripping

Call for exclusion zone around Falkirk asylum hotel as protests continue
15 Oct 2025 at 12:09pm
Falkirk for All say protests are intimidating for the asylum seekers and disruptive for local residents

Rachel Reeves hints taxes will rise at next Budget and blames cost of Brexit
15 Oct 2025 at 11:34am
The Chancellor said ?of course, we?re looking at tax and spending? as she prepares for her November 26 statement.

Michelle Mone-linked company faces deadline day to pay back millions over Cov...
15 Oct 2025 at 9:38am
PPE Medpro, a firm founded by Mone's husband Doug Barrowman, has until 4pm today to make the payment.

Self-styled 'survivalist' teamed up with far-right campaigner to whip up anti...
15 Oct 2025 at 4:30am
Peter Parker Yuill campaigned in his home town of Kilmarnock, telling people that locals kids were being filmed by perverts.

The National

The National | Politics

The path to independence must be transparent and open
16 Oct 2025 at 6:30pm

I?D have more respect for John Swinney and his legal eagle if they had admitted that Scotland is not sovereign. They hedged their bets by approving a series of steps culminating in a review by the UK Supreme Court if the First Minister?s request for the power to hold a referendum is denied. What they didn?t say was that while the Supreme Court can review a decision of the UK Government, it cann...

Will new walk-in GP services be better than those of the past?
16 Oct 2025 at 6:30pm

GIVEN the state of the Scottish Government?s finances, a major announcement on the scale of Humza Yousaf?s infamous council tax freeze was not available to John Swinney. Instead he used his end-of-conference speech to announce a network of walk-in GP centres allegedly to deliver one million more appointments across the country. He stated they would operate seven days a week, from noon to 8pm to...

What 'real security' means in light of recent cyberattacks
16 Oct 2025 at 6:01pm

This week's edition of the In Common newsletter comes from Craig Dalzell, head of policy and research at Common Weal ...

Joani Reid puts Labour's panic over Reform up in lights
16 Oct 2025 at 5:00pm

We have witnessed Labour churning out policies and lines in the media over the past few months that show they?re on edge about the threat of Reform.

Scottish Labour councillor pans Anas Sarwar over 'nonsense' attack on SNP
16 Oct 2025 at 4:37pm

A SCOTTISH Labour councillor has panned Anas Sarwar over a ?nonsense? attack on the SNP ...

While the world cheers a ceasefire, Palestinians still live under siege
16 Oct 2025 at 3:15pm

WHO with an ounce of humanity would not welcome the ceasefire in Gaza after two years of relentless genocide?

Labour Government 'ends surveillance flights over Gaza'
16 Oct 2025 at 3:40pm

The UK Government has ended its spy flights over Gaza, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said ...

Keir Starmer announces extra funding to ramp up security at synagogues
16 Oct 2025 at 2:42pm

KEIR Starmer has announced extra funding to ramp up security around synagogues following a terrorist attack in Manchester earlier this month.

Former Scottish MP to step down as Lords speaker early
16 Oct 2025 at 1:52pm

Lord John McFall of Alcluith has announced he is to step down several months early from his role as speaker of the House of Lords to support his wife who has Parkinson?s ...

Labour and Greens tied in new poll as Keir Starmer's party plummets to histor...
16 Oct 2025 at 1:50pm

Labour and the Greens are neck and neck south of the Border, a new poll has suggested.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Scottish Greens grow to over 8,000 members
16 Oct 2025 at 2:00pm
Up from the approximately 7,600 people who were members during the co-leadership election

Lord Speaker John McFall steps down to support his wife ?
16 Oct 2025 at 1:45pm
John McFall, the lord speaker of the House of Lords, has announced his intention to step down from his role early to spend the ?majority? of his time supporting his wife

Glasgow Caledonian University launches new health and social care AI module ?
16 Oct 2025 at 1:34pm
Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) has launched a new module designed to educate health and social care professionals on the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on their work

Liberal Democrats call for MI5 to 'assess threat' posed by Elon Musk
15 Oct 2025 at 6:03pm
The Liberal Democrats in Westminster have called for an MI5 investigation into Elon Musk?s alleged funding of Tommy Robinson?s legal defence

Oil giant resubmits application to drill Rosebank oil field
15 Oct 2025 at 5:43pm
An environmental impact assessment said the field would result in an extra 250 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent being released over its lifetime

John Swinney urged to 'come clean' over his independence plans
15 Oct 2025 at 1:39pm
The calls for clarity come after the first minister told SNP members, ?nobody knows what tactics I will deploy,? at his party?s annual conference last weekend

OpenAI announces plan to allow sexual content on ChatGPT
15 Oct 2025 at 1:23pm
OpenAI, the company behind AI chatbot ChatGPT, has announced plans to allow "erotica" to be generated on the platform for verified adults

Growing Scotland's visitor economy
15 Oct 2025 at 11:35am
Our goal is clear: to encourage people to visit Scotland, stay longer, and spend more in our communities. By doing this we can help improve the wellbeing of not just those who visit, but the people and places who are lucky enough to call Scotland home.

Seizing opportunities for Scotland
15 Oct 2025 at 11:22am
Energy has long played a central role in Scotland?s economy. From the North Sea oil boom to today?s pioneering renewable projects, the energy sector has been a cornerstone of investment in communities and skilled jobs for generations

Lack of treatment options and support limiting arthritic Scots? ability to work
15 Oct 2025 at 8:42am
There are calls for more investment to improve services, including better training for frontline healthcare professionals

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Badenoch accuses Labour of prioritising economic ties with China over nationa...
13 Oct 2025 at 6:22pm
Minister calls Badenoch?s claims about Chinese spy trial ?baseless smears?. This live blog is closedAt the Downing Street lobby briefing this morning the PM?s spokesperson said it was ?entirely false? to suggest the government influenced the collapse of the China spying case because of concerns B...

Swinney says Scottish government will sponsor visas for foreign care workers
13 Oct 2025 at 5:28pm
First minister tells SNP conference older people should not ?pay the price for Westminster?s prejudice? over immigrationJohn Swinney has said the Scottish government will help hundreds of overseas care workers stay in the UK, as he attacked Westminster for its rising hostility to immigrants.The f...

SNP backs Swinney?s ?clear? strategy for new independence referendum
11 Oct 2025 at 5:22pm
Members overwhelmingly endorse leadership motion that majority at next Holyrood election is only route to second voteSNP members have overwhelmingly backed leader John Swinney?s ?clear and unambiguous? independence strategy that a majority election win is the only route to another referendum.On t...

Former British diplomat challenges Palestine Action ban in Scotland
10 Oct 2025 at 10:30am
Craig Murray argues proscription order contravenes rights to freedom of speech under European convention of human rightsA former British diplomat has served a petition challenging the ban on Palestine Action in Scotland.The case, brought by Craig Murray, is separate to the judicial review of the ...

Senior SNP figures believe Holyrood majority ?within reach? at May?s election
10 Oct 2025 at 5:00am
As party gathers for conference, re-engaging independence supporters seen as way forward after trust in Scottish government hits record lowSenior Scottish National party strategists believe a majority at next year?s Holyrood elections is ?within reach? despite failing public trust in Scotland?s g...

The Guardian view on the nationalist surge: the SNP and Plaid Cymru are makin...
9 Oct 2025 at 6:35pm
In both Scotland and Wales, politics is marching to the beat of different drums from the rest of Britain. The UK-wide parties should watch outViewed through the Westminster prism, UK electoral politics seems a five-party contest. The narrative has been well aired in the conference season. The thr...

Tory plan to abolish stamp duty ?will benefit London and the wealthiest the m...
8 Oct 2025 at 4:13pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereVoting in the Labour deputy leadership election opens today. Lucy Powell, the former Commons leader, is seen as the favourite and, as Jessica Elgot reports, Powell told supporters yesterday that, if she is elected, she will use the post...

Scottish parliament votes in favour of allowing councils to cap rent increases
1 Oct 2025 at 9:09am
Legislation hailed as ?historic step for fixing rigged housing market? but campaigners say bolder action neededThe Scottish parliament has voted overwhelmingly for ?historic? long-term rent controls ? a first across the UK ? as part of a wide-ranging housing bill that campaigners argue has been ?...

Andy Burnham calls for UK to rejoin EU within his lifetime and rejects claim ...
29 Sep 2025 at 6:48pm
Mayor of Greater Manchester says he would have to be ?wrenched? out of city and says he wants UK to rejoin EU. This live blog is closedAndy Burnham live in conversation ? podcastIn her Today interview Rachel Reeves was asked about a FT report saying she will urge business leaders to highlight the...

Labour conference: Starmer calls Reform?s policy on immigration ?racist? and ...
28 Sep 2025 at 6:28pm
PM calls Reform?s policy immoral but says people who want to vote for them are not racist but frustratedKuenssberg ended her interview by asking about Andy Burnham, and the leadership.Starmer said Burnham was doing a very good job as mayor of Greater Manchester.Comments about leaders and leadersh...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Joani Reid and the rat-pack
16 Oct 2025 at 1:35pm
Maybe it’s something in the water in East Kilbride and Strathaven, but the Westminster constituency seems to be cursed with morally bankrupt MPs. The present constituency boundaries are new and was first contested in the July 2024 Westminster general election, but the constituency broadly covers the same area as the abolished East Kilbride, Strathaven and …

Holyrood 2026, it?s up to all of us now
14 Oct 2025 at 2:44pm
While we were busy with a visit from my husband’s family from the United States, the SNP party conference was taking place in Aberdeen. The party came out of the conference united behind the First Minister’s plan for independence and irrespective of the merits or demerits of the plan, it cannot be denied that independence …

The fork in the road
8 Oct 2025 at 3:07pm
It’s customary to describe every upcoming election as critical. That’s always been the case with Scottish independence, as should the pro-independence parties fail to win a majority in the Scottish Parliament, and we’re unfortunate enough to get a Labour – or god forbid – Tory first minister, independence would be off the political agenda for …

Getting the indy band back together
5 Oct 2025 at 3:14pm
It’s been a good couple of weeks for hopes of Scottish independence, with some very positive opinion poll results, and signs of a new assertiveness amongst the main pro-independence parties. It’s a glimmering of hope in the stormy skies of British politics, where the dark looming clouds of the far right threaten a torrent which …

The demographic time bomb that will end Westminster rule in Scotland
2 Oct 2025 at 3:39pm
We are now at the point which was predicted by a friend of mine in 2014 in the aftermath of that year’s independence referendum. After a careful study of the demographic breakdown of the referendum vote, in which voters belonging to the older generation were far more likely to break for No than younger age …

The real crisis of our age is one the media won?t talk about
29 Sep 2025 at 6:36pm
Not a day goes by without the BBC, Sky News or ITV News covering a story about what they insist on calling the “migrant crisis”. In this they are following the agenda of the right wing print media, which is obsessed with immigration and which covers the topic in an ever louder shriek of lurid …

Get your DIC out for Starmer
26 Sep 2025 at 1:04pm
With all the anger and controversy over the Labour government’s proposal to introduce mandatory digital ID cards for everyone legally resident in the UK, no one is now talking about the anger and controversy over Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and his dodgy undeclared donations, no murder tents are about to be parked on …

Good news on independence for a change
24 Sep 2025 at 11:33am
In these miserable and frightening times, it’s nice to be able to report some good news for a change, and not just that all over America all these Evangelical Republican Christians are currently demanding to speak to the Rapture manager, the Rapture having failed yet again to take place on its predicted date of Tuesday …

Starmer opens the door to the moral abominations of Farage
22 Sep 2025 at 6:44pm
It was always predictable that a Labour government led by Keir Starmer would get very unpopular very quickly. Starmer’s promise of “change” was always hollow. A corporate centrist hell bent on opening the NHS to privatisation was never going to deliver the meaningful and far reaching change that Labour voters in July 2024 were led …

Scotland risks being dragged down by the Anglo-British nationalist far right
18 Sep 2025 at 1:00pm
The far right rally which was organised by the criminal thug Stephen Yaxley-Lennon in London last weekend is an alarming harbinger of what is to come. Scotland needs to pay attention, because if we don’t take action to assert our right to self-determination, those far right demonstrators massed in the streets will be our future …

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

What kind of cereal crop harvest contrast between England and Scotland would ...
16 Oct 2025 at 7:03pm
Professor John Robertson OBA This morning, the Scottish Government announced: The Chief Statistician has released predictions for the 2025 Scottish harvest. These industry predictions anticipate overall cereal production could reach a high of over 3.2 million tonnes. This could bring total production in at well above the average over the past five years, despite dry spring and summer conditions...

Trump to ape Starmer in scrapping ?red tape? for new nuclear power and puttin...
16 Oct 2025 at 11:56am
Professor John Robertson OBA From the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, yesterday, the above headline and: In May, President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders that, in part, require the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to consider dramatically weakening its radiation protection standard. If federal radiation limits are gutted in the manner urged by the president, the new s...

Reports of Knife-Wielding Gangs in Scottish Towns and Cities with English Acc...
16 Oct 2025 at 11:13am
Professor John Robertson OBA Recent reports and discussions in Scotland have highlighted the infiltration of drug-related gangs from England into Scottish towns and cities, often involving knives or other weapons. These groups are primarily linked to “County Lines” operations?a model originating in English urban areas where gangs exploit vulnerable people (e.g., addicts) to store and sell drugs...

BBC Scotland carefully hide the fact that sex offences on trains in England &...
16 Oct 2025 at 10:27am
Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Wales two days ago, had: Reports of sexual assaults and harassment on trains have risen by more than a third over the past 10 years, according to data requested by a BBC investigation. There were 2,661 incidents reported across England, Scotland and Wales last year, where one in 10 were children – with some younger than 13. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3...

Chill ? Scottish data centres powering AI only require 0.00004% of Scotland?s...
16 Oct 2025 at 9:37am
Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland today has the above headline and: Data centres powering artificial intelligence (AI) in Scotland are using enough tap water to fill 27 million half-litre bottles a year, according to data obtained by BBC News. AI systems such as the large language models (LLMs) that power OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini require warehouses full of specialist compute...

Affordable housing ? a tale of two leaked memos that reveals SNP exceeding ta...
16 Oct 2025 at 9:09am
Professor John Robertson OBA The Daily Mail in April 2025 had the above headline and: Today, inews has: The Daily Mail did not, of course, have the facts. Here they are: For 2025, the SNP Government has funded 5 313 new affordable home starts to a level down from a peak of 11 158 in 2021 but above the level before 2014 and still almost twice that of the last Labour government in Scotland, only ...

Proper academic survey reveals support for independence soaring among all age...
15 Oct 2025 at 1:34pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From: Scottish Social Attitudes | 25 years of devolution in Scotland: Public attitudes and reactions published last week: https://natcen.ac.uk/publications/scottish-social-attitudes-25-years-devolution-scotland 55-65% of under 34s, around 50% of under 54s and 40% of the over 55s with the latter climbing steadily now for 13 years. All three groups way up on 2014. Wha...

Scottish nationalism is not just civic it?s leftist too
15 Oct 2025 at 12:43pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From: Scottish Social Attitudes | 25 years of devolution in Scotland: Public attitudes and reactions published last week: https://natcen.ac.uk/publications/scottish-social-attitudes-25-years-devolution-scotland Figure 15, meanwhile, analyses the relationship between where people stand on our left-right scale and their constitutional preference. To construct this fig...

75% of Scots want control of everything other than defence and foreign affair...
15 Oct 2025 at 12:34pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From: Scottish Social Attitudes | 25 years of devolution in Scotland: Public attitudes and reactions published last week: https://natcen.ac.uk/publications/scottish-social-attitudes-25-years-devolution-scotland As a result, in our latest survey, nearly three-quarters said that the Scottish Parliament should be responsible for at least all of the country?s domestic a...

91% of Scots reject a return to direct rule
15 Oct 2025 at 12:22pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From: Scottish Social Attitudes | 25 years of devolution in Scotland: Public attitudes and reactions published last week: https://natcen.ac.uk/publications/scottish-social-attitudes-25-years-devolution-scotland At 9% the view that Scotland should not have a parliament at all is, as it has always been, very much a minority one. Which parties or politicians wish to se...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage - politico.eu
13 Oct 2025 at 5:43pm
The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage  politico.eu

Swinney sets out latest plan for an independence referendum - BBC
4 Sep 2025 at 8:00am
Swinney sets out latest plan for an independence referendum  BBC

The path to independence must be transparent and open - TheNational.scot
16 Oct 2025 at 6:35pm
The path to independence must be transparent and open  TheNational.scot

Alex Salmond Made Scottish Independence a Tangible Goal - Jacobin
12 Oct 2025 at 1:59pm
Alex Salmond Made Scottish Independence a Tangible Goal  Jacobin

Swinney urged to ?come clean? on ?secret? Scottish independence plan - The Te...
15 Oct 2025 at 9:08pm
Swinney urged to ?come clean? on ?secret? Scottish independence plan  The Telegraph

New Green Party leader Zack Polanski backs Scottish independence - deadlinene...
16 Oct 2025 at 2:43pm
New Green Party leader Zack Polanski backs Scottish independence  deadlinenews.co.uk

What Use are Political Parties? - Bella Caledonia
16 Oct 2025 at 1:18pm
What Use are Political Parties?  Bella Caledonia

Scottish independence poll 2025 - Statista
1 Sep 2025 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2025  Statista

Labour and Tories ?locked in a race to the right?, says Scottish First Minist...
13 Oct 2025 at 11:12am
Labour and Tories ?locked in a race to the right?, says Scottish First Minister  Financial Times

Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scotti...
9 Oct 2025 at 5:58am
Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scottish independence has grown stronger  The Conversation

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

The path to independence must be transparent and open - TheNational.scot
16 Oct 2025 at 6:35pm
The path to independence must be transparent and open  TheNational.scot

Scotland deserves better than an SNP strategy that is bound to fail - TheNati...
16 Oct 2025 at 12:05pm
Scotland deserves better than an SNP strategy that is bound to fail  TheNational.scot

Senior SNP figures believe Holyrood majority ?within reach? at May?s election...
10 Oct 2025 at 5:02am
Senior SNP figures believe Holyrood majority ?within reach? at May?s election  The Guardian

SNP will create network of walk-in GP services, says Swinney - BBC
13 Oct 2025 at 4:40pm
SNP will create network of walk-in GP services, says Swinney  BBC

With Reform on the rise and Labour stalling, the SNP won't need to do much to...
11 Oct 2025 at 3:43am
With Reform on the rise and Labour stalling, the SNP won't need to do much to stay in power  Sky News

SNP backs Swinney?s ?clear? strategy for new independence referendum | Scotti...
11 Oct 2025 at 5:41pm
SNP backs Swinney?s ?clear? strategy for new independence referendum | Scottish National party (SNP)  The Guardian

Chris Mason: SNP are the latest proof that things change quickly in politics ...
13 Oct 2025 at 11:13pm
Chris Mason: SNP are the latest proof that things change quickly in politics  BBC

John Swinney's independence strategy backed by SNP members - BBC
11 Oct 2025 at 5:51pm
John Swinney's independence strategy backed by SNP members  BBC

How John Swinney plans to put his stamp on the SNP as election looms - BBC
11 Oct 2025 at 9:17am
How John Swinney plans to put his stamp on the SNP as election looms  BBC

Swinney says Scottish government will sponsor visas for foreign care workers ...
13 Oct 2025 at 7:15pm
Swinney says Scottish government will sponsor visas for foreign care workers  The Guardian

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage - politico.eu
13 Oct 2025 at 5:43pm
The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage  politico.eu

John Swinney's independence strategy backed by SNP members - BBC
11 Oct 2025 at 5:51pm
John Swinney's independence strategy backed by SNP members  BBC

Swinney says 'precedent is on my side' to secure indyref2 - BBC
12 Oct 2025 at 1:19pm
Swinney says 'precedent is on my side' to secure indyref2  BBC

Alex Salmond Made Scottish Independence a Tangible Goal - Jacobin
12 Oct 2025 at 1:59pm
Alex Salmond Made Scottish Independence a Tangible Goal  Jacobin

Every vote for Greens is vote for independence - Scottish Greens
14 Oct 2025 at 9:59am
Every vote for Greens is vote for independence  Scottish Greens

New strategy is an insult to independence supporters who don't vote SNP - The...
14 Oct 2025 at 8:31am
New strategy is an insult to independence supporters who don't vote SNP  TheNational.scot

First Minister John Swinney sets out latest plan for independence referendum ...
4 Sep 2025 at 8:00am
First Minister John Swinney sets out latest plan for independence referendum  Sky News

John Swinney backed in referendum debate at SNP conference - Channel 4
11 Oct 2025 at 6:54pm
John Swinney backed in referendum debate at SNP conference  Channel 4

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

Lawyers debunk John Swinney?s plan to force fresh independence referendum - T...
13 Oct 2025 at 9:00pm
Lawyers debunk John Swinney?s plan to force fresh independence referendum  The Times