The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Scottish Government 'risks legal action' over failure to comply with Supreme ...
17 May 2025 at 5:00am
Scottish Government faces legal threat for failing to update its workplace policy on single-sex spaces following a Supreme Court ruling clarifying the legal definition of sex


Sturgeon returns to campaign trail as SNP fights to hold Hamilton seat
17 May 2025 at 12:00am
Nicola Sturgeon will campaign in the Hamilton by-election this weekend, as the SNP battles to retain the seat following the death of Christina McKelvie.


Scottish universities won't pay £85m international student tax after Labour U...
17 May 2025 at 5:00am
Scotland's universities will not pay a proposed new tax on international students after a U turn by the Labour Government following a warning it would cost the sector £85m a year and compound financial problems.


SNP accused of 'abandoning children' due to development gap figures
17 May 2025 at 5:00am
There is a larger gap in child development in more deprived areas in Scotland despite an SNP pledge to tackle the issue.


Edinburgh Pride bans political parties over trans row
16 May 2025 at 7:51pm
Pride Edinburgh has banned political parties from this year's festival over a "lack of meaningful action" in response to the recent Supreme Court gender ruling.


Aberdeen City Council's £1m law bill revealed amidst spate of legal challenges
16 May 2025 at 4:00pm
Aberdeen City Council has faced legal challenges over cuts to library services and plans to bulldoze a community park.


Jamie Greene challenges ministers on conversion therapy ban
16 May 2025 at 2:35pm
Lib Dem MSP challenges ministers on conversion therapy ban


Could Glasgow's Bonfire Night fireworks display return in 2025?
16 May 2025 at 12:18pm
Plans to reinstate the annual public fireworks display in Glasgow are being esplored.


MSPs to examine organised crime and overcrowding in drugs in prisons investig...
16 May 2025 at 12:05am
MSPs are to investigate the role of organised crime and the impact of overcrowding in an inquiry into drugs and alcohol abuse in prisons.


Scottish Government admits no evidence for First Minister?s child payment claim
15 May 2025 at 5:00am
Scottish Government admits it holds no evidence to support John Swinney?s claim that raising the Scottish Child Payment would stop parents working.


Scottish universities face £85m bill from new UK tax on international students
15 May 2025 at 5:00am
Scotland's universities are facing a bill of £85 million after Sir Keir Starmer announced a new levy on international students, The Herald can reveal.


Ministers to consider writing off domestic abuse victims' council tax debt
15 May 2025 at 4:56am
Ministers are to consider measures which may allow council tax debts for domestic abuse survivors to be written off.


Analysis: Swinney prepares SNP for a long long road to independence
15 May 2025 at 3:49pm
First Minister John Swinney has spoken twice about independence in recent days revealing his thinking on how to achieve his party's founding goal.


Minister pressed on fears over £85million university tax bill
15 May 2025 at 1:06pm
A proposed new levy on income that universities generate from international students has caused a ?great deal of concern? in the higher education sector, Lib Dem Christine Jardine MP has warned the UK Government following a report in The Herald.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Nigel Farage's Reform is more of a threat to Labour in Scotland, says Profess...
16 May 2025 at 6:01am

In an exclusive interview with The Steamie podcast, we take a look at what to expect in the 2026 Holyrood election.

Wings over Scotland

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Craig Murray

MI5?s Fake Terror Plots
10 May 2025 at 7:31pm

Back in the “War on Terror” days, the UK security services fabricated multiple fake terror plots. There was, for example, the 2009 Easter Bomb Plot in Manchester, taking entire front pages of newspapers. Gordon Brown as PM hyped it as a “very big terror plot”. It was a total fabrication, nobody was convicted and it …

MI5’s Fake Terror Plots

The Strange Death of Social Democratic Britain
5 May 2025 at 9:53am

The UK’s first-past-the-post electoral system can have some remarkable results and is capable of enacting extraordinarily quick political revolution, as in the triumph then rapid fall from power of the great Liberal Party in the first quarter of the twentieth century. We are in such a moment now. The Labour Party today has a Commons …

The Strange Death of Social Democratic Britain

Kashmir and the Indus
27 Apr 2025 at 1:31pm

India’s Hindutva President, Narendra Modi, has used the Kashmir terrorism incident to abrogate the 1960s Indus Waters Treaty – a longstanding goal of Modi. The Indian version of the “terrorist attack”, most of whose victims were Muslim, has largely been accepted by Western governments without evidence. False flags abound nowadays. You may recall that we …

Kashmir and the Indus

Syria to Recognise Israel By End 2026
14 Apr 2025 at 6:04pm

A British diplomatic source tells me that “President” al-Jolani aka al-Sharaa has assured the UK that Syria will “normalise relations” with Israel, recognise the State of Israel and exchange ambassadors, by the end of 2026. This is part of a deal in exchange for substantial Western financial support and the lifting of sanctions on Syria. …

Syria to Recognise Israel By End 2026

Trump, Tariffs and Trade
11 Apr 2025 at 11:31am

There is a giant problem that commentators are ignoring. The United States’ trade deficit is of incredible proportions and is only sustainable because the dollar is the world’s reserve currency – a status it is going to lose. The US trade deficit in 2024 was approximately 1.2 trillion dollars. GDP was approximately 30.1 trillion dollars. …

Trump, Tariffs and Trade

Is This The World We Created?
7 Apr 2025 at 12:11am

It is all a part of the same phenomenon. Western governments actively assisting genocide in Gaza; attacks on benefits for the disabled; a deliberate official narrative of Russophobia; rampant Islamophobia boosting the rise of extreme right-wing parties and fuelled by government anti-immigrant rhetoric; an incredible accumulation of wealth by the ultra-rich; rampant erosion of freedoms …

Is This The World We Created?

BBC Scotland

NHS Scotland staff vote to accept two-year 8% pay offer
16 May 2025 at 5:59pm
About 170,000 nurses, midwives, paramedics and other staff will receive the rise which includes an inflation guarantee.

Lavish spending at water watchdog was unacceptable, says report
16 May 2025 at 10:18am
Thousands of pounds worth of public money was claimed as expenses by management at the Water Industry Commission for Scotland.

Loch Lomond Flamingo Land resort set for approval
16 May 2025 at 3:21pm
The theme park operator wants to build a £40m resort with a waterpark, monorail, hotel and restaurants.

National Insurance rise compensation 'disappointing'
15 May 2025 at 7:03pm
The finance secretary said the £339m funding from the Treasury was short of the £700m needed to plug gaps in Scotland's public purse.

Arrested anti-abortion protester 'willing to go to jail'
15 May 2025 at 6:41pm
Rose Docherty was the first person to be arrested and charged under a law banning protests outside abortion clinics.

Liam McArthur: Who is the MSP behind the assisted dying bill?
14 May 2025 at 10:59pm
The Orkney MSP's profile has been raised significantly by his battle to make assisted dying legal.

Care workers to strike for first time in over a decade
14 May 2025 at 9:04pm
Enable Scotland staff will take action across five days in different regions, beginning on 29 May.

What next for Scotland's assisted dying bill?
14 May 2025 at 6:12am
The Scottish parliament have voted in favour of the assisted dying bill in its first stage.

How your MSP voted on the assisted dying bill
13 May 2025 at 8:39pm
The Scottish Parliament has voted on proposals to allow terminally-ill adults to seek medical help to end their lives.

Civil service jobs to be moved to Aberdeen
14 May 2025 at 9:27am
The government is aiming to cut roles in London by 12,000 and close 11 offices in the capital.

Assisted dying bill vote: What just happened?
13 May 2025 at 9:55pm
The BBC's Glenn Campbell explains as a bill to legalise assisted dying in Scotland passes an initial vote.

Shipyard confirms new delay and cost rise for CalMac ferry
13 May 2025 at 5:58pm
The dual-fuel ship MV Glen Rosa, destined for the Arran route, is now due to be delivered next summer, nearly eight years late.

Scot Goes Pop

"Why James Kelly won the Campbell v Kelly tactical voting debate": the astoni...
17 May 2025 at 12:27am
Congratulations if you?ve made it this far through this epic bout of navel-gazing, but ChatGPT is the closest thing available to an impartial referee, and I do find its analysis fascinating.? Wings...

More analysis of the Clydebank Waterfront by-election result
16 May 2025 at 2:56pm
Just a quick note to let you know I have a new article at The National about the Clybebank Waterfront by-election, which was won by the SNP but saw a really telling surge for Reform UK, who overtoo...

The BBC have made a catastrophic error of judgement in the way they're handli...
16 May 2025 at 12:14pm
I mentioned on Tuesday night that I watched the first few minutes of the Ten O'Clock News because it was on immediately after the first Eurovision semi-final, and I was struck by how it was the fir...

"The game's a bogey": shocking 1.6% showing for Alba in the Clydebank by-elec...
16 May 2025 at 10:14am
Clydebank Waterfront by-election result on first preferences (15th May 2025):SNP 35.6% (-16.7)Reform UK 26.3% (n/a)Labour 25.3% (-12.1)Liberal Democrats 4.7% (n/a)Conservatives 2.9% (-4.8)Greens 2....

What we learned from the Campbell v Kelly tactical voting debate (and it's qu...
16 May 2025 at 2:24am
When Stuart Campbell theatrically unblocked me on Twitter at lunchtime and demanded that I do the same and engage him in public debate about "tactical voting on the list" (an issue he used to be in...

Moment of high drama in the Campbell v Kelly tactical voting debate as Wings ...
15 May 2025 at 6:34pm
Can you categorically deny that you will endorse Reform UK at the 2026 election? Let's at least achieve something concrete in this exchange: commit yourself publicly now that you will urge your rea...

I've accepted Stew's "Twitter challenge" - but it's been eerily quiet so far....
15 May 2025 at 3:22pm
  Challenge accepted, Stew. You're unblocked, so let's GET THIS ON. Looking forward to at last hearing a substantive response to my points, and to "debating" them as you put it. I confidently pred...

When I find myself in times of trouble, he comes to me does Father Stew, spea...
15 May 2025 at 12:18pm
Alas, the final paragraph of my post yesterday proved every bit as prophetic as I knew it would - there's been plenty more "James Kelly is a raving lunatic" flavoured content from Stew on Twitter s...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant announces decision to stand down to ?make way for others?
16 May 2025 at 4:28pm
The Highlands and Islands MSP was elected to Holyrood in the first Scottish Parliament election in 1999.

John Swinney announces £425,000 in funding for Eco Schools
16 May 2025 at 7:44am
The cash will be used to fund projects aimed at educating young people on climate change and help them take action against it.

?Catalogue of failures? led to spending scandal at Scotland?s water watchdog
16 May 2025 at 6:57am
An audit of the water regulator's accounts found inappropriate spending on high-end meals, gift cards, and luxury purchases.

Starmer and EU leaders speak to Trump to ?closely align response? to Russia
15 May 2025 at 9:40pm
Leaders are expected to discuss intensifying sanctions against Moscow in the coming weeks if it refuses to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine.

Robison calls for more as less than half of NI rise funded
15 May 2025 at 8:48pm
The Scottish Government estimates the increase will cost more than £700m.

Further delays to years late and over budget ferry ?unacceptable?, says Swinney
15 May 2025 at 5:21pm
The Glen Rosa is due to enter service at least eight years late.

Legislation to establish GB Energy passes through Parliament
15 May 2025 at 3:39pm
The publicly owned firm is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs in Aberdeen.

Scottish Government spent at least £374,000 fighting definition of ?woman? case
15 May 2025 at 2:19pm
Campaign group For Women Scotland won a legal challenge against the Scottish Government.

First Minister faces questions after assisted dying vote and immigration row
15 May 2025 at 11:56am
FMQs will be broadcast from the Scottish Parliament chamber at noon on Thursday.

Starmer accused of ?ugly, damaging and disgraceful rhetoric? on immigration
15 May 2025 at 8:24am
External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson will lead a debate in Holyrood on Thursday about Scotland?s place in Europe.

Failure to track students holding back university access progress, MSPs warn
15 May 2025 at 8:20am
The Education Committee expressed ?extreme disappointment? that the Scottish Government had not set up a system to track students? education journeys.

Forbes promises ?maximum accountability? after latest delay to Glen Rosa ferry
14 May 2025 at 9:11pm
Ferguson Marine said the handover of Glen Rosa had slipped once again to the second quarter of 2026.

Almost 50 MPs to rebel over welfare cuts as Labour revolt grows
14 May 2025 at 6:52pm
ITV News understands 49 Labour MPs are set to vote against the plans, while a number of senior backbenchers have warned government of their concerns.

National Insurance hike has forced closure of at least five Scottish care homes
14 May 2025 at 5:33pm
Scotland's social care minister Maree Todd warned that more care service closures are likely to follow.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scottish Labour figures fear third place in Hamilton by-election as Reform su...
17 May 2025 at 4:30am
Labour insiders say Reform are eating into their vote as they try to capture the seat from the SNP.

Flamingo Land resort approved by SNP Government as critics blast "anti-democr...
16 May 2025 at 1:45pm
The decision by the SNP Government has sparked outrage among critics of the £40m plan.

Nicola Sturgeon receives £76,500 book advance as outcome income since leaving...
16 May 2025 at 10:36am
The former First Minister has declared nearly £200,000 in fees and book advances in the two years since quitting as FM.

Reform UK push Scottish Labour into third place in council by-election as SNP...
16 May 2025 at 7:56am
The result was described by one expert as "completely and utterly disastrous" for Labour.

SNP by-election candidate accuses Labour Government of 'balancing the books' ...
16 May 2025 at 4:30am
In a wide-ranging interview, Katy Loudon also spoke about assisted dying and controversial plans by the SNP Government in Lanarkshire for the NHS.

Labour 'committed' to reducing energy bills for Scots but savings 'won't happ...
16 May 2025 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Michael Shanks told the Record he was working "every single day" to lessen the financial burden of paying for domestic gas and electricity.

SNP by-election candidate accused of 'betrayal' over plan to downgrade Wishaw...
16 May 2025 at 4:30am
Katy Loudon said she would "listen" to the experts who have advised the Scottish Government.

Top cop who led on Sheku Bayoh police probe charged after 'disturbance' in Ai...
16 May 2025 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Chief Superintendent Pat Campbell has also been suspended after the alleged incident on April 20th this year

Nigel Farage to visit Scotland in first week of June ahead of crunch by-election
15 May 2025 at 3:22pm
EXCLUSIVE: The Reform UK leader will come north of the border days before the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.

SNP ferry fiasco costs hit '£1 billion' as John Swinney told Scots can't trus...
15 May 2025 at 2:03pm
The Ferguson Marine shipyard, which was nationalised by SNP ministers in 2019, has struggled to complete an order for two new car ferries.

The National

The National | Politics

BBC urged to join calls to exclude Israel from Eurovision
17 May 2025 at 12:01am

THE BBC must join international calls to exclude Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest ...

Israel-linked donor 'threatened to pull Scottish university grant' amid Gaza row
16 May 2025 at 7:40pm

A MAJOR Scottish university donor suggested that a multi-million-pound bequeathment could be in danger due to the institution's rector?s comments on Israel ...

Keir Starmer 'severely impairing' Scottish Labour, former party leader says
16 May 2025 at 7:22pm

KEIR Starmer has ?severely impaired? Scottish Labour, the party?s former leader has said ...

Labour's actions on Israel are always shocking. This week was jaw-dropping
16 May 2025 at 7:00pm

IT can be easy to become desensitised to the horrors unfolding in Gaza ...

SNP Government issues statement after Loch Lomond planning decision branded '...
16 May 2025 at 7:05pm

THE Scottish Government has issued a statement after one of its planning reporters said he was minded to grant planning permission for a sweeping development on the banks of Loch Lomond ...

Wee Ginger Dug: Reform UK's success in Scotland? You can blame the media for ...
16 May 2025 at 6:51pm

WORRINGLY, Nigel Farage's Reform UK took second place ...

Zack Polanski: Why we in the Jewish community must speak up for Gaza
16 May 2025 at 5:00pm

JEWISH communities must use their voices to speak out against the genocide being carried out by Israel in Gaza, Green leadership hopeful Zack Polanski has said.

Zack Polanski: I can see why people want Scottish independence
16 May 2025 at 5:00pm

GREEN Party leadership hopeful Zack Polanski has said he can see why half of Scots want independence after ?decades of neglect? by Westminster.

Academics call out Keir Starmer for 'validating' far-right with immigration c...
16 May 2025 at 4:53pm

MORE than one hundred UK-based political academics have condemned Keir Starmer for ?validating? the far-right with his immigration plans.

Home Office 'ICE team' arrests six 'illegal workers' in Scottish restaurant b...
16 May 2025 at 4:28pm

THE Home Office has announced the arrests of six ?illegal? workers in restaurants across Glasgow after an operation by the UK?s own ?ICE? (Immigration, Compliance and Enforcement team) ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Greens criticise ?anti-democratic? decision to approve Flamingo Land resort a...
16 May 2025 at 3:00pm
The company appealed after its planning application was rejected by the national park board in September

Royal Bank of Scotland owner targeted by 100 million cyber-attacks per month,...
15 May 2025 at 6:11pm
The company blocks around a third of all the emails it receives because 'they are believed to be the start of an attack' against its staff

SNP has presided over ??1bn ferry fiasco? says Anas Sarwar
15 May 2025 at 2:07pm
First Minister John Swinney said there were ?stringent controls over government finances?

Scottish National Investment Bank facing 'barriers' due to Treasury rules, wa...
15 May 2025 at 8:29am
Audit Scotland says framework continues reliance on taxpayer

Ministers must bring forward plan to tackle housing emergency, MSPs say
15 May 2025 at 2:00am
The Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee said such a plan must include clear milestones and outcomes

Care services could close due to immigration plans and tax increases, warns m...
14 May 2025 at 4:27pm
The Tories and Labour accused the Scottish Government of refusing to accept its own failures

Funding for Edinburgh?s supercomputer ?never existed?, says technology secretary
14 May 2025 at 2:23pm
Labour says the money for the project "never existed" while the Conservatives say the project was "fully funded"

Scottish Government tests AI tool to summarise reports in UK first
14 May 2025 at 12:35pm
The tool, named Consult, was used to speed up the analysis of a public consultation on how to regulate non-surgical cosmetic procedures

Political parties banned from Glasgow Pride
14 May 2025 at 11:55am
The organisers hit out at a ?lack of action and delay of comment? following the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of ?sex?

MSPs back assisted dying bill at first stage
13 May 2025 at 8:31pm
Legislation progresses after day of debate

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Assisted dying proposal passes first stage in Scotland
13 May 2025 at 7:50pm
Bill to allow assisted dying for terminally ill adults will now go forward to parliamentary committeeThe Scottish parliament has voted to consider a bill to allow assisted dying for terminally ill people for the first time, after a prolonged debate by MSPs.Holyrood decided by 70 votes to 56 to ba...

Give terminally ill people choice in how they die, MSP urges Scottish parliament
13 May 2025 at 4:55pm
Liam McArthur opens debate on assisted dying, saying too many face ?horrendous choices and bad deaths?Scottish politicians have been urged to show terminally ill people compassion and choice in how they die as they began to debate a new law to permit assisted dying.Liam McArthur, a Scottish Liber...

Labour MP says Starmer?s ?island of strangers? warning over immigration mimic...
12 May 2025 at 6:11pm
PM unveils new policies meant to drive down net migration by end of this parliamentQ: If you want to grow the economy, won?t these plans make it harder because it will be more difficult for people to get UK citizenship?Starmer says he does not accept the argument that high immigration is always g...

Labour?s delay on conversion practices ban is ?dangerous?, campaigners say
12 May 2025 at 2:03pm
Exclusive: Failure to act sends message ?our safety is optional?, says coalition of LGBTQ+, faith and mental health organisationsThe Labour government?s continued delay in delivering its promised UK-wide ban on conversion practices is disappointing, dangerous and sends the message that the safety...

UK politics: Tariffs cut on UK cars, steel and aluminium in US trade deal, sa...
8 May 2025 at 6:55pm
Car exports will face 10% tariffs while levies on steel and aluminium are cut to zeroTrump and Starmer confirm ?breakthrough? UK-US trade dealThe Liberal Democrats treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper has reiterated the party?s position that any trade deal with the US should be put to parliament fo...

Tory extinction ?can?t be ruled out?, says Jeremy Hunt ? as it happened
7 May 2025 at 3:46pm
Former chancellor says he does not expect the Conservatives to die out as a party but he says it is a possibilityKeir Starmer starts by saying rising tensions between India and Pakistan will be of serious concern for many across Britain. The government is enouraging de-escalation, he says.He says...

Transgender people?s lives at risk of being made ?unliveable?, says Nicola St...
6 May 2025 at 7:44pm
Former Scottish first minister expresses concern about interim advice from EHRCUK politics live ? latest updatesThe lives of transgender people in the UK are at risk of being made ?unliveable?, Nicola Sturgeon has said in her first public comments about the supreme court ruling on the legal defin...

Swinney says Scotland will be only part of UK to tackle cost of living crisis
6 May 2025 at 5:19pm
Scottish first minister criticises Keir Starmer?s Labour in his programme for government statementUK politics live ? latest updatesJohn Swinney has pledged that Scotland will be the only part of the UK guaranteeing to tackle the cost of living crisis as he heaped pressure on his Labour rivals.The...

Scottish ministers drop plans to outlaw misogyny and conversion practices
2 May 2025 at 3:04pm
Government says measures are too legally complex to deliver before the next Holyrood electionThe Scottish government has dropped plans to outlaw misogyny and conversion practices before the next Holyrood election, arguing they are too legally complex to deliver in time.Ministers had long promised...

Phasing out fossil fuels ?doomed to fail?, says Tony Blair as he calls for re...
29 Apr 2025 at 5:47pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereSeverin Carrell is the Guardian?s Scotland editor.Keir Starmer is not expected to campaign in the Hamilton byelection, a critical contest for Scottish Labour which takes place in early June, Anas Sarwar has confirmed.I wouldn?t expect K...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Starmer?s Enoch Powell moment
14 May 2025 at 7:08pm
The fall out continues over Keir Starmer’s gob-smacking speech on immigration on Monday in which he echoed the language of the notoriously racist “rivers of blood” speech delivered by Enoch Powell in 1968 to a meeting of the Conservative Political Centre in Birmingham. At the time Powell was the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence …

The right wing takeover of the Labour party is now complete
12 May 2025 at 1:47pm
The unpalatable truth for Labour supporters, that is those who adhere to the traditional values and beliefs of the Labour party as they were understood throughout the entire twentieth century, is that the Labour party they believed in is dead. It’s deader than the parrot in the famous Monty Python sketch and it’s every bit …

How polls turn a lead for Yes into a lead for No
8 May 2025 at 4:34pm
You may have seen that a poll on support for Scottish independence was published this week. The headline figures on the poll, carried out by Survation, put No ahead on 44%, with Yes on 43% and undecided on 12%. When the undecideds were stripped out, this gave a result of 50.57% (rounded up to 51%) …

Iain MacWhirter gets it wrong again
5 May 2025 at 9:59pm
Former Herald columnist Iain MacWhirter has completed his journey from semi-detached sympathiser with Scottish independence – although he never fully abandoned his delusional hopes of a federal UK – to fully fledged cheerleader for the British establishment. MacWhirter always used to position himself as one of those “critical friends” that the Scottish independence movement seems …

Starmer is fuelling the rise of the far right
3 May 2025 at 5:53pm
Britain is broken, and sadly things are going to get much worse. Indeed there is currently no clear route to a UK which is more just, more humane, and more equitable. Even the drubbing that the Labour party received at the local elections in England on 1 May do not seem to be forcing Starmer …

The far right is now calling from inside the building
2 May 2025 at 4:09pm
I got my review pack for Adult Disability Payment. It was very quick and easy to fill in. I checked the box confirming no changes to my condition and sent back the form with a copy of a letter written by my occupational therapist when I was discharged which confirms that my needs will be …

Social Security Scotland, first impressions as a service user
30 Apr 2025 at 8:23pm
I had planned to write a blog article on Wednesday despite the fact I am struggling with a bad cold and hayfever simultaneously. It’s a joy. However instead I had to sort out what is going on with my review for Scottish Adult Disability Payment, which was supposed to have started on Friday. It’s now …

The unlamented death of the Tories, and their replacement with something worse
25 Apr 2025 at 8:21pm
Just over one hundred years ago, the two major political parties in the UK were the Tories and the Liberals. Then the Labour party rose on the left – Labour really was a left wing party back then, and in the years following the First World War, Labour entirely displaced the Liberals as the main …

Shining a linguistic light on pronouns
23 Apr 2025 at 8:52pm
In recent years the previously innocuous, even arcane, matter of pronouns has become intensely politicised in the often toxic debate around trans issues. I’ve tended to steer clear of this topic, partly because as a newly disabled person who was coming to terms with the life-altering effects of a massive stroke my over-riding imperative was …

Starmer?s failure is Scotland?s opportunity
22 Apr 2025 at 9:35pm
What exactly is the point of Starmer’s supposedly Labour government? Just a few days after we learned that Starmer and his Chancellor Rachel Reeves are considering tax cuts for billionaire tech oligarchs, we discover that Labour ministers are ruling out the abolition of the two child benefit cap on the grounds of cost, even though …

The Courier

Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

Firefighters watched helplessly as Fife family home burned ? but why did fire...
17 May 2025 at 6:00am
A Fife couple, who stood watching with firefighters as fire destroyed their home, are demanding answers over hydrant maintenance amid fears others could be at risk.

John Swinney told SNP choices causing UHI Perth College cash crisis
15 May 2025 at 4:37pm
First Minister John Swinney was told his government's underfunding of colleges was behind the £2 million deficit.

5 senior figures who left Dundee University during financial crisis
15 May 2025 at 1:05pm
Several university chiefs have moved on since £30m financial black hole emerged.

NHS Fife loses bid to ban livestream from Sandie Peggie trans row tribunal
15 May 2025 at 10:51am
The health board had asked for a restriction on access the online livestream of proceedings of the tribunal when its returns in July.

Margaret Cook: How UHI Perth principal?s tumultuous tenure unravelled
15 May 2025 at 6:02am
The departing UHI Perth chief bowed to pressure after calls to quit over her management of the troubled institution.

Date set for former Dundee University principal?s Holyrood grilling
14 May 2025 at 4:20pm
Iain Gillespie will be quizzed by MSPs in-person but former international vice-principal Wendy Alexander is unable to attend.

Ex-Dundee University chief Iain Gillespie urged to hand back £150,000 pay-out
14 May 2025 at 12:47pm
The former principal was paid for six months following his abrupt exit in December - and one local politician wants to see the cash returned.

UHI Perth principal Margaret Cook quits
14 May 2025 at 10:33am
The under-fire Perth College UHI boss has resigned as the struggling institution tackles a £2 million deficit.

EXCLUSIVE: St Andrews University chief?s lunch invitations to judge who inves...
14 May 2025 at 6:00am
Lady Ross, who headed up the independent probe into rector Stella Maris, told Alastair Merrill it would be 'lovely' to meet for food.

Assisted dying: How Tayside, Fife and Stirling MSPs voted as law passes first...
13 May 2025 at 7:55pm
Here is the full list of how local MSPs voted as plans to legalise assisted dying in Scotland move one step closer.

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland

The unreported English gangs really tearing Scotland apart
16 May 2025 at 3:45pm
Professor John Robertson OBA In the Telegraph today, the above and: A wave of violence The flames have been there for all to see. Over six weeks in March and April, there were more than a dozen arson attacks in the two cities, with cars, homes, garages and businesses set alight. In other incidents, shots have been fired and two people, a pensioner and a 12-year-old boy, seriously assaulted by m...

Facilities fiasco as £3.5bn aircraft crew cannot get a hot shower ? perhaps o...
16 May 2025 at 1:12pm
Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Legerwood for alerting me to this: In the Telegraph today, the above and: With a deck the size of three football pitches, HMS Queen Elizabeth is Britain?s flagship aircraft carrier ? a 65,000-ton floating airport designed to wage war anywhere on the planet. On its maiden world tour in 2021, when it cruised the Middle East and prowled the South China Sea, W...

Why is BBC Scotland not reporting thousands of NHS staff accepting a pay rise...
16 May 2025 at 12:55pm
Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland’s 12 top stories today with no mention of this: I feel sure BBC Scotland’s Health Correspondent, Lisa Summers, gets the Nursing Times so why is this not in the public interest? In April, the offer was reported but only enable this grudging comment: It could also mean Holyrood ministers having to find the extra funding from elsewhere in their budget. htt...

9 months in and UK Labour oversees massive private sector out-sourcing of x-r...
16 May 2025 at 12:52pm
Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today, the above further evidence of UK Labour’s real intentions for the NHS – allow it to fail then sell it off. Meanwhile in Scotland, to zero media coverage: From Public Health Scotland on 24 November 2024, the above graph showing a reducing number waiting for diagnostic tests for the last three quarters, a steady fall since the peak in early 2022...

18 years of protection from fire, flood and now higher energy bills due to po...
16 May 2025 at 10:36am
Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today, the above has no mention of Scotland but it’s clearly just a third reason why Scots should be glad to have avoided Conservative or Labour control for so long. The other two reasons are fire and flood. 2. Flood – click on the heading below for full report

Will Scottish Labour propose similar NHS England cuts to nurse training in Sc...
16 May 2025 at 8:23am
Professor John Robertson OBA From the Royal College of Nursing, yesterday: An ?explosion? in nurse lecturer redundancies and severances shows the higher education financial crisis is spreading through nursing courses in England and posing a risk to domestic workforce plans, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) warns today 15 May. Ahead of the release of a new report into the nurse educator work...

Would Anas Sarwar prefer we gave that £1bn ferry spend to loan companies, for...
15 May 2025 at 6:15pm
Professor John Robertson OBA In Tory Lord Ashcroft’s Holyrood Mag today and being spread over the other media: SNP has presided over ?£1bn ferry fiasco? says Anas Sarwar – The Scottish Labour leader said the SNP ?cannot be trusted with the public’s money? at the weekly FMQs session. But First Minister John Swinney said there were ?stringent controls over government finances?, as he pointed to t...

BBC Wales and Scotland today ? two very different worlds to wake to
15 May 2025 at 9:16am
Professor John Robertson OBA From the BBC Wales and BBC Scotland inserts in BBC Breakfast today, two very different editorial judgements of what folk need to know as they rise to face the new day. In Scotland, they hear of: Three negative reports on public services which can be linked to Scottish Government responsibility, selected by the editor, and of course missing context (see below). In Wa...

NHS England paying out nearly FIVE TIMES as much for medical negligence as NH...
14 May 2025 at 10:36am
Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. In the Guardian today: The NHS?s total liabilities for medical negligence have hit an ?astounding? £58.2bn amid ministers? failure to improve patient safety, an influential group of MPs have warned. The PAC urged ministers to take urgent steps to reduce ?tragic incidences of patient harm? and to also end a situation where la...

?I?d rather be a teacher in Scotland than England? ? research review confirms...
14 May 2025 at 10:08am
?I?d rather be a teacher in Scotland than England? By JB The headline above is from Teachers Education Supplement magazine 2019 in an article about a teacher from England who came to work in Scotland. ?Teachers have a far better time of it north of the border, says this educator who has experienced school life in both countries?  He goes on to say that ?On balance, I think teaching in the Scott...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Zack Polanski: I can see why people want Scottish independence - TheNational....
16 May 2025 at 5:01pm
Zack Polanski: I can see why people want Scottish independence  TheNational.scot

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

Analysis: Swinney prepares SNP for a long long road to independence - The Herald
15 May 2025 at 5:21pm
Analysis: Swinney prepares SNP for a long long road to independence  The Herald

John Swinney: Scottish independence vote left 'positive legacy' - BBC
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
John Swinney: Scottish independence vote left 'positive legacy'  BBC

Scottish independence given new hope as poll shows shocking amount of support...
23 Apr 2025 at 8:00am
Scottish independence given new hope as poll shows shocking amount of support  dailynews.lk

'It's needed now more than ever': Thousands march in support of Scottish inde...
3 May 2025 at 8:00am
'It's needed now more than ever': Thousands march in support of Scottish independence  TheNational.scot

Will Scotland ever become an Independent nation-state? - Forbes
19 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Will Scotland ever become an Independent nation-state?  Forbes

Thoughts On The Route To Independence - Bella Caledonia
3 May 2025 at 8:00am
Thoughts On The Route To Independence  Bella Caledonia

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

Revival in SNP fortunes raises fresh questions about Scottish independence - ...
23 Dec 2024 at 8:00am
Revival in SNP fortunes raises fresh questions about Scottish independence  Financial Times

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Sturgeon hits by-election campaign trail in bid to hold key SNP seat - The He...
17 May 2025 at 12:02am
Sturgeon hits by-election campaign trail in bid to hold key SNP seat  The Herald

18 years of SNP failure - Scottish Conservatives
16 May 2025 at 2:58pm
18 years of SNP failure  Scottish Conservatives

Cutting Clean: How SNP Enabled Lulu Group?s IPO-Ready SAP Carve-Out in Record...
16 May 2025 at 1:47pm
Cutting Clean: How SNP Enabled Lulu Group?s IPO-Ready SAP Carve-Out in Record Time  ERP Today

SNP's Brendan O'Hara on the Gaza genocide and UK's hypocrisy - The New Arab
16 May 2025 at 1:35pm
SNP's Brendan O'Hara on the Gaza genocide and UK's hypocrisy  The New Arab

SNP national council must pass this motion on nuclear weapons. Here's why - T...
17 May 2025 at 5:05am
SNP national council must pass this motion on nuclear weapons. Here's why  TheNational.scot

Nicola Sturgeon to hit campaign trail for SNP ahead of by-election - Yahoo Ne...
17 May 2025 at 5:00am
Nicola Sturgeon to hit campaign trail for SNP ahead of by-election  Yahoo News UK

Why SNP?s U-turn on sex-based hate crimes is dangerous for young women - The ...
17 May 2025 at 6:00am
Why SNP?s U-turn on sex-based hate crimes is dangerous for young women  The Scotsman

Has the SNP delivered on its manifesto promises from 2021? - BBC
5 May 2025 at 8:00am
Has the SNP delivered on its manifesto promises from 2021?  BBC

SNP candidate for Ettrick, Roxburgh, and Berwickshire supports farming - The ...
15 May 2025 at 4:00pm
SNP candidate for Ettrick, Roxburgh, and Berwickshire supports farming  The Scottish Farmer

Nicola Sturgeon 'shamelessly hijacking' SNP by-election campaign to 'talk up ...
17 May 2025 at 12:01am
Nicola Sturgeon 'shamelessly hijacking' SNP by-election campaign to 'talk up her own record'  Scottish Daily Express

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

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

John Swinney: Scottish independence vote left 'positive legacy' - BBC
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
John Swinney: Scottish independence vote left 'positive legacy'  BBC

10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum - Sky News
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum  Sky News

Scotland March 2025 snapshot - YouGov /Research
27 Mar 2025 at 7:00am
Scotland March 2025 snapshot  YouGov /Research

'It's needed now more than ever': Thousands march in support of Scottish inde...
3 May 2025 at 8:00am
'It's needed now more than ever': Thousands march in support of Scottish independence  TheNational.scot

Bavaria Party hopes to ride on Scottish independence vote - Euractiv
15 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Bavaria Party hopes to ride on Scottish independence vote  Euractiv

Ten years on from Scotland?s independence referendum - The Economist
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Ten years on from Scotland?s independence referendum  The Economist

How Brexit has changed Scotland?s constitutional debate - National Centre for...
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
How Brexit has changed Scotland?s constitutional debate  National Centre for Social Research

Thoughts On The Route To Independence - Bella Caledonia
3 May 2025 at 8:00am
Thoughts On The Route To Independence  Bella Caledonia

Alex Salmond, former Scottish first minister who nearly got Scotland's indepe...
12 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond, former Scottish first minister who nearly got Scotland's independence from UK, dies at 69  PBS