The Herald

The Herald | Politics


The King's speech contained a huge bit of news for the North Sea oil industry
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
13 May 2026 at 1:00pm
The UK Government appears to have committed itself to no new oil and gas licences with the publication of the King's speech


SNP to force vote of no confidence in Sir Keir Starmer during King's speech
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
13 May 2026 at 10:25am
The SNP has announced a plan to force a no confidence vote in Keir Starmer during the King's Speech. It follows a wave of ministerial resignations.


Starmer holds talks with Streeting as leadership crisis overshadows King's Sp...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
13 May 2026 at 10:03am
As ministers resign and unions withdraw support, the Prime Minister faces a struggle to stop the leadership crisis engulfing him ahead of a pivotal King?s Speech.


Q Manivannan visa row: Green MSP may not be able to stay in Scotland for full...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
13 May 2026 at 8:22am
A new Green MSP, Q Manivannan, faces an uncertain future at Holyrood as their student visa nears expiry. Experts warn a legislative loophole could theoretically allow the Edinburgh representative to serve constituents from overseas if their residency is denied.


Herald cartoon: Steven Camley on ... Starmer's stability
13 May 2026 at 7:18am
Today's cartoon from Herald cartoonist Steven Camley (Image: NQ)


John Swinney becomes emotional over family, faith and 'landmark' election moment
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
13 May 2026 at 6:30am
John Swinney reflected on his family and his faith in an exclusive, in-depth interview with The Herald's Brian Taylor.


John Swinney says 'people have got to move on' over Sinn Fein
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
13 May 2026 at 5:00am
John Swinney has defended the SNP plans to work with Sinn Fein as he says the world has got to move on from the party's controversies.


John Swinney: 'The SNP was on the brink of collapse. I stepped in and saved it'
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
13 May 2026 at 5:00am
In an exclusive interview with The Herald, John Swinney has said the SNP was on the ?brink of collapse? before he took over as leader two years ago.


WATCH: John Swinney's interview on the SNP's near collapse, Sinn Fein and faith
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
13 May 2026 at 5:00am
John Swinney sits down with The Herald's Brian Taylor in his first in-depth exclusive interview.


John Swinney claims Keir Starmer agreed to independence referendum talks
by Andrew Learmonth and Craig Williams
12 May 2026 at 8:38pm
John Swinney claims Sir Keir Starmer agreed to meet face to face next month to discuss a second independence referendum. However, No 10 has disputed the SNP's interpretation of the conversation, saying its opposition to another independence vote remains "unchanged".


Liam McArthur and Kenny Gibson battle it out for £136k a year Presiding Offic...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
12 May 2026 at 6:07pm
Liberal Democrat Liam McArthur and the SNP?s Kenny Gibson are the contenders for Holyrood?s Presiding Officer role. The £136,112-a-year post requires total impartiality.


Regulator announces probe into Scottish Youth Parliament after ex-chair jailed
by Nick Forbes
12 May 2026 at 5:51pm
Scotland?s charities regulator has launched an inquiry into the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) after its former chair, Jordan Linden, was jailed for sex offences.


'We've been losing members for months': Edinburgh Your Party members quit en-...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
12 May 2026 at 5:47pm
Formerly members of Your Party Edinburgh and Lothians, the group says the Jeremy Corbyn-led outfit is no longer fit for purpose.


Scots Streeting ally calls for Starmer to stand down as he quits as Health Mi...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
12 May 2026 at 5:28pm
The Prime Minister faces a deepening crisis. Four ministers, including Dr Zubir Ahmed and Jess Phillips, have now resigned.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Keir Starmer Latest LIVE: Wes Streeting 'set to quit' as Health Secretary aft...
13 May 2026 at 12:54pm

The Prime Minister continues to face mounting pressure to step aside as the fall out from the election threatens his authority.

There are measures which impact ticket touts, immigration and small businesses in this year?s speech.

The King?s Speech will go ahead on Wednesday, despite the chaos which has gripped the Labour Party and Sir Keir Starmer?s leadership

The meeting was arranged in a phonecall on Tuesday night as the under pressure PM called John Swinney to congratulate him on recent poll success

More than 80 MPs have urged the PM to step down - but 100 others have warned against a leadership contest.

The Prime Minister came out fighting and had the backing of senior figures - but he also faced his first ministerial resignations.

Wings over Scotland

The Hills Of Far Away
12 May 2026 at 10:01am
Anyone seeking to make a compelling argument for the proposition that Scotland’s politicians and lawmakers are simply too farcically incompetent to ever be trusted with running an independent country had a gift-wrapped Godsend delivered to them last week by the idiot student children of Edinburgh. But we can’t really put the blame on the colourfully-haired, …

And Nothing Happened Forever
9 May 2026 at 3:22am
Well, we told you so. We told you in March (and indeed long before then) that the 2026 Holyrood election was a giant waste of time and money that would deliver exactly the same useless Parliament we already had, and so it proved. The SNP ended up giving half-a-dozen seats to the Greens, Labour donated …

Pick Your Poison
7 May 2026 at 12:43am
At the end of last year we noted the unusual and persistent levels of divergence in Scottish political polling. As polls have become much more frequent during the election campaign, nothing about that has changed. The final polls, published yesterday, are so far apart from each other that they tell us basically zip. Analysing this …

The value bet
6 May 2026 at 4:25pm
To pass the time on (praise be to Baby Jeebus) the last day of the Holyrood election campaign, we thought we’d do a catch-up summary of all the seat projections we could find from last month and this month. Here it is. Now, as it happens we think the potential seat ranges are significantly wider. …

Anas Sarwar is a winner
6 May 2026 at 3:14am
Specifically, of the Single Most Toe-Curlingly, Face-Palmingly Cretinous Thing Said In The 2026 Holyrood Election Campaign, And Possibly Any Election Ever, Prize. We mean, wow. We could easily write a 1000-word article purely on the top 10 things that are fatuously, obviously idiotic about those three short sentences, and so could you. So imagine how …

Binfire Of The Vanities
4 May 2026 at 3:52pm
For a nation that prides itself on hating the Tories, this is very odd. And if you don’t see how, let us illustrate. If you simply combined the Tory and Reform votes from the latest poll, the election would be on a knife-edge, with the right-wing alliance just three points behind the SNP on the …

Seven Days Too Long
30 Apr 2026 at 1:57pm
It’s nearly over, readers. Just one more week of this to endure. The most miserable Holyrood election campaign of all time will end next Thursday with an election which will deliver Scotland’s most miserable devolved government of all time. Only the exact form, colour and shape of the misery remains to be determined. So as …

Push The Button
25 Apr 2026 at 12:43pm
We’ve been thinking about this all morning, readers. To the point where we’d vote for any party pledging to implement it at once. It’s the best such moral-dilemma question we’ve ever seen, and the absolute key to the state of humankind as a species. It’s a near-perfect practical illustration of the concept of “suicidal empathy”, …

How To Get Away With Crimes
22 Apr 2026 at 6:03pm
After many years of vindictively, vexatiously and maliciously plaguing innocent people, it seemed in February this year that disgraced and deranged former policeman Lynsay Watson‘s campaign of terror might be finally beginning to draw to a close. ? Attending the Civic Justice Centre in Manchester as part of an ongoing attempt to persecute the feminist …

The Pit Of Vipers
19 Apr 2026 at 2:50pm
It’s hard to know where to start with the Sunday Mail’s lead story today. Especially if one doesn’t want sent to prison. So we hope you’ll forgive us if we’re extra-careful. The article contains things even we’d never read before. The Mail has redacted some of the names, but – well, we’re not going to …

Craig Murray

URGENT FILTON TRIAL UPDATE
13 May 2026 at 6:03am

While the Court of Appeal has now stopped the High Court contempt of court action against Rajiv Menon KC for defending his client, this is purely on procedural grounds. They ruled that Judge Johnson had to go via the Attorney General to the High Court, not direct. It is now referred back to Johnson who …

URGENT FILTON TRIAL UPDATE

Zionism Has Poisoned the UK?s Central Nervous System
11 May 2026 at 7:32pm

Unquestioning Zionism has for decades been the entry ticket to the British political and media Establishment. Anybody who was not a fully certified and compliant zionist would find their career limited – as Jeremy Corbyn, Alan Duncan, Robin Cook and David Mellor all found. Most others, of course, were never allowed to progress that far. …

Zionism Has Poisoned the UK’s Central Nervous System

The 2026 Scottish Elections
6 May 2026 at 5:40pm

We get so trapped inside the logic of the UK’s crazy electoral systems we often do not see what is really happening. Two thirds of active voters, voted against Starmer’s Labour at the last general election. He was always highly unpopular. Just as Starmer’s landslide victory in the 2024 general election was based on only …

The 2026 Scottish Elections

The Morass of Injustice
2 May 2026 at 11:24am

A vast cloying morass of injustice has visibly submerged the British legal systems in anything connected to Palestine. In a quite incredible series of linked and kinked events this week, the senior KC representing one of the Palestine Action activists in the Filton trial was in the Court of Appeal arguing against being found in …

The Morass of Injustice

An Inspiring Story
21 Apr 2026 at 7:54am

In 2018, at the height of the economic crisis in Venezuela through crippling sanctions, Kellogg’s announced the overnight closure of their Maracay factory with hundreds of redundancies – and massive knock-on effects in the local community. The workers refused to accept the closure and, with government assistance, restarted the factory. It is still running eight …

An Inspiring Story

Vote for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland
15 Apr 2026 at 12:48pm

It was not my intention to run for election to the Scottish parliament from a hospital bed in Caracas, but sometimes we have to take what life gives us. I went to a clinic a week ago feeling dizzy and was immediately rushed to hospital. My heart rate was fluttering and below 20 bpm. I …

Vote for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland

BBC Scotland

Starmer agrees to meet Swinney in face-to face meeting
12 May 2026 at 11:30pm
Swinney says the meeting will discuss the constitution but Sir Keir says it is just to talk about "shared issues".

Expert calls for safety review at Scotland's troubled superhospital
13 May 2026 at 6:10am
Andrew Poplett says it is "incredibly difficult" to say whether the hospital is safe or unsafe for all patients.

Why is there a row about an MSP's immigration status?
13 May 2026 at 6:12am
Q Manivannan, originally from India, is on a student visa which is due to expire at the end of the year.

Teachers defend Higher Maths exam as pupils criticise questions
13 May 2026 at 6:11am
Pupils told the BBC that the wording of the questions was confusing so they did not know what was being asked.

Inquiry launched into Scottish Youth Parliament after former chairman jailed
12 May 2026 at 1:13pm
Jordan Linden carried out some of his crimes while he was the parliament's chairman between 2015 and 2016.

SNP elects Dave Doogan as new Westminster leader
12 May 2026 at 10:50am
Doogan will lead the SNP's group of MPs after Stephen Flynn was elected to the Scottish Parliament.

Holyrood leaders 'childish' for excluding Reform, MSP says
11 May 2026 at 4:49pm
Helen McDade, one of Reform's 17 new MSPs, has called for other parties to stop "posturing".

Greens say fringe party cost them Holyrood seat by 'confusing' voters
11 May 2026 at 8:38pm
The party claims that Independent Green Voice tricked voters by using a similar name and logo.

Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken to step down
11 May 2026 at 5:37pm
The leader will formally leave her role in September after Glasgow hosts the Commonwealth Games.

Sarwar says he will 'absolutely' stay on as Labour leader
10 May 2026 at 1:48pm
The Scottish Labour leader defended his party's campaign after a poor result in Thursday's election.

Council faces questions over delays in declaring election results
11 May 2026 at 4:48pm
The final results of the Scottish Parliament election in the Highlands and Islands were announced 16 hours after the start of counting.

Scottish Greens confident that MSP will be able to renew visa
10 May 2026 at 12:11pm
Q Manivannan, who has a student visa, was able to stand for election after changes in eligibility rules.

Scot Goes Pop

If a Section 30 order is refused for the umpteenth time, there must be no fur...
13 May 2026 at 8:16am
I keep wondering what effect the Labour leadership crisis, immensely entertaining though it is, is having on Scottish public opinion.  The general rule of thumb is that the public will not vote for...

The Scot Goes Pop fundraiser: time to aim for a rocket boost
12 May 2026 at 11:14pm
So I just thought I'd put this post up to try to give another little boost to the ongoing Scot Goes Pop fundraiser, and I'll probably keep it pinned second from top on the blog over the coming few ...

Post-election GB-wide poll shows Labour slumping to joint third place with th...
12 May 2026 at 12:30pm
On some measures, Reform UK actually had a poor result last Thursday.  In the English local elections, their showing in the projected national vote share dipped quite sharply from 30% last year to ...

As Keir Starmer nears his exit, who should the independence movement want to ...
11 May 2026 at 11:59pm
*  *  *If you enjoyed Scot Goes Pop's 2026 election coverage so much that you started to feel an inexplicable urge to buy me a hot chocolate or a ham-and-cheese toastie, donations are very welcome....

My theory as to why Labour and the unionist media chose the wrong saviour in ...
11 May 2026 at 2:12pm
As I pointed out after one of Anas Sarwar's catastrophic TV debate performances during the campaign ("HOW DARE YOU JOHN DON'T YOU DARE JOHN THAT MAN WANTS TO DEPORT MY FAMILY JOHN THIS IS A MORAL I...

A crucial arithmetical point: the SNP on their own have more seats than all o...
11 May 2026 at 9:53am
SNP: 58 seatsAll unionist parties: 56 seatsGreens: 15 seatsThis hadn't occurred to me until I saw someone mention it on Twitter this morning, but from a psychological point of view it's absolutely ...

All I needed was the love you gave, all I needed for another day, and all I e...
10 May 2026 at 9:26pm
Tragically, the controversial Somerset-based "Stew" blogger stopped updating his little shrine to me a few months ago, but I no longer need to feel neglected because he's been properly going off on...

The full results of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election: and how the bigges...
9 May 2026 at 12:10pm
For those of you who were asking, here is the final result of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, both in terms of vote shares and seats.Seats:SNP 58Reform UK 17Labour 17Greens 15Conservatives 1...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage faces parliamentary watchdog investigation over...
13 May 2026 at 1:04pm
Farage recieved the undeclared gift from Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne in 2024

SNP seeks to force vote on Keir Starmer?s future
13 May 2026 at 10:57am
New SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan said the 'leadership circus can?t go on any longer'.

Wes Streeting visits Keir Starmer at Number 10 for crunch talks as unions pul...
13 May 2026 at 9:02am
The health secretary visited the Prime Minister for less than 20 minutes on Wednesday morning

Second IndyRef on agenda in upcoming meeting between First and Prime Ministers
13 May 2026 at 6:59am
The meeting was agreed during a phone call on Tuesday evening.

Sir Keir Starmer vows to fight on as Prime Minister, so what happens next?
12 May 2026 at 2:07pm
At least 81 out of Labour?s 403 MPs have now demanded Starmer's departure after the party?s electoral mauling last week.

SNP announces Dave Doogan as new Westminster leader as Stephen Flynn elected ...
12 May 2026 at 11:46am
Dave Doogan was unanimously elected by MPs to lead the group in London

Cabinet ministers back Keir Starmer after he vows to fight on
12 May 2026 at 9:29am
Some 72 of Labour?s 403 MPs have so far called for the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for his resignation.

Three more Scottish Labour MPs join calls for Starmer to quit
12 May 2026 at 7:01am
The MPs each pointed to last week?s election results as they called for a change in leadership.

Government aides quit as scores of Labour MPs call for Starmer to resign
11 May 2026 at 7:35pm
The Prime Minister sought to face down critics on Monday with a promise to prove his doubters wrong

Scottish Greens transgender MSP ?in process? of securing new visa
11 May 2026 at 7:07pm
Dr Manivannan was one of 15 Greens MSPs elected in what was the party?s best-ever election result.

What happens next after the Scottish Election?
11 May 2026 at 4:36pm
The newly elected MSPs began arriving at the Scottish Parliament to begin their new jobs on Monday

Starmer to promise ?strength through fairness? as he battles to stay in No 10
11 May 2026 at 9:55am
It comes after Labour?s disastrous election results in England, Scotland and Wales

Anas Sarwar says ?national wave? against Labour responsible for Holyrood result
10 May 2026 at 12:35pm
Labour is now tied with Reform UK for second place in the Edinburgh Parliament

Parties accused of ?political posturing? by refusing to engage with Reform
10 May 2026 at 12:23pm
Reform UK won their first seats in the Scottish Parliament, coming in joint second place with Labour

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Wes Streeting set to challenge Keir Starmer as he prepares to topple the Prim...
13 May 2026 at 11:44am
The Health Secretary will try to force a leadership contest due to growing anger with the Prime Minister.

Downing Street slaps down SNP claims over independence talks and insists 'pos...
13 May 2026 at 10:29am
Keir Starmer agreed to meet John Swinney for courtesy talks to discuss "shared issues" next month - an invitation quickly spun by the SNP as proof an IndyRef2 is on the agenda.

Tory MSP trying to quit Holyrood for Westminster days after his re-election
13 May 2026 at 10:08am
Douglas Lumsden is putting his name forward for a looming by-election in Aberdeen South.

Keir Starmer is a lame duck Prime Minister whose departure is inevitable
12 May 2026 at 5:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor says Keir Starmer does not have much time left in Downing Street.

Scottish Labour MP quits Government and calls for Keir Starmer to resign
12 May 2026 at 4:23pm
Zubir Ahmed, who is an ally of Health Secretary Wes Streeting, accused Starmer of being the "midwife" of the SNP's win last week.

"You're putting greedy landlords before lives" Fury over plans to water down ...
12 May 2026 at 3:26pm
The Scottish Government is planning an 'Awaab?s Law' north of the border, named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died in Rochdale in 2020.

Jordan Linden conviction sparks inquiry into Scottish Youth Parliament
12 May 2026 at 2:02pm
The former SNP rising star was jailed for sexual offences against young men and boys.

SNP has 'no right' to demand independence referendum after failing to win a m...
12 May 2026 at 11:20am
Alex Cole-Hamilton said the SNP had gone "backwards" at last week's election after losing seats and vote share.

Keir Starmer: 5 scandals that floored the Prime Minister
12 May 2026 at 10:22am
The Prime Minister is facing mounting pressure to resign, despite winning a landslide general election victory less than two years ago. How did his authority fade so quickly?

Scottish Labour MP says Anas Sarwar must 'reflect' on 'absolutely terrible' e...
12 May 2026 at 9:58am
Chris Murray said the campaign did not set out a vision of positive change.

The National

The National | Politics

'Underwhelming' King's Speech won't save Keir Starmer's skin, blast SNP
13 May 2026 at 1:20pm

THE King?s Speech was ?massively underwhelming? and won?t save Keir Starmer?s skin, the SNP have said.

Huge protest planned as Reform UK MSPs sworn into Holyrood
13 May 2026 at 12:50pm

A huge protest has been planned as the newly-elected Reform UK MSPs are sworn into Holyrood ...

Nigel Farage to be investigated by parliamentary watchdog over £5m gift
13 May 2026 at 12:41pm

NIGEL Farage will face an investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over a £5 million gift from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.

5 key things to know from the King's Speech as Keir Starmer bids to save prem...
13 May 2026 at 12:35pm

KING Charles has outlined Keir Starmer?s legislative plans for the months ahead as the Prime Minister fights for his political life with calls for his departure gathering momentum.

The United Kingdom is a failed state that is only going to get worse
13 May 2026 at 12:00pm

THE word of the year has to be ?change?. It was, and still is, on every politician?s lips, and is absolutely meaningless, and when uttered by British politicians of all parties ? including, unfortunately, the SNP ? is pure and utter drivel.

Seven ridiculous things that happened during the State Opening of Parliament
13 May 2026 at 11:53am

WEDNESDAY May 13 marked the ceremonial opening of the UK Parliament where King Charles delivered the second King's Speech of the Labour Government (which is, as ever, written by the Prime Minister) ...

The full transcript of King Charles's speech in Parliament
13 May 2026 at 11:27am

Here is the King Charles?s speech in full, with the complete transcript setting out the UK government?s priorities, planned laws and new parliamentary agenda

'Stop the genocide' chants edited out during Israel's Eurovision performance
13 May 2026 at 10:04am

Chants of 'stop the genocide' were edited out of Israel's performance at the Eurovision semi-final ? as several people were removed by security for staging pro-Palestine protests ...

Waspi women to launch fresh legal challenge against UK Government
13 May 2026 at 9:48am

WASPI campaigners have confirmed they are proceeding with fresh legal action against the UK Government ...

I rescued SNP from brink of collapse, says John Swinney
13 May 2026 at 9:30am

JOHN Swinney has said he rescued the SNP from a ?position of enormous peril?, adding the party was on the brink of collapse before he took over as leader ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Online suicide forum provider fined ?950,000 for illegal content
13 May 2026 at 12:55pm
Firm failed to protect UK residents from harmful content, Ofcom says

SNP to bring no confidence motion in Keir Starmer at Westminster
13 May 2026 at 11:47am
Dave Doogan said his party would bring forward the motion as an amendment to the King?s Speech

SNP MSP Stuart McMillan joins presiding officer race
13 May 2026 at 10:31am
Three contenders confirmed

Scottish Labour MP quits as health minister and calls for Starmer to resign
12 May 2026 at 6:10pm
Zubir Ahmed is the fourth minister to go

Jess Phillips slams government ?inaction? on online safety in resignation letter
12 May 2026 at 5:17pm

Dave Doogan named leader of the SNP Westminster group
12 May 2026 at 11:21am
The MP for Angus and Perthshire Glens has taken over from Stephen Flynn, after he was elected to the Scottish Parliament last week

Senior Scottish Labour MP calls for prime minister to resign
12 May 2026 at 1:03am
Melaine Ward is the fourth government aide to step down after more than 70 Labour MPs called on the prime minister to resign since Monday

Scottish Greens MSP Q Manivannan defends election amidst visa row
11 May 2026 at 6:28pm
Questions over ability to fulfill term

Scottish charities share digital skills funding
11 May 2026 at 4:39pm
'Vital work' supported in bid to open up opportunity

Reform MSP accuses opponents of ?spitting the dummy? over refusal to work wit...
11 May 2026 at 3:41pm
SNP leader John Swinney has written to all of Holyrood?s opposition parties ? except Reform ? calling on them to 'put difference aside' in the interests of Scotland.

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Streeting to meet Starmer on Wednesday as the prime minister defies calls to ...
12 May 2026 at 9:22pm
A number of Streeting?s allies resigned from their ministerial posts on Tuesday and called for Keir Starmer to quitStarmer tells cabinet he will not quit without leadership challengeHere are some pictures from No 10 this morning.Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the PM, is now being interviewe...

2026 UK elections: full results from local, Scottish and Welsh votes
12 May 2026 at 8:35am
From devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales to councils and mayoralties in England, find out what happened in your areaElections mapped: how Labour lost ground in different directions Continue reading...

2026 elections mapped: how Labour lost ground in different directions
11 May 2026 at 7:43am
Keir Starmer?s party lost out to Reform and the Greens, with no respite in Scotland, Wales or England. These maps show the scale of the historic resultsFull results from England, Scotland and WalesLabour has suffered heavy losses across England, Scotland and Wales, losing ground to opponents on t...

Minority groups brace for surge in racism after Reform UK election gains
11 May 2026 at 6:00am
Members of minority communities in Birmingham and elsewhere fear results could lead to rise in hostile rhetoricConceding defeat at the election count at Birmingham?s Utilita Arena on Friday, the outgoing Labour leader of the city council, John Cotton, made a plea. ?What I would encourage the next...

Angela Rayner calls blocking Andy Burnham?s return to parliament a mistake as...
10 May 2026 at 6:09pm
Catherine West issues ultimatum for PM as ex-minister Josh Simons joins calls for prime minister to quitAt the start of her programme Laura Kuenssberg addressed Catherine West and Bridget Phillipson who were sitting waiting for the main interviews.Kuenssberg told West she wanted a cabinet ministe...

Don?t let Farage and Reform divide us, Labour?s Sarwar urges Holyrood leaders
10 May 2026 at 1:30pm
Scottish Labour leader says he aims to hold SNP to account after his party tied for second with Reform in electionsThe Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, has warned other Scottish political leaders not to spend the next Holyrood parliament ?shouting about Nigel Farage?, saying his job is to ens...

Swinney keen to work with fellow nationalist devolved leaders in UK
9 May 2026 at 5:24pm
SNP leader wants to ensure voices of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ?are heard loud and clear?John Swinney has said he plans to work with the nationalist first ministers in Wales and Northern Ireland in a coordinated opposition to Labour?s policies on the cost of living and UK government sp...

The SNP may have won again but Scottish politics has been upended
9 May 2026 at 7:50am
Public frustration gave the SNP a muted victory, while Labour tied with Reform for second and the Greens claimed a ?seismic? resultLong before the final votes were counted in Scotland, veteran Labour politicians said it was a defeat made in Downing Street.When the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sar...

John Swinney urges Starmer to show Scotland ?greater respect? after SNP victory
9 May 2026 at 1:36am
Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, concedes his party was comprehensively beaten in election as count puts his party on 17 seats, a tie with ReformElection 2026 live: latest news updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesJohn Swinney, the Scottish National party leader, has challenged...

Labour suffers historic defeat in Wales as Reform surges in English council e...
9 May 2026 at 12:07am
Welsh Labour leader and first minister Eluned Morgan loses seat with party pushed into third place behind Plaid Cymru and ReformThis liveblog is now closed. Read the Guardian?s report on the elections here and find all our election coverage here.2026 election results: latest from local, Scottish ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

John Swinney is right to lock out Reform
12 May 2026 at 3:02pm
It hasn’t even been a week since the Holyrood election which took the SNP to its record fifth election win in a row, securing more MSPs than all the anti-independence parties combined, and winning more seats than Labour ever has. The British parties and their friends in the press are getting their hysteria and outrage …

Labour and the British media, stuck in the first stages of grief
10 May 2026 at 7:37pm
They’re not taking it at all well are they. Ever since the SNP handsomely won the Holyrood election, for the fifth time in a row, winning more seats than all the branch office parties combined, and together with a record performance from the Scottish Greens, the two pro-independence secured the largest ever independence majority in …

Mission (almost) accomplished
9 May 2026 at 2:40pm
Originally I had intended to blog yesterday as the results came in, but they arrived later than I had expected and we did not have the certainty that the new Scottish Parliament would have a pro-independence majority until well into the evening. The final set of results, the allocation of list seats for the Highlands …

The British media is getting its excuses in early
6 May 2026 at 1:58pm
The British media in Scotland is getting its excuses in early. Gina Davidson, the Scotland political editor of LBC, wrote on social media that the SNP falling a couple of seats short of an absolute majority – based on the YouGov poll published the day before the election – would be a “poor result for …

Thomas Kerr, the Dumb Corleone of Scottish politics
5 May 2026 at 4:22pm
Reform’s opportunistic Thomas Kerr has completed his transformation from one nation liberal Tory to complete heid banging fascist. On Tuesday, Shettleston’s Dumb Corleone doubled down on his party’s exciting new election tactic of threatening the voters, proving that Reform UK struggles to grasp the difference between a democratic election and a protection racket. Kerr released …

Reform UK, the bastard offspring of Oswald Mosley and Coco the Clown
4 May 2026 at 5:17pm
  Reform has introduced a novel new campaigning tactic in the days leading up to the Holyrood election. Vote for us or we’ll put a concentration camp in your neighbourhood. It’s certainly a ‘bold’ move, but only if you define bold as utterly insane and disgustingly vile. On Monday Reform’s chairman Zia Yusuf, who is …

Shooting for the Moon on Thursday
3 May 2026 at 3:41pm
Shoot for the moon, as the saying goes, even if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars. With that in mind that’s what independence supporters need to do on Thursday. An opinion poll by the traditionally No-friendly Norstat for the Sunday Times records a whopping 55% Yes response. The media in Scotland have been very …

Whisky, Labour?s leadership, and polling, fingers crossed for a record pro-in...
2 May 2026 at 4:09pm
We’re on the home straight now for the Scottish election on Thursday, and we are well into that nail biting phase when things seem to be going well but we are always aware of the uncanny ability of Scots to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The overwhelmingly anti-independence British media in Scotland is …

George Monbiot is right, the Union has nothing good for Scotland
1 May 2026 at 3:03pm
In an interview with The National, environmental campaigner George Monbiot, perhaps the highest profile person on the English left to have come out in favour of Scottish independence during the 2014 independence referendum campaign, has said that there is “nothing in the Union” for Scotland. In 2014 independence campaigners constantly asked Better Together supporters for …

Six houses, five cars, six yachts and zero self-awareness
29 Apr 2026 at 8:39pm
I didn’t watch the STV leaders’ debate as we had visitors, which meant I missed the moment that Malcolm Offord torpedoed Reform UK’s “We’re the party which is opposed to the elite” schtick. It was always bollocks, but on Tuesday night Offord slipped up. When you are cos-playing as the party which is on the …

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

Glasgow?s ?Super-hospital? is safer than the average in Scotland much safer t...
13 May 2026 at 9:15am
the entire Queen Elisabeth University Hospital campus in Glasgow should be risk assessed. Who is this safety expert? for the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry and says it’s incredibly difficult to say whther the hospital is safe or unsafe for all patients. Only yesterday, we had confirmation in the form of official mortality statistics that the QEUH is safer than average in Scotland and far safer than...

All CalMac routes in full service by Friday but will that be reported?
12 May 2026 at 10:56pm
From STV today, the above and: CalMac has revealed a timeline for all major vessel routes to return to service after a number of ferries required repairs. MV Hebrides is due to return to service on the Little Minch on Wednesday afternoon following work to address a leak on her bow visor seal, which came at the end of her planned annual overhaul. By the end of this week, CalMac expects all major...

Canadian state with twice Scotland?s GDP builds fewer than half the number of...
12 May 2026 at 10:55pm
From CBC News yesterday, the above graphic and ‘Highway on the Sea’: How decisions made about B.C. Ferries decades ago led to problems today – After building 12 major vessels in its first 21 years of operation, B.C. Ferries has only managed to build five major vessels that managed to consistently work in the 45 years since ? resulting in stagnating capacity as older ships have retired. https://...

?Botched Bass Strait [Tasmania] ferries? overspend budget is greater than for...
12 May 2026 at 10:54pm
Above, the sharply contrasting MSM media coverage of two very similar ferry projects. From The Advocate, yesterday: A bungled delivery of two Bass Strait ferries, in which the vessels were finished before a berth was ready, has cost $717 £360m million more than an original business case. And the overall cost to taxpayers will be even higher, with bailout money and the price tag for ongoing te...

Glasgow professor and poet watches BBC Scotland News ?to see how the enemy is...
12 May 2026 at 10:52pm
From a BBC Scotland interview with Prof Alan Riach (above) on the 10th November 2025, the text: Listen at: Alan Riach (b.1957) Poet and Professor of Scottish Literature, Glasgow University. BornAirdrie, Lanarkshire, studied at the Universities of Cambridge and Glasgow, worked at theUniversity of Waikato, New Zealand, 1986-2000, returned to Scotland 2001. Books includepoetry: The Winter Book (20...

No hospital postcode lottery in Scotland as Glasgow?s giant is revealed as on...
12 May 2026 at 3:20pm
From Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios January 2025 to December 2025 published today, the above chart and: No hospitals had a significantly higher standardised mortality ratio than the national average. HSMR acts as a signal, highlighting hospitals where mortality is higher or lower than predicted. This prompts hospitals to review their care processes, check for possible issues and identif...

Frigate fiasco as Royal Navy has only five (33%) functioning frigates
12 May 2026 at 3:19pm
Thanks to Legerwood for alerting me to this. In the Telegraph yesterday: In 35 years at sea, HMS Iron Duke only ever fired her guns in anger a handful of times. She did so to hit a gun battery during the war against Colonel Gaddafi in Libya in 2011, and before that while seizing drugs in the Caribbean in 2009. For a Type 23 frigate, designed in the 1980s to take on the might of the Soviet navy,...

Ad Hominem Attacks
12 May 2026 at 3:17pm
By TuS friend and helper, Frances McKie, from a letter to the Times she does not expect to see published: From football to politics, most of us eventually learn that targeting  the opponent- instead of the goal- is foul play. It is also the mark of fear, desperation and- most importantly- losers.  Scotland has been witnessing such behaviour since September 19th 2014  when, apparently, according...

Former Labour MP who allegedly threatened to give a woman ?a doing? to advise...
12 May 2026 at 11:14am
By Liz S I read this yesterday. The former Labour MP, Ian Davidson, who lost his seat in 2015 to the SNP, has now taken up a role as adviser to Malcolm Offord following the Scottish elections. Davidson was selected in 2017 and also in 2019 to be the Labour candidate but failed to win yet again. So what possible political advice could Davidson provide to Offord ? Well in October 2011 the BBC rep...

Reposted as Guardian today predicts drought in Scotland:
12 May 2026 at 10:22am

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Starmer agrees to meet Swinney in face-to-face meeting - BBC
12 May 2026 at 11:30pm
Starmer agrees to meet Swinney in face-to-face meeting  BBC

Keir Starmer rolls back on independence referendum talks with John Swinney - ...
13 May 2026 at 8:04am
Keir Starmer rolls back on independence referendum talks with John Swinney  The National Scot

Scottish independence calls grow after Labour losses shake Starmer?s leadersh...
10 May 2026 at 1:43pm
Scottish independence calls grow after Labour losses shake Starmer?s leadership  France 24

Swinney: election result shows 'urgent' need for Scottish independence - Sky ...
9 May 2026 at 3:43pm
Swinney: election result shows 'urgent' need for Scottish independence  Sky News

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

John Swinney claims Keir Starmer agreed to independence referendum talks - Th...
12 May 2026 at 10:37pm
John Swinney claims Keir Starmer agreed to independence referendum talks  The Herald

Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum - ...
12 May 2026 at 1:00am
Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Forward Independence? Three Anti-Union First Ministers Elected in Scotland, W...
13 May 2026 at 7:00am
Forward Independence? Three Anti-Union First Ministers Elected in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?  Slugger O'Toole

Alex Kane: Sorry, but there isn?t going to be a border poll or independence r...
13 May 2026 at 6:00am
Alex Kane: Sorry, but there isn?t going to be a border poll or independence referendum in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland  The Irish News

The question of Scottish independence is alive but not kicking - The Economist
30 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
The question of Scottish independence is alive but not kicking  The Economist

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Starmer agrees to meet Swinney in face-to-face meeting - BBC
12 May 2026 at 11:30pm
Starmer agrees to meet Swinney in face-to-face meeting  BBC

Swinney says he rescued SNP from ?enormous peril? after 2024 election result ...
13 May 2026 at 9:21am
Swinney says he rescued SNP from ?enormous peril? after 2024 election result  The Herald

The SNP may have won again but Scottish politics has been upended | Scottish ...
9 May 2026 at 9:44am
The SNP may have won again but Scottish politics has been upended | Scottish elections 2026  The Guardian

Final YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election shows the SNP falling short of...
6 May 2026 at 11:07am
Final YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election shows the SNP falling short of a majority  YouGov

The results are in ? general election 2026 - SPICe Spotlight
9 May 2026 at 9:36am
The results are in ? general election 2026  SPICe Spotlight

SNP is Scotland's biggest winner with pressure for independence vote likely t...
9 May 2026 at 11:18am
SNP is Scotland's biggest winner with pressure for independence vote likely to follow  Sky News

More in Common Final Holyrood MRP - More in Common UK
4 May 2026 at 8:00am
More in Common Final Holyrood MRP  More in Common UK

SNP on track for majority ? and fresh referendum on breaking up the UK - The ...
15 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
SNP on track for majority ? and fresh referendum on breaking up the UK  The Telegraph

John Swinney urges Starmer to show Scotland ?greater respect? after SNP victo...
8 May 2026 at 3:15pm
John Swinney urges Starmer to show Scotland ?greater respect? after SNP victory | Scottish politics  The Guardian

SNP wins Scottish election as Reform and Labour tie for second - BBC
9 May 2026 at 1:55am
SNP wins Scottish election as Reform and Labour tie for second  BBC

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Starmer agrees to meet Swinney in face-to-face meeting - BBC
12 May 2026 at 11:30pm
Starmer agrees to meet Swinney in face-to-face meeting  BBC

Keir Starmer rolls back on independence referendum talks with John Swinney - ...
13 May 2026 at 8:04am
Keir Starmer rolls back on independence referendum talks with John Swinney  The National Scot

Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum - ...
12 May 2026 at 1:00am
Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

John Swinney claims Keir Starmer agreed to independence referendum talks - Th...
12 May 2026 at 10:37pm
John Swinney claims Keir Starmer agreed to independence referendum talks  The Herald

Alex Kane: Sorry, but there isn?t going to be a border poll or independence r...
13 May 2026 at 6:00am
Alex Kane: Sorry, but there isn?t going to be a border poll or independence referendum in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland  The Irish News

Wales and Scotland turn to independence parties - Financial Times
9 May 2026 at 4:05pm
Wales and Scotland turn to independence parties  Financial Times

SNP is Scotland's biggest winner with pressure for independence vote likely t...
9 May 2026 at 11:18am
SNP is Scotland's biggest winner with pressure for independence vote likely to follow  Sky News

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

Scottish independence calls grow after Labour losses shake Starmer?s leadersh...
10 May 2026 at 1:43pm
Scottish independence calls grow after Labour losses shake Starmer?s leadership  France 24

A divided kingdom: pro-independence parties surge across Britain - Reuters
8 May 2026 at 5:57pm
A divided kingdom: pro-independence parties surge across Britain  Reuters