The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Shelter Scotland warns housing ?downgraded? as Swinney merges cabinet briefs
by Rachel Keenan
20 May 2026 at 9:15pm
The merging of the social justice and housing briefs in the Scottish Cabinet is ?deflating?, the director of Shelter has said.


Meet John Swinney's new cabinet: the ministers shaping Scotland's next five y...
20 May 2026 at 5:00pm
From Jenny Gilruth as Deputy First Minister to Angela Constance taking on health, here is a guide to every minister in John Swinney's new cabinet.


John Swinney unveils his new Cabinet with some surprises - and maybe a snub
20 May 2026 at 3:39pm
So John Swinney has unveiled his new slimmed down Cabinet with some surprises, and maybe even a bit of a snub over who did not become Deputy First Minister.


Swinney insists new cabinet is about reform, not cuts, as SNP slims top team ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
20 May 2026 at 3:34pm
Jenny Gilruth has been named Deputy First Minister and Finance Secretary in John Swinney's new 'focused and streamlined' Cabinet.


Keir Starmer denies backsliding on Ukraine after phasing in Russian oil bans
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
20 May 2026 at 3:02pm
The UK government has faced intense political backlash after quietly introducing temporary trade licences to phase in a ban on Russian oil refined in third countries, sparking accusations from the opposition that ministers are watering down commitments to Ukraine.


Husband of Labour MP Joani Reid has bail extended amid China spy probe
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
20 May 2026 at 1:26pm
Three people arrested on suspicion of spying for China have had their police bail extended until August.


Jewish academics call for release of St Andrews staff member detained on way ...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
20 May 2026 at 12:43pm
A group of Jewish academics have called for the UK and Scottish Governments to intervene for the release of a University of St Andrew's staff member who was intercepted trying to reach Gaza


Starmer intervenes in row over SNP and Green army freedom of Glasgow snub
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
20 May 2026 at 12:30pm
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has strongly condemned a "shameful" decision by Glasgow SNP and Green councillors to block a motion granting the freedom of the city to the Royal Regiment of Scotland during its 20th anniversary year.


'We are a city of migrants': Council leader hits out at 'racist language'
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
20 May 2026 at 12:18pm
Writing in the immediate aftermath of the Holyrood election, Ms Meagher said she was ?encouraged? by the diversity of the city?s 13 new MSPs.


Warning signs of horrific child abuse at Beastie House were repeatedly missed
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
20 May 2026 at 12:01pm
Four children were subjected to years of rape, assault and drug-fuelled abuse in Glasgow while multiple agencies debated, delayed and repeatedly convinced themselves their parents were "doing their best".


Stark warning over prison numbers as union highlights 'breaking point'
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
20 May 2026 at 12:00pm
More prison officers are urgently needed in Scotland, the profession's trade union has warned, as numbers of inmates reach a record high


Arms summit attended by Scottish Enterprise stormed by Palestine Protest
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
20 May 2026 at 11:30am
An arms summit controversially attended by members of Scottish Enterprise has been disrupted by protestors


Veteran councillor elected SNP group leader at second time of asking
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
20 May 2026 at 10:02am
Liberton/Gilmerton councillor Lesley Macinnes was appointed to the role following a vote of councilors on Tuesday evening.


Greens candidate claims she was told to withdraw over student visa
20 May 2026 at 8:38am
A Scottish Green Party member says she was asked to stand down as a candidate because of her student visa status, despite another candidate in the same situation being allowed to run, it is being reported.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


RECAP: John Swinney unveils new Cabinet as Jenny Gilruth appointed Deputy Fir...
20 May 2026 at 8:08pm

Appointments are expected to be made starting in the early afternoon

The Prime Minister has denied that he is lifting sanctions ?in any way whatsoever? and said that the ?strong new package? announced on Tuesday go ?well beyond? existing measures.

The First Minister unveiled his new Cabinet on Wednesday

?It's a Christian organisation and there's no way that they should treat people the way they have? - former employee

Sir Keir is often the most awkward man in the chamber, but he was full of patter this week

Since the US-Israel war in Iran began, jet fuel and petrol prices have steadily increased.

The would-be candidate says she was told to withdraw from the election, despite another candidate on a student visa being allowed to stand and ultimately be elected.

The Conservatives had forced a vote on whether the Commons should signal its support for drilling in the two sites off the Scottish coast.

John Swinney has a busy inbox after being elected first minister by MSPs.

The charity regulator has launched a probe into Scottish party leader?s Edinburgh-based charity

Melanie Ward and Gordon McKee have said they will be in Makerfield to support the Greater Manchester Mayor?s bid to return to the Commons

John Swinney will appoint a new finance secretary soon - but whoever gets the job as the unenviable task of grappling with a looming £5 billion black hole in the public finances

Wings over Scotland

The Queer Parliament
20 May 2026 at 1:36pm
We were excited to discover this old footage of a very young John Swinney. ? How thrilled he must be that he’s managed to make his dream come true. Because in the Scottish Parliament at least, there are now no men and no women, and indeed pretty much only wankers. Just days into its five-year …

The Land Of No Laws
17 May 2026 at 2:20am
This game of football is not over. Except for viewers in Scotland, where no laws apply. Don’t get us wrong, readers. In the (minimum of) 32 seconds that were left to play, it was highly unlikely that Hearts were going to score the two goals they needed to win the league. It is improbable that …

Steadying The Ship
15 May 2026 at 3:20pm
Looks like this, apparently.

The Broken Rainbow
13 May 2026 at 2:04pm
The image below is a graph illustrating how many seats each party won in last week’s supposedly “proportional” Scottish Parliament election, compared to how many they would have won if the electoral system had been actually proportional. The SNP and Greens are now over-represented by 37% and 50% respectively, while the Unionist parties are all …

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 …

Craig Murray

Dr Manivannan
14 May 2026 at 6:00pm

The furore around the election of Dr Manivannan to the Scottish Parliament is deeply troubling. There is no argument whatsoever that they were eligible to stand for election. The law was changed specifically in order for those on temporary visas to be able to stand in Scottish parliamentary elections. I confess I am not sure …

Dr Manivannan

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

BBC Scotland

John Swinney announces new Scottish cabinet
20 May 2026 at 9:00pm
Stephen Flynn has joined the senior ministerial team, while Jenny Gilruth has been appointed deputy FM.

Not a continuity cabinet: Swinney signals change with familiar faces
20 May 2026 at 9:19pm
Seven of its nine members were already there but everyone except the first minister has a new job.

Greens candidate claims she was told to withdraw over student visa
20 May 2026 at 6:09am
Another candidate, Q Manivannan, did run despite also being in the UK on a student visa and they were elected as an MSP.

Scottish Parliament removes gender search function for MSPs
20 May 2026 at 9:42am
It follows the election of Holyrood's first two trans MSPs - Greens Iris Duane and Q Manivannan - earlier this month.

Prisoner numbers at record high despite 600 releases in six months
20 May 2026 at 11:40am
Numerous attempts to address overcrowding have failed to make a long-term impact and the population has reached critical levels.

John Swinney wins vote to be re-appointed first minister
19 May 2026 at 5:01pm
The SNP leader is to be formally sworn in on Wednesday before he chooses a new cabinet.

By-elections to replace former MPs set for next month
19 May 2026 at 4:18pm
Stephen Flynn and Stephen Gethins stood down as MPs after being elected to Holyrood earlier this month

Swinney defends food prices policy ahead of first minister vote
19 May 2026 at 10:06am
The SNP leader says the proposed price cap on basic foodstuffs is not intended to force a fight with the UK government.

'I've had my nose broken twice' - assaults in schools 'becoming the norm'
18 May 2026 at 6:03am
The incident is one of thousands of attacks on teaching staff each year and many now say violence in the classroom is out of control

Scotland's top law officer Dorothy Bain to step down
15 May 2026 at 9:46am
The lord advocate leads the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and also acts as chief legal adviser to the Scottish government.

How holding the UK together became part of Labour's power struggle
15 May 2026 at 11:55am
The leadership drama at Westminster has implications that reach into the UK's home nations.

Potholes compensation: How much is your council paying out?
15 May 2026 at 6:44am
Scottish councils paid out more than £2m to drivers for pothole-inflicted vehicle damage over the past five years, a BBC investigation has found.

Scot Goes Pop

Optimism grows that John Swinney will keep his promise to give the people of ...
20 May 2026 at 1:27pm
*  *  *Catch up with last Wednesday's critically-acclaimed blogpost: "S*** just got real, lads. The famously always wrong blogger "Stew", who said there was "zero chance, barring nuclear war or an ...

The Welsh language double-edged sword for the new Plaid Cymru government
19 May 2026 at 11:11am
There's been some social media chatter in recent days suggesting that the new Cabinet of the Plaid Cymru government in Wales is composed exclusively of fluent Welsh speakers and will be conducting ...

Israel's need to artwash the genocide continues to bring Eurovision to its kn...
17 May 2026 at 2:32am
At this time last year, someone left a comment on this blog to say that they'd actually been hoping for an Israeli win, because the prospect of a contest in Tel Aviv would have caused the whole hou...

How rigged will Eurovision be in favour of Israel this time?
16 May 2026 at 6:33pm
That, I'm afraid, is the correct way of posing the question, because there is no doubt that the voting system remains wide open to abuse by Israel's supporters across Europe, who will not only cast...

It's all or nothing for Andy Burnham - the by-election of the century will ta...
15 May 2026 at 1:32pm
Catch up with Wednesday night's blogpost: "S*** just got real, lads. The famously always wrong blogger "Stew", who said there was "zero chance, barring nuclear war or an alien invasion" of the Holy...

Two crucial Scottish parliamentary by-elections have been triggered - one sho...
14 May 2026 at 4:22pm
So the moment that couldn't be avoided has now arrived: Reform UK have, at least for the time being, overtaken the SNP as the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons due to Stephen Flynn and S...

The BBC's sly defence of Israel's Eurovision participation is profoundly cyni...
14 May 2026 at 12:22pm
*  *  *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....

The Scot Goes Pop fundraiser: time to aim for a rocket boost
14 May 2026 at 10:23am
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 ...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

John Swinney unveils slimmed-down Scottish Government Cabinet
20 May 2026 at 3:34pm
The new Cabinet of nine, including the First Minister, is down from twelve before the election.

Scottish Parliament removes gender search function for MSPs
20 May 2026 at 2:07pm
It comes after two transgender MSPs, Iris Duane and Q Manivannan from the Scottish Greens, were elected

Jenny Gilruth appointed Deputy First Minister by John Swinney
20 May 2026 at 12:51pm
The former education secretary was the first to arrive at Bute House on Wednesday

Starmer to face Commons grilling as Streeting plans resignation speech
20 May 2026 at 12:00pm
The Prime Minister has faced calls to resign from dozens of Labour MPs

Swinney sworn in as First Minister ahead of appointing Cabinet
20 May 2026 at 7:01am
John Swinney was sworn in at the Court of Session on Wednesday

Nothing off the table in responding to Celtic disorder, says justice secretar...
19 May 2026 at 6:25pm
Some 900 police officers responded to the unrest, Angela Constance told MSPs.

John Swinney ready to ?get on with the job? as he is re-elected First Minister
19 May 2026 at 4:17pm
The SNP leader, whose party is the biggest in the Scottish Parliament, was voted back into the role in Holyrood on Tuesday

MSPs to elect new First Minister after Scottish elections
19 May 2026 at 6:57am
John Swinney says he is confident of winning the vote at Holyrood on Tuesday.

First Minister John Swinney to look at football banning orders and pitch inva...
18 May 2026 at 1:08pm
John Swinney said the scenes that unfolded at Celtic Park on Saturday were 'completely and utterly unacceptable'

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain tells First Minister John Swinney she intends to s...
15 May 2026 at 8:55am
Dorothy Bain came under fire earlier this year after it emerged she told John Swinney of the charges against Peter Murrell before they were made public

MP quits to make way for Burnham to return to Parliament and challenge Starmer
14 May 2026 at 5:59pm
Josh Simons said he was standing down so the Mayor of Greater Manchester can 'drive the change our country is crying out for'

SNP?s Kenneth Gibson voted in as Scottish Parliament?s new presiding officer
14 May 2026 at 5:05pm
Gibson saw off challenges from fellow MSPs Liam McArthur, Stuart McMillan and Clare Haughey

Wes Streeting resigns as health secretary as pressure on Prime Minister Keir ...
14 May 2026 at 1:14pm
Streeting said in his resignation that it has become 'clear' that Starmer will not lead the party into the next general election

MSPs sworn in at Holyrood for new Scottish Parliament term
14 May 2026 at 12:58pm
SNP leader John Swinney was the first of 129 MSPs to take the oath in a ceremony at the Scottish Parliament

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

John Swinney signals public sector job cuts are on the way as he unveils Cabi...
20 May 2026 at 5:17pm
The First Minister has chosen to surround himself with familiar faces when extremely difficult decisions on public spending are required, says Chris McCall

Stephen Flynn denies he's after John Swinney's job after being handed top Sco...
20 May 2026 at 4:13pm
John Swinney has denied appointing a minister for job cuts after Ivan McKee was handed a role specialising in "Public Service Reform".

Ex-SNP advisor avoids jail after embezzling thousands from HIV Scotland
20 May 2026 at 12:58pm
Nathan Sparling embezzled £5,000 from charity HIV Scotland.

Jenny Gilruth named Deputy First Minister as John Swinney reshuffles SNP Cabinet
20 May 2026 at 12:30pm
Gilruth, the MSP for Glenrothes, formerly served as Education Secretary under both Humza Yousaf and John Swinney.

Supermarket bosses blast 'idiotic' price caps on essential foods
20 May 2026 at 11:58am
John Swinney has pledged to use emergency public health powers to lower the prices of certain foods despite warnings this would land the Government in court.

John Swinney to be sworn in as First Minister after SNP retain Holyrood control
20 May 2026 at 7:47am
MSPs elected incumbent First Minister John Swinney to remain in the role following this month's election.

Drug deaths soar in Edinburgh amid calls for second safe consumption facility
20 May 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Campaigners working to end Scotland's shameful record as the drug deaths capital of Europe have said opening a second site would play a crucial role in creating a nationwide network.

John Swinney says he'll do 5 years as First Minister but choppy waters could ...
20 May 2026 at 4:30am
Reelected as First Minister, John Swinney must now undertake a Cabinet reshuffle and steer a minority government under darkening economic skies. It would be a tough job for any politician, says Chr...

SNP Government under fire over 'dangerously long' A&E waits at Scots hospitals
19 May 2026 at 3:27pm
The rise in waiting times comes despite pre-election claims by John Swinney that the health service had turned a corner.

John Swinney denies wanting a 'punch up' with UK Government over SNP plans to...
19 May 2026 at 2:04pm
Retailers warned the SNP policy could have a "damaging" impact on Scotland's food supply chain.

The National

The National | Politics

Prestigious Scotch whisky society under fire over induction of Malcolm Offord
20 May 2026 at 8:04pm

A PRESTIGIOUS international society dedicated to celebrating Scotch whisky is facing growing pressure from industry professionals over the induction of Reform UK Scotland leader Malcolm Offord

We need to persuade Reform voters to back indy, not ignore them
20 May 2026 at 7:00pm

MALCOLM Cordell (Letters, May 19) must have a very small number of friends and relatives if none of them support Reform UK.

Plan fed to Donald Trump by pro-Israel lobby has been a catastrophe
20 May 2026 at 7:07pm

WE are constantly told by Trump, Netanyahu and Starmer that Iran and its government ? or regime, as Western leaders like to suggest ? is the devil incarnate.

Benefits of Scotland's oil and gas have not flowed back to us
20 May 2026 at 7:02pm

UNUSUALLY, Scotland was the main topic at PMQs on Wednesday, due to Scotland?s reserves of oil and gas in the North Sea.

SNP announce candidates for two Westminster by-elections
20 May 2026 at 6:03pm

THE SNP have announced their candidates for two upcoming Westminster by-elections

Scottish Labour MPs back call for review of Westminster election system
20 May 2026 at 5:45pm

SCOTTISH Labour MPs are backing calls for a review of the Westminster voting system.

Former Dragons' Dens star Duncan Bannatyne backs far-right party to win MP
20 May 2026 at 5:39pm

SCOTTISH businessman and former Dragons' Den star Duncan Bannatyne has backed the far-right Restore Britain party to win their first MP ...

UK Government issues statement after flotilla activists brutally assaulted by...
20 May 2026 at 5:19pm

The UK Government has issued a statement after horrific footage emerged showing Gaza flotilla activists being brutally assaulted by Israeli officers ...

What has Andy Burnham said about Israel and Gaza ahead of crucial by-election?
20 May 2026 at 5:14pm

DURING the early months of Israel?s onslaught on Gaza, Andy Burnham emerged as one of the main Labour figures calling for a ceasefire.

Is Morgan McSweeney still advising Keir Starmer from the sidelines?
20 May 2026 at 5:08pm

MORGAN McSweeney may have departed Downing Street but does he still have the Prime Minister?s ear?

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Jenny Gilruth named as new deputy first minister and finance secretary
20 May 2026 at 4:34pm
A slimmed down cabinet has been announced by John Swinney

New virtual security service launched to strengthen cyber resilience
20 May 2026 at 1:30pm
The vCISO service is designed to provide organisations across the country with senior-level cyber security leadership without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire.

AI companies adopting playbook of ?Big Tobacco and Big Pharma? to influence p...
20 May 2026 at 12:41pm
Researchers said they had found examples of how AI firms employed 'corporate capture' in similar ways to so-called Big Pharma or Big Tobacco.

Scottish Parliament removes male/female MSP data from website
19 May 2026 at 1:18pm
Data now obscured, critics say

Tories set to force vote on new North Sea drilling during energy security debate
19 May 2026 at 1:00am
The Conservatives have called Labour's Energy Independence Bill, which seeks to ban the awarding of new oil and gas licences, 'deluded'

Jack McConnell joins Lisa Nandy?s team for ?ambitious? sports push
18 May 2026 at 12:35pm
Labour peer appointed as ministerial adviser

The Cost of Inaction to the Scottish Public Purse: Why Restoring Nature Is No...
18 May 2026 at 8:00am
Investing in nature is not an optional environmental concern, it is a fundamental economic necessity.

Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain to step down
15 May 2026 at 11:26am
Scotland's most senior law officer set to leave office

Kenneth Gibson elected Scottish Parliament presiding officer
14 May 2026 at 5:31pm
Gibson was elected after three rounds of voting, winning by 74 votes to Clare Haughey?s 54

Wes Streeting resigns from UK Government
14 May 2026 at 2:44pm
He is the first cabinet minister to resign since Labour suffered heavy defeats in the Scottish, Welsh, and English local elections

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Streeting says he resigned because Labour ?in fight of our lives against nati...
20 May 2026 at 5:18pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereLabour is in a curious, transitional state at the moment. Officially Keir Starmer is committed to staying as leader and prime minister until the next election. There is no formal leadership contest underway. But, informally, it has alre...

ChatGPT and other AI bots made huge errors before Scottish election, study finds
20 May 2026 at 3:56pm
Exclusive: Electoral Commission calls for new controls as Demos finds tools made up fake scandals, invented candidates or gave wrong dateUK politics live ? latest updatesThe Electoral Commission has called for new legal controls over misinformation from AI chatbots, after a thinktank found they h...

UK supermarkets urged to consider voluntary price caps on essential foods
20 May 2026 at 12:03am
Retail sources rebuff government proposal as ?unjustified? and likely to push costs up across boardUK supermarkets have been asked by the government to consider freezing the prices of some essential foodstuffs to protect the public from inflation fuelled by the Middle East conflict.They would be ...

Minister defends Mandelson file redactions and says documents to be released ...
19 May 2026 at 5:15pm
Darren Jones says release will be ?one of the largest government publications ever laid in this house?On Friday parliament?s intelligence and security committee issued a damning statement about the government?s response to the humble address requiring the release of documents relating to the appo...

Starmer has ?full confidence? in Streeting despite health secretary?s allies ...
13 May 2026 at 6:00pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here:Streeting to resign and challenge Starmer, allies sayLibby Brooks is the Guardian?s Scotland correspondent.An odd dispute of interpretation has emerged overnight between the Scottish and UK governments. Yesterday evening a Scottish gov...

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...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The British media is hiding Holyrood?s independence majorities
20 May 2026 at 5:01pm
Something interesting, and entirely predictable, has been happening in the British media since the SNP comprehensively defeated the parties of Westminster rule in this month’s Holyrood elections, being returned for a fifth term in office in a Scottish Parliament which has its largest ever pro-independence majority, making this the fourth Scottish Parliament in a row …

Something wicked this way comes
17 May 2026 at 1:27pm
We are rightly concerned about Reform UK, which has now gained representation in the Scottish Parliament, although as I had hoped, it performed more poorly than most polls forecast and failed to win a single constituency seat, narrowly missing out to the SNP in the Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituency which had been widely tipped …

The Celtic Alliance can break Westminter?s constitutional logjam
15 May 2026 at 6:33pm
One of the biggest developments in British political history came to pass after the recent parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales, yet it predictably went all but unnoticed by a British media which struggles to comprehend England outwith the M25 and for which Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are terra incognita marked “here be dragons” …

Labour?s rigged electoral system has bitten it on the bum
13 May 2026 at 3:51pm
Ever since the Holyrood election last week in which the SNP won a crushing victory over the dependency parties, those parties and their client media have been crowing that John Swinney must drop his “obsession” with independence because the SNP “failed” in the election and did not win an outright majority for the SNP. Alex …

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 …

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

Ferry fiasco as electric hydrofoil ferry contract awarded by UK Government an...
20 May 2026 at 9:50pm
Needless to say the BBC Scotland report on this plays the whole thing down and makes no accusations at all: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgpj13p5x1o The Orcadian is less restrained, with: Electric hydrofoil vessel to return to Belfast in latest blow to £15m project. Just over a year since electric hydrofoil ferry, Zevi 1, arrived in Orkney, the vessel is now to return to Belfast in the ...

?Scottish taxpayers and billpayers are likely to share the cost and risk of S...
20 May 2026 at 10:37am
Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. In the Guardian today, the above and: The cost of the government?s £38bn nuclear plant in Suffolk is subject to ?significant uncertainty? and may outweigh the benefits for UK households until at least 2064, according to the government?s spending watchdog. The National Audit Office (NAO) has warned that although the potential benefits of the Sizewell C n...

Scotland?s essential historian for these times publishes the one modestly pri...
20 May 2026 at 9:31am
From Columba to The Corries, the Picts to Paisley, Doggerland to Devolution ? here is the unmissable story of Scotland. Scotland is one of the oldest nations in Europe. Its territory remains fundamentally unchanged since the fifteenth century, and its southern border with England has barely altered since 1237.And yet Scotland ? a country with its own law, education and church ? is not a state a...

BBC UK reveals how Labour have copied the SNP
20 May 2026 at 8:59am
BBC Breakfast this morning revealing BBC Scotland‘s deep drive to undermine anything the SNP do in Scotland. It’s a different culture in the BBC UK HQ. They’re not, I’m sure sympathisers with the SNP but, crucially, Scotland’s constitutional issues are not on their mind all the time and they still cling to some simple notions of journalistic honesty and accuracy so they just said the above with...

NHS Highland director reveals child poverty in her previous Wales responsibil...
20 May 2026 at 8:48am
are living in poverty. BBC Scotland’s wee insert in BBC Breakfast this morning is announcing the above and, on their website: Public health director Jennifer Davies said that of its 12,834 under-fives, almost 22% lived in relative poverty. In a new report, Davies said the “sheer geographic scale” of the area – which covers the Highlands and Argyll and Bute – posed challenges in reaching health ...

Swinney praised by all right-thinking folk ie not James Cook for his compassi...
19 May 2026 at 5:12pm
By Liz S BBC website top story Scottish politics page: ?Swinney defends food prices policy ahead of first minister vote? ?SNP leader John Swinney has denied his food prices policy is an attempt to force a fight with the UK government? ?defends? and ?attempt to force a fight with the UK government? ? So we are still in a cost of living crisis where it seems that the Labour UK government are not ...

After nearly 20 years of SNP Governments most Scots no longer so desperate fo...
19 May 2026 at 2:29pm
From Smoking attributable hospital admissions and deaths Scotland 2024 published today: There were an estimated 1,107 smoking?attributable hospital admissions per 100,000 population (38,675 admissions). This is a 36% decrease since 2008 (1,735 per 100,000). There were an estimated 204 smoking?attributable deaths per 100,000 population (7,085 deaths). This is a 39% decrease since 2008 (334 per 1...

Youth unemployment 17% higher in UK average than in Scotland
19 May 2026 at 2:20pm
From BBC Business, based on the latest ONS data, today: The UK unemployment rate has unexpectedly gone up while the number of job vacancies has fallen to its lowest level in five years as the initial impact of the Iran war on firms starts to be felt. The unemployment rate rose slightly to 5% in the three months to March from 4.9% in the three months to February. Analysts said the figures show t...

How BBC Scotland tried to shift the blame for a Labour council?s ?litany of f...
19 May 2026 at 8:27am
Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: From BBC Scotland yesterday: Edinburgh council reaches settlement after suing tram law firm – The City of Edinburgh Council has settled its multi-million pound damages claim against a law firm that advised it over the first tram project. The local authority was seeking more than £200m in compensation, claiming DLA Piper failed to give adequate warnings ...

Only BBC Scotland reports on racism in the NHS yet on their own figures it is...
19 May 2026 at 7:57am
in Scotland last year. BBC Scotland‘s short insert in BBC Breakfast show this morning reports on a survey by the Royal College of Nursing on racist incidents in the NHS and suggests the above figures for NHS Scotland. It’s not covered by BBC Breakfast or on the websites of BBC Wales, Northern Ireland, nor for that matter, BBC Scotland with the implication then that it must be worse here. The Gu...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

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

What has Andy Burnham said about Scottish independence? - The National Scot
20 May 2026 at 4:55pm
What has Andy Burnham said about Scottish independence?  The National Scot

Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots? - France 24
27 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots?  France 24

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

David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit - Britannica
18 May 2026 at 6:00am
David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit  Britannica

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028 - BBC
12 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028  BBC

SNP can't put Scottish independence before school violence, NHS waiting list ...
19 May 2026 at 4:45pm
SNP can't put Scottish independence before school violence, NHS waiting list crisis...  The Scotsman

Swinney must keep day one promise on independence, say Greens - Scottish Greens
18 May 2026 at 12:18pm
Swinney must keep day one promise on independence, say Greens  Scottish Greens

Greens: Swinney must keep day one promise on independence - The Herald
18 May 2026 at 6:14pm
Greens: Swinney must keep day one promise on independence  The Herald

The Scottish independence lie - The Spectator
29 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
The Scottish independence lie  The Spectator

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

John Swinney wins vote to be re-appointed first minister - BBC
19 May 2026 at 5:01pm
John Swinney wins vote to be re-appointed first minister  BBC

Labour laughed at SNP supermarket price cap ? why are they now stealing the i...
20 May 2026 at 4:26pm
Labour laughed at SNP supermarket price cap ? why are they now stealing the idea?  The National Scot

The SNP may have won again but Scottish politics has been upended | Scottish ...
9 May 2026 at 8:00am
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 8:00am
Final YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election shows the SNP falling short of a majority  YouGov

SPICe general election Scotland 2026 results and analysis - SPICe Spotlight
9 May 2026 at 8:00am
SPICe general election Scotland 2026 results and analysis  SPICe Spotlight

SNP is Scotland's biggest winner with pressure for independence vote likely t...
9 May 2026 at 8:00am
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 8:00am
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
8 May 2026 at 8:00am
SNP wins Scottish election as Reform and Labour tie for second  BBC

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

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

David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit - Britannica
18 May 2026 at 6:00am
David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit  Britannica

What has Andy Burnham said about Scottish independence? - The National Scot
20 May 2026 at 4:55pm
What has Andy Burnham said about Scottish independence?  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

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028 - BBC
12 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028  BBC

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

Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots? - France 24
27 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots?  France 24

Scotland?s parliamentary election 2026: what are the big economic choices? - ...
28 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland?s parliamentary election 2026: what are the big economic choices?  Economics Observatory

SNP can't put Scottish independence before school violence, NHS waiting list ...
19 May 2026 at 4:45pm
SNP can't put Scottish independence before school violence, NHS waiting list crisis...  The Scotsman

SNP vows to push for new independence vote with or without a majority - Finan...
27 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
SNP vows to push for new independence vote with or without a majority  Financial Times