The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Scottish Greens unveil new three-point plan to achieve independence
18 Jan 2026 at 10:54am
The Scottish Greens have unveiled a new three point independence strategy proposed by co-leaders Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay.


John Swinney does not expect to see Keir Starmer still in office at Christmas
by Lucinda Cameron
18 Jan 2026 at 10:06am
Scotland?s First Minister has said he does not expect Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to still be in office by Christmas.


Nearly three quarters of Scots would vote to rejoin the EU, poll finds
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
18 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
Nearly three quarters of Scots now say they would vote to rejoin the European Union, a new poll shows, underscoring deepening Brexit regret ? especially among younger voters ? and raising fresh questions about independence and the UK?s future direction.


'SNP gender ideology has stopped them fixing real issues like economy and tra...
18 Jan 2026 at 7:00am
Billionaire Scottish bus firm brothers the Easdales explain why they've donated a six-figure sum to Scottish Labour


Trump to slap new tariffs on Britain and EU after troops sent to Greenland
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
17 Jan 2026 at 6:32pm
Donald Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs on the UK and key European allies after accusing them of risking global security by sending troops to Greenland. The move threatens Scottish whisky exports and deepens tensions over US ambitions in the Arctic.


Swinney: SNP Holyrood majority would warrant second independence referendum
by Sarah Ward
17 Jan 2026 at 5:00pm
The First Minister has called for another Scottish independence referendum to be held if the SNP wins a majority at Holyrood later this year.


Tony Blair chosen by Donald Trump for Gaza ?Board of Peace?
by David Lynch
17 Jan 2026 at 10:27am
The former prime minister?s name appeared alongside high-profile Trump administration officials, as a founding member of the group


Sarwar 'avoiding accountability' over Duncan-Glancy friendship with sex offender
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
17 Jan 2026 at 6:00am
Anas Sarwar refused to answer The Herald's questions about whether he will sack Ms Duncan-Glancy as a Scottish Labour MSP.


Why have Scottish billionaire brothers entered chaotic waters of Scottish pol...
17 Jan 2026 at 10:00am
James and Sandy Easdale, Scotland?s two business titans, have entered the chaotic waters of Scottish politics. Why now, asks Kevin McKenna


'See the reality': Maternity campaigners urge First Minister to visit South S...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
17 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
Maternity campaigners urge Scotland?s First Minister to visit the South of Scotland as pregnant women continue to travel long distances in labour.


Billionaire brothers hand Sarwar a six-figure donation to 'remove the SNP fro...
17 Jan 2026 at 6:30am
Two of Scotland's richest entrepreneurs have provided a major boost to Scottish Labour by pledging a ?substantial? six-figure donation to the party's election fighting fund.


Row erupts over different Local Growth Fund spending rules in Scotland and En...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
17 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
A bitter political row has erupted over Brexit cash after critics branded the UK Government?s Local Growth Fund a ?Labour photo-op fund?, as different spending rules emerge for England and Scotland and job losses begin in Glasgow


Level up? The billion-pound plan to turn Scotland into a global video games g...
18 Jan 2026 at 6:15am
This week, the Scottish government will receive an action plan aimed at revolutionising the nation?s games sector. Our Writer at Large speaks exclusively to the man behind the report


American investment fund sues Russia over $200bn century old debt
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
16 Jan 2026 at 6:07pm
An American investment fund is attempting to recover $225.8bn from the Russian government due to debt on bonds issued by the Tsarist regime

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Robert Jenrick conducted himself in 'disgusting way' over defection, says Bowie
18 Jan 2026 at 12:35pm

Mr Jenrick jumped ship to Reform on Thursday

A Norstat survey shows backing for Nigel Farage?s party dropping slightly

A Nordic model of prostitution could be ?game changing? for Scotland - but supporters fear the clock is ticking down

In the latest issue to hit the quango, Legionella bacteria has been detected at Historic Environment Scotland-run (HES) Stirling Castle 21 times in the past year

There are all sorts of reasons why this is a particularly exciting time to be involved in Scottish sport

Everything is still all up for grabs in the Holyrood election

Wings over Scotland

Learning Insanity
14 Jan 2026 at 4:29pm
This clip was broadcast on ITV News Wales this week. ? It’s a staggeringly obvious mess for a whole raft of reasons – a number of completely spurious, illogical and unsupported claims are accepted as facts without any sort of challenge or balancing voice (which has been standard practice on ITV News for a while …

Governing For Beginners
12 Jan 2026 at 2:31pm
My first ever real experience of politics was playing Dictator. Originally written by Don Priestley for the Sinclair ZX81 in 1982, it was a simple text-based game which subsequently came to other formats including the Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Elan Enterprise and the ZX Spectrum, which is where I encountered it. (Its legacy very much …

Grandpa John?s Nightmare
7 Jan 2026 at 12:17pm
It’s almost – almost – worth voting SNP in May because of this: ? Because it would be at least momentarily absolutely hilarious watching Swinney try to explain why his “100% guaranteed” second indyref didn’t happen if the SNP actually did get a majority on 30% of the vote (which is narrowly feasible on current …

Failure To Learn
5 Jan 2026 at 1:32pm
Scotland take on Haiti on Sunday 14 June (in the wee small hours of the morning), so this is nice, isn’t it? At least, it would be if incompetent idiots weren’t in charge. Firstly because the SNP – a party with a long and dismaying record of promising things it then doesn’t deliver – has …

And every day was exactly the same
3 Jan 2026 at 7:00am

List Voting For Cretins
2 Jan 2026 at 9:00am
This week The National published a poll it commissioned from Find Out Now for this May’s Scottish Parliament election, alongside a seat projection from Sir John Curtice. Here are the list-vote figures from the poll. The seat projection calculated that the election would result in 59 SNP MSPs (six short of the number John Swinney …

The Gulf War
1 Jan 2026 at 7:00am
Yesterday we noted in passing that independence support now outstrips that of the SNP by more than 20 points, making the party into a gigantic liability as the vehicle for enabling Scots to leave the UK. Put simply, even when voters want independence (as most now do), they’re not willing to vote SNP to get …

The Fear Of The Briar
31 Dec 2025 at 11:42am
With Reform now pretty consistently miles in front in polling for the next UK election, logically this is brilliant news for the Scottish independence movement, isn’t it? So can anyone explain why the SNP is so desperate to stop them? That’s a rhetorical question, of course. As we’ve repeatedly explored on Wings over the last …

The Curious Fringes
29 Dec 2025 at 2:14pm
There’s a post on the superwoke poll-analysis account Ballot Box Scotland today bemoaning the lack of interest in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election from polling companies, and presenting it as some sort of anti-Scottish conspiracy. The real reason nobody’s very interested, of course, is that as things stand the election is an obvious foregone conclusion …

A matter of class
19 Dec 2025 at 5:14pm
Something very odd happened when the Sandie Peggie employment tribunal delivered its judgment – and it wasn?t just the made-up quotes and mangled law. Call it institutional bias, ideological capture, or just the law doing its job, but what Employment Judge Sandy Kemp?s tribunal delivered was the most one-sided outcome since Butch and Sundance decided …

Craig Murray

Resisting the Respectable Opinion on Iran
15 Jan 2026 at 3:13pm

Iraq. Libya. Egypt. Syria. Gaza. Somalia. No CIA- and Mossad-constructed regime change operation in the Middle East has ever made life better for the ordinary people of the country, nor even delivered the promised increase in personal and political freedoms. The only limited improvement that might be gained comes from the lifting of Western sanction …

Resisting the Respectable Opinion on Iran

A Step Towards Sanity
13 Jan 2026 at 6:50pm

To my great surprise, the video recording of yesterday’s Court of Session hearing on the judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action is still active on the court’s website, and you can watch it. I do not know how long this will last. https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/livestream/court-of-session/case-p1017-25/#6dcfe87a-d9b7-49ba-9f01-ad69b8ad9c45 I have been used to the ludicrous restrictions on the …

A Step Towards Sanity

Court of Session Tomorrow on Palestine Action
11 Jan 2026 at 1:45pm

In the Western world today, fighting for freedom feels Quixotic, but I shall nevertheless wake early tomorrow to be at the Court of Session in Edinburgh by 9am to fight the proscription in Scotland of Palestine Action. I remain extremely concerned for the lives of the Palestine Action hunger strikers. As I predicted, Starmer’s government …

Court of Session Tomorrow on Palestine Action

Venezuela and Truth
4 Jan 2026 at 10:21am

The mainstream media covered Venezuela non-stop yesterday. They many times mentioned Delcy Rodríguez, Vice President, because Trump stated she is now in charge. They never mentioned that 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the torture to death of her father, socialist activist Jorge Rodríguez, by the CIA-backed security services of the US-aligned Pérez regime in …

Venezuela and Truth

Hunger Strikes and Court Cases
16 Dec 2025 at 9:15pm

Fighting the proscription of Palestine Action has become more urgent as eight brave activists enter the crucial period of their hunger strike. 12 January has finally been set for the court hearing on holding a Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. I am frankly terrified for the hunger strikers. Qesser Zuhrah Amu …

Hunger Strikes and Court Cases

The Skripal Novichok Hoax
12 Dec 2025 at 9:58am

I did not anticipate that an open public meeting in Salisbury itself would be 95% sceptical of the official Novichok hoax – but it was. Thanks to UK Column for putting this on. I hope you find it enlightening – there is information which goes beyond my previous articles on the subject. In about a …

The Skripal Novichok Hoax

BBC Scotland

Trump tariff threat over Greenland 'wrong' - Swinney
18 Jan 2026 at 2:05pm
John Swinney says additional duties should not be used as a "bargaining chip" in discussions between trade partners.

Health board admits fatal infections probably caused by water system
17 Jan 2026 at 6:43pm
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had consistently denied its water system was responsible for causing infections which led to the deaths of cancer patients.

Government threatened with legal action over Sturgeon inquiry evidence
17 Jan 2026 at 2:51pm
Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton says written evidence he requested by 15 January was not handed over.

Court throws out £50m claim over failed bottle return scheme
16 Jan 2026 at 3:21pm
Waste firm Biffa claimed it invested heavily after being given assurances about the recycling scheme only to see it collapse a year later.

New strike ballot to be held in teachers dispute
16 Jan 2026 at 6:38pm
A ballot which closed on Wednesday failed to give the EIS union a legal mandate to go on strike because the turnout was too low.

Lord Offord named as Reform UK's Scottish leader
15 Jan 2026 at 5:13pm
The former Conservative minister and Scottish Tory treasurer has been officially unveiled by Nigel Farage.

First new CalMac ferry handed over by Turkish shipyard
15 Jan 2026 at 9:22pm
MV Isle of Islay will soon make the two-week journey to Scotland and is expected to enter service in early spring.

Who is Reform UK's Scottish leader Malcolm Offord?
15 Jan 2026 at 4:09pm
A banker from Greenock who joined the House of Lords in 2021, Malcolm Offord has made much of a relatively short political career.

Sarwar in 'unequivocal' apology over made-up quote
15 Jan 2026 at 3:57pm
A Scottish Labour campaign leaflet featured made-up quotes from a Stranraer maternity campaigner.

Location of first walk-in GP clinic announced
15 Jan 2026 at 5:11pm
The new clinic in Edinburgh is the first of 15, which will be open seven days a week.

Swinney to consider buffer zones around asylum hotels
15 Jan 2026 at 12:51pm
The first minister says people have a right to protest but it is unacceptable when it becomes "threatening".

Review recommends custody death FAIs should be completed in a year
15 Jan 2026 at 5:50pm
The Scottish government ordered the review of fatal accident inquiries following the deaths of two young people.

Scot Goes Pop

SNP and Greens remain firmly on course for Holyrood pro-indy majority in supe...
16 Jan 2026 at 8:50am
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

Sensational numbers for both the SNP and Plaid Cymru in two new YouGov polls
14 Jan 2026 at 8:36am
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

The party of Tas-beens: Alba's notorious unelected dictator finally departs -...
13 Jan 2026 at 4:20pm
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

Has Trump ushered in an American FASCISM? His administration now has SEVEN o...
11 Jan 2026 at 9:45am
I know we were all keen for RevStew to finally put a sock in it about the trans issue, but given that he's replaced that obsession with 24/7 apologism for a woman's murder, perhaps he should be enc...

SNP have FOUR TIMES as much support as Labour in YouGov's astounding first su...
9 Jan 2026 at 1:35am
In the video below, I also give my thoughts on Stuart Campbell's frankly disturbing reaction to the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, which has shocked even his habitual supporters and defenders to th...

Alba's death-throes UPDATE: party insider makes explosive allegation that Ken...
7 Jan 2026 at 3:12pm
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

Through their craven silence on Venezuela, the leaders of European countries ...
5 Jan 2026 at 9:44am
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

An update about the Great Scot Goes Pop Video-Blogging Experiment, and the pr...
3 Jan 2026 at 4:31pm
A few minutes ago, my phone spontaneously managed to escape from my pocket onto the road outside my house for the second time in the space of six months, smashing the screen yet again.  I thought I...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

John Swinney does not expect Sir Keir Starmer to still be in office at Christmas
18 Jan 2026 at 11:28am
The First Minister said ahead of elections to the Scottish Parliament it is ?patently obvious the Labour Party is absolutely toiling?.

John Swinney: SNP Holyrood majority would warrant second independence referendum
17 Jan 2026 at 5:31pm
The First Minister also questioned the future of Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.

Number of SMEs in Scotland down since 2020, figures from Lib Dems show
17 Jan 2026 at 3:38pm
The data showed that since 2020, the number of SMEs in Scotland has fallen from 177,020 to 171,660 ? a decline of 5,360.

Government issued contempt of court warning over Sturgeon investigation ruling
16 Jan 2026 at 8:38pm
The Scottish Information Commissioner said the Scottish Government?s actions were disrespectful to the public and reflected poorly on ministers.

Kemi Badenoch: ?Nigel Farage is doing my spring cleaning for me?
16 Jan 2026 at 2:53pm
The Tory leader said that the people who causing problems for the party are leaving.

All the former Tories who have defected to Reform UK
15 Jan 2026 at 9:40pm
Just this week alone, Nigel Farage's insurgent Reform UK welcomed two high-profile former Conservative politicians.

Robert Jenrick defects to Nigel Farage?s Reform UK after Tory sacking
15 Jan 2026 at 5:26pm
Robert Jenrick was fired from the Tory party on Thursday morning for 'plotting to defect'.

?Ban Trump from using Scottish airports for Greenland attack?, Swinney urged
15 Jan 2026 at 4:53pm
It comes after US President Donald Trump has continued to step up his calls for Greenland to become part of the US.

John Swinney comes under fire from Scottish Conservatives over ?smallest tax ...
15 Jan 2026 at 3:51pm
The First Minister was challenged over the SNP?s tax and spending plans for the coming year.

?Unequivocal? apology to campaigner misquoted on Labour leaflet
15 Jan 2026 at 2:33pm
Claire Fleming claims she was misquoted on a Labour campaign leaflet.

?Wall of money? to invest in Scottish nuclear power if Labour win election
15 Jan 2026 at 1:20pm
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the SNP were saying Scotland was 'shut for business'.

John Swinney faces FMQs after unveiling tax and spending plans
15 Jan 2026 at 11:53am
The Scottish Budget includes changes to income tax, increases for Scottish child payments, and separate taxes on mansions and private jets.

Who is Nigel Farage?s new Reform leader in Scotland Malcolm Offord?
15 Jan 2026 at 11:35am
Lord Offord has been chosen to lead the party into the Holyrood election in May.

Robert Jenrick sacked by Kemi Badenoch after ?plotting to defect?
15 Jan 2026 at 11:24am
Reform leader Nigel Farage has said he has had conversations with the shadow justice secretary.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

John Swinney believes Keir Starmer won't be Prime Minister come Christmas
18 Jan 2026 at 9:58am
John Swinney believes it is "the end of the road for Keir Starmer".

SNP minister taken to task as schools given as little as 93p a week per child...
18 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
Jenny Gilruth was challenged at Holyrood over the Sunday Mail's investigation which found skint schools spending less than £1 per pupil per week on basic supplies.

SNP ministers 'spending half of what is needed' to tackle housing emergency
18 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
A £4.1bn pledge for affordable housing in the Scottish Budget is not enough, campaigners say, with 50,000 Scots and 10,000 kids currently homeless.

Farage will be the toast of the Kremlin if he ever gets his hands on power
17 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
Record View says having such a man with his finger on the button of the UK?s nuclear missiles should send a chill down the spine of every voter.

Malcolm Offord refuses to say how many homes he has as Reform's Scottish lead...
16 Jan 2026 at 2:59pm
Baron Offord of Garvel has been quizzed on the extent of his wealth.

SNP still 'weak' on defence despite u-turn on munitions funding ban, says MOD...
16 Jan 2026 at 11:03am
EXCLUSIVE: The Defence Secretary reignited a row with the Scottish Government over its failure to invest in a specialist welding school near Glasgow.

Keir Starmer?s woes are nothing compared with the Tories as Reform grow
16 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
Record View says the Conservative decline is welcome but Nigel Farage and Reform are not the answer.

Keir Starmer asks 'Where is the money, John?' in dig at SNP leader on flying ...
15 Jan 2026 at 4:23pm
Starmer would not be drawn on whether his job was at risk if Labour performs badly at the Scottish Parliament election in May.

Nigel Farage suggests Scottish independence referendum could take place in 2030s
15 Jan 2026 at 3:36pm
The Reform UK leader said an IndyRef2 could be "reexamined" in the "decades to come".

Anas Sarwar apologises over Scottish Labour health campaigner blunder
15 Jan 2026 at 2:29pm
He apologised after maternity campaigner Claire Fleming said she did not say the quoted words that were in her name on a leaflet.

The National

The National | Politics

Eight European countries issue joint statement over Donald Trump's tariff threat
18 Jan 2026 at 1:27pm

US tariff threats over the future of Greenland ?undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral?, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK have said in a joint statement

Furious Tory MP accuses John Swinney of 'secret talks' on Scottish independence
18 Jan 2026 at 12:34pm

A FURIOUS Scottish Tory MP has accused John Swinney of holding ?secret talks? about Scottish independence with two Irish politicians, claiming the First Minister breached international agreements

Graham Norton and Alan Cumming slam SNP's inaction on conversion therapy
18 Jan 2026 at 12:27pm

PRESENTER Graham Norton and actor Alan Cumming have sharply criticised the Scottish Government's failure to ban conversion therapy, telling an audience they were stunned legislation still does not exist

Scottish Labour 'bend over backwards to protect the interests of the super-rich'
18 Jan 2026 at 12:00pm

SCOTTISH Labour have been criticised for ?bending over backwards to protect the super-rich? after it emerged that the party has accepted a six-figure donation from Scottish billionaire bus company tycoons.

Mortifying memo that pushed Robert Jenrick Reform defection leaked
18 Jan 2026 at 11:25am

A MORTIFYING memo describing Robert Jenrick as the "new sheriff in town" ahead of his forced defection to Reform has been leaked.

Scottish Government push for closer ties as UAE arms ?genocidal? militia crit...
18 Jan 2026 at 11:00am

THE Scottish Government is under fire for stepping up a charm offensive to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite evidence that it has armed a militia accused of genocide and widespread sexual violence in Sudan

Second independence referendum should be 'parked', says Scotland Reform leader
18 Jan 2026 at 11:01am

REFORM UK?s leader in Scotland said an independence referendum should be ?parked? for at least a decade

Scots ready to back pro-independence parties to block Nigel Farage, poll shows
18 Jan 2026 at 10:07am

SCOTS are prepared to vote tactically for independence parties to block Nigel Farage from Holyrood, a new polls has found, as Reform UK?s surge north of the Border appears to have stalled

Emergency EU meeting to take place after Donald Trump threatens tariffs
18 Jan 2026 at 9:00am

EUROPEAN ambassadors from 27 countries are to attend an emergency meeting this afternoon after Donald Trump threatened to apply tariffs on several Nato allies until a deal is reached for the US to acquire Greenland

Why UK reliance on US tech firms is becoming a national security risk
18 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

It was signed off quietly but its implications are anything but ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Biffa?s ?51.4m deposit return scheme claim rejected by court
16 Jan 2026 at 3:45pm
The waste management?firm claimed?that it was negligently misled by Scottish ministers that the scheme would go ahead, but this?was rejected by Lord Sandison

?Appalling?: SNP MSP hits out at Scottish Government's single-sex prisons stance
15 Jan 2026 at 1:34pm
John Swinney under pressure on transgender prisoners as For Women Scotland hearing nears

?Miserly? income tax cut used for ?cheap headline? ? Russell Findlay
15 Jan 2026 at 1:03pm
John Swinney said his government was ?on the side of the people of Scotland?

Malcolm Offord confirmed as Reform leader in Scotland
15 Jan 2026 at 11:36am
Offord has also announced his retirement from the House of Lords

SNP on course to win election while race for second place neck-and-neck
15 Jan 2026 at 10:21am
Reform and Labour are tied on 18 seats for second place, according to a poll projection

X acting to comply with UK law, says Keir Starmer
14 Jan 2026 at 3:11pm
Ofcom launched an investigation into the site on Monday

Michael Shanks: Scotland?s energy future is on the ballot
14 Jan 2026 at 3:10pm
The UK energy minister warned delegates during a speech at?Holyrood?s?Energy Summit in Edinburgh that a party that opposes nuclear?power?will??fragment the GB energy market?

Contract awarded to build one of world?s largest offshore wind farms in Scotland
14 Jan 2026 at 11:38am
The Berwick Bank wind farm in the outer of the Firth of Forth will be constructed by SSE and will feature 307 turbines generating enough electricity to power up to six million homes

Government U-turns on controversial digital ID plan
14 Jan 2026 at 11:16am
The government said the scheme would no longer be mandatory

Tech support ?barely mentioned? in Scottish budget
14 Jan 2026 at 11:03am
The chief executive of ScotlandIS said the growing cluster requires focused support from the Scottish Government if it is to reach its full potential

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Multimillionaire leader of Reform in Scotland refuses to reveal net worth
15 Jan 2026 at 3:26pm
Newly appointed Malcolm Offord, who became a Tory life peer in 2021, plans to stand for Holyrood in MayUK politics live ? latest updatesThe multimillionaire financier who has been made leader of Reform UK in Scotland has refused to say how wealthy he is, claiming that is a private matter.Malcolm ...

Scottish budget: SNP government cuts taxes for lowest earners
13 Jan 2026 at 7:06pm
Ministers will hope package of measures can aid efforts to retain power in May?s Holyrood electionsMinisters in Scotland have cut taxes for the lowest earners by a modest £11 a year, as the government dug into its reserves, cut spending and increased borrowing to fund new election pledges.With fo...

UK politics: Tories call for block on Chinese super-embassy amid claims of hi...
13 Jan 2026 at 6:11pm
Shadow home office minister Alicia Kearns says unredacted plans show 208 secret rooms and approving plans would be ?insanity?Q: Why are the Liberal Democrats still using X?Davey says he is not afraid to pick a fight with Elon Musk. He says Musk has interfered in British democracy ?in the most out...

?The response is a beautiful thing?: how Glasgow is squaring up to Reform
12 Jan 2026 at 5:36am
In the face of Nigel Farage, flag-waving and a longstanding housing crisis, some Glaswegians are taking on anti-immigration rhetoricSelina Hales has a thing about pineapples. She is talking in a quiet office, set aside from the bustle of Refuweegee, the charity she founded 10 years ago, and the w...

Software tackling deepfakes to be piloted for Scottish and Welsh elections
8 Jan 2026 at 6:07pm
Electoral Commission says tools to detect AI-generated content could be in place before campaigns beginElection officials are working ?at speed? with the Home Office on a pilot project to combat the use of deepfakes to target candidates standing in this year?s Scottish and Welsh elections.Officia...

Liz Kendall says Elon Musk?s X must urgently deal with ?appalling? sexualised...
6 Jan 2026 at 5:49pm
Science secretary says the deepfake content being produced on the platform is ?unacceptable in decent society?In her Today programme interview this morning Kemi Badenoch tried to outflank Nigel Farage on net zero scepticism by claiming (wrongly) that she started talking out this before he did.Ask...

No 10 suggests UK would not vote for UN security council resolution condemnin...
5 Jan 2026 at 6:10pm
PM?s spokesperson did not contest report claiming that the UK will abstain on a possible UN voteSpeaking to reporters this morning, Keir Starmer said Nicolás Maduro, who was president of Venezuela until he was arrested by the Americans on Saturday and taken to a US jail, was not a legitimate rule...

Scottish Labour urges Keir Starmer to stay out of Holyrood campaign
5 Jan 2026 at 2:53pm
Anas Sarwar says prime minister?s missteps have left party clear underdogs in run-up to May electionUK politics live ? latest updatesKeir Starmer and senior ministers have been urged by Scottish Labour to ?stay behind their doors? in Whitehall to avoid turning the next Holyrood election into a re...

Nativism and the disintegration of the UK
1 Jan 2026 at 5:07pm
With the weakening of pro-integration parties, Ben Wellings warns that the continuation of the UK in its current form cannot be taken for grantedStalking your editorial on the new political geography emerging in Britain (25 December) is the fear of disintegration. This is a political outcome that...

The Guardian view on May 2026 elections: a new political geography is coming ...
25 Dec 2025 at 5:30pm
Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today we look at the impact of devolution on growing volatility of party political allegianceNext year will be pivotal in British politics, and 7 May will be the point around which things pivot. Elections ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Reform?s Scottish ?leader? ? the FIFA Peace Prize of Scottish politics
15 Jan 2026 at 2:15pm
Spare a thought for poor wee Malkie Offord, over the years he’s thrown hundreds of thousands of pounds at the political scene in a bid to make himself relevant, firstly with his ludicrously misnamed and suspiciously well funded Vote No Borders astroturfing campaign during the 2014 independence referendum, a cringeworthy campaign which made no impact …

Reform?s failing charade and the three pronged attack on Westminster rule
14 Jan 2026 at 4:34pm
Perhaps Reform UK’s bubble is about to burst. Although the private company owned by Nigel Farage is still leading in the polls in England, the far right ghouls’ polling lead has been falling in recent weeks. On Tuesday the weekly Sky News poll from YouGov put Reform on 24% across the UK as a whole, …

Farage?s new tartan puppet
12 Jan 2026 at 8:00pm
On Monday, Nigel Farage preened his insufferably smug way through a press conference at which he introduced the latest opportunistic Tory defector to Reform UK. This time it was Nadhim Zahawi, who was very briefly the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson. Zahawi was later found to have paid a seven figure penalty to …

BBC Scotland, an anti-independence party in May?s Scottish election
11 Jan 2026 at 4:57pm
The parties are gearing up for May’s Scottish elections. On one side there’s the SNP and their frenemies the Scottish Greens – parties which disagree on many things but which share a common belief in the principle that the people of Scotland should be the sole arbiters of government policy in Scotland and the future …

The BBC?s shameful enabling of fascism
8 Jan 2026 at 3:56pm
The failure of the BBC to report fairly and without bias on Scottish politics is a regular theme in this blog and amongst other supporters of Scottish independence. The favouritism which the Corporation displays towards Nigel Farage and his ghouls is likewise well documented, especially on the disgrace to political broadcasting that is BBC Question …

A fake rebellion from a fake party
7 Jan 2026 at 11:28am
While we are distracted by Donald Trump’s attack on Venezuela, the kidnapping of its president and his threats to take over Greenland, here in Scotland the parties are getting into gear for the Holyrood election campaign. Anas Sarwar has got off the starting blocks with a carefully orchestrated ‘rebellion’ against his intensely unpopular boss, Keir …

Greenland, a nation, not an American possession
6 Jan 2026 at 4:46pm
With the Trump regime ramping up its threats against the Arctic nation of Greenland, it’s a good time to take a closer look at the history and culture of Greenland. Greenland is officially called Kalaallit Nunaat in the Greenlandic language, the language of the great majority of the country’s 57,000 population. Greenlandic, or Kalaallisut, is …

In May Scotland?s destiny is in our hands
5 Jan 2026 at 6:51pm
Speaking to SNP party members in Glasgow as the campaign for the Scottish elections in May starts to ramp up, First Minister John Swinney has said that the Scottish media should be ?livid? at the UK Government’s refusal to spell out the democratic route to a second independence referendum. If we lived in a normal …

The superpower of piracy
3 Jan 2026 at 5:22pm
The international rule of law has been on life support for some time. It was battered and bludgeoned by the West’s invasion of Iraq. Israel casually ignored international law as it pursued genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank while the West, most notably the USA and the UK, enabled Netanyahu and …

Making plans for Nigel in 2026
31 Dec 2025 at 2:37pm
It’s nice to end what has been at times a trying year with some good news. On a personal level, in 2025 my mum lost her battle with cancer, and my good friend and former neighbour Mary Docherty, a stalwart of the Glasgow North East SNP branch, passed away after a long illness. Both are …

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 'Albatraz'

This Ayr SNP MSP candidate makes ex-Labour minister look tired and visionless...
17 Jan 2026 at 10:52am
Above right, Siobhian Brown SNP candidate for the Ayr constituency, out leafleting, responds to the accusations from Scottish Labour that the SNP, after 19 years, is ‘tired & visionless.’ Full video at: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17tX9kcQs6/ I feel sure they know how much the devolution settlements firmly denies the Scottish Government the ability to be visionary and their attack, for tha...

Teachers vote goes against strike action ? leaders and media disappointed the...
16 Jan 2026 at 7:47pm
Yesterday BBC Scotland and the teachers union leaders were willing on the vote for a teachers’ strike ,then in the early afternoon today, they saw this: Workload Ballot Falls Foul of Soon-to-be Repealed Thresholds: EIS to Re-Ballot Members for Strike Created on: 16 Jan 2026 The EIS announced that its recent statutory industrial action ballot on teacher workload has become a victim of soon-to-be...

BBC, STV and the press not touching a story of the SNP?s attempts to limit ?t...
16 Jan 2026 at 2:05pm
Thus every kind their pleasure findThe savage and the tenderSome social join and leagues combineSome solitary wanderAvaunt away! the cruel swayTyrannic man’s dominionThe sportsman’s joy, the murdering cryThe fluttering gory pinion Now Westlin’ Wins by Robert Burns, 1786 Robert Burns, 200 years ago, a farmer unavoidably pragmatic about his animals you have to assume, seems to have had no time fo...

BBC Scotland desperately keen to headline their hoped for ?closure of almost ...
16 Jan 2026 at 2:03pm
BBC Scotland, 15 January 2025 from first thing. This captured at 10am. The following day it remained the headline story in the BBC Scotland inserts in BBC Breakfast. One of the teaching unions, the NAS UWT, had already given up because not enough members had voted but the BBC team still seem hopeful today that they might get some bad news they can connect to the Scottish Government. It’s now an...

BBC Scotland on lack of autism support today repeat Mail?s neglect of facts l...
16 Jan 2026 at 10:22am

Labour?s culture of bare-faced lying in elections, from Dumfries to Denbigh a...
15 Jan 2026 at 11:36pm
From BBC Scotland today: Sarwar apologises to campaigner misquoted on Labour leaflet – Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has given an “unequivocal apology” after a party leaflet was delivered to homes with a made-up quote from a maternity campaigner. Claire Fleming spoke out after her picture and a quote criticising NHS provision was posted out in Glasgow. Fleming is quoted on the leaflet sayi...

Shock as BBC UK use annual data to reveal that NHS Scotland did nearly twice ...
15 Jan 2026 at 11:23pm
On BBC News at 1pm today, revealing a decline in the number of hospital treatments carried out under Labour in 2025, from 7.4m to 7.31m. All things being equal, pro rata, that’d be around 730 000 in Scotland. According to Audit Scotland, no friend to the Scottish Government, the equivalent figure was 1.3m pushing twice as many. Source: https://audit.scot/publications/nhs-in-scotland-2025-financ...

Shock as BBC UK reveal that TWICE as many NHS England Type 1 A&E patients wai...
15 Jan 2026 at 11:20pm
On BBC News at 1pm today, revealing an increase in the number of A&E patients waiting 12 hours or more, to 10.5% under Labour in 2025. In NHS Scotland, the average was 5.5% marginally over half the number waiting 12 hours or more. Source: https://publichealthscotland.scot/healthcare-system/urgent-and-unscheduled-care/accident-and-emergency/main-points/all-ae-sites What did Jackie Baillie think ...

Police Chiefs confirm Scotland is victim of drug gangs from London, Birmingha...
15 Jan 2026 at 11:17pm
Thanks to stewartb for alerting us to this: From the National Police Chiefs Council (for England & Wales and with Police Scotland in attendance): the above graph makes clear the hard evidence that four major police forces in England have the evidence of a significant flow of drugs into Scotland by criminal groups in their areas. Notably, the reported presence of these gangs in 50 locations, fro...

Lifeline burned by State Governor ? 19 000 Canadian islanders with no bridges...
14 Jan 2026 at 9:15pm
The San Juan Islands are part of an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of San Juan County. In the archipelago, four islands ONLY are accessible to vehicular and foot traffic via the Washington State Ferries system. https...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Second independence referendum should be 'parked' says Scotland Reform leader...
18 Jan 2026 at 11:05am
Second independence referendum should be 'parked' says Scotland Reform leader  TheNational.scot

Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would ...
17 Jan 2026 at 5:03pm
Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would be green light for indyref2  Sky News

Scottish Greens unveil new three-point plan to achieve independence - The Herald
18 Jan 2026 at 10:55am
Scottish Greens unveil new three-point plan to achieve independence  The Herald

No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says - BBC
27 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says  BBC

Independence should be parked for a decade, says Reform's Malcolm Offord - Th...
18 Jan 2026 at 1:46pm
Independence should be parked for a decade, says Reform's Malcolm Offord  The Scotsman

Scottish parliament set for pro-independence majority after May elections: Po...
15 Jan 2026 at 11:23am
Scottish parliament set for pro-independence majority after May elections: Poll  Anadolu Ajans?

UK says pro-indy Scotland X accounts went silent as Iran cut net - The New Arab
17 Jan 2026 at 4:32pm
UK says pro-indy Scotland X accounts went silent as Iran cut net  The New Arab

The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage - politico.eu
13 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage  politico.eu

Scottish independence accounts go dark after Iran internet blackout - The Tel...
12 Jan 2026 at 4:07pm
Scottish independence accounts go dark after Iran internet blackout  The Telegraph

Scots should get another referendum, says First Minister as he warns Starmer ...
17 Jan 2026 at 11:05pm
Scots should get another referendum, says First Minister as he warns Starmer won't be PM if SNP win  MSN

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would ...
17 Jan 2026 at 5:03pm
Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would be green light for indyref2  Sky News

Graham Norton and Alan Cumming slam SNP's inaction on conversion therapy - Th...
18 Jan 2026 at 12:28pm
Graham Norton and Alan Cumming slam SNP's inaction on conversion therapy  TheNational.scot

'SNP gender ideology has stopped them fixing real issues like economy and tra...
18 Jan 2026 at 7:01am
'SNP gender ideology has stopped them fixing real issues like economy and transport'  The Herald

Scottish budget: SNP government cuts taxes for lowest earners | Scotland - Th...
13 Jan 2026 at 7:08pm
Scottish budget: SNP government cuts taxes for lowest earners | Scotland  The Guardian

SNP cannot ignore lawyers' warnings about access to justice in Scotland - The...
18 Jan 2026 at 6:00am
SNP cannot ignore lawyers' warnings about access to justice in Scotland  The Scotsman

Poland and Austria complete semi-final line-up at packed SNP Dome - EuroHockey
10 Jan 2026 at 1:09pm
Poland and Austria complete semi-final line-up at packed SNP Dome  EuroHockey

Billionaire brothers back Labour to oust ?frivolous? SNP - The Times
17 Jan 2026 at 4:55pm
Billionaire brothers back Labour to oust ?frivolous? SNP  The Times

Look beneath the buzzwords of the SNP budget - Midlothian View
18 Jan 2026 at 8:29am
Look beneath the buzzwords of the SNP budget  Midlothian View

John Swinney does not expect Sir Keir Starmer to still be in office at Christ...
18 Jan 2026 at 11:13am
John Swinney does not expect Sir Keir Starmer to still be in office at Christmas  London Evening Standard

Shared SNP effects across breeds increase the genomic prediction accuracy for...
26 Aug 2025 at 8:00am
Shared SNP effects across breeds increase the genomic prediction accuracy for numerically small breeds  Nature

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would ...
17 Jan 2026 at 5:03pm
Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would be green light for indyref2  Sky News

Second independence referendum should be 'parked', says Scotland Reform leade...
18 Jan 2026 at 11:01am
Second independence referendum should be 'parked', says Scotland Reform leader  Yahoo News UK

No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says - BBC
27 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says  BBC

Scottish parliament set for pro-independence majority after May elections: Po...
15 Jan 2026 at 11:23am
Scottish parliament set for pro-independence majority after May elections: Poll  Anadolu Ajans?

Scots should get another referendum, says First Minister as he warns Starmer ...
17 Jan 2026 at 11:05pm
Scots should get another referendum, says First Minister as he warns Starmer won't be PM if SNP win  MSN

UK says pro-indy Scotland X accounts went silent as Iran cut net - The New Arab
17 Jan 2026 at 4:32pm
UK says pro-indy Scotland X accounts went silent as Iran cut net  The New Arab

Nigel Farage says Scottish independence could be revisited 'in decades' - The...
15 Jan 2026 at 1:06pm
Nigel Farage says Scottish independence could be revisited 'in decades'  TheNational.scot

Scotland's first minister calls for second referendum if SNP win majority in ...
17 Jan 2026 at 4:11pm
Scotland's first minister calls for second referendum if SNP win majority in May | ITV News  ITVX

Scottish independence referendum possible if SNP wins majority, Swinney says ...
17 Jan 2026 at 6:33pm
Scottish independence referendum possible if SNP wins majority, Swinney says  lbc.co.uk

John Swinney: SNP Holyrood majority would warrant second independence referen...
17 Jan 2026 at 6:41pm
John Swinney: SNP Holyrood majority would warrant second independence referendum  The Independent