The Herald

The Herald | Politics


If the SNP can't be convinced on public sector reform, we've got a problem
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
22 Oct 2026 at 3:39pm
Ivan McKee faced backlash from within his own party, making the Scottish Government's public sector reform plans even tougher.


Homeless deaths data faces cut as Scotland battles housing emergency
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
22 Oct 2026 at 2:05pm
The National Records of Scotland is proposing to change how often it publishes official data on homeless and dementia deaths.


Stephen Flynn 'utterly failed' as settlement-linked firm continues in ScotRai...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
22 Oct 2026 at 10:45am
The Scottish organiser for the train drivers' union has accused Stephen Flynn of "tenuously hiding" behind process after it was decided a company linked to illegal Israeli settlements will not be removed from a ScotRail tender process


SNP opens door to voluntary NHS staff exits in major health board shake-up
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
22 Oct 2026 at 10:35am
NHS staff could be offered voluntary exits or redeployed under SNP plans to cut Scotland's health boards from 14 to two, new guidance reveals.


Edinburgh's unionist councillors back referendum ? on boundary changes to cap...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
22 Oct 2026 at 9:00am
Under proposals for public sector reform mooted by the government in September, Scotland?s current 32-council system could be replaced.


Luxury jeweller warns Scotland is losing investment to England over rates
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
22 Oct 2026 at 6:01am
ROX managing director Kyron Keogh warns Scotland risks losing investment to England amid concerns over business rates


Sir Tom Hunter warns Scotland's 'punishing' rates system is driving away inve...
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
22 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
Sir Tom Hunter has backed The Herald's Reset The Rates campaign, warning Scotland's business rates system is discouraging investment.


Jackdaw was the easy call. Rosebank will define this government's North Sea l...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
21 Oct 2026 at 7:13pm
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has approved the Jackdaw gasfield on a legal technicality, but the harder call ? Rosebank, seven times the carbon and majority export-bound ? now looms over Labour's North Sea policy.


Scottish Government urged to take stake in offshore wind as profits soar
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
21 Oct 2026 at 5:55pm
The Scottish Government has been urged to take a public stake in future offshore projects after Scottish Power's parent company reported profits of more than £2billion


Here's what passengers think of John Swinney's plans for the bus network
by Lauren Keenan
21 Oct 2026 at 4:44pm
Bus users in Glasgow have shared their opinions on the Scottish Government's latest public transport plans, as buses could return to public control


Miatta Fahnbulleh: 'I don't have the luxury of sitting on the fence' on North...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
21 Oct 2026 at 4:28pm
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh approved the Jackdaw gas field in Aberdeen on Wednesday, arguing homegrown gas beats carbon-heavy imports. She told The Herald there will be no delay on the larger Rosebank decision but admitted jobs are not being created fast enough.


'Great news for Aberdeen': Donald Trump applauds approval of Jackdaw gas field
by Nick Lester, Press Association US Editor in Washington DC
21 Oct 2026 at 2:51pm
Allowing new gas drilling in the North Sea is ?great news for the wealth and prosperity of the United Kingdom, and the wonderful region of Aberdeen?, Donald Trump has said.


Historic Environment Scotland launches voluntary redundancy scheme
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
21 Oct 2026 at 2:45pm
Historic Environment Scotland has launched a scheme of voluntary redundancy as part of an "organisational transformation"


WATCH: Speaker blasts ?shameful? handling of Jackdaw gas field announcement
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
21 Oct 2026 at 1:53pm
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle condemns Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh over the Jackdaw North Sea gas announcement, calling it ?shameful?.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Labour urged to approve Rosebank 'by Christmas' amid speculation oil project ...
22 Oct 2026 at 1:04pm

The Rosebank oil field development would have a much greater impact on the climate than the Jackdaw gas project

Energy chiefs set their sights on another gas field after ministers say they will speed up applications for ventures linked to existing infrastructure

It follows months of controversy and scandals at the organisation

Wings over Scotland

Faces In Sand
17 Oct 2026 at 3:53pm
Ladies and gentlemen, the next leader of the SNP. ? To be scrupulously fair to the huffing dolt-child, we suppose in grey, chilly Aberdeen there could be some confusion on the matter. But remarkably, the above isn’t even nearly the dumbest thing that’s happened (so far) at this year’s SNP conference. It’s probably not even …

The fight about to come
14 Oct 2026 at 3:20pm
The obvious question is “Why haven’t you made a bigger one in all that time?” Did it not seem important until now? Was there nothing significant going on? Or were they just a little short of cash for some unknowable reason? Still, Keith’s going to make a “launch” speech. He makes it every year. It’ll …

Still Time To Save Her
9 Oct 2026 at 2:32pm
We’ve just had an extraordinary email from Police Scotland, readers. Here it is. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the real-life Timecops. Operation Branchform was closed on 20 March 2025. Nicola Sturgeon gave her infamous interview to Laura Kuenssberg – stating that she would not be handing back any of the items gifted to her by Peter …

There May Be Justice
5 Oct 2026 at 12:40pm
In a little under three days, Phase 1 complete. Wings readers: still the best. But what now? A couple of people have asked about the “stretch target” on the website. That was something CrowdJustice asked for and the reason it’s so high is that that figure was our lawyers’ estimate of the total cost of …

The Love Of Big Brother
3 Oct 2026 at 1:24pm
We were trying to work out what this reminded us of. And the answer was in the same place it usually is. It all checks out. The SNP spend their time grooming your children and trying to make basic parenting a crime. They endorse “gender-affirming care” that sterilises them and will stop them ever having …

In The Eyes Of The Law
1 Oct 2026 at 2:15pm
Our fundraiser to bring a judicial review of Police Scotland’s decision not to charge anyone with embezzlement in the case of the SNP’s missing £700,000 indyref fund is now live, and can be reached by clicking on this image, or here. The target of £30,000 represents the cost of the initial application (with contingency for …

Whatever Can Have Happened?
30 Sep 2026 at 1:50pm
Yesterday afternoon John Swinney announced an independent review into the dual roles of Scotland’s main law officers, the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General, which have been a subject of great controversy since the Scottish Parliament was re-convened in 1999. Wings welcomes this development unequivocally, albeit we’re slightly concerned that the former judge leading the …

The Turning Point
28 Sep 2026 at 1:10pm
We don’t have much to say about this graph that it doesn’t say for itself. The arrest of Peter Murrell on 5 April 2023, just a couple of weeks after his wife had realised the game was up and walked away before the cops came round and put a big blue tent up on their …

Cowering From Destiny
24 Sep 2026 at 11:29am
Alert readers will recall that last year the SNP convened a summit in Glasgow for the sole purpose of uniting the nation in preventing Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister. The party also regularly tells us that to actually achieve independence, support would have to build to an overwhelming consensus into the 60-65% range, rather than …

His Majesty?s Loyal Sabre
21 Sep 2026 at 1:50pm
Funny how people change, isn’t it? That sounds a lot to us like “Bombs Not Bairns”. We watched the first episode of “The Wargame” at 2am this morning (it’s toe-curlingly bad, shot like a soft-focus corporate promo with three-second cuts, constant dramatic music and the politicians delivering wooden press-conference soundbites rather than any sense of …

Craig Murray

The Epidemic of Billionaires
21 Oct 2026 at 11:54am

It takes a lot to get tens of thousands of people to riot. For it to happen simultaneously across several countries points to a supranational underlying cause, as opposed to local grievance at an egregious state injustice. That the temporary collapse of authority and restraint will allow some opportunists to loot is an inevitable concomitant. …

The Epidemic of Billionaires

The Unjust State
15 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm

“Forget justice, it’s much too expensive and time consuming. Plus if you take the government to court, you will have to spend your own money, and we are saving you from that”. That is a fair summary of the judgement by Lords Pentland and Troy and Lady Wise in our appeal against the suspension of …

The Unjust State

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?
12 Oct 2026 at 10:29am

Tomorrow at 10am we get the judgement in our appeal against the suspension of the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. We cannot have won as the appeal – held by “urgent process” – was intended to allow a judicial review before the Supreme Court meets in the Ammori case on 4 …

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?

Fatuous False Flags
2 Oct 2026 at 10:16am

Rather than abandoning the plainly nuts Fairford narrative, Burnham and his government are doubling down on the claim it is an Iranian terror plot. It remains quite possible the men were indeed fuel thieves, simply stealing fuel from farms. They appear to have been equipped for fuel theft and all they were carrying was petrol. …

Fatuous False Flags

Losing My Religion
29 Sep 2026 at 12:07pm

I have lost faith both in Western social democracy, and in the institutions of international law. As both have been fundamental to the work of my life, this is rather a blow as I approach 70. A number of deeply shocking things have happened this past three years, not as extraneous events, but as conscious …

Losing My Religion

Palestine Action Judicial Review
23 Sep 2026 at 4:51pm

On Friday we have our appeal against the suspension of the Palestine Action judicial review in Scotland. Our legal crowdfunder has been closed down by the card processors following Trump’s designation of Palestine Action as a global terrorist organisation. https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/scottish-challenge-to-proscription/dashboard/ If you can, please come to the Court of Session in Edinburgh for 10am. If …

Palestine Action Judicial Review

BBC Scotland

Burnham defends Jackdaw decision as Badenoch urges PM to overturn ban on new ...
21 Oct 2026 at 4:36pm
The UK government says the field, which is opposed by environmental campaigners, could be producing gas by the end of this month.

Is the UK set to green-light a huge untapped oil field?
22 Oct 2026 at 7:09am
Scotland editor James Cook visits Rosebank - the UK's largest known untapped oilfield - in the North Atlantic.

Chris Mason: Jackdaw approved but tricky energy trade-offs remain
21 Oct 2026 at 9:49am
Jackdaw and Rosebank are case studies in the slow motion awkwardness the UK has over energy.

What is happening with the Jackdaw and Rosebank gas and oil fields?
21 Oct 2026 at 8:55am
The UK government has moved a step closer to making a decision on whether to approve further drilling.

Councils and NHS boards take websites offline after security alert
22 Oct 2026 at 7:36am
Website owners worldwide were urged to take precautions while a fix was rolled out to make systems more secure.

Reform leader accuses MSP of 'squatting' in seat after resignation
20 Oct 2026 at 4:57pm
Malcolm Offord says he is 'disappointed' at Amanda Bland's decision to leave the party and sit as an independent.

BBC Scotland TV channel to close amid cuts to services
20 Oct 2026 at 5:14pm
The station, which started in February 2019, will move to BBC iPlayer in spring next year.

Should Scotland look to London and Manchester for inspiration on buses?
20 Oct 2026 at 5:56am
John Swinney has been compared to a dictator over plans to bring the network under public control, but is he onto something?

Hundreds of holiday lets operating without planning permission
20 Oct 2026 at 5:55am
Hundreds of holiday-let properties are operating in Edinburgh despite being refused planning permission, new figures show.

Reform MSP quits party to sit as independent
19 Oct 2026 at 5:28pm
Amanda Bland's decision relegates the party to the third-largest group at Holyrood, with one member fewer than Labour.

'Lack of detail and serious concerns' over Scottish government bus plans
19 Oct 2026 at 1:44pm
The first minister outlined plans to bring buses under public control through franchising and regulation..

Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham
17 Oct 2026 at 4:36pm
The first minister also used his SNP conference speech to announce plans for Scotland's bus network to be brought under public control.

Scot Goes Pop

The BBC, realising they haven't betrayed Scotland quite hard enough yet, anno...
21 Oct 2026 at 12:07pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *Just a reminder that the YouTube videos I create are unlikely to ever produce...

How did we end up with such a poor media? STV can't even get the basics righ...
20 Oct 2026 at 11:58am
I haven't watched any TV news over the last few days, so my main knowledge of the McGill's meltdown comes indirectly from social media, but I've just watched a full three-minute report from STV New...

GOD BLESS MOTHER NATURE! It's raining Survation polls showing Scotland wants ...
19 Oct 2026 at 7:33am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

52% support for independence - 14-point lead for SNP - new Scottish poll is C...
15 Oct 2026 at 10:35pm

I'm standing in this week's SNP internal elections - I believe we have a duty...
14 Oct 2026 at 12:57pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.

Nick Robinson and the dehumanisation of Palestinians demanded by official BBC...
11 Oct 2026 at 8:42am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Sky News goes full Pravda in its coverage of the Holborn & St Pancras by-elec...
9 Oct 2026 at 1:04pm
Holborn & St Pancras by-election result (8th October 2026):Labour 45.2% (-3.7)Greens 32.8% (+22.4)Conservatives 7.1% (-0.1)Reform UK 5.9% (-0.2)Liberal Democrats 3.4% (-2.4)Restore Britain 2.5% (n/...

Tories' plan to impose new nuclear power stations on Scotland means they have...
7 Oct 2026 at 2:39am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Will the Rosebank oil field off Shetland be approved?
22 Oct 2026 at 10:22am
It's a yes for Jackdaw ? but now, attention is turning to the second landmark project in the North Sea

Ring-fence energy fund for North East of Scotland, says Swinney
21 Oct 2026 at 7:49pm
The call comes after the Jackdaw gas field near Aberdeen was approved by the UK Government

Chancellor to consider removing standing charges from gas bills
21 Oct 2026 at 12:24pm
It comes as the Prime Minister defended the decision to approve the Jackdaw gas field

What does UK Jackdaw approval mean for you, jobs and bills?
21 Oct 2026 at 7:31am
The fate of the largest undeveloped gas field in the North Sea has been hanging in the balance

North Sea Jackdaw gas field decision expected imminently
20 Oct 2026 at 5:26pm
The UK Government is due to make an announcement about the controversial North Sea project

Easdale dictator comparisons ?ludicrous?, says Swinney
20 Oct 2026 at 10:10am
Within hours of the bus reform announcement, John Swinney was compared to Robert Mugabe and Idi Amin

Scottish Reform candidates ?have to delete their Facebooks?
20 Oct 2026 at 9:36am
Among swathes of racist and sexist comments, the party's attempts to tighten up vetting simply hadn't worked

Indian market a ?golden opportunity? for Scottish food and drink firms ? Swinney
20 Oct 2026 at 7:38am
The First Minister will spend a week in the country where he will seek to ?build connections and seize opportunities?.

John Swinney tells McGill?s to ?watch language? after being compared to dicta...
19 Oct 2026 at 1:30pm
Bus firm boss condemned John Swinney's proposals as 'business confiscation'

Labour move to second largest party in Scotland after Reform Scotland MSP quits
19 Oct 2026 at 11:48am
The resignation means that Scottish Labour are now the second largest party in the Parliament, relegating Reform to third

Reform admits ?errors? as police assess if election spending rules were broken
18 Oct 2026 at 1:14pm
It has been reported that four candidates for the Scottish Parliament did not submit returns on how much they spent on campaigns

Swinney compared to dictator over plans to bring buses under public control
18 Oct 2026 at 1:11pm
McGill's Group, owned by Sandy and James Easdale, condemned the proposals as 'business confiscation'

Buses to be brought under public control by 2031, says John Swinney
17 Oct 2026 at 5:33pm
Legislation will be tabled at Holyrood next year

John Swinney tells SNP conference of drive to deliver independence for his son
17 Oct 2026 at 5:06pm
The Scottish First Minister and SNP leader closed his party?s annual conference in Aberdeen

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Jackdaw gas field to supply Scots homes within weeks as Andy Burnham pledges ...
21 Oct 2026 at 7:09am
The Prime Minister said the major development off the coast of Aberdeen will "boost our energy security, back British workers... and bring down bills".

Controversial Jackdaw gas field in North Sea set to be finally approved by UK...
20 Oct 2026 at 6:46pm
Jackdaw is one of two major North Sea projects which backers claim will provide greater energy security for the UK as well as boosting Scotland's economy.

SNP slams 'despicable' benefits advice websites conning vulnerable Scots out ...
19 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Shirley-Anne Somerville hit out after the Record first reported on the worrying trend of poor Scots agreeing to hand over a percentage of their pay-outs to third parties.

Energy bills support options for terminally ill Scots stuck in fuel poverty s...
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
John Swinney's government has backed the Sunday Mail's campaign to protect terminally ill patients from soaring fuel costs.

Councils 'receive no correspondence' from Scot Gov on monster AI data centre ...
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Scots campaigners will take to the streets in their thousands next month opposing the controversial developments.

Major new North Sea gas field at Jackdaw 'to be approved by Andy Burnham this...
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Senior industry sources told the Sunday Mail the controversial project off the coast of Aberdeen is set for the green light.

John Swinney ignores Peter Murrell elephant in the room in SNP conference speech
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
In his keynote address to the SNP faithful who were embezzled by Murrell, Swinney talked about independence and buses.

Bus services across Scotland to be brought under 'public control' by 2031, cl...
17 Oct 2026 at 4:14pm
The First Minister announced "by the end of this Parliament, through franchising and regulation, the SNP will bring the bus network back into public control".

Andy Burnham will deliver Devolution 2.0 to empower communities across Scotland
17 Oct 2026 at 9:15am
Writing for the Record, the Secretary of State for Scotland says the centralisation of powers at Holyrood has left the country in a "strange place".

Donald Trump sacks White House Press Secretary after disastrous week
16 Oct 2026 at 7:03pm
Katie Zacharia's time as White House Press Secretary lasted just five days as she faced questions about her qualifications

The National

The National | Politics

Comedian Marc Jennings gives brutal verdict on demise of BBC Scotland channel
22 Oct 2026 at 4:16pm

THE demise of the BBC Scotland channel could be seen ?coming for miles off?, Scottish comedian Marc Jennings has said, arguing that programmes would have been better served on BBC One and BBC Two

'Stop Rosebank' protesters target UK Government offices in Edinburgh
22 Oct 2026 at 3:58pm

PROTESTERS have targeted the UK Government's offices in Edinburgh calling for development of the Rosebank oil field to be blocked

SNP call out BBC as Question Time 'to debate Scotland without Scottish voice'
22 Oct 2026 at 3:07pm

THE SNP have hit out at the BBC ahead of a Question Time show which is due to debate Scottish oil and gas without any Scottish representation on the panel ...

US spy-tech firm Palantir 'monitoring and intimidating MPs who speak against it'
22 Oct 2026 at 2:16pm

US spy-tech firm Palantir has been accused of ?intimidation? after writing letters to MPs who raised concerns about its involvement with the UK Government ...

Scottish Greens consider supporting new nuclear power stations in major polic...
22 Oct 2026 at 1:36pm

The Scottish Greens are set to vote on whether to support nuclear power at their upcoming party conference

Reform UK branded ?sinister? for reporting journalists to police over expose
22 Oct 2026 at 1:52pm

REFORM UK has been accused of bullying journalists after it reported ITV to the police following the broadcaster?s expose which revealed racist remarks by members of the party

Train drivers issue ultimatum as SNP let Israel-linked firm bid for Scottish ...
22 Oct 2026 at 1:00pm

TRANSPORT Secretary Stephen Flynn has become embroiled in a row with Scottish train drivers after he refused to prevent a company involved with Israel?s illegal settlement of Palestinian land from bidding for public contracts ...

Energy Secretary 'likely to reject Rosebank as oil will be exported', reports...
22 Oct 2026 at 11:43am

THE Energy Secretary is likely to refuse consent for the Rosebank oil field, reports say ...

SNP hit out as Chancellor admits North Sea wealth fund 'would be worth £1 tri...
22 Oct 2026 at 10:57am

UK politicians ?tried to pull the wool over the eyes of the Scottish people?, the SNP have said, after the Chancellor admitted that a North Sea sovereign wealth fund would today be worth around £1 trillion.

Over 10,000 objections to plans for 'world's largest data centre campus' in S...
22 Oct 2026 at 10:14am

More than 10,000 people have lodged objections to the proposed hyperscale data centre campus in Chapelcross

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Hart of the matter ? who pays for deer management?
22 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
SCOTLAND: The Big Picture?s Fiadh project is aiming to catalyse fresh conversations around the often contentious subject of deer management.

Secure Jackdaw funds for Scotland, John Swinney urges Andy Burnham
21 Oct 2026 at 4:08pm
Anger from Commons Speaker over announcement to media

UK Government approves Jackdaw gas field
21 Oct 2026 at 9:05am
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said it was a ?win for Aberdeen?

Preventing poverty and its consequences: why we must close the take-up gap fo...
21 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
The moral and economic case for putting money into people?s pockets and millions of pounds into Scotland?s communities is clear, now it is time for action.

Google Cloud services mostly resolved after outage affects banks and businesses
20 Oct 2026 at 6:00pm
Google said the incident was caused by a "power event" which impacted data centres in London which began affecting services around 7am

BBC Scotland TV channel axed as broadcaster seeks ?500m savings
20 Oct 2026 at 4:31pm
The SNP has urged bosses to rethink the decision to move the channel online

Scotland's heat transition is stalling ? it needs a route that works for ever...
20 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
As Scotland?s gas network, we know the transition to a lower carbon economy requires solutions that work for every household and business, particularly when it comes to decarbonising home heating.

Blow to Reform UK as first MSP quits Holyrood group
19 Oct 2026 at 1:00pm
Amanda Bland's decision pushes Reform into third place behind Scottish Labour

Smart meters: helping households take control of their energy
19 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
There?s never been a better time for households to be more in control of their energy ? smart meters are a good place to start.

Stephen Gethins: Scotland ?in danger of being left behind? on energy security
17 Oct 2026 at 7:20pm
Stephen Gethins warned that not being a part of the single market puts ?our business at a competitive disadvantage?

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

No 10: Hegseth ?wrong? to say most non-US Nato soldiers didn?t fight in Afgha...
19 Oct 2026 at 5:18pm
Downing Street delivered a rare rebuke to a senior member of Donald Trump?s administrationAsked why the Lib Dems were opposed to a third runway at Heathrow when they professed to be in favour of growth, Cooper said she did not accept that a third runway would produce all the benefits its supporte...

SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun?
17 Oct 2026 at 4:45pm
John Swinney tells party conference SNP will use ?six-figure war chest? to renew argument for leaving UKJohn Swinney has said that the second referendum campaign for Scottish independence ?has already begun?, revealing a nationwide effort to renew the argument for leaving the UK in his keynote ad...

Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference?
15 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
Prime minister presents new kind of challenge for SNP, and his Scottish visit will loom large over its big eventThis year, even Andy Burnham is invited to the Scottish National party conference. But by the time John Swinney stands up to address members on Saturday afternoon in Aberdeen to reinvig...

Burnham tells Zelenskyy?s UK?s support for Ukraine ?will not change? ? as it ...
14 Oct 2026 at 6:06pm
Zelenskyy says he will be discussing intelligence sharing ?difficulties? and Starlink access with BurnhamPMQs is about to start.Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.After @genevieve_holl reported this last night, various sources in the Trump administration who are supportive of Farage s...

MI5 chief Ken McCallum confirms Russia did interfere in Brexit referendum but...
13 Oct 2026 at 5:23pm
He argued there was no evidence to suggest the result of the Brexit vote had been swayed as a result of the effortAndy Burnham promises ?serious dialogue? over UK?s relationship with EUZia Yusuf, Reform UK?s home affairs spokesperson, has said he does not agree with his colleague Suella Braverman...

UK politics live: Pat McFadden tells Labour activists they should not defend ...
27 Sep 2026 at 6:11pm
Work and pensions secretary says the current system is flawed because it consigns too many people to a life on benefits when they would be better off working?I can deliver?: Burnham pledges radical change on eve of Labour conferenceKuenssberg puts it to Burnham that, according to the Health Found...

New powerful synthetic opioids behind sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths
23 Sep 2026 at 2:12pm
Eleven per cent increase in fatalities last year partly down to presence of nitazenes in Scotland?s illicit drug marketNew forms of a powerful synthetic opioid have contributed to a sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths, with the latest data showing an 11% increase in fatalities last yearAnnual figu...

Scottish Labour?s new leader backs Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gasfields
19 Sep 2026 at 1:52pm
Michael Marra supports development of the North Sea sites, calling for a ?more rational? approach to energy policyScottish Labour?s new leader Michael Marra has backed the development of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gasfields in the North Sea in one of his first acts after being elected, call...

Planning permission for new Scottish AI datacentres suspended for up to a year
16 Sep 2026 at 7:28pm
MSPs vote for strict environmental impact assessments and will delay decisions until national strategy is developedHolyrood has voted to pause planning applications for all new AI datacentres for up to a year until the Scottish government has developed a national strategy.On Wednesday, MSPs backe...

UK politics: Farage hints that Reform?s £72m donations may not be legal under...
14 Sep 2026 at 6:04pm
In an interview about the donations, he said they are compliant with the law ?today?Andy Burnham has cancelled engagements today and tomorrow following the death of his father Roy, who was suffering from Alzheimer?s, the Press Association reports.Burnham has spoken about his father?s illness whic...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The BBC, switching off Scotland
21 Oct 2026 at 1:57pm
The BBC has announced that the BBC Scotland channel is to close in spring 2027 as part of its cost-cutting measures. Also ceasing linear broadcasting will be BBC Three and BBC Radio 4 Extra. The channels will become online only. The BBC Scotland Channel was established in 24 February 2019, replacing the BBC Two Scotland …

Buses, indy and Reform?s implosion
19 Oct 2026 at 2:16pm
Despite BBC Scotland doing its best to ignore or marginalise the recent SNP conference in Aberdeen, the SNP have come out from their conference, united, confident and energised with a batch of eye-catching policies which are likely to be popular with the public, not the least of which is the commitment to take Scotland’s bus …

Pulling Focus
17 Oct 2026 at 10:47am
It’s a sign of how spooked they are by the Celtic Alliance and the question of Scottish independence that just won’t go away that both Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch decided to pay visits to Scotland during the SNP conference in desperate and transparent attempts to pull focus, like a narcissistic mother with a bad …

It?s time to abolish the Scotland Office
16 Oct 2026 at 1:06pm
On the first day of the SNP conference, the membership voted overwhelmingly for the abolition of the Scotland Office and the post of Secretary of state for Scotland, also known as the Scottish Secretary. The vote was of course symbolic as the Scotland Office is a department of the Westminster government while its head, the …

SNP conference, day 1 and the Choose Scotland campaign
15 Oct 2026 at 2:46pm
It’s sod’s law. Just as the SNP party conference gets underway and the biggest push for independence in a decade has been announced, WordPress, the platform this blog uses, has implemented an update which has run into some glitches and is preventing many people from being able to post comments or replies. If you are …

Emily Thornberry?s EU English exceptionalism
14 Oct 2026 at 3:53pm
Labour MP Emily Thornberry has suggested that the UK could rejoin the EU without another referendum to overturn the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum. Speaking to Sky News, she said the majority agree that Brexit was a disaster and the UK should just rejoin the EU, another referendum is not necessary in her view. …

The SNP is right to maintain its boycott of the Lords
13 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
Last week, the SNP’s former Westminster leader Ian Blackford, speaking to The National newspaper’s podcast, suggested that the party’s refusal to take any seat in Westminster?s upper chamber was a weakness as it left them with “no way of affecting legislation in that House”. While insisting that he accepts the long standing SNP policy of …

Sticking with the status quo isn?t working
12 Oct 2026 at 2:53pm
Andy Burnham has decided to reopen the question of the UK’s relationship with the EU, telling MPs on Monday that it is time to “face up to the reality that Brexit has done more harm than good” and “the status quo is not good enough for Britain,” and that and “the status quo isn’t working …

America?s moral turpitude is infesting British politics
10 Oct 2026 at 2:58pm
I don’t usually blog about America unless it directly affects or involves Scotland, but for the latest example of how far that once great country has fallen into moral turpitude under Trump, I’ll make an exception. The very same people who had a collective meltdown over the sight of a Black mermaid or Black Helen …

Badenoch has killed off the once in a generation claim
7 Oct 2026 at 1:51pm
The Tories have officially ripped up the Vow to which they were signatories in 2014. This was the panicked promise made by the Better Together parties – one of which was the Conservatives – two days before the independence referendum which promised extensive new powers for Scotland, quasi-federal status, a guarantee that the Scottish Parliament …

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

Eradicating child poverty costs nothing in the long term because everything d...
22 Oct 2026 at 4:59pm
In the Guardian in December 2024: The news that more than one in three children in the UK are now living in poverty should shock everyone but surprise no one. Nearly three years into the cost of living crisis, we know that young families and disabled people have been among those hit hardest by the biggest fall in UK living standards in half a century. The latest estimates, by the non-partisan S...

The BBC did report Professor Dorling more fully and how the Child Payment cos...
22 Oct 2026 at 4:58pm
In October 2023, after Professor Dorling’s fulsome praise for the SNP’s Child Payment, BBC Wales had Prof Danny Dorling, of Oxford University, said the Scottish payment was the most significant attempt to tackle child poverty seen anywhere in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall. “It is clearly the most direct way to help people,” he said. “The parents of children, and especially their moth...

How the SNP?s ?Biggest success story in social policy in the UK for 40 years ...
22 Oct 2026 at 4:56pm
A quick, one-day Twitterpoll of 306 suggests that just over 90% of Talking-up Scotland followers had not heard these words, from 2023, reported here two days ago : To my mild embarrassment, I had been aware of him saying something positive about Scotland’s unique child payment, but had not thought to watch the whole comment until being reminded of it by a Freedom of Information report from the ...

Trying to light a two-year-old damp squib as police officer injuries fall fro...
22 Oct 2026 at 12:03pm
BBC Scotland today, trying to scare the old folk, like me, with a complete failure to inform us. Was there a lot of trouble last year? No. The year before? No. Less than a week ago, that other tabloid medium, the Daily Record tried to light the same damp squib. The answer is the same: On 6 November 2025: Police say there was a ?notable? reduction in Bonfire Night disorder with the number of cal...

BBC UK?s troubled sibling, squirming like a toad in Fort Pacific Quay, is cle...
22 Oct 2026 at 10:38am
I happened to spot the above in a wee advert for the BBC, reminding us that only it can be trusted to prepare us to go out into the world knowing what faces us. The prevailing south-westerlies must be blowing away from England, the stench of moral decay in Pacific Quay just along the Clyde from a giant sewage works. Is that why they put the BBC Scotland HQ there? Mind you, they got upwind while...

As police officers in England & Wales become ?too exhausted? Scotland has 23...
22 Oct 2026 at 10:02am
Across BBC TV News and the tabloids including The Sun, today, the above and: FOUR out of every five cops are feeling stressed over workloads, a survey reveals today. And more than three-quarters of them say they are too exhausted to perform their duties properly. The rank-and-file Police Federation of England and Wales has declared a public health emergency in policing. Acting deputy national c...

Scottish Government advised care homes to isolate discharged hospital patient...
21 Oct 2026 at 9:44pm
By stewartb The Covid Inquiry report on care homes identifies multiple, alleged ?failings? by government bodies and ministers. But whilst it makes clear the invidious decisions and trade-offs that faced the authorities, it seems to avoid drawing what is ? perhaps to the lay person ? the obvious conclusion that there was no ideal, harm-free approach to mitigating risks to care home residents AND...

Due to 40% greater inspection frequency and other factors such as earlier iso...
21 Oct 2026 at 9:43pm
A quick one. In the period prior to the pandemic, England inspected 8 155 hospitals, care homes and other healthcare-related places with a particular emphasis on infection control in the light of annual flu outbreaks, sometimes deadly. All things being equal with just under a tenth of the population, you might expect the inspections figure in Scotland to be around 820 but it was 1 129, nearly 4...

Nearly six years ago 5 research studies found scale of Covid deaths was large...
21 Oct 2026 at 2:19pm
Again, I?ve lost track of how many times I?ve countered that myth about hospital discharges causing care home outbreaks but, one more time quickly: There is no evidence at all that any of the discharges of hospital cases into care homes caused any of the outbreaks in those homes. There are repeated research reports showing that agency staff working in more than one of the, especially, larger co...

Not a word on hospital discharges in first of deadly care home inspections in...
21 Oct 2026 at 1:42pm
In December 2020, as deaths began to rise again in care homes and opposition parties returned to the smell of blood they detected from their ?common sense? unqualified notion that hospital discharges must be responsible, the Care Inspectorate applied to cancel the registration of Thornlea Nursing Home in Loanhead Midlothian. There was no mention of hospital discharges as a suspected cause of in...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

John Redwood: Scottish independence is a mistake - Conservative Home
21 Oct 2026 at 6:30am
John Redwood: Scottish independence is a mistake  Conservative Home

SNP and Greens are coming together on independence. Now we need to go further...
21 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
SNP and Greens are coming together on independence. Now we need to go further  The National Scot

Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham - BBC
17 Oct 2026 at 6:01pm
Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham  BBC

Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda - The Spoke...
18 Oct 2026 at 3:05am
Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda  The Spokesman-Review

Burnham invites Swinney to work together on 'deeper Scottish devolution' - BBC
16 Oct 2026 at 3:36pm
Burnham invites Swinney to work together on 'deeper Scottish devolution'  BBC

Burnham rules out second Scottish independence referendum - The Telegraph
16 Oct 2026 at 3:40pm
Burnham rules out second Scottish independence referendum  The Telegraph

Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same - Calgary J...
20 Oct 2026 at 1:52am
Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same  Calgary Journal

Burnham Inadvertently Reinvigorates Scottish Separatism - The American Conser...
21 Oct 2026 at 5:01am
Burnham Inadvertently Reinvigorates Scottish Separatism  The American Conservative

Swinney insists 'stars are aligning' for Scottish independence - Yahoo
17 Oct 2026 at 9:17am
Swinney insists 'stars are aligning' for Scottish independence  Yahoo

?Stars are aligning? for Scottish independence, Swinney to tell SNP conferenc...
17 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
?Stars are aligning? for Scottish independence, Swinney to tell SNP conference  The Scotsman

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Medicare Advantage's next golden goose: Special Needs Plans - Modern Healthcare
22 Oct 2026 at 4:06pm
Medicare Advantage's next golden goose: Special Needs Plans  Modern Healthcare

SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun? - T...
17 Oct 2026 at 6:25pm
SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun?  The Guardian

SNP call out BBC as Question Time 'to debate Scotland without Scottish voice'...
22 Oct 2026 at 3:26pm
SNP call out BBC as Question Time 'to debate Scotland without Scottish voice'  The National Scot

SNP opens door to voluntary NHS staff exits in major health board shake-up - ...
22 Oct 2026 at 10:53am
SNP opens door to voluntary NHS staff exits in major health board shake-up  The Herald

The Scottish National Party turns to the right - The Economist
19 Oct 2026 at 5:12pm
The Scottish National Party turns to the right  The Economist

Former Scottish National Party chief Peter Murrell pleads guilty to embezzlin...
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Former Scottish National Party chief Peter Murrell pleads guilty to embezzling $920,000  RNZ

SNP splits emerge as John Swinney sits on the fence over Jackdaw - The Times
21 Oct 2026 at 7:50pm
SNP splits emerge as John Swinney sits on the fence over Jackdaw  The Times

SNP urged to oppose new oil and gas - Scottish Greens
20 Oct 2026 at 8:21am
SNP urged to oppose new oil and gas  Scottish Greens

SNP hit out as Chancellor admits North Sea wealth fund 'would be worth £1 tri...
22 Oct 2026 at 11:07am
SNP hit out as Chancellor admits North Sea wealth fund 'would be worth £1 trillion'  The National Scot

Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference? - The Guar...
16 Oct 2026 at 10:36am
Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference?  The Guardian

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same - Calgary J...
20 Oct 2026 at 1:52am
Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same  Calgary Journal

Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda - The Spoke...
18 Oct 2026 at 3:05am
Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda  The Spokesman-Review

Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham - BBC
17 Oct 2026 at 6:01pm
Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham  BBC

Edinburgh's unionist councillors back referendum ? on boundary changes to cap...
22 Oct 2026 at 8:57am
Edinburgh's unionist councillors back referendum ? on boundary changes to capital  The Herald

'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum - BBC
15 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum  BBC

Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda - Bloomberg.com
17 Oct 2026 at 5:10pm
Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda  Bloomberg.com

John Redwood: Scottish independence is a mistake - Conservative Home
21 Oct 2026 at 6:30am
John Redwood: Scottish independence is a mistake  Conservative Home

SNP and Greens are coming together on independence. Now we need to go further...
21 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
SNP and Greens are coming together on independence. Now we need to go further  The National Scot

Andy Burnham?s speech a distraction from anti-democratic block on independenc...
16 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
Andy Burnham?s speech a distraction from anti-democratic block on independence referendum, say Greens  Scottish Greens

John Swinney says stars are aligning for independence. His party isn?t so sur...
17 Oct 2026 at 5:03pm
John Swinney says stars are aligning for independence. His party isn?t so sure  The Times