The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Protesters swarm US consulate in Edinburgh call for release of Maduro
by Rachel Keenan
10 Jan 2026 at 2:39pm
The protest was held following the attack on the South American country last week


Greens call on Government to bring in ?mansion tax? in Budget
by Katrine Bussey
10 Jan 2026 at 1:48pm
The policy, Mr Greer claims, could raise £125 million for local services every year


John Swinney angers medics with remarks on A&E corridor care levels
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
10 Jan 2026 at 6:00am
John Swinney has angered senior medics after he claimed corridor care conditions in A&E were "sustainable".


'Not racist': Reform MSP defends Nigel Farage amid controversial remarks
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
10 Jan 2026 at 5:30am
Nigel Farage and Reform UK are not ?racist?, the party?s only MSP has said amid intense scrutiny.


More than 100 sex workers sign open letter to MSPs opposing 'dangerous' Regan...
10 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
A total of 120 sex workers have signed an open letter to MSPs urging them to oppose Ash Regan's 'Unbuyable Bill' which they argue will put them at further risk of violence.


Labour funding shake-up puts Glasgow jobs schemes in 'serious jeopardy' warns...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
10 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
Susan Aitken warns Labour?s Local Growth Fund risks cutting jobs and community programmes across Glasgow City Region.


?Half my twenties were wasted?: Woman waiting years for gynaecology care in S...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
10 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
A woman stuck waiting for gynaecological care has told The Herald that half of her twenties have been wasted in pain and uncertainty, as experts warn Scotland?s gynaecology waiting lists are at crisis levels.


FM takes court action to stop release of secret Sturgeon files
9 Jan 2026 at 7:27pm
John Swinney's government has lodged a court challenge against the Scottish Information Commissioner's decision to order the release of secret evidence given to the James Hamilton investigation into Nicola Sturgeon following a long running freedom of information.


Obituary: Denis Robertson Sullivan, teacher and political activist
by Zillah Byng-Thorne
9 Jan 2026 at 6:05pm
Denis Robertson Sullivan, a towering figure in Scottish public life, passed away peacefully on 3rd January 2026


Scotland's second largest council won't offer its staff World Cup public holiday
by craig.williams@newsquest.co.uk | Craig Williams
9 Jan 2026 at 4:57pm
The second largest council in Scotland is not planning to offer its staff the World Cup public holiday proposed by the First Minister, The Herald can reveal.


'Absolute rubbish' to suggest Reform UK supports Scottish independence, MSP says
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
9 Jan 2026 at 4:00pm
Reform UK MSP Graham Simpson has said it is 'absolute rubbish' to suggest that his party supports a second independence referendum despite comments made this week.


John Swinney says he is concerned his teenage son may have to fight in a war
by Craig Paton
9 Jan 2026 at 3:59pm
Scotland?s First Minister has said he is concerned his teenage son Matthew may have to fight in a war as he expressed ?anxiety? at the state of the world.


Independent Scotland would send troops to Ukraine says First Minister
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
9 Jan 2026 at 7:05am
John Swinney says he would be willing to send troops from an independent Scotland to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force


Shipbuilding unions demand procurement overhaul after £200m Navy contract sen...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
9 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
Scottish shipbuilding unions have urged the UK Government to urgently overhaul defence procurement rules after a £200 million Royal Navy support fleet contract was awarded overseas without British shipyards being invited to bid.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Protest against arrest of Venezuelan President held outside US consulate in E...
10 Jan 2026 at 2:36pm

Protesters have gathered outside the US consulate in Edinburgh to demonstrate against the arrest and detention of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) has said that companies across all sectors in the country are facing ?dramatic jumps? after business rates were revalued.

A Labour MP said that the ?handful? who were privately pushing for Wes Streeting to replace the Prime Minister were known to ?the whole Scottish group?.

The First Minister is appealing a ruling by the information watchdog

Wings over Scotland

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 …

Contempt Of Government
19 Dec 2025 at 11:47am
This is actually pretty serious. Because, y’know, you can call us old-fashioned purists or sticklers or whatever if you like, but government ministers probably shouldn’t openly lie in prepared statements to the High Court in order to pervert the course of justice. And this is as clear a knowing, deliberate lie as you could hope …

The Idiot Rodeo
14 Dec 2025 at 2:12pm
As recently as this weekend, the Scottish Government claimed that it has “made clear it accepts the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland and is taking forward the detailed work necessary”. But as with so much the Scottish Government says, it’s a barefaced lie. And we know that not just from its total inaction, …

Craig Murray

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

Your Party, and Its Conference
9 Dec 2025 at 1:14am

It is probably no bad thing that health struggles have delayed my writing up Your Party’s extraordinary Liverpool founding conference. Perspective is definitely helpful to process something unique. Personally, I could not help but be struck by the number of participants who approached me as regular readers of my blog, certainly well into three figures. …

Your Party, and Its Conference

The Filton Trial
7 Dec 2025 at 8:35pm

“The policewoman attacked by a sledgehammer” has been the constant refrain of the government against Palestine Action. A couple of days before the judicial review of the proscription in England, and despite fierce reporting restrictions on the trial, the prosecution released to the media highly edited video footage from the current trial in Woolwich Crown …

The Filton Trial

The Terrifying Case of Natalie Strecker
2 Dec 2025 at 8:30am

I am confident that over 2 million people in the UK have shared thoughts on the Genocide in Gaza that are stronger than anything Natalie Strecker has expressed. I am quite certain that I am one of those 2 million. Yet Natalie Strecker, an avowed pacifist, today faces up to ten years in prison under …

The Terrifying Case of Natalie Strecker

BBC Scotland

Doctors strike called off as union backs latest pay deal
9 Jan 2026 at 4:06pm
Medics had been set to go on the first national walkout staged by NHS workers on Tuesday in a dispute over pay.

Ministers 'concealed' they had no money to build bypass - MSP
9 Jan 2026 at 2:16pm
The claim was made by former SNP MSP Fergus Ewing, who broke away from the party after falling out with colleagues over oil and gas, gender and roads.

Swinney would send Scots troops to Ukraine if peace agreed
9 Jan 2026 at 6:19am
The first minister also warned that the post-war peace in western Europe could be under threat.

Labour's plans to get Anas Sarwar into Bute House
9 Jan 2026 at 4:45pm
Scottish Labour faces a tough fight to win at Holyrood in May but party insiders believe Bute House is within their reach.

Scottish Parliament backs new tax on housebuilding
8 Jan 2026 at 5:42pm
MSPs have voted in favour of the general principles of a bill that aims to raise money to repair unsafe cladding.

Swinney backs action against Russia after Scots airports used during tanker o...
8 Jan 2026 at 1:46pm
The first minister says he was not briefed on a US-led operation a few hundred miles off Scotland's coast.

Delayed discharges costing NHS Scotland £440m a year
8 Jan 2026 at 4:26pm
A report from Audit Scotland says one in nine hospital beds were occupied by patients who could have been discharged.

US planes land at Scottish airport during operation to seize tanker
7 Jan 2026 at 5:42pm
Three U-28A Dracos - used by the US Air Force special operations command - stopped at Scottish -government owned Wick airport before heading north.

Justice secretary found to have breached ministerial code
6 Jan 2026 at 4:16pm
Angela Constance was given a written reprimand following a row over her comments about grooming gangs expert.

MSPs to get £3,000 pay increase next year
6 Jan 2026 at 4:47pm
The 4.3% salary hike will lead to salaries at the Scottish Parliament rising from £74,507 to £77,710.

Scottish party leaders set out stalls ahead of election
5 Jan 2026 at 2:15pm
John Swinney, Anas Sarwar and Russell Findlay have made their pitches for May's Holyrood vote.

Public holiday to celebrate Scotland's World Cup return
5 Jan 2026 at 12:14pm
Scotland will face Haiti in Boston on Sunday 14 June before taking on Morocco and Brazil in the US.

Scot Goes Pop

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...

Professor John Curtice projects the SNP *are* on course for Holyrood list sea...
3 Jan 2026 at 9:11am
The video below also briefly touches on an astoundingly ill-informed tweet from "RevStew" about Quebec politics, which rather calls into question the oft-heard claims that he's some sort of highly ...

New Year, NEW STEW? Controversial blogger dramatically ADMITS an average of ...
2 Jan 2026 at 9:38am
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 pretty close to halfway to its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

"Simply spellbinding": analysis of new Find Out Now poll showing support for ...
30 Dec 2025 at 8:18pm
Just a quick note to let you know that I have an analysis piece at The National about the new independence poll that the paper has commissioned from Find Out Now, and which has Yes comfortably ahea...

Exquisite end-of-year poll puts SNP / Greens on course to retain pro-independ...
30 Dec 2025 at 10:43am
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 pretty close to halfway to its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Greens urge Scottish Government to bring in ?mansion tax? in Budget
10 Jan 2026 at 12:35pm
Party co-leader Ross Greer claims a tax on the three most valuable property bands could raise £125m for local services every year.

Scottish doctors strike suspended after ?intense negotiations? amid fresh pay...
9 Jan 2026 at 12:16pm
Doctors were due to walk out between Tuesday, January 13 and Saturday, January 18 but negotiations have now led to a vote on a new offer.

NHS Scotland ?repeatedly releasing? bodies to wrong families
8 Jan 2026 at 2:27pm
NHS bosses launched an investigation after a family cremated the wrong remains.

John Swinney to face questions after delayed discharges cost NHS £440m
8 Jan 2026 at 11:16am
An Audit Scotland report released on Thursday showed more than 720,000 bed days were lost in 2024-25.

I want to be first minister, says potential Reform leader in Scotland
8 Jan 2026 at 10:36am
Lord Malcolm Offord said his name is in the hat for the role of the party?s Scottish leader.

I can still be Scotland?s next first minister, says Sarwar as he backs Starmer
7 Jan 2026 at 11:26am
The Scottish Labour leader said: ?I believe we will elect a new first minister in this country and I believe that will be me.?

?Ease the pain? and slash Scots? bills, Tories tell Swinney ahead of budget
7 Jan 2026 at 7:13am
The Scottish Conservatives have called on John Swinney to cut taxes on people and businesses.

MSP Ash Regan suspended from Holyrood for two days
6 Jan 2026 at 6:47pm
Regan was found to have breached the MSP code of conduct.

Justice secretary ?unintentionally? broke ministerial code, investigation finds
6 Jan 2026 at 3:14pm
Constance was accused of misleading MSPs by misrepresenting comments made by an expert on grooming gangs during a Holyrood debate in September.

MSP salary to rise by 4.3% in April
6 Jan 2026 at 1:40pm
The increase will see the annual MSP salary rise from £74,507 to £77,710.

First minister receives report into justice secretary misconduct claims
6 Jan 2026 at 1:26pm
Constance was accused of misleading MSPs by misrepresenting comments made by an expert on grooming gangs during a Holyrood debate in September.

Holyrood rivals clash on independence, cost of living and immigration
6 Jan 2026 at 7:11am
Senior figures from the six main parties went head-to-head in a special Scotland Tonight programme.

Scottish Labour?s Anas Sarwar admits Starmer ?not popular with public right now?
5 Jan 2026 at 4:21pm
Anas Sarwar said UK Labour had done many things well, but he said there were still many challenges they had to confront.

Donald Trump breached international law with Venezuela operation, suggests Jo...
5 Jan 2026 at 3:23pm
The South American country?s president Nicolas Maduro was arrested and taken to the US over the weekend.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Burst pipe halts operations at scandal-hit Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
9 Jan 2026 at 5:30pm
EXCLUSIVE: The "very concerning incident" occurred at Scotland's flagship hospital, which has been plagued with issues since its opening in 2015.

John Swinney 'worried' his son may have to fight in a future war due to 'turb...
9 Jan 2026 at 1:54pm
The First Minister spoke of the pain his mother endured after her brother was killed aged just 21 in the final days of the Second World War.

Scotland 'must follow Wales' and legally enforce 20mph speed limit in built-u...
9 Jan 2026 at 11:32am
EXCLUSIVE: The Scottish Greens argue the law must be changed to ensure a nationwide approach to 20mph speed limits and improve road safety.

Scots face huge council tax increases in 2026 as local authorities 'close to ...
9 Jan 2026 at 10:24am
The majority of Scotland's 32 local authorities have warned they are at risk of insolvency.

Scots firefighters report 500 injuries while working in just three years
9 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said the figures proved the need for continual investment in training and improved safety equipment.

NHS 'repeatedly releasing bodies of dead Scots to wrong families', Swinney wa...
8 Jan 2026 at 5:33pm
MSPs have urged the First Minister to take action after the recent "wrongful release" of a person was only discovered after they were cremated.

SNP Government Budget to pass after Scottish Labour signal abstention over ta...
8 Jan 2026 at 4:03pm
Anas Sarwar says he will not make the Budget "fall" after it is announced next week.

Scots airport may have been used as 'staging post' by US military to seize oi...
8 Jan 2026 at 2:23pm
The First Minister said he had "no knowledge" on whether the American aircraft which landed at Wick were part of a military operation in the North Atlantic.

John Swinney accuses Nigel Farage of 'basic racism' over who can claim child ...
8 Jan 2026 at 11:46am
The SNP leader claimed Nigel Farage was "quite actively engaged in a competition with the Conservative Party to be the nastiest of all parties"

Millionaire lord hoping to lead Reform in Scotland: 'I want to be First Minis...
8 Jan 2026 at 10:56am
Malcolm Offord, who was handed a peerage by Boris Johnson, said his new party was "in it to win it" as the Holyrood election campaign ramps up.

The National

The National | Politics

Labour slammed for 'cock up' which will see Scottish city's funding 'slashed'
10 Jan 2026 at 4:07pm

A Scottish council leader has slammed the UK Government's new Local Growth Fund ? saying it will see funding to the region 'slashed'

'Scotland against Trump': Major protest at US Consulate over Venezuela attack
10 Jan 2026 at 2:16pm

Activists have gathered outside the US consulate in Edinburgh to protest over the country's attack on Venezuela

John Swinney heads up SNP's first campaign day of 2026
10 Jan 2026 at 12:23pm

John Swinney is heading up the SNP's first national campaign day of 2026

Scottish social landlords set to be given power to kick out domestic abusers
10 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

SOCIAL landlords are set to be given the power to take legal action against tenants they believe to be domestic abusers in an effort to kick them out, under Government proposals.

Scottish Labour MPs urged to come clean over plot to oust Keir Starmer
10 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

SCOTTISH Labour Party MPs have been urged by the SNP to "come clean" about whether they are part of an apparent plot to oust Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

I'm Scotland's only female party leader ? I understand why women don't want t...
10 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

THE only female leader of a political party in Scotland has said she ?understands? why women are reluctant to stand for election.

Call for SNP ministers to use Budget to show ?clear intent? on private jet tax
10 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

HOLYROOD ministers must use their upcoming Budget to signal a ?clear intent? to introduce a tax on private jets, campaigners have insisted.

Scottish Greens urge Scottish Government to introduce 'mansion tax' in Budget
10 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

THE Scottish Greens have urged the Scottish Government to raise council tax on the most expensive properties in Scotland ...

SNP are wrong to take cautious approach to this crucial election
10 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

I AM far from the first to say this, but I do not have faith in the FM?s strategy for the May election

Mhairi Black: The world we knew is gone in this new age of empires
10 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

THE new year has started with a bang ? particularly for Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

X limits Grok AI image generation feature to paid users after reports of sexu...
9 Jan 2026 at 1:00pm
Earlier this week, the tool had been acting on requests by some X users to make ?sexualised images of children? and undress women

Robison facing ?1bn black hole ahead of Scottish budget
9 Jan 2026 at 6:00am
Analysis by the Fraser of Allander Institute found a gap in the capital budget that is ?too large to fill?

Port of Aberdeen: Built for Scotland's energy future
9 Jan 2026 at 6:00am
The path Scotland chooses will have lasting implications for its energy, economic and environmental legacy.

John Swinney ?not living in real world? on delayed discharge
8 Jan 2026 at 2:52pm
Anas Sarwar said an Audit Scotland report was ?damning? and should "shame" the government

First minister questioned over ?secret? attempt to challenge Supreme Court ru...
8 Jan 2026 at 2:51pm
Michelle Thomson asked about a report in The Times that in November the Scottish Government wrote to the Advocate General for Scotland, Baroness Smith of Cluny KC, who advises the UK Government

Former cabinet minister urges UK Government to abandon X
8 Jan 2026 at 2:39pm
Louise Haigh said using the platform was ?unconscionable? amid concerns its AI was generating sexualised images of children

Delayed discharge costs NHS Scotland ?440m a year
8 Jan 2026 at 7:00am
Watchdog warning as one in nine hospital beds are occupied by patients well enough to go home

New cross-government cyber unit announced
7 Jan 2026 at 10:02am
The unit is being created as part of the government's cyber action plan, which was launched on Tuesday

MSPs to receive ?3,000 pay rise
6 Jan 2026 at 4:21pm
MSPs? salaries will rise from ?74,507 to ?77,710 beginning in April

Angela Constance breached ministerial code but resignation not required
6 Jan 2026 at 3:22pm
Independent advisers said the justice secretary had made two errors but a sanction beyond a reprove was not needed

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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 ...

Keir Starmer planning new king?s speech after May elections
18 Dec 2025 at 1:19pm
Timing seen as moment to reset after potential loss of hundreds of council seats in England and defeat in Wales and ScotlandUK politics live ? latest updatesKeir Starmer is planning for a new king?s speech after crunch elections in May next year as a reset moment for the government amid speculati...

UK politics: Trump talks ?complete nonsense? about crime in London, says Met ...
12 Dec 2025 at 4:30pm
Mark Rowley says capital is a safe city, and claims of no-go areas are ?completely false?Members of the House of Lords have proposed ?totally unnecessary? and ?very cruel? amendments to the assisted dying bill in a bid to scupper it, Kim Leadbeater, the MP leading the campaign for the legislation...

Scotland?s looser rules on assisted dying could lead to ?death tourism?, say ...
10 Dec 2025 at 5:11pm
Cross-party group of MSPs says bill going through Holyrood could attract people from elsewhere in UKSenior Scottish politicians fear there could be a risk of ?death tourism? from terminally ill people travelling from other parts of the UK to end their lives in Scotland.A cross-party group of MSPs...

?It?s Scotland?s energy?: SNP to focus on renewables in Holyrood election
8 Dec 2025 at 6:05pm
Leader John Swinney says independence could cut household energy bills by a third in the long termThe future of Scottish renewables will underpin the Scottish National party?s Holyrood election campaign, the party leader, John Swinney, has said, as he claimed independence could cut household ener...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

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 …

It?s not just independence that?s at stake in May?s Scottish election
29 Dec 2025 at 7:33pm
Another opinion poll has suggested that the pro-independence parties are on track to win a convincing majority in Holyrood in May’s Scottish parliament election. The poll, by Find Out Now for The National, paints a grim picture for both Labour and the Conservatives, who seem set to return their worst results in the history of …

Hope will start to dawn in 2026
27 Dec 2025 at 2:34pm
Making predictions in politics is a mug’s game, particularly if those predictions concern a year ahead. It has famously been said that a week is a long time in politics, so a year is the equivalent of a geological aeon. All sorts of unforeseen events could transpire between now and the end of next year. …

BBC Scotland, cheerleaders for Farage
20 Dec 2025 at 5:56pm
On Wednesday evening BBC Scotland’s flagship evening news programme Och Aye the News, AKA Reporting Scotlandshire carried its second puff piece about Reform UK’s recent narrow council by-election victory in West Lothian in which a Reform candidate with a questionable past scraped his way into a council seat on a 22% turnout. BBC Scotland never …

What?s in a name? The SNP and nationalism
15 Dec 2025 at 7:04pm
There’s nationalism and there’s nationalism. On the Rest is Politics podcast hosted by Tony Blair’s erstwhile Director of Communications Alastair Campbell, First Minister John Swinney addressed the issue of the SNP’s name, or rather, the non-issue. Both previous first ministers, Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon had expressed some disquiet that the SNP’s name, Scottish National …

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'

Why shops on Scotland?s islands will not have to charge more like those on th...
10 Jan 2026 at 7:08pm
From the Jersey Evening Post on 5 January 2025: THE firm that runs M&S stores in Jersey says that its prices on the shelves will have to go up next month when DFDS starts to add harbour dues levied by Ports of Jersey on to its bills. No actual figures are as yet available but imagine that was on a Scottish island served by CalMac. Imagine the media coverage, the opposition partys’ faux fury. Wh...

Five serious incidents in only two years including drifting powerless near a ...
10 Jan 2026 at 7:06pm
From Wellington.Scoop on January 10th 2026: Bluebridge troubles continue; crossings cancelled after ramp fault – More Bluebridge ferry services are being cancelled since a winch problem left passengers stranded overnight on the Connemara in Wellington Two hundred passengers spent about 15 hours on the vessel after Thursday?s 8.30pm Wellington to Picton service had to return to the capital short...

Though domestic abuse far less common, Scottish Government again first in UK ...
10 Jan 2026 at 10:32am
BBC Scotland has a tasteless, exploitative image, we won't be using here. From BBC Scotland News today: Social landlords are set to be given powers to remove domestic abusers from tenancy agreements, making it easier for some abuse survivors to stay in their homes. Regulations laid before the Scottish Parliament will bring into force provisions on tenancies that were part of a domestic abuse la...

Reliable transparent 12 hour A&E figures confirm corridor care in NHS Scotland...
10 Jan 2026 at 10:01am
It’s another single case plucked out by grubby figures, taking advantage of a distressed family and platformed, front page, by a newspaper little better than a Labour party election leaflet. Explicit figures are not published anywhere but there?s a good proxy for corridor care and that?s 12 hour waits in A&E. By definition if you?re waiting 12 hours after triage assessment and maybe some treatm...

BMA leaders praise Scottish Government on ?our shared ambition of making Scot...
9 Jan 2026 at 7:42pm
From the BMA in Scotland today, absent the views of Dr Iain Findlay whom I’m guessing the Scottish resident doctors have never heard of: Strikes by resident doctors in Scotland due to begin on Tuesday have been suspended following a new offer on pay and contract reform. The BMA Scottish resident doctors committee recommends members accept the offer, which is the equivalent of a 9.9 per cent end...

Only two months after the last time a ?troubled? CalMac ferry built in ?troub...
9 Jan 2026 at 6:34pm
In the Ayrshire Advertiser, yesterday, the above news. Only two months ago: The National?s piece, above, on the latest problems for the MV Caledonian Isles has no historical perspective on this long-troubled vessel, leaving some to think it?s another ?SNP ferry fiasco?. Here it is: Readers will already know that the MV Caledonian Isles had been in dock for repairs following botched work by Camm...

Thanks to mutual respect and constant effort by SNP health secretaries Scotla...
9 Jan 2026 at 6:32pm
Less than one month ago, BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers announced gleefully: Scotland’s resident doctors are to go on strike in a dispute over pay – the first time a national walkout has been staged by NHS workers. Their union BMA Scotland had accused the government of reneging on a commitment to restore pay to 2008 levels. With 92% of those who turned out voting in favour, strike dates have been ...

As election looms Fergus Ewing should not be aiding the prospects of the very...
9 Jan 2026 at 11:42am
On BBC Scotland this morning, Fergus claims he’s found documents suggesting no funding has been identified to take the Nairn Bypass scheme forward. The folk of Nairn have my sympathy but they should know that their MSP is now campaigning with BBC Scotland and the gutter-press, to help the election 2026 prospects of the very parties which in 2007, forced the minority SNP government to proceed wi...

Scottish Government provides better support for business
9 Jan 2026 at 10:12am
introduced in England by the UK Government. BBC Scotland today, with a story to suggest something is worse in Scotland than in England. There’s a debate in the Scottish Parliament tomorrow on business rates which they’ve managed to find someone to stand in a shopping street and try to present as a crisis that only exists in Scotland. The facts? Based on an AI search of 87 sources, Scotland’s sy...

Scotland?s Auditor General fails to audit the most important thing in the NHS...
9 Jan 2026 at 12:32am
Thanks to cuckooshoe for alerting us to this: Scotland’s high-profile media auditor, Stephen Boyle, has been all over with his latest claim of delayed discharges costs damaging NHS Scotland.1 From the Institute for Government report – Performance Tracker 2025: Hospitals – published on 14 November 2025: There was no month in 2024/25 in which general and acute bed occupancy was below 91.4%, well ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

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

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

'Referendum in ten years? That would be problematic' - The Herald
10 Jan 2026 at 6:35am
'Referendum in ten years? That would be problematic'  The Herald

Farage is pushing Scotland to independence - The Times
30 Dec 2025 at 7:28pm
Farage is pushing Scotland to independence  The Times

Scotland would vote for independence in new referendum, exclusive poll finds ...
30 Dec 2025 at 8:00am
Scotland would vote for independence in new referendum, exclusive poll finds  TheNational.scot

Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shi...
24 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shifts  Courthouse News

Kenny MacAskill: Where?s the excitement about the Scottish independence polli...
7 Jan 2026 at 12:06pm
Kenny MacAskill: Where?s the excitement about the Scottish independence polling?  albaparty.org

Reform?s new Scottish recruit ignores rules of the game on independence - The...
6 Jan 2026 at 11:10pm
Reform?s new Scottish recruit ignores rules of the game on independence  The Telegraph

A Fresh Start with Independence - The Scottish Government
8 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
A Fresh Start with Independence  The Scottish Government

Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scotti...
9 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scottish independence has grown stronger  The Conversation

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

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

SNP seeks third decade in power with cost of living budget - The Times
10 Jan 2026 at 8:00pm
SNP seeks third decade in power with cost of living budget  The Times

John Swinney heads up SNP's first campaign day of 2026 - TheNational.scot
10 Jan 2026 at 12:29pm
John Swinney heads up SNP's first campaign day of 2026  TheNational.scot

SNP Stock Today: January 9 ? Sinopec Capital backs Forvia hydrogen push - Meyka
9 Jan 2026 at 11:50pm
SNP Stock Today: January 9 ? Sinopec Capital backs Forvia hydrogen push  Meyka

SNP has no right to defy Supreme Court gender ruling - UnHerd
9 Jan 2026 at 7:25am
SNP has no right to defy Supreme Court gender ruling  UnHerd

How politically motivated waffle and SNP inertia blight efforts to boost Scot...
10 Jan 2026 at 6:00am
How politically motivated waffle and SNP inertia blight efforts to boost Scotland's economy  The Scotsman

How a Medicare Advantage proposal could shake up Medicaid - Modern Healthcare...
7 Jan 2026 at 11:03am
How a Medicare Advantage proposal could shake up Medicaid  Modern Healthcare News

Scottish public sector staff avoid SNP's crippling tax regime by living in En...
10 Jan 2026 at 7:09pm
Scottish public sector staff avoid SNP's crippling tax regime by living in England  MSN

?Time for action? - Funding talks held with finance secretary to ?turn tunnel...
10 Jan 2026 at 7:37am
?Time for action? - Funding talks held with finance secretary to ?turn tunnel vision into tunnel reality?  Shetland Times

Humiliation as SNP Energy Secretary no longer looking after huge energy proje...
10 Jan 2026 at 2:36pm
Humiliation as SNP Energy Secretary no longer looking after huge energy projects  Scottish Daily Express

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

'Referendum in ten years? That would be problematic' - The Herald
10 Jan 2026 at 6:35am
'Referendum in ten years? That would be problematic'  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

Scottish party leaders set out stalls ahead of Holyrood election - BBC
5 Jan 2026 at 2:15pm
Scottish party leaders set out stalls ahead of Holyrood election  BBC

Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014...
27 May 2025 at 8:00am
Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014  The Conversation

In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland indepen...
3 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shi...
24 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shifts  Courthouse News

Reform UK peer Malcolm Offord admits indyref2 could come in 10 years' time - ...
6 Jan 2026 at 4:52pm
Reform UK peer Malcolm Offord admits indyref2 could come in 10 years' time  TheNational.scot

Part Two: What an independent Scotland could look like - A Fresh Start with I...
8 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Part Two: What an independent Scotland could look like - A Fresh Start with Independence  The Scottish Government

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 poll 2025 - Statista
28 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2025  Statista