The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Journalists should never befriend politicians - Jeane Freeman was the exception
7 Feb 2026 at 1:40pm
Kevin McKenna remembers Jeane Freeman after the former health minister died on Saturday at the age of 72


European leader says someone like 'respected' Tony Blair should handle EU dip...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
7 Feb 2026 at 12:20pm
A European Union leader has said that "someone like Tony Blair" as the head of the bloc's diplomacy.


Former Scottish Government Health Secretary Jeane Freeman dies aged 72
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
7 Feb 2026 at 8:30am
Jeane Freeman, the former Health Secretary who became one of the most recognisable faces of Scotland?s Covid response, has died aged 72


?If Kemi doesn?t want you join us?: Lib Dems make cheeky pitch to Tory moderates
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
7 Feb 2026 at 5:00am
Scottish Lib Dems write to moderate Tory voters as polling suggests the party could overtake the Conservatives at May?s election.


Why has gold become impossible to ignore over recent years?
by Jason Hollands
7 Feb 2026 at 4:32am
War and geopolitical upheaval have led investors and central banks to turn to gold in since 2022, but the previous metal is far from a one-way bet


2.4 million free eye tests delivered in Scotland as uptake rises
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
7 Feb 2026 at 5:00am
Figures show 2.4 million free eye tests were carried out in Scotland last year, with the SNP highlighting this as evidence of increased access to healthcare.


Councils to meet with minister over fears UK growth fund could cost Scotland ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
6 Feb 2026 at 2:28pm
Scotland?s council leaders warn that UK Government changes to the Local Growth Fund could strip cash from frontline services and put hundreds of jobs at risk, despite claims overall investment is rising.


Second man taken from Scotland to US from seized tanker was Ukrainian, Kyiv c...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
6 Feb 2026 at 1:36pm
The first officer of the tanker seized north of Scotland and berthed in the Moray Firth has been taken for trial in the United States, Ukraine has confirmed


ScotGov urged to extend presumption against short sentence to two years
by Craig Paton
6 Feb 2026 at 12:27pm
The move is being urged to cut the record prison population


Reform closes to within five points of SNP in regional vote poll
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
6 Feb 2026 at 10:18am
A dramatic new poll from More in Common shows Reform UK surging to 20% in the regional vote ? just five points behind the Scottish National Party ? as the unionist vote splinters.


Swinney pledges to ?secure bright future? for Scotland?s farmers
by Rachel Keenan
6 Feb 2026 at 7:42am
Mr Swinney said he pledges to work with Scotland?s farmers ?to protect the industry?


Jim Sillars: 'Time for SNP to end victimhood narrative to win independence'
by jody.harrison@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Jody Harrison
6 Feb 2026 at 7:22am
Sillars, 88, sets out his path to independence in a new "final contribution" book


IFS: Scottish Budget leaves NHS facing 'deterioration' without ?heroic? effic...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
6 Feb 2026 at 12:01am
The IFS says Scottish ministers face stark trade-offs as NHS funding shifts away from hospitals and efficiency demands rise.


Your Party to hold founding Scottish conference as independence to be debated
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
6 Feb 2026 at 10:56am
Jeremy Corbyn will join members in Dundee as Your Party holds its Scottish conference, with independence and Holyrood election plans to be debated.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Gordon Brown says Keir Starmer leadership crisis is ?serious? but PM is ?man ...
7 Feb 2026 at 11:31am

Mr Brown backed Sir Keir as a ?man of integrity? who had been ?betrayed? by Lord Mandelson.

Ms Freeman died aged 72 after a short battle with cancer, her family confirmed.

The First Minister led tributes to the former health secretary and said he was ?shocked and saddened? at her death.

Justice secretary says recommendations could help achieve ?sustainable? prison population

Wings over Scotland

A Stitch In Timing
5 Feb 2026 at 4:09pm
Readers will probably be aware that literally as you read this, the Scottish Government is in court trying to defend its policy of letting male murderers be housed in women’s prisons by arguing that the Equality Act 2010 (as ruled on by the Supreme Court in the For Women Scotland case) is incompatible with the …

The Marshalling Plan
2 Feb 2026 at 1:25pm
Another month has passed, so we suppose it must be time for the third of our polling-analysis pieces for the Scottish Parliament election in May. (Last time round we assessed the grotesque rank idiocy of voting SNP on the list if you want a pro-indy majority, and the time before that we considered the possible …

Shield Of The Phantom
26 Jan 2026 at 1:02pm
Well, we gave it a go. It seems that it’s fine to farm important judgments out to mysterious shadowy figures who just make important chunks of them up out of thin air, and then issue them in your own name. Back in your boxes, plebs.

Yelling at the tide
21 Jan 2026 at 9:26am
We figured someone had to at least try. So in the light of this, we’ve sent a letter. - TO: Judge Susan Walker, President, Employment Tribunal (Scotland) Dear Madam President, I read with considerable dismay and alarm your response to a recent complaint from a Mr Ewan Kennedy regarding the conduct of Employment Judge Alexander …

The Secondhand Amendment
19 Jan 2026 at 12:04am
We’re really not sure this makes things any better with regard to the incredible tale that’s unfolded around the judgment in Sandie Peggie vs NHS Fife. In fact, on any interpretation we can think of, quite the reverse. But we’d better give you some context. The quote in the image above comes from the reply …

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

Craig Murray

Is The USA Controlling Venezuela
7 Feb 2026 at 5:54pm

My first video report from Venezuela: My being here reporting is entirely possible due, as is all my journalism and activism, to your individual subscriptions and donations. We now have a Venezuela reporting crowdfunder. I have simply edited the Lebanese GoFundMe crowdfunder, because that took many weeks to be approved and I don’t want to …

Is The USA Controlling Venezuela

Filton Acquittals Demolish Starmer and Cooper Lies About Palestine Action
5 Feb 2026 at 6:49pm

As the trial finished at Woolwich Crown Court of the six Palestine Action activists who entered the Filton factory to destroy Israeli killer drones, Starmer, Cooper, Lammy and Mahmood are left bereft of a single guilty verdict in the case on which they relied heavily to label Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. I could …

Filton Acquittals Demolish Starmer and Cooper Lies About Palestine Action

Trump, Pirate of the Caribbean
3 Feb 2026 at 11:14am

I have now been here a week and I think that I have absorbed enough to attempt a little analysis, as opposed to the simple impressions I gave shortly after arrival. Those impressions remain valid however: this is not a repressive state. I was on the Randy Credico show live on WBAI New York on …

Trump, Pirate of the Caribbean

Palestine Action Judicial Review
29 Jan 2026 at 6:59pm

I attach the full text of Lord Young’s decision granting the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine. A few points. Judicial Review can only be granted where the judge believes it has a realistic chance of success. Lord Young evidently believes that we have a realistic chance of success on our three grounds …

Palestine Action Judicial Review

Being There ? In Venezuela
26 Jan 2026 at 9:46am

I have now been in Caracas for 48 hours and the contrast between what I have seen, and what I had read in the mainstream media, could not be more stark. I drove right through Caracas, from the airport through the city centre and up to posh Las Mercedes. The next morning I walked all …

Being There – In Venezuela

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

BBC Scotland

Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman dies aged 72
7 Feb 2026 at 12:46pm
The SNP politician was a key figure in the Scottish government's response to the Covid pandemic.

Jeane Freeman: SNP politician who led Covid response
7 Feb 2026 at 8:52am
The former SNP politician spent her life in public service and inherited the health brief just before the global pandemic.

Ministers urged to rethink jail sentences of less than two years
6 Feb 2026 at 4:08pm
If recommendations go ahead, judges would have to provide reasons why jailing someone for two years or less was the only option.

NHS budget plans rely on ambitious efficiency savings, warns think tank
6 Feb 2026 at 3:01pm
Spending strategy assumes hospitals and the ambulance service can make efficiency savings, says the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Chief nurse's 'Disney trip' suggestion for bereaved families 'shameful' - Sarwar
5 Feb 2026 at 1:26pm
Scotland's ex-chief nursing officer has been criticised over remarks she allegedly made about bereaved families.

Asylum seeker barracks plans could face further delays
6 Feb 2026 at 6:16am
The Home Office may need planning permission before using Cameron Barracks as accommodation.

New rules for botox and Brazilian butt lifts backed by MSPs
5 Feb 2026 at 5:19pm
The Scottish Parliament has provisionally approved regulations for non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

Suicide risk if trans prisoners are put in jails based on sex at birth, court...
5 Feb 2026 at 3:08pm
Lawyers for the Scottish government say moving trans woman prisoners to male-only jails would create an unacceptable safety risk.

Plan to jail bosses of major polluters passes Holyrood vote
5 Feb 2026 at 5:18pm
The ecocide bill would allow for people to be jailed for up to 20 years for damaging the environment.

MSP behind assisted dying bill backs change to eligibility rules
4 Feb 2026 at 2:42pm
The proposals would restrict assisted dying in Scotland to people with six months or less left to live.

Watchdogs raise concerns over transgender prisoners
4 Feb 2026 at 5:06pm
The government has argued having a "blanket rule" for where prisoners are housed could breach human rights law.

'Our daughter's cancer symptoms were dismissed because she was a child'
5 Feb 2026 at 6:24am
Isla Sneddon died in March 2025 aged 17, just six months after she was diagnosed with cancer.

Scot Goes Pop

Nigel Farage, so long the favourite to be the next Prime Minister, has slumpe...
7 Feb 2026 at 1:54pm
This video also contains more information about the More In Common independence polling I mentioned yesterday.   There aren't many outlets that report Scottish polling accurately and without unioni...

"Well, they're certainly keeping quiet about THAT bit!": More In Common poll ...
6 Feb 2026 at 3:14pm
There aren't many outlets that report Scottish polling accurately and without unionist bias.  If you value the service Scot Goes Pop provides, you currently have a thrilling opportunity to help wit...

My appearance on the "Two Davies" show
5 Feb 2026 at 5:55pm
Earlier today, I took part in a live stream on the "Two Davies" YouTube channel, and we all answered viewers' questions about quite a wide variety of subjects, including the current polling situati...

Gosh, I wonder if Stew has ever demonstrated quite so unwittingly and vividly...
4 Feb 2026 at 1:17am
Quite a number of years ago now, I got into a mildly bizarre email debate with someone who shall remain nameless, but who is widely regarded in Scotland as bona fide journalistic royalty.  Basicall...

Why is YouGov under-representing Yes-voting Glaswegians in its independence p...
3 Feb 2026 at 4:06pm
Towards the end of this video, I also give my reaction to the Scottish Government's welcome announcement that they will not be supporting Ash Regan's private member's bill, which seeks to introduce...

Stew's "ten-year masterplan" nears its petty climax: how Somerset's most cont...
2 Feb 2026 at 4:47pm
Incidentally, I recorded this video before I saw Campbell's latest "I luv Nige" fanboy blogpost, so the similarity of titles is just a coincidence - albeit an extremely telling coincidence in the c...

Sizzling YouGov numbers put pro-independence parties on course for 53% of sea...
30 Jan 2026 at 5:11pm
There aren't many outlets that report Scottish polling accurately and without unionist bias.  If you value the service Scot Goes Pop provides, you currently have a thrilling opportunity to help wit...

Spectacular full-scale Scottish poll from YouGov shows the SNP and Greens on ...
29 Jan 2026 at 6:48pm
I will record a video about this poll at some point, but as I'm on a bus right now, I'll go retro and briefly give you the results in text form for the time being.Should Scotland be an independent ...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Brown says Starmer leadership crisis is ?serious? but PM is ?man of integrity?
7 Feb 2026 at 2:33pm
Former prime minister Gordon Brown said he felt ?betrayed and let down? by Mandelson?s alleged actions

Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman dies aged 72
7 Feb 2026 at 10:25am
Ms Freeman's partner announced in a statement that she had died after receiving a cancer diagnosis in January

Keir Starmer says ?significant volume of material? to be reviewed over Lord M...
6 Feb 2026 at 9:15pm
Parliament's security watchdog will assess which documents can be released

First Minister pledges to ?secure bright future? for Scotland?s farmers
6 Feb 2026 at 7:33am
Mr Swinney will deliver a keynote speech to the NFU Scotland Conference.

MSPs back plans to improve regulation of Botox and Brazilian butt lifts
5 Feb 2026 at 6:26pm
The Bill cleared its first hurdle in the Scottish Parliament after it was passed at stage one on Thursday

Starmer ?sorry for believing Mandelson?s lies? as vows to continue as Prime M...
5 Feb 2026 at 2:21pm
Sir Keir Starmer apologised to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein

Ban phones in schools to protect children from online dangers, parents urge
5 Feb 2026 at 1:21pm
Campaigners are meeting the education secretary at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday

John Swinney to face FMQs after calling for investigation into Mandelson
5 Feb 2026 at 12:00pm
John Swinney will face First Minister's Questions on the sixth anniversary of The Promise

MPs back release of files on Lord Peter Mandelson appointment as US ambassador
4 Feb 2026 at 7:32pm
The PM backed down from his original plans for Sir Chris Wormald to choose which files could be released

John Swinney orders investigation into Scottish Government dealings with Lord...
4 Feb 2026 at 5:16pm
The First Minister said the probe will look into whether Peter Mandelson undermined the interests of Scotland

PM: Lord Peter Mandelson ?lied repeatedly? over relationship with Jeffery Eps...
4 Feb 2026 at 3:38pm
Keir Starmer said Mandelson 'betrayed our country' by leaking information to the disgraced financier

Mandelson should not have been US ambassador, says Sarwar
4 Feb 2026 at 1:34pm
The Scottish Labour leader said the appointment was ?clearly a mistake?

Keir Starmer to face PMQs after criminal investigation launched into Mandelson
4 Feb 2026 at 11:50am
Britain?s former US ambassador is alleged to have passed market-sensitive information to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein

I support the court judgment in the case of Lucy Letby, Wes Streeting says
4 Feb 2026 at 9:24am
A new documentary, The Investigation Of Lucy Letby, has been released on Netflix

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scottish Parliament going 'backwards' as MSPs busy 'sucking up' to party leaders
7 Feb 2026 at 12:00pm
EXCLUSIVE: A leading expert on devolution said Holyrood now lagged behind Westminster when it came to politicians willing to scrutinise the work of the government.

Scottish Labour spends nearly £80k promoting Anas Sarwar on social media ahea...
6 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: A database shows Labour out-spending the SNP while also downplaying their own party brand.

John Swinney's independence majority strategy will damage the SNP
5 Feb 2026 at 8:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says the First Minister betting the house on an outright win in May is good for him, but not his party.

Queen Elizabeth University Hospital families offered 'trip to Disneyland' ins...
5 Feb 2026 at 2:49pm
The cases of seven patients who died at the QEUH following its botched opening in 2015 are currently being assessed by prosecutors.

Anas Sarwar gives cautious support to Keir Starmer to stay on as Prime Minist...
5 Feb 2026 at 1:28pm
The Scottish Labour leader said Mandelson was a "shame to our nation" after emails showed he leaked sensitive Government information to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Hollywood star Brian Cox calls for action to end Scotland's housing emergency
5 Feb 2026 at 11:02am
The Dundee-born star said "everyone deserves somewhere affordable, safe, and stable to call home".

Anas Sarwar told to apologise to WASPI campaigners in person after UK Governm...
5 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The SNP will host a delegation of WASPI campaigners at the Scottish Parliament and has challenged the Labour leader to meet them.

UK Government spends £56,000 on Inverness barracks earmarked for asylum seekers
5 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The cash was spent on legionella testing and removing the MOD?s secure IT network

Dad of teen who died after hospital infection would back probe into "pressure...
5 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
John Cuddihy said he would support calling additional witnesses to find out the truth on claims of pressure applied to hospital bosses, following 23-year-old Molly's death last year.

SNP urged to apologise for 'playing politics' over Queen Elizabeth University...
4 Feb 2026 at 2:26pm
Gordon Macdonald was accused of engaging in "whataboutery and deflection" after he dragged up 20-year-old infection statistics.

The National

The National | Politics

Police investigate Reform UK over 'electoral law breach' in key by-election
7 Feb 2026 at 12:52pm

Police are investigating claims Reform UK broke electoral law in campaign material for the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election

Met Police issue update on Peter Mandelson criminal investigation
7 Feb 2026 at 10:52am

The Met Police have issued an update into their investigation into Peter Mandelson

Tributes pour in after death of former health secretary Jeane Freeman
7 Feb 2026 at 10:10am

Tributes have poured in following the death of former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman

US and Team Israel booed at Winter Olympics opening ceremony
7 Feb 2026 at 9:16am

The US and Team Israel were booed at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan

Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman dies aged 72
7 Feb 2026 at 8:36am

Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman has died at the age of 72

Queen Elizabeth gave Andrew 'full support' after Epstein photos emerged
7 Feb 2026 at 8:16am

A close aide to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor told Jeffrey Epstein that the former prince had Queen Elizabeth's 'full support', it has emerged

Mhairi Black: Peter Mandelson is just tip of an iceberg in UK politics
7 Feb 2026 at 5:00am

As we pore through the millions of documents that have been released so far from the Epstein Files, all I can think is how much worse the stuff they have held back must be

Pat Kane: Surrender and sabotage are not our only options as this tech advances
7 Feb 2026 at 5:00am

THE pitchforks are out ? and they?ve just run through a data centre in Edinburgh

Peter Mandelson issues secret notice demanding press leave him alone ? read i...
6 Feb 2026 at 6:47pm

LATE on Friday evening, this notice was circulated from representatives of Peter Mandelson, via press regulator IPSO and the Press Association news wire, to all media across the UK.

I went to the first ever Declassified summit ? here's what I thought
6 Feb 2026 at 6:10pm

WHY should The National be represented at a media and politics summit in London? 

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Jack McConnell calls for ?complete reset? in Labour leadership
6 Feb 2026 at 2:53pm
The former first minister said somebody in Labour needed to 'step up' and take over

Scotland?s prisons approach needs fundamental reform, according to watchdog r...
6 Feb 2026 at 10:33am
The report has called for stronger rehabilitation in prison, earlier release with enhanced community supervision, and long-term planning to reduce Scotland?s prison population to around the European average

John Swinney accuses Anas Sarwar of ?shameful? interference in hospitals inquiry
5 Feb 2026 at 4:00pm
The Scottish Labour leader said the FM had told parliament a "blatant untruth"

John Swinney: I stayed with Mandelson on Trump trip to save money
5 Feb 2026 at 1:51pm
Starmer says no one in government knew 'depth and darkness' of former ambassador's Epstein friendship

Set out Mandelson links, SNP urges Scottish Labour
4 Feb 2026 at 5:22pm
SNP claims are 'morally bankrupt', Scottish Labour hits back

Edinburgh Council refuses planning permission for AI data centre
4 Feb 2026 at 3:35pm
Planning officers had recommended the project be approved

Anas Sarwar backs child social media ban
4 Feb 2026 at 1:00am
The UK Government announced last month it was consulting on such a measure

From shared services to smart government
4 Feb 2026 at 12:01am
With over 40 years of experience in the Scottish market, global technology firm TCS is well placed to play a leading role in the country?s public services reform

MSPs vote down Ash Regan?s prostitution bill
3 Feb 2026 at 5:06pm
The government said it could not support it despite agreeing in principle the purchase of sex should be criminalised

Peter Mandelson quits Lords as UK Government refers Epstein leak fears to police
3 Feb 2026 at 3:04pm
Keir Starmer says the former US ambassador 'let his country down'

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Wealthy use loophole to conceal value of £300m in Scottish land sales
7 Feb 2026 at 7:00am
Prices paid for large estates not being disclosed on official register, land reform advocates sayLand reform campaigners are alarmed at the increasing use of a legal loophole that allows landowners to conceal the price paid for Highland estates from the public register.Andy Wightman, a land refor...

Blanket rule on trans women in men?s prisons would deny their identity, says ...
5 Feb 2026 at 5:06pm
SNP?s lawyer argues the ?mental health and rehabilitation? of prisoners is more important than their biological sexA blanket rule to house transgender women in men?s prisons, even when they pose no risk to others, would be a ?fundamental denial? of their identity, the Scottish government has argu...

Starmer faces rising anger over Mandelson as MPs agree to release files to se...
4 Feb 2026 at 8:24pm
Starmer faces criticism from MPs on all sides of the CommonsThis liveblog is now closed. Read the politics team?s report on today?s developments herePMQs is starting soon. Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.The Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has dismissed claims that his party?s plan to su...

Campaigners challenge Scottish policy on transgender inmates in female prisons
3 Feb 2026 at 2:45pm
For Women Scotland objects to use of individual risk assessments, saying it is contrary to supreme court rulingFemale prisoners are paying the price for an ?Orwellian? Scottish government policy that allows some transgender inmates to be housed in female prisons, Scotland?s highest civil court ha...

Lord Wallace of Tankerness obituary
1 Feb 2026 at 5:39pm
Influential Liberal and Lib Dem politician who served as Scotland?s deputy first minister from the outset of devolutionJim Wallace, Lord Wallace of Tankerness, who has died aged 71 following complications after surgery, was an influential Liberal figure who achieved the extremely rare distinction...

Starmer announces visa-free travel to China after talks with Xi in Beijing ? ...
29 Jan 2026 at 5:32pm
Downing Street gives no date for when the agreement of 30 days of visa-free travel will come into forceFor more context on today?s Starmer-Xi meeting, China is the world?s second-biggest economy and Britain?s third-largest trading partner ? to which it exports £45bn of goods and services a year ?...

Deacon Blue ?appalled? by Reform UK?s Scottish leader quoting their song lyrics
27 Jan 2026 at 11:04am
Exclusive: Band hit out at party?s ?poisonous rhetoric? after Malcolm Offord makes reference to Dignity during speechOne of Scotland?s most celebrated rock bands, Deacon Blue, say they are ?appalled? that one of their greatest hits is being used by Reform UK?s new Scottish leader to bolster his p...

Tories withdraw ?mental health? briefing about Suella Braverman after former ...
26 Jan 2026 at 6:10pm
Her defection means there are now eight Reform MPs in the CommonsKeir Starmer was being interview by Beth Rigby from Sky News this morning when he defended the decision not to let Andy Burnham be a byelection candidate.After Starmer delivered his first answer (see 10.15am), Rigby asked him to wha...

Reform says it would cut green policies to fund £2bn income tax cut in Scotland
26 Jan 2026 at 4:36pm
Party?s pitch to voters in May Holyrood elections dismissed as ?profoundly unserious, almost comically so? by head of IPPR ScotlandReform UK would slash what it calls ?highly dubious? environmental protection measures to help fund a £2bn cut to income tax in Scotland if it won May?s Holyrood elec...

Scottish health board admits hospital water system linked to fatal infections
19 Jan 2026 at 12:03pm
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde makes last-minute U-turn in submission to hospitals inquiryScotland?s largest health board has finally admitted that contaminated water at a Glasgow super-hospital caused serious infections in child cancer patients that were linked to four deaths.NHS Greater Glasgow ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

YouGov?s independence polls are comfort blankets for Unionists
6 Feb 2026 at 12:28pm
This is an expanded and revised version of a piece I wrote for The National newspaper earlier this week. Since writing it further information has come to light which casts even greater doubt on the validity of a YouGov poll on Scottish independence which was published last week, a poll which was received with immense …

Mandelson, the sleazy heart of Starmer?s right wing Labour party
5 Feb 2026 at 3:13pm
Keir Starmer’s leadership of the Labour party and his position as Prime Minister have been on a shoogly peg for some time. After being elected in July 2024 with a landslide victory in the Commons, albeit on a mere one third of the popular vote, Labour MPs were looking forward to settling down to a …

The independence movement must commit to a Scottish republic
4 Feb 2026 at 2:02pm
It’s well known that people in Scotland are less enamoured with the self-promoting antics of the Windsor family than people in other parts of the UK. Large royal events with all their pomp and pageantry paid for at public expense are typically met in Scotland with widespread apathy, if not anger and ridicule. The street …

What happens in the Welsh election could be key to Scotland too
2 Feb 2026 at 4:27pm
The well known traditional curse, “May you live in interesting times” is often ascribed to an ancient Chinese text, although there is no evidence for this. Be that as it may, it cannot be denied that we are cursed with living through interesting times. Keir Starmer was elected to head a Labour government with a …

BBC Scotland?s look at nuclear through Labour Rose tinted glasses
31 Jan 2026 at 1:39pm
The bias of the BBC, particularly BBC Scotland, against the SNP Scottish Government in particular and the wider Scottish independence movement in general is well documented by pro-independence campaigners, but ignored by the Scottish media which is itself overwhelmingly biased against Scottish independence, the somewhat less than half of the Scottish population which opposes independence …

Wee Ginger Annual Fundraiser 2026 part 2
30 Jan 2026 at 6:08pm
Unfortunately when I published the previous post about this year’s fundraiser, I pressed publish too quickly and omitted the full details for donating via PayPal or Ko-fi. Here they are now and here is the link again to the GoFundMe fundraiser. Many thanks for supporting my work. It’s greatly appreciated.   https://www.gofundme.com/f/wee-ginger-dug-annual-fundraiser-2026   I?ve added …

Wee Ginger Annual Fundraiser 2026
30 Jan 2026 at 1:33pm
It’s that time of the year again, when I ask readers of this blog to make a contribution, big or small, to keeping this blog running for another year. As we approach the Holyrood elections, I have been increasing the frequency of new posts on the blog from theprevious two or three per week to …

Trump?s lawlessness comes to Scotland
29 Jan 2026 at 3:48pm
Donald Trump is infamously lawless. He is the first convicted criminal to be elected to the White House. That conviction alone, by no means the worst crime the oranged faced felon has allegedly committed, should have been enough to disqualify him from holding public office, but he was ushered into power by a corrupt Republican …

Reform UK?s authoritarian project for power
28 Jan 2026 at 2:55pm
The American author and poet Maya Anjelou famously wrote: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” That has never been more true than where we are now in British politics with the rise of the far right, the performative cruelty it espouses and its dehumanisation of minority groups. Reform UK …

England is driving on the right politically
26 Jan 2026 at 3:05pm
All is not well in the Labour party. Over the weekend Keir Starmer and his allies took the decision to throw away a by election in order to buy the politically ailing Starmer some more time in office. Starmer and his allies on Labour’s NEC voted to refuse permission to Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to …

The Courier

[CaRP] Can't open remote newsfeed [403].
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

Reform UK is now under police investigation after admitting it distributed by...
7 Feb 2026 at 3:18pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. By Liz S ?Reform UK is now under police investigation after admitting it distributed by election material disguised as a private letter from a ?concerned neighbour?. Voters in Gorton and Denton received personalised letters urging them to back Reform, presented as the views of a...

Even in death Jeanne Freeman shamefully and wrongly blamed for care home deat...
7 Feb 2026 at 10:41am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Evidence at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/02/07/shamefully-even-now-bbc-scotland-still-conceal-how-jeanne-freemans-unique-in-the-uk-quick-action-on-vaccines-saved-thousands-of-lives-in-scottish-care-homes/

Shamefully, even now, BBC Scotland still conceal how Jeanne Freeman?s, unique...
7 Feb 2026 at 10:27am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In BBC Scotland’s retrospective comment on Jeanne Freeman’s time as Health Secretary, they write: Freeman stood beside Sturgeon in press conferences throughout the next year. There would be praise for their calm stewardship and she was there at the start of the vaccine roll-out....

No media coverage as Scottish Government allocates £20m to help young people ...
7 Feb 2026 at 8:51am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From the Scottish Government yesterday into complete media silence: Plans to develop a Rural and Island Housing Grant Scheme, with an indicative budget of up to £20 million over four years, have been announced by the First Minister. Designed to help with costs in rural and islan...

As UK Labour are told to U-turn over ?loan shark? stealth tax on students, wh...
7 Feb 2026 at 8:32am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From GB News yesterday: A blistering on?air takedown of the Plan 2 student loan system by The New Statesman editor Oli Dugmore has intensified pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves, after she insisted the current arrangements are ?fair?. Appearing on BBC Question Time, Mr Dugmore...

Experienced researcher finds AI far more trustworthy on Scottish politics tha...
6 Feb 2026 at 5:11pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. I really had to laugh. I’ve done a lot of searching for information and sometimes analysis and evaluation using Grok, chatgpt and other general AI platforms. I do find bias against the independence movement, the SNP and the Scottish Government but only when the AI gives to much ...

Blue tent big enough for Mandelson police inquiry located in Ayr, Scotland ? ...
6 Feb 2026 at 5:10pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Readers will remember the scale of the police investigation into £600 000 given to the SNP by its own members for a campaign, and which they then, according to one complaint from a member of Sperm of the Gall, spent on something else. A blue tent had to be put on Nicola?s lawn, ...

Almost all terror-related offences in Scotland carried out by whites
6 Feb 2026 at 5:09pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From a Police Scotland Freedom of Information request 25-2862 Crime stats – Terrorism inc. accused gender/ age/ ethnicity – 2025 published today, where ethnicity was recorded: Ethnicity Total White Scottish 9 White British 6 White Irish 1 White Other 1 White European 6 White Nor...

As Mandelson case exposes the risks of using US company Palantir for health d...
6 Feb 2026 at 5:08pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In the Guardian today: Labour should halt public contracts with the US tech company Palantir, opposition politicians have said, amid growing concern at the lack of government transparency over dealings with the company and Peter Mandelson. Since 2023, Palantir has secured more t...

Steady progress as 107 out of nearly 2 000 Talking-up Scotland subscribers co...
6 Feb 2026 at 1:56pm
Steady progress as 107 out of nearly 2 000 Talking-up Scotland subscribers contribute. Many thanks to them. If you really value this service and want it to continue, please contribute, if you can, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotland

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
26 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push - Reu...
18 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push  Reuters

New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence - gatescambr...
3 Feb 2026 at 10:32am
New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence  gatescambridge.org

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

Jeffrey Epstein discussed how to profit from Scottish independence vote, file...
2 Feb 2026 at 4:17pm
Jeffrey Epstein discussed how to profit from Scottish independence vote, files show  TheNational.scot

Scottish independence polls & surveys - YouGov
30 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence polls & surveys  YouGov

Nicola Sturgeon insists independence will happen 'within 50 years' and claims...
7 Feb 2026 at 11:47am
Nicola Sturgeon insists independence will happen 'within 50 years' and claims SNP is not a 'one issue' party  Scottish Daily Express

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

Jim Sillars: 'Time for SNP to end victimhood narrative to win independence' -...
6 Feb 2026 at 7:35am
Jim Sillars: 'Time for SNP to end victimhood narrative to win independence'  The Herald

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Jeane Freeman: SNP politician who led Covid response - BBC
7 Feb 2026 at 8:52am
Jeane Freeman: SNP politician who led Covid response  BBC

Jeane Freeman, 1953-2026 - snp.org
7 Feb 2026 at 11:34am
Jeane Freeman, 1953-2026  snp.org

Repellent policy on trans inmates shows SNP chooses men over women - The Times
7 Feb 2026 at 6:10pm
Repellent policy on trans inmates shows SNP chooses men over women  The Times

LETTER: SNP candidate?s Shetland energy act sounds wonderful but is it credib...
7 Feb 2026 at 6:00pm
LETTER: SNP candidate?s Shetland energy act sounds wonderful but is it credible?  Shetland Times

How the SNP just showed they value dogs more than women - The Scotsman
7 Feb 2026 at 6:00am
How the SNP just showed they value dogs more than women  The Scotsman

New Holyrood poll shows Reform UK gaining ground on SNP - TheNational.scot
6 Feb 2026 at 11:32am
New Holyrood poll shows Reform UK gaining ground on SNP  TheNational.scot

SNP MSP says foreign lags should be deported to KOSOVO to ease jail overcrowd...
7 Feb 2026 at 10:37pm
SNP MSP says foreign lags should be deported to KOSOVO to ease jail overcrowding  The Scottish Sun

Tributes paid after death of former SNP health secretary Jeane Freeman - The ...
7 Feb 2026 at 10:40am
Tributes paid after death of former SNP health secretary Jeane Freeman  The Independent

Jim Sillars: 'Time for SNP to end victimhood narrative to win independence' -...
6 Feb 2026 at 7:35am
Jim Sillars: 'Time for SNP to end victimhood narrative to win independence'  The Herald

Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman dies aged 72 - BBC
7 Feb 2026 at 12:46pm
Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman dies aged 72  BBC

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push - Reu...
18 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push  Reuters

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
26 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

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

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

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

Scottish leader vows another independence vote if his party wins in May - Pre...
18 Jan 2026 at 6:59pm
Scottish leader vows another independence vote if his party wins in May  PressTV

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

Swinney sets out latest plan for an independence referendum - BBC
4 Sep 2025 at 8:00am
Swinney sets out latest plan for an independence referendum  BBC

First Minister John Swinney sets out latest plan for independence referendum ...
4 Sep 2025 at 8:00am
First Minister John Swinney sets out latest plan for independence referendum  Sky News