The Herald

The Herald | Politics


MSPs urged to hold an inquiry on impact of VAT on private school fees
by Kathleen Nutt
3 Sep 2026 at 5:00am
MSPs are being urged to hold an inquiry about the impact of VAT on private school fees.


Glasgow addiction services 11 per cent below planned staffing despite £23m spend
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
3 Sep 2026 at 5:00am
Glasgow addiction services ended the last financial year almost 11 per cent below budgeted staffing, as spending topped £23m and questions remained over vacancies.


Social care must not be swallowed up by NHS under reform plans, John Swinney ...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
3 Sep 2026 at 5:00am
John Swinney has been warned on the future of social care as he considers widescale reforms of the NHS and wider health service.


Scots housebuilder hails 'massive development' amid 'dwindling supply' warning
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
3 Sep 2026 at 4:32am
Barratt boss reveals progress on 'one of the most significant new communities in Scotland'


Why is Sub Club boss so unhappy about BBC's Glasgow documentary?
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
3 Sep 2026 at 4:31am
Concerns raised by Sub Club chief over BBC's Glasgow documentary are understandable


Glasgow City Council records worst overspend in years as auditors rate financ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
3 Sep 2026 at 12:01am
Glasgow City Council has recorded a £45.7m overspend as auditors rate its finances red, warn of a £110m funding gap, and reveal its emergency savings fund will be exhausted within months.


Scottish Government urged to action one year after vote to boycott Israel
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
3 Sep 2026 at 12:01am
The Scottish Government has been urged to ensure a boycott of Israeli goods and services one year ago does not apply "in name only"


Gordon Brown?s pointed verdict on honours weeks after Anas Sarwar peerage
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
3 Sep 2026 at 9:45am
Gordon Brown has said public office should never become a ?platform for private gain? after former Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar accepted a peerage to join Andy Burnham?s government.


Sexual offences court ?difficult to deliver?, Justice Secretary admits
by Craig Meighan
2 Sep 2026 at 6:01pm
Neil Gray told MSPs that implementation work is not expected to begin until the next financial year, after the Crown Office said it had received no additional funding for the sizeable reform.


Major Glasgow bus operators back £2 fare cap despite 'astonishing' timescale
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
2 Sep 2026 at 5:24pm
The voluntary £2 cap on bus fares in Glasgow and the west of Scotland has been backed by three major operators.


Excrement smeared on prison walls not cleaned for three days, MSPs told
by Craig Meighan
2 Sep 2026 at 4:31pm
Prisoners in segregation units are being left with ?human excrement? smeared across the walls of their cell for three days at a time, MSPs have heard.


Meet the 'pragmatic' SNP activist fighting progressive foes to retain council...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
2 Sep 2026 at 4:23pm
Silas McGilvray will stand in the Portobello/Craigmillar ward following Kate Campbell?s resignation from City of Edinburgh Council earlier this year.


Michael Marra: My biggest concern about Labour leadership is impact on family
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
2 Sep 2026 at 3:22pm
Michael Marra speaks to The Herald about why he wants to succeed Anas Sarwar and what Scottish Labour needs to do to win.


Swinney appoints ?experienced? Alyn Smith as Scottish Government innovation m...
by Katrine Bussey
2 Sep 2026 at 2:31pm
Former SNP MEP and MP Alyn Smith has joined the Scottish Government as the minister for innovation, technology and tertiary education.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Neil Gray admits SNP's flagship sexual offences court will be 'difficult to d...
3 Sep 2026 at 6:00am

The flagship court has a key part of the Scottish government?s landmark justice reforms agreed by MSPs last year

The Scottish Government is due to give MSPs an update on the wildfires that happened over the summer.

The Scottish government has been warned regional government models can be achieved without a radical overhaul of local councils.

The Accounts Commission has warned Glasgow City Council has reached a ?challenging point? over its finances, homelessness and other pressures.

The former first minister said ?we are in danger of perpetrating a con on people working in the North Sea? by suggesting that approving the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields would protect jobs.

Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch were a good match for each other on their first PMQs together

The First Minister?s programme for government includes legislation to introduce two new council tax bands

The former MP and MEP will take over from Ben Macpherson who stood down from the role last week

Brian Leishman said the party ?must appeal to what was once a large chunk of our core vote that left us for the SNP?

The first of four volumes of evidence to be published as part of the next phase of the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry has been released.

Trade unions say they are worried John Swinney?s programme for government will result in public sector job losses

Wings over Scotland

Anything But That
1 Sep 2026 at 1:04pm
The SNP really really don’t want to have another independence referendum, but if somebody somehow FORCES them into one, they DEFINITELY don’t want to have it in circumstances where they’d be starting the campaign with a 16-point lead. (We must conclude from all this, incidentally, that John Swinney LOVES the Tories, because he had no …

Haven?t had a dream in a long time
31 Aug 2026 at 8:43pm
These are strange days, readers. It’s getting hard to tell who’s on which side. To be honest, we’d take George Foulkes’ offer in a heartbeat. It’s not ideal, because there should be no limits on democracy, but the UK government can perfectly lawfully deny another indyref indefinitely anyway (and seem entirely inclined to), so we’d …

The Shortest Day
29 Aug 2026 at 1:07pm
Something rather extraordinary happened yesterday, dearest readers. Very briefly, we absolutely genuinely thought someone in a position of some influence in the SNP had taken a meaningful step towards being serious about independence. We are not being sarcastic. Look: here it is. (Transcript at bottom of article.) ? Dave Doogan is the SNP’s leader at …

The Slowest Dawning
28 Aug 2026 at 1:44pm
Now, readers, it’s not much of a secret that anyone who’s still supporting the SNP in the hopes that they’ll deliver Scottish independence is – and let’s put this as gently and kindly as possible – a bit thick. From a membership high of 125,000 in the run-up to the 2021 Holyrood election, fully 60% …

Spot The Problem
27 Aug 2026 at 12:19pm
See if you can identify why this isn’t an ideal way to run a justice system. We’ve put a couple of clues in for the slower folk. Answer below. Still, the Crown Office IS at least theoretically accountable to Parliament, so as long as the governing party is full of strong, independent, fair-minded MSPs willing …

This Other Earth
26 Aug 2026 at 2:22pm
We’ve had another email from the Crown Office. Stand by for a surprise! Well, that seems fair enough: other than the fact that almost £700,000 in “ringfenced” fundraiser money is (still) visibly missing, and the fact that the First Minister of the country and the leader of the party the money was entrusted to has …

You?ll Have Had Your Supper
24 Aug 2026 at 6:22pm
Great news, everyone – Scottish Labour has finally worked out how to talk to the people of Scotland. This video featuring the party’s MP Melanie Ward just appeared on the Scotland Office’s LinkedIn page, and it explains the complexities of the interlinked Scottish and UK economies in terms that the UK government hopes all of …

Before Action
20 Aug 2026 at 8:20pm
Our solicitors have today sent the letter below to Police Scotland. (Click pics to enlarge.) It’s worth remembering what this is about. – Peter Murrell was recently sentenced to over five years in prison for misappropriating approximately £400,000 from the SNP, which is the crime of embezzlement. – John Swinney recently admitted that the SNP …

The Land Of Do-As-You-Please
17 Aug 2026 at 12:15pm
The contempt for the Scottish public being openly shown by public servants paid from the public purse to answer to the public has at this point reached such endemic levels that we’re not sure an acceptable level of trust can ever be salvaged. The reply above is not just evasive, not even just pathetic, it’s …

Believers In The Ruins
13 Aug 2026 at 2:01pm
Not done with celebrating defeat in an imaginary UDI yesterday, The National has gone with another big polling-based front cover today, and the party’s woke young stormtrooper drones are beside themselves with malignant glee. Let’s just see what they’re cheering about. Oh. That 29% figure is actually one point DOWN on the SNP’s support in …

Craig Murray

Dr David Halpin and David Kelly
29 Aug 2026 at 12:26pm

Dr David Halpin, a redoubtable campaigner over the murder of Dr David Kelly, and a friend of this blog for over twenty years, has died. He will be missed. His sister Mary was for many years an invaluable commenter here and occasional researcher for me. Unfortunately about ten years ago I banned her for comments …

Dr David Halpin and David Kelly

Of Judges, Juries and Fascism
25 Aug 2026 at 5:50pm

We still don’t have a decision on whether the Scottish judicial review of Palestine Action can proceed. Lord Young is thinking about it. Last Thursday’s hearing went about as well as it could go. The UK government produced no written argument and barely seemed to be trying. They moved in court for the Scottish judicial …

Of Judges, Juries and Fascism

Scottish Judicial Review Hearing Tomorrow
19 Aug 2026 at 10:05pm

After eight months of obstructionism from the Labour Friends of Israel government of the UK, tomorrow is the day on which the Scottish Court of Session will finally decide whether to go ahead with the judicial review it granted in January, or kowtow to Downing St. I publish below two of the three main papers …

Scottish Judicial Review Hearing Tomorrow

A Tide in the Affairs of Men
7 Aug 2026 at 9:20pm

Between ten and five years ago, specifically in the light of Brexit, it was not in the least unusual for Scottish Independence supporters to discuss a declaration of Independence as the way forward. Debate more often centred on who should make the declaration – the Scottish parliament or some form of national convention or assembly. …

A Tide in the Affairs of Men

The Hard Right Packing of the UK Supreme Court
2 Aug 2026 at 7:00pm

Unlike the USA, where it is obsessively watched, the UK has no political culture of scrutinising the political composition of its Supreme Court. This is a big mistake. The UK Supreme Court has been deliberately and openly, even ostentatiously, packed with hard-right judges selected on the specific criterion that they will not oppose the will …

The Hard Right Packing of the UK Supreme Court

Scottish Independence: Set the Date!
29 Jul 2026 at 6:30pm

  The Scottish Government urgently needs a bold and radical approach to achieving Independence in spite of the firm London veto on a referendum. It is plain that there is no plan at present. The Scottish Parliament has a pro-Independence majority and government. This is how to achieve Independence consistent with international law and practice. …

Scottish Independence: Set the Date!

BBC Scotland

Glasgow City Council at 'critical' point over £110m budget gap
3 Sep 2026 at 6:08am
The Accounts Commission warns "robust oversight" is needed to tackle a £110m budget gap spanning the next two financial years.

Electric bus operator concerned about £2 fare cap
3 Sep 2026 at 11:03am
Ember, which operates between cities across Scotland, says it supports cheaper travel but is worried about how the scheme will work.

How will Swinney 'rewire' local government and public services?
2 Sep 2026 at 3:39pm
The first minister announced wide-ranging plans to shake-up Scotland's public sector.

Family of murdered Stacy Hunter say new misogyny bill would not have protecte...
2 Sep 2026 at 1:23pm
First Minister John Swinney said he wanted to use his role to tackle violence against women.

No compulsory redundancies from health board cuts - Swinney
2 Sep 2026 at 11:26am
The first minister has promised to work with trade unions as he embarks on reforming the public sector.

Alyn Smith appointed as Scotland's innovation minister
2 Sep 2026 at 2:23pm
The former MP and MEP has been made minister for innovation, technology and tertiary education following the resignation of Ben Macpherson.

Food price cap and public sector reform: Five things from the programme for g...
1 Sep 2026 at 6:33pm
A summary of the key announcements from John Swinney's programme for government.

Bus journeys in west of Scotland to be capped at £2 from Monday
1 Sep 2026 at 9:23pm
First Minister John Swinney announced the move in his programme for government, alongside plans to cut health boards from 14 to two.

Swinney to cut number of health boards from 14 to two
1 Sep 2026 at 4:52pm
Existing boards could be merged so there would be one for the west and another for the east of Scotland.

Swinney 'concerned' over Flynn missing by-election for World Cup
1 Sep 2026 at 3:55pm
Flynn formally asked to attend the tournament in the US less than three weeks after he was elected as an MSP.

Delays and £20m cost rise for new Turkish-built CalMac ferries
1 Sep 2026 at 9:17am
The second of four ordered ships will be handed over in October, about 20 months later than originally planned.

Early release: What's happening with prisoners in Scotland?
1 Sep 2026 at 6:00am
Letting prisoners out early to ease prison overcrowding is proving politically fraught both sides of the border.

Scot Goes Pop

"Well THAT one was worth waiting for!": SNP have DOUBLE Labour's support in d...
2 Sep 2026 at 11:38pm

RevStew can squeal but *of course* the SNP have done the right thing by rulin...
31 Aug 2026 at 9:19am
The most dispiriting aspect of the controversy surrounding Dave Doogan is that it's given the controversial Somerset-based "Stew" blogger an excuse to yet again trot out his barking mad fantasy abo...

The refusal to allow a debate and vote on independence strategy at the SNP co...
29 Aug 2026 at 10:15am
I initially assumed that the timing of the publication of a draft indyref bill was directly connected to the news having just broken that this year's SNP conference is being effectively blocked fro...

Another Scottish polling disaster for Burnham: a majority of voters want Scot...
27 Aug 2026 at 10:24pm
Someone asked on the previous comments thread whether it was true that a new Survation poll showed that Andy Burnham is the most popular politician among Scottish voters.  Yes, it is true (albeit w...

The BBC will ALWAYS be fearlessly neutral and even-handed and ask all the imp...
24 Aug 2026 at 10:06pm
*  *  *I'm still urgently trying to make progress towards my blogging and YouTube videos becoming financially sustainable.  If you'd like to help me continue to create content by becoming a support...

Warning - Danger - MASSIVE BLACK HOLE APPROACHING and Stew wants to chuck YOU...
22 Aug 2026 at 10:04pm
Probably because I grew up during the period in which the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six were released, I've always been deeply troubled by the persistent recurrence of severe miscarriages o...

Concerns mount that the "Scottish Daily Express" may be written by clueless H...
22 Aug 2026 at 12:21pm
If it wasn't so outrageous, the latest anti-Gaelic rant from the Scottish Daily Express would be hysterically funny.  The paper reports that "one Holyrood source" (translation: an unspecified Tory ...

Douglas Alexander tacitly admits the choice for Labour is: a) change course o...
21 Aug 2026 at 12:26pm
My seven-day conventional text-blogging blitz to help promote my Ko-Fi fundraising page is now over, and it certainly wasn't a waste of time because it led to several new sign-ups as recurring mont...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Zack Polanski says he will stand in by-election to replace Keir Starmer
3 Sep 2026 at 10:01am
The Green Party leader has announced his intention to stand as a candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election

Prisoners left with human excrement smeared on cell walls for three days, MSP...
2 Sep 2026 at 4:05pm
The chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service said not cleaning 'dirty protests' for three days complied with the law

Swinney appoints ?experienced? Smith as Scottish Government minister
2 Sep 2026 at 3:52pm
Alyn Smith is to be the minister for innovation, technology and tertiary education, replacing Ben Macpherson who quit last week

Sexual offences court will be difficult to deliver but is necessary ? minister
2 Sep 2026 at 2:27pm
Justice secretary Neil Gray said work on the court will not begin until the next financial year

Serious spending questions raised at Andy Burnham?s first PMQs
2 Sep 2026 at 1:07pm
Now that summer recess is over, the Prime Minister faced scrutiny from his political opponents

Drafting Scottish budget will be extremely challenging, admits Gilruth
2 Sep 2026 at 12:02pm
The deputy first minister spoke about the tight fiscal siatuation faced by the Scottish Government

Swinney says ?no question? of compulsory job losses as he cuts NHS boards
2 Sep 2026 at 10:24am
The First Minister made the commitment after revealing plans to cut the number of area health boards in Scotland from 14 to two

John Swinney pledges ?radical reshaping? of Scotland?s public services
1 Sep 2026 at 5:15pm
The First Minister announced his Programme for Government as MSPs returned to Holyrood after the summer recess

Long-term government borrowing costs leap to 28-year high ahead of Budget
1 Sep 2026 at 4:49pm
It came amid a widespread global bond sell-off amid concerns over ratcheting oil prices and wider uncertainty over inflation

£2 bus fare cap to be extended to Glasgow and west of Scotland, Swinney confirms
1 Sep 2026 at 4:30pm
Passengers in Glasgow and the west will see cheaper bus fares from Monday

Ed Miliband pledges to introduce ?reset? of UK policy on Israel ?in coming we...
1 Sep 2026 at 3:39pm
The foreign secretary said the UK Government is looking at how to stop UK companies 'financing, constructing or advertising new settlements' in the West Bank

Former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to stand down as an MP
1 Sep 2026 at 12:29pm
Sir Keir was replaced by Andy Burnham in July after losing the support of his party

Insight: What Kemi Badenoch?s reshuffle means for Scotland
1 Sep 2026 at 9:38am
The Tory leader spent the August bank holiday and the last of the summer recess reshuffling her frontbench

Kemi Badenoch sacks senior Tories in major shake-up of her front bench team
31 Aug 2026 at 8:14pm
The Conservative leader carried out the reshuffle of her inner circle before Parliament?s return on Tuesday, and ahead of the party?s conference.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

'Glaswegians are being gaslit by politicians - John Swinney cannot be allowed...
3 Sep 2026 at 4:30am
The answer to some of Glasgow's mounting problems lies in granting the city more powers - and not handing even more control to Edinburgh, says Chris McCall.

Glasgow in critical £110m black hole fuelled by refugee homelessness crisis
3 Sep 2026 at 4:30am
Total costs for helping people without a home stood at £38m in 2025/26, but estimates suggest this will balloon to £56m this year and then to £75m.

Glasgow must be helped to prosper after £110m black hole bombshell
3 Sep 2026 at 4:30am
Record View says Glasgow faces severe problems on several fronts.

Six issues Glasgow City Council must get a grip on or risk financial meltdown
3 Sep 2026 at 4:30am
A damning report by the independent Audit Commission has painted a grim picture of the finances and performance of Scotland's largest council. But what are the biggest issues currently facing Glasgow?

Call to review Holyrood's liberal homelessness laws to tackle Glasgow refugee...
3 Sep 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Scottish Labour leader hopeful Joe Fagan said rethinking the abolition of "priority need" should be carried out in a "rational" way".

Nicola Sturgeon among 600 women and groups to demand action to combat the far...
2 Sep 2026 at 4:51pm
The open letter also urges "effective and accountable? policing of the far-right.

John Swinney plan to cap Glasgow bus fares is 'voluntary' with operators unde...
2 Sep 2026 at 3:04pm
The SNP has been urged to "come clean" over how many bus firms have agreed to a £2 fare cap that John Swinney claims will start next week.

Scottish Labour MP says indyref3 ban should be condition of second referendum
2 Sep 2026 at 10:54am
Brian Leishman said his party should engage with the process of setting out a route for another vote on independence.

John Swinney claims 'no compulsory redundancies' under SNP plan to scrap heal...
2 Sep 2026 at 10:33am
The First Minister has placed himself on a collision course with trade unions over his plans to further centralise public services.

Glasgow council workers 'walk out in tears' as wages to be cut for 'equal pay'
2 Sep 2026 at 8:45am
Domestic abuse workers, janitors, cleansing staff, park workers and parking attendants say they face financial destitution.

The National

The National | Politics

Reform UK bans three journalists from its conference after critical reporting
3 Sep 2026 at 9:42am

AT least three journalist have been banned by Reform UK from its annual conference after they published reporting critical of the party and its leader, Nigel Farage

Zack Polanski standing in by-election triggered by Keir Starmer's resignation
3 Sep 2026 at 9:17am

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has announced he will stand in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election which was triggered when Keir Starmer said he was quitting as an MP

More North Sea oil drilling won't create jobs in Aberdeen, report finds
3 Sep 2026 at 5:00am

LIVING standards in Aberdeen have fallen below the UK average for the first time since 2003 ? but more North Sea drilling will not mean more jobs for the city, according to a new report from a leading think tank ...

How John Swinney's top down control is failing local councils
3 Sep 2026 at 5:00am

BIG has long been beautiful in Scotland.

An open letter to John Swinney on what life?s like if you?re neurodivergent
3 Sep 2026 at 5:00am

Dear John Swinney,

Putin is boxed in over the war ? and Russians are starting to sense it
3 Sep 2026 at 5:00am

CONTRARY to popular belief, pearls of wisdom sometimes emanate from pub talk. I was reminded of that again last weekend, during a chat over a glass or two with some friends about the Russia-Ukraine war.

Glasgow facing £110m budget gap over this year and next, watchdog warns
3 Sep 2026 at 8:32am

SCOTLAND'S largest local authority is facing a possible budget gap of almost £110 million for this year and next, a report has revealed

Major bus operator becomes third to back new £2 fare cap
2 Sep 2026 at 8:57pm

McGill's has joined First Bus and Stagecoach in backing the Scottish Government's new £2 bus fare cap.

Secrecy row as SNP Government refuses to name 13 firms banned under genocide ...
2 Sep 2026 at 6:00pm

THE Scottish Government has been accused of ?smoke and mirrors? after declining to reveal which companies are banned from receiving public money under a new policy prohibiting grants to arms firms dealing with Israel.

Environmental warnings emerge over huge £2bn AI data centre linked to Scottis...
2 Sep 2026 at 5:34pm

A HUGE planned £2 billion AI data centre linked to a Scottish aristocrat has been warned that it could affect local water supplies and have a ?significant impact? on a protected stretch of the River Tweed, The National can reveal ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

AI use is on the up by MPs ? whether they admit it or not, study finds
3 Sep 2026 at 11:36am
Scottish research reveals increase

Glasgow City Council hits ?critical? moment, watchdog warns
3 Sep 2026 at 8:18am
New pay structure vital as homelessness bill rises, report finds

New direction of travel
3 Sep 2026 at 7:00am
VisitScotland is playing a pivotal role in refocusing the tourism and events sector, highlighting its importance to the country?s wider economic strategy

?No reliable picture? of group-based child abuse in Scotland, review finds
3 Sep 2026 at 1:01am
Mairi McAllan says government will 'work urgently' on change

Alyn Smith named as innovation minister
2 Sep 2026 at 3:48pm
The MSP succeeds Ben Macpherson, who resigned last week

A healthy approach
2 Sep 2026 at 7:00am
A dedicated joint strategy to tackle heart and circulatory conditions, kidney disease and diabetes ? a group of illnesses which share common risk factors ? could cut avoidable deaths and reduce health inequalities, says BHF Scotland

Keir Starmer to stand down as an MP
1 Sep 2026 at 2:48pm
The former PM, who was replaced by Andy Burnham in the summer, said he wanted to focus on international relations and tackling violence against women and girls

National guidance cautions Scottish public sector on AI use
1 Sep 2026 at 2:05pm
Publication follows launch of five-year strategy

John Swinney to cut health boards in major realignment of NHS
1 Sep 2026 at 1:18pm
The first minister said it was part of a ?radical reshaping of public services"

Tech solutions push to ease hospital pressures
1 Sep 2026 at 11:17am
Scottish Government plan to tackle corridor care and patient backlog

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

UK politics: Andy Burnham pressed on borrowing costs and spending at first PM...
2 Sep 2026 at 5:36pm
Burnham faced questions from Kemi Badenoch and other MPs amid speculation over budgetIn the news release to mark the first anniversary of his election as the Green party?s leader, Zack Polanski highlighted what he described as 10 achievements during his first year in charge. For the record, this ...

Swinney sticks with pledge to cap prices on basic foods in Scotland
1 Sep 2026 at 5:52pm
First minister sets out his government?s agenda and defends policy described by industry groups as a ?potty gimmick?John Swinney insisted on Tuesday he still planned to introduce a legally binding price cap on bread, milk and other essential food items in Scotland despite fierce opposition from f...

Tuesday briefing: Scotland has promised on violence against women ? can it de...
1 Sep 2026 at 6:46am
In today?s newsletter: First minister John Swinney has pledged to put an end to violence against women and girls. But can he turn ambitious laws into real change?Good morning. Violence against women and girls, in all its myriad forms ? physical and mental, blatant and insidious ? is a global chal...

Channel 5 drama to examine how Nicola Sturgeon?s estranged husband stole SNP ...
26 Aug 2026 at 2:00pm
To Nicola, Love Peter will focus on couple?s relationship during 12-year period of embezzlement and fallout of caseChannel 5 is reuniting with the producers of Power: the Downfall of Huw Edwards for a drama about how Nicola Sturgeon?s estranged husband embezzled £400,000 from the Scottish Nationa...

?Never seen this level of objection?: Scotland pushes back against datacentre...
25 Aug 2026 at 6:00am
Holyrood ?inching towards moratorium? amid concerns over massive proposed developments in Auchtertool and beyondIn a village 21 miles north of Edinburgh, a real estate consultancy plans to build a datacentre larger than the village itself ? 35 metres high, with an area larger than 100 football pi...

Police Scotland warns ?robust security? needed to stop attacks on AI datacentres
14 Aug 2026 at 5:05pm
?A great deal of public opposition is likely? to a proposed datacentre near Edinburgh, the force saysPolice in Scotland have issued a stark warning about the need for ?robust security measures? to stop proposed AI datacentres from being attacked by protesters.There has been mounting opposition to...

Polls open in Clacton, where Farage spent more than £10,000 in byelection aga...
13 Aug 2026 at 3:54pm
The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelectionThe number of patients in England being cared for in hospital corridors or makeshift areas has remained above 3,000 a day for the second month in a row, as the NHS experiences a ?summer surge?, the Pre...

UK politics: Burnham urges retailers to stop selling disposable barbecues aft...
12 Aug 2026 at 7:10pm
PM warns extreme heat conditions ?could be with us fo some time yet?Just 20 staff are working on climate adaptation within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the part of government tasked with protecting the environment and maintaining food security, a freedom of information ...

Amnesty International says Farage putting ?hate and inhumanity? over leadersh...
10 Aug 2026 at 5:03pm
A spokesperson for the human rights group likened the proposal to ?financial brutality with British taxpayers? money?Farage and Yusuf are now taking questions.Q: From Jack Fenwick from the BBC Are there other countries where you might send foreign offenders? And how much would this cost?We have...

Nicola Sturgeon ?has not spoken to? estranged husband, Peter Murrell, since h...
8 Aug 2026 at 3:50pm
Scotland?s former first minister says she will not visit Murrell in prison, where he is serving five-year sentence for embezzling SNP fundsNicola Surgeon has said she will not visit her estranged husband, Peter Murrell, in prison, has stopped speaking to him and views herself as a ?mug? for worry...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The branch office?s stagnant talent puddle
2 Sep 2026 at 4:42pm
The Labour party in Scotland has got itself into a hopeless mess on the topic of another independence referendum. Actually, that previous sentence could just have stopped at the word mess. The two contenders for the position of Labour’s Scottish branch manager, Michael Marra and Jackie Baillie’s wee pet Joe Fagan, had an embarrassing car …

Keir today, gone tomorrow
1 Sep 2026 at 4:08pm
With intentionally spiteful timing, failed prime minister Keir Starmer announced that he’s stepping down as an MP just as his successor was due to address Parliament for the first time. With this move, Starmer has proven that it was all about his ego, careerism, self-aggrandisement, and ambition all along. He’s telling us he has no …

The Record?s proposed trigger for Indyref2 benefits Labour not Scotland
31 Aug 2026 at 8:06pm
The first crack has appeared in the “We’re not nationalists we’re British” dam against the rising tide of support for independence and the generational shift that puts opposition to independence in Scotland on borrowed time. The current Westminster tactic of refusing to countenance another independence referendum, maintaining that the UK is a voluntary union while …

Pros and cons of a defacto indyref, and the SNP conference
30 Aug 2026 at 4:09pm
As ever, when I take a few days off from the blog, there’s a lot to catch up on. There was the Survation poll on independence published on Thursday which reported a 52% result for Yes (with don’t knows removed). It’s worth pointing out that Survation is one of those polling companies which uses weighting …

Meet the new boss, you know the rest
27 Aug 2026 at 5:04pm
As sure as night follows day or the Labour branch office in Scotland is unwilling to learn from its repeated electoral kickings, the Labour party at Westminster is equally unwilling to change, retreating to its comfort zone of corporate centre right politics just as soon as it had defenestrated Keir Starmer for being massively unpopular …

Wind turbines and threats to national security
25 Aug 2026 at 1:12pm
Scotland’s enormous potential for renewable energy could turn the country into a literal European powerhouse and generate immense revenues for an independent Scotland as well as giving Scotland some of the cheapest electricity in Europe, which in turn could generate huge inward investment as companies seek to build factories in Scotland, taking advantage of low …

Graham Grant?s glaikit attack on the Scots language
20 Aug 2026 at 1:48pm
You have probably never heard of Graham Grant, which is a great blessing. Grant is the home affairs editor of the Scottish Daily Mail, a far right rag which devotes itself to stories about celebs and royalty and informing its elderly readership of Tory and Reform UK supporters of all the many and myriad ways …

The BBC?s Glasgow hit piece says more about the BBC than Glasgow
19 Aug 2026 at 6:20pm
I’ve already briefly mentioned BBC Scotland’s disgraceful hit job on Glasgow which was broadcast earlier this week, but it’s worth exploring the issues around the programme in more detail, as the programme and its broadcast tell us far more about the priorities and concerns of the BBC in Scotland than they do about the state …

The BBC, the Reform UK Broadcasting corporation
17 Aug 2026 at 4:04pm
Although in recent weeks the Reform UK bandwagon looks as though it has hit a roadblock in the form of scandals about the party’s addiction to dodgy donations, the media in the UK continues to do its utmost to treat Farage’s party as the government in waiting. Reform has a mere eight MPs, it is …

Farage?s pyrrhic victory over a bin
14 Aug 2026 at 11:38am
Of course Farage won the by election in Clacton which he called in an attempt to pre-empt a Parliamentary investigation into his dodgy finances. And of course Farage is crowing about his “decisive victory against the “establishment” candidate, a vainglorious boast when that candidate was a man with a bin on his head and all …

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

Minimum wage shame list reveals Scottish firms significantly more likely to p...
3 Sep 2026 at 9:53am
Top story at BBC Scotland Business and front page on the BBC Scotland News site but barely mentioned across other BBC sites, ‘Minimum wage shame list reveals Scottish firms that failed to pay staff.’ Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Acc...

Another crime surge into Scotland from England that must be fogged
3 Sep 2026 at 9:05am
and is a problem across the UK. Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 BBC Reporting Scotland last night investigating the sale of illegal tobacco, let slip their awareness that this is linked to organised crime and is a ph...

Child grooming gangs like those in Rochdale and Rotherham in Scotland ? somet...
3 Sep 2026 at 8:42am
the extent of child abuse carried out by grooming gangs in Scotland, according to a review. Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 For some reason, but not unusually for Reporting Scotland, this story is not reported more f...

Jackie Baillie?s hypocrisy as Keir Starmer spends £60 130 of taxpayer money o...
2 Sep 2026 at 6:17pm
Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 By Liz S Jackie Baillie posted this on X on 20 August (based on a BBC article that had a headline ?John Swinney defends £45,000 business-class flights to World Cup?). ?Such luxury in a...

Lucy Whyte didn?t appear to know that freezing the cost of supermarket staple...
2 Sep 2026 at 6:09pm
Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 By Liz S As Jackie Baillie was interviewed by the BBC radio in Scotland in a softly softly interview that was mostly, as per, an opportunity for her to have yet another public platform...

1 586 fully-researched rebuttals and revelations in 2026 so far ? help us kee...
2 Sep 2026 at 4:10pm
Help Talking-up Scotland keep goinghttps://crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingOr by direct bank transfer to:JOHN WATSON ROBERTSONSort Code ? 08-91-04Account 12266421Many thanks to the 104 supporters so far.36 000 visitors in August1586 researched posts in 2026 so farJohn

Thanks to Glasgow Labour ? From your child?s hospital bed, so close you can s...
2 Sep 2026 at 3:45pm
The Shieldhill Prelimary Works, Pre-sedimentation at the end of Hospital Boulevard, on the right, a few hundred metres from the QEUH main entrance with the Royal hospital for Children where a much-reported cancer ward death linked to bacterial infection took place. Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by dir...

Glasgow Labour?s new giant incinerator upwind of the QEUH associated with con...
2 Sep 2026 at 3:44pm
Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 From Ends Waste & Bioenergy in January 2015: Plans to build the UK?s largest waste management complex image at top and energy-from-waste plant have come to an end, it has emerged. Li...

Swinney accused by Herald of starting wars to distract from his Ferry Fiasco 2
2 Sep 2026 at 3:40pm
Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 From the Herald of Free Enterprise’s Maritime Williams today, the latest in his wrecking yard of journalism on ferries: Ferry fiasco 2.0? Why is £20m more needed for Turkish ships? Aft...

Massive growth in key economic sectors since early days of SNP administration
2 Sep 2026 at 10:47am
Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code ? 08-91-04 Account ? 12266421 From Industry statistics: Economic statistics for industry sectors in Scotland published today, the above data: From 2010, just before the first majority SNP Government in 2011 and unt...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Sport, Empire, and Independence: The Politics and Legacy of the Glasgow Commo...
3 Sep 2026 at 7:31am
Sport, Empire, and Independence: The Politics and Legacy of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026  Commonwealth Round Table

FM calls for referendum powers as draft independence bill published - BBC
28 Aug 2026 at 12:17pm
FM calls for referendum powers as draft independence bill published  BBC

Scottish Independence is a demand that Westminster cannot ignore - greens.scot
28 Aug 2026 at 11:51am
Scottish Independence is a demand that Westminster cannot ignore  greens.scot

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation

Burnham tells Swinney independence is 'off limits' at Commonwealth Games meet...
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Burnham tells Swinney independence is 'off limits' at Commonwealth Games meeting  BBC

Will the SNP's plans for government help or hinder the Scottish independence ...
1 Sep 2026 at 7:55pm
Will the SNP's plans for government help or hinder the Scottish independence cause?  thenational.scot

Draft Independence Referendum Bill published - wired-gov.net
28 Aug 2026 at 12:40pm
Draft Independence Referendum Bill published  wired-gov.net

New Scottish independence referendum ?off limits,? UK prime minister tells Sc...
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
New Scottish independence referendum ?off limits,? UK prime minister tells Scottish leader  Anadolu Ajans?

Scottish government publishes draft second independence referendum bill - Mor...
28 Aug 2026 at 4:27pm
Scottish government publishes draft second independence referendum bill  Morning Star | The People?s Daily

Scottish Government publishes new independence bill - holyrood.com
28 Aug 2026 at 11:31am
Scottish Government publishes new independence bill  holyrood.com

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Glasgow at breaking point as migrants ?exploit SNP?s housing policy? - The Te...
3 Sep 2026 at 6:00am
Glasgow at breaking point as migrants ?exploit SNP?s housing policy?  The Telegraph

Reform top donations table thanks to crypto criminal as SNP get £225k bequest...
3 Sep 2026 at 11:51am
Reform top donations table thanks to crypto criminal as SNP get £225k bequest  thenational.scot

Meet the 'pragmatic' SNP activist fighting progressive foes to retain council...
2 Sep 2026 at 7:36pm
Meet the 'pragmatic' SNP activist fighting progressive foes to retain council seat  The Herald

?Lack of detail and must go further?: Scottish sector reacts to SNP?s new Pro...
3 Sep 2026 at 9:30am
?Lack of detail and must go further?: Scottish sector reacts to SNP?s new Programme for Government  Inside Housing

Channel 5 drama to examine how Nicola Sturgeon?s estranged husband stole SNP ...
26 Aug 2026 at 2:00pm
Channel 5 drama to examine how Nicola Sturgeon?s estranged husband stole SNP funds  The Guardian

Burnham on ?lecturing tour? with Britain in peril of breaking up, SNP leader ...
1 Sep 2026 at 12:05am
Burnham on ?lecturing tour? with Britain in peril of breaking up, SNP leader claims  Morning Star | The People?s Daily

Top SNP civil servant warns services will 'stop or be consolidated' as John S...
1 Sep 2026 at 6:00am
Top SNP civil servant warns services will 'stop or be consolidated' as John Swinney to set out cuts  The Scotsman

Reform UK MSP accidentally backs SNP call for further devolution to Scotland ...
2 Sep 2026 at 11:50pm
Reform UK MSP accidentally backs SNP call for further devolution to Scotland  thenational.scot

Swinney considering cutting the number of health boards in bid to save public...
30 Aug 2026 at 12:40pm
Swinney considering cutting the number of health boards in bid to save public money  The Herald

Tuesday briefing: Scotland has promised on violence against women ? can it de...
1 Sep 2026 at 9:35am
Tuesday briefing: Scotland has promised on violence against women ? can it deliver?  The Guardian

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

FM calls for referendum powers as draft independence bill published - BBC
28 Aug 2026 at 12:17pm
FM calls for referendum powers as draft independence bill published  BBC

Draft Independence Referendum Bill published - wired-gov.net
28 Aug 2026 at 12:40pm
Draft Independence Referendum Bill published  wired-gov.net

Draft Independence Referendum Bill published - Scottish Legal News
31 Aug 2026 at 11:29am
Draft Independence Referendum Bill published  Scottish Legal News

Scottish Independence is a demand that Westminster cannot ignore - greens.scot
28 Aug 2026 at 11:51am
Scottish Independence is a demand that Westminster cannot ignore  greens.scot

Scottish government publishes draft second independence referendum bill - Mor...
28 Aug 2026 at 4:27pm
Scottish government publishes draft second independence referendum bill  Morning Star | The People?s Daily

Scottish Government publishes draft bill for second independence referendum -...
28 Aug 2026 at 3:23pm
Scottish Government publishes draft bill for second independence referendum  thenational.scot

Scottish Government publishes new independence bill - holyrood.com
28 Aug 2026 at 11:31am
Scottish Government publishes new independence bill  holyrood.com

Andy Burnham would oppose second Scottish independence referendum - BBC
6 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Andy Burnham would oppose second Scottish independence referendum  BBC

Seriously, when will SNP members wake up to the big John Swinney 'Yes' swindl...
30 Aug 2026 at 6:16am
Seriously, when will SNP members wake up to the big John Swinney 'Yes' swindle?  The Herald

Old Newscast: The Scottish independence referendum | BBC Newscast - moderngha...
29 Aug 2026 at 1:03pm
Old Newscast: The Scottish independence referendum | BBC Newscast  modernghana.com