The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Scottish Government reveals new mansion tax could raise just £12m annually
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
6 Jul 2026 at 12:49pm
The Scottish Government's new "mansion tax" on properties worth more than £1 million could raise as little as £12m a year, according to its own consultation on the policy.


MSP touted as Sarwar's successor at odds with Burnham over second independenc...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
6 Jul 2026 at 12:22pm
Scottish Labour MSP Paul Sweeney has broken ranks with Andy Burnham after the likely next prime minister blocked a second independence referendum.


Scots back compulsory voting - but would it really fix low turnout?
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
6 Jul 2026 at 5:00am
New polling suggests Scots are open to compulsory voting, but would it fix low turnout in Scotland or risk forcing people into broken politics?


Can Andy Burnham make good on pledge to revive our high streets?
by David Lonsdale
6 Jul 2026 at 4:32am
Would-be Prime Minister Andy Burnham struck an optimistic note in speech about economy, but can he deliver?


Glasgow 2026 behind a paywall? SNP MSP?s letter urges UK ministers to act
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
6 Jul 2026 at 5:00am
An SNP MSP has urged UK Government ministers to intervene over Glasgow 2026 TV rights, demanding free-to-air coverage of the Commonwealth Games on the BBC.


Police investigate Yes Scotland finances after 'missing £1.5m' complaint
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
5 Jul 2026 at 12:44pm
Police Scotland are investigating a formal complaint into the finances of the 2014 Yes Scotland independence campaign, following allegations that £1.5 million in donations completely vanished from the group's books after the referendum.


Andy Burnham tells Scottish Labour MPs he will not agree to independence refe...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
5 Jul 2026 at 10:41am
Andy Burnham has privately told Scottish Labour MPs he will flatly reject a second independence referendum when he becomes Prime Minister.


Calls for fresh standards probe into Farage over funding from convicted crimi...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
5 Jul 2026 at 10:02am
Nigel Farage faces urgent calls for a parliamentary standards investigation following revelations that convicted fraudster George Cottrell funded his personal security, social media staff, and a luxury London townhouse.


'I love the Fringe - where else can you talk to comics, drag queens and clowns?'
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
5 Jul 2026 at 10:00am
The two-man chamber play hones in on two neighbours, Max and Rusty, and explores ?how words can inflame, confuse and divide?.


Scotland has a sex crime contagion, so why are we in denial about it?
5 Jul 2026 at 8:30am
HIGH-ranking public officials in Glasgow may be dreading the outcome of the Scottish Government?s public inquiry into grooming gangs. The Inquiry needs specifically to address the appalling case of the child sex abuse ring that had operated in Glasgow since 2012


Scots back compulsory voting at UK elections, new poll suggests
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
5 Jul 2026 at 5:00am
Scots back compulsory voting at UK general elections, a new Convergent Opinion poll for the Campaign for Compulsory Voting shows, amid concern over low voter turnout in Scotland.


As America turns 250, just how far removed is it from its founding ideals?
by david.pratt@heraldandtimes.co.uk | David Pratt
5 Jul 2026 at 6:15am
Unruly politics is nothing new in the 'land of the free' but two Trump presidencies have strained it like never before. Foreign Editor David Pratt examines the state of US democracy


Was Monklands Hospital risk flagged before polling day? Tory MSP asks
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
4 Jul 2026 at 5:00am
A Scottish Conservative MSP has demanded John Swinney reveal whether any risk to approving or delivering the £2.1bn replacement hospital was recorded before the Holyrood elections.


Campaigning Scot who fought assisted dying after being paralysed in freak inj...
4 Jul 2026 at 6:33am
From her brightly-coloured wigs to her infectious giggle, Michelle-Anna Moffatt, who has died aged 44, was vivacious and vibrant. When you spent time with her, it was easy to forget just how ill she was. That?s why the death of one of Scotland?s most loved campaigners has come as such a shock.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Ambulances waiting outside Scottish hospitals for up to 18 hours
6 Jul 2026 at 6:00am

Freedom of Information data showed the longest ambulance turnaround time so far this year was 18 hours and 18 minutes at Monklands Hospital in Airdrie.

The study suggested Scotland would see a Gross Value Added (GVA) boost of 0.43 per cent under full EU membership.

Wings over Scotland

Search And Replace
5 Jul 2026 at 3:34pm
Here’s a passage from Crown Agent John Logue’s recent BBC interview in which he described the crime for which Peter Murrell was just sentenced to five years and three months in prison. You’ll note that we’ve highlighted a few words and phrases in red. JOHN LOGUE: I think the best way I can describe it …

Narrowing the options
3 Jul 2026 at 12:12pm
We’ve just sent this letter to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Dear Sirs/Madams, Thank you for your response, which I have considered with care. I note you have advised that ?full consideration was given to whether the crime of fraud could be established. That investigation did not disclose sufficient evidence of fraud, or …

Fob, Fob, Fobbing Along
2 Jul 2026 at 4:49pm
We have received a further reply from the Crown Office. Alert readers may note that while Wings has repeatedly noted that the misappropriation of the fundraiser money by the SNP could constitute either fraud OR embezzlement (or both), entirely separate to the embezzlement FROM the SNP by Peter Murrell, the Crown Office continues – as …

Tuning In The Shine
2 Jul 2026 at 1:39pm
For any of you who haven’t caught it yet, my interview from Monday’s BBC Scotcast (which is also available on Spotify). ? Sadly due to a summer scheduling quirk the video version won’t go out on the telly, and seemingly not on the BBC YouTube page either, so you’ll just have to listen to the …

Strike A Pose, There?s Nothing To It
1 Jul 2026 at 12:05pm
We’ve already discussed the contents of the videos released last week by the BBC containing interviews with Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston of Police Scotland and Crown Agent John Logue of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. But videos (especially lengthy ones) are always a bit of a pain to reference, and these are …

ACC Houston, We Have A Problem
1 Jul 2026 at 12:04pm
We’ve already discussed the contents of the videos released last week by the BBC containing interviews with Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston of Police Scotland and Crown Agent John Logue of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. But videos (especially lengthy ones) are always a bit of a pain to reference, and these are …

The Fast Track
29 Jun 2026 at 2:32pm
I’ve just recorded an episode of the BBC ScotCast podcast, which should “drop”, as we say in the media biz, around teatime tonight. It focused largely on issues around Operation Branchform, and the fact that only one of the two crimes it concerned has been resolved. Time always flies when you’re having fun, so I …

Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No
27 Jun 2026 at 2:44pm
Alert readers will have found it hard not to notice that Wings is currently focused on trying to solve one mystery above all others: why nobody has been prosecuted for a massive theft of hundreds of thousands of pounds, which took place in open sight, beyond any dispute, and is openly admitted by someone who …

The Promise
26 Jun 2026 at 3:18pm
This is the letter the SNP sent donors to the ringfenced 2017 fundraiser. The terms are right there in the first sentence, and repeated several more times. The money will be “ring fenced for a future referendum”. It’s to “build up a sizeable war chest to fight the campaign when the time comes”. It’s to …

The Guilty Party
25 Jun 2026 at 1:47pm
These are the people whose job it was to stop the leadership of the SNP from stealing almost £700,000 of “ringfenced” fundraiser money from independence supporters, and who utterly failed at that job. It was also their job to stop Peter Murrell stealing the best part of £500,000 from the SNP, in a separate but …

Craig Murray

Palestine Action Proscription: We Fight Back
1 Jul 2026 at 12:50pm

I publish below in full the Note we have submitted to Court today to re-establish the separate Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. Not only is the state doubling down on prosecution of pro-Palestine activists, a new National Security State Threats Bill is being fast tracked through parliament to extend the attack …

Palestine Action Proscription: We Fight Back

The Middle East, Hormuz and the New Mercantilism
29 Jun 2026 at 9:50am

The provisional surrender document signed by Donald Trump appeared to represent a triumph for Iran and indeed for the world; but neither the USA nor Israel has the slightest sense of honour and they cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith. Iran knows this – after all, the USA twice attacked Iran actually during …

The Middle East, Hormuz and the New Mercantilism

The UK Joins the Pirates
15 Jun 2026 at 1:21pm

I was genuinely surprised by the Starmer regime’s refusal to state that the Israeli boarding of the Global Sumud flotilla on the High Seas was illegal. I did not realise it was because the UK was planning to undertake similar illegal seizure itself. The Gaza Flotilla seizure was illegal: while for obvious reasons freedom of …

The UK Joins the Pirates

Sentencing the Innocent
13 Jun 2026 at 4:41pm

Judge Johnson had proved his fascist credentials through rulings much earlier in the Filton trial than his vicious sentencing. Indeed, he had arguably already shown them when he released Tommy Robinson from a prison sentence, or when as a barrister he had chosen to work for the intelligence services and Ministry of Defence. But in …

Sentencing the Innocent

The Joy of Resistance
6 Jun 2026 at 9:51am

Just a quick note to say that I am very aware that lately I have been rather bitter, which is not good for anybody, especially me. The disappointments and state outrages have been no worse than usual; my frustration at my poor health, and the subsequent constraint of my ability to fight back, has rather …

The Joy of Resistance

The Power of the UK State Over Scotland
28 May 2026 at 7:50am

I went through yesterday’s preliminary hearing in the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action with a sense of mounting horror. We had the same judge as at the permission hearing, Lord Young. We had exactly the same arguments and the same case law being deployed again by the UK government as at …

The Power of the UK State Over Scotland

BBC Scotland

'Mansion tax' could double rates on Scotland's most expensive homes
6 Jul 2026 at 1:34pm
SNP ministers have has proposed a steep council tax increase for properties worth more than £1m.

Andy Burnham would oppose second Scottish independence referendum
6 Jul 2026 at 9:30am
The Labour MP, who is expected to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister, has ruled out agreeing to a vote.

Police inquiry into Yes Scotland campaign's 'missing £1.5m' claim
5 Jul 2026 at 1:05pm
It is claimed funds raised for the group which campaigned for independence in the 2014 referendum are "unaccounted for".

I was 'slam dunk' for SNP leadership until revealing gay marriage views - Forbes
3 Jul 2026 at 6:23am
The former deputy first minister says she was advised to lie about her opinions on same-sex marriage.

Burnham showed 'lack of knowledge' about Scotland - Swinney
1 Jul 2026 at 12:07pm
The first minister has criticised the Labour MP after he suggested power north of the border was too centralised.

What does the Royal Navy's drone warship plan mean for Scotland?
1 Jul 2026 at 6:15am
The UK government's long-awaited defence spending plans are out, but is it good or bad news for Scottish shipbuilders?

Charges for hate crimes in Scotland soar to record high
30 Jun 2026 at 11:55am
A total of 7,115 charges with at least one element of hate crime were recorded in 2025-26.

Andy Burnham vows to decentralise power in Scotland
29 Jun 2026 at 2:18pm
The Labour MP, who is expected to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister, said he wants to take power away from devolved parliaments and empower communities.

Scottish Labour's election 'disaster' due to unpopular PM - Lennon
28 Jun 2026 at 12:43pm
Former Labour MSP Monica Lennon says voters could not get beyond Keir Starmer's unpopularity.

Scottish Parliament restores online gender search for MSPs
29 Jun 2026 at 5:45pm
Visitors to the Holyrood website are able to search for parliamentarians by their sex and trans status.

King urges MSPs to help build a 'fair and prosperous society'
27 Jun 2026 at 1:13pm
The ceremony, which featured pageantry, poetry, drama and music, marked the beginning of the seventh session of Holyrood.

Ferries agency pays in full for unfinished CalMac ships built in Turkey
26 Jun 2026 at 3:31pm
CMAL has taken legal ownership of three ships as the shipyard faces economic challenges.

Scot Goes Pop

Another stunning SNP by-election GAIN as the Tories go into FREEFALL in the n...
4 Jul 2026 at 2:11pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE. A great reply semi-ruined by the final sentence. Stew? In Scotland?! The very ...

"IS THAT IT, ANDY?!" Only a 2% Burnham bounce for Labour with YouGov, as SNP ...
1 Jul 2026 at 11:59am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Burnham in danger of making government from Manchester as remote...

King of the South: Andy Burnham will make rule from Manchester as detested in...
30 Jun 2026 at 3:42am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Yet another poll suggests Burnham surge is a damp squib - SNP do...

Yet another poll suggests Burnham surge is a damp squib - SNP are dominant in...
29 Jun 2026 at 2:28am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.As regular readers may recall, I've been an elected member of the SNP's Policy Devel...

By-election sensation as SNP *gain* seat in Aberdeen - John Swinney's party a...
27 Jun 2026 at 8:40pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Scotland immune to Burnham effect? SNP buoyed by stellar subsamp...

Scotland immune to Burnham effect? SNP buoyed by stellar subsample result in ...
26 Jun 2026 at 9:27am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Andy Burnham's plan to rip up the Barnett Formula means he is ri...

How it is still mathematically possible for Scotland to qualify for the secon...
25 Jun 2026 at 2:12pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Andy Burnham's plan to rip up the Barnett Formula means he is ri...

REVEALED: Andy Burnham wants to rip up "The Vow", making a second independenc...
24 Jun 2026 at 3:47am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.Other recent videos:Grim news for Labour, but good cheer for the SNP, in first poll ...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Consultation opens on Scottish Government?s ?mansion tax? proposals
6 Jul 2026 at 12:00pm
Deputy first minister Jenny Gilruth said the Scottish Government?s approach was 'based on fairness'

Andy Burnham should scrap ?short-sighted? NI tax hike ? new SNP MP
5 Jul 2026 at 11:18am
Lara Bird said the policy was ?choking-off? economic growth in Scotland.

Scots counting cost of two years of ?disastrous? Labour government, Tories say
4 Jul 2026 at 10:04am
Scottish Conservatives deputy leader Rachael Hamilton says Sir Keir Starmer?s time in office had been 'disastrous'

Starmer must say what he will cut to fund £15bn defence rise, SNP says
2 Jul 2026 at 6:57am
Dave Doogan, the party?s Westminster leader, warned the PM's 'unfunded' plans could take 'vital' money away from schools and hospitals

Westminster asks Holyrood about joint inquiry into SNP Murrell scandal
1 Jul 2026 at 5:25pm
The Scottish Affairs Committee is writing to MSPs in a bid to work together

Former MSP to face trial accused of causing crashes while drink-driving
1 Jul 2026 at 2:33pm
Colin Smyth, 53, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Wednesday

Starmer accuses SNP of ?pretending? not to know about Peter Murrell crimes
1 Jul 2026 at 1:45pm
Murrell was jailed for five years and three months for embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 12-year period.

Swinney rejects Burnham?s claim Scots feel distant from Holyrood
1 Jul 2026 at 10:56am
The First Minister accused the Labour leadership hopeful of trying to ?lecture? him and described his comments as ?polemics?

Nigel Farage declares £270,000 payment for promoting gold bullion
30 Jun 2026 at 8:23pm
This is Farage's single biggest payment for work outside his role as an MP.

Cancer patients ?waiting longer than they should? as treatment targets missed
30 Jun 2026 at 1:39pm
No health board in Scotland achieved the goal of having 95% of patients urgently referred start their treatment within two months

Energy and road projects axed to fund £15bn defence investment plan
30 Jun 2026 at 1:22pm
Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had to be prepared for war

Asylum seekers to pay £10,000 towards cost of accommodation and support
30 Jun 2026 at 6:51am
Under new plans, asylum seekers will have to pay off the full amount before they can be eligible for settled status

What does Andy Burnham?s vision mean for Scotland?
29 Jun 2026 at 6:13pm
Labour's newest MP has called for Westminster's powers to be decentralised and expand devolution

How is Andy Burnham planning to ?fix politics??
29 Jun 2026 at 4:05pm
The likely next prime minister has said "Westminster is broken" and vowed to "do things differently".

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Mansion tax could raise £16m with plan for new levies on most valuable Scots ...
6 Jul 2026 at 2:04pm
Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth insisted the Government?s tax approach was ?based on fairness?.

Independent Scotland would commit to joining Euro as condition of joining EU,...
6 Jul 2026 at 11:31am
Alyn Smith even suggested a second referendum may be required to ask Scots if they were in favour of ditching the pound.

John Swinney urged to implement tougher measures against domestic abuse follo...
6 Jul 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Alex Cole-Hamilton said a recent sharp rise in sexual crime proved the need for the tougher measures against domestic abusers.

Glasgow and Edinburgh deserve directly-elected leaders capable of standing up...
5 Jul 2026 at 5:00pm
Some Nationalists cannot tolerate the idea of powerful council leaders "undermining" the Scottish Parliament, says Chris McCall

Cops probe claims of 'missing £1.5m' from Indy campaign group with close link...
5 Jul 2026 at 4:30am
Police are investigating claims £1.5million went missing from the accounts of the 2014 Yes campaign.

UK Government 'will not rest until every penny owed' by Michelle Mone and PPE...
4 Jul 2026 at 4:30am
A Scots MP called on Keir Starmer's successor to "make sure the government does everything in its power to claw back the taxpayer money wasted on this dodgy and dangerous contract".

Kate Forbes 'treated very badly' by SNP as former MSP claims she was told to ...
3 Jul 2026 at 1:08pm
One Forbes supporter told the Record "discrimination is unacceptable except for those who are in the Free Church of Scotland, in which case anything goes".

Vaping could be banned within 15m of schools in Scotland
3 Jul 2026 at 4:30am
SNP ministers are considering how to apply the Tobacco and Vapes Act which handed Holyrood beefed-up powers to crackdown on vape use.

Scots MP holds back tears as she describes experience of being adopted
2 Jul 2026 at 3:19pm
The MP for Edinburgh North and Leith welcomed Keir Starmer's decision to issue a formal apology for the historic forced adoption of babies from unmarried mothers.

Barlinnie prisoners locked up for '23 hours a day' in 'degrading' conditions ...
2 Jul 2026 at 1:51pm
The SNP Government has been warned it lacks a "coherent" strategy for dealing with the overcrowding crisis in jails, despite releasing hundreds of prisoners early.

The National

The National | Politics

Donald Trump addresses Fifa backlash after Balogun World Cup ban U-turn
6 Jul 2026 at 3:25pm

DONALD Trump has confirmed he spoke to Fifa boss Gianni Infantino about the red card shown to US striker Folarin Balogun, claimed it was ?was not a foul? and said the referee ?is a little bit suspect?

Scottish pound ?precursor? to euro if Scotland becomes independent, says SNP MSP
6 Jul 2026 at 3:02pm

AN INDEPENDENT Scotland would create the Scottish pound as a ?precursor? to joining the euro, an SNP MSP has said.

Past actions of many Nato members have been unjustifiable
6 Jul 2026 at 3:00pm

I THANK Stan Grodynski (Letters, Jul 3) for his comments on my recent letter in which he agrees with most of my statements regarding the defence of the UK except my comments on Ukraine.

Nigel Farage faces four sleaze probes after fraudster gift revelations
6 Jul 2026 at 2:36pm

NIGEL Farage faces the prospect of four separate sleaze probes after revelations he had taken financial support from a convicted fraudster.

Tory councillor who called Nicola Sturgeon a 'drooling hag' defects to Labour
6 Jul 2026 at 2:32pm

A TORY councillor who agreed to be struck off the teaching register after calling Nicola Sturgeon a ?drooling hag? has defected to Labour ...

Pizza Express 'held investigation into former prince Andrew?s visit to Woking...
6 Jul 2026 at 1:13pm

PIZZA Express held an internal investigation into whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor visited their Woking branch, it has been reported ...

BBC slammed over 'borderline irresponsible' omission in Morgan McSweeney inte...
6 Jul 2026 at 12:48pm

THE BBC has been slammed over a ?borderline irresponsible? interview with the man who helped propel Keir Starmer to power ? after failing to ?scrutinise? his role in a spying scandal.

Devolved benefit helped 186,000 pensioners in first year, Scottish Government...
6 Jul 2026 at 12:13pm

A DEVOLVED benefit supported more than 186,000 pensioners who have care needs in its first year, the Scottish Government has said

Keir Starmer?s hissy fit will make the new PM?s job harder
6 Jul 2026 at 12:00pm

SO Keir Starmer has already been poisoning the water for his replacement, not for some incoming leader of another political party but for the incoming leader of his own party, as he has a juvenile hissy fit.

Mansion tax could raise £16 million under Scottish Government proposals
6 Jul 2026 at 11:22am

PROPOSALS to institute a so-called mansion tax could raise up to £16 million, according to the Scottish Government.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Police investigating Yes Scotland over ?missing? ?1.5m
6 Jul 2026 at 1:00pm
A complaint has been made about the finances of the company which campaigned for independence

SNP MSP calls for free-to-air TV for Commonwealth Games
6 Jul 2026 at 12:00pm
Glasgow MSP David Linden said it is ?simply wrong? that the games will be broadcast on a subscription-based service

The public sector has a duplication problem. And we?re all paying for it.
6 Jul 2026 at 10:33am
How shared digital components can cut duplication, free up staff time and make every pound of public money work harder.

Swinney ?running scared? of inquiry into Murrell scandal
2 Jul 2026 at 6:45pm
Tory MSP Tim Eagle, a member of the standards committee, urged the Scottish Affairs Committee to carry out its own investigation

Lisa Nandy announces government department will leave X
2 Jul 2026 at 6:38pm
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport is the second to do so

Anti-torture group calls for ?coherent strategy? to address overcrowding in S...
2 Jul 2026 at 6:03pm
A?human rights organisation?has published a report calling for a ?coherent strategy? to address overcrowding in Scottish prisons

Murrell scandal: MPs call on Holyrood committees to help investigate
1 Jul 2026 at 5:50pm
Scottish Affairs Committee decides next steps

ScotlandIS appoints new chief executive
1 Jul 2026 at 2:44pm
ScotlandIS has appointed Andrew Weir as its new chief executive

Scottish Government publishes new guidance for phone-free classrooms
1 Jul 2026 at 12:07pm
The new?advice encourages schools to restrict the use of mobile phones by following updated national?guidance, published this week

Hate crimes reach record levels in Scotland
30 Jun 2026 at 12:41pm
The lord advocate said the increase ?should concern us all?

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Celtic leaders doubt Burnham?s devolution drive will go beyond England?s borders
6 Jul 2026 at 4:00pm
Would-be prime minister has made basic missteps in pitches to Wales, Scotland and Northern IrelandAndy Burnham?s devolution promises are yet to impress sceptical Celtic administrations hoping for a reset with Westminster, sources in Cardiff and Edinburgh have said.Burnham, who is expected to take...

Celtic nations begin to plan for breakup of UK in event of Reform election win
4 Jul 2026 at 7:00am
Politicians brace for constitutional turmoil if Nigel Farage?s party ends up in government ? or even as a strong oppositionThe rise of Nigel Farage has prompted political leaders across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to game the unthinkable: the breakup of the United Kingdom.Unioni...

Badenoch urges Burnham to condemn defence investment plan as No 10 says fundi...
1 Jul 2026 at 6:00pm
Minister and MPs have raised concerns that his ?poisoned chalice? plan will take cash from much-needed road projectsMinister and MP ?furious? over cuts to road projects to fund defence planDan Sabbagh is the Guardian?s defence and security editor.Andy Burnham is a ?true patriot? who will provide ...

The Guardian view on the politics of Scotland: like Labour, the SNP is in nee...
23 Jun 2026 at 6:25pm
The sentencing of Peter Murrell brings limited closure to a major scandal. But John Swinney?s government faces new challenges in a changing landscapeThe Scottish National party (SNP) is accustomed to presenting Westminster dysfunction as a boost to its case for independence. But the political dra...

Peter Murrell jailed for five years after embezzling £400,000 from SNP
23 Jun 2026 at 2:29pm
Estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon is sentenced for stealing from party over 12-year periodMontblanc pens to Le Creuset ramekins: police photos show Peter Murrell?s spending habitPeter Murrell has been sentenced to five years and three months in jail after he admitted embezzling more than £400,...

Montblanc pens to Le Creuset ramekins: police photos show Peter Murrell?s spe...
23 Jun 2026 at 1:37pm
Haul is only a fraction of what the former SNP chief executive bought using embezzled party moneyPeter Murrell jailed for five years after embezzling £400,000 from SNPThe white police evidence tags on the unused Montblanc pens, picnic sets, Le Creuset ramekins and the chrome Alessi teapot tell a ...

?This changes everything?: how Brexit altered Scotland?s political landscape
21 Jun 2026 at 12:00pm
Former party leaders reflect on the turbulence that followed the referendum in which most Scottish voters backed the losing sideThe decision to quit the EU bolstered support for Scottish independence, which a decade after the Brexit referendum is at near record levels, according to Scottish Labou...

Burnham calls for ?new path for Britain? as Starmer vows to fight any leaders...
19 Jun 2026 at 6:30pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here:Cabinet loyalists tell PM he has weekend to set out timetable for exit?Now is the change moment?: Burnham staff have no doubtsPodcast: will Burnham become prime minister?What would ?change? look like if Burnham becomes PM?David Blunket...

Scottish Conservatives win Aberdeen South in shock loss for the SNP
19 Jun 2026 at 12:29pm
Tories? Douglas Lumsden says city has spoken ?loud and clear? in support of the North Sea oil and gas industryThe Scottish National party has lost the formerly safe seat of Aberdeen South in a shock loss to the Scottish Conservatives.Douglas Lumsden beat the SNP?s Richard Thomson by 6,050 votes, ...

?No friends to the oil and gas industry?: Aberdeen South, the byelection wher...
17 Jun 2026 at 3:00pm
Peter Murrell affair may feature, but contest seen as straight fight between SNP and Tories over energy policyThe contest for Aberdeen South, a constituency that spans urban social housing and detached homes with sculpted gardens, has been dominated by one topic: the future of North Sea oil and g...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The junkies and their dealers
5 Jul 2026 at 4:40pm
A number of peculiar developments have taken place in Scotland since the Holyrood election in May. These have been disguised by the anti-SNP media feeding frenzy which took place after the conviction of Peter Murrell for the crime of embezzlement, a crime whose victim was the SNP, despite the efforts of the British media in …

Labour?s attempted theft of the Holyrood election is being aided by the media
3 Jul 2026 at 3:32pm
Something is seriously wrong with democracy in Scotland, but the media has told us vastly more about Peter Murrell’s cruet sets than it has about what can only be described as an attempt by the Labour party to steal the Holyrood election. In fact the attempted subversion of the result of the recent election has …

Labour?s nuclear power, an offer we can refuse
2 Jul 2026 at 3:30pm
It’s an offer we can refuse. The Labour government has identified a number of sites across Scotland on which it would like to build new nuclear power plants. A report was published this week by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the political ashtray Michael Shanks, the most disappointing MP in a …

Burnham, the GB Energy of devolution
29 Jun 2026 at 9:06pm
Andy Burnham’s big plan for the UK is still lacking in detail, but it’s already looking suspiciously like another of Westminster’s power grabs at the expense of the Scottish and Welsh parliaments. Burnham’s big speech on Monday during which he unveiled his plans for a Number Ten North. No, Scotland, not THAT north, Burnham’s north. …

The feeding frenzy
26 Jun 2026 at 12:13pm
Peter Murrell was sentenced on Tuesday for a crime of which the SNP was the victim. That has not diminished the appetite of the media in Scotland to continue its witch hunt. Ever since Murrell pleaded guilty the media in Scotland has descended into a feeding frenzy. You’d be forgiven for thinking that it was …

Burnham?s threat to the Scottish budget
25 Jun 2026 at 1:18pm
While the media in Scotland continues to scrabble around in the bins in search of another desperate angle on the Murrell scandal, it’s looking almost certain that there will be no leadership contest in the Labour party. Close Starmer ally Darren Jones, who had been tipped to make a leadership bid, has said he will …

The burst socks of British politics
22 Jun 2026 at 3:49pm
Starmer has gone, a man whose main achievement as Prime Minister was to throw away a landslide majority in the House of Commons and make himself even more unpopular than Liz Truss. The UK is now heading for its seventh prime minister in ten years, meaning that British prime ministers don’t last as long as …

Three by elections and no one cared about the Murrell affair
19 Jun 2026 at 12:42pm
The Tories are celebrating their Westminster by election win in Aberdeen South today. But just as Labour celebrated its Holyrood by election win in Hamilton, Larkhall, and Stonehouse in 2025 only to go on to lose this year’s Holyrood election, all this by election result really tells us is that tactical voting in by elections …

The world?s crappiest whodunnit
17 Jun 2026 at 12:20pm
I’ve had my cataract operation, the op was a couple of days early as there was a cancellation. The recovery period is four weeks, but I already notice a massive improvement in my eyesight. The fog has lifted and I’m now able to read much more comfortably. I’m hugely relieved it’s over. Right now, there’s …

Sarwar learns the law of unintended consequences
11 Jun 2026 at 11:52am
Anyone with two functioning braincells knows that the only reason the anti-independence parties and the SNP’s enemies are so keen on an inquiry into the Murrell scandal is because they seek to make political capital out of it, damage a party that keeps defeating them at the ballot box, and with it hinder progress to …

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

Struck-off teacher who called Nicola Sturgeon a ?drooling hag? joins Labour r...
6 Jul 2026 at 12:18pm
From Fife Today, today: The leader of the Conservatives at Fife Council has quit the party – and made the shock move across the political divide to join Labour. Councillor Kathleen Leslie above said she was ?increasingly unable? to support the Tory Party?s positions on ?everything from migration to foreign policy to welfare reform? and said she was a ?better fit? as part of Labour?s minority ...

Sepsis deaths in error still happening in NHS England 18 years after SNP Gove...
6 Jul 2026 at 10:08am
From Nursing Standard last week but for some reason I don’t understand, just appearing in one of my alerts today, the above and; Latest joint board papers for Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, both part of the NHS Humber Health Partnership (HHP), said ED overcrowding, plus operational and staffing pressures were contributing f...

?Glasgow city centre is proving remarkably resilient after the recent fire? a...
6 Jul 2026 at 8:46am
has dropped by a million since the fire near Central Station in March. Notably missing are the figures we need to see how big a percentage that 1million is and neither Glasgow Chamber of Commerce nor BBC Scotland have posted these. That’s very interesting because on 7th April the same BBC Scotland reporter, Jamie McIvor, told us this: Glasgow city centre is proving “remarkably resilient” after ...

NHS Scotland cancer treatment service now performing better than before pande...
5 Jul 2026 at 3:11pm
STV giving the 6th biggest, ie teeny, party, the Lib Dems, a platform for another of their attempts to mislead. No health service anywhere, meets waiting time targets like those the NHS across the UK imposes on itself – 95% on time. Anywhere I’ve read more on targets, in Europe and in North America or in Australia and New Zealand, I find the targets seen as aspirational and failure to hit them ...

A rape in Glasgow shocks as it should but a proper news service should tell y...
5 Jul 2026 at 1:02pm
Any rape is shocking and utterly unacceptable but a rape in Glasgow, reported with no context, reinforces an outdated but deeply embedded stereotypical image of the city. BBC Reporting Scotland, based in Glasgow offered no explanatory context last night. Is rape an increasing offence and is it higher than the Scottish average. In the last 5 years, that seems to be true though several researcher...

Return of the Poseur ? BMA Scotland?s Dr Iain Kennedy gets over BMA UK?s fond...
5 Jul 2026 at 10:31am
Iain Kennedy, GP PT, poses, POSES, with a stethoscope trying to remember when he last used it, reflected by himself posing again in the mirror. Kennedy, known for the Union Flag in his twitter account, has been missing recently, as his bosses in BMA UK have praised the SNP Government’s recent respectful dealings with their colleagues resulting in NO, NO NHS strikes.. He’s back today, in Scotlan...

As Ayr remembers the tens of thousands of Scots who died in the Battle of the...
4 Jul 2026 at 8:08pm
In the Ayr Advertiser today, the above and: From July 1-13, 140 silhouettes are being displayed in Wellington Square to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. 1 From the National Records of Scotland in January 2001: The Battle of the Somme was a mass allied offensive of the First World War by the British and French armies against the Germans. Conceived by General Haig, th...

?Independent Scotland as foreign country could get no Royal Navy work? argume...
4 Jul 2026 at 4:26pm
Many thanks to reader rptscott for alerting me to this: From the UK Defence Journal, yesterday, only two years after the one above: German propulsion specialist RENK Group has entered into a binding agreement to acquire David Brown Defence, the Huddersfield-based manufacturer of gearboxes for the Type 26 frigate and other major naval programmes, from private equity firm Stellex Capital Manageme...

Scotland?s Ross Kemp spots Blackshirts ?on our streets?
4 Jul 2026 at 12:46pm
In the place where you can trust it to provide fake news, The Herald, another of Neil Mackay’s ‘Horrible Hyperbole‘ series, yesterday. I take the laughable graphic was done by the same guy who delights in wee girls in red running down dangerous alleyways clearly in Rochdale and sad wee rough-sleepers to represent weans in temporary accomodation. Neil writes: ‘It?s been a while now since the myt...

When illegal drugs have been flooding across your border for more than 20 yea...
4 Jul 2026 at 10:24am
From Memorandum submitted by the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (CS 1) submitted to the UK Parliament in May 2003! The great majority of Class A drugs enter Scotland across the English border, either as a result of secondary distribution in England or drugs destined for Scotland but smuggled through English ports. Crime groups make extensive use of the UK infrastructure, particularly the moto...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Andy Burnham would oppose second Scottish independence referendum - BBC
6 Jul 2026 at 9:30am
Andy Burnham would oppose second Scottish independence referendum  BBC

Scotland's papers: Ambulance delays and Yes group 'missing £1.5m' probe - BBC
6 Jul 2026 at 6:59am
Scotland's papers: Ambulance delays and Yes group 'missing £1.5m' probe  BBC

Burnham rules out second Scottish independence referendum - The Telegraph
5 Jul 2026 at 1:09pm
Burnham rules out second Scottish independence referendum  The Telegraph

Labour MSP struggles to defend Burnham?s indyref2 rejection in car crash inte...
6 Jul 2026 at 10:39am
Labour MSP struggles to defend Burnham?s indyref2 rejection in car crash interview  The National Scot

Scottish Independence: More show. Less tell - Enlighten - Scotland's Independ...
16 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Independence: More show. Less tell  Enlighten - Scotland's Independent Think Tank

Scotland needs a Good Friday Agreement-style mechanism to trigger an independ...
6 Jul 2026 at 6:00am
Scotland needs a Good Friday Agreement-style mechanism to trigger an independence referendum, says Holyrood minister  The Irish News

Andy Burnham ?rules out? Scottish independence referendum - The Times
5 Jul 2026 at 5:03pm
Andy Burnham ?rules out? Scottish independence referendum  The Times

MSP touted as Sarwar's successor at odds with Burnham over second independenc...
6 Jul 2026 at 3:30pm
MSP touted as Sarwar's successor at odds with Burnham over second independence vote  The Herald

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

Scottish leader John Swinney calls for independence to thwart Reform - RNZ
10 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish leader John Swinney calls for independence to thwart Reform  RNZ

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Police probe Yes Scotland campaign's 'missing £1.5m' claim - BBC
5 Jul 2026 at 1:05pm
Police probe Yes Scotland campaign's 'missing £1.5m' claim  BBC

SNP Government's slammed over 'performative' mansion tax plans that could 'da...
6 Jul 2026 at 2:34pm
SNP Government's slammed over 'performative' mansion tax plans that could 'damage' housing market  Scottish Daily Express

We know what former SNP chief Peter Murrell bought with £400,000 of embezzled...
29 May 2026 at 8:00am
We know what former SNP chief Peter Murrell bought with £400,000 of embezzled funds. What I?d like to know is why  The Guardian

I was 'slam dunk' for SNP leadership until revealing gay marriage views - For...
2 Jul 2026 at 11:04pm
I was 'slam dunk' for SNP leadership until revealing gay marriage views - Forbes  BBC

Operation Branchform timeline: The downfall of ex-SNP chief executive Peter M...
30 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Operation Branchform timeline: The downfall of ex-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell  Sky News

Former Scottish National Party chief pleads guilty to embezzling $540,000 - R...
25 May 2026 at 8:00am
Former Scottish National Party chief pleads guilty to embezzling $540,000  Reuters

Sturgeon defends 'no comment' police interview after SNP funds probe arrest -...
27 May 2026 at 8:00am
Sturgeon defends 'no comment' police interview after SNP funds probe arrest  BBC

Former SNP chief Peter Murrell leaves court as new images show items bought w...
2 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Former SNP chief Peter Murrell leaves court as new images show items bought with embezzled funds  BBC

Motorhome bought by Murrell with stolen SNP money was driven only 4 miles, co...
2 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Motorhome bought by Murrell with stolen SNP money was driven only 4 miles, court told  The Guardian

Big salaries, a motorhome and SNP accounts: The Nicola Sturgeon interview unw...
1 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Big salaries, a motorhome and SNP accounts: The Nicola Sturgeon interview unwrapped  BBC

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Andy Burnham would oppose second Scottish independence referendum - BBC
6 Jul 2026 at 9:30am
Andy Burnham would oppose second Scottish independence referendum  BBC

Labour MSP struggles to defend Burnham?s indyref2 rejection in car crash inte...
6 Jul 2026 at 10:39am
Labour MSP struggles to defend Burnham?s indyref2 rejection in car crash interview  The National Scot

Andy Burnham ?rules out? Scottish independence referendum - The Times
5 Jul 2026 at 5:03pm
Andy Burnham ?rules out? Scottish independence referendum  The Times

Scotland needs a Good Friday Agreement-style mechanism to trigger an independ...
6 Jul 2026 at 6:00am
Scotland needs a Good Friday Agreement-style mechanism to trigger an independence referendum, says Holyrood minister  The Irish News

Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum - BBC
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum  BBC

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

Andy Burnham rules out second Scottish independence referendum - The Scotsman
5 Jul 2026 at 10:57am
Andy Burnham rules out second Scottish independence referendum  The Scotsman

Scottish leader John Swinney calls for independence to thwart Reform - RNZ
10 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish leader John Swinney calls for independence to thwart Reform  RNZ

Scottish Parliament backs move for new independence vote - NZ Herald
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Parliament backs move for new independence vote  NZ Herald

Police investigate Yes Scotland finances after 'missing £1.5m' complaint - Th...
5 Jul 2026 at 3:10pm
Police investigate Yes Scotland finances after 'missing £1.5m' complaint  The Herald