The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Senior doctor warns SNP's NHS shake-up risks 'small death' of local hospitals
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
A leading BMA doctor warns SNP plans to centralise surgery could threaten local hospitals, emergency care and intensive care services across Scotland.


'Horrific' - Mum's warning after disabled daughter?s care support stopped ove...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
A mum has warned there is a 'cliff edge' in adult social care after support for her disabled daughter Amber, 20, stopped during transition from school.


Inside the Greens' conference as party plots new path to power amid financial...
by Kathleen Nutt
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
The mood among the three hundred or so Scottish Greens members gathered in Eden Court Theatre in Inverness was upbeat after months seeing a record 15 MSPs elected in May.


The place where disabled children find friendship and families find respite i...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Families caring for disabled children share how respite care at Aberlour Options in Elgin provides support, confidence and hope for the future.


Stakeknife's Scottish spymaster: The dark secrets of Northern Ireland's 'Dirt...
by Neil Mackay
25 Oct 2026 at 6:15am
Our Writer at Large has investigated Ulster's Dirty War for decades. Here, he talks to the veteran BBC reporter, John Ware, about the role of Scottish army officer Gordon Kerr


Greens finance committee collapsed after just one member elected, says leaked...
by Kathleen Nutt
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Documents leaked to The Herald which are to be presented to an internal meeting of the Scottish Greens this week reveal that a key party committee collapsed after only one member was prepared to sit on it.


800 Scottish public sector workers being paid for jobs that don?t exist ? report
by Ryan McDougall
24 Oct 2026 at 10:00pm
The Scottish Government says its ?no compulsory redundancies? policy remains in place after reports that hundreds of public sector workers are being paid millions of pounds per year ? despite the fact their jobs no longer exist.


Scottish Greens urge John Swinney to say where he stands on energy policy
by Craig Meighan
24 Oct 2026 at 2:24pm
John Swinney must take a position on new oil and gas drilling, Gillian Mackay has said, as she hit out at the UK Government for approving the Jackdaw gas field.


SNP says UK must rule out use of Scottish revenue for English nuclear energy
by Danyel VanReenen
24 Oct 2026 at 3:25pm
The SNP has demanded the UK Labour Government rule out the use of revenue from Scotland?s oil and gas industry on English nuclear energy.


Scottish farmers consider pulling out of mobile mast deals amid huge rent cuts
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
24 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Scottish farmers could pull out of mobile mast agreements after rent cuts of thousands of pounds, sparking warnings over rural mobile coverage.


'A day of reckoning': Israel?s coming election is like no other in its history
by david.pratt@heraldandtimes.co.uk | David Pratt
25 Oct 2026 at 6:15am
Tuesday?s vote comes against the backdrop of volatile events in the occupied West Bank and wider region. It will also be a referendum on Netanyahu?s leadership, writes Foreign Editor David Pratt


Scottish Greens promise ?millennial rail card? paid for by wealthy flyers
by Craig Meighan
24 Oct 2026 at 2:18pm
The Scottish Greens have promised a new railcard for millennials paid for by wealthy flyers.


Sturgeon: Scottish culture held back by red tape, risk aversion and 'cringe f...
by brian.ferguson@newsquest.co.uk | Brian Ferguson
23 Oct 2026 at 4:38pm
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned Scotland is lagging well behind other countries over the championing and promotion of its own culture.


'Every farmer we met in the West Bank had been attacked by Israeli settlers'
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
23 Oct 2026 at 4:30pm
Observers who were detained at an olive harvest in the Occupied Palestinian Territories have spoken out, as Israel prepares to fully close the West Bank

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Scottish Greens promise ?millennial rail card? paid for by wealthy flyers
24 Oct 2026 at 1:42pm

Ross Greer, the party?s co-leader, said the 31-49 age group was the only one not to be offered a discounted rail fare scheme.

What could possibly go wrong with a system in which the number of seats is a better reflection of the votes cast?

Children First called on the UK and Scottish governments to take further action

Writing for The Scotsman, the Scottish Secretary insists Labour is backing pragmatism over dogmatism

Wings over Scotland

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Craig Murray

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

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

The Epidemic of Billionaires

The Unjust State
15 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm

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

The Unjust State

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

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

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?

Fatuous False Flags
2 Oct 2026 at 10:16am

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

Fatuous False Flags

Losing My Religion
29 Sep 2026 at 12:07pm

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

Losing My Religion

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

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

Palestine Action Judicial Review

BBC Scotland

Rosebank: Life on the oil field at the centre of a political storm
25 Oct 2026 at 7:15am
Scotland editor James Cook finds out what life is like on board a ship in an untapped oil field awaiting its fate.

Scottish Greens call on Swinney to stop 'swithering' on oil and gas
24 Oct 2026 at 3:35pm
Gillian Mackay hits out at Andy Burnham and John Swinney over Jackdaw approval at the party conference.

Police find no criminality in Yes Scotland finances
23 Oct 2026 at 5:56pm
In July, a newspaper published claims by an activist that it was not known how income of more than £1.5m had been spent.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scot Goes Pop

Mounting evidence that the SNP leadership would be serious about using a hung...
24 Oct 2026 at 3:31am
Over the last few days, several people have been asking how I fared in the SNP internal elections.  As I explain in the video above, I'm pretty much certain that I've been elected to one of the fou...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

SNP says UK must rule out use of Scottish revenue for English nuclear energy
24 Oct 2026 at 7:47pm
The new fund was announced alongside the approval of the Jackdaw gas field near Aberdeen earlier this week.

Greens promise ?millennial rail card? paid for by wealthy flyers
24 Oct 2026 at 2:24pm
Ross Greer, the party?s co-leader, said the 31-49 age group was the only one not to be offered a discounted rail fare scheme

Police find ?no criminality? over claims £1.5m missing from Yes Scotland fina...
23 Oct 2026 at 12:07pm
A complaint was made to the police alleging that £1.5m was unaccounted for.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

SNP donors plea for formal review into why Nicola Sturgeon was not prosecuted...
25 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Three former SNP donors who gave to 'ring-fenced' IndyRef2 fundraisers had requested an internal probe.

Two young Scots dying every month in 'broken' care system
25 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Deaths of looked-after children and young people rocketed by 38 per cent last year despite 2020 'Promise' by Nicola Sturgeon to reform care.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The National

The National | Politics

Israel?s coming election is like no other in its history
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

IF there?s one thing everyone agrees on about Tuesday?s election in Israel, it?s just how momentous it is.

Michelle Mone invoiced council £8000 for speaking gig including hairdresser trip
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

DISGRACED former Tory peer Michelle Mone charged a local authority £8000 for a speaking engagement which included a stop at a hairdresser, the Sunday National can reveal.

The next generation of Scots need a narrative beyond Thatcherism
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

STORIES matter. For the better part of half a century, the collective imagination of post-1945 Scotland has been sustained by a succession of persuasive generational stories.

Inside SNP as former MPs say John Swinney 'bowing to Westminster' on Jackdaw
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

JOHN Swinney has been accused of bowing to Westminster and ?abandoning? the SNP?s net zero principles ?for a few bob? over his response to the approval of a major new gas field.

South Sudan faith leaders urge Scots not to forget humanitarian crisis
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

HUMANITARIAN faith leaders have called on Scots to help the "forgotten" South Sudan, at an event in Paisley

Author warns lessons of Great Fire of London are being ignored today
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

THE outbreak of wildfires in Scotland and across Europe this summer struck a nerve with novelist Jack Jewers ? whose latest historical crime novel takes place after the Great Fire of London in 1666.

Inside the conference where the case was made for a Scottish pound
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

SUPPORTERS of independence gathered on Saturday to hear the case for a Scottish pound as economists and campaigners debated Scotland's currency future .....

Climate scientists and campaigners round on English Greens over nuclear U-turn
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

ZACK Polanski?s English and Welsh Greens have been sharply criticised by a raft of leading climate campaigners and scientists for ditching their blanket opposition to nuclear power.

Independence movement urged to unite on 'day one guarantees' for voters
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

LEADING figures in the independence movement have been urged to hold a summit to thrash out a list of ?day one guarantees? to give voters for an independent Scotland.

When are we going to stop talking about independence and actually do it?
25 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

AROUND 80 delegates gathered at SNP Conference last week, determined to restore urgency to our party?s core mission.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Police say no further investigation required into Yes Scotland finances
23 Oct 2026 at 2:40pm
The force was looking into the group following a complaint submitted over the summer

Addressing loneliness and isolation
23 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
CWAS is not just about a unique form of transport and promoting active travel, it is also about improving society?s physical and mental health and wellbeing through human contact, mutual support, camaraderie and exercise.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

BBC Scotland?s useful idiots
24 Oct 2026 at 11:34am
Police Scotland has announced that it will make no further investigations into the finances of Yes Scotland, having found no evidence of criminality. Headed by Blair Jenkins, Yes Scotland was the organisation which represented the official Yes campaign in the 2014 referendum. It handed over its full accounts to Police Scotland after a complaint was …

The £1 trillion cost of the Union to Scotland
23 Oct 2026 at 1:46pm
Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey has admitted that if the UK had in set up a sovereign wealth fund on the basis of income generated from North Sea oil and gas as Norway did in the 1980s, it would currently be worth in excess of the eye watering sum of £1 trillion pounds. That …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rosyth councillor has good reason to be concerned as MoD plan nuclear sub dec...
24 Oct 2026 at 7:19pm
In the Dunfermline Press 19/10/26, the above, and: FRESH concerns have been raised about nuclear submarine dismantling plans at Rosyth Dockyard. Councillor Brian Goodall has voiced renewed opposition to the long-term storage of radioactive material in the town, following recent discussions at the SNP annual conference in Aberdeen. At the political party gathering he quizzed Gareth Hedicker, Bab...

Local concerns over ?mini-Chernobyl? radioactive site demolition in US echo U...
24 Oct 2026 at 9:38am
From Inside Climate News, yesterday: Boeing has almost completed the demolition of five buildings at its infamous Santa Susana Field Laboratory in Southern California, even as concerns mount among nearby families about potential health harms. The buildings at the former Rocketdyne facility?where one of the worst nuclear meltdowns in U.S. history took place in 1959?were once used for Cold War-er...

Is this due to the Scottish Government?s decision to buy the airport?
23 Oct 2026 at 7:18pm
Yes, the current cargo activity is a direct result of the Scottish Government?s decision to buy the airport. In 2013 the Scottish Government bought Glasgow Prestwick Airport from Infratil for a nominal £1 specifically to stop it closing. Without that intervention the airport would almost certainly have shut. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqxq8l3v984o? Under public ownership it has been tu...

?Child health in England at risk from sharp rise in NHS waiting times? applie...
23 Oct 2026 at 4:40pm
In the Guardian today: Thousands of children in England are experiencing some of the sharpest rises in waiting times for healthcare in the history of the NHS, a report has revealed. While some adult waiting times have improved, children and young people are being ?hit hardest? amid soaring demand and falling numbers of staff, according to the annual state of care report by the Care Quality Comm...

Is there any evidence before the arrival of County Lines drug gangs from citi...
23 Oct 2026 at 4:39pm
Is there any evidence before the arrival of County Lines drug gangs in small-town Scotland from cities in England in the last ten years that Scottish drug gangs at street level pushing drugs, were involved in cuckooing the vulnerable, using child drug mules, using extreme violence, diversifying into sex trafficking and adopting the business model exploiting markets in smaller towns and even in ...

As STV explore everything about ?serious organised crime? except the appallin...
23 Oct 2026 at 4:37pm
From Human Trafficking NRM referrals re county lines ? 10yrs published by Police Scotland today, that ?referrals made by Police Scotland to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) where county lines and suspected criminal exploitation was a factor? 26 September 2026: Under 16 year-olds ? from 6 in 2020/2021 to 39 in 2025/2026, almost a seven-fold increase. 16-17 year-olds, from 16 to 65, a four-f...

At the street level, the extreme violence, the sex trafficking, the ?cuckooin...
23 Oct 2026 at 11:40am
STV today, has: Figures show that 135 serious organised crime groups are currently assessed as active in Scotland, seven of which involve children or young people. Data obtained by STV News through a freedom of information request details known crime operations in Scotland over the last five years. The total number of active serious and organised crime groups fell this year compared with 2024/2...

From ?If you don?t know, vote NO!? To becoming an author
23 Oct 2026 at 10:48am
By Mark E. Saunders of ?The Scottish Minuteman? https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 Okay. Cards on the table. In 2014, I wasn?t some lifelong dyed-in-the-wool independence campaigner who had spent years on the streets criticising the Union. I was just one of millions who had ?forever? accepted the political status quo. That is, until one political slogan challenged me to thi...

Red Letter Days and Red Reminders ? More gas, more electricity, more promises...
23 Oct 2026 at 10:40am
By Mark E. Saunders of ?The Scottish Minuteman? https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 Politicians announce new energy projects, celebrate investment and promise jobs, energy security and economic growth. Then the red reminders arrive. The electricity bill. The rising direct debit. The shrinking household budget. For people struggling to heat their homes, the question isn?t how...

Stories never told ? 63% improvement in rape conviction rate in Scotland and ...
23 Oct 2026 at 10:17am
In BBC Scotland’s, 2-3 minute insert in BBC Breakfast this morning, the above story, and on the website: Walking into a witness box to give evidence is one of the most daunting things a person can do. Giving evidence as a victim of a sexual assault case is even more challenging. That’s something rape survivor Sarah Lee knows too well. Fears about being judged on her appearance added to that pre...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which i...
8 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?  The Conversation

Independence movement urged to unite on 'day one guarantees' for voters - The...
25 Oct 2026 at 5:02am
Independence movement urged to unite on 'day one guarantees' for voters  The National Scot

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

Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leade...
22 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leader says  BBC

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

Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference - Financial...
13 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference  Financial Times

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

Burnham rules out second Scottish independence referendum - The Telegraph
16 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Burnham rules out second Scottish independence referendum  The Telegraph

Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination - A...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination  Al Jazeera

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

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Why I support Rosebank being given the green light as an SNP MSP - The Scotsman
25 Oct 2026 at 6:01am
Why I support Rosebank being given the green light as an SNP MSP  The Scotsman

Inside SNP as former MPs say John Swinney 'bowing to Westminster' on Jackdaw ...
25 Oct 2026 at 5:56am
Inside SNP as former MPs say John Swinney 'bowing to Westminster' on Jackdaw  The National Scot

Senior doctor warns SNP's NHS shake-up risks 'small death' of local hospitals...
25 Oct 2026 at 6:19am
Senior doctor warns SNP's NHS shake-up risks 'small death' of local hospitals  The Herald

SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun? | S...
17 Oct 2026 at 6:25pm
SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun? | Scottish National party (SNP)  The Guardian

Hugh MacDiarmid: contrarian poet who inspired creation of the SNP - The Times
24 Oct 2026 at 2:13pm
Hugh MacDiarmid: contrarian poet who inspired creation of the SNP  The Times

SNP says UK must rule out use of Scottish revenue for English nuclear energy ...
24 Oct 2026 at 3:59pm
SNP says UK must rule out use of Scottish revenue for English nuclear energy  London Evening Standard

Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference - Financial...
13 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference  Financial Times

What does Andy Burnham have up his sleeve as he crashes SNP conference? - BBC
14 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
What does Andy Burnham have up his sleeve as he crashes SNP conference?  BBC

Our documentary shows what it was really like at SNP conference 2026 - The Na...
24 Oct 2026 at 2:58pm
Our documentary shows what it was really like at SNP conference 2026  The National Scot

Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference? - The Guar...
16 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference?  The Guardian

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which i...
8 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?  The Conversation

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

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

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

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

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

Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination - A...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination  Al Jazeera

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

John Swinney aiming for independence referendum by 2031 - BBC
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
John Swinney aiming for independence referendum by 2031  BBC

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