The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Sandie Peggie's lawyers lodge appeal after judge blames colleague for ruling ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
19 Jan 2026 at 6:44pm
Sandie Peggie?s legal team have lodged a fresh appeal after the employment judge behind her case blamed a judicial colleague for serious errors, prompting multiple corrections and deepening concerns about the integrity of the original ruling.


On the rocks? What Donald Trump's tariff threats mean for Scotch whisky industry
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
19 Jan 2026 at 4:59pm
The whisky industry is resilient but Donald Trump's tariff threats risks uncertainty and economic disadvantage.


Scottish Government's review of asylum hotel buffer zones backed by charities
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
19 Jan 2026 at 4:50pm
Scottish Government ministers are to consider whether to implement protest exclusion areas around asylum seeker accommodation.


Keir Starmer to consult on social media ban for children under 16
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
19 Jan 2026 at 3:46pm
The news comes after 61 Labour MPs signed an open letter urging the government to implement an ?Australia-style? ban. 


Swinney warns new Trump tariffs would undermine Scotland?s economy
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
19 Jan 2026 at 2:37pm
John Swinney warns Donald Trump?s proposed tariffs could damage Scotland?s economy and destabilise the Nato alliance.


Swinney: Scottish Parliament?s 'days are numbered' if Nigel Farage becomes PM
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
19 Jan 2026 at 1:51pm
The First Minister said that Holyrood?s ?days are numbered? if a Reform government is elected, accusing Farage of holding the chamber in ?total contempt?.


Greens unveil election candidate for Glasgow seat hit by Duncan-Glancy contro...
19 Jan 2026 at 2:52pm
The Scottish Greens have announced local activist Iris Duane as their candidate for the Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill constituency, an area where the party has had strong support.


Sarwar: FM using public money 'protecting SNP' by blocking 'Salmond files'
19 Jan 2026 at 1:06pm
Anas Sarwar has accused First Minister John Swinney of "using public money to protect the SNP" as he told him to respect a Scottish Information Commissioner's decision ordering the government to release files relating to a probe into Nicola Sturgeon.


Gilruth: Teachers in Scotland ?more expensive? to employ than in 2021
by Rachel Keenan
19 Jan 2026 at 12:33pm
Teachers are ?more expensive to employ? than they were in 2021, the Education Secretary has said as Scottish Government statistics showed only one in four newly qualified teachers secured a permanent job.


Anas Sarwar calls for criminal probe into Nicola Sturgeon over QEUH water sca...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
19 Jan 2026 at 12:43pm
Health Secretary Neil Gray faces calls to address parliament after NHS Glasgow admitted a ?causal connection? between some patient infections and the hospital environment.


Keir Starmer believes Donald Trump won?t try to take Greenland by force
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
19 Jan 2026 at 11:50am
Keir Starmer has sought to calm fears of military escalation after Donald Trump threatened sweeping tariffs on Britain and Europe over Greenland.


RECAP: Starmer condemns Trump tariffs and says Greenland must decide own future
19 Jan 2026 at 9:23am
Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed the nation after Donald Trump threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on the UK and several European allies over their opposition to his plan to buy Greenland. We?ll bring you live updates, key lines from the speech and reaction from Westminster and abroad.


Ex SNP minister urges FM to apologise over failure to disclose Sturgeon files
19 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
Fergus Ewing has called for John Swinney to apologise to a transparency campaigner for the Scottish Government spending five years blocking his request for secret files relating to an inquiry into Nicola Sturgeon.


Blow for SNP as 'erratic' world order 'would leave independent Scotland vulne...
19 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
John Swinney's election campaign has been dealt a blow after a leading EU expert says an independent Scotland would be more vulnerable in the current new "unstable and "erratic" geopolitical world order than it is as part of the UK.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


SNP branded 'irresponsible' as £300m raided from ScotWind revenues to prop up...
19 Jan 2026 at 9:43pm

The Scottish Government is having to use one-off funding pots to balance its day-to-day spending.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) confirmed Mr Murrell will appear in court next month

?Biggest scandal? in Holyrood history, says Scottish Labour leader

In a dramatic U-turn, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde admitted a link between infections and contaminated water

Government data suggests the majority of newly-qualified teachers are not able to secure permanent teaching contracts in Scotland.

Scottish government has been warned by Information Commissioner it risks contempt of court action after missing deadline

Nearly half of Scots feel economically insecure

Wings over Scotland

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

Learning Insanity
14 Jan 2026 at 4:29pm
This clip was broadcast on ITV News Wales this week. ? It’s a staggeringly obvious mess for a whole raft of reasons – a number of completely spurious, illogical and unsupported claims are accepted as facts without any sort of challenge or balancing voice (which has been standard practice on ITV News for a while …

Governing For Beginners
12 Jan 2026 at 2:31pm
My first ever real experience of politics was playing Dictator. Originally written by Don Priestley for the Sinclair ZX81 in 1982, it was a simple text-based game which subsequently came to other formats including the Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Elan Enterprise and the ZX Spectrum, which is where I encountered it. (Its legacy very much …

Grandpa John?s Nightmare
7 Jan 2026 at 12:17pm
It’s almost – almost – worth voting SNP in May because of this: ? Because it would be at least momentarily absolutely hilarious watching Swinney try to explain why his “100% guaranteed” second indyref didn’t happen if the SNP actually did get a majority on 30% of the vote (which is narrowly feasible on current …

Failure To Learn
5 Jan 2026 at 1:32pm
Scotland take on Haiti on Sunday 14 June (in the wee small hours of the morning), so this is nice, isn’t it? At least, it would be if incompetent idiots weren’t in charge. Firstly because the SNP – a party with a long and dismaying record of promising things it then doesn’t deliver – has …

And every day was exactly the same
3 Jan 2026 at 7:00am

List Voting For Cretins
2 Jan 2026 at 9:00am
This week The National published a poll it commissioned from Find Out Now for this May’s Scottish Parliament election, alongside a seat projection from Sir John Curtice. Here are the list-vote figures from the poll. The seat projection calculated that the election would result in 59 SNP MSPs (six short of the number John Swinney …

The Gulf War
1 Jan 2026 at 7:00am
Yesterday we noted in passing that independence support now outstrips that of the SNP by more than 20 points, making the party into a gigantic liability as the vehicle for enabling Scots to leave the UK. Put simply, even when voters want independence (as most now do), they’re not willing to vote SNP to get …

The Fear Of The Briar
31 Dec 2025 at 11:42am
With Reform now pretty consistently miles in front in polling for the next UK election, logically this is brilliant news for the Scottish independence movement, isn’t it? So can anyone explain why the SNP is so desperate to stop them? That’s a rhetorical question, of course. As we’ve repeatedly explored on Wings over the last …

The Curious Fringes
29 Dec 2025 at 2:14pm
There’s a post on the superwoke poll-analysis account Ballot Box Scotland today bemoaning the lack of interest in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election from polling companies, and presenting it as some sort of anti-Scottish conspiracy. The real reason nobody’s very interested, of course, is that as things stand the election is an obvious foregone conclusion …

Craig Murray

Resisting the Respectable Opinion on Iran
15 Jan 2026 at 3:13pm

Iraq. Libya. Egypt. Syria. Gaza. Somalia. No CIA- and Mossad-constructed regime change operation in the Middle East has ever made life better for the ordinary people of the country, nor even delivered the promised increase in personal and political freedoms. The only limited improvement that might be gained comes from the lifting of Western sanction …

Resisting the Respectable Opinion on Iran

A Step Towards Sanity
13 Jan 2026 at 6:50pm

To my great surprise, the video recording of yesterday’s Court of Session hearing on the judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action is still active on the court’s website, and you can watch it. I do not know how long this will last. https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/livestream/court-of-session/case-p1017-25/#6dcfe87a-d9b7-49ba-9f01-ad69b8ad9c45 I have been used to the ludicrous restrictions on the …

A Step Towards Sanity

Court of Session Tomorrow on Palestine Action
11 Jan 2026 at 1:45pm

In the Western world today, fighting for freedom feels Quixotic, but I shall nevertheless wake early tomorrow to be at the Court of Session in Edinburgh by 9am to fight the proscription in Scotland of Palestine Action. I remain extremely concerned for the lives of the Palestine Action hunger strikers. As I predicted, Starmer’s government …

Court of Session Tomorrow on Palestine Action

Venezuela and Truth
4 Jan 2026 at 10:21am

The mainstream media covered Venezuela non-stop yesterday. They many times mentioned Delcy Rodríguez, Vice President, because Trump stated she is now in charge. They never mentioned that 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the torture to death of her father, socialist activist Jorge Rodríguez, by the CIA-backed security services of the US-aligned Pérez regime in …

Venezuela and Truth

Hunger Strikes and Court Cases
16 Dec 2025 at 9:15pm

Fighting the proscription of Palestine Action has become more urgent as eight brave activists enter the crucial period of their hunger strike. 12 January has finally been set for the court hearing on holding a Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. I am frankly terrified for the hunger strikers. Qesser Zuhrah Amu …

Hunger Strikes and Court Cases

The Skripal Novichok Hoax
12 Dec 2025 at 9:58am

I did not anticipate that an open public meeting in Salisbury itself would be 95% sceptical of the official Novichok hoax – but it was. Thanks to UK Column for putting this on. I hope you find it enlightening – there is information which goes beyond my previous articles on the subject. In about a …

The Skripal Novichok Hoax

BBC Scotland

Sarwar calls for Swinney and Sturgeon to be investigated over QEUH
19 Jan 2026 at 7:53pm
The Scottish Labour leader says complications at the hospital were "the biggest scandal in the history of the Scottish Parliament".

Peter Murrell due in court over embezzlement charge
19 Jan 2026 at 5:04pm
The former SNP chief executive was arrested as part of a police investigation into the party's finances.

Cancer patients 'warned for years' about hospital water infections
19 Jan 2026 at 11:32am
John Cuddihy told BBC Scotland News his late daughter's experiences "must continue to echo beyond her lifetime".

Minister rules out national security status for new fisheries ships
19 Jan 2026 at 1:06pm
A call to redesignate planned vessels to boost their chances of being built in the UK are rejected.

Teachers on supply list for years or leaving country due to job shortages
19 Jan 2026 at 9:49am
Scottish government figures shows that most newly qualified teachers in Scotland are no longer getting permanent jobs, especially in primary schools.

Council apologises after using swear word in social media response
19 Jan 2026 at 11:55am
The council's Facebook account used an expletive while explaining that roadworks in Forfar and Kirriemuir were essential.

Sarwar vows to release Sturgeon inquiry files
19 Jan 2026 at 1:22pm
The Scottish Labour leader claims the government has a "dangerous obsession with secrecy and cover-up".

Trump tariff threat over Greenland 'wrong' - Swinney
18 Jan 2026 at 2:05pm
John Swinney says additional duties should not be used as a "bargaining chip" in discussions between trade partners.

Government threatened with legal action over Sturgeon inquiry evidence
17 Jan 2026 at 2:51pm
Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton says written evidence he requested by 15 January was not handed over.

Government challenged over renewable energy planning bids
18 Jan 2026 at 11:00am
Rural community councils claim the countryside is being "industrialised" by renewable energy projects.

Court throws out £50m claim over failed bottle return scheme
16 Jan 2026 at 3:21pm
Waste firm Biffa claimed it invested heavily after being given assurances about the recycling scheme only to see it collapse a year later.

New strike ballot to be held in teachers dispute
16 Jan 2026 at 6:38pm
A ballot which closed on Wednesday failed to give the EIS union a legal mandate to go on strike because the turnout was too low.

Scot Goes Pop

It's happened: now even SURVATION are showing a pro-independence majority (al...
19 Jan 2026 at 1:39pm
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

SNP and Greens remain firmly on course for Holyrood pro-indy majority in supe...
16 Jan 2026 at 8:50am
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

Sensational numbers for both the SNP and Plaid Cymru in two new YouGov polls
14 Jan 2026 at 8:36am
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

The party of Tas-beens: Alba's notorious unelected dictator finally departs -...
13 Jan 2026 at 4:20pm
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

Has Trump ushered in an American FASCISM? His administration now has SEVEN o...
11 Jan 2026 at 9:45am
I know we were all keen for RevStew to finally put a sock in it about the trans issue, but given that he's replaced that obsession with 24/7 apologism for a woman's murder, perhaps he should be enc...

SNP have FOUR TIMES as much support as Labour in YouGov's astounding first su...
9 Jan 2026 at 1:35am
In the video below, I also give my thoughts on Stuart Campbell's frankly disturbing reaction to the fatal shooting in Minneapolis, which has shocked even his habitual supporters and defenders to th...

Alba's death-throes UPDATE: party insider makes explosive allegation that Ken...
7 Jan 2026 at 3:12pm
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

Through their craven silence on Venezuela, the leaders of European countries ...
5 Jan 2026 at 9:44am
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

MPs suggest World Cup boycott in response to Trump?s Greenland threats
19 Jan 2026 at 9:59pm
One politician said the Government needed to 'fight fire with fire' and embarrass Trump.

King Charles shares dram with First Minister John Swinney at Palace of Holyro...
19 Jan 2026 at 3:55pm
The monarch hosted Scottish business owners at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Monday.

Sturgeon and other former ministers should face QEUH criminal probe, says Sarwar
19 Jan 2026 at 2:12pm
The health board conceded last week there could be a ?causal connection? between the hospital environment and patient infections.

Holyrood ?at risk of being abolished? if Nigel Farage becomes Prime Minister,...
19 Jan 2026 at 12:26pm
The First Minister also said he was 'deeply concerned' by Donald Trump?s threats to ramp up tariffs against allies over Greenland.

Starmer says use of tariffs against allies is ?completely wrong?
19 Jan 2026 at 9:23am
The Prime Minister set out the UK?s approach to working with allies over the US president's efforts to take over Greenland.

Sarwar says he will release ?Salmond Files? if he becomes first minister
19 Jan 2026 at 7:14am
The Scottish Government has been threatened with legal action for failing to release the documents by a set deadline.

Reform leader in Scotland says independence vote should be postponed for 10 y...
18 Jan 2026 at 4:28pm
Speaking to the BBC Scotland Sunday Show, Lord Offord said that Nigel Farage ?would not be dictating the policies?.

John Swinney does not expect Sir Keir Starmer to still be in office at Christmas
18 Jan 2026 at 11:28am
The First Minister said ahead of elections to the Scottish Parliament it is ?patently obvious the Labour Party is absolutely toiling?.

John Swinney: SNP Holyrood majority would warrant second independence referendum
17 Jan 2026 at 5:31pm
The First Minister also questioned the future of Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.

Number of SMEs in Scotland down since 2020, figures from Lib Dems show
17 Jan 2026 at 3:38pm
The data showed that since 2020, the number of SMEs in Scotland has fallen from 177,020 to 171,660 ? a decline of 5,360.

Government issued contempt of court warning over Sturgeon investigation ruling
16 Jan 2026 at 8:38pm
The Scottish Information Commissioner said the Scottish Government?s actions were disrespectful to the public and reflected poorly on ministers.

Kemi Badenoch: ?Nigel Farage is doing my spring cleaning for me?
16 Jan 2026 at 2:53pm
The Tory leader said that the people who causing problems for the party are leaving.

All the former Tories who have defected to Reform UK
15 Jan 2026 at 9:40pm
Just this week alone, Nigel Farage's insurgent Reform UK welcomed two high-profile former Conservative politicians.

Robert Jenrick defects to Nigel Farage?s Reform UK after Tory sacking
15 Jan 2026 at 5:26pm
Robert Jenrick was fired from the Tory party on Thursday morning for 'plotting to defect'.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Ex-SNP chief Peter Murrell due back in court for preliminary hearing
19 Jan 2026 at 4:35pm
Murrell, 61, faces one count of embezzlement.

John Swinney warns Donald Trump against 'economic threats' that could 'underm...
19 Jan 2026 at 2:47pm
Trump has not ruled out taking control of Greenland by force - despite it belonging to a supposed American ally.

John Swinney blasted for spending public money to block publication of Alex S...
19 Jan 2026 at 2:17pm
Anas Sarwar said his party would release files relating to a probe over whether Nicola Sturgeon broke the ministerial code.

Nicola Sturgeon 'has questions to answer' over Queen Elizabeth University Hos...
19 Jan 2026 at 1:38pm
The former first minister was accused by Scottish Labour of having "hurried up" the opening of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital when it "wasn't safe".

John Swinney puts a figure on 'reasonable' council tax rises as he hits out a...
19 Jan 2026 at 6:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The SNP First Minister rejected claims councils may need to increase tax by 8%.

John Swinney says Nigel Farage will try to scrap Holyrood if he becomes Prime...
19 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The First Minister said Farage as PM, backed up by a strong Reform contingent at Holyrood, would get rid of the Parliament.

Crucial extra support in Scottish Budget can't come soon enough for families
19 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
Claire Telfer, Head of Scotland for Save the Children, has welcomed the Scottish Child Payment top up in the recent Budget.

John Swinney believes Keir Starmer won't be Prime Minister come Christmas
18 Jan 2026 at 9:58am
John Swinney believes it is "the end of the road for Keir Starmer".

SNP ministers 'spending half of what is needed' to tackle housing emergency
18 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
A £4.1bn pledge for affordable housing in the Scottish Budget is not enough, campaigners say, with 50,000 Scots and 10,000 kids currently homeless.

SNP minister taken to task as schools given as little as 93p a week per child...
18 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
Jenny Gilruth was challenged at Holyrood over the Sunday Mail's investigation which found skint schools spending less than £1 per pupil per week on basic supplies.

The National

The National | Politics

Threats can be used by everyone, not just Donald Trump
19 Jan 2026 at 6:30pm

THE short answer to Donald Trump?s latest intention to put up US tariffs for European countries who disagree with his wish to annexe Greenland is for them to demand that all US bases in those countries be closed down and troops removed by the same date of February 1.

We critics of the SNP?s election strategy are not ?fooling ourselves?
19 Jan 2026 at 6:30pm

AS one of the correspondents arguing against giving the SNP your second list vote in the forthcoming Holyrood election, I take a comment in the Friday?s letter from I Easton of Glasgow personally.

Scottish Labour deny 'fake bots' on Anas Sarwar's Instagram. But what do expe...
19 Jan 2026 at 6:31pm

IT?S an election year, and Scotland?s politicians will be crossing fingers, counting shamrock leaves, and wishing on lucky stars for one thing in particular ...

Where Scotland?s political parties stand on AI election campaigning
19 Jan 2026 at 5:57pm

SCOTLAND?S political parties are taking different approaches to the use of content generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Holyrood election campaign.

Hampden alcohol ban 'to be lifted' for Scotland's World Cup warm-up matches
19 Jan 2026 at 5:29pm

AN ALCOHOL ban at Hampden Park could be lifted for at least one of Scotland?s World Cup warm-up matches as part of a pilot scheme, according to reports ...

Falkirk anti-immigration protest organiser abandons campaign amid far-right row
19 Jan 2026 at 5:17pm

THE organiser of a group who campaigned against housing asylum seekers in a hotel in Falkirk has abandoned ongoing protests, claiming it is over the involvement of the far-right.

SNP appearances on BBC Question Time plummet, new research shows
19 Jan 2026 at 5:00pm

SNP appearances on Question Time have dramatically dropped in the last year compared to the previous decade, fresh research by experts has revealed.

Humza Yousaf: I'm interested in helping to rebuild Gaza
19 Jan 2026 at 5:12pm

HUMZA YOUSAF has said he is in interested in helping with the rebuilding of Gaza.

Scottish heritage boss 'to get racism training' as he returns to £130k-per-ye...
19 Jan 2026 at 5:00pm

A TOP executive at Scotland?s national heritage body will be made to undergo anti-racism training now he has returned to work after a storm over ?racist language?

Scottish mothers protest at JPMorgan Chase offices over firm's links to Gaza ...
19 Jan 2026 at 5:00pm

PRO-PALESTINE protesters have targeted JPMorgan Chase offices in Glasgow over the company's alleged ties to Israel, claiming the firm is ?profiting from the killing of babies? in Gaza ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell to appear in court next month
19 Jan 2026 at 5:06pm
Murrell, 61, is charged with one count of embezzlement

John Swinney told to publish ?Salmond files? evidence ahead of deadline
19 Jan 2026 at 6:00am
The government has been given until Thursday to release the information

Biffa?s ?51.4m deposit return scheme claim rejected by court
16 Jan 2026 at 3:45pm
The waste management?firm claimed?that it was negligently misled by Scottish ministers that the scheme would go ahead, but this?was rejected by Lord Sandison

?Appalling?: SNP MSP hits out at Scottish Government's single-sex prisons stance
15 Jan 2026 at 1:34pm
John Swinney under pressure on transgender prisoners as For Women Scotland hearing nears

?Miserly? income tax cut used for ?cheap headline? ? Russell Findlay
15 Jan 2026 at 1:03pm
John Swinney said his government was ?on the side of the people of Scotland?

Malcolm Offord confirmed as Reform leader in Scotland
15 Jan 2026 at 11:36am
Offord has also announced his retirement from the House of Lords

SNP on course to win election while race for second place neck-and-neck
15 Jan 2026 at 10:21am
Reform and Labour are tied on 18 seats for second place, according to a poll projection

X acting to comply with UK law, says Keir Starmer
14 Jan 2026 at 3:11pm
Ofcom launched an investigation into the site on Monday

Michael Shanks: Scotland?s energy future is on the ballot
14 Jan 2026 at 3:10pm
The UK energy minister warned delegates during a speech at?Holyrood?s?Energy Summit in Edinburgh that a party that opposes nuclear?power?will??fragment the GB energy market?

Contract awarded to build one of world?s largest offshore wind farms in Scotland
14 Jan 2026 at 11:38am
The Berwick Bank wind farm in the outer of the Firth of Forth will be constructed by SSE and will feature 307 turbines generating enough electricity to power up to six million homes

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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

Multimillionaire leader of Reform in Scotland refuses to reveal net worth
15 Jan 2026 at 3:26pm
Newly appointed Malcolm Offord, who became a Tory life peer in 2021, plans to stand for Holyrood in MayUK politics live ? latest updatesThe multimillionaire financier who has been made leader of Reform UK in Scotland has refused to say how wealthy he is, claiming that is a private matter.Malcolm ...

Scottish budget: SNP government cuts taxes for lowest earners
13 Jan 2026 at 7:06pm
Ministers will hope package of measures can aid efforts to retain power in May?s Holyrood electionsMinisters in Scotland have cut taxes for the lowest earners by a modest £11 a year, as the government dug into its reserves, cut spending and increased borrowing to fund new election pledges.With fo...

UK politics: Tories call for block on Chinese super-embassy amid claims of hi...
13 Jan 2026 at 6:11pm
Shadow home office minister Alicia Kearns says unredacted plans show 208 secret rooms and approving plans would be ?insanity?Q: Why are the Liberal Democrats still using X?Davey says he is not afraid to pick a fight with Elon Musk. He says Musk has interfered in British democracy ?in the most out...

?The response is a beautiful thing?: how Glasgow is squaring up to Reform
12 Jan 2026 at 5:36am
In the face of Nigel Farage, flag-waving and a longstanding housing crisis, some Glaswegians are taking on anti-immigration rhetoricSelina Hales has a thing about pineapples. She is talking in a quiet office, set aside from the bustle of Refuweegee, the charity she founded 10 years ago, and the w...

Software tackling deepfakes to be piloted for Scottish and Welsh elections
8 Jan 2026 at 6:07pm
Electoral Commission says tools to detect AI-generated content could be in place before campaigns beginElection officials are working ?at speed? with the Home Office on a pilot project to combat the use of deepfakes to target candidates standing in this year?s Scottish and Welsh elections.Officia...

Liz Kendall says Elon Musk?s X must urgently deal with ?appalling? sexualised...
6 Jan 2026 at 5:49pm
Science secretary says the deepfake content being produced on the platform is ?unacceptable in decent society?In her Today programme interview this morning Kemi Badenoch tried to outflank Nigel Farage on net zero scepticism by claiming (wrongly) that she started talking out this before he did.Ask...

No 10 suggests UK would not vote for UN security council resolution condemnin...
5 Jan 2026 at 6:10pm
PM?s spokesperson did not contest report claiming that the UK will abstain on a possible UN voteSpeaking to reporters this morning, Keir Starmer said Nicolás Maduro, who was president of Venezuela until he was arrested by the Americans on Saturday and taken to a US jail, was not a legitimate rule...

Scottish Labour urges Keir Starmer to stay out of Holyrood campaign
5 Jan 2026 at 2:53pm
Anas Sarwar says prime minister?s missteps have left party clear underdogs in run-up to May electionUK politics live ? latest updatesKeir Starmer and senior ministers have been urged by Scottish Labour to ?stay behind their doors? in Whitehall to avoid turning the next Holyrood election into a re...

Nativism and the disintegration of the UK
1 Jan 2026 at 5:07pm
With the weakening of pro-integration parties, Ben Wellings warns that the continuation of the UK in its current form cannot be taken for grantedStalking your editorial on the new political geography emerging in Britain (25 December) is the fear of disintegration. This is a political outcome that...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The days of playing by rules stacked against Scotland will soon be over
19 Jan 2026 at 4:44pm
Just eighteen months ago, we were looking at the prospect of this year’s Scottish elections with dread and trepidation. Labour was in the ascendant on the back of its victory in the July 2024 Westminster General election and Anas Sarwar was confidently expecting to install himself in Bute House as First Minister, some excitable Labour …

Reform?s Scottish ?leader? ? the FIFA Peace Prize of Scottish politics
15 Jan 2026 at 2:15pm
Spare a thought for poor wee Malkie Offord, over the years he’s thrown hundreds of thousands of pounds at the political scene in a bid to make himself relevant, firstly with his ludicrously misnamed and suspiciously well funded Vote No Borders astroturfing campaign during the 2014 independence referendum, a cringeworthy campaign which made no impact …

Reform?s failing charade and the three pronged attack on Westminster rule
14 Jan 2026 at 4:34pm
Perhaps Reform UK’s bubble is about to burst. Although the private company owned by Nigel Farage is still leading in the polls in England, the far right ghouls’ polling lead has been falling in recent weeks. On Tuesday the weekly Sky News poll from YouGov put Reform on 24% across the UK as a whole, …

Farage?s new tartan puppet
12 Jan 2026 at 8:00pm
On Monday, Nigel Farage preened his insufferably smug way through a press conference at which he introduced the latest opportunistic Tory defector to Reform UK. This time it was Nadhim Zahawi, who was very briefly the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson. Zahawi was later found to have paid a seven figure penalty to …

BBC Scotland, an anti-independence party in May?s Scottish election
11 Jan 2026 at 4:57pm
The parties are gearing up for May’s Scottish elections. On one side there’s the SNP and their frenemies the Scottish Greens – parties which disagree on many things but which share a common belief in the principle that the people of Scotland should be the sole arbiters of government policy in Scotland and the future …

The BBC?s shameful enabling of fascism
8 Jan 2026 at 3:56pm
The failure of the BBC to report fairly and without bias on Scottish politics is a regular theme in this blog and amongst other supporters of Scottish independence. The favouritism which the Corporation displays towards Nigel Farage and his ghouls is likewise well documented, especially on the disgrace to political broadcasting that is BBC Question …

A fake rebellion from a fake party
7 Jan 2026 at 11:28am
While we are distracted by Donald Trump’s attack on Venezuela, the kidnapping of its president and his threats to take over Greenland, here in Scotland the parties are getting into gear for the Holyrood election campaign. Anas Sarwar has got off the starting blocks with a carefully orchestrated ‘rebellion’ against his intensely unpopular boss, Keir …

Greenland, a nation, not an American possession
6 Jan 2026 at 4:46pm
With the Trump regime ramping up its threats against the Arctic nation of Greenland, it’s a good time to take a closer look at the history and culture of Greenland. Greenland is officially called Kalaallit Nunaat in the Greenlandic language, the language of the great majority of the country’s 57,000 population. Greenlandic, or Kalaallisut, is …

In May Scotland?s destiny is in our hands
5 Jan 2026 at 6:51pm
Speaking to SNP party members in Glasgow as the campaign for the Scottish elections in May starts to ramp up, First Minister John Swinney has said that the Scottish media should be ?livid? at the UK Government’s refusal to spell out the democratic route to a second independence referendum. If we lived in a normal …

The superpower of piracy
3 Jan 2026 at 5:22pm
The international rule of law has been on life support for some time. It was battered and bludgeoned by the West’s invasion of Iraq. Israel casually ignored international law as it pursued genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank while the West, most notably the USA and the UK, enabled Netanyahu and …

The Courier

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Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

Could Rosyth-Europe ferry set sail thanks to Brexit reset?
27 May 2025 at 6:01am
Hopes have been raised for a simple solution to a cross-border problem.

Kirkcaldy MP demands pro-suicide forum is torn down
26 May 2025 at 6:01am
Around 100 suicides have been linked to the sickening forum which provides guidance to people on ending their life.

UHI Perth aviation students warn of ?unsettling times? after training firm?s ...
26 May 2025 at 6:00am
Worried Samuel Hughes, 19, is among students sharing their fears at a time of crisis for Perth College.

Fresh Dundee University strike begins over compulsory Levehulme Centre job cuts
26 May 2025 at 6:00am
University staff are taking five days of industrial action as the institution pushes ahead with plans to axe the forensic research hub.

NHS Fife nurse at centre of controversial trans tribunal suing her own trade ...
25 May 2025 at 2:32pm
A&E medic Sandie Peggie is now taking legal action against the Royal College of Nursing.

EXCLUSIVE: Dundee University still to strike rescue deal with government
23 May 2025 at 5:46pm
Opposition MSPs have expressed concern at the time taken to agree a deal almost a month after the fresh recovery plan was unveiled.

6 senior figures who left Dundee University during financial crisis
23 May 2025 at 5:10pm
Several university chiefs have moved on since £30m financial black hole emerged.

Dundee University activist artist leads degree show protest over financial cr...
23 May 2025 at 4:45pm
Duncan of Jordanstone student Finn Millar says he wants to play a part in "keeping the university alive".

John Swinney admits constituents have expressed Perth leisure concerns to him
23 May 2025 at 6:01am
The first minister wants further talks between both sides of Perth leisure debate.

EXCLUSIVE: Dundee University chief operating officer Jim McGeorge quits
22 May 2025 at 1:58pm
Dr Jim McGeorge ? who was responsible for good governance - had been on a period of extended leave.

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz'

Why is this Glasgow think-tank now, for the first time, trying to cast doubt ...
19 Jan 2026 at 11:39pm
By stewartb I?d like to draw attention to an interesting line of argument being promoted by the Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) in its ?Scotland?s Budget Report 2026-27? (January 9, 2026). In Chapter 1 on ?Fiscal Outlook?, the FAI goes to great lengths in seeking to undermine the claim that the Scottish government balances its budget. It states: ?.. an interested observer will be surprised t...

Scotland?s schools narrow attainment gaps across the board and ?most deprived...
19 Jan 2026 at 10:02pm
From Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Levels, 2024-25 published on 9 December 2025: The statistics also provide information on the gap in attainment between pupils from the most and least deprived areas of Scotland: For literacy, there was an increase in the proportions of primary pupils (P1, P4, P7 combined) that achieved the expected level, from both the least deprived and most ...

Good news about Scotland?s babies ?our? media missed
19 Jan 2026 at 10:01pm
Thanks to Bernadette for alerting me to this: From SMA UK 5 September 2025: We are absolutely delighted to hear the news that NHS Scotland will be adding SMA to their newborn screening programme in an evaluative and research capacity with the aim of the first baby being tested in early 2026. External funding will be used to help purchase specialist testing equipment for the Scottish Newborn Scr...

Ayrshire Labour MP backs new nuclear power stations that have made Scotland t...
19 Jan 2026 at 10:00pm
In August 2024, I wrote to my new MP, Elaine Stewart (Labour) in Ayr on energy security and bills in Scotland. Today, 20 months later, I get a reply in which she writes: What the SNP could do to help deliver energy security is drop its ideological block on nuclear which rejects the creation of well-paid jobs, apprenticeships, and reliable low-carbon energy. The Nuclear Industry Association repo...

Neither Nicola Sturgeon nor any member of the Scottish Government has ever de...
19 Jan 2026 at 9:56pm
In the Herald, today in a clear and sickeningly cynical election run-up: Anas Sarwar has called for a criminal investigation into Nicola Sturgeon and managers at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde after the board’s eleventh-hour admission that contaminated water at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital probably caused serious infections among vulnerable patients, including children with cancer. Th...

Literacy and Numeracy at record highs in Scotland?s schools
19 Jan 2026 at 11:34am
From National Standardised Assessments for Scotland National Report for Academic Year 2024-2025 published today, we can see the one year results but no trends. This is a classic example of a task where you can trust AI so I asked it for the trend and the sources upon which it based that. After 40 years in HE, I think I would spot errors. Trends in Literacy and Numeracy Achievement in Scotland T...

Babies in Scotland get more than twice as many home health visits and have tw...
19 Jan 2026 at 11:01am
In the Guardian today: There’s no mention of Scotland in the above nor is there in the full NCT report. The latter has a ‘methodology’ section but that does not feature the word ‘sample.’ Remarkably, the above report seems unaware of State of Health Visiting, UK Survey Report ? From disparity to opportunity: The case for rebuilding health visiting” (11th annual edition, based on 2024 data and p...

Complaint to BBC on misrepresentation of Glasgow hospital infections inquiry
19 Jan 2026 at 9:30am
I used to write complaints to the BBC all the time but can’t remember the last one. The responses, surreal at times, would ruin your day. Anyhow, here we go again. Do join me?

BBC Scotland repeating the lie that hospital infections ?led to deaths in pat...
19 Jan 2026 at 9:04am
For the second day running, BBC Scotland seeks to misrepresent the findings of an official inquiry into a hospital-acquired infections inquiry. They tell us: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) had consistently denied bacteria in the water was responsible for causing some infections which led to the deaths of patients. But in closing submissions to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, external it...

How a London-based think-tank is more trustworthy than a Glasgow one with a b...
18 Jan 2026 at 9:45pm
By stewartb It?s been interesting to compare and contrast how two economic think tanks chose to comment upon the Scottish Government?s recent budget statement and Spending Review. Let?s take the Glasgow-based Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) on the Budget first: FAI (January 13) ?A Budget where the silences were loudest.? The up front framing made a good start! And on what the Cabinet Secreta...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would ...
17 Jan 2026 at 5:03pm
Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would be green light for indyref2  Sky News

No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says - BBC
27 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says  BBC

The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage - politico.eu
13 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage  politico.eu

Furious Tory MP accuses John Swinney of 'secret talks' on Scottish independen...
18 Jan 2026 at 12:35pm
Furious Tory MP accuses John Swinney of 'secret talks' on Scottish independence  TheNational.scot

X feature exposes Iranian-run pro-Scottish independence accounts - UKDJ - ???...
24 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
X feature exposes Iranian-run pro-Scottish independence accounts - UKDJ  ????? ??????????

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

Bold three-point independence strategy unveiled - Scottish Greens
18 Jan 2026 at 2:49pm
Bold three-point independence strategy unveiled  Scottish Greens

Iranian bots tied to Scottish independence go silent - The Jerusalem Post
13 Jan 2026 at 1:04pm
Iranian bots tied to Scottish independence go silent  The Jerusalem Post

Why Scottish X accounts vanished after Iran?s internet shutdown - The Times
16 Jan 2026 at 3:27pm
Why Scottish X accounts vanished after Iran?s internet shutdown  The Times

Readers' Letters: Independence would make Scotland much the poorer - The Scot...
19 Jan 2026 at 7:00am
Readers' Letters: Independence would make Scotland much the poorer  The Scotsman

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP Supervisory Board Extends Contract of CEO Jens Amail Ahead of Schedule - ...
20 Jan 2026 at 2:00am
SNP Supervisory Board Extends Contract of CEO Jens Amail Ahead of Schedule  Laotian Times

SNP Supervisory Board Extends Contract Of CEO Jens Amail Ahead Of Schedule Un...
20 Jan 2026 at 3:02am
SNP Supervisory Board Extends Contract Of CEO Jens Amail Ahead Of Schedule Until December 2030  TradingView ? Track All Markets

Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would ...
17 Jan 2026 at 5:03pm
Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would be green light for indyref2  Sky News

SNP appearances on BBC Question Time plummet, new research shows - TheNationa...
19 Jan 2026 at 5:07pm
SNP appearances on BBC Question Time plummet, new research shows  TheNational.scot

Peter Murrell due in court over embezzlement charge - BBC
19 Jan 2026 at 5:04pm
Peter Murrell due in court over embezzlement charge  BBC

Peter Murrell due back in court over SNP embezzlement charge - The Times
19 Jan 2026 at 6:59pm
Peter Murrell due back in court over SNP embezzlement charge  The Times

SNP extends CEO Jens Amail?s contract to December 2030 - IT Brief UK
19 Jan 2026 at 9:15am
SNP extends CEO Jens Amail?s contract to December 2030  IT Brief UK

£300m raided from ScotWind revenues to prop up SNP's Budget - The Scotsman
19 Jan 2026 at 9:46pm
£300m raided from ScotWind revenues to prop up SNP's Budget  The Scotsman

Operation Branchform: embezzlement case against Peter Murrell to call in Febr...
19 Jan 2026 at 4:52pm
Operation Branchform: embezzlement case against Peter Murrell to call in February  The Herald

Scottish budget: SNP government cuts taxes for lowest earners | Scotland - Th...
13 Jan 2026 at 7:08pm
Scottish budget: SNP government cuts taxes for lowest earners | Scotland  The Guardian

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would ...
17 Jan 2026 at 5:03pm
Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would be green light for indyref2  Sky News

Swinney says SNP win would trigger new Scotland referendum | Daily Sabah - Da...
18 Jan 2026 at 11:16am
Swinney says SNP win would trigger new Scotland referendum | Daily Sabah  Daily Sabah

No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says - BBC
27 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says  BBC

Second independence referendum should be 'parked', says Scotland Reform leade...
18 Jan 2026 at 11:06am
Second independence referendum should be 'parked', says Scotland Reform leader  TheNational.scot

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

UK says pro-indy Scotland X accounts went silent as Iran cut net - The New Arab
17 Jan 2026 at 4:32pm
UK says pro-indy Scotland X accounts went silent as Iran cut net  The New Arab

Reform leader in Scotland suggests second independence referendum timing - Th...
18 Jan 2026 at 6:31pm
Reform leader in Scotland suggests second independence referendum timing  The Herald

Scotland's first minister calls for second referendum if SNP win majority in ...
17 Jan 2026 at 4:11pm
Scotland's first minister calls for second referendum if SNP win majority in May | ITV News  ITVX

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

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