The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Alba bosses claim party is 'financially insolvent' amid demands to fight elec...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
1 Mar 2026 at 1:55pm
?We cannot meet our existing debts,? the spokesperson said, ?never mind those funds that would be required to fight an election."


Anas Sarwar would have had to pay back dentistry tuition fees in own NHS plan
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
1 Mar 2026 at 11:59am
Anas Sarwar would have needed to pay back his own tuition fees in Scottish Labour's NHS plan as he failed to work in the sector for five years.


John Swinney told about Nicola Sturgeon's Branchform case early by Lord Advocate
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
1 Mar 2026 at 10:39am
John Swinney was told the Operation Branchform investigation into Nicola Sturgeon had been dropped before the former first minister.


Orwell?s final years on Jura inspire urgent new film from Oscar nominated dir...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
1 Mar 2026 at 10:38am
Raoul Peck?s film Orwell: 2+2=5 asks why George Orwell?s warning about propaganda and power feels urgent again.


Iran strikes targets in Middle East vowing 'massive retaliation' for Khameini...
by Associated Press
1 Mar 2026 at 8:16am
Iran fired missiles at targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states on Sunday after vowing massive retaliation for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the United States and Israel


Inside the 'conflict' of interest plaguing Dorothy Bain as Lord Advocate
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
1 Mar 2026 at 6:00am
Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain is used to standing before judges. Now she's locked at the centre of a political storm.


Demand for Scottish Water probe amid soaring charges and 'eye-watering' execu...
1 Mar 2026 at 5:00am
Calls are being made by Unison for an independent inquiry into Scottish Water amid fears over 'creeping privatisation' as charges soar while bosses pay and bonuses rocket.


PHOTO ESSAY: David Pratt's haunting images of war in Ukraine
by david.pratt@heraldandtimes.co.uk | David Pratt
1 Mar 2026 at 6:15am
It was an invasion Russia expected to be over in days, but four years on, the bloodletting continues in the most deadly conflict in Europe since World War II


'I wouldn?t be disabled': Woman speaks out as endometriosis waits rise to ove...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
1 Mar 2026 at 5:00am
A Fife woman has spoken out after waiting years for an endometriosis diagnosis, as new figures show average wait times in Scotland have risen.


Tribute to JP at the heart of the struggles against racism in Scotland
1 Mar 2026 at 4:07am
Balwant Singh Chadha. An appreciation: Known as ?Bob Chadha?, who has died aged 87, was a trade unionist, Labour Party member and councillor, community organiser and anti-racist activist.


?A political murder?: The disturbing story of Scotland?s greatest ever revolu...
1 Mar 2026 at 6:15am
A new biography charts the life and death of the socialist firebrand John Maclean. Our Writer at Large talks to author Donald Robertson about a man as loved as he was loathed


Protest and counter-protest in Glasgow following beginning of war with Iran
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
28 Feb 2026 at 1:26pm
Demonstrators squared off in front of the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow after the United States and Israel launched military action against Iran


Keir Starmer and John Swinney respond after U.S and Israel attack Iran
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
28 Feb 2026 at 11:52am
John Swinney has called for 'de-escalation' after Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran


Your Party Scotland calls for 'urgent action' as Holyrood selection deadline ...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
28 Feb 2026 at 9:24am
The interim executive committee of Your Party in Scotland has written to the party's newly-elected leadership calling for 'urgent action' on candidate selection ahead of the Holyrood election

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Why Scotland risks building an economy on fundamentally fragile foundations
1 Mar 2026 at 6:00am
Low-paid, insecure work remains a structural feature of Scotland?s labour market


Climate advisers lash out at Reform and Tories' 'slogan-based' net zero oppos...
1 Mar 2026 at 6:00am

The Scottish Conservatives have insisted that Scotland?s 2045 target is ?completely unrealistic? despite independent climate advisers stressing it can be achieved

It is time to wonder when Scottish Labour will realise the game is over for them.

Sweeping boundary changes are coming in across Scotland, particularly in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Ms Freeman died on February 7 aged 72, just 25 days after being diagnosed with cancer in January.

Wings over Scotland

Two Men Unalike
28 Feb 2026 at 1:41pm
So Cathy Newman of Channel 4 News got herself a scoop last night. And to be honest, readers, we were a bit confused. “Gender critical views” are not only lawful things to hold and express, they’re one of a small subset of opinions that are explicitly protected as such in law. And why would a …

The Tactics Of Suicide
26 Feb 2026 at 1:48pm
Sorry, readers, we’ve been too busy boiling with rage at revolting, cretinous Americans for the last few days to trust ourselves with writing a full-length article, but we’ve just about calmed down enough in time for this month’s polling analysis. Which is handy, because today is also the day of the Gorton and Denton by-election …

When the law breaks the law
19 Feb 2026 at 1:33pm
There is a not particularly funny joke that is sometimes told in legal circles about why a law student failed to finish his coursework ? because he had no conviction. With rare exceptions lawyers aren?t renowned for their sense of humour but I can?t help thinking someone, at the highest levels of our justice system, …

The Future Is Yesterday
18 Feb 2026 at 2:10pm
So on the one hand there’s obviously very little point paying attention to the SNP’s regional list candidates for May’s Holyrood election, because as this website has comprehensively demonstrated over recent months, the chances of the SNP having any list MSPs elected are remote. However, nothing is impossible, so let’s take a look at the …

Scotland In Numbers
17 Feb 2026 at 11:30pm
Cost of keeping vital rape crisis services in Glasgow operating: £500,000. Amount of money wasted by the Scottish Government fighting and losing court cases to try to remove women’s rights: £1.14 million. Angry yet?

The Longest Road
16 Feb 2026 at 1:23pm
As the six-year fight for justice for Alex Salmond continues, we thought you might like to see this clip from this morning’s Mike Graham Show, interviewing Paul McManus, the businessman and drummer in Glasgow rock band Gun who’s stepped up to fund the Salmond family’s case against the Scottish Government despite disagreeing with much of …

The Modern Politician
10 Feb 2026 at 5:17pm
A play in three acts: And you thought ours were spineless. Poor old Anas, though. If 24 hours is a long time in politics these days, a week is forever. And a month hardly even bears thinking about. As for a year and a half, well, the less said the better.

A Dumber Nation
9 Feb 2026 at 3:52pm
In politics, readers, evil and stupidity aren’t the same thing. But nor are they exclusive. Before we ask you to consider which of the terms applies to the Scottish Government led by John Swinney, we’d like you to read this letter sent to Wings by the auntie of two women imprisoned in Scottish jails. “I …

Echoes of history
8 Feb 2026 at 5:26pm
The Sunday National’s front page today elicited a sigh of “So what?” from most. We’ve already GOT a “pro-indy” majority at Holyrood and have done for the last 10 years, for all it’s been worth. But to be fair there was a paragraph in the article that at least raised a quizzical eyebrow. Because, y’know, …

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

Craig Murray

Rival Demonstrations in Caracas
23 Feb 2026 at 8:28am

There are two things which are extremely difficult to find in Venezuela – government repression and opposition support. I am pretty long in the tooth and very experienced in understanding politics and people around the world, and I have found it difficult to locate either. I would particularly warn you against accepting the political prisoners …

Rival Demonstrations in Caracas

Two Little Caracas Videos
17 Feb 2026 at 6:34am

I hope to write a serious article shortly about the position of Venezuela, which is rather that of a hostage with a gun to their head, attempting to appease a psychopath. But for now here are a couple of small videos illustrating that it is a lie that the country is failed, starving or repressive. …

Two Little Caracas Videos

Postpone The Celebrations
14 Feb 2026 at 7:46am

On the face of it the English High Court ruling that the Palestine Action proscription is unlawful makes the decision that the proscription remains in place pending appeal utterly illogical. But what if the High Court ruling is deliberately designed to fail at appeal? I believe that it is. They chose an extremely narrow path …

Postpone The Celebrations

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

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

Is The USA Controlling Venezuela

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

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

Filton Acquittals Demolish Starmer and Cooper Lies About Palestine Action

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

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

Trump, Pirate of the Caribbean

BBC Scotland

Tribute from Jeane Freeman's 'soulmate' at memorial service
28 Feb 2026 at 3:16pm
A thanksgiving service followed the private cremation of the 72-year-old who died on 7 February, just 25 days after being diagnosed with cancer.

Alba members call on leader to 'fight election or resign'
1 Mar 2026 at 10:53am
The Alba Continuation Group demands that leader Kenny MacAskill stand down after he said it was unlikely the party would contest May's Scottish parliament election.

What does the Manchester by-election result mean for Scotland?
28 Feb 2026 at 9:34am
The result has caught the attention of political parties here, as they gear up for a Holyrood election.

Sarwar promises housebuilding 'revolution' and affordable rent
27 Feb 2026 at 7:26pm
The Scottish Labour leader committed to expanding affordable rents and establishing a new housing investment bank.

Why has the world's first hydrogen double-decker fleet failed?
27 Feb 2026 at 4:15pm
The multi-million pound project in Aberdeen was meant to be the future of clean public transportation.

Scandal-hit hospital left children with lifelong conditions, MSPs told
26 Feb 2026 at 6:39pm
Children treated at a Glasgow hospital are suffering from chronic stomach pain and incontinence, parents say.

Douglas Ross: My behaviour fell short of what is expected of MSPs
26 Feb 2026 at 3:18pm
The Tory MSP apologised after refusing to leave the chamber on Tuesday when being ordered to do so by Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone.

Nine local authorities set council tax rises above rate of inflation
26 Feb 2026 at 6:44pm
Households in Aberdeenshire and Moray face a 10% rise, while Edinburgh and Fife will see increases at the lower end of the scale.

Grieving mother pushes minister on taking knives off the shelves
26 Feb 2026 at 10:29am
Lisa Petrie started to push for tougher restrictions following the death of her 22-year-old son in a stabbing incident in September.

Scottish Budget passes after vote at Holyrood
25 Feb 2026 at 9:31pm
Shona Robison's spending plans for the next year were approved by the Scottish Parliament.

Scottish government orders public inquiry into grooming gangs
25 Feb 2026 at 5:02pm
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth says the government will "act decisively" to protect children from harm.

Pressure to make budgets add up as Holyrood election looms
26 Feb 2026 at 10:57am
Parties hoping to form at least part of a government will want to show how they will pay for their vote-winning promises

Scot Goes Pop

Corri Wilson, straight-talking, totally unfiltered, on why the Alba Party mus...
1 Mar 2026 at 1:17am
I've been sent an audio recording of Corri Wilson, matriarch of Alba's Corri Nostra faction and also the party's "Director of Operations", addressing what appears to be some sort of internal party ...

Popular factional matriarch Corri Wilson sends tidings of great joy to local ...
28 Feb 2026 at 4:34pm
It's the puzzler that has gripped and perplexed fashionable salons like no other since the Schleswig Holstein Question: are Alba branches accounting units in their own right?  Does their money belo...

"From this day forth, it's DNA, NOT DEMOCRACY": Christina Hendry stakes her "...
28 Feb 2026 at 8:56am
I've rarely before had much sympathy for the views of the self-styled "straight-talking totally unfiltered independent woman" Shannon Cullen (formerly Donoghue), but I checked her Twitter account l...

"Things are even worse now than when I told you the party was dead" says Alba...
27 Feb 2026 at 5:51pm
Hot off the press, here is Kenny MacAskill's latest email to Alba members, in which he gives short shrift to the presumptuous notion of the self-appointed provisional "Junta" (ie. Christina "Of The...

Stonehaven SENSATION: "Most accurate polling company" projects an SNP overall...
26 Feb 2026 at 1:51am

Analysis of the MRP mega-poll suggesting the SNP are on course for a single-p...
25 Feb 2026 at 5:31pm
So a couple of 'quick notes' for you today, because I have two new articles on The National's website.  First up is the constituency profile of Aberdeen Donside, which you can read HERE.  I've also...

Another week, another TOTAL WIPEOUT FOR LABOUR IN SCOTLAND signalled by YouGo...
25 Feb 2026 at 3:20am
 The second in my series of Holyrood constituency profiles for The National is Aberdeen Deeside & North Kincardine, and it can be read HERE.

Introducing your daily constituency profiles for the 2026 Scottish Parliament...
24 Feb 2026 at 2:38am
Later in this video I also make an offer to Sara Salyers of a video debate, given that she and her supporters suddenly seem to have such an almighty bee in their bonnet about me.  But I strongly su...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Situation in Middle East ?deeply concerning?, says Angus Robertson
1 Mar 2026 at 1:39pm
External Affairs Secretary said Holyrood ministers have been in contact with the UK Government over the weekend and are being updated on the situation

Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons resigns over Labour Together ?distraction?
28 Feb 2026 at 6:30pm
The Makerfield MP said he had ?become a distraction from this Government?s important work?.

Alba members call on leader to resign if he will not take party into election
28 Feb 2026 at 4:19pm
Members of the so-called Alba Continuation Group want to be able to field candidates on the regional list vote for the Scottish Parliament.

Starmer tells Iran to ?refrain? from further attacks after calls with EU allies
28 Feb 2026 at 2:27pm
US and Israeli forces attacked Iran on Saturday morning in what the two countries described as a ?pre-emptive? strike

First Minister John Swinney calls for ?de-escalation? after US-Israel strikes...
28 Feb 2026 at 12:21pm
A major attack on targets across Iran was launched in the early hours of Saturday

Thanksgiving service to be held for late former health secretary Jeane Freeman
28 Feb 2026 at 11:48am
She held the brief during the outbreak of the Covid pandemic

May election could be Labour?s ?only chance? to oust SNP ? Anas Sarwar
27 Feb 2026 at 4:44pm
The Scottish Labour leader was speaking as he addressed his party?s conference in Paisley

Labour challenges deepen as poll predicts Reform to be main Holyrood opposition
27 Feb 2026 at 2:47pm
A YouGov poll for the Scottish Election Study (SES) group puts Labour in third place in the constituency vote and fourth in the list vote

Holyrood sets date for final debate on Assisted Dying Bill
26 Feb 2026 at 9:32pm
MSPs will begin considering amendments to the proposed legislation on March 10, with a final vote expected to take place on March 17.

Alba will contest Holyrood election in May, say leading party figures
26 Feb 2026 at 12:36pm
Christina Hendry, niece of Alex Salmond, is one of a group of senior Alba members who say the party will contest the list ballot

Swinney to face FMQs after Holyrood passes Budget and grooming gangs announce...
26 Feb 2026 at 12:05pm
The First Minister will face questions from the opposition

Number of asylum seekers in hotels falls to 18-month low
26 Feb 2026 at 9:47am
The Home Office has released the latest immigration statistics

Lord Advocate faces accusations of ?misleading? Holyrood with Murrell memos
25 Feb 2026 at 8:17pm
Dorothy Bain KC answered questions from MSPs about a memo sent in March 2025 to John Swinney regarding an embezzlement charge facing Peter Murrell.

Robison urges her successor to be ?bold and ambitious? as Holyrood backs Budget
25 Feb 2026 at 7:24pm
The Scottish Budget for 2026-27 was passed by the Scottish Parliament

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Closing the M8 motorway through Glasgow is no longer just a Green fantasy
28 Feb 2026 at 5:00pm
The huge cost of repairing a crumbling 1960s road viaduct through Woodside is forcing Transport Scotland to think the previously unthinkable.

Scottish politics today: Gorton by-election defeat a 'wake-up call' for Labour
27 Feb 2026 at 5:00pm
The Daily Record brings you its daily 5pm briefing of the top stories in Scottish politics.

Anas Sarwar urges Scots to hold their nose and vote Labour as he repeats call...
27 Feb 2026 at 4:20pm
Sarwar's repeated his demand at the Scottish Labour conference in Paisley - hours after the Prime Minister suffered a humiliating by-election defeat in Greater Manchester.

Anas Sarwar tries to rally Scottish Labour as poll predicts party could finis...
27 Feb 2026 at 3:15pm
The Scottish Labour leader told a party conference in Paisley the looming election could be "our only chance to end SNP rule?.

Labour are being eaten alive by the Greens and Reform UK as Keir Starmer cont...
27 Feb 2026 at 12:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says Labour on both sides of the border are heading for a fall.

Anas Sarwar 'right' to call on Keir Starmer to quit after Labour thrashed in ...
27 Feb 2026 at 9:37am
Scottish Labour is gathering in Paisley for a one-day conference that was supposed to kick-start the party's Holyrood campaign.

Greens win Gorton and Denton by-election as Keir Starmer dealt huge blow
27 Feb 2026 at 4:55am
The green party defeated Labour in its long-time stronghold, with a majority vote in a very tense fight for victory in what was earlier deemed 'too close to call'

Scottish Labour in voter 'irregularities' row in contest won by new Holyrood ...
27 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Concerns have been raised with Scottish Labour over the internal selection contest in the Edinburgh North Western seat at Holyrood.

The two horse race that will settle the Scottish Parliament election
26 Feb 2026 at 5:06pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says two recent polls include good and bad news for Labour as they meet for their conference in Paisley.

Families warn John Swinney 'more kids are at risk' of infections at Queen Eli...
26 Feb 2026 at 2:59pm
One mum said her young daughter was "lucky to have survived in that hospital" after she suffered terrible side-effects after being prescribed powerful anti-infection drugs.

The National

The National | Politics

Anas Sarwar defends Keir Starmer's response to US-Israel strikes on Iran
1 Mar 2026 at 12:48pm

ANAS Sarwar has defended Keir Starmer?s response to US-Israeli strikes on Iran as the UK Defence Secretary refused to say if they were illegal under international law.

Scottish Government issues advice amid US-Israel strikes on Iran
1 Mar 2026 at 12:23pm

THE Scottish Government has issued advice for those currently in the Middle East or concerned about family members as US-Israel strikes on Iran threatened to destabilise the region.

UK flights to and from Middle East remain suspended until Monday, airlines say
1 Mar 2026 at 12:04pm

FLIGHTS to and from countries in the Middle East are to remain suspended until Monday as the conflict in the region continues, major airlines have said ...

John Swinney told investigation into Nicola Sturgeon was dropped before her
1 Mar 2026 at 11:47am

JOHN Swinney was told the Operation Branchform investigation into Nicola Sturgeon had been dropped before the former first minister, it has emerged ...

What we know so far as US-Israel strikes on Iran threaten to destabilise Midd...
1 Mar 2026 at 11:09am

IRAN?s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the United States, throwing the future of the Islamic Republic into doubt.

Route to governing ourselves will be on the ballot in Scottish election
1 Mar 2026 at 11:00am

FROM the letters of Ian Roberts and Gavin Soosider (National, Feb 26), the idea that self-government, or independence for Scotland rests firmly in the hands of the Westminster Parliament seems to be naturally assumed, and clearly this is a

Acknowledging harm without inferring intent is common sense
1 Mar 2026 at 11:00am

THE fallout from the Bafta Film Awards ceremony has been framed as a moral contest between anti-racism and disability inclusion. That framing obscures more than it clarifies.

Former Scotland football captain stranded in Dubai amid ongoing attacks from ...
1 Mar 2026 at 10:54am

Graeme Souness caught in Middle East crisis as US and Israel strike Iran; UAE closes airspace, disrupting flights. Ex-Rangers captain shares experience ...

Keir Starmer not condemning Trump will see UK 'dragged into war', warns Zack ...
1 Mar 2026 at 10:28am

ZACK Polanski has said it is ?quite astounding? that Keir Starmer is ?incapable? of standing up to Donald Trump and condemning the United States attacks on Iran, as he fears the UK will be ?pulled into another illegal war? ...

John Healey repeatedly refuses to say if US-Israeli strikes on Iran were legal
1 Mar 2026 at 9:59am

THE UK Defence Secretary has repeatedly refused to say if the United States and Israel?s strikes against Iran, which killed the country?s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were legal ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

?Hold your nose? and vote Labour, Anas Sarwar says
27 Feb 2026 at 3:28pm
The Scottish Labour leader made an appeal to would-be Reform and independence voters

Michael Marra: SNP claims that independence will cut energy bills are 'ludicr...
27 Feb 2026 at 3:20pm
Douglas Alexander hits out at 'anti-science' nuclear stance in conference appearance

Poll: SNP in pole position despite growing unhappiness with government
27 Feb 2026 at 2:06pm
The final Scottish Opinion Monitor (Scoop) poll before the election found just 23 per cent of respondents thought the party was doing a ?good job? in office, compared with 40 per cent in December 2021.

Local Authorities Guide: City of Edinburgh Council
27 Feb 2026 at 6:00am
Council leader Jane Meagher answers questions about local authority

From snapshots to certainty: using intelligent monitoring to right-size care ...
27 Feb 2026 at 6:00am

?How do you sleep at night?? First minister pressed over children left with ?...
26 Feb 2026 at 1:43pm
Anas Sarwar raised the issue during Thursday's FMQs

Scottish Government proposes criminalising intimate deepfake creation
26 Feb 2026 at 11:19am
It is one measure within a broader consultation on improving protections for women and girls

'Radical change' warning for health and social care integration join boards
26 Feb 2026 at 7:01am
Watchdog says the situation is 'critical' as costs rise and reserves dwindle

Museums Matter
26 Feb 2026 at 6:00am
Across Scotland, museums are quietly changing lives. From the smallest volunteer run local museum to our nationally renowned institutions

Grooming gangs inquiry to be launched in Scotland, government announces
25 Feb 2026 at 3:52pm
The probe will be led by child sex abuse expert Prof Alexis Jay

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

PM vows to ?keep fighting? after Greens sweep past Labour and Reform to win b...
27 Feb 2026 at 5:57pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here:Report: Labour MPs demand Starmer change directionAnalysis: clock is ticking for StarmerProfile: who is Hannah Spencer, new Green MP?Reform activists are ?hearing Matt Goodwin has all but conceded defeat to the Greens?, the UK poll agg...

Sarwar gambles on break with Starmer as Labour support slumps
26 Feb 2026 at 10:03am
Scottish Labour leader hopes distancing himself from PM will shift focus to SNP?s record, but voters remain unconvinced?People look at Holyrood and think: ?Lets give them all a bloody nose?,? says Alex, a betting shop manager. Speaking in a focus group of people who voted Labour at the 2024 gener...

Foreign Office denies minister?s claim the Chagos Islands deal has been pause...
25 Feb 2026 at 5:30pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereThe Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published figures showing that local authorities in England dealt with 1.26m flytipping incidents in 2024/25 ? 9% increase on the previous year.And there was an 11% increase in ...

Role of Scotland?s top law officer questioned after ?bombshell? over Peter Mu...
25 Feb 2026 at 2:52pm
Lord advocate Dorothy Bain informed first minister of embezzlement charges against former SNP chief executive a year before they were made publicSerious doubts have been raised about the dual role of Scotland?s top law officer after it emerged that the first minister was informed of criminal char...

The Guardian view on Scottish Labour: Keir Starmer needs Anas Sarwar?s act of...
22 Feb 2026 at 5:30pm
The leader of Scottish Labour will use its spring conference to demonstrate that he is his own man. Ironically, the prime minister?s survival may depend on his successAt Scottish Labour?s spring conference last year, Sir Keir Starmer bullishly addressed mounting discontent at his government?s per...

The Guardian view on Scotland?s housing crisis: supply has failed to keep pac...
18 Feb 2026 at 6:25pm
The country?s homelessness legislation is ambitious and humane. But too many people are still sleeping on the streets or in temporary accommodationRough sleeping in Scotland has risen by 106% over the past three years. Record numbers of children are now living in temporary accommodation, official...

?It?s betrayal?: Shetland?s scallop fishers brace for arrival of UK?s largest...
17 Feb 2026 at 12:00pm
Huge project by Norwegian-owned Scottish Sea Farms gets go-ahead amid concerns over the environmental cost of fish farming and threat to traditional way of lifeAt Collafirth, north Shetland, Sydney Johnson is unloading two-dozen bags of scallops by throwing them over his head like medicine balls ...

Tuesday briefing: The factors that will shape the future of Scotland
17 Feb 2026 at 7:55am
In today?s newsletter: As Scottish voters prepare to go to the polls, how can Labour, Reform and the Conservatives capitalise on weakening trust in the SNP?Good morning. The SNP has been in government since 2007, a phenomenal 19-year run, but polling suggests Scottish voters? trust in its ability...

Mick Duncan obituary
16 Feb 2026 at 8:39pm
My friend and fellow architect Mick Duncan, who has died aged 86, imbued his architecture with human scale and proportion, whether for the extensive buildings for Stirling University, at Victoria Quay housing the Scottish Executive in Leith, or in the modest yet stately headquarters for United Di...

Scottish Labour leader says he doesn?t regret calling for Starmer to quit ? U...
13 Feb 2026 at 4:30pm
Anas Sarwar said that he stood by what he said when he announced on Monday that he wanted the prime minister to stand downThe Equality and Human Rights Commission has welcomed a high court ruling defending the interim guidance it issued to organisations about the implications of the supreme court...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Starmer?s support for Trump?s Epstein war may be the final blow to Labour in ...
1 Mar 2026 at 11:50am
America has gone to war in the Middle East at the behest of Netanyahu again, when Trump attacked Iran in June last year and assured us that Iran’s nuclear weapons programme had been completely destroyed it hadn’t really been completely destroyed at all. Trump lied. I’m shocked I tell you, shocked. I’m no fan of …

Goodwin ? Bad Loser, lessons from Gorton & Denton for Scotland
27 Feb 2026 at 2:23pm
Imagine being called Goodwin but being such a bad loser. This week’s by-election in Gorton and Denton in Manchester was initially portrayed in the British media as being a contest between Labour and Reform UK, with the expectation that Reform UK would coast to an easy victory. In recent days as the Greens pulled ahead …

57% support for independence in the most recent poll
26 Feb 2026 at 1:50pm
There has been another poll on voting intention in a Scottish independence referendum. The poll from Stonehaven polling for The Times newspaper which I reported on yesterday also included a question on independence. This poll had fantastic news for the SNP, reporting that an SNP majority is possible. It also has fantastic news for the …

Second poll in a month puts the SNP on track for a majority in Holyrood
25 Feb 2026 at 2:10pm
  In this bin-fire of a UK it’s nice to be able to report a glimmer of hope for a change. For the second time within a month, an opinion poll has put the level of support for the SNP at a level which would allow it to win an outright majority in its own …

Cruelty built on lies, Reform?s immigration plans
23 Feb 2026 at 3:35pm
On Monday Reform UK’s home affairs spokes bigot the millionaire Zia Yusuf announced his party’s plans for the immigration system should we be unfortunate enough to see Reform UK take power after the next Westminster general election, which due to Westminster’s corrupt and undemocratic first past the post voting system could allow Farage and his …

Rejoining the EU looks set to get much easier for an independent Scotland
22 Feb 2026 at 2:52pm
According to former SNP MP and MEP Alyn Smith, who is well informed about developments within the EU, joining the EU looks set to become a whole lot easier for an independent Scotland. The EU Commission is proposing to revamp and speed up the process through which states which are candidates for EU membership accede …

Kenny MacAskill announces that the party is over for Alba
21 Feb 2026 at 3:48pm
So much for my afternoon off. Literally seconds after publishing my last blog piece I learned that the Alba party’s leader Kenny MacAskill had issued a statement in an email to Alba party members saying that the party will not after all be standing candidates at May’s Holyrood election. The statement blames the sudden decision …

New polling and Reform may have peaked
21 Feb 2026 at 1:47pm
I’ve been blogging a lot this week, which is what happens when there’s nothing on the telly except the Winter Olympics. All power to those who enjoy that sort of thing, but watching people sliding down a mountain in the snow with two planks strapped to their feet leaves me cold, pun intended. So my …

Labour Together: the authoritarian right wing rot at the heart of Starmer?s p...
20 Feb 2026 at 1:09pm
Having had personal encounters with people on the right of the Labour party the left wing comedian and Corbyn supporter Alexei Sayle said: “The right of the Labour Party are some of the most fucking horrible, vile, gruesome people. I’ve never met such awful people as those on the right of the Labour Party.” After …

Yes United and Independence Forum Scotland : Putting the band back together
19 Feb 2026 at 8:45pm
Please note that tickets for the daytime conference are now sold out, but tickets are still available for the evening event. Frustration at the lack of progress to secure better lives for current and future generations of Scots has raised the number of independence campaign groups working outside party politics. Campaigns focus on all sectors …

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

Scottish taxpayers soon to pay first £100 million instalment to keep an old E...
1 Mar 2026 at 9:48am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON Thanks to Dottie once more for alerting me to this. As the implementation for the Scottish Budget in 2026/2027 looms, we can reflect on a few hundred million that we don’t have because it’s bein...

What the Herald won?t tell you ? current water bills in Scotland are the lowe...
1 Mar 2026 at 9:13am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON In the Herald today: Calls are being made for an independent inquiry into Scottish Water amid soaring customer charges and eye-watering levels of executive pay and bonuses. Scotland?s largest tr...

What the Herald won?t tell you about the obscene pay of English water bosses ...
1 Mar 2026 at 9:06am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON In the Herald today: Calls are being made for an independent inquiry into Scottish Water amid soaring customer charges and eye-watering levels of executive pay and bonuses. Scotland’s largest tr...

Scotland?s stroke survival rate is roughly the same as that in England and th...
28 Feb 2026 at 2:46pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON The Herald‘s top ferry correspondent today has the above and: Ministers are under pressure after Scotland was branded one of the worst countries in Europe for delivering a life-saving stroke tre...

Shock as proportionally 4 times as many children in England & Wales face dome...
28 Feb 2026 at 1:56pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON From BBC England today: An 11-year-old boy who had both legs amputated after being assaulted by his birth parents has won his campaign for a new child safety register. Parents guilty of neglect ...

Massive fall in number of children in care as progressive policies work to re...
28 Feb 2026 at 1:54pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON Prompted by today’s news of a planned child cruelty register for England, this: From Children?s Social Work Statistics: Looked After Children 2023/24 published 22 April 2025, we can see that the...

Scotland IS different as it protects unaccompanied children seeking asylum
28 Feb 2026 at 1:52pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON Prompted by today’s news of a planned child cruelty register for England, this: In the Guardian, November 2nd 2025, the above and: More than 50 lone child asylum seekers who disappeared soon aft...

There are NO places in Scotland where anything close to this horrific claim o...
28 Feb 2026 at 1:47pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON Prompted by today’s news of a planned child cruelty register for England, this: Thanks to Dottie for alerting us to this. In the 31 October 2025, the above and: Almost 100% of children in 73 nei...

Scottish fishing industry value is at highest value in the last ten years but...
28 Feb 2026 at 9:25am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON From Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2024 published yesterday: The Scottish fishing industry value in 2024 was £734 million. This is the highest value (adjusted to 2024 prices) of the last ten...

SNP Government gives islanders around £5 000 each more than the rest of us in...
28 Feb 2026 at 8:56am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON Look at the massive generosity of the SNP Government’s grant subsidies per person , above, for those living the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland – around £4 to £6 000 per person more than the ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Poll shows 'independence now there to be won' as SNP on course for majority -...
25 Feb 2026 at 1:48pm
Poll shows 'independence now there to be won' as SNP on course for majority  TheNational.scot

Report: 'Scotland needs mechanism to trigger independence referendum' - The H...
27 Feb 2026 at 7:41am
Report: 'Scotland needs mechanism to trigger independence referendum'  The Herald

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

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

Poll: SNP in pole position despite growing unhappiness with government - Holy...
27 Feb 2026 at 2:14pm
Poll: SNP in pole position despite growing unhappiness with government  Holyrood Website

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

Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scotti...
9 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scottish independence has grown stronger  The Conversation

New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence - gatescambr...
3 Feb 2026 at 8:00am
New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence  gatescambridge.org

Scottish independence is sneaking up on Westminster - New Statesman
20 Feb 2026 at 6:03am
Scottish independence is sneaking up on Westminster  New Statesman

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  ????? ??????????

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell accused of embezzling £459,000 over ...
13 Feb 2026 at 8:00am
Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell accused of embezzling £459,000 over 12-year period  BBC

SNP need constituencies for a Holyrood majority. But is this one out of reach...
27 Feb 2026 at 5:06am
SNP need constituencies for a Holyrood majority. But is this one out of reach?  TheNational.scot

Mothballed nuclear site 'could still be revived' if SNP drops 'ideological bl...
1 Mar 2026 at 6:00am
Mothballed nuclear site 'could still be revived' if SNP drops 'ideological block', says energy minister  The Scotsman

Labour MP slams John Swinney over 'racist' and 'toxic' SNP smear campaign in ...
1 Mar 2026 at 9:25am
Labour MP slams John Swinney over 'racist' and 'toxic' SNP smear campaign in grooming gangs row  Scottish Daily Express

Development of a cost-effective, multifunctional SNP panel and analysis workf...
19 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
Development of a cost-effective, multifunctional SNP panel and analysis workflow for Wolf monitoring in Finland  Nature

SNP ministers 'are ignoring salmon asthma risks for fish farm workers' - Dail...
1 Mar 2026 at 4:30am
SNP ministers 'are ignoring salmon asthma risks for fish farm workers'  Daily Record

Fractured Scottish poll bodes ill for Labour and Conservatives this May - The...
27 Feb 2026 at 2:28pm
Fractured Scottish poll bodes ill for Labour and Conservatives this May  The Herald

John Swinney secretly briefed on Nicola Sturgeon ?SNP fraud? let-off BEFORE h...
28 Feb 2026 at 10:46pm
John Swinney secretly briefed on Nicola Sturgeon ?SNP fraud? let-off BEFORE her  The Scottish Sun

Scottish Labour leader criticises SNP in speech - ITN
27 Feb 2026 at 10:48pm
Scottish Labour leader criticises SNP in speech  ITN

The SNP needs the rich, but it wants to drive them out of Scotland - The Times
25 Feb 2026 at 5:22pm
The SNP needs the rich, but it wants to drive them out of Scotland  The Times

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

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

Report: 'Scotland needs mechanism to trigger independence referendum' - The H...
27 Feb 2026 at 7:41am
Report: 'Scotland needs mechanism to trigger independence referendum'  The Herald

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

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

Poll shows 'independence now there to be won' as SNP on course for majority -...
25 Feb 2026 at 1:48pm
Poll shows 'independence now there to be won' as SNP on course for majority  TheNational.scot

legal mechanism for triggering an independence referendum ? The NEN - North E...
27 Feb 2026 at 2:00pm
legal mechanism for triggering an independence referendum ? The NEN  North Edinburgh News

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

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

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

New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence - gatescambr...
3 Feb 2026 at 8:00am
New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence  gatescambridge.org