The Herald

The Herald | Politics


£3 million paid in compensation to Caledonian Sleeper travellers
30 Dec 2025 at 12:05am
Compensation paid to travellers on the Caledonian Sleeper train service has reached almost £3 million, it can be revealed.


Scotland being 'short-changed' on defence spending by UK Government, SNP claims
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
30 Dec 2025 at 12:01am
The SNP claims Scotland receives far less defence spending per head than parts of England, citing new Commons Library figures.


Glasgow ranks among worst for pothole compensation claims as numbers double
by amy.myles@newsquest.co.uk | Amy Myles
29 Dec 2025 at 1:45pm
Pothole compensation claims have soared by 90% in just three years.


For Women Scotland: Why it's wrong to call us anti-trans for Supreme Court case
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
29 Dec 2025 at 11:00am
For Women Scotland are labelled anti-trans and transphobic for their gender critical views. But the campaign group speak candidly about why that is "nonsense".


Scottish Government consults on raising marriage age to 18
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
29 Dec 2025 at 11:01am
The Scottish Government is consulting on raising the marriage age to 18 and wider reforms to cohabitation and family law.


For Women Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon only cared for her own legacy in gender row
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
29 Dec 2025 at 6:00am
For Women Scotland has accused Nicola Sturgeon of only caring about her own legacy in the controversial gender reform debate that has divided the country.


MSP: ?I back assisted dying but I don?t know if I?m strong enough for wife to...
by Katrine Bussey
29 Dec 2025 at 12:01am
SNP MSP George Adam has publicly backed assisted dying proposals in Scotland but worries whether he will be strong enough if his chronically ill wife ever requests it.


Flynn demands peerage block for ex PM aide with links to Scots paedophile
29 Dec 2025 at 12:39pm
Stephen Flynn MP has called for Keir Starmer's appointment of Labour Party Lord Matthew Doyle to be blocked if the Prime Minister doesn't immediately do "the right thing" and withdraw the appointment.


Almost £8 million spent fixing vandalism in Scotland's schools
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
29 Dec 2025 at 12:01am
Almost £8 million has been spent fixing vandalism in Scottish schools, it can be revealed.


For Women Scotland claim UK Government trying to change equality law by 'stea...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
28 Dec 2025 at 2:43pm
For Women Scotland has accused Sir Keir Starmer and the UK Government of trying to change equality law 'by stealth' following the Supreme Court judgment.


I used to believe there was no such thing as evil but now I am not so sure
28 Dec 2025 at 6:15am
WE arrived at the flat the day before the winter solstice dressed in old clothes and ready for action. Our eldest son and his girlfriend picked up the keys a few weeks earlier


Swinney 'anxious' UK Government letting his Trump whisky deal 'momentum' slip
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
28 Dec 2025 at 5:00am
John Swinney says momentum may be fading on a US whisky tariff deal, warning negotiations must now be driven by the UK Government.


John Swinney on family, football and his future as leader of the SNP
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
28 Dec 2025 at 5:00am
Matthew, John Swinney?s teenage son, was ?livid? at missing Scotland?s incredible 4-2 defeat of Denmark last month.


500,000 young Scots would benefit if free bus travel extended to under-30s - ...
by Katrine Bussey
28 Dec 2025 at 12:01am
More than 500,000 young Scots could benefit if free bus travel was extended to everyone under the age of 30 in next month?s Holyrood Budget, Greens have said.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Why 2026 may be a truly pivotal moment for Scottish politics ? and Reform UK
29 Dec 2025 at 6:00pm
The Scottish Parliament election in May may produce a result the likes of which we have not seen before


Starmer urged to withdraw peerage for adviser amid sex offender row
29 Dec 2025 at 1:44pm

Ex-Downing Street comms chief Matthew Doyle is under fire over his links to disgraced Sean Morton

The move would bring Scotland into line with England and Wales

We talk to some political experts on their predictions for 2026.

The security challenges facing our government cannot be put off any longer

The couple, who have been married for 29 years, have long supported the idea of allowing those who are facing a painful death to seek help to die

Gregor Poynton has written to Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes asking her to stop "Scotland being left behind by outdated SNP dogma".

Here are three new year resolutions for Scotland?s public sector institutions

?My loyalty to my country is going to be questioned, my identity is going to be questioned, my belonging and commitment to Scotland is going to be questioned?

Wings over Scotland

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 …

A matter of class
19 Dec 2025 at 5:14pm
Something very odd happened when the Sandie Peggie employment tribunal delivered its judgment – and it wasn?t just the made-up quotes and mangled law. Call it institutional bias, ideological capture, or just the law doing its job, but what Employment Judge Sandy Kemp?s tribunal delivered was the most one-sided outcome since Butch and Sundance decided …

Contempt Of Government
19 Dec 2025 at 11:47am
This is actually pretty serious. Because, y’know, you can call us old-fashioned purists or sticklers or whatever if you like, but government ministers probably shouldn’t openly lie in prepared statements to the High Court in order to pervert the course of justice. And this is as clear a knowing, deliberate lie as you could hope …

The Idiot Rodeo
14 Dec 2025 at 2:12pm
As recently as this weekend, the Scottish Government claimed that it has “made clear it accepts the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland and is taking forward the detailed work necessary”. But as with so much the Scottish Government says, it’s a barefaced lie. And we know that not just from its total inaction, …

How Far To Go, How Far
12 Dec 2025 at 1:20pm
We thought we should keep track of all the issues with the Peggie tribunal judgment, now that Sandie Peggie has officially announced her intention to appeal it. Because this story has some distance left to run. PROBLEM 1 – THE FAKE FORSTATER QUOTE Severity: HIGH Status: PARTIALLY RESOLVED The judgment cited a quote from Forstater …

Strike One
11 Dec 2025 at 2:51pm
This is absolutely extraordinary. In the light of revelations exposed and detailed by Wings that the original contained several misleadingly-edited or completely made-up citations from previous cases, the Employment Tribunal today issued a corrected version of its judgment in the Sandie Peggie case. And much like NHS Fife’s repeatedly-edited previous statement on the tribunal, we …

The ginger stepchild
11 Dec 2025 at 1:38pm
According to a new poll, fewer than a third of SNP voters even think independence is in the top three priorities facing Scotland. It’s only five points ahead of immigration in fourth place, and seven ahead of housing. So it’s hardly surprising that the SNP aren’t bothering themselves about it. Their own support, like the …

Spoiler Alert
10 Dec 2025 at 12:08pm
One must assume from reading the Sandie Peggie judgment that the tribunal was more concerned with discouraging further litigation than with giving full and fearless effect to the Equality Act. At the heart of this case lies a straightforward question: does a biologically male employee have a legal right to undress in a female-only changing …

The Valley Of The Dolls
9 Dec 2025 at 3:42pm
The first and most important thing to note about yesterday’s judgment in the Sandie Peggie tribunal is that it’s a very big victory. The tribunal found that Sandie Peggie was gravely and heinously harassed by her employer through no fault of her own, and she’ll be entitled to substantial compensation as a result. It also …

The Long Walk To Freedom
7 Dec 2025 at 12:13pm
On 5 April 2021, I sent a short and simple Freedom Of Information (FOI) request to the Scottish Government asking for: ?All written evidence to James Hamilton’s QC investigation into the FM under the ministerial code. This includes evidence from the FM, her chief of staff Liz Lloyd and any other individuals within the Scottish …

Craig Murray

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

Your Party, and Its Conference
9 Dec 2025 at 1:14am

It is probably no bad thing that health struggles have delayed my writing up Your Party’s extraordinary Liverpool founding conference. Perspective is definitely helpful to process something unique. Personally, I could not help but be struck by the number of participants who approached me as regular readers of my blog, certainly well into three figures. …

Your Party, and Its Conference

The Filton Trial
7 Dec 2025 at 8:35pm

“The policewoman attacked by a sledgehammer” has been the constant refrain of the government against Palestine Action. A couple of days before the judicial review of the proscription in England, and despite fierce reporting restrictions on the trial, the prosecution released to the media highly edited video footage from the current trial in Woolwich Crown …

The Filton Trial

The Terrifying Case of Natalie Strecker
2 Dec 2025 at 8:30am

I am confident that over 2 million people in the UK have shared thoughts on the Genocide in Gaza that are stronger than anything Natalie Strecker has expressed. I am quite certain that I am one of those 2 million. Yet Natalie Strecker, an avowed pacifist, today faces up to ten years in prison under …

The Terrifying Case of Natalie Strecker

Resisting Authoritarianism
28 Nov 2025 at 8:34am

In the last three days I have been in London at the judicial review of Palestine Action and today I am in Jersey for the terrorist trial of Natalie Strecker. I made a brief impromptu speech outside the High Court, in intervening to try and stop some people in wheelchairs from being arrested as “terrorists”, …

Resisting Authoritarianism

BBC Scotland

Justice secretary's grooming gang comments probed for code breach
23 Dec 2025 at 5:54pm
Angela Constance has been accused of misrepresenting Prof Alexis Jay's position on public inquiries into child sexual abuse and exploitation.

A&E waiting times improve ahead of busy festive period
23 Dec 2025 at 3:35pm
Figures from Public Health Scotland (PHS) show that 64% of people were seen to within the four-hour target last week compared to 59% the week before.

Resident doctor pay talks to continue over Christmas as strike looms
22 Dec 2025 at 2:52pm
Scotland's resident doctors have voted to strike in January, but the health secretary says it is an outcome both sides want to avoid.

Labour MSP to quit Holyrood over links to sex offender
21 Dec 2025 at 7:12pm
Pam Duncan-Glancy stood down as the party's education spokeswoman earlier this month after admitting a "serious error of judgement".

Call for time limits on public inquiries as costs soar
21 Dec 2025 at 9:20am
MSPs have recommended changes as they revealed almost £260m has been spent on Scotland's public inquiries since 2007.

First minister recalls 'moment of peace' as Christmas card revealed
21 Dec 2025 at 9:42am
John Swinney captured the image during a walk along the banks of Loch Ossian, on Rannoch Moor, in 2024.

No covert devices found in Holyrood bugging claims
19 Dec 2025 at 8:08pm
The Scottish parliament's presiding officer says the incident was part of an employment dispute involving an MSP.

Resident doctors in Scotland to go on strike for first time
19 Dec 2025 at 5:51pm
Their union BMA Scotland has accused the government of reneging on a commitment to restore pay to 2008 levels.

CalMac ferry Glen Rosa delayed again by up to six months
19 Dec 2025 at 3:33pm
The delivery date for MV Glen Rosa is pushed back by up to another six months while there is a further short delay with the Turkish-built Isle of Islay.

The 'fed up' Scottish town that voted for Reform UK
18 Dec 2025 at 6:16am
Why did the people of Whitburn - and nearby Blackburn - choose Nigel Farage's party over others?

MSP Ash Regan faces Holyrood ban over social media post
18 Dec 2025 at 11:39am
The independent representative has been found to have breached the Scottish Parliament's code of conduct.

Justice secretary apologises to grooming gangs expert
17 Dec 2025 at 3:24pm
Angela Constance has faced calls to resign after being accused of misrepresenting Prof Alexis Jay.

Scot Goes Pop

The year Scotland swung in favour of independence: an average of all polls in...
29 Dec 2025 at 7:52am
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 pretty close to halfway to its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

It's been clear for over a year that the controversial "Stew" blogger intends...
28 Dec 2025 at 9:38am
I was away with the fairies yesterday - after checking the weather forecast I went on a spur-of-the-moment hiking expedition in the wilds of Clackmannanshire......and I completely forgot an article...

A lump of coal for sorry Sarwar as Scottish Labour slump to FOURTH place in Y...
24 Dec 2025 at 7:52am
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 pretty close to halfway to its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

"Totally at odds with European values": should Israel's potential new aparthe...
22 Dec 2025 at 7:04am
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 pretty close to halfway to its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

BBC Sports Personality of the Year and the "invisibling of Scotland"
20 Dec 2025 at 7:51am
Scott McTominay, in spite of his stellar year, was inexplicably excluded from the shortlist for BBC Sports Personality of the Year.  Meanwhile the Team of the Year award had a shortlist of three, o...

DESPAIR for Farage in Wales as Plaid Cymru stretch their Senedd lead in stunn...
19 Dec 2025 at 7:01am
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 pretty close to halfway to its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

And the Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom, WELL...
18 Dec 2025 at 8:15am
Stew on Twitter: "People voting SNP for independence." pic.twitter.com/Y8U4XQ2SWA? Wings Over Scotland (@WingsScotland) December 17, 2025OK, Stew, now do people voting Reform UK "for independence"....

SNP are THIRTY percentage points ahead of Labour in fabulously festive Scotti...
17 Dec 2025 at 7:32am
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 pretty close to halfway to its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Scots asked whether minimum age of marriage should be raised
29 Dec 2025 at 8:29pm
Scots are being asked whether they think the current minimum age of 16 for marriages and civil partnerships should be raised by two years.

Reform MSP hints at post-election pact to oust SNP from power at Holyrood
29 Dec 2025 at 8:04am
Graham Simpson added that there is a 'definite possibility' Nigel Farage?s party could have ?around 20 MSPs? after that ballot.

My family and I will face ?personal pain? in toxic election campaign ? Sarwar
29 Dec 2025 at 7:30am
Sarwar said he is acutely aware of how toxic the debate ahead of the election could become.

?Horrifying? rise in rat sightings due to street cleaning cuts, claims Labour
29 Dec 2025 at 6:44am
According to figures obtained by the party through a freedom of information request, councils last year received 19,752 complaints about rats.

Ministers challenged over ?huge plastic hole? in circular economy strategy
28 Dec 2025 at 12:57pm
Friends of the Earth argue the government's strategy must force businesses to pay for cleaning up the plastic they produce.

Upskirting case levels do not reflect number of incidents, Lib Dems claim
28 Dec 2025 at 10:15am
An FOI request from the Scottish Liberal Democrats revealed that between 2018 and October 2025, 302 charges of upskirting were reported.

Swinney sends message of ?warmth, kindness and connection? at Christmas
24 Dec 2025 at 11:37am
The First Minister thanked emergency service workers for being on call on Christmas Day.

Justice secretary Angela Constance faces investigation over alleged breach of...
23 Dec 2025 at 2:08pm
Constance is accused of misleading MSPs by misrepresenting comments made by an expert on grooming gangs during a Holyrood debate in September.

UK Government raises inheritance tax threshold for farmers after protests
23 Dec 2025 at 12:20pm
Farmers across Scotland and the rest of UK have been protesting for months against the tax changes.

All NHS Scotland boards fail urgent cancer treatment time target, figures show
23 Dec 2025 at 10:46am
Public Health Scotland's report shows the wait times are the fifth-worst on record.

Aberdeen MSP sends P45 to Starmer over predicted loss of oil and gas jobs
23 Dec 2025 at 6:39am
The document has been sent by special delivery.

Government ?honouring? resident doctors? pay deal, says Gray ahead of talks
22 Dec 2025 at 10:31am
Doctors with BMA Scotland are due to go on strike as part of the pay dispute next month.

Streeting faces criticism as he appears to back joining customs union with EU
21 Dec 2025 at 11:36pm
Opposition parties accused Wes Streeting of putting ?political pitch-making? above his role as Health Secretary.

Labour MSP to quit Holyrood over friendship with convicted sex offender
21 Dec 2025 at 7:00pm
Scottish Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy announced on Sunday that she would be withdrawing as a candidate for the Scottish parliamentary election next year.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Labour MSP 'can't rule out' taking picture at centre of sex offender row engu...
29 Dec 2025 at 12:01pm
EXCLUSIVE: A Labour source said Pam Duncan-Glancy does not "recall" being the person who photographed ex-Downing Street comms chief Matthew Doyle campaigning for disgraced former councillor Sean Mo...

'Child marriages' to be banned in Scotland as public asked for views on raisi...
29 Dec 2025 at 11:40am
Scots can currently get married at the age of 16 without the approval of their parents or legal guardians.

Scottish Labour MP performed kidney transplant on Christmas Day to give patie...
29 Dec 2025 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Zubir Ahmed, who represents Glasgow South West at Westminster, has volunteered to work in hospitals at Christmas for nearly two decades.

Scottish Labour 'not interested' in Holyrood deal with Reform to oust SNP fro...
29 Dec 2025 at 4:30am
Jackie Baillie described Reform UK as a "party of undercover Tories and self-interested con artists".

SNP MSP George Adam shares love for wife Stacey and reason why couple support...
29 Dec 2025 at 4:30am
MSPs will be given a free vote when Liam McArthur's landmark legislation to legalise assisted dying returns to Holyrood in the New Year.

Scotland's NHS remains fundamentally strong despite the serious challenges it...
29 Dec 2025 at 4:29am
Writing in his regular column for the Record, the First Minister says Scots can look forward to 2026 with optimism.

John Swinney plans to serve as First Minister until at least 2031 if SNP wins...
28 Dec 2025 at 11:41am
The veteran Nationalist took on the top job in April 2024 following the sudden resignation of Humza Yousaf.

Anas Sarwar blasts 'no energy' John Swinney as he predicts 'bitter' Holyrood ...
27 Dec 2025 at 8:15am
EXCLUSIVE: The Scottish Labour leader said the election in May is the most "significant" in the country's history.

Anas Sarwar reveals the last time he cried as he opens up on private family m...
27 Dec 2025 at 4:30am
The Scottish Labour leader was asked on the Planet Holyrood podcast about the last time he was tearful.

SNP Government blasted over 67 years' of delays to NHS and transport projects
27 Dec 2025 at 4:30am
The figures shows the delays faced by patients and passengers to top projects.

The National

The National | Politics

Time will tell if trans-exclusionary policies are now legally required
29 Dec 2025 at 6:56pm

BRIAN Forsyth (Letters,

Concerns raised over threat chlorinated chicken imports pose to Scottish indu...
29 Dec 2025 at 6:02pm

The SNP have warned the UK Government that it risks damaging Scottish industry if it relaxes food standards as part of a US-UK trade deal.

'Casual antisemitism': Zack Polanski shares anger over paper's 'caricature'
29 Dec 2025 at 5:18pm

ZACK Polanski has shared concern over a depiction of him in a newspaper cartoon which has been described as "casually antisemitism".

CNN told to 'stop blaming the weather' for deaths of Palestinians in Gaza
29 Dec 2025 at 4:44pm

A LEADING author has called out CNN for attributing the deaths of Palestinians to ?harsh winter weather? rather than Israeli policy.

SNP slam Scottish Labour as 'nuclear tax' to be imposed on Scottish bill payers
29 Dec 2025 at 4:50pm

The SNP have slammed Anas Sarwar for his silence on Westminster?s 'nuclear tax' which could see Scottish households paying out a total of £300 million over the next decade to fund nuclear projects south of the Border.

Peace in Ukraine can't come at any cost, John Swinney warns amid talks
29 Dec 2025 at 3:26pm

PEACE in Ukraine cannot come ?at any cost?, Scotland?s First Minister has said.

Scotland to elect large pro-independence majority in 2026, poll finds
29 Dec 2025 at 3:36pm

SCOTLAND is set to elect a large pro-independence majority of MSPs at the next Holyrood elections

History of empire helps to explain contrasting BBC news headlines
29 Dec 2025 at 3:00pm

ROSS Greer is right to highlight the contrast in BBC headlines on Russia and Israel. But by calling it bias he still lets the problem appear smaller than it is.

Europe's fascists go cold on Trump as Reform UK voters back him, poll finds
29 Dec 2025 at 1:06pm

HARD-RIGHT US president Donald Trump enjoys stronger support from Reform UK voters than he does from fascist party voters in Europe ...

Christmas killings are an attempt to distract from the Epstein files
29 Dec 2025 at 12:00pm

THOUGH its clear as day, it is still worth stating as we ease out of a truly terrible 2025.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Ministerial code advisers to investigate Angela Constance
23 Dec 2025 at 2:45pm
It follows a row over whether the justice secretary misled parliament about the views of a child sex abuse expert

Labour MSP to stand down at election
22 Dec 2025 at 7:43am
Pam Duncan-Glancy stepped down from the front bench earlier this month

UK Government data stolen in suspected Chinese hack
19 Dec 2025 at 11:13am
The trade minister Chris Bryant has confirmed that data from belonging to the UK Government has been stolen in a hack

UK Government moves to ban deepfake ?nudification? apps
19 Dec 2025 at 11:00am
The UK Government has announced new laws to make it illegal to create or supply artificial intelligence tools that can create nude images of people without their consent

How Reform UK is using Alex Salmond's image to get ready for the Scottish Par...
19 Dec 2025 at 10:53am
Leaked materials warn candidates not to 'drink and tweet'

Scottish Labour calls for 'urgent investigation' into MSP bugging allegations
19 Dec 2025 at 10:43am
Listening devices were allegedly planted in the office of at least one female SNP MSP

Nearly 50,000 RTS meters still in use in Scotland
19 Dec 2025 at 6:00am
Nearly 50,000 Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters are yet to be replaced in Scotland despite plans to switch the service off next year

Scientists?launch project to create 3D video of black holes?using AI??
19 Dec 2025 at 6:00am
Scientists based at Heriot-Watt University have launched a ?4m project to create the world?s first 3D videos of black holes using complex artificial intelligence systems

Why victims? rights need to stay at the top of Scotland?s political agenda
19 Dec 2025 at 6:00am
Our 40th anniversary theme of Listen, Act, Hope. was chosen to represent VSS?s enduring commitment to ensuring that victims are not voiceless in the system; that action is informed by their lived experience; and that together, this culminates in deliverin

A stronger regulator for Scotland?s water future
19 Dec 2025 at 6:00am
If we do this well, most people will never think about WICS, other than to know and to trust that customer interests are safeguarded.

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

The Guardian view on May 2026 elections: a new political geography is coming ...
25 Dec 2025 at 5:30pm
Over the holiday period, the Guardian leader column is looking ahead at the themes of 2026. Today we look at the impact of devolution on growing volatility of party political allegianceNext year will be pivotal in British politics, and 7 May will be the point around which things pivot. Elections ...

Keir Starmer planning new king?s speech after May elections
18 Dec 2025 at 1:19pm
Timing seen as moment to reset after potential loss of hundreds of council seats in England and defeat in Wales and ScotlandUK politics live ? latest updatesKeir Starmer is planning for a new king?s speech after crunch elections in May next year as a reset moment for the government amid speculati...

UK politics: Trump talks ?complete nonsense? about crime in London, says Met ...
12 Dec 2025 at 4:30pm
Mark Rowley says capital is a safe city, and claims of no-go areas are ?completely false?Members of the House of Lords have proposed ?totally unnecessary? and ?very cruel? amendments to the assisted dying bill in a bid to scupper it, Kim Leadbeater, the MP leading the campaign for the legislation...

Scotland?s looser rules on assisted dying could lead to ?death tourism?, say ...
10 Dec 2025 at 5:11pm
Cross-party group of MSPs says bill going through Holyrood could attract people from elsewhere in UKSenior Scottish politicians fear there could be a risk of ?death tourism? from terminally ill people travelling from other parts of the UK to end their lives in Scotland.A cross-party group of MSPs...

?It?s Scotland?s energy?: SNP to focus on renewables in Holyrood election
8 Dec 2025 at 6:05pm
Leader John Swinney says independence could cut household energy bills by a third in the long termThe future of Scottish renewables will underpin the Scottish National party?s Holyrood election campaign, the party leader, John Swinney, has said, as he claimed independence could cut household ener...

No 10 declines to comment on White House claim that Europe facing ?civilisati...
8 Dec 2025 at 5:49pm
US national security strategy takes aim at EU and other bodies over issues including migration, free speech and falling birthratesBadenoch is now taking questions.Q: From Sky News You said you did not want to leave any stones unturned. That is what Sajid Javid said when he ordered an inquiry in...

Farage dodges press as he unveils Reform?s first peer after Conservative defe...
6 Dec 2025 at 5:20pm
Party leader leaves latest recruit, Malcolm Offord, to field questions on antisemitism allegations at Scotland rallyNigel Farage has addressed Reform UK?s largest rally in Scotland to date but refused to engage with local journalists ? leaving the newly defected peer Malcolm Offord to field quest...

John Swinney defends immigration as Scotland faces rise of Reform
6 Dec 2025 at 9:00am
Exclusive: First minister mounts robust defence of diversity as SNP prepares campaign for Holyrood election in MayScotland needs immigration to bolster the size of its working-age population, the country?s first minister has said, mounting a forceful defence of diversity in the face of rising su...

Farage criticises BBC over racism allegations and claims one fellow pupil sai...
4 Dec 2025 at 6:01pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereNigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said that in Essex county council elections were postponed. He said district councils were being replaced with a new ?pretty amorphous unitary authority?. Because of that, the area also needed ?a clea...

Starmer says budget did not break manifesto tax pledge ? as it happened
27 Nov 2025 at 5:54pm
PM says: ?We kept to our manifesto in terms of what we?ve promised. But I accept the challenge that we?ve asked everybody to contribute?Ask the Guardian your budget questionsShare your views on the new ?mansion tax?Budget calculator: find out if you are better or worse offThe Conservative party i...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

It?s not just independence that?s at stake in May?s Scottish election
29 Dec 2025 at 7:33pm
Another opinion poll has suggested that the pro-independence parties are on track to win a convincing majority in Holyrood in May’s Scottish parliament election. The poll, by Find Out Now for The National, paints a grim picture for both Labour and the Conservatives, who seem set to return their worst results in the history of …

Hope will start to dawn in 2026
27 Dec 2025 at 2:34pm
Making predictions in politics is a mug’s game, particularly if those predictions concern a year ahead. It has famously been said that a week is a long time in politics, so a year is the equivalent of a geological aeon. All sorts of unforeseen events could transpire between now and the end of next year. …

BBC Scotland, cheerleaders for Farage
20 Dec 2025 at 5:56pm
On Wednesday evening BBC Scotland’s flagship evening news programme Och Aye the News, AKA Reporting Scotlandshire carried its second puff piece about Reform UK’s recent narrow council by-election victory in West Lothian in which a Reform candidate with a questionable past scraped his way into a council seat on a 22% turnout. BBC Scotland never …

What?s in a name? The SNP and nationalism
15 Dec 2025 at 7:04pm
There’s nationalism and there’s nationalism. On the Rest is Politics podcast hosted by Tony Blair’s erstwhile Director of Communications Alastair Campbell, First Minister John Swinney addressed the issue of the SNP’s name, or rather, the non-issue. Both previous first ministers, Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon had expressed some disquiet that the SNP’s name, Scottish National …

The dangerous stupidity of Keir Starmer
10 Dec 2025 at 4:29pm
You can say many things about the opportunistic moral vacuum that is Keir Starmer, but he’s not stupid, he just behaves as though he was. The one time human rights lawyer Starmer’s latest foray into deliberate and dangerous stupidity was his plea to European leaders yesterday to curb human rights laws in order to introduce …

Westminster and Scotland?s energy, fool me once?
8 Dec 2025 at 6:21pm
Scotland is, by far and away, the most energy rich country of the islands of Britain and Ireland. Moreover it has more in the way of energy resources than just about any other country in Europe, with the exception of Norway (Russia’s vast fossil fuel resources are overwhelmingly concentrated in the Asian part of Russia …

Farage?s contemptible attack on Glesca weans
3 Dec 2025 at 9:15pm
Nigel Farage has been a racist bully again. But don’t worry, he’s only doing it indirectly and without intent to offend or insult. So that’s OK then. Just days after the Scottish Languages Act came into force the English nationalist golf club boor has taken aim at school children in Glasgow. Apparently it’s the “cultural …

The Scottish Languages Act
1 Dec 2025 at 6:56pm
Scotland’s status as a multilingual country is now recognised in law with the Scottish Languages Act coming into force on St Andrew’s Day. The Act beefs up the legal protections previously given to Gaelic and elevates it to the status of an official language of Scotland. For the first time in history, official legal recognition …

I?m disabled, here?s the truth about the Motability scheme.
29 Nov 2025 at 4:06pm
The Labour party has capitulated to right wing demonisation of the most vulnerable minority group in the country, the disabled. I’ve pointed this out before but it bears repeating. The disabled are the only minority group that anyone can become a part of at any time. Anyone can become involved in a serious accident that …

The lie that protects the rich from tax rises
27 Nov 2025 at 3:30pm
Better late than never, Rachel Reeves finally followed the lead of the SNP Government in Holyrood and announced that the heinous two child cap on benefits will finally be abolished from May next year, cue a load of hypocritical Labour MPs trying to pretend that they supported this measure all along despite voting to keep …

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'

22 years later the Herald has changed its tune on whether firefighters ?deser...
29 Dec 2025 at 11:14pm
Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald, once again yesterday, embracing one of the very same trade unions which their corporate-owners insisted that they regularly demonise and mis-represent in earlier times. Now, of course, those same unions are useful in undermining the SNP in government. In the days before the growth of the SNP and the independence movement, corporate media hacks would have...

HS2 despite chopping link to Scotland to take 2 to 3 times as long as Japanes...
29 Dec 2025 at 11:07pm
Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. From BBC England today: HS2 has confirmed that its aim to get trains running between Birmingham and London between 2029 and 2033 “cannot be achieved”. Birmingham’s Curzon Street Station is currently taking shape in the heart of the city but the divisive high-speed railway project has been plagued by serious challenges. Earli...

The Final Word on Labour?s Flawed and Dangerous Nuclear Energy Plans
29 Dec 2025 at 2:10pm

Reposted as Scotsman campaigns for Scottish Labour?s callous nuclear policy:
29 Dec 2025 at 2:07pm

Once more the three UK nations abusing, per head, twice to three times as man...
29 Dec 2025 at 10:57am
Professor John Robertson OBA Not for the first time, BBC Scotland find another way to suggest that violent crime is a particular problem and to distract from the published, peer-reviewed facts that it is lower, often much lower. I’ll be accused of ‘fake news’ by some numpty for my statirical modification above to BBC Scotland’s: Police respond to domestic abuse call ‘every eight minutes’ – Dome...

?Second class citizens, Jamie?? Islanders have actually been treated far bett...
29 Dec 2025 at 9:39am
Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald at the weekend had two stories on a supposedly high number of sailings cancelled by ‘technical faults.’1, 2 They claimed that ‘more than 16 000 (16 039) such cancellations from 1 January 2023 to October 2025, based on a Freedom of Information request by the Lib Dem’s Jamie Greene meant islanders were being treated as ‘second class citizens.’ CalMac makes ...

Never mind the media trivia scramble for a few police officers leaving or fai...
28 Dec 2025 at 10:06pm
Professor John Robertson OBA The Daily Record, the Herald and the Scotsman are now fully dedicated to platforming Scottish Labour’s stash of manipulated Freedom of Information data on any aspect of public service that might look bad for the SNP Government. Recently, it’s been police officers giving up on the job or failing training courses. I could try to dig into these and find the usual lack ...

Confused Sunday Mail misses how Scotland?s massive energy over-production cou...
28 Dec 2025 at 10:05pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From the Sunday Mail yesterday the above back-to-front headline and: Massive new data centres planned in Scotland to power the AI revolution would use up to three quarters of the country?s total electricity demand sic, a new study has claimed. Research firm Foxglove, which campaigns for fair tech, found the ?staggering? amount of power as well as water required by...

Serious mortuary incidents such as cremating wrong body almost non-existent i...
28 Dec 2025 at 12:00pm
Professor John Robertson OBA Still in the headlines for BBC Scotland: Scotland’s largest hospital has apologised after a bereaved family was given the wrong body for a cremation ceremony. Morgue staff at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow passed an incorrectly labelled corpse to undertakers. The mistake was only realised after the funeral service and cremation. NHS Greate...

Cost of rail nationalisation in Scotland ? Herald?s uncritical reliance on no...
28 Dec 2025 at 10:14am
Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald’s Martin Williams today has – ScotRail costs double under nationalisation as services fall – based entirely on a report by the Taxpayer’s Alliance a group known for hiding its sources of funding (above) and for highly selective analyses always predisposed to finding evidence in favour of privatisation. I really doubt the value of spending time looking in ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Scotland to elect large pro-independence majority in 2026, poll finds - TheNa...
29 Dec 2025 at 3:39pm
Scotland to elect large pro-independence majority in 2026, poll finds  TheNational.scot

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

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

Rejecting the SNP's independence wheeze leads to half trillion bonus for Scot...
30 Dec 2025 at 12:01am
Rejecting the SNP's independence wheeze leads to half trillion bonus for Scotland  Scottish Daily Express

Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shi...
24 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shifts  Courthouse News

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

A Fresh Start with Independence - The Scottish Government
8 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
A Fresh Start with Independence  The Scottish Government

Scottish independence could 'reduce energy bills by more than a third', First...
8 Dec 2025 at 8:00am
Scottish independence could 'reduce energy bills by more than a third', First Minister John Swinney says  Sky News

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

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

Scotland being 'short-changed' on defence spending by UK Government, SNP clai...
30 Dec 2025 at 12:01am
Scotland being 'short-changed' on defence spending by UK Government, SNP claims  The Herald

Scotland ?short-changed? on arms spending, say SNP - Morning Star | The Peopl...
30 Dec 2025 at 12:02am
Scotland ?short-changed? on arms spending, say SNP  Morning Star | The People?s Daily

LGBTQ+ SNP members call on party to stand up for trans rights: ?Trans people ...
29 Dec 2025 at 4:56pm
LGBTQ+ SNP members call on party to stand up for trans rights: ?Trans people are not demons?  PinkNews

Under-18s could be banned from marriage in Scotland by new SNP proposals - Th...
29 Dec 2025 at 10:56am
Under-18s could be banned from marriage in Scotland by new SNP proposals  TheNational.scot

SNP Schneider-Neureither & Partner SE: Release according to Article 40, Secti...
29 Dec 2025 at 3:04pm
SNP Schneider-Neureither & Partner SE: Release according to Article 40, Section 1 of the WpHG the German Securities Trading Act with the objective of Europe-wide distribution  TradingView ? Track All Markets

SNP considers raising marriage age to 18 - The Telegraph
29 Dec 2025 at 4:00pm
SNP considers raising marriage age to 18  The Telegraph

Rejecting the SNP's independence wheeze leads to half trillion bonus for Scot...
30 Dec 2025 at 12:01am
Rejecting the SNP's independence wheeze leads to half trillion bonus for Scotland  Scottish Daily Express

Reform MSP opens door with rivals to form electoral pact to oust SNP - gbnews...
29 Dec 2025 at 12:27pm
Reform MSP opens door with rivals to form electoral pact to oust SNP  gbnews.com

Fury within SNP over claims John Swinney was told about Spygate affair 'month...
27 Dec 2025 at 6:36pm
Fury within SNP over claims John Swinney was told about Spygate affair 'months ago'  Daily Mail

?It?s Scotland?s energy?: SNP to focus on renewables in Holyrood election | S...
8 Dec 2025 at 8:00am
?It?s Scotland?s energy?: SNP to focus on renewables in Holyrood election | Scottish National party (SNP)  The Guardian

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

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

Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shi...
24 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shifts  Courthouse News

Scottish independence poll 2025 - Statista
28 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2025  Statista

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

Part Two: What an independent Scotland could look like - A Fresh Start with I...
8 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Part Two: What an independent Scotland could look like - A Fresh Start with Independence  The Scottish 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

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

First Minister John Swinney sets out latest plan for independence referendum ...
4 Sep 2025 at 8:00am
First Minister John Swinney sets out latest plan for independence referendum  Sky News

John Swinney's independence strategy backed by SNP members - BBC
11 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
John Swinney's independence strategy backed by SNP members  BBC