The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Burnham's Scotland meeting an opportunity to ?turn words into action?, Swinne...
by Rachel Keenan
30 Oct 2026 at 1:00am
The Prime Minister?s meeting in Scotland is an opportunity to ?turn words into action?, the First Minister has said.


New rules on major defence contracts to prioritise UK jobs and skills
by Kathleen Nutt
30 Oct 2026 at 12:05am
John Healey and Wes Streeting announce UK defence procurement reforms, requiring overseas contractors to invest in British jobs, skills and businesses.


Scottish Government considers 'temporary modular accommodation' to house pris...
by Katrine Bussey and Craig Paton
29 Oct 2026 at 6:24pm
The Scottish Government is considering using ?temporary modular accommodation? to house prisoners, after a warning the number of inmates in the country?s jails could reach almost 9,500 next summer.


Acorn funding row branded 'spectacular shambles' as ministers contradict each...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
29 Oct 2026 at 5:56pm
Business leaders have branded the UK Government's handling of the Acorn carbon capture project a "spectacular shambles" after ministers gave contradictory accounts of what the Budget means for the £200 million scheme.


Low-key Budget with many positives and no major shocks put under spotlight
by Karen Peattie
29 Oct 2026 at 5:18pm
Chancellor John Healey's debut Budget was put under the spotlight at The Herald's Budget Briefing event


Why one OBR chart from Healey's budget should alarm every Scottish voter
by Stephen Boyd
29 Oct 2026 at 4:32pm
IPPR Scotland director Stephen Boyd argues John Healey's debut budget was cautious to a fault ? leaving Scotland's £4.7bn fiscal gap largely unaddressed, living standards flatlining, and a stagnation crisis quietly deepening.


Swinney declines four times to say he supports Rosebank oil field development
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
29 Oct 2026 at 3:59pm
First Minister John Swinney repeatedly declined to say whether he supports the Rosebank oil field at FMQs, as rivals accused him of evasion and the OBR warned a refusal could upend its North Sea tax forecasts.


O'Neill claims DUP 'blocked' Glasgow Celtic Alliance summit with Swinney and ...
by David Young and Rebecca Black
29 Oct 2026 at 1:05pm
Michelle O?Neill accuses Emma Little-Pengelly of blocking Northern Ireland representation at Glasgow Economic Forum amid DUP tensions over Drumcree protest.


Gilruth warned a new landlord tax will 'increase rents and worsen housing eme...
by Kathleen Nutt
29 Oct 2026 at 10:17am
Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth has been warned copying Chancellor John Healey's new tax on landlords in her Budget will lead to higher rents and exacerbate a housing emergency.


Scotland bans under-18s from buying all nicotine and herbal smoking products
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
29 Oct 2026 at 12:01am
Under new rules, Scotland bans under-18s from buying nicotine pouches, strips, pearls and herbal smoking products; retailers must register by April 29.


Public services shake-up leaves 'unanswered questions' over jobs and timescales
by Kathleen Nutt
29 Oct 2026 at 5:01am
Cosla and trade unions warn Scotland?s council shake-up leaves workers uncertain over jobs, staff transfers and timescales.


?Why I had to address the deaths of 123 Iranian children': Scots singer voice...
by russell.leadbetter@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Russell Leadbetter
29 Oct 2026 at 2:45pm
ON February 28 this year, the first day of the US-Israel war on Iran, an American missile hit the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, a town in southern Iran. No fewer than 157 people were killed, including some 123 boys and girls below the age of 13.


Low-key Budget with many positives and no major shocks
by Karen Peattie
29 Oct 2026 at 4:48pm
AFTER the high drama of last year?s Autumn Statement when the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) stole then chancellor Rachel Reeves?s thunder by releasing its economic and fiscal outlook before she stood up in the House of Commons, this week?s Budget was relatively low-key and, some might say, dull.


Healey offers 'breathing space' but OBR warns of year with no real earnings g...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
28 Oct 2026 at 6:29pm
Chancellor John Healey's Budget offers a £100 one-off payment to 20 million households and extends energy bill relief, but the OBR warns that living standards will stall in 2027 as the Iran conflict drives inflation to 3.5%

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


John Swinney repeatedly challenged on whether he supports Rosebank, 'yes or no'
29 Oct 2026 at 4:51pm

The First Minister was urged to ?get off the fence?

The Acorn project?s initial £200m will now be funded through loans rather than the promised government grant.

Sir Peter Mathieson hit out at ?misinformation and disinformation?

Colin Brown, executive council member of the FBU, told MSPs that ?the justice sector is creaking in every single area?.

Wings over Scotland

Vibecoding A Better World
28 Oct 2026 at 3:13pm
AI may very well kill us all in the coming weeks and months, but in the meantime it’s a magical tool that enables even near-idiots to perform near-miracles. While the Scottish Parliament has been off for the October half-term and nothing’s been happening in politics, I’ve been occupying myself with modifying some very old computer …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Craig Murray

This Cannot Last
29 Oct 2026 at 3:06pm

Netanyahu is seeking to build a new coalition with Jewish “opposition” parties to ensure the continued exclusion of Arabs from government in Israel. It will be a long and convoluted process but I expect he will eventually succeed. In the meantime he remains in power. Next week Trump will lose control of both Houses in …

This Cannot Last

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

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

The Epidemic of Billionaires

The Unjust State
15 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm

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

The Unjust State

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

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

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?

Fatuous False Flags
2 Oct 2026 at 10:16am

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

Fatuous False Flags

Losing My Religion
29 Sep 2026 at 12:07pm

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

Losing My Religion

BBC Scotland

Delivery of new CalMac ferry MV Glen Rosa put back to February
29 Oct 2026 at 7:23pm
The state-owned Ferguson shipyard has now been asked to fit redesigned propellers to the ship prior to handover.

Scottish prisons 'at the brink' after worst riot in a decade
29 Oct 2026 at 4:46pm
The prison service said violence and destruction at Polmont last month was an example of "bubbling tension" caused by increasing overcrowding.

Scottish ministers to work with councils on £100 energy payment rollout
29 Oct 2026 at 11:51am
Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth says the Scottish government aims to replicate the UK government scheme but says it is "not a perfect solution".

Scottish government aiming to replicate chancellor's £100 energy payment scheme
28 Oct 2026 at 4:35pm
John Healey has announced households south of the border in council tax bands A-D will receive the one-off payment.

Budget 2026: Key points at a glance
28 Oct 2026 at 4:55pm
Here?s what you need to know from John Healey?s first Budget, as the chancellor sets out the government?s tax and spending plans.

Government minister calls for review of 'unacceptable' BBC Scotland channel c...
28 Oct 2026 at 5:41pm
The BBC announced the dedicated Scotland channel would move online as part of measures to make savings of £500m.

Scotland's recycling rates at five-year low. How is your area doing?
27 Oct 2026 at 3:32pm
Environmental regulator Sepa says households recycled 42.8% of waste in 2025 - down from 44.3% the previous year.

MPs and MSP detained by Israel and barred from entering West Bank
27 Oct 2026 at 4:34pm
SNP MP Lara Bird and the Scottish Greens MSP Kate Nevens were part of an international delegation turned away by Israeli security forces.

Political battle intensifies within Labour over Rosebank oil field
26 Oct 2026 at 6:09pm
Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra is urging the energy secretary to approve the controversial plans.

Police Scotland could cut officer numbers to lowest level in 20 years
26 Oct 2026 at 2:38pm
The Scottish Police Authority says a funding standstill could lead to an end to an end to recruitment.

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

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

Scot Goes Pop

Was the SPUC's attempted fringe meeting in Aberdeen a "classic McEleny politi...
28 Oct 2026 at 2:59pm
Also in the video below - SHE'S BACK!!!  Corri Wilson, matriarch of the "Corri Nostra" faction of the defunct Alba Party, has emerged from hibernation, and this time she wants to "explain democracy...

I'm sensing a pattern here...
28 Oct 2026 at 8:06am
My YouTube channel has reached two new milestones over the last few days - it's hit 2000 subscribers, and for the first time one of the individual videos has exceeded 10,000 views.  That prompted m...

Majority of Scots want independence, says ELEVENTH Norstat poll IN A ROW - ev...
25 Oct 2026 at 6:38pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

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

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

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

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

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

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Swinney pressed to give explicit support for Rosebank oil development
29 Oct 2026 at 4:06pm
Tory leader Russell Findlay said the First Minister is happy to give his opinion on a range of issues, ?but not on the North Sea?

?Everyone?s struggling?: Businesses and communities react to Budget
29 Oct 2026 at 7:06am
Scottish firms call for help to ?steady the ship? while pensioners say soaring bills continue to outpace available support.

Scottish Government to pass on £100 to Scots for winter fuel bills after Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 4:05pm
Around 20 million households will get £100 from the UK Government this winter to help with energy bills, John Healey announced on Wednesday

Budget 2026: What it means for your bills, pay and pension
28 Oct 2026 at 2:17pm
John Healey unveiled the UK Government's tax and spending plans in the House of Commons.

Chancellor John Healey to outline tax and spending plans in 2026 Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 11:17am
The chancellor will unveil the first Budget of Andy Burnham?s premiership at 12.30pm on Wednesday

Majority of responses to consultation on smoking Bill ?generated by AI bots?
28 Oct 2026 at 9:27am
The responses were ?overwhelmingly targeted? at opposing plans to restrict the sale of disposable vapes

Swinney calls for ?substantial support? with energy bills in UK Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 7:20am
Scottish First Minister John Swinney spoke out ahead of Chancellor John Healey?s first UK Budget on Wednesday.

Andy Burnham urged to deliver ?meaningful help? in Budget instead of ?showboa...
28 Oct 2026 at 7:01am
The SNP's Kirsty Blackman has demanded action from Burnham to help those facing cost of living pressures

Reform UK Scottish leader announces frontbench reshuffle at Holyrood
27 Oct 2026 at 3:54pm
Malcolm Offord said he had ?shuffled? his MSP team ? with the announcement coming after MSP Amanda Bland quit the party

SNP MP and Scottish Green MSP detained by Israel after trying to enter Palestine
27 Oct 2026 at 8:05am
Lara Bird was detained by Israeli authorities after trying to enter the West Bank

Scottish ministers urged to set new tax on private jets at ?sky high? level
27 Oct 2026 at 7:42am
Campaigners at Oxfam Scotland want the new charge to help ensure the ?biggest polluters pay? for the impact their actions have on the environment.

Scottish Government urged to commit £100m for work to help prevent homelessness
27 Oct 2026 at 7:26am
Crisis Scotland urged ministers to provide the funding over the next two years, ahead of new duties coming in in November 2028.

?Show intent? to end homelessness by scrapping benefits cap, charities urge
26 Oct 2026 at 7:05am
A coalition of 38 Scottish charities has written to the Chancellor urging him to ditch the 'damaging' measures at Wednesday?s Budget

800 Scottish public sector workers being paid for jobs that don?t exist ? report
25 Oct 2026 at 2:38pm
The Sunday Times reports around 800 NHS workers no longer have a fixed role but remain on the public payroll, at a cost of at least £27m per year.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Andy Burnham to meet John Swinney in Glasgow after PM called for 'deeper' dev...
29 Oct 2026 at 3:10pm
The Prime Minister will lead a summit in Glasgow on Friday attended by leaders of the devolved administrations and other senior Labour Cabinet figures.

Scottish prisons overcrowding crisis means jails could 'refuse' to take new i...
29 Oct 2026 at 2:00pm
Official projections show the number of Scots banged up could hit a record 9,500 by next summer unless further action is taken to ease overcrowding.

'The 2026 Budget gives breathing space for Scots from everyday costs today'
29 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Writing for the Record, the Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Alexander says yesterday's Budget means "easing the squeeze and laying the foundations for the jobs of the future".

Scotland's rough sleepers beg John Swinney to tackle homelessness and get the...
29 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
With Andy Burnham aiming to get every rough sleeper in England a route off the streets before Christmas, Scotland's homeless want Swinney and the SNP to follow suit.

John Swinney accused of 'lying' and 'scaremongering' over pensions remarks
28 Oct 2026 at 6:52pm
A Labour minister has accused the SNP leader of trying to make "cheap political points to scare pensioners"

Budget 2026: 10 things Scots need to know from John Healey's big announcement
28 Oct 2026 at 4:09pm
John Healey's first Budget speech lasted 55 minutes. But what was in it for Scots?

John Healey paves the way for early general election but long winter lies ahe...
28 Oct 2026 at 3:23pm
Andy Burnham and John Healey may never have a better opportunity to call an early general election - provided they can get through a long winter first, says Chris McCall

Budget 2026 LIVE as John Healey blames Donald Trump war in Iran for rising pr...
28 Oct 2026 at 1:40pm
John Healey will today unveil the UK Government's spending plans for the next 12 months as the cost of living continues to hammer households budgets.

Scots households in line for £100 energy payment this winter if they meet cou...
28 Oct 2026 at 1:36pm
John Swinney confirmed Scots will receive a £100 payment to help with their energy bills this winter following a Budget announcement by John Healey.

John Healey Budget will deliver 'plenty extra money' for the SNP Government
28 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
If the UK Government spends more money to end rough sleeping and reduce homelessness, the Scottish Government must follow suit, says Chris McCall

The National

The National | Politics

Ministers consider use of 'temporary modular accommodation' to house prisoners
29 Oct 2026 at 5:14pm

THE Scottish Government is considering using ?temporary modular accommodation? to house prisoners, after a warning the number of inmates in the country?s jails could reach almost 9500 next summer ...

Union chief to confront John Swinney over Glasgow Caledonian University job cuts
29 Oct 2026 at 5:00pm

UNION leaders have demanded Scottish Government intervention over plans for 100 compulsory redundancies at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), accusing management of refusing to budge despite unprecedented strike action

Reform MSP blasted for claiming SNP 'committing genocide of working-class Scots'
29 Oct 2026 at 4:50pm

A REFORM MSP has been branded ?desperate? for attention after they accused the SNP of ?committing genocide on the working-class Scots? ...

Labour's great Acorn project fiasco raises a litany of questions
29 Oct 2026 at 4:25pm

Chancellor John Healey is patient zero of one particular outbreak of the condition which has centred around the Acorn carbon capture project mooted for Aberdeenshire. No one really seems to know what is going on

MV Glen Rosa delayed until 2027, Scottish Government confirms
29 Oct 2026 at 4:17pm

THE MV Glen Rosa has been delayed until next year, the Scottish Government has confirmed ...

DUP block all of Sinn Féin first minister's engagements amid Drumcree row
29 Oct 2026 at 3:56pm

DUP leader Gavin Robinson has announced the party?s deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly is to cease participating in joint engagements with Sinn Féin first minister Michelle O?Neill

Glasgow council slams 'unacceptable' far-right stunt at Nelson Mandela statue
29 Oct 2026 at 3:19pm

GLASGOW City Council have condemned an "unacceptable" far-right stunt which saw an anti-immigration sign placed on the city's newly unveiled Nelson Mandela statue

SNP need to go where most Scots live to boost conference numbers
29 Oct 2026 at 3:09pm

LETTERS to The National on the subject of this year?s SNP Conference are divided into two categories. The first, from people who attended the first day only, bemoaned low attendance and energy levels. The second, from others who attended all three days, was much more positive. I agree with both perspectives. Numbers were indeed down, but after a slowish start, the conference picked up momentum ...

Building consensus on independence needs to come first
29 Oct 2026 at 2:54pm

?IF the arguments for remaining in the Union are so strong, as some claim, then why is it that a number of your correspondents feel compelled to disrespectfully denigrate at least half of the population of Scotland who are not persuaded by those arguments?? This was the first line of a letter I recently wrote to The Herald.

Vladimir Putin is the dictator that Donald Trump wishes he could be
29 Oct 2026 at 2:53pm

WE knew it would be only a matter of hours before president Donald J Trump joined his friend and political ally Flavio Bolsonaro in declaring the victory in the Brazilian presidential election of left-winger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva illegitimate, saying that it ?looked like it had

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

War of words over Acorn Project funding
29 Oct 2026 at 4:50pm
UK and Scottish government figures clash over ?200m commitment

John Swinney refuses to set out stance on Rosebank
29 Oct 2026 at 3:22pm
The first minister was questioned multiple times by opposition party leaders

Dumfries and Galloway College generating ?142m for economy, report finds
29 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
It equates to a return of ?12 for every ?1 received in public funding

Councils and trade unions hit out against 'top down' local government reform
29 Oct 2026 at 12:00am
Cosla, Unison, GMB and Unite join forces

UK Government invests in Edinburgh and Glasgow in ?breathing room? Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 2:23pm
The Scottish Government has confirmed it will pass on a ?100 energy payment to households

Budget: Scotland to host new ?18m tech academy
28 Oct 2026 at 12:27pm
UK Advanced Chip Design Academy announced

?Wholly unacceptable?: Culture secretary urges Ofcom to review BBC Scotland c...
28 Oct 2026 at 10:53am
The move to axe the linear channel was announced last week

AI bots sent three in four responses to UK smoking consultation, report claims
27 Oct 2026 at 10:30pm
Safeguard call for public health policymaking

Malcolm Offord reveals Reform UK Holyrood reshuffle
27 Oct 2026 at 2:14pm
The changes come after Amanda Bland quit the party

Alcohol deaths still ?far too high? despite decrease, minister says
27 Oct 2026 at 10:45am
Campaigners are calling for more action to further drive the number down

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

These Islands? dishonest best out of three indyref plan
28 Oct 2026 at 11:44am
In an interview with The Herald, marking a significant shifting of the previous intransigence of a die-hard Unionist campaign group, Professor Colin Kidd, a historian who is a member of the advisory board of the anti-independence campaign organisation These Islands has acknowledged that opponents of independence “can’t keep on saying no indefinitely to a second …

The paramilitary far right must be nipped in the bud
27 Oct 2026 at 2:01pm
We have now had another fascist military style parade consisting of men dressed all in black, often wearing black ski masks or balaclavas and scarves to hide their faces, parading in formation in public spaces in Scotland, in what is clearly an attempt to intimidate and sow fear. On Friday, around 100 men dressed in …

Newly independent countries can quickly establish a currency
25 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm
One of the biggest mistakes the Yes campaign made during the 2014 referendum campaign was Alex Salmond’s declaration that a newly independent Scotland would enter a currency union with the remnant UK and continue to use pound sterling as its currency. This gave the Better Together parties the opportunity, which they immediately took, to assert …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

House of Commons Public Accounts Committee condemns Sizewell C Nuclear projec...
29 Oct 2026 at 7:43pm
Thanks once more to Frances McKie for alerting us to this In the Times yesterday, the above and these key points: The article (paywalled on The Times) critiques the Sizewell C nuclear project?s financing as a high-risk ?terrible deal? for UK taxpayers and consumers, drawing on the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report Under the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model, consumers start...

Record 90% of Scots attend cultural events in 2025 but UK under Labour saw a ...
29 Oct 2026 at 4:35pm
From Scottish Household Survey 2025 findings: Cultural Engagement published today: In 2025, cultural engagement is high. Nine in ten respondents (90%) were culturally engaged through attendance at a cultural event or place, participation in a cultural activity, or both. This has increased from 88% in 2023. Cinema is the most commonly attended cultural event or place (53%). Reading books, poetry...

Scottish vessels made £885m in 2025, up 16% even though they landed 10% fewer...
29 Oct 2026 at 4:33pm
From Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2025 Published 29 October 2026 Scottish vessels landed 479 thousand tonnes of sea fish and shellfish in 2025. A decrease of 10 per cent compared to 2024 but an increase of nine per cent compared to 2021. Scottish vessels landed £885 million of sea fish and shellfish in 2025. Adjusted to 2025 prices, this is an increase of 16 per cent compared to 2024, and ...

Suspected drug deaths plummet despite pressure of Nitazines thanks to treatme...
29 Oct 2026 at 4:30pm
From Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly ?report October 2026, the above and: Of particular interest: 82% of cases were aged 35 years and over. The most common age categories were 45 to 54 years (32%), followed by 35 to 44 years (26%) and 55 to 64 years (20%). Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/rapid-action-drug-alerts-and-response-radar-quarterly-rep...

Drug-related hospital admissions fall by 50% from peak in August 2020
29 Oct 2026 at 4:29pm
From Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) quarterly ?report, published today, the above and: Between April and June 2026, there were 1,901 drug-related hospital admissions (weekly average 146). The total number of admissions during this time was: 5% lower* than the previous quarter (2,007; weekly average 154) 16% lower* than the same period in 2024 (2,272; weekly average 175) 17% lower...

SNP Government builds THREE times as many houses for older people and people ...
29 Oct 2026 at 4:28pm
From Excel Tables: Housing for older people and people with disabilities Last updated 27 October 2026 In the 5 last years of the Labour Government at Holyrood (2002 to 2006) there were on average 256 houses for older people/very sheltered. In the last 5 years (2022 to 2026), under the SNP, the equivalent figure is 807, THREE times as many. Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-stati...

Nearly 11 000 more properties to rent in private sector in last five years
29 Oct 2026 at 4:27pm
From Housing statistics: Scottish Landlord Register data Published 27 October 2026 the above show a decline in the number of landlords but an increase in the number of properties available to rent. https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-landlord-register-data/ How has this been reported in ‘out’ media? Funny that, owner associations claim they have fewer properties to let yet official figur...

Prevalence of major congenital conditions falls 8.4% in just two years in Sco...
29 Oct 2026 at 8:29am
From Congenital conditions in Scotland 2021 to 2024 published yesterday, the above and: Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/congenital-conditions-in-scotland/congenital-conditions-in-scotland-2021-to-2024/ What factors influence the rate of these conditions? Genetic factors, environmental exposures (often interacting with genes), maternal age, area deprivation, maternal e...

NHS Scotland waiting lists keep reducing as experts accuse NHS England of fid...
29 Oct 2026 at 8:24am
From Stage of treatment waiting times New outpatients, inpatients and day cases, published yesterday, the above and: At 30 September 2026, there were an estimated 588,864 individuals on at least one new outpatient, inpatient or day case waiting list – a decrease of 2.2% compared to September 2025. This is equivalent to around 1 in 9 of Scotland?s population. In September 2026, 61.3% of these wa...

County Lines gangster from Liverpool stamps Inverness man to death but BBC Sc...
29 Oct 2026 at 8:17am
In the latest series of BBC Scotland’s Highland Cops we hear of a murder in Inverness is murdered by a County Lines gangster from Liverpool who, with a local accomplice stamps to death an Inverness man who is a drug addict and has presumably crossed him in some way. in the broadcast, there are several references to ‘Liverpool’, to ‘County Lines’ and to people ‘coming up here’ to kill. https://w...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Building consensus on independence needs to come first - The National Scot
29 Oct 2026 at 7:39pm
Building consensus on independence needs to come first  The National Scot

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

SNP independence strategy: Does the party really want another referendum? - T...
29 Oct 2026 at 6:37am
SNP independence strategy: Does the party really want another referendum?  The Herald

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

Scottish independence - Politics.co.uk
24 Sep 2026 at 12:55am
Scottish independence  Politics.co.uk

The Scottish National Party turns to the right - The Economist
19 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
The Scottish National Party turns to the right  The Economist

Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same - Calgary J...
19 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same  Calgary Journal

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaders unite behind independence push f...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:18pm
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaders unite behind independence push from UK  Courthouse News

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

SNP must answer mortgage question if it?s serious about independence - The Times
27 Oct 2026 at 5:12pm
SNP must answer mortgage question if it?s serious about independence  The Times

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP: Q3 earnings more than doubled as Neptun Deep advanced toward first gas i...
29 Oct 2026 at 2:49pm
SNP: Q3 earnings more than doubled as Neptun Deep advanced toward first gas in H1 2027  TradingView

SNP need to go where most Scots live to boost conference numbers - The Nation...
29 Oct 2026 at 7:33pm
SNP need to go where most Scots live to boost conference numbers  The National Scot

SNP Ministers were warned about oil and gas investment ?slump? - Energy Live ...
27 Oct 2026 at 12:01pm
SNP Ministers were warned about oil and gas investment ?slump?  Energy Live News

The Scottish National Party turns to the right - The Economist
19 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
The Scottish National Party turns to the right  The Economist

SNP spends millions on public sector ?ghost jobs? - The Telegraph
25 Oct 2026 at 3:00pm
SNP spends millions on public sector ?ghost jobs?  The Telegraph

SNP independence strategy: Does the party really want another referendum? - T...
29 Oct 2026 at 6:37am
SNP independence strategy: Does the party really want another referendum?  The Herald

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

Exclusive: SNP under fire for lack of action to tackle alcohol deaths as focu...
26 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Exclusive: SNP under fire for lack of action to tackle alcohol deaths as focus on tackling drug fatalities  The Scotsman

MPs and MSP detained by Israel and barred from entering West Bank - BBC
27 Oct 2026 at 7:57am
MPs and MSP detained by Israel and barred from entering West Bank  BBC

SNP urged to scrap compulsory redundancy ban over ?ghost workers? - The Times
27 Oct 2026 at 7:38pm
SNP urged to scrap compulsory redundancy ban over ?ghost workers?  The Times

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

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

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

SNP independence strategy: Does the party really want another referendum? - T...
29 Oct 2026 at 6:37am
SNP independence strategy: Does the party really want another referendum?  The Herald

Second Scottish independence referendum 'must be a double vote', historian sa...
27 Oct 2026 at 6:02pm
Second Scottish independence referendum 'must be a double vote', historian says  The National Scot

'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum - BBC
15 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum  BBC

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
29 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same - Calgary J...
19 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same  Calgary Journal

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaders unite behind independence push f...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:18pm
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaders unite behind independence push from UK  Courthouse News

UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits - Al Jazeera
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits  Al Jazeera

New Scottish independence referendum ?off limits,? UK prime minister tells Sc...
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
New Scottish independence referendum ?off limits,? UK prime minister tells Scottish leader  Anadolu Ajans?