The Herald

The Herald | Politics


First Minister to propose bank holiday to mark Scotland?s World Cup journey
by craig.williams@newsquest.co.uk | Craig Williams
5 Jan 2026 at 9:36am
First Minister John Swinney will propose Monday 15 June 2026 is designated a national bank holiday to mark Scotland?s participation in the World Cup for the first time since 1998.


'Corridor chaos': Under pressure A&E hospital over capacity by 50 per cent
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
5 Jan 2026 at 6:00am
One of Scotland's under pressure A&E hospital's was over capacity by 50 per cent in December, revealing the scale of corridor care in Scotland.


More than 70,000 pupils in Scotland missed half of school over six years
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
5 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
More than 70,000 Scottish pupils missed at least half of school over six years, with over 6,000 not attending at all, according to new FOI figures.


Political parties set out election year 'hopes' for Scotland
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
5 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
Scotland?s parties begin New Year with rival visions as John Swinney calls for a ?movement of hope? and Anas Sarwar urges voters to end SNP rule.


John Swinney: Indy supporters must back SNP, not 'muck about' with other parties
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
4 Jan 2026 at 5:00pm
The First Minister has said that a SNP majority at Holyrood would serve as the impetus for another vote on the constitutional question.


Anti-war protestors to swarm Glasgow city centre over Venezuela strikes
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
4 Jan 2026 at 2:35pm
According to an unnamed Venezuelan official quoted in the New York Times, at least 40 people, including civilians, were killed during the attack.


Anas Sarwar says Holyrood election is 'straight choice' between SNP and Labour
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
4 Jan 2026 at 8:35am
Anas Sarwar insists the forthcoming Holyrood election will be a 'straight choice' between him and John Swinney


Half of all our MSPs could be replaced in May ? but how much will change?
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
4 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
With record numbers of MSPs standing down and opposition votes splintering, Scotland?s 2026 Holyrood election could transform the Parliament ? while leaving power largely unchanged.


Capturing Maduro speaks volumes about Trump?s disregard for the rules-based o...
by david.pratt@heraldandtimes.co.uk | David Pratt
4 Jan 2026 at 6:15am
Forcing Venezuela?s leader out at gunpoint has echoes of the past and speaks volumes about Washington?s disregard for the rules-based order, writes Foreign Editor David Pratt


Keir Starmer insists Holyrood 2026 election is not a verdict on his government
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
4 Jan 2026 at 12:06pm
Sir Keir Starmer has said the 2026 Holyrood election will not be a referendum on his Labour government as he insists he will remain as Prime Minister come this time next year.


John Swinney 'deeply concerned' as Venezuela's leader captured by United States
by Aidan.Maxwell@newsquest.co.uk | Aidan Maxwell
3 Jan 2026 at 5:31pm
John Swinney condemns United States military strikes on Venezuela, urging diplomacy and adherence to international law over intervention.


Protestors target Glasgow bank as they call for support for hunger strikers
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
3 Jan 2026 at 1:46pm
A protest was held in Glasgow on Friday as Scottish mothers showed support for a group of prisoners on hunger strike


Scottish Government to nationalise Ardrossan Harbour by end of 2026
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
3 Jan 2026 at 11:01am
The Scottish Government will complete a takeover of Ardrossan Harbour by the end of the year, the First Minister has said


Ex-Nato chief tells Labour figures plotting against Starmer to 'back off'
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
3 Jan 2026 at 5:00am
Former Nato secretary-general George Robertson has told Labour figures plotting against Sir Keir Starmer to ?back off?, warning that leadership gossip is dangerous as Britain faces rising global and cyber security threats.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Keir Starmer: Holyrood election is 'not a referendum' on my government
5 Jan 2026 at 6:00am

Anas Sarwar and John Swinney will give keynote speeches to kick off this year?s Holyrood election campaign.

Russell Findlay faces his party suffering a difficult Holyrood election, according to the polls.

Thousands of pupils in Scotland have not attended school at all in the last six years.

The SNP leader will tell activists that May?s election is the ?chance to empower ourselves to fundamentally address the biggest long-term issues? facing Scotland.

The Prime Minister has insisted May?s Holyrood election is ?not a referendum on the Westminster government?.

Wings over Scotland

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Craig Murray

Venezuela and Truth
4 Jan 2026 at 10:21am

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

Venezuela and Truth

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

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

Hunger Strikes and Court Cases

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

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

The Skripal Novichok Hoax

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

BBC Scotland

Scotland to get public holiday to celebrate World Cup return
5 Jan 2026 at 10:20am
Scotland will face Haiti in Boston on Sunday 14 June before taking on Morocco and Brazil in the US.

What to expect at Holyrood and beyond as 2026 election race steps up
2 Jan 2026 at 9:03am
BBC Scotland political editor Glenn Campbell looks at what lies ahead for Scottish politics this year with the Scottish Parliament election looming in May.

Grooming gang row 'could have been handled better' - Constance
30 Dec 2025 at 5:18pm
Angela Constance's remarks about Prof Alexis Jay are to be independently investigated to determine if they breached the ministerial code.

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?

Scot Goes Pop

An update about the Great Scot Goes Pop Video-Blogging Experiment, and the pr...
3 Jan 2026 at 4:31pm
A few minutes ago, my phone spontaneously managed to escape from my pocket onto the road outside my house for the second time in the space of six months, smashing the screen yet again.  I thought I...

Professor John Curtice projects the SNP *are* on course for Holyrood list sea...
3 Jan 2026 at 9:11am
The video below also briefly touches on an astoundingly ill-informed tweet from "RevStew" about Quebec politics, which rather calls into question the oft-heard claims that he's some sort of highly ...

New Year, NEW STEW? Controversial blogger dramatically ADMITS an average of ...
2 Jan 2026 at 9:38am
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...

"Simply spellbinding": analysis of new Find Out Now poll showing support for ...
30 Dec 2025 at 8:18pm
Just a quick note to let you know that I have an analysis piece at The National about the new independence poll that the paper has commissioned from Find Out Now, and which has Yes comfortably ahea...

Exquisite end-of-year poll puts SNP / Greens on course to retain pro-independ...
30 Dec 2025 at 10:43am
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...

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...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Scottish election: Political leaders ramp up campaigns five months ahead of H...
5 Jan 2026 at 10:16am
Thousands of voters will decide who will lead the country on May 7.

Brown says Labour must end ?disrespect for devolution? in 2026
4 Jan 2026 at 5:27pm
The SNP depute leader said Labour had broken its promises on devolution.

More than 1,600 newborns in Scotland with drug dependence since 2017, figures...
4 Jan 2026 at 2:26pm
Freedom of information requests showed at least 1,633 newborns in Scotland have received treatment for neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

Do not muck about at election, First Minister John Swinney warns independence...
4 Jan 2026 at 1:21pm
The First Minister has targeted an SNP majority at this year?s Holyrood poll as the trigger for another vote on independence.

The year ahead in Scottish politics: Elections, budgets and big decisions
2 Jan 2026 at 10:36am
The parties are already on an election footing and that will ramp up in the coming months.

Scottish ministers considered holding indyref on same day as 2011 Holyrood el...
1 Jan 2026 at 1:51pm
Newly released papers revealed the minority SNP administration led by Alex Salmond proposed spending £9.5m on a multi-option referedum.

Scotland?s not proven verdict abolished in all new 2026 trials from New Year?...
1 Jan 2026 at 10:30am
The Scottish Government said the move will help create a clearer, fairer and more transparent decision-making process. 

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.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Donald Trump has broken international law over Venezuela regime change, says ...
5 Jan 2026 at 10:47am
The First Minister said "I cannot see how international law has been respected here" after US troops pulled Nicolás Maduro from his bed and flew him to an American jail.

Scots patient waited over 400 days to start tests for suspected prostate cancer
5 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The horror figure was revealed amid an ongoing row over long waits for cancer treatment.

Hundreds of Scots parents would receive free childcare under end to 'hidden' ...
5 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The Scottish Greens say they want to close a loophole that denies three year olds free childcare hours.

Labour to reach 1m Scots a week as Anas Sarwar tries to close polling gap wit...
5 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
Labour will have deep pockets in a contest that currently sees them trailing the SNP and Reform UK.

Millionaire tipped to be Reform UK leader in Scotland urged huge rise in immi...
5 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Malcolm Offord has been accused of hypocrisy over a piece in 2021 in which he said immigration should be promoted in Scotland.

Scottish Labour are election underdogs but the country is ready to turn the p...
5 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
In his Daily Record column, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says the choice at the election is between him or John Swinney as First Minister.

Anti-racism campaigners raise fears over deselection of Scottish Labour MSP
4 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
Foysol Choudhury has been removed as the Scottish Labour party?s candidate in Edinburgh North after being suspended over allegations of sexual harassment.

Labour must end 'disrespect for devolution' in 2026, says SNP depute
4 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
Keith Brown said Labour had broken its promises on devolution, raising a number of issues in a letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Scottish politicians blast Trump's 'cowboy politics' after President says US ...
4 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
Political leaders around the world, including in Scotland, question legality of US attack and capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

Anas Sarwar promises to cut 50p tax rate for middle income Scots as he warns ...
3 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The Scottish Labour leader has hit out at a "quirk" in the tax system that lands workers with a high marginal tax rate.

The National

The National | Politics

Foreign Secretary expected to address MPs on US operation in Venezuela
5 Jan 2026 at 8:19am

YVETTE Cooper is expected to lay out the UK Government?s response to the US capture of Nicolas Maduro in the House of Commons on Monday

John Swinney promises ?movement of hope? in Holyrood election pitch
5 Jan 2026 at 7:54am

THE First Minister has promised to ?build a national movement of hope in 2026? as political leaders across Scotland get ready to make their New Year election pitch to voters

Richard Murphy: Affordability is about power, not prices
5 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

AFFORDABILITY has become the dominant political issue in the United States. It is the issue that looks likely to determine elections, fracture political coalitions and shape how people understand their own lives.

Kenny MacAskill: Where?s the excitement about the indy polling?
5 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

INDEPENDENCE is ahead in the polls and the Holyrood election looks set to produce a pro-Yes majority ? what?s not to like? Had we entered 2014 in this position, the atmosphere would have been febrile. A campaign already getting into gear would have gone into overdrive.

Tommy Sheppard: SNP cannot ignore the list vote with their ambitious election...
5 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

ON Thursday it will be 17 weeks until the Scottish Parliament election. Seventeen weeks until the country decides whether to continue the argument for self-government or retreat from it ...

Majority see Scottish Labour as a branch office of Westminster party, new pol...
5 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

SCOTTISH Labour is seen as a branch office of the UK Labour party by a majority of Scots, a poll has found.

MoD playing ?fast and loose? with safety of Scottish communities, says SNP MSP
5 Jan 2026 at 5:00am

THE Ministry of Defence (MoD) is playing ?fast and loose? with the safety of Scottish communities, an SNP MSP has said.

Double standards are applied by Westminster when it comes to mandates
4 Jan 2026 at 6:37pm

MAY I first of all extend my best wishes to The National?s staff and to all your readers for the New Year. May you all be blessed with health and happiness throughout 2026!

Same-sex attraction is being redefined by LGBT organisations
4 Jan 2026 at 6:36pm

I WOULD appreciate the opportunity to respond to Tim Hopkins?s letter (Dec 31), in which he alleges that I repeat the false claim that ?lesbians and gay men are told they must be open to dating people who are not of the same sex?.

New UK-wide poll predicts 9 Scottish Reform MPs ? with Labour and Tories wipe...
4 Jan 2026 at 5:06pm

A NEW UK-wide poll has predicted Scotland could have nine Reform MPs after the next Westminster election ? and only one Labour MP.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

John Swinney to propose bank holiday to mark Scotland?s first World Cup game
5 Jan 2026 at 10:18am
The first minister is proposing Monday 15 June be?designated?a holiday, which is the day after Scotland?s first game against Haiti

Scottish Government feared being unprepared for a pandemic, cabinet papers show
1 Jan 2026 at 9:00am
Declassified documents reveal reflections on swine flu and fears for the future

Indyref could have been held three years earlier, government papers show
1 Jan 2026 at 12:02am
Declassified documents show the first SNP government?s considerations over Yes-No vote

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

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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

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...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

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

Making plans for Nigel in 2026
31 Dec 2025 at 2:37pm
It’s nice to end what has been at times a trying year with some good news. On a personal level, in 2025 my mum lost her battle with cancer, and my good friend and former neighbour Mary Docherty, a stalwart of the Glasgow North East SNP branch, passed away after a long illness. Both are …

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 …

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'

Babies born dependent on drugs ? deceitful, ghoulish and tasteless third atte...
4 Jan 2026 at 10:36pm
Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Legerwood for alerting me to this. From Scottish Public Health Observatory quarterly update March 2025: In 2023/24, 0.2% (104) of a total of 44,835 babies born in Scotland were recorded as having been affected by maternal use of drugs. This rate decreased steadily over time from 6.9 per 1,000 live births in 2011/12 to 2.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023/24. ...

Troubled 54 year-old US ferry loses propellers but passenger chaos not respon...
4 Jan 2026 at 10:35pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From the Kiro Seattle yesterday: The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSP) announced it was investigating damage to a propeller on one of its ferries that serves the Seattle/Bremerton route. The Walla Walla, which is one of two ferries on the route, had its propeller blades completely sheared off. WSP says that they will make repairs in the next few we...

Official figures reveal far lower rates of sexual offence committed by childr...
4 Jan 2026 at 10:32pm
In the Daily Record yesterday: Children as young as 12 reported to police for sexual offences in Scotland – New figures show cops investigated 14 youths aged 12, a total of 29 13-year-olds as well as 47 aged 14 before referring them to Scottish Children?s Reporter Administration (SCRA). https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/children-young-12-being-reported-36487358 Disturbing, I agre...

Herald sets new low in dishonest infantile reporting on Scotland?s ferries as...
4 Jan 2026 at 1:29pm
Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald today has the above and: Martin starts off the year with one of the most dishonest, maybe not infantile, but certainly primary school-level, adding up of costs over 11 years to get a big enough headline to impress his diminishing flock of readers. See that ‘spiralling’ in the headline. Martin carefully does not reveal any spiral, just a comparison of the ...

These Tory ministers sold profitable harbours like Ardrossan to enable shareh...
4 Jan 2026 at 10:11am
Professor John Robertson OBA For more than a year now Scotland’s media have been blaming the Scottish Government for problems at Ardrossan harbour and it’s Arran ferry service. Little media coverage has targeted the owners, a Manchester billionaire. How did we get here? I asked AI, carefully. Today, known as Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind and The Lord MacGregor of Pulham Market, these men above, we...

Up to 250 days in the year Scotland?s renewables could have powered 100% of o...
3 Jan 2026 at 9:05pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Climate yesterday: Renewables can generate significant amounts of electricity when conditions are right. On roughly a third of days in 2025, at least half of Britain’s electricity came from renewables, according to BBC analysis of Neso data. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz947djd3d3o How did Scotland do in this record-breaking year? Match the UK’s third...

How could I have missed this research saying explicitly that ?things are easi...
3 Jan 2026 at 9:04pm
Professor John Robertson OBA I seem to have missed the above very significant research from the London School of Economics. You’d think our media, especially BBC Scotland which we all pay for would have been all over it. There was media coverage in Scotland though it and the UK coverage tended to go for the secondary finding: Ministers and others have expressed concern that this ?cliff edge? co...

Labour Wales councils in debt at FIVE times the level in Scotland for worse s...
3 Jan 2026 at 5:11pm
By stewartb If Scotland was an independent nation-state I would think it perfectly reasonable ? indeed necessary ? to hold its parties and system of government to account in part through making public policy (input, process, output and outcome) comparisons with other broadly similar nation-states. However, so long as Scotland remains in Union, it is wholly appropriate ? indeed necessary ? to ma...

Since 2021, 14 deaths due to circumcision in England and Wales but none in mo...
3 Jan 2026 at 12:20pm
Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC London yesterday: A coroner has warned that further babies could die unless the government introduces regulation of non-therapeutic male circumcision following the death of a six-month-old boy in west London. Non-therapeutic circumcision is the removal of the foreskin of male babies and young children for religious or cultural reasons, rather than medical r...

Despite a greater challenge Scotland is providing care packages at 3 times th...
3 Jan 2026 at 11:47am
Professor John Robertson OBA In the English Daily Express today but not shadowed by its ‘Scottish’ variant: Why might the ‘Scottish’ Daily Express have little to say on this? Nearly three times as many more in England waiting for a social care assessment and care at home services than in Scotland From People requiring a social care assessment and care at home services, published yesterday: The ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Kenny MacAskill: Where?s the excitement about the indy polling? - TheNational...
5 Jan 2026 at 5:04am
Kenny MacAskill: Where?s the excitement about the indy polling?  TheNational.scot

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

John Swinney: IndyRef 2 needed due to 'significant generational change' since...
5 Jan 2026 at 9:59am
John Swinney: IndyRef 2 needed due to 'significant generational change' since 2014  The Scotsman

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

Swinney says ?variety of tactics? could be used to win second independence vo...
5 Jan 2026 at 9:55am
Swinney says ?variety of tactics? could be used to win second independence vote  Perspective Media

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

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

Nicola Sturgeon: 'Scotland will definitely be independent much sooner than it...
14 Dec 2025 at 8:00am
Nicola Sturgeon: 'Scotland will definitely be independent much sooner than it feels right now'  Big Issue

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Tommy Sheppard: SNP cannot ignore the list vote with their ambitious election...
5 Jan 2026 at 5:04am
Tommy Sheppard: SNP cannot ignore the list vote with their ambitious election goal  TheNational.scot

A National Movement of Hope - First Minister John Swinney?s speech ? Scottish...
5 Jan 2026 at 10:33am
A National Movement of Hope - First Minister John Swinney?s speech ? Scottish National Party  snp.org

SNP miscalculated Scots deficit by £309m as 'embarrassing' blunder exposed - ...
5 Jan 2026 at 10:05am
SNP miscalculated Scots deficit by £309m as 'embarrassing' blunder exposed  The Scottish Sun

John Swinney says indy supporters must back SNP, not Alba or Greens - The Herald
4 Jan 2026 at 5:01pm
John Swinney says indy supporters must back SNP, not Alba or Greens  The Herald

Fresh university strike threats suggest it may be time to rethink SNP free tu...
5 Jan 2026 at 6:00am
Fresh university strike threats suggest it may be time to rethink SNP free tuition policy  The Scotsman

Scotland's papers: SNP MSP's office 'bugged' and 'mortgage price war' - BBC
18 Dec 2025 at 8:00am
Scotland's papers: SNP MSP's office 'bugged' and 'mortgage price war'  BBC

SNP plans 'free' buses for half the country...costing taxpayers £127m a YEAR ...
2 Jan 2026 at 9:00pm
SNP plans 'free' buses for half the country...costing taxpayers £127m a YEAR  Daily Mail

Why is the SNP failing to keep its website up to date? - The Times
3 Jan 2026 at 5:30pm
Why is the SNP failing to keep its website up to date?  The Times

Labour to reach 1m Scots a week as Anas Sarwar tries to close polling gap wit...
5 Jan 2026 at 4:30am
Labour to reach 1m Scots a week as Anas Sarwar tries to close polling gap with SNP  Daily Record

SNP remain ahead but Reform support in Scotland rises, while Labour support s...
10 Dec 2025 at 8:00am
SNP remain ahead but Reform support in Scotland rises, while Labour support slumps  Ipsos

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

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

Scotland would vote for independence in new referendum, exclusive poll finds ...
30 Dec 2025 at 5:05pm
Scotland would vote for independence in new referendum, exclusive poll finds  TheNational.scot

Swinney says ?variety of tactics? could be used to win second independence vo...
5 Jan 2026 at 9:55am
Swinney says ?variety of tactics? could be used to win second independence vote  Perspective Media

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

Farage is pushing Scotland to independence - The Times
30 Dec 2025 at 7:28pm
Farage is pushing Scotland to independence  The Times

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

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

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

John Swinney to launch SNP's Holyrood election campaign with independence pus...
4 Jan 2026 at 11:39am
John Swinney to launch SNP's Holyrood election campaign with independence push  The Scotsman

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