The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Scottish Labour MP criticises 'reckless' plans to cut benefits for young people
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
12 Nov 2026 at 7:46pm
Scottish Labour MP Brian Leishman warns proposed sickness and disability benefit cuts could hit young Scots and calls the plans 'reckless'.


Tories warn foreign spies could exploit rules to become MSPs at Holyrood
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
12 Nov 2026 at 3:35pm
John Swinney faces questions over Holyrood election rules after the Tories warn hostile foreign states could exploit MSP eligibility laws.


Swinney resists calls to sack NHS Grampian board over 'reprehensible' failures
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
12 Nov 2026 at 2:17pm
John Swinney faces demands to sack NHS Grampian's board after a damning report revealed children underwent surgery despite patient safety warnings.


NHS Grampian apologises after report finds ?serious weaknesses? affecting pat...
by Katrine Bussey
12 Nov 2026 at 12:41pm
NHS Grampian apologises after Healthcare Improvement Scotland finds serious leadership, governance and patient safety failings in damning report into NHS care


Historic Environment Scotland chair says 'mistakes must be acknowledged'
by Kathleen Nutt
12 Nov 2026 at 10:01am
Historic Environment Scotland interim chair Ronnie Hinds says public trust must be earned after Audit Scotland criticism of governance, financial controls and workplace culture.


Capital probes 740 suspected unlicensed short-term lets but only five fines i...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
12 Nov 2026 at 6:30am
A Freedom of Information (FOI) response viewed by The Herald states that 406 investigations were conducted during the 2025/26 financial year.


One in three Scots worried about family member's drinking, exclusive poll rev...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
12 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
Exclusive polling reveals a third of Scots have worried about a family member's drinking, with four in ten lacking confidence in accessing support.


Union slams bullying as 'low level of confidence' in CES leadership revealed
by Kathleen Nutt
12 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
Leaked Crown Estate Scotland staff survey finds just 47% trust executive decisions, amid concerns over leadership, communication and bullying at the Scottish public body.


First Minister responds to The Herald's Reset the Rates campaign
by ian.mcconnell@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Ian McConnell
12 Nov 2026 at 4:40am
First Minister John Swinney has responded in detail to The Herald's Reset the Rates campaign, saying he notes 'the list of businesses which support the campaign'.


I hate Michael Gove and after listening to Radio 3?s Private Passions I still do
by teddy.jamieson@theherald.co.uk | Teddy Jamieson
12 Nov 2026 at 10:00am
A mellifluous Michael Gove talked classical music, political loyalty and the art of the possible on Radio 3. Elsewhere, Jay Rayner and friends pondered langoustines, morning rolls and what to do with unwanted grapes on Radio 4


Audit Scotland say 'more work' needed at HES after 'unacceptable' weaknesses
by Kathleen Nutt
12 Nov 2026 at 9:21am
Audit Scotland publishes follow-up report on Historic Environment Scotland, examining governance, financial management and leadership concerns at the heritage body.


Scotland urged to hit private jet users with hefty tax after COP31 flights
by Katrine Bussey, Press Association Scotland Political Editor
11 Nov 2026 at 9:01pm
Oxfam Scotland urges ministers to impose a hefty private jet tax after 87 jets flew into Turkey for COP31, generating an estimated 777 tonnes of CO2.


Scots soldier in Cyprus charged with rape of servicewoman
by Kathleen Nutt
11 Nov 2026 at 2:59pm
A soldier from a Scottish regiment serving in Cyprus is facing a court martial following a probe into a rape of a servicewoman on the island.


'Brand and Walliams are not the only men hiding in plain sight'
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
11 Nov 2026 at 1:07pm
The Brand and Walliams cases raise questions about powerful men, women's silence and why Scotland's underfunded rape crisis services need urgent action.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Swinney backs new NHS Grampian board after damning report triggers mass changes
12 Nov 2026 at 4:54pm

NHS chiefs in the North East have been heavily criticised for a lack of governance causing ?recurring patterns of harm?.

The Tories are tabling legislation to ban those with limited leave to remain from becoming MSPs

Ex-Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Roz McCall joined Ms Bland?s staff after she recently resigned from Nigel Farage?s party.

A follow up report into Historic Environment Scotland has found the organisation is making improvements but must move faster

Wings over Scotland

How To Succeed In Scotland
11 Nov 2026 at 1:30pm
…Without Really Trying, Or Even Being Slightly Competent. We should probably just make this a list. But first it’s worth digressing for a moment to note where the new Head of Defence Medical Command comes to his new position from. The Elanic Hospital is a private institution which opened last February, offering a wide range …

Stand By Your Posts
10 Nov 2026 at 10:16pm
(We weren’t going to run this AI piece, but honestly the last line is ice cold.) Regular readers will have noticed a lack of articles lately. The fault is partly mine: the editor and I have been busy with other things for a fortnight, and Holyrood has been left to its own devices. Having spent …

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 …

Craig Murray

Palestine Action Supreme Court Hearing Day 2
8 Nov 2026 at 6:38pm

I woke up at 5am, and rather than dashing back to court, I made good progress on writing up the first day. The surprising lack of demand for the public gallery was probably due to the fact that you were not actually allowed in the courtroom, but only in an overflow court. So I arrived …

Palestine Action Supreme Court Hearing Day 2

Palestine Action Supreme Court Hearing Day 1
5 Nov 2026 at 7:59am

UPDATE: this article is now complete; I published just the start yesterday. It was a remarkably mild early November morning at 6am as I left the Chelsea Cloisters hotel to get the tube to Westminster and the Supreme Court. I had been worried because I had forgotten to pack my thermal underwear. I had queued …

Palestine Action Supreme Court Hearing Day 1

To The Supreme Court
3 Nov 2026 at 11:57pm

I am in London at the UK Supreme Court for Huda Ammori’s appeal against the proscription of Palestine Action. Three Jewish groups have been granted intervention rights by the Court (two of them pro-Genocide) but no Palestinian group. One of the strongest grounds to contest the proscription was that it entails discrimination against Palestinians. That …

To The Supreme Court

The Crisis In Poland
2 Nov 2026 at 11:58am

I was First Secretary at the British Embassy in Warsaw 1994-98. While that was a long time ago, I knew personally many of the people at the heart of the current crisis, such as Donald Tusk and Radek Sikorski. 1) The first thing to say about Poland is that the current crisis is unlikely to …

The Crisis In Poland

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

BBC Scotland

'Dramatic action' needed after NHS Grampian leaders criticised in damning rep...
12 Nov 2026 at 4:06pm
The first minister reacts after Healthcare Improvement Scotland said failures to learn from mistakes caused repeated and avoidable harm to patients.

Long-delayed CalMac ferry Glen Rosa begins sea trials
12 Nov 2026 at 1:46pm
MV Glen Rosa will undergo tests in the Firth of Clyde, with specialists measuring its systems.

School exam boss to step down after two years in post
12 Nov 2026 at 10:06am
Nick Page, who oversaw Qualifications Scotland's transition from the SQA, will leave in August next year.

'Not the answer': Labour MPs speak out against Rosebank as decision looms
11 Nov 2026 at 9:42pm
There is a growing expectation among senior Labour figures that drilling in the oil field will be given the green light.

Why is Scotland's housing shortage getting worse?
11 Nov 2026 at 6:11am
Homelessness has hit record levels and the cost of renting or buying property has continued to rise.

Acquitted 'China spy' tells BBC: I was fall guy for security services but als...
11 Nov 2026 at 6:00am
Thousands of messages seen by BBC show how a Chinese official sought details of sensitive political matters.

Scottish Labour leader says the UK should re-join EU
10 Nov 2026 at 5:53pm
Michael Marra said he wanted "solidarity, not separation" and accepted that "re-joining the EU won't be easy".

NHS boss received nearly £400,000 'redundancy' pay-off when she retired
10 Nov 2026 at 6:20am
The payment comes ahead of a planned major overhaul of Scotland's NHS which could see the number of health boards cut dramatically.

Further BBC cuts could undermine funding model, union leader warns
10 Nov 2026 at 5:54pm
A trade union leader has warned more cost-saving measures could prompt Scots to question why they pay the licence fee.

US military aircraft landed at Prestwick Airport after leaving English base
10 Nov 2026 at 5:22pm
The departures come weeks after the US withdrew bombers from RAF Fairford airbase over a suspected Iran-linked security incident.

Senior doctors at Glasgow hospital in care delay warning
9 Nov 2026 at 4:34pm
Consultants at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital say conditions for emergency patients there are deteriorating.

Bonfire Night violence: We can't accept this as normal, says Police Federation
6 Nov 2026 at 5:18pm
Seven people were arrested and a police van set alight during Bonfire Night violence in parts of Scotland.

Scot Goes Pop

Michael Marra's sham Brexit "announcement" is just the latest stage in Labour...
12 Nov 2026 at 1:19pm
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...

The SIX most UNDENIABLE benefits of Scotland becoming an independent country
9 Nov 2026 at 8:12pm
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...

Scottish independence polls: how the polling companies are GASLIGHTING us abo...
8 Nov 2026 at 5:47pm
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...

I've been elected to the SNP's Conduct Appeals Committee
4 Nov 2026 at 8:25pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.

If nuclear war is to be averted, RevStew's unbroken run of inaccurate predict...
3 Nov 2026 at 9:30pm
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...

Debunking the so-called "Refnation poll on Scottish independence for the Dail...
2 Nov 2026 at 8:11pm
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...

SNP's "astonishingly commanding" victory in the Mid Argyll by-election, as Ru...
31 Oct 2026 at 3:42pm
As mentioned in the video, I also have an analysis piece in The National about the Mid Argyll by-election result, which can be read HERE.

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...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Scottish Water would not allow ?horror stories? from data centres over water use
12 Nov 2026 at 3:13pm
Campaigners have raised concerns about the impact new data centres could have on water supplies, but Scottish Water sought to reassure MSPs.

Zero biological males now in women?s jails, says Scottish Prison Service
12 Nov 2026 at 3:06pm
A small number of transgender prisoners were removed from the women?s estate following a legal ruling in June, the service said.

Attacks on former lord advocate over Murrell case were ?deeply unfair?, MPs told
11 Nov 2026 at 8:36pm
James Wollfe KC defended his successor Dorothy Bain KC when he gave evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee

Why does Burnham keep slipping up on Scotland?
11 Nov 2026 at 6:09pm
From energy to Scottish independence, Andy Burnham has stumbled over key Scottish issues during his premiership

Scottish ministers accused of ?Jekyll and Hyde? approach to climate issues
11 Nov 2026 at 8:31am
First Minister John Swinney has been urged to oppose drilling in the Rosebank oil and gas field.

Malcolm Offord not most charismatic leader, Reform UK Scotland deputy says
11 Nov 2026 at 8:30am
Thomas Kerr also said he did not want his boss?s job, amid claims from the First Minister about his leadership ambitions.

?Tony overcame trauma of care system to give us a voice ? then his life was c...
11 Nov 2026 at 7:03am
Ashley Toner says the death of fellow campaigner Tony McDonald highlights the worrying rate of premature deaths among care-experienced people

Russell Brand case shows how celebrities can ?significantly exert power?, Joh...
10 Nov 2026 at 4:15pm
The First Minister said Brand's actions highlight how 'misgynistic attitudes' still prevail

Rejoining EU should be ?long-term objective? for UK ? Scottish Labour leader
10 Nov 2026 at 2:22pm
Michael Marra accepted his call for the UK to go back into Europe goes further than Prime Minister Andy Burnham?s position.

Why is the Scottish Government under fire for Remembrance Sunday posts?
10 Nov 2026 at 12:35pm
The Scottish Government has been accused of choosing to 'just ignore Remembrance Sunday altogether' in a row over social media posts

I find the burka ?extremely intimidating?, claims Reform deputy Thomas Kerr
10 Nov 2026 at 7:51am
Thomas Kerr said Muslim women should not be allowed to wear niqabs and burkas publicly in a 'Christian nation'

Long waits at emergency departments ?linked to 600 extra deaths?
7 Nov 2026 at 6:20pm
The Lib Dems said there has been a steep rise in the figures compared with 10 years ago.

Scottish Government staff to vote on potential strike action over home working
6 Nov 2026 at 7:22pm
The Scottish Government imposed a 40% target for staff to work from the office.

Government urged to include funding to cut teachers? classroom time in budget
6 Nov 2026 at 8:40am
MSPs on Holyrood?s Education Committee want costings for a cut in teacher?s classroom time to be set out, with funding in next month?s budget.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scots NHS bosses 'act with impunity' and are too concerned with 'managing hea...
12 Nov 2026 at 3:11pm
The Scottish Labour leader hit out after a damning report laid bare the extent of managerial incompetence across NHS Grampian.

Scots impacted by McClure solicitors closure urged to join group action lawsuit
12 Nov 2026 at 1:40pm
Hundreds of McClures clients have complained of facing a legal nightmare since the sudden collapse of the firm in 2021.

Scots children put at risk due to NHS board incompetence, damning report finds
12 Nov 2026 at 10:08am
A review found serious weaknesses in the management of frontline health workers across NHS Grampian.

John Swinney warned by MEPs over support for Ming Yang as 'huge strings' atta...
12 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
The First Minister's enthusiasm for Ming Yang is not shared by members of the European Parliament despite the SNP's long-standing support for the EU.

SNP Glasgow council leader accused of 'threatening his own workers' weeks bef...
12 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
Labour said it "beggars? belief that Ricky Bell continues to keep this threat on the table".

Glasgow City Council leader warns 'we will run out of money' if equal pay dea...
11 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Ricky Bell said the city council did not have "another penny" to offer unions to resolve a long-running equal pay dispute - and could "end up in a Birmingham situation".

The EU wants the UK to rejoin and MEPs think Andy Burnham is the man to do it
10 Nov 2026 at 11:47am
Writing from Brussels, Chris McCall says the level of support for the UK to rejoin the EU is striking.

Michael Marra calls for UK to rejoin EU and says Scottish Labour will 'work t...
10 Nov 2026 at 11:21am
Marra has urged Andy Burnham to make rejoining the EU a key Labour manifesto commitment ahead of the next general election.

Give struggling Scots households £350 to help pay energy bills this winter, s...
9 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Labour warned the SNP Government not to use excess funding it receives via the Barnett Formula to plug a £5billion blackhole in Holyrood's finances.

Scottish Labour is ready to talk with the SNP to deliver more support for hou...
9 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
Writing in his regular column for the Record, Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra says the SNP has an opportunity at the Budget next month to provide more support for hard-pressed families this wi...

The National

The National | Politics

Does Michael Marra have a plan beyond waiting for us to rejoin the EU?
12 Nov 2026 at 6:30pm

IT seems likely that once again Scotland would not take part in any negotiations to connect with our neighbours in Europe if Andy Burnham?s return to the EU ever materialises (Scottish Labour Leader calls for the UK to reverse Brexit and rejoin the EU, Nov 11).

Nigel Farage moans about 'insane' food price spike ? despite £400 Brexit damage
12 Nov 2026 at 6:24pm

CHIEF Brexit advocate Nigel Farage has been blasted for ?moaning about the inevitable consequences of his actions? after he hit out at soaring food prices.

Reform Scotland issue urgent update after sharing 'unverified' criminal alleg...
12 Nov 2026 at 5:56pm

REFORM UK Scotland were forced to issue an urgent correction after accusing a man awaiting trial of sex offences.

Who are Jims, the AI-powered partners of rapists at centre of Scottish uni st...
12 Nov 2026 at 5:40pm

AN AI-fuelled campaign led by women whose partners are rapists which has claimed sexual abuse victims are undercover agents of the state is at the centre of a controversy engulfing Abertay University.

SNP reveal millions of Scots targeted in ?biggest independence campaign in de...
12 Nov 2026 at 5:29pm

THE SNP have revealed that over 3 million Scots have already been targeted in what the party describes as the ?biggest independence campaign in a decade? ...

Nigel Farage guest on Russell Brand's show after sexual assault investigation...
12 Nov 2026 at 5:20pm

NIGEL Farage appeared on Russell Brand?s show just months after police launched an investigation into the comedian over allegations of sexual assault ...

Call for new 'stateless alliance' of pro-independence parties across Europe
12 Nov 2026 at 4:42pm

A MEMBER of the European Parliament has called for a new alliance of pro-independence parties across Europe ...

Scottish Government urged to intervene in ?strike-breaking? row
12 Nov 2026 at 4:29pm

THE Scottish Government has been urged to intervene in the bitter industrial dispute at Glasgow Caledonian University after the university was found to have recruited staff via a recruitment agency in a move unions have referred to as...

AI lobbyists met MSPs over 100 times as local communities 'shut out'
12 Nov 2026 at 4:26pm

AI lobbyists have met with MSPs and ministers more than 100 times in the last four years while turning down invitations to meet with community campaigners, it has emerged ...

John Swinney 'disgusted' at Tories after questions on MSP?s right to remain
12 Nov 2026 at 3:42pm

THE First Minister has said he is ?disgusted? at the Scottish Conservative Party amid questions on an MSP?s right to remain in the UK.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Damning NHS Grampian report ?appalling? says John Swinney
12 Nov 2026 at 3:32pm
Healthcare Improvement Scotland said mistakes had caused ?repeated and avoidable harm?

Nvidia CEO stands down after reported affair with alleged Chinese spy
12 Nov 2026 at 2:42pm
The CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang, has stepped down from his role at the tech company after he admitted to having an extramarital affair in an email to employees

Qualifications Scotland chief executive announces departure
11 Nov 2026 at 11:30am
Search for Nick Page replacement to begin

Scottish Labour backs UK rejoining European Union
10 Nov 2026 at 1:12pm
Michael Marra has written to Andy Burnham calling on him to include the commitment in Labour?s next manifesto

Mairi McAllan: ?BBC Scotland being hollowed out by cuts?
10 Nov 2026 at 12:01am
Mairi McAllan will lead a Scottish Government debate on the BBC and public service broadcasting following news that BBC Scotland will be moved online

Maree Todd: Thomas Kerr?s drugs genocide claim is a disgrace
9 Nov 2026 at 11:57am
Reform UK MSP says he holds SNP ministers personally responsible for his father's death

Data centres could ?torpedo? climate target, campaigners warn
9 Nov 2026 at 7:00am
The intervention comes amid a political row on the future of the sites

Voters want decisions over North Sea oil and gas to be made in Scotland
9 Nov 2026 at 12:01am
Fifty-eight per cent of those surveyed by pollsters Ipsos said the decision on licences should be made by the Scottish Government, compared with 33 per cent who said the UK Government.

?Insufficient evidence of wrongdoing? in bullying complaints against Kenneth ...
8 Nov 2026 at 4:23pm
It has been reported that a dossier of complaints was sent to SNP HQ by independent solicitors

Scottish Public Service Awards recognised by MSPs
6 Nov 2026 at 2:14pm
Annual event returns on 9 December

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Planned Tory welfare cuts ?a charter for human misery,? says Labour ? as it h...
10 Nov 2026 at 5:23pm
Conservative leader launches Welfare That Works policy document outlining benefit reductions of £36bnBadenoch and Whately are now taking questions.Q: From Rob Powell from Sky News We are running a report on the Netherlands, where youth unemployment is much lower than in the UK, but the amount t...

Burnham warns that NHS will ?struggle? to cope if consultants don?t resume ta...
9 Nov 2026 at 5:31pm
Hospital consultants are set to go on a two-day strike at the end of OctoberDowning Street has insisted that the government remains committed to the principle of the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate ? while not denying today?s Guardian report saying interim targets to achieve it are set to be ...

UK politics: Burnham says US midterm results have created ?opportunity? for w...
4 Nov 2026 at 5:01pm
?I think people want to see the world coming together and focusing on the things that matter to people,? PM saysLouise Haigh starts by saying she is standing in for Andy Burnham.She says this weekend the whole country will fall silent to mark Remembrance Sunday. Continue reading...

Why Scottish nationalists should see Burnham as a real threat ? and an opport...
1 Nov 2026 at 9:00am
The PM?s goals may spell bad news for the SNP. But his EU bridge-building could also resurrect its dreams of independenceFifty years ago this month, a group of leftwing Scots gathered in the Golden Lion hotel in Stirling for the inaugural conference of a new political party. The ?Scottish Labour ...

Local devolution decisions rest solely with Scotland and Wales, first ministe...
30 Oct 2026 at 5:53pm
John Swinney and Rhun ap Iorwerth say devolving power further is up to Holyrood and Senedd ? not WestminsterScotland and Wales?s first ministers have told Andy Burnham that decisions on local devolution rest solely with their parliaments, in response to the prime minister?s push to extend English...

Business secretary says UK needs to understand direction of EU before signing...
30 Oct 2026 at 4:21pm
This blog is now closedDowning Street has paid tribute to Patrick Stewart following the actor?s death. At the daily lobby briefing, the PM?s spokesperson gave a comment that was a bit more extensive than the usual No 10 contribution when a great British celebrity dies. The spokesperson said that ...

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...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Marra?s referendum hypocrisy
11 Nov 2026 at 11:21am
Michael Marra, the latest branch manager of the Labour party in Scotland, has called for the UK to rejoin the European Union. Marra now thinks it’s justified to revisit the outcome of the EU referendum held ten years ago, but remains dead set against revisiting the outcome of a Scottish independence referendum which was held …

Labour polls and Tory culture wars
10 Nov 2026 at 11:53am
It seems we have moved into the era of government by opinion polling, or at least by polling which gives results which are in agreement with the political prejudices of those in power. We learned over the weekend that Andy Burnham’s Labour government, like the Tories before it, has been using public money to commission …

Scotland bad, the constant refrain of the media in Scotland
7 Nov 2026 at 3:20pm
In a speech on Friday, Sir Mark Rowney, the head of the Metropolitan Police and the most senior police officer in England and Wales, called for “urgent reform” of the police forces in England and Wales, saying that the existing system was “heading for failure”. Rowney has suggested the merger of the existing 43 police …

The national scolding
5 Nov 2026 at 3:33pm
The complete rinsing delivered to the deeply corrupt and authoritarian MAGA Republicans by American voters in this week’s midterm elections was a beacon of hope and joy in a bleak geopolitical landscape. The Trump cultist Republicans got their public execution, just not the one they had wanted. The Democrats had been forecast to do well, …

The moral bankruptcy of the right can be defeated
4 Nov 2026 at 8:46am
The writer and journalist John Harris has written an interesting and important article, published in The Guardian about the moral collapse of the political right. You can read it here.https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/nov/03/us-midterms-hard-right-britain-empathy-politics The right used to claim it held the moral high ground and assert – hypocritically – that the cruelty which resu...

Healey?s meh-dget is bad for Scotland
2 Nov 2026 at 4:37pm
For all the hype from the British media about how we now supposedly have a “left wing” government – you’ve got to laugh – Chancellor John Healey’s meh-dget last week was not merely underwhelming, it didn’t manage to achieve any variety of whelming at all. After all the excited media hype about Burnham being a …

Blog break
30 Oct 2026 at 1:07pm
I’m currently struggling with a nasty cold so will be taking a few days away from blogging until I feel better. I had planned to write about the underwhelming budget, or rather meh-dget, and how it shows that for all the hype around Burnham, he’s very much continuity Labour centrism and is already falling very …

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 …

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

National Wealth Fund to support Scottish economy with £1bn boost for windfarm...
12 Nov 2026 at 7:17pm
By Liz S This below is still not anywhere on the BBC website as of 16.55pm on 12/11/26: The National reported this morning that: ?Andy Burnham has been accused of getting ?basic facts? wrong after he hailed English investment in response to a question about Scottish ?deindustrialisation? ?The Prime Minister pointed to a £1 billion boost for wind farms off the coast of Norfolk in response to a q...

Sickening Ian Murray playing to his London audience about Scottish tightness ...
12 Nov 2026 at 4:19pm
Watch them laugh, at him. ‘A cute wee Jock telling us what we want to hear.’ The facts? Boring I know, to them. From the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) UK Local Giving Report 2026 which maps generosity across UK nations, English regions, and parliamentary constituencies using a nationally representative online survey of 12,913 UK adults (aged 16+) for 2025 giving. Area % of income given % who d...

Babies receiving some breastfeeding surges 26% from the last days of Labour i...
12 Nov 2026 at 3:58pm
From Infant feeding statistics Financial year 2025 to 2026 published two days ago, the above and: Breastfeeding rates continue to rise and in 2025/26, 70% of babies in Scotland were breastfed for at least some time after their birth, compared with 63% in 2016/17. Over the past 10 years the proportion of babies receiving some breastfeeding has increased at both the first visit (63% in 2025/26 vs...

30% fewer heart-related deaths in 2025 than in 2007 despite 300 000 (36%) mor...
12 Nov 2026 at 3:39pm
From Scottish heart disease statistics Hospital activity for the year ending 31 March 2026 and deaths for the year ending 31 December 2025 published two days ago: The rate at which new cases of coronary heart disease occur (the incidence) has fallen by 15% over the last decade (2016/17 to 2025/26). In 2025, there were 6,531 deaths in Scotland where coronary heart disease (CHD) was the underlyin...

Who has ordered the branch manager to U-turn?
12 Nov 2026 at 10:50am
By Liz S The BBC are promoting this: ?Scottish Labour leader says the UK should re-join EU? Is it a mere coincidence that Marra is stating this now, as in when his new Labour leader at HQ , Andy Burnham, is also supposedly keen for the UK to get closer to the EU and eventually re-join ? No it is not. In September Micahel Marra was interviewed by Politico. In that interview he stated: ?What we d...

Housing supply? Glasgow leaves Liverpool and Manchester in their dust
12 Nov 2026 at 9:56am
From STV yesterday: Council moves ahead with £674m plan for thousands of affordable homes in Glasgow. The council’s ‘ambitious’ plans could see 12,000 additional homes and city centre commercial conversions if funding is made available Glasgow City Council is moving ahead with plans to build thousands of affordable homes across the city at a cost of £674m. According to council bosses, the ?ambi...

Presentation to Glasgow Pensioners for Independence
11 Nov 2026 at 7:18pm
Presentation to Glasgow Pensioners for Independence, 30th October 2026, in Bacchus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2Fij6M0BpE&t=933s

Scottish Labour MP fawns over PM despite e-bike injury and death being six ti...
11 Nov 2026 at 6:53pm
Martin might be Glasgow MP but he clearly knows little of the city as he desperately tries to show it in a bad light it, based on the facts about e-bike ad e-scooter injuries and death. The Daily Record, 12 September 2026, put its finger on the underlying factor in the above surge of e-bike police confiscations: Beyond local anti-social behaviour, they have become the preferred transport for co...

Scotland has clearer, more generous approach to adult social care than the ch...
11 Nov 2026 at 6:51pm
In the Guardian today, the above and: Successive governments in England have been ?asleep at the wheel? on social care, leaving the system to grow as a chaotic patchwork of local services with no clear vision, Louise Casey, the head of the social care commission, is to warn. Lady Casey, who is preparing proposals for a big review of adult social care, will say the result is that in effect ?no o...

Further evidence that the Clyde will build Royal Navy warships for many years...
11 Nov 2026 at 6:50pm
In the Herald today, the above and: Scotland?s defence industry and military infrastructure are being highlighted at a major UK-Norway security summit in Oslo this week. Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander is attending the Atlantic Future Forum, held aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which was built at Rosyth. Does this suggest that within NATO an independent Scotland would be a...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

SNP reveal millions of Scots targeted in ?biggest independence campaign in de...
12 Nov 2026 at 5:48pm
SNP reveal millions of Scots targeted in ?biggest independence campaign in decade'  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

Rejoining the EU could lead to Scottish independence - The Telegraph
11 Nov 2026 at 11:28am
Rejoining the EU could lead to Scottish independence  The Telegraph

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

It?s a con: SNP will never achieve indy. Members should stage a coup against ...
12 Nov 2026 at 6:36am
It?s a con: SNP will never achieve indy. Members should stage a coup against leaders  The Herald

Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination - A...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination  Al Jazeera

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

Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda - The Spoke...
17 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda  The Spokesman-Review

PM would consider independence referendum if 'clear consensus' emerges - BBC
9 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
PM would consider independence referendum if 'clear consensus' emerges  BBC

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

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP may back Tory bill to ban foreign nationals from Holyrood amid spy fears ...
12 Nov 2026 at 7:00pm
SNP may back Tory bill to ban foreign nationals from Holyrood amid spy fears  The Times

SNP reveal millions of Scots targeted in ?biggest independence campaign in de...
12 Nov 2026 at 5:48pm
SNP reveal millions of Scots targeted in ?biggest independence campaign in decade'  The National Scot

Greens challenge First Minister on oil and gas position - Scottish Greens
12 Nov 2026 at 3:37pm
Greens challenge First Minister on oil and gas position  Scottish Greens

The SNP?s Latest Financial Faux Pas Proves Just How Unserious The Party Has B...
12 Nov 2026 at 12:02pm
The SNP?s Latest Financial Faux Pas Proves Just How Unserious The Party Has Become  Glasgow Guardian

It?s a con: SNP will never achieve indy. Members should stage a coup against ...
12 Nov 2026 at 6:36am
It?s a con: SNP will never achieve indy. Members should stage a coup against leaders  The Herald

SNP, Labour and Greens unite to oppose breaking up Glasgow City Council - Yah...
12 Nov 2026 at 1:53pm
SNP, Labour and Greens unite to oppose breaking up Glasgow City Council  Yahoo News UK

SNP continues prescribed burns near Luray through November 13 - The River 95.3
12 Nov 2026 at 8:04pm
SNP continues prescribed burns near Luray through November 13  The River 95.3

Political handbags as SNP calls on Burnham to correct record over PMQ blunder...
11 Nov 2026 at 3:53pm
Political handbags as SNP calls on Burnham to correct record over PMQ blunder  Energy Voice

Triple warning for SNP over blocked Ming Yang Ardersier wind farm project - P...
12 Nov 2026 at 6:03am
Triple warning for SNP over blocked Ming Yang Ardersier wind farm project  Press and Journal

The dangerous belief in 'inevitability' shared by Donald Trump and the SNP ? ...
12 Nov 2026 at 6:00am
The dangerous belief in 'inevitability' shared by Donald Trump and the SNP ? William Deans  The Scotsman

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

Why polls on Scottish independence are all over the place - The Times
6 Nov 2026 at 4:56pm
Why polls on Scottish independence are all over the place  The Times

UK Government admits to ?extensive? secret Scottish independence polling oper...
8 Nov 2026 at 6:03pm
UK Government admits to ?extensive? secret Scottish independence polling operation  The National Scot

Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination - A...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination  Al Jazeera

'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

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

The awkward question about independence raised by Scottish Labour's EU U-turn...
10 Nov 2026 at 6:07pm
The awkward question about independence raised by Scottish Labour's EU U-turn  The National Scot

PM would consider independence referendum if 'clear consensus' emerges - BBC
9 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
PM would consider independence referendum if 'clear consensus' emerges  BBC