The Herald

The Herald | Politics


GMB: Glasgow's equal pay deal leaves 'too many risks unassessed'
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
19 Aug 2026 at 4:31pm
GMB Scotland has warned that Glasgow City Council's equal pay settlement leaves too many questions unanswered ahead of a crunch vote on Thursday.


Community lobbies MPs and MSPs over ?ludicrous' law endangering historic ferr...
by craig.williams@newsquest.co.uk | Craig Williams
19 Aug 2026 at 2:33pm
Campaigners have called on politicians to step in to help a tiny West Coast community which has to pay thousands of pounds each year to an "absentee landowner" to operate a historic ferry route.


MSPs back UNESCO bid for Scotland's 'iconic' morning roll
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
19 Aug 2026 at 11:43am
A Holyrood motion backed by 12 MSPs, including Greens co-leader Ross Greer, supports a campaign to have the morning roll recognised by UNESCO as living heritage.


Almost £22m in Scottish public sector fraud and error identified
by Craig Paton
19 Aug 2026 at 7:26am
Almost £22 million in public sector fraud and error has been identified, according to a watchdog.


Council chiefs promise to consult gender critical groups amid EHRC guidance row
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
19 Aug 2026 at 6:30am
Edinburgh council chiefs have pledged to consult with gender critical groups as they develop a full response to the EHRC?s guidance on single-sex spaces.


?How can I stay??: 'Toxic' trans rights clash dominates Scottish Labour hustings
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
18 Aug 2026 at 8:09pm
Michael Marra and Joe Fagan faced questions on women?s health, single-sex spaces and trans rights at the Scottish Labour leadership hustings.


'I have been totally cleared': Sturgeon says she was not considered for prose...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
18 Aug 2026 at 6:29pm
Nicola Sturgeon told the Edinburgh Book Festival she had been fully cleared of wrongdoing in the SNP finances investigation.


State-backed Scottish bank urged to learn lessons as losses spiral to £110m
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
18 Aug 2026 at 5:32pm
Sir John Elvidge delivers report on first five years of Scottish National Investment Bank


Hamas' political arm should be de-proscribed, says activist in council electi...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
18 Aug 2026 at 5:00pm
Mr Gregson has launched a petition urging the Home Secretary to remove Hamas? political wing from the UK?s proscribed list of terrorist groups.


Do we really want Nicola Sturgeon and Joanna Cherry at the Edinburgh Festival...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
18 Aug 2026 at 3:23pm
Nicola Sturgeon and Joanna Cherry?s Edinburgh Festival Fringe feud showed the risks and rewards of putting politicians on stage, and why it matters for voters.


Glasgow rape crisis explains why it rejected Scottish Citizens Army fundraiser
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
18 Aug 2026 at 2:39pm
Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis has defended rejecting Scottish Citizens Army fundraising amid a growing row over immigration-linked comments.


SNP ministers take GFG Alliance to court over 'unauthorised' Lochaber transac...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
18 Aug 2026 at 2:35pm
Scottish ministers are taking Sanjeev Gupta's under-pressure GFG Alliance to court after discovering "unauthorised transactions" at its Lochaber aluminium smelter, The Herald can reveal.


Fresh questions over neonatal capacity as Scotland presses ahead with shake-up
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
18 Aug 2026 at 1:17pm
Angela Constance is seeking ?rigorous reassurance? over neonatal capacity and staffing as Scotland presses ahead with plans to centralise intensive care.


Empty civil service buildings - isn't that such a waste of money?
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
18 Aug 2026 at 1:00pm
Empty desks, echoing corridors and locked meeting rooms. That is the reality of taxpayer-funded office buildings that used to house thousands of civil servants.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


The TikTok age meets the populist age - here's what is behind Burnham's videos
19 Aug 2026 at 12:59pm

In today?s attention economy, transgression is the new currency

The Scottish Greens have backed a campaign to give the Scottish morning roll UNESCO status

Vague soundbites and a nod to a populist agenda that is steeped in ideology and classism will simply not cut it

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander has shared his view on why Scottish Labour recorded its worst ever Holyrood election result

Communities need delivery not more drama

The Mining Remediation Authority says the mineshaft in nearby Alloa is not related to the unprecedented ground movement in Coalsnaughton.

The former first minister told an event she will not apologise for the crimes of her estranged husband Peter Murrell

Opposition parties say successive health secretaries have failed to get on top of cancer care in Scotland

Wings over Scotland

The Land Of Do-As-You-Please
17 Aug 2026 at 12:15pm
The contempt for the Scottish public being openly shown by public servants paid from the public purse to answer to the public has at this point reached such endemic levels that we’re not sure an acceptable level of trust can ever be salvaged. The reply above is not just evasive, not even just pathetic, it’s …

Believers In The Ruins
13 Aug 2026 at 2:01pm
Not done with celebrating defeat in an imaginary UDI yesterday, The National has gone with another big polling-based front cover today, and the party’s woke young stormtrooper drones are beside themselves with malignant glee. Let’s just see what they’re cheering about. Oh. That 29% figure is actually one point DOWN on the SNP’s support in …

The Other Kind Of Winning
12 Aug 2026 at 12:28pm
The National runs headlines like this quite often. The sort-of newspaper doesn’t actually have a sports section – it just publishes The Herald’s – but if it did you have to wonder what it would look like. That IS the story, too. The actual figure in the poll The National reports is 35%, almost exactly …

The Party Of The Dead
6 Aug 2026 at 2:17pm
The SNP’s latest accounts are out. And the zombie shambles on for another year. The headline figures sound reasonable – the party has turned a 2024 deficit of nearly £400,000 into a surplus of just over £500,000. Unfortunately that’s only had the effect of increasing its bank balance by around £110,000 to £384,320. And that …

Anatomy Of A Grift
5 Aug 2026 at 2:48pm
It’s sometimes tempting to believe that transactivists, and in particular the extra-loud attention-seeking type, are simply mad and/or stupid. But that’s not always the case, because this sounds like some actually pretty cunning work. (Click pic to enlarge.) But let’s start at the beginning. In May this year, the former Scottish Greens candidate Euan “Sophie …

The Plague
4 Aug 2026 at 3:32pm
Ever-alert Wings readers will be aware that for the past three and a half years or so I’ve been the target of a campaign by disgraced former policeman Lynsay Watson, who over that period has relentlessly attempted to get me arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned for knowing – and saying – that human beings can’t change …

Or Something
3 Aug 2026 at 9:37am
We have today sent the following email to the Crown Office. – 3 August 2026 Thank you for your letter of 30 July. I offer one last chance to reconsider. I do so having, once again, taken advice from the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates. On 1 July, you wrote to me saying inter …

The Deaf Eyes
2 Aug 2026 at 12:03pm
This email actually came in a couple of days ago, but we’ve been too dumbstruck to respond to it until now. Because, like, wow. Firstly, let’s take a moment to note the weird font change halfway through that central paragraph, as though someone else entirely butted in. Which in a sense they have, as the …

The Nobodies
27 Jul 2026 at 5:10pm
Apologies for the slightly shonky quality of this video, readers, which is due to the fact that ITV are such monumental self-sabotaging clowns that it’s not actually possible to screencap any sort of digital broadcast of theirs – screw YOU, viral content! – so we had to do this by videoing our iPad with our …

Ain?t it funny how things change?
22 Jul 2026 at 11:29am
Then, and now. (Click pic to enlarge.) Scottish politics: where repeated catastrophic failure is just another way to succeed.

Craig Murray

A Tide in the Affairs of Men
7 Aug 2026 at 9:20pm

Between ten and five years ago, specifically in the light of Brexit, it was not in the least unusual for Scottish Independence supporters to discuss a declaration of Independence as the way forward. Debate more often centred on who should make the declaration – the Scottish parliament or some form of national convention or assembly. …

A Tide in the Affairs of Men

The Hard Right Packing of the UK Supreme Court
2 Aug 2026 at 7:00pm

Unlike the USA, where it is obsessively watched, the UK has no political culture of scrutinising the political composition of its Supreme Court. This is a big mistake. The UK Supreme Court has been deliberately and openly, even ostentatiously, packed with hard-right judges selected on the specific criterion that they will not oppose the will …

The Hard Right Packing of the UK Supreme Court

Scottish Independence: Set the Date!
29 Jul 2026 at 6:30pm

  The Scottish Government urgently needs a bold and radical approach to achieving Independence in spite of the firm London veto on a referendum. It is plain that there is no plan at present. The Scottish Parliament has a pro-Independence majority and government. This is how to achieve Independence consistent with international law and practice. …

Scottish Independence: Set the Date!

Narratives of Moral Conflict: Karim Khan and Delcy Rodriguez
26 Jul 2026 at 6:09am

Social media is not conducive to nuance. In the interest of reach, cut and dried positions are more effective and binary moral judgement expected. This leads to over-simplification of complex issues, and to skipping over facts inconvenient to your chosen narrative. There are issues affecting two high-profile people where it is worth considering the detail …

Narratives of Moral Conflict: Karim Khan and Delcy Rodriguez

Where Are We Going?
20 Jul 2026 at 1:25pm

An advert for the RNLI caught my attention because it indicated that the majority of their income comes from bequests in wills. The pitch was that, after you provide for your loved ones, you should leave money to the RNLI. I have no problem with this, having generations of lifeboatmen in my ancestry, but it …

Where Are We Going?

Extreme Unionism and Res Judicata
14 Jul 2026 at 5:02pm

Unsurprisingly, today at the Court of Session Lord Young refused to lift his suspension or “sist” of the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. He did however grant us leave to appeal against this decision. What was surprising was an extreme extension of the UK government’s argument. The UK government stated that …

Extreme Unionism and Res Judicata

BBC Scotland

Taxpayers will foot bill for shortfall on PFI hospital upgrades
19 Aug 2026 at 5:56am
Tens of millions of pounds will be needed to bring the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh up to scratch when it transfers to public ownership next year.

Watchdog finds £22m of fraud and errors in Scotland's public services
19 Aug 2026 at 5:56am
They include overpaid pensions, council tax discounts that should not have been claimed and £1.1m in duplicate payments for goods and services.

Ferguson shipyard to cut a quarter of its workforce
18 Aug 2026 at 1:56pm
The state-owned yard on the Clyde will lose 70 of its 283 staff through a voluntary redundancy process as it awaits confirmation of promised new orders.

Lennon criticises 'nasty' Scottish Labour as leadership bid fails
17 Aug 2026 at 5:39pm
Michael Marra and Joe Fagan secured enough to support to run to replace Anas Sarwar.

What is happening with the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields?
17 Aug 2026 at 8:58am
The UK government has moved a step closer to making a decision on whether to approve further drilling.

Hospital concerns ignored for 15 years, scientist tells inquiry
16 Aug 2026 at 4:42pm
Dr Michael Bradnam said recurring patient safety issues at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital were ignored.

Victims call for sex attackers to be excluded from early release plans
14 Aug 2026 at 6:16am
Scottish government plans could see long-term prisoners released early to free up more space in prisons.

Temporary ban on disposable BBQs as military deployed to help battle wildfires
15 Aug 2026 at 4:58am
Single-use grills pose a "significant risk to the public" in current drought and heatwave conditions, the government warns.

Count Binface to perform at Fringe after by-election defeat
14 Aug 2026 at 2:56pm
The alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey finished second to Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election.

Scottish Labour leader hopefuls warn against party divisions
12 Aug 2026 at 10:20pm
Monica Lennon, Joe Fagan and Michael Marra are competing to fill the post vacated by Anas Sarwar.

Scotland's public spending deficit falls as tax take rises
12 Aug 2026 at 11:43am
Ministers have published the annual Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (Gers) report.

Swinney calls for Burnham rethink on Chinese factory in Highlands
12 Aug 2026 at 4:39pm
The first minister is dismissing claims he is putting political point scoring before national security concerns.

Scot Goes Pop

YouGov poll suggests Andy Burnham is faring about as well in Scotland as the ...
19 Aug 2026 at 1:24pm
History doesn't record whether the Roman Emperor tried to win over the reluctant Caledonian tribes by setting up a "Senate North" somewhere really northern and close to them (like Milan), but even ...

Liberation Scotland's wish to disenfranchise one million "incomers" - isn't t...
17 Aug 2026 at 11:02pm
I was thinking of writing a blogpost tonight about the latest chapter in Stew's prolonged temper tantrum about the Crown Office and Police Scotland impertinently refusing to accept that he is their...

"Yeah, you know that John Major guy? The Council of Europe FORCED him to giv...
17 Aug 2026 at 1:02pm
As I said in a recent video, I've tried hard to remain open-minded about Salvo's approach to independence campaigning - not because I think there's the remotest chance of them achieving their state...

Some free - and mostly sincere - advice for Scottish Labour
16 Aug 2026 at 10:30pm
Scottish Labour have finally learned the lessons of two decades of defeats and realised what they need is another soul-crushing machine politician from Lanarkshire that no-one has ever heard of. Be...

Stew reacts badly to poll showing the SNP with a double-digit lead over Labou...
15 Aug 2026 at 11:17pm
The controversial Faragist blogger Stuart Campbell, known almost universally as "Stew", urged his followers to help elect a Labour government at the 2024 general election on a tactical anti-SNP bas...

Seven Days Of Retro Scot Goes Pop - a marathon of conventional text-blogging ...
14 Aug 2026 at 11:45pm
Click here to go straight to my Ko-Fi donation page.Those of you who have been keeping an eye on the footer of each post will know I've been making slow but steady progress towards using Ko-Fi to m...

Analysis of the very strange Clacton by-election result
14 Aug 2026 at 11:07am
Just a quick note to let you know that I was up early this morning to write an analysis piece about the Clacton by-election result for The National, and you can read it HERE.I know that Reform have...

The Scottish REVOLUTION! Almost half of Scottish voters demand U.D.I. in hist...
13 Aug 2026 at 10:17pm
I now have seventeen regular monthly Ko-Fi supporters, thanks to another recent sign-up.  I reckon if I could get up to several dozen monthly supporters that would make it sustainable for me to kee...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Scottish Labour leadership contenders to face off in Scotland Tonight hustings
19 Aug 2026 at 11:47am
STV political editor Colin Mackay will moderate debate between Michael Marra and Joe Fagan.

Hatred and extremism have no place in Scotland ? First Minister
18 Aug 2026 at 10:30am
John Swinney will bring together anti-racism organisations on Tuesday

Reform?s welfare pledges aim to please pensioners
17 Aug 2026 at 5:06pm
Reform UK announced that the party wants to stop foreign nationals receiving benefits ? including EU citizens with settled status

Scottish Labour leadership nominations closed as candidates narrowed down to two
17 Aug 2026 at 11:01am
Only Marra and Fagan were successful in meeting the threshold required to be eligible for the leadership ballot. 

Nominations close in contest to be Scottish Labour?s new leader
17 Aug 2026 at 8:01am
Anas Sarwar quit Holyrood to join the Lords and be a minister in Andy Burnham?s government.

PM urged to stick to spirit of Labour manifesto and reject Jackdaw and Rosebank
16 Aug 2026 at 7:34pm
The plea to Andy Burnham comes from campaigners at Stop Climate Chaos Scotland.

Flynn reveals he resigned as Westminster leader weeks before Holyrood election
15 Aug 2026 at 6:39pm
Former Westminster leader Stephen Flynn made the comments at Edinburgh Fringe event Political Party with Matt Forde.

Swinney urges commentators to ?consider impact of words? after Jason Arday death
15 Aug 2026 at 6:01pm
Scotland?s First Minister described the death of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday as being a ?deeply concerning and sad case?.

Sturgeon?s SNP book comments were a ?mistake?, says Flynn
15 Aug 2026 at 3:58pm
The former Westminster leader was asked about the comments at the Edinburgh Fringe event the Political Party with Matt Forde.

Scottish Labour must be bold in wake of election defeat, says leadership hopeful
14 Aug 2026 at 11:49am
Joe Fagan said the party must now look to ?shape what happens next?

Farage wins in Clacton as police contest ?credible threat? claim at count
14 Aug 2026 at 8:57am
A record 34 candidates were standing, with satirical candidate Count Binface as Farage's main challenger, after the other mainstream parties declined to stand

Scottish Labour has said it must change ? but I can?t see much on offer to do so
13 Aug 2026 at 1:08pm
Colin Mackay looks at how the Scottish Labour leadership contenders fared as they faced each other for the first time at a party hustings

Scottish young people call on Andy Burnham to rethink social media ban
13 Aug 2026 at 7:29am
Youth groups have warned the Prime Minister the plans could lead young people to less regulated parts of the internet.

Swinney urged to meet campaigners demanding pause on hyperscale data centres
12 Aug 2026 at 7:01am
Councils are due to decide on two proposed data centres in Auchertool, Fife, and Larbert, near Falkirk.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scottish Labour MSP says a woman must be a candidate in all future leadership...
19 Aug 2026 at 10:18am
EXCLUSIVE: Katy Clark said Scottish Labour's rules must change to guarantee a female is a candidate in the future.

Alex Salmond legal action against SNP Government 'moving towards' court hearing
19 Aug 2026 at 4:30am
A spokesman for Paul McManus told the Record the aim of the legal action is to seek "damages from Scottish Ministers arising from the unlawful handling of complaints against the late Alex Salmond".

Michael Marra to back commission to slash child poverty if he becomes Scottis...
19 Aug 2026 at 4:27am
EXCLUSIVE: The North East MSP likened his plan to the Smith Commission set up after the independence referendum.

Scottish Labour leadership candidate says dying mum shared ward with 'violent...
18 Aug 2026 at 7:51pm
Michael Marra shared the personal anecdote when explaining his support for single sex spaces.

Nicola Sturgeon: It's not for me to apologise for the crimes of Peter Murrell
18 Aug 2026 at 4:59pm
Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the former first minister described the SNP as her "extended family" - but refused to be blamed for crimes committed by her husband during her...

Joe Fagan rules out ever supporting indyref2 if he becomes Scottish Labour le...
18 Aug 2026 at 12:00pm
EXCLUSIVE: The South Scotland MSP slammed the door on any suggestion of a Labour u-turn on a referendum.

Ferguson Marine to slash shipyard jobs after 'calamitous' ferry contract awar...
18 Aug 2026 at 9:45am
The Port Glasgow shipyard has struggled to deliver a contract awarded in 2015 to build two large car ferries.

John Swinney urged to come clean on whether SNP Government supports Rosebank ...
18 Aug 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The First Minister has been told he should be "backing Scotland's workers" as the wait goes on to see if the UK Government will sanction a major new oil field off the coast of Shetland.

Scottish Labour must be able to disagree with UK party 'without fear of repri...
17 Aug 2026 at 2:30pm
Just For Scotland, which campaigns for Scottish Labour to separate from the UK party, said it was concerned by reports of a backlash from the party's HQ ahead of May's election.

Scottish Labour are like a struggling football team at the bottom of League One
17 Aug 2026 at 2:27pm
In an opinion piece, Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says Scottish Labour shows few signs of learning from the mistakes of the past.

The National

The National | Politics

The National is looking for a new Political Reporter to join the team
19 Aug 2026 at 3:50pm

The National is looking for a journalist who lives and breathes Scottish politics to join the team ...

Scottish Government urged to act on homelessness amid Andy Burnham plan
19 Aug 2026 at 3:17pm

THE Scottish Government is being urged to produce its own plan of action on homelessness after Andy Burnham announced a national drive to end rough sleeping.

Greens motion pledges fiscal autonomy for Holyrood and Senedd
19 Aug 2026 at 3:10pm

A GREEN Party motion has set out how the party would ?not obstruct Scottish independence? and would grant full fiscal autonomy to Holyrood if they won power in Westminster.

MSP vows action on 'millionaire landowner threatening historic Skye ferry'
19 Aug 2026 at 2:51pm

WEALTHY landowners cannot be allowed to ?trample over our history?, an MSP has said amid concerns about the future of a historic Scottish ferry said to be the last of its kind in the world ...

Labour blasted for 'hiding analysis' of AI used to guess asylum seeker ages
19 Aug 2026 at 2:26pm

THE UK Government has been accused of "hiding analysis" of AI facial recognition technology used to assess disputed ages of asylum seekers ...

What the SNP can learn about Scottish independence from movement in Wales
19 Aug 2026 at 2:06pm

IF Scottish independence is to regain its momentum, it must look south ...

Andy Burnham took more than £13k in freebies before becoming PM
19 Aug 2026 at 1:50pm

Andy Burnham took more than £13,000 worth of freebies including horseracing tickets and a trip to Glastonbury before becoming Prime Minister

Taxpayers face multi-million-pound bill as Scottish hospital PFI contract exp...
19 Aug 2026 at 12:59pm

SCOTTISH taxpayers will be left with a bill running into the tens of millions of pounds when a PFI (private finance initiative) contract behind a hospital in Edinburgh expires next year ...

76 jobs at Scottish tech firm safeguarded as government announces £1.9m grant
19 Aug 2026 at 12:51pm

MORE than 70 jobs at a trailblazing tech firm in Fife have been safeguarded after the Scottish Government awarded the company a £1.9 million grant ...

US sanctions more senior International Criminal Court staff in 'flagrant attack'
19 Aug 2026 at 12:47pm

The International Criminal Court has condemned the latest US sanctions targeting its senior staff as a 'flagrant attack' on the global tribunal?s independence

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Scottish Government launches surveys on children?s experiences of online life
19 Aug 2026 at 4:21pm
Answers to these ?digital wellbeing? surveys will help shape action to be taken in devolved areas

AI business adoption programme opens for second year
19 Aug 2026 at 3:43pm
It is backed by ?1.8m

National fraud exercise saves over ?20m in two years
19 Aug 2026 at 7:00am
It takes the total saving since the National Fraud Initiative began in Scotland to ?201m

Up to 70 job losses expected at beleaguered shipyard
18 Aug 2026 at 11:56am
The CEO of Ferguson Marine said redundancies were needed due to an ?inevitable gap in workload?

Satellite tech to be deployed on remote ScotRail service
18 Aug 2026 at 1:01am
It is hoped the trial will improve internet access on West Highland services

Scottish Labour dismisses ?no confidence? motion against general secretary
17 Aug 2026 at 4:48pm
'Deep concern and anger' over selection process

Scottish ministers tighten planning approval process for large-scale data cen...
17 Aug 2026 at 1:00pm
Public finance minister Hannah Mary Goodlad has intervened in three proposals

Monica Lennon fails in Labour leadership bid as nominations close
17 Aug 2026 at 12:10pm
Head-to-head between Joe Fagan and Michael Marra confirmed

Glasgow council staff face pay cut in new equal pay deal
17 Aug 2026 at 12:00pm
Winners and losers as City Administration Committee to rule on phased change

Consultation on Rosebank oil field to close today
17 Aug 2026 at 7:00am
The end of the consultation by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) at midnight will follow the completion of a similar process for the Jackdaw gas field last week

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Police Scotland warns ?robust security? needed to stop attacks on AI datacentres
14 Aug 2026 at 5:05pm
?A great deal of public opposition is likely? to a proposed datacentre near Edinburgh, the force saysPolice in Scotland have issued a stark warning about the need for ?robust security measures? to stop proposed AI datacentres from being attacked by protesters.There has been mounting opposition to...

Polls open in Clacton, where Farage spent more than £10,000 in byelection aga...
13 Aug 2026 at 3:54pm
The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelectionThe number of patients in England being cared for in hospital corridors or makeshift areas has remained above 3,000 a day for the second month in a row, as the NHS experiences a ?summer surge?, the Pre...

UK politics: Burnham urges retailers to stop selling disposable barbecues aft...
12 Aug 2026 at 7:10pm
PM warns extreme heat conditions ?could be with us fo some time yet?Just 20 staff are working on climate adaptation within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the part of government tasked with protecting the environment and maintaining food security, a freedom of information ...

Amnesty International says Farage putting ?hate and inhumanity? over leadersh...
10 Aug 2026 at 5:03pm
A spokesperson for the human rights group likened the proposal to ?financial brutality with British taxpayers? money?Farage and Yusuf are now taking questions.Q: From Jack Fenwick from the BBC Are there other countries where you might send foreign offenders? And how much would this cost?We have...

Nicola Sturgeon ?has not spoken to? estranged husband, Peter Murrell, since h...
8 Aug 2026 at 3:50pm
Scotland?s former first minister says she will not visit Murrell in prison, where he is serving five-year sentence for embezzling SNP fundsNicola Surgeon has said she will not visit her estranged husband, Peter Murrell, in prison, has stopped speaking to him and views herself as a ?mug? for worry...

UK politics: Tories? Philp rejects French claim that shots fired from naval b...
28 Jul 2026 at 6:01pm
Shadow minister says there was no warning and ?it looked and sounded like deliberate intimidation?Conservative MP accuses French navy of firing shots near him in ChannelIt is not just the Russians firing on Brits in the English Channel; Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, has accused a French...

Poll shows Labour ahead of Reform UK for first time since Burnham became PM ?...
27 Jul 2026 at 5:45pm
New PM says he ?wouldn?t get carried away? by latest polling but says he is pleased if he has ?connected with people?I have already posted lines from Andy Burnham?s BBC interview on reforming social care (see 9.03am), making council tax fairer (see 10.03am), and ruling out an early election (see ...

Evacuated villagers in Cairngorms allowed home after wildfire threat lifts
25 Jul 2026 at 11:08pm
Scottish first minister thanks Nethy Bridge residents and aid workers after earlier requesting UK military aid to fight 10-day fireResidents of Nethy Bridge have been told they can return to their homes after a large fire broke out in the Cairngorms national park.Supt Judy Hill of Police Scotland...

Scottish Labour?s rivals decry ?chancer? Anas Sarwar for resigning to join An...
22 Jul 2026 at 11:17pm
New prime minister has made Sarwar ? the first senior Labour figure to call for Keir Starmer?s resignation ? a peerScottish Labour?s rivals in Holyrood have slammed Anas Sarwar?s shock decision to resign as leader to sit in Andy Burnham?s new government, calling him a ?chancer? and accusing him o...

Celtic leaders doubt Burnham?s devolution drive will go beyond England?s borders
6 Jul 2026 at 4:00pm
Would-be prime minister has made basic missteps in pitches to Wales, Scotland and Northern IrelandAndy Burnham?s devolution promises are yet to impress sceptical Celtic administrations hoping for a reset with Westminster, sources in Cardiff and Edinburgh have said.Burnham, who is expected to take...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The BBC, the Reform UK Broadcasting corporation
17 Aug 2026 at 4:04pm
Although in recent weeks the Reform UK bandwagon looks as though it has hit a roadblock in the form of scandals about the party’s addiction to dodgy donations, the media in the UK continues to do its utmost to treat Farage’s party as the government in waiting. Reform has a mere eight MPs, it is …

Farage?s pyrrhic victory over a bin
14 Aug 2026 at 11:38am
Of course Farage won the by election in Clacton which he called in an attempt to pre-empt a Parliamentary investigation into his dodgy finances. And of course Farage is crowing about his “decisive victory against the “establishment” candidate, a vainglorious boast when that candidate was a man with a bin on his head and all …

GERSmas Day 2026
11 Aug 2026 at 8:22pm
It’s always welcome to have some good news for independence, but that’s especially true on GERSmas eve as the British media in Scotland and anti-independence campaigners gear themselves up for their annual orgy of too wee too poor too stupid in the form of GERS Figures which purport to demonstrate that Scotland is an economic …

The nasty party gets nastier
9 Aug 2026 at 3:04pm
The Tories are on a mission. Having had the title of the Nasty Party wrested away from them by Reform UK and by the even more unpleasant Restore Britain, Kemi Badenoch is determined to prove that the Conservatives are the original and best, or should that be worst, nasties of them all. Last week we …

Even good news is spun into SNPbad by the media in Scotland
5 Aug 2026 at 6:58pm
It’s often said there are two kinds of people in the world, those who say the glass is half full, and those who say it’s half empty. This is in fact inaccurate as there is a third kind, those who say: “Oh my God! That glass is about to shatter into a thousand jaggy shards, …

Burnham?s mini bounce
1 Aug 2026 at 1:39pm
Our visitors have left now. It was lovely to see them. As far as the blog is concerned I’m able to type again. There was a problem with the keyboard on my laptop which has now been repaired. Top tip, don’t spill tea on your laptop. So it’s back to blogging as usual. Andy Burnham …

Why you should subscribe to The National
1 Aug 2026 at 1:15pm
The National’s summer sale is running until Thursday 6 August. During this limited time period you can purchase an annual subscription to Scotland’s only pro-independence newspaper for the bargain price of £20. You might not agree with everything published by The National, but that’s inevitable in a publication which carries the weight of an entire …

Lord Sarwar of Brass Neck
21 Jul 2026 at 9:59pm
It seems to be a law of Scottish politics, or perhaps it’s more likely it’s just a personal curse, but whenever I try and take some time off from the blog a big story breaks and it’s back to the keyboard. What is most definitely a law of Scottish politics is that I’m not nationalist …

Silly season politics
17 Jul 2026 at 4:01pm
With Friday’s coronation of Andy Burnham as leader of the Labour party and his official accession to Ten Downing Street on Monday, the UK is now on its seventh prime minister in ten years. Meanwhile the man who wants to become prime minister after the next general election is fighting a by election with a …

Reform UK?s attack on Scottish languages
14 Jul 2026 at 4:44pm
It’s the greatest attempted Westminster assault on Scottish culture since the Jacobite wars. Reform UK has proposed an amendment to the UK Government’s elections bill which would criminalise the use of any languages other than English or Welsh on electoral material and impose a punishment of up to six months in prison and/or a fine. …

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

Scotland producing ?only? FIVE times as much gas as it consumes ? how could w...
19 Aug 2026 at 3:33pm
From the Guardian today: The penny is dropping in government. Britain, even in rapid energy transition mode, will still need a lot of gas in the years ahead ? and needs to know how the gas will arrive. It could hardly be otherwise when there are 24m households with a gas connection, largely for heating, and the pace of heat pumps adoption is miserable. Last year gas comprised about a third of t...

Thanks to these Ian Lang, Michael Forsyth and Donald Dewar Scottish taxpayers...
19 Aug 2026 at 3:32pm
From BBC Scotland today: Tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ cash will be needed to bring the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) up to scratch when it transfers to public ownership next year, BBC Scotland can reveal. The RIE was built in 2002 using the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) model which saw operator Consort Healthcare receive around £1bn to build and then maintain the hospital ov...

Scotland rejected failing NHS England cancer diagnosis system revealed to be ...
19 Aug 2026 at 3:28pm
From the Guardian today, the above and: Cancer diagnoses have been missed or delayed because of a system designed for GPs to seek specialist advice before referring patients to hospital, according to an investigation. The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) identified patient risks linked to how advice and guidance (A+G) services have been implemented across England. A+G was brou...

Burnham?s second plan to get rough sleeping off streets will struggle to matc...
19 Aug 2026 at 3:25pm
No exploitative images of hooded weans sitting in the rain begging, like the media love, here. From BBC UK today: Every rough sleeper in England will be offered accommodation this winter, the prime minister has said. Andy Burnham made ending rough sleeping his first pledge when entering Downing Street in July and now says he wants “to get everyone in for Christmas”. Emergency accommodation will...

Tory spokesperson in Scotsman hiding NHS Scotland?s cancer treatment performi...
19 Aug 2026 at 10:08am
In the Scotsman today, under the frontpage headline ‘Ministers warned of ‘ticking timebomb’ of cancer cases’, Miles Briggs (above) is allowed to present the fakest of fake news with a view to undermining the SNP: Leaping over the opening statements to the ten year change figures which do show significant increases in cancer incidence over that decade, he ignores the fact that this has resulted ...

Proportionally 4 times as many children in England & Wales face domestic abus...
19 Aug 2026 at 9:27am
made about domestic abuse has increased by more than a quarter in a year. The NSPCC Helpline Made 276 referrals to agencies in Scotland las year where the main concern was domestic abuse. That’s up 27% on the previous 12 months. This is another of those Reporting Scotland stories not fully written up on their website. Often this means that the dramatic figures will not stand up to scrutiny. How...

Update ? If Glasgow IS so violent why IS it a far, far, safer city for your b...
18 Aug 2026 at 3:51pm
Update - Thanks to those commenting especially stewartb for clarifying that these are city-wide figures and not just those for campus areas. From How safe is your city? in the Complete University Guide for 2025, the Cities with the lowest violent crime: Bath the lowest at 6.5 attacks per 1 000 population, per year. The sites with the highest violent crime levels would have you banning them goin...

Alleged former member of 77th Brigade army force that specialises in ?special...
18 Aug 2026 at 3:29pm
When that face popped up in my Facebook feed, I immediately thought – ‘Kate Watson – 77th Brigade!’ I’d thought she had been instrumental in blocking the selection of the leftist Monica Lennon in the current leadership election but it’s about her failing to deal with the Irshad Ahmed row: Why did I think it was about blocking a leftist? This: From the Morning Star in April 2019: PROMINENT Scott...

In 2002, nearly a quarter of a century ago, Nicola Sturgeon opposed building ...
18 Aug 2026 at 3:21pm
Many thanks to one of our Anons for alerting us to this from 2002 when a Labour/Lib Dem coalition ran Scotland, 5 years before the first SNP minority government, and Labour was in its 80th year of rule in Glasgow: From Acute Services Review (Glasgow) ? in the Scottish Parliament at 11:06 am on 12 September 2002. https://www.theyworkforyou.com/sp/?id=2002-09-12.13633.0&s=%22Acute+Services+Review...

25 000 fewer in Scotland not on the claimant count due to better government
18 Aug 2026 at 3:14pm
From Labour Market Trends: August 2026 published today: In July 2026, the claimant count in Scotland was estimated at 106,800, a decrease of 1,000 (-0.9%) over the month and an increase of 4,600 (4.5%) over the year. The claimant count unemployment rate estimate in July 2026 was 3.6%, compared with 4.3% for the UK as a whole. https://www.gov.scot/publications/labour-market-trends-august-2026/ T...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

What the SNP can learn about Scottish independence from movement in Wales - T...
19 Aug 2026 at 3:52pm
What the SNP can learn about Scottish independence from movement in Wales  The National Scot

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?

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation

Burnham tells Swinney independence is 'off limits' at Commonwealth Games meet...
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Burnham tells Swinney independence is 'off limits' at Commonwealth Games meeting  BBC

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

Andy Burnham would oppose second Scottish independence referendum - BBC
6 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Andy Burnham would oppose second Scottish independence referendum  BBC

New interactive polling tool maps how Scottish independence can be won or los...
17 Aug 2026 at 7:46am
New interactive polling tool maps how Scottish independence can be won or lost  The National Scot

Beyond Constitutional Groundhog Day: The 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election...
15 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Beyond Constitutional Groundhog Day: The 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election  Verfassungsblog

Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots? - France 24
27 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots?  France 24

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP appoints Neeraj Athalye as India MD to expand partner-led SAP transformat...
19 Aug 2026 at 10:17am
SNP appoints Neeraj Athalye as India MD to expand partner-led SAP transformation  CRN Asia

Labour 'misjudged' SNP's popularity, Douglas Alexander admits after election ...
19 Aug 2026 at 9:13am
Labour 'misjudged' SNP's popularity, Douglas Alexander admits after election defeat  The National Scot

Douglas Alexander: We 'misjudged' how popular the SNP would be - The Scotsman
19 Aug 2026 at 6:00am
Douglas Alexander: We 'misjudged' how popular the SNP would be  The Scotsman

How the SNP failed Ferguson Marine - The Spectator
19 Aug 2026 at 1:31pm
How the SNP failed Ferguson Marine  The Spectator

SNP plans human rights law to ?get around? Supreme Court sex ruling - The Times
15 Aug 2026 at 8:00pm
SNP plans human rights law to ?get around? Supreme Court sex ruling  The Times

JKM vs SNP, 10th Match, Caribbean Premier League 2026 - Commentary - Cricbuzz
19 Aug 2026 at 12:29pm
JKM vs SNP, 10th Match, Caribbean Premier League 2026 - Commentary  Cricbuzz

Sturgeon says she was ?never even considered for prosecution? over SNP cash -...
19 Aug 2026 at 11:26am
Sturgeon says she was ?never even considered for prosecution? over SNP cash  London Evening Standard

There?s little love for the SNP ? so why does the party look set to win in Sc...
6 May 2026 at 8:00am
There?s little love for the SNP ? so why does the party look set to win in Scotland?  The Conversation

SNP fail to block AI Data Centres - Scottish Greens
17 Aug 2026 at 1:49pm
SNP fail to block AI Data Centres  Scottish Greens

SNP appoints Neeraj Athalye as Managing Director for India strengthening its ...
19 Aug 2026 at 7:05am
SNP appoints Neeraj Athalye as Managing Director for India strengthening its partner?first and best-data-for business-AI strategy  Caledonian Record

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google 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

Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum - BBC
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum  BBC

Scottish Parliament backs move for new independence vote - NZ Herald
26 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Parliament backs move for new independence vote  NZ Herald

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?

Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause? -...
4 Jun 2026 at 8:00am
Does the Scottish election result advance or hinder the independence cause?  The Conversation

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

Andy Burnham would oppose second Scottish independence referendum - BBC
6 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Andy Burnham would oppose second Scottish independence referendum  BBC

New interactive polling tool maps how Scottish independence can be won or los...
17 Aug 2026 at 7:46am
New interactive polling tool maps how Scottish independence can be won or lost  The National Scot

Beyond Constitutional Groundhog Day: The 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election...
15 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
Beyond Constitutional Groundhog Day: The 2026 Scottish Parliamentary Election  Verfassungsblog

Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum - ...
11 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland's head of government vows to hold another independence referendum  ConstitutionNet