The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Rats, maggots and mice: NHS spends £4.3 million on pest control since 2019
3 Jan 2025 at 12:01am
More than £4 million has been spent tackling pest control across NHS buildings in Scotland in five years, with rats, maggots and mice amongst the issues.


Alex Salmond aide to step down as Alba Party general secretary
2 Jan 2025 at 10:15am
A key aide to Alex Salmond has insisted it is ?only fair? he steps down as Alba Party general secretary when a new leader is installed.


Cost of food for prisoners higher than some Scottish hospitals
2 Jan 2025 at 9:04am
Prisoners are being fed better than patients at some Scottish hospitals, a Tory politician has claimed.


More than 1500 babies born dependent on drugs, new figures show
2 Jan 2025 at 12:03am
More than 1,500 babies have been born dependent on drugs in Scotland since 2017, figures obtained under freedom of information by the Scottish Liberal Democrats have revealed.


Slater: It would be difficult to work in government with Scottish Labour
2 Jan 2025 at 6:33am
The Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater has said it would be "difficult" for her party to work with Scottish Labour in governmentat Holyrood.


Slater opens door to new Bute House Agreement with SNP after 2026 election
2 Jan 2025 at 5:00am
"The Scottish Greens would always seek to have as much influence to deliver policies like we have delivered free bus travel for under 22s, getting bills through like the circular economy act. We are here to get things done. We want to be as effective as possible."


Caledonian Sleeper commuters lodge nearly 900 complaints since nationalisation
1 Jan 2025 at 12:01am
Commuters complained about the Caledonian Sleeper service almost 900 times since it was nationalised 18 months ago.


Scotland Minister: ?Life is about trade offs and difficult decisions?
1 Jan 2025 at 5:00am
Kirsty McNeill reflects on her time as adviser to Gordon Brown, her charity experience and what her priorities are in the Scotland Office post.


Revealed: Salmond rail plan to cut Glasgow to Edinburgh travel to 18 minutes
1 Jan 2025 at 11:19am
Newly released cabinet papers reveal Alex Salmond?s government gave serious consideration to building a high-speed rail link between Edinburgh and Glasgow that would have cut journey times to 18 minutes, including a stop at Edinburgh Airport.


Beyond Breaking Point: Inside The Herald's look at Scotland?s legal aid crisis
31 Dec 2024 at 5:00am
Scotland?s legal aid system is at breaking point. A shrinking workforce, low fees, and mounting bureaucracy are leaving vulnerable people without representation, risking miscarriages of justice.


Travel soars in 2024 but others struggle in quagmire of high costs
31 Dec 2024 at 4:30am
The aviation industry was among those that continued to soar in 2024 while others such as the hospitality sector remained mired in rising costs


SNP £20m budget pledge could see Shetland tunnel 'first to open by end of 2030'
31 Dec 2024 at 5:01am
"This Sottish Government funding makes it possible that we could be driving through a tunnel in Shetland during this decade, with more in construction."


Greens demand ban on private sale of fireworks after death of baby red panda
31 Dec 2024 at 5:04am
MSP Maggie Chapman said 2024 had been a year ?marred by firework chaos? and has called for an end to ?dangerous, unorganised displays in residential areas? in Scotland.


Emily Gray: Plunging trust in our politicians spells trouble ahead for 2025
31 Dec 2024 at 6:30am
The year in polling 2024 has been a remarkable year for elections, with voters heading to the polls in more than 60 countries around the world. There has been more information available to voters to help them make up their minds than ever before. But in an era of political disruption and rapid technological progress, including the rise of Generative AI, there has also been much more misinformation, making it trickier than ever for the electorate to tell true from false. Political polls help to tell the story of election campaigns and provide important evidence for political parties and the public alike on how voters are leaning, as well as their views and concerns. 2024 was a bumper year for polls, both in Scotland and around the world. July?s General Election saw the number of Scotland polls more than triple compared with the previous General Election in 2019. The sheer number of polls ? both traditional opinion polls and the newer kid on the block, MRPs ? provided valuable evidence but also risked overwhelm at times during the campaign.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


SNP ministers urged to improve NHS estate after £4m spent on pest control
3 Jan 2025 at 12:02am

Pests reported included pigeons, seagulls, wasps, ants, rats, mice, maggots and cockroaches

The Scottish Government said travel is an essential part of official business

The annual number born with neonatal abstinence syndrome has also risen

The rise went against that requested by the operator

Wings over Scotland

Once more around
31 Dec 2024 at 11:59pm

And Then What?
29 Dec 2024 at 1:34pm
Look, we know that mocking front pages on The National is low-hanging fruit, and this particular example could hardly be any more of a self-parody if it tried. But just for the sheer mental exercise in that stone-dead last week of December when nobody even knows what day it is, let’s imagine if it came …

Bad Santa
21 Dec 2024 at 12:37am

The Cost Of Truth
17 Dec 2024 at 1:39pm
The Scottish Government just issued another response in the long-running Freedom Of Information battle with alert Wings reader Benjamin Harrop over its conspiracy to frame and imprison the late Alex Salmond on false charges. Here’s a genuine extract. Yeah, definitely nothing to hide here. The release came a couple of days after the Scottish Information …

Trump?s Card
14 Dec 2024 at 6:59am

Keeping the fire burning
12 Dec 2024 at 12:21pm
Since it was founded back in November 2011, Wings Over Scotland has been solely financed by its readers. The site has never carried any advertising, we have no secret corporate backers, everything we do is funded by transparent voluntary donations and subscriptions, mostly of a few pounds a month. We have the freedom to write …

The Wage Thief
9 Dec 2024 at 2:33pm
6 November 2024 was a normal sitting day in the Scottish Parliament, so we shouldn’t be surprised that Nicola Sturgeon spent the previous evening in London, watching a special screening of a dreadful BBC Three sitcom about – of course – drag queens. But remarkably, though she must have been puffy-eyed and weary, the 6th …

Take your partners
7 Dec 2024 at 10:18am

The New Britain
3 Dec 2024 at 2:43pm
So things are getting pretty strange. Polling in Scotland, the UK and Wales in the last few days has shown Great Britain taking a fairly heavy swerve to the right after just five months of Sir Keir Starmer’s government. Labour now lead Reform (who have five seats to Labour’s 411) by just three points in …

What Went On
28 Nov 2024 at 12:51pm
The proceedings at the Supreme Court this week were a tough follow even if you could get the court’s abominably bad livestream to work. They’re all archived here now, but non-lawyers will probably glaze over quickly during the nine hours of intense legalese. We’re not allowed to clip up any illustrative sections, on pain of …

Craig Murray

The Bank Israel Bombed
23 Dec 2024 at 8:59pm

Israel has relentlessly bombed all 38 branches of the Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association in Lebanon. Why is it so important to the Zionist cause to specifically obliterate a savings and loan institution? I investigate in our fourth mini-documentary from Lebanon. Click on the “Closed Captions” option at the bottom of the video and you will get …

The Bank Israel Bombed

Lebanon and Syria: My Interview for L?Indipendente
17 Dec 2024 at 9:46am

What’s happening in Lebanon: interview with former British Ambassador Craig Murray 11 December 2024 – 19:00 The current situation in Lebanon is more delicate than ever. Despite the entry into force of the fragile cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel, the Jewish state continues to violate the terms of the agreement, claiming that it is only …

Lebanon and Syria: My Interview for L’Indipendente

Imperialism is Winning
16 Dec 2024 at 12:57pm

After six weeks in Beirut, duing which I witnessed a substantial swing in the balance of power in the Middle East in favour of the Greater Israel project, it is time to take stock. My reporting and advocacy work has no source of finance at all other than your contributions to keep us going. …

Imperialism is Winning

Abolishing Democracy in Europe
14 Dec 2024 at 2:17pm

On 4 October I spoke to a meeting of the United European Left group of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Arriving a bit early, I sat through a presentation by a Moldovan judge, Victoria Sanduta, who was formerly the President of the Association of Judges in Moldova. She had recently been dismissed, …

Abolishing Democracy in Europe

Costs ? Much Less Boring Than You Expect
12 Dec 2024 at 8:27am

You have probably noticed my frenetic and uncharacteristic appeals for donations across social media. This has been an experiment as to whether genuinely independent reporting from a colonialist war zone is possible, and the answer may be “No”. I want to explain the costs to you. Leaving aside for a paragraph or two the costs …

Costs – Much Less Boring Than You Expect

On the Lebanese/Syrian Border
11 Dec 2024 at 6:36am

Where reality is very different from what the BBC and CNN are telling you. My reporting and advocacy work has no source of finance at all other than your contributions to keep us going. We get nothing from any state nor any billionaire. Anybody is welcome to republish and reuse, including in translation. Because …

On the Lebanese/Syrian Border

BBC Scotland

'Green' ferry emits more CO2 than old diesel ship
31 Dec 2024 at 2:01pm
One transport expert tells the BBC it might be better to run the new CalMac ferry on diesel.

NHS coping despite flu 'upsurge' - Swinney
28 Dec 2024 at 1:29pm
The first minister has urged eligible Scots to get vaccinated after a warning from public health authorities.

Fishermen warn industry at risk of being 'crushed'
26 Dec 2024 at 2:20pm
The Scottish Fishermen's Federation said EU deals and offshore wind expansion could put hundreds of jobs at risk.

£90,000-a-year patient safety role remains unfilled
24 Dec 2024 at 10:57pm
A law creating a Patient Safety Commissioner post was passed last year - but no-one has yet been found to take it on.

Ambulance service declares highest level of emergency
24 Dec 2024 at 11:42am
The Scottish Ambulance Service stepped up its resource escalation action plan due to "significant pressures" last week.

Sex message complaint about council boss last year
23 Dec 2024 at 11:55am
A constituent accused former Edinburgh council leader Cammy Day of sending unsolicited nude pictures in March 2023.

Progress in LGBT rights 'fragile' - Kezia Dugdale
22 Dec 2024 at 12:30pm
The ex-Scottish Labour leader was speaking 10 years on from the Holyrood parliament's decision to allow same-sex couple to marry.

Lockerbie suspect 'is the bomber' - MacAskill
21 Dec 2024 at 1:12pm
Abu Agila Masud is due to go on trial in Washington in May facing three charges, which he denies.

Glen Sannox begins passenger service on 13 January
20 Dec 2024 at 10:04am
The CalMac ferry will begin timetabled sailings after a long-running political row over its construction.

Has Swinney got the SNP 'back on the front foot'?
20 Dec 2024 at 6:18am
From fears of an election wipeout to bouncing back with the budget, John Swinney reflects on a chaotic 2024.

Minister defends chauffeur trip to Old Firm final
19 Dec 2024 at 3:33pm
Angela Constance has been criticised after her son joined her in a taxpayer-funded trip to Hampden.

Labour retains Edinburgh Council leadership
19 Dec 2024 at 12:49pm
The party keeps hold of the capital after a scandal which saw former leader Cammy Day stand down.

Scot Goes Pop

In line with the clear Jacqueline Bijster precedent, Chris McEleny should now...
2 Jan 2025 at 11:29am
I think it may be worth reminding ourselves that in the autumn of 2023, Jacqueline Bijster, the incumbent Membership Support Convener of the Alba Party, sent out an extremely short and relatively i...

Could this year mark the biggest realigment in the UK party system since the ...
1 Jan 2025 at 1:50pm
First of all, a very happy New Year to all Scot Goes Pop readers, including even KC, who forced me to delete his first "Nessie" post of 2025 before it was 1am.  Although this year is slated to be p...

It's unlikely I'll have a vote in the Alba leadership election, but the way t...
31 Dec 2024 at 4:15pm
Welcome to the transition between 2024 and 2025 - it's already 2025 in Australia, New Zealand, Korea and quite a few other countries.  Unless the Alba Party's Appeals Committee takes a more enlight...

A challenge for Scot Goes Pop readers: can anyone establish whether Chris McE...
30 Dec 2024 at 7:22pm
My Twitter exchange with Robert Reid (about his false implication that several different polling firms are all showing Alba on course for Holyrood seats) dragged on for a bit, and eventually Chris ...

Ignore the silly propaganda from the Alba HQ man - if a "clear polling trend ...
30 Dec 2024 at 5:59pm
In spite of my ongoing Kafkaesque experiences with the Alba Party, I won't be churlish - the new Find Out Now poll is decent for them, putting them on 6% of the list vote and a projected three list...

Astounding poll could be scene-setter for renewed SNP dominance in 2025, with...
30 Dec 2024 at 10:28am
The Holyrood and Westminster voting intention numbers from the new Find Out Now poll for The National have been released, and I have an analysis piece in The National which you can read HERE.From a...

Find Out Now! Find Out How? Find Out MOP MY BROW! Another pro-independence ma...
29 Dec 2024 at 10:20am
Should Scotland be an independent country? (Find Out Now / Sunday National, 17th-24th December 2024)Yes 52% (-)No 48% (-)Obviously no poll showing an outright Yes lead can ever be considered disapp...

No party - not Alba, not the SNP, not the Greens - can claim to have a leader...
28 Dec 2024 at 7:54pm
As you may have seen, Douglas Fir left a comment on the previous thread urging me to take care of my mental health in the wake of my expulsion from the Alba Party.  That's not a completely ridiculo...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Tories call for public inquiry into child sexual exploitation
2 Jan 2025 at 6:58pm
Kemi Badenoch called for a national inquiry into the UK's 'rape gangs scandal', after the Home Office turned down requests for an probe into Oldham.

Megrahi release not discussed by cabinet ahead of decision, papers show
2 Jan 2025 at 6:11pm
The man convicted over the Lockerbie bombing was released in 2009 on compassionate grounds.

Alba Party general secretary to step down when successor to Alex Salmond found
2 Jan 2025 at 10:27am
Chris McEleny was appointed Alba?s general secretary by former first minister Alex Salmond, who founded the party after leaving the SNP.

Scottish Greens call for ?robust? licensing scheme for sales of vapes
2 Jan 2025 at 8:30am
UK ministers are already considering a Bill which will restrict sweet vape flavours and review the packaging of e-cigarettes.

Scotland?s prisoners served better food than hospital patients, Scottish Tori...
2 Jan 2025 at 7:47am
Costings released to the Scottish Conservatives show big differences in the value of meals served in prisons and hospitals across the country.

Scottish Government ferry fares hike was greater than operators? request, not...
2 Jan 2025 at 6:45am
CalMac and NorthLink, who operate routes on the west coast and Northern Isles respectively, had sought a 2% increase.

More than 1,500 babies in Scotland born dependent on drugs since 2017 
2 Jan 2025 at 6:40am
Freedom of information data revealed at least 1,501 children were born with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Colin Mackay Insight: 2024 was a year of change with two First Ministers and ...
1 Jan 2025 at 11:23am
Colin Mackay looks back on what was a rollercoaster ride in politics over the last year - and 2025 looks no different.

Proposals for levitating Glasgow-Edinburgh train put to Scottish Government m...
1 Jan 2025 at 11:08am
The train would have been powered by magnetic levitation technology, which would suspend the carriages in the air using electromagnets.

Swinney targets child poverty, economy and public services in New Year message
31 Dec 2024 at 8:58am
Scotland?s First Minister said 2024 had been a ?remarkable? year in his New Year message.

Put safety of people and animals first and ban private fireworks sales, Scott...
31 Dec 2024 at 8:29am
The Scottish Greens called for an end to ?dangerous, unorganised displays in residential areas?.

Scots ?betrayed? by UK Government that has failed to deliver change, SNP says
31 Dec 2024 at 7:15am
The SNP said Labour?s record showed it makes ?no difference? to people in Scotland which party is in power in Westminster.

Road traffic police officer numbers at lowest level in five years, Tories say
30 Dec 2024 at 8:31am
Full-time roles fell from 567.7 in 2019 to 518 at the end of June 2024.

Keir Starmer pays tribute to brother, Nick, who died on Boxing Day
27 Dec 2024 at 2:12pm
The prime minister had been going on holiday with his family on Friday, but it is understood he will now stay at home.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Nicola Sturgeon's sister 'livid' after BBC Scotland sketch show mocks ex-SNP ...
2 Jan 2025 at 11:02am
Gillian Sturgeon suggested the BBC was mocking the involvement of her sister and brother-in-law in Operation Branchform.

Alex Salmond aide to resign post when Alba Party elects new leader
2 Jan 2025 at 10:14am
Alba will choose a new leader in the New Year following the sudden death of its founder, Alex Salmond, in October.

Prisoner food scandal as more spent on meals for convicts than hospital patients
2 Jan 2025 at 4:30am
SNP Ministers have been criticised for the spend compared to vulnerable people in hospital.

Scotland's addiction shame as 1500 babies born hooked on drugs
2 Jan 2025 at 4:30am
The figures have been branded a "scandal" by critics who accuse the SNP Government of cutting treatment services.

Scots unable to move home due to sky high rents and mortgage payments
1 Jan 2025 at 4:30am
New figures show the financial obstacles people face when they want to move house

Lockerbie bomber release not discussed by SNP Cabinet ahead of final decision
1 Jan 2025 at 4:30am
Newly-released documents show the issue was barely mentioned in minutes of Scottish Cabinet meetings.

High speed rail plan between Edinburgh and Glasgow was binned by SNP Government
1 Jan 2025 at 4:30am
Newly-released filed showed the ambitious proposal was knocked back over concerns about the price tag.

Hundreds of Scots motorists with more than twelve points are still behind the...
31 Dec 2024 at 4:30am
New figures have led to calls for a review of the action taken against persistent offenders.

Lockerbie lawyer hired to investigate Glasgow council fat cat early retiremen...
31 Dec 2024 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Douglas Ross KC will play a key role in examining the six figure deals for former senior staff.

Elon Musk says firms will not invest in UK with Labour Prime Minister Keir St...
30 Dec 2024 at 2:02pm
The ally of President-elect Donald Trump has taken another swipe at the Labour Government.

The National

The National | Politics

Wee Ginger Dug: Without Alex Salmond, are Alba veering into crisis?
2 Jan 2025 at 7:00pm

ALBA's general secretary Chris McEleny has announced that he will be stepping down from his post when the party chooses a new leader in a leadership election which was forced upon it by the sudden and unexpected death of its founder Alex Salmond due to a heart attack in October last year...

Poll shows voters think Labour Government 'incompetent' and 'dishonest'
2 Jan 2025 at 3:08pm

A FRESH poll has showed voters think the UK Labour Government are ?incompetent? and ?dishonest?.

Over 120 journalists killed in 2024 - and more than half are Palestinian
2 Jan 2025 at 3:21pm

OVER 120 journalists and media workers were killed last year ? and more than half of them were Palestinian ...

Twenty councillors quit Labour in protest over Keir Starmer's leadership
2 Jan 2025 at 3:31pm

TWENTY councillors have left the Labour Party led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in protest...

John Swinney calls for answers two years after Perth hotel fire left three dead
2 Jan 2025 at 2:16pm

JOHN Swinney has called for answers two years on from a fire at a Perth hotel which resulted in the deaths of three people...

Suella Braverman sparks confusion with 'bonkers' Italy-Turkey border claim
2 Jan 2025 at 1:25pm

SUELLA Braverman might not be home secretary anymore but it hasn?t stopped her hitting the headlines...

Staff at Scottish university balloted on strike action over proposed job cuts
2 Jan 2025 at 12:55pm

MEMBERS of a lecturers? union at the University of Dundee are being balloted on strike action in a dispute over proposed job cuts and compulsory redundancies..

Cold snap ?could lead to death of elderly' as Labour Winter Fuel Payment cut ...
2 Jan 2025 at 1:00pm

An imminent cold snap could put the elderly at risk of death, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned as a charity criticised the Government?s decision to limit winter fuel payments...

Green MSP expecting her first child in July
2 Jan 2025 at 11:40am

AN MSP has announced she is expecting her first child...

Elon Musk calls for release of jailed far-right agitator Tommy Robinson
2 Jan 2025 at 11:28am

ELON Musk has called for the release of far-right agitator Stephen Yaxley-Lennon ? known as Tommy Robinson ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

SNP government feared looking ?out of ideas? in 2009, papers reveal
1 Jan 2025 at 7:00am
Documents released for the first time show?the first SNP government had to 'trawl' for suggestions in spring 2009.

?Anyone?s guess?: 2026 Holyrood election all to play for after tumultuous yea...
30 Dec 2024 at 7:00am
Labour?s short honeymoon is a reflection of what the general election vote was about ? removing the Conservatives, not installing Keir Starmer

A Year of Innovation and Disruption: Reflecting on tech in 2024
27 Dec 2024 at 7:00am
Holyrood takes a look at the highs and the lows in what has been a defining year for the technology sector.

Group of former Greens calls on Neil Gray to publicly support permanent restr...
24 Dec 2024 at 10:19am
The Scottish Green Women?s Declaration has asked Gray to ?demonstrate your support? of the recent decision to ban puberty blockers for under 18s

Scottish charity discovers next generation of innovation leaders
23 Dec 2024 at 11:37am
TechFest has announced the winners of its international competition STEM next, set to find solutions to challenges affecting the future of industries in energy, medicine and science

Feminist groups call on Nicola Sturgeon to clarify comments
23 Dec 2024 at 10:32am
The former first minister described ?forces? who ?muscled their way? into the debate ?to push back rights generally?

Wendy Alexander to enter House of Lords as new peers named
20 Dec 2024 at 4:05pm
Sue Gray and former Scottish Labour figures named

Man convicted for threatening MSP after new parliament monitoring scheme intr...
19 Dec 2024 at 4:37pm
Security analysts were able to identify the individual?s social media account and track his threatening and racist language made against a male MSP using open-source data

John Swinney accused of underfunding health IT infrastructure after collapse ...
19 Dec 2024 at 3:01pm
First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Sandesh Gulhane clashed during?First Minister's Questions?over?the suitability of NHS IT infrastructure.

John Swinney criticises Anas Sarwar over UK Government Waspi compensation dec...
19 Dec 2024 at 2:25pm
The pair were taking part in the last FMQs of the year

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Figures reveal 1,500 drug-addicted babies born in Scotland since 2017
2 Jan 2025 at 11:48am
Lib Dems warn first minister that party could withdraw support if government does not boost funding for issueOpposition parties have called for a significant increase in addiction funding in Scotland after it emerged that more than 1,500 drug-addicted babies have been born in recent years.The Sco...

UK politics: Waspi campaign accuses Starmer of misinformation over claim 90% ...
18 Dec 2024 at 6:06pm
Activists say ombudsman?s findings ?based on rigorous evidence 60% had no idea? of changesScottish ministers are to set up a pilot project to test the automatic enrolment of young people on the electoral register, as part of a modernisation of Holyrood?s election laws.The trial is expected to inv...

Nigel Farage and Nick Candy say they met Musk at Mar-a-Lago to discuss doing ...
17 Dec 2024 at 5:46pm
Farage and Reform UK treasurer met Musk at Donald Trump?s Florida home, party saysJonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, has announced that the scope of the compensation programme for victims of the Post Office scandal will be extended to cover earlier potential victims.The government already...

Humza Yousaf to stand down and warns over Elon Musk?s UK election threat
17 Dec 2024 at 10:01am
Scotland?s former first minister to quit frontline politics and says alarm bells should be ringing over potential Musk interferenceHumza Yousaf, Scotland?s former first minister, has announced he is to quit frontline politics at the next Scottish elections as he criticised Elon Musk?s interferenc...

Nicola Sturgeon rues descent into ?toxic? debate on topics such as equal marr...
16 Dec 2024 at 5:00am
Former first minister marks 10th anniversary of legislation in Scotland with call for vigilance over polarisationThe ?civilised? debate that led to the legalisation of equal marriage in Scotland would not be possible 10 years on amid a global trend towards polarisation and the increasing inabilit...

?I feel I?ve upset a few people over the years?: actor Brian Cox on overrated...
7 Dec 2024 at 7:00am
He?s famed for grumpy roles and outspoken views, but don?t be fooled ? the Succession star is a pussycat at heart. He talks about growing up in poverty, falling in love with his wife ? and out of love with LabourAs I leave the office, my editor wishes me luck. ?Hope he?s not too grumpy!? she says...

PCS union says Starmer?s criticism of civil servants ?inaccurate and cowardly...
6 Dec 2024 at 5:22pm
This live blog is closedHere is the ?family photo? from today?s British-Irish Council (BIC) summit in Edinburgh. The BIC was set up 25 years ago, after the Good Friday agreement, and today?s summit is the 42nd it has held.In an interview on LBC this morning Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister...

Two-child benefit cap ?will be scrapped? in Scotland, vows SNP
4 Dec 2024 at 5:50pm
Scotland?s finance secretary, Shona Robison, reveals plans in budget to end ?pernicious? policyThe Scottish government has unveiled plans to scrap Westminster?s controversial two-child benefit cap to lift thousands of ?children out of poverty?.Scotland?s finance secretary, Shona Robison, said her...

Scottish ministers mull tax rise for wealthy amid tricky budget decisions
3 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
Finance secretary must find way to bring either Greens or Lib Dems onboard while plugging possible £200m shortfallScottish ministers are contemplating modest tax increases for the better off and plan to scrap the freeze in council tax rates as they search for extra money in this week?s budget.Sho...

Reform UK ?bullish and optimistic? as polls predict success in Scotland
1 Dec 2024 at 11:03am
Recent polling puts party above 10%, which could result in up to 12 MSPs at next Scottish parliament electionsReform UK is celebrating ?an extraordinary sense of momentum? north of the border, as Scotland?s top polling expert predicts the populist right party could end up deciding the next Holyro...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Looking down the storm drain of 2025
2 Jan 2025 at 5:19pm
Happy New Year! and not so happy higher energy bills. On New Year’s Day the media gave extensive coverage to the higher energy bill price cap which came into effect on the first of January. What was not mentioned, and certainly was not mentioned on the Scottish news-where-you-are on the BBC was the promise made …

Starmer?s Christmas betrayals
22 Dec 2024 at 4:21pm
Starmer’s betrayals are coming thick and fast. It wasn’t too long ago that Starmer was promising to abolish the House of Lords. In 2022 Starmer vowed to abolish the House of Lords and replace it with a fully elected upper chamber. Yet the Labour manifesto for this year’s general election contained only a promise to …

Record support for an independent Scottish republic
19 Dec 2024 at 6:48pm
The pro-independence campaign group Believe in Scotland has released an important new poll. The group asked an additional question in the recent Norstat poll published in the Sunday Times which showed support for independence at an impressive 54%. The Times poll asked the question, Should Scotland be an independent country? This question produced the result …

Starmer?s Waspi betrayal will come back and sting him
17 Dec 2024 at 7:03pm
What exactly is going on with this Labour government? It’s like they have decided to set out to piss off as many pensioners as they can in the shortest amount of time. If that’s what they’re doing, then they are certainly one of the most successful governments in modern history. Perhaps they’re hoping all the …

2026 could be the last chance saloon for independence
16 Dec 2024 at 11:05am
There was the usual flurry of outrage from the usual suspects in the comments section of an article in the Sunday edition of The National which reported that the SNP leadership does not intend to use the recent positive opinion poll putting support for independence on 54% in order to press for an immediate independence …

Starmer?s Scottish chickens are coming home to roost
9 Dec 2024 at 11:23am
A Scottish opinion poll published following the announcement of the Scottish budget appears to show that in a sharp rebuke to Keir Starmer and the neo-Blairites who have captured the Labour party, Holyrood is set to have a pro-independence majority following the next Scottish elections, and support for independence is at 54%, its highest level …

Starmer continues the Tory war on devolution
6 Dec 2024 at 9:45am
The Labour party isn’t even pretending to respect the devolution settlement now. Labour’s idea of Scottish devolution is that they’ll support it as long as Scotland votes for a Labour controlled Scottish Government. It’s the do as we say because you can’t be trusted school of British nationalist paternalism. It’s not for a government in …

Farage and Musk are coming for Scotland
3 Dec 2024 at 10:14am
? ?Farage has KGBNews, Elon Musk and Twitter, he’s all over TikTok. The Trump cultists and all the power behind their libertarian aims back him too, as well as the dark money funded ‘think tanks of Tufton St. Farage is the UK face of a world wide and well funded movement to turn democracies into …

Institutional disobedience could be the way forward for independence
25 Nov 2024 at 11:57am
There’s a very interesting and important article in The National this Sunday by the much respected writer and commentator Neal Ascherson about charting a way forward for the independence campaign and breaking through the current constitutional impasse. His argument follows from two key points. Firstly, the idea of independence as a plausible and realistic constitutional …

Sarwar?s U turn is not what it seems
19 Nov 2024 at 6:34pm
When is a promise not a promise? When it’s a promise made by the Labour party in Scotland. Then it’s not a promise, it’s a lie. Right now on BBC Scotland there’s a programme about exposing scammers who call people making fake promises and end up ripping them off. It would be nice if BBC …

The Courier

Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

Rats, ants and cockroaches among nasties found in Tayside and Fife NHS buildings
3 Jan 2025 at 12:01am
NHS Fife reported biting insects in a sexual health clinic, while rats were reported in a kitchen at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital.

Dundee University staff balloted on strike action after job cuts row
2 Jan 2025 at 2:08pm
The Courier revealed in November how staff were warned job losses were "inevitable" as the institution faces a massive £30 million black hole in its budget.

ALASDAIR CLARK: A new year ? but how will 2025 change Scottish politics?
2 Jan 2025 at 6:00am
The Scottish Parliament feels ready for an election. Now 2025 is upon us, get ready for the long campaign.

Dundee prison spends more on meals than some Scottish hospitals
2 Jan 2025 at 12:01am
Dundee's Bella Centre - the custody unit where killer Tasmin Glass spent time before release - spends more than £5 a day on meals.

After Tayside and Fife criticism, does Scotland?s NHS perform better than Eng...
31 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
A scathing new report revealed NHS Tayside had some of the worst urgent cancer waiting times in Scotland, but how do the UK's health services compare?

Full list of NHS Tayside data breaches in past two years
30 Dec 2024 at 6:01am
The health board has regularly come under fire for its handling of sensitive records.

Syrian refugee family see Dundee future after violent end to Assad rule
26 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
Hannan Najar says she fears for her daughter's future after violent end to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Fife care charity battles to help struggling families as £20k tax hike hits
24 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
The Kirkcaldy-based Fife Carers? Centre dealt with an unprecedented 260 referrals in September.

Scotland?s top law officer breaks silence on under-fire Eljamel police probe
23 Dec 2024 at 1:04pm
Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain spoke out about the investigation for the first time as pressure builds on detectives.

Dundee University crisis: What we know so far
23 Dec 2024 at 6:00am
Here's our timeline explaining what has gone wrong since a £30 million funding deficit led to revelations of business class flights and 5-star hotels.

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland

Are Scottish doctors still likely to be less stressed than others in the UK? ...
2 Jan 2025 at 1:32pm
By Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian yesterday: Seven in 10 GPs suffer from compassion fatigue and struggle to empathise with patients because they are worn out from caring for them, a survey has found. Family doctors say they are so emotionally and physically exhausted from hearing about patients? problems and circumstances that it is compromising the quality of care they provide. A...

Alex Cole-Hamilton lies about baby drug addiction rates to conceal falling nu...
2 Jan 2025 at 9:59am
The leader of Scotland’s fifth biggest party is everywhere in the media today with his latest freedom of information scoop – babies born addicted to drugs. He tries to shock with More than 1,500 babies in Scotland born dependent on drugs since 2017 but does not reveal the annual data, to hide a reducing trend. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/over-1500-babies-scotland-born-34398819 H...

All you can do is keep talking, keep posting, keep sharing and, like water on...
1 Jan 2025 at 9:26pm
The polls are clear, regardless of supposed SNP scandals, the people of Scotland are moving steadily to a peaceful democratic event – independence. I know it can be really demoralising at times, but it will come, one day. The young are already in position and once they turn out, they will push us over the line. Naturally we all want it yesterday. Many of us want it dearly before it is too late ...

Factcheck ? 90% satisfied with SNP nationalised sleeper train service, compla...
1 Jan 2025 at 9:02pm
Only after 13 paragraphs in the Telegraph report, headed Caledonian Sleeper receives nearly 1,000 complaints since SNP took over, and with 5 full paragraphs of a Scottish Conservatives tirade, the facts, missed by 90% of readers: But Transport Scotland, the SNP Government?s transport agency, said: ?The latest ORR passenger satisfaction results show that almost 90 per cent of Caledonian Sleeper ...

FACTCHECK ? The MV Glenn Sannox HAS a smaller carbon footprint than the old f...
31 Dec 2024 at 3:50pm
PA MEDIA By Johann Von Robberstein, TuS International Transport Correspondent, O-Grade Mathematics, Grangemouth High School, 1967. Many thanks to JB for alerting me to this. Only yesterday, BBC Scotland were so delighted to tell us: The carbon footprint of a long-delayed new “green” ferry will be far larger than the 31-year-old diesel ship that usually serves the route between the Scottish main...

In Scotland no actual ambulance crisis as in Wales but still even the possibi...
31 Dec 2024 at 12:26pm
By Professor John Robertson OBA You have to laugh as BBC Wales use the image on the left above for Ambulance chief says ‘drink sensibly’ over New Year after critical incident but BBC Scotland can only find the one parked outside a corner shop in Forfar as the paramedics nip in for bridies, for Ambulance crews put on highest level of emergency. BBC Wales have this staggering report: Welsh ambula...

Women victims of homicide ? selective reporting to exaggerate the phenomenon ...
31 Dec 2024 at 11:48am
In the Guardian today: Killed women count – 80 women allegedly killed by men in UK in 2024 – Throughout the year, the Guardian aimed to report on every woman whose death has led to a man being charged. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2024/dec/31/killed-women-count-a-project-highlighting-the-toll-and-tragedy-of-violence-against-women-in-the-uk There, then follow 80 tragic acco...

I could walk 140 000 miles or repaint the Sistine Chapel ceiling before Opera...
30 Dec 2024 at 7:50pm
From the ever-excellent Wee Ginger Dug in the National today, 15 things that took less time to resolve than Operation Branchform: I’m guessing Ukraine and Russia do a deal before a Scottish court, the second it sees the charges against Peter Murrell and/or Nicola Sturgeon, chucks them out. All things must end. The Ukraine war will end this year and Operation Branchform, soon after. Branchform w...

Scottish AI physio breakthrough you won?t hear of in Scottish media
30 Dec 2024 at 7:15pm
Thanks to AR for alerting me to this. Today, in the Times but getting no attention from Scottish media, the above and: The launch of the trial in Scotland was noted, in July 2024, by NHS Lothian at: https://news.nhslothian.scot/2024/07/12/uks-first-ai-physio-clinic-trialled-by-nhs-lothian/ and by the journal Pulse at: https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinical-areas/musculoskeletal-rheumatology...

As religious hate crime falls to lowest level for 20 years in Scotland, we ar...
30 Dec 2024 at 11:03am
By Professor John Robertson OBA Many thanks once more to Dottie for alerting me to this. In the Guardian today, by Hannah Al-Othman North of England correspondent, an image of a hate crime billboard in Glasgow and: Some of the UK?s largest police forces have reported increases in religious hate crimes in the past 18 months, figures reveal, with the number of incidents rising after the start of ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Will Scotland ever become an Independent nation-state? - Forbes
19 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Will Scotland ever become an Independent nation-state?  Forbes

Sturgeon predicts independence and united Ireland in UK 'shake-up' - BBC.com
17 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Sturgeon predicts independence and united Ireland in UK 'shake-up'  BBC.com

Scottish independence poll 2024 - Statista
9 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2024  Statista

Is the dream of Scottish independence over? - POLITICO Europe
1 May 2024 at 8:00am
Is the dream of Scottish independence over?  POLITICO Europe

10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum - Sky News
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum  Sky News

Scots to elect large pro-independence majority in 2026 Holyrood vote, poll fi...
30 Dec 2024 at 5:08am
Scots to elect large pro-independence majority in 2026 Holyrood vote, poll finds  The National

Scottish independence: 10 years on - YouGov
17 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence: 10 years on  YouGov

Poll: SNP predicted to remain biggest party at 2026 Holyrood vote - HeraldSco...
31 Dec 2024 at 9:38am
Poll: SNP predicted to remain biggest party at 2026 Holyrood vote  HeraldScotland

Representing Scotland: Conservative narratives of nation, union, and Scottish...
24 Jun 2024 at 12:17pm
Representing Scotland: Conservative narratives of nation, union, and Scottish independence  Frontiers

Alex Salmond, former Scottish first minister who nearly got Scotland?s indepe...
12 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond, former Scottish first minister who nearly got Scotland?s independence from UK, dies at 69  PBS NewsHour

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP Government rack up £1.7m bill on flights as ministers jet abroad to 'prom...
3 Jan 2025 at 12:01am
SNP Government rack up £1.7m bill on flights as ministers jet abroad to 'promote independence'  Scottish Daily Express

Tycoon's fury at SNP over faltering Scots economy and punitive taxes - MSN
31 Dec 2024 at 7:29pm
Tycoon's fury at SNP over faltering Scots economy and punitive taxes  MSN

Revival in SNP fortunes raises fresh questions about Scottish independence - ...
23 Dec 2024 at 8:00am
Revival in SNP fortunes raises fresh questions about Scottish independence  Financial Times

Two-child benefit cap ?will be scrapped? in Scotland, vows SNP - The Guardian
4 Dec 2024 at 8:00am
Two-child benefit cap ?will be scrapped? in Scotland, vows SNP  The Guardian

SNP rediscovers its political confidence with wily Budget - BBC.com
7 Dec 2024 at 8:00am
SNP rediscovers its political confidence with wily Budget  BBC.com

Two-child benefit cap to be scrapped in Scotland under SNP's budget plans - S...
4 Dec 2024 at 8:00am
Two-child benefit cap to be scrapped in Scotland under SNP's budget plans  Sky News

Nicola Sturgeon knows 'nothing more' about SNP police probe - BBC.com
16 Dec 2024 at 8:00am
Nicola Sturgeon knows 'nothing more' about SNP police probe  BBC.com

SNP-led Scottish Government set to argue for the rights of 'pregnant' men and...
24 Nov 2024 at 8:00am
SNP-led Scottish Government set to argue for the rights of 'pregnant' men and male-born 'lesbians' at the UK's  Daily Mail

Scottish Parliament is ?lame surrender poodle? that kowtows to SNP, says MSP ...
2 Jan 2025 at 6:25pm
Scottish Parliament is ?lame surrender poodle? that kowtows to SNP, says MSP  The Telegraph

SNP calls for ?immediate end to arms sales to Israel? - Morning Star Online
2 Jan 2025 at 5:02pm
SNP calls for ?immediate end to arms sales to Israel?  Morning Star Online

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

The agony and ecstasy of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum - BBC.com
17 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
The agony and ecstasy of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum  BBC.com

Is the dream of Scottish independence over? - POLITICO Europe
1 May 2024 at 8:00am
Is the dream of Scottish independence over?  POLITICO Europe

Scottish independence poll 2024 - Statista
9 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2024  Statista

10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum - Sky News
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum  Sky News

'No Nicola Sturgeon succession' if Scotland voted Yes in 2014, journalist cla...
31 Dec 2024 at 5:52pm
'No Nicola Sturgeon succession' if Scotland voted Yes in 2014, journalist claims  The National

Ten years on from Scotland?s independence referendum - The Economist
18 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Ten years on from Scotland?s independence referendum  The Economist

Scottish independence referendum: legal issues - Commons Library
16 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence referendum: legal issues  Commons Library

Scottish independence: 10 years on - YouGov
17 Sep 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish independence: 10 years on  YouGov

Will Scotland ever become an Independent nation-state? - Forbes
19 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Will Scotland ever become an Independent nation-state?  Forbes

Alex Salmond, former Scottish first minister who nearly got Scotland?s indepe...
12 Oct 2024 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond, former Scottish first minister who nearly got Scotland?s independence from UK, dies at 69  PBS NewsHour