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Scottish Politics and Referendum News - aggregated

About and Contact | Archive | Scottish football news | Scottish Voiceovers | This news page collected on 29.03.2024

28.2.2024: This site will be changing soon as the Carp PHP scripts for collecting the RSS media feeds are no longer being supported and are not compatible with the PHP version our host requires us to upgrade to. We will attempt to convert it all to Wordpress, but it may be down for a while. Thanks for your support over the years.

 

The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Glasgow School of Art Mackintosh build boss speaks of fires
29 Mar 2024 at 6:30am
A senior figure who spearheaded the restoration of the Glasgow School of Art following a 2014 fire said she saw no sign of the bullying and acrimony said to have marred the management team of the prestigious university.


Alan Dunlop says Mackintosh would not want art school rebuilt
29 Mar 2024 at 6:30am
Charles Rennie Mackintosh would not have wanted his famous art school to be faithfully rebuilt, a leading architect has said.


Parents warned of 'profound effect' of Glasgow teacher cuts
29 Mar 2024 at 11:52am
A reduction in staff numbers will ?significantly compromise" the support available to pupils.


Ross joins Yousaf and Sarwar to oppose assisted dying bill
29 Mar 2024 at 6:31am
Douglas Ross has said he will vote against the assisted dying bill meaning the leaders of all three main parties will oppose the proposals when they come to a vote in Holyrood later this year.


Humza Yousaf marks first anniversary as First Minister
29 Mar 2024 at 6:30am
As Humza Yousaf marks his first year in office today, a new poll showed that a majority of Scots believe the country is going in the wrong direction.


Hate Crime: Questions over Police Scotland's recording of hate crimes
29 Mar 2024 at 6:30am
Police Scotland?s recording of ?non-crime hate incidents? has been branded ?farcical? with the force accused of ?making things up as they go along.?


FMQs sketch: Famous last words
28 Mar 2024 at 5:10pm
Anas Sarwar is famous, we learned at FMQs. The wrong kind of famous.


Humza Yousaf will not set up body to protect Mackintosh in Glasgow
28 Mar 2024 at 3:22pm
Humza Yousaf has said the Scottish Government will not interfere in the restoration of the Glasgow School of Art's fire-ravaged Mackintosh building. 


Assisted dying bill 'dangerous' says Catholic Church
28 Mar 2024 at 12:54pm
The Catholic Church has described the assisted dying bill which will be voted on by the Scottish Parliament as a "dangerous idea" which "normalises suicide"


AI database to become mandatory for Scotland's public sector
28 Mar 2024 at 6:30am
Scotland will become the first UK country to make it mandatory for public sector bodies to to make clear when they've used artificial intelligence


'State of emergency' as Glasgow's school cuts begin
28 Mar 2024 at 6:01am
Parents and teachers are warning that cuts to staffing levels put learning and safety at risk and will lead to increased exclusion levels.


Assisted dying backed by large majority of Scots, poll finds
28 Mar 2024 at 12:10am
A large majority of voters in Scotland believe the law should be changed to allow assisted dying, according to a new poll.  


McArthur confident Parliament will back assisted dying legislation
28 Mar 2024 at 4:06pm
Scotland moved a step closer to being the first country in the UK to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill people, with legislation published at Holyrood.


FM confident Police can 'weed out vexatious hate crime complaints'
28 Mar 2024 at 3:43pm
Humza Yousaf has insisted Police Scotland will be able to ?weed out vexatious complaints? when the new hate crime law comes into effect on Monday.

 

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


MSPs split on controversial plans for juryless rape trials
29 Mar 2024 at 10:39am
Solicitors have already threatened a boycott


Hate Crime Act: Police Scotland must now show this poorly framed law really c...
29 Mar 2024 at 4:55am
As new law comes into force on Monday, the Scottish Government continues to brush aside multiple warnings about its potentially adverse effects


Amid birth rate crisis, UK needs a more rational discussion about immigration...
29 Mar 2024 at 4:55am
With the number of births per woman well below the level needed to maintain our population, xenophobia and disinformation about migrants is getting in the way of sensible government policies


Humza Yousaf has lower favourability rating among Scots than Nicola Sturgeon,...
28 Mar 2024 at 4:10pm
The poll comes as Mr Yousaf celebrates a year as First Minister


Windfall tax: SNP Health Secretary Neil Gray calls for tax on oil and gas gia...
28 Mar 2024 at 2:43pm
Neil Gray MSP says a ?wider spread? of the windfall tax on oil and gas giants will help Scotland transition away from fossil fuels ? but insists the SNP does not want to see the tax extended

 

 

 

Wings over Scotland

The Great Genocide
27 Mar 2024 at 5:22pm
Last week SNP MP Fulton MacGregor told Newsnight that the grotesque, draconian Hate Crime Act was necessary because “hate crime is a major problem across Scotland”, which “wreaks havoc on individuals, on communities and on families”. ? Now, we have to admit that we hadn’t heard of much havoc being wreaked across Scotland by hate crime. …

Moving Out
26 Mar 2024 at 6:48pm
Alert readers may recall that it’s only three-and-a-bit years since the SNP somehow spent £386,000 of its members’ money fitting out its party HQ at Jackson’s Entry in Edinburgh, a pricey piece of prime real estate just yards from Holyrood, with shiny new furniture while it was sitting empty during COVID. So it’s a little …

Into Darkness
25 Mar 2024 at 9:08am
Welcome, readers, to what may be the final week of Wings Over Scotland. We’ve been covering the Scottish Government’s horrific, draconian Hate Crime Act for almost four years now. But until this month, we hadn’t felt directly under threat by it. Wings is – sorry if this comes as a shock to anyone – based …

Death Of A Party
23 Mar 2024 at 6:59am

Well, that?s showbiz
22 Mar 2024 at 2:27pm
Fashion is fleeting. 2020 seems a very long time ago, doesn’t it?

The End Of Hate
20 Mar 2024 at 10:41am
As of last night, the Hate Monster campaign page on the Police Scotland website looks like this: (Archive version here.) The campaign had been subject to growing mockery and ridicule, not least on this site, and the Monster’s “official” Twitter account accumulated 2,000 followers in under 24 hours, so it may already be too late …

A Very Dark Place
19 Mar 2024 at 3:14pm
I make no apology for what I am about to write because while I’ve said it before, the time to do so is running out. In a couple of weeks, the Scottish Government?s Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 will come into effect and my world, and that of women up and down …

Humza Yousaf Fact Check
16 Mar 2024 at 2:49pm
When we read this, our instant reaction was “Well, that’s total horseshit”. And of course, it is. But let’s be fair to Humza Yousaf here – in a strict technical sense, it’s closer than we thought. Below are the top twos for Scotland’s 59 seats in the 2019 UK election. ABERDEEN NORTH 1 SNP 2 …

Unserious Crimes Squad
16 Mar 2024 at 6:59am

Meet The Monsters
14 Mar 2024 at 10:39pm
He’s the cuddly, lovable character all of Scotland’s talking about, but what do we really know about the Hate Monster? Where did he come from? What’s his backstory? Well, the diligent research team at Wings have been hard at work, and we’re thrilled to bring you this rare archive footage of not one but BOTH …


Craig Murray

Craig Murray

The Assange Hearing Permission Appeal Judgment: Mad and Bad.
29 Mar 2024 at 8:38am

The latest judgment by the High Court in the Assange case achieved completely the objectives of the UK and US states. Above all, Julian remains in the hell which is Belmarsh maximum security prison. He is now safely there alone and incommunicado, from the authorities’ point of view, for at least several more months. Importantly, …

The Assange Hearing Permission Appeal Judgment: Mad and Bad.

Injured
28 Mar 2024 at 7:51pm

My run of bad luck with health continues. A week ago I fell, dislocated my shoulder and damaged my knee. I am very strapped up and won’t have the use of my right arm and hand for a minimum of another week. Am working on a post by auto dictation but it’s not easy.

Injured

Scotland?s Hate Speech Act and Abuse of Process
21 Mar 2024 at 1:05am

On 1 April Scotland’s notorious Hate Crime Act comes into force. I have explained before why it is so noxious. It has been condemned by every civil liberties body you can think of. Police Scotland have made matters still worse by telling their officers that the measure of whether a Hate Crime has been committed …

Scotland’s Hate Speech Act and Abuse of Process

Assange Truth and UN Shenanigans
16 Mar 2024 at 3:49pm

I spent the last week at the UN, trying to ram home some truths about the Assange case as input to the UN’s Periodic Review (every 7 years) of the UK’s human rights record, in terms of its compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. I had a very short opportunity to …

Assange Truth and UN Shenanigans

A Tour d?Horizon on Swiss Box
15 Mar 2024 at 2:34pm

Assange, Gaza, the manipulation of “anti-semitism”, threats to civil liberties, Galloway, the forms of armed resistance available to the colonised: I enjoy the long-form interview as a chance to explore issues in depth. This one was very enjoyable, and we didn’t get through half of Antoine’s list of topics. I do hope that you can …

A Tour d’Horizon on Swiss Box

The Panic Of the Ruling Class
12 Mar 2024 at 12:34pm

I have known George Galloway my entire adult life, although we largely lost touch in the middle bit while I was off diplomating. I know George too well to mistake him for Jesus Christ, but he has been on the right side against appalling wars which the entire political class has cheer-led. His natural gifts …

The Panic Of the Ruling Class

BBC Scotland

BBC News


MSPs split over plans for rape trials without juries
29 Mar 2024 at 10:12am
An influential committee of MSPs has also backed the abolition of Scotland's not proven verdict.


Scotland 'hoodwinked' by Trump, says former aide
29 Mar 2024 at 6:37am
Donald Trump's claim he would invest £1bn in a golf resort was misleading, according to the man who helped broker the deal.


Could assisted dying be coming to Scotland?
28 Mar 2024 at 12:13pm
MSPs will get the chance to make Scotland the first part of the UK to let people legally end their lives.


Humza Yousaf questioned over new hate crime laws
28 Mar 2024 at 9:59am
The first minister faces questions from opposition party leaders and backbench MSPs at Holyrood.


Economy secretary has no more detail on ferry delay
27 Mar 2024 at 7:47pm
Mairi McAllan tells MSPs the sacking of Ferguson Marine boss was a matter for the company.


Housing bill could create new rent control areas
27 Mar 2024 at 3:00pm
Ministers say the changes would keep people in their homes and help prevent homelessness in Scotland.


Matheson says he will not resign as MSP
26 Mar 2024 at 4:37pm
The former health secretary broke parliamentary rules but is resisting pressure to stand down.


Inverclyde backtracks over council tax rise
26 Mar 2024 at 10:29pm
Along with Argyle and Bute, the local authority had initially defied Holyrood plans to freeze the charge.


MSP's legal threat to police over 'hate incident'
25 Mar 2024 at 1:26pm
Police recorded Murdo Fraser's post on gender identity as a hate incident, which he claims is unlawful.


College cuts spark warning over widening access
25 Mar 2024 at 6:20am
The man tasked with increasing access to higher education for students from deprived areas says targets may be missed.


'Gamechanger' Scottish wildlife law passes vote
21 Mar 2024 at 4:25pm
It includes a licensing scheme for grouse shoots, a ban on snares and controls on moorland burning.


'I feel ill sending my son to a mainstream school'
22 Mar 2024 at 6:12am
Kimberley says her son has additional needs that schools can no longer support.

Scot Goes Pop

On Craig Murray and pluralism of party allegiance
28 Mar 2024 at 11:43am
A Scot Goes Pop reader contacted me last night to ask what I thought about Craig Murray's decision to join the Workers Party of Britain and stand as one of its general election candidates in Englan...

It's Wednesday, so the Express must be lying about Scottish opinion polling a...
27 Mar 2024 at 8:54pm
A query on the previous thread - "Rob here, seen on another site best not named, 'New poll suggests the SNP will only win 18 seats and lose 30.'Actual "new poll"?"Well, the only mention I could fin...

Alba and the road-map to independence
26 Mar 2024 at 5:36pm
On Saturday night, I started replying to a commenter on the previous thread who was on the wind-up about the Alba Party.  He said he was "just trying to introduce some realism" about Alba by callin...

If Sunak falls, who will replace him?
22 Mar 2024 at 11:11am
I said in the last post that if the opinion polls spook Tory MPs enough to install a fourth Prime Minister in a single parliament, the replacement would presumably be Penny Mordaunt, Tom Tugendhat ...

Tories on the brink of being pushed into third place by Reform UK, says bombs...
21 Mar 2024 at 9:52pm
Apologies for the radio silence over the last few days, but rest assured I haven't been completely idle - I was working on my iScot column for next month, and there was also Alba committee stuff go...

From 3rd May onwards, the Conservative government will owe its presence in of...
15 Mar 2024 at 10:10am
Well, it's typical, isn't it.  Rather similar to the Azhar Ali incident, no sooner had I blogged about the chatter over a May election than Rishi Sunak had taken to the airwaves to rule it out.  I ...

Would an early general election improve or worsen the SNP's chances?
14 Mar 2024 at 6:07pm
There was a bit of excitement yesterday about the possibility of a general election in May.  I said on Twitter that I couldn't think of any logical reason why Sunak would go early, rather than wait...

More despair for Starmer as Labour loses its outright lead in Scotland, and s...
13 Mar 2024 at 6:01pm
The monthly Redfield & Wilton poll is out, and in a continuation of the familiar pattern, support for independence is impressively high but just can't seem to break into the outright lead.Should Sc...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Holyrood committee split on ?controversial? plan for juryless rape trials
29 Mar 2024 at 12:12pm
MSPs on the Criminal Justice Committee agreed the proposal was ?one of the most controversial provisions? in a Bill that aimed to make major changes to the justice system.

Humza Yousaf: The politician tipped for the top from the start of his career
29 Mar 2024 at 8:20am
Mr Yousaf began his career as a political staffer and is now First Minister.

Arrests, defections and U-turns: Humza Yousaf?s first year in Bute House
29 Mar 2024 at 7:11am
The First Minister may want to focus on the future.

Humza Yousaf marks first anniversary as Scotland?s First Minister
29 Mar 2024 at 6:42am
Humza Yosuaf was officially sworn in as Scotland?s sixth First Minister on March 29 2023.

UN calls on Rishi Sunak to scrap Rwanda plan
28 Mar 2024 at 7:03pm
The Prime Minister hopes to get planes carrying asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda in the air this spring

Andrew Bridgen told to pay Matt Hancock legal fees of £40,000 in libel claim
28 Mar 2024 at 6:30pm
The MP for North West Leicestershire is bringing a libel claim against Mr Hancock over a January 2023 tweet

All four Calmac ferries being built in Turkey ?are on time and on budget?
28 Mar 2024 at 5:52pm
The first of the four ferries was launched earlier this month and is expected to enter service in November

Yousaf accused of ?ignoring? warnings over hate crime law
28 Mar 2024 at 1:42pm
There are concerns the new law could be ?weaponised?

Humza Yousaf has a lower favourability rating than Nicola Sturgeon ? Ipsos poll
28 Mar 2024 at 11:40am
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has the lowest rating of the major party leaders

Humza Yousaf: What?s happened in first year as leader of the SNP?
27 Mar 2024 at 12:59pm
Good or bad, the First Minister could never have predicted the remarkable events that have occurred since he won the SNP leadership contest.

Rent control areas with capped costs for tenants proposed under new Bill
27 Mar 2024 at 11:53am
The Housing (Scotland) Bill will place a duty on local councils to carry out assessments within their areas on the state of the private rented sector.

Ipad scandal MSP Michael Matheson says he will not be resigning
26 Mar 2024 at 5:41pm
Michael Matheson said he will not resign as an MSP.

Scottish Government will consent to UK-wide vaping curbs
26 Mar 2024 at 5:31pm
Public health minister Jenni Minto confirmed the move on Tuesday.

Two ministers quit in double blow to Rishi Sunak
26 Mar 2024 at 4:34pm
Robert Halfon unexpectedly quit as skills, apprenticeships and higher education minister, while James Heappey followed through on his stated intention to step down as armed forces minister.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics


Scots spending more on Easter as cost of traditional holiday chocolate treats...
29 Mar 2024 at 11:24am
The SNP blamed the UK Government for a "Tory cost of living crisis" which will hammer families treating themselves this Easter weekend.


Glasgow City Council faces 'vermin emergency' as staff cafe reduces service o...
29 Mar 2024 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Scotland's largest local authority has been taken to task over dirty streets and a vermin problem has now reached its own door.


Humza Yousaf accused by Anas Sarwar of having 'no credibility' on fixing Scot...
28 Mar 2024 at 3:08pm
Anas Sarwar blasted the First Minister for overseeing a £196m cut to the Government's housing budget at a time 10,000 children are stuck in temporary accommodation.


Humza Yousaf less popular among Scots than Nicola Sturgeon, poll finds
28 Mar 2024 at 11:47am
Yousaf won a bitter SNP leadership contest to succeed Sturgeon in March 2023 and has faced a turbulent 12 months in the top job.


Assisted dying law change in Scotland 'cuts across the political divide' as l...
28 Mar 2024 at 11:33am
Liam McArthur today published his Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill at the Scottish Parliament.


SNP ministers urged to intervene and stop South Lanarkshire care homes from c...
28 Mar 2024 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Labour candidate Imogen Walker has written to Mairi McAllan and Christina McKelvie in a bid to prevent McClymont House in Lanark and Dewar House in Hamilton from shutting their doors.


Footballer Frank Kopel's widow calls for ban on headers after tragic dementia...
28 Mar 2024 at 4:30am
Amanda Kopel has backed a campaign for a ban to take place in six years.


Why I as Scotland's First Minister want to be a role model for young people
28 Mar 2024 at 4:30am
In an article for the Daily Record, the First Minister reflects on the decisions he has made over the past twelve months.


Dame Esther Rantzen hails 'historic' Holyrood assisted dying law in lung canc...
28 Mar 2024 at 4:30am
The veteran broadcaster has said she is considering heading abroad for an assisted death.


Vast majority of Scots in favour of assisted dying law for those with termina...
28 Mar 2024 at 4:30am
The proposals would enable mentally competent adults with a terminal illness to be legally provided with assistance to end their lives if they wish to do so.

The National

The National | Politics

Humza Yousaf organises Islamic call to prayer in Bute House
29 Mar 2024 at 11:58am

HUMZA Yousaf has hailed the Islamic call to prayer being performed in the First Minister?s official residence as a potential Scottish first.

Humza Yousaf's next year as First Minister needs more action less talk
29 Mar 2024 at 5:00am

THIS time last year, Humza Yousaf was sworn in as First Minister of Scotland.

Scotland deserves better than this assault on our culture sector
29 Mar 2024 at 5:00am

SCOTLAND has no sooner taken a confident step

Maggie Chapman: That's it, I'm finished with Stephen Kerr's s***
29 Mar 2024 at 5:00am

I?M fed up with the bullshit.

UN human rights body urges repeal of controversial Troubles law
28 Mar 2024 at 7:42pm

A UN human rights body has called on the UK Government to repeal or amend contentious legacy legislation that offers conditional immunity to perpetrators of crimes committed during the Northern Ireland Troubles.

Compassion must prevail in assisted dying debate
28 Mar 2024 at 7:00pm

A BILL to legalise assisted dying has been presented to the Scottish Parliament.

Keir Starmer challenged to give more powers to Scotland
28 Mar 2024 at 6:59pm

KEIR Starmer has been challenged to offer more powers to Scotland ? after pledging to give ?full fat? devolution to England.

TV coverage of Humza Yousaf's first year as FM was biased and rude
28 Mar 2024 at 6:30pm

UNBELIEVABLE coverage of our FM?s first year in post! While accepting there have been good times and some not so good, I was as usual outraged at BBC and STV and their biased approach.

Turkish shipyard delivering four CalMac ferries on time and on budget
28 Mar 2024 at 6:21pm

All four ferries being built for Calmac at a Turkish shipyard are on time and on budget, the Scottish Government?s ferry-owning body has said.

As Scotland's young people lose out, older generations must speak up
28 Mar 2024 at 6:00pm

ESTABLISH careers, relationships, a sense of self. Do it all now to get ahead, but don?t, you?re still so young ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Justice committee divides on party lines over juryless trials plan
29 Mar 2024 at 9:30am
SNP members back the proposal while Labour and the Tories are opposed

Salmond and Sturgeon to be grilled on A9 dualling delays
29 Mar 2024 at 7:02am
Former first ministers will appear at public petitions committee in May

Tim Eagle: My guilty pleasure? Frozen chocolate with a glass of cold milk
29 Mar 2024 at 7:00am
New MSP Tim Eagle talks agriculture, dismissive employers and his hopes for his first year at Holyrood

Scottish Government 'considering support' for Aye Write book festival in new ...
28 Mar 2024 at 1:10pm
Annual event is a 'cultural icon', first minister says

Police will have to deal with hundreds of ?malicious? hate crime complaints, ...
28 Mar 2024 at 1:01pm
Humza Yousaf said he had "absolute faith" in the police's ability to enforce the new law

Aye Write book festival shelved as Creative Scotland rejects funding bid
28 Mar 2024 at 11:09am
Sum sought was less than that granted to controversial film Rein

All public sector use of artificial intelligence to be registered
28 Mar 2024 at 10:50am
The Scottish Government will bring in mandatory registration for its departments?first,?as part of a phased approach across the wider public sector

First Minister Humza Yousaf: My government does not fear scrutiny
27 Mar 2024 at 4:23pm
The FM was told the use of framework bills increased the likelihood of financial risk, overspend, and inefficiency

Total number of images held by criminal justice system unknown, report reveals
27 Mar 2024 at 3:46pm
A review by the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner revealed the exact?volume?of the images held was not ? possible to determine? yet added it is ?significantly higher? than all other biometric data types combined

New figures show 10 per cent increase in sewage dumps in 2023
27 Mar 2024 at 3:32pm
Lib Dems call for urgent action to tackle waste in Scotland's waterways

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Assisted dying: what are the laws in UK and what changes are proposed?
28 Mar 2024 at 2:24pm
Scotland could become first part of UK to offer terminally ill adults assistance to end their lives if Holyrood approves billUK politics ? latest updatesA new bill to legalise assisted dying in Scotland has been published at Holyrood by the Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur, in a fresh ...

Bill tabled in Scotland could legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults
28 Mar 2024 at 11:40am
If law is passed Scotland would become first part of UK to offer terminally ill people assistance to end their livesUK politics ? latest updatesScotland could become the first part of the UK to offer terminally ill adults assistance to end their lives if Holyrood approves a new bill.The Scottish ...

Scottish grouse moors to be licensed in attempt to protect birds of prey
21 Mar 2024 at 6:14pm
MSPs vote for controls as it emerges another hen harrier has vanished in area ?notorious? for persecutionGrouse moors across Scotland will be required to hold licences and could face shooting bans as part of radical measures to combat bird of prey persecution passed by MSPs on Thursday.The Scotti...

UK politics: government likely to have to ?pay some Waspi compensation in ele...
21 Mar 2024 at 5:49pm
Liberal Democrat Steve Webb says he thinks affected women will have to be offered some ?form of rough justice?Q: Are you supporting Esther Rantzen?s campaign for an assisted dying law?Starmer says he is. He says as director of public prosecutions he produced guidelines to limit prosecutions for p...

Humza Yousaf criticises ?disinformation? over new Scottish hate crime law
21 Mar 2024 at 4:22pm
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross claims law coming into force in April could lead to ?innocent people being prosecuted?Humza Yousaf has hit back at ?disinformation and inaccuracy? surrounding Scotland?s controversial hate crime act, after the Scottish Conservative leader, Douglas Ross, suggested...

Scotland?s pledge to cut emissions by 75% by 2030 ?no longer credible?
20 Mar 2024 at 8:43am
Climate Change Committee finds Scottish government has repeatedly failed to make cuts required by lawScotland?s pledge to cut its climate emissions by 75% by 2030 is ?no longer credible? and cannot be met, the UK?s climate watchdog has said.In a damning report submitted to the Scottish parliament...

The Guardian view on Britain?s non-white political class: supporting change b...
18 Mar 2024 at 6:42pm
The success of the three political leaders should not be seen as a repudiation of the existence of racism itselfIf power was just about office, then Britain?s ethnic minorities would appear to have nothing to worry about. Rishi Sunak sits in Downing Street. Humza Yousaf heads Scotland?s devolved ...

Michael Matheson faces suspension as MSP after £11,000 iPad data bill claim
14 Mar 2024 at 4:39pm
Holyrood standards committee to examine findings of inquiry that upheld three complaints against ex-ministerUK politics ? latest updatesThe former Scottish health secretary Michael Matheson faces being suspended from Holyrood after wrongly claiming nearly £11,000 in expenses for an iPad roaming b...

Scottish lairds may be forced to break up estates during land sales
14 Mar 2024 at 3:46pm
Bill proposes dividing large estates into smaller lots to spread land ownership and boost rural populationsScottish lairds will be ordered to break up their estates into smaller parcels during sales under plans to reverse the country?s heavily concentrated patterns of land ownership.A land reform...

Fears for future of Gaelic language as community workers? jobs under threat
10 Mar 2024 at 4:00pm
Up to 27 Gaelic development officers based on Hebridean islands and in rural counties and cities to be laid offGaelic-language campaigners and MSPs have protested furiously about plans to axe a network of Gaelic community workers, raising fresh fears about the survival of the language.Up to 27 Ga...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Starmer?s devolution deceit
29 Mar 2024 at 11:00am
As he launched his party’s election campaign for the local and mayoral elections due in England on 2 May, a little over a month away, Keir Starmer promised that if he becomes Prime Minister after the Westminster general election expected to be held later this year his government will introduce “full fat devolution”. That’s a …

Starmer?s most shameful U turn yet
26 Mar 2024 at 12:03pm
Another day, another Labour U turn. It has got extremely tiresome to write that sentence, and no doubt equally tiresome to read it. Keir Starmer’s right wing U turns have become drearily predictable. At this point the only question is how many more can Starmer squeeze in before the general election. Probably quite a few …

BBC Scotland: an irresponsible manufacturer of fake British nationalist outrage
18 Mar 2024 at 5:58pm
Over the weekend Humza Yousaf unveiled a key plank of the SNP’s pitch to voters at the Westminster general election which is expected to be held later this year. The SNP will urge voters to vote SNP at that election in order to turn Scotland into a Tory free zone, obviously insofar as Scottish Westminster …

Blog break
13 Mar 2024 at 1:24pm
I?m afraid I won’t be doing my regular two or three blog posts this week as I am currently experiencing another bout of post stroke fatigue which is being exacerbated by the fact that I’m struggling with a flare up of psoriasis which is preventing me from sleeping properly. I will be back on Monday. …

We?re all extremists now
6 Mar 2024 at 12:27pm
It seems that we are all extremists now, Rishi Sunak has asked Levelling Up Secretary, the oleaginous Michael Gove, to update the Government?s definition of extremism so it has a much broader scope, encompassing those who “undermine” British values and institutions. The change is expected to be announced later this month and is expected to …

Labour?s insidious threat to devolution
3 Mar 2024 at 3:06pm
Anyone who was daft enough to have thought that a Conservative defeat at the next Westminster general election and Sunak’s replacement with a Labour government led by Keir Starmer would mean an end to British nationalist attacks on the devolution settlement is in for a very big disappointment. The right wing Labour party of Keir …

Repaying Westminster contempt in kind
27 Feb 2024 at 11:42am
After last Wednesday’s disgraceful scenes in the House of Commons when Speaker Lindsay Hoyle acceded to pressure from Labour leader Keir Starmer to trash Commons conventions and effectively to turn what was supposed to be an SNP Opposition day debate on a ceasefire in Gaza into a Labour Opposition day debate, compounded by Monday’s arrogantly …

Two words
22 Feb 2024 at 5:14pm
On Wednesday MPs were due to debate and vote upon an SNP motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza describing the wanton slaughter of Palestinians by the misnamed Israeli ‘Defence’ Forces as collective punishment, which constitutes a war crime under international law. Starmer refused to support the SNP motion because of those two words. …

Labour in Scotland: Lying for votes
20 Feb 2024 at 9:38am
The Labour party’s Scottish accounting unit held its spring conference in Glasgow over the weekend, an event mainly focused on creating the fiction that the Labour party in Scotland is is distinct entity with a political identity and policies distinct from those of the UK Labour party in the iron grip of that right wing …

Chasing after crazy and a tale of two ships
13 Feb 2024 at 11:39am
The Tories are in meltdown this week as two by elections loom in what were nominally safe Conservative seats in the English Tory heartlands, although given the current state of the party there is no longer such a thing as a safe seat for the Tories. Febrile back bench MPs are wailing that the party …

The Courier

Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

Date set for Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond at A9 inquiry
29 Mar 2024 at 12:01am
The two former first ministers will face questions about the SNP government's failure to fulfill its pledge to dual the road by 2025.

Listen: Stooshie podcast ? Assisted Dying law comes to Holyrood for third att...
27 Mar 2024 at 1:00pm
MSP Liam McArthur tells us why he thinks his legislation will pass this time.

VisitScotland to shut Pitlochry, Perth, St Andrews and Stirling visitor centres
27 Mar 2024 at 11:57am
The tourist board has announced it will close its entire network of visitor centres over the next two years.

Invergowrie man with far-right links remains in community council post
27 Mar 2024 at 6:00am
Invergowrie Community Council passed a resolution supporting diversity at a meeting on Monday evening.

Dundee economist ?done with Scotland? as opponents say he demolished case for...
26 Mar 2024 at 10:50am
Former SNP government adviser Mark Blyth's comments were interpreted as a 'devastating demolition' of the case for Scottish Independence.

Fife-based SNP education chief criticised over U-turn on free school laptops
26 Mar 2024 at 6:00am
Jenny Gilruth was asked about the issue in Fife as she visited a nursery to launch the government's latest independence paper.

Dundee SNP council leader deletes X account after row over ?misleading? econo...
24 Mar 2024 at 4:54pm
John Alexander insisted his decision to leave the social media platform was not linked to the row online.

12 months of turmoil: Humza Yousaf?s rollercoaster year since Nicola Sturgeon...
24 Mar 2024 at 6:00am
Month by month, this is how the first minister has had to cope with multiple problems since he was officially sworn in to office on March 29 last year.

Labour has no candidates in third of Scottish Westminster seats ? including a...
24 Mar 2024 at 6:00am
Polling indicates the next general election will see a tight race in Scotland between Anas Sarwar's party and the SNP.

Public health leaders in England back Scottish Government?s plan to raise min...
24 Mar 2024 at 6:00am
The effectiveness of the scheme remains a hotly contested issue, with some questioning the government's claims over the impact on the poorest Scots.

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland / Scottish media fact checking is like shooting fish in a...

No more a mean city as Glasgow?s murder rate plummets 80% under SNP
29 Mar 2024 at 12:20pm
From a Freedom of Information request, by a disappointed opposition MSP I’m guessing, there were only 7 homicide victims in Glasgow City last year (2022/2023), down from 34 in the last year of the Labour Government in Scotland (2006/2007), a 79.4% drop in only 16 years. A more meaningful comparison, based on the five-year average is 36.2 for the last 5 years of Labour rule down to 10 for the la...

If it wasn?t the Aberdeenshire school it was the Tory council that instructed...
29 Mar 2024 at 10:16am
The Aboyne school where class photos could be had selected for with or without children with ‘complex needs’ is all over media including wider UK media today. There’s not a word from the council leader (above) nor any mention of which parties run Aberdeenshire. From the council in June 2023: Cllr Gillian Owen has been appointed as the Leader of Aberdeenshire Council, by her fellow councillors. ...

Betraying WASPI women ? BBC Reporting Scotland protecting Scottish Labour fro...
25 Mar 2024 at 7:43pm
Thanks to Andrew for alerting me to this: A UK minister has refused to confirm whether the government will pay compensation to women hit by the rise in the state pension age. An ombudsman has recommended that those affected receive an apology and pay-outs between one nearly three thousand pounds. What does Scottish Labour have to say, we wonder: Two weeks ago, they were right behind compensatio...

The politicised campaign against one of the safest hospitals in the UK
25 Mar 2024 at 8:20am
Glasgow’s supposedly ‘troubled‘ super-hospital, the QEUH, has been a steady supplier of stories based on one or two statistically insignificant cases, Scottish Labour ‘ambulance-chasing’ of these few cases and infections ‘linked to‘ deaths there. Try googling ‘QEUH deaths‘ and you’ll see how obsessive the media interest has been. Today, Reporting Scotland is headlining a story of a complaint by...

Everyone in Scotland now benefits from the progressive SNP national council t...
24 Mar 2024 at 11:43am
All the rebel authorities have backed down to allow all of their constituents to benefit. While Labour, Tory and LibDem councils tried to impose big council tax hikes, it was an SNP government which has protected family budgets during this cost-of-living crisis. As well as showing a clear difference between the SNP and the Westminster parties, it also stands as an example to show voters how dec...

Scotland?s still far better care for those with breathing problems
24 Mar 2024 at 10:46am
In the Observer today: Lung disease patients waiting up to 10 years for diagnosis in poorer areas of England Coincidently in the sister paper, the Guardian, in September 2023, we had this report on the same concerns. It seem little has happened in the years of Johnson, Truss and Sunak. Today in the Guardian: Overlooked lung conditions could create ?deluge of hospital admissions this winter? in ...

Is the Labour-supporting GMB the dirtiest and most dangerous trade union in S...
24 Mar 2024 at 8:35am
Only last week, the GMB union leader was exposed as a bully and misogynist, after having campaigned to become leader, promising to eradicate the bullying and misogyny at the heart of the union. Today, in the Herald: The GMB has warned MSPs against the planned hike in minimum unit pricing (MUP) saying it will hurt lowest earning Scots hardest. The trade union, representing many drink industry wo...

Banking sector in Scotland would be worth more than twice the percentage of G...
23 Mar 2024 at 11:53am
By cuckooshoe BBC Scotland’s Business and economy editor, Douglas Fraser reported yesterday: On Thursday, the directors of Virgin Money UK plc announced they have agreed to recommend to shareholders that they vote to accept a £2.9bn takeover offer by Nationwide building society. Virgin Money operates under the licence for Clydesdale Bank, which took it over in 2018 and adopted its brand, saying...

Scots drug gang are ?Scots? drug gangs but English drug gangs are never ?Engl...
23 Mar 2024 at 11:36am
In the Daily Mail on 11 December 2023: Sophisticated Scottish cocaine-smuggling gang face jail  and in the Sun on 21 March 2024: I was groomed by a major Scots crime gang – I was at their mercy out of fears of being murdered In February 2024, the Mail reported: The Scottish Mail on Sunday can reveal at least 55 gangs have been identified operating north of the Border ? more than double the numb...

GMB ? Scottish Labour?s favourite union is institutionally sexist
23 Mar 2024 at 10:04am
By NMRN ?Staff at one of Britain?s biggest trade unions, the GMB, have voted to strike over claims the organisation has failed to act on a report which branded it ?institutionally sexist?. ?Karon Monaghan KC was called in to investigate sexual harassment in the GMB in 2020?. ?Employees in the North East say promised reforms have not materialised?. ?The Monaghan investigation began after the abr...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Even nationalists are waking up to the disaster of Scottish independence - Th...
26 Mar 2024 at 1:26pm
Even nationalists are waking up to the disaster of Scottish independence  The Telegraph

Scottish independence poll 2023 - Statista
11 Mar 2024 at 7:00am
Scottish independence poll 2023  Statista

Scotland's independence impasse is not unique - Financial Times
8 Oct 2023 at 8:00am
Scotland's independence impasse is not unique  Financial Times

Top US professor condemns Unionists 'taking words on independence out of cont...
26 Mar 2024 at 11:55am
Top US professor condemns Unionists 'taking words on independence out of context'  The National

The Scottish National Party Is Facing a Political Crisis - Jacobin magazine
5 Mar 2024 at 8:00am
The Scottish National Party Is Facing a Political Crisis  Jacobin magazine

Scottish independence: Asylum system would be overhauled - BBC.com
3 Nov 2023 at 7:00am
Scottish independence: Asylum system would be overhauled  BBC.com

Scottish Independence de-bunked: A deep dive into the SNP's IndyRef2 claims -...
28 Mar 2024 at 1:52pm
Scottish Independence de-bunked: A deep dive into the SNP's IndyRef2 claims  GB News

The SNP?s independence push: navigating public opinion - UK in a Changing Europe
27 Feb 2024 at 8:00am
The SNP?s independence push: navigating public opinion  UK in a Changing Europe

Alex Salmond launches new Scottish independence plan - BBC
30 Nov 2023 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond launches new Scottish independence plan  BBC

Ex-Nicola Sturgeon adviser ?demolishes? economic case for Scottish independen...
25 Mar 2024 at 4:21pm
Ex-Nicola Sturgeon adviser ?demolishes? economic case for Scottish independence  Express

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Humza Yousaf marks first anniversary as First Minister - HeraldScotland
29 Mar 2024 at 6:30am
Humza Yousaf marks first anniversary as First Minister  HeraldScotland

SNP MSPs should copy Tories and rebel against their leaders - HeraldScotland
29 Mar 2024 at 6:30am
SNP MSPs should copy Tories and rebel against their leaders  HeraldScotland

Longest-serving SNP MP brands election message 'unhelpful' - BBC
17 Mar 2024 at 7:00am
Longest-serving SNP MP brands election message 'unhelpful'  BBC

JK Rowling vows to defy 'ludicrous' new hate crime laws - The Telegraph
18 Mar 2024 at 7:00am
JK Rowling vows to defy 'ludicrous' new hate crime laws  The Telegraph

It must be April Fool's Day in the SNP's Scotland when calling a male person ...
11 Mar 2024 at 7:00am
It must be April Fool's Day in the SNP's Scotland when calling a male person a 'man' becomes illegal  Scottish Daily Express

Scotland is in decline because of SNP?s independence obsession, says Gove - T...
2 Mar 2024 at 8:00am
Scotland is in decline because of SNP?s independence obsession, says Gove  The Guardian

SNP?s Fergus Ewing urges party to ditch Greens pact as suspension confirmed -...
28 Feb 2024 at 8:00am
SNP?s Fergus Ewing urges party to ditch Greens pact as suspension confirmed  The Guardian

SNP considers 'disengagement' protest in Commons over Gaza debate - BBC
27 Feb 2024 at 8:00am
SNP considers 'disengagement' protest in Commons over Gaza debate  BBC

Election is a straight fight between SNP and Tories - Yousaf - BBC
16 Mar 2024 at 7:00am
Election is a straight fight between SNP and Tories - Yousaf  BBC

Humza Yousaf isn't cut out to be SNP leader - The Spectator
29 Mar 2024 at 6:00am
Humza Yousaf isn't cut out to be SNP leader  The Spectator

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Scottish independence poll 2023 - Statista
11 Mar 2024 at 7:00am
Scottish independence poll 2023  Statista

SNP backs revised plan for Scottish independence referendum - Financial Times
15 Oct 2023 at 8:00am
SNP backs revised plan for Scottish independence referendum  Financial Times

What's going on with Scottish independence? - BBC.com
19 Oct 2023 at 8:00am
What's going on with Scottish independence?  BBC.com

Alex Salmond launches new Scottish independence plan - BBC
30 Nov 2023 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond launches new Scottish independence plan  BBC

The Scottish National Party Is Facing a Political Crisis - Jacobin magazine
5 Mar 2024 at 8:00am
The Scottish National Party Is Facing a Political Crisis  Jacobin magazine

Liberty's in every blow! - The Duck of Minerva
31 Jan 2024 at 8:00am
Liberty's in every blow!  The Duck of Minerva

Scottish Independence Referendum & Westminster Voting Intention (3-4 February...
4 Feb 2024 at 8:00am
Scottish Independence Referendum & Westminster Voting Intention (3-4 February 2024)  Redfield & Wilton Strategies

Humza Yousaf on Scottish Independence, Trans Rights and More - TIME
5 Oct 2023 at 8:00am
Humza Yousaf on Scottish Independence, Trans Rights and More  TIME

Scottish Independence de-bunked: A deep dive into the SNP's IndyRef2 claims -...
28 Mar 2024 at 1:52pm
Scottish Independence de-bunked: A deep dive into the SNP's IndyRef2 claims  GB News

Scottish independence has become a long game - The Economist
17 Oct 2023 at 8:00am
Scottish independence has become a long game  The Economist