The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Scottish Government staff to vote on potential strike action over home working
by Craig Paton
6 Nov 2026 at 2:17pm
Staff at the Scottish Government and four of its agencies are being balloted on potential strike action in a row over a mandatory level of office working.


Reform MSP Graham Simpson responds to rumours he could defect to Lib Dems
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
6 Nov 2026 at 2:01pm
Reform MSP Graham Simpson has broken his silence on rumours of a second defection amid SNP claims of secret talks with the Scottish Lib Dems.


Edinburgh council leader 'angry and disappointed' after Bonfire Night disorder
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
6 Nov 2026 at 12:43pm
Councillor Meagher hit out at ?isolated incidents of disorder? caused by troublemakers ?seemingly intent on causing fear and alarm in our communities".


Scottish minister responds after emergency crews attacked on Bonfire Night
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
6 Nov 2026 at 11:56am
Scottish Government minister Mairi McAllan condemns Bonfire Night disorder after emergency workers were attacked and seven people arrested.


Mum demands better NHS rare disease care as daughter travels abroad for drug ...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
6 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
A Livingston mum whose daughter, 10, travels to Germany for a rare disease drug trial is urging Scotland to pilot faster access to NHS treatments.


Flynn told to ?get on top of? his department after dismissing Dalzell steel c...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
6 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
Economy Secretary Stephen Flynn has been accused of refusing to account for tens of millions in public money after dismissing whistleblower allegations about Sanjeev Gupta's Dalzell steelworks as matters for the company, not government.


SNP urged to discipline own chief executive over abortion event cancellation
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
6 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
SNP urged to launch disciplinary investigation into chief executive Callum McCaig over cancelled SPUC abortion event and alleged rule breaches.


Swinney to instruct SNP MPs to vote against UK Government ban on new oil and gas
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
5 Nov 2026 at 4:45pm
John Swinney has put the Scottish Government on a collision course with Labour over its plan to ban new North Sea oil and gas licences with SNP MPs threatening to vote against the Energy Independence Bill unless the provisions are removed.


Scottish committee chairs 'at heart' of Holyrood set for 20 per cent pay rise
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
5 Nov 2026 at 4:28pm
Kenneth Gibson announces a 20% pay rise for Scottish Parliament committee conveners from April 1, 2027, lifting MSP pay from £77,711 to over £93,000


Is losing smoky bacon crisps the price worth paying for a Brexit reset?
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
5 Nov 2026 at 3:59pm
A new EU regulation banning 31 meat terms from plant-based products has caught crisp makers in the crossfire.


SNP accused of ditching Falkirk bus plant furlough scheme day before election
5 Nov 2026 at 3:45pm
Scottish Labour accuses John Swinney?s Government of ditching £4m furlough support for Alexander Dennis workers before May 7 election, amid job losses


What Scotland's new grooming gangs inquiry will investigate
by Craig Meighan
5 Nov 2026 at 3:40pm
Scotland?s grooming gangs inquiry, chaired by Professor Alexis Jay, begins November 11 to examine child sexual abuse, exploitation and state failings


'It's a crisis': Bereaved mothers demand urgent women's health reform at Holy...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
5 Nov 2026 at 3:16pm
Bereaved mothers and campaigners protest outside Holyrood, demanding better NHS care and the return of a dedicated women's health minister in Scotland.


Blue wave just sunk JD Vance's 2028 presidential dreams - so who will succeed...
by Dace Potas
5 Nov 2026 at 12:31pm
Republicans need to find a new direction, or they will keep suffering losses until they move past Donald Trump

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


AI raises huge questions about sovereignty but independence is not an option ...
6 Nov 2026 at 6:00am
The UK relies on technology produced by a small number of mostly American companies


Social workers forced to 'ration' care amid lack of community resources
6 Nov 2026 at 6:00am

Hundreds of social workers in a Scotland-wide survey said they simply do not have adequate resouces to do their jobs

Developers say it will be ?elegant, connected residential and business quarter?

The First Minister spoke out against a potential ban on new oil and gas developments

Presiding Officer Kenny Gibson says the extra pay reflects the ?significant additional demands? of the role

It?s now looking more likely than ever that a Democrat will be the next American President.

Wings over Scotland

Vibecoding A Better World
28 Oct 2026 at 3:13pm
AI may very well kill us all in the coming weeks and months, but in the meantime it’s a magical tool that enables even near-idiots to perform near-miracles. While the Scottish Parliament has been off for the October half-term and nothing’s been happening in politics, I’ve been occupying myself with modifying some very old computer …

Faces In Sand
17 Oct 2026 at 3:53pm
Ladies and gentlemen, the next leader of the SNP. ? To be scrupulously fair to the huffing dolt-child, we suppose in grey, chilly Aberdeen there could be some confusion on the matter. But remarkably, the above isn’t even nearly the dumbest thing that’s happened (so far) at this year’s SNP conference. It’s probably not even …

The fight about to come
14 Oct 2026 at 3:20pm
The obvious question is “Why haven’t you made a bigger one in all that time?” Did it not seem important until now? Was there nothing significant going on? Or were they just a little short of cash for some unknowable reason? Still, Keith’s going to make a “launch” speech. He makes it every year. It’ll …

Still Time To Save Her
9 Oct 2026 at 2:32pm
We’ve just had an extraordinary email from Police Scotland, readers. Here it is. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the real-life Timecops. Operation Branchform was closed on 20 March 2025. Nicola Sturgeon gave her infamous interview to Laura Kuenssberg – stating that she would not be handing back any of the items gifted to her by Peter …

There May Be Justice
5 Oct 2026 at 12:40pm
In a little under three days, Phase 1 complete. Wings readers: still the best. But what now? A couple of people have asked about the “stretch target” on the website. That was something CrowdJustice asked for and the reason it’s so high is that that figure was our lawyers’ estimate of the total cost of …

The Love Of Big Brother
3 Oct 2026 at 1:24pm
We were trying to work out what this reminded us of. And the answer was in the same place it usually is. It all checks out. The SNP spend their time grooming your children and trying to make basic parenting a crime. They endorse “gender-affirming care” that sterilises them and will stop them ever having …

In The Eyes Of The Law
1 Oct 2026 at 2:15pm
Our fundraiser to bring a judicial review of Police Scotland’s decision not to charge anyone with embezzlement in the case of the SNP’s missing £700,000 indyref fund is now live, and can be reached by clicking on this image, or here. The target of £30,000 represents the cost of the initial application (with contingency for …

Whatever Can Have Happened?
30 Sep 2026 at 1:50pm
Yesterday afternoon John Swinney announced an independent review into the dual roles of Scotland’s main law officers, the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General, which have been a subject of great controversy since the Scottish Parliament was re-convened in 1999. Wings welcomes this development unequivocally, albeit we’re slightly concerned that the former judge leading the …

The Turning Point
28 Sep 2026 at 1:10pm
We don’t have much to say about this graph that it doesn’t say for itself. The arrest of Peter Murrell on 5 April 2023, just a couple of weeks after his wife had realised the game was up and walked away before the cops came round and put a big blue tent up on their …

Cowering From Destiny
24 Sep 2026 at 11:29am
Alert readers will recall that last year the SNP convened a summit in Glasgow for the sole purpose of uniting the nation in preventing Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister. The party also regularly tells us that to actually achieve independence, support would have to build to an overwhelming consensus into the 60-65% range, rather than …

Craig Murray

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

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

Palestine Action Supreme Court Hearing Day 1

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

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

To The Supreme Court

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

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

The Crisis In Poland

This Cannot Last
29 Oct 2026 at 3:06pm

Netanyahu is seeking to build a new coalition with Jewish “opposition” parties to ensure the continued exclusion of Arabs from government in Israel. It will be a long and convoluted process but I expect he will eventually succeed. In the meantime he remains in power. Next week Trump will lose control of both Houses in …

This Cannot Last

The Epidemic of Billionaires
21 Oct 2026 at 11:54am

It takes a lot to get tens of thousands of people to riot. For it to happen simultaneously across several countries points to a supranational underlying cause, as opposed to local grievance at an egregious state injustice. That the temporary collapse of authority and restraint will allow some opportunists to loot is an inevitable concomitant. …

The Epidemic of Billionaires

The Unjust State
15 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm

“Forget justice, it’s much too expensive and time consuming. Plus if you take the government to court, you will have to spend your own money, and we are saving you from that”. That is a fair summary of the judgement by Lords Pentland and Troy and Lady Wise in our appeal against the suspension of …

The Unjust State

BBC Scotland

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

Scottish grooming gangs inquiry to start next week
5 Nov 2026 at 3:34pm
The independent investigation will look into group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Swinney criticises UK move to ban new North Sea drilling
5 Nov 2026 at 4:43pm
The first minister has told Holyrood fossil fuels will be required "for some years to come".

Holyrood committee conveners set for £15,000 pay rise
5 Nov 2026 at 4:46pm
The change is expected to cost the taxpayer £342,000 a year, based on this year's pay levels.

Woman who waited nine days for miscarriage assessment 'fighting against system'
5 Nov 2026 at 12:37pm
A petition calling for improved maternity care has been presented to parliament after attracting 900 signatures.

UK government to outlaw new North Sea drilling
4 Nov 2026 at 4:28pm
Labour ministers have published legislation that would end the granting of new oil and gas licences.

Scottish colleges need £2.5bn investment boost by 2037, report warns
4 Nov 2026 at 6:18am
A new report has laid bare the financial challenges facing Scotland's college sector.

New strategy launched to transform Scottish women's football over 10 years
4 Nov 2026 at 7:03am
The strategy aims to double the number of registered female players in Scotland, while also quadrupling attendances and audiences for matches.

MSPs 'unable to say' if Scottish government spending plans are affordable
3 Nov 2026 at 10:32am
Holyrood's finance committee has called for greater transparency from the government ahead of the Budget.

Election rules for foreign nationals should be reconsidered, MSPs say
3 Nov 2026 at 12:30pm
A Holyrood committee has raised concerns about rules that allowed Q Manivannan to be elected as a Green MSP while on a student visa.

Scotland needs to embrace AI for its potential to be realised, minister says
3 Nov 2026 at 1:20pm
The Scottish government has said AI could generate an additional £23bn in annual GDP for Scotland by 2035 with the right investment and leadership.

A thousand job applications, five interviews and still no job
3 Nov 2026 at 12:12pm
Annual Scottish figures on young people not in education, employment or training are due later - one young woman shares her struggle.

Scot Goes Pop

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

If nuclear war is to be averted, RevStew's unbroken run of inaccurate predict...
3 Nov 2026 at 9:30pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Debunking the so-called "Refnation poll on Scottish independence for the Dail...
2 Nov 2026 at 8:11pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

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

Was the SPUC's attempted fringe meeting in Aberdeen a "classic McEleny politi...
28 Oct 2026 at 2:59pm
Also in the video below - SHE'S BACK!!!  Corri Wilson, matriarch of the "Corri Nostra" faction of the defunct Alba Party, has emerged from hibernation, and this time she wants to "explain democracy...

I'm sensing a pattern here...
28 Oct 2026 at 8:06am
My YouTube channel has reached two new milestones over the last few days - it's hit 2000 subscribers, and for the first time one of the individual videos has exceeded 10,000 views.  That prompted m...

Majority of Scots want independence, says ELEVENTH Norstat poll IN A ROW - ev...
25 Oct 2026 at 6:38pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Mounting evidence that the SNP leadership would be serious about using a hung...
24 Oct 2026 at 3:31am
Over the last few days, several people have been asking how I fared in the SNP internal elections.  As I explain in the video above, I'm pretty much certain that I've been elected to one of the fou...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

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

MSPs who preside over committees to receive £15,500 salary boost after unanim...
5 Nov 2026 at 5:06pm
Sixteen MSPs are set for a salary increase of 20% for taking on additional responsibilities

Inquiry into Scottish grooming gangs to begin next week
5 Nov 2026 at 3:53pm
Professor Alexis Jay will examine the scale, extent and prevalence of grooming gangs based in Scotland.

Data centre ?misinformation? has overblown concerns, MSPs told
5 Nov 2026 at 2:07pm
Holyrood?s Climate Action Committee was also told that Scotland?s cooler climate could make it a natural home for the facilities

Scottish Parliament votes against Reform push for burka ban
4 Nov 2026 at 7:20pm
MSPs voted overwhelmingly against the Reform motion which was described as ?racist? and ?hatemongering?.

Bus fare cap in greater Glasgow could cost ScotRail £20m, MSPs told
4 Nov 2026 at 4:33pm
The £2 bus fare cap was extended to include a vast area of west central Scotland in September, including Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire

Ministers urged to set target to almost treble Scotland?s onshore wind power
4 Nov 2026 at 7:12am
It comes as concerns were raised about the 'low ambition' for onshore wind beyond 2030

Report unable to say if SNP spending is affordable ?due to lack of transparency?
3 Nov 2026 at 7:12am
MSPs must provide 'much greater transparency' on its progress in closing a near-£5bn financial black hole.

Ministers challenged to ?intervene urgently? to protect Scotland?s wild salmon
2 Nov 2026 at 8:41pm
Campaigners at the charity WildFish are concerned about the impact of sea lice from the salmon farming sector on wild salmon.

UK Government wants Acorn carbon capture and storage project success, says mi...
2 Nov 2026 at 7:58am
The project was due to receive £200 million in grant funding from the UK Government.

Streeting condemns Swinney?s ?irresponsible and unfounded? comments on defence
30 Oct 2026 at 7:36pm
The First Minister has claimed the UK Government is ?failing to keep Scotland secure?.

Swinney ?deeply concerned? by Acorn carbon capture decision
30 Oct 2026 at 4:30pm
The funding mechanism for the project was changed in the Chancellor?s Budget this week

Four nations must ?move at same pace together?, Burnham says on devolution
30 Oct 2026 at 4:26pm
The Prime Minister met leaders from Scotland and Wales and representatives from Northern Ireland to discuss regional devolution

Information Commissioner ?erred in law? with Salmond files order, court rules
30 Oct 2026 at 12:35pm
Scottish ministers appealed against an order to disclose exempted material

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

MSPs branded 'tone deaf' after handing Holyrood committee chiefs 20% pay rise...
6 Nov 2026 at 11:55am
EXCLUSIVE: One former committee convener blasted the massive pay award and warned it would

Reform MSP blasted for using 'far right anthem' on video calling for burka ban
6 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Thomas Kerr shared an Instagram clip of him discussing a burka ban while controversial dance hit L'Amour Toujours plays in the background.

Scottish grooming gangs inquiry date set with probe to 'ensure abuse cannot h...
5 Nov 2026 at 4:56pm
Education Secretary Mairi McAllan said the review will issue recommendations to strengthen child protections but added it would not determine criminality.

MSPs who chair Holyrood committees to be handed massive 20% pay rise despite ...
5 Nov 2026 at 3:56pm
Presiding Officer Kenny Gibson said "our committees really are at the heart of what we as a Parliament do".

SNP £2 bus fare cap punches 'significant hole' in ScotRail budget as passenge...
5 Nov 2026 at 2:42pm
MSPs have been warned the policy could cost the publicly-owned rail network as much as £20m a year in lost revenues.

John Swinney chose to 'withhold' Alexander Dennis announcement until after Ho...
5 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The First Minister was told by officials just days before voters went to the polls that ADL would not be receiving taxpayer-funded support.

JD Vance turns on Donald Trump's Iran war as he fights for political future
4 Nov 2026 at 7:48pm
JD Vance has said the Iran war is the reason behind the Republican midterm election disaster as he considers his own political future

John Swinney 'terrified' of upsetting Greens in row over foreign nationals st...
4 Nov 2026 at 2:01pm
EXCLUSIVE: A veteran nationalist said it was "absurd" that candidates without permanent residency should be allowed to stand in Scottish elections.

What Donald Trump's US midterms thrashing means for Scotland
4 Nov 2026 at 11:45am
The US President was at the peak of his powers when he last visited Scotland. It's all come crashing down in the months since, says Chris McCall.

Private equity firms 'destroying Scots high streets' as Poundland on brink of...
4 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
A Labour MP said the uncertainty facing Poundland employees is the "latest example of private equity being allowed to do as they please - the type of behaviour which has destroyed our high streets".

The National

The National | Politics

LibDems urged to come clean over 'undemocratic' Reform defection rumours
6 Nov 2026 at 3:33pm

THE SNP have demanded that Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton rule out accepting Reform UK MSPs into his party amid rumours of a potential defection.

MSP detained and interrogated by Israel speaks out on 'disinformation'
6 Nov 2026 at 3:29pm

A SCOTTISH parliamentarian who was detained by Israel and denied access to the West Bank has dismissed the Israeli government?s reasoning as ?misinformation and disinformation? ...

SNP urged 'don't write blank cheque' for troubled Scottish carbon capture scheme
6 Nov 2026 at 3:01pm

The SNP have been urged not to write a ?blank cheque? for technology which aims to capture and store carbon emissions amid a furious row with Westminster.

Bonfire Night disorder sparks fresh calls for fireworks sales ban
6 Nov 2026 at 2:31pm

Calls are growing for a ban on the private sale of fireworks after emergency workers were injured on Bonfire Night

Why this unusual map of Scotland has no ?correct? way up
6 Nov 2026 at 1:46pm

AN Edinburgh artist has created a new 360-degree map of Scotland designed to challenge the traditional way we look at the country and, perhaps, the way we think about Scotland itself

BBC reveals flood of complaints after Palestinians left out of Zionism debate
6 Nov 2026 at 12:26pm

The BBC received more than 700 complaints after it failed to speak to any Palestinians in a debate on whether ?Zionism is racism?, it has been revealed ...

Scottish Government papers expose officials' fears over AI data centres
6 Nov 2026 at 12:23pm

A SCOTTISH Government official warned there were ?clearly significant impacts and risks? from plans to site a number of hyperscale data centres in Scotland, documents released under freedom of information (FoI) laws have revealed

Reform MSP refuses to correct 'misleading' claim about Scotland
6 Nov 2026 at 11:01am

A Reform UK MSP has refused to correct the record after being accused of "misleading" the Scottish Parliament

SNP risk internal revolt as John Swinney overturns oil and gas stance
6 Nov 2026 at 10:54am

THE SNP risk an internal revolt over their U-turn on oil and gas as members raged over John Swinney?s announcement the party was against the ban on new fossil fuel licences.

Independent inquiry into Scotland?s grooming gangs to begin next week, MSPs told
6 Nov 2026 at 10:33am

An independent inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland will begin next week, the Scottish Government has announced

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

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

MSPs running Holyrood committees in line for 20 per cent pay rise
5 Nov 2026 at 4:28pm
Uplift to reflect 'additional demands'

Start date confirmed for Scottish grooming gangs inquiry
5 Nov 2026 at 3:35pm
McAllan: Abusers have 'nowhere to hide'

John Swinney opposes UK Government move to ban new oil and gas licences
5 Nov 2026 at 3:16pm
The Energy Independence Bill was introduced to Westminster on Wednesday

MSPs raise doubts over teachers pledge
5 Nov 2026 at 7:00am
'Considerable challenges' over reduced classroom contact time policy

Government will not reconsider candidacy rights of foreign nationals ? John S...
4 Nov 2026 at 12:33pm
The standards committee said it was no longer convinced that those with limited leave to remain should be eligible to stand

Public trust in Scottish Government drops
4 Nov 2026 at 11:04am
The Scottish Household Survey for 2025 saw trust drop across seven institutions

Shortlist announced for Scottish Public Service Awards 2026
4 Nov 2026 at 10:10am
The awards will take place in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 9 December and will be hosted by journalist and TV presenter Emma Cameron.

Who?s advising you? How to choose your AI and automation advice.
4 Nov 2026 at 6:00am
Suppliers, consultancies, platform teams and the colleague who went on a course last month all have differing views. It can feel pretty confusing, and if you?re the one deciding where public money goes, the hard part is knowing whose advice to trust.

Scottish Government should reconsider candidacy rights of non-UK citizens, MS...
3 Nov 2026 at 3:05pm
The standards committee is questioning a change in law agreed just last year

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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

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

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

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

No 10: Hegseth ?wrong? to say most non-US Nato soldiers didn?t fight in Afgha...
19 Oct 2026 at 5:18pm
Downing Street delivered a rare rebuke to a senior member of Donald Trump?s administrationAsked why the Lib Dems were opposed to a third runway at Heathrow when they professed to be in favour of growth, Cooper said she did not accept that a third runway would produce all the benefits its supporte...

SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun?
17 Oct 2026 at 4:45pm
John Swinney tells party conference SNP will use ?six-figure war chest? to renew argument for leaving UKJohn Swinney has said that the second referendum campaign for Scottish independence ?has already begun?, revealing a nationwide effort to renew the argument for leaving the UK in his keynote ad...

Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference?
15 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
Prime minister presents new kind of challenge for SNP, and his Scottish visit will loom large over its big eventThis year, even Andy Burnham is invited to the Scottish National party conference. But by the time John Swinney stands up to address members on Saturday afternoon in Aberdeen to reinvig...

Burnham tells Zelenskyy?s UK?s support for Ukraine ?will not change? ? as it ...
14 Oct 2026 at 6:06pm
Zelenskyy says he will be discussing intelligence sharing ?difficulties? and Starlink access with BurnhamPMQs is about to start.Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.After @genevieve_holl reported this last night, various sources in the Trump administration who are supportive of Farage s...

MI5 chief Ken McCallum confirms Russia did interfere in Brexit referendum but...
13 Oct 2026 at 5:23pm
He argued there was no evidence to suggest the result of the Brexit vote had been swayed as a result of the effortAndy Burnham promises ?serious dialogue? over UK?s relationship with EUZia Yusuf, Reform UK?s home affairs spokesperson, has said he does not agree with his colleague Suella Braverman...

UK politics live: Pat McFadden tells Labour activists they should not defend ...
27 Sep 2026 at 6:11pm
Work and pensions secretary says the current system is flawed because it consigns too many people to a life on benefits when they would be better off working?I can deliver?: Burnham pledges radical change on eve of Labour conferenceKuenssberg puts it to Burnham that, according to the Health Found...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

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

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

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

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

These Islands? dishonest best out of three indyref plan
28 Oct 2026 at 11:44am
In an interview with The Herald, marking a significant shifting of the previous intransigence of a die-hard Unionist campaign group, Professor Colin Kidd, a historian who is a member of the advisory board of the anti-independence campaign organisation These Islands has acknowledged that opponents of independence “can’t keep on saying no indefinitely to a second …

The paramilitary far right must be nipped in the bud
27 Oct 2026 at 2:01pm
We have now had another fascist military style parade consisting of men dressed all in black, often wearing black ski masks or balaclavas and scarves to hide their faces, parading in formation in public spaces in Scotland, in what is clearly an attempt to intimidate and sow fear. On Friday, around 100 men dressed in …

Newly independent countries can quickly establish a currency
25 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm
One of the biggest mistakes the Yes campaign made during the 2014 referendum campaign was Alex Salmond’s declaration that a newly independent Scotland would enter a currency union with the remnant UK and continue to use pound sterling as its currency. This gave the Better Together parties the opportunity, which they immediately took, to assert …

BBC Scotland?s useful idiots
24 Oct 2026 at 11:34am
Police Scotland has announced that it will make no further investigations into the finances of Yes Scotland, having found no evidence of criminality. Headed by Blair Jenkins, Yes Scotland was the organisation which represented the official Yes campaign in the 2014 referendum. It handed over its full accounts to Police Scotland after a complaint was …

The £1 trillion cost of the Union to Scotland
23 Oct 2026 at 1:46pm
Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey has admitted that if the UK had in set up a sovereign wealth fund on the basis of income generated from North Sea oil and gas as Norway did in the 1980s, it would currently be worth in excess of the eye watering sum of £1 trillion pounds. That …

The BBC, switching off Scotland
21 Oct 2026 at 1:57pm
The BBC has announced that the BBC Scotland channel is to close in spring 2027 as part of its cost-cutting measures. Also ceasing linear broadcasting will be BBC Three and BBC Radio 4 Extra. The channels will become online only. The BBC Scotland Channel was established in 24 February 2019, replacing the BBC Two Scotland …

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

Grooming readers and viewers to believe in grooming gangs in Scotland
6 Nov 2026 at 2:47pm
They all use the term ‘grooming gangs’ so what’s wrong with that? Well, the inquiry inquiry terms of reference do not, ever, use either word: Child sexual abuse and exploitation: Jay Inquiry: The aim of this inquiry, established under the Inquiries Act 2005, is to make recommendations to better protect children from group-based sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) both now and in the future. Th...

Several more police officers injured and more cars damaged in Newcastle than ...
6 Nov 2026 at 2:45pm
Ed: To set the scene for a longer piece from Liz S - From BBC Tyne today: Six people, including three teenage boys, have been arrested after a night of violence saw fireworks and bricks launched at emergency services on Bonfire Night. Northumbria Police said its crews had been attacked after responding to reports of anti-social behaviour in the Waterville Road area of Meadow Well in North Tynes...

More nonsense from the Herald as they begin the process of demonising the lat...
6 Nov 2026 at 10:21am
On the front page in the Herald today, a story going nowhere. They tried to make much of it, front page and bigger on October 12: and: This is nonsense, the Herald knows it?s nonsense and so will the SNP?s advisers. Parties retain substantial control over their own conferences, agendas, and who they platform. Fringe events are typically subject to approval and are not the same as membership rig...

There?s a far bigger ?steelworks crisis? ? we have none but must pay for it i...
6 Nov 2026 at 9:57am
No doubt the Dalzell plant needs looking at but it’s a far less significant matter than this: Latest increase ? Scots taxpayers to pay first £120 million instalment to keep old English steelworks in business and another £100m to save old English oil refinery so that it can replace Scottish oil refinery to refine oil almost entirely from Scottish waters Labour has been urged to lay out a credibl...

Dreadful scenes but reduction in serious incidents, no injuries to firefighte...
6 Nov 2026 at 9:42am
From BBC Scotland today, the above and: Seven people were arrested and a police van was set alight during Bonfire Night violence in parts of Scotland. A police officer and an ambulance staff member also suffered minor injuries when they were attacked with fireworks while responding to a report of an injured man in Glasgow. The police vehicle was seriously damaged during the incident in Greensid...

Herald?s Education Specialist lacks ordinary Primary 7 knowledge of simple ar...
5 Nov 2026 at 4:55pm
In the Herald today, from the above Education Specialist, arrant nonsense he should ashamed of, but first what qualifications do you require to call yourself a ‘Specialist?’ None On his website: I was originally a high school English teacher on the Isle of Arran, after which I spent nine years as an English and Communication lecturer in a Glasgow further education college. Since 2015 I have com...

Ayrshire has more GPs per head than the Scottish average and far more than En...
5 Nov 2026 at 11:31am
I’ll be quick. On a per-head-of-population basis, excluding trainees: Scotland: 84 GPs per 100,000 population England: 65 GPs per 100,000 Ayrshire & Arran: 87 per 100,000 Sources: https://www.snp.org/policies/how-is-the-snp-increasing-access-to-gps/ https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/media/psijuw5d/generalpracticeworkforcesurvey2026_final.html

Reposted as BBC Scotland tries to hide potential football trouble and some my...
5 Nov 2026 at 9:05am

Experimenting on monkeys in Scotland is a reserved matter, Labour?s Home Secr...
5 Nov 2026 at 8:56am
The Ferret today has a piece on Nearly 500 monkeys have been transported more than 6000 miles to Scotland from Mauritius to be used in animal experiments since the start of 2025, The Ferret can reveal. The monkeys are used in tests at a research site in Tranent run by a company called Charles River Laboratories that buys, sells and experiments on animals. The US multinational ? which specialise...

Still hiding the UK Government?s responsibility for the three Stonehaven dera...
4 Nov 2026 at 11:32pm
improvements since the accident. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20y0922wg3o BBC Reporting Scotland last night carefully omit any details of Network Rail‘s responsibility to the UK and not the Scottish Government. In the 1 000 words plus online report, there is no attempt to inform readers that Network Rail, is responsible for the maintenance of all rail infrastructure across the UK, for n...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

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

Referendum or international law? The debate over Scotland?s path to independe...
6 Nov 2026 at 5:09pm
Referendum or international law? The debate over Scotland?s path to independence  The National Scot

How the European question impacts on Scotland's future - BBC
1 Nov 2026 at 2:15pm
How the European question impacts on Scotland's future  BBC

Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which i...
8 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?  The Conversation

'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum - BBC
15 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum  BBC

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

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaders unite behind independence push f...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:18pm
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaders unite behind independence push from UK  Courthouse News

Labour ?making the case? for Scottish independence referendum after Brexit ad...
2 Nov 2026 at 10:21am
Labour ?making the case? for Scottish independence referendum after Brexit admission  The National Scot

Scottish independence - Politics.co.uk
24 Sep 2026 at 12:55am
Scottish independence  Politics.co.uk

Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham - BBC
17 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham  BBC

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP backs new North Sea drilling as Burnham plans ban - The Telegraph
6 Nov 2026 at 5:00pm
SNP backs new North Sea drilling as Burnham plans ban  The Telegraph

SNP urged 'don't write blank cheque' for troubled Scottish carbon capture sch...
6 Nov 2026 at 3:49pm
SNP urged 'don't write blank cheque' for troubled Scottish carbon capture scheme  The National Scot

Scotland's papers: Predator Brand faces jail and SNP 'U-turn' on North Sea dr...
6 Nov 2026 at 6:30am
Scotland's papers: Predator Brand faces jail and SNP 'U-turn' on North Sea drilling  BBC

SNP urged to discipline own chief executive over abortion event cancellation ...
6 Nov 2026 at 2:08pm
SNP urged to discipline own chief executive over abortion event cancellation  The Herald

Scotland's papers: Predator Brand faces jail and SNP 'U-turn' on North Sea dr...
6 Nov 2026 at 6:30am
Scotland's papers: Predator Brand faces jail and SNP 'U-turn' on North Sea drilling  Yahoo

SNP retreat on oil and gas 'slap in the face' for future generations - Scotti...
5 Nov 2026 at 3:49pm
SNP retreat on oil and gas 'slap in the face' for future generations  Scottish Greens

Disbelief over SNP?s ?daft gimmick? of muting school bells - The Times
3 Nov 2026 at 6:30pm
Disbelief over SNP?s ?daft gimmick? of muting school bells  The Times

The Scottish National Party turns to the right - The Economist
19 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
The Scottish National Party turns to the right  The Economist

SNP accused of ?basic dishonesty? over nuclear ban - Energy Voice
5 Nov 2026 at 7:02am
SNP accused of ?basic dishonesty? over nuclear ban  Energy Voice

SNP risk internal revolt as John Swinney overturns oil and gas stance - The N...
6 Nov 2026 at 11:03am
SNP risk internal revolt as John Swinney overturns oil and gas stance  The National Scot

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Referendum or international law? The debate over Scotland?s path to independe...
6 Nov 2026 at 5:09pm
Referendum or international law? The debate over Scotland?s path to independence  The National Scot

Will Scotland have a second referendum? - Workers' Liberty
31 Oct 2026 at 3:50pm
Will Scotland have a second referendum?  Workers' Liberty

Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which i...
8 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?  The Conversation

John Swinney aiming for independence referendum by 2031 - BBC
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
John Swinney aiming for independence referendum by 2031  BBC

'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum - BBC
15 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum  BBC

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

PM meeting with First Minister of Scotland: 30 October 2026 - GOV.UK
30 Oct 2026 at 3:20pm
PM meeting with First Minister of Scotland: 30 October 2026  GOV.UK

second independence referendum ?off the table? ? The NEN - North Edinburgh News
31 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
second independence referendum ?off the table? ? The NEN  North Edinburgh News

Labour ?making the case? for Scottish independence referendum after Brexit ad...
2 Nov 2026 at 10:21am
Labour ?making the case? for Scottish independence referendum after Brexit admission  The National Scot

PM Andy Burnham says second Scottish independence referendum remains 'off lim...
10 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
PM Andy Burnham says second Scottish independence referendum remains 'off limits'  BBC