The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Business groups urges council to approve visitor levy funding for George Stre...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
4 Nov 2026 at 10:00am
Essential Edinburgh, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and the George Street Association have written to councillors on the Transport and Environment Committee.


Ministers urged to set target to almost treble Scotland?s onshore wind power
by jody.harrison@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Jody Harrison
4 Nov 2026 at 8:06am
Setting a new target to virtually treble Scotland?s onshore wind capacity by 2040 could generate more than £4 billion for the country?s economy while supporting thousands of jobs, research has revealed.


Texas goes blue as Democrats gain control of US Congress in historic rebuke o...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
4 Nov 2026 at 5:22am
As of 5 am in Scotland, the party had flipped Senate seats in Ohio, Kansas, Texas, Iowa, North Carolina and South Carolina.


Scottish Government's 'rapid' rates review still hasn't started five months on
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
4 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
Five months after ministers promised a rapid independent review of eye-watering business rates rises, not a single panel member has been appointed ? leaving firms facing another year of unaffordable bills with no relief in sight.


Third of Scots face freeze-or-debt choice as energy cap nears £2,000, warn ch...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
4 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
A coalition of 20 organisations has written to energy minister Stephen Gethins urging the reinstatement of the Home Heating Support Fund as Cornwall Insight forecasts a 16% January price cap rise, pushing bills to their highest since March 2023.


Former SNP MP calls for Holyrood resilience committee amid new ?War Book?
by Kathleen Nutt
4 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
Former SNP MP Stewart McDonald urges Holyrood to create a national resilience committee as Scotland and the UK develop a new War Book amid growing Russian threats.


SNP ministers warned over mass loan of Scotland?s art treasures to China
by Kathleen Nutt
4 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
SNP ministers warned as National Galleries of Scotland lend 60 artworks, including paintings by Matisse, Degas and Renoir, to China amid concerns over Chinese influence.


North Sea deal shows appeal of UK gas fields amid Iran war fallout
by mark.williamson@newsquest.co.uk | Mark Williamson
4 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
North Sea oil and gas entrepreneur sees opportunity in area amid complaints about tax burden


'I won't be sleeping tonight': Americans stay up late to toast Democrat midte...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
4 Nov 2026 at 2:34am
Members of Democrats Abroad were bullish on the party?s chances to regain control of the US Congress, two years after Donald Trump romped to victory in 2024.


Police escorts for massive Highland wind farm loads jump from 27 to over 300
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
4 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
Freedom of Information data reveals wind farm Special Order movements in the Highlands have soared elevenfold in two years, with Police Scotland officers working rest days to cover escorts as six-to-eight month waits threaten major energy projects.


Edinburgh MP urges rethink on mothballed northern tram extension to Granton
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
3 Nov 2026 at 10:00pm
Edinburgh North and Leith MP Tracy Gilbert has joined forces with campaign group Looking For Growth to call for a rethink.


Healey vows to release £1.2bn mineworkers? pension fund in weeks
by Will Meakin-Durrant
3 Nov 2026 at 8:44pm
John Healey says he wants to release £1.2bn Mineworkers? Pension Scheme Guarantor?s Fund to former miners within weeks, as trustees demand action within days


US midterms: Trump's grip on Congress faces biggest test since returning to p...
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
3 Nov 2026 at 6:27pm
US midterm elections test Donald Trump?s second term as voters weigh high prices and the Iran war, with control of Congress at stake for Democrats and Republicans


Scottish AI minister says data centres are 'whisky bonds' of tech industry
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
3 Nov 2026 at 4:25pm
Alyn Smith says Scotland's planning system needs strengthened for AI data centres as Greens raise environmental concerns and fears grow over job losses.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


UK ministers urged to give Scotland's offshore energy assets 'critical status...
4 Nov 2026 at 10:31am

Three members of the Conservative shadow cabinet have now written to the UK government

Victories across the Senate and House leave Donald Trump facing obstacles to his domestic agenda and the prospect of investigations into his administration.

The courts service has warned that without extra funding the system will struggle to cope with a ?sustained increase in serious and complex criminal business?.

The social work intervention on delayed discharge comes ahead of proposed sweeping changes to public services

The SNP government has no long-term ambition for onshore wind beyond 2030, amid industry fears it could put off investment.

Reform UK says a previous debate they led on the issue was ended ?prematurely?.

Critics said huge waits have become ?a normalised horror story in our NHS?

The draft deal would be the most significant part of the UK?s Brexit reset so far.

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

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

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?
12 Oct 2026 at 10:29am

Tomorrow at 10am we get the judgement in our appeal against the suspension of the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. We cannot have won as the appeal – held by “urgent process” – was intended to allow a judicial review before the Supreme Court meets in the Ammori case on 4 …

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?

BBC Scotland

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.

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.

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.

How the European question impacts on Scotland's future
1 Nov 2026 at 2:15pm
Former Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the UK should be back in the European Union and that has implications for Scotland.

Bereaved families call for public inquiry into maternity care
1 Nov 2026 at 4:55pm
A review of Scotland's maternity services started last month but campaigners are demanding more.

Bute House protested by environmental campaigners
31 Oct 2026 at 1:41pm
A Halloween-themed protest against fossil fuels has targeted the first minister's residence in Edinburgh.

Scottish councils want a rethink on reform plans - is there a way forward?
31 Oct 2026 at 9:06am
Council leaders have called for the Scottish government to reconsider a planned reorganisation of local authorities.

'No nation left behind' says Burnham after meeting first ministers in Glasgow
30 Oct 2026 at 4:56pm
The meeting involved representatives from the UK's four nations to discuss devolving more powers to regions and cities.

Court backs Scottish government appeal over Sturgeon inquiry evidence
30 Oct 2026 at 5:25pm
Ministers argued that complying with freedom of information requests could reveal the identities of women who made complaints against Alex Salmond.

Scot Goes Pop

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...

The BBC, realising they haven't betrayed Scotland quite hard enough yet, anno...
21 Oct 2026 at 12:07pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *Just a reminder that the YouTube videos I create are unlikely to ever produce...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

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

PM?s Scotland meeting an opportunity to ?turn words into action? ? Swinney
30 Oct 2026 at 7:23am
John Swinney said the UK Government should work with the Scottish Government to deliver devolution proposals.

Budget will see many Scots ?staring down barrel? of high energy bills ? SNP
30 Oct 2026 at 7:09am
More than 800,000 Scots could face higher gas bills because of a decision to replace standing charges with higher gas unit prices.

Swinney pressed to give explicit support for Rosebank oil development
29 Oct 2026 at 4:06pm
Tory leader Russell Findlay said the First Minister is happy to give his opinion on a range of issues, ?but not on the North Sea?

?Everyone?s struggling?: Businesses and communities react to Budget
29 Oct 2026 at 7:06am
Scottish firms call for help to ?steady the ship? while pensioners say soaring bills continue to outpace available support.

Scottish Government to pass on £100 to Scots for winter fuel bills after Budget
28 Oct 2026 at 4:05pm
Around 20 million households will get £100 from the UK Government this winter to help with energy bills, John Healey announced on Wednesday

Budget 2026: What it means for your bills, pay and pension
28 Oct 2026 at 2:17pm
John Healey unveiled the UK Government's tax and spending plans in the House of Commons.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

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"...

John Swinney refuses to reconsider allowing foreign nationals to stand for el...
3 Nov 2026 at 6:07pm
Two SNP MSPs were among a Holyrood committee that unanimously warned the rule change risked "undermining trust" in the democratic process.

'Lost generation' of young Scots not in work or education as poorest five tim...
3 Nov 2026 at 3:34pm
The number of Scots teenagers who are not in work, education or training rises significantly by the time they turn 19.

Supermarkets 'should pay for alcohol addition services' with booze profits
3 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: A former senior Nationalist minister said it is "perverse that big retailers coin it in through a policy which saves lives".

Allowing foreign nationals to stand in Scottish elections 'undermines trust',...
3 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
In a rare display of defiance, the SNP convener of a powerful Holyrood committee warned the law change had "run ahead of what the public want".

Tory rapist who 'hounded Janey Godley' before cancer death probed over threat...
3 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
Aaron Stewart was reported to parliamentary security after asking if he should "disable" the SNP politician in the street.

Care workers recruited from overseas can apply for settlement after 5 years f...
2 Nov 2026 at 4:26pm
A report last year found internationally recruited care workers made up nearly 100 per cent of the workforce in some parts of Scotland.

Disabled Scots 'do go out after dark' as MSP calls for free buss passes to in...
2 Nov 2026 at 1:42pm
EXCLUSIVE: Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill has challenged the "harmful societal idea that disabled people don?t go out after dark".

Darren McGarvey on being 'radicalised' by Hyndland and namechecked by Andy Bu...
2 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
McGarvey's award-winning book Poverty Safari was praised by Andy Burnham when the Prime Minister made a recent speech in Motherwell.

MSPs to consider law change to crackdown on hoodlums riding e-bikes and e-sco...
2 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
Police Scotland last week seized 142 e-bikes and e-scooters during a week of action against the menaces.

The National

The National | Politics

Abdul El-Sayed clashes with Sky News presenter ahead of historic Senate win
4 Nov 2026 at 9:36am

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who has become the first Muslim US senator, is going viral after a confrontation with a UK journalist outside a polling centre

Sandie Peggie to appeal against employment tribunal ruling on case against union
4 Nov 2026 at 8:37am

SANDIE Peggie is to appeal against an employment tribunal ruling that a nursing union did not discriminate against her because of her beliefs about gender, her legal team has said

Democrats take US Senate and House in seismic nationwide shift
4 Nov 2026 at 7:54am

Donald Trump has been branded a ?failed lame duck president? after the Democrats inflicted a string of historic defeats against the Republicans to take control of Congress

The plan to give every girl in Scotland a chance to play football
4 Nov 2026 at 5:00am

MORE girls will be given opportunities to play football under a new long-term plan to make Scotland a leading nation for the women?s game in the next decade

What's the point of nuclear weapons if the UK is still preparing for war?
4 Nov 2026 at 5:00am

THERE?S a threadbare keffiyeh hanging on a hook in the hall. It?s long since been stolen by my significant other but for years it used to keep my neck warm in Weegie winters.

Andy Burnham and King Charles can?t keep avoiding slavery apology
4 Nov 2026 at 5:00am

SOMEWHERE in the Antiguan sunshine, the King was taking a break from dancing to the tune of a

Scotland can no longer ignore the growing threat of far-right extremism
4 Nov 2026 at 5:00am

SCOTLAND can no longer lazily pretend that its strong left-wing traditions protect us from the rise of violent

Celebrity Traitors backlash shows how compassion has become a culture war
4 Nov 2026 at 5:00am

AFTER dramatic twists and turns, faithfuls won the day but ended up being called traitors.

Scottish Parliament votes to end 'unfair' minimum wage gap for young workers
3 Nov 2026 at 7:58pm

THE Scottish Parliament has backed calls from the Scottish Greens to end age-based minimum wage discrimination and ensure young workers receive the same pay as their older colleagues.

'Pay up': Meet the activists demanding UK reparations for slavery
3 Nov 2026 at 7:45pm

ANDY Burnham and the King have almost apologised for Britain?s role in slavery, but even if they did, that wouldn?t be enough say activists

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

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

Cyber experts warn of AI-powered attacks on critical infrastructure by 2028
3 Nov 2026 at 3:00pm
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said AI adoption by hostile actors was ?highly likely? to increase the scale and efficiency of their operations

Finance committee calls on Scottish Government for ?much greater transparency...
3 Nov 2026 at 12:01am
The finance committee said there is insufficient evidence to determine whether the government's tax and spending plans are affordable and sustainable

Home secretary drops settlement plan for migrant care workers
2 Nov 2026 at 11:00pm
Shabana Mahmood has shortened the?time?migrant care workers must wait before qualifying for permanent settlement following pressure from Labour MPs

Jude McCorry to stand down as chief executive of Cyberfraud Centre
2 Nov 2026 at 2:43pm
McCorry, who has led the organisation since 2020, will remain in post until February.

Third sector calls for ?meaningful? engagement on public service reform
2 Nov 2026 at 12:29pm
Representative body the SCVO says involvement has been 'lacking to date'

E-scooter crime probe announced by MSPs
2 Nov 2026 at 6:00am
E-bikes included in antisocial behaviour inquiry

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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...

New powerful synthetic opioids behind sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths
23 Sep 2026 at 2:12pm
Eleven per cent increase in fatalities last year partly down to presence of nitazenes in Scotland?s illicit drug marketNew forms of a powerful synthetic opioid have contributed to a sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths, with the latest data showing an 11% increase in fatalities last yearAnnual figu...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

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 …

Buses, indy and Reform?s implosion
19 Oct 2026 at 2:16pm
Despite BBC Scotland doing its best to ignore or marginalise the recent SNP conference in Aberdeen, the SNP have come out from their conference, united, confident and energised with a batch of eye-catching policies which are likely to be popular with the public, not the least of which is the commitment to take Scotland’s bus …

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

As Birmingham drug gangs now compete with Liverpool in Highland Region, the r...
4 Nov 2026 at 10:58am
in possession of two large suitcases. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0033vn4/highland-cops-series-4-2-siege-in-the-highlands Inverness and the Highlands are a world away from BBC Scotland in Glasgow in terms of their coverage the illegal drug trade. Highland Cops commissioned by BBC 2 and BBC Scotland and produced by Firecrest Films is in its fourth series of frankly fascinating documen...

The Herald on CalMac ? More balanced framing would likely improve both the jo...
3 Nov 2026 at 7:42pm
In Scotland the Herald newspaper has mounted repeated attacks on Scottish CalMac ferries, always without any context in the form of the higher costs and other failures of other ferry companies in England and in North America. Given their high frequency and constant unvarying dramatic negativity is it likely that readers may tire of these reports and that they may come to be counter-productive f...

Why we have no A&E crisis but England does
3 Nov 2026 at 5:20pm
In the Herald today, this: Here’s why we have no crisis but NHS England does From stewartb 5 March 2026 on NHS England manipulating stats again, researched by stewartb and just framed by me. RCEM press release (march 4): ?NHS England corridor care definition interesting but meaningful change must follow? ?Dr Ian Higginson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said: ?.. we can al...

Major improvement in average NHS Scotland discharge delays offers reduced har...
3 Nov 2026 at 4:02pm
From Delayed discharges in NHS Scotland monthly Figures for September 2026 published today: The average (median) length of delay for people delayed at the September 2026 census was 29 days. This is less than as at the census point in August 2026 (33 days), the same as July 2026 (29 days) and less than June 2026 (30 days). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/delayed-discharges-in-...

Residential bed capacity for drug and alcohol rehabilitation in Scotland is u...
3 Nov 2026 at 4:00pm
From Residential rehabilitation bed capacity in Scotland, August 2026 today: The survey received responses from 30 residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities with bed capacity that meet the Residential Rehabilitation Development Working Group?s definition of residential rehabilitation. This is two more facilities than were identified in October 2025 (28 facilities). The 2026 survey ...

NHS Scotland now at 93% of pre-pandemic operations level
3 Nov 2026 at 3:57pm
From Cancelled planned operations Month ending 30 September 2026 published today: There were 26,484 operations planned to take place across NHS Scotland. This is 4.6% more (+1,162) than the number planned in September 2025 (25,322). Over the course of the last 12 months, from October 2025 to September 2026 (309,720), there was a 5.4% increase (+15,744) compared to the previous 12 months (293,97...

More police officers to tackle 143 675 fewer crimes than under Labour
3 Nov 2026 at 12:49pm
From Police officer quarterly strength statistics: 30 September 2026, published today: There were 16,553 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 30 September 2026 This is an increase of 152 FTE police officers (+0.9%) in the last quarter from 30 June 2026 This is an increase of 113 FTE police officers (+0.7%) in the last year from 30 September 2025 This is an increase of 319 F...

Slam Dunk! One page of hard evidence why Scotland does not need Labour?s nucl...
2 Nov 2026 at 11:10pm
Print this out and keep it handy for the next time you meet somebody who believes the Labour myth that Scotland is being left behind on nuclear energy. Health Risks German research suppressed by Labour Government and media in 2008 revealed under 5?s living near nuclear plants more than twice as likely to develop leukaemia.i The Sellafield Nuclear re-processing plant responsible for levels of ...

Education in Scotland is so much better than this wee inexperienced guy wants...
2 Nov 2026 at 5:09pm
Christ, James! Two teachers and fewer than 10 senior pupils. What made you choose that image for a supposed ‘lack of teachers?’ Regulars, anybody really, will know that Scotland has far more teachers than the other parts of the UK. If there’s ‘a lack’ here, dog knows what is happening in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Check this for the facts: So, that’s enough for James McAneny. Who is h...

Scotland has long held some of the answers to England?s child care home crisis
2 Nov 2026 at 4:47pm
In the Guardian yesterday: In a quiet suburb on the outskirts of Copenhagen sits a large white house, set back from the road behind a purple-leaved plum tree. It looks much like the rest of the buildings on the street and there is little outward sign this is Josephine Schneider?s House, considered one of the best children?s homes in the world. Danish children?s homes are often cited as the gold...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

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

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

UK, Scotland agree to explore greater autonomy despite divisions over indepen...
30 Oct 2026 at 5:21pm
UK, Scotland agree to explore greater autonomy despite divisions over independence  Anadolu Ajans?

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

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

Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same - Calgary J...
19 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same  Calgary Journal

John Redwood: Scottish independence is a mistake - Conservative Home
21 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
John Redwood: Scottish independence is a mistake  Conservative Home

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

Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference - Financial...
13 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference  Financial Times

Scottish independence push has ?turned a corner?, Swinney claims - The Indepe...
12 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence push has ?turned a corner?, Swinney claims  The Independent

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Former SNP MP calls for Holyrood resilience committee amid new ?War Book? - T...
4 Nov 2026 at 5:49am
Former SNP MP calls for Holyrood resilience committee amid new ?War Book?  The Herald

SNP putting 'thousands of jobs at risk' with failure to triple Scotland's ons...
4 Nov 2026 at 6:00am
SNP putting 'thousands of jobs at risk' with failure to triple Scotland's onshore wind capacity  The Scotsman

Quieter school bells will get children back to class, says SNP - The Telegraph
3 Nov 2026 at 9:11pm
Quieter school bells will get children back to class, says SNP  The Telegraph

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

SNP 'must rethink letting people on temporary visas be MSPs', former minister...
3 Nov 2026 at 1:24pm
SNP 'must rethink letting people on temporary visas be MSPs', former minister says  The National Scot

Why Scottish nationalists should see Burnham as a real threat ? and an opport...
1 Nov 2026 at 9:00am
Why Scottish nationalists should see Burnham as a real threat ? and an opportunity | Rory Scothorne  The Guardian

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 Urges UK To Direct £5B Oil Revenue To Acorn CCS Project - Carbon Herald
2 Nov 2026 at 10:37am
SNP Urges UK To Direct £5B Oil Revenue To Acorn CCS Project  Carbon Herald

SNP refuses to say what flagship schools policy might cost - The Herald
4 Nov 2026 at 6:06am
SNP refuses to say what flagship schools policy might cost  The Herald

Scottish courts face being 'stretched beyond breaking point' as SNP under pre...
4 Nov 2026 at 6:00am
Scottish courts face being 'stretched beyond breaking point' as SNP under pressure to boost funding  The Scotsman

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google 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

UK, Scotland agree to explore greater autonomy despite divisions over indepen...
30 Oct 2026 at 5:21pm
UK, Scotland agree to explore greater autonomy despite divisions over independence  Anadolu Ajans?

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

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

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

PM 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

Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same - Calgary J...
19 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same  Calgary Journal

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

'No nation left behind' says Burnham after meeting first ministers in Glasgow...
30 Oct 2026 at 4:56pm
'No nation left behind' says Burnham after meeting first ministers in Glasgow  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