The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Scotland urged to hit private jet users with hefty tax after COP31 flights
by Katrine Bussey, Press Association Scotland Political Editor
11 Nov 2026 at 9:01pm
Oxfam Scotland urges ministers to impose a hefty private jet tax after 87 jets flew into Turkey for COP31, generating an estimated 777 tonnes of CO2.


Scots soldier in Cyprus charged with rape of servicewoman
by Kathleen Nutt
11 Nov 2026 at 2:59pm
A soldier from a Scottish regiment serving in Cyprus is facing a court martial following a probe into a rape of a servicewoman on the island.


'Brand and Walliams are not the only men hiding in plain sight'
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
11 Nov 2026 at 1:07pm
The Brand and Walliams cases raise questions about powerful men, women's silence and why Scotland's underfunded rape crisis services need urgent action.


Labour councillor reselected after unsuccessful attempt to block her from sta...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
11 Nov 2026 at 12:12pm
An Edinburgh councillor will stand for reelection following an unsuccessful campaign to remove her from the Labour Party?s candidate list.


Watchdog to give update on 'unacceptable' governance at Historic Environment ...
by Kathleen Nutt
11 Nov 2026 at 5:03am
Audit Scotland will publish a Section 22 report on Thursday into Historic Environment Scotland, examining governance weaknesses, financial controls and leadership turmoil.


Nine more Samaritan branches in Scotland 'face closure' warn ex volunteers
by Kathleen Nutt
11 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
Nine more branches of the Samaritans in Scotland face closure, according to former senior volunteers of the suicide prevention charity.


Revealed: How Scottish Enterprise settled Gupta's £7m loan with data centre g...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
11 Nov 2026 at 5:00am
Scottish Enterprise has quietly rolled a £7m taxpayer loan to Sanjeev Gupta's Dalzell steelworks into a speculative property deal, leaving a private Merseyside lender ahead of the public agency in any repayment queue.


Rosebank refusal will spark disastrous backlash warns North Sea oil entrepreneur
by mark.williamson@newsquest.co.uk | Mark Williamson
11 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
UK Government at risk of alienating key North Sea operators as Iran war fuels energy security fears


FM insists QEUH A&E crisis matter for health board despite warning of patient ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
10 Nov 2026 at 4:53pm
The First Minister has defended the Scottish Government's refusal to step in at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, telling MSPs that the crisis in its A&E department is an "operational matter" for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.


Something rotten in Scotland's public bodies says MSP after Crown Estate reve...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
10 Nov 2026 at 4:05pm
John Swinney has refused to commission a review into an independent whistleblower office despite a string of bullying scandals at Crown Estate Scotland, the Scottish Prison Service, and Historic Environment Scotland rattling confidence in the country's public bodies.


John Swinney moves to protect NHS waiting lists after Royal Mail delays cause...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
10 Nov 2026 at 3:47pm
John Swinney will seek to stop patients losing their place on NHS waiting lists after Royal Mail delays of up to five weeks left Highlander missing hospital appointments.


How Hugh MacDiarmid's A Drunk Man changed Scottish literature forever
by Odhran Gallagher
10 Nov 2026 at 12:30pm
Hugh MacDiarmid transformed Scottish literature and inspired generations of nationalists. A century on, what remains of the legacy of A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle?


Scottish Labour leader calls for EU rejoin in party's next general election m...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
10 Nov 2026 at 11:37am
Michael Marra used a University of Edinburgh speech to call for UK EU membership as a long-term goal, writing to PM Andy Burnham to demand action


SNP consider increasing number of judges amid rise in 'serious criminal busin...
by Kathleen Nutt
10 Nov 2026 at 5:01am
Scotland may need more judges as High Court cases surge, with Justice Secretary Neil Gray warned victims of serious crimes could wait up to four years for justice.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


1000 schools across Scotland targeted by hoax 'bomb threat' as police cyber u...
11 Nov 2026 at 6:42pm

The Education Secretary said counter-terrorism experts were working to understand who was responsible.

Dorothy Bain was criticised after briefing the first minister on the scale of embezzlement charges faced by the former SNP chief executive

MSPs on Holyrood?s transport committee also questioned what is meant by ?public control? of buses

Prime Minister and EC leader stress need to ?rapidly conclude? sharing deal arrangement on fishing stocks

Chris Cash has given his first interview after being arrested and charged with espionage.

Scotland?s Auditor General found ?unacceptable weaknesses? in the governance of Historic Environment Scotland and will now issue a follow up report

SNP ministers are urging Scots to only turn up at A&E if absolutely necessary as emergency departments face pressure this winter.

The Children and Young People?s Commissioner Scotland urged the UK?s Energy Secretary to ?take a child?s rights-based approach? over whether the North Sea project should be approved or not.

SNP ministers have waned that ?geopolitical instability, hostile state activity and cyber threats? could cause blackouts across all parts of Scotland

Wings over Scotland

How To Succeed In Scotland
11 Nov 2026 at 1:30pm
…Without Really Trying, Or Even Being Slightly Competent. We should probably just make this a list. But first it’s worth digressing for a moment to note where the new Head of Defence Medical Command comes to his new position from. The Elanic Hospital is a private institution which opened last February, offering a wide range …

Stand By Your Posts
10 Nov 2026 at 10:16pm
(We weren’t going to run this AI piece, but honestly the last line is ice cold.) Regular readers will have noticed a lack of articles lately. The fault is partly mine: the editor and I have been busy with other things for a fortnight, and Holyrood has been left to its own devices. Having spent …

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 …

Craig Murray

Palestine Action Supreme Court Hearing Day 2
8 Nov 2026 at 6:38pm

I woke up at 5am, and rather than dashing back to court, I made good progress on writing up the first day. The surprising lack of demand for the public gallery was probably due to the fact that you were not actually allowed in the courtroom, but only in an overflow court. So I arrived …

Palestine Action Supreme Court Hearing Day 2

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

BBC Scotland

Why is Scotland's housing shortage getting worse?
11 Nov 2026 at 6:11am
Homelessness has hit record levels and the cost of renting or buying property has continued to rise.

Acquitted 'China spy' tells BBC: I was fall guy for security services but als...
11 Nov 2026 at 6:00am
Thousands of messages seen by BBC show how a Chinese official sought details of sensitive political matters.

Scottish Labour leader says the UK should re-join EU
10 Nov 2026 at 5:53pm
Michael Marra said he wanted "solidarity, not separation" and accepted that "re-joining the EU won't be easy".

NHS boss received nearly £400,000 'redundancy' pay-off when she retired
10 Nov 2026 at 6:20am
The payment comes ahead of a planned major overhaul of Scotland's NHS which could see the number of health boards cut dramatically.

Further BBC cuts could undermine funding model, union leader warns
10 Nov 2026 at 5:54pm
A trade union leader has warned more cost-saving measures could prompt Scots to question why they pay the licence fee.

US military aircraft landed at Prestwick Airport after leaving English base
10 Nov 2026 at 5:22pm
The departures come weeks after the US withdrew bombers from RAF Fairford airbase over a suspected Iran-linked security incident.

Senior doctors at Glasgow hospital in care delay warning
9 Nov 2026 at 4:34pm
Consultants at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital say conditions for emergency patients there are deteriorating.

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.

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.

Scot Goes Pop

The SIX most UNDENIABLE benefits of Scotland becoming an independent country
9 Nov 2026 at 8:12pm
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...

Scottish independence polls: how the polling companies are GASLIGHTING us abo...
8 Nov 2026 at 5:47pm
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...

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...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Attacks on former lord advocate over Murrell case were ?deeply unfair?, MPs told
11 Nov 2026 at 8:36pm
James Wollfe KC defended his successor Dorothy Bain KC when he gave evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee

Why does Burnham keep slipping up on Scotland?
11 Nov 2026 at 6:09pm
From energy to Scottish independence, Andy Burnham has stumbled over key Scottish issues during his premiership

Scottish ministers accused of ?Jekyll and Hyde? approach to climate issues
11 Nov 2026 at 8:31am
First Minister John Swinney has been urged to oppose drilling in the Rosebank oil and gas field.

Malcolm Offord not most charismatic leader, Reform UK Scotland deputy says
11 Nov 2026 at 8:30am
Thomas Kerr also said he did not want his boss?s job, amid claims from the First Minister about his leadership ambitions.

?Tony overcame trauma of care system to give us a voice ? then his life was c...
11 Nov 2026 at 7:03am
Ashley Toner says the death of fellow campaigner Tony McDonald highlights the worrying rate of premature deaths among care-experienced people

Russell Brand case shows how celebrities can ?significantly exert power?, Joh...
10 Nov 2026 at 4:15pm
The First Minister said Brand's actions highlight how 'misgynistic attitudes' still prevail

Rejoining EU should be ?long-term objective? for UK ? Scottish Labour leader
10 Nov 2026 at 2:22pm
Michael Marra accepted his call for the UK to go back into Europe goes further than Prime Minister Andy Burnham?s position.

Why is the Scottish Government under fire for Remembrance Sunday posts?
10 Nov 2026 at 12:35pm
The Scottish Government has been accused of choosing to 'just ignore Remembrance Sunday altogether' in a row over social media posts

I find the burka ?extremely intimidating?, claims Reform deputy Thomas Kerr
10 Nov 2026 at 7:51am
Thomas Kerr said Muslim women should not be allowed to wear niqabs and burkas publicly in a 'Christian nation'

Long waits at emergency departments ?linked to 600 extra deaths?
7 Nov 2026 at 6:20pm
The Lib Dems said there has been a steep rise in the figures compared with 10 years ago.

Scottish Government staff to vote on potential strike action over home working
6 Nov 2026 at 7:22pm
The Scottish Government imposed a 40% target for staff to work from the office.

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.

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Glasgow City Council leader warns 'we will run out of money' if equal pay dea...
11 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Ricky Bell said the city council did not have "another penny" to offer unions to resolve a long-running equal pay dispute - and could "end up in a Birmingham situation".

The EU wants the UK to rejoin and MEPs think Andy Burnham is the man to do it
10 Nov 2026 at 11:47am
Writing from Brussels, Chris McCall says the level of support for the UK to rejoin the EU is striking.

Michael Marra calls for UK to rejoin EU and says Scottish Labour will 'work t...
10 Nov 2026 at 11:21am
Marra has urged Andy Burnham to make rejoining the EU a key Labour manifesto commitment ahead of the next general election.

Give struggling Scots households £350 to help pay energy bills this winter, s...
9 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Labour warned the SNP Government not to use excess funding it receives via the Barnett Formula to plug a £5billion blackhole in Holyrood's finances.

Scottish Labour is ready to talk with the SNP to deliver more support for hou...
9 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
Writing in his regular column for the Record, Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra says the SNP has an opportunity at the Budget next month to provide more support for hard-pressed families this wi...

SNP 'failed to act' on over a dozen bullying claims against Presiding Officer...
8 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
An explosive dossier passed to the Sunday Mail reveals complaints of 'misogynistic' behaviour and bullying against Kenny Gibson sent to party HQ by independent solicitors.

Glasgow is not in decline and won't go bust, insists new council leader Ricky...
7 Nov 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Ricky Bell dismissed some of the criticism shared on social media over the condition of Glasgow city centre as "nonsense".

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.

The National

The National | Politics

Scottish Government urged to set private jet tax ?unapologetically high? afte...
11 Nov 2026 at 9:01pm

INCREASED use of private jets around the COP31 climate summit should inspire Holyrood ministers to set an ?unapologetically high? tax on such flights, campaigners have said.

Do the Scottish Government actually have a plan for a devolved public broadca...
11 Nov 2026 at 7:19pm

THIS week, the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of devolving broadcasting powers from Westminster to Holyrood.

Furious row erupts after AI data centre campaigners told to 'stop contacting FM'
11 Nov 2026 at 6:00pm

A ROW has erupted after campaigners have accused the Scottish Government of telling them to stop corresponding with them about a giant AI data centre in Larbert ...

Doctors demand Scottish health leaders take stand against Palantir
11 Nov 2026 at 5:53pm

DOCTORS will demand that Scottish health leaders back calls to end controversial tech firm Palantir?s involvement with the English NHS.

Lawyers submit evidence to The Hague claiming Donald Trump guilty of war crimes
11 Nov 2026 at 5:44pm

A DELEGATION of US taxpayers and international human rights attorneys today submitted evidence to the International Criminal Court (ICC), seeking arrest warrants for Donald Trump, and other senior US officials.

Labour 'treating Scots like children' on independence, says Zack Polanski
11 Nov 2026 at 5:30pm

LABOUR have treated the people of Scotland ?like children? on the question of independence, Zack Polanski has said.

Meet the US citizens demanding Donald Trump be charged for Gaza war crimes
11 Nov 2026 at 4:42pm

THIS Wednesday a delegation of US taxpayers travelled to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to call for arrest warrants for president Donald Trump, secretary of state Marco Rubio, and other senior US officials ?for aiding and abetting Israel in the commission...

Andy Burnham caught 'fibbing' about Scottish investment that doesn't exist
11 Nov 2026 at 3:20pm

ANDY Burnham has been accused of ?telling fibs" after he claimed that £1 billion of investment had been announced for a Scottish wind farm site ...

UK Government refuses to reveal full cost of Britain's nuclear arsenal
11 Nov 2026 at 2:20pm

THE UK Government has been accused of taking a "blank cheque" approach to nuclear weapons spending after confirming it will not publish detailed forecasts of the cost of Britain's nuclear arsenal.

Scottish Labour urged to block 'Sieg Heil' councillor from standing for re-el...
11 Nov 2026 at 1:36pm

LABOUR have been urged to ban a councillor who shouted the Nazi slogan ?Sieg Heil? in a council meeting from standing for re-election.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Qualifications Scotland chief executive announces departure
11 Nov 2026 at 11:30am
Search for Nick Page replacement to begin

Scottish Labour backs UK rejoining European Union
10 Nov 2026 at 1:12pm
Michael Marra has written to Andy Burnham calling on him to include the commitment in Labour?s next manifesto

Mairi McAllan: ?BBC Scotland being hollowed out by cuts?
10 Nov 2026 at 12:01am
Mairi McAllan will lead a Scottish Government debate on the BBC and public service broadcasting following news that BBC Scotland will be moved online

Maree Todd: Thomas Kerr?s drugs genocide claim is a disgrace
9 Nov 2026 at 11:57am
Reform UK MSP says he holds SNP ministers personally responsible for his father's death

Data centres could ?torpedo? climate target, campaigners warn
9 Nov 2026 at 7:00am
The intervention comes amid a political row on the future of the sites

Voters want decisions over North Sea oil and gas to be made in Scotland
9 Nov 2026 at 12:01am
Fifty-eight per cent of those surveyed by pollsters Ipsos said the decision on licences should be made by the Scottish Government, compared with 33 per cent who said the UK Government.

?Insufficient evidence of wrongdoing? in bullying complaints against Kenneth ...
8 Nov 2026 at 4:23pm
It has been reported that a dossier of complaints was sent to SNP HQ by independent solicitors

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'

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Planned Tory welfare cuts ?a charter for human misery,? says Labour ? as it h...
10 Nov 2026 at 5:23pm
Conservative leader launches Welfare That Works policy document outlining benefit reductions of £36bnBadenoch and Whately are now taking questions.Q: From Rob Powell from Sky News We are running a report on the Netherlands, where youth unemployment is much lower than in the UK, but the amount t...

Burnham warns that NHS will ?struggle? to cope if consultants don?t resume ta...
9 Nov 2026 at 5:31pm
Hospital consultants are set to go on a two-day strike at the end of OctoberDowning Street has insisted that the government remains committed to the principle of the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate ? while not denying today?s Guardian report saying interim targets to achieve it are set to be ...

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...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Marra?s referendum hypocrisy
11 Nov 2026 at 11:21am
Michael Marra, the latest branch manager of the Labour party in Scotland, has called for the UK to rejoin the European Union. Marra now thinks it’s justified to revisit the outcome of the EU referendum held ten years ago, but remains dead set against revisiting the outcome of a Scottish independence referendum which was held …

Labour polls and Tory culture wars
10 Nov 2026 at 11:53am
It seems we have moved into the era of government by opinion polling, or at least by polling which gives results which are in agreement with the political prejudices of those in power. We learned over the weekend that Andy Burnham’s Labour government, like the Tories before it, has been using public money to commission …

Scotland bad, the constant refrain of the media in Scotland
7 Nov 2026 at 3:20pm
In a speech on Friday, Sir Mark Rowney, the head of the Metropolitan Police and the most senior police officer in England and Wales, called for “urgent reform” of the police forces in England and Wales, saying that the existing system was “heading for failure”. Rowney has suggested the merger of the existing 43 police …

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 …

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

Presentation to Glasgow Pensioners for Independence
11 Nov 2026 at 7:18pm
Presentation to Glasgow Pensioners for Independence, 30th October 2026, in Bacchus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2Fij6M0BpE&t=933s

Scottish Labour MP fawns over PM despite e-bike injury and death being six ti...
11 Nov 2026 at 6:53pm
Martin might be Glasgow MP but he clearly knows little of the city as he desperately tries to show it in a bad light it, based on the facts about e-bike ad e-scooter injuries and death. The Daily Record, 12 September 2026, put its finger on the underlying factor in the above surge of e-bike police confiscations: Beyond local anti-social behaviour, they have become the preferred transport for co...

Scotland has clearer, more generous approach to adult social care than the ch...
11 Nov 2026 at 6:51pm
In the Guardian today, the above and: Successive governments in England have been ?asleep at the wheel? on social care, leaving the system to grow as a chaotic patchwork of local services with no clear vision, Louise Casey, the head of the social care commission, is to warn. Lady Casey, who is preparing proposals for a big review of adult social care, will say the result is that in effect ?no o...

Further evidence that the Clyde will build Royal Navy warships for many years...
11 Nov 2026 at 6:50pm
In the Herald today, the above and: Scotland?s defence industry and military infrastructure are being highlighted at a major UK-Norway security summit in Oslo this week. Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander is attending the Atlantic Future Forum, held aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, which was built at Rosyth. Does this suggest that within NATO an independent Scotland would be a...

The Western Link 2 from Ayrshire to Wales and the West Midlands ? a colonial ...
11 Nov 2026 at 6:48pm
In the Ayrshire Advertiser today, the above and: The next step has been taken in plans for the Western Link 2 electricity project linking Ayrshire with the west coast of Wales. Applicants are seeking a scoping opinion relating to the proposed high-voltage direct-current subsea cable. The project is being jointly developed by National Grid and Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN). The project i...

A reminder of how Thatcher used Scotland?s oil wealth to pay for mass unemplo...
11 Nov 2026 at 11:33am
Thanks to rtpscott for sharing this with us. He asks – What has Scotland gained from all this wealth? He knows, we all know, we do not have the £1 trillion at least, invested, as Norway has. What have the UK Governments, Tory and Labour, done with the revenue from those billions of barrels of oil and gas over the last 50 years? The P&J tells us part of the answer: Output from the asset helped t...

What would AJ Cronin make of the relocation of the Children?s and Maternity/N...
11 Nov 2026 at 10:14am
What on Earth would AJ make of the relocation of the Children?s and Maternity/Neonatal Hospitals from the relatively bucolic site at Yorkhill to the sewage surrounded Shieldhall cesspit 101 years later? What novel would he write? ?The Shitadel??? By Scunhur A J Cronin, best selling novelist and doctor, lived at 29 Esmond St Yorkhill during his latter school years and throughout University studi...

Smartphones are making our kids smarter ? Dare to be different Scotland
10 Nov 2026 at 3:52pm
Deep in Impacts of digital media use on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing: evidence review published today: The review has identified important methodological limitations, particularly regarding causality and the direction of associations between digital media use and mental health and wellbeing. Yet in the same paragraph, this: Whilst these limitations warrant considerati...

SNP praised as 38% fewer wait for key diagnostic tests than in NHS England
10 Nov 2026 at 3:51pm
From NHS waiting times – diagnostics Waits for key diagnostic tests, published today: At 30 September 2026, the total waiting list size (number of ongoing waits) for the eight key diagnostic tests combined was 111,561. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-diagnostics/diagnostic-waiting-times-waits-for-key-diagnostic-tests-10-november-2026/ The statistics are not ...

Soft on crime!? Scotland has barely a third of the reported rape cases in Eng...
10 Nov 2026 at 3:49pm
From Conviction rate data for cases of rape and attempted rape, published today, the conviction rate for rape or attempted rape single charge has risen from 24% in 2020/2021 to 25.5% in 2022/2023, the most recent year for which figures are available, a 6.25% improvement. For a charge of at least one rape or attempted rape with other charges, the figures improved from 48.4% to 55.8%, a 15.3% imp...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Rejoining the EU could lead to Scottish independence - The Telegraph
11 Nov 2026 at 11:28am
Rejoining the EU could lead to Scottish independence  The Telegraph

We must face reality, and demand our rights as a colonised nation - The Natio...
11 Nov 2026 at 8:23pm
We must face reality, and demand our rights as a colonised nation  The National Scot

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

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

Reform MSPs walk out of parliament in protest against independence debate - BBC
22 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Reform MSPs walk out of parliament in protest against independence debate  BBC

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

The Debate: What?s the best route to Scottish independence? - Bella Caledonia
6 Nov 2026 at 8:35pm
The Debate: What?s the best route to Scottish independence?  Bella Caledonia

PM would consider independence referendum if 'clear consensus' emerges - BBC
9 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
PM would consider independence referendum if 'clear consensus' emerges  BBC

Labour 'treating Scots like children' on independence, says Zack Polanski - T...
11 Nov 2026 at 5:44pm
Labour 'treating Scots like children' on independence, says Zack Polanski  The National Scot

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Political handbags as SNP calls on Burnham to correct record over PMQ blunder...
11 Nov 2026 at 3:53pm
Political handbags as SNP calls on Burnham to correct record over PMQ blunder  Energy Voice

SNP warn Scots to brace for power cuts caused by 'new and dynamic threats' - ...
11 Nov 2026 at 6:00am
SNP warn Scots to brace for power cuts caused by 'new and dynamic threats'  The Scotsman

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

Scottish Labour reopens budget talks with SNP - Morning Star | The People?s D...
11 Nov 2026 at 3:12pm
Scottish Labour reopens budget talks with SNP  Morning Star | The People?s Daily

Half of SNP ministers still post on X despite motion to leave - The Times
10 Nov 2026 at 5:30pm
Half of SNP ministers still post on X despite motion to leave  The Times

Families ?deserve answers? after Swinney rejects baby deaths inquiry - The He...
11 Nov 2026 at 4:21pm
Families ?deserve answers? after Swinney rejects baby deaths inquiry  The Herald

SNP considers reparations for gypsies over ?historic trauma? - The Telegraph
9 Nov 2026 at 2:45pm
SNP considers reparations for gypsies over ?historic trauma?  The Telegraph

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

Prescribed burns underway in Shenandoah National Park - WHSV
11 Nov 2026 at 9:15pm
Prescribed burns underway in Shenandoah National Park  WHSV

MSPs vote to devolve broadcasting after BBC Scotland cuts - The National Scot
11 Nov 2026 at 5:44pm
MSPs vote to devolve broadcasting after BBC Scotland cuts  The National Scot

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Scottish Labour leader says the UK should re-join EU - BBC
10 Nov 2026 at 2:17pm
Scottish Labour leader says the UK should re-join EU  BBC

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

UK Government admits to ?extensive? secret Scottish independence polling oper...
8 Nov 2026 at 6:03pm
UK Government admits to ?extensive? secret Scottish independence polling operation  The National Scot

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

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

The awkward question about independence raised by Scottish Labour's EU U-turn...
10 Nov 2026 at 6:07pm
The awkward question about independence raised by Scottish Labour's EU U-turn  The National Scot

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

'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

UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits - Al Jazeera
23 Jul 2026 at 8:00am
UK?s Burnham tells Scotland new independence vote is off limits  Al Jazeera

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