The Herald

The Herald | Politics


The Herald x WiPA Holyrood hustings LIVE: one week to polling day
30 Apr 2026 at 7:13am
The Herald and Women in Public Affairs Scotland host a Holyrood election hustings in Glasgow as senior figures from the six main parties debate the big choices facing Scotland just one week before polling day. Follow our live coverage, key moments and behind-the-scenes updates here.


SNP pledges major shake-up of heritage agency if party returns to power
30 Apr 2026 at 5:00am
Staff at the crisis-hit heritage agency Historic Environment Scotland face a major shake-up if the SNP returns to power next month.


Malala meets John Swinney in Edinburgh over push to recognise ?gender apartheid?
by rose.moncur@newsquest.co.uk | Rose Moncur
29 Apr 2026 at 6:35pm
Malala Yousafzai met John Swinney in Edinburgh to discuss efforts to have gender apartheid recognised as a crime under international law.


Why did Malcolm Offord reveal details of his vast wealth?
29 Apr 2026 at 3:46pm
I stopped scrolling on my phone when Reform UK's Malcolm Offord began his cross-examination of Ross Greer during the STV leaders' debate on Tuesday night.


SNP could be set for major losses in three Edinburgh battleground constituencies
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
29 Apr 2026 at 10:30am
The SNP faces significant challenges from the Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Green Party in four regional constituencies.


??Unspun Election Briefing: The Meh-lection
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
29 Apr 2026 at 8:01am
With polling day days away, the final Holyrood leaders? debate exposed the anger, tension and exhaustion running underneath Scotland?s ?meh? election.


Alex Cole-Hamilton pledges lung cancer test expansion after Edinburgh pilot s...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
29 Apr 2026 at 6:30am
The party?s candidate in Edinburgh North Western, Mr Cole-Hamilton unveiled a suite of prevention measures he says will save hundreds of lives every year.


Mosque anger as Glasgow City Council doubles burial lair charges with no cons...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
29 Apr 2026 at 5:00am
Glasgow?s Central Mosque is seeking talks with the city council over huge hikes in burial charges.


Ross Greer: 'Yacht tax definitely not off the table' after Malcolm Offord boa...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
29 Apr 2026 at 1:26pm
A proposed ?yacht tax? is ?definitely not off the table?, the Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer has said, after Malcolm Offord revealed how many boats he owns.


Critical mental health standard breached for more than 2,000 patients in Scot...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
29 Apr 2026 at 5:00am
More than 2,000 psychiatric patients in Scotland faced delays in follow-up care, breaching a key seven-day mental health standard, new figures reveal.


'Disappointing': Scottish Labour under fire over 'no plans' for abortion law ...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
29 Apr 2026 at 5:00am
Scottish Labour faces criticism after Anas Sarwar saying his party has 'no plans' for abortion law reform in the next parliament.


Badenoch and Flynn pile pressure on Starmer in final PMQs before elections
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
29 Apr 2026 at 1:36pm
Sir Keir Starmer faced one of his most bruising Prime Minister?s Questions yet as Kemi Badenoch likened Labour?s infighting to Game of Thrones and Stephen Flynn suggested his premiership may not survive next week?s elections.


John Swinney insists he's 'changing no goalposts' on indyref2 strategy
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
28 Apr 2026 at 2:18pm
John Swinney insists the SNP?s route to a second independence referendum has not changed despite comments from inside the party.


How to get a free bike ride to the ballot on Scottish election day 2026
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
28 Apr 2026 at 8:58pm
Scottish voters are being offered a free bike ride to polling stations on the day of the Holyrood election.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Why turnout could be such a decisive factor in this Scottish election
29 Apr 2026 at 4:45pm
With the public ?scunnered? by the state of politics, the ability of parties to get their supporters out to vote may play a significant role in the Holyrood election result


Why a generation is choosing not to have children in Scotland ? and what we c...
29 Apr 2026 at 4:45pm
From jobs threatened by AI and toxic social media to global turmoil and climate change, there are many reasons why potential parents might think twice


Why Scotland's 400,000 unpaid carers of working age deserve a better deal
29 Apr 2026 at 4:45pm
The issue of unpaid carers is being marginalised despite its importance to Scotland?s economy, writes Dr Louise Lawson


What Scotland's political parties have planned for education
29 Apr 2026 at 1:41pm

The Scottish party manifestos for Holyrood have a core focus on education - here are the main pledges

The leader of Reform UK in Scotland revealed he owns six houses, five cars and six boats

Nato, jokes, war and uncertain times - what we learned from King Charles III?s speech.

There were no huge revelations in the bumper committee session - but the Mandelson scandal continues to cause problems.

Situation reminiscent of pandemic shutdown, new report warns

Fast-growing constituency where Labour says it has ?really good chance? of beating SNP

Wings over Scotland

Push The Button
25 Apr 2026 at 12:43pm
We’ve been thinking about this all morning, readers. To the point where we’d vote for any party pledging to implement it at once. It’s the best such moral-dilemma question we’ve ever seen, and the absolute key to the state of humankind as a species. It’s a near-perfect practical illustration of the concept of “suicidal empathy”, …

How To Get Away With Crimes
22 Apr 2026 at 6:03pm
After many years of vindictively, vexatiously and maliciously plaguing innocent people, it seemed in February this year that disgraced and deranged former policeman Lynsay Watson‘s campaign of terror might be finally beginning to draw to a close. ? Attending the Civic Justice Centre in Manchester as part of an ongoing attempt to persecute the feminist …

The Pit Of Vipers
19 Apr 2026 at 2:50pm
It’s hard to know where to start with the Sunday Mail’s lead story today. Especially if one doesn’t want sent to prison. So we hope you’ll forgive us if we’re extra-careful. The article contains things even we’d never read before. The Mail has redacted some of the names, but – well, we’re not going to …

The Narcissism Of No Differences
17 Apr 2026 at 3:29pm
So that’s the full set of manifestos in. You can download them all here in a oner, if you’re REALLY bored. But we don’t advise it, because we can just tell you what they say in a couple of minutes. SNP: “If you’re even reading this we know you’re absolute idiots, so here are a …

Happy Anniversary
16 Apr 2026 at 10:56am
It was exactly one year ago today that the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in the case of For Women Scotland Vs The Scottish Ministers, a judgment which has still not been implemented by the Scottish or UK governments, so it was quite bold of the SNP to choose it as the launch date for …

Do You Believe In The Westwood?
10 Apr 2026 at 12:27pm
As all alert readers will know, this site likes to keep a watchful eye on the shady and disturbing activities of paedophilia-plagued charity LGBT Youth Scotland. So we were naturally intrigued to hear that they’d hired a new convenor last month. And if you’re sitting there thinking, “Blimey, AI Christopher Walken looks very very ill”, …

Not So Octopus
9 Apr 2026 at 1:48pm
Alert readers will have noticed something of a minor furore in recent days around a boneheaded Scottish Greens candidate (as if there were any other kind) calling for the complete abolition of prisons. So far Kate Nevens – who on the latest polling has a very reasonable chance of being elected on the list – …

The quality of mercy
3 Apr 2026 at 1:09pm
Let’s just deal with this quickly. Because the truth is that we should all be quietly sending BBC Scotland bouquets in appreciation for doing the independence movement a favour for once. Belief in an independent Scotland IS as strong as ever, which is to say it’s pretty much where it’s been since 2014 – two …

Clocks And Calendars
30 Mar 2026 at 1:06pm
We think the lads at The Scotsman might have gotten a bit confused and/or carried away when it came to putting the clocks forward at the weekend. At 6am on Sunday morning they tweeted this: But the link was a 404. We checked the print edition of Scotland On Sunday but there was nothing there …

Sicknote Slippers
29 Mar 2026 at 6:09pm
The turnout at the “independence march and rally” yesterday was so abysmally poor that it seems almost unfair to pick on any of the scores of SNP elected representatives who didn’t bother to show up. But dear old Cosy Feet Pete Wishart had the most chef’s-kiss excuse of all. The reason he didn’t fancy getting …

Craig Murray

An Inspiring Story
21 Apr 2026 at 7:54am

In 2018, at the height of the economic crisis in Venezuela through crippling sanctions, Kellogg’s announced the overnight closure of their Maracay factory with hundreds of redundancies – and massive knock-on effects in the local community. The workers refused to accept the closure and, with government assistance, restarted the factory. It is still running eight …

An Inspiring Story

Vote for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland
15 Apr 2026 at 12:48pm

It was not my intention to run for election to the Scottish parliament from a hospital bed in Caracas, but sometimes we have to take what life gives us. I went to a clinic a week ago feeling dizzy and was immediately rushed to hospital. My heart rate was fluttering and below 20 bpm. I …

Vote for the Alliance to Liberate Scotland

The Strait of Hormuz
8 Apr 2026 at 5:02pm

In international law, Tehran has every right to close the strait of Hormuz to nations with which it is in armed conflict. Two vital points: 1) States who permit attacks on Iran to be launched from their territory can be blocked 2) Iran can block neutral ships from trading with states with which it is …

The Strait of Hormuz

The Weight on Delcy Rodriguez
31 Mar 2026 at 1:16pm

As I was leaving the University of the Communes in Tocuyito, after a joyful and uplifting visit, an earnest young Professor came up to me and pulled me aside. Very quietly, he asked me what was going to happen. A number of the students were terrified there would be regime change and they, picked as …

The Weight on Delcy Rodriguez

The Caracas Metro
26 Mar 2026 at 6:46am

The extreme nature of sanctions against Venezuela made it very challenging to keep economic activity going. One example is Caracas’s impressive five-line Metro system, where for almost twenty years they had to keep things running with no spares or maintenance support from the train manufacturers. Yet resilience and ingenuity kicked in, and Venezuela actually reverse …

The Caracas Metro

The London Ambulances Attack: Of Course It Was A False Flag
24 Mar 2026 at 12:04pm

The notion that the Iranian state would discredit itself by choosing to attack an ambulance service in London is crazy. Iran has not even attacked any hospitals or ambulances in Israel. Iran has absolutely zero record of attacks on healthcare facilities. That is of course in stark contrast to Israel which specifically targets them in …

The London Ambulances Attack: Of Course It Was A False Flag

BBC Scotland

The city caught in the middle of the big energy shift debate
30 Apr 2026 at 1:08am
Is the UK fumbling the shift away from oil and gas jobs?

'Stable marriage' the priority for Scottish Family Party
30 Apr 2026 at 6:01am
The party promotes marriage between heterosexual couples and opposes abortion in all but "very extreme" cases.

Reform's Scottish leader says he owns six houses, six boats and five cars
28 Apr 2026 at 10:30pm
Malcolm Offord was criticised as "entitled" during an STV leaders debate ahead of next week's election.

What did Scottish party leaders do before politics?
29 Apr 2026 at 2:26pm
Reform's Malcolm Offord bought six boats with a fortune made in banking - but other leaders had a life before politics too.

How the changing face of farming is reflected in Scotland's election
29 Apr 2026 at 6:01am
The rural vote is a significant, but often overlooked, constituency in the Scottish Parliament election.

Independence the priority for Alliance to Liberate Scotland
29 Apr 2026 at 6:02am
The party is hoping to maximise the number of pro-independence MSPs returned to Holyrood.

Scotland's population set to fall due to drop in migration
28 Apr 2026 at 1:30pm
The National Records of Scotland said the change is "mainly driven by migration falling from unusually high levels".

What impact do refugees have on housing in Glasgow?
28 Apr 2026 at 6:00am
BBC Verify examines claims made by political leaders about the impact of asylum and migration on housing.

Too few migrants are coming to Scotland, say SNP
26 Apr 2026 at 2:54pm
The SNP say more migrants are needed to support the economy, but Reform claim immigration has pushed the system to breaking point.

Zack Polanski calls for Trump to be 'kicked out' of his Scottish golf courses
24 Apr 2026 at 7:22pm
Trump International responded calling the Greens leader an "imbecile" after he shared his personal opinion on the Holyrood campaign trail.

Scotland's population is shifting - could it affect the election outcome?
24 Apr 2026 at 11:08pm
Changing populations mean that Scotland's electoral map has been redrawn - which could influence how parties campaign, and how the election plays out.

Are parties being upfront about Scotland's finances?
23 Apr 2026 at 11:11pm
Can Holyrood afford to pay for the spending promises being outlined in the election campaign?

Scot Goes Pop

In a democracy, there has to be a route by which the most fundamental changes...
29 Apr 2026 at 9:20am
It's a reminder of just how comprehensively Somerset Stew has moved over to the other side that right in the middle of a Holyrood election campaign, he has approvingly tweeted an article from the p...

The Diffley difference: new poll tilts this election in the SNP's favour - an...
28 Apr 2026 at 11:19pm
Unlike our occasional commenter Declan, I'm not particularly given to punching the air upon seeing an opinion poll, but if I was ever going to do that, yesterday would have been the day.  There wer...

EXCLUSIVE SCOT GOES POP / FIND OUT NOW POLL: By a more than 2-1 majority, the...
27 Apr 2026 at 12:56pm
Labour's UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting was recently asked in an LBC interview whether there would be an independence referendum if the Scottish people vote in favour of holding one at the Scott...

Join me on YouTube at NOON as Wes "they're not having one!" Streeting faces h...
27 Apr 2026 at 10:06am
If you join the waiting zone, the video should automatically start playing when the clock strikes 12 for Streeting's HIGH NOON.  While you're waiting for the results, please check out the new Scot ...

It will soon be HIGH NOON for Wes Streeting in the Scot Goes Pop / Find Out N...
27 Apr 2026 at 8:30am
My latest constituency profile for The National is John Swinney's seat of Perthshire North.*  *  *If you've finding Scot Goes Pop poll useful, please consider donating to our new polling fundraiser...

Hammerblow for Brit Nat propaganda outfit "Scotland In Union" as their regula...
26 Apr 2026 at 9:38pm
As I said the other day, there's still more to come from the new Scot Goes Pop / Find Out Now poll - I had been planning to release another result on Friday, and then that slipped to yesterday, and...

More thoughts on the prospects for an SNP overall majority in the light of th...
24 Apr 2026 at 10:07am
Just to allow you to make up your own minds, I thought I'd draw your attention to the fact that the Stats for Lefties account picked up on the Scot Goes Pop / Find Out Now poll yesterday, and produ...

Atlas-branded leaflets are being distributed in the Cumbernauld & Kilsyth con...
23 Apr 2026 at 9:19pm
I was astounded at the leaflet I received through the door of my Cumbernauld home yesterday from the notorious Dr Alan McManus, who has regularly spoken at far-right rallies organised by the holoca...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Scottish Reform leader Malcolm Offord ?owns six houses, six boats and five cars?
29 Apr 2026 at 11:08am
Lord Malcolm Offord asked if the Greens wanted more or fewer people like him in Scotland

Party leaders engage in fiery final debate on STV
28 Apr 2026 at 9:13pm
The Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Greens, Scottish Labour, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party and Reform UK had the chance to grill each other in front of the nation

Watch Live: Scottish election leaders debate on STV
28 Apr 2026 at 7:06am
The STV Leaders? Debate will be broadcast live from Edinburgh?s Signet Library tonight at 7pm

Scotland?s political parties accused of ?lack of realism? over manifesto plans
27 Apr 2026 at 9:56pm
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said the parties running in the Holyrood election did not appreciate ?just how tough the fiscal challenges will be?.

Keir Starmer to face sleaze inquiry vote over Peter Mandelson job
27 Apr 2026 at 5:48pm
It's a similar series of events that led to Boris Johnson?s departure as prime minister in 2022

Parties lay out first 100 days in office as election day nears
27 Apr 2026 at 5:44pm
It's just ten days until the vote on May 7

Parties make policy promises with less than two weeks to election day
26 Apr 2026 at 10:48am
The vote on May 7 is a crucial test at the ballot box.

Polanski branded ?imbecile? after calls for Trump to be stripped of Scottish ...
25 Apr 2026 at 9:46am
The Green leader said the US president is ?enabling a genocide in Gaza?

Scotland Tonight: Non-violent criminals should not be sent to prison, says Gr...
24 Apr 2026 at 12:59pm
Ross Greer said he believes the current prison system doesn't work and community sentences would reduce reoffending

No 10 considered giving spin doctor diplomatic job despite paedophile council...
23 Apr 2026 at 8:25am
Lord Doyle campaigned for Sean Morton in 2017 after he had been charged over indecent images of children

Restrict ?forever chemicals? that hurt people and planet, MPs urge
23 Apr 2026 at 5:47am
The Environmental Audit Committee has released a report calling on the government to phase out PFAs from non-essential items.

Starmer to face PMQs amid pressure over Mandelson vetting scandal
22 Apr 2026 at 12:00pm
It comes after former Foreign Office chief Sir Olly Robbins said there was a ?dismissive approach? on vetting from No 10

UK inflation rises to 3.3% after Iran war pushes up fuel prices
22 Apr 2026 at 6:06am
The Office for National Statistics said inflation had risen to 3.3% in March, up from 3% in Februrary.

Smoking ban for people born after 2008 agreed
21 Apr 2026 at 11:13am
The Commons and Lords have settled on a final draft of the legislation

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Reform candidate warned Brexit left the NHS 'on its knees' and reduced UK to ...
30 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Julie MacDougall dismissed the 2016 Brexit campaign as "a sales pitch in which the goods have never been delivered".

Reform candidate does not 'care' about carbon dioxide in climate change row
30 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Dr Tim Kelly was criticised for his comments at a health hustings.

Scottish politics today: Anas Sarwar insists he is 'all for aspiration and su...
29 Apr 2026 at 5:00pm
The Record brings you its regular 5pm round-up of the day's top stories in Scottish politics.

Scottish Power owner Iberdrola rakes in £1.6 billion profit as households str...
29 Apr 2026 at 2:40pm
The Spanish-owned utilities giant reported its profits had jumped 11.4 per cent thanks to growth in markets like the UK.

Anas Sarwar warns Malcolm Offord is 'no champion of working class communities'
29 Apr 2026 at 12:39pm
The Scottish Labour leader said he is "all for success" - but claimed Reform UK stood for a kind of politics that has caused "so much of the damage that has been done to this country over generatio...

John Swinney blasts 'tone deaf' Malcolm Offord after he boasted about owning ...
29 Apr 2026 at 10:39am
The First Minister also lent his support to the Reform leader in Scotland publishing his tax returns.

STV Holyrood election debate: our scorecard for the six political leaders
28 Apr 2026 at 8:54pm
John Swinney, Anas Sarwar, Russell Findlay, Ross Greer, Alex Cole-Hamilton and Malcolm Offord squared off at the final TV debate of the Holyrood election.

Millionaire Malcolm Offord brags of owning 'six homes, five cars and six boats'
28 Apr 2026 at 8:33pm
The former Tory party donor - who bought a £1.6 million country house on Loch Lomond without a mortgage - has previously refused to answer questions on his net worth.

Scottish Greens co-leader says John Swinney 'softening' position on securing ...
28 Apr 2026 at 5:00pm
EXCLUSIVE: Ross Greer said he believes the First Minister is rowing back on claims that only an SNP majority on May 7th would trigger a referendum.

Scottish politics today: Anas Sarwar 'frustrated' by Keir Starmer's mistakes ...
28 Apr 2026 at 5:00pm
The Record brings you its regular 5pm round-up of the day's top stories in Scottish politics

The National

The National | Politics

Live updates from election campaign trail with just seven days until polls open
30 Apr 2026 at 7:49am

All the latest updates from the Holyrood election campaign trail today with just seven days to go until polls open ...

Spectre of German rearmament is starting to increasingly haunt European neigh...
30 Apr 2026 at 5:00am

IT?S not a story that has perhaps caught the eye of many here in Scotland ? least of all during an election campaign. But it?s one certainly ruffling a few feathers right now in European geopolitical quarters ...

This is the safest seat for the LibDems. But are voters looking for change?
30 Apr 2026 at 5:00am

It's considered the safest seats for the LibDems in the upcoming Holyrood elections, but is Fife North East preparing for a drastic change?

SNP?s Tom Arthur looks set for third successive term in Renfrewshire
30 Apr 2026 at 5:00am

THE Levern Valley is the part of East Renfrewshire that includes Barrhead and Neilston, which rather amusingly implies that boundary chiefs were looking for a naming solution that would prevent them having to call this new constituency ?Renfrewshire West and East?.

Zohran Mamdani to urge King Charles to return crown jewel to India
29 Apr 2026 at 6:50pm

NEW York City mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would urge King Charles to return a massive crown jewel to India before meeting him at an event ...

Do we need any more signs the world order has shifted on its axis?
29 Apr 2026 at 6:30pm

FOR Scotland, it comes as no surprise that the one thing Trump denigrates more than women, black people, Muslims, any media that reports the truth, comedians who mock him etc, is wind turbines. Or windmills, as he insists on calling them.

It?s time to demand Westminster respect us as the country we are
29 Apr 2026 at 6:30pm

AS well as asking Westminster to agree to grand a Section 30 order, we Scots should be adding that a refusal to accept democracy will lead to very poor deals for England after an independence won by using the following General Election.

UK terror law watchdog calls for pause on pro-Palestine protests after attack
29 Apr 2026 at 5:49pm

THE UK Government?s terror law watchdog has called for a pause on pro-Palestine marches in the wake of an antisemitic attack.

We asked Scotland?s party leaders how many houses, cars and boats they have
29 Apr 2026 at 5:15pm

MALCOLM Offord arrogantly boasted that he has six houses, five cars and six boats ? but what about Scotland?s other party leaders?

How a 'wellbeing economy' could unlock Scottish independence
29 Apr 2026 at 5:00pm

A FORMER SNP MP has said her party have not talked enough about the ?why? of independence throughout their Holyrood campaign, with talk of process still too dominant.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

AI is ?defining currency? of our age, says Liz Kendall
28 Apr 2026 at 5:22pm
The minister pledged to work with other ?middle power nations? on AI to improve global security

Morgan McSweeney: Mandelson revelations were a knife to my soul
28 Apr 2026 at 3:22pm
Prime minister's former chief-of-staff appears before Foreign Affairs Committee

UK Government will ?impose some form? of social media restrictions for children
28 Apr 2026 at 1:22pm
Ministers have stopped short of implementing a blanket ban

John Swinney vows to bring forward Holyrood vote in bid to secure second inde...
27 Apr 2026 at 4:39pm
The SNP leader pledged to 'hit the ground running' if his party remains in power after the election

SNP maintains lead in new Scottish election poll
27 Apr 2026 at 4:05pm
A single-party majority government is the most popular option for voters, research finds

Scottish university builds first simulated freight truck journey in UK
27 Apr 2026 at 12:39pm
It will help to improve understanding of the carbon footprint of goods that are shipped between road and air freight

To finally end Scotland's drugs deaths, we need to plan now for 2036
27 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
This is one area where we simply must work together to build the Scotland we all want in the future.

Former New Labour spin doctor compares Keir Starmer to George W Bush
27 Apr 2026 at 1:01am
Alastair Campbell also warned the UK would end up in "pretty dark place" if Labour did not turn things around

Former HIV Scotland chief and SNP adviser admits embezzlement
24 Apr 2026 at 4:33pm
Sentencing will take place in May

Zack Polanski: ?Outrageous? that pro-independence parliament would not secure...
24 Apr 2026 at 2:25pm
The GPEW leader put down his party's surge to ?resentment and anger at the Labour government?

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Reform?s Scottish leader called ?tone deaf? after boasting about his houses, ...
29 Apr 2026 at 11:27am
SNP leader John Swinney suggests Malcolm Offord and other leaders should publish tax returns before 7 MayUK politics live ? latest updatesThe leader of Reform UK in Scotland, Malcolm Offord, has been dismissed as ?tone deaf? and ?entitled? after he boasted in a televised election debate about the...

?Reform is an acute threat to Scottish self-government,? says John Swinney
30 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Polling puts Reform, led in Scotland by former peer Malcolm Offord, neck and neck with Labour for second placeReform UK represents an acute threat to Scottish self government, John Swinney has warned, adding that nationalist victories in Scotland and Wales in May could ?irrevocably change? the dy...

Farage reported to parliament?s standards watchdog over undeclared £5m donati...
29 Apr 2026 at 5:33pm
Farage was given £5m by the Thai-based billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before announcing he would stand in the 2024 general electionExclusive: Farage was given undisclosed £5m by crypto billionaire in 2024Here is the running order for PMQs.Nigel Farage was given £5m by the crypto billion...

No 10 publishes previously confidential memo to refute claim that Starmer mis...
27 Apr 2026 at 6:13pm
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle earlier confirmed that MPs will decide whether to let inquiry into Keir Starmer?s statements over Peter Mandelson proceedDowning Street has said that the UK is ?in a good position? to handle the global supply problems caused by the Iran war not being resolved.Speaking at...

Free bus travel to first-homes fund: what Scottish parties are promising on t...
27 Apr 2026 at 2:00pm
Advent of Reform has radically altered the dynamics of the campaign and parties are responding accordinglyPolls predict a gravity-defying fifth term at Holyrood for the Scottish National party ? albeit on a much reduced vote share ? but the advent of Reform UK has radically altered the dynamics o...

?This election is all to play for?: Can the Scottish Labour leader defy polit...
24 Apr 2026 at 6:00am
Anas Sarwar speaks to the Guardian about why he thinks the polls are wrong and how he hopes to end the SNP?s near 20-year dominance at HolyroodAnas Sarwar says he is certain he can pull off one of the greatest escape acts of modern British politics. It is 14 days until the Holyrood election, and ...

Global Counsel, lobbying firm set up by Mandelson, went bust owing £4.5m just...
23 Apr 2026 at 5:48pm
Firm went bust in February amid fallout from the scandal over Mandelson?s links to Jeffrey EpsteinLittle says in March she had a meeting when she asked to see the Foreign Office?s documentation about the decision to grant Mandelson vetting. She said she was asking because this was documentation c...

How Reform is exposing the reality of Scotland?s views on immigration and ide...
19 Apr 2026 at 11:00am
Once a progressive outlier, Scotland is facing a political reckoning as Reform benefits from growing social divisionIt?s Monday evening in Aberdeen, and George Preston is wearing his union flag suit to the Reform UK rally. He joined the party in 2024 as it gained ground in the north-east of Scotl...

?Things could go backwards?: Kezia Dugdale on safety, LGBTQ+ rights and the f...
19 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Exclusive: Former Scottish Labour leader says she feels more scared as a lesbian today and calls for a kinder debate on transgender issuesKezia Dugdale, the former leader of Scottish Labour, says she is now ?quite scared? as a lesbian in Britain and has started to feel nervous holding her wife?s ...

Badenoch calls Farage an ?opportunist? after he urges Scottish nationalists t...
16 Apr 2026 at 7:17pm
Tory leader criticises Farage for saying that holding another independence vote ?probably quite reasonable?Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative party, has accused Nigel Farage of being an opportunist who does not believe in unionism after he urged Scottish nationalists to back Reform.Far...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Six houses, five cars, six yachts and zero self-awareness
29 Apr 2026 at 8:39pm
I didn’t watch the STV leaders’ debate as we had visitors, which meant I missed the moment that Malcolm Offord torpedoed Reform UK’s “We’re the party which is opposed to the elite” schtick. It was always bollocks, but on Tuesday night Offord slipped up. When you are cos-playing as the party which is on the …

A new chapter in the quest for independence starts next week
27 Apr 2026 at 2:55pm
First Minister John Swinney has promised that on the first day the new Scottish Parliament is in session, a vote would be brought forward to “approve the development of a Section 30 Order to give Scotland the power to hold an independence referendum.” He also promised that a referendum bill would be introduced within the …

A tale of three polls which give hope for a pro-indy majority in May
26 Apr 2026 at 3:29pm
Three opinion polls came out over the weekend which were not asking about voting intention in the Holyrood election which is now only a week and a half away. Nevertheless, all these polls are instructive about the kind of country Scotland could be, and their trust in the various parties contesting the election, and that …

The anti-independence hysteria of Alex Cole-Hamilton
23 Apr 2026 at 8:30pm
I don’t normally blog about Alex Cole-Hamilton, partly that’s because in Scotland the Lib Dems are a minor regional party who only win representation because their support is concentrated in a few areas and whose importance in Scotland is boosted far beyond their true relevance as they are the Scottish branch of the UK party …

Sarwar and Starmer are on borrowed time
22 Apr 2026 at 8:20pm
When Labour came to power in Westminster in 2024, the party promised to put an end to the cronyism, chaos, sleaze, and corruption which characterised the last fourteen years of Conservative rule. How’s that working out then. Labour has continued all of them and added an unhealthy dose of lies and deceit. This week, Keir …

Labour?s Holyrood campaign lurches from one crisis to another
19 Apr 2026 at 2:26pm
There’s less than three weeks to go until the Holyrood election and the wheels have well and truly come off the Labour campaign. With the headlines being dominated by the Mandelson story – Anas Sarwar’s erstwhile old friend – and mounting speculation about how long Starmer can survive as Prime Minister, Sarwar, talking to the …

We can win an SNP majority despite the moral bankruptcy of the media
17 Apr 2026 at 3:21pm
The Scottish Parliament election campaign is now well underway. Yesterday (Thursday) saw the launch of the SNP manifesto. The response of the British media in Scotland to this, and to a defining event of the campaign earlier this week Reform’s Malcolm Offord blurting out that Anas Sarwar had bounced up to him and spoke of …

The overwhelming evidence that Labour is willing to do a deal with Reform
15 Apr 2026 at 3:12pm
Sometimes events happen which define an entire election campaign, last night Reform’s Malcolm Offord responded to Anas Sarwar’s assertion that he’d never do a deal with Reform because it fields racists by saying: ?This does not square with you coming up to me at the start of this campaign, bouncing up to me at Paisley …

Labour can?t be trusted not to do a deal with Reform
14 Apr 2026 at 9:43pm
I don’t usually pay too much attention to leaders’ debates in the run up to elections. They are invariably too shouty with the leaders vying to talk over the top of each other. Anas Sarwar is invariably the worst offender. On both the leaders’ debates so far, his behaviour has bordered on the offensive, he’s …

Labour?s Scottish manifesto launch, not a campaign, a damage limitation exercise
13 Apr 2026 at 2:22pm
On Monday, Anas Sarwar launches Labour’s manifesto for the Holyrood election and attempts to reboot his party’s faltering campaign, a campaign which was holed below the waterline yesterday, firstly with Wes Streeting’s arrogantly colonialist dismissal of an independence referendum, and secondly by Sarwar’s rude and entitled performance in Sunday evening’s party leader debate, in which …

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

UK Labour aim to halve violence against women in 10 years but to a level stil...
30 Apr 2026 at 7:45am

Early release of prisoners in Scotland can cause anxiety but only 5% will re-...
30 Apr 2026 at 7:25am

Daily Record manages to miss easily accessed figures proving that the SNP has...
30 Apr 2026 at 7:19am

Contrary to Jackie Baillie?s lies on Debate Night ? Attainment gap narrows an...
30 Apr 2026 at 7:16am

?My partner was well looked after? in a Scottish hospital A&E department
29 Apr 2026 at 6:16pm
Our Reporting Scotland Up team's Lisa Brightside was in Glasgow's super hospital interviewing patients as they left. We met Joe Murray and his partner and they told us about their experience. BBC Scotland's Reporting Scotland Down team and Lisa Summers were there too but had ignored Joe because he was smiling and had gone off to find someone who had been infected by the pigeon poo they had spot...

Ambulance performance ? given how Labour fail in Wales why should we trust th...
29 Apr 2026 at 5:54pm
By stewartb What the Scottish Ambulance Service is achieving and what its Welsh peer is achieving with the ?benefit? of a Labour government in Cardiff. Scottish Ambulance Service (April 29) ? Unscheduled Care Operational Statistics ? Unscheduled Care Incidents between 30 March 2026 to 26 April 2026 In the past week, the median and 90th percentile response times (- the point at which 90% of resp...

Anas Sarwar CAN confidently claim he?ll get Scottish ambulance turnaround tim...
29 Apr 2026 at 12:12pm
In today’s Daily Record by Paul Hutcheon: In his Daily Record column, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: ?Over the last six years, the number of ambulances with a turnaround time of more than one hour increased by more than 600 per cent ? meaning more people suffering dangerously long waits for urgent care. ?We will cut ambulance waits and introduce new targets to tackle long turnaround t...

Fourth US request for data on campus safety cannot be provided despite on eve...
29 Apr 2026 at 10:11am
From Police Scotland ? 26-1005 ? Clery Act Request (USA University) Date and time of release: April 15, 2026 18:36 Reference: 26-1005 ? Clery Act Request (USA University), published today: https://www.scotland.police.uk/access-to-information/freedom-of-information/disclosure-log/disclosure-log-2026/april/26-1005-clery-act-request-usa-university/ This is the fourth such Freedom of Information re...

Massive reduction in hospital waiting lists despite increased attendance as N...
29 Apr 2026 at 9:10am
These graphs tell a very clear story of longer waits (right) plummeting despite ever more patients being treated. It’s a hugely positive trend not getting the media attention it deserves, for obvious reasons. From Stage of treatment waiting times New outpatients, inpatients and day cases Accredited official statistics published today, the above graphs, and: At 31 March 2026, there were an estim...

Charity is calling for implementation of graded model of miscarriage aftercar...
29 Apr 2026 at 8:29am
From BBC Health and on BBC Breakfast News today: Early care scheme could prevent thousands of miscarriages a year – In the Women’s Health Strategy announcement last week, the government said it was considering “wider adoption” across the NHS in England. Baroness Merron, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care said: “This will be carefully considered as...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots? - France 24
27 Apr 2026 at 12:34pm
Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots?  France 24

Independence the priority for Alliance to Liberate Scotland - BBC
29 Apr 2026 at 6:02am
Independence the priority for Alliance to Liberate Scotland  BBC

SNP vows to push for new independence vote with or without a majority - Finan...
27 Apr 2026 at 3:12pm
SNP vows to push for new independence vote with or without a majority  Financial Times

Scots back independence ? and say Holyrood majority is mandate for vote, poll...
27 Apr 2026 at 2:56pm
Scots back independence ? and say Holyrood majority is mandate for vote, poll finds  The National Scot

Scotland?s parliamentary election 2026: what are the big economic choices? - ...
28 Apr 2026 at 2:31pm
Scotland?s parliamentary election 2026: what are the big economic choices?  Economics Observatory

The Scottish independence lie - The Spectator
29 Apr 2026 at 5:15am
The Scottish independence lie  The Spectator

Scotland political snapshot, Spring 2026 - YouGov
8 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland political snapshot, Spring 2026  YouGov

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028 - BBC
12 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028  BBC

?Rhetoric, falsehoods, and Braveheart nonsense? - a look back at the contenti...
29 Apr 2026 at 7:00pm
?Rhetoric, falsehoods, and Braveheart nonsense? - a look back at the contentious 2014 referendum  Shetland Times

The pros and cons of Scottish independence - The Week
22 Apr 2026 at 4:08pm
The pros and cons of Scottish independence  The Week

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP majority would stop Farage at the border, Swinney says - Radio News Hub
30 Apr 2026 at 6:31am
SNP majority would stop Farage at the border, Swinney says  Radio News Hub

Will the SNP?s unashamed populism be enough to win the day? - The Spectator
30 Apr 2026 at 7:12am
Will the SNP?s unashamed populism be enough to win the day?  The Spectator

Too few migrants are coming to Scotland, say SNP - BBC
26 Apr 2026 at 2:54pm
Too few migrants are coming to Scotland, say SNP  BBC

?Reform is an acute threat to Scottish self-government,? says John Swinney - ...
30 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
?Reform is an acute threat to Scottish self-government,? says John Swinney  The Guardian

SNP sets out major changes for heritage agency if party returns to power - Th...
30 Apr 2026 at 5:04am
SNP sets out major changes for heritage agency if party returns to power  The Herald

SNP vows to push for new independence vote with or without a majority - Finan...
27 Apr 2026 at 3:12pm
SNP vows to push for new independence vote with or without a majority  Financial Times

John Curtice: Polls says SNP will be the largest party but numbers vary - BBC
26 Apr 2026 at 9:58am
John Curtice: Polls says SNP will be the largest party but numbers vary  BBC

First Minister John Swinney?s speech on the SNP?s plan for the first 100 days...
27 Apr 2026 at 11:39am
First Minister John Swinney?s speech on the SNP?s plan for the first 100 days of the next parliament  snp.org

Retailers warn SNP supermarket price cap plans are ?unworkable? - The Times
29 Apr 2026 at 4:05pm
Retailers warn SNP supermarket price cap plans are ?unworkable?  The Times

Scotland election: SNP vows to 'stop Nigel Farage at the border' - but would ...
30 Apr 2026 at 6:02am
Scotland election: SNP vows to 'stop Nigel Farage at the border' - but would throw doors open to migrants  GB News

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots? - France 24
27 Apr 2026 at 12:34pm
Caught between the UK and EU: What?s next for young Scots?  France 24

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028 - BBC
12 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028  BBC

SNP vows to push for new independence vote with or without a majority - Finan...
27 Apr 2026 at 3:12pm
SNP vows to push for new independence vote with or without a majority  Financial Times

Scotland?s parliamentary election 2026: what are the big economic choices? - ...
28 Apr 2026 at 2:31pm
Scotland?s parliamentary election 2026: what are the big economic choices?  Economics Observatory

SNP to demand new independence referendum ? even without a majority - The Times
26 Apr 2026 at 5:54pm
SNP to demand new independence referendum ? even without a majority  The Times

?Rhetoric, falsehoods, and Braveheart nonsense? - a look back at the contenti...
29 Apr 2026 at 7:00pm
?Rhetoric, falsehoods, and Braveheart nonsense? - a look back at the contentious 2014 referendum  Shetland Times

Scots back independence ? and say Holyrood majority is mandate for vote, poll...
27 Apr 2026 at 2:56pm
Scots back independence ? and say Holyrood majority is mandate for vote, poll finds  The National Scot

The Scottish independence lie - The Spectator
29 Apr 2026 at 5:15am
The Scottish independence lie  The Spectator

John Swinney vows to bring forward Holyrood vote in bid to secure second inde...
27 Apr 2026 at 3:40pm
John Swinney vows to bring forward Holyrood vote in bid to secure second independence referendum  Holyrood Website

Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland - BBC
2 Mar 2026 at 8:00am
Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland  BBC