The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Bookshop refuses to say if Sturgeon still to speak after pull out reports
29 May 2026 at 3:03pm
A bookshop has refused to ssay if Nicola Sturgeon is still planning to to interview columnist Kirsty Lockwood about her debut novel, We Know What You Did, in Edinburgh next week.


BBC Radio Scotland? Something here just doesn't smell right
by alison.rowat@theherald.co.uk | Alison Rowat
29 May 2026 at 12:00pm
The revolving door at BBC Scotland HQ has been working overtime with familiar names and faces leaving the building. In their place, writes Alison Rowat, is an ever-lengthening line of executives and others from the world of commercial radio. Why is this unofficial takeover of a publicly funded station being allowed to pass?


Criminologist: Why I'm convinced Sturgeon didn't know about Murrell embezzlement
29 May 2026 at 5:30am
Peter Murrell would not have embezzled more than £400,000 from the SNP if the party's financial management had been better, according to one of the UK's leading criminologists.


Stephen Flynn reveals views on Scottish income tax, business rates and Kate F...
by ian.mcconnell@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Ian McConnell
29 May 2026 at 4:40am
Stephen Flynn has revealed his views on Scottish income tax, business rates and Kate Forbes in an exclusive interview with The Herald.


Stephen Flynn 'incredibly frustrated' over North Sea 'cliff edge'
by ian.mcconnell@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Ian McConnell
29 May 2026 at 4:38am
Stephen Flynn says he is 'incredibly frustrated' over a North Sea 'cliff edge'


Kitchen knives by Edinburgh student highlights the barriers faced by female c...
by rose.moncur@newsquest.co.uk | Rose Moncur
29 May 2026 at 12:05am
An Edinburgh Napier University student has created a series of uncomfortable kitchen knives to highlight misogyny, harassment and discrimination faced by women working in professional kitchens.


Andrew Bowie urges Westminster probe into SNP after Murrell embezzlement
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
29 May 2026 at 12:05pm
Andrew Bowie has called for a Westminster inquiry into the Peter Murrell scandal, accusing John Swinney of blocking scrutiny into SNP governance.


Nicola Sturgeon says Murrell fallout 'worst week of my life'
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
28 May 2026 at 5:06pm
Nicola Sturgeon has said the fallout from Peter Murrell?s guilty plea has been ?the worst week of my life? as she claims she had only learned about some of the items bought with embezzled SNP funds this week.


Boards of Canada respond after White House uses song for nationalist video
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
28 May 2026 at 3:32pm
Scottish electronic duo Boards of Canada have reacted after the White House used one of their songs in a promotional video


Scotland's 'Queen of Spies' and Labour peer Baroness Meta Ramsay dies
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
28 May 2026 at 3:13pm
Scotland's 'Queen of spies', Baroness Meta Ramsay, a Glasgow-born former senior MI6 officer and Labour peer, has died aged 89.


'No cohesive energy plan' as government criticised for importing Russian oil
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
28 May 2026 at 2:22pm
The UK Government has been criticised for a lack of a cohesive energy plan, after the decision to import aviation fuel produced from Russian oil


Swinney under pressure as party leaders back Holyrood probe into Murrell scandal
28 May 2026 at 11:43am
John Swinney is coming under growing pressure to back a Holyrood inquiry into the Peter Murrell scandal after a majority of opposition parties support one probe by MSPs.


Nicola Sturgeon to chair book launch of 'We Know What You Did' in Edinburgh
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
28 May 2026 at 10:27am
The event, organised by Topping and Company, will be held at Pilrig St. Paul's on Leith Walk on Friday, June 5.


Council chiefs told to take 'practical steps' to tackle antisemitism ahead of...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
28 May 2026 at 10:00am
Local authority officials have been instructed to take ?practical steps? to tackle antisemitism in the city ahead of festival season in August.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Vast majority of Westminster committee members back SNP embezzlement probe
29 May 2026 at 12:55pm

Eight of the 11 members now publicly back an inquiry - if Holyrood fails to hold one

Council will control traffic lights to allow convoy to pass through together

Andrew Bowie has written to the chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee requesting an probe after John Swinney refused to countenance one at Holyrood.

Lib Dems Susan Murray and Angus MacDonald have said that the committee should have an investigation because ?there is more to find out.?

Without the SNP opening itself up to scrutiny over the Murrell scandal, the questions and the speculation will likely not go away.

John Swinney has doubled down on his opposition to a Holyrood inquiry into the SNP?s finances

Wings over Scotland

Marvola The Memory Woman
29 May 2026 at 7:53am
The multi-statement meltdown that has been the unravelling of Nicola Sturgeon this week has been quite something to behold. Last night, for example, we swear our Twitter feed presented these two tweets one after the other. But then we read something even more extraordinary. Firstly, as Conor Matchett of the Scottish Sun noted, that is …

Friends Without Benefits
28 May 2026 at 1:16pm
We’ll be honest with you, readers, if we were in a situation where a lawyer was issuing statements for us, this isn’t what we’d want to hear. “If my client had been charged, she’d be in prison right now” is a worrying distance short of a vote of confidence in your client’s innocence. But the …

All The Dirt From My Eyes
27 May 2026 at 12:21pm
So, having made a statement on Monday morning which asserted that she wouldn’t make any further statements, then making another statement on Monday afternoon, Nicola Sturgeon and her solicitor issued a third statement in 36 hours last night. And while we acknowledge that this is a very high bar to clear, it contained one of …

No Money Back, No Guarantee
26 May 2026 at 9:39am
Peter Murrell wasn’t even locked up in his cell at Saughton (we hope it’s the same one as Craig Murray’s) when the chump-suckering resumed. And as the Nicola Sturgeon Loyal, led by her most faithful of lieutenants, set out to try to take control of the post-conviction narrative, let’s take a look at just what …

The Final Robbery
25 May 2026 at 1:09pm
So there it is. We did tell you so. There will be no trial, no cross-examination, no explanation. The people of Scotland, the members and supporters of the SNP, the wider Yes movement, none of us will ever know what really happened. Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? We’ll never find out how this …

Only An Excuse
21 May 2026 at 7:45pm
Despite what you or we might think, in the eyes of the Scottish Football Association this ISN’T a pitch invasion. This is simply what a football match in progress looks like. Because according to the absolutely extraordinary statement they’ve released this evening, that was game time. The clock was still running, nothing was being added …

The Land Of No Laws
17 May 2026 at 2:20am
This game of football is not over. Except for viewers in Scotland, where no laws apply. Don’t get us wrong, readers. In the (minimum of) 32 seconds that were left to play, it was highly unlikely that Hearts were going to score the two goals they needed to win the league. It is improbable that …

Steadying The Ship
15 May 2026 at 3:20pm
Looks like this, apparently.

The Broken Rainbow
13 May 2026 at 2:04pm
The image below is a graph illustrating how many seats each party won in last week’s supposedly “proportional” Scottish Parliament election, compared to how many they would have won if the electoral system had been actually proportional. The SNP and Greens are now over-represented by 37% and 50% respectively, while the Unionist parties are all …

And Nothing Happened Forever
9 May 2026 at 3:22am
Well, we told you so. We told you in March (and indeed long before then) that the 2026 Holyrood election was a giant waste of time and money that would deliver exactly the same useless Parliament we already had, and so it proved. The SNP ended up giving half-a-dozen seats to the Greens, Labour donated …

Craig Murray

The Power of the UK State Over Scotland
28 May 2026 at 7:50am

I went through yesterday’s preliminary hearing in the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action with a sense of mounting horror. We had the same judge as at the permission hearing, Lord Young. We had exactly the same arguments and the same case law being deployed again by the UK government as at …

The Power of the UK State Over Scotland

Palestine Action Scottish Judicial Review ? Stitch-Up Incoming?
27 May 2026 at 12:58am

The proscription of Palestine Action was sold to MPs and the media on the basis of a deliberate campaign of lies, fronted by Yvette Cooper, then Home Secretary, and Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan police. Both have deep commitment to Israel. Cooper is owned by the Israel lobby. What is worse, they then attempted …

Palestine Action Scottish Judicial Review – Stitch-Up Incoming?

Dr Manivannan
14 May 2026 at 6:00pm

The furore around the election of Dr Manivannan to the Scottish Parliament is deeply troubling. There is no argument whatsoever that they were eligible to stand for election. The law was changed specifically in order for those on temporary visas to be able to stand in Scottish parliamentary elections. I confess I am not sure …

Dr Manivannan

URGENT FILTON TRIAL UPDATE
13 May 2026 at 6:03am

While the Court of Appeal has now stopped the High Court contempt of court action against Rajiv Menon KC for defending his client, this is purely on procedural grounds. They ruled that Judge Johnson had to go via the Attorney General to the High Court, not direct. It is now referred back to Johnson who …

URGENT FILTON TRIAL UPDATE

Zionism Has Poisoned the UK?s Central Nervous System
11 May 2026 at 7:32pm

Unquestioning Zionism has for decades been the entry ticket to the British political and media Establishment. Anybody who was not a fully certified and compliant zionist would find their career limited – as Jeremy Corbyn, Alan Duncan, Robin Cook and David Mellor all found. Most others, of course, were never allowed to progress that far. …

Zionism Has Poisoned the UK’s Central Nervous System

The 2026 Scottish Elections
6 May 2026 at 5:40pm

We get so trapped inside the logic of the UK’s crazy electoral systems we often do not see what is really happening. Two thirds of active voters, voted against Starmer’s Labour at the last general election. He was always highly unpopular. Just as Starmer’s landslide victory in the 2024 general election was based on only …

The 2026 Scottish Elections

BBC Scotland

Sturgeon says she was deceived and betrayed over Murrell embezzlement
28 May 2026 at 6:56pm
The former first minister said she was "coming to terms with being married to someone she did not know" after Peter Murrell's guilty plea.

Social media ban 'won't keep children safe', commissioner warns
29 May 2026 at 11:40am
Scotland's children's commissioner has warned a social media ban could drive children to less regulated or riskier parts of the internet.

Swinney rejects call for Holyrood inquiry into Murrell
28 May 2026 at 1:36pm
Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive, has admitted embezzling more than £400,000 from the party.

Sturgeon defends 'no comment' police interview after SNP funds probe arrest
27 May 2026 at 5:50pm
The former SNP leader's solicitor says her response was "standard" and she later provided written answers to detectives' questions.

Organised crime and historic sex abuse cases driving trial backlog
28 May 2026 at 6:26am
The number of high court cases awaiting trial has nearly tripled since the Covid pandemic due to a backlog in complex cases.

First-time buyers offered up to £10,000 interest-free loans from next month
27 May 2026 at 4:15pm
The Scottish government has launched the First Homes Fund for those looking to get on the property ladder.

Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum
26 May 2026 at 6:10pm
The demand was the Scottish government's first item of business in the new parliament.

John Swinney denies 'sweeping Murrell scandal under carpet'
26 May 2026 at 6:12pm
Opposition MSPs have criticised the first minister and ex-SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon following Peter Murrell's guilty plea.

Sturgeon showed 'remarkable lack of curiosity' over SNP finances, Cherry says
26 May 2026 at 2:01pm
The former SNP MP has called for an independent inquiry into how Peter Murrell was able to embezzle more than £400,000.

'I'm the man with the money,' Murrell told Shetland jeweller
26 May 2026 at 6:06am
Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell bought a necklace for his wife, Nicola Sturgeon, during the visit to Shetland during a by-election campaign.

How long could Peter Murrell spend in prison?
26 May 2026 at 10:34am
A hefty custodial sentence is almost certain after the former SNP chief executive embezzled £400,000 from the party.

The questions raised by the Peter Murrell embezzlement controversy
25 May 2026 at 12:08pm
Thecase has been hanging over the SNP like a toxic cloud since the police investigation began five years ago.

Scot Goes Pop

Unveiling the new funding model for Scot Goes Pop
28 May 2026 at 7:26pm
Click here to visit my new Ko-Fi page.On Sunday I published a blogpost explaining that my experiment of using YouTube as a more sustainable funding model for Scot Goes Pop wasn't really working out...

Greens almost draw level with Labour in GB-wide YouGov poll, SNP have double-...
28 May 2026 at 8:00am
Other recent videos: Newly-elected Scottish Parliament decides by 72 votes to 55 to hold an independence referendumIs Scottish independence "closer now than on the day before the 2014 referendum"?W...

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION: Newly-elected Scottish Parliament decides by 72 votes to...
27 May 2026 at 8:36am
Other recent videos: Is Scottish independence "closer now than on the day before the 2014 referendum"?What was the REAL vote share for pro-independence parties at the 2026 Holyrood election?First M...

As "Self-determination Tuesday" dawns, is Andy Maciver right to say independe...
26 May 2026 at 2:05pm
For anyone who would like to help support my YouTube channel, I've set up a new Ko-Fi page HERE, which offers the options of either a small recurring monthly subscription, or a one-off donation.  (...

Let's examine the evidence: does RevStew's "brave" Ba'athist propagandist com...
25 May 2026 at 11:02pm
The controversial far-right blogger "Stew" has done yet another of his tweets about me without mentioning me by name - he does this regularly so that he can later do his schtick of "look! search fo...

Some thoughts on Peter Murrell's betrayal of SNP members
25 May 2026 at 2:20pm
So just some miscellaneous thoughts about today's news that Peter Murrell has pleaded guilty to embezzling a six-figure amount from the SNP - * Speaking as someone who is used to living on a shoest...

Ignore the Brit Nat propaganda: what was the REAL vote share for pro-independ...
25 May 2026 at 3:46am
If you enjoy Scot Goes Pop's polling and election coverage so much that you start to feel an inexplicable urge to buy me a hot chocolate or a ham-and-cheese toastie, donations are very welcome.  Th...

Another update on the Great Scot Goes Pop Video-Blogging Experiment
24 May 2026 at 9:11am
For two-and-a-half months between late February and early May, I was so wrapped up in writing the 73 daily constituency profiles for The National that a) I had much less time to make YouTube videos...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Nicola Sturgeon begins giving her account of husband?s embezzlement
29 May 2026 at 10:38am
The former first minister is appearing at book festivals just days after her husband Peter Murrell pled guilty to stealing £400,000

Nicola Sturgeon: ?This has been worst week of my life? after husband jailed
28 May 2026 at 5:03pm
The former first minister of Scotland said the revelations of her husband's crimes showed she 'didn't know him at all'

John Swinney to face FMQs amid mounting pressure for Peter Murrell probe
28 May 2026 at 11:56am
The First Minister has rejected calls for an independent probe into Peter Murrell's crimes

First-time buyers offered up to £10,000 interest-free loans from next month
27 May 2026 at 3:57pm
The First Homes Fund will provide successful applicants with a £10,000 contribution towards a deposit

Sturgeon says ?no comment? answers during arrest standard legal advice
26 May 2026 at 9:18pm
The former first minister?s lawyer said it was standard legal advice.

MSPs back John Swinney?s independence motion but Westminster rejects referendum
26 May 2026 at 7:48pm
The Scottish Parliament has voted for Westminster to transfer powers to Holyrood to allow a second independence referendum to be held.

How long will Peter Murrell be jailed for after admitting he embezzled £400,0...
26 May 2026 at 1:21pm
Murrell, the estranged husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, pled guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday

Holyrood set to back Swinney on second independence referendum
26 May 2026 at 6:59am
Swinney has tabled a motion calling on the UK Government to make a Section 30 order

Sturgeon ?had no suspicion? personal items were purchased with SNP funds
25 May 2026 at 5:37pm
The former first minister of Scotland said she was not aware of many of the items being purchased by Peter Murrell.

Length of SNP finances investigation was ?crucial?, senior officer says
25 May 2026 at 2:47pm
Operation Branchform, which cost more than £2m, is now 'complete', according to Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston

Swinney: Murrell?s embezzlement of £400,000 from SNP an ?overwhelming betrayal?
25 May 2026 at 2:02pm
Murrell has admitted to embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds from the party.

Nicola Sturgeon ?deceived and let down? by former husband Peter Murrell
25 May 2026 at 12:39pm
In January 2025, Sturgeon announced that she and Murrell were ending their marriage

Who is Peter Murrell? SNP supremo and estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon
25 May 2026 at 11:46am
From one half of Scotland?s most influential power couple to convicted criminal

Scottish Government will ?undoubtedly? need to make cuts ? deputy first minister
24 May 2026 at 6:10pm
Scotland?s auditor general previously said ministers lacked a clear plan to deal with a £4.7 billion funding gap by 2029-30

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Labour members call for Scots MP Joani Reid to be reinstated amid ?China spy ...
29 May 2026 at 12:31pm
EXCLUSIVE: The East Kilbride Constituency Labour Party voted on Thursday evening for Reid to be readmitted.

Nicola Sturgeon didn't use kitchen at home with Peter Murrell as 'she doesn't...
29 May 2026 at 12:01pm
Ian Blackford admitted with hindsight it "would have been better" if the party's long-term leader and chief executive had not been a married couple.

Nicola Sturgeon 'signed resignation letter to the King' with £500 Montblanc pen
29 May 2026 at 6:30am
Peter Murrell's love of the luxury Montblanc brand was revealed by prosecutors this week after he spent £24,000 of SNP cash on the high-end German firm's products.

John Swinney and the SNP are being laughed at by Scots over Peter Murrell and...
29 May 2026 at 4:30am
There are few signs of sympathy for the senior Nationalists who so conspicuously failed to halt a massive financial fraud going on in front of them, says Chris McCall

SNP 'harming the future of young Scots' by failing to support opening of new ...
29 May 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Labour said it was another example of the SNP failing to take Scotland's defence industries seriously.

Nicola Sturgeon claims 'this has been the worst week of my life' after Peter ...
28 May 2026 at 5:11pm
The former first minister told an audience at an Irish book festival she had been "deceived, lied to, and betrayed" by her estranged husband's embezzlement.

Peter Murrell embezzlement investigation saw dozens of purchases including wo...
28 May 2026 at 2:30pm
Credit card shredders, hundreds of toilet rolls and a book titled ?Why We Get The Wrong Politicians? were among the purchases made by Peter Murrell that got dropped from his indictment.

Raging John Swinney rejects call for inquiry into Peter Murrell scandal that ...
28 May 2026 at 1:56pm
The First Minister denied his party had "shut down" members who raised concerns about SNP finances five years ago.

John Swinney told Scotland needs 'post-election reality check' on tax or publ...
28 May 2026 at 4:30am
SNP ministers have been warned they must choose between "mindlessly rearranging the furniture or start rebuilding the house on fairer financial foundations".

SNP MSPs rage at donating £250 to party each month while Peter Murrell embezz...
28 May 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: SNP MSPs and MPs were expected to donate £250 from their monthly salaries to the party's HQ during the time Peter Murrell was found to have embezzled more than £400,000.

The National

The National | Politics

New plans for £20m visitor centre at 'iconic' Scottish viewpoint as first one...
29 May 2026 at 2:45pm

DEVELOPERS looking to build a visitor centre at an ?iconic? viewpoint where a loch looks like a map of Scotland have submitted revised proposals after binning their initial plans ...

Westminster committee to consider Peter Murrell embezzlement inquiry
29 May 2026 at 2:27pm

A WESTMINSTER committee is to consider opening an inquiry after Peter Murrell embezzled more than £400,000 from the SNP after MPs urged for ?wider institutional questions? to be answered

Labour report alleged hack of Nigel Farage?s phone and bank by Russia to police
29 May 2026 at 2:11pm

LABOUR have reported the alleged hacking of Nigel Farage?s phone and bank accounts by Russia to police, the chairwoman of the party has said ...

The National is going to Belfast and Cardiff to take you inside the Celtic Al...
29 May 2026 at 1:56pm

THIS week The National is heading to Wales and Northern Ireland to find out how Scotland is working with the Celtic Alliance to challenge the "constraints of the Union".

5 ways the new Presiding Officer plans to 'shake up' Scottish Parliament
29 May 2026 at 1:48pm

THIS week was the last First Minister's Questions (FMQs) before a key change to parliamentary business comes in

Scottish Government to intervene to stop Wallace letter being sent back to En...
29 May 2026 at 12:36pm

THE Wallace letter ?should remain in Scotland?, Scotland?s Culture Secretary has said, vowing to work with UK Government to keep the historical document in Edinburgh, rather than it be sent back to England

BBC pushes 'worthless' AI-generated Question Time panel despite imbalance con...
29 May 2026 at 12:20pm

BBC Question Time has been met with disbelief after using artificial intelligence (AI) to create a mock panel featuring Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi ...

It?s time for action from John Swinney, not just more asking
29 May 2026 at 12:00pm

IT did not take long for Westminster to give us an answer, did it? As we all knew it was a big fat NO.

We can either keep arguing, or push for a new electoral system
29 May 2026 at 12:00pm

IN reply to Campbell Anderson, who asks why I use the term ?gaming the system?, it?s the term that a considerable number of correspondents to this paper have been using for the last several months prior to the election on May 7, and also prior to the last Holyrood election five years ago.

'Thousands of older Scots to be pushed into poverty' by energy bill increase
29 May 2026 at 11:34am

SCOTLAND?S older people cannot wait until winter for government support amid an energy bills crisis, the Scottish Pensioners? Forum (SPF) has warned ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Scottish Affairs Committee urged to carry out inquiry into Peter Murrell
29 May 2026 at 12:48pm
Tory MP Andrew Bowie, the shadow Scottish Secretary, has called for the probe following First Minister John Swinney?s rejection of a parliamentary inquiry at Holyrood

John Swinney: Beastie House horror reveals Scottish child protection failures
28 May 2026 at 2:46pm
FM issues apology to children harmed by Glasgow abuse ring

John Swinney: No new inquiry over Peter Murrell scandal
28 May 2026 at 2:21pm
Electoral Commission says it has 'no evidence' of misuse of public funds

Scotland?s only cybersecurity social enterprise reinvests ?3m to combat threa...
27 May 2026 at 4:11pm
Vulnerability testing, cyber MOTs and executive education programmes have been provided to charities and SMEs

Nicola Sturgeon?s solicitor defends ?no comment? police interview after arrest
27 May 2026 at 1:20pm
Nicola Sturgeon's solicitor Aamer Anwar said the response was ?standard advice offered on a regular basis in our jurisdiction?

Lack of humanoid robotics regulation risks ?misuse?
27 May 2026 at 11:48am
The rapid growth of such technology is outpacing lawmakers and public understanding

Net zero sector worth over ?10bn to economy, report finds
27 May 2026 at 4:00am
But some in the sector warn delays to infrastructure and policy uncertainty is creating a ?transition gap? amid efforts to move away from fossil fuels

Scottish Parliament backs plans for route to second independence referendum
26 May 2026 at 9:00pm
The vote followed a statement from First Minister John Swinney, who also led a debate titled ?Ambitious for Scotland?, in which he outlined his plans for the session of parliament

Anas Sarwar unveils Scottish Labour shadow cabinet
26 May 2026 at 3:03pm
Irshad Ahmed named as shadow minister

Campaigners call for action as majority of children admit to spending too muc...
26 May 2026 at 12:37pm
The UK Government is expected to announced social media restrictions soon

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

We know what former SNP chief Peter Murrell bought with £400,000 of embezzled...
29 May 2026 at 6:00am
His guilty plea means motive will for ever be a mystery. It just proves that the world can look as hard as it likes at someone?s marriage and never know what?s going onIt sounds like the haul of an unhappy trophy wife, filling her empty days with retail therapy. Three Fortnum & Mason advent calen...

Sturgeon says she was ?deceived, misled and betrayed? by ex-husband Murrell
28 May 2026 at 9:54pm
Murrell has been remanded in custody after pleading guilty to embezzling more than £400,00 from SNPNicola Sturgeon said she was ?deceived, betrayed and lied to? by her estranged husband, Peter Murrell, as he embezzled hundreds of thousands of pounds from the SNP.The former first minister told an ...

Much of what Blair said in essay criticising Labour was wrong, says Starmer ?...
28 May 2026 at 6:06pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story herePat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary, is introducing Alan Milburn.He says Milburn?s report is ?really important and powerful?.I could see in the first few weeks after being appointed as the secretary of state what was happening...

Humza Yousaf says Peter Murrell deserves ?hefty? sentence for embezzlement
27 May 2026 at 11:09am
Former first minister speaks out after SNP?s ex-chief executive pleaded guilty to stealing £400,000 from party UK politics live ? latest updatesHumza Yousaf, Scotland?s former first minister, has called for Peter Murrell to get a ?hefty? jail sentence after he admitted stealing £400,000 from the ...

Labour says Reform UK ?in chaos? as Zia Yusuf publicly tells Jenrick he?s got...
26 May 2026 at 5:40pm
?Robert?s answer is not Reform policy?, Yusuf said about an answer that Jenrick gave to journalists days earlierKeir Starmer has said that SNP leaders need to explain why they did not realise that Peter Murrell was stealing more than £400,000 from the party.Asked about yesterday?s court proceedin...

SNP accused of ?embezzling? voters over Peter Murrell?s theft of party funds
26 May 2026 at 4:51pm
Scottish National party?s attempt to focus on call for independence referendum overshadowed by embezzlement scandalThe Scottish National party was accused of ?embezzling? voters after opposition leaders highlighted the crisis over Peter Murrell?s misuse of £400,000 from party funds.The scandal ov...

Luxury watches, iPads and a Jaguar: what Peter Murrell bought with embezzled ...
25 May 2026 at 6:25pm
Former SNP chief also blew chunks of the stolen £400,310 on posh coffee machines and a robotic lawnmowerPeter Murrell pleads guilty to embezzling £400,000The list of luxury items bought by Peter Murrell using the £400,310 he stole from the Scottish National party runs to about 100 pages, and read...

Peter Murrell pleads guilty to embezzling £400,000 from SNP
25 May 2026 at 5:46pm
Former husband of Nicola Sturgeon faces long prison sentence after admitting stealing from party to fund lavish lifestyleLuxury watches, iPads and a Jaguar: what Peter Murrell bought with embezzled fundsPeter Murrell, once one of the most powerful people in British politics, faces a long prison s...

Streeting says he resigned because Labour ?in fight of our lives against nati...
20 May 2026 at 5:18pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereLabour is in a curious, transitional state at the moment. Officially Keir Starmer is committed to staying as leader and prime minister until the next election. There is no formal leadership contest underway. But, informally, it has alre...

ChatGPT and other AI bots made huge errors before Scottish election, study finds
20 May 2026 at 3:56pm
Exclusive: Electoral Commission calls for new controls as Demos finds tools made up fake scandals, invented candidates or gave wrong dateUK politics live ? latest updatesThe Electoral Commission has called for new legal controls over misinformation from AI chatbots, after a thinktank found they h...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The first salvos have been fired in the latest stage of the independence camp...
27 May 2026 at 4:20pm
On Tuesday, the first working day of a new Scottish Parliament, with a record pro-independence majority, the fourth such majority in a row, MSPs voted by 72 to 55, a majority of 17 to adopt a motion calling on the Westminster government “to make a Section 30 order under the Scotland Act 1998 to devolve …

Explaining a parliamentary mandate for the staunch of hearing
26 May 2026 at 3:16pm
Today Holyrood gets the ball rolling on putting into action the pro-independence mandate given to it by the people of Scotland at the recent election, which as we all know by now resulted in the largest ever majority of pro-independence MSPs in the history of the Scottish Parliament. I’ll blog about the debate and vote …

Branchform?s over and the SNP is still standing
25 May 2026 at 1:41pm
Well, after five long years, murder tents, and over £2 million in police costs, it’s all over bar the inevitable shouting, and of course the not insignificant matter of what is likely to be a substantial custodial sentence. Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party. …

The supposed ?Once in a generation? pledge is a Westminster myth
23 May 2026 at 12:31pm
On Thursday evening’s edition of BBC Reform Time, Fiona Bruce, the completely unbiased and neutral right wing unionist host, editorialised in aid of Tory MP Harriet Cross who had insisted that the question of independence had been “settled” in 2014 and attempts to revisit the matter “have to end, they have to end.” Bruce interjected …

John Swinney fires the starting gun on independence push
22 May 2026 at 1:30pm
He’s not mucking about. On the back of Holyrood’s record pro-independence majority, John Swinney has announced that there will be a debate and vote in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday on securing a Section 30 order for an independence referendum. With 72 pro-independence MSPs in the chamber, the motion will pass easily despite the predictable …

The British media is hiding Holyrood?s independence majorities
20 May 2026 at 5:01pm
Something interesting, and entirely predictable, has been happening in the British media since the SNP comprehensively defeated the parties of Westminster rule in this month’s Holyrood elections, being returned for a fifth term in office in a Scottish Parliament which has its largest ever pro-independence majority, making this the fourth Scottish Parliament in a row …

Something wicked this way comes
17 May 2026 at 1:27pm
We are rightly concerned about Reform UK, which has now gained representation in the Scottish Parliament, although as I had hoped, it performed more poorly than most polls forecast and failed to win a single constituency seat, narrowly missing out to the SNP in the Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituency which had been widely tipped …

The Celtic Alliance can break Westminter?s constitutional logjam
15 May 2026 at 6:33pm
One of the biggest developments in British political history came to pass after the recent parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales, yet it predictably went all but unnoticed by a British media which struggles to comprehend England outwith the M25 and for which Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are terra incognita marked “here be dragons” …

Labour?s rigged electoral system has bitten it on the bum
13 May 2026 at 3:51pm
Ever since the Holyrood election last week in which the SNP won a crushing victory over the dependency parties, those parties and their client media have been crowing that John Swinney must drop his “obsession” with independence because the SNP “failed” in the election and did not win an outright majority for the SNP. Alex …

John Swinney is right to lock out Reform
12 May 2026 at 3:02pm
It hasn’t even been a week since the Holyrood election which took the SNP to its record fifth election win in a row, securing more MSPs than all the anti-independence parties combined, and winning more seats than Labour ever has. The British parties and their friends in the press are getting their hysteria and outrage …

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

Sturgeon has repeatedly championed women?s rights and women in both Scotland ...
29 May 2026 at 8:19am
By stewartb To the question: ?Whatever happened to the heroes?? I?m strongly inclined to take the Stranglers? advice when musing about the state of the world and those in leadership positions: ?No more heroes anymore?! So why write the following? When evidence-free opinions are given in derogatory terms ? ?Wee Nippy?, ?worst FM?, ?disgrace to Scotland? and Prof Robertson singled out as ?coming ...

Crime down 26% violent crime down 23% but SNP funds just as many police officers
29 May 2026 at 7:08am
From Statistics on policing published yesterday: * New * There were 16,430 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 31 March 2026. This was 196 (+1.2%) more officers compared to the position on 31 March 2007. As staffing levels have been maintained how has the level of crime faced by these officers changed? So overall:

Who will ever tell you this? Murder in Scotland now at the lowest level since...
29 May 2026 at 7:06am
From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: May 2026 published yesterday, the above graph and: Number of victims of homicide at the lowest level since 1976. There were 45 homicide victims recorded by the police in Scotland in 2024-25, a 21% decrease from 2023-24 and a 24% decrease from 2015-16. https://www.gov.scot/publications/safer-communities-and-justice-statistics-mon...

Crime clear-up rates increase
29 May 2026 at 7:05am
From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: May 2026 published yesterday: Increase in crime clear up rate. The clear up rate for all recorded crimes was 56.0% in 2024-25, up from 54.1% in 2023-24. Crimes against society (93.8%), non-sexual crimes of violence (68.4%) and sexual crimes (56.9%) continued to have higher clear up rates in 2024-25 than crimes of dishonesty (35....

Property and violent crime has fallen by 42% since 2008-09
29 May 2026 at 7:03am
From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: May 2026 published yesterday: The above graph and: Property and violent crime has fallen by 42% since 2008-09.  Results from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) show that one-in-five (20.8%) adults were estimated to have experienced at least one crime in 2024-25. This included property crime (9.4% of adults), violent cr...

Hate Crime ? underlying trend is significantly down by 4.5% but hidden by new...
29 May 2026 at 7:02am
From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: May 2026 on Statistics on hate crime published yesterday: Small decrease in overall hate crime charges. There was a decrease of 1.2% between 2023-24 and 2024-25, in the total number of charges reported to COPFS containing at least one element of hate crime. The figures for 2024-25 are not directly comparable with earlier years b...

Scotland?s Oil and Gas Industry ? Same Old Tory Hypocrisy
29 May 2026 at 6:59am
By Jim Mennie That the Tories are posing as eternal champions of the oil and gas industry should come as a surprise to voters in Aberdeen South considering their history of husbanding this resource. Most brazenly hypocritical is their promise to abolish the Energy Profits Levy – a tax they introduced in 2022 and which Kemi Badenoch and Andrew Bowie voted for! And then we have this from sitting ...

Scotland?s pharmacy scheme ?the model for England? ? to hear about Scotland w...
29 May 2026 at 6:54am
for England’s Pharmacy First BBC Breakfast this morning telling us the Scottish Government has long put in place a better model for pharmacies, repeatedly covered here but never in the MSM operating in Scotland. What’s it all about? In the Chemist and Druggist of April 10th 2024 Pharmacists in hospital, and in community pharmacies in Scotland, already routinely alter prescriptions for the benef...

The Huffy Bros ? Rev(olting?) Stu Campbell and Robin McAlpine fighting for th...
28 May 2026 at 3:25pm
The had such promise in 2014, those two, but these days all they do is snipe, living for SNP scandals they can persuade mugs to read about and earn them a living. I suspect their business model is based on Russel Brand. There are times I wonder about our business model at TuS as we batter-out researched reports to counter Unionist lies for well-under the minimum wage and they just feed lazily o...

High Court backlog likely to be result of 300% increase in English County Lin...
28 May 2026 at 2:48pm
From BBC Scotland today, the above, and: The backlog of trials in Scotland’s highest criminal courts has nearly tripled, due in part to an increase in complex cases involving serious organised crime and historic sex abuse. At the end of March about 1,000 trials were waiting to go ahead in the high court, almost three times the number before the Covid-19 pandemic. Where would that increase in se...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum - BBC
26 May 2026 at 6:10pm
Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum  BBC

Scottish Parliament backs move for new independence vote - NZ Herald
26 May 2026 at 9:41pm
Scottish Parliament backs move for new independence vote  NZ Herald

Is Scotland still divided on independence? - The Week
28 May 2026 at 1:34pm
Is Scotland still divided on independence?  The Week

Scottish Nationalists Hang On to Power, Without Authority - Jacobin
29 May 2026 at 1:42pm
Scottish Nationalists Hang On to Power, Without Authority  Jacobin

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

There?s little love for the SNP ? so why does the party look set to win in Sc...
6 May 2026 at 8:00am
There?s little love for the SNP ? so why does the party look set to win in Scotland?  The Conversation

Downing Street rejects Holyrood call for independence referendum - The Nation...
26 May 2026 at 8:59pm
Downing Street rejects Holyrood call for independence referendum  The National Scot

Scottish Parliament backs plans for route to second independence referendum -...
26 May 2026 at 6:01pm
Scottish Parliament backs plans for route to second independence referendum  Holyrood Website

Scotland Renews Push for Independence With Labour in Turmoil - Bloomberg.com
26 May 2026 at 5:45pm
Scotland Renews Push for Independence With Labour in Turmoil  Bloomberg.com

Scottish Parliament to move on new independence vote - RTE.ie
26 May 2026 at 5:30am
Scottish Parliament to move on new independence vote  RTE.ie

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

We know what former SNP chief Peter Murrell bought with £400,000 of embezzled...
29 May 2026 at 8:23am
We know what former SNP chief Peter Murrell bought with £400,000 of embezzled funds. What I?d like to know is why  The Guardian

Sturgeon says she was deceived, betrayed and lied to over Murrell embezzlemen...
28 May 2026 at 6:56pm
Sturgeon says she was deceived, betrayed and lied to over Murrell embezzlement  BBC

Final YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election shows the SNP falling short of...
6 May 2026 at 8:00am
Final YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election shows the SNP falling short of a majority  YouGov

Ex-Scottish National Party chief pleads guilty to embezzling funds - Al Jazeera
25 May 2026 at 9:27pm
Ex-Scottish National Party chief pleads guilty to embezzling funds  Al Jazeera

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell admits embezzling party funds - BBC
25 May 2026 at 9:05am
Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell admits embezzling party funds  BBC

Nicola Sturgeon denies any knowledge of items husband Peter Murrell bought wi...
25 May 2026 at 6:59pm
Nicola Sturgeon denies any knowledge of items husband Peter Murrell bought with embezzled £400,000  Sky News

Former Scottish National Party chief pleads guilty to embezzling $540,000 - R...
25 May 2026 at 2:42pm
Former Scottish National Party chief pleads guilty to embezzling $540,000  Reuters

John Swinney urges Starmer to show Scotland ?greater respect? after SNP victo...
8 May 2026 at 8:00am
John Swinney urges Starmer to show Scotland ?greater respect? after SNP victory | Scottish politics  The Guardian

Peter Murrell sentence: How long could former SNP chief executive spend in pr...
26 May 2026 at 10:34am
Peter Murrell sentence: How long could former SNP chief executive spend in prison?  BBC

Sturgeon showed 'remarkable lack of curiosity' over SNP finances, Cherry says...
26 May 2026 at 2:01pm
Sturgeon showed 'remarkable lack of curiosity' over SNP finances, Cherry says  BBC

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum - BBC
26 May 2026 at 6:10pm
Scottish Parliament endorses SNP call for independence referendum  BBC

Scottish Parliament backs move for new independence vote - NZ Herald
26 May 2026 at 9:41pm
Scottish Parliament backs move for new independence vote  NZ Herald

Is Scotland still divided on independence? - The Week
28 May 2026 at 1:34pm
Is Scotland still divided on independence?  The Week

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

Scotland Renews Push for Independence With Labour in Turmoil - Bloomberg.com
26 May 2026 at 5:45pm
Scotland Renews Push for Independence With Labour in Turmoil  Bloomberg.com

Downing Street rejects Holyrood call for independence referendum - The Nation...
26 May 2026 at 8:59pm
Downing Street rejects Holyrood call for independence referendum  The National Scot

Scottish Devolution: Section 30 Orders - The House of Commons Library
25 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish Devolution: Section 30 Orders  The House of Commons Library

Democratic mandate reached for independence referendum - Scottish Greens
26 May 2026 at 8:41am
Democratic mandate reached for independence referendum  Scottish Greens

Scottish Parliament backs plans for route to second independence referendum -...
26 May 2026 at 6:01pm
Scottish Parliament backs plans for route to second independence referendum  Holyrood Website

What do the May Election Results Mean for Devolution? - The Constitution Society
26 May 2026 at 10:31am
What do the May Election Results Mean for Devolution?  The Constitution Society