The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Today's cartoon from Steven Camley - on the Mandelson row
23 Apr 2026 at 7:23am
You can find Steven Camley in The Herald and online at heraldscotland.com


Politicians told 'honest' conversation on future of universal benefits is needed
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
23 Apr 2026 at 5:30am
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has called for an honest debate on the future of universal benefits to protect those most in need.


No time to waste as Scots political leaders vow to transform tax
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
23 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
Scot business chiefs welcome consensus on rates but stress the need for urgency


One in seven senior mental health jobs in Scotland is unfilled
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
23 Apr 2026 at 5:00am
Freedom of information data shows 85 consultant psychiatrist roles across Scotland are vacant or filled by locums.


Calls for work be done to find out impact of income tax divergence
23 Apr 2026 at 5:00am
Polling has found a high level of misunderstanding over Holyrood's tax powers amid calls for work be done on the impact of income tax divergence between Scotland and the rest of the UK.


First Minister names Iran memorial proposal 'welcome idea' as tensions escalate
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
23 Apr 2026 at 5:00am
First Minister John Swinney has described proposals for a permanent memorial to victims in Iran as a ?welcome and understandable idea?.


??Unspun Election Briefing: Beside the sea
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
23 Apr 2026 at 8:03am
Read this morning's Unspun Election Briefing, The Herald's daily newsletter on the Holyrood campaign.


New figures outline the extent of homeless deaths in Edinburgh last year
22 Apr 2026 at 4:56pm
Edinburgh recorded 56 homeless deaths in 2025, with rising numbers in temporary accommodation - the council has since invested £1.6bn in housing


Activists protest outside BlackRock offices in Edinburgh on Earth Day
by rose.moncur@newsquest.co.uk | Rose Moncur
22 Apr 2026 at 4:55pm
Climate activists staged an Earth Day protest outside BlackRock?s Edinburgh offices, accusing the firm of links to fossil fuels and global conflict.


Starmer admits 'conversation' over diplomatic job for spindoctor
22 Apr 2026 at 3:25pm
Keir Starmer has admitted officials explored finding a diplomatic role for former aide Matthew Doyle


John Swinney signals softer approach to food price cap following backlash
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
22 Apr 2026 at 2:54pm
John Swinney has signalled a softer move to introducing the SNP's food price cap scheme following backlash from industry leaders.


John Swinney suggests SNP would work with Sinn Féin to 'change the dynamics' ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
22 Apr 2026 at 2:14pm
John Swinney has suggested closer co-operation with Sinn Féin and Plaid Cymru as polls suggest the three devolved administrations could soon be led by nationalist first ministers.


Defence firms say SNP Israel cash ban policy curbing investment and jobs
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
22 Apr 2026 at 1:15pm
Defence companies say Scotland?s restriction on funding firms linked to Israel is beginning to curb investment and threaten jobs.


Edinburgh Council banned defence giant from advertising for apprentices on trams
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
22 Apr 2026 at 11:58am
Leonardo has told MPs that Edinburgh Council blocked a tram advert aimed at recruiting apprentices.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Kemi Badenoch smells blood as she reminds Labour MPs Keir Starmer has let the...
22 Apr 2026 at 4:45pm

The Conservative leader knows she will need Labour MPs to oust the Prime Minister, so appealed to their sense of fairness.

Thomas Kerr said he ?gets on really well? with the party?s sole MSP and that he ?brokered? Mr Simpson?s defection from the Conservatives.

The First Minister said he wanted to ?change the dynamics of the UK? to secure Scottish independence

Labour and SNP both look to tactical voting in changed constituency

In one of Scotland?s most complex constituencies the voters - and the candidates - have a varied mix of issues of their minds

The former civil servant?s competent performance raised further questions about why the PM had thrown him under the bus

Rising energy prices sparked by Middle East tensions will likely prove a net negative for Scotland, experts have warned

Wings over Scotland

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 …

Protest But Don?t Survive
28 Mar 2026 at 5:20pm
If events in Edinburgh today are anything to go by – when a march and rally announced with great fanfare seven months ago, backed by both the “independence” parties in the Scottish Parliament and featuring the First Minister as main speaker, attracted perhaps 1,500 people at the most to Calton Hill on a bright and …

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

Lib Dem leader signals party could back Sarwar as first minister
22 Apr 2026 at 10:08am
Alex Cole-Hamilton says he would have an "obligation" to remove the SNP from power if the opportunity arose.

STV staff to strike on Scottish election results day
22 Apr 2026 at 2:06pm
Members of both the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Bectu are set to walk out on Friday 8 May.

Starmer admits No 10 asked about job for aide Matthew Doyle
22 Apr 2026 at 2:13pm
The prime minister was questioned at PMQs about allegations that Downing Street had asked about a diplomat role for the then-communications chief.

Swinney turns down Trump invitation to White House banquet
20 Apr 2026 at 10:52pm
The Scottish government said Swinney "politely declined" the offer to join the event as part of the King and Queen's state visit.

MSPs need to work together to reform council tax - SNP
19 Apr 2026 at 3:39pm
Representatives from six Scottish political parties agree that the council tax needs to be reformed, but how exactly is a contentious issue.

Starmer accused of 'skulking' and shunning Sarwar in Scotland
18 Apr 2026 at 4:46pm
It is the first time the prime minister has been north of the border since the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for him to step down in February.

Ex-Scottish Labour leader Dugdale appointed as Stonewall chairwoman
19 Apr 2026 at 12:58pm
Dugdale, who is currently chairwoman of Shelter in Scotland, said she was "thrilled and honoured" to secure the post.

Swinney predicts SNP majority at Holyrood election
18 Apr 2026 at 6:00am
The first minister has told BBC News that his party will return at least 65 seats at next month's vote.

Lib Dems vow action on NHS and cost of living in manifesto
17 Apr 2026 at 10:45am
Scottish leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has announced plans to spend an extra £400m on social care.

Swinney denies SNP grocery price cap is 'potty gimmick'
17 Apr 2026 at 9:28am
The first minister defends his party's plans to impose a limit on the cost of "essential" items.

Supermarket food prices to be capped under SNP manifesto pledge
16 Apr 2026 at 2:49pm
The cost of "essential" items such as bread, milk and cheese are to be limited under John Swinney's plan.

Labour's Sarwar brands Scottish Reform leader 'a liar' over deal claim
15 Apr 2026 at 1:15pm
Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar brands Malcolm Offord "a pathetic, poisonous, odious little man" after a TV debate clash.

Scot Goes Pop

EXCLUSIVE SCOT GOES POP / FIND OUT NOW POLL: SNP and Greens on course to win ...
23 Apr 2026 at 12:58am
A little earlier tonight, I revealed the Scottish Parliament voting intention results from the new Scot Goes Pop / Find Out Now poll in a video on my YouTube channel, but as promised, here are the ...

EXCLUSIVE SCOT GOES POP / FIND OUT NOW POLL: Join me at 11.50pm on YouTube to...
22 Apr 2026 at 11:22pm
If you join the waiting zone, the video above should automatically start playing at 11.50pm.  Just like last night, I'll be posting the poll results on this blog in text form later on for the video...

It's GO! The Scottish Parliament voting intention numbers from the new Scot G...
22 Apr 2026 at 7:35pm
 While you're waiting for the thrills and spills of later tonight, please check out the new Scot Goes Pop polling fundraiser HERE.

EXCLUSIVE SCOT GOES POP / FIND OUT NOW POLL: A significant majority of voters...
21 Apr 2026 at 11:00pm
As promised for the video-phobic amongst you (although do watch the video version if you're not video-phobic!), here are the independence results in text form from the new Scot Goes Pop poll I comm...

Be the first to discover the INDEPENDENCE RESULTS from the exclusive new Scot...
21 Apr 2026 at 7:58pm
As far as I know, if you join the waiting zone, the video above should automatically start playing at 9pm, although you may have to endure a two-minute countdown clock.  If nothing appears after a ...

This is not a drill: the independence results from the new Scot Goes Pop poll...
21 Apr 2026 at 3:19pm
 I'll post the link to the video revealing the results once I've scheduled it.  (I'm trying to build up some suspense and anticipation here, but doubtless that's a forlorn hope.) Don't forget the n...

A heads-up: a new Scot Goes Pop-commissioned opinion poll will be published b...
19 Apr 2026 at 10:44pm
So a small announcement - I have commissioned Scot Goes Pop's first opinion poll since the two that were done back-to-back during the SNP leadership election in early 2023.  For cost reasons, it's ...

You now have less than 30 hours to ensure all the independence supporters in ...
19 Apr 2026 at 6:32pm
In a sense the title says it all, but it perhaps doesn't quite capture the scale of the problem, because data from 2023 suggests 20% of the adult population of Scotland are either not registered to...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

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

Politicians urged to consider ?restrictions? on larger vehicles in cities
21 Apr 2026 at 7:28am
Transform Scotland is also urging councils to consider making parking charges higher for sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

Starmer to face second bruising day as Trump weighs in on Mandelson affair
21 Apr 2026 at 6:20am
The sacked head of the foreign office, Sir Olly Robbins, will give his version of events on Tuesday.

Swinney ?politely? turns down Trump invitation to White House banquet
20 Apr 2026 at 9:22pm
The banquet is being held as part of the King and Queen?s forthcoming state visit to the US.

Deadline day to register to vote in May 7 Scottish elections
20 Apr 2026 at 3:40pm
There are only a few hours left to apply

Prime Minister to face MPs over Mandelson scandal
20 Apr 2026 at 2:17pm
Lord Mandelson was sacked seven months after his appointment over his friendship with Epstein

Scotland?s ?dangerous? pothole problem revealed
17 Apr 2026 at 3:29pm
STV News reveals pothole capital as Scotland's roads are compared to the surface of the moon

Lib Dems launch manifesto with call for change ?with fairness at its heart?
17 Apr 2026 at 1:06pm
The party has set out its ?realistic? plan ?to get things done, focused on the things that matter most?

Benefits system being ?abused on an industrial scale?, says Findlay
17 Apr 2026 at 12:19pm
The Scottish Tory leader said he wanted to cut income tax funded by introducing restrictions on adult mental health benefit claims

Starmer ?furious? he wasn?t told Mandelson failed vetting as he faces calls t...
17 Apr 2026 at 11:04am
Officials overruled the recommendation from UK Security Vetting

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

SNP 'bleeding' support as new poll finds John Swinney well short of overall m...
23 Apr 2026 at 9:00am
A projection puts the SNP on 57 seats, seven fewer than in 2021.

Alex Salmond feared 'private detective paid for by SNP' was spying on him, bo...
23 Apr 2026 at 8:47am
Joanna Cherry claimed she was warned by the former first minister that she may also be under surveillance.

The ghost of Keir Starmer is haunting the Scottish Labour election campaign
23 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says the performance of the UK Government looks like being the key issue of the election campaign.

Scottish politics today: John Swinney hopes for 'voluntary' agreement with su...
22 Apr 2026 at 5:00pm
The Record brings you its regular 5pm round-up of the day's best Scottish politics stories.

SNP would work with Sinn Fein 'to change the dynamics of the United Kingdom',...
22 Apr 2026 at 1:17pm
The SNP leader said the prospect of three nationalist administrations in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast would mean the UK was "changed irreversibly".

Scots hammered on food costs as sugar and beef prices rise twice as fast as w...
22 Apr 2026 at 12:01pm
EXCLUSIVE: Some everyday food items have risen in price nearly four times as fast as wages since the last Holyrood election in 2021.

Keir Starmer has 'severely damaged' Scottish Labour election campaign, says J...
22 Apr 2026 at 11:28am
The SNP leader described the UK Labour Government as a "shambles" and being in "chaos" following the latest row over Peter Mandelson.

Scottish independence referendum won't happen in next five years, predicts SN...
22 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: A former depute leader of the SNP said there would only be an IndyRef2 "when the will of the Scottish people towards independence cannot be contested".

Scottish politics today: Labour row with Reform UK 'ridiculous' and voters sh...
21 Apr 2026 at 5:00pm
The Record brings you its regular 5pm round-up of the day's best Scottish politics stories.

John Swinney rejects claims of conspiracy to frame Alex Salmond for sexual of...
21 Apr 2026 at 4:32pm
The First Minister downplayed suggestions of foul play ahead of Salmond getting charged with sexual assaulting women.

The National

The National | Politics

Labour risks 'terminal damage' from Keir Starmer leadership, claims Nicola St...
23 Apr 2026 at 8:11am

Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said Labour risks 'terminal damage' if they allow Prime Minister Keir Starmer to 'limp on'

Could anti-immigration protests impact outcome of this key Holyrood seat?
23 Apr 2026 at 5:00am

FALKIRK has hit the headlines over the past 12 months for all the wrong reasons as the town has been dogged by anti-immigration protests outside an asylum seeker hotel.

Irish unity referendum by 2030 is ?very conceivable?, says Michelle O'Neill
23 Apr 2026 at 5:00am

IT is ?very conceivable? that a referendum on Irish unity could take place by 2030, Michelle O?Neill has claimed

Lesley Riddoch: Idea of Celtic nations working together clearly scares Unionists
23 Apr 2026 at 5:00am

SO John Swinney is happy to cooperate with Sinn Fein.

Green surge to cement landslide pro-independence majority at Holyrood, poll says
23 Apr 2026 at 5:00am

A RECORD result for the Scottish Greens could see a huge pro-independence majority at Holyrood after the May election, a new poll has projected ...

The big questions for SNP if a pro-independence 'supermajority' comes to pass
23 Apr 2026 at 5:00am

THE new Scottish Parliament depicted by the Find Out Now poll I commissioned for Scot Goes Pop would contain almost an embarrassment of riches for the pro-independence camp ...

SNP pledge £200 for every 18-year-old to 'spend on cultural pursuits in Scotl...
23 Apr 2026 at 5:00am

EVERY young Scot will be given £200 to spend on cultural pursuits on their 18th birthday if the SNP are returned to power in the May elections ...

Are the SNP as safe as they seem in this former Scottish Labour heartland?
23 Apr 2026 at 5:00am

IN any debate over the identity of Scotland?s fifth-largest city, Motherwell would be a surprisingly strong contender ...

Keir Starmer on the brink as Westminster records show he 'misled' MPs over Ma...
22 Apr 2026 at 8:27pm

KEIR Starmer?s position is on the brink as MPs question whether he misled the Commons when he alleged that ?no pressure? from No 10 ?existed whatsoever? around the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador ...

Police called in as SNP signs in battleground seats 'damaged beyond repair'
22 Apr 2026 at 6:00pm

THE police have been called in after SNP signs and banners were torn down across two battleground constituencies ...

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Stephen Flynn urges Keir Starmer to ?come clean? over Matthew Doyle job hunt
22 Apr 2026 at 6:18pm
Pressure on prime minister continues after Olly Robbins evidence

Russia moving cyber threats ?beyond the battlefield?
22 Apr 2026 at 1:30pm
Head of National Cyber Centre warns UK is facing period of ?tumultuous uncertainty?

Local Authorities Guide: Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles)
22 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Council leader Paul Steele answers questions about local authority

Olly Robbins: Mandelson row threatens UK national security
21 Apr 2026 at 1:14pm
Sacked civil servant says Cabinet Office did not want vetting for disgraced ex-peer

'Deliberate': Keir Starmer blames officials for not sharing Mandelson vetting...
20 Apr 2026 at 5:56pm
Under-pressure prime minister gives statement to House of Commons

Half of Scottish constituencies on a knife-edge with SNP ?squeezed on all sid...
20 Apr 2026 at 8:36am
More in Common polling finds Holyrood will have more pro-union MSPs

Improving safety, compliance and care outcomes across Scotland
20 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Chris Field discusses how digital services can support and improve safety measures in Scotland's public sector

John Swinney: ?Incompetent? Keir Starmer must resign
17 Apr 2026 at 12:33pm
Prime minister 'furious' over Mandelson vetting latest

Women?s charities ignoring Supreme Court ruling, according to new report
16 Apr 2026 at 4:28pm
A new report by Murray Blackburn Mackenzie has identified?a range of women?s charities?it says?are?extending?their reach to include biological?men?who identify as women

SNP pledges to cap food prices and bus fares if it wins election
16 Apr 2026 at 2:17pm
Supermarkets targeted in cost-of-living move

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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...

No 10 claims Starmer did not know Mandelson failed security vetting until thi...
16 Apr 2026 at 6:54pm
The prime minister was not aware that the former US ambassador had failed the vetting process, according to Downing StreetSwinney says this is a manifesto for the whole of Scotland.He confirms that the SNP would argue for the Scottish power to have more control over energy policy (still largely r...

SNP pledges to cap bread and milk prices if it wins Scotland?s parliamentary ...
16 Apr 2026 at 3:38pm
John Swinney unveils his party?s manifesto, saying cost of living is the ?defining issue? for voters on 7 MayThe SNP will cap supermarket prices for essential goods such as bread and milk if it retains power, John Swinney has pledged, after describing the cost of living as ?the defining issue of ...

Scottish Labour leader says claim he tried to do Reform deal is ?desperate lie?
15 Apr 2026 at 5:42pm
Anas Sarwar says there have been ?no stitch-ups, no deals, no backroom chats with Reform? over Holyrood electionsAnas Sarwar has dismissed as ?a desperate lie from a desperate man? a claim by Reform UK?s Scotland leader, Malcolm Offord, that he offered to do a deal with the rightwing party to kee...

Reeves condemns Trump?s decision to launch war against Iran as ?folly?? as it...
14 Apr 2026 at 5:32pm
Chancellor ?frustrated and angry? at the effect on UK firms and families and says US went into war without a clear exit plan Q: Why are you calling for an inquiry into Nigel Farage?s investment in a bitcoin firm?Davey said that, in investing in crypto, Farage, the Reform UK leader, seemed to be c...

Scottish Greens pledge free bus travel and basic income in election manifesto
14 Apr 2026 at 3:13pm
Party says plan for ?radical change? will be funded in part through higher taxes on aviation, gambling and landlordsUK politics live ? latest updatesThe Scottish Greens have called for free bus travel, thousands of extra teachers and doctors and a universal basic income among hundreds of uncosted...

MSPs not told about collapse of funding deal for Scottish nature restoration
14 Apr 2026 at 6:00am
Exclusive: Ministers accused of trying to keep investment firm?s withdrawal from partnership with NatureScot under wrapsA funding deal to raise £100m from private investors for urgently needed nature restoration in Scotland has fallen through without the Scottish parliament being told.The Guardia...

Shabana Mahmood says Southport inquiry report exposed ?systematic failures ac...
13 Apr 2026 at 6:16pm
The home secretary made the comments after an inquiry revealed that the system ?completely failed?Keir Starmer has confirmed that he wants to stop children being exposed to addictive scrolling features on their phones as part of measures to protect them from social media.The PM is under pressure ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

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 …

Wes Streeting?s attack on Scottish democracy will backfire
12 Apr 2026 at 9:50pm
Just when Anas Sarwar thought that the Labour campaign in the Holyrood election couldn’t get any worse, along comes Wes Streeting. Labour’s oleaginous answer to Michael Gove, the private healthcare loving health secretary in the Labour Government in Westminster, who is currently presiding over an NHS England in chaos due to a junior doctor strike …

Anas Sarwar, the Wile E Coyote of Scottish politics
10 Apr 2026 at 9:34pm
You can smell the desperation from Scottish Tory Holyrood leader Russell Findlay. At a campaign event, the soon to be sacked Findlay, pulled out the anti-English racism card against the SNP, accusing them of basing many of their policies on “a pretty bitter streak of anglophobia.” That’s rich, coming from a man who has doubled …

Daring to dream of an SNP majority
7 Apr 2026 at 11:35am
Yet another opinion poll has placed the SNP on track to win a majority in its own right in May’s Holyrood election, a majority which First Minister John Swinney has said would trigger a second independence referendum. The new poll, by Find Out Now for The National, projects the SNP to take 67 seats, giving …

Shettleston doesn?t need Reform?s racism, it needs to be part of an independe...
2 Apr 2026 at 1:10pm
On Wednesday, April Fool’s Day, Reform UK unveiled its racist and scaremongering advert for the Scottish election next month. It was appropriate that they did so on April Fool’s Day because they are taking the electorate for mugs. The consists of image showing apparent migrants crowded onto a small inflatable dinghy with text reading “Scotland …

The Courier

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Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

Could Rosyth-Europe ferry set sail thanks to Brexit reset?
27 May 2025 at 6:01am
Hopes have been raised for a simple solution to a cross-border problem.

Kirkcaldy MP demands pro-suicide forum is torn down
26 May 2025 at 6:01am
Around 100 suicides have been linked to the sickening forum which provides guidance to people on ending their life.

UHI Perth aviation students warn of ?unsettling times? after training firm?s ...
26 May 2025 at 6:00am
Worried Samuel Hughes, 19, is among students sharing their fears at a time of crisis for Perth College.

Fresh Dundee University strike begins over compulsory Levehulme Centre job cuts
26 May 2025 at 6:00am
University staff are taking five days of industrial action as the institution pushes ahead with plans to axe the forensic research hub.

NHS Fife nurse at centre of controversial trans tribunal suing her own trade ...
25 May 2025 at 2:32pm
A&E medic Sandie Peggie is now taking legal action against the Royal College of Nursing.

EXCLUSIVE: Dundee University still to strike rescue deal with government
23 May 2025 at 5:46pm
Opposition MSPs have expressed concern at the time taken to agree a deal almost a month after the fresh recovery plan was unveiled.

6 senior figures who left Dundee University during financial crisis
23 May 2025 at 5:10pm
Several university chiefs have moved on since £30m financial black hole emerged.

Dundee University activist artist leads degree show protest over financial cr...
23 May 2025 at 4:45pm
Duncan of Jordanstone student Finn Millar says he wants to play a part in "keeping the university alive".

John Swinney admits constituents have expressed Perth leisure concerns to him
23 May 2025 at 6:01am
The first minister wants further talks between both sides of Perth leisure debate.

EXCLUSIVE: Dundee University chief operating officer Jim McGeorge quits
22 May 2025 at 1:58pm
Dr Jim McGeorge ? who was responsible for good governance - had been on a period of extended leave.

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland

NHS Scotland?s A&E waits of over 24 hours are still fewer than a fifth per cap...
23 Apr 2026 at 8:30am
Here’s what Anas Sarwar said in June 2024: Anas Sarwar has accused the SNP of “breaking” the NHS as he set out Labour’s plans for the health service, should the party win the general election. The Scottish Labour leader said a government led by Sir Keir Starmer would cut waiting times and increase access to GPs. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce99nlp03rqo We see today, above, from the BMJ,...

England?s A&E ?crisis? as patients say ?they?d rather die at home? but BBC UK ...
23 Apr 2026 at 8:18am
in England’s accident and emergency departments last year, according to the British Medical Journal. The figures also show almost half-a-million people spent more than 24 hours in A&E before being admitted to a hospital bed, transferred or discharged. Here’s what the BMJ actually said: A&E crisis: Data show 13?386 patients waited over three days in England?s emergency departments as patients sa...

74 year-old coal-fired 4 000 tons ferry, still sailing Lake Michigan is three...
22 Apr 2026 at 10:10pm
From AOL today, above and: The historic Lake Michigan auto and passenger ferry SS Badger, the last coal-fired steamship operating on the Great Lakes, is set to open its season Friday, May 15. https://www.aol.com/news/ss-badger-season-opens-may-162253664.html The SS Badger, built in 1952, is still operating on the Great Lakes (USA). SS Badger came under fire from the Environmental Protection Age...

Cornwall ferry users ?losing their minds cut off from civilisation?
22 Apr 2026 at 9:53pm
The Torpoint Ferry is a car and pedestrian chain ferry connecting the A374 which crosses the Hamoaze, a stretch of water at the mouth of the River Tamar, between Devonport in Plymouth and Torpoint in Cornwall. The service was established in 1791 and chain ferry operations were introduced by James Meadows Rendel in 1832. The route is currently served by three ferries, built by Ferguson Shipbuild...

Lib Dems confirm that they share Scottish Labour?s values ? protecting the w...
22 Apr 2026 at 6:19pm
By Liz S ?Lib Dem leader signals party could back Sarwar as first minister?. ( ?could? in that sentence is quite interesting, as one wonders if currently that is only a possibility as a scenario, then what would it take to definitely make the Lib Dems to then confirm that they ?would back Sarwar as First Minister?) ? The BBC wrote that ?Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has si...

Stürmer in 1916 and Starmer in 2026, Imperial Russia and Post-Imperial Britai...
22 Apr 2026 at 1:30pm
I’m reading Antony Beevor‘s Rasputin, only to discover one of Imperial Russia’s Prime Ministers, Boris Vladimirovich Stürmer was perhaps their least impressive and most feckless holder of the post. From Brittanica On Feb. 2, 1916, while Tsar Nicholas II was at the front with his troops, leaving the administration of the country to his wife, Alexandra, and to her personal advisor, the illiterate...

In the UK today ? ?Things fall apart, the Centre cannot hold, mere anarchy ru...
22 Apr 2026 at 12:37pm
By Alasdair Macdonald Comments. I think all of this shows the unionists are really fears that their ?precious union? might indeed be falling apart due to Starmer?s and his government?s lack of a narrative and a direction, the rise of Reform and collapse of the Tories, the DUP?s recognition that a united Ireland is coming accompanied by the mollifying words of the president of the Gaelic Games A...

Children?s social care workers in Scotland to get Living Wage, £1 200 more th...
22 Apr 2026 at 10:22am
From Children?s social care workers: minimum pay Last updated 21 April 2026: The minimum rate of pay for children?s social care workers in Scotland is £13.45 per hour. What to do if you are not receiving this. The minimum rate of pay for children?s social care workers delivering direct care in Scotland increased from £12.60 to £13.45 per hour from April 2026. This is in line with pay rates for ...

As Transform Scotland call for a large SUV ban in city centres, how they have...
22 Apr 2026 at 8:42am
From GB News yesterday: Scotland could introduce new restrictions on larger vehicles in city centres following fresh calls from campaigners, who warned SUVs are becoming an “emerging problem”. A new report from sustainable transport group Transform Scotland has urged the next Scottish Government to consider bringing in limits on the biggest vehicles in urban areas. According to the report, SUVs...

Children living in temporary accommodation can be dangerous ? THREE times as ...
22 Apr 2026 at 8:24am
Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this in the Guardian today: Living in temporary accommodation has contributed to the deaths of 104 children in England in the past six years, 76 of whom were under the age of one, according to data. Statistics also show there were 64 stillbirths and 27 neonatal deaths involving mothers living in temporary accommodation (TA) in the UK in 2024. Experts say the ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

53 per cent of Scots would back independence, fresh poll suggests - The Natio...
22 Apr 2026 at 9:59am
53 per cent of Scots would back independence, fresh poll suggests  The National Scot

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

Robert Bruce history panels at railway station ?are propaganda? - The Times
21 Apr 2026 at 6:40pm
Robert Bruce history panels at railway station ?are propaganda?  The Times

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

Kemi sounds warning that Starmer is 'weak' on Scottish independence - MSN
19 Apr 2026 at 6:18pm
Kemi sounds warning that Starmer is 'weak' on Scottish independence  MSN

Readers' Letters: Just imagine Scotland under Independence - The Scotsman
21 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Readers' Letters: Just imagine Scotland under Independence  The Scotsman

Scottish independence referendum won't happen in next five years, predicts SN...
22 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
Scottish independence referendum won't happen in next five years, predicts SNP veteran  Daily Record

Green surge to cement landslide pro-independence majority at Holyrood, poll s...
23 Apr 2026 at 5:08am
Green surge to cement landslide pro-independence majority at Holyrood, poll says  The National Scot

Scottish leader says Scotland could hold independence vote by 2028 - Saudi Ga...
20 Apr 2026 at 2:33pm
Scottish leader says Scotland could hold independence vote by 2028  Saudi Gazette

Swinney says he will win independence vote in 2028 and run for election in 20...
20 Apr 2026 at 12:01am
Swinney says he will win independence vote in 2028 and run for election in 2031  The Independent

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Are the SNP as safe as they seem in this former Scottish Labour heartland? - ...
23 Apr 2026 at 5:07am
Are the SNP as safe as they seem in this former Scottish Labour heartland?  The National Scot

SNP pledge £200 for every 18-year-old to 'spend on cultural pursuits in Scotl...
23 Apr 2026 at 5:07am
SNP pledge £200 for every 18-year-old to 'spend on cultural pursuits in Scotland'  The National Scot

SNP on track for majority ? and fresh referendum on breaking up the UK - The ...
15 Apr 2026 at 5:23pm
SNP on track for majority ? and fresh referendum on breaking up the UK  The Telegraph

First YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election suggests the SNP could win a m...
10 Apr 2026 at 8:00am
First YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election suggests the SNP could win a majority  YouGov

John Swinney predicts SNP majority at Holyrood election - BBC
18 Apr 2026 at 6:00am
John Swinney predicts SNP majority at Holyrood election  BBC

SNP 2026 Manifesto: Always on Scotland?s side - snp.org
16 Apr 2026 at 9:00am
SNP 2026 Manifesto: Always on Scotland?s side  snp.org

Bombshell Salmond text messages reveal high ranking SNP figures ?conspiring? ...
19 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
Bombshell Salmond text messages reveal high ranking SNP figures ?conspiring? against ex-leader  Daily Record

Our dedicated rural manifesto to end two decades of SNP neglect - Scottish Co...
22 Apr 2026 at 6:23pm
Our dedicated rural manifesto to end two decades of SNP neglect  Scottish Conservatives

The wheels are clearly coming off the SNP?s vote shopping trolley - Sue Webbe...
23 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
The wheels are clearly coming off the SNP?s vote shopping trolley - Sue Webber  Edinburgh News

SNP leader: I?ll work with Plaid and Sinn Fein to break up UK - The Telegraph
22 Apr 2026 at 5:22pm
SNP leader: I?ll work with Plaid and Sinn Fein to break up UK  The Telegraph

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

53 per cent of Scots would back independence, fresh poll suggests - The Natio...
22 Apr 2026 at 9:59am
53 per cent of Scots would back independence, fresh poll suggests  The National Scot

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

The great independence charade - Financial Times
16 Apr 2026 at 12:03pm
The great independence charade  Financial Times

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

Readers' Letters: Just imagine Scotland under Independence - The Scotsman
21 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Readers' Letters: Just imagine Scotland under Independence  The Scotsman

Will the Scots Get a Second Referendum? - Irish Border Poll
19 Apr 2026 at 7:05am
Will the Scots Get a Second Referendum?  Irish Border Poll

Scottish leader says Scotland could hold independence vote by 2028 - Saudi Ga...
20 Apr 2026 at 2:33pm
Scottish leader says Scotland could hold independence vote by 2028  Saudi Gazette

Scottish independence referendum won't happen in next five years, predicts SN...
22 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
Scottish independence referendum won't happen in next five years, predicts SNP veteran  Daily Record

How the Scottish Parliament election could determine the constitutional futur...
18 Apr 2026 at 8:00pm
How the Scottish Parliament election could determine the constitutional future of Wales  Nation.Cymru

Swinney says he will win independence vote in 2028 and run for election in 20...
20 Apr 2026 at 12:01am
Swinney says he will win independence vote in 2028 and run for election in 2031  The Irish News