The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Bongo?s Bingo clashes with Glasgow election candidate over copyright
by stewart.paterson@eveningtimes.co.uk | Stewart Paterson
15 Apr 2026 at 7:03pm
Bongo?s Bingo has warned a Glasgow election candidate she was breaching copyright on election promotions.


Glasgow 2026 deals with Coca-Cola and beer brand spark criticism from health ...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
15 Apr 2026 at 4:59pm
Health groups across Scotland have raised concerns over Glasgow 2026 sponsorship deals with Coca-Cola and fruit lager brand Jubel, warning the partnerships could influence young people.


Starmer rejects 'we are not safe' warning from ex-Nato chief
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
15 Apr 2026 at 2:27pm
Sir Keir Starmer has rejected a warning from ex-Nato chief George Robertson that the UK is ?under-prepared, under-insured and under attack".


What Glasgow City Council is owed in unpaid business rates following vape sho...
by Gabriel McKay & Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
15 Apr 2026 at 12:37pm
Glasgow City Council reveals what it is owed in unpaid business rates following the fire on the corner of Union Street in Glasgow last month.


Sarwar denies 'get rid of Nats' pact chat with Reform ? but Offord stands by...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth and Hannah Brown
15 Apr 2026 at 12:18pm
Anas Sarwar has denied claims he suggested working with Reform UK to remove the SNP, branding the allegation ?nonsense?. But Malcolm Offord insists the conversation happened.


Future of build-to-rent in Scotland at risk after sharp fall in new construction
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
15 Apr 2026 at 5:30am
Property chiefs have raised concern as Scotland recorded the biggest drop in new build-to-rent starts across the UK.


Scottish tourism chief hails connectivity boost as Middle East crisis addressed
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
15 Apr 2026 at 4:33am
VisitScotland boss says trade event in Glasgow will be tourism body's busiest in years


Highlands firms 'overlooked' in Scotland's clean energy future
by kristy.dorsey@newsquest.co.uk | Kristy Dorsey
15 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
Business leaders in the region have warned that decisive action must be taken to tackle skills and housing shortages


Offord vs Sarwar: Who is telling the truth in Reform and Labour deal row?
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
15 Apr 2026 at 3:37pm
Malcolm Offord and Anas Sarwar give conflicting accounts of a Reform-Labour deal claim. Who is telling the truth - and who stands to gain politically?


Offord and Sarwar clash over 'racism' and Scottish Labour 'deal' with Reform UK
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
14 Apr 2026 at 8:59pm
Anas Sarwar has fumed at claims he sought an election deal with Malcolm Offord, accusing Reform UK of backing candidates who want to ?deport his children?.


Campaigners warn of 'staggering' rise in children's mental health concerns in...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
14 Apr 2026 at 5:57pm
Campaigners have raised concerns as the mental health concerns among schoolchildren has risen by a 'staggering' amount in a decade.


?Aberdeen should be booming?: Trump attacks Starmer in fresh North Sea blast
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
14 Apr 2026 at 5:42pm
Donald Trump has claimed Aberdeen ?should be booming? and attacked Labour?s energy policy. His intervention lands as IMF growth forecasts worsen.


Fireworks and fit likes: Farage shows why he is winning over once-sceptical S...
14 Apr 2026 at 5:14pm
Kevin McKenna attends the eye-opening Reform UK rally in Aberdeen


Greens deserve praise for plan to reform council tax ? just don?t expect it t...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
14 Apr 2026 at 4:40pm
The Scottish Greens have put forward one of the clearest plans yet to replace council tax with a property-based system. But with rival parties hesitant and Holyrood?s track record poor, meaningful reform still looks a long way off.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


SNP's free schoolbags are a 'let them eat cake' approach to the crisis in Sco...
15 Apr 2026 at 4:45pm
The SNP?s election pledge to give free schoolbags to five-year-olds is a wholehearted avoidance of the real issues facing education


Why Scotland needs Winston Churchill's alternative to independence
15 Apr 2026 at 4:45pm
To counter the SNP?s endless campaign for independence, unionist parties need to think about introducing a federal system of government in the UK


Anas Sarwar and Malcolm Offord accuse each other of lying over pact claims
15 Apr 2026 at 3:49pm

Lord Offord doubled down on his claims, which Mr Sarwar dismissed as ?complete nonsense?

Party proposes paying for universal services by more tax increases

Today (April 15) media outlets across the country are joining a Day of Action to call for the UK Government to include anti-SLAPP protections in the forthcoming King?s Speech ??

Unison said efforts to address the issue had ?fallen far short?

Wings over Scotland

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 …

Let?s Call The Whole Thing Off
24 Mar 2026 at 12:59pm
The last faint hope of any remotely positive or at least interesting outcome of May’s election just left the building. It wasn’t MUCH of a hope, and it’s absolutely no surprise in the wake of the comically shambolic, belief-defyingly inept farce that has been the birth of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s fringe-of-the fringe party, …

Irony you can?t buy
20 Mar 2026 at 12:09pm
Posted without comment. But the reason you can’t buy the irony is that she doesn’t need the money. So that’s quarter of a million pounds just for running away when things got a bit sticky, on top of the circa £225,000 in wages she’s trousered since resigning as FM despite never turning up for work …

Looking up at the stars
10 Mar 2026 at 6:24pm
A fascinating line from the BBC this evening: The number of parties who got MSPs elected at the last election is? five. (Though in fairness there are now six, Reform having a single MSP after Graham Simpson defected from the Tories. The Lib Dems are even outnumbered by independents, of whom there are seven.) Also …

Scotland?s Most Frightened
4 Mar 2026 at 5:52pm
This was just two months ago. (Longer version here.) ? And we’ll bet you anything you like he’s already wishing he hadn’t said it. Because a recent study suggested that Swinney might just achieve the impossible task he set for himself, and if he does then he’s REALLY screwed. Now, we don’t actually think that’ll …

Craig Murray

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

Seeing Trump Clearly
21 Mar 2026 at 12:19pm

What if Trump’s apparently chaotic thought processes and intuitive decision making are all a blind, a charade? What if we are really witnessing, in the Middle East and more widely, a carefully constructed plan with very definite objectives? Has Trump in fact “planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway”, while flinging the …

Seeing Trump Clearly

BBC Scotland

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.

Scottish Green co-leader undecided over constituency vote
15 Apr 2026 at 11:14am
With Greens only standing in six constituencies, the party's co-leader does not have the option of backing his party for the seat where he lives.

Scottish Greens' manifesto pledges analysed
14 Apr 2026 at 2:14pm
BBC Scotland journalists have analysed some of the policies in the Scottish Greens' manifesto for the 2026 Holyrood election.

Sarwar rules out 'harsh' cuts to bring down benefits bill
14 Apr 2026 at 10:12am
The Scottish Labour leader says he wants to bring down social security spending, but not by slashing benefits.

Former Nato chief warns UK's national security 'in peril'
14 Apr 2026 at 9:10pm
Lord George Robertson, a former Labour defence secretary, will use a speech to accuse "non-military experts in the Treasury" of "vandalism".

Sarwar puts NHS at heart of Scottish Labour's election pitch
13 Apr 2026 at 12:14pm
The party has announced its plans for health, education and taxation ahead of next month's Holyrood election.

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028
12 Apr 2026 at 10:07pm
The SNP leader made the claim in the BBC's televised debate ahead of next month's Scottish election.

The Greens' Scottish election manifesto at-a-glance
14 Apr 2026 at 1:26pm
The party has announced its policy plans ahead of the Holyrood poll on 7 May.

Greens pledge to transform Scotland at manifesto launch
14 Apr 2026 at 12:07pm
Co-leaders Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay have vowed free bus travel for all, as well as plans to expand funded childcare.

Labour's Scottish manifesto pledges analysed
13 Apr 2026 at 4:31pm
BBC Scotland journalists have analysed some of the policies in Labour's manifesto for the 2026 Holyrood election.

SNP pledges 'first refusal' for tenants to buy private rental homes
10 Apr 2026 at 11:21am
John Swinney says it would help renters get on the housing ladder but other parties say the SNP is to blame for the housing emergency.

CalMac ferries problems dominate election campaigning
8 Apr 2026 at 5:21pm
Scotland's political leaders turn their attention to the problems facing ferry services as campaigning continued for Holyrood.

Scot Goes Pop

The question that Anas Sarwar now needs to answer
15 Apr 2026 at 12:44pm
The Scottish Labour party and its allies, including Paul Hutcheon of the Daily Record and Professor James Mitchell (who is increasingly dropping the pretence of being anything other than a Labour p...

In an analogue age Anas Sarwar might have got away with that - but this is a ...
15 Apr 2026 at 12:26am
I forgot all about the Channel 4 leaders' debate, so I didn't watch it live, but obviously I soon heard of Offord's revelation about Anas Sarwar approaching him about a post-election deal to keep o...

The Greens have now been crowned the undisputed Olympic champions of misleadi...
14 Apr 2026 at 12:16pm
A few weeks ago, the Green co-leader Ross Greer posted a Labour leaflet from Strathkelvin & Bearsden, mocking it for containing a particularly extreme example of a misleading Lib Dem-style bar char...

REVEALED: The hard science that makes Both Votes SNP such an effective strate...
12 Apr 2026 at 6:24pm
OK, the title of this blogpost is mainly there to wind up Stew, but there is actually a very serious point behind it, and it's one that may make you think about the importance of voting SNP on the ...

Even YouGov now say the Union Jack could soon be LOWERED as sensational MRP p...
10 Apr 2026 at 10:55pm
MRP Seats projection (YouGov / Sky News / The Times, 23rd March-8th April 2026):SNP 67Reform UK 20Labour 15Greens 11Liberal Democrats 9Conservatives 7Now, I've estimated the chances of the SNP winn...

The "Make Mine A Double" voting craze that is sweeping the nation: why all th...
9 Apr 2026 at 7:41pm
 There's actually a serious point here, because Stew is far from the only right-wing commentator who has argued that a Green return to government would be an unmitigated catastrophe - we've heard t...

The crazy, topsy-turvy logic (and in some cases hypocrisy) of the "tactical v...
9 Apr 2026 at 11:05am
I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to mute certain accounts on Twitter to get through the rest of the Holyrood campaign with my sanity intact.  Every single time I log in, I see retweet after...

Pro-independence parties on course to win an astonishing 62% of seats in the ...
8 Apr 2026 at 12:55pm
Scottish Parliament constituency ballot (Ipsos, 26th-31st March 2026):SNP 39% (+3)Reform UK 15% (-1)Labour 15% (-5)Conservatives 11% (+2)Liberal Democrats 10% (-)Greens 7% (-)Scottish Parliament re...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Anas Sarwar calls Reform leader a liar over claims Labour wanted deal to oust...
15 Apr 2026 at 12:00pm
Lord Malcolm Offord said Sarwar sought a deal with Nigel Farage?s party to defeat the SNP in May?s election

UK to send £752 million and 120,000 drones to Ukraine
15 Apr 2026 at 5:03am
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to confirm they payment to Kyiv ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

Greens promise to make bus travel free for all in election manifesto
14 Apr 2026 at 1:05pm
They also said Scotland?s buses should be back into public ownership

Scottish Labour puts NHS at heart of election manifesto
13 Apr 2026 at 3:48pm
Anas Sarwar also said he wanted a ?productive partnership? with the UK Government despite calling on Keir Starmer to quit

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar stands by call for Keir Starmer to resign ...
10 Apr 2026 at 9:15am
The Scottish Labour leader told Scotland Tonight the Prime Minister will not be part of his party's Holyrood campaign

Nicola Sturgeon opens up on arrest, divorce and ?secret rendezvous?
9 Apr 2026 at 7:00pm
Scotland?s former first minister has opened up about her personal life

Children?s specialists call for ?greater and sustained investment? in services
9 Apr 2026 at 7:22am
They urged politicians to ?seize a critical opportunity? with ?decisive action? to help improve the lives of children across the country.

Starmer: Work still to do to end US-Iran conflict and reopen Strait of Hormuz
8 Apr 2026 at 4:43pm
Sir Keir Starmer has said there was a ?sense of real relief? at the ceasefire in...

SNP extends lead while Scottish Labour support slumps, poll shows
8 Apr 2026 at 12:00pm
The SNP remains set to be the largest party at Holyrood

Findlay vows to give ?everything? to stop ?living nightmare? of SNP majority
7 Apr 2026 at 4:46pm
The Scottish Tory leader was speaking as he launched his party?s manifesto ahead of the Holyrood election next month

Swinney apologises to islanders again over ferry disruption
7 Apr 2026 at 2:19pm
Scotland?s west coast ferry network has struggled in recent weeks, with eight vessels out of service at the same time at one point

Tories blast ?permanent crisis? in A&E as waiting times figures published
7 Apr 2026 at 12:23pm
Public Health Scotland published new A&E waiting times figures for both the month of February and the final full week of March

Swinney demands action as he warns cost of living crisis to ?get worse?
7 Apr 2026 at 12:21pm
The Scottish First Minister said the UK Government must protect consumers

Scottish Labour pledge pothole fund to fix ?sorry state? of Scotland?s roads
7 Apr 2026 at 12:17pm
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is vowing to fix Scotland?s roads

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Reform candidate shared Covid conspiracy and called late Queen ?fraud?
15 Apr 2026 at 6:06pm
Reform has been hit by scandal in Wales, with one candidate standing down last month after a photo emerged of him appearing to do a Nazi salute

Scottish politics today: Anas Sarwar and Malcolm Offord in debate night fall-out
15 Apr 2026 at 5:31pm
The Record brings you its regular 5pm round-up of the day's Scottish politics stories.

Alex Ferguson gave Anas Sarwar 'hairdryer' treatment after railing about Jere...
15 Apr 2026 at 12:00pm
EXCLUSIVE: The Scottish Labour leader recalled the former Manchester United and Aberdeen boss becoming angry about Corbyn.

Anas Sarwar brands Malcolm Offord a 'liar' and claims John Swinney playing 'g...
15 Apr 2026 at 11:18am
The Scottish Labour leader accused the First Minister of playing "games" after multiple SNP candidates and staffers gleefully shared video clips of Offord's accusation last night.

John Swinney to back 'World Cup fund' if SNP re-elected for historic fifth term
15 Apr 2026 at 7:23am
EXCLUSIVE: The First Minister said an incoming SNP Government will stump up £500,000 to support the grassroots to ensure the country is a regular qualifier at the tournament.

Vape displays to be banned in Scots shops if SNP wins another term at Holyrood
15 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Neil Gray said an SNP Government would use new powers to impose further restrictions on the products.

Boarded-up shops on Scotland's struggling high streets a sign of '19 years of...
15 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
The Scottish Lib Dems want to reverse the decline of high streets across the country by working towards a new system of business rates.

Child poverty should be a top election issue as cost of living crisis bites
14 Apr 2026 at 9:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says child poverty targets will be missed unless parties come together.

Anas Sarwar promises to lift over 100,000 children out of poverty if he becom...
14 Apr 2026 at 9:00pm
EXCLUSIVE: The Scottish Labour leader gave a commitment to meeting the 2030 anti-poverty targets.

Anas Sarwar angrily denies Malcolm Offord claim he wanted deal with Reform UK...
14 Apr 2026 at 8:29pm
The Scottish Labour leader dismissed the comments by the senior Reform UK figure as a "desperate lie from a desperate man".

The National

The National | Politics

Kelly Given: The housing dream should not be utterly unattainable
15 Apr 2026 at 8:51pm

AFTER a few torturous months of being forced to watch something new after my autism-approved comfort shows were removed from streaming platforms ahead of the HBO Max UK launch, this week I finally sat down to an episode of Friends, followed soon after by an episode of Sex and the City.

Chancellor vows to cut electricity bills for 3000 more UK firms
15 Apr 2026 at 10:30pm

THE UK Government has expanded plans to cut electricity bills for thousands of UK manufacturing firms as violence in the Middle East pushes energy costs higher

Mediated peace talks are the best option for Lebanon
15 Apr 2026 at 7:00pm

THE situation between Israel and Lebanon has become untenable. Lebanon is now experiencing the consequences of a conflict shaped not by its own institutions but by the actions of an armed group operating within its borders. As long as military responses treat the state and non-state actors as indistinguishable, civilians will continue to pay the greater price.

Anas Sarwar would do a deal with the devil if it meant becoming FM
15 Apr 2026 at 6:30pm

IT came as no great surprise to those who had long questioned his political and moral integrity, as well as to much of the general public and no doubt some in his own party, to hear Malcolm Offord claim that Anas Sarwar had attempted to duplicitously make a ?grubby deal? with Reform UK.

Do Labour think support for independence will just fade away?
15 Apr 2026 at 6:30pm

WES Streeting and Keir Starmer say there will be no referendum if there is a majority for one in the Scottish elections. Anas Sarwar does not say how a referendum can come about.

Scottish scientists help create largest 3D map of universe ever made
15 Apr 2026 at 5:51pm

A TEAM of Scottish researchers has helped create what they believe to be the largest map of the known universe ever

Scottish Reform candidate forced to delete fundraiser over 'copyright infring...
15 Apr 2026 at 5:28pm

A REFORM UK candidate in the Scottish elections has been forced to delete a series of social media posts after being accused of ?copyright infringement? by an international events firm ..

Why is childcare such a big issue in the Holyrood 2026 election?
15 Apr 2026 at 5:25pm

Palestine Action activists deny charges in trial over Israel-defence firm raid
15 Apr 2026 at 5:00pm

A POLICE officer suffered a fractured spine after being struck with a sledgehammer during a Palestine Action raid at the UK site of an Israel-based defence firm, a court heard.

Malcolm Offord HIV row reignites as charity says he got sums wrong
15 Apr 2026 at 4:57pm

MALCOLM Offord got his figures wrong during an offensive tirade about immigrants being treated for HIV, according to a leading AIDS charity.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

EU age verification app ready to protect children?s rights, Von Der Leyen says
15 Apr 2026 at 4:54pm
'Children's rights in the European Union come before commercial interest'

Anas Sarwar calls Malcolm Offord ?a liar? over claims of a deal to work again...
15 Apr 2026 at 4:00pm
Reform's leader in Scotland said Sarwar had privately said the two parties needed to work together

Michael Shanks: Labour government should have done more for North Sea transit...
15 Apr 2026 at 1:51pm
Minister reveals latest GB Energy headcount

Digital transformation in the Scottish public sector: turning strategy into b...
15 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Pulsion partners with Scotland's public sector in developing digital strategies

Local Authorities Guide: West Dunbartonshire
15 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Council leader Martin Rooney answers questions about local authority

Chatbots give dodgy health advice half of the time, study finds
14 Apr 2026 at 11:30pm
Five systems gave out 'problematic' answers on cancer, exercise and more

New appointments at Cyber and Fraud Centre ? Scotland
13 Apr 2026 at 5:48pm
Social enterprise expands its work

Your Party ?over? in Scotland as leadership committee quits
13 Apr 2026 at 2:20pm
'It has become clear the party has run out of road'

Don?t vote Reform to stop SNP, tactical voting guide tells unionists
13 Apr 2026 at 11:43am
Scotland in Union unveils advice

Sarwar promises to fix the SNP?s ?mess? as Labour launches its manifesto
13 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
The Labour leader vowed to put the NHS at the centre of his plans for government ahead of next month's election

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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 ...

Anas Sarwar asks voters in Scotland to give Labour five years to ?fix SNP?s m...
13 Apr 2026 at 3:35pm
Scottish Labour leader pledges more homes and tax cuts as party tries to reverse slump in support before May electionsAnas Sarwar has appealed to voters to give Labour five years ?to fix the Scottish National party?s mess? as he pledged more homes, tax cuts and a smaller public sector.The Scottis...

Votes for populist parties in May elections will put NHS at risk, Streeting says
12 Apr 2026 at 4:55pm
Exclusive: Health secretary warns of dangers of protest vote as he pitches NHS as key elections battlegroundVoters in May?s local and devolved elections risk putting the NHS in jeopardy if they vote for populist parties, Wes Streeting has said, as he sought to make the health service a key battle...

Starmer implies he didn?t tell Trump he was ?fed up? about his impact on risi...
10 Apr 2026 at 4:30pm
Prime minister says conversation with US president on Thursday night focused on need for ?practical plan? to open strait of HormuzTony Blair, the former Labour prime minister, has joined those saying the government should allow drilling for oil and gas in the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields in the No...

Four in 10 UK parents struggle to afford essentials for newborns, study says
9 Apr 2026 at 3:02pm
Exclusive: Survey of 2,000 people by Barnardo?s also finds almost half feel their child has missed opportunities due to costFour in 10 parents across the UK are struggling to afford essential items for the care of their newborn babies, according to research.The survey of 2,000 parents with childr...

UK politics: Starmer warns ?lot of work to do? to make ceasefire permanent at...
8 Apr 2026 at 6:00pm
PM will meet leaders in the region to discuss diplomatic efforts to support the ceasefire agreed between the US and IranOpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is proposing the extension of the four-day working week, as a response to AI taking over some of the work done by humans. But for the Conserv...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

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 …

It?s not just independence which is at stake in this election
31 Mar 2026 at 6:13pm
The weekend kicked off the election campaign with a well attended march and rally for independence held in Edinburgh on Saturday. I’m sure you all followed the reports about it on BBC Scotland, oh, right. It was far too busy talking about the ferries again wasn’t it. Every political party talks up its chances during …

The rapid implosion of Reform?s Scottish campaign
26 Mar 2026 at 3:05pm
As the saying goes, you’d need a heart of stone not to laugh. Within just a few days of Reform UK launching its Scottish election campaign to much fanfare and racist ‘jokes’ about tartan burqas, the wheels are already coming off Farage’s septic tank pumper wagon. The party has already lost no less than four …

James Dornan MSP looks back on his career
24 Mar 2026 at 1:49pm
A guest post by James Dornan MSP   Today veteran SNP MSP James Dornan makes his last speech in the Scottish Parliament, and steps down to retirement and to give way to a new generation. To mark the occasion, he has very kindly written a guest post for this blog in which he looks back …

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

A9 accidents and deaths plummet in recent years
15 Apr 2026 at 5:58pm
From Transport Scotland – Total number of collisions on the A9 between Perth and Inverness: EIR release published today, the above figures for the five years from 2012/2022 to 2025/2026 (2 February). Barring any tragic events in March 2026, the results reveal a dramatic reduction for two years in a row, from 2023/2024. The overall fall in the last two years of around one-third, 33% and by three...

Shocking incompetence as Lammy oversees the release in error of more than THR...
15 Apr 2026 at 5:55pm
Justice Secretaries David Lammy England & Wales and Angela Constance Scotland From Sky News in the last hour: 179 prisoners freed ‘in error’ in England and Wales in single year – Pressure mounted on Justice Secretary David Lammy last year following a series of high-profile manhunts. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/179-prisoners-freed-in-error-in-england-and-wales-in-single-year/ar-AA20...

Lord Offord?s revelation does seem credible considering Sarwar declared in 20...
15 Apr 2026 at 4:08pm
By Liz S Anas Sarwar, last night in the CH4 leader?s debate, was exposed by Malcolm Offord of trying to concoct a plan for his Labour party & Offord?s Reform UK to work together ?to remove the SNP?. (BTW Paisley Town Hall ,that was where Offord said Sarwar had ?bounced up to him saying we need to work together? and was where the BBC?s Debate night did their leaders debate). Now Offord?s revelat...

If Offord is a ?pathetic, poisonous, odious LITTLE man? then so is Anas
15 Apr 2026 at 3:03pm
From BBC Scotland today: Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has branded Reform UK’s Scottish leader “a liar” and “a pathetic, poisonous, odious little man” after the pair clashed on a Channel 4 debate. Sarwar has a problem with correctness. He has previous in mocking stroke victims and that with his laddish manner suggest he’s hiding a few unreconstructed lines of humour. Last night, furious wi...

US citizens living near nuclear waste dump, 100 times smaller and less hazard...
15 Apr 2026 at 3:01pm
From CBS News, yesterday: After decades of cancer cases and public outcry, the federal government this week will begin the long-awaited cleanup of a nuclear waste dump in Armstrong County.  The site in Apollo was a dumping ground for hundreds of 55-gallon drums containing radioactive nuclear waste. But come this week, a half-billion-dollar project to safely remove it will finally begin.  The U....

East Tennessee cancer victims living ?in the shadow? of nuclear sites to be ...
15 Apr 2026 at 2:59pm
From 6 News in Tennessee, USA, yesterday: For decades, communities in Anderson, Morgan, and Roane counties have lived in the shadow of nuclear sites, now, help is finally here for those impacted. A federal program has come to East Tennessee, offering compensation to people diagnosed with cancer linked to radiation exposure. Watch the video in full at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euLZm6uyPsQ...

How I predicted Scottish Labour?s willingness to work with anyone to remove t...
15 Apr 2026 at 2:58pm
You can just see that can’t you? Anas Sarwar ‘bouncing’ up to Lord Offal with a plan to get the SNP between them. Who thought Sarwar ever had a principle beyond ‘me first?’ Anyhow, in October 2018, I sensed the fit between the right-trending Labour Party then and that other extreme-right party, the DUP, and wrote: As the Scottish Labour Party in Scotland loses support to the Scottish Tories and...

Anas Sarwar?s manifesto will lift NO kids out of poverty ? short video
15 Apr 2026 at 8:38am
Full facts here at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/04/14/institute-for-fiscal-studies-shocking-revelation-scottish-labour-does-not-have-a-plan-to-reduce-child-poverty/ https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2025/11/17/child-poverty-in-labour-wales-predicted-to-be-nearly-60-higher-than-in-scotland-by-2029-placing-more-than-100-000-in-poverty-who-would-not-have-been-with-snp-policies/

Herald champions interests of buy-to-rent industry accused of only increasing...
15 Apr 2026 at 8:14am
The Herald today platforms the buy-to-rent industry and blames the SNP Government for somehow not enabling it to thrive, with even greater exemptions from law designed to protect renters. BTR is not the same as traditional private renting. It is professionally managed, purpose-built stock funded by large institutions with expectations of high profit margins. Needless to say, the Herald report i...

Reposted as Daily Record today repeats outrageous Scottish Labour lie on ?lif...
15 Apr 2026 at 7:32am

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028 - BBC
12 Apr 2026 at 10:07pm
Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028  BBC

Why Scotland needs Winston Churchill's alternative to independence - The Scot...
15 Apr 2026 at 4:45pm
Why Scotland needs Winston Churchill's alternative to independence  The Scotsman

Green MSPs essential to delivering independence majority - Scottish Greens
15 Apr 2026 at 10:55am
Green MSPs essential to delivering independence majority  Scottish Greens

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

John Swinney must 'respect' independence mandate that is not just SNP's, Gree...
15 Apr 2026 at 11:07am
John Swinney must 'respect' independence mandate that is not just SNP's, Greens say  The National Scot

Labour?s contempt for Scotland - Funding the Future
13 Apr 2026 at 8:18am
Labour?s contempt for Scotland  Funding the Future

'They're not having one' Wes Streeting rules out 2nd independence vote - The ...
12 Apr 2026 at 2:14pm
'They're not having one' Wes Streeting rules out 2nd independence vote  The Herald

Promise of change from independence is only card SNP has to play - The Times
14 Apr 2026 at 4:50pm
Promise of change from independence is only card SNP has to play  The Times

IndyRef2: John Swinney sets date for second Scottish independence referendum ...
14 Apr 2026 at 3:02am
IndyRef2: John Swinney sets date for second Scottish independence referendum  GB News

Wes Streeting says UK ?has had enough of chaos? as he rules out second Scotti...
15 Apr 2026 at 1:49am
Wes Streeting says UK ?has had enough of chaos? as he rules out second Scottish referendum  AOL.com

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Labour's Sarwar brands Scottish Reform leader 'a liar' over deal claim - BBC
15 Apr 2026 at 1:15pm
Labour's Sarwar brands Scottish Reform leader 'a liar' over deal claim  BBC

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 10:14pm
First YouGov MRP of the 2026 Holyrood election suggests the SNP could win a majority  YouGov

SNP Proposes Vape Display Ban if Re-elected - Tobacco Reporter
15 Apr 2026 at 7:52pm
SNP Proposes Vape Display Ban if Re-elected  Tobacco Reporter

SNP candidate criticised for dismissing reading, writing and maths - The Times
15 Apr 2026 at 6:15pm
SNP candidate criticised for dismissing reading, writing and maths  The Times

SNP pledges roll-out of 'minimum income' for Scottish artists, writers and mu...
15 Apr 2026 at 10:21am
SNP pledges roll-out of 'minimum income' for Scottish artists, writers and musicians  The Herald

Scottish Labour leader says claim he tried to do Reform deal is ?desperate li...
15 Apr 2026 at 12:05pm
Scottish Labour leader says claim he tried to do Reform deal is ?desperate lie?  The Guardian

John Swinney must 'drop pretence' only SNP majority can secure indyref2, say ...
15 Apr 2026 at 1:09pm
John Swinney must 'drop pretence' only SNP majority can secure indyref2, say Greens  The National Scot

SNP's free schoolbags are a 'let them eat cake' approach to the crisis in Sco...
15 Apr 2026 at 4:45pm
SNP's free schoolbags are a 'let them eat cake' approach to the crisis in Scotland's classrooms  The Scotsman

SNP pledges 'first refusal' for tenants to buy private rental homes - BBC
10 Apr 2026 at 6:09am
SNP pledges 'first refusal' for tenants to buy private rental homes  BBC

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028 - BBC
12 Apr 2026 at 10:07pm
Swinney says Scottish independence referendum could be held in 2028  BBC

No second referendum for Scotland even with SNP majority, Wes Streeting says ...
12 Apr 2026 at 12:41pm
No second referendum for Scotland even with SNP majority, Wes Streeting says  The National Scot

Labour?s contempt for Scotland - Funding the Future
13 Apr 2026 at 8:18am
Labour?s contempt for Scotland  Funding the Future

Scotland Decides: Leaders debate ahead of May elections - Channel 4
14 Apr 2026 at 8:31pm
Scotland Decides: Leaders debate ahead of May elections  Channel 4

Streeting rules out Scottish referendum saying UK ?has had enough of chaos? -...
12 Apr 2026 at 4:23pm
Streeting rules out Scottish referendum saying UK ?has had enough of chaos?  London Evening Standard

IndyRef2: John Swinney sets date for second Scottish independence referendum ...
14 Apr 2026 at 3:02am
IndyRef2: John Swinney sets date for second Scottish independence referendum  GB News

'They're not having one' Wes Streeting rules out 2nd independence vote - The ...
12 Apr 2026 at 2:14pm
'They're not having one' Wes Streeting rules out 2nd independence vote  The Herald

Streeting says UK ?has had enough of chaos? as he rules out Scottish referend...
12 Apr 2026 at 7:15pm
Streeting says UK ?has had enough of chaos? as he rules out Scottish referendum  The Independent

Scots are 'entitled' to vote on independence by 2028, declares SNP First Mini...
13 Apr 2026 at 5:57am
Scots are 'entitled' to vote on independence by 2028, declares SNP First Minister  Daily Express

SNP and Greens join independence march ahead of Holyrood election - BBC
28 Mar 2026 at 7:00am
SNP and Greens join independence march ahead of Holyrood election  BBC