The Herald

The Herald | Politics


What does the future hold for Your Party in Scotland after mass resignations?
by donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk | Donald Erskine
13 Apr 2026 at 6:48pm
Today saw mass resignations in Your Party Scotland's ranks as outgoing members accused the UK arm of Jeremy Corbyn's socialist party of "disrespect."


Russell Findlay calls for 'woke nonsense' to be 'excised' from public sector
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
13 Apr 2026 at 5:28pm
Russell Findlay has launched an attack on ?woke? public sector roles in an interview with The Herald. The ex-journalist also attacked 'distracting' polling.


Parties agree childcare is vital ? so why are so many parents dissatisfied?
by garrettastell@gmail.com | Garrett Baylor Stell
13 Apr 2026 at 4:00pm
A hustings hosted by campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed pressed Scotland's major parties on their childcare priorities ahead of Holyrood 2026.


Scottish Labour's manifesto launch revealed a problem with Anas Sarwar's camp...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
13 Apr 2026 at 3:41pm
Anas Sarwar pledged change as he set out Scottish Labour's manifesto. But it lacked new ideas and momentum.


Anas Sarwar asks for five years as he launches Scottish Labour manifesto
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
13 Apr 2026 at 1:21pm
Anas Sarwar has pleaded with voters to give him ?five years? as first minister to fix the country as he launched Scottish Labour?s manifesto.


Next Scottish Parliament urged to be ?much more ambitious? in tackling homele...
by Katrine Bussey
13 Apr 2026 at 6:59am
The next Scottish Parliament must be ?much more ambitious? in tackling homelessness and should ?act quickly? to end rough sleeping, campaigners have insisted.


Labour to guarantee apprenticeships for all qualified applicants
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
13 Apr 2026 at 5:00am
Scottish Labour has unveiled plans to create 9,000 apprenticeships and overhaul the skills system, as Anas Sarwar seeks to tackle shortages, widen access and convince voters his party can deliver change ahead of the Holyrood election.


Malcolm Offord of Reform UK reveals which SNP First Minister he 'admired'
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
13 Apr 2026 at 12:01am
Reform UK's leader in Scotland admits he "admired" Alex Salmond and called him a "good First Minister"


Welcome to the longest weekend for Scotland's post-pandemic public sector
13 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
The Herald revealed last year that more than 9,000 of Scotland?s core civil servants were asked to return to the office for at least two days of the working week. Six months later, they?re still refusing to come out of their houses


Trump's blockade in Strait of Hormuz begins as oil prices spike above $100 a ...
by Press Association
13 Apr 2026 at 4:19pm
Donald Trump?s blockade of Iranian ports has begun, deepening the global economic impact from the Middle East crisis.


'It's all to play for': Reform threatens SNP and Tories in key Holyrood battl...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
13 Apr 2026 at 5:00am
Galloway and West Dumfries is a Holyrood battleground, with Reform threatening to split the vote in a tight contest for the SNP and Conservatives.


SNP and Labour clash over Chinese wind turbine factory in first TV election d...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
12 Apr 2026 at 9:14pm
A row over Chinese investment and national security overshadowed Scotland?s first televised leaders? debate, as independence tensions resurfaced and a frontline NHS worker challenged politicians to reconnect with reality.


How Scotland's Hungarian community voted as Viktor Orbán concedes defeat
12 Apr 2026 at 8:44pm
Viktor Orbán, the longstanding Prime Minister of Hungary and darling of the international right has conceded defeat in the country's general election after 16 years in power


Donald Trump says U.S Navy will blockade the Strait of Hormuz after Iran talk...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
12 Apr 2026 at 2:32pm
Donald Trump has said the United States will blockade the Strait of Hormuz and if Iran tries to stop them they will be "blown to Hell" after peace talks broke down

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


How many of the Scottish Conservatives' noisier 'beasts' are facing election ...
13 Apr 2026 at 4:51pm
Brian Monteith ponders just how bad the Scottish election next month will be for the Scottish Conservatives


Why Scotland?s first female MP, the ?Red Duchess?, must never be forgotten
13 Apr 2026 at 4:45pm
Conservative politician Kitty Atholl initially opposed women?s suffrage, but changed her mind based on her experiences of the First World War; supported the Spanish Republican government against the fascist rebels; and fell out with Neville Chamberlain over his policy of appeasing Hitler


Breast-boosting hypnosis? Attempts to dig dirt on politicians worthy of Sherl...
13 Apr 2026 at 4:45pm
Tom Wood is unimpressed by parties? attempts to tarnish their rivals and just wants politicians to tell voters the plain and simple truth


Holyrood election 2026: Will Anas Sarwar's Labour manifesto of ambition and w...
13 Apr 2026 at 4:32pm

Scottish Labour?s blueprint for government is far from perfect - but Anas Sarwar?s biggest issue is convincing the public to open their ears to his vision for Scotland.

It comes just two months after the Scottish founding conference in Dundee

Scots Tory MP John Cooper said the plans to change the UK?s rules to mirror those set in Brussels in a bid make trade easier were a ?Brexit betrayal?.

The Scottish Labour leader will launch his party?s manifesto today

The party?s manifesto will commit to expanding the number of graduate apprenticeships to more than 8,000 over the next Holyrood term

The six Holyrood party leaders clashed over health, energy bills and immigration

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

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

Radicalism and Scottish Independence
14 Mar 2026 at 4:18pm

There is no place like home, and a few hours after arriving back in Scotland I was in Glasgow giving a talk to Pensioners for Independence. I still covered quite a wide sweep, but my focus came back to what I care about more than anything – the freedom, prosperity and just position in the …

Radicalism and Scottish Independence

BBC Scotland

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.

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.

The BBC Scotland election debate fact-checked
12 Apr 2026 at 11:30pm
Claims made by leaders of six political parties who took part in a TV debate for the 2026 Holyrood election campaign are checked.

How tax and welfare are shaping the vote in the Scottish election
12 Apr 2026 at 9:42am
In recent years Scotland has struck out on a different path to the rest of the UK when it comes to income tax and social security.

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.

Tax rebate not intended for millionaire pensioners, Findlay says
8 Apr 2026 at 10:54am
The Scottish Tories say they will give £500 to pensioners - but the party's leader says he hopes millionaires will not apply.

Scottish Conservatives pledge tax cuts in election manifesto
7 Apr 2026 at 4:20pm
Leader Russell Findlay announces his party's plans ahead of next month's Holyrood poll.

Green candidate backs abolition of Scotland's prisons
7 Apr 2026 at 1:17pm
The comments, made by Edinburgh and Lothians East hopeful Kate Nevens, have been branded "monumentally stupid".

Scottish Conservative election manifesto at-a-glance
7 Apr 2026 at 6:23pm
The party's priorities include cutting tax bills, raising school standards and delivering faster GP appointments.

SNP chief told of Linden complaints 10 years ago, says ex-official
6 Apr 2026 at 12:51pm
Former council leader Jordan Linden was last month found guilty of five sexual assaults against young men.

Scot Goes Pop

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...

Catastrophe for Starmer as Labour slump to joint all-time low in weekly YouGo...
8 Apr 2026 at 12:07pm
YouGov have suddenly and belatedly started including Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain and Jeremy Corbyn's Your Party as options in their weekly GB-wide polls, which on the whole is a good thing becaus...

More on the MRP poll: the 67-seat projection for the SNP may even be an under...
7 Apr 2026 at 5:52pm
Some more details of the Find Out Now MRP poll for The National have been published on the Electoral Calculus website.  Whoever wrote the article (presumably Martin Baxter) doesn't seem to be fully...

Find Out Now - ZAP WHAM POW - that a new MRP poll shows the SNP on course for...
6 Apr 2026 at 7:07pm
As you may have seen, a new Find Out Now MRP poll commissioned by The National is suggesting that the SNP are on course for an overall majority at the Holyrood election.  They would take 67 seats, ...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

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

Scottish Tory manifesto to launch with focus on tax and cutting benefits bills
7 Apr 2026 at 8:54am
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay is set to make a speech in Edinburgh on Tuesday

SNP calls for inquiry into Trident security after Joani Reid reports
3 Apr 2026 at 1:23pm
The party wants an probe after the Labour MP, whose husband is accused of spying for China, allegedly behaved inappropriately with Navy officers

Unpaid carers should have £400 uplift in support, say Lib Dems
3 Apr 2026 at 12:09pm
Alex Cole-Hamilton said unpaid carers formed the ?backbone? of care in Scotland

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scottish Labour manifesto shows Anas Sarwar is appealing to voters' minds, no...
13 Apr 2026 at 5:02pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon said Anas Sarwar has opted for a cautious policy programme and he tries to topple the SNP

Teachers and nurses would receive income tax cut under Scottish Labour electi...
13 Apr 2026 at 3:28pm
Anas Sarwar said his tax cut plan would be focused on Scots struggling with paying higher rates than they would south of the border.

Scottish Labour 2026 election manifesto: 5 things you need to know
13 Apr 2026 at 2:54pm
Anas Sarwar today unveiled the Scottish Labour manifesto ahead of the Holyrood election on May 7.

John Swinney 'blagging' SNP supporters on independence as 'he knows he's not ...
13 Apr 2026 at 12:41pm
Anas Sarwar said the next five years had to be focused on "fixing the SNP's mess" and not focusing on the constitutional debate.

Inflation-busting Scottish Water bills will be lowered if Labour wins power, ...
13 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: "Fat cat bonuses" for senior executives at publicly-owned Scottish Water will be reined in under a Labour government at Holyrood, the party's leader has said.

Scottish election campaign LIVE as Anas Sarwar tells voters it's time to clea...
13 Apr 2026 at 4:30am
The Record brings you all the latest news and reaction from the Holyrood election campaign trail as Labour tries to reduce the SNP's huge lead in the polls.

Years of waste proves the SNP Government cannot be trusted with public money
13 Apr 2026 at 4:29am
Writing in his regular column for the Record, the Scottish Labour leader says his party's election manifesto will focus on how to fix Scotland's struggling public services and reduce child poverty.

Millionaire Malcolm Offord branded a 'chancer' as party leaders blast Reform ...
12 Apr 2026 at 8:57pm
The former Tory peer - who defected to Reform UK last year - accused migrants of "jumping the queues" of public services "to the detriment of local people in our own communities".

John Swinney put on the spot over SNP record on NHS and energy by angry debat...
12 Apr 2026 at 8:37pm
The First Minister and other Scottish party leaders faced an audience of fed-up voters in Paisley who declared they were considering not turning out on May 7.

Scottish politics today: No IndyRef2 if SNP wins majority, warns Wes Streeting
12 Apr 2026 at 5:00pm
The Record brings you its regular 5pm round-up of the big stories in Scottish politics.

The National

The National | Politics

Donald Trump deletes AI post depicting himself as Jesus after backlash
13 Apr 2026 at 6:37pm

US president Donald Trump has deleted an AI-generated post on social media which depicted him as Jesus following backlash

King's visit to US to go ahead despite concerns, Keir Starmer confirms
13 Apr 2026 at 5:42pm

THE King?s visit to the US will go ahead, the Prime Minister has confirmed, despite calls for it to be cancelled.

How all-male BBC leaders' debate showed us what we were missing ? women
13 Apr 2026 at 4:58pm

For some of us who sat through the torturous 90-minute Debate Night leaders? special on Sunday evening, one thing stuck out ? the all-male pane

Keir Starmer slammed over lack of new Iran war cost of living support measures
13 Apr 2026 at 4:34pm

KEIR Starmer was lambasted for failing to set out how his government will support struggling households after he delivered an update on the Iran war.

Institute for Fiscal Studies gives verdict on Scottish Labour Holyrood manifesto
13 Apr 2026 at 3:47pm

THE Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has given its verdict on Scottish Labour?s manifesto pledges ? branding it a ?restrained affair?.

Leading anti-abortion figure standing for Reform UK in May elections
13 Apr 2026 at 3:30pm

A WARNING that reproductive rights "are not safe" with Reform UK has been issued after it emerged a leading anti-abortion figure is standing for the party in England's local elections.

Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit over Epstein article thrown out by judge
13 Apr 2026 at 3:11pm

A federal judge has dismissed Donald Trump?s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch relating to a story over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein

BBC hit with all its problems in one fiesty Tucker Carlson interview
13 Apr 2026 at 2:50pm

The BBC has for so long now been consistently criticised for its coverage of Israel and Palestine and more recently the attacks on Iran by the US and Israel, and in one feisty interview it had a chance to face up to the backlash ...

Wes Streeting's indyref comments 'appalling'. But does he point to a way forw...
13 Apr 2026 at 1:56pm

Wes Streeting has been widely panned in the independence movement for his ?appalling? dismissal of calls for a second referendum . But could his obstinance point to a way forward?

The state of play in every Scottish constituency explained ? find yours here
13 Apr 2026 at 1:55pm

The National is publishing a profile for every constituency in the upcoming Holyrood elections on May 7 ? here's how to find information about your area

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

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

Domestic abuser jailed after wife?s suicide in Scottish legal first
10 Apr 2026 at 12:30pm
Lee Milne subjected Kimberly Milne to sustained abuse

Renters to be given ?first refusal? on house sales under SNP plan
10 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
First Minister John Swinney said his party would introduce new legislation to give renters priority to buy their home at a fair market price.

Local Authorities Guide: South Lanarkshire Council
9 Apr 2026 at 7:00am
Council leader Joe Fagan answers questions about local authority

Poll: Greens to become Scottish Parliament?s second biggest party
8 Apr 2026 at 6:00pm
Scottish Labour predicted to slump to worst-ever result

Scotland must act now on screen time for under-fives, says expert
8 Apr 2026 at 4:52pm
Many children aged five and below are exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for screen time

Conservative manifesto ?may not survive contact with reality?, think tank claims
8 Apr 2026 at 3:00pm
Doubts over Russell Findlay's 'costed and credible' plan

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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 electionsUK politics live ? latest updatesAnas 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 ...

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 ...

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...

Scottish Labour pledges £30m to top up artists? income to a living wage
8 Apr 2026 at 4:34pm
Anas Sarwar says scheme would be part of overhaul of arts funding in ScotlandLabour has pledged to spend £30m on giving Scottish artists and musicians a living wage, mirroring a similar scheme in Ireland guaranteeing artists a basic income.Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said the scheme ...

UK politics: Farage says Trump?s Iranian ?civilisation will die? threats went...
7 Apr 2026 at 6:28pm
The Reform UK leader says he is ?shocked? by the remarks which were ?over the top in every single way?The Green party is backing resident doctors who are on strike. This morning the party issued a statement on the dispute from its co-deputy leader, Mothin Ali, saying:Rather than shifting goalpost...

?Seismic change?: how election wins for nationalists in Celtic nations could ...
7 Apr 2026 at 6:00am
With polls suggesting Plaid Cymru, the SNP and Sinn Féin could be in power after May vote, constitutional challenges may lie aheadIn four weeks, the shape of British politics is likely to change dramatically. For the first time, nationalists who aspire to break up the UK are expected to be in con...

UK politics Q&A, as it happened: Andrew Sparrow answers your questions on Sta...
2 Apr 2026 at 5:50pm
This blog is now closedQ: Do you agree with the Tories about wanting more oil and gas drilling from the North Sea?Davey says Kemi Badenoch claims she can get an extra £2.5bn in tax revenue by allowing more exploration in the North Sea. He says she is ?just lying?. He says everyone knows that that...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

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 …

Reform?s chaotic launch and the implications of the Iran war for May?s election
20 Mar 2026 at 8:53pm
Nigel Farage came to Scotland on Thursday to launch his party’s manifesto for the Scottish elections on 7 May and to introduce Reform UK’s almost half former Tory slate of totally well vetted candidates. Reform UK there, promising to fix Broken Britain with a slew of the former Conservatives who were responsible for breaking it …

Thoughts on the failure of the assisted dying bill
18 Mar 2026 at 2:46am
Back in 1998, after we had moved to Spain, my late husband Andy and I became very close friends with our new neighbour, a Norwegian woman called Ellie who had moved to Spain after retiring from a career on the Norwegian oil rigs in the North Sea. She was looking forward to spending her final …

The Courier

[CaRP] Can't open remote newsfeed [403].
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

SNP share in polls growing steadily as May 7th looms
13 Apr 2026 at 5:59pm
In the last 10 polls going back to February 2026, the average SNP share has been – 36.5% In the previous 10 polls it was only 34.4 and in the previous 4 sets of 10, dating back to early February 2025 – 34.4, 33.9, 33.6 and 34.6, clearly stuck around 34 and short of a level that might win an outright majority. So, in the last ten polls, a clear sign of a significant increase to average 36.5, muc...

At every level, including the key entry level, nurses in Scotland are paid si...
13 Apr 2026 at 1:58pm
The above, from What are nursing staff paid in each of the UK countries in 2026-27? in Nursing Standard was posted on 3 April 2026 and to my knowledge ignored by the media operating in Scotland. Comparison of the three reveals this one important difference – at every level, including the key entry level, nurses in Scotland are paid significantly more than their equivalents in England or Wales, ...

Research ? NHS spending on private sector in Scotland only half that proporti...
13 Apr 2026 at 1:57pm
In the Guardian today: Private firms providing services to the NHS including healthcare and consultancy have made £1.6bn in profits over the last two years, research reveals. The findings ? on the basis of contracts worth £12bn ? have prompted claims of ?scandalous? profiteering, concern that the health service is being ?taken for a ride? and calls for ministers to impose a cap on maximum profi...

Oxford researchers write thousands of words but fail to mention that signific...
13 Apr 2026 at 1:55pm
In the Guardian today: More than a fifth of all ?austerity generation? British children have been scarred by poverty for at least half their childhood, a direct legacy of the welfare benefit cuts imposed by Conservative governments in recent years, research reveals. The proportion of children born after 2013 who spent at least six of their first 11 years of life in hardship surged after ministe...

?Dramatic, 5 to 10-fold, increases in biodiversity? in Scotland in last five ...
13 Apr 2026 at 1:54pm
From Scotland: The Big Picture, 9 March 2026: New research from sites across the Northwoods Rewilding Network, coordinated by rewilding charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, shows that rewilding has led to dramatic increases in biodiversity. On rewilded land, the amount of suitable space and habitat for birds increased more than fivefold, while the numbers of bumblebees and butterflies rose by ove...

Short video ? NHS Scotland trains nearly TWICE as many nurses, per capita, as...
13 Apr 2026 at 1:53pm
Sources at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/04/12/nhs-scotland-trains-nearly-twice-as-many-nurses-per-capita-as-nhs-england-every-year-yet-the-royal-college-of-nursing-is-only-campaigning-against-the-snp-in-scotland-in-an-election-run-up/

As the Daily Record again today campaigns for Labour with one case and withou...
13 Apr 2026 at 7:53am

Toronto replaces iodide tablets to protect those living near nuclear power st...
13 Apr 2026 at 7:38am
From Toronto University’s On the Record 10 April 2026: As of February 2026, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) began the process of sending out replacement potassium iodide pills to people living within 10 kilometres of the two major nuclear generating stations located within the Durham Region, the Pickering and Darlington stations.  While living near these stations can raise concerns for some resi...

Arran ferry cancellations due to mechanical faults plummet by factor of SEVEN...
13 Apr 2026 at 7:25am
The Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald which reports locally on the Arran ferries has a strange wee piece based on a freedom of information request by an unnamed source, headed and followed with: Hundreds of CalMac Ardrossan-Arran ferry cancellations since 2020 – NEW figures released by the Scottish Government show the Ardrossan to Brodick ferry service was cancelled more than 800 times over the la...

Reposted as Sarwar tries the same old trick on Debate Night tonight
12 Apr 2026 at 8:56pm

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

I don?t care if it bores you, Scottish independence is the only issue that ma...
13 Apr 2026 at 4:57pm
I don?t care if it bores you, Scottish independence is the only issue that matters  The Telegraph

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

IndyRef2: John Swinney sets date for second Scottish independence referendum ...
13 Apr 2026 at 11:04am
IndyRef2: John Swinney sets date for second Scottish independence referendum  GB News

Anas Sarwar dodges addressing Wes Streeting referendum block comments - The N...
13 Apr 2026 at 2:00pm
Anas Sarwar dodges addressing Wes Streeting referendum block comments  The National Scot

Scotland?s ?Once in a Lifetime? Vote Could Return by 2028 - The European Cons...
13 Apr 2026 at 4:57pm
Scotland?s ?Once in a Lifetime? Vote Could Return by 2028  The European Conservative

'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

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

Only Scotland decides on referendum, new party says - We love Stornoway
13 Apr 2026 at 1:01pm
Only Scotland decides on referendum, new party says  We love Stornoway

Who won the BBC Scottish election debate? Swinney on defensive - The Times
12 Apr 2026 at 11:35pm
Who won the BBC Scottish election debate? Swinney on defensive  The Times

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

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

Anas Sarwar asks voters in Scotland to give Labour five years to ?fix SNP?s m...
13 Apr 2026 at 3:58pm
Anas Sarwar asks voters in Scotland to give Labour five years to ?fix SNP?s mess?  The Guardian

SNP extend their lead while Scottish Labour support slumps - Ipsos
8 Apr 2026 at 9:33am
SNP extend their lead while Scottish Labour support slumps  Ipsos

Nicola Sturgeon?s former seat should remain in SNP hands with Kaukab Stewart ...
13 Apr 2026 at 1:55pm
Nicola Sturgeon?s former seat should remain in SNP hands with Kaukab Stewart  The National Scot

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

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

Don?t vote Reform to stop SNP, tactical voting guide tells unionists - Holyro...
13 Apr 2026 at 10:43am
Don?t vote Reform to stop SNP, tactical voting guide tells unionists  Holyrood Website

Scottish Labour ?best choice to stop SNP? in two-thirds of Scottish seats - L...
13 Apr 2026 at 2:31pm
Scottish Labour ?best choice to stop SNP? in two-thirds of Scottish seats  LabourList

Police to investigate after SNP election banners stolen in west Highland town...
13 Apr 2026 at 4:58pm
Police to investigate after SNP election banners stolen in west Highland town  Press and Journal

SNP Manifesto Launch - snp.org
10 Apr 2026 at 9:28pm
SNP Manifesto Launch  snp.org

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

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

IndyRef2: John Swinney sets date for second Scottish independence referendum ...
13 Apr 2026 at 11:04am
IndyRef2: John Swinney sets date for second Scottish independence referendum  GB News

Anas Sarwar dodges addressing Wes Streeting referendum block comments - The N...
13 Apr 2026 at 2:00pm
Anas Sarwar dodges addressing Wes Streeting referendum block comments  The National Scot

Only Scotland decides on referendum, new party says - We love Stornoway
13 Apr 2026 at 1:01pm
Only Scotland decides on referendum, new party says  We love Stornoway

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

'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 rules out Scottish referendum saying UK ?has had enough of chaos? -...
12 Apr 2026 at 5:23pm
Streeting rules out Scottish referendum saying UK ?has had enough of chaos?  London Evening Standard

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

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