The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Police say no further investigation needed into Yes Scotland chief
by Danyel VanReenen
23 Oct 2026 at 12:27pm
Police say there is no reason to investigate Yes Scotland finances further


Scottish Greens call for new tax on frequent flyers to fund buses
by Craig Meighan
23 Oct 2026 at 8:11am
Greens call for a tax on flights to fund buses


Scottish Greens to debate motion to extend legal rights to polyamorous relati...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
23 Oct 2026 at 7:15am
Hospital wards, mortgage lenders and divorce courts would all have to make room for polyamorous relationships under policy up for debate at the Scottish Greens conference.


Edinburgh councillors to debate Greens? controversial ?Zionism is racism? motion
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
23 Oct 2026 at 6:30am
Conservative councillor Marie-Clair Munro has hit out at the ?divisive language and implications? of the GPEW motion, approved by the party earlier this month.


Scottish business rates 'ripe for reconsideration', says leading academic
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
23 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
University of Stirling professor Leigh Sparks says Scotland's business rates are ripe for reconsideration


Scottish Government handed Sanjeev Gupta £2.3m grant despite minister being '...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
23 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
Internal emails and grant documents obtained by The Herald reveal Scottish Forestry pressed ahead with a £2.3 million award to Sanjeev Gupta's Highland estate, overriding a cabinet secretary's repeated concerns, partly to close a gap in Scotland's 30 by 30 nature target.


Ministers 'can't determine' if any sex offenders will have appeal grounds
by Kathleen Nutt
23 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
SNP ministers cannot identify how many convicted sex offenders - if any - may have grounds for appeal after a landmark court ruling as SCCRC applications rise to 44 and prospect of class action discussed.


'Unprepared and disorganised': Greens faced election in a 'dire' financial po...
by Kathleen Nutt
23 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
The Scottish Greens went into the Holyrood election in a "dire" financial position, according to a motion to be debated at the party's annual conference.


If the SNP can't be convinced on public sector reform, we've got a problem
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
22 Oct 2026 at 3:39pm
Ivan McKee faced backlash from within his own party, making the Scottish Government's public sector reform plans even tougher.


Homeless deaths data faces cut as Scotland battles housing emergency
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
22 Oct 2026 at 2:05pm
The National Records of Scotland is proposing to change how often it publishes official data on homeless and dementia deaths.


Stephen Flynn 'utterly failed' as settlement-linked firm continues in ScotRai...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
22 Oct 2026 at 10:45am
The Scottish organiser for the train drivers' union has accused Stephen Flynn of "tenuously hiding" behind process after it was decided a company linked to illegal Israeli settlements will not be removed from a ScotRail tender process


SNP opens door to voluntary NHS staff exits in major health board shake-up
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
22 Oct 2026 at 10:35am
NHS staff could be offered voluntary exits or redeployed under SNP plans to cut Scotland's health boards from 14 to two, new guidance reveals.


Edinburgh's unionist councillors back referendum ? on boundary changes to cap...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
22 Oct 2026 at 9:00am
Under proposals for public sector reform mooted by the government in September, Scotland?s current 32-council system could be replaced.


Luxury jeweller warns Scotland is losing investment to England over rates
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
22 Oct 2026 at 6:01am
ROX managing director Kyron Keogh warns Scotland risks losing investment to England amid concerns over business rates

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Don't let data centres become a national pariah. One day, they might save us all
23 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
Data centres should only be allowed if they meet high environmental standards and are located in the right places, but it?s clear we need them


Labour right to approve Jackdaw field but UK must now reduce our use of oil a...
23 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
It is madness to import ever more quantities of liquefied natural gas from states with dubious human rights records


Why I won't let Scotland become so afraid of AI that it loses £23 billion boo...
23 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
Scotland?s technology minister Alyn Smith says Scotland must seize the opportunities being created by responsible and ethical artificial intelligence


Scottish Green activists push for legal recognition of polyamory
22 Oct 2026 at 6:30pm

A motion at the party?s conference says ?poly relationships? are growing in number in Scotland

The Rosebank oil field development would have a much greater impact on the climate than the Jackdaw gas project

Wings over Scotland

Faces In Sand
17 Oct 2026 at 3:53pm
Ladies and gentlemen, the next leader of the SNP. ? To be scrupulously fair to the huffing dolt-child, we suppose in grey, chilly Aberdeen there could be some confusion on the matter. But remarkably, the above isn’t even nearly the dumbest thing that’s happened (so far) at this year’s SNP conference. It’s probably not even …

The fight about to come
14 Oct 2026 at 3:20pm
The obvious question is “Why haven’t you made a bigger one in all that time?” Did it not seem important until now? Was there nothing significant going on? Or were they just a little short of cash for some unknowable reason? Still, Keith’s going to make a “launch” speech. He makes it every year. It’ll …

Still Time To Save Her
9 Oct 2026 at 2:32pm
We’ve just had an extraordinary email from Police Scotland, readers. Here it is. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the real-life Timecops. Operation Branchform was closed on 20 March 2025. Nicola Sturgeon gave her infamous interview to Laura Kuenssberg – stating that she would not be handing back any of the items gifted to her by Peter …

There May Be Justice
5 Oct 2026 at 12:40pm
In a little under three days, Phase 1 complete. Wings readers: still the best. But what now? A couple of people have asked about the “stretch target” on the website. That was something CrowdJustice asked for and the reason it’s so high is that that figure was our lawyers’ estimate of the total cost of …

The Love Of Big Brother
3 Oct 2026 at 1:24pm
We were trying to work out what this reminded us of. And the answer was in the same place it usually is. It all checks out. The SNP spend their time grooming your children and trying to make basic parenting a crime. They endorse “gender-affirming care” that sterilises them and will stop them ever having …

In The Eyes Of The Law
1 Oct 2026 at 2:15pm
Our fundraiser to bring a judicial review of Police Scotland’s decision not to charge anyone with embezzlement in the case of the SNP’s missing £700,000 indyref fund is now live, and can be reached by clicking on this image, or here. The target of £30,000 represents the cost of the initial application (with contingency for …

Whatever Can Have Happened?
30 Sep 2026 at 1:50pm
Yesterday afternoon John Swinney announced an independent review into the dual roles of Scotland’s main law officers, the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General, which have been a subject of great controversy since the Scottish Parliament was re-convened in 1999. Wings welcomes this development unequivocally, albeit we’re slightly concerned that the former judge leading the …

The Turning Point
28 Sep 2026 at 1:10pm
We don’t have much to say about this graph that it doesn’t say for itself. The arrest of Peter Murrell on 5 April 2023, just a couple of weeks after his wife had realised the game was up and walked away before the cops came round and put a big blue tent up on their …

Cowering From Destiny
24 Sep 2026 at 11:29am
Alert readers will recall that last year the SNP convened a summit in Glasgow for the sole purpose of uniting the nation in preventing Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister. The party also regularly tells us that to actually achieve independence, support would have to build to an overwhelming consensus into the 60-65% range, rather than …

His Majesty?s Loyal Sabre
21 Sep 2026 at 1:50pm
Funny how people change, isn’t it? That sounds a lot to us like “Bombs Not Bairns”. We watched the first episode of “The Wargame” at 2am this morning (it’s toe-curlingly bad, shot like a soft-focus corporate promo with three-second cuts, constant dramatic music and the politicians delivering wooden press-conference soundbites rather than any sense of …

Craig Murray

The Epidemic of Billionaires
21 Oct 2026 at 11:54am

It takes a lot to get tens of thousands of people to riot. For it to happen simultaneously across several countries points to a supranational underlying cause, as opposed to local grievance at an egregious state injustice. That the temporary collapse of authority and restraint will allow some opportunists to loot is an inevitable concomitant. …

The Epidemic of Billionaires

The Unjust State
15 Oct 2026 at 2:06pm

“Forget justice, it’s much too expensive and time consuming. Plus if you take the government to court, you will have to spend your own money, and we are saving you from that”. That is a fair summary of the judgement by Lords Pentland and Troy and Lady Wise in our appeal against the suspension of …

The Unjust State

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?
12 Oct 2026 at 10:29am

Tomorrow at 10am we get the judgement in our appeal against the suspension of the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. We cannot have won as the appeal – held by “urgent process” – was intended to allow a judicial review before the Supreme Court meets in the Ammori case on 4 …

Does the Act of Union Still Apply?

Fatuous False Flags
2 Oct 2026 at 10:16am

Rather than abandoning the plainly nuts Fairford narrative, Burnham and his government are doubling down on the claim it is an Iranian terror plot. It remains quite possible the men were indeed fuel thieves, simply stealing fuel from farms. They appear to have been equipped for fuel theft and all they were carrying was petrol. …

Fatuous False Flags

Losing My Religion
29 Sep 2026 at 12:07pm

I have lost faith both in Western social democracy, and in the institutions of international law. As both have been fundamental to the work of my life, this is rather a blow as I approach 70. A number of deeply shocking things have happened this past three years, not as extraneous events, but as conscious …

Losing My Religion

Palestine Action Judicial Review
23 Sep 2026 at 4:51pm

On Friday we have our appeal against the suspension of the Palestine Action judicial review in Scotland. Our legal crowdfunder has been closed down by the card processors following Trump’s designation of Palestine Action as a global terrorist organisation. https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/scottish-challenge-to-proscription/dashboard/ If you can, please come to the Court of Session in Edinburgh for 10am. If …

Palestine Action Judicial Review

BBC Scotland

No further police investigation into Yes Scotland finances
23 Oct 2026 at 12:03pm
In July, a newspaper published claims by an activist that it was not known how income of more than £1.5m had been spent.

Is the UK set to green-light a huge untapped oil field?
22 Oct 2026 at 7:09am
Scotland editor James Cook visits Rosebank - the UK's largest known untapped oilfield - in the North Atlantic.

Chris Mason: Jackdaw approved but tricky energy trade-offs remain
21 Oct 2026 at 9:49am
Jackdaw and Rosebank are case studies in the slow motion awkwardness the UK has over energy.

Burnham defends Jackdaw decision as Badenoch urges PM to overturn ban on new ...
21 Oct 2026 at 4:36pm
The UK government says the field, which is opposed by environmental campaigners, could be producing gas by the end of this month.

What is happening with the Jackdaw and Rosebank gas and oil fields?
21 Oct 2026 at 8:55am
The UK government has moved a step closer to making a decision on whether to approve further drilling.

Councils and NHS boards take websites offline after security alert
22 Oct 2026 at 7:36am
Website owners worldwide were urged to take precautions while a fix was rolled out to make systems more secure.

Reform leader accuses MSP of 'squatting' in seat after resignation
20 Oct 2026 at 4:57pm
Malcolm Offord says he is 'disappointed' at Amanda Bland's decision to leave the party and sit as an independent.

BBC Scotland TV channel to close amid cuts to services
20 Oct 2026 at 5:14pm
The station, which started in February 2019, will move to BBC iPlayer in spring next year.

Should Scotland look to London and Manchester for inspiration on buses?
20 Oct 2026 at 5:56am
John Swinney has been compared to a dictator over plans to bring the network under public control, but is he onto something?

Hundreds of holiday lets operating without planning permission
20 Oct 2026 at 5:55am
Hundreds of holiday-let properties are operating in Edinburgh despite being refused planning permission, new figures show.

Reform MSP quits party to sit as independent
19 Oct 2026 at 5:28pm
Amanda Bland's decision relegates the party to the third-largest group at Holyrood, with one member fewer than Labour.

Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham
17 Oct 2026 at 4:36pm
The first minister also used his SNP conference speech to announce plans for Scotland's bus network to be brought under public control.

Scot Goes Pop

The BBC, realising they haven't betrayed Scotland quite hard enough yet, anno...
21 Oct 2026 at 12:07pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *Just a reminder that the YouTube videos I create are unlikely to ever produce...

How did we end up with such a poor media? STV can't even get the basics righ...
20 Oct 2026 at 11:58am
I haven't watched any TV news over the last few days, so my main knowledge of the McGill's meltdown comes indirectly from social media, but I've just watched a full three-minute report from STV New...

GOD BLESS MOTHER NATURE! It's raining Survation polls showing Scotland wants ...
19 Oct 2026 at 7:33am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

52% support for independence - 14-point lead for SNP - new Scottish poll is C...
15 Oct 2026 at 10:35pm

I'm standing in this week's SNP internal elections - I believe we have a duty...
14 Oct 2026 at 12:57pm
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.

Nick Robinson and the dehumanisation of Palestinians demanded by official BBC...
11 Oct 2026 at 8:42am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

Sky News goes full Pravda in its coverage of the Holborn & St Pancras by-elec...
9 Oct 2026 at 1:04pm
Holborn & St Pancras by-election result (8th October 2026):Labour 45.2% (-3.7)Greens 32.8% (+22.4)Conservatives 7.1% (-0.1)Reform UK 5.9% (-0.2)Liberal Democrats 3.4% (-2.4)Restore Britain 2.5% (n/...

Tories' plan to impose new nuclear power stations on Scotland means they have...
7 Oct 2026 at 2:39am
An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE, and will soon be available on Apple Podcasts HERE.*  *  *If you'd like to help Scot Goes Pop to continue, please check out my Ko-Fi pa...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Police find ?no criminality? over claims £1.5m missing from Yes Scotland fina...
23 Oct 2026 at 12:07pm
A complaint was made to the police alleging that £1.5m was unaccounted for.

Will the Rosebank oil field off Shetland be approved?
22 Oct 2026 at 10:22am
It's a yes for Jackdaw ? but now, attention is turning to the second landmark project in the North Sea

Ring-fence energy fund for North East of Scotland, says Swinney
21 Oct 2026 at 7:49pm
The call comes after the Jackdaw gas field near Aberdeen was approved by the UK Government

Chancellor to consider removing standing charges from gas bills
21 Oct 2026 at 12:24pm
It comes as the Prime Minister defended the decision to approve the Jackdaw gas field

What does UK Jackdaw approval mean for you, jobs and bills?
21 Oct 2026 at 7:31am
The fate of the largest undeveloped gas field in the North Sea has been hanging in the balance

North Sea Jackdaw gas field decision expected imminently
20 Oct 2026 at 5:26pm
The UK Government is due to make an announcement about the controversial North Sea project

Easdale dictator comparisons ?ludicrous?, says Swinney
20 Oct 2026 at 10:10am
Within hours of the bus reform announcement, John Swinney was compared to Robert Mugabe and Idi Amin

Scottish Reform candidates ?have to delete their Facebooks?
20 Oct 2026 at 9:36am
Among swathes of racist and sexist comments, the party's attempts to tighten up vetting simply hadn't worked

Indian market a ?golden opportunity? for Scottish food and drink firms ? Swinney
20 Oct 2026 at 7:38am
The First Minister will spend a week in the country where he will seek to ?build connections and seize opportunities?.

John Swinney tells McGill?s to ?watch language? after being compared to dicta...
19 Oct 2026 at 1:30pm
Bus firm boss condemned John Swinney's proposals as 'business confiscation'

Labour move to second largest party in Scotland after Reform Scotland MSP quits
19 Oct 2026 at 11:48am
The resignation means that Scottish Labour are now the second largest party in the Parliament, relegating Reform to third

Reform admits ?errors? as police assess if election spending rules were broken
18 Oct 2026 at 1:14pm
It has been reported that four candidates for the Scottish Parliament did not submit returns on how much they spent on campaigns

Swinney compared to dictator over plans to bring buses under public control
18 Oct 2026 at 1:11pm
McGill's Group, owned by Sandy and James Easdale, condemned the proposals as 'business confiscation'

Buses to be brought under public control by 2031, says John Swinney
17 Oct 2026 at 5:33pm
Legislation will be tabled at Holyrood next year

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Jackdaw gas field to supply Scots homes within weeks as Andy Burnham pledges ...
21 Oct 2026 at 7:09am
The Prime Minister said the major development off the coast of Aberdeen will "boost our energy security, back British workers... and bring down bills".

Controversial Jackdaw gas field in North Sea set to be finally approved by UK...
20 Oct 2026 at 6:46pm
Jackdaw is one of two major North Sea projects which backers claim will provide greater energy security for the UK as well as boosting Scotland's economy.

SNP slams 'despicable' benefits advice websites conning vulnerable Scots out ...
19 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: Shirley-Anne Somerville hit out after the Record first reported on the worrying trend of poor Scots agreeing to hand over a percentage of their pay-outs to third parties.

Energy bills support options for terminally ill Scots stuck in fuel poverty s...
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
John Swinney's government has backed the Sunday Mail's campaign to protect terminally ill patients from soaring fuel costs.

Councils 'receive no correspondence' from Scot Gov on monster AI data centre ...
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Scots campaigners will take to the streets in their thousands next month opposing the controversial developments.

Major new North Sea gas field at Jackdaw 'to be approved by Andy Burnham this...
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
Senior industry sources told the Sunday Mail the controversial project off the coast of Aberdeen is set for the green light.

John Swinney ignores Peter Murrell elephant in the room in SNP conference speech
18 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
In his keynote address to the SNP faithful who were embezzled by Murrell, Swinney talked about independence and buses.

Bus services across Scotland to be brought under 'public control' by 2031, cl...
17 Oct 2026 at 4:14pm
The First Minister announced "by the end of this Parliament, through franchising and regulation, the SNP will bring the bus network back into public control".

Andy Burnham will deliver Devolution 2.0 to empower communities across Scotland
17 Oct 2026 at 9:15am
Writing for the Record, the Secretary of State for Scotland says the centralisation of powers at Holyrood has left the country in a "strange place".

Donald Trump sacks White House Press Secretary after disastrous week
16 Oct 2026 at 7:03pm
Katie Zacharia's time as White House Press Secretary lasted just five days as she faced questions about her qualifications

The National

The National | Politics

Death of SNP councillor announced at board meeting
23 Oct 2026 at 12:10pm

THE death of an SNP councillor has been announced at a local authority meeting ...

Meghan Markle ?deeply distressed? by claim her father had child abuse images
23 Oct 2026 at 11:39am

The Duchess of Sussex has said she is ?deeply distressed? by accusations her father had a hoard of child sex abuse images.

Scottish activist deported from Israel speaks out on 'racial abuse' on return...
23 Oct 2026 at 11:21am

AN EDINBURGH shop manager who was detained and deported by Israeli authorities has spoken out about the "racial abuse" she faced on her return to Scotland ...

Michael Gove denies genocide in Palestine amid furious 'antisemite' rant at r...
23 Oct 2026 at 11:12am

MICHAEL Gove has repeatedly denied the genocide in Palestine ...

Police find no criminality in Yes Scotland finances after 'missing £1.5m' claim
23 Oct 2026 at 10:27am

POLICE Scotland have found no criminality relating to the accounts of Yes Scotland, after claims of £1.5 million going missing ...

UK 'should have set up North Sea wealth fund 40 years ago', Prime Minister co...
23 Oct 2026 at 9:41am

THE UK should have set up a sovereign wealth fund for North Sea oil and gas four decades ago, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has conceded ...

UK Government issues stockpile guidance ? see the full checklist
23 Oct 2026 at 9:14am

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said he wanted people to be ?alert but not alarmed? as he defended against accusations that a call for the public to stockpile days? worth of food and water for crisis situations was scaremongering ...

Israel orders military to prepare to fully close illegally occupied West Bank
23 Oct 2026 at 9:13am

ISRAEL has ordered its army to prepare for a full closure of the illegally occupied Palestinian West Bank, following a deadly shooting earlier in the day in the territory ...

Labour peer breaks ranks to oppose 'mockery' of terror ban for Palestine Action
23 Oct 2026 at 8:48am

A LABOUR peer and former shadow attorney general has called for the UK Government to reverse its ban on Palestine Action ...

The fall of the BBC Scotland channel is not something to be celebrated
23 Oct 2026 at 5:00am

YOU might feel angry that the BBC is axing its Scotland channel. You might feel it?s a sign of the corporation?s disdain for its Scottish audience. You might even feel it?s a symptom of these straitened times. But you surely can?t be surprised

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Addressing loneliness and isolation
23 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
CWAS is not just about a unique form of transport and promoting active travel, it is also about improving society?s physical and mental health and wellbeing through human contact, mutual support, camaraderie and exercise.

Hart of the matter ? who pays for deer management?
22 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
SCOTLAND: The Big Picture?s Fiadh project is aiming to catalyse fresh conversations around the often contentious subject of deer management.

Secure Jackdaw funds for Scotland, John Swinney urges Andy Burnham
21 Oct 2026 at 4:08pm
Anger from Commons Speaker over announcement to media

UK Government approves Jackdaw gas field
21 Oct 2026 at 9:05am
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said it was a ?win for Aberdeen?

Preventing poverty and its consequences: why we must close the take-up gap fo...
21 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
The moral and economic case for putting money into people?s pockets and millions of pounds into Scotland?s communities is clear, now it is time for action.

Google Cloud services mostly resolved after outage affects banks and businesses
20 Oct 2026 at 6:00pm
Google said the incident was caused by a "power event" which impacted data centres in London which began affecting services around 7am

BBC Scotland TV channel axed as broadcaster seeks ?500m savings
20 Oct 2026 at 4:31pm
The SNP has urged bosses to rethink the decision to move the channel online

Scotland's heat transition is stalling ? it needs a route that works for ever...
20 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
As Scotland?s gas network, we know the transition to a lower carbon economy requires solutions that work for every household and business, particularly when it comes to decarbonising home heating.

Blow to Reform UK as first MSP quits Holyrood group
19 Oct 2026 at 1:00pm
Amanda Bland's decision pushes Reform into third place behind Scottish Labour

Smart meters: helping households take control of their energy
19 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
There?s never been a better time for households to be more in control of their energy ? smart meters are a good place to start.

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

No 10: Hegseth ?wrong? to say most non-US Nato soldiers didn?t fight in Afgha...
19 Oct 2026 at 5:18pm
Downing Street delivered a rare rebuke to a senior member of Donald Trump?s administrationAsked why the Lib Dems were opposed to a third runway at Heathrow when they professed to be in favour of growth, Cooper said she did not accept that a third runway would produce all the benefits its supporte...

SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun?
17 Oct 2026 at 4:45pm
John Swinney tells party conference SNP will use ?six-figure war chest? to renew argument for leaving UKJohn Swinney has said that the second referendum campaign for Scottish independence ?has already begun?, revealing a nationwide effort to renew the argument for leaving the UK in his keynote ad...

Burnham v Swinney: will the UK PM overshadow the SNP?s conference?
15 Oct 2026 at 7:00am
Prime minister presents new kind of challenge for SNP, and his Scottish visit will loom large over its big eventThis year, even Andy Burnham is invited to the Scottish National party conference. But by the time John Swinney stands up to address members on Saturday afternoon in Aberdeen to reinvig...

Burnham tells Zelenskyy?s UK?s support for Ukraine ?will not change? ? as it ...
14 Oct 2026 at 6:06pm
Zelenskyy says he will be discussing intelligence sharing ?difficulties? and Starlink access with BurnhamPMQs is about to start.Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.After @genevieve_holl reported this last night, various sources in the Trump administration who are supportive of Farage s...

MI5 chief Ken McCallum confirms Russia did interfere in Brexit referendum but...
13 Oct 2026 at 5:23pm
He argued there was no evidence to suggest the result of the Brexit vote had been swayed as a result of the effortAndy Burnham promises ?serious dialogue? over UK?s relationship with EUZia Yusuf, Reform UK?s home affairs spokesperson, has said he does not agree with his colleague Suella Braverman...

UK politics live: Pat McFadden tells Labour activists they should not defend ...
27 Sep 2026 at 6:11pm
Work and pensions secretary says the current system is flawed because it consigns too many people to a life on benefits when they would be better off working?I can deliver?: Burnham pledges radical change on eve of Labour conferenceKuenssberg puts it to Burnham that, according to the Health Found...

New powerful synthetic opioids behind sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths
23 Sep 2026 at 2:12pm
Eleven per cent increase in fatalities last year partly down to presence of nitazenes in Scotland?s illicit drug marketNew forms of a powerful synthetic opioid have contributed to a sharp rise in Scottish drug deaths, with the latest data showing an 11% increase in fatalities last yearAnnual figu...

Scottish Labour?s new leader backs Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gasfields
19 Sep 2026 at 1:52pm
Michael Marra supports development of the North Sea sites, calling for a ?more rational? approach to energy policyScottish Labour?s new leader Michael Marra has backed the development of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gasfields in the North Sea in one of his first acts after being elected, call...

Planning permission for new Scottish AI datacentres suspended for up to a year
16 Sep 2026 at 7:28pm
MSPs vote for strict environmental impact assessments and will delay decisions until national strategy is developedHolyrood has voted to pause planning applications for all new AI datacentres for up to a year until the Scottish government has developed a national strategy.On Wednesday, MSPs backe...

UK politics: Farage hints that Reform?s £72m donations may not be legal under...
14 Sep 2026 at 6:04pm
In an interview about the donations, he said they are compliant with the law ?today?Andy Burnham has cancelled engagements today and tomorrow following the death of his father Roy, who was suffering from Alzheimer?s, the Press Association reports.Burnham has spoken about his father?s illness whic...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

The BBC, switching off Scotland
21 Oct 2026 at 1:57pm
The BBC has announced that the BBC Scotland channel is to close in spring 2027 as part of its cost-cutting measures. Also ceasing linear broadcasting will be BBC Three and BBC Radio 4 Extra. The channels will become online only. The BBC Scotland Channel was established in 24 February 2019, replacing the BBC Two Scotland …

Buses, indy and Reform?s implosion
19 Oct 2026 at 2:16pm
Despite BBC Scotland doing its best to ignore or marginalise the recent SNP conference in Aberdeen, the SNP have come out from their conference, united, confident and energised with a batch of eye-catching policies which are likely to be popular with the public, not the least of which is the commitment to take Scotland’s bus …

Pulling Focus
17 Oct 2026 at 10:47am
It’s a sign of how spooked they are by the Celtic Alliance and the question of Scottish independence that just won’t go away that both Andy Burnham and Kemi Badenoch decided to pay visits to Scotland during the SNP conference in desperate and transparent attempts to pull focus, like a narcissistic mother with a bad …

It?s time to abolish the Scotland Office
16 Oct 2026 at 1:06pm
On the first day of the SNP conference, the membership voted overwhelmingly for the abolition of the Scotland Office and the post of Secretary of state for Scotland, also known as the Scottish Secretary. The vote was of course symbolic as the Scotland Office is a department of the Westminster government while its head, the …

SNP conference, day 1 and the Choose Scotland campaign
15 Oct 2026 at 2:46pm
It’s sod’s law. Just as the SNP party conference gets underway and the biggest push for independence in a decade has been announced, WordPress, the platform this blog uses, has implemented an update which has run into some glitches and is preventing many people from being able to post comments or replies. If you are …

Emily Thornberry?s EU English exceptionalism
14 Oct 2026 at 3:53pm
Labour MP Emily Thornberry has suggested that the UK could rejoin the EU without another referendum to overturn the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum. Speaking to Sky News, she said the majority agree that Brexit was a disaster and the UK should just rejoin the EU, another referendum is not necessary in her view. …

The SNP is right to maintain its boycott of the Lords
13 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
Last week, the SNP’s former Westminster leader Ian Blackford, speaking to The National newspaper’s podcast, suggested that the party’s refusal to take any seat in Westminster?s upper chamber was a weakness as it left them with “no way of affecting legislation in that House”. While insisting that he accepts the long standing SNP policy of …

Sticking with the status quo isn?t working
12 Oct 2026 at 2:53pm
Andy Burnham has decided to reopen the question of the UK’s relationship with the EU, telling MPs on Monday that it is time to “face up to the reality that Brexit has done more harm than good” and “the status quo is not good enough for Britain,” and that and “the status quo isn’t working …

America?s moral turpitude is infesting British politics
10 Oct 2026 at 2:58pm
I don’t usually blog about America unless it directly affects or involves Scotland, but for the latest example of how far that once great country has fallen into moral turpitude under Trump, I’ll make an exception. The very same people who had a collective meltdown over the sight of a Black mermaid or Black Helen …

Badenoch has killed off the once in a generation claim
7 Oct 2026 at 1:51pm
The Tories have officially ripped up the Vow to which they were signatories in 2014. This was the panicked promise made by the Better Together parties – one of which was the Conservatives – two days before the independence referendum which promised extensive new powers for Scotland, quasi-federal status, a guarantee that the Scottish Parliament …

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

At the street level, the extreme violence, the sex trafficking, the ?cuckooin...
23 Oct 2026 at 11:40am
STV today, has: Figures show that 135 serious organised crime groups are currently assessed as active in Scotland, seven of which involve children or young people. Data obtained by STV News through a freedom of information request details known crime operations in Scotland over the last five years. The total number of active serious and organised crime groups fell this year compared with 2024/2...

From ?If you don?t know, vote NO!? To becoming an author
23 Oct 2026 at 10:48am
By Mark E. Saunders of ?The Scottish Minuteman? https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 Okay. Cards on the table. In 2014, I wasn?t some lifelong dyed-in-the-wool independence campaigner who had spent years on the streets criticising the Union. I was just one of millions who had ?forever? accepted the political status quo. That is, until one political slogan challenged me to thi...

Red Letter Days and Red Reminders ? More gas, more electricity, more promises...
23 Oct 2026 at 10:40am
By Mark E. Saunders of ?The Scottish Minuteman? https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 Politicians announce new energy projects, celebrate investment and promise jobs, energy security and economic growth. Then the red reminders arrive. The electricity bill. The rising direct debit. The shrinking household budget. For people struggling to heat their homes, the question isn?t how...

Stories never told ? 63% improvement in rape conviction rate in Scotland and ...
23 Oct 2026 at 10:17am
In BBC Scotland’s, 2-3 minute insert in BBC Breakfast this morning, the above story, and on the website: Walking into a witness box to give evidence is one of the most daunting things a person can do. Giving evidence as a victim of a sexual assault case is even more challenging. That’s something rape survivor Sarah Lee knows too well. Fears about being judged on her appearance added to that pre...

Eradicating child poverty costs nothing in the long term because everything d...
22 Oct 2026 at 4:59pm
In the Guardian in December 2024: The news that more than one in three children in the UK are now living in poverty should shock everyone but surprise no one. Nearly three years into the cost of living crisis, we know that young families and disabled people have been among those hit hardest by the biggest fall in UK living standards in half a century. The latest estimates, by the non-partisan S...

The BBC did report Professor Dorling more fully and how the Child Payment cos...
22 Oct 2026 at 4:58pm
In October 2023, after Professor Dorling’s fulsome praise for the SNP’s Child Payment, BBC Wales had Prof Danny Dorling, of Oxford University, said the Scottish payment was the most significant attempt to tackle child poverty seen anywhere in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall. “It is clearly the most direct way to help people,” he said. “The parents of children, and especially their moth...

How the SNP?s ?Biggest success story in social policy in the UK for 40 years ...
22 Oct 2026 at 4:56pm
A quick, one-day Twitterpoll of 306 suggests that just over 90% of Talking-up Scotland followers had not heard these words, from 2023, reported here two days ago : To my mild embarrassment, I had been aware of him saying something positive about Scotland’s unique child payment, but had not thought to watch the whole comment until being reminded of it by a Freedom of Information report from the ...

Trying to light a two-year-old damp squib as police officer injuries fall fro...
22 Oct 2026 at 12:03pm
BBC Scotland today, trying to scare the old folk, like me, with a complete failure to inform us. Was there a lot of trouble last year? No. The year before? No. Less than a week ago, that other tabloid medium, the Daily Record tried to light the same damp squib. The answer is the same: On 6 November 2025: Police say there was a ?notable? reduction in Bonfire Night disorder with the number of cal...

BBC UK?s troubled sibling, squirming like a toad in Fort Pacific Quay, is cle...
22 Oct 2026 at 10:38am
I happened to spot the above in a wee advert for the BBC, reminding us that only it can be trusted to prepare us to go out into the world knowing what faces us. The prevailing south-westerlies must be blowing away from England, the stench of moral decay in Pacific Quay just along the Clyde from a giant sewage works. Is that why they put the BBC Scotland HQ there? Mind you, they got upwind while...

As police officers in England & Wales become ?too exhausted? Scotland has 23...
22 Oct 2026 at 10:02am
Across BBC TV News and the tabloids including The Sun, today, the above and: FOUR out of every five cops are feeling stressed over workloads, a survey reveals today. And more than three-quarters of them say they are too exhausted to perform their duties properly. The rank-and-file Police Federation of England and Wales has declared a public health emergency in policing. Acting deputy national c...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

No further police investigation into Yes Scotland finances - BBC
23 Oct 2026 at 12:03pm
No further police investigation into Yes Scotland finances  BBC

Scottish independence group to unveil plan for new currency from ?day one? - ...
23 Oct 2026 at 5:02am
Scottish independence group to unveil plan for new currency from ?day one?  The National Scot

Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda - Bloomberg.com
17 Oct 2026 at 5:10pm
Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda  Bloomberg.com

Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leade...
22 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland has right to decide constitutional future, new Scottish Labour leader says  BBC

Police say no further investigation needed into Yes Scotland finances - East ...
23 Oct 2026 at 11:34am
Police say no further investigation needed into Yes Scotland finances  East Renfrewshire News

Burnham rules out second Scottish independence referendum - The Telegraph
16 Oct 2026 at 3:40pm
Burnham rules out second Scottish independence referendum  The Telegraph

Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same - Calgary J...
20 Oct 2026 at 1:52am
Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same  Calgary Journal

Burnham Inadvertently Reinvigorates Scottish Separatism - The American Conser...
21 Oct 2026 at 5:01am
Burnham Inadvertently Reinvigorates Scottish Separatism  The American Conservative

Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference - Financial...
13 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Path to Scottish independence back in spotlight at SNP conference  Financial Times

Harriet Cross: With thirty mentions of independence, Swinney?s conference spe...
19 Oct 2026 at 6:20am
Harriet Cross: With thirty mentions of independence, Swinney?s conference speech was Groundhog Day for Scotland  Conservative Home

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun? - T...
17 Oct 2026 at 6:25pm
SNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ?has already begun?  The Guardian

Death of SNP councillor announced at board meeting - The National Scot
23 Oct 2026 at 12:19pm
Death of SNP councillor announced at board meeting  The National Scot

The Scottish National Party turns to the right - The Economist
19 Oct 2026 at 5:12pm
The Scottish National Party turns to the right  The Economist

If the SNP can't be convinced on public sector reform, we've got a problem - ...
22 Oct 2026 at 4:13pm
If the SNP can't be convinced on public sector reform, we've got a problem  The Herald

Medicare Advantage's next golden goose: Special Needs Plans - Modern Healthcare
19 Oct 2026 at 11:02am
Medicare Advantage's next golden goose: Special Needs Plans  Modern Healthcare

SNP splits emerge as John Swinney sits on the fence over Jackdaw - The Times
21 Oct 2026 at 7:50pm
SNP splits emerge as John Swinney sits on the fence over Jackdaw  The Times

Downie says SNP has no serious plan for Scotland?s security - UK Defence Journal
23 Oct 2026 at 1:00pm
Downie says SNP has no serious plan for Scotland?s security  UK Defence Journal

SNP conference 2026: land and retail taxes the focus of tax debate - Chartere...
21 Oct 2026 at 9:06pm
SNP conference 2026: land and retail taxes the focus of tax debate  Chartered Institute of Taxation

SNP urged to oppose new oil and gas - Scottish Greens
20 Oct 2026 at 8:21am
SNP urged to oppose new oil and gas  Scottish Greens

Strength in numbers: How a rare I-SNP framework made value-based care accessi...
20 Oct 2026 at 10:02pm
Strength in numbers: How a rare I-SNP framework made value-based care accessible for 5 providers  McKnight's Long-Term Care News

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same - Calgary J...
20 Oct 2026 at 1:52am
Alberta?s referendum: Similar to Scotland, but not quite the same  Calgary Journal

'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum - BBC
15 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
'Bring it on': Flynn challenges Burnham on independence referendum  BBC

Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda - The Spoke...
18 Oct 2026 at 3:05am
Scottish Nationalists try to get independence back on U.K. agenda  The Spokesman-Review

Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham - BBC
17 Oct 2026 at 6:01pm
Scotland 'not like Manchester', Swinney says in dig at PM Burnham  BBC

Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda - Bloomberg.com
17 Oct 2026 at 5:10pm
Scottish Nationalists Try to Get Independence Back on UK Agenda  Bloomberg.com

Tommy Sheppard?s proposal to run two campaigns makes sense to me - The Nation...
22 Oct 2026 at 6:32pm
Tommy Sheppard?s proposal to run two campaigns makes sense to me  The National Scot

Edinburgh's unionist councillors back referendum ? on boundary changes to cap...
22 Oct 2026 at 8:57am
Edinburgh's unionist councillors back referendum ? on boundary changes to capital  The Herald

Harriet Cross: With thirty mentions of independence, Swinney?s conference spe...
19 Oct 2026 at 6:20am
Harriet Cross: With thirty mentions of independence, Swinney?s conference speech was Groundhog Day for Scotland  Conservative Home

Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination - A...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Leaders of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland unite for self-determination  Al Jazeera

John Swinney says stars are aligning for independence. His party isn?t so sur...
17 Oct 2026 at 5:03pm
John Swinney says stars are aligning for independence. His party isn?t so sure  The Times