The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Operators must clear space for 'emergency' travel, Northern Isles ferry users...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
5 Feb 2026 at 4:51pm
The report states that ?capacity? issues were of particular concern, especially if trips were not ?planned and booked well in advance?.


Teaching unions demand answers after being barred from entering Palestine
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
5 Feb 2026 at 4:00pm
Three teaching unions have written to the foreign secretary after being denied permission to enter Palestine on an educational visit


Can Starmer survive? Plausible deniability only works if it's plausible
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
5 Feb 2026 at 3:53pm
A Cabinet Office vetting report flagged Mandelson?s Epstein ties. None of it was new ? and Starmer cannot claim surprise.


Swinney stayed with Mandelson in Washington DC to be 'prudent with public purse'
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
5 Feb 2026 at 2:41pm
John Swinney has defended staying at the Washington residence of Peter Mandelson, insisting the decision was about saving taxpayers? money. He said critics would have complained had he booked a hotel instead.


Court hears blanket ban on trans women in jails would increase suicide risk
by Neil Pooran
5 Feb 2026 at 1:55pm
Scotland?s highest civil court has heard arguments that banning trans women from female prisons would breach human rights and heighten suicide risk.


?Utterly disgusted?: Anas Sarwar turns on Starmer over Mandelson
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
5 Feb 2026 at 1:33pm
Anas Sarwar has questioned Sir Keir Starmer?s judgement over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain?s ambassador to the United States.


First Minister told 'show leadership' on Rosebank ties to illegal Israeli set...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
5 Feb 2026 at 1:08pm
John Swinney has been urged to 'show leadership' on the proposed Rosebank oil field, with its owner linked to illegal Israeli settlements


Swinney says cost of much-delayed CalMac ferry Glen Rosa ?unacceptable?
by Craig Paton and Rachel Keenan
5 Feb 2026 at 12:27pm
Mr Swinney said the Scottish Government is monitoring the situation closely


Damning watchdog report lays bare Scottish Public Pensions Agency failures
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
5 Feb 2026 at 11:16am
A damning report from Audit Scotland warns Scotland?s public pensions agency underestimated the McCloud remedy, missed key deadlines and misled on progress ? leaving thousands of retired workers facing years of uncertainty over what they?re owed.


Rate relief pleas as Scottish grassroots music venues face 'fatal' increase
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
5 Feb 2026 at 10:26am
The Music Venue Trust (MVT) has urged the Scottish Government to mitigate the impact of rising taxes on independent venues.


Campaigners calling for school smartphone ban to meet Education Secretary
by Katrine Bussey
5 Feb 2026 at 7:52am
The group warns pupils having mobile phones in schools carries ?clear and present risks?


Warning 'Scotland will be left behind unless SNP ends nuclear objection'
by Craig Meighan
5 Feb 2026 at 6:43am
Scotland risks being left behind in the world unless the Government urgently ends its opposition to nuclear energy, a coalition of businesses and campaign groups has warned.


Scottish auctioneer and book publishing industry in spotlight
by ian.mcconnell@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Ian McConnell
5 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
Business HQ Monthly is out, including an interview with a leading Scottish auction house MD and a big read on book publishing


Rosebank oil field plan wins boost from oil giants
by mark.williamson@newsquest.co.uk | Mark Williamson
5 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
The controversial Rosebank oil field project has won a fresh vote of confidence from leading North Sea oil firms

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Monica Lennon's ecocide bill passes first vote but do backbench ideas show SN...
5 Feb 2026 at 5:59pm

The two big pieces of legislation to

It seems like a long time since that Labour landslide.

Anas Sarwar argued the Scottish Government should be ashamed of ?bribes rather than truth and justice?.

The Scottish Labour leader has criticised the Prime Minister?s judgement and tried to distance himself from the Mandelson scandal.

With Sir Keir Starmer?s coat seemingly on a shoogly peg, we?re taking a look at who could replace him.

To celebrate the World Cup, June 15 has been confirmed as a bank holiday in Scotland - however, not everyone is guaranteed a day off.

Monica Lennon?s ecocide plans will be voted on by MSPs this afternoon.

Wings over Scotland

A Stitch In Timing
5 Feb 2026 at 4:09pm
Readers will probably be aware that literally as you read this, the Scottish Government is in court trying to defend its policy of letting male murderers be housed in women’s prisons by arguing that the Equality Act 2010 (as ruled on by the Supreme Court in the For Women Scotland case) is incompatible with the …

The Marshalling Plan
2 Feb 2026 at 1:25pm
Another month has passed, so we suppose it must be time for the third of our polling-analysis pieces for the Scottish Parliament election in May. (Last time round we assessed the grotesque rank idiocy of voting SNP on the list if you want a pro-indy majority, and the time before that we considered the possible …

Shield Of The Phantom
26 Jan 2026 at 1:02pm
Well, we gave it a go. It seems that it’s fine to farm important judgments out to mysterious shadowy figures who just make important chunks of them up out of thin air, and then issue them in your own name. Back in your boxes, plebs.

Yelling at the tide
21 Jan 2026 at 9:26am
We figured someone had to at least try. So in the light of this, we’ve sent a letter. - TO: Judge Susan Walker, President, Employment Tribunal (Scotland) Dear Madam President, I read with considerable dismay and alarm your response to a recent complaint from a Mr Ewan Kennedy regarding the conduct of Employment Judge Alexander …

The Secondhand Amendment
19 Jan 2026 at 12:04am
We’re really not sure this makes things any better with regard to the incredible tale that’s unfolded around the judgment in Sandie Peggie vs NHS Fife. In fact, on any interpretation we can think of, quite the reverse. But we’d better give you some context. The quote in the image above comes from the reply …

Learning Insanity
14 Jan 2026 at 4:29pm
This clip was broadcast on ITV News Wales this week. ? It’s a staggeringly obvious mess for a whole raft of reasons – a number of completely spurious, illogical and unsupported claims are accepted as facts without any sort of challenge or balancing voice (which has been standard practice on ITV News for a while …

Governing For Beginners
12 Jan 2026 at 2:31pm
My first ever real experience of politics was playing Dictator. Originally written by Don Priestley for the Sinclair ZX81 in 1982, it was a simple text-based game which subsequently came to other formats including the Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Elan Enterprise and the ZX Spectrum, which is where I encountered it. (Its legacy very much …

Grandpa John?s Nightmare
7 Jan 2026 at 12:17pm
It’s almost – almost – worth voting SNP in May because of this: ? Because it would be at least momentarily absolutely hilarious watching Swinney try to explain why his “100% guaranteed” second indyref didn’t happen if the SNP actually did get a majority on 30% of the vote (which is narrowly feasible on current …

Failure To Learn
5 Jan 2026 at 1:32pm
Scotland take on Haiti on Sunday 14 June (in the wee small hours of the morning), so this is nice, isn’t it? At least, it would be if incompetent idiots weren’t in charge. Firstly because the SNP – a party with a long and dismaying record of promising things it then doesn’t deliver – has …

And every day was exactly the same
3 Jan 2026 at 7:00am

Craig Murray

Filton Acquittals Demolish Starmer and Cooper Lies About Palestine Action
5 Feb 2026 at 6:49pm

As the trial finished at Woolwich Crown Court of the six Palestine Action activists who entered the Filton factory to destroy Israeli killer drones, Starmer, Cooper, Lammy and Mahmood are left bereft of a single guilty verdict in the case on which they relied heavily to label Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. I could …

Filton Acquittals Demolish Starmer and Cooper Lies About Palestine Action

Trump, Pirate of the Caribbean
3 Feb 2026 at 11:14am

I have now been here a week and I think that I have absorbed enough to attempt a little analysis, as opposed to the simple impressions I gave shortly after arrival. Those impressions remain valid however: this is not a repressive state. I was on the Randy Credico show live on WBAI New York on …

Trump, Pirate of the Caribbean

Palestine Action Judicial Review
29 Jan 2026 at 6:59pm

I attach the full text of Lord Young’s decision granting the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine. A few points. Judicial Review can only be granted where the judge believes it has a realistic chance of success. Lord Young evidently believes that we have a realistic chance of success on our three grounds …

Palestine Action Judicial Review

Being There ? In Venezuela
26 Jan 2026 at 9:46am

I have now been in Caracas for 48 hours and the contrast between what I have seen, and what I had read in the mainstream media, could not be more stark. I drove right through Caracas, from the airport through the city centre and up to posh Las Mercedes. The next morning I walked all …

Being There – In Venezuela

Resisting the Respectable Opinion on Iran
15 Jan 2026 at 3:13pm

Iraq. Libya. Egypt. Syria. Gaza. Somalia. No CIA- and Mossad-constructed regime change operation in the Middle East has ever made life better for the ordinary people of the country, nor even delivered the promised increase in personal and political freedoms. The only limited improvement that might be gained comes from the lifting of Western sanction …

Resisting the Respectable Opinion on Iran

A Step Towards Sanity
13 Jan 2026 at 6:50pm

To my great surprise, the video recording of yesterday’s Court of Session hearing on the judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action is still active on the court’s website, and you can watch it. I do not know how long this will last. https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/livestream/court-of-session/case-p1017-25/#6dcfe87a-d9b7-49ba-9f01-ad69b8ad9c45 I have been used to the ludicrous restrictions on the …

A Step Towards Sanity

BBC Scotland

Chief nurse's 'Disney trip' suggestion for bereaved families 'shameful' - Sarwar
5 Feb 2026 at 1:26pm
Scotland's ex-chief nursing officer has been criticised over remarks she allegedly made about bereaved families.

New rules for botox and Brazilian butt lifts backed by MSPs
5 Feb 2026 at 5:19pm
The Scottish Parliament has provisionally approved regulations for non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

Suicide risk if trans prisoners are put in jails based on sex at birth, court...
5 Feb 2026 at 3:08pm
Lawyers for the Scottish government say moving trans woman prisoners to male-only jails would create an unacceptable safety risk.

Plan to jail bosses of major polluters passes Holyrood vote
5 Feb 2026 at 5:18pm
The ecocide bill would allow for people to be jailed for up to 20 years for damaging the environment.

MSP behind assisted dying bill backs change to eligibility rules
4 Feb 2026 at 2:42pm
The proposals would restrict assisted dying in Scotland to people with six months or less left to live.

Watchdogs raise concerns over transgender prisoners
4 Feb 2026 at 5:06pm
The government has argued having a "blanket rule" for where prisoners are housed could breach human rights law.

'Our daughter's cancer symptoms were dismissed because she was a child'
5 Feb 2026 at 6:24am
Isla Sneddon died in March 2025 aged 17, just six months after she was diagnosed with cancer.

Fire service warns funding gap could mean cut of 500 firefighters
4 Feb 2026 at 5:49pm
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service claims it is facing a £6m funding gap in the next financial year.

Scottish Parliament rejects prostitution bill at stage one
3 Feb 2026 at 7:38pm
Ash Regan's proposals would have made the act of paying for sexual services a criminal offence.

New oversight group for Glasgow hospital linked to infections
3 Feb 2026 at 8:09pm
The health secretary hopes the new oversight group will boost public confidence in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

Prisoners to be released earlier in bid to end jail overcrowding
3 Feb 2026 at 7:32pm
The release point for certain short-term prisoners is to be cut to 30% of their sentence, down from 40%.

Woman prisoners 'treated as pawns' by Scottish government, court told
3 Feb 2026 at 4:51pm
The campaign group For Women Scotland is challenging the guidance which helps decide which prisons trans people are held in.

Scot Goes Pop

My appearance on the "Two Davies" show
5 Feb 2026 at 5:55pm
Earlier today, I took part in a live stream on the "Two Davies" YouTube channel, and we all answered viewers' questions about quite a wide variety of subjects, including the current polling situati...

Gosh, I wonder if Stew has ever demonstrated quite so unwittingly and vividly...
4 Feb 2026 at 1:17am
Quite a number of years ago now, I got into a mildly bizarre email debate with someone who shall remain nameless, but who is widely regarded in Scotland as bona fide journalistic royalty.  Basicall...

Why is YouGov under-representing Yes-voting Glaswegians in its independence p...
3 Feb 2026 at 4:06pm
Towards the end of this video, I also give my reaction to the Scottish Government's welcome announcement that they will not be supporting Ash Regan's private member's bill, which seeks to introduce...

Stew's "ten-year masterplan" nears its petty climax: how Somerset's most cont...
2 Feb 2026 at 4:47pm
Incidentally, I recorded this video before I saw Campbell's latest "I luv Nige" fanboy blogpost, so the similarity of titles is just a coincidence - albeit an extremely telling coincidence in the c...

Sizzling YouGov numbers put pro-independence parties on course for 53% of sea...
30 Jan 2026 at 5:11pm
There aren't many outlets that report Scottish polling accurately and without unionist bias.  If you value the service Scot Goes Pop provides, you currently have a thrilling opportunity to help wit...

Spectacular full-scale Scottish poll from YouGov shows the SNP and Greens on ...
29 Jan 2026 at 6:48pm
I will record a video about this poll at some point, but as I'm on a bus right now, I'll go retro and briefly give you the results in text form for the time being.Should Scotland be an independent ...

"Unaffordable and exploitative": the Alba Party hammers its long-suffering me...
27 Jan 2026 at 3:53am
Apart from the shocking membership fee news, which Alba members already know about (as long as they've been checking their emails closely enough), this video also contains the latest gossip from my...

The Blocking of Burnham: Doomsday for Labour, Christmas for the SNP
26 Jan 2026 at 2:44am
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700.  A mil...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

MSPs back plans to improve regulation of Botox and Brazilian butt lifts
5 Feb 2026 at 6:26pm
The Bill cleared its first hurdle in the Scottish Parliament after it was passed at stage one on Thursday

Starmer ?sorry for believing Mandelson?s lies? as vows to continue as Prime M...
5 Feb 2026 at 2:21pm
Sir Keir Starmer apologised to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein

Ban phones in schools to protect children from online dangers, parents urge
5 Feb 2026 at 1:21pm
Campaigners are meeting the education secretary at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday

John Swinney to face FMQs after calling for investigation into Mandelson
5 Feb 2026 at 12:00pm
John Swinney will face First Minister's Questions on the sixth anniversary of The Promise

MPs back release of files on Lord Peter Mandelson appointment as US ambassador
4 Feb 2026 at 7:32pm
The PM backed down from his original plans for Sir Chris Wormald to choose which files could be released

John Swinney orders investigation into Scottish Government dealings with Lord...
4 Feb 2026 at 5:16pm
The First Minister said the probe will look into whether Peter Mandelson undermined the interests of Scotland

PM: Lord Peter Mandelson ?lied repeatedly? over relationship with Jeffery Eps...
4 Feb 2026 at 3:38pm
Keir Starmer said Mandelson 'betrayed our country' by leaking information to the disgraced financier

Mandelson should not have been US ambassador, says Sarwar
4 Feb 2026 at 1:34pm
The Scottish Labour leader said the appointment was ?clearly a mistake?

Keir Starmer to face PMQs after criminal investigation launched into Mandelson
4 Feb 2026 at 11:50am
Britain?s former US ambassador is alleged to have passed market-sensitive information to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein

I support the court judgment in the case of Lucy Letby, Wes Streeting says
4 Feb 2026 at 9:24am
A new documentary, The Investigation Of Lucy Letby, has been released on Netflix

Officials ?looking at? release of QEUH documents, says health secretary
3 Feb 2026 at 9:28pm
MSPs demanded the Scottish Government release documents relating to the Glasgow hospital last week

Holyrood pays emotional tributes to its first deputy first minister Lord Wallace
3 Feb 2026 at 5:09pm
A motion of condolence was heard in the Scottish Parliament

Scottish Government ?committed to dualling A96? despite fiscal challenges
3 Feb 2026 at 3:46pm
A more phased approach to delivery of the project will be taken

Women prisoners treated as ?pawns? by ?Orwellian? policy on trans inmates, co...
3 Feb 2026 at 2:04pm
For Women Scotland is challenging the current guidelines on the management of transgender prisoners

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

John Swinney's independence majority strategy will damage the SNP
5 Feb 2026 at 8:00pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says the First Minister betting the house on an outright win in May is good for him, but not his party.

Queen Elizabeth University Hospital families offered 'trip to Disneyland' ins...
5 Feb 2026 at 2:49pm
The cases of seven patients who died at the QEUH following its botched opening in 2015 are currently being assessed by prosecutors.

Anas Sarwar gives cautious support to Keir Starmer to stay on as Prime Minist...
5 Feb 2026 at 1:28pm
The Scottish Labour leader said Mandelson was a "shame to our nation" after emails showed he leaked sensitive Government information to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Hollywood star Brian Cox calls for action to end Scotland's housing emergency
5 Feb 2026 at 11:02am
The Dundee-born star said "everyone deserves somewhere affordable, safe, and stable to call home".

Anas Sarwar told to apologise to WASPI campaigners in person after UK Governm...
5 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The SNP will host a delegation of WASPI campaigners at the Scottish Parliament and has challenged the Labour leader to meet them.

Dad of teen who died after hospital infection would back probe into "pressure...
5 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
John Cuddihy said he would support calling additional witnesses to find out the truth on claims of pressure applied to hospital bosses, following 23-year-old Molly's death last year.

UK Government spends £56,000 on Inverness barracks earmarked for asylum seekers
5 Feb 2026 at 4:30am
EXCLUSIVE: The cash was spent on legionella testing and removing the MOD?s secure IT network

SNP urged to apologise for 'playing politics' over Queen Elizabeth University...
4 Feb 2026 at 2:26pm
Gordon Macdonald was accused of engaging in "whataboutery and deflection" after he dragged up 20-year-old infection statistics.

Keir Starmer says Peter Mandelson 'betrayed' his country over leaks to paedop...
4 Feb 2026 at 12:56pm
The Prime Minister rounded on Mandelson on the ongoing scandal.

SNP Deputy First Minister missed anti-prostitution vote due to 'family issue'
4 Feb 2026 at 12:20pm
Kate Forbes was one of ten MSPs who did not vote on the proposal by independent Ash Regan.

The National

The National | Politics

Councillor attacks ?underhanded? tactics in nuclear submarine dockyard row
5 Feb 2026 at 8:35pm

A COUNCILLOR has slammed what he described as an ?underhanded and pathetic? attempt to undermine the democratic process

Are Labour getting tetchy about devolution?
5 Feb 2026 at 7:00pm

LABOUR have promised on numerous occasions to respect the devolution settlement and constantly still declare themselves the ?party of devolution?

Scotland's new national housing agency must serve people, not profit
5 Feb 2026 at 6:30pm

Common Weal has been campaigning for the best part of a decade on overhauling and improving the Scottish housing sector

BBC issues correction addressing Waspi women compensation coverage
5 Feb 2026 at 6:11pm

THE BBC has issued a correction after making a false claim about the compensation recommendation for Waspi women

Wes Streeting in the spotlight over past links with Peter Mandelson
5 Feb 2026 at 5:41pm

TONY Blair said his project would only be complete when he got the Labour Party to love Peter Mandelson, or so the story goes.

Foreign Secretary urged to act after Scottish teachers blocked from Palestine
5 Feb 2026 at 5:33pm

SCOTLAND?S largest teaching union has written to the Foreign Secretary demanding action after an international delegation was detained for five hours and blocked from entering Palestine.

MSPs back plans to improve regulation of cosmetic procedures like Botox
5 Feb 2026 at 5:19pm

MSPs have unanimously backed Scottish Government plans for a law to restrict the use of cosmetic procedures such as botox, fillers and Brazilian butt lifts

Where was Anas Sarwar?s fury when ?old friend? Peter Mandelson was first appo...
5 Feb 2026 at 5:00pm

ANAS Sarwar cut a frustrated and shellshocked figure at Holyrood today ...

Furious Labour MP pans UK Government after 3 Israeli F-35s use RAF base
5 Feb 2026 at 4:33pm

A LABOUR MP has ripped into the UK Government in a furious speech in the Commons after three Israeli fighter jets were allowed to use a British air force base.

Huge Highland electricity substation rejected after almost 2000 objections
5 Feb 2026 at 4:26pm

Objectors are ?over the moon? after Highland councillors unanimously refused permission for a new electricity substation at Fannellan near Beauly

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

John Swinney accuses Anas Sarwar of ?shameful? interference in hospitals inquiry
5 Feb 2026 at 4:00pm
The Scottish Labour leader said the FM had told parliament a "blatant untruth"

John Swinney: I stayed with Mandelson on Trump trip to save money
5 Feb 2026 at 1:51pm
Starmer says no one in government knew 'depth and darkness' of former ambassador's Epstein friendship

Set out Mandelson links, SNP urges Scottish Labour
4 Feb 2026 at 5:22pm
SNP claims are 'morally bankrupt', Scottish Labour hits back

Edinburgh Council refuses planning permission for AI data centre
4 Feb 2026 at 3:35pm
Planning officers had recommended the project be approved

Anas Sarwar backs child social media ban
4 Feb 2026 at 1:00am
The UK Government announced last month it was consulting on such a measure

From shared services to smart government
4 Feb 2026 at 12:01am
With over 40 years of experience in the Scottish market, global technology firm TCS is well placed to play a leading role in the country?s public services reform

MSPs vote down Ash Regan?s prostitution bill
3 Feb 2026 at 5:06pm
The government said it could not support it despite agreeing in principle the purchase of sex should be criminalised

Peter Mandelson quits Lords as UK Government refers Epstein leak fears to police
3 Feb 2026 at 3:04pm
Keir Starmer says the former US ambassador 'let his country down'

Information commissioner launches Grok investigation over explicit deepfakes
3 Feb 2026 at 1:06pm
The ICO said the reported creation of such content raised ?serious concerns? under UK data protection law

Patient safety commissioner still has ?concerns? about health board at centre...
3 Feb 2026 at 11:17am
'Families are lied to' within the NHS, MSPs are told

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Blanket rule on trans women in men?s prisons would deny their identity, says ...
5 Feb 2026 at 5:06pm
SNP?s lawyer argues the ?mental health and rehabilitation? of prisoners is more important than their biological sexA blanket rule to house transgender women in men?s prisons, even when they pose no risk to others, would be a ?fundamental denial? of their identity, the Scottish government has argu...

Starmer faces rising anger over Mandelson as MPs agree to release files to se...
4 Feb 2026 at 8:24pm
Starmer faces criticism from MPs on all sides of the CommonsThis liveblog is now closed. Read the politics team?s report on today?s developments herePMQs is starting soon. Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.The Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has dismissed claims that his party?s plan to su...

Campaigners challenge Scottish policy on transgender inmates in female prisons
3 Feb 2026 at 2:45pm
For Women Scotland objects to use of individual risk assessments, saying it is contrary to supreme court rulingFemale prisoners are paying the price for an ?Orwellian? Scottish government policy that allows some transgender inmates to be housed in female prisons, Scotland?s highest civil court ha...

Lord Wallace of Tankerness obituary
1 Feb 2026 at 5:39pm
Influential Liberal and Lib Dem politician who served as Scotland?s deputy first minister from the outset of devolutionJim Wallace, Lord Wallace of Tankerness, who has died aged 71 following complications after surgery, was an influential Liberal figure who achieved the extremely rare distinction...

Starmer announces visa-free travel to China after talks with Xi in Beijing ? ...
29 Jan 2026 at 5:32pm
Downing Street gives no date for when the agreement of 30 days of visa-free travel will come into forceFor more context on today?s Starmer-Xi meeting, China is the world?s second-biggest economy and Britain?s third-largest trading partner ? to which it exports £45bn of goods and services a year ?...

Deacon Blue ?appalled? by Reform UK?s Scottish leader quoting their song lyrics
27 Jan 2026 at 11:04am
Exclusive: Band hit out at party?s ?poisonous rhetoric? after Malcolm Offord makes reference to Dignity during speechOne of Scotland?s most celebrated rock bands, Deacon Blue, say they are ?appalled? that one of their greatest hits is being used by Reform UK?s new Scottish leader to bolster his p...

Tories withdraw ?mental health? briefing about Suella Braverman after former ...
26 Jan 2026 at 6:10pm
Her defection means there are now eight Reform MPs in the CommonsKeir Starmer was being interview by Beth Rigby from Sky News this morning when he defended the decision not to let Andy Burnham be a byelection candidate.After Starmer delivered his first answer (see 10.15am), Rigby asked him to wha...

Reform says it would cut green policies to fund £2bn income tax cut in Scotland
26 Jan 2026 at 4:36pm
Party?s pitch to voters in May Holyrood elections dismissed as ?profoundly unserious, almost comically so? by head of IPPR ScotlandReform UK would slash what it calls ?highly dubious? environmental protection measures to help fund a £2bn cut to income tax in Scotland if it won May?s Holyrood elec...

Scottish health board admits hospital water system linked to fatal infections
19 Jan 2026 at 12:03pm
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde makes last-minute U-turn in submission to hospitals inquiryScotland?s largest health board has finally admitted that contaminated water at a Glasgow super-hospital caused serious infections in child cancer patients that were linked to four deaths.NHS Greater Glasgow ...

Multimillionaire leader of Reform in Scotland refuses to reveal net worth
15 Jan 2026 at 3:26pm
Newly appointed Malcolm Offord, who became a Tory life peer in 2021, plans to stand for Holyrood in MayUK politics live ? latest updatesThe multimillionaire financier who has been made leader of Reform UK in Scotland has refused to say how wealthy he is, claiming that is a private matter.Malcolm ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Mandelson, the sleazy heart of Starmer?s right wing Labour party
5 Feb 2026 at 3:13pm
Keir Starmer’s leadership of the Labour party and his position as Prime Minister have been on a shoogly peg for some time. After being elected in July 2024 with a landslide victory in the Commons, albeit on a mere one third of the popular vote, Labour MPs were looking forward to settling down to a …

The independence movement must commit to a Scottish republic
4 Feb 2026 at 2:02pm
It’s well known that people in Scotland are less enamoured with the self-promoting antics of the Windsor family than people in other parts of the UK. Large royal events with all their pomp and pageantry paid for at public expense are typically met in Scotland with widespread apathy, if not anger and ridicule. The street …

What happens in the Welsh election could be key to Scotland too
2 Feb 2026 at 4:27pm
The well known traditional curse, “May you live in interesting times” is often ascribed to an ancient Chinese text, although there is no evidence for this. Be that as it may, it cannot be denied that we are cursed with living through interesting times. Keir Starmer was elected to head a Labour government with a …

BBC Scotland?s look at nuclear through Labour Rose tinted glasses
31 Jan 2026 at 1:39pm
The bias of the BBC, particularly BBC Scotland, against the SNP Scottish Government in particular and the wider Scottish independence movement in general is well documented by pro-independence campaigners, but ignored by the Scottish media which is itself overwhelmingly biased against Scottish independence, the somewhat less than half of the Scottish population which opposes independence …

Wee Ginger Annual Fundraiser 2026 part 2
30 Jan 2026 at 6:08pm
Unfortunately when I published the previous post about this year’s fundraiser, I pressed publish too quickly and omitted the full details for donating via PayPal or Ko-fi. Here they are now and here is the link again to the GoFundMe fundraiser. Many thanks for supporting my work. It’s greatly appreciated.   https://www.gofundme.com/f/wee-ginger-dug-annual-fundraiser-2026   I?ve added …

Wee Ginger Annual Fundraiser 2026
30 Jan 2026 at 1:33pm
It’s that time of the year again, when I ask readers of this blog to make a contribution, big or small, to keeping this blog running for another year. As we approach the Holyrood elections, I have been increasing the frequency of new posts on the blog from theprevious two or three per week to …

Trump?s lawlessness comes to Scotland
29 Jan 2026 at 3:48pm
Donald Trump is infamously lawless. He is the first convicted criminal to be elected to the White House. That conviction alone, by no means the worst crime the oranged faced felon has allegedly committed, should have been enough to disqualify him from holding public office, but he was ushered into power by a corrupt Republican …

Reform UK?s authoritarian project for power
28 Jan 2026 at 2:55pm
The American author and poet Maya Anjelou famously wrote: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” That has never been more true than where we are now in British politics with the rise of the far right, the performative cruelty it espouses and its dehumanisation of minority groups. Reform UK …

England is driving on the right politically
26 Jan 2026 at 3:05pm
All is not well in the Labour party. Over the weekend Keir Starmer and his allies took the decision to throw away a by election in order to buy the politically ailing Starmer some more time in office. Starmer and his allies on Labour’s NEC voted to refuse permission to Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to …

The BBC?s bad treatment of NHS Scotland
24 Jan 2026 at 1:03pm
When a parent loses a child it is an unbearable tragedy, and I want to preface this blog piece with the important caveat that I in no way wish to cast any aspersions on the bereaved and fully support their drive to uncover the truth about what went on at the new Southern General Hospital …

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

Last year, inspectors raised Scottish nuclear plant with proven excess child ...
5 Feb 2026 at 5:30pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In the National today: UK Government buries ‘200 containers of radioactive waste’ The location is the Dounreay nuclear site in Scotland. From the Chief Nuclear Inspector?s annual report on Great Britain?s nuclear industry October 2025, page 28: In July 2024, we increased NRS Dou...

10 countries already routinely issue iodine tablets to those near nuclear fac...
5 Feb 2026 at 5:28pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From and Ontario-based news website, nsauga, two days ago, the above and: With potassium pills distributed to residents living in the shadow of one of Durham Region?s two nuclear plants in 2015 set to expire, a batch of replacement pills will be sent to all those living within 1...

How many current Scottish Labour MPs and MSPs are followers of Lord Mandelson...
5 Feb 2026 at 5:26pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In the Daily Record 14 September 2025: Imogen Walker ? the wife of the Prime Minister?s under-fire chief of staff Morgan McSweeney ? was made an influential Commons whip along with colleague Gregor Poynton. It has emerged that in June, Mandelson ? who has been sacked US ambassad...

As the Daily Record shouts ?Tell us the truth about QEUH?, here it is in just...
5 Feb 2026 at 10:38am

As the Herald claims ?Tipping point for maternity services? why that is a dan...
5 Feb 2026 at 10:37am

?Tipping point? with more midwives and far lower deaths? Police investigate o...
5 Feb 2026 at 9:45am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. The Herald today has ‘Tipping point’ for maternity services. It’s nonsense. Why? This: NHS England has to pay out more than twice as much as NHS Scotland for ?maternity failings? £1.3 billion was paid out in Scotland in 2024/205 compared to £27 BILLION in England. Per head, that...

BBC ?Bloody? Scotland all violence and death to hide the secret that Scotland...
5 Feb 2026 at 9:16am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. BBC Scotland today having to travel thousands of miles to the genuinely violent, murderous, USA to get a headline story and a traumatised mother to film for your….paraphilia? Last September, the Scottish crime figures revealed another fall in the murder rate but it was largely i...

People in working-class neighbourhoods across Scotland feel loathed by Labour...
4 Feb 2026 at 9:24pm
Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy We’ve been here before with Kevin, perhaps the least convincing convert from Labour to some kind of nationalist. He writes a lot but clearly researches little. Is the above claim based on any substance like a poll? It doesn’t look like it. Two January 2026 polls had a class breakdown....

Scottish prison releases leading to only 5% re-offending, ten times lower tha...
4 Feb 2026 at 6:16pm
Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy From the Daily Record today: Criminals are set to be released from Scots jails automatically after serving just 30 per cent of their sentence in the latest desperate attempt to ease an overcrowding crisis. and of course: Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader, said: “Two decades of SNP g...

The strange case of YouGov?s shrinking Glasgow samples confirms their polls t...
4 Feb 2026 at 6:14pm
Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy I’ve written before about YouGov‘s unerring and almost unique (Survation too) ability to pluck a No lead out of a trend dominated by Yes leads, found by various other pollsters. It’s been a long time since they found a Yes lead. They seem to prevent it by adjusting (weighting) their s...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
26 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push - Reu...
18 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push  Reuters

New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence - gatescambr...
3 Feb 2026 at 10:32am
New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence  gatescambridge.org

Jeffrey Epstein discussed how to profit from Scottish independence vote, file...
2 Feb 2026 at 4:17pm
Jeffrey Epstein discussed how to profit from Scottish independence vote, files show  TheNational.scot

The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage - politico.eu
13 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
The new hero of Scottish independence? Nigel Farage  politico.eu

Scottish independence polls & surveys - YouGov
30 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence polls & surveys  YouGov

No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says - BBC
27 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says  BBC

Alex Salmond - Britannica
2 Feb 2026 at 8:00am
Alex Salmond  Britannica

Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would ...
17 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish leader John Swinney says SNP winning majority in May election would be green light for indyref2  Sky News

Stop the bots if we want to save democracy - The Times
2 Feb 2026 at 5:04pm
Stop the bots if we want to save democracy  The Times

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP secures first Gaza debate since 2024 - Morning Star | The People?s Daily
5 Feb 2026 at 5:10pm
SNP secures first Gaza debate since 2024  Morning Star | The People?s Daily

Scotland's papers: SNP reports Mandelson to police over Epstein - BBC
3 Feb 2026 at 7:04am
Scotland's papers: SNP reports Mandelson to police over Epstein  BBC

Segregated trans prison wings risk suicide, claims SNP government - The Times
5 Feb 2026 at 2:57pm
Segregated trans prison wings risk suicide, claims SNP government  The Times

SNP secure first debate on Gaza in Commons for two years - TheNational.scot
5 Feb 2026 at 5:06am
SNP secure first debate on Gaza in Commons for two years  TheNational.scot

Alexander Stewart - Opposing the 'disastrous' SNP budget - Alloa Advertiser
5 Feb 2026 at 12:58pm
Alexander Stewart - Opposing the 'disastrous' SNP budget  Alloa Advertiser

Monica Lennon's ecocide bill passes first vote - is SNP running out of steam?...
5 Feb 2026 at 5:59pm
Monica Lennon's ecocide bill passes first vote - is SNP running out of steam?  The Scotsman

Scotland will be left behind unless SNP ends nuclear objection, group warns -...
5 Feb 2026 at 9:12am
Scotland will be left behind unless SNP ends nuclear objection, group warns  London Evening Standard

Stop the SNP?s Council Tax Hikes - Scottish Conservatives
4 Feb 2026 at 3:31pm
Stop the SNP?s Council Tax Hikes  Scottish Conservatives

Set out Mandelson links, SNP urges Scottish Labour - Holyrood Website
5 Feb 2026 at 7:04am
Set out Mandelson links, SNP urges Scottish Labour  Holyrood Website

Nigel Farage has come a long way since Canons? Gait - Think Scotland
5 Feb 2026 at 12:26pm
Nigel Farage has come a long way since Canons? Gait  Think Scotland

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push - Reu...
18 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish first minister says a May majority means new independence push  Reuters

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
26 Jan 2026 at 4:30pm
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says - BBC
27 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
No independence referendum if SNP wins majority, Reeves says  BBC

David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit - Britannica
27 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
David Cameron - Scottish Referendum, 2015 Election, Brexit  Britannica

In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland indepen...
3 Jun 2025 at 8:00am
In the United Kingdom, prime minister rejects possibility of Scotland independence referendum  ConstitutionNet

Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shi...
24 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Scotland casts fresh eye on independence vote as UK's political landscape shifts  Courthouse News

Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014...
27 May 2025 at 8:00am
Why Alberta?s push for independence pales in comparison to Scotland?s in 2014  The Conversation

Scottish independence poll 2025 - Statista
28 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2025  Statista

Part Two: What an independent Scotland could look like - A Fresh Start with I...
8 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Part Two: What an independent Scotland could look like - A Fresh Start with Independence  The Scottish Government

Gordon Brown still blames Better Together for Labour's collapse in Scotland -...
1 Feb 2026 at 1:58pm
Gordon Brown still blames Better Together for Labour's collapse in Scotland  TheNational.scot