The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Emirates shares details as flights to UAE to restart tomorrow
by eszter.tarnai@newsquest.co.uk | Eszter Tárnai
2 Mar 2026 at 7:27pm
The airline released a statement on social media after the temporary partial closure of the United Arab Emirates.


Swinney criticises Starmer over use of British bases for Iran strikes
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
2 Mar 2026 at 5:56pm
The First Minister said that he was ?deeply concerned? about the conflict and suggested the US and Israel had violated international law.


Historic print showing Scottish Parliament in session around 1680 goes on dis...
by craig.williams@newsquest.co.uk | Craig Williams
2 Mar 2026 at 2:07pm
The print, which dates from the early 1700s, shows the then Scottish Parliament as it appeared when it was in session around 1680.


Alba rebels say party can fight Holyrood 2026 after 'raising £15,000 in four ...
by jody.harrison@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Jody Harrison
2 Mar 2026 at 12:49pm
The Alba Continuity Group say they can put funding in place to save the party


'Opportunities like The Herald's Student Press Awards are a gift to you'
2 Mar 2026 at 12:30pm
Former winner of The Herald's Student Press Awards Odhran Gallagher on the value of hard work, seizing opportunity and pushing out of our comfort zones


Salmond files: Hundreds of pages temporarily do not appear 'after glitch'
2 Mar 2026 at 11:39am
The Scottish Government has withdrawn hundreds of pages of files from public examination relating to the inquiry into Nicola Sturgeon after releasing documents which contained information it should not have made public.


Arts organisations at landmark Merchant City venue told to leave by March 27
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
2 Mar 2026 at 11:16am
Arts organisations at Trongate 103 in Glasgow?s Merchant City have been told to vacate within four weeks after leases were terminated and steep rent increases proposed. Charities including GMAC Film and Sharmanka warn the move could reshape the city?s cultural landscape.


Labour's tax on jobs 'worsening the cost-of-living crisis in Scotland'
2 Mar 2026 at 5:00am
The SNP has renewed calls for the UK Government to drop an increase it made to national insurance contributions after research revealed 40% of businesses in Scotland say the rise is forcing them to consider price increases to customers.


Labour MPs join Westminster group urging UK Government to reject Rosebank
by Katrine Bussey
2 Mar 2026 at 12:01am
Labour MPs are among a group of more than 60 parliamentarians to have made public their opposition to the planned Rosebank oil field


The Herald lines up experts to debate big issues on the economy
by scott.wright@heraldandtimes.co.uk | Scott Wright
2 Mar 2026 at 4:29am
Panel line-ups all confirmed for The Herald Budget Briefing


More than 'embarrassing': The political weight of Sarwar?s split with his father
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
2 Mar 2026 at 4:37pm
Anas Sarwar calls his father?s praise of Ayatollah Khamenei ?embarrassing?, but the political fallout is far greater as he seeks to become First Minister.


Sarwar pledges to make Glasgow Airport Rail Link ?national priority?
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
2 Mar 2026 at 1:56pm
Anas Sarwar has said he will make delivering a direct train from Glasgow?s city centre to Glasgow Airport a ?national priority? if he becomes Scotland?s next First Minister.


Anas Sarwar 'embarrassed' by father?s Ayatollah tribute
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
2 Mar 2026 at 12:58pm
Anas Sarwar says he is ?embarrassed? by his father?s tribute to Ayatollah Khamenei, insisting he ?deeply disagrees" and calling the Iranian regime ?brutal?.


Cost of setting up Scotland's new quango revealed amid housing emergency
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
2 Mar 2026 at 5:30am
Scotland's new quango set up to tackle the housing emergency will cost taxpayers £2 million but won't be operational until 2027-28.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Keir Starmer hits back at Donald Trump in row over Iran strikes
2 Mar 2026 at 6:52pm

The PM told the Commons on Monday that ?it is my duty to judge what is in Britain?s national interest? and that he ?does not believe in regime change from the skies.?

The Scottish government has confirmed it is aware of the ?incident? at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Anas Sarwar has described the now-former Iranian supreme leader as ?evil? - but his father takes a different view

Group includes Alex Salmond?s niece Christina Hendry, ex-SNP MP Angus B Macneil and former Scottish Socialist leader Tommy Sheridan

Linking Glasgow Airport to the city centre by rail has long been spoken about - but plans have, so far, failed to materialise

Cosla has also warned that the settlement to local government from Holyrood is ?billions short? for the next financial year.

Anas Sarwar has been told to stand up for Scotland and demand his Labour colleagues axe the windfall tax.

The Scottish government has admitted a ?need to improve our curriculum in a planned and systematic way?.

Wings over Scotland

Two Men Unalike
28 Feb 2026 at 1:41pm
So Cathy Newman of Channel 4 News got herself a scoop last night. And to be honest, readers, we were a bit confused. “Gender critical views” are not only lawful things to hold and express, they’re one of a small subset of opinions that are explicitly protected as such in law. And why would a …

The Tactics Of Suicide
26 Feb 2026 at 1:48pm
Sorry, readers, we’ve been too busy boiling with rage at revolting, cretinous Americans for the last few days to trust ourselves with writing a full-length article, but we’ve just about calmed down enough in time for this month’s polling analysis. Which is handy, because today is also the day of the Gorton and Denton by-election …

When the law breaks the law
19 Feb 2026 at 1:33pm
There is a not particularly funny joke that is sometimes told in legal circles about why a law student failed to finish his coursework ? because he had no conviction. With rare exceptions lawyers aren?t renowned for their sense of humour but I can?t help thinking someone, at the highest levels of our justice system, …

The Future Is Yesterday
18 Feb 2026 at 2:10pm
So on the one hand there’s obviously very little point paying attention to the SNP’s regional list candidates for May’s Holyrood election, because as this website has comprehensively demonstrated over recent months, the chances of the SNP having any list MSPs elected are remote. However, nothing is impossible, so let’s take a look at the …

Scotland In Numbers
17 Feb 2026 at 11:30pm
Cost of keeping vital rape crisis services in Glasgow operating: £500,000. Amount of money wasted by the Scottish Government fighting and losing court cases to try to remove women’s rights: £1.14 million. Angry yet?

The Longest Road
16 Feb 2026 at 1:23pm
As the six-year fight for justice for Alex Salmond continues, we thought you might like to see this clip from this morning’s Mike Graham Show, interviewing Paul McManus, the businessman and drummer in Glasgow rock band Gun who’s stepped up to fund the Salmond family’s case against the Scottish Government despite disagreeing with much of …

The Modern Politician
10 Feb 2026 at 5:17pm
A play in three acts: And you thought ours were spineless. Poor old Anas, though. If 24 hours is a long time in politics these days, a week is forever. And a month hardly even bears thinking about. As for a year and a half, well, the less said the better.

A Dumber Nation
9 Feb 2026 at 3:52pm
In politics, readers, evil and stupidity aren’t the same thing. But nor are they exclusive. Before we ask you to consider which of the terms applies to the Scottish Government led by John Swinney, we’d like you to read this letter sent to Wings by the auntie of two women imprisoned in Scottish jails. “I …

Echoes of history
8 Feb 2026 at 5:26pm
The Sunday National’s front page today elicited a sigh of “So what?” from most. We’ve already GOT a “pro-indy” majority at Holyrood and have done for the last 10 years, for all it’s been worth. But to be fair there was a paragraph in the article that at least raised a quizzical eyebrow. Because, y’know, …

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 …

Craig Murray

The War for Greater Israel
1 Mar 2026 at 2:21pm

There has scarcely been an attempt to pretend any justification in international law for the attack on Iran and murder of its leader. The response of the UK government, focusing almost entirely on condemning Iran for exercising its legitimate right of self-defence, takes the Starmer dishonesty meter further off the scale. The RAF has been …

The War for Greater Israel

Rival Demonstrations in Caracas
23 Feb 2026 at 8:28am

There are two things which are extremely difficult to find in Venezuela – government repression and opposition support. I am pretty long in the tooth and very experienced in understanding politics and people around the world, and I have found it difficult to locate either. I would particularly warn you against accepting the political prisoners …

Rival Demonstrations in Caracas

Two Little Caracas Videos
17 Feb 2026 at 6:34am

I hope to write a serious article shortly about the position of Venezuela, which is rather that of a hostage with a gun to their head, attempting to appease a psychopath. But for now here are a couple of small videos illustrating that it is a lie that the country is failed, starving or repressive. …

Two Little Caracas Videos

Postpone The Celebrations
14 Feb 2026 at 7:46am

On the face of it the English High Court ruling that the Palestine Action proscription is unlawful makes the decision that the proscription remains in place pending appeal utterly illogical. But what if the High Court ruling is deliberately designed to fail at appeal? I believe that it is. They chose an extremely narrow path …

Postpone The Celebrations

Is The USA Controlling Venezuela
7 Feb 2026 at 5:54pm

My first video report from Venezuela: My being here reporting is entirely possible due, as is all my journalism and activism, to your individual subscriptions and donations. We now have a Venezuela reporting crowdfunder. I have simply edited the Lebanese GoFundMe crowdfunder, because that took many weeks to be approved and I don’t want to …

Is The USA Controlling Venezuela

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

BBC Scotland

Sir John Curtice: Which issues will decide the elections in Scotland and Wales?
2 Mar 2026 at 6:28am
A poll carried out for the BBC examines the issues which will influence how people plan to vote on 7 May.

Scotland's main election issues in six charts
2 Mar 2026 at 6:09am
A poll carried out for the BBC examines the issues which will influence how people plan to vote on 7 May.

Sarwar rejects father's tribute to Iran's supreme leader
2 Mar 2026 at 6:23pm
Former Scottish Labour MP Mohammad Sarwar praised Ayatollah Khamenei as a martyr after he was killed in a US-Israeli strike.

Alba members call on leader to 'fight election or resign'
1 Mar 2026 at 2:42pm
The Alba Continuation Group demands that leader Kenny MacAskill stand down after he said it was unlikely the party would contest May's Scottish parliament election.

Tribute from Jeane Freeman's 'soulmate' at memorial service
28 Feb 2026 at 3:16pm
A thanksgiving service followed the private cremation of the 72-year-old who died on 7 February, just 25 days after being diagnosed with cancer.

What does the Manchester by-election result mean for Scotland?
28 Feb 2026 at 9:34am
The result has caught the attention of political parties here, as they gear up for a Holyrood election.

Sarwar promises housebuilding 'revolution' and affordable rent
27 Feb 2026 at 7:26pm
The Scottish Labour leader committed to expanding affordable rents and establishing a new housing investment bank.

Why has the world's first hydrogen double-decker fleet failed?
27 Feb 2026 at 4:15pm
The multi-million pound project in Aberdeen was meant to be the future of clean public transportation.

Scandal-hit hospital left children with lifelong conditions, MSPs told
26 Feb 2026 at 6:39pm
Children treated at a Glasgow hospital are suffering from chronic stomach pain and incontinence, parents say.

Douglas Ross: My behaviour fell short of what is expected of MSPs
26 Feb 2026 at 3:18pm
The Tory MSP apologised after refusing to leave the chamber on Tuesday when being ordered to do so by Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone.

Nine local authorities set council tax rises above rate of inflation
26 Feb 2026 at 6:44pm
Households in Aberdeenshire and Moray face a 10% rise, while Edinburgh and Fife will see increases at the lower end of the scale.

Grieving mother pushes minister on taking knives off the shelves
26 Feb 2026 at 10:29am
Lisa Petrie started to push for tougher restrictions following the death of her 22-year-old son in a stabbing incident in September.

Scot Goes Pop

244 people have pledged loyalty so far to the Alba Continuity Junta - and onl...
2 Mar 2026 at 4:47pm
As regular viewers of my YouTube channel will recall, the little-known Alba businessman Abdul Majid has an exciting habit of doing things in bulk.  In 2023, he was one of the five clear beneficiari...

Profound shock in Alba ranks after Susan MacAskill, the spouse of party leade...
1 Mar 2026 at 4:55pm
I was contacted earlier today by a member of the Alba Party, who I think was genuinely quite shocked that a controversial fellow member and convicted criminal called Dave Llewellyn had posted on Fa...

Corri Wilson, straight-talking, totally unfiltered, on why the Alba Party mus...
1 Mar 2026 at 1:17am
I've been sent an audio recording of Corri Wilson, matriarch of Alba's Corri Nostra faction and also the party's "Director of Operations", addressing what appears to be some sort of internal party ...

Popular factional matriarch Corri Wilson sends tidings of great joy to local ...
28 Feb 2026 at 4:34pm
It's the puzzler that has gripped and perplexed fashionable salons like no other since the Schleswig Holstein Question: are Alba branches accounting units in their own right?  Does their money belo...

"From this day forth, it's DNA, NOT DEMOCRACY": Christina Hendry stakes her "...
28 Feb 2026 at 8:56am
I've rarely before had much sympathy for the views of the self-styled "straight-talking totally unfiltered independent woman" Shannon Cullen (formerly Donoghue), but I checked her Twitter account l...

"Things are even worse now than when I told you the party was dead" says Alba...
27 Feb 2026 at 5:51pm
Hot off the press, here is Kenny MacAskill's latest email to Alba members, in which he gives short shrift to the presumptuous notion of the self-appointed provisional "Junta" (ie. Christina "Of The...

Stonehaven SENSATION: "Most accurate polling company" projects an SNP overall...
26 Feb 2026 at 1:51am

Analysis of the MRP mega-poll suggesting the SNP are on course for a single-p...
25 Feb 2026 at 5:31pm
So a couple of 'quick notes' for you today, because I have two new articles on The National's website.  First up is the constituency profile of Aberdeen Donside, which you can read HERE.  I've also...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Anas Sarwar condemns father for praising ?brutal? Iranian Ayatollah
2 Mar 2026 at 2:02pm
The Scottish Labour leader said his father, a former Labour MP and governor of Punjab, was ?wrong? to pay tribute to the Islamist dictator

Scottish Labour would build Glasgow Airport rail link
2 Mar 2026 at 10:09am
Party leader Anas Sarwar said a government he leads would back the link ?once and for all?

Situation in Middle East ?deeply concerning?, says Angus Robertson
1 Mar 2026 at 1:39pm
External Affairs Secretary said Holyrood ministers have been in contact with the UK Government over the weekend and are being updated on the situation

Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons resigns over Labour Together ?distraction?
28 Feb 2026 at 6:30pm
The Makerfield MP said he had ?become a distraction from this Government?s important work?.

Alba members call on leader to resign if he will not take party into election
28 Feb 2026 at 4:19pm
Members of the so-called Alba Continuation Group want to be able to field candidates on the regional list vote for the Scottish Parliament.

Starmer tells Iran to ?refrain? from further attacks after calls with EU allies
28 Feb 2026 at 2:27pm
US and Israeli forces attacked Iran on Saturday morning in what the two countries described as a ?pre-emptive? strike

First Minister John Swinney calls for ?de-escalation? after US-Israel strikes...
28 Feb 2026 at 12:21pm
A major attack on targets across Iran was launched in the early hours of Saturday

Thanksgiving service to be held for late former health secretary Jeane Freeman
28 Feb 2026 at 11:48am
She held the brief during the outbreak of the Covid pandemic

May election could be Labour?s ?only chance? to oust SNP ? Anas Sarwar
27 Feb 2026 at 4:44pm
The Scottish Labour leader was speaking as he addressed his party?s conference in Paisley

Labour challenges deepen as poll predicts Reform to be main Holyrood opposition
27 Feb 2026 at 2:47pm
A YouGov poll for the Scottish Election Study (SES) group puts Labour in third place in the constituency vote and fourth in the list vote

Holyrood sets date for final debate on Assisted Dying Bill
26 Feb 2026 at 9:32pm
MSPs will begin considering amendments to the proposed legislation on March 10, with a final vote expected to take place on March 17.

Alba will contest Holyrood election in May, say leading party figures
26 Feb 2026 at 12:36pm
Christina Hendry, niece of Alex Salmond, is one of a group of senior Alba members who say the party will contest the list ballot

Swinney to face FMQs after Holyrood passes Budget and grooming gangs announce...
26 Feb 2026 at 12:05pm
The First Minister will face questions from the opposition

Number of asylum seekers in hotels falls to 18-month low
26 Feb 2026 at 9:47am
The Home Office has released the latest immigration statistics

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

John Swinney ?deeply concerned? over Iran conflict and questions legality of ...
2 Mar 2026 at 5:22pm
The First Minister said "this type of military intervention can often be wholly counterproductive".

Scottish politics today: Anas Sarwar says his father is 'wrong' on late Irani...
2 Mar 2026 at 5:00pm
The Daily Record brings you its daily 5pm briefing of the top stories in Scottish politics.

Anas Sarwar 'embarrassed' after dad posts tribute to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
2 Mar 2026 at 1:58pm
Mohammad Sarwar, a former Glasgow MP, hailed Khamenei as a "martyr" after he was assassinated last week by airstrikes led by the US and Israel.

Donald Trump 'very disappointed' with Keir Starmer over Iran strike delay
2 Mar 2026 at 12:26pm
Tensions between the US President and UK Prime Minister are mounting after Trump's attack on Iran.

Scots face higher charges as Scottish Water 'being privatised by the back door'
2 Mar 2026 at 10:55am
The publicly-owned utilities giant owes more than £4bn to the SNP Government.

Glasgow Caledonian University to axe 100 jobs in bid to close £10m black hole
2 Mar 2026 at 10:21am
EXCLUSIVE: The job losses were revealed in a communication by Principal Mairi Watson seen by the Record.

SNP's walk-in GP clinics 'widen inequalities' by attracting wealthier patients
2 Mar 2026 at 4:30am
Dr Chris Provan, Chair of the Royal College of GPs in Scotland, has criticised the claims made about the new services.

Anas Sarwar would revive Glasgow airport rail link project if Labour wins Hol...
2 Mar 2026 at 4:30am
The project's supporters say a rail link would make it easier for holidaymakers and provide an economic boost for Glasgow.

Closing the M8 motorway through Glasgow is no longer just a Green fantasy
28 Feb 2026 at 5:00pm
The huge cost of repairing a crumbling 1960s road viaduct through Woodside is forcing Transport Scotland to think the previously unthinkable.

Scottish politics today: Gorton by-election defeat a 'wake-up call' for Labour
27 Feb 2026 at 5:00pm
The Daily Record brings you its daily 5pm briefing of the top stories in Scottish politics.

The National

The National | Politics

It is telling that John Healey won't say if attack on Iran is illegal
2 Mar 2026 at 6:30pm

THE mere fact that Defence Secretary John Healey refuses to say whether the joint Trump/Netanyahu attack on Iran on Saturday was illegal or not very much leaves a suspicion that it was illegal.

The Scottish Government seem to be taking a short-sighted approach
2 Mar 2026 at 6:30pm

ARTICLES on page six of Monday?s edition give cause for concern, in that they imply a lack of foresight on independence by the current Edinburgh administration.

'Is this a jolly?': SNP question £4k spent on wine on Scotland Office credit ...
2 Mar 2026 at 5:47pm

THE Scotland Office must explain why their credit cards have been used on ?wine merchants and swanky restaurants abroad? that ?look like a jolly?, the SNP have said ...

Scottish Labour slammed over ?deluded? 38 Holyrood constituency seats claim
2 Mar 2026 at 5:37pm

SCOTTISH Labour have been panned after ?senior figures? made some bold claims about how many seats they could pick up at this May?s Holyrood elections ...

Fears UK 'will sign away' key food protections in bid for EU trade deal
2 Mar 2026 at 5:23pm

LABOUR must not sign away their pre-election pledges on animal welfare in a bid to land a trade deal, politicians, advocates, and trade experts have said.

John Swinney accuses US and Israel of breaking international law in Iran strikes
2 Mar 2026 at 5:01pm

SCOTLAND'S First Minister John Swinney has suggested the United States and Israel broke international law.

Keir Starmer 'welcome in Wales if he brings £14bn', Welsh Labour leader says
2 Mar 2026 at 4:30pm

KEIR Starmer is only welcome to campaign in the Welsh Senedd elections if he stumps up £14 billion, the Welsh First Minister has suggested

John Swinney to address Scottish independence rally during Holyrood election ...
2 Mar 2026 at 4:00pm

JOHN Swinney will address an independence rally just over a week before the Scottish Parliament elections.

2026 Holyrood candidates are laughable. Can they really help free Scotland fr...
2 Mar 2026 at 3:21pm

GRANGEMOUTH is the outcome you get with career politicians, a weak civil service and a lack of political ethos to serve the people of Scotland

?Fairy tales? jibe is rich from Labour given their many false promises
2 Mar 2026 at 3:00pm

WITH the absolutely ludicrous comment by Heidi Alexander (pictured) about the Green Party peddling fairy tales, let?s have a wee look at who lives in La La ( Labour) Land and who speaks responsibly.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Situation in Middle East ?deeply concerning?, says Angus Robertson
1 Mar 2026 at 11:00pm
The external affairs minister said the Scottish Government has been in contact with the UK Government and is being updated on the situation as the conflict in the Middle East has escalated over the weekend

?Hold your nose? and vote Labour, Anas Sarwar says
27 Feb 2026 at 3:28pm
The Scottish Labour leader made an appeal to would-be Reform and independence voters

Michael Marra: SNP claims that independence will cut energy bills are 'ludicr...
27 Feb 2026 at 3:20pm
Douglas Alexander hits out at 'anti-science' nuclear stance in conference appearance

Poll: SNP in pole position despite growing unhappiness with government
27 Feb 2026 at 2:06pm
The final Scottish Opinion Monitor (Scoop) poll before the election found just 23 per cent of respondents thought the party was doing a ?good job? in office, compared with 40 per cent in December 2021.

Local Authorities Guide: City of Edinburgh Council
27 Feb 2026 at 6:00am
Council leader Jane Meagher answers questions about local authority

From snapshots to certainty: using intelligent monitoring to right-size care ...
27 Feb 2026 at 6:00am

?How do you sleep at night?? First minister pressed over children left with ?...
26 Feb 2026 at 1:43pm
Anas Sarwar raised the issue during Thursday's FMQs

Scottish Government proposes criminalising intimate deepfake creation
26 Feb 2026 at 11:19am
It is one measure within a broader consultation on improving protections for women and girls

'Radical change' warning for health and social care integration join boards
26 Feb 2026 at 7:01am
Watchdog says the situation is 'critical' as costs rise and reserves dwindle

Museums Matter
26 Feb 2026 at 6:00am
Across Scotland, museums are quietly changing lives. From the smallest volunteer run local museum to our nationally renowned institutions

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

Scotland becomes first UK country to legalise water cremations
2 Mar 2026 at 3:24pm
Hydrolysis uses alkaline and water to break down body in a few hours and is part of demand for more sustainable funeralsScotland has become the first part of the UK to legalise hydrolysis, an environmentally friendly alternative to cremation or burial, reflecting increasing demand for more sustai...

PM vows to ?keep fighting? after Greens sweep past Labour and Reform to win b...
27 Feb 2026 at 5:57pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here:Report: Labour MPs demand Starmer change directionAnalysis: clock is ticking for StarmerProfile: who is Hannah Spencer, new Green MP?Reform activists are ?hearing Matt Goodwin has all but conceded defeat to the Greens?, the UK poll agg...

Sarwar gambles on break with Starmer as Labour support slumps
26 Feb 2026 at 10:03am
Scottish Labour leader hopes distancing himself from PM will shift focus to SNP?s record, but voters remain unconvinced?People look at Holyrood and think: ?Lets give them all a bloody nose?,? says Alex, a betting shop manager. Speaking in a focus group of people who voted Labour at the 2024 gener...

Foreign Office denies minister?s claim the Chagos Islands deal has been pause...
25 Feb 2026 at 5:30pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereThe Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published figures showing that local authorities in England dealt with 1.26m flytipping incidents in 2024/25 ? 9% increase on the previous year.And there was an 11% increase in ...

Role of Scotland?s top law officer questioned after ?bombshell? over Peter Mu...
25 Feb 2026 at 2:52pm
Lord advocate Dorothy Bain informed first minister of embezzlement charges against former SNP chief executive a year before they were made publicSerious doubts have been raised about the dual role of Scotland?s top law officer after it emerged that the first minister was informed of criminal char...

The Guardian view on Scottish Labour: Keir Starmer needs Anas Sarwar?s act of...
22 Feb 2026 at 5:30pm
The leader of Scottish Labour will use its spring conference to demonstrate that he is his own man. Ironically, the prime minister?s survival may depend on his successAt Scottish Labour?s spring conference last year, Sir Keir Starmer bullishly addressed mounting discontent at his government?s per...

The Guardian view on Scotland?s housing crisis: supply has failed to keep pac...
18 Feb 2026 at 6:25pm
The country?s homelessness legislation is ambitious and humane. But too many people are still sleeping on the streets or in temporary accommodationRough sleeping in Scotland has risen by 106% over the past three years. Record numbers of children are now living in temporary accommodation, official...

?It?s betrayal?: Shetland?s scallop fishers brace for arrival of UK?s largest...
17 Feb 2026 at 12:00pm
Huge project by Norwegian-owned Scottish Sea Farms gets go-ahead amid concerns over the environmental cost of fish farming and threat to traditional way of lifeAt Collafirth, north Shetland, Sydney Johnson is unloading two-dozen bags of scallops by throwing them over his head like medicine balls ...

Tuesday briefing: The factors that will shape the future of Scotland
17 Feb 2026 at 7:55am
In today?s newsletter: As Scottish voters prepare to go to the polls, how can Labour, Reform and the Conservatives capitalise on weakening trust in the SNP?Good morning. The SNP has been in government since 2007, a phenomenal 19-year run, but polling suggests Scottish voters? trust in its ability...

Mick Duncan obituary
16 Feb 2026 at 8:39pm
My friend and fellow architect Mick Duncan, who has died aged 86, imbued his architecture with human scale and proportion, whether for the extensive buildings for Stirling University, at Victoria Quay housing the Scottish Executive in Leith, or in the modest yet stately headquarters for United Di...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

Starmer?s support for Trump?s Epstein war may be the final blow to Labour in ...
1 Mar 2026 at 11:50am
America has gone to war in the Middle East at the behest of Netanyahu again, when Trump attacked Iran in June last year and assured us that Iran’s nuclear weapons programme had been completely destroyed it hadn’t really been completely destroyed at all. Trump lied. I’m shocked I tell you, shocked. I’m no fan of …

Goodwin ? Bad Loser, lessons from Gorton & Denton for Scotland
27 Feb 2026 at 2:23pm
Imagine being called Goodwin but being such a bad loser. This week’s by-election in Gorton and Denton in Manchester was initially portrayed in the British media as being a contest between Labour and Reform UK, with the expectation that Reform UK would coast to an easy victory. In recent days as the Greens pulled ahead …

57% support for independence in the most recent poll
26 Feb 2026 at 1:50pm
There has been another poll on voting intention in a Scottish independence referendum. The poll from Stonehaven polling for The Times newspaper which I reported on yesterday also included a question on independence. This poll had fantastic news for the SNP, reporting that an SNP majority is possible. It also has fantastic news for the …

Second poll in a month puts the SNP on track for a majority in Holyrood
25 Feb 2026 at 2:10pm
  In this bin-fire of a UK it’s nice to be able to report a glimmer of hope for a change. For the second time within a month, an opinion poll has put the level of support for the SNP at a level which would allow it to win an outright majority in its own …

Cruelty built on lies, Reform?s immigration plans
23 Feb 2026 at 3:35pm
On Monday Reform UK’s home affairs spokes bigot the millionaire Zia Yusuf announced his party’s plans for the immigration system should we be unfortunate enough to see Reform UK take power after the next Westminster general election, which due to Westminster’s corrupt and undemocratic first past the post voting system could allow Farage and his …

Rejoining the EU looks set to get much easier for an independent Scotland
22 Feb 2026 at 2:52pm
According to former SNP MP and MEP Alyn Smith, who is well informed about developments within the EU, joining the EU looks set to become a whole lot easier for an independent Scotland. The EU Commission is proposing to revamp and speed up the process through which states which are candidates for EU membership accede …

Kenny MacAskill announces that the party is over for Alba
21 Feb 2026 at 3:48pm
So much for my afternoon off. Literally seconds after publishing my last blog piece I learned that the Alba party’s leader Kenny MacAskill had issued a statement in an email to Alba party members saying that the party will not after all be standing candidates at May’s Holyrood election. The statement blames the sudden decision …

New polling and Reform may have peaked
21 Feb 2026 at 1:47pm
I’ve been blogging a lot this week, which is what happens when there’s nothing on the telly except the Winter Olympics. All power to those who enjoy that sort of thing, but watching people sliding down a mountain in the snow with two planks strapped to their feet leaves me cold, pun intended. So my …

Labour Together: the authoritarian right wing rot at the heart of Starmer?s p...
20 Feb 2026 at 1:09pm
Having had personal encounters with people on the right of the Labour party the left wing comedian and Corbyn supporter Alexei Sayle said: “The right of the Labour Party are some of the most fucking horrible, vile, gruesome people. I’ve never met such awful people as those on the right of the Labour Party.” After …

Yes United and Independence Forum Scotland : Putting the band back together
19 Feb 2026 at 8:45pm
Please note that tickets for the daytime conference are now sold out, but tickets are still available for the evening event. Frustration at the lack of progress to secure better lives for current and future generations of Scots has raised the number of independence campaign groups working outside party politics. Campaigns focus on all sectors …

The Courier

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Scottish Politics News From Holyrood and Westminster | The Courier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Talking up Scotland

Talking-up Scotland

Paul Hutcheon?s claim that SNP?s walk-in GP clinics ?widen inequalities? by a...
2 Mar 2026 at 4:49pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON In the Daily Record today from Paul Hutcheon: A top medic has claimed the SNP Government?s new GP walk-in centres will widen inequalities by attracting wealthier patients. Dr Chris Provan also s...

Everything is then to be considered as British and so ready to be privatised??..
2 Mar 2026 at 4:47pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON By Liz S The media report that ?US tech giant Palantir has wrapped its tentacles around the British state, securing major contracts with the Ministry of Defence and the NHS?. But  the US data an...

Daily Record?s ?Horror street drug ?pyro? sweeping Scotland as addicts found ...
2 Mar 2026 at 4:46pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON That’s the Record‘s headline yesterday and: Scotland’s homeless community has told of the horror of contaminated street drugs ? after 81 people died in three months after taking synthetic opioid...

How can there be an affordable housing ?crisis? in Scotland when we beat the ...
2 Mar 2026 at 4:44pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON As the Herald, today, frontpages the Scottish Conservatives, soon to face a near-extinction event and become only the 5th party in Scotland, to ‘blast’ the SNP Government and suggest once more a...

Many thanks to 300 contributors so far but had 114 649 readers in just Februa...
2 Mar 2026 at 11:36am
Talking-up Scotland’s founder in 2014, John Robertson Many thanks to 300 contributors so far but there were 114 649 readers in just February 2026 and the target is still well off. Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotland Click above Or direct bank transfer – Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON

As it falls in NHS Scotland, BBC England evidence for corridor care surges in...
2 Mar 2026 at 9:46am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON From BBC England today, the above and: More than 52,000 patients waited longer than 24 hours to be admitted to hospitals across north-west England last year, a BBC investigation has revealed. Kn...

Why are more GPs opting to work outside the NHS? They?re not in Scotland wher...
2 Mar 2026 at 9:18am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON From BBC England this morning, the above and: In her consulting room, Dr Yvonne Girgis-Hanna is at work as a GP, but not for the NHS. She is one of an increasing number of family doctors opting ...

Only 20 years after ?Scotland was one of the most unsafe countries to live in...
2 Mar 2026 at 8:48am
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON Today, pollster Ipsos are reporting that across Europe, people worry more about crime and violence than anything else, climbing above other concerns from early 2025. Here’s the trend. It may be ...

A9 ? the one way road to Inverness from a city that must not be named in a co...
1 Mar 2026 at 4:51pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON BBC Scotland: Highlands Islands, today, has the above and : A man and a woman have been arrested and charged in connection with drug offences after £100,000 worth of cocaine was discovered durin...

Could a huge data centre revitalise Ayrshire ? or ruin it? How Scotland?s mas...
1 Mar 2026 at 4:50pm
Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account - 12266421 Name - JOHN ROBERTSON BBC Scotland, Glasgow & West today has: Could a huge data centre revitalise Ayrshire – or ruin it? Supporters talk of it revitalising the region, bringing new jobs and investment that would be p...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

John Swinney to address Scottish independence rally during Holyrood election ...
2 Mar 2026 at 4:05pm
John Swinney to address Scottish independence rally during Holyrood election campaign  TheNational.scot

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

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

Report: 'Scotland needs mechanism to trigger independence referendum' - The H...
27 Feb 2026 at 7:41am
Report: 'Scotland needs mechanism to trigger independence referendum'  The Herald

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

Poll: SNP in pole position despite growing unhappiness with government - Holy...
27 Feb 2026 at 2:14pm
Poll: SNP in pole position despite growing unhappiness with government  Holyrood Website

Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scotti...
9 Oct 2025 at 8:00am
Twenty-five years of data shows how link between identity and views on Scottish independence has grown stronger  The Conversation

New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence - gatescambr...
3 Feb 2026 at 8:00am
New book charts writer?s role in thwarting Scottish independence  gatescambridge.org

X feature exposes Iranian-run pro-Scottish independence accounts - UKDJ - ???...
24 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
X feature exposes Iranian-run pro-Scottish independence accounts - UKDJ  ????? ??????????

Poll shows 'independence now there to be won' as SNP on course for majority -...
25 Feb 2026 at 1:48pm
Poll shows 'independence now there to be won' as SNP on course for majority  TheNational.scot

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

SNP Schneider-Neureither & Partner SE: Release according to Article 40, Secti...
2 Mar 2026 at 5:12pm
SNP Schneider-Neureither & Partner SE: Release according to Article 40, Section 1 of the WpHG the German Securities Trading Act with the objective of Europe-wide distribution  TradingView

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell accused of embezzling £459,000 over ...
13 Feb 2026 at 8:00am
Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell accused of embezzling £459,000 over 12-year period  BBC

Poll: SNP in pole position despite growing unhappiness with government - Holy...
27 Feb 2026 at 2:14pm
Poll: SNP in pole position despite growing unhappiness with government  Holyrood Website

Labour's tax on jobs 'worsening the cost-of-living crisis in Scotland' - The ...
2 Mar 2026 at 5:04am
Labour's tax on jobs 'worsening the cost-of-living crisis in Scotland'  The Herald

SNP's flagship curriculum 'harming children's prospects', experts warn - The ...
2 Mar 2026 at 6:00am
SNP's flagship curriculum 'harming children's prospects', experts warn  The Scotsman

SNP need constituencies for a Holyrood majority. But is this one out of reach...
27 Feb 2026 at 5:06am
SNP need constituencies for a Holyrood majority. But is this one out of reach?  TheNational.scot

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says a 'vote for Reform lets SNP cling to ...
27 Feb 2026 at 7:20pm
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says a 'vote for Reform lets SNP cling to power'  Sky News

Renfrewshire's council tax rise to by 7.5 per cent as SNP budget passes - Dai...
2 Mar 2026 at 5:21pm
Renfrewshire's council tax rise to by 7.5 per cent as SNP budget passes  Daily Record

SNP in 'hypocrisy' storm as Nats break cover and back calls to stop Rosebank ...
2 Mar 2026 at 3:50pm
SNP in 'hypocrisy' storm as Nats break cover and back calls to stop Rosebank oil field  Scottish Daily Express

John Swinney secretly briefed on Nicola Sturgeon ?SNP fraud? let-off BEFORE h...
28 Feb 2026 at 10:46pm
John Swinney secretly briefed on Nicola Sturgeon ?SNP fraud? let-off BEFORE her  The Scottish Sun

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

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

Report: 'Scotland needs mechanism to trigger independence referendum' - The H...
27 Feb 2026 at 7:41am
Report: 'Scotland needs mechanism to trigger independence referendum'  The Herald

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

Poll shows 'independence now there to be won' as SNP on course for majority -...
25 Feb 2026 at 1:48pm
Poll shows 'independence now there to be won' as SNP on course for majority  TheNational.scot

legal mechanism for triggering an independence referendum ? The NEN - North E...
27 Feb 2026 at 2:00pm
legal mechanism for triggering an independence referendum ? The NEN  North Edinburgh 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

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

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

Swinney says SNP win would trigger new Scotland referendum | Daily Sabah - Da...
18 Jan 2026 at 8:00am
Swinney says SNP win would trigger new Scotland referendum | Daily Sabah  Daily Sabah

Scottish political snapshot, November 2025 - YouGov
17 Nov 2025 at 8:00am
Scottish political snapshot, November 2025  YouGov