The Herald

The Herald | Politics


Statue of Nelson Mandela unveiled in Glasgow
by Nick Forbes
9 Oct 2026 at 7:15pm
A statue of Nelson Mandela has been unveiled in Glasgow, 33 years to the day since he was granted freedom of the city in a packed George Square


Stephen Flynn: 'My CalMac gas leak response was unacceptable but I wasn't bri...
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
9 Oct 2026 at 4:28pm
Stephen Flynn admits his CalMac gas leak response was unacceptable but denies FOI emails show he was briefed before a Holyrood committee hearing amid row.


'Free to leave': Unhappy civil servants told to quit over office working rules
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
9 Oct 2026 at 2:18pm
Scottish Government civil servants have been told they are 'free to leave' by a senior official if they are not happy with new hybrid working rules.


Stephen Flynn was emailed about CalMac gas leak before denying knowledge to MSPs
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
9 Oct 2026 at 1:05pm
Stephen Flynn was briefed on CalMac?s highly flammable gas leak ? despite controversially telling a Holyrood committee he had had no knowledge of the high-profile incident.


£1m pledged to create ?areas of linguistic significance? to help Gaelic thrive
by Katrine Bussey
9 Oct 2026 at 8:23am
Could this help Gaelic thrive? More than £1 million is being allocated


Scotland handing out 23,000 antidepressants a day ? 20 years after vow to hal...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
9 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
New Public Health Scotland data shows 8.6 million antidepressant items were dispensed in 2025/26 ? up nearly 10% since 2021 and 15% since 2020, despite a Scottish Government pledge dating to 2007 to bring annual rises to zero.


Scots groups among those calling Gaza 'ceasefire in name only'
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
9 Oct 2026 at 12:01am
More than 100 humanitarian, human rights, and other civil society organisations have signed an open letter stating that a ceasefire in Gaza exists 'in name only'


Green MSP Manivannan allowed to continue working in UK after visa extended
by Craig Meighan
9 Oct 2026 at 12:13pm
The 30-year-old, originally from India, was elected to Holyrood in May


?Fascism in Action?: Reform bid to ban burqa sparks angry Holyrood clashes
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
8 Oct 2026 at 6:28pm
MSPs from the SNP, Labour and the Greens rounded on Reform UK at Holyrood on Thursday, condemning its push for restrictions on face coverings as Islamophobic and a calculated attack on Muslim women.


SNP demands Burnham act now as reports warn of record fall in living standards
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
8 Oct 2026 at 6:00pm
Two major think tanks warn that typical disposable incomes are nearly £3,000 lower than before the crisis, with Labour now on course to preside over the worst parliament for living standards since modern records began in 1961.


New winter NHS plan targets delayed discharge as pressure builds across Scotland
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
8 Oct 2026 at 3:12pm
Scotland?s winter NHS plan will target delayed discharge, hospital flow and care closer to home as ministers prepare for increased pressure on health and social care services.


Why John Swinney?s ?lose our pensions? claim does not add up
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
8 Oct 2026 at 1:26pm
The row over pensions may not sound like the most exciting story, but it matters to everyone eventually. That is why politicians have a responsibility to give people accurate information.


Four of five Edinburgh Green female councillors standing down as local electi...
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
8 Oct 2026 at 9:44am
On Wednesday evening, the party announced that councillors Susan Rae, Jule Bandel, Claire Miller, and Kayleigh Kinross-O?Neill will not seek re-election.


SNP Aberdeen conference: Greens invite angers members
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
8 Oct 2026 at 5:00am
SNP grassroots members have reacted with fury to plans to give Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay a platform at the party's Aberdeen conference.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Stephen Flynn urged to refer himself for investigation over ferry 'cover up'
9 Oct 2026 at 5:48pm

The Tories called for action after ?bombshell new evidence?

Professor Christine McCourt said there was ?a great potential to learn from people's experience?

Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali won the by-election.

The Scottish Government is being warned that a ?dreadful winter? awaits.

Stephen Kerr?s comments over flexible working cause uproar among staff

Rape Crisis Scotland said there needed to be a ?proper timeline for implementation?

Staff member raised concerns about ?corruption? and ?misuse of public funds? at Historic Environment Scotland

Wings over Scotland

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 …

A Thousand Islands In The Sea
16 Sep 2026 at 1:22pm
We’re getting so much correspondence from Police Scotland at the moment that we’re starting to feel like their guiltily-neglected penpal. This one, though, is slightly more involved than their usual two-paragraph brushoff. Don’t get too excited, though – it amounts to the same thing. This is self-evident gibberish. Nobody was prosecuted, let alone convicted, over …

Fear And Favour
15 Sep 2026 at 1:10pm
This is what it looks like, if you’ve ever wondered. It’s basically the police’s own version of a seven-hour “no comment” interview. Let’s take a moment to remind ourselves of that letter of 20 August, because it was a pretty significant and serious piece of professional correspondence to have been so casually tossed away in …

Craig Murray

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

Four Days in Ekaterinburg
21 Sep 2026 at 1:26pm

I was surprised a few weeks ago to get an invitation from Yana Lantratova, Russian Federal Commissioner for Human Rights, to deliver a speech on human rights to the International Youth Festival in Ekaterinburg. It is approaching 20 years since I was last in Russia, and I tend to avoid invitations from governments. But on …

Four Days in Ekaterinburg

Dishonesty and Deceit
7 Sep 2026 at 7:31pm

UPDATE We got an expedited date to “reclaim” (appeal) against the suspension of the case, on 25 September. We shall also be reclaiming against the decision not to send the case straight to the Inner House. All parties seemed to agree there may just be time, if our appeal is successful, to finish the Scottish …

Dishonesty and Deceit

Nonsense Drones and Novichok
3 Sep 2026 at 2:14pm

Europe urgently needs to re-establish access to Russian oil and gas. Gas prices are high – as all UK energy consumers know – and German gas storage is at a record low for September. Gulf production is degraded, supplies are cut off and its long-term strategic stability undermined. German manufacturing already suffered a 9.5% production …

Nonsense Drones and Novichok

BBC Scotland

Swinney backs Flynn in ferry gas leak row and says 'nobody's perfect'
9 Oct 2026 at 7:04pm
The first minister says he has confidence in his transport secretary, who denies being briefed about the ferry incident.

Reform MSPs accused of racism over burka ban debate at Holyrood
8 Oct 2026 at 6:42pm
John Swinney criticised the party after it suggested religious face coverings should be outlawed in public.

Watchdog and critics raise concerns over reliability of NHS medical records
8 Oct 2026 at 6:02am
Victims of disgraced brain surgeon Sam Eljamel are complaining of "significant gaps" in their records.

Swinney defends claims about Scots 'losing' pensions
6 Oct 2026 at 6:48pm
John Swinney has been accused of misleading MSPs after claiming Scots could lose their pensions under Labour plans.

'Clear human rights failures' in southern Scotland, report finds
7 Oct 2026 at 5:59am
A new study concludes basic human rights - including food, health and housing - are being denied.

Scottish government 'will do all it can' to secure Syngenta site's future
6 Oct 2026 at 5:06pm
Almost 400 jobs are at risk at chemical firm Syngenta's Grangemouth plant after it announced plans to close the site

Zionism is racist, says Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer
6 Oct 2026 at 9:53am
The comments have been described as "disgusting and dangerous" by the Scottish Conservatives.

Glasgow City Council and Unison reach agreement in pay and grading row
5 Oct 2026 at 4:23pm
The local authority says this means it will not consider dismissing and rehiring its staff.

Radical change needed to cut Scottish child poverty, says charity
5 Oct 2026 at 6:35am
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation says Scotland is on course to miss legally-binding poverty targets "by a wide margin".

Scottish Tory leader Findlay says SNP's indy 'obsession' is dangerously irres...
4 Oct 2026 at 2:10pm
Russell Findlay tells the Conservative Party's UK conference that breaking up the United Kingdom would be "a gift to our enemies".

No more cereal at the end of the aisle? New rules in Scotland's supermarkets
2 Oct 2026 at 11:47am
Restrictions are being put on products with high sugar, fat and salt content, but the meal deal lives on.

PM warned Rosebank oil field could breach West Bank sanctions
1 Oct 2026 at 7:38pm
Campaigners and Green Party leader Zack Polanski raise concerns about Rosebank's ties to an Israeli firm.

Scot Goes Pop

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...

Watch out for ORCS! Rory Stewart thrillingly brings back "The Middleland", by...
4 Oct 2026 at 3:29pm
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...

Burnham's TIME-BENDING hypocrisy: "It's fine for us to consider overturning t...
1 Oct 2026 at 1:35am
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...

Burnham uses the loss of his father as an excuse for stripping Scotland of it...
29 Sep 2026 at 7:00pm
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...

Is Robin McAlpine hallucinating, or is he trying to gaslight us?
26 Sep 2026 at 2:06am
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...

YouGov MRP mega-poll shows SNP on course to hold the BALANCE OF POWER at West...
24 Sep 2026 at 2:58pm
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...

HUGE milestone for Scottish independence as TENTH Norstat poll in a row shows...
22 Sep 2026 at 8:29pm
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

Flynn?s office emailed about ferry gas leak before he said he was not briefed
9 Oct 2026 at 2:15pm
The transport secretary was asked about the incident on the Glen Sannox during an appearance at a Holyrood committee last month

Green MSP Manivannan allowed to continue working in UK after visa extended
9 Oct 2026 at 12:23pm
The Edinburgh and Lothians East member has secured a three-year graduate visa, to replace their student visa

College courses for parents offer sustainable route out of poverty ? Somerville
9 Oct 2026 at 10:46am
Alongside training courses, the project will provide additional support with childcare and transport costs

£1m pledged to create ?areas of linguistic significance? to help Gaelic thrive
9 Oct 2026 at 7:05am
The Scottish Languages Act ? passed last year by Holyrood ? paves the way for 'areas of linguistic significance' to be created in Gaelic communities

MSPs debate face coverings amid calls for ban after Glasgow protest
8 Oct 2026 at 4:56pm
It comes after one man was charged over the assault of a police officer at a protest in Glasgow, in which a number of men wore face coverings

Tories would scrap inheritance tax on family homes, Badenoch says
7 Oct 2026 at 2:13pm
The Tory leader said she'd allow couples to leave behind an additional £1 million tax-free

Swinney calls for ?unity over division? on anniversary of October 7 attacks
7 Oct 2026 at 8:30am
The First Minister has called for ?long-lasting peace?.

Majority of firms say Scottish Government doesn?t understand business
6 Oct 2026 at 6:57am
Economists said the figures show an increasingly ?negative picture? in the relationship between business and government.

Swinney?s poverty rhetoric ?increasingly disconnected? from action, report warns
5 Oct 2026 at 12:07pm
In a highly critical report, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation warns the Government is on course to miss its legally-binding child poverty targets

Swinney announces £1m funding boost to help get low-income parents into work
5 Oct 2026 at 11:11am
The initiative will help parents on low incomes with travel costs linked to jobs, interviews and training

Minister announces 250 NHS placements to help tackle poverty
5 Oct 2026 at 8:03am
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the NHS will offer a ?real route out of poverty?.

SNP independence talk ?dangerously irresponsible? in volatile world, says Rus...
4 Oct 2026 at 7:27pm
The Scottish Conservative leader spoke at the Tory party conference in Birmingham on Sunday

Kemi Badenoch says she won?t let FMs of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland ...
4 Oct 2026 at 5:31pm
The Conservative leader made the comments during the first day of her party's conference in Birmingham

Kemi Badenoch says the Union is ?not safe? in Labour?s hands
2 Oct 2026 at 4:38pm
The Conservative leader believes Labour has taken Scotland closer to having more independence referendums

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Lib Dems to oppose John Swinney's 'extreme' plans to merge councils across Sc...
9 Oct 2026 at 1:55pm
EXCLUSIVE: Alex Cole-Hamilton told the Record the country did not need more council areas so large they could be seen from space.

Green MSP Q Manivannan allowed to continue working in UK after visa extended
9 Oct 2026 at 12:45pm
Manivannan, who has described themselves as a ?queer Tamil immigrant?, said: ?This is my home and I?m not going anywhere.?

John Swinney plan to slash health boards and merge councils could cause 'deca...
8 Oct 2026 at 4:06pm
The SNP leader was accused of having set out to reorganise the country?s councils and NHS boards ?without a clear purpose, or a plan or a process?.

John Swinney slams 'deplorable' Reform UK as party calls for burqa ban in Sco...
8 Oct 2026 at 2:58pm
The First Minister accused Malcolm Offord of leading "a party that has brought racism" into the Scottish Parliament.

Scots urged to steer clear of cruel 'benefits advice' firms charging for appl...
8 Oct 2026 at 10:45am
Shirley-Anne Somerville, the Social Justice Secretary, is aware of the issue and has met with the charity to discuss how the Government can help.

Scots paying 'Putin Tax' as a result of Russia's 'unconventional' war on the UK
7 Oct 2026 at 3:37pm
A new report found there have been over 300 identified Russian-linked cyber incidents hitting UK companies since 2022.

A Kemi Badenoch government would boost the SNP, not strengthen the Union
7 Oct 2026 at 1:27pm
The Tory brand remains sullied after 14 dismal years in government and the unavoidable catastrophe that was Brexit, says Chris McCall

Scotland's top civil servant dragged into John Swinney pensions row
7 Oct 2026 at 10:52am
Joe Griffin, who heads up the civil service in Scotland, has been asked if the SNP leader deliberately ignored his guidance amid a growing row over the Triple Lock.

John Swinney calls for 'unity' on October 7 anniversary as Greens embroiled i...
7 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
The First Minister has previously accused the Israeli government of genocide following its military actions in Gaza.

Humza Yousaf calls for 'third party' to broker IndyRef2 deal for Scotland
7 Oct 2026 at 4:30am
The former first minister said he would "love to be part of a team that helps to build the institutions of an independent nation" in the future.

The National

The National | Politics

Northern Ireland Secretary asked by police to review Drumcree march ruling
9 Oct 2026 at 7:52pm

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant has been asked to review the Parades Commission determination over the contentious Drumcree march by PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher

Lesley Riddoch: John Swinney must pull something out of the hat in Aberdeen
9 Oct 2026 at 7:07pm

BIG ideas. Powerful delivery. Presidential style. And Unionists gunning for the SNP. That?s been the style of leaders? speeches in conference season 2026. How will John Swinney respond at next week?s gathering of the SNP in Aberdeen?

Statue honouring Nelson Mandela is unveiled in Glasgow
9 Oct 2026 at 5:45pm

A STATUE of Nelson Mandela has been unveiled in Glasgow city centre, nearly 40 years after the city renamed a street in his honour

There was no 'Burnham bounce' in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election
9 Oct 2026 at 5:37pm

YOU could sense the disappointment in the air on Friday morning.

UK and allies back International Criminal Court over US sanctions
9 Oct 2026 at 5:29pm

The UK has reaffirmed its ?continued and unwavering support? for the International Criminal Court in a joint statement with Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands after the United States announced sanctions on the court

The human cost of global aid cuts ? and how Scotland is bucking the trend
9 Oct 2026 at 5:29pm

INTERNATIONAL aid budgets are being slashed across the world with devastating ? if undercovered ? consequences ...

'Not true': Stephen Flynn rejects claim he was told about ferry gas leak
9 Oct 2026 at 5:03pm

STEPHEN Flynn has insisted it is ?not true? to say he was briefed on a gas leak on a ferry before a committee appearance.

Concerns raised over plans to move nuclear submarine reactor from Rosyth to E...
9 Oct 2026 at 5:00pm

A FIFE councillor and anti-nuclear campaigners are calling for answers over plans to remove a nuclear reactor pressure vessel from Rosyth Dockyard

Police to be alerted over 'deeply disturbing' far right group's Glasgow training
9 Oct 2026 at 4:56pm

A GLASGOW MSP has said she will raise concerns with Police Scotland over a new far-right group reportedly holding military-style training sessions in one of the city's most popular public parks ...

Mark Drakeford suggests 'time has come' for Welsh Office to be scrapped
9 Oct 2026 at 4:26pm

FORMER first minister Mark Drakeford has suggested it is time to consider scrapping the Welsh Office in Whitehall.

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

John Swinney urged to condemn Ross Greer remarks on Zionism
8 Oct 2026 at 4:05pm
Malcolm Offord said the comments were "blatantly antisemitic", while the FM accused Reform of "bringing racism into the chamber"

More than 2,000 objections to plans for ?world?s largest? data centre
7 Oct 2026 at 3:25pm
Locals are concerned about the environmental impact of the project at an old nuclear power plant

Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer says 'Zionism is racism'
6 Oct 2026 at 6:20pm
Scottish Greens co-leader describes the creation of the state of Israel as an 'act of ethnic cleansing'

Scottish civil servants required to work two days a week in the office, accor...
6 Oct 2026 at 6:20pm
Civil servants will be required to use a new self-reporting tool to record where they are working from

John Swinney: 'I've nothing to explain to parliament' over pension comments
5 Oct 2026 at 4:09pm
John Swinney has been called on to "correct the record" and accused of "peddling misinformation" over his reaction to the comments made about the scrapping of the triple lock

Charity warns of ?increasing disconnect? over Scottish Government poverty action
5 Oct 2026 at 8:16am
JRF calls for 'radical action' for children

John Swinney accused of ?misrepresenting? Andy Burnham?s plans on pensions
1 Oct 2026 at 6:00pm
The first minister said pensions were 'under attack' as a result of the decision to scrap the triple lock

John Swinney: Jagtar Singh Johal release is a ?significant step?
1 Oct 2026 at 5:33pm
Death penalty threat remains despite bail, family warns

Monica Lennon says bullying claims are 'a work of fiction'
1 Oct 2026 at 1:05pm
Lennon is reported to have been accused of bullying by a number of former members of staff

?Slow pace? warning over Scottish Government offshore wind supply chain progr...
1 Oct 2026 at 8:00am
Stephen Gethins defends scheme's performance as watchdog report is published

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

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...

Westminster?s time is coming to an end, say first ministers of UK?s Celtic na...
14 Sep 2026 at 2:21pm
Leaders in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland discuss independence and call for constitutional change at summitWestminster?s time is coming to an end, the first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have said at a summit aimed at putting the UK?s Celtic nations on the path to indepe...

UK politics: Andy Burnham pressed on borrowing costs and spending at first PM...
2 Sep 2026 at 5:36pm
Burnham faced questions from Kemi Badenoch and other MPs amid speculation over budgetIn the news release to mark the first anniversary of his election as the Green party?s leader, Zack Polanski highlighted what he described as 10 achievements during his first year in charge. For the record, this ...

Swinney sticks with pledge to cap prices on basic foods in Scotland
1 Sep 2026 at 5:52pm
First minister sets out his government?s agenda and defends policy described by industry groups as a ?potty gimmick?John Swinney insisted on Tuesday he still planned to introduce a legally binding price cap on bread, milk and other essential food items in Scotland despite fierce opposition from f...

Tuesday briefing: Scotland has promised on violence against women ? can it de...
1 Sep 2026 at 6:46am
In today?s newsletter: First minister John Swinney has pledged to put an end to violence against women and girls. But can he turn ambitious laws into real change?Good morning. Violence against women and girls, in all its myriad forms ? physical and mental, blatant and insidious ? is a global chal...

Channel 5 drama to examine how Nicola Sturgeon?s estranged husband stole SNP ...
26 Aug 2026 at 2:00pm
To Nicola, Love Peter will focus on couple?s relationship during 12-year period of embezzlement and fallout of caseChannel 5 is reuniting with the producers of Power: the Downfall of Huw Edwards for a drama about how Nicola Sturgeon?s estranged husband embezzled £400,000 from the Scottish Nationa...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

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 British right has Holyrood in its sights
6 Oct 2026 at 2:29pm
The Tories have crossed the Rubicon. Since the independence referendum of 2014, which Better Together won on the basis of false promises, not the least of which was the promise that the powers of the Scottish Parliament would never be clawed back by Westminster, the Westminster parties have largely attempted to maintain a fig leaf …

Labour?s gone from jam tomorrow to maybe jam eventually
5 Oct 2026 at 9:43am
One of the key promises of the Labour party in Scotland during the 2024 Westminster general election campaign was that a vote for Labour was a vote to save the jobs of the workers at the Grangemouth refinery which at that time was threatened with closure. As we all know, the refinery closed despite Labour’s …

Burnham pensions off two Better Together arguments
2 Oct 2026 at 12:41pm
One of the ways in which the Better Together campaign won the referendum in 2014 was to successfully scaremonger Scotland’s pensioners into believing that their state pensions would not be safe in an independent Scotland and that Scotland’s pensioners needed Westminster to guarantee their meagre state pensions. There were even disgraceful reports of Better Together …

Hysterical history revisited
1 Oct 2026 at 1:09pm
This is a revised version of a piece first published on this blog way back in April 2014, but I’ve republished it as it has become relevant again. Former Tory MP and erstwhile Conservative leadership candidate Rory Stewart’s unionist propaganda thinly disguised as a BBC history documentary, broadcast back in March and April 2014 during …

Burnham?s crude emotional manipulation reveals the poverty of Westminster?s case
30 Sep 2026 at 3:50pm
The only living politician mentioned by Andy Burnham during his jam tomorrow speech to the Labour party conference was John Swinney, and that was only in order to take a nasty, underhanded and emotionally manipulative dig at the First Minister in which Burnham linked the ‘hurt’ he’d felt at John Swinney calling him the last …

Hopey change and changey hope: Burnham?s conference speech
29 Sep 2026 at 3:35pm
Andy Burnham has given his first speech to the Labour party conference as Prime Minister. The speech was a whole lot of jam tomorrow, hopey change and changey hope. The only real difference from Starmer is the mood music, the substance remains much the same. Good vibes but little in the way of a concrete …

The threat to Scotland from the British far right remains urgent
28 Sep 2026 at 6:14pm
I’m still struggling to walk following the recent fall and have developed a massive bruise on my left leg. Due to the pain I’m not sleeping well, but things are definitely going in the right direction. It’s the Labour party conference this week. Delegates are basking in the relief that comes from having rid themselves …

What happened to the old consensus on an indyref trigger?
25 Sep 2026 at 6:57pm
I was supposed to have been going to Lochgilphead today to do an event for Aye Fyne, but here I am at home nursing a very painful ankle and hirpling gingerly about the house – but only when I have to – I’m trying to keep off my foot as much as possible. There has …

Illiberal and undemocratic, the Lib Dem and Labour approach to indyref2
23 Sep 2026 at 1:22pm
I don’t normally mention the Lib Dems in a blog piece, for much the same reason that I don’t mention the Monster Raving Loony Party, because they’re irrelevant, although unlike the Monster Raving Loony Party they are also insufferably self-important and talking about them only encourages them. However Tuesday’s vote in Holyrood on the inalienable …

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

Labour chair of housing calls for urgent funds so England can still build few...
9 Oct 2026 at 3:08pm
From the Guardian today, the above, and: The Labour chair of the Commons housing committee is urging John Healey to bring forward billions of pounds of planned spending on social and affordable homes in England, after housing associations said they were ready to build tens of thousands more. Abena Oppong-Asare called for the chancellor to allocate money from the £39bn Social and Affordable Home...

Serving police officers suspended over allegations of violence against women ...
9 Oct 2026 at 1:27pm
From BBC Scotland yesterday: Police Scotland has said 45 serving officers are currently suspended over allegations of violence against women and girls. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqe9l0r105l8o There are currently 16 402 FTE police officers in Scotland, 11 036 male. 45 of them, 0.4% are suspended facing investigation. What percentage of the Scottish adult male population in Scotland is ...

Public Health ?disaster? in England as hospital critical incidents run at 2 t...
9 Oct 2026 at 1:25pm
From BBC Scotland yesterday, the above and: Staff sickness was a major factor behind the critical incident declared by NHS Grampian last month, its chief executive has said. A board-level critical incident had been declared on Saturday 26 September, when A&Es at both Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) and Dr Gray’s in Elgin struggled to cope with demand. That was stood down on the Monday, and remai...

Gaslighting the people over a managed and insignificant gas leak on an almost...
9 Oct 2026 at 1:24pm
From BBC Scotland today: Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn told a Holyrood committee he knew nothing about a gas leak on board a CalMac ferry, despite records showing he had been emailed about the incident. A faulty valve led to 700kg of methane gas being vented from the side of MV Glen Sannox while it was carrying passengers from Arran to Troon in June 2025. Flynn claimed he missed a BBC Scotl...

No matter how they try Scotland is not having England?s maternity crisis ? It...
9 Oct 2026 at 8:13am
BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers trying to keep up the exaggerated image of the significance of Scotland’s National Maternity Review interviewing the Chair, Professor Christine McCourt and claiming that the review came ‘after’ the BBC Disclosure series discovered a series of safety failings. As with the other Reporting Scotland story today on violent crime, their piece on the Maternity ‘Review‘ is a...

Why is Her Majesty?s Inspector of Constabulary only investigating how police ...
9 Oct 2026 at 8:04am
investigates violence. Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary is also looking at Police Scotland’s approach to repeat offenders and victims. So, quickly, we’ve done this so many times before. Scotland has the lowest violent crime in the UK and the best clear-up rates by far. For the evidence, see these: Crowdfunder - https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingBank trans...

Talking-up Scotland in 2026 will easily beat last year?s number of reports wr...
9 Oct 2026 at 7:55am
It’s with great pleasure that I can reveal the significantly increased audience and the presumably connected surge in our output of well-researched rebuttals of media lies and revelations of good news for Scotland, hidden by the same media. It’s with less pleasure that I must note the ironically reducing success in crowd-funding to enable the very success it has so far helped us to achieve, in ...

Latest Tory proposal is to prevent the Scottish Parliament from pursuing its ...
9 Oct 2026 at 7:51am
By stewartb The Tories ? that very same party which has failed, often by a long way, to win any national or UK election in Scotland since the mid 1950s ? has the gall to threaten to downgrade the Scottish Parliament. They have certainly changed the political climate with their expressed intent, if elected to be the UK government, to remove further powers from the Scottish Parliament in order to...

The Shadowy Secretary of State Against Scotland
9 Oct 2026 at 7:50am
Harriet Cross was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and grew up in West Cork, Ireland where her mother was from. She attended Bandon Grammar School in Bandon, County Cork before the family moved to Aberdeenshire, owing to her father's work, when she was sixteen. She attended Gordonstoun School, after which she studied zoology at Imperial College London before earning a master's degree in Rural...

Scotland produces far more food per head than England
8 Oct 2026 at 5:57pm
From June Agricultural Census 2026 published today: Results from the June Agricultural Census 2026 were published today and show that the number of cattle increased for the first time since 2021. In 2026, there were 1.67 million cattle, an increase of 0.7% compared with last year and 1.3% below the five-year average (2021 to 2025). Annual increases in male cattle, female beef cattle and calves ...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which i...
8 Oct 2026 at 4:09pm
Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?  The Conversation

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

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

Why the SNP should be far too busy to agitate for Scottish independence - The...
9 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
Why the SNP should be far too busy to agitate for Scottish independence  The Scotsman

Scottish independence referendum not on the table, minister insists after Bur...
4 Oct 2026 at 9:15am
Scottish independence referendum not on the table, minister insists after Burnham?s Brexit pledge  The Independent

Ruth Davidson shares fear of 'unilateral declaration of Scottish independence...
7 Oct 2026 at 4:57pm
Ruth Davidson shares fear of 'unilateral declaration of Scottish independence'  The National Scot

Scottish independence - Institute for Government
29 May 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence  Institute for Government

Greens demand Findlay come clean on devolution policy chaos - Scottish Greens
7 Oct 2026 at 1:20pm
Greens demand Findlay come clean on devolution policy chaos  Scottish Greens

A Voluntary Union? The Scottish Independence Movement at a Legal Impasse - Th...
20 Aug 2026 at 8:00am
A Voluntary Union? The Scottish Independence Movement at a Legal Impasse  The McGill International Review

FM calls for referendum powers as draft independence bill published - BBC
28 Aug 2026 at 8:00am
FM calls for referendum powers as draft independence bill published  BBC

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

The SNP accuse Labour of overseeing 'the worst living standards in modern his...
9 Oct 2026 at 4:30pm
The SNP accuse Labour of overseeing 'the worst living standards in modern history'  The National Scot

Response to SNP Conference Motion on conversion practices - Independent Catho...
9 Oct 2026 at 5:36pm
Response to SNP Conference Motion on conversion practices  Independent Catholic News

Catholic Parliamentary Office welcomes SNP withdrawal of abortion motion - Th...
8 Oct 2026 at 12:30pm
Catholic Parliamentary Office welcomes SNP withdrawal of abortion motion  The Catholic Herald

Public defenders urge state to reject police request to conduct powerful new ...
9 Oct 2026 at 10:30am
Public defenders urge state to reject police request to conduct powerful new DNA testing  Queens Daily Eagle

Why the SNP should be far too busy to agitate for Scottish independence - The...
9 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
Why the SNP should be far too busy to agitate for Scottish independence  The Scotsman

SNP decision to drop extreme abortion motion welcomed - www.christiantoday.com
8 Oct 2026 at 11:26am
SNP decision to drop extreme abortion motion welcomed  www.christiantoday.com

SNP members revolt over Green leader's slot at Aberdeen conference - The Herald
8 Oct 2026 at 5:38am
SNP members revolt over Green leader's slot at Aberdeen conference  The Herald

Top lawyer Dunlop joins blogger?s legal fight over SNP finances - The Times
6 Oct 2026 at 7:25pm
Top lawyer Dunlop joins blogger?s legal fight over SNP finances  The Times

What Jeff Diack's Rosemount by-election victory means for Aberdeen's SNP-Lib ...
9 Oct 2026 at 6:00am
What Jeff Diack's Rosemount by-election victory means for Aberdeen's SNP-Lib Dem administration  Press and Journal

Relentless criticism of the SNP won?t help inspire indy support - The Nationa...
9 Oct 2026 at 12:03pm
Relentless criticism of the SNP won?t help inspire indy support  The National Scot

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which i...
8 Oct 2026 at 4:09pm
Three of the UK?s four nations are led by parties advocating a split. Which is most likely to go?  The Conversation

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

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

Wings Over Scotland raises £30k for SNP indyref fund court challenge - The He...
6 Oct 2026 at 4:37am
Wings Over Scotland raises £30k for SNP indyref fund court challenge  The Herald

Scottish independence referendum not on the table, minister insists after Bur...
4 Oct 2026 at 9:15am
Scottish independence referendum not on the table, minister insists after Burnham?s Brexit pledge  The Independent

Here?s how we could get around the block on an indy referendum - The National...
6 Oct 2026 at 6:37pm
Here?s how we could get around the block on an indy referendum  The National Scot

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaders unite behind independence push f...
14 Sep 2026 at 8:18pm
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaders unite behind independence push from UK  Courthouse News

John Swinney aiming for independence referendum by 2031 - BBC
14 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
John Swinney aiming for independence referendum by 2031  BBC

FM calls for referendum powers as draft independence bill published - BBC
28 Aug 2026 at 8:00am
FM calls for referendum powers as draft independence bill published  BBC

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland voice united calls for independence and ...
15 Sep 2026 at 8:00am
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland voice united calls for independence and a return to the EU  Eunews