The Herald

The Herald | Politics


McGill's threatens legal action after being left out of Scottish Government b...
by gaby.mckay@newsquest.co.uk | Gabriel McKay
25 Mar 2026 at 6:21pm
Bus firm McGill's says it will seek legal advice after being rejected as part of a Scottish Government scheme for electric buses, as Scottish Labour says most of the money will go to China


Reform candidate in Falkirk complains after Labour claims she lives in England
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
25 Mar 2026 at 5:53pm
A Reform UK candidate has filed a formal complaint after claims about her residency spread online, triggering a political row in Falkirk ? and leading to an innocent woman with the same name being targeted.


Oil giant underlines value of North Sea reserves amid Iran war crude price surge
by mark.williamson@newsquest.co.uk | Mark Williamson
25 Mar 2026 at 5:00pm
A North Sea-focused oil and gas heavyweight has highlighted the value of fields in the area as countries grapple with the fallout from the Iran war


Job-saving order for manufacturer Alexander Dennis to build more than 100 buses
by Craig Paton
25 Mar 2026 at 4:43pm
Transport Scotland announced £45 million in government cash for five bus operators, with Rock Road and Lothian Buses set to purchase from the manufacturer.


Kemi Badenoch accuses Keir Starmer of 'benefits bailout' over oil and gas
by Rhiannon James, Will Meakin-Durrant, and Abbie Llewelyn
25 Mar 2026 at 4:27pm
Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of bailing out those on benefits by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, as she claimed he is at fault for rising energy costs


Analysis: Will controversies engulfing Reform UK put off its supporters?
25 Mar 2026 at 4:00pm
There is a view among some Holyrood observers that Reform UK has had a "disastrous" start to its election campaign and support will therefore evaporate for the party as Scotland ends towards polling day.


Keir Starmer deserves 'great credit' for turnaround, UK minister claims
by rebecca.mccurdy@newsquest.co.uk | Rebecca McCurdy
25 Mar 2026 at 3:41pm
A senior UK Government minister has come to the defence of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, stressing he has turned around the country.


Police Scotland attended more than 530 protests since start of year
by Ryan McDougall
25 Mar 2026 at 1:50pm
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell told the board on Wednesday he has seen an increase of around 50% in protests in the last 12 months.


'I?d had a bit to drink': Lord Offord issues new statement over George Michae...
by andrew.learmonth@newsquest.co.uk | Andrew Learmonth
25 Mar 2026 at 1:14pm
Malcolm Offord has admitted he ?had a bit to drink? when he made a crude George Michael joke, as he apologises and insists he is ?not homophobic? ? but John Swinney says the episode is a warning for Scotland.


Why is FMQs today and not tomorrow as normal? Everything you need to know
by joe.donnelly2@newsquest.co.uk | Joe Donnelly
25 Mar 2026 at 11:30am
Everything you need to know about FMQs today, and why it's happening a day earlier than usual in Holyrood.


'Dangerously lax': Councils issued just eleven fines to vape shops since 2020
by Josh.Pizzuto-Pomaco@newsquest.co.uk | Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco
25 Mar 2026 at 10:59am
Shops carrying vapes received 11 fixed penalty notices for breaching the Scottish Government's Register of Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Retailers.


UK ministers block Chinese wind farm plant for Scotland
25 Mar 2026 at 12:57pm
The UK Government has blocked a plan for a Chinese windfarm plant in Scotland which had promised £1.5 billion of investment and 1500 jobs.


Women ?less safe than ever? under SNP as rape at highest recorded level, says...
by hannah.brown@newsquest.co.uk | Hannah Brown
25 Mar 2026 at 2:03pm
An independent MSP has accused the Scottish Government of ?failing women and girls? as sexual crimes reach record levels and domestic abuse rises, prompting calls for urgent action.


Academic denies he is Reform candidate despite appearing on party's official ...
by Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco and Fred Byrne
24 Mar 2026 at 6:58pm
Dr Brown is listed as Reform UK Scotland's candidate for Aberdeen Central, according to a briefing document circulated to the press on March 19.

The Scotsman

The Scotsman Politics


Missed Holyrood: Series Six? Here was a handy recap
25 Mar 2026 at 4:45pm

First Minister?s Questions was a flurry of familiar party attack lines

The UK government has blocked Ming Yang?s wind turbine plans for the Scottish Highlands.

John Swinney has suggested ?lots of people would laugh and applaud? if they heard the offensive comments at a Reform event or conference

Coast and Country Pubs - which runs 10 hotels including the Kings Arms Hotel in Melrose - is forking out £280,000 more because the UK Government increased employers? national insurance contributions.

Vestas intends to open a plant to produce nacelles and hubs - a major component in building a wind turbine.

A row has erupted as the SNP and Scottish Labour are poised to kickstart their bids for Bute House ahead of May?s election.

Edinburgh Council said the money will allow the historic building to be ?brought back to life?

If public displays of Muslim prayers encourage the Christian church to be a bit more visible then that cannot be a bad thing.

John Swinney?s SNP has refused to talk about the climate impact of supporting the North Sea oil and gas sector.

A group who campaigned in favour of overhauling prostitution law in Scotland said a key Holyrood committee was not fair in how it approached its evidence sessions

Candidate Helen McDade?s comments come in the wake of Reform?s Lord Malcolm Offord controversial comments on faith schools

Wings over Scotland

Let?s Call The Whole Thing Off
24 Mar 2026 at 12:59pm
The last faint hope of any remotely positive or at least interesting outcome of May’s election just left the building. It wasn’t MUCH of a hope, and it’s absolutely no surprise in the wake of the comically shambolic, belief-defyingly inept farce that has been the birth of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s fringe-of-the fringe Your …

Irony you can?t buy
20 Mar 2026 at 12:09pm
Posted without comment. But the reason you can’t buy the irony is that she doesn’t need the money. So that’s quarter of a million pounds just for running away when things got a bit sticky, on top of the circa £225,000 in wages she’s trousered since resigning as FM despite never turning up for work …

Looking up at the stars
10 Mar 2026 at 6:24pm
A fascinating line from the BBC this evening: The number of parties who got MSPs elected at the last election is? five. (Though in fairness there are now six, Reform having a single MSP after Graham Simpson defected from the Tories. The Lib Dems are even outnumbered by independents, of whom there are seven.) Also …

Scotland?s Most Frightened
4 Mar 2026 at 5:52pm
This was just two months ago. (Longer version here.) ? And we’ll bet you anything you like he’s already wishing he hadn’t said it. Because a recent study suggested that Swinney might just achieve the impossible task he set for himself, and if he does then he’s REALLY screwed. Now, we don’t actually think that’ll …

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 …

Craig Murray

The London Ambulances Attack: Of Course It Was A False Flag
24 Mar 2026 at 12:04pm

The notion that the Iranian state would discredit itself by choosing to attack an ambulance service in London is crazy. Iran has not even attacked any hospitals or ambulances in Israel. Iran has absolutely zero record of attacks on healthcare facilities. That is of course in stark contrast to Israel which specifically targets them in …

The London Ambulances Attack: Of Course It Was A False Flag

Seeing Trump Clearly
21 Mar 2026 at 12:19pm

What if Trump’s apparently chaotic thought processes and intuitive decision making are all a blind, a charade? What if we are really witnessing, in the Middle East and more widely, a carefully constructed plan with very definite objectives? Has Trump in fact “planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway”, while flinging the …

Seeing Trump Clearly

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

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

Radicalism and Scottish Independence

Has Venezuela Abandoned Socialism?
13 Mar 2026 at 5:48pm

I interviewed a prominent academic who is a profound critic of the Venezuelan government, and in contrast a strong academic supporter. The conversations were relaxed, open and I believe worthwhile. There is no serious dispute that the Venezuelan government shifted to some degree towards economic liberalism under President Maduro. The question is to what extent …

Has Venezuela Abandoned Socialism?

Fighting Back Against Zionist Control of the UK
12 Mar 2026 at 8:06am

I today met our legal team and instructed them to submit an application for interim relief in the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action. If successful this will immediately lift the proscription in Scotland, pending the review. Scores of people in Scotland face imminent conviction for terrorist offences simply for exercising free …

Fighting Back Against Zionist Control of the UK

Metro Workers of Caracas
10 Mar 2026 at 6:39am

President Nicolás Maduro is a working-class man, a bus driver who worked his way to office through the trade union movement. Compare that to the Western “elite”. In Caracas I joined a rally of his fellow Metro workers, many of whom know him personally, demanding his release after kidnap by the US. I intend to …

Metro Workers of Caracas

BBC Scotland

Reform MSP backs Scottish leader Offord after his crude joke condemned
25 Mar 2026 at 8:54pm
The party's leader in Scotland has admitted making a "clumsy" remark at a rugby club dinner in 2018.

NHS Scotland staff to get World Cup public holiday
25 Mar 2026 at 6:31pm
Measures will be put in place during the holiday to ensure the NHS will continue to operate as it normally would on public holidays.

A simple guide to the Scottish Parliament election 2026
25 Mar 2026 at 7:23pm
Voters will elect the next Members of the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 7 May.

Sturgeon denies 'obsession' with gender reforms when Scotland's first minister
24 Mar 2026 at 4:54pm
The ex-SNP leader, who is stepping down from Holyrood this week, has defended her support for the trans community.

Councils given power to charge 'flat fee' tourist tax
24 Mar 2026 at 7:23pm
MSPs voted in favour of passing an amendment to visitor levy legislation before the first scheme comes into force.

Sarwar made last-minute decision to call for Starmer's resignation
24 Mar 2026 at 8:45am
The Scottish Labour leader says he only decided to speak out against the prime minister on the morning of his dramatic news conference.

'Calum's Law' on school child restraint passes at Holyrood
24 Mar 2026 at 6:25pm
The legislation is named after Calum Morrison, who was was restrained at a special educational needs school.

Ministers confirm heat pump targets as climate plan unveiled
24 Mar 2026 at 5:30pm
The Scottish government says that it intends to wait until 2035 before ramping up the roll-out of the technology.

Target to end long NHS waits will be missed - report
24 Mar 2026 at 3:18pm
A pledge that by March of this year no patients in Scotland should be waiting longer than 12 months for their treatment will be missed.

Pain-free 'tripod' restraint brought in to Scottish jails
24 Mar 2026 at 3:23pm
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) says the technique will reduce injuries among prison officers and inmates following three pilot schemes.

'Modernised and simplified' crofting legislation approved
25 Mar 2026 at 9:43am
The new bill affects the running of 21,000 crofts across parts of northern and western Scotland.

Young care leavers to get £2,000 from Scottish government
24 Mar 2026 at 12:45pm
Scottish ministers say about 1,300 teenagers a year will benefit from the new Care Leaver Payment.

Scot Goes Pop

Let's keep the independence movement clean: avoid the dodgy far-right links o...
25 Mar 2026 at 3:02am

The NHS is Reform's Achilles heel, and they should be hammered on it
24 Mar 2026 at 11:23am
I received a Reform leaflet through the door this morning, emblazened with photos of Malcolm Offord.  And because I'm interested in polls, I immediately noticed the rather amusing error in the Lib ...

Lord Ashcroft's dodgiest poll question is one the health inspectors should be...
24 Mar 2026 at 2:14am
I've been having a more leisurely look through the results of the supplementary questions in the Ashcroft poll, and I think there are three worth drawing to your attention.  First of all, Ashcroft ...

Ashcroft poll: pro-independence parties could take overall majority of VOTES ...
23 Mar 2026 at 9:24pm

Thank you, your lordship! Sensational Ashcroft poll shows SNP on highest vot...
23 Mar 2026 at 9:58am
The contents have it!  I'll try to make a video about this poll when I have a spare moment, but for now the basic facts deserve mentioning, because they bode extremely well for the SNP.  Lord Ashcr...

A further thought on the defeat of the assisted dying bill
23 Mar 2026 at 12:53am
I just want to comment briefly on Andrew Tickell's column about the Scottish Parliament's rejection of the assisted dying bill.  He argues that the opponents of the bill, if they want to be logical...

Are the results of independence polls being deliberately manipulated by organ...
22 Mar 2026 at 12:32am
As explained in the previous blogpost, my main concern about the data tables from the Survation / Scotland in Union propaganda poll is that they show beyond all reasonable doubt that some responden...

Survation cross a Rubicon by actively and knowingly pushing a fraudulent prop...
19 Mar 2026 at 10:46pm
As I pointed out in my video last night, the polling company Survation have seemingly prided themselves over the years on maintaining a particularly high standard of political neutrality and balanc...

STV Politics News

Latest Politics News | STV News

Reform MSP Graham Simpson ?has confidence? in Malcolm Offord despite homophob...
25 Mar 2026 at 3:21pm
Graham Simpson also said Malcolm Offord can 'absolutely' remain as party leader

Scottish Government introduces emergency heating oil scheme
25 Mar 2026 at 12:03pm
The UK Government announced £4.6 million of support for Scotland but Holyrood ministers said this amount is ?insufficient?

John Swinney to face final FMQs before Scottish election
25 Mar 2026 at 11:21am
The Scottish Parliament will be dissolved on April 9 ahead of the election

Hundreds of UK teenagers to be banned from social media as part of pilot
25 Mar 2026 at 9:39am
The aim of the pilot to understand more closely how different social media restrictions might impact young people's family life, sleep and schoolwork.

Reform?s Scottish leader apologises for joke and denies he is homophobic
25 Mar 2026 at 8:03am
Malcolm Offord is said to have made the jest while giving a Burns Night speech in 2018.

Chancellor urged not to ?leave citizens in the cold? over rising bills
24 Mar 2026 at 8:22am
The US-Israeli offensive against Iran saw a spike in oil prices.

Greens pledge to increase child payment to £55 by 2030
24 Mar 2026 at 7:33am
The benefit will rise to £28.20 on April 1.

Scottish Government pledges £7m for communities facing climate change
24 Mar 2026 at 6:47am
The funding for 2026-27 comes ahead of Scotland?s climate change plan being presented to Parliament.

Swinney ?horrified? by arson attack on Jewish charity ambulances
23 Mar 2026 at 7:52pm
The First Minister?s comments come after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called on communities to ?stand together? following the attack.

UK Government pledges £9m to support workers at Mossmorran plastics plant
23 Mar 2026 at 3:00pm
ExxonMobil closed the Fife plant early last month after claiming it was no longer financially viable.

Do not hammer families with massive passport price hike, SNP tells Starmer
23 Mar 2026 at 7:45am
Pete Wishart said it was wrong for the Prime Minister to allow inflation-busting cost spikes to go when the cost-of-living crisis is rising.

Violent incidents in schools more than doubled since last election ? Labour
22 Mar 2026 at 2:39pm
John Swinney has been accused of ?sitting on his hands? as school violence reaches ?crisis point?

Swinney rejects assertion he cancelled briefing on US military use of airport
20 Mar 2026 at 1:22pm
The First Minister was due to be briefed on the situation on Thursday

Reform suspends Holyrood candidate less than 24 hours after being announced
20 Mar 2026 at 12:08pm
The party said it is investigating reports surrounding Stuart Niven?s financial conduct

Daily Record

Daily Record - Politics

Scottish politics today: Conservative MSPs head for France on taxpayers' expense
25 Mar 2026 at 5:00pm
The Record brings you its regular 5pm round-up of the day's Scottish politics news.

Chinese windfarm manufacturer blocked from opening major factory in Scotland
25 Mar 2026 at 4:43pm
Industrial giant Ming Yang had announced last year its ambition to open the UK?s largest wind turbine manufacturing facility in Aberdeenshire.

Scottish Labour MP quits Government role after securing committee place
25 Mar 2026 at 3:38pm
Alan Gemmell will no longer be a PPS after joining the powerful Foreign Affairs committee.

Party leaders unite to call for Malcolm Offord to quit over 'disgusting' homo...
25 Mar 2026 at 1:58pm
John Swinney, Anas Sarwar, Alex Cole-Hamilton and the co-leaders of the Greens urged Reform's leader in Scotland to consider his position amid revulsion at the sick gag.

Malcolm Offord's sick homophobic 'joke' speaks volumes about his character
25 Mar 2026 at 1:27pm
Daily Record Political Editor Paul Hutcheon says Reform UK are the new nasty party after the demise of the Tories.

Nigel Farage's Reform UK MPs storm out of Commons after heated exchange
25 Mar 2026 at 1:15pm
The tantrum came seconds after Keir Starmer branded the Reform chief an "absolute disgrace".

Tory MSPs plan taxpayer-funded trip to Paris just days before quitting Scotti...
25 Mar 2026 at 12:00pm
EXCLUSIVE: The timing of the French trip - after the Scottish Parliament finishes its current term - was described as "eyebrow raising" by the SNP.

Housing emergency in Scotland 'going from bad to worse' after Mairi McAllan h...
25 Mar 2026 at 4:30am
A homelessness crisis has surged after average property prices in Scotland jumped by 47 per cent and average monthly private rents by 51 per cent, with a lack of supply blamed.

Drug deaths crisis in Scotland costing £6 billion a year after SNP 'fails to ...
25 Mar 2026 at 4:30am
The extent of societal harms caused by drug addiction in Scotland is both a human tragedy and economically unsustainable, a bleak assessment has found.

John Swinney brands Reform UK's Malcolm Offord 'unfit for office' over homoph...
24 Mar 2026 at 8:38pm
The First Minister intervened amid calls for the Reform UK leader in Scotland to stand down.

The National

The National | Politics

Michael Shanks denies UK is planning for energy blackouts or rationing
25 Mar 2026 at 8:02pm

ENERGY minister Michael Shanks has denied that the UK Government is planning for energy blackouts or rationing.

Reform UK announce regional candidates for Scotland ? see the full list
25 Mar 2026 at 7:11pm

REFORM UK have released their full regional candidate list for the Scottish Parliament election.

Slashing foreign aid is a dereliction of duty and a false economy
25 Mar 2026 at 6:30pm

IT is deeply disappointing that the UK Government is set to make significant cuts to direct aid to Africa and the Middle East.

Donald Trump was able to manipulate the markets with bogus Iran claims
25 Mar 2026 at 6:30pm

YOUR readers will have noted President Trump?s recent announcement of ?productive talks?

Anas Sarwar 'will give Palantir control of Scots' health data', MP warns
25 Mar 2026 at 4:57pm

SCOTTISH Labour would let controversial tech giant Palantir ?gain control of our health data?, an MP has told The National.

Call for police action on ?hanged rat anti-Muslim? protests at Glasgow mosque
25 Mar 2026 at 4:54pm

POLICE and politicians have been urged to intervene after a series of ?anti-Muslim? demonstrations in Glasgow saw protesters ?waving rats hanged from gallows? at local worshippers ...

John Swinney among 35 SNP candidates to back pledge condemning ?culture war?
25 Mar 2026 at 4:48pm

FIRST Minister John Swinney is among 35 SNP Holyrood candidates who have backed a pledge to support LGBT+ Scots and ?condemn the culture war?.

Alexander Dennis to get 100 bus orders through Scottish Government scheme
25 Mar 2026 at 4:44pm

BELEAGUERED bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) is due to receive orders for more than 100 zero emission vehicles through a Scottish Government scheme ...

Scottish Reform candidate demands public apology after identity 'smear'
25 Mar 2026 at 4:41pm

A REFORM UK candidate in Scotland is demanding an apology from a Scottish Labour councillor, accusing her of "spreading dangerous misinformation about her living arrangements"

Wes Streeting blasted over £55k donation from private healthcare-linked firm
25 Mar 2026 at 4:00pm

Wes Streeting has again accepted over £50,000 from a firm whose owner has longstanding links to private healthcare

Holyrood Magazine

Holyrood Website

Malcolm Offord denies homophobia after apologising for George Michael joke
25 Mar 2026 at 4:00pm
'Clumsy mistake' claim after outcry

Malcolm Offord ?unfit? to be MSP says John Swinney
25 Mar 2026 at 1:43pm
The Reform Scotland leader has said he "instantly regretted" a homophobic comment

Holyrood election is ?loveless?, says pollster
25 Mar 2026 at 11:03am
Mark Diffley said?the SNP was on track to return a similar number of MSPs as it did five years ago despite losing?one in four of its voters

Schools given new guidance of use of AI in the classroom
25 Mar 2026 at 10:42am
The new guidance has been developed by the Scottish Government in partnership with the EIS union

Local Authorities Guide: North Lanarkshire Council
25 Mar 2026 at 6:00am
Council leader Jim Logue answers questions about local authority

MSPs and staff warned not to share accommodation?
24 Mar 2026 at 12:44pm
New guidance follows reveal of staff bullying and harassment claims

Policy wins ?overshadowed? by scandals in shaping view on Scottish Government...
24 Mar 2026 at 12:01am
Policies such as free bus travel for under-22s and abolishing prescription charges also scored well in terms of issues Scots had heard about, but a ?wider cluster? of well-known moments has negatively impacted Scots view of the government

Together we can deliver a Scotland where everybody thrives
24 Mar 2026 at 12:01am
The board chair and chief executive of Public Health Scotland discuss action to improve life expectancy and reduce health risks in Scotland

Bridging the survival divide
23 Mar 2026 at 6:00am
The Scottish Government has made ?2.5m of funding available for the provision of 1,000 community defibrillators, something British Heart Foundation Scotland believes will improve survival rates in disadvantaged communities

Paul O?Kane: I regret turning off my critical thinking on gender reforms
23 Mar 2026 at 1:00am
The Labour MSP said there was ?a lot that I regret? about the passage of the bill

Guardian - Scottish Politics

Scottish politics | The Guardian

UK politics: Tories claim McSweeney has ?serious questions? to answer about p...
25 Mar 2026 at 5:52pm
Shadow cabinet officer minister claims ?this whole thing stinks to high heaven?Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question at PMQs.Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has urged people to reject ?conspiracy? theories about the loss of Morgan McSweeney?s phone. Continue reading...

?Anyone but Labour? or ?anyone but Reform?? Clash of animosities likely to de...
23 Mar 2026 at 7:00am
While Labour braces for a rout that could see off Starmer, a rising drive to keep out Farage is complicating expectationsSmall swings, high drama: why UK polls are less volatile than they seem ? in chartsLocal elections are often regarded as a referendum on the sitting government, with many previ...

What?s at stake for UK in May?s elections: six key questions
23 Mar 2026 at 7:00am
Reform, Plaid Cymru, the SNP and the Greens are all banking on big gains and nationwide repercussionsOn 7 May, three of the UK?s four nations go to the polls in a series of elections with much potential significance, not just for who ends up governing various bodies, but also for the future polit...

Labour dismisses Reform UK MSP candidates as ?hopeless Tory rejects and oddba...
20 Mar 2026 at 4:50pm
This blog is now closedSeverin Carrell is the Guardian?s Scotland editor.Malcolm Offord, Reform UK?s Scottish leader, has doubled down on his defence of the party?s vetting by dismissing remarks by candidates backing Tommy Robinson or describing Humza Yousaf as an ?Islamist moron? (see 10.12am) a...

Reform UK suspends Scottish candidate less than a day after announcing him
20 Mar 2026 at 2:24pm
Stuart Niven found to have diverted Covid grants to personal account as party faces criticism for candidates? Islamophobic remarksReform UK has suspended one of its Scottish candidates after it emerged he had been struck off as a company director, and the party faces growing attacks for fielding ...

Supporters of Scotland?s assisted dying bill frustrated by lack of backing fr...
18 Mar 2026 at 6:41pm
Just three of Labour?s 20 MSPs in Holyrood voted for bill, despite support for legislation in House of CommonsSupporters of Scotland?s assisted dying bill have said they are frustrated a significant majority of Labour MSPs voted against the proposals, despite Labour?s substantial support for the ...

Scottish parliament votes against legalising assisted dying
17 Mar 2026 at 10:44pm
MSPs reject bill after concerted campaign to block it and despite amendments intended to placate criticsThe Scottish parliament has voted against legalising assisted dying after critics and religious groups led a concerted campaign to block the measures.MSPs voted 69 to 57 to reject the proposals...

The Guardian view on the fragile politics of the union: Labour?s woes have co...
17 Mar 2026 at 6:41pm
Following May?s elections, first ministers committed to independence could be in place in Edinburgh, Cardiff and BelfastThe general election of July 2024 did not just call time on a decade and a half of Conservative rule. It also delivered the most pro-Union parliament since the early 2010s, when...

Zelenskyy says Europe is a ?global force? that can stand against any other po...
17 Mar 2026 at 6:22pm
Keir Starmer previously reassured that the war in Iran would not distract the UK from supporting Ukraine Nigel Farage is speaking now at the Reform UK event.The website promoting the lottery is up. It is called nigelcutmybills.com. Continue reading...

Trump says he is ?not happy? with UK as he criticises Starmer for being overl...
16 Mar 2026 at 6:19pm
President says PM should be more supportive over strait of Hormuz Keir Starmer is speaking at his press conference.The war is entering its third week, he says.First, we will protect our people in the region.Second, while taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not ...

Wee Ginger Dug

Wee Ginger Dug

James Dornan MSP looks back on his career
24 Mar 2026 at 1:49pm
A guest post by James Dornan MSP   Today veteran SNP MSP James Dornan makes his last speech in the Scottish Parliament, and steps down to retirement and to give way to a new generation. To mark the occasion, he has very kindly written a guest post for this blog in which he looks back …

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

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

Scotland: Too wee?
17 Mar 2026 at 9:11am
Is it time to look again at the long-debated theory that Scotland is ?too wee? to be a successful independent country? A guest post by Diane Izzett https://bsky.app/profile/dizzyscot.bsky.social With the yes voters taking a lead in recent polls, do the facts support this or is it just the final death throes of a coloniser losing …

Lessons from 2014 for next time round
14 Mar 2026 at 6:23pm
An important new academic book looking at the 2014 Scottish independence referendum has just been published. The snappily titled “Discourse, Voice, and the Politics of Participation in the Scottish Independence Referendum” by Dr Maike Dinger, a Lecturer in Communications, Media and Culture at the University of Stirling is available on Amazon for £104.99 hardback or …

So-called muscular unionism is a sign of Westminster?s fragility
12 Mar 2026 at 4:30pm
The Labour party has responded to the leak of a memo from Starmer to cabinet ministers in which he tells them not to be “deferential” to the devolved governments and not to hesitate to override them even on devolved matters. Starmer was questioned about the memo by SNP MP Stephen Gethins at Prime Minister’s Questions …

Devolution has run out of road
10 Mar 2026 at 6:48pm
This always happens, every time I decide to take a bit of time off, a big news story breaks and it’s back to the keyboard. On Tuesday, a Labour government memo was leaked which proves that Keir Starmer is hell bent on undermining the devolution settlement. In the memo, sent to all members of the …

What the end of Alba means for May?s election and the broader independence mo...
9 Mar 2026 at 5:35pm
Well that’s it. The Alba party has gone and will not be contesting the Holyrood election in May, or indeed any elections in the future. Unlike some, I am not gloating about the party’s demise even though I was never a supporter of it. I kept my thoughts about Alba largely to myself despite coming …

Labour?s dangerous plans for NHS Scotland
8 Mar 2026 at 4:33pm
The Holyrood elections are just eight weeks away. This will be a critical election for Scotland’s future and it is more important than ever that Scotland returns a pro-independence majority, ideally an SNP majority to the Scottish Parliament. It’s not just the future of hopes for independence which is at stake. This election is also …

A personal milestone and yet more good polling news
5 Mar 2026 at 4:19pm
I’m going to start on a personal note. Almost eight years after we got married and over ten years that we have been together, my husband has finally become a British, or should I say Scottish citizen. It’s been a long, expensive, and stressful journey, but we got there, and now we are immune to …

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

The poor have greater need and less access to hip and knee replacement surger...
25 Mar 2026 at 7:02pm
Many thanks to NHS FOR YES! for alerting me to this. From the above research paper published online today, in the June 2026 edition of the, peer-reviewed, Health Policy journal the following key points on the relative access of the poor to hip and knee replacement. In the UK, where healthcare is a devolved matter, England and Scotland have different policies to reduce waiting lists for elective...

Successive SNP health secretaries have avoided 66 days of resident doctor str...
25 Mar 2026 at 6:46pm
Sky News has just announced: Resident doctors in England to strike for six days after Easter bank holiday – The planned walk-out is due to start from 7 April at 7am, just after the Easter bank holiday in England, until 6.59am on 13 April. The British Medical Association said in a post on X on Wednesday: “Resident doctors have been left with no choice but to strike. “Weeks of negotiations with t...

Major survey reveals far higher satisfaction with NHS Scotland ? short video
25 Mar 2026 at 3:56pm
Full details with sources: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/03/25/major-survey-today-reveals-scots-twice-as-satisfied-with-ae-and-dentistry-and-25-more-satisfied-with-nhs-overall-than-in-other-parts-of-uk-scottish-media-is-all-over-this-kidding/

Major survey today reveals Scots TWICE as satisfied with A&E and dentistry and...
25 Mar 2026 at 3:11pm
Many thanks to NHS FOR YES! for alerting me to this. Today in the Guardian: Public satisfaction with the NHS has risen for the first time since 2019, but people remain deeply frustrated with stubbornly long waits to receive GP, A&E or hospital care. The proportion of voters in Britain satisfied with the way the NHS runs has increased from the record low of 21% seen last year to 26%. At the same...

Citizens Theatre revamp only made possible by SNP Government?s £17.5 million ...
25 Mar 2026 at 3:08pm
BBC Scotland this morning reporting the Citizens Theatre revamp funds being made available last minute but with no time, it seems, to tell you who from. The Herald, also, making you work to find out, with: If YOU have the time, you can find, in the Herald report: The Scottish Government has signed off another multi-million pound bail-out for Glasgow’s 148-year-old Citizens Theatre to help meet ...

NHS Northern Ireland faces stark warning as it suffers cancer mortality rate ...
25 Mar 2026 at 12:03pm
Above, cancer survival rates improve in 22 out of 26 cancer types. In NHS Scotland, the declines from a pre-pandemic to a pandemic set of figures were in 4 cancers, including these three, selected for comparative purposes: Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancer-survival-statistics/cancer-survival-statistics-cancers-diagnosed-2018-to-2022-followed-up-to-2023/ The patte...

If they try to use the so-called ?SNP fraud? case in the days before the elec...
25 Mar 2026 at 11:12am

Another useful piece of evidence if the ?SNP fraud? case is raised again befo...
25 Mar 2026 at 11:11am

As even BBC Scotland report that cancer deaths ?fall to lowest rate on record...
25 Mar 2026 at 11:08am
BBC Scotland on 27th January 2026, telling a different story from that in the Express, two months later The Daily Express today platforming the opposition parties to blame the Scottish Government for falling cancer survival rates, in some cancers, conceals the over-arching truth in the Public Health Scotland report1 that there were clear improvements in other (often more common) cancers. These ...

Why does an English hospital ?indefensibly? delaying news of a deadly Meningi...
25 Mar 2026 at 9:26am
Today with a photo of a nurse, BBC Health reports, the above and: The NHS waited two days before raising the alarm about the meningitis outbreak, the BBC has learnt. The UK Health Security Agency was first alerted to a case by the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital, in Margate, on the afternoon of Friday 13 March. That patient arrived in hospital two days earlier but there was a delay in...

Scotland and Independence

"scotland independence -guardian" - Google News

Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland - BBC
2 Mar 2026 at 8:00am
Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland  BBC

The SNP?s record, the independence debate, what matters to voters, and is Nic...
25 Mar 2026 at 7:40am
The SNP?s record, the independence debate, what matters to voters, and is Nicola Sturgeon an asset or a liability? My latest Scottish polling  Lord Ashcroft Polls

Paul Kavanagh: Can we trust George Galloway's Scottish independence U-turn? -...
25 Mar 2026 at 5:07am
Paul Kavanagh: Can we trust George Galloway's Scottish independence U-turn?  Thenational Scot

George Galloway will 'campaign and vote for' Scottish independence - The Herald
22 Mar 2026 at 10:11am
George Galloway will 'campaign and vote for' Scottish independence  The Herald

Your Party Scotland adopts separatism - World Socialist Web Site
24 Mar 2026 at 6:29pm
Your Party Scotland adopts separatism  World Socialist Web Site

Kate Forbes admits independence WON'T reduce energy bills as she overrules SN...
25 Mar 2026 at 12:09pm
Kate Forbes admits independence WON'T reduce energy bills as she overrules SNP Government  Scottish Daily Express

SNP maintain polling lead in Scotland but four in ten say they may change the...
4 Mar 2026 at 12:16pm
SNP maintain polling lead in Scotland but four in ten say they may change their minds  Ipsos

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

George Galloway to 'campaign and vote for Yes' after U-turn on Scottish indep...
22 Mar 2026 at 11:05am
George Galloway to 'campaign and vote for Yes' after U-turn on Scottish independence  Thenational Scot

All for Independence ? the Many Faces of George Galloway - Bella Caledonia
22 Mar 2026 at 7:20pm
All for Independence ? the Many Faces of George Galloway  Bella Caledonia

SNP

"SNP" - Google News

Carmichael Accuses SNP of ?Running Roughshod Over Our Fishing Industry? - The...
25 Mar 2026 at 5:41pm
Carmichael Accuses SNP of ?Running Roughshod Over Our Fishing Industry?  The Fishing Daily

John Swinney among 35 SNP candidates to back pledge condemning ?culture war? ...
25 Mar 2026 at 4:57pm
John Swinney among 35 SNP candidates to back pledge condemning ?culture war?  Thenational Scot

The SNP?s record, the independence debate, what matters to voters, and is Nic...
25 Mar 2026 at 7:40am
The SNP?s record, the independence debate, what matters to voters, and is Nicola Sturgeon an asset or a liability? My latest Scottish polling  Lord Ashcroft Polls

SNP 'downplayed' complaints about former council leader, trial hears - BBC
23 Mar 2026 at 3:36pm
SNP 'downplayed' complaints about former council leader, trial hears  BBC

SNP's climate, oil and gas fence-sitting is easy option for John Swinney ahea...
25 Mar 2026 at 6:00am
SNP's climate, oil and gas fence-sitting is easy option for John Swinney ahead of divisive election  The Scotsman

SNP to hold on to power at Holyrood for fifth term despite Reform and Green s...
23 Mar 2026 at 2:07pm
SNP to hold on to power at Holyrood for fifth term despite Reform and Green surge  The Herald

Sturgeon denies 'obsession' with gender reforms when Scotland's first ministe...
24 Mar 2026 at 4:54pm
Sturgeon denies 'obsession' with gender reforms when Scotland's first minister  BBC

Exclusive: Lord Ashcroft poll puts SNP ahead as Labour struggles before Holyr...
23 Mar 2026 at 12:10am
Exclusive: Lord Ashcroft poll puts SNP ahead as Labour struggles before Holyrood vote  Holyrood Website

?Lothian voters hold the key to stopping the SNP winning a majority? - Midlot...
25 Mar 2026 at 12:13pm
?Lothian voters hold the key to stopping the SNP winning a majority?  Midlothian View

Women ?less safe than ever? under SNP as rape at highest recorded level, says...
25 Mar 2026 at 2:03pm
Women ?less safe than ever? under SNP as rape at highest recorded level, says MSP  Yahoo News UK

Referendum (Google News)

"Scotland referendum -guardian -telegraph" - Google News

Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland - BBC
2 Mar 2026 at 8:00am
Why independence is still a political dividing line in Scotland  BBC

The SNP?s record, the independence debate, what matters to voters, and is Nic...
25 Mar 2026 at 7:40am
The SNP?s record, the independence debate, what matters to voters, and is Nicola Sturgeon an asset or a liability? My latest Scottish polling  Lord Ashcroft Polls

George Galloway to 'campaign and vote for Yes' after U-turn on Scottish indep...
22 Mar 2026 at 11:05am
George Galloway to 'campaign and vote for Yes' after U-turn on Scottish independence  Thenational Scot

George Galloway will 'campaign and vote for' Scottish independence - The Herald
22 Mar 2026 at 10:11am
George Galloway will 'campaign and vote for' Scottish independence  The Herald

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

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

'Mr U-turn' Prime Minister will grant an independence vote if SNP win majorit...
23 Mar 2026 at 12:31pm
'Mr U-turn' Prime Minister will grant an independence vote if SNP win majority  Scottish Daily Express

Scottish independence poll 2025 - Statista
24 Feb 2026 at 8:00am
Scottish independence poll 2025  Statista

Analysis: Scotland's 'soft Yes' voters hold centre ground in independence deb...
24 Mar 2026 at 6:15pm
Analysis: Scotland's 'soft Yes' voters hold centre ground in independence debate  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