Politics

Latest politics news and opinion from expert Scotsman journalists and contributors. The latest from Holyrood, Westminster and a global outlook from a Scottish perspective.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has faced extensive criticism

Analysis What Starmer and Labour have done for Scotland over first 100 days
The Prime Minister has had a mixed start as he marks 100 days in office on Saturday - and the UK Budget on October 30 will be the next key moment
Alexander Brown

Politicians need to turn their words about eradicating child poverty into real action (Picture: Gareth Fuller)

Why Scotland cannot afford to keep one million people in poverty Susan Dalgety

Scotland's post-war boom in hydro-electric schemes fizzled out in the 1960s and 1970s (Picture: Ashley Cooper/Construction Photography/Avalon)

How green energy revolution is about to create thousands of good jobs Brian Wilson

York is a picturesque place, but it is not a devolved nation like Scotland (Picture: Danny Lawson)

Council of Nations and Regions? Labour is treating Scotland like York Stewart McDonald

There is a pressing need for Keir Starmer and John Swinney to work together on protecting people's livelihoods during the transition to a net-zero economy (Picture: Andy Buchanan)

100 days of Labour: How Keir Starmer can start to turn things around Scotsman comment

Stornoway.

The solution to save Scottish islands council facing £20m black hole

Politics

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaks with First Minister John Swinney during the Council of the Nations and Regions in Edinburgh. Picture: Andy Buchanan/PA Wire

Why Swinney is suddenly 'very optimistic' about SNP's election chances

The First Minister made the comments after meeting Sir Keir Starmer in Edinburgh, at the first Counc...

SNP ministers hold back £145m from councils over teacher numbers row

A row has bubbled over after millions in money was withheld from Scottish Council over a row about t...

Sanjeev Gupta is being prosecuted by Companies House for failing to file accounts for more than 70 companies listed in Britain

Axe threatens for Scottish steel workers as Sanjeev Gupta prosecuted

Sanjeev Gupta - the steel tycoon - is facing questions over his accounts, with fears over the future for workers at the Dalzell steel plant in Motherwell and the Lochaber aluminium smelter

Readers' Letters: Crises in the NHS is being replicated worldwide

By The Newsroom

Plea to restrict waits to two years shows how bad NHS crisis really is

With NHS patients waiting up to seven years for treatment, voters must demand better from the Scotti...

'Like losing my soul': Family of those killed in Gaza speak of justice

They spoke at an event in central London

Scottish Independence

Dark clouds may have gathered over the SNP and its leader John Swinney recently, but the independence movement's positive message is more appealing than unionists' negative one (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell)

Why cock-a-hoop Scottish unionists are actually LOSING the argument Joyce McMillan

John Swinney

John Swinney calls on SNP to stop focus on route to independence

Retail property investment has rebounded thanks to several factors including the arrival of the flagship St James Quarter in Edinburgh.

Why Indyref was the turning point for the Scottish commercial property market

In 1995, Quebeckers voted by a whisker against seceding from Canada (Picture: Andre Pichette)

Why future of Scotland’s independence movement may be found in Quebec Murdo Fraser

John Swinney must do better as First Minister than his previous two predecessors or the SNP, the independence cause and Scotland itself will all pay the price (Picture: Michael Boyd)

10 years after indyref, SNP must learn hard lesson or face disaster Scotsman comment

Labour is starting to deliver the change that Scotland and the UK need (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell)

How Scotland can finally break free from endless independence debate Jackie Baillie

Nicola Sturgeon's style of government saw many important issues being sidelined (Picture: Andy Buchanan/pool)

How Sturgeon’s war on Westminster created decade of lost opportunities Henry McLeish

More Scotsman politics

The Usher Hall is one of Edinburgh's best-known cultural venues.

SNP and Creative Scotland condemned over treatment of arts industry

Former first minister Humza Yousaf

SNP has a 'spring in its step', says Humza Yousaf - and here's why

Hundreds of prisoners will be released early.

Up to 390 more prisoners to be released early in Scotland

The Faroes' tunnels were funded by loans which, one by one, are being paid off by tolls

Why inter-island tunnels are key test that SNP simply cannot fail Alistair Carmichael

Hurricane Milton in the Gulf of Mexico, as seen from the International Space Station (Picture: Nasa)

Storm exposes left-wing inaction, right-wing denial of climate crisis Joyce McMillan

The public's image of private schools tends to be based around ideas about Eton. The reality for most is very different (Picture: London Express)

Labour's vindictive VAT on private school fees policy will harm NHS Cameron Wyllie

First Minister John Swinney PIC: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

'Unacceptable': John Swinney blasts school strike targeting his seat

First Minister John Swinney

John Swinney told rapists and killers could walk free from jails

First Minister John Swinney. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Swinney vows to 'speak frankly' at Edinburgh summit as SNP request list revealed

The Government has published the Employment Rights Bill, promising the biggest overhaul in workers’ rights in a generation.

New worker rights ban zero hour contracts and give unions teeth back

The next Conservative party leader will either be Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick (Pictures: Dan Kitwood and Ian Forsyth)

Tory leadership hopefuls not 'fruit loops', insist Scottish Tory MPs

The panel for Question Time this evening.

Who's on Question Time October 10: US election special panel members

Hundreds of long-term prisoners could find out if they will be released early today.

Hundreds of prisoners to find out if they will be released early

Richard Leonard rebelled against his party over winter fuel payments

Rebel Labour MSP insists there is 'no moral case' for winter fuel cut

Sue Gray. Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

Analysis Why Sue Gray will be key to Labour's nations meeting being worthwhile

Edinburgh has the second biggest financial services sector in the UK

Exclusive SNP 'must narrow' Scotland-England income tax gap in Budget

Hostility towards immigration may damage the UK economy (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell)

How anti-immigration sentiment is driving UK towards act of self-harm Scotsman comment

Tom Tugendhat (left) has been elimnated, leaving James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch battling it out

Analysis Why many Scottish MSPs lost the Tory leadership hopeful they wanted

Rachel Reeves and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Anas Sarwar suffers Holyrood rebellion over Labour's winter fuel cut

Brexit

Even ardent Remainers know the SNP's Brexit stance makes no sense Murdo Fraser

First Minister Humza Yousaf will rally against Brexit during an address in London.

Humza Yousaf accuses Labour and Tories of being in denial over Brexit

Brexiteers and Scottish nationalists are united by an enthusiasm for censorship Euan McColm

Brexit supporters celebrate as the United Kingdom exits the EU on January 31, 2020 (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Brexit myths created 'Schrodinger’s Britain' but the reality is very different

First Minister and SNP Leader Humza Yousaf who will make the case for righting the "historic wrong" of Brexit as he delivers a speech on independence. PIC: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Humza Yousaf: Independence can "right historic wrong" of Brexit

The clock face of Elizabeth Tower, known after the bell Big Ben, shows the hands at 11 o'clock as a Union Flag flies in front of it in London. Picture Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images

Committee on cost-of-living would 'waste taxpayers money’, UK Government say

Has the UK Government turned into a 'Just Say No' machine?