Alex Cole-Hamilton

The introduction of a deposit return scheme has turned into a constitutional argument.

Deposit return scheme argument exposes 'broken union', says Lorna Slater

The issue surrounding sewage was highlighted during First Minister’s Questions by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Yousaf urged to act on sewage as figures reveal highest volume in Glasgow seat

First Minister Humza Yousaf speaking to staff during his visit to NHS 24's Dundee contact centre. Picture: Euan Cherry/PA Wire

Humza Yousaf commits to investing in nursing staff recruitment

The figures for Peterhead Lido were shocking

Concern over sewage spillage at Lido beach

Alex Cole-Hamilton

More than 400 sewage dumps took place in vicinity of Scotland's best beaches

Former chief executive of the SNP, Peter Murrell, leaves his home in Uddingston, Glasgow. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell seen for first time since police arrest

Nicola Sturgeon will not return to the Scottish Parliament this week and will take part in proceedings virtually

Nicola Sturgeon to attend parliament virtually amid SNP probe

The six-month ScotRail peak fares suspension is due to take place sometime in the year to next March. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA

No end to ScotRail fares freeze in sight – while peak fares suspension awaited

Humza Yousaf has been officially elected as the sixth First Minister of Scotland.

Humza Yousaf elected First Minister of Scotland in Scottish Parliament vote

Less than two-thirds of recent attendances at accident and emergency units were seen in the four-hour target time, according to figures published as the Health Secretary prepares to step up to become first minister.

Latest A&E figures show less than two-thirds seen within four-hour target

The leadership candidates - (from left to right) Kate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf. Picture: Getty Images

New leader must ‘pick up the pieces’ of Nicola Sturgeon’s ‘woeful record’

Edinburgh during recent snowy weather (Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images)

NHS Scotland: A&E waiting times and Covid-19 surged during cold snap

TikTok has been banned from UK Government phones.

Call for clarity over use of Chinese-owned TikTok on Scottish Government phones

Health Minister Humza Yousaf has pledged to end the Union by 'any means necessary' (Picture: Craig Brough-Pool/Getty Images)

Readers' Letters: Leader candidate Yousaf starting to sound desperate

Ukrainians take shelter in a humanitarian aid centre in the besieged town of Bakhmut on Monday (Picture: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)

Brave Ukrainians like Sasha are fighting in defence of the democratic world

The number of patients waiting longer than 12 hours in accident and emergency departments has risen by almost 200 in one week, figures show.

A&E patients waiting more than 12 hours up by almost 200 in one week

The River Don flows through Aberdeenshire towards the North Sea at Aberdeen

Calls to boost monitoring of sewage spills into Scottish rivers

The Scottish Government is not “digging its heels in” on the months-long dispute over teachers’ pay, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Ministers are ‘not digging heels in’ on teacher pay dispute – Sturgeon

Dentists have warned there could be a "wholescale exodus" of the profession from the NHS if ministers fail to make a "serious long-term commitment" to the sector.

Dentists warn of ‘wholesale exodus’ from NHS profession

Picture: PA

SNP accused of 'abandoning NHS dentistry' amid increased waiting times

This hotel in central Kyiv was hit by a Russian missile strike on New Year's Eve (Picture: Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Return of refugee to Ukraine for treatment makes NHS's problems crystal clear

Picture: Andy Buchanan

Refugee returned to Kyiv for treatment due to wait in Scotland, MSPs told

More than 1,100 babies have been born dependent on substances in the last five years in Scotland

More than 1,100 babies born with signs of addiction in past five years

An elderly man holding a walking stick. Social workers in Scotland were forced to miss more than 30,000 days of work because of mental health issues in the last year, figures have shown. Picture: Joe Giddens/PA Wire

Social workers miss more than 30,000 work days due to mental health

Russian president Vladimir Putin is set to lose power in 2023, says Alex Cole-Hamilton (Picture: Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

2023 predictions: Putin ousted, Tories humbled, Trump indicted, Sturgeon to stay

The SNP independence conference will take place in the spring. Picture: PA

Scottish Government spent more than £250,000 on indyref2 case

Jackie Baillie

Extra healthcare funding "must not be squandered by SNP" warn opposition parties

Scotland has welcomed thousands of refugees from Ukraine. Picture: Getty Images

£73 million allocated in Scottish Budget for Ukrainian refugee resettlement

Deputy First Minister John Swinney MSP was watched by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as he delivered his budget to the Scottish Parliament. Picture: Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament/PA Wire

Health budget to swells by £1bn due to income tax hike

Lucy Murphy, 32, from South Ayrshire, was only diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder recently

Autistic adults 'feel like we’re on trial' due to lengthy waiting lists

Alex Cole-Hamilton has branded the move "unspeakably arrogant".

Scottish independence: Lib Dems 'won't play SNP's game' with de facto referendum

Edinburgh Dog and Cat home faces an uncertain future after a staggering 800 per cent rise in gas and electricity bills.

Motion tabled in Holyrood to save Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home from collapse

Nicola Sturgeon has been challenged by the Scottish Conservatives over an alleged breach of the special advisers code of conduct.

Nicola Sturgeon's spokesman backed by First Minister over 'election denial' row

SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon issues a statement at the Apex Grassmarket Hotel in Edinburgh following the decision by judges at the UK Supreme Court in London that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to hold a second referendum on independence.

'De facto' referendum to get independence is 'Plan C', says Scottish Government

The National Care Service plans have sparked controversy.

SNP ministers urged to halt 'billion-pound bureaucratic takeover of social care'

Scottish Green Party co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater launched the first 'Green Yes' paper.

Basic Income 'more affordable' than benefits despite no costings, Greens claim

Some Ukrainian refugees have been living on cruise ship MS Victoria in Leith for weeks.

Scottish super sponsor scheme for refugees will not re-start in near future

Community safety minister Ash Regan resigned this week over Scottish Government plans to make it easier for someone to change their legally-recognised gender. Who else will stand up for children as the bill makes its way through parliament?, asks Susan Dalgety. PIC: National World.

Who else will have the courage to protect our children ? - Susan Dalgety

One in 10 dentists in Scotland have stopped carrying out NHS treatments since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been revealed.

One in 10 dentists no longer offering NHS treatments, FOI finds

Picture of the water at Burleigh Sands on Loch Leven.

Scottish Government allowing untreated sewage to pour into Loch Leven

Picture: Scott Louden

Fire safety remedial work at new Edinburgh Sick Kids 'to start next year'

Monday's explosions were the largest such attacks in the capital in months. Fears have been raised that an escalation of Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine could see more people who hold UK visas with the Scottish Government as a named sponsor to travel to Scotland.

Escalation of Ukraine attacks could see thousands of refugees flee to Scotland

Accident-and-emergency wait times have spiralled. Picture: John Devlin

Patient waits a day and a half for an ambulance

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon with Sanjeev Gupta, the head of the Liberty Group, ahead of a ceremony where Tata Steel handed over the keys of two Lanarkshire steel plants to metals firm Liberty House, at Dalzell steelworks in Scotland.

Deputy First Minister claims it is 'difficult' to outline total government liabi...

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has welcomed the “immediate improvement” in accident and emergency waiting times – despite the latest figures showing the four-hour target was missed for almost 9,000 patients.

Humza Yousaf welcomes’ immediate improvement’ in A&E waiting times figures

Fares for ScotRail journeys have been frozen until at least March 2023. Picture: PA

ScotRail fares to be frozen until at least March 2023

Refugees from Ukraine are pictured at the Humanitarian Aid Center set up at the Global Expo exhibition hall in Warsaw in July. The makeshift refugee centre was meant to be a temporary solution but many refugees have been there for months.

Scottish Government considering mass refugee reception centres to house arrivals

A second ship has been chartered by the Scottish Government to accommodate displaced Ukrainians in Glasgow. The MS Ambition, which is due to be fully operational this month, has arrived in Glasgow. Picture: John Devlin

Second cruise ship to house Ukrainian refugees arrives in Glasgow

The MS Victoria, at Leith Docks, is being used to house Ukrainian refugees. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

More than half of Scots who planned to host Ukrainian refugee have dropped out

The figures have reached a record high.

Number of A&E patients waiting longer than four hours reaches record high

Homeless on the streets of Glasgow. Picture: National World

Homelessness system in Scotland 'on the brink of failure'

Waiting times have worsened at crisis-hit accident-and-emergency departments. Picture: John Devlin

Sturgeon and Yousaf urged to think again over NHS recovery plan

Scottish energy development firm Intelligent Land Investments is working on large-scale pumped hydro storage projects, including Red John at Loch Ness and two other proposed schemes at Loch Ericht and Loch Awe

Readers' letters: Will Scotland’s water become ‘Scotland’s oil’?

The Liberal Democrats want an energy furlough system to be introduced

Energy furlough scheme urged by Liberal Democrats amid ‘wartime mentality’ claim

The funding will help provide practical mental health support for those most in need. Picture: Marjan Apostolovic

Patients wait more than 1,000 days for mental health treatment in Scotland

Kate Forbes with daughter Naomi and husband Alasdair MacLennan. Picture: Ruaraidh White

Finance secretary Kate Forbes gives birth to baby girl

The Scotsman Top Stories

Campers and walkers have been warned to avoid any naked flames to cut the risk of igniting 'tinder-dry' vegetation after a spring with very low rainfall

Wildfire warning as firefighters hurt in giant week-long blaze in the Highlands

Stephen Fry is a past winner of the comedy award. Picture: Getty Images

Flagship Fringe comedy awards plunged into crisis over loss of sponsor

The introduction of a deposit return scheme has turned into a constitutional argument.

Deposit return scheme argument exposes 'broken union', says Lorna Slater