Archive
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Hamish Watson insists fast start is needed to beat England at Twickenham
SCOTLAND will have to do an awful lot of things right if they are to pick up a first win in 38 years at Twickenham this Saturday, but before they start to think about how they beat the opposition, they must first make sure that they don’t beat themselves
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Ross Thompson to be promoted to Warriors' senior squad at end of the season
GLASGOW Warriors will promote stand-off Ross Thompson from the Scottish Rugby academy programme into the club’s full-time senior squad at the end of the season. The 21-year-old demonstrated to head coach Danny Wilson that he’s got what it takes
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Would independence hit the Scottish economy harder than Brexit?
CLAIM “Economists blow apart Nicola Sturgeon's push for second indyref and warn rejoining the EU later won't repair damage” – Daily Mail, 3 February 2021 DOORSTEP ANSWER This report by two London-based PhD students uses wonky methodology
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Only Scot on Boris Johnson's Union Unit is sacked over indyref2 dispute
THE only Scottish person in Boris Johnson's Union Unit has been sacked from the role over an indyref2 dispute. Luke Graham, the former MP for Ochil and South Perthshire from 2017 to 2019, is leaving the post after a “brutal” row on Friday, the
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Rangers' Kemar Roofe avoids red for shin-high horror challenge in St Johnstone clash
KEMAR ROOFE was perhaps a little fortunate to escape a red card at Ibrox this evening. The Englishman lunged into a first-half tackle on Murray Davidson and appeared to catch the St Johnstone midfielder badly. READ MORE: Rangers' Jermain Defoe
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New book of Nicola Sturgeon's speeches to give 'in depth' look at First Minister
THE editor of an upcoming book of Nicola Sturgeon's speeches has said he aims to show "Nicola Sturgeon in depth removed from party differences". Women Hold Up Half the Sky, produced by Scottish publisher Sandstone press, is to be published on May
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Hamilton sack co-commentator for 'poor attempt at humour' on club broadcast
HAMILTON have said they will never use a club commentator again – following a “poor attempt at humour” during the club channel’s coverage of their defeat to Ross County. READ MORE: Celtic captain Scott Brown clash with Kilmarnock's Tshibola to
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European Commission vice president to come to London for Northern Ireland trade talks
THE European Commission vice president is set to travel to London next week to discuss the trade issues that have emerged between Britain and Northern Ireland post-Brexit. Maros Sefcovic and UK Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove held a half-hour
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Andy Wightman considers standing as an independent in Holyrood election
FORMER Scottish Green MSP Andy Wightman is considering standing as an independent in the Highlands at the next Holyrood election. Wightman resigned from the party in December, citing tension around transgender rights. In his resignation latter
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Jermain Defoe says Rangers players are training on DAY OFF during title push
RANGERS forward Jermain Defoe says his team-mates are so motivated that some are missing their day off for extra gym sessions. READ MORE: Celtic captain Scott Brown clash with Kilmarnock's Tshibola to be reviewed by SFA panel Speaking to Rangers
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Three cheers for Joanna Cherry, a politician unafraid of upsetting people
IAN Blackford, the SNP Westminster leader, reportedly made a reshuffle to bring in fresh talent while kicking out the SNP’s highest-profile MP – that is, Joanna Cherry QC MP, who stood up and took Boris and his bonkers Brexit government to court and
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Tories under fire for celebrating post-Brexit ‘return of the booze cruise’
THE Tories have come under fire for celebrating the “return of the booze cruise” as a “Brexit boost” to areas which support ferry services to Europe. From January 1, the regime covering what goods could be brought into the UK from overseas duty-free
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Queen Elizabeth's status will change if we withdraw from Treaty of Union
THE letter from James Cameron Stewart (February 3) raises an interesting subject: the future of the monarchy in a self-governing Scotland. He implies that as things stand, there will be no change in the status of Queen Elizabeth when this long-wished-for
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Oxford boss admits shock at signing 'incredible talent' Brandon Barker
OXFORD UNITED boss Karl Robinson admitted he was “shocked” his side were able to bring Brandon Barker to the club on loan. As reported by the Oxford Mail, Robinson was elated to be able to bring the out of favour Rangers man into the club on deadline
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Steven Gerrard makes Scott Wright call as Rangers boss names starting 11
STEVEN GERRARD has handed Kemar Roofe a start tonight at Ibrox – but there is no room in the starting 11 for Scott Wright. Wright, who arrived from Aberdeen on deadline day, does feature on the bench and could make his Rangers debut this evening
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Justice Secretary says Trump McMafia order demand would be 'abuse of power'
JUSTICE Secretary Humza Yousaf has warned that it would be an "abuse of power" for him to launch a McMafia probe into Donald Trump's finances. The SNP minister said any decision to seek an Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) to allow detectives to explore
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Rangers hero Ally McCoist pays heartfelt tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore
ALLY MCCOIST has paid a heartfelt tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore – the 100-year-old who passed away yesterday with coronavirus. READ MORE: Rangers winger Scott Wright responds to Aberdeen backlash after making permanent Ibrox switch Sir Tom
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WATCH: Nicola Sturgeon tells Labour MSP to switch off phone mid-FMQs
FIRST Minister’s Questions are a highlight of the Scottish political week. MSPs get to ask anything they like of Nicola Sturgeon, who then invariably replies. It’s a pretty simple format that shouldn’t take much explaining. You ask a question
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PMQs: Boris Johnson is happy to play whack-a-mole with new variants
IT’S easy to assume that everything Boris Johnson says at Prime Minister’s Question is either a fudge or a full-blown lie, so it’s a novelty when someone pops up to provide actual facts in support of his claims. But yes, it’s true that four years
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If Boris Johnson cared about Scots he would not have broken rules to visit vaccine lab
DURING his stint as editor of The Spectator, our beloved Prime Minister once published a now infamous poem that referred to Scots as a “verminous race”. The questionable attempt at satire concluded that Scotland "deserves not merely isolation,
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Boris Johnson defends 'reckless' visit to Covid hit Livingston jag lab
BORIS Johnson was accused of putting publicity before public health after he visited a Livingston vaccine laboratory at the centre of a West Lothian Covid outbreak. According to the Daily Record, a public health probe at the Valeneva site uncovered
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Margaret Ferrier released on bail after making no plea in Covid court case
MARGARET Ferrier has appeared in court after being charged with culpable and reckless conduct. The MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West was arrested last month and charged after allegedly breaching coronavirus rules. It's claimed the politician
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Labour deny Keir Starmer 'fronted up' to Boris Johnson backstage at Westminster
LABOUR have denied reports that Keir Starmer “fronted up” to Boris Johnson behind the scenes at Westminster following a clash over Covid vaccines at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). According to the Sun, the Labour leader confronted and "wagged
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Scientists stunned by Dido Harding's claim about Covid-19 variants
A UK Government health chief has been panned by scientists after claiming no-one could have predicted Covid-19 would mutate. Baroness Dido Harding also warned that around 20,000 people a day contacted by England’s Test and Trace system are not
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Arguments about the definition of colonialism are nothing new
GEORDIE Kerevan’s Monday column “Here is a primary reason we need independence – and need it now” thankfully concludes “Whatever you want to call that process – colonialist or no – it has to be reversed”. Call it what you will. The argument is not
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Nicola Sturgeon wishes she had ordered international travel crackdown last year
NICOLA Sturgeon has told Holyrood she wishes she had taken a tougher approach to international travel earlier in the pandemic. The First Minister made the admission today after announcing a significant ramping up restrictions yesterday with people
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Alex Salmond hits out at Scottish Government's 'disgraceful' behaviour
ALEX Salmond has told MSPs that he deeply regrets taking the Scottish Government to court, but that he was left with no choice because of their “disgraceful” and “unlawful” behaviour. The former First Minister made the remarks in a 21-page submission
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It is with despair that I look at what's currently going on in the SNP
IT is with despair that I look at what's going on in the SNP, both over the weekend and on Monday. I ask myself, does the current leadership really want to win the May election and do they still want independence? Recent behaviour casts great doubt
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WATCH: Ian Blackford rips into Boris Johnson over visit to vaccine lab
IAN Blackford has accused Boris Johnson of being “utterly reckless” after visiting a Scottish vaccine lab which had been hit by a coronavirus outbreak. The Prime Minister, during his whistle-stop trip last week, toured the Valneva production facility
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Nicola Sturgeon announces further 88 Covid deaths in Scotland
ANOTHER people 88 have died in Scotland after contracting Covid-19, the First Minister has announced. A further 978 cases were also recorded in the past 24 hours, with a positivity rate of 5.1%. The deaths, among people who tested positive
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Power grab by military is a grim return to times we had hoped never to see again
THE news over the weekend and since that the military have taken power in Myanmar is nothing short of terrifying for anyone concerned about the rule of law and the already dreadful situation of minorities, especially the hard-pressed Rohingya people
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Amid the gloom, the prospect of May's election should give us hope
THE longest January ever. Nobody has had it easy over the past year and for some the challenges have been almost unbearable. Here in the rural south-west we can be closer to nature; as the days lengthen, we hear the birds and see the new growth pushing
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Lord Garnier needs a reminder that politics is about facts, not fiction
THE English nationalists are at their disinformation again, this time in the shape of Lord Garnier, with his latest piece of male bovine excrement in the House of Lords. Firstly he compares Nicola Sturgeon to Eamon De Valera. Although the Republic
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Amber weather alerts issued as Scots told to prepare for five days of snow
SCOTS are being told to brace for days of snow – with weather warnings in place across the country until Sunday. Parts of the north of Scotland will bear the brunt of the treacherous weather, with two amber alerts issued by forecasters on Friday
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Greens hit back after Eric Trump calls Patrick Harvie a 'national embarrassment'
THE Scottish Greens have hit back at the Trump family after Patrick Harvie was branded “a national embarrassment” by the former US president’s son. The attack came in a report in the Scotsman yesterday on the Greens' proposals to issue Donald Trump
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Michael Gove's attempts to play politics with Covid jag 'backfire spectacularly'
MICHAEL Gove has repeatedly declined to say how many people in England’s care homes have received the Covid vaccination, despite attacking the speed of Scotland’s jag roll-out. The SNP said that the top Tory's attempts "to play politics with Covid
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China has benefited from Myanmar's military retaining its power
I WAS very interested to read David Pratt’s National Extra column yesterday, “Myanmar coup: China will be watching events unfold with special interest”. It is so far one of the few pieces of analysis in Scottish media of the significant role that
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Boris Johnson visited Scots vaccine lab despite being warned of Covid outbreak
BORIS Johnson has been branded “grossly irresponsible" after visiting a Scottish laboratory despite knowing there was a coronavirus outbreak at the site. The Prime Minister, during his highly criticised one-day trip north to “save the Union”, stopped
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Oxford-AstraZeneca jag may substantially cut Covid transmission
THE Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine may reduce transmission of coronavirus by two thirds with just a single jag, according to a new study. In a rare piece of good news, the first dose offers protection of 76% up to three months and may reduce transmission
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'Before anyone got excited, Scotland': London Labour MP laughs at Scots leader race
AN MP and former minister in Gordon Brown’s government laughed after asking party members south of the Border who was running to lead Labour in Scotland. Dawn Butler, who represents London’s Brent Central, made the gaffe on a Zoom event with Plymouth
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New Yes organisation Now Scotland set to launch this weekend
NOW Scotland is set to become the first national membership organisation of the Yes Movement this weekend. Some say it should have happened years ago, but The National can reveal that the group – whose logo, right, has been printed here for the
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Here’s why the SNP should organise indyref2 sooner rather than later
WHEN people trust a political leader with their lives, the more banal matters of day-to-day government tend to look after themselves. Right now, many thousands of vulnerable Scots are trusting Nicola Sturgeon with their lives and their long-term health
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Scot elected leader of Muslim Council of Britain is an inspiration to all women
THE Muslim community has hailed the appointment of its first woman leader as a “landmark moment”. Zara Mohammed has been elected as the first female secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain, and, at 29, just happens to be the youngest too. She
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Glasgow Film Festival to showcase black Scottish creators next month
GLASGOW Film Festival (GFF) will this year feature Welcome To, a programme of films and events, with a focus on black Scottish films, filmmakers and history, from March 4 to 6. Programmed by Tomiwa Folorunso and Natasha Ruwona, the programme focuses
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Scottish Government rejects claim Yes vote would hit economy harder than Brexit
THE Scottish Government has rejected the findings of an academic report that claimed independence would hit the Scottish economy harder than Brexit. Researchers from the London School of Economics (LSE) said the country would lose between £2000
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£7.75m funding boost for Scottish seafood and fishing ‘in absence of clarity from UK’
MONEY for the seafood and fishing industry has been allocated to help the sector deal with the impact of coronavirus and Brexit. A new £7.75 million funding package will offer support to fishermen, seafood businesses, ports and harbours, the Scottish
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Our new Yes membership forum is a bridge to unite independence campaigners
THIS weekend sees the public launch of Now Scotland, the new national membership organisation for everyone in the independence movement. Rarely in our history has the movement needed a forum for unity and common action as much as today. At a moment
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All travellers to Scotland will need to stay in quarantine
TRAVELLERS coming to Scotland from any country will be subjected to mandatory hotel quarantine, in a bid to tackle new strains from entering the country. The significant ramping up of restrictions, announced in Holyrood yesterday by First Minister
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Call for Scottish minimum alcohol unit pricing rise as new death stats released
HEALTH campaigners are calling for the minimum pricing for alcohol to be increased – even though new figures showed Scotland is the only part of the UK where drink-related deaths have fallen over the last two decades. Alcohol Focus Scotland chief
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‘Pay what you can’ for access to Scottish online poetry festival
TICKETS have gone on sale for Scotland’s international poetry festival, StAnza, which has moved online in response to Covid restrictions. Running from March 6 to 14, the festival has created an innovative programme combining StAnza favourites with
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Plans for biggest ever open debate on the SNP's indy Growth Commission report
LIVE on Hopin this month will be the biggest open debate yet held about the controversial Growth Commission report. Entitled Moving Beyond the Growth Commission, the event will take place online on February 25, from 3pm to 7pm with a repeat being
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Martin Hannan: Scotland can win the Six Nations... here is how they'll do it
WITH my proviso that no amount of sport is worth one life in the midst of this pandemic, we all have to accept the reality that the 2021 Guinness Six Nations is going to start on Saturday come hell or high water. The need for the unions to earn
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Another milestone passed as more than 4000 Scots sign Yes Challenge
MORE than 4000 Scots have now pledged to try and convert someone they know to the pro-independence cause through The National's Yes Challenge. Run in partnership with Business for Scotland, the latest milestone means the challenge has achieved
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SNP MP Kenny MacAskill says Joanna Cherry sacking was a ‘big mistake’
JOANNA Cherry’s sacking from the SNP’s Westminster front bench was a “big mistake”, one of the party’s MPs has claimed. Former Scottish justice secretary Kenny MacAskill told the BBC’s Politics Live that he was bemused by the decision and said
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Ambulance mental health call-outs rise in Scotland during pandemic
PARAMEDICS have been called out to increasing numbers of mental health emergencies and suicides during the pandemic, according to the Scottish Ambulance Service. Call-outs for mental health issues have risen by 9% during the pandemic and now account
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Arrangements made to pay out £24 million in Rangers case
MORE than two weeks after the Sunday National and The National revealed that the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) would be hit with a bill for £24 million to pay the two Rangers administrators who were maliciously prosecuted, the
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Scottish craft beer firm Brewdog in ‘buy one, get one tree’ boost
SCOTTISH craft brewer BrewDog has announced the launch of its “buy one, get one tree” initiative. Yesterday’s launch marks the brewer’s commitment to planting one tree for every multipack of its headliner beers purchased throughout the year.
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A&E attendance dropped last month as Scotland entered new lockdown
THE third-lowest number of A&E attendances was recorded last month as Scotland entered a new lockdown during the pandemic. Public Health Scotland figures show there were only 93,829 attendances of A&E services across the country in the month
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Almost half of Scots admit to having guilty pleasures in new report
ALMOST half of Scots admit to having a guilty pleasure – and 45% say they feel embarrassed by them. Findings in a new report from brewer Innis & Gunn – Being You: The Index – revealed 47% of the population have something they enjoy, but for some
