Archive
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Martin Hannan: Why I have resigned from the SNP after 20 years of membership
POLITICS is like history. If you don’t learn from mistakes, you’re condemned to repeat them. I have resigned from the SNP after nearly two decades of membership. I did not do so on a whim. I have become increasingly disillusioned and left
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What impact is SNP infighting having on polling and hopes of independence?
THE past two weeks have seen coverage of the inquiry into the Scottish Government’s investigation of former First Minister Alex Salmond ramp up, and an almighty spat break out (mostly online) over Joanna Cherry’s reshuffling out of her Westminster
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Lord Advocate's apology for malicious prosecution is not enough
JAMES Wolffe, the Lord Advocate, has issued an “unreserved apology” for the malicious prosecution of two innocent men involved in the sale of Rangers FC. The estimated cost to the taxpayer of this outrageous episode is now approaching £40 million
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Why aren't we hearing more about T cells as a defence against Covid-19?
WE often hear from the media that antibody levels fall quite quickly following an infection with SARS-CoV-2 (the official name for Covid-19), and therefore we may need to be vaccinated indefinitely. Indeed a study led by L Wu in 2007 which looked at
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Energy price hike will undermine all Scotland's work to combat fuel poverty
TYPICAL fuel bills are set to rise by up to £96 a year (Regulator is slammed over energy bills hike for poorest households, February 6)! The energy regulator Ofgem has raised the price cap for default domestic energy deals to cover the extra costs
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Tie at top of Catalan election race broken with just days until poll
DEADLOCK between two pro-independence parties has been broken three days before the Catalan election, according to the latest poll. Junts (Together) is set to win with 32-35 seats (34 in 2017) and 20.3% of the vote, with the pro-union Socialist
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FACT CHECK: Claim Scotland has been 'cooking books' on Covid vaccine figures
CLAIM “Scottish Government ‘cooking books’ over care home vaccinations” – pro-Unionist twitter storm, February 8. DOORSTEP ANSWER As of February, the Scottish Government has succeeded in providing a first dose of Covid vaccine to 99.8 per
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WATCH: Freezing Scottish air turns boiling water into ice crystals
THE air in some Scottish locations was so cold today that members of the public reported boiling water turning into ice crystals when thrown in mid-air. James Beaumont, 33, from the village of Boat of Garten in the Highlands, shared a video online
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Scottish Tory MSP hopeful associating with 'dangerous Covid conspiracy theories'
A SCOTTISH Tory candidate in the upcoming Holyrood elections has been told he must stop associating himself with “dangerous conspiracy theories” around the Covid pandemic. The Scottish Greens hit out at Andrew Polson, the current co-leader of East
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WATCH: Scottish Tory MP squirms as George Monbiot tears the 'corrupt' Union apart
SCOTTISH Tory MP Andrew Bowie was furious this afternoon as writer George Monbiot set out the case for independence and branded him part of the “corrupt, dysfunctional Westminster government”. During a Politics Live segment discussing independence
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Lie that the Queen is politically neutral has been clearly exposed
PRIOR to the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence we were officially informed by Buckingham Palace that the Queen remained firmly “above politics” and would not be drawn into the independence debate. Self-interest and tradition obviated her sincere
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New online tool helps Scots calculate benefit entitlements — find out how much you can claim
A NEW tool that enables Scots to calculate their benefits entitlement has now been launched. The online service is the first ever to fully integrate devolved benefits in a bid to address the financial hardship facing many families. Here's what
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IN PICTURES: Western Isles wild fires tackled overnight amid 'extreme' warning
FIRE crews are still tackling two wild fires in the Western Isles after the blazes broke out yesterday, despite snow and freezing temperatures. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was called to reports of a wildfire at Market Stance, Balivanich
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Alex Salmond could appear before inquiry following court win for the Spectator
ALEX Salmond could soon attend a session of the Holyrood inquiry investigating the SNP Government’s handling of complaints against him. It comes after the Spectator magazine today partially won a legal battle challenging a contempt of court order
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'A heroic achievement': Nicola Sturgeon praises vaccine effort on record-breaking day
NICOLA Sturgeon has praised Scotland’s Covid-19 vaccination effort after the nation recorded its highest daily total of jags administered yesterday. More than one million people have now received their first coronavirus vaccine, which the First
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Amsterdam overtakes London as Europe's largest financial trading hub
AMSTERDAM replaced London as the largest financial trading centre in Europe last month as Brexit-related changes came into force. An average of 9.2 billion euros (£8.1 billion) worth of shares were traded on Euronext Amsterdam, alongside Dutch
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Four key points from Nicola Sturgeon's Covid briefing, from vaccines to the R number
THE First Minister gave an update on Scotland’s latest coronavirus infections, deaths, and vaccination numbers during today’s Scottish Government briefing. Nicola Sturgeon confirmed this afternoon that a further 830 coronavirus cases had been recorded
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'Spineless' Tories blame Brussels as they're warned of musician exodus
THE UK Government’s "parochial” laws are threatening to spark an exodus of musicians to Europe, ministers have been warned. The SNP's Angela Crawley told Cabinet Office minister Penny Mordaunt that performers could base themselves overseas if visa-free
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Set aside your feelings about different SNP leaders and focus on the prize
AS we approach the middle of February we need to consider how close it is to the May election. Some are threatening to leave the SNP because of the issues discussed at the Scottish Government committee examining the flawed court case against Alex Salmond
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No, we won’t wheesht for indy when our rights are being threatened
SOME things just seem to need repeating. We are always hearing about “wheesht for indy”, that is, stop agonising over gender reforms and so on until after independence. Just pull together and we can fight all this out after independence. A great idea
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Meet the Yesser who's been making Saltire-themed artwork for 30 years
A COMMITTED Yes campaigner who’s been making independence-themed artwork for more than 30 years is the focus of our latest YESterday feature. The National has been asking readers to submit photographs and memorabilia from pro-independence campaigning
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As Tories mangle their Covid messaging, the poorest brace for cuts
TORY nonentity Grant Shapps has said that it is too soon for people to be thinking about going on a foreign holiday. This message was echoed by his bone-idle lying buffoon boss Boris Johnson. Last week Johnson was saying he was optimistic about
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Who's on Question Time tonight as it's broadcast from 'North East Scotland'?
THE BBC’s flagship political debate programme, Question Time, returns tonight with a virtual audience based in Scotland. The digital attendees are all located in North East Scotland. The last time the show featured a Scottish audience was October
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Another 48 people die after contracting Covid-19 in Scotland
ANOTHER 48 people have died in Scotland after contracting Covid-19, Nicola Sturgeon has announced. A further 830 cases were also confirmed, with a positivity rate of 4%. It’s the lowest positivity rate for several weeks and falls below the World
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Temperature drops to -23C in Scotland in coldest night for 25 years
TEMPERATURES plunged in Scotland overnight as the country was hit by an “extreme freeze”. The mercury dropped to minus 23C (minus 9.2F) in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, the coldest temperature recorded in the UK since 1995, the Met Office said. Forecasters
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Here's how support for independence has changed in five years as 21st poll shows Yes lead
A NEW poll has found the majority of Scots would vote for independence – marking the 21st poll in a row showing a Yes lead. The new Savanta ComRes poll, commissioned by The Scotsman, found that support has dropped by four points in a month, below
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In pictures: Stunning satellite images from Nasa capture a snowy Scotland from space
A SERIES of stunning satellite images published by Nasa show snowy Scotland, from space. The rare cloud-free images show Scotland at its best as it enjoyed a sunny day despite freezing temperatures, with deep snow reported in swathes of the country
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Stunning new poll records majority support for Scottish independence
YET another poll has recorded majority support for Scottish independence. The Savanta ComRes research, commissioned by the Scotsman, is the 21st consecutive survey to put Yes in the lead. A total of 1002 adults aged 16 or over were interviewed
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Minimum wage has done ‘little to tackle in-work poverty’, Carnegie Trust says
THE minimum wage has been one of the most successful government policy initiatives of recent decades, but it has done little to tackle in-work poverty, according to the Carnegie UK Trust. In the last of a series of reports, the Trust has set out
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Who needs a combi boiler when you have Ruth Davidson vs Nicola Sturgeon?
SCOTLAND never looks more bonny than when she is decorated with glittering snow. The last year has been like an endless snow day anyway, but now we actually have the good stuff to play in. It brings a sense of calm too. There are fewer cars on
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‘Extreme freeze’ warning from Met Office as temperatures set to plummet
BRITONS have been warned of an “extreme freeze” overnight as the Met Office said temperatures could plunge even further than Tuesday’s 10-year low. Temperatures fell to minus 17.1C in the Highlands, the coldest recorded since January 2010, when
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Kate Forbes hits back at claims Budget is 'short-changing' local authorities
FINANCE Secretary Kate Forbes has insisted the cash settlement for councils in next year’s Budget is fair – despite claims that she is “short-changing” local government. Forbes was pressed on the issue after local government body Cosla claimed councils
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Inverness's reimagined XpoNorth prepares to welcome Hollywood producer
AN international narrative of the Highlands creative economy will welcome an acclaimed historian and a Hollywood producer later this year as it hosts its second virtual conference. XpoNorth in Inverness had to be hurriedly re-imagined last year
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Scottish Tories push for 'dwelling defence' in new hate crime legislation
MSPS have been urged to back a dwelling defence in controversial new hate crime legislation. Members of the Justice Committee on Tuesday refused to add the defence to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill, which would offer protection
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Boris Johnson says no government 'could have done more' to help poor in pandemic
BORIS Johnson told MPs he didn’t believe “that any government could have done more” to help the UK’s poorest people during pandemic. The comment came in the Commons yesterday, as the SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford urged the Prime Minister
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Lesley Riddoch: Scotland has already gone where England's Tories fear to tread
A STRANGE thing happened this week. I was a TV newspaper reviewer on the day Alex Salmond was due to give evidence to the Holyrood harassment enquiry and the day after Peter Murrell had appeared for a second time. Imagining the channel’s story selection
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Eight Britons arrested over series of fraud attacks on famous Americans' phones
EIGHT men have been arrested in the UK over a series of SIM-swapping attacks on the mobile phones of victims in the US, including well-known musicians and sports stars. The fraud sees criminals hijack the target’s phone by deactivating their SIM
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Richard Walker: Apologies from the BBC don’t make up for its failures
WHATEVER the outcry over the hike in the price of the BBC licence fee, it’s not really about the money. At least, it’s not about the extra £1.50 per year licence payers will be told to shell out. The rise is just the last straw for consumers who
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Rage at Scots university as head returns to £400k pay despite cuts elsewhere
THERE was anger at a Scottish university last night after it emerged that its principal had returned to his normal six-figure salary while staff are facing a real-terms pay cut and modern apprentices are being laid off. Professor Peter Mathieson
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First Minister urges committee to compel Alex Salmond to appear
NICOLA Sturgeon has urged the Holyrood inquiry into the Alex Salmond affair to compel her predecessor to appear before it. Answering questions from Ruth Davidson and Jackie Baillie, the SNP leader said she was relishing the opportunity to give
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Scotland passes one million milestone for Covid vaccinations
MORE than one million people in Scotland have now received a dose of a coronavirus vaccine. The milestone was achieved yesterday as the programme reached more than a fifth of the 4.5 million people who will be offered a vaccine. It comes following
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'Panicked' Boris Johnson splashes millions of taxpayers' cash on anti-indy drive
BORIS Johnson and his ministers are “clearly in a panic” over growing support for independence as new figures show they are spending millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on an anti-independence campaign, according to the SNP. Newly released Freedom
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Greens call for action to curb 'out of control' Scottish rent price rises
MORE action should be taken to curb “out of control” rent rises, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie has said. At FMQs yesterday, Harvie called on Nicola Sturgeon to introduce greater protections for tenants during the pandemic. He said
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'With SNP at war and Tories floundering, Labour can become Holyrood opposition'
SCOTTISH Labour could benefit from current internal divisions in the SNP and the unpopularity of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and return to second place in Holyrood in the forthcoming election, according to a former Labour party leader and first minister
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Internet of Things initiative aims to make technology more secure
CYBER security consultations are being offered to all sizes of Scottish businesses directly involved in the Internet of Things (IoT) or looking to incorporate the technology into their existing services. The IoT is a collection of devices connected
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Public purse may have to pay out £100m over Rangers Crown Office case
A FUTURE inquiry into the scandal of the Crown Office’s malicious prosecution of the administrators of Rangers FC must be led by a judge from another jurisdiction, the Holyrood Parliament was told yesterday. Bringing a motion for debate on the Crown
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Senate hears Donald Trump ‘incited Capitol insurrection over months’
THE Democrat Representatives leading the prosecution of Donald Trump firmly made the case in the Senate yesterday for a guilty verdict on a charge of incitement to insurrection. That guilty verdict is unlikely to happen, given that it would take
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David Pratt: How the SNP's independence strategy is influencing the Catalans'
REGULAR readers of this column will know I’m a bit of a stickler for canny and considered tactics when it comes to political campaigning. Perhaps it stems from decades of witnessing other peoples’ struggles against injustice and poverty or striving
