Archive
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Death threats are nothing new for politicians but we must now stamp them out
A SURVEY published today showed that 46% of women MSPs have received death threats since being elected. 29% have also received threats of sexual violence. More than two-thirds of all MSPs have feared for their personal safety – with almost
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Scotland overtakes England in coronavirus vaccine race thanks to huge surge
SCOTLAND has passed England in the proportion of the population vaccinated against the coronavirus, the latest data suggests. According to the latest data from the UK coronavirus tracker, Scotland now has 22.98% of the country vaccinated with the
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Dominic Cummings denies asking for a government contract be given to 'friends'
A HIGH Court judge is considering whether a Government decision to award a market research contract to a company whose bosses were friends of Dominic Cummings was unlawful. Campaigners took legal action against the Cabinet Office over the decision
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Comfortable middle-class Scots are stopping our country from moving forward
THE headline of Andrew Tickell’s column in the Sunday National (Insulated and unchallenged – the real issues with middle-class Scotland, February 14) – rang bells. The comfortable middle class is preventing our country from going forward. The urban
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UK's ‘red list’ quarantine system undermines efforts to keep Scots safe
THE job of government in the midst of a global pandemic is to do all it can to protect citizens, no ifs, no buts. Regarding transport quarantine, a very contentious issue, Scotland’s Transport Secretary Michael Matheson (my MSP) laid out on the BBC
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Passenger calls UK quarantine system 'ridiculous' as travellers mix with different countries
A PASSENGER coming into the UK from a "red list" country has called the UK system "ridiculous" as those coming from high-risk areas mix with others while travelling. It comes as Nicola Sturgeon has said Scotland will have to "look at alternatives
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Four fascinating findings from the latest Scottish independence poll
THE latest Scottish independence poll marked yet another milestone for the Yes movement. Carried out by Savanta ComRes for the Scotsman, it was the 21st consecutive survey to record majority support for Yes. A total of 1002 adults aged 16 or
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Max Hastings' Scottish independence arguments show he has no sense of irony
JUST in case the people of Scotland haven’t had quite enough of being told what’s good for them by privately educated men from the south of England, Max Hastings has now chimed in. Hastings, who was previously editor-in-chief of the Telegraph
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One of Scotland's first arrivals happy to do 'whatever it takes' under quarantine rules
AN overseas traveller has said he is happy to do “whatever it takes” as new quarantine measures came into force for Scotland. People flying directly into a Scottish airport on international flights have to self-isolate for 10 days in a quarantine
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For some care home residents, life without visits is not worth living
I AGREE wholeheartedly with the article by Joanna Cherry on care home visits (While one million vaccines is to be celebrated, there remain difficulties, February 12). Perhaps greater consideration should be given to what life means for older folk in
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What Scotland's independence movement can learn from the Catalan elections
THE Catalan elections have produced a shake-up of political representation in the insurgent nation but not yet a clear solution to the constitutional impasse it faces. The combined pro-independence parties won 51.16 per cent of the total vote
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WATCH: Nicola Sturgeon reacts to alleged Covid breach by Rangers players
AN exasperated Nicola Sturgeon has responded to reports that Rangers players breached Covid rules by attending a party that was broken up by police. The First Minister pleaded with elite sportspeople to obey lockdown restrictions as she spoke at
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Joanna Cherry 'enhances home security' after reporting new incident to police
JOANNA Cherry has reported a further "incident of concern" to Police Scotland today and put in stronger security arrangements at her home. The Edinburgh South West MP was sacked earlier this month from her position as the SNP's justice and home
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Iconic Scottish glens handed almost £400,000 to combat tourism issues
A PROJECT aiming to empower tourists to more responsibly explore some of Scotland’s most iconic glens has been awarded hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding. Glencoe and Glen Etive, which have been used as sets in worldwide blockbusters such
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Nicola Sturgeon refuses to rule out closing Scotland-England border to stop Covid
NICOLA Sturgeon has said she won't rule out shutting Scotland's border with England to stop the spread of Covid. Speaking at the briefing in Edinburgh, the First Minister said she would prefer a four nation solution. The question came from
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Scotland has reached milestone vaccine target, Nicola Sturgeon announces
SCOTLAND has reached its milestone mid-February vaccination target, Nicola Sturgeon has announced. Holyrood ministers have been aiming to offer the first jag to all over-70 and extremely clinically vulnerable Scots by February 15. Although
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Angus Robertson’s election strategy depends on ignoring 2016 results
HAVING just read Angus Robertson’s column in Saturday’s National I find myself, once again, questioning his commitment to independence (Give both of your votes to SNP in May if you want indyref2, February 13). This is someone who, among many other
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Committee needs to stop the pointless politicking and focus on its remit
BBC Scotland, for once, contained a surprisingly fair and balanced item on their Sunday Show. It was about the committee investigation into the Scottish Government’s poor handling of harassment allegations by a number of their employees. The remit
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WATCH: LibDem MSP appears to swear during virtual committee meeting
A LIBDEM MSP appeared to use offensive language while on mute during a Scottish Parliament committee meeting this week. Alex Cole-Hamilton, the MSP for Edinburgh Western and the deputy convener of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee, can
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Covid lockdown cut arrivals to the UK by more than 98 per cent, new figures show
THE first coronavirus lockdown meant monthly air passenger arrivals to the UK plummeted from almost seven million to just over 100,000, new figures have revealed. The data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) charts the severe impact the
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A third of MSPs have been sent death threats, new poll suggests
ONE in three MSPs interviewed in a new poll say they have received a death threat since taking office. Almost three-quarters of respondents to the survey, conducted by Holyrood Magazine, said they have feared for their safety since being elected
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Cars stranded in snow drifts as freezing spell comes to an end
CARS were left stranded in dirty snow in the north of Scotland after gale force winds blew the snow from fields on to the roads, covering the vehicles. The cars were stuck on the A98 near Buckie, Moray, yesterday after snow ploughs could not cope
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Covid cases fall across 95 per cent of UK local authority areas, new figures show
CORONAVIRUS case rates have fallen across nearly 95% of local authorities in the UK, new figures show. Of the 380 local authorities areas across the UK, only 23 (6%) have seen a week-on-week increase in case rates compared with 354 (93%) where
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Westminster's lax quarantine rules putting Scots at risk, health expert warns
A TOP public health expert has warned England’s lax quarantine rules are hampering Scotland’s attempts to suppress Covid-19. Professor Linda Bauld echoed concerns from the Scottish Government that “loopholes” in the Westminster plan could allow
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Edinburgh voters urged not to back LibDem MSP who used 'verbal abuse'
ELECTION pressure is now piling on Alex Cole-Hamilton after he swore at a woman government minister giving evidence to a Holyrood committee meeting. Cole-Hamilton, who represents Edinburgh West, faces a challenge by the SNP's Sarah Masson at the
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Pro-independence parties ready to retain control of Catalonia's government
PRO-independence parties in Catalonia are poised to retain control of the Catalan government. The Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) whose leader is jailed indy activist Oriol Junqueras, and the Socialist party, led by former Spanish health minister
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Nearly 60 people caught breaching Covid rules at party in Scottish venue
NEARLY 60 people have been fined after police caught them attending a lockdown rave at a venue in Glasgow. Police found 56 people at the party at a premises in London Road in the Barras last night after being tipped off about the party by a member
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President Biden in gun laws call on anniversary of Parkland massacre
US president Joe Biden called for stronger gun laws as a Florida community remembered the 17 lives lost three years ago in the Parkland school shooting massacre. “In seconds, the lives of dozens of families, and the life of an American community
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Twitter skewers Tory MSPs over ‘corruption’ Valentine's day poems
THERE was incredulity yesterday as leading Conservative MSPs posted Valentine’s Day poems over the Scottish Parliament’s Alex Salmond inquiry. Former Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw and former leadership challenger Murdo Fraser levelled corruption
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SNP urged to hold vote on independence strategy at spring conference
THE SNP are being urged to hold a debate at a spring conference next month to agree the party’s independence strategy ahead of May’s Scottish Parliament election. Constitution Affairs Secretary Michael Russell, who is also SNP president, set out
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EU says it has not spoken with UK on reported change in Irish border plan
THE European Commission vice-president says he has not discussed UK proposals that would restore the border on the island of Ireland. A report in the Sunday Telegraph said Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove is now considering an alternate “mutual
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Alex Salmond hits out at BBC over interview with complainant
ALEX Salmond has criticised the BBC for an interview it broadcast yesterday with one of the women who made a criminal complaint against him. The former First Minister said it was not for the broadcaster to question either the verdict in his trial
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Supermarkets challenged to put more Scottish produce back on the shelves
MAJOR supermarkets have been challenged to do more to support Scottish farmers and food producers. The call has come from one of the SNP’s Holyrood election candidates, who says that during the first Covid-19 lockdown, many big chains changed their
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Top secret! What the Union Unit’s getting up to down in Churchill’s bunker
THE Union Unit was meeting for the first time under its new commander: Brigadier Oliver Lewis, sometime friend of General Cummings (missing in action) and the latter’s batman during the heroic Battle of the Brexit. Lewis also wore the Order of the
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NatureScot report reveals welcome boost for Scotland’s bees and pollinators
A NEW report has revealed Scotland’s bees and other pollinators were given a welcome boost in 2020, despite Covid restrictions. From 32 pollinator hotspots along the John Muir Way, to more nature friendly towns and cities, to new species-rich grassland
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No to Yes: Scotland was lied to about being too wee and too poor
Allen Whitehead, 74, is a retired architect living in Stenton, Dunbar I AM an Englishman but in 1973 my wife and I decided to move with our family to live and work in Scotland. Since then we have lived on the Black Isle, in Caithness, and Edinburgh
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Stephen Paton: Energy firms must not be allowed to influence climate policy
THERE is a New Yorker cartoon that lives in my head rent free. It pops into my mind at random times, roughly once a week or so. Without fail, however, it snaps into sharp relief every time I read about oil companies insisting that they should have
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Did Hugh MacDiarmid push for a Scottish fascism, or something else entirely?
Alan Riach takes a look beyond the titles of two of Hugh MacDiarmid’s most controversial essays. IT was disappointing to read Fintan O’Toole describing the origins of the Scottish National Party like this: “The SNP itself was a strange beast. Its
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Catalonia goes to polls in key vote for pro-independence parties
VOTERS went to the polls in Catalonia yesterday as 5.3 million people were called to cast their ballots in an important parliamentary election for its pro-independence movement. Polls predicted a tight race between the Socialists and the two leading
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'Early April Fool's' for Boris Johnson over Scotland to Ireland tunnel
THE SNP’s Northern Ireland spokesperson says “April 1 has come early in Downing Street” over the PM’s Irish Sea tunnel plan. Richard Thomson last night slammed Boris Johnson’s team after it emerged that a report on an undersea Stranraer-Larne link
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Labour MP admits it will take party a 'long time' to win back trust
IT will take “a long time” for Labour to regain the trust of voters, one senior MP has said. Bridget Phillipson, the party’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, made the comment while appearing on Sky News yesterday. In an interview with
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LibDem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton told to apologise in full for 'vile' outburst
ALEX Cole-Hamilton has been asked to offer “a full, unequivocal apology” after he admitted swearing at a female Scottish Government minister during a Holyrood committee meeting. The LibDem MSP was caught on camera mouthing an expletive at Maree
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Kirsty Strickland: Alex Cole-Hamilton's ‘sorry you made me do it’ is no apology
FANS of political nostalgia will remember well the 2018 social-media frenzy over whether Jeremy Corbyn had called Theresa May a “stupid woman” during Prime Minister’s Questions. Mr Corbyn insisted he had actually muttered “stupid people” but his denial
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Prominent supporter of Alex Salmond to take legal action against Crown Office
A PROMINENT supporter of Alex Salmond has said he is taking “potentially historic legal action” after being cleared of making a “threatening” video relating to the former First Minister’s trial. Mark Hirst, 51, has accused the Crown Office and
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Glasgow-based cook school pioneer announced as winner of Next Chapter award
SCOTTISH Book Trust has announced the recipient of this year’s Next Chapter Award. Clarkston-based Sumayya Usmani recently turned to narrative writing after having started out writing cookbooks. Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Usmani practised
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Social media can be a boon, but its giants must be made to act on abuse
SOCIAL media has for so long been the champion of women in sport. It enables them to tell their stories and it allows supporters to have more of an insight into the personal life of their chosen role model. In the right hands, social media is an
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Free on-the-go breakfast scheme to expand across UK after Scottish pilot
AN innovative project offering pupils in Scotland the chance to pick up a free breakfast from a mobile cart is to be extended across the UK following a successful pilot. The “grab-n-go” scheme is based on a similar model used in the US and Canada
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Warning as up to 100,000 Scots children may miss out on anti-poverty payment
PARENTS of almost 100,000 children could miss out on money from the Scottish Child Payment if they fail to apply for the new benefit today. The £10-per-week payment for eligible families launches today as part of the Scottish Government’s efforts
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Digital programme for 2021's Fort William Mountain Festival announced
THE new online programme for the Fort William Mountain Festival 2021 has been announced. As a result of the current Covid-19 restrictions, organisers of the world-renowned festival announced a fully digital programme for its 17th edition. It includes
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Global Blueprint takes independent Scotland policy discussion to 'new level'
DIPLOMATIC missions in 110 places, Nato membership and close cooperation with Norway and Canada – this is how an independent Scotland should handle foreign policy, a new report claims. The Global Blueprint document also says a newly sovereign state
