Archive
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Where there is a will there is a way for Harvard-bound Scottish athlete Joe Ewing
In bygone times, the fictitious Ewings drilled for oil beneath American terrain. For their far-flung factual descendant, panning for gold will be the ambition when he lands in the US of A, determined to write himself a story more fantastical than any
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Holyrood harassment inquiry votes against publishing Salmond dossier
HOLYROOD’S harassment committee has once again voted against publishing Alex Salmond’s dossier of allegations about Nicola Sturgeon. Of the inquiry’s nine members, the four SNP MSPs and the independent Andy Wightman voted to withhold publication
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SNP call on UK to follow Scots quarantine rules as poll finds Brits back stricter measures
THE SNP has renewed calls on the UK Government to "follow the lead" of the Scottish Government's hotel quarantine rules after a UK-wide poll found the majority of Brits support it. The YouGov poll shows a staggering 72% of respondents from across
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Messages of support pour in after Yes blogger Grouse Beater taken to hospital
MESSAGES of support have been pouring into Twitter for political blogger Gareth Wardell – aka @Grouse_Beater – who has been admitted to hospital. Wardell, a former actor, TV producer and arts lecturer, and the first artistic director of the Scottish
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James Tavernier issues injury response after Gerrard dismisses 'fake news'
JAMES TAVERNIER offered a light-hearted response to claims that he was suffering from an injury. READ MORE: Celtic would be RELEGATED in Premier League and Rangers a mid-table side, expert finds Rumours had emerged that the Rangers captain
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MSPs back a call for major reform of the SQA in non-binding vote
SCOTLAND'S governing exam and inspection bodies are not "fit for purpose" and must be reformed, MSPs say. Opposition MSPs backed a call to split up Education Scotland and overhaul the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), claiming these have
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LibDem MSP caught swearing at minister tells SNP to 'reflect on their tone'
THE LibDem MSP who last week caused controversy after he visibly said “f*** you” to an SNP minister has now said that those in Government should “reflect on their tone”. Alex Cole-Hamilton was due to open a debate in Holyrood on mental health,
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Scotland can both power itself and lead the world in reducing emissions
PAUL Malloy’s powerful letter, “Let’s give power to the people, not more cash to the energy giants” (February 12), prompts me to identify what I believe, to be a clear way forward for our soon-to-be independent Scotland, to smooth the very patchy power
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Reading about witch trials in Scotland puts Trump’s tantrums in perspective
DONALD Trump recently repeated his claims that he was the victim of a “witch hunt”. Hamish Macpherson’s excellent article on the Scottish witch trials (February 16) reminded us of the true horror of the witch hunts, which resulted in around 2,500 people
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Boris Johnson appoints unelected peer to key new role in his government
BORIS Johnson has announced the appointment of an unelected peer to a key position in his Cabinet. Former Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost, who has never been elected to high office, is the new minister for Brexit and will "lead the UK's institutional
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WATCH: Scotland can 'absolutely' afford to become independent, according to English economist
There is no evidence that Scotland cannot afford to be an independent country, according to an English economist. Political economist and chartered accountant Richard Murphy said the "simple and straightforward answer" to the question "Can Scotland
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'Once in a lifetime': Nest of one of UK's rarest bumblebees found in Scotland
One of the UK's rarest bumblebees has been discovered by conservationists in Caithness. The Great Yellow Bumblebee, previously only found in four other areas, was spotted 10 miles south of John O’Groats in an area of thick heathland. The Bumblebee
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Glasgow man denies posting 'grossly offensive' tweet about Captain Tom Moore
A GLASWEGIAN man has denied posting an offensive tweet about Captain Sir Tom Moore shortly after the war veteran's death. Joseph Kelly was charged under the Communications Act after the post on February 3 – the day after the fundraising centenarian
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The problems with the UK began at its core, not on the periphery
WELL, at least, they’ve noticed. The Conservative Government is well aware that, after numerous polls showing that independence isn’t seen as a crazy idea by a majority of voters in Scotland, there is a discussion to be had about the Union, what
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Former first ministers not consulted about Holyrood harassment policy
THE harassment policy at the centre of the so-called Salmond inquiry was legally dubious from the outset because none of the former ministers who could have been targeted by the policy were consulted before it was signed off by First Minister Nicola
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WATCH: Boris Johnson likens himself to OJ Simpson on vaccine site visit
SOMEWHERE in the handbook on public relations it says that politicians should not openly liken themselves to OJ Simpson. The Prime Minister seems to have missed that key lesson. Never one to turn down a photo opportunity, even if that
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Evangelical group back Glasgow priest's court battle to scrap Covid worship ban
ONE of the world’s largest evangelical legal organisations has backed a Glasgow priest’s bid to keep his church open during the coronavirus pandemic. ADF International has pledged to support Canon Tom White in his court battle with the Scottish
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Prince Philip hospitalised after feeling unwell, royal officials confirm
PRINCE Philip has been admitted to hospital after feeling unwell, Buckingham Palace has announced. The Duke of Edinburgh, aged 99, was admitted to the private King Edward VII Hospital in London. He was taken to hospital on the advice of his
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Talk of Brexit ‘teething problems’ exposes the Tories’ ignorance
IN recent times readers of The National have suggested that falsehoods, half-truths or misleading comments from the likes of Tory ministers and their official spokespersons must be called out and robustly challenged in the media by the SNP and others
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SNP MSP forced to join Holyrood meeting from back of car by 'unusable' internet
AN SNP MSP and former transport and infrastructure minister has been forced to take part in a Holyrood connectivity committee meeting from the back of his car as issues with his home internet connection have made it “unusable”. Banffshire and Buchan
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Nicola Sturgeon dismisses Willie Rennie's conspiracy theory about schools report
NICOLA Sturgeon has dismissed suggestions from Willie Rennie that the Scottish Government has conspired with a research organisation to delay the release of a key education report. The Scottish LibDem leader raised concerns about a review by the
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WATCH: Nicola Sturgeon blasts Dominic Cummings' admission about Covid contract
NICOLA Sturgeon has hit out at the UK Government after Dominic Cummings admitted he was instrumental in awarding a government contract to a company run by his and Michael Gove’s friends. Campaigners are taking legal action against the Cabinet Office
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UK Government accused of breaking its own rules with GM food consultation
THE London Government has been accused of breaking its own rules with its recently launched consultation on the introduction of genetically edited (GE) foods into the UK. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) consultation
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Boris Johnson rows back on claim devolution has been 'disaster' for UK
CONTRADICTING his own previous comments, Boris Johnson today said devolution has “absolutely not” been a disaster for the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister told the BBC that he had benefited from devolution himself, equating his experience as
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WATCH: Nicola Sturgeon calls out Jackie Baillie for trying to stop BBC briefings
NICOLA Sturgeon called out Scottish Labour’s deputy leader during FMQs this afternoon over her efforts to “stop [her] briefing the public”. Last year Jackie Baillie denied campaigning for the BBC to axe its coverage of the First Minister’s regular
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'Let's not give up': Scotland must keep up efforts to rejoin Erasmus, says minister
LEAVING Erasmus after Brexit was “utterly unnecessary” but Scotland should not give up hope of rejoining the programme, Michael Russell has said. Scotland’s Constitution Secretary said the devolved nations “were not told the truth” by the UK Government
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We're hiring! Do you have what it takes to join The National's reporting team?
WE'RE looking for a journalist who lives and breathes Scottish politics to join the team at one of the fastest-growing newspapers in the country. The National now has more than 12,000 subscribers, and we’re investing in content ahead of one of
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Another 64 people die in Scotland after contracting Covid-19
ANOTHER 64 people have died in Scotland after contracting Covid-19, Nicola Sturgeon has announced. A further 1121 coronavirus cases were also registered in the past 24 hours, with a positivity rate of 5.2%. The deaths, recorded among people
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We need to bust the myth that a deficit is a bad thing
THE new These Islands report on sterlingisation is totally irrelevant as nobody is proposing an extended use of sterling other than as the personal pet project of Andrew Wilson (Wilson rejects pro-Union claim Scots will struggle to get mortgages after
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City of London has lost its status as Europe’s leading financial centre
EVER since the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016, the City of London knew it would have to fight to keep its crown as Europe’s leading financial centre. Just a matter of weeks after the transition period ended on New Year’s eve, Amsterdam succeeded
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Tesco shoppers urged to check if they have been charged twice for their shop
TESCO shoppers are being urged to check their bank statements after the supermarket chain admitted a “technical error” has resulted in customers being charged twice for their groceries. The error has seen thousands of shoppers charged twice for
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TV viewers appalled by Andrew Neil's claim about Scotland's vaccine record
ANDREW Neil has been panned after claiming Scotland’s vaccine roll-out “hasn't gone as well” as England’s. The former BBC broadcaster, who is now launching a new Fox News-style channel GB News, made the comment as he was interviewed on breakfast
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Marcus Rashford meets with 200 Scottish children to discuss tackling poverty
FOOTBALLER and campaigner Marcus Rashford joined a virtual meeting of about 200 children in Scotland to discuss ways of tackling poverty last night. The Manchester United and England forward took part in the Zoom call organised by the Cottage Family
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Call for Tories to focus on sick pay in Budget as UK is 'sick man of Europe'
THE SNP have called for the Tory Government to prioritise sick pay in next month's Budget. The party described the UK as the "sick man of Europe" when it comes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). They called for SSP to be increased in line with a
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Six times Boris Johnson has been forced to eat his words during the pandemic
BORIS Johnson is reportedly preparing to drop “stay at home” safety advice in England. The Prime Minister is expected to relax restrictions as early as March 8 as he sets out a “roadmap” out of lockdown. Any changes to Scotland’s restrictions
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UN to showcase award-winning film produced by Scottish university professor
THE United Nations is set to showcase an award-winning documentary produced by a professor based at one of Scotland’s universities. Professor Nick Higgins of the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), a former Bafta nominee, worked with dirctor
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Douglas Ross fails to answer questions on Tory suspended over Black Lives Matter post
DOUGLAS Ross has refused to comment on the Scottish Tories' lengthy suspension process after a councillor who was suspended over Facebook posts resigned from the party. On Monday Colin McGavigan revealed he had resigned from the Scottish Tories
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Boris Johnson told to appoint Cabinet minister for the Union in private report
THE Prime Minister was told to create a Cabinet position solely focused on the Union as a way to see off Scottish independence, it has emerged. The recommendation was among several made in a report on devolution by Lord Dunlop, which was set up
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House of Commons Covid rules are unfair to Scots MPs, says report
PARLIAMENT’S procedures to prevent the spread of coronavirus have left Scots “feeling voiceless in an institution that no longer represents them,” according to new research. Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg has long insisted it’s
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SSPCA sees bird admissions soar by 825 per cent amid flu fears
THE number of birds arriving in the care of the Scottish SPCA has soared by 825% on last year amid avian flu fears. Between December 1, 2020 and January 31, a total of 37 birds were admitted to Scottish SPCA centres, compared to just four for the
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Scottish Government praised for quick response in first coronavirus wave
THE Scottish Government has been praised for its quick action to prevent the NHS becoming overwhelmed by the coronavirus outbreak, but it “could have been better prepared”, the Auditor General has found. Stephen Boyle said early action during the
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Catalan parties to begin talks to form pro-independence coalition
ORIOL Junqueras, the leader of the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) has insisted that his and the other pro-independence parties should unite to form the new Catalan government after they jointly reached almost 51% of the vote in Sunday’s election
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This is why the Holyrood election is not a de facto vote on indyref2
AT the weekend it was announced in the pages of The National that the SNP will be introducing its draft Referendum Bill to Parliament in the next few weeks. This follows the production of the 11-point plan by Michael Russell and the bill passed by
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Martin Hannan: Refereeing consistency is the problem in rugby, not the ruck
FOR two weeks in a row, the outcome of a Six Nations match has been decided by a red card. I have no doubt that if Peter O’Mahony had not been sent off, Ireland would have beaten Wales. I have even less doubt that if Zander Fagerson had stayed
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Holyrood backs raising the price of single-use plastic bags
AN increase in the charge for single-use carrier bags has been backed by MSPs on Holyrood’s Environment Committee. The cost is to be upped from the current 5p per bag to 10p from the start of April this year – with Environment Secretary Roseanna
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Lockdown sees a six per cent drop in Scottish alcohol sales
SALES of alcohol per adult dropped by 6% in the early part of lockdown, a new study has shown. Research by Public Health Scotland and the University of Glasgow found a drop in Scotland, as well as England and Wales, between mid-March and July 11
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Study finds diversity in the workplace could aid efficiency
DIVERSITY and inclusion in the workplace should focus more on the argument of greater efficiency instead of the importance of social justice, new research has suggested. A report from Aberdeen Standard Investments Research Institute, launched yesterday
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Fresh wrongful prosecution claim in Rangers administrators case
THE scandal of the taxpayer-funded payouts to the former administrators and directors of Rangers FC took another twist yesterday. A Court of Session judge ruled that administrator David Grier had been wrongly prosecuted, opening the way for a massive
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Call to make Scotland the world’s first rewilding nation
A COALITION of organisations in favour of restoring nature to the point where it can take care of itself has launched a campaign to make Scotland the world’s first rewilding nation. The Scottish Rewilding Alliance made the call as they revealed
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The death penalty issue has not yet been settled in 'civilised' society
SOMETIMES it feels like humanity is going backwards, not forwards. Nowhere is this more acute than in attitudes towards crime and punishment. In the final days of Trump, holed up in the White House bunker, he ramped up executions in America at
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To get independence over the line, we will need to put up with people we don't like
THE privilege of being permitted to write columns for national newspapers is one that comes with a few responsibilities. As time passes you establish a few of your own house rules. For me, these include trying not to be personally vindictive about
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An increasing number of Scots are now taking notice of the arguments for leaving the UK
I WAS on the BBC’s Debate Night last week and the conversation turned as one would expect, after 20 opinion polls in a row showing a clear lead for it, to independence. I like Debate Night, the avuncular host Stephen Jardine is a good journalist who
