The big news of the week is the result of the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election. I’ll focus on this first, but it’s helpful to give a bit of background to the run-up to the by-election first.

Let’s get to it!

👀 Keir Starmer visits Scotland

Monday feels like a long time ago now, but this week started with a visit from both Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (we’ll get onto the latter in a second, don’t worry).

Starmer was in Govan on Monday to announce plans to boost the UK’s military spending, where he partially unveiled the UK Government’s Strategic Defence Review (which was then published fully later in the day). He said that the Government would invest £15 billion in nuclear warheads and open six new munitions factories, as well as building up to 12 new nuclear-powered submarines. You can read a handy breakdown of that review via The Guardian.

While in Govan, the PM said that the UK will move to “war fighting readiness” and that the plans in the review would create a “battle-ready, armour clad” nation. Here’s a bit of his speech 👇

Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle then accused the Government of committing a “blatant breach” of the ministerial code because details of the review were released to the media before MPs were briefed.

A fun fact: Alexander from The Traitors (yes, you read that right) was at Monday’s announcement on some sort of side-quest. The former diplomat shared a couple of videos of him interviewing Starmer. It appears he got more time with the PM than anyone in the Scottish media.

@alexanderdragonettiWhy is the Prime Minister saying that we have to “be ready to defend this country - and everything we believe in?” #diplomacy #negotiation #defence P.S. I have no link to the Labour Party - but I am keen to explain these events. Ultimately, the PM makes these decisions!

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Starmer also did an interview with the BBC while he was in Scotland, which was broadcast on Tuesday. He said that he couldn’t imagine another independence referendum taking place during his time as PM, and that "nobody's raising that with me as their first priority".

The Prime Minister didn’t campaign for the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election while he was in Scotland - despite the constituency being just 13 miles from where he was. But as I’ll get onto, it seems like that didn’t matter in the end…

🤔 Nigel Farage also visits Scotland

The Reform UK leader also decided to visit Scotland on Monday - first in Aberdeen, then to Hamilton (or so we thought) to campaign in the by-election.

In Aberdeen, Farage announced that Aberdeenshire councillor Duncan Massey had defected from the Tories to Reform UK. He was also met by protesters, including anti-racism campaigners Stand Up To Racism, who had slogans such as “Farage not welcome in Scotland” and “Farage, Farage we know you, you’re a racist through and through”.

Farage then went on to accuse The Herald of leaking the location of the press conference to the protesters, something which has been flatly denied by the paper.

In a bizarre rant, Farage was about to take a question from The Herald’s political editor Andrew Learmonth when he said: “It’s funny isn’t it? That you come, and your newspaper also manages to have another one of your correspondents as a protest correspondent. So you knew more about this than we did.”

Farage then went on to tell journalists that “this location was only sent to you guys, it wasn’t put out on the public wires, we didn’t put it out to our membership, and yet they knew. So it came from one of you.”

Here’s Andrew Learmonth giving his reaction to the false accusations.

After a quick private jet down to Glasgow Airport, Farage was then meant to meet journalists in Hamilton for a press call at 2.15pm. But he never showed.

Journalists waited in a Premier Inn car park for around an hour before heading to Reform’s campaign HQ in Hamilton after hearing that he wasn’t going to be showing there. Protesters had already gathered outside the HQ, but there was no sign of Farage. It turns out he had decided to campaign in Larkhall instead, without telling any of the media, before taking a picture with campaigners in Hamilton round the back of the HQ building and swiftly leaving.

Here’s some handy behind the scenes reports from The Herald, The National and The Scotsman.

While Farage was meant to be speaking to journalists, Reform announced that Scottish Labour councillor Jamie McGuire had defected to the party. Here’s a useful look at McGuire’s previous political views via the Daily Record.

The following day, Farage then repeated claims to LBC that The Herald had informed “protest groups like Antifa”, going on to say that that was why he gave journalists “the slip” in Hamilton.

When asked by George Icke whether he was hiding, Farage said: “I had 18 journalists in a room yesterday in Aberdeen and took questions from every single one of them. Keir Starmer would have taken three. Kemi would have taken two. No, absolute nonsense.

“What we did have yesterday, though, was a newspaper called The Herald in Scotland informing protest groups like Antifa where I was going to be with a deliberate intention of trying to provoke violence and discomfort.

“And so, yeah, did we give the Herald and others the slip and go and do campaigning in the streets, meeting normal people without a bunch of thugs with masks on? Yes.”

Well, then.

🗳️ It’s by-election time!

And now on to the main event! The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election took place on Thursday, with the result coming in shortly after 1.30am on Friday morning.

Scottish Labour’s Davy Russell won the seat - with the SNP and Reform coming in narrowly behind.

Here’s a breakdown of the results:

• Davy Russell, Labour Party: 8559 votes

• Katy Loudon, SNP: 7957 votes

• Ross Lambie, Reform UK: 7088 votes

• Richard Nelson, Conservative and Unionist Party: 1621 votes

• Ann McGuinness, Scottish Greens: 695 votes

• Aisha Mir, Liberal Democrats: 533 votes

• Collette Bradley, Scottish Socialist Party: 278 votes

• Andy Brady, Scottish Family Party: 219 votes

• Marc Wilkinson, Independent: 109 votes

• Janice MacKay, Ukip: 50 votes

Turnout at the by-election was 44.2%. Of the total electorate (61,485), 27,155 ballot papers were verified.

In his acceptance speech, Russell said: “I’m so proud to be elected MSP for my home and my community. Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse voted tonight to take a new direction with Scottish Labour.

“Like the people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse – and right across Scotland – we all feel we’ve been let down by the SNP. After nearly two decades [in power], they don’t deserve another chance.”

He also said his election also sent a message to “Nigel Farage and his mob” (Richard Tice was in the room), adding: “The poison of Reform isn’t us, it isn’t Scotland, and we don’t want your division here.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “It’s an incredible night and it’s a tribute to a fantastic local candidate and a fantastic local candidate by the way that has had to put up with pretty elitist and classist comments about him.”

First Minister John Swinney also congratulated Russell, saying: “Congratulations to Davy Russell on his election as MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. [Katy Loudon] fought a superb [SNP] campaign.

“We have made progress since the election last year but not enough. We still have work to do and we will do it.”

If you’re interested in some polling analysis, expert Professor Sir John Curtice has given his verdict on the result, which you can read in The Times here.

I’m sure there’ll be a lot more to come from this (certainly a lot of conversations within the SNP), but that’s the overview of the night!

📰 In other news…

Here’s a quick rundown of some other things that went on this week, outside of the by-election.

• After Douglas Ross was kicked out of First Minister’s Questions last week, he tried to bring up the issue during a point of order - and was quickly shut down (STV News)

• Speaking of FMQ’s, here’s what happened this week:

  • Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said the Scottish Government had failed to tackle organised crime (via Holyrood Magazine)

  • Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar focused on plans to downgrade a neonatal unit at Wishaw general hospital (via The Herald)

  • Scottish LibDem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton brought up the state of Scotland's beaches and dumping being carried out by Scottish Water

  • Other questions focused on ScotRail’s new AI announcer (which, fun fact, was first reported by yours truly) and ferry services (via The National)

• We also heard from Edinburgh University chancellor Peter Mathieson in Holyrood’s education committee, who was unable to say how much he was paid (via STV News)

  • And, separately, trade union UCU announced staff at Edinburgh University are going on strike over the university’s refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies as part of plans to save £140m (PA, via Edinburgh Live)

• John Swinney and his wife Elizabeth Quigley also did an interview with The Times on Quigley’s experience with MS and whether it influenced his decision to run for first minister

• Scottish Government ministers refused planning permission for a development on the historic Bannockburn battlefield site (via The Scotsman)

That’s about it from me this week! Thanks very much for reading, and I hope you have a lovely weekend.

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🤔 Programme for Government

On Tuesday, John Swinney unveiled his Programme for Government, which was brought forward from September as the First Minister wanted to give a full year before the next election to deliver on his promises.

There’s quite a lot to cover (it’s a 46-page document), but here’s the highlights:

• Peak rail fares scrapped: From September, peak-time rail fares will be scrapped “for good”, after a pilot project was ended less than a year ago because of budget pressures

• ScotRail alcohol ban axed: The ban on alcohol was put in place during the pandemic, and will be replaced with new regulations focused on particular times and locations

• 100k new GP appointments: Swinney promised an extra 100,000 appointments in GP surgeries to tackle the “8am lottery” - these will be focused on high risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking

• Acorn project: More money pledged for the Acorn carbon capture and storage project in the north east, which the Scottish Government had previously pledged £80m for

You can watch the full announcement in Holyrood here.

A debate on the PfG was held on Wednesday and was passed by 59 votes to 55, with one abstention. The Tories, Labour, Greens and LibDems all put in their own amendments - but they were all voted down.

If you’re interested and want to have a read yourself, here’s the PfG document.

🗳️ One year until Holyrood election

Wednesday marked one year until the Holyrood election (taking place on May 7, 2026 - to save you from doing the maths). To celebrate the occasion, the SNP, Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives all held their own press conferences.

The SNP focused heavily on Nigel Farage during their event in Edinburgh. Swinney said that Labour had “opened the door” to Reform and that while Farage wasn’t in office, he is “very much in power” at Westminster.

Scottish Labour went for a slightly different approach in Glasgow, as party leader Anas Sarwar said Scots face a simple choice at next year’s election: him or Swinney. Sarwar said Swinney was using Farage as a distraction from his own failings in government. He also said he wouldn’t be Keir Starmer 2.0 if he won the election, but “Anas Sarwar 1.0”.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Tories said five more years of the SNP would be “catastrophic” and that Scotland would “again be divided by nationalism”. Speaking in the capital, Findlay said that the thought of the SNP returning to Holyrood “keeps me awake at night”.

Side note: The SNP published their list of candidates the evening before the press conference (with the exception of North East Fife, where the selection process is still under way). There’s a whole host of former MPs who are standing, as well as current MPs Stephen Flynn and Stephen Gethins. I tweeted the list here.

Speaking to BBC Good Morning Scotland, Flynn dismissed speculation that he was looking to become first minister, saying Swinney is “the best politician in Scotland” and that he would work “incredibly hard” to see him returned as First Minister

📊 New Holyrood poll

Speaking of next year’s election, a new Holyrood poll has dropped which puts Reform as the main opposition party (although not for young folk, but we’ll get to that)…

The poll from Survation - commissioned by True North Advisors - puts the SNP first (33% constituency, 29% regional), Reform second (19% constituency, 20% regional) and Labour third (19% constituency, 18% regional). The Tories were on 11% and 12%, while the LibDems were on 11% and 10%, the Greens were at 5% and 9% and Alba came last with 1% and 3%.

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Polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice gave the following seat predictions: SNP (58); Reform (21); Labour (18); Tories (13); LibDem (10); Greens (8).

I’ve also taken a look at what the poll says about young people’s voting intentions:

16 to 24-year-olds

• SNP: 42% constituency, 37% regional

• Labour: 20% constituency, 17% regional

• Greens: 20% constituency, 28% regional

• LibDem: 7% constituency, 4% regional

• Reform: 6% constituency, 7% regional

• Alba: 3% constituency, 4% regional

• Tory: 2% constituency, 3% regional

25 to 34-year-olds

• SNP: 33% constituency, 28% regional

• Labour: 33% constituency, 35% regional

• Greens: 13% constituency, 10% regional

• Reform: 8% constituency, 10% regional

• LibDem: 6% constituency, 11% regional

• Tory: 5% constituency, 4% regional

• Alba: 3% constituency, 2% regional

So - the SNP, Scottish Labour and the Scottish Greens remain the top three favourites, while young people in Scotland are more likely to vote Reform than Tory.

🤔 Supreme Court ruling

Nicola Sturgeon has spoken to media in Holyrood following the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a “woman” under the Equality Act 2010.

The former first minister said that the judgment is “by definition … the law of the land” but warned that trans lives could become “unliveable”, raising concerns about how the ruling had been interpreted.

The full interview was shared by PA political reporter Craig Meighan.

On Thursday, the Scottish Parliament agreed new rules for toilets and changing areas in Holyrood which mean that trans women will no longer be able to use women’s facilities. New gender neutral toilets are currently being installed in the public area of the building and will be open to anyone from Monday.

Presiding officer Alison Johnstone set out the changes in a letter to MSPs and staff, which said:

• All Scottish Parliament toilets designated as male or female would now be interpreted as meaning biological sex

• One of three existing toilets in the public area of the building would be designated as a gender-neutral facility

• These will be in addition to female-only toilets, male-only toilets, an accessible toilet and a changing places facility

Johnstone added: “Such clarity is an important element in offering all individuals confidence, privacy and dignity when using our facilities. Everyone working in, or visiting, Holyrood should feel welcome in the building and be confident there is a suitable facility for them."

Scottish Trans manager Vic Valentine said: "We cannot understand why this decision has been described as one that will bring 'confidence, privacy and dignity' to everyone. It will not do so for trans people. It will exclude us and segregate us in the heart of Scotland's democracy."

🗣️ FMQs

Here’s the main highlights from this week’s First Minister’s Questions:

• Russell Findlay said the Programme for Government was a “pathetic con” and would fail to deliver the change needed in GP appointments

• Anas Sarwar attacked the Scottish Government’s record on child homelessness

• Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie called for rent control measures in the Housing Bill to be strengthened

• Swinney said he was “deeply concerned” by 250 job losses announced at oil and gas firm Harbour Energy

👀 Assisted Dying bill

John Swinney has given his official position on a bill which would allow assisted dying. The bill, put forward by LibDem MSP Liam McArthur, would allow terminally-ill people to take their own life with medical assistance - but only if they have been ruled mentally fit to make the decision by two doctors. It’s set to be voted on next Tuesday.

The First Minister said he would oppose the legislation, saying: “I am concerned that it would fundamentally change the relationships between patients and doctors in a detrimental way.

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"I'm concerned that vulnerable individuals in our society who may feel that they are a burden to their loved ones or to society, that they may opt to end their life prematurely.”

Swinney also cited his own religious faith and his family’s circumstances (his wife has multiple sclerosis, a terminal condition) as factors in his decision.

MSPs - including Scottish Government ministers - have been given a free vote on the bill.

🟢 Greens leadership bid

Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay has launched her leadership bid to become party co-leader.

Mackay - who headed up the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Bill banning protest outside abortion clinics - told reporters on Friday: “Over the last four years I've shown that I can deliver on many of the campaigns that I decide to take up and bring people together behind them.

“From safe access zones to rolling back the decision to cut school buses in North Lanarkshire - there are loads of other examples as well, and I hope that people can see that I can get things done and bring people together."

Current co-leader Lorna Slater has already announced she intends to stand again for the position, while Patrick Harvie will be stepping down. Under party rules, at least one of the co-leaders must be a woman.

The leadership election will take place during the summer.

⛪️ Scotland reacts to new Pope

A new pope was elected on Thursday evening. Robert Francis Prevost (taking up the name Leo XIV) will be the 267th pope - and the first pope from the US.

The First Minister welcomed the news, saying: “On behalf of the people of Scotland, I warmly congratulate Cardinal Prevost who has been elected by the College of Cardinals to be the next Pope.

"This is a momentous moment for Catholics here in Scotland and around the world.

"I know that Cardinal Prevost, who has taken the name of Pope Leo XIV, will assume his office with humility, respect and peace."

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: "Habemus Papam! Leo XIV Let the message of His Holiness, the new Pope, of building bridges be a lesson to the world in these troubled times."

Lorraine Currie, chief executive of the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF), the official relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in Scotland, said: "As the first Pope from the US and with extensive experience working and living in Latin America, we know Pope Leo XIV will bring a unique global perspective to his papacy.

"Known as a humble servant who believes in walking closely with those who are suffering, the new Pope's emphasis on bridge-building and social justice signal a hopeful new chapter for the church and the world.

"We look forward to working alongside the Holy Father in his mission to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world and uphold the dignity of the poorest and most vulnerable.”

Other news you might have missed:

• Fife Tory councillor quits for Reform (Alasdair Clark, The Courier)

• Brian Cox says Trump’s tariffs would be ‘absolute disaster’ for upcoming film (Chris McCall, Daily Record)

• Aberdeen University to cut jobs in bid to make £5.5m savings (Grainne NiGhreachain, STV News)

• Harbour Energy to cut 250 jobs (Kelly Wilson, The Press & Journal)

• Scottish Labour candidate working in London insists she is not a ‘paper candidate’ (Hamish Morrison, The National)

• Two schools pilot phone-free policy using lockable pouches (Kevin Quinn, Edinburgh Evening News)

That’s all from me for this week, thanks for reading and have a lovely weekend!

Don’t forget - if you like what you’re reading, please consider sharing or (if you’re joining us for the first time) subscribing!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great weekend.

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👀 Anti-far right summit

On Wednesday, John Swinney chaired a summit to counter the rise of far-right politics in Glasgow. More than 50 people attended, from representatives of civic society, faith communities, the trade union movement and Holyrood’s political leaders. The only Holyrood leader not to attend was Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay, who described the summit as a “talking shop”.

But what did they actually do? Well, attendees signed a “mission statement” aimed at “strengthening and protecting democracy in Scotland”. The statement highlighted their concerns that much of the political debate has “become polarised and soured”. But that’s about it…

There was a (very) small protest outside the summit, which included members from Reform. Demonstrators wore T-shirts saying “not far right”, although there were also signs which read “ASYLUM FRAUDS OUT” and “MASS DEPORTATION NOW!”

The First Minister described the summit as just “the start” - let’s see if anything comes from it.

📚 Supreme Court ruling

While the Snippet was in its own recess, there was the big news that the Supreme Court ruled on the definition of a “woman” under the Equality Act 2010 (brought by For Women Scotland against the Scottish Government). The ruling essentially concluded that “women” referred to biological sex, and that trans women with a gender recognition certificate can be excluded from single-sex spaces if “proportionate”.

John Swinney said the Scottish Government accepted the judgment, saying that “protecting the rights of all will underpin our actions”.

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar got caught in a rather embarrassing situation when he claimed on Twitter/X that he had “always called for the protection of single sex spaces on the basis of biological sex”, despite previously voting for the GRR bill in Holyrood. He did, of course, get community noted…

UK Government ministers are set to meet with their counterparts in the devolved nations to discuss the implication of the ruling, although no date has been set for this just yet.

Greens MSP Maggie Chapman faces a vote to oust her from her role as deputy convener of Holyrood’s Equalities Committee, after she condemned what she called the “bigotry, prejudice and hatred that we see coming from the Supreme Court” during a rally in Aberdeen. Speaking to the media in Holyrood, Chapman said she was “not going to stop representing the views of my trans constituents or standing up for their rights”. The committee - made up of 3 SNP, 2 Scottish Tory, 1 Scottish Labour and 1 Scottish Green (Chapman) - will meet on Tuesday.

There’s been a lot of misinformation online about the ruling - here’s the full judgment from the Supreme Court if you want to take a look.

🗳️ By-election in full swing

The by-election to replace the late Christina McKelvie as MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall, and Stonehouse will take place on June 5.

The candidates announced so far are:

• SNP: Katy Loudon, who previously contested the Rutherglen seat at a by-election and the General Election, losing both times to Scottish Labour’s Michael Shanks

• Scottish Labour: Davy Russell, who worked as Glasgow City Council’s head of operational services and is a former business associate of Rangers boss Barry Ferguson and Anas Sarwar’s brother

• Scottish Conservative: Richard Nelson (an Orange Order member and a “hypnotist” - yes, you heard that right) which was revealed by the Daily Record’s Paul Hutcheon…

• Reform: Ross Lambie, a Tory councillor who defected to Reform in a bizarre press conference outside a chippy - you might remember that Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice couldn’t remember his name at the time

The by-election is largely considered a two-party race between the SNP and Scottish Labour and could paint the picture for next year’s Holyrood election. Both John Swinney and Anas Sarwar have been out campaigning in the area. Let’s see how it turns out in June…

🗣️ FMQs

Thursday saw the first FMQs after recess. Here’s a quick debrief:

• John Swinney tells Holyrood the Scottish Government will develop “timely guidance” on the issue of single-sex spaces following the Supreme Court ruling

• Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay urged the FM to “apologise to the women of Scotland” in light of the judgment - Swinney said he accepted it but he doesn’t say sorry, pointing out that the Equality Act expressly prohibits discrimination and harassment against trans people (this was also brought up by former Tory leader Douglas Ross)

• Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar hits out at the anti-far right summit (which took place in Glasgow a day earlier), saying that it lacked any reflection on the failure of SNP policies - Swinney says his government “delivers for the people of Scotland, day in and day out”

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• Scottish LibDems leader Alex Cole-Hamilton raised concerns about the lack of recruitment of maths and science teachers, with the FM saying his government will work with local authority partners to address the issue

• Scottish Greens MSP Ariane Burgess raised concerns about salmon farm proposals for Loch Long, but Swinney said he couldn’t currently go into detail because it was a live planning appeal

• Alba’s Holyrood leader Ash Regan called on the Scottish Government to cut public funding to LGBT+ groups in light of the Supreme Court ruling

📊 New poll who dis?

Rejoice! A new poll has dropped - this time by YouGov - which shows Reform winning the next General Election and Nigel Farage becoming the next prime minister.

In terms of seats, this works out as: Reform 254, Labour 183, Tories 75, LibDems 71, Greens 4 and SNP 35.

While 25% of people said they would back Reform across the UK, in Scotland this sat at 23% (lower than England and Wales). The SNP picked up 3% of the overall vote, with 32% of people in Scotland saying they would vote for them. Here’s a handy breakdown of Scotland-specific results:

• SNP: 32%

• Reform: 23%

• Scottish Labour: 14%

• Scottish LibDem: 11%

• Scottish Conservative: 9%

• Scottish Green: 8%

• Other: 4%

Looking at this, it would mean Reform would be the second largest party in Scotland at the next General Election.

🎓 More university drama

In the latest development in the funding crisis across higher education, around 350 staff at Edinburgh University have taken voluntary redundancy, with more jobs potentially on the line. The university is looking to cut £140 million from its budget.

UCU Edinburgh has called on the university to rule out compulsory job cuts - saying it wouldn’t be necessary because people had taken voluntary redundancy.

Elsewhere, hundreds of professional services staff at Dundee University have voted to go on strike after the university announced there could be up to 700 redundancies.

The Scottish Government has so far provided £22 milllion in liquidity support for the university - which said it is battling a £35 million deficit.

⛪️ Pope Francis funeral

The funeral of Pope Francis is taking place on Saturday in Rome. John Swinney will be going, alongside a delegation of Scottish bishops. The First Minister said he is “honoured” to be attending, stressing the importance of Scotland being represented in Rome.

He will fly out to Rome on Friday and will be returning after the service on Saturday.

Paying tribute to the pope, Swinney said he was “always on the side of the poor” and made important contributions on international conflicts - such as on Gaza and Ukraine

🇺🇸 Donald Trump coming to Scotland

Yippee - Trump has told The Times he hopes to visit Scotland as part of his trip to the UK later this year. The US president previously said he expects the visit will be taking place in September, after receiving an invitation from the King during his meeting with Keir Starmer in the Oval Office.

There’s been a bit of confusion about whether he would actually be visiting Scotland - the official state visit is looking likely to be at Windsor Castle, although Balmoral was also floated around.

When asked whether he would visit his Aberdeenshire golf course during his visit (just an hour’s drive from Balmoral), Trump said: “I will be there - I hope to be there.

“We’re opening a fantastic project there and I hope I’m going to get to see it. It’s going to be great.”

Let’s see how that one turns out, then.

Other bits you might have missed:

• Scottish Government failing to make urgent progress on cutting emissions, environmental watchdog warns - The Scotsman

• Prince and Princess of Wales spend wedding anniversary visiting Mull - STV News

• Unions accuse Scottish Government of ‘stealth campaign’ on peak rail fare pilot - The Times

• John Swinney announces extra £300k in aid for Middle East conflicts - Scottish Government

• Scottish Greens lodge bill to ban greyhound racing in Scotland - Daily Record

• Scottish Government drops target to cut car use 20% by 2030 - BBC

• Record number of foreign nationals registered to vote in Scotland - The National

This week I’m trying something new to wrap up the Snippet - a quick glance at some of the things you can expect next week. Here we go…

For the diary:

• STUC congress, Dundee (taking place over Monday and Tuesday)

• Holyrood dog of the year competition (Monday)

• Equalities Committee vote on Maggie Chapman (Tuesday, 9.30am)

• Dundee University rally outside STUC congress (Tuesday, 12.30pm)

• Scottish Government debate: Supporting Scottish Industry During Turbulent Economic Times (Tuesday)

• First Minister’s Questions (Thursday, 12pm)

• Scottish Government Debate: Scotland’s Hydrogen Future (Thursday)

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That’s all from me this week - thanks for taking the time to read! Don’t forget to share and subscribe, if you haven’t already. We’ll be back next week.

You can also find us on most social media platforms @snippetscotland.

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💛 MSPs pay tribute to Christina McKelvie

MSPs have paid tribute Christina McKelvie, an SNP MSP and Scottish Government minister who sadly passed away last week. SNP MSPs wore yellow roses as flags were raised at half mast outside – with tributes made from across the political benches (Steph Brawn, The National)

• McKelvie’s partner and SNP depute leader, Keith Brown, gave an emotional tribute, as he said: “Planets revolve around stars. I just don’t know what a planet does when its star has been extinguished.” (Andrew Learmonth, The Herald)

🟢 Scottish Greens to elect new co-leader

Patrick Harvie has announced he will step down as co-leader of the Scottish Greens after almost 17 years.

The MSP, who was first elected as the party's co-convener in 2008 and is the Greens’ longest serving MSP, said he wouldn’t stand in the leadership contest set to take place this summer but would continue to serve as an MSP and intends to put himself forward in the 2026 Holyrood election.

(Danyel VanReenen, STV News)

🔷 Tory MSP quits party

Scottish Conservatives MSP Jamie Greene has quit the party, claiming it is pursuing a “Reform-lite” agenda…

The West Scotland MSP hit out at party leadership and their advisers over a shift further to the right to combat the threat of Nigel Farage’s party

(David Bol, The Scotsman)

You can read the full resignation letter sent by Greene to party leader Russell Findlay HERE.

• Responding, Findlay said: “When I was elected, I promised to take the party in a new direction and said that we needed to be different. I promised change and I keep my promises”

• Meanwhile, Scottish LibDems leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “I have a lot of respect for Jamie Greene. It takes courage to leave and do what you think is right.” (via Twitter @agcolehamilton)

🗣️ FMQs

• Findlay questioned Swinney on the trade tariffs announced by US president Donald Trump (we’ll get onto that in a bit, don’t worry…) (via BBC Scotland News live blog)

• Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie (substituting for Anas Sarwar, who is currently in New York for Tartan Week) said the SNP have "broken the NHS", challenging Swinney on patient waiting times and the state of healthcare (via Twitter @ScottishLabour)

• Meanwhile, the Scottish Greens said the Scottish Government was being “complacent” over rent rises in Scotland, as the rent freeze came to an end this week (Steph Brawn, The National)

  • This question comes after an investigation by Abbi Garton-Crosbie found that hundreds of landlords were attempting to hike rents above government limits

💰 US tariffs impacting Scotland

On Wednesday evening, US president Donald Trump unveiled a range of tariffs, with a 10% “baseline” import tax slapped on every country that sends goods to the US. On top of this, the UK has also been hit by a 25% tariff on cars

Here’s a handy piece of analysis from The Scotsman’s Alexander Brown on the impact of these tariffs on Scotland…

• Speaking at FMQs on Thursday, Swinney said: “The imposition of tariffs is not good news. It will be damaging for economic activity not just in Scotland, and the United Kingdom, but across the world.” (Gabriel McKay, The Herald)

• Earlier on Thursday, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes also released a statement warning that the tariffs imposed by Trump will impact on some of Scotland’s key industries (Andrew Quinn, Daily Record)

  • For example, the Scotch Whisky Association has estimated the 10% tariff could result in between £200 million and £400 million worth of export losses annually (Keiran Fleming, STV News)

🇺🇸 Tartan Week

Speaking of the US, party leaders in Scotland have been heading to New York for Tartan Week. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is already there (as is the UK Government’s Scotland Secretary Ian Murray), with the First Minister set to join from Friday

• Journalists were told after FMQs on Thursday that Swinney will not be meeting with US government officials during his visit to New York amid uncertainty over the tariffs (Chris McCall, Daily Record)

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  • (It comes after Swinney met with Eric Trump, the US president’s son, a few weeks ago in Bute House)

  • In other news, it emerged on Thursday that Anas Sarwar also met with Eric Trump on the same day as Swinney (Alasdair Ferguson, The National)

🎓 Dundee University update

Bosses at Dundee University initially announced the institution would be looking to cut 632 full-time equivalent jobs to plug its £35 million deficit, but on Monday Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee was told that the decision would be likely to hit around 700 members of staff (via BBC Scotland News)

• Senior government insiders said SNP ministers went “volcanic” at the news, as Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said she was “surprised” (Alasdair Clark, The Courier)

On Thursday, trade union Unite announced it would be balloting its members at Dundee University on strike action (Mark McDougall, The Herald)

That’s all for this week - thanks for reading the ninth edition of The Snippet! Don’t forget to subscribe to get a weekly-round up sent straight to your inbox every Friday.

If you think we should be covering something, get in touch.

You can also find The Snippet on social media (Twitter/X, Instagram, Bluesky and TikTok @snippetscotland.

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💛 Christina McKelvie passes away

MSP and SNP Government minister Christina McKelvie has died aged 57, her family said on Thursday. McKelvie was the SNP MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse and was the Scottish Government Minister for Drugs and Alcohol policy (Dale Miller, The Scotsman)

Her partner, Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane and the current deputy leader of the SNP, confirmed McKelvie’s death in a statement, which you can read here

MSPs and MPs from across the political spectrum have paid tribute to Christina. First Minister John Swinney said “Christina was such a big-hearted woman, with compassion and social justice at her core”, while former first ministers Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon also paid tribute 👇

She had the biggest heart of anyone I have ever known. I will never forget the friendship and kindness she showed me over many years.

- Nicola Sturgeon

Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone and John Swinney led a minute of silence in Holyrood on Thursday, as flags were raised to half mast. A book of condolences has been opened, and the public can also contribute online by clicking here.

📈 UK benefits cuts will impact Scottish Budget

Down in England, Chancellor Rachel Reeves gave her Spring Statement on Wednesday. She announced further benefits cuts as the OBR (the public finances watchdog, basically tasked with doing the Government’s homework) estimated that the £5 billion in cuts first announced by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall wouldn’t actually amount to £5 billion.

On top of the cuts on PIP and Universal Credit which have already been announced, Reeves said the Universal Credit health element would be cut by 50% and frozen for new claimants.

Here’s a handy explainer on the Spring Statement via STV News...

• Finance Secretary Shona Robison has warned that these cuts are going to affect the Scottish Budget, creating a “very, very challenging situation”. She added that the Scottish Government would do “absolutely everything we can to avoid going anywhere near replicating what the UK Government has set out" by “starting from a principled point of not pushing people into poverty” (Andrew Learmonth, The Herald)

• Meanwhile, Scotland’s top financial institution, the Fraser of Allander Institute at Strathclyde University, warned Scotland faces £900 million in cuts as a result of the Spring Statement (Laura Pollock, The National)

(In Scotland, PIP is currently being phased out by Adult Disability Payment. This process is ongoing so some people remain on PIP while others receive ADP - the hope is that this transfer will be complete by the end of the year).

The criticism we’d expect to see from the opposition benches has come - but we’ve also seen a growing number of Labour politicians who say they will oppose the cuts when it comes to a vote. In Scotland, only one Labour MP has so far said they will vote against the plans - Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman 👇

• After the Spring Statement, Leishman said: “These proposed cuts to welfare are not real Labour Party values. To reiterate my position, I’ll vote against these cuts. Please find your MP’s email address and write to them and tell them how you feel about 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, being put into poverty.” (via Twitter @BrianLeishmanMP)

✊ Glasgow University Gaza encampment

Students at Glasgow University started an encampment in solidarity with Gaza on Monday (Amy Myles, Glasgow Times)

• Members of the Glasgow University Justice for Palestine society have recently ramped up action, including building takeovers and protests, while some students are taking part in a hunger strike. The society claims the university’s investments in arms companies such as BAE Systems make it complicit in war crimes

• On Monday, a group of students set up an encampment on the university’s campus. It’s been named the Dima Alhaj Liberated Zone in memory of the former Glasgow University student who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in November alongside her six-month-old baby, her husband and her two brothers

The group has claimed the university hasn’t reached out to offer support to any of the students on hunger strike - something the university has denied.

🎓 Dundee University saga continues

In case you’ve not been following along with everything that’s going on at Dundee University, the university is axing 632 jobs to plug a £35 million deficit - around 20% of its workforce.

The university has been handed multiple loans and is now the subject of an independent investigation commissioned by the Scottish Funding Council which will look at the reasons for the "deterioration" in the institution's finances and attempt to understand how this came as a surprise to the university leadership" (via BBC Scotland News)

• Meanwhile, Holyrood’s Education Committee is set to grill university bosses on April 2. Former principal Iain Gillespie - who resigned from his position in December - declined an invitation to attend because he is currently “travelling” (Justin Bowie, The Courier)

• And on Thursday, a university town hall meeting descended into chaos after around 20 members of staff marched on the principal’s office, demanding University Executive Group (UEG) members answer questions about its financial crisis and their futures (Connor Bertie and Justin Bowie, The Courier)

💰 Is free university tuition a good thing?

A new poll commissioned by The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland found that 48% of people backed the idea of charging university tuition fees in Scotland, based on the ability to pay.

The poll, carried out by Ipsos UK, found of the 1057 adults questioned 44% believed the the Scottish Government should continue to support all first-time undergraduates, while 43% said they would prefer those whose households could afford it to pay at least some of their tuition fees.

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More than two fifths (43%) agreed too many people in Scotland continue to face barriers to going to university, with those from low-income households (65%) and disadvantaged backgrounds (55%) considered most likely to have difficulties with this.

(Calum Ross, The Scotsman)

• First Minister John Swinney has defended free tuition fees in Scotland, as he said: “I believe access to higher and further education should be based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay.” (Steph Brawn, The National)

👀 Douglas Ross leaving Holyrood

Former Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross is stepping down from Holyrood at next year’s election in the hopes of returning to Westminster (Kirsteen Paterson, Holyrood Magazine)

Ross stood in July’s General Election, after essentially ousting then-MP David Duguid - who was recovering from spinal surgery but said he wanted to stand. Ross ultimately lost to the SNP’s Seamus Logan…

In a statement, Ross said: “In the General Election last year, I said I would stand down as an MSP if elected. As I hope to stand for Westminster again at the next General Election, I believe it is right that I don’t seek election to Holyrood in 2026.” (via Twitter @Douglas4Moray)

🗳️ Alba members elect new leader

Kenny MacAskill has been elected as leader of the Alba Party. On Thursday, members chose the former justice secretary over MSP Ash Regan in a ballot to replace the late leader Alex Salmond after his sudden death last October.

MacAskill was elected with 52.3% of the vote to Regan’s 47.7% (1331 votes against 1212) on a turnout of 50.8%.

An election for deputy leader took place at the same time. Neale Hanvey won with 77.8% of the vote, while Chris McEleny won 22.2%.

(Chris McCall, Daily Record)

🗣️ FMQs

Before this week’s FMQs, MSPs held a moment of silence for Christina McKelvie. Understandably, this week’s exchange was much quieter and there isn’t too much to report. But here’s a quick rundown…

• John Swinney was grilled by Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay on an Audit Scotland report that highlights GP problems

• Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar asked about a "devastating" report into emergency departments in Glasgow - Swinney said the findings are not acceptable

(via BBC Scotland News live blog)

• And Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie used his question to pay tribute to Christina McKelvie, asking how all MSPs can show the kindness and compassion she did

• Swinney said that the UK Government’s Spring Statement choices would make eradicating child poverty in Scotland “more challenging” (Danyel VanReenen, STV News)

• The First Minister also pledged to visit a primary school in Busby after it was targeted in an “unprecedented series of sectarian attacks” (Xander Elliards, The National)

Thanks for reading and have a lovely weekend!

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🎓 Dundee University to cut more than 600 jobs

More than 600 staff are set to lose their jobs at the University of Dundee as its deficit is set to hit £35 million this year

Plans outlined by university management will see 632 posts go across all schools and directorates, with it understood to be “very unlikely” that compulsory redundancies can be avoided

Parts of the university estate, as well as intellectual property rights, are also likely to be sold off as the university seeks to downsize (Alasdair Clark, The Courier)

• First Minister John Swinney said he is concerned by the “very severe” situation facing Dundee (Danyel VanReenen, STV News)

• Scottish Labour MSP for North East Scotland Michael Marra said a huge increase in support is needed, as he asked the Scottish Government to increase its current offer of a £15 million loan to £45 million – repayable over 15 to 20 years (Alasdair Clark, The Courier)

• During First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, John Swinney was told the looming job losses should be a “wake-up call” for the Scottish Government to take action to support the sector (Neil Pooran, PA, via The Herald)

In other university news, workers at the University of Strathclyde have begun a two-week strike in a dispute over pensions, affecting laboratories and halls of residence (Morgan Carmichael, Glasgow Times)

🗳️ Nicola Sturgeon stepping down in 2026

Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced she will not seek re-election to Holyrood next year

A former SNP leader and the longest serving first minister, Sturgeon has been in the Scottish Parliament since it was reconvened in 1999 (Angus Cochrane, BBC Scotland News)

• Speaking to journalists after her announcement, Sturgeon said she felt a “sense of relief” at stepping down and that she had known “for some time” about her plans. Watch the full discussion 👇

• She also spoke about gender reforms - she was a staunch champion of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill when it passed in 2022. The former first minister said she believes society will look back and "feel a sense of collective shame" at the vilification of trans people (Alistair Grant, The Scotsman)

🌹 Anas Sarwar supports benefits cuts

The Scottish Labour leader has backed Keir Starmer's plans to cut billions of pounds from the UK Government’s welfare budget, saying the Prime Minister was the “right approach”

It comes as the UK Government’s Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is set to unveil £6 billion in cuts to welfare, primarily through making it harder for people to get disability benefits and cutting the rate of Universal Credit for those deemed unfit to work. The UK Government is also set to freeze PIP payments next year so that they do not rise with inflation (via BBC Scotland News)

✈️ Eric Trump visits Scotland

• One of Donald Trump's private planes landed at Edinburgh Airport on Thursday, carrying his son Eric Trump (Alastair Dalton, The Scotsman)

• John Swinney met with him, where they focused solely on Trump’s two golf courses in Scotland and did not discuss politics. Journalists were not briefed ahead of the meeting, although it is believed it took place in Bute House (via BBC Scotland News)

  • It comes after the Trump Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire was vandalised by pro-Palestine activists over the US president’s position on Gaza

• In other Trump news, two Edinburgh councillors have filed motions calling on the council to oppose any visit by the “fascist” Donald Trump to the city (Joe Sullivan, LDR, via Edinburgh Live)

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🙍‍♀️ Women MSPs speak out about online abuse

Women MSPs have spoken out about the online abuse they have suffered, with one Labour frontbencher revealing she has been branded a “poisoned dwarf” while a Tory said she was told she would be “set alight”

It comes as Holyrood magazine found almost all the MSPs it questioned had experienced some form of online abuse - including rape threats, death threats and severe misogynistic abuse. It contacted all 59 sitting women MSPs and received responses from 22 of them between January 29 and February 25

(Sofia Villegas, Holyrood magazine)

🗣️ FMQs

• The Tories kicked off FMQs on Thursday as Russell Findlay asked John Swinney: “What was Nicola Sturgeon's biggest failure in office?” - The First Minister accused the Tories of being “graceless” (Xander Elliards, The National)

• Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said that the SNP’s opposition to Trident nuclear weapons will make the country “less safe” (PA, via STV News)

• The Greens said the Scottish Government’s retreat from the Heat in Buildings Bill and tenant protections will mean higher costs for people and families across Scotland (via Scottish Greens)

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🔷 Kemi Badenoch in Glasgow visit

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch visited Glasgow on Thursday, where she said Reform UK are “counting their chickens” ahead of next year’s Holyrood election (Andrew Learmonth, The Herald)

• Badenoch also said there is “serious potential” Scottish public bodies have broken the law on single-sex spaces as she denied the trans debate in Holyrood was “toxic” (Rachel Amery, The Scotsman)

• She also accused the Scottish media of trying to paint her and other UK party leaders as “alien” to Scotland (Xander Elliards, The National)

That’s all for this week - thanks for reading the eighth edition of The Snippet! Don’t forget to subscribe to get a weekly-round up sent straight to your inbox every Friday.

If you think we should be covering something, get in touch.

You can also find The Snippet on social media (Twitter/X, Instagram, Bluesky and TikTok at @snippetscotland.

Don’t forget to give this a share if you like what you see - thanks for reading!

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🏥 Buffer zone protests begin

• Pro-life group 40 Days for Life began a series of vigils outside the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow on Wednesday. The group has said they won’t breach the buffer zone, which came into effect last year and bans protests from taking place within 200m of a clinic where abortions are offered (via STV News)

  • El Johnstone, a woman who lives nearby the buffer zone and who could see the protest from outside her bedroom window, made headlines after she approached the protesters. See a video of the interaction below 👇

• Ahead of the vigil, Greens MSP Gillian Mackay - who spearheaded the legislation in Holyrood - said the buffer zones could be extended if protests “cause issues” (Steph Brawn, The National)

👀 Scotland reacts to Trump

In case you missed it, a heated argument took place in the White House last Friday between Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy - just one day after Prime Minister Keir Starmer was in the same room, inviting Trump (on behalf of the King) to a second state visit to the UK.

The PM is now facing calls for the invitation to be revoked - particularly from Scottish voices, as Trump is set to meet the King in Scotland before the official state visit.

There’s a lot to get through this week on this, so here’s a handy breakdown…

• First Minister John Swinney said a second state visit for Trump would be “unthinkable” if he doesn’t change his stance towards Ukraine. Speaking in Holyrood on Tuesday, he said Scotland will “forever stand with Ukraine” (Alistair Grant, The Scotsman)

  • Starmer dismissed the calls, saying he wasn’t “going to be diverted by the SNP or others trying to ramp up the rhetoric” (Mary McCool, BBC Scotland News)

  • The Prime Minister also said the SNP needs to drop its opposition to nuclear weapons, as he said: “If ever there was a time to reaffirm support for the nuclear deterrent, it is now” (Daniel Sanderson, The Times)

• SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn echoed Swinney’s calls, writing on Twitter/X that Starmer needed to “get back up off his knees” and revoke the offer of a state visit, leading the Prime Minister to tell the Commons he wouldn’t be deterred by “keyboard warriors”. Watch a video of the exchange HERE via BBC News

  • Flynn was met with criticism from opposition parties as a result - Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the situation required “serious grown-up leadership, not Twitter diplomacy”, while Scottish Conservatives leader Russell Findlay said “grandstanding comments, such as those from some senior SNP politicians, are self-indulgent and counter-productive” (Hamish Morrison, The National)

• Meanwhile, former first minister Nicola Sturgeon said “bully boy alpha male” leaders like Donald Trump are “upending” the world. She was speaking at an event on leadership in Edinburgh on Tuesday (Rachel Amery, The Scotsman)

• A new poll has found that 71% of Scots have an unfavourable view of Trump, compared to 18% with a favourable view (PA, via STV News)

  • An interesting side note: The Ipsos Scotland survey also found support for Trump was higher among young people. 27% of those aged between 16 and 34 held a favourable view, compared to 18% for those aged between 35 and 54 and 11% for those aged older than 55. Interesting…

🛢️ Rosebank firm linked with Israel

One of the fossil fuel giants behind the controversial Rosebank development is being investigated over human rights concerns in Palestine

Norwegian state-owned Equinor is being probed by the Norwegian Consumer Authority over its relationship with Ithaca Energy, the two companies behind the Rosebank proposals

Ithaca is majority-owned by the Delek Group, an Israeli fuel company that operates in the occupied West Bank and has been flagged by the United Nations for human rights concerns

(David Bol, The Scotsman)

🗳️ More Holyrood 2026 announcements

Another week, another flurry of MSPs announcing they’re stepping down at the next election…

• Finance Secretary Shona Robison announced that she would be standing down at the next election, saying “now is the right time for me to take on some new challenges and contribute to public life in a different way” (Alasdair Clark, The Courier)

• Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop has announced she will be retiring. She said the decision was “entirely personal” and “for positive reasons” (Jody Harrison, The Herald)

• Former Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard is also stepping down, saying that he would continue to campaign for a "more democratic, more equal, socialist society" (Ian Bunting, Daily Record)

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🗣️ FMQs

• Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie pressed Swinney on why promised legislation for ending gas home heating has not been advanced. The First Minister said progress would be made as quickly as possible (via Scottish Greens)

• Meanwhile, Swinney rejected the Scottish Conservatives’ proposal that the school leaving age should be lowered to 14 (Rebecca McCurdy, The Herald)

  • Earlier this week, the proposal was dismissed by the Scottish Government as “Dickensian” (Lucy Jackson, The National)

  • The plumbing trade body also said the policy was “reckless, unworkable and deeply irresponsible” (Calum Ross, The Scotsman)

• Scottish Labour led on NHS waiting lists as Anas Sarwar argued that the health service is “no longer free at the point of need” (via BBC)

🤔 More defections to Reform

Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice was in Glasgow on Thursday, where he announced two more defections to the party - but he was unable to name them (David Bol, The Scotsman)

Click HERE to see a video of the exchange with journalist Tom Gordon

Renfrewshire councillor John Gray and South Lanarkshire councillor Ross Lambie have defected to the party

• Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, he said John Swinney and Anas Sarwar were “terrified” by the rise of Reform in Scotland

⚽ Football booze ban could be lifted

Police Scotland has told the SPFL they are “open to discussions” on lifting a ban on the sale of alcohol at football games (Andrew Learmonth, The Herald)

• John Swinney has said he was not “sympathetic” to the plans, saying: “I think we’ve got a set of arrangements in place just now that work, that are appropriate, that are necessary, and I think we should stick with them” (Kieran Fleming, STV News)

That’s all for this week - thanks for reading the seventh edition of The Snippet! Don’t forget to subscribe to get a weekly-round up sent straight to your inbox every Friday.

If you think we should be covering something, get in touch.

You can also find The Snippet on social media (Twitter/X, Instagram, Bluesky and TikTok @snippetscotland.

Don’t forget to give this a share if you like what you see - thanks for reading!

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👀 ‘Cross-party summit’ against far right

John Swinney has announced a cross-party summit with the hopes of stopping Reform from entering Holyrood. Support for Nigel Farage’s party in Scotland is surging in the polls, with many suggesting the party could pick up seats at next year’s election

In a press conference at Bute House on Wednesday, Swinney said Farage’s views on immigration are “based on a fundamentally racist view of the world”, and that the threat of the “far-right” – in which he included Reform – is real and working across party lines is the only way to fight it

The summit will take place at the end of April and will bring together political leaders and civic society - but it will not result in an electoral pact

(PA, via STV News)

• Polling expert Professor John Curtice said that the move will help the SNP in the next election by sowing “division amongst the unionists ranks” (Rachel Amery, The Scotsman)

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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish Government to review arms company funding

On Wednesday, MSPs debated ending public grants for arms firms linked to Israel through the Government’s commercial agency Scottish Enterprise

The motion, brought forward by the Scottish Greens, ultimately failed - although deputy first minister Kate Forbes said the Scottish Government would review its human rights checks on arms companies getting state support (Hamish Morrison, The National)

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• Speaking during the debate, former first minister Humza Yousaf said he supported the Greens’ motion, adding: “I agree that not a penny of public funding should be going to arms companies – including those in Scotland – who supply weapons or munitions to Israel” (Humza Yousaf, via Twitter/X)

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🎓 Emergency cash for universities

Staff at Dundee University have begun a 15 day strike (every weekday for three weeks) amidst a £30 million black hole in finances and threats of job cuts (Alasdair Clark, The Courier)

• During the Scottish Budget stage 3 debate , Finance Secretary (and Dundee MSP) Shona Robison announced a £15 million emergency loan for the sector which the university could get access to - but will have to pay back (Andy Phillip, The Courier)

  • The Scottish Government’s higher and further education minister, Graeme Day, told MSPs that he expects employees and trade unions to be consulted on the university’s financial recovery plan (Calum Ross, The Scotsman)

  • Meanwhile, Scottish Labour’s finance spokesperson Michael Marra said that the emergency funding “will not touch the sides” of the financial deficit at Dundee (PA, via STV News)

• Elsewhere, Edinburgh University is planning to reduce staff numbers to plug a £140 million gap, which is said to equate to about 10% of the university’s annual turnover. The university declined to confirm the number of staff reductions and whether these will include compulsory redundancies (Nicholas Malizia, Edinburgh Live)

💰 Scottish Budget passes in Holyrood

On Tuesday, the Scottish Budget bill passed its final vote in Holyrood, setting out the Scottish Government’s tax and spending plans for the upcoming financial year

The Greens, LibDems and Alba backed the bill, while Scottish Labour abstained and the Scottish Conservatives voted against it (Andrew Learmonth, The Herald)

• After the vote, the First Minister tweeted: “I’m delighted that our Budget has just passed by @ScotParl - with backing from all parties apart from Labour and the Tories. It’s good news for our NHS, for Grangemouth, for tackling child poverty for our economy. We will keep working to deliver progress for all of Scotland”

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🌹 Scottish Labour conference

The Scottish Labour party conference took place last weekend in Glasgow, with keynote speeches from both Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer…

• The Prime Minister announced £200 million to help secure a new future for the Grangemouth oil refinery ahead of its closure later this year. It comes after the Scottish Government pledged £25 million. You can see the most important bits from Starmer’s speech in the video below 👇

• Following the announcement, Scottish Labour leader Sarwar told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “This needs to happen now at pace, and that’s why getting investors around the table, demonstrating both governments are serious about a long-term future for Grangemouth is going to be really important”

  • Roz Foyer, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, said the money will need to be “used correctly” if it is to have a “transformative impact” (Katrine Bussey, PA, via Independent)

• Anas Sarwar echoed Donald Trump and Elon Musk in his speech by announcing Scottish Labour's own plans for a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Scottish Labour leader said that he would create the department because of "the SNP's wasteful incompetence" (Andrew Quinn, Daily Record)

  • Sarwar also said there wouldn’t be an independence referendum in the term of the next Holyrood parliament even if the SNP maintain power (Gregor Young, The National)

• A pro-Palestine demonstration took place outside the conference on Saturday, as hundreds of protesters marched through the city towards the venue, accusing the Prime Minister of supporting a genocide in Gaza (Craig Meighan and Leah Flint, The Herald)

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👑 Trump invited to ‘unprecedented’ Scotland visit

Keir Starmer is currently on a visit to the US, where he is meeting with president Donald Trump. On Thursday, the Prime Minister handed Trump a letter from King Charles, which invited him to an “unprecedented” second state visit

The King suggested that he and Trump could meet before that visit, either at Dumfries House or Balmoral, which are near Trump’s golf courses in Scotland, to discuss the plans for the bigger state visit

Trump said he accepted the invite and that it would be an "honour" to visit, adding that the King was a “beautiful man, a wonderful man”

(Kate Whannel, BBC News)

🤔 Foreign aid cuts ‘deeply disappointing’

Keir Starmer recently announced that defence spending would rise from 2.3% of GDP to 2.5% by 2027, in response to “tyrant” Russian leader Vladimir Putin and uncertainty over the US’s commitment to European security

He said this will be funded by reducing overseas assistance aid from its current level of 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3% in the next two years

(Alexander Brown, Caitlin Doherty, The Scotsman)

• SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn accused Starmer of following the “populist playbook” by cutting foreign aid in order to increase defence spending (Xander Elliards, The National)

  • Meanwhile, External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson branded the decision “deeply disappointing”, adding: “This is a time when globally we all need to be stepping up to support the poorest and the most vulnerable communities in the world” (Laura Pollock, The National)

  • After the Prime Minister’s announcement, John Swinney said the SNP is right to continue its opposition to Trident, the UK’s nuclear programme (Chris McCall, Daily Record)

  • A leading economist at the Fraser of Allander Institute think tank has warned Scotland’s Budget could face cuts in the coming years as slashing foreign aid won’t be enough to meet the UK’s longer-term target on defence spending (Kathleen Nutt, The Herald)

That’s all for this week - thanks for reading the sixth edition of The Snippet! Don’t forget to subscribe to get a weekly-round up sent straight to your inbox every Friday.

If you think we should be covering something, get in touch.

You can also find The Snippet on social media (Twitter/X, Instagram, Bluesky and TikTok @snippetscotland

Don’t forget to give this a share if you like what you see - thanks for reading!

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🩺 Abortion buffer zones

Scotland’s abortion buffer zones continue to be in the news this week as the first arrest was made under the legislation - which came into effect last year. A 74-year-old woman was arrested and charged on Wednesday in connection with a breach of an exclusion zone outside Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow (Callum Loudon, STV News)

• Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay - who spearheaded the campaign for buffer zones in Holyrood - said in a post on Twitter/X that it was “no coincidence” that the arrest happened days after JD Vance falsely claimed that people who pray in their own homes could be prosecuted under the legislation

• Mackay also called on the US embassy to correct the “lies” told by Vance, saying: “He either knows nothing about it and chose to speak about it anyway or he knew exactly what he was doing and was happy to lie about it” (Xander Elliards, The National)

  • And during First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater called on John Swinney to urge Keir Starmer to push for an “urgent apology” from the White House when he meets with Donald Trump next week (Lucy Jackson, The National)

In case you need a reminder, here’s a handy explainer from the Scottish Government on what buffer zones actually mean.

🗳️ Latest Holyrood poll

A new poll has predicted Scottish Labour are set for their worst election result since devolution. The figures from Norstat found that just 18% of voters intend to back the party at the next Holyrood election in 2026 (John Boothman / Mark McLaughlin, Sunday Times)

• The seat predictions are: SNP (55), Scottish Labour (18), Scottish Conservatives (18), Reform UK (15), Scottish LibDems (13), Scottish Greens (10)

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You can view the breakdown of the polling here. I’ve had a quick look at the results for young people (that is, people aged 16-34) and here’s what I’ve found for the constituency vote:

• SNP (men 38%, women 22%), Labour (men 15%, women 29%), Conservative (men 12%, women 12%), Reform (men 12%, women 12%), LibDem (men 11%, women 12%), Green (men 9%, women 16%), Other (men 1%, women 1%)

🗣️ FMQs

First Minister’s Questions was back this week after Holyrood was in recess. Here’s a recap of what happened…

• The Scottish Conservatives questioned John Swinney on the ongoing employment tribunal at NHS Fife brought by nurse Sandie Peggie over single-sex spaces (Rachel Amery, The Scotsman)

  • The First Minister said Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay’s rhetoric was a “parade in front of Nigel Farage” (Laura Pollock, The National)

• Meanwhile, Scottish Labour said the SNP need to stop focussing on “disciplining nurses” and instead focus on “fixing the NHS” (Chris McCall, Daily Record)

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🛢️ Grangemouth announcement

John Swinney has pledged a further £25 million to secure a “just transition” for Grangemouth, calling on the UK Government to match the Scottish Government’s funding.

The First Minister said the Labour Government must “do what it said it would do before the election” (Callum Loudon, STV News)

• Unite is planning a protest on Friday outside the Scottish Labour conference, as the trade union said Labour "will never be forgiven" if the refinery closes (Hannah Brown, The Herald)

🎤 David Tennant brands Donald Trump ‘villain’

David Tennant hosted the Baftas for the second time on Sunday, where he took aim at Donald Trump. The Scottish actor branded the US president a “villain” while referencing The Brutalist - although his comments were cut out in the BBC’s broadcast (Tasha Hall, Daily Record)

Side note: If you need a bit of a pick me up, here is Tennant’s fabulous rendition of The Proclaimers’ 500 miles…

💰 Public sector pay best in the UK

Public sector pay in Scotland is higher than the rest of the UK, according to new research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies. The think tank found that public pay rose by 5% above inflation in Scotland in the 2019 to 2024 period, while the UK as a whole saw no change (Sophie Adams, Holyrood Magazine)

🌹 Scottish Labour pledges

Ahead of the Scottish Labour party conference - which is taking place in Glasgow from Friday until Sunday - the party has announced several pledges ahead of the 2026 election. Here’s a handy list so you don’t get lost…

• Abolish peak rail fares (Paul Hutcheon, Daily Record)

• Free swimming lessons for school pupils (Lewis Mckenzie, Scottish Sun)

• An end to the ‘8am GP rush’ (David Bol, The Scotsman)

🎓 Edinburgh University ‘snobs’ issue

The principal of Edinburgh University has warned that Scots still face discrimination from English students, despite the institution dropping its guidance reprimanding campus “snobs”.

Peter Mathieson said snobbery remained a problem three months after it was highlighted by the university’s equalities unit.

The principal addressed “stories in the media about ridicule of Scottish students because of their accents by other students” at a meeting of the university’s general council on Saturday (Mark McLaughlin, The Times)

👀 Ian Murray to ‘sell Scotland to the world’

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray is to lead trips promoting Scottish produce to the key markets of Asia and America this year.

Murray said jobs and investment could benefit from trade missions which will “sell Scotland to the world” (PA Media, via STV News)

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Happy Valentine’s Day! 💗

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🗳️ More MSPs to stand down in 2026

SNP MSP Audrey Nicoll has announced she is standing down in 2026 from the Aberdeen South and North Kincardine seat she has held since 2021. (Adele Merson, Press & Journal)

• It comes just months after Stephen Flynn - current SNP leader at Westminster - announced his plan to run for the same seat in the next Holyrood election, before walking the decision back following backlash

• Nicoll said her decision was personal and that she had not been pressured to stand aside or because of Flynn. She said: “By the time you reach my age, and especially having worked in a male-dominated work environment for 31 years, I’m not in the game of being pressurised by men into doing something that isn’t right for me.” (Laura Pollock, The National)

• It comes after reports emerged that allies of Flynn had drawn up a “hit list” of SNP MSPs - all of them women - to oust before the election. The list includes Karen Adam, Evelyn Tweed, Collette Stevenson, Jackie Dunbar and Emma Roddick (Connor Matchett, Scottish Sun)

  • Health Secretary Neil Gray MSP has said the claims of a “hit list” are just speculation and that the SNP wants the “best possible candidates” for next year’s election (Craig Paton, PA, via Independent)

• Evelyn Tweed - one of the MSPs on the “hit list” - announced on Thursday she would be standing down at the next election. The Stirling MSP said she wanted to “embrace new opportunities” (Justin Bowie, The Courier)

• Meanwhile, former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has suggested she could stay on as an MSP for the next 20 years, saying she has a sense of “unfinished business” in her Glasgow Southside constituency (Martin Roche, Glad Radio / Andrew Learmonth, The Herald)

🎓 Education chaos

• Staff at Dundee University will begin a three-week strike later this month after bosses refused to rule out compulsory redundancies. UCU members will strike from 24th February until 14th March (Alasdair Clark, The Courier)

• Elsewhere, staff at Edinburgh University have been warned schools or programmes could be closed as part of efforts to stabilise the institution’s finances. In a letter to staff, Sir Peter Mathieson, the university’s principal, said “nothing is off the table” (Calum Ross, The Scotsman)

• In Glasgow, a teachers’ strike has been suspended following talks between unions an the city council. Members of the EIS union were set to walk out on 20th February (Stewart Paterson, Glasgow Times)

In other news, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar wrote to university bosses saying his party’s support for free tuition is “iron-clad” but the “status quo is not working”. The SNP slammed his letter as “hypocrisy on stilts” (Andrew Learmonth, The Herald)

🏘️ Council tax reform

The Scottish Government has announced action on council tax and has started canvassing for views on changing the system. Finance Secretary Shona Robison said: “We will be seeking a consensus on a local taxation system that is fairer, financially sustainable and fits a modern Scotland.” (PA, via STV News)

• The Institute for Fiscal Studies, a leading economic think tank, said more than half of Scottish households are paying the wrong council tax rates. Households pay council tax according to “bands” which are allocated based on what the value of a home would have been in April 1991 (Xander Elliards, The National)

  • Fife Council leader David Ross - leader of the Labour group on Cosla (the council umbrella body) - dismissed the consultation plans as “cynical” and “a fantasy” (Alistair Grant, The Scotsman)

• Meanwhile, councillors at the Scottish Borders Council have said they plan to increase council tax by 10% from April, which they said will generate £7 million. The council will meet to confirm plans later this month (BBC News)

It’s important to note that students are exempt from paying council tax. If you’re a student who lives with someone who isn’t a student, you might be eligible for council tax reduction. Find out more HERE.

🗣️ Humza Yousaf on ‘hell on earth’ in Gaza

Former first minister Humza Yousaf has said the situation in Gaza is already “hell on Earth”. Speaking to the PA news agency, he said his father-in-law has been left a “shell” and any hopes of his parents-in-law returning to Gaza is “a very distant dream” (PA, via STV News)

• Maged and Elizabeth El-Nakla – the parents of Yousaf’s wife Nadia El-Nakla – were visiting relatives in Gaza when the war on Gaza broke out following October 7, 2023. They were trapped for four weeks before leaving through Egypt with other British nationals

• Yousaf has also branded an exchange between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch on refugees as “sickening”. He described their comments on preventing Palestinian refugees from being allowed to live in Britain under the Homes for Ukraine scheme as “institutional racism” (Holly Lennon, STV News)

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👀 FMQs

There was no First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, as Holyrood is currently in recess. FMQs will resume next week!

👑 John Swinney attends ‘royal sleepover’

First Minister John Swinney attended an event with King Charles at Windsor Castle on Wednesday evening. The FM, along with Keir Starmer and the heads of the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland and Wales, was invited to an evening with the monarch (Paris Gourtsoyannis, STV News)

💰 Funding to tackle violence against women

The Scottish Government has announced an increase in funding to tackle violence against women. Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart announced more than 100 organisations will receive a share of £2.4 million (Joe Scotting, The National)

That’s all for this week! Don’t forget to subscribe to get a weekly-round up sent straight to your inbox every Friday.

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💰 Scottish Budget set to pass

The Scottish Budget looks set to pass after the Greens and LibDems announced their support - in exchange for an extension on free school meals and a £2 bus fare pilot. The vote on the Budget will take place next month (Rachel Amery, The Scotsman)

• Sources inside the Scottish Greens have said the party has handed “ammunition to Reform on a silver plate” following their support, with some members left “very disappointed” (Hannah Brown, The Herald)

Since ending the Bute House Agreement (and therefore becoming a minority government), the SNP need the support of at least two opposition MSPs to pass the Budget. The Scottish Greens have seven MSPs, while the Scottish LibDems have four. Scottish Labour have already confirmed they will abstain on the vote.

👩 SNP bring Waspi vote in Westminster

On Tuesday, Westminster voted in favour of the SNP’s bill to establish a compensation scheme for women affected by changes to the state pension age. SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn was given permission by MPs to introduce the Women’s State Pension age (Ombudsman report and compensation scheme) Bill to the Commons for further consideration.

The vote was viewed as a symbolic show of support for the compensation proposal. This is because private members’ bills introduced by MPs face a battle to become law if they don’t receive Government support.

(Richard Wheeler, PA, via Independent)

• Ahead of the vote, Flynn wrote to every MP calling for their support, saying it was “essential for justice, and trust in politics, that MPs keep – not break – their promises to Waspi women” (Xander Elliards, The National)

• The Commons voted 105 to zero, majority 105. The bill was backed by just 10 Labour MPs and only one Scottish Labour MP, Brian Leishman, who represents Alloa and Grangemouth. Ahead of the vote, Leishman encouraged his Labour colleagues to "do the right thing" and support the bill (Andrew Quinn, Daily Record)

• On Thursday, cross-party MSPs sent a joint letter to Keir Starmer calling for compensation for Waspi women. The letter was written by Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville and was co-signed by Greens co-leader Lorna Slater and LibDems leader Alex Cole-Hamilton. The letter was not signed by Scottish Labour or the Scottish Conservatives. (Xander Elliards, The National)

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🛢️ Legal challenge against oil and gas fields successful

The approvals of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields have been quashed by the Court of Session in Edinburgh. On Thursday, the court ruled that the previous Conservative government’s approvals for the fields were unlawful due to their failure to assess the climate impact of downstream emissions.

Both developments must be reconsidered will full environmental assessments, and no extraction can take place until new assessments that consider the environmental impact of burning fuels extracted are submitted.

However, construction for the Rosebank oil field north-west of Shetland and the Jackdaw gas field off Aberdeen can continue.

(Christine O’Neill, STV News)

• The legal action was raised by environmental groups Greenpeace and Uplift. Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, hailed the ruling a “significant win”, while Lauren MacDonald from the Stop Rosebank campaign said the oil companies behind the field - Equinor and Ithaca Energy - “do not have Scotland’s interests at heart” (Gabriel McKay, The Herald)

• The Scottish Greens’ climate spokesperson, Mark Ruskell MSP, called the decision “a crucial ruling for people and planet” (via Scottish Greens)

• Meanwhile, the Scottish Conservatives have slammed the court’s ruling. The party’s spokesperson for net zero and energy, Douglas Lumsden, told LBC’s Gina Davidson it is a “disastrous decision” which is “bad news for the whole of Scotland” - particularly the north east.

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☂️ Storm Eowyn continues to impact Scotland

The impact of last week’s storm continues to be felt across the country. One person was killed during the storm - 19-year-old Calum Carmichael, who was driving on the B743 near Mauchline, East Ayrshire when a tree fell onto his blue Ford Focus at around 6.45am last Friday. His family has paid tribute to him as “the most loved and happiest man alive” (Craig Meighan, PA, via The Scotsman)

• On Thursday, power companies confirmed all properties in Scotland left without electricity following Storm Eowyn have now been reconnected (Isla Storie, Daily Record)

• Speaking at an event in Edinburgh on Monday, the First Minister said Storm Eowyn is a “warning that climate change is with us” (James Walker, The National)

• Some good news: Glasgow City Council has said the historic Darnley Sycamore tree which was feared to have been completely destroyed during Storm Eowyn could grow back. The council’s botanics team has also taken cuttings of the tree with the hope of eventually being able to plant them (Nicole Mitchell, Glasgow Times)

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🗣️ FMQs - all about the NHS

John Swinney was pressed on NHS recovery and a third Heathrow runway during First Minister’s Questions on Thursday (BBC live blog)

• Both Scottish Labour and Conservative leaders attacked the FM’s NHS announcements on Monday - where he pledged to reduce NHS waiting lists and make it easier to get GP appointments (Hannah Brown, The Herald)

• Meanwhile, Swinney welcomed the support of opposition parties for the Budget and said “Scotland doesn’t take Anas Sarwar seriously” after the Scottish Labour leader said Scotland needs “a new government and a new direction” (James Walker, The National)

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🏥 Calls for Health Secretary to resign fail

Speaking of health, a Holyrood vote calling for Health Secretary Neil Gray to resign failed on Wednesday. The Scottish Conservatives tabled an amendment to a motion proposed by Scottish Labour on the NHS workforce, calling on Gray to resign.

The Health Secretary has been battling with winter pressures, poor performance in the NHS in recent months and criticism over taking Government-owned cars to football games - although he has retained the confidence of the First Minister.

The amendment fell by 51 votes to 68 with one abstension (Alba’s Ash Regan), while the original motion was defeated by 61 votes to 53 with seven abstensions.

(PA, via STV News)

👀 Trump doesn’t ‘give a sh**’ about Scotland

Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci has said Donald Trump “will start shitting on Scotland” if the SNP Government attracts his attention.

Speaking to the Holyrood Sources podcast, he said Trump “honestly doesn’t give a shit” about Scotland and that “he’ll hurt your First Minister if he gets too close to him or even tries to have a relationship with him”.

(Holyrood Sources / Andrew Learmonth, The Herald)

🗳️ MSPs announce plans for Holyrood 2026

Another flurry of MSPs have announced they won’t be standing at the next Holyrood election in 2026…

• Richard Lochhead, SNP MSP for Moray (Justin Bowie, Press and Journal)

• Joe FitzPatrick, SNP MSP for Dundee City West (Alasdair Clark, The Courier)

• Michelle Thomson, SNP MSP for Falkirk East (Kirsteen Paterson, Holyrood Magazine)

Alongside these MSPs, we know of seven others who have said they will not stand in 2026: the SNP’s Humza Yousaf, Christine Grahame, Ruth Maguire, James Dornan and Elena Whitham, Scottish Conservative MSP Oliver Mundell and Independent (formerly SNP) MSP John Mason (Rachel Amery, The Scotsman)

🇬🇧 Former Reform Scotland chief quits party

Reform UK’s ex-leader in Scotland has quit the party after it emerged she was the administrator of a Facebook page featuring racist and far-right posts.

Michelle Ballantyne, a former Scottish Conservative MSP and leadership candidate who left the party in 2020 before joining Reform UK in 2021, accused Reform of orchestrating a “witch hunt” against her.

She had initially been suspended from the party while an investigation was being carried out into the Facebook group.

(Hannah Rodger, Sunday Mail)

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⚠️ Red weather warning issued for Storm Eowyn

A red weather warning has been issued across central and southwestern Scotland as Storm Eowyn is set to bring strong winds of up to 90mph.

• The Met Office has warned of a “danger to life”, with many public transport operators suspending their services and councils shutting schools.

• First Minister John Swinney has urged people to follow Police Scotland advice not to travel on Friday (via gov.scot)

  • The last time there was a red weather warning in Scotland was 13 years ago on January 3, 2012. At the time, it was deemed to have been the strongest storm to hit central and southern Scotland in 13 years, following the Boxing Day Storm of 1998. (Christopher Blanchett, BBC Weather)

  • Get all the latest advice from the Met Office website here – stay safe!

🇺🇸 Scotland reacts to Trump 2.0

• The First Minister congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration, which took place on Monday, saying he hoped the “strong and lasting” ties between Scotland and the United States would “flourish” under his administration. (Chris McCall, Daily Record)

• The Scottish Greens said Trump’s second inauguration was a “dark day”, with the party’s co-leader Lorna Slater describing Trump as “a clear and present danger to our climate and to human rights around the world.” (Andrew Quinn, Daily Record)

• A Scotland Office minister said they will work with Donald Trump to advance Scottish interests. Midlothian MP Kirsty McNeill told the Sunday Show: "The American public have made their choice, this UK government looks forward to working with President Trump as he takes office to make sure we advance the best interests of the people of Scotland." (Ian Swanson, Edinburgh Evening News)

📲 Scottish creators impacted by TikTok ban

In case you missed it: TikTok temporarily “went dark” in the United States for nine hours over the weekend after a new law banning the social media platform came into effect. When Donald Trump assumed office on Monday, he issued an executive order to give the app a 75 day reprieve.

• (It’s worth mentioning that TikTok was banned on Scottish Government phones in 2023)

• The potential ban won’t just affect America - many Scottish creators have huge US followings and will see a loss in income as the result of a ban. East Ayrshire creator Millie Graham, who goes by the username “whatsername.01”, said Tiktok gave her the opportunity to be creative “even though there weren’t any creative opportunities around me”. (Amie Flett, STV News)

🗣️ FMQs

• John Swinney was told by the Scottish Conservatives to sack Health Secretary Neil Gray following a row linked to his use of ministerial cars to attend football games. (Alistair Grant, The Scotsman)

• Meanwhile, John Swinney claimed Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is “worried about his position” ahead of the next Holyrood election. (Hamish Morrison, The National)

  • Things got a bit heated as MSPs were threatened with expulsion from the chamber (Xander Elliards, The National)

🩺 Young cancer patients face treatment delays

• More than 200,000 young people in Scotland have faced delays to cancer treatment in the last decade. Since 2014, 2418 cancer patients under the age of 50 did not receive treatment within the 62-day target. (Hannah Brown, The Herald)

🎓 Calls for Scottish graduate visa

• John Swinney has offered to work with the UK Government on a bespoke Scottish graduate visa scheme. Speaking during a speech at JP Morgan in Glasgow on Wednesday, he said he was “ready to put in the hard yards” to make it happen. (Katrine Bussey, Press Association, via The Scotsman)

  • Here’s a handy explainer on how the Scottish graduate visa could work, via Xander Elliards, The National.

🚨 Polmont fatal accident inquiry

Towards the end of last week, a fatal accident inquiry found that the deaths of two vulnerable young prisoners could have been avoided if precautions were taken.

• Katie Allan, 21, and William Lindsay, 16, took their own lives in separate incidents at Polmont Young Offenders Institute in 2018.

• In his determination published last Friday, Sheriff Simon Collins KC said both deaths were partly due to “systemic failures”. (Kevin Scott, STV News)

• The families of Katie Allan and William Lindsay are set to meet with the First Minister (Mark McDougall, The Herald)

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🏥 First safe consumption room opens

• The UK’s first drug consumption room opened in Glasgow on Monday. The Thistle Centre is designed to provide a safe space for drug users to take substances under medical supervision (Morgan Carmichael, Glasgow Times)

👔 MSPs to get pay rise

• MSPs are set to be given a 3.2% pay rise, boosting their salaries up to £74,506 - an increase of more than £2000 (STV News)

🔴 Edinburgh Council drama continues

• Edinburgh Council first received complaints about council leader Cammy Day in 2018 - four years before he was installed as leader. Day resigned as leader in December after it was alleged he “bombarded” Ukrainian refugees with sexually explicit messages (Donald Turvill, The Herald)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish Secretary visits Holyrood

• Scottish Secretary Ian Murray visited Holyrood on Wednesday, where he told journalists Scots “don’t like honesty after all” after being asked about poor polling results for Labour (Alistair Grant, The Scotsman)

• Murray also accused the Scottish Government of “having no policy on the two-child benefit cap scrap” (Hannah Brown, The Herald)

🇵🇸 Scotland responds to potential Gaza ceasefire

• Scottish politicians have offered their reaction amid news of a potential ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas (Gregor Young, The National)

  • It’s important to note that the agreement has not been finalised yet, with Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly delaying a cabinet meeting to vote on the deal (James Walker, The National)

👑 King Charles in Scotland

• King Charles visited a food bank in Alloa on Thursday, where he was met by supporters and protesters alike (Chris Faulds, Alloa Advertiser)

  • A man was arrested and charged with breach of the peace after an incident which happened close to the king’s visit (Scott McCartney, Alloa Advertiser)

🗳️ First Minister’s Questions

• FMQs took place on Thursday, as John Swinney was accused of presiding over a “broken” NHS (Paul McLaren, BBC News)

  • Meanwhile, the first minister accused Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar of “epitomising Labour dishonesty” (Xander Elliards, The National)

🔷 More defections to Reform

• Glasgow councillor Thomas Kerr has defected from the Conservatives to Reform. It comes after several councillors in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire defected to Reform in recent months (Stewart Paterson, Glasgow Times)

  • The Glasgow Greens told Kerr he must face voters following his defection, claiming the move was a “slap in the face” (Drew Sandelands, Glasgow Live)

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