Lib Dems claim Salmond planning budget ‘blame game’ >>

Alex Salmond will not make a real attempt to get his budget passed this year, preferring instead to indulge in a “blame game” ahead of next year’s Holyrood elections, Tavish Scott, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader warned today. Mr Scott launched his attack on the First Minister ahead of key cross-party budget talks at Holyrood. John Swinney,... Read more

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Tories lay out terms for budget support >>

John Swinney will be told this week to introduce a raft of savings including an end to free prescriptions and a public sector recruitment freeze if he wants to get his budget passed. Scotland’s finance minister will meet opposition parties on Wednesday this week for a crunch meeting which he hopes will pave the way for agreement on the Scottish Government’s... Read more

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Jack McConnell to stand down as Labour MSP >>

Jack McConnell, the former Labour First Minister of Scotland, is to stand down at next year’s elections, it was announced tonight. Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale, Scotland’s third First Minister from 2001 to 2007, told his constituency party in Motherwell and Wishaw this evening that he would not be seeking re-election as the Labour candidate... Read more

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16% fall in number of new homes >>

At first glance, they look like another relatively dull government report. Certainly the language in which the Housing Statistics for Scotland are presented is formal, factual and takes an effort to read. But the message they contain shows quite clearly the impact of the recession on the country’s building industry and indeed the wider economy.... Read more

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Why a loose SNP-Labour pact might not be such a bad idea after all >>

Every now and then, a story appears which makes everyone sit up and take notice: not because it is true but because it seems so utterly unbelievable that everybody starts rubbishing it. That happened with the Scotsman splash two days ago suggesting that a senior SNP figure had been fishing for a possible SNP-Labour coalition after the next election. The... Read more

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Diary: Get your money on Beyonce Cameron >>

Punters eager to throw their money away could bet it all on the Camerons naming their new baby Beyonce. Bookmakers Ladbrokes are offering 150/1 on David and Samantha Cameron’s baby daughter being named after the singer. Other long odds for the new baby’s name include: Angelina at 40/1, Ivana at 40/1, Kammy at 66/1 and Maggie at 33/1. Isabella is... Read more

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CBI weighs into council tax freeze debate >>

Business group CBI Scotland yesterday became the latest organisation to intervene in the increasingly acrimonious row over the council tax freeze. The business organisation called on John Swinney, the Finance Secretary, to institute a fourth-year of the freeze, claiming that would provide valuable help for small businesses all over Scotland. The council... Read more

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Are election primaries coming to Scotland? >>

‘Primaries’ used to only pop into our consciousness every four years when the Americans voted for a President. Now, though, that could be about to change. Sheila Gilmore, the Labour MP in Edinburgh East, instituted a “primary” election to decide who she should vote for in the Labour leadership contest. It was a modest success in terms... Read more

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Opinion: Scotland falling behind in digital comms race >>

By Stuart Gibson Scotland is falling behind in the race to forge a digital communications strategy fit for the 21st century. Wales, Yorkshire, Birmingham and even Cumbria and Cornwall, as well as comparable countries such as Sweden and New Zealand, are pressing ahead with digital development, while the Scottish Government points to further research... Read more

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The pension pros and cons of working past 65 >>

The government seems determined to make everyone work longer before they get a pension. This is caused partly by the general state of the economy and partly by the ticking of the demographic time bomb. It’s due to go off some time next year when the first of the baby boom generation reach 65. Thereafter, wave after wave of pensioners will hit... Read more

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Analysis: the splits between Scotland and England show >>

One hundred days. That is all it has taken to re-shape politics in Britain. Not only do we have a Liberal Democrat in (temporary) charge of Number Ten but something more fundamental has happened too. After just 100 days of this coalition government, Scotland and England are diverging once again. The administrations in Edinburgh and London are pursuing... Read more

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CalMac may be part-privatised to save £1bn >>

Ministers are considering the effective part-privatisation of the state-owned company behind Scotland’s lifeline ferry services, it emerged today. They believe such a change to the parent company behind Caledonian MacBrayne could save the taxpayer between £800 million and £1 billion over the next 12 years. But it would also represent a radical departure... Read more

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Former Met Commissioner Blair calls for review of all policing >>

The former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair last night called for a wholesale review of all policing in Britain. Lord Blair of Boughton, the Met Police Commissioner between 2005 and 2008, said it had been almost 50 years since the last major review of policing in Britain and the next one was long overdue. Lord Blair complained that policing... Read more

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What’s behind call for end to council tax freeze? >>

Gordon Matheson, the leader of Glasgow City Council, ignited a public debate over the council tax today by calling on the Scottish Government to drop its plans for a fourth-year tax freeze. Mr Matheson has written to John Swinney, Scotland’s Finance Secretary, asking for councils to be given the chance to raise council tax next year. The SNP administration... Read more

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Shetland Islands Council hit by damning Accounts Commission report >>

In a damning report published this morning, the Accounts Commission accuses Shetland Islands Council of having “serious problems with leadership, vision and strategic direction, governance, financial management and accountability.” It says the council “needs to address these issues urgently by implementing an improvement programme”. The commission... Read more

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Why it’s a shock the coalition attacked Labour >>

Something happened at Westminster this week which would not normally rate a single tweet. The government held a press conference to attack the opposition. More than that, two senior members of the government used the opportunity to blame the opposition form causing the problems we are facing now. But this one single press conference has sent the political... Read more

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Analysis: What on earth is going on in Glasgow Council? >>

It is hard to look at the line of extraordinary scandals which has trailed out of Glasgow City Council this year with anything other than utter bewilderment. What on earth is going on there? It is almost as if the political leaders of Scotland’s biggest city – those who should be setting an example in terms of public life for the rest of the city... Read more

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Jimmy Reid, a giant of Scottish politics, dies >>

Jimmy Reid, one of the most influential and well-loved figures in Scottish politics, has died at the age of 78. The former Glasgow shipyard union leader died overnight. He had been suffering from ill health for some time. A charismatic and passionate union leader, Mr Reid was respected across the political spectrum for his integrity, his commitment... Read more

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Poll suggests Holyrood win for Labour in 2011 election >>

Labour is on course to win the 2011 Holyrood election, according to a new poll published today. The TNS-BMRB poll for the Herald showed both Labour and the SNP increasing their share of support in Scotland at the expense of the Conservatives. But, with both main parties gaining, the gap between the two has remained wide enough to suggest that a Labour... Read more

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National Trust for Scotland told to focus on ‘crown jewels’ >>

Audio of George Reid discussing the National Trust for Scotland Scotland’s historic “crown jewels” must be the sole focus for the National Trust for Scotland if it is to dig itself out of the financial mess it has got itself into, according to the author of a highly critical report into the heritage charity today. George Reid published his... Read more

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