Category Archives: Scotland

Tories ‘rooting for you to win’, Humza Yousaf tells Kate Forbes in SNP debate

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Health secretary said Forbes had ‘given our opponents so much ammunition’ after she criticised his track record in government

Humza Yousaf has told Kate Forbes that the Scottish Tories are “rooting for you to win so that your words are on every single leaflet”, as the first UK-wide televised debate between SNP leadership contenders saw further clashes between the frontrunners, while polling for the Channel 4 hosts suggested the contest remains too close to call.

Referring to heated exchanges at first minister’s questions earlier on Thursday, when Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross jeered that finance secretary Forbes had “torched” the Scottish government’s record, Yousaf said: “What unfortunately happened in the last TV debate, Kate, was that you essentially gave our opponents so much ammunition to attack us with.”

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SNP leadership hopefuls take part in second televised debate – as it happened

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Kate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf take part in debate hosted by Channel 4’s Krishnan Guru-Murthy

Lucy Frazer won’t be happy. (See 10.40am.) Interviewed by reporters leaving home this morning, Gary Lineker said that he had had a conversation with the BBC’s director general, Tim Davie. He would not reveal what was said. “We chat often,” was all Lineker said.

But Lineker did not look chastened. In fact, he was smiling like a Cheshire cat. Asked if he regretted sending his tweet, he replied “No,” and, asked if he stood by what he said, he replied, “Of course.”

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Sturgeon issues warning to candidates vying to be next SNP leader

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First minister’s comments come after one contender, Kate Forbes, was accused of ‘trashing’ her own government’s record

Nicola Sturgeon has urged the three candidates vying to replace her as first minster not to lose the trust she has built with Scottish voters, as she clashed with opposition leaders after one contender, Kate Forbes, was accused of “trashing” her own government’s record.

Forbes’ description of the Scottish government – in which she serves as finance secretary – as “mediocre” during the campaign’s first televised debate on Tuesday evening resulted in a furious backlash from SNP activists and politicians.

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UK weather: Tuesday night could be coldest of year so far, Met Office warns

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Temperatures could plummet to -15c in some sheltered Scottish areas with snow cutting off some rural areas

Tuesday night could be the coldest this year so far, the Met Office has warned, with fears that Arctic air could cut off some rural communities and cause power and transport chaos.

Temperatures could fall as low as -15c in some sheltered Scottish areas, with locations that have seen snowfall especially vulnerable.

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Scottish teaching union EIS suspends strikes amid 12% pay offer

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Educational Institute of Scotland urges members to accept deal worth 12.3% by April and up to 14% in 2024

A Scottish teaching union has suspended its industrial action and urged members to accept a new pay offer.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union is to ballot members on a revised pay offer from local authority employers and the Scottish government. The union has recommended they accept the deal.

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Trans woman Isla Bryson jailed for eight years for raping two women

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Bryson, 31, committed offences in Clydebank and Glasgow in 2016 and 2019 before transitioning

A transgender woman found guilty of raping two women before transitioning has been jailed for eight years.

Isla Bryson was convicted last month of raping two women – one in Clydebank in 2016 and one in Glasgow in 2019 – while still a man known as Adam Graham.

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Body of missing walker Kyle Sambrook recovered in Glencoe

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Police confirm that bodies of man and dog found on mountain are missing Yorkshireman and his dog, Bane

The body of missing hillwalker Kyle Sambrook and his dog have been found in Glencoe, police have confirmed.

The 33-year-old was last seen with his beagle, Bane, in the Lost Valley area last weekend after he travelled from his home in West Yorkshire to go hillwalking.

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Hopes grow for Northern Ireland Brexit deal as Tory MPs ordered to attend Commons on Monday – as it happened

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This live blog has now closed, you can read more on this story here

Forbes interrupted her maternity leave following the birth of her baby daughter last summer to run to be the next SNP leader.

I want to lead Scotland into better days. I have a vested interest in achieving this, not least for the sake of my daughter’s future.

Scotland needs a leader who is bold, brave and energised. My vision centres on delivering a strong growing economy that expands the tax base and reinvests in tackling poverty and making our public services sustainable.

We need somebody competent, who voters trust, who speaks the truth, who has integrity and commitment … I’m the only candidate with a strong grip on the economy and our finances.

If anything, can be said of me in the past week it is that I am willing to be honest and open, even at the cost of my leadership bid and my career.

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Possible sighting of Yorkshire man missing in Glencoe area

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Kyle Sambrook, 33, was seen with his dog in the Lost Valley area of Glencoe on Sunday

There has been a possible sighting of a man who is missing in the Glencoe area after leaving his Yorkshire home to climb a hill, police have said.

Kyle Sambrook, 33, was seen with his beagle called Bane in the Lost Valley area of Glencoe at about noon on Sunday and police are keen to speak to anyone who may have seen him in the area at the time.

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Sunak suggests MPs will vote on proposed NI protocol deal and accuses Starmer of wanting to ‘surrender’ to EU – UK politics live

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Latest updates: PM says Commons will be given a chance to ‘express its view’ on any final deal

British Steel has announced the closure of the coking ovens at its Scunthorpe works with the loss of 260 jobs, my colleague Jasper Jolly reports.

Graeme Wearden has reaction to this on his business live blog.

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No 10 says ‘unresolved issues’ remain in Northern Ireland protocol talks with EU – UK politics live

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Latest updates: government warning comes as former NI secretary says Good Friday agreement needs reform

Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union addressed the annual farming conference in Birmingham this morning with a grave tone. Pointing out that farmers across the country are going out of business, with the fastest reductions in some sectors such as salad since records began, she said that farmers are facing a huge squeeze and lack of support from government.

She said the Conservatives were “running out of time to walk the walk” and that food security was under severe threat as farmers face rising input costs, inflation, avian influenza and the climate crisis.

As a member of parliament for a farming constituency. I’ve worked with farmers and the NFU for years. I’ve even rolled up my sleeves and done the early morning milking at Wensleydale.

Now I know how important your work is. And I know that it’s more than just work. It’s a way of life that is passed down through the generations.

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SNP leadership: Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan announce plans to stand

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The Scottish health secretary and former Scottish minister enter race to replace Nicola Sturgeon

Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan have become the first candidates to officially announce plans to stand for SNP leader, while Keir Starmer is expected to urge Scottish voters on Sunday to “take another look at Labour”.

Yousaf, the Scottish health secretary, and former minister Regan announced their plans to stand in Scotland’s Sunday Mail.

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Storm Otto: thousands of UK homes face blackouts as wind gusts reach 80mph

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Yellow warning for snow and ice in place for central parts of Scotland until 9am on Saturday

Thousands of homes could be without power over the weekend as food vans were dispatched to the worst-hit areas in the wake of Storm Otto.

A yellow warning for snow and ice was in place for central parts of Scotland until 9am on Saturday, while the Met Office expected the heaviest rainfall by 7am to be around Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend County Borough in south Wales – between 4-8mm.

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Swinney calls for end to SNP divisions after ruling himself out as leader

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Deputy first minister urges party to unite and ‘anchor SNP in mainstream of Scottish politics’

John Swinney, Scotland’s deputy first minister and one of the Scottish National party’s longest-serving senior figures, has called for the party to unite and focus on concerns of mainstream voters as he ruled himself out of the contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon.

Swinney, who is widely respected among the SNP membership and was its leader 20 years ago, said the party needed “a fresh perspective” after Sturgeon’s shock resignation on Wednesday.

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Sturgeon exit may delay new Scotland independence vote by five years

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SNP scraps conference on first minister’s proposal to use next general election as ‘de facto referendum’

Senior figures in the Scottish National party believe Nicola Sturgeon’s shock resignation could delay their effort to stage another independence referendum by at least five years.

The party’s national executive committee confirmed on Thursday evening that Sturgeon’s plan – to stage a special conference on her proposals to use the next election as a single-issue “de facto referendum” on independence – had been scrapped.

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Scottish leadership election leaves gender reform hanging in balance

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SNP politicians fear quarrel weighing on leadership contest, while any compromise could break coalition with Greens

The future of transgender rights in Scotland remains in limbo, as SNP politicians warn that a leadership contest must not become dominated by ongoing rows on gender recognition reform.

Meanwhile, Scottish Greens sources suggest that any rowback on reform could lead to the collapse of the party’s power-sharing agreement with the SNP.

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SNP Westminster leader hints at major rethink of Nicola Sturgeon’s independence plan – UK politics live

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Stephen Flynn suggests party conference on next steps to push independence could now be delayed

A senior ally of Jeremy Corbyn has dismissed as “nonsense” suggestions Keir Starmer privately fought against the former leader’s handling of antisemitism while in his shadow cabinet.

Diane Abbott, who at the time was shadow home secretary, disputed the defence levied by supporters of Starmer that he spoke up about the issue at the time, given the criticism he has faced for serving in Corbyn’s top team as shadow Brexit secretary.

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SNP top leaders urge overhaul of Sturgeon independence plan

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Westminster chief and president say conference on outgoing leader’s strategy should be delayed

Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation could prompt a major rethink around her plans to fight the next UK general election as a de facto referendum on independence, the Scottish National party’s leader in Westminster has suggested.

After the shock announcement of the first minister’s departure on Wednesday, Stephen Flynn said the special conference due to be held next month on Sturgeon’s plan should be pushed back to give the new leader time to set out their intentions.

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Further strike action in England looks ‘inevitable’, education union leaders say

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NEU joint secretary says teachers will ‘not back down’ as pay rise negotiations with government reach stalemate

Schools in England look set for further disruption over the coming weeks after talks to avert planned strike action by teachers ended in failure, with no new offer on the table.

Union leaders met the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, on Wednesday morning in the latest of a series of meetings. Though they remarked on a new urgency about the talks, there was still zero progress on pay.

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