Scottish

लेबर ने एसएनपी के प्रथम मंत्री जॉन स्विनी को 'बेशर्म' कहा, क्योंकि उन्होंने श्रेय लेने का दावा किया जबकि यह राजा की अमेरिकी यात्रा का परिणाम था। डोनाल्ड ट्रंप की घोषणा कि वे स्कॉच व्हिस्की पर भारी अमेरिकी शुल्क हटा देंगे, इस फैसले का श्रेय लेने को लेकर प्रतिद्वंद्वी स्कॉटिश पार्टी नेताओं के बीच विवाद के कारण दब गई है। व्हिस्की उद्योग और व्यापारिक नेता, राष्ट्रपति की ट्रुथ सोशल नेटवर्क पर बृहस्पतिवार को अचानक की गई उस घोषणा से प्रसन्न थे कि वे राजा चार्ल्स और रानी कैमिला की यात्रा के उपलक्ष्य में शुल्क समाप्त कर देंगे। पढ़ना जारी रखें...

• शीर्ष सहयोगी का कहना है कि SNP नेता 7 मई को बहुमत जीतने में विफल रहने के बावजूद स्वतंत्रता के लिए दबाव डालने की मंजूरी मांगेंगे। • स्विनी के सहयोगियों ने कहा है कि यदि वह समग्र बहुमत जीतने में विफल रहते हैं, तब भी वह अगली स्कॉटिश संसद के पहले दिन स्वतंत्रता शक्तियों की मांग के लिए मतदान कराएंगे। • स्कॉटिश नेशनल पार्टी के नेता के वरिष्ठ सलाहकार ने संकेत दिया कि यदि आवश्यक हुआ, तो वह इस मतदान को जीतने के लिए स्वतंत्रता समर्थक Scottish Greens के समर्थन पर भरोसा करेंगे, ताकि यूके सरकार से Holyrood को दूसरा जनमत संग्रह आयोजित करने की कानूनी शक्तियां देने की मांग की जा सके।

Leader of Tories criticises Farage after he says holding another independence vote ‘probably quite reasonable’Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative party, has accused Nigel Farage of being an opportunist who does not believe in unionism after he urged Scottish nationalists to back Reform.Farage said earlier this week he believed in “genuine nationalists” who do not support the Scottish National party’s bid to rejoin the EU, and urged them to vote Reform in the Holyrood election on 7 May. Continue reading...

Anas Sarwar says there have been ‘no stitch-ups, no deals, no backroom chats, no back-channel contact with Reform’UK politics live – latest updatesAnas Sarwar has dismissed as “a desperate lie from a desperate man” a claim by Reform UK’s Scotland leader, Malcolm Offord, that he offered to do a deal with the hard-right party to keep the Scottish National party out of power.Offord made the claim on Channel 4’s Scottish leaders’ debate on Tuesday evening, alleging the Scottish Labour leader came “bouncing up” to him at an event in December last year, suggesting they “work together to remove the SNP”. Continue reading...

David Parrish, who won Cape Wrath Ultra in 2023, had been attempting gruelling route again as fundraising challengeA 35-year-old ultramarathon champion from Dumfries has died while attempting to beat the record for a race to the most north-westerly point on mainland Britain.David Parrish, a former Royal Marine, was trying to become the fastest man to complete the Cape Wrath trail, one of Britain’s most gruelling race routes. Continue reading...

Party says plan for ‘radical change’ will be funded in part through higher taxes on aviation, gambling and landlordsUK politics live – latest updatesThe Scottish Greens have called for free bus travel, thousands of extra teachers and doctors and a universal basic income among hundreds of uncosted manifesto pledges.The party is enjoying a bounce in Scottish opinion polls, with some putting it ahead of Labour, driven partly by the surging support for the Green party of England and Wales under the leadership of Zack Polanski. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Ministers accused of trying to keep investment firm’s withdrawal from partnership with NatureScot under wrapsA funding deal to raise £100m from private investors for urgently needed nature restoration in Scotland has fallen through without the Scottish parliament being told.The Guardian has learned that Aberdeen, the investment firm, decided to withdraw from a partnership with the agency NatureScot to raise at least £100m for conservation projects from commercial and private investors late last year. Continue reading...

Anas Sarwar says scheme would be part of overhaul of arts funding in ScotlandLabour has pledged to spend £30m on giving Scottish artists and musicians a living wage, mirroring a similar scheme in Ireland guaranteeing artists a basic income.Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said the scheme would be part of a deeper shake-up of cultural funding in Scotland by integrating arts and culture into the Scottish government’s economic strategies if his party won power in next month’s Holyrood election. Continue reading...

McCartney and her husband faced objections including fears over threat to local otters and ‘hideous’ designThe fashion designer Stella McCartney has been granted permission to build a £5m home on a spectacular Highland peninsula after a three year planning battle over the threat to local otters and the “hideous” modernist design.McCartney and her husband, Alasdhair Willis, a creative director at Adidas, want to build the split level property with a turf roof and natural stone walls on the rocky outcrop overlooking Loch Ailort, west of Fort William, 30 metres above sea level. Continue reading...

Stuart Niven suspended after it emerged he had been struck off as a company director over financial allegationsReform UK has suspended one of its Scottish candidates after it emerged he had been struck off as a company director, and the party faces growing attacks for fielding candidates making Islamophobic remarks.Reform confirmed on Friday morning it had suspended Stuart Niven, its candidate for Dundee West, after the Herald revealed he had been struck off after diverting tens of thousands of pounds of Covid grants into his personal account. Continue reading...

MSPs reject bill after concerted campaign to block it and despite amendments intended to placate criticsThe Scottish parliament has voted against legalising assisted dying after critics and religious groups led a concerted campaign to block the measures.MSPs voted 69 to 57 to reject the proposals in a late night vote on Tuesday, despite a series of last-minute amendments designed to placate critics of the private member’s bill. Continue reading...