2+ week, 4+ day ago (404+ words) THE Labour Government has "short-changed" Scotland after handing more than "500 million to the Wales without a penny for an equivalent Scottish fund, the Deputy First Minister has said. Kate Forbes has written to Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander raising concerns about the "missing half-a-billion", accusing Labour of repeating policies of the Tory Party. It comes after the UK Government announced a "547m Local Growth Fund for Wales " which will be paid over three years and allocated by Welsh Labour ministers. Welsh Labour Economy Secretary Rebecca Evans opened a consultation on how to use the money last week, saying that her Government will be "ready to implement this fund from April 2026". However, Forbes has said the lack of an equivalent fund for Scotland raises concerns of a perception that public money is being used for party political purposes. Finance Secretary Shona Robison has…...

2+ hour, 23+ min ago (355+ words) A MAJOR milestone in Scotland's internet identity has been reached with the launch of a new domain. DotScot, the domain for the worldwide community of Scots, has announced that .co.scot domains are now available for purchase in what bosses behind the firm say is a "turning point" for people worldwide to express their Scottish connection. The firm's .scot domains are used by the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, NHS Scotland, and by businesses, organisations, and individuals across the country along with a further 62 countries around the world." DotScot are calling the .co.scot launch the "biggest development" since the launch of .scot in 2014. The new domain has a lower price than many of the traditional domains, including . co.uk , at "4.95 per year, and will help make DotScot more affordable for people in Scotland and Scots worldwide. The new domain…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (383+ words) THE UK Supreme Court will sit in Glasgow next May for a week of hearing appeals. From May 18 to 21, the court will sit in Glasgow's City Chambers in George Square, following on from its sitting Manchester for a week in March 2023. Although the UK Supreme Court is based in London, the decision to sit in Glasgow reflects the court's role as the highest court of appeal for the whole of the UK. The public will be able to visit the court when it sits in Glasgow to watch the appeals being heard. The court's Chief Executive Vicky Fox said:" "I'm delighted that the court will be sitting in Glasgow. "The Supreme Court exists to serve the whole of the UK and we are committed to being as transparent and accessible as possible. "Although all our appeals are live streamed, we…...

2+ hour, 35+ min ago (139+ words) SCOTTISH members of Your Party will meet in the new year to launch the fledgling left-wing party north of the Border, The National can reveal. The party's inaugural conference will be held in Dundee on January 10 and 11, delegates in Liverpool were told. Party member Niall Christie told a Scottish fringe event that there would be no sortition, in contrast to the conference England this weekend. It is understood the Scottish party will use the constitution voted into existence on Sunday as a template for their rules. Delegates at the Dundee event will decide on whether to stand candidates in the Holyrood election and members have told The National they would like to see Your Party compete for list seats. Christie told members that the costs of the event were being met by the central party....

4+ week, 1+ hour ago (1548+ words) OUR aim during the Brexit negotiations was always, given the outcome of the referendum, to try to find a moderate solution to implement the vote, but not in a way that it harms or hurts the UK, Scotland included naturally. We didn't materialise that," reflects Guy Verhofstadt, with a level of regret, in Edinburgh. The Belgian who was prime minister of his country from 1999 to 2008, and a member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2024 " as well as the European Parliament's Brexit Coordinator and chair of the Brexit Steering Group from 2016 to 2020, speaks of the negotiations with a solemn frustration but a necessary removal from the situation the UK created for itself. Just this week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said Brexit is partly to blame for high inflation in the UK, as she made the case for rebuilding ties with the EU....

2+ day, 23+ hour ago (519+ words) INDEPENDENCE campaign group Believe in Scotland (BIS) has hosted the first of its new online meetings for organisers and activists from across the country. The new "national online Yes groups gathering", to take place twice a month, brought together around 130 local grassroots groups on Wednesday night. The meeting marked the next step in the organisation's plan to "renew the independence campaign, rebuild our momentum, and reunite the Scottish independence movement" through next year's Scottish independence congress. Groups from across Scotland including Yes for EU, Yes Inverclyde, and Yes Carnoustie ran watch parties and engaged in discussion, with many describing the session as "motivating, uplifting, and energising". Topics during the meeting included the organisation's Road to Independence Plan, a recent "i-Switch" campaign urging voters to back independence to save money on their energy bills. and discussion on building momentum in local…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago (594+ words) THE Scottish Government is set to defend its policy on transgender prisoners in court, it has been reported. For Women Scotland (FWS) is suing Scottish ministers over the rules in place in Scotland's jails. Currently, transgender prisoners with a history of violence against women and girls are not housed in the female estate. However, Scottish Prison Service (SPS) guidance states that if a transgender prisoner can be "safely accommodated will they be placed in an establishment which matches their affirmed gender. FWS have argued that this is in breach of the Equality Act 2010, following the Supreme Court ruling earlier this year. The UK's highest court ruled that under the Equality Act, women are defined by biological sex, not gender. Earlier this year, the Scottish Government updated its guidance in relation to transgender pupils and single sex spaces. And now, the…...

11+ hour, 37+ min ago (299+ words) THE Gaelic and Scots languages have gained official status in a "historic milestone" as people across Scotland mark St Andrew's Day. It is one of a range of measures which come into force on November 30 through the Scottish Languages Act. The Act empowers parents to ask for a Gaelic school to be established in their area and aims to ensure that more qualifications are available in the language. It also includes powers for ministers to commission research into the use of Gaelic and Scots and establish teaching standards for the languages. Scotland's Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: "St Andrew's Day is a fitting time to celebrate Scotland's identity by recognising Gaelic and Scots as official languages. "This is a historic milestone which acknowledges the vital place these languages hold in Scotland's culture and heritage. "This has been made possible…...

4+ week, 11+ hour ago (627+ words) A GRASSROOTS movement inspired by Yes Scotland and Yes Cymru has launched in Brittany, calling for devolution to the region. Brittany in the north-west of France has been part of the country since 1532, but does belong to the cohort of six Celtic nations alongside Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Ireland and the Isle of Man. The idea of devolution is new to the peninsula and so, campaigners have decided to pursue devolution " rather than independence " by 2032, with hopes for a status similar to the ones Scotland or Wales have. France has remained one of the most centralised countries in Europe for decades, with many Bretons coming to see the limitations of this model, according to Philippe Corr'a, the president of Yes Breizh. "Decisions taken in Paris are often disconnected from our local realities and necessities. Therefore, for Yes Breizh, devolution is a…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (592+ words) LONDON " November 7: Subject has left his office in Portcullis House and, as we predicted, has left the door unlocked. Operation Grasp the Thistle is go. Upon obtaining entry, I find that the room is in an untidy state. Party political leaflets cover all available desk space and a number of books sit on shelves along the wall. The level of thoughtcrime detected on the premises is significant. By sight, I identified works by a number of dissident thinkers, including Tom Nairn, Lesley Riddoch and Neal Ascherson as well as the 2014 white paper on independence. Further evidence to be presented to Special Branch ahead of the proscription order is attached and shows a number of back issues of the radical underground publication The National and its sister title the Sunday National. These have been sent to the lab at Scotland Yard…...