Archive
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Here's why SNP NEC's rules for 2021 Holyrood elections are not unreasonable
WHEN the National asked me to write about the SNP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) selection rules for Scottish Parliament candidates, I thought long and hard before saying yes. As a former member of the NEC, my instinct is that internal party
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Relentless centralising of power by the SNP is a cause for concern
MY opinion on the Edinburgh Central controversy has very little whatever to do with the persons involved. I believe it improper and inappropriate for any candidate elected to any seat to decide (seven months later) to go for a different seat – except
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Scottish Tory goings-on are stranger than fiction
WITH Tory Unionist supporters lining up for their “gongs” amidst Machiavellian political manoeuvres, fact is definitely stranger than fiction! The mercurial Jackson Carlaw suddenly resigns and the stringent Douglas Ross is ready to take over the
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Tory minister says fresh UK lockdown rumours are 'just speculation'
HOUSING Secretary Robert Jenrick has cast doubt on reports of new lockdown restrictions for London and said talk of an expanded shielding programme was “just speculation”. His comments come after reports surfaced that Boris Johnson had ordered
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Tories refuse to suspend rape-accused MP before police probe
THE Tories are refusing to suspend a party MP reportedly under investigation over rape allegations after calls were made for the whip to be removed. Labour branded the decision not to kick him out of the party “shocking” but a spokesman for Government
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Safety warning as blind dog dies after falling off cliff on Scottish island
THE Coastguard has issued a safety warning after a blind dog died having fallen off a cliff in Orkney. The owners raised the alarm after the pet went over the edge at Birsay shortly before 9pm on Saturday. The Stromness lifeboat was called
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Another 31 people test positive for coronavirus in Scotland
A FURTHER 31 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Scotland. No more deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, though Register Offices are now generally closed at weekends. The new cases recorded by the Scottish Government represent
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Funding boost for Scottish science centres ahead of autumn reopening
SCIENCE centres in Scotland’s four largest cities are being given £2 million in emergency funding as they prepare to reopen in the autumn. The Dynamic Earth attraction in Edinburgh along with the science centres in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee
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The SNP will run all-women candidate lists for Holyrood 2021 race in these areas
THE SNP’S use of all-women shortlists came under the spotlight last week when veteran MSP James Dornan was blocked from running again in Glasgow Cathcart. That’s now been overturned, but the party will use female-only shortlists to choose candidates
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What happens to Trident after Scottish independence?
THE Sunday National is to be congratulated on the report “Yes vote could see Trident scrapped” (July 26). The resolution to be submitted to the SNP AGM this October is excellent, and I commend it to all branches and members for discussion. I would
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We need a clear vision of how an independent Scotland will look
THERE were two pivotal features in last weekend’s excellent Sunday National – Gerry Hassan’s “Independence The New Normal” and Ben Jackson’s “The New Muscular British Nationalism – Brawn Not Brain”. I suggest both should be read in detail by all
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Indyref2 must set the end point of a definite process
SCOTLAND’S Future, the Scottish Government’s case for independence in 2014, was not a compelling read. I remember getting well past page 300 – twice – and not being able to bear the thought of the second half of it. I remembered that feeling as
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Roxanne Sorooshian: We must not lose the community spirit created by lockdown
EASEDOWN week six and it’s strange to look back on the early days of the Covid crisis as we emerge, bleary-eyed, into the gradual dawn of the new normal. A few short months ago, we were struggling to come to terms with this ugly virus in our midst
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Virus expert Devi Sridhar blocks 'troll' Murdo Fraser on Twitter
“TROLL” Murdo Fraser has been blocked by the Scottish Government’s top coronavirus adviser. Public health expert Devi Sridhar, taking the approach doubtless used by scores of Twitter users, apparently blocked the Tory MSP from interacting
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It’s no secret Adrian Mole’s diary makes for a great read
The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend Published by Methuen THIS is the first book in a fictional series that follows the life of Adrian Mole through diaries documenting important periods in his life, beginning with his
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Douglas Chapman: How devolution, Brexit, and independence are all linked
WESTMINSTER is finally waking up to the threat to the Union. Rumours of the UK Government’s epiphany seem to be borne out by Johnson’s quick-fire visit north of the Border last month. Now, with the sudden ejection of a rather red-faced Jackson
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Stuart Cosgrove: The issues at the heart of the future of Scotland’s media
YOU may have blinked and missed it, but trust me it was important. Last week, I noticed a fleeting squabble on Twitter which cut to the heart of a media debate that deserves much greater consideration. OK, it wasn’t Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos being
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UK nuclear bomb programme labelled a 'deadly farce' by campaigners
THE cost of UK programmes to replace Trident and nuclear submarines on the Clyde increased by over £1 billion in a year, according to data released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The construction of new reactor cores, replacement submarines
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What's on in Scotland this week: Seven things for seven days
1 The Edinburgh Fringe Festival: Free and Online: Of course our entertainers were never going to just pack up their props and put away their routines just because of a pandemic. So, while they can’t get out into the streets, the theatres and small
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John Drummond: The UK has the best government money can buy
REPORTS say that Tory politicians accepted liberal amounts from Russians oligarchs and others. And oligarchs get to be oligarchs because they know what they are doing. We also know they demand a real return on investments they make. At his press
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Sir Harry Lauder: 150 years of Scotland's great entertainer
THIS week sees the 150th anniversary of the birth of one of Scotland’s greatest entertainers and a man who, for better or worse, gained Scotland and the Scots a reputation of sorts. It is difficult to understate just how huge a star Sir Harry Lauder
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Monica Grady: Mars missions make for a busy time on the red planet
NEXT spring is going to be a busy time for Mars. In close succession, three spacecraft will arrive at the planet, joining the dozen or so craft already circling it. Two of the spacecraft were launched in the past couple of weeks by newcomers to
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Conservative MP arrested on suspicion of rape of parliamentary staffer
A CONSERVATIVE MP has been arrested after a former parliamentary aide accused him of rape, sexual assault and coercive control, according to reports. The ex-minister, who has not been named, is alleged to have assaulted a woman and forced her to
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Aberdeen coronavirus cluster: 13 cases linked to city centre pub
HEALTH officials are investigating a cluster of 13 coronavirus cases linked with a city centre pub in Aberdeen. The cases are associated with The Hawthorn Bar, NHS Grampian has announced. All those who tested positive are showing only mild
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James Dornan speaks of relief after NEC election decision is overturned
GLASGOW MSP James Dornan admitted he was a relieved man yesterday after he was given a reprieve to stand again in next year’s Holyrood elections. Dornan, who has been an SNP MSP for Glasgow Cathcart since 2011, had been told that he had to make
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Marco Biagi: This is why I want to reclaim my Edinburgh Central seat
TO be elected as the first ever SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central in 2011 was the greatest honour of my life. But it is the resounding confidence the public showed in our Government and the unstinting efforts of a small group of dedicated activists that
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The race for Edinburgh Central: Three battle for SNP nomination
TWO new contenders yesterday joined the fight to be the SNP candidate for Edinburgh Central at the Holyrood elections next May after a controversial rule change derailed MP Joanna Cherry’s campaign last week. Marco Biagi, who held the Edinburgh
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Dying mother's anguish as visa bungle wrecks reunion with daughters
THIS weekend Heyam Srour should have been reuniting with the daughters she has not seen for four years after war, illness and red tape pulled her family apart. Two weeks ago, the Sunday National told how the Syrian refugees had all been living
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Gerry Hassan: Tory troubles and the long-running crisis of Unionism
THE resignation of Jackson Carlaw was the biggest hit of his short leadership. It marks the end of one of the most unhappy periods of any Scottish party leader. Its only defining characteristics were that it was short and, yes, he wasn’t very good.
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Coronavirus: The threat to Hogmanay and Christmas celebrations
SCOTLAND’S world-famous Hogmanay celebrations are being massively curtailed this year as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to take a toll on the country’s cultural life. Uncertainty also surrounds the traditional run-up to the festive season, with
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£40 million boost for Scotland's homeless Food Fund
SCOTLAND’S homeless and hungry have been given a further hand up by the Scottish Government as they battle against Covid-19. The Government has pledged £40 million more to the £70m Food Fund war chest already in place taking the total to £110m.
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First Minister offers travel warning for Scots heading over Border
SCOTS are being urged to use their common sense by not travelling to the north-west of England so as to avoid a fresh spike in Covid-19. Nicola Sturgeon responded to the lockdown which affects Greater Manchester, some other parts of Lancashire
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MSPs urge John Swinney to save Kilbowie outdoor education centre amid outcry
THE Scottish Government has been urged to save an outdoor education centre from closure amidst public outcry. Visits to North Lanarkshire Council’s celebrated Kilbowie Outdoor Centre have become a “rite of passage” for local children, according
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Sheriff hits out at four-year delay in bringing BP to court over spill
A SHERIFF has criticised a UK Government department and Scottish prosecutors for lengthy delays that stopped an oil giant from being brought to court over a North Sea spill for four years. BP admitted illegally discharging oil into the North Sea
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Humza Yousaf: Hate Crime Bill does not undermine free speech, it protects it
THE Hate Crime Bill aims to create a careful balance that supports and protects our shared freedoms. Over the past week, I have read in detail the concerns raised about the implications of the Bill – particularly around freedom of speech. Free
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Matthew Hirtes: Quarantine felt like a slap in the face in the Canaries
There was an outcry when the Canaries and the Balearic Islands were included on the Spanish quarantine list despite their distance from the mainland and their low Covid rates. But what is life really like if you are an ex-pat in the Canaries and is
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British Airways gives staff ultimatum: take redundancy or accept pay cut
BELEAGUERED British Airways staff facing the axe have been given until tomorrow to decide whether to take redundancy or accept lower wages and poorer terms and conditions. Those who do not volunteer and then refuse a role under the new terms and
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Scottish holiday bookings 'sink like a stone'
SCOTTISH holidaymakers have lost all faith in travelling because of the ratchetting up of quarantines. That is the stark warning from the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association following a week of still greater turmoil in the industry. Joanne Dooey
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Professor says fewer Scots would have died if Holyrood had more powers
MANY coronavirus-related illnesses and deaths could have been avoided in Scotland if the Scottish Government had more control over health and safety laws, according to a new report from the Jimmy Reid Foundation. The paper on occupational health
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Assa Samake-Roman: There's no second coronavirus wave yet, the first isn't over
WHEN the lockdown started, I couldn’t wait for the summer to happen: at last, the possibility to meet people outdoors, sit at one of the thousands of Parisian terrasses that have been granted permission to be extended on the streets of the capital,
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Michael Russell: Jackson Carlaw’s demise a sign of Scottish Tory death throes
IT was good to see John Scott, the MSP for Ayr, in the Scottish Parliament for FMQs after a year’s absence. Friendships across parties are becoming rarer, but John and I were at university together. I and many others have been right behind him in his
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Migrant Voice director on the Home Office's countless mistakes
THE visa debacle keeping Heyam Srour’s family apart is further proof of Home Office incompetence, according to the director of a UK-wide organisation. Migrant Voice was set up to empower those settling in the UK and counter the hostile narratives
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Air industry pleads for survival talks amid 'worst crisis in history'
THE air industry has called for urgent talks with the Scottish Government over testing after warning that the current quarantine measures are killing their industry. A spokesperson for Glasgow Airport has told the Sunday National: “We are facing
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Tory leadership contender denies he's already acting like the boss
SCOTS Tory leadership contender Douglas Ross has denied acting as though he’s already in the post by asking Ruth Davidson to stand in for him at First Minister Questions while he continues as an MP at Westminster. At a press conference yesterday
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Andrew Tickell: Is Douglas Ross any more than Ruth Davidson's sock puppet?
IF you’re a connoisseur of political assassinations, you’ve got to admit it was neatly done. Bye bye, Old Yeller. The golden Labrador was led solemnly out into the backyard one last time. Jackson Carlaw said it was a “painful conclusion” to demit the
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David Pratt: The haunting legacy of the atomic bomb
IAM a child of the Cold War. One of my earliest boyhood memories goes back to 1962 when I was almost five years old. Though at the time I had no idea of what was actually going on, I still recall my parents and other grown-ups being very serious when
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READ: Jules Verne's 'lost' story, set under a Scottish loch
Our series of excerpts from classic Scottish novels continues with Jules Verne’s "lost" story set underneath Loch Katrine. The Story So Far: After receiving a letter from an old colleague, mining engineer James Starr sets off for the old Aberfoyle
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Half price restaurant scheme starts TOMORROW — here's who is taking part
RESIDENTS across Scotland will tomorrow be able to claim discounts at scores of restaurants and food establishments. From August 3 to August 31, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, restaurants participating in the UK Government's Eat Out to Help