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Politics

Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth will give the Scottish Budget in December (Robert Perry/PA)

Scottish Government urged to copy UK Budget business rate relief
Chancellor John Healey announced on Wednesday that the threshold for small business rate relief for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England would ...

Workers watch in the Dock in Rosyth as HMS Venturer rolls out the buildyard. HMS Venturer ventures forth as the First Type 31 frigate makes its debut

Babcock trying to 'contain' delays to warships being built in Rosyth

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, right, is accompanied by Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Alexander during a visit to New College Lanarkshire's Motherwell Campus ahead of a speech focusing on the forming of closer ties with the Scottish government

Douglas Alexander: The next step for devolution is into our regions Douglas Alexander

Chancellor John Healey and Defence Secretary Wes Streeting at BAE's operations on the Clyde at Scotstoun, Glasgow

Swinney under fire by UK Defence Secretary for 'irresponsible' remarks

Chancellor John Healey leaves no11 Downing Street, London before delivering his first Budget. PIC: Stefan Rousseau/Press Association

Kicking cans down the road is an improvement on scoring own goals Brian Wilson

The Acorn project will be based at Shell's St Fergus gas terminal near Peterhead

Only £12m of promised £200m funding will be given to Acorn project

Prime Minister Andy Burnham and First Minister John Swinney shake hands ahead of a bilateral meeting at the National Economic Council in Glasgow

Burnham: I don't want to see Scotland left out of my devolution plans

Prime Minister Andy Burnham and wife Marie France Van Heel celebrate in the stands at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium

Andy Burnham says his son is trying to get him to support Hibs

SNP ministers have designed a more generous benefits system than the rest of the UK

Explainer Scotland's benefits bill: why is it soaring and who is claiming money

Politics

Latest politics news and opinion from expert Scotsman journalists and contributors. The latest from Holyrood, Westminster and a global outlook from a Scottish perspective.

Andy Burnham on his last visit to Scotland (Jeff J Mitchell/PA)

Exclusive There's no limit to what John Swinney and I can achieve together
Writing exclusively for The Scotsman, Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he and John Swinney ‘won’t agree on everything’ but ‘share ambition for Scotland’s future’.
Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham and John Swinney

Burnham tells Swinney 'put politics aside' to give regions more powers

Russell Findlay

John Swinney repeatedly challenged on whether he supports Rosebank

The Acorn project will be based at Shell's St Fergus gas terminal near Peterhead

'Spectacular shambles' as carbon capture funding descends into chaos

Sir Peter Mathieson, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh Uni boss defends 'difficult' decisions amid staff strike

Colin Brown, executive council member of the FBU, warned that retained, on-call firefighters cover around 80 per cent of Scotland’s land mass, but added that there were “over 1,000 vacancies on the RDS system in Scotland”

'Huge swathes' of the nation are left without fire service cover

Politics

Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey

Budget 2026 RECAP: Chancellor's plans and what they mean for Scotland

The Chancellor has announced his tax and spending plans in the Commons

UK Budget 2026: Scotch whisky sector hails a 'disappointing blow'

Alcohol duty will rise again in line with inflation

SNP ministers to pass on funding to cut £100 off energy bills for those in council tax bands A-D

UK Budget 2026: Scots households to benefit from £100 energy payment

The Scottish government said it will replicate a policy announced by Chancellor John Healey

When is your body weight a matter for public discussion? Linzi Watson

Linzi Watson

Economic growth cannot just be a political slogan

The danger is that the government sends a message that success makes an industry an automatic target...

What are standing charges and how the budget will change what you pay

The move has been presented as part of a raft of measures to tackle rising household costs,

Scottish Independence

Prime Minister Andy Burnham (left) has spoke with John Swinney over the phone.

‘Agree to disagree’, Andy Burnham tells John Swinney on independence

John Swinney has claimed the SNP could cut energy bills by one third with Scottish independence

John Swinney to launch SNP's election campaign with independence push

Scottish independence supporters march through Glasgow.

Reeves accused of 'astonishing arrogance' over indyref2 call

Jeremy Corbyn MP

Your Party could back Scottish independence, says Jeremy Corbyn

Scottish independence supporters on the march

Exclusive Angus Robertson: Everyone asks about independence when I'm overseas

Swinney's independence plan branded 'not sensible' by expert

Pro-independence protesters hold up Scottish National Party (SNP) emblems as they join a march organised by the grassroots organistaion All Under One Banner

John Swinney hints at independence referendum 'precedent' legal bid

More Scotsman politics

The Acorn project will be based at Shell's St Fergus gas terminal near Peterhead

'Hammer blow' for North Sea amid carbon capture funding row

John Healey gave his first Budget as Chancellor on Wednesday

Analysis Boring John Healey succeeds in making UK Budget low key event

Chancellor John Healey ahead of delivering his UK Budget

Explainer What John Healey's Budget spending plans mean for Scotland and you

John Healey will give his first Budget as Chancellor on Wednesday afternoon (Photo by Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA Wire)

UK Budget: Healey told to 'restore' Scots waters naval vessel patrols

Robert Jenrick

Exclusive Reform accused of letting 'British refineries be undercut by imports'

First Minister John Swinney and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville are under pressure to deliver more new homes

SNP criticised for 'appalling' new homes drop amid housing emergency

There are plans to build another gas-fired power station next to the existing one at Peterhead. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

SNP's 'catastrophic failure' by approving gas power station

(Photo: ChargePlace Scotland)

Exclusive SNP-backed electric vehicle scheme sees decline in charging points

We must put political differences aside to secure Grangemouth future Alex Cole-Hamilton

Scotland’s defence must deliver security, skills and jobs for young Jackie Baillie

The Grangemouth refinery

John Healey urged to deliver £200m Grangemouth money at Budget

Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey

The Budget 2026: What time is Healey speaking at? How can I follow it?

The RBS headquarters and conference complex at Gogarburn, Edinburgh, which forms part of NatWest Group. Picture: Ian Georgeson

Taxing banks will hit growth, Scottish finance chief warns

Scottish charities have called on the UK Government to "show intent" to end homelessness

‘Show intent’ on homelessness by axing benefits cap, charities urge

Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey is set to announce his Budget this week.

Explainer What will be in John Healey’s first Budget as Chancellor

Holyrood is bracing for funding cuts from Westminster

Holyrood bracing for £700m Budget cut as SNP makes demand

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner

Rayner: Nothing off table in Burnham’s talks with European Union

SNP MSP Jack Middleton

Why I support Rosebank being given the green light as an SNP MSP jack Middleton

Industry bosses hope the North Sea oil and gas sector can enjoy a revival

North Sea revival risks being scuppered despite Jackdaw decision

Union and European Union flags. PIC: PA

UK 'more at risk' after rejecting EU demand to join defence fund

Even ardent Remainers know the SNP's Brexit stance makes no sense Murdo Fraser

First Minister Humza Yousaf will rally against Brexit during an address in London.

Humza Yousaf accuses Labour and Tories of being in denial over Brexit