Publication

Staff angry at plans for surgery overhaul

SURGEONS, nurses and NHS staff have reacted with anger to a secret blueprint for a massive overhaul of orthopaedic surgery in Scotland. Most only learned of the bombshell report’s existence when The Herald revealed it yesterday. The confidential...

Roof collapse tragedy

A rescuer carries a child during a search operation after a roof collapsed at a school in Peshawar. Twenty-seven pupils and a teacher were killed after the roof collapsed in the northwest Pakistani city

Union’s warning against mandatory office return

THE Scottish Government’s decision to make civil servants attend the office at least twice a week is unworkable, a union leader has claimed. Civil servants were told they must spend at least 40% of the working week in the office from next month. The...

Terror in Ukraine

A residential building in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv in Ukraine was destroyed, killing four people, after Russia attacked Ukraine with more than 100 weapons since Monday evening

Warning ethics watchdog stifling freedom of speech

A LEADING public law professor has raised serious concerns about whether Scotland’s ethics body is complying with the law protecting freedom of speech. Professor Adam Tomkins, John Millar Professor of Public Law at the University of Glasgow, said he...

Civil servants risk losing redundancy protection

CIVIL servants could lose longstanding protections against compulsory redundancy within months, with a union leader warning ministers appear to have an “appetite” to revisit the guarantee after almost two decades. The Scottish Government’s no...

Judges blown away

The Royal National Mod is now in full swing, with hundreds of performers and competitors – such as winning junior piper Kiro Brendon, above – appearing over nine days in ‘Baile Mòr nan Gàidheal’, Glasgow’s Gaelic nickname which means ‘City of the Gaels’.

Scotland to develop ‘War Book’ with UK

SCOTLAND is to develop a new “War Book” with the UK as military leaders warn of the growing threat of a large-scale conflict by 2030. The concept of a war book was first developed early last century and sets out secret plans for how the country would...

‘As I get older, I’m getting more and more class conscious. I get really annoyed’

SIR Ian Rankin has criticised “terrible” changes to Scottish university funding and suggested it had become much harder for working-class Scots to continue their studies after leaving school. The bestselling writer said he would not have be able to go...

Flags and tributes as Israel marks October 7 attack

Israeli flags are waved as part of a commemorative installation at a beach in Tel Aviv to mark the third anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. The anniversary was marked with silent tributes and intense political debate

French protests flare

TENS of thousands of demonstrators marched in cities across France yesterday in support of protests by school pupils demanding more education funding, increasing pressure on the government of outgoing President Emmanuel Macron. As pupils again...

Delight in the darkness

As the days shorten, nature-lovers are setting their sights skywards ahead of the first South of Scotland Dark Sky Festival, which begins on Friday. On October 15, an evening of stargazing is planned from the dramatic hilltop location of Monteath...

View from the bridge

Runners are seen crossing Glasgow’s Kingston Bridge, as around 33,000 took on the 10K and half marathon through the city in the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run yesterday, with Craig Ferguson starting the 10K and Eilish Mccolgan starting the half marathon

Democracy ‘silenced’ by soaring free speech cases

THE number of freedom of speech cases involving councillors investigated by Scotland’s ethical standards watchdog – including Glasgow’s Fiona Higgins – has more than doubled in a decade, amid growing disquiet over a system that is creating a “climate...

Scotland’s £586m Gupta guarantee is linked to offshore firm in Jersey

THE controversial £586 million taxpayer guarantee underpinning Sanjeev Gupta’s Scottish metals empire is linked to a secretive offshore company registered in the Channel Island tax haven of Jersey, The Herald can reveal. Bonds sold to fund Mr Gupta’s...

Lochaber smelter pension payments unpaid since July

EMPLOYER and employee pension contributions for workers at Sanjeev Gupta’s Lochaber smelter have not been paid since July, The Herald can reveal. An email sent to staff at the aluminium smelter and at Jahama Highland Estates yesterday by Jeff Kabel,...

Pilots ‘fight’ probe

A FIGHT between pilots on a commercial plane travelling from the United Arab Emirates to Israel forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia yesterday, according to officials. The episode raised concerns about a possible hijacking...

PM’S biggest challenge will be convincing Scotland he ‘gets it’

THE Scottish politicians I spoke to after Andy Burnham’s speech to the Labour conference breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, the Prime Minister showed some fight for Scotland. Among the excitement of Labour’s conference in Liverpool, where delegates...

Scotland won’t leave the UK if I become PM, says Farage

NIGEL Farage has insisted Scotland will not leave the UK if he becomes prime minister, dismissing a poll which found support for independence would jump to 65% if he takes charge of the UK. Asked by The Herald if he was the biggest threat to the...

SNP withholds key data on public sector savings

THE Scottish Government has withheld its own assessment of whether its £1.5 billion public sector savings programme is on track, claiming the public interest favours keeping the information secret. An internal report prepared for Permanent Secretary...

Zero hour in Slovenia

SCOTLAND’S Oliver Mcburnie and Slovenia’s David Brekalo battle for the ball during yesterday’s Uefa Nations League 0-0 draw at Stadiun Stozice in Ljubljana, Slovenia which was new manager Sebastien Pocognoli’s first match in charge.

Missing data ‘putting stroke victims at risk’

MINISTERS are under pressure after admitting they do not know how many stroke patients are missing out on life-saving thrombectomies because the treatment is unavailable when they need it. The Scottish Government has confirmed it has carried out no...

Trump welcomes Xi

US President Donald Trump hailed the “truly great friendship” he has forged with Xi Jinping as the Chinese leader began his highlyanticipated state visit. While Mr Trump has many thorny issues to discuss with the president of America’s biggest...

Unions will ‘not dictate’ hybrid work policy for civil servants

TRADE unions will not be allowed to dictate the Scottish Government’s hybrid working policy for civil servants, Ivan Mckee has insisted, despite being unable to explain why ministers failed to enforce their own office attendance guidance. Around 9,000...

£2.3 million grant for tycoon Government taking to court

MINISTERS are set to push ahead with a £2.3 million grant to Sanjeev Gupta despite pursuing court action against the beleaguered tycoon. Scottish Forestry, the Scottish Government agency responsible for support for the sector, has confirmed the cash,...

Sport In Action

The netball team at Maramba Primary School in Livingstone wear their University of St Andrews kit, donated through Sport In Action. The University of St Andrews supports Sport in Action in Zambia through the Wallace Group and partnerships where...

More misery for O’Neill

Frustrated Celtic manager Martin O’neill gestures on the touchline during the team’s Premiership defeat to Rangers at Glasgow’s Celtic Park

Fortunes of Scotland’s richest MSPS revealed

SCOTLAND’S richest MSPS have vast fortunes in property, shareholdings and business interests, an analysis of their declarations to the Scottish Parliament by The Herald can reveal. MSPS are legally required to disclose details of their financial...

Lecturers slate bosses over university cuts

THE University and College Union (UCU) at the University of Edinburgh has criticised senior managers over their handling of cuts to 90 programmes in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) and other areas. Courtney Stafford-walter...

Princess pitches in

The Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Rothesay when in Scotland, gets on the pitch during a visit to the Bute Shinty Club in Rothesay, where shinty – one of Scotland’s oldest traditional sports – has been played for generations, on her first official...

Ministers in hybrid working disclosure deal with unions

THE Scottish Government pledged to provide civil service unions with advance notice of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests after representatives complained about The Herald’s reporting on opposition to hybrid working targets. Meeting notes, obtained...

City ‘carrying homelessness burden for whole of Scotland’

GLASGOW is “carrying the burden of homelessness for the whole of Scotland,” the city’s new council leader has said, as he called on the Scottish Government to change the law to let the city move people out into neighbouring authorities. In one of his...

Swinney indy push sparks unionist leaders’ fightback

UNIONIST leaders are fighting back against John Swinney’s independence push as they prepare to gather in Scotland to challenge efforts to break up the UK. Elected representatives from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Ireland will travel...

Murrell faces 34% rise in sum to be paid back after crime

FORMER SNP chief executive Peter Murrell could be ordered to repay around 34% more than the £400,000 he embezzled. Murrell was sentenced to more than five years in prison in June after he admitted misappropriating a total of £400,310.65 from the SNP...

SNP activists’ dismay at indy hopes

SNP insiders claim the First Minister’s dilemma on independence has been exposed by Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s remarks on any potential future referendum, reports Deputy Political Editor Rebecca Mccurdy – while Columnist of the Year Kevin Mckenna...

Revealed: Over 1,400 jobs facing axe in civil service

MORE than a thousand jobs will have to be axed from Scotland’s core civil service if reduction targets are to be met, The Herald can reveal. However, doubts have been cast over whether the ambitious plans can be met as the Scottish Government said it...

Hidden papers reveal doubts over £500m First Homes Fund

OFFICIALS knew the Scottish Government’s flagship £500 million First Homes Fund could support some buyers who may have been able to purchase without it, newly released papers reveal. The documents were disclosed after a Freedom of Information review,...

SEC in £1bn vision to keep city in global events race

THE home of Glasgow’s Hydro and Armadillo venues is to undergo a radical overhaul and expansion to help Scotland’s biggest city ramp up competition for events with rival cities around the world. New indoor and outdoor arenas, a creative industries...

Anger at £540k spent on gift cards for civil servants

CIVIL servants working for the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) have been handed gift cards worth more than half a million pounds as rewards for “high performance”. Government credit card spending records show that...

Gallagher brothers’ movie glory

THE “only recording” of Oasis’s landmark 1996 concert on the banks of Loch Lomond will be sold as part of a collection which is estimated to fetch up to £1.6 million at auction. The recordings include 63 live shows, sound-checks and more than 100...

Warning over ‘real damage’ from culture funding cuts

SCOTLAND’S “national and international reputation” will be damaged if the culture sector is targeted for savings as part of a public sector shake-up, ministers have been warned. Industry body Culture Counts has urged ministers to approach...

Tartan special

HIGHLAND dancers left Braemar Gathering guests on a high with their high-energy display yesterday, as hundreds joined King Charles and Queen Camilla at the spectacular annual event.

Public sector chiefs paid more than First Minister

SCOTLAND’S highest paid public sector leaders have a combined salary of more than £13 million per year – outstripping First Minister John Swinney. Last year, Mr Swinney declined a pay increase of almost £20,000, freezing his annual salary at...

‘A radical approach must be applied to the future of Scotland’s university sector’

SCOTLAND’S higher education sector stands at a pivotal moment. In an exclusive article for The Herald, the University of Edinburgh principal and vicechancellor, Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, reflects on the appointment of Alyn Smith and the challenges...

Social care leaders warn over Swinney’s NHS reform plans

JOHN Swinney has been warned social care risks being swallowed up by the NHS, after care leaders revealed they received no advance notice of the plans for reform. The First Minister announced in his Programme for Government a three-month period of...

Cushions and footrests

THE Scottish Government has spent millions of taxpayers’ cash furnishing rarely-used offices for civil servants. More than 9,000 core civil servants employed by the Scottish Government were asked to return to the office for at least 40% of the working...

Swinney to cut Scotland’s NHS health boards from 14 to two

SCOTLAND’S regional health boards are expected to be slashed from 14 to two under John Swinney’s ambitious reform plans. The Herald understands the merger is part of the First Minister’s Programme for Government, with a number of health organisations...

Plea for ‘action’ to restore Scots business confidence

SCOTLAND risks falling behind the rest of the UK unless ministers cut taxes and reduce the cost of doing business, the country’s largest business organisation has warned. The Scottish Chamber of Commerce (SCC) has urged the Scottish Government to use...

SURVIVING LORETTO

In 2023, Angus Bell broke his silence exclusively in The Herald. Now, he is bringing out a memoir and wants the public to understand just how deep such damage goes in our society.

Vision for civil service office empty by remote working

A RARELY-USED Scottish Government office building in Edinburgh could be transformed into a multi-purpose development designed to boost Leith’s economy as civil servants favour remote working. Victoria Quay, the four-storey building situated on Leith’s...

BMA chief: NHS putting reputation before patients

SCOTLAND’S health boards are too focused on “keeping the Scottish Government sweet” and protecting their reputations, at the expense of patient safety and doctors who dare to speak out, the country’s outgoing British Medical Association (BMA) chief has...

Nicola Sturgeon and Sanna Marin covered a lot of ground – except one key issue

Goodbye Bonnie

Reverend Canon Justin Davies holds a picture of Bonnie Tyler as the hearse, with a floral tribute, arrives for her funeral at Swansea Minster yesterday. The singer, famous for hit Total Eclipse of the Heart, died in hospital on July 8, aged 75

Unions brand SNP reforms a ‘dangerous cuts agenda’ for sector

SCOTLAND’S largest trade union body has accused ministers of pursuing a “dangerous brutal cuts agenda” through public service reform, warning that further workforce reductions risk damaging services already under mounting pressure. The Scottish Trades...

Drumming up crowds

TRADITIONAL music fans were banging the drum for the World Pipe Band Championships yesterday as the major event launched at Glasgow Green with hundreds of pipers and drummers assembling in the city.

School absence crisis risks ‘lost generation’ of Scots children

SCOTLAND has a “lost generation” of children who are at risk of leaving school without a job, further education or training, a leading psychologist has warned. The number of children considered severely absent from school – missing half of the school...

US pipe band entertains city’s shoppers

A PIPE band from Charlotte in North Carolina stopped shoppers in their tracks as they performed in Glasgow city centre. The Rose & Thistle Ladies Pipe Band entertained the crowds as part of Piping Live! as they prepare to compete at the World Pipe...

There goes the sun

MORE than 90% of the sun has been obscured by the moon, the most it has been blocked above Scotland’s skies since the total eclipse in 1999. Crowds of people could be seen at viewing spots in different locations – including Calton Hill, Edinburgh, and...

Stars on paper trail

Alan Cumming and Shirley Henderson during a rehearsal ahead of their debut stage production of A History of Paper at Pitlochry Festival Theatre in Perthshire

High old time for Festival acrobats

Acrobats from Revel Puck Circus: Wing Scuffle Spectacular jump to it at the Underbelly Circus Hub on the Meadows at the Edinburgh Fringe

Stark warning on plunging public trust in police force

ONE of Scotland’s most senior police officers has delivered a stark warning on the future of the public’s trust in tackling crime. Chief Superintendent Rob Hay, president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents, questioned whether more...

Sturgeon: ‘Now I think, what a mug for worrying about Peter’

NICOLA Sturgeon has opened up about the arrest and guilty plea of Peter Murrell, saying she is still “coming to terms with being deeply betrayed by somebody I loved and trusted”. Speaking at an event at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the former first...

Miner’s son reveals £10m art collection

FROM a miners’ row in Bellshill to one of the world’s most significant private collections of Scottish art, Peter Shaw’s journey is extraordinary. Raised in a working-class family with deep roots in Lanarkshire’s coal mining communities, Shaw grew up...

Diageo to swing axe at distilleries in $1bn costs drive

SCOTCH whisky giant Diageo has moved to slash operating costs by $1 billion over the next three years as part of a strategy that has put jobs on the line at distilleries in Scotland. Chief executive Sir Dave Lewis, who earned the nickname “Drastic...

Man charged with murder of Minnie, 9

A Nine-year-old girl who was killed in Arbroath has been named by police, with 35-yearold Christopher Rice charged with her murder. Minnie Merriman was found with serious injuries on the Elliot Industrial Estate at around midnight on Monday. She was...

Gaza in mourning

The funeral of 112 members of the Hassayna and Abu Sharia clan, killed in an Israeli strike in 2023 and whose remains were recovered from beneath the rubble, in Gaza City

Military on the march for Tattoo

Members of the military rehearse for the 2026 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Redford Barracks in the capital. Dating back to 1949, the Tattoo is a performance of music, dance, military precision and technology, set against the backdrop of Edinburgh...

Muslim MP calls for action over far-right rally violence

SCOTLAND’S only ethnic-minority and Muslim MP has called on the Scottish Government to fund a cohesion strategy in the wake of last month’s violent far-right rally in Glasgow. Dr Zubir Ahmed said cuts to youth provision and to community policing meant...

‘A lot of egos’

SCOTTISH Labour may be “irreparably” fractured by a fiery leadership contest, according to insiders. But the fallout is not just over who will replace Anas Sarwar at the top of the party. Inside the Labour camp, the mood is lower now than after the...