Publication
Sturgeon turns the other cheek at Pride
AFTER a week where Tory MP David Davis used parliamentary privilege to accuse Nicola Sturgeon of ‘lying’ about the crimes of estranged husband Peter Murrell, the former FM has broken cover to appear at Pride in Glasgow.
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Pensions chaos means over 18,000 civil servants have to take lump sums
MORE than 18,000 retired civil servants have been forced into taking lump sums from their pension instead of monthly payments after being locked out of the scheme for months. Significant delays began after administration of the civil service pensions...
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Masterpiece’s new home
CHRIST of St John of the Cross by Salvador Dalí has been moved to a new bespoke space in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, “recognising the huge cultural significance of the artwork for the city”. Glasgow Life, the charity that delivers culture and...
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JK Rowling’s women’s aid centre takes on Amnesty
LAWYERS for Beira’s Place, the sexual violence support centre founded by JK Rowling, have warned Amnesty International UK it faces court action unless it permanently drops a report labelling the charity “anti-rights” and publishes an apology on its...
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‘Desperate bid’ to link Yes Scotland to Murrell crime
YES Scotland lawyers have claimed there is a “desperate attempt” to link Peter Murrell’s embezzlement crimes to the pro-independence organisation. Aamer Anwar, a leading Scottish lawyer who is also representing Nicola Sturgeon, said Murrell, the...
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Bangkok tragedy toll
A HUGE fire has torn through a music bar in Bangkok, killing at least 27 people and leaving 25 in hospital in critical condition. Photographs from the Rong Beer Na Ladprao bar in a northern part of the Thai capital showed people fleeing as flames shot...
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Billionaire Easdale brothers take legal action against Scot Gov in ‘snub’ row
BUS firm Mcgill’s has launched a “multi-million-pound” legal action after being rejected as part of a Scottish Government scheme for electric buses. It was announced in March that the latest round of funding for the Scottish Zero Emission Bus...
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‘We fought to stop council cutting teachers – now it is billing us for £44,000’
GLASGOW City Council has demanded that a local parents’ group pay it tens of thousands of pounds before the end of the month, The Herald can reveal. Officials are pursuing Glasgow City Parents Group (GCPG) for more than £40,000 following a failed...
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MP belittles Dunblane massacre as just ‘one murder’
RESTORE Britain leader Rupert Lowe has provoked anger in Scotland after dismissing the 1996 Dunblane school massacre as “one murder” during a lengthy appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, one of the world’s biggest podcasts. Sixteen children, all...
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Edinburgh £80m arena faces delay amid supply chain strain
EDINBURGH’S long-awaited indoor concert arena has stalled due to challenges in the Scottish construction industry, The Herald can reveal. Work is yet to start on the 8,500-capacity venue, more than two years after planning permission was secured, due...
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Farage resigns Commons seat to trigger by-election
NIGEL Farage has resigned as an MP, triggering a by-election in his Clacton constituency, which he intends to contest. The Reform UK leader said it would be a “people versus the establishment” vote. So far, Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems...
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Crowds mourn Iran leader
Mourners at the funeral procession of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, seen on the banner, in the capital Tehran
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Stars make Odyssey to movie premiere
MOVIE stars Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway and Matt Damon walked the red carpet in London last night for the premiere of Odyssey, a new big-budget drama whose sweeping visuals were shot on the Moray coast. The event took place at the IET Building on the...
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‘Blighted by low turnouts’ Majority of Scots back compulsory voting in UK elections
A NARROW majority of Scots supports making voting compulsory at UK general elections, according to new polling, amid growing concern over Scotland’s slump in voter turnout. The Scotland-only figures seen by The Herald found that 51.2% of Scottish...
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Capital told not to copy ‘coning’
CAN a once uniquely Glaswegian tradition survive its journey eastward? The Herald’s Edinburgh Correspondent says it is time for the capital to call time on “coning”, which has become a social media trend in the wake of Scotland fans’ World Cup...
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HES chair Jones quits role early after less than a year Kathleen Nutt
SCOTLAND’S troubled heritage agency is seeking a new chair after Sir Mark Jones confirmed his resignation – stepping down from the role more than three years early. Sir Mark was appointed by former culture secretary Angus Robertson as the chair of...
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Pressure mounts on Swinney over calls for Glasgow mayor
for more power to flow into places including Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Paisley and Easterhouse as he claimed areas such as Dundee feel “distant” from Holyrood. Mr Swinney has since rejected Mr Burnham’s comments as “polemics” and said he was not in a...
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Top EU diplomat in Scottish universities Brexit warning
THE European Union’s most senior diplomat in the UK has underlined concerns raised with him about a decline in the number of EU students at Scottish universities in the wake of Brexit. Pedro Serrano, the EU’S Ambassador to the UK, said universities in...
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Dame Penelope Keith, beloved star of The Good Life and To The Manor Born, dies aged 86
FROM playing social climber Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life to aristocrat Audrey fforbeshamilton in To The Manor Born, Dame Penelope Keith, who has died at the age of 86, was known for her snobby yet lovable and humorous characters. Born on April 2,...
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Festivals bring £850m to boost Scotland’s coffers
THE overall value of Edinburgh’s flagship festivals to the Scottish economy has soared to more than £850 million, new research has revealed. Calls for more investment in Edinburgh’s year-round cultural programme have been stepped up after it emerged...
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‘Murrell wanted attention’
A leading criminologist tells Kathleen Nutt that Peter Murrell’s embezzlement reflected personal turmoil – not greed – while Rebecca Mccurdy explores how he will pay back the £400K he took from the party.
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Building firms blame taxes as jobs face axe
CONSTRUCTION companies are being pushed “to the brink” by UK Government tax rises and soaring costs, threatening jobs for young people and housebuilding targets, an industry leader has warned. Nearly half of construction planthire firms – 49% – expect...
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Earthquakes rock Venezuela
VENEZUELANS searched for survivors beneath collapsed buildings and rescue teams raced to northern areas rocked by a pair of powerful earthquakes that officials say killed at least 188 people and left more than 200 trapped. Many more were feared...
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‘Murrell’s conviction binds him to Nicola Sturgeon forever’
PETER Murrell arrived punctually for sentencing. If anything, the prisoner transport was a touch early. The shutters had yet to go up at the High Court in Edinburgh, and in the 20-second delay, photographers swarmed around the van taking pictures....
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Burnham poised to take power after Starmer exit
ANDY Burnham is now the overwhelming favourite to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader and, in turn, become Britain’s next prime minister. If he enters No 10, he will be the seventh prime minister in a decade. The previous seven, from Ted Heath...
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Glasgow’s future: Why Scotland’s biggest city is back on our agenda
GLASGOW is widely celebrated for reinventing itself three distinct times throughout its history, evolving from a humble medieval religious settlement into an industrial empire, and eventually into a modern global hub for culture and the arts. The...
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Scotland’s exports to EU down £1 billion each year
SCOTLAND is selling around £1 billion a year less to Europe than it did before Brexit - as campaigners call for a rethink over the nation’s relationship with the EU. Analysis of official trade data seen by The Herald shows exports from Scotland to...
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Brexit costing Scotland £30bn annually
BREXIT has made Scotland almost £30 billion a year worse off, with the country the most damaged of UK devolved nations, a new academic study has found. The paper, “Measuring the Regional Economic Cost of Brexit: Evidence as of 2026”, by a team of...
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Bags of style
A dress made entirely from recycled bags-for-life will be among the outfits in a fashion show at the Edinburgh Climate Festival. Organisers of the event, which will take place at the Meadows, also hope it will inspire and empower people to take action...
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Shona Robison opens up about her ordeal with ‘scary’ stalker
FORMER deputy first minister Shona Robison has shared details of her ordeal with a “terrifying” stalker who became infatuated with her. It is the first time Ms Robison, who stood down as an SNP MSP in May, has spoken about the monthlong saga which...
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Russia unleashes missile barrage on Ukraine
RUSSIA launched a night-time barrage of drones and missiles on Ukraine’s largest cities, killing at least 11 people and injuring dozens, officials said, as Kyiv pressed allies for stronger support. Explosions rocked the capital and Kharkiv, with black...
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British forces intercept Russian shadow vessel
THE British armed forces intercepted a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the Channel in the early hours of yesterday, the Prime Minister said. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said Royal Marine commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from...
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Fear and loathing in Glasgow
RIVAL protesters met at a demonstration and counter-demonstration in Glasgow city centre yesterday afternoon. Thousands of people turned out for an anti far-right “Reclaim our Streets” march on Saturday, dwarfing a handful of black-clad...
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WEATHER
24 HOUR FORECAST General situation: A deepening lowpressure system approaches from the Atlantic, bringing strong winds to north-west Scotland, with gale-force gusts expected. Heavy rain showers will spread eastward, feeling particularly cold in...
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‘Scandal’ claim as council spent £1m fighting tribunal
CASH-STRAPPED South Lanarkshire Council spent £195,154 on legal fees fighting an employment tribunal it lost on every count – pushing the total cost of the case to just under £1 million, The Herald can reveal. The councillor, who secured the figures...
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FM condemns ‘thugs’ over violence on Glasgow streets
JOHN Swinney has condemned the “violent thugs” who took to the streets of Glasgow in the wake of a brutal knife attack in Belfast. Police Scotland said that around 40 people who took part in a protest in the city on Tuesday night were “intent on...
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Syria caught in conflict crossfire
An aerial view shows farmers standing next to an Iranian missile that fell into agricultural land in the area of Najha, Syria, after being intercepted by Israeli air defence systems yesterday. Iraq and Syria closed their airspace as a safety precaution...
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Alarm over freedom of information ‘frustration’
SCOTLAND’S freedom of information watchdog is to cap the number of appeals any individual can lodge simultaneously after an 83% surge in cases left it at breaking point. The Scottish Information Commissioner has drawn up plans to limit single...
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‘Absolutely staggering’
NEARLY three in four of Scotland’s bank branches have disappeared in the past decade while one in four free cash machines have vanished from high streets since the pandemic, fuelling calls for the right to access and use cash to be protected by law.
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Dancing D-day veterans
Veterans Ken Hay, right, and Henry Rice, both 100, do the sand shuffle on Sword Beach after the Spirit of Normandy Trust service in Coleville-montgomery, France, ahead of the 82nd anniversary of D-day today. Mr Hay said he still needs traumatic...
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Bill for landslip-prone road hits ‘eye-watering’ £45m
AN “eye-watering” £45 million has been spent trying to keep one of Scotland’s most notorious roads open after landslides – despite years of promises of a permanent solution. New figures show taxpayers have forked out more than £45m on maintenance,...
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Murrell in fresh legal aid row over SNP embezzlement case
PETER Murrell will still be entitled to taxpayer-funded legal aid despite being able to repay more than £400,000 he embezzled from the SNP, The Herald understands. The former SNP chief executive – and the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon – was...
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Depth of Murrell’s deceit and spending laid bare
THE day after he bought a luxury motorhome in October 2020, Peter Murrell ordered a set of Amazon guidebooks promising “inspirational journeys” across Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland. By the time police seized the vehicle in April 2023, however,...
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Residents in flight from Beirut
A boy makes a victory sign from the back seat of a car loaded with belongings as residents flee their homes, after Israel ordered attacks on the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital Beirut yesterday
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Scotland fly out
The Scotland squad sets off for Florida from Glasgow Airport on their World Cup campaign Inset, Billy Gilmour, injured in Saturday’s win over Curacao, was left behind as the players departed the team hotel
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Sturgeon will regret ignoring the SNP’S ‘awkward squad’
HAD the SNP robust checks and balances in place over how the party was run Peter Murrell would not have been able to embezzle more than £400,000 from it over 12 years. That was the blunt assessment the leading criminologist Professor David Wilson made...
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‘I won’t hide away. I’ve done nothing wrong’
NICOLA Sturgeon has said Peter Murrell “put me in considerable peril” as she vowed not to “hide away” from public scrutiny following the former SNP chief executive’s guilty plea. The remarks came less than 24 hours after Ms Sturgeon appeared at a book...
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Scott in the square after makeover
Liam Lochran, project manager at Glasgow City Council, with the statue of Sir Walter Scott at the top of the writer’s monument in George Square, which has undergone its biggest restoration since it was erected in 1837, part of the £20 million...
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Swinney rejects calls for Murrell inquiry
JOHN Swinney has rejected growing calls for an independent investigation into SNP finances in the wake of the Peter Murrell scandal – with a former Scottish Government cabinet secretary the latest to demand such a probe. Alex Neil, who served as both...
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Times are tough, but future can be glorious
THE new principal of the University of Glasgow has said the institution must prepare for “tough choices” despite its current position of strength, as financial pressures mount across Scotland’s higher education sector. In his first media interview...
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‘Gross breach of trust and an abuse of your privilege’
PETER Murrell was told he had committed a “gross breach of trust” after he admitted embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP over a period of 12 years. The former chief executive of the party was remanded in custody after his lawyer, John Scullion...
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Playing bridge helped rebuild my life after stroke, says retired teacher
A RETIRED Scottish teacher has said playing bridge helped her rebuild her life and memory after a stroke led to her being placed under a do-notresuscitate (DNR) notice. Alice Cowieson, from Dairsie, near Cupar, Fife, is speaking out as part of a...
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Paradise found
MARTIN O’neill guided Celtic to the double yesterday as the Scottish champions beat Dunfermline 3-1 in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup final. The 74-year-old now has nine major honours as a Celtic manager stretching over 26 years. Photos: Andrew Milligan...
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Move for new drivers to face Scots ‘curfews’
MINISTERS are seeking powers to bring in sweeping new restrictions on newly-qualified drivers in Scotland, including motoring “curfews”, after it has been revealed young motorists north of the Border are involved in injury crashes at around twice the...
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FM accused of ‘dividing’ Scotland over Sinn Féin
VETERANS and families of soldiers killed during the Troubles have accused John Swinney of “dividing” Scotland by refusing to apologise after calling for people to “move on” from Sinn Féin’s links to the Provisional IRA. Groups gathered outside the...
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Warning safety demands ‘not met’ after rig deaths
THE RMT union has warned offshore safety demands “have still not been met” after a second worker died on the same North Sea rig where crewman Jason Thomas vanished through a dislodged deck grating. The alarm comes just days after operator Ensco was...
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Swinney’s return
JOHN Swinney has promised to be a “First Minister for all of Scotland” after MSPS backed him to keep his job. Given the SNP’S place as the largest party in Holyrood, there was little doubt he would win parliament’s backing to continue as First...
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Government agency under fire over arms summit link
A SCOTTISH Government agency has been criticised for appearing alongside some of the world’s biggest arms companies at a defence industry summit in Glasgow. Scottish Enterprise will join BAE Systems, Thales UK, Leonardo and Ministry of Defence...
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‘Scars that will never heal’
SCOTTISH families who lost loved ones during the Troubles in Northern Ireland have condemned John Swinney after he said people should “move on” from Sinn Féin’s links to the IRA. More than 3,500 people were killed during the 30-year conflict, including...
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Donors back Sarwar to stay at Labour helm
BILLIONAIRE donors to Scottish Labour are backing Anas Sarwar remaining as party leader despite it suffering its worst election result since devolution. The Herald can reveal Sandy and James Easdale, who saw their wealth rise to £1.47 billion in this...
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Starmer fights for survival as leadership battle looms
SIR Keir Starmer’s authority lay in tatters last night after Wes Streeting resigned with a scathing personal attack on the Prime Minister and a route emerged for Andy Burnham to return to Westminster. The prospect of a lengthy and bitter leadership...
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State opening of Parliament
King Charles, wearing the Imperial State Crown and the Robe of State and Queen Camilla, wearing the George IV State Diadem, walk through the Royal Gallery during the State Opening of Parliament, in the House of Lords at the Palace of Westminster
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
The First Minister tells us: ● Yes, I will work with Sinn Fein, people have got to move on ● Love of God and my family sustain me ● I am the man who saved the SNP
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Pressure rises on Starmer’s future as Scots aide quits
SIR Keir Starmer’s future as Prime Minister is in jeopardy after a Scottish aide to the UK Government resigned out of anger at his leadership. Melanie Ward, MP for Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy, became the fourth parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to...
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Virus ship evacuated
EVACUATIONS of passengers from a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak have begun, as Britons on board prepare to be flown home to isolate at the UK’S initial Covid quarantine site. The MV Hondius arrived in Tenerife yesterday morning, with Spain...
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AFTERMATH
SCOTLAND must have the power to decide its own future in the UK ahead of the next general election, John Swinney has insisted – with the SNP leader making clear he wants the country to be “fully Farage-proofed”. Yesterday, Mr Swinney took aim at Nigel...
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‘Scotland needs respect as a consequence of this outcome’
GOING into the election, the SNP’S position was that winning a majority was the “only uncontested way to deliver a new vote on Scotland’s future”. The voters of Scotland returned them to Holyrood as the biggest party, by quite some distance, but John...
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‘I had rather thought that I would celebrate my 100th birthday quietly, but it seems that many of you have had other ideas’
SIR David Attenborough said he had been “completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings” as he thanked wellwishers “most sincerely” ahead of his centenary today. The beloved presenter and naturalist said he had hoped to celebrate his 100th birthday...
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Election in the balance as one in four are undecided
ONE in four Scottish voters could still change their mind on who they will back in the election, according to one of the last polls of the campaign. Emily Gray from Ipsos Scotland said the finding showed that “all the parties still have something to...
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Warship in Scotland ahead of Nato role Donald Erskine
THE Royal Navy’s largest and most powerful warship ever built has been pictured in a Scottish loch after refuelling and rearming before heading off to “protect UK waters”. The 280-metre-long ship, carrying helicopters and drones, left Portsmouth...
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Warning ambulance waits ‘pose high risk to patients’
NEARLY 350 ambulances were tied up at hospitals for over an hour every day last year, as the national service identified delays as a “very high” risk to patient safety in its corporate risk register. Official analysis shows 126,867 out of 355,593...
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