The Scotsman
A ‘comic genius’
Felicity Kendal has remembered Dame Penelope Keith, her co-star in The Good Life, as a “comic genius” who was “a joy to know and work with”. The actress, whose death aged 86 was announced yesterday, was best known as snobbish suburbanite Margo...
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Return of king Burnham as defeated Starmer falls
The next prime minister faces a battle for the “heart and soul” of the country, the leader of Scottish Labour has warned, as Andy Burnham looks set to enter 10 Downing Street within weeks. Anas Sarwar said his party must now prepare for “the fight of...
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Super John: Mcginn’s Texas tale
John Mcginn recalled a previous US experience after he trained with the squad in Charlotte, North Carolina, yesterday ahead of Scotland’s World Cup opener against Haiti
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Hoy: ‘Enjoy living in the moment’
Scots Olympian gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy is on a mission to redefine the perception of people living with stage four cancer, saying: ‘There's plenty of life left in us’
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Beach buddies: D-day veterans meet again
Veterans Ken Hay, right, and Henry Rice on Sword Beach after a Spirit of Normandy Trust service in Coleville-montgomery ahead of today’s D-day 82nd anniversary
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SNP may have claimed back tax on Murrell’s purchases
The SNP is in talks with the taxman to establish whether VAT was illegally reclaimed on purchases made by disgraced former chief executive Peter Murrell as he embezzled more than £400,000. First Minister John Swinney said his party is in talks with...
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Fringe programme out
leaders need to look at the “unintended consequences” of short-term let legislation which is causing a bottleneck in supply and driving up festival accommodation prices to an unaffordable level, the head of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has...
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SNP financial controls were ‘inadequate’ admits Swinney
John Swinney has admitted a lack of “adequate controls” within the SNP helped Peter Murrell cover his tracks in embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds from party finances. The SNP leader spoke after Murrell appeared i n court for a further hearing...
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Universities facing a ‘cliff edge’ from visa changes
Scottish universities are being “driven towards a cliff edge” by new student visa changes, the sector has claimed. From yesterday, the UK government has introduced the most stringent visa sponsorship compliance regime of any UK sector. It is feared...
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We’ll be coming: World Cup awaits
The Scotland squad departs for their Florida training camp from Glasgow Airport yesterday, two weeks ahead of the Tartan Army’s first World Cup match in 28 years against Haiti in Boston
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Fixing a hole: Brolly fund to keep rain out
Kerry Watt with some of the 100 brollies suspended from Morningside Parish Church’s ceiling for Edinburgh Umbrella Festival – a programme of events to raise funds to restore the church roof
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‘This has probably been the worst week of my life’
Nicola Sturgeon said she had been “betrayed” and was having “probably the worst week of my life” after her estranged husband Peter Murrell admitted in court to embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP. Speaking at Listowel Writers’ Week in Co Kerry,...
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New era: Little Sparta eyes £5m fund to secure future
It is the garden of late Scottish artist and poet Ian Hamilton Finlay, created on a seven-acre sitesouth-westofthepentlands over several decades. Now Little Sparta is to enter a transformational “new era” – as it celebrates its 60th anniversary –...
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Heat is on: Scotland basks in sun
Sunlovers in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Park enjoyed the glorious weather yesterday, while England and Wales saw the hottest-ever recorded May day as the mercury hit 35.1C
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Guilty: Murrell behind bars
Senior SNP figures are facing mounting questions after formerchiefexecutivepetermurrell admitted embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds from the party. Murrell is today behind bars after pleading guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 over a...
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Feeling the heat: Runners swelter in soaring temperatures
Scotland was the only part of the UK not to experience the warmest day of the year yesterday. England, Wales and Northern Ireland all had their warmest days of the year but Scotland did not. The news would have been little comfort for the thousands...
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From the flames: Crannog Centre relaunch
Singer Barbara Dickson with Albie Dunlop, 4, at the Scottish Crannog Centre at Loch Tay, where they unveiled a brand new crannog to replace one lost to a fire five years ago
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Regal style: Dress fit for a Queen
A member of staff from the Royal Trust Collection at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh prepares a silk evening dress worn by the late Queen Elizabeth II at the Commonwealth Heads of Government reception in 1997. It will be on show during...
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New Cabinet role to drive £1bn public sector cuts
Swinney has created an entirely new Cabinet role to oversee public sector cuts of £1 billion as he unveiled what he described as a “leaner, more agile” top team. The First Minister said his appointments should be seen as a “very clear signal” his...
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Something fishy: Skye’s walker
Skye Scott, from Trinity Primary in Hawick, with an artisan salmon-handled walking stick, made by Scottish Stickmakers. She was taking part in yesterday’s Border Union Schools Countryside Day
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Bus firms ‘left in dark’ over key SNP fare cap pledge
SNP’S bold pledge to cap bus fares at £2 for nearly half thescottishpopulationwithin 100 days of being re-elected has triggered alarm bells among operators who remain in the dark about how it will work. The price limit is due to be introduced by...
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Scottish rugby in mourning after legend Hastings dies
Scottish rugby legend Scott Hastingshasdiedattheageof61, sparking an outpouring of tributes to one of the game’s most beloved players. Hastings, a member of Scotland’s famous Grand Slamwinning team of 1990 alongside older brother Gavin, had been...
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Take a bow: Archers assemble for Kirk
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has said he remains “surprised” to have been appointed to the role. The Rt Rev Gordon Kennedy was elected to the position as the Assembly opened in Edinburgh yesterday, replacing the Very...
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Double act: Sarwar and Swinney
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, left, and SNP First Minister John Swinney share a joke on the first day of the new Scottish Parliament at Holyrood yesterday
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Streeting set to move on PM as SNP targets Labour rebels
Wes Streeting‘s allies have claimed he is set to resign from the UK government today and launch a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer as Scottish Labour MPS were urged by the SNP to support its attempt to oust the embattled Prime...
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Labour war as Starmer clings on in Downing St
Sir Keir Starmer was clinging on to power last night as outright civil war broke out within the Labour Party with the resignation of four junior ministers and more than 80 MPS calling for the Prime Minister to resign. Meanwhile, 110 MPS came to the...
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Starmer in peril as scores of Labour MPS tell him to quit
Scores of Labour MPS have called for Sir Keir Starmer to standdownastheprimeminister’sfuturehangsinthebalance. The MPS called for the Prime Minister to resign following disastrous Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd and English council election results...
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TV winner: Stars celebrate Baftas
Actress Celia Imrie attends the 2026 Bafta TV Awards at The Royal Festival Hall last night where Celebrity Traitors – on which she made a big impression – won best reality.
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SNP falls short as Reform and Greens votes surge
John Swinney fell short of an overall majority at the Holyrood election but the SNP still emerged as by far the largest party, securing a historic fifth term, while Nigel Farage’s Reform UK made an extraordinary breakthrough. The First Minister said...
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SNP showdown with Reform looms as Scotland awaits fate
John Swinney has vowed he will shun Reform MSPS outwith any official parliamentary “duties” if he is re-elected and Nigel Farage’s party wins MSP seats at Holyrood. The SNP leader is poised to shut out Reform MSPS from any cross-party workings or...
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SNP’S election lead tightens as Scotland heads to polls
John Swinney’s hopes of winning a majority at the Holyrood election are fading as Scots cast their votes today, with a series of polls suggesting the SNP’S lead is tightening. A final multilevel regression with post-stratification (MRP) poll by...
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Parents using AI in rising online abuse of teachers
are using AI and covert recordings of teachers as part of a rising tide of harassment in Scottish schools. Staff have reported "stress and significant harm" as they increasingly face threats, verbal attacks and online abuse. Minor issues are then...
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Ambulance waits for high risk patients
More than 1,000 higher-risk patients have waited longer than an hour for an ambulance in Scotland over the past five years, figures suggest. A Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information request analysed ambulance waiting times since 2020 across...
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Flying out: Scots troops in combat drills for Nato exercise
Soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland have been taking part in urban combat drills as they prepare to deploy to Eastern Europe as part of a major Nato exercise. Troops from 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (2 Scots), are set to...
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Carrying a torch: Students honour uni hero
St Andrews University students took part in the annual Gaudie procession to honour John Honey, a student who, in 1800, rescued five crew members of a grounded ship
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By George: Clooney’s Scotland kit
Claire Phale, the winner of a Social Bite charity prize draw to have lunch with Hollywood superstar George Clooney at Gleneagles, presented him a Scotland football shirt at the event
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Golden girl: Medals revealed
Militsa Milenkova, who designed the medals for this summer’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games, holds up the gold version as they were unveiled at the city’s school of art yesterday
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Thousands of Scottish firms said to be in ‘critical distress’
A “deeply concerning” spike in businesses in critical states of distress across Scotland signals a “red flashing light” for the economy, according to a new report. There was a spike of more than 51.2 per cent in firms encountering the most serious...
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SNP plans to cap price of food branded undeliverable
John Swinney’s flagship plan to cap the price of essential foods has been branded “undeliverable” by the UK Labour government – placing the policy in doubt just hours after it was tabled by the SNP leader. Mr Swinney vowed to cap the price of...
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Hundreds aged 95 and over face ‘catastrophic’ A&E wait
More than 700 patients aged 95 and older waited longer than 12 hours at A&E departments last year, new figures show. The Scottish Liberal Democrats said the “catastrophic” waits were “putting some of the country’s most vulnerable people at serious...
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‘Aberdeen should be booming’ says Trump
Donald Trump said “Aberdeen should be booming” as he branded ministers “absolutely crazy” for not boosting oil and gas extraction in the North Sea amid conflict in the Middle East. Mr Trump took to his Truth Social page yesterday to criticise UK...
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Polo sprint: Players take to beach for horse power battle
Teams from Dundee and St Andrews took part in a game of polo on the beach at Elie in Fife. Players from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, St Andrews University and Dundee & Perth Polo Club competed. They played over six chukkas which also offered...
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Stars shine for Olivier Awards
Sir Ian Mckellen and Dame Helen Mirren were among the stars attending the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Paddington the Musical was the big winner
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Sprout and about: Nifty headgear at Aintree
Ladies Day at the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse yesterday saw racing fans dressed up and, like this woman, sporting their most stylish hats
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Time for tee: The Masters begins
So much for him being here on a Green Jacket jolly. As the owner of one at long last, Rory Mcilroy may have been more relaxed than he’s ever been before teeing off in the Masters, but we should have known that he’d be in business mode when the gun went...
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Mcavoy’s premiere
Glasgow actor James Mcavoy and his wife Lisa Liberati attend the London Gala for his directorial debut ‘California Schemin’ at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square last night
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