#scottish-independence

#scottish-independence

First Minister Humza Yousaf should have ordered police to have a standoff at Edinburgh Castle to stop the Stone of Destiny being taken to Westminster, Alex Salmond has said.The stone was taken to London last week to be used in the coronation of the King this weekend, as it has been used for centuries, but the former first minister said it could have been used to barter for another referendum on Scottish independence.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney will not enter the race to become first minister and leader of the SNP, he has announced.Mr Swinney, who has been in the Scottish Parliament since 1999 and served as leader between 2000 and 2004, said the decision not to run came after he thought carefully about if he should stand and had to be sure what he did was right for my family, the Scottish National Party and our country.

Political leaders in Northern Ireland have paid tribute to outgoing Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill said she very much regrets Wednesday's shock announcement by Ms Sturgeon that she intends to step down.She described the Scottish First Minister as a colleague and a friend with whom she shared a very close working relationship over many, many years.

The SNP has chosen a new leader after a six-week election which exposed divisions in the party.Humza Yousaf will take over from Nicola Sturgeon as party leader and is set to become Scotland's next first minister.The party's ultimate goal of Scottish independence remains unchanged.However, Mr Yousaf is planning a slightly different course than the one envisioned by his predecessor.

Humza Yousaf has narrowly won the bitterly-fought contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon as the SNP leader and Scotland's first minister, winning by just over 2,000 votes.The 37-year-old is set to become Scotland's youngest first minister and the first person from a minority ethnic background to hold the post after the result was announced at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.

Scottish ministers are demanding the Foreign Secretary withdraws guidance to UK diplomatic missions on their international visits, accusing him of penning a misleading letter which damages Scotland's interests.SNP minister Angus Robertson said James Cleverly appeared to be reducing Scotland's status to an administrative unit by seeking to limit the devolved Government's activities abroad.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack is standing guard over the Stone of Destiny in London to make sure nationalists don't steal it again, Tories have been told.The UK Government minister addressed the Scottish Conservatives' conference via video, with junior Scotland Office minister John Lamont appearing on stage to explain why his boss could not be there.

Division within Britain helps countries like Russia and China, UK security minister Tom Tugendhat has said as he intimated the push for Scottish independence could damage the country's safety.The minister was speaking at a fringe event at the Scottish Tory conference in Glasgow on Friday hosted by the group Conservative Friends of the Union.

Humza Yousaf's election as leader of the Scottish National party is a turning point for his nation but it remains to be seen whether his nation will turn for him.Mr Yousaf has devoted his working life to the goal of Scottish independence, but he takes power just as the cause's standing has dipped in the opinion polls.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney has called for parliamentarians to work better with those in other parties, in what is expected to be his last speech on the government's frontbench.Mr Swinney announced last month he would resign alongside First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, bringing to an end the most successful political tandem since devolution.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SNP leadership hopeful Humza Yousaf has said he would use any means necessary to achieve independence as he refused to rule out calling a snap Holyrood election to try to secure this if he becomes Scotland's next first minister.

As with any party leadership election, the SNP candidates for the top job set out their stalls to the party faithful.Over the past six weeks, they have made a number of promises which differ from the current plans of the Scottish Government, some of which will have spending implications.Other pledges relate to the SNP's push for Scottish independence and the internal functioning of the party.

Ash Regan is best known as a prominent Scottish National Party (SNP) rebel after she resigned from her ministerial position in protest at the Scottish government's gender reform plans.The 48-year-old MSP for Edinburgh Eastern has pledged to reinvigorate the SNP, promising more power to party members.

Tom Nairn, who has died at the age of 90, was a political philosopher and major figure in the new left politics of the 1960s.Subsequently, his advocacy of nationalism as a progressive force gave him guru status within the nationalist movement in his native Scotland.The journalist Neal Ascherson, his old friend, described Nairn's as the most forceful and original mind to confront, demask and anatomise the British state, not least by promoting awareness that Great Britain was a multinational state and not a united nation.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails A 700-year-old document that played a key role in the history of Scottish independence will go on display this summer for the first time in almost two decades.

Nicola Sturgeon's exit as first minister could mean a rethink on the party's strategy to win Scottish independence, senior SNP figures have suggested.Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said the SNP's March special conference on independence should be postponed to allow for a leadership contest and a successor setting out their vision.

A second independence referendum would be too close to call if it was held tomorrow as the No camp edged slightly ahead in a poll.Of the 1,048 Scots interviewed by Savanta on behalf of the Scotsman newspaper, 46% would vote against independence, while 44% would vote in favour and 9% were undecided.With undecided voters removed, the poll suggests the No vote would take a narrow lead with 51%, compared with 49% for Yes.

It's now official.Brexit has caused lasting damage to the UK economy and, with the Tories in denial, Labour needs to lead the way with a new policy agenda.Yet it's almost a taboo topic: the Tory government won't admit it and Labour is understandably reluctant to rekindle old Brexit flames.The governor of the Bank of England, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) all agree that, notwithstanding Covid or the Ukrainian war, Brexit is the main reason why the UK is the only economy in the G7 still below its pre-pandemic size.

Ian Blackford is stepping down as SNP leader at Westminster, as Nicola Sturgeon's party prepares to appoint a new chief to lead the push for Scottish independence in parliament.The MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber said it was time for fresh leadership in the Commons, announcing that he would not be standing again at next week's SNP parliamentary AGM.

Half of Scots would vote SNP at the next general election if a victory for the party could lead to Scottish independence, according to a new poll.The snap poll of 1,006 Scottish voters was carried out by Find Out Now for Channel 4 News on Wednesday after the UK Supreme Court ruled another independence referendum cannot be held without the backing of Westminster.

The UK's highest court has ruled that the Scottish Parliament cannot legislate for a second independence referendum without Westminster's consent.The case was brought to the court after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon set out plans to hold a second vote on independence on October 19, 2023.But Supreme Court president Lord Reed said on Wednesday: The Scottish parliament does not have the power to legislate for a referendum on Scottish independence.