EXC: Burnham becoming PM could be 'game changer' for Glasgow, says SNP council chief @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2622954...

Former Tory MSP Edward Mountain calls Russell Findlay a "disaster" who should be replaced as Scottish Conservative leader, warning failure to act will "consign the party to the wilderness" ahead of next year's council elections.

A car hire giant has been accused of "utterly bizarre" discrimination after a Shetland family was left stranded in Glasgow when staff refused to rent them a car without a passport because they were from "overseas" www.heraldscotland.com/news/2622359...

New images have been published showing the items purchased over the 12-year period, between August 2010 and October 2022. The items were retrieved from Murrell's home he shared with Nicola Sturgeon, and the motorhome www.heraldscotland.com/poli... @rebeccamccurdy.bsky.social

“It’s quite frankly an outrageous amount of money to be spending on pens, in my opinion. What about your opinion? You bought them, you must have an opinion on them, Peter." www.heraldscotland.com/news/2621811...

BREAKING: Peter Murrell sentenced to 5yrs 3 months 📸Jane Barlow/PA Wire

As Conservative candidate and now MP, Douglas Lumsden, is also an MSP for the North East, he will have to resign from Holyrood within 49 days. That will bring in James Adams as his party replacement, as the only new Conservative MSP. This will also make Holyrood majority (65) new vs returning MSPs.

NEW: Commons Scottish Affairs Committee has written to the Electoral Commission asking how much policy development funding the SNP received during the period Peter Murrell was embezzling party funds and how it satisfied itself the money was used properly.

Scottish Labour spent nearly £31k trying to win Anas Sarwar a Holyrood constituency. Election receipts reveal he was by some distance the most expensive Labour candidate in Glasgow. He lost by 5,000 votes. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2620439...

Scotland’s children's commissioner hits out at the under-16s social media ban. Nicola Killean said it could impact some groups of children more than others. She warns children in rural areas "may be particularly affected". www.heraldscotland.com/news/2619413...

Can the Tories win in Aberdeen South? The party are throwing everything at taking the seat off the SNP. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2619168...

“I was pregnant at the time and Humza said ‘I didn’t want to tell you but someone has sent messages and they were sexual about the kids and hurting the kids’." Must read interview with Nadia El-Nakla by @rebeccamccurdy.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2619131...

New: Al Carns has resigned

'Scotland has become like this because people over on that side of this chamber — Malcolm Offord, Thomas Kerr, various others — are inciting racial division in our society and this Government will stand up to all of that' www.heraldscotland.com/news... @andrewlearmonth.bsky.social

John Healey has resigned as Defence Secretary, accusing Sir Keir Starmer of being unable to commit the resources needed to defend the country at a time of rising threats www.heraldscotland.com/news... @andrewlearmonth.bsky.social

Exc: In first UK interview Q Manivannan discusses events following their election to Holyrood. They hit back at attacks; encourage more trans people to stand for election & respond to claims about their upbringing in India. @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2618258...

Reporter Donald Erskine is on his way to the World Cup. Here's what to expect... www.heraldscotland.com/news... 𝘐𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 Spar Scotland

Scottish Greens MSP Q Manivannanan has urged the Scottish Parliament to lift its ban on trans people using toilets in their lived gender in the building www.heraldscotland.com/news... @kathleennutt.bsky.social

A pub boss who told his newly appointed general manager to 'f*** off' and sacked him on the spot for leaving work on time to look after his children has been ordered by an employment tribunal to pay the employee more than £1,200 www.heraldscotland.com/news... @andrewlearmonth.bsky.social

But did allow a question on Peter Mandelson's links to Scottish Labour from an SNP backbencher

Holyrood's new Presiding Officer refused to take 'boring' Murrell questions at new FMQs www.heraldscotland.com/news/2616030...

"I can't adequately convey the sense of betrayal I feel". John Swinney tells @ginadavidson.bsky.social he feels "absolutely gutted at the behaviour that has been perpetrated against decent hard-working members" of the SNP. @heraldscotland.bsky.social

The Crown Office has released new pictures of the motorhome, robotic mower and wine coaster bought by Peter Murrell with SNP funds. @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2615727...

BREAKING Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell has pleaded guilty to embezzling just over £400,000 from the party over a 12-year period www.heraldscotland.com/news... @rebeccamccurdy.bsky.social

💯 “These honours reflect individual excellence and teamwork at its best. With that, I would also like to thank those for whom there are never any awards - our desk heads behind the scenes, whose expertise and professionalism underpin and influence everything we publish."

So there will be a First First Ministers Questions and a Second First Ministers Questions

John Swinney was just asked about the move to two FMQs a week.

FMQs now going to be TWICE a week

John Swinney has finished appointing his full ministerial team. As expected, former MPs Stephen Gethins, Alison Thewliss and Kirsten Oswald have all been promoted straight into government. Full details here @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2612262...

We have the full list of John Swinney's 'focused and streamlined' Cabinet. More to follow... www.heraldscotland.com/news/2612262... @heraldscotland.bsky.social

Jenny Gilruth to be Scotland's next Deputy First Minister. Ivan McKee and Angela Constance now inside Bute House. Our live blog here as John Swinney picks his cabinet 👇 www.heraldscotland.com/news/2612262...

Sir Keir Starmer asked if he will set out a timetable to stand down if Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield by-election: “I’m not going to do that”.

A Labour MP who lost a childhood friend to an IRA bomb has criticised John Swinney over his claim that people should "move on" from Sinn Féin's links to the Provisional IRA. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2611426...

Tory grandee calls on his party to strike a deal with Reform in the Aberdeen South by-election to 'save the union' www.heraldscotland.com/news/2611472...

Final round of voting for the next Holyrood Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson 74 Clare Haughey 54 GIBSON WINS

Big upset this. McArthur was the bookies' favourite

Results from the second round of voting for the next Holyrood Presiding Officer Liam McArthur 36 Kenneth Gibson 48 Clare Haughey 44 McArthur ELIMINATED No one wins a majority. We go again.

Results from the first round of voting for the next Holyrood Presiding Officer Liam McArthur 34 Kenneth Gibson 46 Clare Haughey 42 Stuart McMillan 6 No one wins a majority. We go again.

we only know about the £5m Harborne donation thanks to journalists at the Guardian, but sure trash the MSM for clicks

The SNP's Laura Mitchell holding a Stave of the Clavie from Burghead as she takes her oath in the Scottish Parliament. Meant to bring good fortune and protect against evil.

Scottish Government insist Keir Starmer *did* agree to hold talks on indyref2 with John Swinney. Downing Street say the claim is "categorically untrue". Inside the growing row over Tuesday's call between the FM and PM @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2610488...