News and analysis of Scottish politics and the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood MSPs, political conferences and forums

Holyrood.com is the website of Holyrood , Scotland's fortnightly political and current affairs magazine that keeps Scottish politics informed with its award-winning and thought-provoking editorial.

3 days ago · Nicola Sturgeon has admitted that she was wrong to believe a new leader could “reset” the SNP government following her resignation. Humza Yousaf succeeded Sturgeon as first minister a month after her departure in February 2023, but held office for just 13 months.

9 hours ago · More joined-up thinking and clearer support is needed to fix the scale-up crisis in the UK, a House of Lords Committee has said. Peers have urged the UK Government to “unravel the complex spaghetti of support schemes” holding back UK scale-ups or risk losing the country's “potential to be a powerhouse of growth for AI and creative tech companies”.

Scottish Labour’s stunning victory in July should have been the major moment of the year for the party. But instead the bigger story has been that of its fall. A series of unpopular decisions made by Keir Starmer since entering Downing Street has turned the taste of success sour, and the idea of Anas Sarwar becoming the next first minister seems even less likely now than it did in January.

3 days ago · John Swinney has been forced to defend his government's record on health, after he set out of a fresh plan for the NHS this week.. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, raising the issue at First Minister's Questions, said there had been "five NHS recovery plans in four years" and cited failures in meeting targets within those plans.

Sep 9, 2022 · “As the nation enters a period of mourning, the judiciary will support the royal family and facilitate the arrangements being put in place to enable members of the public to pay their respects,” he said.

5 days ago · On social security, the committee highlights that no funding has been assigned to the government’s plan to lift the two-child cap from next year and seeks further information on the funding of the policy if it can be introduced early.. Finance secretary Shona Robison said the government hopes to begin mitigating the cap in 2026 but a precise timeline was dependent on receiving the necessary ...

Oct 29, 2024 · First Minister John Swinney has said he has “absolutely no intention” of establishing a judge-led inquiry into a row over the Hamilton probe into former first minister Nicola Sturgeon following calls from both the Conservatives and Labour.

Oct 30, 2024 · Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone introduced the debate, noting the whole parliament was “shocked and saddened” by Salmond’s passing. She added: “Alex Salmond’s contribution to the development and life of this parliament is an integral part of its history.”