Lucy Dunn is The Spectator's political correspondent. She is a qualified doctor from Glasgow.
Nicola Sturgeon’s first speech back in Holyrood was a nostalgic return to the past. It felt natural to see the former first minister holding court again, speaking with a presence a leader would. So natural, in fact, that even the Presiding Officer couldn’t help herself from referring to Sturgeon as ‘First Minister’ – to much
Humza Yousaf’s programme for government was the new First Minister’s chance to separate himself, once and for all, from the legacy of his predecessor. Nicola Sturgeon said herself when resigning that ‘any party that doesn’t change after two decades in power is daft’ – but do Yousaf’s proposals promise the reset the country needs? ‘We
It’s not just Keir Starmer announcing a reshuffle today — the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has taken it upon himself to rearrange his frontbench. Flynn says that the promotion of women to top positions and improving the representation of other Scottish communities informed his decisions. It’s clear, however, that the Westminster leader’s main consideration
For the first time in NHS history, junior doctors and consultants in England will strike together for four days this September. The joint strikes, announced by the BMA, will be in addition to other separate days of industrial action for both junior doctors and consultants. Health secretary Steve Barclay has slammed the BMA’s announcement as
On the SNP’s list of regrets, where does the Bute House Agreement with the Greens rank? Since the agreement, the Scottish government’s deposit return scheme has been delayed, Highly Protected Marine Areas halted and the gender reform bill blocked. This month marks the two-year anniversary of the SNP-Green coalition, but has the partnership – and
Is First Minister Humza Yousaf at risk of sacrificing crucial SNP votes by refusing to ditch his party’s coalition with the Greens? That’s what a growing number of nationalist politicians are worried about. This week, the Bute House Agreement (a framework between the two parties that allows them to govern together) came under criticism from
When she became first minister, Nicola Sturgeon told the nation that improving Scotland’s education system was at the top of her government’s priorities. She was specific about exactly what her ‘defining mission’ would be: closing the poverty-related attainment gap. ‘Let me clear,’ she told her supporters, ‘I want to be judged on this.’ Today’s results,
NHS waiting lists are at record levels, with the number of people in the queue for treatment at 7.5 million. Patients referred to specialists are waiting longer than ever for hospital appointments and vital health investigations. The government’s announcement today that it will use the private sector to help tackle the backlog is surely logical
They had balloons, handmade posters and a big red van lit up with ‘Michael Shanks: A Fresh Start’ flashing on the side. The Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election is Labour’s to lose and don’t they know it. Despite the pressure on the modern studies teacher and now-Labour candidate Michael Shanks, the atmosphere at Labour’s by-election
13 min listen
A by-election is on the cards for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, after former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier was recalled by her constituents. She’d flouted lockdown rules in 2020, taking a train from London to Scotland despite testing positive for Covid. Given that Labour will need to make gains in Scotland in order to win the
Burgundy passports, dual citizenship and rejoining the EU were a few of the items at the top of Humza Yousaf’s fifth independence paper, published earlier today. The First Minister’s latest independence document in the ‘Building a New Scotland’ series outlines the Scottish government’s proposals for citizenship in an ‘open, inclusive’ and independent Scotland. Holding a
On the same day that junior doctors in England are staging their longest strike yet, new NHS statistics show that the service continues to struggle with patient demand. The number of waits for treatment – including elective operations and procedures – has now reached a record 7.5 million, according to figures published this morning. Over
As of this afternoon, the junior doctor strikes in Scotland have been called off. Today, the Scottish government and the BMA Scotland’s Junior Doctor Committee announced a brand new, three-pronged deal in a bid to end the pay dispute. Junior doctors in Scotland will receive a single pay rise of 12.4 per cent for this
The NHS is facing the worst workforce crisis in its history. Vacancies are high and retaining staff is getting more difficult. Though medical schools have increased their student intake in recent years, poor working conditions and ongoing pay disputes continue to threaten the functioning of the health service. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary
The leader of the Scottish Conservatives has reshuffled his shadow cabinet, just as the Scottish parliament prepares to head into recess. While the rest of parliament has been focusing on winding down before the summer break, Douglas Ross’s decision making has ruffled feathers within the Tory MSP group – particularly given two of the politicians
As the crisis in the NHS continues, patients may be glad to hear the nurses’ strike is over. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has been forced to end its industrial action today after nurses failed to back a vote for more walkouts. But within hours of that announcement, any hope that the NHS might
During her eight years as Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon perfected the art of false promises. She consistently told SNP supporters that a second independence referendum was within reach, but the truth was that she had no power to deliver one. All Sturgeon was able to do was lead her troops halfway up the hill
Scottish government minister, Lorna Slater, has managed to survive a vote of no confidence tabled by Conservative MSP Liam Kerr. The circular economy minister, and co-leader of the Scottish Greens, has faced heavy criticism for her handling of Scotland’s controversial deposit return scheme in recent months. To make matters worse, hours before politicians voted on
Junior doctors in Scotland will strike for three days in July after rejecting the Scottish government’s pay offer. Two thirds of eligible junior doctors turned out to vote on the pay deal, and 71 per cent rejected the offer. The 72-hour strike will take place from 7am on Wednesday 12 July to 6.59am on Saturday
Has there ever been a positive sentence that contains both ‘the SNP’ and ‘waiting lists’? New data reveals that under Scotland’s SNP government list lengths for children and young adults’ mental health services have risen this year, leaving just under 8,000 young people in limbo. Waiting lists nosedived in 2022, going from over 10,000 people
