Scottish independence referendum could take place in spring 2022, says former Yes campaign chief

coronavirus deaths have been recorded in Scotland over the last 24 hours. The Scottish Government also announced that 777 new cases of COVID-19 were reported overnight, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 99,463.

X-men star James McAvoy and Outlander celebrity Sam Heughan have shown their support for a Clydebank- based charity’s annual #CheckYerBawballs campaign to raise awareness for testicular cancer. The Scottish stars took to social media to raise support for the campaign which is run by the Clydebank-based testicular cancer charity, Cahonas, throughout December.

Labour sources are billing as a new offer, the party's UK leader will deliver the John P Mackintosh lecture for Edinburgh University.It comes as polls suggest Scottish Labour is floundering and could lose four seats next spring on current projections.A Labour official said: "The will be a major speech on devolution and the future of Scotland in a modern United Kingdom."This is about Keir showing himself as a future UK Prime Minister who values devolution and would further devolution in stark

whisky and chocolate was always going to a winner.

coronavirus deaths have been recorded in Scotland over the last 24 hours. The Scottish Government also announced that 966 new cases of COVID-19 were reported overnight, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 98,686.

the crisis. She said the right to leaving the UK is "inalienable" and taunted Prime Minister Boris Johnson to try to block another pro-independence majority at Holyrood.

free school meals for all primary school pupils. The party also heard from SNP depute leader Keith Brown.

referendum. Before the first speeches, Sturgeon said she has "never been so certain" Scotland will achieve independence.

First Minister spoke ahead of her party’s annual conference today by telling members she has “never been so certain” the country will achieve independence.Her party is riding high in opinion polls and is widely tipped to win a majority of MSPs at next year's Holyrood election.That could set off a constitutional showdown with Westminster as the SNP uses its mandate to demand an IndyRef2 takes place.While Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said he will not allow another referendum on

indyref2 should take place in 2021 if it is “safe” and claimed Boris Johnson would not block another vote.However, in an interview with the Daily Record, he declined to be drawn on the broken relationship between Sturgeon and Alex Salmond.He also refused to say whether he would campaign alongside the former SNP leader if there was a referendum.The SNP’s virtual conference starts today amid calls by senior party figures for another vote on Scotland’s constitutional future.Indyref2 will be central

vote on the constitution. With the Nationalists currently soaring in the polls it means Boris Johnson could face huge pressure to allow an IndyRef2 to take place in the coming years - despite repeatedly saying he would not.

Michelle Ballantyne said she no longer felt like she fitted within the Tory group at Holyrood and would now sit as an independent list MSP for the south of Scotland.

Dennis Canavan, who was chair of the 2014 pro-independence campaign, said an IndyRef2 could be held in the months after the Holyrood election next May.The former Labour MP pointed to the example of 1997 when Tony Blair's new government held a vote on whether to proceed with Scottish devolution in September after being elected just five months previously.The issue of when to call an IndyRef2 has become a major talking point as opinion polls have consistently shown the SNP is on course to win a

Jeane Freeman said today the vaccine would not be made be made compulsory for Scots but added ministers would actively work to reassure the public the simple procedure was entirely safe. There has been concern among health chiefs around the world over the impact of online disinformation which makes false claims over vaccinations.

made six years ago outside Crathie Kirk - the church nearest Balmoral - when she told a member of the public that she hoped Scots would "think very carefully about the future". It came just one week after a bombshell poll found support for Scottish independence had edged ahead of those backing the Union for the first time.

Scottish independence is "highly sophisticated", the SNP's economics guru has insisted. Andrew Wilson, who wrote a controversial report on the costs of splitting from the UK, said Scotland could no longer afford to remain in the UK.

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.THE Scottish Government’s decision to plug the shortfall in school milk funding left by Brexit has been praised by Airdrie MP Neil Gray.Children and young people in Monklands will now be able to continue to access subsidised milk in schools, despite the EU ceasing to provide local authorities with provision subsidy.Ministers had pressed the UK Government to make up the shortfall, but to date no such

independence referendum “must” take place next year. The First Minister said she would not be “diverted” from her daily covid briefing and said her thoughts on indyref2 will be set out in the SNP’s Holyrood manifesto.

referendum on Scottish independence should not be held while the country “heals” from coronavirus, Gordon Brown said.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard's plan for selecting more women and key workers as top Holyrood candidates has fallen foul of legal advice by the party.A leaked paper states that the proposals would be “unlawful” and pose a “risk of indirect discrimination”.An alternative has been produced for male MSPs to voluntarily give up their top slots on the regional Lists for a female colleague.A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: "We don't comment on internal information that has been