SNP seek legal advice on boosting number of BAME MSPs in Holyrood

SNP and Labour MSPs are consulting the public on how to bring about a revolution in the “broken” social care system.Nationalist Angela Constance and Labour leader Richard Leonard are separately reaching out for views on a national care service, which could dismantle the largely privately-owned status quo.Constance, a former SNP Education Secretary, is calling for the Scottish Government to produce a blueprint before next year’s election.Get all the top Scottish politics news sent straight to

SNP MSP has opened up a major rift in the nationalist movement by saying he will help launch a new independence party.Dave Thompson will quit the party after 55 years to help launch a new pro-independence outfit for the Holyrood election in 2021.The SNP veteran predicted the “Alliance for Independence” (AFI) could win up to 24 seats next year.He revealed the slogan would be “max the Yes” and added: “Just imagine 20 Margo MacDonalds in the parliament?”Get all the top Scottish politics news sent

Covid-19 infections continues to increase, public health chiefs in England have warned. Data released on Friday shows there were 18 new cases per 100,000 residents in Carlisle in the week ending July 3, compared with eight new cases the week before.

antibody figures. Nicola Sturgeon’s administration said that 4,431 such tests had been completed, but the UK Statistics Authority has claimed the figure cannot be verified.

Scottish government announced that it was increasing the number of people allowed to gather in groups in its next stage of easing the lockdown.

coronavirus pandemic. understands the club have sold more than 50,000 briefs as fans swarm to back Neil Lennon's title tilt.

independence option instead. Kenny MacAskill MP has backed the idea of a new pro-independence party claiming that voting SNP in both Holyrood’s constituency and regional list votes “just doesn’t work”.

pub has been blasted for allegedly saying it will refuse to serve SNP supporters when it reopens next week.  The Caledonian Bar in Forfar has come under fire for a supposed social media post, now deleted, saying there would be 'no admittance' to SNP members or voters when the doors opened again next Wednesday. The tweet also says those over 70 and care home workers will also be barred due to coronavirus fears.

school in August after lockdown.The Scottish Government is examining safety options which would keep classes or whole year groups apart.It follows similar proposals unveiled by the UK Government for schools south of the border.Education Secretary John Swinney originally suggested schooling would resume on a part-time basis on August 11th.However, the ‘blended learning’ model, under which kids would be educated at home and in the classroom, was ditched after a parental backlash.Get all the top

The SNP has called on Rishi Sunak to grant Holyrood greater borrowing powers to help boost Scotland's economic recovery following four long months of lockdown. Ian Blackford, the party's leader at Westminster, wants the UK Government to offer a a "cast-iron commitment" to the devolution of key financial powers at today's mini-Budget.

SNP Westminster Deputy Leader, following the decision of Kirsty Blackman to stand down. The member for East Renfrewshire will join Ian Blackford in leading the SNP team of 48 MPs at Westminster.

tuition fees for “rich EU students”.

SNP’s deputy leader at Westminster has stood down after struggling with her mental health during lockdown.MP Kirsty Blackman said she had made the “difficult personal decision” as she needed to prioritise her constituency and family.Blackman was first elected as the MP for Aberdeen North in 2015 and has been re-elected twice.Get all the top Scottish politics news sent straight to your Inbox by signing up to our Politics newsletter.We cover Holyrood, Westminster and local councils, with a current

British institutions including the UK Parliament if Boris Johnson continues to block another independence referendum, a senior MP claimed. Pete Wishart said Scotland is at “tipping point” with polls suggesting majority support for leaving the UK.

coronavirus means Leicester is the first city in the UK to be put under a local lockdown in a bid to curb the deadly virus.As pubs, restaurants and cafes get ready to reopen across the nation, residents in the East Midland's city have been told to stay at home.The move is part of what Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously referred to as a "whack-a-mole" strategy of tackling local flare ups.UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the measures will be reviewed in two weeks, but what exactly is a

council tax bills to fill a Covid black hole.Council group COSLA believes a law change is required to address crippling deficits and avoid massive tax rises.Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said: “The financial black hole that Scotland’s councils now face cannot be paid for by cutting council services or a massive hike in council tax.”Get all the top Scottish politics news sent straight to your Inbox by signing up to our Politics newsletter.We cover Holyrood, Westminster and local councils, with a

stabbing attack in Glasgow.The Home Office was told the policy could not be a “long term” solution and did not have the support of the local council.UK Ministers were also warned about the “mounting anxiety” over the emotional, mental and physical well-being of asylum seekers in the city.Get all the top Scottish politics news sent straight to your Inbox by signing up to our Politics newsletter.We cover Holyrood, Westminster and local councils, with a current focus on how our governments are

Scottish Labour figure has cautioned his party against embracing “hyper” Unionism.Ex MP Paul Sweeney called for Labour and the SNP to work together on more powers for Holyrood and oppose the “common enemy” of the Tories.He said Labour needed to be the voice for the “reconciliation” of the country.Get all the top Scottish politics news sent straight to your Inbox by signing up to our Politics newsletter.We cover Holyrood, Westminster and local councils, with a current focus on how our governments

lockdown. Drew Hendry said he is itching to meet his new grandson who was born as a “surprise baby” last week.

rising support for a Yes vote.Kenny MacAskill, a former Holyrood finance secretary, said questions could be asked of party bosses on their current plans for delivering IndyRef2.Recent polling put support for independence as high as 54% despite the Scottish Government focusing its energies in recent months on the response to the global coronavirus pandemic.But MacAskill, the SNP MP for East Lothian, told the Record that while traditional political campaigning was halted there was nothing stopping