Scottish Independence

Whoever succeeds Nicola Sturgeon needs to face up to the economic problems that Scottish independence would cause (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Using figures accepted by SNP, the economic cost of independence is shocking

SNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Kate Forbes insists SNP members want a leader with 'guts' after attack on rival

The three SNP leadership candidates: Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan

Analysis: Gloves ripped off in first TV debate of SNP leadership contest

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, leader of Quebec separatist party Parti Qubécois, was on a visit to Scotland last week.

‘My goal in politics is to hold the third referendum and win it’

Humza Yousaf speaking at the SNP leadership hustings at Rothes Halls, Glenrothes. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/PA Wire

Humza Yousaf wants to make Nicola Sturgeon 'global ambassador' for independence

Ash Regan

Ash Regan suggests building independence 'thermometer' in Glasgow or Edinburgh

The Scottish Greens entered government last year after signing up to a cooperation deal with the SNP following the 2021 election. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

What is Sturgeon's climate legacy and what will her successor need to do

Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, is being touted to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister of Scotland. PIC: PA.

Kate Forbes: The bold, Highland Christian being touted as next First Minister

Nicola Sturgeon speaks during a press conference at Bute House where she announced she will stand down as First Minister of Scotland. (Photo by Jane Barlow - Pool/Getty Images)

"No longer the best person" - Our readers react to Nicola Sturgeon's resignation

Nicola Sturgeon. Picture: Jane Barlow/pool/Getty Images

Analysis: Only a handful knew of the shockwave about to hit Scottish politics

HM Naval Base Clyde, known as Faslane. Picture: PA

Independence would damage Scotland's defence and security, says Labour

Jeremy Hunt claimed Brexit had created opportunities for Scottish fisheries.

Hunt says UK and Scottish governments must work together more despite indy

Nadhim Zahawi shouldn't have remained an MP after his part in the expenses scandal (Picture: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

Tory sleaze, downplayed by BBC, has corroded UK's institutions – Kenny MacAskill

Scotland's Gender Recognition Reform Bill was not 'rushed' as some claim (Picture: David Cheskin/PA)

After UK blocks Gender Bill, will Scotland stand up for itself? – Laura Waddell

Robert Burns once wrote 'pleasures are like poppies spread: you seize the flow’r, its bloom is shed' (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

SNP must not fall into 'Le Carré's trap' and start fighting each other

Pope Francis recently said that 'the English resolved the requests from Scotland' about independence in 'the English way' (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Outsiders, from Sunak to expat celebrities, seem to want to dictate to Scotland

Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Poll: Support for SNP 'well below' that needed for de facto referendum success

Bernie Madoff was given a 150-year prison sentence for the biggest investment fraud in US history, totalling as much as $65 billion (Picture: Timothy A Clary/AFP via Getty Images)

Sturgeon's political Ponzi scheme puts her on a par with Bernie Madoff

Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Analysis: De facto referendum plan risks turning into an almighty mess

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn

SNP's Westminster leader denies de facto referendum plan 'deflating'

Dr Fraser McMillan has written on the prospects for Scottish independence. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty

Why calling Sturgeon's bluff may come back to haunt UK 'elites'

Independence supporters who backed Remain in the Brexit referendum should remember how that felt, and how much worse it would be for unionists if Scotland voted to leave the UK (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Stewart McDonald: SNP should embrace idea of ‘losers’ consent’ from unionists

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

Rishi Sunak dismisses Nicola Sturgeon's de facto referendum plan

Fixing the NHS crisis is one of the public's top priorities (Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

SNP's indy obsession amid cost-of-living crisis shows how out of touch they are

Ireland's economy has the kind of dynamism that could transform Scotland (Picure: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

Ireland's economic success should inspire Scotland to quit UK – Kenny MacAskill

A poll has suggested voters are unhappy with the SNP's performance running public services

Public believe SNP are running public services poorly, poll suggests

Picture: Andy Buchanan

Decision over de-facto referendum 'must not be taken lightly', warns SNP MP

Ian Murray

Ian Murray claims removing Ian Blackford shows SNP ‘worried about their seats’

Picture: Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images

SNP sent advance copy of first independence white paper to the Queen

Scottish Greens co-leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie outside Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, during their party's Autumn conference in 2021.

'De-facto' referendum is 'last ditch' attempt for indy - Scottish Green leaders

Scotland's civil servants need to demonstrate their impartiality on the independence question (Picture: Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

Scottish Government's civil servants must abandon their nationalist tendencies

Protesters demonstrated outside the Scottish Parliament during discussion of the Scottish Government's Gender Recognition Reform Bill (Picture: Peter Summers/Getty Images)

SNP's gender Bill rebellion will come back to haunt Sturgeon – Kenny MacAskill

Nicola Sturgeon. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/PA Wire

What lies ahead for Scottish politics in 2023?

The SNP independence conference will take place in the spring. Picture: PA

Scottish Government spent more than £250,000 on indyref2 case

Stephen Flynn denied claims of a rift among the SNP Westminster group, and insisted he fully supported the de facto referendum plan for the general election.

Stephen Flynn 'fully supports' Nicola Sturgeon's de-facto referendum plan

Mhairi Black said her party must do more to explain why they believe independence would benefit Scotland.

Mhairi Black says SNP must must do more to explain why party wants indyref2

People attending a rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, as the SNP has announced new plans to introduce a bill to allow Scotland to decide on independence.

SNP announces plans for new Bill on Scottish independence vote

Stephen Flynn, new leader of the Westminster SNP group, is watched by his predecessor, Ian Blackford, as he makes a point in the Commons (Picture: House of Commons/PA)

SNP may be delighted by recent polls, but there are hopeful signs for unionists

Ian Blackford has bid farewell to his time as SNP Westminster leader. Picture: PA

Ian Blackford admits ‘degree of anxiety’ among SNP MPs after standing down

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, right, and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown greet each other during the launch of the latter's report on constitutional change (Picture: Danny Lawson/PA)

Brian Wilson: Best way to save Union is to vote for a better government

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn (left) sitting next to deputy leader Mhairi Black (centre) at Prime Minister's Questions. Picture: Jessica Taylor/UK PARLIAMENT/AFP via Getty Images

Mhairi Black pushes Rishi Sunak to give answer on democratic route to indyref2

New SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn is planning an overhaul of how his front bench works.

Stephen Flynn planning overhaul of how front bench works as two MPs resign

Rishi Sunak must develop a more positive vision for the UK, starting by acknowledging the damage done by Brexit (Picture: Justin Tallis/WPA pool/Getty Images)

Indy poll shows the need for Sunak to create a positive vision of UK's future

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Labour leader Keir Starmer arrive for a press conference about the Commission on the UK’s Future report (Picture: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

Brown's constitutional shake-up is conservative about Scotland's place in Union

The House of Lords should be replaced by a democratic alternative (Picture: Alastair Grant/pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Abolishing the Lords would help boost support for the Union – Scotsman comment

Toni Giugliano. Picture: TSPL

SNP policy chief: De-facto referendum win could be used to secure rerun of 2014

SNP MSPs could resign to force new elections, but then voters might punish them for a track record that includes unbuilt ferries at the state-owned Ferguson Marine yard (Picture: John Devlin)

Scotland deserves better than SNP's perpetual politics of charade – Brian Wilson

Nicola Sturgeon attends a pro-independence rally outside the Scottish Parliament after the UK Supreme Court rejected her plans for a referendum (Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

Sturgeon should resign over mishandling of Indyref2 push – Alastair Stewart

Independence supporters rally outside the Scottish Parliament after the Supreme Court ruled the Scottish Government could not hold a referendum on the issue (Picture: Peter Summers/Getty Images)

Joyce McMillan: Supreme Court seems to think Scotland can be treated like colony

Picture: Andy Buchanan

Nicola Sturgeon urged to reallocate £20m independence referendum fund

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaking at a rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh following the decision by judges at the UK Supreme Court in London that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to hold a second independence referendum. Picture date: Wednesday November 23, 2022.

Analysis: Nicola Sturgeon's career-risking gamble now an unstoppable snowball

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon faces a key moment as leader of the nationalist movement in Scotland.

Analysis: Why Supreme Court indyref2 defeat could hand Sturgeon a 'weapon'

Nicola Sturgeon cannot unilaterally decide what the next UK general election is about (Picture: Peter Summers/Getty Images)

Independence issue must be resolved democratically and peacefully

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Picture: PA/Jane Barlow

Nicola Sturgeon vows to push ahead with 'de facto' referendum plans

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon faces a key moment as leader of the nationalist movement in Scotland.

SNP should pause referendum even if Supreme Court backs it, says ex Yes chief

Estimates of Scotland's share of European wind energy capacity proved to be significantly wide of the mark (Picture: William Edwards/AFP via Getty Images)

Scotland’s wind is an incredible, if reduced, natural bounty – Kenny MacAskill

People outside the UK Supreme Court in London, while they waited for the decision by Supreme Court judges to grant or refuse the Scottish Parliament power to hold a referendum on independence. Picture: Aaron Chown/PA Wire

Why a de-facto independence referendum is irrelevant - Ciaran Martin

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Picture: Jane Barlow - Pool/Getty Images

Sturgeon says Scotland 'will not be silenced' and ruling makes case for indyref2

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon issues a statement at the Apex Grassmarket Hotel in Edinburgh following the decision by judges at the UK Supreme Court in London that the Scottish Parliament does not have the power to hold a second independence referendum. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Nicola Sturgeon speech in full on Supreme Court indyref2 ruling

The Supreme Court

Supreme Court rules Scottish Parliament cannot hold independence referendum

Former Scottish Tories leader Ruth Davidson has responded to the UK Supreme Court decision. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Davidson says SNP will leverage indy ruling to 'seek grievance' with Westminster

Judges at the UK Supreme Court are to begin hearing arguments in a case which could allow the Scottish Parliament to legislate for a second referendum on independence.

How to watch the Supreme Court judgement on Scottish independence and key times

The Scotsman Top Stories

SNP leadership candidates Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan

Analysis: Next SNP leader will need to heal party's gaping wounds

Archbishop Leo Cushley

Parishioners question leading Catholic cleric over multimillion pound funds

Credit Suisse was snapped up by its Swiss rival UBS at the weekend.

Banking crisis fears as Credit Suisse bailout fails to stem market rot