menu_open Columnists

Herald Scotland

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

What's gone wrong with the Catholic Church - has it taken a vow of silence?

What's gone wrong with the Catholic Church - has it taken a vow of silence?

The Catholic voice in Scotland is silent and, as such has become irrelevant in the affairs of the nation, says Herald columnist Kevin McKenna In...

yesterday 8

Herald Scotland

Kevin Mckenna

Robbie Williams is playing the Barrowlands? Great but £140 a ticket is ridiculous

Robbie Williams is playing the Barrowlands? Great but £140 a ticket is ridiculous

The gouging of music-lovers by stars has created the corporatisation of culture, leaving art and entertainment out of reach for the average punter,...

yesterday 2

Herald Scotland

Neil Mackay

I’ve quit Twitter and now the world is a beautiful and happy place again

I’ve quit Twitter and now the world is a beautiful and happy place again

Writer at Large Neil Mackay says that the hate and violence on Elon Musk’s X site was having a profoundly negative effect on him. Now he’s quit,...

yesterday 1

Herald Scotland

Neil Mackay

Yes, this is my cat. Flying. But do we really want to bust net zero for this AI slop?

Yes, this is my cat. Flying. But do we really want to bust net zero for this AI slop?

This article appears as part of the  Winds of Change  newsletter. Most of us know that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is using a hell of a lot of...

yesterday 2

Herald Scotland

Vicky Allan

North Sea exploration ban senseless amid looming gas supply threat in Scotland

North Sea exploration ban senseless amid looming gas supply threat in Scotland

North Sea oil and gas firms were left reeling on Budget day after getting a double-dose of bad news that will increase fears of hefty job losses in...

yesterday 1

Herald Scotland

Mark Williamson

The clock is ticking on Scotland’s FoI reform. Will MSPs step up to the plate?

The clock is ticking on Scotland’s FoI reform. Will MSPs step up to the plate?

Freedom of Information reform is vital for the future of Scotland's democracy, argues Labour Councillor Fiona Higgins Every so often, a quiet piece...

yesterday 1

Herald Scotland

Fiona Higgins

We do not want this: the new Pride front in Glasgow's flag wars

We do not want this: the new Pride front in Glasgow's flag wars

Public displays of Pride flags are the latest front in Glasgow's flag wars, but it's war none of us can win, says Mark Smith You’ll know about...

previous day 6

Herald Scotland

Mark Smith

Labour's intransigence on Brexit really beggars belief as Reeves points finger

Labour's intransigence on Brexit really beggars belief as Reeves points finger

Labour's continuing refusal to do anything meaningful to reverse the terrible and ongoing damage to the UK economy from the Conservatives’ hard...

previous day 4

Herald Scotland

Ian Mcconnell

Scrapping the two-child cap is welcome – but where is the bigger plan?

Scrapping the two-child cap is welcome – but where is the bigger plan?

Rachel Reeves’ budget delivers modest wins – from scrapping the two-child cap to raising the National Living Wage – but falls short on deeper tax...

previous day 4

Herald Scotland

Roz Foyer

Scotland is 'one bad budget away from losing our high streets'

Scotland is 'one bad budget away from losing our high streets'

After last year’s UK Budget battering for Scotland’s retailers there was a palpable sense of trepidation and anxiety ahead of last week’s iteration...

previous day 4

Herald Scotland

David Lonsdale

Christmas in Edinburgh is truly magical - but its markets are the last place to visit

Christmas in Edinburgh is truly magical - but its markets are the last place to visit

There is a splendid slice of Edinburgh folklore in the story that Charles Dickens was inspired to create the character of Ebenezer Scrooge after a...

previous day 4

Herald Scotland

Brian Ferguson

Why calling Gaza a genocide is legally wrong and morally reckless

Why calling Gaza a genocide is legally wrong and morally reckless

As claims of ‘genocide’ against Israel echo from protest lines to courtrooms, the legal reality tells a different story: intent matters, and...

previous day 4

Herald Scotland

Sammy Stein

Pictures of a vanished city. Have we learned the lessons?

Pictures of a vanished city. Have we learned the lessons?

An extraordinary new exhibition shows Glasgow as it is and how it used to be. Have we learned the lessons of the change, asks Mark Smith I suppose...

sunday 1

Herald Scotland

Mark Smith

A partnership reshaped across the Irish Sea

A partnership reshaped across the Irish Sea

Scotland and Ireland are renewing a partnership rooted in shared history and future ambition, writes Angus Robertson, strengthening ties in energy,...

sunday 4

Herald Scotland

Angus Robertson

Scotland’s energy future hangs in the balance after budget fails to deliver

Scotland’s energy future hangs in the balance after budget fails to deliver

Scotland’s energy sector warned that reforming the windfall tax was vital to secure investment in renewables and protect jobs . But the budget’s...

sunday 1

Herald Scotland

Peter Hourston

It is no surprise that rural Scots are angry about public transport

It is no surprise that rural Scots are angry about public transport

A new survey has revealed that rural Scots are dissatisfied about public transport in their areas and it is little wonder. Ministers must act to...

sunday 1

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

So is there an 'Edinburgh establishment' child abuse cover-up?

So is there an 'Edinburgh establishment' child abuse cover-up?

A Scottish Care Inspectorate report into concerns about child protection services in Edinburgh is due next week, but campaigners are not holding...

29.11.2025 1

Herald Scotland

John Mclellan

Creative Scotland has been told that it should take more risks.... will it, though?

Creative Scotland has been told that it should take more risks.... will it, though?

When an independent review into Creative Scotland found that artists were being choked and deflated by “endless bureaucracy” and urged the arts...

29.11.2025 1

Herald Scotland

Derek Mcarthur

Behind Reeves’ upbeat budget lies rising debt and economic stagnation

Behind Reeves’ upbeat budget lies rising debt and economic stagnation

Rachel Reeves painted a rosy picture in her budget speech , but behind the rhetoric lie rising debt, higher taxes, stagnant productivity and a raft...

29.11.2025 1

Herald Scotland

Guy Stenhouse

More good news on the effort to help people in council tax debt

More good news on the effort to help people in council tax debt

The Scottish Citizens Advice network deals with a lot of cases involving council tax (CT), mainly helping people who are struggling to make payment...

29.11.2025 1

Herald Scotland

Myles Fitt

Swinney gets ready to outbid the Chancellor in helping the poor

Swinney gets ready to outbid the Chancellor in helping the poor

As Scotland adjusts to the Chancellor’s budget , the political battle begins with an eye to next May’s Holyrood elections. Brian Taylor examines...

29.11.2025 1

Herald Scotland

Brian Taylor

Must Scotland consult Nostradamus to find out how we hold another referendum?

Must Scotland consult Nostradamus to find out how we hold another referendum?

The UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves says there won’t be another vote even if the SNP wins a majority at Holyrood in May – that’s a democratic...

28.11.2025 4

Herald Scotland

Neil Mackay

New Scotland flights boost for airport as airline flies high

New Scotland flights boost for airport as airline flies high

The airline has delivered a major boost for the Scottish airport , basing a seventh aircraft there and launching four new routes, writes Business...

28.11.2025 3

Herald Scotland

Ian Mcconnell

Why Europe must take charge of its own security in the wake of Trump's peace plan

Why Europe must take charge of its own security in the wake of Trump's peace plan

President Trump’s Ukraine “peace plan” is a capitulation to Russia that must wake European leaders up to the reality that we cannot rely on the US,...

28.11.2025 2

Herald Scotland

Mark Mcgeoghegan

From the highs of Taggart and High Road, how did it go so wrong for STV?

From the highs of Taggart and High Road, how did it go so wrong for STV?

Bernard Ponsonby, STV's former political editor , said he does not think the Glasgow-based station “has a future” after it announced it would cut...

28.11.2025 1

Herald Scotland

Brian Beacom

Why can't Glasgow pull off a spectacular winter event?

Why can't Glasgow pull off a spectacular winter event?

Glasgow City Council has dropped the ball when it comes to civic events in the autumn and winter, leaving GlasGLOW the only game in town, writes...

28.11.2025 3

Herald Scotland

Marissa Macwhirter

Budget a 'slap in the face' to disabled people told they can't have luxury

Budget a 'slap in the face' to disabled people told they can't have luxury

Victoria-Jayne is an LLM LPC law graduate and qualified journalist via the Academy for Disabled Journalists. You can get in touch via email at:...

28.11.2025 2

Herald Scotland

Victoria-Jayne Scholes