SCOTTISH Labour leader Anas Sarwar is set to turn his back on Holyrood and take a seat in the unelected House of Lords, according to reports last night.
Sarwar, who led Scottish Labour to a dreadful defeat in May’s Holyrood elections where the party won just 17 seats, has been tipped to become a junior business minister in Andy Burnham’s refreshed government.
There was pressure on Sarwar to step down following May’s humiliating results. but the list MSP (Sarwar didn’t win a first past the post seat but was elected through the PR top-up list system) vowed to fight on, claiming there was ‘unfinished business’.
Indeed, when asked if he would ever take up a seat in the House of Lords, Sarwar told The Herald: “No. I’m focused on being first minister of this great country.
“My only commitment, my only focus, is serving my constituents in Glasgow and serving the great people of this country, if I get the honour of being first minister.”
Last month he confirmed his determination to lead Scottish Labour for the full Holyrood term into the next elections: ‘I’m hungry for the fight ahead and I want to play my full part in making sure this country never ends up in the hands of Nigel Farage and Reform’
Just a few short weeks later, however, Sarwar appears to have had a change of mind.
The voters of Glasgow won’t even have an opportunity to have their say on Sarwar’s decision when he packs his bags and scurries down to Westminster’s unelected House of Lords – the very institution he said should be abolished!
There will be no by-election as Sarwar was elected as a list MSP, so he will simply be replaced by the next person on Glasgow’s Labour’s list.
Isn’t democracy wonderful!
Richard Shillcock, the Communist Party of Britain candidate for the Southside/Newington ward, has officially declared that tackling the city’s housing crisis through municipal house building will be a core priority of the Communist Party campaign for the upcoming City of Edinburgh Council by-elections on 3 September 2026.
Richard Shillcock emphasised that the current market-driven approach has failed local residents, arguing that a massive return to publicly owned housing is the only viable solution.
“Edinburgh has a housing crisis and there is only one answer to it—build council houses,” he said. “We need the Council to build, own, maintain, and administer council housing and not leave such an important issue to the free market.”
The Communist Party campaign outline focuses heavily on local job creation and public investment, linking a housing strategy directly to local economic development and skills training.
Shillcock added: “We need to employ council staff and invest in a new generation of apprentices to learn the skills required to build and maintain the highest quality council housing.
“Large-scale council house building was the best answer to the postwar housing crisis. It worked. Since then, turning homes into commodities in a market has failed us.”
Addressing potential concerns regarding budgets, Shillcock pointed to historical precedents and called for a major shift in public spending priorities away from military conflict and toward domestic infrastructure.
“If the money could be found in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, it can be found now. “The Communist Party would spend on homes for people, not endless warfare,”Shillcock concluded.
The Southside/Newington and Craigmillar/Portobello by-elections will take place on Thursday, 3 September 2026.
Shillcock is standing alongside fellow Communist candidate Peter Olech, who is standing in the Portobello/Craigmillar ward, on a platform of peace, public ownership, tax justice and workers’ rights.
The Communist Party of Britain has today (Friday 17 July 2026) officially launched its campaign for the upcoming Edinburgh City Council by-elections, announcing a slate of candidates running on a platform of peace, public ownership, tax justice and workers’ rights.
The party will stand candidates in both the Southside/Newington and Portobello/Craigmillar wards.
A Communist Party spokesperson said: “”Our candidates are standing to address the city’s growing housing crisis, its underfunded public services, and the rising cost of living.
“We are offering voters a distinct socialist alternative to the mainstream political parties.”
Key Platform Priorities
Housing for Need, Not Profit: Immediate rent freezes, a cap on short-term holiday lets, and an expansion of high-quality, municipal council housing.
Funding Local Services: Reversing budget cuts to local services such as libraries, community centres, road maintenance and youth services by demanding a fairer funding model from national government and taxing the wealthiest in the city.
Investment in people not wars: Demand an end to funding genocide in Palestine and endless foreign wars and instead spend that money for the benefit of working class people.
Peter Olech, the Communist Party candidate in Portobello/Craigmillar ward, said: “Edinburgh is a city of vast wealth, yet working-class communities are being priced out of their own homes and left with crumbling public services.”
Richard Shillcock the Communist Party candidate for Southside/Newington ward, added: “We are standing in this election to give a voice to working class people and to fight for a city managed in the interests of the many, not the wealthy elite.
“Edinburgh Council should have greater responsibility for local economic development, with increased investment in council housing and public services.”
Residents will go to the polls on Thursday 3 September to elect one new councillor in each ward. The current electorate is 24,304 for Southside/Newington and 27,347 for Portobello/Craigmillar.
PICTURED: Peter Olech (L) and Richard Shillcock (R) outside City of Edinburgh Council Chambers after declaring as candidates.
COSLA has responded to the Scottish Government’s decision not to proceed with a consultation and legislation for a severance scheme for councillors:
The COSLA President has written to the Deputy First Minister to express COSLA’s ‘profound disappointment’ in the Government’s position that a severance scheme for elected members cannot be implemented ahead of the 2027 local government election.
Commenting on the Government’s decision not to proceed with a consultation and legislation, Cllr Morrison said: “The Scottish Government’s position represents a significant departure from the expectation created by the Scottish Local Authorities Renumeration Committee (SLARC) recommendation and by the Scottish Government’s own acceptance of the recommendation.
“COSLA is clear that a severance scheme for elected members, which would bring councillors in line with what is already available for MSPs and MPs, is a key part of removing barriers to elected office and increasing the diversity and representation of local government.
“COSLA remains committed to delivering the SLARC recommendations, which includes severance, and working constructively with the Scottish Government to deliver this important reform.
“Scotland’s councillors now require a formal commitment by the Scottish Government detailing how they will take forward this recommendation in future.
“Such clarity would help provide reassurance regarding the Government’s continuing commitment to strengthening local democracy and removing barriers to elected office.”
Tough new rules to crackdown on foreign money in UK elections
New rules include a cap on donations from those who’ve lived overseas and tougher checks on company donations
New safeguards to stop foreign money influencing UK elections, including a timebound cap on donations on those who move to the UK from overseas.
Tougher checks on company donations will ensure only legitimate UK-linked businesses can contribute, with donations assessed against profits rather than revenue.
Candidates will be required to prove campaign funding comes from legitimate sources, strengthening transparency and closing loopholes in political finance rules.
Foreign money influencing UK elections will be stamped out under a major package of reforms to strengthen political finance rules and protect British democracy.
The government will confirm today it will introduce a new timebound cap on large political donations from people who have recently moved to the UK, in effect creating a minimum amount of time someone must permanently be based in the country before they can donate over the cap to a political party or candidate.
Other new measures include stronger tests on company donations, new and tough transparency requirements for candidates, and the closing of loopholes that could be exploited by those seeking to interfere in UK elections.
The measures, announced as part of the government’s response to the independent Rycroft Review, will strengthen safeguards against foreign financial influence and reinforce the UK’s position as a world leader in defending democratic integrity.
Together, the reforms will ensure political donations are transparent, legitimate and firmly rooted in the UK, helping to safeguard elections for years to come.
Secretary of State Steve Reed said: “British democracy is not for sale. These tough new rules will shut down dodgy funding, stop foreign money influencing our elections and keep our democracy strong.
“By holding overseas donors to tougher standards and requiring candidates to prove where their funding comes from, we are taking world-leading action to protect the integrity of our elections and tackle the threats we face from abroad.”
Minister for Democracy, Samantha Dixon MP, said: “The overwhelming majority of people who take part in our democratic process do so honestly and transparently, but our rules must keep pace with new and emerging threats.
“These reforms will close loopholes that can be exploited by those seeking to influence UK politics through foreign money, while strengthening transparency around campaign funding and company donations.
“This means political decisions are made only in the interests of voters in the United Kingdom.”
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said: “For too long, foreign money, foreign bot farms and foreign powers have exploited the system, trying to warp our elections and sow division in our country for their own ends.
“We’re cracking down on those trying to buy – and sell – our democracy and putting the British people first. If you want to donate to our politics, you need to have legitimate and longstanding roots in our country.”
As part of the government’s response to the independent Rycroft Review today [Monday 6 July], new safeguards will be introduced to toughen the previously-announced cap on political donations of more than £100,000 from overseas donations.
Individuals returning to the UK will now be subject to the cap for at least a full calendar year to prevent the rules being dodged – not just those who are registered to vote overseas.
Companies will also face tougher checks, with political donations assessed against post-tax profits over the previous five years rather than revenue alone.
This means only legitimate UK-linked businesses will be able to donate in a way that is transparent, accountable and reflective of their real financial position. Anyone could set up a business with high revenue without needing to demonstrate how they operate and make money, or whether they’re paying tax in the UK. Having a profit-based system will make donations clearer and more accountable.
Views of key groups, including the Electoral Commission and Committee on Standards in Public Life, have been listened to and accepted the Rycroft recommendation, which stated corporate donation income tests should be amended to one based on post-tax profits, rather than revenue.
This will strengthen the rules already set out in the Representation of the People Bill, which outlines that companies making donations will be required to show a genuine connection to the UK or Ireland by demonstrating that they are headquartered in the UK, majority owned or controlled by UK electors or citizens and have generated sufficient revenue to cover the donation.
For the first time, candidates will also be required to prove that any campaign funding received before they become a candidate has come from legitimate sources.
Candidates will also be required to declare donations above £2,230 received prior to officially becoming a candidate, improving transparency even further. At present, donations received before the regulated election period are not covered by the same requirements, meaning funding from illegitimate sources could go undeclared and later be used to support a campaign.
This builds on the measures announced in March as part of the government’s initial response to the Rycroft Review, including the hard cap on political donations from overseas electors and a ban on crypto donations. The changes being made today will accept the rest of Philip Rycroft’s recommendations in full.
The major reforms will be taken forward through as amendments to the Representation of the People Bill, which returns to the Commons for Report stage next week [w/c 13 July].
The government ‘has been clear that they will act decisively to defend the UK’s democratic system from malign influence and the measures will safeguard the integrity, transparency and resilience of elections and political finance for years to come’.
With the Scottish Government aiming to deliver average savings of £0.5bn a year to public services over the next three years, Holyrood’s Public Service Reform Committee is seeking views on how achievable the proposed public sector reforms are.
The Committee has today launched a consultation asking how barriers to progress with reform can be overcome; how preventative approaches to spending can be promoted; and how the delivery of public services can be simplified.
As part of its pre-budget scrutiny work, the Committee will also consider whether there is sufficient clarity around how front-line roles, which are to be protected, are defined.
Speaking as the call for views launched, Committee Convener Bob Doris MSP, said: “A Spending Review demanding £1.5bn worth of public sector efficiencies, lays bare the need for us to understand the detail of how these savings are to be made and fundamentally, how they will shape public service delivery.
“Funds designated for prevention must also be put to good use and the simplification of services must lead to positive outcomes for both the provision of services and expenditure.
“We’d like to hear from those who lead, deliver, and rely on public services about what steps can be taken to remove barriers to more progress with reform, support preventative approaches, and ensure that efficiencies do not undermine frontline delivery.
“Our scrutiny will help shape the Scottish Budget before it is finalised, so contributions at this stage are especially valuable.”
The Committee is keen to hear from leaders in the public sector; community planning partnerships; trade unions; academics and think tanks; third sector representatives and staff who deliver services within or on behalf of the public sector.
The call for views closes on Friday 14 August 2026 after which the Committee plans to take oral evidence, before reporting to Parliament late October/early November this year.
The Scottish Government aims to deliver on average £0.5 billion in savings through efficiencies per year for the next three years (2026-27 to 2028-29):
To what extent are these savings achievable, and how will they shape public service delivery?
What progress is being made towards achieving these efficiencies?
What are the barriers to achieving greater efficiency and how can these be addressed?
How should the Scottish Government best present the extent of any realised efficiencies in the annual budget publication, including providing clarity on whether these are expected to be recurring savings?
The Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan aims to achieve an average reduction of the public sector workforce of 0.5% per year over five years.
To what extent is this target achievable and how will it shape public service delivery?
What progress is being made towards achieving this target?
What actions can the Scottish Government take to ensure these workforce reductions are delivered in a managed way which best supports effective government and public service delivery?
The PSR strategy states that it will protect frontline services. To what extent is there sufficient clarity about how frontline roles are defined and how efficiencies in back-office functions can be delivered in a way that minimises impact on the delivery of public services?
Beyond the financial benefits that the Public Sector Reform (PSR) Strategy aims to achieve, what are the key outcomes that reform should be aiming for?
The PSR Strategy includes 18 different workstreams which aim to remove barriers to reform. One workstream focuses on “simplification”, recognising that “complexity of processes, structures and reporting requirements is a key barrier to effective and efficient service delivery”. “Prevention” is one of three pillars providing structure to the Strategy.
What should the Scottish Government’s priorities be under its simplification workstream and what level of savings can be achieved through this approach?
What progress has been made to date with preventative budgeting?
How should the forthcoming Budget support greater progress towards preventative budgeting across the devolved public sector? Please set out any barriers and how these can be addressed.
What changes to the Scottish Government’s approach to budget-setting are needed to effectively deliver public service reform?
The Scottish Government included an upfront Invest to Save Fund of around £30 million in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 Scottish Budgets for reform projects that will deliver ongoing savings and support the delivery of the PSR strategy.
To what extent is the Invest to Save Fund delivering projects that achieve ongoing savings?
How are successful outcomes from this Fund being shared more widely across the public sector?
The programme for the Opening Ceremony of the Scottish Parliament, taking place on Saturday 27 June, has been announced today.
Their Majesties The King and Queen attended the Opening Ceremony of the Scottish Parliament yesterday, formally marking the beginning of the Seventh Session of the Holyrood Parliament.
The day start with The Crown of Scotland being escorted from Edinburgh Castle. Along with the Elizabeth Sword, the Crown of Scotland was processed into the Scottish Parliament through a guard of honour made up of young people from across Scotland.
Following the arrival of The King and Queen, the event in Holyrood’s Debating Chamber began with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Brass Ensemble performing a Fanfare composed by Sir James McMillan KT CBE and conducted by John Logan.
The Mace was carried by Robert White, an administrator at the Scottish Parliament. Three Team Scotland athletes who are competing in the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games were also be part of the procession.
Boxer Nicholas Devlin will carry the Elizabeth Sword accompanied by para-athlete Joanna Robertson who will be racing on the athletics track and Beth Riva who is competing in Bowls.
The Officers of Arms was accompanied by young people from Young Scot, the Scottish Youth Parliament, RNIB Scotland (Haggeye), the John Smith Centre Parliamentary Internship Programme, sportscotland’s Young People’s Sport panel and the Young Women’s movement.
The Crown of Scotland will be borne by the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon escorted by the Lord Lyon King of Arms.
The event, which was broadcast live, included opening remarks from the Presiding Officer, Kenneth Gibson MSP. His Majesty The King then make an address to the Chamber and First Minister John Swinney MSP responded to His Majesty’s address.
The event also celebrated the special anniversaries of two of Scotland’s cultural organisations with specially commissioned performances.
The National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCOS) is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and members of the NYCOS Edinburgh Regional Choir and NYCOS BSL Youth Choir performed Sarah Quartel’s The Beat of a Different Drum.
National Theatre of Scotland presented As Others See Us written and directed by Martin O’Connor, incorporating a poem to celebrate their 20th anniversary and an excerpt from their acclaimed production Through the Shortbread Tin and performed by members of The Lyceum Youth Theatre.
Scotland’s Makar Pàdraig MacAoidh [Peter Mackay] also delivered a poem in Gaelic called Let This Hall be Full of Noises.
Ae Fond Kiss, by Robert Burns was be performed by Rachel Groves (clarsach) and Ellie Beaton (vocalist), who are the current and previous winners of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year.
The Parliament’s piper Stuart McMillan MSP then played Bonnie Dundee and A Hundred Pipers from the Members’ Garden to close the event.
Their Majesties then went on to meet Local Heroes, who have been nominated by MSPs for their extraordinary contribution to their local communities.
The King and Queen departed the Scottish Parliament through a Guard of Honour made up of young people.
Hope Keating, 5, from Girlguiding Scotland presented a posy to The Queen.
Scotland’s recent election tells us something important about the national mood (writes ALISON NOLAN).
The return of an SNP-led administration under John Swinney, the rise of the Greens, the fragmentation of traditional party loyalties, the emergence of Reform UK at Holyrood, and low voter turnout together point to a political landscape that is more divided, volatile and uncertain than at any point since devolution began.
At the same time, COSLA’s recent white paper on strengthening local democracy argues that Scotland must rebuild democratic participation and place power closer to communities. These are not separate conversations. The central question facing Scotland’s new administration is not simply how to govern, but how to rebuild trust, participation and civic confidence in an age of fragmentation.
That is where libraries matter.
For too long, libraries have been framed narrowly: as cultural amenities, repositories of books, or discretionary local services under financial pressure. Those roles remain important, but they no longer capture the full significance of libraries in modern Scotland. Libraries are democratic infrastructure.
In communities across Scotland, libraries remain among the very few public spaces that are free, trusted, accessible and open to everyone. You do not need money to enter. You do not need an appointment, a referral or permission. At a time when many civic spaces have disappeared from public life, libraries remain embedded in communities across the country.
The election exposed a growing sense of democratic disconnection. Turnout fell in many parts of the country. Political loyalties are becoming more fluid and polarised, while public debate is increasingly shaped by social media algorithms, misinformation and distrust. At the same time, Scotland’s new government faces enormous pressures, from public service reform and child poverty to digital exclusion and growing demands for more local decision-making.
Libraries can help Scotland respond to all of these challenges. Democracy is strongest when decisions are made closest to communities but local democracy requires more than changes to governance structures. It also requires trusted local spaces where people can access information, build confidence, participate in discussions and connect with one another. Libraries already provide that infrastructure.
Every day, libraries help people access digital public services, apply for jobs, develop literacy skills, connect with their communities and navigate increasingly complex information environments. They host community groups, youth activities and public events, while increasingly helping people understand online information, artificial intelligence and the digital systems shaping modern life.
In practice, libraries already do the work of democratic participation. We simply do not always describe it that way.
Imagine if libraries were recognised formally as civic participation hubs in every community: places where citizens’ assemblies, local consultations and participatory budgeting discussions could happen; where young people could develop media literacy and critical digital skills; and where communities could engage with regeneration, climate transition and public service reform.
Much of this is already happening quietly across Scotland’s library network. The challenge now is whether national policy catches up with that reality.
If Scotland is serious about prevention, community empowerment and democratic renewal, libraries cannot continue to sit at the margins of policy discussions. They should be recognised as part of Scotland’s democratic and social infrastructure, alongside schools, health services and community organisations.
Democracy depends on more than elections and institutions. It depends on trust, participation, shared spaces and equal access to information. Libraries provide all four. In the Scotland emerging from this election, that may make them more important than ever.
Alison Nolan
Chief executive, Scottish Library & Information Council (SLIC)
Their Majesties The King and Queen will join MSPs at the official opening of the Scottish Parliament, taking place on Saturday 27 June.
The Opening Ceremony will include an address by His Majesty, to formally open the Parliament’s Seventh Session.
The event will also include several performances that celebrate Scotland and our rich culture and heritage. They include aspecially commissioned poem for the day delivered by Scotland’s national poet, Makar Pàdraig MacAoidh.
The poem Let This Hall Be Full of Noises will be read by the Makar in Gaelic with an English translation. The National Theatre of Scotland and the NYCOS BSL Youth Choir will also perform.
Their Majesties will then join a reception to meet with “local heroes” who have been chosen to represent constituencies and regions across the country.
Our “local heroes” have been nominated to attend as a special guest of their MSP for making an extraordinary contribution to their community.
Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson MSP said: “The start of a new Parliament is all about optimism, hope and a renewal of what the Parliament means to the people of Scotland.
“Their Majesties’ support for this institution has been steadfast.
“It’s an honour to have The King and The Queen join us at the start of that journey alongside people from across Scotland, who are at the centre of our plans to commemorate this milestone.
“I look forward to celebrating the very best of Scotland, reflecting on our heritage, acknowledging our traditions but most importantly with a focus on our future.”
Young people from across Scotland will also be represented in various roles throughout the day.
Further details of what to expect from the Opening Ceremony and all those who will be contributing to the event will be announced shortly.
