Review of the year, part 3: Reeves weeps, Trump visits and Rayner quits

Downing Street said Chancellor Rachel Reeves is "going nowhere", despite extraordinary scenes in the House of Commons in which Sir Keir Starmer declined to publicly support his visibly tearful Chancellor. Ms Reeves, who sat by the Prime Minister's side on the front bench during a session of Prime Minister’s Questions, looked distressed and could be seen wiping tears from her face. Her position was under intense scrutiny after a major U-turn on welfare reform and the biggest rebellion of Sir Keir's premiership put an almost £5 billion dent in Ms Reeves' economic plans.

Several distilleries shut down production due to low water levels on the River Spey caused by the long period of dry weather. A number of Speyside operators closed earlier than usual for the summer because of a lack of water in the area. The falling water levels in rivers followed months of lower-than-average rainfall.

Donald Trump raised the prospect of agreeing a trade deal with the UK, urged European countries to “get your act together” on migration, and “stop the windmills”, as he touched down at Prestwick Airport on Air Force One amid heavy security. The US president was then taken in his armoured car, known as The Beast, to his Turnberry golf resort on the Ayrshire coast. In the following days, he met leaders including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Sir Keir, and First Minister John Swinney at his properties in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire.

August

Nicola Sturgeon admitted she “lost the dressing room” when she refused to say whether double rapist Isla Bryson was a man or a woman. In an interview to mark the publication of her new memoir, the former first minister called Bryson “a biological male” and admitted she should have been “much more straightforward” on the issue. Ms Sturgeon said rapists should “probably” lose the right to choose their own gender. Critics branded her comments “drivel” and noted she had failed to apologise.

Accounts revealed the SNP was grappling with a deficit of almost £500,000 and a steep fall in membership. In his report attached to the accounts, SNP treasurer Stuart McDonald, insisted the party was "still able to devote significant resources to competing at the election" in 2024, but admitted "the sums available were not in the same “ballpark” as earlier years. He added that "some very difficult but important changes were required" to "improve the party's finances and to ensure we are in the best place possible to win at forthcoming elections".

Jeremy Balfour MSP left the Scottish Conservatives, accusing leader Russell Findlay of presiding over a “sinking ship” and leading a party into “freefall”. In a scathing resignation letter, the Lothians MSP said the Tories “no longer have a positive platform to offer”. His resignation came just months after Jamie Greene MSP defected to the Liberal Democrats from the Scottish Conservatives.

Council officials identified two potential sites in Edinburgh’s Old Town for the opening of a new drugs consumption room. The city’s Integration Joint Board said the facility could open on the Cowgate or on Spittal Street. But the Scottish Conservatives said locals would be “horrified” at the prospect, following complaints about discarded needles outside the Thistle Centre, Scotland's first drug consumption room, which opened in Glasgow earlier in the year.

September

John Swinney announced Scottish Government funding for arms companies involved in supplying Israel would be halted as he lifted a longstanding ban on taxpayer support for munitions. The First Minister said any defence company seeking support from ministers would have to "demonstrate that its products are not involved militarily with Israel". Mr Swinney said there could be no business as usual "in the face of genocide".

A book of gender critical essays was readmitted to a landmark exhibition at Scotland's national library in a major U-turn hailed as a “turning point in public discourse”. The National Library of Scotland said it would add The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht, which features contributions from authors including Harry Potter creator JK Rowling, to its Dear Library exhibition in Edinburgh following a censorship row. The NLS announced the move yesterday as the Scottish Government was accused of displaying “contempt for women” over its use of the phrase “pregnant people” in official communications.

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Labour grandee Douglas Alexander was appointed Scottish Secretary after the sacking of Ian Murray in a major UK government reshuffle. Mr Murray said he was “hugely disappointed” to be leaving government following the surprise decision by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The reshuffle followed the resignation of Deputy PM Angela Rayner after she was found to have breached the ministerial code over her underpayment of stamp duty on a seaside flat.

Victims groups and survivors of sexual violence welcomed a landmark vote to abolish the centuries old not proven verdict, describing the decision to scrap the unique legal ruling as a "momentous" occasion. The decision by MSPs to approve major reforms via the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill heralded the end of the contentious verdict, which can be traced back to the 17th century. The passing of the bill also introduced a two-thirds majority for a guilty verdict, instead of a simple majority of eight jurors out of 15.

Sir Keir Starmer announced the UK would formally recognise a Palestinian state in a move described by opponents as pandering to the “hard left” within the Labour party. In a video statement, the Prime Minister urged listeners to “reject hate” as he said the move was intended “to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis”. But Israel’s foreign ministry condemned the move as “a reward for jihadist Hamas” and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said “we will all rue the day the decision was made”.