Scottish Conservatives

The latest Scottish Conservative Party news from expert Scotsman journalists and contributors

First Minister John Swinney and finance secretary Shona Robison

Exclusive Fears over SNP handing councils powers for wealth tax and new levies

Nigel Farage was the most popular choice for Prime Minister among Scottish voters in one recent poll (Picture: Justin Tallis)

Why Scottish Tories are wrong to say vote for Reform is vote for SNP Brian Monteith

John Swinney and health secretary Neil Gray

John Swinney denies nursing report shows 'deadly reality' of NHS

Thomas Kerr

Senior Scottish Tory councillor defects to Nigel Farage's Reform UK

Campaigners in Parliament Square, London, in favour of the proposed bill to legalise assisted dying.

Findlay: Westminster debate made me more cautious about assisted dying

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay

Voting Reform in Scotland will only benefit SNP, warns Tory leader

Finance Secretary Shona Robison urging people to get interlinked smoke alarms.

Exclusive Thousands of council homes not meeting new smoke alarm regulations

Donald Trump at his Aberdeenshire golf resort in 2016

First Minister says he will use Trump's Scottish links in tariff talks

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes.

'Urgent clarification' needed on Forbes two-child benefit cap claims

Elon Musk, seen with Donald Trump (Picture: Brandon Bell)

Analysis Bond villain Elon Musk's influence seeps into Holyrood 'populism' war

Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson's centre-right policies worked in the past and can do so again (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell)

Why Tories cannot defeat Farage's Reform UK by copying their policies Murdo Fraser

Murdo Fraser MSP

Exclusive The Ruth Davidson secret to reviving the Scottish Conservatives

A scene outside Glasgow Royal Infirmary's emergency department. Picture: John Devlin

'Extraordinary' surge in flu hospitalisations as EDs hit 400% capacity

The Scottish Conservatives raised concerns over pupil absences

More than 180,000 Scots pupils missing a day of school every fortnight

The Conservatives accused SNP ministers of 'being free spending with taxpayers’ money'

SNP Government criticised after £1.7m spent on flights in five years

John Swinney, Russell Findlay and Anas Sarwar

Analysis What Holyrood party leaders will have on New Year's wishlist for 2025

Hundreds of prisoner-on-staff assaults were recorded at HMP Barlinnie.

Prison violence 'out-of-control' as 250 staff assaulted every year

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage

The 5,844 reasons why Reform UK thinks it can overtake Scottish Tories

Edinburgh has the second biggest financial services sector in the UK

Kirk moderator defends tax intervention after political backlash

Chancellor Rachel Reeves

Scottish job loss warning as economy 'headed for worst of all worlds'

The Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh is currently closed for urgent repairs

NHS maintenance backlog soars to more than £1.3bn, figures show

First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage

SNP will focus on solutions to combat Reform, First Minister says

The SNP is planning to re-introduce free bus passes for asylum seekers.

Call to axe £2m re-introduction of free bus travel for asylum seekers

John Swinney speaks at Holyrood, with former first minister Nicola Sturgeon watching on in the background. Picture: PA

SNP accused of creating ‘hostile’ environment towards journalists

Exclusive Fears of more bus driver deaths after anti-social behaviour soars

Russell Findlay

Findlay says budget 'deal to be done' if SNP serious about business

Queensferry Road is one of the Edinburgh streets covered by the 20mph speed limit.

Exclusive Only 18 speeding fines in four years in Edinburgh 20mph zone

Donald Trump

Party leaders 'have gone too far to make peace with Trump'

East Lothian Council is set to declare a housing emergency

Housing emergency set to be declared in seat of SNP housing minister

Revealed: How SNP spend on consultants has soared to eye-watering sum

I'm calling out Conservatives for misplaced criticism of ScotRail Alastair Dalton

Kemi Badenoch, the new Conservative Party leader.

Scottish Conservatives vow to work with Kemi Badenoch on gender debate

John Swinney

SNP urged to give Scottish workers 'a break' by cutting taxes

Russell Findlay

Scotland's 'freebie culture' must be overhauled, says new Tory leader

Over one million working days has been lost due to absences in Police Scotland

Over 1 million working days lost due to police officer absences

The Caledonian Sleeper (Photo by Caledonian Sleeper)

Scale of Caledonian Sleeper compensation for service delays revealed

Community worker Rose Manjanja asks Jessy, 16, a secondary school pupil in Malawi, where she wants to be when she is 25 years old

How Tories revealed they're descending towards Trump's crude populism Susan Dalgety

First Minister John Swinney

John Swinney told rapists and killers could walk free from jails

The next Conservative party leader will either be Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick (Pictures: Dan Kitwood and Ian Forsyth)

Tory leadership hopefuls not 'fruit loops', insist Scottish Tory MPs

Russell Findlay Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Russell Findlay reveals Scottish Tory frontbench team

The Steamie: Why new Scottish Tory leader had a good first week

The Conservatives have adopted the culture-war language of those who want to see democratic politics paralysed by division (Picture: Dan Kitwood)

Why Tory conference was just a GB News-style freak show
Scottish Tories should now be considering how far they can afford to be associated with this travesty of what was once a centre-right Conservative party
Joyce McMillan

Russell Findlay, leader of the Scottish Conservative party, during his first appearance in the role at First Minster's Questions. Picture: PA

Analysis Why new Scottish Tory leader will be pleased with his debut FMQs

First Minister John Swinney (Picture:Jane Barlow/PA Wire)

John Swinney branded out of touch over troubled £2bn 'SNP pet project'

New Scottish Conservative party leader Russell Findlay's slogan 'common sense, for a change' could be augmented by a commitment towards smaller government (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell)

Why new Scots Tory leader Russell Findlay needs to learn from Labour John McLellan

Russell Findlay after he is announced as new Scottish Conservatives leader

Scottish Conservative leadership Recap: Russell Findlay to lead party

Russell Findlay after he is announced as new Scottish Conservatives leader, at the Radisson Hotel in Edinburgh. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Analysis No time to waste: Why Scottish Tory leader Findlay needs to act fast

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross

Analysis Ross ends FMQs stint with whimper and more bad blood

Russell Findlay after he is announced as new Scottish Conservatives leader

Analysis A baptism of fire: The 4 big challenges for new Scottish Tory leader

Nigel Farage, seen after winning the Clacton and Harwich constituency in July's general election, could lead his Reform UK party into third place in Scottish politics (Picture: Dan Kitwood)

Scots Tories must remain pro-devolution despite threat from Reform UK Murdo Fraser

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Revealed: The gifts received by Scottish MSPs & MPs, including Sarwar

The Tories said Edinburgh's motorists are paying a 'hefty price'

Exclusive The 'punishing' number of fines for flouting Edinburgh's LEZ

Wood burners and open fires are the second biggest source of small particle air pollution in the UK

Wood burner ban U-turn as SNP confirms 'climbdown' on stoves

Scottish Tory MP John Lamont and Scottish Conservatives leadership candidate Meghan Gallacher

Exclusive Revealed: Tory MP sends lawyer's letter as leadership row escalates

Nightclubs will disappear from not just Scotland, but the whole of the UK, by 2030 if the current rate of closures continues (Picture: Claire Greenway)

All 83 nightclubs in Scotland will have closed by 2030 at current rate Murdo Fraser

Meghan Gallacher, (Image: Lisa Ferguson/National World)

Analysis Why any drama couldn't spice up the Scottish Tories leadership race

The Scotsman Top Stories

Scotland has failed to meet its latest target for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the latest official figures show. Picture: John Giles/PA Wire

Fail: Scotland misses climate target

Pro-independence protesters with Scottish Saltire flags (top) march for Scottish independence. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

Yousaf: Growing popular support for Yes the only way to Scottish independence

Nadine Dorries. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

SNP MP cleared of bullying Nadine Dorries