Charlie Alford

Scottish SNP government announces popular AI data centre moratorium

Post author:Cameron Baillie
Post published:7 July 2026
Post last modified:7 July 2026

The Scottish National Party (SNP) has announced plans to support a pause on all new AI data centre developments, the National has revealed. The move comes after many months of community protests against proposed sites across the country. There has been both grassroots and political pushback, including from several MSPs from various parties. The SNP-run government of Scotland will join calls from the Scottish Greens to support a moratorium on AI data centre developments. The moratorium will be accepted following a vote by the SNP’s National Council, a key decision-making body in the party’s organisation. The two parties hold a clear…

UK Government lied about ‘renewable’ Scottish data centre plans

Post author:Cameron Baillie
Post published:6 July 2026
Post last modified:6 July 2026

Plans for a supposedly “renewable” multi-billion pound data centre project in Lanarkshire entirely misrepresented their actual environmental and economic impacts. The Guardian‘s recent investigation reveals that the £8.2bn-valued data complex, touted as being energy self-sufficient, was unfeasible from the start. The centre and adjoining power-plant in Scotland’s central belt was supposed to be powered by on-site renewables and nuclear energy. In theory, anyway. Built jointly by US corporation CoreWeave and Scottish data firm DataVita, the complex was supposed to power itself entirely by 2030. However, internal correspondence documents obtained through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests show that the site had an…

WATCH: Scottish MP Lara Bird mogs ‘royal’ oath with crossed fingers

Post author:Cameron Baillie
Post published:24 June 2026
Post last modified:25 June 2026

Scottish MP Lara Bird bested the archaic royal oath of allegiance with what look like crossed fingers when she was sworn into Parliament this week. Crossing one’s fingers when making a promise means that the would-be promiser has no intention of sincerely holding that promise. Bird therefore smartly worked her way around the anachronistic ‘pledge of allegiance’ to the Windsors. This amounts to what Gen-Z and Gen-A would call a ‘mogging’ of the British crown. And too right — MPs are elected to serve us all, not just one wealthy family. It’s time more MPs did the same. In making her…

Scottish courts further denigrate rights for trans people with prison ruling

Post author:Jamal Awar
Post published:21 June 2026
Post last modified:21 June 2026

Scotland’s highest civil court has ruled that guidance allowing some trans women to be housed in women’s prisons was unlawful. This is undoubtedly another setback in an increasingly hostile environment for trans people across the UK. It is incredible how fast the legal arguments fall in line once political appetite changes. And now that fascism is creeping across the UK, clearly the most vulnerable communities are facing the sharpest end of oppression. Human rights for some The Court of Session ruled that Scottish prison guidance was unlawful because it allowed some trans women to be accommodated in the women’s estate following…

Rain of fish in Surrey, two-headed calf in Blyth, Scottish Tory win in Aberdeen

Post author:Grace
Post published:19 June 2026
Post last modified:21 June 2026

Today, 19 June, the Conservatives’ Douglas Lumsden was announced the victor of the Aberdeen South by-election. This means that, for the first time in over half a century, the Scottish Tories have won a Westminster by-election. Meanwhile, in a further turn-up for the books, Labour came fourth in both of last night’s Scottish by-elections, underscoring the party’s recent collapse. The SNP’s Lara Bird held the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry seat for her party. She took 9,802 votes, giving her a majority of nearly 5,000. Notes for the English For English readers, please be advised — this article is about to get…

Scottish Parliament backs luxury wealth tax on mansions and private jets

Post author:Cameron Baillie
Post published:8 June 2026
Post last modified:9 June 2026

The Scottish parliament has voted to approve a new wealth tax on high-end luxury goods, especially mansions and houses over £1m and private jet travel. Scottish parliament leading the way MSPs went to the Scottish parliament chamber to debate a new “fair, progressive and sustainable” approach to tax. This included the plans for a levy on private jets and houses owned by the wealthiest in society. The motion — which passed 84-28, with 10 abstentions — highlighted the role taxes play in the delivery of essential public services. The motion welcomed all of Scotland’s recent progress made towards the creation of a…

Mandelson ‘influential’ in electing Labour’s Scottish Secretary

Post author:Cameron Baillie
Post published:5 June 2026
Post last modified:9 June 2026

Newly revealed documents expose Labour’s Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander as a devoted friend of Peter Mandelson, publicly humiliating his position. Mandelson was “influential,” in Alexander’s own words, in securing his seat as MP for Lothian East. The SNP have called for the minister’s resignation over his apparently doting relationship with Mandelson. The disgraced corrupt former ambassador and friend of notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was well-known, well-loved, and well-connected within the Labour Party. Him and pro-corporate stooge Tony Blair shaped vile New Labour through a willingness to court power, whatever ugly face it took. However, those tight connections across the right wing…

Palestine Action Scottish Judicial Review: Stitch-Up Incoming?

Post author:Craig Murray
Post published:27 May 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

The proscription of Palestine Action was sold to MPs and the media on the basis of a deliberate campaign of lies, fronted by Yvette Cooper, then Home Secretary, and Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan police. Both have deep commitment to Israel. Cooper is owned by the Israel lobby. What is worse, they then attempted to reinforce these lies by fitting up young activists with false charges and corrupting all principles of justice in an effort to obtain false convictions. This was brought home to me most forcefully in examining thousands of pages of documents released to me by the Home…

Scottish MSPs demand another chance to free Scotland from Westminster

Post author:Skwawkbox
Post published:26 May 2026
Post last modified:8 June 2026

Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have voted to demand powers to hold another Scottish independence referendum. First Minister John Swinney described independence as a “golden opportunity” that would “put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands”. Grasping Westminster running against Scottish interests MSPs agreed: the motion passed by 72-55, with the support of the Greens enough to see off an unholy London-centric Labour, Reform, Tory and LibDem alliance. Keir Starmer said he would not give Scots what they want. This is unsurprising. Starmer is an Establishment tool through and through, who has always treated Scottish Labour like a Westminster satellite branch. He…