John Swinney is proposing a radical overhaul of Scotland’s public sector…but to succeed he’ll need to learn from his past failures. Analysis for @itvborder.bsky.social @representingborder.bsky.social @itvnewspolitics.bsky.social www.itv.com/news/border/...

💰🌹 Want to be Scottish Labour leader? It’ll cost you £5,000 just to be a candidate. Story 👇 www.itv.com/news/border/...

I see @kieranandrews.bsky.social has picked up on the fact that Scottish Labour is charging £5k to each leadership candidate. Surely the costs detailed here don't increase when the number of candidates increase, so how can a per candidate charge be justified? www.itv.com/news/border/...

Why MSPs need recess to cool down just as political temperatures spike again in Westminster. This analysis for doesn't tell us what an Andy Burnham government means for Scotland but hopefully does reveal something about the man. www.itv.com/news/border/...

EXC: SNP will pursue Peter Murrell for money he stole from the party National Executive Committee last night agreed to a proposal by John Swinney to launch compensation order to try and recoup cash from Crown Office, which has proceeds of crime seizure underway www.itv.com/news/border/...

It was LOADS of fun appearing on @matt-forde.bsky.social Political Party podcast. And weird being on something I subscribe to. He’s a legend - listen here 👇 open.spotify.com/episode/4Xoe...

Show 404. Kieran Andrews

open.spotify.com

🐸 Warm frogs 🍑 Peaches 💩/🤢 Poo in the post A deep dive into the metaphors and mess of the Holyrood election campaign www.itv.com/news/border/...

open.substack.com/pub/kieranan...

Why learning to count is key to Holyrood's assisted dying bill

High debate in the chamber but success or failure will come down to low politics

open.substack.com

Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s not all a big love in for Scottish Labour just now, though. And Keir Starmer isn’t the only member of the UK government coming under fire… kieranandrews.substack.com/p/divided-ov...

Divided over Douglas: Scottish Labour is split over an influential cabinet minister that’s not Keir Starmer

Exactly one week ago Anas Sarwar held Keir Starmer crisis talks in Scottish Labour’s Glasgow headquarters.

kieranandrews.substack.com

Our @representingborder.bsky.social political leader interviews made headlines this week. Here’s some behind the scenes analysis. What we've learned from Holyrood's first week back: passing the budget will be easy for John Swinney. www.itv.com/news/border/...

Senior Scottish Labour source on leadership row: “Complete madness, irrational and stupid. No10 has very few members left in the cabinet they haven’t briefed against. They need an HR director not more policy wonks.” Analysis for @representingborder.bsky.social www.itv.com/news/border/...

The SNP has upgraded its campaigning operation but - despite being clearly ahead in the polls- still lags behind Labour on that front Six months out from the Holyrood election, here’s some analysis for @representingborder.bsky.social in praise of unsung political heroes www.itv.com/news/border/...

Watch Dr Dan Fisher @dx-fisher.bsky.social on ITV's Representing Border yesterday sharing expertise in immigration policy with @kieranandrews.bsky.social📹📣 From the UK Gov's proposed changes to Leave to Remain, to Scotland's shifting attitude on immigration. Watch: www.itv.com/watch/news/c...

"Perhaps it is because she is still in politician mode and does not want to damage her party. Whatever the reason, 'Frankly' could do with a touch more frankness" 📚 @kieranandrews.bsky.social reviews Nicola Sturgeon's 'Frankly' | @panmacmillan.bsky.social bit.ly/46eTuwj

Less than candid: Kieran Andrews reviews Nicola Sturgeon's 'Frankly'

Highly readable yet also guarded, the former Scottish first minister's memoir could be a tad more frank

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Exclusive story from earlier today: South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has been charged with possession of indecent images. He has been “administratively suspended” by Labour while the case progresses. www.itv.com/news/border/...

Quite right. I was astonished to see well rehearsed books - like your own, or David Torrance’s - alongside total schlock claiming to offer the inside story on Sturgeon’s arrest.

Good to see Amazon removing inaccurate SNP biographies If you want the real stories behind the party leadership, try Break-Up: How Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon Went To War amzn.eu/d/fepBbiy

David Leask@leaskyd.bsky.social · last yr.

Did you know John Swinney was born in Akron, Ohio, to a Polish dinner lady called Kazimiera? Well, that is what one fake biog of Scotland’s first minister on Amazon claimed. Are we ready for an AI-disinformation election in ‘26? 🧵 www.thetimes.com/article/6be7...

What can we expect from the Scottish govt's Medium Term Financial Strategy today? @stephenboydippr.bsky.social spoke to @kieranandrews.bsky.social @itvborder.bsky.social ➡️ Enhanced level of detail on risks + plans to mitigate them, info that we can compare year upon year, tax increases & more.

EXC: Leader of Dumfries & Galloway Council steps down Conservative Gail Macgregor quit less than an hour before vote of no confidence, saying she was doing so with 'the heaviest of hearts' New administration - D&G’s *fourth* in three years - expected to be chosen at special meeting this afternoon

NEW: Not becoming a national park may cost Galloway millions of pounds of investment, the Rural Affairs Secretary has admitted. Mairi Gougeon won't tell @kieranandrews.bsky.social whether Scot Gov will invest in the region instead. She says they've 'not had those conversations'

BREAKING: The Scottish Government has dropped plans for a Galloway National Park. It was one of the key commitments when the SNP formed a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens. @gregoryhoare.bsky.social explains how we got to this point 👇

🎶 WATCH: Conservative Borders council leader Euan Jardine is a rapper He performs his debut single for @representingborder.bsky.social www.itv.com/news/border/...

UK Gov could cut electricity bills by up to 30% by removing renewable subsidies, Climate Change Committee member Keith Bell says. But the Professor adds that the move would lead to either higher gas bills or taxes

The Conservatives should NOT aim for a deal with Reform UK, Alister Jack says. Former Scottish Secretary believes John Swinney and the SNP are 'secretly' trying to boost Reform's profile, to split the unionist vote. STORY: www.itv.com/news/border/...

NEW: The Conservatives were wrong to get rid of Boris Johnson, Alister Jack says. The former Scottish Secretary - a key political ally and friend of the former PM - says Johnson would have had a chance of winning the 2024 election. STORY: www.itv.com/news/border/...

More from @kieranandrews.bsky.social exclusive interview with Alister Jack - who says the Tories made a mistake in ditching Boris Johnson, and suggests former PM might have been able to win 2024 General Election

Representing Border@representingborder.bsky.social · last yr.

NEW: The Conservatives were wrong to get rid of Boris Johnson, Alister Jack says. The former Scottish Secretary - a key political ally and friend of the former PM - says Johnson would have had a chance of winning the 2024 election. STORY: www.itv.com/news/border/...

In his first interview since quitting as MP, ex-Scottish secretary Alister Jack… - Calls for gender apology from John Swinney+Nicola Sturgeon - Says Boris Johnson should not have been forced out as PM and suggests could have won elex - Rejects betting ban for MPs www.itv.com/news/border/...

Representing Border@representingborder.bsky.social · last yr.

EXC: Alister Jack says Nicola Sturgeon & John Swinney should offer 'proper public apology' to women who challenged Scot Gov gender reforms in court. In first interview since stepping down as MP, former Scottish Secretary says @forwomenscotland.bsky.social were 'demonised'. www.itv.com/news/border

'I am disappointed in the UK government's performance so far' - General Secretary of STUC @scottishtuc.bsky.social Roz Foyer (@rozfoyer.bsky.social) tells Kieran Andrews (@kieranandrews.bsky.social) Labour is in danger of lurching 'to the right'. Full interview: www.itv.com/news/border/...

I’ll take this as a source of pride. 🇺🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺

Kieran Andrews@kieranandrews.bsky.social · last yr.

Scottish MPs @blairmcdougall.com, @stephengethins.bsky.social and Johanna Baxter have been added to the list of politicians banned from Russia for making what the Kremlin calls "hysterical statements...in which threats are interspersed with lies and outright rudeness"

And myself, apparently - no doubt due to the Russian joke I made sitting behind Farage in the House of Commons a few weeks ago. I am distraught, as you can imagine.

Kieran Andrews@kieranandrews.bsky.social · last yr.

Scottish MPs @blairmcdougall.com, @stephengethins.bsky.social and Johanna Baxter have been added to the list of politicians banned from Russia for making what the Kremlin calls "hysterical statements...in which threats are interspersed with lies and outright rudeness"