The SNP are seeking more tax and welfare powers in the Scotland Bill while the UK government told the party to “stop talking and start doing”. Ahead of the Scotland Bill’s second reading on Monday, the SNP said the bill was “woefully lacking”. The Scottish Liberal Democrats described the party’s amendment to the bill as […]
Lord Mandelson has criticised Labour for failing to come up with a credible strategy for decentralising power from London to northern England. The former business secretary said the lack of an alternative to Chancellor George Osborne’s Northern Powerhouse was a “huge political mistake”. He said Labour did not have election policies to “rebalance both the […]
Former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy died of a major haemorrhage linked to alcoholism, his family have said. Mr Kennedy, who led the party between 1999 and 2006, died at his home in Fort William on Monday aged 55. Following a post-mortem examination, his family issued a statement saying his unexpected death was “a consequence […]
The father of serial killer Steve Wright has said he “feels responsible” for the deaths of his son’s five victims, nearly a decade on. Conrad Wright, 78, from Felixstowe, said he still feels “rough” about the murders committed by his son. Wright was given a whole life jail term for murdering five women in Ipswich […]
The Gordonstoun public school in Moray is facing further pressure over claims of historic sexual abuse at its former prep school, Aberlour House. An ex-pupil, whose case is known to the school and police, has told BBC Scotland the school must take more responsibility for the alleged abuse. John Findlay claimed a teacher at Aberlour […]
Sixty-eight immigrants have been found locked in a container at a port in Essex. They were discovered at Harwich International Port at about 22:00 BST on Thursday, East of England Ambulance Service said. Seven people, all believed to be adults, were taken to Colchester Hospital suffering from non life-threatening abdominal and chest pains. The remaining […]
Police investigating the murder of Irish student Karen Buckley, who was killed in Glasgow in April, are trying to identify a potential witness. The young woman was seen at about 00:30 on Sunday 12 April on Dumbarton Road near the Gallus Pub before walking along Church Street. Ms Buckley, 24, went missing following a night […]
The High Court is to hear a legal challenge to the government’s emergency surveillance law brought by two MPs. The Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act was fast-tracked through Parliament in three days last July. It allows Britain’s intelligence agencies to gather people’s phone and internet communications data. But former Conservative minister David Davis and […]
Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson has been cleared of perjury after the case against him collapsed. Judge Lord Burns ruled the 47-year-old had no case to answer midway through a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, Mr Coulson, who is also the prime minister’s former head of communications, had denied committing […]
Alton Towers has been closed while an investigation continues into a “dreadful” rollercoaster accident that left four people with serious injuries. Two carriages crashed on the Smiler ride at the Staffordshire theme park on Tuesday, leaving some passengers trapped for four-and-a-half hours. Two men, aged 27 and 18, a woman aged 19 and a girl, […]