Welcome to The Courier’s morning politics briefing, it’s everything you need to know about politics in your region, and across the country, before you start your day.
New this morning:
- Scottish Labour is urging the government to put military personnel on the streets to help fight the latest surge in coronavirus cases and make sure everyone who wants to be vaccinated can get a jab – even going door to door if need be.
- The Scottish Government says there will still be a requirement to wear face coverings north of the border even if England, as expected, moves later this month to ease the rules around masks.
- Experts are calling on Scots to continue to abide by test and protect rules even if they’ve received two doses of coronavirus vaccines.
- Have you been paying attention to the news this week? Put your Scottish politics knowledge to the test in our weekly Stooshie quiz.
- The Stooshie, DC Thomson’s weekly politics podcast, is technically on holiday but we wanted to bring you a special episode on our unmasking of two senior Conservative councillors behind anti-SNP troll accounts on social media.
Coming up today:
- Nearly 200 medical professionals are to criticise a proposed new assisted suicide bill in Scotland, and have written to Health Secretary Humza Yousaf.
- Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is to call for the gap between first and second coronavirus vaccines to be halved to four weeks to deal with the “out of control” spread of the virus.
- Mark Carney, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s finance advisor on COP 26, will be at a UK Treasury select committee hearing to talk about the COP26 climate change conference, which is taking place in Glasgow later this year.
- MPs are to quiz Michael Gove on national security at Westminster, and will take questions from the joint committee on national security strategy.
In case you missed it:
- Talks to establish special tax status at a port in Scotland are on the brink of being agreed, despite a simmering row over government threats and ultimatums.
- The Scottish Government has been urged to take action to catch up on delayed cervical cancer screenings, with waits of up to six months.
- Two senior Conservative councillors, two separate anti-SNP troll accounts, and a local council administration already teetering on the edge of collapse. Read how we broke the story of Lady Whistledown and unmasking Tory councillors as online trolls.
- Foreign aid cuts will lead to an increase in civil war and inflame the conflict in the Middle East, the SNP has warned.
