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:
- Fears UK Government could decide where Scottish Freeports go without Holyrood involvement.
- Ministers urged to be ‘more ambitious’ on affordable housing despite £3bn pledge.
- Whitty coronavirus warning: ‘We could get into trouble again surprisingly fast’.
- European Commission president set to discuss NI Protocol on visit to Dublin.
Coming up today:
- UK ministers have been warned they will be undermining devolution if they set up new freeports in Scotland and Wales without the backing of the devolved governments.
- Scottish Power and oil giant Shell have submitted multiple proposals for new large-scale floating offshore windfarms as part of Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind Leasing.
- Hospital admissions for asthma in children aged under five fell in Scotland in the two years following legislation that banned smoking in vehicles when youngsters are present, according to a new study.
In case you missed it:
- Anas Sarwar: Nicola Sturgeon is an ‘us versus them’ politician in same mould as Boris Johnson.
- ‘Nobody thinks they can do a better job’: Scottish Green duo Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater to stand unopposed for leadership roles after election success.
- North-east MSP claims Covid trial participants have been ‘penalised’.
- Boris Johnson’s ‘levelling up’ plan dismissed as ’empty rhetoric’.
- Analysis: Marker pens at the ready for Boris Johnson’s buzzword bingo.
- Should MSPs pledge allegiance to The Queen? New petition calls for Holyrood oaths to be changed.
