Welcome to The Courier’s morning politics briefing — everything you need to know about politics in your region and across the country, before you start your day.
Top Stories
Labour MSP Paul Sweeney has criticised the Scottish Government for not doing more to ensure new trains are built in Scotland, asking “what the hell are they playing at?”
Boris Johnson’s Tories have suffered a humiliating by-election defeat as the Liberal Democrats secured a historic win in Chesham and Amersham.
Work should start urgently to transform the north east from Scotland’s oil and gas capital into a new European centre of excellence for renewables, a citizens’ panel has demanded.
What’s on today
Jamie Stone, the Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, will lead a protest against plans to close Balintore Post Office.
Political leaders will be cheering on Scotland as the men’s national football team travels to Wembley for a crunch Euro 2020 group match.
In case you missed it
Former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie is to take on the role again following the controversial resignation of Dunfermline and West Fife MSP Douglas Chapman and a growing row over the party’s finances.
Nicola Sturgeon has committed to examine the dual role of Scotland’s top law officer, as MSPs unanimously backed Dorothy Bain QC for the job.
A decision to withdraw Valium prescribing which contributed to the rise in deadly “street benzo” use has been described as “one of the most lethal policy decisions of the devolution era”.
An MP has warned it would be “retrograde and wrong-headed” to change the use of a north-east teacher training fund after it was linked to the slave trade.
Nicola Sturgeon admitted cancer screening services must be restored quickly after hearing concerns women in rural areas face longer waits of up to six years between checks.