Courier Politics Morning Briefing: Everything you need to know for July 19

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:

• Covid restriction easing in Scotland: All of the changes you need to know about in Level Zero.
• LONG READ: Should Scotland introduce directly-elected city mayors like Andy Burnham and Sadiq Khan?

• Solar industry calls on SNP and Greens to set ‘stretching’ target for sector.

Coming up today:

• NHS Louisa Jordan to be fully decommissioned on Monday after not seeing any patients with the virus.
• Hundreds of protestors to gather at Holyrood to demand plans for a proposed new oil field in the North Sea are dropped.

In case you missed it:

• Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has said she never believed “someone like me” could be appointed to the House of Lords, as she prepares to take up the new role this week.

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed he is entering self isolation as he admits the same rules should apply to everyone.
• Boris Johnson has abandoned plans to avoid quarantine after being contacted by NHS Test and Trace following a furious political backlash.