Welcome to The Press and Journal’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.