Rebecca Mason, associate, looks at the top stories for the week ahead.
“Keep your cool” was the instruction from the UK government ahead of Sunday’s nationwide test of the emergency alert system. But recent events suggest it’s Westminster, not the public, that is rattled.
Labour hopes it can return to business-as-usual today following Keir Starmer’s cabinet reshuffle in the wake of deputy Angela Rayner’s resignation over her tax affairs.
North of the border, attention shifts to newly appointed secretary of state for Scotland, Douglas Alexander. He is prepared to “disprove the critics” (£) and told BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show a Scottish Labour fightback would take “hard work, humility and listening to people” ahead of Holyrood elections next May.
But the pressure is on. He reprises the role two decades after his first stint, with Starmer hoping to find wisdom in another experienced Labour voice. Former secretary of state Ian Murray, meanwhile, makes his return as a junior minister (£) in the departments of Culture, Media and Sport, and Science, Innovation and Technology.
In other news, Nigel Farage’s pyrotechnics and sing-alongs at Reform UK’s conference in Birmingham sparked its share of attention. The Reform leader vowed to stop small boat crossings within a fortnight if he succeeds in the next general election, branding the issue both a threat to ‘national security’ and to the women of Britain.
Immigration will also be at the forefront of political debate over the coming days as newly appointed home secretary Shabana Mahmood prepares to announce plans to move asylum seekers from hotels into military barracks as part of Labour’s crackdown on the issue. This comes as she is set to be joined by counterparts from US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand in hosting a meeting of the ‘Five Eyes’ security alliance to discuss people-smuggling.
Defence secretary John Healey confirmed yesterday that military planners have been seconded to the Home Office, after an estimated 1,100 people arrived in the UK by small boats on Saturday.
In brief - Scotland's economy and business
The UK government will announce five new “Defence Growth Deals” as part of its Defence Industrial Strategy today, with Scotland set to receive a share of £250m to boost its space, maritime and technology industries. The Scotsman (£) reports that the plan, supported by a rise in defence spending, is expected to create jobs and strengthen industry skills across Scotland.
Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow, have all made strong progress in post-pandemic recovery in the Demoas-PwC Good Growth for Cities Index, with the capital ranking second overall in the UK. According to The Herald (£), despite the cities performing well across skills, jobs, and high streets, challenges remain around housing affordability and financial pressures amid broader economic uncertainty.
For more than 100 years, England did not have a single commercial whisky distillery. Now the English Distillery in Norfolk will this week produce its first 18-year-old whisky . The family business’ Sherry Cask expression has already beat some of Scotland’s best to win World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards last year.
OpinioNation - columns of interest
Conservatives are gambling with North Sea energy workers’ livelihoods argues Scott Arthur, Labour MP for Edinburgh South West, in The Scotsman (£). He believes Kemi Badenoch’s plan to maximise extraction offers a short-sighted solution that ignores the sector’s decline and fails to provide a secure future. Arthur pledges that Labour will harness Scotland’s renewable sources, invest in training to support workers through a just transition, and tackle the climate crisis responsibly.
At Reform UK’s conference in Birmingham this weekend, Financial Times chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley cut through the spectacle in this short clip to explain why Nigel Farage seized on Angela Rayner’s resignation, and how her departure might play to Reform’s advantage.
From football manager Ally MacLeod and disgraced banker Fred “The Shred” Goodwin to the Krankies, Alex Ferguson, and comedian Chic Murray – could these colourful lives be ripe for Hollywood? Writing in The Herald (£), Brain Beacom thinks so. In his piece, Beacom highlights his favourite Scottish cultural moments perfect for film and why Hollywood has too often missed the mark when it comes to telling Scottish stories authentically.
The week ahead - fill your diary with key events
Monday
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Westminster
- Oral questions: Defence (including Topical Questions)
- Renters’ Rights Bill: Consideration of Lords Amendments
- Foreign Affairs Committee – Oral Evidence: The UK-EU reset – rebuilding a strategic partnership in uncertain times
- France: Vote of confidence in the French government
Tuesday
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In the Holyrood chamber
- Topical Questions
- Ministerial Statement: Actions to Support Improved Relationships and Behaviour in Schools
- Scottish Government Debate: Twenty Years of Scotland’s Railway Providing a Strong Platform for the Future
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In the Holyrood committee rooms
- Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee take evidence on the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009
- Finance and Public Administration Committee take evidence on Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2026-7: Responding to long-term fiscal pressures; appointments to the Scottish Fiscal Commission
- Health, Social Care and Sport Committee will consider draft Stage 1 report on Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill
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Scottish Government data
- Suspected Drug Deaths – April to June 2025
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Westminster
- Oral questions: Treasury (including Topical Questions)
- Westminster Hall debate: Hydrogen Supply Chains
- Science, Innovation and Technology Committee – Oral evidence
- Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee – Oral evidence: Reforming the water sector
- UN: Opening of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York
Wednesday
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In the Holyrood chamber
- Portfolio Questions: Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands: Health and Social Care
- Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Debate: Economy, and Finance and Local Government
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In the Holyrood committee rooms
- Rural Affairs and Islands Committee will consider a draft report on Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill
- Economy and Fair Work Committee will consider a draft Stage 1 report on Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill
- Public Audit Committee will take evidence on Scottish National Investment Bank
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Westminster
- Oral questions: Science, Innovation and Technology (including Topical Questions)
- Prime Minister’s Question Time
- Scottish Affairs Committee – Oral evidence: Industrial transition in Scotland
- UK: Meeting of E5 defence ministers in London
- EU: State of European Union address by EU president Ursula von der Leyen
Thursday
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In the Holyrood chamber
- General Questions
- First Minister’s Questions
- Portfolio Questions: Social Justice and Housing
- Scottish Government Debate: Supporting Scottish Exports in Response to Global Uncertainty
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Scottish Government data
- Business Insights and Conditions Survey – Weighted Scottish Estimates
- Inflation Adjusted HMRC Regional Trade Statistics for Scotland
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Westminster
- Oral Questions – Transport (including Topical Questions)
- Business Statement – Business Questions to the Leader of the House
Friday
- UK: Monthly GDP estimate