http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-newsScottish Political News | Herald ScotlandenCopyright 2012 Herald & Times Group all rights reservedSat, 26 May 2012 15:45:02 PDTCopyright 2012 Herald & Times Group all rights reservednoScottish Political News | Herald Scotlandhttp://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/scotlands-future-will-be-in-scotlands-hands.17666615http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/scotlands-future-will-be-in-scotlands-hands.17666615THE official Yes campaign for Scottish independence aims to have one million people signed up to a declaration of support in time for the 2014 referendum.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/no-regrets-over-hunts-bskyb-role.17666609http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/no-regrets-over-hunts-bskyb-role.17666609DAVID Cameron yesterday continued his political gamble by placing more capital behind his beleaguered Culture Secretary, who is just days away from giving evidence over his role in the BSkyB takeover bid that could break his career.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/a-listers-and-well-wishers-line-up-for-independence.17666617http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/a-listers-and-well-wishers-line-up-for-independence.17666617HOLLYWOOD stars, minor celebrities, prominent businessmen and politicians past and present lined up to endorse the Yes campaign's launch message that decisions about Scotland's future are best taken by the people of Scotland.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/independence-vote-will-cost-jobs-for-civil-servants.17666571http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/independence-vote-will-cost-jobs-for-civil-servants.17666571THOUSANDS of Scottish civil servants face losing their jobs if Scotland votes for independence, a senior Coalition source claimed last night.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/texts-reveal-close-links-to-news-corp-press-chief.17666630http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/texts-reveal-close-links-to-news-corp-press-chief.17666630JEREMY Hunt called him "mon ami" and "daddy" while David Cameron's press aide signed off texts to him with kisses.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/merkel-prescribes-east-german-cure-for-greeces-eurozone-ills.17666642http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/merkel-prescribes-east-german-cure-for-greeces-eurozone-ills.17666642ANGELA Merkel is drawing up a rescue package to revive Greece's ailing economy with the blueprint used to transform East Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall, it is claimed today.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/libya-pledges-lockerbie-co-operation.17666442http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/libya-pledges-lockerbie-co-operation.17666442Lockerbie investigators have been given fresh assurances by Libya's interim Prime Minister that his government will co-operate "as a priority" as they pursue new lines of inquiry into the terrorist outrage.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/uk-recession-is-worse-than-first-thought.17666446http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/uk-recession-is-worse-than-first-thought.17666446BRITAIN'S double-dip recession is worse than first thought, official figures showed yesterday, prompting Labour to denounce the UK's "no growth government with its head in the sand".http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/hunt-sent-memo-backing-bid-for-bskyb.17692703http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/hunt-sent-memo-backing-bid-for-bskyb.17692703Jeremy Hunt backed Rupert Murdoch's controversial BSkyB bid in a memo to David Cameron just weeks before he was put in charge of the deal, it emerged yesterday.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/prime-minister-orders-a-free-vote-on-gay-marriage.17666402http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/prime-minister-orders-a-free-vote-on-gay-marriage.17666402DAVID Cameron followed Alex Salmond's lead yesterday by making clear MPs would have a free vote on the controversial issue of gay marriage and thus avoid a civil war with his party's backbenchers.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/new-airgun-laws-in-boys-memory.17666404http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/new-airgun-laws-in-boys-memory.17666404A CRACKDOWN on airguns will be introduced in Scotland in memory of a toddler murdered in a shooting.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/language-plan-funds-warning.17666437http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/language-plan-funds-warning.17666437INCREASED funding and more teachers will be needed if Scotland is to start teaching two foreign languages in primary school, MSPs heard yesterday.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/swinney-challenges-case-for-regional-pay.17666448http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/swinney-challenges-case-for-regional-pay.17666448WESTMINSTER'S plans to cut public-sector pay by aligning it with local conditions are damaging and unfair, according to Finance Secretary John Swinney.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/msps-may-summon-boss-of-training-company.17666461http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/msps-may-summon-boss-of-training-company.17666461MSPs are on course to invoke for the first time the legal power to compel a witness to attend Holyrood, in the wake of the latest snub from the training company boss who branded 80% of the country's young people unemployable.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/holyrood-backs-minimum-alcohol-pricing.17666471http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/holyrood-backs-minimum-alcohol-pricing.17666471SCOTLAND has become the first country in the UK to back minimum pricing for alcohol in a move which Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon claimed would have a significant and historic impact.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/mps-condemn-cuts-threatening-scottish-regiments.17689509http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/mps-condemn-cuts-threatening-scottish-regiments.17689509Swingeing defence cuts that threaten the future of Scotland's historic regiments have been attacked by MPs.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/mps-are-told-of-separation-risk-to-scots-defence-force.17666168http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/mps-are-told-of-separation-risk-to-scots-defence-force.17666168AN independent Scotland's defence forces would not be at full strength for a generation, MPs have been warned.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/crackdown-on-off-payroll-payments-in-public-sector.17666172http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/crackdown-on-off-payroll-payments-in-public-sector.17666172THE UK Exchequer could have lost millions of pounds in unpaid tax because more than 2400 public officials are being paid off the Government payroll, it emerged yesterday.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/clegg-to-tell-europe-it-has-failed-over-crisis.17682534http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/clegg-to-tell-europe-it-has-failed-over-crisis.17682534European countries, including the UK, have "failed" in the face of the escalating eurozone crisis, Nick Clegg will declare today.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/snp-dragged-its-feet-over-shamed-walker.17666135http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/snp-dragged-its-feet-over-shamed-walker.17666135THE SNP has been accused of dragging its feet over whether shamed MSP Bill Walker would remain a member of the party after Tory leader Ruth Davidson claimed the deadline had passed for his appeal against expulsion.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/inquiry-launched-into-ageing-scots.17666142http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/inquiry-launched-into-ageing-scots.17666142AN inquiry into the impact of the cost and delivery of services to Scotland's ageing population has been announced by Holyrood's Finance Committee.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/holyrood-to-mitigate-westminsters-cuts.17666162http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/holyrood-to-mitigate-westminsters-cuts.17666162MSPs last night passed a bill to help Scotland cope with Westminster legislation reforming the welfare system.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/cameron-to-fight-prison-voting-rights.17682673http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/cameron-to-fight-prison-voting-rights.17682673David Cameron put the UK on collision course with Europe as he signalled he would fight plans to force the UK to give voting rights to prisoners.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/target-for-scottish-electricity.17666119http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/target-for-scottish-electricity.17666119ENERGY giant ScottishPower said Scotland could be producing 100% of its electricity requirements from renewable sources by 2020.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/business-concern-at-empty-property-rate-move.17666121http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/business-concern-at-empty-property-rate-move.17666121BUSINESS bosses have warned the Scottish Government its plans to reduce the discount on rates paid on empty commercial properties is misguided and would put people out of work.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/training-boss-fails-to-appear.17666129http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/training-boss-fails-to-appear.17666129THE training company boss who sparked controversy by dubbing 80% of youngsters "unemployable" angered MSPs yesterday by failing to turn up at Holyrood.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/salmond-acccused-of-snubbing-uk-talks.2012057812http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/salmond-acccused-of-snubbing-uk-talks.2012057812Alex Salmond has been accused of snubbing a joint ministerial committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg for the second time in a row.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/bank-of-england-urged-to-cut-interest-rates-to-zero.17665929http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/bank-of-england-urged-to-cut-interest-rates-to-zero.17665929THE Bank of England should consider slashing interest rates to zero to boost Britain's ailing economy, the head of the world's leading economic watchdog said yesterday.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/criminals-may-pay-victims.17665901http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/criminals-may-pay-victims.17665901CONVICTED criminals could be force to pay cash towards supporting their victims, under plans being put out to consultation.http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/salmond-smart-grid-claim.17665907http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/salmond-smart-grid-claim.17665907ALEX Salmond will claim today that up to 12,000 jobs could be created through a new strategy to capitalise on Scotland's expertise in electricity supply and demand.nonadult