David Bol
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davidbol.bsky.social
David Bol
@davidbol.bsky.social
18K followers 780 following 540 posts
✍️Journalist - Deputy Political Editor
📰The Scotsman @scotsman.com
🌍Climate & energy nerd
🔵Falkirk FC fan
📍Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
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davidbol.bsky.social
Shell had handed back a ScotWind lease it paid £86m for, with 3GW of clean energy and more than £3bn of promised Scottish investment put at risk if Crown Estate Scotland cannot find a developer to take it on. Scottish Renewables has warned over "fierce headwinds".
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Shell hands back ScotWind lease risking £3bn of investment amid 'fierce headwinds'
Shell has given a 3GW floating wind lease back to Crown Estate Scotland after reportedly failing to sell it on to another renewables developer
www.scotsman.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:50 PM
davidbol.bsky.social
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has given his support for more oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, calling on the UK Government to be "pursuing the opportunities that exist".
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Anas Sarwar backs oil and gas drilling and calls for 'balanced approach' to North Sea
The Scottish Labour leader has pleaded with his UK government colleagues to be “pursuing the opportunities that exist in oil and gas” in the North Sea despite a manifesto pledge to end new licensing.
www.scotsman.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Reposted by David Bol
pippacrerar.bsky.social
NEW: Rachel Reeves signals she intends to remove the two-child cap *in full*

"I don't think a child should be penalised because they're in a bigger family through no fault of their own," she tells BBC.
November 10, 2025 at 3:05 PM
davidbol.bsky.social
Shona Robison has given the strongest signal yet the Scottish Government could be poised to hike income tax again after warning she may be forced to "potentially revisit" a vow not to alter the levy in a "nightmare situation" for Scotland.
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Robison gives strong signal SNP 'revisiting' tax hikes under 'nightmare scenario'
Shona Robison has suggested Labour will “pay a very high price” with voters in Scotland if Chancellor Rachel Reeves moves to “actively cut Scotland’s funding by £1bn”.
www.scotsman.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by David Bol
kashhill.bsky.social
Allan Brooks, the corporate recruiter from Canada I wrote about in August who went into a 3-week-long delusional spiral with ChatGPT, sued OpenAI Thursday, alongside six other plaintiffs. They blame ChatGPT for their mental breakdowns and for four suicides. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/t...
Lawsuits Blame ChatGPT for Suicides and Harmful Delusions
www.nytimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Reposted by David Bol
iandunt.bsky.social
Vital piece of investigative reporting from Sky. They've uncovered the X algorithm which feeds users extremist right wing material from the moment they join the site. It is a far-right radicalisation engine, by design.

news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
news.sky.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:23 AM
davidbol.bsky.social
If Rachel Reeves does hike income tax in England, it could potentially cause a £1bn headache for John Swinney and (another) political migraine for Anas Sarwar
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
SNP ministers may have to slash spending or hike taxes due to Reeves' 'hard choices'
The Fraser of Allander Institute estimated a 2p rise in UK income tax could cut Holyrood’s budget by £1 billion due to the fiscal arrangements between Holyrood and Westminster.
www.scotsman.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:15 PM
davidbol.bsky.social
The chief of Scotland's renewables sector has joined forces with the North Sea oil and gas industry in an unprecedented move to heap pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to ensure the energy transition isn't a flop due to actions by the UK Labour government.
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Renewables and oil and gas chiefs unite to put pressure on Chancellor on windfall tax
Renewables and oil and gas chiefs have comes together in an unprecedented move, heaping pressure on the Chancellor to rethink her energy profits levy.
www.scotsman.com
November 4, 2025 at 6:31 PM
davidbol.bsky.social
Excl: The outgoing chairwoman of Public Health Scotland has hit out at the food and drink sector's "shameful pushback" against Holyrood's attempts to improve public health. tackle obesity and restrict junk food.
www.scotsman.com/health/outgo...
Outgoing Public Health Scotland chief slams food industry's 'shameful pushback'
The food and drink industry has lobbied the Scottish Government to rethink restrictions on the promotion of junk food.
www.scotsman.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:59 PM
davidbol.bsky.social
Excl: John Swinney will not attend COP30 as he snubs the global climate talks for the second year in a row
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Swinney to snub COP30 climate summit billed as most significant since Paris Agreement
The summit is expected to hold the most significant climate talks since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015.
www.scotsman.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:48 AM
davidbol.bsky.social
@johnswinney.bsky.social has announced that workers made redundant from the Grangemouth refinery closure will be given "priority consideration" for a flagship green jobs scheme. He also warned "public confidence" needs to be improved over the energy transition
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Ex Grangemouth workers to have 'priority consideration' for green jobs
The First Minister has warned politicians need to improve “public confidence” in the just transition to clean energy.
www.scotsman.com
October 29, 2025 at 11:50 AM
davidbol.bsky.social
John Swinney is being urged to rollout a private jet tax after new analysis revealed it could have generated an extra £20m this year.
Campaigners say it would “send a clear message ultra-wealthy polluters won’t be allowed to continue to get off virtually scot-free”.
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
This 'no brainer fair tax' that would make SNP £20 million for pubic services
The First Minister has been told to begin preparatory works on a private jet tax
www.scotsman.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Reposted by David Bol
scotsman.com
Good morning - here is today's front page of The Scotsman: PM defends barracks plan for migrants after backlash
October 29, 2025 at 7:53 AM
davidbol.bsky.social
It has taken the SNP since 2007 to bring forward some meaty proposals to overhaul council tax. Still a long way to go until we get any concrete change and it's clear there will be "winners and losers", but some interesting options in here
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
SNP's long-awaited council tax reform options include 'jaw-dropping' rises for some
The draft option has been branded potential “jaw-dropping tax hikes” by opponents.
www.scotsman.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:17 PM
davidbol.bsky.social
SNP Health Secretary Neil Gray has admitted that “procedures of low clinical value” will be stopped by the NHS as the health service shifts from a focus on acute hospital services to community care and prevention.
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
SNP minister admits NHS will have to axe procedures amid 'sacrifice' warning
Scotland’s auditor general has warned the NHS may need to examine which procedures it can continue to provide
www.scotsman.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:24 PM
davidbol.bsky.social
Edinburgh's housing convener has been suspended from Labour ahead of being officially sacked on Thursday. The Labour ruling group in the capital now only has 10 councillors - less than one sixth of the total members.
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Edinburgh housing convener Lezley Cameron suspended by Labour ahead of sacking
Lezley Cameron is now sitting as an independent councillor
www.scotsman.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:17 PM
davidbol.bsky.social
Excl: The Scottish Government’s blueprint to resuscitate its National Care Service plans has been branded “another costly SNP talking shop” after it was revealed thousands has been spent on the first three meetings of an interim advisory board.
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Care service board branded 'SNP talking shop' as thousands spent on three meetings
SNP ministers are embroiled in a row with trade unions over the advisory board.
www.scotsman.com
October 25, 2025 at 12:12 PM
davidbol.bsky.social
The Labour UK government has been told to stop actively accelerating the decline of the oil and gas sector amid fears clean energy jobs “are not being created at the pace and scale required” to “match heavy job losses”
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
MPs deliver 'grim' verdict on Labour's oil and gas strategy amid 'heaving job losses'
Labour ministers have been warned the “scale-up of clean energy is progressing more slowly than the decline of the oil and gas sector” with jobs being lost as a result.
www.scotsman.com
October 24, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Reposted by David Bol
alistairkgrant.bsky.social
🔴 EXC: Police probing ‘irregularities’ in Alba Party's finances after concern raised by leadership

www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Police probing ‘irregularities’ in Alba finances after concern raised by leadership
It comes amid a bitter row with former general secretary Chris McEleny
www.scotsman.com
October 24, 2025 at 7:02 AM
davidbol.bsky.social
John Swinney has defended his meetings with Chinese wind turbine manufacturer, MingYang, first revealed in my story in yesterday's Scotland on Sunday. The First Minister has also warned that the UK government blocking the investment would be a "setback"
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Swinney warns blocking Chinese wind investment a 'setback' as he defends meetings
John Swinney has defending meeting Ming Yang to lobby for investment in Scotland, despite national security concerns.
www.scotsman.com
October 20, 2025 at 5:45 PM
davidbol.bsky.social
Excl: SNP ministers have spent the last 12 months trying to woo Chinese wind turbine manufacturer, MingYang, to invest in Scotland despite national security concerns. In reality, the lobbying has been going on for years.
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Revealed: How SNP ministers have wooed Chinese firm MingYang for floating wind investment
Scottish Government ministers have met with the company several times despite national security concerns.
www.scotsman.com
October 19, 2025 at 11:15 AM
davidbol.bsky.social
Excl: SNP ministers have spent the last 12 months trying to woo Chinese wind turbine manufacturer, MingWang, to invest in Scotland despite national security concerns. In reality, the lobbying has been going on for years.
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Revealed: How SNP ministers have wooed Chinese firm MingYang for floating wind investment
Scottish Government ministers have met with the company several times despite national security concerns.
www.scotsman.com
October 19, 2025 at 8:29 AM
davidbol.bsky.social
Whatever you think of the SNP in Glasgow, some remarks from Scottish Labour MPs who should know better, have been embarrassing.
This today, incorrectly claiming SNP housing policies have any impact on asylum cases which is reserved to Westminster and dealt with by Home Office contractors, is mince.
An excerpt of Scottish Labour MSP Zubir Ahmed, incorrectly claiming asylum policy is devolved to Holyrood in an article in The Times
October 18, 2025 at 9:31 PM
davidbol.bsky.social
The Scottish Lib Dems are poised to do something next May we've not seen from them for a while - try and use the Holyrood regional list vote to maximise their number of MSPs.
My analysis on why the Lib Dems could use a triumph in the Highlands to spark a resurgence.
www.scotsman.com/news/politic...
Lib Dems' bold election strategy will copy Tories' and Greens' success with Holyrood list vote push
Alex Cole-Hamilton’s party has its sights set on a triumph in the Highlands at next May’s Holyrood election.
www.scotsman.com
October 18, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Reposted by David Bol
scotsman.com
Environment impact report on controversial Rosebank oil field in North Sea revealed
www.scotsman.com/news/scottis...
Environment impact report on controversial Rosebank Oilfield revealed
Courts ordered the developers to resubmit plans with detail on emissions after the application was overturned earlier this year.
www.scotsman.com
October 15, 2025 at 1:41 PM