With the most unpredictable election in 15 years on the horizon it’s an exciting time to announce I’ll be back in the thick of it as Political Reporter at @thescottishsun.co.uk

Nearly 1,000 teachers are out of work because @snp.org reneged on its pledge to significantly expand the education workforce, a Scottish Government report has found.

Front page exclusive in @thetimes.com

www.thetimes.com/article/30c0...

If Peter Mathieson describes the gap between projected income and spending as an "operational deficit" it's fair for journalists to call it a deficit.

"Black hole" is a widely used synonym for deficit - bearing in mind the requirement to avoid repetition in engaging storytelling.

University crisis: Jenny Gilruth accused of lack of accountability The education secretary was criticised after claiming that the loss of one in five jobs at the University of Dundee was unrelated to SNP government cuts

You will probably enjoy today’s story then...

University crisis: Jenny Gilruth accused of lack of accountability

www.thetimes.com/article/5526...

Nothing was written by accident

It explains Dundee’s problems are part of a systemic sector-wide crisis (despite ministerial claims Dundee is “unique”)

And the problems are so wide and varied it’s impossible to do each strand justice in 1000 words (which is why we include links to wider reporting)

Another exclusive at the top of the @timesscotland.bsky.social site this morning.

School absences in Scotland are the highest in Britain.

In some councils, half of pupils missed one month a year.

www.thetimes.com/article/e55c...

‘Vested interests’ hampering efforts to tackle problem gambling Public Health Scotland has claimed that tax income and industry donations to MPs have manipulated Westminster to portray betting as socially acceptable

‘Vested interests’ hampering efforts to tackle problem gambling

www.thetimes.com/article/c274...

Another front page in the @timesscotland.bsky.social

Public Health Scotland says the betting industry has manipulated successive UK governments to portray gambling as “socially acceptable” and is holding back research on gambling harm through donations and payments to MPs

Parents claim children have special needs to ‘game’ exam system There were nearly 39,000 requests for assistance last year, up from less than 6,400 in 2005

The warning that parents are “gaming the system” by falsely claiming their children have additional needs to get special exam privileges was made by a Scottish teacher in a SQA survey.

www.thetimes.com/article/eb84...

Parents claim children have special needs to ‘game’ exam system There were nearly 39,000 requests for assistance last year, up from less than 6,400 in 2005

The number of pupils who receive help with exams has increased sixfold, leading to claims that parents are “gaming the system” by saying that their children have special needs.

Exclusive in @thetimes.com

www.thetimes.com/article/eb84...