The disaster at the Stockline plastics factory in Glasgow was caused by years of neglect by the company that ran it and by the government watchdog meant to regulate it, according to a report . Eight experts from four universities have condemned ICL Plastics and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for failing to prevent the gas explosion on May 11, 2004, which killed nine workers and injured 40.

First Minister Alex Salmond's proposal for an independence referendum has suffered a blow after a new opinion poll shows a majority of Scots would vote against his plan. The snapshot, which was based on the exact question floated in the SNP Executive s consultation on independence, found 50% of respondents would decline to support separation.

A leading supporter of Kenny Richey, the Scot who has spent more than 20 years on death row in the US, yesterday revealed she was "nervous" after hearing he will be retried.

First Minister Alex Salmond will tomorrow scrap the title Scottish Executive and replace it with his preferred term, the Scottish government.

Police investigating Tommy Sheridan's defamation trial have questioned one of the socialist politician's allies about a plot to destroy court evidence.

Secondary pupils in Scotland are mobilising against military recruitment in their schools. Pupil groups in St Andrews and Glasgow will join Edinburgh's School Students Against War (SSAW) this week to launch a campaign to stop the army targeting children as young as 14.

A senior Labour MP is facing an expenses probe after using taxpayers' money to send a mailshot to local party members.

More than half of nurses in Scotland feel they are too busy to provide the standards of care they would like for patients, with the majority having concerns over staffing levels.

Scottish National Party ministers are this week being challenged to solve the problems that plague their environmental policies on pollution, transport, waste and wildlife.

On the eve of a watershed government report explaining why children in Scottish care homes from the 1950s until the 1990s were allowed to be sexually abused, the Sunday Herald has uncovered yet another disturbing scandal.