Holyrood 552 / 16 June 2025

Mountain to climb:
Labour gains a foothold in Hamilton but Anas Sarwar still has an uphill task

5 Editor’s note
Raw and real, Davy Russell is the antithesis of the party careerists who go from university to party comms, to candidate, to MSP

6 Roundup
Pictures and numbers from the past two weeks

7 Talking Point
Ministers need to take the issue of youth violence seriously

9 In Context
Prostitution (Offences and Support) Bill

10 Spotlight
The Hamilton by-election has given Labour a boost – but there’s still a long way to go until 2026

13 2026 Election: Health
More than five years on from the start of the pandemic, the health service is still struggling to cut waiting lists

13 2026 Election: Neil Gray
The health secretary says he’s confident Scotland’s NHS is about to turn a corner

16 2026 Leaders Interview: Anas Sarwar
After a by-election triumph, the Labour leader says he’s hungry for more

20 Rural Economy: The Law of the Land
As land reform proposals go through parliament, the sale of clan lands on Skye highlights key issues

26 Political Interview: Jim Fairlie
The agriculture minister has been working to reconnect the Scottish Government with rural Scotland

32 Feature: National Parks
With the Galloway plan scrapped and Loch Lomond Flamingo Land called in, what next for our national parks?

35 Connect: Digital Justice
Police officers, academics and commissioners are at odds on live facial recognition’s potential to help tackle crime

38 Getting to Know You
Labour MP Graeme Downie on witnessing history in the making

40 Comment
Hamilton was merely respite for Labour, says Paul Sinclair

41 Political Spin
Tory MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston on insulting indie rockers Travis

42 Diary
Gulls just wanna have fun

43 Last Word
Sketch: Neil Bibby foreshadows a win