Holyrood 563 / 22 June 2026

3 Editor’s note
Sturgeon’s position helped enable her husband’s criminality

6 Opinion
Louise Wilson
Chris Marshall

8 Spotlight: Peter Murrell
Without an inquiry, this scandal will continue to dog John Swinney

12 Opinion
Ruaraidh Gilmour
Kirsteen Paterson

14 Spotlight: Public Service Reform:
Ivan McKee wants to rebuild Scotland

18  Summer of Sport: Football  
Leveraging the soft power of the Scottish game

24 Topical Question:   
Should politicians step in to deal with disorder in football? 

26 Interview: Stuart Cosgrove
The broadcaster reflects on three decades of Off the Ball 

32 The Huddle:
Do big sporting events leave a lasting legacy?

34 Swimming:
Free lessons are promised, but what about facilities?

40 Rural Economy: Farming
Rising costs have given producers growing pains

46 Connect: Estonia
Could Scotland copy the online-only approach to public services? 

49 Feature: Child Poverty
This parliament needs to look beyond the Scottish Child Payment

54 Interview: Thomas Kerr
Reform UK’s deputy leader in Scotland defends his language 

60 Event Report:
Showcasing Scotland

62 Getting to Know You: 
Labour MSP Jenny Young

64 Diary

65  Political Spin
Kate Campbell 

66 Last Word: Sketch
An SNP MSP admits they should not have won the election...