The latest SNP news, headlines and analysis from The NE Times.
Ed Davey, Zack Polanski and John Swinney each welcomed Sir Keir Starmer's exit while warning that another prime ministerial reshuffle means nothing without a change of direction.
Scotland's First Minister called Sir Keir's resignation proof that the Westminster system is 'broken', arguing a fresh start is 'only possible with independence'.
Voters in Aberdeen South and in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry go to the polls on the same day as Makerfield, in contests watched closely at Holyrood and Westminster.
John Swinney begins a fifth consecutive SNP term at Holyrood after the May election, but with no majority and Reform UK newly installed at parliament, the First Minister's pledge to force a Section 30 confrontation with Westminster is testing his slender authority.
John Swinney's party will govern as a minority after the 2026 Holyrood election, while Reform UK won its first seats and Labour slumped to a record low.