Admission follows revelations over secret Scottish spy system linked to GCHQ

SECRET SURVEILLANCE can take place in Scotland without the knowledge of the domestic police, an assistant chief constable has admitted during evidence to MSPs.

Police Scotland assistant chief constable Steve Johnson, questioned by Green MSP and ex-officer John Finnie, said it was “conceivable” that there are ongoing operations in Scotland that the police would be unaware of. 

War spend rises over period linking UK attacks to towards 100 civilian deaths 

MONEY HAS CONTINUED to pour into the British bombing of the Middle East despite no clear progress in halting the political and humanitarian catastrophe on the ground.

New figures released by the UK military, sought by Glasgow MP Alison Thewliss, revealed that ‘Operation Shader’ has spent at least £44.5m on Hellfire missiles over the past 20 months. 

CommonSpace columnist Yvonne Ridley says the SNP should move quickly on developing an ethical foreign policy

AS cartoons go it was savage in its simplicity and illustrated the mire the British Government is in when it comes to trading with tyrants, dictators and those who flout international law.

As MPs prepare to vote on replacing the country’s nuclear weapons, we break down what you need to know about them

TODAY the UK Government will propose a vote in Westminster to extend the life of the Trident nuclear weapons system and the submarines that house them. 

Known as the Successor-class, it is a replacement for the Vanguard-class of ballistic missile submarines which entered Royal Navy service in the 1990s. 

The Conservative government claims it to be necessary if the Royal Navy is to maintain a continuous at-sea deterrent (CASD).

After the publication of the Chilcot Report, MPs close in on proposal to ‘prosecute’ Tony Blair 

FORMER prime minister Tony Blair faces being found in 'contempt of parliament' after a cross-party group of MPs announced a plan to hold him to account over the 2003 Iraq war.

The news comes in the light of the Iraq inquiry by Sir John Chilcot which found the former prime minister’s government had relied on “flawed intelligence” and “far from satisfactory legal advice”.

The Iraq inquiry finds the former prime minister liable for failings in intelligence, preparation and legality

THE decison to invade Iraq in 2003 was based on ‘flawed inteligence’, according to the findings of the Chilcot Report released today. 

In response to the release of the Chilcot Report there have been protests and demands for full accountability and atonement

THIS morning in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London there were strong protests and vigils in reaction to the formal publication of the Chilcot Inquiry in to the 2003 Iraq war. 

At 10.30am this morning gatherings were organised by the Stop the War Coalition, known for its firm opposition to the conflict. Thirteen years ago it was the driving force behind the large protests seen in Scotland and around the rest of the UK.

With this week witnessing the publication of the Chilcot Report, CommonSpace looks at the main points of discussion for the inquiry

THE long-awaited Chilcot Report into the Iraq war will finally be released tomorrow, and you can probably expect a mini media meltdown over the mammoth findings.

It could be a bit difficult to follow it all, so we’ll be doing our best to try and break it all down into the main points.

To kick us off ahead of publication, we’ve put together a quick explainer to jog your memory on some of they key issues likely to arise.