Only 11 of more than 1,000 deaths in Scottish mental health wards over the last decade have been investigated by Scotland's public body overseeing the welfare of patients, according to a new report by Glasgow University.

The study - Nothing to see here - is the fourth annual monitoring report on deaths in state care by the university's Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR).

Published this week, it examines deaths in prison, police custody, migration detention and asylum accommodation and of those sectioned under a compulsory order by the Mental Health Act. It also highlights the deaths of children and young people in care and of people with learning difficulties or who are autistic and living in hospital.

Researchers found that a total of 244 people died in these settings of "state control" last year alone. More than half of those - 138 people in total - died after being sectioned in mental health facilities.

Only two investigations into deaths were published in 2024 by statutory body, the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (MWCS), the report notes. A further two court-ordered fatal accident inquiries into the deaths of people detained on mental health grounds were also published, according to the report.

Deaths not investigated

In England and Wales all deaths in mental health detention will be investigated by a public coronial inquest but in Scotland fatal accident inquiries are not mandatory in mental health settings although they must be carried out following a death in prison or police custody.

Professor Sarah Armstrong, one of the report's authors, said all deaths of those who had been sectioned should be investigated so that lessons could be learned and lives saved, a call backed by campaigners.

The commission said it was in discussions with the Scottish Government about expanding its remit for investigations into deaths.

Over the past decade 1,232 people have died while detained or under a compulsory order. The number of people who have been detained has increased, and the number of people who have died has also increased. The percent of the total people detained has remained consistently between 1.1 to 1.3 percent.

Armstrong said: "The current process for which deaths are investigated and which are not is not always clear what criteria is used. The whole system is opaque."

She said it was "surprising" that while the Mental Welfare Commission had "done some hard hitting and quite critical investigations" these were only carried out for a small number of deaths.

Armstrong and her team are highly critical of the fatal accident process, which they say is too slow, insensitive to families and fails to make binding recommendations. But she added: "There should be some sort of mandatory, transparent investigation for anyone who dies while in the detention of the state."

She also raised concerns about the increase in the number of people from deprived communities being sectioned, claiming that previous work into deaths in state care showed that families from these communities would have additional barriers in advocating for themselves and their loved ones.

No cause of death is given in the statistics released by the Mental Welfare Commission but there have been concerns raised about the number of suicides in mental health wards.

Suicide and self harm causing deaths of young people in care

An investigation by the BBC in March 2025 found that a patient takes their own life in Scotland's mental health hospitals nearly every five weeks on average, with families raising concerns that not enough was being done to protect vulnerable people.

It also found that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had issued improvement notices to three hospitals - one in Highland, another in Lanarkshire and a third in Forth Valley - in recent years for failing to reduce the risks of patient suicides.

In 2023 student Jake Llewellyn, who was just 26, died at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, near Falkirk. A police investig...

The power and influence of the wealthiest in society has been one of the main themes of The Ferret's Who Runs Scotland series.

We've looked at how powerful people and actors have leveraged their influence to impact policy and government decision-making.

But who are Scotland's richest people, and how did they make their money? As part of Who Runs Scotland, we've taken a look.

1. Anders Holch Povlsen

What is their net worth? £6.73bn - 24th richest person in the UK (Sunday Times Rich list)

How did they make their fortune? Fashion, online shopping, financial services

Anders Holch Povlsen is Scotland's richest man, and has been measured by Forbes as one of the 200 wealthiest people on the planet.

His primary business interest has been retailer Bestseller, which began as a small shop run by Povlsen's parents in the Danish town of Ringkobing. He took over the firm aged 28, and has built it into a multimillion pound fashion empire with 2,800 shops across 44 countries.

Bestseller owns a number of well-known brands, including Jack & Jones, Only & Sons, and Lil Atelier. The firm also owns part of the Topshop and Topman brands, and is a major shareholder in online clothes retailer ASOS.

He and his wife Anne bought the 42,000-acre Glenfeshie estate in the Cairngorms for £8m in 2006, and through their company Wildland, they are attempting a significant, although at times controversial, rewilding project in the area. They are Scotland's largest private landowners, according to research from Who Owns Scotland.

Povlsen's firm secretly lobbied Scottish Government ministers in 2020 in opposition to a proposed spaceport in Sutherland, near to one of his estates. The billionaire reportedly has a significant stake in a separate spaceport in the northern tip of the Shetland Islands.

He also faced criticism after private jets he owned made over 1,000 flights in four years, despite his reputation as a champion of the environment. A number of flights were made from Denmark to Inverness, before Povlsen celebrated his 50th birthday. Pop legend Lionel Richie was reportedly flown in for the lavish bash, at Aldourie Castle on the banks of Loch Ness.

2. Glenn Gordon and family

What is their net worth? £5.619bn - 36th in UK

How did they make their fortune? Drinks industry

The chairman of William Grant and Sons, Gordon is a descendant of the company's founder.

His company owns some of Scotland and the world's most well-known drinks brands, including whiskies like Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Hendrick's gin and Sailor Jerry rum.

The firm faced an inquiry in 2025 over its acquisition of the Famous Grouse brand by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), but the deal was cleared after an investigation.

Gordon, who is now based in Jersey, is a director of William Grant and Sons alongside his cousin Peter, who preceded Gordon as chairman of the firm.

3. Sir Ian Wood and family

What is their net worth? £1.911bn - 88th in UK

How did they make their fortune? Oil and gas services

Sir Ian Wood is one of Scotland's highest-profile businessmen. The company he founded, Wood group, has become an oil services multinational with operations in more than 50 countries.

He retired as chairman in 2012, but remains a director of JW Holdings, which is one of Scotland's largest fishing firms.

Since leaving Wood, he has spent time on various business interests, including Opportunity North East (ONE), a group which promotes entrepreneurial growth in north east Scotland.

The Aberdeen-born businessman has exerted influence over Scottish and UK Government policy, In 2013, he undertook a review of how the UK's recovery of oil and gas could be maximised, with his recommendations being accepted by ministers. Wood has also regularly made public political interventions, querying the Scottish Government's predictions on oil and gas before the Scottish independence referendum in 2014.

He also belatedly expressed support for Brexit, having voted to stay in Europe in the 2016 referendum.

4. Mahdi...

Unions have called for urgent clarity from Edinburgh university after it published an "incorrect" memo that said the cash-strapped institution had purchased an iconic A-listed office block while it was laying off staff.

An internal communication from the university to staff in late March - shared with The Ferret - said it had bought the former Scottish Widows building opposite Edinburgh's Commonwealth swimming pool the previous month.

However in response to queries from The Ferret, a spokesperson for the university denied it had bought the building. They did not explain how the miscommunication had occurred.

Pressed further, a spokesperson said "at this stage, all we can say is that any information suggesting the university has bought the building is incorrect".

The property on Dalkeith Road in the Newington area of the city is known for its distinctive brown hexagonal buildings.

Staff reacted with anger and disappointment to the confusion around the purchase, while the union said it had now lost any remaining trust it had in management.

The information was shared in an online post just weeks after the university announced £140m of cuts over the next 18 months. The Ferret understands the post was taken down a few days later.

This week the university said 350 staff had left through a voluntary severance scheme launched in January and that academic promotions would be frozen for the 2025-26 year. The university has not ruled out further compulsory redundancies.

On Friday the University and College Union (UCU) branch released an analysis claiming that up to 2,000 jobs might be at risk and more money than ever is being spent on buildings.

The memo said the Scottish Widows building was bought as part of the university's "capital plan" to continue its commitment to "world-class facilities" for students and staff.

The UCU called for urgent answers over the confusion and clarity about whether buying the property was, or is, under consideration.

The university told staff it had purchased the building in answer to a question posted on an internal online hub. The Ferret understands the question reflected longstanding rumours circulating amongst Edinburgh staff.

The union said the rumours were fuelled by the lack of "transparency and accountability" surrounding capital expenditure at the university. It claimed "finance and capital" were "driving the direction of the university rather than teaching and research".

Scottish Labour said "overstretched" university finances meant it was "more important than ever" that "all financial decisions are sound and high standards of transparency are being held".

The Dalkeith Road site has been vacant since 2020.

But plans to redevelop it into a 'business hub' and nearly 200 apartments - of which 35 per cent were expected to be 'affordable' - were approved by the council in 2023.

The cost of that refurbishment - which would include replacement of the building's glass façade because it contained "significant amounts of asbestos" - was previously estimated to be £100m.

University of Edinburgh management has blamed factors including a fall in the recruitment of international students, "longstanding" underfunding of Scottish undergraduates and rising staff costs for its financial troubles.

But the UCU - which is balloting members on strike action - has accused senior staff of "manufacturing a crisis" to justify cuts and claim the biggest threat to its finances is "unrestrained" capital spending on things like buildings.

Over 400 university staff earn more than the first minister

A number of universities across Scotland - including Dundee, Robert Gordon and Aberdeen - are facing financial problems.

The body that represents Scotland's higher education institutions, Universities Scotland, argues the root cause of the crisis is underfunding. The amount the Scottish Government gives universities for each Scottish student has declined in real terms for more than a decade.

Universities have become increasingly d...

Nearly a third of Scotland's most-read national newspapers are owned in a US tax haven - and that proportion may soon rise to half, The Ferret can reveal.

As part of our Who Runs Scotland series, The Ferret analysed the ownership of the 21 national newspapers that adults in Scotland say they read - both in print and online - according to media regulator Ofcom's 2024 news survey.

We found that six titles are owned by companies incorporated in Delaware, US, where it is easy to set up corporate entities without disclosing the true owners.

The publishers behind four papers more are the target of a takeover bid involving an investment firm based in the tax haven state.

Not one of the seven companies that own the most-read Scottish titles are incorporated in Scotland.

Other than the six newspapers incorporated in Delaware, three are owned in Jersey, and 10 are owned in England, while the ownership of two more are in limbo. Media reform campaigners said Holyrood and Westminster must do more to prevent concentrated media ownership.

Tax campaigners claimed the Delaware-ownership of Scottish media created a risk of "tax abuse", and that secrecy provisions in the US state could allow anonymous owners to "subvert domestic politics" via their newspapers' content.

Who owns Scotland's papers?

Reach PLC publishes the most Scottish nationals - the Daily Record, Sunday Mail, Daily Star of Scotland, Scottish Daily Express and Scottish Sunday Express, as well as The Mirror and online publications including Glasgow Live and Edinburgh Live.

The London-based firm is chaired by Nicholas Prettejohn, who also chairs TSB Banking Group, and is an independent director of the polling firm, YouGov. Jim Mullen, Reach's chief executive, held senior roles at gambling firms and News International - which is now called News UK.

The London-based News UK publishes the Scottish Sun, Scottish Sun on Sunday, and the Scotland editions of The Times and Sunday Times. Chief executive Rebekah Brooks once edited The Sun, and the News of World tabloid, which ceased publication following a phone hacking scandal.

News UK's parent, News Corp, which is incorporated in Delaware, is owned by the family of billionaire media baron, Rupert Murdoch, and chaired by his son, Lachlan.

Also incorporated in Delaware is Gannett, which owns The Herald, Herald on Sunday, The National and the Sunday National, plus the Scottish Farmer and more than 20 Scottish locals including the Glasgow Times.

Its titles are published by Newsquest Media Group, which is headquartered in London and has a registered office in Newport, Wales.

Ownership of The Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph - both of which have Scotland editions - is in a state of limbo. The billionaire Barclay family agreed to pass ownership to a fund bankrolled by the United Arab Emirates' royal family after it paid off their debts.

But after the UK Government intervened to block ownership by a foreign state, the fund withdrew its bid.

A free and healthy democracy depends on a free and independent media.

A spokesperson for the Media Reform Coalition

In March, US businessman, Todd Boehly, and Northern Irish media mogul, David Montgomery, made a joint bid to buy the Telegraph titles and the Leeds-based National World, which owns The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and 19 Scottish locals including Edinburgh Evening News.

Boehly is acting via a media arm of his investment firm, Eldridge Industries, which is incorporated in Delaware. If his bid is successful, 50 per cent of Scotland's most-read newspapers would be at least partly owned in the US tax haven state.

Billionaire Lord Rothermere, another press baron, is a controller and executive director of the London-based Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT). It owns the Scottish Daily Mail, Scottish Mail on Sunday and the Scottish editions of the Metro and the i Paper, via its DMG Media subsidiary.

Rothermere owns DMGT via the Jersey-registered Rothermere Continuation Limited, a company controlled via ...

In our Who Runs Scotland series so far, we have revealed the industries which have the most access to political power in Scotland through lobbying meetings with our ministers, MPs and MSPs.

Our analysis found that three of Scotland's most high-profile and powerful industries - oil and gas, fish farming, and whisky - have repeatedly attempted to exert influence over Scottish politics in this way.

These iconic exports are often assumed to be working hard for Scotland's economy.

But where does their ownership really lie? Which companies are behind some of Scotland's best known exports, which are trying to sway the decision-making of elected officials?

Whisky

Total lobbying of Scottish MSPs since 2021: 243

Ownership outside the UK: France, Thailand, Japan, Bermuda

Just a third of Scotch single malt whisky distilleries are owned in Scotland.

Whisky is considered Scotland's national drink - besides Irn-Bru. The sector is important to Scottish tourism, employs 41,000 Scots, and generated £5.4bn in exports last year alone, according to the Scotch Whisky Association.

But who actually owns our distilleries? According to our analysis, just 52 (34 per cent) of Scotland's 153 single malt whisky distilleries are owned in Scotland. Some 46 are owned by companies in England, 18 are owned in France, while seven belong to Japanese firms.

Edit

Distillery

Ultimate Owner

Ultimate Owner Country

Region

Founded

Dallas Dhu

Aceo Limited

England

Speyside

1899

Ardnamurchan

Adelphi Distillery

Scotland

Highland

2014

Benbecula

Angus A. MacMillan

Scotland

Highland

2024

Glencadam

Angus Dundee Distillers

England

Highland

1825

Tomintoul

Angus Dundee Distillers

England

Speyside

1964

Arbikie

Arbikie Distilling Ltd

Scotland

Highland

2015

Ben Nevis

Asahi Breweries

Japan

Highland

1825

Wolfburn

Aurora Brewing

England

Highland

2013

Royal Brackla

Bacardi Limited

Bermuda

Highland

1812

Craigellachie

Bacardi Limited

Bermuda

Speyside

1891

Aberfeldy

Bacardi Limited

Bermuda

Highland

1896

Aultmore

Bacardi Limited

Bermuda

Speyside

1896

Macduff

Bacardi Limited

Bermuda

Highland

1962

Ballindalloch

Ballindalloch Distillery LLP

Scotland

Speyside

2014

Bowmore

Beam Suntory

Japan

Islay

1779

Glen Garioch

Beam Suntory

Japan

Highland

1797

Laphroaig

Beam Suntory

Japan

Islay

1815

Auchentoshan

Beam Suntory

Japan

Lowland

1823

Ardmore

Beam Suntory

Japan

Highland

1898

Blackness Bay

Blackness Bay Distillery Ltd

Scotland

Lowland

2024

BrewDog

Brewdog

Scotland

Highland

2016

Glendronach

Brown-Forman Corporation

USA

Highland

1826

Glenglassaugh

Brown-Forman Corporation

USA

Highland

1875

BenRiach

Brown-Forman Corporation

USA

Speyside

1897

Lochlea

Burglas Limited

Scotland

Lowland

2018

Burn O'Bennie

Burnobennie Distillery Limited

Scotland

Highland

2021

Glen Grant

Campari Group

Italy

Speyside

1840

Isle of Raasay

Chanrossa Group Ltd

Scotland

Highland

2017

InchDairnie

Copenhagen Fortuna Company A/S

Denmark

Lowland

2015

Crafty

Crafty Scottish Distillers Ltd

Scotland

Lowland

2017

Deeside

Deeside Brewery & Distilling Ltd

Scotland

Highland

2012

Oban

Diageo

England

Highland

1794

Blair Athol

Diageo

England

Highland

1798

Lagavulin

Diageo

England

Islay

1816

Teaninich

Diageo

England

Highland

1817

Brora

Diageo

England

Highland

1819

Linkwood

Diageo

England

Speyside

1821

Mortlach

Diageo

England

Speyside

1823

Cardhu

Diageo

England

Speyside

1824

Port Ellen

Diageo

England

Islay

1825

Benrinnes

Diageo

England

Speyside

1826

Talisker

Diageo

England

Highland

1830

Glenkinchie

Diageo

England

Lowland

1837

Glen Ord

Diageo

England

Highland

1838

Royal Lochnagar

Diageo

England

Highland

1845

Caol Ila

Diageo

England

Islay

1846

Dailuaine

Diageo

England

Speyside

1852

Cragganmore

Diageo

England

Speyside

1869

Inchgower

Diageo

England

Speyside

1871

Glenlossie

Diageo

England

Speyside

1876

Glen Spey

Diageo

England

Speyside

1878

Strathmill

Diageo

England

Speyside

1891

Dufftown

Diageo

England

Speyside

1896

Dalwhinnie

Diageo

England

Highland

1897

Glendullan

Diageo

England

Speyside

1897

Glen Elgin

Diageo

England

Speyside

1898

Knockando

Diageo...

Releasing pheasants into the countryside may boost the risk of humans catching Lyme disease, according to new research from universities and the UK Health Security Agency.

The study, published in the journal Ecology Letters, found the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease was almost 2.5 times more common in ticks located in areas where the gamebirds were released.

Some 35 to 48 million pheasants are released into the UK countryside each year to be shot for sport. Lyme disease-infected ticks can be found right across Scotland, but are most prevalent in the Highlands and Tayside.

Millions of gamebirds imported during record bird flu outbreak

Contracting the disease can be life-changing, causing later-stage symptoms including pain, muscle, heart and memory issues, disturbed sleep and fatigue, as well as anxiety and depression.

The prevalence of ticks in Scotland is set to increase by a quarter in the coming decade under the most "optimistic" climate change scenario, according to a University of Stirling study published last August.

If global temperatures are limited to 1C by 2080, the prevalence of ticks will increase by 26 per cent, but under a 4C temperature rise, the number will almost double, with only the highest peaks in Scotland remaining too cold for the parasites.

In the pheasant study, from the UK Government's Health Security Agency and academics at Cardiff and Exeter universities, researchers studied ticks in 25 woodland areas in South West England where pheasants are released - and 25 nearby sites where no pheasants are released.

'Increased risk' of Lyme disease for humans

"Borrelia bacteria can live in a wide range of hosts, including pheasants, wild birds and mammals - and humans," said Emile Michels, from Exeter's university's centre for ecology and conservation.

"Pheasants are known to be 'competent' hosts of Borrelia - meaning they have a relatively high likelihood of contracting and retransmitting the bacteria.

"More research is needed, but our findings suggest there may be an increased risk of potential exposure to Borrelia-infected ticks for people - such as gamekeepers - who work in woodlands where pheasants are released in numbers."

Dr Jolyon Medlockfrom the Health Security Agency said the government body lacked data on "the resulting impact on human health, including evidence of Lyme infection", but would continue to work with academics to better understand the factors that cause the disease to be transmitted.

A spokesperson for Lyme Disease UK said they welcome "all research that gives a greater understanding of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease". They added: "As ticks now seem to be staying active in some areas throughout the colder months, due to our warming climate, it is essential to know what drives the spread of this bacteria".

Rare capercaillie under threat from gamebirds

The Scottish Greens' spokesperson for rural affairs, Ariane Burgess MSP pointed out that pheasants' "capacity to spread Lyme disease to humans has been discussed and debated for decades".

It was therefore "not surprising to consider the risks increasing through breeding and releasing more of these beautiful birds for humans to simply murder as a pastime," she claimed.

Burgess added: "Hunting is not only cruel in its practice. The ritualistic mass-killing of species like pheasants for sport is also majorly damaging to our biodiversity and should be completely outlawed in Scotland."

The Ferret is an independent, investigative journalism cooperative dedicated to holding power to account. Since 2015, we have reported on corruption, environmental issues, human rights, and political influence in Scotland. Our work is supported by members who believe in journalism that challenges, exposes, and informs. If you value in-depth, fact-based reporting, you can support our work by becoming a member. Join us today: https://theferret.scot/subscribe

Pheasant header image thanks to Freek Wolsink. Tick header image thanks to Erik Karits.

Over 400 members of staff at Scotland's universities earn more than the first minister, despite a funding crisis engulfing the sector that could see lower paid roles axed.

A Ferret analysis as part of our Who Runs Scotland series found at least 400 university staff are paid more than John Swinney, whose combined MSP and first ministerial salary is £135,605.

In total 1,250 members of staff across the country's 15 universities were paid more than £100,000 per year.

This figure puts them in a bracket with some of the highest earners in the country. Our analysis showed just under three per cent of the total Scottish university workforce earns upwards of £100,000. Their annual salaries collectively cost £175m per year.

That is equivalent to nearly a quarter of the main teaching grant - the biggest chunk of funding universities receive from the Scottish Government.

A number of universities across the country have announced that they are making cuts, including to jobs. Growing staff costs are one of the factors blamed, alongside a stagnation in government funding and a drop in the recruitment of international students.

Universities Scotland, which represents the higher education sector, said institutions need to pay enough to attract "experienced" people to navigate "challenging and volatile operating environments". That requires salaries that match "market rates across the UK and globally," the body claimed.

Universities on the edge: How can we solve the funding crisis?

Critics argued that while high pay is not the root cause of the funding crisis, vast salaries for senior staff are difficult to rationalise when students and lower-paid employees are "struggling". Low pay and job insecurity were endemic problems in the sector, one claimed.

They called for increased public scrutiny to ensure management teams and other top staff are justifying high salaries amid job losses and cuts to programmes.

John Swinney's pay has remained at £135,605 since 2009, when former first minister Alex Salmond introduced a pay freeze for ministers following the global financial crisis. This freeze was partially lifted in April 2025, but Swinney declined to take the increase.

Pay discrepancy

Our analysis looked at the annual accounts of every Scottish university in 2024, apart from Dundee, for which we used 2023 figures because it is yet to publish accounts for last year.

The University of Edinburgh has the largest workforce of any Scottish institution, and employs 385 staff who earn six figures, including those known as "clinical staff" who work in medicine as well as teaching in education.

This includes principal Sir Peter Mathieson, whose basic salary rose by 2.5 per cent in January to nearly £380,000. The pay rise came just weeks before Mathieson told Edinburgh staff it was seeking £140m in cuts which would result in a "smaller staff base".

Mathieson has also faced scrutiny for taking a second role at a firm linked to the university, which critics within Edinburgh described as a distraction from tackling the problems facing the institution.

'A slap in the face': Edinburgh uni staff rage at principal's second job amid layoffs

Edinburgh is one of two Scots universities - alongside St Andrews - where the principal is paid more than ten times the median employee.

The University of Glasgow has the second highest number of staff on high salaries, with 350 employees on £100,000 or more and the principal paid nine times the median member of staff.

At Stirling university, principal Gerry McCormac received a basic salary of £414,000, with his full pay and benefits package equating to £438,000, making him the highest paid figure in Scottish academia in 2024.

Dire warnings

A number of institutions across Scotland have announced redundancies. Edinburgh launched a voluntary severance scheme in January and said in February that £140m of cuts to its budget in the next 18 months will mean a "smaller staff base", with cuts going beyond those who have already left thr...

The UK Government has been accused of acting as the "promotional wing" of the multinational salmon farming industry, after a minister appeared to bow to pressure to serve more farmed salmon at government receptions.

The Ferret can reveal that industry leaders lobbied the Scotland Office minister, Kirsty McNeill, at a meeting in September 2024 for "greater supply of Scottish salmon" at government events. She replied she was "keen to see this".

Minutes of the meeting released under freedom of information law also show salmon company bosses complaining about "fractured" regulation and delays to export health certificates. They called for "a more enlightened approach on immigration" to attract fish farm workers to Scotland.

The Scotland Office's role in helping to "spin a glossy PR story" was described as "deeply troubling" by the Scottish Greens. They said farmed salmon should "stay off the menu" at government events.

Campaigners argued that farmed salmon were frequently dosed with "highly toxic chemicals" and had "an appalling environmental record". It was "bizarre" the UK Government wanted to serve a product subject to "systematic greenwashing", they claimed.

But the industry insisted that the government was right to "showcase" Scottish salmon and help to boost sales. The product was an "extraordinary success story" enjoyed in nearly 50 countries, it argued.

The Scotland Office defended its support for the salmon industry as a vital part of its plan for economic growth. It said Scottish salmon was the "jewel in the crown" of Scotland's produce.

As part of its major investigation - Who Runs Scotland - The Ferret revealed on 8 April the extent to which oil, whisky and other industries lobbied the Scotland Office. We have also reported in detail on the public relations firms that help businesses influence ministers.

Who's winning friends and influencing people at the Scotland Office?

On 11 September 2024 in London, McNeill and two of her senior officials met Atholl Duncan and Tavish Scott, respectively the chair and chief executive of the industry body, Salmon Scotland. Also present were executives from two big salmon farming companies, Mowi and Bakkafrost, as well as Alan Roden from the PR firm, Quantum Communications.

The official minute of the meeting released by the Scotland Office disclosed that it ended with the industry pressing for more of its salmon to be served at government events.

"Finally Salmon Scotland said that they would welcome greater supply of Scottish salmon at UK Government/Scotland Office events," the minute recorded.

"Minister McNeill said that she was keen to see this but that catering procurement across government was not centralised and so the Scotland Office would need to see how best to take that away."

Scottish salmon has been served at government events in the past, including the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021 and at St Andrews Day receptions at Holyrood and the British Embassy in Paris in 2023.

Earlier in the meeting, Bakkafrost said that "the regulatory environment for salmon production in Scotland was too fractured", and didn't include incentives for investment. The company argued that "there should be good regulation, not more regulation".

The industry also complained that problems with export health certificates were delaying salmon exports. According to the minute, Bakkafrost said "the international competitiveness of Scotland has eroded" and "its share of the global market has diminished".

In addition, salmon companies highlighted a need for foreign workers. "The industry is looking for a more enlightened approach on immigration, to make Scotland more attractive to workers from elsewhere," Salmon Scotland's Tavish Scott was reported to have said.

The meeting with the Scotland Office was on the same day as a salmon industry "breakfast briefing" for MPs at Westminster, hosted by the Labour MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Torcuil Crichton.

Influence games: the revolving door between poli...

Scotland's most influential public relations companies are staffed by former politicians, government ministers, spin doctors and newspaper editors, The Ferret has found, exposing the "revolving door" between politics, the media and lobbying.

These well-connected figures are now being paid to represent the interests of the UK's largest businesses including fossil fuel and energy multinationals, big finance, and arms firms.

Lobbying is a normal part of the democratic process, allowing businesses and civil society alike to raise issues with elected representatives. A move to public relations consultancy from journalism or politics is considered standard by many in the industry.

Parliamentary rules aim to prevent former ministers and senior civil servants from lobbying for two years after leaving these roles. But they are free to work as corporate lobbyists thereafter. The Ferret has not found any examples of any Scottish firm breaking these rules.

Tom Brake, of Unlock Democracy, called for the ban to be extended from two to five years after leaving office or employment. The "revolving door" between government and PR "gives these firms, and their clients, an unfair advantage," he said, "particularly when a former elected official or special advisor walks away with a detailed understanding of important processes such as procurement rules or an extensive list of favoured contacts."

Agustina Olivieri, head of campaigns for the Good Law Project, said the revolving doors between Holyrood and corporate interests were "spinning as smoothly as ever" and "glaring loopholes" should be closed. Politicians should listen to those with "real policy expertise based on a social justice agenda" rather than "the dizzying spin of corporate lobbyists pushing for tax cuts or shilling for oil and gas barons," she argued.

Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman said there was a culture of "groupthink, of chumminess and game-playing" that led an already disenfranchised public to become more frustrated. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer only 30 percent of people in the UK reported trust in the government in 2024.

"Politicians should always seek to further the interests of their constituents and of Scotland as a whole. We cannot do that if the means to get there only involves a select few in the same echo chamber," she added.

As part of its Who Runs Scotland series, The Ferret has profiled five of Scotland's most influential PR and lobbying firms to see who's behind them and who they represent.

Profile key

Revolving doors score:

We've given the PR firms below a "revolving doors score", which is calculated as follows:

Founder (past or present) is a political or media figure = 2 points (3 points if both)

Current associate is a political or media figure or has worked for a client = 1 point

Lobbying figure:

This is the number of times the company has lobbied in Scotland since the last Scottish Parliament election.

Arden Strategies

HQ: Motherwell

Founder: Jim Murphy

Established: 2015

Murphy is part of the Labour establishment. He served as the MP for East Renfrewshire (formerly Eastwood) from 1997 to 2015 and held multiple cabinet roles including secretary of state for Scotland. In the run-up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum Murphy undertook a pro-union tour of the country - in which he substituted Irn Bru crates for the traditional soap box - which was suspended following abuse from Yes supporters. Elevated to Scottish Labour leader following the referendum, he resigned following the party's collapse at the 2015 Scottish election where they lost 40 out of 41 seats, including his own.

In the early days of Arden Strategies - which takes the name of the Glasgow housing estate where Murphy was born - Better Together campaign director Blair McDougall worked with Murphy as a "senior strategist". McDougall, a former Labour party advisor, worked there until his successful bid for Murphy's former East Renfrewshire seat in last July's election.

Murphy ha...

Organisations in Scotland using obscure powers to investigate the general public reported nearly 40,000 alleged crimes to prosecutors in the last four years, The Ferret can reveal.

The SSPCA, NHS Scotland, and the Food Standards Agency are among at least 54 so-called 'specialist reporting agencies' (SRAs) given powers to investigate criminal activity. SRAs came to prominence after the Post Office used its powers to investigate, wrongly charge and privately prosecute hundreds of innocent people in what is known as the Horizon scandal.

In Scotland, these powerful agencies undertake investigations and send reports to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), independently of Police Scotland. Some can obtain warrants, seize evidence, search premises, interview, caution and charge people. They can also spy on people.

The Ferret investigated the hidden powers of specialist reporting agencies as part of our Who Runs Scotland series, which examines those who wield power in our country behind the scenes.

In Scotland, investigatory powers are bestowed upon organisations through legislation and powers vary - but the Crown Office is the only public prosecution service in Scotland.

In a freedom of information request, we asked the Crown Office how these low-profile but significant powers had been used in Scotland. It revealed that since 2020, SRAs have investigated serious crimes including murders, drugs supply, fraud, assault, rape, hate crimes, child pornography and the possession of weapons.

In total, these agencies made 37,233 reports between 2020 and 2024. The Crown Office records the number of charges reported, not cases, and a reported case may hold multiple charges.

Politicians said there must be proper oversight of SRA prosecutions to ensure nothing like the Horizon scandal ever happens again. Last year the Post Office was stripped of its status as a SRA and can no longer file reports to the Crown Office. It can conduct preliminary investigations into suspected criminal conduct and refer cases to police.

The National Federation of SubPostmasters said the system in Scotland did not prevent miscarriages of justice over Horizon.

In reply, the Crown Office said that new guidance for reporting agencies will be issued this year.

Nine spycops snooped on anti-nuclear protests in Scotland

Scotland's Specialist reporting agencies

SRAs include - among dozens of others - River Tweed Commissioners, NHS Scotland Counter Fraud Services, Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, the Office of Rail Regulation, and the Registrar of Companies.

These agencies can send reports to the crown office but the procurator fiscal decides whether to instigate proceedings and what formal charges should be. Prosecutors can request additional information but they can also reject the reports if they do not think there is a legal case to answer.

SRA powers vary. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), for example, can obtain search warrants and make arrests and it can recover criminal assets through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. HMRC filed 133 reports to the COPFS over the four year period including 35 alleged tax frauds.

Frauds were also the focus of investigations by local authorities (594), the Child Support Agency, (7), and immigration enforcement (90). The Health and Safety Executive investigated four murders/culpable homicides, which the Crown Office said were related to deaths in a working environment.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency reported 14 alleged environmental offences. British Transport Police - which polices the railway network of England, Scotland and Wales - investigated 94 serious assaults/attempted murders, 71 sexual assaults, and two rapes.

The Ferret sent FOI requests to several SRAs requesting details of their powers and recent investigations.

There must be proper oversight of SRA prosecutions, and that "where powers are abused there must be real consequences, with individuals being held accountable for their actions".

Maggie Chapma...