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Chris Marshall

@chrismarshll.bsky.social
1.7K followers 851 following 436 posts

Deputy editor at Holyrood magazine, Edinburgh. Writing about Scottish politics mostly || Journalism here: medium.com/@chrismarshall_ substack.com/@holyroodchris

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Chris Marshall
EdinburghMinute.com @edinburghminute.com · 09/07/2026
Building on fire is part of 109-112 Princes Street complex, ex River Island + Levi's (next to Debenhams), all closed. Site owner Criterion Capital plans to build Zedwell hotel there. Linked to row of tax-evading gift shops: edinburghminute.com/tax-evading-... exposed by @jim.londoncentric.media:
edinburghminute.com
The tax-evading Princes Street shops costing taxpayers thousands
Dodgy dealings at former Debenhams
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Jim Waterson @jim.londoncentric.media · 09/07/2026
A building on Edinburgh’s most prominent street that housed a series of tax-evading gift shops (London Centric came across it while investigating a connected network of gift shops in London’s Trocadero building) suffered a severe fire last night.
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Any chance someone can get him riled about hydration breaks?
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Steve Bullock @guitarmoog.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Do NOT fuck with Belgium when it comes to regulations.
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Who'd have thought an organisation that gave a peace prize to Donald Trump would care so little about sporting integrity? Belgium should refuse to play www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
bbc.co.uk
World Cup 2026: US striker Folarin Balogun's one-game red card ban suspended by Fifa
Folarin Balogun is available to play for the United States in their World Cup last-16 tie against Belgium after his one-game ban is suspended by Fifa.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 02/07/2026
UN Ambassador Matt Whitaker: "People are enjoying the United States of America because it's an awesome place. We have extraordinary things like Buc-ee's and Chick-fil-A, very convenient to eat in your car while you're having a phone call. It's an amazing country."
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Stuart Cosgrove: Douglas Ross's Off the Ball appearance led to unprecedented levels of audience 'feedback' www.holyrood.com/inside-polit...
holyrood.com
Stuart Cosgrove: Douglas Ross' Off the Ball appearance led to unprecedented levels of audience 'feedback'
For more than 30 years Stuart Cosgrove and his co-presenter Tam Cowan have been fixtures not only of the BBC Radio Scotl...
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Those who argue mainstream political figures should remain on X / Twitter to counteract far-right hate speech fail to understand how the platform (and the way its algorithm works) has changed in recent years. Hopefully we see more of this www.holyrood.com/news/view,li...
holyrood.com
Lisa Nandy announces government department will leave X
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport is the second to do so
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Lisa Nandy - and the department she leads - leaves X, saying the platform "isn't healthy for our democracy" www.holyrood.com/news/view,li...
holyrood.com
Lisa Nandy announces government department will leave X
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport is the second to do so
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
I'd suspect the UK public mainly think it's fair for the media to scrutinise the extent and origin of the wealth of someone hoping to be prime minister, especially when it includes elements like undeclared £5m gifts from overseas-based billionaires who would become even richer under Reform policies.
The hounding of Nigel Farage and his family over their personal finances and living arrangements is a transparent attempt by established power - in the government and the media - to disable Reform because of the threat the party poses to their privileges. All these attacks haven’t revealed a single incidence of wrongdoing. They’re playing the man and not the ball. The British public will see that, and see it is unfair, and it won’t work.
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Brian Ferguson @brianjaffa.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
NEW: A David Bowie treasure trove spanning his entire career is to go on display in Scotland after V&A Dundee secured the premiere of an exhibition which will tour across the UK. Full details: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2624100... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Norm Charlatan @normcharlatan.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Sweden trying to stop France
IKEA guy confused
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
C'mon Canada, make it happen...
A picture of the band Angine de Poitrine
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Weird how the right both believe Thatcher's council house sale is the best policy in history and that anyone who benefitted from it is bad and wrong.
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Former SNP deputy first minister Kate Forbes spoke at this conference, dubbed the "anti-woke Davos" which also platformed Farage, climate scepticism, and was attended by members of European far-right parties www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Nigel Farage to join populist and rightwing figures at ‘anti-woke Davos’ in London
Exclusive: Event co-founded by Jordan Peterson will bring together rightwing figures, US state officials and anti-abortionists in London
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Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Meet James Purnell. Andy Burnham's chief of staff. In earlier incarnation, he supported the Iraq invasion; was chairman of Labour Friends of Israel; said that Winter Fuel Allowance and free bus passes should not be sacred; supported PFI, lie-detector tests for benefit claimants. What next?
theguardian.com
Andy Burnham picks former Blair minister James Purnell as chief of staff
Decision is one of Makerfield MP’s most significant since his Westminster return as he builds his team for government
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Holyrood @holyroodmag.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
"If he thinks violence in this city is funny, I am outraged." Labour MSP Daniel Johnson says Reform MSPs risk inciting violence with their language.
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Great cover
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Press Gazette @pressgazette.co.uk · 24/06/2026
Scotland's newspaper editors have written a joint letter to tell their journalists to defy Holyrood's new media "pen", warning the restrictions bring Parliament "into disrepute" www.heraldscotland.com/news/2621982...
heraldscotland.com
Scottish newspaper editors tell journalists to defy Holyrood 'pen'
Every major Scottish newspaper editor has ordered journalists to defy a controversial new 'pen' at Holyrood, warning that the restrictions…
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
"Even the judge at the High Court in Edinburgh had to say that he was left wondering just why the former chief executive of the SNP embezzled more than £400,000 from the party he led." Good piece on the Murrell scandal by @kirsteenpaterson.bsky.social www.holyrood.com/comment/view...
holyrood.com
Peter Murrell sentencing leaves questions unanswered for SNP
Even the judge was left wondering why the former chief executive of the SNP did it. How he did it is another matter.
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Brian Ferguson @brianjaffa.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
📺 NEW: Edinburgh has lost its TV Festival to Greater Manchester after hosting the event for half a century. 📺 Full details: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2621844... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
From Israeli disinformation campaigns against John Swinney to Tommy Robinson sharing Russian psyops, UK politics has a problem with foreign interference www.holyrood.com/comment/view...
holyrood.com
Viral infection: Foreign states are sowing fear and division on our streets via social media
Whether it works or not the social media ban won’t address the problem of fully-grown adults being fed a diet of conspir...
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Peter Murrell sentenced to five years and three months for a crime described as "not particularly sophisticated" by judge Lord Young. We know how he did it but still no further forward as to why www.holyrood.com/news/view,fo...
holyrood.com
Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell jailed for embezzlement
Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband had previously admitted to stealing over £400,000 from the party
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Louise Wilson @louisewilso.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
When did things go wrong for the beleaguered PM? The answer is: almost immediately. Labour’s honeymoon period was small, cut short in part by a statement from Chancellor Rachel Reeves who warned of “incredibly tough choices” ahead. Things did not improve from there www.holyrood.com/inside-polit...
holyrood.com
Keir Starmer: Where did it all go wrong?
It’s remarkable that a man who won such a huge majority in the House of Commons less than two years ago has ended up her...
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Without an inquiry, the Murrell scandal will continue to dog John Swinney www.holyrood.com/inside-polit...
holyrood.com
Without an inquiry, the Murrell scandal will continue to dog John Swinney
Peter Murrell, former SNP chief executive and estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon, will this week be sentenced for embe...
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Holyrood @holyroodmag.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Whether it works or not the social media ban won’t address the problem of fully-grown adults being fed a diet of conspiracy and disinformation online, writes @chrismarshll.bsky.social www.holyrood.com/comment/view...
holyrood.com
Viral infection: Foreign states are sowing fear and division on our streets via social media
Whether it works or not the social media ban won’t address the problem of fully-grown adults being fed a diet of conspir...
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Cat Neilan @catneilan.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Exc: First Government department quits Twitter over racism and violence concerns Richard Hermer sent a directive to staff last week saying the Attorney General's Office would be coming off the platform observer.co.uk/news/politic...
observer.co.uk
First government department quits X over racism and viole...
Concern about the spread of misinformation from right-wing figures prompts Richard Hermer to pull Attorney General’s Office off platform
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Dmitry Grozoubinski @explaintrade.com · 15/06/2026
A generation of children confined to exclusively posting on LinkedIn, humbled to share that they have been recognised as thought leaders in vertically integrating your mom's supply chain.
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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Bill Gates is the first billionaire to say publicly what many in New York business circles have talked about for years: Epstein blackmailed many of the world’s wealthiest men, he operated like Russian intelligence, gathering kompromat through his network. www.thetimes.com/us/news-toda...
thetimes.com
Bill Gates: Epstein blackmailed me over affairs
The Microsoft founder was speaking before he faced questioning by a US government committee over his relationship with the sex offender
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
An Israeli firm spread misinformation about John Swinney before the Holyrood election, according to the French authorities. www.holyrood.com/news/view,is...
holyrood.com
Israeli tech firm targeted John Swinney in election misinformation campaign, France says
Claims are 'deeply concerning', FM says
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Ian Martin @ianmartin.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
"Just shy of 94, Brown smokes, drinks, and chants slogans we can't broadcast."
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Holyrood @holyroodmag.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
First Minister John Swinney has accused Reform UK of inciting racial hatred after a second night of disorder in Scotland. www.holyrood.com/news/view,jo...
holyrood.com
John Swinney accuses Reform of ‘inciting racial hatred’
Malcolm Offord said the FM was “throwing false accusations at my party”
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
ex-Lethality Jane @lethalityjane.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
James Joyce is gonna read this and come back from the dead so he can publish Finnegan's Wake 2 out of sheer spite.
Threads post from "real_mstar_author"

hot take: we should be writing books with accessibility in mind.

shorter chucked paragraphs and more approachable prose should be industry standard
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Lizzie Dearden @lizziedearden.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
The family of the Belfast stabbing victim have released a statement saying - like the family of Henry Nowak last week - that the attack should not be used to "divide people or fuel hostility" They condemned disorder and praised the "valuable contribution" by migrants inews.co.uk/news/politic...
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
"Bafflingly, X is still Westminster’s social media platform of choice despite the death threats, pornified images of female ministers and posts depicting Britain as a crime-ridden hellhole."
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Look away now, Tartan Army www.theguardian.com/football/vid...
theguardian.com
Zohran Mamdani plays the Guardian's Bracketology to predict World Cup winner – video
See how New York's mayor maps out the world’s biggest tournament
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
One response to this could be the UK Government and its ministers deciding to no longer post on X but I'm not going to hold my breath www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Starmer accuses Musk of trying to whip up division over Henry Nowak murder
X owner Musk has posted several times on the site criticising the police treatment of Henry Nowak.
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Reposted by Chris Marshall
Private Eye Magazine @privateeyenews.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Since pushing him into the limelight, Elon Musk has posted about or reposted Ruper Lowe at a rate of around once per week, usually on the subject of the “safety of women and girls.” 🧵1/3
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Andrew Learmonth @andrewlearmonth.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Holyrood's new Presiding Officer refused to take 'boring' Murrell questions at new FMQs www.heraldscotland.com/news/2616030...
heraldscotland.com
Holyrood's new Presiding Officer refuses to take 'boring' Murrell questions at FMQs
Holyrood’s new Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson is facing fierce criticism from Labour and Tory MSPs after not taking any questions regarding the…
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
But did allow a question on Peter Mandelson's links to Scottish Labour from an SNP backbencher
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Early days but the first outing of backbenchers' FMQs included the FM being asked about parking charges in North Berwick. You can see why other countries don't do it.
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Listen to the people who loved their boy and not the people who want to use it to stir hate.
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Janine Gibson @janinegibson.ft.com · 01/06/2026
“This is censorship... This is a demonstration that some of the worst abuses in our time are not confined to kings, emperors, governments … but to a class of companies that have assumed the sovereign affect, and seek to assert their power the same way that some of those despotic nation states do.”
theguardian.com
Meta legal action forces Facebook whistleblower to sit in silence at Hay festival
Sarah Wynn-Williams did not speak during event after lawyers warned of possible sanctions from tech firm
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Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
BBC Question Time now doing exact same with AI they did with Farage? This ‘expert’ panel on AI is a disgrace: not one critical voice. Gilbert works for Tony Blair to promote AI. Jones is govt chief AI booster (& Blair flunky). Riparbelli is industry. Gawdat is ex industry. And a Tory MP
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Kirsteen Paterson @kirsteenpaterson.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Actor Paul Higgins walked out of the Supreme Court and got a grin from Michael Gove. After 20 years, the Scottish actor's Thick of It spin doctor endures - but his own life is fascinating, poverty, priesthood, plays and all www.holyrood.com/inside-polit...
holyrood.com
Paul Higgins: So many people are one bad decision away from disaster
Raised in poverty, the actor's done The Thick of It, Line of Duty and Black Watch. Now he's drawing on his own life for ...
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Wouldn't have been surprised if QT had still found a place for Farage on this panel.
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Great interview with Paul Higgins aka Jamie from The Thick of It by @kirsteenpaterson.bsky.social www.holyrood.com/inside-polit...
holyrood.com
Paul Higgins: So many people are one bad decision away from disaster
Raised in poverty, the actor's done The Thick of It, Line of Duty and Black Watch. Now he's drawing on his own life for ...
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Assume Edinburgh is so low down because many naturally consider it first / best city.
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Chris Marshall @chrismarshll.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Didn't the UK Government call this “incoherent and undeliverable” when the SNP suggested it only a matter of weeks ago?
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