Alistair Grant
Alistair Grant focuses on how power is exercised and contested in Scottish politics, tracking the decisions, disputes and investigations that shape political life from parliament to party conferences. He is political editor of The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday, leading the politics team and combining breaking news, in‑depth articles and analysis on legislation, leadership and constitutional change. His work is rooted in sustained coverage of referendums, elections and the long debate over Scotland’s future, giving readers a continuous view of how individual stories fit into wider political shifts.
Scottish Parliament, law and party accountability
Grant’s core beat is the machinery of Scottish politics, with regular reporting from the Scottish Parliament on the laws, inquiries and party manoeuvres that affect how people are governed.
He has been based at the parliament for years, which underpins his coverage of legislative battles, committee scrutiny and the internal tensions within parties when policies or strategies are challenged. His article on Nicola Sturgeon’s lawyer criticising “armchair detectives” around the Peter Murrell case shows him following the intersection of police investigations, legal process and political fallout inside the governing party, treating it as a test of accountability rather than only a personal saga.
Across his output, he returns to how leadership decisions, scandals and oversight mechanisms play out inside parties and institutions, using detailed reporting to show where power is constrained and where it is not.
Constitutional questions and the independence debate
Grant gives sustained attention to Scotland’s constitutional debate, covering both the official “Building a New Scotland” policy papers and the political arguments around independence and devolution.
His video report from Govan on the launch of a paper in the Building a New Scotland series reflects a willingness to attend government events on the ground and situate them within the broader independence strategy. Coverage from Bute House on Scottish Independence, and his discussion of Nicola Sturgeon’s contested legacy, show him following the independence question across leadership transitions, party strategies and shifts in public messaging rather than treating it as a single campaign moment.
This repeated focus on constitutional change distinguishes his work from more general political reporting, as he connects technical policy documents, party positions and symbolic events like memorial services into a coherent narrative about Scotland’s political direction.
Elections, campaigns and party dynamics
Grant has covered a wide run of electoral contests, including multiple referendums, general elections, Holyrood elections, a European election and council elections.
That experience informs his reporting from party conferences and local campaign events, where he tracks how national strategies are translated into speeches, pledges and on‑the‑ground organising. Video pieces from events such as the Labour Party conference in Liverpool and coverage of an MSP joining Reform UK show him following candidate moves, defections and party rebranding as part of longer campaign arcs, rather than as isolated news flashes.
His work often highlights intra‑party dynamics - how factions, backbenchers and leadership teams respond to polling, policy setbacks or constitutional developments - giving readers context for why campaigns change tone or direction.
Analysis, multimedia coverage and team leadership
Grant’s role includes prominent on‑camera and audio work, fronting politics videos and The Scotsman’s politics podcast, The Steamie. In these formats he moves beyond straight reporting to provide explanation and analysis, interviewing figures such as the Scottish Information Commissioner about the “Salmond files” and freedom of information law, and using conversations to unpack the implications of opaque processes for political transparency. He also appears in daily bulletins and specialist reporter introductions, positioning him as the public face of the politics team and reinforcing his responsibility for setting the agenda across breaking news, features and analysis.
Taken together, his written pieces, podcasts and video reports present a consistent style: clear, direct coverage of Scottish politics that prioritises how decisions are made, how power is contested and how constitutional questions shape everyday political arguments.
4 more politics journalists.
Abbi Garton-Crosbie
Abbi Garton-Crosbie is a multimedia political reporter who treats independence as a live process shaped by Holyrood power struggles, party manoeuvres and grassroots pressure. She works at The National, a pro-independence newspaper, covering how political power is contested and exercised in contemporary Scotland, with a core focus on parties, parliament and the mechanics of constitutional change. She reports on parliamentary votes, government strategy around future independence referendums, and elections across Scotland in the wider context of devolution in Wales and Northern Ireland. Her work centres on party leadership, resignations and internal conflict, including long-form interviews with senior politicians and coverage of emerging and smaller parties. She examines far-right activity, protest politics and movement organisation, and runs policy-driven reporting on rent caps, AI data centres, health boards and public services, across written, video and podcast formats.
Abubakar Ahmadu Maishanu
Abubakar Ahmadu Maishanu is a politics reporter with Premium Times who treats politics as a system of rules, contests and consequences rather than personalities. He focuses on power struggles, security shocks and governance disputes shaping party competition in northern Nigeria, especially how violence, corruption investigations and economic strain intersect with political authority. He reports on Bauchi’s 2027 governorship race, APC primaries and PRP realignment, tracking defections, party constitutions and factional manoeuvring. His coverage of Jigawa and Yobe follows power-sharing fights, candidate substitutions and Tinubu reelection mobilisation efforts. He links banditry and local security crises in Kano and Zamfara to political structures, using precise locations and casualty figures. His investigative work on alleged shady dealings around the Dala Inland Dry Port and reporting on soaring cooking gas prices add a corruption and economic hardship lens.
Aisha Iqbal
Aisha Iqbal covers local and regional politics for the BBC, with a distinct focus on grassroots power and how local decisions shape trust, representation and public services. She reports on Bradford Council decisions, waste services, cultural funding, regeneration grants and the use of public money. She also covers grooming gangs, community safety, political trust, elections, Muslim voters, Gaza, ceasefire campaigns and the links between faith, foreign policy and representation. Her work includes culture and public figures when they intersect with civic identity, including a feature on David Hockney. She connects committee-room votes, neighbourhood disputes and national debates, showing who gains, who loses and how communities respond. She reports across broadcast and online platforms in a clear, explanatory style. Earlier, she covered politics, culture and consumer issues for regional newspapers.
Alessia Simona Maratta
Alessia Simona Maratta stands out for showing how political decisions, regulations and conflicts ripple through communities, pairing national and global stories with on-the-ground voices and clear policy explanations. She is a digital reporter, producer and editor with Global News’ network news desk, covering breaking news, crime, politics, public health, housing, labour, immigration, environment and climate, social issues and features. Her recent work spans politics, public health regulation, labour and technology, and human-interest features that ground complex issues in everyday experience. She reports on politics, policy and community impact, public health and social debates, and labour and regulation at the intersection of technology, globalization and worker rights. Alongside hard news, she produces features that use individual stories, straightforward narrative arcs and accessible explanations to connect history, science and policy to everyday life.