Simon Johnson
Simon Johnson covers Scottish politics for The Telegraph, concentrating on the struggle for power inside the SNP and the constitutional future of Scotland within the UK. His reporting treats Scottish politics as a live contest between party leadership, opposition forces and civic groups, showing how moments of crisis play out in public and behind the scenes. He is a senior figure on the politics desk, working as The Telegraph’s Scottish Political Editor and anchoring much of the masthead’s coverage of Holyrood and Scotland’s relationship with Westminster.
Leadership crises and SNP internal politics
Johnson’s work follows the fortunes of Nicola Sturgeon and the wider SNP leadership through periods of pressure and change. He reports on episodes where a First Minister describes a week in office as the worst of their life, using that remark to frame the intensity of party and public scrutiny around decisions taken in government.
His coverage of SNP leadership contests and transitions focuses on who holds real authority, how internal factions align, and what each change means for Scotland’s direction on independence and domestic policy.
He is used on air as a guide to SNP dynamics, appearing as Scottish Political Editor in political podcasts and broadcasts that dissect the leadership race and its implications for the union. Across these pieces he treats personalities, numbers and procedure as parts of the same story, linking campaign messaging and internal discipline to the stability of the government and the broader independence movement.
Independence, devolution and the union
Johnson has a long record of covering the Scottish independence question, including live coverage of the referendum campaign and its daily developments. In these running updates he moves between political speeches, polling, street-level campaigning and business reaction, showing how the prospect of independence is felt in boardrooms as well as at rallies.
He uses detail from sectors such as telecoms and other regulated industries to illustrate how questions over currency, regulation and cross-border trade are central to the constitutional debate.
His independence and devolution pieces focus on consequences rather than slogans, highlighting how changes in powers or a new vote would affect costs, investment and the practical conduct of government. The tone is direct and often granular, with attention to statements from companies, public bodies and political leaders that signal how prepared - or exposed - Scotland is under different constitutional outcomes.
Diverging policy, policing and public services
Beyond constitutional debate, Johnson reports on policy areas where Scotland’s laws and standards differ from those elsewhere in the UK. His coverage includes warnings from senior police figures about people crossing borders to exploit differences in age limits and procedural safeguards, using these stories to show how legal divergence creates operational and ethical challenges for authorities.
These articles tie frontline concerns from policing and public services to political decision-making at Holyrood, making clear that abstract policy choices have immediate effects on enforcement and public trust.
He often frames these stories through the voices of officials and professionals who must apply the rules, emphasising the pressure on institutions when political choices widen the gap between Scottish and English practice. The work sits at the intersection of politics and public policy, drawing out how debates over rights, regulation and standards become live issues for ordinary people and the systems that serve them.
Live coverage, news reporting and analysis from Scotland
Johnson works across formats, from straight news reports and live blogs to interpretive analysis pieces. His live campaign coverage combines minute-by-minute political developments with context on why each statement or event matters, while his news stories on policing and policy stick closely to sourced facts and official warnings. In broadcast and long-form analysis he steps back to explain what shifts in leadership, strategy or law mean for Scotland’s place in the UK and for the stability of its government.
Across this output he maintains a clear focus on Scottish institutions, treating Holyrood, the SNP and Scottish civic life as his primary frame rather than as an add-on to Westminster politics. For stories involving Scotland, he is a consistent byline when the subject demands a detailed understanding of local power structures, party tensions and the practical effects of constitutional and policy change.
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.