The Vance name echoes throughout Co Tyrone... but does history tell us it leads to the White House?
The US Vice President has declared himself a 'Scots-Irish hillbilly at heart' – and now historians are scrambling to prove a link with the village of Coagh, writes Mark Bain
To watch an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? is to be taken on a journey down strange and unexpected paths through a family history. You never know where it might lead.
Should US Vice President JD Vance ever sit down with the experts, he has already indicated he expects he will travel through time and land on the shores of Ireland.
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Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
Swinney urges Hamilton voters to reject ‘gutter politics' of Reform
The vote sparked by the death of Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie in March will take place on Thursday, with a result expected early on Friday. The SNP and Labour were initially seen as the frontrunners in the race, but Nigel Farage-led Reform UK has surged in the seat and hopes to push for second place. One of the major talking points of the campaign has been the criticism levelled at Reform after an attack advert published by the party claimed Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar prioritises people from Pakistan over those in Scotland. The ad showed a speech from the Labour MSP where he urged more people from a south Asian background to enter politics, and it was later denounced as racist by Reform's opponents. Speaking ahead of polls opening at 7am on Thursday, Mr Swinney again claimed the contest is between the SNP and Reform, saying: 'Today, people in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse can reject the politics of Nigel Farage and elect a local champion by voting SNP. 'Farage doesn't care about Scotland – he wants to cut our budget, undermine our Parliament and introduce charges for the NHS. 'Labour have given up on the campaign and have barely even bothered to defend their record of scrapping the winter fuel payment and cutting support for disabled people. 'So this by-election is a two-horse race between the SNP and Farage. And today, people in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse can unite behind the SNP and defeat the gutter politics of Nigel Farage by voting for Katy Loudon.' Anas Sarwar said his party's candidate Davy Russell is a 'local champion' (Jane Barlow/PA) The by-election presents the first real test of both Scottish Labour and the SNP since last year's general election, where the former returned to being the biggest Westminster party in Scotland and the latter haemorrhaged MPs, falling to just nine. Ahead of the vote, Mr Sarwar said the choice facing voters is 'more failure with the SNP or a local champion' with Scottish Labour's Davy Russell, accusing the nationalists of talking up Reform to 'distract from their own failures'. He added: 'Time and time again, the SNP has failed Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. 'From our overstretched NHS to our declining education system to our crisis-hit housing system, almost all of what is broken in Scotland is run by the SNP. 'They don't deserve to win, but only Scottish Labour can beat them. 'The SNP wants to talk up Reform to distract from their own failures, but Scots will see through the spin. 'This is a chance to put this failing Government on notice and chart a new direction for all of Scotland – let's seize that opportunity.'
ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
Swinney urges Hamilton voters to reject ‘gutter politics' of Reform
First Minister John Swinney has urged voters in the Hamilton by-election to reject the 'gutter politics' of Reform UK as polls open. The vote sparked by the death of Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie in March will take place on Thursday, with a result expected early on Friday. The SNP and Labour were initially seen as the frontrunners in the race, but Nigel Farage-led Reform UK has surged in the seat and hopes to push for second place. One of the major talking points of the campaign has been the criticism levelled at Reform after an attack advert published by the party claimed Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar prioritises people from Pakistan over those in Scotland. The ad showed a speech from the Labour MSP where he urged more people from a south Asian background to enter politics, and it was later denounced as racist by Reform's opponents. Speaking ahead of polls opening at 7am on Thursday, Mr Swinney again claimed the contest is between the SNP and Reform, saying: 'Today, people in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse can reject the politics of Nigel Farage and elect a local champion by voting SNP. 'Farage doesn't care about Scotland – he wants to cut our budget, undermine our Parliament and introduce charges for the NHS. 'Labour have given up on the campaign and have barely even bothered to defend their record of scrapping the winter fuel payment and cutting support for disabled people. 'So this by-election is a two-horse race between the SNP and Farage. And today, people in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse can unite behind the SNP and defeat the gutter politics of Nigel Farage by voting for Katy Loudon.' The by-election presents the first real test of both Scottish Labour and the SNP since last year's general election, where the former returned to being the biggest Westminster party in Scotland and the latter haemorrhaged MPs, falling to just nine. Ahead of the vote, Mr Sarwar said the choice facing voters is 'more failure with the SNP or a local champion' with Scottish Labour's Davy Russell, accusing the nationalists of talking up Reform to 'distract from their own failures'. He added: 'Time and time again, the SNP has failed Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. 'From our overstretched NHS to our declining education system to our crisis-hit housing system, almost all of what is broken in Scotland is run by the SNP. 'They don't deserve to win, but only Scottish Labour can beat them. 'The SNP wants to talk up Reform to distract from their own failures, but Scots will see through the spin. 'This is a chance to put this failing Government on notice and chart a new direction for all of Scotland – let's seize that opportunity.'
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Winter fuel payment U-TURN could give Scots £70million cash boost
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RACHEL Reeves' winter fuel payments u-turn could give Scotland a £70million boost, experts said yesterday. The Chancellor confirmed payments will be reinstated for some pensioners by tweaking the means test that left millions of people frozen out last year. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The vital fuel payment is set to be reinstated by UK Government Credit: Alamy 3 The u-turn will increase funding available to the Scottish Government Credit: PA Bea Boileau of the Institute of Fiscal Studies said: 'This will increase funding available for the Scottish Government. "How much will depend on how many pensioners WFP is extended to.' Ms Reeves said today: 'People should be in no doubt that the means test will increase and more people will get winter fuel payment this winter. 'We will set out how everything will be paid for at the budget in the autumn.' It comes after Labour slashed entitlement to the payments of up to £300 from around a million Scots to fewer than 200,000 last year. The Scottish Government has already pledged £100 heating payments to every pensioner. SNP Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: 'It still sounds as if the UK Government is planning to target vulnerable pensioners to help balance the books.' We previously told how over one million state pensioners in Scotland are to benefit from a new winter fuel payment. The winter fuel payment was replaced with the pension age winter heating payment (PAWHP) last year, as part of the devolution of welfare powers. First Minister John Swinney confirmed last month that a new universal payment for older Scots is to be introduced. It will be worth up to £300. Mr Swinney said he will not leave OAPs struggling due to "Labour broken promises". He added: "It is so inexplicable that one of the first things Keir Starmer did when he became Prime Minister was to cut this vital lifeline for our pensioners. 'Labour scrapping the Winter Fuel Payment was a complete betrayal – up there with Thatcher's poll tax or Nick Clegg on tuition fees. "I am not willing to see Scottish pensioners left to struggle because of Labour broken promises. "So we listened to what people were telling us and we took action. "That means older people in Scotland will receive this crucial support before we get into the worst of the winter weather – and unlike Labour, we will never abandon this vital support for our pensioners. That is my guarantee." The new pension age winter heating payment will be dished out by November 30, St Andrew's Day, this year.
