Grant Laing has resigned as leader of Perth and Kinross Council, citing personal reasons in a move that has surprised political colleagues. The councillor, who was first elected to represent the Strathtay ward in 2012, has also left the Scottish National Party and will now sit as an independent. Laing had been named council leader following the 2022 Scottish council elections.

Deputy leader Eric Drysdale will serve as acting leader until the next full council meeting on October 29. Drysdale described Laing's decision as coming "as a shock to all of his councillor colleagues" but pledged that the council would "step up our efforts to fill the gap his departure will leave." The resignation was announced through a brief update on the council's official website.

Colleagues acknowledged Laing's three-and-a-half-year tenure, noting his "wholehearted commitment to our group's core principles underpinned by a vision of a Perth and Kinross where everyone can live life well, free from poverty and inequality." The council has declined to provide further details about the personal reasons behind Laing's sudden departure from both the leadership role and the SNP.

The SNP has confirmed to media outlets that Laing is no longer a party member. The resignation comes as a political blow to First Minister John Swinney, who represents the Perthshire North constituency in Holyrood. Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser described the situation as "yet more chaos" in Swinney's backyard from what he characterized as a "failing administration."

Families of the 29 victims killed in the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash are escalating their decades-long fight for answers, preparing to deliver a petition with more than 47,000 signatures to Downing Street demanding a public inquiry. The Chinook Justice Campaign has published 110 "critical questions" they want answered about the tragedy that claimed the lives of 25 intelligence experts and four special forces crew members when the aircraft crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on June 2, 1994.

The campaign comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer rejected calls for a judge-led inquiry into the incident, prompting families to declare they will "see the UK government in court." Among those delivering the petition on Tuesday are brothers Andy and Matt Tobias from Watford, whose father John Tobias was killed in the crash. The petition delivery will be accompanied by an attempt to deliver a letter directly to the Ministry of Defence.

Central to the families' concerns are questions about mission authorization, aircraft selection, and whether those on board were properly warned of risks. The campaign has gained momentum amid revelations that key documents related to the crash have been sealed until 2094—a century after the incident occurred. David Hill, technical expert for the Chinook Justice Campaign, characterized the government's position as "a betrayal by the state of them and their loved ones."

The crash investigation has followed a contentious path over the past three decades. Initial findings blamed pilot error for the tragedy, but this conclusion was overturned in 2011. The continuing secrecy surrounding the incident has drawn criticism from campaigners who argue it "undermines trust not only in the MoD but in the government itself." As families prepare to confront the government directly, the case represents one of Britain's longest-running military accountability battles.