Good morning and welcome to The Midge, your first bite of the day’s politics from Scotland and elsewhere.
Today
- Cameron visits Hollande (above) as Belgian police arrest 16
- Strategic Defence and Security Review published
- Councils warn of “severe” cuts ahead of Osborne statement
- Syrian air strikes vote could be next week
- Centre-right Macri wins Argentina’s presidential election
06.00 BBC Radio Four Today headlines
Belgian police raid homes but key suspect still at large … Cameron builds support for airstrikes with Paris visit … Defence review … Health experts criticise Ebola response … Cap on English NHS use of agency staff … Mauricio Macri wins in Argentina … Northern White Rhino, one of four in world, dies in San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
07.00 BBC Good Morning Scotland headlines
Brussels arrests … Defence review spotlight on number of Type 26 frigates … Scots councils in cuts warning … Search resumes in Amsterdam for missing Dalkeith man … 16 wounded in New Orleans shooting …. Outlander author Diana Gaboldon kicks off Book Week Scotland in Stirling … Andy Murray travels to Belgium for Davis Cup.
The front pages
The Herald splashes on a pre-Spending Review warning from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities that Scots councils are already facing a half a billion pounds squeeze next year “before George Osborne or John Swinney even have their pencils out”. Kate Devlin also reports that a vote on Syrian airstrikes could come next week following the PM’s setting out of his case this Thursday.
The Evening Times’ crime correspondent Rebecca Gray reports on a card-skimming scam at some Glasgow cash machines.
The National leads on claims by lawyer Aamer Anwar that police are trying to divert attention away from the cause of Sheku Bayoh’s death.
The Times says David Cameron will today announce a £178 billion overhaul of UK defences. The move comes as the eight-strong Democratic Unionists lean towards a vote for air strikes.
The Guardian and the Daily Telegraph note that the new defence plans include two, 5000-strong, rapid response brigades. The Telegraph also reports that BBC chief Tony Hall will today call for the public to have a vote on future cuts.
The FT looks at what the £12billion boost for defence means for other departments, with police and welfare budgets targeted.
The Scottish Daily Mail has an exclusive report on the youngsters being treated for alcohol problems.
The Independent reports on a post on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s Facebook page hitting out at critics for “constant sniping”.
The Scotsman leads on day three of the anti-terrorist lockdown in Brussels.
The Daily Record turns the spotlight on the sale of heroin in one of Glasgow’s busiest shopping areas. Up to 100 dealers are operating in Argyle, Buchanan and Sauchiehall Street, says the paper.
The Sun is among those reporting Prince Charles’s claim that climate change, in the shape of a five-year drought, was one of the reasons behind the Syrian civil war.
Camley's cartoon
Camley looks ahead to police chief interviews
Need to know
The weekend was taken up with warnings and predictions as to where the Chancellor’s cuts will fall, and there will be more of the same right up to Wednesday when George Osborne (above) comes to the despatch box, straight after PMQs at noon. Yet the government can argue that whatever room it had to manoeuvre has been largely taken away by the events in Paris, which have already led to a £4 billion commitment to boost special forces and increase the number of intelligence officers. While this has helped Mr Osborne hold the line on cuts to police budgets, his backbenchers will still be looking for a row-back on tax credit cuts. Speculation at the weekend was that the cuts will be phased in to meet a rise in the minimum wage.
Talk of the steamie: the comment sections
In The Herald, David Torrance says this week and next constitute Nicola Sturgeon’s first big foreign policy test, while Marianne Taylor argues the best response to the Paris attacks is to celebrate freedom. The letters page leads on closing the attainment gap between schools.
Carolyn Leckie in The National urges Scots to be “vigilant” about racism rearing its head in response to Syrian refugees.
In The Times, Melanie Reid calls the dilapidated state of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, which treats 10,000 people from across the UK, a “scandal”.
Ed Miliband (above) surfaces in The Guardian to urge a deal at the forthcoming Paris summit on climate change.
In the Scottish Daily Mail, Chris Deerin calls time on Corbyn’s leadership.
Lesley Riddoch in The Scotsman is worried about the impact of UK cuts on the community energy sector.
David Cameron outlines the aims of his Paris visit in The Telegraph. “This is not a time to equivocate about allowing our police to shoot a terrorist to save the lives of innocent people,” he writes.
In the FT, Wolfgang Munchau says Schengen cannot be fixed so let us go back to national border controls.
The diary
- Commons: Defence Questions; Strategic Defence Review; Northern Ireland Welfare Reform Bill.
- Lords: Arrival of Lib Dem peer Lord (Alan) Beith and Tory peer Lord (David Willetts). European Union Referendum Bill.
- Johnstone: Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale (above) visits school to unveil amendments to Education Bill.
- Greenock: First Minister, Deputy First Minister and cabinet secretaries visit Ferguson Marine Engineering and other locations.
- Cupar: Visit by Liberal Democrat UK leader Tim Farron MP and Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie.
Afore ye go
“This advert is about as 'offensive' as a carol service on Christmas Day.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Justin Welby, on cinemas’ refusal to show ad featuring people reciting the Lord’s Prayer.
“You don’t put diesel in a Ferrari, do you mate?”
Johnny Mercer, Tory MP, is asked by 5 Live’s John Pienaar if he has ever taken illegal drugs.
“Think how many careers in media, politics and the security industry were made by Osama bin Laden (above). Now Isis is doing the same.”
Simon Kuper on the growing commentariat around Isil, FT
A withering description of Isil from President Obama (above)
Lord Alan Sugar welcomes his old enemy (above) to the breakfast slot today
Thank you for reading The Midge: your first bite of the day’s politics from Scotland and elsewhere. See you tomorrow.
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