The Midge: Calls for SNP MP to be suspended, Trident showdown, and whither Officer Karen of Scot Squad now?

Today

• SNP MP Natalie McGarry (above) at heart of police probe into group's missing funds
• Trident bill soars from £25bn to £31bn as SNP MPs lead debate
• Ex-Labour Defence Minister fears Trident vulnerable to cyber attack
• US issues global “be aware” advice to citizens
• Corbyn still backed by majority of party members 

06.00 BBC Radio Four Today headlines

Police in Paris seize suspected bomb belt … US destroys 280 lorries used by Isil to transport oil … England’s NHS gets £3.8 billion extra to help fund 7-day working … Only eighth of child sex abuse cases coming to attention of authorities says Children’s Commissioner for England … Des Browne questions Trident replacement … Concerns over use of performance enhancing drugs in Welsh rugby.

07.00 BBC Good Morning Scotland headlines

Bomb belt found … Belgian lockdown continues … What next for Trident as MPs debate renewal … Holyrood committee hears evidence on organ donation … Scientists in California find way to insert malaria blocking genes into mosquitoes … Edinburgh Council publishes cultural plan. 

The front pages

The Herald leads the way with a picture of Natalie McGarry, the Glasgow East SNP MP and co-founder of Women For Independence. The group has alerted police after finding discrepancies in its accounts. The Scottish Conservatives and Scottish Labour have called for the MP to be suspended from the party while the investigation is carried out. A statement from Ms McGarry’s solicitor, Aamer Anwar, says “she is certain there has been no wrongdoing on her part”. 

The Times, the Scottish Daily Mail, The Daily Record, The Scotsman, and the The Daily Telegraph follow suit, with all noting that she is the second SNP MP, after Michelle Thomson, to be linked to an investigation. 

With the McGarry story on its wing, the Evening Times leads on CID taking over the inquiry into missing Glasgow father John Murphy. 

The National marks its first birthday with good wishes from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. 

The Independent has an opinion poll indicating more than half the public - 52% - wants to leave the EU. The survey of 2000 people, carried out after the Paris attacks, will be seen as a reflection of public anxiety about the EU’s refugee crisis, says the paper. 

The Guardian highlights the extra £3.8 billion coming NHS England’s way. Scotland will receive a proportion based on the usual formula. 

The Sun has an exclusive report that the late Frances Shand Kydd, the mother of Princess Diana, gave a disgraced priest a house on South Uist. 

The FT reports on growing criticism of the $160bn takeover of Irish group Allergan by US giant Pfizer. US presidential contender Hillary Clinton is among those questioning a move that will see Pfizer move its HQ to Ireland, saving an estimated $21bn in tax.  

Camley's cartoon

Camley wonders how the PM will present his conclusions on Syrian airstrikes

Need to know

In the Commons, sandwiched between the defence spending review of yesterday and tomorrow’s spending review, is the SNP-led debate on renewing Trident. The party knows where it stands on the nuclear question, the purpose of today is to expose the divides in Labour’s position. But the party’s sole Scottish MP will abstain, others have been urged to do otherwise, and with Labour exercising only a one line whip, it remains to be seen how many Labour MPs will even turn up. The SNP MPs out in force for the non-binding vote can be expected to cite a Guardian report featuring Des Browne, the former Labour defence secretary and MP for Kilmarnock and Louden, expressing his worries that the system could be vulnerable to cyber attack and therefore at risk of becoming obsolete. 

Talk of the steamie: the comment sections

In The Herald Colette Douglas Home calls for a more thoughtful consideration of the consequences of bombing Isil in Syria, while Iain Macwhirter looks at the political impossibility of increasing council tax. Paris continues to exercise the paper’s letter writers, with one saying it would be an act of folly to close borders to refugees. 

In the FT, Janan Ganesh calls tomorrow’s spending review, like yesterday’s defence review, an “elaborate, well choreographed pretence of strategy” of the kind governments at the mercy of events and other matters indulge in.

On the eve of the Chancellor’s statement, Aditya Chakrabortty in The Guardian has a new name for the UK - Austeria. 

In The National, Cat Boyd argues the football-related Offensive Behaviour Act has to be applied fairly or not at all.

Dan Hodges in the Telegraph calls on Labour’s shadow cabinet to resign if Corbyn opposes Syrian airstrikes.

In the Times, Hugo Rifkind muses on the US presidential candidacy of Donald Trump (above) and concludes the joke is no longer funny. 

In the Daily Mail, Siobhan Synnot reports on a shortage of turkeys this Christmas. “So it’s official: even turkeys don’t want to spend Christmas Day with your family.”

In the Scotsman, Aidan Smith mourns the passing of lads mags. 

The diary

• Holyrood: Scottish Government debate on violence against women; Iain Gray MSP on World Toilet Day. 
• Commons: Foreign Office questions; debate on closure of HMRC offices; Trident debate and vote; SNP MP Drew Hendry leads debate on fuel poverty; Bank of England Governor Mark Carney gives evidence to Treasury Committee on inflation.
• Lords:  Scotland Bill. Call for legislation to be halted until fiscal framework published.
• Edinburgh: Family of Sheku Bayoh to meet First Minister.
• Glasgow University: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon delivers third annual Jimmy Reid Memorial Lecture on workers rights. 

Afore ye go

“UK’s new army recruitment policy still hush-hush, but people with high scores on Call of Duty can expect to hear something very soon.”

Have I Got News for You, Twitter

“I’ve rarely been so proud to be Belgian. Fighting terror with surrealism.” 

Belgians react to police plea not to tweet about security operations by posting pictures of cats instead, Twitter

“The situation is much worse than in the days of Cathy Come Home.”

Ken Loach (above) on food banks and benefit sanctions, The Guardian

“I’m not going to be a backseat driver.”

“Having crashed the car it’s difficult to do that.”

James Naughtie (above) responds to Ed Miliband’s arms length stance towards the new Labour leadership, BBC Today. 

“You have the highest personal rating of anyone in the entire police force. I would be insane to move you!’

Scot Squad Chief Cameron Miekelson puts the kibosh on Officer Karen’s bid to escape the front desk and Bobby’s visits. Scot Squad (below), which ended its BBC run last night, we salute you. 

Thank you for reading The Midge: your first bite of the day’s politics from Scotland and elsewhere. See you tomorrow.