Hello and welcome to The Midge, your first bite of the day’s politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Today
- Westminster blocks Scots plan for graduate visas
- BBC chief before Holyrood today
- Junior doctors strike in England
- West Dunbartonshire schools hit by industrial action
- MPs quiz Cameron on climate change
- Rupert Murdoch to wed Jerry Hall
06.00 BBC Today headlines
Operations cancelled as junior doctors strike … Hundreds need to be evacuated from starving Madaya … Cameron questioned on climate change … Murdoch to marry Hall.
07.00 BBC Good Morning Scotland headlines
Teachers strike in West Dunbartonshire … Cameron and climate change … Scottish economy slows … BBC chief at Holyrood.
The front pages
Exclusive: Westminster has said no to the Scottish Government’s plan to bring back visas that would allow skilled student migrants to stay after graduation, reports Daniel Sanderson in The Herald.
The National pictures David Cameron as an astronaut and wonders what planet he is on for bringing in a "help to save" scheme for people on a low income.
The Evening Times recalls Glasgow’s love affair with Bowie.
The Scottish Daily Mail and the Scotsman report on the culling of 40,000 chickens in Fife as Scotland’s first case of bird flu in a decade is discovered.
In what is seen as a coup for the Brexit camp, the FT says Toyota will stay in the UK even if Britain votes to leave the EU.
The Telegraph looks ahead to the Tony Hall’s appearance at Holyrood today by reporting corporation figures saying that £108 million was spent by the BBC on Scottish-only content, in contrast to Scottish Government claims of £35 million.
The Daily Express highlights the case of a Scot jailed for five years in India after being found guilty of firearm and border violations.
Camley's cartoon
Camley pays tribute to the Starman
Need to know
The diary
- Holyrood: Assistant Chief Constable Ruaraidh Nicolson of the Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit at Police Scotland gives evidence to Justice Committee on “Interception of communications by Police Scotland”.
- Holyrood: Tony Hall, Director-General of the BBC, and Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, appear before Education and Culture Committee inquiry into BBC Charter Renewal.
- London: NHS Choir perform at the picket line at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
- Commons: David Cameron at Liaison Committee on Syria and climate change.
Talk of the steamie: the comment sections
In The Herald, Colette Douglas Home looks at the bringing of cases against soldiers who served in Iraq, while Marianne Taylor examines how the Cologne attacks have put German Chancellor Angela Merkel (above) on the spot.
Non-striking junior doctor Alexander Suebsaeng argues in the Telegraph that his colleagues should count their blessings.
Alex Massie in the Times compares Brexit backers to Yes campaigners. Neither will rest till they get their way, he says.
The FT’s big read digs deep into the turmoil on the stockmarkets.
Siobhan Synnot in the Mail looks forward to former FM Alex Salmond’s phone in show, starting on LBC tomorrow. “Perhaps he can take a call from Nicola in Edinburgh, who may want to know what she should do about a former boss who doesn’t want to admit he’s no longer running the show.”
Afore ye go
“Eva Longoria (above) and America Ferrera aren't just beautiful, talented actresses. They’re also two people who your future president, Donald Trump, can't wait to deport.”
Ricky Gervais hosting the Golden Globes
“I love seeing Ricky once every three years because it reminds me to get a colonoscopy.”
Braveheart’s Mel Gibson suffers an awkward reunion with Gervais at the LA ceremony.
“Mr Rupert Murdoch and Miss Jerry Hall … are delighted to announce their engagement.”
As listed in one of the media magnate’s papers, The Times
"Good-bye, David Bowie. You are now among #Heroes. Thank you for helping to bring down the #wall.”
German Foreign Ministry. Twitter
"I want to be clear that I have not made any untrue or misleading statements, apart from approving the statement about my location over Christmas that in hindsight could have been clearer.”
Environment Agency chairman Sir Philip Dilley who resigned yesterday after criticism of his response to floods in England
"If we want to live in a nuclear-free world we have to recognise that we have to make a contribution to it. Renewing Trident, in my view, goes against the fundamental spirit of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. BBC Radio 4 Today
"There is a process and there are rules and if anybody thinks that unions like the GMB are going to go quietly into the night while tens of thousands of our members' jobs are literally Swaneed away by rhetoric then they have got another shock coming.”
GMB leader Sir Paul Kenny responds
“I would rather fight an election than make pastry from scratch.”
David Cameron on his own baking prowess as his wife Samantha (above) prepares to take part in The Great Sport Relief Bake Off. Other contestants include former Labour minister Ed Balls. Stylist magazine.
“Hillary Clinton said she doesn't like selfies because the interaction is very impersonal. She said, ‘If anything is going to be impersonal on this campaign trail, I prefer it to be me’.”
James Corden, The Late, Late Show
“So significant are the changes to its powers, and so immense the potential for their use, the Scotland Bill will create, in effect, a new Scottish Parliament. In tech-speak, you could say that this will be ‘Holyrood 2.0'."
Scottish Secretary David Mundell suffers an attack of the Zuckerbergs, as seen in The Social Network (above)
Quinoa
As served in the world’s first McDonald’s Next in Hong Kong. Other food, including burgers, is available. CNN
“ISIS chief abruptly cancels meeting with Sean Penn.”
Spoof report in The New Yorker as speculation continues that the interview between the actor (above) and escaped drug lord El Chapo led authorities to him.
Thank you for reading The Midge, your first bite of the day’s politics in Scotland and elsewhere. See you tomorrow.
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