Hello and welcome to The Midge, your first bite of the day’s politics in Scotland and elsewhere.

The Herald:

Today

  • Lecturers asked to identify students with money troubles
  • Lib Dem leader criticises SNP MPs’ zipped lips
  • Cameron to face MPs over EU deal
  • Edinburgh Festivals chief calls for tourism tax
  • First Zika cases in Ireland and Texas
  • RAC warns fuel price rise on way

06.00 BBC Radio 4 Today headlines

MPs to question Cameron on EU … first detected Zika case in Texas … GPs in England say services deteriorating … Think tank: Universal Credit to leave families worse off … Bakery appeals “gay cake” ruling … Yahoo to shed 1700 jobs.

07.00 BBC Good Morning Scotland headlines

Minister defends migrant benefits deal … Holyrood showdown on income tax … Scottish Labour says abandon Scotland Bill deadline … Texas Zika transmission investigated … Police Scotland pays out £350k compensation over accidents involving its vehicles … Funeral costs examined.

Front pages

The Herald:

Exclusive: Gerry Braiden of The Herald reveals unease among Edinburgh University academic staff over a plan to tackle unpaid fees. LibDem leader Michael Farron, in an interview with Herald UK political editor, says he has never heard any SNP MP “utter an independent thought”. Mr Farron visits Scotland today. 

Exclusive: The National says Westminster is facing questions over why a plane, allegedly carrying staff aiming to arrest whistleblower Edward Snowden, was allowed to fly through Scottish airspace. 

The Herald: School janitors have gone visual in their bid for more pay, reports the Evening Times

The Scottish Daily Mail highlights what it calls “the tax hike catastrophe” and says business leaders fear a brain drain as the middle class moves south. 

The FT says David Cameron’s EU deal is coming under pressure from Eurosceptic MPs, the Guardian reports he has Home Secretary Theresa May’s backing, but the Telegraph believes he is facing a Cabinet revolt. The Times, meanwhile, reckons the European Parliament will have a veto on use of the emergency brake.

The Daily Record reports paramedics’ fears that patients will die because crews have been given more time to reach people with heart attack symptoms. 

The Sun pictures a rapist jailed for ten years yesterday for an attack 32 years ago. 

Camley’s cartoon

The Herald:

Camley reckons the PM faces a blue period on Europe. 

Need to know

The Herald:

Here is a tale of two parliaments, both charged today with running the rule over David Cameron’s new EU deal, both likely to run the gamut of emotions from relaxed to underwhelmed to furious. In the European Parliament, Polish MEPs are set to be of a mind with Tory MPs in London, who will have their first proper chance to tackle the PM (pictured above with European Council president Donald Tusk) on the deal when he takes questions in the Commons. Several Eurosceptics have already been less than complimentary, with one accusing the Government of trying to “polish poo”. The papers in England have already made up their mind, with the Sun picturing the PM as Captain Mainwaring with the headline: “Dad’s barmy: who do you think EU are kidding Mr Cameron?” Tin hat on, PM. 

Diary

  • Commons: PMQs; EU deal; Treasury minister Greg Hands gives evidence to Scottish Affairs Committee on the fiscal framework; Opposition Day Debate (i) Tax avoidance and multinational companies (ii) Public finances in Scotland
  • Holyrood: debate on tax.
  • Glasgow: Education Secretary Angela Constance launches libraries campaign with singer Michelle McManus.
  • Holyrood: GMB Scotland lobbies parliament over council funding.
  • London: David Miliband speech on the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Chatham House. 
  • London: International Syria NGO conference.
  • Calais: Shakespeare's Globe performs Hamlet at the Jungle refugee camp.  
  • From Holyrood: Alex Salmond on LBC, 4pm. 

Talk of the steamie: comment sections

In The Herald, Kenny MacAskill kicks around the issue of sport and why it matters, while Angus-Peter Campbell marvels at the amount of hysterical blether about the weather. 

Tim Stanley in the Telegraph reckons the Republicans have another Reagan in the appealing Marco Rubio. 

Magnus Linklater in the Times questions whether Scots would go for a second referendum if the UK votes to leave the EU. 

In the Mail, Jonathan Brocklebank takes to print to tell politicians to get off Twitter and get on with their jobs. 

Afore ye go

The Herald: The European Union

"To be, or not to be together, that is the question…”

Donald Tusk, president of the European Council. Twitter

The Herald:

"None of these changes even come close to the fundamental changes promised to the public.”

Tory MP, Scot, and leading Eurosceptic Liam Fox (above)

The Herald:

“Phew, looks like it isn’t the beginning of the apocalypse, it was just BT sodding up the broadband.”

An internet user grins and bears yesterday’s BT outage. 

The Herald:

“I’m afraid of heights."

Why Erin Ireland, eight, from Southborough Primary School in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, who was one of the children who took part in a Q&A with British astronaut Tim Peake (above), won’t be following in his space boot steps. 

The Herald:

"Order! Dr Hunt, you weren't taught to behave like that at your very expensive public school.”

Commons Speaker John Bercow to voluble Labour MP Tristram Hunt (above, in a quieter moment).

The Herald:

#JC4PM tour

The title of a Red Wedge-style tour, featuring Charlotte Church (above) and Billy Bragg, aimed at geeing up Jeremy Corbyn supporters. It starts in London tomorrow and is heading to Edinburgh. BuzzFeed

The Herald:

The 25 pence shop

The price of goods, from pasta to shortbread, on sale in the first easyFoodstore opened in London yesterday by easyJet founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou (above, at earlier launch of Easy4men, supplying toiletries). 

The Herald:

45 to 59

The ages at which we are at our unhappiest, says the Office for National Statistics. 65-79 year olds are the jolliest, just like Richard Wilson (above), aka Victor Meldrew.

The Herald: “Why Iowa polls were wrong”

Here we go again: headline in USA Today after 13 polls said Trump would win. 

The Herald:

“No-one remembers who comes in second”.

Donald Trump tweeted this quote from golfer Walter Hagen in 2013. Fast forward to Iowa in 2016 and guess who came second?  

The Herald:

“It’s mostly pictures of people’s dinners. How’s me posting pictures of liver and bacon going to get me any votes?”

Aspiring councillor Sally Webster of Coronation Street marvels at modern campaigning methods. 

Thank you for reading. See you tomorrow.