Hello and welcome to The Midge, your first bite of the day’s politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Today
- Councils cave on budgets, now cuts to follow
- Junior doctors on 24-hour strike in England
- Sturgeon signals “pivotal moment” for NHS in Scotland
- Government to act on Scottish tax loophole
- Scots Tory leader a lady not for standing
- Sanders and Trump triumph in New Hampshire
06.00 BBC Radio 4 Today
Doctors strike in England… Trump/Sanders … Relatives of Birmingham pub bombing victims want inquest reopened … Fraud task force launched … Hendrix’s flat opens to public.
07.00 BBC Good Morning Scotland
Child abuse survivors demand wider inquiry … Trump/Sanders … German train crash investigation begins … MPs concerned at carbon capture lag … French MPs to vote on emergency powers … Peter Pan house saved … Harris tweed recognised … Black Bob statue planned.
Front pages
The Herald pictures Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson, who has ruled herself out of standing for her party's UK leadership. Chief reporter David Leask has an exclusive on a legal loophole that is feared to have made Scotland a soft touch for international money-launderers and tax evaders. Following Leask’s stories about Scottish Limited Partnerships in The Herald, Justice Secretary Michael Matheson will now review the arrangements.
The National highlights FM Nicola Sturgeon’s view that the Treasury’s proposed fiscal framework for Scotland could take £3bn from the country.
The Times says the cost of setting up a Scottish welfare state is preventing a deal between Edinburgh and Westminster. The Scottish Government wants £300m-£600m, says the paper, the UK offer is £12.5m.
The FT reflects on a second day of woe for European banks on the stock markets, with Deutsche Bank set to buy back debt to shore up its position. The Telegraph says concern over the health of DB is stoking fears of a new financial crisis.
The Scottish Daily Mail says a shortage of GPs means patients are being turned away from surgeries. The paper announces the birth of Baby Murray, a daughter to Andy and Kim, with the header, “New bawls please”. The Sun opts for “Hatch point” and reckons that at 8lbs, 10oz, Miss Murray weighs the same as 260 strawberries.
Camley's cartoon
Camley aces it on the arrival of Baby Murray.
Need to know
You are never too old to be a comeback kid. That’s the message from New Hampshire as Democratic hopeful Bernie Sanders, 74-years-young, and 69-year-old billionaire Republican Donald Trump, move on victorious to Nevada on February 23 and South Carolina on February 27. Both were tipped to win New Hampshire, but the scale of Sanders’ victory surpassed the hopes of even his most starry-eyed supporters. The real test for all candidates comes on March 1, Super Tuesday, when 15 states vote. In the meantime, expect to see a lot more of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld’s Larry David (above), who is proving to be to Bernie Sanders impersonations what Tina Fey was to Sarah Palin spoofs. In short, pretty, pretty, good.
Diary
- Musselburgh: FM Nicola Sturgeon speech on health reform.
- Edinburgh: Transport Minister Derek Mackay to unveil interior of new electric trains that will operate between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk High from autumn next year.
- Holyrood: Scottish Labour Party Debate - “Scotland's Future Prosperity”.
- London: Tim Farron launches the Liberal Democrat Remain campaign for EU referendum.
- Commons: PMQs; Equalities Minister Nicky Morgan gives evidence to the Women and Equalities Committee on the gender pay gap; Science and Technology Committee hearing on Zika virus.
- Downing Street: TUC hand in 200,000 name petition against Trade Union Bill.
Talk of the steamie: the comment pages
Kenny MacAskill in The Herald says who owns the land and has access to it is of fundamental interest to Scots, while Angus-Peter Campbell writes in praise of the National Library of Scotland.
As his wife stands down from the Lords after nearly 20 years at Westminster, Magnus Linklater in the Times says the Scottish Parliament could do worse than to consider a revising chamber.
William Hague in the Telegraph says Conservatives should remember they have to come together again after the EU referendum, whatever the result. Sounds familiar…
Jonathan Brocklebank in the Mail tells Andy Murray being dad number one is more important than being world number two.
Afore ye go
“What the people here have said is that given the enormous crises facing our country, it is just too late for the same old, same old establishment politics and establishment economics.”
Democrat presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders (above) leaves New Hampshire victorious
“There is zero truth to what you may be reading. It’s wrong. Hillary stands by her team. Period.”
Clinton campaign chair John Podesta on rumours a change of staff is looming. Twitter
“I am going to be the greatest jobs president that God ever created.”
Donald Trump (above) blows out of New Hampshire.
“What the Treasury seems to want to achieve is an outcome that would systematically reduce the Scottish budget as a result of our differential growth in population, even though the Scotland Bill gives us no additional powers to grow our population.”
FM Nicola Sturgeon (above, with PM David Cameron) on what she sees as the sticking point in the fiscal framework talks.
“Sometimes I am a total idiot. In last tweet I meant to say Leave.EU backs Grassroots Out to be main eurosceptic campaign.”
Even Robert “Pesto” Peston (above), the man who broke the banking crisis story, is confused by the various Brexit camps.
"The Good Life After Brexit"
The title of an event in London today. No Tom, Barbara, Gerry and Margo, but speakers include Nigel Farage, Liam Fox, David Davis, and John Redwood.
“I have absolutely no interest in the job.”
Ruth Davidson confirms that Leading the Scottish Conservatives is enough for her. BBC Daily Politics
“The chances of Jeremy awarding him with either a knighthood or a peerage are close to zero. Actually, they are zero.”
A Labour source tells The Guardian about Iraq war-supporting Jack Straw’s prospects of a seat in the Lords.
"This is football, not Hollywood, and I thought it was really outrageous that she used it as a platform to attack police officers who are the people who protect her and protect us and keep us alive.”
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (above) on Beyonce’s Super Bowl routine, which highlighted the Black Lives Matter campaign. Fox News
“Thank you Queen Bey, for having the creative courage to join the fight for justice. You slayed.”
Roxanne Jones, former vice president at ESPN, takes issue with Giuliani and other critics of Beyonce (above). CNN
Thank you for reading The Midge. See you tomorrow.
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