Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Today
- Sturgeon strides into PPP row with inquiry call
- Closure fears over child protection advice centre
- Greens caution over early indyref2
- David Miliband in Brexit warning
- UKIP Holyrood candidate attempts defence of activist
06.00 BBC Today headlines
EC bids for greater transparency … Hague appeals for public ‘maturity’ about politicians … Commons emergency debate on steel industry … New guidelines for cosmetic surgery … Brazilian president loses impeachment vote … David Miliband says Brexit would mean ‘unilateral political disarmament’ … Interviews for UN Sec Gen.
07.00 BBC Good Morning Scotland headlines
Council works on alternative arrangements for closure-hit pupils … European Commission sets out plans for multinational transparency … Aberdeenshire death treated as suspicious … Scottish Greens launch manifesto … memorial at Westminster Abbey for Tunisia attack victims.
Front pages
The Herald leads on the Edinburgh schools closures, with the FM saying there was an argument for a “longer term inquiry” into private finance deals.
The National says the SNP are calling on Labour to apologise for what it calls a “billion-pound scandal”.
The Mail says the SNP is being accused of ignoring three calls to include building standards in inspection reports.
The Evening Times spotlights the setting up of a fake goods “street market” in Glasgow’s George Square to warn people about buying counterfeit products.
The Times reports a poll by YouGov showing voters prefer Ruth Davidson to Kezia Dugdale as leader of the opposition. But the Scots Tory leader’s party has slipped behind in voting intentions, with the Conservatives on 18% and Labour 21%.
The FT says it is “back to the 60s” as a firm buys the British Steel name and the Government says it could take a stake in the Port Talbot steelworks.
The Guardian continues its investigation into online abuse by highlighting cases including one woman who has made 126 complaints to police.
The Telegraph has a picture of the Duchess of Cambridge who, it says, “narrowly missed a Marilyn moment” when the breeze caught her dress during a visit to New Delhi.
Camley’s cartoon
Camley sees signs of the times as plans are put in place to house pupils at Holyrood while school repairs are carried out.
Need to know
It is not often the European Commission can be accused of blistering timeliness, but today is such a day as the body puts forward plans for greater transparency in the workings of multinational companies such as Apple, Google and Amazon. Before the current row over tax havens, the focus was on these global giants and how they organised their affairs to maximise profits, usually by splitting operations between countries. Sales that took place in one country (the UK, for example), would be domiciled n another (say, Ireland) for tax purposes. After an extensive inquiry, the Commission wants it to be clearer what each company does in each EU member state. After last week’s scrapping of the $160 billion merger between the American drug firm Pfizer Inc and Ireland’s Allergan, is the tide turning against global giants cutting their corporate cloth to maximise profits, or will they simply start to look outwith the EU for new places to base operations?
Afore ye go
£1,985,901
Boris Johnson’s taxable income between 2011/12 and 2014/15, bringing his tax bill to £916,481. WPA Pool
"He did have a pretty busy few months last year. He does his own tax return.”
A Labour spokesman tries to explain why party leader Jeremy Corbyn was fined £100 for filing his tax return late. Carl Court/Getty Images
“To be fair to Jimmy Carr, as soon as it was pointed out that he was in a scheme to artificially reduce his income he immediately changed his arrangements. He made that very clear and I pay tribute to him for doing that.”
David Cameron attempts to make it up to the comedian after previously saying his tax arrangements had been “morally wrong”. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
“Whenever the Prime Minister mentions me in Parliament why is it always about tax? He never mentions the 'Best of Tour' or Netflix special?”
Carr responds, possibly making more money in the process. Twitter. Anthony Harvey/Getty Images
"Dodgy Dave”.
Dennis Skinner’s jibe, directed at the PM, which led to the Labour MP’s removal from the Commons. Oli Scarff/Getty Images
"Cameron's Government, for the last six years, has been about a small elite getting richer while the poorer get left behind. He shouldn't just resign, he should be sent to prison”.
Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone. Carl Court/Getty Images
"He is uncontrollable, a loose cannon who doesn't tell anyone anything”.
An unnamed Labour insider on reports that Mr Livingstone has been sidelined by party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
"After losing in Wisconsin, there has been a big shake-up in the Trump campaign staff. In fact, the guy in charge of racist comments is now in charge of sexist comments."
Conan O’Brien. Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
"It's fine”.
Donald Trump confirms that his children will not be able to vote for him in the New York primary because they did not register in time. Fox News
Palmerston
The name of the cat heading to a new billet in the Foreign Office from Battersea Dog and Cats Home. The feline who used to have roaming rights, George Osborne’s cat Freya (above), has gone to live in Kent (not a euphemism, she really has). Emily Ashton, BuzzFeed
"Probably failing to plan for the day after what I think was the right thing to do in intervening in Libya.”
President Obama is asked what was the worst mistake of his presidency. Fox News. Joshua Lott/Getty Images
Diary
- Commons: Emergency debate on steel industry.
- Commons: MPs at Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on EU membership. Witnesses include Alex Salmond, Liam Fox, Sir Malcolm Rifkind.
- Commons: IFS director Paul Johnson and senior bankers at Treasury Select Committee on Budget 2016.
- Lords: Committee on Sexual Violence in Conflict will publish its report.
- London: Service of commemoration for the victims of the 2015 terrorist attacks in Tunisia.
- London: David Miliband speech on the EU.
- San Francisco: Facebook developer conference with keynote address from Mark Zuckerberg.
Thank you for reading. See you tomorrow.
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