Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Today
- UKIP activists bid to oust Coburn as Scots spokesman
- Sturgeon aunches SNP manifesto
- MPs slate ScottishPower warranty scheme
- Expert moots abandonment of Highers
- Clinton and Trump win big in New York
06.00 BBC Today headlines
William defends time spent on royal duties … Clinton and Trump win New York … Eight former US Treasury secretaries issue Brexit warning ahead of Obama visit … Tata Steel director starts management buyout process … Hiker from Shropshire found dead in Andes … After school activities help children close attainment gap, says study in England … Utah first state to declare pornography a ‘health hazard’.
07.00 BBC Good Morning Scotland headlines
Diabetes study begins ... Coburn dismisses UKIP critics as 'disgruntled minority' ... SNP manifesto ... ScottishPower ...US Treasury Secretaries ... Funeral of Paige Doherty today.
Front pages
In The Herald, Michael Settle reports on MPs’ displeasure about a warranty scheme that allegedly failed to pay out £75 million to hundreds of thousands of customers. ScottishPower “emphatically rejects any suggestion of wrongdoing”.
The National pictures Nicola Sturgeon and says the party’s manifesto will promise an extra £500 million for the NHS.
The Evening Times has the story of three dogs which died after eating chicken laced with anti-freeze thrown into a garden.
The Times carries European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s acknowledgement that the EU was interfering too much in people’s lives.
The Telegraph says unions and opposition parties are calling Scottish Labour’s position on Trident a “shambles”. The party’s manifesto is set to oppose its renewal, despite leader Kezia Dugdale and UK Labour’s backing for the deterrent.
The FT reports that Saudi Arabia is borrowing internationally for the first time in 25 years in response to the oil price slump.
Men smoking less and having healthier lifestyles in general accounts for a drop in the proportion of older people with dementia, reports the Guardian.
Camley’s cartoon
Camley enjoys Michael Gove’s mux ip over fishing ports. Story here.
Need to know
HE thought he would win big, but has he won big enough? That’s the question facing Donald Trump this morning as both he and Hillary Clinton emerge as the clear victors in New York.
“I have to say to the people that know me the best - the people of New York - when they give us this kind of a vote it's just incredible,” said Trump.
As of this morning, he has 60% of the vote, just shy of giving him the numbers to take all 95 state delegates for the convention in Cleveland in July.
What is now certain is that it is mathematically impossible for Trump's rival, Ted Cruz, to win the nomination outright at the convention at the first go.
Clinton, meanwhile, romped home, bringing to a much needed end to a losing streak that saw her rival Bernie Sanders take the headlines if not anything near a game-changing number of delegates.
“The race for the Democratic nomination in on the home stretch and victory is in sight,” she told a Times Square rally.
The delegate scores on the doors are now as follows:
Clinton: Has 1893, needs 2383, 490 short.
Sanders: Has 1180, needs 2383, 1203 short.
Trump: Has 845, needs 1237, 392 short.
Cruz: Has 559, needs 1237, 678 short.
Kasich: Has 147, needs 1237, 1090 short.
Afore ye go
“That's not being a first minister for the whole country, that's being a rabble rouser for the SNP.”
Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson on Nicola Sturgeon’s promise to lead a new push for independence in the summer. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
“We are opposed to the renewal of Trident and you'll see that reflected in our manifesto.”
Scots Labour leader Kezia Dugdale comes off the fence, sort of. BBC Scotland Kaye Adams. Above, picking and mixing at a food share project. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Willie Rennie "cooking up a storm using local produce". Fresh pork from Gorgie City Farm, perhaps? #revenge pic.twitter.com/W4S2EAtXVK
— Philip Sim (@BBCPhilipSim) April 19, 2016
The BBC's Philip Sim recalls a certain amorously-tinged photo op from LibDem leader Willie Rennie's campaign.
"I'll tell you what Project Fear is, we heard it from Boris Johnson, he actually said over 70 million Turks will be coming here - if that's not Project Fear, what is?”
Former Labour Cabinet Minister and chairman of the Labour In for Britain campaign, Alan Johnson. BBC World At One. Matt Cardy/Getty Images
"'Popular' cannot be a dirty word.”
Charlotte Moore, controller of BBC channels and iPlayer, on why there should be more Strictly Come Dancings and Great British Bake Offs. Richard Stonehouse/Getty Images
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, aka Ben and Jerry of ice cream fame, were among approximately 300 people arrested as part of protests in Washington DC over big money in politics. Above, with Jimmy Fallon. Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Drones have been banned from large parts of London between 9pm on Thursday and 10.30am on Sunday during Barack Obama's visit.
The Duke of Cambridge hugs Chewbacca as actor John Boyega looks on during a tour of the Star Wars sets at Pinewood studios in Buckinghamshire. Prince William is today defending the amount of time he spends on royal duties after critics complained he was not doing enough.
"I would hope that if we leave the European Union we can once more see the ports of Peterborough and Frasherhead and Grimsby flourishing, because we will take back control of our territorial waters."
Michael Gove is all at sea when it comes to the correct names of Scots fishing ports. Chris Ratcliffe/Getty Images
"The president and the first lady got their taxes done. I'm not sure if they have to release it or they just do. They made $436, 035, the lowest amount they've made since he took office. Donald Trump made more money than that last year selling hats."
Jimmy Kimmel Live. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
“He should be running Europe. We should get rid of Brussels and he should just be in charge. He does what he says he’s gonna do, he gets the job done.”
Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone on Vladimir Putin. Later in the same chat with Martin Sorrell of WPP, he said: “I don’t know whether a woman would physically be able to drive an F1 car quickly, and they wouldn’t be taken seriously.” Chris McGrath/Getty Images
Zac Goldsmith unveils his secret weapon on the #LondonMayor2016 campaign https://t.co/2yy2QTNNHA pic.twitter.com/llFpgZ9e4m
— Asa Bennett (@asabenn) April 19, 2016
From the Telegraph's Asa Bennett.
Diary
- London: Office for National Statistics publishes unemployment figures.
- London: High Court challenge by expatriates who want to be allowed to vote in the European Union referendum.
- Commons: PMQs
- Inverness: UKIP leader Nigel Farage visits.
Thank you for reading. See you tomorrow.
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