Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere. We'll be updating throughout the day, so please check back later. 

Today

  • Sturgeon wins five more years but no majority
  • SNP 63 (-6)
  • Conservatives 31 (+16)
  • Labour 24 (-13)
  • Greens 6 (+4)
  • LibDems 5 (no change)

06.00 BBC Today headlines

SNP wins third consecutive victory ... Labour fares better than predicted in England ... Condemnation of air strike on refugees ... Sir Philip Green demands resignation of Commons Pensions Committee chair Frank Field ... Speaker Paul Ryan 'not yet ready' to endorse Trump. 

07.00 BBC Good Morning Scotland headlines

SNP on way to victory but majority up in air ... Tories make gains, with Davidson winning Edinburgh Central  ... Labour set for third place ... Four Green MSPs elected from list ... Labour shock defeat in Rhondda to Plaid. 

Front pages

The Herald:

The Herald 5am election special: The paper marks a historic victory for FM Nicola Sturgeon. 

The National proclaims an SNP "surge". 

The Herald: Fathers will now be able to stay overnight with newborns, reports the Evening Times.

Camley’s Cartoon

The Herald:

Camley dusts off this election and gets ready for the next - in just a month’s time. 

Afore ye go

The Herald:

"What is now beyond doubt is that the SNP has won a third consecutive Scottish Parliament election. That has never been done before in the history of the Scottish Parliament. We have tonight made history.”

FM Nicola Sturgeon making her victory speech at 04.59 as MSP for Glasgow Southside.

The Herald:

"There is a lot of building to do in Scotland. We are going to be with you. We are going to walk hand-in-hand with the party in Scotland to build that support up once again so that the Labour tradition in Scotland will be established once again."

UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

The Herald: "Heartbroken, without question."

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale describes how she is feeling after her party came third behind the Tories. 

The Herald:

"She is a leader who will stand up to the SNP and give Scotland strong opposition."

David Cameron pays tribute to the Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson. Matt Cardy/Getty Images

The Herald:

"The Hillsborough inquests have brought into sharp focus the need to understand and confront the past and give people the opportunity to explore the circumstances of such significant events. I would therefore welcome an appropriate independent assessment of Orgreave.”

Interim Chief Constable for South Yorkshire Police Dave Jones responds to calls for an inquiry into the "Battle of Orgreave”, between striking miners and police, in 1984. Above, Orgreave today. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

After an article from broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer, arguing against votes for 16-year-olds, featured in the Higher English exam, Scottish teenagers were only too keen to get in touch.

The Herald:

“We’re this much closer to having a president who starts Twitter fights with Cher.”

Jimmy Kimmel Live on the Trump candidacy. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.

The Herald:

“Was it a triumph of public engagement or a PR disaster?”

Nicola Blackwood, chair of the Commons Science and Technology Committee, on the poll that resulted in “Boaty McBoatface” winning as the proposed name of a polar research vessel. Ms Blackwood said those who took part will wonder if Science Minister Jo Johnson, above, who is not keen on the name, is going to do a “Boaty McVolte-face”. Oli Scarff/Getty Images

The Herald:

"Knowing the gruelling nature of the primaries, and what you have to go through, anyone who makes it through that extraordinary contest to lead their party into a general election certainly deserves our respect.”

David Cameron, asked if he wanted to apologise to Donald Trump for describing his call for foreign Muslims to be temporarily banned form entering the US as "stupid, divisive, and wrong”, adopts a more conciliatory tone towards the Republican hopeful. The PM, voting yesterday, above, said he had not changed his view on that particular Trump policy. 

The Herald: “Grayling with a hairpiece.”

Shadow Commons leader Chris Bryant’s description of Donald Trump, a man who, like Commons leader Chris Grayling, above, backs Brexit. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The Herald:

"Twitter: Where people come to be offended by things they choose to read.”

Comedian Ricky Gervais. Theo Wargo/Getty Images

The Herald:

“A 100-year-old woman from New York City just broke the world record for her age group in the 100-meter dash. It’s pretty amazing -  in fact, they say she’s the oldest person to enter a race since Bernie Sanders.”

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. John Sommers II/Getty Images

The Herald:

"It actually did something terrible in my hand and I dropped it and it scurried off.”

Tory MP Michael Fabricant confesses to once smuggling a hedgehog into the Commons chamber. Mr Fabricant was speaking during a debate on badgers, which he said posed a risk to the smaller creatures. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Herald:

Many a dog took a walkies to the polling station yesterday, including Tristan, a three-year-old Lhasa Apso, whose owner Thea McNeish voted in the Mayor of London election.

The Herald:

“My dress at the Met Ball was a political statement as well as a fashion statement. The fact that people actually believe a woman is not allowed to express her sexuality and be adventurous past a certain age is proof that we still live in an ageist and sexist society.”

Madonna hits back at criticism of her lacy black number. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Broadcaster Piers Morgan begs to differ.

The Herald:

“A bolshy bunch of war-losing b*******. If I ever go back there again the number plate will be W3 W0N, we won.”

Jeremy Clarkson is not quite ready to apologise over that 2014 numberplate stunt in Argentina which saw cast and crew chased by locals. Daily Mirror. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

The Herald:

“Plaid Cymru all the way for me today!!!”

Charlotte Church tweets her voting intentions, which must have come as a surprise to Jeremy Corbyn, whose leadership of Labour she recently supported in a special tour. Chris Ratcliffe/Getty Images

The Chancellor fancies a close shave.

Thank you for reading. See you on Monday...