Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Today
- MSPs vote to ban fracking
- SNP activists launch Leave campaign
- Swinney promises clarification on schools reform
- Justice Secretary issues yellow card on football fan behaviour
- Small firms snub Scots tourist tax
06.00 BBC Today headlines
GMB leader Tim Roache warns Remain campaign could lose unless Labour does more … Corbyn speech later … Spanish PM says Brexit would mean UK citizens losing right to live and work in his country … Decision on BHS future due … Britain, France, US call on UN to provide Syria food drops.
07.00 BBC Good Morning Scotland headlines
GMB leader warning ... Syria food drops urged ... Norway extends ban on Super Puma flights... Debut for longer FMQ session ... NHS Grampian warns it must make cuts to balance budget ... Clash as air tax duty consultation ends.
Front pages
The Herald leads on the Holyrood vote to ban fracking, with political editor Magnus Gardham reporting that ministers will “recognise” the vote but continue to consider the method’s potential.
The National looks ahead to Donald Trump’s visit to Scotland on June 24, with former FM Alex Salmond calling the presumptive Republican nominee “thoroughly bad news”.
The Mail detects a “backlash” among childcare experts against the Named Person scheme following the murder of two-year-old Liam Fee.
The Times highlights research showing that losing a few inches from the waist can significantly reduce men’s chances of prostate cancer.
The Telegraph reports on a letter from current Chancellor George Osborne and former Chancellor Alistair Darling which accuses Leave of making up an economic plan as they go along.
Under the headline “Mickey Louse”, the Record reports that a wedding planner has shut her shop in Glasgow and gone to Florida, leaving couples in the dark.
The FT says plans for an expansion into China by House of Fraser are now on hold.
The Guardian pictures a fist-pumping Andy Murray as he heads into the semi-finals of the French Open.
Camley’s Cartoon
Camley is on the pitch, they think it’s all over as far as a crackdown on fan behaviour goes, but it’s really just begun ... Read the story here.
Need to know
One thing the EU debate has not been lacking in is verbal fisticuffs, with the Conservatives providing some of the more spectacular scraps with their attacks on each other. Today sees a widening of the conflict as the campaigns, three weeks out from the poll, take to the airwaves.
First up at 16.00 is Alex Salmond going head to head on LBC radio with Brexiteer Iain Duncan Smith, former Work and Pensions Secretary. That sound we hear in Scotland this morning is surely the former First Minister licking his lips. Iain Dale is the moderator. Tune in online at lbc.co.uk, or DAB Digital Radio 97.3 FM.
At 20.00 David Cameron puts himself on the spot when he appears on a special Sky News debate. Political editor Faisal Islam will interview the PM in an hour-long programme, before members of the studio audience ask questions in a Q&A moderated by Kay Burley.
Next week will be even livelier, with the big question being whether FM Nicola Sturgeon will appear for Remain in ITV’s two-hour referendum debate on Thursday June 9, starting at 8pm. While the three-on-three teams have yet to be announced, the betting is on the FM and chief Brexiteer Boris Johnson appearing.
Afore ye go
"The BBC has been appalling too ... for what is supposed to be a public television service, it is not impartial at all".
Prime Minister John Major has a grumble with his then US counterpart, George Bush Snr, over the trials of campaigning, as revealed in transcripts of their 1992 phone calls obtained by the BBC's Martin Rosenbaum. Some two decades on, Mr Major's views would chime with those of former FM Alex Salmond, who accused the corporation of bias during the independence referendum.
“This is not a political decision.”
PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem announces that the World Golf Championships, usually held at Trump National Doral Miami, will move to Mexico City next year. The PGA says it could not find sponsorship for the Florida event.
“The PGA Tour has put profit ahead of thousands of American jobs, millions of dollars in revenue for local communities and charities and the enjoyment of hundreds of thousands of fans who make the tournament an annual tradition. This decision only further embodies the very reason I am running for President of the United States.”
The presumptive Republican nominee responds. Earlier, he confirmed, as per last week’s story by The Herald’s Kate Devlin, that he will officially open Trump Turnberry golf course on June 24. Above: the Trump family at Turnberry last year. David Cannon/Getty Images).
“There are no firm dates set up at the moment.”
Downing Street on the possibility of a get-together between Mr Trump and David Cameron, who called the nominee’s policy on banning Muslims from the US “divisive, stupid and wrong”, when the former visits the UK.
"The First Minister does not plan to meet Donald Trump on this visit.”
Nicola Sturgeon also appears to be washing her hair that day, or taking a ferry to the islands, or regrouting the kitchen tiles…. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
This HUGE alligator was spotted on a golf course in Florida https://t.co/8BuxUSLKTS pic.twitter.com/cH8Kfl0EY6
— New York Post (@nypost) June 1, 2016
As we say in Scotland, Donald, there is always someone worse off than yerself...
"Brexit is almost synonymous with recession."
Actor and comedian Eddie Izzard, whose Stand Up For Europe tour was in Edinburgh yesterday. Above, campaigning with Labour’s Jim Murphy during the 2015 General Election. Carl Court/Getty Images
£100,000
Sale estimate of this floor-length evening gown, first worn by Diana, Princess of Wales on a state visit to Austria in 1986, to be auctioned in London this month.
Fine bone china dog bowls, tartan coats, bandanas …
All of the above are available from the Royal Collection Trust as the corgi-loving Queen launches her own range of pet accessories. You don’t even need a real dog - toy corgis cost £15.95. Chris Jackson/Getty Images
“It's not what I'd have put him in.”
James Saunders, MD of Simon Jersey clothing factory, visited by Boris Johnson yesterday, was not quite a fan of the Brexiteer former mayor’s blue linen jacket. Ian Forsyth/Getty Images.
"We are in the fight of our life to make the positive and uplifting case for Britain to remain at the heart of Europe. If he could avoid bashing opponents in his own party for five minutes and join us it would make a massive difference.”
Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat leader, on Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who said London’s Labour mayor should not have appeared on the same pro-EU platform as David Cameron. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
“There is not one story on any election anywhere in the UK that the BBC will not spin into a problem for me. It is obsessive beyond belief.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn lets rip at Auntie during a fly-on-the-wall documentary by Vice News. Also in the film, his head of communications, Seamus Milne, claimed there was a mole on the team leaking info about prep meetings for PMQs.
"Did they forget that Wales has its own team and has qualified? Talk about bad publicity!”
Rhydian Bowen Phillips of Cardiff is among those who failed to see the funny side of an M&S poster in the city appearing to support England in Euro 2016. The store has apologised. Matt Cardy/Getty Images
Gosh. Patrick Harvie sets the pace for waistcoats at Holyrood, but that's some effort from Andy Wightman. pic.twitter.com/WmwVCeAufM
— Philip Sim (@BBCPhilipSim) June 1, 2016
Fashion news from Holyrood, courtesy of the BBC's Philip Sim
Thank you for reading. See you tomorrow
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here