Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Front pages
The Supreme Court ruling that the Scottish Government’s named persons scheme was unlawful dominates the front pages.
In The Herald, political correspondent Daniel Sanderson says campaigners are warning councils trialling the scheme of a potential deluge of legal action following the ruling.
The National’s headline is “Work to be done” and calls the verdict “mixed”.
The Mail reckons the Scottish Government has been “named and shamed” and the Telegraph calls the defeat “humiliating”.
The Times, in common with other papers, notes the administration’s determination to go on with the scheme after reform.
The Evening Times reports on the jailing of a man who blasted music in George Square.
The FT details the delay by the UK government to the building of Hinkley Point nuclear reactor.
The Guardian says German Chancellor Angela Merkel has defended her open-door policy towards refugees.
Camley’s cartoon
Camley’s sees a judge return the government’s homework.
Five in five seconds: Hillary’s moment
1. What’s the story? After eight years as First Lady, two terms as a senator and eight years as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton has formally accepted the Democratic nomination to run for the presidency of the United States, the first woman from a major party to do so.
Clinton: "It comes down to what Donald Trump doesn't get: that America is great – because America is good." pic.twitter.com/8FvCkoYqAG
— POLITICO (@politico) July 29, 2016
2. Emotional moment? It was a highly personal speech, for Clinton. After being introduced by her daughter Chelsea, Hillary spoke of her own mother (who started work at 14 as a maid), her determination to “get back in the game” after setbacks, and her suitability for the job. Someone else’s unsuitability figured largely too.
3. The Donald’s? The Donald’s. Courtesy of The Herald’s sister paper, USA Today, here are seven of Hillary’s hits against Trump:
- “He spoke for 70 odd minutes and I do mean odd."
- "It's just not right that Donald Trump can ignore his debts, and students and families can't refinance theirs."
- "He also talks a big game about putting 'America First.' Well, please explain to me what part of 'America First' leads him to make Trump ties in China, not Colorado."
- "Now Donald Trump says, and this is a quote, 'I know more about ISIS than the generals do….' No, Donald, you don't."
- "Do you really think Donald Trump has the temperament to be Commander-in-Chief? Donald Trump can't even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign."
- "A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons."
- "At first, I admit, I couldn't believe he meant it either. It was just too hard to fathom – that someone who wants to lead our nation could say those things, could be like that. But here's the sad truth: There is no other Donald Trump.This is it.”
4. His reaction? Since the balloons started to fall, bringing an end to the convention in Philadelphia and signalling a start to the campaign proper, he has been tweeting like billy-o. A selection:
Hillary will never reform Wall Street. She is owned by Wall Street!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016
Hillary's vision is a borderless world where working people have no power, no jobs, no safety.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016
No one has worse judgement than Hillary Clinton - corruption and devastation follows her wherever she goes.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016
Well? #suitup #pantsuits #DemsinPhilly pic.twitter.com/wdli5FRX8B
— New York Post (@nypost) July 29, 2016
Clinton's historical speech was really just a list of everything she wants Washington to do https://t.co/YTOMoxuehE pic.twitter.com/z1LjdRlmQs
— New York Post (@nypost) July 29, 2016
The Post has a pop at Hillary's usually large speaker fees
5. Verdict on Hillary? She was no Obama (Michelle or Barack), but she delivered the demolition job on Trump the party wanted to hear. Outside the hall, reaction to her speech will have been similar to that for Trump - minds will not have been changed. Though her speech was unusually personal, she has been in public life for so long, there are few who are undecided about her, for good and otherwise. In a snap YouGov poll afterwards, 27% thought she had been “very good”, compared to the 24% Trump scored after his speech. By the by, 41% said they did not watch it (44% for Trump).
Great speech. She's tested. She's ready. She never quits. That's why Hillary should be our next @POTUS. (She'll get the Twitter handle, too)
— President Obama (@POTUS) July 29, 2016
Afore Ye Go
“If Theresa May refuses to even consider how we might protect Scotland's place in the EU, then she should be in no doubt that her days as Prime Minister of a United Kingdom are numbered.”
SNP MP Angus Robertson launches his bid for to be depute leader of the party. Andrew Milligan/PA Wire
£21,000
The value of discounts given to David Cameron by his personal trainer, as disclosed in the register of MPs’ financial interests. The former PM gave the money to a charity of Matt Roberts’s choice. Suzanne Plunkett/PA Wire
"This has been a waste of time and resources when our party should be focused on holding the Government to account.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hails a ruling by the High Court in London which rejected a bid to block him from standing in the Labour leadership election. Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
"I'm pleased the court has done the right thing and ruled that Jeremy should be on the ballot. This now puts to bed any questions about the process, so we can get on with discussing the issues that really matter.”
Corbyn’s opponent, Owen Smith. Lauren Hurley/PA Wire
MORNING STAR: Jeremy stays, Foster pays #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/wzpBNEtUqu
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) July 28, 2016
How the Morning Star saw the verdict
I'm watching you, Palmerston... pic.twitter.com/rbjGhwQunV
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) July 28, 2016
Downing Street cat wars continue
Been a busy day for Larry seen here this morning having a face of with a squirrel a chase with squirrel winning ! pic.twitter.com/tZnu5nFsK1
— Political Pictures (@PoliticalPics) July 26, 2016
Larry opens up a second battle front
August 7, August 11, August 13/14
The latest ScotRail strike dates, as announced by the RMT yesterday. Danny Lawson/PA Wire
£1.6 billion
Sky’s operating profits in the year to June, a 12% rise achieved by the success of shows including Game of Thrones, above.
“The first sentence of Bill Clinton’s speech was ‘In the spring of 1971, I met a girl’. You can imagine the relief in the room when they realized he was talking about Hillary.”
Conan O’Brien. Alex Wong/Getty Images
“I guess I take it a little bit personally, right, but you can’t let it get you down.”
Donald Trump responds to attacks on him at the Democratic Convention. Fox News. John Moore/Getty Images
Bradley Cooper, who once played Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, was the subject of a Twitter backlash for appearing at the Democratic Convention. One tweeter said: “I have a list of celebrities that support Socialism I refuse to spend another $ on. Add this one.” USA Today. Above, Cooper previously at a White House conference on mental health. Win McNamee/Getty Images.
Others, referring to another Cooper film, Guardians of the Galaxy, were more sanguine:
People being upset Bradley cooper who played the American Sniper is not a republican is like me being upset he is not a real space raccoon.
— Stephen Williams (@siavm) July 28, 2016
Thank you for reading. The Midge is flying off for a week, back Monday, August 8 - see you then.
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