Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Today
- Judge rebukes May over asylum rejection
- Scots tax haven business making a mint
- FM admits oil price plunge was ‘shock’ to economy
- Corbyn and Smith bring leadership fight to Scotland
Front pages
Exclusive: In The Herald, senior reporter Martin Williams reveals that one of Scotland’s most senior judges has told Theresa May she “acted unreasonably” in dismissing a former Sri Lankan militant’s asylum bid while she was Home Secretary.
“On strong foundations” is the headline in The National following the publication of Gers figures which show Scotland £15 bn in the red. Columnist Michael Fry says Scotland will generate better growth outside the UK.
The Mail’s take on the same story is “SNP dream of leaving UK dead in water”, calling the Gers results a “fatal blow” for the FM’s independence bid. The Sun describes the figures as a “spending bombshell”; the Times headline is “Collapsing oil revenues drill £15bn hole in budget”; the Express goes for “£15bn reality check for SNP. Below the fold in the FT, Mure Dickie says the SNP has come under “intense pressure” to justify claims the country would be better off on its own.
The FT splashes on Apple, with the paper reporting that the US Treasury is mounting a last-ditch effort to prevent the European Commission handing the tech giant a tax bill of billions.
Exclusive: Hannah Rodger in the Evening Times reports that a father whose son was killed by a falling gravestone has been denied legal aid to pay for a lawyer at the Fatal Accident Inquiry.
The Scotsman reports that a Scottish comic, Richard Gadd, from Fife, has made the shortlist for this year’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards - the first time this has happened in more than 20 years.
FFS: Five in five seconds
1. What’s the story? Today is Jeremy Corbyn Day in Scotland.
2. That’s an official thing? No, but it might as well be given his schedule.
3. Details? At 15.00, he gives a speech in Glasgow at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, followed by a Q&A, on how a Labour government would benefit Scotland. At 17.00 he does another rally, same venue, this one chaired by Denise Christie of the Fire Brigades Union. Finally, starting at 18.45, he will appear at a hustings with his rival for the leadership, Owen Smith, at the SECC. The Times’ Scottish political editor Lindsay McIntosh will be moderating and you can watch a live stream at labour.org.uk/debates.
4. Expected to say? As reported in Monday’s Herald, Mr Corbyn will rule out any alliance between Labour and the SNP at Westminster.
5. Nothing new then? He will likely try to throw some strong red socialist meat to Scots Labour supporters, and it will be interesting to see if Scots Labour leader Kezia Dugdale turns up to the hustings, having declared her backing for Smith earlier this week (her deputy, Alex Rowley, is backing Corbyn). If all that is not enough Labour-in-Scotland excitement for you, former deputy PM John Prescott is in conversation on the Fringe with a gig at 18.00 at the University of Edinburgh Business School, George Square.
Afore Ye Go
“If I was an American citizen I wouldn’t vote for Hillary Clinton if you paid me.”
UKIP leader Nigel Farage joins Republican candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Jackson, Mississippi. Mr Trump said the campaign to leave the EU had been led “brilliantly” by Mr Farage. Farage told Trump supporters: “You can go out, you can beat the pollsters, you can beat the commentators, you can beat Washington.” The sight of the two together brought to mind the famous cry which greeted comic Bernie Winters joining his brother Mike on stage at the Glasgow Empire: “Christ, there’s two of them!"
“How do you make Lady Gaga cry? Poker Face.”
Nicola Sturgeon, appearing on the BBC’s One Show, live from the Edinburgh Festival, to publicise her initiative to get children reading, is asked to tell her favourite joke. Suspect that one came from the nephews and niece, FM?
@theSNP @NicolaSturgeon @BBCTheOneShow Don't give up your day job FM #badjokes 😂
— maureen mcranor (@mcranor123) August 24, 2016
"I genuinely think it's not in the interest of licence fee payers that we do reveal talent fees.”
BBC controller Charlotte Moore, speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, reckons if everyone knows what others are paid they will demand the same and the cost to the licence payer will rise. Ian West/PA Wire
"I’m very pleased that Richard Branson has been able to break off from his holiday to take this issue seriously with the importance it obviously deserves. I hope he's very well aware of our policy which is that train operating companies should become part of the public realm not the private sector."
A clearly irritated Jeremy Corbyn (see video below) responds to more questions about his London to Newcastle train journey. The Labour leader said he could not find a free seat, but Virgin Trains begged to differ, releasing CCTV from the train. Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
Jeremy Corbyn shows his agitation as a journalist presses for an answer about the seat on the 'ram-packed' trainhttps://t.co/ZH6BgWVvYt
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) August 24, 2016
"The senator didn’t send a message and doesn’t intend to get involved in British politics."
Not content with fighting on one front, the Corbyn campaign also ran into trouble after claiming Democrat Bernie Sanders, above, had sent them a message of support. Huffington Post.
“In politics, the truth doesn’t have to be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, it just has to be a ‘defensible truth’. Or, in other words something that no-one can disprove.”
Former Labour spin doctor and Jim Murphy aide John McTernan attacks the Corbyn camp for their handling of “Traingate”. Telegraph. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images. Above, with Tony Blair in Scotland, 2007.
"What you won't get from me is some lunatic at the top of the Labour Party.”
Labour leadership contender Owen Smith, speaking at an event in London, later denied he was referring to Mr Corbyn. "I wasn't talking about Jeremy. I was talking about me.” Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
My dad's ice cream shop window. I like an understated celebration but.. pic.twitter.com/QoZRPc16Ez
— Helen Glover (@Helenglovergb) August 24, 2016
From Helen Glover, Olympic gold-winning rower
"Donald Trump is a racist, he's a misogynist, he's a horrible person.”
Cher believes in life after love, and in speaking her mind. Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
So, what to read on the train?
— Glenn Campbell (@GlennBBC) August 24, 2016
The BBC's Glenn Campbell, heading home from London, asks Twitter for advice on reading matter. The novel won.
"It is comforting to have another woman in No 10 who knows who is boss and is not a publicity hound.”
Former Thatcher press aide Sir Bernard Ingham on Theresa May, now back from holiday. Daniel Leal-Olivas - WPA Pool/Getty Images
“There are life-sized nude statues of Donald Trump. Forget building the wall, Trump should just put a bunch of those things at the border.”
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
“Speedo has revoked their sponsorship of swimmer Ryan Lochte, and according to him, they did it at gunpoint.”
Late Night with Seth Myers. Harry How/Getty Images
The Record's political editor David Clegg suffers a phone malfunction (below). Luckily, Twitter users were there to help out.
@davieclegg Did you know you may be due up to £5,000 from mis-sold PPI?
— Murray Meikle (@murraymeikle) August 24, 2016
Thanks for reading - see you tomorrow. Twitter: @alisonmrowat
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