Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Today
- Fears over Dungavel replacement
- Named Persons scheme rebooted
- Anger over "toss of a coin" civic appointment
- Tory MPs under fire over refusal to close tax haven loophole
06.00 BBC Today headlines
Theresa May to set out grammar school expansion in England … Review of statins says benefits under-estimated and harm exaggerated … North Korea conducts fifth nuclear test … Paralympics GB team wins five golds on first day of competition in Rio … Three women detained in France on suspicion of planning terror attack … 30 stranded in cable cars on Mont Blanc … Dormice decline by third.
07.00 BBC Good Morning Scotland headlines
Engineers dealing with gas leak close to Glasgow Airport; airport operating as normal but allow more time for road travel ... Statins study ... Family calling for improvements to police mortuaries ... North Korea ... Batch of blue cheese recalled ... Glaswegian taken off BA flight to Orlando.
Front pages
In The Herald, UK political correspondent Kate Devlin reports on concerns that replacing Dungavel holding centre with a new short-term unit near Glasgow Airport will mean asylum seekers face rapid removal and restrictions on their right to appeal.
The Mail splashes on the Glasgow firm fined £60,000 for making 1.6 million nuisance phone calls.
In the Evening Times, Stacey Mullen reports a warning to Old Firm fans that the policing of the game will not stop when the final whistle blows.
The Guardian says Unite put £417,000 towards a £700,000 London flat for the trade union’s leader, Len McCluskey.
The Express leads on the Scottish Conservatives’ criticism of the merger of British Transport Police with Scotland’s single force.
“Girl, 18, to wed her old janny, 60” is the headline in the Sun.
The Telegraph says John Swinney has made a “major climbdown” on the Named Persons scheme with a delay in implementation and a “watering down” of its powers.
The FT says Chancellor Philip Hammond has promised to maintain free movement for bankers after Brexit.
Camley’s Cartoon
Camley looks at the closure of Dungavel detention centre from the other side of the fence.
FFS: Five in five seconds
1. What’s the story? A very political picture has its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival tonight.
2. Magnificent Seven? That was last night. Tonight, it’s the turn of Snowden, directed by Oliver Stone and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the former National Security Agency analyst turned privacy whistleblower.
3. Will its real-life subject be attending? Unlikely. Much to the irritation of the US authorities, Snowden is still in Russia, where he fled three years ago. He faces certain arrest if he ventures outside Putin’s protection. He does, however, appear on screen at the end of what is being billed by Stone as a “drama” rather than a biopic.
4. Sure to be controversial? Yes. Stone, the director of Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, and Salvador, is not one to pull his political punches.
5. Will the film change opinions of Snowden in the USA? Those who regard Snowden as a hero of the internet age for blowing the whistle on government monitoring of citizens’ data will doubtless have their views confirmed. But those who want him charged with treason will be further irritated by Stone’s picture. A draw, then.
Afore Ye Go
“Don't make this your last game.”
Chief Superintendent Brian McInulty urges fans to behave themselves as Celtic take on Rangers at Celtic Park in Glasgow tomorrow in what is the first league fixture between the rivals in four years. One Glaswegian, interviewed by James Naughtie for a BBC Today report this morning, predicted Glasgow Sheriff Court would be "bouncing" on Monday. Above, the William Hill Scottish Cup semi final in April. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images.
"The Supreme Court judgement does not dilute our commitment but it has required us to revise part of the legislation.”
Education Secretary John Swinney says the Scottish Government will carry out an “intense” three-month consultation on how to make its controversial named person scheme comply with European human rights law. Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament/PA Wire
'What is Aleppo?' Presidential candidate Gary Johnson bungles a Syria question in this cringe-inducing interview pic.twitter.com/RLSFVsqDk8
— ITV News (@itvnews) September 8, 2016
Gary Johnson, Libertarian presidential candidate, has a brain fade during an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. He had been asked what he would do about the besieged Syrian city. Johnson said later he had “blanked” and promised that in future he would have daily security briefings. CNN/USA Today. Alex Wong/Getty Images
900,000
The number of workers on zero-hours contracts, under which workers do not know how many hours they will work from week to week. The total has risen from 747,000 a year ago. ONS. Nick Ansell/PA Wire
“People were saying President Obama was snubbed by China when they didn't have the stairs ready for him to get off the plane. Donald Trump said that if that ever happened to him, he'd just close the plane doors and leave the country. Every other country was like, ‘That's all we have to do? Thank you. That's perfect!’”
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
"We are not going to be suddenly installing windows from Anglian - nothing against Anglian, of course.”
Chris Bryant MP, a member of the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster outlines why a £4 billion repair programme is essential. The project could take between three and five years, during which it was recommended that MPs and peers move to nearby buildings. Among the ideas rejected was putting MPs on temporary rafts on the Thames. David Mirzoeff/PA Wire
“The latest CNN poll has Donald Trump beating Hillary Clinton 45 percent to 43 percent. But the good news is, the staffer who informed Hillary is expected to make a full recovery.”
Late Night with Seth Myers. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Standby. Big Lazza is about to address the nation.... pic.twitter.com/GuZsvW0bLs
— norman smith (@BBCNormanS) September 8, 2016
@BBCNormanS Now with lectern and BBC ticker, thanks to @JeffWni and @AndyGilder :) pic.twitter.com/bZnA3gNafs
— Andrea Mann 👍 (@AndreaMann) September 8, 2016
If cat lovers' dreams came true.
November 23
The date of Chancellor Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Statement, as revealed to the House of Lords Economic Affairs committee yesterday. Leon Neal/Getty Images
“If people fall in love with his personality ..."
Strictly Come Dancing champion Jay McGuiness on former Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls’s chances of staying a while. Chris Jackson/Getty Images
"Let's all take to the dancefloor" @jo_coburn gets @edballs @vincecable off their #bbcdp chairs #StrictlyComeDancing https://t.co/GADlfdoRAU
— DailySunday Politics (@daily_politics) September 8, 2016
New coalition struck as Ed Balls and the BBC's Jo Coburn receive a dance lesson from Vince Cable.
"As I suppose I have spent most of my life trying to propose and initiate things that very few people could see the point of or, frankly, thought were plain bonkers at the time, perhaps some of them are now beginning to recognise a spot of pioneering in all this apparent madness?"
The Prince of Wales, who has been named Londoner of the Decade, reopens Shadwell Fire Station in London. Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool /Getty Images
"It's about time we won something.”
Labour MP Jonathan Reynolds, whose labradoodles, Clinton and Kennedy, won the Westminster Dog of the Year award, organised by the Kennel Club and Dogs Trust. Geoff Caddick/PA Wire
My work in Scotland will not be complete until I force the introduction of a Holyrood Dog Show.
— Jamie Ross (@JamieRoss7) September 8, 2016
BuzzFeed's Jamie Ross suggests Holyrood follows suit with a dog show of its own. The suggestion is immediately met with agreement from some.
I concur. Someone needs to make this happen. https://t.co/usFlLstTmQ
— Ruth Davidson (@RuthDavidsonMSP) September 8, 2016
@JamieRoss7 this is the sort of cross-party working I can get behind. How about we get @CanineConcern involved? pic.twitter.com/UmzLGDsPCM
— Willie Rennie (@willie_rennie) September 8, 2016
@willie_rennie @JamieRoss7 Ahem, bear in mind this could go one of two ways... pic.twitter.com/tIfni8SP0e
— Philip Sim (@BBCPhilipSim) September 8, 2016
"Why are you yelling at the radio?"
— Rebecca Shipley (@Shippers1983) September 8, 2016
Talk to @BBCTheArchers my confused little gerbil. #FreeHelen #TheArchers pic.twitter.com/EOD2PrFKGu
Meanwhile, in Archers country...
Thanks for reading. Twitter: @alisonmrowat. Housekeeping note: The Midge will return on September 26. See you then.
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