Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Front pages
Exclusive: In The Herald, political editor Tom Gordon reports on a poll for the paper showing the impact of Brexit on attitudes towards a second Scottish independence referendum.
The National previews FM Nicola Sturgeon’s speech to her party conference in Glasgow today. See FFS below.
“High price of SNP bid to split to UK” is the headline in the Mail, which says the UK economy has grown three times faster than Scotland’s in the past year, with some blaming uncertainty over indyref2.
The Evening Times pictures Pamela Munro, the mother of Paige Doherty, reading a statement outside the High Court in Glasgow after her daughter’s killer was jailed for a minimum of 27 years.
The FT reckons the UK faces a 20 billion euro “Brexit divorce bill” due to shared liabilities.
The Times says a “secret” government study shows just one per cent of foreign students break the terms of their visas by refusing to leave. The revelation undermines the government’s case for a crackdown, says the paper.
The Telegraph reports anger over a Labour spokesman saying people should protest about the deaths in Syria outside the American embassy. See Afore Ye Go, below.
Camley’s Cartoon
Camley wonders how much Brexit will be a leg-up to independence for the FM. Read the story here.
FFS: Five in five seconds
What’s the story?
The SNP’s annual conference opens at the SECC in Glasgow today.
Can I pop along?
Not unless you are already among the 3000 people delegated to attend over the next three days - it’s a sold out gig. As in previous years the size and staging calls to mind your average rock concert at the venue, with the event being billed by the party as “the biggest party conference in the UK”. The media contingent alone is 500-strong. In a tweet last night, party leader Nicola Sturgeon professed herself impressed:
The view from the top. #SNP16 pic.twitter.com/FWONAallMy
— Ross Colquhoun (@rosscolquhoun) October 12, 2016
Wow. #SNP16 is big. https://t.co/UIZHuaICE4
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) October 12, 2016
On the agenda today?
Big ticket items are the announcement of the depute leadership election result and a welcome address by Nicola Sturgeon.
What is she expected to say?
Reports suggest an all-out attack on the Tory approach to Brexit, with the FM saying the right wing of the party is in the ascendancy and is seeking to “hijack” the referendum result.
Nothing on indyref2?
More is expected on that on Saturday, when Ms Sturgeon delivers her main address. Today, the FM announced that a draft referendum bill will be published next week. Read political correspondent Daniel Sanderson's story here.
Afore Ye Go
“Mr MacNeil, you are an exceptionally boisterous fellow and in the course of your boisterous behaviour you appear to be chewing some sort of gum. I mean I have great aspirations for you to be a statesman but I think your apprenticeship still has some distance to travel.”
Speaker John Bercow to SNP MP Angus MacNeil during the Brexit debate. In the You Tube video below, Mr MacNeil is on the bench behind Brexit spokesman Stephen Gethins and can be seen throwing his hands in the air when the Speaker calls him to order.
A woman sat next to Trump on a plane. About 45 minutes after takeoff, she says, the touching began. https://t.co/ZaE8dmHjYy
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 13, 2016
“He was like an octopus. His hands were everywhere.”
Jessica Leeds, one of two women who have told the New York Times they were touched inappropriately by Donald Trump. His campaign has dismissed the claims as “fiction”.
How American Politics Has Changed. Eye 1429, on its way to shops and subscribers now. pic.twitter.com/ZtjwKMH1xr
— Private Eye Magazine (@PrivateEyeNews) October 11, 2016
Private Eye's take on THAT tape.
"Can I unreservedly withdraw allegations that I made on Monday, only on the basis that it was clumsy, it was not meant about you, it was meant about advice. I don't doubt for one moment your capabilities as a lawyer.”
Iain Duncan Smith to shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer after he appeared to refer to the shadow Brexit secretary as a "second-rate lawyer”. Carl Court/Getty Images
If project fear had only thought of this ....... pic.twitter.com/KLEF2sYBUf
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) October 12, 2016
The post-Brexit vote fall in the pound begins to have an impact.
A bracing chart for the afternoon - sterling hits 168 year low (via #FT) pic.twitter.com/Wr7vmntI8C
— Ian Katz (@iankatz1000) October 12, 2016
"Ronald is used in the UK within our restaurant settings. Whilst we will be mindful of the current trend concerning clowns, we do not anticipate it will impact heavily on his duties over here.”
McDonald’s reacts to the current creepy clowns craze. John Parra/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®
@JamieRoss7 how will we know?
— Colin Mackay (@STVColin) October 12, 2016
The challenge is laid down by BuzzFeed's Jamie Ross, and STV's Colin Mackay responds.
"This would place David Cameron at the bottom of the league table - as a worse prime minster than Anthony Eden, long seen as the biggest post-war failure in Number 10.”
Professor Kevin Theakston, of Leeds University, on a survey carried out by academics on the ratings of British prime ministers. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Jeremy Corbyn's spokesman says there is as much reason to protest about Syria outside the American embassy as Russia's pic.twitter.com/0G2Ikq3K3B
— Sebastian Payne (@SebastianEPayne) October 12, 2016
A row begins after a Labour spokesman backs protests outside the US embassy. Below, a former party spin doctor is not impressed.
This is what happens when you put poshboy revolutionaries who've never moved on from student politics in senior jobs https://t.co/vLoCKW3O1b
— Alastair Campbell (@campbellclaret) October 12, 2016
"I don't know whether you ever consult Facebook, but if you were to go there you would find that George Galloway, a former Member of Parliament, still describes himself as a Member of Parliament.”
Labour MP Chris Bryant, above, to the Speaker John Bercow. Mr Bercow said he would write to the former MP to clear up any ambiguity. Oli Scarff/Getty Images
"I hope you are also going to be taking evidence from women representing all of the political parties. It seems slightly odd to have four white men sitting in front of you giving evidence about women's representation.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as he and three others, including the SNP’s Angus Robertson (above, right), appeared befor the Women and Equalities Select Committee. Committee chairwoman Maria Miller responded: "With respect, that's your fault, not ours.” PA Wire
Meet Wayne David, Labour’s new pro-Trident shadow defence minister. Clive Lewis was moved from the defence portfolio to become shadow business secretary following controversy at last month's Labour Party conference, when the leader's office doctored the ex-soldier's speech on Trident at the last minute. Yui Mok/PA Wire
Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow. Twitter: @alisonmrowat
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