Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere. 

Front pages

The Herald:

Exclusive: In The Herald, education correspondent Andrew Denholm reports on Scottish universities’ efforts to protect their global reputations as England prepares to allow small, private, education providers to call themselves universities. 

“Alarm over SNP £170 million tax grab” is the splash in the Mail, which reports Scottish Retail Consortium concerns over proposed council tax reforms. 

Exclusive: The Evening Times reports on the jailing of a man for 16 months for embezzling £60,000 from the Glasgow pawnbrokers where he worked. 

The Sun splashes on text messages between police and the BBC regarding Cliff Richard which the paper says reveals the “full sickening stitch up of star”.

The Times leads on the Heathrow expansion, saying the new runway could be built over a motorway; the Telegraph notes the resignation of Tory MP Zac Goldsmith over Heathrow has left Theresa May with “the most significant challenge of her leadership”; and the FT notes opponents of the scheme are planning “a prolonged rearguard action”. 

The Guardian has a leaked recording which it says reveals what Theresa May really thinks of Brexit. In a meeting with Goldman Sachs bankers a month before the EU poll, the then Home Secretary warned that firms would question whether to stay in the UK if the country was not in the EU. 

Camley’s Cartoon

The Herald:

It’s a bird, it’s a plane … no it’s Camley on Boris, hot air, and the Heathrow expansion stushie. 

FFS: Five in five seconds

The Herald:

What’s the story? 

Reports suggested Gary Lineker, above, was set to join campaigners on the Millennium Bridge in London.

Why?

To put pressure on the UK Government to do more for unaccompanied child refugees. Campaign organisers Love in Action say there are 1200 still in the Jungle camp in Calais. The former England footballer turned Match of the Day host and crisps advertiser did not in the end attend. 

Why the fuss? 

Lineker has taken flak recently for his comments on the refugee crisis. As the first children arrived from Calais last week, he tweeted: “The treatment by some towards these young refugees is hideously racist and utterly heartless. What's happening to our country?”

And?

He received what he called “a bit of a spanking” in return, from those questioning whether as a BBC presenter he should be getting involved in politics. There were calls to sack him.  

Any support?

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has come to his defence, saying he admired Lineker and fellow celebrity Lily Allen (also criticised for campaigning on behalf of child refugees) for “showing Britain at its best: compassionate, welcoming, and standing up to fear and division”. As for whether the BBC will sack him, Lineker says not.

Afore Ye Go

The Herald:

"The day when the bulldozers appear is a long way off, if indeed they ever materialise.”

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who had previously promised to lie in front of the bulldozers if the government ever backed a third runway at Heathrow, reckons court challenges mean his demo will not happen. Justin Tallis – WPA Pool /Getty Images

Tom Peck of the Independent recalls a certain claim by Leave campaigners that quitting the EU would mean £350 million more for the NHS.

Wonder what the FM thinks of this new look?

The Herald:

Meet Paula Nickolds, the new MD of John Lewis and the first woman in the role in the store chain's 152-year history. Greg Funnell/PA Wire

From Tom Newton Dunn of the Sun. Just in case you were worrying how the former PM was going to pay his mortgage now he is out of a job. 

The Herald: Justice Sec Michael Matheson

“There are people with criminal convictions for same-sex sexual activity that is now lawful and we must right this wrong.”

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson promises to introduce an automatic formal pardon to gay and bisexual men convicted of now-abolished sexual offences. Last Friday, the UK Government talked out a bill that would have done the same. 

The Herald:

"I absolutely reject the idea of betrayal, disagreement certainly, and disagreement amongst friends is always painful.”

In his first broadcast interview since the EU referendum, Michael Gove denies he stabbed Boris Johnson in the back or betrayed David Cameron over Brexit. BBC World at One. Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

Grace Maxwell, wife of Orange Juice's Edwyn Collins, gives a glimpse of his regular travails with airport security because he has a titanium plate in his head following a cerebral haemorrhage.

The man himself.

The Herald:

“Had the Republicans chosen virtually anyone other than Donald J. Trump to head up their ticket, he ... would be beating Clinton out of the park right now, so severe are her trust issues with voters.”

Former Labour MP Tom Harris predicts that if Clinton wins she will only be a one term president. Telegraph. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

One to try for Halloween?

Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow. Twitter: @alisonmrowat