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

Front pages

The Herald:

In The Herald, UK political editor Michael Settle reports on a damning report from a Commons committee on HMRC’s hiring of a US firm to check tax credit claims. Tens of thousands of Scots were wrongly denied benefits as a result, MPs found. 

“Protection racket” is the headline in The National as it reports on a failed bid by the SNP’s Alex Salmond to set up an inquiry into whether Tony Blair misled parliament over Iraq.

The Mail says RBS is to close branches and shed jobs as it tries to raise £2 billion after failing a Bank of England stress test.

The Herald: Exclusive: In the Evening Times, Holly Lennon reports on a row over a mother’s removal from a GP’s register.

The Sun says Nicola Sturgeon’s independence dream is “on the ropes” after a poll showing support has dipped to 44%. 

The Scotsman reports a GMC poll showing more than 38% of trainee doctors in Scotland are finding workloads too high. 

The backlog of applications from EU citizens to stay in the UK has trebled since the Brexit vote to 100,000, says the Guardian.

The FT reports on the Opec decision to cut oil supplies as the price of a barrel of crude passes $50. 

The Times has a poll saying support for rail nationalisation in Scotland has risen in the past three months, with 58% of Scots backing the idea. 

The Telegraph says Donald Trump’s picks for the treasury and commerce jobs bode well for the UK, because both nominees favour bi-lateral trade arrangements. 

Camley’s cartoon

The Herald:

Slim controller Camley finds signals at amber on ScotRail improvement plans. 

FFS: Five in five seconds

What’s the story? The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, is in Edinburgh today for talks with FM Nicola Sturgeon. 

On the agenda? Brexit and last week’s Autumn Statement. Lurking in the background as ever, indyref 2. 

Mood music? Ahead of the visit, the Treasury last night tried to strike an upbeat tone, calling Scotland’s contribution to the UK “invaluable”, while also reminding the Scottish Government that the rUK is Scotland’s most important market, “providing four times the trade volume than that of the EU 27”. Read UK political editor Michael Settle’s here. 

Hammond’s position? On Brexit, that London and Edinburgh work together to "achieve the best for everyone”; on the Autumn Statement, that he gave Scotland an additional £800 million. 

The Scottish Government’s position? On Brexit: more clarity required; on the Autumn Statement: the £800 million will only take the edge off previously planned cuts. 

Afore Ye Go

The SNP's Stewart McDonald takes Jackson Carlaw to task after the Tory MSP dubbed FM Nicola Sturgeon "Scotland's Evita" over her diplomatic travels. 

The Herald:

“I totally disagreed with Tony Blair on the Iraq war … But never for one second did I believe he was acting in bad faith and I do not do so now.”

Shadow foreign office minister Fabian Hamilton during a debate on a cross-party motion to set up a new parliamentary investigation into Tony Blair's actions over Iraq. Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

The Herald:

“The overwhelming impression is that a headstrong prime minister could still create a situation where sofa government drove a country into an illegal war.”

SNP MP Alex Salmond speaks in support of the motion. Carl Court/Getty Images

For your viewing entertainment tonight.

The Herald:

“Donald Trump tweeted that millions of people voted illegally on Election Day. Then someone told Trump it’s not illegal for women to vote.”

Conan O’Brien. Above, a Clinton supporter as the results come in. Win McNamee/Getty Images.

Talks are continuing between President-elect Donald Trump and his former critic, Mitt Romney, over the US secretary of state vacancy.

From the Labour MEP for London.

The Herald:

The Pope meets Martin Scorsese following a screening in Rome of the film director’s new picture, Silence, about Jesuit missionaries in 17th-century Japan. L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP

As Michelle Obama advised, when they go low, the Scottish Conservative leader goes high.

The Herald:

The ashes of the late Cuban president Fidel Castro, placed in a small coffin draped in a flag, begin their four-day journey from Havana to Santiago. AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko

Former MP Ed Balls continues his transition back to normality after his exit from Strictly.

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