Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Today
- Sturgeon fails to back Hosie over scandal
- Rural minister Lochhead stands down as reshuffle looms
- Eighties tobacco ads blamed for lung cancer rise among women
- Heseltine attacks Johnson’s Hitler comment as ‘obscene’
- Rowling defends Trump’s right to free speech
06.00 BBC Today headlines
Prison reform in England and Wales and adoption rights at heart of Queen’s Speech … Labour’s Carwyn Jones to be appointed FM of Wales … Charity reports sharp rise in number of carers over 80 … Complaint over Sun ‘Queen backs Brexit’ headline upheld … Opposition calls for Venezuelan president to stand down … Trump willing to talk to North Korea.
07.00 BBC Good Morning Scotland headlines
Richard Lochhead to step down as rural affairs minister … Queen’s speech … Sun complaint upheld … Trump … Sunny holidays good for health … Retail sales fall … Venezuela.
Front pages
The Herald leads on the SNP scandal, reporting that the First Minister, asked three times whether she had confidence in her party deputy Stewart Hosie, replied that it was a “private matter”.
Under the headline “SNP MP put affair hotel on expenses”, the Mail says the other SNP MP involved, Angus MacNeil, claimed for a four star hotel despite renting a flat in London.
The Sun dubs the SNP the “Scottish Nookie Party” in its front page, while the Record also carries the hotel expenses allegations.
The National says that pressure is mounting for a further appeal in the Lockerbie case in the wake of former Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill’s book.
The Evening Times has news of Tom Jones’s appearance at this year’s Summer Nights festival at Kelvingrove bandstand.
The Times leads on Michael Heseltine’s savaging of Boris Johnson over his Hitler/EU comparison, while the Telegraph reports that David Cameron has provoked fury after saying Isil would be “happy” with Brexit.
The FT pictures the world’s largest passenger ship, the 18-deck Harmony of the Seas, as it docks at Southampton ahead of its maiden voyage.
Camley’s Cartoon
Camley finds Nicola Sturgeon getting to grips with her errant MPs.
Need to know
Two Trump interviews emerged overnight, both showing how keen the Republican candidate in waiting is to improve his image.
First, he was quizzed on foreign policy by Reuters, stating, among other things, that he would have “no problem” talking to North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un.
The interview that will garner most headlines, however, came on Fox News with Megyn Kelly, the news anchor he insulted after she took him to task during a televised debate for his comments about women. Trump later hinted that her questioning was influenced by her being on her period.
Kelly asked him about his aggressive tweeting, including, in one instance, retweeting a message that called her a “bimbo”. Trump said: “Oh, okay excuse me …” But he then added: “Over your life Megyn, you’ve been called a lot worse. Isn’t that right?”
His defence in general? He’s a “counter-puncher”, responding to what people do to him.
“If I were soft, if I were presidential … in a way it’s a bad word, because there’s nothing wrong with being presidential, but if I had not fought back in the way I fought back, I don’t think I would have been successful.”
Afore ye go
"It bothers me a bit that if Europe begins to break up then the idea that gay people should be looked after may go out the window. I think on those grounds, that's why I'll be voting to stay in.”
Sir Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings series of films. Gay Star News
"I pledge that for each and every day that I hold this office that I will strive to fulfil the duties placed on me to the very best of my ability, and a promise to use all of the powers that this office places in my hands to make this country an even better place to live.”
Nicola Sturgeon on being re-elected Scotland’s First Minister.
“I find almost everything that Mr. Trump says objectionable. I consider him offensive and bigoted. But he has my full support to come to my country and be offensive and bigoted there.”
J.K. Rowling defends freedom of speech at a Pen America gala in New York.
Government insists all money saved from closure of BBC recipe archive will be ploughed back into buying new pencil.
— HaveIGotNewsForYou (@haveigotnews) May 17, 2016
Not everyone is impressed by the BBC's attempts to save money
"It is absurd that we are told you cannot sell bananas of bunches of more than two or three bananas.”
Boris Johnson, returning to the Brexiteers’ obsession with curved fruit
"For all the talks of change and a new era of politics, all we've seen in recent days is same old Plaid Cymru, locking themselves away and doing a cosy deal with their old friends in the Labour Party.”
Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies on news that Labour and Leanne Wood’s Plaid Cymru have come to a deal to re-appoint Labour’s Carwyn Jones as First Minister today. Above: Wood.
South Africa MPs fight in parliament after trying to prevent their president from speaking: https://t.co/0SfqvbcvUX https://t.co/2t5gKcPY7b
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 17, 2016
And you thought Holyrood and Westminster could get a little rowdy
“In person, Corbyn is amiable in the extreme. He likes to share his sandwiches and sometimes absent-mindedly touches you on the arm. ‘I do have a sense of humor,’ he confided. ‘But don’t you go telling anybody about it’.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is profiled in the New Yorker magazine.
“I have arranged for Wi-Fi to be enabled in the Chamber for Members’ use for parliamentary purposes.”
New Holyrood Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh throws open the doors to tweeting, browsing and other digital activities. Previously, devices had to be in airplane mode.
“I’d love to be everywhere but I can’t. I have three children and a husband who is prime minister. I need help. I need a team to help me serve the people.”
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, first lady of Canada, in an interview with Le Soleil newspaper. A Twitter backlash under the hashtag #PrayforSophie duly followed with one poster saying the country should stage a telethon to raise funds. Above, the Trudeaus and the Obamas.
Recording promo for @skynews #EuRef debate with @faisalislam on banks of Thames.
— Kay Burley (@KayBurley) May 17, 2016
Cyclist shouts:
'You're crap Kate.'
Silly moo. It's Kay 😊
The perils of broadcasting, continued
Diary
- Glasgow: Glasgow City Council leader Frank McAveety and Mark McMillan, leader of Renfrewshire Council, to open The Tontine, a new technology innovation centre which is the first project to be funded by the £1.13 billion Glasgow city region city deal.
- London: State Opening of Parliament.
- San Francisco: Google conference. CEO Sundar Pichai to speak.
- London: CBI Annual Dinner.
Thank you for reading. See you tomorrow.
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