TAKING a stand against the party line is not common trait among SNP parliamentarians.

So imagine our surprise when we heard that one nationalist backbencher had not even voted SNP at last week's general election!

Was their a rebel in their ranks?

No, only Christian Allard. The Frenchman is not eligible to vote in UK elections.

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Thursday's release of the official spending returns from the referendum has thrown up a number of choice invoices, such as the LibDems spending £440 with a Welsh company for "balloon artistry". We also noticed a cheeky Better Together bill for a £600 "Drinks tab" and £150 worth of "nibbles" at Glasgow's Corinthian nightclub. Not that they were cocky, you understand, but the knees-up took place a fortnight before the vote.

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Word reaches us that at least one of the defeated Scottish Labour MPs had no idea he was about to lose his seat by a majority of thousands of votes.

So confident was he, we hear, he was issuing invitations to his victory party...

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Labour's sole MP north of the border is a man of many talents, Unspun hears. Besides being shadow Scottish secretary, Ian Murray used to read horoscopes on the radio and has a flair for snooker. So what was his highest break? "Ninety-seven," he replies in a flash. "Missed a blue, rattled in the jaws, never forgot it." At least he'll know how to play all the political angles.

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Before the election, Tory MP David Mundell struck a £200 bet with Craig Harrow, convener of the Scottish LibDems, that the Tories would win more seats than the Libs in Scotland.

Despite the ignominious 1-1 draw, Mr Mundell has yet to pay up. Presumably he has been too busy trying the Dover House chaises lounges to remember. However Unspun hears that Mr Harrow, who has rather less on these days, has thought of little else.