Paper candidate

LOOKING almost as pleased as Humza Yousaf at Monday’s SNP leadership declaration was his mate, the lawyer Aamer Anwar, who swanned around clutching a large piece of paper. Mr Aamer was next to Mr Yousaf again the next day at the parliament for the FM, and at the Court of Session the day after that for Mr Yousaf’s swearing-in. Holyrood wags are now wondering if the paper was one of those legendary super-injunction thingies.

 

Ragin’ Regan

ALSO widely noted on Monday was how Ash Regan looked after trailing in a distant third, barely making it into double figures. It seemed her inner “readiness thermometer” had failed to warn her of a stonking defeat. Her face as she sat in the front row for the result was livid. As Kate Forbes beamed diplomatically, Ms Regan scowled furiously. Sympathetic hacks have now nicknamed her ‘Volcanic Ash’. 

 

Behind You-saf!

SHE’s not the only one with a new monicker. Almost-winner Kate Forbes and her supporters have been dubbed the Forbynistas, in the expectation they’ll give their leader hell. But are they his biggest threat? When Nicola Sturgeon bowed out last week she all but anointed Mr Yousaf’s successor. After Highland MSP Emma Roddick sucked up to the FM, she replied: “I cannot tell you how proud I am of you that you sit in Parliament, making such a positive contribution. Who knows? You may one day stand where I stand.” No pressure, Emma.

 

Paul’s pot

TELLING Holyrood about his new ministers on Thursday, Mr Yousaf said housing minister Paul McLennan brought “quite a varied range of professional and political experience to his new post, including through his role in local government”. That’s one way of putting it. In 2015 he was suspended for three months as an East Lothian councillor after a dodgy expenses claim for mileage. The punishment also reflected a “chronic failure” to register interests in line with the code of conduct. He’s on £98,000, you know.

 

Vino beano

NICOLA Sturgeon’s exit has liberated her former chief of staff Liz Lloyd, letting her pop up on telly to flog old gossip. Like the time Ms Sturgeon met Hillary Clinton in New York in 2017. The FM was not only nervous about meeting one of her idols, she was half-gassed. “We had maybe had too many glasses of wine the night before,” Ms Lloyd told Channel 4 News, “she was hungover meeting Hillary Clinton.” Disrespectful? Well, it’s hardly in Bill’s league.

 

Govanhill's finest

With both Humza and Anas being Hutchie old boys, Jackson Carlaw is gleefully telling folk that the was a Governor at the school whilst they were pupils. So we know who to blame.