Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Front pages
Exclusive: The Herald has an interview with Professor Danny Blanchflower, a former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, on the post-Brexit economics that could light a fire under indyref2.
“PM’s betrayal of workers” is the headline in The National as the paper reports a government backtrack on putting workers’ representatives on boards.
The Mail says violent offenders are being sent on “wilderness treks” under community service orders.
The Times reports that Russia is moving short-range ballistic missiles to a region between the Nato states of Poland and Lithuania.
“Norway deals blow to SNP on EU deal” is the splash in the Telegraph, which says Scotland has been told it cannot join EFTA because it is not a sovreign state.
“Anger as May hints at slow EU exit” is the headline in the Express, which reports the PM’s speech to business leaders yesterday in which she said people did not want a “cliff edge” Brexit.
The Scotsman says Transport Minister Humza Yousaf is clashing with ScotRail over public ownership.
The FT reports a senior EU judge’s view that Brexit could end up in front of the European Court of Justice.
FFS: Five in five seconds
What’s the story? President-elect Donald Trump has announced in a You Tube video message what he will do in his first 100 days in office.
Which is? Withdraw the US from the “potentially disastrous” Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement and negotiate bilateral trade deals; boost defences against cyber attacks; investigate abuses of visa programmes “that undercut the American worker”; and scrap “job killing” rules on energy production.
First brick in the wall to be laid when? No mention of the border wall with Mexico. Besides appearing on You Tube, Mr Trump has controversially been busy on Twitter again.
Controversially? He tweeted that Ukip interim leader Nigel Farage would do a great job as British ambassador to Washington.
Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States. He would do a great job!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2016
Does the US president normally pick the ambassador? It’s that word so often associated with Mr Trump - unprecedented. Mr Farage said this morning: "It's all a bit of a shock to me. No one had mentioned the idea to me but I have good relations with his team and if I could help the UK in any way I would." But Downing Street has responded coolly that "there is no vacancy". If Mr Farage did go to Washington might we see scenes reminiscent of the Ambassador’s receptions of legend, below?
Camley’s cartoon
Camley reads the signs as the UK moves towards Brexit.
Afore Ye Go
"On a real vote about the EU, I'd have voted to Leave."
Radical independence campaigner Cat Boyd writes in The National about her decision, revealed on last week's BBC Question Time, not to vote in the EU referendum. Ms Boyd says she could not support either the Leave campaign, with its "racism", or the current set up of the EU, which she felt was also "actively racist". Picture: BBC. Read The National column here.
"It is important to keep Parliament informed of the actions I am taking to ensure ScotRail improve our rail services and I will be proposing to make a statement to Parliament this week.”
Transport Minister Humza Yousaf. Labour accused him of presiding over a “shambles” following last week’s rail chaos and his declaration on Sunday that he was working on plans for public ownership of the railways. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
"Conversation is not harassment and I was appreciative that vice president-elect Pence stood there and listened to what we had to say.”
Hamilton actor Brandon Victor Dixon, who delivered a statement to Mike Pence about the importance of diversity , responds to criticism from Donald Trump that he had “harassed” the VP-elect. Above, the show’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda takes a bow after his last performance in July. Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images
.@GlennBBC had the sweet opportunity to ask the Swiss President just what he thinks of the controversial new Toblerone design... pic.twitter.com/luR2T1fYBV
— BBC Scotland News (@BBCScotlandNews) November 21, 2016
The BBC's Glenn Campbell gets the most out of his European trip.
The worst thing about this cold snap in NYC is that it further convinces our President-elect that global warming is a Chinese hoax.#wtf
— Alan Cumming (@Alancumming) November 21, 2016
Scots actor Alan Cumming is feeling the cold in NYC.
“Why do you care? Who is to say that he can't do that?”
Senior Trump adviser Kelly Anne-Conway, above, left, defends the president-elect taking to Twitter to criticise the Hamilton cast. CNN. Drew Angerer/Getty Images.
Supermodel Gigi Hadid has been criticised for her heavily accented impersonation of First Lady in waiting Melania Trump at the American Music Awards. One Twitter user said “a new era of bullying is starting. It's not coming from where we expected.” Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Diane James has quit UKIP along with fellow MEP Steven Woolfe. Perhaps they could form a rival EU Parliament grouping called Newkip.
— Harry Cole (@MrHarryCole) November 21, 2016
From the Sun's Harry Cole.
Meet the BBC’s newly appointed media editor, Amol Rajan, who formerly edited the Independent newspaper. The BBC said he would be reporting on all aspects of the media industry, from global mergers to digital advances and trends and their impact on business, politics and culture around the world. Does that include the Scottish Six then? Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire
"Strong women are, simply, women with opinions. And they have always been treated with suspicion. Look at Hillary Clinton.”
Singer Barbra Streisand, saying that men had felt too intimidated to ask her out. Above, Streisand at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit 2016. Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Fortune
Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow. Twitter: @alisonmrowat
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