Hangover status: nearly greeting at this.

Btw, the Curacao fans were absolutely superb yesterday at Hampden. Definitely be wishing them well at the World Cup. Total party atmosphere and a really nice bunch all in. Most vibrant I’ve probably seen at a Scotland game.

I think the thing about the Murrell/SNP thing is that while the public aren’t impressed, it’s also such a small time scandal. Motor homes and bog rolls. Elements of the press desperately want this to be Mandelson level, but that just isn’t where normal people are in relation to it.

Paul Heaton keeping his arena tour under £40 again on principle. One of the absolute best people walking around this planet.

Not something I’d normally recommend, but if you want to see something truly mental, go and have a look at how many times Euan McColm has retweeted or retweeted about Sturgeon in recent days over at the other place. Truly deranged behaviour. Guy has overdosed on dog biscuits from JK Rowling.

Someone posting this on another chat sent me down the most Alan Partridge route imaginable and pondering how many Scottish local authority areas I’ve had a pint in. Think I’m at 27/32. Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles, Argyll and Bute and Borders missing, I think.

Someone put it to me that fundamentally, Nicola Sturgeon going undefeated electorally and presiding over a period in which Scottish Labour was totally dismantled as an opposition force has just... broken so many people that HERE'S OUR CHANCE TO FINALLY GET HER, THIS TIME IT'LL WORK is too alluring

Guy is a parody of himself. Each intervention more villainous than the last, as he slowly morphs into Mr Burns from The Simpsons.

Alex Salmond trial: “The women are fucking liars!” Nicola Sturgeon, not on trial: “The woman is a fucking liar!” A lot of the folk who shout the loudest about protecting women etc. certainly seem to have a big old problem with them.

Respect and credit is due to David Hasselhoff for the fall of the Berlin Wall - Hassan, G (1989)

Kraftwerk

What are we supposed to be imagining in this fantasy land? A world where people weren’t fully aware of a case that has been in the news for several years? A world where they’d developed amnesia about Peter Mandelson and decided to vote en masse for Labour?

Trying to associate a male criminal’s wife with his crimes, rather than laser focusing them on him, is exactly the sort of response I’d expect from Scottish Labour tbh. They deserve to be exactly where they are. Classless, reactionary and scrambling for relevance.

Getting the jail for a Bullseye prize list. Mortifying.

Departing Derry. A tremendous city that you should tick off the list, if you’ve never been.

As ever, an absolute delight to be in the great city of Derry.

Some truly awful music coming out of this Scotland World Cup situation. Time to ban acoustic guitars until it’s over. Only palatable solution is the KLF reuniting for one last rumble and then returning to radio silence.

Kenny Gibson wants to be on TV more, basically.

You just know the “who’s that?” section absolutely kills Cole-Hamilton inside.

Yer da is some man.

John McGinn. Top player and seemingly top guy. Absolutely buzzing for him.

What a goal that is.

A quick Google on this will tell you that Paul McManus is not merely a musician.

Looking forward to the “why hasn’t he completely overhauled the squad that got us to the World Cup and picked the guy from my club team?” takes.

Burnham’s political history is chequered, but it’s not really that common to see a high profile politician who doesn’t seem uncomfortable or forced around normal people. It might be style over substance, but the fact that he can communicate like an actual person could be a big asset for Labour.

This is so stupid. The Good Friday Agreement was thirty years ago and Ian Paisley was in government with Martin McGuinness. If Ian Paisley can find it within himself to move on, then I think people can move on. The alternative to not moving on is going back and nobody wants that.

Scottish Labour can’t stop making the same mistakes. Anas Sarwar has *twice* led them to their worst ever electoral performance at a Holyrood election. Iain Gray’s hilarious campaign delivered thirteen more seats than his best offering. Why are they like this? A party that loves talking to itself.

Burnham definitely going after the “yer da” demographic. Everton retro gear yesterday and “ban VAR” today. Acutely aware that I’m in said demographic and would finally forgive the bastards for Iraq if he took a hammer to VAR.

I regret to inform that the hipsters are appropriating Glasgow gang culture.

Already seen a suggestion that the Greens step aside in Makerfield, which highlights a clear misunderstanding of where a lot of voters on the left are. They’re not interested in lending a vote to Labour’s psychodrama. They want to vote for something that actually aligns with their values.

The fact that Russell Findlay, Murdo Fraser and Findlay Carson are out of the traps to laud Kenny Gibson’s election tells you all you need to know.

Reform battered them there last week. Must have done the sums, though. Greens would undoubtedly be bringing up a chequered history that might hurt him more in a more inner city seat. Less likely to hurt him here. High stakes wherever he goes, though.

What an embarrassment. Shameful, really. Guy isn’t fit to sit in the place, never mind lead it.

The Streeting Resignation

Surely Haughey gets the McArthur votes. Can’t have a dinosaur as the figurehead of a modern parliament. Would be an absolute riddy.

Yer Da FM

PO should be Liam McArthur, but it must be anyone but Kenny Gibson. A divisive blowhard who shouldn’t even make it past vetting in a centre left party.

The line between reality and comedy writing has never been thinner.

This mob are a shambles. Maureen Burke is going to end up PM by accident or something.

If the rumour about Burnham’s seat being Manchester Rusholme are true, then 😬…. Aggregate council result for the wards in the seat on Thursday: Green 11782 Labour 6924

Even Labour aren’t daft enough to allow Streeting to be PM. Probably.

My reading of this is clear shithousing from Swinney’s office while they’re running around Downing Street with their hair on fire. Amusing.

The obvious choice. Seems a thoroughly decent man and the way he carried himself through the assisted dying debate was Holyrood at its very best. I can’t think of a better ambassador for the Parliament.

I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on visas, but it’s pretty obvious what many of the motives are driven by on the Q Manivannan situation.

Surely the cabinet ministers start going now? Deeply unserious scenario if he rocks up to the Commons pretending he’s staying.

He’s so nearly got it. So very close.

the Ed Miliband campaign cranks into gear

No way he makes it to PMQs on Wednesday now if cabinet ministers are giving him the tap on the shoulder. The podium will be out tomorrow and he’ll be announcing an exit date.

Hardest shift in politics is local government and the easiest one to take pot shots at. I’m as cynical as they come, but Susan is a proper “in it for the right reasons” politician. Really sorry to read this, but it’s a helluva shift to keep putting in for so long. Must be all consuming at times.