Hello and welcome to The Midge, the e-bulletin that takes a bite out of politics in Scotland and elsewhere.
Front pages
In The Herald, Martin Williams reports on the wave of protests against the Trump travel ban and says the UK Government won a reprieve for Britons with dual passports.
“Let them in” is the headline in The National; “Trump in climbdown over British travellers”, declares the Times; while the Telegraph’s take is “Boris keeps US open to Britons”.
Several papers picture Somalia-born British Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah and his quote: “The Queen made me a knight, Donald Trump made me an alien.”
The Morning Star makes clear where it stands.
The Mail says Scotland’s GPs are seeing 100 patients a day because of shortages.
A drug to reverse Alzheimer’s could be “just years away”, reports the Express.
The FT pictures Roger Federer who has won his 18th slam at the age of 33. “The greatest of all time” says the Telegraph.
Camley’s cartoon
Just two gals on a Monday morning, catching up with the weekend’s news …
FFS: Five in five seconds
What’s the story? More than one million people have signed an online petition to prevent Donald Trump making a state visit to the UK.
What happens next? It has to be considered for a debate in the Commons, and the Government must respond. It is not the largest number of signatories ever received - one calling for a second EU referendum if the Remain/Leave vote was less than 60%, gathered 4.1 million.
What does the Trump petition say? “Donald Trump should be allowed to enter the UK in his capacity as head of the US Government, but he should not be invited to make an official State Visit because it would cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen.” You can see the petition here.
Who started it? Graham Guest, a 42-year-old from Leeds, began it in November, when the president won the election. On Saturday afternoon it had 60 signatories. Then news broke of the president’s travel ban on refugees and people from several mainly-Muslim countries. Mr Guest said: “He is still the President and we've just got to live with that. But there's no reason why he should get all the pomp and publicity of a state visit.”
Besides the petition, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron and SNP foreign affairs spokesman Alex Salmond have all called for the trip to be cancelled. FM Nicola Sturgeon has tweeted:
For those asking my view on US State visit: would be wrong for it to go ahead while bans on refugees & citizens of some countries in place.
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) January 29, 2017
Other protests? Scheduled for 6pm today in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, Cambridge and Birmingham. A march organised by a coalition of groups, including Stand Up to Racism and the Muslim Council of Britain, is due to begin at the US embassy next Saturday, ending at Downing Street.
Afore Ye Go
51%
The percentage of Scots who do not want indyref2 to be held within the next year or two, according to a Panelbase survey of 1,020 voters for the Sunday Times. Support for a second independence referendum before Brexit has fallen from 43% following the vote last June to 27%.
Today, support for a 2nd indyref fell to 27%. By her own measure, Nicola Sturgeon hasn't earned the right to call one. Stop threatening it. https://t.co/hNvgJns5SB
— Ruth Davidson (@RuthDavidsonMSP) January 29, 2017
Ruth Davidson's response to the poll.
“A spokesman for the SNP declined to comment”.
The story concerned impersonator Tracey Ullman’s new BBC show, starting on Friday, in which she plays Nicola Sturgeon as a Bond-style villain forcing JK Rowling to back “Scottish supremacy”. Mail on Sunday. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Steve Bannon, who bills himself on Twitter as a "proud Scot living in England. Happily married with 3 lovely daughters. Nothing to do with US politics or running the White House etc", has been besieged by people confusing him with Donald Trump's controversial strategist, Steve Bannon. Fellow sufferer @johnlewis tweeted: "Oh, you poor *******, at least I'm mistaken for positive people and things." Pic: @SteveBannon
"He is fully entitled to do this, and as far as we are concerned in this country, yes I would like to see extreme vetting.”
Ukip former leader Nigel Farage on the Trump travel ban. BBC1 Sunday Politics. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Childish, I know, but ... pic.twitter.com/QXgGLFdjPY
— Murray Foote (@murrayf00te) January 29, 2017
From the Record's editor.
***NEW COLUMN***
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 29, 2017
Sorry, Mr President, but your #MuslimBan is senseless, cruel & wrong. https://t.co/97S2FsZecX pic.twitter.com/Umo8aNETuU
Reverse ferret here from one of Mr Trump's friends.
Ridiculous hypocrisy over calls to cancel President Trump's state visit when we've rolled them out for leaders of Saudi, Russia, China etc.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 30, 2017
Or maybe not.
“There are reports that Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway actually punched a guy while trying to break up a fight at Trump’s inaugural ball. Though she says it wasn’t a punch, it was an ‘alternative high-five’.”
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images
Thanks for reading, see you tomorrow. Twitter: @alisonmrowat
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