#uk-scotland-relations

#uk-scotland-relations

The power-sharing coalition's principal parties, Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist party (DUP), are locked in chronic feuding that has severely hindered legislation and governance, creating a perception of drift and neglect.

This crew - smallish in number but sufficiently large to assault the eardrums of the management and players - are an odd bunch. It's true that Scotland should be beyond the point of just being happy going to the World Cup - and these players are way past that notion.

"If I'm being completely honest, I knew I was going to have to be in this camp to have a real chance of going to the World Cup. I set myself targets and goals and I really did commit to the process ever since November, using it as fuel to make sure I got into this one."

Selina Hales has a thing about pineapples. She is talking in a quiet office, set aside from the bustle of Refuweegee, the charity she founded 10 years ago, and the walls are festooned with tissue paper cutouts of the fruit, which is an international symbol of hospitality. Refuweegee its name a combination of the words refugee and Weegee, local slang for Glaswegian has expanded exponentially over the decade into an operation that supports hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees in the city every day.

Malcolm Offord stated that the joke was intended to be 'funny through being edgy and shocking', but he acknowledged that it made attendees uncomfortable and he 'instantly regretted it'.

This idea that I became obsessed [with gender recognition reform] to the exclusion of everything else is just a nonsense thing that some of my opponents say.

Even unionists would struggle to object to such a move, even if the Irish Government has shied away from it Why is there no Irish passport office in Belfast? Once, such a question would only have been asked by the most ideologically committed northern nationalists. Demand for Irish passports was limited, the issue was seen as controversial and even if those objections were overcome, security considerations would have made such a proposal problematic.

Current liabilities far exceed both cash at hand and projected income. I wish to place on record my grateful thanks to the membership for their efforts for our party and for our cause. It has been a privilege to work with them. We can be proud of what we sought to achieve and also the support which we gave to our founder in his time of need.

The palace, rebuilt after a fire destroyed it in 1834, is falling apart. There have been 36 fire incidents since 2016. Water leaks, heating failures and sewerage problems plague the heart of this Unesco world heritage site. Fixing Westminster would save money in the long run. An upgrade is also a matter of safety and legacy.

I think we can surprise ourselves with just how many votes we manage to garner in these elections.