A referendum on Scottish independence would have been lost by a wide margin if it had been taken over the past week, when controversy has been raging around the issue.
Scottish ministers were under pressure yesterday to explain how they can implement their manifesto plan for at least two hours of PE per week for every Scottish pupil.
Holyrood last night backed demands for the reinstatement of an annual £30m attendance allowance denied by Westminster after Scotland pursued its own policy on free personal and nursing care for the elderly.
By ROBBIE DINWOODIE, Chief Scottish Political Correspondent
James Tapsfield
and Amy Caulfield
Cherie Blair yesterday insisted she would not quit as a judge - despite being accused of bringing the legal profession into disrepute with her memoirs.
The much-vaunted draft legislative programme was meant to put Gordon Brown on the runway to a relaunch, but outside the confines of Westminster it is difficult to see how this bird could fly.
Analysis: Expectations were high of Alex Salmond's speech on Moving Scotland Forward at Holyrood yesterday, but it added little momentum and failed to match the advance hype.
Westminster Sketch: “Bring it on!” went the Conservative cry and so Gordy, revived if not resuscitated after his 10p tax refund/bribe, did his best to oblige – bellowing and jabbing his finger at the shiny-faced Tory toff.
Michael Martin, the Commons Speaker, was yesterday cleared of misusing public funds after his wife Mary spent more than £4000 on taxi journeys to buy food and other goods for her husband.
Labour will today refuse to join other Holyrood parties in approaching Westminster to demand the reinstatement of £30m annually in attendance allowance (AA) withheld when Scotland introduced free personal care.
By ROBBIE DINWOODIE, Chief Scottish Political Correspondent
The Scottish Government accepts crofting could "wither on the vine" within the next 10 to 20 years and is likely to move quickly towards legislation to help save the nation's unique system of land tenure.
An MSP yesterday called for a trial matching a "home town" against a "clone town" to study how much damage is done when the supermarkets and major high street chains come to dominate a community.
By ROBBIE DINWOODIE, Chief Scottish Political Correspondent
Gordon Brown has “lost Scotland” and is putting the United Kingdom at risk, David Cameron asserted yesterday in the wake of the row over Wendy Alexander.
Analysis: Too little, too late? As Labour MPs absorbed the details of what was effectively a mini-budget by the Chancellor last night some were left feeling slightly euphoric.
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