And so we finish week three of ‘expenses-gate’ with still no sign that the public furor is even close to abating. In fact, given that the Daily Telegraph’s Benedict Brogan admitted that his paper has only scanned over a third of MPs expenses, we may just be getting started.

However, us talented bloggers don’t need the greatest political scandal in decades to find interesting and worthy issues to write about.

As Scotland mourns the defeat of our greatest Internet phenomenon since John Logie Baird invented fibre-optics, Tory Bear has a little guffaw at the wretched secessionist behind Advanced Media Watch as he “hyped himself into a frenzy about how fantastic” Britain’s Got Talent could united the UK. Tory Bear suspects that the end of BGT will signal the return of “the petty racism and romanticised, farcical, deluded nationalist dream.” In Boyle we trust. Another spectator was Tom Harris, who felt the best performer won.

Jack Deighton discussed the prospect of electoral reform, notably the myth that first past the post returns a strong government. Deighton flips the argument on its head asking whether a strong government is actually desirable. I think he has a point. Truman’s “weak” ‘Do-Nothing Congress’ accomplished a number of feats. However, yours truly is still to be convinced by the merits of PR, especially those arguments emanating from Nick Clegg. Political Dissuasion simply “shan’t be voting” at all in the next general election, whilst A Place To Stand has a number of questions about electoral reform.

Bid For Freedom dissected the subject of gender prejudice in politics – a subject that hit the headlines with Margaret Moran’s parting shot earlier this week. Subrosa discussed the NHS and red tape, notably her dreadful experience of NHS Direct. Yapping Yousuf was a little perplexed by the media reaction to David Cameron’s “radical” proposals on constitutional change. Stumbling and Mumbling also heard Cameron’s speech, notably his call for fewer MPs. Yuosuf also refers to Clegg’s statement that MPs shouldn’t be allowed a holiday until they sort out the expenses fiasco, a subject also raised by Stephen’s Linlithgow Journal. Let them go I say – have they not done enough damage as it is?

Kezia does a bit of digging and finds that Kenny MacAskill called for Cathy Jamieson to resign in 2006 after prisoners escaped from Reliance security vans. Unfortunately, MacAskill now finds himself of being in a somewhat unenviable position of witnessing another serious criminal escaping. By his very own definition, shouldn’t MacAskill now resign? Malc In the Burgh enjoys Msr. MacAskill’s hypocracy. However, Jeff calls on the opposition to “learn that you can’t just flounce around trying to get opposing individuals sent off, you have to actually string a few passes together once in a while if you are going to get ahead in this game.”

Meanwhile, Ideas of Civilisation criticises the media handling of a story regarding the tragic death of an army cadet, accusing the Daily Record of exploiting the family’s grief.

… but yes, there is still the subject of MPs expenses. Angus Nicolson criticises the 15 MSPs who claimed Remembrance Day wreaths on expenses, whereas Bill Cameron highlights the fact that Labour MP Bill Cook has gone a step further – expensing five bucks for a church donation at a war memorial service. The mind boggles. Flying Rodent has a humorous, succinct summary of each political faction and their stance on the expenses scandal. SNP Tactical Voting calls on Robin Cook’s successor, Jim Devine, to be de-selected for some of his questionable expenses, whilst yours truly asks Harriet Harman how she can defend her colleagues larges for being within the rules when she was all set to tear up Sir Fred Goodwin’s pension that was also perfectly legal. The “court of public opinion” ain’t so fun when you’re on the receiving end, is it Hatty? Mr Eugenides dissects the Independent’s Steve Richards after he accused libertarians of taking pleasure from the expenses scandal because they “hate politics.” Hate politics? No, answers Mr Eugenides, we “just hate politicians.”

And on that note, I bid you all farewell from these shores as I prepare to set up shop across the pond. However, just like Lord Foulkes in the House of Lords, I will of course be more than happy to continue to make the odd contribution.

Well, folks, this has been a week and a half. Well, actually, it’s been one week, no more and no less, but you know what I mean. The morass of spurious expenditure claims issued by members of the Commons has now reached the point where even seasoned, charming, witty, dashing and drop dead gorgeous political animals like myself (cough cough) are finding that they’ve all got mushed up into one giant grey sludge of sleaze. Having said that, the duck island was entertaining.

Perhaps the island would be a good place for the UK Parliament’s most prominent lame duck: Michael Martin, who is still Speaker of the House of Commons but only for another month, having announced his intention to resign. Shuggy thinks Martin has been unfairly scapegoated, while Stuart deserves praise for an artful comparison of the outgoing Speaker’s plight with the humiliation meted out to X-Factor contestants. Cabalamat, meanwhile, picks up on reports that Martin may be complicit in the many acts of parliamentary fraud.

Nevertheless, Martin is going, and the popular line is that he is the first Speaker to be forced out of office since Sir John Trevor in 1695, but that has raised hackles over at Aye We Can, who points out that as Sir John Trevor was pre-Union, Martin is the first Speaker ever to be forced out. Meanwhile, Tom Harris MP refuses to acknowledge that the Speaker was forced out at all, arguing that he was right to go before he was pushed.

In any case, attention is already turning to race to sup from the poisoned chalice and take over. Tom Harris reflects on the early speculation; Bill Cameron isn’t overly impressed at the idea of Anne Widdecombe taking over, while Esther supplies concise yet enthusiastic reasons for John Mason taking over. Sadly, I can’t see him fancying it. Or the Commons going for another Glasgow MP any time soon.

And with Martin quitting the Commons, eyes will soon be turning to the Glasgow North East By-Election campaign. Jeff turns his attention to the parties’ possible candidates, while James Kelly notes how significant the By-Election will be, given how close we are now to a General Election.

But the Speaker isn’t the whole story, and Flying Rodent gives a summary of the various figures and their positions, as well as his particular reasons for being less than chuffed with them. He also comes up with a fitting collective noun.

Anyway. With the Daily Telegraph leading the charge against profligate Parliamentarians, one MP has grown particularly uneasy: Nadine Dorries MP has compared the paper’s exploits to the McCarthy witch hunts, and has raised the possibility of a Parliamentary suicide. The general consensus is that she’s madder than a tray of snakes and Bill Cameron is one of the many unsympathetic voices. Also unsympathetic are the Barclay Brothers, owners of the Telegraph, who have contacted their lawyers and had her blog taken down. Ewan Watt, Jess the Dog, Mr. Eugenides and Richard Havers all reflect on this development, and while the general thrust of bloggers’ opinion is that she’s posting out of her hat, the Voltairean approach of the blogosphere has once again emerged and people are troubled by the legal intervention.

But one of the more realistic consequences of the scandal is raised by Stuart, who looks at the possible rise of the Independent candidate, and wonders if that’s all it’s cracked up to be.

Chris Stephens reminds readers of the importance of perception in all of this, and Julie Hepburn reflects on perceptions of her as a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, while Osama Saeed is baffled that the latest MPs to be dragged into proceedings seemed to be caught unawares when they must surely have noticed what was happening to their colleagues.

Kezia, meanwhile, notes how the fiasco is detracting from the key issues in the European Election campaign. Fitaloon notes that UKIP’s dash for the moral high ground isn’t all that appropriate given their exorbitant claims for expenses as MEPs. Over at Holyrood Patter, however, there’s surprise that the scandal hasn’t made its way into the election leaflets being dished out. My guess is they were printed ages ago.

Meanwhile, bloggers have started turning their attentions to what needs to happen to clean up the system. Kirsty Connell opts for mandatory re-selection of candidates. Andrew Burns, with his Electoral Reform Society hat on, opts for PR for the Commons. Neil Craig suggests that the matter ought to be considered by Citizens’ Juries.

However, Political Dissuasion argues that state funding of political parties is not the answer, while Calum Cashley argues that the subcontracting of regulating members out to an external body is unconstitutional given the supposed sovereignty of Parliament, and wonders how MPs can be trusted to fix the economy when they can’t even be trusted with their own expense accounts. In a similar vein, Cabalamat looks at how politicians have handled housing policy in recent years.

In related news, those calling for a General Election must surely have thought that they’d got their wish this week, when Tory Bear appeared to discover a tweet from Labour Chief Whip Nick Brown MP suggesting a new Speaker would only have a few weeks in situ before a poll was called. Kez, however, denounced it as a hoax, suggesting that the source was TB himself. He then accused Kez of lying while Jess the Dog looked at other plausible explanations for the scoop that turned out not to be. And Jeff argues that the bloggers at the centre of the row have previous: it’s well known that Kez works as a researcher for George Foulkes, while it’s no secret that TB is written by Iain MacWhirter’s campaign manager in the recent Edinburgh University Rectorial Election, in which TB’s man beat Kez’s employer.

To elections of a different kind now: the revised boundary changes for the Scottish Parliament were published on Thursday, and bloggers have been reflecting on them: Malc runs through the headlines; Calum Cashley likes what he sees; Jeff notes that Fiona Hyslop faces the difficult decision of standing in the East Central Scotland region rather than Lothian, or quitting Linlithgow to stay in her current region; Stephen notes that Livingston gets renamed (gaining the oh-so-delightful appellation Almond Valley) and reflects on the effects the changes may have on the LibDems’ organisational structure in the area. Yousuf, meanwhile, is gutted for Ken Macintosh, whose Eastwood constituency loses Barrhead and Neilston, costing him his majority.

On more recent elections, Subrosa draws our attention to a story that hasn’t received much publicity: that a number of ‘Shadow MEPs’ will be elected next month, and will receive a salary despite only being able to observe proceedings in the European Parliament until the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. Then and only then will they be able to take full part in the work of the Parliament despite claiming a wage.

But of those trying to get elected as full MEPs, Richard Thomson takes a look at the LibDem leaflet in his area and suggests that it doesn’t make much sense in the context of a European election.

Speaking of LibDem election strategies, another story has gone largely un-noticed but may prove to be significant: the Party’s Chief Executive, Lord Rennard, has stood down. Caron and Stephen pay tribute to his efforts at the LibDems’ Election Guru.

It turns out that the feud between and Neil Craig and SEPA over the radioactivity in Dalgety Bay has a rather long half-life (boom boom): the story has now made the Dundee Courier.

Meanwhile, a major row has been settled at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland: Stephen and Caron hail the vote in favour of openly gay Minister Scott Rennie taking over the Queen’s Cross parish in Aberdeen, which received a storm of criticism from more traditional voices in the Kirk. Surreptitious Evil, meanwhile, takes a wry look at some of the people attacking his appointment.

Finally, don’t wind farms come in for a lot of stick? Not from Political Dissuasion they don’t…

And that’s very much your lot for this week. Ewan Watt is in the chair next time, and you can send in your suggestions using the thingmajig on the right, or dropping us a cod to scottishroundup@gmail.com. Bye-de-bye!

Right then, here we go, my first ScoBloRoPoNo. No. NoScoRoPoNo. No. Now I’ve got it, NoPoScoBloRo! While I’ve got plenty of experience writing the Islay Blogging Roundup (which was inspired by the Scottish Roundup) this is the first time I’m writing a NoPoScoBloRo. Hopefully I can take you on a journey through a few Scottish blogs (or related posts) and present you with a few interesting finds. Pour yourself a wee dram, open a bottle of Buckfast or a can of Irn-Bru, sit back and enjoy (that’s enough cliches. Ed.):

Let me start with the ultimate posting straight away. I know it’s risky as you might stop reading straight away, but that’s a risk I have to take. After all you might agree with Gary who now claims to have seen everything. Is there anything left to find in the wilds of the internet after that? Well, let’s see…

If you’ve decided to stop reading after that first link, how about you go and follow Gordon’s example and do something useful? Alternatively you could just join Big Rab and celebrate the championship (that’s assuming you’re supporting Dumbarton though). Alternatively just wait until 2012.

Food? Do I hear food? Well, Scotland for the Senses started the great Scottish tablet giveaway and a few days ago set the first ones free. There might still be a few left, so hurry if you want to get some.

If you need to walk all those calories off how about a bit of coastal walking? The Scottish Coastal Walk is close to completion, the most recent stage having been Clachanmore to Port Logan.

If that’s all too nice for you and you think all those MPs down on London are crooks, how about taking a look at Baron Bailie William Johnstone. What a nice man that. I don’t know if the same prices still apply to MPs, but in the very same blog you’ll also find what it costs to burn the average witch. Always good to know.

Time to cheer up again, a few pictures from one of my favourite blogs, Scotland in the Gloaming. How about a Loch Indaal Sunset (that’s the first Islay link you sneaked in. Ed.) or the fabulous Glowing Tent? Not enough yet? OK, have a Sunset Stump.

For regular reviews of places to visit in Edinburgh (including if/how they provide disabled access) try I Love Edinburgh.

Oh, almost forgot this, please make yourself familiar with the health and safety guidelines while reading this blog. You know the drill: Don’t read this blog in the bathtub with a computer plugged into the mains while standing on a swivel chair next to the open fire wearing high heel platform shoes and flared trousers which are flammable. And please Twitter Ye Not.

How was that with the people too stupid to organise a piss up in a brewery? Well, this is fairly close: Darroch tells the story of the Spirit of the West official dinner without whisky. Well, they did get their drams in the end, distillery managers are quite resourceful.

The Germans in the meantime find new friends on the west coast and even show a video about them: Ticks and Midges. Actually, he says that as of writing the entry last week while on holiday in Lochinver there were no midges to be seen in Assynt.

Jenny and Chris went fishing but ended up with sausages for lunch. She also has lots of pictures of Lambs on the rocks. No, that’s not some new drink. Speaking of animals, here’s a picture of a corncrake, a bird not many people get to see (that’s the second Islay link you smuggled in, that’s enough now. Ed.).

Anna is calling all international Scots, if you’re one of them get your crayons out and participate! Thinking about it, would this qualify as one of the 1000 new things?

That’s all for now, I hope you enjoyed at least one or two of the blogs (and read all the way down to here). On Sunday it’s back to the PoScoBloRo with Will Patterson, I’m told the next NoScoRoPoNo is going to come from the master himself, Duncan Stephen aka doctorvee. Night all.

PS: No, the title has nothing to do with the content really. I just liked it and the song was playing while I was finishing this post (excellent choice! Ed.).

Hello everyone and welcome to this week’s roundup. Massive apologies for the lateness of the roundup this week. I was busy last night watching the Eurovision Song Contest. Congratulations, incidentally, to Norway — although I don’t see what was so great about it that it was the runaway winner.

The party atmosphere of the ESC was ruined somewhat though by the arrest of gay pride activists by the Moscow police. Bill Cameron shares his thoughts.

The Roundup is late today because I have been very lethargic and have begun to exhibit symptoms of a heavy cold. I hope I’m not coming down with swine flu, though attention this week has largely been focussed on other snouts — those in the trough.

For Clairwil, it’s been a bit of an eye-opener. Far from being confined to, say, Labour in the West of Scotland, or a long-running Conservative government, it turns out that corruption happens right across the political spectrum.

Clairwil provides a handy list of smaller parties that you could choose to vote for. Though it goes without saying that you should be careful who you vote for. Fitaloon reminds us that Ukip are the worst of all when it comes to expenses and corruption.

Shuggy found something to disagree with on both sides of the expenses argument. But James points out why he does not yet find this scandal boring.

For those of you who may be tiring of expenses, Caron has taken a look at some of the good things that MPs have done this week.

The jury is out on whether he has been good or bad, but he certainly seems confused. Just what was going on with Mark Lazarowicz this week, Jeff wonders?

The Telegraph didn’t get all of its analysis right. Many eyebrows were raised in particular over the newspaper’s complaint that Alan Reid, MP for Argyll and Bute, claimed £1,500 to stay in bed and breakfasts within his constituency. Andrew Reeves pointed out why this was a foolish complaint. Stephen Glenn went as far as to ask for Telegraph journalist Martin Beckford to resign.

Subrosa and John Connell remind us about Heather Brooke’s major role in uncovering the expenses scandal.

David Farrer wonders if this scandal is the moment libertarians have been waiting for.

Kirty Connell looks at the history of MPs’ pay, and notes that the introduction of an MP’s salary in 1911 weakened the discipline of the Labour Party.

Now attention is turning to Michael Martin. A week ago, Mr Eugenides called him unfit for office. Later on, Bernard Salmon noted just how deep the crisis became for the Speaker. Now Jeff asks why it is a convention not to criticise the Speaker of the House.

Radio Scotland’s Jeff Zycinski reveals all about the BBC’s expenses culture.

Bloggers were also concerned this week with gay minister Scott Rennie. After SNP MSP Dave Thomson waded in, Bernard Salmon pointed out the “Gnat MSP’s anti-gay bigotry”.

Jeff responded, asking why someone would want to join a club which doesn’t welcome them. But this raised the hackles of gay bloggers Will Patterson and Bill Cameron, who both took Jeff to task for his views.

Alan Smart acknowledged 15 years the death of John Smith.

Anseo has a cautionary tale for Labour spin doctors who may try to tell you that a smaller sample size gives you a more accurate opinion poll. All very well when it improves the picture for Labour, but it will bite them in the backside sometime, as it has done this week.

Alex Massie attended the Scottish Conservative Party conference, and took the opportunity to reflect on what an improved Tory performance would mean for Scotland.

Meanwhile, Richard Shields is unimpressed with a Scotsman article about how public spending will be cut by a Conservative government. He argues that public spending will have to be cut by any government.

Speaking of public finances, Bishop Hill suggests a change in the way the level of government spending is publicised by the Adam Smith Institute. Rather than Tax Freedom Day, he thinks a Tax Freedom Time would bring it home to people more.

Andrew Reeves assesses the BNP election leaflet where all of the supporters are fake.

Labour have also produced some dodgy campaign material, though dodgy in a different way. Lallands Peat Worrier analyses their Party Political Broadcast.

Willie Rennie reports on the progress of the Driving Instructors Bill.

Meanwhile, during Breastfeeding Awareness Week, Caron calls on governments to get tough with formula manufacturers.

That’s all for this week. Will Patterson is in the hot seat for next week. And don’t forget that this Wednesday it is this month’s NoPoScoBloRo, hosted by Armin Grewe from Islay Blog (and don’t forget to check his weekly Islay Blogging Roundup too!). So get those nominations — political or non-political — in by using the boom bang-a-bang on the right, or by emailing us at scottishroundup@gmail.com. Thanks!

Here we are then, another week, another roundup and no prizes for guessing what’s first up. Yes, politicians and their expenses. The storm is still brewing as revelations are dribbled out so this roundup may well be a part one of two.

To start on a positive note however, Bellgrove Belle reminds us that not all politicians are living the high life and the untainted MP Tom Harris not only wonders if some people will ever be happy with MPs’ expenses but also points to the silver lining that “things can only get better”. Caron pragmatically sees the furore as an opportunity to ensure once and for all that the days of excess are over.

Subrosa beat the Telegraph rush and focussed on Margaret Beckett’s rather excessive protection system while Political Dissuasion thought it might all end up with Ed Balls being made a scapegoat, given he is the Labour party’s Joey Barton (an anaolgy that works rather well actually). And if Tory Bear is to be believed with his Saturday night teaser, PD could well be onto something. Two Doctors brings us right up to date with expenses scandals for the week by noting Alex Salmond has proved that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Darker news may be waiting in the wings however, the end of blogging as we know it! Yes, Mr Eugenides gives us a thorough consideration of what charging for online news may mean going forward. Big Mouth Gary has been wondering how, or even if, such a system would work.

Kezia Dugdale rolled up her sleeves and took the SNP to task not once, twice but thrice in the one post. Forward News followed up with a concern that Scotland is lacking a Government, a view seemingly solely based on the number of bills the SNP have passed relative to Labour back in the day. Perhaps they are doing less better? Just a thought.

The European Elections got a bit of a look-in this week. Clairwil and Kezia Dugdale were excited to receive their polling cards. I can’t imagine either will be voting for the independent Scottish candidate at The Party’s Over who has been concerned at our corrupt politicians. Julie Hepburn managed to take a break from Euro campaigning to rejoin the blogging fray while Anseo can barely contain himself and considers who he would vote for if he lived elsewhere.

It might not just be Euro elections we have to consider if Advanced Media Watch and David Cameron get their way, both called for a General Election as soon as possible this week.

Crap Holyrood Chat was concerned that there have been too many congratulations banded out to lowly Scottish football teams. Doctor Vee takes a different approach, celebrating some rare success for Dumbarton FC.

Alex Massie picks up on an anecdote to consider how Gordon Brown being a son of the manse may have affected his personality.

Richard Havers delights us with the world’s most expensive photo.

Neil Craig was deeply concerned that we’re being lied to about radiation poisoning.

Richard Thomson had a piece in The Guardian this week, plugging a book that he co-wrote. (Well, ok, he contributed a chapter which isn’t quite the same thing)

Mike Elrick wrote a highly recommended post on standing as a candidate for the first elections to the Scottish Parliament.

And, finally, there always has to be some blogging navelgazing every week and Political Dissuasion helps us out there by asking that age old question – Why are there so few Labour blogs?

The roundup next week will be brought to us by the Blogfather himself Doctor Vee so get your nominations in. No need for fudged receipts or entries in brown envelopes, everything’s above board and transparent here in the Scottish blogosphere after all.

Cheerio.