Brought to you by Andy, aka Justified Spinner, aka andy sharp.

Hi All,

New experiences are supposed to broaden the mind, so… here goes.

First up, and it’s sober stuff indeed……

The sad news about the passing of Bashir Ahmad, the first Asian member of the Scottiish parliament.

Many tributes on this from all sides, including David, Malc, Jeff , Osama Saeed, and IoC, and many more, paying their respects to the memory of a well respected and ineffably courteous and civilised man.  Bashir will be sadly missed.

To this week in the Scottish political show, and inevitably, it’s the resuscitation of the SNP’s ‘Lazarus’ budget.

There’s an entertaining gap between what the opposition parties claim they actually gained from the re-negotiated settlement, and what the Nat bloggers believe.

The consensus appears to be that sanity has triumphed over party points scoring here.

Alec Massie sees the situation as an example of the moderating effects of consensus, whilst Jeff takes the view that the SNP kept the heid better than any of the budget opponents, and that getting a negotiated near-unanimity in the Parly could be a great thing for Holyrood as a whole.

Stephen in Linlithgow pitches the Liberal Democrat view and Yousuf is chuffed that Labour have apparently nailed more apprenticeships down in return for their support, but there’s a fairly common agreement that the Labour and LibDem gains were more smoke and mirrors than anything particularly new.

Malc is scathing about the LibDems and Labour spinning on this, and, like many, fears for the fate of the Greens, although Two Doctors refutes these arguments vigorously.

For his part, the Steamie enjoyed the irony of SNP and Green spinners singing hand in hand at the Burns Supper that night, after a somewhat tense day.

Not a Village thinks that the LibDems are the true losers here, and that the SNP have prospered, despite his view that it was largely their lack of consultation with other parties that got us here in the first place.

Finally Richard Thomson criticises Mags Curran’s ‘pointless’ comments, whilst pointing out that opposition parties have responsibilities too.

Caron is more than happy with Tavish Scott’s first few months in charge, whilst Kezia Dugdale is almost unanimously welcomed back, if only to take some of the Nat heat off Yousuf.

It’s Rectorial election time at Embra Yooni, and Lord Foulkes fancies his chances, but Tory Bear reports that some Labour dissenters are being leant on by Iain Gray, to encourage them to follow the true path.

The revelation in Holyrood that Alex Salmond and Gordon Brown aren’t talking much about the economy is covered by the Grumpy Spindoctor, who is less than impressed with the Scottish input.

The loss of the Glenrothes marked electoral register has stirred things up nicely, especially among SNP bloggers, who, following the stushie over postal votes in Birmingham some years ago, want explanations.

Calum Cashley is first off, having a serious pop at Labour’s press release on this.  Jeff is pushing for an independent enquiry to clarify that there hasn’t been foul play here, while Donald points out that the SNP isn’t using the ‘f’ word, but that such an unexpected result could be sen as being ‘curious’, or as we have come to know it, the ‘c’ word. Bill goes a bit further and thinks the result now open to suspicion.

We will in all probability see more of this beastie as time wears on.

Scottish Unionist is thoroughly unimpressed by Jeremy Clarkson’s semi apology for remarks about the Prime Minister, and goes for the BBC jugular for not landing on the Top Gear guy with both feet.

Not a Village speaks for many when he advises Clarkson to remain in Australia.

When broadsheets are finding it harder and harder to survive, Stewart Kirkpatrick suggests de facto amalgamation of the Herald and Scotsman, but keeping the titles separate.

We’ve had the distasteful stushie over British jobs for British workers this week, and IoS takes the view that a protectionist approach to jobs will ultimately be damaging,

Tartan Hero views the Labour attacks on the SNP following this as being seriously out of order, and spinning off from this, we have Cybernat commenting on Duncan McNeill’s comments that Scottish workers will suffer from SNP policies.

Finally, a nod to one of our latest bloggers, namely Leaves on the Line.

He opened his account this week with some interesting, if pungent comments.

Welcome.