Scotland News LIVE: George Galloway wins Rochdale by-election | Glasgow's Willy Wonka Experience shambles goes global | Look ahead to Conservative Party Conference
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Just the internet being the internet
It didn't take long for the internet, and X (...Twitter) in particular, to do it's thing. Here's the Wonka/Rochdale crossover we didn't know we needed.
Some background - who IS George Galloway MP?
George Galloway will return to Parliament after one of Britain’s most divisive politicians won the Rochdale by-election.
A firebrand orator and former Celebrity Big Brother contestant, Mr Galloway has enjoyed support from some left-wing groups for his staunch support of Palestinian causes, but been accused of stoking division and using sexist, homophobic and antisemitic language by his opponents.
It was Palestine that formed the cornerstone of his campaign in Rochdale, where he became the favourite after Labour withdrew support from its own candidate over remarks about the Israel-Hamas conflict.
By-election talk
George Galloway has won the Rochdale by-election after a controversial and chaotic campaign.
Mr Galloway’s campaign team claimed early on in the night that the former Labour and Respect MP would win “comfortably”, and so it proved. The Workers Party of Great Britain leader received just under 40% of the vote.
In his victory speech, Mr Galloway began by focusing on Palestine, saying: “Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza. You have paid, and you will pay, a high price for the role that you have played in enabling, encouraging and covering for the catastrophe presently going on in occupied Palestine in the Gaza Strip.”
Even more Wonka reaction
Honestly, it's the story that no-one - including us - can stop talking about. Here's Rob McElhenney's take.
Good morning, happy Friday
Welcome to Friday's edition of The Scotsman daily news blog.
We'll be talking by-elections, George Galloway and, of course, about that Willy Wonka experience.
Police have confirmed that a 65-year-old man found dead next to his dog had suffered a fatal gun shot wound.
Brian Low, 65, was shot in the Pitilie area on the outskirts of Aberfeldy, Perthshire, at about 8.30am on Saturday February 17, police said.
Emergency services attended but Mr Low, from Aberfeldy, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Police Scotland spokesman said that "extensive inquiries" were ongoing into the death.
He said: "Mr Low's death was initially assessed as being non-suspicious and medical-related, but following a medical examination it was established he had injuries consistent with being fatally shot.
"The major investigation team were then contacted and a two-doctor post-mortem examination was scheduled.
"A post-mortem examination took place on February 23 which confirmed Mr Low had been fatally shot. A murder inquiry was launched immediately after.
The father of the teenage boy who murdered Brianna Ghey has been jailed for 15 months for sexual offences against teenage girls.
Kyle Ratcliffe, 36, the father of Eddie Ratcliffe, who is serving life along with his accomplice Scarlett Jenkinson, both 16, for the murder of transgender teenager Brianna, was described as a risk to girls at Manchester Crown Court.
Ratcliffe, who appeared from custody at HMP Forest Bank, Salford, admitted two offences of exposure in November last year involving two 16-year-old girls at a bus stop. The offences were committed shortly before his son went on trial.
He also pleaded guilty to taking an indecent photo of a pre-pubescent girl by covertly recording video of her in a changing room in August last year.
The court heard he has previous past convictions for similar offences.
Yousaf is grilled on record homelessness figures
The First Minister has been questioned on homelessness figures by opposition MSPs Pam Duncan-Glancy and Annie Wells.
The number of open homelessness cases in Scotland is at the highest level on record, figures revealed earlier this week, as the Scottish Government was accused of “failing” to deal with housing shortages.
Government statistics released on Tuesday showed 30,724 live applications were recorded on September 30 of last year – an increase from the previous high of 30,129 in June last year.
The Scottish Budget was passed on Tuesday with almost £200m in cuts to the overall housing budget. But Mr Yousaf has blamed reduced funding as a result of the UK government's financial decisions.
Expect that line to emerge again next week when Chancellor Jeremy Hunt steps up to deliver the Spring Budget on Wednesday.
Why dog owners must be more responsible
SNP MSP Emma Harper has raised the issue of livestock worrying with Humza Yousaf.
Our rural affairs correspondent Katharine Hay has written at length about the issue of dog attacks, particularly in rural areas, today. Read her full story here
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