The week in cartoons

AS EVER, our cartoonists have been busy scribbling away as a raft of new stories have made the headlines this week.

David Cameron attracted controversy over the news that he had ridden former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks’ horse, which happened to be a former Metropolitan police horse, whilst Alex Salmond cosied up to Rupert Murdoch and News International.

Angelina Jolie caused a bit of a stir at the 84th Academy Awards, turning up in a ballgown slashed to the waist, whilst Vladimir Putin’s campaign to be elected as President of Russia took an ugly turn with many citizens claiming corruption was rife in the electoral system.

There was a great flurry of excitement as a meteor passed over part of the UK, including Scotland, as Alex Salmond’s drive for independence seemed to leave the Liberal Democrats and Labour in his wake.

John Swinney claimed that Scotland would be able to survive financially, were it to gain independence from the UK, and Alex Salmond voiced his belief that Scotland could survive on its North Sea Oil revenue - much to the chagrin of George Osborne...

...but the SNP courted controversy later on in the week as details of bus tycoon Sir Brian Souter’s involvement with the political party were revealed.

On a day when the Gers were struggling, the GERS (that’s Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland), made for happy reading - at least for John Swinney who claimed that Scotland’s outgoings exceeded their incomings.

And the misery continued for the blue half of Glasgow on the day that it was announced a Green Investment Bank would be built in Edinburgh - in what was also cited as an apparent move to save the Union.