Talk of the Town: Congratulations - You're a hypocrite

IT must have seemed a nice idea at the time. Edinburgh West Lib Dem MSP Margaret Smith tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament to congratulate Craigroyston Community High School on coming first in the UK - and 32nd worldwide - in the World Maths Day challenge.

She even praised the school's new building, opened on May 12, as "having a constructive effect on all members of the school".

Clearly she hadn't reckoned on Lothians Labour MSP George Foulkes, who tabled an amendment recalling that, in October 2004, Lib Dem councillors tried to remove Craigroyston from the council's PPP school building programme.

Lord Foulkes' invited MSPs to agree "it is hypocritical of the Liberal Democrats to celebrate the opening of a school that they opposed six years ago" and resolve "to expose Liberal Democrats' attempts to rewrite history and claim credit for things that they originally opposed at every opportunity."

Tough Open tests the best

THE arrival of the world's top golfers for next week's Open at St Andrews coincides with the launch of a new book by Edinburgh author Kenny Reid entitled A Major Obsession and chronicling his visits to all four majors in 2009 garnering some colourful tales.

These included a furore over whether the US Open course was too tough, an argument refuted by one official, saying: "We're not trying to humiliate the greatest golf players. We're trying to identify them!"

Your country needs Schuh

FASHION conscious youngsters are being asked to submit their views on how to make Scotland a better place.

The Scottish Youth Parliament has launched the competition as a way of getting teens interested in politics.

The carrot being dangled in front of them is the promise that the most powerful people in the land will hear their opinions.

And in case that's not enough, there is also the incentive of a new pair of shoes every month for a year, from retailer Schuh.

Illegal Wood Ban on Way

FINALLY, good news for all of you who have been worrying about the amount of dodgy wood making it into Edinburgh. B&Q tell us "illegal timber is finally set to be banned in the EU from 2012".

It is hard not to wonder why those over-active legislators in Brussels had not banned it before if it has been illegal all this time. Answers on a postcard. Our friends at B&Q, it should be noted, stock lots of responsibly sourced timber.