Talk of the Town: Westminster not as bad as Holy-rude

ECONOMISTS Drew Scott and Andrew Hughes Hallett complained to the Scottish Parliament's Presiding Officer after their bruising encounter last month when they appeared before MSPs to explain their thoughts on the Scotland Bill which proposes more powers for Holyrood.

So they were no doubt wondering what was waiting for them at Westminster when they turned up at the Commons' Scottish Affairs Committee, which is considering the same bill.

The chairman, Labour MP Ian Davidson, told them: "We are much more genteel than the people in the Scottish Parliament. There are no ruffians here."

Diners off colour at lack of purple sprouting broccoli

IT is sure to cause a stir among the good burghers of Stockbridge and Morningside.

In an echo of the "fettuccine famine" of 2008 when it ran out of pasta for a few weeks after a dispute with a supplier, Waitrose is bracing itself for another shortage in the coming weeks. The store says it has been unable to buy purple sprouting broccoli until now, when usually it starts ordering it in at the beginning of the year.

The problem is down to the months of cold and wet weather destroying much of the British harvest. Asparagus, anyone?

Wheels of misfortune

WE may not like the state of the city's roads, but when it comes to our cars we're no saints ourselves.

According to the latest research, one in three car owners is ignoring regular basic checks, with one in five not carrying out basic maintenance on a monthly basis. Worryingly, the most neglected check is making sure the tyre tread is legal.

Seconds out, round two . .

EARLIER this week, we told how Conservative councillor Jason Rust laid into his rivals in the Liberal Democrat/SNP administration.

As well as saying that "if you offer the administration a penny for their thoughts you get change" he referred to them as "people of principle, like Steve Cardownie".

But the SNP group leader, who famously switched allegiances from Labour, is never shy when it comes to giving as good as he gets.

When talking about Tory calls for a more open and transparent budget process, which saw them decline to submit their own budget and instead back Labour's with a few amendments, Cllr Cardownie said: "This new-found transparency must have only happened since Jeremy (Balfour, leader of the Tory group on the council] became leader. Or should I say this new-found laziness?"