Queue trouble for Tories

LAST year, the Conservatives' conference in Bournemouth descended into farce, with hundreds of representatives (not delegates), politicians and members of the media left without their passes because they had been sent out too late.

There was a near riot (or as near as you can get to a riot at a Tory conference) with people waiting for hours, being pushed from place to place, and some giving up and going home.

This year, to avoid a similar problem, the party outsourced its pass operation to a new company - which has just announced it has been unable to send out any passes to journalists.

Hundreds of members of the media will now have to queue, possibly for hours, before getting anywhere near next week's conference venue in Blackpool.

It will undoubtedly cloud conference coverage, with editors furious at the ineptitude of the party before the conference begins - perhaps not the best way for David Cameron to start a conference that could be the last before an election.

Confucius say: Milk, no sugar

CONFUCIUS had many wise words, such as: "A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions." A Confucius Institute opened in Edinburgh this week, with speeches and celebrations from Chinese and Scottish dignitaries. Despite the links with the East, the only beverage was builders' tea. Surely Confucius would have wanted a nice cup of Lapsang Souchong? But as the great man said: "It is better to light one small candle than curse the darkness." Or something.

He's in a class all of his own

EAST Renfrewshire has again topped the Scottish pops for exam performance, an analysis of last year's SQA results shows.

Edinburgh does much less well, and it is perhaps surprising East Ren's education director John Wilson, described by HM Inspectors as "outstanding", was rejected by the capital after he was sounded out to apply for the same job in Edinburgh.

Black marks all round for the capital, d'you think?

Straight from the horse's mouth

LEAVE 26-27 October clear in your diary for the event of the year - the International My Little Pony Convention (Ponycon 2007). The 25th anniversary event in Bristol will see "fans of all ages coming from across the globe to join in celebrations". Highlights include a Celebrity Pony Auction, with signed ponies from stars such as comedian Bill Bailey. Yes, really.