uklabour Wes Streeting bringing down waiting lists like prime Modric

Ah, yes, legendary Croatian midfielder Luka Modrić. Best known, of course, for bringing down NHS waiting lists.

If fear about Rayner winning is what is keeping Starmer in a job, an electoral catastrophe followed by a sudden panic among MPs should be good for her. Because suddenly there will be a group of MPs who are still sceptical about her but that might be secondary to their willingness to try *anything*.

It feels to me, as a very unconnected observer, that May's elections are coming at the ideal time for Angela Rayner's leadership ambitions, because it is the most likely event to trigger a feeling among Labour MPs of: 'Well, we clearly need to do *something* about this'.

If Bluesky were the country, I suspect Ed Miliband would be the next Prime Minister and could safely bank on Assad numbers at the next general election.

I like his work and I generally enjoy the podcast, but parts of (actor) Brian Cox's Off Menu were a tough listen.

I am sorry, but you simply cannot do the outrage act about Offord's claim - and Swinney entertaining it - and then a week later be happy with that being in the media, especially as Reform would be the largest pro-union party in Holyrood. That is just not credible.

But John Swinney's party and the pro-independence Greens would fall one seat short of a majority, leaving the SNP vulnerable. Such a result could lead to the pro-UK parties teaming up to install Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar as First Minister.

Scottish Labour will have no choice but to be incandescent at this outrageous slur in the Daily Record, right?

City look like they are enjoying the title race, almost revelling in it.

Arsenal look a mixture of diminished and haunted by it.

Drury is absolutely gagging for his own Aguero moment here. More than a touch undignified.

He is extremely limited, but I do think he will have a broadly successful loan spell at David Moyes's Everton in 27/28.

Peter Drury has just accidentally put Bernardo Silva's life expectancy at an incredible 131 years.

Jacob Devaney would be a nice little addition for Aberdeen ahead of next season.

Grant Tamosevicius' "Real People Casting Scotland" page, listing his "Skills" as: "Loves to play football Knows Russian language Hard working Likes to draw Can be loud"

St Mirren have been forced to throw on a 17-year-old goalkeeper, who started the day as third choice, for his debut in their Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic. He has a "Real People Casting" profile, which lists these as his "skills", some of which will undoubtedly be useful for the situation:

Highest points total for a relegated Premier League team is 42 (West Ham, 02/03). I think there is a pretty decent chance that gets at least equalled by the 18th-placed team this season. Weird rush to declare teams as 'safe', including Leeds, has all been a bit bizarre.

My most non-conformist #WBA opinion: 'Jayson Molumby is a very useful Championship player, actually.'

I still think too many football clubs put too much emphasis on: 'Are they a good manager/coach?' and too little emphasis on: 'Do they fit the players we have and what we need to be successful?'. Perhaps especially the case when things start to get desperate and fans need placated.

They were already in major trouble when he was appointed, but Gary Rowett at Leicester is proof that "experience" isn't some magic bullet to ward off relegation. If the manager doesn't fit the players and vice-versa, that isn't usually a recipe for success.

Denmark backpass their way to Euro '92 glory YouTube video by Football Clichés

Blackburn v Coventry after the Coventry equaliser:

Race Across the World is really, really making me want to visit Turkey. It is doing a better job than any tourist board could ever do.

I am just looking forward to all those money-spinning rugby internationals that will *definitely* be heading to Aberdeen as a result.

Council bosses accused of 'wasting millions on utter c**p' instead of building Aberdeen stadium at beach Former Aberdeen City Council leader and election hopeful Douglas Lumsden has slammed the administration for wasting cash on a playpark he branded "utter c**p".

You can make the case for the beachfront stadium if you like, but branding social infrastructure projects as "utter crap" is such depressing nonsense.

The fallout to the Offord/Sarwar debacle has really exposed the shiteness of Scottish political commentary/punditry. A weird mix of client journalism and folk obviously bitter they're not in London. Basically glorified trolling in place of considered analysis. Depressing.

Larry finds out that his lawyer isnt really jewish YouTube video by powers1987

"I got a Swede lawyer?! She's gonna get EVERYTHING!"

The parties competing for Labour's most disaffected voters - the Greens, SNP, even the Lib Dems - actually seem to quite like the people who vote for them, and will sometimes even go as far as doing things to keep them happy and onside.

I genuinely think one of the biggest problems Labour has at the moment, both at UK level and in Scotland, is how much they seem to revel in disliking their own voters and repeatedly punching them in the face, even when those same voters say that they don't much like being punched in the face.

The Labour, Liberal Democrat, Conservative, SNP and Reform candidates in Angus South for next month's Scottish Parliament election.

I am 99% sure if you had shown me images of the candidates in the Angus South constituency next month and told me to match them up with those five parties, I would have got it spot on at first attempt. The only one that would have given me *any* pause for thought would have been Labour/Lib Dem.

A screengrab from Love Actually: 'They're all of me.'

Anas Sarwar reading through Paul Hutcheon's social media posts during this campaign:

Quite a flex to turn up at the presidential palace, get him to confirm you as prime minister, call him unfit to serve with no moral authority, tell him to resign, and then pose for a picture

I am refusing to completely rule out the possibility that Derek McInnes has to serve a period of time as Scottish Labour leader in the near future purely on the say-so of Sir Alex.