The National:

WE'RE fairly sure Tory MSP Murdo Fraser is an avid reader of The National, so perhaps that's why he gave us this gift at First Minister's Questions.

His question looked fairly ordinary on paper: "To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government’s 2018-19 budget will be affected by the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s downgraded forecasts for tax receipts."

The First Minister replied: "It won't be, as I would have thought Murdo Fraser would be aware."

Ouch. So, not a great start for Murdo there – he should have asked about a later budget.

He wasn't deterred though. He used his follow-up to say tax revenues would be down £1.7 billion over the next five years from the previously predicted figures. And he praised the UK chancellor for reducing the deficit due to "relatively stronger growth".

"How does the First Minister explain this disparity in performance?" he queried, hoping he might just have cracked it.

Unfortunately for Murdo and the Scottish Tories, the First Minister had a very direct answer – and concluded with a question of her own...