Amid all the "shock" at the high number of spoilt ballots in the Scottish Elections, I can't help but ask where the Electoral Commission's concern, let alone it "full, independent review" was when precisely the same thing happened three years ago in the London Elections?

The sheer magnitude of the problems facing Labour  if we do not change  policy direction is illustrated  starkly in Scotland - where UNISON is not supporting Labour.

The Scottish Parliament had yesterday its last meeting of the 2003-2007 term before next May elections.

According to the Tory Shadow Scottish Secretary David Mundell MP:

There is a "simple lack of thinkers" on the Conservative benches at Holyrood, they don't have the capacity to formulate their own policy independently.

The next Holyrood manifesto will recycle existing policy positions and that the Scottish party "don't get" the new moderation of the Westminster party.

In a memo - leaked to the Daily Record - reveals Tory chiefs have completely lost confidence in their Scottish team, including leader Annabel Goldie. Mundell's confidential briefing to David Cameron emerged as the Tory leader prepared to head to Perth for a pre-election speech to rally the party faithful.

The four-page memo claims there is a "simple lack of thinkers" among the 17 Tory MSPs and they are incapable of coming up with new policies.

Mundell, an MSP from 1999 to 2005, also told Cameron that Goldie has been slated for "lack of activity" and MSPs have failed to embrace the party's moderate new approach, saying they "don't get it".

No wonder so many Tories are keen on an English parliament!

A lot of people (on left and right) say that Scotland should not be allowed to have independence because ...

Can I ask: Have the Tories totally lost the plot with Scotland?

You'll remember that they are trying to oust their leader in the Scottish Parliament with someone more right of centre (in the belief a return to Thatcherite policies will win back disaffected voters North of the Border); they want to replace that leader with someone who has been accused of making racist jokes; they want to keep schoolchildren in the dark; and now they want to stop people taking short haul flights to Scotland.

There may be many reasons why the Tories want to keep Scottish children in the dark (my mind particularly wanders back to the Thatcher years), but I am intrigued by Tory MP Tim Yeo's new Private Members Bill.

The Energy Saving (Daylight) Bill would advance the clocks across the UK by 1 hour, if it became law.

Can this be right?

The third election to the Scottish Parliament is fast approaching. However this Labour member thinks we need a break from our hegemony to renew our vision and offer the new politics promised not so long ago

The Scottish Parliamentary elections next year present a danger and an opportunity.