Scottish Government - Nil Points.

"THE Scottish Government has been banned by Westminster from talking to Norwegian officials about radical plans to connect Scotland's electricity grid to the continent."

Very naughty of the Scottish Government to open up bilateral talks with a foreign government without the approval of the UK government. It would appear that the SNP Scottish "Government" will do anything to cause a fight.

Is this really what devolution was meant to be about?

Norvege. Nil points.

Mr Smith notes the latest set back to Scotland's nationalistic "new politics" with the revelation that "NORWAY is to end formal diplomatic representation in Scotland after more than 50 years, with the loss of half a dozen jobs."

Mr Smith appreciates the irony of the Nor-weegies decision which means that Scots will have to get their fix of Norwegian from the annual running of the Eurovision Song Contest from this point onwards. But more seriously, in these days of pressured governmental budgets how many more countries that currently have consular offices in Edinburgh will be thinking of downsizing or even closing their offices altogether. Mr Smith suspects that Norway may just be the first of many.