Scotland trending: Today’s most talked-about stories
Today’s top stories on social media from Scotland and beyond, including film critics’ praise of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and a war of words between Donald Trump and Alex Salmond
‘Loser’ Trump fires back at ‘irrelevant’ Salmond
Donald Trump has hit back at Alex Salmond after the former first minister labelled the US billionaire a “three-time loser” after his latest court case was thrown out.
The former first minister accused Mr Trump of damaging Scotland’s economy with his “unacceptable behaviour” after the UK Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge to a planned offshore wind farm near the presidential hopeful’s Aberdeenshire golf course.
The reviews are in: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Reviews for the new Star Wars film The Force Awakens have come flooding in – much to the dismay of impatient and spoiler-wary fans. Critics hailed the film as a “triumph” and a “classic” with many awarding it five stars. Scotsman critic Alistair Harkness described it as “a fabulously entertaining and beautifully crafted movie.”
Budget: Swinney vows to defy ‘Osborne austerity’
Finance Secretary John Swinney promised to prioritise hospital, schools and police funding in the Scottish Government’s budget. Mr Swinney made his pledge as a series of question marks were raised about the state of Scotland’s public finances. Mr Swinney previously claimed Chancellor George Osborne had imposed real terms cuts on Scotland which would see more than £1 billion slashed from its budget by the end of the decade.
Inquiry into Forth Road Bridge launched
Plans for a Parliamentary inquiry into the Forth Road Bridge closure have been unveiled today which will see transport minister Derek MacKay and engineering chiefs called to give evidence. The probe will take place in January and February of next year, with a report expected to be published in March, Holyrood’s infrastructure committee has announced.
Showdown over NHS at PMQs
David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn clashed over the NHS in the last PMQs of the year. Corbyn devoted all six of his questions to NHS-related issues and questioned the Prime Minister on the government’s decision to axe the publication of NHS performance data, contrasting this with Mr Cameron’s previous comments about transparency and the ‘power of information’.