Neil McIntosh Editor of The Scotsman

Good afternoon,

Ready for the weekend? I know I am.

It's been a busy week, with our first in-person event on Wednesday - our Green Skills conference in Edinburgh - and a subscriber event yesterday, where it was good to chew over the aftermath of COP26 with readers and my colleagues Ilona Amos and Conor Matchett.

After a busy week, one of the delights of preparing the Saturday Scotsman is the knowledge we'll get a chance, tomorrow, to sample the artistic and foodie delights in our magazine, or enjoy the endeavour previewed in our Sport pullout.

Crime dramas and dodgy sequels

At this time of year, a cuppa in front of the fire and TV is a tempting choice, and the sight of Dougray Scott - the magazine's cover star - might give you one idea for a TV series to get your teeth into. He's playing the lead in the adaptation of Irvine Welsh's 2008 novel, Crime, set in Edinburgh. It's as far removed from Midsomer Murders as you could imagine. From what he tells us, it'll be worth the watch.

If you're tempted out into the November murk, a few pages later you'll find Alistair Harkness casting an eye over the new Ghostbusters film, among others. Without wishing to give too much away, you might want to ca canny on tickets for this late, late sequel until you've read his review (don't despair - there are plenty of other ideas in the TV and entertainment section on our website).

Broken promises and sleaze

This week has featured a few dodgy sequels of its own in the news.

You'll know that sleaze is very much back on the agenda, and has continued to weigh on Boris Johnson's government. There were angry scenes in Parliament on Wednesday as the Prime Minister admitted he'd made a "mistake" in his handling of the Owen Paterson case. Many in his party might agree, but many others were also angered by his plans to curtail their second jobs.

Those MPs are, to put it lightly, poor at understanding the public mood, especially with the sense of betrayal being felt in the North of England over the abandonment of plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail, and curtailment of the HS2 project. Broken promises on that region's dire public transport are nothing new, alas.

In Scotland, the SNP government had to contend with its own allegations of dodgy deals, as we finally learned it had given a guarantee of £586 million to Sanjeev Gupta’s company GFG Alliance, as part of the company’s purchase of the Lochaber smelter. You may recall that Martyn McLaughlin reported extensively on the Greensill deals earlier this year, in an article that provides useful context if you're wondering why all this matters. The sums of money involved, and the difficulty in exposing them to public scrutiny, are worrying.

This week in sport

It was a mixed week for Scotland's national sporting teams: in rugby, a brutal and brilliant South Africa reminded all of us inside Murrayfield why they're world champions. But, after Scotland's footballers won 2-0 against Denmark, Alan Pattullo reflected that Che Adams led the line like a modern-day Joe Jordan. It was a cheering watch, and a result that guarantees a semi final match at a very lively Hampden next year.

Domestically, Rangers have a new manager. In his assessment of Giovanni Van Bronckhorst's appointment, Stephen Halliday reckons the choice makes plenty of sense. Across the city, Joel Sked reports that Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is keenly aware he hasn't got long to rebuild his side. Both clubs have big games this weekend in the Scottish League Cup - we'll have full previews and coverage in the days ahead.

So while some of us look forward to a couple of days off, others gear up to keep us occupied. Whatever you're doing this weekend, may it be a good one for you, and I hope The Scotsman will continue to be at your side.

Neil McIntosh, Editor

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