ONE of the biggest frauds Holyrood politicians have perpetrated is the pretence they're going to ban airguns in Scotland. Labour started it after the death of Easterhouse toddler Andrew Morton and the SNP government embraced the cause.

ONE of the biggest frauds Holyrood politicians have perpetrated is the pretence they're going to ban airguns in Scotland. Labour started it after the death of Easterhouse toddler Andrew Morton and the SNP government embraced the cause.

There's nothing wrong with the aim but the problem for the previous executive was it couldn't and neither can the present government - power over firearms is reserved to Westminster.

Labour started it when former Home Secretary Charles Clark promised a crackdown.

Some Labour supporters interpreted his statement as a pledge to take them off the streets but that wasn't what he said and it didn't happen.

Now SNP Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, right, is accusing "the dead hand of the Scotland Office" for blocking devolving the power.

The reality is if Westminster relinquishes its authority over firearms, the SNP will have an effective lever to ask for more powers.

It's time all parties stopped playing politics with an issue which has cost lives and were more honest about what they can achieve.

THE silly season for stories is usually summer when people are on holiday but the festive season is rivalling it.

Because there's a dearth of news, party spin-doctors manufacture stuff which wouldn't otherwise see the light of day.

The best comes today from Labour finance spokesman Iain Gray who warned the Scotch pie is under threat because of an SNP funding decision.

He claims it will mean less money to train bakers, threatening "baking icons like the pan loaf, the plain loaf, the bridie and mince pie".

Labour may be running scared of the SNP's current success but surely this is going too far.

As Mel Gibson didn't say in Braveheart: "They may take our lives but they'll never take our freedom - or pies."

Maybe Labour should make saving the pie an election pledge - it might make them more popular.

SEEN in a Glasgow sandwich bar, Labour leader Wendy Alexander with her husband and two young children.

One youngster is sitting happily on daddy's lap - the other is having a tantrum and mum is having to cope.

Wendy turns to an acquaintance nearby and says "guess which one takes after me?".

Good to see she still has a sense of humour given her troubles over dodgy donations to her leadership campaign.

And the skills she's acquiring bringing up twins will come in useful educating a party that can behave like spoiled weans.