Anas Sarwar, Alex Salmond, and how the Olympics fan the flames of independence in Scotland

The dominant political issue in Scotland is independence. Has the summer hurt nationalists? Also: John Bercow's saving grace

Just when you thought the Olympics and Paralympics had reached their successful conclusions without controversy, a row has blown up over a parade through Glasgow today, to which Sir Chris Hoy and Andy Murray are invited because they are Scots, but athletes from the rest of the UK are not.

Labour's deputy leader in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, has written to Alex Salmond protesting that "Scots cheered on the whole of TeamGB, and Scotland should not be denied the chance to celebrate the success of Jessica Ennis or Mo Farah". But Scotland's First Minister has insisted the event is specifically to celebrate Scottish sporting achievements. No one, he added. complained when a similar event was held for Scottish participants in the Beijing Olympics.

There is a difference. The political issue that now dominates all others in Scotland is the impending referendum on independence. Polling evidence suggests that the Games were bad for Mr Salmond, above right, because they created a warm spirit of unity across the British Isles. His opponents fear a parade featuring only the Scots athletes may have the reverse effect.

Tacit turn by WikiLeaks

The WikiLeaks brand name is becoming increasingly tainted by Julian Assange's determination not to go to Sweden to face sex charges. That was illustrated by its response to the murder of the US envoy to Libya, Christopher Stephens. The site's 1.6 million Twitter followers were told that "by the US accepting the UK siege on the Ecuadorian embassy in London, it gave tacit approval for attacks on embassies around the world". That tweet has since been taken down. A subsequent one explained that the word 'tacit' "is rare and was being misinterpreted". They could have added that even people too dumb to understand 'tacit' know what a 'siege' is – something that the Ecuadorian embassy is not, nor ever has been, under.

Sir Irvine has a lucky e-scape

If you are one of the many who think former Tory MP Sir Irvine Patnick should be stripped of his knighthood for slandering Liverpool supporters in the days that followed the Hillsborough disaster, it is no use trying to set up an e-petition on the Downing Street website. At least 10 people have, and each attempt has been rejected on the grounds that "e-petitions cannot include information about honours or appointments".

Lansley ducks a Hancock gibe

I grabbed my copy of the current Spectator yesterday, bursting with curiosity to read about the newly appointed minister, Matthew Hancock, comparing himself with Winston Churchill and other political giants. I learn that if you were to say to Mr Hancock that he is a career politician who has little experience of anything outside politics, he will remind you that Churchill was an outstanding statesman who started young.

Labour's Angela Eagle put a formal request yesterday to the Leader of the House, Andrew Lansley, to learn more. "It is not immediately apparent to me, or I suspect to anyone else, why the Under-Secretary of State for Skills thinks he has quite matched the achievements of some outstanding British Prime Ministers," she said. "Will the Leader of the House arrange for the honourable gentleman to make a statement to enlighten us on his obvious powers?"

Lansley listened stoney-faced, and did not reply.

The saving grace of John Bercow

The Speaker, John Bercow, has saved taxpayers a pile of cash by volunteering to forego part of the gold-plated pension to which he is entitled when he leaves office. The rules entitle him to half the difference between his salary and an MP's, currently £37,883 for life from the day he retires.

The assumption has been that Speakers are elderly parliamentary veterans who stop work altogether when they stop being Speaker, but Bercow took on the job at 46 and expects to quit at 55.

Yesterday, he said he would not take the pension until he is 65. That, and his decision to join David Cameron and the Cabinet in taking a pay cut, will save £430,000.