The National:

FAIR play to Scottish Tory interim leader Jackson Carlaw – he had the Holyrood chamber bursting into laughter during First Minister's Questions today.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had been putting the pressure on Carlaw over his party's dismal record on Brexit.

In particular, the failure of the Scottish Tories to stand up for Scotland's democratic will.

Not too keen to address that issue – who knows why? – he decided to try pushing it a couple of years down the line.

Carlaw said: "The whole chamber knows that in two short years Ruth Davidson will be sitting where the First Minister sits today.

"And a Scottish Conservative First Minister will be answering questions for a long time to come."

Yes, those words were actually said, and almost with a straight face.

A little reminder: the latest Panelbase poll for the Scottish elections has the SNP on 41% and the Conservatives on 27%.

With a no-deal or hard Brexit looking more and more likely, it really is difficult to imagine what circumstances Carlaw believes will result in a swing of that margin.

Still, he at least brought a laugh to proceedings – and it's hard to pick out a favourite reaction.

The National:

It was either shock or hilarity, as perfectly captured by Patrick Harvie and Mairi Gougeon at the back left. That said, John Swinney does somewhat steal the show on the SNP benches.

What really says it all though is that not even all the Tories could bring themselves to look convinced.

The National:

Worth noting that Carlaw's straight-face has slipped by this point, too.

You could almost applaud their optimism, if they didn't have such a habit of making claims this ridiculous.