Here are a few stories from today’s press to challenge, infuriate and inform:

John Rentoul’s General Election Preview in the Independent describes Paddy Ashdown’s role as providing “romping gravitas”:

The South African Ryan Coetzee, a former MP in South Africa for the opposition Democratic Alliance, is Nick Clegg’s head of strategy. There was a bit of a synthetic fuss recently when journalists noticed that his £110,000 salary as a special adviser is paid by the taxpayer. It was his idea to raise Clegg’s profile by challenging Nigel Farage to public debates. That went well. Jonny Oates, chief of staff to Clegg, is a former director of communications for the party, who gets on well with journalists. Paddy Ashdown, 73, has come out of non-retirement to lend some yomping gravitas to the struggle against oblivion.

He didn’t mention the fact that Paddy has been delivering much needed kicks up the backside for over a year and a half now, making sure  our key seats are reaching ever increasing targets. We will be better prepared than ever before.

In the most surprising event since the sun last set in the west, the Sunday Herald comes out in favour of Scottish independence.

At the Observer, Tracy McVeigh reports that a new direction from a girls’ magazine seeks to raise expectations and change attitudes.

You would think that any sensible justice secretary would want to know if vulnerable prisoners were being sexually abused. Not Chris Grayling, according to the Independent. Whatever happened to duty of care? Let’s hope Simon Hughes is on the case.

Pay doctors extra to help the poor, say Lib Dems gives details of a plan by Norman Lamb to invest in GP facilities and surgeries in deprived areas.

Marie Woolf reports in the Sunday Times (£) that the Conservatives have stopped Jenny Willott from going to a summit in Malta to sign an EU declaration against homophobia at a summit to mark the International Day of Homophobia and Transphobia. However her claim that this is a sign of worsening relations within the Coalition doesn’t really stack up given that she says that Jo Swinson didn’t get to go last year.

A plane disappears. The world’s media goes into overdrive. 223 girls kidnapped out of their school, barely a whisper in the world’s press. Joan Smith points out the double standard in the Independent.

What are your picks from the Sunday papers?

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social