Anas Sarwar CAN confidently claim he’ll get Scottish ambulance turnaround times as good as those where Labour rules like England that is far far slower
In today’s Daily Record by Paul Hutcheon: In his Daily Record column, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “Over the last six years, the number of ambulances with a turnaround time of more than one hour increased by more than 600 per cent – meaning more people suffering dangerously long waits for urgent care. “We will cut ambulance waits and introduce new targets to tackle long turnaround times.” Direct comparisons with England are not straightforward but in January 2024, BBC UK made it possible: Via the BBC’s How long do patients wait for an ambulance? app, we can confirm that the average … Continue reading Anas Sarwar CAN confidently claim he’ll get Scottish ambulance turnaround times as good as those where Labour rules like England that is far far slower
Fourth US request for data on campus safety cannot be provided despite on every English university campus you are significantly more likely to be a victim of violent crime than on any Scottish one
From Police Scotland – 26-1005 – Clery Act Request (USA University) Date and time of release: April 15, 2026 18:36 Reference: 26-1005 – Clery Act Request (USA University), published today: https://www.scotland.police.uk/access-to-information/freedom-of-information/disclosure-log/disclosure-log-2026/april/26-1005-clery-act-request-usa-university/ This is the fourth such Freedom of Information request from people in the US interested in how safe their children would be on Scottish university campuses which Police Scotland has felt unable to assist with. I guess they are less free to use data less precisely comparable but still useful, than we are. So to repeat: This follows three identical requests and responses in 2025 with no named source – the US Department of Education directly? Knowing … Continue reading Fourth US request for data on campus safety cannot be provided despite on every English university campus you are significantly more likely to be a victim of violent crime than on any Scottish one
Massive reduction in hospital waiting lists despite increased attendance as NHS Scotland waiting list falls well below that in NHS England
These graphs tell a very clear story of longer waits (right) plummeting despite ever more patients being treated. It’s a hugely positive trend not getting the media attention it deserves, for obvious reasons. From Stage of treatment waiting times New outpatients, inpatients and day cases Accredited official statistics published today, the above graphs, and: At 31 March 2026, there were an estimated 571,054 individuals on at least one new outpatient, inpatient or day case waiting list. This is equivalent to around 1 in 10 of Scotland’s population (mid-2024 population estimates Scotland). There’s a more detailed breakdown at: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/stage-of-treatment-waiting-times/stage-of-treatment-waiting-times-new-outpatients-inpatients-and-day-cases-28-april-2026/ With 10 … Continue reading Massive reduction in hospital waiting lists despite increased attendance as NHS Scotland waiting list falls well below that in NHS England
Charity is calling for implementation of graded model of miscarriage aftercare already available in Scotland across the whole of the UK – NHS England still considering a pilot
From BBC Health and on BBC Breakfast News today: Early care scheme could prevent thousands of miscarriages a year – In the Women’s Health Strategy announcement last week, the government said it was considering “wider adoption” across the NHS in England. Baroness Merron, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care said: “This will be carefully considered as part of our ongoing work to make sure women get the high-quality, compassionate NHS care they deserve.” NHS Scotland is already making improvements in miscarriage care, including not waiting until a third miscarriage and providing separate rooms in … Continue reading Charity is calling for implementation of graded model of miscarriage aftercare already available in Scotland across the whole of the UK – NHS England still considering a pilot
Opinion poll reveals that transport issues are 17th in importance for Scots voting with only 4% concerned
‘The SNP won the 2011 Scottish election on an anti- austerity platform focused on tackling child poverty, reducing inequality, and building a more inclusive and universal approach to welfare’
By stewartb Views on the economic and social policy context that Scotland in Union experiences can pop up in unexpected places. In this example, it’s in a report from the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, University College London (UCL) on the implementation of free school meals in different countries. It’s co-authored by the Institute’s founding director, Mariana Mazzucato, professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value. The latter has a notably high reputation in the UK and internationally, including for work on various aspects of political economy and government policy development. This is the source document: Macfarlane and … Continue reading ‘The SNP won the 2011 Scottish election on an anti- austerity platform focused on tackling child poverty, reducing inequality, and building a more inclusive and universal approach to welfare’
Why there will be no towering inferno here – short video
Sources – https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/04/28/herald-writers-suggestion-of-a-risk-to-life-in-10-buildings-as-scotgov-post-grenfell-repairs-stall-is-frankly-stupid-dishonest-and-irresponsible-tabloid-scare-mongering-as/ Continue reading Why there will be no towering inferno here – short video
Herald writer’s suggestion of a ‘risk to life in 10 buildings as ScotGov post-Grenfell repairs stall’ is frankly stupid, dishonest and irresponsible tabloid scare mongering as…
In the Herald today, Martin Williams has: 10 buildings in Scotland have had emergency safety measures put in place after being judged an “immediate risk to human life” — yet not a single block has been declared fully repaired under the national cladding programme, nearly nine years after the Grenfell Tower Fire. The intervention means some residents are relying on temporary protections such as additional fire safety systems, on-site monitoring and changes to evacuation plans while ‘dangerous’ cladding remains on their homes. What official, responsible, qualified body has ‘judged’ these 10 buildings to be ‘an immediate risk to human life?’ … Continue reading Herald writer’s suggestion of a ‘risk to life in 10 buildings as ScotGov post-Grenfell repairs stall’ is frankly stupid, dishonest and irresponsible tabloid scare mongering as…
That BBC Scotland journalists ‘did not cover the referendum in the way they would have liked because of commands coming from London’ is untrue. It was because of this guy and others like him
In the often excellent analysis by Prof Happer in the Herald yesterday, because it correctly identifies the bias in BBC Scotland as, for most staff, ‘structural’, ‘cultural‘ I’d say, I’d have to disagree with this: Happer, who speaks extensively to BBC Scotland staff, said: “BBC Scotland journalists felt they couldn’t cover the referendum in the way they would have liked because of commands coming from London” That’s a clear excuse, rewriting history. In 2014, I was approached by two younger staff at BBC Scotland News and neither mentioned commands from London. They did both say that the then Head of … Continue reading That BBC Scotland journalists ‘did not cover the referendum in the way they would have liked because of commands coming from London’ is untrue. It was because of this guy and others like him
Talking-up Scotland 