A colonial instrument visually subordinating Scotland
From rtpscott today, in Talking-up Scotland: Speaking about papers there is a picture of the UK in the Sunday (Yoon) Paper today which is more or less brushing Scotland out. The GMB‘s Rhea Wolfson or the Sunday Post‘s Derek Healey are by no means obvious candidates for the accusation of being anti-Scotland, so I have to think they did not see the graphic before it ‘went to press.’ I have to think Belfast-born editor Thomas Hawkins did. When you see this diminishing of Scotland, you may be reminded of the recent UN rejection of world maps projecting, especially, Africa as … Continue reading A colonial instrument visually subordinating Scotland
How Andy Burnham’s ‘raid on older people’s pockets will collectively fleece Scottish pensioners out of an eye-watering £4 billion’
From the SNP, two days ago, the above and: If you ever needed a textbook example of Westminster’s breathtaking contempt for the people of Scotland, Andy Burnham has just delivered it on a silver platter. The Westminster Prime Minister’s latest grand scheme is to establish a ‘National Care Service’ south of the border, funded entirely by scrapping the state pension triple lock – which covers the whole UK. But as a Guardian journalist revealed, Burnham’s big idea appears to be to simply copy the free personal care system that Scotland has already enjoyed for over two decades – and it won’t … Continue reading How Andy Burnham’s ‘raid on older people’s pockets will collectively fleece Scottish pensioners out of an eye-watering £4 billion’
Europe far more enthusiastic about Scotland returning to EU than about England/UK
Today, from Geo All Day, this map below: and: A small but high-profile group of European countries has publicly welcomed the possibility of the United Kingdom eventually re-joining the European Union. The debate returned in late September 2026 after UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain should reconsider its long-term relationship with the EU, with options ranging from closer economic ties to full membership. https://www.facebook.com/geoallday Is that all? Make that ‘Scotland’ instead of ‘UK’ and get the map at the top, and: A YouGov EuroTrack survey published in July 2025 found majorities in the five EU countries polled would support … Continue reading Europe far more enthusiastic about Scotland returning to EU than about England/UK
History being re-written as a century of Labour misogyny and contempt for women workers is conveniently forgotten by media
The Guardian today, above, 20 years since women workers in the century-long Labour Party-run council first took it to court over unequal pay for equal work. Then less than two years after the SNP took over control of the Council, the above. Readers will already know that to pay the women workers a fair wage and to keep ‘the ship afloat’ in terms of services and council tax increases, some council functions dominated by men workers will have to face a pay reduction. Thanks to a Labour’s council’s decades-long, deep-rooted misogyny and incompetence, the current SNP council has no choice. … Continue reading History being re-written as a century of Labour misogyny and contempt for women workers is conveniently forgotten by media
Revealed: Unlike in Scotland, UK Government quietly dropped plan to prepare England for wildfires and fire crews do not have the proper protective gear
Above, a lightly-clad firefighter working in Dunwich heat next to a nuclear power station. In the Guardian today: The government quietly scrapped plans to prepare the countryside in England for wildfires, it has been revealed. This was despite new data showing fire crews do not have the proper protective gear to tackle them. This summer has been a potent reminder of the scale of the threat posed by the climate crisis, with the UK experiencing record-breaking wildfires after punishingly hot and dry weather turned large parts of the countryside into a tinderbox. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/04/government-dropped-plan-england-countryside-wildfires Scotland already has a published Strategic Action … Continue reading Revealed: Unlike in Scotland, UK Government quietly dropped plan to prepare England for wildfires and fire crews do not have the proper protective gear
Little evidence for a looming A&E ‘winter crisis’ in Scotland
The above graphs show a steep rise in the number waiting longer than the 4, 8 and 12 hour targets, in full emergency departments in Scotland, after the pandemic and then stabilising around the same seasonal peaks and dips since then. 1 While there are, always multiple explanations of the same phenomenon, globally, independent academic researchers (links below) have identified the ‘differences that make a difference:’ Pandemic after-effects locked the system into a worse equilibrium. Staff sickness, burnout and vacancies remained high even where headcount later rose. Infection-control steps, testing and cohorting slowed flow and some of that friction persisted. … Continue reading Little evidence for a looming A&E ‘winter crisis’ in Scotland
“WE need oil and gas, WE need nuclear, WE need renewables, we need to get serious.”
By Liz S STV News reports: “Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch is adamant that, despite Andy Burnham’s defence of the United Kingdom earlier this week, Labour is not serious about keeping the Union intact“ “keeping the Union intact” ? What Union would that be ? STV also mentioned that “Burnham has long been criticised for snubbing Scotland – after excluding it on his August summer ‘listening’ tour” . Mind you when do we ever see Kemi Badenoch, current Tory HQ leader, make a conscious effort to come up regularly to Scotland to reaffirm her supposed support for Scotland within the UK … Continue reading “WE need oil and gas, WE need nuclear, WE need renewables, we need to get serious.”
What can Burnham learn from Scotland’s social care system?Scotland is the obvious comparison says FT
Here’s the gist of the above: The article’s argument is that Scotland’s free personal care model is the closest working version of what Andy Burnham is proposing. Burnham has said that if Labour wins the next election he will create a National Care Service: person-centred, starting in the home, where “everyone contributes and everyone is covered,” meant to give peace of mind, protect savings, and value care workers. Scotland already does part of this. Free personal care has existed since 2002 for over-65s and, since 2019, for all adults assessed as needing it. As under Burnham’s outline, people still pay … Continue reading What can Burnham learn from Scotland’s social care system?Scotland is the obvious comparison says FT
Aging NHS workforce? Retirement ‘crisis?’ Just as well we train so many more nurses and doctors than England can?
Crowdfunder – https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-goingBank transfer – JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account 12266421 The Herald, you have to feel for the wee souls, dragging up another scare story from the sump of their files. The Guardian in January 2026 had: Helen Lambert borrowed £57,000 to go to university and began repaying her student loan in 2021 after starting work as an NHS nurse. Since then she has repaid more than £5,000, typically having about £145 a month taken from her pay packet. But everything she hands over is dwarfed by the £400-plus of interest that is added to her debt every … Continue reading Aging NHS workforce? Retirement ‘crisis?’ Just as well we train so many more nurses and doctors than England can?
Burnham’s promises, just like Keir Starmer’s, soon begin to either fall away or just never materialise
By Liz S Andy Burnham was interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday 27 September. Kuenssberg reminded him that “in July 2026 you said he would go as fast as you can in sorting out care for the elderly and vulnerable for England, Social Care. Where have you got to 3 months later” ? Burnham’s response “We are making really good progress”. Then Burnham started to speak about his Dad and also about when he was formerly an MP, where he mentioned that his Gran was going through the Care system and so as Health Secretary he remembered saying “We shouldn’t … Continue reading Burnham’s promises, just like Keir Starmer’s, soon begin to either fall away or just never materialise
