Reposted as Wes Streeting tries to base his leadership campaign on highly selective figures
News houses built in flood risk areas – 1 in 9 in England but only 1 in 200 in Scotland
In the Guardian today, the above at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/video/2026/may/14/why-do-we-keep-building-on-land-at-risk-of-flooding The ‘one in nine’ reference reminded me: News houses built in flood risk areas – 1 in 9 in England but only 1 in 200 in Scotland In February 2026, the Guardian had already covered this: One in nine new homes in England built between 2022 and 2024 were constructed in areas that could now be at risk of flooding, according to new data. The figures show the number of homes being built in risky areas is on the rise – a previous analysis showed that between 2013 and 2022, one in 13 new … Continue reading News houses built in flood risk areas – 1 in 9 in England but only 1 in 200 in Scotland
Ayrshire MP backs leader candidate who pompously refused us a referendum, is closest to private healthcare and to Lord Mandelson
In his local Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald today, the above and: He insists the former health secretary already has the support of more than 81 Labour MPs – the number needed to back a single candidate to trigger a leadership contest against PM Keir Starmer. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s World at One, Mr Gemmell said: “It’s clear in conversations with MPs and with the unions that the party wants a discussion, a battle of ideas, an open contest, a broad contest for the direction that we should take and how we fix the problems that we’re in. “I hope … Continue reading Ayrshire MP backs leader candidate who pompously refused us a referendum, is closest to private healthcare and to Lord Mandelson
Pothole damage pay-outs in Scotland – researchers hide trend but Highland Council paid out far less last year than in the previous 5
for pothole damage over the last five years, a BBC investigation has found. Between 2020 and 2025, local authorities received more than 18 6000 claims but only around a quarter were successful. Highland Council paid out the most at almost £600 000, followed by Dumfries and Galloway with just over half a million pounds. Cosla which represents Scotland’s councils says intense funding pressure is impacted road maintenance. The Scottish Government says it’s for councils to allocate funding. Regulars here, and their children of at least 10 years, will wonder why we’re not seeing the yearly figures. Are they falling or … Continue reading Pothole damage pay-outs in Scotland – researchers hide trend but Highland Council paid out far less last year than in the previous 5
BBC Scotland mislead on the mental health waiting list for children and young people and suggest we might learn from services in Uganda and India where stigma and horrific violence is more common than any clinical care
mental health services. The scheme led by the University of Glasgow – is inspired by services in India and Uganda where members of the community are trained and supported by expert clinicians to provide assessments and treatments. It’s hoped the five-year project will highlight new and quicker ways to diagnose and treat mental health illnesses in young people. Public Health Scotland figures show that, as of December last year – more than 4 000 children and young people were on a waiting list to start treatment. This is another story fed to BBC Reporting Scotland but not featuring on the … Continue reading BBC Scotland mislead on the mental health waiting list for children and young people and suggest we might learn from services in Uganda and India where stigma and horrific violence is more common than any clinical care
‘This is disturbingly similar to what Donald Trump did earlier this year when he gutted the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the US Environmental Protection Agency.’
Thanks to Jim Draper alerting me to this. From the Canary factchecker today: The nuclear industry will become “more dangerous” and regulation of the sector has been captured by “vested interests,” campaigners and experts have told the Canary, after the Nuclear Regulation Bill was put forward in the 2026 King’s Speech. From CND: When you think of nuclear accidents like at Windscale in 1957, Chernobyl in 1986, or Fukushima in 2011, it’s easy to see that Britain’s current nuclear regulatory procedures and rules are in place for a simple reason – that nuclear power is inherently dangerous. Rather than acknowledge these risks or legacy issues – like tackling the … Continue reading ‘This is disturbingly similar to what Donald Trump did earlier this year when he gutted the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the US Environmental Protection Agency.’
County Lines – National Police Chiefs’ Council confirms exports of deadly drugs and violence FROM England INTO Scotland
Rt Hon Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale’s thinktank tries to hide entirely English culture of County Lines drug gang ‘cuckooing’ plague in Scotland
Regulars here will recognise the rarely enlightening thinktank headed up by Lord McConnell, Chris Deerin and their totally non-academic, guide-leader, BBC average housewife interviewee, Research Director, Alison Payne. Today, they have the above and: The recent passage of a new criminal offence of cuckooing within the Crime and Policing Act marks a significant milestone after years of sustained advocacy by the Centre for Social Justice and Justice and Care. It is a reform grounded not in theory, but in the lived experience of some of the most vulnerable individuals across the UK. Cuckooing, sometimes described as “forced home invasion”, occurs … Continue reading Rt Hon Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale’s thinktank tries to hide entirely English culture of County Lines drug gang ‘cuckooing’ plague in Scotland
Talking-up Scotland 