This tragedy where a 47-year-old woman, with a known irregular heartbeat, waited 6 hours on a frozen pavement, then died of a cardiac arrest the next day, did not lead to the blaming of any politician in Wales. Even the local health board chief executive, was allowed to excuse the service and to blame unattributed ‘pressures’ but without naming any government responsible for them. Readers in Scotland will know things are done differently here when the politicians are from the SNP government. Here’s what the unfortunately-named CE said: Jason Killens, chief executive, said: “We are sorry that our response took … Continue reading Deadly NHS Wales Ambulance delays not a sign of pressure ‘across the UK’

Yesterday in Holyrood, Alexander Stewart (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party) asked the Scottish Government what its response is to an audit report by Food Standards Scotland, which found that the Fife Council environmental health team is facing staff shortages that have led to it being unable to perform proactive visits, and instead it is focusing on responding to complaints or business queries only. The reply from Joe FitzPatrick: I am informed by Food Standards Scotland that it has carried out a number of Capacity and Capability Audits of Local Authorities over the past three years. Audits … Continue reading Scottish Conservatives remind us that food inspection is much better-staffed in Scotland

Today at Holyrood (Friday 19th), Bill Kidd MSP asked the Scottish Government how it supports low-income families with young children. Aileen Campbell replied: The Scottish Government has taken significant steps to reduce poverty and tackle inequality, particularly where it affects families with young children. The Tackling Child Poverty Action Plan Report, published in June, showed that 48 of the 58 actions we have committed to are already in progress or being delivered. In 2018-19 we invested over £1.4 billion to provide a wide range of support including Free School Meals, School Clothing Grants and increased funding to tackle food insecurity … Continue reading Brian Taylor goes for a comfort break just as SNP Government’s £1.4 billion help for families with young children is announced

‘Scotland will experience warmer and wetter winters, and drier and hotter summers. There will also be an increasing frequency of severe weather events, such as storms, heavy precipitation, droughts and periods of unusually hot weather. Periods of very cold weather, snow and ice will decrease in frequency, but will still occur.’ Climate Change Risks Facing Scotland’s Transport Infrastructure 2019: https://starconference.org.uk/star/2019/Toplis.pdf You see the risk there? That SNP administration might not be getting on with the day or night-job, too busy writing Indyref2 letters, to buy new snowploughs, thinking global warming will get them off the hook. Those Scottish Tories were … Continue reading Scottish Tories stupidly reveal Scotland has 30% more gritters per snowy day since the SNP came to power

In addition to this blog, FB and Twitter, I’ll be posting my stuff at: https://todon.nl/@ProfJWR Todon.nl is a leftist Mastodon server for progressives, socialists, activists, environmentalists, anti-racists, anti-fascists, human rights activists, etc. Feel free to join me there and to share. Continue reading Talking-up Scotland’s Alternative for Twitter or Facebook Refuseniks!

Only Lisa Summers at Reporting Scotland Down has been more effective in making folk anxious in this time of political uncertainty than McArdle. Here are some of her recent ‘high points’: Herald’s bitter struggle with BBC Scotland for worst health correspondent of the century continues on NHS Highland ‘bullying’ We wonder why TV and Newspaper health correspondents are the worst of a very bad lot as the Herald lies again on NHS staffing 93% can see a GP in 2 days but Herald Health Correspondent lies for 4th time as election looms The Herald vs BBC Scotland battle for ‘Mencken Sickness Correspondent … Continue reading Tipping point? Has the Union’s second-best NHS fibber joined the pro-Indy tide?

Conservative health spokeswoman Angela ‘First Degree’ Burns AM said: “If I was appalled at last month’s figures, then frankly I am disgusted at these, which are set against the backdrop of lower attendance figures, so the Welsh Labour Government cannot argue that it was facing increased pressures.” https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-50812953# Footnote: Who was the architect for that hospital? Looks like a cement works! Continue reading Tories and Welsh Labour fight to prove who is least able to run NHS

‘The attack on Mr McColl’s competence is despite his success in running engineering companies around the world. He gets closely involved in management and is reckoned to be a billionaire. His advice was sought by the Scottish government as a member of its Council of Economic Advisers.’ BBC give petulant ‘billionaire’ platform to attack SG: ‘The attack on Mr McColl’s competence is despite his success in running engineering companies around the world. He gets closely involved in management and is reckoned to be a billionaire.’ Oooooh he must know better. Let’s throw the toy boats out of the pram? Should … Continue reading BBC give petulant ‘billionaire’ platform to attack Scottish Government

‘8% of the population but only 2.5% of the police taser firing’ It’s all over the English media but from BBC UK today: The use of Taser stun guns by police and England and Wales reached a record high last year, Home Office figures show. They were deployed in 23,000 incidents in the 12 months to the end of March – up by more than a third on the previous year and double the 2016 total. The weapons – which deliver a high-voltage electric shock – were fired on 2,500 occasions between April 2018 and March 2019, which is thought to … Continue reading Police Scotland’s taser restraint not reported because….

Ludo Thierry Further encouraging stats regarding employment, unemployment and economic activity among Scotland’s 16 – 24 year olds carried on news.gov.scot today. Link and snippets below: https://news.gov.scot/news/employment-unemployment-and-inactivity-for-young-people-16-24-years-scotland New statistics from the Annual Population Survey have been released which show that 336,000 young people aged 16-24 years were in employment in Scotland in October 2018 to September 2019. The employment rate for young people was 59.0 per cent, higher than a year ago (57.9 per cent). In the same period, 34,000 young people aged 16-24 years were unemployed. The unemployment rate for young people was 9.1 per cent, lower than a … Continue reading Youth employment climbs