By stewartb This is yet another example of the mess that is BBC News coverage where we are. The story of this new drug featured heavily on Radio Four this morning: all and only however about its availability in England and Wales, and about the good deal on price achieved by NHS England. But on the BBC News website’s Health section we have this today: ‘Life-saving cholesterol jab recommended on NHS’ by Michelle Roberts. On the introduction of this drug it acknowledges: “It will bring England and Wales in line with guidance for Scotland.” No such perspective – and no … Continue reading ‘BBC Scotland’s relentless negativity on matters in Scotland’

The new staff at Reporting Scotland having a laugh at old Douglas Fraser as he prepares for retirement. I bet one of them shouted ‘nice helmet’ at the image below: Readers are invited to enter their suggestions in the comments below. I might prick the best one. Continue reading Yes, yes, ferry funny

At 13:16pm today, BBC UK reports on an new breakthrough anti-cholesterol drug which could save 30 000 lives just approved in England & Wales. Then they note the above. Reporting Scotland don’t haver it. Had they reported it earlier? There is no sign of them ever having mentioned it though the Herald picked up on it when it was authorised in Scotland (9th August) and then the UK story last night. Continue reading BBC UK (only) notes Scotland’s achievement

Earlier today, I commented on only Reporting Scotland covering this story in their wee BBC Breakfast inserts. Given that Scotland, with only 8% of the population, actually produces 82% of the UK’s oil and gas, it seems remarkable that they feel we, only we, should hear this bad news. MSM Monitor has spotted the same thing on the websites and linked it to a wider strategy of the Scottish Tories and Ian Wood. The UK audience need not worry even though they rely on Putin’s gas: Wales and Northern Ireland can ignore this too: Clear propaganda and shameless with it. Continue reading Why does only resource rich Scotland need to hear of the UK’s oil and gas dependency?

From NFU Scotland: NFU Scotland has written to the UK Government calling for immediate action as the labour crisis affecting the agricultural, food and drink sectors deepens. In its letter to Kevin Foster MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Future Borders and Immigration, NFU Scotland’s specific asks are: Introduce a 12-month covid recovery visa for the food and drink supply chain to deal with immediate pressures on the industry and allow employers to expand recruitment to EU and other overseas workers. Commission an urgent review by the Migration Advisory Committee on the needs of the agricultural, food … Continue reading NFU Scotland calls for urgent action on tackling the labour crisis

From: SNP Westminster Press Office The SNP has condemned the Tory government’s damaging Brexit deal after new statistics revealed a rise in shop prices – with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) also warning of further price increases and disruption in the coming months due to Brexit. The BRC’s chief executive Helen Dickinson said that: “Food retailers are fighting to keep their prices down as far as possible. But mounting pressures – from rising commodity and shipping costs as well as Brexit-related red tape, mean this will not be sustainable for much longer, and food price rises are likely in the coming months.” … Continue reading Will Santa’s trucks arrive this year?

This is disgusting. NHS Scotland is not in crisis. The facts, not for the first time are here, below. First, that claim that A&E departments, in Scotland, are asking ‘non life-threatening cases to stay away’ is, to my knowledge, based on statements from NHS Wales and Northern Ireland. So, evidence: First, A&E: From NHS Northern Ireland: Four hundred emergency patients waited more than 12 hours to be admitted to hospital in the last day in Northern Ireland, a senior doctor has said. Dr Paul Kerr, from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine for Northern Ireland, said some of them have … Continue reading Daily Express and Annie Wells lie using non-Scottish sources and risk lives for a headline

A few years back, I had a rare exchange with the editor of Reporting Scotland. I checked on him. He was a young man, still in his twenties I think. He seems to have disappeared. When I criticised the lack of reliable evidence in a report, his response was a tetchy ‘It’s all very well for academics’ and ‘You don’t understand journalism’. As I understand it, he meant they were working fast and couldn’t be held to the same standards as academics. See the above headline? What does it suggest? All of Scotland’s schools are at 50% absence? What else … Continue reading Accuracy? Truth? ‘We didn’t have space’

Clearly delighted with the news, Reporting Scotland gave over a bit of their teeny insert in BBC Breakfast to suggest that Scotland needed to import gas to cook our meals and heat our homes! How stupid do they think their viewers are? Very. From Scottish Government figures in 2021: Statistics announced today by Scotland’s Chief Statistician show that oil and gas production in Scotland, including Scottish adjacent waters, is estimated to have been 77.2 million tonnes of oil equivalent (mtoe). This was an increase of 0.4% compared to 2018, and accounted for 82 per cent of total UK production. In … Continue reading Scotland import gas? We produce 82% of the UK’s oil and gas for only 8% of the population!