I’ve written about these two more times than is good for my health. Here are some reminders of what they do:
- Just one from GC:
Despite the fact the Scottish and UK Governments are following broadly similar strategies, making similar mistakes, achieving similar outcomes, there is a big paradox here. The public perception is Nicola Sturgeon is handling this pandemic far better than Boris Johnson.
The words of Glen Campbell, above, are not entirely surprising though they continue to shock with their dishonesty. He and colleagues at BBC Scotland, along with fellow travellers across the Scottish and UK media, continue to peddle the same myth.
We don’t need to spend time debating the first part. We know of the divergences in the strategies. Independent experts such as professors Sridhar and Bauld have pointed to the clear differences in, for example, locking down more quickly and for longer.
However, it is in the claim of similar outcomes that Campbell and the others are more clearly lying to the public. They know what they are doing but persist for openly political reasons. The UK Government publishes daily the truth they deny at https://coronavirus-staging.data.gov.uk/
It’s quite clear from the above tables that the infection rate per 100 000 outcome over the whole pandemic is approaching twice as high in England at 5 817, as in Scotland at 3 231.
The death rate per 100 000 outcome over the whole pandemic is 48% higher in England at 161.1, as in Scotland at 109.3.
These are not similar outcomes.
Had Scotland the same death rate as England under the Conservative Government’s strategies, another 2 817 would have died.
Had England the same death rate as Scotland under the SNP Government’s strategies, 43 535 would have lived.
2: A clutch from Cook:
A post from stewartb pricked my memory on BBC Scotland Editor James Cook:
Anyone listen to – have a view on the content of – today’s Radio 4 Feedback programme? Is it worth a listen? It featured this: ‘The BBC Scotland Editor James Cook explains how he manages to remain impartial, as the independence issue heats up again north of the border.’ Note the wording here: seems the assumption is that there just is ‘impartiality’ – that’s a given, it is the BBC after all!
James Cook and impartiality is a theme I’ve often commented on. See these (link at bottom):
For more: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=James+Cook
Talking-up Scotland 
As Bill Clinton’s campaign said, “It’s the economy, Stupid”.
The Scottish Government has very limited control of its own budget. Yes, I know it is several billions of pounds and there are some tax raising powers, but in the end, it is Westminster which holds the purse strings and has the full range of economic ‘levers’ available to any independent nation.
All the Scottish Government can do is distribute funding in a different way and, this it has done with regard to things like tax threshholds, child benefits, welfare payments. However, it can take place only in a whole UK context.
The BBC and the unionist politicians retail a ‘narrative’ which equates the Scottish Government with the UK Government and by association makes the Scottish Government equally guilty by association. This same line was trotted out by BBC Scotland presenters, by Anas Sarwar, by Jackie Baillie, by Alex Cole Hamilton and by Douglas Ross. When they use the term ‘the country’ they meant Britain/England and two of these are private school educated English and one is private school educated Scottish. All of these were allowed to make statements unchallenged and uninterrupted while Patrick Harvie and Stephen Gethins were interviewed aggressively and frequently interrupted.
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Thanks for the memories 😐 Our shocking press!
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It’s their press though, therein lies the problem.
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The BBC–run by Eton-type Tory party supporters and financial backers.
BBC Scotland–run by British nationalists, Oh-raange Ludgers, Masons, Bluenoses and MI5-ers.
If only we could see the minutes of BBC Board meetings where Scotland has been discussed in the last decade.
If only we knew what Downing Street told the BEEB chairman (yes, its a man–it usually is)
If only we could hear the verbal communications between London and Pacific Quay.
If only we could peruse the HR records/comments when Hiring and Firing in Pacific Quay.
Oh, if only I could hack into the BEEB Anglosphere scheming and scamming, gaslighting and condescending, oh what fun it would be!
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Not surprised at the cackling pair, absolutely disgusting treatment of the FM and the SG over the years. They well know what they are doing, the bidding of their imperial masters, I do hope that Nicola gets a chance to rip them a new one from the back benches. As for the teachers, sorry but they have lost my sympathy, thousands would jump at the chance for a back dated pay rise of 6% this year to be hotly followed by a 5.5% in April / what a shower, already paid significantly more than their English counterparts yet keep looking for more. There is need and there is greed.
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I’ve always been bemused by agencies represented by one journalist at FM news conferences and the Chuckle Bros getting a question each.
Yet Campbell’s clearly rehearsed (sub-judice) despite the conference having been closed must surely have earned James a peerage despite floundering on the propaganda front with rising Indy support…
I’ll bet Alister Jack “purred” down the line…
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Don’t think it’s sub-judice Bob. No charges have been made, to the best of my knowledge.
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Fair comment – The point remains Campbell was not seeking a late answer to anything, it was all rehearsed for theatrical effect…
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Time , I think , for a rephrasing of the Celtic Fans’ banner –
”Scotlands’ Decision : Cooke and Campbell are both C*NTS !”
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They are still losing. The unionists are losing. The BBC propagana machine going down the tubes. Budget being cut. £6Billion for nonsense. Half is spent on the estate.
The latest Poll shows absolute support for Independence Parties.Thst could still increase. The Tory going out. Not to lose no now.
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