By stewartb
‘Neither Dr Kennedy nor the Guardian writer wished to put their comments into perspective’.
Context and perspective when it comes to matters concerning the Scottish Government/NHS Scotland are no go areas also for BBC Scotland, STV, The Herald, The Scotsman, the Daily Record, even Channel 4 News etc. and that’s before we look at the sources these media outlets rely on in the British Labour Party. the Tories and the Lib Dems in Holyrood. No context, no perspective, endless, repeated negativity and bias by omission – a rich and powerful brew!
Amongst all this, the British Labour Party is well advanced in inserting its attack lines for the 2026 Holyrood election in public consciousness. The SNP Scottish Government’s track record on the NHS will be prominent amongst them: this has been long in development.
Added to the avoidance of comparative analyses of NHS performance across the nations of the UK – too favourable to Scotland – the lines being promoted , with media complicity, are:
- NHS Scotland’s performance is crap – uniquely so;
- the reasons are simple, it’s only ever and all down to ‘SNPbad’;
- Labour has now generously provided Scotland with lots more cash;
- the SNP Scottish Government has no more excuses, it must transform the performance of NHS Scotland by …… tomorrow?
Another egregious statement from British Labour Party politician was published in Scotland recently. This is the headline from the Daily Record (October 31, 2024): ‘Rachel Reeves challenges SNP to improve NHS performance in Scotland after £3.4bn boost – the Labour Chancellor claimed NHS performance in Scotland was “worse than in any part of the United Kingdom”.
The Record quotes the Chancellor: “Frankly, the performance of the NHS in Scotland under the SNP is worse than in any part of the United Kingdom, and that money now needs to be used to address the priorities of the Scottish people.”
She added: “In Scotland, the SNP now need to use that money that we have allocated wisely to start to reduce those waiting lists in Scotland, because they are out of control, and that is a sad legacy of the Government in Scotland.” Out of control here – really? But NOT in Labour-run Wales?
Meanwhile in England, the response to Labour’s budget from the specialist health think tank, the Nuffield Trust is typical of its peers. It is dampening down expectations of rapid or substantial change: in the performance of NHS England
‘The increase in the overall Department of Health and Social Care budget is sufficient to meet the urgent £4.8bn funding gap facing the NHS in England. However, it is less clear how non-NHS health spending, such as for public health, will fare once those unavoidable immediate pressures in the NHS have been addressed. The Secretary of State has been correct to caution ahead of time that patients are unlikely to notice rapid improvements in their care.’
And given the critical issues around delayed discharge from hospitals, this from the Nuffield Trust is also notable: “It is disappointing that today’s Budget does little to stabilise the beleaguered social care sector in the immediate term, and that the supporting rhetoric made no mention at all of the future reform it so desperately needs.”
So a consensus is developing in England that the harms of more than a decade of underfunding of NHS England can’t and won’t be ‘fixed’ by the new money from the Budget: meanwhile in Scotland the narrative is that Labour has just gifted a magic wand to the worst performing NHS in the UK!
A New Statesman article (November 1) referred to the Secretary of State for Scotland and to Barnet consequentials arising from the Budget: ‘As Scottish Secretary Ian Murray put it, “that money must reach frontline services, to bring down waiting lists and lift attainment in our schools.”
The article adds: ‘Sarwar, with some justification, will expect the Nats to blow it, which gives him a renewed opportunity to sell Labour as the party that can arrest national decline.’ (Source https://archive.ph/4uCcL )
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
“Tell the truth and shame the devil”.
The government of Scotland has access to the media: it makes statements in parliament: the SNP can ask questions in the English parliament.
In all its statements/questions it should be phrasing them to enforce the facts: That Scotland is, per capita, performing its devolved responsibilities at a higher level than in England or in Wales.
Every time an English Minister comes to Scotland on an away day to rubbish us on the BEEB, the SNP should insist on the right to reply.
If they are refused they should condemn the BBC bias in the strongest terms and refuse to appear on a BBC platform again until the BBC becomes an honest player.
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The article adds: ‘Sarwar, with some justification, will expect the Nats to blow it, which gives him a renewed opportunity to sell Labour as the party that can arrest national decline.’
i think labour are also keen to force the SNP to have to use private health provision to tackle backlogs or face falling behind. Either allows labour to claim private health is now a necessary part of a reformed NHS, I guess they need to earn their private health donations
i really hope the SNP are working on counter arguments and strategies that deal with this real problem rather than feeling spooked into falling in line with UK aims
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“will expect the Nats to blow it”
Is that the British Nationalists then.
Because yes they are blowing it, big time, as in the Labour party, one of many British Nationalist political parties within the UK.
That’s what happens when their (Labour party’s) priorities and focus is directed away from the people who elected them and instead redirected towards their donors and their interests (as in them, as donors, getting a return for their donations made to Labour prior to the GE).
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Do bear in mind the quote comes from Chris Deerin, who “with some justification” might reasonably be accused of doing a Nick Robinson since 2014 in his hatred of SNP and all it stands for before considering he’s ‘Reform Scotland’ Director with ZERO MPs…
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Another great , well researched and insightful article stewartb.
Part of that attack is the BBC here in Scotland who as well as relentlessly attacking the SNP also oblige Labour in omitting a fair amount of pertinent details that could present Labour in a negative light.
The superb Twitter account that is MSM Monitor noted this in BBC headlines on their Scottish pages of their website.
Yesterday MSM Monitor tweeted this observation that he saw on the BBC website via various headlines by the BBC upon Labour & also on the FM John Swinney in response to Trump winning.
MSM Monitor Tweeted this:
“Why was John Swinney singled out by the BBC in this manner”?
“Welsh FM Eluned Morgan once described Trump as “off the wall crazy”. Not mentioned in her headline”
“Keir Starmer once called Trump’s comments “absolutely repugnant”. Not mentioned in his headline”
“Starmer and Morgan are also referred to by their title. Our FM is referred to by his surname”
Then he MSM Monitor showed the BBC website headlines that prompted his above tweet:
“Swinney congratulates Trump after backing Harris in US Election” (My Bold).
“Strong US relations crucial says PM after Trump win”
“Strong Wales-US links to continue under Trump – FM”
So basically as MSM Monitor noted only John Swinney’s BBC headline mentioned a supposed negative in him, John Swinney, endorsing Harris and not Trump.
While the Labour UK PM and the Labour Welsh FM had no previous history noted on both of the negative comments they had previously made in relation to Trump.
Also nothing via the BBC relating to David Lammy’s negative comment on Trump in a 2017 tweet where he called Trump a “Nazi sympathiser” and also called Trump a “racists KKK”. (David Lammy was merely a opposition Labour MP in 2017).
However the same David Lammy , who is now the new Labour UK Foreign Secretary, and who grovelled in a tweet that he sent yesterday to Donald Trump where he tweeted”
“Congratulations to @realdonaldtrump on your victory”
“The UK has no greater friend than the US, with the special relationship being cherished on both sides of the Atlantic for more than 80 years. We look forward to working with you and @JDVance in the years ahead”
That is some U-Turn by David Lammy is it not , from his former position on Trump in 2017, to his new more gracious position now in 2024 ?
I noted that yesterday , in a Tweet by Anas Sarwar, that he tweeted his thoughts on Trump as the new president which was full of the usual very obvious non committal clichés such as “we must respect democracy” and “national and global interest to have a positive relationship with the USA” .
Why must we respect a moronic decision by some Americans ?
(Just because your Labour party are the new UK government and so will have to deal with Trump)
What special relationship ?
(We have , as yet, since Brexit not been given a ‘great’ trade deal by Biden as the current USA President , and with Trump as the new President , as in he who promotes the message of “America First” , then that, as a position, is not going to change any time soon)
In fact any supposed ‘trade’ deal that is done will not be to the UK’s advantage but only to America’s advantage. They , America, say jump we , or rather our UK governments says, how high.
Another observation by MSM Monitor was that some of the UK media, prior to the Presidential election, noted that “Labour activists were encouraged to go to the USA and campaign for Kamala Harris. Not mentioned in the Starmer (BBC) headline”
Yet in a new BBC website headline this is again not noted in relation to Labour activists supporting Kamala Harris where the BBC only noted Starmer had phoned Trump to congratulate him.
In fact the BBC said Starmer’s call was the supposed first call since the US election, grovel much did he (Starmer) to then expect Brownie points from Trump, in him being the first to call to congratulate Trump, obviously Starmer does not really know who he is dealing with, as being the supposed first to call Trump, well that would count for the square root of Jack Sh*t to Trump.
So we now have an Idiot in charge of America and another one in charge of the UK and also a UK media trying to take us, in Scotland, all for Idiots too.
What a time to be alive !!!!
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Reeves “… the performance of the NHS in Scotland under the SNP is worse than in any part of the United Kingdom…”
So Reeves does not see Scotland as being a part of the United Kingdom.
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“So Reeves does not see Scotland as being a part of the United Kingdom”
TBF many of us in Scotland do not recognise (see) Reeves as having any rights or indeed any respect as a UK politician sticking her Labour nose into ‘our business’ in all parts of Scotland.
Especially when she and her party in the UK (England) & Wales have an excess of problems that they have, as the Welsh government, caused in Wales and are now also causing in both the the UK and England as the UK government.
No need to mention the damage they are also trying to do, as the UK government, to Scotland, but I just have, so Ha Ha.
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Talking of ‘media’ but really once again exposing more underhand tactics by the BBC.
BBC Website Scotland Business page.
Headline article on this page “Unite union may bring legal action over winter fuel payments” it is 6th article on this Scotland Business page.
Click on the article then it shows it to be in UK Politics page ?
But not on the Scotland Politics page but the UK Politics page.
However if you click on UK Politics page this story is not on there ?????
The article’s content is clearly relating to the UK government as it refers to Rachel Reeves and Labour , however the first paragraph is ambiguous as to which government it is that Unite Union are considering legal action against at it states:
“The Unite union has called on the government to reverse its decision to cut the winter fuel payment for millions of pensioners or has warned it may face judicial review“
Remember this article is a headline in the Scottish Business page only, when you click on it, it then states it is in the “Politics” page not the “Scottish Politics page” but the UK Politics page – however if you access the UK Politics page then this article does not come up.
The last paragraph of this article on the Scotland Business page refers to a “Scottish couple being given permission to proceed with their own legal bid against both the UK and Scottish governments over scrapping the benefit” .
Clearly that is not the whole story in relation to why the Scottish government took their decision upon the Scottish winter fuel allowance, but God forbid the BBC would provide any real context on that, however that context should come out in the case that the Scottish couple have decided to pursue against the Scottish government. (as in a financial consequential impacted by the Labour UK government’s decision on this).
So I did another search for this story on their BBC website.
Not on the following pages of the BBC website:
Home page – UK page – UK Business page – UK Politics page – Cost of Living page – England page – Welsh Business page .
So the BBC have “Unite union may bring legal action over winter fuel payments” only on the page for Scotland Business but not on UK Business or Welsh Business pages.
Is this then another one of those BBC Scotland supposed ‘errors’ that are added to the well hidden and non publicised section of their website called BBC Corrections and Clarifications.
BBC , we see you, we really really do.
Media corruption that is a constant and something that the BBC are trying to be way too adept at , as far as their biased coverage of Scottish political matters are concerned, as this is not the first time I have seen them do this on their website.
An action by them to damage only one party in Scotland. No need to guess who.
We really need to get this British media propaganda out of Scotland as they serve no purpose other than promoting British nationalism uber alles in our country while referring to us, and the party many of us vote for, as being the only nationalists in their Britain.
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” But not on the Scotland Politics page but the UK Politics page. However if you click on UK Politics page this story is not on there ????? ” – It is there but well down at 4 days old – I searched by the quoted headline…
It’s all part of the smoke and mirrors revamp of the BBC website – eg I can see a UK Business page but not a Scotland Business page because my IP address isn’t UK – If taken to an extreme, it’s entirely possible individual IP addresses could be selectively served a different version of the same web-page – Just think on that for a second, you and next door thinking you’re seeing the same news when it’s not….
Welcome to propaganda central….
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Scotland paying for Trident and redundant weaponry. Tax evasion, Hickley Point, HS2 etc. Losing £Billions because of Brexit. Scotland in surplus in fuel and energy and nearer the source, pays more. No parity. £Billions lost to Westminster poor, bad policies. £Billions for decommissioning nuclear.
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