By stewartb
The number of people economically inactive due to long term sickness or disability is a UK-wide ‘problem’ . From the Bevan Foundation on the situation in Wales where the Daily Record’s favoured political party, the British Labour Party has been in power for c.26 years (see https://www.bevanfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SoW-Get-Wales-Working-Feb-25.pdf ):
- ‘.. Wales has high rates of disability and economic inactivity
- ‘Long-term illness is now the main reason why people are economically inactive. More than 162,000 people in Wales say they are not working because of long-term illness’
- ‘Five of the UK’s ten local authorities with the highest rates of economic inactivity because of long-term illness are in Wales.’
The Foundation’s report adds: ‘Across the UK, around a quarter of people aged 16 to 64 have a long-term health condition that limits their day-to-day activities (which means that they are classed as disabled). In Wales the proportion of people who have a long-term health condition is higher, at 28% in September 2024. This is the second highest proportion in the UK, with more than half a million people of working age in Wales being disabled. Wales’s above average rate of disability means that there are 72,000 more disabled people of working age than if Wales had the UK rate.’
And: ‘.. more than one in three people is disabled in Torfaen (38.1%), Merthyr Tydfil (36.6%), Bridgend (35.3%) and Neath Port Talbot (34.2%).’
In concluding, the report states: ‘Addressing the scale of economic inactivity caused by long-term illness in Wales will require additional, intensive effort and resources. The UK Government will need to consider how it will focus its own efforts on areas of greatest need, and also consider how to resource devolved services. It would not be appropriate to use the Barnett formula, whose population-based formula would fall far short of need.’ (My emphasis)
ChatGPT confirms that Labour-run Wales has the highest rate: ‘Around 27-30% of the economically inactive population in Wales reports being so due to long-term illness or disability. This is higher than the UK average, which hovers around 21-24%.’
ChatGPT states that the top ten local authorities with highest rates of economic inactivity due to long term illness in addition to those in Wales includes Blackpool, Hull, Bradford, Wakefield and Barnsley. It reports that North Ayrshire is typically the Scottish LA with the highest rate, typically ranked between 15 and 20 in the UK.
Such contributions are not ‘whataboutery’ but written to challenge the negative framing – context, perspective and comparison-free – about Scotland so prevalent amongst most mainstream media outlets. And in this particular instance, it is to call out to the Daily Record for not practicing a higher standard of objectivity when it comes to the track record of the British Labour Party governing with devolved powers.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Off topic, but related to the same kind of media bias hostile to Scotland.
On the habitually condescending anti-Scotland Channel 4 News last night, there was a substantial piece about President Trump’s visit to open his new golf course in Aberdeenshire. He had flown up the previous evening with the Prime Minister after a day of talks at Turnberry. Yesterday, the First Minister, John Swinney, had a meeting with the President and, for what it is worth, the President was complimentary about Mr Swinney. The FM was interviewed by Ch4 about his meeting. On the whole, the interview was fair and was devoid of the overt aggression Ch4 interviewers deploy when interviewing members of the Scottish Government. Then the interviewer interviewed Mr Anas Sarwar. The substance was about the starvation in Gaza, which had already been dealt with in the interview with the FM. Sarwar’s response was pretty much the same as the FM’s.
Why was Sarwar present? He has no Scottish Governmental status, being leader of the third largest party at Holyrood and not leader of the opposition. President Trump had been greeted by Mr Ian Murray, MP, Secretary of State for Scotland, on his arrival. As mentioned, the PM had had significant time with the President. So, The Labour Party had had substantial opportunity to be in the spotlight. Why did Ch4 allocate an equal amount of time to a Labour MSP as that allocated to the FM?
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think we can guess why. Sarwar is being primed as the next FM of Scotland and the BritEng states’ media are doing their damndest to make that happen.
Let’s hope they get nowhere near succeeding. I know my friends watch CH4 and take what they say as gospel hence their bias against the SNP, and refusal to accept that Scotland is much better off with the SNP, compared to their country with Labour at the helm at WM…sigh.
LikeLike
I meant my friends in NE England.
LikeLike