By Liz S
Last year in October there was an article on the BBC website.
“Scottish government avoids defeat over housing emergency ‘failure’”
“Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar put forward the motion which was debated by MSPs at Holyrood. It was defeated by 60 votes to 54 with eight abstentions”.
“Instead, a motion amended by the government which removed the claim it had failed in responding to the emergency passed by 59 votes to 55 with eight abstentions”.
“Sarwar stated homelessness on the rise” and he also said “Every number a human being in need of help and every missed target the breaking of dreams, of hopes and aspirations.”
(Of course “help” , fulfilment of “dreams”, “hope” and “aspiration” are all things that Anas Sarwar’s Labour party , as the new UK government , are failing to deliver for all people within the UK and are also things which Anas Sarwar would also fail to deliver to the people of Scotland , that is in the unlikely event of him ever becoming our next Scottish FM…)
The Scottish government’s Housing Minister responded to Sarwar by him saying….
“I once again call on the Labour UK government to use its upcoming budget to scrap the bedroom tax, reverse the 9% capital cut to Scotland’s budget and permanently uplift the local housing allowance.”
(Of course all UK (English) governments, including Labour, are conditioned to restrict money and powers to the Scottish government as it is their mission as the English (UK) government to try to make the Scottish government fail as a Scottish government ,especially if it is controlled as a Scottish government by the SNP, and then they , UK Governments, hope that will see a decline in support for Scottish independence, that is the real method to all of their UK government and party madness).
So as Sarwar last October proclaimed his support for those who were on homeless then what is the news today connected to is HQ party………..
Well today it is being reported that the UK (English) Labour Housing Minister fails as a government minister, fails as an MP and also fails as a human being but succeeds as a alleged greedy Landlord , as today on the BBC website there is an article on the UK (English) politics page with a headline……..
“Housing minister hiked rent weeks after removing tenants”
The BBC article refers to her as “Britain’s homelessness minister” where it states “ Britain’s homelessness minister increased the rent on a house she owns by hundreds of pounds, allegedly “within weeks” of the previous tenants’ contract ending”
“The I paper reported that four tenants who rented a house owned by Rushanara Ali in East London were sent an email last November giving them four months’ notice that their lease would not be renewed”.
“It says the property was re-listed shortly after the tenants moved out, at a rent that was £700 a month higher”.
Asked about the Ali’s actions, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “I don’t know any of the details of this but I understand she has followed all the rules in this case.”
( I know nothing says Cooper, however as if by some miracle , she, Cooper, does know that “no rules were broken”, well that is the kind of response that we all come to expect from a Tory is it not, quite illogical and yet so apt when one considers the source, perhaps Yvette Cooper could read the ******* papers and watch the news on TV and then become more enlightened instead of having a ‘sweep sweep nothing to see here’ position).
So basically since coming to power as the new UK government last year the public have seen absolutely no change with a Labour UK government from the previous Tory UK government ….
No distinct “Change” in policies, rhetoric, party division, scandals, weak excuses, broken promises, accepting huge donations from wealthy donors, protecting the wealthy, targeting the poor and vulnerable and then also in their Leader Sir Keir Starmer suspending some of his own Labour MP’s when they, as Labour MP’s , decide to put their constituents before their party. (coincidentally a previous Tory PM also do this….hence why Boris Johnson’s majority decreased in the same way that Starmer’s is also now decreasing as a majority in the HOC).
So surely this latest scandal (one of many) could be be regarded as Labour having a very very very poor vetting system that picks greedy , selfish, scandal generating people as their political candidates as apparently those other candidates, who were not selected, were far far far too left wing and so would not be right for a right wing party led by a right wing Tory like Sir Keir Starmer.
So then we really really really do not need the likes of Anas Sarwar assuming that he can try to ‘educate’ and ‘inform’ (aka virtue signalling) the Scottish government on what ‘human beings need in respect to housing” .
However if Sarwar is really so so so passionate about it then he should be contacting his own Labour HQ and asking why the Hell their English Labour Homelessness Minister has allegedly done this, as surely, as an action, it is 100% everything that she should not be doing in her respective role…..unless she and her party once again want to be (rightly) seen as ******* hypocrites , callous, greedy and also absolutely bloody useless.
(Remember this story has been run by a major newspaper, the I newspaper, so one assumes facts were checked prior to publication though one still has to add ‘alleged’ as we still have to hear her, the Housing Minister’s, defence to this allegation. Is it a sacking offence if proven to be true or will Starmer do a Boris and just ignore it and hope that it goes away….#NoChangeWithLabour).
Of course he , Sarwar, if asked , could also respond in the same way as Yvette Cooper, and just say that he does not know the details but believes that she, the English Housing Minister, followed all of the rules.
(Though Sarwar would omit that it was also seemingly very tactical, callous and also obviously money orientated as an action by a government minister and by a so called ‘human’ being)…..
That’s because Sarwar does specialise in non answers as his (non) responses as he confidently always assumes that the media in Scotland will neither challenge him nor pursue him for any real answers when times are hard for Labour ….which is now a frequent occurrence.
You know with all of the S**t that has gone down with all of UK parties then it really does put into perspective the so called ‘SNP financial Police investigation’…….where all of the UK parties and their UK media went to great lengths to try to present it as being the ‘political crime of the century’ .
Unfortunately for them as UK political parties and as the UK media it proved to be minor as a political event compared to the competition, as in all of the UK political party scandals, that were all way way way too strong in the WTF stakes of political and personal scandals……….as in other political UK parties whose ‘crimes’, aka scandals, were far more excessive and also greater in them being way way way more substantive political (and personal) crimes…..(as in both an individual basis as UK party MP’s and also on a UK party basis, especially as members of a UK government and collectively as a UK government also).
(Remember in August 2024 there was also another housing scandal linked to a Labour MP, where a Labour MP was reported as renting out flats with black mould and ant infestations, Jas Athwal, a newly-elected Labour MP for Ilford South, owned 15 rental flats, making him the biggest landlord in the House of Commons….this news on the poor state of his rented properties happened prior to Anas Sarwar accusing the Scottish government of failing in Housing in October 2024…….. #LabourSlumLandlord)
So in the immortal words of Brenda from Bristol on this latest (alleged) Labour party scandal (as in the English Housing Minister).
“Not another one”.
Liz S
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Thanks Liz. I read about that ‘homelessness’ minister and her ‘alleged’ flouting the rules (law?) with regard to evicting the four tenants on the grounds she was selling up, only to get new tenants and hike the rent by £700 a month. I guess the extra dosh must ne handy as she is only taking what £158k a year from the public purse as an EngGov ‘minister’.
I know someone that exact same thing happened to in Edinburgh, I think in 2023, person was chucked out, landlady didn’t sell having used that as grounds for eviction re stricter rules then about reasons for eviction, and hiked rent and re-let the place. Greed.
So, housing and homelessness. Councils have a huge part to play in that role and service and have a duty to provide people with adequate housing in their areas. Shelter/housing is a human right. Not so Edinburgh Labour/Tory coalition council. They have recently, though not sure for how long so far, literally scrapped the ads/listings for council/social housing spouting ‘exceptional pressure re housing and homelessness’. I wonder why that might be given the Scottish government have been investing £’s in building social housing, and did they not hand councils extra funding for such services not that long ago?
The LabCons (basically an English run council in Edinburgh as their party is not Scottish and is HQ’d in London) have been spending council money in building ‘mid market rentals’ for people on higher incomes…via private companies given contracts I presume. The CEC English run council do not care and will be using their utterly disgusting, fabricated and deliberate removal of council housing as a tool to get their lies into the daily BritNat papers and onto the front pages in the coming months, so as to blame the SNP and hope that sows more seeds of doubt for voters.
The LabCons council faciltates hundreds of thousands of air b&b’s in the city of Edinburgh,
meaning far fewer places for the residents to live, yes, every ‘human being’ needs somewhere to live Mr Sarwar but YOUR Labour party in England and their jobsworths in Scottish councils etc seem to believe the opposite is their best policy…keep people destitute, homeless and make sure to blame the SNP at every opportunity. LabCons and especially now Labour, are actually causing people to suffer deliberately in Scotland for their own political gain. Despicable, I hope karma is real that’s all I can think about their disgusting greed and cruel austerity assault on the poorest and vulnerable and homeless.
Sadly rules for eviction are looser now post pandemic, the Scottish government do need to look at all of that again imo.
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Here is Labour/Tory council’s excuse for not providing housing for homeless people. LABOUR Mr Sarwar, are homless people not ‘human beings’? Housing/shleter is a human right.
https://edindexhousing.co.uk/
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Artful dodgers has nothing on the Labour party. Anther parcel of rogues is now in government at Westminster.
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The Labour Minister for Homelessness has resigned apparently
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O/T Another example of the Daily Record plumbing the depths of political journalism in support of a British Labour Party politician choosing to mislead (or just lie) whilst talking down Scotland?
(With apologies for the length of what follows but it seems to me to be an interesting illustration of engaging with an AI research tool.)
I posed a series of questions to ChatGPT: ‘The Scottish newspaper, the Daily Record had this headline today 7 August: “Gordon Brown warns child poverty in Scotland is getting ‘worse every day’ as he calls for UK Government action”. Is the statistic claimed in the headline accurate?‘
Then: ‘Please check the evidence for the local area. DWP does publish local area statistics. Do these bear out Mr Brown’s claim?’
At the end of substantial responses to both questions, in order to be sure of the conclusion, I asked: ‘So am I correct that the headline was factually wrong AND Mr Brown’s claim about the local area was also wrong?’
ChatGPT said: ‘Yes, based on the evidence, you are correct on both counts:
1. The Headline Was Factually Misleading
The Daily Record’s headline said: “Gordon Brown warns child poverty in Scotland is getting ‘worse every day'” This is factually inaccurate for two reasons:
– Scotland-wide data shows child poverty is falling, not rising.
– The phrase “worse every day” gives a sensational and cumulative impression not supported by official trends. Thus, the headline overstates and misrepresents the national situation.
2. Mr Brown’s Claim About His Local Area Was Also Not Backed by Data
Gordon Brown said: “I see every day this situation getting worse… this problem is getting worse…” While this might reflect his personal perception or anecdotal experiences, the DWP statistics for Fife and his local constituencies (Kirkcaldy, Cowdenbeath) show:
– Child poverty rates have not increased recently; some have even decreased slightly.
– Local rates remain high (27–30%)—persistently elevated, yes, but not worsening. Therefore, his claim of worsening poverty in the local area is not supported by the data.‘
ChatGPT noted: ‘If accuracy is the standard, then both the headline and Mr. Brown’s local claim fall short of what the data actually shows.’
I then asked: ‘What other standard than ‘accuracy’ should one adopt on such a key issue for voters in a democracy‘
ChatGPT said: ‘You’re absolutely right to raise this. On a core issue like child poverty, particularly in a democracy, accuracy should not just be a standard—it should be the baseline. However, let’s unpack why accuracy is sometimes overshadowed, and what other standards people sometimes do (rightly or wrongly) apply, even though those may not serve voters well.
Why Accuracy Should Be the Gold Standard: In a democracy:
– Voters need truth to make informed choices.
– Policies are judged by their impact, not rhetoric.
– Media headlines and political claims shape public perception—if these are inaccurate, public discourse is distorted.
– Trust in institutions declines when facts are repeatedly bent or ignored.
So yes, accuracy is not optional – it’s foundational.
Other (Problematic) Standards Sometimes Used Instead: Here are a few alternative standards people sometimes fall into using, knowingly or not:
Example: saying poverty is “worse every day” evokes moral pressure—but if false, it undermines credibility.
– Challenge misleading headlines
– Demand clarity from political figures
– Insist media outlets issue corrections when necessary
– Respect voters enough to give them the truth—even when it’s complicated or less dramatic. (my emphasis)
Final Thought
‘Accuracy isn’t just a technical standard—it’s a democratic value. When it’s compromised, everyone loses, but especially those whose lives depend on good policy: in this case, children living in poverty.
You’re asking exactly the right question.’
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
Presumably ChatGPT has no particular skin in this, no bias for or against Mr Brown, the Daily Record or the political party they both support, the British Labour Party. In once sense, its responses could hardly be more condemnatory of the politician and of the newspaper. In another, they confirm what many readers of TuS will already know! Either way, the degrading of political discourse by leading figures in the (Unionist) British Labour Party and their mainstream media allies in the pursuit of votes in Scotland continues unabated.
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The Labour Party response this morning to this story was ”Nothing to see here ! All the rules were followed ….”
So , this poor ( not really ) woman has been sacked from her post for ….?
Who will Sir Keir appoint in her place ? Is there a Labour MP who is NOT a money-grabbing landlord who won’t embarrass the People’s Party by exploiting the homeless / Poor / Voters ?
Maybe one of those nasty left wingers who was standing up for the poor by voting against Sir Keir’s Welfare Bill could be drafted in …except Sit Keir kicked them out of the Party for being too soft on the poor . Sh*t !
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“The Labour Party response this morning to this story was ”Nothing to see here ! All the rules were followed ….”
Yes I saw that online this morning , where there was a clip of the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Energy , Miatta Fahnbulleh, uttering the same spiel as Yvette Cooper spewed out yesterday when she also said that the Minister ‘didn’t break the law or rules” .
Yet she resigned….why?
Well apparently it was so as not to be a “distraction from the ambitious work of this government” Ha Ha.
“ambitious” I think not…..there are actually far more apt words that could be used………… like for example…….. cruel , clueless and also even more apt is them “continuing to do the Tories work as a new Labour UK government”….Ha Ha
Reality is….. that this latest resignation is just another addition to what is becoming an embarrassing amount of political scandals since Labour came to power last July….exposing the fact that this clueless new UK government are clearly out of their depth……and also very much out of ideas that actually work…..
It was reported that “Labour went into last year’s election promising to strengthen the rights of private tenants”…….
Well obviously this (now former) Housing (Homelessness) Minister must have missed ‘that particular memo’.
(As did the other Labour MP , Jas Athwal, who was reported last August as also being a -bad- Landlord as he too failed some of his private tenants ).
#LabourFailsAgain.
But for a Housing (Homelessness) Minster to have done what she did…….when this was happening below…
“The government’s Renters’ Rights Bill is in its final stages in Parliament, and will ban landlords re-listing a property for rent, if they have ended a tenancy in order to sell, for six months“.“.
(It was also reported, prior to her resignation, that “London Renters Union spokesperson Siân Smith said Ali’s actions were “indefensible” and she “must step down” due to a “clear conflict of interest” with the Bill in its final stages”).
A BBC article today states:
“Since Ali has quit quickly, the story is unlikely to drag on, but it marks another embarrassing departure for the government”.
“story is unlikely to drag on” yes we all know that BBC , but had she been an SNP government minister , well would the “story” have been likely to have ‘dragged on’ then ?…..
(and did she quit……… or was she told to quit…as in jump or be pushed ) ?
The BBC article also states….
“Ali is the sixth MP who has quit Starmer’s government over policy or because of allegations made against them”
( “sixth MP who has quit” Starmer’s government since last July….that’s some -bad-record).
Surely Keir Starmer’s judgement should now also be called into question as they formed part of his chosen government .
The BBC article then states in regards to these six MP’s who have quit Starmer’s government….
“That is not the sort of number that threatens the government. But it is embarrassing for a government that had a long time in opposition to get its house in order”.
Once again had it been the SNP then the same BBC, via their branch office , and too the opposition parties , especially Labour, would have declared that this was a government in disarray and that it was an untenable position for them, the Scottish government , to just assume that they can continue on as a government.
….remember Michael Mathison, where the story linked to him almost had a permanent position (residency) on the BBC website’s ‘Scottish’ pages……and that story was no where near as ‘controversial’ as this Housing Minister’s story, in fact it was, as a political story, very much misinterpreted and misrepresented by the media and too the opposition and so he , Mathieson, was forced to resign because of the pressure applied from them.
The hypocrisy of Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems having the audacity and brass necks to critique the SNP and also the Scottish government is quite mind blowing when one considers their own respective party’s track record on Scandals, fiasco’s and controversy.
I am sure that there will be yet “another one” at some point (as in yet another Labour scandal)……the media here in Scotland will now need to concoct even more #SNPBAD stories to deflect away from the the far more #LabourBad that actually exists………
Liz S
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