By reader George S Gordon
On Wednesday the Scotsman had an article based on Unison Scotland surveys of its members in the NHS, headlined –
“Exclusive: Survey reveals ‘shocking’ concerns over health and care staffing”.
The article refers to two surveys, one in December 2025 and the other in February 2026.
Odd that they’re reporting those now!
Very unusually, the article provides survey response numbers – 2,000 for the December survey and 3,000 for the one in February.
The NHS Scotland headcount is around 188,000, and the headcount of Unison employees in the NHS is around 60,000.
The full article is at: https://archive.is/23k8p
From it:
Members of the largest trade union in the NHS have raised “shocking” concerns over unsafe staffing levels despite legislation aimed at tackling the issue.
Unison said 46 per cent of survey respondents felt patient safety had regularly been put at risk by inadequate staffing over the last 12 months, while 32 per cent said this had happened frequently.
So, in addition to this being a classic self-selecting, ‘squeaky wheel’ survey, of no statistical value whatsoever, only around 1 000 of Unison’s 60 000 members, 1.66% could be bothered to suggest safety had been put at risk and only 1% said it happened frequently.
Unison is affiliated to the Labour Party, including in Scotland through its dedicated Scottish Labour Link. https://unison-scotland.org/labour-link/
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Well spotted George S Gordon.
How many people in Scotland are aware that the Labour MP Johanna Baxter was associated with Unison.
She received a donation of “£4,800 from trade union UNISON. registered on August 4, 2024, this donation was listed under support for her activities as an MP or local party organization, part of UNISON’s support for new Labour MPs”
As did another other ‘Scottish’ Labour MP also receive donations from Unison , as Katrina Murray MP (Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch) received a total of £14,000.
It was reported that in August 2024 “the GMB and Unison also donated more than £250,000, with £356,632 and £351,834 respectively. USDAW gave £243,882 in support over the year before the election” to Labour MP’s all over the UK State.
Also “Unite offered the most support out of Labour’s affiliated unions, with a total of £553,900 given to a total of 86 MPs”.
What is farcical , considering what is happening in Birmingham with Labour and the Bin workers is that Unison donated to a Birmingham Labour MP, Laurence Turner, a total of £5000 and also the GMB donated £8818.66 to him.
(Some) Trade Unions are they all , as Unions, for the workers only , or are they now , as (some) Unions, mostly for the Labour party, you decide .
Liz S
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Christina McAnea is clearly positioning herself for selection as a Labour candidate ( whether MP or MSP ) for a future election It’s what so many union officials in Scotland see as their path to a ” nice wee earner ”!
One has to wonder how Unison members regard this blatant self-serving behaviour .
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Indeed.
I read this online (though I already knew this was happening):
“As of late 2025, the House of Lords (HOL) includes 16 members who have previously served as general secretaries of trade unions, covering sectors such as transport, teaching, and farming”.
“Self serving” indeed millsjames1949.
Liz S
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BTW here’s something that the UK MSM will make a big thing about, indeed they have already started.
(It is a book , soon to be released , that will not be given such a negative and critical reception as Ms Sturgeon’s book was given, that’s for sure).
Indeed I anticipate a media and political feeding frenzy…..with Sarwar and others rubbing their hands in glee, so job done then Ms Cherry.
Joanna Cherry’s new book is to be released next week.
Already some anti independence newspapers have done some #SNPBAD articles based upon her book, that includes this from The Telegraph:
“A shocking exposé of Nicola’ Sturgeon’s ‘Cult like’ SNP rule”
Then the non Scottish Sun wrote a quote :
“Nicola Sturgeon’s cronies dubbed me a bitch, claims Joanna Cherry”
The Times wrote “Joanna Cherry: I’ve quit the SNP and I’m ashamed of them”.
Joanna told the Sun newspaper that her “enemies within the party tried so hard to bully me out of the party”. Which she said was “in the hope that she would leave ” but she said she would “not give them the satisfaction of leaving”.
Hmm , well that’s her version , but did they not want her to “leave” because she was actually actively, as in publicly, condemning and opposing her party and also attacking a Scottish FM and leader of her party , as in she was openly constantly attacking them while she was still an SNP MP.
She lost her seat in 2024 as I suspect many of her constituents found it impossible to vote for her as an SNP candidate when obviously she herself was not supportive of the party that she was standing for.
(Surely she could have stood down in 2024 as an SNP candidate, or stood for another party, if they, the SNP, were as bad as she now says they were in her new book).
The timing of this book being published prior to the Scottish elections in May is no coincidence , also the irony of the title of this book being called “Keeping the Dream Alive” ends up a tad self defeatist considering that apparently much of it’s contents may actually kill the dream from happening for a long long time .
I say this because the SNP , as a party, are strongly identified as being a major party supporting Scottish independence. So in her supposed “exposé” of them in her book, that then potentially could cast doubts with voters upon the SNP and also then upon independence itself , which would then also be political ammunition for those who support the UK State.
(How many interviews will she, Ms Cherry, do upon the release of her book, where the UK MSM will ask to be fed ( will gorge upon) as much #SNPBAD as she can possibly give them, so willingly).
Though I read that part of the book deals with “how political reform in Scotland and the revival of the independence cause could take place”.
“revival of the independence cause” , but with no thanks to her and her book, that’s for sure.
Is that supposed “revival” helped by her giving these kind of interviews with The Sun newspaper and other anti independence newspapers also. That’s a unique strategy is it not from Ms Cherry.
Plus it gives political ammunition to the pro UK parties just before the Scottish election , thus potentially killing off any chance to “keep the dream alive” of us achieving our independence for a long long time, if indeed , what will surely be a vast MSM publicity on this book , that then possibly results in negatively impacting the SNP’s votes in May and so then benefitting the pro UK parties.
Surely she is not so naïve to think that in writing this book that it will somehow incite a passion and determination within undecided Scots to then decide to support and so vote for independence in the future.
Nope I suspect this book will not keep the dream alive but instead will kill the dream from happening for a very long time.
Job done thinks the UK State.
Also let’s not forget that in her relating her (version of her) tale that there is also another side who have their version too , and that would be the SNP.
Mind you I am sure that she knows , as one who was formerly an SNP MP, that balance and objectivity is not a virtue or behaviour that we ever see from the MSM either in or outwith Scotland when it comes to the SNP.
Obviously it goes without saying that I will not be buying her ‘book’ of tales…..or is it more really a case of ‘The Tell tale tells Tall tales’ .
Liz S
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