The Tusker can reveal that Jimmy Saville (28), former UKIP candidate for Buckinghamshire and graduate of Thames Valley University Faculty of Journalism, has been appointed editor at the prestigious Sunday Mail. Saville’s honours dissertation was a study of the Weekly World News and its contribution to democracy in the USA. He said: I feel right at home ‘ere wiv the Jocks! Readers of the Sunday Mail were asked but could not formulate a sentence for us. Continue reading LATEST: Jimmy Saville Love Child appointed Editor at Sunday Mail

Yesterday, in Holyrood, Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Scottish Labour) asked the Scottish Government for what reason NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has reportedly decided not to replace the role of lead infection control nurse at the Gartnavel campus in Glasgow? Jean Freeman replied: The Scottish Government is not normally involved in the direct recruitment of frontline staff within NHS Scotland Boards, however NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are currently escalated to Level 4 meaning that Scottish Government has in place advanced monitoring and oversight. The Oversight Board are aware that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, as part of a proposed service … Continue reading Labour MSP shows what they’re capable of

In the Scottish Parliament last Friday, Alex Cole-Hamilton asked the Scottish Government for what reason extra-curricular sports at schools, such as football, were unable to resume. The Minister, John Swinney without referring to notes, replied: It is not the case that extra-curricular sports at schools, suchas football, are unable to resume. MSPs have paid researchers who help them draft questions like the above. Earlier examples of useful questions by Lib Dems: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2020/03/18/cole-hamilton-reveals-more-good-news-as-alcohol-related-ambulance-call-outs-plummet/ https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2020/03/05/alex-cole-hamilton-reveals-nhs-scotland-well-staffed/ Continue reading Lib Dem MSP shows what they’re capable of – SFA?

As ‘our’ media swarm all over any sign of death in a hospital, scaring the vulnerable and endangering lives in the process, a bit of context is important. From the NHS Scotland information services division, published 4 days ago, that only 8 or 0.2% of patients in the week-ending 27 September were victims of probable (3) or definite (5) hospital onset Covid-19 infection. These are the most recent data published. 99.4% of cases were acquired in the community before admission to hospital. This represents a slight fall from the previous week and a continuation of very low levels of infection. … Continue reading Covid-19 update: Scotland’s hospitals are safe with tiny hospital acquired infection levels

From Brenda Steele: The above tweet from Jenny Marra is the most recent in this unedyfying exhibition of crassness from the anti-Independence forces: https://mobile.twitter.com/JennyMarra/status/1319668265958973440 Undermining the press???  Or is it the press that is undermining the public health messages from the Government!? It may not be defined as criminal in the law books, but in my view it should be. Encouraging people to feel aggrieved and deprived is encouraging them to put others lives at risk and that – in my book – is tantamount to murder. https://mobile.twitter.com/DrGregorSmith/status/1319283453951524873 Statement released this evening by the Scottish Parliamentary Journalists’ Association: https://mobile.twitter.com/ScotParlJournos/status/1319316411387465729/photo/1 And … Continue reading ‘Newspapers and Broadcasters have played a crucial role in communicating Government health messages’ On which planet?

By stewartb The recent BBC Scotland article by James Cook on Scotland’s independence amplifies the views of one Aberdeenshire farmer who is reported as follows: ‘…. Michelle ….. farms some 600 ewes and 10 rams (or tups, as they’re known in Scotland). She opposes Brexit and worries about its impact but she does have concerns about independence which are practical and specific. “I think we are better off staying [in the UK] and then we’ve got a louder voice to make trade agreements with other countries, not just the EU, but other countries as well”.’ Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-54630729 Where to start? … Continue reading Dear Michelle, I wish you could read this because, with respect, there are some things you really need to know!

Headlining in the Herald today, the leader of one of Scotland’s minority parties : I’d forgotten about the Lib Dems. You remember them. They tend to be quite forgiving of paedophilia or sheltering paedophilia, among their leaders. Today a BBC report on Patrick Harvie and the Greens aiming to catch Labour makes no mention of them at all. Harvie knows the Lib Dems are finished. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-54673442 So the Lib Dem leader tries get attention with this: Willie Rennie hits out at “anti-English rhetoric” around Coronavirus briefings That’s going to help him, I don’t think. Scotland did nearly reach elimination in … Continue reading Willie Rennie’s Desperation

Is this some sick competition? We’ve had Westminster Tories falling over each other to say the most stupid and insensitive things about about feeding hungry schoolchildren but now Tory councillor, John McLellan tries to go one better. With 90 deaths in the last week, up from 59 the previous week and 20 the week before that, with 900 hospitalised yesterday, up from 650 a week ago and 450 the week before, he wants to suggest the Scottish Government’s strategy is wrong. As for his literary reference, does anyone believe a man like Dylan Thomas would have sided with the Tories, … Continue reading Who is the meanest ___ in the Party?

Posted in the early hours, like me often, this on the BBC Scotland website: Is Scotland moving towards independence? By James CookChief news correspondent for The Nine: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-54630729 It’s long and OK at first until, 25 wee paras down we see: First, the more that campaigners for the union highlight Scotland’s dependence on tax receipts from the richer south east of England, the less attractive such a state of affairs may appear. Increasing numbers of voters in England are asking why they should be writing the cheques and many north of the border are wondering why Scotland is poorer than … Continue reading Deep in the Mix James cooks the books

By stewartb I am prompted to write this now for a couple of reasons: the current doubt over what Barnett Consequential funding Scotland will get from Westminster’s borrowing to support our economy impacted by Covid-19, and for how long – and such uncertainty over Consequentials is the norm. And this: the recently heard claim from scare-mongering Unionists – also from media Vox Pop (‘scare-mongered’?) contributors –  that Covid-19 and the need for emergency funding shows up that an independent Scotland could not have coped with the financial challenge – and if independent, we would have been doomed! So it is … Continue reading Anything they can do in emergency we can do too, once independent – the case of New Zealand’s public finances