On Channel 4 News but not, to my knowledge, on the Scottish broadcast media, a clear explanation of why ‘Scotland [and not England] has banned visiting other people’s homes.‘ Professor Sridhar explains at 02:24 into this clip (link below): The scientific advice is pretty much aligned. The group I’m on, the Scottish Government Advisory Group works closely with SAGE and SAGE works closely with us. Independent SAGE is also sharing their papers. I think in general the scientific advice is quite aligned. It’s just then a policy and a leadership decision. Which decision are you going to take? How do … Continue reading Covid-19 Update: The Scientists are saying the same thing about visiting other homes to Boris and to Nicola

There is much media talk of how little substantively different action there has been by the Scottish Government. That is to miss how the harder, longer, lock-down here, allied with clearer messaging and consequent solidarity got the infection rate down to below ten for several weeks and the death rate to almost zero, thus providing the low base and enabling a more confident approach to the current surge. Crucially, once more, the Scottish Government plans to keep the pressure on the virus, unlike those same London SAGE experts who got it wrong last time and may now get it wrong … Continue reading The courage to steer an independent course

How can we make sure as many people as possible self-isolate when they need to? From the PM in England today: Mr Speaker, these rules measures will only work if people comply. There is nothing more frustrating for the vast majority, the law-abiding majority that do comply than the sight of a few brazenly defying the rules. So these rules will be enforced by tighter penalties. We have already introduced a fine of up to £10,000 for those who fail to self-isolate and such fines will now be applied to businesses breaking Covid rules. The penalty for failing to wear … Continue reading Drifting Worlds Apart: How England and Scotland will promote self-isolation for the common good

99.7% success rate for those SNP contact tracers? Nooo!! Baillie’s pursuit of the Health Secretary, on the latter’s promise of 2 000 contact tracers, stumbles along blinkered by the lack of facts. Neither she nor the Herald care to ask, do we need the 2 000 now that we can see how things are going? How are things going? Well, on the19th August, we heard how they did on the Aberdeen outbreak: Of the people identified as requiring contact tracing only three individuals out of 925 could not be contacted. In other words, teams traced 99.7% of those positive cases … Continue reading Scotland’s contact tracers disappoint Jackie Baillie by being too good

It’s only a sub-poll, from Ipsos MORI, based on 18+ only, for 11th to 18th September, but to my knowledge the first time the SNP has hit 60% in any poll. Support for the others was Con: 18% Lab: 12% LD: 4% Green: 3% Click to access ipsos_mori_september_political_monitor_tables_public.pdf Continue reading SNP hits 60% support in latest poll

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve rebutted the blatant lies from Ian Murray, Alister Kerr, both Brians and many others, including even well-disposed English journalists but the beast will not die, judging by Neil Mackay today. So, to arm you, here is a short summary of facts with the links to the proof: As of today, over the six months of the pandemic, the infection level in England has been 35% higher [5 849 per 1m in England compared to 4 315 per 1m in Scotland] and the death level has been 45% higher [658 per 1m compared … Continue reading FACTCHECK: Despite it all Scotland DID do better with this pandemic

Look, over the six months of the pandemic, the infection level has been 35% higher [5 849 per 1m in England compared to 4 315 per 1m in Scotland] and the death level has been 45% higher [658 per 1m compared to 458 per 1m]. And, even this difference might have been greater had Scotland been independent or had the power to lock-down before end March, by which time the SAGE advisors’ herd immunity ‘strategy’ and reassurances about care homes and Johnson’s glad-handing, had opened the nation’s doors to the pandemic. But, still, today, Neil Mackay can write: Why does … Continue reading ‘Longtime independence supporter’ repeats clear lie that Scotland has not done better

Writing earlier, I noted the Reporting Scotland presenter seeming to locate plans to redevelop the Clyde within the UK Government’s ‘levelling-up chat.’ Looking at this fuller account by Douglas Fraser, it seems likely he played a big part in the smokescreen designed to minimise the role of the SNP Government working with the SNP Council in Glasgow. Fraser opens with: Mission Clyde is an ambitious new project to harness government appetite for big infrastructure spending, drawing together existing and possible elements of redeveloped land, green transport and renewable energy. Several local councils and central government are working up plans intended … Continue reading Hiding the SNP Government’s role on the Clyde

SNP Members for Independence Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3595178527169350  SNP members for Indy Facebook group has been set up with the explicit purpose of changing the party’s policy on the preferred route to independence.  Why is this necessary ?  The answer has at least 3 parts.   1. Westminster Refusal of S30 request: It is evident to a growing percentage of active members that the preferred Section 30 process has a success probability of close to zero. Either the westminster government will continue to refuse a section 30 request, or in the highly unlikely scenario where they do accept a request, will use the … Continue reading SNP Members for Independence

Alerted by stewartb, I had a look at last night’s Reporting Scotland. In the introduction to a report by Douglas Fraser, on bringing life back into communities damaged by the pandemic, the presenter seems to be suggesting that what follows is somehow part of the UK Government’s ‘levelling-up’ ambitions. What follows then is an account of projects planned and funded by the SNP Scottish Government, by the SNP-run (not mentioned of course) Glasgow City Council and by the universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde. Of course, they can insist that they did not actually say the UK Government was responsible for … Continue reading Not levelling with their viewers