Cases are increasing but thanks to the efforts over the summer to get down to single figures, the level of infections is still below that of other parts of the UK. Around 30% higher elsewhere in the UK. Looking over the six months of the pandemic, the infection level has been 35% higher and the death level has been 45% higher. Much has been achieved. We have an effective test and tracing system. We are well-placed to survive this. Taking no pleasure in it but using it to judge our own situation we can see how the chaos and neglect … Continue reading Careful yet calm

In his piece today on the Glasgow council ‘research’, David Leask talks of Glasgow Square seeing: ‘stand-offs between rival hooligans taking sides on Black Lives Matters.’ Does he mean the openly racist, ‘loyalists’, who ran through the square attacking people and the entirely peaceful BLM protesters? I don’t suppose he agrees with SNP MP Chris Stephens who said in the Commons: Let me be quite clear that I condemn the racism of the far right and I celebrate those who wish to protest about the unfair conditions which asylum seekers are faced with in Glasgow. I have no doubt further … Continue reading Herald writer calls peaceful BLM protestors ‘hooligans’

For some reason, the research carried out by Ipsos-MORI, to establish what the folk of Glasgow think about sectarian marches, did not ask enough of them the obvious question but rather tried ‘to get behind public reasoning rather than take a head count of who thinks what.’ What is this, an undergraduate Sociology project? Is this what the citizens thought they were getting? Given the many reports of violence and disruption, didn’t they think they were going to get a say in whether or not to ban them? Why is David Leask apparently content with this approach? Continue reading Sectarian marches research does not add up

Tom Gordon writes excitedly today: JOHN Swinney is being urged to make an urgent statement to parliament after reports school exams may be axed back for a second year because of coronavirus. Ooooh! Urged to make an urgent statement? Urgently? Where is this urgency coming from? Thousands of parents and pupils writing or even standing outside Holyrood? No? Is it from all the opposition parties? No? Oh, that woman with the facebook page who doesn’t believe in face masks for weans? No? WELL, WHO IS IT THEN! It’s ‘Jamie Greens.‘ Who? The Conservative shadowy education minister. Oh, Jamie Greene. Just him? … Continue reading Urged to make an urgent statement, urgently, but only by Jamie Greene

In News BHT today, Scottish architect Peter Drummond is reported condemning the UK authorities’ plans for an internal market which would weaken the construction rules which had prevented any Grenfell tragedy here. The full report, link below, is worth reading but these stood out for me: Scottish rules banning flammable cladding which remained in use in England could be in opposition to the regulation Architects could be unable to stipulate Scottish supplies to cut back a constructing’s carbon footprint as that could be construed as discriminating in opposition to different elements of the UK Loss of a Scottish compliance regime … Continue reading THE UK’s ‘infernal’ market would expose Scotland to a ‘Grenfell’ risk

The situation in Scotland, new cases high but plateauing before, hopefully beginning to fall as contact tracing gets a grip of them. Some deaths in intervening days but no sharp increase. In England, new cases growing and deaths more than tripling. In Northern Ireland new cases doubling in one week. In Wales, new cases growing. Continue reading Not the same

From Brenda Steele: With so much going on with Covid19 in the UK, I have not been as diligent as I once was in checking out a wider range of sites.  Briefings –  be they ScotGov or WHO – do take up a lot of time. Today I tried to make up by visiting a bunch of the sites I have neglected. On the PoliticsHome website there was this:  We Can’t Unify Around Nothing’: What Next For Scottish Labour? Reeling from a bungled coup attempt which failed to remove its leader, the Scottish Labour party is now at an impasse. … Continue reading Scottish Labour can’t unify round nothing!

That headline does not capture the thrust of what Jeanne Freeman said. Well before agreeing that everything was on the table, the Health Secretary made it very clear that copying Boris Johnson’s frankly stupid macho intervention to disillusion the vast majority who are conforming and those who wish to conform but have legitimate barriers to doing so,was not on her mind and was very careful make it clear that Scotland would be coming at this differently: I think we need to look at this the other way round. In Scotland we have benefited hugely from the Scottish public complying with … Continue reading Jeanne Freeman working as if we are living in the early days of a better nation

‘Now what’s been outlined HERE IN England‘ says David Wallace Lockhart in Glasgow, after Gordon Brewer launches Politics ‘Scotland‘ with ‘one of the most important things, these fines being introduced in England.’ There’s worse to come no doubt and all from a London perspective. Continue reading O wad some Power the giftie gie us, to see oursels NO as ithers see us just the wan time?

Bolton’s spike with 168 cases per 100 000 is being linked to one holidaymaker who did not isolate and who then went on a pub crawl with mates. Though anecdotal this is not implausible given the known highly contagious nature of Covid-19. A similar incident was reported in Ayrshire in late August where one woman did not self-isolate and then attended several house parties in more than one town: https://www.ayradvertiser.com/news/18687868.ayrshire-super-spreader-went-house-parties-coronavirus/ The difference between the two incidents seems likely to be the ability of local contact tracing teams to shut down the infection. Again at the end of August, the Scottish … Continue reading Scotland’s effective contact tracing will close this spike down