To: Ms Pamela Nash, Chief Executive, Scotland in Union info@scotlandinunion.co.uk cc: Ms Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister Nicola.Sturgeon.msp@parliament.scot Transparency and accuracy in political campaigning Dear Ms Nash I write to you as the leader of Scotland’s largest pro-UK campaign group, to seek your help in promoting better political communication, providing members of the electorate with the transparency and accuracy they deserve and thus helping them to make informed decisions. I feel sure that as a former MP and as a democrat, you will agree with me, on the great importance of protecting these central principles of our democratic system. I note … Continue reading Letter to the Chief Executive of Scotland in Union

Two days before his appearance today fibbing frothily with Kaye Adams, Allan Sutherland was in the Herald with an astonishing, inaccurate and apparently deranged rant, of the kind you might expect in a pub but not even in a tabloid’s letters page. Read it [ above]. It’s frankly amazing. No self-respecting editor would publish such a thing. But, then, right alongside is a letter from another member of the group, David Bone, with what looks like co-ordinated comments on jacuzzigate. Surely the editors at BBC Scotland and the press have the list of members of this group. If they do … Continue reading Two Scotland in Union secret writing group members appear together in Herald letters page

Members of Scotland in Union‘s 30-strong, undercover letter-writing group [Geheimnis Schreiben Gruppe or GSG] which ‘must not be advertised’ [above] are popping up regularly in the Scottish media, unchecked and unchallenged, to spread fake news. Recently we’ve had Phil Tate, Ian Murray’s election agent, posing as an honest citizen in the Herald and, again in the Herald yesterday, another member, listed as plain ‘Gill Stephenson of Edinburgh‘, the member and retired Professor and expert on Nazi Germany, misrepresenting the nationwide base for taxation revenue then returned to the devolved areas as furlough funds. Legal or not, this is anti-democratic. Now, today on Mornings with Kaye … Continue reading Another Scotland in Union secret propaganda group member appears on Kaye Adams to claim death level same in Scotland as in England!

From Robina Qureshi Last Thursday, our staff and volunteers were working on the ground, organising food, PPE and mobile phones for the asylum seekers who were moved after the Park Inn Tragedy on June 26 to the Hallmark Hotel in Glasgow. This happened barely six weeks following the death of a suicidal Syrian refugee, Adnan Elbi, on May 5 in the Mclays Hotel. All were placed in hotels by the Mears Group, an outsourcing company working in Housing management & social care, employing 10,000 people. (In relation to the growing scandal in Glasgow, six Scottish MPs refused to meet with … Continue reading ‘There is a humanitarian crisis in Glasgow’

The deep sadness in the above headline does not inform us in any meaningful way. It tell us nothing useful about the word in which we must live and cope daily. To share the deepest thoughts of a human being in a moment of the most awful trauma is tasteless, exploitative and deeply cynical. No school of journalism would approve of such writing. While this might be expected in the trash press, the Herald was once a more respectable thing. We often think of titillation in terms of sexual behaviour but it applies more generally to the excitement of the … Continue reading The Herald titillates us with violence

On the 8th of June, the 7 day average for the number of new cases was 31.6 and for deaths it was 7.4. Yesterday, only one month later, the 7 day average for the number of new cases was 7.1 and for deaths was 0.6. In the last three days, the average number of new cases has fallen again to only 4 suggesting that, all going well, zero is possible soon. This is a stunning achievement, newsworthy you’d think, and credit in large part to the First Minister, the Health Secretary and their team, in keeping the message clear and … Continue reading Scotland’s massive achievement ignored as cases and deaths fall toward zero in one month

From Panelbase for the Sunday Times on 3rd July 2020: 32% of those living in Scotland but born in England would vote Yes compared to 56% of those born in Scotland. 35% of those living in Scotland but born in England would vote SNP compared to 58% of those born in Scotland. 25% would vote Conservative compared to 19% of those born in Scotland. These are significant differences but smaller than I would have guessed given the evidence that this group played a big part in the No vote in 2014: Click to access 2014_referendum_2014_%E2%80%93_how_rural_scotland_voted.pdf 23% of those living in … Continue reading Many English-born Scots moving to Yes, to SNP, and dumping the Tories

In the Herald yesterday we soon see that the headline really only applies to that one much-loved minority group, estate agents and to those who can : Estate Agents in Scotland have expressed their disappointment after the Scottish Government confirmed it has no plans cut duty on purchasing a home. Reports suggest stamp duty rates in England are to be temporarily revised in the Autumn budget in order to help the property market recover from the current crisis. BBC Business tell us: The chancellor has announced a temporary holiday on stamp duty on the first £500,000 of all property sales in England … Continue reading Widespread approval as Scottish Government sticks to progressive taxation policies

Michael Russell, Scotland’s cabinet secretary for constitutional affairs spoke to the Financial Times where he revealed that the SNP government are willing to battle Westminster in the courts to keep control of their food and agriculture market. As far as I can see, only Edinburgh Live is covering this despite its huge significance for the lived experience of millions of Scots. BBC Scotland today: More from the Edinburgh Live report: Westminster plans to seize the “UU internal market” and create new post- Brexit powers that would see them enforce the food standards in both Scotland and Wales, reports the Financial Times. … Continue reading SNP to battle Westminster in courts over food standards to protect Scottish consumers but media not interested

Kieren Andrews of the Times thinks he has something on Scotland and that SNP Government but he hasn’t. He writes today: Scotland is the only part of Britain that has failed to ban combustible materials from high-risk buildings after the Grenfell Tower fire. Safety experts and insurers have urged the Scottish government to follow England and Wales and close a loophole that enables hazardous materials to be used in the construction of tower blocks and domestic properties. SNP ministers have also been criticised for failing to replicate a fund set up by Westminster to remove potentially dangerous cladding and insulation from … Continue reading Higher Scottish standards and fire safety audits twice as often as in England make a new Grenfell here very unlikely