I don’t know about you but I’ve never imagined that Lisa Summers thought she was part of the same community which would be responsible for restarting the NHS. Surely it’s those SNP ministers who should have to do that for us? After the endless reports of single, supposed, errors, preferably with crying relatives, leaked to her by Anas Sarwar or Miles Briggs, I’ve clearly misjudged her. Before getting to the serious inadequacies of the report, I must enjoy myself with the grammar. Lisa writes: Then there is the lost 10 weeks. That gives me the chance to be the Grammar … Continue reading ‘There is [sic] the lost 10 weeks!’ BBC Scotland’s health correspondent worries how can ‘we’ restart the NHS

The Herald, today, report official figures indicating 1 431 patients were discharged out of hospitals into care homes. Scotland’s MSM and opposition parties are desperate to link the discharges, Scottish Government testing policy and the deaths together but the evidence is not there. We know that, until mid-April, some were admitted without having been tested. All would, of course, have been assessed by a doctor beforehand for suitability to be discharged. While some may have been infected but asymptomatic, we know that testing of this group is unreliable. Care homes were expected to isolate new arrivals so symptoms would have … Continue reading Of the 1 431 patients discharged to care homes did any cause the outbreaks there?

Test and Protect – NHS Scotland’s approach to controlling the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community – will be rolled out across all health boards from Thursday, May 28. From that date, everyone aged five and over who has COVID-19 symptoms of a new continuous cough, temperature or loss or change in sense of taste or smell should go to NHS Inform online or call 0800 028 2816 to book a test. https://www.gov.scot/news/test-and-protect-rolled-out-nationally/ Hear the silence? Why are there no MSM reports. Surely Sarah Smith can find one case to report? Some media theorists call this a spiral of … Continue reading Scotland’s test and trace system is 5 days old but news reporting has fallen into a spiral of silence familiar to those who study the Nazis

How many times have I had to list this real evidence that the Scottsih Government HAS a better ‘covid record?’ So, once more: The FT and Common Weal are just blinkered if they think these are just PR: Higher recovery rate Lower excess mortality rate Mortality among BAME groups is lower than in ‘white’ population Death rate in care homes is lower than in England Mortality among key workers is lower: Assessment centres protected GP surgeries Better staffing Cleaner hospitals Better Government leadership Evidence (Facts, you know?) below: Higher recovery rate: According to GlobalData Epidemiologist Bahram Hassanpourfard, the global recovery rate is … Continue reading Scotland’s Covid record is NOT flattered, FT and Common Weal! If you did some research you’d know better

This letter by ‘Letters’ in the Herald seems to base its argument on currency uncertainty affecting the ability to borrow and the collapsed oil prices but, if we had left the Union by, say 2016, we’d have had several years of quite high oil prices and be using the Euro. Far more important we’d only be watching with sadness the horrors that the Johnson regime is inflicting on the people of Rumpuk. Like the other small nations of Northern Europe, we’d have locked down weeks earlier and, crucially, we’d be controlling the flow of air travellers into Scotland. Probably, after … Continue reading The cost of Union did hit the Covid fight

Typically ignorant of the nature of taxation in the UK over centuries, the Scottish Tories try to tell us we should be grateful for Westminster’s generosity with this supposed handout. This tweet offers part of the response: Here’s another part: It is an accepted fact that every year for 30 years Scotland has generated more tax revenue per head for the UK treasury than the rest of the UK.  The latest figures taken from the Government Expenditure and Revenue Report Scotland (GERS) state that Scotland generated £800 more in tax per person than the UK average.  Scotland would have been … Continue reading It’s our money!

From stewartb: Today (1 June) the Daily Record tells its readers that the leader of the Labour Party in Scotland  is complimenting the SNP Scottish Government’s handling of the virus in Scotland. Yes, that is correct!  He is reported as saying: “On the whole, I think they’ve handled it well. I think they’re precautionary approach is one that we support.” I’m sure the Scottish Government is mightily relieved to have his positive endorsement! But in this are we seeing a split, a difference of opinion between Mr Leonard and that of Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray … Continue reading Grudging praise and the struggle for relevance – Richard Leonard MSP on coronavirus

‘So, if I do all the talking from now on, I feel sure I can be First Minister in a year’s time.‘ From YouGov for 29th – 30th May, with 142 adults (18+) Con 22 (20, 25, 26) Lab 13 (16, 15, 13) LD 2 (3, 4, 4) SNP 54 (54, 51, 44) Greens 5 (4, 2, 7) YouGov, 25-26 May, 18-19 and 5-6 May,is in brackets. On the basis of these, SNP support is strengthening, Carlaw has not been good for the Tories and the Lib Dems are in the gutter. Continue reading In last 4 sub-polls, Pro-Indy parties climbing to 59% and Lib Dems falling to 2%

By stewartb As certain care home owners continue to seek media profile for complaints against government, notably in Scotland but indeed elsewhere in the UK, it seems appropriate for the TuSC to continue to provide information on the nature of this commercial industry. Despite ‘complaint’, the care home market in the UK still seems to be attractive to private sector investors. When looking at the longer term fundamentals of market demand and supply, it is probably not surprising! According to specialist advisor One Touch Investment (OTI) : “the UK has an ageing population; care for the elderly already generates an … Continue reading Are Scotland’s private care homes cash cows?

Jeremy Vine in the Guardian today suggests he has no views. He’s making the classic mistake of thinking that if he thinks he has no views then he has no views. It’s possible for all of us to think we are impartial on some topic but then when our actual behaviour on the topic is analysed, patterns of bias appear. The Jeremy Vine TV show is a fine example. See these from last year: The choice of panellists, the questions asked, the favouring of panellists, the way they are asked, the extent to which shocking untruths are tackled or left, … Continue reading Jeremy Vine: Delusional or hypocritical?