By Brenda Steele: I have to admit that I was frustrated by the UK Government’s vague plans for quarantine  “soon”. I was even more confused when they announced that it wouldn’t apply to France.  I couldn’t figure out why.   From this article I learned that the UK Government had changed its mind about the French exemption. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200518/who-will-be-quarantined-on-arrival-into-france/amp The situation on travel between France and the UK is a confusing one after mixed government messages. A week ago, the UK announced that it would “soon” begin quarantining people arriving into the country, however this announcement was shortly followed by a joint … Continue reading The French Connection

The First Minister had to explain this over-and-over yesterday to a gaggle of bairns posing as journalists and now the Herald thinks we’re interested in more, well two, questions from those deeply unconvincing ‘determined wimps’, Jackson Carlaw and Ian Murray, leaders of the Labour and Conservative Coalition (LACC). There were only a handful of Scots at the Nike conference. If there had been an announcement, they would have been exposed to maltreatment by any number of balloons over-reacting to the news and turning up at their homes with torches and pitchforks, A professional group advised the Scottish Government not to … Continue reading Right that’s it! I’ve had enough! We’ve all got better things to to do than bursting those two balloons, Carlaw and Murray

By Brenda Steele: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-52698392  Coronavirus: Contact tracing technology trialled at three health boards Coronavirus: Test and trace ‘fully ready’ by the end of May A contact tracing system to suppress coronavirus is to be trialled in three health boards from Monday, the Scottish government has said. The software will be tested in NHS Fife, NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Highland. Earlier this month, the government said testing and tracing would be “key” to the battle against the virus. We do know from previous news items that ScotGov has been recruiting from charity and small organisations in the local areas – ones … Continue reading Want to bet which government will have a testing system up and running first?

Here’s Mackay’s opener and, critically the reference to Freedom of Information: HOLYROOD politicians need to remember one thing: we’re their boss, the Scottish people. We pay their wages, we own the buildings they work in and the seats they sit on and the telephones they use. They are accountable to us in every single thing they do in public office – every penny spent, every policy proposed, every meeting held. Our governing class seems to have forgotten that. In April, the SNP used the passage of emergency coronavirus legislation to seriously undermine transparency, public scrutiny of government, and Freedom of information (FoI). … Continue reading Why Freedom of Information delays are no bad thing at this time in this place

In the Herald, once more, Brexiteer and campaigner against the OBFA, Dr Stuart Waiton of Abertay University: I made a public statement last week in these pages suggesting the Stay at Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives slogan had inadvertently led to more deaths of elderly and vulnerable people. For daring to question the mantra I was denounced by Dundee City Council leader John Alexander who explained that, “clarity of message is absolutely essential during such a crisis”. What Mr Alexander really means by this is that a simplistic message is needed for a Scottish populous who he and many … Continue reading The Herald’s Libertarian Brexiteer Academic is wrong again

Reading this in the Herald, a longtime favourite in North Korea, Kim Jong-un had no reason to doubt it: Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson is “likely” to be Scotland‘s next first minister, her deputy has said. Jackson Carlaw insisted it was “perfectly possible, if not in fact now likely” that she would lead the next Scottish Government. Seeing an opportunity for fraternal relations with Scotland’s leadership, perhaps even intermarriage, un proceeded to undermine the No camp. Continue reading SHOCK: North Korean leader supported Scottish independence because he thought Ruth Davidson WAS First Minister

From Martin Williams in the Herald today: SCOTLAND will emerge from the coronavirus lockdown unhealthier, with four out of five people reporting an increase in harmful habits, including smoking, drinking and unhealthy eating, a new study has found. Only just over a third (35%) of Scots answering a new YouGov survey plan to shake off their new habits after lockdown. And in spite of a rise in online fitness classes and government encouragement to get outside to exercise, over one in four of Scots said they had actually exercised less than before lockdown began. I’ve requested breakdown data but with no luck so … Continue reading Coronavirus survival rate confirms Scotland no longer ‘Sick man of Europe’

According to a report in the Guardian yesterday: Temporary care workers transmitted Covid-19 between care homes as cases surged, according to an unpublished government study which used genome tracking to investigate outbreaks. And from BBC Scotland’s website only: The company at the centre of a care home coronavirus outbreak on Skye says a total of 207 residents have died in its Scottish facilities. HC-One said it had recorded 1,002 suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19 to date in its 56 homes. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-52706376 HC-One have already admitted that they bussed in staff from as far away as Kent their Scottish homes, … Continue reading Did corporate care home employers use untested agency staff to spread the epidemic throughout Scotland?

From stewartb: We’ve been told we’re ‘better together’ but this strongly indicates otherwise. The purpose of this is to aggregate and amplify findings from a series of recent House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) reports. It reveals not only the extent of Westminster government failings in the delivery of infrastructure projects but also the apparent inability of the House of Commons to hold this government to account and improve its performance following what are evidenced, repeated mistakes. (For context, the PAC presently has a majority of Tory MPs.) £1.35 billion lost through avoidable mistakes We learned recently from the … Continue reading Westminster government with ‘money to burn’ – why should Scotland care?

On the UK BBC News last night, Sarah Smith says: And the Scottish Government say that like all of the the UK nations they base their advice on expert advice that they are given and that it’s go nothing to do with politics but it has been obvious that Nicola Sturgeon has enjoyed the opportunity to set her own lock-down rules and not have to follow what’s been happening in England or other parts of the UK but the gamble is whether or not people will continue to support her taking a different path when they’re living under more stringent … Continue reading Sarah Smith stirring it up again, based on a sociopathic self-assessment projected onto Nicola Sturgeon