From BBC UK today: Questions asked over Channel Islands ferry service. Deputies in Guernsey have asked the island’s States to hold a briefing on what is that latest situation is for a passenger and freight ferry service.Condor Ferries announced it had been working with stakeholders to overcome a “temporary but challenging time”. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c19yejpw41lo BBC UK is, of course soft-soaping the situation in a way that BBC Scotland would not. Here’s what Guernsey Press had to say 8 years ago! Ferry fiasco may scupper islands’ good reputation. It was hailed as a craft that would signal a brave new world in … Continue reading Update – BBC add Channel Islands ferries to list of 6 services much much more troubled than CalMac

From the Global Government Forum in March 2023: One in six UK civil servants have witnessed unacceptable behaviour by ministers in the last 12 months, according to a survey by the FDA union. The FDA, which represents senior civil servants, has called for an investigation into the way the civil service deals with complaints of bullying and harassment against ministers, with 70% of survey respondents saying they had no confidence in the process. But from a Freedom of Information request to the Scottish Government in 2023: Number of formal complaints made by civil servants about a current or former Minister’s … Continue reading The Child Gods of Westminster are not worshipped here as civil servants make only one complaint against Scottish ministers

Ignored by all of Scotland’s media other than to speculate on a rumoured tax rise for those earning more than £75 000pa, the Scottish Government’s budget plans to cope with a 9.8% funding cut while trying to protect key public services is getting little or no attention. Here are some key points: “In the face of a deeply challenging financial situation, this Budget will reaffirm our social contract with the people of Scotland. “The Autumn Statement was devastating for Scottish finances. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has acknowledged that it will lead to planned real terms cuts in public service … Continue reading Not being reported – Scottish Government promises to focus budget on protecting people and public services

In the Guardian today: In the executive summary of the Sunak plan was an ambition to ensure at least 76% of patients are admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours by March 2024. Official data, though, shows the current rate is 69.5%, a fall since last January, and way off target.  https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/dec/16/sunak-missed-targets-leave-nhs-facing-catastrophic-winter-crisis Not for the first time, English commentators use the wrong data and in so doing hide the awful, third-world state, of A&E across England. Here are the data for all three types of A&E: The Guardian writers have used, almost, the figure for ‘all’ emergency departments including the … Continue reading Guardian health experts fail to understand just how bad A&E figures are

As Richard Murphy put it: ‘Never in the field of Labour history has a man so stupid sought to offend so many, so often, and still think he has a right to high office.’ On LBC today, the Shadowy Health Secretary, Wes Streeting MP (Labour) has made clear Labour’s lack of loyalty and gratitude for the efforts of nurses, doctors and all other health professionals. Last week, he claimed they were ‘wasteful’ and using winter crises as an excuse for cash. In November 2023, he made clear that he wanted the NHS to be ‘wide open to the private sector.‘ In … Continue reading Does the new Labour helicoptered-in candidate for Central Ayrshire support the idea that the NHS is ‘complacent’, ‘wasteful’ and should be more privatised?

Contrary to the blabber from Ian Murray MP, Shadowy Secretary of State for Scotland and others before him, NRS statistics reveal UK citizens are settling in Scotland in greater numbers than those leaving. First, since the SNP came to power, the number leaving has fallen and the number arriving from elsewhere in the UK has surpassed that. Second, since the first introduction of more progressive taxation in 2017/2018, the trends are unchanged. Facts. Not something our media care for. Source: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//statistics/population-estimates/mid-21/mid-year-pop-est-21-report.pdf Continue reading More people move from rest of UK to Scotland than leave after SNP begin to govern and the introduction of progressive taxation has no effect

On a regular basis, Scotland’s media will scrabble around to find ways in which we should remember were are just like the rest of the UK. For example, where’s a surge in homelessness in another part of the UK, they’ll rush out to find one Scottish case and his mum to cry for the cameras. Within the limits of the devolution funding arrangements, the SNP in government has done what it can to reduce inequality with more progressive taxation, the child payment and a range of other benefits to help disadvantaged groups. On 11 December 2023, the Institute for Fiscal … Continue reading Funding the education of the disadvantaged – another way Scotland IS different

There are 214 police stations in Scotland. Police Scotland plans to close 29 or 13.5% as their way of operating changes and, mentioned by no one, crime plummets by 50% in the last 16 years of SNP Government. A typical closure is the above Ryehill in Dundee, where a contact tells us ‘Officers who work from there are never in the office except to eat. No civilian staff worked there to answer the door.’ Our frankly dysfunctional media do not mention the total, the percentage reduction nor the fall in crime. For details of the latter, see: Continue reading Crime falls 50% but only 13% of police stations to close

Only 2% in a poll of 414 people believe that Kate Andrews is a journalist as opposed, say, to an activist and propagandist for corporate interests. For more detail, see: Everyone’s favourite right-wing libertarian dickhead Kate Andrews was once again on BBC Question Time (BBCQT). As always, the alleged economist-turned-alleged journalist was discussing the NHS. Of course, as is usually the case with Andrews, her passive-aggressive demeanour and weasel words masked her actual agenda – but only just. https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2023/07/07/kate-andrews-bbcqt-appearance-was-manipulative-nhs-mind-games-dressed-up-as-softly-spoken-concern/ Continue reading Shock as 2% think Kate Andrews is a journalist

A survey has found that only 2.2% of 414 respondents in a poll asking if Fiona Bruce, chair of the troubled BBC Question Time show was fair and balanced , agree with the notion. Others have commented: Continue reading 98% think Fiona Bruce is not fair and balanced