Violent crime in Scotland falls from 92 266 cases when the SNP came to power in 2007, to 71 000 in 2022/2023. https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2022-23/pages/5/ In England & Wales, it climbs 20% from 2020, to 2.1 million cases. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2023#violence All things being equal, the level in England & Wales might be expected to be around 920 000 but was thus at 2.1 million, more than twice as high. From STV today: Over 71,000 incidents of violent crime have occurred in the past year – the highest figure recorded in Scotland in the last ten years. According to official statistics, the year ending … Continue reading STV platforms Tories to misrepresent violent crime in Scotland as it falls to less than half the level in England & Wales

Regulars here will have seen many many reports revealing how uniquely BBC Scotland politicises health issues such as deaths in hospital or delays in building hospital by linking these to the SNP Government rather the board actually responsible and platforms opposition politicians to attack the Government. In sharp contrast, BBC Wales and BBC England rarely if ever do so. If you need a reminder of this, see: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2021/08/11/nothing-proves-bbc-scotlands-bias-more-clearly-than-bbc-wales/ and https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2020/08/19/horrific-failures-in-essex-hospital-lead-to-no-calls-for-hancocks-head/ Yesterday, from BBC Northern Ireland: Fresh evidence has cast doubt on the findings of an inquest into the death of a former patient of discredited neurologist Michael Watt. Stephen Sparkes … Continue reading BBC Bias in its clearest form – BBC Northern Ireland too do not politicise health

emergency across Scotland. Labour says it will table the motion at Holyrood amid concern about the number of people in temporary accommodation or sleeping rough. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/bbcone The Reporting Scotland team, once again, operating as the Labour Party press office to suggest an SNP-crisis by ignoring the facts. 1 Core Homelessness lowest in Scotland ‘Core homelessness’ – a concept which captures the most severe and immediate forms of homelessness – is estimated to have stood at 14,250 households on a given night in Scotland in 2019, having been relatively stable over the preceding seven years. Rates of core homelessness are substantially lower in Scotland (0.57% of households) than in England (0.94%) and … Continue reading Homelessness and rough sleeping far more common in Labour Wales and Conned England but BBC Scotland platform Labour

From SEPA today: In 2024 98% of Scotland’s bathing waters will again meet, or exceed, the Sufficient classification – with 84% achieving the higher standards of Excellent or Good. A full list of results is at the foot of this email. This long-term positive trend for Scottish bathing water quality has been demonstrated in sampling and analysis carried out by Scotland’s environment regulator over the summer.  The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) work with regulated operators and stakeholders across the country and have driven millions of pounds of investment to bring about changes needed to make our bathing waters a … Continue reading 98% of Scotland’s bathing waters safe to swim in

From BBC Devon but ignored by BBC Scotland in may 2023: A nuclear submarine has left Devonport dockyard after a seven and a half year refit. The 492ft (150m)-long HMS Vanguard arrived for maintenance in December 2015 for a three and a half year refit and an unscheduled refuelling with a new nuclear core. Luke Pollard, Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP and shadow armed forces minister, said: “It is good to see HMS Vanguard finally at sea again and I want to thank all the skilled workers at Devonport for their efforts. “What we do in Plymouth is unique and world-class, … Continue reading Clyde-based submarine repairs in Devon take 9 times as long and cost 200 times more than for the ferry Scotland’s media hoped would never sail again

Thanks to Dorothy for alerting me to this. In the Guardian yesterday: A day-old girl died after “systemic” failings at a troubled maternity unit and would probably have survived had her mother been moved 12 miles to a specialist centre, a coroner has concluded. There was a series of mistakes in the care of Nelly Webb and missed opportunities to save her after her premature birth at the Royal Glamorgan hospital in south Wales, an inquest in Pontypridd heard. Nelly was born with respiratory distress syndrome and weighed 1.13kg (2lb 8oz), but a south Wales assistant coroner, Sarah-Jane Richards, said she … Continue reading Hospital actually proven to have caused baby death but Welsh Government not mentioned and opposition leader fails to groom the mother

…number of care homes. That’s the warning from the head of the Parklands Group which runs 11 facilities here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/bbcone Headlining on BBC Scotland today another story to fuel the opposition attacks on the Scottish Government plans for care. We then heard from the Head of the Parklands Group that closures were due to rising costs making businesses unsustainable. As always, apparently no research done by the many little researchers working at Pacific Quay. Fact 1: Around 200 care homes have closed in Scotland since 2012 and the number of available spaces has contracted by an estimated 2,000. So, on … Continue reading Care homes are closing because there is less demand or because the profits don’t satisfy greedy owners

Operating in more southerly, temperate, calmer waters and in the affluent Seattle area, Washington State Ferries have only 14 of their 21 ferries in service and performance is so bad the State Government is warning: ‘customers to consider early-morning or late-night sailings, or getting to the ferry by walking, biking or using transit.’ Today, they have announced: “Ferry travelers should also prepare for possible last-minute schedule changes,” the WSDOT wrote in its press release. “Sailings may be delayed or canceled with short notice due to WSF’s current lack of relief crewing or an unexpected mechanical issue within the system’s aging … Continue reading Angry Canadian islanders in awe at Scotland’s 99% ferry service as Government just blames company for aging fleet

In the Herald today, the above letter ends with the breakdown of the Corran ferry, owned and run by Highland Council being blamed on CalMac. How could that happen? Well, in Corran ferry: The five-minute crossing that opens up the world on 18 May 2023, BBC Scotland, only in 12th of 13 paragraphs, tell readers: Mary Ann accuses Highland Council of lacking emergency planning and says businesses, including those involved in tourism, are suffering because of the longer journey times and reputational damage to the area. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-65632882 Wait, say any of the readers getting to the end: ‘What’s this got … Continue reading Thanks to BBC reporting, an islander blames CalMac for a failed local council ferry