In the Observer today under the headline – Police ‘enabling dangerous officers’ with high rate of complaint failures in England and Wales: Campaigners are calling for the police to be stopped from “marking their own homework”, after the Observer found 40% of internal investigations by forces into serious complaints were overturned following independent reviews. At 14 police forces, 50% or more of their internal investigations were found “not reasonable and proportionate” after independent reviews. Cumbria constabulary were the worst performing force, with 87% of their reviewed internal investigations being found to be flawed by the IOPC. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/19/police-enabling-dangerous-officers-with-high-rate-of-complaint-failures-in-england-and-wales In Scotland 29.6% were overturned. … Continue reading ‘Dangerous officers’ – 14 English forces 72% more likely to overturn complaint from member of public than Police Scotland

From the P&J in March 2023: The £9 million cost to hire a ferry to relieve pressure on the CalMac network, has been criticised by Highland MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston. The MV Alfred will be leased on a nine-month contract from Pentland ferries for £1 million a month. It will help alleviate the pressure on the CalMac network with several vessels out of action due to delays to overhauls or technical faults. https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands-islands/5529187/expensive-fix-highland-msp-slams-9m-ferry-hire-for-beleaguered-calmac-network/ From Saltwire in Canada, today: Canada spending $38.6M on temporary replacement ferry between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia. MV Fanafjord will sail the crossing until a replacement for the … Continue reading CalMac struck a bargain for the taxpayer with the MV Alfred

In Scotland, there were no cases of measles reported in the first quarter of 2023. In 2022, there was one case of measles reported which was imported from outwith the UK and was the first case reported in Scotland since 2019. In Scotland, 93.9% of children had the first dose of MMR vaccine by 24 months of age. This rose to 95.9% for children who had reached age 5. In England this year every region has reported an infection which does coincide with a record low uptake of the MMR jab The vaccination rate is way below the WHO recommendation … Continue reading Scotland at risk of deadly cross-border measles outbreaks from English regions ‘on a par with Namibia’

The Herald in the last few hours: The Scottish Government said a direct award to state-owned CalMac is the preferred option for the next contract over the future of lifeline ferry services. Ministers are to carry out further investigations over whether to give CalMac the contract for the beleaguered west coast ferry services and effectively close the door to opening routes up to private operators. Who wrote that? Nope, we’re not giving names anymore. So, beleagured? 98.8% of more than 400 sailings on time yesterday, 97.2% the previous day and 95.4% on average. The most subsidised service in the world. 100% safe. … Continue reading ‘Beleagured ferries?’ More like A League ferries!

A man with three jobs, all of which he does part-time, argues that a man who used his work iPad to keep in touch with his constituency staff even while on holiday, as any good MSP would, gets thoroughly confused again by the notion. As Gaza burns, tower block residents are evacuated in Tory England and as English maternity units are revealed to be unsafe, the Scottish Tories think this is the big issue. Herman Goering look-a-like, Stephen Kerr MSP Con, is getting right into this too: This is Michael Matheson’s phone bill, revealed by a FOI. The two dates … Continue reading Matheson ‘stopped doing his job’ on holiday?

By stewartb Sometimes even the Labour Party is still able to ‘surprise’ when it comes to attitudes towards Scotland’s elected representatives. Sometimes behaviour is so egregious that it needs to be called out. If you had any doubts that the Bain Principle – enunciated in 2012 by Willie Bain (above), the former Labour MP for Glasgow North East which states that Labour will oppose whatever the SNP proposes no matter what the circumstances – is alive and well in Starmer’s Labour, this should dispel them. This instance is so noteworthy because of the particular circumstances, a vote in the House … Continue reading The Bain Principle holds EVEN in humanitarian crisis – the egregious case of the Labour shadow minister.

While Scotland’s media drool over possibility that Michael Matheson was watching something ‘naughty’ in his Netflix account, BBC UK have some heavy stuff, including the appalling news England’s maternity units. That’s a sackable offence for a Health Secretary surely? Only in Scotland? This news seems to be a reworking of a BBC Health report on 20 October, this year, which drew this response from me: Thanks once more to Dorothy for alerting me to this: Note the wee print under the photo – 85 dangerously substandard maternity units in NHS England. The ‘Scottish’ media are quiet. If they had something, they’d be all … Continue reading Scotland’s maternity care is safe and ‘equitable’

Above, THE NEWS, a seismic revolt in the ranks of UK Labour as 56 out of 198, 28%, vote with the SNP, supporting their amendment calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This tells us several things no doubt but, for me, it reminds that quite a few Labour MPs are far from fussy about the leadership strategy to protect Scottish Labour from further damage caused by the SNP outflanking them of the left with progressive policies on, especially, benefits and taxation. BBC Scotland too has a different agenda from its UK mothership, which in the above report, has no … Continue reading Protecting Scottish Labour from the SNP support at Westminster

Commenting on a letter from the Scottish Labour Party’s two MPs, Ian Murray and Michael Shanks, U-turning on the Scottish Labour Party’s support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Israel, SNP Westminster Deputy Leader Mhairi Black MP said: “The SNP will be standing up for our values and voting for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Israel. That is the only way to stop the deaths of innocent children, end the collective punishment of civilians and uphold international law. “It’s the position backed by the UN, the international community and the SNP government – and until today it was the position … Continue reading Civil War as Scottish Labour MPs defy Scottish Labour Leader