Above, the Record tries to help us feel less contented and more anxious than we need to with a survey of overall crime in Scotland’s towns and cities. Glasgow and Dundee come out worst. Given that they only have data for all crime, the choice of the word ‘dangerous’ is at best misleading. Shoplifting and fraud tend not to make me too fearful. There are however, better data but they make Scotland look good, so are not too useful for ‘our’ media. In March 2023, the Complete University Guide published How safe is your city? Feeling safe and secure is … Continue reading Everywhere in the UK is more ‘dangerous’

From A path out of the gas crisis in September 2022 and missed by everybody: In the future, power generation will concentrate in the north of England and in Scotland, with the vast majority of onshore and offshore wind projects planned in Scotland. This provides a vast opportunity for employment and economic growth in regions that need it most. However, it also puts a lot of strain on the north-south power grid, requiring accelerated investments in the transmission network. The UK’s electricity demand concentrates in the south, with London and the South East regions alone responsible for almost 30% of … Continue reading Scotland set to make fortune exporting power!

BBC Scotland is reporting this today as: Green minister Lorna Slater criticised for using private ferry The report leads off with an extended set of 12 statements from the Tories and Labour before the locals in the form of a representative of the Community Trust getting a 4 statement edited word in and, only at the end of quite a long report, does the Scottish Government spokesperson explain why it was a sensible thing to do. The BBC Scotland section on the Community Trust statement is: Steve Robertson from the island’s community trust described the row as “a storm in … Continue reading Lorna Slater: BBC Scotland and Tories/Labour ally to unbalance essential local private ferry business

The BBC and other news outlets are making much of this headline: Wind is main source of UK electricity for first time None of the reports is offering any breakdown such as that above from the Scottish Government on April 26 which was, of course, not reported by MSM and thus missed by me. It’s been a while since the last 8% meme, so here’s a reminder (some needing updating I know): Return of the Meme! 8% of the population but 100% of the aluminium smelters 8% of the population but 62% of the fish landings: How will we survive? Scotland: 8% … Continue reading 8% of the population, 42% of the wind energy electricity production

In the Survation poll, Table 16 has the data for the claim above that a third of Scots were likely to agree with this statement: How likely or unlikely, would an increase to income tax in Scotland make you consider relocating elsewhere in the UK? Data table at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_on_Scottish_independence I cannot find Table 16 listed. Perhaps a reader can help? If we had access to the full data with a breakdown on voting, age, Yes/No position and household income, what might we find out about that third? None of them folk who would ever vote SNP/Green or Yes? Also, what … Continue reading Only Tories and Starmerites threatening to leave after higher taxes?

After a sequence of images of 2021’s ‘bin crisis’ and a smiling presenter suggesting the Scottish Government should intervene in a dispute between a union and a local authority employer, Hardie-named Mr Greenaway repeats the call, telling us: That’s a huge impact that can be avoided if the Scottish Government come to the table wiv money to make an acceptable offer Here’s the evidence from 2021: In the last hour, we heard: Bin strikes during the COP26 climate summit will go ahead after part of a £48m offer was rejected by one union. The walk out by cleansing and refuse staff … Continue reading GMB abusing its own members as cannon fodder for Labour again

From Reporting Scotland only, not on the BBC website, so a Labour feed: Almost three-quarters of nurses are facing staff shortages on their ward every day. That’s the suggestion from a survey by Unison of 1 100 nurses across Scotland. 94% said they experienced understaffing, 72% saying this happened daily. 22% described it as a weekly problem. This is another typical, self-selecting, trade union survey. Not properly sampled but based on just who can be bothered to respond or who is angry about something – a ‘squeaky wheel’ sample. Totally unreliable and of no meaningful value at all, as any … Continue reading Trade union survey only tells us that 98% of nurses are not reporting understaffing

This shoddy wee story is being headlined and linked to a Scottish Government funding scheme in a deliberately misleading way. Here is what the funding scheme offers: This funding scheme does not tell you which to choose nor which is suitable for your home. Far less, should you choose to cavity wall insulation, it does not tell you which form to use. There are several types including beads and granules, foam and mineral wool. See: https://www.insulationsuperstore.co.uk/help-and-advice/product-guides/insulation/cavity-wall-insulation-buyers-guide/#:~:text=cost%2Deffective%20solution.-,Foam,in%20to%20make%20it%20work. The Scottish Government scheme does not restrict your choice. You should speak to an engineer or an architect or a contractor who will advise … Continue reading The Scottish Government did not tell this man to have this particular cavity wall insulation or to buy his flat cheap in the first place!