It’s not easy to find out how much pollsters charge but from a US Strategic Communications Executive, $25 -$30 per respondent is suggested. This Quora response is not dated so the estimate may be higher today.* Anyhow, BBC commissioned Savanta to carry out a poll of 2 043, making the cost around £50 000. You may remember Savanta is the pollster unable in their last 17 polls to ever find a lead for Yes. The BBC report today opens with: There are 625,000 people on a hospital waiting list in Scotland. That figure is the highest on record and equivalent … Continue reading BBC Scotland spends more than £50 000* taxpayer money to find but not tell you NHS England’s waiting lists are 14% longer than NHS Scotland

Crime: In the year ending June 2022, the police in Scotland recorded 285,974 crimes. This was 5% lower than the 300,747 crimes recorded in the year ending June 2021, and 5% lower than the 301,376 crimes recorded in the year ending June 2018.https://www.gov.scot/news/recorded-crime-in-scotland-year-ending-june-2022/#:~:text=In%20the%20year%20ending%20June,the%20year%20ending%20June%202018. In England & Wales in the year ending March 2022 overall crime returned to and exceeded pre-coronavirus pandemic levels. The 6.3 million crimes recorded was 4% higher compared with the year ending March 2020. https://www.gov.scot/news/crime-almost-halved-over-the-decade/ All things being equal, with roughly 11 times the population, England and Wales might have been expected to record around 3 million crimes … Continue reading No ‘panic’ with half the crime and half as many more officers

In the Herald today, in the long-running ‘Hell hat no Ferries’ series, we see: NEW fears have surfaced over whether two vessels at the centre of Scotland’s ferry fiasco will ever set sail as it emerged an agreement over the publicly funded budget for the nationalised shipyard firm at the centre of the row has stalled for months. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/23363699.fears-new-ferries-may-never-sail-ferguson-marine-budget-stalls/ On 11 December 2022, under an image of the MV Glen Sannox, Martin Williams had: Workforce fears Scots fiasco ferries won’t ever sail In July 2022, The Glen Sannox had sailed Final delivery will be in May 2023. Back to today, … Continue reading Ferry Fears 200?

From BBC UK today: Matt Hancock suggested to an aide that they “frighten the pants off everyone”, messages published by the Sunday Telegraph show. It appears the former health secretary discussed when to reveal the existence of the Kent variant of Covid, to ensure people comply with lockdown rules. In another exchange, the head of the Civil Service, Simon Case, suggested the “fear/guilt factor” was vital to the government’s messaging. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64848106 Why has that message become necessary? Because the Conservative UK Government had delayed measures and, particularly in the comments by PM Johnson, had been inconsistent in that messaging. Scaring … Continue reading Fighting a pandemic with trust or fear?

For some time now, I’ve noticed Edinburgh Prof Sridhar’s absence from UK MSM where she often angered the Scottish Tories by telling the truth. There’s no mention of Scotland in the above Guardian piece despite the evidence being all about England. She used to be more specific and prepared to praise NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government. In July 2020 we saw this: Even as recently as 2022, we saw this: Why are there now no comparisons when Scotland did markedly better. For example, from stewartb: Of all the UK nations, England and Northern Ireland experienced the highest Covid-19 mortality … Continue reading Have Tory bullies scared Prof Sridhar away from praising Scotland’s pandemic efforts?

In the wake of the above only a few days ago and as the Guardian today reveals serious security breaches at Sellafield, only a few miles south of the border (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/05/ministers-pressed-by-labour-over-cyber-attack-at-sellafield-by-foreign-groups), I’m reminded of these: On 4 March, the Herald had: The police force that guards the UK’s nuclear plants reported 37 security breaches last year, including the thefts of a uniform, confidential documents, an officer’s day book and three “classified” Microsoft tablets. 19 cases where staff lost their warrant or ID cards. The 37 incidents reported last year was the highest number for 8 years. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/23362809.civil-nuclear-constabulary-reports-37-security-breaches-one-year/?ref=ebbn Theft of a … Continue reading Keeping Scotland free of risk of nuclear incidents

Watch this space. There’s a foul smell emerging from this hole in the absence of its cover and it’s going to attract lots of press rats over the next few weeks, as the matter of whether or not the Stone of Destiny gets returned to London, for the coronation of Barmy Prince Charlie takes off. Many of you will be aware of the many stories about the stone. Please inform us below. The most fun is that, on hearing that Edward 1st of England was on his way to Scone, in 1296, to claim it, the local monks hid it … Continue reading Let Charles III sit on a cesspit cover if he likes?

According to the Herald in February 2023: Ferguson Marine: Ferry fiasco firm costs taxpayer nearly £500m..so far Try searching for ‘BBC Scotland ferries‘ and you’ll get far more to read than anyone’s sanity would permit. The total cost of the planned ferry-building is currently estimated by the Scottish Government at £1.4 billion for six major vessels and harbour repairs. Yesterday, thanks AR for the tip, BBC Business reports: Delays to HS2 [already 5 years behind] are being considered among other options to curb rising costs, the project’s boss has admitted. The planned high speed railway which will link London, the … Continue reading FIVE years late England-only HS2 may cost as much as 42 major ferries for Calmac!

Today, in only just over 600 words, BBC Scotland’s report on the EIS recommending acceptance of the Scottish Government offer, space is found for this: But it would be wrong to presume the result in advance. The offer is still below inflation. The question is whether the new pay offer is the best which can realistically be achieved. The outcome of the EIS consultation should be known next Friday. But few in the union will be celebrating. Instead some senior figures are saddened that it took industrial action on this scale to achieve this pay offer. and this: Scottish Labour’s … Continue reading Only BBC Scotland politicises a teacher strike settlement on behalf of the opposition