From Public Health Scotland today: Scottish Ambulance Service naloxone incidents between September and November 2022 (832) were lower compared to the same time period in 2020 (1,032) and 2021 (1,176). The number of drug-related hospital admissions between July and September 2022 (2,024) were considerably lower compared to the same time period in 2020 (3,643) and 2021 (3,033). https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/rapid-action-drug-alerts-and-response-radar-quarterly-report/rapid-action-drug-alerts-and-response-radar-quarterly-report-january-2023/#section-2 While drug deaths recorded by PHS have only just begun to fall, Police Scotland’s records based on the death scenes began to record major reductions in early 2021: Offering serious optimism for the future, drug deaths among 15-24 year olds have plummeted … Continue reading Massive fall in critical drug-related incidents

Under carpet-bombing by the MSM on gender issues, SNP support has fallen to 42-44% in the last 9 Holyrood polls. The leadership candidates are not looking too strong. John Swinney for caretaker! We’ve been here and worse before and recovered from it as the media gaze turns away and as folk get used to the new normal. Look at the graph above. In the 2017-2019 period, with Sturgeon, support averaged around 42% and even dipped below 40% a few times, then climbed into the 50% range still with Sturgeon, as it had done before in 2015-2016 with Sturgeon. It’s not … Continue reading Stay calm, it’s just another dip in the road regardless of who the FM is

By iamsoccerdoc So Anas Sarwar is a hypocrite (or a coward)? And in another story, a postman was chased by a dog. I think we knew that already. Really the only thing to be learned was just how much of a hypocrite (or coward) he was (or is).There are two reasons that Sarwar did this is rather beside the point1. I’m assuming that this is a response to the criticism of Kate Forbes for missing the votes on the GRA which she has fessed up she couldn’t have supported (and thus might very well have had to resign in the … Continue reading How much of a hypocrite?

On adult social care – praise for Scottish Government but ‘bewildered by the lack of urgency’ in Westminster! It’s worth sharing findings from a Nuffield Trust article (16 February 2023) on severe challenges facing the adult social care sector and how these are being addressed – or not – by governments across the nations of the UK. See https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/addressing-social-care-workforce-challenges-what-can-england-learn-from-wales-scotland-and-northern-ireland We learn ’All four UK countries are struggling with workforce pressures and it’s clear that none have successfully tackled the issue. But it is striking that the Migration Advisory Committee has singled out England for its inaction, warning that “the conditions … Continue reading Top research body praises SNP social care plans

Sarwar’s voting record on equal gay rights: On 5 Mar 2014:Anas Sarwar was absent for a vote on Same Sex Marriage — Enabling Courts to Deal with Divorce or Annulment Proceedings On 5 Mar 2014:Anas Sarwar was absent for a vote on Make Same Sex Marriage Available to Armed Forces Personnel Outside the United Kingdom On 21 May 2013:Anas Sarwar was absent for a vote on Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill — Third Reading On 5 Feb 2013:Anas Sarwar voted in favour of allowing same sex couples to marry. https://www.theyworkforyou.com/msp/24738/anas_sarwar/divisions?policy=826 Being absent when it comes to it, is the coward’s way out. See: … Continue reading Anas Sarwar ‘absent’ on equal gay rights

In 2021: Scots Tory leader Douglas Ross would have voted against same sex marriage in 2014 if he had been an MSP, it has been revealed. Ross also called for the “hundreds of thousands of people” who opposed the legislation to be recognised, according to a newspaper report at the time. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/douglas-ross-would-voted-against-23991009?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar In 2019: Douglas Ross was absent for a vote on Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill — Lords Amendments — Abortion — Marriage and Civil Partnerships — Transparency etc. On 9 Jul 2019:Douglas Ross voted not to permit same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/25531/douglas_ross/moray/divisions?policy=826 Bookies have given odds of 2 … Continue reading Scottish Conservative branch office leader voted to deny gay rights in N Ireland and would have in Scotland

Despite what some may think, I’ve had two, quite big, reservations about Nicola. Her apparent deep admiration for the dread Hilary Clinton and uncritical support for US foreign policy in 2015, pre-Ukraine of course, had me fully slapped round the face with a very wet and stinky haddock. Nevertheless, those have been the only, if big, reservations. On everything else, I’ve agreed and at the end, I rate her the outstanding politician of her time. Who can replace her? Not at all easy. I’ve been unsure, but today, it’s coming together for me. A quick twitter poll by indy swim … Continue reading It’s Angus for me and for most of you it seems

Sharon Dowey, Con List (not-voted-for) MSP is in the Daily Record nearly every week, these days. In the Daily Record yesterday Homelessness figures for South Ayrshire have shot up by 17 per cent, new figures show. Between April and September 2021, 310 households were assessed as homeless. But the figures grew last year (April to September 2022) to 363, marking an increase of 53 and representing a 17 per cent spike. Scottish Conservative South Scotland List MSP, Sharon Dowey, said: “With a significant jump in homelessness applications in South Ayrshire last year, the SNP Government must urgently get to grips with this … Continue reading Ayrshire MSP now full-time with Daily Record but gets an F in reporting homelessness statistics

Comparing the reporting of BBC Scotland with that of the BBC elsewhere in the UK is always highly illustrative of the bias gap as the former politicise every issue and allow the opposition parties and an easy platform to attack the SNP, unchecked. So, today, from BBC Wales: Plans for a bypass have been halted as part of an end to road building projects in Wales. On Tuesday, the Welsh government announced all major road building projects would be scrapped over environmental concerns. It included the Cynon Gateway North in Rhondda Cynon Taf in a list of schemes which would … Continue reading BBC Wales and BBC Scotland reveal the bias gap again

As soon as I saw Dave Brown’s cartoon in the Independent today, I thought where have I see that ugly, unimaginative, borderline racism before? Then I remembered. Steve Bell of the Guardian who once called me a ‘nationalist dupe.’ This in 2015: In 2014, this: and in 2013, worst of all: Don’t try to imagine Steve Bell and Gordon Brown making a baby. Don’t!!! A very similar style? Can you blame your boy for copying his dad? Continue reading Sturgeon Cartoon: Is Dave Brown the lovechild of Steve Bell and Gordon Brown?