By Alasdair Galloway Yes its that time of year again – kids go back to school, Scottish teams get punted out of Europe at the first or second time of asking and the GERS report is published to the cries of “told you so” by our Unionist chums. This is so predictable that if I didn’t hear the screech of Kevin Hague I would think I was going deaf (or worse!). Personally I am too bored with the whole thing to even work through it. I will leave it at two comments. The introduction will include somewhere about line 3 … Continue reading GERS figures show ‘huge fall’ in Scotland’s ‘deficit’

Panelbase surveys on Scottish independence tend to include a breakdown of support from those born in Scotland, England and in all the other countries combined. In September 2016, from a sample of 1 024, 46% of Scots-born, 21% of England-born and 44% of all others combined, indicated they would vote Yes. By August 2022, from a sample of 1 113, the figures were 47%, 30% and 57%. This suggests that support among the Scots-born is sadly stagnating, growing significantly among the England-born but positively surging among the ‘others.’ Sources: Continue reading Significant increase in support for independence among those born in England and surge in those from ‘other’ countries

From the Herald’s Tom Gordon: SCOTLAND has recorded a double-digit deficit for the second year in a row despite a sharp rebound in tax receipts as the economy emerged from lockdown. The annual Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) report showed the difference between public spending and tax revenue last year was £23.7 billion, equivalent to roughly an eighth of the economy, and double the UK deficit in percentage terms. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/20722872.gers-report-scotlands-notional-deficit-twice-uk-level-despite-jump-tax-revenues/ If you believe the politically-motivated, largely estimated GERS data are meaningful, isn’t a near halving of the imagined deficit worthy of a more positive headline like this from Bloomberg? Of course, it’s just a … Continue reading Herald headlines imagined deficit is still a big thing even though it’s halved in Scotland’s Game of Figments

From STV last night: Energy companies have agreed to work with the Scottish Government on a package of support measures to help people struggling with the cost of living. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met with representatives from the sector in a summit at Bute House in Edinburgh on Tuesday. At the meeting, it was agreed that the UK Government must immediately cancel any further energy price rises for domestic consumers. https://news.stv.tv/scotland/first-minister-nicola-sturgeon-hosts-energy-summit-amid-cost-of-living-crisis However, the price cap is set between the UK Government and the energy companies. The SNP Government is not allowed to take part. So, where’s the UK Prime Minister … Continue reading A real leader getting on with the day job?

Mentioned but not headlined in the Guardian, reported in industry media but completely absent from Scotland’s MSM: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-62654435 However, in 2020, BBC Scotland’s Douglas Fraser was all over the bad news of oil’s fall to only $18. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-52372139 Today’s news is embedded in a BBC Scotland Business piece headed Inflation: Who is benefitting from soaring prices?, five paragraphs in: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62634983 There is, of course, no mention of increased revenue being gathered by the Treasury nor, obviously not, of the impact of that on Scotland’s supposed deficit based on GERS. Price Source: https://www.sharesmagazine.co.uk/news/shares/ftse-100-struggles-as-brent-crude-price-tops-36100-again Continue reading Scottish oil tops $100 per barrel and tax revenue soars amid media silence

For the Scottish Daily Mail, apparently unknown political parties in Edinburgh are trying to solve their refuse crisis by putting responsibility onto residents to keep the rubbish in their own homes. That might get reduce the rat population in the tourist streets by increasing it in homes. Nice. Why should residents ignore this advice from their Labour-run council? From the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene, in 2015: If waste material is not disposed of securely flies, cockroaches, rats, mice etc. can gain access and can then spread the germs to hand and food contact surfaces in the home. Hands … Continue reading Labour council leader’s advice would encourage flies, cockroaches, rats and mice in Edinburgh homes

If you’re going to compare A&E performance, you need both the percentage seen within the 4 hour target and, of course, how many patients were admitted. In June 2022, the last month for which we have monthly data in Scotland, 135 682 patients in total were seen. England, with 10 times the population might thus be expected to have seen around 1 356 820 but had 1 395 224, 38 404 or 2.8% more. This is a statistically insignificant difference in demand. Also in June, NHS Scotland saw 71.3% in 4 hours while NHS England only saw 58.8% in its … Continue reading With the same level of demand NHS Scotland sees far more emergency patients within 4 hour target

From senior editorial guy and specialist in Nicolaphobia, Tom Gordon, perhaps filling in for striking juniors, a task below his usual remit – the one week, statistically meaningless, A&E figures for NHS Scotland: A RECORD number of patients waited too long in Scotland’s A&E units last week, as performance levels fell back to close to their worst ever level. Official figures from Public Health Scotland showed 9,146 people waited more than the four-hour target in emergency departments in the week to August 14. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/20713169.new-record-people-waiting-long-scotlands-e-units/ Struggling for a story as he doesn’t find the lowest percentage seen in 4 hours 65.1% (64.8% and 65% … Continue reading Despite 6% increase in attendances Scotland’s emergency services meet the challenge

Interviewed by STV News last night but studiously ignored by Reporting Scotland, comedian Jo Caulfield wonders if the ‘Labour-Conservative council’ might be responsible for the unholy mess in Edinburgh. Wow! No one else has ever been allowed to think that on Scotland’s MSM. BBC Scotland has been carefully avoiding any such impression that a Labour council could be to blame for something so messy and suggesting that the Labour-Tory alliances, denied by Anas Sarwar, are actually real and creating chaos deliberately in the hope of passing the blame on to the SNP Government. Remember, Labour voted with the Tories on … Continue reading There’s a thought on refuse: ‘Is it the Labour-Conservative council?’

From SNP Media: Labour must urgently take steps to clean up the streets of Scotland’s capital after failing to prevent a 12-day strike by refuse workers. Festival goers are facing overflowing bins and rubbish lining the streets of the city after the Labour-led administration originally rejected plans to offer a 5% pay increase to workers. Despite residents demanding the Labour council take action to sort out the mess, the Labour council leader is missing in action and the Labour party, backed by the Tories and Liberal Democrats, are using the strike for political games instead of supporting residents and tourists by solving the … Continue reading SNP TO LABOUR: CLEAN UP OUR CAPITAL