For some time, I’ve looked for more signs of the SNP Government standing up to and correcting more often, the appalling standards of journalism displayed across the media in Scotland. More recently, beginning I think, with then Health Secretary, Jeanne Freeman and now even the FM telling a reporter how plain daft his question is, there have been a few polite but firm rebuttals. Across social media, we now see Jason Leitch and others correcting errors quite often. They clearly don’t like it put up to them and the doughty, doughy (?) Neil Mackay has ridden to their rescue. Does … Continue reading Doesn’t everybody?

According to the supposedly Scottish Daily Express, Scotland is struggling to maintain essential services and Nicola should get on with following England on isolation times. The opposition to this from the BMA and the EIS is, of course, not mentioned, nor are the data: Frontline staff absences are climbing and may have climbed further in the last few days but remain half of the figure in April 2020 and still significantly lower than in February 2021. Hospital admissions are climbing too but remain less than half of the figure in February 2021 and still below those in October 2021. Notably, … Continue reading Daily Express imagines England’s NHS staffing crisis is here too

As cases surge and plans for beds in tents are developed in England, the UK Conservative Government u-turns to follow Scotland on face-masks in schools. BBC Scotland yet to door-step Scottish Conservatives on this. Continue reading The nasty party’s mask slips….back on

Still up on the BBC Cumbria website two days later, the landlord of Carlisle’s Coach & Horses pub seemed more concerned about safety than trade as he awaited ‘customers’ riding a coach and horses through the Scottish Government’s advice to stay at home. On the 31st, the Sun’s predicted 100 000 partygoers crossing the border intrepid reporters had found four lads in Carlisle and three young women in Newcastle. The Sun had the Coach & Horses landlord too and he boldly predicted ‘some.’ This morning the Daily Record had hardish (if you’re daft) evidence: One of the biggest invasions was … Continue reading Carlisle pub owner still waiting for tsunami of thirsty Scots

In the Herald today: SCOTTISH ministers engineered a way round freedom of information law to keep the “killer facts” in their briefings a secret, official archives have revealed. Files released today by the National Records of Scotland show the Labour-Liberal Democrat Executive of 2006 reclassified material with the explicit aim of thwarting FoI requests. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19818949.scottish-ministers-sought-put-killer-facts-reach-freedom-information-law/ Research from 2015, suggests that 8 out of 10 people only read headlines. On that basis, only those who recognise the two Labour politicians, long-retired, and those who make it to the second paragraph will realise that this is not about SNP politicians. Recent FoI requests by the Lib … Continue reading Scottish LABOUR tried to hide ‘killer facts’ from public

He has accepted a CBE in the past but did Jason Leitch turn down a knighthood, obliging them to go to the less prominent (check their wiki pages) Smith? I think I’m right in saying that Leitch has had a far greater presence in the pandemic. I notice, also, that Smith, the Larkhall GP, is only an honorary associate prof and, so, doesn’t use it. I hope Leitch did refuse because the reasons for doing so are obvious. Tony Blair, a war criminal had he been on the losing side, is now Sir Tony Blair. Readers will know of many … Continue reading Did Leitch ‘the bigger presence’ refuse?

In a bizarre report from thousands of miles away in Australia, BBC UK tell us tonight how the state of Victoria acted quickly after the Grenfell disaster and began to remove flammable cladding. They clearly missed a clue in their own August 2021 report into a Glasgow tower block, where despite it having flammable panels, the fire did not spread up the building, was contained on one floor and no one was hurt. Surely that’s intriguing and suggestive of something that might be learned? I’ve explained it many times before. Here it is again: The Chimney Effect As I understand … Continue reading Grenfell: What British politicians might have learned from their Scottish counterparts decades ago

It’s one of those situations where you either laugh or lose it altogether and run off shrieking, shedding your clothes and jumping into the nearest loch. Look at that headline. Scotland’s electricity consumption from renewables – minus net exports – was 98.6%. Two things: First, the UK figure, even benefiting for the Scottish contribution, was 35.9%. The figure for England will be even lower. BBC UK has not commented on this miss. Continue reading 98.6%? What!? Go to your room!

Scotland has reported 11 962 new cases and 13 deaths in the same period as Wales’ record-breaking performance, despite a Labour administration of the type preferred by BBC Scotland. Scotland’s population of 5.44 million is 73.4% greater than that of Wales at 3.14 million. So, all things being equal, might be expected to have nearly 18 000 cases and 18 deaths but had only just under 12 000 cases, 33% fewer, and 13 deaths, 28% fewer. Makes you wonder why that Mark Drakeford is so popular. Continue reading Now Labour Wales surges ahead of Scotland