Today Audit Scotland reported: The Scottish public body that procured PPE during the pandemic acted fairly and appropriately when awarding contracts. NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) used emergency procurement provisions to award PPE contracts without competition during the first wave of Covid-19. There was some variation in the contracts, but auditors were satisfied with the procurement arrangements. No evidence of preferential treatment or bias was found in the awarding of contracts. https://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/news/ppe-contracts-awarded-fairly In November 2020, the National Audit Office said: Today the National Audit Office (NAO) reports a lack of transparency and adequate documentation of some key decisions, such as … Continue reading Comparing how the SNP and the Tories managed PPE contracts

From Alasdair Galloway: The previous section I think showed that Angus McNeill is absolutely right to say that if the Supreme Court can strike down these two Bills, they can strike down a Referendum Bill as well. So what does the Scottish Government say? Their “THE ROAD TO A REFERENDUM THAT IS BEYOND LEGAL CHALLENGE” concludes with this paragraph “10. In these circumstances, in which there has been an unambiguously expressed democratic decision by the people of Scotland and their Parliament to have a legal referendum the choice of the U.K. government will be clear; to either (1) agree that … Continue reading What next?

From Alasdair Galloway: The main site of dispute in this week’s judgement, is Section 28(7) of the Scotland Act, which deals with Holyrood’s powers to pass legislation. For completeness I will include it all “28 Acts of the Scottish Parliament. (1) Subject to section 29, the Parliament may make laws, to be known as Acts of the Scottish Parliament. (2) Proposed Acts of the Scottish Parliament shall be known as Bills; and a Bill shall become an Act of the Scottish Parliament when it has been passed by the Parliament and has received Royal Assent. (3) A Bill receives Royal … Continue reading The implications of Supreme Court decision UKSC 42

From the Herald’s Tom Gordon, fed by one or other opposition party and with another schoolboy photographer triumph: HUMZA Yousaf has been accused of presiding over a “terrifying” and “unmitigated disaster” after Scotland’s A&E waiting times hit yet another record low. Opposition parties blamed inaction by the Health Secretary for a dramatic slump in the number of people seen on time last week. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19641119.e-waiting-time-performance-scotland-hits-terrifying-new-low/ In NHS Scotland for the week-ending 3rd October 2021, 71.3% of patients were seen in 4 hours. NHS England and Wales do not do weekly reports but in August, the most recent figures available: NHS Scotland’s A&E department’s saw … Continue reading Only in Scotland, the demonisation of ministers, part umpteen

From David Bols after contact from a Scottish Labour researcher: SCOTTISH Labour has demanded that Holyrood launches its own detailed inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic after a damning report from MPs criticised the UK Government’s slow response at the start of the crisis. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19641000.demand-holyrood-covid-inquiry-damning-report-uk-pandemic-response/ I know they have few members and can’t raise funds but they do get government funding for staffing, including researchers who, hopefully can stop them looking daft but, on the 24th August 2021: Scotland is to hold its own public inquiry into the handling of the Covid pandemic by the end of the … Continue reading Scottish Labour demand the already promised

From the above today: Jon Bannister, a criminology professor at Manchester Metropolitan University, said the reduction in the quantity of alcohol bought has had “minimal impact on the levels of alcohol-related crime, disorder and public nuisance reported in Scotland”. Offences in each area were already found to be going down prior to the introduction of MUP. “On the whole, the limited discernible impact of MUP on alcohol-related crime, disorder and public nuisance suggests that the reduction in off-trade alcohol sales that followed implementation is below that required to deliver a reduction in crime,” Prof Bannister added. “Or, if crime did … Continue reading Reducing crime was never an aim of Scotland’s minimum alcohol pricing

When Lord Dunlop joined the Herald to bolster their privileged but bitter old git contingent, with Macwhirter, Gordon, Taylor, Wilson, Monteith and Dalgety, I’d have been forgiven for accusing them of losing touch with their readers but they persist. Dunlop’s claim, of course, does not survive confrontation the evidence. More of that below. First, some background: People’s watchdog or government poodle, is a question some in the press used to insist, in their case, meant a tough wee terrier biting at the ankles of the powerful. Conrad Black, Dark Lord of the Telegraph was in little doubt when he said something like: … Continue reading Lord of the Poll Tax allowed to just lie like the Tory he is

Something very big’s missing this morning from BBC Scotland headlines. The Herald and the Scotsman are playing it quietly too. What is it? It’s this: An incredibly damning report that lays thousands of unnecessary deaths at the door of No 10 and the Conservative Government, along with its SAGE advisers. BBC UK and England have it: BBC Scotland staff are working hard, right now, with opposition politicians, to construct a narrative that draws the Scottish Government in to share the blame so, quickly: The devolution of the law enabling Scotland to control pandemic measures took place at the very end … Continue reading The deadliest of delays ignored by Scotland’s media

The above very useful graphic was yesterday being used by BBC 1 News to, in the public interest, shed light on the UK Government lagging behind in the vaccination of 12-15 year-olds as infection rates soar in England. The failure is due to a strategy based on vaccinating in schools rather than in local authority and health board centres. Reporting Scotland has not reported this data. In April, we saw the same thing: BBC UK, once again, not doing what BBC Scotland prefer and presenting information revealing that we’re not lagging behind. This time is was vaccinations. Surely we’re behind. … Continue reading BBC 1 News accused of not sharing with Reporting Scotland again