From SNP Media today: The SNP has said new export figures should serve as a ‘wake-up call’ that the Tories are not interested in securing a strong recovery for Scotland or the rest of the UK – as the reality of their hard Brexit continues to unfold. Figures published by the EU’s statistics office Eurostat show Britain’s exports to the EU almost halved in the first two months of the year compared with last year. EU imports from Britain dropped by 47% to 16.6 billion in January and February 2021. These figures present a much worse picture for the UK’s … Continue reading EU imports from Britain drop by 47%

From SNP Media today: Scotland’s longest-serving MP has blasted the cronyism crisis engulfing the UK government at Westminster – saying Scots can ditch the “House of Sleaze” for an independent future. It’s been revealed that Former Tory PM David Cameron lobbied the UK Chancellor and Health Secretary to try and secure access for Greensill Capital to taxpayer funded COVID loan schemes. Meanwhile, PM Boris Johnson is reported to have lobbied on behalf of a Saudi crown prince as multi-billion pounds of contracts were handed out to Tory donors during the COVID crisis – without any competitive tendering process. With only … Continue reading ‘Mired in a cesspit of Westminster sleaze’

From SNP Media today: Nicola Sturgeon will today (Monday) describe the SNP’s plans to deliver a wraparound system of childcare as truly transformational for working families – and a central pillar in efforts to deliver a sustainable national economic recovery after the pandemic.  Speaking while campaigning in Ayr today, the SNP Leader will hail the expansion of childcare already undertaken by the SNP, leaving the system “almost unrecognisable” from that which the government inherited. With the expansion of childcare to 1140 hours to be completed by August this year, the SNP manifesto sets out plans to go even further by … Continue reading STURGEON – WRAPAROUND CHILDCARE PLEDGE ‘CENTRAL PILLAR’ IN COVID RECOVERY 

By reader iamsoccerdoc Having read the above BBC report, I have to say I was really shocked that the following, from a statement by Scottish Care, was published without any comment “We very much regret that insufficient attention was given to the needs of the care sector when compared to the preparation given to and focus upon the NHS. Social care as a whole was let down in the early stages of the pandemic, not least by the failures to introduce testing of staff and residents earlier.” In relation to the first paragraph, the implication seems to be that as … Continue reading What responsibility did the Scottish Government have for testing to be introduced into private care homes?

Having misquoted the First Minister on hospital discharges into care homes, where outbreaks have been shown in 5 research reports to have been caused inadvertently by agency staff and not by the discharges, BBC Scotland headlines newly published details so as to again imply Scottish Government responsibility, just over two weeks before the election. Note the link to a Glenn Campbell piece misinterpreting deliberately the words of the Health Secretary on the 8th April. What the data reveal is proof that the causal factor in the rate of death is ownership. Almost without exception the toll of death was greatest, … Continue reading BBC campaigns to blame the SNP and hide far higher death rate in private /corporate care homes

I was reminded of the above report in the FT, just over two weeks ago, warning us several times that the fall in oil prices was a major factor in weakening the economic case for independence. Today, in finance research website, Daily FX, I read: Oil Prices continue to Surge after EIA report confirms shrinking supply. CNBC two days ago also reported: High expectations for oil demand might justify the recent run-up in prices. West Texas Intermediate crude, for example, is trading at one-month highs and has risen by as much as 30% this year. WTI traded above $63 a … Continue reading Value of Scotland’s oil surging again

On Wednesday 28th January, there were more than 20 000 new cases of Covid-19 infection and 1 200 deaths across the UK. The rates in Scotland on the same day were proportionally 30-40% lower at 1 200 cases and 82 deaths. Despite that, the UK Prime Minister announced travel restrictions on only 30 ‘red list’ countries where infection levels were deemed high. Travellers from those 30 countries would have to quarantine for 10 days on return to the UK, in hotels. India was not one of those on the list and remains, as yet, not on it. Before the PM’s … Continue reading Sturgeon’s travel restrictions would have stopped ‘dangerous’ Indian variant at border

The day after the funeral and the BBC Scotland website is still full of Duke. In opinion polls, Scotland reports lower levels of support for the monarchy than others in the DUK. FFS explains: How popular is the monarchy? After recent reports of nationalist infiltration there, you won’t be surprised to see that BBC Wales has ‘moved on’ with not one Duke story: Northern Ireland, still loyal, surely: Nope. Starting to feel rejected? England! Surely? He lived among them: Meh? Come on you Jocks, let’s have a little love for your betters. Continue reading BBC Scotland giving republicans what they ‘need’

The UK media delight in visits to other parts, Italy, Russia, USA and now Brazil to expose the horrors of poor pandemic management. At the same time they present the PM as the Great Vaccinator sneering at the bureaucratic delays of the EU while collectively forgetting England’s ‘raging inferno’, only a few months earlier: Only yesterday, Brazil reached the same number of Covid infections per capita, over the whole pandemic and will surely reach that of England in the next few days but, in terms of new cases, may never reach the horrific heights of England’s peak in January 2021. … Continue reading Brazil reaches milestone and matches UK’s own ‘raging inferno’

The consequences of the early lockdown in Greater Glasgow can be seen in the data for the total infections, around 4 000 cases per 100k in Scotland and nearly 7 000 in England. Something similar is there too in the cumulative deaths at just under 140 per 100k in Scotland and nearly 200 in England. Continue reading Where we stand, where we are not seen on BBC Scotland