Once again failing to live up to their own self-perceptions: The Herald’s Caitlin Hutchison, unable to bear the excitement, prematurely claims the 10 000 deaths scoop. As I understand in the figure at the time of writing was 9 997 death certificate deaths so unless Caitlin knows something we don’t, we might need to wait another day before thinking up some way to blame Nicola for hitting this milestone, tombstone? I understand that love of the big number headline but was it, really, the news? How about the scientifically tested deaths? Only 1 today after a day when registration centres … Continue reading Why are Covid deaths twice as high in non-Scottish parts of UK?

A member of the Twitterati, Jonathan Rowson, was one of many impressed by Sarwar’s 6th-Year Prefect performance in the Leaders’ Debate, last week but outside the media bubbles, the public seem less impressed. After a brief honeymoon period when Labour soared to 23% in polls, they have now settled on 18% and 3rd place in the last 3. The much-maligned Douglas Ross has averaged 21% in the same polls. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2021_Scottish_Parliament_election Continue reading Things looking bleak for Labour’s ‘cogent, fair, human, nimble, and trustworthy’ Sarwar

Where is the Leader of the Scottish Conservatives, currently a Westminster MP for Moray, standing for election so that he may become leader of the opposition in Holyrood? Which constituency? Well none of them. They’re all listed. The word ‘ross’ does come up, but it’s Ross Lambie, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross. Doesn’t he think he can beat Richard Lochhead, the MSP for Moray? He came second, only 3 000 behind in 2016. He’s the big man now so… Ah here he is, in the list or life-support system for the unpopular: Wait, Highlands and Islands? Why not North East Scotland? … Continue reading Scottish Tories know about their leader’s lack of popularity

From SNP Media this morning: The SNP has condemned the Tory government for remaining wedded to the ‘obscene’ two-child limit and rape clause – in the wake of a new report showing the policy has negatively impacted 350,000 families and 1.25 million children in the four years since it was imposed. The report by Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), published today, also found the impact of the two-child limit on families has been compounded by other Tory cuts to social security, including benefit freezes and the benefit cap. CPAG analysis shows before COVID-19, £36billion per year had been cut from social security … Continue reading Two-child limit and rape clause policy has harmed 350,000 families and 1.25 million children

Not for the first time, I’ve had to sort out a misleading MSM report. The original Scotsman headline was: Nicola Sturgeon to fall short of majority as Alex Salmond’s Alba Party deprives SNP of key list seats, poll shows Here’s the gist from Colin: The poll, by Savanta ComRes for The Scotsman, shows the SNP on 64 MSPs, one short of a majority, and Alba Party returning zero MSPs with three per cent of the list vote. However, the election on May 6 would return a pro-independence majority of 74 MSPs with 10 Scottish Green MSPs also predicted to be … Continue reading Scotsman poll is more good news for pro-Indy parties

Well, it’s not quite the headline story but at least it’s there. BBC Scotland, this morning, shows no sign of interest. Of course the announcement has a political aspect just like the really entertaining proposals by the Tories to save the planet and build affordable homes or the Labour proposal to boost the economy by having their leaflets printed in England, but, is it a good idea? It couldn’t be much better and the Child Poverty Action Group’s MP briefing, sourced by reader Cameron Brodie for TuS, in December 2020 is clear and comprehensive: The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) … Continue reading Why the SNP free school meals for all plan is so sensible

STURGEON – SNP FREE SCHOOL MEALS PLANS ‘A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN SCOTLAND’S FUTURE’ Nicola Sturgeon will today urge voters to give both votes to the SNP on May 6th to deliver ambitious free-school meals plans which could save families hundreds of pounds a year. With four weeks to go until the election, the SNP Leader will confirm that an SNP Government will provide free school breakfasts and lunches to every primary school pupil. And both breakfast and lunches will be made available all year round, ending the holiday gap that left too many children hungry, and increasing the saving to … Continue reading SNP plans free school meals for ALL primary pupils

A BBC team has been in Brazil sending us back the most harrowing images of death, of failure to comply with measures to control the spread of infection and of a political leadership clearly guilty of failing to protect its own people. Back home, no such critique is aired by the state broadcaster. Instead Boris wanders around, presented as the leader who saved us with a bit of sharp business practice in cornering the market for vaccines but things have not been worse in Brazil. There has so far been far more death per capita in England and the UK … Continue reading Thank Boris we’re in England and not Brazil? No

In early February, Scotland vaccinating fewer overall as it tackled the logistics of vaccinating the most at risk in care homes, was big news for Reporting Scotland. By late February we were ahead but it was not reported. By late March, we were vaccinating far more but ‘radio silence’ was the order. Today we’re well ahead again: Over the last 7 days we’ve vaccinated far more: Reporting Scotland? Nothing. Continue reading Scotland ‘ahead of the pace’ and vaccinating far more than other parts of UK

Five polls in a row now, from five different pollsters, with their own slightly different methodologies, indicates a safe return to a majority for independence after a wee suspicious dip around the time of the media feeding frenzy on the FM and the former FM. The average lead of 2.6 is a bit modest compared to the slightly above 5 in November and December 2020 but emergence from lockdown, Tory cock-ups and campaigning will surely push it up again. Continue reading Yes leads for 5 polls in a row