Once more working against a national effort to save lives, BBC Scotland headlines the self-centred interests of a business group over the lives of the very people paying the licence that supports their output: Hospitality leaders have urged the Scottish government to change its Covid lockdown levels to stop businesses failing. An industry group has submitted its own version of the system to ministers. The document, seen by the BBC, urges ministers to mirror the plans for England – extending opening times and naming dates. Mirror the plans for England? Interesting, how have their plans worked out so far? England … Continue reading Eat out to die out?

It doesn’t matter how often you tell them, this group or graduates working for the fine but fake-sounding Educational Institute of Scotland, can’t seem to grasp the facts. Here they are again: Throughout the pandemic, teachers were among the least likely to pay the ultimate price for the dedication their representatives never tire of telling us about. Carers were 4 times as likely to die. Tradesmen were nearly 5 times as likely to die. Hardly any profession was less likely to die. Why? Because children are less likely to spread the virus, end of! At nearly 70, with a few … Continue reading Pay Attention, teachers are among the least likely to die

Mark Devlin, a man so committed to the Union he has spent most of his adult life in Japan and the USA, has returned to launch ‘a new anti-Nationalist site‘ for Scotland. Devlin is responsible for the #RESIGNSTURGEON billboards and the flypast. It’s not clear who is funding this venture. His choice of pals given him way. Devlin has recruited Jill Stephenson, an emeritus professor at Edinburgh University and expert on Nazi Germany, who called SNP MP Mhairi Black a “slut”. In 2015, the prof said: “If electors vote for a foul-mouthed slut like M Black, it says a lot … Continue reading Pro-Union blogger hosts abusive professor and sectarian sympathiser

In response to the suggestion that the Scottish Government is ‘digging its heels in’ against women’s voices with regard to the Hate Crime Bill, stewartb has provided us with this clarification: ‘The Working Group on Misogyny and Criminal Justice in Scotland has been set up to independently consider how the Scottish criminal justice system deals with misogyny. This includes looking at whether there are gaps in the law that could be addressed by a specific criminal offence to tackle such behaviour.” Source: https://www.gov.scot/groups/misogyny-and-criminal-justice-in-scotland-working-group/ “The group will also consider whether a statutory aggravation and/or a stirring up of hatred offence in relation … Continue reading For those unhappy about the ‘exclusion of women’ from the Hate Crime Bill

I am technically an old white guy though I do take a suspiciously good tan in the summer and I will not go the way of author Kingsley Amis. Amis is the classic example of the young lefty atheist who in more affluent, propertied but less-potent, middle and old age, drifted to the right and became a High Anglican conservative. Perhaps the best Scottish example is Alistair Darling who, of course, came to prefer the word ‘NO’ over all others in 2014: There is also John Reid, Communist Party, in 1975 with me at Stirling University: At least they’ve gone … Continue reading Why do some old white guys get so ‘right’ mean?

According to the Herald today: Ministers are under increasing pressure to deal with a cladding crisis in Scotland as it emerged that over 100 local authority high rise buildings have potentially deadly cladding four years after the horrifying Grenfell Tower blaze that claimed the lives of around 80 people. Research by the Herald on Sunday has revealed that around one in seven blocks of flats in Scotland overseen by local authorities have the combustible material. The report is quite long but missing, of course, the one piece of information that would turn the writer’s case to mince. The Chimney Effect: It is … Continue reading SNP Bad story fails as Scotland’s high rise buildings are safe

18th September 2014, white fascist/loyalist/fans attack a mixed group of men, women and children in George Square, Glasgow. According to the Sun newspaper: ‘At least one man was arrested as scuffles broke out. A number of people draped in union flags later left the area and began spreading on to the nearby streets, with many marching down St Vincent Place as police followed. There seem to be no images of big white male fascists or loyalists pinned on the ground or against walls. In 2020, the same groups returned, ‘to protect statues’ from ‘BLM protestors.’ Again, no images of arrests … Continue reading The differential policing of the far right and loyalist male

Last Sunday, Glasgow police escorted thousands of mostly male, drunken football fans, breaking all Covid regulations, drinking and urinating in the streets, from Ibrox to George Square. According to Glasgow Kelvin SNP MSP Sandra White, nurses at Glasgow Royal Infirmary had to take taxis home as the streets were not safe. Tonight members of a far smaller group of peaceful women protestors who had gathered for a vigil in memory of a woman, allegedly murdered by a police officer, were manhandled, handcuffed and dragged away by police officers in London. So, we see a horde of mostly drunken aggressive males … Continue reading Disgusting, Cowardly!

Just over a year year ago, after Davidson had resigned and with Jackson Carlaw as acting-leader, the Scottish Tories, had a run of four polls at 26%, their highest point since 2018 More recently, despite a wee fall in SNP support, with the combined leadership of Ross and Davidson, they’re averaging just over 21% and heading towards a further loss of members. Go home and prepare for third-place. Continue reading More like Peaked Nasty Party: Tories down 5 points on 2020 peak

Leaving aside the rich irony of a defender of the Catholic Church suggesting that the SNP is authoritarian and unconcerned about women’s rights, Kevin McKenna, like Johann Lamont yesterday, has missed the point, deliberately or because they’re too thick to understand, what Humsa Yousaf was saying about the Hate Crime Bill. Pay attention now. Yousaf was arguing that an amendment to add sex to the list of protected characteristics in the bill might not be as effective as the creation of a standalone offence to tackle misogynist abuse. That’s why he has set up an independent working group under Helena … Continue reading McKenna doesn’t get Misogyny shock!