From, a member of the TuSitters It’s fake news! Transport Scotland has commissioned a comprehensive South West Scotland Transport Study (which the Scottish Tories supported), which looks in detail at what transport D&G needs, and what  REALISTIC  options are for improvement (spoiler, no tunnels or bridges).  My understanding is that shortlisted options will be prioritised in Transport Scotland’s next capital investments plans through the National Transport Strategy. https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/south-west-scotland-transport-study-initial-appraisal-case-for-change Continue reading Tory FAKE News

SNP MP accused of sexual harassment makes news. BBC Scotland have him. The Herald has him twice: Tory MP actually sentenced following two assaults? BBC UK have him….no wait…..they’ve got the SNP MP again: Maybe the Tory MP story is fake news? The BBC has responsibilities you know? There’s no sign of a BBC report but the Guardian have him: Wait, sorry, BBC Kent had him: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-56262815 My confidence in the BBC fairness is restored, or is it? Continue reading BBC double standards on sex offences

An interesting way of phrasing that, with a double negative to suggest the opposite of what the Greens have said they will do? I know, we trust our readers to get to the end of the sentence. You’re being paranoid, again. To write something clumsy and potentially misleading do you need a reason? Here’s the source: How difficult would it have been to just cut and paste one of the actual phrases used to get: Continue reading Scottish Greens WILL NOT NOT SUPPORT John Swinney?

In a poll by JL Partners yesterday, after Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, 52% of Scots agree that the monarchy should be abolished with only 28% disagreeing. For the UK as a whole only 29% agreed with abolition and 50% disagreed. Northern Ireland and London had 33% for abolition but still a majority for retention and all other parts of the UK were strongly opposed to abolition. https://www.jlpartners.co.uk/polling-results Continue reading Only Scots would abolish Monarchy

Well down the page: ‘Jim Thewliss, from teachers’ group School Leaders Scotland says schools did not know the change was coming until it was announced at Holyrood last week and that it had been an enormous logistical task.’ School Leaders Scotland is a pressure group representing head teachers. Mr Thewliss seems remarkably insensitive to the challenges of dealing with a pandemic. The Scottish Government could not make this decision until they saw the data on infection level drops. Schools have two full weeks to plan a small scale return for only some of their pupils as part of phased induction, … Continue reading What are we paying this guy for?

Mark Eadie’s thesis here is that we think there’s a conspiracy, a plot, behind Sarah Smith’s serial ‘mistakes.’ Few believe such a thing. Few imagine her in a circle with Glen Campbell and the new Director plotting what she will say next to distort the truth. It’s long past that. Smith has been in a Unionist, New Labour bubble forever. She thinks that way. She can’t think any other way. No one needs to tell her what to do. She keeps doing it habitually. The ‘mistakes’ are always one-way, pro-Union. She makes them then, if caught, apologises. After a safe … Continue reading Duuh! We know it’s not a plot. She’s just doing what comes naturally

I appreciate that this evidence of recovery in NHS Scotland’s non-Covid activity still leaves many waiting for treatment but signs of recovery are not to be found in the MSM. From NHS Scotland: In the quarter ending 31 December 2020, 3,879 patients were referred to a chronic pain clinic. This compares to 3,168 patients in the quarter ending 30 September 2020, an increase of 22.4% In the quarter ending 31 December 2020, 2,108 patients were seen at a chronic pain clinic. This compares to 1,397 patients in the quarter ending 30 September 2020, an increase of 50.9%. Of the 2,108 … Continue reading 51% increase in number of chronic pain patients treated

Fresh from adding Brian Taylor and Lord Dunlop, Architect of the Poll Tax, to their roster, the Herald appoint a new Farming Correspondent, who grew up on a farm outside Ayr: Here she is recently grinning at Ruth Davidson, not an easy thing to do: More importantly Taylor launches with reporting we have little to smile about. First, the headline. The SNP has politicised the pandemic. Did she miss Boris starting off with suggestions that NHS Scotland was not resilient before offering to send in the troops while Scotland did the right thing by its care home residents or suggesting … Continue reading Herald’s youth policy lacks promise

News from the Scottish Government: Cross-party support for Scottish Budget A further £20 million is being allocated in the Scottish Budget 2021-22 to help disadvantaged children and young people improve their educational attainment. The additional Pupil Equity Fund premium was announced by Finance Secretary Kate Forbes following the successful conclusion of talks with the Scottish Liberal Democrats, who have agreed to support the budget in parliament tomorrow. The package also includes £15 million support for skills and training to back economic recovery in the north east, and confirmation that £90 million provided this year to support a national council tax … Continue reading SHOCK: Lib Dems do something useful

The Scottish Government has begun a phased re-opening of schools with intervals in which to gather the data on infection levels and make scientific assessments of how to proceed. Is there an expert who disagrees with this approach? The Scottish strategy, as with its care home vaccination prioritising, is supported by independent experts. Professor John Edmunds of SAGE has suggested that one reason for not easing too quickly is the risk of further mutations:  It is certainly a risk if we allow high risks of infections in certain parts of the community, among younger individuals, then we do run the … Continue reading Douglas Ross suggests ignoring SAGE advice on schools re-opening