This tells us everything. The Labour Party has not one currently active politician who could credibly lead their campaign to save the Union. Think back only 7 years and, for all their obvious faults, they had a reasonable cluster of MPs and MSPs with experience at a senior level in Scottish and/or UK politics – Brown, Darling, Reid, Alexander, McConnell, Chisholm, McLeish. There were even one or two Lib Dems and Tories with a bit of a reputation – Michael Moore, Annabel Goldie? I know, non were that good but at least they had candidates. They have no one at … Continue reading I knew it. He’s the best the NO Campaign has

You’ll remember the opposition parties/media pals feeding frenzy on the Covid outbreaks in student accomodation. Today with little fuss, the First Minister offered a little perspective. The outbreaks were quickly suppressed by the early days of October with two thirds of them in a three week period from the end of September. There have been no major outbreaks since then. Three quarters of the cases were in Edinburgh and Glasgow and most of this in only two locations: Pollock Halls in Edinburgh, and the Murano Halls in Glasgow. It was never much of a story. Continue reading Campus outbreaks were few and short-lived

Reporting on the decision to cancel this year’s Higher and Advanced higher exams in the interests of fairness, BBC Radio 4 this morning offered the most disgraceful example of reporting. Using two critical sources, passively accepting their tirades and neither challenging them nor interviewing any balancing sources, this contravened their published editorial guidelines and their charter requiring them to inform and to educate. We heard from Dorothy McGinty head teacher of a fee-paying girls’ school describing the situation as ‘chaotic‘ and that regular provider of anti-SNP soundbites,Lindsay Paterson, agreeing with the description. Paterson then goes on to tell us that … Continue reading BBC Radio 4 utterly imbalanced on Exam cancellations

Get me somebody who can’t count! The overall Covid infection rate per 1 m pop in England is now 43.5% higher and the death rate is 33% higher, than in Scotland: Recent Scottish Covid death rate refuses to satisfy BBC agenda: Situation Vacant: BBC Andrew Marr Show: Chief Statistician Must be able find something to suggest SNP Government failure. Accuracy is negotiable. Footnote: Response to my complaint: Continue reading SHOCK evidence SNP pandemic strategy much better

The Scottish Hospitality Group campaigns on behalf of the corporate chains of bars and restaurants and prioritises their profits over saving lives. They’ve come up with some figures suggesting they get less financial support than equivalents in Wales do. I can’t see the data so I’ll reserve judgement on that one. I’m more concerned with this, especially in Level 3 and 4 areas: We know from research that restaurants and bars can be ‘superspreaders’ of infection: First, the highly respect Nature Medicine published research in September, tracing an outbreak to four bars in Hong Kong. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-1092-0 Second, also in September, a US Centers … Continue reading What’s yours? Nothing yet pal

I missed this at the time, in The Scottish Farmer, August 16th. As far as I can see nowhere in the MSM thought it news worth sharing. Here’s what they said: SCOTLAND REMAINS the envy of its UK counterparts in its efforts to eradicate bovine Tuberculosis (bTB), however, a post-EU era presents a new farming landscape and farmers have been urged not to get complacent in their efforts to control the disease. Scotland was officially granted bovine TB free status (OTF) from the EU in 2009 and with the exception of a few isolated incidents in the south-west and north-east … Continue reading ‘SCOTLAND REMAINS the envy of its UK counterparts’ was not the news

In this piece by James Foley, click on Scotland’s coronavirus death rate compares rather poorly with England’s and it takes you to a Daily Record report recycling Andrew Marr’s selective use of only 4 weeks in the recent pandemic statistics where death rates due to Covid were higher per capita in Scotland than in England. I knew Common Weal and it’s Source Direct blog had flaws but this is a lulu! Source Indirect methinks! Here are the data from official NRS and ONS statistics: The 7-day average: Around 20% lower in Scotland! 2. The last month: See the Marr opportunity? … Continue reading COMMON WEAL’S REPUTATION FINALLY MARRED BY LAST GAFFE

From Pete Whitehouse, Director of Statistical Services at the National Records of Scotland on 2nd December:  Excess deaths from all causes began to increase in October, but this is almost entirely due to the corresponding rise in COVID-19 deaths. Deaths from causes such as respiratory diseases and cancer are below average levels for this time of year. https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/news/2020/deaths-involving-covid-19-week-48-23th-29th-november I hesitate to say this but is much cancer treatment ineffective? Continue reading After 9 months There is no sign of cancer death tsunami

As often before here, I’m asking a question rather than in any definitive way, answering one but the claim by Monica Lennon was being made across the media in July so where are even the first signs of a swell in numbers? Coronavirus has killed directly, in the thousands, as you can see from these graphs but where’s the evidence that the postponement of other treatment has, 9 months later, caused any significant swell in the level of excess deaths? Other than the direct coronavirus deaths, the overall death rate has often been lower than in recent years. A report … Continue reading Where is that ‘Tsunami of cancer deaths?’Has the pandemic saved lives too?

To the tune of ‘We don’t care what what the liber–als say. What the hell do we care? Coz we only know there’s gonna be a show and the Ing—er—land will be there……killing all the lo—cals!’ Mark E Smith trumpets: I love England. And the English. I love the place, and the people. I love its past, and its present. I love its great politicians and its great heroes. I love its cities, and towns, and villages. I love its greatest performers and its greatest artists: the comedians who’ve made me laugh and the musicians who’ve made me sing. I … Continue reading I don’t ‘LOVE’ Scotland. There, I’ve said it.