In the Herald this morning: FAMILIES have reacted with fury after elderly people were given just 10 days to share their experiences of care homes during the pandemic via social media for an official government-funded report. The Care Inspectorate posted a message on Facebook asking residents or those who receive home care to email or call to set up an telephone interview as part of its “People at the Centre” project. The post provoked an angry response from families who branded it a ‘sham consultation’ and ‘box ticking exercise.’ Read on and you get: And of course: The only sign … Continue reading Fake News on care homes again and again and…..

In the mid-70s, Stirling University had one of the first access courses, for mature students with ‘limited’ school-leaving qualifications. I was there. So were Jack McConnell, John Reid, Mick Connarty and Richard Leonard. Larry Flanagan, EIS General Secretary was there too. They were all sort-of hard left back then but ended up in the Labour Party, to get a career. Though my sentiments then were close to the hard left, I remained more a Groucho Marxist. All the hard left guys I knew were boring and humourless. I was then a teacher and teacher educator from 1980 until getting a … Continue reading Scottish teachers being duped by former Stirling Uni 70’s cabal?

On seeing this below, Richard Leonard tweeted: Scottish Labour happy to rule out a sensational deal with Douglas Ross. Or any kind of deal, for that matter. Really? Then why are so many councils where SNP is the largest party run by Labour+Tory coalitions? And then Labour Tory Councils deciding against money getting money from SNP at Holyrood. Why? Labour and Conservative authorities vote against increased funding for level 4 areas at today’s special COSLA meeting. Their decision reduces support for local businesses at their greatest time of need and delays the release of this vital funding. https://mobile.twitter.com/jmacross46/status/1329862972928372743 Because  they … Continue reading Actions speak louder than words

This is it! A quick optional cut’n’paste retrospective below then they become invisible to me. You’ll do the same if you care about your own well-being. Join me, running through the long grass of Freedom Meadow! BBC, RT, HERALD AND SCOTSMAN TO SHARE SCOTLAND IN UNION CORRESPONDENT OCTOBER 4, 202013 COMMENTSEDIT Anything else? Votes for ‘proud Scots’ living in the US, Oz, NZ and Saudi or on the Dark Side of the Moon? A security pact with Israel? List seats in Holyrood for DUP Ulster Scots? We get to keep Trident? Seriously though, would this mean that a Scot having … Continue reading Last words on the Scotsman

I’m impressed. The EIS has received a far better response to a trade union survey than I’ve seen before. Roughly one-third of all teachers responded and they were geographically well-spread and from all the sectors. So that’s good. Well done everyone. However, Two thirds, nearly 40 000, were apparently not worried enough about Covid to complete a short online survey. The sample of one third which did respond, even though large, is likely to be skewed in favour of those either genuinely worried about Covid, who have always, found pupils a worry or an irritation, who are opposed to the … Continue reading Best Trade Union survey so far reveals most teachers are relaxed about Covid but some are not paying attention

I can find no image of an elephant spitting so…. I’ve had enough and Tusker friend AR has suffered enough, so on his behalf and ours, I’m banning all talk of the Scotsman on these pages. Over the last few weekends and even today, the Scotsman has been splattered with outrageous propaganda from ex Labourites, current Labourites, Tory councillors, Brexit MEPs and Scotland in Union fascists, such as Brian Wilson, Ian Murray, John McLelland, Brian Monteith and Hugh Pennington. I’ve been batting their lies back for weeks now and it’s making me no weel so I’m finished with them. They’re … Continue reading The Tusker ‘spits’ out the Scotsman

A friend of the Tusker sent the above. Managed isolation, I’m guessing means supervised in some way so that, unless they refuse to cooperate, you can be sure it works. There were no new community infections in the previous day so I’m guessing it does. Back in Scotland, we know that 80% of cases came from Spain. There are only three major airports for international travel. Could we not do just the same things as New Zealand has done. I know, we’re not an island. More heavily infected parts of England will inevitably bleed some cases into Scotland and self-isolation … Continue reading Managed Isolation?

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve written to one of the royal colleges, or for that matter, trade unions like the BMA or the GMB, asking to see the data and the methods, including the questions which they ‘used’ in surveys which Scotland’s media then headline to suggest some failure on the part of the Scottish Government. Almost without exception, they either ignore my request or refuse, so typically, going by the press or TV reports, I note the implication of a tiny and unrepresentative/ self-selecting sample and condemn it as worthless. Only one group has ever come … Continue reading Why the Royal Colleges cannot be trusted

Last night, Reporting Scotland suggested Scottish Government guidance on hospital transfers to care homes might have cost lives then gave four opposition politicians the opportunity to make worn claims in an attempt to lay deaths at the doors of Holyrood. The complete absence of evidence for their claims was not even offered as balance. The evidence now long in, that corporate greed and neglect in larger care homes was responsible was not mentioned either. The independent academic explanation from a professor appeared after the four politicians had done their damage. This story is now a full urban myth. Today, the … Continue reading The Four Stooges stumble as ‘Sturgeon’ reveals The truth of the situation

In 2017, 24.9% of homes in Scotland were in fuel poverty while in England only 10.9% were. There is a huge injustice in this. The Scottish Government tries to tackle fuel poverty with one arm tied. It has some control over fuel benefits and can fund energy efficiency schemes but it has no ability to regulate the cost of fuel charged by the energy companies. The Conservative UK Government does not prioritise this. In general, fuel poverty relates to households that must spend a high proportion of their household income to keep their home at a reasonable temperature. Fuel poverty … Continue reading Fighting with one arm tied: Fuel poverty and price capping in Scotland