Why trust or confidence matters in ensuring compliance: We know that trust or confidence in a government’s decision making has been critical in ensuring compliance in measures aimed at suppressing the virus. By June, the Nuffield Foundation found a disturbing and significant increase in concern about misleading information from the UK Government. They did not look at any of the devolved governments. In October, a study of 51 000 UK adults found that confidence in government to tackle the pandemic was the only significant factor in compliance. There was little evidence that mental health, worries about the future, social isolation … Continue reading Is Sarah Smith paid by us but working against our safety?

We know from repeated polls that the people of Scotland are right behind the Scottish Government strategy to manage the pandemic. We know from experts that the ‘health or economy’ thesis is flawed and that if you don’t suppress the virus with force and determination, the economy will only face more severe lockdowns in the future and repeatedly. 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 for Disease Control and Prevention study … Continue reading Against the tide

As I sink into Level 4, I can’t help but be a bit surprised that South Ayrshire has been included. I agree there has to be a line but when you look south, we’re definitely going hard at the virus up here. Look at the 7 Day Average below: The infection level in England is twice that in Scotland. And, it’s falling here while still climbing there: And hospital admissions are falling quite fast: So why are some going to Level 4. I think I know the answer. By Christmas, the infection level in Scotland will be so low that … Continue reading Just how big a Christmas bash is Nicola planning?

From Alasdair Galloway: I found the recent publication of “UK CIVIL SERVICE NUMBERS – INSIGHTS FOR AN INDEPENDENT SCOTLAND” as reported by stewartb in the Tusker (https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2020/11/15/uk-civil-service-numbers-insights-for-an-independent-scotland/) particularly interesting as I had just send a letter off to the Herald in reply to weel kent Unionist and Labour die-hard, Peter Russell. Russell had been critical of an earlier letter alleging that Scotland was contributing to such as Crossrail, the new London sewer (need to be some size that, wont it?) as well as HS2. Russell pointed out that the first two are London projects and thus Scotland does not contribute, … Continue reading How London’s dominance has become ever more entrenched

BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers interviews one person and relies on a ‘trawling’ Royal College of Psychiatrists/YouGov survey to construct a mental health crisis in Scotland. On Reporting Scotland this morning and ten doses more today: The Royal College of Psychiatrists says Scotland is in the grip of its worst ever mental health crisis and is concerned about how many lives are being lost because services cannot cope with demand. Psychiatrists say about a third of the adult population is now displaying the kind of serious symptoms that could characterise a psychiatric illness, such as loss of sleep, self harm or … Continue reading Reporting Scotland ‘has’ their own mental health crisis just for you based on a ‘Trawl’

We hear from BBC Scotland today: Teachers in Scotland are being asked if they would consider strike action over Covid school safety concerns. The EIS teaching union is surveying members on the prospect of industrial action as Covid-related absences hit a new high. What is the basis for this survey by the EIS? It’s not massive infection levels among pupils. If you read on, you see that only 758 of the absent pupils have Covid-related sickness. There are nearly 700 000 pupils in Scottish schools. So, just over one in a thousand or 0.1% is infected. How about teachers? The … Continue reading When the Facts Change, I Change My Mind. What Do You Do, Sir?

Mark Smith in the Herald today: Take a good look at the picture. What do you see? Is it Nicola Sturgeon celebrating a win by Scotland’s football team? Or is it Nicola Sturgeon celebrating Jo Swinson losing her seat? Or is it both those things? Is it graceless and tacky? Or celebratory and inclusive? It matters because people react in radically different ways. It also matters because the image reveals the troubling, Trumpian way in which some independence supporters think. You may remember when you saw the image for the first time. It was in December 2019 and the results of the General … Continue reading Mark Smith on the FM and the Yes Movement

How are doing with this epidemic, BBC Scotland? Oh it’s bad, bad. The SNP Government’s strategy is not working. We might as well go to the pub. Two weeks into the 5-level system and the number of new cases per day seems stubbornly ‘flat’. There is some sign of progress, if small, in the 7 day average which was 1 121 yesterday, down 70 from 1 191 last week. While more significant reductions seem to require longer in Level 3 for the more affected areas, Glasgow and Lanarkshire, the outbreak is, relative to those areas, clearly not growing out of … Continue reading Stubborn but much lower yet not ‘the News’

Without even checking the evidence I hae ma doots. However, see these: The constituency votes above with Labour six times or more ahead. The regional votes above, show Labour at least two times ahead. It’s not looking promising unless they know something we don’t. And, if they don’t stop helping the opposition to defeat the SNP on matters of supposed principle, they be can say goodbye to second votes from SNP supporters. Defeating a budget in 2009 before Offensive behaviour at football, testing in schools, GP shortages…… And, only days ago joining with the opposition parts and the MSM in … Continue reading Can the Greens really overtake Labour? We ask the polls

The Tusker’s statistics department ran three linked polls yesterday, relating to perceptions of BBC Scotland news. The one above suggested that 91% think BBC Scotland News coverage present a negative view of Scotland. The second suggests that BBC Scotland news reporting is actually reinforcing support for the Yes campaign: Finally, the third poll suggests that the efforts of Sarah Smith, Glenn Campbell and the others, may be increasingly counter-productive: This may be a relatively new phenomenon, outside of the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany, where people don’t just disbelieve the state broadcaster but come to believe the opposite of what … Continue reading Tusker polls suggest BBC Scotland news is excremental but good for the SNP