In July 2022, in the Express it was this: Outrage as Nicola Sturgeon forces Ukraine refugees onto CRUISE SHIP in ‘betrayal’ of plan Three days before, it was this: Sturgeon’s cruise ship with rooms smaller than prison cells takes first Ukrainian refugees and even the Guardian went with: Calls for Ukrainians living on cruise ship in Scotland to be quickly rehoused. MS Victoria is temporary solution to host refugees but there are concerns about small rooms and seasickness Seasickness in harbour? Today, BBC Scotland headlines: Last 50 Ukrainians to leave Glasgow cruise ship and inform us: The most recent monthly figures showed that – as of … Continue reading Joy as Nicola Sturgeon enables thousands of Ukraine refugees to be settled

BBC NE, Orkney & Shetland clearly feel we don’t need to know which party this offender represented. It’ll be in the text below? Let’s see: An Aberdeenshire councillor who admitted shouting and swearing at another man during an altercation has been given an absolute discharge. Robbie Withey, who represents Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford, became involved in the incident during a social gathering in Alford. The 42-year-old admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner last April. A plea of not guilty to a charge of assault was accepted by prosecutors. The court heard Mr Withey shouted and swore … Continue reading Guess which party?

On Question Time, last night, Scots Tory MP, Andrew Bowie, claimed the above. Across the country, he was so wrong. From 2010, in England, crime has almost doubled. In Scotland, where his constituency is (WTF voted for this?), it has fallen by around 50%. I suppose no one with any great level of talent is going to work as a researcher for people like him. Continue reading Scots Tory on Question Time borrows Scotland’s falling crime rate to use as cover for England’s soaring crimes

In the absence of full polls, another sub-poll gives us at least an indication of the extent to which the recent media carpet-bombing of the SNP, is having any effect. No sign. People Polling based on data gathered only 2 days ago, has: It’s only small sample of 101 Scots so not statistically reliable but it tells the same story seen in many sub-polls before. SNP core support unmoved at 42-44%, well above the long period in the mid 30% range, in 2017 and 2018. Scottish Labour and Scottish Cons lag consistently at only half or less UK support. Sarwar, … Continue reading Latest Poll: SNP survives daily ferry feeding frenzy to leave Cons and Labour in its wake

You can see what he’s done there and why he’s done it. Playground point-scoring with some very selective use of statistics, at the two ends of a 16 year period, and concealing what happened in between – Tory austerity. Here is the detail Hutcheon doesn’t want you to be aware of: After only 7 years in power, within the limitations of devolved budgets, the SNP had reduced relative child poverty to 21% from 24% under Labour. Then as Tory austerity began to bite from 2010, and despite the efforts of the Scottish Government, relative poverty began to climb back to … Continue reading Child poverty under the SNP: Paul Hutcheon probably not that stupid

I’ve emailed Public Health Scotland’s media enquiries department, at last, on this. In the last few days in Scotland with figures, there have been only 3 or 4 Covid patients with symptoms serious enough to require intensive care while in England there have been between 167 and 188. Per head of population, Covid ICU cases are running at more than four times the rate in England. There must be a reason. I’ve explored a few before. See: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2023/03/19/nearly-5-times-as-many-icu-covid-cases-in-other-parts-of-uk/ If I get anything interesting from the media enquiry, I’ll let you know. Continue reading Covid ICU cases approaching zero as they climb elsewhere in UK

The Guardian today has: ‘I worry my young patients will die’: UK’s eating disorder services not fit, say GPs. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/22/i-worry-my-young-patients-will-die-uk-eating-disorder-services-not-fit-say-gps Typically this ‘UK’ study has only references to England but in June 2022, they had: A shortage of beds for severely unwell eating-disorder patients has forced the NHS to send more than 100 women from England to hospitals in Scotland for treatment since 2017. The cost of relocating patients, which included under-18s, was more than £10m, with one patient staying more than a year in hospital, costing close to £250,000. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/03/patients-with-eating-disorders-sent-from-england-to-scotland-due-to-lack-of-beds Om March 11 2023, BBC Wales had this: Today, BBC Wales … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s eating disorder services fully fit and more

The above today but in 2019, from Professor Roy Thompson, of the University of Edinburgh, School of GeoSciences,: And in August 2014, conveniently just before the referendum: Did these earlier experts get the sack for being so wrong? Continue reading Enough reserves in UK [Scottish] North Sea for 30 years? Surely not, didn’t……