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BBC Complaints struggling after one month to explain why they lied about QEUH water supply infections

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. On January 19th 2026, I sent this complaint to the BBC regarding their coverage of the QEUH water supply infections: Ten days later, they apologised for the delay in responding. In my experience, they never meet their 10 day target, suggesting they’re under pressure from unhappy viewers in greater numbers than before. Today 28 days later, this: We are writing to apologise that we’ve not been able to reply to your complaint within the 10 working days we aim for. While we manage this for most complaints, unfortunately it’s not always possible … Continue reading BBC Complaints struggling after one month to explain why they lied about QEUH water supply infections

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Drug-related hospital stay rates in Scotland plummet by half as SNP’s unique, World-first, opioid overdose reversal kit programme gets on top of the plague after 8 years

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From Drug-related hospital statistics Scotland 2024 to 2025, published today the above graph and: There were 10,185 drug-related hospital stays (2023/24: 11,148). The European Age-sex Standardised Rate (EASR, see background below for more information) of drug-related hospital stays was 192 stays per 100,000 population. This rate was a decrease from 2023/24 (212 stays per 100,000 population) and continued the decreasing trend observed in hospital stays since 2020/21. Opioid-related stays accounted for 38% of all drug-related stays, the lowest percentage in the time series, continuing a steady decrease from 64% in 2011/12. The … Continue reading Drug-related hospital stay rates in Scotland plummet by half as SNP’s unique, World-first, opioid overdose reversal kit programme gets on top of the plague after 8 years

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Another sign that the Western Isles needs modern coherent party-based governance? Righteousness exalteth a nation not working out?

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in their council tax bills of 9.5%. That means an annual bill for an average home going up to £1 519. The local council says it’s got a budget gap of £4.5 million and the council tax increase would bring in another £1.5 million. Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. ‘Local’ council? Tell us more. Like this: and this: How competent have these ‘Independent’ councillors been? Financial and Investment Losses: In 1991, it lost £35 million in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International collapse, leading to a sharp council tax increase and the convener’s resignation. An independent … Continue reading Another sign that the Western Isles needs modern coherent party-based governance? Righteousness exalteth a nation not working out?

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Dog attacks on farm animals in Scotland plummet 28% to only half, per head, of those increasing across ‘UK’ but NFU Mutual misreads simple sums to say they’re ‘alarming’ here

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in dog attacks last year. NFU Mutual is urging dog owners to be responsible ahead of lambing season. The rural insurer says attacks are down 28% compared to 2024, but farmers are asking owners to stop their dogs chasing pregnant ewes and new born lambs. Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. BBC Scotland above open with that puzzling sequence, putting a wee survey ahead of statistics. Then Hannah Binns of the insurer ignores the reduction to tell us about her survey, which found that one in ten owners said their dog had no recall, but 57% are letting … Continue reading Dog attacks on farm animals in Scotland plummet 28% to only half, per head, of those increasing across ‘UK’ but NFU Mutual misreads simple sums to say they’re ‘alarming’ here

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Last week Scottish Government committed firmly to free higher education tuition, was ignored by ALL news media, but this week BBC Scotland prefers to tell you about London-based thinktank’s doubts

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. BBC Scotland today with London-based Institute [just a bunch of lads really] for Fiscal Studies doubting whether Scotland can continue to afford free higher education tuition for all and ignoring this from last week: I searched for news media coverage to get only this response: The Times Higher Education, read only by some academics, has this below but as you can see above this important news is being hidden from the electorate: ‘We’re looking at all parts of the system – except tuition fees’ https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/were-looking-all-parts-system-except-tuition-fees The THE article by Helen Packer is actually not at all supportive … Continue reading Last week Scottish Government committed firmly to free higher education tuition, was ignored by ALL news media, but this week BBC Scotland prefers to tell you about London-based thinktank’s doubts

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UK unemployment 40% higher, youth unemployment 40% higher than in Scotland, BBC Scotland ‘disappear’ the good news again

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. BBC Breakfast this morning with an extended piece on unemployment not being mirrored by BBC Scotland. The unemployment rate in Scotland at the end of 2025, was 3.7%, down from 3.8% in 2024.  In crude terms 5.1 is 1.4 greater than 3.7 but as a percentage, to take account of the millions of people being referred to, unemployment in England is 37.8% higher. There are about 1.8m unemployed in the UK so if the rate was the same in the UK as it is in Scotland, hundreds of thousands of those would be … Continue reading UK unemployment 40% higher, youth unemployment 40% higher than in Scotland, BBC Scotland ‘disappear’ the good news again

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What is going on with Talking-up Scotland’s surge?

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. View and visitor stats today, above, show another massive, for us, increase in the levels we’re used to. Not just one apparent spike of the kind I have seen in the past but two close together and a run of five at double or more than the usual level. Is there a type of story hitting a chord and responsible for the spikes? Again, I’ve seen that before. Not that I can see: I was puzzled, deeply. Then I spotted this for the last 7 days: What’s odd about it? Previous … Continue reading What is going on with Talking-up Scotland’s surge?

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Official figures even in mid-winter reveal CalMac’s high performance standards, passenger satisfaction and the Scottish Government’s incredible generosity to island and tourist car-users

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From CHFS3 Monthly Performance Report December 2025 published on 4th February 2025, for the winter month of December 2025, the following data based on sample size 28 000 travellers: Note – vehicle deck utilisation reveals the generosity of the Scottish Government funding, paying for ferries often half empty for much of the year in order to meet summer demand. Staff retention is crucial as we hear of short-staffing in the US and Canada leading to appalling standards and risks. Notably on the much-reported Arran service Important note – The reliability percentage … Continue reading Official figures even in mid-winter reveal CalMac’s high performance standards, passenger satisfaction and the Scottish Government’s incredible generosity to island and tourist car-users

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Nurses in Starmer and Streeting’s NHS England to get 14% lower pay rise ‘on top of’ already lower salaries

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From Nursing Standard on 12 February 2026: NHS nursing staff to get 3.3% pay rise in April – Nursing staff on Agenda for Change contracts will receive their annual pay award on time for the first time in six years, however unions have expressed their anger at ‘insulting’, below-inflation pay rise. 1 Scottish nurses will get: ..a 3.75% increase in pay in 2026-27. The settlement also provides a guarantee that that the increase in pay in each year will be at least 1 percentage point above the average CPI inflation. If this proves … Continue reading Nurses in Starmer and Streeting’s NHS England to get 14% lower pay rise ‘on top of’ already lower salaries