The Herald headlines: ‘Beleaguered Yousaf attempts to win back independence supporters ahead of election.’ Beleaguered? What are the facts on this in the polls rather in the minds of Herald editors? In the most recent full poll, by Ipsos MORI on 26 November 2023, support for the SNP was up at 41% from 34% in the previous poll by Redfield & Winton. 35% were satisfied with how he was doing his job. In the Redfield & Winton poll on 25 October, the figure was only 22%. 41%, even in that poll had him as the better next First Minister as … Continue reading Herald ignores polls to hide Yousaf recovery

Thanks to Cap’n Dottie for alerting me to this: The MOD has said there 34 serving Admirals, Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals and 75 ships – but only 19 of these are operational warships. https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/royal-navy-now-more-admirals-2605063 From Navy Lookout, yesterday: Makes you wonder how Scotland might survive without the Royal Navy, don’t it, Master Bates? Footnote: from 10-14, I obsessively built Airfix models and to this day could recognise in silhouette, the Hood, the Prince of Wales and the Bismarck. What more does the Director of Submarines need? Continue reading More admirals than warships but none good enough for new post so retired admirals asked to apply

From BBC UK’s How are your local NHS services coping this winter? app, today: In just one year, NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s ambulances have reduced their average response times by a potentially life-saving 2 minutes, by 17%, from just over 12 minutes to just under 10 minutes. In England: Average response times of more than 38 minutes for category two emergency calls such as heart attacks and strokes – above the target time of 18 minuteshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67714151 Maybe Alan Gemmell’s GMB supporters will help? Ah, they work on behalf of the nuclear fuels industry and the risks of that, which could put even more pressure on … Continue reading Central Ayrshire Labour candidate shocked as local ambulance times plummet to just over a quarter of those in imminently Labour England

Our ambulances are far faster than in England and getting even faster? Can’t we do something about that? From BBC UK’s How are your local NHS services coping this winter? app, today: In just one year, NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s ambulances have reduced their average response times by a potentially life-saving 2 minutes, by 17%, from just over 12 minutes to just under 10 minutes. In England: Average response times of more than 38 minutes for category two emergency calls such as heart attacks and strokes – above the target time of 18 minutes https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67714151 Continue reading Ayr Conservatives embarrassed as ambulance waiting times plummet to just over a quarter of those in Conservative-run England

Not for the first time BBC England release figures that contradict BBC Scotland’s messaging aimed at undermining the SNP and protecting Labour. I did expect to find the above app would not accept Scottish postcodes. In England: Average response times of more than 38 minutes for category two emergency calls such as heart attacks and strokes – above the target time of 18 minutes https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67714151 In Wales and Northern Ireland: ‘Please enter a valid postcode.’ Continue reading Glasgow ambulance average waiting times plummet to just a quarter of England’s