BBC Scotland, no author named of course, reveals its decline into foul-smelling tabloid reporting today with the above image of a 3-4 year-old representing what turns out to be a 12-16 year-old 50 years ago, and this headline: Child Abuse Inquiry: Child jailed among sex offenders To avoid really distorting the facts, it really needs to be: Child Abuse Inquiry: Teenager jailed among sex offenders 50 years ago The Child Abuse Inquiry concerns the period 1930 to 2014. We, justifiably, need to hear about recent conditions so that we can consider what needs to be done, now. That would be … Continue reading This is not a 14 year-old and what happened 50 years ago is not ‘the news’ in Scotland today!

It’s been some time since I’ve read Neil Mackay, ‘Large Writer’ at the Herald. Clearly I’m not going to do him the honour of reading his cod piece today [https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/viewpoint/23910248.sturgeons-sleekit-slipperiness-spits-scotlands-face/] accusing the former FM of the above, but the headline deserves a quick response. Should you have tired of watching ‘The Living Dead’ or some other zombiefest, you can search for him here and read my several angry reactions to his low journalism. One or two will suffice here. From May this year: In the Herald today, Neil Mackay’s ‘big read’ exclusive on the breakup of the far-right group Patriotic … Continue reading Neil Mackay knows all about ‘sleekit slipperiness’ spitting in Scotland’s face

First British Columbia Ferries, then Washington State Ferries and now New Zealand’s failed ferry services. In NewstalkZB today: If you’re an Aucklander, or a visitor to Auckland, you know the Waiheke Island Fullers ferry service is unreliable, often fraught with maintenance, or staffing or scheduling issues. Locals who regularly commute on and off the island by and large hate it – but they’re trapped as Fuller’s has had a monopoly and been their only means to get across the Gulf… up until now, with a new player in town. And God speed to Island Direct that they can make a … Continue reading ‘I am just wondering at what point we give up on trying to get anywhere by ferry in this country [New Zealand]?’

Before the pandemic in early 2020, NHS Scotland had around 27-28 000 planned operations every month. Since the collapse, during lockdowns, to between 3-4 000 essential procedures, the level has climbed steadily to around 25-26 000 in the last few months. Of these, cancellations due to lack of staff or resources have fallen to just below pre-pandemic levels at around only 2%. This is a stunning level of resilience and recovery in any system of such scale and complexity. Other cancellations, based on patient choice or medical expertise, cannot be used as negatives. On a regular basis such clear evidence … Continue reading Operations returning to pre-pandemic levels with stunning 97.7% performance

In the Guardian today: UK forests are heading for “catastrophic ecosystem collapse” within the next 50 years due to multiple threats including disease, extreme weather and wildfires, researchers have warned, with trees dying on a large scale. The government plans to plant 30,000 hectares of forest every year by 2025, which is double current planting rates. The UK is one of the least forested European countries, with a total coverage of 13%. A 2021 report from the Woodland Trust found that just 7% of the UK’s native woodland was in good condition. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/08/uk-forests-face-catastrophic-ecosystem-collapse-within-50-years-study-says-aoe There’s no mention of Scotland in this ‘UK as England‘ … Continue reading Scotland and ecosystem collapse – 8% of the UK population but 60% of the trees and 76% of tree planting

From Wales Online yesterday: Wales’ biggest hospital has triggered the highest alert because of a “significant and sustained adverse demand” on services. Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said there were particular problems within in the Emergency Unit at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. On Tuesday (November 7) a ‘Business Continuity Incident’ was issued. Each of Wales’ health boards has five levels of escalation which determine how pressured its services are. More details are here. A Business Continuity Incident is the highest level 5 and is also known as a black alert. A statement from the hospital said the alert was as the result … Continue reading NHS Scotland under SNP has never had a real crisis like this ‘black alert’ in Labour Wales today

On 30 November 2022, the Labour Government in Wales voted down a separate Covid inquiry. From Nation.Cymru on 1 December: The voting down of calls for a Welsh inquiry into Covid is “the most shameful day in the history of the Labour Government in Cardiff Bay,” Welsh Tories have said. Welsh Conservative-led calls for the Welsh Parliament to set up its own inquiry into Covid were narrowly voted down in the Senedd yesterday, 30 November. All the main opposition parties in Wales have called for a Wales-only-inquiry, as have campaign groups such as the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru (CBFJC). … Continue reading Nearly 3 000 more Covid deaths had Labour run Scotland’s pandemic response – why Welsh Labour voted down a inquiry?

Yesterday BBC Scotland were headlining the complaints of one care home relative (above) – ‘I missed Mum’s death by seconds because of care home Covid rules’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-67346268 As always, missing from the reporting of a taxpayer-funded public service broadcaster with a charter requiring it to inform, was any discussion of the reasons underlying the practice to limit care home visits – the critical vulnerability of care home residents and the consequent level of deaths in these places which in Scotland alone was moderated by it. In the first wave, Scotland had to follow the SAGE advice as part of the … Continue reading Covid inquiry – BBC Scotland News misrepresents care home rules that saved the lives of thousands

From BBC Wales yesterday, with the above graph, a comparison you’d never see from BBC Scotland unless it was for drug deaths: The Welsh government lacks “ambition” to tackle child poverty, a new report has said. Some 28% of children in Wales are living in relative poverty – more than Scotland and Northern Ireland. A committee of the Senedd has called for the Welsh government to reinstate targets, seven years after they were scrapped. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-67332009?at_format=link&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_campaign_type=owned&at_ptr_name=twitter&at_link_id=4F21ECCE-7C99-11EE-AE66-0FFDECABB293&at_medium=social&at_link_origin=WalesPolitics&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_link_type=web_link&s=09 When BBC Scotland looks at poverty they are careful not to look beyond the border and prefer this narrative: One in 10 Scots living in … Continue reading BBC Wales reveal Labour’s failure to govern

From the Journal of the San Juan Islands in Washington State (USA) today, an open letter to the Washington State Federal Government: On behalf of the residents, business owners and essential service providers in San Juan County and Town of Friday Harbor, many of which are co-signers to this letter, we are compelled to collectively bring to your attention the serious consequences of the significant disruptions to Washington State Ferries (WSF) service on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route. The negative impacts of unpredictable and unreliable sailings and frequent cancellations caused by vessel and crew shortages, vessel maintenance and failures and … Continue reading Research – Media ferry coverage of real ferry failures causing “high losses of critical revenue” in Canada