I’ve never been even reprimanded mildly, far less banned, by Twitter, Facebook or WordPress but, today, I’ve been banned from Reddit. I’ve been reposting the same content from my blog on r/Scotland, as Carridon90 (no one on Reddit used their real name) for a few weeks now much to the annoyance of some, who have sworn at me, called me a ghoul, suggested I have mental health problems and called for the moderator to pull me. I do not remember ever being abusive. Anyhow, I’ve been banned and my four bairns are now proud of me. I can see no … Continue reading Leading retired professor (72) banned for talking Scotland up and using hard-to-understand satire?

The media reporting has commonly used the term ‘commissioned by the SNP’ and BBC Scotland used ‘produced for the SNP‘ but none have given details of the status of the research group – UKMOD. Note the not-so-SNP-friendly logo? Always, the SNP research suggesting 80 000 affected by the two child cap, has been weighed against the more modest 20 000 suggested by the House of Commons Library. Why are the researchers used by the SNP not fully described? Based at the University of Essex Institute for Social and Economic Research, UKMOD do research for policy-makers at the EU, UK, Scottish … Continue reading Child poverty – Who did the research for the SNP?

In the Herald today: SNP urged to act as Scotland behind England in sewage monitoring: The Scottish Government has been told to better monitor sewage after it was revealed the country is lagging significantly behind England and Wales in reporting storm overflows….only 3.4% of storm overflows are monitored and reported on in Scotland, compared to 96% in Wales and 91% in England. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23666989.snp-urged-act-scotland-behind-england-sewage-monitoring/ Leaving aside the propagandist use of ‘SNP’ rather than the correct ‘Scottish Government’, what will look bad at first sight for some, is a classic example of misleading reporting of percentages. Scotland has 18 743 km of coastline … Continue reading Leading expert – Most of Scotland’s waters are not cause for concern so do not need the same level of monitoring as takes place in England

By iamsoccerdoc One of the things to remember is that under the devolution settlement welfare is devolved only to a limited degree, focused mainly on the disabled and carers. Such as Universal Credit- where the two child limit (and indeed the bedroom tax) live here is most definitely NOT devolved. The point here is that, if/when Starmer becomes PM, it would be possible politically at least to address these two unfairnesses. Listening to Starmer increasingly reminds me of a less radical Harold Wilson (1964). At that election, and indeed through most of that administration, Wilson banged on about “productivity” (eg … Continue reading Starmer increasingly reminds me of a less radical Harold Wilson

On Sunday 23rd March 2020 Boris Johnson broadcast to the nation telling us to “stay at home” and isolate in an attempt to stem the spread of a virus named Covid 19 (Covid) which at the time we knew little other than since late in 2019 it had made its way round much of the world doing great damage in neighbouring countries such as Italy and France where the health care systems were barely able – and arguably on occasion unable – to provide health care. Johnson’s announcement marked the beginning of what has come to be known as “the … Continue reading Epidemics, Pandemics, Syndemics and the short life of Margaret Devlin

By cuckooshoe Re “The BBC Scotland broadcast this morning finishes with ‘Scottish Labour accusing the SNP of attempting to distract from their own failure to drive down child poverty.’” BBC Scotland should have ended by asking what a UK Labour government would do. From the statement by Shirley-Anne Somerville on the tackling child poverty delivery plan annual progress report for 2022-23. On 13 June 2023, during his response to Shirley Anne Somerville’s statement in Holyrood on Child Poverty, Paul O’Kane (West Scotland) (Labour), see above for a picture….of his dad, said “It is revealing that the cabinet secretary was only … Continue reading Child poverty – BBC Scotland should ask what a UK Labour government would do

Less than a week ago, the Herald’s Scott Wright was just back from Croatia to tell us how CalMac could learn from his one experience of just one of their many crossings and operators. Today, Alison Rowatt tells us about one day, ‘a few weeks ago‘ when her day was spoiled: We were booked on the 09.45 to Brodick. In the queue early, small people and dog excited, can’t wait to get there and start the holiday. The sailing time came and went. Still parked in the queue. The word went from car to car: it’s too windy to sail. … Continue reading Herald has second ‘what we did on our holidays’ report in effort to keep ‘ferry fiasco’ afloat

Intrepid Reporting Scotland investigators were in Dunoon yesterday, called in by a councillor (party not mentioned) to claim no new NHS provision. By today, they’d found a worried local mum and could now claim “Patients across the Cowal Peninsula are struggling to access NHS dental care.” There is, of course, a 44 minute ferry crossing from Dunoon to Gourock, which has been operating its 13 crossings each way, every day, at 100% reliability for some time now. The local authority, Inverclyde says: All local dentists are accepting NHS patients. Please register with a dentist locally from the list below. https://www.inverclyde.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/health-services-health-improvement-wellbeing/dentists … Continue reading ‘Ferry Fiasco’ to be replaced by ‘Dentistry Disaster’ as BBC reveal access for most deprived ‘plummets’ to only 99.9999..%

Under pressure to report on the schism in the Labour Party between its Scottish branch and its leader and, laughably, between the Scottish branch comments in the last few days and its comments only days earlier, BBC Reporting Scotland had a go this morning. They were careful to make sure that they opened with ‘that’s according to research produced for the SNP.’ See what they’re doing with ‘produced for‘ as opposed to the more common ‘commissioned by?’ Anyhow, what matters most is the lack of any independent, credible, research specifically on those families more directly impacted by the cap in … Continue reading SNP policies have blunted the impact of the two child benefit cap Scottish Labour cannot do anything about

On 20 March 2023, in the Scotsman: “I have made clear my belief Scotland’s government should look as much as possible like the people we represent. As well as being the first ever First Minister from a minority ethnic background, I am pleased that a record number of women have agreed to serve, as well as a significant blend of younger and more experienced members. That said, every single appointment has been made on merit.” and Jackie Baillie, the deputy leader of Scottish Labour, said Mr Yousaf had assembled a bunch of “B rate politicians”. https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/humza-yousaf-unveils-full-cabinet-with-majority-of-women-for-first-time-ever-4084220 Nar mirrors in her … Continue reading Feminist charity did not criticise Humza at all