By stewartb – a long read This is the third (and final for now) blog post on the findings of an ongoing Review of the UK Constitution by the Institute for Government (IfG) and Bennett Institute for Public Policy’s (University of Cambridge) Source: Jack et al (2022) A framework for reviewing the UK constitution. Institute for Government report 50pp. (https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/framework-reviewing-uk-constitution.pdf ) The aim of the Review is to examine the purpose of constitutions; to assess how the UK constitution fulfils that purpose; to highlight problems with the UK’s constitution that are now being revealed; and to offer views on whether … Continue reading The UK constitution – leaves devolution ‘vulnerable to the whim’ of Westminster!

From the Herald today: SNP ministers have been accused of stretching the Scottish education system “beyond breaking point” after statistics revealed that one in six secondary schools have a pupil roll greater than 100% capacity. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/23636498.high-schools-beyond-breaking-point-one-six-full-capacity/ Who is the ‘accuser’ ignoring the fact that local authorities are directly responsible for the above ‘problem?’ Oh, it’s Liam Kerr MSP Con. Imagine the same schools had a bit more space? What would Kerr be saying then? ‘SNP wasting taxpayers’ money on empty classrooms!’ The article by David Bols is just another opposition party press release and should be condemned as such. Finally, Bols tells … Continue reading Scottish high schools capacity ‘well-judged’ as only one in six at full capacity

Service chaos again? After a long period with between 95% and 98% of sailings on time, Calmac has dipped in the last 5 days to between 84% and 88%. This puts it, for the moment, with Ryanair on around 88% this year but still better that Brittany Ferries with 1 out of 8 cancelled and another late today. Returning to the Herald headlining ferries again and again, story. The MV Loch Frisa, bottom, is only one of 2 ferries to Mull and the other has been making around 20 sailings every day, on time, for some time now. Similarly there … Continue reading Two paracetamol should do?

A quick reminder of the facts before looking at the above, by the Herald’s Helen McArdle: From Public Health Scotland yesterday: During May 2023, there were 24,125 operations planned to take place across NHS Scotland. This represents an increase of 21.6% compared to the 19,840 planned for April 2023 and is 10.2% higher than the number planned a year previously in May 2022 (21,895)….475 (2%) were cancelled by the hospital due to capacity or non-clinical reasons. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancelled-planned-operations/cancelled-planned-operations-month-ending-31-may-2023 Here’s a key extract from the Herald front page: Let’s be clear about that ‘500’ in the headline. 475 procedures were postponed due … Continue reading Herald’s shameful distortion of surgery facts, in Scotland’s 98% NHS, will scare the elderly and vulnerable

By cuckooshoe We know prior to the Treaty of Union, Orkney and Shetland were Crown Dependencies of Scotland. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1669_Act_for_annexation_of_Orkney_and_Shetland_to_the_Crown “The 1669 Act of Annexation was a Parliamentary Act passed by the Parliament of Scotland to establish Orkney and Shetland’s status as Crown Dependencies following a legal dispute with William Douglas, 9th Earl of Morton, who held the estates of Orkney and Shetland.” And https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/england-scotland-and-treaty-union-1706-08 “The finalized ‘Articles of Union’ were signed at Whitehall on 22 July 1706 and formally presented to Queen Anne the following day. They were considered by the Scottish Parliament during October 1706-January 1707, and an Act … Continue reading Does Orkney and/or Shetland becoming Crown Dependencies (again) pave the way for an end to the Act of Union?

Orkney Island Council have launched a debate into the constitutional status of its territory. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001nl7p/the-nine-03072023 On BBC Scotland’s Nine last night, council leader James Stockan, Member of the British Empire, was interviewed and told us that a ‘vox pop‘ along the street found support for ‘alternatives.’ The MBE and its significance for this issue was not mentioned. The vox pop was allowed to stand unchallenged despite the last census in 2011, indicating that the share of people in Orkney who said they identified as Scottish only was exactly the same as the national average, 62.4%.  He also mentioned ferries but … Continue reading Shock as historians discover Orkney joined the UK 182 years before it even existed!

From Public Health Scotland today: During May 2023, there were 24,125 operations planned to take place across NHSScotland. This represents an increase of 21.6% compared to the 19,840 planned for April 2023 and is 10.2% higher than the number planned a year previously in May 2022 (21,895)….475 (2%) were cancelled by the hospital due to capacity or non-clinical reasons. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancelled-planned-operations/cancelled-planned-operations-month-ending-31-may-2023/ This is stunning, headline news, but it just doesn’t fit with ‘our’ MSM agenda, obsessed with ferries and laughable stories of Orkney leaving the UK. Continue reading Massive, 22% increase in operations carried out, in one month, highest since pandemic yet BBC Scotland ignores it

The MSM is awash with gleeful tales of Orkney seceding from Scotland, regardless of actual evidence that more than 60% identify as Scottish only. I’m just waiting until someone finds evidence that Norwegian ferries are more reliable. I can’t find any. Maybe they don’t have to publish data daily like CalMac? I can find however: Norwegian authorities are warning shipowners and operators about the dangers associated with lithium-ion battery systems after a fire and subsequent gas explosion on board a diesel-electric ferry in Norway. The small fire was reported October 10 in the battery room of the Norled passenger ferry MF Ytterøyningen. … Continue reading Orcadians should think twice about unmanned overturning or burning Norwegian ferries