From BBC Scotland, yesterday: Police Scotland: Racism, sexism and homophobia uncovered in review A review of the culture within Police Scotland has uncovered first-hand accounts of racism, sexism and homophobia by serving officers. The review group, set up in 2021, heard instances of people being “punished” for raising concerns. It also heard the force’s efforts to improve its culture are being held back by financial issues and pressure on frontline resources. The initial findings were published in the first of two reports due this year. It comes just weeks after four women spoke to BBC Newsnight about allegations of a “boys club” culture at … Continue reading Relatively little racism, sexism and homophobia in Police Scotland?

This is a true story that won’t make it to BBC Scotland because it’s not about someone being let down by NHS Scotland and by implication, if not direct accusation, the ‘SNP’ Government or ‘Yousaf.’ Six weeks ago, my mother Margaret (92) had a fall and was hospitalised in Kirkcaldy. After four weeks of testing and treatment, she was placed in an assessment ward in Dunfermline. Only days later she was placed in a ‘lovely’ care home, also in the town. The only survivor now of seven siblings, a former textile worker, she told us on day one in hospital, … Continue reading 92 year-old woman ‘didn’t like’ to press nurse call button because ‘they’re too busy’ then is discharged with care package in only days!

By all means read the original BBC Scotland report above, if you feel up to it. You won’t find in it this: or the many forms of support listed here: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.oecd.org/turkiye/48641944.pdf You won’t find this: Turkey is similar to Spain, Poland, Croatia and other European shipbuilding countries, but Turkey is surpassing these countries,” said Vidar Smines, a shipbuilding consultant for Ulstein Group. “Here the value per vessel is higher so Turkey is more important in international shipbuilding than statistics reveal.” However, with 25 deaths in the last 11 months at Tuzla, on the northern shore of the Sea of Marmara, … Continue reading Turkey building four new CalMac ferries ‘on time’ due to massive Turkish government help and lax safety standards

BBC Scotland today is headlining: Deaths on Scotland’s roads highest since 2016. This and other media reports fail to inform the public responsibly. The facts: The total casualty figures for 2022 are the third lowest since records began. The number of fatalities increased by 33, from 141 in 2021 to 174 in 2022. This latest rise follows on from a long-term downward trend. Since 2000, the number of people killed decreased by 47%. Car users had the highest number of casualties in 2022 (3,179), followed by pedestrians (904) and pedal cyclists (478). Compared to last year, pedal cyclist casualties fell … Continue reading Road injuries and deaths stabilise at lowest levels on record

Much is being made of an earlier YouGov poll, still not available for scrutiny, suggesting major SNP Westminster losses. It will be interesting to see how the above today, from IpsosScot, for 15-21 May 2023, is reacted to, if at all. It comes as the latest in a trend suggestion SNP consolidation, perhaps recovery, and Labour stagnation with resulting, at best, minor gains for Labour in 2024: Also, interesting regarding SNP resilience for the future: Continue reading Latest poll suggests recovering SNP will lose few seats as Labour stagnates

From Global Witness yesterday: In March, Shell released its annual country payments, showing that the UK received £15 million in taxes and fees from the company in 2022. This placed the UK 20th out of the 25 countries Shell paid tax to.   That’s 22p per citizen, and 430 times less than Shell paid Norway (£6.3 billion). This despite the fact that Shell doesn’t report any oil production at all in Norway, and only produces 2.5 times more gas in Norway than it does in the UK.   The UK’s windfall tax clearly isn’t working, and is undermined by a series of … Continue reading Why does Shell pay the UK 430 times less tax than it does to Norway?

John Boothman, was moved aside from Head of News in 2015, after bullying Zoe MacDonald, a camerawoman. He was/is married to Susan Deacon, a former Labour MSP and Health Minister at Holyrood and is said to have offered media training to Labour Party wannabe politicians.  Now a regular gammon with the Times, kind of like Macwhirter at the Spectator, here he is today: The SNP could be facing a political graveyard where its seats disappear at next year’s general election. Every Westminster constituency in an area that includes Glasgow and almost all of Lanarkshire is now at risk of becoming a … Continue reading Former BBC Scotland Head of News still punting for Labour with evidence-free prediction of ‘SNP wipeout’

In the Guardian yesterday: A 58-year-old woman died alone curled up in a blanket on the floor of her bedroom as she waited more than five hours for an ambulance. Relatives of Rachel Rose Gibson believe she had a heart attack at her home in Wrexham, north Wales, only a short drive away from a hospital, but died before an ambulance reached her.The Welsh ambulance service said that on the day Gibson died, its crews spent more than 700 hours waiting outside hospitals for patients to be admitted, which meant they could not respond quickly to people needing help. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/may/22/woman-died-home-waiting-over-five-hours-ambulance-wales#:~:text=A%2058%2Dyear%2Dold%20woman,before%20an%20ambulance%20reached%20her. No … Continue reading Welsh Health Secretary not asked about woman who died on floor after waiting over five hours for ambulance

New Scilly ferries?  – in service by 2024, then by 2025 and now a date cannot be given  – and tender not issued yet! By stewartb I see that the Westminster government is soon to convene the second meeting of its ‘Islands Forum’. It will be held on the Isle of Wight on 24–25 May and chaired by Secretary of State Michael Gove. The first meeting took place in Orkney in September last year. Part of the Tories’ so-called ‘Levelling Up’ policy, it’s always seemed to me like a crude  wheeze to by-pass devolved governments and funnel economic development funds … Continue reading Islanders betrayed by Sunak as essential new Scilly Islands ferries have no completion date