From BBC Scotland today: The number of Covid infections in Scotland has fallen slightly in the last week despite a rise across the UK, according to new figures. Last week’s ONS Covid infection survey estimated that about one in 50 people had the virus on any day in the previous week. This was down from one in 45 two weeks earlier. But total infections in the UK have risen by 31%, the biggest percentage jump since June. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63245575 Slightly? From 1 in 50 to 1 in 45, for 5.4 million Scots, is a 9.9% fall in one week, in a downward trend, … Continue reading Covid in Scotland: Infections fall steadily and down 10% in one week but BBC Scotland grudge it

In the Herald today: THE costs of fixing crumbling hospitals in Scotland’s NHS has soared by over £200m in the space of just five years leaving some of Scotland’s busiest hospitals in a ‘high-risk’ state, it can be revealed. Calls are being made for better funding of the service as the cost of fixing the NHS estate has risen by 25%  – despite an SNP government plan to drastically cut  https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23050674.costs-fixing-crumbling-nhs-hospitals-scotland-soars-200m—despite-snp-plan-cut-backlog/ I know Martin Williams is probably not as dim as what follows is going to suggest. No, he is a liar in a tragic effort to keep a job in … Continue reading NHS Scotland maintenance costs only increase by inflation but Herald platforms Scottish Tory sums failure

The above group appeared on Question Time in May 2019. only weeks later, No 3 Jane Lax, joked about Nicola Sturgeon’s miscarriage on Twitter, asked “Is that when she dropped a book?” in response to another Twitter user’s claim that the first minister’s miscarriage was “fictional”. Mrs Lax, who was treasurer of the Moray Conservative Association, then posted three laughing emojis. Three days ago, QT returned to Scotland with a blatantly biased audience. In a country where around 50% support independence, Bruce managed to find eight unionists in a row to ask questions and only one in the audience nodded … Continue reading Question Time, laughing at a woman’s miscarriage and detestable Tories

By Alasdair Galloway A question was posed to me by Gerry Robertson following my “Mona Lott” piece (thanks Gerry for sparking this off) (https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2022/10/12/from-mona-lott/) asking “why has the price cap (if indeed this is a cap at all which seems doubtful) been set at £2500? Much has been reported about other as;pects of this disastrous ‘mini-budget’ but nothing I have seen in the media that this ‘cap’ will almost certainly benefit those disproportionately who live in larger properties (ie the richest in society) and whose normal energy bills would very likely be much higher. Anyone?” The price cap is the … Continue reading The venality of the Truss Government

“Devolution – and the UK’s territorial constitution – is being reshaped” – as Scotland’s parliament, government and voters spectate without agency!  By stewartb It’s been some time since my attention was last drawn to the constitutional significance for Scotland’s parliament and government of the UK Internal Market Act 2020 (UKIMA).  The implications of this Act may still not be appreciated fully by many in Scotland. It is an Act that was passed into law by a Westminster Tory government, the one rejected by majority in Scotland at the ballot box. It was passed into law without the consent of the … Continue reading “Devolution – and the UK’s territorial constitution – is being reshaped”

For two weeks now, data from the UK Government coronavirus dashboard have had the infection rate in Scotland below that in England but higher than that in Wales and Northern Ireland. For that time, BBC Scotland, the Herald and the Scotsman have preferred the ONS estimates keeping the infection level still higher in Scotland. Now the ONS too put the infection rate in Scotland at the lowest in the UK after a surge in the other three nations. Where is the media coverage? See it? Bottom right? Highest in England? See it? Nope. Not in the public interest clearly. In … Continue reading Covid infection rate in Scotland lowest in UK

Today, we see: Glasgow centre is aimed at transforming support for women in custody. A new community custodial unit is set to open in Glasgow, which will change the way women in the justice system are supported in their reintegration back to communities. The Lilias Centre will house up to 24 women and continues Scottish Government’s vision of managing female offenders in a way that better supports their rehabilitation.   The centre marks an ambitious departure from long-standing practice by stepping away from the traditional image of prison, to focus on ‘custody in the community’. Women will be encouraged to … Continue reading Women prisoners: Scotland’s very different approach

In a dramatic poll by People Polling for GB News, with 1 158 respondents on 12 October, it was 42% for Labour and only 13% for the Cons across the UK. The sub-poll of 105 Scots over 18, is the 7th now suggesting no surge for Scottish Labour, with the SNP at 48%, Labour at 19% and the Cons at 12%. Interestingly when you take out the don’t and prefer not to says, the Labour and Con support stays exactly the same but the SNP figure goes up to 63% Source: https://peoplepolling.org/tables/202210_GBN_W41_full.pdf#subsection*.12 Sub-polls have small samples, between 1 and 200, … Continue reading 7th sub-poll has Scottish Labour stuck and SNP at 63%

The Herald’s Health Correspondent tells us: NHS Tayside had the second highest stillbirth rate in the UK during the first year of the pandemic, according to a report which found growing variations in performance between similar maternity units. The annual MBRRACE (Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries) surveillance report on perinatal mortality – neonatal deaths and stillbirths combined – is the most comprehensive evaluation of trends in birth outcomes across the UK. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23045550.tayside-uks-second-highest-stillbirth-rate-2020/ She doesn’t tell us: However, it is important to note that the Vital Events figures for, say, a small area or a small sub-group of … Continue reading Tayside deaths – cherry-picking the news

The Covid 19 mortality rate in Scotland is currently 226.8 deaths per 100K, compared to 298.4 per 100K, 24% lower, than in England. What explains this gap – a better vaccine rollout, better staffed, less infected hospitals, better and more consistent government messaging leading to higher compliance? It’s a doubly remarkable achievement when you consider Scotland’s generally worse health outcomes. At the beginning of April, the gap was narrower, between 255.4 deaths per 100K in England and 210.6 deaths per 100K in Scotland, a gap of 17.5%. Why has the gap widened? I’m not too sure but abandonment of face … Continue reading Four nations Covid 19 mortality gap widens dramatically