Making her fifth appearance in a Herald headline story as the face of the industrial action on the rails, the First Minister is used to help the once-half decent rag win the 2022 Misrepresentation of the Facts award. That headline is very special in its combined stupidity and mendacity. Who, in their right mind, thought you might have an immediate return to normality? Who has ever suggested there could be? It’s just another sad ‘ah but‘ from these masters of the Scottish Cringe and another desperately lazy attempt to blame the FM while ignoring the roles of the UK unions … Continue reading Five times wrong

We see regularly, on BBC Scotland, that Scotland has the most drug deaths in Europe or the most Covid cases or, today: ‘Scottish bank branch closures highest in UK‘ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-62120998 As you know, we never hear that our A&E service is the best in the UK, that we have more hospital beds and nurses than the others or that crime is far lower than in England & Wales. Today, BBC Scotland tells us that Aslef have settled their dispute with Scotrail but use the opportunity only to repeat the tales of football and music fans inconvenienced and tell us nothing … Continue reading Comparing Scotland with England but only when it hurts Scotland’s image of itself

By stewartb Smaller Western democracies have been demonstrating once again their capacity, capability and willingness to make substantial contributions to the international community. This time it is in supporting Ukraine following the Russian invasion. Governments of different countries are opting to make distinctive contributions, in type and scale. Decisions are being taken in accordance with longstanding close alignments or otherwise with major powers or multi-national alliances; the size of domestic economies; the nature of domestic military capability; perceived future threat to national security; and also basic principles and values.  No doubt contributions may also have been influenced by immediate, domestic … Continue reading Smaller European countries and their support for Ukraine

By stewartb As we spectate, before our eyes attempts to suppress democracy in Scotland is playing out. And the perpetrators are not just the Tories: they now include the British Labour & Unionist Party. Two British/English nationalist parties are now in lock-step. In a recent speech to the Centre for European Reform, Keir Starmer stated: “So let me be very clear. Under Labour, Britain will not go back into the EU. We will not be joining the single market. We will not be joining a customs union.” He reasons that such moves would sow further division in Britain. Further division? … Continue reading The New Suppressionists – the British Labour & Unionist Party’s vow to Scotland

Agency leads to distinctive choices: the case of tax systems in ‘normal’ European nation-states By stewartb – a long read As we in Scotland spectate, Tory hopefuls to be our next Prime Minister are putting tax policy front and centre in their campaigns. I fear the fall-out for Scotland’s public finances from what the Tory Party eventually decides is best for us. I suspect that too many in Scotland – perhaps especially those hesitant about independence – fail to appreciate fully the options that having the agency of an independent nation-states brings. This is especially important when making big choices … Continue reading Scotland and tax: ‘Normality’ is ability to make different choices

The Herald’s Health Correspondent, once more, tries to dig up a scare story but bases it on her usual misrepresentation of statistics. The above graph does show an increase in callouts but the claim: is spurious. First, the 2022 data so far, suggest a plateau and not an ongoing increase, in callouts. Second the evidence of actual harm is statistically insignificant. We are told that the number of the most urgent cases where the response time took more than 60 minutes had climbed from 5 per year in 2018-2020 to 22 last year. Oooh four times as many? Yes, but … Continue reading Scottish ambulances saving ever more lives

From Public Health Scotland: Number of people delayed At the May 2022 census point, there were 1,690 people delayed. This is a decrease of 5% compared to the April 2022 census point when 1,780 people were delayed. Length of delay at census point Of those delayed at the May 2022 census point, the average (median) length of delay was 21 days, this compares to 22 days in April 2022 (a decrease of 5%). Average number of beds occupied per dayIn May 2022, the average number of beds occupied per day due to delayed discharges was 1,707. This is a decrease … Continue reading Delayed hospital discharges fall to free up beds

From Public Health Scotland: The total number of planned operations across NHSScotland during May 2022 was 21,895. This represents an increase of 19% from 18,392 in April 2022 and is 9% higher than the number planned in May 2021. Of all planned operations during May 2022, 667 (3.0%) were cancelled by the hospital based on clinical reasons, 483 (2.2%) were cancelled by the hospital due to capacity or non-clinical reasons, 665 (3.0%) were cancelled by the patient and 96 (0.4%) were cancelled due to other reasons. The rate of cancellations by patients has returned to pre-pandemic levels. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancelled-planned-operations/cancelled-planned-operations-month-ending-31-may-2022/ Only those … Continue reading NHS Scotland is able to perform 97% of operations as planned

As BBC Scotland dwell on Scotland’s higher Covid infection rate, the good news above is ignored. Despite soaring attendances, from 122 000 in April 22 to 138 000 in May 22, NHS Scotland’s A&E departments treated 73% within 4 hours, up from 72.1% in April and 71.6% in March. NHS England only managed 60.2% in 4 hours, in the same month and the former PM’s local Hillingdon trust only managed 49.8%, slightly ahead of the average performance in Rwanda. Sources: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/ae-activity-and-waiting-times/ae-activity-and-waiting-times-month-ending-31-may-2022/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2022-23/ Continue reading Scotland’s A&E performance improves for second month and is best in UK by some way

By stewartbPresently, the main public policy levers capable of altering substantially the nature of Scotland’s economy – and the nature of its tax base – reside with Westminster governments. By far the largest element of recurrent and capital spending by public bodies across the UK has been controlled by Tory politicians for over a decade. Given the model of dependency on Westminster and its spending decisions – operated via the Barnett Formula – it is always relevant to reflect on authoritative accounts of trends in spending in England on those public services that are devolved. A spending decision may be … Continue reading Austerity-hit education – decisions in Westminster, consequences in Scotland!