In the Herald today, by Tom Gordon: The ‘think-tank’ in question, presented as independent, is headed up by former Labour leader, Lord Jack MacConnell, regular media critic of the SNP and Scottish Government, journalist Chris Deerin and, as research director, by Alison Payne. There are no credible researchers at that level nor on the wider team. We were here in February 2022 when I wrote: Reform Scotland, like most right-wing, unionist, so-called think tanks is keen to project itself as somehow independent or non-partisan. Any social science student will tell you there’s no such thing but Reform Scotland is an easier target … Continue reading With Lord McConnell, Chris Deerin and that Reporting Scotland ‘mum’, this tank does not think

European collaboration and the Scottish research base – scares in 2014 and risks in 2022. By stewartb – a long read The fall-out from Brexit, including the UK government’s position on the NI Protocol, is impacting research and innovation in the UK. Presently, UK-based scientists are unable to  join the EU’s €95 billion Horizon Europe research programme because of the dispute over trade in Northern Ireland. ‘Associate membership’ of Horizon Europe – a formal status available to non-EU member states – was agreed in principle during negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU: this is now on hold. The … Continue reading Scotland’s research-base at risk of exclusion from Horizon Europe

That’s what this charity rep seems to be telling Reporting Scotland’ Connor Gillies. Gillies is already a master of reporting tales of economic hardship with diddley in the way of facts or context. There is no mention of Brexit and the claims then of Conservatives that it would mean cheaper food. Crucially there is no mention of Scottish Government efforts to moderate this crisis and the facts that demonstrate some success in that. I repeat myself I know but just in case, see these: Child poverty in Scotland is at half the rate of England. Why? Two reasons. More affordable … Continue reading Are teachers really struggling to put food on the table?

in ‘alternative parts of the country. This, from BBC 1 at 06:15am today, might be just another piece of Anglocentric reporting whereby the ‘country’ is England but with far more staff and beds per head of population, watch out for stories like the one below, from June 2022, being studiously ignored by Scotland’s MSM as they continue their preferred narrative of a crisis in NHS Scotland. Continue reading Is ‘overstretched’ NHS Scotland to be an ‘alternative part of the country’ for English patients?

By Alasdair Galloway Most commentators are of the view that if Nicola Sturgeon asks Boris Johnson for another S30 Order – precedent being the Edinburgh Agreement – the answer will be some variation of “No”, “Not now”, “Now is not the time” or “I see no demand for another referendum”. Or put short – NAW. At the same time, Nicola has made clear that a referendum must be “legal”. Interestingly, DRoss has made clear that his side would not participate in one that was illegal (does that leave him enough wriggle room, or is “illegal” the same as “not legal? … Continue reading How will Plan B B?

I try not to read Writer at Large, Neil Mackay, but that headline sneakily telling those who pay attention that he didn’t say that but that he’d like to suggest it’s actually true, needs a rebuttal. He even writes: What do those supposed UK data, almost certainly England & Wales data, have to do with an article clearly headlined as being about Scotland? Shoddy, lazy, dishonest? How about some facts? Cases reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20, show a statistically insignificant increase in hate crimes relating to sexual orientation . We don’t … Continue reading Neil Mackay’s big fib on homophobia in Scotland

In January 2021, as Anas Sarwar ran for leadership of the Scottish Labour branch, the shocking story below in the Daily Record, triggered no call for him to stand down. We’re talking about a convicted paedophile here. But, in Westminster, the Patrick Grady case, where no crime was committed, leads to a chorus of calls for the SNP leader at Westminster to go and to an endless media feeding-frenzy, days after it was closed. Continue reading Scottish Labour’s dark funding

Today, in the Herald we see the other side to Murdo Fraser’s trumpeting of a yard getting the maintenance contract for a ship they built. Isn’t that just normal? They surely know best how to maintain something they know so much about? More revealing but not likely to get tweeted by any Scottish cons, is this: Continue reading MoD ‘Bonanza’ for foreign businesses: The myth of UK Government support for Scottish defence work

By stewartb Conscious of being too ill-informed, I have just read through the formal case reports of the Westminster Parliament’s independent expert panels investigating complaints against, separately the SNP MPs Patrick Grady and Patricia Gibson. My immediate reaction? How is it possible that so little of what is evidenced and so little of the panels’ carefully considered judgements have appeared in media reporting? On second thoughts, of course I do know! I provide links to the two reports: I would encourage a quick read. If you have been relying only on corporate media, BBC and opposition politicians’ comments to inform … Continue reading ‘SNP sex scandals’: So little of the panels’ carefully considered judgements have appeared in media reporting

Why is Nicola Sturgeon in that insert, above? She is not quoted in the article. The Transport Secretary is not quoted either, nor is she the CE of Transport Scotland: So, an official might have suggested scaling back landings but we do noy, even for that official, have a quotable proposal. Returning to the First Minister being pictured as some how responsible for the words, perhaps, of an official in an ‘arms-length’ agency responsible to a department for which she has no day-to-day or tactical role in, this is demonising whereby the views of many are conflated with one high-profile … Continue reading Revealed: ‘Demon’ Sturgeon not Transport Scotland official , not even Transport Secretary