Still up on the BBC Cumbria website two days later, the landlord of Carlisle’s Coach & Horses pub seemed more concerned about safety than trade as he awaited ‘customers’ riding a coach and horses through the Scottish Government’s advice to stay at home. On the 31st, the Sun’s predicted 100 000 partygoers crossing the border intrepid reporters had found four lads in Carlisle and three young women in Newcastle. The Sun had the Coach & Horses landlord too and he boldly predicted ‘some.’ This morning the Daily Record had hardish (if you’re daft) evidence: One of the biggest invasions was … Continue reading Carlisle pub owner still waiting for tsunami of thirsty Scots

In the Herald today: SCOTTISH ministers engineered a way round freedom of information law to keep the “killer facts” in their briefings a secret, official archives have revealed. Files released today by the National Records of Scotland show the Labour-Liberal Democrat Executive of 2006 reclassified material with the explicit aim of thwarting FoI requests. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19818949.scottish-ministers-sought-put-killer-facts-reach-freedom-information-law/ Research from 2015, suggests that 8 out of 10 people only read headlines. On that basis, only those who recognise the two Labour politicians, long-retired, and those who make it to the second paragraph will realise that this is not about SNP politicians. Recent FoI requests by the Lib … Continue reading Scottish LABOUR tried to hide ‘killer facts’ from public

He has accepted a CBE in the past but did Jason Leitch turn down a knighthood, obliging them to go to the less prominent (check their wiki pages) Smith? I think I’m right in saying that Leitch has had a far greater presence in the pandemic. I notice, also, that Smith, the Larkhall GP, is only an honorary associate prof and, so, doesn’t use it. I hope Leitch did refuse because the reasons for doing so are obvious. Tony Blair, a war criminal had he been on the losing side, is now Sir Tony Blair. Readers will know of many … Continue reading Did Leitch ‘the bigger presence’ refuse?

In a bizarre report from thousands of miles away in Australia, BBC UK tell us tonight how the state of Victoria acted quickly after the Grenfell disaster and began to remove flammable cladding. They clearly missed a clue in their own August 2021 report into a Glasgow tower block, where despite it having flammable panels, the fire did not spread up the building, was contained on one floor and no one was hurt. Surely that’s intriguing and suggestive of something that might be learned? I’ve explained it many times before. Here it is again: The Chimney Effect As I understand … Continue reading Grenfell: What British politicians might have learned from their Scottish counterparts decades ago

It’s one of those situations where you either laugh or lose it altogether and run off shrieking, shedding your clothes and jumping into the nearest loch. Look at that headline. Scotland’s electricity consumption from renewables – minus net exports – was 98.6%. Two things: First, the UK figure, even benefiting for the Scottish contribution, was 35.9%. The figure for England will be even lower. BBC UK has not commented on this miss. Continue reading 98.6%? What!? Go to your room!

Scotland has reported 11 962 new cases and 13 deaths in the same period as Wales’ record-breaking performance, despite a Labour administration of the type preferred by BBC Scotland. Scotland’s population of 5.44 million is 73.4% greater than that of Wales at 3.14 million. So, all things being equal, might be expected to have nearly 18 000 cases and 18 deaths but had only just under 12 000 cases, 33% fewer, and 13 deaths, 28% fewer. Makes you wonder why that Mark Drakeford is so popular. Continue reading Now Labour Wales surges ahead of Scotland

Scotland has reported 11 962 new cases and 13 deaths in the same period as England’s record-breaking performance enabled by the Johnson regime’s ‘open-house’ policy. Per head, the infection rate is 34% higher and the death rate 37% higher, in England. Savid Javid must be very, very, proud. Cameron McNeish has reported Aviemore full of English folk. Have all the locals gone to Carlisle? LATEST: Dumfries pub-owner tells BBC Scotland: ‘I hope that wee Hitler Nicola Sturgeon is happy!‘ She might be. Continue reading Scotland ‘odd one out’ as cases struggle to keep up with England’s ‘tsunami’

From stewartb It’s really becoming too easy to counter the journalistic output from BBC Scotland. But whilst it’s possible to counter the substance, it’s much, much harder to counter the amplification afforded by the BBC’s reach. On substance, I’d like to add my ‘easy’ tuppence worth. This is from the RAC Foundation’s web site on road spending by national government. We learn that inflation adjusted current road expenditure (i.e. OPEX not CAPEX) by UK ‘Central Government and Public Corporations’ fell from £1,569 billion in 2008/09 to £0.962 billion in 2017/18 before rising to £1,529 billion in 2019/20. What is the … Continue reading ‘More concerned to inform us of the content of a Tory press feed’

Thanks to iamsoccerdoc for sharing these comments, far more punchy than mine, on the above dross from Alan Rodent: iamsoccerdoc: I couldnt resist this dreadful story. Here is the exchange I have had so far on their forum. Note the use of “disgusting” without justification Dr Douglas McKenzie 4 hrs agoUser ID: 1009260What a load of parochial tosh. The reason “national” news outlets haven’t picked it up is because it isn’t the “horror” that Scottish Labour want it to be. Yes, there have been problems but the hospital as a whole is one of the best performing in Scotland. And … Continue reading What the readers thought of the ratty piece on QEUH