From cuckooshoe Regardless of whether the army’s help is needed, why does the BBC give the same story different treatments depending on which part of the UK people live in? Here, BBC Scotland’s website tonight ran with the headline – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-59531315 “Hundreds of people face second weekend without power” The article says.. “Hundreds of households across Scotland are beginning a second weekend without power after Storm Arwen. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said that as of 17:30 about 350 customers, either single properties or small rural groups of homes, were still without power.” Meanwhile, the BBC, England, Local News, … Continue reading Why does the BBC give the same story different treatments?

I understand how your energy levels can dip as you age, all-too-well, but a well-paid writer jumping on the bandwagon, with several other old guys in the Tory press, of Alex Salmond’s odd suggestion that the FM is the Margaret Thatcher of Scotland’s oil, suggests a tired mix of cynicism with his usual dash of misogyny . Try Googling ‘Macwhirter Sturgeon’ and get 60 300 hits but, with Sarwar, only 13 400. Ross doesn’t work because there’s a Ross Macwhirter. I know corporate hacks have to stretch things to trick readers into clicking or buying, but there’s a bit of … Continue reading Journalism no more. Is Iain Macwhirter the Neil Oliver of Scottish News?

MINISTERS have been accused of bringing in its (sic) ‘snooper’s charter’ under the radar as it emerged that its (sic) controversial and sexually explicit health and well-being census for children is not totally confidential. While local authority messaging to parents has been that the survey is anonymous and is “for research purposes only”, the Herald on Sunday has seen (snooped) privacy documents over (sic) the scheme that show that local authorities can act on behalf of children if any answers raise concerns. https://www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/19762206.new-snoopers-charter-scots-ministers-sex-census-kids-not-confidential/ Leaving aside the deep irony in professional snoopers accusing others of snooping, the Herald joins the attack on an … Continue reading What if they reveal abuse or suicidal intentions?

The British Army helping locals hit by power cuts. Why is only one wearing a face mask? A very few of us have seen soldiers delivering the vaccine or driving ambulances on non-emergencies. You might even have witnessed one of the two who crashed the unfamiliar vehicles. The British Army pointing at something to help locals. You won’t have seen any soldier shimmying up a pole and reconnecting folk to the grid, despite the fact that the UK has 4 000 in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers regiment. In the US, you’ve more chance of seeing them doing something … Continue reading Third Tory publicity stunt hopefully fooling no one

Strangely leaping at apparent good news on infection levels, the Herald doesn’t seem to have noticed the asterisk and the comment telling us that the UK Government’s labs are not keeping up, even on a weekday, so that 1 200 fall seems unlikely to hold. From the Scottish Government More encouraging and secure is the figure of 605 in hospital and 50 in ICU. That’s the lowest admissions level since August 31st when there were 585 and confirmation of ICU levels across the whole of Scotland at around 50 compared to 100 in mid-September. Other good news not much reported, … Continue reading Covid update: Hospital admissions lowest since August and UK labs fail to keep up

There’s not a word of criticism of NHS Wales nor, for that matter, of the Labour Government in Wales, presumably responsible for managing NHS Wales, for its staffing and other resources. Whose to blame? The public of course. But in Scotland: In quite a reserved account, with the BMA onside and no rants from Ross or Alex C Hamilton but only from Scottish Labour, once again revealing her contrast with that nice Mark Drakeford: Scottish Labour’s health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie added: “The health secretary is detached from reality if he thinks the biggest problem here is crowds of people desperate … Continue reading BBC Wales has no time for the likes of Jackie Baillie

So, with the Conservative Government’s approval as it worries about meeting its target of giving a booster to all adults by the end of January 2022, NHS England tells doctors they can defer ‘some services’ and get on with the jabbing There’s not a word from any opposition politician, nor from a patient worried about his cases. As for the BMA, regular critics of the Scottish Government: Dr Farah Jameel, the GP committee chair of the British Medical Association, said the measures would release GPs from “filling out paperwork” and chasing “unnecessary” and often “undeliverable” targets. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59528615 Imagine if the … Continue reading Starmer not claiming that patients are dying now?

From Alasdair Galloway: There is a particularly interesting blog post by Calton Jock this morning, discussing the “velvet divorce” in what used to be Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia:  https://caltonjock.com/…/independence-whitehall…/ ) Comparing this to the situation in the UK just now, he concludes “If Czechs and Slovaks were able to separate in six months, surely Westminster and Holyrood can find a way to extract one the other in a similar time period?” The answer to that is “yes, well I suppose they could”. The problem is would they? For one thing the Westminster government is desperately trying to shoe … Continue reading Is a ‘Velvet Divorce’ possible here?

Apparently in the UK, not in an independent Scotland, Mr Murray! By stewartb Alerts today to articles in two left-leaning publications brought to mind something written recently by arch Better Togetherist, Ian Murray MP. It was his list of ten questions about Scotland’s independent future to which Mr Murray needed answers! As an aside: he was evidently failing – and unwilling – to undertake the most basic consideration for himself (or on behalf of his constituents) of the obvious options available to an independent Scotland, as they are to other normal independent nation-states. And by implication he seemed, oddly, to … Continue reading Citizenship in jeopardy?

Soldiers arrive 7 days after Storm Arwen and less than 24 hours before power is re-connected on Friday. They’re allegedly there to focus on welfare checks in communities still badly affected. 7 days? Don’t they have a rapid reaction force. What will they actually do in a ‘welfare check?’ Anything? Make a report to their commanding officer tomorrow just as the power comes back on? Have they been issued with non-slip footwear so they don’t get hurt and ambulances have to be called out? Why at 6pm on Thursday, have they no photos of them actually doing something? Is this … Continue reading Packing up their old kit bags after arriving too late?