From the Scottish Government statistics section today: The proportion of schools reported as being in good or satisfactory condition has increased to 90.2% (89.9% in 2020). This is 29 percentage points higher than in April 2007 (61.1%). The publication of ‘School Estates Statistics 2021’ by Scotland’s Chief Statistician also showed that the proportion of pupils educated in schools in “poor” or “bad” condition has decreased from 36.6% of all pupils (around 257,000) in 2007 to 8.4% of all pupils (around 59,000) in 2021. Since 2007-08, 1,000 schools have been built or substantially refurbished (includes those with cost of at least … Continue reading Massive improvement in schools under SNP

It’s been a while since Scotland in Union activist and expert on bacterial outbreaks in Lanarkshire has been the go-to-guy for advice in managing a viral outbreak on Scotland’s MSM. Profs Sridhar and Bauld had largely replaced him but like the undead he’s back with his first idea to help the SNP do better since his expertise was last revealed: In the Herald today: Tests which detect Covid-19 before symptoms develop should be used to track flu cases, a leading microbiologist has claimed. Professor Hugh Pennington’s made the call amid warnings of a surge in cases this winter and higher death rates.  https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/19562689.covid-tests-track-flu-amid-cases-surge-warning/ Leading bacteriologist? … Continue reading Pennington returns to muddy the waters

In the Herald today: Democracy is about empowering people. It’s a collective public choice, made of millions of voices. But what happens if one person’s voice can be stifled, silenced or even stolen? Why should a criminal have two votes, having stolen one from someone else? Currently, you need only say your name and address at the polling station to vote. This Victorian test can easily be faked, leaving the potential for a person to cast someone else’s vote. This kind of fraud is difficult to identify but it is not a victimless crime. It happened this year, in the Holyrood … Continue reading Herald allows hidden Tory minister platform to defend discrimination

From SNP Media: Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has been challenged to oppose plans by the UK Government to scrap free prescriptions in England for those aged 60-65. He and his Scottish Tory colleagues face a dilemma as they support free prescriptions in Scotland. In 2017, the Scottish Tories dropped their opposition to free prescriptions in Scotland as there was ‘a large amount of support for the policy’. Consultation on the plans to raise eligibility for free prescriptions have come to a close this week and Douglas Ross is being urged to oppose the plans and ensure that older people do not have to … Continue reading Douglas Ross challenged to oppose plans to scrap free prescriptions in England

WARNING: DAFT POST: Serious readers should avoid. I stand, above, with my foot half-in in the sacred, foot-shaped, hollow in the ancient hillfort capital of the Scots/Gaels, Dunadd, Argyll but, like one of the ugly sisters, my plates of meat are too big. Nevertheless, after consulting the PM, at that moment, last Saturday, I became High Chieftain and King of the Scots/Gaels and, of course, any migrants making their home here, as per the words of my First Minister. Oh, yes, and the English-born too! Even Essex! I claim this title on the basis of putting my foot in it, … Continue reading Cinderella meets Dál Riata

Yesterday, BBC UK/England and BBC Wales told us that bin collections were due to driver shortages and even mentioned Brexit in the text if not in the headlines. BBC Scotland made no mention of a bin collection problem. You feel sure that if at least one relative or friend of any opposition politician speaks to their bin operatives, they’d have something to suggest it’s bad here too and that the SNP bin minister should resign. Today, it’s the flu jabs (sic) delayed because the HGV drivers have gone home to somewhere in the EU. Labour’s shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth … Continue reading First bin collection, now flu jabs delayed by Brexit, but not in Scotland?

Leaving aside the obvious criticism of a newspaper attempting to scare its readers with what is explicitly a ‘worst case scenario’, by definition unlikely, as opposed to informing them usefully on what might actually happen in their lives, this is shoddy journalism, devoid of data which they might use to make sense of the situation. The infection rate has been flat for 6 days now at around 6 000 new cases every day and with most of these among the younger age groups. A fall seems imminent Hospital admissions went up 24 to 653 yesterday. The idea that this could … Continue reading Herald reporting could not get worse even in ‘worst case scenario’

Four times in the above, BBC Wales link driver shortages and bin collection delays to Brexit but baulk at putting it in the headline. BBC England/UK only mention it once, but still bravely do. They too fear making too explicit a causal link: BBC Scotland? Are there no bin delays here? Should we be praising Sturgeon for that? Scottish Sun today:: THAT’S RUBBISH: List of 18 areas hit by bin collection delays due to the lorry driver shortage Only one in Scotland – Dundee. Who is the SNP bin collection minister? They mustn’t go? Continue reading Bin delays in England and Wales blamed on Brexit!

It’s glowing in the header after I highlighted it but this BBC Business story needed my insertion of that word in the headline. To be fair, it comes up twice in the text and several of the sentences related to it? However, some councils are also delaying recycling collections in order to prioritise general waste. It comes as three councils in Devon wrote to Home Secretary Priti Patel on Thursday, asking for the government to grant temporary visas for trained European HGV drivers to ease the shortage. The UK currently has a shortfall of about 100,000 HGV drivers, after many … Continue reading Bin collection delays almost linked to Brexit!

From SNP Media: SNP MP Patricia Gibson has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions calling on the UK government to urgently investigate and address ongoing delays in State Pension payments. In a letter to Therese Coffey, the MP for North Ayrshire and Arran highlighted cases of constituents who have still to receive their pension payments over a month after reaching their State Pension age. Pensioner poverty has recently risen to a 15-year high of 18%, meaning that around 2.1 million pensioners across the UK are now living in poverty – with the State Pension the most important source of income for … Continue reading Coffey’s incompetence worsens pensioner poverty with pension delays