By reader Anonymous but too good to be left in the comments: With regard to this BBC headline on vaccinations. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57875256 “Covid in Scotland: Nearly a third of young adults still unvaccinated” 17% of the entire population of Scotland are under 16 and vaccines are not approved for that age group. This means 83% of the entire population of Scotland are eligible for the vaccination. As of yesterday, approximately 73% of the adult population have received their first vaccination. In other words, only 10% of the adult population in Scotland have still to receive their first dose.. Continue reading Only 10% of adult population in Scotland still to get first dose

I, of course, won’t be turning any of their smelly pages to see just who is urging anything. My guess: Anyhow, here’s a thought Tom Martin, want to see and use some facts? Scotland ahead of the rest on the first jag and in second place on the second. Scotland, per head of population, less than half the infection rate of England yesterday and fewer cases than Wales or Northern Ireland, yet with a bigger population than those two. Note, yesterday, that England with 55 million population had almost as many new cases as the whole EU with more than … Continue reading ‘Scottish’ Daily Express urged to get a grip on basic journalism

From BBC Scotland: A rail operator is carrying out a review after it was criticised for not enforcing social distancing rules when trains cross the border from England. People in Scotland should stay 1m from each other in public places but the rule has been lifted down south. London North Eastern Railway (LNER) earlier told customers it was operating “under English guidance“. Transport Scotland said it was “not acceptable” for LNER to “issue inaccurate advice”. Hours later LNER changed its position, saying it was “reviewing its approach” on Anglo-Scottish services and would provide an update in due course. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57893582 What … Continue reading Sturgeon accused of unfair discrimination over 1 metre rule on cross-border trains

I’ve written at some length over the years about the SNP Government’s achievements with progressive policies on taxation and benefits, to counter Tory austerity and, within the constraints of the devolution settlement, make this a less unequal society. You can see them again at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=progressive Today from SNP Media: At least 145,000 school children across Scotland are set to benefit from an increase in the School Clothing Grant announced by the SNP Scottish Government. Research from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) estimates that the £11.8million investment from the Scottish Government in the support means more families will have access … Continue reading Countering Tory austerity: 145 000 school children to benefit from SNP clothing grant

After a weekend-run of three days headlining misrepresentations aimed at undermining the reputation of the ‘SNP Scottish Government’, as their feeder Douglas Ross (14) loves to call it, we’re off with more of the same at 06:27 on Monday. The emergency Louisa Jordan hospital in Glasgow was not required for Covid patients because thanks to the combined efforts of the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland and, of course us, was not needed even at the peak in January. In any honest commentator’s report, how could that be other than a big success leading to praise for all involved? Imagine Scotland had … Continue reading SNP Scottish Government’s pandemic measures so effective emergency facility not required

By stewartb: Are those in Scotland that still use the BBC as a source of news and current affairs information the constant target nowadays of something akin to ‘gaslighting’? Indeed, more generally are we experiencing the political gaslighting of a nation by a dominant, Unionist media? It is arguably so! And the context for this is that many of the people being subjected to putative gaslighting have for over a decade given multiple democratic mandates to govern to one party, the SNP. The objective is to undermine confidence, trust and ultimately electoral support for the SNP and more deeply and … Continue reading BBC Gaslighting Scotland

Today’s Covid infection figures: You know the algorithm. The UK has 12 times the population. If, Scotland had the same infection rate we’d have nearly 5 000 cases. Lord George Foulkes has accused Humza Yousaf of doing a good job on purpose. Continue reading UK infection level surges to nearly THREE times that in Scotland

At 49 per 100 000 compared to 69, the infection level in Scotland is little more than half that in England. From the ‘Covid capital of Europe’ to the second lowest in the UK and well below the Netherlands too, the infection level in Wales may soon pus us into last place. Though BBC Scotland prefers still say infection levels are climbing across the UK, they have now been falling in Scotland for 13 days. Might that be a trend, Sarah Smith? Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has been widely praised for this achievement and his intelligent agreement with the closure … Continue reading Humza Yousef praised as infection levels plummet to third in UK

Today it’s the deliberate foregrounding one selected statistic that can be made negative and imply failure by the Health Secretary but, crucially, no context to help you see if it really is bad or not. Yesterday, it was this platform for the Tories to misrepresent the closure of a mass vaccination centre, imply incompetence in the Health Secretary, stitch-up of Prof Bauld and ignore the move toward the same decentralised mobile centres announced by the UK Vaccines Minister days before. The day before, it was one family’s tragedy presented as cruelty by the Health Secretary and, once more, ignore the … Continue reading Three in a row! BBC Scotland’s tireless efforts to make you doubt the ‘SNP Scottish Government’