I’m still aching from reading their plans to build affordable homes. What next, a 12.5% pay rise just for Scottish nurses? I know they’ve taken Ross off the campaign leaflets. Will they take the party name off too, like Jackie Baillie did with Labour? Do they think some voters might believe they’re not like the UK Tories? See this from the Guardian and Labour before they became Blairites again: The Conservative party’s record on tackling the climate crisis has been condemned by leading scientists and former government advisers, as the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, warned that the forthcoming election was the … Continue reading Stop it! My ribs hurt!

In the early hours, the Scotsman tells us that there is a demand for mass regular testing in Scotland. Oooh, where is this demand coming from? Is it the people? The source doesn’t make it to the front page so I can’t see who it is. Do I care enough to find out? No. Anas Sarwar? As if by magic, the demand makes its way to headline on Reporting Scotland at 1pm: And, twice weekly coronavirus tests will be offered to people in England – will the same happen here? Oooh, again! They get everything, like that ‘Operation Moonshot‘ mass … Continue reading Reporting Scotland and Scotsman promote testing that fails more than half the time to suggest SNP is failing to follow England’s lead

Reflecting on the current media reports of infighting among the three pro-Indy parties, I thought there might be lessons from the recent past or from elsewhere for the current crop in Scotland. I knew, of course, that on the way to Irish independence, only 100 years ago, that pro-independence groups had fought a bloody civil conflict among themselves, putting the Sturgeon/Salmond spat into a bit of perspective. In Catalonia, there are four pro-independence parties and splits between them have weakened support. Although collectively they won 51% of the vote in the 2021 regional elections, only 53% of the electorate turned … Continue reading 99.95% for Yes (Ja): Lessons from the past for Scotland’s Indy infighters

Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Alistair Campbell and almost every member of the UK Parliament of 2003 are deeply complicit, forever marked, by the deaths of hundreds of thousands of women and children. They ‘did’ that, above. RAF pilots on their orders, did that. David Cameron and Theresa May are likewise guilty of responsibility for mass deaths in Libya and Syria. Alex Salmond, more than any other political leader in the UK, stood against those conflicts. He marched and spoke, in the heart of the Empire. He then attempted to have Tony Blair tried as the war criminal he surely is. … Continue reading Alex Salmond is still a hero

The missing word game. Play it. It’s easy. All you have to do is put the following words in the correct spaces in this BBC Scotland report, below. Leonard former Scottish leader wife Richard of Labour the The GMB union has recommended its NHS and Scottish Ambulance Service members vote to reject the Scottish government’s 4% pay offer. The proposal will affect 154,000 staff including nurses, porters and health care support workers. Unison and Unite have put the offer to members without recommendation, while the RCN is considering its position. Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said the proposal recognised the “service and dedication” … Continue reading Put these words in the right order: Leonard former Scottish leader wife Richard of

I fully agree that we should stick to the rules but can we not hear a wee bit of good news to encourage us? The Herald’s lack of context would have you think: ‘THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY THREE, OH NO!’ But, hey that’s the lowest since the end of September 2020, SIX MONTHS AGO! And in hospitals, only 215, the lowest since October 4th 2020, 5 months ago. Continue reading Infections at lowest level since September 28th

Today’s Panelbase/Sunday Times poll suggests an overall majority of 1 for the SNP but a pro-independence ‘super-majority of 29. Support for the new Alba Party at 6% is double that reported in the Survation/Courier poll which allegedly completed its field work only one day earlier, on the 30th March. From the Times (data tables are not yet published): Today’s poll of 1,009 adults on March 30-April 1 puts the SNP on 49 per cent in the constituency vote (+2 since last month), with the Tories on 22 per cent (-1), Labour unchanged on 20, the Lib Dems on 6 per … Continue reading Latest poll: Overall SNP majority, Sarwar disappoints and support for Alba doubles in 1 day

It’s been some time since I reported good news for the economy but, in the wake of the LSE report suggesting optimism for the Scottish economy after independence: Here is the LSE report they don’t want you to read This more immediate evidence from KPMG is encouraging. In Insider today: As the anniversary of the first Covid-19 lockdown has passed and the rollout of the vaccine programme provides a brighter outlook, it is clear that Scottish businesses have also entered a new phase. Evidence from the Insider/KPMG Business Ambitions 2021 Survey suggests companies have indeed turned a corner in terms of sentiment. … Continue reading 90% of Scottish businesses either plan to hire more or maintain staff levels

There’s so much more to be said about today’s Covid figure’s but the Herald offers you that? Have you been usefully informed? How do you feel? Still anxious? Feel like tasking out a subscription? Often we see no Covid deaths on a Sunday or a Monday because registration offices are shut on Saturdays and Sundays but no deaths reported on a Saturday means there were no deaths on a day when they were open. That’s the best news we’ve had for some time and the Herald misses it. 400 new cases? Sounds a lot. Is it? Well it’s down on … Continue reading What a relief, no deaths on a Friday for the first time since September 11th 2020

I’m grateful to JD for tracking this down: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/scottish-independence-cost/ While Scottish independence would have immediate economic costs, history suggests there are long-term benefits By contrasting Scotland and England to the Slovak Republic and Czech Republic’s ‘Velvet Divorce’, Richard Mackenzie-Gray Scott and Geoffrey Chapman suggest that an independent Scotland will continue growing real GDP per capita despite higher trade costs. ================================ In light of the ongoing challenges facing the UK, the idea of Scottish independence seems unpalatable to many, but the news implies strong support. The Scottish government has recently published draft legislation for the holding of another referendum. Numerous polls … Continue reading Here is the LSE report they don’t want you to read