By Gordon The mature students (20%+) are never included in the figures. There would be no attainment gap. 30% pupils from school. 20%+ mature students. Life long learning. People get another chance. 50% of the population have a university education. One of the highest in the world. One of the first countries to have tertiary education. Scotland has one of the best education system in the world. 15 universities pop 5.5million. Ability to learn not ability to pay. Loans, grants and support. More for those of lower household incomes. Colleges and apprenticeships. Most pupils take advantage of these facilities and … Continue reading Scotland has one of the best education systems in the world

Gerry Hassan has tweeted with mastery of understatement on Sarah Smith’s latest reveal: The spin of @BBC Scotland Editor Sarah Smith on the independent #HamiltonReport completely clearing Nicola Sturgeon saying this “will allow her to claim she has been vindicated.” Not a good look from the BBC or Smith. Mean, grudging, foul-smelling, I’d say. Anyhow, I make this the 7th offence in just over a year. She keeps sort of apologising, PQ colleagues say she’s being bullied by the Nats, and she goes on to do it again. Here are my previous six best: I’m grateful to https://twitter.com/PWMartin_Leith for some of these … Continue reading Sarah Smith: 7 sneaky reveals but still not out

Allan Little on BBC Newsnight last night, suggested: ‘But there is little doubt that an affair that began with allegations of sexual misconduct by as powerful man has had the effect of damaging a female head of government who had been enjoying unusually high levels of public trust and approval. There’s a special anguish in this for long-term campaigners. The bitter feud between the two outstanding figures in Scottish politics gathered momentum at a time when support for independence had been surging to new highs sustained over many months, it’s now fallen back. A few weeks ago, polls were showing … Continue reading Newsnight Journalism: Sticking to the ‘story’ regardless of the facts

In the controversy over the conduct of the First Minister, who might know what they’re talking about: For the prosecution: Douglas Ross: ‘went to agricultural college in Ayrshire’ ‘qualified to collect sperm from bulls’ No mention of formal qualifications or class of award. Margaret Mitchell: Law degree and PG qualification in law but no apparent practical experience other than as JP. Performance in the committee suggests why. Alex Cole Hamilton: Degree in politics and international relations, no class mentioned so not a good one. Jackie Baillie: Educated at St Anne’s School, Windermere before ‘studying at’ Cumbernauld College and the University of Strathclyde.  No titles or … Continue reading Who here is qualified to talk about legal breaches, not breeches, that’s Douglas

Doug Marr, have I read anything by him? In a wee special he gets to forecast what will be big in 2021 and offers: In political terms, the virtual implosion of the SNP will have huge ramifications for Holyrood and the independence movement in particular. What a classic out-of-touch-with reality, in-the-bubble quote. He’s got to be joking. He’s not. He needs to get out more. He needs to read more. Has he not seen the last two polls and especially the Herald one today giving the SNP an overall majority of 3 and, not counting the Greens, giving them on … Continue reading I thought Rikki Fulton had passed?

In Home Office Questions today, SNP MP Allan Dorans, asked the Minister, Kit Malthouse, about the largest review ever undertaken, of 349 research studies, from across the globe, carried out by the Centre for Criminology at the University in South Wales in 2017, which found that ‘safe’ or ‘supervised’ injection rooms significantly reduced drug deaths, and urged him to allow pilot studies in Scotland. The Minister chose, instead, to ignore the evidence of what clearly works, indulged in a sneering and insensitive jibe about drug deaths being more than three times higher in Scotland than in other parts of the … Continue reading Disgusting, empathy-free point-scoring on drug deaths

UPDATE: The BMG pollster’s expert and the Herald read the results of their poll to mean a majority of only 1 for the SNP but the thinking man’s James Kelly, James Kelly has corrected all of us. It’s an overall majority of 3 for the SNP and 19 for the pro-indy parties. See the explanation at his excellent site: https://scotgoespop.blogspot.com/2021/03/support-for-independence-boomerangs.html An extract from the Herald/BMG poll today: On what matters most, legislating for the 2nd Independence referendum, a lead of 9, is pretty much unbeatable. On any Tory-led scalp-hunting, it is also surely safe. As for that last line, what … Continue reading UPDATE: Poll predicts ‘boomeranging’ pro-indy majority of 19 as Tories and Labour collapse!

Smith opens with: SNP: Over-confidence and contempt for others. Does Sturgeon have Hubris Syndrome? before going on to some allegory involving his boiler breaking down. This is not the first time Smith has tried to apply his not-so-deep grasp of psychological theories. Only two weeks ago we saw: Needless to say, Smith failed. I gave him 14% for just turning up. You can read the full awfulness of his thickness here: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2021/03/08/heralds-mark-smith-class-test-on-personality-theory-14-fail/ He’s back again topday, fresh from reading another Ladybird book in their psychology series: ‘Why women have more mental health problems than men.‘ ‘Hubris’ is a word used … Continue reading Nicola as Nazi Fuhrer? Man analyses a woman’s flaws? Mark Smith’s cod psychology again

The Herald’s poll by BMG puts Yes at 52% and No at 48% after dinnaekens were removed . It’s not a big lead but its the second in a row after a run of polls, some unreliable, suggesting a lead for No: It’s too early to be sure but the last two are remarkable in the context of the media saturation bombing of the First Minister. At any other time, in any other country, with any other party and leader, they would surely have done more damage than they seem to have done. They must be sorely disappointed after spending … Continue reading 2nd poll puts yES firmly back in the lead

The Herald had the story for their poll today differently: Exclusive poll: SNP set for knife-edge majority in Holyrood vote 14 years of total dominance of Scottish politics, heading for a 4th victory, perhaps an outright victory of the kind thought impossible in the Scottish system, averaging 50% and always up on the 2019 election, and that’s the story? No journalist outside of the UK would see it that way. Any student of electoral systems would be thinking: ‘Wow! That is ******* amazing! Has that every happened before in the context of a democracy far more fair and representative of … Continue reading Unique in History of Democracy?