Headlined in the Herald today from a single campaigner with only a handful of Facebook friends: A CAMPAIGNER who describes cuts to care home visiting during the pandemic as a “human rights disaster” says she is confident that “meaningful contact” will resume this time. Cathie Russell, from Glasgow, set up the Care Home Relatives Scotland Facebook group in August last year amid growing frustration among relatives over rules that she says were “worse than prison visiting”. There has of course been a human rights disaster in care homes, in England and it’s still happening there. There have been 599 Covid deaths in … Continue reading No, it’s been a human rights miracle in Scotland

From a more modest position, 1 point below the national average, in 2018-19, South Ayrshire’s schools have surged to the top of the table of positive destinations for school leavers. These statistics come from the Scottish Government’s Summary Statistics for Attainment and Initial Leaver Destinations, No. 3: 2021 Edition and indicate what percentage of school leavers has job, a university or college place or some other positive destination. This is a great achievement and to come out above affluent areas such as East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire is most impressive. Continue reading South Ayrshire tops national league table for School outcome

From BBC Scotland last night: An appeal has been dismissed after a former Labour MP’s claim that he was groped by a Conservative politician in a House of Commons bar was rejected. Paul Sweeney accused then-Tory MP Ross Thomson of trying to fondle him and force his hand down his trousers in 2018. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards cleared Mr Thomson in October last year after an inquiry. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards had said witness statements did not support Mr Sweeney’s version of events. While she said that Mr Thomson had invaded his accuser’s personal space by leaning on … Continue reading Judicial Double standards when it’s two men?

Brian Monteith, MEP for the Côte d’Azur and winner of the prestigious ‘Steady hand with a razor‘ award for his sharp pencil beard style which according to Hairstyle Camp, creates ‘a handsome, virile look, one that suits many men even slightly older men.’ With my shaky hand, I’ll be sticking with my ‘Lazy Trotsky.’ Anyhow, who is this Marc Horne and why has he been allowed to call Monteith’s gang right-wing, without so much as even inverting a comma? Is wanting to save the Union right-wing just because the UK has a hostile environment for refugees and still wants to … Continue reading Bearded by ‘lefty’ at the Times?

In a Scottish Government press release today, there was much to be pleased about in these difficult times but the Herald had other ideas as you can see above. Here’s the other news of great achievements by staff and pupils in the most challenging of times: 93.3% of pupils had a ’positive destination’ including work, training or further study within three months of leaving school last year, official statistics show. The proportion of school leavers in higher or further education is at a record high, with 72.2% continuing in education in 2019-20, up from 67.6% in 2018-19. The statistics highlight … Continue reading Despite the Pandemic, 93.3% of school leavers in positive destinations

The Herald headline and the report is based on estimates derived from an experimental methodology ‘consistent‘ with that used by the ONS. After a decade and more of pressure from a Tory Government, I’m not sure we can trust the ONS any more. They don’t publish hospital-acquired infections any more and their Covid mortality stats are extremely dubious. See these from late January 2021: Notice how the death rate from Covid goes up in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland after you add those whose death certificate mentioned it to those where there was a positive test? Logical? How then does … Continue reading Experimental estimates using distrusted ONS benchmarks to demonise Scotland again

He’s done it before, he’ll do it again. The boy just can’t say no to his backers and donors. They want the economy firing on all its exploitative cylinders as soon as deaths are low enough for their media to follow orders and ignore them. Twice the death rate in care homes, twice the infection level, around 50% more deaths overall but the BBC Scotland team can be relied upon not to tell their audience about any of this. Boris is talking cheerily again. He’ll go too quickly again. They’ll be back in lockdown by July. Scots will be left … Continue reading Scots saved by refusing to follow idiotic PM strategy

This is a repeat but the Scotsman needs it. Dr Deepti Gurdasani of Queen Mary University of London is not the first English academic brought on to BBC Scotland, ignorant of the new context they find themselves in, but quickly applying their opinions as if they somehow know better. Do they ever wonder why no Scottish academic has been set up against a senior Scottish minister? Gurdasani makes no pretence of presenting her data as even UK-wide, clearly content that things up there are probably just the same as in the English cities from which her data derive. Gurdasani says … Continue reading Scotsman uses flawed English research to try to sabotage schools return

On the 9th to 10th February as the MSM salivated over the massive threat to civilisation posed by some folk deciding they want to change their gender identity, YouGov reported a relatively low 45% support for the SNP in Westminster voting intentions. The inflatable Allan Cochrane of the Telegraph had shared his wisdom and foresight on this, with us, only days earlier. Today, with the people having had the time to dwell on this earth-shattering development, perhaps the greatest threat to Western civilisation since our women were being raped and our babies’ blood drunk, on a daily basis, during the … Continue reading Gender debate translates into massive surge for sNP?

I know, this is a bit of a haven. I’ve seen the kind abusive comment that other blogs suffer. Mostly, we get really fantastic comments here – clear, articulate, evidence-based and thoroughly enhancing my often sketchy starters. I love it, man! I’m rarely verbally abused and you rarely abuse each other. If I see anything of that kind, I delete it. If I miss some, as I must, email me and I’ll deal with it. More frequently, recently, it seems some posts, though not perhaps abusive, are getting a bit annoying, a touch patronising, maybe rude and often so long … Continue reading No bad manners here please!