Maybe I’m missing something and I’m the idiot. It wouldn’t be the first time and I’ll be the first, maybe seventh, to acknowledge it but…. The Scottish Government insist that EU state aid rules stop it from carrying out a full takeover of Burntisland Fabrications (BiFab) which is being put into adminstration by its Canadian owners. The move came after the Scottish Government felt that providing key support for the ailing steel fabrications company at the centre of a wind farm jobs row would be seen as illegal state aid under European Union regulations. Canadian firm JV Driver, through its … Continue reading They’re Canadian you idiot!

I know, myths abound in the teaching of history and the Battle of George Square is full of them, but remember, there were six tanks parked in the Gallowgate cattle market in a Scottish city, with no armed revolutionary groups threatening armed insurrection. They were there with some plan in mind. So, by all means correct the material, but while you’re at it how about correcting the key omissions from the story of Scotland in the British Empire? Just for starters, how about Ireland and India? Genocidal policies on the supply of food and murderous suppression using Scots troops, of … Continue reading Yes, but there were tanks in Glasgow and what about the omissions in the history curriculum?

Predictably, Macwhirter goes with the pack and blames the SNP for the faults of the Union: Gary Smith of the GMB knows the truth: The truth is that state funded European energy and engineering firms, backed by Far East finance and Middle East sovereign wealth funds, are carving-up thousands of jobs and billions of pounds from our renewables sector, and firms like BiFab are left fighting for scraps off our own table. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-47478083 I know, The Tusker quotes Gary Smith of the GMB, approvingly, SHOCK? You’d expect the leader of the General, Municipal, Boilermakers union to be better informed on … Continue reading Only an independent Scotland in the EU could save BiFab

Let’s get Wales on! They’re in trouble! I’m not looking at the Scottish data until they have improved for me by getting worse for them. No, I don’t want her on. Continue reading Sunday Morning Marr Update

In the Herald today, Neil Oliver: Neil Oliver has said that he believes Scotland choosing independence would be a “step backwards” and would ‘infringe’ on his human rights. Speaking to Unlocked the Coast presenter said: “For me to draw a new hard-line separating Scotland from England in that formal sense is a backwards step. I prefer what I’ve always had and I bridle at the thought that someone can take away my nationality and replace it with another. What is Unlocked? It’s a proudly ‘common sense‘ Youtube TV news broadcaster: A new common-sense media channel for those abandoned by the MSM. Fast-moving & fearless, … Continue reading Neil Oliver dumped on by Einstein!

Andrew Buist though described as the ‘chair of BMA’s Scottish GP Committee’, is really just a well-paid, middle-class, shop steward. That does not make him a ‘GP leader.’ Some of his members are unhappy so he is complaining on their behalf. Here’s a fine example of entitlement and lack of awareness: Isn’t a GP practice a fairly affluent and secure business with responsibility for hiring its own staff? As for staff shortages, see this ‘analysis’ from Lisa Summers: Go away. Continue reading He’s not a ‘GP leader’ and they don’t know when they’re well off

Tom Gordon’s reasoning is just pure ‘Cod psychology.’ Where is the evidence that folk who feel hard done by only say so when they feel the organisation they live within is strong, and that they feel able to do so because they’re are too confident that they won’t damage it? Isn’t it the opposite? When an organisation is in deep doodoo, like the Labour Party, unable to catch the most dysfunctional party of government in decades, everybody is up in arms, not just two or three of them. As for factionalism, there is no more an anti-Woke faction or an … Continue reading No, a few wee arguments are a sign that some folk are just upset, feeling rejected and entitled to say so

Two opposition politicians and the Herald ignored the report from the company responsible, Bear Scotland, that the ice sensor had worked but that there had been a delay in shutting the bridge because of human error. Who’s to blame? Bear Scotland. Not good enough for these two: Scottish Labour’s Colin Smyth was the source for the embarrassing quote. Wait, isn’t Smyth with a y, the Tory version of Smith? Smyth is a man of the highest expectations. In 2017, he famously described 93.97% of A&E patients being see in 4 hours as ‘deeply troubling.’ Wings then noted: ‘Percentage of the … Continue reading Fact Check: The Queensferry Crossing and Human error not good enough for attack on SNP

From the Scottish Government yesterday: A new report has revealed that unpaid carers in Scotland have valued increased support. Carer’s Allowance Supplement (CAS) was the first payment introduced under the Scottish Government’s new social security powers. It is given twice a year to those in receipt of Carer’s Allowance as a temporary top-up until full delivery of the benefit is taken over from the Department for Work and Pensions. The payment rate in 2020/21 is £230.10. The Scottish Government has now published its first evaluation of CAS – and has announced that the next payment will be made on 18 … Continue reading Only in Scotland: New social security powers

Before Gavin Williamson became Education Minister and before he started crowing about the UK getting lots of Covid vaccines it had neither developed nor manufactured, he used to be Defence Secretary. During that time he told the Russians to go away and shut up and threatened to send our new aircraft carrier to patrol the South China Sea. It had no aircraft at the time He’s been quiet on the latest research revealing that: British soldiers were 12% more likely to have been killed than their American counterparts during the “war on terror” in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a study … Continue reading Best Country’s soldiers not so lucky serving under Great Britain’s broad epaulettes?