Ironically, as the Tusker‘s readership falls for the third month in a row, the Editor, perhaps compensating, claims greater influence in Scottish politics and in the MSM! The Tusker claimed to have been the first (07.50am) to point to the ‘duplicity’ of the new Scottish Tory Leader’s boast that he was ready to vote to protect farmers and us from chlorinated chicken when he had already voted against an amendment to make its import impossible. That morning Ross accused BBC Scotland’s Gary Robertson, who was giving him a hard time, shouting angrily that Robertson was getting his information from SNP … Continue reading EXCLUSIVE: Are the Herald and the Tusker becoming ‘bedfellows?’

Remind me, do general practitioners tend to be world experts or rather do they have broad knowledge across a wide range of conditions and, crucially, know when to pass you on to a specialist? Yes? Not Dr Michael J Laggan. Professors Sridhar and Bauld have no right advising the Scottish Government when they haven’t so much as taken a blood sample or given a flu jab. Who do they think they are encouraging the FM to lock him down and deny him his bools and gowf? Sridhar was an adviser on controlling Ebola but has she had to look up … Continue reading Retired GP thinks he knows better than Sridhar and Bauld

From May 2018: ‘Almost 80% of Scots public sector contract awards go to SMEs’ I wondered, and you won’t be surprised to hear it, how this compared with the situation in UK/England. Scotland/UK comparisons are, of course, disapproved of as ‘whitabootery’ by some Unionists like Brian Monteith at the Scotsman, but popular when they suit, at BBC Scotland. Nearly always, my searches find that something is better here than there and it looks that way on this issue too. I was only able to make a direct comparison on the spend as opposed to the number of firms getting the work. ‘Nicola … Continue reading Scottish Tories big new idea was done by SNP two years ago

From a Tusker reader Anon: Mind just a few weeks ago when Douglas Ross MP made overtures about there being a Scotland beyond the Central Belt/Glasgow and Edinburgh? Well, based on his ‘power up’ proposals there isn’t a Scotland south of there.  On transport infrastructure, we reach three key conclusions: Firstly, it should be a long-term objective of the Scottish Government to build on the existing Edinburgh/Glasgow axis, with significantly improved connectivity between the two and several new population centres in between. With the right incentives in place, this will serve as a magnet for international investment, with knock on … Continue reading Why do the Douglas Ross ‘power-up’ proposals neglect the Tory’s Southern Redoubt?

Worried me? Here are The Tusker’s viewing figures for August: Still better than the Rev’s algorithm says we are? Romania? Up 3 places from 7 last month. Favourite reads: Continue reading August Figures: Romania and Kirsty Wark in with a bullet!

On Radio Scotland this morning, although a psychologist had argued that the First Minister’s admission of anxiety was refreshingly honest and helpful to others as evidenced by the fact that countries with women leaders had coped better with the pandemic, one gym-owner was having none of it when asked about the FM’s comments: I did take it as a bit of a slap in the face….but the First Minister’s comments about being more anxious than ever, the day after the gyms re-open, is yet another slap in the face for this industry, from the First Minister. Really? Did she mention … Continue reading Gym-owner twice accuses First Minister of ‘slapping his business in the face’ by expressing anxiety

In the Scottish Parliament last wedneday: Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Scottish Labour): To ask the ScottishGovernment, further to the answer to question S5W-29778 by Jeane Freeman on 3 August 2020, for what reason it has not provided resources to local authorities to ensure that all care home staff are tested. https://www.parliament.scot/S5ChamberOffice/WA20200826.pdf Remind me, why would an allegedly left-of-centre political party think the tax-payer should fund the cost of Covid-19 testing for care home staff working in homes where their grandparents already cost £ 1 000 a week, where staff are on the minimum wage and where the owners avoid paying tax? Continue reading Is it Labour policy to subsidise private care homes charging £1 000 a week?

In the Scottish Parliament last Wednesday, Neil Findlay MSP asked: Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Governmentwho was the author of the policy to advise care homes that residents whowere showing symptoms of COVID-19 should not normally be admitted tohospital. and Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Governmentwho was the author of the policy guidance regarding patients being sent tocare homes without being tested for COVID-19. This seems more worthy of sly Tories like Hancock, shifting blame onto civil servants. We know definitively that the deaths in care homes were caused by the movement … Continue reading ‘Socialist’ seeks to expose civil servants and deflect responsibility for care home deaths from private owners

As you all know, I’m sure, the Scottish Tories are ‘Caring Conservatives‘ unlike their cousins south of the border. So, it was with genuine concern, I’m sure, that Rachael Hamilton, above asked about progress toward meeting targets for poverty reduction and for spending to reduce it. The answers are: and: The progress has been slow and modest, it has to be said, but that has been within the context of a welfare system still largely in UK hands. While it would not have been appropriate for the minister to make comparisons with Tory-run England, it is for The Tusker: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2020/03/26/scotland-keeps-persistent-child-poverty-lower-than-in-england-or-wales/ … Continue reading Scottish Tories draw attention to progress on child poverty reduction

Tired of him, I let the above Mark Smith piece go. Iain Gunn of Elgin could not and wrote the above, slightly weary, response. It’s well worth sharing. Gunn is clearly a man of great insight and taste, revealed by his use of the ideas of that great philosopher Bob Dylan, to finish Smith off. I’m reminded of how I used to open my sociology essays, back in the 70s, with Dylan quotes to try to impress the marker, not always successfully – squares! Continue reading Scottish fascists furious as Herald publishes letter inspired by Bob Dylan!