The deep sadness in the above headline does not inform us in any meaningful way. It tell us nothing useful about the word in which we must live and cope daily. To share the deepest thoughts of a human being in a moment of the most awful trauma is tasteless, exploitative and deeply cynical. No school of journalism would approve of such writing. While this might be expected in the trash press, the Herald was once a more respectable thing. We often think of titillation in terms of sexual behaviour but it applies more generally to the excitement of the … Continue reading The Herald titillates us with violence

On the 8th of June, the 7 day average for the number of new cases was 31.6 and for deaths it was 7.4. Yesterday, only one month later, the 7 day average for the number of new cases was 7.1 and for deaths was 0.6. In the last three days, the average number of new cases has fallen again to only 4 suggesting that, all going well, zero is possible soon. This is a stunning achievement, newsworthy you’d think, and credit in large part to the First Minister, the Health Secretary and their team, in keeping the message clear and … Continue reading Scotland’s massive achievement ignored as cases and deaths fall toward zero in one month

From Panelbase for the Sunday Times on 3rd July 2020: 32% of those living in Scotland but born in England would vote Yes compared to 56% of those born in Scotland. 35% of those living in Scotland but born in England would vote SNP compared to 58% of those born in Scotland. 25% would vote Conservative compared to 19% of those born in Scotland. These are significant differences but smaller than I would have guessed given the evidence that this group played a big part in the No vote in 2014: Click to access 2014_referendum_2014_%E2%80%93_how_rural_scotland_voted.pdf 23% of those living in … Continue reading Many English-born Scots moving to Yes, to SNP, and dumping the Tories

In the Herald yesterday we soon see that the headline really only applies to that one much-loved minority group, estate agents and to those who can : Estate Agents in Scotland have expressed their disappointment after the Scottish Government confirmed it has no plans cut duty on purchasing a home. Reports suggest stamp duty rates in England are to be temporarily revised in the Autumn budget in order to help the property market recover from the current crisis. BBC Business tell us: The chancellor has announced a temporary holiday on stamp duty on the first £500,000 of all property sales in England … Continue reading Widespread approval as Scottish Government sticks to progressive taxation policies

Michael Russell, Scotland’s cabinet secretary for constitutional affairs spoke to the Financial Times where he revealed that the SNP government are willing to battle Westminster in the courts to keep control of their food and agriculture market. As far as I can see, only Edinburgh Live is covering this despite its huge significance for the lived experience of millions of Scots. BBC Scotland today: More from the Edinburgh Live report: Westminster plans to seize the “UU internal market” and create new post- Brexit powers that would see them enforce the food standards in both Scotland and Wales, reports the Financial Times. … Continue reading SNP to battle Westminster in courts over food standards to protect Scottish consumers but media not interested

Kieren Andrews of the Times thinks he has something on Scotland and that SNP Government but he hasn’t. He writes today: Scotland is the only part of Britain that has failed to ban combustible materials from high-risk buildings after the Grenfell Tower fire. Safety experts and insurers have urged the Scottish government to follow England and Wales and close a loophole that enables hazardous materials to be used in the construction of tower blocks and domestic properties. SNP ministers have also been criticised for failing to replicate a fund set up by Westminster to remove potentially dangerous cladding and insulation from … Continue reading Higher Scottish standards and fire safety audits twice as often as in England make a new Grenfell here very unlikely

Many of us have not forgotten Bill Munro, founder of Borrheid Travel, for his part in the NO campaign, in 2014. See this from BBC Scotland in March 2014: The founder of Barrhead Travel has told his staff that a “Yes” vote in Scotland’s independence referendum would be “a disaster”. Bill Munro sent a memo to staff about what he saw as the dangers of independence and accused the SNP of misleading voters. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-26818227 Now we can reveal that NO remains a deeply ingrained tendency in Munro’s former business. From Money Saving Expert yesterday:: Travel abroad from the UK has … Continue reading Barrhead Travel: NO to Independence and NO to refunds?

Speaking in a webinar organised by the European Movement in Scotland and reported everywhere in the MSM except BBC Scotland, Kirsty Hughes, former director of the Scottish Centre on Europe Relations (SCER) finally demolishes any arguments that Scotland is not sure of straightforward re-entry to the EU and to the relative prosperity that ensures. Come on Reporting Scotland staff, remember that class you took on news values? I can’t easily locate the original so these extracts from the STV report will have to do: If Scots voted for independence in a legally binding referendum, she forecast there would be “complete … Continue reading EU would be completely open to ‘normal’ Scotland joining but the UK would struggle

Under [Professor] Gill Stephenson [GSG] in the Herald letters section yesterday, hopefully not giving one of her famous ‘flying fucks’ at the time, Aberdeenshire-based, Douglas Cowe, reservations co-ordinator for Town and Country Apartments, makes wee snidey comments about the First Minister and suggests: With recent polls at 54% for Yes, up 20% from 45%, in 2014, it’s hard to see that as ‘small’. As for being poorer after independence and being able to stay in the EU, you know the answer to that one. Cowe isn’t mentioned in the GSG email [see the previous piece on Prof Stephenson] but seems … Continue reading One-man Unionist letter-writing team in Herald to lie about Sturgeon and support for independence

Only two weeks after we exposed Ian Murray’s campaign agent and member of Scotland in Union, Phil Tate, posing as an honest citizen in the Herald‘s letters page, another one pops up. In the Herald yesterday as plain Gill Stephenson of Edinburgh, the retired Professor, expert on Nazi Germany, and member of the Scotland in Union, 30-strong, undercover letter-writing group [Geheimnis Schreiben Gruppe or GSG], was allowed to assert: This is all treated as being in a vacuum. When people realise that their jobs and livelihoods have been protected by money from the UK Treasury – money Ms Sturgeon speaks … Continue reading Herald and Express publish another Scotland in Union covert propaganda group [GSG] letter to attack SNP and First Minister with lies