Ludo Thierry The 1st anniversary of the opening of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Road has seen stats released which demonstrate an even greater reduction in HGV traffic on the target routes than was anticipated. This massive project was edged into place by the SNP Scottish Govt in the teeth of massive political opposition from ALL the usual suspects. (Proof positive that ‘smart’ road building projects can deliver green benefits and economic benefits at the same time – these ‘goods’ are not, necessarily, mutually exclusive). Link and snippets below: https://www.grampianonline.co.uk/news/msp-welcomes-traffic-figures-on-the-anniversary-of-the-awpr-opening-191822/ Transport Scotland has released an informational snapshot on the first anniversary … Continue reading Scottish Government infrastructure project cuts congestion, journey times and pollution

Ludo Thierry There’s a rather complex story being carried by beeb Scotland about the Scottish Funding Council recouping £119,000 of grant previously given to Aberdeen University. The funding has been pulled back due to highly questionable (and lacking transparency) retirement payment arrangements made with the former University Principal. (Naturally – once expensively ‘retired’ the individual concerned takes up another ‘big job’ – this time heading up the UK Statistics Authority.) To my mind the most salient (and encouraging) issue is that the Scottish Funding Council (backed hard by the Cabinet Secretary) are, finally, daring to question things and ruffle some … Continue reading Scottish Funding Council and Cabinet Secretary’s first attack on university remuneration abuse?

Let’s start with a fact: ‘We have fully tested the water supply and ward surfaces in Ward 6A and also reviewed individual infections and found no links between individual infections and no source of infections in the ward.’ Jane Grant, Chief Executive, NHSGGC, 1 December 2019 BBC Reporting Scotland have returned to this tragic case to further milk it morbidly after spending ten days on it in December. Accompanied with heart-breaking exploitative footage, once more, we hear: ‘Health Board bosses in Glasgow have referred the death of 10 year-old Milly Main to prosecutors. The move came after her family wrote to … Continue reading The death of this child is NOT linked to the water supply by any professional expert. Anas Sarwar IS linked to nausea

Number one story today and many times today, the Scottish Police Authority wants more money despite getting twice as big an increase as they had expected. Typically, the reporting has virtually no context to help us understand what it means for our lived experience. Here are some data that might make you feel a bit more secure: https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2018-19/pages/4/ Scotland’s Chief Statistician has published statistics on Police Officer Quarterly Strength, which gives the number of full-time equivalent police officers employed by Police Scotland. The key findings of the statistics are: there were 17,256 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on … Continue reading BBC Scotland reporting on police budget increase only serves to scare us and not to inform

Ludo Thierry Ed: Thought I should translate ‘Surge in Gaelic’ into Gaelic so I did. STV News picks up on the story of the surge in interest in learning Gaelic that is becoming evident. Link and snippet below: (I wouldn’t anticipate this info getting an airing on beeb Scotland – but we live in hope): https://news.stv.tv/west-central/enormous-interest-in-gaelic-language-over-last-18-months?top A surge in the number of people taking up Gaelic in the last 18 months has raised fresh hopes for the revival of the historic Scots language. Community leaders say interest is at its highest in the past decade and are welcoming the introduction … Continue reading Surge in Gaelic

Ludo Thierry Ed: Scots judge to UN, Scots lawyers to Norway and Netherlands but no media interest. Eminent Scottish Lawyer is appointed as a Panel Arbitrator with the international Court of Arbitration for Art (based in The Hague): Link and snippet below: https://www.scottishlegal.com/article/john-campbell-qc-appointed-panel-arbitrator-at-art-court-in-the-hague John Campbell QC appointed panel arbitrator at art court in The Hague The court has grown out of a series of conferences and discussions within the Authentication in Art Mediation Board and the Dutch Institute for Arbitration, and is now established as an independent legal entity. It is the world’s only dispute resolution body dedicated to the … Continue reading Scots lawyer appointed to court in the Hague. BBC still not looking

Ludo Thierry Ed: As with the story of the Scottish judge appointed to the UN, no BBC interest in this. Legal affairs story 1: Scotland is so wee, so poor and so stupit that the Norwegian Courts Commission has sought expert written legal briefing on the Scots laws of Evidence to consider what aspects might offer improvements in efficiency, quality and independence in judicial process etc; Link and snippets below: https://www.scottishlegal.com/article/evidence-expert-eamon-keane-delivers-expert-evidence-to-norwegian-court-commission Eamon Keane has provided written evidence to the Norwegian Court Commission (Domstolkommisjonen) on the Scots law of the evidence. The commission is investigating how the Norwegian courts should be … Continue reading BBC ignore Scots lawyer who is to advise Norwegian courts on evidence

Ludo Thierry Note also Scottish Govt. funding for the Scottish refugee Council for a specific project to assist refugees at risk of eviction and destitution (usually due to Home Office intransigence – Pritti always on lookout for the next vulnerable target). Link and snippets below: https://www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/intensive-support-for-people-at-risk-of-eviction-and-destitution/ We’re pleased to receive funding from the Scottish Government to deliver a specialist service for people at risk of eviction and destitution in Glasgow. Over the next six months we will work with partners in the legal sector and other charities to provide advocacy and legal support and to make sure people’s dignity and … Continue reading Scottish Government help for refugees at risk

Though written in a restrained, professional manner, the Care Quality Commission report on their unannounced inspection of Worcester Royal Hospital on 16th December 2019, published on Thursday 13th February 2020, cannot conceal the awful truth of the problems there and now widespread across NHS England, after a decade of Tory neglect and privatisation shocks the reader. Were it in Scotland, I feel sure BBC Scotland’s Health Correspondent would find much to worry you with. In the steady wake of plummeting A&E waiting times to levels way below NHS Scotland, hospital builds years late and way over budget in Liverpool and … Continue reading ‘Urgent enforcement powers’ used to protect patients in NHS England but BBC England ignore the report

Perhaps it’s a limited response to the above problem but at least it’s something different: From news.gov.scot in June 2019: ‘Young carers aged 11-18 are to benefit from a new nationwide Young Scot package of discounts and opportunities. The offers have been designed by young carers themselves with extra discounts available at certain stores and leisure venues as well as other opportunities, such as free cinema tickets and CV advice. The Young Scot project is the first element of a wider package of support announced in September 2017 by the First Minister that also includes the forthcoming Young Carer Grant and free … Continue reading Young carers in Scotland benefit from package of discounts and opportunities