In almost every area of public life, in almost every public service, from the NHS to policing, the evidence is there to prove that Scotland and by obvious association the SNP Government, is running this country far better than the Unionist parties in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Independent sources such as the UN and the Nuffield Trust often praise the Scottish Government’s actions while condemning those of the UK Government. Here is a list of only 184 facts Mackay needs to read: 1. Baby Box – A jam-packed box of baby essentials to help new parents at the start of a child’s … Continue reading No friend of Scotland feeds Tory myths again

According to the latest report from the Community Security Trust: CST recorded 1,805 antisemitic incidents in the UK in 2019, the highest total that CST has ever recorded in a single calendar year. This is seven per cent higher than the 1,690 antisemitic incidents reported to CST in 2018, making 2019 the fourth consecutive year in which the annual record has been broken. Perhaps most worrying, there were 157 incidents of assault, up 27%, but none of these was reported as having been in Scotland. The 28 reports of antisemitism in Scotland are up from 21 in 2018 but none … Continue reading As serious antisemitism surges in UK was there none reported in Scotland?

As BBC Scotland headline the stupidity of a 42 year-old man, let’s remember how their Tory chums have long been a toxic presence. Ironically, on 1 May 2018, the Sun gave us this short list from their Tory Dossier: Michael Fallon resigned as Defence Secretary after admitting that he got “handsy” when he inappropriately touched the knee of journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer. Married father-of-two Mr Fallon admitted to The Sun he had touched Julia — but insisted he apologised over the incident 15 years ago and that both considered the matter closed. Julia said she did not feel like she was a victim of a sexual assault, and … Continue reading Let’s not forget that Tories are the real sex pests and predators

Ludo Thierry: The National joins the FoAI in debunking the britnat ‘..burying bad news by publishing the regular economic data bulletins’ guff. Link and snippets below: (carried in The National’s Factcheck series – these factcheck articles can be freely accessed – not behind any paywall – worth a look at the full (short) piece): https://www.thenational.scot/news/18212822.fact-check-libdems-claim-scotlands-deficit-7-2-rising/ WHAT’S THE CLAIM? “Scotland’s national deficit is now 7.2% and rising” – LibDem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton, Twitter, February 2 2020 DOORSTEP REPLY Scotland pays its way. The latest GDP accounts show Scotland is as rich per head as Japan or France. The Scottish economy grew … Continue reading Scotland’s budget deficit fact checked

Ludo Thierry: The Fraser of Allander Institute seems to be much more prepared to challenge the Better Together economic orthodoxies at the moment. Having very recently deconstructed Jackson Carlaw’s Scottish Income Tax proposals with a deliciously dry humour – they have now utterly debunked Scotland In Union’s demented claims that the SNP Scottish Govt are ‘burying’ Scotland’s recent economic statistical revisions by the novel means of publishing these routinely in the official economic statistical bulletins! Link and snippets below: https://fraserofallander.org/scottish-economy/economic-statistics-revisions-and-burying-bad-news/ Economic Statistics revisions and ‘burying bad news’ Fraser of Allander Institute – February 3, 2020 We were highly puzzled by … Continue reading Fraser of Allander supports SNP Government SHOCK

The situation in NHS England is a matter of grave concern. See this from the Guardian yesterday: Cancer Research UK is concerned that as many as 1,100 people a year in England with bowel cancer are not being picked up because the NHS there used a higher threshold than Scotland in screening for the disease using the faecal immunochemical test. In Scotland those whose testing shows they have 80 micrograms of haemoglobin per gram of faeces are referred to have a colonoscopy to determine if they have bowel cancer.Advertisement In contrast, in England only those with 120 micrograms go on … Continue reading Scottish bowel screening programme beats target, reduces inequality and is far superior to NHS England

From BBC Scotland this morning: SNP MPs have been accused of a parliamentary “stunt” after they were blocked from voting on an “English-only” bill about the NHS. Convention in the Commons has meant MPs from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have not had a say on bills deemed to apply only in England. However, the SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the bill would have spending implications for Scotland. Conservative Michael Gove said the move was a stunt to “manufacture grievance”. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-51378669 I know, they do get around to the SNP position, which is, of course, true. The accuser turns … Continue reading State broadcaster in Scotland looks at things from an EVEL UK perspective and not from 80% of Scotland’s MPs

During December 2019 in NHS Scotland: 83.8% of attendances at A&E services were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours. https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/health-services/hospital-care/ae-activity-and-waiting-times/ During December 2019, in NHS England Type 1 (full) A&E departments: 68.6% were seen within 4 hours. *Remember, NHS England starts the clock again after transfer to a department for treatment so this figure is generous. https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2019-20/ Continue reading NHS Scotland A&E performance more than 15% better than Tory-run NHS England

But the SNP does! See: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2020/01/28/scotland-is-paying-extra-for-the-pleasure-of-subsidising-the-uks-energy-production/ Alasdair Macdonald: Today we heard several times from the former Coordinator of the COP26 Conference who had been summarily dismissed from her post by the PM. She is a former Conservative MP and Minister. She was heard saying that ‘the Scottish Government had behaved disgracefully in contracting the venues around the SECC’. The intention of this was to give the impression that the SG was behaving spitefully by PREVENTING these venues from being used for the Conference.However, on the BBC website the story is lead by how the PM ‘heartily and saltily’ had rejected … Continue reading The truth about COP26 and excluding the Scottish Government

I write to complain about the poor quality of BBC Reporting Scotland’s coverage today (4th February 2020) of the installation of sepsis monitors in a Glasgow hospital. The first, less serious and more subjective comment is that the report spent far too much time interviewing the mother of a child who had died previously in that hospital and did so in a manner which focused insensitively on her trauma with close-ups on her tearful face and dwelling on her emotion-choked words. I appreciate that news reports should communicate the personal consequences of events, but this was overdone and to my … Continue reading Why don’t I write to Newswatch about Reporting Scotland?