In Insider yesterday: Four of Scotland’s most important industry sectors have entered the new decade feeling upbeat and confident despite significant concerns about the potential impact of Brexit, research carried out by CMS shows. In Scotland’s Renewable Energy sector, 80% of those involved in our research said they expected growth in revenues over the next three years while 60% are planning to increase investment in people and capital in that period. There’s a similar outlook for Scottish Life Sciences where a significant number (80%) of business leaders are expecting to increase their workforce over the next year although a number did raise … Continue reading More evidence that Scottish industry is strong under SNP administration

As the second phase of the investigation into the 2017 fire which claimed 72 lives gets underway, BBC UK reporters wonder confusedly at the multiple denials of responsibility while the Guardian accuses the cladding manufacturer of knowing beforehand that the cladding was unsuitable. In sharp contrast BBC Scotland seem to feel no need to inform their audience of the situation with regard to Scottish tower blocks. Previously though they have been keen to misinform and worry, by headlining: Cladding type ‘used for Grenfell’ found in some Scottish schools https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-40604422 Cladding bill of £6m for two new Glasgow hospitals https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-43031165 While … Continue reading BBC Scotland NOT telling you why Grenfell disaster cannot happen here

Herr Stobartson is a regular asker of questions Aimed at undermining the Scottish Government’s economic competence. Here is the latest: Luckily, I can explain. Scottish workers are more productive, so we don’t need as many as they do in most other parts of the UK. It’s true. See this: The East Midlands is the lowest for general productivity at 84.7% of the UK average while only hyper-stimulated and subsidised London is higher, at 128.6%. However, London’s manufacturing productivity, at 105.6%, is lower than that of Scotland. Click to access Make%20UK%20Regional%20Manufacturing%20Outlook%202019.pdf Continue reading SHOCK: FOI Warrior Manfred Stobartson attacks SNP with appalling statistic!

Only 10 years ago, the Daily Telegraph told us: England is sinking while Scotland rises above sea levels, according to new study England is sinking into the sea while Scotland is rising at such a rate it may counteract the effects of sea level rise due to climate change, according to a new geological map. The University of Durham looked at levels of land uplift and subsidence in the British Isles since the Ice Age. As the ice retreated 20,000 years ago the release of the enormous weight meant the north slowly tilted up while the south sank down. Scotland … Continue reading ‘England is sinking while Scotland rises above sea levels’ but Herald finds new worries for SNP Government

As Tory-run NHS England produces the worst A&E figures in history, the costliest building delays and the most dangerous places to be born, Euan McColm either knows nothing of NHS Scotland or has an agenda. Here’s why: Boris Johnson’s abundant failure in government as his NHS England A&E waiting time figures for December plummet to new depths below 70%! Scotland’s A&E departments treat 85% in less than 4 hours over Christmas and beat even the faked figures for NHS England in November Health Secretary photographed as NHS Scotland Cancer Treatment 95% target is met You are MORE THAN TWICE as likely to spend … Continue reading Euan McColm’s petty and ill-informed reporting on NHS Scotland

Tom Peck has watched Ian Blackford in action but seems not to have noticed the Tory benches braying at him with unconcealed contempt. He wrote: ‘In his two and a half years leading the SNP at Westminster, Blackford has arguably established a convention all of his own. When Ian Blackford speaks, MPs, journalists, members of the public, catering staff and, on occasion, large items of antique furniture all understand it as the appropriate moment to evacuate the chamber. Rumours still swirl that during an especially dreadful Ian Blackford contribution to Prime Minister’s Questions last year, a Liberal Democrat was tragically killed … Continue reading Uneducated English journalist who compared Owen Jones to Hitler joins Nasty Party in ridiculing SNP leader

From the reader enigmatically titled d9015: We should note the 15+ years of EGIP rail programme delivered for Transport Scotland Faster train times on several routes – but notably 20% reduction for Edinburgh-Glasgow expresses which are now 8-coach electric vice 6-coach diesel (33% longer trains 35-40% more passenger capacity) Whilst on 3 other routes the same new trains replace 2-coach diesels with 3/4-coach electric trains and a 5th route gets 6-coach trains all day vice 3-coach, and displaced diesels means 6-coach vice 4-coach trains on another route. Compared to having just 1 slightly fragile 50 mile route London-Brighton we now … Continue reading BBC bias by omission as Scotland gets faster and longer trains running!

‘The leading thinker and most visible public advocate of modern monetary theory – the freshest and most important idea about economics in decades – delivers a radically different, bold, new understanding for how to build a just and prosperous society. Any ambitious proposal – ranging from fixing crumbling infrastructure to Medicare for all or preventing the coming climate apocalypse – inevitably sparks questions: how can we afford it? How can we pay for it? Stephanie Kelton points out how misguided those questions really are by using the bold ideas of modern monetary theory (MMT), a fundamentally different approach to using … Continue reading Why Scotland’s ‘budget deficit’ matters little even if it still exists after we get actual non-estimated data

From BBC UK but missed by BBC Scotland today: A leading mental health charity for military veterans says it will not be able to take any new cases in England and Wales, because of a funding crisis. Combat Stress said its income has fallen from £16m to £10m in the current financial year partly due to cuts in NHS funding support.  And much, much further down: The charity still receives more than £1m from NHS Scotland and it will continue to take on new cases there and in Northern Ireland. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51243098 Needless to say, BBC Scotland have not covered this, … Continue reading Only BBC UK sees different Scotland look after its veterans as England drifts further into the dark night of endless Tory rule

As Tory-run NHS England produces the worst A&E figures in history, the costliest building delays and the most dangerous places to be born, the Scottish Tories might do better to be quiet. Here’s why: Boris Johnson’s abundant failure in government as his NHS England A&E waiting time figures for December plummet to new depths below 70%! Scotland’s A&E departments treat 85% in less than 4 hours over Christmas and beat even the faked figures for NHS England in November Health Secretary photographed as NHS Scotland Cancer Treatment 95% target is met You are MORE THAN TWICE as likely to spend more than 12 … Continue reading Why Jeanne Freeman should be the last Health Secretary to go