Five serious incidents in only two years including drifting powerless near a rocky headland but New Zealand never blame government
From Wellington.Scoop on January 10th 2026: Bluebridge troubles continue; crossings cancelled after ramp fault – More Bluebridge ferry services are being cancelled since a winch problem left passengers stranded overnight on the Connemara in Wellington Two hundred passengers spent about 15 hours on the vessel after Thursday’s 8.30pm Wellington to Picton service had to return to the capital shortly after departure following the discovery of a fault with the ramp. After the ramp problem, two scheduled Bluebridge crossings were cancelled – yesterday’s 2pm Picton to Wellington, and this morning’s 2.30am Picton to Wellington. More cancellations were expected. https://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=176968 The above … Continue reading Five serious incidents in only two years including drifting powerless near a rocky headland but New Zealand never blame government
Though domestic abuse far less common, Scottish Government again first in UK to legislate to force abusers to leave social housing
BBC Scotland has a tasteless, exploitative image, we won’t be using here. From BBC Scotland News today: Social landlords are set to be given powers to remove domestic abusers from tenancy agreements, making it easier for some abuse survivors to stay in their homes. Regulations laid before the Scottish Parliament will bring into force provisions on tenancies that were part of a domestic abuse law passed nearly five years ago. If backed by MSPs, social landlords could apply to the courts to remove people believed to be abusive from tenancy agreements, in effect forcing them to move out. The new … Continue reading Though domestic abuse far less common, Scottish Government again first in UK to legislate to force abusers to leave social housing
Reliable transparent 12 hour A&E figures confirm corridor care in NHS Scotland less than half as common as in Labour-run England but Daily Record uses a single tragedy on behalf of Labour in Scotland
It’s another single case plucked out by grubby figures, taking advantage of a distressed family and platformed, front page, by a newspaper little better than a Labour party election leaflet. Explicit figures are not published anywhere but there’s a good proxy for corridor care and that’s 12 hour waits in A&E. By definition if you’re waiting 12 hours after triage assessment and maybe some treatment before getting a bed, that is ‘corridor care.’ A fuller AI rationale for the use of 12 hour waits, based heavily on the views of the Royal College of Medicine, Age Concern and even NHS England itself, … Continue reading Reliable transparent 12 hour A&E figures confirm corridor care in NHS Scotland less than half as common as in Labour-run England but Daily Record uses a single tragedy on behalf of Labour in Scotland
BMA leaders praise Scottish Government on ‘our shared ambition of making Scotland the best place in the UK for doctors to train and work.’
From the BMA in Scotland today, absent the views of Dr Iain Findlay whom I’m guessing the Scottish resident doctors have never heard of: Strikes by resident doctors in Scotland due to begin on Tuesday have been suspended following a new offer on pay and contract reform. The BMA Scottish resident doctors committee recommends members accept the offer, which is the equivalent of a 9.9 per cent end-of-year pay uplift for this year and 9.4 per cent for 2026-27. SRDC chair Chris Smith (pictured above) welcomed the proposed deal, which amounts to £149m for the two years. ‘From day one … Continue reading BMA leaders praise Scottish Government on ‘our shared ambition of making Scotland the best place in the UK for doctors to train and work.’
Only two months after the last time a ‘troubled’ CalMac ferry built in ‘troubled’ shipyard in Lowestoft England, approved by the Scottish Secretary of State, to help out the local ‘troubled’ Tory MP breaks down again
In the Ayrshire Advertiser, yesterday, the above news. Only two months ago: The National’s piece, above, on the latest problems for the MV Caledonian Isles has no historical perspective on this long-troubled vessel, leaving some to think it’s another ‘SNP ferry fiasco‘. Here it is: Readers will already know that the MV Caledonian Isles had been in dock for repairs following botched work by Cammell Laird in Liverpool. Readers will also be aware of the regular and longstanding Scottish media reports describing the vessel as ‘troubled’ and ‘fault prone.’ While such accounts have been often exaggerated and ill-informed, it may be that the … Continue reading Only two months after the last time a ‘troubled’ CalMac ferry built in ‘troubled’ shipyard in Lowestoft England, approved by the Scottish Secretary of State, to help out the local ‘troubled’ Tory MP breaks down again
Thanks to mutual respect and constant effort by SNP health secretaries Scotland still has seen not one health service strike, 150 000 procedures and unknown thousands of lives have been saved
Less than one month ago, BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers announced gleefully: Scotland’s resident doctors are to go on strike in a dispute over pay – the first time a national walkout has been staged by NHS workers. Their union BMA Scotland had accused the government of reneging on a commitment to restore pay to 2008 levels. With 92% of those who turned out voting in favour, strike dates have been set for 07:00 on Tuesday 13 January to 07:00 on Saturday 17 January 2026. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjdrp9205vro Yesterday, Health Correspondent Lisa was clearly not available (stress?) and Phil Sim (Who?) had to … Continue reading Thanks to mutual respect and constant effort by SNP health secretaries Scotland still has seen not one health service strike, 150 000 procedures and unknown thousands of lives have been saved
As election looms Fergus Ewing should not be aiding the prospects of the very parties responsible for the lack of money for the Nairn Bypass in the first place and for long resisting the dualling of the A9
On BBC Scotland this morning, Fergus claims he’s found documents suggesting no funding has been identified to take the Nairn Bypass scheme forward. The folk of Nairn have my sympathy but they should know that their MSP is now campaigning with BBC Scotland and the gutter-press, to help the election 2026 prospects of the very parties which in 2007, forced the minority SNP government to proceed with the £1bn Edinburgh Trams Project and have no choice but to slash spending on roads. Labour, Conservatives and Lib Dumbs combined to overpower the SNP which had proposed scrapping the scheme as part … Continue reading As election looms Fergus Ewing should not be aiding the prospects of the very parties responsible for the lack of money for the Nairn Bypass in the first place and for long resisting the dualling of the A9
Scottish Government provides better support for business
introduced in England by the UK Government. BBC Scotland today, with a story to suggest something is worse in Scotland than in England. There’s a debate in the Scottish Parliament tomorrow on business rates which they’ve managed to find someone to stand in a shopping street and try to present as a crisis that only exists in Scotland. The facts? Based on an AI search of 87 sources, Scotland’s system is often seen as more coordinated and interventionist. Summary Table Aspect Scotland England Better for SMEs? Rates Relief (Core Small Biz) Very generous (combined RV up to £35k+, 100% bands) … Continue reading Scottish Government provides better support for business
Scotland’s Auditor General fails to audit the most important thing in the NHS and England’s doesn’t even try when he really should do
Thanks to cuckooshoe for alerting us to this: Scotland’s high-profile media auditor, Stephen Boyle, has been all over with his latest claim of delayed discharges costs damaging NHS Scotland.1 From the Institute for Government report – Performance Tracker 2025: Hospitals – published on 14 November 2025: There was no month in 2024/25 in which general and acute bed occupancy was below 91.4%, well above the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s recommendation that trusts should have an upper ceiling of 85% for bed occupancy.2 The auditor general for England has not audited this in living memory and certainly never bothers to … Continue reading Scotland’s Auditor General fails to audit the most important thing in the NHS and England’s doesn’t even try when he really should do
London-born, entirely England-educated, nephrologist with no understanding of Scotland’s 500 years plus history of universal free-education thinks he can tell us what to do
Sir Peter William Mathieson, above, born in Colchester, educated entirely in England with only a medical science degree, and principal of the university where anti-working class Scots bias is the norm1, is on BBC Scotland today to tell us: Edinburgh University’s principal says Scottish students should be asked to pay towards their tuition, as the sector is in “danger” under the current system. Prof Sir Peter Mathieson said that Scotland – where undergraduate tuition is free for most students – could adopt a “graduate repayment scheme” based upon salary. Mathieson insisted Scotland’s funding model was “not sustainable”, but said he … Continue reading London-born, entirely England-educated, nephrologist with no understanding of Scotland’s 500 years plus history of universal free-education thinks he can tell us what to do
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 