The offending carer ‘no longer works there’ because Scotland’s scheme uniquely continuously updates and informs employers
BBC Scotland today, typically, have been making much of a single, unacceptable I know, case in a care home for the elderly: The daughter of an 85-year-old care home resident who was photographed while she was partially naked by a carer has called the incident a “violation”. Police are investigating a claim that “inappropriate images” were taken at the Kingsacre Care Home at Duntocher in Clydebank in March this year. The elderly woman’s daughter, Catherine, told the BBC her mother, who has dementia, would be “disgusted” if she knew the photo had been taken and shared with another person. The … Continue reading The offending carer ‘no longer works there’ because Scotland’s scheme uniquely continuously updates and informs employers
As Derbyshire folk suffer eye-watering toxic landfill, England and Europe’s hidden leaking toxic landfills are often unknown but Scotland’s sites are all known to Sepa and landfill now only a third of that under Labour
Today’s reports from Derbyshire of a toxic landfill site not being dealt with the the Environment Agency remind me of this from the Guardian in December 2025: UK and Europe’s hidden landfills at risk of leaking toxic waste into water supplies – Thousands of landfills across the UK and Europe sit in floodplains, posing a potential threat to drinking water and conservation areas if toxic waste is released into rivers, soils and ecosystems, it can be revealed. and ‘I kept smelling a horrible nasty smell’: the risks of England’s old dumping grounds – For some, the smell brings on nausea and headaches. Others fear … Continue reading As Derbyshire folk suffer eye-watering toxic landfill, England and Europe’s hidden leaking toxic landfills are often unknown but Scotland’s sites are all known to Sepa and landfill now only a third of that under Labour
As ‘miserable’ Derbyshire villagers face ‘swarms of flies’ Scotland’s environment agency is TWICE as effective in closing illegal waste dumps
Featuring on BBC Breakfast this morning and across local media: Residents claim their lives are being made a misery by a massive “eyesore” landfill site that now looms over their village, bringing with it swarms of flies and thick clouds of dust. Furious locals in Duckmanton, Derbys. , have watched the foul-smelling site grow considerably over the years to the point where it has now encroached upon the hillsides overlooking homes in the picturesque village. They report that swarms of flies descend upon their living rooms and kitchens on a daily basis, leaving them feeling like “prisoners in their own … Continue reading As ‘miserable’ Derbyshire villagers face ‘swarms of flies’ Scotland’s environment agency is TWICE as effective in closing illegal waste dumps
Scotland’s strangely self-portrayed Cassandra figure
Ajax and Cassandra by Solomon J. Solomon, 1886. There is no way I’m reading Robin McAlpine’s latest lofty (Alpine?) tirade in the National. I haven’t read anything by him for years and I’m not going to. The doctor says I’ve to stay calm. Cassandra? Pretentious or whit? How many National readers know who she was? In the Trojan war she was the daughter of King Priam who said: ‘Don’t open that effing horse that the Greeks have left behind! There’s something bad inside!’ In Greek mythology she was always warning folk not to do things because it would end badly. She was … Continue reading Scotland’s strangely self-portrayed Cassandra figure
Corridor Care – Another Scottish Labour MP toadies to Westminster with discredited methods and hides far higher level in England and Wales
In the Ayr Advertiser today: Ayrshire MP Irene Campbell has highlighted concerns about Crosshouse Hospital during a Parliamentary debate on corridor care. The North Ayrshire & Arran Labour MP told the Commons: “I would just like to highlight that the Scottish Government do not record or publish any statistics on the number of patients being treated in corridors. However, we know that it happens. . “Crosshouse Hospital, which serves my constituency, was recorded in January as having one of Scotland’s most under-pressure emergency departments. It exceeded capacity by 50 per cent in December, revealing corridor care conditions in the hospital. Does … Continue reading Corridor Care – Another Scottish Labour MP toadies to Westminster with discredited methods and hides far higher level in England and Wales
Research reveals increasing mental health referrals among children may be more due to a greater readiness to come forward and to coding changes than to an actual increase in depression and anxiety and casts Daily Record reporting as ill-informed and exploitative
The dominant narrative across the media operating in Scotland, the opposition parties and a few parents groomed by them, is, as in the Daily Record headline above, on 20 April 2026. Often ignored are these facts: From Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting times Quarter ending March 2026 published today, the above graph showing the 90% target beaten for 6 quarters (3 months) in a row, and: 91.2% of people started treatment within 18 weeks of referral, which is an increase from 90.0% for the previous quarter. 3,858 people started treatment in CAMHS. This is an increase of 2.4% (91) from the 3,767 starting … Continue reading Research reveals increasing mental health referrals among children may be more due to a greater readiness to come forward and to coding changes than to an actual increase in depression and anxiety and casts Daily Record reporting as ill-informed and exploitative
What the media in Scotland won’t tell you about the obscene pay of English water bosses for water that causes sepsis and kidney failure
What the Herald won’t tell you about the obscene pay of English water bosses for water that causes sepsis and kidney failure Today, in the Guardian: Wessex Water awarded its chief executive an above-inflation pay increase even as the company was banned from paying bonuses because of sewage spills, it has emerged. Ruth Jefferson received a 14% base salary increase in October, from £590,000 to £670,000, before other benefits, according to accounts published this month. It was far above the 3.5% given to workers, and put her pay at 18 times that of the company’s median employee. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jul/18/wessex-water-chief-pay-rise-bonus-ban On 1 … Continue reading What the media in Scotland won’t tell you about the obscene pay of English water bosses for water that causes sepsis and kidney failure
One of Andy Burnham’s first acts will be to copy John Swinney on digital ID
In the Guardian today: Andy Burnham is expected to scrap Keir Starmer’s plans for digital ID cards in a “reset of priorities” when he enters Downing Street on Monday. The new Labour leader plans to redirect the resources earmarked for the scheme towards tackling the cost of living, his team indicated on Saturday.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/18/burnham-to-scrap-starmers-digital-id-scheme-in-reset-of-priorities 10 months ago: There’s something missing from all the media coverage of Labour’s Digital ID proposal and it’s darker than any worries we might have about Scots ‘declaring ourselves British.‘ From the Canary factchecker 27 September 2025 ago: As Keir Starmer moves to impose ‘digital ID’ on the UK, … Continue reading One of Andy Burnham’s first acts will be to copy John Swinney on digital ID
Amended ‘Irresponsible BBQ users’ are not always to blame for wildfires
A reader has correctly pointed out a basic error in the first draft of this. Media coverage of wildfires tends almost uniformly to blame supposedly irresponsible BBQ-users. The current Cairngorm wildfire is similarly explained despite taking place on fairly uninteresting moorland: In this case, as the fire started on RSPB territory popular with walkers, the above explanations are more likely. However many wildfires cannot be so easily attributed. A significant percentage, often those which start on grouse-shooting estates are caused by the estate practice of muirburn. Muirburn? What is muirburn? Also called heather burning or controlled burning, muirburn is a … Continue reading Amended ‘Irresponsible BBQ users’ are not always to blame for wildfires
Domestic violence already twice as common spikes around England games but not those in Scotland
From BBC Sport yesterday: As the full-time whistle blew in Atlanta on Wednesday, signalling England’s exit from the World Cup, a wave of disappointment spread across the country. But for some, there was a very different emotion growing inside. Domestic abuse rises by 26% when England play and by 38% when they lose, according to research by Lancaster University. During a major football tournament such as the World Cup, some women and girls are constantly living in fear. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cwymljn8y10o In Scotland, there is no evidence of domestic violence spikes around football internationals. This aligns with the Tartan Army‘s developed culture … Continue reading Domestic violence already twice as common spikes around England games but not those in Scotland
Talking-up Scotland 