‘The false promise of nuclear power’ – a devastating and final demolition of the case for nuclear energy from the Lancet, the top medical journal in the world
The Lancet is one of the world’s most highly respected and influential general medical journals. Latest Journal Impact Factor (JIF): 109.0 (2025 JCR, released June 2026, based on 2025 citation data). This is a significant increase from 88.5 the previous year. It ranks #1 in the “Medicine, General & Internal” category (Q1), ahead of competitors like the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). In the Lancet today: By focusing narrowly on reactor operations, portraying reactor hazards as “extremely small”, and ignoring nuclear energy’s other dangers, Talha Burki’s World Report1 supports the mendacious narrative that nuclear power is a “safe, clean, and … Continue reading ‘The false promise of nuclear power’ – a devastating and final demolition of the case for nuclear energy from the Lancet, the top medical journal in the world
Largs to Millport ferry, four times every hour, with capacity for 6 million passengers and three quarters of a million cars only used one eighth and one third of that capacity in 2024 – who pays for such generosity?
Every year, thousands of drivers, often in SUV’s, try to get on to a tiny island which thousands of others walk and cycle round, their potentially lovely day spoiled by those same drivers. There’s a well-run bus service from the ferry slip to the town with hundreds of bicycles for hire and lots of wee cafes to relax in. I’ve been there more times than I can remember and never felt the need to take a car. These days, I’d struggle to get round the island on feet or wheels but there’s no way I’d be bullying my way round … Continue reading Largs to Millport ferry, four times every hour, with capacity for 6 million passengers and three quarters of a million cars only used one eighth and one third of that capacity in 2024 – who pays for such generosity?
Child sexual abuse offences in Scotland half as common as in England & Wales 19 years after Salmond’s minority government acted
On BBC Newsnight, last night, discussing police arrests in Oxford and the Pakistani government’s refusal to accept a rape grooming gang leader born there, a figure that just took my breathe away. According to the National Police Chief’s Council, the latest figures show 123 000 child sexual abuse offences in 2024, a 6% increase on the year before. I know, this is a topic we feel unhappy about exploring but you can be sure that were there a sniff of a higher rate per head in Scotland, the media and opposition politicians would not hesitate to milk it daily and … Continue reading Child sexual abuse offences in Scotland half as common as in England & Wales 19 years after Salmond’s minority government acted
Four months after two die from meningitis NHS England does something to catch up with Scotland
Four months after two meningitis deaths in Kent, we can read from BBC Health, in the last few minutes: All teenagers should be offered a free vaccine against meningitis B (MenB) at around the age of 15, UK experts are now recommending – a change to previous advice. It follows concerns over the UK’s largest and fastest growing outbreak that happened in Kent earlier this year, in which two people died. As a precaution, a one-off vaccination campaign is already being launched around the UK this summer for young people heading off to university for the first time, among some others. Advisers, external are asking … Continue reading Four months after two die from meningitis NHS England does something to catch up with Scotland
Nearly a million mainly English migrants choose Scotland in two decades of SNP government
From Mid-2025 population estimates published 14 July 2026 by the NRS: Migration was the main driver of population growth over the latest year. Net international migration was +9,300 in the year to mid-2025. Net migration between elsewhere in the UK and Scotland was +8,600. Together, these gave a total net migration of +17,900. This is lower than the recent peak of +83,300 in the year to mid-2023 and the level (+47,000) in the year to mid-2024. Net migration was positive in 25 of Scotland’s 32 council areas over the latest year. https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/mid-2025-population-estimates/ Nearly 1 million people have moved from the rest … Continue reading Nearly a million mainly English migrants choose Scotland in two decades of SNP government
Glasgow’s giant hospital is revealed as one of safest in Scotland and far safer than several of NHS England’s really ‘scandal-hit’ hospitals
The Times today is front-paging a story of a floor-cleaning fluid and the apparent lack of clear instructions on its use. Staff have been ‘offered the chance to speak to occupational health.’ Disturbing, I agree. Something should be done, I agree but front page on a major newspaper? Is it there, only because the hospital in question has been subject to repeated, ill-informed, hyperbolic, claims from Scottish Labour and associating it with the current SNP Government? Using real, important, data, just how good is the QEUH and compared to other hospitals across the UK not, it seems , ‘scandal -hit?’ … Continue reading Glasgow’s giant hospital is revealed as one of safest in Scotland and far safer than several of NHS England’s really ‘scandal-hit’ hospitals
That’s it settled – £50 from each of you to save jobs in Scunthorpe and don’t talk to us about Barnett
Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. In the Guardian today: British Steel has formally been taken into public ownership 15 months after the government stepped in to prevent the closure of its steelworks in Scunthorpe and the loss of 4,000 jobs. Keir Starmer on Thursday said that it was in the national interest for the government to take over the factory from its Chinese owner, Jingye, in one of the last significant actions overseen by him as prime minister after the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Act received Royal Assent on Wednesday. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jul/16/british-steel-public-ownership-save-uk-supply-scunthorpe What will the upfront costs be? Around … Continue reading That’s it settled – £50 from each of you to save jobs in Scunthorpe and don’t talk to us about Barnett
BBC Crime show confuses ‘Two a week!’ femicide rate in England with ‘One a month’ in Scotland
In BBC Crime Files, broadcast two days ago, Professor David Wilson, after just hearing there were only 45 murders in Scotland last year, reflects: So in ten years’ time, could we ever get to the point where there will be no murders in Scotland at all? Or to get there, will we have to challenge misogyny so much that we will get rid of that appalling statistic that two women a week are murdered in this country? His interviewee, Karen McCluskey of the the Violence Reduction Unit, apparently accepting that claim then says: Oh wouldn’t that be wonderful. When I … Continue reading BBC Crime show confuses ‘Two a week!’ femicide rate in England with ‘One a month’ in Scotland
Pandemic Inquiry – ‘Disinterested in working with, or hearing the concerns of the Devolved Administrations’
By stewartb The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has just published its latest report, on Module 5: Procurement. (see https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/09094028/E03444965_Covid-Inquiry-M5-Inquiry_Web-Accessible.pdf ) The Inquiry’s overarching conclusions for this module focus on: (i) the UK’s unpreparedness in terms of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other clinical supplies for a pandemic, including below-target volumes and expired equipment in national pandemic stockpiles; and (ii) huge levels of waste amongst the PPE procured. A search of the document for references specific to ‘Scotland’ yields no especially or uniquely damning findings to ‘excite’ committed opponents of the SNP and the Scottish Government. Nevertheless, the search did throw up some references worthy … Continue reading Pandemic Inquiry – ‘Disinterested in working with, or hearing the concerns of the Devolved Administrations’
‘So no I will not support England’
By Liz S “If they win we’ll never hear the end of it” Indeed In fact every time they have a game in this world cup then every TV channel news programme and daytime trash TV programme cannot stop talking about it. In fact , as a Scot, you almost feel as if you are in a foreign country and watching foreign Television programmes. Then of course the , checks notes, UK PM posts constant motivation comments on ‘X’ to the England team and also if England win their game he then posts comments on ‘X’ praising them. However I did not … Continue reading ‘So no I will not support England’
Talking-up Scotland 