Same New Zealand ferry runs aground and then only weeks later hits a harbour wall due to ‘strong winds’ – cue CalMac Ardrossan video?
From New Zealand Radio today: Troubled Interislander ferry Aratere was damaged berthing into Wellington Harbour about 3.30pm on Thursday, Wellington’s harbourmaster confirmed to RNZ. There is a hole in the hull but it is high on the ship, and no injuries are reported. KiwiRail said in a statement that while docking in strong winds, the ferry made contact with the link span, the dock ramp which allowed vehicles to access the vessel. Docking in high winds? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1kY_COMeXc Only one month ago, the same ferry ran aground: From 1News 10th July 2024: Interislander ferry Aratere ran aground after a button was “inadvertently pressed”, sending … Continue reading Same New Zealand ferry runs aground and then only weeks later hits a harbour wall due to ‘strong winds’ – cue CalMac Ardrossan video?
General Medical Council confirms Scottish doctors doing not slightly but significantly better
By Professor John Robertson Slightly? Only if you understand percentages of large populations about as well as 11 year-olds before you teach them and, remarkably, if you have not read your own results below. From, I have to say, properly done research by the General Medical Council today, evidence of significantly better conditions for doctors in Scotland. That 25% gap between the satisfied and dissatisfied in Scotland is massive because it’s 25% of more than 20 000 doctors (see below from the BMA) or around 5 000 doctors: As of December 2023, there were 16,733 doctors working in secondary care in … Continue reading General Medical Council confirms Scottish doctors doing not slightly but significantly better
Scottish Defence League…naw, Group….naw Force sounds better!
In the Daily Record yesterday with no image of the members: Violent riots across UK could be seen in Scotland as group announces planned protest. The Scottish Defence Group has also organised similar events in Aberdeen, East Kilbride, Glasgow and Greenock for this weekend. When you search for the Scottish Defence Group, Google has a Monty Python moment and gives up quickly on them before suggesting the Scottish Defence League (above in Glasgow in 2009) and the Scottish Defence Force. There’s no People’s Defence League of Scotland or……. Are they different or are they just changing their name after every … Continue reading Scottish Defence League…naw, Group….naw Force sounds better!
£1.1 million drugs seized from a car travelling north at J17 Lockerbie – I wonder where they were coming from to feed Scotland’s drug death problem?
The Herald and others are covering this Police Scotland report today. I appreciate that it’s too early for us to hear where the two arrested are from but you can be sure they’re not from Lockerbie or Giffnock. There’s a positive here, perhaps. Is Police Scotland using its cars to set up a pre-independence, hardish border, stopping suspect cars on the main routes into Scotland? County lines gangs from English cities used child-couriers on the railways to carry drugs as far north as Wick. Are the British Transport Police doing something similar? Well, now that you ask: Wouldn’t that be … Continue reading £1.1 million drugs seized from a car travelling north at J17 Lockerbie – I wonder where they were coming from to feed Scotland’s drug death problem?
When will BBC Scotland’s under-educated reporters delight in this map suggesting Scotland is one of the most antisemitic areas in UK?
BBC Scotland haven’t noticed this yet but they will. Maybe they’re waiting for the Herald to write up a quick piece first as they did last year to misleadingly suggest a crisis here.. Look at that map! Scotland looks like the seventh most anti-semitic part of the UK but I know you know what’s misleading about it. Scotland’s unified police force means all the cases are added up when, back in the day, there might have been 22 in Glasgow, 12 in Edinburgh, 3 in Dundee and Aberdeen and zero across the rest of the map of Scotland. Here are … Continue reading When will BBC Scotland’s under-educated reporters delight in this map suggesting Scotland is one of the most antisemitic areas in UK?
Nuclear subs that have been stuck in port, mostly in Scotland, for over a year, polluting our waters
By Leah Gunn Barrett You’ve got to hand it to the MOD. It has a knack for coming up with alliterative ‘killer’ names for its rust-bucket class of nuclear subs that have been stuck in port, mostly in Scotland, for over a year, polluting our waters. The Royal Navy’s newest class of ‘hunter-killer’ subs, codenamed ‘Astute’, are anything but. HMS ‘Ambush’ hasn’t sailed for 2 years. HMS ‘Audacious’ is grounded in Devonport. HMS ‘Artful’ has been stranded at His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde for 14 months along with HMS ‘Astute’. A crane to lift the subs from the water at Faslane … Continue reading Nuclear subs that have been stuck in port, mostly in Scotland, for over a year, polluting our waters
BBC Scotland twice failing – warning when there is no risk (riots) and not warning when there is a very real one (drug gang violence)
With a little research anyone can establish the tiny or non-existent Scottish membership of the right-wing groups organising the riots in England. You’ll find the figures here: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2021/07/05/neil-troubles-mackays-big-nightmare-the-inside-story-of-scotlands-teeny-far-right/ They don’t have the critical mass to organise a tutorial. What do the experts say, BBC Scotland? Police Scotland wishes to reassure communities that there is no intelligence indicating similar incidents are likely in Scotland. We continue to liaise with a range of partners to maintain this level of reassurance. Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton, Policing Together said: “We understand that these recent events may cause concern, that is why we have … Continue reading BBC Scotland twice failing – warning when there is no risk (riots) and not warning when there is a very real one (drug gang violence)
The one-year attainment gap has widened but the far more important longer-term trend is: Most disadvantaged attainment level more than doubles in only 12 years
By Professor John Robertson, Associate Dean (Quality Assurance) University of the West of Scotland, Faculty of Education 2000-2003 (I know, get me) BBC Scotland, the tabloids and even the Guardian were delighted to see the attainment gap in exams widen in the last year: For example, the most recent figures show that the gap between Higher A-C pass rates for pupils from the most affluent and most deprived areas of the country stood at 17.2, up from 16% last year and 16.9% in 2019. The attainment gap has also increased for National 5s and Advanced Highers. No one, civilised, has … Continue reading The one-year attainment gap has widened but the far more important longer-term trend is: Most disadvantaged attainment level more than doubles in only 12 years
CalMac’s 54 sailings a day, on-time 100%, but allegedly past its ‘sell-by-date’ Cumbrae ferry is younger than 7 they did already sell to Ireland and barely half the age of 3 still in service in Canada
In an ‘Exclusive’ (Stop it my ribs hurt!), the Herald’s Martin Williams writes: A ferry that is 23 years past its ‘sell-by date’ has become the seventh to break down in a matter of days in a deepening crisis over lifeline Scots services. Users were hit with queues of three hours at Largs to the popular tourist island of Great Cumbrae on Tuesday in the latest wave of breakdowns to hit services to and from islands off the west coast of Scotland. I’d say ‘mince’ but mince is decent fare. This is just urine. The MV Isle of Cumbrae, serving on … Continue reading CalMac’s 54 sailings a day, on-time 100%, but allegedly past its ‘sell-by-date’ Cumbrae ferry is younger than 7 they did already sell to Ireland and barely half the age of 3 still in service in Canada
Four years ago the Times could write of Dundee – ‘People are terrified’: ruthless gangs from England flood city with drugs’ but still today BBC Scotland can only say nervously ‘new faces or accents from other towns’ as 52 vulnerable adults are ‘cuckooed’ by the same gangs in one Scottish city
I thought they might say it. In a harrowing account of 52 cases of vulnerable women in Dundee subjected to knives at their throats, forced drug taking, sexual abuse and many other forms of abuse and an interview with Gillian Anderson above, we heard nothing of where the abusers come from and are left to assume wrongly, from Dundee itself. In the more than 1 000 words on this, in the online report, there is only one wee clue: Signs might include a neighbour who has become more withdrawn, there could be additional people coming and going from their address … Continue reading Four years ago the Times could write of Dundee – ‘People are terrified’: ruthless gangs from England flood city with drugs’ but still today BBC Scotland can only say nervously ‘new faces or accents from other towns’ as 52 vulnerable adults are ‘cuckooed’ by the same gangs in one Scottish city
