Alcohol-related hospitalisation rates continue to plummet after Labour mismanagement ends
In the years of Labour government at Holyrood, alcohol-related hospital admissions to general acute hospitals, climbed steadily and worryingly, to peak in 2006/2007. From then on as the SNP in government began their push toward a more equal society with enhanced benefits, more progressive taxation, lower rent and rates and more affordable housing than elsewhere in the UK, they have fallen steadily. In addition, the SNP Minimum Unit Pricing scheme has now been running for six years. Some researchers have been keen to suggest it has not been effective but have no other explanation for the continued and accelerating fall since … Continue reading Alcohol-related hospitalisation rates continue to plummet after Labour mismanagement ends
Climate change – ‘Why don’t they do it as well as the Scots?’
there is a target that can’t be met, so it is a shame we have to give that message to the Scottish Government but what is behind it is behind it is a lack of progress all round. The above comments follow on from the opening headline claim by BBC Scotland that: Climate experts say a target for a 75% emissions cut by 2030 is out of reach and make much of its ‘legally-binding’ nature. Chris Stark above is the Chief Executive of the CCC, just about to leave them, so must be well-informed of progress or otherwise made by … Continue reading Climate change – ‘Why don’t they do it as well as the Scots?’
Disenfranchising Scottish Tory voters?
Leah Gunn Barrett In today’s Scotsman, John McClellan claims that the First Minister’s wish to see all Tory MPs voted out in the general forthcoming general election is tantamount to disenfranchising Scottish voters. Nonsense. First, he doesn’t acknowledge the deep unpopularity of Sunak’s government and the concomitant decline in support for a party that has presided over a recession, falling living standards, rising inequality, increasing poverty and failing public services. Given this abysmal record, who in their right mind would vote Tory? Second, the Scottish People haven’t voted for Tory since 1959 but have had to endure their execrable policies for half that time. … Continue reading Disenfranchising Scottish Tory voters?
Calls for Kaye Adams to apologise for Humza/Hitler analogy
From https://twitter.com/BronwynChat today, this response to her from BBC Complaints: Bronwyn was referring to this: Bronwyn is not satisfied and has written: @BBCRadioScot Kay Adams show , admitting that she was in the wrong and it should not have been broadcast. I am not accepting that apology. I will send a follow up asking for it to be addressed and retracted on air. All power to her elbow. It’s quite a thing getting them to admit to anything. Continue reading Calls for Kaye Adams to apologise for Humza/Hitler analogy
The News where you are is tailored to what we say it is
By Robert Lamont What our Romania Correspondent, Bob Lamont sees, with no Scottish Politics, above. What we see in the UK below, with Scotland Politics: Bob wonders: What if James Robertson’s superb sendup “ The News where you are, is not the News where we are ” morphed into the “The News where you are is tailored to what we say it is in Bearsden, Torry, Milngavie or Collington “. For now it only appears to be the case for English, Scots, Welsh or Irish ABROAD, or at least I see the exact same setup from here in Romania for … Continue reading The News where you are is tailored to what we say it is
BBC Scotland cannot bear to tell you Humza Yousaf has conquered all the council tax rebels!
The Herald, with many anti-SNP elements, is not monolithic and must follow the money. So in the last 40 minutes, their Tom Gordon has to tells us: Humza Yousaf is set to deliver his promise of a Scotland-wide council tax freeze from April after the only two hold-out councils backed down. Labour-led Inverclyde and Tory-Liberal Democrat run Argyll & Bute today both signalled they were ready to revisit their respective rises of 8.2% and 10%. BBC Scotland, safe on a heap of your licences fee cash, are not going there, so offer this: May ditch plan? Aye right! The Express … Continue reading BBC Scotland cannot bear to tell you Humza Yousaf has conquered all the council tax rebels!
Scottish Teacher numbers maintained to keep ratio at best by far in UK yet their union backs the party responsible for the worst
The above from the Scottish Government today shows the pupil/teacher ratio in Scottish schools being maintained at 13.2 for the third year in a row despite around 6 000 more pupils in the system since 2019, with nearly 2 000 extra teachers. Pupil to teacher ratios in maintained schools were lowest in Scotland (13.2) and similar in Northern Ireland (17.4), England (18.0) and Wales (18.4): https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-and-training-statistics-for-the-uk These are big differences in the load faced by Scottish teachers compared with those elsewhere in the UK. Yet, their union leaders use this all-graduate profession to back the party responsible for the worst … Continue reading Scottish Teacher numbers maintained to keep ratio at best by far in UK yet their union backs the party responsible for the worst
‘Only seven countries meet WHO air quality standard, research finds’….plus Scotland
According to the Guardian today, Scotland is not a country and by implication falls with the UK into the failed group. The latest WHO level for the deadly PM2.5 particles is 5 micrograms per cubic metre. Though no Scottish average seems available, you can, I find, go to the IQAir site and find the level of PM2.5 where you live. How about Glasgow High Street? 3.1, well under the WHO level. https://www.iqair.com/gb/uk/scotland/glasgow/glasgow-high-street To my surprise the partly-pedestrianised Ayr High Street – 5.7, just over. Aberdeen Anderson Drive – 4.5 Edinburgh Tower Street – 1.5! Busy Queensferry Road – 1.9 Bainsford … Continue reading ‘Only seven countries meet WHO air quality standard, research finds’….plus Scotland
Islay ferries – Massively subsidised by the rest of us and seriously under-used yet still not good enough – Go tell Shakespeare?
STV today has this: Islanders say Scotland’s ferry service is stumbling from crisis to crisis due to a lack of resilience in the system. Breakdowns and cancellations are causing disruption to businesses as well as missed hospital appointments. A new ferry for the Islay route was launched in Turkey at the weekend. It is due to be in service by the end of this year, with another due next year. While a welcome addition, residents there claim they have been dealing with a second-rate service while they are built and are facing another summer of disruption. https://news.stv.tv/west-central/tough-summer-looms-for-islay-businesses-suffering-from-second-rate-service-despite-promise-of-new-calmac-ferries There’s more, much … Continue reading Islay ferries – Massively subsidised by the rest of us and seriously under-used yet still not good enough – Go tell Shakespeare?
Why does only Scotland need to hear of national grid problems it does not actually have?
Included in Reporting Scotland’s very short insert in BBC Breakfast and the main story on the BBC Scotland website (below), ‘The National Grid’ and its need for massive investment to make sure it can provide the flow of electricity to ‘homes and businesses’, makes no mention of the key fact that Scotland does not ‘need’ this at all; the rest of the UK does. Scotland is currently transferring 1.69TWh of electricity per month to England, more than 20TWh in 2023 and on some days (above graph) pushing 30TWh. https://news.duke-energy.com/releases/duke-energy-customers-surpass-1-terawatt-of-energy-savings-through-my-home-energy-report-program 1TWh would sell globally for about $120 000 per hour, so … Continue reading Why does only Scotland need to hear of national grid problems it does not actually have?
