Young carers may be missing out on help because the public service broadcaster won’t tell them about it
Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ From the Scottish Government today: On Young Carers Action Day (13 March) teenagers who look after others are being urged find out if they’re eligible for a grant available only in Scotland. Since being introduced in 2019 by the Scottish Government, Young Carer Grant has delivered over £3 million to over 6,600 teenage carers. However a leading carers charity says many young people who look after others do not recognise themselves as carers, … Continue reading Young carers may be missing out on help because the public service broadcaster won’t tell them about it
Central Ayrshire Labour Candidate would not commit to helping 1 560 children out of poverty
Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ Central Ayrshire Labour Candidate, Alan Gemmell OBE, if elected, will do what Sir Keir Starmer tells him to do. Any suggestion of disloyalty and he’d be dumped quicker that guy in Rochdale for daring to criticise Israel. Yesterday, in the Ardrossan Herald, Gemmell is urging action on poverty. Last year End Child Poverty made clear the role of the Two Child Benefit Cap in pushing 1.5 million UK children into poverty. There are 1 … Continue reading Central Ayrshire Labour Candidate would not commit to helping 1 560 children out of poverty
The huge gap between Scottish Labour and the world of food banks
Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ I’m sure the photographer was just trying get in all the food brought to an Irvine food bank by local rich guy, the former Director of the British Council in India, the former Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner and British Deputy High Commissioner for South Asia, Allan Gemmell, Order of the British Empire 2016 (when Boris Johnson was Foreign Secretary) and now Labour (Starmerite) candidate for Central Ayrshire, but it doesn’t half tell a story. … Continue reading The huge gap between Scottish Labour and the world of food banks
How Scottish Labour would have dragged Scotland into the UK’s unaffordable housing nightmare
From the ONS in July 2023, the average cost of a house in Scotland was 5.29 times the average household income. In Labour Wales, it was 6.38 times and in England, a shocking 8.44 times. Note how the Scottish trend [bottom] was climbing to follow that of the rUK then turned around in 2008? What could have caused that? More council-house building and affordable building under the SNP. Continue reading How Scottish Labour would have dragged Scotland into the UK’s unaffordable housing nightmare
Suspected drug deaths stable at well below peak but STV cannot read data
Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ STV is presenting this as: The number of suspected drug deaths in Scotland surged by 10% last year, police believe. There were 1,197 suspected drug deaths between January and December 2023. This was 10% (105) more than during the same period of 2022 (1,092). https://news.stv.tv/scotland/suspected-drug-deaths-surge-by-10-in-scotland The facts: First, the figure between January and December 2023 was 297 up only 2 on the same period in 2022, 295. Those which STV use above are the … Continue reading Suspected drug deaths stable at well below peak but STV cannot read data
Has anyone told these ‘journalists’ about the “Covid WhatsApp scandals” connected to both the Tory UK and Labour Welsh governments?
Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ By NMRN Not so great minds who think alike: Tom Gordon The Herald tweeted “He knew the drill Jason Leitch quits as National Clinical Director following Covid WhatsApp scandal“ Paul Hutcheon The Daily Record tweeted “BREAKING: Jason Leitch to leave Scottish Government as national clinical adviser after covid WhatsApp scandal“ Andrew Learmonth The Herald tweeted ” Jason Leitch quits as National Clinical Director following Covid Whatsapp scandal“ Scottish (INO) Express Tweeted “Jason Leitch leaving role as National Clinical Director after … Continue reading Has anyone told these ‘journalists’ about the “Covid WhatsApp scandals” connected to both the Tory UK and Labour Welsh governments?
England’s railways pay out nearly SEVEN times more than ScotRail in compensation for cancellations and delays to flummox Graham Simpson
Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ Not for the first time, helpfully thick, the Scottish Conservative’s Graham Simpson announces gleefully, after another freedom of information request we all paid for: ScotRail has paid out a staggering £1.5 million in compensation for cancelled and delayed trains since the SNP took over the rail service. Taxpayers are footing an enormous bill as a result of the SNP overpromising and underdelivering. https://twitter.com/ScotTories/status/1767528542101799226 In the Insider, Simpson, describes this as ‘absolutely staggering.’ Remember those … Continue reading England’s railways pay out nearly SEVEN times more than ScotRail in compensation for cancellations and delays to flummox Graham Simpson
Inverness – best small airport in Europe is not reported
Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ Thanks to Brian McGowan for alerting me to this. In the National yesterday: Inverness Airport won the Best Airport Under Two Million Passengers award in Europe for the fourth year running at the 2023 Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards. In addition to securing the Best Airport title, it also earned Airport With The Most Dedicated Staff in Europe. https://www.thenational.scot/news/24176690.scottish-airport-scoops-best-europe-award/ BBC Scotland Business today? Nope. BBC Highlands and Islands? Nope. Talking-up … Continue reading Inverness – best small airport in Europe is not reported
NHS Scotland’s improving A&E trend in 2024 revealed
Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ From https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/our-areas-of-work/acute-and-emergency-services/urgent-and-unscheduled-care/accident-and-emergency/#section-3-2 I’ve produced the above graph from the downloaded data to reveal what has been happening in the weekly A&E figures for full emergency departments (ED) since the beginning of 2024. There is a clear trend of improvement here unreported by the Scottish media. Note that at the same time, demand went up significantly from 24 000 to 26 000 attendances per week. Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s improving A&E trend in 2024 revealed
17.5% more chronic pain patients seen as number returns to pre-pandemic level
Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ From Public Health Scotland, today: During the quarter ending 31 December 2023, 2,221 patients were seen at a consultant-led chronic pain clinic. This compares to 2,005 patients in the previous quarter, an increase of 10.8% and to 1,890 patients seen a year earlier in the quarter ending 31 December 2022, an increase of 17.5%. Of those seen at a consultant-led clinic, 1,124 (50.6%) had waited 12 weeks or less to be seen, which is … Continue reading 17.5% more chronic pain patients seen as number returns to pre-pandemic level
