BBC Scotland admit County Lines drug gangs are another plague from England but try to contain it in the Highlands

Charity workers have raised concern about the number of vulnerable youngsters in the Highlands being targeted big city drug dealers from England. Barnardo’s staff say they’re being exploited and threatened by County Lines drug gangs in Inverness. The charity runs the Anchor project in the City, which is trying to help tackle the problem. Police reckon 12 organised crime groups are operating in the Highland capital. BBC Scotland, in their BBC breakfast insert this morning, with a second only explicit mention of where the County Lines drug gangs are from. I must say, I’m puzzled by this openness after 7 … Continue reading BBC Scotland admit County Lines drug gangs are another plague from England but try to contain it in the Highlands

Labour vows to merge ferry bodies and fix ‘broken system’ broken by their Douglas Alexander and Jack McConnell in the first place

Headlining for BBC Scotland, featuring across all media operating in Scotland and in The Standard today: Labour vows to merge ferry bodies and fix ‘broken system’ – Anas Sarwar will visit Stornoway on Monday, as he warned the ‘SNP’s ferry fiasco is a symbol of their incompetence and waste’. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/anas-sarwar-snp-holyrood-isle-of-lewis-b1276923.html I’m already blinded by the shine from Labour’s brass neck on this one. Merge what? CalMac which runs the service and CMAL which owns the ferries and commissions the building of new ones. Until 1 October 2006, Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd ran the service and owned the boats. The harbours and … Continue reading Labour vows to merge ferry bodies and fix ‘broken system’ broken by their Douglas Alexander and Jack McConnell in the first place

Disturbing research finding repeat AI errors in a medical procedure cast doubt on UK Labour’s rush to replace clinicians and confirm Scottish Government’s caution

Thanks to NHS for YES for alerting us to this. From a February 2026 peer-reviewed research paper on an AI tool for Nasogastric Tube Position, the above image and this disturbing conclusion: Administration of food or medication through a misplaced nasogastric tube (NGT) constitutes a “never event” (defined by the National Health Service as a serious incident that is wholly preventable) in health care systems given the high likelihood of patient harm. Efforts to ensure adequate NGT positioning typically focus on increased education. Artificial intelligence (AI)–driven decision-support tools could address such challenges in a more streamlined manner, yet external validation … Continue reading Disturbing research finding repeat AI errors in a medical procedure cast doubt on UK Labour’s rush to replace clinicians and confirm Scottish Government’s caution

SNP Government’s defence of the disabled against ‘a cruel penalty’ portrayed as economic mismanagement by BBC Scotland

In the Guardian, today, the above (left) and: Hundreds of thousands of severely ill and disabled people making new claims will have their benefits cut if the government assesses that their condition might improve, charities have said. In April, the health element of universal credit – an extra payment for people assessed as too unwell to work or prepare for work – will be halved to £50 a week and frozen for new claimants unless their condition is found to be terminal or severe and lifelong with no prospect of improvement. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/29/disabled-benefit-claimants-face-lower-payments-if-conditions-not-deemed-lifelong-charities-say Will this apply in Scotland? PIP and equivalent … Continue reading SNP Government’s defence of the disabled against ‘a cruel penalty’ portrayed as economic mismanagement by BBC Scotland