Covid Inquiry – Scottish ministers closed schools and saved thousands contrary to Prof Woolhouse’s wrong views
In the Herald today: The Scottish Government ignored its own scientific advice not to close schools during the second Covid wave of 2021, the UK inquiry into the pandemic has heard. Mark Woolhouse, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said that the decision to shut classrooms across Scotland was “not necessary” and did not contribute to halting the spread of the virus. Woolhouse, as far as I can see, was only one of the 20 advisors on the Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group. I’m not aware of this group advising against school closures. Prof Sridhar was … Continue reading Covid Inquiry – Scottish ministers closed schools and saved thousands contrary to Prof Woolhouse’s wrong views
Ayr Conservatives hide their identity but reveal their bad maths
This, funded by their many donors, came through my door yesterday. To be fair, it does mention the Conservative Party in wee print, unlike the leaflets from some Aberdeenshire candidates. Note the careful mention of ‘Unionist’ in this part of the world. Don’t mention the DUP hates Tories now. It’s in a nice Tory……green and, best of all, repeats that graph from 2019, when even Boris failed to get them in, in Ayr. Things have changed, as they well know, after Partygate, Liz Truss and now Rishi. Here’s the December 2023 poll with Labour only 0.6% behind them and the SNP … Continue reading Ayr Conservatives hide their identity but reveal their bad maths
Isle of Wight ferries charged several times the CalMac rate and got a Covid rescue grant yet made £16m profit and paid shareholders £10m
In Island Echo today: Wightlink made a profit of £16million in the financial year to March 2023, according to the company’s latest financial figures. The cross-Solent operator published its accounts – which are available on Companies House – on 8th January, covering the period from April 2022 to March 2023. The highest-paid director – who is unnamed – took home £398,000, with a further £285,000 paid out to other directors. A dividend of £10million was proposed to be paid in June last year, despite Wightlink taking a COVID rescue grant from the Government. No CalMac or previously Caledonian MacBrayne ferry … Continue reading Isle of Wight ferries charged several times the CalMac rate and got a Covid rescue grant yet made £16m profit and paid shareholders £10m
Juryless rape trials already take place in England and Wales – somebody tell the Scottish media and defence lawyers?
In 2020 rape prosecutions were more common in Scotland than in England, by 13% to 1.6% despite reports of rape being more than twice as high in England. I’m not, this time, going to make much of that because the 13% level of prosecutions seems lower than it should be and the Scottish Government’s plans to pilot juryless trials is a very sensible thing to try out. Since May 2023, the UK media in Scotland have pounced on the objections of some defence lawyers (What else would a defence lawyer do?) with a view to irresponsibly blocking another progressive SNP … Continue reading Juryless rape trials already take place in England and Wales – somebody tell the Scottish media and defence lawyers?
‘Beware of lonely numbers’ – Scotland’s A&E is still far better – by 15%!
In December 2023, NHS Scotland’s full emergency departments (Type ED) saw 62.9% of those attending, within 4 hours. In England, the equivalent figure was only 54.7% 62.9% is 14.8% better than 54.7%. That matters. It means around 100 000 more, every month in England waiting over 4 hours, than if they had lived in a country with A&E performing like Scotland. It means around 10 000 fewer in Scotland, every month, waiting over 4 hours, than if they had lived in a country with A&E performing like England. The great statistics in public health communicator Hans Rosling says: When I … Continue reading ‘Beware of lonely numbers’ – Scotland’s A&E is still far better – by 15%!
For the umpteenth time, there will never be a Grenfell here but Herald’s ferry correspondent lies in our faces for cheap returns
In the Herald today from Martin Williams, the man with a ferry newsletter, the above disgraceful image and then this: Ministers have been accused of putting lives at risk after it emerged it has overseen the removal of dangerous cladding of just one building seven years after the Grenfell Tower blaze that claimed the lives of 72 people. Who has accused the ministers? A trade union fighting in the interests of its members, as staffing is reduced but by a far lesser extent than fire incidents are plummeting. Just doing what they should but NOT evidence of anything other than … Continue reading For the umpteenth time, there will never be a Grenfell here but Herald’s ferry correspondent lies in our faces for cheap returns
Will the ferry misfortune continue like this? If there isn’t a pileup a day, it’s because God exists, no more!
I’m prepared to admit that super-rich independent Norway might offer a more reliable, more frequent, though more expensive, ferry service to more locations than CalMac, but in the absence of any figures (no one forces them to publish any), one more ferry fiasco, this time in Brazil, forces me to leave CalMac in first place. From infosaj.com.br today, with apologies for any translation hoots: Lots of horns, some shouting. Now I’m the idiot blocking access. I open the window, apologize to the guy in the white truck, and reverse. He shouts that “this is it straight away, every day”. The … Continue reading Will the ferry misfortune continue like this? If there isn’t a pileup a day, it’s because God exists, no more!
Tom Hunter – ‘So, the ONLY thing Scotland’s economy needs is …..?’
By stewartb ‘Sir Tom Hunter saying Ireland has a £60billion surplus and Scotland has a £30billion deficit.’ Hadn’t seen this latest intervention in Scotland’s polity by the wealthy entrepreneur, but I do recall a similar theme covered in The Herald last year (on 5 September). Whether down to a deficit of understanding, a deficit in the journalism or a ‘political/economic ‘blindness’ caused by Unionism, the part of the article available to read online for free was IMHO fundamentally flawed! This was the headline: ‘Business veterans say Scotland can learn from Ireland’s success’. The article opened with this: ‘ONLY by engaging … Continue reading Tom Hunter – ‘So, the ONLY thing Scotland’s economy needs is …..?’
CalMac is whopping 18% more reliable than America’s biggest ferry fleet in affluent Washington State
Before Storm Isha struck today, Scotland’s CalMac ferry service was running at around 98 to 99% reliability and averaging 95.4% over the season. America’s biggest ferry service, in Washington State, around Seattle, is now at 84% reliability after years of bad labour relations, staff shortages due to poverty wages, $270 million in deferred maintenance and allowing its fleet to fall into decay. For more, see: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/time-for-a-full-account-of-wa-ferries-value/ British Columbia ferries? Lake Ontario ferries? NZ ferries? Channel islands ferries? Isle of Wight ferries? Little better than WSF. For endless evidence of how good CalMac is, search: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=ferr Sources: https://www.calmac.co.uk/calmac-performance-data-browser?date=16%2F01%2F2024 https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/time-for-a-full-account-of-wa-ferries-value/ Continue reading CalMac is whopping 18% more reliable than America’s biggest ferry fleet in affluent Washington State
Not one case of measles in Scotland for three years, 95% vaccination and the Herald’s health correspondent tries to suggest it’s like the West Midlands here too
I’m indebted to for As a genuine and scary surge in measles cases after plummeting vaccination rates among young children explodes in parts of England, especially London and the West Midlands, the Herald’s Helen McUrdle, yesterday, asks: Measles, MMR, vaccine hesitancy: How at risk is Scotland? and suggests: The West Midlands region of England is in the grip of its worst measles outbreak since the 1990s, while uptake of the MMR vaccine in Scotland is at it lowest level since records began in 2014. Her report is packed full of England’s data and a Roald Dahl story. There’s no sign … Continue reading Not one case of measles in Scotland for three years, 95% vaccination and the Herald’s health correspondent tries to suggest it’s like the West Midlands here too
