Deadly E.coli-contaminated cheese is from Lancashire where unpasteurised milk for cheese production is allowed unlike in Scotland
BBC Scotland has an extended report on the death in Scotland and does, in the text, tell us the cheese is from Preston in Lancashire. Prof Pennington, above, is on BBC Breakfast to tell us twice that E.coli is more common in Scotland than in England but fails to mention that Scotland, with only 8% of the UK population, has a far higher presence of the bacteria-carrying animals with, for example, almost 30% of the UK herd of breeding cattle and 4% of the massive EU herd. https://www.nfus.org.uk/farming-facts/what-we-produce.aspx We also do not hear from Pennington or any other media, as … Continue reading Deadly E.coli-contaminated cheese is from Lancashire where unpasteurised milk for cheese production is allowed unlike in Scotland
Pisa seems unlikely to be valid basis upon which to compare and rank countries, regions and economies.
stewartb Yet another, recently encountered critique of Pisa rankings with those readers of TuS who have developed an interest in this famed OECD initiative in international comparative education (with my emphasis): From Sjøberg, S. & Jenkins, E. (2022) PISA: a political project and a research agenda, Studies in Science Education, 58:1 (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03057267.2020.1824473 ) ‘Conclusion: As a major international comparative study, PISA differs from much earlier work in the field of comparative education. It is quantitative rather than qualitative and is UNDERPINNED BY A PRIORI ASSUMPTIONS about the relationship between science and mathematics test scores and economic development. As noted above, those … Continue reading Pisa seems unlikely to be valid basis upon which to compare and rank countries, regions and economies.
Young Scots only just over half as likely (5.9% to 10%) to be lazy sods according to top English journalists
Above from the Times, 94.1% of young people are in education, work or training. How many of the others have decided to be house husbands, wives or carers? Nearly all of them? I wonder what is the situation in England is after their superior Pisa rating based on a handful of high-performing schools? In the Telegraph last year, 1 in 10? 10%. Maybe Pisa is a useless predictor? Continue reading Young Scots only just over half as likely (5.9% to 10%) to be lazy sods according to top English journalists
We can’t end poverty when we’re trapped in the failing UK
Leah Gunn Barrett This letter was published in The National on December 21st and explains why Scotland, a naturally wealthy nation, suffers from high levels of endemic poverty. The cure is simple – we must end our colonial status and restore our sovereignty. There’s been a chorus of criticism of the Scottish government over its recent budget from unionist politicians and media. But why should anyone be surprised over Scotland’s dismal state? The reason is our status as a de facto English colony. As a colony, we don’t own our own resources so we can’t provide heat and power for the costs … Continue reading We can’t end poverty when we’re trapped in the failing UK
CalMac’s 100% performance as thousands travel on nearly 200 Boxing Day journeys
On Boxing Day, as weather conditions improved and before Storm Gerrit struck, Scotland’s government-owned ferry service helped thousands travel to and from friends and relatives in 50 locations in the islands and around small communities on the west coast. 196 out of 196 sailings were on time. BC Ferries in Canada – book in advance, get there early, ride-share but still expect long waits. Washington State Ferries – stay at home. Cross channel ferries? Long delays for ferry passengers coming into Dover after Christmas after staff sickness in France In Greece, smaller islands get no winter service at all. Sources: … Continue reading CalMac’s 100% performance as thousands travel on nearly 200 Boxing Day journeys
As Reporting Scotland headline unreliable doctor’s union figures, remember the facts
Dr Iain Kennedy, chair of BMA Scotland Enthusiastic Unionist and admirer of Sandesh Gulhane MP (Con) returns with another dodgy survey as part of a wider attempt to undermine the SNP. The facts, not mentioned: First, staffing: NHS Scotland has 181 000 staff, 1 for every 30 members of the population of 5.44 million. NHS England has 1.4 million staff, 1 for every 40 members of the population of 56 million. NHS Wales has 90 000 million staff, 1 for every 35 members of the population of 3.14 million. Sources: https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/media/rgyfigzk/workforce-report-june-2022.html#:~:text=On%2031%20March%202022%2C%20NHS,156%2C875.6%20WTE%20(Figure%203.1). https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/nhs-in-a-nutshell/nhs-workforce#:~:text=and%20staff%20wellbeing.-,Workforce%20by%20staff%20group,time%20equivalent%20(FTE)%20basis. https://heiw.nhs.wales/careers/working-in-nhs-wales/#:~:text=The%20NHS%20is%20the%20largest%20employer%20in%20Wales%20with%20over%2090%2C000%20staff. Almost without exception, across Scotland, there are … Continue reading As Reporting Scotland headline unreliable doctor’s union figures, remember the facts
Daily Record gets Sturgeon tax wrong in sad effort to malign her
In the Record today: Nicola Sturgeon can avoid paying the new higher rate of tax announced in the budget despite earning up to £300,000 from a book deal. The former First Minister set up a company to manage the income from her lucrative deal with publishers Pan Macmillan earlier this year. Sturgeon is the sole director of the firm which will be subject to just 19 per cent corporation tax on any profits it makes rather than the new 45 per cent rate set by the SNP/Green government in last week’s budget. Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy MSP said: “Everyone already assumed that Nicola Sturgeon had … Continue reading Daily Record gets Sturgeon tax wrong in sad effort to malign her
As tax rises loom for their owners and senior staff Scotsman says means test the prescriptions, tuition fees and bus passes
The Scotsman is effectively owned by the hedge fund Golden Tree Asset Management. Major investors? Who knows but folk like Rishi Sunak and his wife or Sir Keir Starmer or Anas Sarwar and his mum? Today, they’re calling for this: Scottish Government should consider means-testing of universal benefits like free prescriptions and free tuition fees – Scotsman comment because: bankers are warning that high taxes are already putting people off the idea of moving to Scotland. Judith Cruickshank, of the Royal Bank of Scotland, said she had heard “many anecdotal stories about people choosing to remain in cities like Manchester or Newcastle or Birmingham”. … Continue reading As tax rises loom for their owners and senior staff Scotsman says means test the prescriptions, tuition fees and bus passes
As New year junior doctors’ strikes in England risk patient safety why are Scottish Health Secretary and FM getting no credit
In the Guardian today, Patient safety will be put at risk in the next round of junior doctors’ strikes in England, a health leader has warned while pleading for ministers and the British Medical Association (BMA) to end the dispute. “Six days of strike action following a bank holiday at a time of enormous pressure, there are real issues around patient safety and we don’t have in place national derogations, which we have had for other strikes,” he said. “So, yes, there will be an impact on the backlog, but I also have real concerns about patient safety over these … Continue reading As New year junior doctors’ strikes in England risk patient safety why are Scottish Health Secretary and FM getting no credit
Special constables make up only 2.4% of the force and are barely usable yet the Herald and the Lib Dumbs imagine ‘alarm’
In the Herald today: Alarms have been raised that Police Scotland’s special constabulary is heading for “extinction” as new figures revealed there are almost 1,000 fewer officers on the beat than a decade ago. Data provided to the Scottish LibDems shows 409 special constables were in the force in 2022-23, compared to 1,394 in 2013-14 – a fall of 985. As always with the Lib Dumbs, you never get the revealing percentage – there are 16 613, up from 16 570 last year, police officers so their 409 special constables, unpaid volunteers, represent only 2.4% of the force. As for … Continue reading Special constables make up only 2.4% of the force and are barely usable yet the Herald and the Lib Dumbs imagine ‘alarm’
