The main reason nuclear power hasn’t ‘taken off’ – it’s not economic.
Leah Gunn Barrett Nuclear costs 2.6 times more per unit than gas and 3.7 times more than wind.[1] Government subsidies and guarantees are needed because the nuclear industry is an open-ended liability. A nuclear plant has never been fully decommissioned and many believe it would cost more than the original construction. Second, nuclear power has facilitated, not stopped, the proliferation of nuclear weapons. India produced its first plutonium in a Canadian supplied reactor, exploding its first nuclear bomb in 1974. Nations like Iran are following suit.[2] Third, accidents have dogged the industry from the beginning. In 1957 the Windscale reactor that … Continue reading The main reason nuclear power hasn’t ‘taken off’ – it’s not economic.
No credible academic uses the Pisa scores and proper tests show real progress in Scotland’s schools
‘Pisa tests fail to recognise what’s important in education and should be ignored’ https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/pisa-tests-fail-recognise-whats-important-education-and-should-be-ignored OECD and Pisa tests are damaging education worldwide – academics https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/may/06/oecd-pisa-tests-damaging-education-academics Too few students from England took part in the study – meaning the results could be up to eight points too generous, as more higher-performing pupils took part. https://schoolsweek.co.uk/pisa-2022-rise-in-maths-but-warning-over-inflated-results/#:~:text=But%20the%20country’s%20performance%20is,caution%20on%20interpreting%20the%20findings. I could go on with quotes about Pisa but the above three give a flavour of just how useless they are. Only politicians use them and do so to make cynical and unsubstantiated points. You only have to look a bit deeper to find more credible … Continue reading No credible academic uses the Pisa scores and proper tests show real progress in Scotland’s schools
As austerity looms (again!), time for re-evaluation – spectating in Union vs. exerting agency as an independent nation?
By stewartb – a long read There have been a host of reports and think tank commentaries issued in the short time since the UK chancellor’s Autumn Statement. Almost all have been made, unsurprisingly from a UK – in reality, from an England – perspective. BBC Scotland did perform its ‘public service’ duty immediately following the Statement. Reporting remarks from the Scottish Government’s finance secretary on its consequential, negative impact on public spending/services in Scotland, BBC Scotland’s Business and Economy Editor provided his own remedy for the Scottish Government: ‘So the way out of this squeeze is to get the … Continue reading As austerity looms (again!), time for re-evaluation – spectating in Union vs. exerting agency as an independent nation?
New Zealand Government accused of hiding mis-management of costs in delayed multi-billion ferry contract
From the New Zealand Herald today: Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman Daran Ponter says KiwiRail “must be s***ting themselves” over the escalating cost of portside infrastructure needed for Cook Strait’s new mega ferries. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has revealed the potential cost to the taxpayer is now “many times” what the Government initially signed up to. “The financial situation of this project is extremely troubling,” she said. The matter appears to have been considered so pressing that Willis met with the state-owned enterprise’s top brass about it before she was even sworn in as the Finance Minister, the Herald can reveal. KiwiRail is … Continue reading New Zealand Government accused of hiding mis-management of costs in delayed multi-billion ferry contract
Pisa – 33% of Scotland’s schools took part but only 4.7% of England’s schools were confident enough to do so – Scotland did far better
I’m grateful to AR and Haggis Hunter https://twitter.com/thistlefarmer5 for alerting me to this. The England PISA sample consisted of 201 eligible schools having at least one pupil in this age range. In England, 3,852 pupils from original sample schools and 911 pupils from replacement schools participated. Pupils in participating schools that did not participate are not replaced. 159 agreed to participate, along with a further 32 replacement schools, but 16 schools withdrew before data collection. Data was therefore collected from 143 schools in the original sample and 32 replacement schools. Of this total, nine original sample schools and one replacement … Continue reading Pisa – 33% of Scotland’s schools took part but only 4.7% of England’s schools were confident enough to do so – Scotland did far better
Scottish media fail to inform terminally ill of highest benefit fast-tracked within only 7 days because it’s another SNP thing
The above worthy petition, currently attracting a pathetic level of interest, applies only in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Several, often highly informed, friends have asked me to sign it, unaware of this: Social Security Scotland fast-track applications from people with a terminal illness and aim to make payment within seven working days. Individuals who are terminally ill automatically receive the highest rates of assistance they are entitled to and there are no award reviews. https://www.gov.scot/policies/social-security/terminal-illness/#:~:text=Social%20Security%20Scotland%20fast%2Dtrack,there%20are%20no%20award%20reviews. The reason is simple. As with so many other positive announcements by the SNP Government, ‘our’ media have learned to look the other way. … Continue reading Scottish media fail to inform terminally ill of highest benefit fast-tracked within only 7 days because it’s another SNP thing
Scotland is at the greatest risk from Europe’s most hazardous nuclear plant
In the Guardian today, the above map, and this: Sellafield, Europe’s most hazardous nuclear site, has a worsening leak from a huge silo of radioactive waste that could pose a risk to the public, the Guardian can reveal. Concerns over safety at the crumbling building, as well as cracks in a reservoir of toxic sludge known as B30, have caused diplomatic tensions with countries including the US, Norway and Ireland, which fear Sellafield has failed to get a grip of the problems. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/dec/05/sellafield-nuclear-site-leak-could-pose-risk-to-public BBC Scotland today is not reporting this but rather is pushing against the Scottish Government’s manifesto commitment … Continue reading Scotland is at the greatest risk from Europe’s most hazardous nuclear plant
Mr Bowie should surely be very careful about accusing anyone else of “economic vandalism”
Frances McKie On 22nd September 2022, Andrew Bowie’s Tory London Government announced a “mini-budget” which caused international banking panic and promptly added over 30 Billion pounds to the frightening UK fiscal deficit – doubling it within 2 months. His government immediately passed this debt on to ordinary workers, with ordinary incomes, through new stealth taxes. His government is already condemned internationally for its deliberate increase of poverty throughout the UK, especially amongst our most vulnerable communities- the disabled, old and very young. With that horrific record, Mr Bowie should surely be very careful about accusing anyone else of “economic vandalism”. However, … Continue reading Mr Bowie should surely be very careful about accusing anyone else of “economic vandalism”
English Labour has fully gone over to the dark side
Leah Gunn Barrett English Labour has fully gone over to the dark side. Keir Starmer, praising Thatcher for bringing ‘meaningful change’ to the UK, shed the last bit of straggly wool trying to disguise the neoliberal wolf Labour has become.[1] Why anyone in Scotland would cast a vote for English Labour that promises more of Thatcher’s wanton destruction is mind-boggling. Many won’t remember her trail of wreckage. It started with her economic ignorance. She foolishly believed a government’s finances were like a household’s so she slashed public investment in heavy industry – shipbuilding, steel, coal, engineering, and manufacturing – making it … Continue reading English Labour has fully gone over to the dark side
Not reported elsewhere: An independent Scotland would have the opportunity to create a new approach to social security that could transform lives
Spotted by the ‘AI-enhanced’ Policy Mogul today and being ignored by Scottish media: An independent Scotland would have the opportunity to create a new approach to social security that could transform lives and ensure a decent standard of living for all, according to a new paper to be launched on 6 December. The ninth paper in the Building a New Scotland Series – Social Security in an independent Scotland – will outline the progress the Scottish Government has already made with limited powers and demonstrate how an independent Scotland could go even further. Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The Scottish Parliament … Continue reading Not reported elsewhere: An independent Scotland would have the opportunity to create a new approach to social security that could transform lives
