South of Scotland unelected MSPs taking it in turns to scare locals away from A&E in Ayr

Yesterday, Labour List MSP Carol Mochan stepped into the regular role of Con List MSP Sharon Dowey, in scaring off locals from attending Ayr A&E because it’s supposedly too slow, in the Daily Record. As with Dowey, Mochran is ill-informed or devious or both. Under the headline Hundreds still waiting long hours for A&E treatment in Ayrshire, new figures show, we read: Data from Public Health Scotland shows that waiting times in NHS Ayrshire & Arran across those waiting more than four hours, eight hours and 12 hours are on the rise. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/ayrshire/hundreds-still-waiting-long-hours-29541758?IYA-reg=8cb5bf56-7ace-4e9f-860f-ba0bd78585bc The facts: First, a smaller percentage, 63.9%, were seen … Continue reading South of Scotland unelected MSPs taking it in turns to scare locals away from A&E in Ayr

Labour are the demoralising party

stewartb I know – most folk in Scotland know – what a Tory is. Most people in Scotland have rejected Tories at elections for decades. In the next GE, the Tories are unlikely to be a substantial threat to the SNP. Labour is different: there may still be residual ‘muscle memory’ in parts of Scottish society that Labour will seek to exploit. But Labour offers no long term solution to Scotland’s challenges – the Tories will be back soon after a period of Tory-lite Labour Unionism. Labour offers the voters of Scotland and our elected Parliament no significant additional agency. … Continue reading Labour are the demoralising party

The real news on drug deaths – falling fast and far lower among the young than in England & Wales

No titillating pic of a needle or a sad addict here There were more than a thousand drug deaths in Scotland last year and that’s been enough for the headline writers. Big number still, SNP bad still. Next! Despite their many wee researchers, the audiences are not getting these important facts: First, from the data tables, I can calculate the total annual deaths were: 2020 1411 2021 1295 2022 1092 So, suspected drug deaths recorded by Police Scotland have fallen by 22.6% in the last two years. Second, from ONS data kindly provided to me in August 2022, drug deaths … Continue reading The real news on drug deaths – falling fast and far lower among the young than in England & Wales

What do Scotland’s drug deaths and long hospital waits have in common?

Answer straight away – They are the only two measures where the MSM in Scotland can consistently and based on some facts, if highly selective ones, make Scotland under the SNP of course, seem worse than somewhere else and preferably England. Any other comparisons where Scotland performs better are, of course, discounted as ‘whataboutery.’ What are these other comparisons where SNP Government is doing better? BH! Far too many for me to remember but here are the ones in my head at the moment: Far lower crime including all violent and hate crimes Far more police officers per head Far … Continue reading What do Scotland’s drug deaths and long hospital waits have in common?

Robbery in Scotland is lowest in UK and one of lowest in Western Europe

As Starmer and Gove fight to appear the toughest on violent crime, the above data suggest they have a fight on their hands to win the war on violent crime in England and that, after 16 years in power, Sturgeon and the SNP might actually be leaving a nice wee legacy to her successor. See that ‘serious?’ I smell a get out for when they fail. Note that robbery is stealing with threat of violence or of actual violence. Starmer has promised to halve serious violent crime. I know where he can find out just how to do that; look … Continue reading Robbery in Scotland is lowest in UK and one of lowest in Western Europe

Sarwar forgets he was there when Brown had no mandate…..for three catastrophic years

With the lack of self-awareness typical of the man, Anas Sarwar is all over the MSM with this sort of notion: The winner of the SNP leadership race will have no mandate to govern as first minister, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has insisted. Speaking to BBC Scotland’s The Sunday Show, he repeated his call for a snap Holyrood election. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65080560 He probably does remember that Gordon Brown replaced Blair, unopposed, in June 2007 and was only forced to the polls in May 2010. Some may remember that this did allow him to claim that he had ‘saved the world’ in … Continue reading Sarwar forgets he was there when Brown had no mandate…..for three catastrophic years

‘Lazy assertions which show no awareness of the complexity of Scotland’s reliance on Westminster decisions’

brobb Ha, first thing I did was to scroll down to see! This was before I fired off the following response to the latest guardian editorial re the SNP, feel a bit better now “Sadly your editorial commenting on the SNP leadership campaign and its implications for the wider UK is shallow and lacks any serious analysis. Given your coverage of world wide events I am astonished at your perspective on Scottish politics and your reliance on lazy assertions which show no awareness of the complexity of Scotland’s reliance on Westminster decisions. You say “Yet Ms Sturgeon’s success concealed divisions … Continue reading ‘Lazy assertions which show no awareness of the complexity of Scotland’s reliance on Westminster decisions’

Joy as Nicola Sturgeon enables thousands of Ukraine refugees to be settled

In July 2022, in the Express it was this: Outrage as Nicola Sturgeon forces Ukraine refugees onto CRUISE SHIP in ‘betrayal’ of plan Three days before, it was this: Sturgeon’s cruise ship with rooms smaller than prison cells takes first Ukrainian refugees and even the Guardian went with: Calls for Ukrainians living on cruise ship in Scotland to be quickly rehoused. MS Victoria is temporary solution to host refugees but there are concerns about small rooms and seasickness Seasickness in harbour? Today, BBC Scotland headlines: Last 50 Ukrainians to leave Glasgow cruise ship and inform us: The most recent monthly figures showed that – as of … Continue reading Joy as Nicola Sturgeon enables thousands of Ukraine refugees to be settled

Guess which party?

BBC NE, Orkney & Shetland clearly feel we don’t need to know which party this offender represented. It’ll be in the text below? Let’s see: An Aberdeenshire councillor who admitted shouting and swearing at another man during an altercation has been given an absolute discharge. Robbie Withey, who represents Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford, became involved in the incident during a social gathering in Alford. The 42-year-old admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner last April. A plea of not guilty to a charge of assault was accepted by prosecutors. The court heard Mr Withey shouted and swore … Continue reading Guess which party?

Scots Tory on Question Time borrows Scotland’s falling crime rate to use as cover for England’s soaring crimes

On Question Time, last night, Scots Tory MP, Andrew Bowie, claimed the above. Across the country, he was so wrong. From 2010, in England, crime has almost doubled. In Scotland, where his constituency is (WTF voted for this?), it has fallen by around 50%. I suppose no one with any great level of talent is going to work as a researcher for people like him. Continue reading Scots Tory on Question Time borrows Scotland’s falling crime rate to use as cover for England’s soaring crimes