FACTCHECK: Scottish households ARE better off contrary to University of Bristol dodgy dossier
According to the above: New analysis finds one-in-five households (21%) in Scotland are (sic) currently living in serious financial difficulty—equivalent to 1.2 million people. In the rest of the U.K., the figure is 17% of households. The Financial Fairness Tracker, commissioned by the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust and analyzed by a team at the University of Bristol, has been monitoring the personal finances of U.K. households since the start of the pandemic (sample around 6,000 U.K. households, 552 in Scotland). Researchers found working-age households in Scotland feel worse about their finances than those in the rest of the U.K. They … Continue reading FACTCHECK: Scottish households ARE better off contrary to University of Bristol dodgy dossier
Cancer UK to maintain only England-based research units fully despite greater general generosity in Scotland
Cancer Research UK plans to ‘axe’ funding to its largest clinical trials unit in Scotland, leaving only its seven sites in England unaffected. I don’t have Cancer UK donor data but in 2019: Scots are more generous than the UK as a whole when it comes to being charitable, according to the largest study of giving behaviour in the country. Despite the percentage of people giving to charity being on the slide, 76% of Scots reported that they had taken part in a charitable or social activity in 2018, 12 percentage points higher than the UK average of 64%. https://tfn.scot/news/its-official-scots-most-generous-in-the-uk Continue reading Cancer UK to maintain only England-based research units fully despite greater general generosity in Scotland
Some facts on Council funding, spending and massive reserves
stewartb The article by the BBC’s Douglas Fraser is peppered with references to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). They include: ‘.. the Institute for Fiscal Studies, that London-based hotbed of tax and benefit analytics. It has recently been taking a close interest in Holyrood’s divergence on income tax and welfare. You may have seen its warnings about the pressures on council budgets.’ With Holyrood opposition parties ‘outraged’ at the proposed SG settlement for Local Authorities, it’s (perhaps!) surprising that the BBC failed to highlight this from a very recent report on public finances in Scotland from the ‘favoured’ IFS … Continue reading Some facts on Council funding, spending and massive reserves
You have to pay attention if you want the latest news on child vaping in Scotland – try BBC UK instead
In an extended piece on vaping by children, on a Saturday morning when, for some unknown reason, BBC Scotland staff get a lie-in, we hear the above and this: Will BBC Reporting Scotland badly, mention this when they wake up for their tea-time broadcast? We also hear that they don’t have enough trading standards officer anyway in England, after cuts under the…who is it again….oh yeh, the Conservatives. The BBC Scotland website has nothing on this currently and on 20 January 2023, made no mention of registration or training being required in Scotland: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64336216 Continue reading You have to pay attention if you want the latest news on child vaping in Scotland – try BBC UK instead
Scottish families with children in bottom 30% of income gain over £2000 a year
Modestly presented away from the main website page and, as far as I can see getting little coverage elsewhere, the above report is a classic piece of grudging, ‘aye but’, Scottish cringe, in response to another fine piece of SNP legislation aimed at protecting the vulnerable here from the harshest winds of Tory austerity. We get, straight-off: A diverging income tax system means higher earners in Scotland will pay a lot more than they would in England, while Scottish welfare benefits get more generous. The Institute of Fiscal Studies says the poorest households will be £580 better off than they … Continue reading Scottish families with children in bottom 30% of income gain over £2000 a year
Sturgeon launches plans to end violence against women and girls but journalists prefer stories of double rapist trans women grappling with the FM
From Public Health Scotland today, to a resounding silence in ‘our media’: Ending violence against women and girls – A public health approach. Remember the success of the public health, as opposed to criminal, approach to knife crime? Newsworthy eh? Nope, nothing on this. Maybe the Guardian will spot it. From the report: Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a major public health, equality and human rights issue with significant and adverse consequences for health and wellbeing over the life course. Gender-based violence is recognised within the definition of VAWG included in the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination … Continue reading Sturgeon launches plans to end violence against women and girls but journalists prefer stories of double rapist trans women grappling with the FM
BBC Scotland titillating with trans hysteria and death to suggest failure in Scotland and its leader just as SNP makes real news in reducing poverty and inequality
How many times have images of the above trans women headlined and dominated BBC Scotland’s daily output? Today, out of eleven reports, four items concern trans offenders, one is about a non-trans rapist and two more concern murder. The leading story for some days now is: Nicola Sturgeon’s gender conundrum: Is Isla Bryson a man or a woman? Really? Is this ‘the news’ from a public service broadcaster with a duty to inform? Not even close. Here is something important that they, of course, don’t like the look of and seem unlikely to cover: The @scotgov‘s income tax and benefit … Continue reading BBC Scotland titillating with trans hysteria and death to suggest failure in Scotland and its leader just as SNP makes real news in reducing poverty and inequality
An 85% win is surely enough for independence
From the Telegraph, moving Starmerwise fast, today: The exclusive, large-scale MRP poll of 28,000 people found that if there were an imminent general election the Tories would be left with fewer seats than the SNP. Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s Westminster leader, would be the Leader of the Opposition. The figures, from pollsters Find Out Now and experts Electoral Calculus, report Labour winning 49 per cent of the vote and the Tories down to 23 per cent. MRP polling means results in individual seats can be calculated. The polling forecast that Labour would gain 306 seats, taking its total number of MPs … Continue reading An 85% win is surely enough for independence
Lib Dumbs live up their name again, on Europe this time
From SNP Media today: The SNP has called out the staggering hypocrisy of the Liberal Democrats for turning their backs on Europe while highlighting the issues of recruitment as a direct result of a Brexit they now support. The Liberal Democrats brought two debates in Parliament today (Wednesday) on NHS dental care and social care – sectors which have been acutely affected by workforce shortages since Scotland was dragged out of the EU against its will. Gillian Martin MSP said: “The Liberal Democrats have scored an embarrassing own goal after highlighting two sectors facing workforce crisis because of a Tory … Continue reading Lib Dumbs live up their name again, on Europe this time
A must read: Gender recognition – pouring FACTS on flames!
Ed: I’m telling you this is a must read. Our Rev Stewart is too modest for such a claim. By stewartb Keen to shed light and not generate more heat on issues around reform of gender recognition legislation, in what follows the objective is to offer information which helps give context and perspective. The aim is also to avoid the polemical – well almost! 2021 Census data for England and Wales The last Census in England and Wales was held on 21 March 2021. The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has begun to publish findings, including responses to the question: … Continue reading A must read: Gender recognition – pouring FACTS on flames!
