Predictable as clockwork, tax increases in Scotland are being touted by the not-so-brainy journalists we have to suffer here, as risking a ‘brain drain.’ Were there such a thing in the Express or in most other Scottish Unionist newspapers (SUN), would we notice? I think not. In January 2019, I spent some time showing that this notion never survives a collision with the evidence (I do like that line), triggered by a report in the Scotsman. Such is my contempt for such churnalism and, of course, my intrinsic laziness, I’ll just repeat it again, below: The Scottish Conservatives Branch’s, Temporary … Continue reading Scottish Brain Drain Risk? Too late to worry about that at the Express

From BBC Scotland’s not always satisfactory, James Cook, today: Scotland already had more generous welfare payments than other parts of the UK, as well as state-funded access to prescriptions, tuition fees, and personal care for the elderly. It has also been striking its own public sector pay deals, avoiding at least some of the industrial action which has hit the NHS elsewhere in the UK. The divergence continued with the budget statement by the deputy first minister in his role as acting finance secretary, covering for Kate Forbes who is on maternity leave. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63994702 Cook does then revert to type, … Continue reading The SNP confirmed as the party Scottish Labour could only ever pretend to be

According to the Guardian today: The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 in England has risen 22% in a week, the latest figures reveal. There were 6,720 people in hospital with the virus on 14 December, up from 5,501 on 7 December, according to data released by NHS England. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/15/number-of-people-in-hospital-with-covid-in-england-rises-22-in-a-week It’s not the Guardian’s headline story or anywhere near that. BBC Health is not covering the story either. For obvious reasons, BBC Scotland does not cover it. They’ve gone off the story since the glory days back in September: Isn’t that, above the kind of whataboutery John Beattie shouted about at the … Continue reading Massive surge in Covid hospitalisation not of interest

At the end of the first week in December, Covid infection rates in England (6.7 per 100K) continue to soar away from those in Scotland (5.1 per 100K). Remember that those small differences per 100K translate into thousands fewer infected in Scotland, due to a more effective NHS and Government, and hundreds of thousands more infected in England due to, well of course, the Con Government. Continue reading Covid infections in England still soaring above Scotland

From Public Health Scotland today: The total number of probable and definite hospital onset COVID-19 cases reported to ARHAI Scotland this week (week ending 20 November 2022) was 104. Of these 25 were reported as probable hospital onset (first positive specimen of COVID-19 episode on days 8 to 14 of admission to NHS board). In the previous week (week ending 13 November 2022) there were 64. 79 were reported as definite hospital onset (first positive specimen of COVID-19 episode on day 15 of admission to NHS board or later). In the previous week (week ending 13 November 2022) there were … Continue reading Hospital acquired Covid levels plummet to lowest in UK

A researcher working for Talking-up Scotland on behalf of the Media Resistance (West), has been working undercover at Kilmarnock’s Dick Institute, following up a theory that the library/museum contains a portal to other dimensions, in which a BBC Scotland operates honestly as a public service broadcaster should. Hard to believe, I know but, as quantum physics has now demonstrated, there may be infinite Pacific Quays with at least one as unbiased as the BBC Wales is in our dimension. Opening the portal and a collection of VHS tapes of BBC Scotland reports from the nearest dimension, is thought to have … Continue reading Resistance (West) uncover ‘unbiased BBC’ tapes in Kilmarnock’s Dick Institute

Thanks to reader, Anonymous, for pointing this out. On the main page, photographed and with SNP headlined: and with SNP repeated: Former SNP MP Natalie McGarry is to appeal her conviction for embezzlement. The ex-Glasgow East representative is serving a two-year sentence after being found guilty of stealing £19,974 while treasurer of Women For Independence. She was also convicted of taking £4,661 while treasurer and convener of the SNP’s Glasgow Regional Association. A judge has now granted permission for the Court of Criminal Appeal to hear arguments that McGarry’s conviction should be quashed. The appeal will coincide with a separate … Continue reading One rule for SNP fraud another for Conservative fraud?

On STV last night and up on their website yesterday: The number of suspected drug deaths in Scotland has continued to fall, according to new figures. In response to the crisis of the past few years, where drug deaths hit the highest level on record, the Scottish Government announced it would publish quarterly figures for suspected deaths collated from Police Scotland in a bid to improve monitoring. In the third quarter of this year – between July and September – 235 suspected drug deaths were recorded in Scotland, a drop of 15% from the previous quarter, 18% down on the … Continue reading Scotland’s plummeting drug deaths: STV News more informative than BBC Scotland?

The Times headline above is based, of course, on Professor of Bean-counting and Agricultural output, Lindsay Paterson’s selective reading of the data. The actual news is: Primary school literacy and numeracy improvement reaches new high. The poverty-related attainment gaps in literacy and numeracy levels across primary schools have seen the biggest decreases since records began, official statistics show. The gap between the proportion of primary pupils from the most and least-deprived areas achieving expected levels has narrowed by 3.4 percentage points in literacy and 3.7 percentage points in numeracy, according to the Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) 2021/22. … Continue reading Record narrowing of the attainment gap but Times and Prof Paterson flunk their reading test

There’s no actual evidence in the above reports from a trade union, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (Scotland) and their shop steward (vice-president), inaccurately described as a ‘leading medic’ and a ‘medical body’ or any ‘disaster’, so here is some: On the supposed cancer care ‘disaster’ costing lives, 94.3% of patients started treatment within the 31-day standard in July-September 2022. There had been a 2.2% increase in the number referred. The target is 95%. 95.5% started treatment within 31 days in the previous quarter. Disaster? Really? https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancer-waiting-times/cancer-waiting-times-1-july-to-30-september-2022/ Despite reduced treatment during the pandemic, cancer deaths continued their downward trend: … Continue reading Disgusting scare-mongering by health trade union