By stewartb On the subject of Scotland-Germany collaboration, this from the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s (RSE) website: ‘The new RSE Scotland-Germany Hydrogen Research Scheme is funded by the Scottish Government with the purpose to facilitate international collaboration between Scottish and German institutes. It aims to develop hydrogen-related research which can inform Scottish Government policy objectives. This aligns with the RSE’s ‘knowledge made useful’ mission. ‘OBJECTIVE: This scheme seeks to foster research- and practice-based partnerships between Scotland and Germany to lead the way towards a decarbonised future. The objectives of the RSE Scotland-Germany Hydrogen Research Scheme are as follows: – ‘To … Continue reading Scotland-Germany Hydrogen Research Scheme funded by the Scottish Government and invisible to BBC

From Alasdair Galloway: Stewart’s acute perception is well used on his recent “Is Scotland’s economic fate already sealed for the next 50 years?”. https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2022/08/31/is-scotlands-economic-fate-already-sealed-for-the-next-50-years/ I agree completely with all the points that he makes there. It is lazy journalism in the extreme to call a projection a forecast – but then for many of the journos ‘confused’ in that way, it is politically expedient to do so. He is also right about the claimed precision of economic forecasting. I still recall 45 years later, going in to see my new head of department (the Department of Economics & Management) who … Continue reading ‘Economic forecasting was devised to make astrology seem respectable.’ A rejoinder (sort of) to Stewartb

Typically BBC Reporting Scotland tells us a tale of a supposed health problem under SNP-rule which, based on one case and no facts, is a wider problem which can then be laid at Humza’s door. My headline questions, relevant for any real news story, even one by a 1st Year student, are not addressed. Lots of personalisation but no context would be an undergraduate fail. We just hear: An Edinburgh mum whose young son fell seriously ill after contracting sepsis is backing a campaign to raise awareness about the condition. Corey King was 18 months old when he became ill … Continue reading Sad indeed, BBC Scotland, but is sepsis common, increasing or reducing, in ‘top of the pillar Scotland?’

From stewartb From today’s Scotland Politics section of the BBC News website: ‘Scottish economy FORECAST to grow slower than UK’. (my emphasis) It begins: ‘Scotland’s economy is PROJECTED to grow more slowly than the UK over the next 50 years, according to the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC). The independent body projected that Scotland’s GDP would grow by 0.9% per year on average between 2028-29 and 2071-72.’ As an aside, it is astonishing how statistically precise economists claim to be! It begs the question: is Scotland’s economic fate already sealed for the next 50 years? This is the source report: https://www.fiscalcommission.scot/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Trends-in-Scotlands-population-and-effects-on-the-economy-and-income-tax-August-2022.pdf Here … Continue reading Is Scotland’s economic fate already sealed for the next 50 years?

From SNP Media today: The SNP has called on the UK government to match Scottish Government efforts to tackle child hunger and poverty, by expanding free school meals and introducing a UK-wide Child payment. The calls come after videos of a Lancashire based dinner lady detailing her distress at having to deny children a school meal captured significant attention on social media. In Scotland all children from P1-P5 are entitled to free school meals, as well as all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit. Families also benefit from the, recently doubled, Scottish Child Payment of £20 a week, … Continue reading Call for Conservative Government to match SNP school meals for all in need

In November 2021, two child deaths at a Glasgow hospital were ‘linked to hospital infections’. At the time and now, there was no evidence that the infections had caused the deaths, yet the BBC coverage allowed the Scottish Labour leader to appear to be championing (groom?) the parents and opened the report with this: The deaths of two more children were linked to infections at a troubled Glasgow hospital, the Scottish Labour leader has claimed. Anas Sarwar said he had been told about the deaths by clinicians who were afraid to speak out publicly. He called on the government to … Continue reading Two baby deaths: BBC Nottingham do not politicise a health tragedy as BBC Scotland prefers to do

From BBC England today: Policy Exchange, a centre-right think tank, says some common offences are “in essence almost entirely decriminalised” because policing has “lost its way”. Boris Johnson said making Britain safer has always been a priority. The report said that the public feels police officers are “more interested in being woke than solving crimes”. Mr Spencer [the author] said the police’s ability to solve common crime is “woefully low” with only 3.5% of residential burglaries, 6.3% of robberies and 4.1% of thefts solved during the last year. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62732336 BBC Scotland has not been reporting on this problem despite their … Continue reading Housebreaking crimes nearly TEN TIMES as likely to be solved in Scotland

On the same day as Scotland’s fairer and more dignified disability benefit system was rolled out, see this: A total of £84 million has been paid to families since it was introduced less than 18 months ago. The payment of £20 per week, unique to Scotland in the UK, began in February 2021 as a direct measure to tackle child poverty. It provides regular, additional financial support to parents and carers to help with the costs of caring for a child. As of 30 June 2022, it is estimated that 104,000 children were actively in receipt of Scottish Child Payment … Continue reading Working as if we live in the early days of a better nation?

Most health boards could miss surgery waiting time target is the actual headline which BBC Scotland has in the above. BBC Scotland is, of course, not reporting the actual performance data but preferring to tell us about the bad news they predict will happen, the two-year waiting guarantee. I’m not suggesting they should not report negative NHS news but, in the interests of the balance they claim matters to them (see James Cook recently) they should also reporting hitting targets, like this: During the quarter ending 30 June 2022, 375 patients attended an IVF screening appointment, an 11.1% reduction in … Continue reading Almost 100% of patients seen within target

From another Scottish Labour freedom of information request and offered up context-free by the Herald today: NHS Scotland has spent more than £250 million on agency nurses over the last five years – with the bill for the last year alone having almost doubled. Expenditure on locum agency nursing staff amounted to £92,295,816 in 2021-22, compared with a total of £47,627,338 the previous year. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/20825434.nhs-scotlands-eye-watering-bill-agency-nurses-topped-92m-last-year/ A straight comparison with NHS England is not easy as their figures included all agency and bank staff, not just nurses. However, Sandesh Gulhane MSP (Con) has helped. Using published data from NHS Scotland, he revealed, in … Continue reading NHS England spends 50% more than NHS Scotland on agency and bank staff