Official figures from EuroStat show Scotland has the best-educated population in Europe, showing that the our education system has improved and performed better under the current SNP Scottish Government. With 50.4% of the population educated to degree-level, Scotland leads Denmark with 48.6%, Finland with 47.5% and Luxembourg with 47.1%. In the UK, Wales has 41% and Northern Ireland has 40.6%. No separate figures for England are offered but the UK has 44.7%. Notably, in the period of SNP-rule, the figure for Scotland has climbed from 36.1% to 50.4%. In 2008, Scotland was 5th. Continue reading Most educated in Europe

The latest results from Electoral Calculus, the most accurate pre-poll predictors in 2019, predict a clean sweep of Westminster seats for the SNP, wiping out the all of the Tories and, sweetest of all, taking down British Nationalist Edinburgh South MP, Ian Murray. I’m not sure about whether the prediction takes into account the particular nature of Orkney & Shetland, where, much as we’d like to see Carmichael go, he might still hang on. UK-wide, the poll predicts a Labour win but 9 short of an overall majority. Perhaps they could do a deal with the DUP? Continue reading At last! Ian Murray predicted to lose

Needless to say, the Scottish Cons have pounced on the news that employment in Scotland is only 74.1% compared to the UK’s 75.5% Leaving aside the obvious factor, how the over-resourced South-East sucks employment opportunities to it and away from the North, there is simple demography. 19.3% of Scots are over 65, compared to 18.5% in England and 18.6% across the UK. The median age of Scots is 42.1, compared to 40.2 in England and 40.4 across the UK. Simple. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2020#age-structure-of-the-uk-population Continue reading Why employment should be slightly lower in Scotland

Tom Gordon tells us: Waiting time performances in Scotland’s A&E departments have deteriorated for a second week running after showing a brief improvement last month. The latest official figures showed more than a quarter of people attending casualty had to wait longer than the four-hour target for treatment. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19924803.scottish-e-waiting-times-suffer-wholly-unacceptable-decline/ Who said ‘wholly unacceptable decline?’ The Scottish Tories, of course. What is Gordon’s deteriorating performance, ‘for a second week running?‘ WE 9 Jan 67.4% WE 16 Jan 74.9% WE 23 Jan 77.7% WE 30 Jan 75.6% WE 6 Feb 74.4% https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-performs-weekly-update-of-emergency-department-activity-and-waiting-time-statistics/nhs-performs-weekly-update-of-emergency-department-activity-and-waiting-time-statistics-week-ending-6-february-2022/ Deteriorating, statistically insignificant variation or even improving? Note, they improved … Continue reading The best emergency services in the UK ‘by a mile’ not declining at all?

The perverse case of what Scotland voted for countered by a government it rejected A long read by stewartb This is prompted by a recent (January 2022) report from the Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI), entitled ‘Modelling packages to meet Scotland’s child poverty targets: scenarios, benefits and trade-offs’. The FAI analyses the potential for the use of devolved policy levers by the Scottish Government as it aims to meet the target in the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 of reducing relative child poverty to 10% by 2030/31. The research shows up several things of note including how different interventions in … Continue reading Reducing child poverty

Scotland’s salmon exports for 2021 have recovered to almost the same level as in 2019 and are, once more, the UK’s biggest food export. 61% has gone to EU countries with much of the remainder going to the US and China. I haven’t seen an update on this 2019 statement: The export success of the whisky, bakeries and aquaculture industries means that Scotland accounts for 29 per cent of all UK food and drink sales to overseas markets. In fact, Scotland exports more beverages by value than the rest of the UK combined. https://www.insider.co.uk/news/food-drink-grows-three-times-20164795 But I feel sure little has … Continue reading Massive salmon exports to EU as Scotland continues to produce far more than it needs

Headlining across the UK news as bad for consumers but down the page: With the oil price teetering on the brink of $100 a barrel and retailers keen to pass on the increase in wholesale fuel quickly, new records could now be set on a daily basis in the coming weeks. Fuel prices at the pump are driven largely by the wholesale price of energy which has shot up due to tensions over whether Russia will invade Ukraine. On Monday, oil prices hit their highest level since 2014, reaching $95.56 a barrel. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60375568 2014? Wait, wasn’t this below, the line … Continue reading Sssssh! Scottish oil heading for $100 a barrel again

By stewartb I recently shared on Talking Up Scotland findings from the National Audit Office (NAO) on deficiencies in Tory Westminster governments’ capabilities and practices in regional and local economic development.  The NAO provided insights that should cause concern about the likely efficacy of Westminster’s Levelling Up interventions in Scotland – my main concern – but indeed its interventions everywhere across the UK. See: ‘’Levelling up’ – policy imposed in Scotland without competence?’ The same NAO report, issued on 2 February and entitled ‘Supporting local economic growth’, also provides useful context for the policies that are now being delivered by … Continue reading A track record exposed – the National Audit Office on the unequal state of the UK

I used to teach research methods to reluctant journalism students but, despite their lack of enthusiasm for quantitative vs qualitative methods, they seemed quite bright and knew a bit of history. I’ve often thought that Mark Smith is not so bright and further hampered by what I think was an education in England but that headline is a cracker. Leaving aside his juvenile wee nationalIST reference, anyone with a sense of history is going to think: ‘Mark! Do you know nothing?’ I forced my self to read on. He has found a Sinn Fein MP for North Belfast saying that … Continue reading What, take up arms?

I have no evidence to answer the above question fully but I think I do for a key element within it. The Guardian report notes: The Covid pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on ethnic minorities, prompting fresh questions about inequalities that permeate the practice of medicine. The observatory ordered the review last year to synthesise the evidence, translate it into “actionable policy” and “challenge leaders to act”. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/feb/13/radical-action-needed-to-tackle-racial-health-inequality-in-nhs-says-damning-report The link takes us to another report suggesting a 27% higher death rate among BAME groups in England. 4% of the Scottish population is recorded as one of the non-White ethnic minority … Continue reading Is there racial health inequality in Scotland?