National Audit Office on Westminster: ’lacks evidence on whether the billions of pounds of public funding it has awarded to local bodies in the past for supporting local growth have had the impact intended’. By stewartb – a long read The corporate media and BBC in Scotland regularly scan reports from Audit Scotland for quotable negatives. It’s all part of holding the Scottish Government to account!  However, they rarely if ever inform taxpayers in Scotland what the National Audit Office (NAO) concludes about the Westminster government’s management of public finances. It’s as if individuals and businesses in Scotland who pay … Continue reading ‘Levelling up’ – policy imposed in Scotland without competence?

With 10 times the population and all things being equal, you might expect England to havee 10 times the number of Covid patients in ICU. You might even, given out shorter life-expectancies and still worse average health outcomes, England to have lower numbers, pro rata, in ICU. However, with the exception of a period in September and October 2021, Scotland has had a lower number in ICU than England has had. October 8th was the last time the rates were broadly the same at 64 and 647. From the middle of January 2022, the number in Scotland’s ICU’s has halved … Continue reading Why are so few in Scotland’s IC units?

As always the latest figures and no analysis from the Herald. Cases fall for the third day in a row despite including, for the first time, both LFD and PCR tests. Hospitalisation doesn’t just ‘stay below 1 000’ but falls again from 990 to 958 and, in ICU, from 25 to 24. This a trend of 7 weeks now. These data appear against a background of more than two months of higher booster rollout, lower infection levels in Scotland and, consequently 20% lower hospitalisation with dramatically almost 50% lower ICU cases. Continue reading Cases fall again

Ministers have decided not to recoup any of the £50m it is owed in loans and interest from the state-controlled Prestwick Airport to allow it to remain in existence – leading to concern it has sanctioned unlawful state aid, the Herald on Sunday can reveal. Transport Scotland has provided written confirmation that it will not seek repayment of all or part of the loan facility or the interest until at least March 31, 2023 – which directors say will enable the Ayrshire airport to “continue in operation existence for at least the next 12 months”. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19902870.unlawful-state-aid-concern-ministers-drop-claim-50m-owed-prestwick-airport/ So, off I go, not entirely … Continue reading SNP Government acts to save jobs at airport

A Game of Thrones-like story headlines the BBC Scotland and England websites but does not feature at all in those for Wales or Northern Ireland. There’s a decision behind this, operating perhaps at a sub-conscious level. A Scottish editor just knowing it was the ‘right thing to do.’ Welsh and Irish editors just knowing it wasn’t. Ironically or perhaps predictably, the decision to promote the monarchy in Scotland is against the background of it being the only part of the UK with a majority for abolition, 52% to 28%, compared to a UK average of only 29% to 50% for … Continue reading Disloyal Scotland gets Queen booster from BBC

Underwhelming and failing to tell us just what is happening, from the Herald today: Almost 5,600 new coronavirus cases have been recorded by the Scottish Government in the past 24 hours. According to the latest figures, 5,650 new cases of Covid-19 have been logged since Friday. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/19902459.covid-scotland-5-600-new-covid-cases-recorded-24/ A dramatic fall from 7 676 cases to only 5 650 in the last 24 hours is not yet a trend but still worth reporting. The Herald prefers to keep the average punter thinking, ‘oh no, more than 5 600!‘ On hospitalisation, there’s the hint in the headline but no mention that the trend has been down for … Continue reading Yes, but is this good news?

In another classic BBC/Trade Union example of fake news to undermine anything the First Minister says: Firefighters have called for the Scottish government to resolve concerns over school safety following reports that classroom doors could be trimmed. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has requested immediate talks to address “mixed messaging” around fire safety and the ventilation required to reduce coronavirus risks. Scotland regional secretary Ian Sim said: “At the moment there is too much uncertainty and mixed messaging over these two very important fire safety issues, in particular, the potential fire risk that comes from undercutting doors. The doors affected … Continue reading Eejit: Sturgeon did not say cut ‘fire doors!’

THE SNP’s claim that the state pension would be paid at the same rate under independence as within the Union has been directly challenged by one of Scotland’s leading thinktanks. An article published today by the Fraser of Allander Institute says past National Insurance contributions by Scottish workers cannot be taken as a guarantee of future entitlement. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19901791.fraser-allander-institute-challenges-snp-claims-independence-state-pension/ The Herald headlines the above apparent undermining of Scotland’s pension prospects after independence with an opportunistic, techy, but unworldly, piece by the FoAI. Here’s their thesis: Yes, true, but what about those elephants in the negotiating room? Is there any possibility at … Continue reading Pensions after independence: Thinktank ignores herd of elephants hammer blow to their report

The ONS estimates for week-ending 29 January, issued today, suggest that the % of the population that had Covid-19, was: Northern Ireland: 7.43 England: 4.83 Wales: 4.57 Scotland: 3.52 This is, of course, not news for BBC Scotland. On this basis the infection level in no-FM Northern Ireland is more than twice that in Scotland and, in Johnsonland, more than 30% higher. On the claim of trust, leading of course, to greater compliance, see: Continue reading SNP Government measures, communication and trust keep infection levels lowest in UK

In the last 10 opinion polls, Labour’s average lead has been 7.2%. In the previous 10, it was 9.9%. That’s a big difference and I appreciate several factors will be involved but, overall, it’s a depressing picture for those praying for a Labour win in a subsequent UK election. Consider what Johnson has done and this is all Labour can do? I’ve read somewhere, that while the Scottish independence movement has benefited from Johnson, the returns are now diminishing and Tory voters in particular have made some kind of moral accommodation with him. They’re down but stable at more than … Continue reading Despite it all, Labour support falls