Energy bills could rise as much as 50% in the spring as the UK faces a “national crisis” over soaring wholesale gas and electricity prices as renewable generation has slumped helped by the lowest Scottish wind speeds of this century. The trade body Energy UK has called on the UK government to intervene to help cut the cost of bills amid predictions that the price cap could easily exceed £2,000 a year. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/19806397.scots-face-50-energy-bills-rise-crisis-wind-power-generation-slumps/ Just as BBC Scotland often obscured the truth with the word ‘after‘, as in ‘children die after contracting fungal infection linked to pigeon droppings‘, so the Herald … Continue reading Bad connection as Herald misleads on Scotland’s power

How do you judge if a national programme of action is progressing well? Easy. Compare it with other programmes elsewhere, in similar countries. Nowhere in the above grudging mean little report does the reader get any meaningful context. 51% of the population of Scotland’s over-12s boosted, compared to only 47.4% in Wales, 47.1% in England and 40.4% in N Ireland. In Europe, second only to Iceland (population less than Edinburgh) on 57%. Globally, third behind only Iceland and Chile (52%) out of 200 countries. Then on progress toward the target, BBC Scotland tell us that with only 368 000 to … Continue reading Scotland to beat booster target with almost a week to spare!

From stewartb Note: Stewart is not to blame for the headline nor the image above. It will be ‘interesting’ to see this evening (Thursday) whether Reporting Scotland’s editors opt to amplify further the rants against Public Health Scotland, the Scottish Government and personally against John Swinney and the FM delivered today by club/pub owner Donald MacLeod MBE. He speaks, I understand, on behalf of the Glasgow Licensing Forum. The BBC has already given him a platform at least twice today – on Radio Scotland this morning and on Radio 4’s World at One. He’s been sharing how much he supports … Continue reading Club/pub owner Donald MacLeod MBE – Mostly Boozed-up Epidemiology?

I’m guessing, I’ve revealed the BBC Wales/BBC Scotland gap, 20 to 30 times now. I’ve complained but BBC Scotland didn’t understand what I was trying to suggest. Today, on the matter of how long we self-isolate, BBC Scotland had the above headline placing the Scottish Government on the defensive when it is following expert advice to save lives: Nicola Sturgeon is being “too cautious” with isolation rules leaving essential services short-staffed, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has said. In Scotland, households contacts of someone testing positive for Covid-19 must isolate for 10 days. Mr Ross wants this to change to … Continue reading BBC Wales and Welsh Tory leader appear to support life-saving measures

Though still climbing quite steeply, the infection rate in Scotland, due to the new more infectious variant, is now the lowest in the UK at 97.1 cases per 100K, compared to 105.6 in Wales, 116.7 in N Ireland and, as they head into the new year on a wing and a prayer, 144.1 cases per 100K in England. Smarter decision making by the Scottish Government and greater voluntary compliance with measures such as mask-wearing in public spaces, seem likely to explain this. Regional variations are telling too with Lambeth in London at a staggering 2 757 per 100K, 30 times … Continue reading Scotland has fewest new Covid cases in UK

Again, I think ‘No. Leave it. E’s not warf it’ but I don’t. Mark Smith, a professional journalist writing for a corporation, writes something hopefully provocative, preferably critical of the SNP/Nicola, in the hope you’ll click or turn a page and keep him in a job. That’s what it’s all about. Talk of professionalism, skills, values, standards is just mythology. Those who care about things that matter such as accuracy, truth, compassion, write freely across social media, for nothing. That’s why professionals desperately scrabble for evidence of those, common in social media, I know, and scream of how they, unlike … Continue reading ‘Money doesn’t talk. It swears’

As you know BBC Wales loves to praise Wales when they hit a nice milestone whereas BBC Scotland prefer a more gravestone-like achievement in death. Widely ignored today, Scotland has jagged 80% overall and 50% have been boosted. This puts Scotland 4th in the world: Continue reading Scotland smashes 50% booster and 80% overall jags target!

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has released a new Interim Report covering their findings of the Stonehaven rail crash. Back on the 12th August 2020, a ScotRail HST collided with washed-up debris near Carmont following heavy rainfall, resulting in the death of three people (the driver, conductor and a passenger), as well as causing injury to six other people. Data from 1T08 showed that it was travelling at 73mph, less than the permitted 75mph. https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2021/04/stonehaven-rail-crash-raib-release-new-report-into-fatal-accident-caused-by-stones-on-the-line.html The following night on BBC Scotland’s The Nine, 14 viewers saw James Cook, repeatedly interrupted the Scottish Transport Secretary, Michael Matheson to say: Well, exactly! … Continue reading Rail infrastructure, inspection and maintenance, is reserved to Westminster

From: cuckooshoe How much support will businesses actually receive? The information is readily available on the Scottish government website. http://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-december-and-january-business-support-top-up-hospitality-information-for-businesses/ “The December and January Business Support Top Up – Hospitality is a Scottish Government fund administered by local authorities. What you can getThe grant is a one-off payment at the rate of: £4,500 for premises which have a rateable value of up to and including £51,000, or £6,800 for premises have a rateable value of £51,001 or above” A bit more digging is required on the UK government’s website to find out how much businesses in England will receive. http://www.gov.uk/government/news/1-billion-in-support-for-businesses-most-impacted-by-omicron-across-the-uk … Continue reading Scottish Government’s one-off grant for hospitality industry is more generous.

Not a word on the comparative figures for the 4 nations in the above BBC UK report and, of course nothing in the BBC Scotland reporting. BBC NI tell us that 3 231 are theirs and BBC Wales that 4 500 are theirs. The Scottish Government have announced only 2 434 with an asterisk to warn that an update may be needed. However, the record figures for England alone are there on sites such as: https://twitter.com/UKCovid19Stats/status/1473687537277362180 The rate of new cases today in England is thus, pro rata, up to 4 times higher than in England and, at least, after … Continue reading Hiding Johnson regime’s pandemic failure