Jack McConnell (76) is Scottish Labour’s youth policy for the days when they can’t start Gordon Brown up. Here he is, the former maths teacher, talking number-free nonsense to badmouth his own country, on its economy and on schools. He knows nothing clearly. Try these: On schools: From the Scottish Government statistics section September 2021: The proportion of schools reported as being in good or satisfactory condition has increased to 90.2% (89.9% in 2020). This is 29 percentage points higher than in April 2007 (61.1%). The publication of ‘School Estates Statistics 2021’ by Scotland’s Chief Statistician also showed that the … Continue reading Dinosaur numbers increasing?

A new Advisory Council Member for the anti-independence group SBUK has popped up. Scottish Business UK (SBUK) is an independent, non-party voice for business leaders who want to see Scotland thrive economically as part of the United Kingdom. It seeks to make a positive case for that future and believes strongly that the campaign to break up the UK offers unacceptable disruption for business and public services, especially as Scotland tries to rebound from the challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic. https://scottish-business.uk/about-us/ Ibrahim popped up in 2013, launching the Scotland Institute with Jackson Carlaw, Jo Swinson and Alistair Darling in … Continue reading Honorary US Army officer joins anti-independence business group

AN investigation has been launched into a spike in deaths among newborn babies in Scotland. Official figures reveal that 21 infants died during September within 28 days of birth, causing the neonatal mortality rate to breach an upper warning threshold known as the ‘control limit’ for the first time in at least four years. The neonatal mortality rate at 4.9 per 1 000 live births was significantly above average. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19726487.investigation-launched-abnormal-spike-newborn-baby-deaths-scotland/ So, what do we need to know? Has there been a one month spike before and then a quick return to normality? Just as the birth rate fluctuates from month to … Continue reading Just another blip? Not the news

I don’t understand journalism. I’ve been told that. One TV editor suggested that it was all very well for academics, spending time to find accurate evidence. The editorial decision above is a classic. There were only 7 referrals for concerns related to Islamic extremism, less than a fifth of that, 37, in 2017/18. 45% of the 55 referrals in total were for concerns related to right-wing extremism, up from 22, so doubled. Which is the more dramatic, thus newsworthy headline, down by 30 or up by 22, five times lower or twice as high? The headline is also inaccurate and … Continue reading Massive drop in Islamic terrorist threat in Scotland

From stewartb Today on the BBC News website’s ‘health’ section we find this: ‘First long-acting injection for HIV approved’ The article tells us that ‘Thousands of people with HIV will now be offered a new long-acting injection to manage their condition if they would prefer to stop taking daily pills’; ‘Charities have welcomed the approval of the treatment by the NHS drugs watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’; and ‘An estimated 13,000 people in England could make the switch.’ All positive news! Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59330979 This news was also covered in similar terms this morning on the BBC Radio … Continue reading NHS England ‘first’ but somehow one month later than NHS Scotland: How did we miss that?

I’ve just posted on the contrast between BBC Scotland’s politicising of health matters and BBC Wales being so much more professional than those house jocks or uncle jocks at PQ. BBC Northern Ireland are even more protective of their devolved government because: In Scotland during September 2021, 76.1% of attendances at A&E services were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours. In September 2021, NHS England A&E departments saw 64% within 4 hours In September 2021, NHS Wales A&E departments saw 66.8% within 4 hours The Northern Ireland figures have been delayed to 12 November … Continue reading BBC Northern Ireland protecting Devolved Government as emergency services revealed as worst in UK

Prepare to be disappointed? Continue reading BBC Complaint re A&E coverage

From stewartb: Too wee, too weak, too helpless Scotland? At least it’s a variation on a theme! The Secretary General of NATO, former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg recently (3 November) addressed a session of the Nordic Council. This was the first time ever that the head of NATO had addressed Nordic parliamentarians directly so it seems there was considerable interest in what he had to say. He was of course addressing a group which includes nation states – including ones similar in many ways to what Scotland can be – that are co-operative and well integrated whilst also being … Continue reading How SNP vision will fit in Nordic defence

The worst ever performance figures have once again been recorded by hospital emergency departments and the ambulance service in Wales. Figures for October show fewer than 65% of patients spent less than four hours in departments like A&E. The ambulance service responded to just half of immediately life-threatening calls within eight minutes. The director of the Welsh NHS confederation said the service is facing “unsustainable pressures”. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59332890 The response from the health boards – too many patients coming. The response from the Health Secretary – she wasn’t asked. The boards are responsible. The accusations from Plaid Cymru and the Welsh … Continue reading NHS Wales: Emergency services performance worst ever again but no resignations called for

Those who cling to the dream of a better Britain have been a shrinking group for some time now. Those who remain might be taking heart in the last six polls where the Tories no longer lead but it’s an average lead of less than 2 points for Labour. It’s still too close to call. The electorate or at least some of them have begun to shift toward Sir Keir but they’re not sure about it, despite the horrors of the Eton ‘Sleaze’ Government of 2019 to whenever. At best, they’d need another Lib Lab pact and with a leader … Continue reading Hope for Scottish Labour as Sir Keir’s lot pull ahead of worst UK government in history by massive 1.66%?