On the BBC Scotland website: Glasgow’s Euro 2020 fan zone has been linked to more than 100 cases of Covid-19. The Uefa football festival took place at Glasgow Green for the duration of the tournament in June and July. In response to a freedom of information (FOI) request, Public Health Scotland (PHS) has revealed 103 cases were traced back to the event. The Scottish government said that this number represented a “very small proportion” of those who attended. In the days before the tournament kicked off, it gave the go-ahead to the fan area which could hold up to 6,000 … Continue reading Reporting Scotland editor accused of wasting taxpayer funds to find just over 100 cases linked to Glasgow’s Euro fan zone

On the 7th August, in the Times, we read: Lockdowns are unlikely to be needed again, government scientific advisers have said, as official figures showed a clear fall in coronavirus cases. Data from the Office for National Statistics, considered the gold standard for infection rates, confirmed the first clear drop outside of lockdown. Even normally cautious scientists said that the time of draconian restrictions had probably passed. An increase in cases in September is widely expected as workers return to offices and school and university terms begin, but there is growing confidence that this can be managed without a return to … Continue reading No more lockdowns ANY MOAH!!!

A report by the Institute for Government on the Department of Education’s handling of school assessment in England during the pandemic is highly critical and contrast that with a superior performance by the SNP leadership in the crisis. First, in an echo of the disastrous contracted out contact tracing and testing system which failed so badly, compared to the Scottish system based in existing local authorities, the Conservative government repeated the mistake in schools: In contrast to England, Scotland and Wales both funnelled money through local authorities. A report from Audit Wales makes clear that the local authority route worked … Continue reading Report reveals SNP Scottish Government’s better handling of schools assessment in pandemic

Infection rates today: BBC Scotland reaction: No UK comparisons and at least a week out-of-date. Continue reading Calls for border controls as infections in England surge to 227% higher than in Scotland

After falling for 7 days to 3rd August, infections in England have climbed for the last 3 days, from 19 012 to 28 321, 48.9%, yesterday. https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/cases In Scotland, after climbing on the previous 2 days by around 20%, they fell again yesterday to 1 250, less than half the rate in England. BBC UK/England, above, are not reporting this. BBC Scotland are fussing over drinking at the bar without a face mask. ITV, the Guardian and the Telegraph seem unaware and the Times is in denial, relying on figures to end of July! What is their motto, we wonder? Continue reading Infections in England up nearly 50% in 3 days! Not in public interest

The SNP MP for Scotland’s National Mining Museum has invited Boris Johnson to return to Scotland to visit a local mining community – so he can apologise in person for his offensive comments praising Thatcher’s decision to close the mines. Owen Thompson MP, who represents former mining communities in Midlothian, has written to the Prime Minister urging him to accompany the MP to the National Mining Museum Scotland, and visit former miners and their families, so he can apologise in person and see first hand the devastation caused by Thatcher’s industrial policies. Recent polling by Ipsos MORI has found people in Scotland view … Continue reading Johnson told to apologise to mining communities

SNP Westminster Press Office The Westminster Tory government has been criticised for being “utterly out of touch”, after it was revealed that a government minister travelled to around 30 countries – including those on the red list – without quarantining on his return. Alok Sharma – the minister responsible for this year’s crucial COP26 summit in Glasgow – had taken advantage of an exemption that allowed him to dodge quarantining. He is currently visiting red-listed Brazil and Bolivia. On one reported occasion, Sharma visited a primary school not long after returning from Bangladesh – a red list country. However, the jet-setting climate … Continue reading Tory COP26 minister flies to 30 countries than visits UK school on return from Bangladesh

In the Guardian today: China records highest daily Delta count China reported its highest daily Covid-19 count in its current outbreak of the Delta variant, reporting 124 new cases on Thursday, including 80 local transmissions, reports Helen Davidson in Taiwan. How does that look on a graph? What? England had 41 cases for every 100 000 people yesterday and China had virtually zero? But they had a ‘surge’ yesterday. Wait, I know, China has a population of 1.5 billion, more than 20 times that of England. Let’s see a proper graph! OK: What? England had 23 275 cases yesterday, up 40% … Continue reading Tiny Chinese ‘surge’ swamped by English ‘tsunami’

Only six days ago, after only 7 days of falling case numbers, 21 days in Scotland but that ignored, cases have surged for the last two, in England, by nearly 40%. Cases have increased noticeably in Scotland too but by around 20% and from a much lower base level of less than 50% of the level in England. The MSM are holding their collective breaths. Yesterday, much of international travel was opened up for all parts of the UK. Rangers have announced full crowds. Self-isolation rules following a coronavirus contact will be lifted for the fully vaccinated in England from … Continue reading Is Johnson’s August ‘Freedom Day’ for England under threat by surge?

From SNP Media: The SNP has Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer are “treating Scots like fools” with their empty rhetoric on renewable energy – as Scotland suffers from the highest transmission charges in Europe under Westminster control. Alan Brown MP said the sky-high charges, imposed by the last Labour government in 2005 and maintained by the Tories for more than a decade, are the “biggest barrier” to Scotland’s renewable potential – holding back investment and blocking the creation of green jobs. The SNP spokesperson on Energy and Climate Change said the charges made a mockery of Boris Johnson and Keir … Continue reading Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer ‘treating Scots like fools’ on transmission charges