I’ve changed. 60 years ago, I watched Scotland: England games with my dad and with knotted bowels. England then were all white, Anglo-Saxons with that sense of superiority over any colonials, even us. The TV commentators were pompous, racist, jingoistic, old white guys. Both fuelled my hatred and desire to see them hammered even if they had been playing a team of orcs from Mordor. They’re not the same. More black than white, more victims of racism than perpetrators of it and, of course, often likable guys when interviewed. The commentators have improved too though they’re still prone to forgetting … Continue reading Cringe, cringe as Auld Enemy with 10 times the population scrapes a win

As soon as I saw Prof Tomkin’s headline, I was reminded of something I wrote almost two years ago. So, it’s not quite up-to-date but given the falling, or at worst, stabilising crime trend in Scotland, I feel sure it still stands. Scotland’s university cities the safest in the UK by a very long way From the Complete University Guide 2019, we can see that the overall fall in crime in Scotland in the last ten, or so, years is reflected in the relative safety of university campuses. Of particular interest is the level of crime (incidents per 1 000 residents) … Continue reading Scotland’s cities ARE falling behind but in a good way

Labour stuck in a rut, the Lib Dems flattering to deceive with another by-election protest vote, Johnson’s English Nationalist Party are unbeatable despite doing whatever they like to enrich themselves and their chums. Welsh Labour get the message and will try to save themselves by going independent? Scottish Labour will be collectively sectioned as a danger to themselves and others? Monica Lennon joins the Scottish Socialists? Scottish Tories all die from a new wasting disease brought on by moral corruption? Scotland’s over-65s still not sure about voting yes? 2024, independence for Scotland with 52% vote. 2030, England invades Northern France … Continue reading No matter what they do

Some months now after Reporting Scotland was delighting in fabricating the idea that Scotland was lagging behind the rest of the UK as we, of course, followed JCVI guidelines to protect the vulnerable rather than rack up as many easy jags as possible. We’ve been ahead of England and Northern Ireland since early April and closing the gap on Wales, on both jags. Coverage? None of course. Continue reading England lagging further behind on both vaccines rollout

UK 15.5 average per 100K India 4.3. If the Indian variant is so infectious why are levels dropping so fast in India? How are the MSM responding? They’re not. Continue reading Covid levels in India plummet to less than one-third of UK levels but coverage…

The supposedly intelligent Guardian reporter’s view above and the supposedly quality Times report below: The very positive words of the actual report below: Who you gonna believe? Continue reading Scotland’s education system and the less than educated press coverage

From the Scottish Government today: Scotland’s Chief Statistician today released the latest Council Tax Reduction statistics. In March 2021, Scotland’s Council Tax Reduction scheme supported 496,580 households (compared to 469,370 in March 2020) and the total weekly income forgone by local authorities was £7.328 million (compared to £6.525 million in March 2020). The impact of Covid-19 caused a rise in CTR recipients in Scotland, most markedly in April and May 2020 as the economic effects of the pandemic began to be felt, with a peak of 501,680 CTR recipients in August 2020, in contrast to the gradual decreasing trend observed … Continue reading Things Scottish Labour could have done 20 years ago but couldn’t be a****d: Number 27

In September 2020 an Elvis Festival in Bridgend, Wales, was cancelled, preventing fans from Bolton near Manchester, from attending and incurring considerable costs. Bridgend council leader Huw David (Labour) said: “There will be no Elvis here meeting them, they will be met by South Wales Police force and action will be taken against people who break the law.” Mayor Andy Burnham (Labour) did not protest that the Welsh Government had not consulted him and there have been no attempts to sue Bridgend Council. No Lancashire politicians appeared on BBC Wales to say that First Minister Mark Drakeford did not speak … Continue reading Burnham accused of double standards over Wales and Scotland and shifting for leadership

By a friend: Andy Burnham’s car crash with Newsnight’s Kirsty Wark is well worth a watch: http://order-order.com/2015/01/28/watch-angry-burnhams-newsnight-nightmare/ A very tetchy Shadow Health Secretary began the interview by admitting “there is a role for the private sector”, then piled into the Tories for putting “all services” at the hands of the market. As Kirsty politely pointed out, only 6% of NHS services have been outsourced to the private sector, and the vast majority of that was done by Burnham’s Labour government: https://www.holyrood.com/news/view,interview-alex-neil-msp_11001.htm “The second thing is you have to look at and compare what these opposition parties have been doing down south. The £20bn cuts in the English health … Continue reading Andy Burnham’s car crash