Typically muted in the Herald today: Electricity transmission charges are acting as a barrier for investment in green energy projects in Scotland and will hit the transition to a low carbon economy, experts have warned. A new analysis by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Transmission, which is responsible for the network for the north of Scotland calls for reform of the current charging regime which means that renewable generators in Scotland pay “significantly” higher costs to connect their electricity to the National Grid than those in other parts of Great Britain. The UK Government with the help of the BBC likes to make … Continue reading Powering England’s green revolution and paying extra for the privilege

Some pupils are said to be ‘stressed to the point of being ill’ and teachers at their ‘wits’ end’ as senior students undergo assessment which will help decide their grades for national qualifications. We hear that teachers will make the judgements this time just as everyone seemed to desire last year and the SQA algorithm which made pupils ill last year, is gone but the Scottish Government remains in the wrong according to the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association. Their rep predicts mass complaints from pupils and parents and says they’ll be correct to do so. Look, I remember the stress … Continue reading Tiny trade union rep suggests not having to do stressful formal exams is stressful

Merchant banker, Guy Stenhouse, has written the above in the Herald. I almost gave up my support for independence when I saw the headline and found out he is a merchant banker. Then I thought, wait, maybe he has an agenda. Maybe it’s not true. There’s a problem though. As readers know, economics, trade, money…not my thang. BUT, suspecting this Guy, I’ll just start the ball rolling and let readers vent themselves with their usual erudition on him. Can you vent erudition? Anyhow, what about this starter from Professor David Bell? Trade flows across the Anglo-Scottish border are substantial. Figure … Continue reading England needs a smooth border more than we do

In December 2020, as deaths began to rise again in care homes and opposition parties returned to the smell of blood they detected from their ‘common sense’ unqualified notion that hospital discharges must be responsible, the Care Inspectorate applied to cancel the registration of Thornlea Nursing Home in Loanhead Midlothian. There was no mention of hospital discharges as a suspected cause of infections and deaths, by the Care Inspectorate in December 2020 and there is none in the final report released yesterday but there is, ten times, mention of failures of infection control by the staff, often untrained and under-staffed, … Continue reading Not a word on hospital discharges in first of deadly care home inspections

Lesley@lesmit·2h posted the above sob story letter pleading for votes in the Airdrie & Shotts by-election on the 13th May 2021 and commented: Yo @ScottishLabour, sending a letter from an 80 year old widow asking for my vote ain’t it. This is absolutely weird behaviour and desperate. How did it go in the 2019 General Election? And the former SNP who walked away when ‘you needed your MP most?’ He was based in London in the UK Parliament for you and now he’s representing roughly the same area in the Scottish Parliament where the pandemic response ‘you needed‘ is run … Continue reading Scottish Labour’s sickly sob story for the Airdrie by-election

Reader Ronnie Hughes sent us the above, writing: On the back of an outstanding election result in all forms for the independence parties, is this the best picture and headline they could come up with? Considering the downright lies and misinformation continually pumped out by the main media outlets, I think this is a new low for the Courier, down even to the Sun level. Absolutely despicable. Ronnie is correct about the attitude and also reminds me that Scotland’s drug deaths have a complex history for which the SNP is not to blame. The Conservatives get to demand a big … Continue reading Just despicable

From SNP Media: Commenting on reports in today’s Times that the UK Government are seeking to bypass the Scottish Parliament and spend money directly in devolved areas in an attempt to shore up support for the union, Kate Forbes has said that if there is more funding to be made available for spending in Scotland, then it should be provided to the Scottish Government through the usual channels. Kate Forbes said: “It is unsurprising that the Tories are in panic mode in response to last week’s emphatic SNP election victory, but they need to realise that ‘working together’ involves doing things with Scotland … Continue reading Not doing things TO Scotland

By stewartb I listened to an interview with Gordon Brown this morning on Radio 4’s Today programme. (An oddly enjoyable – but yes, trivial – listening experience at times as Brown and Sarah Smith talked over each other!) However, I was on the alert for the F word. And indeed one did come as a key part of Brown’s plan to save the Union. But not the F word I was expecting! This morning’s big plan is for PM Johnson to establish a ‘FORUM’ for him and the leaders of the devolved parliaments – now that radical, persuasive innovation does … Continue reading On the alert for the F word with Henry Hill

Against the background of the Conservatives dominant in England with the working classes there duped and recruited by jingoism and racism, Scotland struggles to get out of a deadly embrace. One man, again, a former UK prime minister, steps in to save the Union with the offer of another special offer to entice Scotland to stay within the Union’s sphere of influence. As in 2011, electoral success by the SNP least week has pressed the panic button in London. Complete domination of the Scottish Parliament by pro-independence parties and support for independence solid around 50%, in sharp contrast with only … Continue reading The Brown Plan: SNP beats Sinn Fein’s 1918 vote to win offer of ‘Dominion Home Rule’ but Royal Navy and Foreign Office stay

We’ve were here before in December 2020 but the much-awaited decision is in. Mainly due to their own stupidity in accepting the ermine robes, Lord McConnell and Baroness Davidson have been ruled out of the great honour of ‘Defender of the Union.’ The only other candidate, with a pulse, is Gordon ‘The Bear’ Brown. He won after a recount, by 14 votes to 13 and 12 for the other two. Widespread fears among Unionists have been eased by the news that former PM, Brown will lead the NO Campaign in 2021 with a promise of full federalism in two years. … Continue reading Jack McConnell and Ruth Davidson lose out to Gordon Brown after recount