While, you will find the SNP and the Scottish Government explicitly accused of failure in addressing child poverty by Anas Sarwar and others, in BBC Scotland reporting, you won’t find either credited with any role in reports of success such as the above, even though it is clearly the result of an SNP policy, a Scottish Government Bill and its implementation by an SNP-led council. The Scottish Government introduced the Child Poverty Act 2017 that lays out a statutory requirement on local authorities and health boards to report progress against a set of ambitious targets to reduce Child Poverty by … Continue reading SNP’s Child Poverty Act in action in SNP-led Glasgow Council school

When Covid death rates were high, occasionally and briefly higher than elsewhere, we heard little else. They have now been the lowest in the UK for nearly two weeks: BBC Scotland seem to have missed this. Continue reading Scotland has lowest Covid death rate for nearly two weeks now

From SNP Media today:  First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today asked people in Scotland to vote SNP to keep the NHS safe as she highlighted the risk to the NHS of putting power in Tory hands. With the SNP Scottish Government currently offering an average pay rise of 4% to NHS Agenda for change staff, that would be paid within the first 100 days of a re-elected SNP Government, the First Minister highlighted the insulting 1% on offer from the Tories, despite the extraordinary lengths NHS staff have gone to over the last year.  On a campaign visit to Eastwood the SNP leader … Continue reading KEEP SCOTLAND’S NHS IN SAFE HANDS

From the thinking-man’s Galloway, Alasdair: In today’s Herald, Jody Harrison, writes about the most recent Panelbase survey (conducted for “Scot Goes Pop”). This suggests the forthcoming election will elect 61 SNP MSPs, while Alba will end up with “almost ten seats”, and the Greens will win 11 seats. Later on in the piece, while the SNP remain on 61 and the Greens on 11, Alba don’t have “almost 10 seats”, but in fact 8. As others, like you dear reader, not arithmetically challenged (like Mr Harrison) is 80 MSPs elected for independence supporting parties. Harrison claims this “means the ‘supermajority’ … Continue reading ‘Arithmetically challenged’ or……

A podgy, grey old man wanders the streets with a placard featuring an unattractive image of the ‘Sturgeon’ shouting the latest in a series of deranged predictions: Does anyone seriously believe that Nicola Sturgeon intends to hold a referendum next year, or the year after? In the aftermath of a pandemic, which may have further waves and variants? With the public finances wrecked and Scotland’s economy on life-support from the UK? I think Scotland’s voters have twigged: she’s kidding on. It’s an indy neverendum. I am not, under any circumstances giving this the detailed response it would deserve if the … Continue reading Scotland ‘on life support from the UK?’ Does anyone seriously believe this man?

BBC Reporting Scotland are headlining the same story today. Good Morning Scotland’s radio broadcast will no doubt be on this too. We’ll hear all day, utterly self-interested pub and restaurant owners moaning with not a reference to Scotland’s lower infection and death rates due to the measures taken here. How do we know this is bias? Simple. BBC UK, England, Wales and Northern Ireland are not headlining, not even reporting, stories such as these, which casts doubt on Government actions as it approaches an election. Notice the UK Government friendly business report? There are many other stories out there. This … Continue reading Only BBC Scotland playing politics with pandemic measures in an election phase

Tory government actions: “The effect is to circumvent not only the Barnett Formula but the devolved governments themselves.” – concludes a new report from Fraser of Allander Institute and Institute for Fiscal Studies By stewartb Brexit and the UK Internal Market Act are key factors in the Westminster government making far reaching changes to the devolution settlement. Despite best efforts by Scottish Government ministers and some bloggers, the wider electorate in Scotland could be forgiven for being blissfully unaware of the extent of change underway especially if they consume their news only from the corporate media and BBC Scotland. But … Continue reading “The effect is to circumvent not only the Barnett Formula but the devolved governments themselves.”

By stewartb It’s not often, I contend, that a serious report on government funding contains – indeed gives prominence to – the word ‘luck’. One finds it used in the conclusions of this report: Bell, Eiser and Phillips (2021) Designing and funding the devolved nations’ policy responses to COVID-19. Fraser of Allander Institute report, 22 April 2021. (https://fraserofallander.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Designing-and-funding-the-devolved-nations-policy-response-to-COVID-19.pdf ) The report notes that the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for designing and implementing major parts of the public health response to the COVID pandemic in their respective nations plus significant elements of the economic response.  … Continue reading Financing a response to crisis – must Scotland rely on ‘luck’?

First wave: excess deaths were substantially higher in England than in Scotland Second wave: Scotland did not see the same increase in excess deaths seen in the rest of the UK To date:  the cumulative death rate from COVID has been substantially lower in Scotland than in England and Wales By stewartb I’ve been on the lookout for an up-to-date, concise, clear summary from an authoritative source of a comparative analysis of key Covid statistics for the UK nations. It’s been a feature of corporate media and the BBC throughout to avoid or at best downplay any such objective comparison. … Continue reading Covid outcomes – has BBC Scotland revealed this to you yet?

From SNP Media today: The SNP has said “Scotland’s recovery is far too important to leave in Westminster’s hands” – as Boris Johnson tells his Cabinet to prepare for cuts. The Prime Minister has ordered Tory Cabinet Ministers to undertake a “savings and efficiency” review of UK government departments ahead of the Spending Review. It follows the Tory decision to impose a public sector pay freeze, Universal Credit cuts, and tax hikes on millions of workers at the Budget in March. Meanwhile, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack is one of five Tory Cabinet Ministers who have joined a new hard-right lobby … Continue reading DON’T SLEEPWALK INTO ANOTHER DECADE OF TORY AUSTERITY