The death rate lags behind the infection rate by some time. From a horrible peak of 93 deaths on the 9th January and a 7 day average of 60 on the 27th, to a 7 day average of 6 today, it’s been a long tough wait and, I appreciate, not yet over. The level of infection started to fall, but from a great height of 2 649 at the end of January, to 655 today. We won’t know if the stupidity in George Square has killed, until deaths increase again, if they do. Hopefully the vaccines have saved us this … Continue reading Thank Goodness!

7 out of 10 headline stories about whether or not the FM truthfully forgot a meeting and inadvertently mislead the Scottish Parliament. A 5/4 vote on party lines by some pretty dodgy characters. Meanwhile the PM, a serial mis-leader of the UK Parliament, is treated with undue respect: On the same day, Peter Stefanovic of the CWU reminds us of the terrible truth of the PM’s lies: Share, share, share. Continue reading The Master of lies: Johnson shows Sturgeon how to do it

Alec Cole Hamilton, Murdo Fraser and Jackie Baillie were interviewed extensively yesterday on BBC Panorama, before the programme-makers made the above claim and before it was spread, like slurry, across all of MSM, including Newsnight and Question Time. On the latter, we got another reminder of the contempt in which our democratically elected government and most of us are are held. Boris Johnson has broken ministerial codes on far far more serious matters, as many as 7 times, but that could not be mentioned as context in which to put the, frankly, trivial accusations made against the First Minister. The … Continue reading Which of the Panorama 5 broke the code of conduct for MPs in committees

From the Herald as part of their ‘quality, reliable journalism’ to help us all in this time of pandemic: The NHS Louisa Jordan hospital is to shut by the end of March without having to treat a single coronavirus patient. This is just a cheap rehash of an ill-informed Monica Lennon snipe from last year. The Health Secretary’s answer then, stands: Continue reading Herald reporting: Correct yet no use to anyone

Opinium’s poll today for 11th to 16th March gives Yes a 2 point lead, turning around the Scotland In Union ‘poll’ giving No a 12 point lead for 9th to 12th March. This dramatic 14 point swing may not be reliable as the 2 point lead represents only a 4 point swing from the previous six polls averaging a 2 point lead for NO. BBC Scotland have not reported this first lead for Yes for some time and the Herald have headed it: SNP set to fall short of Holyrood majority again, poll finds It’s not like Tom Gordon to … Continue reading SHOCK: 14 point swing to YES and Anas in bottom Place

– passage of the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Bill By stewartb Is there a recurring pattern here? It has been disappointing to find so little attention given in the news media in Scotland to an important event which occurred in the Holyrood Parliament on 18 March 2021. It was the passage of the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Bill.  This Government Bill was approved by 114 MSPs, with no dissenting votes and no abstentions. The Law Society of Scotland reported: ‘MSPs unanimously supported the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Bill, which introduces two new forms of order, the domestic abuse protection notice, … Continue reading Why is positive news almost no news In Scotland? No. 2

– passage of the UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill By stewartb: It has been disappointing to find so little attention given in the news media in Scotland to a major event which occurred in Holyrood on 16 March 2021. It was the passage of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill.  This Government Bill was approved by 114 MSPs, with no dissenting votes and no abstentions. This is UNICEF’s view on the achievement: ‘Edinburgh 16 March 2021 – Today in a landmark moment for children’s rights, the Scottish Parliament has voted to incorporate the United … Continue reading Why is positive news almost no news In Scotland?

Some key dates on the above death rate line graph: On 1st September, people in the Glasgow, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire local authority areas were told they should not meet with people from other households in indoor household settings, because of rising infection levels in those areas. 9th October, national lockdown in Scotland with infection level at 165 per 1 million. England at 236. 3rd November England locks down. 26th December, Scotland goes into full lockdown after only Christmas Day eased. 5th January, England goes into full lockdown. By January 27th England’s daily death rate is twice that in … Continue reading Thousands dead because Johnson would not follow Sturgeon’s lead

I’ve had to step in again to report the great news of falling hospital-acquired infections of Covid-19, as regular commentators Lisa Summer of BBC Scotland and Helen McCardle of the Herald have gone of sick at heart after their sterling work reporting increases back in January, at the same time as overall hospital admissions soared. Both have accused me of being simple in suggesting that the two might be connected when that anaesthetist whose kids went to the same nursery as theirs, told them it was due to badly positioned hand-sanitisers. Anyhow, here’s the latest: 31 (0.5%) were reported as … Continue reading Covid infections in hospital plummet by more than 50%

Dear Editor (Herald 16th March 2021),  Robert IG Scott demonstrates a poor understanding of Scotland’s economic potential (Letters, March 17) when he suggests: Without the enormous backing from the UK Exchequer, and the worldwide influence exerted by the Foreign Office on behalf of the whole of the UK, an independent Scotland would become a second-class state. Adam Smith knew that natural resources and people make up the ‘wealth of a nation.’ Scotland is one of the world’s most naturally wealthy nations. With 8.4% of the UK population, Scotland has 34% of the UK’s natural wealth including a quarter of renewable … Continue reading Letters They Wouldn’t Publish No.2: Scotland’s economic potential