Donald Cameron, Scottish Tories health spokesperson has reported Professor Leitch to the UK Statistics authority for saying: ‘Nobody died of Covid between the 17th of July and the 18th of August, 28 days after a positive Covid test.’ Cameron is, of course, hoping for a newsworthy victory along the lines of Jackson Carlaw’s in July 2020 when the statistics authority didn’t actually contradict the First Minister’s claim that infection rates were five times lower in Scotland but only that she had used figures not yet peer-reviewed. At the end of July 2020, the ONS figures showed the infection rate in … Continue reading Scottish Conservatives dying ‘of’ desperation?

I always give 14% just for completing the task. Mark Smith, BA Journalism, Year 1, has chosen to base his answer on the First Minister. He’s failing her on his own personality test and, in particular, her lack of humility even borderline arrogance. This is the woman described even by people like Sarah Smith and Andrew Marr as ‘a world-class politician’ and an unimpressive wee man like Smith thinks himself able to judge her personality to be failing in some way. I did two years of pyschology, as recently as 1976 and I remember that personality theories were considered the … Continue reading Herald’s Mark Smith: Class Test on Personality Theory: 14% FAIL

I could’ve have just shared James Kelly’s demolition of the Scotsman/SoS shameless reporting of their poll, apparently showing a surge for the Union, after Nicola Sturgeon’s performance, but I want to spread it wider via the blog and take the opportunity to both applaud his work and to add one thing: They did it because they were desperate to back up their claims that Sturgeon had damaged the cause. They so wanted that and when they didn’t get it, they fiddled it. Of course, all of the MSM media, even the Guardian, and people like Sarah Smith (above) gobbled it … Continue reading Scotland on Sunday’s FAKE poll intended to conceal 5 point lead for YES AFTER Sturgeon show

Esteemed psephologist James Kelly, the thinking man’s James Kelly, has posted these comments on the Savanta Com Res poll for the Scotsman which purports to show a clear lead for NO, for the first time in more than a year: “these figures are not weighted for voter turnout, with further polling expected this week to show a clearer impact of the inquiry on Scottish independence voting intention..these figures on Scottish independence are not directly comparable with previous polls on the subject, due to this and the nature of the poll.” In other words this is not a standard poll, and … Continue reading Scotland on Sunday poll revealed as flawed and unreliable

After suggesting that Sturgeon and Salmond were ‘well-mashed’, Sarah Smith, on Marr this morning, could not hide a wee show of pleasure as she went on to talk about the three polls now showing an apparent small fall in support for independence. UPDATE: James Kelly reveals poll to be non-standard: https://scotgoespop.blogspot.com/2021/03/savanta-comres-poll-yes-48-no-52.html As well as the facial expression lifting, there was a wee handclap just on the edge of the screen. Sarah has previously given us ‘reveals’ in her choice of language and of course, her love of the Union which has given her so much, un-earned pay, is taken for … Continue reading Sarah Smith Drooling and clapping but it won’t last

Scotland’s favourite English newspaper and the 23rd best linesman in Scotland were in little doubt as to who should get a red card but they seem to have missed the repeated fouls by this podgy midfielder: He has quite a record: And he’s still at it: Where is Douglas? Continue reading 6 breaches of the ministerial code or similar offences but not out!

From BBC Scotland with absolutely no mention of the harsh reality of their polling results: The Liberal Democrats can stop the SNP winning an overall majority at the forthcoming Holyrood election, the party’s Scottish leader has predicted. Willie Rennie will use his speech to the party’s virtual conference to say the Lib Dems can win seats in every region of the country on 6 May. He will say these gains would help avoid having “a government that can do whatever it wants, however damaging”. Surely, reporting on the claims of a political leader, the most junior of reporters would wonder … Continue reading I suppose they have recently surged from 5% to 7%

Reporting Scotland on the 7th February:: More than 50 000 people got their jab (sic) on Saturday. This is broadly in line with yesterday’s UK-wide number. Then from Jamie McIvor, the nearly 53 000 was: Roughly in line with a UK wide number. Scotland vaccinated 9 718 per 1 million population compared to England’s 8 153 and the UK collective figure of 8 238 per 1 million. By no stretch of the imagination is Scotland’s performance broadly or roughly in line. It’s 20% higher, and for the seventh day in a row. I and others complained about the use of the … Continue reading Alice Pleasance Liddell new head of BBC Complaints department as it is moved Oxfordshire bunker

People’s watchdog or government poodle, is a question some in the press used to insist, in their case, meant a tough wee terrier biting at the ankles of the powerful. Conrad Black, Dark Lord of the Telegraph was in little doubt when he said something like: ‘If the little man thinks the press is on his side, then the little man is in more trouble than I realised.’ The Herald used to keep tough wee terriers like Ian Bell and not all of the current pack are fully trimmed poodles but too many run to the hounds. Do poodles run … Continue reading Poll Tax Champion to walk Government Poodles at Herald

I don’t know when the above quote, high on Reddit this morning, comes from but the SNP are clearly and objectively progressive and I can prove it. Leaving aside what the SNP has done on LGBTQ+ policies and focusing only on just one strand of the struggle for greater equality, one which makes many of the other targets possible – a living income, there have been many initiatives: In 2013, the UK Government limited Housing Benefit and the housing element of Universal Credit for working-age council or housing association tenants if they were considered to be under-occupying their homes. This … Continue reading High on Reddit this morning, my favourite comedian is wrong