The Ferret Factchecker has done some good work but they can’t be trusted when it comes to the SNP. Just over a year ago they relied on the discredited GERS figures to contradict a claim by Mike Russell and in May 2020 they used unreliable research by Newcastle University to feed Anas Sarwar for an attack on the SNP Justice Minister (refs at foot). Today they have assessed claims about PPE supplies never running out, by Nicola Sturgeon and Matt Hancock. They rate Hancock ‘mostly false.’ Too soft by far I’d say but whatever. They rate Sturgeon’s claim: ‘That is … Continue reading Factcheck: Scotland DID NOT run out of PPE

Gordon Brown on GMB this morning, with his UK hat on, defending Keir Starmer: It’s really difficult being the Leader of the opposition because you want the country to be united. You want the country to work together. You want to support the Government in what is a national crisis. Does that apply in Scotland too? Like this, telling barefaced lies? Regulars here will know that I and many of you have batted this stuff back with evidence more than once. I wonder if the First Minister’s refusal to contradict the accusers with the same evidence just invites more or … Continue reading Gordon Brown: You want to support the Government in what is a national crisis.

Since 2008, the Scottish Government has used the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands to assess and monitor how Scotland is perceived around the world. The NBI examines the image of 50 countries by looking at a country’s reputation along six dimensions of national competence: Exports, Governance, Culture, People, Tourism, Immigration and Investment. Together these provide an overall indication of a country’s reputation. Governance is of particular interest at the moment as the MSM in Scotland deliver blanket coverage of an alleged breach of the ministerial code by the First Minister, above, by forgetting to tell Parliament about a meeting with Alex Salmond. The actual breaches of ministerial … Continue reading SNP Government’s reputation higher than ever

From BBC Scotland an hour ago: An enhanced contact tracing effort is under way after the Brazilian variant of Covid-19 was detected in Scotland. Three Scottish residents tested positive for the new strain after flying into Aberdeen from Brazil, via Paris and London. Other passengers who were on the same flight from London are now being contacted. Experts believe this variant (P1) – first detected in northern Brazil in January – could be more contagious. Three other cases have also been detected in England, but they are not linked to the Scottish cases. Officials are still trying to track down … Continue reading Johnson’s flawed quarantine system lets Brazil Covid variant into Scotland

Above, Alex Massie, nearly a year ago . The FT last week: Scotland reaps dividend of Covid response that diverged from England’s https://www.ft.com/content/e1eddd2f-cb0b-4c7a-8872-2783810fae8d?sharetype=blocked The Annual Report: Infection level more than 40% lower in Scotland: Death rate more than 20% lower in Scotland: And, of course, deaths in care homes, 50% lower in Scotland: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2021/02/24/covid-care-home-deaths-in-scotland-plummet-to-only-half-those-in-england/ Continue reading Coronavirus may be the cure for Unionism

Headlining in the Herald last night: Three cases of a Covid-19 ‘variant of concern’ first identified in Brazil, have been identified in Scotland, officials have confirmed. Following their return to north east Scotland from Brazil, via Paris and London, three Scottish residents entered self-isolation and then subsequently tested positive for coronvirus, it has been confirmed.   These individuals then self-isolated for the required period of 10 days. These three have already self-isolated for ten days and no other cases have emerged from those they shared the flights with? So, there are currently really no cases ‘hitting’ Scotland? So, Scotland’s test, trace and isolate system works. … Continue reading NHS England fails to track Brazil Variant but NHS SCotland does

A shorter month but slightly up on visitors from 34 883 in January. Still big in Romania and with new entries in Iceland and Gibraltar. Gary Robertson and Tom Gordon carrying the greatest appeal? Continue reading February

In 2014, an online wag asked how I should be compared to Prof Curtis above. The answer was that he was like a Premier League star and I was like a Third-Team reserve at Elgin City FC. Frankly, I’d love be to be good enough. Anyhow, I’ve waited for my revenge and claim today to have taken him out on the field of windy psephology (polls). In What Scotland Thinks, the ScotCen blog, he writes: Has The Constitutional Wind Changed Direction? POSTED ON 26TH FEBRUARY 2021 BY JOHN CURTICE The wind has seemingly been veering in that direction for a … Continue reading Elgin City third-team reserve takes Premier league star out

The Daily Record/Sunday Mail pays for a poll then goes on to completely fail to understand what it doesn’t tell them. The highlights other than the headline are these: The SNP would fail to win a Yes vote in the wake of the Alex Salmond inquiry, a new poll has revealed. A bombshell survey found that the majority of people in Scotland no longer want to break away from the rest of the United Kingdom. It is clear evidence that the feud between First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her former mentor now threatens to destroy their political dream. The Survation survey for the Sunday … Continue reading Sunday Mail: Clear evidence of Staggering imbecility?

By Andrew Rosie: Anas Sarwar only registered as a living wage employee, as an MSP not as director of his family firm, when he announced he was standing for Labour leader in 2017. On STV on 18 October Sarwar lied when he said he did not campaign with Better Together in 2014. as photographic evidence proves otherwise and obvious prefers Tory rule to Home Rule when he says he would never under any circumstances back self government for Scotland. If Labour followed Anas Sarwar’s “SNP coalitions are as bad as Tory coalitions” logic, they’d have to chuck out 60 Labour … Continue reading Anas Sarwar is an awful choice of leader for Scottish Labour and will relegate them to distant 3rd