Despite a constant barrage of negative reports, the First Minister is approved of by a majority of almost every sub-set of the electorate you could imagine, in this Deltapoll poll on the 26th to 30th December 2020. Asked: Putting everything else aside, for each of the following, do you think they are doing in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, very well, quite well, quite badly or very badly? We see: Spot the groups where a majority didn’t think she has done well? Out of 22 groups, only Conservative EU leavers thought so and only by 48% to 44%. How did … Continue reading Inverted Media Effect?

Headline story for BBC Scotland: Speaking on the BBC’s Politics Scotland programme, Dr Andrew Buist, who chairs the British Medical Association’s (BMA) GP committee in Scotland, said there was (sic) inconsistencies across the GP network. Dr Buist’s evidence was, of course, just from his own practice. He hadn’t any survey evidence. And the big news of the day, the biggest fall in reported infections since December 28th? Nowhere. And the Herald misses an open goal! They tell us the latest score but neglect to tell us it’s the lowest since last year. What a missed opportunity! Folk would pay for … Continue reading Lowest infection rate since last year missed!

Headlining in the Herald today: THE goal of immunising 400,000 Scots a week against Covid could be derailed unless more is done to cut “ridiculous bureaucratic hold ups” that are leading some would-be vaccinators to quit, clinicians have warned. It turns out ‘clinicians’ is a stretch and it’s only David McColl again. He’s upset about ‘a barrage of paperwork and training modules.’ Here he is in today’s Herald report: Here he is on 1st November 2020: Here he is in the Herald on 26th July 2020: No new up-to-date photo? That was a story where the words ‘only two’ should … Continue reading The same dentist has a moan again -Gimme the money!

From BBC Scotland’s slightly unnerving Fiona Stalker, tonight: ‘78 deaths have been registered in Scotland of people who had tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 28 days. That’s along with 1 753 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. That’s more than 400 lower than on the previous day, in a run of 10 days now where the 7-day average has fallen. The 7-day average death rate has also fallen for two days now. The infection and death rate in England remains twice as high as that in Scotland.’ Oh, OK, she didn’t say all that. Just the … Continue reading 78 DEATHS! 1 753 NEW CASES!

As BBC News, presumably informed by BBC Scotland, continues to talk of tough lockdown and allegedly increasing infection rates in Scotland, perhaps with relief that they are not alone, Scottish audiences may not know what the actual facts are. The 7 day infection rate has now been falling for 10 days, from 2 323 on January 7th to 1 753 yesterday. It’s still too high for comfort but a 25% fall over that time period offer some cause for cautious optimism. The infection rate has been falling in England too but remains more than twice as high as in Scotland. … Continue reading Infection rate average falls for 10th day in a row

Research by our Healthy Correspondent, Brian McGowan: More than 5,000 health and social care staff are booked to be vaccinated at NHS Louisa Jordan today (16 January) as part of a mass vaccination drive by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The operation sees a team of 95 NHSGGC staff working in close collaboration with NHS Louisa Jordan staff to deliver up to 500 doses of the Pfizer vaccine per hour over the course of the day. Readers will remember Labour’s Monica Lennon desperately seeking something with this tweet: More than 5,000 health and social care staff are booked to be … Continue reading More for Monica: 5,000 staff vaccinated at NHS Louisa Jordan

Written by Andrew Rosie Headline and image: Blame the Editor How the mighty have fallen. Founded as a radical liberal newspaper, The Scotsman under a succession of right-wing editors moved from championing devolution at a time when it was not fashionable to opposing independence in 2014.  Under the new editor, Euan McGrory, it seems to be more balanced than the Herald but it still retains an overwhelming number of Unionist columnists. Among these is Jim Duffy who nailed his colours to the mast by proclaiming on Friday that if Scotland breaks free from the UK it faces bankruptcy and would … Continue reading Duffy’s wet dream of Scotland’s bankruptcy

Readers may remember the 2016 version featuring then Health Secretary Shona Robison as the victim and, in the role of chief sneaky, jealous, gossip-monger, Jenny Marra and her BBC Scotland buddies. The Current Health Secretary, Jeanne Freeman, retires this year after perhaps an even more torrid time at the hands of the media, fed by child-death exploiters such as the New Labour favourite, Anna Sarwar and his BBC Scotland buddies. The above suggestion that Freeman had breached the ministerial code, was pounced on by all of Scotland’s media and covered, if a bit more hesitantly, by even the National. Leading … Continue reading The Pursuit of a Good Woman 2

Thanks to Bob Lamont for feeding me this one. I’ve chosen what the headline should be, based on the UK Government’s decision to ignore expert advice from its own expert body, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation . Headlines matter. We know that many only read them before moving on. Two days ago, Matt Hancock admitted that England had vaccinated only 24% of care home residents and on the same day Jeanne Freeman said Scotland had vaccinated over 80%. Months before, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation was very clear that those who live in care homes were … Continue reading Has UK Government been slower to vaccinate the most-at-risk, rejecting official advice?

By the Herald’s Jack Aitchison (14?) Last updated: 9 mins ago Nicola Sturgeon has warned of even tougher lockdown restrictions if new rules in place from Saturday don’t reduce the rising case numbers. LIVE and updated 9 minutes ago! Wow, impressive of whit? Wait, those graphs? They’re cumulative. You’ve used the wrong ones Jack. These just keep on adding up. Don’t use them with Nicola or we’ll never get out of lockdown. When she said rising case numbers, she meant rising new cases. That tells you what’s happening now. See these: That’s a relief. They’ve started to fall. No need for … Continue reading Behind the curve and confused