My latest T shirt. Chosen by my daughter as the latest in her winning sequence of T shirts featuring so far Marx, Chomsky and Vic Reeves. It’s no idle threat. Watch what you say. I will blog you. I’ve done it to Nicola Sturgeon, Kevin McKenna, Iain Macwhirter and only recently to Prof Linda Bauld. Look what’s happened to their careers. Well, not much, I suppose. My Boxing Day reading, chosen by my son: Frankie’s Little Red Book to go with the Little Read one from Mao. This early paragraph is thought-provoking from Scotland’s leading public intellectual: I hope you’re … Continue reading A Christmas threat from the Editor

BBC UK had some news for us. Covid infection levels are rising everywhere except in Scotland, where they are falling. Here are the comparative figures: The BBC Scotland website avoided the comparative data but has this fact for you: Reporting Scotland were certainly not inclined to any comparative news that you might think meant Sturgeon was any use, and kept it minimal with this: Ooooh! Sounds a lot doesn’t it? None were going to show you this: What, the infection rate in the last 24 hours was TWICE as high in Northern Ireland, nearly THREE times as high in England … Continue reading No Christmas cheer from ‘exceptional’ Reporting Scotland

Professor Linda Bauld is almost the model public intellectual – clear, careful, insightful. She regularly performs a very valuable function for us all, almost On Sky TV News two days ago, she was happy to tell the interviewer: 1: The Scottish Government has done far better in communicating with the people. 1: Research has shown greater confidence among Scots in the actions of their government. Now, this is going somewhere isn’t it? It should be. Greater confidence leads to greater compliance. The researchers were certainly going there. And, greater compliance means lower infection levels. Obviously? 1 plus 1 equals 2? … Continue reading Can even (especially) a professor’s thoughts be controlled so that they won’t even add up 1 + 1?

My nomination for the song to carry us to independence is McFadden and Whitehead’s ‘Ain’t no stopping us now.’ D:Ream’s ‘Things can only get better unless you live in Belgrade or Baghdad or Kabul or..’ is forever tainted by Labour. McFadden? Whitehead? Scottish ancestry clearly. The words fit and the tune is uplifting. Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now!We’re on the move!Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now!We’ve got the groove!There’s been so many things that’s held us downBut now it looks like things are finally comin’ aroundI know we’ve got, a long long way to goAnd where we’ll end up, I don’t … Continue reading 2021: Ain’t no stoppinG us now!

The virus is out of control in Wales. The infection level is nearly NINE times higher than in Scotland, more than TWICE as high as in England? Who is to blame? Does the buck stop somewhere? And deaths, bad, bad, too: Nearly THREE times as many are dying in Wales as in Scotland and nearly TWO times as many as in England. Are the Welsh people being failed? By whom? Who is in charge? Is it the Labour Party? I know, the public service broadcaster will be informing the people, speaking truth to power, eh? Not a peep. Imagine those … Continue reading ‘Mark Drakeford must go’ anyone? ‘Labour fails Wales’ Anyone? No?

Two weeks ago the Prime Minister faffed about with his facemask, joking about the seriousness, or not, of having to wear one. The media gaggle laughed it off. The Express sided with his waddling boorishness. The Labour opposition said nothing. Yesterday, the Express and the rest of the gaggle, especially BBC Scotland, were of a different mind: Blind to the behaviour of their own leader, the Scottish Tories got all high and hypocritical with the First Minister. Reporting Scotland headlined the story as long as they could before it collapsed under the weight of its own Brass Tacks parody. Boris … Continue reading What was bad for the goose (Nicola) was not bad for the gander (birdbrain Boris)

From BBC Leeds & West Yorkshire today: A hospital for men with learning disabilities has been placed in special measures after there were “serious risks to patient safety”. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected Cygnet Woodside, in Bradford, in September following allegations of abuse by staff towards a patient. It’s not clear from the report but it looks like the health board put the hospital into special measures and then has defended itself. Matt Hancock is not pictured nor spoken too. No Labour politician tries to claim credit. A year earlier in Scotland, the Health Secretary is blamed by a … Continue reading Whose ‘special measures’ are these?

From BBC Leeds & West Yorkshire, today: A hospital for men with learning disabilities has been placed in special measures after there were “serious risks to patient safety”. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected Cygnet Woodside, in Bradford, in September following allegations of abuse by staff towards a patient. There is no opportunity for an opposition politician to exploit the alleged harm to a patient and attack the performance of the Government or the Health Secretary. The BBC has not made a documentary on the unit. In Scotland, in July 2018, all of the above was done and at great … Continue reading Only BBC Scotland politicises health

The essential English leadership secret does not depend on particular intelligence. Rather, it depends on a remarkably stupid thick-headedness. The English follow the principle that when one lies, one should lie big, and stick to it. They keep up their lies, even at the risk of looking ridiculous Joseph Goebbels, 1941 (ref below) Iain Macwhirter returns with a retread: YOU can understand his frustration. Labour politicians like Sir Keir Starmer can’t understand why the Scottish National Party is so successful. It’s just not fair. Nicola Sturgeon doesn’t walk on water. Why are the media not doing more to expose her?  … Continue reading Macwhirter’s Uncanny English thoughts