Reflecting on the above, the Herald‘s Catriona Stewart: She’s right that we need a more coherent approach but why is there no word of the numerous attempts, against the tide of Tory austerity ideology, by the Scottish Government to do something to make life a bit better for the most vulnerable? The UN and researchers across the UK have: In 2019, the United Nations report on ‘Workhouse Britain’ noted that Scotland was spending ‘£125 million per year to protect people from the worst impacts of austerity and unlike the UK Government provided funds for emergencies and hardships.‘ In 2017, researchers … Continue reading Not one word of praise for the SNP despite the UN recognition

From Tom Gordon in the Herald today: NICOLA Sturgeon has put Boris Johnson at the heart of her campaign to win another SNP majority at Holyrood and claim a mandate for an independence referendum, trashing the Prime Minister and his record on Covid. In her closing speech to the SNP conference, the First Minister said the pandemic had shown how the PM and Westminster could not be trusted with Scotland’s future. So based on a few words in her speech, Gordon’s political insight is the above. Once more his view is predicated on a belief, like BBC and ITV commentators yesterday, that … Continue reading Imaging having to do this for a living?

? Continue reading November Statistics

Another complaint. Another sneaky selection of data to conceal truth of matter. Continue reading Andrew Marr complaint: Care home deaths

I haven’t complained for a while. It’s usually demoralising. Please use this to make you own: Continue reading Andrew Marr Complaint to BBC: Bias by selection

In a typically irrelevant style, the Herald suggests: A BLANKET policy which requires entire primary school class ‘bubbles’ to self-isolate if one child tests positive for Covid is too restrictive and not based on evidence, researchers have said. They warned that primary school children “will disproportionately experience harm” if more is not done to take account of the differences in transmission risk between young children compared with older children. Perhaps, I’m not looking hard enough but I see not sign of blanket policy or even a policy. I’ve searched most recent Scottish Government guidance documents but can see no sign … Continue reading Not in Scotland

The Herald’s David Bol knows damn fine that the First Minister, though provoked evilly by a frankly slavering Andrew Marr, did quite the opposite of the above headline. She made it clear that she did not think any level of death was defensible and only contradicted mildly some of the worst of Marr’s disgraceful selective use of statistics to try to reinforce the latest urban myth that Scotland has done badly yet the dumb voters have been taken in by her spin. I agree with her approach, modest and open, accepting that lessons must be learned. Judging by repeated polls, … Continue reading That’s just what she didn’t do

First, Richard Leonard then Neil Findlay stomp clumsily into a sensitive area and come across as utterly cynical. There was a time when they could rely on charity workers to be members and feed them this kind of thing. Those days are gone. Continue reading Scottish Labour told where to get off

Infection levels are responding to the measures. New cases down for third day in a row to 746. Seven day average now 904, down from 1 042 in previous week. New cases lowest in Britain: Deaths lower than England: Too many I know but facts matter. Continue reading Nothing Marrs this day