Tag: england

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10.1% wait for more than half a day in NHS England’s Type 1 Emergency departments but only 5.4% do in Scotland – thousands saved after years with no strikes

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For some time now, if I offer any criticism of the media activity of Royal College of Emergency Medicine (Scotland) officers, I get long ‘hurt’ comments from Anonymouses. The media keep calling trade union reps, oh, OK ‘royal college’ reps, ‘leading’ doctors. They’re not especially though all of them are more impressive figures than me. It’s misleading and offensive to all the other doctors, some actually leading large teams, some at the ‘leading edge’ of new methods. Second, they insist on a ‘crisis’ when performance is demonstrably better than in NHS England where their colleagues seem less concerned to condemn … Continue reading 10.1% wait for more than half a day in NHS England’s Type 1 Emergency departments but only 5.4% do in Scotland – thousands saved after years with no strikes

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‘England’s Atrocity’ hanging petty thieves and children – Scotland historically applied the death penalty far less often than England, pro rata half as many in the 20th Century, but Mark Smith of the Glasgow Herald knows SFA of that

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Mark Smith, today, once more revealing his little knowledge of Scotland, tries to drag us into the wider world of state brutality, as the US plans a public execution by firing squad, with ill-researched work on the history of capital punishment in Scotland and in the wider UK. He quickly tells us of Scotland’s last hanging in 1963: but ignores this key information: Scotland historically applied the death penalty far less often than England, mainly because of differences in legal tradition after the 1707 Act of Union. Scotland kept its own courts, criminal procedure, and much of its substantive law … Continue reading ‘England’s Atrocity’ hanging petty thieves and children – Scotland historically applied the death penalty far less often than England, pro rata half as many in the 20th Century, but Mark Smith of the Glasgow Herald knows SFA of that

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How the Crown Estate raised funds in Scotland and bypassed devolution to invest the money in England to continue a practice going back decades before devolution

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Posted last night in Facebook by Salvo, a link to this P&J article from June 2018: The UK’s Crown Estate has been accused of a “cash grab” that could cost Moray assets a share of a £167 million windfall. The agency has sold its multi-million stake in the Fort Kinnaird retail park in Edinburgh. However, despite the estate’s assets north of the border being devolved to Crown Estate Scotland – the money will instead be funnelled to a retail park in Cheltenham. Last night, Moray MSP Richard Lochhead branded the sale “a scandal” while the Auchenhalrig Farm on the Fochabers … Continue reading How the Crown Estate raised funds in Scotland and bypassed devolution to invest the money in England to continue a practice going back decades before devolution

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‘I see tourists pee in front of my house?’ – the real campervan crisis was in 2021

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BBC Scotland this morning is going large on: ‘I see tourists pee in front of my house’: The campervan problem on the Isle of Skye. More than 30,000 trips by campervans and motorhomes are made to the Scottish Highlands every year – with many of them touring the Isle of Skye. For islanders, the tourists play an important part in the local economy. But some visitors bring significant challenges too – leaving litter and even toilet waste in the stunning landscape. Julia Dawber says people should be discreet when nature calls. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crlwj7z7481o As an aside, it is good to see … Continue reading ‘I see tourists pee in front of my house?’ – the real campervan crisis was in 2021

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Shock as absence of ‘ferry fixation’ revealed

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From Transport Scotland – Information regarding fixated correspondents: FOI release published today: Information requested Information on what topics fixated correspondents have written about and how many times, including copies of emails from and to the individuals. Response To provide some context, the terms fixated and persistent are used interchangeably. Both terms are used to describe a correspondent who writes in on the same topic(s) in a repetitive manner despite their query receiving a full and complete response. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have … Continue reading Shock as absence of ‘ferry fixation’ revealed

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Starmer and Farage on St George’s Day – ‘Today, we fly OUR flag proudly’ to ‘be English’ but he’s poor Lebanon’s patron saint too

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By Liz S Saint George’s Day is the feast day of Saint George, celebrated by Christian churches, countries, regions, and cities from which he is the main patron saint, including England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Catalonia, Aragon, Palestine, Rio de Janeiro, Alcoi, and Genoa, and also where he is an important patron saint, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Syria, and Lebanon “Today, we fly our flag proudly and we’re reminded of the values it represents – service, generosity, and respect. When we stand together, united in our communities, we are stronger than any attempt to divide us. Happy St George’s Day”! (So “our flag“.and “our communities“, what about other communities in other nations within the UK State , as surely many of them are … Continue reading Starmer and Farage on St George’s Day – ‘Today, we fly OUR flag proudly’ to ‘be English’ but he’s poor Lebanon’s patron saint too

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Scotland’s own global celebrity drug baron is not your main concern

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The media operating in Scotland have loved Scotland getting to this ‘world-cup’ of global celebrity drug barons ‘masterminding hits’ on other global celebrity drug barons and the associated relatively minor collateral violence back home in Scotland. As that peaked in the summer of 2025, the Telegraph had: A wave of violence The flames have been there for all to see. Over six weeks in March and April, there were more than a dozen arson attacks in the two cities, with cars, homes, garages and businesses set alight. In other incidents, shots have been fired and two people, a pensioner and a 12-year-old boy, seriously … Continue reading Scotland’s own global celebrity drug baron is not your main concern

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No Royal in the future will be heard “purring down the line” over Scotland

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON By Liz S A huge factor in the flawed part of Gordon Brown’s past ‘plot’ to encourage Prince William to help in persuading (gullible) Scots to stay within their UK, as in William the future heir to the English Throne (if , that is, it, as an English throne, still exists in the future) . Remember when it was reported in 2021 that Gordon Brown met with Prince William at Holyrood palace. The BBC reported that “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have held a private meeting … Continue reading No Royal in the future will be heard “purring down the line” over Scotland

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Referral for terror concerns of 11 to 15 year-olds is SIX times more common in England & Wales than in Scotland

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From 25-3990 – Prevent Data – age breakdown of under 15s + referral reason – 2016/17 TD, published yesterday: There were 33, 27, and 39, eleven to fifteen year-olds in Scotland, referred to Prevent who had their cases followed up, in the years 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24. Before the Pandemic-affected year of 202/21, the average was around 30 so there is no sign of an increasing trend. https://www.scotland.police.uk/access-to-information/freedom-of-information/disclosure-log/disclosure-log-2026/january/25-3990-prevent-data-age-breakdown-of-under-15s-referral-reason-2016-17-td/ If the level of the problem was similar in England & Wales, you might expect a figure of around 430. It was 2 729, more than 6 times higher. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/individuals-referred-to-prevent-to-march-2024/individuals-referred-to-and-supported-through-the-prevent-programme-april-2023-to-march-2024 Why so … Continue reading Referral for terror concerns of 11 to 15 year-olds is SIX times more common in England & Wales than in Scotland

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On Remembrance Sunday, peer-reviewed research proves that Scotland’s WW1 army war dead was a greater sacrifice, 63% higher than the rest of the UK

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Professor John Robertson OBA With the UK media again saturated with frankly disturbing jingoism based on myths about the two world, it seems like a good moment to repeat this attempt to resolve the alleged myth that Scots had given more in blood on the WWI battlefields. On 10th August 2014, with clear political intent, the Scotsman allowed Sir Hew Strachan to confirm it as a myth: Great War worst for Scots troops ‘a myth’ https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/great-war-worst-scots-troops-myth-1529401 In Patrick Watt’s Manpower, Myth and Memory: Analysing Scotland’s Military Contribution to the Great War in the Journal of Scottish Historical Studies, on 24th May 2019 based on extensive research, … Continue reading On Remembrance Sunday, peer-reviewed research proves that Scotland’s WW1 army war dead was a greater sacrifice, 63% higher than the rest of the UK