Tag: history

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‘Police Scotland acts to protect young people from County Lines drug dealers’ – how long can BBC Scotland stem the tide of local media coverage?

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Even BBC Scotland’s ‘local’ website for the Midlothian area has nothing on the serious matter of County Lines drug gangs from large cities in England terrorising small town Scotland. To be fair they have covered the arrest of a ‘beer bike’ to stem the flow of that crime wave also terrorising small town Scotland. In my local area, you can’t cross the street for ‘beer bikes’ hurtling by. Back to the point. Why Midlothian? This: The lads at the Midlothian View Reporter are on the ball but perhaps we’re being unfair to that ancient defender, the Scotsman? Drug gangs from … Continue reading ‘Police Scotland acts to protect young people from County Lines drug dealers’ – how long can BBC Scotland stem the tide of local media coverage?

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Third tower block fire in Scotland contained on one floor with no casualties proves no Grenfell risk here

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The Scottish media is full of accusations that the SNP Government is failing to spend the ‘almost £100m from the UK government‘ on fireproof cladding to avert a Grenfell ‘towering inferno‘ here. From BBC Scotland this morning: Residents have been evacuated after a fire broke out at flats in Edinburgh in the early hours of the morning. Around 45 firefighters have been tackling the blaze in Breadalbane Street, Leith, with Police Scotland also in attendance. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said it sent nine fire engines and a height appliance to the scene after the alarm was raised … Continue reading Third tower block fire in Scotland contained on one floor with no casualties proves no Grenfell risk here

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The comedy time lag on Scotland’s violent past

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Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ Here’s an English comedian recently working the hard Scots stereotype. Comedians, Scottish ones too, have lived of this trope for decades. As recently as 2005, not quite 20 years ago, it was based on a degree of reality: In 2005, a United Nations report named Scotland as the most violent country in the developed world. You were 3x more likely to be a victim of assault in Glasgow than you were in America. Glasgow … Continue reading The comedy time lag on Scotland’s violent past

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England well ahead of Scotland on post Grenfell cladding remediation…..because only they actually need to be

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ In the latest of the endlessly ill-informed coverage of flammable cladding on tower blocks being replaced, Scotland’s Insider has: Only two of the 105 buildings included in the Scottish Government’s cladding remediation programme have had work carried out. With a Holyrood committee scrutinising new legislation aimed at dealing with potentially flammable cladding on blocks of flats, MSPs said that “progress has been slow”. A report published by the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee said: “Of the 105 buildings within the Scottish Government’s cladding remediation programme, only … Continue reading England well ahead of Scotland on post Grenfell cladding remediation…..because only they actually need to be

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Conspiracy to push drugs across ‘county lines’ into Dumfries and Scotland

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ From Greater Manchester Police news two days ago but not being covered by the Dumfries newspapers or wider Scottish media: Officers in GMP’s Challenger South team, along with forcewide resources executed 12 warrants across Manchester, West Yorkshire and in Scotland in relation to an investigation into a conspiracy to supply class B drugs. Seven people aged between 24 and 58 were arrested this morning on suspicion of conspiracy to supply the class B drug of cannabis. They are all suspected to be involved in a conspiracy to … Continue reading Conspiracy to push drugs across ‘county lines’ into Dumfries and Scotland

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Audit Scotland satisfied with SNP ferry contract awards

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ Scotland’s narrowest ferry correspondent cannot hide his huff as Audit Scotland decide not to carry out further inquiries into the new ferry procurement procedures. In 2022, they had concerns but, according to the Herald today (unsourced), they appear to have accepted that due process was followed. Here’s the end after all the hissyfitting: Audit Scotland previously questioned why a builder’s refund guarantee – which would protect the buyer – was not part of the contract with Ferguson Marine despite usually being a mandatory consideration. But Audit Scotland … Continue reading Audit Scotland satisfied with SNP ferry contract awards

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Scotland training far far more doctors than rest of UK

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ Many thanks as, often before, to Dottie for alerting me to this. From the Guardian yesterday: Ministers have dramatically stalled plans to double the number of doctors being trained in England by 2031 in a move that has caused dismay across the NHS, as well in medical schools and universities, the Observer can reveal. In June last year, ministers backed a long-term plan to expand the NHS workforce and pledged, amid great fanfare, to “double medical school places by 2031 from 7,500 today to 15,000, with more medical school places in areas … Continue reading Scotland training far far more doctors than rest of UK

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Less than half the cost of dog attacks on farm animals in Scotland despite more sheep and cows here

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ …than doubled in 12 months according to the latest figures. NFU mutual say farm animals worth more than £120 000 were severely injured or killed last year while total UK cost was £2.4 million. Context? Not Reporting Scotland’s thing except for drug deaths. Regulars know where I’m going with the first one. Scotland has a 12th of the population but only around a 20th of this crime. Where are those County Lines gangs when they need them? Scots dogs and owners are far better behaved under the … Continue reading Less than half the cost of dog attacks on farm animals in Scotland despite more sheep and cows here

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Junior doctor strikes again – Why we want less Scottish news and more from England

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Above, BBC Scotland’s interests specially chosen for you. Below, the really big story everywhere else in the UK but not to be mentioned by BBC Scotland, even though to do so might reassure thousands of the elderly, vulnerable and confused, that it is OK to contact NHS Scotland, to go for an appointment with confidence or, of course, to think something positive about the SNP in government: 10th strike by junior doctors, 50 plus days of doctor strikes across England with more than a million missed appointments, 50 000 plus excess deaths and strikes all across the UK, except in: … Continue reading Junior doctor strikes again – Why we want less Scottish news and more from England

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Only in Scotland – Like his English counterpart the Welsh Auditor General is neither a political stooge nor a media favourite

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ By cuckooshoe I cannot find any mainstream media reports on this release from Audit Wales published on 20 Feb 2024 https://www.audit.wales/news/firefighting-future-proofing-challenge-welsh-public-services ‘The Auditor General for Wales has called for a bold vision for public services in Wales if it is to shift from a spiral of short-term firefighting to future proofing and long-term sustainability. In the context of the Welsh Government’s draft budget for 2024-25, the Auditor General identifies themes that the work of Audit Wales suggests would help public organisations achieve more value from the money … Continue reading Only in Scotland – Like his English counterpart the Welsh Auditor General is neither a political stooge nor a media favourite