Tag: history

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Rapists and sex offenders among 5 000 prisoners to be released early only in England – SNP Government will not release any such offenders early in Scotland

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Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. In the Guardian yesterday: Opponents of plans to release rapists and sex offenders early from prison have “no solutions” to halt the criminal justice system’s possible collapse, David Lammy has said. Under pressure from Labour MPs – including the former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips – to curb the early release scheme, the deputy prime minister said failing to implement it could leave no capacity across jails in England and Wales in November. Killers, rapists and sex offenders will be among more than 5,000 prisoners freed early from September. They include those convicted of manslaughter, rape, grievous … Continue reading Rapists and sex offenders among 5 000 prisoners to be released early only in England – SNP Government will not release any such offenders early in Scotland

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Glasgow disorder orchestrated by individuals not from Scotland

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In the Glasgow Times, two days ago: Disorder in Glasgow this week has been branded as “disgraceful” and is said to have been ‘orchestrated by individuals who are not from the city’. Protests took place outside homes in the Cranhill and Castlemilk areas earlier this week after claims spread locally and online that ‘suspected sex offenders’ were living there. A significant police response was deployed to both incidents to try and control crowds who could be heard shouting “get them out” and ‘no peace for the beast’ at the properties. David Kennedy, the general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file … Continue reading Glasgow disorder orchestrated by individuals not from Scotland

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SNP’s progressive policies have not destroyed growth and may have helped

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Thanks to Dottie again for this one: From What can Scotland teach Andy Burnham about devolution? Scotland’s economy has outperformed its neighbours in Future Economy Scotland yesterday, the above and: and: and my favourite: and: Taken together, the evidence is difficult to dismiss. Whether measured by GDP, productivity, earnings, disposable income or the prevalence of low pay, Scotland has generally outperformed the UK since devolution. Across most of these measures, it sits at or near the top of the UK’s league table. None of this proves that devolution itself caused these stronger outcomes. Scotland’s economy differs from England’s in important ways, and … Continue reading SNP’s progressive policies have not destroyed growth and may have helped

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The Wretched of Scotland’s Independence Movements

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While AI has often been taught to favour broadly establishment positions, reinforced by their dominance of the media landscape it relies upon, I have found that, if you keep your wits about you and counter those positions with evidence you have, it will often come to offer a more independent evidence-based answer than you will get from even the most respected but all-too-human academic, like me. Based on the evidence from the time such as the lack of a formal act of union, the unbroken, largely unchanged continuation of the parliament in London and the end of such in Scotland … Continue reading The Wretched of Scotland’s Independence Movements

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16th/17th Century English Propaganda – so good even I (!) knew nothing of this event

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Hearing that a 17th Spanish galleon replica is to visit Ayr in August this year, I had one of those memory flashes. This: Watching Lucy Worsley in December 2022, I was shocked, deeply, to hear of the disastrous Counter Armada of 1599 when more than 20 000 lost their lives, twice the Spanish losses the previous year. Following the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, Queen Elizabeth I of England sought to exploit Spain’s temporary naval vulnerability. The English Armada, also called the Counter Armada or the Drake–Norris Expedition, was launched on 28 April 1589 during the undeclared Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) … Continue reading 16th/17th Century English Propaganda – so good even I (!) knew nothing of this event

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Three Police Chiefs say leading anti-immigration protesters don’t come from Scotland

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Thanks to Capella for spotting this: In Police issue hate crime warning after hundreds gather in Glasgow street, today, eight paragraphs down: Chief Supt Stevie Dolan said he believed there are individuals outwith the local communities and probably outwith Glasgow or central Scotland who are seeking to “influence” the actions of local members of the public. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gyqdpd0z8o Is there further evidence to support this? Police Scotland overall position: The disorder over several nights was “clearly been orchestrated by individuals who are not from Glasgow.” A further protest planned for the weekend was based on “entirely false information.” https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/police-warn-against-protest-misinformation-113938000.html Assistant Chief … Continue reading Three Police Chiefs say leading anti-immigration protesters don’t come from Scotland

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Anti-immigrant hate crime arrests at protests/riots in England are running at 300 times the level in Scotland

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From BBC Scotland yesterday: Police have issued a warning about hate crime and violent disorder after hundreds of people gathered outside a property in Glasgow. The protest, during which windows were said to have been smashed, took place in Tormusk Road, Castlemilk, at about 18:50 on Wednesday. It follows another incident on Tuesday when police were called to a large gathering of people who had gathered outside a block of flats in Lamlash Crescent in the Cranhill area. A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Violence, disorder, hate crime and threatening behaviour that poses a risk to safety is not legitimate protest. Anyone who … Continue reading Anti-immigrant hate crime arrests at protests/riots in England are running at 300 times the level in Scotland

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The Strange Geography of Self-Determination – The Polar Bear and the Unicorn

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By Mark E. Saunders of “The Scottish Minuteman” https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 According to 11 Downing Street, when it comes to Greenland, democracy is simple — the future of Greenland should be decided by the people of Greenland. It should not be determined by Donald Trump. Not by any occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Not by Washington. Not by whoever happens to have the biggest economy, the biggest military, or the loudest voice in the room. And most people would probably agree. After all, a nation, or a people, should have the right to determine their own future. It seems a pretty straightforward democratic principle, doesn’t it? … Continue reading The Strange Geography of Self-Determination – The Polar Bear and the Unicorn

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Truth be told even Scotland’s ‘most dangerous’ place is less so than 27 of them in England and far less so than 18 of them

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The Daily Record yesterday had the above and: Scotland’s “most dangerous” areas have been named as part of a new list put together by security experts, with one of the country’s major cities placing first. The city was described by the experts as having “startling figures across the board”, with overall crimes figures rising by more than 5 per cent. On Tuesday, July 7, ProFM Group shared a roundup of Scotland’s 15 most dangerous destinations using official data from the Scottish Government Data Repository. The experts expressed this as a rate of the number of crimes per 10,000 residents, which is the … Continue reading Truth be told even Scotland’s ‘most dangerous’ place is less so than 27 of them in England and far less so than 18 of them

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Top UK researchers applaud SNP’s ‘impressive’ yet ‘affordable’ achievements in reducing poverty

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I’m grateful to Dottie once more, for spotting this and alerting us to it. This report is part of the research programme of ‘Safety Nets: Social security for families in a devolved UK’. We are the first comprehensive, four-country study of the devolution and localisation of social security in the United Kingdom. The project team spans eight universities, Child Poverty Action Group and the Resolution Foundation. Our work is funded by the Nuffield Foundation, an independent charitable trust with a mission to advance social well-being. It funds research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare and Justice. This very … Continue reading Top UK researchers applaud SNP’s ‘impressive’ yet ‘affordable’ achievements in reducing poverty