By stewartb The British Labour Party’s leader in the Holyrood parliament, Anas Sarwar MSP is quoted in a Holyrood magazine article from February 14, 2024 entitled: ‘Labour unveils new ‘blueprint for economic growth’. It was a fairly typical ‘blame the Scottish Government’ piece useful for illustration. ‘Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar accused the SNP-Green government of “failing” businesses and “choking off opportunity and hurting families and companies in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and a cost-of-doing-business crisis”. (my emphasis) And: ‘The Labour Party argues that the SNP has failed to grow the economy over its 17 years in government ..’ It’s worth recalling … Continue reading British Labour Party leaders find ways to excuse their track record in government by reference to external factors when they don’t have the SNP to blame

In the vote today in the House of Commons, to follow the Ombudsman’s recommendation and compensate the Waspi women, Elaine Stewart, MP for Ayr Carrick and Cumnock, did not vote, resulting in the betrayal of these women, many caring for elderly and vulnerable relatives, minding grandchildren so that their sons and daughters can work in this difficult cost-of-living crisis or seriously unwell themselves. 10 of her Labour colleagues did have the courage to vote. You have to wonder how a volunteer and the treasurer of Doon Valley amateur boxing club could be so chicken. 10 Labour MPs did have the … Continue reading Labour MP, Elaine Stewart, former boxing club treasurer, sits nervously on her hands and betrays the 7 000 Waspi women in Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock

By stewartb A report from the Centre for Cities provides striking comparative analysis of levels of educational qualifications across 65 of the UK’s cities and large towns. Source: Centre for Cities (January 2025) Cities Outlook 2025 (https://www.centreforcities.org/publication/cities-outlook-2025/ ) The Centre’s research is summarised in two tables (reproduced below). In Table 10, the remarkable finding is that all four areas in Scotland within the scope of the Centre’s study of UK urban locations appear in the top ten in terms of the percentage of the working age population with high-level qualifications. (The report explains ‘high-level qualifications’: equivalent to Regulated Qualifications Framework … Continue reading Comparison of educational performance across UK at odds with Labour Party spokesperson’s claim of ‘failure’ in Scotland.

By stewartb – a long read As 2024 ends, we also leave behind the ‘honeymoon period’ (sic) of the new Westminster Labour government.  A time for casting minds back to past promises and for musing on prospects for ‘change’. In Westminster, the Labour government recently announced appointments to the House of Lords. These were well trailed. From Labour List (June 21, 2023): ‘New peer plan raises questions about Labour’s Lords abolition intentions’ – ‘comments by a source close to the leadership in the Times calling Lords reform “hardly mission critical” to the first three years of a Labour government will … Continue reading The pup sellers of North Britain – musings on promises of Union reform.