Tag: labour-party

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Social housing in Scotland factcheck – 40% more availability, no damaging right to buy, bigger grants and greater fire safety

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Professor John Robertson OBA Amongst all the current media frenzy about a one-year down-turn in new social media building, these important, positive, contextual facts, published in a review by the Wheatley Group in May 2024, are getting no attention: Social housing is more prevalent in Scotland than England, comprising 23% of all Scottish housing stock (11% RSLs / 12% Local Authorities), compared to 16.4% in England (10.1% RPs / 6.3% Local Authorities). Scotland has similar rate of owner-occupation than England, 63.7% compared to 64.1%. Statistics based on March 2022 returns One of the most important powers devolved to the Scottish … Continue reading Social housing in Scotland factcheck – 40% more availability, no damaging right to buy, bigger grants and greater fire safety

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What’s the legacy of the British Labour Party after 27 continuous years governing in Cardiff? Think about it before voting Labour in Scotland in 2026!

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By stewartb – a long read British Labour Party MSPs and MPs are ramping up the negative rhetoric about Scotland in advance of the 2026 Holyrood election. And the mainstream media for the most part are playing their part in communicating Labour’s campaign messages – with little challenge, without context, without perspective, and without cross-UK comparative analysis. Moreover, British Labour Party MPs, elected to represent Scottish constituencies, have been standing up every week at PMQs to put a ‘question’ designed ONLY to denigrate the Scottish Government and Scotland’s (devolved) public services. All to entertain their colleagues from English constituencies and … Continue reading What’s the legacy of the British Labour Party after 27 continuous years governing in Cardiff? Think about it before voting Labour in Scotland in 2026!

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NHS Wales slipping into crisis after 27 years of Labour mis-rule

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By stewartb Another question for Dame Jackie Baillie and her ilk! How can this (below) be happening in a nation that has been governed by the British Labour Party for 26 or 27 years? From the Wales page of the BBC News website today (June 19): ‘Treatment wait times up despite extra NHS funding’. This is what we learn about NHS Wales today: The health think tank, the Nuffield Trust now offers users of its website access to an AI powered search facility. It invites them to pose their own questions. To the question ‘What is the state of NHS Wales?’, this is … Continue reading NHS Wales slipping into crisis after 27 years of Labour mis-rule

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Beware ‘gushing’ British Labour Party politicians in Scotland in the wake of their government’s Spending Review which quietly cuts Great British Energy funding to zero

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By stewartb The BBC News website on June 11 covered the Spending Review announcements in separate articles, in its Wales and Scotland sections. The BBC Wales article had this cautionary headline: ‘Spending review could mean cuts in Wales – experts’. Critical views ares shared by BBC Wales on the significance of the SR and not just from politicians opposed to the British Labour Party government but from ‘experts’ too: Here we learn: ’On Wednesday, the chancellor announced a real-terms increase of 3% to day-to-day funding for the NHS in England. That will result in extra funding for Welsh ministers to … Continue reading Beware ‘gushing’ British Labour Party politicians in Scotland in the wake of their government’s Spending Review which quietly cuts Great British Energy funding to zero

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Covid Inquiry reports praising Scottish Government’s approach which you’re not going to hear anywhere else

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By Brenda Robb I’ve done what BBC reporters routinely do ie scan a document and pick out selective bits to back up an argument. I make no apologies for this because rarely does Scotland get any positive mentions, while negative findings are highlighted, amplified in headlines and endlessly discussed. If I ever get the time & energy I’m going to work my way through all the Covid reports, maybe do a list of positive/negative statements and make my own conclusions before the BBC or Rupert Murdoch try to tell me what to think. Below are statements from the most recent Covid … Continue reading Covid Inquiry reports praising Scottish Government’s approach which you’re not going to hear anywhere else

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How the media ‘play’ Scotland’s voters

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stewartb How to ‘play’ Scotland’s voters – how to attempt deceit or manipulation for political advantage? Is there a recurring mainstream news reporting pattern in Scotland? Step 1: mainstream media outlet/s make ‘judicious’ selection of a ‘newsworthy’ item about Scotland – to qualify, it must be a negative story and ideally linked to a topic of natural concern to many; 2: report this on newspaper front page with a ‘scary’ headline – big black font visible from metres away on a supermarket rack and visually impactful when the front page is pictured on the BBC News website’s Scotland page; 3. avoid giving … Continue reading How the media ‘play’ Scotland’s voters

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Glenn Campbell only wants the SNP to be seen as #Bad

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Liz S In the above, Glenn Campbell: “The SNP leader John Swinney has certainly acknowledged a third, red rosette wearing Horse in this race”. “My sense is that his comment came as something of a relief to Scottish Labour, who came second last time and expect to be regarded as the principal challenger to the SNP, who are defending the seat”. Labour could certainly do with a win here“. Glenn for Labour. Why he, Campbell, then also had to add this into this article on the website: “The arithmetic already takes into account a series of SNP controversies over independence strategy, gender self-identification, a police investigation into party … Continue reading Glenn Campbell only wants the SNP to be seen as #Bad

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Herald’s Kevin McKenna casts serious doubt on his pro-independence credentials as he walks with and is ‘most impressed’ by an extreme Unionist

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Liz S Kevin McKenna has written an article for the Herald. He tweeted this today: “I walked the streets of Larkhall with Reform UK. What I saw and heard should trouble John Swinney and Anas Sarwar greatly: my despatch for @HerladScotland” Hmm, but what was the Reform UK candidate saying to these people in Larkhall, as that for me, is far far more ‘troubling’ to be honest. Now I remember when Kevin McKenna wrote this on 2 September 2023 in a tweet: “I spent an afternoon on the stump of Burnbank with the most impressive Conservative I’ve ever encountered. My feature on Thomas Kerr … Continue reading Herald’s Kevin McKenna casts serious doubt on his pro-independence credentials as he walks with and is ‘most impressed’ by an extreme Unionist

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Douglas Ross List Tory MSP……..also……..a………

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Liz S Douglas Ross List Tory MSP……..also……..a……… Attention seeker and clearly a total political lost cause , who now seeks to try and make himself relevant again in pulling a stunt (not for the first time) in him trying to heckle the FM when he, the FM, was speaking in parliament. Ross has form in being reprimanded by the Presiding officer for his bad behaviour in the debating chamber at Holyrood , but he chooses to take absolutely no heed of any former warnings that he has had for ‘talking over the FM’ (heckling) and so this time , for doing … Continue reading Douglas Ross List Tory MSP……..also……..a………

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Is Anas Sarwar so awful that he can neither be trusted nor considered competent enough to campaign?

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By Liz S Angela Rayner came to Scotland to campaign for the up and coming Scottish parliament by-election in the Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse seat , where she refused to speak to any Scottish newspapers. She had to abandon her plans though due to pro Palestinian protestors holding a demonstration outside the Labour in Scotland’s office in Hamilton. What is it with these two Tory HQ parties, as in one who are actually called the Tory party and the other one that is Tory in all but party name (as in the new Starmer Labour party), who both want to avoid all media scrutiny in Scotland yet they … Continue reading Is Anas Sarwar so awful that he can neither be trusted nor considered competent enough to campaign?