The benefits for the NHS and for the wider economy of women retiring around 60 – peer-reviewed research evidence is unambiguous and the SNP knows what to do about it

It’s been argued that women should be able to retire at 60 because by then they often have caring responsibilities for elderly vulnerable parents reducing demand on the NHS and for grandchildren, enabling parents to work and help the economy. Is there research evidence for these claims? The answer below is Grok AI-assisted ie more trustworthy than you’d get from a politician or a newspaper that supports them. There is: Caring for Elderly Parents and Potential Reduction in NHS DemandMultiple studies confirm that women in their 50s and 60s are disproportionately involved in unpaid care for older relatives, with peaks … Continue reading The benefits for the NHS and for the wider economy of women retiring around 60 – peer-reviewed research evidence is unambiguous and the SNP knows what to do about it

‘It was Glasgow Labour Councillors on the Board who exerted pressure to get QEUH open without delay and without fully informing SNP/Scot Gov of full facts about concerns’

That headline is quote from a Herald Facebook comments section.1 Another comment suggested – ‘Labour had more to gain from the opening of the hospital as they had 9 councillors sitting on the health board.’ There were several other comments suggesting similar views. Are these any less reliable than what we have heard from BBC or Herald reporters or from Anas Sarwar and Jackie Baillie insisting that the SNP Government is to blame for forcing the hospital to open too early? Why would the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board care when the hospital opened? It was entirely their … Continue reading ‘It was Glasgow Labour Councillors on the Board who exerted pressure to get QEUH open without delay and without fully informing SNP/Scot Gov of full facts about concerns’

Dear voter, sick of the other parties and tempted by Reform UK? Don’t be daft. Don’t do it. They’re not your friends. Unless you are already rich, this report proves that they will only make your life and your family’s lives worse

From the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) yesterday: Reform UK have announced plans for cuts to income tax in Scotland if they were to win the Scottish Parliament elections in May. They say they would start by realigning Scotland’s tax rates and bands with those in the rest of the UK and then cut all rates by 1 percentage point. They would aim to further cut rates so that by the end of the upcoming parliamentary term in 2031, rates would be 3 percentage points below those in the rest of the UK. Reform UK have costed the first two … Continue reading Dear voter, sick of the other parties and tempted by Reform UK? Don’t be daft. Don’t do it. They’re not your friends. Unless you are already rich, this report proves that they will only make your life and your family’s lives worse

SNP policy HALVES alcohol-related hospital admission as 93% of abusers treated within three weeks

From Alcohol related hospital statistics Scotland financial year 2024 to 2025 published today: Alcohol-related hospital admissions in Scotland, above, peaked in 2007/2008 at 43 038, after decades of Labour power in Scotland. After the first SNP government in 2007/2008, they began to fall then after 2018 when the SNP minimum unit-pricing policy was implemented, they began to fall even more steeply, to 27 126 last year. This, almost a halving of demand, is a major benefit for the NHS in Scotland, attributable to a policy developed by the SNP in government, these last 19 years. What other factor may have … Continue reading SNP policy HALVES alcohol-related hospital admission as 93% of abusers treated within three weeks

Is it insensitive to want a hard border when ‘UK’ loses WHO status as being measles-free after rise in deaths and fall in jab uptake?

The above shocking news [Sun] is all over the media but none are telling us this: Only Scotland and Wales meet WHO target for measles protection From Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland Quarter ending 30 September 2025, yesterday: The first dose of Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is offered between 12 and 13 months old and the second dose at 3 years 4 months old. 92.5% of children had the first dose of MMR vaccine by 24 months of age. This rose to 95.9% for children who had reached age 5. Uptake of the second dose of MMR vaccine by 5 years was 90.6%, rising … Continue reading Is it insensitive to want a hard border when ‘UK’ loses WHO status as being measles-free after rise in deaths and fall in jab uptake?

Yet another BBC report on the Stonehaven rail deaths fails to tell you that responsibility does not lie with the Scottish Government but in Westminster

BBC Scotland today, has: Stonehaven train derailment inquiry told of ‘lives ripped apart’ – A fatal accident inquiry into a train derailment which killed three men in the north east of Scotland has been told lives were “ripped apart” in the crash. The Aberdeen to Glasgow train came off the rails at Carmont in Aberdeenshire on 12 August 2020 after it hit debris washed from a drain following heavy rain. Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died in the crash. Network Rail was later fined £6.7m in court for a series of failings. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98pl47ylgno There’s … Continue reading Yet another BBC report on the Stonehaven rail deaths fails to tell you that responsibility does not lie with the Scottish Government but in Westminster

The Herald – Untrustworthy for 20 years – the evidence

When I saw the above being punted by the Herald, I didn’t know whether to laugh or…………laugh. It’s Trump-like in its mix of self-delusion and deep cynicism. They’ll be giving themselves sound kind of Pulitzer prize, awarded at a ceremony hosted by Anas Sarwar. I’ve long lost track of how untrustworthy they have proved to be these last twenty years of anti-SNP propaganda though, before that, they were long champions of corporate interests against those of their own readers. I searched TuS for every post, these last 11 years, mentioning them and there are far too many to mention here. … Continue reading The Herald – Untrustworthy for 20 years – the evidence

Edinburgh Labour minority Lib Dem-assisted government repeats handing back housing money to government and failing constituents

From BBC Scotland on 19 December 2024, the above and: Labour has retained control of City of Edinburgh Council under a minority administration propped up by Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Jane Meagher has been appointed as the council’s new leader. Former leader Cammy Day resigned over claims he sent sexually explicit messages to Ukrainian refugees. SNP and Green councillors had launched an attempt to take over running the council but their bid was voted down by 32 votes to 28. Labour only has 10 of the 63 councillors that make up the city’s administration. Councillor Meagher, who represents the Portobello … Continue reading Edinburgh Labour minority Lib Dem-assisted government repeats handing back housing money to government and failing constituents

“Insulted”, “patronised”, “betrayed”, ‘profoundly unjust’, shown ‘complete indifference’ – Scotland’s fishing industry and Westminster

“Insulted”, “patronised”, “betrayed”, ‘profoundly unjust’, shown ‘complete indifference’ – judgements by Scotland’s fishing industry on actions of Labour in Westminster. By stewartb Despite the above descriptions of Labour’s actions towards Scotland’s wild capture fisheries, in the House of Commons debate on the ‘Fishing Industry’ held on January 22, the SNP’s Seamus Logan was moved to comment: ‘I regret that the right hon. Gentleman (referring to Alastair Carmichael, the Lib Dem MP for Orkney and Shetland) and the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Torcuil Crichton, Labour) used so much of their time to attack the SNP Scottish Government.’ That … Continue reading “Insulted”, “patronised”, “betrayed”, ‘profoundly unjust’, shown ‘complete indifference’ – Scotland’s fishing industry and Westminster

Significant fall in domestic abuse-related homicides

From Freedom of Information Response regarding domestic abuse-related homicides, Our reference:  FOI 25-3594 – Responded to:  22 December 2025 and published yesterday: Please supply the numbers of women who were killed by a partner//ex partner /relative, (including parent/child/sibling/other family by blood, marriage or adoption). Provide an annual breakdown from 2018- 2025 to date. The data: All female victims: Year Number of females   2018 9 2019 6 2020 3 2021 10 2022 5 2023 6 2024 9 2025 6 Familial related homicides Year Number of females  2018 1 2019 1 2020 3 2021 3 2022 2 2023 4 2024 1 … Continue reading Significant fall in domestic abuse-related homicides