Two Labour men who would not dare to ask Keir Starmer to copy this to take 5 million English kids out of poverty

This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ Today, from the Scottish Government but nowhere on BBC Scotland: Scottish Child Payment was helping the families of more than 327,000 children at the end of December last year, official statistics have shown.  The £25-a-week payment helps families as part of a wider package of Scottish Government actions to tackle child poverty and support people during the cost of living crisis.  The figures published today show more than 4,000 extra children were being supported since the previous quarter – the fourth consecutive rise.  Scottish Child Payment launched … Continue reading Two Labour men who would not dare to ask Keir Starmer to copy this to take 5 million English kids out of poverty

Affordable housing completions in Scotland soar above rest of UK but Labour/Con/Lib Dem unholy coalition in Fife get on BBC Scotland with a different story

This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ As BBC Scotland delights today in the irony of the one housing officer, in Fife, who had to declare herself homeless after her private landlord decided to sell, their extended report has, of course, no context. Here is some. The above graph speaks for itself. Since the SNP came into power in 2007/2008, when Labour Scotland’s affordable housing completions were only just above those in Labour England, the Scottish level has climbed and stayed way above that in Con England and even further above that in Labour … Continue reading Affordable housing completions in Scotland soar above rest of UK but Labour/Con/Lib Dem unholy coalition in Fife get on BBC Scotland with a different story

Scotland training far far more doctors than rest of UK

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

Shock – Welsh teachers union doesn’t sacrifice its members’ interests to help Labour

This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ By stewartb In TuS yesterday: ‘the EIS union, whose leaders have regularly misrepresented their members interests to help Scottish Labour’ Given the reference to the EIS and given its general negativity towards the Scottish Government, it’s instructive to look at an example of how the equivalent of the EIS in Wales frames its ‘wants’ from the Welsh Government (with my emphasis). From the website of the National Education Union (NEU): ‘The crisis in funding for schools and colleges in Wales. Motion 22 – NEU Cymru members highlight … Continue reading Shock – Welsh teachers union doesn’t sacrifice its members’ interests to help Labour

55 County Lines drug gangs from England exploiting vulnerable Scots but our media keep quiet

This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ From the Daily Mail on February 3rd 2024 but ignored by Scottish media: The Scottish Mail on Sunday can reveal at least 55 gangs have been identified operating north of the Border – more than double the number in 2020. County lines is the phenomenon whereby drug dealers from cities expand their operation by crossing county borders into smaller towns and rural areas. Gangs from parts of England have forced youngsters and vulnerable adults – aged from 14 to 77 – to smuggle packages of heroin, crack … Continue reading 55 County Lines drug gangs from England exploiting vulnerable Scots but our media keep quiet

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

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

Ofgem rules against Baillie and Foulkes

This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ Jackie Baillie MSP (Labour) and Lord George Foulkes (Labour) succeeded in sabotaging the First Minister’s Covid updates. Foulkes bragged about stopping folk from hearing important information because that was bad for the image of his dud party, Labour. 4 people, presumably including Baillie and Foulkes or their staff/pals, wrote to Ofcom accusing BBC Scotland of bias in favour of the Scottish Government. Friend of TuS, Brenda Robb wrote to BBC Scotland, under Freedom of Information, asking to see the communication around the above decision: I have listened … Continue reading Ofgem rules against Baillie and Foulkes

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

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

Only in Scotland, is the Auditor General a political stooge and media favourite

This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ demand for services – that’s according to the public spending watchdog Audit Scotland. Its annual report on the NHS says increased pressure is directly impacting on patient safety – and the Scottish Government has no overall vision for its future. Here’s the source of the above, on Reporting Scotland this morning: He’s a regular on BBC Scotland to tell you that the Scottish Government isn’t doing or can’t do something and that you’re at risk. He won’t, despite his title, do full research into the context such … Continue reading Only in Scotland, is the Auditor General a political stooge and media favourite

Most successful Trident firing tests have been from US subs!

This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ By stewartb The latest news of a failed test of the UK’s system to deliver weapons of mass destruction is getting quite a lot of profile in the media. The BBC News website provides coverage – ‘‘Trident missile test fails for second time in a row’ – in which there are some ‘interesting’ statistics, including ones provided by the MoD. They beg some questions. This is a summary of what the statistics quoted by the BBC tell us: 2024 – Trident missile test conducted by the Royal … Continue reading Most successful Trident firing tests have been from US subs!