Tag: news

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Trial backlog plummets to only a third but complex English County Lines drug gang cases increases those in highest courts

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Why is Scotland’s Auditor General telling us good news about trial backlogs falling? It’s not like him or is it? Is it BBC Scotland re-ordering his stuff? The backlog of trials in Scotland’s highest criminal courts has nearly tripled, due in part to an increase in complex cases involving serious organised crime and historic sex abuse. At the end of March about 1,000 trials were waiting to go ahead in the high court, almost three times the number before the Covid-19 pandemic. In contrast, across the whole system, the number of outstanding scheduled trials has fallen to 13,268 – around … Continue reading Trial backlog plummets to only a third but complex English County Lines drug gang cases increases those in highest courts

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Youth unemployment in Scotland at 10.2% far lower than UK average of 16.2% due to SNP policy focus on youth employment and efforts to align education with employer needs

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BBC Breakfast this morning, in an extended piece on the number not in work or in education – NEETS – seems to have confused that group – all 16-24 year-olds including economically inactive (not looking, e.g. due to illness, caring, discouraged) – with the unemployed, looking for work and available to start. The figure should be 16.2% in the UK1, 16.3% in Wales2 and only 10.2% in Scotland.3 England drives most of the UK figure; regional highs in London (24.9%), Yorkshire & Humber (17.6%), North East (17.2%). England overall is slightly above the UK average.4 So, youth unemployment in the … Continue reading Youth unemployment in Scotland at 10.2% far lower than UK average of 16.2% due to SNP policy focus on youth employment and efforts to align education with employer needs

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Every colony which left the English Empire was told they were “not ready,” “not viable,” or would become unstable after independence, except Scotland where no reason can be offered

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From STV today: John Swinney is to press the Prime Minister for a second independence referendum after MSPs backed his call for Westminster to grant Holyrood the powers for such a vote to take place. The Scottish First Minister, who is due to meet Sir Keir Starmer for talks in June, said those talks would be “an opportunity for me to progress the will of Parliament”. He spoke out after MSPs backed, by 72 votes to 55, a motion demanding Westminster deliver a Section 30 order to transfer powers to Scotland that would allow a second referendum. However, Downing Street … Continue reading Every colony which left the English Empire was told they were “not ready,” “not viable,” or would become unstable after independence, except Scotland where no reason can be offered

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Highest level of common mussel production ever recorded in Scotland after years of Scottish Government support

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From Scottish Shellfish Farm Production Survey 2025 published today: The Scottish Shellfish Farm Production Survey 2025 was published today. This Official Statistics publication details statistics on the employment, production and value of shellfish from Scottish Shellfish Farms. It is structured to follow trends within the common mussel, Pacific oyster, native oyster and king scallop species sectors. Some statistics are given for the 10-year period 2016-2025.  Some key figures from this publication are: Source: https://www.gov.scot/news/scottish-shellfish-farm-production-survey-2025/ This achievement was mainly driven by Scotland’s shellfish farming industry, but the Scottish Government has played a major supporting roles because aquaculture and fisheries management are … Continue reading Highest level of common mussel production ever recorded in Scotland after years of Scottish Government support

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434 ‘UK’ nurses and midwives who should have been banned and have worked for last 12 years are almost certainly not in Scotland – here’s how I know

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In the Guardian today: Nurses and midwives who should have been banned from treating patients have practised over the last 12 years because of “potentially dangerous” failings by a medical regulator. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has admitted that its “completely and utterly unacceptable” mistakes meant it failed to protect the public from about 15 professionals whom it should have banned from ever working in healthcare in the UK because they had broken the law. The nurses and midwives told the NMC about their criminal convictions when they applied to join or stay on the regulator’s register, which they need to … Continue reading 434 ‘UK’ nurses and midwives who should have been banned and have worked for last 12 years are almost certainly not in Scotland – here’s how I know

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England is abortion capital of Europe with 31% more than Scotland

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From Termination of pregnancy statistics Year ending December 2025 published in Scotland today, the above and: Following an acceleration in 2022, the rate of increase in demand for termination services has slowed and is the same this year as last, with 17.6 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 years receiving a termination in 2025. Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/termination-of-pregnancy-statistics/termination-of-pregnancy-statistics-year-ending-december-2025/ In England: Official statistics for terminations of pregnancy (abortions) in England for the year ending December 2025 are not yet available. The UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) publishes annual Abortion statistics for England and Wales. As of May 2026, these … Continue reading England is abortion capital of Europe with 31% more than Scotland

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AI cannot find a single police investigation of a suspected purely financial crime where a police tent was placed on the suspect’s garden ANYWHERE in the WORLD

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There are several media reports today trying to justify the length and the methods of Operation Branchform, so: Chatgpt – Can you find a photograph of a UK police investigation of a suspected purely financial crime where a blue tent was placed on the suspect’s garden? Chatgpt AI – I couldn’t find a verified news photograph matching all of these conditions together: Most publicly available UK “blue tent” photographs are from investigations into deaths, assaults, shootings, or other forensic scenes rather than financial crimes. For example: Financial-crime raids in the UK are usually photographed differently — officers entering homes, seized … Continue reading AI cannot find a single police investigation of a suspected purely financial crime where a police tent was placed on the suspect’s garden ANYWHERE in the WORLD

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Not one SNP member has called for Swinney to go or to refund the money so ‘pressure not even starting never mind mounting’

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The Herald has today: John Swinney is facing mounting pressure over his leadership, to compensate SNP supporters and to answer “difficult questions” after Peter Murrell admitted embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 12-year period. Opposition politicians, former SNP figures and campaigners said the guilty plea had raised fresh questions for the First Minister and renewed calls for donors whose money was misused to be refunded. Grok – ‘Has any current member of the SNP been reported calling for John Swinney to resign or for the money referred to in the Murrell case to be refunded?‘ Easy, John, I only thought for 5 seconds: No, … Continue reading Not one SNP member has called for Swinney to go or to refund the money so ‘pressure not even starting never mind mounting’

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Morrell case – BBC Reporting Scotland show contempt for ‘public’ trust

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for the high public trust placed in him. BBC Reporting Scotland today suggesting contempt for ‘public‘ trust. Morrell was not a public official as in someone working for a tax-payer-funded local authority, a health board, the armed forces, the BBC or even a charity funded by government grants, but an employee of a private company funded by its members. He did betray the trust of SNP members but cannot be accurately accused of betraying ‘public’ trust because he did not work for the ‘public.’ We then see an unidentified police officer suggesting the same: but then crucially: Today, we hear … Continue reading Morrell case – BBC Reporting Scotland show contempt for ‘public’ trust

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NHS Scotland – only half the diagnostic scans outsourcing and building capability rather than just relying on private sector

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In the Guardian today: The NHS [England] is paying private firms record sums to analyse diagnostic scans because hospitals are too busy and understaffed to do the work themselves, research has revealed. The amount being spent on outsourced the interpretation of CT and MRI scans is “spiralling out of control” and reflects a short-sighted failure to train enough doctors, ministers are being told. Scans are vital for diagnosing diseases such as cancer and for monitoring patients’ responses to treatment, so they need to be done quickly. Many hospitals, however, rely on non-NHS health companies reading some scans to ensure they get the … Continue reading NHS Scotland – only half the diagnostic scans outsourcing and building capability rather than just relying on private sector