Twice as effective closing their own illegal dumps but Scots taxpayers to pay for Burnham’s clear-up of illegal dumps in West Yorkshire, Surrey and Kent and there will be no Barnett consequentials

In the Guardian today, the above, and: Illegal dumps in West Yorkshire, Surrey and Kent will be cleared up using taxpayer money, Andy Burnham has announced, as the prime minister promises a new drive to tackle toxic waste. Ministers have identified dumps in Bradford, Runnymede and the Isle of Sheppey, which collectively contain about 22,000 tonnes of illegal waste, to be cleared in the next phase of the government’s national clear-up effort. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/19/taxpayers-to-fund-clear-up-of-dumps-in-west-yorkshire-surrey-and-kent Why will this not be paid for by a waste management budget for England? The money comes from the UK Treasury’s pooled revenues, which include taxes raised across … Continue reading Twice as effective closing their own illegal dumps but Scots taxpayers to pay for Burnham’s clear-up of illegal dumps in West Yorkshire, Surrey and Kent and there will be no Barnett consequentials

Serious assaults in Glasgow drop 33% to 5 year-low and overall violence increases at significantly lower rate than across Scotland

BBC Scotland have exported the above story to BBC Breakfast, have a special on it tonight, and claim: Videos of brutal beatings, blatant drug deals, and racial violence in the centre of Scotland’s biggest city have become a common sight on social media. Posts claim that parts of Glasgow’s city centre are a “no-go zone” where it’s not safe for unsuspecting members of the public, especially women, to enter. Angry protests have spilled on to the streets – but is it as bad as some say? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgdej0xxgyo Note, the source for these claims is not official figures but merely ‘common … Continue reading Serious assaults in Glasgow drop 33% to 5 year-low and overall violence increases at significantly lower rate than across Scotland

No health board puts accessibility ahead of safety even when you ‘get tae Larbert!’

When the new, massive, Forth Valley Royal Hospital was built around two miles out Falkirk town centre, there were endless complaints about access but in the end safety came first and the built it more than 3 miles and upwind of the nearest raw sewage treatment works near Grangemouth. If you were to put the hospital at the centre of the population for maximum access you’d put it on the empty land between Falkirk and Grangemouth, near where the Falkirk Stadium is and due-west, downwind of the Dalderse sewage works. They didn’t. There’s no report of the planning groups deliberately … Continue reading No health board puts accessibility ahead of safety even when you ‘get tae Larbert!’

Burnham seems ‘Mad for it’

By Liz S “The Pennsylvania Department of Health will be distributing free potassium iodide (KI) tablets to those York County residents that live, learn or work within 10 miles of the Peach Bottom power plant“ “Has the UK Government, responsible for nuclear power regulation in Scotland ever shown such concern for Scots living near nuclear facilities in Scotland ?” Nope. Indeed as far as UK governments are concerned, both the Tories & also the Labour party , all they seek to do is to impose more Nuclear power Stations within Scotland. Potential various dire consequences and fallout (pun intended) be damned. However it seems that they, UK … Continue reading Burnham seems ‘Mad for it’

And Now The News Where You Are

By Mark E. Saunders of “The Scottish Minuteman” https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 I’ve just been listening to the evening news, brought into our homes courtesy of STV Studios. The news anchor introduced a story telling us that the Scottish Government — or “the SNP”, as much of the media seems to prefer calling it these days — is going to miss its 2021 announced target of building 120,000 new affordable homes before 2032 by around 35,000 units. And, naturally, the Scottish Government was wheeled out to take the blame. But then came the interviews. Construction materials, we were told, rose dramatically between 2021 and 2023, largely because … Continue reading And Now The News Where You Are

Ten countries already routinely issue iodine tablets to those near nuclear facilities but with the highest cancer rates in world, Scotland, dependent on Westminster laws, cannot

From the York Daily Record, two days ago: The Pennsylvania Department of Health will be distributing free potassium iodide (KI) tablets to those York County residents that live, learn or work within 10 miles of the Peach Bottom power plant.  According to the York County Office of Emergency Management, the distribution will take place between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Peach Bottom Recreation Center located at 5 Pendyrus St. in Delta.  KI helps protect the thyroid gland against harmful radioactive iodine in the unlikely event of a radiological emergency. Taking KI tablets, when directed by emergency response officials, helps reduce the risk of thyroid cancer … Continue reading Ten countries already routinely issue iodine tablets to those near nuclear facilities but with the highest cancer rates in world, Scotland, dependent on Westminster laws, cannot

Glasgow’s ‘super-hospital directly downwind of another massive waste treatment plant approved by Scottish Labour in 2012

The new South Clyde Energy Centre due west of the QEUH to get the very most of the pollution into the wards. No comparable hospital in the World faces such threat. With this massive incinerator, approved by the Labour-run council in 2012, the QEUH will be exposed to even greater threat than it already faces. By Joe Murray The South Clyde Energy Centre (SCWC) an Energy from Waste (EfW) Incinerator being built at North Cardonald in Glasgow is sited around 500 metres and directly upwind of the Queen Elizabeth University and Sick Children’s Hospitals (or the Southern General as locals … Continue reading Glasgow’s ‘super-hospital directly downwind of another massive waste treatment plant approved by Scottish Labour in 2012

What would Scotland’s fiscal position be outside the UK?

By derekscott1953 Richard Murphy’s argument (above) demonstrates why the independence debate needs two sets of numbers, not one. 1. What is Scotland’s fiscal position inside the UK? GERS addresses that. We may argue about some of the assumptions, and its origins in the 1990s, but Scottish Governments do not disassociate from the analysis. Maybe they should in future in order to move this debate on? 2. What would Scotland’s fiscal position be outside the UK? That’s the estimated calculation Murphy says matters, but his articles and videos never try to provide it. I accept if we were facing another referendum … Continue reading What would Scotland’s fiscal position be outside the UK?

STV on youth violence – Disgusting, shameful, exploitative, scare mongering and all wrong as murder by minors falls to a quarter of the level

STV tonight in a desperate attempt to win viewers, completely misrepresent the world you live in, with this report based on anecdotal evidence only, and ignore once more the facts, the facts that matter so much to all of us if we are to live a life based on what we can expect to experience. The facts: Murder by minors – Only a quarter of the level 20 years ago! The trend is clearly and definitively the other way in Scotland. Above, the official data reveal a steady, statistically significant, falling trend in the number of homicides by minors, over … Continue reading STV on youth violence – Disgusting, shameful, exploitative, scare mongering and all wrong as murder by minors falls to a quarter of the level

UK government withholds files on Israeli firm meddling in Scottish elections

By Liz S It was reported, three days ago, by The National that “the UK government withholds files on Israeli firm meddling in Scottish elections”. The key here is obviously the fact that is was a “Israeli firm” . Now had it been a Russian firm, well the contents of these files would be released and it would be all over the media (24/7). However if you type “UK government withholds files on Israeli firm meddling in Scottish elections” in your online search engine then you may see what I saw and that was that , as a story , there are … Continue reading UK government withholds files on Israeli firm meddling in Scottish elections