Tag: news

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Former Labour MP who allegedly threatened to give a woman ‘a doing’ to advise Malcolm Offord

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By Liz S I read this yesterday. The former Labour MP, Ian Davidson, who lost his seat in 2015 to the SNP, has now taken up a role as adviser to Malcolm Offord following the Scottish elections. Davidson was selected in 2017 and also in 2019 to be the Labour candidate but failed to win yet again. So what possible political advice could Davidson provide to Offord ? Well in October 2011 the BBC reported that: “An SNP MP has withdrawn from a Commons committee over allegations that she was threatened by its Labour chairman” (Ian Davidson). “Dr Eilidh Whiteford, the MP for … Continue reading Former Labour MP who allegedly threatened to give a woman ‘a doing’ to advise Malcolm Offord

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What does a political mandate for putting a major constitutional question to the electorate look like in the UK?

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By stewartb Recall that Prime Minister, David Cameron announced on 23 January 2013 that if the Conservative Party was elected to power following the 2015 general election, it would hold a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU in the next Parliament. Cameron’s government published a draft European Union (Referendum) Bill in May 2013. The Tories won the 2015 GE: the European Union Referendum Bill 2015-16 was introduced in the House of Commons in May 2015 and it received Royal Assent on 17 December 2015. In the 2015 general election, the Conservative Party won: The referendum was held with … Continue reading What does a political mandate for putting a major constitutional question to the electorate look like in the UK?

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Scottish Labour collapsed because Anas was so unpopular not because Sir Keir was

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The Guardian‘s supposed Scottish correspondents, Libby Brooks and Severin Carrell, today, repeat this myth: Starmer’s unpopularity was insurmountable for Scottish Labour – and a boon for Reform – Long before the final votes were counted in Scotland, veteran Labour politicians said it was a defeat made in Downing Street. When the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, strode into the Glasgow count arena on Friday afternoon flanked by sombre-faced activists, the scene was a mirror image to the same venue in 2024, when his resurgent party won 36 seats from the Scottish National party, playing a significant part in Keir Starmer’s landslide … Continue reading Scottish Labour collapsed because Anas was so unpopular not because Sir Keir was

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Businessmen and wealthy donors ARE bankrolling Scottish politics but only the Unionist parties

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The Ferret has been good recently. I’ve shared their latest reports but this one smells a bit, like some of their earlier ones, of Scottish Labour residual loyalty and of Unionism. They offer us this: before going on to name Robin MacGeachy: Companies he owns or co-owns handed £910,000 to the Scottish Liberal Democrats and £700,000 to Scottish Labour. This represents nearly half of all of the Lib Dems’ donations, and nearly a quarter of Labour’s. and Sandy Easdale: The Easdale brothers, who are among Scotland’s richest men, gave £150,000 to Scottish Labour via one of their firms. The bus … Continue reading Businessmen and wealthy donors ARE bankrolling Scottish politics but only the Unionist parties

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With TWELVE times as many temporary school exclusions and ONE THOUSAND times as many permanent exclusions, PER HEAD, than Scotland, England’s schools are in a deep crisis fuelling County Lines gangs and street violence

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Thanks again to Dorothy for alerting me to this. From Channel 4 News last night, the above and: England’s schools have been described as being gripped by rising levels of violence against both teachers and pupils, leading to permanent exclusions. According to a new report, a record 3,320 pupils were permanently excluded last spring – which is about 21% higher than before the Covid pandemic. The report also found vulnerable children were affected most – with their exclusions from school almost 6% higher than other pupils. More than 300,000 were suspended last spring. https://www.channel4.com/news/permanent-exclusions-up-21-as-violence-in-schools-rise What are the comparable figures for … Continue reading With TWELVE times as many temporary school exclusions and ONE THOUSAND times as many permanent exclusions, PER HEAD, than Scotland, England’s schools are in a deep crisis fuelling County Lines gangs and street violence

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Let’s not vote to have Scotland changed to be more like Labour’s Wales!

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By stewartb British Labour Party politicians and the MSM in Scotland have been working hard (colluding?) to shield voters here from the overwhelming evidence that whatever improvements Scotland’s NHS needs, there is no reason to believe they will be delivered by electing a Labour government to Holyrood. The Party’s track record of governing with (just) devolved powers in Wales provides ample justification for this view. The authoritative health think tank, the Nuffield Trust lays out the state of NHS Wales under a Labour government in power for c.30 years. It compares NHS Wales to the NHS elsewhere in the UK. … Continue reading Let’s not vote to have Scotland changed to be more like Labour’s Wales!

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Latest polls says immigration 2nd in concerns for UK voters but only 7th for Scots voters yet BBC Scotland keep pushing it here in a dirty tactic to help Reform UK

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BBC Scotland again telling us that immigration is one of those issues that most concern voters. It’s not true. In September 2025: Immigration & asylum climbing from March to June 2025 as an issue in Scotland after a summer of media frenzy amplifying a handful of tiny peaceful protests here had pushed it into poll respondents’ minds. Less than two weeks earlier one poll by the David Hume Institute was fuelling a media frenzy suggesting Scots too were prioritising immigration as one of the top three issues concerning voters. That the issue was at only at 21% compared to 48% … Continue reading Latest polls says immigration 2nd in concerns for UK voters but only 7th for Scots voters yet BBC Scotland keep pushing it here in a dirty tactic to help Reform UK

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By any measure (four of them) crime really is way down under the SNP yet they maintain 200 more police officers than the last Labour Government in 2007

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From Police officer quarterly strength statistics: 31 March 2026 published tody: Scotland’s Chief Statistician has published statistics on Police Officer Quarterly Strength, which gives the number of full-time equivalent police officers employed by Police Scotland. The key findings of the statistics are: there were 16,430 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 31 March 2026 and this is an increase of 196 FTE police officers (+1.2%) from the 16,234 FTE police officers recorded at 31 March 2007. https://www.gov.scot/publications/police-officer-quarterly-strength-statistics-31-march-2026/ You can see in the graph above how overall crime in Scotland has plummeted since 2002 but, crucially, has continued to … Continue reading By any measure (four of them) crime really is way down under the SNP yet they maintain 200 more police officers than the last Labour Government in 2007

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‘The SNP’s childcare proposals build on a sustained, multi‑year expansion with measurable benefits for families’

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From BBC Scotland yesterday, the above and: The SNP’s plans to expand free childcare have been criticised by Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives as a “gimmick” and lacking in detail. Is that true? Let’s ask an intelligent speedy independent source: Look at the actual proposals and the Scottish Government’s history of action on free childcare, including relative to England or Wales to assess whether this is just a gimmick or real plan with benefits for parents. From use.ai: Looking at the SNP’s actual proposals and track record on childcare, it would not be accurate to characterise the current plan as “just a gimmick.” … Continue reading ‘The SNP’s childcare proposals build on a sustained, multi‑year expansion with measurable benefits for families’

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Birmingham gang dealing new more powerful drugs across Northern Scotland reveal their willingness to kill in pursuit of trade

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A middle of the day exchange of gunfire, yesterday in Birmingham between the ‘Captain’ and ‘Frankie’ County Lines gangs fighting over territory – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybfZbacJy4M I recognized the name ‘Frankie’. They get around. From the Ross-shire Journal, in November 2024: County Lines drug gangs reach as far north as Alness, police confirm. THE Highlands are grappling with the grim reality of so-called County Lines drug operations, with 10 separate gangs exploiting vulnerable individuals in its capital city. Police Scotland’s Highlands and Islands Division has identified the growing footprint of organised crime over the past 18 months, with devastating consequences for the community. The criminal … Continue reading Birmingham gang dealing new more powerful drugs across Northern Scotland reveal their willingness to kill in pursuit of trade