Tag: nicola-sturgeon

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‘Exposing Scotland to risk’ – Some reflections on the devolved fiscal settlement

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By Alasdair Galloway Once Scotland took powers over income tax a settlement with the UK became necessary for several practical reasons However leaving boring practicalities to one side, this arrangement offers political opportunities to Westminster. For one thing it puts the risk entirely on to Scotland because if the Scottish economy operates less well than the UK average, the income tax allowed for in calculating the block grant will be greater than what is actually raised by the Scottish Government. If, on the other hand, Scotland does outperform the UK average, then there will be a windfall for the Scottish … Continue reading ‘Exposing Scotland to risk’ – Some reflections on the devolved fiscal settlement

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SNP not accused as real firearm offences grow to TWICE as high in England & Wales than in Scotland

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STV today have Scotland’s biggest firearm scare story: Police who were called out to investigate reports of a possible firearm in Glasgow discovered the item in question was a toy. https://news.stv.tv/west-central/police-scotland-called-out-to-reports-of-a-firearm-in-glasgow-find-toy That prompted me to check the facts. First in Scotland: In 2021-22, the police in Scotland recorded 273 offences in which a firearm was alleged to have been involved, a decrease of 23% from 2020-21 (353 offences) and down 20% from 2019-20 (341 offences), In England & Wales: The police recorded 6,645 offences involving firearms in the year ending June 2023, a 13% increase compared with the year ending June 2022 (5,860 … Continue reading SNP not accused as real firearm offences grow to TWICE as high in England & Wales than in Scotland

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Sunday Sun reveals SNP policy spreading to England – Child Payment next?

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This was posted by Gordon Macdonald MSP (SNP) for Edinburgh Pentlands. Here’s the detail: The Sun report grudgingly mentions Scotland, just across the border and prioritises the influence of Finland, over 1 000 miles way and using a language very difficult for Northumbrians to read. 283 00 baby boxes have now been given out in Scotland. No accidental fires have been reported despite the story from that daft academic at the time and Labour MSP Mary McFee pompously demanding the SNP make sure they were safe: They even hand them out now in US fire stations: https://wibc.com/217972/baby-box-installed-for-newborn-safety-at-lawrence-fire-department/ However, there’s an … Continue reading Sunday Sun reveals SNP policy spreading to England – Child Payment next?

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If every ‘failure’ results in hostile media and political scrutiny, we will never encourage creativity, entrepreneurial thinking and risk-taking in how we deliver public services.

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stewartb BBC Scotland doesn’t miss a trick! On the Scotland page of the BBC News website today (4 January) there is this headline: ‘Nicola Sturgeon warns flagship care plan may not be meeting goals’. The article is based on a contribution the former FM gave to a BBC Radio 4 series earlier this week called ‘Fixing Britain’. Given the nature of the programmes (see later), I wonder (!) what prompted BBC Scotland to include this in its daily news/politics coverage? The article quotes a Tory politician in Scotland with a typical ‘SNPbad’ comment so might BBC Scotland have been given … Continue reading If every ‘failure’ results in hostile media and political scrutiny, we will never encourage creativity, entrepreneurial thinking and risk-taking in how we deliver public services.

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We can’t end poverty when we’re trapped in the failing UK

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Leah Gunn Barrett This letter was published in The National on December 21st and explains why Scotland, a naturally wealthy nation, suffers from high levels of endemic poverty. The cure is simple – we must end our colonial status and restore our sovereignty. There’s been a chorus of criticism of the Scottish government over its recent budget from unionist politicians and media. But why should anyone be surprised over Scotland’s dismal state? The reason is our status as a de facto English colony.   As a colony, we don’t own our own resources so we can’t provide heat and power for the costs … Continue reading We can’t end poverty when we’re trapped in the failing UK

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SNP’s Scotland seems very attractive to the world if you look at actual evidence, Chris Deerin

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From Ernst & Young on 19 June 2023: https://www.ey.com/en_uk/news/2023/06/scotlands-foreign-investment-grows-with-record-results Who is Chris Deerin really? Not just a journo. See this from October 2023: That’s according to research for a think tank. The Commission on School Reform says ministers must work with councils to reverse the trend. The Scottish government says it’s looking at challenges that influence attendance…..the figures are based on Freedom of Information requests from the Scottish local authorities who were able to respond to them. The figures suggest nearly one in three children are missing an average of one day a fortnight, while nearly 20% of high school pupils miss … Continue reading SNP’s Scotland seems very attractive to the world if you look at actual evidence, Chris Deerin

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As austerity looms (again!), time for re-evaluation – spectating in Union vs. exerting agency as an independent nation?

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By stewartb – a long read There have been a host of reports and think tank commentaries issued in the short time since the UK chancellor’s Autumn Statement. Almost all have been made, unsurprisingly from a UK – in reality, from an England – perspective. BBC Scotland did perform its ‘public service’ duty immediately following the Statement. Reporting remarks from the Scottish Government’s finance secretary on its consequential, negative impact on public spending/services in Scotland, BBC Scotland’s Business and Economy Editor provided his own remedy for the Scottish Government: ‘So the way out of this squeeze is to get the … Continue reading As austerity looms (again!), time for re-evaluation – spectating in Union vs. exerting agency as an independent nation?

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BBC Scotland woman journalists betray their own kind just to protect UK minister responsible for mass deaths!

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On the left, how BBC Scotland want you to remember Nicola Sturgeon’s much-praised performance in the pandemic with, on the right, the reality most of us should remember. The BBC Scotland report is unattributed but there are lots of senior women at Pacific Quay who might have selected a better headline had they a shred of decency in them. The report does go on, at the very end of course, to let a spokesperson for Ms Sturgeon to tell it like it was but the damage is done by then. Before that, we get line after line of Hancock’s vague, … Continue reading BBC Scotland woman journalists betray their own kind just to protect UK minister responsible for mass deaths!