Tag: politics

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While only BBC Scotland platform Labour to defend itself on tax plans, the SNP acts to save 329 000 children

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BBC Scotland’s agenda is clear, even on D Day – Labour must be defended. BBC UK? This: One smaller story. BBC Wales? Professional journalism. BBC Northern Ireland? The same. Meanwhile what is really happening in Scotland, to millions of us? This: The Scottish Government is estimated to have invested almost £1.4 billion to benefit children in low income households in the last financial year. The investment is detailed in an annual progress report which highlights key actions to tackle child poverty including: Kind of newsworthy but I see that it might increase support for the SNP and they can’t have … Continue reading While only BBC Scotland platform Labour to defend itself on tax plans, the SNP acts to save 329 000 children

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Starmer’s Labour Party has been captured by a small, highly determined right-wing clique

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By NMRN Here is the reality and truth of Labour under Keir Starmer: Journalist Peter Osborne tweeted: “Starmer’s Labour Party has been captured by a small, highly determined right-wing clique, one that is as insouciant of Labour’s magnificent history and democratic tradition as it is contemptuous of ethnic minorities” Journalist Michael Crick interviewed: “Thinks it is disgraceful what has been going on with Labour. He said that as a self confessed Blairite and traditionally Labour right winger. I won’t be voting for Labour at this GE. The Stamerites have purged virtually everybody on the left. They purge them from being … Continue reading Starmer’s Labour Party has been captured by a small, highly determined right-wing clique

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Scotland’s corridor care scare survey may be based on vanishingly small sample

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By stewartb The RCN is not a small, not a new, inexperienced organisation. Far from it! It has a long track record of advocacy on behalf of the nursing profession. Its continuing use of the name – the Royal College of Nursing – seems like an attempt to raise its status with the public as something other than ‘just’ a trade union. The document that is the subject of the main blog post is loftily described by the RCN as a ‘Policy Report’. It has been relatively well resourced: it has two authors plus no less than 15 other named … Continue reading Scotland’s corridor care scare survey may be based on vanishingly small sample

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Survation and YouGov stuck in 2014 to bias their polling

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In their most recent poll, in January 2024, Ipsos Scotland got: Last week and being trumpeted as more bad news for John Swinney, Survation got: YouGov had identical results the week before. Survation had this sample ratio weighted according to the 2014 referendum, 10 years ago: YouGov had the same ratio. Ipsos had this sample ratio weighted according to trends since the 2014 referendum, 10 years ago: Ipsos is a multinational market research company based in France with no ‘horse in the race’ when it comes to Scottish independence. YouGov is a UK-based pollster set up by former Chancellor Nadhim … Continue reading Survation and YouGov stuck in 2014 to bias their polling

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Has Labour in Scotland now shifted its stance on NHS use of private healthcare?

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As ‘Investors eye opportunities in Labour pledge to boost private health sector’ has Labour in Scotland now shifted its stance on NHS use of private healthcare? By stewartb We know that a key plank in the Labour Party’s plans for the NHS in England should it win the upcoming General Election is to increase the use of supposed spare capacity in the private healthcare sector as the solution to stubbornly long waiting lists for hospital treatment. It seems, at least from the tone of BBC and mainstream media reporting, that the ‘Overton Window’ – the window of discourse that frames the range … Continue reading Has Labour in Scotland now shifted its stance on NHS use of private healthcare?

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NHS Scotland’s ‘hugely better’ performance that the Royal College prefers to obscure

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By stewartb The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) is a persistent and highly critical commentator on the responses of UK and devolved governments to the waiting times and capacity challenges facing NHS Emergency Departments in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For background, it is my contention – and I’d argue, provable by analysis of the RCEM’s past monthly press statements that following the release of performance data for the NHS in each of the four nations – that the RCEM (i) fails to acknowledge the relatively better performance of NHS Scotland; and (ii) adopts a tone in its … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s ‘hugely better’ performance that the Royal College prefers to obscure

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Imbalanced Reporting of Scotland to undermine the SNP

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Health Secretary Michael Matheson….. On Reporting Scotland’s short broadcast at 1.30 today, both political stories, SNP bad. 2 min 30 on the above topic, then straight onto a report on smart meters. Then at 4 min 47 sec in: to dual the A9 by 2025. 20 sec on that. Then should mobile phones be banned in School? Nothing on Ian Murray’s AirBNB income, Reform MP, Lee Anderson’s suggestion of sending refugees to the Western Isles, or the Scottish Tories being forced to drop their opposition to abortion buffer zones. This is all-too-typical. From 2nd June 2023 New Research finds BBC Scotland … Continue reading Imbalanced Reporting of Scotland to undermine the SNP

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At least SEVEN long years later Anas Sarwar’s multi-million family firm is forced to stop paying poverty wages….maybe….says unnamed union rep…just in time before the election

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Picture: John Devlin Today, BBC Scotland are headlining a story that a Usdaw (who?) union rep says Anas Sarwar’s family business are now paying the living wage. The rep is clearly camera shy. Might the workers be unhappy with the claim? BBC Scotland attempt to cover up the fact that Sarwar’s wife and kids get dividends and have been for years on the back of low-page workers. In September 2017, I wrote: Anas Sarwar is a shareholder in United Wholesale (Scotland) Ltd which is currently advertising jobs at £7.50 an hour rather than the £8.45 ‘real’ living wage and far … Continue reading At least SEVEN long years later Anas Sarwar’s multi-million family firm is forced to stop paying poverty wages….maybe….says unnamed union rep…just in time before the election

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Labour to ban Scots zero-hours contracts, maybe, as they climb to levels already in England & Wales but offer no rebuke to Mrs Sarwar as Scotland leads on Real Living Wage

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From the Herald, today: The Labour Party which is the favourite to form the next UK government has pledged to ban ‘exploitative’ zero hours contracts as their use hit record levels in Scotland, the Herald on Sunday can reveal. Official figures reveal that the average number of Scots on zero-hours contracts has soared to an average of 100,000 in the past year – a 42% rise on 2019, the year before the pandemic. According to Statista, there are around 1.2 million zero hours workers across the UK. The Scottish rate is now exactly the same as in the rest of the … Continue reading Labour to ban Scots zero-hours contracts, maybe, as they climb to levels already in England & Wales but offer no rebuke to Mrs Sarwar as Scotland leads on Real Living Wage

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Labour candidate sets out priorities for Central Ayrshire to return to 1980s poverty

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The Irvine Times on 24th May, platformed Labour candidate, Allan Gemmell to studiously ignore the awful prospect of what a New Labour UK Government and a client government in Holyrood, might mean for the good folk of Central Ayrshire. I’ll come back to the promises he made after listing only a few of the losses he forgets to mention: He promised: More on the candidate: I’m sure the photographer was just trying get in all the food brought to an Irvine food bank by local rich guy, the former Director of the British Council in India, the former Her Majesty’s … Continue reading Labour candidate sets out priorities for Central Ayrshire to return to 1980s poverty