Tag: politics

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Senior BBC staff most upset by threat to their council tax bills and less fussy about the others

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There are around 3 million taxpayers in Scotland. 55% of them (1.65m) will pay less income tax than in the rest of the UK but BBC Scotland chose to highlight the ‘Mansion Tax’ which will affect 11 330 – Anas Sarwar and few of their senior staff. Here’s a better report, from the AI assisted Policy Mogul: Changes to the basic and intermediate rate income tax thresholds will protect lower-income households in 2026-27, Finance Secretary Shona Robison has announced. The Finance Secretary also confirmed there would be no changes to rates or the number of tax bands in the coming … Continue reading Senior BBC staff most upset by threat to their council tax bills and less fussy about the others

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The embarrassing gap in intelligence, maturity and credibility between the writing of Daily Record reporters and that of AI

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I was going to write this myself and I will add some evidence of NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s health below but, you know, we’re busy here and frankly, it’s not worth it, is it? So Grok AI – ‘Is it accurate to refer to NHS Ayrshire Arran as ‘crippled?’ No, it is not accurate to describe NHS Ayrshire and Arran as “crippled” in any objective, factual sense, though the term has appeared in some sensational media headlines.The health board is undoubtedly facing very serious challenges, particularly financial ones, as highlighted by official audits and reports from late 2025: These issues … Continue reading The embarrassing gap in intelligence, maturity and credibility between the writing of Daily Record reporters and that of AI

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‘Journalism fiasco’ – Islanders have actually been treated far better than the rest of us by this SNP government but the Herald still uses them to support the Labour campaign

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Another ferry ‘fiasco report’ (placing the ‘ there makes it clear that the reporting is a fiasco in journalism) today. The facts hidden every time they write this rancid garbage: There’s a very significant background story never told of just how much this SNP Government has done to transform life on the islands, funded by the rest of us living often in less pleasant places and with never the suggestion of compensation because of limited public transport services. Here it is: The above chart from the Evaluation of Road Equivalent Tariff [RET] on the Clyde and Hebridean Network Prepared for Transport … Continue reading ‘Journalism fiasco’ – Islanders have actually been treated far better than the rest of us by this SNP government but the Herald still uses them to support the Labour campaign

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95% of Scotland’s schools in good condition up from only 62% under Labour yet Herald platform Anas Sarwar to accuse SNP

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The Herald today, above, joining the daily anti-SNP drip from the 95% Unionist media in Scotland, with the above evidence-free reporting and, of course, ignoring the key role of local councils in maintaining school buildings. Here’s the evidence on school buildings: By stewartb This provides statistics for context and perspective. It follows a BBC Scotland article on the corporation’s News website on 12 October headlined: ‘Child safety fears as ‘repaired’ ceiling falls at neglected school’. Now don’t get me wrong, no one should have a piece of wood or plasterboard fall on or near their head, anywhere. And especially no … Continue reading 95% of Scotland’s schools in good condition up from only 62% under Labour yet Herald platform Anas Sarwar to accuse SNP

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The UK DWP is 20 times bigger and costs 20 times more than Social Security Scotland as well as having a reputation for driving the disabled to suicide

johnrobertson834

The Scottish elections loom and universally the media are coalescing around a drive to try to stem support for the SNP with reports of supposed evidence of incompetence by that party in government. This, they and the opposition will repeat daily along the lines of – ‘If they can manage….how could they expect to run a country?’ We’re going to be busy here these next 5 months. As with the Sunday Mail today (previous post), there’s no way I’m paying whatever the SOS costs to find out what dodgy sums they’re using to compare the DWP and the SSS. They … Continue reading The UK DWP is 20 times bigger and costs 20 times more than Social Security Scotland as well as having a reputation for driving the disabled to suicide

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Though domestic abuse far less common, Scottish Government again first in UK to legislate to force abusers to leave social housing

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BBC Scotland has a tasteless, exploitative image, we won’t be using here. From BBC Scotland News today: Social landlords are set to be given powers to remove domestic abusers from tenancy agreements, making it easier for some abuse survivors to stay in their homes. Regulations laid before the Scottish Parliament will bring into force provisions on tenancies that were part of a domestic abuse law passed nearly five years ago. If backed by MSPs, social landlords could apply to the courts to remove people believed to be abusive from tenancy agreements, in effect forcing them to move out. The new … Continue reading Though domestic abuse far less common, Scottish Government again first in UK to legislate to force abusers to leave social housing

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BMA leaders praise Scottish Government on ‘our shared ambition of making Scotland the best place in the UK for doctors to train and work.’

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From the BMA in Scotland today, absent the views of Dr Iain Findlay whom I’m guessing the Scottish resident doctors have never heard of: Strikes by resident doctors in Scotland due to begin on Tuesday have been suspended following a new offer on pay and contract reform. The BMA Scottish resident doctors committee recommends members accept the offer, which is the equivalent of a 9.9 per cent end-of-year pay uplift for this year and 9.4 per cent for 2026-27. SRDC chair Chris Smith (pictured above) welcomed the proposed deal, which amounts to £149m for the two years. ‘From day one … Continue reading BMA leaders praise Scottish Government on ‘our shared ambition of making Scotland the best place in the UK for doctors to train and work.’

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Thanks to mutual respect and constant effort by SNP health secretaries Scotland still has seen not one health service strike, 150 000 procedures and unknown thousands of lives have been saved

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Less than one month ago, BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers announced gleefully: Scotland’s resident doctors are to go on strike in a dispute over pay – the first time a national walkout has been staged by NHS workers. Their union BMA Scotland had accused the government of reneging on a commitment to restore pay to 2008 levels. With 92% of those who turned out voting in favour, strike dates have been set for 07:00 on Tuesday 13 January to 07:00 on Saturday 17 January 2026. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjdrp9205vro Yesterday, Health Correspondent Lisa was clearly not available (stress?) and Phil Sim (Who?) had to … Continue reading Thanks to mutual respect and constant effort by SNP health secretaries Scotland still has seen not one health service strike, 150 000 procedures and unknown thousands of lives have been saved

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Scottish Government provides better support for business

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introduced in England by the UK Government. BBC Scotland today, with a story to suggest something is worse in Scotland than in England. There’s a debate in the Scottish Parliament tomorrow on business rates which they’ve managed to find someone to stand in a shopping street and try to present as a crisis that only exists in Scotland. The facts? Based on an AI search of 87 sources, Scotland’s system is often seen as more coordinated and interventionist. Summary Table Aspect Scotland England Better for SMEs? Rates Relief (Core Small Biz) Very generous (combined RV up to £35k+, 100% bands) … Continue reading Scottish Government provides better support for business

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Scotland’s Auditor General fails to audit the most important thing in the NHS and England’s doesn’t even try when he really should do

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Thanks to cuckooshoe for alerting us to this: Scotland’s high-profile media auditor, Stephen Boyle, has been all over with his latest claim of delayed discharges costs damaging NHS Scotland.1 From the Institute for Government report – Performance Tracker 2025: Hospitals – published on 14 November 2025: There was no month in 2024/25 in which general and acute bed occupancy was below 91.4%, well above the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s recommendation that trusts should have an upper ceiling of 85% for bed occupancy.2 The auditor general for England has not audited this in living memory and certainly never bothers to … Continue reading Scotland’s Auditor General fails to audit the most important thing in the NHS and England’s doesn’t even try when he really should do