Tag: politics

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Domestic violence already twice as common spikes around England games but not those in Scotland

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From BBC Sport yesterday: As the full-time whistle blew in Atlanta on Wednesday, signalling England’s exit from the World Cup, a wave of disappointment spread across the country. But for some, there was a very different emotion growing inside. Domestic abuse rises by 26% when England play and by 38% when they lose, according to research by Lancaster University. During a major football tournament such as the World Cup, some women and girls are constantly living in fear. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cwymljn8y10o In Scotland, there is no evidence of domestic violence spikes around football internationals. This aligns with the Tartan Army‘s developed culture … Continue reading Domestic violence already twice as common spikes around England games but not those in Scotland

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However in England 

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By Liz S Currently the UK government has the majority of the powers, the control and also the money within the UK State. I read this recent headline from The National newspaper: “Labour pledge £10 million for new Scottish colleges but only if the SNP pay the same”. The National states it is in relation to this: “The UK Government has pledged to invest £10 million creating two ‘defence technical excellence colleges’ in Scotland – but the money will only be delivered if it is matched by the SNP” However in England these types of colleges were to be fully funded by the UK Government. (Some of these English colleges were in areas that … Continue reading However in England 

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Nottingham, Sussex, Shrewsbury and now Leeds – Why England’s national maternity scandal is not coming to Perth or anywhere in Scotland

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Across BBC TV broadcasts and BBC West Yorkshire today: Bereaved mothers and families have been invited to meet the chair of an inquiry looking into “repeated failures” at maternity units in Leeds. Donna Ockenden, who recently led a similar inquiry into failings in Nottingham, will lead a review into maternity and neonatal services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTH) NHS Trust. The senior midwife will speak to impacted families in the city on Saturday over their concerns surrounding local midwifery services. It comes after a BBC investigation found the deaths of at least 56 babies and two mothers over the last five years at … Continue reading Nottingham, Sussex, Shrewsbury and now Leeds – Why England’s national maternity scandal is not coming to Perth or anywhere in Scotland

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500% increase in child victims of more brutal English county lines drug gangs operating in Scotland

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No disturbing, exploitative images of child victims here. From Deadline News yesterday: A NATIONAL charity is urging the public to report signs of county lines exploitation as criminal gangs continue to target and manipulate vulnerable children. Crimestoppers has warned that young people are being coerced into transporting drugs, money, and weapons across the country, often facing violence, intimidation, and isolation far from their homes. According to police estimates, up to 11,600 children are currently at risk of county lines exploitation. In the past year alone, more than 2,600 children were officially identified as linked to county lines activity, although the true figure is believed to … Continue reading 500% increase in child victims of more brutal English county lines drug gangs operating in Scotland

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Glasgow’s giant hospital is revealed as one of safest in Scotland and far safer than several of NHS England’s really ‘scandal-hit’ hospitals

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The Times today is front-paging a story of a floor-cleaning fluid and the apparent lack of clear instructions on its use. Staff have been ‘offered the chance to speak to occupational health.’ Disturbing, I agree. Something should be done, I agree but front page on a major newspaper? Is it there, only because the hospital in question has been subject to repeated, ill-informed, hyperbolic, claims from Scottish Labour and associating it with the current SNP Government? Using real, important, data, just how good is the QEUH and compared to other hospitals across the UK not, it seems , ‘scandal -hit?’ … Continue reading Glasgow’s giant hospital is revealed as one of safest in Scotland and far safer than several of NHS England’s really ‘scandal-hit’ hospitals

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That’s it settled – £50 from each of you to save jobs in Scunthorpe and don’t talk to us about Barnett

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Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. In the Guardian today: British Steel has formally been taken into public ownership 15 months after the government stepped in to prevent the closure of its steelworks in Scunthorpe and the loss of 4,000 jobs. Keir Starmer on Thursday said that it was in the national interest for the government to take over the factory from its Chinese owner, Jingye, in one of the last significant actions overseen by him as prime minister after the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Act received Royal Assent on Wednesday. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jul/16/british-steel-public-ownership-save-uk-supply-scunthorpe What will the upfront costs be? Around … Continue reading That’s it settled – £50 from each of you to save jobs in Scunthorpe and don’t talk to us about Barnett

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BBC Crime show confuses ‘Two a week!’ femicide rate in England with ‘One a month’ in Scotland

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In BBC Crime Files, broadcast two days ago, Professor David Wilson, after just hearing there were only 45 murders in Scotland last year, reflects: So in ten years’ time, could we ever get to the point where there will be no murders in Scotland at all? Or to get there, will we have to challenge misogyny so much that we will get rid of that appalling statistic that two women a week are murdered in this country? His interviewee, Karen McCluskey of the the Violence Reduction Unit, apparently accepting that claim then says: Oh wouldn’t that be wonderful. When I … Continue reading BBC Crime show confuses ‘Two a week!’ femicide rate in England with ‘One a month’ in Scotland

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Pandemic Inquiry – ‘Disinterested in working with, or hearing the concerns of the Devolved Administrations’

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By stewartb The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has just published its latest report, on Module 5: Procurement. (see https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/09094028/E03444965_Covid-Inquiry-M5-Inquiry_Web-Accessible.pdf ) The Inquiry’s overarching conclusions for this module focus on: (i) the UK’s unpreparedness in terms of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other clinical supplies for a pandemic, including below-target volumes and expired equipment in national pandemic stockpiles; and (ii) huge levels of waste amongst the PPE procured. A search of the document for references specific to ‘Scotland’ yields no especially or uniquely damning findings to ‘excite’ committed opponents of the SNP and the Scottish Government. Nevertheless, the search did throw up some references worthy … Continue reading Pandemic Inquiry – ‘Disinterested in working with, or hearing the concerns of the Devolved Administrations’

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‘So no I will not support England’

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By Liz S “If they win we’ll never hear the end of it” Indeed In fact every time they have a game in this world cup then every TV channel news programme and daytime trash TV programme cannot stop talking about it. In fact , as a Scot, you almost feel as if you are in a foreign country and watching foreign Television programmes. Then of course the , checks notes, UK PM posts constant motivation comments on ‘X’ to the England team and also if England win their game he then posts comments on ‘X’ praising them. However I did not … Continue reading ‘So no I will not support England’

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Baroness Hallett confused about difference between croneyism, corruption and connections to government

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By Liz S Talking of PPE and on the BBC website but currently hidden under the ‘Health’ section. Covid Inquiry reported by the BBC on 14 July this year stated this: Headline “Covid inquiry PPE report – key findings” “The VIP lane system was introduced in April 2020 in England“ The policy was sharply criticised by (Baroness) Hallett who described it as a “misguided attempt at prioritisation” that “embedded unfairness in emergency procurement”. “Sharply criticised” , “misguided attempt at prioritisation” and also “unfairness” wow that’s reprimanding them………not. “While she said there was “no evidence of cronyism or corruption” by ministers or officials when awarding contracts, the system was “inherently biased towards those with … Continue reading Baroness Hallett confused about difference between croneyism, corruption and connections to government