Tag: politics

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The Strange Geography of Self-Determination – The Polar Bear and the Unicorn

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By Mark E. Saunders of “The Scottish Minuteman” https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 According to 11 Downing Street, when it comes to Greenland, democracy is simple — the future of Greenland should be decided by the people of Greenland. It should not be determined by Donald Trump. Not by any occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Not by Washington. Not by whoever happens to have the biggest economy, the biggest military, or the loudest voice in the room. And most people would probably agree. After all, a nation, or a people, should have the right to determine their own future. It seems a pretty straightforward democratic principle, doesn’t it? … Continue reading The Strange Geography of Self-Determination – The Polar Bear and the Unicorn

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Truth be told even Scotland’s ‘most dangerous’ place is less so than 27 of them in England and far less so than 18 of them

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The Daily Record yesterday had the above and: Scotland’s “most dangerous” areas have been named as part of a new list put together by security experts, with one of the country’s major cities placing first. The city was described by the experts as having “startling figures across the board”, with overall crimes figures rising by more than 5 per cent. On Tuesday, July 7, ProFM Group shared a roundup of Scotland’s 15 most dangerous destinations using official data from the Scottish Government Data Repository. The experts expressed this as a rate of the number of crimes per 10,000 residents, which is the … Continue reading Truth be told even Scotland’s ‘most dangerous’ place is less so than 27 of them in England and far less so than 18 of them

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Top UK researchers applaud SNP’s ‘impressive’ yet ‘affordable’ achievements in reducing poverty

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I’m grateful to Dottie once more, for spotting this and alerting us to it. This report is part of the research programme of ‘Safety Nets: Social security for families in a devolved UK’. We are the first comprehensive, four-country study of the devolution and localisation of social security in the United Kingdom. The project team spans eight universities, Child Poverty Action Group and the Resolution Foundation. Our work is funded by the Nuffield Foundation, an independent charitable trust with a mission to advance social well-being. It funds research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare and Justice. This very … Continue reading Top UK researchers applaud SNP’s ‘impressive’ yet ‘affordable’ achievements in reducing poverty

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How Scotland’s disability benefits system has been kinder and crucially remains affordable but is not apparently worthy of proper media coverage

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In the midst of this damning finding, hot on the heels of England’s maternity unit horrors report, BBC Scotland have not managed to find something to suggest things are the same up here. They have done so, in the recent past with individual tales of over-complex and delayed processing of claims. Here’s why it’s difficult for them: What is the most important recent historical fact in disability payments in the UK? This: A leading disability rights charity has described new suicide statistics as the “tragic face of systemic inequality”. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested disabled people had the highest rate … Continue reading How Scotland’s disability benefits system has been kinder and crucially remains affordable but is not apparently worthy of proper media coverage

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What on earth is this rubbish doing in the National implying Scotland’s maternity services need an Ockenden Inquiry?

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The above is outrageous. There is no evidence presented by the writer to suggest she is in any position to predict what the outcome of the Scottish Government’s independent review of maternity services in Scotland will be. How dare she and they claim to know without waiting to hear the results? She opens with: Over the past few years, Britain has commissioned report after report into failures in maternity care. Shrewsbury and Telford. East Kent. Morecambe Bay. Nottingham. Most recently, the national investigation led by Baroness Valerie Amos. https://www.thenational.scot/comment/26261264.maternity-services-need-culture-change/ There is no British NHS to commission a report into maternity … Continue reading What on earth is this rubbish doing in the National implying Scotland’s maternity services need an Ockenden Inquiry?

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As Sky News worries about killers and rapists released early from prison in England re-offending in Scotland plummets to 5%, due to more prison officers and more police officers

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Both Sky News and BBC Breakfast today have reported concerns about early prisoner release in England including killers and rapists. BBC Scotland has no equivalent today though they have tried before to be Reporting Scotland Down this way. They struggled. Here’s why: On 17 June 2026 officers is raising concerns about the early release of hundreds of prisoners over the past two years. The early release scheme has been prompted by concerns over prison overcrowding and does not include prisoners convicted of sexual offences or domestic abuse. In a speech to the association of Scottish Police Superintendents, Rob Hay will … Continue reading As Sky News worries about killers and rapists released early from prison in England re-offending in Scotland plummets to 5%, due to more prison officers and more police officers

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For the fiftieth time SNP government works respectfully with a health union to avert strike action and loss of life ‘setting it apart’ from other UK nations

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There isn’t a precise record of this but I make it, conservatively, around 50 distinct strike actions and more than 100 days lost over the last 5 years, in NHS England and, in NHS Scotland, none, zero. What is the situation with consultants in Scotland? BMA Scotland has been in discussions/negotiations with the government. A recent pay offer for consultants is now being put to members in a consultative vote (not a formal strike ballot). https://www.bma.org.uk/our-campaigns/consultant-campaigns Earlier in 2026, BMA Scotland launched a pay survey and warned that failing to improve on the independent pay review body (DDRB) recommendation could … Continue reading For the fiftieth time SNP government works respectfully with a health union to avert strike action and loss of life ‘setting it apart’ from other UK nations

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Students in England ‘mis-sold’ loans as Nurse students there owe £77k and those in Scotland get a £10k bursary – what effect might that have on training numbers?

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BBC UK today has: Comparing student loan repayments to phone contracts or cinema tickets “amounted to mis-selling” by government, a group of MPs has said. In a new report, the Treasury Committee also said students were not told clearly enough loan terms could change retrospectively, and called for a U-turn on the decision to freeze the income threshold at which some graduates start repaying their loans. The student loan saga has run for years in England but rarely surfaces in Scotland. Here’s why: Let’s take the situation in nurse education. The Guardian in January 2026 had: Helen Lambert borrowed £57,000 … Continue reading Students in England ‘mis-sold’ loans as Nurse students there owe £77k and those in Scotland get a £10k bursary – what effect might that have on training numbers?

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SNP’s ‘Mansion Tax’ will be popular, raise revenue and have no effect on inward migration

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From the Scottish Government today: Views are being sought on plans to introduce two new council tax bands for properties worth more than £1 million and £2 million respectively to help fund local public services across Scotland. A public consultation seeks responses on possible increases of around £720 and £3,600 above the current highest Band H council tax charges. The final proposed rates for new Band I and Band J properties – expected to apply to fewer than 1% of properties – will be laid in Parliament for MSPs’ consideration following analysis of consultation responses and engagement with local government. Existing … Continue reading SNP’s ‘Mansion Tax’ will be popular, raise revenue and have no effect on inward migration

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NHS Scotland cancer treatment service now performing better than before pandemic and ahead of NHS England

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STV giving the 6th biggest, ie teeny, party, the Lib Dems, a platform for another of their attempts to mislead. No health service anywhere, meets waiting time targets like those the NHS across the UK imposes on itself – 95% on time. Anywhere I’ve read more on targets, in Europe and in North America or in Australia and New Zealand, I find the targets seen as aspirational and failure to hit them of little concern to media or opposition politicians. Here’s what the Lib Dems and STV are missing: NHS Scotland cancer treatment facing massive increase in referrals since pandemic … Continue reading NHS Scotland cancer treatment service now performing better than before pandemic and ahead of NHS England