Tag: politics

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Herald champions interests of buy-to-rent industry accused of only increasing supply for high income renters and of abusing others

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The Herald today platforms the buy-to-rent industry and blames the SNP Government for somehow not enabling it to thrive, with even greater exemptions from law designed to protect renters. BTR is not the same as traditional private renting. It is professionally managed, purpose-built stock funded by large institutions with expectations of high profit margins. Needless to say, the Herald report is not balanced and again in the interests of the industry rather than renters, gives little attention to The Private Housing Rent Control (Exempt Property) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 – business and regulatory impact assessment, evaluation published only 5 days ago. … Continue reading Herald champions interests of buy-to-rent industry accused of only increasing supply for high income renters and of abusing others

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A Labour Government agrees to compensate those infected by blood products from US prisons approved by another Labour Government in 1976, and despite warnings from their own Health Secretary. The Labour Scottish Secretary was there failing to protect us

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Today, the Guardian has: Compensation payments will rise for people affected by the infected blood scandal, including an extra £35,000 each for former pupils who were experimented on at school without their knowledge, the paymaster general has announced. The government has allocated £1bn for the payments. The final report of the inquiry into what has been described as the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history was published in May 2024. The compensation scheme that followed has also been blighted by controversy. People who were infected, and their relatives, had complained about delays, qualifying criteria, the size of payments and the complex application process. Among … Continue reading A Labour Government agrees to compensate those infected by blood products from US prisons approved by another Labour Government in 1976, and despite warnings from their own Health Secretary. The Labour Scottish Secretary was there failing to protect us

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Why is Crisis Scotland being so fulsome in its praise for a 2040 Scottish Labour aspiration 14 years after this election?

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By stewartb Governing with devolved powers, how might Crisis Scotland and others judge the credentials of the British Labour Party in Scotland when (supposedly) setting ‘a new standard of aspiration’ and a pledge ‘to end homelessness by 2040′? What about the Party’s actual delivery in government rather than its aspiration for 14 years’ hence? From Crisis (10 April,, 2025): The Homelessness Monitor: Wales 2025. ‘This fifth Wales-focused Monitor report takes a look at where homelessness stands in Wales, focusing particularly on the implementation of the Ending Homelessness in Wales High Level Action Plan, including planned extensive legal reforms, as well as the ongoing impacts … Continue reading Why is Crisis Scotland being so fulsome in its praise for a 2040 Scottish Labour aspiration 14 years after this election?

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Institute for Fiscal Studies’ shocking revelation – Scottish Labour does not have a plan to reduce child poverty

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In the Daily Record, three days ago, the above claim but it’s all talk as the IFS has exposed. From Initial response to the Scottish Labour manifesto, published yesterday: Despite signalling that Scottish Labour wants to see falls in child poverty, the manifesto proposes little new cash support for families with children beyond additional support for childcare. The policy to increase the Scottish child payment to £40 a week for children under one is already planned by the outgoing government for 2027–28, as is the plan for breakfast clubs in primary schools. Whilst there is a plan to ‘review’ the … Continue reading Institute for Fiscal Studies’ shocking revelation – Scottish Labour does not have a plan to reduce child poverty

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Another charity duped into thinking that Labour will do anything for the homeless despite it still being 67% higher for children in England

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Crisis Scotland today has: We warmly welcome Scottish Labour’s pledge to end homelessness by 2040. This is the first manifesto commitment of its kind in a Scottish election and sets a new standard of aspiration. We call on all other parties contesting the Scottish government elections to share in this ambition and thereby create the political consensus needed to make it a reality. https://www.crisis.org.uk/about-us/crisis-media-centre/crisis-scotland-responds-to-scottish-labours-election-manifesto/ Crisis already know that only the SNP can be trusted to actually do anything significant: A 2022 study by Crisis found: The proportion of people suffering from the worst forms of homelessness in Scotland is about half as … Continue reading Another charity duped into thinking that Labour will do anything for the homeless despite it still being 67% higher for children in England

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Oxford researchers write thousands of words but fail to mention that significantly fewer ‘austerity children’ were ‘scarred by poverty’ here after nearly two decades of the SNP

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In the Guardian today: More than a fifth of all “austerity generation” British children have been scarred by poverty for at least half their childhood, a direct legacy of the welfare benefit cuts imposed by Conservative governments in recent years, research reveals. The proportion of children born after 2013 who spent at least six of their first 11 years of life in hardship surged after ministers froze working age benefits levels and imposed policies such as the two-child limit, it found. Austerity policies, which drastically shrank annual welfare spending by tens of billions a year and took thousands of pounds … Continue reading Oxford researchers write thousands of words but fail to mention that significantly fewer ‘austerity children’ were ‘scarred by poverty’ here after nearly two decades of the SNP

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How actual facts prove there is no two-tier health system in Scotland contrary the three wee anecdotes set up for the Unionist leaders

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In the last three weeks I know of someone who is 83rd in the list of seeing a doctor in accident and emergency. There were 83 patients before them and they had to wait ten hours to be seen. I know someone who has waited over two and a half years to get an audiology test. Driven towards paying £1800 to buy from a high street store. Within four days, they had their hearing aids. We also know of someone who has been on a waiting list, we keep talking about bringing them down, the Scottish nationalist party (sic) they … Continue reading How actual facts prove there is no two-tier health system in Scotland contrary the three wee anecdotes set up for the Unionist leaders

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NHS Scotland trains nearly TWICE as many nurses, per capita, as NHS England every year yet the Royal College of Nursing is only campaigning against the SNP in Scotland in an election run-up

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The Herald and other press operating in Scotland today have this story from the Royal College of Nursing: Scotland is currently missing the equivalent of an entire year’s cohort of nursing students, with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) warning that rapid action is necessary to address the declining number of people applying to study nursing. The RCN has stated that more than 3,500 fewer students have started nursing degrees over the last four years than the Scottish Government said were needed, leaving a gap that equals an entire annual intake. This “missing cohort” will impact hospitals, community services, and care settings for years to come. The RCN has urged politicians to take decisive action to promote nursing careers and support individuals who choose to study nursing, including providing clear pathways for career progression and stronger financial support for students. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26009297.nurses-stark-warning-parties-entire-years-cohort-missing/ It’s not on the BBC Scotland News website but I’m guessing that Reporting Scotland Down and Good Mourning Scotland broadcasts will be all over it. The RCN has nothing about nurse recruitment in England and yet: The Scotsman in February 2025 was front-paging Alarm over fresh drop in applicants for nurses course based on a 2% reduction in applications, from 4 650 to 4 560, six months before ‘clearing’ processes in the week and months before courses start, can fill the missing places. The ‘alarm’ was from a … Continue reading NHS Scotland trains nearly TWICE as many nurses, per capita, as NHS England every year yet the Royal College of Nursing is only campaigning against the SNP in Scotland in an election run-up

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CalMac ferries problems definitely not dominating real election campaign as they are of little interest to voters despite MSM efforts

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BBC Scotland today and yesterday: CalMac ferries problems dominate election campaigning – Ferries and the problems besetting CalMac’s services have dominated many of the day’s exchanges on the election campaign. First Minister John Swinney travelled to Stornoway, where he announced a new SNP government would set up a £10m resilience fund to help communities and businesses affected by the recent ferry disruption. His political opponents claimed it was a problem of the SNP’s own making, and Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said Swinney should be “ashamed” of the “ferry fiasco”. and: Labour promised to fix the “broken” ferries system with … Continue reading CalMac ferries problems definitely not dominating real election campaign as they are of little interest to voters despite MSM efforts

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Why Labour and others are wrong in seeking to merge CalMac and CMAL, why Norway does not compare and how the current system protects the islanders from the harsh economies they would face

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The initial decision to separate ownership/procurement (CMAL) from operations (CalMac) in 2006, by Jack McConnell and Douglas Alexander, was based on the notion that it can create better incentives for efficiency and performance while allowing the public sector to retain strategic control over fares, service standards, routes, quality, and subsidies, to protect islanders. Contrary to the media frenzy driven largely by an inarticulate, evidence-free, media-constructed popular culture and/or explicit opposition party opportunism, it has worked to protect islanders. While some have insisted on comparison only with Norway, $2 trillion in the bank and full independence, while Scotland, one hand tied … Continue reading Why Labour and others are wrong in seeking to merge CalMac and CMAL, why Norway does not compare and how the current system protects the islanders from the harsh economies they would face