90% of local authorities in England ‘failed to submit reliable data’ to their national ‘watchdog’ but it’s not covered by media – Imagine that happened in Scotland?

By stewartb A notable statement has been published today from the National Audit Office. The NAO performs a similar role to Audit Scotland but has a quite different public profile: whereas BBC Scotland and others in the mainstream media crawl through every line of every report published by Audit Scotland searching for ‘juicy’ negatives, the NAO’s output gets little mainstream news coverage in England or UK-wide, even when reporting significant negative findings. Today’s NAO report is clearly a major ‘negative’ – and the first of its kind ever – but at the time of writing this comment, there is nothing about it … Continue reading 90% of local authorities in England ‘failed to submit reliable data’ to their national ‘watchdog’ but it’s not covered by media – Imagine that happened in Scotland?

Boris Johnson’s former aide owns a company with no previous polling experience to claim SNP supporters support nuclear energy and a Yorkshire-based ‘Scotsman’ reports it for you – I’d really like to see the full report – I smell something

Ed: I’d really like to see their data and methods but can’t see them anywhere. If you can find anything let me know. By Liz S The Scotsman published a story yesterday that stated “Majority of SNP’s voters believe nuclear power should be part of Scotland’s mix of clean energy generation” this has now been declared nowt more than a PR stunt . The Scotsman , which as a newspaper has kept it’s quaint name, I say quaint as a name , as clearly it supports anyone but a person of Scottish origin, and surely in it still retaining the name “The … Continue reading Boris Johnson’s former aide owns a company with no previous polling experience to claim SNP supporters support nuclear energy and a Yorkshire-based ‘Scotsman’ reports it for you – I’d really like to see the full report – I smell something

Grangemouth oil refinery – to have “failed” to make a profit at a time of such high oil prices is unimaginable

By George Caldow In what little coverage (I have given up on expecting proper analysis in Scottish or UK MSM) I have seen or read, it has been about points scoring by Politicians. The truth is not so easily constrained within a soundbite. Ineos’s management is poor. To have “failed” to make a profit at a time of such high oil prices is unimaginable however they state they have. We have had statements of intent regarding introducing new technologies yet they have failed to complete many of the projects announced to much fanfare. They received money from the Scottish Government … Continue reading Grangemouth oil refinery – to have “failed” to make a profit at a time of such high oil prices is unimaginable

Anas Sarwar’s shameless opportunism exposed at STUC Conference

By Liz S  A delegate at the STUC Conference tells Anas Sarwar and Labour a few home truths on Grangemouth. The Morning Star also noted this in their headline: “Scottish Labour leader’s ‘shameless opportunism’ slammed” The delegate stated this: “As I stand here, workers at Grangemouth — my friends and my colleagues — will walk out for the last time as over a century of oil refining comes to an end,” ‘”It’s a private business, there’s nothing we can do, it’s a commercial decision’ — that’s what they’ve been telling us, and yet everything we called for has happened, just not at Grangemouth” (He, … Continue reading Anas Sarwar’s shameless opportunism exposed at STUC Conference

First Minister’s major speech to STUC ignored

Professor John Robertson OBA First Minister John Swinney’s major speech to the STUC today is being largely ignored. BBC Scotland fully covers all of Labour Leader, Ana Sarwar’s speeches including those to the modestly-attended party conferences. Swinney’s speech is wide ranging, optimistic and challenging on key issues such as the future of Grangemouth, Dundee University, energy, cost of living and poverty, yet the broadcasters and the so-called trusted press fail in their duty to report. He begins: It’s a pleasure to be here today to address the STUC Congress and particularly to be able to do that for the first … Continue reading First Minister’s major speech to STUC ignored

They get the feast we get the crumbs, again – Labour’s GB energy projects ‘across the country….of England

By Liz S “Miliband said, “I’m not going to take a decision that is going to raise prices in some parts of the country. That is not what I’m going to do” Really ? Yet when he was interviewed by ITV in March of this year, where they reported that he said this (and he did , because he also tweeted this himself). ‘It’s going to make a difference to so many pupils and so many patients’ Ed Miliband says schools and hospitals will get ‘tens of thousands of pounds’ off their energy bills as they get new solar panels The plans … Continue reading They get the feast we get the crumbs, again – Labour’s GB energy projects ‘across the country….of England

Starmer’s celebratory video for his (real) country’s patron saint, that is England

By Liz S Well here we are again , another St George’s day and another yearly ‘special’ celebratory video from the now, checks notes, UK PM , Sir Keir Starmer. Prior to him becoming the new UK PM, as in when he was merely the official opposition UK leader , Keir used to also do a ‘special’ celebratory video for his (real) country’s Patron saint, that is England. Scotland & Wales are not given the same ‘special’ celebratory video from Sir Keir the UK PM as that job is delegated to the minions (understudies) in the respective two English colonies, i.e. Scotland & Wales via the respective Labour branch office managers. … Continue reading Starmer’s celebratory video for his (real) country’s patron saint, that is England

As UK Labour plan big cuts and more face-to-face assessments of the kind which increased suicide rates, SNP introduces new humanely-assessed benefit for elderly and disabled to media silence

Professor John Robertson OBA Getting little media coverage today – the National, the Record, the Mirror, some locals, but not BBC Scotland or STV: ‘Milestone’ as SNP launch new disability benefit across Scotland That’s the Ardrossan Herald, above, recognising the headline-worthy, you’d think, nature of this announcement. From Econostratum today: A new benefit has been introduced for older people in Scotland, offering monthly payments of up to £441 for individuals with disabilities or long-term health conditions. The Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) is designed to replace Attendance Allowance for new claimants, starting on April 22, 2025. This measure aims to enhance financial … Continue reading As UK Labour plan big cuts and more face-to-face assessments of the kind which increased suicide rates, SNP introduces new humanely-assessed benefit for elderly and disabled to media silence

Will Scottish Labour MPs vote against Starmer’s surrender of fishing rights for new EU arms deal?

Sir Keir Starmer is close to striking a major deal with the EU that would let British arms companies sell billions of pounds of weapons to European allies, it has emerged.Under the agreement, UK companies would be able to bid for business under the bloc’s new €150 billion (£130 billion) defence fund. But the deal comes after the UK reportedly made major concessions to Brussels on EU access to Britain’s fishing waters, in what critics will likely see as a betrayal of Brexit. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/starmer-eu-brexit-reset-defence-fishing-b2737088.html Note the disinterested ‘critics will likely see’ from ‘liberal’, metropolitan media outlet. How much does this matter to Scotland? Above, the big picture of … Continue reading Will Scottish Labour MPs vote against Starmer’s surrender of fishing rights for new EU arms deal?

Who are Labour and what are they for ?

Liz S Who are Labour and what are they for ? Well most of us in Scotland worked out the answers to those Q’s ages ago and now some in England are finally catching up to what we already knew. I mean think about who once were MP’s in the Labour party and who still are Labour MP’s in the Labour party and then think about who are some of the supposed new faces that were elected as Labour MP’s last year in the UK GE. (new faces ? Douglas Alexander ? Johanna Baxter ?, Blair McDougall ?, Scott Arthur ?, Martin McClusky ?, Torcuil Crichton ? , Pamela … Continue reading Who are Labour and what are they for ?