Tag: scotland

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What does a political mandate for putting a major constitutional question to the electorate look like in the UK?

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By stewartb Recall that Prime Minister, David Cameron announced on 23 January 2013 that if the Conservative Party was elected to power following the 2015 general election, it would hold a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU in the next Parliament. Cameron’s government published a draft European Union (Referendum) Bill in May 2013. The Tories won the 2015 GE: the European Union Referendum Bill 2015-16 was introduced in the House of Commons in May 2015 and it received Royal Assent on 17 December 2015. In the 2015 general election, the Conservative Party won: The referendum was held with … Continue reading What does a political mandate for putting a major constitutional question to the electorate look like in the UK?

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The Great Scottish Ferry Inconvenience Media War

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Lesley Riddoch in her early April 2026 podcast said on the ferries crisis (literally) I’ve got to say personally, I’m sick of hearing people on the mainland ‘attack islanders’ for simply expecting that they can be connected. Just to remind you we all live on an island, and it would be a bit like saying Scotland’s a bit too expensive to include in UK national systems so let’s just charge them more. We wouldnae, would we?’ Who are those ‘people’ attacking islanders then? Turns out it’s me! ‘I’m probably gonna lose some friends on this because I am absolutely sick … Continue reading The Great Scottish Ferry Inconvenience Media War

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‘The SNP’s childcare proposals build on a sustained, multi‑year expansion with measurable benefits for families’

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From BBC Scotland yesterday, the above and: The SNP’s plans to expand free childcare have been criticised by Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives as a “gimmick” and lacking in detail. Is that true? Let’s ask an intelligent speedy independent source: Look at the actual proposals and the Scottish Government’s history of action on free childcare, including relative to England or Wales to assess whether this is just a gimmick or real plan with benefits for parents. From use.ai: Looking at the SNP’s actual proposals and track record on childcare, it would not be accurate to characterise the current plan as “just a gimmick.” … Continue reading ‘The SNP’s childcare proposals build on a sustained, multi‑year expansion with measurable benefits for families’

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Prioritising citizens over corporations – Scottish Government sets a precedent for other nations but you won’t hear of it

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According to Secret Glasgow on 24 April 2026, the above and: Global attention is currently fixed on the Scottish Government, which has successfully introduced an Act that sets a precedent most nations have yet to follow. Although it hasn’t dominated local headlines, international media and social platforms are praising the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Act 2026 for its commitment to prioritising citizens over corporations. It’s official, the Community Wealth Building Bill has passed Royal Assent, and is now an Act.1 It’s getting, as pointed out, no media attention. What is Community Wealth Building? There are those on the left who would still undermine the SNP … Continue reading Prioritising citizens over corporations – Scottish Government sets a precedent for other nations but you won’t hear of it

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‘My partner was well looked after’ in a Scottish hospital A&E department

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Our Reporting Scotland Up team’s Lisa Brightside was in Glasgow’s super hospital interviewing patients as they left. We met Joe Murray and his partner and they told us about their experience. BBC Scotland’s Reporting Scotland Down team and Lisa Summers were there too but had ignored Joe because he was smiling and had gone off to find someone who had been infected by the pigeon poo they had spotted outside. Here’s what Joe told us: Four weeks ago I had to rush my partner to A&E in the Southern General Hospital in Govan.I had no time to phone 111 so … Continue reading ‘My partner was well looked after’ in a Scottish hospital A&E department

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Charity is calling for implementation of graded model of miscarriage aftercare already available in Scotland across the whole of the UK – NHS England still considering a pilot

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From BBC Health and on BBC Breakfast News today: Early care scheme could prevent thousands of miscarriages a year – In the Women’s Health Strategy announcement last week, the government said it was considering “wider adoption” across the NHS in England. Baroness Merron, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care said: “This will be carefully considered as part of our ongoing work to make sure women get the high-quality, compassionate NHS care they deserve.” NHS Scotland is already making improvements in miscarriage care, including not waiting until a third miscarriage and providing separate rooms in … Continue reading Charity is calling for implementation of graded model of miscarriage aftercare already available in Scotland across the whole of the UK – NHS England still considering a pilot

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‘The SNP won the 2011 Scottish election on an anti- austerity platform focused on tackling child poverty, reducing inequality, and building a more inclusive and universal approach to welfare’

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By stewartb Views on the economic and social policy context that Scotland in Union experiences can pop up in unexpected places. In this example, it’s in a report from the Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, University College London (UCL) on the implementation of free school meals in different countries. It’s co-authored by the Institute’s founding director, Mariana Mazzucato, professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value. The latter has a notably high reputation in the UK and internationally, including for work on various aspects of political economy and government policy development. This is the source document: Macfarlane and … Continue reading ‘The SNP won the 2011 Scottish election on an anti- austerity platform focused on tackling child poverty, reducing inequality, and building a more inclusive and universal approach to welfare’

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Herald writer’s suggestion of a ‘risk to life in 10 buildings as ScotGov post-Grenfell repairs stall’ is frankly stupid, dishonest and irresponsible tabloid scare mongering as…

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In the Herald today, Martin Williams has: 10 buildings in Scotland have had emergency safety measures put in place after being judged an “immediate risk to human life” — yet not a single block has been declared fully repaired under the national cladding programme, nearly nine years after the Grenfell Tower Fire. The intervention means some residents are relying on temporary protections such as additional fire safety systems, on-site monitoring and changes to evacuation plans while ‘dangerous’ cladding remains on their homes. What official, responsible, qualified body has ‘judged’ these 10 buildings to be ‘an immediate risk to human life?’ … Continue reading Herald writer’s suggestion of a ‘risk to life in 10 buildings as ScotGov post-Grenfell repairs stall’ is frankly stupid, dishonest and irresponsible tabloid scare mongering as…

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That BBC Scotland journalists ‘did not cover the referendum in the way they would have liked because of commands coming from London’ is untrue. It was because of this guy and others like him

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In the often excellent analysis by Prof Happer in the Herald yesterday, because it correctly identifies the bias in BBC Scotland as, for most staff, ‘structural’, ‘cultural‘ I’d say, I’d have to disagree with this: Happer, who speaks extensively to BBC Scotland staff, said: “BBC Scotland journalists felt they couldn’t cover the referendum in the way they would have liked because of commands coming from London” That’s a clear excuse, rewriting history. In 2014, I was approached by two younger staff at BBC Scotland News and neither mentioned commands from London. They did both say that the then Head of … Continue reading That BBC Scotland journalists ‘did not cover the referendum in the way they would have liked because of commands coming from London’ is untrue. It was because of this guy and others like him

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Four years after top Swedish health officer praises hospital safety programme now 15 years in place NHS Scotland pays out less than one sixth of the amount per head in malpractice claims compared to NHS England

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The Herald still desperately stoking the fires of supposed discontent with NHS Scotland which they hope might help save Anas Sarwar from a near extinction event on May 7/8. There is far bigger news on this issue. In 2023/2024 (latest) NHS Scotland payed out £47.3m for health-related complaints.1 All things being equal with ten times the population, you might expect the NHS England to be around £480m. It was £3.1bn! 2 More than 6 times as high, per head of population. Why such a difference? Scotland’s hospitals are safer. See this from 2022: Dr Pelle Gustafson, chief medical officer, of … Continue reading Four years after top Swedish health officer praises hospital safety programme now 15 years in place NHS Scotland pays out less than one sixth of the amount per head in malpractice claims compared to NHS England