Tag: scotland

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Labour in Starmer’s various speeches morph from the country being England…to Britain….to Wales….to Scotland….

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By NMRN So today I just got some election bumf through my door , in an envelope, addressed to me from the Labour party…..this is about the 5th piece of propaganda I have had from them. My area is the SNP Tommy Sheppard’s constituency Edinburgh East & Musselburgh and this is one of the seats that I think Labour are targeting really hard to win…..also I have had three sets of Labour canvassers at my door……so far……… that is…….. At the top of the letter was their empty slogan “Change” with a red background but neither a Union jack border nor … Continue reading Labour in Starmer’s various speeches morph from the country being England…to Britain….to Wales….to Scotland….

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Scots Wha Hae a’ the evidence?

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By Bill Warrin, to the same tune but with new words for these times and hot links to the evidence for each line at http://scotswhahae.online/. ScotsWhaHae.OnlineBest viewed in LandscapeSing to same tune as Scots Wha HaeThat celebrated an Indy battle won in 1314This is for the Indy battle to win on 4th of July THE SNP CARES FOR YOU BETTER THAN WESTMINSTERFree Prescriptions, Personal & Nursing Care,         SFree Uni Fees, Child Payment and many more.      V   Westminster chooses not to provide them.           BUnionists don’t like SNP showing them up,PTso If SNP lose their Westminster majority,FMwill Westminster cut Holyrood’s money,NUto stop the SNP providing … Continue reading Scots Wha Hae a’ the evidence?

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A Tale of Two Westminster Warriors on D Day – how the SNP and the Tories treat their wounded

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David Duguid, Banff and Buchan MP from June 2017 and, he thought until today, Conservative Candidate for a new seat, similar to the one he won for the second time in 2019, with an increased majority, and just over 50% of the vote. Duguid has been unwell but fully intended to stand again. He was adopted by the local Aberdeenshire North and Moray East branch for that purpose. Last night, he discovered that ‘the Party’ had de-selected him, as supposedly ‘unwell’, to replace him with the current Holyrood leader, Douglas Ross. This is despite Ross previously promising to stand down from … Continue reading A Tale of Two Westminster Warriors on D Day – how the SNP and the Tories treat their wounded

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Remaining in some corner of a foreign field that is ‘forever Scotland’, our army war dead, a greater sacrifice, 63% higher than the rest of the UK

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By Professor John Robertson In May 2020, after reading new research on Scotland’s share of UK war dead, I was able to write this: ‘Yet while the war dead of some countries were too numerous to count, we should be mindful that ‘Scotland is small enough to know all her sons by heart’ My headline comes from the conclusions to a thorough examination of the facts published in May 2019. I missed it at the time and, I suspect out media did too. Correct me if I’m wrong on that and anything else in this piece, of course. With the … Continue reading Remaining in some corner of a foreign field that is ‘forever Scotland’, our army war dead, a greater sacrifice, 63% higher than the rest of the UK

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While only BBC Scotland platform Labour to defend itself on tax plans, the SNP acts to save 329 000 children

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BBC Scotland’s agenda is clear, even on D Day – Labour must be defended. BBC UK? This: One smaller story. BBC Wales? Professional journalism. BBC Northern Ireland? The same. Meanwhile what is really happening in Scotland, to millions of us? This: The Scottish Government is estimated to have invested almost £1.4 billion to benefit children in low income households in the last financial year. The investment is detailed in an annual progress report which highlights key actions to tackle child poverty including: Kind of newsworthy but I see that it might increase support for the SNP and they can’t have … Continue reading While only BBC Scotland platform Labour to defend itself on tax plans, the SNP acts to save 329 000 children

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Scotland’s corridor care scare survey may be based on vanishingly small sample

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By stewartb The RCN is not a small, not a new, inexperienced organisation. Far from it! It has a long track record of advocacy on behalf of the nursing profession. Its continuing use of the name – the Royal College of Nursing – seems like an attempt to raise its status with the public as something other than ‘just’ a trade union. The document that is the subject of the main blog post is loftily described by the RCN as a ‘Policy Report’. It has been relatively well resourced: it has two authors plus no less than 15 other named … Continue reading Scotland’s corridor care scare survey may be based on vanishingly small sample

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10 000 NHS care appointments saved in days before election by Matheson’s efforts

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By Professor John Robertson In the Guardian today: Up to 100,000 patients in England face having their NHS care cancelled days before the general election after junior doctors announced a fresh wave of strike action, with Rishi Sunak saying it appeared to be politically motivated. Health leaders expressed alarm, warning the five-day strike would jeopardise efforts to tackle the record waiting list and “hit patients hard”. That means around 10 000 appointments have been saved from cancellation in Scotland. Why? Junior doctors have never withdrawn their labour in Scotland. Why is that? Junior doctors in Scotland have accepted a pay offer that includes a commitment … Continue reading 10 000 NHS care appointments saved in days before election by Matheson’s efforts

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NHS Scotland’s ‘hugely better’ performance that the Royal College prefers to obscure

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By stewartb The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) is a persistent and highly critical commentator on the responses of UK and devolved governments to the waiting times and capacity challenges facing NHS Emergency Departments in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For background, it is my contention – and I’d argue, provable by analysis of the RCEM’s past monthly press statements that following the release of performance data for the NHS in each of the four nations – that the RCEM (i) fails to acknowledge the relatively better performance of NHS Scotland; and (ii) adopts a tone in its … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s ‘hugely better’ performance that the Royal College prefers to obscure

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Imbalanced Reporting of Scotland to undermine the SNP

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Health Secretary Michael Matheson….. On Reporting Scotland’s short broadcast at 1.30 today, both political stories, SNP bad. 2 min 30 on the above topic, then straight onto a report on smart meters. Then at 4 min 47 sec in: to dual the A9 by 2025. 20 sec on that. Then should mobile phones be banned in School? Nothing on Ian Murray’s AirBNB income, Reform MP, Lee Anderson’s suggestion of sending refugees to the Western Isles, or the Scottish Tories being forced to drop their opposition to abortion buffer zones. This is all-too-typical. From 2nd June 2023 New Research finds BBC Scotland … Continue reading Imbalanced Reporting of Scotland to undermine the SNP

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Ferrymageddon as US travellers face four years or more of delays due to aging ferries

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By Professor John Robertson Today, in the Seattle Times: Washington ferry riders face a month of longer wait times as the 144-vehicle Suquamish ferry undergoes routine maintenance. Brought into service in 2018, Suquamish is the youngest ferry in WSF. With an average ferry age of 32, the system faces $270 million in deferred maintenance. Although the system needs 26 boats to run at full service, it currently has 21 ferries, so it’s on a reduced schedule for at least the next four years.  The average age of a CalMac ferry is 24. On May 3, we could also report: Washington State Ferries in … Continue reading Ferrymageddon as US travellers face four years or more of delays due to aging ferries