Tag: scotland

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Women in West Dunbartonshire must wonder what difference having a leading Labour in Scotland politician’s ‘support’ makes?

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BY stewartb Labour’s Jackie Baillie has made much of her support for the WASPI women. The official website of Labour in Scotland’s Deputy Leader still has this from 7 November 2018: ‘MP AND MSP CALL FOR WOMEN AFFECTED BY STATE PENSION CHANGES TO GET INVOLVED IN WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE WASPI GROUP’. ‘Jackie said: “I am delighted that local women are willing to take the WASPI campaign forward, to raise awareness and gather more support locally. WASPI women have been badly affected by the DWP’s State Pension Changes, they have been given little or no notice and no time to plan for … Continue reading Women in West Dunbartonshire must wonder what difference having a leading Labour in Scotland politician’s ‘support’ makes?

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The WASPI women will not be so easily taken in as some in Scotland were in 2014

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BY NMRN Well if you, like Jackie Baillie, were pictured standing beside WASPI women and a banner that says ‘WASPI West Dunbartonshire’…..then you as a politician representing that area had better be prepared to follow through and continue to promote their WASPI cause…..more so when or if Labour are elected as the next UK Government……because the WASPI women will not go away, will never give up their fight and irrespective of who holds the public purse as the UK Government …well WASPI women will look to them for compensation and to redress the injustice that has happened because of a … Continue reading The WASPI women will not be so easily taken in as some in Scotland were in 2014

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Everyone in Scotland now benefits from the progressive SNP national council tax freeze.

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All the rebel authorities have backed down to allow all of their constituents to benefit. While Labour, Tory and LibDem councils tried to impose big council tax hikes, it was an SNP government which has protected family budgets during this cost-of-living crisis. As well as showing a clear difference between the SNP and the Westminster parties, it also stands as an example to show voters how decisions made in Scotland prove better for the people of Scotland. It was the SNP that delivered a policy to protect people during a cost-of-living crisis. The above is from SNP Media. Progressive? Surely not? In December … Continue reading Everyone in Scotland now benefits from the progressive SNP national council tax freeze.

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Worse than England – Pisa scores fiasco leads to NINTH Welsh Education minister since devolution

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By stewartb I’m not one to consider that an education system should be judged on just the OECD’s PISA scoring but there is something to be said for comparing reactions by politicians to such scores for different parts of the UK. When the last set of PISA results for Scotland were reported on the BBC News website on 5 December 2023, we learned that ‘Performance in Scotland’s high schools has slipped according to new international research on education.’ With countries across the world receiving scores that were better or indeed more often worse than before, there are likely to be … Continue reading Worse than England – Pisa scores fiasco leads to NINTH Welsh Education minister since devolution

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How SNP minister tried to show minister the way to reduced child poverty

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By stewartb On 4 March 2024 the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP wrote to the Secretary of State for Work, the Rt Hon Mel Stride MP on the subject of child poverty and support for the most vulnerable. What follows are extracts from her letter. Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/child-poverty-support-vulnerable-letter-uk-government/ ‘Ahead of the Spring Budget, I am writing to set out key actions which we are calling on the UK Government to take to tackle child poverty and support the most vulnerable in our society. In Scotland, we are doing everything within the scope of our powers and limited … Continue reading How SNP minister tried to show minister the way to reduced child poverty

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New SNP, Green rates relief cut is fair and yet another progressive move to the left of Labour

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You have to laugh at these two Herald headlines (above and below) today: SNP, Green government rates grab will ‘penalise’ Scots and this opening text: Owners of historic and business properties and even vacant land are facing a new rates bombshell with relief on empty buildings and development land about to be axed overnight. The first many will know about it will be the “heavy sound of the rates invoice on the mat” and the move threatens growth and investment as business owners with empty buildings and vacant land who currently don’t pay anything will face a bill of many thousands of … Continue reading New SNP, Green rates relief cut is fair and yet another progressive move to the left of Labour

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Violent Wolverhampton drugs gang arrests in Edinburgh not in public interest here apparently

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From PA Scotland yesterday (the above is a Wolverhampton-based gang; perhaps the same one but there are several): Six men have been arrested as part of a day of action targeting “county lines” drug supplies into Edinburgh. Detectives said the men, aged 38, 30, 29, 24, 22 and 21, were arrested in Edinburgh and Wolverhampton on Wednesday and charged in connection with various drug offences. Police said small quantities of crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis, along with a four-figure sum of cash, were recovered during the operation. Detectives from Edinburgh have made a number of arrests in a day of action aimed … Continue reading Violent Wolverhampton drugs gang arrests in Edinburgh not in public interest here apparently

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Beauty treatment – BBC ecstatic to report ‘Scotland worst in Europe’ again as Fife woman dies in Türkiye

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beauticians providing customers with cosmetic injections, according to healthcare professionals. Close thing there with that claim. Türkiye is in the Eurovision Song Contest and many go there for cosmetic surgery. BBC Scotland, first thing and throughout the day has another ‘expert’ to damn the Scottish Government for lack of action. Yesterday, it was a London-based climate change rep. The ‘healthcare professionals?’ Frances Turner Traill of the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses. The evidence? From the longer website report: Jackie Partridge of the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses said: “Colleagues across the rest of the world are shocked and in disbelief … Continue reading Beauty treatment – BBC ecstatic to report ‘Scotland worst in Europe’ again as Fife woman dies in Türkiye

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Alcohol-related hospitalisation rates continue to plummet after Labour mismanagement ends

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In the years of Labour government at Holyrood, alcohol-related hospital admissions to general acute hospitals, climbed steadily and worryingly, to peak in 2006/2007. From then on as the SNP in government began their push toward a more equal society with enhanced benefits, more progressive taxation, lower rent and rates and more affordable housing than elsewhere in the UK, they have fallen steadily. In addition, the SNP Minimum Unit Pricing scheme has now been running for six years. Some researchers have been keen to suggest it has not been effective but have no other explanation for the continued and accelerating fall since … Continue reading Alcohol-related hospitalisation rates continue to plummet after Labour mismanagement ends

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Climate change – ‘Why don’t they do it as well as the Scots?’

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there is a target that can’t be met, so it is a shame we have to give that message to the Scottish Government but what is behind it is behind it is a lack of progress all round. The above comments follow on from the opening headline claim by BBC Scotland that: Climate experts say a target for a 75% emissions cut by 2030 is out of reach and make much of its ‘legally-binding’ nature. Chris Stark above is the Chief Executive of the CCC, just about to leave them, so must be well-informed of progress or otherwise made by … Continue reading Climate change – ‘Why don’t they do it as well as the Scots?’