Tag: scotland

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Disenfranchising Scottish Tory voters?

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Leah Gunn Barrett In today’s Scotsman, John McClellan claims that the First Minister’s wish to see all Tory MPs voted out in the general forthcoming general election is tantamount to disenfranchising Scottish voters. Nonsense. First, he doesn’t acknowledge the deep unpopularity of Sunak’s government and the concomitant decline in support for a party that has presided over a recession, falling living standards, rising inequality, increasing poverty and failing public services. Given this abysmal record, who in their right mind would vote Tory?  Second, the Scottish People haven’t voted for Tory since 1959 but have had to endure their execrable policies for half that time.  … Continue reading Disenfranchising Scottish Tory voters?

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‘Only seven countries meet WHO air quality standard, research finds’….plus Scotland

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According to the Guardian today, Scotland is not a country and by implication falls with the UK into the failed group. The latest WHO level for the deadly PM2.5 particles is 5 micrograms per cubic metre. Though no Scottish average seems available, you can, I find, go to the IQAir site and find the level of PM2.5 where you live. How about Glasgow High Street? 3.1, well under the WHO level. https://www.iqair.com/gb/uk/scotland/glasgow/glasgow-high-street To my surprise the partly-pedestrianised Ayr High Street – 5.7, just over. Aberdeen Anderson Drive – 4.5 Edinburgh Tower Street – 1.5! Busy Queensferry Road – 1.9 Bainsford … Continue reading ‘Only seven countries meet WHO air quality standard, research finds’….plus Scotland

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Islay ferries – Massively subsidised by the rest of us and seriously under-used yet still not good enough – Go tell Shakespeare?

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STV today has this: Islanders say Scotland’s ferry service is stumbling from crisis to crisis due to a lack of resilience in the system. Breakdowns and cancellations are causing disruption to businesses as well as missed hospital appointments. A new ferry for the Islay route was launched in Turkey at the weekend. It is due to be in service by the end of this year, with another due next year. While a welcome addition, residents there claim they have been dealing with a second-rate service while they are built and are facing another summer of disruption. https://news.stv.tv/west-central/tough-summer-looms-for-islay-businesses-suffering-from-second-rate-service-despite-promise-of-new-calmac-ferries There’s more, much … Continue reading Islay ferries – Massively subsidised by the rest of us and seriously under-used yet still not good enough – Go tell Shakespeare?

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Why does only Scotland need to hear of national grid problems it does not actually have?

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Included in Reporting Scotland’s very short insert in BBC Breakfast and the main story on the BBC Scotland website (below), ‘The National Grid’ and its need for massive investment to make sure it can provide the flow of electricity to ‘homes and businesses’, makes no mention of the key fact that Scotland does not ‘need’ this at all; the rest of the UK does. Scotland is currently transferring 1.69TWh of electricity per month to England, more than 20TWh in 2023 and on some days (above graph) pushing 30TWh. https://news.duke-energy.com/releases/duke-energy-customers-surpass-1-terawatt-of-energy-savings-through-my-home-energy-report-program 1TWh would sell globally for about $120 000 per hour, so … Continue reading Why does only Scotland need to hear of national grid problems it does not actually have?

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Thanks to SNP policies Scots far less likely to have fallen behind on bill payments

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Media reports based on research by Debt Justice today have drawn attention to large numbers unable to keep up with debt payments after 14 years of Tory mismanagement of the economy, soaring costs and high taxation. The researchers kindly provided me with the breakdown across the 4 nations, not being covered in other media reporting. In South-east England, 21% had fallen behind or missed payments on any three months in the last year. In the North of England, it was 16% and in the Midlands, it was 14%. In sharp contrast, in Scotland the figure was 9%. These differences are … Continue reading Thanks to SNP policies Scots far less likely to have fallen behind on bill payments

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‘Police Scotland acts to protect young people from County Lines drug dealers’ – how long can BBC Scotland stem the tide of local media coverage?

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Even BBC Scotland’s ‘local’ website for the Midlothian area has nothing on the serious matter of County Lines drug gangs from large cities in England terrorising small town Scotland. To be fair they have covered the arrest of a ‘beer bike’ to stem the flow of that crime wave also terrorising small town Scotland. In my local area, you can’t cross the street for ‘beer bikes’ hurtling by. Back to the point. Why Midlothian? This: The lads at the Midlothian View Reporter are on the ball but perhaps we’re being unfair to that ancient defender, the Scotsman? Drug gangs from … Continue reading ‘Police Scotland acts to protect young people from County Lines drug dealers’ – how long can BBC Scotland stem the tide of local media coverage?

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Will Scottish Labour donor call for Matheson to be shot?

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Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ By NMRN BBC Scotland website Politics page third story….a continuing saga…..on… Michael Mathieson…..who is… The former Health Secretary……as he…. Resigned. The End.…no….that cannot be allowed to be….as To aggravate matters on this situation even further……now he has ….via BBC article…. “been found to have breached the MSPs code of conduct“…and thus…. “The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) published its findings on Thursday”. “Holyrood’s standards committee will now decide if he should be sanctioned”…..and… Of course in this story on BBC Scotland’s politics page we … Continue reading Will Scottish Labour donor call for Matheson to be shot?

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BBC Scotland Business covers Scotland’s economy thriving under SNP leadership despite the limits

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Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ From the Scottish Government yesterday: BBC Scotland’s coverage today: Ferries! Remember the ferry quota! Is the above from the SNP Government not just a freaky statistical exception? From the ONS in June 2023: Freaky stats? Nope, a purple patch for Scotland going back decades. ‘From 2016 to 2021, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all had a trade surplus?’ Well, for two of those, not so much you’d be rolling out the capital investment on … Continue reading BBC Scotland Business covers Scotland’s economy thriving under SNP leadership despite the limits

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BBC Scotland fails to notice Police Scotland raiding 24 Scottish homes alongside Dorset officers in pursuit of gangs with XL bullies exploiting 22 vulnerable people in Aberdeen

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Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ STV, Sky, the National and the Daily Mail, along with the locals are following these dramatic events. From STV News today: Eight XL bully dogs and more than 600 weapons including guns, nunchucks and knuckledusters have been seized in a week of police raids on county lines drug gangs across the UK. A total of 1,874 suspects were arrested across the country in the week ending March 10, with 245 drug dealing phone lines closed down. Another 1,653 people … Continue reading BBC Scotland fails to notice Police Scotland raiding 24 Scottish homes alongside Dorset officers in pursuit of gangs with XL bullies exploiting 22 vulnerable people in Aberdeen

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Official UK Parliament evidence that SNP management of the economy after Covid has meant far more recovery than in England or Wales

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The above data table is from People claiming unemployment benefits by constituency, a Research Briefing, Published Tuesday, 12 March, 2024, a UK Parliament publication at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8748/ The Guardian has been digging in the data for evidence of the soaring number unavailable for work due to mental health problems. The BBC UK’s Economy team are on it with More than a fifth of UK adults not looking for work, but BBC Scotland is full of Michael Matheson and Hate Crime. BBC Scotland Business just has a link to the BBC UK Economy report. A quick look at the extreme right hand column … Continue reading Official UK Parliament evidence that SNP management of the economy after Covid has meant far more recovery than in England or Wales