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

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?

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

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

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

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?

Will Scottish Labour donor call for Matheson to be shot?

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom of Information attempt and edited photies to put Sturgeon in police car

I don’t know if the above fake image is any better or worse than the one Princess Kate did of her own family but Nicola in a polis car clearly floats a few boats. Just last week, Police Scotland responded to this daftie: Your recent request for information is replicated below, together with our response. Under the Freedom of Information Scotland Act, I am interested to know if it was a Police Car that was used to take Nicola Sturgeon to the Covid Enquiry in Edinburgh this morning.   If so, why was this and also what was the cost involved … Continue reading Freedom of Information attempt and edited photies to put Sturgeon in police car

New SNP hate crime law – Tory prof and trade unionists have not a scooby

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/ Both the Scotsman and the Herald are running with the notion that the implementation of the SNP’s new Hate Crime law will make extra work for, and confuse, already hard-pressed officers, leading to possible wrongful arrests. Says who? First, the SPF, the police officers trade union has concerns because of ‘cutbacks’. They’re a trade union, I understand. When management tries to make you do something new, you resist. I felt just the same at … Continue reading New SNP hate crime law – Tory prof and trade unionists have not a scooby

Third tower block fire in Scotland contained on one floor with no casualties proves no Grenfell risk here

The Scottish media is full of accusations that the SNP Government is failing to spend the ‘almost £100m from the UK government‘ on fireproof cladding to avert a Grenfell ‘towering inferno‘ here. From BBC Scotland this morning: Residents have been evacuated after a fire broke out at flats in Edinburgh in the early hours of the morning. Around 45 firefighters have been tackling the blaze in Breadalbane Street, Leith, with Police Scotland also in attendance. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said it sent nine fire engines and a height appliance to the scene after the alarm was raised … Continue reading Third tower block fire in Scotland contained on one floor with no casualties proves no Grenfell risk here