Tag: scotland

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Ad Hominem Attacks

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By TuS friend and helper, Frances McKie, from a letter to the Times she does not expect to see published: From football to politics, most of us eventually learn that targeting  the opponent- instead of the goal- is foul play. It is also the mark of fear, desperation and- most importantly- losers.  Scotland has been witnessing such behaviour since September 19th 2014  when, apparently, according to her loyal servant, David Cameron, Queen Elizabeth the First of the UK  “purred” with relief that  Westminster’s grip on what is more or less the ” last colony”  was still- just- intact.  However, in … Continue reading Ad Hominem Attacks

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Shock as absence of ‘ferry fixation’ revealed

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From Transport Scotland – Information regarding fixated correspondents: FOI release published today: Information requested Information on what topics fixated correspondents have written about and how many times, including copies of emails from and to the individuals. Response To provide some context, the terms fixated and persistent are used interchangeably. Both terms are used to describe a correspondent who writes in on the same topic(s) in a repetitive manner despite their query receiving a full and complete response. While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have … Continue reading Shock as absence of ‘ferry fixation’ revealed

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How can the Guardian claim to be a member of the free press when it supports colonialism in Scotland and its editor won’t even acknowledge a polite letter asking why?

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The Guardian continues to locate itself among the ‘free press’: The Guardian has something many news organisations today don’t: guaranteed independence. With no billionaire or large corporate owner, our journalists are free to report without interference. Our role is to hold power to account, not answer to it. We value whatever you can spare, but a monthly subscription makes the most impact, enabling greater investment in our most crucial, fearless journalism. Thank you. Those of us ‘up here’ know that the Guardian, to this day, reports events in Scotland biased in favour of the Scottish Labour Branch’s interests. For many examples, … Continue reading How can the Guardian claim to be a member of the free press when it supports colonialism in Scotland and its editor won’t even acknowledge a polite letter asking why?

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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: 330 out of 650 UK … 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’