Tag: snp

11 Comments

SNP critic in the Times hides the fact that she is on the Scottish Labour executive committee to mislead on pay settlements

johnrobertson834

In the Times today: Health workers ‘driven out by SNP’s financial incompetence’ – The Scottish government has left the NHS under severe strain by budgeting for unrealistically low pay settlements, says Louise Gilmour of the GMB union Not revealed, this: What has the SNP Scottish Government settled on? The Scottish Government’s pay settlement for NHS staff on Agenda for Change contracts for 2024-25 is a 5.5% pay increase, effective from April 1, 2024. What has the Labour UK Government settled on? The Labour government has agreed to a 5.5% pay increase for NHS staff in England, effective from April 1, 2024. Sources: … Continue reading SNP critic in the Times hides the fact that she is on the Scottish Labour executive committee to mislead on pay settlements

1 Comment

£1.3 million in police funding to fight drug gangs frittered away on investigating SNP’s vired finances

johnrobertson834

From millsjames1949 today: Just a thought , but perhaps some of the many , many hours devoted to the SNP Financegate investigation could have been better spent on serious criminal activity. Just so. As of February 2024, Police Scotland had spent over an estimated £1.3 million on the investigation into SNP finances, according to a Freedom of Information release.1 Police Scotland serves a population of 5.4 million. The Met in London serves 9 million and has just invested £9 million to tackle the plague of County Lines drug gangs.2 So, pro rata, Police Scotland might need to spend around £5 million to … Continue reading £1.3 million in police funding to fight drug gangs frittered away on investigating SNP’s vired finances

2 Comments

Ferries cannot be seen coping with high seas for immense £66 billion high pile of HS2 waste on BBC Scotland

johnrobertson834

By Anonymous Breaking news from a broken media aka the BBC Website reporting on the Storm where they could just not stop themselves from including Ferries in the equation of impacted services cancelled because of the Storm. “Ferry operator CalMac cancelled almost all of its Sunday sailings, cutting off services to the islands including Arran, Bute, Lewis and Harris” This obsession via the BBC in Scotland with the ferries in Scotland aka ‘the worst Ferries in the world’, allegedly , and all from Scotland only , apparently. (according to the BBC that is). A wee storm was it ( amber and yellow weather warnings) and still they cancel their Ferry services in Scotland (would … Continue reading Ferries cannot be seen coping with high seas for immense £66 billion high pile of HS2 waste on BBC Scotland

3 Comments

Research report – ‘One child having a gun held to their head – gangs, coming up from England and introducing new types of violence and intimidation tactics that have not been seen in Scotland previously’

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson Man thanks to cuckooshoe for alerting me to this important report which I and, of course, BBC Scotland missed: From Understanding Child Criminal Exploitation in Scotland: A Scoping Review, commissioned by CYCJ, Action for Scotland and the Scottish Government and published in May 2023, these dramatic facts were totally ignored by Scottish media: When focusing on Scotland, the NCLCC has noted county lines running from the primary originating areas (i.e. West Midlands, Merseyside and London) into Scotland for which joint operations have been conducted with Police Scotland. Criminal exploitation through drug activity has also been identified as … Continue reading Research report – ‘One child having a gun held to their head – gangs, coming up from England and introducing new types of violence and intimidation tactics that have not been seen in Scotland previously’

8 Comments

Yet another ‘trial by media’ attempt against the SNP

johnrobertson834

By Anonymous Omission being just as important as misinformation in the ‘News where you are”. However BBC Scotland are not alone in bad reporting. I noted online, via Twitter, a headline in yesterday’s ‘Sunday Post’ “Investigation into SNP finances drags on as experts say the Police need 1000 more officers” and under this headline they also state “just 30 specialists available to tackle £20 billion crimewave“. You would be forgiven in thinking that all of the above in that headline and also what was written underneath it was all pertaining to the Police investigation into the SNP finances. However if you read the content of the story underneath you will see the ‘extra’ officers and the “£20 … Continue reading Yet another ‘trial by media’ attempt against the SNP

3 Comments

John Swinney’s local schools close to delight BBC Reporting Scotland but why can janitor, cook and cleaner strikes close schools in Scotland but not in England?

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson BBC Reporting Scotland can barely contain themselves as they get a story of ‘staff’ on strike closing schools in John Swinney’s constituency, show him walking around a school, rather than the responsible local council chief and, in the online version, lead off with: All of the primary schools in Perth and Kinross are closed after non-teaching school staff began strike action in First Minister John Swinney’s constituency. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g4n09qm51o The Reporting Scotland broadcast is careful to drop that ‘non-teaching‘ bit so that you might think teachers are out too, against the FM! The directly responsible body, COSLA, is … Continue reading John Swinney’s local schools close to delight BBC Reporting Scotland but why can janitor, cook and cleaner strikes close schools in Scotland but not in England?

7 Comments

‘Will Scotland Ever Become Independent?’

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson In the highly influential finance magazine, Forbes, yesterday, there is a discussion of the above question which inevitably focuses on as, they put it ‘household finances‘: At the time of the referendum, there was great interest in the prospect of Scotland going it alone, and the way the Scots might dis-engage their economy from England was the focus of attention. In many respects the downfall of the independence side was that they became mired in an argument over the kind of currency arrangement Scotland might have, and the resulting impact that this could have on household … Continue reading ‘Will Scotland Ever Become Independent?’

6 Comments

‘There are no mandates to ensure GB Energy and foreign energy firms source from UK suppliers’

johnrobertson834

By Anonymous UK government Scotland tweet on 15 October 2024: “Yesterday the UK Government secured £63 billion of investment to provide almost 38,000 jobs. Scotland will benefit from the UK Government’s plans to drive growth. Some quickfire qs to Scottish Secretary @IanMurrayMP on why Scotland is the place to invest”. (Note how this tweet does not specify that the “38,000 jobs” will be in Scotland in fact they only mention Scotland as supposdley benefitting via the “UK government’s plans to drive growth” but then how will Scotland benefit from that , as surely it is more their whole UK , as in mainly one part of it- not Scotland- that will derive more benefits, to include majority of jobs and “growth“, which will also then include … Continue reading ‘There are no mandates to ensure GB Energy and foreign energy firms source from UK suppliers’

19 Comments

The endless stream of supposedly intelligent media cartoons misrepresenting the campaign for Scottish independence and now still offensive on the death of Alex Salmond

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson OBA When I first saw the above guardian cartoon, I didn’t know what to make of it. @Prae54Rae gets it. It’s endless. A foul-smelling stream of supposedly liberal leftist sentiment, as confused and snearing, as any on the hard right in England. Here’s the previous: Peter Brookes in the Times, gleefully shared by the slimy be-wigged lard-bucket that is Andrew Neil, the above. Imagine doing that with the leaders of any other country? Sadly, it’s not new. In February 2024, again from Peter Brookes in the Times, a snide and offensive take on the SNP’s supposed troubles. … Continue reading The endless stream of supposedly intelligent media cartoons misrepresenting the campaign for Scottish independence and now still offensive on the death of Alex Salmond

5 Comments

Incompetent Welsh Labour councils face nearly 20% higher cuts than in Scotland, including free bus travel for the young, despite same UK Labour Government funding cuts

johnrobertson834

From BBC Wales yesterday: Welsh councils are facing “unsustainable” budget pressures over the next few years according to the body which represents them. The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said funding shortfalls could “significantly impact” councils’ ability to deliver essential services. The BBC has identified a budget shortfall of at least £540m across Wales by 2026-27. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2kevnevwxo From Audit Scotland, in May 2024: Scotland’s councils are facing a significant gap in the money needed to deliver local services and the money they have available. Together, all 32 councils have a gap of £585 million. This is estimated to increase to … Continue reading Incompetent Welsh Labour councils face nearly 20% higher cuts than in Scotland, including free bus travel for the young, despite same UK Labour Government funding cuts