On the website (above) and on BBC 1 at 07:27 am, repeated throughout the morning we heard:
‘The Scottish Conservatives are calling on the spending watchdog Audit Scotland to carry out a full investigation into the construction of the new Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. It comes after a ‘senior’ trade union official suggested part of the building may have to be pulled down due to drainage problems.’
This is essentially a Scottish Conservatives press release, written up for them by BBC staff and using unsubstantiated rumours from an agenda-driven trade unionist who is allowed to present himself, sickeningly, as a worried father of two speaking ‘as a parent.’ The report clearly contravenes BBC editorial guidelines in relying on a single unqualified source quoting other unnamed sources. The report may not breach Daily Mail editorial guidelines. This is the second day of a hospital scare story running across the Scottish MSM in a way comparable to the pigeon poo infection stories s earlier in the year. Yesterday, we were able to compare (on Twitter) the highly politicised reports calling for dramatic responses including the resignation of the Health Secretary and now tearing down the building with the situation over a Liverpool hospital scandal where only the contractor was attacked:
Then cheerily:
‘The number of companies in Scotland declared insolvent has risen by 46% in six months.’
This based on statistics for a period of only six months. Even a beginner knows that you cannot meaningfully identify trends in such a short period and typically 3 to 5 years is recommended. The importance of not reacting to short-term change is revealed these reports for 2018 and 2017:
63% fall in large business insolvencies as Scottish economy reveals strength
Then:
‘The cost of rural crime in Scotland has soared by more than 60% in just one year. That’s according to farm insurers NFU Mutual…..the steepest rise in Britain!’
First, this is ‘research’ by an insurance company. They have a clear aim to maximise their premiums. Second, as you can see above, the headline story is ‘Rural crime costs far less in Scotland than in the rest of the UK.’
Put together, these three stories can only have had a powerful downward effect on viewers’ morale. We know that low morale leads to conservatism in action including in voting for or against change.
For the umpteenth time, I’m not suggestion a conspiracy because one is not needed. The possible choices of which story to run passed before the editor’s mind like falling snowflakes. He or she then reached out for some and not for others, because they seemed, to them, to be the right ones and they seem to be good choices because of the editor’s subconscious processing developed over years in an education system and in a Scottish media world saturated with unionist preferences.
Talking-up Scotland 
I believe its time for a new dictionary , a whole new set of earth shattering catastrophic words ,the Unionist press media and politicians have totally exhausted the present ones they dont seem to be having the desired effect , I believe this started with Robertson him of NATO fame predicting Armageddon if we voted “YES” in 2014 , how that clown became head of anything is beyond me , anyway expect more of this dross from the BBC Scotland’s branch office , protect the Union at any cost eh .
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A wonderful start to the week as usual from Good Morning Scotland , first up as usual SNP bad , Labour’s Monica Lennon along with her pal from Unison saying Jeanne Freeman the Health Secretary should “consider her position ” because of the building problems at the new Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital .No mention was made of contractors , designers, engineers or workforce getting it wrong , oh no , it was all the Health Secretaries fault , all of it and she must go . Desperate stuff coming from Labour , everything from them is political , their hate and their subordiate works union leaders hate for the SNP shows no bounds .
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As one of many genuine scandals in England’s NHS, The North Stafford Hospital Trust stands out.
Don’t you remember the Labour governments Health Secretary, Andy Burnham standing down, as “it was on his watch”? No, neither do I, because it never happened!
Don’t you remember the BBC running daily stories as to the culpability of Burnham (“on his watch”). No, neither do I, because it never happened!
Todays Ashcroft poll showing a majority if favour of Scottish self-government (the international norm), will lead to more of there planted stories, because character assassination, smear and distortion is all they have now.
Project Fear is now Project Mud Slinging.
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Was that the Andy Burnham who, as Health Secretary in the Labour Government, initiated the sale of Hinchinbrooke Hospital to a private health care to run it. The process was completed under the coalition. A few years later the company that was awarded the contract to run the hospital asked to be released from the contract and the hospital, which had been put into special measures, was brought back into the NHS fold.
https://life.spectator.co.uk/articles/who-privatised-hinchingbrooke-hospital-and-does-it-matter/
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Still there on the website but no mention (yet) of the Ashcroft poll – guess they’re working out an angle that shows the poll is wrong.
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Sure the poll is not far out , so Davidson and Swinson can’t keep up the diatribe that there is no appetite for independence , but I would have thought the figure would be a lot higher considering everything Scotland has had thrown at her in the last three years .
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Keep in mind that no EU citizens were polled, nor 16-17 year olds. The sections of Scotland’s population most likely vote Yes.
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Ah but Burnham was Labour , no need for a witch hunt there !
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At approx 8.40am a rep for NFU Scotland was interviewed, he pointed out that the 62% increase was in the value of stollen machinery and that cruically the number of claims remains largely unchanged NB this was aired after peak audience, up to 8.30 am it was farm thefts had increased by over 60%
Similar jiggery pokkery goes on during “Drive time” the reportage aired between 16 and 17.00 is much less “propagandised” ( is that a word) than the minuately controled reporting aired between 17 and 18.00
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Have noticed that on numerous occasions, the retoric starts around 6.30 , the half-stories continue on until around 8.30 , then just before the show winds up you get little glimpses of the other side of the story but just little glimpses, for balance sake , if you believe that !.
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Aye John . . . That’s how I see it …….. They modify their version of the truth to suit their audience’s throughout the day. Listenr’s who tune in during peak time get heavily propagandised stories. So obviously a lot of effort goes into this.
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An ent the new hospitals and drains, robots, cameras etc can be put down the drains to examine them and in some cases repair them.
It may be the case that the problem is surface water in which case dumps and pumps will likely solve the problem and the work could probably be done when the hospital is open.
Info gleaned from internet so prepared to stand corrected if need be.
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Should be ‘sumps’ not dumps. Duh.
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“Maximise their premiums”. A couple of years ago I tried for insurance with N.F.U Mutual, and was refused point blank because I have a Glasgow post code.
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