Talking-up Scotland

From the James Hutton Institute based in Aberdeen and Dundee:

A James Hutton Institute-led and Scottish Government-funded project to develop a novel decentralised wastewater treatment system in rural India that can be replicated in Scotland and beyond has been shortlisted for a VIBES – Scottish Environment Business award in the Hydro Nation Scotland category. The Institute is a leading player in water-related research and innovation and hosts the Hydro Nation International Centre, a site of the Water Test Network for North-West Europe and the Scottish Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW), all at its Aberdeen site. Apart from being a finalist in the Hydro Nation Scotland category, the Institute is also a member of the One Health Breakthrough Partnership led by NHS Highland, which has been nominated for a VIBES award in the Partnership Scotland category. The partnership seeks to tackle the growing issue of pharmaceuticals in the environment and aims to work towards a non-toxic environment which recognises that the health of humans, animals and ecosystems is interconnected.

https://www.hutton.ac.uk/news/hutton-water-innovation-vibes-hydro-nation-scotland-award

It’s been some time since TuS wrote on Scottish researchers helping in less-developed parts. Here are the most recent:

Scottish researchers work to help poor across globe

August 20, 2018

I’ve previously written reports of Scottish scientists and researchers working to improve the health and economic circumstances of the poor, across the globe. With particular regard to India and Bangladesh, Scots are involved in helping to remove arsenic from water…

From reducing cattle-fart to saving a dog’s leg, Scottish researchers lead the way

December 30, 2017

Glasgow University researchers have developed a ‘world-first’ in creating new bone growth and saving the leg of what looks like an English Setter. Who says we can be anti-English? The technique prevented amputation of the leg and is…

Scottish Researchers again!

September 25, 2017

I’m losing track of the stories of Scottish researchers making a useful contribution well beyond our shores. Here are four recent examples: Scottish research first to identify ways of reducing cattle-fart with view to saving the planet Scottish Association for Marine…

Scottish Veterinary researchers working to improve the health and productivity of farmed animals in sub-Saharan Africa.

August 15, 2017

The teams are based at the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, at Glasgow University and at Scotland’s Rural College. They have received £5.5 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The…

 

We’ve seen more than a few criticisms of Holyrood based on ill-informed Unionist biases but this independent research, published by nfpSynergy, an organisation that provides market research and consulting services exclusively for charities and non-profits, passed our MSM by, I think, and me too.

Perhaps explaining the low-profile coverage, the report is enthusiastic. See these excerpts:

As such, the narrative surrounding devolution in Scotland throughout the past 20 years has been one of immense success, and in turn has helped feed into an atmosphere of renewed confidence across the Scottish political sphere. But while looking backwards, the 20^thanniversary has also focused minds on the present and future, bringing into focus the current contrast between Holyrood and Westminster with the current deadlock and chaos the UK Parliament is experiencing as a result of Brexit.

But most of all, these examples are proof to the empowering effects that devolution has had on many charities in helping influence and in many ways dictate the policy agenda across the country. In providing such an arena through which to campaign, influence and change (and away from the congestion of Westminster politics) the Scottish Parliament acts as a major platform by which the voice of charity can be heard loud and clear.

https://nfpsynergy.net/blog/devolution-scotland-20-years

 

Published nearly two months ago by the YCWA, I missed Status of Young Women in Scotland 2015 first time around. Was it covered in the MSM? The section on the part played by the Independence Referendum in engaging and in including young women makes interesting reading:

The young women we spoke to were overwhelmingly positive about the Scottish Independence Referendum process; both in terms of political experience and due to their excitement at being the first generation able to vote at the age of 16 and 17. Across the interviews there was a commonly-held view that, from a gender equality perspective, the referendum experience was “different” and “better” than the 2015 General Election. Young women offered different explanations for this. Some focused on the nature of the political discourse, noting that women were considered a key voting group and thus campaigners did their utmost to engage and appeal to women voters. Others suggested that – unlike typical general election campaigns in which people are often quiet about their voting intentions – the referendum sparked great public and private debate, with extensive conversations among friends, within households and across communities. They felt that this grassroots approach was more inclusive than typical political campaigns, which often focus on party leaders, manifestos or the views of particular newspapers. Some suggested that the referendum had a better gender balance simply because more of the senior political figureheads in Scotland are women, compared to the male-dominated parties at Westminster

http://www.ywcascotland.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Status-of-Young-Women-In-Scotland.pdf

The Alex Salmond Fit-Up

https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2019/08/24/the-ruling-class/

https://indyref2.scot/a-bbc-scotland-complaint-douglas-fraser-gers-and-the-scottish-deficit

 

 

We’ve recently seen the Scottish Lib Dems suggest we copy failed schemes to improve student teacher recruitment and to reduce child obesity. As another tower block in London burns, surely they think we should copy English building regulations to prevent fires:

The Scottish changes then go further than the incoming English regulations, outlining a more comprehensive series of measures designed to improve building safety broadly. In the same vein as the controls on combustible materials, the Scottish regulations will makesprinkler installation mandatory in flatted accommodation, larger multi-occupancy dwellings, and places that deliver care. They will also introduce measures to improve evacuation procedures, including the requirement for sound alerts and two escape stairways in all new high-rise residential buildings, and create specific fire safety guidance for the people that live in them. 

https://www.building.co.uk/communities/building-construction-regulations-are-not-the-same-in-england-and-scotland-what-you-need-to-know/5097838.article

Maybe not?

For more on the other two bright ideas see:

Lib Dem Unionitis as they suggest we copy a second old FAILED English scheme

 

https://www.inquest.org.uk/deaths-in-prison

From SPS for Scotland:

• 2012    21
• 2013   24
• 2014   24
• 2015   24
• 2016  28
• 2017  29
• 2018 32
• 2019 18*

http://www.sps.gov.uk/Corporate/Information/PrisonerDeaths.aspx

So, population of Scotland is just over one tenth of that of England and Wales and the prison death rate, in most years, is the same, one tenth.

Yet, even the respected though little-read Holyrood magazine allows it to be described as a massacre:

 

I could so become PM! Don’t be ridiculous!

From Ludo Thierry:

Despite the feverish early efforts of the meeja (especially in Scotland) to promote La Swinson (?LowJo) as the new Anointed One for the britnat cause in Scotland there has been precious little sign of any particular movement to date.

The main development of which I have become aware has been the defection of a solitary tory cooncillor and a solitary labour cooncillor to LowJo’s ragged regiment. Curiously, both these defections occurred in the South Lanarkshire Council which has a minority SNP administration. The britnat defections may well assist the SNP administration by diluting the opposition. Link and snippets below: Note the very warm welcome that LowJo’s  Scotland branch manager Wee Wullie is offering to disaffected tories. Note also how the tories seem perfectly happy for their erstwhile member to go perch with LowJo’s merry band (all jolly good britnats together, what ho?). The labour group chap’s comments are rather less sanguine – one can almost  sense the existential stress that he is observing within his struggling party’s Scotland branch office. (Guys like him really need to wise up – and seriously ask themselves why they are not finding themselves able to act in Scotland’s interests instead of always holding onto Nanny UK’s apron strings).

Tory councillor defects to Lib Dems with swipe at new PM Boris Johnson

 

Hamilton West & Earnock councillor Mark McGeever announced he was quitting the Tories on Mr Johnson’s first full day in office, arguing the party had “abandoned” the political centre ground and was looking for populist answers.

Tory voters and members disillusioned with the Boris Johnson-led Conservative Party “can find a comfortable home with the Liberal Democrats”, the Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said following the defection.

A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: “Mark leaves with no hard feelings from us, and we wish him all the best for the future.”

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/south-lanarkshire-councillor-defects-lib-18963953

A second South Lanarkshire councillor has defected to the Liberal Democrats.

Former Labour councillor Fiona Drybrugh (East Kilbride South) quit the party following shadow chancellor John McDonnell’s comments about a second independence referendum.

Reflecting on her decision, Cllr Dryburgh said: “My politics have not altered but the Labour Party has now moved to a place where I can no longer support them. I am vehemently opposed to Scottish independence and I firmly believe that Britain is better off in the EU.”

The leader of the Labour group in South Lanarkshire, Joe Fagan, said: “The Liberal Democrats are currently led by one of David Cameron’s Ministers from the coalition years. Jo Swinson helped the Tories impose austerity economics and rip up the welfare state as we know it. That is not the kind of government I want for our country and I don’t really think it’s the kind of government Fiona would want either.”