Talking-up Scotland

On the same day that SNP Government funding of £350 000 to support providers of meals over the school holiday period was announced and days after the SNP government brought in a special child payment, not available in Tory England, BBC Scotland went with the above headline and an extended piece, exploiting the natural tendency of charities to always want more to be done, to generate cheap material for their ‘Scotland in crisis’ agenda.

Try finding a similar story about the rest of the UK. I found one for Plymouth only, in August 2018.

 

Scotsman and Herald give unwitting lesson on how they constructed a different reality on medical training for us

(c) Mendelay

Reporters to this day love to tell us how they merely report the news, helpfully telling us what is happening out there. Most academics tell us that media representations, to a lesser or greater degree, actually construct reality for you and for people like Chomsky, that this is actually more so in liberal democracies where there is some trust for the, especially, TV presenters.

Today, both the Scotsman and the Herald reported on the same story about increasing the number of Scots-domiciled students being trained in medicine and decreasing the number from the rest of the UK. The stated aim, to retain more of the graduates in Scotland, made neither headline.

Here is the source of the story with a clear purpose stated:

To retain more doctors in NHS Scotland in the long term the SG plans to increase the number of Scots dom/EU medical students by 100 and decrease the number from the rest UK by the same, to retain an estimated 36 extra doctors per year within specialty training.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/increasing-number-scotland-domiciled-eu-students-studying-medicine-scottish-universities/

Here’s how the Scotsman headlined it:

Here’s the Herald headline for the same story:

While many headline-skimming readers will have been influenced, TuS regulars, with their post-graduate awards in Propaganda Studies were not fooled because they never read these once-throbbing organs.

 

Lochwinnoch (c) What to do with the kids

From The Conversation today, shared with me by friend Bruce Edelsten:

We measured how healthy neighbourhoods are across Britain based on the availability of health services (GP surgeries, dentists, pharmacies), retail outlets (fast food outlets, pubs, gambling shops), parks and recreational spaces, and levels of air pollution. Our data revealed:

The five healthiest with four in Scotland:

1. Great Torrington, Devon. The small market town is an ideal place to live with good access to health services, few unhealthy retail outlets, low levels of air pollution and lots of natural vegetation.
2. Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire. The village is located between two large lochs and surrounded by green spaces. It has good access to GPs and pharmacies, few unhealthy retail outlets and low levels of air pollution.
3. Fauldhouse, West Lothian. The village has good access to health services, few unhealthy retail outlets and low levels of air pollution.
4. Foxbar, Renfrewshire. A southern area of Paisley, the area contains many parks and lakes, with few unhealthy retail outlets and low levels of air pollution.
5. Marnoch, North Lanarkshire. A remote village by the River Deveron, it displays good access to health services, few unhealthy retail outlets and low levels of air pollution.

The five unhealthiest places in Britain all in England:

1. Soho, The area within the West End of London has very high levels of air pollution, lots of health damaging retail outlets and a lack of green spaces.
2. North Killingholme, Lincolnshire. The northern part of the village contains poor accessibility to health services. The area has high levels of air pollution, particularly sulphur dioxide. This is partly linked to the heavy industry in the Humber Estuary and being close to Humberside Airport.
3. Shotley Gate, Suffolk. The village south of Ipswich has poor access to health services combined with high levels of air pollution.
4. Giles, Camden. This London neighbourhood has a high density of retail outlets and very high levels of air pollution.
5. Bank, City of London. The city centre is business oriented with poor access to GPs. It has a high density of retail outlets and very high levels of air pollution.

https://theconversation.com/five-unhealthiest-places-in-britain-revealed-find-out-how-your-neighbourhood-compares-119346

NOTE: If you spot anything you think I may have missed, do send it to me at: thoughtcontrolscotland@gmail.com

Some earlier reports of ‘best places’:

Freedom City best place in Scotland to live…and vote!

Dundee is best in Europe!

Edinburgh best place for technology in UK?

The ‘best rural place to live in Britain’ is the Orkney Islands

 

Worryingly headlined and repeated throughout the morning:

‘If the Scottish salmon industry wants to meet its expansion targets it’ll need three hundred thousand tonnes more wild fish every year JUST to make into feed. That’s according to the environmental campaign group ‘Feedback’. The group is warning that if its projections are correct by 2030 the amount of wild fish will be roughly equivalent to ALL the salmon landed by UK vessels in one year alone. Scottish salmon producers say new methods of using plant-based ingredients would help ensure sustainability.’

It’s a familiar pattern with some worrying news about anything at all Scottish that we might take confidence from, based on one partisan source and with a wee hint of the truth of the matter, tagged on at the end in case anyone accuses them of imbalanced reporting.

Their own guidelines warn against relying on a single source as they did in this:

3.4.1: We should try to witness events and gather information first hand.  Where this is not possible, we should talk to first hand sources and, where necessary, corroborate their evidence.  We should be reluctant to rely on a single source.  If we do rely on a single source, a named on-the-record source is always preferable.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines/accuracy/gathering-material

Most important, why was the industry suggestion on plant-based alternatives not explored to inform the viewer? I found this in seconds:

‘The results of this study suggest that feeding a diet containing low levels of fish meal and moderate levels of fish oil does not significantly affect ω3 fatty acid composition in muscle. Fish meal could be reduced to 5% without affecting growth as long as there was a minimum of 5% fish oil, and animal by-products did not exceed 26% of the diet.’

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6150467/

So, if the above peer-reviewed research is correct:

‘If the Scottish salmon industry wants to meet its expansion targets it looks eminently feasible?’

 

From Insider today:

‘Glasgow has enjoyed a record year for conference business, according to figures out today. The city hosted 538 events in 2018/19, bringing nearly 160,000 delegates attending UK and international meetings. The annual number of conferences held in Glasgow has increased by 153% from 213 in 2009/10. In that period, the number of delegates has risen 90% from 84,000 while delegate spend has increased 70% from £88 million. Last month, a report by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) showed Glasgow attracted more international delegates in 2018 than Melbourne, Milan, Chicago, Geneva and Washington DC.’

https://www.insider.co.uk/news/city-record-breaking-year-conference-17269602

Earlier evidence that Glasgow is ‘going places’, so to speak, has been reported here:

Glasgow getting miles and miles better with help from that ‘Sturgeon’s SNP’

Glasgow Gallery and Museum beats Edinburgh and London

‘Glasgow’s blistering commercial property market’

Miles Better? Glasgow hotel revenue growing eight times faster than UK average

Massive increase in spending by international visitors to Glasgow

‘Edinburgh and Glasgow in top five cities to work in UK’

More real economic strength revealed as demand for Glasgow office space increases dramatically

 

 

Hearing that ministers used their chauffeur-driven vehicles for a journey that takes less than 15 minutes by foot, Scottish Tory shadow environment secretary Maurice Golden said:

‘This proves that Nicola Sturgeon’s climate emergency was a gimmick above all else. When push comes to shove, her own ministers clearly have no intention of signing up to it. The voters can see right through this nationalist con.’

Maurice is a strange ‘environment secretary’ by any standards. In 2016 he spoke in favour of fracking and described its opponents as a ‘left-wing cabal.’ Willie Rennie is alleged to have muttered: ‘Don’t you call me left-wing, pal!’

And, back in March 2019, we saw this exposure of Tory double-standards from research by the Greens:

‘Scottish Greens Environment spokesperson Mark Ruskell MSP has accused Tory, Labour and Lib Dem MSPs of duplicity, claiming their opposition to the devolution of workplace parking levy powers to councils was largely borne out of self-interest. Mr Ruskell made the claims after obtaining figures from the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body showing that MSPs from the three parties use the Holyrood car park substantially more than others. The figures reveal that over a four-week period commencing 7 January 2019, 64 MSPs used the car park at least once. Over the period 74% of Tory, 61% of Labour, and 60% of Lib Dem MSPs brought their car to parliament. This compares to 37% of SNP MSPs. No Green MSPs used the car park.’

https://greens.scot/node/15230

 

 

 

Right, that’s good. So, we draw Boris into this and tell the press it’s the Codpiece War!

Here’s the Independent’s headline:

‘We are going to be sensible’ – Taoiseach on Rockall row after Sturgeon meeting

So, the FM and the Taoiseach met and, unlike Boris with the French, didn’t call each other ‘turds?’ I can see it now; the warm eye contact, the smiles, the handshakes, the shared shrugs when they talk about those balloons in the UK government. So, Tom Gordon’s first draft is:

‘Scottish and Irish leaders agree to meet and sort-out access to Rockall fishing waters’

Hmm, for some reason, the editor (24) seems unhappy with it. OK, how about this?

SCOTLAND and Ireland are to step up efforts to resolve their territorial dispute over Rockall, after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar raised the issue face-to-face with Nicola Sturgeon. The pair agreed to an “intensive process” involving ministers to defuse the row by the end of July, escalating an issue currently handled by officials.

Herrod Editor (24):

‘Ah much better Tom. Our readers will click on this bait, like cod around a rocky outcrop!

Right, that’s good. So, we draw Boris into this and tell the press it’s the Codpiece War!

 

From the BBC UK website:

‘Councils in England could make a record surplus of £1bn from parking charges and penalties this year, a study says. An analysis of budgets commissioned by the RAC Foundation found authorities expect to make a total surplus of £913m from parking activities in 2019-20. Westminster council had the largest estimated surplus of £72.1m. This was followed by five other London councils – Kensington and Chelsea (£36m), Camden (£28.3m), Islington (£25.9m), Wandsworth (£25.9m) and Hammersmith and Fulham (£25.6m).’

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48809174

Asked for comment, Jackson Carlaws said: ‘No to Indyref2!’

 

As their colleagues in Westminster drive us carelessly toward the cliff-edge of a no-deal Brexit, Peter Chapman (see below) and Edward Mountain (really), on Thursday, asked EIGHTEEN parliamentary questions on what the SNP Government is doing to cope with the fucking chaos their own lot are responsible for, beginning with this:

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its consultation, Stability and Simplicity, what plans it will put in place during the implementation period for Scottish agriculture.

Fergus Ewing, impressively patient, answered:

With just over four months to go until Brexit, it is not even known if there will be an implementation period. That would require the UK Parliament to agree the Withdrawal Agreement. At this stage the uncertainties around Brexit mean that the Scottish Government, but more importantly our farmers, crofters, foresters, land managers and rural businesses are unable to plan with any certainty. As a no deal has not been ruled out altogether the Scottish Government has had to plan for the worst case scenario and has put preparations in place to ensure that CAP support payments can continue to be made to farmers and crofters I also continue to push for a clear guarantee on the UK Government’s funding commitment to maintain the same level of ‘farm support’ until the end of this Parliament. This is vital for Scottish agriculture, because as things currently stand there is not a firm guarantee from HM Treasury for CAP Direct Payments for 2020, or any contracts for CAP Pillar 2 after the end of 2020.

https://www.parliament.scot/S5ChamberOffice/WA20190627.pdf

I won’t bore you with the others. These people have no shame! See this on Chapman:

Scottish Tory MSP has resigned from the party’s front bench after admitting a “foolish oversight” when he lobbied local councillors about a planning application in which he had a financial interest.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/05/16/scottish-tory-msp-peter-chapman-quits-front-bench-foolish-lobbying/

 

(c) Insider

From Insider yesterday:

‘Plans for hiring staff in Scotland are at a year-long high, according to a new report. The Bank of Scotland’s Business Barometer for June shows a 17% rise in overall business confidence across Scotland in the past month to 17%. Hiring intentions north of the border have reached their highest level since May 2018 as a net balance of a fifth of businesses (20%) plan to create new jobs in the next year – up 23% on last month. Economic optimism has risen 19 points to 2% in the past month, while firms’ confidence in their own business prospects was 32%, up from 17% in May. Brexit fears for businesses have dropped in Scotland, the barometer found, but a net balance of around a third of firms still believe the UK’s exit from the EU is having a negative impact on their expectations for business activity. This has dropped 18% from last month. The monthly survey of 1,200 businesses found business confidence in Scotland is four percentage points higher than that across the UK as a whole.’

https://www.insider.co.uk/news/business-confidence-boost-hiring-hits-17266823

Earlier reports of strength in Scottish economy, pre-independence:

Scottish business confidence up ‘despite Brexit’ or because of SNP/Indy surge?

Scottish Government support for small businesses superior to that in non-Scottish parts of UK

Unemployment in Scotland 13% lower than UK and wages higher AFTER SNP government gives businesses more than £4 billion in rates relief

Alex Cole-Hamilton exposes huge SNP Government-funded 142.8% rise in Business Studies student teachers to enable many more to study subject in schools

Almost two thirds* of Scottish manufacturers believe business will grow despite global turmoil

Highlights of positive business reaction to Scottish Budget

Business confidence in Scotland up 4% after Scottish Government rate changes

Have Scottish Government’s Small Business Bonus rates enabled up to seven in ten private sector jobs?

Economic contribution of Scottish women-owned businesses grows by nearly twice the rate of UK