Talking-up Scotland

As of this week young mothers in Scotland will begin to receive the boxes with fitted mattresses, a digital ear thermometer worth about £45, fleece jackets, bodysuits, sleepsuits, books, anti-scratch mittens and muslin cloths. It’s hoped these boxes and their contents will improve life chances of many babies. The scheme is based on a Finnish one where, according to First Minister Sturgeon, it has been helping to reduce infant mortality since the 1930s!

Suggesting it’s not been thought out properly, Margaret McCartney writes in the BMJ: ‘Furthermore, pregnant women in Finland have had a comprehensive health service—in other words, it’s not all about the box.’ Did the SNP say it was all about the box? Isn’t there a comprehensive health service in Scotland? Check out the references below on that. Did the Finns have one in the 1930s? Anyhow, can she prove the boxes had no effect? That they still do it today tells me they [hundreds of thousands of midwives over 8 decades?] believe in it. Not everything is amenable to western positivist research methods not should it have to be so to be done.

Of course, you can’t definitively prove the effects of the boxes on their own when there are other variables like that. I know, let’s give the boxes to 100 new mothers but deny them post-natal NHS access and deny another 100 the boxes and post-natal access to the NHS and see who does best. They do that kind of experiment with rats so…?

The Labour party in Scotland is ‘broadly [grudgingly?] supportive’ but find fault with the speed of the rollout and the lack of breastfeeding equipment. Can’t they decide themselves whether they want to or feel able to breastfeed? I know breast is best but should young mums who just can’t do it, be bullied into it? So, Labour wanted to delay the rollout and endanger lives just to make a point? It kind of looks like they just cannot be happy with anything the SNP do.

It’s only claimed that the box will operate as a temporary crib, in an effort to reduce cot deaths and to promote safe sleeping.

The scheme will cost the Scottish Government £8 million per year.

Regular readers here will have seen these:

Scottish stillbirth and early infant death rates lowest in the UK and approaching lowest in the world

Scottish public sector to put poverty and inequality at heart of decision-making despite UK Government’s abandonment of the principle

Though we already have the highest rate of donors in the UK, Scottish government to introduce soft opt-out system for organ donation. Does this tell us something more?

‘NHS across UK has much to learn from Scotland?’ The King’s Fund told us this in 2013!

There is no equivalent scheme in Tory England, other than in Hackney, nor does its government show such signs of actually caring more for its people than it does for itself, the rich and the corporations. Tell me again why we’re not so different that we shouldn’t need more autonomy?

http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1766.full.print

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/aug/14/baby-boxes-sent-new-mothers-scotland-from-this-week

(c) discoversutherland.co.uk

Good Morning Scotland broadcasts with the latter two still fierce distorters in defence of the Union. However, more than one respondent has drawn my attention to the fact that the website has been reporting good and accurate news for Scotland. I’ve put it down to the fact that the top brass at Pacific Quay know that social media is already dominated by Yes-supporters but that TV and Radio still offer them an older and/or more passive, audience that can be propagandised into staying with the No side. It’s what Karl Marx called repressive tolerance. You allow some media outlets to speak the truth so that you can deny propagandising overall. However, today’s example took me by surprise:

‘A new phase of Highland history is unfolding in Sutherland as land still owned by the family of the man blamed for the Highland Clearances is to be sold to descendants of those he evicted. It is seen as a significant development for an area which still lives with the legacy of the decision by the infamous Duke of Sutherland two centuries ago to remove his tenants to make more money from sheep farming. The English nobleman inherited the vast tracts of northern Scotland when he married and quickly set about making what he called “improvements”. He carried out extensive clearances between 1811 and 1820, with his factor Patrick Sellar personally supervising the eviction of any tenants who showed reluctance to leave.’

What next?

‘Scottish soldiers used as cannon-fodder by English generals in World War I?’

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-40898868

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Footnote: If you read these articles quite soon after I’ve posted them then you might miss some of the excellent responses made later by readers. It’s well worth returning 24 hours later to see some of them. Quite a few have even more information of interest than my starter.

The AA route planner makes the journey about 1 hour and 8 minutes. The announcement claims a 20-minute cut or about 30% which to my mind seems a major reduction for that type of transport. The main aim of the project was to tackle congestion problems on a notorious seven-mile stretch of the M8 which Transport Scotland now claim will allow average speeds of just under 70mph even at peak time on that section. The gov.scot report makes two interesting claims:

1. The journey time savings have been assessed as contributing more than £1bn to Scotland’s economy, improving the connections for businesses between Edinburgh and Glasgow and beyond.
2. Improved road safety through the reduction of traffic on local roads, is set to result in a predicted reduction of more than 100 accidents per year, and accident savings of more than £118m over a 30-year period.

It’s a journey I only make now and then but it sounds good.

https://news.gov.scot/news/m8-journeys-cut-by-20-minutes

(c) realscottishsalmon.co.uk

Scottish salmon exports were £346m in just the first half of 2017. Indeed, sales of £190 million were racked up in just Q2. That increase on the 2016 Q2 figure of 19 000 tonnes to 29 000 tonnes in Q2 2017 is a whopping 70%!

This suggests Scotland’s trade balance is going from strength to strength as the rest of the UK struggles with a massive deficit triggering inevitably its huge debt. See these as a reminder:

England runs massive trade deficit. Only Scotland has a viable sustainable economy, exporting more than she imports thus requiring no national debt

With only 8% of the population, Scotland accounts for more than 28% of UK food and drink exports. Too wee to survive on our own?

The biggest buyers are the USA and China which is up from zero to £90 million in only seven years.

This BBC website story suggests that this success comes despite the industry having to spend £30 million per year fighting sea lice. I thought I’d read that they had found a cheapish solution.

The Ballan Wrasse is a cleaner fish that eats the sea lice which were responsible for problems with the Salmon. Does it cost £30 million per year to put them in the cages with the Salmon? It’s a natural solution much preferable to a chemical one, I’d say.

 The chair of the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation said:

‘In particular, we want to highlight the successful introduction of wrasse as a very effective and environmentally friendly way to keep salmon free of lice, which occur naturally in the water. A significant variety of marine life thrives around salmon farms, something which is not fully recognised by regulators.’

Did they spend £20 million identifying the role of the Wrasse? Seems a lot.

https://www.fishupdate.com/first-class-wrasse-expo-stars/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-40917608

I suspect some might be getting just a bit fed up with all this good news on the Scottish economy. We’ve had falling unemployment, increased job opportunities, increased business confidence, increased demand for office and industrial space and the suggestion that Scotland is the best place to start a business. Recently, even the UK government has published data showing a fairly long-term trend for Scotland to have trade surplus while the rest of the Union racks up huge debts due to its massive trade deficit. Here are just some of the sources:

25-year low in Scottish unemployment and increasing employment as rUK unemployment stagnates

Unemployment at record low, employment up, economy growing, youth unemployment amongst lowest in Europe, business confidence increasing, oil jobs returning, health indicators improving to world’s best: That’ll be Norway? No? Scotland!? SNP baaaad!

Scottish businesses showing signs of greater health than those in the rest of the UK

‘Staggering’ 175% increase in Edinburgh office take-up is further evidence of booming Scottish economy

England runs massive trade deficit. Only Scotland has a viable sustainable economy, exporting more than she imports thus requiring no national debt

Now we hear from the Bank of Scotland’s latest ‘Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) in the Insider today:

‘The report suggests the private sector “moved up a gear” in July, with manufacturers reporting strong growth in new orders though service sector growth was more moderate. However, recruitment across Scotland’s private sector rose to a 31-month high as Scotland’s private sector recorded its eighth straight month of expansion.’

http://www.insider.co.uk/news/scotlands-private-sector-grows-job-10984946

These economic indicators all fit together. It’s no accident that one leads to another. It’ll have to stop though or some people might get the idea that Scotland could survive on its own. Next thing you’ll be telling me is we’re energy rich too.

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Footnote: If you read these articles quite soon after I’ve posted them then you might miss some of the excellent responses made later by readers. It’s well worth returning 24 hours later to see some of them. Quite a few have even more information of interest than my starter.

(c) pinterest.co.uk

According to the not very lovely Sunday Express, our First Minister (that’s not what they call her) is sure ‘a fresh deal will be offered to Edinburgh over new powers for Scotland’ to persuade us to:

‘SIGN THE DEAL! Westminster demands Scotland’s backing as Sturgeon threatens Brexit hijack’

Here’s some of the Express language for you:

‘The deal [for Scotland] will be offered ahead of the signing of the Great Repeal Bill which will begin dismantling EU legislation from British, transferring them into UK laws which can later be amended or dropped. In outrageous demands on Wednesday, Scotland’s Brexit minister, Mike Russell, insisted the entire bill should be re-written…..again, Scotland is making wild demands.’

In the article, the only specific demands mentioned are powers over fisheries and farming. How very dare we?

It is clear the Tories and the Express are worried that the devolved administrations, especially Scotland, can make things difficult for the UK government to negotiate a deal by insisting on their rights under the Scotland Act 1998 [Devolution] which says the UK parliament cannot “normally” legislate on Scottish affairs without a legislative consent motion from Holyrood. The ‘normally’ is Westminster’s get-out but it would cause quite a stooshie if they ignored Holyrood and might potentially strengthen the independence movement. So, a deal for Scotland doesn’t seem at all unlikely given how easily the DUP got one.

What else can we ask for – oil and gas revenues, subsidies for renewable energy maintained, Trident cancellation, restoring the old border between Scottish and English North Seas waters, more frigate-building on the Clyde, Indyref2 with the over 65’s denied a vote, VAT exemption for Police Scotland, sacking Bird and Campbell, closing BBC Scotland down altogether, a motorway from Ayr to Gretna to make my English hols more convenient?

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/839962/Scotland-Brexit-Nicola-Sturgeon-EU-European-Union-latest-news

In 2016, it was:

£ Deficit/Surplus in 2016

England           -120 038 000 000

Wales              – 55 000 000

Scotland          +2 148 000 ooo

N Ireland         – 4 039 000 000

 

In 2015, it was:

£ Deficit/Surplus in 2015

England           -110 358 000 000

Wales              – 1 600 000 000

Scotland          +4 124 000 000

N Ireland         – 2 311 00 000

 

In 2014, it was:

£ Deficit/Surplus in 2014

England           -113 877 000 000

Wales              – 2 544 000 000

Scotland          +7 917 000 000

N Ireland         – 2 106 000 000

I can’t trace the equivalent data for before 2014 but there looks like a wee trend there with the Scottish trade surplus growing as you go further back. It looks like England’s trade deficit will have cost us billions and consequently lumbered us with the massive debts the austerity programme was supposed to clear but could not. I can’t see why we’d leave the Union owing them any share of the UK debt whatsoever when we clearly didn’t incur it.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-regional-trade-statistics-first-quarter-2017

As it says in my headline, only Scotland of the UK regions exports more than she imports. Indeed, England is massively dependent on imports to survive. Here are the data from the UK government site:

1 £ Value of all exports (EU and non-EU) in 2016

England           221 605 000 000

Wales              12 405 000 000

Scotland          25 423 000 000

N Ireland         7 791 000 000

 

2 £ Value of all imports (EU and non-EU) in 2016

England           341 643 000 000

Wales              12 460 000 000

Scotland          23 275 000 000

N Ireland         11 830 000 000

 

3 £ Deficit/Surplus in 2016

England           -120 038 000 000

Wales              – 55 000 000

Scotland          +2 148 000 000

N Ireland         – 4 039 000 000

 

You know what a trade deficit requires? Borrowing. So, we should have no debt. Somebody going to tell me why we should not be independent on this basis? Unionist politicians and media going to report this properly?

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-regional-trade-statistics-first-quarter-2017

Footnote: Wasn’t 2016 a year of negative revenue from the North Sea?

See this from the Insider yesterday: 

‘The University of Dundee has secured the highest ranking of any UK institution for its role in influencing innovation, a global report shows. The Nature Index 2017 Innovation supplement, which scores an institution’s influence on patents through academic research, ranks the University of Dundee at 26 in its global listing, ahead of US Ivy League universities Harvard and Yale, which ranked 33 and 35 respectively, and Duke, which ranked 27. The Nature Index is a database of author affiliations and institutional relationships which tracks contributions to science journals chosen by an independent group of active researchers.’.

Note that no other UK university made the top 50.

http://www.insider.co.uk/news/university-dundee-uks-highest-ranked-10962156

The wider success story of the city is not entirely new to me. The Tech Nation Report for 2016  had Dundee listed as a ‘Top Technology City’ and made the following points:

‘Whilst Dundee has traditionally been considered a ‘games’ city, it’s now mobile software development that’s playing a key role in driving the city’s economic growth. Dundee’s economic growth is now being driven by generating revenues throughout the rest of the UK (particularly London) and globally.  In the digital age, Dundee’s companies, particularly software firms, are operating on a global scale as the city continues to punch above its weight. The city scored highly as a hub for a multitude of different digital companies who work using a variety of technologies across multiple sectors. Here are some of the stats from the report:

• Since 2010 Dundee’s digital turnover has risen by 129%
• Dundee now has the third fastest growing digital turnover in the UK
• Since 2010 Dundee’s GVA (Gross Value Add) has grown by 42%
• Dundee’s GVA now sits at £61.4 million
• There are now 3,318 jobs in Dundee related to the digital tech economy

https://waracle.net/dundee-listed-top-technology-city/

Nae bad eh? Did the Scottish Government play any part in stimulating this? Well yes, a £50 000 grant that year.

(c) dailyrecord.co.uk

See this from the Evening Express yesterday:

‘Dementia care at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary is so good a health agency is sharing its secrets to inspire hospital staff across Scotland. Healthcare Improvement Scotland spent the first three months of this year carrying out a detailed review of practice in four wards at ARI and has now published its report, highlighting the hospital’s “particularly good practice”. The 52-page document paints a rosy picture of a service helping dementia patients and their families by using a particularly clever approach. When patients arrive on the wards, their loved ones are asked to fill in a Getting to Know Me booklet so staff can learn about patients’ personalities.’

https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/hospitals-clever-approach-to-dementia-care-to-be-shared-across-scotland-after-report-highlights-good-practice/

In sharp contrast, on the 7^th August, the Sun reported:

‘An investigation by the Daily Mail found four in ten UK care homes had failed inspections this year, with residents being forced to live in filthy and squalid conditions, and some locked in bedrooms without any natural light. Health chiefs also found OAPs were left starving under the watchful eyes of carers and some were even given the wrong medication. Police were also forced to investigate incidents of an elderly resident allegedly choking to death and another of a resident being left without care while having a seizure. Of the 5,300 UK care homes inspected this year, 2,000 were dubbed as inadequate or in need of improvement.’

I feel sure things will not be perfect in Scotland’s care homes but we’ve seen nothing like these cases from the highly deregulated English system. I feel sure Reporting Scotland would have delighted in telling us if there were any such cases in Scotland.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4185564/four-in-ten-care-homes-fail-inspection-oap-abuse/