I recently wrote:

‘What are Unionists to do? The country they live in is outperforming the UK they’d hate to leave and they don’t like it one little bit. They want us to suffer so they can blame the SNP they despise viscerally, for our suffering. It’s clear on numerous indicators that Scotland is doing better than the rest of the UK and presumably some credit for this goes to the government in Edinburgh.’ in:

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!

Now, see this from Highlands and Island Enterprise’

‘Fish and shellfish farming contributes £620 million to the national economy every year, according to new research. The industry now supports more than 12,000 jobs and Scottish aquaculture production has increased by a third in the ten years to 2015, from 142,000 to 188,000 tonnes, according to the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) commissioned study. Atlantic salmon production accounts for 90% of all economic impact, supporting 10,340 full-time equivalent jobs and generating £540 million in gross value added (GVA). The contribution of other fish and shellfish species like trout, mussels and oysters is also considered as part of the study.’

The evidence that we would thrive as an independent country just keeps on coming. I’ve no idea if Jackie Bird or Creepy Campbell ever mention it. They’re dead to me now. Don’t engage with them. It just lets them erode our confidence with pointless prophecies and sheer lies. The best strategy is to keep on feeding the Scottish people with truth and the confidence boost they need, to go for it in Indyref2. Years ago, being interviewed on China Central TV I was questioned about whether the EU would allow Scotland in. I said:

‘They’ve just allowed blood-soaked Croatia in, they’re courting Ukraine in the middle of a civil war. Scotland is a gem!’

http://www.hie.co.uk/aquaculturereport17

© edinburgharchitecture.co.uk

‘Record-breaking half year for Edinburgh office market’

Only yesterday I quoted these figures for office leasing in Aberdeen:

 ‘Aberdeen office take-up for first half of 2017 exceeds entire 2016 figure. According to international real estate advisor Savills, office take-up in Aberdeen in the first half of 2017 has already reached approximately 270,000 sq ft (25,083 sq m), marking a 17% increase on total take-up for the whole of 2016 (c.231,000 sq ft / 21,469 sq m).’

Today, we see the same thing happening in Edinburgh, further reinforcing the evidence of the growing Scottish economy. See this from the Scottish Business New Network:

‘The biggest office leasing deal in Edinburgh for over twenty years has helped generate a record level of half year occupier activity, despite the General Election slowing decision making across certain sectors and pockets of the market, according to new research from JLL. Office space taken in Edinburgh during the first half of 2017 reached over 770,000 sq ft, the highest half year in the past ten years, with JLL involved in 65% of activity. Around 550,000sq ft was transacted in Q2 (April-June) alone. The half year total marks a 32 per cent increase on the 530,000 sq ft transacted during the first half of 2016.’

How much more punishment can our Unionist politicians and media take? You just can’t argue with facts like these. Business people don’t splash out like this unless they know there are profits to be made.

https://sbnn.co.uk/2017/07/14/record-breaking-half-year-edinburgh-office-market/

Scotland leads the way

By chance, I was searching for the piece I thought I’d seen about Scotland being first to provide free sanitary products to women and girls on low income and using the phrase ‘Scotland leads the way’. This is the actual report from the Scotsman:

Scotland leads the world in tackling ‘period poverty’ – The Scotsman

Typical man, when I saw it, I hadn’t initially grasped what it was actually about. I thought it might be like temporary poverty. Or, even some kind of bourgeois self-pity when you can’t afford antique furniture? Don’t laugh. Oh, go on then.

So, when I searched for just ‘Scotland leads the way’, I didn’t get the above but, to my amazement, lots of other stories with the same phrase. Look at the first few:

Scotland leads the way with flexible adult education opportunities …

NHS APPROVES PrEP AS SCOTLAND LEADS THE WAY – pink saltire

Scotland leads the way | The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Scotland Leads the Way – GO-WHERE

Scotland leads the way in postural care | Changing Our Lives

Why Scotland Leads The Way on Renewable Energy

PROCUREMENT NEWS 4 Reasons Why Scotland is Leading the Way on …

Scotland leads the way on public service reform

Scotland leads the way with PrEP – Trends in Urology & Men’s Health

Who knew?

© Richard Wilkins

I’ve already written several pieces describing the boom in North American tourism and some of the likely reasons behind it in:

North Americans lead surge in Scottish tourism because they feel safer here

‘Outlander links see visitors to historic sites soaring’

Visitors to Scotland’s historic sites surge by 470 000 to reach more than 4.5 million, breaking all records, in only 11 months!

In the last of the above in February 2017, I was able to write:

‘For the first time ever, the footfall in Scotland’s castles, abbeys, palaces and other historical sites has passed the 4 million mark and this in only 11 months of the 2016-17 financial year. Historic Environment Scotland announced this 13% increase on 17^th February 2017.

The figure for 2015-16 was also a record at 3.8 million so the trend is very positive news for tourism in Scotland.  St Andrews Cathedral was the location for the 4 millionth visitor.

http://nen.press/2017/02/17/four-million-welcomes/

A number of reasons have been offered for the surge despite the poor weather over the summer of 2016. Accord to eTN Global Travel Industry News, Brexit and terrorism have been two of, but the not the only major factors for Scottish tourism generally:

‘Tourism in Scotland has enjoyed a bumper year mostly due to a combination of Brexit and terrorist incidents in traditional holiday hotspots. Some areas of the country experienced their best summer season in more than a decade, with improved flight connections and the publicity created by films and TV shows such as Outlander adding to the boost.’

http://www.eturbonews.com/74508/bumper-year-scotlands-tourism-booming-thanks-terrorism-and-brexi

One particular record high has been a very large spending increase by American tourists, up 28% to £633 million in the 12 months ending September 2016.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-38678980

Now the Scottish Government website shows the trend is apparently ever upward. See this:

‘Overseas visitors from North America spent £641 million in the 12 months to the end of March 2017, a 40% jump compared to £458 million in the previous 12 months. There was a 19% increase in visits from North America, more than 590,000 choosing Scotland as a destination in the 12 months to the end of March 2017 compared with the previous 12 months.’

And, the North American s are big spenders too it seems. These are big numbers. I’m not watching the MSM so let me know if they’re covering all this good stuff. I’m sure they must be 😊

https://news.gov.scot/news/rise-in-international-tourist-spend

PS, I know there’s a statistical error of some kind in the above figures but I’m just repeating them. Either way, they’re still good.

(c) pressandjournal.co.uk

You might have seen this yesterday:

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!

Now we see in the Scottish Business News Network, another clear and quite large indicator of economic growth:

‘Aberdeen office take-up for first half of 2017 exceeds entire 2016 figure. According to international real estate advisor Savills, office take-up in Aberdeen in the first half of 2017 has already reached approximately 270,000 sq ft (25,083 sq m), marking a 17% increase on total take-up for the whole of 2016 (c.231,000 sq ft / 21,469 sq m).’

Put this along with the massive discoveries west of Shetland and the growth in recruitment and the increase in business confidence and the growth in the economy and the fall in unemployment, all reported in my earlier pieces and the picture is become ever clearer – Scotland’s economy is looking good and the Unionists could not be less happy about it because the SNP government must get at least some of the credit.

https://sbnn.co.uk/2017/07/13/aberdeen-office-take-first-half-2017-exceeds-entire-2016-figure/

(c) businessforscotland.com

See this from Energy Voice yesterday and remember what the Aramco chief said the day before:

‘Halliburton expects that the worst crude crash in a generation will lead to a spike in oil prices by 2020. Tumbling oil prices brought on by a glut of global oil has forced the industry to slash about $2 trillion in investments, according to the world’s biggest fracking provider. Those cuts will weigh heavily on the market in a few years when oil supplies fail to keep up with demand. Sooner or later, the market is going to catch up.’

Independent Scotland’s oil wealth is assured as Aramco chief predicts huge shortages

 It looks like the industry hit rock bottom in 2016 and is climbing fast as massive shortages loom. Scotland’s newly discovered billions of barrels, west of Shetland and the recovery of previously difficult to extract North Sea oil using newer technologies will put us in a good position to maximise revenues. Please let them be going to a Scottish Treasury before too long.

https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/144577/halliburton-predicts-2020-oil-spike-industry-cuts-2trln/

© Arden Strategies, Jim Murphy

According to the Herald, ex Scottish Labour Leader, Jim Murphy’s Arden Strategies made him barely £10 a day. Luckily for him he’s getting work with Tony Blair’s more lucrative Institute for Global Change.

Frankly, I’m surprised that a former party leader is not in more demand. Could it be because he didn’t do so well? Arden Strategies clearly didn’t have the same cachet as Elizabeth Arden Perfume.

After its first year, Arden Strategies made a profit of £3 692.

According to the Herald: ‘Mr Murphy did not respond to a request for comment.’

http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/15404366.Jim_Murphy__39_s_strategic_consultancy_makes_him_just_a_tenner_a_day/

What next, ‘Dugdale Directions’? Rennie Solutions? Davidson……?

What are Unionists to do? The country they live in is outperforming the UK they’d hate to leave and they don’t like it one little bit. They want us to suffer so they can blame the SNP they despise viscerally, for our suffering. It’s clear on numerous indicators that Scotland is doing better than the rest of the UK and presumably some credit for this goes to the government in Edinburgh.

The Scottish unemployment rate is down again for the third time in a row and the gap with the rest of UK is getting wider at 3.8% as opposed to 4.5%. In May the Scottish rate was 4.4% compared to the UK rate of 4.6%. In June, it was 4.0% while the UK rate was still 4.6%.

The employment rate is up 0.7% to 74.1% making it second only to England but remember this really means second only to the south and London.

Youth unemployment at 8.4% is amongst the lowest in Europe down from 14% in 2007.

We already know that the Scottish economy grew by four times as much as the UK as-a-whole in the last quarter and an earlier survey reported Scottish businesses to be more confident than those in England. See these:

Another leap in confidence for Scotland’s economy

Most North Sea oil and gas firms no longer planning job cuts and reporting growing confidence in recruitment according to Bank of Scotland report.

 Jobs are returning to the oil and gas industry too. See:

‘Wave of new jobs hits the North Sea’

Perhaps most amazing, our stillbirth and early death statistics are now close to the lowest in the world and lower than in the rest of the UK. I know our life expectancy remains shorter than almost anywhere else but I wonder to what extent that is due to the lifestyle ‘choices’ and the working environments suffered by our older generations. The stillbirth figures reinforce a strong feeling I have that, partly due to our superior NHS, our younger generations are as healthy as those throughout Europe. We’ll see. Well, I probably won’t.

https://news.gov.scot/news/unemployment-at-record-low

(c) stornowaygazette.co.uk

81 houses of which 51 are for affordable renting are to be built with £9.4 million from the Scottish Government and £300 thousand from the local authority. You’ll see in that ratio of investment why I’m sometimes annoyed when local authorities announce comparable projects and kind of forget where most of the money comes from. This one didn’t.

http://www.scottishhousingnews.com/16200/significant-investment-brings-increase-in-affordable-housing-for-western-isles/

To add to the jobs reported here:

‘Wave of new jobs hits the North Sea’

 Wood group have announced another 200. Energy Voice’s report put it this way:

‘About 200 more new jobs are being created in the UK North Sea in the latest in a string of morale boosting developments in the offshore oil and gas industry. Aberdeen-based energy service giant Wood Group announced its requirement for more workers yesterday, continuing a welcome streak of job creation news over the past few weeks.’

The report then went on to give us the usual Scottish miserabilism from some alleged expert warning us not to get to carried away with ourselves. I’m not going to give him space here as the rest of the mainstream media will now doubt headline him.

https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/north-sea/144300/another-200-new-north-sea-jobs-expert-warns-outlook-remains-bleak/