An alert reader sent us a piece of interesting follow-up info to yesterday’s piece on NHS Scotland costs. Because comparable figures for NHS England are available too, and they make for surprising reading.
These are the Scottish figures for medicine costs at list price, ie before any negotiated discounts that the health service is able to obtain:
The population of England, at 55 million, is just over 10 times that of Scotland (5.4m). So one would imagine that its like-for-like costs would come in at around £12 billion.
The BBC front page headline for this is actually just the alarming-sounding “Scottish prescription costs rise by 25%”, without even the qualifier about the timespan.
It’s probably overdue that we start collecting these together. So here’s Sir John Major on the Andrew Marr show yesterday, explaining why a “once in a lifetime” referendum should in fact be held again because its outcome was determined by something that turned out to be untrue.
Which is, of course, totally different to Scotland being told to vote No in 2014 in order to stay in the European Union, because [REASONS TO FOLLOW AT SOME POINT]
The entire Scottish media has today leapt like starving dogs at a tin of Chappie on a new “study” by right-wing flag-crazed imperialist nutjobs T***e I*****s, which claims to prove that an independent Scotland would have a BLACK HOLE!!! of infinity squillion pounds and all the crops would wither in the fields and stamps would be £5000 each and we’d be invaded by space monsters and all the usual stuff you’d expect.
(In all seriousness for a moment, it genuinely tries to flog the “fiscal transfer” myth and the “Scotland would have to join the Euro” myth and a bunch of other Better Together Greatest Hits that were utterly debunked old hat half a decade ago, and in order to make its economic case work it basically pretends that Brexit isn’t happening.)
But at the bottom of its article the New Statesman offers to link its readers to the full extent of the author’s professional economic expertise and well-argued case, and in fairness if you click the link they do exactly that.
Credit where due, it’s an uncanny likeness of the gloomy wee fella.
Labour MP Stella Creasy, explaining to Sarah Smith on today’s Sunday Politics why she backs a so-called “People’s Vote” on Brexit because voters should have the right to change their mind about a referendum if circumstances change.
The Daily Record’s politics lead story today is a slightly underwhelming poll that shows 41% of Scots believe the Tories are carrying out a power grab against the Scottish Parliament, against 34% who think they aren’t (and 25% who have no idea).
Which seems a good time to round up the last results of our own most recent poll, and some slightly disturbing revelations about the Scottish public’s grasp of devolution.
100%Yes on In The Eyes Of The Law: “Reading the comments I’ve noticed unionist donating as well. This isn’t about what side of the political argument your own…” Oct 1, 17:01
100%Yes on In The Eyes Of The Law: “Donated a tenner but as time goes on I’ll donate more as and when needed. I actually believe this is…” Oct 1, 16:50
Spartan 117 on In The Eyes Of The Law: “Caption competition. “Naw, ah didnae pish oan yer new trainers. Ye did it yersel.” “How’s he *that* big, min?” “Couple…” Oct 1, 16:04
Rev. Spooner on In The Eyes Of The Law: “Done. This is excellent and important work, regardless of which side of the Indy debate we sit. All power to…” Oct 1, 16:02
Northcode on In The Eyes Of The Law: “It’s worth remembering that some legal processes are much narrower than the big stories often attached to them. And they…” Oct 1, 16:01
sarah on In The Eyes Of The Law: “I wish you all the best in this legal action [and am sending a modest donation]. This time you have…” Oct 1, 15:54
Hatey McHateface on In The Eyes Of The Law: “Bizarre pic of Swinney taking a leak. I guess that was intentional.” Oct 1, 15:35
Aidan on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “As far as I can tell both questions are the same, so yes it is hard for me to understand…” Oct 1, 15:11
Spartan 117 on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “Aye, that it is Cap’n. The sheer hatred dripping off its posts is mortifying and amusing in equal measure. That…” Oct 1, 14:52
sam on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “It depends on the question asked. Is that hard for you to understand? Check for yourself.” Oct 1, 14:41
Mark Beggan on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “Wings very own Father Jack Hackett. ‘Drink, Drink! Arse. Feckin Girls! Drink!’” Oct 1, 14:23
Aidan on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “So your polling says that support for a united Ireland in the EU is both 34% and 63% does it?” Oct 1, 14:15
Captain Caveman on Whatever Can Have Happened?: ““it’s like having a filthy thieving vagrant squatting in your front room, eating all your food, drinking your beer and…” Oct 1, 14:03
Captain Caveman on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “It’s not “squealing”, Fatso, it’s “unrestrained, raucous laughter (and pointing)” at you hilariously deranged foamers. Fucking state of you embittered,…” Oct 1, 14:01
sam on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “Polling in NI says that the current opinion is that support for a united Ireland is at 34%. Polling by…” Oct 1, 13:46
Mark Beggan on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “– the ones who dream. Dreaming is free. Everything else has a price. Even death has a price. But dream…” Oct 1, 13:29
Aidan on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “We get it mate – you hate the English, and thanks to a complete accident at birth you are somewhere…” Oct 1, 12:52
Hatey McHateface on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “The real world loves a winner, Confused. That’s the big problem with you instinctive tea towel sympathisers. You’re always sympathising…” Oct 1, 12:51
Hatey McHateface on Whatever Can Have Happened?: ““perversion of christianity” Careful, Confused, mask is slipping.” Oct 1, 12:34
Hatey McHateface on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “I think the issue is many from NI coming to live here. Unionists. Protestants. Stubborn, opinionated ones. And what that…” Oct 1, 12:32
Confused on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “Sometimes I end up watching the news through the night – it was during such that trump started all this…” Oct 1, 12:25
Hatey McHateface on Whatever Can Have Happened?: ““sic as the UN itsel” Last time I checked, Alf, Scots wasn’t a language recognised by the UN. Or at…” Oct 1, 12:25
Confused on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “this is why anglos rage – when their theft is blatant, no longer protected by cheap sophistry https://archive.ph/e4Gje “When the…” Oct 1, 12:23
Northcode on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “I’ve just realised that the “Three Phases of Decolonization” text functions like a mythic narrative built on the same structural…” Oct 1, 12:19
Captain Caveman on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “You cut a truly lamentable, laughable figure, Alf. No one to blame but yourself I’m afraid.” Oct 1, 11:38
Mark Beggan on Whatever Can Have Happened?: “Just another day in the NI. We don’t care. If you care so much then go live there.” Oct 1, 11:34
