The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Standard Wales Check

Posted on February 05, 2019 by

Alert readers will recall that earlier today we conducted one of our regular context checks for statistics misleadingly-incompletely reported in the Scottish press. But while those are like shooting fish in a barrel, there’s one thing that’s an even more reliable open goal for the website editor looking for content in a slow news week.

Ladies and gentlemen, once again we give you… Scottish Labour.

There’s absolutely nothing that happens in Scotland that Scottish Labour are happy with. Day in and day out they can be found putting the bleakest possible spin on any statistic for a dwindling audience of diehard supporters and Scottish journalists.

Something bad happened? SCOTLAND IS TERRIBLE AND IT’S ALL THE SNP’S FAULT. Something good happened? IT WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH AND IT’S ALL THE SNP’S FAULT. And the solution is always the same: let Labour run things.

There’s only one problem with that theory: it’s been tried.

Labour have run the Welsh Government ever since devolution 20 years ago – despite being proportionally elected, the current administration has 12 Labour ministers and deputies out of 14 – and without exception the Assembly in Cardiff has delivered worse (often spectacularly worse) results than its SNP-run counterpart since 2007.

The equivalent Welsh measure for operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons (what Scottish Labour describe as because “hospitals couldn’t cope”) is 75,000 in two years. That’s 37,500 a year, compared to the Scottish figure of 8,311.

And if we adjust those numbers pro-rata to account for Wales being a significantly smaller country than Scotland (with just 58% of the population), we get these figures:

NON-CLINICAL OPERATION CANCELLATIONS (per year)

Scotland: 8,311
Wales: 64,113

The Welsh figures under Labour are a breathtaking 771% worse than Scotland’s. We’re going to say that again in case you think it’s a typo:

Seven hundred and seventy-one percent.

There’s a reason the Scottish public don’t trust Labour to run their public services, even when they’re imperfect. And everyone except Scottish Labour knows what it is.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

514 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Dr Jim

Question time random selection working well again we all see

Michael Forsyth’s not only a liar but he’s a really bad liar

Hugo Rifkind finding ways of avoiding saying things

Labour woman had the intellect of a 12 year old

I really liked the honest black Scottish woman

If the SNP feel they must have someone to appear on behalf of the real Scotland they really need to pick someone who’s not as nice and pleasant a person as Fiona and use someone who’s capable of being an attack dog, or perhaps the originator of the VOW, Murray Foote could represent the reason why as the once editor of the paper they all read the Daily Record now supports Independence, because I bet you good money many ordinary folk won’t know that because the media didn’t exactly make the big deal of it they should have, for obvious reasons of course

I don’t like Fiona Bruce and never have because she has no personality whatsoever and performs like a manufactured robot somebody made using parts from what they thought were other intelligent women then slapped a permanent smile on its face…….Weird and strange

Thepnr

@mike cassidy

“I couldn’t bring myself to read on to see if the comments continue to the actual broadcast.”

Neither could I, the first few were enough.

Dr Jim

@Liz

It was definitely the pubs fault, or maybe he ate a bad pie, or somebody slipped him a mickey, he could’ve just tripped into other peoples trousers, all of these things are possible in the bad pubs coz when he goes to all the other good pubs nothing like this ever happens…..mostly sometimes not

But the stress the stress, we all understand don’t we?

James F. McIntosh

Just wish it was pointed out by Fiona Hislop that not all the people who want independence are members of the SNP and I think it would make a bigger impact if the SNP would officially boycott the bbc not that I think stv is any better

Still Positive

What you must know is that N.Lanarkshire Council area of which Motherwell is a part voted Yes in 2014. That was not reflected in the audience tonight.

Hamish100

is it not the case that one of the QT organisers had links to the right wing.

I expect the relevant Holyrood committee to ask direct questions of the bbc

auld highlander

To the best of my knowledge it is illegal to serve somebody who is drunk so what the hell are they doing in that cesspit of depravity.

One_Scot

I didn’t even watch Question Time, but I cannot tell you how pissed off I am from the tweets I am reading on twitter about it.

If we don’t vote Yes soon then we are definitely fucked.

stu mac

Dr Jim says:
8 February, 2019 at 12:25 am
Question time …
Labour woman had the intellect of a 12 year old

That is out of order and quite insulting!! Most 12 year-olds are much smarter than that.

Dorothy Devine

To all of you who think boycotting BBBC is a good idea what kind of spin would those miscreants put on it?

We would hear that they had been invited but refused while implying they had something to hide – let’s face it the BBBC are practised in the art of misleading and downright lying.

I wonder if they would answer an FOI request for the number of viewers QT has – I suspect it is an ever dwindling pack.

I would not like to put Mike Russell in the position of the only SNP to appear on shows of this nature but I suspect he would be the best at sookin’ them in and spittin’ them oot in bubbles.

Alan Mackintosh

Thanks wingers, for looking for that UK definition thing for me. Still not found it but I will…

Pete

Stinky 10.56 pm
From what I could see, there was only one Brexiteer on the panel – Michael Forsyth
Dodds
Hyslop
Rifkind
Ol?
They were all remainers

Capella

@ Alan Macintosh – I remember the document you mention. I think it was an official UN document but submitted by the UK on joining the UN. It listed the UK as a member state then described it as containing 2 countries, Scotland and England but added the other provinces, principality and dependencies. That’s why it was posted and circulated on WoS.

I looked at the UN site which linked to the UK Gov FCO. The FCO document search was unhelpful. But it said that not every document was migrated to the site after 2010 and the archives might have it. I gave up at that point but may return to it out of curiosity.

So, as everyone else has said, it is very difficult to find it.
It’s possible it has suffered the same 1984 style revisionism as other important texts.

Like you, I have archived stuff from an older computer so will have a quick search there.

One good thing is, because several of us remember this document, it does rather “corroborate” that it existed!

Will post back here if I find it.

gus1940

O/T

Re today’s story about the CO2 Capture at Drax is the CO2 produced at Peterhead and latterly at Longannet a different kind of CO2 incapable of being captured in an identical way from the flue gases or is it just that it is Scottish CO2?


  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)

    Stats: 6,668 Posts, 1,202,047 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Young Lochinvar on The People You Most Suspected: “Wrong on this one. From one who has actually seen active service as has immediate relatives I reckon your “pithy”…Nov 14, 00:23
    • Young Lochinvar on The People You Most Suspected: “Really Lorna? Boundaries.. Once crossed.Nov 14, 00:16
    • Young Lochinvar on The People You Most Suspected: “Gloriana; Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. Did I mention wrong? Try and keep up, adults are discussing matters of fact…Nov 13, 23:43
    • Young Lochinvar on The People You Most Suspected: “The question is JS, how long before big backer trans Atlantic funders worm their way into whoever comes next? People,…Nov 13, 23:12
    • Young Lochinvar on The People You Most Suspected: “Yesterdays perverts are todays trendy norm.. See the long term fashionable trend yet?Nov 13, 22:52
    • Jay on The People You Most Suspected: “Presumably, your comment is intended to discredit Fearghas Mc F. but your attempt is nugatory. Such imprecision as may have…Nov 13, 21:25
    • Jay on The People You Most Suspected: “Lorna, I agree with all your comments. The key concept is ‘power’, so far as I can see. The expropriating…Nov 13, 21:10
    • twathater on The People You Most Suspected: “PROFESSOR Alfred Baird please do not ask wee Chas to edumacate himself, he’s liable to get above himself and try…Nov 13, 20:58
    • znovak on The People You Most Suspected: “Yup indeed. I cannot fathom how people who ostensibly support Scottish independence can be in favour of U losing its…Nov 13, 20:56
    • James Gardner on The People You Most Suspected: “1 in 4 children in poverty and 1 in 4 pensioners dying in poverty, proof positive that the politicians are…Nov 13, 20:47
    • James Gardner on The People You Most Suspected: “Seen one dressed as Jimmy saVILE…….WTF ?Nov 13, 20:42
    • Republicofscotland on The People You Most Suspected: “Thanks Alf for the link a very interesting read.Nov 13, 20:42
    • Robert Matthews on The People You Most Suspected: “Professor Plum more like.Nov 13, 20:20
    • Stevie on The People You Most Suspected: “Fking criminal : the SNP is the shte clogging the waste disposal pipes of Scottish politics.Nov 13, 19:52
    • Jay on The People You Most Suspected: “From what I read, it seems that U is increasingly losing ground to its greedy and powerful imperialist neighbour. People…Nov 13, 19:50
    • Alf Baird on The People You Most Suspected: “Yes academics often use referencing to confirm their sources. Perhaps you have never read an academic paper or studied for…Nov 13, 19:44
    • Hatey McHateface on The People You Most Suspected: “There’s you making that claim again, twathater. I’d keep it under wraps, even if it does work like a charm…Nov 13, 19:12
    • Chas on The People You Most Suspected: “I really should not respond to cranks like you but I will keep it relatively short and not so sweet.…Nov 13, 18:16
    • Jay on The People You Most Suspected: “Have you seen anything from RM which could possibly promote Scottish independence? Please let us know.Nov 13, 18:15
    • Hatey McHateface on The People You Most Suspected: “You have to understand there’s a strand of opinion that believes that as long as U has sovereignty and freedom,…Nov 13, 18:03
    • Hatey McHateface on The People You Most Suspected: “A talking plook! BTL channeling Family Guy yet again. As I recall it was Chris who was afflicted – he’s…Nov 13, 17:54
    • twathater on The People You Most Suspected: “TBQH SteepBrae I am 73 yoa and I cannot think of any GOOD politicians from any of the parties, ALL…Nov 13, 17:47
    • Chas on The People You Most Suspected: “Have you any thoughts of your own Alfie boy? All you ever do is quote other numpties. At least we…Nov 13, 17:41
    • twathater on The People You Most Suspected: “I wouldn’t worry Fearghas I think Crapper Campbell has amply exposed his eagerness and willingness to sacrifice his Scottishness to…Nov 13, 17:37
    • twathater on The People You Most Suspected: “Oh No! just when you think that Chas is joining the ranks of real indy supporters with common sense he…Nov 13, 17:14
    • Chris on The People You Most Suspected: “That’s my secondary school in the paper. We never had any of that when I was there!Nov 13, 17:10
    • Alf Baird on The People You Most Suspected: “The SNP elite appear totally oblivious to the fact that colonialism involves ‘hateful racism’ (Cesaire), and that self-determination independence means…Nov 13, 16:48
    • diabloandco on The People You Most Suspected: “I haven’t forgotten that slur. I have become Sturgeon phobic.Nov 13, 16:13
    • Republicofscotland on The People You Most Suspected: “Marko Polo (@markthehibby): “Lest we forget Sturgeon describing the majority of Scots as “Transphobic… deeply misogynist, often homophobic, possibly some…Nov 13, 16:10
    • znovak on The People You Most Suspected: “I have no doubt that in late 1930s Bob would defend legitimate interests of Germany in neighbouring countries, admire political…Nov 13, 15:44
  • A tall tale



↑ Top
180
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x