The reaction of the Scottish media and political opposition to Audit Scotland’s annual report on the NHS today has been nothing if not predictable. But we thought you might like an instructive and enlightening look at the two very different types of approach they’ve taken to trying to mislead the Scottish people about it.
First up is the non-specific Scottish Labour apparatchik (as far as we’re aware he has no official role in the party since Jim Murphy quit – indeed we don’t know what he does for a living at all any more) Blair McDougall:
This is what we in the writing trade call a “flat-out lie”.
We weren’t going to take Professor Adam Tomkins’ hysterical “NATMAGEDDON!” article for this week’s Spectator seriously enough to pull it apart line by line.
But once we’d wiped the tears from our eyes we thought we’d better do our job.
After we highlighted the ridiculous inconsistencies in press reports last week regarding Edinburgh MP Michelle Thomson’s business dealings with a couple in Cumbernauld, we’ve been in a lengthy dialogue with Sunday Mail editor Jim Wilson over the plainly utterly wrong claim in the latter paper that:
After we provided the Mail with documentary evidence of the sale price, we naively expected a tiny mealy-mouthed correction buried in a corner of this week’s edition. But what we got was something very substantially worse even than that.
We apologise for another post on the subject of The Wright House, everyone, but we do love getting our teeth into a puzzle, especially when it comes with a side order of lots of juicy evidence of the Scottish media telling people outright lies.
This should be the last one for the forseeable future, and we’ve actually got some solid info to impart this time rather than just a confused expression, so buckle up.
It appeared on any possible interpretation to be complete nonsense, but Ms Dugdale – who’s pledged to make education the issue at the heart of her leadership – has been somewhat reluctant to clarify the statement.
Several queries from her Lothian constituents have gone unanswered, but one Wings viewer did manage to get a single tweet of response.
The editor of the New Statesman just tweeted this image, trailing an interview with Jim Murphy, who alert readers may recall led Scottish Labour for a few months this year before its apocalyptic disaster of a general election campaign which saw it lose 40 of the 41 Scottish seats it won in 2010:
Oh, wait – maybe he’s trying to claim the credit for it.
Kezia Dugdale talking to Gordon Brewer on BBC Scotland today:
“I’m astonished that you’ve spent 10 minutes in this interview talking about independence and Trident when almost 50% of the poorest kids in the country can’t read […] I’m sure you’d be shocked to know that 50% of the poorest kids leave our schools unable to read.”
We suspect he would too. Because it’s total cobblers.
There’s been a veritable flurry of polls commissioned to mark the impending one-year anniversary of the independence referendum. In the last 48 hours alone we’ve seen ones from Survation, YouGov and Panelbase, making a variety of interesting findings. As ever, though, the trick is in the interpretation.
As we were poking around with this, we thought it’d be useful to have all the basic donations and spending information about the referendum in one place. It’s normally scattered around different places and hard to access easily, and it’s quite interesting.
Hatey McHateface on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: ““I don’t want an indyref anytime soon” “get rid of the SNP” The SNP don’t want an indyref anytime soon…” Sep 1, 09:20
James Che on The Shortest Day: “The Bank of England would be responsible for all National Debt, as there is no longer a bank of Scotland…” Sep 1, 09:17
Hatey McHateface on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “That’s odd, Mark. My reparations award confirmation came in a blue envelope, marked “THIS IS NOT A CIRCULAR”, and stamped…” Sep 1, 09:13
James Che on The Shortest Day: “The Westminster parliament are stating that the Crown of Scotland along with the parliament of Scotland were a separate entity…” Sep 1, 09:08
Hatey McHateface on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Fair enough. It’s a trap. Still, though, I’m confused. All those years of demanding a second referendum. Was all that…” Sep 1, 09:01
Grant on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Personally I don’t want an indyref anytime soon for the simple reason that the SNP would have a major part…” Sep 1, 09:00
James Che on The Shortest Day: “The Two separate Constitutions and differences of Law of England and Scotland in sixteen and Seventeen hundreds after the Act…” Sep 1, 08:57
Mark Beggan on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “In the fantasy world of kolonized Kretins (great name for a punk band) why have the Romans not been brought…” Sep 1, 08:39
Chas on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Why is the membership info on this Mickey Mouse party a secret to those of us who are not existing…” Sep 1, 08:28
Hatey McHateface on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “And if the UN tells you to have a referendum, Alf, to demonstrate there’s some substance behind your claims that…” Sep 1, 08:27
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “In a world of perfect karma, somebody would film you earnestly telling the 6 foot 2, 16 stone offspring of…” Sep 1, 08:12
Alf Baird on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: ““A normal government would go to the UN” Yes, that is what our ‘nationalist’ government should have been doing since…” Sep 1, 08:02
Hatey McHateface on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: ““they’d tie a Yes vote to the EU, open borders” You haven’t been paying attention. That ship sailed years ago.” Sep 1, 07:49
Hatey McHateface on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Aye, who would want an Indy referendum if its genesis is not of the utmost ideological purity? And so, via…” Sep 1, 07:45
100%Yes on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Scotland has the same legal rights as England a section 30 order was imposed on Scotland via the Scotland act…” Sep 1, 07:45
GM on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Yes lets vote? Now? Soon? Consider nothing, everything will be all right on the night. Even setting aside the principles…” Sep 1, 07:43
Hatey McHateface on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Jeezo! All that hot air just to agree with the SNP at the end. “They’re talking about offering us an…” Sep 1, 07:32
100%Yes on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “The Constitutional question lays with the people of Scotland and no one else. If we had a genuine Independence party…” Sep 1, 07:22
BH on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “If the deficit bluff showed signs of failing I would have my local agents veer progressive and adjust ‘the people…” Sep 1, 07:19
Big Jock on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “The UK is a trap. They are openly admitting it. A normal government would go to the UN , as…” Sep 1, 00:52
Young Lochinvar on The Shortest Day: “SB I don’t knock hot pot, or food from the slow cooker. Tasty, and be honest now; it’s not really…” Sep 1, 00:44
Saffron Robe on The Shortest Day: “A forced marriage is, by its very nature, illegitimate, because it is entered into without the free consent of one…” Sep 1, 00:30
Young Lochinvar on The Shortest Day: “HMcH Aye Hatey, it’s being so cheery that keeps ye going isn’t it? One baleful benediction after another tonight, and…” Sep 1, 00:30
