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 Vibecoding A Better World: “Excellent point, Alf. I guess the UN can chuck the UK out of the UN once they’ve been told the…” Nov 8, 23:00
Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: “As James Che rightly points out below, there is no reason to hold a referendum on leaving a ‘United Kingdom’…” Nov 8, 21:47
CatalogueTrewsers on Vibecoding A Better World: “John Main is a Shitebag ! An his Maw was a Shitebag anaw !! He gets paid to. I don’t” Nov 8, 21:42
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “But he didn’t lose, or even loose, his shit, did he? The two of them debated seriously and respectfully and…” Nov 8, 21:20
CatalogueTrewsers on Vibecoding A Better World: “When a cool cucumber like Robin looses his shit during a discussion. It tells me more about him,than it does…” Nov 8, 19:52
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““you’ve got them worried” Be reasonable, 100%, it’s to be expected that Scots want to know when the UN is…” Nov 8, 19:18
Aidan on Vibecoding A Better World: “lol “rigged” take off your tin foil hat. If the 2014 referendum was rigged, then any future referendum will also…” Nov 8, 19:10
100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “Alf, you and Salvo keep up the good work, you’ve got them worried.” Nov 8, 18:53
James on Vibecoding A Better World: “So, Adrian, the legitimate route, according to your ‘wisdom’ is via another rigged UK referendum? What a surprise.” Nov 8, 18:21
Northcode on Vibecoding A Better World: ““…had been annexed decades and in many instances centuries before [1945].” My comment was about the legality of annexation before…” Nov 8, 17:51
Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: ““It was only after 1945 that Article 2(4) of the UN Charter prohibited annexation by force under international law.” The…” Nov 8, 15:03
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Ah, c’moan noo, Willie. We a’ ken it’s Tel Aviv.” Nov 8, 14:31
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““The issue is annexation which is unlawful and without consent” Ooo, tough shit, Alf. Any reasonable observer is gonna interpret…” Nov 8, 14:28
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““Scotland is a catalyst Country to the freedom of just about every other Country” Havers. Ukr**ne is a catalyst country…” Nov 8, 14:20
Northcode on Vibecoding A Better World: “Even if Scotland had been annexed pre-1945 (it wasn’t), it wouldn’t have been illegal under international law. Before 1945, annexation…” Nov 8, 14:16
Willie on Vibecoding A Better World: “Who is taking down comments Rev, the second they are posted. Gremlins on the line?” Nov 8, 14:02
Willie on Vibecoding A Better World: “Looks like Tommy Robinson of the English Defence League is having fun in Ireland. ” I’m just about love bro,…” Nov 8, 14:00
Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: “““Independence without consent” The issue is annexation which is unlawful and without consent.” Nov 8, 13:43
Northcode on Vibecoding A Better World: ““… you and your tribe plan for Scotland to be steam rollered into Independence…” Perhaps the mission statement for both…” Nov 8, 13:19
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “We have to think of a larger picture before becoming independent as much as we would pay attention to details…” Nov 8, 12:10
Aidan on Vibecoding A Better World: “It is 180 degrees the other way 100% yes. The “Westminster” route did produce a pathway to independence in 2014…” Nov 8, 11:51
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “When Scotland is recognised as independent it will effect and have a affect on every other Country around the world…” Nov 8, 11:50
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “The approach from the Countries of Ireland and Wales towards the influx of migration and high taxes from Englands parliament…” Nov 8, 11:35
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “You write an enormous screed to explain why the obvious solution is impossible, 100%. Found a plebiscitary party, establish plausible…” Nov 8, 11:27
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “It would be of Great advantage to other nations and populations around the world to ensure that Scotland is recognised…” Nov 8, 11:20
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “That’s your opinion, Alf, and that of a few supporters. It’s almost as if you don’t know us Scots at…” Nov 8, 11:11
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “100% yes. Your reasoning is sound up to the point where you suggest that we can perhaps do UDI, or…” Nov 8, 10:51
Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: “Excellent summary. The role of independence leaders is to unveil their oppression to the people. The SNP elite has never…” Nov 8, 10:29
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “Hatey, The system is not just tragic for Scotland, but for Ireland, Wales and England. Long ago I realised that…” Nov 8, 10:12
