The ‘R’ rate in Scotland “could have been as high as 1.3” last week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday. At the same time, they think there was only 250 infectious people in Scotland. So Coronavirus is at a low base level, but if on average each person with Covid-19 is infecting 1.3 others, the […]
Coronavirus
Usually on Source Direct we give focused news analysis on one main item, but there are so many things going on in Scottish politics right now we are going to give you a brief snapshot of several different issues today. 1) Economic Recovery report response: Remember Bennie Higgins’ Economic Recovery advisory report for Scottish Government Ministers? […]
Multiple-fronts of Scottish politics: a snapshot
“Given the choice between being ‘credible’ and being fair, a choice was made that strengthened inequality and erected roadblocks to social mobility for the poorest and most disadvantaged. In a just world, it would be the SQA and the Scottish Government that bore the consequences of that decision. In this one, that price will be paid by the nation’s youth”
Sean Bell: Burn down the SQA
“If you were to line up everyone in Scotland, with the most left-wing at one end and the most right-wing at the other, then keep walking until you were precisely half way and asked the person standing there for their opinions, Scotland’s media would probably describe them as ‘the far left’.”
Robin McAlpine: We’re spiralling towards an economic crisis – why isn’t Scotland taking it seriously?
“What’s needed now is a critical grilling of the role of the Scottish Government in the care home disaster. Without great public pressure, fed by the voices of those harmed by the crisis, that will be a long time coming.”
Nick Kempe: To understand the care home scandal, the voices of those affected must be heard
Don’t call it a second wave. Most experts are saying that Europe is still in the grips of wave one, as while cases had been significantly reduced over the past couple of months the virus had not been effectively eliminated, and thus the spike in recent weeks in many European countries is part of the […]
Weighing the ‘risk factor’
Scottish contact tracers at the ready – England’s King of Covid is crossing the border! Boris Johnson is still Prime Minister for the whole of the United Kingdom, but on Covid-19 health matters he has largely settled for governing England; badly. As restrictions ease, Boris now wants to take back control of the whole of the […]
The “sheer might” of the UK in Scotland could look very different in six months time
“We need to re-enable families to look after older people where they so wish and address the income and housing issues that currently prevent this.”
Nick Kempe: Hostages to Covid –the rights of care home residents and their relatives
The hedge-fund Chancellor knows how to grab the front-pages. £10 per head for a meal out, but only in August, and only on Monday-Wednesday, is novel. The Rishi-burger is indicative of the kind of gimmicky, short-term, consumption-heavy and corporate-subsidy laden approach of the Chancellor’s announcement. As The Guardian’s economics commentator Aditya Chakrabortty pointed out, it’s […]
Who wants a Rishi-burger?
“Let’s raise a toast to all those new homeworkers who have kept our country going since lockdown started, let’s reward them by making it a legal right to do what they have been doing throughout this crisis.”