“As the necessity of extending the eviction ban grows ever more obvious, we must remember: Your landlord is not your friend. They are not your genial host. They sustain themselves by leeching from you all they can get, in exchange for which they occasionally send someone round to fix the boiler.”
Covid-19
“The substantive issues about the way older people were discharged from hospital last year are not about legal processes at all – they are about whether appropriate measures were taken to protect vulnerable older peoples’ lives in the face of the unfolding pandemic.”
Nick Kempe: Lessons from the hospital discharge to care homes scandal?
“Kenmure Street was a stunningly successful example of solidarity and nonviolent resistance. We should not be surprised if the authorities’ next moves attempt to make both of these untenable.”
Sean Bell: The aftermath of Kenmure Street leaves challenges for us all
The Cummings-Johnson showdown looks likely to play out like Holyrood’s own high noon. Revelations and accusations will titillate the political class; and some authentically scandalous insights into state power will be uncovered. But the wider public may look the other way.
Source Direct: Cumm Again?
As the majority of Scotland moves out of tier 3, the temporary eviction ban has lifted, and campaigners are anticipating a wave of evictions despite not being clear of the pandemic.
Calls for Eviction Ban to Be Extended as Covid Uncertainty Continues
“Tomorrow’s Holyrood election – for which more than 4.2 million people have registered to vote, the highest number yet recorded – has arguably frustrated Scotland’s politicians at least as much as the public on whom their futures depend.”
Sean Bell: What kind of election campaign has it been?
“If we are to design a NCS worthy of the name, it is essential that the full truth about that disaster is made public, including the role of central government, private sector providers and the relationship between the two. The revelations of the last two weeks represent some tentative steps in the right direction.”
Nick Kempe: Would the Scottish Government’s proposals for a National Care Service have averted the death toll in our care homes?
“As our national and international conversations turns increasingly towards post-Covid recovery, we will dwell less on what has traumatised us and more on what might heal us. Of course, this is where it gets tricky.”
Sean Bell: What does a post-Covid recovery for our mental health look like?
IPPR Scotland have produced a report calling on the Scottish government to reform council tax, re-evaluating house values and billing 0.75% of a home’s value.
Council Tax Reform: Who Should Pay for Covid Recovery?
“Unfortunately, this culture of big business-politics cross-pollination, and at times straightforward grift, has also landed in Scotland.”