I’ve been shown data that suggests SIX other Scottish council areas have cases per 100k similar to (or even above) the rate at which @scotgov imposed restrictions on parts of Western Scotland.
@scotgov explained restrictions in Glasgow, East Ren and West Dunbartonshire using cases per 100k for the three areas under restrictions.
The obvious question was what the comparable rate was elsewhere in Scotland.
I was surprised to find it was not easy to get an answer.
East Ren was put under restrictions by @scotgov at 18.8 cases per 100k. Glasgow at 21.8.
Data shared w. me by @TravellingTabby suggests following areas now similar/higher:
Perth & Kinross 25.7
E Dunbarton 23.9
Renf’shire 22.9
S Ayrshire 22.2
N Lanarkshire 18.7
S Lanarkshire18.4
Quoting unpublished figures, John Swinney defended restrictions on Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire saying cases per 100,000 there were ‘sizeably different.’
If the figures prove to be similar elsewhere should this have been explained?
There may be good reasons if @scotgov has chosen to put measures on some areas and not others with similar cases per 100k.
However, can only take official explanations in good faith.
Explanation was cases per 100k in restricted areas were ‘sizeably different’.
Important caveat:
@TravellingTabby’s figures are their own work and obviously not an official data source.
Also the figures @scotgov quoted were not from a complete, official publication.
Mr Swinney himself was quoting unpublished figures.
When I requested the remaining data for the rest of Scotland @scotgov said it was not published by Public Health Scotland.
Just heard it reported on a news channel that the 'plan was to send failed asylum seekers to Rwanda'.
That was not the plan.
The plan was to allow Rwanda to decide whether or not an asylum claim was valid.
The claim would be decided in Rwanda and successful claimants would remain in Rwanda.
They would not then be returned to the UK as some MPs appear to have believed.
Afhgans, Syrians and Yemenis who come to the UK would be sent to Rwanda.
If successful they would remain in Rwanda.
The Supreme Court cited evidence that *100%* of claims from Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen were rejected by Rwanda's Refugee Status Determination Commitee 2020-22
One of the biggest cheers in Rishi Sunak's speech was his pledge to deliver an "A1 upgrade" (with scrapped HS2 funds).
Is this a new announcement?
No.
In fact, the story of the A1 upgrade under successive Conservative Prime Ministers truly is remarkable..🧵
It is best told by the @ChronicleLive who produced an astonishing timeline, outlining the number of times the project was promised, halted, promised and then halted again.
EXCL: SNP Leadership candidate Ash Regan walks away when asked about comments from a key adviser who said Nicola Sturgeon was ‘up to her dark eyes’ in a ‘coverup’ in 2021.
Ash Regan adviser Kirk Torrance said Nicola Sturgeon was 'up to her dark eyes' in a 'coverup' at the time of the Holyrood inquiry into the Scottish Government’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations against Alex Salmond in 2021.
On her way into First Minister’s Questions, Ash Regan told @Channel4news: ‘I believe in hiring the absolute best.'
Ms Regan refused to say whether she knew about Mr Torrance’s remarks about @NicolaSturgeon before recruiting him.
NEW: Nicola Sturgeon telephoned Humza Yousaf to give him a ‘heads up’ the night before her shock resignation.
Kate Forbes, who was on maternity leave, says she was ‘oblivious’ when the news broke and ‘quite happy in that way.’ @Channel4News
In her resignation speech @NicolaSturgeon said:‘If you’re one of the small number who, merely because I wouldn’t have been able to tell you without crying over the last 24 hours, I didn’t phone but texted this morning just before the news broke, know you’re one of those friends.’
Very few people were given advance notice of the news and fewer still got a call from @NicolaSturgeon the night before her announcement.
The resignation shocked the Scottish political world and candidates have been scrambling to put campaigns together.