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Dean M Thomson

@DeanMThomson

2 Sep

Thread on SNP’s record in Glasgow local government

If you saw the SNP Glasgow City Council (GCC) leader Susan Aitken STV interview you might be forgiven for thinking it was a car crash. It was. But the SNP’s legacy in Glasgow is even worse than you can imagine.
(1/16

➡️ Budget choices

According to Audit Scotland’s 2021 report GCC has ‘a track record of delivering significant savings’

In plain English ‘budget savings’ means a reduction in money spent. Obviously. GCC leader Susan Aitken might argue this merely represents efficiencies
(2/16

Indeed if ‘budget savings’ merely represent delivering the same local services, capital investment etc but cheaper…isn’t that a good thing?

Except what if services are deteriorating?
(3/16

Read 17 tweets

Dean M Thomson

@DeanMThomson

31 Aug

Thread 🧵/

Don’t trust the first minister with the post-covid NHS recovery plan. Fact is, she has long presided over a mess. Let’s remind ourselves of the state of healthcare under the SNP prior to the May elections. Ask yourself, is the SNP capable of fixing things?

(1/11

➡️ Waiting lists

During quarter ending 31 March 2021, waiting list sizes continued to increase. Percentage of patients experiencing longer waits also increased. “At 31 March 2021, 13.5% (47,884) had been waiting over 52 weeks or more, up on 7% (23,928) at 31 December 2020”
(2/11

➡️ Treatment Time Guarantee

Of those patients admitted to hospital, Public Health Scotland statistics report found 71.5% had waited 12 weeks (84 days) or less. This compares to 61% for the previous quarter and 68.3% for quarter ending 31 March 2020.

Sounds good…except…
(3/11

Read 11 tweets

Dean M Thomson

@DeanMThomson

31 May

Now you see it, now you don't

The story behind the allegedly missing £600,000 SNP 'indyref2' fund.

Where it originated from, when it allegedly first went missing. Why it matters now SNP figures are resigning from the finance & audit committee & national treasurer role.
[1/21]

1⃣ The year is 2017, before the General Election of that year. And the SNP launched a fundraiser for a planned indyref2.

On ref.scot it was made clear that all money raised on the website was to be ringfenced to fight a future independence referendum
[2/21]

And according to reporting this indyref2 fundraiser; which was explicitly stated as being for the purposes of a future indyref2; raised £482,000 of the original £1m target.
[3/21]

Read 23 tweets

Dean M Thomson

@DeanMThomson

30 May

Back in March we had members of SNP Finance & Audit Committee resign, claiming lack of access & information to party accounts.

Now in May SNP finance boss Douglas Chapman quit over 'lack of information'

It's time we asked: what the hell is going on with SNP finances?
[1/17]

➡️Back in March...

It was reported that Frank Ross (qualified chartered accountant, Lord Provost of Edinburgh Council), Livingston company director Cynthia Guthrie & Mid Scotland & Fife NEC member Allison Graham had all resigned from the SNP's Finance & Audit Committee
[2/17]

At the time it was alleged that they had felt compelled to resign due to Peter Murrell (SNP chief exec, husband to Nicola Sturgeon) was refusing them full access to the party accounts.
[3/17]

Read 19 tweets

Dean M Thomson

@DeanMThomson

25 May

Following the spectacle of a Glasgow mob overturning the rule of law, and given the highly politicised virtue signalling going on; its time to do a thread on the SNP, Scotland and the immigration debate. And doing so dispassionately, sticking to facts.
(1/19)

1️⃣ Claims that Scotland’s view of immigration is divergent from the rest of the UK is false.

It is categorically untrue that Scots think about the immigration debate differently from English of Welsh people.
(2/19)

But don’t take my word of it, let’s look at the ScotCen researchers analysis of the Scottish and British Social Attitudes Surveys (2017).

➡️ Scotland has relatively positive view on benefits of immigration
➡️ This is the exact same picture as in England or Wales
(3/19)

Read 19 tweets

Dean M Thomson

@DeanMThomson

18 May

John Swinney is no longer the education secretary, being moved by the FM to become ‘minister in charge of covid recovery’ (still no health secretary appointed yet)

So let’s review John Swinney’s five years heading up Scottish education.
(1/16)

1️⃣ He abandoned a flagship education bill

Swinney dropped a major education reform which would have transferred power over the running of schools, the curriculum and budgets from councils to headteachers.

He buckled because the teaching unions told him to.
(2/16)

John Swinney claimed standards were improving, and its thanks to an absence of that flagship SNP education bill

“It is clear to me we would not have come so far in such a short period of time if we had relied on introducing an Education Bill.”
(3/16)

Read 16 tweets

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