Mark Irvine - Blogger, Campaigner, Organiser

How on earth can the exam body not do this in a government that (pretends) this is the defining mission? https://t.co/cLFziQ5acu pic.twitter.com/BLbgY624sG — Blair McDougall (@blairmcdougall) September 30, 2021 Nicola Sturgeon's pledge about to make Scottish education her 'defining mission' has a very hollow ring in 2021.   Education, Education, Education! (It Really Matters) ( June 22, 2021 ) The long-awaited OECD report has concluded that Scottish education is  far too complicated and cumbersome. Scottish Ministers accept the OECD recommendations and  have announced that  Scotland's exams body (SQA) will be replaced and arrangements for inspecting schools significantly reformed. Quite the rebuff to Nicola Sturgeon who said in 2015:  "Let me be clear - I want to be judged on this. If you are not, as First Minister, prepared to put your neck on the line on the education of our young people then what are you prepared to do. It really matters."  Yet after 14...

  So I decided to grab the bull by the horns and write directly to Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf - the MSPs for Glasgow Southside and Glasgow Pollok respectively. Dear Ms Sturgeon Public Money and SNP Politicians I understand that a Glasgow councillor with a full-time role in Glasgow City Council is also employed in your Glasgow Southside local constituency office. I would be grateful if you can explain the nature of the councillor's employment in your office - including the time commitment involved and cost to the public purse? Because it seems extraordinary that a public official is able to draw two public salaries at the same time, especially if one of the roles (eg council role) has already been classified as a full-time commitment and paid accordingly. I realise, of course, that I am not one of your constituents, but nonetheless I hope you will respond to my enquiry because the issues involved are obviously of much wider public concern. I look forward to your reply. Mark Ir...

I don't know if this is a great Glasgow business as I haven't tried any of their products yet. But 'Brawsome Bagels' in Finnieston certainly deserves 10 out of 10 for effort and I'll  report back on their bagels as soon as I get the chance.  

NEW: Scottish health watchdog unlawfully blocked release of positive Covid-19 discharges into care homes PHS slapped on the wrist for failing to release details of how many individuals were discharged into named care homes with positive Covid cases https://t.co/Ns9mtnGOwD — Conor Matchett (@conor_matchett) September 28, 2021 Public Health Scotland (PHS) has been slated again, this time by the Scottish Information Commissioner, for protecting politicians and Scottish Ministers instead of standing up for the interests of the wider public.   Guard Dogs, Watch Dogs and Scotland's Public Institutions ( July 08, 2021 ) Conor Matchett reports that a Scottish minister (Fiona Hyslop) intervened along with government officials to delay   the answer to an FoI request about deaths in care homes.  Labour's health spokesperson, Jackie Baillie, is quoted in The Scotsman article and makes the point: "Alongside muzzling Public Health Scotland, we have seen a deeply dysfunctional culture a...