I’m perplexed! Audrey Birt refers to the Cycle of Change model by Prochaska and Diclemente, then goes on to ignore its most important element – contemplation. The stage where the individual becomes aware of the problem is crucial to the…
Shitty journalism
Sexual harassment is a serious issue. It deserves to be taken seriously. It deserves better than to be exploited for the kind of cheap sensationalism we see in this article. Sexual harassment of women at the Scottish Parliament is a…
Declaration of the Independent Catalan Republic
The following is my unofficial translation of the resolution passed in the Catalan Parliament declaring an independent Catalan Republic FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU Lluís M. Corominas i Díaz, president del Grup Parlamentari de Junts pel Sí, ¡Mar ta Rovira…
What nation? Whose interest?
The key issue here is, of course, the definition of “national interest”. Any government is perfectly justified in declining to disclose information if there is a persuasive case to be made that such disclosure would be contrary to the interests…
BBC Reporting Scotland Analysis – Week Beginning 9 October 2017
Monday, 9 October 2017 | Tax Changes | Electric Highway | SNP on Catalonia | Brexit | North Sea Oil Tax Changes Progress and ensuring public services are adequately funded requires money, but Brian Taylor’s comments here are interesting for…
Challenging attitudes
With all due respect to Dr Iain Black, I think he was very wise to emphasise that he “makes no claims about how generalisable” his ‘findings’ are. I strongly suspect that his research may not have been measuring what he…
Frigates and Universal Credit … promises, promises
This article focuses on two issues that have hit the headline recently – Frigates and Universal Credit. Below are a few video clips that … shall we say … appear to strengthen claims that Conservative politicians cannot be trusted and…
Why does Madrid want to control Catalan TV?
Amid the uproar over the Spanish Government’s announcement that it intends to seize control of Catalonia and impose direct rule, one aspect of the effective coup is noticeable through its absence in the media. I refer of course to the…
Media power and the habit of lies
The following was censored by Sunday Herald when submitted as a comment. There’s a strong whiff of desperate sensationalism coming off this story. It’s the sort of thing anybody should be wary of who aspires to be an active consumer…
SNP to be removed from office as May imposes direct rule on Scotland
The United Kingdom has been plunged into a constitutional crisis after Prime Minister Theresa May announced that the SNP was to be removed from power at Holyrood. In a shock move, Mrs May declared an emergency debate would be held…