From Noon Sunday.
This week I am joined by Eva Comrie, Phil Boswell, Yvonne Ridley and Lloyd Quinan as we discuss the week’s political events in Scotland. It seems now every week is a big week for the SNP and Scotland.
Colin Beattie the SNP Treasurer arrested in connection with the ongoing police enquiry into SNP funding. We discuss the implications and ask, are there likely to be further arrests?
Humza suggesting everything is under control, we ask complacency, stupidity or both? We wonder if Humza actually grasps just how serious matters have become for his party.
We debate his remarks that we shouldn’t hold Nicola Sturgeon responsible for her husband’s actions. Firstly, did he realise he was throwing Murrell under the bus with a suggestion Murrell was guilty of misdeeds? Does Humza not realise that people are asking questions about Sturgeon’s own actions, not those of her husband?
Maybe Humza has forgotten she was party leader for nearly nine years while all this alleged wrongdoing was occurring. The entire world knows that Sturgeon micromanaged every aspect of the SNP. Nothing happened without her say so, nobody more than Humza, Sturgeon’s obedient little boy should know that only too well.
We ask if the Continuity First Minister Yousaf has the necessary skills and brains to navigate the SNP through this self-inflicted mess.
In other matters the Joseph Rowntree Foundation disclosed that 460,000 Scots are living in very deep poverty. We ask why Scottish Government is focussing on identity policies instead of policies to attack poverty.
Meanwhile, our Irish cousins have not only balanced their budget they have a 2% excess to tackle the cost of living crisis. We ask how can Ireland with no oil, no gas, no renewables to speak of manage this and Scotland cannot? Is the link one nation doesn’t have a parasitical neighbour sucking them dry and the other does?
All of these topics and more on your favourute Scottish politics podcast.
Roddie, yet another excellent Prism with revealing contributions from all of the panellists. One point of contention I have though is in holding up the Irish Government as an example of good Governance. That Government may have ‘balanced their budget’ but that has in no way alleviated the problems increasingly encountered by the population of that country in the spheres of homelessness, health service provision in practically all sectors, particularly in paediatric and mental health support systems. On one day alone this year over 700 patients had to be held on trolleys in emergency departments and over 160 in other areas of the respective hospitals, of that number 26 were children admitted to hospitals where NO beds were available for them. (Source) Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
None of this of course has been helped by the 70,000 Ukrainian refugees who have entered the country over the past 14 months imposing huge demands on services which were already under massive pressure prior to the events of February 2022.
Listen into RTE Radio 1 on any daily news and public affairs programme to appreciate the level of concern among the residents of that country and to the obfuscating and negative responses from Dail Eireann ministers to those concerns. It is no wonder Sinn Fein are riding high in the polls as they are the only party presenting policies that would attempt to address the grave imbalances which exist in Irish society today.
Irish Government policy at home and abroad is heavily influenced by the politics of Washington USA as can be referenced by the anti Russian pro Ukrainian propaganda which is unashamedly promoted in particular by journalists and presenters within the RTE broadcaster on every occasion possible with no counterbalance of viewpoint. We should tread warily if Ireland today is being held up as an example which to aspire!
It was a comment on their budget surplus not a judgement on their internal machinations
Roddy, my comment for context highlights the fact that despite a ‘balanced budget +2% surplus’ the people of Ireland are experiencing NO positive change in their daily lives. That balanced budget +2% might as well not exist if you are within the 12,000+ cohort currently homeless, sleeping in cars and wherever else is available and with no access to support services in their hour of need.
As Robert McAllan says another great prism , I was particularly taken by Lloyd’s comment , it is now becoming more and more obvious that even the most staunch supporters and protectors of the snp party have realised and accepted that sturgeon and her moronic sycophants have destroyed their party that they helped tirelessly to get to the strong position they are in , unfortunately that tireless devotion and support without scrutiny and challenge has resulted in the CLEAR BETRAYAL by sturgeon and her VICHY administration of not only snp members but Scottish independence supporters