Subscribers - The Lesley Riddoch Podcast
from Lesley Riddoch and Fraser Thompson
Chaos Theory
It's not been a great week for Rishi Sunak.
First off was his appearance at the Covid Inquiry following hard on the heels of that of Boris Johnson. We look at the testimony of this pair and what it says about the state of the UK.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/11/rishi-sunak-tells-covid-inquiry-he-was-not-told-to-save-whatsapp-messages
https://www.politico.eu/article/rishi-sunak-boris-johnson-uk-covid-inquiry-questioning/
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/11/deeply-sorry-what-rishi-sunak-said-to-the-covid-inquiry
As we record, Sunak is scuttling around trying to ensure he can scrape together enough votes to stave off defeat on the Second Reading of his Rwanda Bill.
Talking about scuttling, Graham Stuart UK Climate Minister has been summoned back from COP28 to take part in the Rwanda vote right at the critical moment when last minute negotiations are taking place over the watering down of the text calling for phasing out of fossil fuels.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/12/uk-minister-departs-cop28-as-climate-talks-reach-crisis-point
https://www.ft.com/content/2f4f4deb-a95a-4d93-9a49-a8d9ea15165a
Much has been made of Scottish "failings" when it comes to the recent PISA results from the OECD with negative comparisons being made with England. We take a look behind the headline figures and other recent findings which seem to contradict the received wisdom over the "failure" of the Scottish education system.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/pisa-2022-rise-in-maths-but-warning-over-inflated-results/
https://www.gov.scot/publications/programme-international-student-assessment-pisa-2022-highlights-scotlands-results/
Meanwhile Alister Jack and David Cameron have taken a major strop at Humza Yousaf having the temerity to actually meet and speak with folk at COP28.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/23980579.david-cameron-threat-humza-yousaf-meeting-erdogan/
https://twitter.com/campbellclaret/status/1733955087830073465
https://www.thenational.scot/news/23982578.furious-alister-jack-says-scottish-ministers-must-follow-foreign-office-rules/
Whaur's yir maist pooerful devolved government noo?
First off was his appearance at the Covid Inquiry following hard on the heels of that of Boris Johnson. We look at the testimony of this pair and what it says about the state of the UK.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/11/rishi-sunak-tells-covid-inquiry-he-was-not-told-to-save-whatsapp-messages
https://www.politico.eu/article/rishi-sunak-boris-johnson-uk-covid-inquiry-questioning/
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/11/deeply-sorry-what-rishi-sunak-said-to-the-covid-inquiry
As we record, Sunak is scuttling around trying to ensure he can scrape together enough votes to stave off defeat on the Second Reading of his Rwanda Bill.
Talking about scuttling, Graham Stuart UK Climate Minister has been summoned back from COP28 to take part in the Rwanda vote right at the critical moment when last minute negotiations are taking place over the watering down of the text calling for phasing out of fossil fuels.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/12/uk-minister-departs-cop28-as-climate-talks-reach-crisis-point
https://www.ft.com/content/2f4f4deb-a95a-4d93-9a49-a8d9ea15165a
Much has been made of Scottish "failings" when it comes to the recent PISA results from the OECD with negative comparisons being made with England. We take a look behind the headline figures and other recent findings which seem to contradict the received wisdom over the "failure" of the Scottish education system.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/pisa-2022-rise-in-maths-but-warning-over-inflated-results/
https://www.gov.scot/publications/programme-international-student-assessment-pisa-2022-highlights-scotlands-results/
Meanwhile Alister Jack and David Cameron have taken a major strop at Humza Yousaf having the temerity to actually meet and speak with folk at COP28.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/23980579.david-cameron-threat-humza-yousaf-meeting-erdogan/
https://twitter.com/campbellclaret/status/1733955087830073465
https://www.thenational.scot/news/23982578.furious-alister-jack-says-scottish-ministers-must-follow-foreign-office-rules/
Whaur's yir maist pooerful devolved government noo?