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Half of all 2002/3-born Welsh children were granted SEN provision. However, against a backdrop of compounding dysfunction in Scotland and England, Wales turned the ship around.
How 🏴 grasped the nettle and fixed its special needs system: a comprehensive summary.
🧵1/25
Good reminder of the SNP's early antics.
New columnist John MacLeod on how he — unwittingly — participated in one of the biggest upsets of the Holyrood election.
thecritic.co.uk/dont-write-o…
Might actually give this one a watch. Imagine Offord and the McGill's guy ganging up on Foyer. Would be like a blood sport.
Tomorrow, join Debate Night in Airdrie
On the panel: David Linden, Michael Shanks, Malcolm Offord, Roz Foyer, and Ralph Roberts
Wednesday 28th October, 9pm on @BBCScotland and @BBCiPlayer
Apply to be in the audience now: eu.castitreach.com/ag/mentor…
#bbcdn
My 2026 ASN forecast:
45.5% (+2.5)
On a good string of nice round numbers: 40.5, 43.0. Perhaps a sign?
Estimate last year was 42.7%.
Tim Doherty retweeted
The McCrimmon family have campaigned against knife crime with great courage after the death of their beloved son, Kory.
They and I support @VSScotland's call for @scotgov to review why young people become involved in knife crime. My question today to the Home Secretary 👇
Tim Doherty retweeted
👇 What we have here is a sitting councillor and former leader of the Edinburgh Greens explicitly expressing support for the banned terrorist group Palestine Action, after proscription (5 July 2025) - a potential offence under the Terrorism Act.
Saturday’s Edinburgh protest was peaceful, silent and really powerful. Huge thanks to Susan the Steward (so patient!) Lennie and the Circle of Witnesses - and those who travelled from aw the ‘airts.
#FreePalestine
Internal Scottish Government emails during BHA negotiations: where 'lines' must be prepared in anticipation of people asking the SNP about their willingness to partner with the Greens given their 'stance on the anti-semitism definition'.
Tim Doherty retweeted
Major investigation from The Sunday Times - the Scottish state is paying a minimum of £27m a year to around 800 public sector workers, in the NHS, councils, police etc who do not have a job, but they cannot be made redundant owing to SNP policy
thetimes.com/uk/scotland/art…
Tim Doherty retweeted
SNP send benefits abroad to 'heat homes' despite Scots struggling with freezing homes scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/n…
ICYMI 👇
The full history of the exciting rectorial election in St Andrews, featuring insider accounts of the collapse of the University's progressive bloc and the masterful campaign which saw the technocrats storm back.
The St Andrews rectorial election of 2026
The full story of Q Manivannan's collapse, an enormous turnout surge and a Ministry of Defence analyst's "chieftain strategy".
tdscot.substack.com/p/the-st…
The horse 🐴 grifter.
tdscot.substack.com/p/horse-…
The St Andrews rectorial election of 2026
The full story of Q Manivannan's collapse, an enormous turnout surge and a Ministry of Defence analyst's "chieftain strategy".
tdscot.substack.com/p/the-st…
During the campaign, Manivannan sowed doubt about election integrity. "This is not a free and fair election".
On results night his Marisite bloc suffered a huge swing against it. He won 17.7% of the vote (-37.4). The MoD analyst A Bernhoff won a landslide of 67% after transfers.
Q Manivannan loses bid to become rector of St Andrews University trib.al/SsgTv0a
🚨 Have been informed from my source that Q Manivannan has LOST.
Arthur Bernhoff has been elected with around 3,000 votes. For context, 2,677 votes were cast across all candidates in the 2023 election.
Some benchmarks:
QM is standing as an emergency replacement for the blocked-from-ballot SE Maris. He is campaigning on extending her activist rectorship. Differences between them are matters of emphasis and style. Changes from last time:
~7% (-48)
~10% (-45)
~15% (-40)
~20% (-35)


























