Norman McWhirter
LightNews LightNews
banner
critsect.bsky.social
Norman McWhirter
@critsect.bsky.social
130 followers 210 following 110 posts
Posts Replies Media Videos
critsect.bsky.social
Do you remember the BBC reporting "no difference in outcomes" just before the Inquiry came up to Edinburgh? This table below was what was presented at the Welsh visit just a few weeks later. It wasn't reported in scotland.
Table showing mortality rates. Scotland has the lowest rate. The line for Wales is highlighted. UK 143.2 England 145.0 Wales 144.6 Scotland 124.9 NI 130.7
November 22, 2025 at 11:42 AM
critsect.bsky.social
Just to prove he has a head.
Black poodle lying on the floor with an orange plastic pepper against his nose
November 21, 2025 at 8:22 PM
critsect.bsky.social
Respectfully, this is the most ridiculous dog
Black poodle with his head stuck in a large food bag.
November 21, 2025 at 8:14 PM
critsect.bsky.social
I'd like some of what Baroness Hallett's smoking if she thought that it was legally, financially, or politically possible for any of the devolved administrations to lockdown before the UK said so.
Option 3: Stringent restrictions, aka lockdown. Option 1 was do nothing. Option 2 was social distancing etc. "On the Inquiry's analysis, the three options were available to the four governments".
November 21, 2025 at 7:23 PM
critsect.bsky.social
Revisiting this and it seems like the inquiry thinks that the devolved administrations could have declared their own lockdowns in March 2020.
Option 3: Stringent restrictions, aka lockdown Option 1 was do nothing. Option 2 was social distancing etc. On the Inquiry's analysis, the three options above were available to the four governments. It doesn't explain how the legal and financial implications would have been addressed.
November 21, 2025 at 6:50 PM
critsect.bsky.social
The more I read the report the less I think this summary is justified.
Ms Sturgeon said that it would have been “virtually impossible in practical terms for Scotland to have entered full lockdown earlier than the UK government decided appropriate”, given the need for the UK government to provide the resources for schemes such as furlough.493 The Inquiry accepts that it would not have been practical for one or all of the devolved administrations to take such a step in the absence of the UK government doing so.
November 20, 2025 at 10:19 PM
critsect.bsky.social
The more I read the report (scanning it really) the more I think that the headline "they're all bad" isn't supported in the text of the report.
Ms Sturgeon said that it would have been “virtually impossible in practical terms for Scotland to have entered full lockdown earlier than the UK government decided appropriate”, given the need for the UK government to provide the resources for schemes such as furlough.493 The Inquiry accepts that it would not have been practical for one or all of the devolved administrations to take such a step in the absence of the UK government doing so.
November 20, 2025 at 10:13 PM
critsect.bsky.social
Not had a chance to read the Covid inquiry report, but worth remembering that Scotland had a significantly better mortality rate than the other UK nations.
Number of deaths involving Covid-19 Age-standardised mortality rates of deaths involving Covid-19 per 100,000 persons 95% Lower confidence interval 95% Upper confidence interval UK 186,668 143.2 142.6 143.9 England 158,964 145.0 144.3 145.7 Wales 9,751 144.6 141.7 147.5 Scotland 13,334 124.9 122.8 127.1 NI 4,309 130.7 126.7 134.6
November 20, 2025 at 7:24 PM
critsect.bsky.social
Eye
Close uo of a cat's eye
October 31, 2025 at 10:27 PM
critsect.bsky.social
The fear of a Jobby Lobby is why I don't have a roomba
Daft poodle lying on the floor.
October 21, 2025 at 7:53 PM
critsect.bsky.social
And another one gone
London to Edinburgh flight heading south after two landing attempts and a couple of pirouettes above the Pentlands
October 3, 2025 at 11:07 PM
critsect.bsky.social
Guess its a bit windy.
London to Edinburgh nope-ing it's way back to London after two landing attempts.
October 3, 2025 at 9:35 PM
critsect.bsky.social
So that's why the Union flag is on my carrots
news.sky.com/story/why-ha...
British patriotism is usually understated, with flags only coming out on special occasions.
August 28, 2025 at 10:37 PM
critsect.bsky.social
Black poodle on a rug sleeping with a plastic orange bell pepper against his nose.
August 23, 2025 at 7:04 PM
critsect.bsky.social
Just checking my own pics, and I see that you're right, none of them are at the highest point. I hadn't noticed at the time.
A line of standing stone, seen from a distance.
August 16, 2025 at 5:59 PM
critsect.bsky.social
Truly horrible.
Japanese Garden, near Dollar.
July 16, 2025 at 2:57 PM
critsect.bsky.social
Worst: a portaloo in a shipyard in Middlesbrough.

Best: maybe this
Blue sky, white fluffy clouds, a strip of grassy hills and an awful lot of sand.
July 5, 2025 at 9:22 PM
critsect.bsky.social
These wee guys have been fed today, but they're all staring in the window.
15 spuggies on three or four leylandii branches.
June 26, 2025 at 6:22 PM
critsect.bsky.social
We never had any issues with this big gentle boy, although when we got our first guide dog puppy we were told not to "let him sit on it".
Large, like huge, brown long haired dog with a black face next to a tiny black puppy.
June 17, 2025 at 11:03 PM
critsect.bsky.social
It's her Spy vs Spy outfit
Cartoon Spy wearing black with a white band on their hat holding a lit bomb vs spy wearing white with a black band on their hat holding a bomb.
May 28, 2025 at 9:30 AM
critsect.bsky.social
Cat with laser eyes forcing a dog to levitate.
March 21, 2025 at 7:43 AM
critsect.bsky.social
Fun for men and women!
My daughter having a play on a mini digger.
February 19, 2025 at 8:40 PM
critsect.bsky.social
And I was impressed by my wee sparrowhawk prints.
Sparrowhawk footprint in mud with my thumb for scale. So maybe about 1/10th of the size?
January 26, 2025 at 9:45 PM
critsect.bsky.social
I've seen it somewhere before
Spy vs Spy cartoon.
January 20, 2025 at 8:24 PM
critsect.bsky.social
Melania cosplaying Spy vs Spy.
Milania Trump dressed in black with hat with white band. Spy vs Spy cartoon with black Spy carrying a round bomb with the fuse burning.
January 20, 2025 at 6:16 PM