Public opinion in Scotland does support EU membership
Alister Jack told the House of Commons that there is “no desire in Scotland” for EU membership. Opinion polls suggest otherwise. Read
Fact checks
Scotland
Fact checks of direct relevance and specifically about matters of national importance in Scotland
Westminster does not control the amount Scotland spends on its NHS
Although Scotland receives funds from the UK Government, it can spend them on any devolved services. Read
Fact checks
UK Government doesn’t retain £50bn of Scottish taxes
Posts on social media overcount and double count Scottish revenues while undercounting Scottish expenditure. Read
Fact checks
Economy, Business & Finance
Senior SNP politicians mislead on renewable energy generation
Scotland produces about as much renewable electricity as the total amount of electricity it consumes—but it also generates electricity from nuclear power stations and fossil fuels. Read
Fact checks
Economy, Business & Finance
Claim that Scotland receives no money from England is missing context
The level of public spending is higher than its level of contribution to the UK economy. Read
Fact checks
Environment
Scotland’s electricity consumption isn’t 100% renewable
Scotland produces renewable electricity equivalent to its annual consumption, but some of this is exported. In 2020, 56% of the electricity consumed in Scotland came from renewable sources. Read
Fact checks
Economy, Business & Finance
England hasn’t ‘kept’ £450 billion of Scottish taxes since 2001
A Facebook post claiming England has kept Scottish taxes ignores the money spent by the UK government for or in Scotland. Read
Fact checks
Economy, Business & Finance
Scottish taxes don’t subsidise English spending
Public spending per person in Scotland is higher than across the UK as a whole, and higher than the revenue raised in Scotland. Read
Fact checks
Health
Herald suggests Scotland’s 2006 smoking ban behind drop in heart attacks since 1990
An article in The Herald misleadingly suggested the 2006 Scottish smoking ban was behind a 74% drop in heart attacks since 1990. Read
Fact checks
The BBC didn’t edit the headline of a Scottish newspaper
The headline of an article about the Scottish election results was changed by the newspaper. Read
Fact checks
