Chair, Welfare Scotland | EQHR Commissioner | Experts by Experience Panel at 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Poverty and Inequality Commn | AMRSPH Assoc | Fellow of Royal Society of Arts | MIHSCM Institute Health & Social Care Mgmt | 🏳️‍🌈 ♿️ #LGBT+ | He/Himhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.mehttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mtgriol7vs2bSo not only did Scottish Labour create a scheme which bled taxpayers dry across Scotland for years and years for business via PFI, we will now pick up the bill when the buildings we’ve paid through the nose for are brought into public ownership? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clylqd0lky5o19 Aug 2026 12:51 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtgriol7vs2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mtbzcrdwmk2cSkeleton with 167 fractures discovered at Stirling Castle may have been first victim of Edward I's 'War Wolf' trebuchet https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/skeleton-with-167-fractures-discovered-at-scottish-castle-may-have-been-first-victim-of-edward-is-war-wolf-trebuchet?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=LiveScience/magazine/Archaeology17 Aug 2026 15:28 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtbzcrdwmk2chttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mt35x2jcws2sThis is a disgrace and every person who contributed to this witch hunt should be utterly ashamed of themselves. There is a far cry from questions to answer and someone dying. The way the media and some within it whip up a frenzy is beyond contempt. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1j1ye6n30no14 Aug 2026 22:02 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mt35x2jcws2shttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mt2xdaxrxc2nÁngel Aguirre the former governor of Guerrero state in Mexico has been formally charged over his alleged involvement in the disappearance of 43 students in 2014, a case that has become a symbol of the country’s brutal cartel violence and government impunity. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/12/former-mexican-governor-charged-in-case-of-43-students-who-vanished-in-201414 Aug 2026 20:04 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mt2xdaxrxc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mt25erglek27It really does seem that Eurovision will do everything but actually suspend Israel from the contest. Eurovision proposes new rules to reduce political voting. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czrjxyg8mzmo14 Aug 2026 12:19 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mt25erglek27https://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3msb5svgwws2jThis is appalling. If someone doesn’t want to be treated by a person of colour then put them in the corridor and give them the phone number for a taxi company. People can’t pick and choose, who treats them, by skin colour. https://news.sky.com/story/nhs-staff-experiencing-unconscionable-levels-of-racist-abuse-survey-finds-1356957504 Aug 2026 13:50 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3msb5svgwws2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3ms7hfsdr7s2rThese neo-Nazis surrounded a Drag Story Hour while chanting slurs. Now they’ll pay the price. https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/08/these-neo-surrounded-a-drag-story-hour-while-chanting-slurs-now-theyll-pay-the-price/?utm_source=flipboard03 Aug 2026 21:37 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms7hfsdr7s2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3ms45ogrjz22gEU citizens in UK get letters telling them post-Brexit residency rights were given ‘in error’ https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/aug/02/eu-citizens-uk-letters-post-brexit-residency-rights-given-in-error02 Aug 2026 14:05 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms45ogrjz22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mrzfan3w5c2xThe Strange Origin of The Human Eye May Trace Back to a 600-Million-Year-Old 'Cyclops' https://www.sciencealert.com/the-strange-origin-of-the-human-eye-may-trace-back-to-a-600-million-year-old-cyclops?utm_source=flipboard01 Aug 2026 11:42 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrzfan3w5c2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mrxrijjjfc2bIf it isn’t the consequences of his own actions. Christian food bank’s shelves are empty after a pastor rejects supplies from LGBTQ+ allies. https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/07/christian-food-banks-shelves-are-empty-after-pastor-rejects-supplies-from-lgbtq-allies/31 Jul 2026 20:16 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrxrijjjfc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mrurcxff722vWhen we have actual fascists marching in the streets and targeting people due to the colour of their skin or perceived religion, this is incredibly ugly and entirely unnecessary. The government isn’t going to arrest its way out of this fiasco of its own making. [contains quote post or other embedded content]30 Jul 2026 15:35 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrurcxff722vhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mrqfmargak2jKirralie Smith, anti-trans activist and CEO of Binary Australia lied about a trans athlete injuring cis women. Now she has to pay them A$95,000 and make an official written apology and pin it to their social media for three (3) months. https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/07/an-anti-trans-activist-lied-about-a-trans-athlete-injuring-cis-women-now-she-has-to-pay-the-price/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic/socialjustice28 Jul 2026 21:55 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrqfmargak2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mrpqjb5fnc2xDoes anyone have an iOS based chess app that is free or cheap and will teach someone how to play chess as well as having the ability to play with other?28 Jul 2026 15:37 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrpqjb5fnc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mrnn66utdk2xImagine if obsessed billionaires funded projects like this instead of those causing division. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y6r9rdxygo?app-referrer=deep-link27 Jul 2026 19:32 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrnn66utdk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mrnjc7gcic2yIf you could only recommend one podcast, which would it be?27 Jul 2026 18:23 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrnjc7gcic2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mriwnryapk2gJust seen the terrible news from the attack on 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ 🇩🇪 Pride participants at Tiergarten park in Berlin. My heart goes out to everyone there and those injured. I hope the perpetrator is caught quickly and that those injured receive the care and support they need ASAP.25 Jul 2026 22:38 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mriwnryapk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mripb6p6l22uImagine how the thousands of visitors and athletes here for the Commonwealth Games are going to feel seeing the disgraceful and sickening scenes in parts of the city today. It isn’t acceptable any more for people to just tweet about it and sign petitions.25 Jul 2026 20:26 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mripb6p6l22uhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mrdwqcsjcc2e⚠️ There is a recall for a batch of Graham’s Family Dairy Semi-Skimmed milk (green cap) with the use by date of 31/07/2026 and covers the 1 pint, 1 litre and 2 litre jugs. There is a concern that the milk could have trace amounts of antibiotics. Return to retailer for a refund.23 Jul 2026 22:57 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrdwqcsjcc2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mrb5vwe3zk2wRowling is a bully and this ridiculous notion that a billionaire, who spends more maintaining her yacht per month than most people earn in 10 years, is a woman of the people is delusional in the extreme.22 Jul 2026 20:27 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrb5vwe3zk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mr6izh27l22zAnas Sarwar to to step down as Scottish Labour leader and join the House of Lords as a government minister in Burnham’s govt. What a joke! We always said this would happen - it was just about when!21 Jul 2026 19:08 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr6izh27l22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mqxjcakgtc22Oh jeez. I’ve had my cannabis oil earlier and I’ve recorded a voice message for a friend about my theory about something ridiculous and I’ve accidentally emailed it on to my doctor. I wish the ground would open up and swallow me 🤦‍♂️19 Jul 2026 00:24 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqxjcakgtc22https://bsky.app/profile/mcdowall.me/post/3mqnif45m722lAbortion should be free, accessible and available to all who wish to have one.15 Jul 2026 00:41 +0000at://did:plc:4ms6jduiu262vwdzz43sqlnk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqnif45m722l