Professor John Robertson OBA
From PMQs yesterday, Imogen Walker MP, fed the PM with these demonstrably questionable statements.
In Hamilton and Clyde valley my constituents are struggling to access the health care that they desperately need.
In the last quarter of 2024, NHS Lanarkshire, treated 97% of cancer referrals with a decision to treat within 31 days and 96.2% of urgent referrals with a suspicion of cancer within 62 days.1 The target is 95%. The equivalent figures for England were 91.3% and a shocking 69.6%.2
In the same period, for the critical 18 week target for life-threatening conditions, NHS Lanarkshire treated 60.2% on target.3 The equivalent figures for England was 58.9%.4
One in six Scots are on a waiting list.
Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray MP, says it’s 700 000.5 That’s 1 in 7.77 if you divide the population of 5.44 million by 700 000. Thick or just lying?
In England it’s 7 430 000 on the waiting list, so pro rata, with 10 times the population, a bit higher than in Scotland.6
Meanwhile in England waiting lists have been coming down for the last five months
The cancer waiting times are worsening to 88.8% and 67.3% in January 2025.7
and more than two million appointments have been made available.
Does the PM agree with me that the SNP-led government should stop blaming everybody else for their failures and that Scotland’s broken public services are their responsibility?
The best public services in the UK, often by a mile. Evidence? Here:
Sources:
- https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancer-waiting-times/cancer-waiting-times-1-october-to-31-december-2024
- https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/
- https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-18-weeks-referral-to-treatment/nhs-waiting-times-18-weeks-referral-to-treatment-quarter-ending-31-december-2024/
- https://www.england.nhs.uk/2025/02/waiting-list-falls-as-nhs-staff-treated-record-numbers-last-year/
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ian-murray-nhs-nhs-scotland-scottish-edinburgh-b2710598.html
- https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/nhs-delivery-and-workforce/pressures/nhs-backlog-data-analysis
- https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2025/03/13/cancer-waiting-times-latest-updates-and-analysis/#:~:text=Here%20are%20the%20latest%20results%20in%20England%20for,referral%20in%20January%202025.%20The%20target%20is%2075%25.
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Talking-up Scotland 
“Imogen Walker MP, fed the PM with these demonstrably questionable statements”.
Where she , as a Labour politician, is not unique in quoting dodgy (non) facts to suit their anti SNP and anti Scottish agenda.
The Canary online has written an article, on April 1st, but it’s no April Fool joke, with a headline:
“If Labour followed the SNP’s lead, 700,000 children would be lifted out of poverty”
Now that’s not something you will ever hear from any UK politician in any party in the HOC’s , but you will hear it from SNP MP’s in the HOC and elsewhere , who are then met with a derisory response from Labour (and others) in their weak attempts at deflection onto the SNP Scottish government as them being supposedly not just bad but #SNPBAD. (which apparently within the UK is supposedly the worse #BAD ever).
The Canary article quotes from the London School of Economics in what The Canary states is a “striking revelation from the London School of Economics” where they have “highlighted significant disparities in child poverty in Scotland and the rest of the UK”.
Where their report ” in collaboration with experts from the University of York, urges a re-evaluation of the current approach to child poverty in the UK” in that they found that “an investment strategy akin to Scotland’s could dramatically alter the landscape for families struggling with poverty” (for those families elsewhere in the UK).
The weekly child payment of £26.70 per child from the Scottish government they noted was “provided to low-income families in Scotland translates to a substantial annual benefit”.
“For a family with three children, this could mean nearly £5,500 more in household income (In Scotland) compared to families in England who do not receive similar levels of support”.
“As the report outlines, if the UK government were to match this investment, providing an equivalent of approximately £400 per child per year, the impact could be significant. The assessment suggests that this shift in policy could lower child poverty rates by an impressive five percentage points across the country“.
The Canary concludes that ” The statistics reveal a troubling trend: not only is child poverty a pervasive issue, but the gulf between Scottish children’s poverty rates and those in the rest of the UK is widening“.
“While the Scottish government is lauded for its child support initiatives, critics argue that the UK government’s continued cuts to social security undermine these efforts and leave vulnerable families facing an uphill battle against poverty”.
This is news that you will not see, read and hear about as much as you see, read and hear about news on Scottish Ferries.
Why ?
Well the Scottish (ITO) media have an ongoing vendetta against the SNP, both as a political party and as the Scottish government.
So as a result they, the so called ‘Scottish’ media, will never broadcast , write or say anything that proves that the SNP are doing far better and are being far more pro active in helping people in Scotland than Labour are, that is than Labour are here in Scotland and also in any other parts of the UK, as either a Welsh or a UK government or indeed a wished for, by the media, future Scottish government).
Imogen Walker’s main role as an MP at WM for Labour (together with other Labour MP’s too) is for them all to hide these significant and crucial facts and replace them with their brand of Labour lies and Labour misinformation to con voters in Scotland in the past, present and in the future to vote Labour and not SNP.
Vote SNP in 2026 to maintain the real benefits Scotland gains from having the SNP as their Scottish government , as in those who, as the current Scottish government, really “Get on with the Day Job” they were elected to do in Scotland and for Scotland.
Liz S
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Imogen Walker MP will reply to these stats as soon as she receives her instructions from her hubby ( Mr McSweeney ) , if they can be bothered to respond . After all , this is about Scotland which is simply a handy income stream for this power couple and holds no emotional interest for these Londoners .
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Aye, no change whatever from Starmer’s grenadiers….
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perfect post
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Labour are cutting £5Billion of support from the disable. More people will end up in hospital. Reportedly increasing NHS funding £22Billion. Instead of leaving the payment for people who need it. Increasing NHS funding £17Billion.
Walker etc are milking it in, £93,000 plus expenses. Cutting the essentials necessary for the poorer. An absolute disgrace. Labour are finished. In Scotland more people support the SNP and independence. More people will vote for it. A higher turnout.
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