Professor John Robertson OBA
Only 18 paragraphs down in this headlining story, after much detail on the loss of a baby to former PM Gordon Brown and his wife, do we see this key finding mentioned:
Prof James Boardman, from the University of Edinburgh, is the cohort’s chief investigator. His team uses a series of brain scans and psychological studies at various ages.
He says one of the key findings so far is that poverty has an impact on brain development.
“It would be fair to say that a baby born at full term to a more deprived couple has a similar sort of risk of developing some developmental difficulties as a baby born at 25 weeks into a well-to-do family,” Prof Boardman says.
While not a great surprise, this is a stunning confirmation of the cruelty of the policies of the current UK Labour Government. Surely Brown must now speak against them, resign from the Labour Party and join with others in support for the efforts of the SNP Government in Scotland?
Here’s the evidence he needs:
Child poverty shocking 35% higher in England and Wales than in Scotland
Record 4.5m children in poverty in UK [sic] as cuts condemned as ‘morally repugnant’ – Campaigners have said it is “morally repugnant” that vulnerable people are bearing the brunt of spending cuts after official figures showed a record 4.5 million children are living in poverty in the UK.
The poverty figures showed that in Scotland 23% of children were in poverty, compared with 31% in England and Wales. Holyrood missed its 18% poverty figure target, though experts said its rates would be higher without its child poverty programme.
Prof Ruth Patrick, a professor in social policy at the University of York, said: “The progress Scotland has made on driving poverty rates down shows another way is possible. The UK government could lift 700,000 children out of poverty overnight by matching Scotland’s fiscal commitment to driving poverty down.”
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/27/children-poverty-government-benefit-welfare-cuts-uk
23%, 31%, single figure differences that Scotland’s media can present as not so different but:
31% is 34.7% higher than 23%.
There are around 900 000 under 16s in Scotland. A shocking 200 000 live in relative poverty but if these 900 000 lived in England, 279 000 of them would, nearly 80 000 more. Not good enough I know but the SNP is dedicated to the eradication of child poverty and will do so when it has full control over the economy.
Why, if you need reminded, does this matter so much? This:
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
WHY IS THIS SICKENING INDIVIDUAL STILL TRYING TO RUIN SCOTLAND
future and its children’s health
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This Labour Party Policy, the Two Child Benefit Cap is notba hangover from fourteen years of Tory Government.
The Cap became official Labour Party Policy in 23rd July 2024 when Labour whipped its MPs into voting down the SNP proposal to remove the Two Child Benefit Cap and Sir Keir Starmer announced the suspension of Labour Party membership of seven MPs who followed the SNP’s MP’s example in the division.
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Indeed John.
While the Daily Record tweeted on 28 June 2024 :
“Here’s your first look at Saturday’s Daily Record front page, which leads on former PM Gordon Brown insisting a vote for Labour can help end child poverty”
Which included a copy of their front page of that edition of the Daily Record, that stated:
“Gordon Brown exclusive interview”
“Vote for ending Child Poverty”
“Former PM back Labour leader Starmer’s Moral Mission”.
Now in 2025 we see that if you did vote for Labour in the 2024 GE then you voted to continue “Child poverty” and that you were also backing Keir Starmer’s Immoral mission that has now targeted the most vulnerable sections of their UK society, including impoverished families with children.
Another timely (for Labour party) Brown intervention that has promoted even more lies to Scotland than were promoted by him in 2014. (aided , yet again, by one of the Labour party’s client media, that is the Daily Record).
Vote SNP in 2026 to help continue to enable the SNP’s many positive initiatives and actual “Moral Missions” in them, as a Scottish government, trying to “end child poverty” in Scotland. Where they have introduced a Scottish Child Payment which is paid to low income families with children and where it has been stated (though not by the media or by opposition politicians ) that it will reduce child poverty in Scotland significantly.
Liz S
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‘Will the Browns now condemn Starmer …..?’
Unlikely! Mrs Brown appeared on Radio 4’s Women’s Hour this morning (April 9) to discuss the latest results of this from the Edinburgh-based longitudinal cohort study of child development.
At one point she noted that (in terms) representatives of all political parties in Holyrood had accepted an invitation to visit the research group at Edinburgh University. This is important she stated as there is a Holyrood election next year. The Implication – child poverty is a problem for Holyrood to solve?
No mention of any relevant actions and mitigations of Westminster policies already being delivered by the present Scottish Government – no surprise there!
No mention of – no pressure for – change in British Labour Party government policies – again no surprise.
These Browns do have a guid conceit of themselves!
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Indeed when there is an election looming you can guarantee the Scottish media will roll out the Broons that even when England is in a desperate state to tell us once again that we are better together. To think that in a previous world I had some sympathy with this disgusting creature and his ilk.
Robbo
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The new Labour party as the new UK government making a complete mess of the job that they were (apparently and supposedly) elected to do, while also proving that Gordon Brown is very much their enabler and not , as promoted by the media, simply just a former Labour PM who champions the current Labour government. (in his own boringly and now too familiar , politically partisan way).
The Labour government’s (lack of ) actions and also their cruel and inexplicable actions that, as bad decisions, then impact the most vulnerable, where Brown is then allowed by the media to spin and twist Labour and Keir Starmer’s actions (or lack of actions) into something more positive , that is, where Gordon Brown is more than willing to lie for Labour and also very much lie for his UK too.
Saw this online via Get a Grip Twitter account in respect to England’s ‘Justice’ system:
““The Ministry of Justice’s attempt to build this murder prediction system is the latest chilling and dystopian example of the government’s intent to develop so-called crime ‘prediction’ systems. Time and again, research shows that algorithmic systems for ‘predicting’ crime are inherently flawed. This latest model, which uses data from our institutionally racist police and Home Office, will reinforce and magnify the structural discrimination underpinning the criminal legal system.” We wait 14 long years for a non-Tory Government and then we get one that’s f*****g insane”.
This is on news that “The Ministry of Justice is developing a system that aims to ‘predict’ who will commit murder, as part of a “data science” project using sensitive personal data on hundreds of thousands of people“
However in 2019 it was reported in a BBC article dated 4 February 2019, that is when the UK had a Tory UK government, that “Crime prediction software ‘had been adopted by 14 UK police forces” in England and Wales, 13 in English Police forces and 1 in a Welsh area.
That is supposed “UK police forces” that were actually ,out of the 14 ‘UK’ Police Forces, all in England apart from one being in Wales.
That 2019 BBC article stated that “It believes the programs involved can lead to biased policing strategies that unfairly focus on ethnic minorities and lower-income communities”.
Now Statewatch online , in their article on this dated 31 March 2025, said on Labour’s Ministry of Justice planned ‘prediction’ system that:
“It is clear from the data the Ministry of Justice hold and used for this analysis of homicide, the same data which would be used for homicide prediction, Black people are significantly over-represented, as are people of all ethnicities from more deprived areas”.
I read online that “There isn’t a single, publicly named “crime prediction system” used by the Scottish Government Justice Minister, the Scottish Government relies on data analysis and research, including the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey to inform its policies and strategies on crime prevention and justice”
Vote SNP in 2026
Liz S
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Brown crashed the economy. The banking crash. He was supposed to be in charge but did not have a clue. Causing poverty worldwide. The illegal wars ruined the world economy causing poverty worldwide. The migrant crisis was caused by the illegal wars. The Tories used it to implement Brexit. Losing £Billions and causing more poverty.
Brown caused world poverty, death and destruction killing people.
The Vow was a disgrace. Lie, after lie, after lie.
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People who are discriminated against and can’t get jobs.
Many Asians with first class degrees cannot get jobs and are taxi drivers. They are more likely to live in deprived areas.
Austerity led to 200 more knife deaths in London a year. All the support systems were shut down. Funding was withdrawn.
Black people cannot get jobs and are discriminated against.
Crime is linked to alcohol and drugs. Most crime is committed under the influence.
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SCOTLAND WILL BE HIT HARDEST IN ANY ENGLISH LABOUR POLICIES
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