Professor John Robertson OBA

BBC Scotland broadcasts this morning, but not their website, are celebrating their achievement in pushing down trust in the Scottish Government [only 47%] by years of lying about it. When I first taught about media effects, 30 years ago, there were few good examples that media could actually cause significant effects in people’s behaviour. The popular idea then that young people watching violent TV would then behave more violently had been blown out of the water by research studies showing that violent offenders watched little or no violent films/TV and far less than those whom did not offend!

Why, had they better media coverage might Scots trust their government more?

Suffice to say, by contrast, sometimes stark, with England after decades of Tory/Labour rule and Wales after decades of Labour rule, Scotland has:

1. Shorter hospital waiting times, for all treatments, especially for 18-weeks, cancer, alcohol and drug treatment, IVF and A&E.
2. Far more doctors, nurses, midwives, home visitors and beds.
3. Far better patient protection schemes.
4. Free prescriptions to enable, for example, all asthmatics to access medication, unlike the many in England who died from Covid for this reason.
5. Far more transparent data for the above.
6. By both police reporting and popular impression (U of Edinburgh) crime down more than 50% in 17 years and far lower crime, including homicide.
7. Far more police officers and better clear-up figures.
8. Lower violent deaths and drug deaths among the young.
9. No county lines drug gangs or child ‘grooming’ gangs resident in Scotland.
10. More affordable housing and lower council tax.
11. Free bus travel for the elderly and the young, students and apprentices.
12. Free HE tuition and university campus areas with lower crime levels than in all other parts of UK.
13. One of the best rail services in the UK.
14. Narrowing school attainment figures, increasing pass levels among the deprived and wider, lower cost-of-living, access due to articulation between local colleges and universities.
15. The world’s best ferry service.
16. Easier, cheaper, access to the mountains, lochs and rivers!

With time, I could think of more.

Ah, drug deaths! Falling but stalling, despite target beating treatment programmes, because of a recent surge of cheap, powerful, new drugs into towns and villages from English County Lines gangs.

For those requiring a short cut to the evidence, try:

Glenn Campbell and the ‘significant underperformance in key public services like the NHS’ that does not survive a collision with the evidence

You can support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method - Bernadette/John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421