Year: 2025

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SNP buy Prestwick Airport for just £1, make £10 million profit and create 4 500 jobs in only 4 years while its sister airport in Kent goes out of business in only 6 months to become just a lorry park

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The Ayrshire Daily New’s Doug Maclean, has a fine piece of journalism serving the information needs of the community. Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Robert Martin for alerting me to this. Both Prestwick airport and its sister airport at Manston in Kent were available for sale in 2013. Both were losing money and the company that owned them were not able or prepared to invest in their long term future. Prestwick was sold to the Scottish Government for £1 as it was not only an airport but the site for multiple aerospace companies and considered too valuable to shut. … Continue reading SNP buy Prestwick Airport for just £1, make £10 million profit and create 4 500 jobs in only 4 years while its sister airport in Kent goes out of business in only 6 months to become just a lorry park

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As BBC Scotland pounce on one ‘alleged’ stabbing what they don’t want you to know – murder by knife and possession of knives have plummeted but only in Scotland

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No exploitative image here Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland today have – Mother of alleged stabbing victim hands out kits to stop bleeding It’s a heart-breaking but inspiring story of a mother’s courage. However, BBC Scotland is allegedly a news agency with a royal charter obliging it to inform us and part of that informing requires context. Is this common, is it less or more common here, is there a trend? First year journalism students would fail if their work had no context. Here it is: First, Murder by stabbing in Scotland has fallen in a steady trend to half of the … Continue reading As BBC Scotland pounce on one ‘alleged’ stabbing what they don’t want you to know – murder by knife and possession of knives have plummeted but only in Scotland

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A more upbeat song for Scotland than the wilting flower?

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Professor John Robertson OBA For decades, I’ve wanted to write the lyrics for songs but could never find a collaborator. Recently I’ve turned to AI for the tunes and the performance – what else can I do? I’ve written this song with a view to persuading reluctant Yes voters that independence is not exile. We’d still be good friends to the many good folk, not just their relatives and friends, when Scotland is free to run its own affairs. We’re not going away in any physical sense and if the going got tough, we’d still be there with them, barring … Continue reading A more upbeat song for Scotland than the wilting flower?

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Scotsman lies barefaced about pandemic lockdown effects on developmental delays in toddlers and fails to ask if UK Government austerity was a major factor

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Professor John Robertson OBA Above how BBC Scotland reported on developmental delays in toddlers during the pandemic. The Scotsman however, had: That’s a clear lie and it’s not qualified, and at that only very very slightly until the 7th paragraph when we see ‘associated with’ as opposed to ’caused: Unless the reporter is thick-as-a-brick, what is the Scotsman’s agenda here? To join the pile-on demonising of Nicola Sturgeon in the Covid inquiry process? Was it hard to understand the University of Edinburgh news release? Covid lockdown linked to child development issues – Lockdown and social distancing measures during the Covid-19 … Continue reading Scotsman lies barefaced about pandemic lockdown effects on developmental delays in toddlers and fails to ask if UK Government austerity was a major factor

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Private rents in UK surge by twice as much as in Scotland on top of already being nearly 40% higher

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Private Sector Rent Statistics, 2010 to 2025, published yesterday: The changes in average rents across Scotland in the latest year by different property size categories were: +4.0% or +£28 per month for 1-bedroom properties, reaching £738 per month +3.1% or +£28 per month for 2-bedroom properties, reaching £921 per month +1.6% or +£18 per month for 3-bedroom properties, reaching £1,154 per month -1.5% or -£26 per month for 4-bedroom properties, falling to £1,767 per month +5.5% or +£29 per month for 1-bedroom shared properties, reaching £560 per month https://www.gov.scot/news/private-sector-rent-statistics-2010-to-2025/ No overall average is quoted but … Continue reading Private rents in UK surge by twice as much as in Scotland on top of already being nearly 40% higher

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As 1 in 7 English bathing spots is not recommended for swimming it’s only 1 in 30 in Scotland, 87% Excellent!

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Guardian today, the above and: One in seven (13%) of England’s bathing waters are rated as polluted, and one in 14 so polluted they are not recommended for swimming. Famous beaches including Bognor Regis, Scarborough’s South Bay and Littlehaven Beach in South Shields were all rated “poor” in the latest classifications from the Environment Agency, which means they are not recommended for swimming. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/25/one-in-seven-english-bathing-spots-rated-as-polluted-in-latest-testing From SEPA in November 2025: Record number of Excellent Bathing Waters in Scotland for 2025 – In 2025 the highest number of Scotland’s bathing waters on record will meet the best environmental … Continue reading As 1 in 7 English bathing spots is not recommended for swimming it’s only 1 in 30 in Scotland, 87% Excellent!

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3.5 MILLION children could be lifted out of poverty if the Labour Party in England and Wales copied the Scottish Child Payment unique in Europe and in the long-term really costing nothing

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Scottish Government yesterday: More than 300,000 children supported by Scottish Child Payment Social Security Scotland’s Scottish Child Payment is supporting 322,230 children across the country, newly published figures show.  Launched in February 2021, the Scotland-only benefit gives families with low incomes crucial financial support to help with the cost of raising children. The weekly payment of £27.15 is paid every four weeks for every eligible child under the age of 16 within a household.  https://www.gov.scot/news/more-than-300-000-children-supported-by-scottish-child-payment/ If Labour in England and Wales did the same, they’d lift around 3.5 million children out of poverty. Why … Continue reading 3.5 MILLION children could be lifted out of poverty if the Labour Party in England and Wales copied the Scottish Child Payment unique in Europe and in the long-term really costing nothing

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SNP Government initiatives leading to plummeting waiting lists with overall list now 5% shorter than NHS England

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Professor John Robertson OBA From NHS waiting times – stage of treatment published yesterday, the above impressive signs of progress. with increasing numbers treated yet plummeting longer waits. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-stage-of-treatment/stage-of-treatment-waiting-times-inpatients-day-cases-and-new-outpatients-25-november-2025/ Important note – These latest statistics up to 31 October 2025 cover all patients waiting for a new outpatient appointment or treatment as an inpatient or day case, as well as those seen and removed from a waiting list covered by the national standards. Individual patients are counted more than once if they are waiting to attend more than one scheduled hospital appointment or admission, so the official statistics shown here … Continue reading SNP Government initiatives leading to plummeting waiting lists with overall list now 5% shorter than NHS England

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Nearly three times as many more in England waiting for a social care assessment and care at home services than in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA From People requiring a social care assessment and care at home services, published yesterday: The number of people estimated to be waiting on a social care assessment for a package of care was 7,806 on 3 November 2025. This is an increase of 30% from the estimated number of people waiting this time last year (4 November 2024). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/people-requiring-a-social-care-assessment-and-care-at-home-services/people-requiring-a-social-care-assessment-and-care-at-home-services-25-november-2025/ All things being equal, you might expect the figure for England would be around 10 times as much or 78 000. It was 195 788: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/performance-tracker-2025/local-services/adult-social-care Continue reading Nearly three times as many more in England waiting for a social care assessment and care at home services than in Scotland

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Scotland’s universal and generous IVF system costs nothing in the longer term, reduces psychological distress and increases child-wellbeing

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Professor John Robertson OBA From IVF waiting times in Scotland Quarter ending 30 September 2025 published yesterday: During the quarter ending 30 September 2025, 362 patients were screened. The 90% standard was met, with all patients attending a screening appointment within 52 weeks of referral. All patients were screened within 26 weeks at the Aberdeen IVF Centre, and most patients at the Dundee and Glasgow IVF Centres also experienced a wait of this length (88.7% and 80.7% respectively). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/ivf-waiting-times-in-scotland/ivf-waiting-times-in-scotland-quarter-ending-30-september-2025/ How does IVF treatment in Scotland compare with that in England? Scotland has a nationally standardized policy, offering more generous and … Continue reading Scotland’s universal and generous IVF system costs nothing in the longer term, reduces psychological distress and increases child-wellbeing