Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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One man’s ambulance wait is ‘skewed data’ and does not the real news make – Scottish Ambulance Service is more than 3 times faster than in England in 90% of cases

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland yesterday had: A great-grandfather who broke his leg in a fall spent seven hours lying on the floor of a garden centre while waiting for an ambulance. James Craig, 87, was waiting so long for emergency help that the nursery in North Lanarkshire had to stay open well past its 17:00 closing time. His granddaughter Mariann Whitson said she had lost faith in the ambulance service as a result of their experience. The Scottish Ambulance Service has apologised to Mr Craig and said it was under “significant pressure” on the day he fell. Mr … Continue reading One man’s ambulance wait is ‘skewed data’ and does not the real news make – Scottish Ambulance Service is more than 3 times faster than in England in 90% of cases

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How the SNP’s £1 purchase of Prestwick Airport could be the end of Heathrow’s domination of Scotland’s export trade to the World

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Professor John Robertson OBA This is conjecture and I will admit to only having an SCE Higher in Economics, C pass, 1969, but I sniff something good here. From BBC Glasgow & West Scotland, today, making it to the business page but not to the main page: Prestwick Airport has reported an increase in its financial performance as well as its cargo operations in the last year. The Scottish government-owned airport recorded a £3.5m operating profit for the year to 31 March 2025 – an increase of £300,000 from the previous year. The report said it has already achieved its … Continue reading How the SNP’s £1 purchase of Prestwick Airport could be the end of Heathrow’s domination of Scotland’s export trade to the World

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Social housing in Scotland factcheck – 40% more availability, no damaging right to buy, bigger grants and greater fire safety

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Professor John Robertson OBA Amongst all the current media frenzy about a one-year down-turn in new social media building, even in the National, above, these important, positive, contextual facts, published in a review by the Wheatley Group in May 2024, are getting no attention: Social housing is more prevalent in Scotland than England, comprising 23% of all Scottish housing stock (11% RSLs / 12% Local Authorities), compared to 16.4% in England (10.1% RPs / 6.3% Local Authorities). Scotland has similar rate of owner-occupation than England, 63.7% compared to 64.1%. Statistics based on March 2022 returns One of the most important powers devolved to the Scottish Government … Continue reading Social housing in Scotland factcheck – 40% more availability, no damaging right to buy, bigger grants and greater fire safety

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Police suspected drug deaths trend continues steady fall but under-educated Daily Record Labour hack prefers to attack FM with statistically meaningless one-year change

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Professor John Robertson OBA Any fool can see from the above line graph what the trend is and despite the ups and downs, Scotland’s suspected drugs deaths are falling. From nearly 1 500 per year at the end of 2020 to just over 1 000 in the last 12 months, a 33% fall in only 5 years. The bar chart also show the usual seasonal fall from a winter peak. From Suspected drug deaths in Scotland: July to September 2025 published yesterday: There were 898 suspected drug deaths, 8% (65) greater than during the same period of 2024 (833). Note … Continue reading Police suspected drug deaths trend continues steady fall but under-educated Daily Record Labour hack prefers to attack FM with statistically meaningless one-year change

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How we have paid tens of millions for fourteen years to transform the lives and the economies of islanders only to have a small entitled business elite platformed by media to hide it

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland, today, in their BBC Breakfast TV insert but not on their website so just another report feed to the Pacific Quay team of a no news-value story on supposed hardship for island businesses. What’s the problem with it? There’s a very significant background story never told of just how much this SNP Government has done to transform life on the islands, funded by the rest of us living often in less pleasant places and with never the suggestion of compensation because of limited public transport services. Here it is: The above chart from the Evaluation … Continue reading How we have paid tens of millions for fourteen years to transform the lives and the economies of islanders only to have a small entitled business elite platformed by media to hide it

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50% more children at risk of being overweight or obese in England than in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Primary 1 Body Mass Index (BMI) statistics Scotland School year 2024 to 2025, published yesterday, the above and: In school year 2024/25, 74% of Primary 1 children measured had a healthy weight, 24% were at risk of overweight or obesity and 1% were at risk of underweight. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/primary-1-body-mass-index-bmi-statistics-scotland/primary-1-body-mass-index-bmi-statistics-scotland-school-year-2024-to-2025 In England, in the same period only 63.2% had a healthy weight. 1.6% were at risk of being underweight thus 35.2% were at risk of being overweight or obesity: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/static-reports/obesity-physical-activity-nutrition/national-child-measurement-programme-2024-2025-academic-year.html Roughly then 50% more children at risk of being overweight or obese in England than in Scotland? … Continue reading 50% more children at risk of being overweight or obese in England than in Scotland

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Number assessed but not receiving local authority long-term support is at least around 60% greater in England 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 estimated number of people assessed and waiting for a care at home package was 3,207 on 24 November 2025. This is slightly higher (3%) than the number of people (3,119) waiting for a care at home package this time last year (25 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-16-december-2025 From: Number of people receiving adult social care assessments, who have not received local authority social care support in the previous 12 months From April 2024 to September 2024, 285,000 people received a local authority adult … Continue reading Number assessed but not receiving local authority long-term support is at least around 60% greater in England than in Scotland

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Only Scotland and Wales meet WHO target for measles protection

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland Quarter ending 30 September 2025, yesterday: The first dose of Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is offered between 12 and 13 months old and the second dose at 3 years 4 months old. 92.5% of children had the first dose of MMR vaccine by 24 months of age. This rose to 95.9% for children who had reached age 5. Uptake of the second dose of MMR vaccine by 5 years was 90.6%, rising to 90.9% by age 6 years. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/childhood-immunisation-statistics-scotland/childhood-immunisation-statistics-scotland-quarter-ending-30-september-2025/ From Vaccine update: issue 365, November 2025 published on 26 … Continue reading Only Scotland and Wales meet WHO target for measles protection

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If ever Police Scotland needed a new AI system this is it

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Liberty Investigates today: Police forces are trialling AI technology that enables them to identify and track “suspicious” journeys by drivers on Britain’s road network. They are using an app which analyses data collected by automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, using artificial intelligence to identify vehicles that may be linked to “county lines” activity, whereby criminal gangs move drugs across the road network. Police have until now used the UK’s network of more than 12,000 fixed and nearly 1,900 mobile ANPR cameras to generate alerts when a “vehicle of interest” passes a particular location or … Continue reading If ever Police Scotland needed a new AI system this is it

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How one Nottinghamshire man might have survived an ‘avoidable’ deadly sepsis infection had he been cared for in one of Scotland’s post-Sturgeon cleaner hospitals

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Nottinghamshire today, the above and: The care given to a 45-year-old man with disabilities who died from sepsis after not being given the correct medication for 34 hours has been described as a “shambles” by his mother. The father of two – named only as Graham – was taken into Bassetlaw Hospital in Nottinghamshire with an infection in November 2022. An investigation by Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) noted doctors did not follow advice from the mother, care home staff or paramedics to give him intravenous (IV) antibiotics rather than oral as it … Continue reading How one Nottinghamshire man might have survived an ‘avoidable’ deadly sepsis infection had he been cared for in one of Scotland’s post-Sturgeon cleaner hospitals