Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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99% of ‘hospital infections’ were brought in on the patient or by family and visitors because the SNP did not allow the privatisation of cleaning

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The Sunday Daily Mail today: Where did these infections come from? It would be necessary for them to have been hospital-acquired to claim the QEUH is unsafe. This researched by a TuS contributor Since the SNP took power they have delivered and maintained a significant reduction in hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).  In 2005-2006, a national survey reported an HAI prevalence of 9.5% in Scotland’s acute hospitals.   By 2011-2012, this had decreased to 4.9%, a nearly 50% reduction.    In 2021, approximately 1% of hospital patients in Scotland develop an HAI, showing continued progress in infection control.   The SNP also reduced the number … Continue reading 99% of ‘hospital infections’ were brought in on the patient or by family and visitors because the SNP did not allow the privatisation of cleaning

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‘Stealing food from the mouths of animals north of the border’ – Is an English animal charity still taking millions from Scots while doing no work in Scotland?

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As with O-levels when it should have been O-Grades and 11-plus when it should have been the ‘Qualies’, UK-wide media have confused Scots for decades and RSPCA and SSPCA remains a bone of contention. My family often say RSPCA yet the RSPCA does no work at all in Scotland? Does it raise money from Scots who see the adverts on ‘national’ TV? In 2009, the Herald revealed the above. Is there evidence that people in Scotland still give to the RSPCA though they only work in England? Yes, there is clear evidence that people in Scotland donate to the RSPCA … Continue reading ‘Stealing food from the mouths of animals north of the border’ – Is an English animal charity still taking millions from Scots while doing no work in Scotland?

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Are there similarities in the psychology used by Donald Trump against Iran and that use by Sir Keir Starmer or Wes Streeting against the resident doctors? Yes, indeed, there are.

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Listening to Trump and Starmer, as a former teacher, I couldn’t help but notice how they’re both using psychologies long discredited in teaching – they just don’t work. I have a familiar, a raven on my shoulder called Grok! I asked him. He saw it too and he researched a fully-referenced for me as I tire after a Saturday afternoon beer: Yes, there are notable similarities in the psychological tactics and negotiation strategies employed, though the contexts differ dramatically (high-stakes international statecraft versus domestic public-sector labor disputes). Both involve coercive bargaining, public framing to shift moral responsibility, and pressure through … Continue reading Are there similarities in the psychology used by Donald Trump against Iran and that use by Sir Keir Starmer or Wes Streeting against the resident doctors? Yes, indeed, there are.

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Thistle Centre Successes – The Herald headlines a confused Tory quote on drug addiction to maintain their proud record of untrustworthy fiction

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The Herald headline today is ‘The SNP’s policy of state-sponsored drug taking is doing nothing to tackle addiction‘ under a photo of the SNP leader and the Glasgow SNP leader. So another of their ‘Beyond the Headlines. Into the facts’ series? Yeh, yeh, we see the speech marks there but who on earth notices them and thinks ‘Oh that might not be true?’ This is about the Thistle Safe Injection Centre in Glasgow. So, the Thistle Centre has not cut addiction? Was that one of it’s published aims? Nope. Here they are: The facility is explicitly described as a Safer … Continue reading Thistle Centre Successes – The Herald headlines a confused Tory quote on drug addiction to maintain their proud record of untrustworthy fiction

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The Herald – Beyond the headlines and into the swamp beyond belief or trust

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The Herald is using the above in a tragic attempt to groom gullible adults out there. They were using this in January this year: When I saw the above being punted by the Herald, I didn’t know whether to laugh or…………laugh. It’s Trump-like in its mix of self-delusion and deep cynicism. They’ll be giving themselves some kind of Pulitzer prize, awarded at a ceremony hosted by Anas Sarwar. I’ve long lost track of how untrustworthy they have proved to be these last twenty years of anti-SNP propaganda though, before that, they were long champions of corporate interests against those of … Continue reading The Herald – Beyond the headlines and into the swamp beyond belief or trust

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Teachers’ paid maternity leave – Labour plan to double it but it will still be only just over half that in Scotland

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Thanks to Dorothy again for alerting me to this. In the Guardian yesterday, the above and: What is the current situation for teachers in England and what does the Labour Government plan to do about it? Doubling? Doubling what? Teachers, leaders and support staff will see their full maternity pay double from the 2027-28 academic year, rising from four weeks to eight, the Department for Education (DfE) has said. https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/teachers-maternity-pay-boosted-5HjdSZr_2/ I don’t suppose the minister had her staff check the situation in Scotland. No, why would they? What is it?  13 weeks full pay. https://www.snct.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Part_2_Section_7 So Scottish teachers used to get more … Continue reading Teachers’ paid maternity leave – Labour plan to double it but it will still be only just over half that in Scotland