Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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The truth is if the British Labour Party knew how to fix the NHS it would be done by now. – in Wales

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By stewartb With the publication today (April 3) by BBC Scotland of comparative information on the NHS in the four nations of the UK, does this mean that benchmarking NHS Scotland against its peers in England, NI and Wales is no longer to be dismissed as ‘whataboutery’? Seems it’s become ‘legitimise’! Helpful in examining this contention: ‘The truth is if the British Labour Party knew how to fix the NHS it would be done by now. – in Wales’ From the BBC News website (April 2) there is this: ‘NHS Wales major repairs backlog nears £1bn’. It reports that the “high” … Continue reading The truth is if the British Labour Party knew how to fix the NHS it would be done by now. – in Wales

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BBC Scotland comparing the Scottish NHS with the rest of the UK but no mention of English strikes

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By Liz S Talking of hiding things from the public……. The experts, that is the BBC, are the ones who are adept in that type of behaviour, in their quest to publish, transmit and broadcast all and any #SNPBAD news. MSM Monitor posted this below as an astute observation re the BBC supposed NHS comparisons today: “BBC Scotland is comparing the Scottish NHS with the rest of the UK. No mention of English strikes. No mention that corridor care is lowest in Scotland No mention of Scotland having highest NHS satisfaction. No mention of multiple English critical incidents this winter … Continue reading BBC Scotland comparing the Scottish NHS with the rest of the UK but no mention of English strikes

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Supposedly intelligent prof discovers he has been wasting his time on ferries and says ‘bon voyage!’

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Above, Lord Ashcroft Polls on 6th March 2026 find in 17th place only 4 out of 2028, 0.2%, respondents put transport and infrastructure in their top three concerns. Surely they asked more than 4 islanders? Ipsos for 25 February 2026, found in 13th place, 18% concerned with public transport/roads. I feel sure mentioning ‘roads‘ triggered thoughts of potholes rather than ferries for the vast majority, 95% who never use ferries. I find it hard to see any evidence in either of these two recent polls that the media ‘ferry fiasco’ attack strategy on the SNP Government is having any traction. … Continue reading Supposedly intelligent prof discovers he has been wasting his time on ferries and says ‘bon voyage!’

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Plans for ‘Revolution in childcare ‘cannot find space on BBC for news of a ferry returning as excuse to remind you of a ‘fiacso’

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I’m not discussing ferry services directly any more, to avoid trouble. It was never a big issue for the electorate judging by polls (only 4 out of 2 2089 bothered about transport) anyway, but the media operating in Scotland seem to think it’s a big loser for the SNP so they keep foregrounding it. Today, only on BBC Scotland, a big picture of a ferry and several lightweight stories are keeping this out. From STV and others, above, this morning: SNP will deliver revolution in childcare if it wins election, says Jenny Gilruth – The education secretary said her party … Continue reading Plans for ‘Revolution in childcare ‘cannot find space on BBC for news of a ferry returning as excuse to remind you of a ‘fiacso’

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‘An awful experiment’ – BBC Scotland omit the SNP promise to scrap cruel two child limit, all their Scottish MPs voting to keep it and Anas Sarwar’s chicken-hearted complicity with it

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BBC Scotland today have: With six children, a busy home, and barely a spare moment, Heather MacMichael’s life is hectic before she even begins to think about money. The 35‑year‑old from Dunfermline has learned to stretch every pound while raising her family on a tight benefits budget – more so under the Universal Credit two-child limit, which excludes support for most of her children. With that policy set to be scrapped on 6 April, Heather is preparing for a shift that could bring a welcome £1,200 extra a month into her household. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czre84d03veo Who has been responsible for this ‘awful … Continue reading ‘An awful experiment’ – BBC Scotland omit the SNP promise to scrap cruel two child limit, all their Scottish MPs voting to keep it and Anas Sarwar’s chicken-hearted complicity with it

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How does the NHS in Scotland compare with the rest of the UK? The facts that BBC Scotland today twists and dodges (Number 2) The Dark Side of NHS England and Jackie Baillie’s only waiting times ‘victory’ over Scotland

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Continue reading How does the NHS in Scotland compare with the rest of the UK? The facts that BBC Scotland today twists and dodges (Number 2) The Dark Side of NHS England and Jackie Baillie’s only waiting times ‘victory’ over Scotland

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As Ukraine and Iran wars mark the end of cheap oil and gas, Scotland transfers a record 21TWh of electricity in 2025, the highest ever and nearly 300TWh in total since 2000, to England, for no significant return

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From Energy Statistics for Scotland – Q4 2025 published today: Electricity transfers data show that Scotland exported 21.7 TWh of electricity and imported 0.9 TWh of electricity in 2025. This means that Scotland’s net exports of electricity (exports minus imports) in 2025 were 20.8 TWh. Scotland’s net electricity exports in 2025 had an indicative value of £1.7 billion based on the average wholesale day-ahead contracts price trend for 2025 https://www.gov.scot/publications/energy-statistics-for-scotland-q4-2025/pages/electricity-exports/ Looking back over the quarter century of electricity generated in Scotland then transferred to England to raise revenue the UK Treasury and the owners, none based in Scotland, the figures are huge. … Continue reading As Ukraine and Iran wars mark the end of cheap oil and gas, Scotland transfers a record 21TWh of electricity in 2025, the highest ever and nearly 300TWh in total since 2000, to England, for no significant return