Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Massive fall in number of children in care as progressive policies work to reduce poverty and as violent crime reduces but, hey, you don’t need to know that do you?

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Scotland’s system for children in care. Professor John Robertson OBA There’s something important missing from the above ‘news‘ today on children in care in Scotland – how big a problem is this and is it growing or shrinking? Surely, we need to know the answers? Here’s why that is not on the agenda in the MSM in Scotland: Massive fall in number of children in care as progressive policies work to reduce poverty and as violent crime reduces From Children’s Social Work Statistics: Looked After Children 2023/24 published 22 April 2025, we can see that the number of children requiring to be … Continue reading Massive fall in number of children in care as progressive policies work to reduce poverty and as violent crime reduces but, hey, you don’t need to know that do you?

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BBC Scotland and Audit Scotland understating the dark forces resisting the Scottish Government’s pledge to improve the lives of care-experienced children and young people by 2030

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Professor John Robertson OBA Popping up as he does on a regular basis to criticise the Scottish Government: Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said that initial planning about how The Promise would be delivered had not provided “a strong platform for success.” There’s an intriguing section in the full online BBC Scotland report: In 2022, Sturgeon [sic] unveiled an 80-step plan which included ending custody for under-18s and creating a national allowance for foster and kinship carers. The reforms also pledged to redesign children’s hearings and overhaul governance by 2030. Sturgeon [sic] has since admitted the programme faces push … Continue reading BBC Scotland and Audit Scotland understating the dark forces resisting the Scottish Government’s pledge to improve the lives of care-experienced children and young people by 2030

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How dangerous is it to live 5km from a nuclear power station like Labour’s new one proposed for Anglesey, 360km from Westminster? It depends whom you ask but EVERY German study says it doubled childhood leukaemia risk

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Professor John Robertson OBA I asked the Elicit AI for scientific research which claims to help researchers be 10x more evidence-based: How dangerous is it to live 5km from a nuclear power station? After more than 5 minutes, it responded: Studies show mixed results on living within 5km of nuclear power plants, with some European research finding roughly doubled childhood leukemia risk while studies from other regions generally show no significant overall cancer risk. Which regions? This is stark. Why do 5 German research groups all find statistically significant risks to health in living within 5km of a nuclear power … Continue reading How dangerous is it to live 5km from a nuclear power station like Labour’s new one proposed for Anglesey, 360km from Westminster? It depends whom you ask but EVERY German study says it doubled childhood leukaemia risk

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More funding to tackle child poverty but that doesn’t fit the media narrative does it?

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Professor John Robertson OBA The small-circulation Scottish Housing News has the report but it’s nowhere in the MSM despite their gleeful responses to the flawed Joseph Rowntree Foundation claim that nothing has changed. That claim is based on the level of child poverty being static and ignoring the achievement of keeping it so against the background of new Labour austerity policies which have caused it to surge across the rest of the UK. Every professional journalist in Scotland got this by email yesterday and has chosen, chosen, to ignore it: Projects aimed at tackling child poverty across the country will receive increased, … Continue reading More funding to tackle child poverty but that doesn’t fit the media narrative does it?

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Crime rate in Central London is more than 5 times higher than in Glasgow after 18 years free of ConLab rule

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Sun, published 3 days ago DANGER ZONES Map shows the top 10 UK crime hotspots – do YOU live in the most dangerous area? Newcastle has the lowest crime rate of the UK Top Ten at 116 per 1 000 people: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/36904645/map-top-10-uk-crime-hotspots/ Westminster in central London had the highest current annual crime rate at 423.2 incidents reported per 1,000 people. I feel sure if you asked folk in these two places how they think Glasgow would compared, they’d be deeply surprised to hear it’s only 82.9 per 1 000: https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2024-25/pages/total-recorded-crime/ Critics will tell you that … Continue reading Crime rate in Central London is more than 5 times higher than in Glasgow after 18 years free of ConLab rule

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Long A&E waits more than twice as common in NHS England but despite that the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in England has little to say by comparison with its comments in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland today, we see that 4.2% patients spent more than 12 hours in A&E.1 From NHS England, the equivalent figure was, once calculated from the raw data, 9.1%.2 Note that NHS Scotland performance is published by independent statisticians while NHS England ‘marks its own homework’ so to speak. Sources: This difference is longstanding as is the very different attitude of the RCEM with regard to the responsibility of the UK and Scottish governments for these data. By stewartb in August 2025 There have now been two press statements issued during August by the Royal … Continue reading Long A&E waits more than twice as common in NHS England but despite that the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in England has little to say by comparison with its comments in Scotland

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NHS Scotland was ready to complete 98% of operations in August 2025 despite steadily increasing demand

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland today: During August 2025, there were 24,750 operations planned to take place across NHSScotland. This is 3.1% higher (+753) than the number planned a year previously in August 2024 (23,997). Overall, the number of planned operations had been steadily increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted service provision, until May 2024 when increases in the 12-month rolling average began to plateau. Since June 2025 this has started to increase again. For instance, in the latest 12 months, from September 2024 to August 2025, there was a 2.6% increase (+7,288) in the number of planned operations … Continue reading NHS Scotland was ready to complete 98% of operations in August 2025 despite steadily increasing demand

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Almost twice as many households in England than in Scotland find it difficult or very difficult to afford the costs of childcare

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Scottish Household Survey 2024 Childcare published today: More than half said that they found it easy (17%) or very easy (34%) to afford childcare, with a further quarter (25%) stating they found it neither easy nor difficult. However, 10% of households said that they found it difficult to afford childcare, and 6% found it very difficult https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-2024-childcare/pages/affordability-of-childcare/ So, 16% in total in Scotland found it difficult or very difficult to afford childcare. From the Department for Education’s Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents (2024) published on 10 July 2025: Around 31% of households [in … Continue reading Almost twice as many households in England than in Scotland find it difficult or very difficult to afford the costs of childcare

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SNP Cop numbers more than under Labour, crime halved and murder less than in Denmark, as Express puts mental health of hundreds at risk

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Express today with Cop cuts putting public at risk? Rubbish. Cop cuts? From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: August 2025, published today: There were 16,427 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 30 June 2025. This was 193 (+1.2%) more officers compared to the position on 31 March 2007, and 220 (+1.4%) more than on 30 June 2024. https://www.gov.scot/publications/safer-communities-and-justice-statistics-monthly-data-report-august-2025/pages/statistics-on-community-safely/ Police officer staffing has been maintained despite the crime level in Scotland falling from 385 509 in 2007/2008 when the SNP took over, to 299 111 last year, a 22% fall. Public at risk? Rubbish, crime … Continue reading SNP Cop numbers more than under Labour, crime halved and murder less than in Denmark, as Express puts mental health of hundreds at risk

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Scotland’s Fort Apache, Fort George, should be recycled

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Professor John Robertson OBA Fort George, Scotland’s very own Fort Apache is apparently at risk again. It was under threat four years ago: In the Times 17 October 2021: Up to 1,700 soldiers could be axed in Scotland as the Ministry of Defence seeks to cut costs and create a leaner army to meet the demands of the cyber era. Three of Scotland’s seven garrisons face closure in cuts to be announced by the end of the year. Fort George near Inverness, home to the Black Watch, and the Glencorse and Redford barracks in Edinburgh were scheduled to close by 2032 but … Continue reading Scotland’s Fort Apache, Fort George, should be recycled