Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
3 Comments

BMA UK reports NHS England ‘severely broken’

johnrobertson834

With only 2 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 By stewartb When a public service in the UK is devolved and the same service has over a decade or more declined into crisis in England where it is the responsibility of the all powerful Westminster government – a crisis widely attributed to under-funding/under-investment in the face of rising demand – how on earth can dependent devolved governments with very limited fiscal levers in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh do … Continue reading BMA UK reports NHS England ‘severely broken’

2 Comments

‘Dr Death’ Iain Kennedy – the very long read

johnrobertson834

With only 2 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA By Liz S The Sunday Herald front page….. “In a bleakly pessimistic interview , Chair of the British Medical Association Scotland Dr Iain Kennedy reveals all on the disturbing crisis currently engulfing our health system”. “pessimistic” is a constant with Sr Iain Kennedy on the Scottish NHS service…..in fact has he ever said anything positive about our Scottish NHS and our Scottish government ? “our health system”….is that only “ours” (Scotland’s) or is there … Continue reading ‘Dr Death’ Iain Kennedy – the very long read

6 Comments

Does Douglas Alexander want to go back to the bad old days of Labour with far more crime, old folk too scared to walk home in the dark, infected blood supplies, fewer affordable homes, the toleration of sex worker rapes, increasing drug deaths, more derelict sites, more homelessness, more sepsis deaths and not even enough trees to feel good about walking among or does he mainly want to get back to fiddling his expenses?

johnrobertson834

With only 2 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald yesterday had: Scotland has gone ‘backwards’ under SNP rule, Alexander to claim Dog knows what he’s going to say, few care, I suppose, but he won’t be mentioning these: or this: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2025/09/25/as-bbc-uk-worries-about-it-in-england-anti-social-behaviour-in-scotland-plummets-to-half-what-it-was-under-scottish-labour-in-2007/ I think that will do. Continue reading Does Douglas Alexander want to go back to the bad old days of Labour with far more crime, old folk too scared to walk home in the dark, infected blood supplies, fewer affordable homes, the toleration of sex worker rapes, increasing drug deaths, more derelict sites, more homelessness, more sepsis deaths and not even enough trees to feel good about walking among or does he mainly want to get back to fiddling his expenses?

Leave a comment

‘Total panic’: the effect of no-fault evictions on renters in England has not applied in Scotland since the SNP Government abolished them in 2016 and is not the only way in which life is better here

johnrobertson834

With only 2 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian yesterday, the above and: When Sarah Ladyman was made redundant from her job as a horticulturist earlier this year, her one-bedroom flat was her sanctuary. Then, her landlord attempted to raise her monthly rent from £775 to £900. She took her case to a rent tribunal – only to be served with a no-fault eviction notice. No-fault eviction notices – … Continue reading ‘Total panic’: the effect of no-fault evictions on renters in England has not applied in Scotland since the SNP Government abolished them in 2016 and is not the only way in which life is better here

Leave a comment

That abortion is already effectively decriminalised is part of a better, not yet good enough I know, wider situation for women in Scotland.

johnrobertson834

With only 2 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA In the Herald today, this claim: Grok disagrees, sort of: There has not been an abortion conviction in Scotland since the Abortion Act 1967 came into force on April 27, 1968. Under the Act, which applies to Scotland, abortions are legal up to 24 weeks (or later in cases of severe fetal abnormality or risk to the woman’s life) when approved by two … Continue reading That abortion is already effectively decriminalised is part of a better, not yet good enough I know, wider situation for women in Scotland.

2 Comments

If ‘NHS Scotland is dying before our eyes’ then NHS England must be long dead

johnrobertson834

With only 2 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA As BMA Scotland branch secretary, Iain Findlay recycles his claims on the Herald front page today, some of the evidence they do not survive a collision with: 12 hour A&E waits TWICE as long in England and nearly THREE TIMES as long in Wales Performance statistics for A&E waits, NHS England, November and December 2024: Source: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2024-25/ Over 12 hour delays = 54,207 patients … Continue reading If ‘NHS Scotland is dying before our eyes’ then NHS England must be long dead

Leave a comment

The BMA UK – a more serious, objective trade union than its lead in Scotland, Dr Kennedy?

johnrobertson834

With only 2 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA In an NHS demonstrably superior, on almost every count, than that in which the BMA UK has to operate, Dr Iain Findlay of the Scottish branch peddles the same lies. I’ll come back specifically at these later but first on the strange phenomenon of a union whose HQ praises the Scottish Government but whose Scottish branch head regularly lies about the situation here. … Continue reading The BMA UK – a more serious, objective trade union than its lead in Scotland, Dr Kennedy?

9 Comments

Your time is almost up Starmer

johnrobertson834

With only 3 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 By Liz S Talking of Labour….this is a very long comment and it includes text from an article written by Peter Oborne……and it paints Labour in a very bad light….because of Morgan McSweeney and Keir Starmer….but let’s not forget all of the Labour MP’s who have supported both of them in public…..and have passed many of the bad bills that impact the “many” while leaving the … Continue reading Your time is almost up Starmer

6 Comments

Why John Swinney is even more right to oppose Digital ID than is being discussed so far

johnrobertson834

With only 3 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA There’s something missing from all the media coverage of Labour’s Digital ID proposal and it’s darker than any worries we might have about Scots ‘declaring ourselves British.‘ From the Canary factchecker two days ago: As Keir Starmer moves to impose ‘digital ID’ on the UK, anti-surveillance and anti-freeport activist and Canary writer David Powell has submitted a major Freedom of Information Act (FOI) request to the government demanding … Continue reading Why John Swinney is even more right to oppose Digital ID than is being discussed so far

4 Comments

How Scotland’s schools are preventing the spread of County Lines gangs exploitation of children as young as 13

johnrobertson834

With only 3 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA The Express today has the above and: Children as young as 13 are running violent county lines drug gangs across Britain as school exclusions and vanishing “ghost pupils” fuel an explosion in exploitation, an expert has warned. Former children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield said youngsters barely into their teens were heading drug networks, controlling supply lines of up to 80 miles, ordering … Continue reading How Scotland’s schools are preventing the spread of County Lines gangs exploitation of children as young as 13