Author: johnrobertson834

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

So ‘Scotland’s national security’ is threatened by loss of a £2.5m grant!? This silliness from ‘patriotic Brits’ requires Scotland’s electorate to suspend basic thinking skills!

johnrobertson834

By stewartb – a long read In recent days, British Labour Party politicians as well as journalists writing for ‘patriotic’ British media outlets have been trying to make mountains out of the molehill of Scottish Enterprise not awarding Rolls-Royce a £2.5 million grant. It’s tough competition but pellisonrhaps the prize for the ‘best’ headline – the most ridiculous –  goes to the ‘Scottish’ Daily Express (May 31) with this (my emphasis):  ‘SNP’s ‘student politics’ threaten Scotland’s ‘national security’ after it blocks £11m investment’. From the Express, we learn: ‘the SNP have been accused of threatening Scotland’s national security after blocking … Continue reading So ‘Scotland’s national security’ is threatened by loss of a £2.5m grant!? This silliness from ‘patriotic Brits’ requires Scotland’s electorate to suspend basic thinking skills!

4 Comments

Rap video lured children to carry drugs internally all the way to Aberdeen from Nottingham but Scottish media obsess with Fuengirola shootings unconnected with Scotland’s drug crisis

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Nottinghamshire yesterday, the above and: Twelve drug dealers have been jailed for running an “industrial” supply network that flooded heroin and crack cocaine into towns across the East Midlands and Aberdeen. The Nottingham-based ringleaders sprayed champagne from a white Rolls-Royce, in one of several “drill” music videos that boasted about their weapons and wealth. Nottingham Crown Court heard how they protected their turf with knives, a loaded pistol, and bombarded drug users with marketing texts. They also set up local distribution hubs at addicts’ homes and recruited children to move and sell their drugs, … Continue reading Rap video lured children to carry drugs internally all the way to Aberdeen from Nottingham but Scottish media obsess with Fuengirola shootings unconnected with Scotland’s drug crisis

2 Comments

Would police investigating “heart deaths” at a Scottish Hospital not then become a political matter.

johnrobertson834

Liz S BBC has this story on their website in relation to the NHS in England….It is on the main UK page , when you click on the story it then takes you onto the Health page, it is not on the UK Politics page: “Police investigate heart deaths at NHS hospital” “Police have launched an investigation into the deaths of patients following heart operations at an NHS hospital, the BBC has learned”. “Documents seen by us (BBC) suggest patients suffered avoidable harm – and that in some cases their death certificates failed to disclose that the procedure contributed to their deaths”. “One woman’s operation at Castle Hill Hospital near … Continue reading Would police investigating “heart deaths” at a Scottish Hospital not then become a political matter.

5 Comments

As NHS Scotland treats 91.6% of nearly 5 000 children and adolescents with mental health concerns, on time, BBC just ignore it and STV lets a campaign group headline the 4% waiting too long

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Yesterday, I wrote: NHS Scotland beat a waiting times target for the second time in a row despite increased demand – how will the media spin this to get SNPBad? I’m ahead of BBC Scotland, as I write at 11.02am, but I can smell them scurrying around, phoning someone who can be trusted to say the statistics, the same stats they trust when targets are missed, are not reliable in some way based on their wee personal experience. This is a major achievement which deserves so much more. The staff deserve praise but may not get it other … Continue reading As NHS Scotland treats 91.6% of nearly 5 000 children and adolescents with mental health concerns, on time, BBC just ignore it and STV lets a campaign group headline the 4% waiting too long

9 Comments

Why is BBC Scotland’s scare story on the Spanish drug gang deaths leading to escalation in Scotland, condemned by Police Scotland, still online?

johnrobertson834

…linked to an ongoing gangland feud in Central Scotland, with fire-bombings, assaults and shootings across Glasgow and Edinburgh, since March, but if that is the case, it would represent a massive escalation in violence compared to what’s gone before – and this is unprecedented – the murder of two senior figures from Scottish organised crime in a busy public place in a foreign country. Professor John Robertson OBA While this kind of unfounded scare story below was to be expected from the Sun: Scotland faces ‘all out war’ and gangland revenge attacks after Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr shot … Continue reading Why is BBC Scotland’s scare story on the Spanish drug gang deaths leading to escalation in Scotland, condemned by Police Scotland, still online?

5 Comments

Month-after-month, year-after-year, Scotland’s hospitals are ready to operate on more than 98%, or quarter of a million patients, on time, but get no media recognition, only the parroting of opposition party lies

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland today, the above graph and: Of all planned operations during April 2025 in NHSScotland, 733 (3.1%) were cancelled by the hospital for clinical reasons, 638 (2.7%) were cancelled by the patient, 415 (1.8%) were cancelled by the hospital due to capacity or non-clinical reasons, and 85 (0.4%) were cancelled for other reasons. Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancelled-planned-operations/cancelled-planned-operations-month-ending-30-april-2025/ Only that 1.8% figure can be meaningfully used to assess the performance of Scotland’s hospitals. Decisions to cancel by patient or doctor are to be expected in some cases as opinion and emotions shift. NHS Scotland was ready … Continue reading Month-after-month, year-after-year, Scotland’s hospitals are ready to operate on more than 98%, or quarter of a million patients, on time, but get no media recognition, only the parroting of opposition party lies

4 Comments

Have Ayrshire constituents gone from having the most cost-effective to the least cost-effective MP

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Why does the new Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock MP, Elaine Stewart, already have the third-highest expenses claim [above] of any Scottish MP when the previous MP, Allan Dorans, had the third -lowest expenses claims of any Scottish MP, for the same job? I was shocked to see these expenses claims by my new MP after hearing that our previous MP had the amongst the lowest claims, for the same job. Has she been travelling 1st Class, living in better hotels, eating in better restaurants, buying nice things, at our expense? How many of her constituents might … Continue reading Have Ayrshire constituents gone from having the most cost-effective to the least cost-effective MP

4 Comments

NHS Scotland’s Type 1 Emergency departments 4 hour waits improve for third month to beat NHS England by 10% and longer waits fall to the lowest in more than two years

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland today, Scotland’s full emergency (Type 1) departments treated 67.1% within 4 hours, in March 2025, the third consecutive improvement. In NHS England, the equivalent (Type 1) figure 60.9%, 9.2% worse [NHS Scotland 10.1% better] and resulting in around 80 000 waiting longer than they would have if the SNP led NHS England. Of the 117 827 attending, the number waiting more than 12 hours had fallen to 5 479, the lowest since November 2022, and the number waiting more than 8 hours had fallen to 13 350, the lowest since September 2023. … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s Type 1 Emergency departments 4 hour waits improve for third month to beat NHS England by 10% and longer waits fall to the lowest in more than two years

2 Comments

NHS Scotland beat a waiting times target for the second time in a row despite increased demand – how will the media spin this to get SNPBad?

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA I’m ahead of BBC Scotland, as I write at 11.02am, but I can smell them scurrying around, phoning someone who can be trusted to say the statistics, the same stats they trust when targets are missed, are not reliable in some way based on their wee personal experience. This is a major achievement which deserves so much more. The staff deserve praise but may not get it other than here and in other sympathetic social media. From Public Health Scotland today: 91.6% of people started treatment within 18 weeks of referral, which is an increase from … Continue reading NHS Scotland beat a waiting times target for the second time in a row despite increased demand – how will the media spin this to get SNPBad?

Leave a comment

Good news you won’t hear today – ‘Bed-blocking’ falls for third time as nearly 2 000 fewer are waiting than one year ago

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA From Delayed discharges in NHS Scotland monthly Figures for April 2025, published by Public Health Scotland today: At the April 2025 census, there were 1,868 people delayed. Compared to the previous three census points, this is lower than March (1,925), February 2025 (1,986) and January 2025 (1,969). The average number of beds occupied per day due to people delayed in hospital was 1,854 in April 2025. Compared to the previous three months, this is less than March 2025 (1,940), February 2025 (1,946) and January 2025 (1,964). In April 2025, there were 55,620 days spent in hospital … Continue reading Good news you won’t hear today – ‘Bed-blocking’ falls for third time as nearly 2 000 fewer are waiting than one year ago