Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Number of police officers increases for third quarter in a row to remain higher than under Labour despite plummeting crime and far lowest level in UK

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Police officer quarterly strength statistics: 31 March 2025, published yesterday: At the same time: Many of us, understandably are skeptical about the picture of falling crime painted by statistics based on police recording. Correctly, we point to the fact that much crime is known to be unreported and unrecorded.2 However, the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS),3 carried out by independent University-based researchers interviews around 5 000 Scots asking them to speak of ‘their experiences of, and attitudes to, a range of issues related to crime, policing and the justice system, including crime not reported to … Continue reading Number of police officers increases for third quarter in a row to remain higher than under Labour despite plummeting crime and far lowest level in UK

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NHS Scotland’s A&E departments treat many thousands of patients more, per head, in one month, within target time, than in NHS England

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Professor John Robertson OBA According to Public Health Scotland, today, 66.7% of patients in Type 1 A&E departments were treated within 4 hours in March 2025.1 The comparable figure for NHS England was 60.9%.2 NHS Scotland‘s type 1 A&E departments were thus 9.53% more efficient (5.8 as a % of 60.9), on average than those in NHS England. That nearly 10% matters. NHS England‘s type 1 A&E departments treated 883 691 patients in March so had they been in hospitals as effective (well-staffed) as those in Scotland, 10% of that total, around 88 000, would have been seen on time … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s A&E departments treat many thousands of patients more, per head, in one month, within target time, than in NHS England

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Despite greater demand, more than 98% of 25 000 planned operations in March 2025, carried out on time in NHS Scotland’s hospitals

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland today: During March 2025, there were 25,226 operations planned to take place across NHSScotland. This is 6.9% higher (+1,626) than the number planned in the same month a year previously in March 2024 (23,600). Of all planned operations during March 2025 in NHS Scotland, 816 (3.2%) were cancelled by the hospital for clinical reasons, 719 (2.9%) were cancelled by the patient, 449 (1.8%) were cancelled by the hospital due to capacity or non-clinical reasons, and 81 (0.3%) were cancelled for other reasons. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancelled-planned-operations/cancelled-planned-operations-month-ending-31-march-2025/ Month after month NHS Scotland’s hospitals have to cancel … Continue reading Despite greater demand, more than 98% of 25 000 planned operations in March 2025, carried out on time in NHS Scotland’s hospitals

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Why is this ‘leading charity head’ not attacking the real target, the real cause of child poverty across the UK?

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Professor John Robertson OBA On Friday 24th March 2024, Aberlour hosted an event for Debt Awareness Week – ‘Giving with One Hand, Taking Away with the Other’ – to highlight the impact of public debt on low income families and the role it plays in trapping families in poverty. We finished the day with a discussion featuring our expert panel, which included Dr Jim McCormick (CEO, The Robertson Trust), Emma Jackson (National Director Scotland, Christians Against Poverty (CAP), Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP (Scottish Labour spokesperson for (Social Justice and Social Security), alongside SallyAnn Kelly and Professor Treanor. https://www.aberlour.org.uk/news-item/giving-with-one-hand-taking-away-with-the-other Today, the Aberlour … Continue reading Why is this ‘leading charity head’ not attacking the real target, the real cause of child poverty across the UK?

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The Netflix hit Adolescence is not a warning for Scotland and the Glasgow Lib Dems are irresponsibly wrong to suggest otherwise

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the National today: AN increase in petty violence among Glasgow’s teenagers could lead to a rise in serious violent crime in the coming years if attitudes go unchecked, an expert has warned. The topic of youth violence has been in the headlines after the success of Netflix hit Adolescence, with creators Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne shining a light on the views and influences that can lead to serious violence. Research conducted by Glasgow LibDems revealed that 2790 violent incidents have taken place in schools within Glasgow in this academic year so far. Neither the film … Continue reading The Netflix hit Adolescence is not a warning for Scotland and the Glasgow Lib Dems are irresponsibly wrong to suggest otherwise

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Talking-up Farage and Reform UK against the clear consistent evidence in the polls

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Professor John Robertson OBA For some time, it’s been apparent that the media in the UK, including notably the BBC, have been promoting the interests of Nigel Farage and his Reform UK, despite the ugly nature of their candidates and policies, which I feel sure many of the staff – centrist, socially liberal and educated – must be uncomfortable with. Look at BBC Scotland above, talking them up and predicting they will do well in 2026. Who is doing this predicting? Certainly not the pollsters: Averaging in the mid to low teens, Reform UK will get some regional seats but … Continue reading Talking-up Farage and Reform UK against the clear consistent evidence in the polls

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Scotland beware – Right-wing Reform leader Farage wants to replace the NHS with a USA style “insurance based model”

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By JB Right-wing Reform leader Farage wants to replace the NHS with a USA style “insurance based model”. One of the many companies the multi-millionaire Farage owns, which was set up in May 2024, is called ‘Action on World Health LLP’. As “Co-founder and Chairman” Farage wants to reform or replace the World Health Organisation. One of its directors is also a director of a consultancy which advises, among other sectors, health care firms – “particularly mental and behavioural health”.  According to the hypocritical Labour Government Health Secretary Wes Streeting “Farage has been pushing healthcare charges to his supporters in … Continue reading Scotland beware – Right-wing Reform leader Farage wants to replace the NHS with a USA style “insurance based model”

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90% of local authorities in England ‘failed to submit reliable data’ to their national ‘watchdog’ but it’s not covered by media – Imagine that happened in Scotland?

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By stewartb A notable statement has been published today from the National Audit Office. The NAO performs a similar role to Audit Scotland but has a quite different public profile: whereas BBC Scotland and others in the mainstream media crawl through every line of every report published by Audit Scotland searching for ‘juicy’ negatives, the NAO’s output gets little mainstream news coverage in England or UK-wide, even when reporting significant negative findings. Today’s NAO report is clearly a major ‘negative’ – and the first of its kind ever – but at the time of writing this comment, there is nothing about it … Continue reading 90% of local authorities in England ‘failed to submit reliable data’ to their national ‘watchdog’ but it’s not covered by media – Imagine that happened in Scotland?

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As the Herald attempts to lay the blame for Glasgow’s recent rough-sleeping problem at the door of John Swinney and the SNP, the actual national achievements they never tell you of

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Professor John Robertson OBA 1 Core Homelessness lowest in Scotland ‘Core homelessness’ – a concept which captures the most severe and immediate forms of homelessness – Rates of core homelessness were in the last comparable study (2019) substantially lower in Scotland (0.57% of households) than in England (0.94%) and Wales (0.66%).  https://www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/homelessness-knowledge-hub/homelessness-monitor/scotland/the-homelessness-monitor-scotland-2021/ 2 Homelessness applications were almost twice as high under Labour/Lib Dems in 2006 There were around 58 000 cases in 2006, the last year of the Labour Government in Scotland. https://www.gov.scot/publications/high-level-summary-statistics-key-trends-scotland-2006/pages/12/ 3 Child homelessness is 30% higher in England From BBC UK July 2023: The number of people living in temporary accommodation in England has hit a … Continue reading As the Herald attempts to lay the blame for Glasgow’s recent rough-sleeping problem at the door of John Swinney and the SNP, the actual national achievements they never tell you of

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Another keynote speech by the First Minister announcement ignored – this time due to pressure of space for ‘Monkey addicted to marshmallows’ story

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From Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland today, full of hospital ‘toxic’ culture, a road death, a dropped misogyny bill, hate speech in schools and the above monkey, were unable as always to find space to alert you to the First Minister’s keynote speech given to delegates of the Better Society Academy at The Social Hub in Glasgow today. You can hear it here: or read it here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/better-society-academy-first-ministers-speech/ Do the First Minister of Wales or the Prime Minister face such censorship when they plan to say things that voters might approve of? Continue reading Another keynote speech by the First Minister announcement ignored – this time due to pressure of space for ‘Monkey addicted to marshmallows’ story