Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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FEAR!!! Reinforcing 20 year-old, outdated, harmful stereotypes of Glasgow and Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson OBA I know let’s do a TV drama series about a family moving from a low crime area moving back to a high crime area and see how that traumatises a family. Then get a gun-toting grandad to fix things for them. Been done before, no doubt. Amazon Prime‘s new Fear, imaginatively, no, stupidly, Anglocentrically, does the opposite. So, twice as many murders in London than in Scotland and as trend, at best, flat. The trend in Scotland? How many in Glasgow? Down to 10 last year and: Over the latest five year period from 2019-20 … Continue reading FEAR!!! Reinforcing 20 year-old, outdated, harmful stereotypes of Glasgow and Scotland

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STV’s shameless failure to report accurately or fairly on children’s mental health waiting times and reliance on one private consultant for opinion

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but today brought some positive news. The Children’s Mental Health waiting time target has been met for the first time in its 10 year history. By Professor John Robertson OBA STV last night opened with the above. After some time with the minister we see a long interview, right to the end, with Dr Becky Howie, a private sector consultant, with her own business – maldodlife.co.uk – to hear: and to doubt the validity of the stats, all on her own commercial self. Why has STV not asked someone at the frontline in NHS Scotland? Also, why has STV not … Continue reading STV’s shameless failure to report accurately or fairly on children’s mental health waiting times and reliance on one private consultant for opinion

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Tory MP with worst local ferry service in the UK feeds Labour opportunity to lie about best ferry service in the UK

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Thanks to Linda Graham of Broadcasting Scotland (https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/) for alerting me to this: Coming up on Scottish Questions this morning: Q13. What discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on improving transport connectivity to Scottish islands. (902935) – Joe Robertson MP (Isle of Wight East, Conservative) Kirsty McNeill Labour answered: There are few issues which better encapsulate the incompetence and arrogance of the SNP government than their long-running ferry fiasco. Scotland’s island communities have been let down time and time again, from Nicola Sturgeon pretending to launch a ferry with the windows painted on, to the recent reports that … Continue reading Tory MP with worst local ferry service in the UK feeds Labour opportunity to lie about best ferry service in the UK

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Exodus of the landlords? How the Herald today forgets what happened the last time

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The Herald, above today. Back in September 2022, from TuS reader Anonymous: BBC Scotland was broadcasting on behalf of the landlords to undermine the SNP rent freeze plan. At the time, the Guardian had a better perspective: Selling up and raising rents: how landlords are cashing in and exacerbating the cost of living crisis https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/31/britain-tenants-renters-landlords-profit So how big is the sell-up? Timothy Douglas, Propertymark’s Head of Policy and Campaigns, has  given evidence to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee of the Scottish Parliament warning of the impact of proposed legislation to limit rent increases and evictions on the supply … Continue reading Exodus of the landlords? How the Herald today forgets what happened the last time

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Missed doctor appointments. Hours-long delays. Students unable to get to school and flooded car decks – Washington State Ferries

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during Washington storm. By Professor John Robertson OBA From Kitsapp Daily News today: Missed doctor appointments. Hours-long delays. Students unable to get to school. Those are just a few of the issues fuelling a bill to expand passenger-only ferries state-wide. The bill would deliver $50 million to put additional boats on the waters of Puget Sound by the end of this year. In 2024, island communities worked with the Legislature and the state Department of Transportation to form the Fix Our Ferries Coalition, which advocates for funding more boats, addressing staffing shortages, and increasing accountability and transparency within Sources: https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=Washington+State+Ferry+flloded+deck&mid=CA6AEE297A09827AED5FCA6AEE297A09827AED5F&FORM=VIRE … Continue reading Missed doctor appointments. Hours-long delays. Students unable to get to school and flooded car decks – Washington State Ferries

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Major balanced poll – Information-starved public critical of Scottish Government’s record but are sure Labour would not do a better job

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By Professor John Robertson OBA The first thing I check for in any full poll is the extent to which the initial sample has been adjusted to reflect the make-up of the electorate in the 2021 Holyrood Election (not required) and they 2014 Referendum (good, they have not). In the light of the latter non-adjustment which many feel has distorted previous poll results against the SNP, we can, for the first time, reasonably trust these results. Their own headline – Public critical of Scottish Government’s record but aren’t convinced that Labour would do a better job – is surprising given … Continue reading Major balanced poll – Information-starved public critical of Scottish Government’s record but are sure Labour would not do a better job

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Awesome – NHS Scotland could carry out 97.5% of all operations in January 2025

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland yesterday: During January 2025, there were 23,931 operations planned to take place across NHS Scotland. This is similar to the number planned a year previously in January 2024 (23,937). Overall, the number of planned operations has been steadily increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted service provision. Of all planned operations during January 2025 in NHS Scotland, 786 (3.3%) were cancelled by the hospital for clinical reasons, 788 (3.3%) were cancelled by the patient, 600 (2.5%) were cancelled by the hospital due to capacity or non-clinical reasons, and 195 (0.8%) were cancelled … Continue reading Awesome – NHS Scotland could carry out 97.5% of all operations in January 2025

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Psychological therapies – NHS Scotland beat the Labour Wales target for 4 years but they can NEVER do it themselves

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, yesterday, the above and: 80.4% of people of all ages started their treatment within 18 weeks of referral, compared to 80.0% of people for the previous quarter, and 80.6% of people for the quarter ending December 2023. 50% of people of all ages starting PT treatment started within 3 weeks of referral, which is the same as the previous quarter and for quarter ending December 2023. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/psychological-therapies-waiting-times/psychological-therapies-waiting-times-quarter-ending-december-2024/ How does this compare? In NHS Wales, under less-ambitious Labour: Welsh Government aims for 80% of people to access specialist psychological therapies within six months … Continue reading Psychological therapies – NHS Scotland beat the Labour Wales target for 4 years but they can NEVER do it themselves

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Despite winter pressures, hospital delayed discharges fall for third month in a row to add to success in increasing care at home figures

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, yesterday, the above graph and: The average (median) length of delay for people delayed at the January 2025 census was 22 days. This is the less than December and November 2024 (both 29 days) as well as October 2024 (28 days). In January 2025 the average number of beds occupied per day due to people delayed in hospital was 1,964. Compared to the previous three months, this is less than December 2024 (1,991), November 2024 (2,023) and October 2024 (2,029). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly-figures-for-january-2025#section-2 Just as you won’t hear the above in ‘Scotland’s’ media, … Continue reading Despite winter pressures, hospital delayed discharges fall for third month in a row to add to success in increasing care at home figures

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More than twice as many wait more than 12 hours in A&E in England than do in Scotland? Try telling Glenn Campbell that

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By Liz S “More than twice as many, per head, wait more than 12 hours in A&E in England than do in Scotland” Try telling the BBC’s Political Editor in Scotland, Glenn Campbell, that ! MSM Monitor tweeted this: “Glenn Campbell’s ‘analysis’ of key political events this last few months have all been pro-Labour”. MSM Monitor also linked a Video to his tweet showing exactly what Campbell had said on specific topics so then emphatically prove his , MSM Monitor’s, point. Campbell on Reeves budget : “Just think back to the GE campaign, one of the SNP’s core attack line … Continue reading More than twice as many wait more than 12 hours in A&E in England than do in Scotland? Try telling Glenn Campbell that