Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Affluent British Columbia has to replace one 44 year-old broken-down ferry with another 44 year-old ferry in a fleet on average 13 years older than those of CalMac

johnrobertson834

With only 6 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 From CBC in British Columbia, Canada, two days ago: B.C. Ferries told CBC News that the Queen of Surrey vessel is expected to be back in service along the Langdale-Horseshoe Bay route for Monday’s 1:15 p.m. sailing. The ferry operator said it has reinstated some previously cancelled sailings as it works to restore regular sailing schedules out of Horseshoe Bay. B.C. Ferries has cancelled a … Continue reading Affluent British Columbia has to replace one 44 year-old broken-down ferry with another 44 year-old ferry in a fleet on average 13 years older than those of CalMac

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Homelessness among the young more than HALVES in SNP years but also falls among veterans and former prisoners

johnrobertson834

With only 6 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 While all homelessness is to be deeply regretted, it is important that accurate figures are disseminated in the media with a view to informing political action, such as in choosing who to vote for in 2026. From Homelessness in Scotland: youth homelessness published today, we can see that in the last years of Labour/Lib Dem government in Scotland, 2007/2008, there were … Continue reading Homelessness among the young more than HALVES in SNP years but also falls among veterans and former prisoners

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More than TWICE as many in NHS England and more than THREE times as many in NHS Wales, than in NHS Scotland, spending 12 hours or more in A&E

johnrobertson834

With only 6 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 stewartb The imperative to provide context and perspective, and to push for fair and accurate reporting, on all matters concerning NHS Scotland becomes all the more crucial as the 2026 Holyrood election approaches. The British Labour Party and others in opposition in Holyrood aided by mainstream media allies clearly aim to major on NHS Scotland in their campaigning. This is to add to the responses … Continue reading More than TWICE as many in NHS England and more than THREE times as many in NHS Wales, than in NHS Scotland, spending 12 hours or more in A&E

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Royal College estimates 20 times as many (twice per head) excess deaths linked to long waits in NHS England than in NHS Scotland

johnrobertson834

With only 6 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 cuckooshoe The BBC Scotland website yesterday also covered the RCEM report on excess deaths ‘linked’ to long waits, but their focus was on the figures for excess deaths only in Scotland. The college (RCEM) therefore estimated 818 excess deaths were recorded for people waiting more than 12 hours. This is equal to about 16 deaths a week. The same BBC article failed to make … Continue reading Royal College estimates 20 times as many (twice per head) excess deaths linked to long waits in NHS England than in NHS Scotland

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As the Telegraph worries its Southern readers with ‘Scotland plots uncapped council tax rises for second home owners’, I say ‘MORE!’

johnrobertson834

With only 6 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 Telegraph yesterday had: Scotland plots uncapped council tax rises for second home owners – Green Party’s ‘pile on the costs’ proposal will be ‘gold standard’ for tackling homelessness. Councils in Scotland are poised to be granted powers to penalise second home owners with uncapped council tax premiums. On the Second Homes Tax, I know, based on the evidence that matters, access to a … Continue reading As the Telegraph worries its Southern readers with ‘Scotland plots uncapped council tax rises for second home owners’, I say ‘MORE!’

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As the Scotsman attempts to scare on prisons, what they’re not telling you because it’s a bit too optimistic for them

johnrobertson834

With only 6 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 What does the Scotsman not want you to know? The maximum capacity of Scotland’s prisons is 8 475. 166 spaces available still – tight but not a crisis. The UK Labour government is releasing prisoners at FIVE times the rate of the SNP government and including those serving more than twice as long as allowed by SNP government scheme According to BBC Breakfast 11 August 2025, the … Continue reading As the Scotsman attempts to scare on prisons, what they’re not telling you because it’s a bit too optimistic for them

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Researchers prove that Scotland’s drug death surge was the simple and tragic consequence of the UK Conservative Government’s brutal austerity strategy from 2012 to 2019

johnrobertson834

With only 7 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 Drug deaths have always been more prevalent in poorer communities. In Scotland, half of all drug deaths are from among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods.1 According to research recently published by David Walsh and Gerry McCartney2, of Glasgow University, drug deaths amongst the most deprived communities in Scotland had begun to climb from around 2003 to 2009, under New Labour and then again, … Continue reading Researchers prove that Scotland’s drug death surge was the simple and tragic consequence of the UK Conservative Government’s brutal austerity strategy from 2012 to 2019

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Researchers find UK Government’s austerity policies ‘murders’ 335 000 across the UK and inadvertently reveal SNP mitigation saved more than 8 000 lives

johnrobertson834

With only 7 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 I’ve already recommended the excellent, highly researched, ‘Social Murder? Austerity and Life Expectancy in the UK’ by David Walsh and Gerry McCartney (U of Glasgow), Policy Press. In the opening pages, they justify the term ‘social murder‘ for the fatal consequences of economic violence against the disabled and the poor. They estimate the level of social murder by comparing the observed mortality rates in the … Continue reading Researchers find UK Government’s austerity policies ‘murders’ 335 000 across the UK and inadvertently reveal SNP mitigation saved more than 8 000 lives

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Yet another maternity unit in NHS England exposes women and babies to “significant risk, while in NHS Scotland after 18 years, the service is better-staffed, safer and more equitable

johnrobertson834

With only 7 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 From BBC West Yorkshire today, the above and: An NHS trust at the centre of concerns over its poor maternity services has had to repay almost £5m after wrongly claiming it provided safe care to mothers and their babies. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was paid the money after saying its services met safe standards of care and staffing. But a subsequent investigation … Continue reading Yet another maternity unit in NHS England exposes women and babies to “significant risk, while in NHS Scotland after 18 years, the service is better-staffed, safer and more equitable

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Jackie Baillie was sort of correct on Minimum Unit Pricing and alcohol deaths but she won’t like the truth

johnrobertson834

With only 7 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 BBC Scotland report that Scotland’s alcohol deaths have fallen to the lowest level since 2019, helpfully reposted by MSM Monitor yesterday, Jackie Baillie‘s infamous statement in 2018: We don’t believe minimum unit pricing is the ‘silver bullet’ that the SNP Government claim it is. Did anyone, SNP minister or not, ever claim that MUP would be a ‘silver bullet?‘ The fall will … Continue reading Jackie Baillie was sort of correct on Minimum Unit Pricing and alcohol deaths but she won’t like the truth