Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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SNP Government programme to protect the health of children and mothers leads to significant increases in all groups

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From Infant Feeding Statistics Scotland Financial Year 2023/24 An Accredited official statistics release for Scotland published on 12 November 2024, we can see that breastfeeding has almost doubled since 2007/2008 for the least deprived group but has increased significantly for all groups. The rationale for this scheme is clear: Breastfeeding provides the best nutrition for babies and young children and supports children’s health both in the short and longer term(1,2). There is strong evidence that breastfeeding reduces children’s risk of gut, chest, and ear infections and leads to a small but significant improvement in brain development and IQ(3,4). Growing evidence … Continue reading SNP Government programme to protect the health of children and mothers leads to significant increases in all groups

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90% of Scots feel fair to very good about their general health and so may not be listening to Jackie Baillie at all

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In a survey of 4 392 Scots 16 and over, published in the Scottish Health Survey 2022: supplementary tables today, we see how they report their assessment of their general health. While I’m well aware of the John Wayne factor perhaps most clearly demonstrated in the 47% of men aged 16-24 reporting ‘very good health‘, I was still surprised by the overall positivity of the above results. Spending a lot of time reading and listening to news media, I may have developed a more negative view of reality than that shared by most of the population – 90% reporting feeling … Continue reading 90% of Scots feel fair to very good about their general health and so may not be listening to Jackie Baillie at all

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Ferries? The A9? NHS backlogs? Nope, it’s the economy stupid….and health too….but that’s essentially it

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From the Scottish Government’s Public attitudes to cost of living and other topics: tracker – data tables, based on fieldwork on 3rd to 6th October 2024, with a sample of 1 067 weighted to represent the population in terms of gender, age and social grade, we can draw the following conclusions to inform political campaigning for the 2026 Scottish election. Only two areas really matter, really seem to concern a significant percentage of the population of all categories and so might influence voting patterns significantly – personal finances and the economy (78%) and within that, the cost of living (55%), … Continue reading Ferries? The A9? NHS backlogs? Nope, it’s the economy stupid….and health too….but that’s essentially it

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Labour MP for Bathgate and Linlithgow’s hypocritical and inaccurate statement on access to NHS dentistry, 95% and 21% higher in Scotland, and available in her own town, just to please Sir Keir at PMQs

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks again AR: Kirsteen Sullivan Labour MP for Bathgate and Linlithgow, has just asked PM Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs about a shortage of dentists in Scotland which then allowed Starmer to attack the SNP. We see, above, Sullivan’s supposed commitment to honesty in public life. However, on the availability of NHS dentistry in Scotland, she doesn’t want you to know the honest truth, this: From Public Health Scotland, May 28, 2024: 5,182,993 people were registered with an NHS dentist as at 31 March 2024 (94.6% of the Scottish population). 732,618 extensive clinical examinations were paid in … Continue reading Labour MP for Bathgate and Linlithgow’s hypocritical and inaccurate statement on access to NHS dentistry, 95% and 21% higher in Scotland, and available in her own town, just to please Sir Keir at PMQs

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Patients arriving at Ayrshire hospitals in ambulances wait for far less time than in an English hospital

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By Professor John Robertson OBA and Ayr resident From Ayrshire Live in the Daily Record, yesterday: Patients arriving at Ayrshire hospitals in ambulances forced to wait up to 16 hours Not in their report: In the most up-to-date figures, NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s full (Type ED) emergency departments saw 59.6% of admissions, in the week-ending 5 January 2025, within the 4 hour target and up from 54% in the week between Xmas and New Year.1 Remember, the triage system ensures that those at serious risk are seen more quickly. The equivalent average figures for Scotland as-a-whole, were 58.7% and 58.2%.1 NHS … Continue reading Patients arriving at Ayrshire hospitals in ambulances wait for far less time than in an English hospital

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Jackie Baillie tries to blame SNP though flu jag uptake in Scotland was 80% for 65+ while in Labour Wales it was dangerously below the WHO target at only 68%

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Many thanks to AR for another of his regular assists with Labour in Scotland media fake news and the facts from Labour Wales. Health spokesperson for Scotland’s 3rd biggest party, UK Labour (North), Jackie Baillie, Dame of the British Empire, is in the Scotsman today with: Flu outbreak shows how badly the SNP is failing the NHS There is, of course, no mention of the fact that the ‘SNP’ has enabled: Vaccination uptake rates in the 65 years and over cohort remained high, reaching 79.8%. This is above the World Health Organization’s target ambition of 75%.1 … Continue reading Jackie Baillie tries to blame SNP though flu jag uptake in Scotland was 80% for 65+ while in Labour Wales it was dangerously below the WHO target at only 68%

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BBC Scotland’s subtle attempt to mislead on cancer deaths

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This morning BBC Scotland, at 6:30am, report: Currently three out of five people with a group of cancers characterised as ‘less survivable die within a year of diagnosis. New analysis shows the average one-year for survival rate for this group of cancers, which includes lung, liver and brain cancer, is just 39% in Scotland. The overall cancer survival rates across the country show 71% are still alive after 12 months. I don’t know about you but I took that contrasting 39% in Scotland and 71% across the country to mean that the UK survival rate was 71% and the Scottish … Continue reading BBC Scotland’s subtle attempt to mislead on cancer deaths

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CalMac have just replaced their oldest large ferry though it’s younger than 11 still in service in affluent Washington State and 13 in British Columbia

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From BBC Scotland, yesterday: The oldest large ferry in the CalMac fleet has been redeployed to a new route after the new ship Glen Sannox took over sailings to Arran. MV Isle of Arran, a 41-year-old ship nicknamed the Auld Trooper, will be based at Oban and used as a second vessel on the Mull route. MV Caledonian Isles will then partner MV Glen Sannox on the Arran route but, unlike the new ship, can operate out of Ardrossan, which has better onward transports links and offers the shortest sailings to the island. Washington State Ferries in the USA, has … Continue reading CalMac have just replaced their oldest large ferry though it’s younger than 11 still in service in affluent Washington State and 13 in British Columbia

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Averages from seven ‘2014 bias-free polls’ have SNP 15 points ahead, Labour stuck, Cons in trouble, Reform a wee worry and Lib Dems pleased to hang on to 5th place

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Based on the last 7 polls with a breakdown sub-poll for Scotland, the averages are as above in the table. This is based on quite small and, on their own, unreliable sub-samples of between 100 and 200 Scots, 18+, but taken together they add up to around the 1 000 mark, required for a reasonable survey. Almost every Scotland-only poll has its sample adjusted to match the 2014, 55 No / 45 Yes, ratio, reducing, it seem probable, the SNP/Green support. At 35%, for this Westmnister poll the SNP would be well down on their 2021 figure of 47.7% but … Continue reading Averages from seven ‘2014 bias-free polls’ have SNP 15 points ahead, Labour stuck, Cons in trouble, Reform a wee worry and Lib Dems pleased to hang on to 5th place

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The Idiocrat

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By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Associate Dean (Quality Assurance) Faculty of Education, UWS In the Herald today, recycling the recent lies of Prof (sic) Lindsay Paterson, Neil Mackay has: The debasement of Scottish education is turning us into an idiocracy. Takes one to know one I suppose but I guess he’s not that daft, just desperate to keep his job. The facts: First, in Secondary schools: At SCQF level 7 (Advanced Higher), the gap in 2009/10, two years after the SNP first came to power, was 24.1 and by 2021/22 it was 22.2, though down from 25 in the previous year but more important … Continue reading The Idiocrat