Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Listen to Australian Labor Party’s academic expert as she warns nuclear energy proposal causes ‘cancer, strokes and heart attacks’

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Labour Party in Scotland fully backs the UK Government plans to build new nuclear power stations in Scotland, regardless of widespread opposition to the idea among the population and UK research linking these installations to a range of cancers, but especially breast cancer, thyroid cancer and child leukaemia, in surrounding areas.1 Meanwhile, in Australia, the Labor Party is campaigning against plans there using research by the former GP now Melbourne University lecturer, Dr Margaret Beavis, who argues: “There are definite increases in cancer, strokes and heart attacks with nuclear power. With renewable energy we have … Continue reading Listen to Australian Labor Party’s academic expert as she warns nuclear energy proposal causes ‘cancer, strokes and heart attacks’

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‘Scots flooding across border to snap up cut price alcohol’ – How the media are the real hazard for public health in Scotland and not the Scottish Government

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Anonymous Last Sunday this was the headlines on The Sunday Post’s front page. “Scots flooding across border to snap up cut price alcohol” Where apparently alcohol was being bought in “bulk” by Scots when in England. Apparently this was during trips to England, so people are not specifically going to England just to buy alcohol in bulk then ? As in the same alcohol that if bought in bulk and then consumed excessively it then has a detrimental impact on your health as it can be deadly. According to the Sunday Post “soaring alcohol prices in Scotland” are then “driving shoppers online and over the border into England in search of bargains”. But wait what is happening in England with alcohol consumption ? Well today it was reported on the BBC website in their UK & Health sections … Continue reading ‘Scots flooding across border to snap up cut price alcohol’ – How the media are the real hazard for public health in Scotland and not the Scottish Government

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Hospital admissions – why are flu intensive care cases not ‘notably increased’ in Scotland but ‘risk overwhelming hospitals’ in England?

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Professor John Robertson OBA To set the scene for this report, do listen to John Grady MP for Glasgow East, corporate lawyer and holder of a typical Edinburgh University accent, above. If you can, then read on. From the Guardian yesterday: Surge in flu cases risks overwhelming hospitals in England, says NHS chief – Health service concerned that early ‘flood’ of infections will be made worse by family gatherings at Christmas…Last week 125 people were so seriously ill with flu they were being treated in critical care, almost double the 66 who were receiving life-or-death care because of the virus the week … Continue reading Hospital admissions – why are flu intensive care cases not ‘notably increased’ in Scotland but ‘risk overwhelming hospitals’ in England?

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Covid care home deaths – the thousands saved and lost in Scotland and in England

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On 22 January 2021, BBC UK had a special report on the anxiety in English and Welsh care homes that they were being left behind in the vaccine rollout. Days earlier, in response to a question by Philippa Whitford, Matt Hancock confirmed that only 24% of care home residents in England had been vaccinated. On the same day, the First Minister of Scotland indicated that 80% of care home residents and staff had now been vaccinated. Some councils, Inverclyde and North Ayrshire claimed 100%. Whitford then explained: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation was very clear that those who … Continue reading Covid care home deaths – the thousands saved and lost in Scotland and in England

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Why building CalMac ferries, quicker and cheaper in Turkey might not have been such a good idea after all

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From STV on 28th March 2024, as a media frenzy risked the future of commercial shipbuilding in the Clyde, just to attack the SNP Government, in support of the 2024 General Election Labour campaign: All four Calmac ferries being built in Turkey ‘are on time and on budget’ By August 2024, the Herald told us: Four ferries being built in Turkey for CalMac will be delayed, with the first having been due to be delivered this month. MV Isle of Islay was due to be delivered by mid-October, but it was announced in August that it would not be delivered … Continue reading Why building CalMac ferries, quicker and cheaper in Turkey might not have been such a good idea after all

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Scotland’s electricity transfers to England worth more than £3 BILLION

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From Energy Statistics for Scotland – Q3 2024, published today: Scotland is a net exporter of electricity. In 2023, the equivalent of 33.8% of electricity generated in Scotland was exported: 13.9 TWh to England and Wales, and 2.0 TWh to Northern Ireland. Scotland has seen a steady rise in the proportion of electricity generated from low-carbon sources from 49.4% in 2004 to 89.6% in 2023.1 According to EDF, 1 KWh is currently worth around 24p2. One TWh is 1 000 000 000 KWh So 1 TWh is worth around 1 000 000 000 times 24p or £240m. 13.9 TWh is … Continue reading Scotland’s electricity transfers to England worth more than £3 BILLION

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Labor Party warns nuclear energy proposal causes ‘cancer, strokes and heart attacks’

johnrobertson834

The Labour Party in Scotland fully backs the UK Government plans to build new nuclear power stations in Scotland, regardless of widespread opposition to the idea among the population and UK research linking these installations to a range of cancers, but especially breast cancer, thyroid cancer and child leukaemia, in surrounding areas.1 Meanwhile, in Australia, the Labor Party is campaigning against plans there using research by the former GP now Melbourne University lecturer, Dr Margaret Beavis, who argues: “There are definite increases in cancer, strokes and heart attacks with nuclear power. With renewable energy we have much safer alternatives,” she … Continue reading Labor Party warns nuclear energy proposal causes ‘cancer, strokes and heart attacks’

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Contrary to the Scottish media frenzy, NHS Grampian’s A&E is better than all but one of England’s health boards and 66% better (!!!) than in Thatcher’s, the last Health Secretary and these MP’s Lincolnshire

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Above, the eight MPs for Lincolnshire constituencies, Margaret Thatcher’s birthplace and now home to Reform’s Richard Tice and the Con Gammon’s Sir Edward Leith. Best of all, Victoria Atkins was Health Secretary under Sunak. Why am I interested in Lincolnshire? In October 2024, after 14 years of Tory government, NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board saw only 39.2% of full emergency department patients (Type 1) within the 4 hour target. NHS England as a whole managed only 58.1%.1 In NHS Grampian, the figure was 65%, 11.87% better than the English average and a shocking 65.8% better than the … Continue reading Contrary to the Scottish media frenzy, NHS Grampian’s A&E is better than all but one of England’s health boards and 66% better (!!!) than in Thatcher’s, the last Health Secretary and these MP’s Lincolnshire

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Scotland’s media ignore massive increase in criminal convictions including a 103% increase in rape convictions only two years after pandemic constraints end

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Criminal Proceedings in Scotland 2022-23, published yesterday, we can see that there were 68 067 people convicted of a criminal offence in Scotland in 2022/2023 (latest figures), 59.8% up from the 2020/2021 figure of 42 614. Reassuringly, for serious crimes dealt with in the High Court, the figure was 733, almost double the 2020/2021 figure of 375 and up from the previous high, in 2014 of 702. Also reassuring, there was a 29% increase on the 2014 figure for Sexual crimes including a 63% increase from 2014, in people proceeded against for rape and attempted rape … Continue reading Scotland’s media ignore massive increase in criminal convictions including a 103% increase in rape convictions only two years after pandemic constraints end

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Herald lies about new house building as Scotland builds more than twice as many, per head, as Labour Wales over decades

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By Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald, today, reads the above graph to say: Building of homes at lowest in decade amid crisis – Fears over affordable housing From Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update: New Housebuilding and Affordable Housing Supply to end September 2024, published yesterday, new starts are at the lowest in a decade but completions, actual building, is still 25% up on the lowest level in 2013. Not, of course in the Herald report, though easily found in the same document, Scotland’s leading position in the UK and regularly building twice as many as in Labour-run Wales: As for … Continue reading Herald lies about new house building as Scotland builds more than twice as many, per head, as Labour Wales over decades