Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Pisa – gamed by England, loved by only one, ‘not a teacher’, Scottish prof but in some parts not visited by him or by media, a real glow

johnrobertson834

Engaging respectfully with Pisa in the way that the Scottish Education Minister seems to be doing, above, strikes me as a mistake. It needs more direct, harder critique, as in these three TuS reports: Read them and others in full, at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=Pisa Continue reading Pisa – gamed by England, loved by only one, ‘not a teacher’, Scottish prof but in some parts not visited by him or by media, a real glow

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No public building contract in Scotland has ever required such remedial work

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Thanks to K McEwan for alerting us to this. From BBC Tyne on 14 October 2026, the above and: The NHS has confirmed work on a new hospital will have to be redone. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust said the new Berwick Community Hospital will need to be stripped back to its structural steelwork after inspections found building work carried out so far was not up to standard. New contractors Robertson have been working with the trust to determine what will need to be done for the scheme to progress – additional costs to the £35m project are currently unknown. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr1ex6pl3pn7o … Continue reading No public building contract in Scotland has ever required such remedial work

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Bus nationalisation emerges as ‘Der gefestigte Wille des Volkes’ after owners compare John Swinney to only two dictators compared to Salmond’s gang of four – progress?

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They say when you compare your opponent to ‘Hitler’, you’ve lost the argument. Is it the same with billionaire bus owners, The McGill Bros, calling John Swinney ‘Amin or Mugabe?’ It’s easy rebutted. How can it be dictatorial when, based on a 2024 YouGov poll, 66% support the nationalisation of bus companies? That was up from 50% in 2017. Two other polls in the last 5 years say the same thing. Savanta in 2023, had 67% and even 61% of Tories. YouGov in 2026, had the same 66%, across all the parties. That’ll be a clear case of the settled … Continue reading Bus nationalisation emerges as ‘Der gefestigte Wille des Volkes’ after owners compare John Swinney to only two dictators compared to Salmond’s gang of four – progress?

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To what extent have former colonies of the British Empire achieved independence less because of their own direct efforts and more because of historical events that have happened to both the Empire and to them?

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Would you trust any human, academic or otherwise, to answer that honestly? Not me so this is AI based on my thesis and post-checking: To a substantial extent. Former British colonies achieved independence primarily because of historical events that weakened the Empire and reshaped the international order, with colonial nationalism and direct efforts acting as important accelerators, localizers, and shapers of outcomes rather than the sole or dominant drivers of the rapid collapse. The British Empire reached its peak territorial extent after World War I but unravelled with remarkable speed after 1945—most major dependencies independent by the mid-1960s (India/Pakistan 1947, … Continue reading To what extent have former colonies of the British Empire achieved independence less because of their own direct efforts and more because of historical events that have happened to both the Empire and to them?

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If Canada and Oz don’t need a Douglas Alexander, why do we?

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From Nation Cymru, yesterday: Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams has called for the Wales Office to be scrapped, saying it often does “more harm than good” and reinforces Westminster’s position rather than challenging it. Speaking to The National Podcast at the SNP conference in Aberdeen, Ms Williams said devolution had removed the need for the role. “Over 27 years of devolution we have come to a maturity, I would say obviously in Scotland but equally in Wales, where we don’t need that position anymore,” she said. “What we get is resistance, and that has been true of Welsh Secretaries of … Continue reading If Canada and Oz don’t need a Douglas Alexander, why do we?

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Yvette Cooper, Health Secretary for England offers tiny 0.06% NHS winter funding boost but NHS Scotland and Scottish Government are far more ready

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Today in the Guardian: The NHS faces a more challenging winter than normal, the health secretary has warned, as she announced a £140m increase for urgent care in England. Yvette Cooper said the money would help increase capacity, and that the NHS has been preparing since July to deal with the impact of seasonal illnesses. Total NHS England budget for 2025/2026 was: £215 billion.1 Yvette Cooper, Health Secretary, today pledges another £140 million boost for ‘tough winter.’2 Percentage increase- 0.06%! Sources: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2026-to-2027-financial-directions-to-nhs-england/2026-to-2027-financial-directions-to-nhs-england https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/18/yvette-cooper-140m-boost-urgent-care-nhs-tough-winter More important: Continue reading Yvette Cooper, Health Secretary for England offers tiny 0.06% NHS winter funding boost but NHS Scotland and Scottish Government are far more ready

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Glasgow University is a safer place to study than ALL English universities – Has the official student newspaper ever told you that ‘staggering’ fact?

johnrobertson834

Having just see their lame, mainstream account of drug deaths in Scotland, I wondered if they had ever shared important findings on safety from crime in Glasgow. I could only find, recently, the above, and: In June, the BBC reported that the number of sexual crimes that occur in Scotland has increased by 3% in the last year – the highest it has been since 1971. This is a staggering and terrifying statistic, leaving many in Glasgow worrying about their own safety in the city. Learning how to stay safe, especially if you are new in Glasgow, is extremely important. … Continue reading Glasgow University is a safer place to study than ALL English universities – Has the official student newspaper ever told you that ‘staggering’ fact?

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Glasgow University ‘official’ student newspaper misinforming on ‘The Drug Death Accurate Reporting Capital of Europe’ with lame repetition of MSM ‘shallownews’

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Self-described as: The Glasgow Guardian is the multi-award-winning independent newspaper of Glasgow University, and one of the oldest student publications to exist. We publish print editions monthly, and we’ve broken stories that have caught the attention of national press, politicians, and activists, and are made up of a thriving base of talented writers, editors and reporters. https://glasgowguardian.co.uk/about/ the above story merely repeats the line of the media operating in Scotland: https://glasgowguardian.co.uk/2026/10/17/scotland-remains-drug-death-capital-of-europe/ I’d have hoped for better. Here’s what they’ve missed and it’s of special interest to their young (captive) audience: Age-specific mortality rates of drug use deaths by broad age … Continue reading Glasgow University ‘official’ student newspaper misinforming on ‘The Drug Death Accurate Reporting Capital of Europe’ with lame repetition of MSM ‘shallownews’

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More than 100 refugee doctors trained to add to nearly 20% more than 5 years ago and nearly 40% more than England

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In the Herald yesterday, the above and: Funding to help refugee doctors return to the medical profession in the UK is almost doubling after the Scottish Government announced an additional £190,023 for the Bridges Programmes’ Refugee Doctors Programme. The investment will help medically trained refugees gain General Medical Council (GMC) registration so they can practise in the UK, while bringing the total number of doctors supported by the Scottish Government through the scheme to more than 100. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26645250.scottish-funding-nearly-doubles-refugee-doctors-scheme/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1792172357-1 These are small numbers but remember: From Scottish medical training statistics: FOI release published today, the above, revealing year-on-year increases in the … Continue reading More than 100 refugee doctors trained to add to nearly 20% more than 5 years ago and nearly 40% more than England

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Scottish Government spends £107 million, £107 000 per householder, of your taxes on flood defences, BBC Scotland report one guest house sale and the locals vote Tory

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BBC Scotland ‘News’ yesterday, the above from 2020, 4 years ago, and: A Hawick guest house and cafe that was partially washed away in floods has gone on the market. Video footage captured the moment river-facing walls of the Bridge Guest House building dramatically collapsed into the Teviot at the height of Storm Ciara in February 2020. Only seven paragraphs later, perhaps on the 17:30 broadcast, perhaps not: Since the collapse of the Bridge Guest House, a £106m flood defence scheme has been completed in Hawick, protecting about 970 buildings. Work began on the project – one of the largest … Continue reading Scottish Government spends £107 million, £107 000 per householder, of your taxes on flood defences, BBC Scotland report one guest house sale and the locals vote Tory