Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Scotland’s drinking water is the best in Europe and is ranked second in the world but not reported by ‘our’ media?

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By JB In February 2025 the Medical Travel Insurance specialists at AllClear released a report analyzing more than 2,000 Reddit comments identifying the most frequently mentioned destinations for the best-tasting tap water on Earth.  “After reviewing all the comments, the team found that Scotland was the most frequently mentioned destination in Europe and the second most mentioned location in the world. The report noted that travelers particularly praise the water from the Highlands and lochs, particularly Loch Katrine, for its “bottled-water taste.”  The Best Tap Water in the World, According to Reddit The best-tasting tap water in the world – AllClear Travel … Continue reading Scotland’s drinking water is the best in Europe and is ranked second in the world but not reported by ‘our’ media?

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If this is a truly Scottish County Lines drug gang, the first, why is their supply clearly coming up the M74 from England?

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Police Scotland and the media are reporting a major ‘Scots’ County Lines drug gang in these terms: SMASH & GRABBED – Eleven kids rescued from clutches of sinister Scots drug mob as 100 hoods arrested. Officers ensured the safety of the youngsters by passing them into the care of relatives or referring them to support agencies – https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/14758409/kids-rescued-from-scots-drug-mob-hoods-arrested/ The reports make no mention of the County Lines gangs, from English cities, currently known to to be feeding the trade and using extreme violence in Scottish towns from Dumfries to Thurso. The small towns, Lesmahagow and Abingdon, catch the eye for the biggest seizures. … Continue reading If this is a truly Scottish County Lines drug gang, the first, why is their supply clearly coming up the M74 from England?

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STV and BBC let ‘campaigners’ use a survey of 0.002% of Scotland’s asthma sufferers to suggest asthma treatment is worse in the country where it’s clearly far, far better – Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland and STV have been platforming a survey of only 515 sufferers of Asthma in Scotland, to claim: Its 2025 survey Life With A Lung Condition, which questioned 515 asthma sufferers in Scotland, found only 30% of respondents were receiving basic asthma care, which the charity defined as having an annual asthma review, an inhaler technique check, and a written asthma plan. That is below the figure for the UK, where 32% of asthma sufferers receive this level of care. https://news.stv.tv/scotland/campaigners-call-for-fully-funded-lung-health-strategy-for-scotland As always, we are not told that this is, at most around 0.002% of … Continue reading STV and BBC let ‘campaigners’ use a survey of 0.002% of Scotland’s asthma sufferers to suggest asthma treatment is worse in the country where it’s clearly far, far better – Scotland

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To Margaret Curran’s boy – Scotland does not waste taxpayer money to monitor all of its nearly 4 000 water outflows because, unlike in England, almost all of them are not and have never been polluted – SIMPLE

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Professor John Robertson OBA Another ‘Scottish’ Labour MP, Chris Murray, son of a Labour member of the Lords, Margaret Curran, feeds an English Labour minister with lies about Scotland that can be used then to attack the SNP rather than the Labour-run councils actually responsible for any beach pollution or supposed lack of monitoring. First the supposed Portobello beach pollution, Murray reported last year: Pink diesel, 100% commented one reader. From a tractor raking the sand The actual facts on water company illegal sewage disposal: English water companies fined FOURTEEN THOUSAND times as much for illegal sewage discharges as those … Continue reading To Margaret Curran’s boy – Scotland does not waste taxpayer money to monitor all of its nearly 4 000 water outflows because, unlike in England, almost all of them are not and have never been polluted – SIMPLE

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Scotland gets first Patient Safety Commissioner three years after England and 18 years after a leading European expert said it was already ‘at the very top pillar with regards to patient safety’ 

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Scotland today: Scotland’s first ever Patient Safety Commissioner is set to be appointed. Experienced healthcare executive Karen Titchener will take up the role after two previous recruitment drives for the £93,094-a-year role failed. There has been a patient safety commissioner in England since 2022. The BBC Scotland report misses something quite important that the above Scottish Health Secretary put in place – see below. Never mind the facts on the ground in hospitals these 18 years, what does it look like to the media? You have to wonder just WTF England’s commissioner has been up … Continue reading Scotland gets first Patient Safety Commissioner three years after England and 18 years after a leading European expert said it was already ‘at the very top pillar with regards to patient safety’ 

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Scottish Labour MP inadvertently reveals that 65% more children are in temporary accommodation in England than in Scotland

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By cuckooshoe At PMQT yesterday, Sir Keir Starmer answered several questions about the Scottish government from Labour MPs from Scotland. In one response he made a reference to 10,000 children living in temporary accommodation in Scotland. It is telling that not one single Labour/Tory/Lib-Dem/Reform MP raised this homeless statistic for England. It was published at the end of April 2025. https://cih.org/news/cih-responds-to-englands-latest-homelessness-statistics-april-2025/ “As of New Year’s Eve, 2024, the statistics show that 127,890 households, including 165,510 children, were living in temporary accommodation (TA), unsure of when they would have a safe, secure, and permanent home. This represents a 13.6 per cent … Continue reading Scottish Labour MP inadvertently reveals that 65% more children are in temporary accommodation in England than in Scotland

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How only one Scottish Labour MP opposed ‘the biggest attack on the welfare state since George Osborne ushered in the years of austerity’

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By stewartb Back on June 13, 2024, a BBC Scotland editor published an article on the BBC News website (so it must be true) with this opening: “Read my lips,” said Anas Sarwar, during the BBC Scotland leaders’ debate this week. “No austerity under Labour.” Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp4409yejrwo Fast forward to today when the push back against the policies of Mr Sarwar’s Labour in Name Only (LINO) party in government in Westminster has been given further impetus. It is being reported that 42 Labour MPs have sent a letter of protest to the PM. Here is how two Labour-supporting online media organisations are covering the … Continue reading How only one Scottish Labour MP opposed ‘the biggest attack on the welfare state since George Osborne ushered in the years of austerity’

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Edinburgh and Glasgow rated as best small cities in UK

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald’s report, above, three days ago, on the Europe’s Best Cities survey, notably forgets to tell us that Edinburgh and Glasgow feature above all other comparably sized, ‘smaller’ cities in the UK, other than the monstrous, incomparable London. ‘Best Cities’ is an almost pointless notion given the complexity of the characteristics that might make a city ‘Best’. In this resonance/Ipsos survey, the first 17 are mostly very large capital cities with the horribly fragmented, ugly and polluted London, in first place. Interestingly, crime rates are not used. Edinburgh comes in at 18th, above any other … Continue reading Edinburgh and Glasgow rated as best small cities in UK

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Attainment by 16 year-olds – Scotland’s schools performing far better than those in other parts of UK and an extra 30 000 pupils benefit each year

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to AR for alerting me to this. In Summer 2024, GCSE students in the United Kingdom (sic) had a pass rate (achieving a grade of C/4 or higher) of 67.6 percent.1 GCSE is, of course, only undertaken in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by pupils around 16 years of age. In Scotland: Scottish National 5 certificates grade A to C are equivalent to GCSEs grade grade 4 to 9 . 2 How did Scottish pupils do in this assessment also typically taken by pupils at the end of 4th Year, at around 16 years of age? … Continue reading Attainment by 16 year-olds – Scotland’s schools performing far better than those in other parts of UK and an extra 30 000 pupils benefit each year

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Scottish Labour is led by someone who has been repeatedly rejected as a constituency candidate in every Holyrood election

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By Liz S Paul Hutcheon the Daily Record’s political Editor for the Labour party in Scotland tweeted this on ‘X’ on 6 May. “Reading that SNP list of Holyrood candidates, it’s like a revolving door of Westminster rejects” MSM Monitor in a tweet yesterday on ‘X’ then responded to Paul’s tweet in reminding us all about Anas Sarwar (as in his political career thus far). “Scottish Labour is not only led by a Westminster reject who lost his seat to Alison Thewliss in 2015. It is led by someone who has been repeatedly rejected as a constituency candidate in every Holyrood election … Continue reading Scottish Labour is led by someone who has been repeatedly rejected as a constituency candidate in every Holyrood election