Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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West Midlands ‘complex county lines’ gang using children to sell drugs from ‘trap houses’ into and across Scotland

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From The Express & Star, yesterday: Members of ‘complex’ County Lines gang who sent children to ‘trap houses’ to deal drugs are jailed. A drugs gang who recruited children to sell crack and heroin have been jailed for 30 years. After cornering the Wolverhampton and Stafford drugs market the gang opened up new drug lines in Corby, Northamptonshire and as far as Scotland. Brian Asante, 23, from Canberra Drive, Stafford, would threaten and bribe vulnerable children to sell drugs for him in “trap houses” [cuckooing] in towns, leaving them vulnerable to attack from rival drug dealers.1 How do these children … Continue reading West Midlands ‘complex county lines’ gang using children to sell drugs from ‘trap houses’ into and across Scotland

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Free prescription costs NOT increasing in real terms, saving money for taxpayer and saved thousands in the pandemic

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By Professor John Robertson Parroting New Labour and revealing a complete ignorance of matters that the public should hear of – in the Sunday Post, surely not. I’ll deal with how the cost is not climbing, how universal benefits save money and how they saved lives in the pandemic. Scotland’s free prescription costs are static in line with inflation despite a 29% increase in those over 75, over 10 years From Public Health Scotland, yesterday: The total (net) cost for dispensing items and providing services in 2023/24 was £1.62 billion, increasing by 6.5% from £1.52 billion in 2022/23. This follows a period … Continue reading Free prescription costs NOT increasing in real terms, saving money for taxpayer and saved thousands in the pandemic

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‘Will Scotland Ever Become Independent?’

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By Professor John Robertson In the highly influential finance magazine, Forbes, yesterday, there is a discussion of the above question which inevitably focuses on as, they put it ‘household finances‘: At the time of the referendum, there was great interest in the prospect of Scotland going it alone, and the way the Scots might dis-engage their economy from England was the focus of attention. In many respects the downfall of the independence side was that they became mired in an argument over the kind of currency arrangement Scotland might have, and the resulting impact that this could have on household … Continue reading ‘Will Scotland Ever Become Independent?’

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Sarwar humiliated as latest poll predicts SNP to gain 39 seats in next General Election

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Based on polling on 11-15 October 2024, Electoral Calculus predict Labour in England would hold on but with a reduced majority in the next General Election. In Scotland, however, it is predicted that the SNP would return to 48 seats with the other 9 held by a resurgent Conservatives in North-East and South Scotland and, at best, one Labour MP in Edinburgh South. This is a shocking condemnation of Scottish Labour and of millionaire Anas Sarwar’s leadership. https://x.com/LeftieStats/status/1846972671113748522 Continue reading Sarwar humiliated as latest poll predicts SNP to gain 39 seats in next General Election

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‘There are no mandates to ensure GB Energy and foreign energy firms source from UK suppliers’

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By Anonymous UK government Scotland tweet on 15 October 2024: “Yesterday the UK Government secured £63 billion of investment to provide almost 38,000 jobs. Scotland will benefit from the UK Government’s plans to drive growth. Some quickfire qs to Scottish Secretary @IanMurrayMP on why Scotland is the place to invest”. (Note how this tweet does not specify that the “38,000 jobs” will be in Scotland in fact they only mention Scotland as supposdley benefitting via the “UK government’s plans to drive growth” but then how will Scotland benefit from that , as surely it is more their whole UK , as in mainly one part of it- not Scotland- that will derive more benefits, to include majority of jobs and “growth“, which will also then include … Continue reading ‘There are no mandates to ensure GB Energy and foreign energy firms source from UK suppliers’

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‘Complete insanity’ as Canadian ferry service is cut completely for two months, despite calmer seas, to population the size of Arran

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The above report from Saltwire, yesterday, allows ferry-users in the area around Digby in Nova Scotia, to vent their anger. There is only one ferry operating this 2 hour 30 min service, to a population of around 5 000 in Digby, Lunenberg and smaller villages in the area. To be fair, there is a 256 mile, 4 hours by car if you’re fast, or a 4 bus 37 hour route, for the elderly non-driver, if it’s clear, land route. Imagine this was in Scotland. Remember when the Calmac, Campbelltown to Ardrossan ferry which took longer than the bus, was cancelled? … Continue reading ‘Complete insanity’ as Canadian ferry service is cut completely for two months, despite calmer seas, to population the size of Arran

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400 passengers stranded in Bilbao on a day when Brittany ferries cancels, brings forward or delays, 5 out of only 14 sailings in a ferry fiasco while CalMac does 97% of 506 sailings on time

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From MSN today: BRITTANY FERRIES HAS apologised to hundreds of passengers who are stuck on a ferry in the Port of Bilbao due to a “technical problem”.    The Galicia ferry, which travels from Rosslare to Bilbao and is operated by Brittany Ferries, was due to sail at 4pm Irish time.  However, the journey was abandoned because of a technical problem, which is understood to have affected one of the vessel’s engines. There are thought to be approximately 400 passengers onboard.  Imagine that happened in Scotland. From Brittany Ferries today: 2 out of only 14 cancelled and 4 moved to … Continue reading 400 passengers stranded in Bilbao on a day when Brittany ferries cancels, brings forward or delays, 5 out of only 14 sailings in a ferry fiasco while CalMac does 97% of 506 sailings on time

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Scottish Government achieve 18% increase in staffing in last 10 years

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Many thanks to Legerwood for alerting me to this. The above from TURAS | Data Intelligence paints a far more positive picture of the achievements of the Scottish Government in its management of the NHS contrasting with that commonly presented by the MSM. How does this compare with NHS England and Wales? NHS Scotland has 181 000 staff, 1 for every 30 members of the population of 5.44 million. NHS England has 1.4 million staff, 1 for every 40 members of the population of 56 million. NHS Wales has 90 000 million staff, 1 for every … Continue reading Scottish Government achieve 18% increase in staffing in last 10 years

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Latest poll – Evidence of Labour collapse far worse in Scotland for Sarwar than for Starmer in UK

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In a survey of 2 000 GB adults on 11-13 October 2024, JLP found Labour on 29% and Cons on 25% but in Scotland, the above narrowing may have become a life-threatening collapse for Anas Sarwar: An admittedly small sub-sample of 145 Scots returned these results. Still worrying for the SNP and casting doubt on their centrist/rightist drift on Palestine and, most recently, human rights, but a complete disaster for Labour, flirting with 5th place, 9 points behind the Cons and 8 behind the SNP. If these data are reliable they confirm that Reform will take from Labour too and … Continue reading Latest poll – Evidence of Labour collapse far worse in Scotland for Sarwar than for Starmer in UK

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Breast cancer life extending drug – images BBC Scotland hope you’ve missed

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Professor John Robertson OBA On BBC Breakfast and on their website, an extended report on Enhertu, a drug which can give patients with a specific type of incurable breast cancer an extra six months to live on average. At the very bottom of the BBC UK report, this: Some told the BBC they were considering the idea of moving to Scotland, where they could get it on the NHS. Jeannie says that’s not an option for her family. “We shouldn’t be having to think of moving to Scotland or selling our houses,” she says. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7v6g9q6rjqo The extended website report does … Continue reading Breast cancer life extending drug – images BBC Scotland hope you’ve missed