Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Scotland v Portugal – Guardian and BBC Scotland see two different games

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Thanks to @Kokotxas1 for alerting me to this: The Guardian‘s Ewan Murray sees an even game (above) and reports: Scotland delivered a resolute defensive display to hold Portugal to a goalless draw and secure the first point of their Nations League A campaign. The Scots passed up a glorious chance in the opening minutes through Scott McTominay and were then starved of possession as the visitors searched for an opener. Scotland will take great heart from the small step made here. Not only did they scrap in a form which was successful prior to recent turmoil but had they a … Continue reading Scotland v Portugal – Guardian and BBC Scotland see two different games

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A&E – Scottish Daily Express front page is a disgraceful example of misrepresentation

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stewartb The Scottish Daily Express front page article – by its Scottish Political Reporter – is a disgraceful example of misrepresentation. It seeks to link excess deaths following a visit to A&E with NHS Scotland missing its four hour standard of 95% of patients being discharged, transferred or admitted within four hours. The postulated causal link between an increase in excess deaths and A&E attendance advanced by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) is concerned primarily with time periods of over eight and more significantly, over 12 hours. The Express fails to make this clear despite there being multiple … Continue reading A&E – Scottish Daily Express front page is a disgraceful example of misrepresentation

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Evidence reveals justice system tough on crime under SNP as absolute discharges fall by massive 11%

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By Professor John Robertson OBA The Scottish Cons have been drooling at the above but it’s, no surprise, based on the inability to understand, or a nasty tendency to lie about, statistics. From official data reported today: and, crucially: Comparing recent public service data – crime, health, whatever – with those in the pandemic period 2020/2021, is frankly stupid, maybe dishonest, but many of our ratty media folk love to do it. We can, meaningfully, compare 2018/2019 data with recent data and what we get on this matter is, absolute discharges have fallen from 430 to 383, a 10.9% fall … Continue reading Evidence reveals justice system tough on crime under SNP as absolute discharges fall by massive 11%

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Why is only the Scottish Government accused by ‘environmental groups?’ Any ideas, BBC Scotland?

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Try searching for ‘BBC Scotland an environmental group has’, and find, straight off: Change that to ‘BBC UK an environmental group has’, and find only: BBC Wales? Again, just the one: This is not random. Editors set guidelines for reporters so that they know what to spend their time on and decide what will be broadcast. Continue reading Why is only the Scottish Government accused by ‘environmental groups?’ Any ideas, BBC Scotland?

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THREE times as many wait more than 12 hours in English and Welsh A&E departments

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By Professor John Robertson: Today, the Express is headlining – Scots dying as A&E crisis worsens every day based on the weekly 4 hour waits for week ending 6 October. A simple look at the above graph is clear – post-pandemic with increasing numbers (122 000 in April 2022 to 143 000 in May 2024) attending, a dramatic increase in those waiting beyond target times but since January 2022, a clear stabilisation and even fall from that peak with significantly fewer waiting over 12 hours in December 2024 (42 000) than in December 2022 (49 000) Missing from the Express story … Continue reading THREE times as many wait more than 12 hours in English and Welsh A&E departments

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72 year-old coal-fired ferry still serving in one of wealthiest countries in the World

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As the Express goes on about CalMac’s ‘aging’ ferries again, a bit of perspective: When you think of travel on Lake Michigan, you likely think of the S.S. Badger. It has been an iconic mode of transportation connecting communities and enhancing travel experiences for decades. As the last operating coal-fired passenger steamship in the United States, the S.S. Badger carries a rich history that reflects the evolution of car ferries in the Great Lakes region. This history began in 1875 when the Flint and Pere Marquette Railway launched the 175-foot steamer John Sherman to transport grain, freight and passengers between Ludington, … Continue reading 72 year-old coal-fired ferry still serving in one of wealthiest countries in the World

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Humza Yousaf makes same error as Prof Devine in blaming ordinary Scots for imperial crimes

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Professor John Robertson OBA This is just wrong. Elites in Scotland and in India played a leading role in the British Empire. 99% of the population in both places were starved, worked into the ground and used as cannon-fodder. ‘Scotland’ did not play any role, people did. I’ve been here before with otherwise highly intelligent public figures apparently ignorant of the reality of life for the majority (99%) indigenous population in the European empires and the actions of elites (1%) in their colonies. Anyhow, Sarwar’s support for Pakistan’s independence, considered hypocritical by many including me, was dismissed by Prof Tom … Continue reading Humza Yousaf makes same error as Prof Devine in blaming ordinary Scots for imperial crimes

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Flood of British refugees into Scotland in the SNP era may surpass the level of Irish famine migration in 1845/1851

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From The Irish Famine in a Scottish Perspective 1845-1851 by Géraldine VAUGHAN, in 2015, it is estimated that there were roughly 115,000 Irish incomers to Scotland for those six years.1 From the NRS, in the ten years from 2012 to 2022 (latest data), around 100 000 arrived in Scotland from other parts of the UK, increasing sharply from 3 000 in 2012 to 12 500 in 2022. This trend seems likely to be due to worsening austerity in other parts of the UK unprotected by SNP policies, on child poverty, HE fees and prescription charges, lower crime, a better-performing NHS, low … Continue reading Flood of British refugees into Scotland in the SNP era may surpass the level of Irish famine migration in 1845/1851

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10% of the population but 65% more doctors in training

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From Undergraduate medicine degree admissions at Scottish universities: FOI release, published yesterday, we see 1 240 entrants to ‘Pre Clinical’ medicine for 2022-23, the latest HESA data available (245 from rUK).1 From NHS England’s NHS England update on medical school training places, 28 February letter to Royal College of Physicians, published in February 2024: We are currently ahead of plan on our initial milestone to increase medical training places from an intake of 7,500 in September 2023 to 8,200 places by September 2025, as set out on p129 of the LTWP. In September 2023, a total of 7,571 medical school … Continue reading 10% of the population but 65% more doctors in training