Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Herald Ferry Correspondent ‘moved’ to Fashion and Arran elite u-turn as CalMac hit 95% reliability

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Professor John Robertson OBA, Global Ferry Correspondent 2022-2025 Something else I missed, almost a year ago: CalMac’s determination to provide a reliable ferry service to Scotland’s west coast communities has been demonstrated through its latest annual accounts, which show spending on maintenance has almost doubled in six years. The latest annual report for David MacBrayne Ltd, and a separate report for its main operating subsidiary, CalMac, were lodged this week. In the financial year ending March 2023, the annual report from DML shows that CalMac spent £36.5m on maintenance and its annual overhaul programme for the fleet during the financial … Continue reading Herald Ferry Correspondent ‘moved’ to Fashion and Arran elite u-turn as CalMac hit 95% reliability

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From the ‘Murder Capital’ of Europe to the safest place in the UK in less than 20 years

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Professor John Robertson OBA My column in the March 2025 Scots Independent, on paper, delivered to your door, is available at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product/annual-12-month-subscription/ About: Since 1926 the Scots Independent has been the only regularly produced publication that fully supports the cause of Independence. It has always been produced and distributed by volunteers. This remains the case today with everyone involved living in different parts of the country. So long as there are willing volunteers the newspaper and the website will continue. Our remit is not to make great proits for our masters but to help spread the pro independence arguments to … Continue reading From the ‘Murder Capital’ of Europe to the safest place in the UK in less than 20 years

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NHS Scotland’s ‘excellent ovarian [and other] cancer services across Scotland’

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Express today, rehashing a Record story on February 13th 2025, has the sickly headline: John Swinney shamed over NHS failures to treat Scottish women with ovarian cancer It’s nonsense. The facts, first on all cancers: In the Guardian on 3 February 2025: More than half a million people in England have had to wait longer than two months for essential cancer treatment, analysis of latest NHS figures has shown. It has led experts to suggest thousands more patients will die unnecessarily unless the NHS gets to grips quickly with the delays. Analysis of new NHS figures by Radiotherapy UK shows that in the … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s ‘excellent ovarian [and other] cancer services across Scotland’

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Leading European expert says Scotland is ‘at the very top pillar with regards to patient safety’ since 2007 but BBC Scotland desperately try to hide that from you

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In Scotland’s health service every day on average. That’s according to figures obtained by the BBC. Data released under a Freedom of Information requests show the number of significant adverse events, including avoidable deaths jumped by 41% in the last four years. Professor John Robertson OBA This wee story today seems to be another one of those carried out by the Pacific Quay team, at public expense, in the hope of undermining the Scottish Government via the NHS. Details are not available at the BBC Scotland website, as yet but I’m looking forward to seeing how the wee souls came … Continue reading Leading European expert says Scotland is ‘at the very top pillar with regards to patient safety’ since 2007 but BBC Scotland desperately try to hide that from you

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The treatment of refugee children – How Scotland is trying to become a better place even before we have full control

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today, the above and: Tens of thousands of children in migrant and refugee families in the UK are being denied access to government-funded childcare because of benefit restrictions linked to their parents’ immigration status, a report says. Having “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF) means parents are not entitled to 30 hours of free childcare and are having to stay home to look after their young children instead of working. This is pushing families into poverty and denying their children the benefits of the early years education available to their peers, the report … Continue reading The treatment of refugee children – How Scotland is trying to become a better place even before we have full control

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As vaccination levels fall in neighbouring UK and cases and adult measles deaths increase how Scotland’s crucial high vaccination rate gets no coverage

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From the Guardian today: An adult who was infected with measles has died in New Mexico, state health officials announced Thursday, though the virus has not been confirmed as the cause of death. The person was from Lea county, just across the state line from the west Texas region where 159 measles cases have been identified and a school-age child died last week – the first US measles death in a decade. New Mexico health officials have not linked the outbreak there to the Texas cases. On Tuesday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … Continue reading As vaccination levels fall in neighbouring UK and cases and adult measles deaths increase how Scotland’s crucial high vaccination rate gets no coverage

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SNP IS closing attainment gap within Scottish schools and WIDENING it with England

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Professor John Robertson OBA The above tweet has triggered lots of angry doubting of the claim circled above. It’s no wonder folk do not know it’s an accurate statement or not because it was ignored by the media when it was published on 10th December 2024. Indeed, I missed it myself. Anyhow, here it is: The proportion of pupils achieving the expected level in literacy and numeracy across primary and secondary schools has reached a new high, officials figures show. For numeracy, a record 80.3% of pupils across P1, P4 and P7 reached expected levels, while S3 also reached a … Continue reading SNP IS closing attainment gap within Scottish schools and WIDENING it with England

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FEAR!!! Reinforcing 20 year-old, outdated, harmful stereotypes of Glasgow and Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson OBA I know let’s do a TV drama series about a family moving from a low crime area moving back to a high crime area and see how that traumatises a family. Then get a gun-toting grandad to fix things for them. Been done before, no doubt. Amazon Prime‘s new Fear, imaginatively, no, stupidly, Anglocentrically, does the opposite. So, twice as many murders in London than in Scotland and as trend, at best, flat. The trend in Scotland? How many in Glasgow? Down to 10 last year and: Over the latest five year period from 2019-20 … Continue reading FEAR!!! Reinforcing 20 year-old, outdated, harmful stereotypes of Glasgow and Scotland

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STV’s shameless failure to report accurately or fairly on children’s mental health waiting times and reliance on one private consultant for opinion

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but today brought some positive news. The Children’s Mental Health waiting time target has been met for the first time in its 10 year history. By Professor John Robertson OBA STV last night opened with the above. After some time with the minister we see a long interview, right to the end, with Dr Becky Howie, a private sector consultant, with her own business – maldodlife.co.uk – to hear: and to doubt the validity of the stats, all on her own commercial self. Why has STV not asked someone at the frontline in NHS Scotland? Also, why has STV not … Continue reading STV’s shameless failure to report accurately or fairly on children’s mental health waiting times and reliance on one private consultant for opinion

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Tory MP with worst local ferry service in the UK feeds Labour opportunity to lie about best ferry service in the UK

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Thanks to Linda Graham of Broadcasting Scotland (https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/) for alerting me to this: Coming up on Scottish Questions this morning: Q13. What discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on improving transport connectivity to Scottish islands. (902935) – Joe Robertson MP (Isle of Wight East, Conservative) Kirsty McNeill Labour answered: There are few issues which better encapsulate the incompetence and arrogance of the SNP government than their long-running ferry fiasco. Scotland’s island communities have been let down time and time again, from Nicola Sturgeon pretending to launch a ferry with the windows painted on, to the recent reports that … Continue reading Tory MP with worst local ferry service in the UK feeds Labour opportunity to lie about best ferry service in the UK