Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Another nail in Scottish Labour’s nuclear balloon as cost of one station in England now exceeds total devolved budget for Scotland

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I’m grateful to Dottie once more for alerting me to this and for the above headline mixing metaphors to good effect in triggering the above image in my head. From the FT yesterday: UK ministers have made contingency arrangements to fund the Sizewell C nuclear power project in case a final agreement with potential private investors is delayed by as much as two years, officials have admitted. A £5.5bn subsidy scheme set up in August to support the construction of Britain’s next nuclear power station at Sizewell in Suffolk envisages a scenario where there is no agreement with private sector … Continue reading Another nail in Scottish Labour’s nuclear balloon as cost of one station in England now exceeds total devolved budget for Scotland

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FACTCHECK: ‘Ultra long’ A&E waits far less common in Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson: Dr John Paul Loughrey of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Hot Yoga enthusiast (@Jploughrey) has no time to grapple with the the facts as he helps BBC Scotland headline with another emergency services scare story about long waits in A&E and the risk they poses, especially for the more vulnerable. Missing from Dr Loughrey’s assessment of ultra long delays, in this BBC Scotland report, this: First, NHS England: THREE times as many wait more than 12 hours in England’s A&E departments NHS England, Type one A&E, for May 2024, 138 770 waiting more … Continue reading FACTCHECK: ‘Ultra long’ A&E waits far less common in Scotland

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Scotland – 8 times the percentage of the area protected for nature

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In the Guardian today: Nature in England at risk as amount of protected land falls to 2.93%, data shows. The amount of land that is protected for nature in England has fallen to just 2.93%, despite government promises to conserve 30% of it by 2030, new data reveals. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/03/nature-england-under-threat-protected-land-falls-data From NatureScot in August 2023: About 18% of Scotland’s land is protected for nature, but this increases to 23% if you include national parks. To reach the 30% target by 2030, Scotland needs to increase protection by 7–12%. https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/planning-and-development/planning-and-development-advice/planning-and-development-protected-areas#:~:text=Search%20for%20protected%20areas%20on,Visit%20our%20Natural%20Spaces%20website. Continue reading Scotland – 8 times the percentage of the area protected for nature

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A flood of water complaints in England and Wales but barely a dribble in Scotland

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In the Guardian today: The number of customer complaints that were unable to be resolved by water companies in England and Wales has risen by almost a third to the highest level in nearly a decade. There was a 29% increase in 2023-24 in cases escalated to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) by households that failed to achieve a resolution from their supplier, the watchdog said. The jump has been fuelled by consumer discontent over sewage spills, billing mistakes and problems with water meters, with customers having exhausted their water supplier’s two-stage complaints process by the time they turned to the CCW. Its annual report … Continue reading A flood of water complaints in England and Wales but barely a dribble in Scotland

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Wales and Scotland – Labour’s double-think

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Anonymous Labour exceptionalism Where we the public are expected to believe that only Labour in Wales, and now also Labour as the new UK government, have difficult barriers/obstacles that they alone must overcome because of the failings of others but never ever is it to be regarded as a failing(s) by their own hand. Yet alternatively , Scotland, whose government has the same status as Labour in Wales, as in they too are a devolved government , are somehow , as a Scottish devolved government, those who must accept 100% liability and all blame for any obstacles and barriers that they have been faced with and still are faced with , via decisions made (imposed), by the supposed ‘Big Daddy of all governments within the UK’ as in the … Continue reading Wales and Scotland – Labour’s double-think

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A Horse-bolted-stable moment from Keir Starmer

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Anonymous We have a Horse-bolted-stable moment from Keir Starmer. Starmer is to repay (a fraction of the) money for the gifts and hospitality he has received but only since becoming the prime minister, following a backlash over donations. (mostly from both the Tory media and also the public). He has also committed to tightening the rules around ministerial hospitality to improve transparency. ( Had these freebies and donations not been highlighted by the media as a scandal then he, Starmer, would not have considered making these so called new ‘rules’ which now will allegedly limit and restrict benefits he once enjoyed as the Labour leader and others too in his party). Apparently … Continue reading A Horse-bolted-stable moment from Keir Starmer

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Strictly Good Morning Scotland

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Anonymous MSM Monitor twitter #X’ account tweeted yesterday: “Domestic issues the Radio Scotland phone-in has covered this week. 1. Minimum unit pricing 2. Strictly Come Dancing 3. Early prisoner release It failed to cover the hike in electricity bills or the Labour donations scandal. Two of the biggest news stories this week. Minimum unit pricing has been the subject of the phone-in at least a dozen times going back years. Strictly Come Dancing was covered on the very day electricity bills went up by 10%. The early prisoner release scheme didn’t result in anything significant, but the subject was chosen the day … Continue reading Strictly Good Morning Scotland

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Early release scheme in Scotland a fantastic success as re-offending rate plummets

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The media is full of headlines like: On in ten prisoners released early back behind bars and Dozens of early release prisoners are back in jail 10% reconviction rate eh? What’s the usual rate? From the Scottish Government in July 2024, the most recent data suggest the reconviction rate is 26.9%, pushing three times higher. Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/reconviction-rates-scotland-2020-21-offender-cohort/pages/4/ Continue reading Early release scheme in Scotland a fantastic success as re-offending rate plummets

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On impact of Westminster on Wales and Scotland, why do views of British Labour Party leaders in Wales differ so greatly from Party bosses in Scotland?

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By stewartb – a long read In December 2023, the British Labour Party’s government for Wales published its ‘Draft Budget 2024-24’. It provides the Party’s explanation for the present state of public services in Wales and the financial constraints on the government in Cardiff in its (less than successful) efforts to date to deliver much needed improvements. (Source: https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2023-12/2024-2025-draft-budget-narrative.pdf ) Candidly, the explanation it provides would be dismissed in a Scotland context by British Labour Party politicians. It’s an explanation that in Scotland would be ignored by BBC Scotland, STV and most of the mainstream news media supposedly ‘serving’ our … Continue reading On impact of Westminster on Wales and Scotland, why do views of British Labour Party leaders in Wales differ so greatly from Party bosses in Scotland?

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Tragedy as UK [sic] infant mortality surges to 14% higher than in Scotland after 17 years of SNP rule

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Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: The Guardian today: The UK [sic] currently ranks 10th out of 38 OECD countries for infant mortality (deaths in children under the age of one), with four deaths recorded per 1,000 live births. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/oct/02/targeted-support-could-reduce-infant-mortality-gap-across-england-study-finds The facts for Scotland: Infant deaths down from 3.9 to 3.5 and neonatal down from 2.8 to 2.2: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/general-publications/vital-events-reference-tables/2022 4% is 14% highwer than 3.5%. Under Scottish Labour until 2007 – 4.7 and 3.3. Causes? SNP policies? More midwifes, more nurses, more home visitors etc. Continue reading Tragedy as UK [sic] infant mortality surges to 14% higher than in Scotland after 17 years of SNP rule