Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Drifts nearly onto the rocks, hits the harbour wall and now runs aground – New Zealand’s real ferry crisis

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By our International Ferry Correspondent In January 2023: Stricken Cook Strait ferry the Kaitaki drifted more than a nautical mile towards the rugged Wellington south coast in winds gusting over 100kph, it’s been revealed. The harbour ships that raced to her aid also likely lacked the grunt to pull her and 800 passengers to safety. Wellington Harbourmaster Grant Nalder on Sunday praised the professionalism of the crew and captain, who battled challenging conditions to drop two anchors and halt the powerless ship’s drift 0.9 nautical miles from shore and 0.6 nautical miles (1.1km) from hitting the sea floor. In November … Continue reading Drifts nearly onto the rocks, hits the harbour wall and now runs aground – New Zealand’s real ferry crisis

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Police Scotland Alerts – Why is BBC Scotland not looking as Scotland’s drug deaths are fuelled by English gangs

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By Professor John Robertson From Police Scotland yesterday: Three people have been arrested in connection with drug offences in Aberdeen. Following a County Lines intelligence led operation, officers executed warrants at addresses on Esslemont Avenue and Granton Place, Aberdeen on Wednesday, 19 June, 2024. Class A drugs with an estimated value of £35,000 and a four-figure sum of cash were recovered. A 23-year-woman and a two men, aged 30 and 31, all from the London area were arrested and charged in connection with the recovery.  They are due to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Thursday, 20 June, 2024.  A … Continue reading Police Scotland Alerts – Why is BBC Scotland not looking as Scotland’s drug deaths are fuelled by English gangs

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London-based County Lines drug gang exploits child in Aberdeenshire but BBC Scotland look away again as election looms

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By Professor John Robertson Yesterday, STV had this headline and sub: Man, 21, charged in connection with drugs offences and child exploitation – The 21-year-old man is due to appear at Peterhead Sheriff Court on Monday, June 24. They do mention London and County Lines in the text but keep this matter, which clearly harms the Better Together story, from too much attention. I doubt the story has made a TV broadcast. Correct me if you can. BBC Scotland? It is now more than 3 years since BBC Scotland mentioned County Lines gangs, for the only time, in a post. … Continue reading London-based County Lines drug gang exploits child in Aberdeenshire but BBC Scotland look away again as election looms

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Holding government to account depends on the “attitude” of the ruling party in what is “one of the most executive-dominated parliaments in the world”

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(Director, Institute for Government, 18 June 2024) – Scotland’s 21st century democracy, UK-style! By stewartb A comment piece by the Director of the Institute for Government (IfG) – the London-based, centrist think tank close to the Westminster and Whitehall establishment – got me thinking about the democracy and associated agency we in Scotland experience within the Union. We are only too well aware that Scotland’s electorate is in a small minority in this Union; that Scotland now has a diminished number of elected members in the Union parliament; that we have a modern history of prolonged periods of rule by … Continue reading Holding government to account depends on the “attitude” of the ruling party in what is “one of the most executive-dominated parliaments in the world”

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Homeownership rates among younger people in Scotland far higher than for UK

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 Institute for Fiscal Studies (June 2024) By stewartb On 20 June 2024 the Scottish Government announced the following: ‘Help for first-time buyers across the country on low to medium incomes’. This is described on the Scottish Government website: ’A scheme to help first time buyers and certain priority groups step on to the property ladder has reopened for applications. The Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) scheme is available across Scotland to first-time buyers on low or medium incomes who cannot afford the full price of a home. (my emphasis) ‘Successful applicants will be able to buy a home without having … Continue reading Homeownership rates among younger people in Scotland far higher than for UK

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Answering Fiona Bruce’s dishonest selective long waiting list question AGAIN when NHS Scotland treats more than 14 times as many of those at risk of imminent death, per head of population, within 18 weeks!

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By Professor John Robertson Fiona Bruce tonight, asked the same question she had asked Kate Forbes last week: Why is it in Scotland there are 7 000 people who’ve waited more than two years for treatment. In England it’s just over 200. To my amazement, Forbes was not ready for it and neither was Swinney tonight. Here it is again. The UK Government and NHS England have been sneaky again, as they did when they began restarting the clock for A&E patients, after they had been triaged. They knew how the media feasted on stories of patients waiting more than two years … Continue reading Answering Fiona Bruce’s dishonest selective long waiting list question AGAIN when NHS Scotland treats more than 14 times as many of those at risk of imminent death, per head of population, within 18 weeks!

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Nearly a quarter of a million in NHS England’s A&E departments would have been seen within 4 hours had they lived in a country run by the SNP

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By Professor John Robertson From NHS England, for May 2024, only 59.7% were seen within 4 hours in Type 1 A&E departments, down from 60.4% for April. From Public Health Scotland, for May 2024, 67.6% were seen within 4 hours in Type 1 A&E departments, up from 64% for April. 67.6% is 13.2% better than 59.7%. 13.2% of England’s 1 787 107 A&E attendances in May 2024 is 235 898 who might have been seen in 4 hours had they lived in a country run by the SNP Sources: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/our-areas-of-work/acute-and-emergency-services/urgent-and-unscheduled-care/accident-and-emergency/#section-3-2 Continue reading Nearly a quarter of a million in NHS England’s A&E departments would have been seen within 4 hours had they lived in a country run by the SNP

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Scotland leads UK to decarbonise much faster than EU average

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By Professor John Robertson Using comparable metrics, we can see Scotland has made the largest emissions reduction in the UK between the 1990 baseline and 2022, reducing by 50.1 per cent, while emissions in England fell by 49 per cent; followed by Wales at 36.5 and Northern Ireland at 25.9 per cent.   Scotland has also decarbonised much faster than the EU27 average using comparable EU statistics.    https://www.gov.scot/publications/greenhouse-gas-emissions-statistics-2022-ministerial-statement/ Continue reading Scotland leads UK to decarbonise much faster than EU average

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Perhaps we’ll see NHS England under a Labour health secretary introduce the ‘breach exemption’?

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By stewartb There is another clever wheeze available to Mr Streeting [to cut A&E waits] it seems, one tried and tested by Labour in Wales. Perhaps he intends NHS England’s A&E waiting times performance reporting to adopt the practice the Labour government in Cardiff has been using to massage the A&E waits performance in Wales. Perhaps we’ll see NHS England under a Labour health secretary introduce the ‘breach exemption’? From the BBC News website’s Wales section (16 October, 2023): ‘NHS Wales: Thousands of hours missing from A&E figures – doctors’. In this we learn of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s (RCEM) … Continue reading Perhaps we’ll see NHS England under a Labour health secretary introduce the ‘breach exemption’?

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Independence – When will we reach our tipping point? 

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By Brenda Robb Following the launch of the SNPs manifesto many folk have taken to Twitter and newspaper comments to bemoan the SNPs ability to make progress on securing independence. Every armchair expert claims to know what they should have done with solutions ranging from challenging obscure constitutional treaties, declaring UDI or just somehow sorting it. In some ways the Westminster refrain of “Now is not the time” was highly successful as it has allowed time, frustration and division to take their toll on the independence movement.  This is not new. A quick internet trawl gave the following timelines for … Continue reading Independence – When will we reach our tipping point?