Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Labour’s wild one-year promise of 95% seen in 4 hours in an A&E system currently at only 59.7% can only be achieved by cheating and they’ve proved they are good at that, more than once before

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By Professor John Robertson Wes Streeting, Shadowy Health Secretary has just committed to the astonishing pledge that NHS England’s A&E departments, currently seeing less than 60% within 4 hours, will within one-year, be seeing 95%. It’s such a wild contrast with everything else Labour is saying, making no promises, that he’s either lost the plot or has a sneaky New Labour plan in mind. He’ll tell them to cheat. They’ve done it before. In October 2023: NHS bosses are using misleading figures to hide dangerously poor performance by A&E units in England against the four-hour treatment target, emergency department doctors claim. Some … Continue reading Labour’s wild one-year promise of 95% seen in 4 hours in an A&E system currently at only 59.7% can only be achieved by cheating and they’ve proved they are good at that, more than once before

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As the Herald compares us stupidly with independent never-conquered Sweden, the facts on Scotland’s cancer treatment times far and away the best in the UK

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For full text with sources – https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=cancer For full text with sources – https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=cancer By Professor John Robertson Continue reading As the Herald compares us stupidly with independent never-conquered Sweden, the facts on Scotland’s cancer treatment times far and away the best in the UK

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As England-only research is presented as evidence of a child-obesity crisis ‘across the UK’, how the Scottish Government has been turning the tide

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By Professor John Robertson As the Guardian headlines UK children shorter, fatter and sicker amid poor diet and poverty, report finds based on a Food Foundation report explicitly titled A NEGLECTED GENERATION: Reversing the decline in children’s health in England, I’ve struggled to access the full data or to directly comparable Scottish data from the same period. However in December 2022, only 18 months ago, I had: Dramatic fall in number of children at risk of obesity In just one year after the effects of the pandemic in increasing the risk, NHS Scotland and Government programmes, schools and children themselves … Continue reading As England-only research is presented as evidence of a child-obesity crisis ‘across the UK’, how the Scottish Government has been turning the tide

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Now that was all ‘maximising’ influence and benefit for Scotland’s businesses!

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By stewartb Prominent on Labour in Scotland’s website right now is this: ‘What will Labour do for Scotland? – Our 6 first steps to change Scotland‘. This is Labour’s step number six! Perhaps a moments thought as to relevant context and perspective by Labour’s leadership in Scotland might have been helpful before issuing this kind of substance-free stuff. It’s possible of course that this ‘maximising’ pledge has been dreamt up to give an incoming Labour Secretary of State for Scotland (Ian Murray?) cover for a ‘pretendy’ purpose! This pledge to Scotland on ‘maximising influence’ on trade ironically is from the same … Continue reading Now that was all ‘maximising’ influence and benefit for Scotland’s businesses!

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Making sure Labour get full credit for the PFI disaster costing Scots £30 billion

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By Professor John Robertson Deep into today’s BBC Northamptonshire, not BBC Scotland, of course, we read The NHS is currently grappling with the detrimental effects of inefficient Public-Private Partnerships (PFI) introduced by New Labour, which are siphoning off essential funds from patient care. How much? From SNP Media, in March 2023: From SNP Media today: The price of the biggest scandal of the Devolution era – Scottish Labour’s PFI catastrophe – continues to increase after it was revealed the cost to the public purse ballooned by an extra £1million every week in just the last year alone. In response to … Continue reading Making sure Labour get full credit for the PFI disaster costing Scots £30 billion

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Schools – IFS has already exposed Labour’s meanness and SNP record in funding 18% above the rest of the UK

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Labour must hate the IFS. In the last few day’s they’ve pinned £18bn of cuts on them. A year ago……see below. The Scottish Government spends £4.2 billion on education and skills. Anas Sarwar has promised another £150 million or only 3.5% more but it is already 18% higher than in the rest of the UK. From the IFS last year: In the most recent year (2022–23), school spending per pupil in Scotland was over £8,500. This is over 18% or £1,300 higher than the level seen in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, all around £7,200 per pupil. School spending per … Continue reading Schools – IFS has already exposed Labour’s meanness and SNP record in funding 18% above the rest of the UK

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Massive 36% leap in Salmon exports, 51% more to EU – which party wants to re-join?

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From the Insider today: New HM Revenue and Customs data analysed by trade body Salmon Scotland showed that in the first four months of 2024 alone, the value of exports soared by £65m to £250m – a 36% increase on the same period last year. This was accompanied by a 35% increase in the volume of fish transported. On a rolling annual basis, exports of the fish stand are up 11% increase on last year’s total of £581m, marking the highest sales value since 2019. The EU continues to be the key destination for exports, accounting for £153m worth of … Continue reading Massive 36% leap in Salmon exports, 51% more to EU – which party wants to re-join?

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Ayrshire Labour candidates have nothing to say as real expert asks why they are – ‘happy to put a cap on child benefits but not on the super profits of bankers’

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Watch the above from a professor of economics and, If you meet any Labour candidates or campaigners, ask them a few of his questions and watch them splutter. Here are two candidates you might look out for, though I note they can afford to use the Post Office for their leafleting. The above two Labour candidates in Ayrshire constituencies have thousands of children in poverty in their constituencies, after 14 years of austerity. What do they think Sir Keir Starmer will let them do about it? Continue reading Ayrshire Labour candidates have nothing to say as real expert asks why they are – ‘happy to put a cap on child benefits but not on the super profits of bankers’

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Herald cartunionist excludes the SNP to other his own folk

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The above in the Herald today with no place for Scotland’s biggest party, SNP, in the above General Election. The SNP and the million plus who vote for it, have just been ‘othered’ Othering is a social phenomenon that arises from our human tendency to categorize and differentiate. It is deeply rooted in social and cultural dynamics, shaping how we perceive and treat each other. Sometimes, it can have more disturbing consequences, leading to discrimination and dehumanization. https://www.developdiverse.com/deib_dictionary/othering/#:~:text=Othering%20is%20a%20social%20phenomenon,leading%20to%20discrimination%20and%20dehumanization. Why did Camley do this? Who knows? Maybe not even him? He has previous: The Herald’s Steven Camley’s interpretation of the SNP leader’s … Continue reading Herald cartunionist excludes the SNP to other his own folk

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Cancer therapy waiting lists far shorter in Scotland – more than twice as long in Labour-run Wales

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By Professor John Robertson From BBC Health in November 2022, a comparison of the performance in the 62-day waiting time target for cancer therapy, for the 4 nations. First NHS Scotland after 17 years of SNP-rule: The worst is 27% waiting longer than the target. The average is 21%. Then, NHS Wales after 27 years of Labour-rule. Every single area is worse than the worst in Scotland. The average is 43% more than twice as many. Northern Ireland? Appalling, and the average at 58% is nearly three times as many. England? If we can trust the folk managing the trusts … Continue reading Cancer therapy waiting lists far shorter in Scotland – more than twice as long in Labour-run Wales