Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
5 Comments

Labour letting the Waspi women die in poverty is just business for my local Labour MP, the BBC and BBC Scotland, as they shield Sarwar

johnrobertson834

My folk and punk songs about the Waspi women above. In the Daily Mail today: Labour deny Waspi women pension payouts amid fury at ‘betrayal’… and it all seems very boring to Chancellor’s yawning righthand man. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15509015/Waspi-women-WONT-pension-payouts-ministers-say-latest-review-confirms-compensation-not-required.html What’s the case? Many WASPI woman are now looking after elderly relatives and grandchildren, in a way far less common among men of comparable age, as well as experiencing worsening health. Research from Age UK, found 26% of single older women live in poverty compared to 21% of single older men.The Mental Health Foundation reported that depression affects around 22% of men and 28% of women … Continue reading Labour letting the Waspi women die in poverty is just business for my local Labour MP, the BBC and BBC Scotland, as they shield Sarwar

5 Comments

As BBC UK revisit Southport crime scene, why there were no riots ‘across the UK’

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser, finishing in 5 days, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS Today, BBC UK headlining and interviewing yoga teacher, Leanne Lucas, who almost died in the Southport attack, state: While Leanne recovered from life-saving surgery, rioting began, first in Southport, … Continue reading As BBC UK revisit Southport crime scene, why there were no riots ‘across the UK’

5 Comments

Rape and other sexual convictions – Scotland leads with 29% and 108% increases in one year despite far fewer incidents

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser, finishing in 5 days, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS The Guardian‘s Lizzie Dearden, today has: UK rape victims are waiting too long for court cases, say top lawyers There’s no mention of the scandal of low conviction rates. … Continue reading Rape and other sexual convictions – Scotland leads with 29% and 108% increases in one year despite far fewer incidents

14 Comments

Climate change targets in the country with 76% of the UK’s new tree planting – ‘Why don’t they do it as well as the Scots?’

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS Severin Carroll in the Guardian today, with a worried John Swinney photo: Scotland is likely to miss its legally binding climate target by up to 20m tonnes, according to official data seen by the Guardian. The Scottish government set itself the world-leading target of reaching net zero – the point where any excess carbon emissions are soaked up by trees, peat or carbon capture – by 2045. Successive first ministers, including Nicola Sturgeon and the current first minister, John Swinney, have described Scotland repeatedly as a world leader on climate and stated their … Continue reading Climate change targets in the country with 76% of the UK’s new tree planting – ‘Why don’t they do it as well as the Scots?’

9 Comments

Second Opinium poll in February puts SNP at twice Labour figure and Reform UK threatening to move into second place

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser, finishing in 5 days, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS From Opinium for 19-21 February 2025, the above figures show the SNP vote could be double that of Labour, the Cons look ‘dead in the water’ and Reform UK … Continue reading Second Opinium poll in February puts SNP at twice Labour figure and Reform UK threatening to move into second place

12 Comments

Scottish Labour Conference 2025 – Jackie Baillie tries to undermine NHS Scotland with a claim of patient death in the corridor that took place in the South of England

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser, finishing in 5 days, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS At the Scottish Labour Conference, two days ago, Jackie Baillie quoted a nurse in the recent RCN report – On the frontline of the UK’s corridor care crisis: This … Continue reading Scottish Labour Conference 2025 – Jackie Baillie tries to undermine NHS Scotland with a claim of patient death in the corridor that took place in the South of England

6 Comments

Why I blocked James Cook – Losing an argument, he suggests that those who criticise him are mentally unstable

johnrobertson834

My post three days ago – BBC Scotland’s James Cook wallows in one town’s drug deaths but does not tell you what is really happening there – the trend is down, the treatment is there and the new powerful drugs are pushed by English gangs – prompted a response from James Cook, BBC Scotland News Editor. Leaving aside his frankly astonishing understanding of what a statistical trend might, he notes correctly that I have blocked him. I did. Here’s why. On 25 August 2018, I wrote to the Head of BBC Scotland, Donalda MacKinnon, to protest the appointment of James … Continue reading Why I blocked James Cook – Losing an argument, he suggests that those who criticise him are mentally unstable

6 Comments

Sarwar will soon face public and political ridicule on his First Minster claim

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser, finishing in 6 days, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Liz S Anas Sarwar announced this week that he sees himself as the next FM in Scotland. I assume this was just yet another “Read my lips” moment, where the actual reality is that this declaration … Continue reading Sarwar will soon face public and political ridicule on his First Minster claim

1 Comment

How the SNP Government tackled a crisis in hospital-acquired infections inherited from Scottish Labour by halving them in 5 years and then reducing them to one tenth

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser, finishing in 6 days, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Anonymous Since the SNP took power they have delivered and maintained a significant reduction in hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).  In 2005-2006, a national survey reported an HAI prevalence of 9.5% in Scotland’s acute hospitals.   By 2011-2012, this had … Continue reading How the SNP Government tackled a crisis in hospital-acquired infections inherited from Scottish Labour by halving them in 5 years and then reducing them to one tenth

1 Comment

Why Scottish police officers have good reason to be annoyed when lumped in with English forces scandals

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS From STV today: Police in Scotland are being placed under “stress”, and public perception of them is changing due to officers in England such as the killer Wayne Couzens, the leader of the Scottish Police Federation has said. David Kennedy said claims by the force’s former chief constable that Police Scotland is institutionally racist and sexist also had a “negative impact” on officers. Mr Kennedy told a fringe event at the Scottish Labour conference that officers had the “relentless task” of dealing with the “constant barrage of issues” stemming from forces south … Continue reading Why Scottish police officers have good reason to be annoyed when lumped in with English forces scandals