Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Biased sampling means YouGov have had 8 No leads since their last Yes lead in early December 2022

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Back in November 2022 and early December, YouGov had two Yes leads of 1% and 5% while Ipsos reported 11%. Before that, their previous Yes lead was in Early November 2020, after another long run of NO leads, at just 1%, between Panelbase and Ipsos Yes leads of 11% and 13% respectively. They had another Yes lead of 5% in August 2020 and a 1% Yes lead in January 2020, before an extended run of No leads all the way back to late November 2014 when they had 2. In all those years and dozens of polls, Ipsos found several … Continue reading Biased sampling means YouGov have had 8 No leads since their last Yes lead in early December 2022

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National Parks England & Wales on Raptor protection – ‘The Westminster and Welsh Governments should follow Scotland’s lead’

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By Professor John Robertson Big in the Guardian today, completely ignored in other MSM, the above from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/09/national-parks-in-england-and-wales-failing-on-biodiversity-say-campaigners has nothing to say about Scotland. Why should it? This on page 77: In response to ongoing raptor persecution, the Scottish Government introduced vicarious liability offences in District National Park. The birdwatcher had spotted a short-eared owl and watched it through his scope as it gracefully quartered the moor. Suddenly, the bird’s body was lost in a cloud of feathers as a shot rang out across the moors. The eyewitness managed to record footage of the suspect and reported the incident to … Continue reading National Parks England & Wales on Raptor protection – ‘The Westminster and Welsh Governments should follow Scotland’s lead’

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£1.4 million of public funds and 32 000 staff hours used to meet Freedom of Information requests such as those by BBC Scotland, Labour, Cons and Lib Dems trawling for SNP-bad news

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By Professor John Robertson From a Freedom of Information request published today by the Scottish Government, we can see a major, 42%, surge in the number of such requests responded to: 2020 – 31212021 – 41602022 – 41312023 – 4454 How much do these cost on average? From University College, London, in 2010: I’m not clear, nor are the authors, as to why the estimates vary so dramatically, especially when the average cost in time is estimated at 7hrs 22min, but let’s accept the Scottish figure. Adjusted for inflation, the Scottish figure for 2023 is £328.86. So, in 2023, £1.4 … Continue reading £1.4 million of public funds and 32 000 staff hours used to meet Freedom of Information requests such as those by BBC Scotland, Labour, Cons and Lib Dems trawling for SNP-bad news

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Deaths on A9 plummet to disappoint Murdo Fraser and Scotland’s roads revealed to be safest in UK

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By Professor John Robertson In December 2023, Douglas Ross accused the SNP of showing contempt for communities ‘reliant on the A9.’ Conservative Home wrote: In a recent debate at Holyrood on the £3 billion dualling programme, Murdo expressed frustration that, with the exception of Fergus Ewing, there were no SNP MSPs from the areas that are impacted who voted to treat the long-delayed dualling project as an urgent priority.’ A recent Freedom of Information request, probably by the Scottish Conservatives, seeking details of the number of deaths on the A9 in 2023 will have sorely disappointed them and is notably … Continue reading Deaths on A9 plummet to disappoint Murdo Fraser and Scotland’s roads revealed to be safest in UK

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Why is Scotland’s cancer rate significantly higher than that in England – nuclear waste, nuclear power and nuclear weapons placed as far from London as possible?

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By Professor John Robertson In Scotland: In 2021, the rate, or risk, of new cancers also increased to 644 per 100,000 [around 700 for men and 600 for women (an increase of 3.1% compared with 2019). In England, in 2020, the rate for men was 590 and for women, 487. These are significant differences. There are several explanatory factors including smoking (England lowest 13%, Scotland next at 13.9%, N Ireland at 14% and Wales at 14.1%) and better NHS detection services but you have to wonder about the Sellafield reprocessing plant, the most toxic nuclear plant in Europe, seeping pollutants … Continue reading Why is Scotland’s cancer rate significantly higher than that in England – nuclear waste, nuclear power and nuclear weapons placed as far from London as possible?

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CalMac ferries are youngest in major survey!

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linked to the aging vessels it currently it currently has to use. By Professor John Robertson BBC Scotland today, opening with the ferries construction being ‘delayed and over budget‘, a ‘running sore‘, then ‘delayed and over budget‘ again, all in less than 60 seconds, in case you didn’t get that, before repeating the idea that the fleet is ‘aging.’ Well, we’re all aging, but CalMac ferries are, objectively, younger than average, for a ferry fleet. From a September 2022, Ernst and Young LLP survey for the Scottish Government’s Transport Scotland department, CalMac ferries are, on average, newer (22) than those … Continue reading CalMac ferries are youngest in major survey!

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“Scotland has proudly led the way in many areas concerning women’s rights and violence against women”

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with West Yorkshire Police have been killed in domestic abuse incidents since 2018. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001y5k7/newsnight-police-unprotection By stewartb In the light of the above BBC Newsnight report of failures by two English police forces, to protect women, from ‘Misogyny – A Human Rights Issue’ (8 March 2022), the independent report from the Scottish Government’s Working Group on Misogyny and Criminal Justice led by Dame Helena Kennedy (https://www.gov.scot/publications/misogyny-human-rights-issue/ ) Helena Kennedy writes: “Scotland has proudly led the way in many areas concerning women’s rights and violence against women; the zero tolerance campaign on domestic abuse, for example, was initiated here. Scotland was at the … Continue reading “Scotland has proudly led the way in many areas concerning women’s rights and violence against women”

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Another step toward life ‘in the early days of a better nation’ – Human rights centred benefits approach for disabled children in Scotland that BBC Scotland is predicted to ignore

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By Professor John Robertson I’ve written many times now how the SNP in government, hamstrung by the limits of the devolution settlement, is working hard toward Alasdair Gray’s famous line – “Work as if you live in the early days of a better nation.” We see it clearly, as long as we don’t rely on Scotland’s self-hating media, in the compensation for the bedroom tax and two child benefit cap, in the free prescriptions, the bus passes for youngsters to get them to college or apprenticeships, the progressive taxation and the world-leading child benefit which even the IFS had to … Continue reading Another step toward life ‘in the early days of a better nation’ – Human rights centred benefits approach for disabled children in Scotland that BBC Scotland is predicted to ignore

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Elderly and frail TWICE as likely to wait more than 24 hours in A&E in England than in Scotland

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No pictures of old folk required here By Professor John Robertson From the Guardian today: More than 150,000 patients had to wait a day in A&E before getting a hospital bed last year, according to new data. Freedom of information data compiled by the Liberal Democrats from 73 hospital trusts – about half the total – found that the number of patients forced to wait more than 24 hours in A&E before a bed could be found for them has increased by tenfold since 2019. The majority of those forced to wait were elderly or frail, with two-thirds of the … Continue reading Elderly and frail TWICE as likely to wait more than 24 hours in A&E in England than in Scotland

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Elderly Canadian ferries major maintenance woes and climate change failures after severe government cuts to funding

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By Professor John Robertson After years of crew shortages and breakdowns in elderly ferries (average age 37 compared to 24 in Scotland) BC Ferries customers faced new disappointments at the end of 2023. From CTV News in August 2023: BC Ferries says it will be more than a month before its Coastal Renaissance ferry returns to service. The vessel has been docked for days now, after an issue with its motor took it out of service on Aug. 17. In an update Tuesday, the provincial ferry provider said the Coastal Renaissance will not be back in service until October. and … Continue reading Elderly Canadian ferries major maintenance woes and climate change failures after severe government cuts to funding