Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Scotland – 8% of the population but 48% of the UK’s wind energy and a massive transfer of 6.1 TWh electricity

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From the Guardian today: UK electricity cleanest ever in 2024, with record 58% from low-carbon sources – UK has more than halved amount of electricity generated from fossil fuels but gas still had largest share at 28% https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/02/uk-electricity-cleanest-ever-in-2024-with-record-58-from-low-carbon-sources There’s no mention of Scotland’s contribution to this: Scotland powers nearly half of UK’s wind energy milestone. Scotland’s wind farms are generating 48% of the UK’s 30GW wind power capacity, with new projects pushing this total higher. https://www.energylivenews.com/2024/08/30/scotland-powers-nearly-half-of-uks-wind-energy-milestone/ Net electricity transfers from Scotland to England [in 2023] increased 15 per cent to 6.0 TWh year-on-year, with transfers from Scotland to England increasing … Continue reading Scotland – 8% of the population but 48% of the UK’s wind energy and a massive transfer of 6.1 TWh electricity

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How to spot spin and inappropriate use of statistics….from Jackie Baillie in the Daily Record

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By stewartb So £4.3 million spent over 5 years in Scotland’s hospitals – or an average of £860,000 per annum. Is that a big number of not? I can’t tell from the Daily Record article! I do note the article gives examples of ‘pests’ present in places like a ‘nurse’s bedroom’, a ‘doctor’s house’ and a ‘dental unit’ as well as hospitals, so the cost must be spread over a very numerous and diverse range of NHS Scotland premises! How much of that sum has been spent on preventative inspection and control measures – sensible and a necessity – as … Continue reading How to spot spin and inappropriate use of statistics….from Jackie Baillie in the Daily Record

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Dismissals increase as Police Scotland deal with abuse in the wake of Everard case in England but overall resignations fall in best paid force with falling crime levels

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From a Police Scotland Freedom of Information response on 17 December 2024, we see a steady increase in the force’s readiness to dismiss officers who have abused their position, from only 1 in 2019, to 7, 8 and 11 in the last three years. This follows Police Scotland action in2021: A new verification check for lone police officers in Scotland has been introduced in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard. Police Scotland said it wanted to reassure the public after she was abducted and killed by Metropolitan police officer Wayne Couzens. Couzens, 48, used his warrant card to … Continue reading Dismissals increase as Police Scotland deal with abuse in the wake of Everard case in England but overall resignations fall in best paid force with falling crime levels

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Disappointment for journalists as Scottish hospitals report the same level of rats, mice and cockroaches as English hospitals

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The Scottish media today are full of tales of rats, maggots and mice in hospitals, with £4.3m spent on pest control, by NHS Scotland over the last 5 years, on pest control . I can find no NHS England total but judging by a Guardian report in April 2023, based on a Lib Dem Freedom of Information request, each of England’s 142 trusts spent between £120 000 and £380 000 over the last 3 years. So, a conservative figure of £200 000 per trust, on average, over the last 3 years, £300 000 over the last 5? A total of … Continue reading Disappointment for journalists as Scottish hospitals report the same level of rats, mice and cockroaches as English hospitals

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Are Scottish doctors still likely to be less stressed than others in the UK? This survey will not tell us

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By Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian yesterday: Seven in 10 GPs suffer from compassion fatigue and struggle to empathise with patients because they are worn out from caring for them, a survey has found. Family doctors say they are so emotionally and physically exhausted from hearing about patients’ problems and circumstances that it is compromising the quality of care they provide. A poll of 1,855 doctors across the UK found that 71% of GPs and 62% of medics overall have experienced compassion fatigue, which undermines the doctor-patient relationship. “Compassion fatigue is effectively a hidden, secondary trauma with symptoms that can ultimately make it … Continue reading Are Scottish doctors still likely to be less stressed than others in the UK? This survey will not tell us

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Alex Cole-Hamilton lies about baby drug addiction rates to conceal falling numbers

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The leader of Scotland’s fifth biggest party is everywhere in the media today with his latest freedom of information scoop – babies born addicted to drugs. He tries to shock with More than 1,500 babies in Scotland born dependent on drugs since 2017 but does not reveal the annual data, to hide a reducing trend. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/over-1500-babies-scotland-born-34398819 How do I know it’s a reducing trend? His report in 2022, in the Express showed a total in the 4 years from 2017/18 to 2020/2021 of 800, falling from 249 to 173. https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/hundreds-babies-born-addicted-drugs-25865690 Take that 800 from his 8 year total of 1 501 … Continue reading Alex Cole-Hamilton lies about baby drug addiction rates to conceal falling numbers

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All you can do is keep talking, keep posting, keep sharing and, like water on stone, we will wear down the support for the Union

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The polls are clear, regardless of supposed SNP scandals, the people of Scotland are moving steadily to a peaceful democratic event – independence. I know it can be really demoralising at times, but it will come, one day. The young are already in position and once they turn out, they will push us over the line. Naturally we all want it yesterday. Many of us want it dearly before it is too late for us but there is no short cut. When we are ready, we’ll be ready. Amnesty International have for decades accepted the wisdom of Lao Tzu and … Continue reading All you can do is keep talking, keep posting, keep sharing and, like water on stone, we will wear down the support for the Union

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Factcheck – 90% satisfied with SNP nationalised sleeper train service, complaints and cancellations plummet but media pochle the figures and turn the news on its head to keep you down

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Only after 13 paragraphs in the Telegraph report, headed Caledonian Sleeper receives nearly 1,000 complaints since SNP took over, and with 5 full paragraphs of a Scottish Conservatives tirade, the facts, missed by 90% of readers: But Transport Scotland, the SNP Government’s transport agency, said: “The latest ORR passenger satisfaction results show that almost 90 per cent of Caledonian Sleeper guests were satisfied with their overall experience, with complaints (934) representing just 0.2 per cent of the almost 400,000 journeys made since the Caledonian Sleeper came into public sector control. “Indeed, the latest ORR figures also show that complaints were … Continue reading Factcheck – 90% satisfied with SNP nationalised sleeper train service, complaints and cancellations plummet but media pochle the figures and turn the news on its head to keep you down

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FACTCHECK – The MV Glenn Sannox HAS a smaller carbon footprint than the old ferry taking 41% more cars for only 34% more emissions* on the second greenest form of transport in the world

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PA MEDIA By Johann Von Robberstein, TuS International Transport Correspondent, O-Grade Mathematics, Grangemouth High School, 1967. Many thanks to JB for alerting me to this. Only yesterday, BBC Scotland were so delighted to tell us: The carbon footprint of a long-delayed new “green” ferry will be far larger than the 31-year-old diesel ship that usually serves the route between the Scottish mainland and the island of Arran. An emissions analysis by CalMac has calculated MV Glen Sannox will emit 10,391 equivalent tonnes of CO2 a year compared with 7,732 for MV Caledonian Isles. *Even if we accept the above figures, … Continue reading FACTCHECK – The MV Glenn Sannox HAS a smaller carbon footprint than the old ferry taking 41% more cars for only 34% more emissions* on the second greenest form of transport in the world

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In Scotland no actual ambulance crisis as in Wales but still even the possibility of delays has the BBC inviting Scottish Cons and Labour round to finish 2024 off with one more SNP-bad session

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By Professor John Robertson OBA You have to laugh as BBC Wales use the image on the left above for Ambulance chief says ‘drink sensibly’ over New Year after critical incident but BBC Scotland can only find the one parked outside a corner shop in Forfar as the paramedics nip in for bridies, for Ambulance crews put on highest level of emergency. BBC Wales have this staggering report: Welsh ambulance service chiefs have urged the public to “drink sensibly” at New Year to help reduce demand on emergency services that suffered a 340-call backlog on Monday. Jason Killens, chief executive of Welsh … Continue reading In Scotland no actual ambulance crisis as in Wales but still even the possibility of delays has the BBC inviting Scottish Cons and Labour round to finish 2024 off with one more SNP-bad session