Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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So I have a master plan – Instead of the BBC having to have a Verify Unit and BBC Corrections…..how about just employing people who can actually do the job?

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By NMRN Guess what I found in BBC Corrections & Clarifications page.. BBC Scotland Radio and online, 2 & 3 April 2024 “In BBC Scotland’s coverage of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, reference was made in some of our output to the Act making it a criminal offence in Scotland to make “derogatory comments” based on the protected characteristics of age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex. This was inaccurate and we should have referred to the Act creating a new crime where it is an offence if someone communicates material or behaves … Continue reading So I have a master plan – Instead of the BBC having to have a Verify Unit and BBC Corrections…..how about just employing people who can actually do the job?

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Food poverty – Only BBC Scotland reports Leeds University research and then distorts it for your harm

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By Professor John Robertson So, new research out from Leeds University on BBC Reporting Scotland, to tell us First, all about the struggles of the above North Ayrshire mother. Why North Ayrshire? This: According to a new study, North Ayrshire is the area of Scotland where people are most likely to need help to put food on the table. BBC analysis of research from Leeds University and the consumer group Which? looked at 363 councils across the UK, assessing neighbourhoods on measures such as distance to large supermarkets, the number of families on free school meals and households in food … Continue reading Food poverty – Only BBC Scotland reports Leeds University research and then distorts it for your harm

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Increased supply of SNP’s world-leading opioid overdose reversal kits saving lives and reducing hospital admissions

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By Professor John Robertson From Public Health Scotland today: During 2023/24 Quarter 2 (1 July 2023 to 30 September 2023): At the end of 2023/24 Quarter 2, the ‘reach’ of the NNP (percentage of people at risk of opioid overdose who have been supplied with THN) was estimated to be 73.2%, an increase of 1.5 percentage points compared to 2023/24 Quarter 1 (71.7%). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/national-naloxone-programme-scotland-quarterly-monitoring-bulletin/national-naloxone-programme-scotland-quarterly-monitoring-bulletin-july-to-september-q2-202324/ This positive news on the use of the opioid overdose reversal drug Naloxone, a world-first for the Scottish Government, comes on top of previous, uncovered by the media, news on a massive fall in drug-related hospital admissions, … Continue reading Increased supply of SNP’s world-leading opioid overdose reversal kits saving lives and reducing hospital admissions

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New Zealand government has no plans to avert another terrifying incident when ageing ferry drifted towards rocks, endangering the lives of hundreds of passengers

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From Newsroom NZ today: In the 16 years since it was bought by the government for $690 million, KiwiRail has had several overhauls and turnaround plans worth billions of dollars. Its ambitions as a successful, profitable operator of tourism, freight and ferries have often been derailed by disasters from earthquakes to cyclones, mine explosions and the collapse of key industries like coal mining. Add to that the Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ bombshell decision not to pump another billion dollars into the Interislander mega ferries, sinking the project and leaving a question mark over KiwiRail’s future as a shipping operator. “I … Continue reading New Zealand government has no plans to avert another terrifying incident when ageing ferry drifted towards rocks, endangering the lives of hundreds of passengers

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SNP MP and former senior police officer accuses successive UK governments of corruption, collusion and the protection of terrorists

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By Professor John Robertson This fascinating but deeply disturbing story, in the form of draft speech, of what many of us suspect is only typical of the historical behaviour of the UK establishment and still present today in the chilling image of Sir Keir Starmer, was passed to me by Allan Dorans, a former Detective Inspector in the Metropolitan Police and now the Member of Parliament for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, with permission to publish and to share it widely. I hope that you too will share it even more widely. Good morning former colleagues and friends. It is wonderful … Continue reading SNP MP and former senior police officer accuses successive UK governments of corruption, collusion and the protection of terrorists

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Scottish recycling rate reaches all time high

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By Professor John Robertson Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. From SEPA on 26 March 2024: Scottish recycling rate reaches all time high as Scottish households, businesses and public services recycle 62.3% of all waste in the latest data (2022) from Scotland’s environmental watchdog, SEPA.  The recycling rate increased 5.3% from the 57.0% rate in 2021 – reflecting economic recovery from the pandemic and an increase in the proportion of construction and demolition material recycled.  Scotland continues to reduce its reliance on landfill – with only 23.2% of all wastes ending up in landfill – an all-time low.  … Continue reading Scottish recycling rate reaches all time high

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Hiding the SNP Government’s massive funding of projects in Tory areas

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stewartb The Scotland section of the BBC News website has from time to time provided ‘good news’ stories about local initiatives in rural Scotland. You know the kind of projects – the ones that have received Levelling Up funding from the Westminster government.  As an example, back in 25 October 2023, the BBC News website made much of a local project under the headline ‘Proposals for new Moray bridge take a step forward’. This was about repairing the Cloddach Bridge in the constituency of Douglas Ross MP/MSP. The BBC told us : ‘Mr Ross said in March he had directly … Continue reading Hiding the SNP Government’s massive funding of projects in Tory areas

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Tory Minister ‘wades into’ private ferry operator betraying Scilly islanders

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By stewartb In a BBC News article dated 8 January 2024 entitled ‘Grant Shapps wades into Isles of Scilly ferry row’, in the context of the lengthy ongoing saga regarding the replacement of the ageing ferry to the Isles of Scilly, we learn this from islands’ Councillor Steve Sims: “People are quite worried, because you know, it’s quite a visceral thing this. “People would like to know what’s happening and when it’s going to happen, so they can put their minds at rest really.” He said this was a “huge, huge issue” for the Isles of Scilly.’ The incumbent service … Continue reading Tory Minister ‘wades into’ private ferry operator betraying Scilly islanders

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Crime victims in England and Wales ONLY paying thousands for court transcripts

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By Professor John Robertson The headline is correct but the report is missing something. This, from the Scottish Government in February 2024: Victims in rape and serious sexual assault cases in Scotland will be the first in the UK to have access to transcripts from their court cases free of charge. The year-long pilot, commencing this week (01/03), will see complainers whose cases are heard in the High Court be eligible to apply for transcripts of what was said in court. Justice Secretary Angela Constance said:   “We want to support victims and ensure we have a trauma-informed justice system. … Continue reading Crime victims in England and Wales ONLY paying thousands for court transcripts

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STV allow Sarwar to misuse basic statistics to lie about the best dentistry in Britain AND ignore Christmas!

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By Professor John Robertson Given a free campaign platform with no professional journalism in sight, Anas Sarwar is allowed by STV to claim Scotland faces a two-tier dentistry system, because: It comes after figures at the end of last year showed a drop in the number of people being seen by NHS dentists. Data from Public Health Scotland revealed that in December 2023 there were 245,501 patients who were seen or had contact with an NHS dentist, down from 396,084 the previous month. The number of dental treatments carried out on the NHS fell from 733,596 to 542,897 in the … Continue reading STV allow Sarwar to misuse basic statistics to lie about the best dentistry in Britain AND ignore Christmas!