Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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You’re almost TWICE as likely to be on a waiting list for cardiac care in England than you are in Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson From the Guardian today, we see that 408 548 are waiting for cardiac care in England. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/11/number-waiting-for-nhs-care-for-serious-heart-problems-in-england-rises-fivefold You know the drill. With one-tenth of the population, all things being as equally bad as our media would hope, Scotland might expect to have around 40 000 on the waiting list for cardiac care but according to the Herald on 6 February 2024, it’s 23 000, just over half. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24091977.cardiology-waiting-lists-at-highest-level-record Is it just this or is there a wider picture of NHS Scotland waiting lists being shorter after 16 years of the SNP in Government? Search: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=wait to … Continue reading You’re almost TWICE as likely to be on a waiting list for cardiac care in England than you are in Scotland

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11 year-old arithmetic pupils scoff as Scottish Labour promise ‘piddling’ 0.68% extra for NHS

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By Professor John Robertson and Mr Robertson Primary 7 class teacher, Bainsford Primary School, Falkirk (1984). Headlining in the Herald this morning, Scottish Labour’s promise of an extra £134 million for NHS Scotland. Me, 40 years ago: Now, Primary 7, £134 MILLION!!! Sounds great, or does it? Victoria: It might not be Mr Robertson! Me: Why Victoria? Victoria: We’d need to know what percentage that is of the total budget! Me: Exactly! Fast forward to another Primary 7 in 2024 – What is the NHS Scotland budget for this coming year. On your phones, go! Bobbie: £19.5 BILLION! Up 3.4% … Continue reading 11 year-old arithmetic pupils scoff as Scottish Labour promise ‘piddling’ 0.68% extra for NHS

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Police Scotland recruitment teams are experiencing a drop in candidate standard

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By stewartb On recruitment, Police Scotland submitted a paper to the Scottish Police Authority dated 24 February 2024: ‘Recruitment and Protected Characteristic Impact Report’ (https://www.spa.police.uk/spa-media/pn0n522u/item-6-1-recruitment-and-protected-characteristic-impact-report.pdf ) It summarises police officer intakes across the period 2021/22 and 2022/23 up to 18 September: between intake dates of 18 June 2021 to 18 September 2023 there were a total of 1,924 new officer recruits. Police Scotland uses three metrics to monitor its recruitment ‘pipeline’: On application levels, between the year 2019/20 and 3 October 2023, monthly average recruitment rates each year have ranged from a high of 468 per month in 2020/21 (with no … Continue reading Police Scotland recruitment teams are experiencing a drop in candidate standard

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Prime Minister Sunak defends wrong NHS record

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By stewartb From the BBC News website today (11 April): ‘PM defends NHS record as targets missed in England’. Today’s release of waiting times performance data for NHS England merited a high profile on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning. So what have we learned? In this online BBC article we’re told: ‘The NHS recovery plan set a target for the end of March for 76% of patients attending A&E to be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.’ (The target used to be 95%.) And then this: ‘.. some 74.2% of patients were seen within four hours in A&Es … Continue reading Prime Minister Sunak defends wrong NHS record

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New Zealand’s ferry fiasco as Finance Minister pays advisors $2 000 a day for two months so far

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From the New Zealand Herald today: Finance Minister Nicola Willis has defended wanting independent advice on the future of Cook Strait ferries from experts charging $2000 a day, “given KiwiRail got us into this mess”. The Herald has revealed members of the ferry ministerial advisory group have been paid more than $80,000 between them since being appointed just two months ago. The group was announced after the Government refused to give KiwiRail more money for its mega ferry project – leaving the plan to replace the ageing Interislander fleet dead in the water. Overall costs, including new terminals and wharf upgrades, had ballooned to almost $3 billion. KiwiRail is now negotiating … Continue reading New Zealand’s ferry fiasco as Finance Minister pays advisors $2 000 a day for two months so far

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Crime and police staffing in Scotland – Factcheck finds more officers than under Labour and only half the crime!

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are making them feel vulnerable and sometimes unsafe. The Inspectorate of Constabulary says resources are a major concern, as well as the state of police buildings and disruption to days off. From Reporting Scotland this morning, the above. Note the word ‘feel‘ twice. We then hear from the Chief Inspector of Constabulary: It is glowing white hot. It is massive in the growth of demand and it’s more than I’ve ever seen. Resourcing is a challenge. You’re reducing the officer numbers. You’re reducing the amount of people available to work on a shift. It will cause problems because it will … Continue reading Crime and police staffing in Scotland – Factcheck finds more officers than under Labour and only half the crime!

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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