Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Question Time lies don’t hold water…..Scotland does not have the same water pollution issues as England factchecked by AI

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By Professor John Robertson: Not for the first time, BBC Question Time panellists tried to excuse problems in England by pointing, ill-informed, to comparable problems in Scotland. Last night, pressed on the notion of re-nationalising water, both Labour and Conservative panellists suggested things were the same in Scotland. Let’s ask Google’s fancy new AI search facility. Asked ‘Scottish Water sewage fine‘ and the wee lad (I call AI that) says confidently – ‘Scottish Water has been fined a number of times for sewage-related incidents, including‘ before going on to tell us the last time was 2020, £19 000 and the only … Continue reading Question Time lies don’t hold water…..Scotland does not have the same water pollution issues as England factchecked by AI

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Government of Tasmania bedevilled by costly ferry ‘stuff up’ to rival New Zealand’s $3 billion ferrymageddon and to make the Arran Ferry Fiasco one of those things in a teacup

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Regulars here will know that New Zealand’s lifeline Cook Straits ferry system is in a real crisis as the Government refuses to pay $3 billion for 2 new ferries. Just round the corner in Tasmania, population 573 000, 12 times that of Arran but like Arran, relying on two ‘lifeline’ ferries, there’s a ‘stuff-up’ (Worse than a fiasco or less bad?). Here’s the stuff-up, from Yahoo News yesterday: The start date for two new larger Bass Strait ferries has been pushed further back, with vital berth upgrades several years behind an already delayed schedule. Cost blowouts, finger pointing between state-owned … Continue reading Government of Tasmania bedevilled by costly ferry ‘stuff up’ to rival New Zealand’s $3 billion ferrymageddon and to make the Arran Ferry Fiasco one of those things in a teacup

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Greek islanders running out of food as lifeline ferries face indefinite strike action but Greek Government doesn’t feel any responsibility

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From TTW yesterday: For the third consecutive day, ferry services across Greece have come to a complete halt due to a strike by the Greek seamen’s union, leaving island residents and tourists stranded. The seamen, represented by the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO), are demanding a 15 percent pay rise for their members, while shipowners have so far only offered a 3 percent increase. With both sides at an impasse, the strike continues to disrupt travel and supplies to Greece’s many inhabited islands, especially those without airports. The ferry strike has resulted in a transportation crisis for the islands that rely … Continue reading Greek islanders running out of food as lifeline ferries face indefinite strike action but Greek Government doesn’t feel any responsibility

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Reporting Scotland platform Tory leadership candidate to tell whopper, unchallenged, about NHS waiting times – all factually better in Scotland on 4 key measures of A&E, cancer, 18 weeks and overall waiting list

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By Professor John Robertson: Interviewed by BBC Scotland this morning Robert Jenrick claimed that there are ‘more people on NHS waiting lists in Scotland than in England.’ That’s a blatant lie but BBC Reporting Scotland’s editor deliberately included it and allowed for no contradiction even though the published evidence quite unambiguously refutes it. Here it is: First, THREE times as many wait more than 12 hours in England’s A&E departments NHS England, Type one A&E, for May 2024, 138 770 waiting more than 4 hours and 42 555 waiting more than 12. 59.7% seen within 4 hours. NHS Scotland, Type ED full … Continue reading Reporting Scotland platform Tory leadership candidate to tell whopper, unchallenged, about NHS waiting times – all factually better in Scotland on 4 key measures of A&E, cancer, 18 weeks and overall waiting list

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Brian Wilson knows nothing about the massive benefit islanders get from Scot Gov generosity on ferries

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Brian Wilson is in the Herald today with another ill-informed rant against CalMac and by association, of course, the SNP in Government. Read it yourself, if you have the stomach. Here are the facts: Research reveals Scotland’s island communities benefit from the most inclusive, generously subsidised and up-to-date ferry service in the comparable world Research undertaken for Transport Scotland in 2022, by Ernst and Young LLP, compared the ferry systems operating in Scotland, Canada (BC), Norway, Australia and New Zealand. The Norway service is a bit of an outlier with twice as many passengers per year than … Continue reading Brian Wilson knows nothing about the massive benefit islanders get from Scot Gov generosity on ferries

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Factcheck – Police Scotland absences due to ill-health lower than for NHS

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Today, the Scotsman has the above. It’s a classic ‘big number that is actually a fairly wee number story‘ by a reporter who is either no very bright or has trouble with the truth. Police Scotland has 21 707 staff. According to the Scotsman, they were off due to ill health for 1 020 930 days over 4 years from 2020. So, 260 work days in a year, minus 34 days of leave (28-37 depending on service), is 226 times 21 207 staff times 4 years is 19 171 128 days that could be worked. That … Continue reading Factcheck – Police Scotland absences due to ill-health lower than for NHS

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Factcheck – Based on official statistics, SNP policies have increased life expectancy in Scotland in the last decade but it has stalled elsewhere in the UK

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By Professor John Robertson After decades of improving life expectancies across the UK, the improvement stalled under Tory-rule and, largely due to Covid, fell, but only in Scotland and despite more than a decade of UK austerity, have they increased significantly. In 2010/2012, just into the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition, then in 2021/2023, 11 years later, life expectancy was: I know, life expectancy remains the lowest in the UK, in Scotland, but it’s the direction, the trend that matters. The data. from official sources listed below, are clear – life expectancy from 2010/12 to 2021/23 has only increased significantly in Scotland, by … Continue reading Factcheck – Based on official statistics, SNP policies have increased life expectancy in Scotland in the last decade but it has stalled elsewhere in the UK

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The shortest life expectancy in Western Europe but the two parties actually to blame for the decades, centuries, of exploitation and neglect which caused it try to blame the SNP

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Dr Sandesh Gulhane, the Scottish Tories’ shadow health secretary, said the figures were a ‘damning indictment’ of SNP failures Credit: Ken Jack/Getty Images Europe Dame Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s health spokesman, said the SNP had questions to answer about the state of the nation’s health Credit: Pool/Getty Images Europe By Professor John Robertson Despite later, actually, almost telling the truth, with: Since 2017 to 2019, life expectancy began to fall, dropping by 18.2 weeks for females and 19.4 weeks for males. The NRS said this was mainly because of Covid, but there were also increases in other causes of death, particularly circulatory conditions. Its … Continue reading The shortest life expectancy in Western Europe but the two parties actually to blame for the decades, centuries, of exploitation and neglect which caused it try to blame the SNP

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Nuclear waste – cleaning up Sellafield will take 100 years, or more

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By stewartb With the Labour government in Westminster embracing nuclear energy just as much as the Tories before it – committed to more big nuclear power stations and to ‘small modular reactors’ – it’s instructive, sensible and sobering to read about the legacy of the UK’s past investments in civil nuclear power. There is much in the recent National Audit Office (NAO) report that should – but won’t – change Westminster/Whitehall establishment minds about the merits of another generation of nuclear power installations. Source National Audit Office (16 October 2024) Decommissioning Sellafield: managing risks from the nuclear legacy – Department for Energy … Continue reading Nuclear waste – cleaning up Sellafield will take 100 years, or more