Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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As homelessness falls only in Scotland – the irony of those claiming we’re being ‘gaslighted’ actually doing it

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Today in the Herald: The head of one of Scotland’s most influential charities has launched a scathing attack on Humza Yousaf over the nation’s “housing emergency” claiming the First Minister is “gaslighting” the country. Alison Watson, director of Shelter Scotland – the leading housing and homelessness charity – spoke out as it emerged nearly 10,000 children are currently homeless and living in temporary accommodation, such as cheap hotels and B&Bs. First, some facts: The Guardian today has There has been a dramatic rise in the number of homeless young people in the UK since Christmas, charities have warned. The New Horizon Youth Centre in London said a record number of … Continue reading As homelessness falls only in Scotland – the irony of those claiming we’re being ‘gaslighted’ actually doing it

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England well ahead of Scotland on post Grenfell cladding remediation…..because only they actually need to be

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ In the latest of the endlessly ill-informed coverage of flammable cladding on tower blocks being replaced, Scotland’s Insider has: Only two of the 105 buildings included in the Scottish Government’s cladding remediation programme have had work carried out. With a Holyrood committee scrutinising new legislation aimed at dealing with potentially flammable cladding on blocks of flats, MSPs said that “progress has been slow”. A report published by the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee said: “Of the 105 buildings within the Scottish Government’s cladding remediation programme, only … Continue reading England well ahead of Scotland on post Grenfell cladding remediation…..because only they actually need to be

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Note to Rishi on mob rule – public order offences in England and Wales fell last year and the Gaza protest arrest rate was lower than Glastonbury!

johnrobertson834

The number of people arrested for public order offences in England & Wales was down on the previous year and well down on 2015/2016. Many of the Gaza protests were in last year’s figures. The number of offences (some people are arrested more than once), is also in decline: The arrest rate at Gaza protests has been lower than at Glastonbury: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/palestine-gaza-protests-arrests-metropolitan-police-suella-braverman-glastonbury/ I’m aware of no riots this year. Yet, as they slide to defeat, the Tories scrabble for some scare story to save them: Continue reading Note to Rishi on mob rule – public order offences in England and Wales fell last year and the Gaza protest arrest rate was lower than Glastonbury!

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‘In a piece of self-aggrandisement BBC Scotland journalist Samantha Poling is implying that she solved the murder’

johnrobertson834

Image – Scottish Sun Alasdair Macdonald The media, with justification, are focussing on the failure to arrest the killer of Emma Caldwell in 2007. This was, indeed, a shocking failure of policing. This occurred during the period when police forces in Scotland were run locally and the force responsible here was Strathclyde Police. Police Scotland had not yet been created. It was Police Scotland which solved this crime. However, the media are not making much of that. As far as they are concerned the ‘police’ are responsible ergo Police Scotland is responsible and this enables them to blame the Scottish … Continue reading ‘In a piece of self-aggrandisement BBC Scotland journalist Samantha Poling is implying that she solved the murder’

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Police Scotland maintains world leading detection rate as every homicide committed in Scotland since 2013 has been solved

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ Many thanks to Andrew Wilson for alerting me to this: From Police Scotland today: Every homicide committed in Scotland since 2013 has been detected by Police Scotland, new figures confirmed today. In 2022-23, all 52 homicides committed in Scotland were detected. Latest statistics from Scottish Government, published today, show the number of homicides committed in Scotland continues to reduce. Police Scotland’s 100 per cent homicide detection rate means that every one of the 605 murders committed since the inception of the single national service in 2013, has … Continue reading Police Scotland maintains world leading detection rate as every homicide committed in Scotland since 2013 has been solved

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International news media cover dramatic English ‘County Lines’ gangsters impacting public safety in Dundee but Scottish media strangely miss it

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From BNN Correspondents, a global news desk, on 28 February 2024: In June 2019, Dundee became the focal point of a high-stakes law enforcement operation that culminated in the sentencing of two key figures involved in a dangerous county lines drug trafficking network. Joshua Olumuyiwa, 32, and Brandon Collins, 24, were convicted for their roles in the supply of cocaine, marking a significant victory for community safety efforts. The incident that led to their capture was nothing short of cinematic, with Olumuyiwa behind the wheel of a Ford EcoSport fitted with fraudulent plates, leading police on a high-speed chase that … Continue reading International news media cover dramatic English ‘County Lines’ gangsters impacting public safety in Dundee but Scottish media strangely miss it

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Isle of Wight ferry fiasco putting people’s health and well-being at risk says councillor but government not to blame

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ From Alliance Party Councillor, Karl Love, in the Isle of Wight Country Press today: The situation with Red Funnel, Cross Solent transportation operators, and its cancellations and service disruptions to the Isle of Wight, after many months of negative service impacts, is intolerable and could be putting people’s health and well-being at risk from life threatening illness after residents are missing appointments and treatments, because of cancelled services. Red Funnel service cancellations are worsening and our whole Island economy, our invest-ability and potential tourist offer is being diminished.  … Continue reading Isle of Wight ferry fiasco putting people’s health and well-being at risk says councillor but government not to blame

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SNP competence check – ‘England may wish to follow Scotland’s lead on preventive healthcare for under 5s’

johnrobertson834

This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ From an article in the British Medical Journal, a remarkable report of the impact of the Scottish Government’s unique investment in health visitors, across a range of outcomes including infant survival, vaccination rates, breastfeeding, obesity, GP workload, A&E attendance levels and dental treatment. The full article is behind a paywall so unless you have access to an institutional (university, health board etc) account you may not be able to read the whole thing. It’s stunning. Here is an extract: Urgent action is needed to tackle worsening health … Continue reading SNP competence check – ‘England may wish to follow Scotland’s lead on preventive healthcare for under 5s’

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VERIFIED by Office for National Statistics: NHS Scotland performs best in Britain on A&E waits – and has done so for over a decade!

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ By stewartb So it’s true – the ONS has confirmed that NHS Scotland has the best performing A&E services in Britain in terms of waiting times. What’s more, it has been a top performer for over a decade. This may come as a shock to many voters in Scotland given it runs counter to BBC Scotland’s framing and to the ‘outraged’ media performances by a Labour Party dame and a Tory in scrubs with a ‘cool’ hairdo. Source: ONS (28 February 2024) Accident and Emergency wait times … Continue reading VERIFIED by Office for National Statistics: NHS Scotland performs best in Britain on A&E waits – and has done so for over a decade!

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How Sturgeon’s Covid plan saved many thousands and how Johnson failed to learn from her

johnrobertson834

This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ The above story in the Scotsman is a rehash of earlier narratives that somehow the SNP Government bullied the UK Conservative Government of Johnson and Hancock into mismanaging the pandemic response. The facts again: The lowest infection rate in the UK, over the whole pandemic, by some way. The lowest current infection rate by an even bigger gap as the new variant arrives. The highest vaccination rate for all three vaccines but especially the booster jag. The second lowest death rate after Northern Ireland, 25% lower than … Continue reading How Sturgeon’s Covid plan saved many thousands and how Johnson failed to learn from her