Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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The contempt and ignorance of English leftist political cartoonists: 2024 update

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Yesterday from Peter Brookes in the Times, a snide and offensive take on the SNP’s supposed troubles. Last year, we had: Martin Rowson with another dim-witted stereotype of Scots to conceal the fact that the SNP had a substantive, serious, motion, on one of their only 3 days, based on years of consistent support for the human rights of the Palestinian people, hijacked by a bullied Labour Party speaker and his pro-Israel leader, to prevent them being embarrassed by many of their MPs voting for the SNP motion. Rowson, 7 years ago: Note the comments below Sturgeon. They’re all the … Continue reading The contempt and ignorance of English leftist political cartoonists: 2024 update

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Only one of these three Auditors General is a political stooge

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ Above the Auditor General for Scotland. Below his website: Note the negativity and the politicisation to undermine the image of the SNP Government in Scotland, ringed. Now watch this: Gareth Davies, the Auditor General for England and his website: No negativity and no politicising to undermine the image of the Conservative Government. And now, today, the Auditor General for Wales, Adrian Crompton: His website: All good in NHS Wales then, Adrian? What about this? Adrian? This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at … Continue reading Only one of these three Auditors General is a political stooge

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Only in Scotland – Like his English counterpart the Welsh Auditor General is neither a political stooge nor a media favourite

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ By cuckooshoe I cannot find any mainstream media reports on this release from Audit Wales published on 20 Feb 2024 https://www.audit.wales/news/firefighting-future-proofing-challenge-welsh-public-services ‘The Auditor General for Wales has called for a bold vision for public services in Wales if it is to shift from a spiral of short-term firefighting to future proofing and long-term sustainability. In the context of the Welsh Government’s draft budget for 2024-25, the Auditor General identifies themes that the work of Audit Wales suggests would help public organisations achieve more value from the money … Continue reading Only in Scotland – Like his English counterpart the Welsh Auditor General is neither a political stooge nor a media favourite

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A Spanish towering inferno, like Grenfell but with far fewer casualties and once more completely unlike Scottish tower block fires safely contained

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ Grenfell above in 2017, Valencia below, yesterday: These two towering infernos have some things in common but one big difference – 72 dead in London but only 4 (so far) in Valencia. Why that difference? More escape routes due to better building standards and a better fire service due to the lack of a privatising Conservative Party government, at times, at national and local level in Spain? Other than that key difference, both towers went up in only minutes. Experts say that highly flammable cladding on the … Continue reading A Spanish towering inferno, like Grenfell but with far fewer casualties and once more completely unlike Scottish tower block fires safely contained

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Washington State’s farcical ferry fleet 25% worse than CalMac despite twice the surrounding wealth and calmer seas!

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ Washington State, USA, population 7.7 million, GDP $725 billion or £573 billion. Scotland, population 5.5 million, GDP £212 billion. Washington State’s GDP, adjusted for population is around twice that of Scotland. Yet: In 2023, (Washington State Ferries) had 1,560 annual crew cancellations while scheduling only 70% of its regular service. In the same year, CalMac, in a country with only half the level of wealth and in more northerly, colder and stormier seas managed 95.4%. Be careful what you wish for Reggie Mountbatten-Windsor of South Uist. Sources: … Continue reading Washington State’s farcical ferry fleet 25% worse than CalMac despite twice the surrounding wealth and calmer seas!

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Not one English newspaper today has any story relating to the English NHS on their front pages yet in Scotland….

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ By NMRN Stephen Boyle tweeted this morning this : “Growing demand and increased costs have added to the pressure on Scotland’s NHS. Change is needed. @scotgov needs to develop a clear national strategy to deliver it”. I have highlighted the word “Change” as it is a tad familiar as a word that currently we are all being force fed by a certain political party…….and yes indeed the NHS here is very much one that is over politicised in comparison to the NHS in both England & Wales….where as , in England & … Continue reading Not one English newspaper today has any story relating to the English NHS on their front pages yet in Scotland….

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Only in Scotland, is the Auditor General a political stooge and media favourite

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ demand for services – that’s according to the public spending watchdog Audit Scotland. Its annual report on the NHS says increased pressure is directly impacting on patient safety – and the Scottish Government has no overall vision for its future. Here’s the source of the above, on Reporting Scotland this morning: He’s a regular on BBC Scotland to tell you that the Scottish Government isn’t doing or can’t do something and that you’re at risk. He won’t, despite his title, do full research into the context such … Continue reading Only in Scotland, is the Auditor General a political stooge and media favourite

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Most successful Trident firing tests have been from US subs!

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ By stewartb The latest news of a failed test of the UK’s system to deliver weapons of mass destruction is getting quite a lot of profile in the media. The BBC News website provides coverage – ‘‘Trident missile test fails for second time in a row’ – in which there are some ‘interesting’ statistics, including ones provided by the MoD. They beg some questions. This is a summary of what the statistics quoted by the BBC tell us: 2024 – Trident missile test conducted by the Royal … Continue reading Most successful Trident firing tests have been from US subs!

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52 days of doctors strikes averted, more than 100 000 appointments and 5 000 lives saved by Humza Yousaf but his removal is what Labour desire most

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ Above, the shocking picture of 52 out of the last 365 when doctors were on strike in England. There were no days lost to action in Scotland. According to the Guardian on 10 January, junior doctor strikes caused around 1.3 million appointments to be cancelled. Had there been comparable action in Scotland, around 130 000 appointments would have been lost. According to the Telegraph on 2 January, there were nearly 53 000 excess deaths in 2023 ‘amid’ the strikes across the UK so, had there been strikes … Continue reading 52 days of doctors strikes averted, more than 100 000 appointments and 5 000 lives saved by Humza Yousaf but his removal is what Labour desire most

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Desperation dogs ageing Herald ferry team with three gammons trying to do the work

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ The 39 year-old MV Hebridean Isles saying ‘Ah’ to reveal its rust free doors. Today, the Herald of Free Flotsam and Jetsam has from one of their ferry correspondents: Rust dogs ageing CalMac fleet with two ferries sidelined for 3rd year Oooh, there’ll be some creepy shots of rusty old boats in this, won’t there? Nope. All they have is a shot of the MV Clansman (25) looking great with not a trace of rust and the MV Caledonian Isles (30) with some not-rusty scuffs on the … Continue reading Desperation dogs ageing Herald ferry team with three gammons trying to do the work