Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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CalMac’s supposedly ageing ferry is younger than 27 operating in affluent North-west America and half the age of one

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In the Herald today: One of Caledonian MacBrayne’s oldest and largest ferries is due to return to service eight months after it was drydocked for repairs.  The ageing MV Caledonian Isles is expected to begin sailing routes to Arran next week once sea trials are completed.   The ‘oldest, ‘ageing’ MV Caledonian Isles was launched in 1993 and is now 31 years old. The privatised Washington State Ferries, USA, in a far more affluent place than Scotland, has 11 ferries older than the MV Caledonian Isles, 6 of them launched before 1970, 54 years ago. The privatised BC Ferries in … Continue reading CalMac’s supposedly ageing ferry is younger than 27 operating in affluent North-west America and half the age of one

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Sarwar stumped as Westminster sub-poll has SNP pulling ahead of Labour

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I know, a sub-poll and based on Westminster voting intentions but still reasonable evidence that the Labour tide is already ebbing and may not deliver in the Holyrood context by 2026. From More in Common, based on polling for 10-12 September 2024, a sub-poll of 120 weighted according to the GE 2024 vote (so not favourable to SNP?): Con 23% Lab 23% LD 6% Reform 14% Greens 5% SNP 26% https://www.moreincommon.org.uk/media/w50noqnp/mic-first-vi.xlsx BMG on 29 August had: Con 14% Lab 31% LD 11% Reform 10% Greens 3% SNP 31% Again, all the usual health warnings for a small sub-poll but the … Continue reading Sarwar stumped as Westminster sub-poll has SNP pulling ahead of Labour

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More than half a million tucked away but little spent – an unusual homeless charity?

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From BBC Scotland today: Homelessness campaigners have staged a protest against the closure of a shelter in Glasgow city centre after the council ordered it should be shut down. Glasgow City Council’s enforcement notice gives the Homeless Project Scotland based at 67 Glassford Street up to 18 October to appeal its decision. The volunteer-run shelter has been taking in around 35 people a night since December. The council said it had to take action due to unauthorised change of use of the building, complaints from residents and businesses, as well as reports from police.1 Homeless Project Scotland attracts some pretty … Continue reading More than half a million tucked away but little spent – an unusual homeless charity?

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Prison population – back-to-front thinking from BBC Scotland to hide Scottish Government competence in maintaining 234 times more spare places

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From BBC Scotland, two days ago: Scotland’s prison population is now higher than it was before hundreds of prisoners were released early in a bid to ease overcrowding. A total of 477 prisoners were let out early in June and July under an emergency scheme introduced by the Scottish government in response to a sharp rise in the number of people in jail. In the week before the programme began in late June, the prison population sat at 8,232. It has now reached 8,241 – raising questions about whether further releases will be needed. See, stupid, that’s why they released … Continue reading Prison population – back-to-front thinking from BBC Scotland to hide Scottish Government competence in maintaining 234 times more spare places

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Cancer patient misses check-ups in ‘cut off’ village but SNP Minister not accused of anything? Well, he is in Wales

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From BBC Wales today: A deaf cancer patient in a remote village with no internet or mobile phone signal says he has missed medical appointments because hospital emails did not reach him in time. John Bowler, 74, a former architect, is a resident in Llangwm near Usk, Monmouthshire, where residents say the issue is causing a number of difficulties. Local people also said there is no Instagram, Netflix or home-working in their “cut off” village. The internet provider Voneus said the infrastructure it acquired from the previous provider “did not meet our high standards and we are now investing significantly … Continue reading Cancer patient misses check-ups in ‘cut off’ village but SNP Minister not accused of anything? Well, he is in Wales

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England’s national debt is on course to treble over the next half a century

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BBC Business yesterday, reported: UK [sic] national debt is on course to treble over the next half a century due to several pressures, according to the government’s official forecaster. Those pressures include an ageing population, climate change, and rising geopolitical tensions, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said in a report. Remarkably, the report does not mention the most important reason for the UK’s historical debt going back decades now, since the British Empire could no longer force its manufactured goods onto colonies and extract their raw materials free of charge. England does have a surplus of around £130 billion … Continue reading England’s national debt is on course to treble over the next half a century

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Calls for UK carers to be given uplift to Scottish level of support kept quiet

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From the Guardian today: More than a million unpaid carers in the UK who look after disabled, frail or ill relatives are living in poverty, with one in 10 experiencing such extreme hardship they struggle to afford to eat regularly or heat their homes, new research shows. There’s no mention of Scotland in the Guardian report despite the Carers UK original report mentioning it 35 times, with references to this: The DWP should increase the value of Carer Element, Carer Premium and Carer Addition by £11.10 per week. As an immediate first step towards reducing poverty … Continue reading Calls for UK carers to be given uplift to Scottish level of support kept quiet

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Scotland’s drug and alcohol services both hitting 90% seen with 3 weeks target, year after year, but that’s not relevant because we’ve one group to criticise the Scottish Government on them

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that’s according to ‘Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems’. The organisation says both that both issues are important but that recent political focus has been on trying to reduce drug deaths without the same attention to alcohol. A ministerial statement will be made later on how to improve the lives of people impacted by drugs and alcohol. The Scottish Government continues to do all it can on the issue. By Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Reporting Scotland staff with another report linking the SNP Government with problems which are the direct responsibility of health boards. What is the actual evidence of … Continue reading Scotland’s drug and alcohol services both hitting 90% seen with 3 weeks target, year after year, but that’s not relevant because we’ve one group to criticise the Scottish Government on them

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NHS Scotland’s better performance is preventing around 1 400 ‘unnecessary’ deaths every year

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By Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian yesterday: Long NHS delays leading to thousands of unnecessary deaths, inquiry finds – Darzi’s scathing indictment of the Conservatives’ 14-year stewardship of the NHS says that A&E is in “an awful state”. He cites evidence he received from the body representing A&E doctors that “long waits are likely to be causing an additional 14,000 more deaths a year – more than double all British armed forces combat deaths since the health service was founded in 1948”. Improvements in survival from cancer “slowed substantially during the 2010s”. More than 7.6 million people were awaiting … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s better performance is preventing around 1 400 ‘unnecessary’ deaths every year

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Views of a children’s charity whose boss is ‘angry, very angry’ but ‘unleashes fury’ towards just one government. 

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By stewartb – a long read This considers the news and views of a major children’s charity in Scotland gleaned from its website. It offers insights into the charity’s relations with the Scottish Government. But why is this worth writing about it? On September 8, an interview with the charity’s CEO was published in The Herald under the headline: ‘Scottish charity boss unleashes fury over poverty under SNP rule’. Here we learn that the CEO of the “acclaimed” Aberlour Children’s Charity is ‘angry, She’s very angry’. (my emphasis) So something is seriously amiss with this charity’s relations with Scotland’s government … Continue reading Views of a children’s charity whose boss is ‘angry, very angry’ but ‘unleashes fury’ towards just one government.