Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
10 Comments

The deadly consequences of living next to nuclear dumps – BBC Scotland writer fails to make the connection to his own workplace on Clyde-by-Faslane-Coulport

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson A BBC US & Canada story popped up in my google alert today. The name Andrew Picken, one of the authors, caught my attention. He’s a BBC Scotland reporter. There is no mention of Scotland in the report which considers the deaths from cancers of a UK marine and his wife, 30 years after living for 2 years at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina USA. Of particular interest to us but not to Picken, it seems, is this: In 2021, Joe and Carol were living in Portsmouth when blood tests ahead of a hip replacement operation … Continue reading The deadly consequences of living next to nuclear dumps – BBC Scotland writer fails to make the connection to his own workplace on Clyde-by-Faslane-Coulport

2 Comments

Four weeks in and Labour Work and Pensions Secretary doing nothing for BBC Scotland’s struggling carer

johnrobertson834

From BBC Scotland today: Brian Closs is a full-time carer for his two autistic teenagers and has been receiving income support with child benefit, carers allowance and child tax credits. But these benefits are being phased out by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) as part of a “managed migration” to universal credit payments. Money is already tight for Brian, 55, but in order to receive his new benefit he has to claim and then wait more than a month for his new payment. The controversial “five-week wait” means he will fall further into debt unless he asks for … Continue reading Four weeks in and Labour Work and Pensions Secretary doing nothing for BBC Scotland’s struggling carer

4 Comments

UK Labour to delay 40 new hospitals while SNP delay only 2 – half as many pro rata

johnrobertson834

In February 2024, the Scottish Government put on hold new hospitals for Airdrie and Fort William, after major cuts to the funds returned to Scotland by the Treasury, despite soaring whisky, food, oil and gas revenues. A BBC Scotland report at the time, did not mention the cuts until the last 2 of 45 paragraphs but did manage to platform ‘practising GP (sic or sick))’ Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP (Con) and Dr Iain Kennedy of the BMA Scottish branch, earlier. Today, the Guardian tells us that 40 planned new hospitals, badly needed for the crumbling NHS England estate, are to … Continue reading UK Labour to delay 40 new hospitals while SNP delay only 2 – half as many pro rata

11 Comments

Labour control of Holyrood would lead to 40% surge in those needing to pay privately for operations

johnrobertson834

Thanks to A.M.MacJ https://x.com/ammacj for alerting me to this: Regulars will know what sums are coming. On those having to pay themselves for private medical care (right-hand column above), with 1.7 times the population of Wales, Scotland might be expected to have had around 29 500 (1.7 x 17 000) such admissions, but had only 21 000. 29 500 is 40% higher than the actual 21 000. So after a bit of Labour-rule in Scotland, we might expect a 40% surge in private care? Source: https://www.phin.org.uk/news/phin-private-market-update-june-2024-united-kingdom Continue reading Labour control of Holyrood would lead to 40% surge in those needing to pay privately for operations

2 Comments

Scottish Government settles with GPs to save 300 000 appointments every week and avert ‘catastrophe’ expected in NHS England

johnrobertson834

in the Guardian today, the above and this: Industrial action by GPs could have a “catastrophic” impact on A&E units, the 111 telephone advice service and mental healthcare, a senior NHS leader has told the Guardian. Family doctors who run GP surgeries across England are about to finish voting on whether to reduce the care they provide – including limiting the number of patients they see to 25 a day – in protest at the previous government increasing their budget by only 1.9% this year. https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/28/gps-capping-patient-numbers-could-have-catastrophic-effect-on-ae-says-nhs-chief In Scotland: The Government have now written to BMA Scotland with the details – they are … Continue reading Scottish Government settles with GPs to save 300 000 appointments every week and avert ‘catastrophe’ expected in NHS England

6 Comments

Is Police Scotland’s only armoured car which has LAIN in storage, like the one in tiny Guernsey, there because all the senior staff are from places where they get riots?

johnrobertson834

The Daily Record today, challenged from grammar to politics. Police Scotland (5.4 million population who might riot) bought that one armoured car 2 years ago while the Island of Guernsey (64 thousand population!)12 years ago: Guernsey Police’s purchase of an armoured Land Rover had the full backing of the Home Department, its minister has revealed. Deputy Geoff Mahy, who is standing down from the States in April, said it had been agreed 15 months ago as part of upgrades to the force’s firearms unit. He said: “The police do not shape the undesirable changes of society. “However, it is important … Continue reading Is Police Scotland’s only armoured car which has LAIN in storage, like the one in tiny Guernsey, there because all the senior staff are from places where they get riots?

6 Comments

Child poverty: why is BBC hiding its article on poorer families in Scotland being ‘more fortunate’ than those in England due to Scottish Government action?

johnrobertson834

No cheap tabloid images of sad wee weans here. And why is a Fraser of Allander economist so grudging? – “So it’s POSSIBLE the rate of child poverty would have been higher in the absence of the Scottish Child Payment”. Only just “possible” that £26.70 per week for each and every child in poorer families reduces poverty – really? By stewartb There is yet another example of strange editorial decisions taken by those that run the BBC News website. An article appeared (at c. 1 am on July 28) on the website entitled: ‘Tale of two nations: Meeting families with … Continue reading Child poverty: why is BBC hiding its article on poorer families in Scotland being ‘more fortunate’ than those in England due to Scottish Government action?

4 Comments

A decrepit newspaper that has frequently left readers ill-informed and is now high and dry

johnrobertson834

The Herald today has: Decrepit? From a September 2022, Ernst and Young LLP survey for the Scottish Government’s Transport Scotland department, CalMac ferries were, on average, newer (22) than those in affluent Norway (26), Australia (24) and Canada/Vancouver (35!). You can add two years to all of those ages but CalMac, funded by the Scottish Government, has still kept its fleet younger than all comparable advanced economy large archipelago fleets. For further example, Washington State Ferries serving affluent Seattle, don’t publish these data but a quick check of their wikipedia page reveals that 12 of their 21 ferries are over 40 years … Continue reading A decrepit newspaper that has frequently left readers ill-informed and is now high and dry

12 Comments

Criminals from major cities such as London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham are expanding their drug networks into rural and suburban areas throughout Scotland

johnrobertson834

Tarves (population 1 080) on 29 June 2024 react with shock to the above in the P&J local newspaper. BBC Scotland NE did not cover the story but STV NE did and mentioned County Lines in the headline. BBC Scotland has only covered County Lines drug gangs 3 times since 2019 with the last, naming them and their origins, in 2021. This plague is big news across Aberdeenshire: Police Scotland, whose activity in investigating supposed SNP fraud has been of endless fascination for BBC Scotland, are heavily involved: BBC Scotland’s clear aversion to covering this plague of violence and related … Continue reading Criminals from major cities such as London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham are expanding their drug networks into rural and suburban areas throughout Scotland