Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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A lesson for any tempted to vote Labour in Holyrood 2026 – Researchers reveal the policy supported by Scottish Labour causes children to go hungry

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Labour’s Westminster House Jock and North British branches celebrate English Labour’s election victory under their shared flag, before going on to vote to keep the Dead Conservative’s two-child benefit cap, shown by the IFS to increase child poverty levels. Not only has the Institute for Fiscal Studies proved that the two-child benefit cap is the main cause of child poverty in the UK but today, we read in the Guardian: Families hit by the two-child benefit cap are much more likely to go hungry, skip meals or be unable to afford to eat healthily, according to new data which shows … Continue reading A lesson for any tempted to vote Labour in Holyrood 2026 – Researchers reveal the policy supported by Scottish Labour causes children to go hungry

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CalMac, the best ferry service in the world and Steven Camley the third-best cartoonist at the Herald

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It’s a sad state of affairs that the above pub-level banality passes for political satire at the Herald. To waste more time on his output considered, see: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=Camley On ferries, here’s why his infantile pokes are not so much below the belt as below the average IQ, see: For the fully-sourced facts, see: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=CalMac For the fully-sourced facts, see: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=CalMac For the fully-sourced facts, see: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=CalMac Continue reading CalMac, the best ferry service in the world and Steven Camley the third-best cartoonist at the Herald

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NHS England at risk of ‘collapse’ but after 17 years of not-underfunding by SNP, NHS Scotland will not ‘keel over’ according to Lisa Summers

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By Professor John Robertson In the Guardian today: NHS finances so dire that whole service may collapse, says spending watchdog. National Audit Office says NHS in England too cash-strapped to treat patients quickly enough. Years of underfunding have left the NHS in England so cash-strapped that it cannot treat patients quickly enough, and the rising tide of ill-health will make matters worse, the National Audit Office (NAO) said. https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/23/nhs-finances-so-dire-that-whole-service-may-collapse-says-spending-watchdog On February 22 2024, Audit Scotland reported: “Without change, there is a risk Scotland’s NHS will take up an ever-growing chunk of the Scottish budget. And that means less money for other vital … Continue reading NHS England at risk of ‘collapse’ but after 17 years of not-underfunding by SNP, NHS Scotland will not ‘keel over’ according to Lisa Summers

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New Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock Labour MP betrays all she claims to stand for and votes to keep the cruel two child benefit cap and her £91K job

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Before the 2024 General Election in the local Ayrshire newspapers: Elaine Stewart, Labour candidate said: “As someone who works daily with children and young people in some of the affected communities, I can assure you that reason I am standing is to ensure that the child poverty is high on the agenda on a daily basis. “I run food banks and, to be perfectly honest, children and young people should not be eating from this form of support on a daily basis. “Addressing child poverty in Scotland requires a sustained, collaborative effort across various sectors and levels of government, with … Continue reading New Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock Labour MP betrays all she claims to stand for and votes to keep the cruel two child benefit cap and her £91K job

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True value of Scotland’s whisky exports being hidden

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According to WITS in 2021, the UK exported $6 378 561 worth of whiskey (sic) but uniquely did not disclose the quantity for the UK sales. Ireland, earned $1 009 279 from only 88 729 600 (88.7million) liters. Scotland alone, according to the Scotch Whisky Association, exported in 2021, 1 380 000 000 (1.38 BILLION) bottles at 0.7cl or 966 000 000 (966 million) liters. So, here’s the question – With 11 times the quantity, why did Scotland only earn 6.4 times the trade value? Is Scottish whisky cheaper on average than Irish whisky? I’d say the opposite is the … Continue reading True value of Scotland’s whisky exports being hidden

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BBC Scotland’s avoidance of the County Lines gang plague – formal BBC complaint

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I’ve made the following complaint to the BBC. How will they deal with it this time? I’ll let you know. County Lines gangs, based in large English cities have been responsible for a spreading plague of extreme violence, more accessible and cheaper illegal drug supplies, child abuse, prostitution, people trafficking and the exploitation (cuckooing) of vulnerable adults in small-town UK, into places previously less affected by crime. Recent data reveal a surge in knife crime in rural and small-town areas in England and a recent surge in violent crime in similar areas in Scotland. Police Scotland estimates more than 50 … Continue reading BBC Scotland’s avoidance of the County Lines gang plague – formal BBC complaint

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Massively over-priced, more than THREE times the CalMac equivalent, and unreliable, Isle of Wight ferries strangle local economy

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From the Island Echo, yesterday: Last week we reported on how visitor numbers at some of the Island’s top attractions have failed to bounce back after the COVID pandemic, with the likes of Osborne House seeing a 23% fall in visitor numbers between 2019 and 2023. As I wrote the story I couldn’t help but feel that this is just the tip of the iceberg, with more commercial entities keeping their cards very close to their chests. It seems every time we are hit with another attraction or hotel closing (we’ve just lost Jack Up), or increased costs to day-to-day living, Island Echo readers … Continue reading Massively over-priced, more than THREE times the CalMac equivalent, and unreliable, Isle of Wight ferries strangle local economy

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Passengers queue out onto the street for Toronto’s unsurprisingly unreliable 89, 85 and 83 year-old ferries

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From Head Topics Canada in affluent Toronto today: There are renewed calls for the city to work toward building a bridge to the Toronto Islands following a weekend which saw lengthy line-ups to access Toronto’s aging ferry fleet. A long ferry line-up stretches out of the ferry terminal and onto the sidewalk on Queen’s Quay West as people wait to get to the Toronto Islands Saturday July 20, 2024. There are renewed calls for the city to work toward building a bridge to the Toronto Islands following a weekend which saw lengthy line-ups to access Toronto’s aging ferry fleet. Toronto … Continue reading Passengers queue out onto the street for Toronto’s unsurprisingly unreliable 89, 85 and 83 year-old ferries

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Labour must give up on nuclear power in Scotland as Torness with 46 reactor cracks is to operate till 2028 yet its troubled French owners are required to investigate plant in France with only 1!

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By Professor John Robertson Many thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. From the Ferret today: The number of cracks in the core of an ageing nuclear reactor at Torness in East Lothian has risen to 46, prompting warnings that prolonging its operation would be “gambling with public safety”. The UK Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) told The Ferret that the cracks were detected in April 2024 and were “at the upper end of expectations”. The first three cracks were discovered at Torness in February 2022. EDF, however, insisted that the cracks did not affect normal operations or the ability to shut down … Continue reading Labour must give up on nuclear power in Scotland as Torness with 46 reactor cracks is to operate till 2028 yet its troubled French owners are required to investigate plant in France with only 1!

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County Lines drug gangs from cities in England fuel major surge in violent crime in Scotland’s smaller towns

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In the Express yesterday, we read: Knife crime epidemic rising faster in market towns after spread of county lines drug gangs. Knife crime is rising more rapidly in rural counties and market towns than in cities, a study has found. Although most of the police forces in the top 10 included large inner city areas, the study found offences were soaring at an alarming rate outside of urban regions. According to Police Scotland, there are more than 50 County Lines drug and child-abusing groups active in Scotland, first identified in 2019, commonly in smaller towns where there is no existing … Continue reading County Lines drug gangs from cities in England fuel major surge in violent crime in Scotland’s smaller towns