Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Water company customers in England to pay another £40m on top of already the highest prices and the worst quality in the UK but in Scotland…..?

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Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: From the Financial Times today: Five of Britain’s water companies spent £32.4mn on an appeal to the competition regulator that resulted in the utilities being able to raise customer bills even higher. Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South East Water, Southern Water and Wessex Water argued that regulator Ofwat’s decision to allow them to increase consumer bills by an average of 24 per cent before inflation by 2030 was insufficient to cover their costs and attract investors to the industry. The appeal to the Competition and Markets Authority cost Anglian Water £9mn; South East Water £9mn; … Continue reading Water company customers in England to pay another £40m on top of already the highest prices and the worst quality in the UK but in Scotland…..?

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Why is Crisis Scotland being so fulsome in its praise for a 2040 Scottish Labour aspiration 14 years after this election?

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By stewartb Governing with devolved powers, how might Crisis Scotland and others judge the credentials of the British Labour Party in Scotland when (supposedly) setting ‘a new standard of aspiration’ and a pledge ‘to end homelessness by 2040′? What about the Party’s actual delivery in government rather than its aspiration for 14 years’ hence? From Crisis (10 April,, 2025): The Homelessness Monitor: Wales 2025. ‘This fifth Wales-focused Monitor report takes a look at where homelessness stands in Wales, focusing particularly on the implementation of the Ending Homelessness in Wales High Level Action Plan, including planned extensive legal reforms, as well as the ongoing impacts … Continue reading Why is Crisis Scotland being so fulsome in its praise for a 2040 Scottish Labour aspiration 14 years after this election?

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Institute for Fiscal Studies’ shocking revelation – Scottish Labour does not have a plan to reduce child poverty

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In the Daily Record, three days ago, the above claim but it’s all talk as the IFS has exposed. From Initial response to the Scottish Labour manifesto, published yesterday: Despite signalling that Scottish Labour wants to see falls in child poverty, the manifesto proposes little new cash support for families with children beyond additional support for childcare. The policy to increase the Scottish child payment to £40 a week for children under one is already planned by the outgoing government for 2027–28, as is the plan for breakfast clubs in primary schools. Whilst there is a plan to ‘review’ the … Continue reading Institute for Fiscal Studies’ shocking revelation – Scottish Labour does not have a plan to reduce child poverty

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More doctors trained year-on-year to nearly 20% more than 5 years ago and nearly 40% more than England

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From Scottish medical training statistics: FOI release published today, the above, revealing year-on-year increases in the number completing medicine degrees. There are no precise data for England but the annual figure is estimated at 9 200. With ten times the population, you might have expected England to train 10 times the Scottish figure of 1 475 or 14 750. They only trained 9 200, only 62% of the Scottish figure. Sources: https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202600503588/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/473206/medical-graduates-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/ Continue reading More doctors trained year-on-year to nearly 20% more than 5 years ago and nearly 40% more than England

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Another charity duped into thinking that Labour will do anything for the homeless despite it still being 67% higher for children in England

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Crisis Scotland today has: We warmly welcome Scottish Labour’s pledge to end homelessness by 2040. This is the first manifesto commitment of its kind in a Scottish election and sets a new standard of aspiration. We call on all other parties contesting the Scottish government elections to share in this ambition and thereby create the political consensus needed to make it a reality. https://www.crisis.org.uk/about-us/crisis-media-centre/crisis-scotland-responds-to-scottish-labours-election-manifesto/ Crisis already know that only the SNP can be trusted to actually do anything significant: A 2022 study by Crisis found: The proportion of people suffering from the worst forms of homelessness in Scotland is about half as … Continue reading Another charity duped into thinking that Labour will do anything for the homeless despite it still being 67% higher for children in England

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In 2024 alone Scotland’s surplus gas trade was worth 7 billion

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The Guardian’s Nils Pratley today has: The UK needs more North Sea gas, not greater reliance on US imports – Transition to a cleaner future takes time and we need supplies that are the least polluting and have the lowest cost. Where are those supplies coming from? The ‘UK’ it seems. Any idea from which part? Buckinghamshire? Nils does not say. See this: From Energy Statistics for Scotland – Q3 2025 published yesterday, latest figures, the above chart and: Total gas consumption in Scotland in 2024 was 41.7 TWh. This is down 30.2% from the 2005-2007 baseline figure when 59.8 TWh of gas … Continue reading In 2024 alone Scotland’s surplus gas trade was worth 7 billion

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As UK Government fails 7 out of 10 targets for England, Scottish Government initiatives push Scotland well ahead of the rest of the UK in preserving nature but this is all they have to criticise it weeks before the Election

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The Guardian’s Severin Carroll today has: MSPs not told about collapse of funding deal for Scottish nature restoration Exclusive: Ministers accused of trying to keep investment firm’s withdrawal from partnership with NatureScot under wraps. A funding deal to raise £100m from private investors for urgently needed nature restoration in Scotland has fallen through without the Scottish parliament being told. The Guardian has learned that Aberdeen, the investment firm, decided to withdraw from a partnership with the agency NatureScot to raise at least £100m for conservation projects from commercial and private investors late last year. Scottish government ministers did not disclose that when the Highlands … Continue reading As UK Government fails 7 out of 10 targets for England, Scottish Government initiatives push Scotland well ahead of the rest of the UK in preserving nature but this is all they have to criticise it weeks before the Election

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SNP share in polls growing steadily as May 7th looms

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In the last 10 polls going back to February 2026, the average SNP share has been – 36.5% In the previous 10 polls it was only 34.4 and in the previous 4 sets of 10, dating back to early February 2025 – 34.4, 33.9, 33.6 and 34.6, clearly stuck around 34 and short of a level that might win an outright majority. So, in the last ten polls, a clear sign of a significant increase to average 36.5, much closer to an overall win. Also, in the last three, a 39 and a 41, the highest share since September 2023. Continue reading SNP share in polls growing steadily as May 7th looms

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At every level, including the key entry level, nurses in Scotland are paid significantly more than their equivalents in England or Wales

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The above, from What are nursing staff paid in each of the UK countries in 2026-27? in Nursing Standard was posted on 3 April 2026 and to my knowledge ignored by the media operating in Scotland. Comparison of the three reveals this one important difference – at every level, including the key entry level, nurses in Scotland are paid significantly more than their equivalents in England or Wales, Source: https://rcni.com/nursing-standard/newsroom/analysis/nhs-pay-rise-2026-27-rates-for-nursing-staff-across-uk-221881?utm_campaign=WEEKLY%20BRIEFING%2013.04.26%20-%20REG%20A%20%28ALL%20USER%20DATA%29%20LOW&utm_content=ZONE%201%20LINK%201%20NEWS%20NHS%20pay%20rise%202026-27%3A%20the%20rates%20for%20nursing%20staff%20across%20the%20UK&utm_term=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Adestra Continue reading At every level, including the key entry level, nurses in Scotland are paid significantly more than their equivalents in England or Wales