Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Ferry operator to be prosecuted after 800 passengers drift toward rocks near Wellington

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From the NZ Herald, yesterday: KiwiRail will face court after an Interislander ferry lost power and issued a mayday call while near Wellington’s south coast in January last year. Maritime New Zealand today confirmed it has filed a single charge against KiwiRail under the Health and Safety at Work Act, after an investigation into procedures around safety and maintenance. The Kaitaki had more than 800 people on board for its 2.15pm sailing to Wellington on January 28 last year. Shortly before 5pm, the ship reported engine problems. Ten minutes later, it issued a mayday call after all four engines shut down amid … Continue reading Ferry operator to be prosecuted after 800 passengers drift toward rocks near Wellington

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2 out of 3 Scots say Charlie is not their darlin’

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From YouGov today: Only 45% across the UK prefer a monarchy to an elected head of state, at 31% and with don’t knows at 24%. In Scotland, the figures were 33, 43 and 24. Only the South had 50% for Charlie and his crew. The decline since the handover from his mum? In June 22, also from the same pollster, YouGov, this: Time for the SNP to go full republican? Continue reading 2 out of 3 Scots say Charlie is not their darlin’

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Why the Barnett Formula is not a subsidy for Scotland

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Leah Gunn Barrett The Barnett Formula is not a subsidy. To understand why it’s not, we need to understand the formula. Scottish public sector revenues are sent annually to the UK Treasury. Every five years there’s a spending review that decides England’s budget and then the Barnett Formula is applied. The formula gives Scotland the same revenue per person change in funding as the change in funding for similar English public services. From that, the UK Treasury allocates the Scottish government its block grant out of which it must fund the services for which it’s responsible. But the block grant … Continue reading Why the Barnett Formula is not a subsidy for Scotland

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Non-Scottish Ferries Operating Without Seaworthiness Certificates 

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Our international ferry performance research has been criticised for its narrow focus on more developed countries. Personally, I think our coverage of Washington State Ferries ticks the third-world box. Anyhow, see this from Uganda today: Despite the increased accidents on Ugandan water bodies, many ferries continue to operate in dangerous mechanical conditions, a special audit has revealed.   The Auditor General (AG) in his report for the year ending June 2023, noted that “in some instances, ferries operated without seaworthiness certificates, insurance, adequately qualified staff, rescue boats, or accessibility for persons with disabilities.” “These safety and accessibility gaps could result in … Continue reading Non-Scottish Ferries Operating Without Seaworthiness Certificates 

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NHS England spending nearly twice as much proportionally as NHS Scotland on temporary staff

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From the Guardian today: NHS across UK spends a ‘staggering’ £10bn on temporary staff Ministers are facing calls to tackle the NHS’s chronic lack of staff as figures reveal that the bill for hiring temporary frontline workers has soared to more than £10bn a year. Hospitals and GP surgeries across the UK are paying a record £4.6bn for agency personnel and another £5.8bn for doctors and nurses on staff to do extra “bank” shifts to plug gaps in rotas. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/jan/16/nhs-across-uk-spends-a-staggering-10bn-on-temporary-staff Read on and, of course, these are figures from NHS England only. So, £10.4bn in total. All things being equal, … Continue reading NHS England spending nearly twice as much proportionally as NHS Scotland on temporary staff

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Scotland’s lower Covid death rate – BBC complaint

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Submitted the above today. No doubt, they’ll defend the notion that the rates were similar in Scotland and England but don’t see how they get out of having claimed Wales was better. This, of course, will never see the light of day: The gap may be far wider. See this Channel 4 fact check: The UK government often states that the national death toll only covers those who have died in hospital, but this rule is only strictly true of England. The governments of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have all told FactCheck that they include deaths of people who have tested positive and died outside hospital … Continue reading Scotland’s lower Covid death rate – BBC complaint

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Covid deaths – BBC Scotland lie to conceal Scotland’s better outcomes and UK Government’s under-reporting

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In a report on the BBC Scotland website today, with a carefully chosen image to connect Covid outcomes to the SNP leader at the time, this: The impact on Scotland In Scotland to date, more than 18,000 people have died with Covid and ONS (Office for National Statistics ) analysis suggests death rates were very similar in Scotland and England and slightly better in Wales and Northern Ireland. The question the UK Covid inquiry will ask is did the different decisions in Scotland have any real impact on the virus, for better or worse? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-67985184 This is patently inaccurate and … Continue reading Covid deaths – BBC Scotland lie to conceal Scotland’s better outcomes and UK Government’s under-reporting

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Associating all problems with the SNP in government – Reporting Scotland’s subtle [not so] agenda on obesity

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This morning in a short teaser for their pals at Disclosure Scotland who will be, later tonight, doing a special on obesity, Reporting Scotland find time for the above little bookend comment implying responsibility. In the longer online report, there is no mention of the Scottish Government. Regardless of whether it is conscious propaganda or a subconscious tendency, the longer term impact on viewers is the association of the Scottish Government with another problem that they are not directly responsible for and an association of a kind which BBC England, Wales and Northern Ireland rarely make with their governments. A … Continue reading Associating all problems with the SNP in government – Reporting Scotland’s subtle [not so] agenda on obesity

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As it surges across UK, youth homelessness falls steadily under SNP

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The Guardian today has There has been a dramatic rise in the number of homeless young people in the UK since Christmas, charities have warned. The New Horizon Youth Centre in London said a record number of young people had asked it for help in the first week of January, while the charity Akt, which supports homeless LGBTQ+ young people, said it had seen more referrals than it would expect in a month. Roundabout in Sheffield and YMCA Trinity, which operates in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, also reported increases. Research by the charity Centrepoint estimated that 135,800 young people approached their … Continue reading As it surges across UK, youth homelessness falls steadily under SNP

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Horrifying video shows how seawater enters ferry – Imagine this happened in Scotland

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From Spark Chronicles yesterday: Ferries are one of the most efficient modes of transportation for transporting goods or people over short water distances. That doesn’t mean they’re protected from the elements. A video showing how seawater entered a ferry in Washington shocked social networks this week. In this 1 minute and 14 second video, you can see how water filled part of the boat called the M/V Issaquah due to strong waves, an incident that occurred in northeastern Washington state. The ferry was heading to Anacortes near the Strait of Juan de Fuca, according to Washington State Ferries, which clarified … Continue reading Horrifying video shows how seawater enters ferry – Imagine this happened in Scotland