Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Suspected drug deaths static but official figures point to greater optimism

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Suspected (left) and official drug deaths (right) in Scotland From Suspected drug deaths in Scotland: October to December 2025, published today, the above, and: There were 248 suspected drug deaths recorded during the period October to December 2025. This was 15% (43) fewer than the previous quarter (July to September 2025, 291 deaths), and 7% (16) more than the same calendar quarter in the previous year (October to December 2024, 232 deaths). This is the lowest quarterly total of suspected drug deaths recorded in 2025. https://www.gov.scot/publications/suspected-drug-deaths-scotland-october-december-2025/pages/3/ The data in this report is operational information from Police Scotland who compile figures … Continue reading Suspected drug deaths static but official figures point to greater optimism

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Labour’s crisis in social care disappears when the figures come in

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In December 2025, Jackie Baillie, Labour Party Health spokesperson said: That the Parliament believes that the Scottish Government’s failure to prioritise social care has fuelled a crisis, harming some of Scotland’s most vulnerable people, and calls on the Scottish Ministers to work to close the funding gap facing health and social care partnerships and value Scotland’s care workforce. In response, Health Secretary Neil Gray said: As an amendment to motion S6M-19977 in the name of Jackie Baillie (Crisis in Social Care), leave out from “Scottish Government’s” to end and insert “UK Government must reverse its hostile and damaging migration policies, … Continue reading Labour’s crisis in social care disappears when the figures come in

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New Zealand Green Party Warns Of ‘Perfect Storm’ As Ferry Breakdowns Disrupt Travel And Freight

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From SCOOP on 14th March 2026: The Green Party is warning that New Zealand is facing a “perfect storm” of transport disruption after the latest ferry breakdowns and cancellations left travellers stranded and freight operators scrambling to move goods between the North and South Islands. The Interislander’s Kaiārahi has been out of service since Tuesday night because of a technical fault. An Interislander staff member has gone overseas to collect crucial components to fix the stricken ferry. Meanwhile, a technical fault meant that Bluebridge’s Connemara ferry was also cancelled on Thursday and Friday. Its Picton-Wellington service was scheduled to return to service … Continue reading New Zealand Green Party Warns Of ‘Perfect Storm’ As Ferry Breakdowns Disrupt Travel And Freight

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Affluent Washington State refuses to fund even starting the replacement of 50 year-old plus ferries and considers return of one at nearly 70!

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From the Washington State Standard: Budget writers in the Washington Legislature on Monday declared their intent to eventually buy more hybrid electric ferries to modernize the state ferry fleet.  But newly unveiled House and Senate transportation spending proposals left at the dock a $1 billion borrowing request from the governor to pay the tab, raising doubts about when and how a new shipyard order might happen. The budget plans would also further pause the conversion of existing diesel ferries to electric power. Washington State Ferries urgently needs more vessels — and more reliable vessels. The average age of the fleet is 35 … Continue reading Affluent Washington State refuses to fund even starting the replacement of 50 year-old plus ferries and considers return of one at nearly 70!

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‘Robust and consistent signal: Cancer mortality rates higher near nuclear power plants’ but Scottish Labour is unmoved

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From the US health research journal Healio, yesterday: U.S. counties located closer to nuclear power plants have higher cancer mortality rates than those located farther away, results of a national analysis showed. The study — which accounted for environmental, socioeconomic and other factors — yielded results that remained consistent through multiple sensitivity analyses. In light of increased attention on nuclear power as a low-carbon energy alternative, more research into its potential effects on public health is warranted, according to Yazan Alwadi, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow in the department of environmental health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Source: https://www.healio.com/news/hematology-oncology/20260313/robust-and-consistent-signal-cancer-mortality-rates-higher-near-nuclear-power-plants This … Continue reading ‘Robust and consistent signal: Cancer mortality rates higher near nuclear power plants’ but Scottish Labour is unmoved

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‘Everyone who dies on this street dies of cancer’ – why do only German researchers agree with locals who say this kind of thing?

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From the New Hampshire Bulletin, yesterday: In the late 1970s, when Seabrook resident David Wright was about 9 years old, his father began bringing him along to protest the construction of a nuclear power plant across the marsh from their family home. Some locals were fired up. “They didn’t want a reactor in their backyard,” Wright said. Thousands who shared that sentiment turned out in the Seabrook area for a series of acts of civil disobedience during the plant’s construction, culminating in the May 1, 1977, detention of more than 1,400 protestors. At the time, Rolling Stone reported, the event ranked … Continue reading ‘Everyone who dies on this street dies of cancer’ – why do only German researchers agree with locals who say this kind of thing?

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In Labour’s second year, MOD spending in Scotland is still lower than the UK average, 18% higher, despite hosting the nuclear subs

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From the UK Government‘s defence minister Luke Pollard, above, yesterday: Long-term defence commitment in Scotland helps secure jobs and billions in export deals – Increased defence investment and dedication to Scottish defence industry directly supported £1.1bn in inward investment with defence firm Thales, securing and sustaining over 500 jobs. Hundreds of Scottish jobs are being created as the UK Government’s long-term commitment to defence investment in Scotland is helping secure deals with international partners.  The certainty of the government’s dedication to Scotland has paved the way for £1.1 billion in inward investment with defence firm Thales, securing significant export deals … Continue reading In Labour’s second year, MOD spending in Scotland is still lower than the UK average, 18% higher, despite hosting the nuclear subs

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Pollster YouGov long-mistrusted by the Yes movement and the SNP may be up to the same dodgy practice with Reform UK

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YouGov responds above, after these claims in the Times: YouGov to publish more data after Nigel Farage row – The Reform UK leader had accused the pollster of being ‘deceptive’ and underplaying the popularity of his party in its voting intention surveys I couldn’t help but smile after our years of noting YouGov‘s complete inability to ever find a Yes lead and to always find a smaller SNP lead, than in all the polls around them. See: I’ve written before about YouGov‘s unerring and almost unique (Survation too) ability to pluck a No lead out of a trend dominated by Yes … Continue reading Pollster YouGov long-mistrusted by the Yes movement and the SNP may be up to the same dodgy practice with Reform UK

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England’s public bodies paying out for shocking ‘golden goodbyes’ to public servants, per head of population, at least 20 times more than in Scotland

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The Herald today with another context-free report to help us know if that’s a big amount and if we should be concerned about it. All things being equal, you might expect the total in England, for the same year, to have been, ten times higher, £32 million. Only for Local authorities and the UK Government civil service, not including the NHS so lower than the actual total amount, the figure in England last year, was £680 million, more than 20 times greater, per head of population. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/01/04/golden-goodbyes-council-staff-surge-highest-pandemic https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/08/surge-civil-servants-handed-100k-golden-goodbyes Other public bodies (e.g., NHS trusts, arm’s-length bodies) report exit payments in … Continue reading England’s public bodies paying out for shocking ‘golden goodbyes’ to public servants, per head of population, at least 20 times more than in Scotland

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Carers in Scotland now better off than anywhere else in the UK but don’t tell anyone!

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Only The Sun, no friend of the SNP, today with the above good news. BBC Scotland not a word. The newspapers? Not a word on their front pages. Maybe it was hard to find this story. From the Scottish Government News website, surely on auto alert for any self-respecting journo: Financial support for unpaid carers in Scotland is being strengthened in recognition of their vital role. From today (Monday 16 March) carers who look after more than one person for at least 20 hours a week will be able to claim the new Carer Additional Person Payment, worth over £500 … Continue reading Carers in Scotland now better off than anywhere else in the UK but don’t tell anyone!