Professor John Robertson OBA Dani Garavelli, not for the first time, in the UK media telling them things about Scotland that make little sense: Almost 13 years ago, at a press briefing to launch Ukip’s first Scottish byelection campaign, Nigel Farage was run out of Edinburgh by jeering protesters. Back then, Ukip’s support was running at nearly 25% in the English local elections, and less than 1% in Scotland. On Saturday, Farage will venture back across the border to host a sold-out Reform UK campaign event in Falkirk, a town which has recently seen angry demonstrations outside a hotel hosting asylum seekers. While anti-racism protesters will … Continue reading Scottish voters unlikely to embrace Reform UK

Professor John Robertson OBA You may remember in 2020, Boris Johnson saying that NHS Scotland had resilience problems which would harm its Covid response. In the end, the excess death rate in England was twice that in Scotland. Recently, we had Jackie Baillie making a similar morbid wish fulfilment prediction suggesting that the ‘SNP’ was not ready for winter. It’s not working out well for Baillie. Public Health Scotland (PHS) figures, external show that in the week of 24-30 November, lab-confirmed cases rose sharply to 1,759 compared with 845 the previous week. Hospital admissions as a result of the illness also rose … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s greater resilience and Scottish Government actions paying off as flu hospital admissions surge to FOUR times England with no reports of being overwhelmed

Professor John Robertson OBA In the Herald today: Scottish ferry built in Turkey delayed [again] with Christmas delivery ‘a challenge’ The contract for the MV Isle of Islay was awarded to Cemre Shipyard in Turkey in March 2022. She was expected to be delivered by the end of 2024 but has been delayed several times and seems most unlikely to make it in 2025, more than 1 year late. She is a smaller (107 cars), simpler vessel, just diesel-powered than the larger (117 car) new dual fuel-powered MV Glen Sannox. Has Ferguson Marine had to delay any simple diesel ferry … Continue reading As Turkish yard delays small, simple-design, ferry again and again, here’s Clyde-based Ferguson Marine’s long track record of delivering them on-time and often commended in Parliament

Professor John Robertson OBA From ITV yesterday: A Condor Ferry worker who endangered lives after his vessel collided with a fishing trawler has been handed a 20-month prison sentence. Lewis Peter Carr, from Sunderland, appeared at Jersey‘s Royal Court on Thursday 4 December to receive his sentence. He was found guilty in a trial this September of endangering ships, structures, or individuals – contrary to Jersey’s Shipping Law. The charge related to the collision of the Condor Commodore Goodwill Ferry and L’Ecume II on 9 December 2022, which resulted in the deaths of three fishermen aboard L’Ecume. https://www.itv.com/news/channel/2025-12-04/20-month-prison-sentence-for-ferry-worker-regarding-fatal-boat-collision Condor Ferries makes around 10 000 … Continue reading No CalMac ferry has ever killed a fishing boat crew member, while privatised Condor ferries has killed three in one year despite making barely 5% of the crossings and in calmer seas