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How can a ferry be a ‘lifeline’ to a mainland town when there’s a road that’s more than one hour quicker than the ferry?

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Express today merely repeats the February 26th 2025, news of the cancellation of the Campbelltown to Ardrossan ferry as evidence of a consequence of the above delays. This is not explained: It takes 3 hours and 4 minutes to drive from Campbelltown around the coast to the nearest big city, Glasgow How long does the drive from Glasgow and the ferry from Ardrossan take? It takes 1 hour and 10 minutes longer, not counting the waits for embarking and disembarking. Finally, why did CalMac make this cut. Could it be because to do otherwise would … Continue reading How can a ferry be a ‘lifeline’ to a mainland town when there’s a road that’s more than one hour quicker than the ferry?

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The slavering feeding frenzy on Scotland’s west coast ferry system is a ‘never-ending storm of deception’

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Professor John Robertson OBA The slavering feeding frenzy on Scotland’s west coast ferry system is a ‘never-ending storm of deception’ in places like the Herald and the Scotsman, today above: Passengers on one of CalMac ’s busiest routes are facing a “never-ending storm of disruption” by being forced to switch several times between ports 15 miles apart. They’re talking about the Arran ferry which thanks to a failure to maintain and improve Ardrossan harbour, owned by a millionaire Manchester billionaire, cannot take the new larger Glen Sannox ferry. The nature of the ‘disruption’ is not clear but elsewhere has been … Continue reading The slavering feeding frenzy on Scotland’s west coast ferry system is a ‘never-ending storm of deception’

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In BBC Scotland’s push for Labour in 2026 even cancer deaths will be exploited

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Wales yesterday had the above and, in the full text, not one word about the Labour Government in Wales and its oversight of the NHS. As readers know, it’s different in Scotland. In June 2025: No actual deaths but still plenty of space for this: Scottish Conservatives health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said one patient waiting more than two months is too many. He said: “These appalling statistics confirm Scotland is facing a ticking timebomb when it comes to cancer cases on the SNP’s watch. “SNP ministers have not met their own waiting time target … Continue reading In BBC Scotland’s push for Labour in 2026 even cancer deaths will be exploited

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Scotsman’s confusion on cancer scanning ignores major progress

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Scotsman‘s David Bol, today, has a frontpage masterclass in confusion. It seems to be about one NHS nurse claiming she’s had to go private for some unspecified cancer ‘check‘ and who is warning that ‘someone could die‘, presumably from delay in that ‘check‘. Before you can ask what the cancer in question is, so that we might look at the published figures, Bol charges straight into a piece about the apparent problem of cervical cancer screening uptake not hitting the 80% target. So, if there are delays in the cancer ‘check‘ this one nurse has … Continue reading Scotsman’s confusion on cancer scanning ignores major progress

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Labour-run Wales has by far the highest rate of the economically inactive due to long-term illness or disability in the UK

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By stewartb The number of people economically inactive due to long term sickness or disability is a UK-wide ‘problem’ . From the Bevan Foundation on the situation in Wales where the Daily Record’s favoured political party, the British Labour Party has been in power for c.26 years (see https://www.bevanfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/SoW-Get-Wales-Working-Feb-25.pdf ): The Foundation’s report adds: ‘Across the UK, around a quarter of people aged 16 to 64 have a long-term health condition that limits their day-to-day activities (which means that they are classed as disabled). In Wales the proportion of people who have a long-term health condition is higher, at 28% in September … Continue reading Labour-run Wales has by far the highest rate of the economically inactive due to long-term illness or disability in the UK

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Labour in Cardiff does NOT have the solution to long A&E waiting times even after 26 years

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By stewartb On the theme of the British Labour Party’s track record in government with devolved powers. NHS Wales’ performance shows that Labour governing with devolved powers – even after c. 12 months with Labour in power in Westminster and c.26 years in power in Cardiff – does NOT have the solution to long A&E waiting times. As we approach the election to the Holyrood parliament in 2026, voters in Scotland should take careful note – unless of course the leadership of the British Labour Party in Scotland is keeping a game changing wheeze for the salvation of Scotland EDs … Continue reading Labour in Cardiff does NOT have the solution to long A&E waiting times even after 26 years

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Paul Hutcheon – More people in England than in Scotland are economically inactive due to long-term sickness – Have the figures prompted calls for the Labour Government to give people the support they need to get back to work?

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Daily Record yesterday, the above and: Over a quarter of a million Scots are out of work due to long-term sickness or having a disability after a rise caused by the pandemic. The SNP Government has now been urged to invest more in mental health and the NHS to help people back find jobs. New figures reveal there are an estimated 269,000 people in Scotland aged 16-64 who gave their reason for being inactive as long-term sick or disabled. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/over-260000-scots-out-work-35625432 All things being equal, we might expect the figure for England to be around 2.69 million. From Statista: … Continue reading Paul Hutcheon – More people in England than in Scotland are economically inactive due to long-term sickness – Have the figures prompted calls for the Labour Government to give people the support they need to get back to work?

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Waiting list for those assessed but still waiting for a care at home package is one-third longer in England than in Scotland affecting around 10 000 people in the former

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland – People requiring a social care assessment and care at home services published today: The estimated number of people assessed and waiting for a care at home package was 3,240 on 7 July 2025.1 All things being equal, you’d expect the figure for England to be around 32 000. From Adult social care in England, monthly statistics: July 2025 (latest data) published 3 July 2025: From April 2024 to March 2025, 586,000 people received a local authority adult social care assessment in England, having not received local authority long-term support in the … Continue reading Waiting list for those assessed but still waiting for a care at home package is one-third longer in England than in Scotland affecting around 10 000 people in the former

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Teenage pregnancies plummet after 18 years to reveal wider progress under SNP

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Teenage pregnancies Year of conception, ending 31 December 2023 published today: The teenage pregnancy rate in Scotland increased slightly from 25.5 per 1,000 women in 2022 to 25.8 in 2023. This is equal to 3,801 teenage pregnancies in 2023 (76 more than in 2022). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/teenage-pregnancies/teenage-pregnancies-year-of-conception-ending-31-december-2023/ From the above graph you can see that teenage pregnancies were running at 55-57 per year in the last years of the Labour/Lib Dem coalition and peaking in 2005-2008, more than twice as many as in recent years. Why is this such an important statistic and reflective of wider achievements … Continue reading Teenage pregnancies plummet after 18 years to reveal wider progress under SNP