‘When a polling company reports a survey of political opinion in Scotland weighted to 2014 what does it mean?’ Intelligence response

stewartb: I asked the question of Chat GPT (for free) as a place to start – other AI tools are available. From Chat GPT – (see https://chatgpt.com ) My question: ‘When a polling company reports a survey of political opinion in Scotland weighted to 2014 what does it mean?‘ ChatGPT said in response: ‘When a polling company reports a survey of political opinion in Scotland “weighted to 2014,” it usually refers to weighting the data based on how people voted in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. I’n Detail: In Scotland, “2014” almost always refers to the independence referendum, held on 18 September … Continue reading ‘When a polling company reports a survey of political opinion in Scotland weighted to 2014 what does it mean?’ Intelligence response

Want a No lead? Ask Survation. Want a crazy big No lead? Ask YouGov. Want a Yes lead? Don’t fiddle with the sample

Professor John Robertson OBA The two recent polls by Ipsos and Norstat showing Yes leads, have reversed what seemed to be a counter trend with four No leads, from Survation but especially, with bizarre whopping No leads, from YouGov. These four polls were ‘counter‘ in the most obvious of ways – counter to the plummeting reputations of Labour in late 2024 and early 2025, as they went full-on austerity two and especially for the poor, the elderly and the disabled. How did they manage it? Simple, they adjusted their sample to look just like the sample in the 2014 referendum … Continue reading Want a No lead? Ask Survation. Want a crazy big No lead? Ask YouGov. Want a Yes lead? Don’t fiddle with the sample

Just Yorkshire Water spends 345 times as much as Scotland on sewage spills clear-up

Professor John Robertson OBA This morning the Herald front page was all about the supposedly high cost of Scottish Water’s sewage spill clear-ups. In 2024, the most recent figure, according to the Herald’s freedom of information ‘scoop’, it was £136 268. Figures for the whole of England are not easy to find, but in August 2024, RWB Group, Specialist Providers of Inspection, Surveying, Flood Response, Drainage Repairs & Environmental Services, and Channel 4 reported: The UK water regulator, Ofwat, recently proposed substantial fines totalling £168 million for three major water companies—Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, and Northumbrian Water—due to their repeated … Continue reading Just Yorkshire Water spends 345 times as much as Scotland on sewage spills clear-up

Cost of sewage spill clear-ups plummets for second year in a row but the Herald ignores it’s own figures to get a big headline number

Professor John Robertson OBA In a classic primary school method (failed), the Herald writer gets the Scottish Water figures for sewage spill clear-ups, spots the falling trend, shrieks, then just ignores that and adds them all up to get a big number and still pretend it’s bad news. The costs were: 2021 – £397 745 2022 – £539 717 2023 – £344 303 2024 – £136 268 Couldn’t be clearer, a sharply falling trend, down to less than a third in the last two years – rejoice? No? I wonder, what have the costs in England been? Later. Continue reading Cost of sewage spill clear-ups plummets for second year in a row but the Herald ignores it’s own figures to get a big headline number

Dear England, we can help you see through the media spin distorting your reality

Brenda Robb Today the media are full of articles, opinion pieces and comments on UK Labour’s plan to transform the NHS. We in Scotland would like to check if you are happy with what is being said because we have considerable experience of political & media spin distorting the real issues. Wes Streeting is offering a 3 pronged approach. Let’s start with the digital app, the doctor in your pocket. This promises several things – unprecedented control over your care, instant access to health advice, organising appointments made easier. It all sounds good doesn’t it? But take the health advice, … Continue reading Dear England, we can help you see through the media spin distorting your reality

Traveller movement was included in Covid data systems for vaccination but only in Scotland

Professor John Robertson OBA From Closing Statement of behalf of Public Health Scotland (PHS) in the UK COVID-19 Inquiry relative to the Module 4 hearing, published today: PHS would highlight two parts of the evidence in this regard. Firstly, the inquiry heard that data from the Traveller Movement was not included in the NHS [England] “data dictionary”. The point made was that inadequate data capture led to services not being commissioned for this group, which did not form part of local planning. Yvonne McNamara, Chief Executive Officer of the Traveller Movement spoke about this as did the experts, Dr Ben … Continue reading Traveller movement was included in Covid data systems for vaccination but only in Scotland

100 vulnerable Scots exploited by violent drug gangs from somewhere but that’s not in the public interest

..to tackle the exploitation of vulnerable people by drug dealers. Officers went to more than 40 addresses where dealers were believed to have taken over vulnerable people’s homes. Police say they’ve helped more than 100 people and seized hundreds of cannabis plants worth more than a quarters of a million Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland’s insert in BBC Breakfast this morning had the above short report on what is widely known as ‘cuckooing‘. There’s no mention of there these gangs come from but the words of Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston in the Daily Mail are suggestive of the … Continue reading 100 vulnerable Scots exploited by violent drug gangs from somewhere but that’s not in the public interest

Those urging sympathy for Rachel Reeves would do well to remember how the BBC treated Nicola Sturgeon when she shed tears at the Covid Inquiry

By Liz S Rachel Reeves in tears in the debating chamber in the HOC. “personal matter” apparently. However why then was she in the chamber if the “personal matter” was so upsetting for her that she could not hold back her tears while knowing she was within a public forum. Also it , as a public forum, was being televised and based on yet another major U Turn by her leader then her also knowing that that she would most likely be targeted by the opposition as the current UK Chancellor for failing to find money elsewhere. Empathy and support … Continue reading Those urging sympathy for Rachel Reeves would do well to remember how the BBC treated Nicola Sturgeon when she shed tears at the Covid Inquiry

BBC in Inverness trying to hide the murderous plague of Liverpool drug gangs in Inverness from the folk in Inverness for what purpose we wonder?

The Inverness Courier yesterday, above. BBC Scotland’s people in Inverness, above, have no time for the story. Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dorothy, once more, for alerting me to this. From the Inverness Courier: A 26-year-old Liverpool man who supplied heroin and cocaine across England and Scotland, including Inverness, Aviemore and Nairn, will be sentenced next week. Jack Horgan, of Boundary Farm Road, who is currently serving a jail sentence, appeared by video link at Inverness Sheriff Court represented by his solicitor David Patterson, who confirmed his client would be admitting two offences of being concerned in the supply of the … Continue reading BBC in Inverness trying to hide the murderous plague of Liverpool drug gangs in Inverness from the folk in Inverness for what purpose we wonder?