Professor John Robertson OBA, Ferry Accountant of the Year From Brian Wilson, one -time Blairite minister, now apparently Ferry Correspondent for the Herald, the Scotsman and the Stornoway Gazette, two days ago, this: ​A CalMac manager apologised for “the current and unique pressure on vessel availability” following a series of failures within the ageing fleet have caused severe disruption for travellers to and from South Uist and Barra. The latest development means that Lochboisdale will continue to be served until mid-April by the MV Isle of Mull which has a passenger carrying capacity limited to just 45 because of safety … Continue reading “Unbelievable” – Brian Wilson’s latest ferry fake news ignores tiny passenger numbers rattling around in boats the rest of us subsidise massively

Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald today has: Over 6,500 Scots ‘in limbo’ due to waits for social care assessment – The SNP have been criticised for failing Scots as 6,500 people are currently on a waiting list for social care assessment- a rise of more than 500 since October. It is estimated that 6,508 people were waiting on a social care assessment to enable them to live independently at home or in the community on 3 March this year, according to the latest figures from Public Health Scotland. 1 I won’t bother finding who has criticised ‘SNP.’ You can guess. I can’t find up-to-date comparative data … Continue reading 52% more waiting for care home packages in NHS England, than in Scotland, but Herald cannot be trusted to tell you that

By JB Today in The Herald I see that they are blaming the Scottish Government, or more succinctly and inaccurately,  blaming the SNP for fostering agencies robbing millions of pounds of public money for their own profit, or as the headline states….” Call to end ‘backdoor profiteering’ in Scotland’s fostering system”. The article opens with…….”Campaigners have called on the Scottish Government to take action against fostering agencies diverting millions of pounds of public money to their private equity-backed parent companies. Legally, foster care services for children and young people in Scotland must be provided on a not-for-profit basis”. Call to end ‘backdoor profiteering’ … Continue reading UK ministers urged to consider lessons from Scotland, where laws state fostering agencies which are profit making cannot approve, review or terminate the approval of foster carers

Professor John Robertson OBA Update suggested by Coinneach – Find out Now don’t weight according to the 2014 referendum result but did to GE 2024 to make the SNP share of the sample smaller than that of Labour (284/241). That may well understate SNP support after these first months of Labour Government. From Find out Now, based on responses gathered on 26 March 2025, we see familiar trends becoming solidified. On 4 December 2024, Find out Now had: Con 13 Lab 21 LD 8 Reform 8 Greens 8 SNP 39 On 8 January 2025, it was: Con 10 Lab 18 … Continue reading Updated – 13th sub-poll confirms SNP support nearly 3 times Labour or Tories and Reform UK creeping into 2nd place

Professor John Robertson OBA, Pacific Archipelago Ferry Consultant From Global News, last week: After nearly 200 days out of service, one of BC Ferries’ key vessels is back on the water. The return of the Queen of New Westminster comes just in time for spring break. BC Ferries pulled the vessel from service in September 2024, after its propeller detached due to structural fatigue. The company is looking to build five new major vessels and conduct refits to extend the lives of two others. The BC Ferries commissioner is expected to rule on the proposal at the end of the month.1 The … Continue reading Canadian ferry service has to bring fatal accident prone 61 year-old vessel back into service after 200 days out because a replacement order has not even been approved yet