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Former Labour and Jack McConnell aide desperately attempts to spread ‘grooming gang’ pandemic into Scotland based on no evidence at all

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In the wake of the accusations that Keir Starmer was neglectful in his role as chief prosecutor at the time of the Rotherham Grooming [Mass child rape] Gang scandal, former Labour First Minister, Jack McConnell’s aide, Susan Dalgety, writes in the Scotsman on Saturday 4th January: Why Scotland needs urgent national investigation into child sex abuse by grooming gangs1 Leaving aside the irony of Scottish Labour calling for an inquiry into a phenomenon barely reported in Scotland at the same time as UK Labour refuses one where the phenomenon is widely reported in England, what evidence of need does Dalgety … Continue reading Former Labour and Jack McConnell aide desperately attempts to spread ‘grooming gang’ pandemic into Scotland based on no evidence at all

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NHS 18-week treatment target – Starmer aims to still lag behind Scotland nearly two years after coming to power

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Health today and headlining across TV broadcast news today: The government has unveiled a new pledge to cut the list of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment in England by nearly half a million over the next year. A key Labour election pledge, now included in the government’s six main priorities, is for 92% of patients to begin treatment or be given the all-clear within 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament. This has been an official NHS target for some time, but has not been met since 2015. Currently, only … Continue reading NHS 18-week treatment target – Starmer aims to still lag behind Scotland nearly two years after coming to power

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Royal Yacht cost nearly half a billion to repair and had 8 times as many crew, for 250 guests, no cars or HGVs, as the MV Glen Sannox will have to look after 852 passengers, 127 cars and 16 HGVs

johnrobertson834

Thanks to cuckooshoe and one of our anonymouses, for this. In Business Insider, November 10th 2022, we read that the Royal Yacht Britannia cost the taxpayer £11 million per year to maintain from 1953 to 1997, £484 million! The 126m vessel had 271 crew members for up to 250 guests, no cars and no HGVs. The 102m MV Glen Sannox will have 32 crew members for 852 passengers, 127 cars and 16 HGVs. Continue reading Royal Yacht cost nearly half a billion to repair and had 8 times as many crew, for 250 guests, no cars or HGVs, as the MV Glen Sannox will have to look after 852 passengers, 127 cars and 16 HGVs

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Major Canadian privatised ferry company persisting with far older fleet because it needs to pay bonuses and dividends, had to spend far more on maintenance than CalMac

johnrobertson834

Thanks to JB for this link. From BC Ferries (Canada) January 31st 2024, the above aging fleet. CalMac has no large ferries over 50, only the about to be retired MV Isle of Arran at 41. All of the others are less than 40 and only five are over 25. There are six new larger ferries, built on the Clyde and in Turkey, due in service within the next year or so. BC Ferries will have none before 2030. BC Ferries has spent more than $130m on maintenance in the last 5 years, so perhaps $260m in the 10 years … Continue reading Major Canadian privatised ferry company persisting with far older fleet because it needs to pay bonuses and dividends, had to spend far more on maintenance than CalMac

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NHS Scotland had 27% fewer delayed hospital discharges than NHS Wales after decades of Labour control there but Scottish Labour conveniently ignore that

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By stewartb More numbers designed to shock from the British Labour Party’s spokesperson on talking down Scotland’s health and social care services! Any context offered? The numbers on delayed discharge are to be deplored but are they really big by comparison to those incurred by Scotland’s peers? From the BBC News website, Wales section (November 11, 2024): ‘Staff burnout warning over plan to free NHS beds’ (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy5lqn19275o ) ‘At any one time, there are about 1,600 patients, mostly elderly, in hospital beds in Wales who are otherwise fit to be discharged. In some hospitals, this is 20% of all beds. ‘But delays around … Continue reading NHS Scotland had 27% fewer delayed hospital discharges than NHS Wales after decades of Labour control there but Scottish Labour conveniently ignore that

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‘The UK’s worst economic performance in post war economic history.’ Devolved government and economic management: the case of Labour governing Wales

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By stewartb – a long read When the UK economy is in a poor state, can governments in Scotland or Wales with devolved powers counter UK economic performance in a substantive way given that key policy levers are ONLY available to Westminster and the UK’s central bank? Proponents of the Union point to Scotland’s economic performance and allege: (i) it’s failing due to the political party that has governed in Edinburgh since 2007; and (ii) to have a successful economy, Scotland needs ‘change’, it needs to have the Labour Party (or the Tories) become the government in Edinburgh. Of course … Continue reading ‘The UK’s worst economic performance in post war economic history.’ Devolved government and economic management: the case of Labour governing Wales

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Jackie Baillie trying to fool you by exploiting the less than 4% delayed hospital discharges in Scotland while hiding from you our 50 times better care at home figures

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to AR for another of his regular alerts. From STV today: The cost of delays to the discharge of patients from hospitals in Scotland has reached nearly £1.5bn over the last 10 years, according to analysis by Scottish Labour. then after 8 paragraphs, this: Health secretary Neil Gray said: “Most people are able to leave hospital with no delays – currently over 96% of all hospital discharges happen without delay – but reducing delayed discharges further is a priority for the Scottish Government. Far more important but being ignored by all of ‘our’ MSM, this from … Continue reading Jackie Baillie trying to fool you by exploiting the less than 4% delayed hospital discharges in Scotland while hiding from you our 50 times better care at home figures

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Herald headline front page news is completely fake as FACTS reveal SNP ensured more, £6k better paid, police officers than when Labour was in power and cut crime by massive 53% in same period

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By Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald, today, with the above, a strange reference to Celtic only, and this opening text: Officers public safety concern over ScotGov police commitment ‘fail’ as crimes rise. Ministers have been warned about a risk to public safety as a past SNP commitment to have at least 17,236 police officers in post has been ‘reneged’ upon while the number of recorded crimes has started to rise. It’s nonsense, all of it. The true facts are, from open, transparent, official, checkable statistics, in Police officer quarterly strength statistics: 30 September 2024, is: Police officer numbers increased by 220 FTE officers (+1.4%) … Continue reading Herald headline front page news is completely fake as FACTS reveal SNP ensured more, £6k better paid, police officers than when Labour was in power and cut crime by massive 53% in same period

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Ford Fiasco as Guardian reveals Scotland’s ferries cost ‘eye wateringly’ less to maintain than the average family car

johnrobertson834

I know, I’ve done this already but seeing it in the Guardian, the newspaper of academics and professionals, is a further example of their jaundiced and/or ill-informed coverage when it comes to Scotland but, usefully, prompts me to check if that is actually a lot to spend on maintenance. So, here we go, more sums, stay with me, Primary 5-level sums. The average family car: Annual maintenance costs – £800 Annual average annual family car mileage – 8 000 miles. Thus maintenance cost per mile – 10p and per passenger (5), 2p per mile. The average large ferry: Annual maintenance … Continue reading Ford Fiasco as Guardian reveals Scotland’s ferries cost ‘eye wateringly’ less to maintain than the average family car

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CalMac ferries don’t cost ‘ferry much’ to keep in service!!!!

johnrobertson834

Mr Robertson, Primary 7, Room 12 The Herald’s Craig Paton (14?) wrote the above. Nope, me neither. Other media are having a slavering, low-intellect, feast on that huge £100 million figure that he’s built up. The average 11 year-old would be shocked at the idiocy and mendacity. Note, it’s ‘repair’ not ‘maintenance?’ Drip, drip, drip…. Anyhow, class: If it costs £100 million to maintain 8 ferries for 10 years, how much did it cost to maintain 1 ferry, on average each year? Bobby – Easy! Easy! 2 minutes later, Bobby has it, £0.125 million or 125 000. Sounds a lot, … Continue reading CalMac ferries don’t cost ‘ferry much’ to keep in service!!!!