Category: Uncategorized

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New Zealand’s super-ferries will never be late, just never built and yet still cost millions

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By Professor John Robertson From the NZ Herald today: KiwiRail only terminated its mega ferry ship-building contract after receiving a letter from Finance Minister Nicola Willis and two months after the Government pulled the plug on the project. A scheme to replace the current ageing Interislander fleet with two larger ships was left dead in the water in December after costs for the overall project, including new terminals and wharf upgrades, ballooned to almost $3b and the new Government refused to fund the blowout. However, KiwiRail took until February 14 to announce it was terminating the $551m fixed-price contract with Hyundai Mipo Dockyard to build … Continue reading New Zealand’s super-ferries will never be late, just never built and yet still cost millions

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BBC reporting of County Lines drug gangs getting closer as BBC Cumbria carries story – When will BBC Scotland face this dark shadow on the Union?

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By Professor John Robertson BBC Cumbria becomes the latest of BBC regions to report on the devastating plague of County Lines gangs spreading drug death, extreme violence, people trafficking and child abuse, across the UK and now from Manchester to small towns in Cumbria. Imagine if these gangs were based in Scottish cities and crossing into England? BBC Scotland’s last and only report on County Lines gangs in Scotland, estimated at 55 groups, from Dumfries to Dingwall, more than three years ago. the report is careful not to mention the word ‘England’ nor even name the all-English cities where the … Continue reading BBC reporting of County Lines drug gangs getting closer as BBC Cumbria carries story – When will BBC Scotland face this dark shadow on the Union?

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Chickens uncaged but your news still trapped in one

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By Professor John Robertson BBC Scotland’s website above still milking the non-story of an attention-seeking celeb and serial whinger about anything the SNP might do to better the circumstances of the rest of us. This morning, BBC UK had an extended piece on Scotland becoming the first part of the UK to ban the caging of laying hens. As you would hope they let the Scottish Government minister have some credit for the actions. Minutes later BBC Reporting Scotland managed to push the story back, behind a tale of a flooded cemetery in Ayr without telling us the council responsible … Continue reading Chickens uncaged but your news still trapped in one

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Soap box serial objectors

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Image PA JUSTIN TALLIS VIA GETTY IMAGES By NMRN the Hate crime and public order (Scotland) Act…. it is being reported that “Rishi Sunak backs JK Rowling in row over Scottish hate crime legislation”…..of course he does as do other like minded people who also oppose everything said and done by the SNP as the Scottish government…..which is a ‘serial’ event…..though considering some of the actions via his government I cannot see his consensus with JKR as being something many would regard as being worthy of noting…..as significant. Indeed I am sure some individuals see this new Act as an … Continue reading Soap box serial objectors

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Abuse, assault, bullying, racism, sexism, misogyny and cover-ups – the Scottish Lib Dems

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By NMRN It has always been an enigma to me why ACH and the Lib Dems, an insignificant presence within Holyrood via the amount of MSP’s and TBH via their weak contributions in any debate, that the BBC and other media often seek out their input and opinions upon Scottish politics and indeed any matters connected to Scotland. (though really I am fully aware of why they are given a media platform…. tis solely down to their eager #SNPBAD rhetoric that is part of a combined political attack together with other opposition parties against the SNP) Thus one has to … Continue reading Abuse, assault, bullying, racism, sexism, misogyny and cover-ups – the Scottish Lib Dems

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NHS Scotland staffed and equipped to do stunning 98% of planned operations on time

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By Professor John Robertson From Public Health Scotland today, for Month Ending 29 February 2024 (the latest data), we can see that only 2% of the 24 268 planned operations, as referrals increased, up 12.7% on the previous year, were cancelled due to Non-Clinical / Capacity reasons such as staff absence or a surge in demand due to, perhaps, a major accident in the area. There other 3% were cancelled, justifiably, where either the doctor or the patient decided against it, often at the last minute and thus too late for the rescheduling of another patient. 98% efficiency in large … Continue reading NHS Scotland staffed and equipped to do stunning 98% of planned operations on time

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Alcohol-related hospital admissions continue to plummet in wake of SNP ‘controversial’ Minimum Unit Pricing policy

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By Professor John Robertson From Public Health Scotland on 26 March 2024: General hospital admissions resulting from conditions wholly attributable to alcohol peaked in 2007/08 (855 per 100,000 population) but have fallen most years since and reduced by 37.5% between 2007/08 and 2022/23 (532 per 100,000). The 2022 Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) reports that 19% of respondents (aged 16 and over) stated that they did not drink any alcohol. This represents a rise on the equivalent 2021 figure which was 16%. There has been a steady increase in the percentage of SHeS respondents aged 16-24 years who report that they … Continue reading Alcohol-related hospital admissions continue to plummet in wake of SNP ‘controversial’ Minimum Unit Pricing policy

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Only 0.0008% of nearly a QUARTER OF A MILLION additional needs cases wait too long and there will be complex reasons for even those 2 but the Lib Dems care little for that

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By Professor John Robertson BBC Reporting Scotland today have a story not being covered by the BBC Scotland website: Long waits for diagnoses of neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and ADHD ‘s ‘harmful’ particularly for children. That’s according to the Scottish Liberal Democrats who obtained wait list figures through a Freedom of Information request. The report goes on to ‘cherry pick’ extreme examples of the kind we all know there will be complex reasons for, over and above any supposed staff shortages, and require a Scottish Government response to a problem entirely the responsibility of a health board. The report does … Continue reading Only 0.0008% of nearly a QUARTER OF A MILLION additional needs cases wait too long and there will be complex reasons for even those 2 but the Lib Dems care little for that

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Proportionally THREE times as many wait more than 12 hours in England’s full A&E departments as in Scotland and thus THOUSANDS face avoidable deaths there

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By Professor John Robertson According to BBC Health today: More than 250 patients a week could be dying unnecessarily, due to long waits in A&E in England, according to analysis of NHS data. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine analysed the 1.5 million who waited 12 hours or more to be admitted in 2023. A previous data study had calculated the level of risk of people dying after long waits to start treatment and found it got worse after five hours. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) carried out a similar analysis in 2022, which at that time resulted … Continue reading Proportionally THREE times as many wait more than 12 hours in England’s full A&E departments as in Scotland and thus THOUSANDS face avoidable deaths there

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She dislikes SNP, Scottish independence, Jeremy Corbyn, anything passed as a law , bill or policy originating from the Scottish government, Scottish FM (past & present)…….

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JK Rowling sitting on a mountain of children’s pocket money and dreaming of domination in Scotland By NMRN “JK Rowling in ‘arrest me’ challenge over hate crime law” Pity there was not a law against “constant attention seeking uber wealthy over privileged peeps’ like her who promotes it’s ‘my way or the highway’ type of opinion on politics and other matters…….her nose cannot help but be stuck into most issues/situations/politics that she demands should be altered/reversed/different ….it’s her dismissive and condescending manner that irks….of course us mere mortals who, unlike her, cannot be protected by vast wealth that sees some, … Continue reading She dislikes SNP, Scottish independence, Jeremy Corbyn, anything passed as a law , bill or policy originating from the Scottish government, Scottish FM (past & present)…….