Eradicating child poverty costs nothing in the long term because everything depends on it
By Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian in December 2024: The news that more than one in three children in the UK are now living in poverty should shock everyone but surprise no one. Nearly three years into the cost of living crisis, we know that young families and disabled people have been among those hit hardest by the biggest fall in UK living standards in half a century. The latest estimates, by the non-partisan Social Metrics Commission, show that the number of people in poverty has risen to 16 million, or nearly one in four of the UK population – its highest … Continue reading Eradicating child poverty costs nothing in the long term because everything depends on it
Latest poll – Labour collapse and Reform almost catch Tories
I’m just seeing the full data tables from the Norstat/Sunday Times poll on 1 November 2024 which had YES/No tied, so improved from a 3% NO lead on August 22, 2024. 22 August 2024 poll by same sample in brackets below, before death of Alba leader Alex Salmond (12 October) and first Labour budget (30 October). Westminster (likely voters excluding undecided): Holyrood Constituency Holyrood Regional In the space of around 5 weeks after the last Norstat poll using the same sampling technique, we can see the clear effect of Labour’s early actions in a major collapse in their support in … Continue reading Latest poll – Labour collapse and Reform almost catch Tories
More good ideas for winning the voters round to the pro-independence parties including honesty about the England team
I’m indebted to one of the many Ann Onymouses who comment on TuS, for sharing this with me. Earlier today, I wrote: The SNP can win again if they learn from the US Democrat’s defeat – don’t respond to opposition ‘facts’, frame the argument as strength and do not move to the right as that only convinces voters that the right has better ideas https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2024/11/18/the-snp-can-win-again-if-they-learn-from-the-us-democrats-defeat-dont-respond-to-opposition-facts-frame-the-argument-as-strength-and-do-not-move-to-the-right-as-that-only-convinces-voters-t/ In essence, this argues that the leadership should ignore the flak, like Trump, dismiss it all as biased, present as strong and caring, frame the argument around the values that the majority will vote for … Continue reading More good ideas for winning the voters round to the pro-independence parties including honesty about the England team
Will the Scottish Conservatives call for a full ban on double jobbing for their own distracted colleagues?
In a sad, desperate and fearful attempt to keep Stephen Flynn out of Holyrood, the Scottish Conservatives are calling for a vote to ban “double jobbing” in the wake of Stephen Flynn’s bid to stand as both an MSP and MP. I agree that if elected to Holyrood in May 2026, he should stand down from his Westminster seat. However, I smell something corrupt when the Scottish Cons attempt to climb windily on to a high horse. Being an MP and MSP even in the same geographical area is a push but a wee look at some of jobs the … Continue reading Will the Scottish Conservatives call for a full ban on double jobbing for their own distracted colleagues?
Police Scotland NEVER in special measures but THREE English forces still are – here’s why
By Professor John Robertson OBA I know, Operation Branchform is a disgrace but, to be fair, when the security services tell the chief of police what to do, they have to do it. Today, the widely-read international policing journal, Policing Insight, has: A record number of police forces in England and Wales have been put into special measures (formally known as ‘Engage’) over the past three years – but what does Engage mean, and how do forces move out of it? Policing Insight’s James Sweetland spoke to HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke, as well as two Chief Constables who have … Continue reading Police Scotland NEVER in special measures but THREE English forces still are – here’s why
Scotland has one of shortest gynaecology waiting lists but gets BBC Scotland’s bad news while Northern Ireland with more than twice as many waiting doesn’t seem to need to know that
By Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland’s and BBC Northern Ireland’s main pages above – spot the difference? Should Northern Ireland be told this? Maybe fewer women there are being left in pain? See this from the BBC Health report: Wow? BBC England is not covering the story. BBC Wales is, as they should, but why is BBC Scotland’s news editor choosing it, given the above graph? Is this just more of the thinking behind yesterday’s rape fake news? See: Today, the BBC Scotland News Editor (James Cook) chooses to include 2 rape reports in the 7 top stories. BBC England, Wales and Northern … Continue reading Scotland has one of shortest gynaecology waiting lists but gets BBC Scotland’s bad news while Northern Ireland with more than twice as many waiting doesn’t seem to need to know that
Scotland’s oil and gas revenues, even ten years after we were told it was running out, are still FOUR TIMES that of Guyana’s apparently ‘mind-boggling oil wealth’
By Professor John Robertson OBA In 2022, the South American country Guyana produced $7.5 billion in oil and gas revenues.1 In the same year, Scotland produced $31.8 billion in oil and gas revenues.2 Today, in the Guardian: Hundreds of thousands of Guyana citizens living at home and abroad will receive a payout of around £370 each after the country announced it was distributing its “mind-boggling” oil wealth.3 If $7.7bn is ‘mindboggling’ then what is $31.8 bn, especially when we were told it was soon to run out? Sources: Support Scots Independent, Scotland’s oldest pro-independence newspaper and host of the OBA (Oliver Brown Award) at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/shop/ The Oliver Brown … Continue reading Scotland’s oil and gas revenues, even ten years after we were told it was running out, are still FOUR TIMES that of Guyana’s apparently ‘mind-boggling oil wealth’
The SNP can win again if they learn from the US Democrat’s defeat – don’t respond to opposition ‘facts’, frame the argument as strength and do not move to the right as that only convinces voters that the right has better ideas
I’m grateful to stewartb for alerting me to this: How could so many people vote for someone who does not have their best interests at heart? Because people don’t necessarily vote their self-interest. Instead, they vote their values. Moving forward, Democrats must stop making these superficial, last-minute lurches toward Republican ideas. They must frame the case not as left or right, but for the people and the public good. Moving to the right only convinces voters that the right has better ideas. It’s a desperate short-term strategy with harmful long-term consequences. These two quotes are from Some lessons of the … Continue reading The SNP can win again if they learn from the US Democrat’s defeat – don’t respond to opposition ‘facts’, frame the argument as strength and do not move to the right as that only convinces voters that the right has better ideas
Why facts don’t change our minds but framing does
By stewartb Intuitively ‘facts’ should form a key part of informing, rebutting and changing views, but what impact do ‘facts’ actually have on voting intentions? There are many studies of human behaviour in elections in western democracies – albeit mostly focused on the USA – that, worryingly, question the role played by ‘facts’. As one example, a review of some leading academic studies published in New Yorker magazine in 2017 had this headline: ‘Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds – New discoveries about the human mind show the limitations of reason.’ Here are some extracts to give a sense of its content: I’d … Continue reading Why facts don’t change our minds but framing does
Helen Puttick, ‘Scottish Health Correspondent’ in her Times article appears to be intent on misinforming readers and voters
By stewartb From the disingenuous article in the Times yesterday: ‘In England Wes Streeting is demanding change in return for extra funding.’ What change? Something called ‘zero-tolerance’ and the introduction of ‘league tables’! Source: Nuffield Trust – ‘responds to announcement of new “zero tolerance for failure” NHS reforms‘ Press release November 13. ‘.. there is a danger the actions announced by the Secretary of State will worsen some of the patterns that got us into this mess. We know from the special measures for quality regime that “naming and shaming” NHS trusts can make it harder to recruit staff, which doesn’t help patient … Continue reading Helen Puttick, ‘Scottish Health Correspondent’ in her Times article appears to be intent on misinforming readers and voters
