As political leaders in Wales and NI join Labour’s Chancellor in condemning 14 years of Tory damage, BBC Scotland reveals Labour’s plan to persuade voters here to blame the Scottish Government instead.
By stewartb It’s been instructive to compare and contrast the reporting of the Labour PM’s initial visits to Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff. Northern Ireland The BBC News website (July 8) on its NI page has this headline: ‘What does the Labour government mean for NI?’ The BBC’s NI economics and business editor provides context: ‘The single most important influence on Stormont’s budget is the spending policy of the Westminster government. Most of what Stormont spends is the ‘block grant’ which comes from Westminster.’ (my emphasis) And adds: ‘For years the Stormont parties have complained about the negative impacts of “Tory … Continue reading As political leaders in Wales and NI join Labour’s Chancellor in condemning 14 years of Tory damage, BBC Scotland reveals Labour’s plan to persuade voters here to blame the Scottish Government instead.
BBC Scotland maintain silence on English drug gangs feeding Scotland’s drug deaths problem
Today, in the Daily Record: A press operator who brought nearly 40 kilos of cannabis to Scotland has been jailed for 18 months. Lukas Losinski was responsible for bringing drugs worth nearly £400,000 north of the border during a series of runs from Blackburn in England. The Dundee Courier covered the story but BBC Scotland, BBC Edinburgh, Fife & East and BBC NE are ignoring it as they have done now for more than three years since their only mention in 2021, of this dark newsworthy tale of English ‘County Lines’ gangs bringing cheap drugs, extreme violence, child abuse and people-trafficking to an estimated … Continue reading BBC Scotland maintain silence on English drug gangs feeding Scotland’s drug deaths problem
The Letby baby deaths and the UK Conservative / Lib Dem Government cuts beginning 5 years earlier to nurse-staffing levels far below those in NHS Scotland
By Professor John Robertson In June 2024, researchers at The Kings Fund revealed the above collapse in funding for the NHS in England, after the last Labour Government in 2009. Above, from the House of Commons Library in March 2024, revealing the 100% plus increase in the waiting lists in the same period of suppressed funding. Above from the Kings Fund in May 2024, evidence of significant increases in some NHS England staffing but, crucially, not in nurses and those who support them – a 25% increase to deal with doubled waiting lists. In the Guardian‘s Lucy Letby: killer or … Continue reading The Letby baby deaths and the UK Conservative / Lib Dem Government cuts beginning 5 years earlier to nurse-staffing levels far below those in NHS Scotland
Prisons in Scotland ‘orderly, safe, well-managed’ and only non-violent prisoners to be released early
severe pressure but they are certainly not broken. They are all orderly. They are still safe. They are still well-managed. The Chief Executive of Scottish Prison Service said the above and on Reporting Scotland, to be fair. Media coverage more widely, of course, is working up a scare over ‘SNP soft touch’ early release and carefully hiding the key fact that violent and sexual abuse cases will not be released early. Indeed, BBC Scotland’s full report on the website takes 8 paragraphs before mentioning quietly this: The proposals, if implemented, would not apply to those who are serving an extended … Continue reading Prisons in Scotland ‘orderly, safe, well-managed’ and only non-violent prisoners to be released early
Patient safety – NHS Scotland has ‘top pillar’ safety programme and all of our hospitals are safe unlike in some other places
By Professor John Robertson The Herald today has a scare story about Glasgow Royal but with, of course, little informative value. First, from the Westminster (UK Parliament) Health Committee, in January 2022: The Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP), introduced by the SNP Scottish Government in 2007, has been praised by a leading European expert on patient safety. In Westminster’s Health Committee, Dr Pelle Gustafson, CMO at Swedish Patient Insurer, responded with “Scotland”, when he was asked which country he would hold at the very top pillar with regards to patient safety. Dr Gustfason said: “If you take all preventative work in regard … Continue reading Patient safety – NHS Scotland has ‘top pillar’ safety programme and all of our hospitals are safe unlike in some other places
Oxford research proves Jackie Baillie’s support for UK Labour’s privatised health strategy will lead to ‘worse patient care’
By Professor John Robertson In the National today: Jackie Baillie has suggested the Scottish Government should follow Wes Streeting’s plans for heavier involvement of the private sector in the NHS. It comes after Streeting promised to go further than Tony Blair in making use of the private sector to ease NHS pressures. https://x.com/ScotNational/status/1810259280970268917 From Oxford University researchers reported in The Lancet, on 29 February 2024: A new review has concluded that hospitals that are privatised typically deliver worse quality care after converting from public ownership. The study, led by University of Oxford researchers, has been published in The Lancet Public Health. … Continue reading Oxford research proves Jackie Baillie’s support for UK Labour’s privatised health strategy will lead to ‘worse patient care’
Housing incoherence – Scottish Labour branch try to use their UK Labour privatised strategy to suggest the Scottish Government do more with state funds
In a speech today, UK Labour Chancellor makes it very clear that their housing strategy is based entirely on private investment and, of course, subsequent private sector costs for decades to come. Yet, in the Daily Record today; Labour MSP Mark Griffin said: “Scotland is in the grips of a housing emergency, but the SNP’s response has been woeful. “At a time when we need urgent action to boost housebuilding, the SNP has slashed the affordable housing budget and is gearing up to ditch its flagship affordable housing target. “Rachel Reeves is leading the way with Labour’s transformative plans to … Continue reading Housing incoherence – Scottish Labour branch try to use their UK Labour privatised strategy to suggest the Scottish Government do more with state funds
Voters in Wales are less than convinced about Labour’s track record
By stewartb The BBC News website’s Wales section today has this headline: ‘Low Welsh voter turnout appalling, says Kinnock’. It reports that: ‘In Wales, only 56% of voters filled out their ballot papers, compared to 60% across the UK, and 67% in Wales last time out in 2019.’ (In Scotland the overall turnout was 59%, down 8.4% from 2019.) And: ‘Despite winning the majority of seats, Labour’s vote share in Wales actually dropped, down from 40% to 37%.’ ‘… every Welsh constituency saw a decline compared to the previous election.’ So the impact on the 2024 GE of Labour having a long record in government in Cardiff whether on … Continue reading Voters in Wales are less than convinced about Labour’s track record
Increase in funding for already better-staffed midwifery services
In January 2024, the Daily Mail reporting a drop in the number of midwives, had: Women are dying during childbirth at the same rates as two decades ago, ‘alarming’ new data shows. An independent review into maternity deaths showed 293 women died during pregnancy and within six weeks of giving birth between 2020 and 2022. Experts said the upward trend is the most compelling evidence yet that failures now span ‘across the entire maternity system’ and is ‘not just one or two hospitals.’ The overall rate in 2020-2022, was 13.41 deaths per 100 000 births and based on the graph … Continue reading Increase in funding for already better-staffed midwifery services
Massive fall in reconvictions per offender
From the Scottish Government today, the recidivism rates: In England and Wales, in 2022, the figure was 25.5% For interest, in the USA, the recidivism rate after 3 years is 66% and after ten, 82%. Sources: https://www.gov.scot/publications/reconviction-rates-scotland-2020-21-offender-cohort/pages/2/ https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/proven-reoffending-statistics-january-to-march-2022/proven-reoffending-statistics-january-to-march-2022#:~:text=The%20overall%20proven%20reoffending%20rate,proven%20reoffending%20rate%20of%2025.1%25. https://www.success.com/recidivism-rates/#:~:text=More%20than%201.2%20million%20people,the%20Bureau%20of%20Justice%20Statistics. Continue reading Massive fall in reconvictions per offender
