Thousands in England & Wales waiting longer for cancer therapy than in Scotland
From Public Health Scotland today: 70.4% of patients started treatment within the 62-day standard. The equivalent figure for NHS England is 64.6% meaning that 5.6% of the 287 991, or 16 100, had to wait longer than the target waiting time than they would have had to in an SNP-run NHS. NHS Wales have made it damned difficult to extract the equivalent figures but a BBC Wales report puts it at only 53.4% for February 2024. Sources: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancer-waiting-times/cancer-waiting-times-1-january-to-31-march-2024/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancer-waiting-times/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clkez97p2jdo Continue reading Thousands in England & Wales waiting longer for cancer therapy than in Scotland
Major fixes are required for a failing UK state but the two main parties are in denial for partisan electoral reasons
From stewartb There have been some escoriating assessments of the Tory and Labour manifestos for the upcoming General Election. They include the one below from the establishment-revered Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). When reading the extracts, written from a London/England-centric UK perspective, reflect on just how ‘distant’ – how lacking in effective agency — Scotland’s electorate and government are in all of this! The IFS is essentially arguing that major fixes are required for a failing UK state but that the two main parties are in denial for partisan electoral reasons. Within this Union, Scotland’s ability to influence the nature … Continue reading Major fixes are required for a failing UK state but the two main parties are in denial for partisan electoral reasons
Deadly measles cases more than 7 times as common in England
On BBC UK this morning, a worrying report on falling immunisation levels among children to well below the 95% immunity level. Of particular concern the effect of low immunisation with the MMR vaccine to cover the deadly measles. Not reported above and as yet unavailable online, the MMR figure from September 2023, was 92.5% Also published today, the Scottish data: 92.6% of children had the first dose of MMR vaccine by 24 months of age. This rose to 95.6% for children who had reached age 5. As of 19 June, there have been 14 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in Scotland in … Continue reading Deadly measles cases more than 7 times as common in England
Crime slightly up in 2023/2024 but still falling in trend down 51% from the days of Thatcherism still scarring England
By Professor John Robertson From the Scottish Government today: Crime figures based only on police reporting do understate the actual level of crime and so we need to find out what people will report to independent researchers about their own experience of crime in their communities. The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) is based on 5 600 face-to-face interviews. This is a very large sample, scientifically constructed to represent all social groups. Compared with opinion polls with samples of around 1 000, this method is gold-standard for validity and reliability. It found an estimated 494,000 crimes in 2021/22 [Down … Continue reading Crime slightly up in 2023/2024 but still falling in trend down 51% from the days of Thatcherism still scarring England
The plague of English drug gangs terrorising Scotland that cannot be named strikes Falkirk
According to Police Scotland, two years ago, there were around 50 County Lines drugs, child sex and trafficking, gang groups, based in England, now operating in Scottish towns, from Fraserburgh to Dumfries. Only Auchinleck/Cumnock seems to have driven them out, when locals rioted against a Bradford-based group and burned their base, last November. See: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2023/11/29/locals-confirm-ayrshire-riots-were-against-british-drug-gangs-who-abused-under-age-girls/ While the local press and the tabloids will be explicit about this curse, BBC Scotland, STV, and the ‘serious’ press will not. The words ‘County Lines’ almost never make it to a headline and rarely appear in the text. That this is a flow exclusively … Continue reading The plague of English drug gangs terrorising Scotland that cannot be named strikes Falkirk
Days before an election, Reporting Scotland and the rogue BMA Scotland rep tell us there is an NHS crisis but only in Scotland – The Facts say otherwise
By Professor John Robertson In April 2024: BMA Scotland, headed up by Dr Iain Kennedy, who has now shed the union flag on his twitter account, have a piece on consultant vacancies all over the media from 06:30 this morning on BBC Scotland. They’ll have had this one oven-ready for some time now. Why today. From the real BMA in London today: The BMA England GP committee has warned health service officials that the profession is ‘now in dispute’ with NHS England following the overwhelming vote to reject the 2024/25 contract. Is the profession in dispute with NHS Scotland? The silence talks. … Continue reading Days before an election, Reporting Scotland and the rogue BMA Scotland rep tell us there is an NHS crisis but only in Scotland – The Facts say otherwise
Drifts nearly onto the rocks, hits the harbour wall and now runs aground – New Zealand’s real ferry crisis
By our International Ferry Correspondent In January 2023: Stricken Cook Strait ferry the Kaitaki drifted more than a nautical mile towards the rugged Wellington south coast in winds gusting over 100kph, it’s been revealed. The harbour ships that raced to her aid also likely lacked the grunt to pull her and 800 passengers to safety. Wellington Harbourmaster Grant Nalder on Sunday praised the professionalism of the crew and captain, who battled challenging conditions to drop two anchors and halt the powerless ship’s drift 0.9 nautical miles from shore and 0.6 nautical miles (1.1km) from hitting the sea floor. In November … Continue reading Drifts nearly onto the rocks, hits the harbour wall and now runs aground – New Zealand’s real ferry crisis
Police Scotland Alerts – Why is BBC Scotland not looking as Scotland’s drug deaths are fuelled by English gangs
By Professor John Robertson From Police Scotland yesterday: Three people have been arrested in connection with drug offences in Aberdeen. Following a County Lines intelligence led operation, officers executed warrants at addresses on Esslemont Avenue and Granton Place, Aberdeen on Wednesday, 19 June, 2024. Class A drugs with an estimated value of £35,000 and a four-figure sum of cash were recovered. A 23-year-woman and a two men, aged 30 and 31, all from the London area were arrested and charged in connection with the recovery. They are due to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Thursday, 20 June, 2024. A … Continue reading Police Scotland Alerts – Why is BBC Scotland not looking as Scotland’s drug deaths are fuelled by English gangs
London-based County Lines drug gang exploits child in Aberdeenshire but BBC Scotland look away again as election looms
By Professor John Robertson Yesterday, STV had this headline and sub: Man, 21, charged in connection with drugs offences and child exploitation – The 21-year-old man is due to appear at Peterhead Sheriff Court on Monday, June 24. They do mention London and County Lines in the text but keep this matter, which clearly harms the Better Together story, from too much attention. I doubt the story has made a TV broadcast. Correct me if you can. BBC Scotland? It is now more than 3 years since BBC Scotland mentioned County Lines gangs, for the only time, in a post. … Continue reading London-based County Lines drug gang exploits child in Aberdeenshire but BBC Scotland look away again as election looms
Holding government to account depends on the “attitude” of the ruling party in what is “one of the most executive-dominated parliaments in the world”
(Director, Institute for Government, 18 June 2024) – Scotland’s 21st century democracy, UK-style! By stewartb A comment piece by the Director of the Institute for Government (IfG) – the London-based, centrist think tank close to the Westminster and Whitehall establishment – got me thinking about the democracy and associated agency we in Scotland experience within the Union. We are only too well aware that Scotland’s electorate is in a small minority in this Union; that Scotland now has a diminished number of elected members in the Union parliament; that we have a modern history of prolonged periods of rule by … Continue reading Holding government to account depends on the “attitude” of the ruling party in what is “one of the most executive-dominated parliaments in the world”
