Will we win independence by our own hands or will events happen to us that matter more and ease our way?
Important – I offer this as a starter for comment. I’m not, as you may know, an expert in this geopolitical field in any way. Professor John Robertson OBA Fifty years ago, I had to write an essay about the extent to which Karl Marx believed that individuals or powerful forces determined historical outcomes. The above quote, I thought, was a good starting point. I got a low B pass. He seems to be saying that we can influence events but within the limits imposed on our freedom of movement by forces such as climate change, geography, pandemics, wars or … Continue reading Will we win independence by our own hands or will events happen to us that matter more and ease our way?
Marine economy sees major growth including massive 2 024% increase in turnover from offshore wind farms
Professor John Robertson OBA From Scotland’s Marine Economic Statistics 2023 published yesterday, the more positive extracts which may well be selectively ignored by MSM. Scotland’s marine economy includes activities dependent on the marine environment. They provide an important source of income and employment across Scotland. Some key points are: In 2023, the marine economy generated £5.6 billion in approximate Gross Value Added (aGVA), 3% of the overall Scottish economy. In 2023, the marine economy employed 75,900 people (headcount), 2.9% of the total Scottish employment. Between 2022 and 2023, the marine economy’s aGVA increased by 4%. In the longer term, from … Continue reading Marine economy sees major growth including massive 2 024% increase in turnover from offshore wind farms
US paediatrician repeats warning of the deadly dangers our children face living near nuclear waste sites like those Anas Sarwar and Scottish Labour seem to have accepted as a price of their loyalty
Professor John Robertson OBA In the Salt Lake Tribune, two days ago, we see a local paediatrician warning his community of the dangers nuclear waste storage poses for children, in particular: This represents just another piece of evidence on top of the pile we already have, to expose Scottish Labour’s complacency: UK Labour‘s electricity-demanding creature Ed Milliband has clearly seen this: Roughly half of the SNP’s voters believe nuclear power should be part of Scotland’s mix of clean energy generation, a poll suggests, despite the party’s longstanding opposition to it. Polling for the campaign group Britain Remade, founded by a former energy and climate adviser to Boris Johnson, … Continue reading US paediatrician repeats warning of the deadly dangers our children face living near nuclear waste sites like those Anas Sarwar and Scottish Labour seem to have accepted as a price of their loyalty
“National value destruction” – a “masterclass” in causing uncertainty, speculation and lack of investment! Successive UK governments’ track record over Scotland’s offshore oil & gas condemned by authoritative energy industry source.
By stewartb “Devastating” WoodMac damns governments approach to North Sea’: this was the headline published December 11 by the respected energy news website, Energy Voice. It comes from its reporting of a new assessment of successive UK governments’ approach to the offshore oil & gas assets present on the UK Continental Shelf – assets of course mostly present offshore Scotland. The critique of Westminster/Whitehall governance comes from the respected provider of energy industry/market statistics and insight, namely Wood Mackenzie (aka WoodMac). It’s from an end of year review of key industry talking points internationally: among the top five issues, it … Continue reading “National value destruction” – a “masterclass” in causing uncertainty, speculation and lack of investment! Successive UK governments’ track record over Scotland’s offshore oil & gas condemned by authoritative energy industry source.
Scotland gets 20 000 new enterprises in last 5 years and more than 110 000 new employees since 2009, illustrating SNP competence in government
Professor John Robertson OBA From Industry statistics published today, we see significant, 13%, growth in the number of enterprises operating in Scotland, with the majority smaller and owned in Scotland. From the first SNP Government in 2007/2008 to this year, we also see more than 100 000 more in employment, including major growth in life sciences (43%). This evidence contrasts markedly with media narratives focusing on business closures and on those not in work Source – https://www.gov.scot/publications/industry-statistics/ Continue reading Scotland gets 20 000 new enterprises in last 5 years and more than 110 000 new employees since 2009, illustrating SNP competence in government
Four times as many flu hospital admissions in NHS Scotland yet no risk of collapse here because of…more beds, more staff, cleaner wards and better vaccine strategy
Professor John Robertson OBA From the Guardian yesterday the above dramatic headline and: Wes Streeting has told resident doctors that strikes and a jump in flu cases over the Christmas period could be “the Jenga piece” that forces the NHS to collapse. The health secretary said the NHS faced a “challenge unlike any it has seen since the pandemic” and urged resident doctors to accept the government’s offer and end their action. He said: “The whole NHS team is working around the clock to keep the show on the road. But it’s an incredibly precarious situation. Christmas strikes could be the Jenga … Continue reading Four times as many flu hospital admissions in NHS Scotland yet no risk of collapse here because of…more beds, more staff, cleaner wards and better vaccine strategy
Scottish Government’s earlier start to vaccination has averted extreme rate of increase overwhelming hospitals
Professor John Robertson OBA From AI: The UK’s flu vaccination programme is devolved, with Scotland managing its own through Public Health Scotland and NHS Scotland, while England follows NHS England and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidelines. Based on official guidance: This earlier September rollout in Scotland allowed for broader access about a month ahead of England’s main phase, potentially aiding higher uptake in vulnerable groups before the early flu surge (e.g., H3N2 strain cases rose 24% to 2,331 by early December 2025).No widespread reports of delivery delays emerged in either nation, though private pharmacy stocks ran low in Scotland … Continue reading Scottish Government’s earlier start to vaccination has averted extreme rate of increase overwhelming hospitals
Scotland flu vaccine jagging far faster than NHS England can jab
Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dorothy for alerting me to this. According to Dr Chris Streather, who’s Medical Director for the NHS in London, on Channel 4 News last night, NHS England has vaccinated more than 1.8 million for the flu virus1. That answer was in response to a question about vaccine denial. Both Dorothy and I thought the same – is that all? Why? We’ve been here before comparing stats from NHS Scotland and NHS England where the latter should be 10 times greater on anything to just be at the same level per head of population. 1.8 … Continue reading Scotland flu vaccine jagging far faster than NHS England can jab
NHS England asking hospitals to make patients wait longer and reduce the numbers they treat until the end of the financial year! Imagine that was in Scotland?
Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Health today, the above and: Access to hospital treatments is being restricted in many areas of England as the NHS struggles to balance its books, the BBC has learnt. Regional health boards have ordered some hospitals to cut back on the number of patients they are seeing, meaning hundreds of thousands of patients could have to wait longer for treatment. NHS managers said they were between a “rock and a hard place” trying to juggle balancing the books with tackling the hospital backlog, which currently stands at 7.4 million. Reducing waits for things like … Continue reading NHS England asking hospitals to make patients wait longer and reduce the numbers they treat until the end of the financial year! Imagine that was in Scotland?
Reddit cares about free speech? Tell that to this ‘f*****g lunatic’ and ‘known nutjob’ who writes ‘doctored articles’
Professor John Robertson OBA Reddit has attacked the Australian Government on a major political issue – free speech. Do the spotty wee lads at Reddit Scotland know? Three days ago, I posted: Browsing Reddit Scotland, a place where you can say what you like about people’s sanity, I was banned, two years ago for those satirical spoof things I often do. This kind of thing: They said ‘FAKE NEWS!’ He’s trying to fool us! I thought they’d get it. Satire, you know. They didn’t. Today someone posted my piece on school attainment in Scotland and England. Very soon, I was … Continue reading Reddit cares about free speech? Tell that to this ‘f*****g lunatic’ and ‘known nutjob’ who writes ‘doctored articles’
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 