Tag: edinburgh

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West Midlands ‘complex county lines’ gang using children to sell drugs from ‘trap houses’ into and across Scotland

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From The Express & Star, yesterday: Members of ‘complex’ County Lines gang who sent children to ‘trap houses’ to deal drugs are jailed. A drugs gang who recruited children to sell crack and heroin have been jailed for 30 years. After cornering the Wolverhampton and Stafford drugs market the gang opened up new drug lines in Corby, Northamptonshire and as far as Scotland. Brian Asante, 23, from Canberra Drive, Stafford, would threaten and bribe vulnerable children to sell drugs for him in “trap houses” [cuckooing] in towns, leaving them vulnerable to attack from rival drug dealers.1 How do these children … Continue reading West Midlands ‘complex county lines’ gang using children to sell drugs from ‘trap houses’ into and across Scotland

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‘Controversial’ teacher job cuts put into perspective

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By Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland, cramming as much industrial dispute as they can into the 4 minutes BBC Breakfast give them, return excitedly to Glasgow. Here’s what they never tell you: First: Second: From 2017 to 2023, the number of pupils in Scotland’s state schools has increased from 688 959 to 705 528, by 2.4%. In the same period, the number of teachers has increased from 51 513 to 54 033, by 4.9%. In the same period, the ratio of pupils to teachers has fallen (improved) from 13.6 to 13.2.2 This is the lowest (best) in the UK, compared with PTRs of 18 in … Continue reading ‘Controversial’ teacher job cuts put into perspective

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UK’s first professor of Black Studies seems just as happy to malign Scots, evidence-free, as any ancient Oxbridge English History don

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In his otherwise useful piece Racist riots are nothing new – they’re part of the fabric of British society, Professor Kehinde Andrews, a bit ironically given his surname, offers these views: Some of our readers have commented in the past week that we’ve been calling these riots across the UK, when in fact they are a uniquely English thing, a uniquely English nationalism, not taking place in Scotland or Wales. What would you say to that? But, honestly, I would push back a bit. I think the Scottish are just as racist as the English, same goes for the Northern … Continue reading UK’s first professor of Black Studies seems just as happy to malign Scots, evidence-free, as any ancient Oxbridge English History don

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Why Scotland HAS avoided far-right unrest – Sir Prof Curtice fails to understand who Scotland’s Muslims are and even misunderstands his own percentages

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By Professor John Robertson I’ll start with the numbers. In BBC Scotland, Andrew Kerr’s grudging/riot-hopeful – Why Scotland may have avoided far-right unrest, today: Sir John says population plays a part too, with the proportion of people identifying as Muslim in Scotland much smaller than in England. The latest Scottish census shows 7% of the population is from an ethnic minority, compared to 18% overall in the UK. That would only make sense if the ethnic minority/Muslim population was spread evenly across Scotland and rest of the UK. It’s not. Ethnic minorities have clustered for decades in urban areas of … Continue reading Why Scotland HAS avoided far-right unrest – Sir Prof Curtice fails to understand who Scotland’s Muslims are and even misunderstands his own percentages

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What the Scottish Government has achieved with the Scottish NHS is more than mere mitigation

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By Legerwood What the Scottish Government has achieved with the Scottish NHS is more than mere mitigation. Just look at the number of new hospitals that have been built the length and breadth of Scotland and the upgrades to existing hospitals. For example, new Community hospitals in Kirkwall, Aviemore, Broadford, Haddington to name but a few. They provide a better work environment and often increased facilities which mean better outcomes for patients. The new community hospital in Kirkwall won a silver medal in an international competition. Haddington Community Hospital which has only been open for a few years won a … Continue reading What the Scottish Government has achieved with the Scottish NHS is more than mere mitigation

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Patient safety – NHS Scotland has ‘top pillar’ safety programme and all of our hospitals are safe unlike in some other places

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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

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Elderly and frail TWICE as likely to wait more than 24 hours in A&E in England than in Scotland

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No pictures of old folk required here By Professor John Robertson From the Guardian today: More than 150,000 patients had to wait a day in A&E before getting a hospital bed last year, according to new data. Freedom of information data compiled by the Liberal Democrats from 73 hospital trusts – about half the total – found that the number of patients forced to wait more than 24 hours in A&E before a bed could be found for them has increased by tenfold since 2019. The majority of those forced to wait were elderly or frail, with two-thirds of the … Continue reading Elderly and frail TWICE as likely to wait more than 24 hours in A&E in England than in Scotland

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Violent Wolverhampton drugs gang arrests in Edinburgh not in public interest here apparently

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From PA Scotland yesterday (the above is a Wolverhampton-based gang; perhaps the same one but there are several): Six men have been arrested as part of a day of action targeting “county lines” drug supplies into Edinburgh. Detectives said the men, aged 38, 30, 29, 24, 22 and 21, were arrested in Edinburgh and Wolverhampton on Wednesday and charged in connection with various drug offences. Police said small quantities of crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis, along with a four-figure sum of cash, were recovered during the operation. Detectives from Edinburgh have made a number of arrests in a day of action aimed … Continue reading Violent Wolverhampton drugs gang arrests in Edinburgh not in public interest here apparently