Tag: history

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Scotland does a better job of monitoring bathing water quality than England does

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: In the Guardian today, the above map, and: England’s swimming waters five times more likely to be polluted than in EU, research finds Experts warn country is in danger of becoming ‘dirty man of Europe’ as it falls to bottom of bathing water leader board. The campaign group Best for Britain analysed the quality of bathing waters under UK and EU standards and found that across all four nations of the UK, holidaymakers are less likely to enjoy “excellent” quality waters than in the EU. Their research found … Continue reading Scotland does a better job of monitoring bathing water quality than England does

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How under Scottish Labour, hospitals were ‘death traps’ of hospital acquired infections and how Nicola Sturgeon sorted it

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Professor John Robertson OBA I’m grateful to one of our Anons and to Arty Hetty for alerting me to this, in the wake of Jackie Baillie’s scurrilous misuse of statistics to suggest Scotland’s hospitals were ‘death traps‘ for old folk falling. People should be reminded that when JB was in government Scottish hospitals were death traps due to hospital acquired infections, which were affecting 10% of patients when Labour left office. The rate has now been halved and Scotland’s rate is lower than that in England and lower than the OECD average. I had a friend who worked at major … Continue reading How under Scottish Labour, hospitals were ‘death traps’ of hospital acquired infections and how Nicola Sturgeon sorted it

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Scotland’s elite built their wealth on slavery and THEY can easily do something about it now – HMRC have it all on record

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Professor John Robertson OBA The two pieces today on ‘Scotland’ and its role in slavery, the first accurately worded, the second not so, remind me of an earlier debate prompted Anas Sarwar, defended by Prof Tom Devine. Here’s how it went in August 2022: Sarwar’s support for Pakistan’s independence, considered hypocritical by many including me, was dismissed by Devine as ‘no comparison‘ because Scotland was not ‘subjected to imperial authority‘ and because ‘Scots‘ (sic) took part in the Empire with ‘relish and enthusiastic commitment.‘ He’s wrong. Like even the best of historians, he seems to have forgotten that ‘Scots‘ embraces … Continue reading Scotland’s elite built their wealth on slavery and THEY can easily do something about it now – HMRC have it all on record

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There is nothing worse than Scottish exceptionalism on summer riots? Yes, the dark kind Tory and Labour SPADs spend their hours grubbing for

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Professor John Robertson OBA In Holyrood Sources YouTube podcast (?), three days ago, with an ex-SNP (disappointing) and and ex-Tory (full cringe) SPAD, on whether or not Scotland will be immune to race-related riots this summer, the latter said: Um, I think it’s fair to say that there is an increase in Scotland in kind of low…it does seem to be fairly clear that there’s an increase in relatively low level anti-social behaviour…I think there are big problems there. There’s big unrest there….but…Scotland is not England and Scotland doesn’t necessarily experience the same things that England experiences particularly around the … Continue reading There is nothing worse than Scottish exceptionalism on summer riots? Yes, the dark kind Tory and Labour SPADs spend their hours grubbing for

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Scotland has only half the TB rate of England due to less poverty, more affordable housing and better healthcare access and could further improve with independence

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Professor John Robertson OBA I’ve used the Grok AI to assist in researching and presenting this paper. I’m able to check the references it helpfully offers. Last year the Scottish and English media widely reported a one-year surge in TB cases reported in Scotland from 2022 to 2023. Yesterday, Public Health Scotland published the latest data: To my knowledge, the media have not since reported the fall in the number of cases between 2023 and 2024. For context, all things being equal, we might expect England to have had around 2 700 cases in 2024. It had almost exactly twice … Continue reading Scotland has only half the TB rate of England due to less poverty, more affordable housing and better healthcare access and could further improve with independence

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Why do Scots think crime is just as high when it has fallen by half?

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: July 2025 published today, some key points getting no media attention: Public perception of local crime rate at a similar level to 2008-09. The SCJS found that over two-thirds (71%) of adults in 2023-24 said that the crime rate in their local area had decreased or stayed the same over the last couple of years. This figure has fallen from 76% in 2021-22 and is at a similar level to 2008/09 and the pre-covid position in 2019-20. https://www.gov.scot/publications/safer-communities-and-justice-statistics-monthly-data-report-july-2025/pages/statistics-on-community-safety/ This is both disturbing and contradictory. Why? From Grok AI: Since 2008/09, violent crime in … Continue reading Why do Scots think crime is just as high when it has fallen by half?

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Labour in Cardiff does NOT have the solution to long A&E waiting times even after 26 years

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By stewartb On the theme of the British Labour Party’s track record in government with devolved powers. NHS Wales’ performance shows that Labour governing with devolved powers – even after c. 12 months with Labour in power in Westminster and c.26 years in power in Cardiff – does NOT have the solution to long A&E waiting times. As we approach the election to the Holyrood parliament in 2026, voters in Scotland should take careful note – unless of course the leadership of the British Labour Party in Scotland is keeping a game changing wheeze for the salvation of Scotland EDs … Continue reading Labour in Cardiff does NOT have the solution to long A&E waiting times even after 26 years

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This has nothing to do with the minister – It’s just another case of the demonising of SNP politicians

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald’s headline image and story above is just another in a long toxic trail of misinformation aimed at associating SNP ministers with controversies in which they have little or no influence, in order to undermine her and the SNP. The actual complaint from the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland opens with: The Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS) has today urged a top UN body to intervene against the Scottish Civil Justice Council (SCJC) for breaching our right to public participation in environmental decision-making, which is enshrined in the Aarhus Convention. In October 2021, the governing institutions … Continue reading This has nothing to do with the minister – It’s just another case of the demonising of SNP politicians

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In Day 4 of their Junior Doctor strike an NHS England nurse strike looms – How Scottish Government enabled higher pay deal for already better-paid Scottish nurses to once more prevent the loss of tens of thousands of appointments and to save thousands of lives

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Professor John Robertson OBA Headlining on BBC Breakfast this morning and on their website, the above, and this: Nurses are expected to reject their pay award in England this week, raising the possibility of strikes later in the year, the BBC understands. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has been holding a consultative vote on their 3.6% pay rise, previously describing it as “grotesque” to award nurses a lower increase than doctors, teachers, prison officers and the armed forces. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4ge4905eq7o The Scottish Government has already agreed a 4.25% deal for this year, for nurses and midwives.  https://www.gov.scot/publications/nhs-staff-pay/ Scotland’s media will no doubt portray this … Continue reading In Day 4 of their Junior Doctor strike an NHS England nurse strike looms – How Scottish Government enabled higher pay deal for already better-paid Scottish nurses to once more prevent the loss of tens of thousands of appointments and to save thousands of lives

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For those who still maintain it was a voluntary union – the suffocation of Scotland’s independence movement in 1746

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Professor John Robertson OBA The suffocating, intense domination of Scotland’s communities by British Army forces after Culloden is often understated by historians but it’s hard to see the above as other than a brutal and thorough suppression of any surviving independence movement. Further, the myth developed after 1746 and perpetuated for the purposes of indoctrination as late as my own historical education in the 1960s, that the ‘Jacobite’ rebellions were entirely Monarchist and Catholic rebellions rather than a wider pro-independence struggle has been fully debunked by, for example, Murray Pittock of Glasgow University: The Myth of the Jacobite Clans was … Continue reading For those who still maintain it was a voluntary union – the suffocation of Scotland’s independence movement in 1746