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NHS Scotland’s better performance is preventing around 1 400 ‘unnecessary’ deaths every year

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By Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian yesterday: Long NHS delays leading to thousands of unnecessary deaths, inquiry finds – Darzi’s scathing indictment of the Conservatives’ 14-year stewardship of the NHS says that A&E is in “an awful state”. He cites evidence he received from the body representing A&E doctors that “long waits are likely to be causing an additional 14,000 more deaths a year – more than double all British armed forces combat deaths since the health service was founded in 1948”. Improvements in survival from cancer “slowed substantially during the 2010s”. More than 7.6 million people were awaiting … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s better performance is preventing around 1 400 ‘unnecessary’ deaths every year

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Scottish alcohol deaths stabilise, after years of Tory austerity and pandemic lockdowns, as Scottish Government treatment programmes repeatedly beat 95% target, just in time for Labour to drive folk to drink again

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By Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland, typically thick in the junior ranks but sneaky at the top, have this today: Scottish alcohol deaths at 15-year high. The number of people in Scotland whose death was caused by alcohol remains at a high level, with the largest number of deaths in 15 years. The latest figures from National Records of Scotland, (NRS) show 1,277 people died from conditions caused by alcohol in 2023. This was one death more than the previous year, which was the highest number since 2008. As always, from BBC Scotland, a more meaningful look at longer trends … Continue reading Scottish alcohol deaths stabilise, after years of Tory austerity and pandemic lockdowns, as Scottish Government treatment programmes repeatedly beat 95% target, just in time for Labour to drive folk to drink again

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Do you have to identify as British to only then be regarded as a racist and so only then are you seen as having this racist ‘problem’ ?

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By Anonymous  “I think the Scottish are just as racist as the English, same goes for the Northern Irish and Welsh. It’s a British problem“: UK’s first professor of Black studies, Kehinde Andrews (University of Birmingham), on “what’s wrong with the conversation around racist riots”, August 8th 2024: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/far-right-riots-black-history-kehinde-andrews/ So , going by that above statement, do you then have to identify as to being British to only then be regarded as a racist and so only then are you seen as having this racist ‘problem’ ? Sweeping generalisations here by this Professor who I would suggest should perhaps “think” again to make such an observation … Continue reading Do you have to identify as British to only then be regarded as a racist and so only then are you seen as having this racist ‘problem’ ?

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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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Do the national branch offices of campaigning charities not understand devolution

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By stewartb Do third sector organisations with missions that extend across the UK feel unable to make statements that (in terms) state the following truth and if so WHY? ‘The situation in (a UK nation with a government with only limited, devolved powers) may be bad but – based on statistical analysis – not nearly so bad as in England, the nation with a government with EVERY power to have avoided this bad in the first place and with EVERY power now to deliver the necessary solution. ‘It is the government of England in Westminster – the one with ALL … Continue reading Do the national branch offices of campaigning charities not understand devolution

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Despite lowest reported anti-semitism, only Scotland must be warned about it

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By Anonymous BBC Website On the Scottish Politics page 7th story “Big rise in antisemitic incidents in UK – charity” Click on story and it comes up as part of the ‘UK’ page. Go to UK page to see article and I cannot see this story as an article on there. Story also not on UK politics page Story also not on Welsh politics page. So if the headline is “Big rise in antisemitic incidents in UK – charity” then why is this story only currently showing as a main article on the Scottish politics page ? So I checked the content of this article to see where they noted these incidents were happening within the UK as … Continue reading Despite lowest reported anti-semitism, only Scotland must be warned about it

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English County lines gangs far outnumber and totally out-gun far-right in Scotland

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The Ferret ‘fact-checker’ is punting another scare story to try to convince Scots that right-wing terror groups are active here and might trigger the same kind of riots seen in England and Northern Ireland. Reading through their report, I see evidence of around 20 individuals, a few knives and no guns. None of these individuals or wee groups has ever actually done anything. Police Scotland estimate at least 55 County Lines drug gangs from English cities operating in Scotland, with typically 4 enforcers each and an array of weapons including guns. So, English County Lines gangs – 200 plus enforcers, … Continue reading English County lines gangs far outnumber and totally out-gun far-right in Scotland

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BBC Scotland to launch new board game called ‘Corpse Shortage!’

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On 30 July 2024, with not a trace of a cheeky grin, BBC Scotland reported: A rise in the number of students studying medicine in Scotland has resulted in a shortage of cadavers, according to a report. Prof Gordon Findlater, who is HM Inspector of Anatomy for Scotland, found that surgical colleges were having to cancel university training courses because the demand for bodies was so high. So, in response to an increase in the number of students studying medicine, previously called for by those Labour figures, Baillie and Sarwar, in BBC Scotland reports, the senior news editor who claims … Continue reading BBC Scotland to launch new board game called ‘Corpse Shortage!’

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Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are experiencing the benefits, the security of privately-owned and commercially-operated ferries…..not

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By stewartb It looks as if Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are experiencing the benefits, the security of privately-owned and commercially-operated ferries. From Business Cornwall online (July 18, 2024): ‘The new fast ferry which is set to link the Isles of Scilly with Cornwall arrived in Newlyn Harbour yesterday evening (July 17). Following sea trials, the Atlantic Wolff is set to begin service next week. (my emphasis) ‘John Wood, the CEO of Harland & Wolff and Scilly Ferries, said: “We are delighted that Scilly Ferries enters into service tomorrow giving day trippers and Scilly residents alike a fast, friendly and flexible service. … Continue reading Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are experiencing the benefits, the security of privately-owned and commercially-operated ferries…..not