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What is Jackie Baillie’s beef with private healthcare in Scotland?

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON By Liz S “Patients and campaigners have been raising concerns about Palantir’s creeping involvement with the NHS for years based on concerns about ethics, outsourcing, and privacy”.. Palantir a private company, not a UK one, an American one. But doesn’t the Labour Dame, also a Labour MSP, as in Jackie Baillie, just always love to tell us that patients in Scotland have to go private as they cannot get treatment on the NHS………..surely that is her promoting private healthcare and … Continue reading What is Jackie Baillie’s beef with private healthcare in Scotland?

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Why John Swinney is even more right to oppose Digital ID than is being discussed so far

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With only 3 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA There’s something missing from all the media coverage of Labour’s Digital ID proposal and it’s darker than any worries we might have about Scots ‘declaring ourselves British.‘ From the Canary factchecker two days ago: As Keir Starmer moves to impose ‘digital ID’ on the UK, anti-surveillance and anti-freeport activist and Canary writer David Powell has submitted a major Freedom of Information Act (FOI) request to the government demanding … Continue reading Why John Swinney is even more right to oppose Digital ID than is being discussed so far

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A&E long waits – Candidly, the mainstream media is complicit in enabling Gulhane and Baillie’s hypocrisy

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With only 7 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 By stewartb There is so much more that could be written about the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s (RCEM) statement on long waits in NHS Scotland’s emergency departments and their impact, and on the mainstream media’s coverage of this. And then there is the MSM’s amplification – without any critical appraisal – of quotes from the Tory Sandesh Gulhane and Labour’s Jackie Baillie. From the … Continue reading A&E long waits – Candidly, the mainstream media is complicit in enabling Gulhane and Baillie’s hypocrisy

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In BBC Scotland’s push for Labour in 2026 even cancer deaths will be exploited

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Wales yesterday had the above and, in the full text, not one word about the Labour Government in Wales and its oversight of the NHS. As readers know, it’s different in Scotland. In June 2025: No actual deaths but still plenty of space for this: Scottish Conservatives health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said one patient waiting more than two months is too many. He said: “These appalling statistics confirm Scotland is facing a ticking timebomb when it comes to cancer cases on the SNP’s watch. “SNP ministers have not met their own waiting time target … Continue reading In BBC Scotland’s push for Labour in 2026 even cancer deaths will be exploited

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Scotland’s economy has recently been outperforming the rest of the UK

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By Liz S Labour are failing in what they promoted as being their main mission as the new UK government. Number one focus for them being “Growth” in the UK economy. On July 11th it was reported that: “Chancellor Rachel Reeves has called the economy’s recent performance “disappointing” after figures showed it shrank unexpectedly in May” Also………. “The economy contracted by 0.1%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, after also shrinking in April” Ian Murray, Labour’s so called ‘Scottish’ Secretary, declared in 2024 that Labour’s first budget as the new UK government would herald an era of “Growth” for Scotland. Yet his Labour party are … Continue reading Scotland’s economy has recently been outperforming the rest of the UK

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Beware ‘gushing’ British Labour Party politicians in Scotland in the wake of their government’s Spending Review which quietly cuts Great British Energy funding to zero

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By stewartb The BBC News website on June 11 covered the Spending Review announcements in separate articles, in its Wales and Scotland sections. The BBC Wales article had this cautionary headline: ‘Spending review could mean cuts in Wales – experts’. Critical views ares shared by BBC Wales on the significance of the SR and not just from politicians opposed to the British Labour Party government but from ‘experts’ too: Here we learn: ’On Wednesday, the chancellor announced a real-terms increase of 3% to day-to-day funding for the NHS in England. That will result in extra funding for Welsh ministers to … Continue reading Beware ‘gushing’ British Labour Party politicians in Scotland in the wake of their government’s Spending Review which quietly cuts Great British Energy funding to zero

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Glenn Campbell only wants the SNP to be seen as #Bad

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Liz S In the above, Glenn Campbell: “The SNP leader John Swinney has certainly acknowledged a third, red rosette wearing Horse in this race”. “My sense is that his comment came as something of a relief to Scottish Labour, who came second last time and expect to be regarded as the principal challenger to the SNP, who are defending the seat”. Labour could certainly do with a win here“. Glenn for Labour. Why he, Campbell, then also had to add this into this article on the website: “The arithmetic already takes into account a series of SNP controversies over independence strategy, gender self-identification, a police investigation into party … Continue reading Glenn Campbell only wants the SNP to be seen as #Bad

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Social housing complaints in England between 40% and 155% higher than in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC England today, the above and: Complaints about substandard living conditions in social housing in England are more than five times higher than five years ago, according to the housing watchdog. Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway told the BBC an “imbalance of power” in the tenant-landlord relationship was leading to “simmering anger” among those living in social housing. He warned without change England risked the “managed decline” of social housing. Asbestos, electrical and fire safety issues, pest control and leaks, damp and mould are among the complaints, the watchdog receives. According to the ombudsman’s report, there … Continue reading Social housing complaints in England between 40% and 155% higher than in Scotland

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As UK Labour plan big cuts and more face-to-face assessments of the kind which increased suicide rates, SNP introduces new humanely-assessed benefit for elderly and disabled to media silence

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Professor John Robertson OBA Getting little media coverage today – the National, the Record, the Mirror, some locals, but not BBC Scotland or STV: ‘Milestone’ as SNP launch new disability benefit across Scotland That’s the Ardrossan Herald, above, recognising the headline-worthy, you’d think, nature of this announcement. From Econostratum today: A new benefit has been introduced for older people in Scotland, offering monthly payments of up to £441 for individuals with disabilities or long-term health conditions. The Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) is designed to replace Attendance Allowance for new claimants, starting on April 22, 2025. This measure aims to enhance financial … Continue reading As UK Labour plan big cuts and more face-to-face assessments of the kind which increased suicide rates, SNP introduces new humanely-assessed benefit for elderly and disabled to media silence

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Will Scottish Labour MPs vote against Starmer’s surrender of fishing rights for new EU arms deal?

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Sir Keir Starmer is close to striking a major deal with the EU that would let British arms companies sell billions of pounds of weapons to European allies, it has emerged.Under the agreement, UK companies would be able to bid for business under the bloc’s new €150 billion (£130 billion) defence fund. But the deal comes after the UK reportedly made major concessions to Brussels on EU access to Britain’s fishing waters, in what critics will likely see as a betrayal of Brexit. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/starmer-eu-brexit-reset-defence-fishing-b2737088.html Note the disinterested ‘critics will likely see’ from ‘liberal’, metropolitan media outlet. How much does this matter to Scotland? Above, the big picture of … Continue reading Will Scottish Labour MPs vote against Starmer’s surrender of fishing rights for new EU arms deal?