Tag: news

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As Trump takes Venezuela and talks of Cuba and Greenland; as Putin will not let Ukraine go and as China threatens Taiwan, is a different world emerging, with new lessons for Scotland?

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Amongst other things I’m not a renowned global politics theorist or historian so here’s a, for me, fascinating AI-produced and sourced essay. I look forward to your thoughts: The geopolitical landscape in early 2026 indeed appears to be shifting toward a more assertive era of great-power competition, where major actors like the United States, Russia, and China are pursuing territorial or influence-based ambitions with less regard for traditional norms of sovereignty and international law. This could signal the emergence of a “different world”—one reminiscent of 19th- or early 20th-century spheres of influence, where smaller entities face heightened risks of coercion, … Continue reading As Trump takes Venezuela and talks of Cuba and Greenland; as Putin will not let Ukraine go and as China threatens Taiwan, is a different world emerging, with new lessons for Scotland?

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After 14 years of the SNP lower drink-drive limit Scotland has by far the safest roads and drivers in the UK

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From the Guardian today: Tougher rules on drink-driving, eye tests for older motorists and automatic emergency braking in new cars will be mandated by the government in an attempt to significantly reduce casualties on Britain’s roads. The first road safety strategy in more than a decade aims to save thousands of lives with a range of measures, from training and technology to stiffer penalties for offenders. The proposals, to be announced on Wednesday, seek to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035. The number of deaths has declined since the 1970s but that improvement slowed … Continue reading After 14 years of the SNP lower drink-drive limit Scotland has by far the safest roads and drivers in the UK

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Private rents 40% higher in England and significantly stronger safety nets through generous Discretionary Housing Payment funding in Scotland

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With another of their sickly, tasteless images today, the Herald has: Scotland’s housing costs safety net is failing with tens of thousands of families in need locked out of homes as support fails to cover soaring private rents, ministers have been warned. Explosive [sic] new analysis which lays bare the reality for those most in need, shows that just eight per cent of private rental homes are affordable for those relying on state support, deepening a national housing emergency declared by Holyrood nearly two years ago. What’s missing? Cost of rent? Source – https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/privaterentandhousepricesuk/december2025 Support for Housing? In summary, while the baseline … Continue reading Private rents 40% higher in England and significantly stronger safety nets through generous Discretionary Housing Payment funding in Scotland

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First a Scottish Labour MP, then Alex Neill and now Jackie Baillie platformed to lie about NHS Scotland as nearly THREE times as many emergency patients per capita wait 12 hours or more in NHS England than in NHS Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Daily Record today: A&E departments in Scots hospitals in ‘meltdown’ with waiting times at ‘worst ever’ level – A&E departments in Scots hospitals are in “meltdown” after waiting times reached their worst ever level for the month of November. First, I’ll deal with the 4 hour waits: From A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions 2025-26, 60.1% were treated in Type 1 A&E departments, within 4 hours.1 In NHS Scotland, the equivalent figure was 62.8%.2 Remember that 2.7% difference means 40 000 more patients out of 1.46m attending Type 1 A&E, in NHS England would have … Continue reading First a Scottish Labour MP, then Alex Neill and now Jackie Baillie platformed to lie about NHS Scotland as nearly THREE times as many emergency patients per capita wait 12 hours or more in NHS England than in NHS Scotland

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Would this Ayrshire Labour MP prefer her local hospital to have corridor care at the appalling level in England – more than TWICE as high?

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Herald today, undeterred by their embarrassing failure in Research Methods 101, yesterday, is repeating the same claims about corridor care in Scotland but this time, allowing one Labour MP to misrepresent their local hospital. They open with: “Decisive action” is needed at an Ayrshire hospital following revelations that its A&E department exceeded capacity by 50% in December, a local MP has said. Data published by The Herald has revealed that staff at University Hospital Crosshouse in Kilmarnock was forced to care for patients in corridors after running out of A&E beds. So, it’s the same answer as yesterday: There are no 100% … Continue reading Would this Ayrshire Labour MP prefer her local hospital to have corridor care at the appalling level in England – more than TWICE as high?

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Labour’s favourite union and funder, the GMB, where bullying, misogyny, cronyism, and sexism is rife but BBC Scotland still don’t want you to hear of it

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Professor John Robertson OBA Above, Gary Smith, 5 years ago, then just the GMB Scotland chief , blaming the Scottish Government for the failures of private care home owners to prepare and equip their staff for the Covid pandemic. BBC Scotland just loved him then and had him on frequently. More recently they’ve been less keen to platform him as his union sinks in a mire of misogyny and bullying. In the Guardian yesterday: The GMB trade union is facing fresh turmoil over claims made by two of its female senior leadership team, as it heads towards a crucial general … Continue reading Labour’s favourite union and funder, the GMB, where bullying, misogyny, cronyism, and sexism is rife but BBC Scotland still don’t want you to hear of it

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Labour minister promoting new nuclear energy to enable nuclear medicine that brings significant cancer risks to workers emerging as new opportunity for Scottish Labour in 2026

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the United Kingdom Nuclear Laboratory on 16 December 2025: Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:  Cancer is a disease that affects millions worldwide, and tears too many families apart. Breakthroughs in medical science are giving more cancer patients and their loved ones hope, and this unique partnership could help take that work even further. Turning nuclear material into cutting-edge cancer treatments sounds like science fiction – but thanks to the brilliance of scientists, researchers and doctors, it could be a life-saving reality. Work like this shows exactly why we’re determined to support our life sciences innovators to make groundbreaking new treatments possible.”  Given the … Continue reading Labour minister promoting new nuclear energy to enable nuclear medicine that brings significant cancer risks to workers emerging as new opportunity for Scottish Labour in 2026

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Corridor care in NHS England more than TWICE as common as in NHS Scotland as Herald fluffs research methods again and NHS England’s fake figures are exposed again

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald today is headlining ‘Intolerable’ level of corridor care in Scotland’s hospitals’ with the above explanation of their method. They asked every Scottish health board for the design capacity of its A&E departments and for the actual number of beds occupied on the 1st of every month. There are no reliable data on corridor care, anywhere in the UK, and the Herald’s methods aren’t the worst I’ve seen but, based on the front page, only one of the 14 health boards – Ayrshire & Arran – is being used and for only 12 days in … Continue reading Corridor care in NHS England more than TWICE as common as in NHS Scotland as Herald fluffs research methods again and NHS England’s fake figures are exposed again

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How could I have missed this research saying explicitly that ‘things are easier for Scottish families relative to English families’ because of SNP Child Payment, when we pay for a national news service?

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Professor John Robertson OBA I seem to have missed the above very significant research from the London School of Economics. You’d think our media, especially BBC Scotland which we all pay for would have been all over it. There was media coverage in Scotland though it and the UK coverage tended to go for the secondary finding: Ministers and others have expressed concern that this ‘cliff edge’ could act as a disincentive to parents to increase their earnings, and that any boost to the value of the payment would increase the disincentive. However, the researchers find no evidence to suggest … Continue reading How could I have missed this research saying explicitly that ‘things are easier for Scottish families relative to English families’ because of SNP Child Payment, when we pay for a national news service?

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Labour Wales councils in debt at FIVE times the level in Scotland for worse services

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By stewartb If Scotland was an independent nation-state I would think it perfectly reasonable – indeed necessary – to hold its parties and system of government to account in part through making public policy (input, process, output and outcome) comparisons with other broadly similar nation-states. However, so long as Scotland remains in Union, it is wholly appropriate – indeed necessary – to make such comparisons with other parts of the UK. It’s relevant to draw comparisons with those parts whose responsible national government has limited (devolved) powers. However, it is ESPECIALLY ‘interesting’ and relevant to compare Scotland (and NI and … Continue reading Labour Wales councils in debt at FIVE times the level in Scotland for worse services