Tag: news

3 Comments

In Scotland even anti-immigration groups will have nothing to do with racist Nazis

johnrobertson834

From STV on 20th January 2026: A Falkirk anti-immigration protest group has announced it will disband because of the attendance of neo-Nazis at demonstrations. Campaign group Save Our Future and Our Kids Future organised protests outside the Cladhan Hotel, which houses asylum seekers, consistently over the last year. The demonstrations have attracted far-right groups, including Patriotic Alternative (PA) and the Homeland Party. PA is a white nationalist group founded by former BNP youth leader Mark Collett. In a documentary, released by Channel 4 in 2002, Collett was caught on camera referring to Africans and homosexuals who died due to HIV-AIDS … Continue reading In Scotland even anti-immigration groups will have nothing to do with racist Nazis

5 Comments

As one student nurse in England faces £77 thousand in debt Scotland’s free training and bursary means TWICE as many train to then give us 50% more nurses in hospitals and lower mortality rates

johnrobertson834

In the Guardian today: Helen Lambert borrowed £57,000 to go to university and began repaying her student loan in 2021 after starting work as an NHS nurse. Since then she has repaid more than £5,000, typically having about £145 a month taken from her pay packet. But everything she hands over is dwarfed by the £400-plus of interest that is added to her debt every month, thanks to rates that have been as high as 8%. Her total outstanding debt had ballooned to more than £77,000 by the end of November, and it is set to get a lot bigger as there … Continue reading As one student nurse in England faces £77 thousand in debt Scotland’s free training and bursary means TWICE as many train to then give us 50% more nurses in hospitals and lower mortality rates

3 Comments

Scotland has world’s greatest wind capacity per head of population in the World but uses it to benefit England

johnrobertson834

The above table is not clearly linked to its source. I’ve asked and will update when I get it. As you are aware, the above is doing nothing for our energy bills, the highest in the UK and in Europe so what’s happening to the electricity it’s producing? Here’s the story: The UK Energy Minister, above, appeared to claim credit for the approval of the massive 300 plus turbine, 4.1GW, windfarm off the Scottish coast near Fife and East Lothian: Even the Scotsman knew who had actually approved it: One of world’s biggest wind farms with 307 turbines approved near Edinburgh by … Continue reading Scotland has world’s greatest wind capacity per head of population in the World but uses it to benefit England

Leave a comment

Daily Mail report highlights the great CalMac service we all enjoy by looking at affluent Washington State’s far older ferries and failing services

johnrobertson834

In the Daily Mail, 8 January 2026 and the astonishing images above from the Independent two years ago: Almost a third of the lifeline ferries operating in Washington state are out of action because of lawmakers’ obsessions with electric boats, Republicans have claimed.  Six out of the 21 vessels used for critical operations off the coast of the Pacific Northwest state are currently unable to sail, according to the Seattle Times.  Two of the boats have been out of action due to ‘unexpected mechanical issues’ since January 1, while four are on planned maintenance, per the paper.  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15445653/washington-state-ferry-electric-boats-democrats.html Washington State Ferries carry 20 million passengers a year in a … Continue reading Daily Mail report highlights the great CalMac service we all enjoy by looking at affluent Washington State’s far older ferries and failing services

Leave a comment

Scottish Government delivers on pledge to increase dentistry student numbers and further widen gap with other parts of UK

johnrobertson834

From Scottish dentistry student numbers increase, published 22 January 2026 11:35 The number of Scottish students starting Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) courses has increased by 7% – the highest increase in a decade. The boost in student numbers fulfils a Scottish Government pledge to deliver an expanded pipeline of new dentists joining the workforce from 2029. The increase, which came in 2025-26, will be further supported by the Draft Budget for 2026-27 which outlines record funding of over £526.5 million for the sector. The number of Scottish students starting BDS courses has risen by 10 places, up from 135 … Continue reading Scottish Government delivers on pledge to increase dentistry student numbers and further widen gap with other parts of UK

2 Comments

Major Scottish Government investments in eradicating child poverty that you’ll struggle to hear about

johnrobertson834

From Investing in Scotland’s children, published 22 January 2026 09:20, covered by STV but nowhere else I can see: Children and families across Scotland will benefit from the Scottish Government’s sustained investment in Education and Skills as part of the national mission to eradicate child poverty. The proposed Scottish Budget for 2026-27 commits up to £200 million to the Scottish Attainment Challenge, which has already delivered sustained progress in closing the poverty-related attainment gap. This includes Pupil Equity Funding that aims to empower headteachers to tailor support to meet the specific needs of pupils and families in their communities. An … Continue reading Major Scottish Government investments in eradicating child poverty that you’ll struggle to hear about

3 Comments

Far more police officers and far less crime – what today’s Reporting Scotland team will never tell you in this election year

johnrobertson834

In BBC Reporting Scotland’s, BBC Breakfast, inserts and all today today, you’ll be hearing this meaningless fact – ‘but officer numbers have fallen 5% over five years.‘ BBC Scotland, the Daily Record, the Herald and the Scotsman are now fully dedicated to platforming Scottish Labour’s stash of manipulated Freedom of Information data on any aspect of public service that might look bad for the SNP Government. Recently, it’s been police officers giving up on the job or failing training courses. I could try to dig into these and find the usual lack of any methodology and sneaky fiddling with the figures, I’ve found several times … Continue reading Far more police officers and far less crime – what today’s Reporting Scotland team will never tell you in this election year

6 Comments

After 8 years of English drug gang terror in the North of Scotland, BBC Scotland will still not mention this stain on their Union

johnrobertson834

From STV and in the Aberdeen-based Press & Journal today, the above headline, carefully avoiding the origins of the dealer, in England:: A county lines drug dealer from Liverpool will serve almost six years for using a stolen BMW to supply class A narcotics in Scotland. James Stephen, 31, was arrested on June 17 last year after police in Aberdeen tracked down a white car that had been stolen from a home in the city the previous month. https://news.stv.tv/north/drug-dealer-caught-using-stolen-bmw-to-take-heroin-and-cocaine-into-scotland The report tells us little of what County lines gangs do and the effects they have. Assistant Chief Constable Andy Freeburn … Continue reading After 8 years of English drug gang terror in the North of Scotland, BBC Scotland will still not mention this stain on their Union

9 Comments

Glasgow hospital infection inquiry – How under Scottish Labour, hospitals were ‘death traps’ of hospital acquired infections and how Nicola Sturgeon sorted it reducing the level to an eighth of the level in England and a third of the level in Europe.

johnrobertson834

In the midst of the frenzy of ill-informed reporting on the Glasgow hospital infections inquiry, important facts you’ll never hear. From the Journal of Hospital Infections in November 2012: The prevalence of HAI was 4.9%, 2.5%, 6.1% and 1.2% in acute, non-acute, paediatric and independent hospitals respectively [in Scotland in 2006].  https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(12)00277-0/abstract From the Scottish Public Health Observatory, in 2024: The most recent comprehensive data on hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in Scotland comes from a 2021 study led by Glasgow Caledonian University, commissioned by the Scottish Government. This study, published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, found that approximately 1% of hospital patients … Continue reading Glasgow hospital infection inquiry – How under Scottish Labour, hospitals were ‘death traps’ of hospital acquired infections and how Nicola Sturgeon sorted it reducing the level to an eighth of the level in England and a third of the level in Europe.

7 Comments

Latest – In final statement Glasgow hospital correctly and based on repeated research denies evidence of definite link between the hospital environment and specific individual cases of infection

johnrobertson834

From BBC Scotland in the last few minutes, the above puzzling choice of headline and buried in their report: NHSGGC offers an unreserved apology for the distress and trauma experienced by patients and families during this time. But while the health board acknowledged a casual [sic] connection to increased infections, he stressed that there was no definite link between the hospital environment and specific individual cases of infection. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgkz2e5nr5o The above assertion is the key outcome of today’s session. To be clear, the health board is not accepting responsibility for any of the high profile cases, including that of Millie … Continue reading Latest – In final statement Glasgow hospital correctly and based on repeated research denies evidence of definite link between the hospital environment and specific individual cases of infection