Tag: news

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Dr Iain Kennedy linked to Labour campaign and Prof Curtice might be underestimating the intelligence of fleeing Labour voters

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Professor John Robertson OBA, Former Faculty Research Ethics Chair The word ‘ethics’ does not appear in Prof Curtice’s CV. Should I see if Dr Kennedy has any such interests? Should I check if the BMA ever considers the ethical dimensions of their surveys? I did. SFA. In the Herald today – Labour is losing ground in Scotland as NHS blame game bites, two things are intriguing. The big one is about the NHS performance so I’ll get the lesser one out of the way first: With mounting waiting lists, staff shortages, and bed-blocking crises, Scottish Labour has made the state of the … Continue reading Dr Iain Kennedy linked to Labour campaign and Prof Curtice might be underestimating the intelligence of fleeing Labour voters

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As the Herald insists island communities deserve ferry services that are fit for purpose how the Scottish Government transformed their economies in 2020

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Professor John Robertson OBA The above chart from the Evaluation of Road Equivalent Tariff [RET] on the Clyde and Hebridean Network Prepared for Transport Scotland March 2020 reveals a massive increase in ferry usage to the islands with a consequent economic boost, but increasing costs for the taxpayer in lost revenue. The comparison is based on ticket sales only and takes no account of retail revenue, which is likely to have increased as a result of the increased numbers of passengers. What is the RET? In October 2008, Transport Scotland introduced the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) fares policy as a pilot on … Continue reading As the Herald insists island communities deserve ferry services that are fit for purpose how the Scottish Government transformed their economies in 2020

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How Scottish Government support for business dwarves that of UK Government by a factor of 60!

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By stewartb From the Scottish Business section of the BBC News website (October 1): ‘Tech projects to receive share of government fund’. We’re told: ‘ScotlandIS’ Future Ready programme, which provides business support and learning resources for tech businesses across the country, and Game Space in Dundee, who support those working in the country’s gaming industry, are among the recipients of funding from the UK government’s Department of Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT’s) Regional Tech programme.’ The BBC understands the two Scottish projects will each receive £30,000: the DSIT has told the BBC the money will support at least 30 businesses in Scotland. … Continue reading How Scottish Government support for business dwarves that of UK Government by a factor of 60!

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Justice secretary able to call for emergency prisoner release as released prisoners are now 27% less likely to re-offend than they were when Labour was in power

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By Professor John Robertson, OBA From BBC Scotland today: Around 470 prisoners could be released early from Scottish prisons by the end of the year. Justice secretary Angela Constance has asked parliament to pass emergency legislation that would see short-term prisoners – within 180 days of their release date – to be freed in tranches in November and December. It is the third time early release has been used in this way in Scotland since last summer. Constance said the move was necessary to prevent overcrowding after the prison population “surged” in the last three months. In a statement to MSPs, … Continue reading Justice secretary able to call for emergency prisoner release as released prisoners are now 27% less likely to re-offend than they were when Labour was in power

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Local community activists in a small US state remind us why we must oppose Labour’s nuclear plans for Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson, OBA Yesterday, in a report from the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, a grassroots environmentalist group with 7 000 members, in the US state of Iowa alone: Sierra Club Iowa Chapter urges legislators and the public to oppose the restart of the Duane Arnold nuclear plant and to support Iowa’s transition to safe, clean, and renewable energy sources. On September 29, 2025, the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club hosted a press conference to address NextEra Energy’s proposal to restart the Duane Arnold nuclear plant, which has been in decommissioning since 2020. Experts in nuclear energy, public health, … Continue reading Local community activists in a small US state remind us why we must oppose Labour’s nuclear plans for Scotland

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As the authorities approve supposed reduced risk how many childhood cancers were caused by refuelling at this Ayrshire nuclear power station?

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As the authorities approve [15 September 2025] the progress in reducing hazard at the Hunterston B nuclear site in North Ayrshire, I’m deeply suspicious and reminded of the harm that was done over 45 years. By Professor John Robertson, OBA Thanks to JB for researching this. Hunterston B Nuclear power station, in North Ayrshire, Scotland, was in operation for nearly 45 years, from February 1976 until November 2021.1 In that time, there will have been around 30 re-fuelling instances2 and up to 300 inspections.3 During these events, there are spikes of radioactive emissions. Researchers in Germany, published this in 2011: According to the International … Continue reading As the authorities approve supposed reduced risk how many childhood cancers were caused by refuelling at this Ayrshire nuclear power station?

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Scotland is already energy secure but obviously England is not…. hence why these

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By Liz S Ed Milliband decided Zonal pricing was a big ……no go………as apparently it would have benefitted Scotland……..as this would have meant our energy prices in Scotland would have been lower than places in England……. and that, for Labour HQ, was a big no no. (However it was a big fat YES YES to Scotland supplying England with electricity via large sub sea cables…..which was promoted as “”electricity superhighways” to transport renewable energy from Scotland to England, (which was promoted as ) “increasing the UK’s energy security and helping to meet net-zero targets”…..) “UK’s energy security” ?………really ? (Scotland is already energy secure but obviously England is not…. hence why these … Continue reading Scotland is already energy secure but obviously England is not…. hence why these

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So, rent controls, second home tax hikes, the child payment, free prescriptions, free tuition…….why would anyone in their right mind ever want a Labour government in Scotland, never mind Reform UK. The SNP, with the support of the Greens, is the only large social democratic party in the UK that cares for the 99%. Get out and vote for it in 2026!

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Telegraph last week had: Scotland plots uncapped council tax rises for second home owners – Green Party’s ‘pile on the costs’ proposal will be ‘gold standard’ for tackling homelessness. Councils in Scotland are poised to be granted powers to penalise second home owners with uncapped council tax premiums. Today, the Herald has the above grudging headline and: Rent controls are set to be introduced in Scotland after the Scottish Government’s housing reform legislation passed at Holyrood. MSPs approved an amendment by the Scottish Greens allowing council tax on second and empty homes to be raised by unlimited amounts, potentially to the 300 per cent already … Continue reading So, rent controls, second home tax hikes, the child payment, free prescriptions, free tuition…….why would anyone in their right mind ever want a Labour government in Scotland, never mind Reform UK. The SNP, with the support of the Greens, is the only large social democratic party in the UK that cares for the 99%. Get out and vote for it in 2026!

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Different NHS Scotland rejects England’s hostile healthcare environment for vulnerable migrant women

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Guardian today, the above, and: The UK [sic] has been accused of a “stark injustice” for failing to provide health services and humanitarian support to citizens of British overseas territories after a woman from the Caribbean island of Montserrat was refused free NHS care and left homeless. Council officials found Cherry Brown, 69, sleeping rough in a park in Swanley, Kent, in April. Brown had been funded by the Montserratian government – whose budget is largely subsidised by the UK – to travel to England to receive treatment from the NHS that was not available at home. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/oct/01/uk-montserrat-british-overseas-territory-citizens-injustice-donaldson-romeo The situation … Continue reading Different NHS Scotland rejects England’s hostile healthcare environment for vulnerable migrant women

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A story never to be told – Domestic abuse of women twice as common and, of children, four times as common, across the border

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and abusive past has made more than 19 500 reports since it started ten years ago. Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland in their BBC Breakfast insert have the above special report today but it’s not being coverfed anywhere else. Interesting, what effect is the scheme having on the relative level of domestic abuse and violence against women in Scotland? That would be an obvious question to ask. They don’t go there so here is the wider picture: Domestic abuse is TWICE as common in England and Wales as in Scotland From the Scottish Government’s Safer Communities Directorate: The police recorded 63,867 incidents … Continue reading A story never to be told – Domestic abuse of women twice as common and, of children, four times as common, across the border