Tag: news

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Scottish newspaper is suppressing fair and informative debate on new nuclear power in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald in recent weeks has had a heavy presence of reports pushing for new nuclear power stations to be be built in Scotland along with a few token oppositional reports such as one on the cracks in the ageing Torness reactor. The overwhelming message [Try searching for ‘Herald nuclear‘ to see for yourself.) has been that the SNP is betraying Scotland’s industrial, employment and energy prospects and completely ignoring the plethora of reports here revealing the weakness of, and the risks in, the case for new nuclear energy in Scotland. To read these, click on: … Continue reading Scottish newspaper is suppressing fair and informative debate on new nuclear power in Scotland

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In current heatwaves, Labour’s new nuclear reactors will be more vulnerable to lower efficiency and productivity

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Professor John Robertson OBA TuS Reader Legerwood commented yesterday under our piece on the widespread corrosion of Frances’s nuclear reactors (https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2025/06/27/reliability-of-nuclear-energy-takes-another-blow-as-france-fears-return-to-2022-when-57-of-all-reactors-were-offline-due-to-corrosion/): It is not just corrosion in its nuclear reactors that France has to worry about. The high temperatures that France now regularly experiences -at the moment 40C or above – affects the nuclear reactors and can lead to them being taken off-line. The high temperatures also heat up river water etc and reduce the water available making it difficult to cool the reactors leading to shut downs. All in all not a good time to go nuclear when the … Continue reading In current heatwaves, Labour’s new nuclear reactors will be more vulnerable to lower efficiency and productivity

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Scotland’s free prescriptions and cleaner air saving lives of thousands of asthma sufferers and reducing GP visits as they surge in rUK

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Professor John Robertson OBA Headlining in the Guardian today, the above and: The number of patients being treated by GPs for asthma attacks has increased by 45% in a year, prompting calls for urgent action to tackle toxic levels of air pollution. There were 45,458 presentations to family doctors in England between January and June this year, according to data from the Royal College of General Practitioners research and surveillance centre. Across the same period in 2024, there were 31,376 cases. The figures come a week after a damning report by the Royal College of Physicians revealed that 99% of the UK population was now breathing … Continue reading Scotland’s free prescriptions and cleaner air saving lives of thousands of asthma sufferers and reducing GP visits as they surge in rUK

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Reliability of nuclear energy takes another blow as France fears return to 2022, when 57% of all reactors were offline due to corrosion

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Professor John Robertson OBA Frances McKie has just alerted me to this reserved report from Reuters on the Civaux 2 nuclear reactor in France: PARIS, June 11 (Reuters) – European power contracts jumped on Wednesday on concerns France might have to reduce its nuclear output after the industry regulator said it had identified “hints” of possible stress corrosion in a reactor. The ASNR watchdog said testing had highlighted possible defects in the Civaux 2 reactor, but that there was no confirmation of corrosion at this stage and more testing was required. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/report-defects-french-nuclear-reactor-civaux-2-lifts-european-power-market-2025-06-11/ On it’s own and with that wording, it … Continue reading Reliability of nuclear energy takes another blow as France fears return to 2022, when 57% of all reactors were offline due to corrosion

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The Herald’s Martin Williams campaigns both for and against nuclear energy on the same day as Scotland’s last nuclear plant is revealed to have 585 cracks in a reactor core

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Professor John Robertson OBA Only 3 hours ago, the Herald’s Martin Williams had the above damning, newsworthy, piece but it hadn’t been in time for the front page, where he had this campaigning on behalf of the nuclear industry: It’s by no means the first example of the Scottish corporate media acting on behalf of corporations. The facts get no hearing in this debate. Here they are again on Labour’s small modular reactors: On public opinion in Scotland: In the last few months, we’ve seen the MSM in Scotland support the Labour Party’s plans, across the UK and in Scotland, … Continue reading The Herald’s Martin Williams campaigns both for and against nuclear energy on the same day as Scotland’s last nuclear plant is revealed to have 585 cracks in a reactor core

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Social housing in Scotland factcheck – 40% more availability, no damaging right to buy, bigger grants and greater fire safety

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Professor John Robertson OBA Amongst all the current media frenzy about a one-year down-turn in new social media building, these important, positive, contextual facts, published in a review by the Wheatley Group in May 2024, are getting no attention: Social housing is more prevalent in Scotland than England, comprising 23% of all Scottish housing stock (11% RSLs / 12% Local Authorities), compared to 16.4% in England (10.1% RPs / 6.3% Local Authorities). Scotland has similar rate of owner-occupation than England, 63.7% compared to 64.1%. Statistics based on March 2022 returns One of the most important powers devolved to the Scottish … Continue reading Social housing in Scotland factcheck – 40% more availability, no damaging right to buy, bigger grants and greater fire safety

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The BMA UK – a more serious, objective trade union than its lead in Scotland, Dr Kennedy?

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By stewartb The BMA may be a more serious, objective trade union than its lead in Scotland – based on his highly politicised statements using language designed for use in headlines by mainstream media opposed to the present Scottish Government – makes it appear! Below are some of its analysis and insights on the state of NHS England. Not a positive picture but even. so I can’t find a BMA spokesperson claiming that NHS England is ‘dying’ – and for the avoidance of doubt, England has long had a substantial number of people using private healthcare, a number which is … Continue reading The BMA UK – a more serious, objective trade union than its lead in Scotland, Dr Kennedy?

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The ferry new build and maintenance delays reported so feverishly by media are covered by other vessels and have not affected CalMac’s performance – 98% of sailings completed and 99% of those on time

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald and BBC Scotland continue to deceive with selective reporting of the availability of particular vessels with sensationalist headlines hiding the fact that ferry services are largely unaffected by these as CalMac’s large fleet provides reliable cover. That they are deliberately making up a picture of unreliability due to a few maintenance and new build delays and implying that these result in a loss of service is simply countered by data, in the public domain, which they choose to ignore. CalMac is obliged to publish ‘contractual reliability‘ data (sailings completed as a percentage of those … Continue reading The ferry new build and maintenance delays reported so feverishly by media are covered by other vessels and have not affected CalMac’s performance – 98% of sailings completed and 99% of those on time

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NHS Scotland caring for 8% of the population but with not one of the five major maternity crises and a system that is ‘equitable’

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Health today: Health Secretary Wes Streeting, has said “we must act now” as he announced a national investigation into maternity care in England. The announcement comes after a series of critical reports into maternity care over the past decade. Dr Clea Harmer, chief executive of the baby loss charity Sands, said the national investigation was “much-needed and long-overdue”. The ‘Scottish’ media are quiet. If they had something, they’d be all over it like nappy rash. I searched for ‘Scotland maternity inspections substandard‘ – only English ‘hits’. I searched the Healthcare Improvement Scotland site – … Continue reading NHS Scotland caring for 8% of the population but with not one of the five major maternity crises and a system that is ‘equitable’

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Families in England even more worried over lack of speech therapists and lagging behind Scotland, as the waiting list there is 17% longer than in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Scotland today, the above case study and: Families [well two] worried over lack of specialist speech therapists – A new report seen by BBC Scotland News shows that demand for speech and language therapists (SLT) is increasing in Scotland but that the numbers of therapists is falling behind the rest of the UK. The report, by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), says Scotland needs to increase its full-time equivalent SLT therapists by 370, from a current total of 530. It also says that Scotland is lagging behind England in terms … Continue reading Families in England even more worried over lack of speech therapists and lagging behind Scotland, as the waiting list there is 17% longer than in Scotland