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Social care – the British Labour Party in government is no more the ‘solution’ to the problems facing the sector in England than the Tories

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By stewartb Problems with social care? Just in Scotland? Is the British Labour Party in government in Westminster solving the resourcing issues underlying social care problems in England? It seems that the British Labour Party in government is no more the ‘solution’ to the problems facing the sector in England than the Tories! Indeed they seem to be contributing to their continuation. Given this, why would the British Labour Party in government in Holyrood be the ‘solution’ for Scotland? Nuffield Trust (March 26, 2025) Nuffield Trust response to the Spring Statement – press release. (https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/nuffield-trust-response-to-the-spring-statement) ‘Adult social care has once again … Continue reading Social care – the British Labour Party in government is no more the ‘solution’ to the problems facing the sector in England than the Tories

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Welfare cuts – The British Labour Party in Scotland is in a sorry state – ‘red Tories’ indeed!

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By stewartb Recall that on March 27, 2025 the BBC News website had this headline: ‘Sarwar defends UK government welfare cuts’. ‘Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has defended the UK government’s controversial welfare reforms. Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed £5bn of cuts in the Spring Statement in a bid to meet self-imposed debt rules. The cuts have been condemned by charities, Holyrood ministers and some Scottish Labour politicians. Now by way of contrast, on March 28, the BBC News website has this headline in its Wales section: ‘First minister refuses to back welfare cuts’. ‘Wales’ first minister has refused to back … Continue reading Welfare cuts – The British Labour Party in Scotland is in a sorry state – ‘red Tories’ indeed!

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Why Reform UK is not the solution for Scotland

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By Liz S There is no doubt that the obvious failure of 14 years of various Tory UK governments and now also the obvious failure of a new Labour (Tory) UK government since 2024 , who as the new Labour (Tory) UK government, are seemingly determined to go down the same cruel, disastrous and dangerous path as the previous Tory governments went , has now left voters feeling tremendously let down by politics and also by (pro) UK political parties. We, and others, know 100% that Reform UK are not the solution, as in the panacea, to the woes people have suffered … Continue reading Why Reform UK is not the solution for Scotland

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Child poverty – Labour’s deep hypocrisy

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By stewartb The BBC News website on March 27 2025 had this headline: UK child poverty numbers reach a record high’. It repeated: ’An extra 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, will be pushed into relative poverty by these changes, according to the government’s own impact assessment.’ Of course the party of government referred to is the British Labour Party, the same party that wishes us to vote it into government in Holyrood in 2026. The very same party that ‘Scotland’s Champion’, the Daily Record urged us to vote for in the 2024 UK General Election and will no doubt support in … Continue reading Child poverty – Labour’s deep hypocrisy

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Infrastructure projects can stay in Scotland and take advantage of the speed of light

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By Liz S “Major infrastructure projects currently planned for Scotland being switched to other parts of the UK”. Is this another way of the BBC communicating (threatening) some people in Scotland would be better to STFU or else . I mean if we are talking “Energy” and “losing out” well the Labour Energy Secretary, Ed Milliband, tweeted this on 21 March 2025: “Great British Energy is coming to you. Our publicly-owned energy company is rolling out solar panels for schools and NHS sites across England. Cutting bills and saving money for frontline services”. “Coming to you” ? Like coming to the … Continue reading Infrastructure projects can stay in Scotland and take advantage of the speed of light

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Labour to push 250,000 people into poverty but Gordon Brown campaigns against it apparently untroubled by the contradictions

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stewartb While we’re on the subject of egregious omissions in the wake of Labour’s ‘Spring Statement’ … From Birmingham Live on March 12, 2025 this headline: ‘Former PM Gordon Brown in Birmingham backs child poverty urgent action call’. We’re told the sage of British Labour in Scotland and saviour of solidarity in the precious Union attended an event at which: ‘He took the opportunity to press fellow guest, Government employment minister Alison McGovern, to do more to fix child poverty. She is one of three ministers leading the Child Poverty Taskforce set up by Sir Keir Starmer and due to report its … Continue reading Labour to push 250,000 people into poverty but Gordon Brown campaigns against it apparently untroubled by the contradictions

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Why has there been a massive but unreported reduction in the number of children on the child protection register in Scotland and a widening gap with the other 3 nations?

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Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair This caught me off-guard today. I was astonished to read this and to see that it is not a major news item for ‘our’ media. From the Scottish Government, yesterday: On 31 July 2024, 2,129 children were on the child protection register, representing a 3% increase on 2023 (2,077) and a 26% decrease on 2014 (2,877). During the year, 3,167 children were registered onto the child protection register, representing a 2% decrease on 2022-23 (3,234) and a 31% decrease on 2013-14 (4,622). https://www.gov.scot/publications/childrens-social-work-statistics-child-protection-2023-24/ These are massive reductions in only 10 years … Continue reading Why has there been a massive but unreported reduction in the number of children on the child protection register in Scotland and a widening gap with the other 3 nations?

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Scotland has been putting patient safety first since 2007 and former Labour or Tory Health Secretaries could have copied us but didn’t

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Professor John Robertson OBA It’s a bit much, Jeremy Hunt now worrying about patient safety, 15 years after he could have learned how to do it, 18 years after Labour could have, from SNP-led Scotland. In the Guardian, yesterday, the above, and: I am worried about something else being missed. In the huge blizzard of organisational change, there is a risk of eyes going off the ball when it comes to broader patient safety risks. In December, the charity I set up, Patient Safety Watch, published a report put together by a team of people at Imperial College London led by Prof … Continue reading Scotland has been putting patient safety first since 2007 and former Labour or Tory Health Secretaries could have copied us but didn’t

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Scotland’s schools – better staffed, better funded and improving outcomes in a society where youth violence has plummeted

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Professor John Robertson OBA, former schoolteacher, education lecturer, Associate Dean I was only a classroom teacher for three years (11 year-olds) before moving into higher education, but 18-24 year-olds can be hard work, scary at times, too. I was a bit lucky as well. I ran a winning school football team (cynically based on the Catenaccio – look it up) so if they crossed me they were oot! I’m not, under any circumstances downplaying how awful the experience can be, at some times, for some teachers but I am, really, questioning the idea that things are now worse than they … Continue reading Scotland’s schools – better staffed, better funded and improving outcomes in a society where youth violence has plummeted

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It’s not a scare story, it’s fact – essential PPE supplies during Covid were prioritised by UK Government for England and denied to care homes in Scotland yet, later, we helped them out

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks once again to AR for alerting me to this. Ignored, of course, by BBC Scotland and somewhat downplayed by STV in ‘Scotland didn’t have a Covid PPE VIP lane and we didn’t need one’ at https://news.stv.tv/politics/scotland-didnt-have-a-covid-ppe-vip-lane-and-we-didnt-need-one, this is a shocking revelation of how, when the going got tough, Scotland did not benefit from the Union but, rather, was actively harmed by it. The above short video is a must watch and share for any who doubt the true nature of Scotland’s position in the UK. Nearly 5 years ago we knew this but the ‘Scottish’ … Continue reading It’s not a scare story, it’s fact – essential PPE supplies during Covid were prioritised by UK Government for England and denied to care homes in Scotland yet, later, we helped them out