Tag: politics

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How the Isle of Wight’s ferry fiasco is not news for the BBC there

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By Liz S “More misery for car ferry customers as cancellations continue’ in English ‘scandal’ ferry system” Wow that sounds like a bit of a, checks bloody notes, “Catastrophe” and a Fiasco” and to be honest it’s also a bloody “Scandal” too…..and dare I say it’s also a touché moment for our Scottish government , and for us too who support the Scottish government. I wonder , this #Bad Isle of Wight Ferry story , is it only in the ‘local news’ for ‘local people’ and so it has not quite made it into the ‘National’ news yet ,as in … Continue reading How the Isle of Wight’s ferry fiasco is not news for the BBC there

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Former New Labour minister tries to hide the abolishing of the whole NHS England system, not just the ‘quango’ and the deaths that will follow

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to AR for alerting me to this. The word ‘Perspective’ there, is doing heavy lifting as former Blair Minister, Brian ‘Bad Vibrations’ Wilson, tries to tell us that Starmer is only getting rid of the NHS England top layer and freeing the trusts up, to get imaginative [spend the money in the private sector] and, of course leave NHS Scotland behind. It’s by no means just a perspective, a point of view, It’s a whopping lie. Here’s another ‘perspective‘ but a far more honest and clear-sighted one: The Starmer government’s announcement that it is abolishing … Continue reading Former New Labour minister tries to hide the abolishing of the whole NHS England system, not just the ‘quango’ and the deaths that will follow

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“I Wish I Didn’t Know That” – A fun trivia game to keep Anas and Jackie amused when they are hiding from THEIR media

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FUN FUN FUN A fun trivia game to keep Anas and Jackie amused when they are hiding from THEIR media. Not just a HIT in The British Labour Party offices in Scotland but it is fantastic at keeping the kids quite in the back of the car while waiting for those ferries that always seem to turn up on time. You can also be the LIFE of the party when you invite friends around….you’re party will go off with a BANG!!! From Union of Concerned Scientists a spin the wheel game called “I Wish I Didn’t Know That”……. https://www.ucs.org/resources/i-wish-i-didnt-know Spinning “The … Continue reading “I Wish I Didn’t Know That” – A fun trivia game to keep Anas and Jackie amused when they are hiding from THEIR media

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There are no ‘UK rape conviction cases’ only ones for England and Wales OR for Scotland and though the latter are still not remotely good enough, I know, they are very different these days

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Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Committee Chair In the Guardian today: Stacey Dooley on the UK’s shocking rape conviction statistics [sic] – Prosecuting rape is notoriously difficult in the UK [sic], with an estimated 5% of cases making it to trial, and only about 45% [of those so 2%?] resulting in a conviction. Amid such discouraging headlines, four young women have allowed Stacey Dooley to tell their difficult, complex stories about reporting being raped by someone they know, in the three-year run-up to trial. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/13/tv-tonight-stacey-dooley-on-the-uks-shocking-conviction-statistics There are no UK rape conviction statistics. There are statistics for England & Wales … Continue reading There are no ‘UK rape conviction cases’ only ones for England and Wales OR for Scotland and though the latter are still not remotely good enough, I know, they are very different these days

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Where’s Anas? The BBC report on his sheepish support for savage disability cuts which will have damaging knock-on effects in health care, policing and education, may not see the day out

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Professor John Robertson OBA The BBC Scotland report on the Scottish Labour leader sheepishly going along with the PM’s welfare ‘reforms’ , well more savage cuts for the disabled, from only yesterday, looks likely to drop off the page soon. Maybe, when you read this, it already has. The actual report, get it quick before it disappears, finds it impossible to conceal the awfulness of the callousness in Starmer and Reeves’ plans, try as it might, so its presence has been diminished fast in the hope that no one sees it. What are the Labour plans? PIP pay Numerous individuals … Continue reading Where’s Anas? The BBC report on his sheepish support for savage disability cuts which will have damaging knock-on effects in health care, policing and education, may not see the day out

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Suspected drug deaths fall again for 3rd quarter in a row to lowest since 2017 and plummet for younger abusers

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Suspected drug deaths in Scotland: October to December 2024, published today: During 2024 there were 1,065 suspected drug deaths, 11% (132) fewer than in 2023. This is one of the lowest numbers of suspected drug deaths recorded in a single calendar quarter since the start of the time series in 2017. https://www.gov.scot/publications/suspected-drug-deaths-scotland-october-december-2024/pages/3/ Of particular interest: A majority (64%) of suspected drug deaths were of people aged between 35 and 54 years. This is broadly in line with previous periods. There were 34 suspected drug deaths in the under 25 age group, 37% (20) fewer than … Continue reading Suspected drug deaths fall again for 3rd quarter in a row to lowest since 2017 and plummet for younger abusers

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The Galloway National Park No Campaign and their friends in high places

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Professor John Robertson OBA I knew the Galloway Hills well, oh so well, but sadly as I age, not at all anymore. I’ve been on top of every hill and some of them, multiple times. Solitude, I get it. Despite that, I’m not so well informed on the debate over the merits or otherwise of national parks. I’ve seen the media reports of human waste, litter, overcrowding, congested roads. I’ve been to the Lake District to see the extremes of that but I’ve also seen there, ordinary folk enjoying themselves responsibly and local businesses thriving. I’ve also read the reports … Continue reading The Galloway National Park No Campaign and their friends in high places

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UK Government’s dysfunctional Under-Secretary at the Scotland Office will clearly say anything, absolutely anything she’s told to say

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stewartb Should anyone book a holiday for their family on a Scottish island this summer? Should a bank or other investor support a business based on a Scottish island that relies on serving customers off island? Should anyone thinking of moving from the UK mainland or elsewhere to set up a family home or set up a business on a Scottish island? Should any resident of a Scottish island with the option of continuing to make a life there or moving to a mainland location choose the former? Should a business on the UK mainland or elsewhere enter into a … Continue reading UK Government’s dysfunctional Under-Secretary at the Scotland Office will clearly say anything, absolutely anything she’s told to say

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As the UK Ministry of Justice prepares for summer riots how only Scotland has the lower crime levels, the complete absence of riots previously, lower levels of background racism and the police staffing levels to be able to help other countries

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From the Guardian today, the above and: Prisons are being prepared to cope with a sudden influx of offenders in case there is a repeat of last summer’s riots, the justice minister, James Timpson, has told the Guardian. The facts behind my headline: From BBC Scotland on 9 August 2024, in what must be an unauthorised ‘Scotland is the best‘ report by a junior reporter not yet ‘inducted‘: Police Scotland is considering a request to send 120 officers to Northern Ireland following several nights of anti-immigration riots in Belfast and other parts of the UK. Jon … Continue reading As the UK Ministry of Justice prepares for summer riots how only Scotland has the lower crime levels, the complete absence of riots previously, lower levels of background racism and the police staffing levels to be able to help other countries

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Prof who doesn’t ‘give a flying fcuk’ resurfaces to lie about Scotland joining the EU

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Published in the Sunday Herald today, retired Prof of German History, Jill Stephenson, is enabled to repeat, above, the old claim that Scotland ‘is not qualified to join the on grounds currency, control of monetary policy, lender of last resort and deficit’. TuS gets a rare mention as a ‘separatist blog‘. Should we rename as ‘Splitting-up Britain?’ More on Prof Paterson, her colleagues in a covert letter-writing and radio phone-in group, later, but first the substance of her claim. She’s wrong, all wrong. The full answer is far too long for this place but you can read it at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-independent-scotland-eu/pages/11/ … Continue reading Prof who doesn’t ‘give a flying fcuk’ resurfaces to lie about Scotland joining the EU