Tag: politics

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Disgraceful journalism to exploit homelessness and rough-sleeping in the country with by far the least

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The Herald today has this nasty, exploitative image to misrepresent the nature of homelessness for children in Scotland. A child sleeping rough or begging on the streets would be picked up and taken to a safe place. Some facts about homelessness in the UK they don’t want you to know: 1 Core Homelessness lowest in Scotland ‘Core homelessness’ – a concept which captures the most severe and immediate forms of homelessness – is estimated to have stood at 14,250 households on a given night in Scotland in 2019, having been relatively stable over the preceding seven years. Rates of core homelessness are substantially lower in Scotland (0.57% of households) than in England (0.94%) … Continue reading Disgraceful journalism to exploit homelessness and rough-sleeping in the country with by far the least

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NHS Scotland’s stunning 98% completion rate as operations return steadily to pre-pandemic levels less than two years after the end of the ‘Greatest test since World War Two’

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Less than 2 years after the World Health Organisation declared an end to the Covid-19 pandemic on May 5 2023, and the ‘Greatest test since World War Two’ according to the United Nations Secretary General, with global economic collapse and longer-term health damage to millions, and Scotland’s Auditor General seems to have ignored the evidence to deny that NHS Scotland can and will survive while holding to the principles we all value deeply. The evidence which is easily available, making you wonder at his political agenda here, includes this: From Public Health Scotland, the above graph … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s stunning 98% completion rate as operations return steadily to pre-pandemic levels less than two years after the end of the ‘Greatest test since World War Two’

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Cap on UK political donations to limit foreign influence would help SNP limit ‘foreign’ influence too

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From the Guardian today: Caps on political donations are being considered by ministers as part of sweeping reforms to the UK electoral system. Labour is examining proposals to limit how much individuals and companies can donate to political parties as part of an effort to tighten the rules around money in UK politics. In a report to be published in the coming weeks, the Institute for Public Policy Research will recommend that ministers limit individual and corporate donations to political parties to £100,000 a year. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/02/government-may-cap-uk-political-donations-to-limit-foreign-influence If implemented, the above move would be driven by Labour, Con and Lib Dem anxiety … Continue reading Cap on UK political donations to limit foreign influence would help SNP limit ‘foreign’ influence too

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Police Scotland Freedom of Information request regarding the unthinkable reveals no cases of it

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I monitor Police Scotland’s Disclosure Log daily for anything that might be of interest. At first, I thought it best to pass this one by, but then wondered why indulge in the same censorship as BBC Scotland who, of course, will not be reporting this. From Reference: 24-2764 – Crime stats – Female Genital Mutilation – 2000 TD, published yesterday: A search of our crime recording system for Female Genital Mutilation offences shows there was 1 recorded offence in 2019, 2 recorded and 2 detected offences in 2020 and 1 recorded offence in 2022. All statistics are provisional and should … Continue reading Police Scotland Freedom of Information request regarding the unthinkable reveals no cases of it

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Are Diarrhoea, Vomiting and Nausea spreading all over Scotland or is it just BBC Scotland making us feel that way?

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Still a big item for BBC Scotland after 4 days: NHS Grampian has suspended visiting to Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin after an outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting. The health board said three wards had been closed to new admissions and only essential visitors would be allowed at the Moray hospital. The report does not refer to Norovirus but those are the big symptoms and it tends to strike in winter in hospitals. What’s the wider picture BBC Scotland? Should we be concerned? You can’t tell us? Editor says no? Oh well, from Public Health Scotland on 24 November: See … Continue reading Are Diarrhoea, Vomiting and Nausea spreading all over Scotland or is it just BBC Scotland making us feel that way?

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Fraser Nelson travels ‘home’ to shame city with child poverty level lower than the many he passed on the way from the South

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks again to AR for alerting me to this. Self-described ‘Scot’, born in England, Glasgow graduate, Conservative, benefits scrounger-hunter and former editor of the Spectator, Fraser Nelson is in the Herald today to tell us: We are not getting any nearer to solving poverty that is blight on Glasgow Child poverty in Glasgow is currently 33.5%. Shameful, I know, but on the way, Nelson missed the opportunity to visit and to lecture the people of the above local authorities identified by Action for Children or these local authorities, below, identified by The Health Foundation in July this … Continue reading Fraser Nelson travels ‘home’ to shame city with child poverty level lower than the many he passed on the way from the South

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Actual news – alcohol treatment hits 90% target, consumption and hospital admissions plummet

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Reporting Scotland today but not making it to their website, so a direct feed from Scottish Health Action of Alcohol Problems, claiming an ‘unmet need’ for alcohol treatment services. Not mentioned by BBC Scotland, these facts. First, on existing services: From Public Health Scotland on 25 June 2024: Alcohol and drug treatment services both seeing around 90% of referrals within 3 weeks, year after year, with a tiny, not statistically significant, gap in performance. The news is that these services are both target-hitting consistently and should be getting media attention for that but they never do. Source: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/national-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-waiting-times/national-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-waiting-times-1-january-2024-to-31-march-2024/ Second, … Continue reading Actual news – alcohol treatment hits 90% target, consumption and hospital admissions plummet

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Six sub-polls suggest modest SNP recovery, growing Reform threat and ongoing crisis for the others leading to good result in the constituencies for the SNP

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From Opinium with sub-polls of around 160 Scots 18+years of age, on 29 and 13 (in brackets) November, 31 and 18 October (in brackets) support is (was): This suggests ongoing crises for Scottish Labour and Cons, LD and Greens with steady modest recovery of the SNP and growing support for Reform eating away at Cons and Labour. Polls a few days earlier by More in Common and Find our Now tell a similar, if worse story for Labour and slightly better one for the Cons. All six polls put the Greens in danger of serious loss post their split with … Continue reading Six sub-polls suggest modest SNP recovery, growing Reform threat and ongoing crisis for the others leading to good result in the constituencies for the SNP

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Latest – Scottish Labour policy challenged as new research reviewing more than 2 000 studies finds increased risk of thyroid cancer for those living near nuclear power plants

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From The National on 9 July 2024: SCOTTISH Secretary Ian Murray has repeatedly refused to say the new UK Labour government will not overrule its devolved counterpart to see nuclear projects built in Scotland. The Labour MP was speaking on BBC Good Morning Scotland on Tuesday when he was pushed on whether the UK Government under Keir Starmer might step in to force through planning decisions, despite the area being devolved to Holyrood. Murray repeatedly refused to rule out any planning decisions being taken by the UK Government over the heads of local people or devolved representatives. Instead, he said it was “really … Continue reading Latest – Scottish Labour policy challenged as new research reviewing more than 2 000 studies finds increased risk of thyroid cancer for those living near nuclear power plants

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NHS Scotland is not lagging behind – Complaint to Editor of Times and their response, so much better than BBC Complaints

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By Professor John Robertson OBA To the Editor of the Times, regarding the above article, being widely copied in MSM and exciting Unionists, I submitted a formal complaint with this content; On cancer waiting times, you had: ‘The waiting times for cancer treatment are continuing to surge in England and Scotland, with only 73 per cent and 68 per cent of cases respectively meeting the 62-day target from the time of referral to the start of treatment.’ On A&E Waiting Times, you had 65.9% were seen within 4 hours in Scotland and 72.4% were seen in that time in NHS … Continue reading NHS Scotland is not lagging behind – Complaint to Editor of Times and their response, so much better than BBC Complaints