Tag: politics

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Fifth Health Secretary in a row averts deadly health strikes

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Today in the National: JUNIOR doctors in Scotland have accepted an 11% pay rise, totalling £64.1 million, the Scottish Government has said. Resident doctors – the new preferred moniker for junior medics – and dentists in training will see an 8.5% increase backdated to April of this year and a further 2.3% rise effective from October 1, a cumulative rise of 11%.  Health Secretary Neil Gray (above) said: “I am very pleased that resident doctors and dentists in training have voted to accept the Scottish Government’s pay offer. This demonstrates how much we value them and ensures that … Continue reading Fifth Health Secretary in a row averts deadly health strikes

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Anas Sarwar gets ‘Herald Scottish Politician of the Year’ despite his favourability rating falling 20 points to well below John Swinney and after taking Labour down 14 points to below the SNP

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From the Herald today: Anas Sarwar has been named The Herald Scottish Politician of the Year in recognition of his work securing Scottish Labour’s stunning result at the General Election. The party returned 37 MPs, a huge jump on the one won in 2019. How are things going with that? In the short time since the General Election in July 2024, support for Scottish Labour has plummeted from as high as 37% just before it, to 23% in October. This suggests that Anas Sarwar has diddly chance of becoming the next First Minister. According to YouGov, he is currently popular with only … Continue reading Anas Sarwar gets ‘Herald Scottish Politician of the Year’ despite his favourability rating falling 20 points to well below John Swinney and after taking Labour down 14 points to below the SNP

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Only Scots would abolish the ‘obscene’ cost of the Monarchy

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In the Guardian today: ‘Obscene’: Anger after cost of King Charles’s coronation revealed. The coronation of King Charles in May 2023 cost taxpayers at least £72m, official figures have revealed. The cost of policing the ceremony was £21.7m, with a further £50.3m in costs racked up by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/nov/21/obscene-anger-after-cost-of-king-charless-coronation-revealed Typically in a press report, the ‘anger‘ is just from the tiny protest group – Republic. No opinion poll is referred to, for the obvious reason that they all indicate continuing support for the monarchy, other than in one place. In January this year, YouGov … Continue reading Only Scots would abolish the ‘obscene’ cost of the Monarchy

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School suspensions – When bad things are happening in England they’re NOT always ‘happening across the UK’ too

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Today, I just happened to catch Chanel 5‘s Scottish presenter Storm Huntley talking about Primary School suspensions in England and adding, based on her lack of knowledge of what happens in Scotland, the above. From April 2024: From the Scotsman, no friend of the SNP Government, on 25 March 2024: Across Scotland, there were 11,675 cases of temporary exclusion of any length of time, with just one pupil being expelled, as previously revealed by The Scotsman. The figures compare to 39,553 temporary exclusions and 164 permanent in 2007, when the SNP came to power.1 So, with 10 times the population, … Continue reading School suspensions – When bad things are happening in England they’re NOT always ‘happening across the UK’ too

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SNP MSP campaigns for years to get Tory council to act on derelict sites but BBC Scotland ignore that and credit late-arriving Labour MSP to aid his campaign for 2026

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By stewartb It’s unfortunate that the specific derelict site in Dumfries is not named. From the picture, I wonder if it is what is referred to locally as the ‘former Interfloor factory’? For information and interest, a search of the official record of the Scottish Parliament shows that the SNP MSP for South Scotland, Emma Harper has been campaigning for the problem of derelict sites locally to be solved. In August 2022, Harper together with Heathhall Community Council launched a public petition: ‘to call on Dumfries and Galloway Council to take immediate and effective action to address the vacant, derelict, … Continue reading SNP MSP campaigns for years to get Tory council to act on derelict sites but BBC Scotland ignore that and credit late-arriving Labour MSP to aid his campaign for 2026

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Based on what they did in Wales, a Labour Government in Scotland would add half a million to Scotland’s NHS waiting lists! Pay attention. Do not vote for these numpties without checking this out

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By Professor John Robertson OBA, Primary 7 Maths teacher till 1981. Scottish Labour have always had trouble with numbers and Scottish Labour Leader, Anas Sarwar is no exception as he walks into an embarrassing gaff in the Daily Record today, with this: Almost 1 in 6 Scots are on an NHS waiting list. The combined waiting lists total 824,725 people.1 The Scottish Con’s, Sandy Gullane, similarly no that bright, says: Around one in seven Scots is on a waiting list for NHS treatment.2 Make up your mind lads. That’s a big difference, hundreds of thousands. Never mind the sums then, what’s the … Continue reading Based on what they did in Wales, a Labour Government in Scotland would add half a million to Scotland’s NHS waiting lists! Pay attention. Do not vote for these numpties without checking this out

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With the Scottish Conservatives finished, BBC Scotland attempts to push the already fading Scottish Labour party horse over the line in 2026

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By Professor John Robertson OBA To discuss the problem of derelict buildings being left up too long, BBC Scotland choose, Colin Smyth, a Labour regional (list) MSP (not actually elected by locals) in a region (Scotland South) where there are no Labour constituency MSPs (6 SNP and 3 Cons). The above factory location is not named but there is a local MSP actually elected by the locals. Why were they not asked? Colin grew up in Dumfries. Why did BBC Scotland not approach Oliver Mundell the actual MSP for the area? As with many other recent examples, including Anas Sarwar arriving by … Continue reading With the Scottish Conservatives finished, BBC Scotland attempts to push the already fading Scottish Labour party horse over the line in 2026

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Only in Scotland, is the Auditor General a political stooge and media favourite assisting the Scottish Labour campaign for 2026

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and we know there are some small-scale examples of where they have changed public services but we’ve been talking about public service for the past 13 years and we’re not seeing anything of the scale and pace that is going to help the Scottish Government that are going to help them bridge the £1 billion gap in public spending. By Professor John Robertson OBA Above and headlining BBC Scotland today, the Auditor General, Stephen Boyle, criticises the Scottish Government again, in a sequence of such high profile media appearances. This is a uniquely Scottish experience as a public official, funded by all … Continue reading Only in Scotland, is the Auditor General a political stooge and media favourite assisting the Scottish Labour campaign for 2026

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Bomb Squad called to three locations in Glasgow City Centre is most unusual

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The current UK Government National Threat Level is: ‘substantial – an attack is likely.’ Why do I say this is unusual? As with IRA terror in the 70s to the 90s, Scotland has seen little of the Islamic terror which struck England in the first decade of the 21st Century after the Iraq invasion. In 2017, I could write: Scotland and Terrorism: Are we safer? السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ‎‎ I’m still not sure if I should be writing this.  I’m not going to tempt fate and say we won’t see anything like the Manchester attack here. I’m just going to present some information … Continue reading Bomb Squad called to three locations in Glasgow City Centre is most unusual

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Reverse Trojan Horse – Why the SNP and Labour should do a coalition deal in 2026 for independence by 2030

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When I first saw the above, my first reaction was: ‘DAFT, DAFT and…….DAFT.’ Then something flashed from the nether regions into the front of my brain, while walking the dog. First, some facts you’ll need: From a FindOutNow poll for the Alba Party on 16-23 October, 25% of Labour voters would vote YES in a second independence referendum. From a YouGov poll on 29 August to 3 September a majority of Labour voters 47%/40% would vote YES if independence meant re-joining the EU. Leaving aside their leadership, most Labour voters share similar positions with the SNP, on taxation, benefits, health, … Continue reading Reverse Trojan Horse – Why the SNP and Labour should do a coalition deal in 2026 for independence by 2030