Tag: politics

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Trump still the less bad choice than Biden or Clinton for many in the world?

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Professor John Robertson OBA I wrote this about the Biden/Trump contest in 2020 and there’s a link to the earlier one with the dread Hilary Clinton in it. Trump’s complicity in the horror that is Gaza may moderate my position but it seems likely a Democrat president would have been no better. Here it is: If you live in the US, Trump is clearly the more bad choice. Though Biden is no socialist, there is some (little?) hope, under him, for the sick, the poor, women and ethnic minorities and less (little?) joy for the rich and the corporations. But, … Continue reading Trump still the less bad choice than Biden or Clinton for many in the world?

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‘An intolerable reality where their authentic self cannot fully exist or be expressed’ – How the insights of a Scottish ‘anti-psychiatrist’ may predict a disturbing future for the mental state of Scottish Labour politicians and for its followers

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Professor John Robertson OBA In 1975, in my first year at Stirling University, I was introduced to the revolutionary ideas of the Scottish ‘anti-psychiatrist’, R D Laing. I was struck by the clarity and coherence of Laing’s central thesis in ‘The Divided Self’: A central tenet of Laing’s thesis is the concept of the “divided self.” He proposed that individuals under severe duress, particularly within emotionally oppressive or manipulative family environments, might develop a profound split between their “true self” and a “false self.” The false self emerges as a protective mechanism, a way to conform to external expectations or … Continue reading ‘An intolerable reality where their authentic self cannot fully exist or be expressed’ – How the insights of a Scottish ‘anti-psychiatrist’ may predict a disturbing future for the mental state of Scottish Labour politicians and for its followers

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As resident (junior) doctor strikes begin today in NHS England, SNP settlement praised by BMA means NHS Scotland set to avoid thousands of excess deaths again

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Professor John Robertson OBA After the last set of Junior Doctor strikes in 2023/2024, there were serious concerns about postponed appointments and excess deaths due to these. Above, the shocking picture of 52 out of the last 365 when doctors were on strike in England. There were no days lost to action in Scotland. According to the Guardian on 10 January 2025, junior doctor strikes caused around 1.3 million appointments to be cancelled. Had there been comparable action in Scotland, around 130 000 appointments would have been lost. According to the Telegraph on 2 January, there were nearly 53 000 … Continue reading As resident (junior) doctor strikes begin today in NHS England, SNP settlement praised by BMA means NHS Scotland set to avoid thousands of excess deaths again

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Talking of water

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Liz S Talking of water…..as in ‘uisge beatha’ the ‘water of life’……this below was on the UK Politics page but when you click onto the story it takes you to the Asia page of the BBC website. “India PM Modi in UK to sign ‘landmark’ trade deal with Starmer” “India and Britain are set to sign a free trade deal to cut tariffs on goods and increase market access for the two countries”. “India will lower tariffs on British whisky, gin and other drinks as well as cars. The UK in turn will import more of India’s textiles, gemstones and other goods”. At last someone has … Continue reading Talking of water

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Independent Water Commission for England and Wales makes multiple, substantive and favourably framed references to Scotland

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By stewartb The water industry is the news again. On July 21,  the ‘Independent Water Commission Final Report’ (aka the Cunliffe report) was published. Given it dodged the issue of nationalisation – incurring the wrath of some – it’s perhaps no surprise that the water industry in Scotland is also in the news. This is a result of a British Labour Party MP for an Edinburgh constituency plus a Labour minister making statements to the media that talk down Scotland. Their purpose – distraction and to diminish public confidence in Scottish Water and thus public ownership of this essential for … Continue reading Independent Water Commission for England and Wales makes multiple, substantive and favourably framed references to Scotland

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There will be no race riots in Scotland this summer

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Professor John Robertson OBA The UK media, above, are clear in their uncritical acceptance of the PM and the Deputy PM’s worries that riots will spread across the ‘UK’ again this summer. There were none in Scotland last year and the evidence remains to suggest there will be none again this year, no matter how hard the ‘Scottish’ media try to find something similar. What really happened and why did it not happen in Scotland? 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 … Continue reading There will be no race riots in Scotland this summer

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If Nigel Farage is wrong on ‘UK’ crime, he’s even more wrong on crime in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian yesterday, the above and evidence that Farage is a bit off in his use of statistics on ‘UK’ crime. Will they survive a collision with the evidence here? From May 2025: Crime confirmed as really continuing to fall, based on three sources, to remain at roughly 1 in 10 experiencing crime directly from 1 in 5 under Labour From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: May 2025, published today: Police recorded crime is down 1% since year ending December 2023, and remains below the position immediately prior to the pandemic. The total number … Continue reading If Nigel Farage is wrong on ‘UK’ crime, he’s even more wrong on crime in Scotland

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As resident (junior) doctor strikes loom in NHS England, SNP settlement praised by BMA means NHS Scotland set to avoid thousands of excess deaths again

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today, the above and: In a letter to the NHS chief executive, Sir Jim Mackey, the BMA council chair, Dr Tom Dolphin, and the deputy council chair, Dr Emma Runswick, said: “Your decision to instruct hospitals to run non-urgent planned care stretches safe staffing far too thinly, and risks not only patient safety in urgent and emergency situations, but in planned care, too. “Consultants cannot safely provide elective care and cover for residents at the same time. We therefore strongly urge you to reconsider your instructions to hospitals, which should be preparing now … Continue reading As resident (junior) doctor strikes loom in NHS England, SNP settlement praised by BMA means NHS Scotland set to avoid thousands of excess deaths again

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Labour’s hypocrisy about ordering from China

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By Liz S Lies but also hypocrisy…….. Remember last week at PMQ’s the staged ‘performance’ between the then Labour MP Brian Leishman and his then Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in respect to Alexander Dennis Bus Manufacturers. Starmer stated that “The SNP should be backing Scottish workers” …….as he said that ” the SNP are ordering Buses from China“. Apparently that was hilarious for many of the MP’s in the HOC as so many burst out laughing at the ‘China connection’. Well it has now been reported that the big Labour flagship policy GB Energy has a connection to China…… So then would all of those same MP’s , especially … Continue reading Labour’s hypocrisy about ordering from China

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Latest poll – Reform UK and its alien values to face ‘impenetrable SNP wall’ in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA From GB News yesterday, the above and: Reform UK’s hopes of generating a tartan tidal wave have been handed a damning verdict as a pollster has told GB News that the party’s values do not fully resonate with Scottish voters. According to a recent MRP poll by think tank More in Common, the SNP is set to make a major comeback in the next general election, returning to 2019 levels of strength and bagging 41 of the 57 seats available in Scotland. When asked whether Scots think Reform UK aligns with their values, George Buchan, founder … Continue reading Latest poll – Reform UK and its alien values to face ‘impenetrable SNP wall’ in Scotland