Tag: scotland

3 Comments

There might be one elsewhere in the UK but there is no healthcare postcode lottery of any kind in Scotland

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA The above 100 000 refers of course to the whole of the UK and not just Scotland. I don’t have time to fully investigate another scare story like this, but quickly: First, overall, there is no postcode lottery in Scotland’s hospitals and Glasgow’s super hospital is actually safer than average From Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios April 2024 to March 2025 published today, the above graph reveals that all of Scotland’s hospitals … Continue reading There might be one elsewhere in the UK but there is no healthcare postcode lottery of any kind in Scotland

10 Comments

BBC Scotland reporter David Wallace Lockhart mis-reports Sir Prof John Curtice to protect Labour

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA In August 2025, BBC Scotland‘s Phil Sim in Does Reform pose an existential threat to the Scottish Conservatives?, wrote: Polling guru Prof Sir John Curtice has said the party “poses a significant threat to the Conservatives and Labour’s prospects at Holyrood too“. It feels a bit like the way Labour was pulled apart in the aftermath of the 2014 independence referendum, losing support at both ends of the spectrum.That could … Continue reading BBC Scotland reporter David Wallace Lockhart mis-reports Sir Prof John Curtice to protect Labour

7 Comments

Yorkshire academics fail to read anything about Scotland or to discover that Scotland delivered 20 times as many affordable homes as Yorkshire in 2024 despite an almost identical population size

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA Shelter (Scotland) on BBC Scotland yesterday with the supposed research finding that Scotland needs 15 693 affordable homes per year compared with the 8 188 funded by the Scottish Government in 2024 is based on: Research carried out by academics at the University of Liverpool, and Sheffield Hallam University, jointly commissioned by SFHA, Shelter Scotland and the Chartered Institute for Housing So, two English universities commissioned by Shelter, HQ in London, … Continue reading Yorkshire academics fail to read anything about Scotland or to discover that Scotland delivered 20 times as many affordable homes as Yorkshire in 2024 despite an almost identical population size

9 Comments

Scotland’s drug deaths fall again to 25% below peak in 2020 and lowest since 2016 to reveal last year’s increase was the blip and to reveal the agenda of James Cook

johnrobertson834

‘Milk blood to keep from running out’ – James Cook pushes Scotland’s FALLING drug deaths on us day-after-day to try to keep us thinking if we can’t even stop this how can we run a country? Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA Yesterday and on through this morning, James Cook has been the top story. They’ve just updated: Yesterday, we had: Figures to be published on Tuesday are expected to show that Scotland remains the drugs … Continue reading Scotland’s drug deaths fall again to 25% below peak in 2020 and lowest since 2016 to reveal last year’s increase was the blip and to reveal the agenda of James Cook

15 Comments

Scotland builds far more affordable housing than England and far far more than Labour ever did but Shelter Scotland is back to suggest Scottish Government failure

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA How do Scotland and England compare in terms of affordable housing? Scotland generally provides more affordable housing per capita than England, particularly in terms of social housing and overall supply relative to population. Here’s a concise comparison based on available data: Supply of Affordable Housing: Scotland has consistently outperformed England in delivering affordable homes per head of population. Between 2007-08 and 2022-23, Scotland delivered an average of 14.2 affordable homes per 10,000 people annually, compared to 9.8 in England. In 2022-23, Scotland completed 10,458 affordable homes (19.1 per 10,000 people), while England’s rate was 11.3 per 10,000. https://www.gov.scot/publications/quarterly-housing-statistics-march-2024/pages/housing-supply-including-affordable-across-the-uk/ Social … Continue reading Scotland builds far more affordable housing than England and far far more than Labour ever did but Shelter Scotland is back to suggest Scottish Government failure

9 Comments

They may not feel comfortable with it, but to win, the SNP should recognise that voters are ‘avoiders of danger’ and GO NEGATIVE

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details Professor John Robertson OBA It’s probably not in your nature. It’s not in mine and of all the large parties in the UK, it’s not in the spirit of the SNP. We want to campaign with a positive message and we have a lot to be positive about in our achievements, in reducing poverty such as with the unique, world-leading Child Payment, in providing universal benefits such as those for prescriptions and tuition, in the lowest crime levels in the UK, in increased attainment by pupils … Continue reading They may not feel comfortable with it, but to win, the SNP should recognise that voters are ‘avoiders of danger’ and GO NEGATIVE

8 Comments

Jackie Baillie claims NHS England is 800 times better than NHS Scotland using her clearly limited maths common sense but will never tell you facts that really matter such as 12 hour A&E waits TWICE as long in England and nearly THREE TIMES as long in Wales or NHS Scotland increases number treated within 18 weeks to lead NHS England by 14%

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details Professor John Robertson OBA It seems even BBC Scotland has its limits when it comes to stories from Jackie Baillie. Nowhere in the MSM but on RADIO NEWS HUB, (?) yesterday: Long NHS waits are over 800 times more common in Scotland than they are in England, Scottish Labour has claimed. The party said its own analysis of publicly available figures showed Scotland had nearly 15,000 ongoing waits of two years or more – representing one case per 367 people. Meanwhile, NHS England reported having 182 … Continue reading Jackie Baillie claims NHS England is 800 times better than NHS Scotland using her clearly limited maths common sense but will never tell you facts that really matter such as 12 hour A&E waits TWICE as long in England and nearly THREE TIMES as long in Wales or NHS Scotland increases number treated within 18 weeks to lead NHS England by 14%

1 Comment

BBC Scotland misunderstands the attainment gap again, only ever really closed in Maoist China and Albania, to platform the Scottish Cons and Labour’s Pam Duncan-Glancy un-educated rants

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details Professor John Robertson OBA For no apparent reason in the text, BBC Scotland’s Lucy Adams has an extended report today – Has Scotland closed the attainment gap in schools?, with only one 5-year retired prof (Sue Ellis) as a source, only limited broad statistics to conceal areas of success and, of course a platform for the opposition parties to rant: First Minister John Swinney is expected to renew this commitment ahead of another Holyrood campaign in 2026, but any assessment of his party’s progress so far … Continue reading BBC Scotland misunderstands the attainment gap again, only ever really closed in Maoist China and Albania, to platform the Scottish Cons and Labour’s Pam Duncan-Glancy un-educated rants

2 Comments

Labour Wales cannot match Scottish FREE bus travel for the young but BBC Wales has only praise for the scheme unlike BBC Scotland in 2022

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details Professor John Robertson OBAThere’s not a single word of criticism in the BBC Wales report even when it mentions: From Monday, single fares will cost £1 and a full day pass will cost £3 for those aged 16-21, which will later be extended to five to 15-year-olds from 3 November. So £15 per week for a college student or apprentice travelling to work every day? Is that a big help? or To get the cheaper fares, those eligible will need to apply for a mytravelpass, external via the Transport For … Continue reading Labour Wales cannot match Scottish FREE bus travel for the young but BBC Wales has only praise for the scheme unlike BBC Scotland in 2022

6 Comments

First major success for international warship building on the Clyde and one that cannot be used to blackmail Scottish voters this time

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details Professor John Robertson OBA In NAVY LOOKOUT yesterday: Norway has formally announced it will purchase at least 5 Type 26 frigates to be built in the UK. Here we look at the implications of this news. From an economic perspective, this is a huge success for the UK and will be by far the biggest British warship export project since the Second World War. BAE Systems is not the only winner, but an industrial supply chain that includes around 400 companies and extends across the country. … Continue reading First major success for international warship building on the Clyde and one that cannot be used to blackmail Scottish voters this time