Tag: scotland

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SNP leader did not just win approval, she delivered more than a thousand fewer Covid deaths

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Professor John Robertson OBA A regular media mantra is that FM Nicola Sturgeon got higher approval than PM Boris Johnson but that outcomes in terms of Covid-related deaths were very similar. BBC Scotland and the Scottish press feasted greedily on that last point. In an attempt to quickly gather the research on approval ratings, I asked Grok AI: Is there research evidence comparing the performance during the pandemic of Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon The response to the first part of a performance-rating, was as you’d expect: Polls consistently showed stark contrasts in perceived performance, especially in Scotland: A May … Continue reading SNP leader did not just win approval, she delivered more than a thousand fewer Covid deaths

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It was only in Scotland that opposition parties were regularly invited on to critique the Scottish Government’s pandemic decisions

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By brendarobb I see only the BBC Scotland web page headline names a politician within a negative framing, in Wales & N Ireland headlines are negative but no names initially, the England page has no story and the UK page headline has already moved on to how things could have been handled differently, letting them balance out the criticism of Boris Johnston’s government with the message that all 4 governments messed up. I’m sure when I muster the energy to read the full report there will be more nuance but a glance at the key findings summary (covid19.public-inquiry.uk/documents/module-2-in-brief-report/) it appears … Continue reading It was only in Scotland that opposition parties were regularly invited on to critique the Scottish Government’s pandemic decisions

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As Labour ‘generously’ keep prescriptions at just under £10 a go how SNP free prescriptions have saved uncounted thousands of asthmatics

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Professor John Robertson OBA Before we get into the often unreported benefits, let’s get rid of the myth that we cannot afford them. From Dispenser payments and prescription cost analysis Financial year 2024 to 2025 published yesterday: The total (net) cost, which is the final cost to the Scottish Government once item costs, service remuneration, advance payments and patient charges are taken into account, for dispensing items and providing services in 2024/25 was £1.66 billion. This increased by 2.5% from £1.62 billion in 2023/24 and continues a period of largely rising cost, increasing by 29.8% over the last 10 years. The total number of … Continue reading As Labour ‘generously’ keep prescriptions at just under £10 a go how SNP free prescriptions have saved uncounted thousands of asthmatics

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22 times as many properties at risk of flooding in England after 18 years of SNP policies

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian yesterday, the above and: John Harris correctly identifies that the UK is hopelessly unprepared for flooding, but is wrong to suggest that the public is not told about the threat (Flooded and forgotten: the UK’s waters are rising and we’re being kept in the dark, 16 November). Is there a comparable problem in Scotland? Nope After 14 years of Tory rule in England and 17 of SNP rule in Scotland, 22 times as many properties at risk of flooding….in England, of course In the Independent and others, today, a warning that 6.3 million homes and … Continue reading 22 times as many properties at risk of flooding in England after 18 years of SNP policies

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More than £10 000 per year better off, lower electricity bills, 40 000 fewer poor children, Brexit losses reversed and an end to Westminster vetoes – get this spread!

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Professor John Robertson OBA Today, I asked Grok AI (x) How might an independent Scotland benefit? You have to know a bit of the world, of history, of politics, local, national and global, before you ask AI questions. I know from comments that Tus readers are safe but I really worry about youngsters. I used to argue, well-supported by the evidence from research, that Media Studies should be core in schools but subject-based tribalism and ill-informed snobbery kept it out. With Google it became vital and with AI it becomes the most valuable thing we could do. I know that … Continue reading More than £10 000 per year better off, lower electricity bills, 40 000 fewer poor children, Brexit losses reversed and an end to Westminster vetoes – get this spread!

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Future Queen of England and Scotland calls for dignity for carers but ignores what only the Scottish Government has already done to that end

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC UK two days ago: The Princess of Wales has called for more dignity for carers and a greater respect for values such as “tenderness” in business, in her first public speech in two years. At an event in the City of London, Catherine called on 80 top business leaders to play their part in ensuring employees can have healthy family lives, including caring responsibilities. “I believe in restoring the dignity to the quiet, often invisible work of caring, of loving well, as we look to build a happier, healthier society,” the princess told the … Continue reading Future Queen of England and Scotland calls for dignity for carers but ignores what only the Scottish Government has already done to that end

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Scotland has the lowest difference in excess mortality between summer and winter despite consistently seeing the coldest winters

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stewartb O/T Tho’ staying with the challenges of winter, a newly published research paper published by UK Parliament Post has noteworthy statistics on levels of winter mortality across the UK. It reports a statistic favourable to Scotland and therefore worthy of mention – after all, if not here, where? (We know that favourable statistics about life in Scotland are strong candidates for media bias by omission and if the same research had reported an unfavourable statistic, someone in BBC Scotland or their ilk would have noticed and amplified it.) Source: Hassan and Chapman (Sept 9, 2025) Winter mortality. UK Parliament Post. (https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/POST-PN-0752/POST-PN-0752.pdf ) Background: ’Winter mortality in … Continue reading Scotland has the lowest difference in excess mortality between summer and winter despite consistently seeing the coldest winters

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Global thyroid cancer ‘surge’ – 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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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Health yesterday reported on a global surge in thyroid cancer with: It’s long been known that exposure to large amounts of ionising radiation in childhood can cause thyroid cancer. In the years following the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, rates of the disease skyrocketed in children in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. One study found that amongst Japanese atomic-bomb survivors, about 36% of thyroid cancer cases since 1958 could be attributed to childhood radiation exposure. 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 … Continue reading Global thyroid cancer ‘surge’ – 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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Scotland’s flu season starts early but 18 years of SNP administration means we are more ready than Lisa Summers has managed to analyse with 30% more beds and 71% more nurses

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Scotland‘s Lisa Summers, the above graph, and: There has been a sharp increase in flu cases detected in Scotland over the last week, official figures show. Data from Public Health Scotland (PHS) shows there were 431 new positive flu cases in the week ending 9 November, a 70% increase on the previous week when 253 cases were recorded. The number of patients admitted to hospital has also almost doubled, rising from 115 to 218. There are typically around 12 000 patients in hospital beds any day of the year in Scotland so that extra … Continue reading Scotland’s flu season starts early but 18 years of SNP administration means we are more ready than Lisa Summers has managed to analyse with 30% more beds and 71% more nurses

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BBC News Tees loses interest in trans doctor story in one day while BBC Scotland milks it for weeks and weeks – why might that be?

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By Liz S This story is now no longer on the main England page on the BBC website. It is also now the third article on the local news page for the area of Tees….yesterday it was the second article on that page. Still nothing about it on the main UK page or UK politics page. The front pages of today’s English editions of newspapers on what was the “closing submissions in this Tribunal case of these Darlington Nurses against the NHS Trust” The Telegraph – nothing on their front page on this story. The Independent – nothing on their front page on this story. The Guardian –nothing on their front page on this story. The Times – nothing on their front page on this story. The Daily Express – nothing on their front … Continue reading BBC News Tees loses interest in trans doctor story in one day while BBC Scotland milks it for weeks and weeks – why might that be?