Tag: scotland

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Massive surge in patients waiting more than 12 hours in NHS England A&E after 6 months of Labour-rule

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The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA In December 2024, 54 207 people waited more than 12 hours [after triage and decision to admit] in NHS England A&E departments, up from 36 806 in July when Labour won the General Election promising change but … Continue reading Massive surge in patients waiting more than 12 hours in NHS England A&E after 6 months of Labour-rule

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How the SNP Government kept your health data out the hands of an NHS England contractor who openly boasts about killing people in Gaza for profit

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From the Skwawkbox, today, the above video (link below) and this: Alex Karp, the chief executive of software company Palantir – which supplies military software and services to the Israeli occupation that has murdered and maimed hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank and also has a huge contract from the UK government to manage NHS data – has told shareholders he’s sure they’re having as much fun as he is and approves of the company ‘scar[ing] enemies and on occasion kill[ing] them’. Palantir has also been linked, in a parliamentary enquiry and … Continue reading How the SNP Government kept your health data out the hands of an NHS England contractor who openly boasts about killing people in Gaza for profit

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Contrary to the London-based IFS, the second homes tax is ‘One of Scotland’s best-conceived & rewarding policies’

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The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA In the Herald today: Second homes tax is ‘Scotland’s most ill-conceived & damaging policy’ – What does Scotland’s tax system for purchases of second properties mean for taxpayers, landlords, tenants and the economy? That is one of the … Continue reading Contrary to the London-based IFS, the second homes tax is ‘One of Scotland’s best-conceived & rewarding policies’

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Scotsman and STV fail to understand as cardiac deaths align with aging population and as England’s waiting list climbs to nearly twice as long as Scotland’s

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The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA The Scotsman, the Morning Star and STV all have misleading reports of cardiac deaths and waiting lists today along the lines of: Waits for heart appointments in Scotland soar to a record high and suggest that reductions … Continue reading Scotsman and STV fail to understand as cardiac deaths align with aging population and as England’s waiting list climbs to nearly twice as long as Scotland’s

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UK Government’s maintenance backlog for England’s devolved public service facilities reaches £30.5 billion – what impact of this neglect on Scotland?

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By stewartb The eye-watering scale of the maintenance backlog associated with UK government  property is exposed in a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO). A figure of £30.5 billion is identified as the scale of the backlog associated just with properties used in the delivery of devolved public services in England (some in Wales). Source: NAO (January 22, 2025) Maintaining public service facilities. Cross-Government Report, HC 544 (https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/maintaining-public-service-facilities.pdf ). When decisions by Westminster/Whitehall to neglect basic property maintenance in England result in budget numbers on this scale, the possible negative consequences for Scotland’s own public finances should merit … Continue reading UK Government’s maintenance backlog for England’s devolved public service facilities reaches £30.5 billion – what impact of this neglect on Scotland?

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NHS Scotland has the shortest waiting lists and 97% efficiency in progressing operations regardless of delays in building new units because of UK Government’s spending review

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The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland today has: More than £34m has been spent developing plans for five delayed NHS treatment centres which are meant to deal with a backlog of operations. then largely demolishing any value their report might have: … Continue reading NHS Scotland has the shortest waiting lists and 97% efficiency in progressing operations regardless of delays in building new units because of UK Government’s spending review

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Grenfell is to come down – A reminder of why a towering inferno will never happen in Scotland

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The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser closing on Friday, primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS Today [February 6th 2025] in the Guardian: Grenfell Tower is to be demolished, bereaved families are understood to have been told by Angela Rayner. Rayner, the deputy … Continue reading Grenfell is to come down – A reminder of why a towering inferno will never happen in Scotland

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Latest of eight bias-free sub-polls has SNP 19 points ahead of Labour, Cons in deep trouble and Reform surging into second place, even in Scotland

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On January 14, 2025, I had the above, based on 7 Westminster sub-polls unaffected by bias, resulting from adjusting the sample to reflect the more than 10 years old 2014 referendum result, still used in all-Scotland polls and suggesting we’re still ‘even Stevens’ (not Flynn) on the yes/no vote while the SNP remain in the doldrums. Today, from YouGov: UK-wide Scottish Sub-poll (214) Regardless of the SNP support not back at full strength, though Op Branchform looks like withering soon, this suggests an SNP wipe-out other than in the LibDem seats. Transferred to Holyrood, I feel sure we can say … Continue reading Latest of eight bias-free sub-polls has SNP 19 points ahead of Labour, Cons in deep trouble and Reform surging into second place, even in Scotland

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RAAC! In Scotland only 1.6% of homes or schools have it, buyers should sue inspectors and mortgage advisers not beg from Scot Gov/us and it’ll last for decades if maintained

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By Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland’s wee insert today in BBC Breakfast, was jam packed with bad news linked to the Scottish Government – consultant vacancies, school violence, homelessness/housing crisis and RAAC. On RAAC, some facts which will not be mentioned much, if at all: Aberdeen home-owners buy property which requires maintenance just like any other, in a Thatcherite scheme, at a knock-down price, from a Tory or Labour council, after a professional survey, and the SNP Government has to do something? RAAC!! A classic media scare story as only between 0.3% and 1.6% of Scotland’s social housing has it. Leading … Continue reading RAAC! In Scotland only 1.6% of homes or schools have it, buyers should sue inspectors and mortgage advisers not beg from Scot Gov/us and it’ll last for decades if maintained

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School violence in Scotland – Fact Check

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Such was the level of violence in Scottish schools last April that the same two boys had to travel the country to represent it visually. Kind of makes you wonder why, in the age of mobile phone cameras of awesome quality, why BBC Scotland and Wales only have the same Getty image of two lads play wrestling. Some facts, you won’t be hearing much today. School violence: A classic example of seeking to stoke moral panic All forms of bullying in decline and students feel safer than in other nations Youth violence plummets across society yet increases … Continue reading School violence in Scotland – Fact Check