Tag: scotland

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Shock as some heart ops no longer possible in NHS Wales but Health Secretary not questioned

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Wales, yesterday: Some major vascular operations will no longer be going ahead in north Wales, a health board has announced. Betsi Cadwaladr health board said it was pausing its provision of planned and emergency open abdominal aortic aneurism (AAA) surgery to help improve its other care. The health board confirmed there had been an “incident”, but said the decision was not based solely on this and other vascular care would continue as normal. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gp58z7pr2o Wow! Dramatic news. The Health Secretary will be challenged? Nope Opposition politicians call it a scandal? Nope, not a word. How … Continue reading Shock as some heart ops no longer possible in NHS Wales but Health Secretary not questioned

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Everyone in Scotland now benefits from the progressive SNP national council tax freeze

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By Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Breakfast this morning looked at the increasing cost of living, in particular council tax increases. They didn’t compare costs across the UK. In March 2024: While Labour, Tory and LibDem councils tried to impose big council tax hikes, it was an SNP government which has protected family budgets during this cost-of-living crisis. As well as showing a clear difference between the SNP and the Westminster parties, it also stands as an example to show voters how decisions made in Scotland prove better for the people of Scotland. It was the SNP that delivered a policy to protect people during … Continue reading Everyone in Scotland now benefits from the progressive SNP national council tax freeze

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As the poor struggle to pay more for less in England, Scotland’s cheaper, cleaner drinking water

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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 On BBC Breakfast today, we see an extended report on high and increasing water bills and hardship for the less well off, across England. From Policy Mogul, AI assisted fact checker, on 3 November 2024: Scottish taxpayers pay less for their water than their English counterparts, thanks to public ownership, with the average water bill in Scotland around £438 a year – £35 a year cheaper than the average bill of … Continue reading As the poor struggle to pay more for less in England, Scotland’s cheaper, cleaner drinking water

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Statistical uncertainty, sparse data and the absence of up to date evidence – I give you the Institute for Fiscal Studies

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By stewartb Candidly, this is an unworthy report from the IFS, an organisation that should stand or fall based on the rigour of its quantitative analysis and its evidence based policy pronouncements. The piece is replete with references to statistical uncertainty, sparse data and absence of up to date statistical evidence. It also makes reference to an HMRC study which found ‘an increase in net migration to Scotland during the period since tax policy started to diverge, including among the higher-income taxpayers whose taxes have increased in Scotland.’ And also reports: ‘these data do suggest that any migration response to Scotland’s … Continue reading Statistical uncertainty, sparse data and the absence of up to date evidence – I give you the Institute for Fiscal Studies

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Productivity, measured as GVA per hour worked, is lower in Labour-run Wales than in other UK countries and regions in England

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By stewartb In the House of Commons this week (PMQs November 13) the leadership of the British Labour Party was at it again, denigrating Scotland and its government. Hansard records the response of the PM to a question from the SNP’s Brendan O’Hara on the ending of the winter fuel payment. The PM finished his answer with this: ‘I will take no lectures from his party about running the economy; the SNP’s record in Scotland is terrible.’ This rivals the false claim from Labour’s Chancellor recently that Scotland has the worst performing NHS in the UK. How to counter such … Continue reading Productivity, measured as GVA per hour worked, is lower in Labour-run Wales than in other UK countries and regions in England

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Bank of England Governor says Brexit has damaged the economy yet Scottish Labour is allowed to hide

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By Professor John Robertson OBA The above from Huffington Post but BBC avoids being so direct. Has Scottish Labour leader and ‘Party Spokesperson on Brexit’, Anas Sarwar responded? Nope. Has BBC Scotland asked him? Nope. Why should they? This: Continue reading Bank of England Governor says Brexit has damaged the economy yet Scottish Labour is allowed to hide

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Scotland’s progressive taxes – as ‘taxpayers choose Scotland’, today’s IFS ‘warning’ comes with another warning but BBC Scotland don’t want you to know about that one

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already have reduced revenue from those affected, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. It’s analysis of the Scottish budget over recent years comes with a warning for for this year’s budget against further divergence from income tax rates in the rest of the UK. By Professor John Robertson OBA There’s something missing. This: The increases in Scotland’s top rate of income tax may have reduced revenues – although significant uncertainty remains. Scotland’s income tax rises have likely increased tax avoidance and migration – but the size of the effects is uncertain. https://ifs.org.uk/articles/increases-scotlands-top-rate-income-tax-may-have-reduced-revenues-although-significant You don’t have to be an economist to see … Continue reading Scotland’s progressive taxes – as ‘taxpayers choose Scotland’, today’s IFS ‘warning’ comes with another warning but BBC Scotland don’t want you to know about that one

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The least lawless part of the UK has the most police yet BBC Scotland headline a handful of Edinburgh shopkeepers to tell you otherwise when crimes of dishonesty there have fallen 25%

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about a growing number of high value thefts….it’s become lawless…not enough police presence.. BBC Scotland today and all day, headlining a story based on a few Edinburgh shopkeepers who have approached, or have been approached by BBC Scotland, for comment. One of them: Galab Singh Gold, who owns dozens of shops on and around the Royal Mile, told BBC News he had lost £15,000 worth of stock to theft in the last three months. Is that a huge, increased, amount from ‘dozens’ of shops or just the usual costs of shoplifting? The Gold Brothers family are worth a wee Google … Continue reading The least lawless part of the UK has the most police yet BBC Scotland headline a handful of Edinburgh shopkeepers to tell you otherwise when crimes of dishonesty there have fallen 25%

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‘Gangland violence spilling over to Scotland from south of the Border’, ‘More than 100 children charged with supplying drugs’ and ‘Gangs flooding Scots city with ‘foot-soldiers’ – Why middle-class professionals are being shielded from the truth and are easily duped

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This month alone, the tabloids, with readers predominantly from less well-off communities, the Scottish Daily Express, the Scottish Daily Mail and the Scottish Sun, have headlined the plague of extreme violence, drug abuse, drug deaths, child abuse, the ‘cuckooing’ of the vulnerable, people trafficking and prostitution, surging across small-town and rural Scotland, as County Lines drug gangs from English Cities have spread into every corner. Despite their open, often rabid, hostility toward the SNP, these newspapers have been unable to resist the morbid and scary appeal of these stories for their readers, risking, to my mind, support for the Union. … Continue reading ‘Gangland violence spilling over to Scotland from south of the Border’, ‘More than 100 children charged with supplying drugs’ and ‘Gangs flooding Scots city with ‘foot-soldiers’ – Why middle-class professionals are being shielded from the truth and are easily duped

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Despite more crime, bizarre duties, already fewer officers and lower starting salaries, England’s police forces face ‘eye watering cuts’ under Labour according to Chief

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By Professor John Robertson OBA in The Guardian today: Police service in London faces ‘eye-watering cuts’, says Met chief Mark Rowley Surely this is not possible in a country already stricken by high levels of crime with inadequate staffing levels and poor starting pay levels which inhibit recruitment. The details, you won’t see in Scottish media: The true facts are, from open, transparent, official, checkable statistics, in Police officer quarterly strength statistics: 30 September 2024, published today is: Police officer numbers increased by 220 FTE officers (+1.4%) in the last quarter from 30 June 2024 This is an increase of 193 FTE police officers (+1.2%) from the … Continue reading Despite more crime, bizarre duties, already fewer officers and lower starting salaries, England’s police forces face ‘eye watering cuts’ under Labour according to Chief