Tag: scotland

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Nearly three times as many employee owned businesses per head in Scotland than in England or in Labour Wales

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By Professor John Robertson Across the board, from health, through education and crime, Labour has made an asyn of running Wales, generally blaming the UK for all its ills. Today, Scottish Enterprise was able to announce: Latest figures show there are currently 286 EOBs operating in Scotland – up from 195 in 2022 – comprised of 177 Scottish-registered EOBs, 25 Scottish-registered workers’ cooperatives and 84 EOBs. At the last published count, in June 2023, there were 63 EOBs in Wales. Wales has 58% of Scotland’s population, so all things being equal, might be expected to have around 58% of Scotland’s … Continue reading Nearly three times as many employee owned businesses per head in Scotland than in England or in Labour Wales

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FACTCHECK – The SIX key NHS waiting lists which are shorter, sometimes only half as long, in Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson Important note for some readers – England has 10 times the population so to be fair to them, where they are not already in the form of percentages, I’ve divided their waiting lists by 10. All sources below. Yes, I know, drug deaths. [i] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/11/number-waiting-for-nhs-care-for-serious-heart-problems-in-england-rises-fivefold [ii] https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24091977.cardiology-waiting-lists-at-highest-level-record [iii] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/03/almost-10-million-people-in-england-could-be-on-nhs-waiting-list [iv] https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-stage-of-treatment/stage-of-treatment-waiting-times-inpatients-day-cases-and-new-outpatients-quarter-ending-31-december-2023/ [v] https://rcem.ac.uk/data-statistics/ [vi] https://publichealthscotland.scot/our-areas-of-work/acute-and-emergency-services/urgent-and-unscheduled-care/accident-and-emergency/#section-3-2 [vii] https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2024-25/ [viii] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-63573718 [ix] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59549800 [x] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67714151 Continue reading FACTCHECK – The SIX key NHS waiting lists which are shorter, sometimes only half as long, in Scotland

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The largely untold story of how Labour failed to protect Scots haemophiliacs from infected blood!

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By Professor John Robertson On May 17th, the head of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) apologised to the thousands of victims in Scotland who were infected by HIV or Hepatitis C through NHS blood products. While I understand why he made that apology on behalf of the SNBTS and the victims fully deserve an apology, even if it’s nearly 50 years late, it’s not really those working for the blood transfusion service, 50 years ago or now, who should be apologising. According to the Guardian, the commercial blood product Koate, given to haemophiliacs across the UK in the … Continue reading The largely untold story of how Labour failed to protect Scots haemophiliacs from infected blood!

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Another ‘big’ Labour election promise worth titchy amount as Scotland’s share and might improve only 2 or 3 harbours

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By Professor John Robertson They did something comparably thick when they promised to increase GP appointments and, when you worked out Scotland’s 8% share, it was a less than a half of 1% increase. Here it’s a whopping £1.8 billion ‘Scotland’s facilities will benefit from‘ so, 8% for us, £144 million. The new Stornoway harbour alone, just completed and paid for by the Scottish Government, cost £60 million. Gee I wonder how much the Scottish Government has already committed to in its Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26 : Energy and Manufacturing? Total: almost £2 billion So, from Labour, 7.2%. … Continue reading Another ‘big’ Labour election promise worth titchy amount as Scotland’s share and might improve only 2 or 3 harbours

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Scottish Labour and the Glasgow Yorkhill infected blood scandal

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According to the Guardian in April 2024, cheap infected blood products based on blood from Arkansas prisoners began to be used across the UK after the Labour Government, in 1976, signed the deal, despite warnings from experts. Today, BBC Scotland repeats: One area where Scotland differed from the rest of the UK is that the vast majority of infections came from its own blood donations. In the 1970s and 80s, the country was largely self-sufficient in blood products. and you have to read on to find: Although most of the blood used in Scotland was from Scottish donations, the exception … Continue reading Scottish Labour and the Glasgow Yorkhill infected blood scandal

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Blood scandal – SNP inquiry in 2007, first in UK, led to better support system than in rest of UK

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By Professor John Robertson The broadcasts today don’t mention this and you have to read down to the bottom of this BBC Scotland report to find this: Scotland was the first part of the UK to commission a public inquiry into infected blood. It had been a key election pledge of the SNP government when it came to power in 2007, and was carried out by Scottish judge Lord Penrose. But the Penrose inquiry lacked the full statutory powers to compel witnesses from outside of Scotland to give evidence, and until 1999 health policy had been controlled by Westminster. Campaigner … Continue reading Blood scandal – SNP inquiry in 2007, first in UK, led to better support system than in rest of UK

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Oz taxpayers pay for new wharves but must wait years for ferries in latest fiasco

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From the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday: Taxpayers have spent $78 million for two soon-to-be-opened ferry wharves near the entrance to Sydney’s Botany Bay, but the public faces a years-long wait for services between La Perouse and Kurnell because of state government indecision. and from the Leader: Transport Minister Jo Haylen and Coordinator General, Transport for NSW, Howard Collins were grilled by Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party MP Mark Banasiak, who said it had “always been a dog of a project” and was “the epitome of white elephants”. Meanwhile in Scotland: By Professor John Robertson From the Scottish Government today and, of … Continue reading Oz taxpayers pay for new wharves but must wait years for ferries in latest fiasco

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Edinburgh’s loss making trams project was forced on the SNP minority government by the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems and now they want to shift the blame

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In the Scotsman, last week: The Edinburgh Trams have made a net loss of more than £44 million since opening ten years ago, figures have revealed, mainly due to borrowing costs associated with building the original line. Coming in at over £400m over budget and three years late, the capital’s trams have not run a profit since 2017. Sue Webber, Conservative MSP for the Lothian region, said: “These eye-watering losses only add insult to injury for those living and working in the capital. They already had to endure the construction bill for the trams spiralling out of control and reaching over £1 billion. There … Continue reading Edinburgh’s loss making trams project was forced on the SNP minority government by the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems and now they want to shift the blame

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Sorting child poverty the Scottish way – the Archbishop, the Bishop, the thinktank Chief Exec, the editor and Gordon Brown all avoid looking north

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By Professor John Robertson Again, alerted by Dottie’s Phone You won’t be surprised to hear there’s not a word, from this Labour Party elder, of Scotland’s far lower child poverty nor of how the SNP’s child payment is leading to its disappearance in Scotland, nor of Labour’s refusal to end the cruel two-child benefit cap, if elected. Maybe the Archbishop will mention poverty in Scotland and the Child Benefit? Not a word. It turns out the Bishop of Leicester too had a piece in the Guardian yesterday. He doesn’t know about Scotland either, it seems, but does mention Labour, if … Continue reading Sorting child poverty the Scottish way – the Archbishop, the Bishop, the thinktank Chief Exec, the editor and Gordon Brown all avoid looking north

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LATEST SHOCK: Scotland’s waiting list for heart treatment is barely half that per head of NHS England!

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By Professor John Robertson Many thanks to Dottie’s Phone for alerting me to this. The Guardian today has this shocking news: The British Heart Foundation (BHF) warns that heart care waiting lists are now at a record high, reaching 414,596 at the end of March 2024 in England, almost double what it was in 2020. In February 2024, the British Heart Foundation felt this was shocking for Scotland: Between March 2019 and September 2023, the number of people waiting for an outpatient appointment rose from 8,562 to 23,027. In the last year alone, the waiting list has grown by more than … Continue reading LATEST SHOCK: Scotland’s waiting list for heart treatment is barely half that per head of NHS England!