Tag: scottish-independence

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Why did Question Time’s Fiona Bruce not have notes to correct fake claims on Scottish water?

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By Anonymous Well here is another major problem with the BBC. Statements from panel members on BBC QT that go unchallenged by the host. Yet she, Fiona Bruce, often has notes that she refers to in order to challenge politicians on their answers, as obviously she is aware of what Q’s will be asked and so what topics will be discussed. If she, Fiona Bruce, is unaware of the veracity of what is being said by a panel member then she should ask that person making the statement to provide proof via either providing stats or examples to verify their … Continue reading Why did Question Time’s Fiona Bruce not have notes to correct fake claims on Scottish water?

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NHS England spending THREE TIMES more on private healthcare than NHS Scotland as their waiting list soars by 800 000 more under UK Government

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By Professor John Robertson: The Guardian today has: Private healthcare boom fuelled by NHS waiting lists. UK market rose to all-time high of £12.4bn last year, with NHS paying for nearly £3.5bn of procedures to ease backlog. More patients went private last year as the NHS waiting list peaked at 7.77 million in September, up sharply from 4.57 million at the end of 2019.1 There’s no mention of Scotland in the report so we can be sure ‘UK’, as often before, means ‘England’. In 2022/23, the total amount spent by NHS health boards in Scotland on private healthcare was £115,599,000.2 All things being … Continue reading NHS England spending THREE TIMES more on private healthcare than NHS Scotland as their waiting list soars by 800 000 more under UK Government

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Reporting Scotland platform Tory leadership candidate to tell whopper, unchallenged, about NHS waiting times – all factually better in Scotland on 4 key measures of A&E, cancer, 18 weeks and overall waiting list

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By Professor John Robertson: Interviewed by BBC Scotland this morning Robert Jenrick claimed that there are ‘more people on NHS waiting lists in Scotland than in England.’ That’s a blatant lie but BBC Reporting Scotland’s editor deliberately included it and allowed for no contradiction even though the published evidence quite unambiguously refutes it. Here it is: First, THREE times as many wait more than 12 hours in England’s A&E departments NHS England, Type one A&E, for May 2024, 138 770 waiting more than 4 hours and 42 555 waiting more than 12. 59.7% seen within 4 hours. NHS Scotland, Type ED full … Continue reading Reporting Scotland platform Tory leadership candidate to tell whopper, unchallenged, about NHS waiting times – all factually better in Scotland on 4 key measures of A&E, cancer, 18 weeks and overall waiting list

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The shortest life expectancy in Western Europe but the two parties actually to blame for the decades, centuries, of exploitation and neglect which caused it try to blame the SNP

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Dr Sandesh Gulhane, the Scottish Tories’ shadow health secretary, said the figures were a ‘damning indictment’ of SNP failures Credit: Ken Jack/Getty Images Europe Dame Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s health spokesman, said the SNP had questions to answer about the state of the nation’s health Credit: Pool/Getty Images Europe By Professor John Robertson Despite later, actually, almost telling the truth, with: Since 2017 to 2019, life expectancy began to fall, dropping by 18.2 weeks for females and 19.4 weeks for males. The NRS said this was mainly because of Covid, but there were also increases in other causes of death, particularly circulatory conditions. Its … Continue reading The shortest life expectancy in Western Europe but the two parties actually to blame for the decades, centuries, of exploitation and neglect which caused it try to blame the SNP

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Drug deaths in North-east England narrowing gap with Scotland despite being ‘significantly under-reported’ across England and Wales according to UK Civil Servants

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By Professor John Robertson Thanks to Dottie once more for alerting me to this and for noting that the Governments in England and Wales, unlike that in Scotland, do not seem to be, in any way, responsible. BBC News at 6 reports on record levels of drug deaths, surging by 30% in the case of cocaine but there’s not a word of criticism of governments. From their website at the same time these graphs but, in the text, not a word of criticism of government: The comparable figures for Scotland are 317 deaths per million males and 136 for women. The … Continue reading Drug deaths in North-east England narrowing gap with Scotland despite being ‘significantly under-reported’ across England and Wales according to UK Civil Servants

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£1.3 million in police funding to fight drug gangs frittered away on investigating SNP’s vired finances

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From millsjames1949 today: Just a thought , but perhaps some of the many , many hours devoted to the SNP Financegate investigation could have been better spent on serious criminal activity. Just so. As of February 2024, Police Scotland had spent over an estimated £1.3 million on the investigation into SNP finances, according to a Freedom of Information release.1 Police Scotland serves a population of 5.4 million. The Met in London serves 9 million and has just invested £9 million to tackle the plague of County Lines drug gangs.2 So, pro rata, Police Scotland might need to spend around £5 million to … Continue reading £1.3 million in police funding to fight drug gangs frittered away on investigating SNP’s vired finances

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‘Will Scotland Ever Become Independent?’

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By Professor John Robertson In the highly influential finance magazine, Forbes, yesterday, there is a discussion of the above question which inevitably focuses on as, they put it ‘household finances‘: At the time of the referendum, there was great interest in the prospect of Scotland going it alone, and the way the Scots might dis-engage their economy from England was the focus of attention. In many respects the downfall of the independence side was that they became mired in an argument over the kind of currency arrangement Scotland might have, and the resulting impact that this could have on household … Continue reading ‘Will Scotland Ever Become Independent?’

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The endless stream of supposedly intelligent media cartoons misrepresenting the campaign for Scottish independence and now still offensive on the death of Alex Salmond

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By Professor John Robertson OBA When I first saw the above guardian cartoon, I didn’t know what to make of it. @Prae54Rae gets it. It’s endless. A foul-smelling stream of supposedly liberal leftist sentiment, as confused and snearing, as any on the hard right in England. Here’s the previous: Peter Brookes in the Times, gleefully shared by the slimy be-wigged lard-bucket that is Andrew Neil, the above. Imagine doing that with the leaders of any other country? Sadly, it’s not new. In February 2024, again from Peter Brookes in the Times, a snide and offensive take on the SNP’s supposed troubles. … Continue reading The endless stream of supposedly intelligent media cartoons misrepresenting the campaign for Scottish independence and now still offensive on the death of Alex Salmond

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BBC double standards on the death of a politician – There was no mention of expenses cheat or cynical class betrayal when Alister ‘Serial Second Home Flipper’ Darling died and Alex Salmond had only praise for him, but when Alex Salmond died, he had a ‘less pleasant side’ it seems

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There’s no mention of Darling’s move from the hard left to the Blair Cabinet. There’s no reference to his role in a divisive referendum campaign. There’s no mention of his 2007 mistake in the loss of 25 million British Citizens personal data or of his failure to protect 5 million low earners in 2008 from becoming worse off after a tax rate reduction that only benefited the better off or, most shocking, when he changed the designation of his second home four times in four years, allowing him to claim for the costs of his family home in Edinburgh, and … Continue reading BBC double standards on the death of a politician – There was no mention of expenses cheat or cynical class betrayal when Alister ‘Serial Second Home Flipper’ Darling died and Alex Salmond had only praise for him, but when Alex Salmond died, he had a ‘less pleasant side’ it seems

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11 year-old explains that England has more in common – 4 times as many homes at risk of flooding – with disaster-prone Florida than stormy Scotland!

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Watching BBC 24 last night, up popped a story suggesting that Scotland had similar worries to Florida. I had to the check the date wasn’t 1 April. Then Liz Lloyd (background booing) popped up to talk vaguely about the notion. I had to the check the date wasn’t 1 April. When did she become a spokesperson for the Scot Gov? You won’t be surprised to hear that I was more exercised by those numbers suggesting Scotland clearly has more to worry about storms and floods than rUK and is thus spending more on them. I’ll come back to that below. … Continue reading 11 year-old explains that England has more in common – 4 times as many homes at risk of flooding – with disaster-prone Florida than stormy Scotland!