Children in poverty due to housing costs – Research reveals TWICE as many in Labour Wales than in Scotland, far higher in UK, kinder treatment and UK Labour to refuse increase local housing allowance

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 At times like this, I think that maybe I don’t need any help. In a classic Anglocentric piece reporting by the Guardian’s Donna Ferguson: Nearly 1 million children in the UK are at risk of falling into … Continue reading Children in poverty due to housing costs – Research reveals TWICE as many in Labour Wales than in Scotland, far higher in UK, kinder treatment and UK Labour to refuse increase local housing allowance

Tackling misogyny in Scotland – more police officers dismissed, rape convictions soar, more sensitive approach to domestic abuse calls and Labour hypocrisy

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 Herald today claims: ‘Culture of misogyny’ in Police Scotland sex crime unit – Detectives working in Police Scotland’s rape investigation unit would “frequently” describe female complainers as “slags,” a whistleblower has alleged. In a 30-page statement, … Continue reading Tackling misogyny in Scotland – more police officers dismissed, rape convictions soar, more sensitive approach to domestic abuse calls and Labour hypocrisy

The Herald’s Neil Mackay, Audit Scotland and a charity head combine to imagine an ‘unprecedented crisis’ in mental health treatment and to lay the blame on the Scottish Government for ‘losing control’ yet waiting times are slashed and performance approaches 90% target

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: Mental illness is rocketing, while government funding falls. Suicides are rising, along with self-harm, autism, ADHD and loneliness. The head of Scotland’s leading mental health charity explains to our Writer at Large just … Continue reading The Herald’s Neil Mackay, Audit Scotland and a charity head combine to imagine an ‘unprecedented crisis’ in mental health treatment and to lay the blame on the Scottish Government for ‘losing control’ yet waiting times are slashed and performance approaches 90% target

As households in England & Wales see hikes in water charges of 19% to 47%, let’s paraphrase documented responses to sub-10% increases in Scotland from Dame Jackie Baillie MSP

‘It is a gross insult that the English and Welsh are being forced to pay for eye-watering bill hikes while a water industry chief executive can rakes in over £3 million a year’ ‘The Labour government has responsibilities for the water industry in England and Wales, and approved this inflation-busting rise during a cost-of-living crisis. Labour must reverse this outrageous decision.’ ‘It beggars belief that the Labour governments in Westminster and Cardiff are letting water companies in England and Wales hike bills at a time when so many people are struggling to make ends meet’ ‘‘If the Labour Party really … Continue reading As households in England & Wales see hikes in water charges of 19% to 47%, let’s paraphrase documented responses to sub-10% increases in Scotland from Dame Jackie Baillie MSP

Polling tells SNP to keep it simple and to repeat what it is doing for the cost-of-living and health

From pollster More in Common, based on data gathered 24-27 January 2025, the above. As in previous polls there are clear and repeating messages for the SNP in the run-up to the 2026 Holyrood election. Across the UK, the cost-of-living is by some way, the most important concern for voters, and in Scotland too. This means that it, perhaps combined with employment, has to be upfront almost all the time in campaigning. The myth of higher taxation in Scotland is damaging and will be milked by opposition parties and their media lackeys. The tiny but nevertheless higher amount paid by … Continue reading Polling tells SNP to keep it simple and to repeat what it is doing for the cost-of-living and health

Martin Geissler projects his vacuous cynicism onto Stephen Flynn

By Liz S This is a long comment but it exposes BBC bias against the SNP and the BBC’s support For the Labour party. The BBC have another new radio and TV programme called “Scotcast” which they promote as being a ‘Scottish’ news podcast. It is broadcast Monday to Thursday on BBC Radio and also on the BBC Scotland TV channel 9 and later on BBC Scotland channel 1 . It is hosted by Martin Geissler. Last night they covered Waspi women. Martin said at the outset “The UK government has gone to war with the Nation’s grannies, surely on … Continue reading Martin Geissler projects his vacuous cynicism onto Stephen Flynn

SNP will still win the Holyrood election even if Paul Hutcheon keeps telling them lies about NHS Scotland

I know, I know, they have to keep coming up with excrement of the male bovine, but the Record’s Paul Hutcheon is special. Yesterday, he had: The SNP will lose the Holyrood election if the NHS is the top issue of voters That’s a big IF. First, opinion poll after opinion poll, recently is clear. The SNP will be the biggest party by far. Cons, Labour and Reform will fight it out for second place. The evidence is at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2025/01/14/averages-from-seven-2014-bias-free-polls-have-snp-15-points-ahead-labour-stuck-cons-in-trouble-reform-a-wee-worry-and-lib-dems-pleased-to-hang-on-to-5th-place/ and https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2024/11/23/westminster-polls-snp-recovering-labour-plummeting-cons-consolidating-in-heartlands-and-reform-still-too-wee/ Second, NHS Scotland is doing far better than the other NHS areas in the UK. Despite Paul’s best … Continue reading SNP will still win the Holyrood election even if Paul Hutcheon keeps telling them lies about NHS Scotland

Scottish Labour in a panic as Welsh Labour plan to ban liars like Jackie Baillie

From the National on 23rd January 2024: MSPs were threatened with expulsion from the Holyrood chamber amid a raucous First Minister’s Questions which saw John Swinney accuse Jackie Baillie of giving false information about the NHS. Baillie had lied about NHS Scotland A&E waiting times. She criticised the ‘SNP’s‘ handling of A&E performance, saying: “Each week the First Minister says sorry and each week it gets worse.” The SNP leader said Dame Jackie’s assertions were “not true”. The FM was correct in pointing out that an increasing percentage has been seen [full ED] in 4 successive weeks from 56.7% to 62.4% by week-ending … Continue reading Scottish Labour in a panic as Welsh Labour plan to ban liars like Jackie Baillie

Patient satisfaction surveys rate NHS Scotland improving and far more highly than NHS England to cast doubt on 4th Health Secretary media witch-hunt

By Professor John Robertson OBA: In the Guardian today: A quarter of people in England experienced poor NHS care over the last year but fewer than one in 10 of them complained about it, a report by the patient watchdog has revealed. 1 From the Health and Care Experience Survey 2023/24: National Results published on 28th May 2024, only 12% of the 104 000 Scots responding, rated their experience as poor or very poor, down from 15% in the previous year.2 The patients are not wrong. NHS Scotland is doing far better than other NHS areas. See: Once more we witness a gormless witch-hunt … Continue reading Patient satisfaction surveys rate NHS Scotland improving and far more highly than NHS England to cast doubt on 4th Health Secretary media witch-hunt

8th sub-poll in a row confirms SNP lead of 15% to 20% over Labour

From a YouGov poll today, with data collected on 19-20 January 2024 and based on a sample of 2 466 aged 18+: with a Scottish sub-poll of 215: Source: https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/51428-voting-intention-lab-26-ref-24-con-22-19-20-jan-2025 Previously, 7 comparable sub-polls, staring on 2/12/2024, produced these averages: These sub-polls have the obvious disadvantage, on their own, of being too small for reliability but, in contrast to larger Scotland-only polls of around 1 000, of not being weighted according to the 2014 referendum result which seems likely to be skewing the results in favour of Unionist parties. This 8th sub-poll confirms the stability of the SNP support at … Continue reading 8th sub-poll in a row confirms SNP lead of 15% to 20% over Labour