Tag: travel

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Labour to slash nurse training in England as Scotland trains nearly TWICE as many

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Telegraph yesterday and across media in England, the above astonishing decision by this Labour government, to follow from a series of cuts to services and tax increases for the less well-off, which can only further degrade the performance of the NHS in England and strengthen to role of the private sector, which funds many leading Labour politicians. What would a Labour presence in government at Holyrood, say with Reform UK, put at risk here? The Scotsman in February 2025 was front-paging Alarm over fresh drop in applicants for nurses course based on a 2% reduction in applications, from … Continue reading Labour to slash nurse training in England as Scotland trains nearly TWICE as many

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Isle of Wight ferry users have been paying far more than Scots for 75 years now!

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Professor John Robertson OBA, Honest Ferry Correspondent From Isle of Wight County Press, yesterday: 75 years ago, in May 1950: The cost of ferry fares were a source of grievance. Mr. H. Frohock, of St. Alban’s guest house, Shanklin, sent a letter to the County Press asking why it cost £3 to cross the Solent, when it only cost 5s (25p) to cross the Firth of Forth. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/island-ferries-a-source-of-grievance-50-years-ago/ar-AA1FRdHy?ocid=BingNewsVerp 12 times more expensive! Things have actually improved relatively for the folk travelling to the Isle of Wight. It’s only 4 times more expensive these days. See: ‘Ferry cost stopped us booking a holiday to … Continue reading Isle of Wight ferry users have been paying far more than Scots for 75 years now!

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Polish academic knows thsat Scotland is leading the way in East Asian boom but ‘Scottish’ media to busy with other trivia

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Professor John Robertson OBA In East Asia Forum, by Tomasz Kominski of the University of Lodz, in July 2024, but nowhere in the ‘Scottish’ media at the time, I feel sure, the above, and: As the epicentre of global business shifts decisively toward East Asia, small sub-national European governments are increasingly drawn to engage more robustly with this dynamic region. Scotland, stressing the importance of its links with Asian partners in its strategic documents, is at the forefront of this movement. The motivations are clear — economic opportuni , ambitions to tackle global problems and strategic positioning. Attracting foreign investors … Continue reading Polish academic knows thsat Scotland is leading the way in East Asian boom but ‘Scottish’ media to busy with other trivia

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Stunning US study makes clear the enormous wider benefits of building the Glen Sannox and the Glen Rosa ferries on the Clyde

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Washington State, USA, based Lynwood Times yesterday: A new independent study by Pennsylvania-based Martin Associates confirms the economic value of building the new Washington State Ferries hybrid fleet in-state, showing that each ferry constructed in the state would generate 1,298 jobs and $31.9 million in state and local taxes. Washington State Ferries, which operates the largest ferry system in the nation, solicited bids this spring to build five new hybrid ferries over a six- to eight-year period with a budget of $1.3 billion. The new hybrid electric ferries have 160-car capacity to support growing … Continue reading Stunning US study makes clear the enormous wider benefits of building the Glen Sannox and the Glen Rosa ferries on the Clyde

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Suspensions 25 times higher and Permanent Exclusions 3 000 times higher in English Schools than in Scottish Schools

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By JB According to the most up to date Gov.UK education statistics for England, in the 2023/24 spring term they ‘shockingly’ had 295,559 suspensions from schools, which is actually a decrease from the 2023/24 autumn term when the figure was a ‘controversial’ 346,300 suspensions. This newest figure calculates as 35 suspensions for every 1000 students in England. There were also 3,107 students permanently excluded from schools in England. Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Spring term 2023/24 – Explore education statistics – GOV.UK In Scotland for the term year 2022/23 (Scottish statistics are calculated biennially) we had 11 676 suspensions, … Continue reading Suspensions 25 times higher and Permanent Exclusions 3 000 times higher in English Schools than in Scottish Schools

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Our ferries are subsidised at nearly £1 billion, never full and the Arran vessels are mostly less than half full, but are they grateful? Well yes they are if you read the previous posts

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Professor John Robertson OBA We regularly see media reports of long car queues for Scotland’s ferries presented as if somehow the Scottish Government has failed to run the service properly. We never, to my knowledge, see these basic facts about the actual utilisation of car deck space and passenger seat take-up despite the presence of such data in the public domain, published by CalMac because they are legally obliged to. They paint a very different picture of the capacity of the service we all fund at considerable expense for no apparent thanks from those island ‘representatives’ regularly platformed across the … Continue reading Our ferries are subsidised at nearly £1 billion, never full and the Arran vessels are mostly less than half full, but are they grateful? Well yes they are if you read the previous posts

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Last word on Tom Hunter and Richard Tice of Reform UK – Why don’t we emulate Norway instead of dark and undemocratic Singapore

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By stewartb I agree. It seems appropriate to repeat here a btl post on an earlier thread about emulating Singapore. How far should we change to do so? From The Straits Times (May 11, 2024) ’20 years as PM – Singapore’s political system is rare and once lost there is no turning back, says PM Lee‘. It quotes Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who is also secretary-general of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and is the eldest son of Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew, who governed Singapore for c.31 years! “People ask how does politics work in Singapore? … Continue reading Last word on Tom Hunter and Richard Tice of Reform UK – Why don’t we emulate Norway instead of dark and undemocratic Singapore

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New US hybrid ferries look like costing much more than the new CalMac vessels

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From EUUSATODAY, today: Bids to build new plug-in Washington state ferries come in high It’s raising doubts about the state’s plans to construct up to five new hybrid-electric vessels with the $1.3 billion [£1 billion] lawmakers have set aside. Ferry system managers and state budget writers in Washington took a cold wave over the bow Monday upon opening the bids to construct up to five new hybrid electric ferries. “I don’t see how you get to five. There’s money for three [160 car vessels] on a good day,” said state House Transportation Committee Chair Jake Fey, D-Tacoma. The Washington Legislature … Continue reading New US hybrid ferries look like costing much more than the new CalMac vessels

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Would Anas Sarwar prefer we gave that £1bn ferry spend to loan companies, for shareholder dividends and in exec bonuses instead of investing in state-of-the-art ferries built in Scotland?

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Professor John Robertson OBA In Tory Lord Ashcroft’s Holyrood Mag today and being spread over the other media: SNP has presided over ‘£1bn ferry fiasco’ says Anas Sarwar – The Scottish Labour leader said the SNP “cannot be trusted with the public’s money” at the weekly FMQs session. But First Minister John Swinney said there were “stringent controls over government finances”, as he pointed to the delivery of balanced budgets each year since his party took office.  He was under fire from both main opposition party leaders after it was revealed the cost of the two new ferries for the Clyde … Continue reading Would Anas Sarwar prefer we gave that £1bn ferry spend to loan companies, for shareholder dividends and in exec bonuses instead of investing in state-of-the-art ferries built in Scotland?

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Portuguese ferry company buys 10 electric ferries but only 1 battery, then the wrong batteries, then discovers the cannot cope with tides

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Professor John Robertson OBA, European Ferry Correspondent From Portugal Resident today: Agonising months of ups and downs with Lisbon’s electric ferry fleet have found a new explanation, if not any useful solution: they were not constructed for the work they are currently struggling to perform. “They should be sailing on lakes”, writes tabloid Correio da Manhã today. Tidal rivers like the Tejo are thus proving exceptionally challenging – as ferry passengers have found out to their intense frustration. Back in 2021, the €52.4 million purchase of 10 electric ferries quickly ran into trouble when it became clear that the state-owned Transtejo ferry … Continue reading Portuguese ferry company buys 10 electric ferries but only 1 battery, then the wrong batteries, then discovers the cannot cope with tides