Tag: travel

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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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Latest – Alcohol consumption plummets in last 17 years

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From The Scottish Health Survey 2023 – volume 1: main report, published today, the above, graph showing a steady but limited fall in average alcohol consumption in the early years of the devolved Scottish Government (Labour/Lib Dem) then a sharper fall under the SNP from 2008.1 The Minimum Unit Pricing legislation came into effect from May 2018. Research by Newcastle University published in May 2021 found that alcohol sales dropped by 7.7% in Scotland following the introduction of a minimum price, when compared to north-east England. A study published in 2021 found reductions in overall purchases of alcohol, largely … Continue reading Latest – Alcohol consumption plummets in last 17 years

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NHS hospitals, staffing and strike avoidance lead to 1 600 fewer deaths, last year

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By Professor John Robertson, OBA From Public Health Scotland today: Unadjusted hospital mortality remained relatively stable at between 2.6% and 3.3% over the majority of the five-year period from July 2019 to June 2024. The relatively small variation shows clear seasonal patterns with increases in mortality during the winter months. However, larger increases occurred during the COVID-19 epidemic in Scotland, with unadjusted hospital mortality reaching 5.4% during the first wave, 4.4% during the second wave. Since the quarter April to June 2021, the crude mortality rate has been between 3.2% to 4.0%, showing seasonal variation.1 NHS England chooses not to publish … Continue reading NHS hospitals, staffing and strike avoidance lead to 1 600 fewer deaths, last year

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Failure to diagnose and treat lung disease including asthma ‘silently suffocating’ NHS [England], highlights quality of NHS Scotland and importance of universal free prescriptions

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By Professor John Robertson, OBA This morning, BBC Breakfast has: Failure to diagnose and treat lung disease including asthma is ‘silently suffocating’ the NHS. Last year, I was able to write: Why have deaths due to asthma fallen in Scotland while increasing in England & Wales? BBC Scotland is headlining a story on asthma-related admissions in different parts of the UK with, of course, a tragic case upfront, and parts of Scotland picked out as among the worst but, surely, the survival rate is the news here. In Scotland, from 2008 to 2021, deaths due to asthma have fallen from 103 to 96, … Continue reading Failure to diagnose and treat lung disease including asthma ‘silently suffocating’ NHS [England], highlights quality of NHS Scotland and importance of universal free prescriptions

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BBC Highland opens up – ‘Drug gangs now targeting Inverness originate in English cities’

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The above statement is from the comments of a local policeman in Episode 2, Series 2 of Highland Cops, produced by a private company for BBC Scotland, at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0024s8q/highland-cops-series-2-episode-2 BBC Reporting Scotland, BBC Scotland News of any form, last mentioned these gangs in 2021, only once before in 2019, but has never mentioned where they originate and has never used the word ‘English.’ You can watch this episode at 9pm tonight. Unlike a BBC Scotland Disclosure episode, a Highland Cops episode has never been used as a story in Reporting Scotland. This episode, and the series as a whole, is … Continue reading BBC Highland opens up – ‘Drug gangs now targeting Inverness originate in English cities’

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County Lines gangs from cities in England ‘swamping’ police forces and linked to Scotland’s high drug death rates 

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From the Press & Journal, three days ago: Cops say Inverness flooded with ‘endless supply of drug foot soldiers’ from Birmingham, Liverpool and London – Police are battling with drug gangs “every week” – and that trying to chase them is like a game of “whack-a-mole”. Detective Constable Duncan Birse laid out the extent of the problem. He said: “Being born and bred in the Highlands I assume most folk associate Inverness with the Loch Ness Monster and whisky. “Probably most folk are unaware that actually we have a massive issue here with county lines drug dealing gangs. “We are … Continue reading County Lines gangs from cities in England ‘swamping’ police forces and linked to Scotland’s high drug death rates 

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Even with a 10% fare increase for the Arran crossing, the nearest equivalent crossing in England, to the Isle of Wight, is still 45% more, for half the journey, to pay shareholder dividends

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By Professor John Robertson, UK Ferry Correspondent From the Largs & Millport Weekly News, yesterday: COUNCILLORS are attempting to freeze fares on both the Arran and Cumbrae ferry routes and prevent a price hike. At tomorrow’s North Ayrshire Council meeting, a motion is being put forward by Councillor Cameron Inglis calling for the local authority to write to cabinet secretary for transport, Fiona Hyslop, opposing the current proposal. The latest move comes after the Scottish Government’s decision to impose a 10 per cent increase in ferry fares for 2025-26, which has been lambasted by West Scotland Labour MSP Katy Clark and her Conservative counterpart Jamie … Continue reading Even with a 10% fare increase for the Arran crossing, the nearest equivalent crossing in England, to the Isle of Wight, is still 45% more, for half the journey, to pay shareholder dividends

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Why is BMA Scotland silent when Labour is a threat to Highland and Island practices?

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to MSM Monitor for pointing this out. From BBC Highlands and Islands yesterday but conspicuously absent from BBC Reporting Scotland or Good Morning Scotland: Doctors in the Highlands fear increased National Insurance (NI) costs could close some practices, a senior Scottish figure in the British Medical Association (BMA) has said. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her Budget last week payments from employers – including medical practices – would go up next April. Dr Al Miles, deputy chairman of the BMA‘s Scottish GPs committee, said Highland doctors had contacted him worried about thousands of pounds of increased costs. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq6l91prnqeo … Continue reading Why is BMA Scotland silent when Labour is a threat to Highland and Island practices?

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Fireworks Night a ‘damp squib’ as offences plummet except in Pacific Quay

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By Professor John Robertson OBA The BBC Scotland report on last night’s fireworks events is one of the simplest best examples of media bias and you could use it with 11 year-olds. It’s so naked and simple, you might force a wee ironic snigger. It opens with Firefighters attacked on Bonfire Night as crews take 1,000 calls and goes on with 32 (count them) paragraphs describing incidents, interspersed with images, including those of masked hooded youths with big fireworks. Then and only then from paragraphs 33 to 36, we hear: Overall, the force said the incidents of serious disorder had fallen this … Continue reading Fireworks Night a ‘damp squib’ as offences plummet except in Pacific Quay

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44% more homeless children in England than in Scotland and increasing at THREE times the rate

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No exploitative, insensitive images here. By Professor John Robertson OBA From Shelter Scotland: As of March 2024, 10,110 children were living in temporary accommodation in Scotland, which is the highest number ever recorded. This is a 5% increase from March 2023, when 9,595 children were in temporary accommodation. https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/housing_policy/homelessness_in_scotland#:~:text=Key&text=In%202023/24%20there%20were,we%20plan%20to%20achieve%20this. So, unless the SNP Government is doing a better job in fighting poverty, England might be expected to have around 101 000. Does it? From Shelter England: As of April 30, 2024, 145,800 children are homeless and living in temporary accommodation in England, which is the highest number on record. This is a 15% increase from the previous … Continue reading 44% more homeless children in England than in Scotland and increasing at THREE times the rate