Tag: travel

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England facing the ‘Jaws of Death’ as water runs out in only 25 years and Scotland’s 30 000 freshwater lochs replace oil, gas and renewables in the struggle for independence

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From @ArchbishopStua1 (Who could he be teasing there?) today, this: Without significant action, the National Audit Office (NAO) forecasts that the total water demand will start to exceed supply in England no later than 2034. Be under no illusion English Privatised Water Companies need access to the water in Scotland. https://x.com/ArchbishopStua1/status/1846584824129298790 and from the Guardian in June 2023: Drought is on the verge of becoming the next pandemic https://www.theguardian.com/news/2023/jun/15/drought-is-on-the-verge-of-becoming-the-next-pandemic#:~:text=Without%20significant%20action%2C%20the%20National,England%20no%20later%20than%202034 In the above, there’s a link to this from March 2019: England could run short of water within 25 years https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/18/england-to-run-short-of-water-within-25-years-environment-agency There are no references to Scotland in the above and … Continue reading England facing the ‘Jaws of Death’ as water runs out in only 25 years and Scotland’s 30 000 freshwater lochs replace oil, gas and renewables in the struggle for independence

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THREE times as many wait more than 12 hours in English and Welsh A&E departments

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By Professor John Robertson: Today, the Express is headlining – Scots dying as A&E crisis worsens every day based on the weekly 4 hour waits for week ending 6 October. A simple look at the above graph is clear – post-pandemic with increasing numbers (122 000 in April 2022 to 143 000 in May 2024) attending, a dramatic increase in those waiting beyond target times but since January 2022, a clear stabilisation and even fall from that peak with significantly fewer waiting over 12 hours in December 2024 (42 000) than in December 2022 (49 000) Missing from the Express story … Continue reading THREE times as many wait more than 12 hours in English and Welsh A&E departments

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Humza Yousaf makes same error as Prof Devine in blaming ordinary Scots for imperial crimes

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Professor John Robertson OBA This is just wrong. Elites in Scotland and in India played a leading role in the British Empire. 99% of the population in both places were starved, worked into the ground and used as cannon-fodder. ‘Scotland’ did not play any role, people did. I’ve been here before with otherwise highly intelligent public figures apparently ignorant of the reality of life for the majority (99%) indigenous population in the European empires and the actions of elites (1%) in their colonies. Anyhow, Sarwar’s support for Pakistan’s independence, considered hypocritical by many including me, was dismissed by Prof Tom … Continue reading Humza Yousaf makes same error as Prof Devine in blaming ordinary Scots for imperial crimes

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10% of the population but 65% more doctors in training

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From Undergraduate medicine degree admissions at Scottish universities: FOI release, published yesterday, we see 1 240 entrants to ‘Pre Clinical’ medicine for 2022-23, the latest HESA data available (245 from rUK).1 From NHS England’s NHS England update on medical school training places, 28 February letter to Royal College of Physicians, published in February 2024: We are currently ahead of plan on our initial milestone to increase medical training places from an intake of 7,500 in September 2023 to 8,200 places by September 2025, as set out on p129 of the LTWP. In September 2023, a total of 7,571 medical school … Continue reading 10% of the population but 65% more doctors in training

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CalMac ferry fares to increase to only a fraction of those for Isle of Wight.

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From BBC Scotland today: Ferry fares in Scotland will increase by 10% from next year, the Scottish government has confirmed. The rise will take effect from 1 January 2025 on the Northern Isles network and from 28 March on the west coast. CalMac’s services in the west have been under particular pressure due to ageing vessels, with the main Arran ferry out of action for most of the year. Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said a fare freeze in place this year had cost £10m and it would be “too challenging to continue”. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly40y40pq9o?at_format=link&at_link_origin=BBCScotlandNews&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_link_type=web_link&at_medium=social&at_link_id=A28BEBDA-8A30-11EF-A859-B34A7FBC4FAB&at_campaign_type=owned&at_ptr_name=twitter She said fares were frozen for 2023-24 instead … Continue reading CalMac ferry fares to increase to only a fraction of those for Isle of Wight.

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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!

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Korean ferry fiasco as 7 out of 10 are not equipped to respond to electric vehicle fires

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It’s never-ending once you start looking abroad, as a Mull Tory councillor from Buckingham, once suggested we do, for ways to improve CalMac, the as he put it, ‘worst ferry service in the world.’ Turns out he was full of hot air. When you do look, you keep finding the opposite and with every investigation it becomes clear that thanks to 17 years of SNP subsidy, Scotland actually has the best – most frequent, most reliable, cheapest and safest – ferry service in the world. Only yesterday, I could write: You can now add Tasmania to New Zealand, Greece, Isle … Continue reading Korean ferry fiasco as 7 out of 10 are not equipped to respond to electric vehicle fires

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You can now add Tasmania to New Zealand, Greece, Isle of Wight, Washington State, British Columbia, Lake Ontario, Alaska, Channel Islands, Scilly Islands and Malta ferries for less-safe, less-reliable, less-frequent and more costly systems than we enjoy in Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson, International Ferry Correspondent From ABC News Australia, today: Spirit of Tasmania ferry and port saga escalates with claims of safety risks, ‘appalling’ support and strained relationships. The former chair of Spirit of Tasmania operator, TT-Line, has appeared at a parliamentary inquiry and slammed the Tasmanian government for its “appalling” level of support during the bungled rollout of two new vessels. Michael Grainger also described a “challenging” relationship with the state-owned operator of Tasmania’s ports infrastructure over delayed facility upgrades, safety issues with the government’s interim solution, and that he had kept minister Michael Ferguson informed at … Continue reading You can now add Tasmania to New Zealand, Greece, Isle of Wight, Washington State, British Columbia, Lake Ontario, Alaska, Channel Islands, Scilly Islands and Malta ferries for less-safe, less-reliable, less-frequent and more costly systems than we enjoy in Scotland

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The SNP’s phantom decorators – A new sisterhood in Scotland’s mainstream media revealed – Daily Record/Sunday Mail and Scottish Daily Express!

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By stewartb Once upon a time not so long ago these ‘Scottish’ newspapers – the Daily Record/Sunday Mail and the Scottish Daily Express – would occupy quite different places on the political spectrum on most issues.  That was then and after all, we’ve been told we are in a time of ‘change’!  Of course they would be united for the Union and this is probably the key factor in this tale! On Sunday 6 October, the Sunday Mail on its front page and website had this ‘exclusive’: On the same day, the Scottish Daily Express had this: Note the journalists … Continue reading The SNP’s phantom decorators – A new sisterhood in Scotland’s mainstream media revealed – Daily Record/Sunday Mail and Scottish Daily Express!

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Water companies in England & Wales fined ‘infinitely’ more per head for poor performance than Scottish Water

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From BBC Science & Environment, this morning: Water companies have been ordered to return £158m to customers via lower bills next year after missing key targets on issues like pollution. The industry regulator Ofwat announced the rebate following its annual review of water and wastewater companies’ performance in England and Wales. Google AI searches find no examples of rebates from Scottish Water but does suggest discounts for those businesses on lower incomes. With regard, to fines, the AI Overview does seem to have some cheer for Unionists, with: Scottish Water has been fined multiple times for environmental and health and … Continue reading Water companies in England & Wales fined ‘infinitely’ more per head for poor performance than Scottish Water