Tag: united-kingdom

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Scotland has twice as many ‘probation officers’

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After several decades in journalism, the daughter of a history prof, remains fully Anglocentric, writing once more to conflate England’s woes with Scotland today. She only once reveals that this is all about England & Wales (poor things) in the very last paragraph. Her main concern, highlighted in the headline, is: Today it’s the probation officers, whose conference in Newcastle is launching a ballot for industrial action. Their caseloads overflowed long ago, but now thousands of prisoners released early – 2,000 this month – have been thrust upon them. The responsibility is overwhelming, with officers blamed for crimes their clients … Continue reading Scotland has twice as many ‘probation officers’

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Reconviction Rates in Scotland fall to tiny percentage per head of those in England and Wales due to twice as many ‘probation officers’

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From Reconviction Rates in Scotland: 2022 to 2023 Offender Cohort, published today: 26.1% were reconvicted within 12 months of release from custody or being given a non-custodial sentence the reconviction rate decreased from 27.3% for the 2021 to 2022 cohort offenders were reconvicted an average of 0.44 times per offender, down from 0.46 times for the 2021 to 2022 cohort the reconviction rate was 5.7 percentage points lower than in 1997 to 1998 when it was 31.8% the average number of reconvictions per offender decreased by 29% from 0.62 in 1997 to 1998 Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/reconviction-rates-in-scotland-2022-2023-cohort/ What might account for this? There … Continue reading Reconviction Rates in Scotland fall to tiny percentage per head of those in England and Wales due to twice as many ‘probation officers’

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NHS England’s troubled maternity units already paying to settle negligence lawsuits at twice the level in Scotland will have to pay even more

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON In the Guardian today, the above and: The NHS will have to spend more money settling lawsuits involving negligence during childbirth after a supreme court ruling that lawyers said puts right a “historic injustice”. The court ruled on Wednesday that children in England who suffer catastrophic injuries while they are being born can claim damages for future earnings they would otherwise have had. The ruling on “lost years damages” means that children whose life expectancy is shortened can recover compensation for … Continue reading NHS England’s troubled maternity units already paying to settle negligence lawsuits at twice the level in Scotland will have to pay even more

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Women victims of homicide – selective reporting to exaggerate the phenomenon in Scotland and hide it in England & Wales

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In the Guardian today: Killed women count – 80 women allegedly killed by men in UK in 2024 – Throughout the year, the Guardian aimed to report on every woman whose death has led to a man being charged. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2024/dec/31/killed-women-count-a-project-highlighting-the-toll-and-tragedy-of-violence-against-women-in-the-uk There, then follow 80 tragic accounts. I can’t imagine many would want to read all the way. I started to read and something jumped out at me but before I discuss that, some important facts about women victims of homicide across the ‘UK.’ According to the ONS, there were 174 females victims of homicide in England and Wales, in 2023.1 … Continue reading Women victims of homicide – selective reporting to exaggerate the phenomenon in Scotland and hide it in England & Wales

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Is Police Scotland’s only armoured car which has LAIN in storage, like the one in tiny Guernsey, there because all the senior staff are from places where they get riots?

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The Daily Record today, challenged from grammar to politics. Police Scotland (5.4 million population who might riot) bought that one armoured car 2 years ago while the Island of Guernsey (64 thousand population!)12 years ago: Guernsey Police’s purchase of an armoured Land Rover had the full backing of the Home Department, its minister has revealed. Deputy Geoff Mahy, who is standing down from the States in April, said it had been agreed 15 months ago as part of upgrades to the force’s firearms unit. He said: “The police do not shape the undesirable changes of society. “However, it is important … Continue reading Is Police Scotland’s only armoured car which has LAIN in storage, like the one in tiny Guernsey, there because all the senior staff are from places where they get riots?

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BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight -‘Unreliable ferry services causing huge stress’

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By Professor John Robertson From BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight today: A ferry operator has cancelled several high-speed services across the Solent due to staff shortages. Red Funnel confirmed its Red Jet service between Southampton and Cowes, Isle of Wight would not be running due to “limited availability of crew”. It is the latest in a series of cancellations, with the most recent happening in March due to an “unexpected technical issue”. Passengers told the BBC in February that the unreliable ferry services were causing “huge stress”. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-68795557 No staff? Unexpected technical issues? No service? Now that’s a ferry fiasco, friends. It’s hard … Continue reading BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight -‘Unreliable ferry services causing huge stress’

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Even a Tory MP can see what privatised ferry services become – think carefully Scottish islanders

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From On the Wight, today: Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Bob Seely, has this week released an in-depth study into cross-Solent ferry services. My research has led me to believe that, using a web of offshore companies, Wightlink and Red Funnel’s owners and lenders have taken large profits out of the firms for years. To drive efficiency and take even more profits, directors have cut timetables; introduced surge pricing, which penalises Islanders for making essential journeys at peak times; and limited investment in ferries, some of which are now 34 years old. Islanders are tired of ‘technical’ and ‘mechanical’ issues. The … Continue reading Even a Tory MP can see what privatised ferry services become – think carefully Scottish islanders

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Isle of Wight ferry fiasco putting people’s health and well-being at risk says councillor but government not to blame

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This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ From Alliance Party Councillor, Karl Love, in the Isle of Wight Country Press today: The situation with Red Funnel, Cross Solent transportation operators, and its cancellations and service disruptions to the Isle of Wight, after many months of negative service impacts, is intolerable and could be putting people’s health and well-being at risk from life threatening illness after residents are missing appointments and treatments, because of cancelled services. Red Funnel service cancellations are worsening and our whole Island economy, our invest-ability and potential tourist offer is being diminished.  … Continue reading Isle of Wight ferry fiasco putting people’s health and well-being at risk says councillor but government not to blame

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Mis-representing anti-Semitism in Scotland

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See anything odd, inconsistent, in the above map which suggests by colouring and by position in a table, that Scotland is the sixth worst part of the UK for anti-Semitic incidents? Even Wales is accurately broken down into regions like England so that we can see more accurately just where the problem is, but Scotland is presented as one region with the data totalled to make it seem worse. There are 34 council areas in Scotland so, on average each has had 2 anti-Semitic incidents putting most down at the bottom of that table. Remember that putting a leaflet through … Continue reading Mis-representing anti-Semitism in Scotland

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Isle of Wight ferries charged several times the CalMac rate and got a Covid rescue grant yet made £16m profit and paid shareholders £10m

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In Island Echo today: Wightlink made a profit of £16million in the financial year to March 2023, according to the company’s latest financial figures. The cross-Solent operator published its accounts – which are available on Companies House – on 8th January, covering the period from April 2022 to March 2023. The highest-paid director – who is unnamed – took home £398,000, with a further £285,000 paid out to other directors. A dividend of £10million was proposed to be paid in June last year, despite Wightlink taking a COVID rescue grant from the Government. No CalMac or previously Caledonian MacBrayne ferry … Continue reading Isle of Wight ferries charged several times the CalMac rate and got a Covid rescue grant yet made £16m profit and paid shareholders £10m