By Professor John Robertson
As the Herald pounce on a total 1.5%, statistically insignificant, increase in hate crime, the facts that a decent report would offer:
The above increase is due entirely to an increase in the reporting of hate crime based on disability. This may be a good thing, revealing only that those with a disability are now more confident about reporting such abuse and that police will do something about it.
So, other than the above, hate crime in Scotland is falling.
Second, while the most common form of hate crime, based on race did go up, the long term trend is down, down, down.
Third, hate crime based on sexual orientation has fallen again for the third year – good news?
Fourth, hate crime based on religion has also fallen again.
There’s much to be pleased about here.
Source:
Talking-up Scotland / Facts on NHS, Crime, ferries and everything else you can think of 
“There’s much to be pleased about here.”
You’re pleased about Scottish stats falling, Prof?
What are you thinking?
You know this just won’t do!
Where’s your Patriotism, man??!!
Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells (which is actually a nice place to visit…)
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I see The National are at it this morning too : “Figures show hate crime charges at highest in decade”. Lazy newspaper fillers cut and pasted from the Herald are far too common in the National, and also “scoops” from The Ferret on a regular basis. Makes me wonder why I subscribe!
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Neatly sums up why I cancelled mine!
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I guess it is only to be expected that with the oncoming GE public funded organisations, Trade Unions and the like will be using this opportunity to disclose information that will cause as much damage to the Scot Government as they possibly can which the media will gleefully seize upon. That is the nature of British (English) politics and their media lapdogs. Preserve the status quo at all costs.
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Having emailed the head of BBC Scotland regarding their reporting and presenters this is part of the reply I received.
We note your views about our political coverage and would like to reassure you, from the outset, that we report news emanating from politics accurately, fairly and irrespective of the political parties or issues involved. That extends to our coverage of constitutional matters.
Typical answer.
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Not sure whether my comment got auto dumped because I’d included an archive of the Jody Harrison article…
Aside your observation of greater confidence in reporting, consider the numbers in “New figures show the total number of charges containing at least one element of hate crime was 5,992 – 1.5% more than in 2022-23.” – That’s a HUGE 89 charges more from a working age population of 3.7 million, in a YEAR… 🙄
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