As Reporting Scotland drooled all over the Sturgeon no charges case again this morning, STV ignored it.
Similarly, unreported by Reporting Scotland Down this morning, STV have this big story of obvious public interest for any public service broadcaster:
Scotland’s murder rate falls to lowest level since modern records began. Once dubbed the ‘most violent country in the developed world’ in a UN report, murders have fallen to the lowest level in almost 50 years.
Figures presented by Police Scotland to the Scottish Police Authority show there were 48 homicides in 2022-23. That compares to a high of 137 back in 2004-05. At that time a UN report referred to Scotland as the “most violent country in the developed world”.
https://news.stv.tv/scotland/scotlands-murder-rate-falls-to-lowest-level-since-modern-records-began
Imagine it had gone the other way and Scotland had returned to its former dark status, who’d have been to blame? “SNP soft on crime!”
So, while it’s, of course, complex, the SNP in Government must have done something right? Violent crime correlates strongly with increased inequality and poverty. SNP policies have taken the edge off some of the Tory austerity policies?
While we’re at this, dare I ask how many murders there were in England & Wales, with 11 times the population, last year?
It was 632 not 11 times 48 or 528. Homicide is thus 20% more common in England & Wales.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
This was actually on the BBC Scotland webpage.
Nevertheless given that Reporting Scotland has for years gloated about ‘No Mean City’, the ‘most violent city in Europe’, ‘the busiest sheriff court anywhere’, etc. the improvements achieved by The Violence Reduction Unit, Police Scotland and the Scottish Government over the years are remarkable and deserving of wide publicity.
If you read social media platforms like NextDoor we still have people shouting the odds about how bad Glasgow and Scotland is, trotting out all the old cliches and prejudices.
However, like Reporting Scotland, these things are of concern to a decreasing minority who need to get out more.
LikeLiked by 2 people
When I lived in England, Glasgow was a no go, scary violent crime ridden city you would never go to visit. I think it was called drugs capital of the North. Scotland’s serious social problems all happened under London rule. All happened on Labour’s and Tories watch, and their legacy is an absolute disgrace. Scotland, on the SNP’s watch, is making great strides in repairing the damage, and that angers the BritNats in London and in Scotland. It’s partly why they want rid of Nicola Sturgeon, they did a job on Salmond, they are using typical BritNat state tactics to attempt to take the SNP down. You can’t allow a country next door, or even far away, to do good for their people, to repair social and economic damage of decades even centuries, which you caused, not when there’s an abundance of resources to take for free.
The British, mainly an English empire, was only possible by using violence and oppression, what better way to control a country, and even better if you can get the people to fight amongst themselves.
The depressing thing is, those scheming BritNat troughers at Holyrood who work for their masters in London, would actually be quite happy to go back to the old days, nay, they’d take Scotland back to the days, where even the UN (!) described Scotland as the most violent COUNTRY in the developed world.
England’s Labour party did nothing good for Scotland during their ten year tenure at Holyrood, they sent £billions back to Westminster, and plunged Scotland into £billions of debt via their PFI scheme, basically scamming the people of Scotland.
The SNP need to make sure the people do not forget those centuries of English rule from London and a decade of rule at Holyrood, where crime was off the scale and socially Scotland was a basket case, a very rich country, robbed blind.
SNP need to also make sure that people who are new to Scotland, are informed and under no illusion about how Scotland has been neglected, oppressed and used in order to keep the people down and London’s profits up via Scotland’s hugely lucrative resources.
We can’t allow the British to take Scotland backwards, because they will do so if allowed. Humza Yousaf I hope has some good metaphorical armour to use, it’s how Nicola Sturgeon was so effective and why the British state can’t stand her.
LikeLike
To be fair it was Strathclyde Police who started the VRU around 2005. Then it was Glasgow focussed. When the SNP came to power in 2007 it was rolled out across Scotland. Kenny McCaskill then Justice Secretary and Nicola Sturgeon then Health Secretary supportedd the project and strengthened it.
We should not forget Dr Christine Goodall & Medics against Violence who made a significant contribution by focusing on the health aspects of the violence.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Mr Taggart, Mr Taggart–thurrs bin a MURDO”!
“Hush son, no sae loud, yell scare the gid folk o’ Rutherglen.
Noo whits happent?”
“Its yon BEEB North Brit, Mr Taggart, Glenn ‘n’ Juan ur MURDO’n truth and justice wi’ thur news management ‘n Brit Nit lies”!
“Aye son, once ye let ae MURDO go free, it just encourages the rest tae think they kin dae it tae”.
“Noo we hiv Starwars ‘n’ DRossie ‘n’ Caul Ham runnin’ roon Pacific Quay wi a rope lukin’ fur a tree”!
“Though I doot ony yin of thame could fin’ a tree in Burnam Wid”!
LikeLike
Any big city is violent Glasgow was called a vary violent city when I was young 1960s , 70s 80s but I lived in many places throughout UK Northern Ireland and overseas and I can assure you Glasgow was no worse than any city of comparable size , I regularly travelled back to Scotland in between moves to new places , I read and listened to the media reports on how violent Glasgow was but as now it was all tosh invented nonsense to destabilise and keep you on edge Glasgow had its tough areas but they were matched and often exceeded by cities elsewhere in uk and across the world.
Intelligent examination proves one never changing fact , never ending poverty leads to desperation and violence .
England right now is much much worse than Scotland for violent crime with a very worrying increase in the use of firearms.
LikeLike
CLOSEDOWN BBC SCOTLAND
Sent from my iPhone
<
div dir=”ltr”>
<
blockquote type=”cite”>
LikeLike
Knife murders in London S/E have increased 200 a year because of Austerity. The support facilities were withdraw. Murders and deaths have increased because of Austerity. Higher death rates. Covid. The UK unequal and unfair. The most unequal place in the world.
Life expectancy going down in the South because of Tory/unionist mismanagement. Wasting £Billions of public money. Hickley Point, HS2, Covid mismanagement. Illegal wars, financial fraud and tax evasion. Westminster total mismanagement of Scottish revenues and resources. Scotland in surplus in fuel and energy, nearer the source pays more because of Westminster corruption and mismanagement.
Abused women in Scotland who co habit, the majority, do not have equal rights. They have to stay in unsafe abusive places or lose the roof over their head. They have to put in a claim (1/3) within a year. They do not get legal aid. It can cost £thousands and take years. There has to be £Billions more spent on social care, police, healthcare etc because women do not have equal rights. An abusive situation. They get legal aid in England, just changed. So they can keep a roof over their heads. It has to be paid back in any case.
Women are illegally charged six months up from rent and deposit. By rental legal agencies. Even with absolute high credit sources and ratings.
LikeLike