By Professor John Robertson OBA:
BBC UK, today, have extended coverage of a report from the children’s commissioner for England into the Summer riots of 2024, across England, Wales and Northern. It does not mention Scotland.
BBC Scotland, Herald and Scotsman junior reporters are currently scrabbling for evidence of any Scots who travelled down for these events.
In August 2024, I predicted, confidently, no such riots would occur in Scotland. The Scottish MSM were hopeful but in the end sadly disappointed.
At the time, I wrote:
The Irish Times, no better informed that the UK newspapers, yesterday:
UK police brace for more disorder following riots in Sunderland
The Guardian, again no different form the others, despite recent improvements in reporting issues as ‘England and Wales’:
Rioting ‘flooding across major cities and towns’ as police brace for further disorder across UK – live
The Guardian should have remembered better with this in their archive from 2011:
Why didn’t the riots reach Scotland? As the size, scale and sheer scariness of the riots unfolded live on rolling news, like just about everyone else living on this island I was dumbfounded. And as the violence and looting spread north and the names of the cities affected were chimed off by newsreaders like bells – Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Nottingham – I thought it was only a matter of time before another was added: Glasgow. In my mind’s eye I could already see the footage of Easterhouse and Drumchapel in flames.
But hours passed. Then days without Scotland’s biggest city, or indeed any other north of the border, getting a mention. As a Glaswegian I was relieved of course, but also somewhat confused. Why didn’t Glasgow burn?
Some commentators have suggested this was due to Strathclyde police’s relatively successful anti-gang initiative, which has seen a 50% reduction in gang violence in some of the worst-affected areas in the housing estates to the east and north of the city. It would be heartening to think this was the case, if only because it would offer some hope to residents in Tottenham, Hackney, Winson Green and elsewhere.
This was, of course, an inadequate analysis.
Here’s a better one:
First, see this extract from a Scottish Government research survey in 2011
‘In addition, Hussain and Miller (2004) argue that Muslims in Scotland are more likely to identify themselves as Scottish than Muslims in England are to identify as English (Hussain and Miller 2004, 2006). In their study, comparing experiences of Islamophobia and Anglophobia in Scotland, Hussain and Miller established that the Muslims interviewed found it very easy to identify with Scotland. They suggest this could be explained partly because their religious identity is seen as cultural and not territorial. This finding is supported by research conducted by Masud (2005) into the experiences of Muslims across Britain after the London bombings in 2005. In this research conducted across Scotland 27“it was widely acknowledged and appreciated that compared with other parts of the country, especially England, Scotland was a tolerant place” (Masud 2005).’
http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2011/03/08091838/4
Second, remember the Glasgow Celtic, Green Brigade protest against Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and the crowdfunding which raised thousands to pay for sporting facilities in Palestine? People in the Arab world and Islamic people in England know about this.
Third, 100 000 people marched in Glasgow in 2003 against the Iraq war. Glasgow’s Islamic population saw this. The Herald newspaper exposed many of the atrocities committed by the Coalition there.
Fourth, 1.8% of the prison population in Scotland is Muslim. This is broadly in proportion to the 1.45% of Scottish population which is Muslim, and in significant contrast to the very large figure of 13% for Muslim prisoners in England and Wales.
Fifth, notably, although Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are still over-represented in more deprived areas of Scotland, they are less likely to be living in such areas in Scotland than they are in England.
Sixth, Muslims in Scotland are fast becoming a highly-educated population – currently exceeding the total population figure for ‘degree level and above’ education by 10 percentage points.
Seventh, almost 1 in 3 (31%) of the Muslim population is ‘economically active’ full-time – whether as an employee, or self-employed. For the population as-a-whole, the figure is 51%. It is notable that both of these percentages are higher than the corresponding figures for England and Wales which are 19.8% for Muslims and 34.9% for the overall population
Eighth, comparisons with the Muslim population in England and Wales suggest that Muslims in Scotland are somewhat socio-economically better off.
Click to access scottish_muslims_in_numbers_web.pdf
Ninth, ‘there are no radical preachers in Scottish mosques who are urging Muslims to commit violence abroad or at home.’
Tenth, in 2017, Transport Minister Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, first took his oath of allegiance in English and then in Urdu in the Scottish Parliament. Not something you can imagine in France.
Finally, see this:
‘Good community relations mean young Muslims in Scotland eschew extremism Unlike in England, there is mutual respect between the Scottish government, the Muslim communities and the police’
Support Scots Independent, Scotland’s oldest pro-independence newspaper and host of the OBA (Oliver Brown Award) at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/shop/
The Oliver Brown Award for advancing the cause of Scotland’s self respect, previously awarded to Dr Philippa Whitford, Alex Salmond and Sean Connery: https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116
About Oliver Brown, the first Scottish National Party candidate to save his deposit in a Parliamentary election: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Brown_(Scottish_activi
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
There will not be protests in Scotland because the Scottish Gov has more equal, fair and cohesive policies in looking after the old, the young, the sick and the vulnerable. Trying to help those in need and mitigate from the malicious, wasteful, unfair and unjust Westminster policies.
Westminster targeting the young, the old, the sick and the vulnerable. Those with little voice. Reaping what they sow in unfair and unjust wasteful policies. The protests will continue until Westminster listens. The ignorance and arrogance of Westminster privilege elite totally out of touch. They do not care and people know it. Instead Intent on making people’s live harder.
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That’s correct, though the English riots, (‘UK’, ‘British’, ‘Britain’ wide violence on the streets, as reported in the ‘UK’ media and also abroad) are more about racism, and are orchestrated to sow fear in people, to destroy communities in smaller poorer towns, and in poorer cities in England, all part of divide and rule. It’s a huge distraction from BREXIT, from deliberate long term austerity on the poor and vulnerable, and from the terrible ‘war’ being unleashed on Gaza etc etc.
The costs will be huge in terms of policing, businesses and infrastructure etc. Will Starmer’s government find any money down the back of the sofa to repair the damage…
Will the perpetrators be locked up by a willing judge, for years, as they did to the (non violent!) climate protesters recently? No they will not, prisons are ‘full’.
The law of England is very judgemental towards those wanting to save the planet, not so with violent thugs likely paid ops who create havoc for effect, and to control a dangerous racist narrative. It won’t end there.
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Is it only me who spotted correlation between the National’s map of “Far-right rallies planned for this weekend” and recorded Brexit support from 2016 ?
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english people on the whole dislike foreigners they dislike Scottish people but Scottish people largely dont know it because the english hide their dislike of Scottish people they will continue to hide it as long as Scotland is controlled by england , but anytime Scottish independence comes to the fore their dislike even hatred , comes pouring out.Its the same for muslims the english hate them but hide it until an opportunity arrives even one under falsehoods as in the current case of misidentity and faith that has triggered and set off the riots we are seeing in england.We will see the same sort of riots when Scotland votes in favour of Scottish independence anything in england that is related to Scotland be it people buildings businesses will be attacked in the same way and its very likely the england supporting footsoldiers already in Scotland will attack people buildings and businesses here.We know this , we are ready for them.
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Starmer says people regret it. Starmer will regret not listening to people on fairness and justice. More riots.
People have been pushed and marginalised too hard for too long by UK Gov. Now enraged. The do not need a cause. They just do it. To try to ease the pain. To make it go back again. Harmful riots. Taking actions into their own hands. Just like time of Thatcher. Hardship, higher unemployment, miners strike, poll tax and violent riots. Labour violent illegal war, financial fraud and tax evasion. Killing and maining millions. The aftermath still felt in the violence and destruction in the Middle East. Ricocheting around the world,
If Starmer had not made broken promises. The riots would not be happening. Cut the two child legislation. Not cut winter payment. Not promised funding for Ukraine war. People would have felt the start of change. It would have quelled the rage. Instead the painful policies started agin to attack the weak, sick and vulnerable. No change there. No change for more equality, fairness and cohesion. Just more vulnerable population battering. Same old, same old Labour.
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l am not a Labour supporter or voter but come on these racist riots are not down to new government of 4 weeks.
These are hooligans and thugs familiar to those of us who observed English football supporters in 80’s & 90’s. They have been stirred up by social media with the Tory government and right wing media and BBC & Sky making ground fertile after 14 years of demonising asylum seekers and Muslims. Labour have a small part to blame as they have followed this trend since Corbyn resigned.
The poor gullibles have been directed to blame minorities for their unhappiness rather than the real villains in government and media.
Blame where blame is due.
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I’m afraid my news channel of choice, Al Jazeera, was also guilty of naming them “U.K riots” this morning. This from both the contributors, and the interviewer.
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Strange isn’t it that those who were widely criticising and ridiculing Scotland’s Hate Crime Laws in the media and elsewhere are conspicuous by their absence.
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