The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland - a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson
By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Chair Faculty Research Ethics Committee, UWS
Keir Starmer has said he is prepared to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war with Russia – acknowledging it could put UK forces “in harm’s way” if Vladimir Putin launches another attack.
Only days after the US makes clear there will be none of their troops on the ground in Ukraine, Sir Keir like Blair before him, is happy for UK troops to pay the blood price for him and Anas will be right behind him with our troops.
We’ve seen this before. In 2008:
Paratrooper Cpl Mark Wright, 27, died and six others were injured when downdraft from a rescue helicopter triggered explosives in the Afghan minefield where they had become stranded. So what went wrong? The tragedy happened early on in Britain’s deployment to Helmand province, at a time when 3 Para and others faced chronic shortages of everything from ammunition, helicopters and even – in some cases – food. Few had realised the front-line would present quite such savage terrain. The hope expressed by the defence secretary of the day – John Reid – that British troops could go to Helmand without a shot being fired rapidly proved ill-founded.
Really? No one knew what the terrain was like in Helmand? There have been failed attempts by the British Empire (twice), Russia and the US to ‘pacify’ the aptly named Helmand province in Afghanistan. They bloody did know but did not care. John Reid, one time CP member now a Baron, just did what Tony required of him.
The Royal Regiment of Scotland was in Helmand and lost men. I don’t know how many but I do know the history of Scotland’s greater blood price in Britain’s wars.
‘It can be said with certainty that men born in Scotland did suffer disproportionately more deaths during the war’
‘Yet while the war dead of some countries were too numerous to count, we should be mindful that ‘Scotland is small enough to know all her sons by heart’
My headline comes from the conclusions to a thorough examination of the facts published in May 2019. I missed it at the time and, I suspect out media did too.
In Patrick Watt’s Manpower, Myth and Memory: Analysing Scotland’s Military Contribution to the Great War in the Journal of Scottish Historical Studies, on 24th May 2019 based on extensive research, a different fact emerges:
Overall, 91,800 out of the 702,410 fatalities sustained by the British Army were born in Scotland. This is a 13.07 per cent share of the British total, some 2.6 per cent higher than Scotland’s share of the British population. Even using the highest estimate of British army casualties supplied by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (759,062 soldiers) gives a 12.09 per cent share of the British total, compared to 10.47 per cent of the British population. The combined total of war dead for all three services – 102,500
soldiers, sailors and airmen – means that 13.78 per cent of the ‘official’ British total from 1921, or 12.32 per cent of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission total were born in Scotland. Therefore, it can be said with certainty that men born in Scotland did suffer disproportionately more deaths during the war than the other nations of the United Kingdom.
It’s a long hard read at:
http://repository.nms.ac.uk/2327
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_Brow
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
What Starmer and the Euro ‘leaders’ are forgetting is that Russia will never agree to NATO troops in Ukraine, so it’s a complete non starter. Russia has won. The winner will dictate the terms.
The UK/EU are flailing around like demented clowns.
https://dearscotland.substack.com/p/the-uk-and-eus-worst-nightmare
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Perhaps, on this matter, it would be better if Keir Starmer adopted what Sarwar is touting as the new Labour party slogan for the 2026 Scottish elections, which would be him, Starmer, taking a “New Direction” on this.
Sarwar is now promoting that we should vote Labour for a “New Direction” .
Would that be a “New Direction” from the Labour party’s previous election slogan #Pledge which was vote for “Change” with Labour ?
After all Keir Starmer is well known as a leader who often changes direction , also known as performing U-Turns, so it makes sense that in this scenario he should seek to go in a “New Direction”.
How many months have Labour UK been in power as the new UK government ?
That would be approximately a mere 7 months in power , but we are already at the stage where Keir Starmer as the very new UK PM, is talking about putting ‘British’ troops ‘on the ground’ somewhere, which in reality could be putting them ‘in the ground’ in what is a controversial decision which could end up being a fiasco.
A desperate government’s first resort , as in when they are tanking in the polls , seems to always be to announce that they will become entangled in a war elsewhere, as in outwith the UK, this is a part of the so called ‘British Patriotism’ that they, as a UK government, assumes that a certain type of voter will applaud and also support.
However in this instance Labour seem to be forgetting that many of these ‘types of voters’ probably support Russia more than Ukraine, and you could hardly call Labour a compassionate UK government who empathised with others when one considers who they have cruelly targeted within their own country with their many poor , cruel and bad government decisions.
According to the newspapers “Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to overrule Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and boost defence spending as the paper notes senior military figures have been calling on the PM to raise it their budget to 2.65% of national output – which is above Labour’s target”.
So the infamous so called “Financial black hole” is now not a obstacle or a major preventative issue on spending when it comes to defence spending and also proposed involvement in wars elsewhere , is it ?
That’s when money is now no object for the UK Labour PM and one assumes will now also be no problem for the UK Treasury either.
That in itself speaks volumes on who Labour really are as a party and what they represent, which is very much a case of them being no different from the Tories, and also with the language they are using and their future intentions in regards to some Immigrants you could also confidently say they are no different to the Reform UK party either.
I do empathise and sympathise with the people of Ukraine.
However based on what Labour UK have done so far as a UK government to many vulnerable people within the UK , then I strongly suspect that upon Ukraine, Labour are very much merely virtue signalling as a UK government, as opposed to them adopting a moral and principled position .
As based on how they have performed so far as a UK government one would never associate them as being those who were either principled or driven by maintaining a certain moral standard .
Just ask the WASPI women, poorer people on Benefits, families impacted by the two child benefit cap, Pensioners who lost out on the winter fuel allowance, Immigrants, people still suffering with high energy bills and where the “Change” Labour promised UK voters during the GE campaign has actually turned out to be a “Change” for the worse.
Who knew ?
Well we did on this site as did others on similar sites too, but then , who outwith Scotland within their UK , ever listens to us in Scotland, until that is, it’s too late !
‘Vote SNP in 2026’ is the only current slogan Scotland needs, to also include that you would then be supporting independence for Scotland too , which then if nothing else helps us to escape terrible political parties like the Labour party, which would then be very much a “Change” for the better, would it not !
Liz S
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It never fails ! A politician under pressure in the polls seizes on a military solution to boost his rating/ego (?).
Starmer happy to send others into conflict to stiffen his own backbone !
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Unless it’s to help brown people.
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Another illegal war for Labour to get involved in, as a distraction of the mess Labour are making of the UK economy.
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Starmer another religious, international lawyer breaking international Law. Thou shalt not kill, bear false witness, steal. The greedy wealthy will not get to heaven. The eye of the needle. The five fishes. Feeding the poor.
Labour attacking the old, the vulnerable and children. Breaking promises and lying all the time.
Ukraine 37 million would never defeat Russia 150 million. Senile Biden and the comedian making money out of other people’s misery. Death and destruction. Biden pardoned his own son, up on corruption and drug charges. Getting taxpayers monies through rogue contracts in Ukraine.
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There were more people from Scotland joining the Army because there was higher unemployment in Scotland.
There are 180,000 military personnel. 10,000 based in Scotland. Instead of 18,000. To add to the Scottish economy.. Scotland paying too much for the military. (£1Billion) No navy to patrol the shores (drugs). Illicit landings.
Trident dumped in Scotland. A danger to Scotland. Without authority or permission. Scotland needs rid of it. Dumped in Scotland in secret. Under the Official Secrets Act. A total waste of time and monies, that could be better spent. Redundant weaponry costing £Billions. Contracts not completed obsolete before they are finished. Then another contract awarded. The same thing happens over and over. The munitions end up on the black market. More endless killing around the world.
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