Professor John Robertson OBA
A source with a flat in a block 10-15 minutes from the the United Kingdom’s first Safer Drug Consumption Facility, The Thistle, in Glasgow, has a very different story to tell from that gathered by BBC Scotland, based on one group of residents, suggesting a counter-intuitive increase in drug taking and anti-social behaviour near the facility.
Multiple research studies across Europe have clearly demonstrated significant reductions in drug deaths and crime around more than 300 such facilities, over the last 7 years: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-01/180320atisn12038doc2_0.pdf
You have to wonder just how BBC Scotland managed to find evidence contrary to these multiple research reports. Makes you wonder if they have a political agenda and complete disregard for the truth.
My source has this to say:
I am on the WhatsApp group for the owners and tenants and for years now the main chat was about drug dealing, discarded needles, drug taking and anti social behaviour around the building and sometimes in the close and lower level car park. The police were also called on occasions about the problems.
Almost as soon as the Thistle opened there has been no chat at all on the WhatsApp group about any of the above. As an owner we have to pay a company through the factor to to have the discarded needles , drug paraphernalia and other filth removed .
I checked my factors bill from from July 2024 – December 2024, the owners paid out over £2,500 ( £64 each) to have needles, drug paraphernalia etc removed from the site and this was on 18 occasions.
I am trying to get this information from the factor from January 2025 but I am not having much luck with them. I am assuming that there should be almost nothing to dispose of, based on the WhatsApp chat but I will wait until I see the bill.
It looks like apart from reducing drug deaths etc it has cleaned up the area around our flat, made the area safer and reduced calls to the police. I was at a meeting a few years back and the owners of flats in other buildings in the area were complaining of similar issues, so I am assuming that they have had a positive impact too.
If I see the January to June bill, I will share that with you.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Hi John O/T again, as usual. I hope this is of some interest.
Sarwar and Baillie the Statler and Waldorf of Scottish politics!!!
We all know that Starmer and Baillie are institutional liars.
“Institutional lies are at the level of organisations or public discourse. Many politicians use the common interpretation that telling a falsehood is lying whereas concealing or distorting the truth is not, leading to tortuous statements that technically avoid falsehoods but are certainly deceptive. Political lies in office and during campaigning are necessarily institutional: they are in the public domain. In contrast, private lies by politicians are individual lies, but they can become institutional lies when they are brought into the public domain.”
Commentators and voters are less likely to believe a politician with a reputation for lying, especially when there is a high incentive to deceive.”
Except in Scotland it would seem.
Tactics of political lying: the Iguanas affair
On the BBC Sunday Show Sarwar now proves that he is the duplicitous clown of politics in Scotland.
So today Sarwar tries to blame the SNP for “pushing voters to Reform UK”.
Sarwar accuses Swinney of ‘dishonest’ by-election campaign – BBC News
This is duplicitous “shameful” politics platformed by the BBC in Scotland, straight from the Starmer handbook of unscrupulous autocrats and their institutional lies.
Sarwar clearly shows he has no morals, ethics or accountability and is suffering from political amnesia.
From SNP Facebook post 04 February 2025
“I will work with reform on a case by case basis”
“Vote Sarwar get Farage”
Labour’s Anas Sarwar says… – Scottish National Party (SNP) | Facebook
From The Telegraph 04 February 2025
“Labour willing to work with Reform to oust SNP”
“Anas Sarwar says he won’t ‘turn his back on a good idea’ when asked about informal alliance with Nigel Farage’s party”.
“The Scottish Labour leader has said he would work with Reform UK as he tries to oust the SNP and become first minister at next year’s Holyrood election.”
Labour willing to work with Reform to oust SNP
The BBC and Sarwar seem to have deliberately forgotten John Swinney defending Sarwar against their blatant racism.
From BBC in Scotland26 May 2025
“Swinney accuses Reform of racism over Sarwar advert”
John Swinney accuses Reform of racism over Anas Sarwar advert – BBC News
It was featured in all newspapers, even The Herald had this:
“Swinney: Reform UK Facebook ad against Sarwar was racist”.
Swinney: Reform UK Facebook ad against Sarwar was racist | The Herald
The Guardian had this:
“Swinney demands Meta remove ‘racist’ Reform UK ad attacking Labour’s Sarwar”.
Swinney demands Meta remove ‘racist’ Reform UK ad attacking Labour’s Sarwar | Scottish politics | The Guardian.
His statements to the media in Scotland were obviously an attempt to show that Scotland does not and should not support the far right.
I understand why as First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney defended Sarwar against Reform UK’s racist attack, that is absolutely the correct thing to do.
That being said as a note to John Swinney.
Now that we are in the lead up to the 2026 Holyrood election, yes, of course, do your job as First Minister, it’s what you are paid for, but as far as political opponents are concerned:
The gloves have to come aff!!
JB
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Sarwar almost unhinged appearance on the ‘Sunday Show’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muKZgVNuvzk perfectly exampled the ‘duplicitous “shameful” politics platformed by the BBC in Scotland’, but with trust in both Pacific Quay and Sarwar/Baillie at an all time low, I suggest Statler’s coat is on a shoogly peg.
Folks are sick to death of the ‘institutional lying’ of UK politics and the media – On the Independence referendum side of it, you’d never know from media coverage that the majority of the UK has favoured it since 2016 and it is still in the ascendant. – Ditto Brexit reversal, ditto reversal of energy/water privatisation, ditto the suicidal neo-liberal economics ruining people’s lives in the UK to favour only those in their cosy cartel.
The SNP didn’t retain power through ‘institutional lying’, that’s what makes them such a danger to the UK’s ‘established order’ masquerading as the British State – That form of ‘democracy’ might spread….
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O/T What’s happened to ‘ferries’ – what’s happened at Fèis Ìle 2025 – the Islay Whisky Festival? ‘Fiasco’ or the ‘most successful’ to date?
You may recall from TuS on May 22, 2025 this headline: ‘Stricken!! The Herald and local haulier conspire to hide the deep satisfaction of Islay folk with their ferry service.’ The blog post included this extract from a news article in The Herald:
‘A new “fiasco” caused by a ferry breakdown has sparked a row over the delivery of vital supplies on an island on the eve of its world famous whisky festival. The key ferry for Islay, MV Finlaggan has been sidelined as problems have emerged during routine planned maintenance of main engines during an annual overhaul period.’ (my emphasis)
The Herald claimed that ‘Island’s whisky festival facing disruption due to ferry repairs’. It quoted the owner of ‘key island haulier B Mundell Ltd’: ‘Matthew Mundell, one of two brothers who run the family business responsible for what it says is the lion’s share of the freight on and off the island, said: “As soon as we hit points like that, where they can’t get drugs, they can’t get business-critical supplies to keep the things flowing… the island is not able to get basic resident needs.”
‘He says the failure to bring MV Finlaggan back online means the existing lower-capacity ferries are “massively oversubscribed” and it was indicative of a wider problem with Islay ferries that has been running for five years.’
So for perspective, what happened to the Islay Whisky Festival, to Fèis Ìle 2025?
From the Oban Times (June 5, 2025): ‘Whisky lovers’ fest’: ‘The Isle of Islay once again played host to thousands of whisky lovers and cultural enthusiasts from around the world as Fèis Ìle 2025 unfolded in grand style from May 23 to May 31.’
And: ‘Festival chairperson Florence Grey said: “It’s been a fabulous festival! We’d like to say a massive thank you to all of our visitors, the distilleries, the musicians and all of our volunteers – Islay has put on a brilliant show.“
From the Campbeltown Courier (Jun 6, 2025): ‘Festival fans flock to the Isle of Islay’.
Festival chairperson Florence Grey is quoted:: “It’s been a fabulous festival, everyone’s been so happy! We’d like to say a massive thank you to all of our visitors, the distilleries, the musicians and all of our volunteers – Islay has put on a brilliant show. Roll on next year!”
The Courier article ends with this: ‘Fèis Ìle 2025 will be remembered as one of the festival’s most successful years to date. Organisers and distilleries are already turning their attention to 2026, which will mark the 40th anniversary of the modern Fèis Ìle – promising to be a historic celebration.’
Any coverage of this ‘most successful years to date’ festival in The Herald? And is this a surprise outcome notwithstanding The Herald’s ‘fiasco’ and Mr Mundell’s ‘wider problems with Islay ferries that has been running for five years’? Candidly, no!
According to Companies House, B Mundell Ltd appears to be part of B Mundell Holdings Ltd. a private limited company incorporated in 2020. The ‘Group of Companies Accounts made up to 31 May 2023’ – the latest available online from Companies House – includes a ‘Strategic Report’. Signed off on 31 May 2024 it has this: ‘Principle risks and uncertainties: The directors consider the results for the year to be satisfactory and are not aware of any major risks or uncertainties which could affect the continued growth of the group.’ (my emphasis)
Check back on Mundell’s ‘Strategic Reports’ in annual reports (see Companies House) from previous years and you will find the same statement: ‘not aware of any major risks or uncertainties which could affect the continued growth of the group’. What happened to longstanding ferry problems for the haulier that is ‘responsible for what it says is the lion’s share of the freight on and off the island’?
What’s going on and, importantly why?
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