Professor John Robertson OBA
Having lied bare-faced on the Channel 4 News, last night, to claim that water pollution levels in Scotland are worse than they are in England, UK Environment Secretary Steve Reed’s words were reported unchecked across Scottish media.
Today, SNP Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, Gillian Martin, corrected him at some length in a letter, posted on the Scottish Government website this morning. Her letter has been largely ignored, other than in the Independent, above, and in the National.
It begins:
I am writing following the publication of the final report from the Independent Water Commission led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, and to request that you retract inaccurate and misleading comments regarding the quality of water in Scotland.
The Commission’s report notes that 66% of Scotland’s water bodies are of good ecological status as compared with 16.1% in England and 29.9% in Wales. Whilst we of course need to be careful how these figures are used, as they are not calculated on the same basis, it is clear that Scotland has a higher performance. The report correctly points out that this is, in part, due to population density. However, it is also worth reflecting that much of the improvement is due to significant investment in the water industry to reduce pollution driven by Scottish Water and SEPA and efforts made by SEPA to address pollution from other sources such as agriculture.
I was therefore extremely disappointed to hear you make inaccurate and misleading comments regarding performance in Scotland and to dismiss out of hand the value of public ownership of a key asset like water.
Full text at:
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
It’s just the usual Union shhhit never changes.
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Oops. I forgot got the full stop.
Honest.
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The SNP/Scottish government need to be a lot more aggressive in their responses to the constant attacks and misinformation being splurged out on a daily basis by the unionist parties. It is obviously going to get a lot more aggressive and vicious the closer we get to the 2026 election.
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I’ve been screaming at my telly for somebody in the SG or Scottish Water to forcefully call out these festering lies after watching John Lamont in Westminster proudly telling the same fairy tale, SG failed, nationalising water abject failure, backed up by that individual who made the claims on Kuenssberg on Sunday – can’t remember his name.
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Scotland was never privatised, ergo nationalisation was never required, ditto Wales even if a different setup.
Only England is in deep shit, Scotland only has to put up with skidmarks such as John Lamont..
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How do you know the SG didn’t respond? The media hold all the cards. They just won’t broadcast it or report it. Saying the SG should be more aggressive is to a degree pointless because to show this ‘agression’ depends on them being invited in front of the cameras etc. They are not invited of course.
Then it is up to us to get any SG response into the public domain via Twitter aka X, Instagram, Facebook and any other available platform. When the SG responds, which they have done in this case, then they post it on Twitter etc so it is available for people to repost assuming people follow the SG and individual ministers. The also put out policy/public info announcements into the public domain in this way because they are well aware that the media will almost certainly ignore any such announcements/responses etc. I always repost any such material because I follow the SG, FM and various ministers in the SG etc..
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Well said Legerwood. A media mostly dedicated to making sure the Scottish people are lied to on a daily basis. It’s quite obvious that the reason behind this is if England loses its cash cow, Scotland, then they are in even more s**t than they are at present .The British State got one almighty fright in 2014, and they are determined we will never get another opportunity.
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But are they cancelled, silenced ?
The fascist propaganda machine , in some respects, has far greater power in digital 2020s , than in my , letterpress printer, fathers time of the 1930s/40s.
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ATTENTION ALL INDEPENDENCE MINDED PEOPLE OF SCOTLAND
NOW IS OUR TIME TURN ON THESE SPIES AND CULPRITS WHO WOULD POISON OUR DRINKING WATER,STEAL OUR MONEY AND GENERALLY RUIN SCOTLAND WE CANNOT ALLOW THEM TO DO THIS YET AGAIN
WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THESE THUGS AND VANDALS
WE MUST TAKE OUR FREEDOM
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Can we please throw this population density nonsense in the bin where it belongs – In Scotland they were progressively separating foul from storm in the urban domain even before the SNP took office – There’s a long way to go to undo the UK’s combined sewer model that prevailed into the 1960s, but in context, England has barely scratched the veneer….
I watched the C4 interview with Steve Reed and my jaw dropped over a bankrupt company being worth more than 1 pound, where did Reed train in economics, Butlins ? Yet when Reed came out with the Scotland comparison for nationalisation I almost blew a gasket – Scotland did NOT privatise so nationalisation was never the problem England has – Gillian Martin is spot on, but no apology will come…..
The elephant in England’s room is the vanishing water supply, that’s why Steve Reed talks shite….
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I’m sure there’s other reasons for him talking shite.
Isn’t that Liebare’s key policy?
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Yes I along with many many others was incensed by Reed’s lie on ITN so relieved to know that Gillian Martin has demanded a retraction. Absolutely outrageous that they seem to get away continually with this in our complicit media.
Robbo
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Having emailed SW regarding this they are on the case according to the reply I received.
Hello Customer
Thank you for you for contacting Scottish Water. We have raised a case for someone to investigate the issues you are reporting.
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The TUS X account tweeted this today on Chris Murray Labour MP:
“The evidence once more that Portobello beach was not polluted and that this Labour MP is a liar for the second time”
MSM Monitor X account also tweeted on this and he included a video of Chris Murray on yesterday’s BBC’s UK wide Politics programme ‘Politics Live”.
In the video Murray states on this UK wide programme
“In Scotland water is devolved and the Scottish water is a National company. My constituency has these beautiful beaches , you know in Portobello, but there’s wet Wipes on them , sewage in the seas”
MSM Monitor’s tweeted response to Murray (again) talking down Scotland to a UK wide audience and to BBC HQ :
“Labour House Jocks are appearing on political programmes and lying about Scotland because they know they won’t be challenged. This is Scottish Labour MP Chris Murray lying about Portobello beach. He did the same thing last year”
Last year even the BBC News website ,via their Scottish Edinburgh Fife & East page, had a headline “Tests show Portobello Beach pollution not due to sewage” so proving that Murray’s claims on sewage in the sea at Portobello beach was a lie.
Also “beautiful beaches” Murray says, then goes onto to say they, those “beautiful beaches” , have “Wet Wipes” on them and also “Sewage” in the sea at that beach in Portobello…..
So Labour MP Chris Murray criticises part of his own constituency as in …..
‘He giveth a compliment with one remark’ then seconds later ‘he taketh that compliment away with another less complimentary remark that was actually a lie’……
(So basically Murray attempting to back up Labour Minister Steve Reed’s lie on Scottish water).
Now “Broadcasting regulator Ofcom has been called in over Steve Reed’s “misleading” Scottish water claim Channel 4 faces questions over why it failed to challenge the minister when he claimed that pollution levels were worse in Scotland”.
Labour once again talking Scotland down no matter whether it is a Labour MP elected in Scotland or one elected elsewhere that is doing it…..
The rule it seems is that Scotland can never ever be seen to be performing better at anything against any other nation elsewhere (especially England) in the UK…..and Labour House Jocks always keen to support England and also support whoever governs it, as the majority of their Labour MP colleagues represent the majority of English seats within the HOC.
“According to the latest independent water commission report, Scotland has more waterways in “good” ecological condition compared to England and Wales”
However Steve Reed refers lies to truth…..as apparently lying is a great way to try and win elections and obviously then sees those that you lie about lose elections….
You know this is all because Labour UK as the new government do not want to nationalise water in England & Wales so they are trying to make out Scotland’s nationalised water does not work , so they resent it as being worse than in England…..Labour….an absolute disgrace of a party and UK government…..greedy Water companies come first with Labour….that’s just another thing that has not “changed” since Labour came to power.
Liz S
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Only a moron such as Murray would cite a wet-wipe on a beach as indicative of sewage discharge, it could have come from anywhere, dropped, washed in or airborne, but absolutely not from an Edinburgh CSO – To the best of my knowledge, every CSO has fine screening through which no wet-wipe can pass, period.
SW have been publicising for years to convince folks not to drop wet-wipes in the toilet but dry bin them, with considerable success.
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Indeed Bob good point.
Perhaps Murray was insinuating that the good people of Edinburgh are dirty pigs who drop litter on their “beautiful beaches” as it did seem to be that in his keenness to say, on a UK wide Politics programme , that “Scotland is no better than England” he was inadvertently (or directly) insulting the area, also insulting the people who live in that area of Portobello and also those other Edinburgh folk who use that beach in the area of Portobello………….
Murray’s constituency office is in Portobello, so perhaps some of his constituents who live there should now either be telephoning his office or writing to him, in order to tell him that they did not take kindly to their area being publicly shamed on national TV by their own MP , where he , as an MP, is supposed to represent that area and not try to destroy it’s reputation in him inferring that it, Portobello, was a sh*tehole .
That unfortunately is what some of the good people of Edinburgh East & Musselburgh have voted in as their political representative in the English WM parliament….a Labour MP who always supports the party first and who apparently also supports and speaks on behalf of England more than his own supposed constituency and country…..
So his own constituents and his own constituency are both now ripe for exploiting, as in disrespecting, especially when he, as a Labour MP elected in Scotland is obviously one who only supports and represents his own Labour HQ, hence why he is keen to make a bad point aka a lie on national TV that then (mis)presents his own Scottish constituency and his own Scottish constituents as being just as bad as elsewhere in the UK, namely those in England.
Murray is just another Labour politician talking down Scotland but that seems to be a winning aspect for some voters in Scotland, as in all of those voters who last year elected 37 Labour MP’s in Scotland (currently now temporarily 36 MP’s, what with Brian Leishman currently suspended, until that is, he too eventually pledges his 100% allegiance to the party also)………….
I mean if that , together with all of the bad and cruel policies, is what you want to keep voting for , then I guess you cannot really complain , as it seems to be in this case (and others), with Chris Murray as your MP, that you then did indeed get what you voted for………..
Not for me though as I preferred the previous MP, Tommy Sheppard, as he at least stood up for Scotland and stood up for his own constituents at WM….however it seems some of those constituents didn’t fully appreciate that or even realise that , hence why they then chose the useless substitute , Chris Murray, who seems less keen to stand up for Scotland or his own constituency as his allegiance will always be to the party first (HQ).
Liz S
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Tommy Shepherd was an honest MP who spoke his mind – Were a pool of pink diesel spotted, he’d be out finding the culprit along with SEPA.
Not so Curran’s bunfight…
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Long comment but there are some interesting and enlightening points made by Feargal Sharkey on England’s water problem or as he refer to it “the country”.
So I saw this online so I have done a transcript of the interview:
Feargal Sharkey, who has been a long time campaigner for the waters to be cleaned up in England, was on GMB yesterday, the ITV morning breakfast programme.
He quoted from the recent report on the state of pollution in English water where he said there was a “60% increase in sewage serious pollution incidents. Yesterday , government put out a whole raft of measures which they’re claiming is their own. For way of example, oh there’s 104 billion pound private sector investment that was work that actually began two and a half years before the election and has nothing to do with this government”(camera panned to Ed Balls, a part time co host of this programme but also he is the husband of the Labour Home secretary Yvette Cooper , and he did not look happy at what Feargal was saying).
Feargal also said “Steve Reed this morning is claiming that there’ll be a 50% reduction in sewage , by dumping by 2030 , Ofwat actually made that announcement over a year ago. And by the way Ofwat’s original targets were better than the ones that the Secretary of State (Steve Reed) is currently parading”. The truth is we were promised this root and branch detailed reset review , we were promised Champagne all we’ve actually got is sour Milk”
Then Ed Balls pipes up ” But Feargal the government made it clear from the beginning and I think to Sir Jon Cunliffe , who was doing the review, that they were not going to nationalise the water industry, take it out of private control , spend tens of billions of pounds compensating the shareholders. Are you saying that without renationalisation everything else , all of these hundreds of pages is just irrelevant”
(Imagine Ed balls defending the SNP as the Scottish government on an issue in the same way that he was doing on behalf of Labour as the UK government ).
Feargal responded ” Let’s deal with that because as it turns out that 100 billion pound figure, and I’ve seen government quote it again, actually this stems from a report written by a Think Tank bought and paid for by four (private) water companies. It turns out the number actually is this thing created in a combination …
Ed Balls interrupts ….to stem the flow of truth and so to try to stop any harm to both his and his wife’s party….so he reiterates by saying “But it would be billions of pounds”……
Feargal responds ” I can help you with this Ed , according to that calculation right now today Thames water is worth 21 Billion pounds…well that’s completely fantasy make believe and there are many ways ….
Ed Balls interrupts again….for same reason he interrupted Feargal before…..he says “You’re not denying that renationalising the water industry would cost billions” (OMG how well did Yvette teach Ed in prep for this interview with this particular guest)….
Feargal states “I can help you with this and I am going to your economic mind, all I need to do if I really wanted to is actually amend the audit regulations , force water companies to declare the cost of fixing this as a liability on their balance sheet. They all instantly fail the going concern test and as you remember water companies cannot go into liquidation all of the assets automatically revert back to state ownership, I’ve just nationalised it, it hasn’t cost the taxpayer a penny. Think what people need to understand”.
Then Ed Balls again doing his bit for Labour and wife….says “Renationalisation is the only solution” ????
Feargal “I think what people need to understand here that may not be the only solution but Jon (Cunliffe) wasn’t given the real opportunity because he was told not to go and look at what we can do and whether or not we still have the right model. What we have is a situation if you’re a Southern Water customer , that Chief Executive that just got his salary doubled , you are now paying a 50% privatisation tax on your bill because your bill’s just gone up 50% to keep him in a job and keep that company running”.
Ed balls again “I guess the question I’m asking you is, because there is hundreds of pages and 80 recommendations. Is it all for the Birds if they don’t renationalise and take it into public control or do you think that some of the things in here can make a difference , improve things somewhat even if they don’t go as far as you’d like” ?
Feargal “Where Jon (Cunliffe) and I agree he castigates the Board of the Ofwat and the Environment Agency , we’re in total agreement. There are two failed organisations but then he says he wants to abolish Ofwat. Well I don’t know how you can have that conversation without adding the Environment Agency to that list and then we have to look at the role Ministers have played in all of this for 35 years, because the Board of Ofwat , Board of EA are personally appointed by the Secretary State of Environment . Both of those organisations operate under guidance issued by the Secretary of State of Environment . Steve Reed the day he came to office could have sacked both those Boards, replaced them, reissued the guidance and ordered both those organisations to proactively enforce the law. I’m afraid I’m concerned for Jon (Cunliffe) because I think there are some good things in the middle of what he said “….
Ed Balls interrupts again………”There are” (agreeing with Sharkey on “some good things”).
Feargal ” Him and I agree the Boards of both those organisations , but ultimately at the heart of this he believes this is an issue of public trust , and for me that blatantly ignores this is an issue about Corporate greed, manipulation, profiteering, financial engineering , 74 billion pounds worth of debt and 84 billion pounds worth of dividends that these companies have ramraided…..”
Ed Balls and now Kate Garroway too interrupt him….. again…..
Garroway ” So if you renationalise in the way that you said by basically getting them to be honest about the things they haven’t invested so effectively making them bankrupt , we get it back. Whose then going to pay to invest and out it right”
Feargal ” Well you’re paying for it anyway , this is the curious thing this , and I’m quoting again government this morning ‘104 billion pound private sector investment, I’m challenging them right now, there is no private sector investment. Shareholders are now putting their money , their hands in their pocket for that money. That’s why your bills has just gone up 30, 40, 50%. The Chief executive of Northumberland Border blew the gaff in parliament two months ago. 85% of money in her case is coming directly out of the Bill increases, in the short term it’s coming out of our bank accounts and we’re certain y going to pay for every penny of it in the long term”.
Ed Balls again “And you are calling today , em we heard you at six o’clock , for Steve Reed to resign”.
Feargal ” I think that the thing has become such an utter shambles , that idea that in Friday it was announced 60% increase in serious pollution incidents there is no pollution control any more in this country (England I assume) and I think Steve has got to reflect very carefully on the role he’s played in the last 12 months”.
Ed Balls again…”So are you calling on him to resign” ?
Feargal ” I think he should go”
Ed Balls…again ” And on the day this huge report comes out what is the fundamental reason why he after 35 years , why should Steve Reed resign today. What has he done today that’s failed” ?
(Ed there on the side of Steve as in one of his wife’s Labour cabinet colleagues and perhaps too one of Ed’s Labour friends)……….
Feargal ” Simply because the Labour government has 14 years to look at this (as in when Tories were in charge) it’s been a major public issue (in England) for at least 12 of those years and he should have had a plan and coordinate it and be able to walk into the office on July 5th (day after 2024 GE) and take control of this industry and bring it to heel. What we’re seeing today and what’s gone on over the weekend it’s quite clear they’ve got no grasp of it all”
Kate G then pipes in “Quick word from Southern Water , they’re spokesman said that CEO and CFO salaries and benefits are decided by a committee following protocols and rules set out by Ofwat and in accordance with the law the Chief Executives 2025 package includes a relocation allowance and long term incentive plan paid by shareholders which marks improvements made during the delivery of the turnaround plan. Both these payments represent common industry practice. So they put the money up and they’ve done it within the rules”
(Again would Ms Garroway read out a statement while ‘Live’ on air from one of the companies in question, to try to dispute what the guest was saying if this was an issue connected to the SNP / Scottish government….I very much doubt it).
Feargal (who laughed at this statement) “Now here’s the thing no other person than the Chairman of Thames Water warned government that’s exactly what was going to happen. You ban our bonuses we’ll just double the salaries and as the EFRA Select Committee discovered last week that’s the same Thames Water that sat in a Board meeting with their lawyers discussing how to get round the bonus ban and then promptly paid senior managers 2.5 million pounds in bonuses. This Industry is treating customers and government and regulators with contempt. And government right now ironically enough is simply sheltering shareholders , bond holders and allowing the continued brutal exploitation of both bill payers and the environment and that’s quite extraordinary because that was exactly the argument the PM made about the (Tory UK) government at the time when he was leader of the opposition”.
Oh BTW last year Feargal Sharkey turned up in Scotland at the General Election to campaign against the SNP and so campaign for the Labour party. …he , Sharkey, lives in London, so in his head I guess that made perfect sense and also he seemed to have won over some of the voters here as well…..
The former SNP MP John Nicolson tweeted recently that he, Sharkey “Stood at Grangemouth & thought it was on the River Spey. Now experiencing buyer’s remorse it seems….”
Feargal bought into Labour’s fake slogan “for “Change” and now realises that with Labour ….nothing has now Changed, or will “Change”……especially privatised water in England (that comes with sewage and also other pollution).
Dirty water and Dirty politics…..now Feargal is feeling betrayed by Labour so he is ‘Dishing up the dirt on Labour…..that is on their lack of action since coming to power, action that they once pledged would happen when they were in opposition to the Tories …….talking of water, I think Feargal , and his clean water quest, is nearly at boiling point (with this rubbish Labour government).
Liz S
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It seems that Scotland’s Fourth Estate and its Fifth Column of Anglophile unionist politicians are the real threat to the future of all Scots. Unless, of course, the rest of us can unite, once again in the common cause of finally gaining our Independence.
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LETS ALL GET BEHIND A BIG PUSH
TO ASK ALL SCOTS TO WRITE,POST, PHONE ALL ADVERTISERS AND SUPPORTERS OF TV ‘USED’. IN SCOTLAND TO RUBBISH THIS WONDERFUL COUNTRY
DIRTY ROTTEN ENGLISH LORD AND LADIES DO NOT DESERVE ANY
OF SCOTLANDS WEALTH. AGAIN
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