How can a ‘rebuttal unit’ have nothing since November 2023 and then only two non-rebuttals? As for the Streisand Effect – Pure Barbara!

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Professor John Robertson OBA

Is there another SNP Rebuttal Unit? The above has pretty much no rebuttals of media bias and nothing of any kind for two years now.

In September 2024, one year ago, we had:

THE SNP have provided an update on their research and rebuttal unit, as only two articles have been published on this section of the party’s website.

Most striking in this update which largely evades the question of why only two reports since 2023, is this:

This means quite clearly that they’re against rebutting at all because they think it’s counter productive. They’d do better just taking this down.

I’d love to see what these academic studies are and respond to them. I feel particularly well-equipped to do so.

Public spats? When I post accurate statistics to counter inaccurate statistics in the MSM, that’s not a spat it’s a cold, evidence based, rebuttal. They hardly ever come back at me but just ignore it and move on to their next set of fibs. James Cook has been riled enough to try twice and on one occasion, even suggested my followers were nuts or words to that effect.

Finally the Streisand Effect:

The Streisand effect is an unintended consequence of attempts to hide, remove, or censor information, where the effort instead increases public awareness of the information.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect

When I counter media reporting which deliberately misleads on, eg, crime, health or education statistics, already on the front pages of newspapers or in BBC Scotland broadcasts, that I am trying to hide, remove, or censor information, is pure guff. I’m correcting with clear evidence as the basis for my corrections. I could not censor even if I wished to and it’s the MSM which regularly hides and removes news it does not like you to see.

The SNP should have the guts to go for them and not hide behind misunderstood theories written by careerist spads devoid of the passion we need to do this thing.

Tell me what is wrong with these TuS rebuttals in just the last few days?

The Stonehaven rail disaster is the responsibility only of Network Rail responsible only to the [UK] Secretary of State for Transport. The Scottish Government cannot be blamed for it
Contrary to media hysteria, there was not one anti-semitic violent attack recorded in Scotland in 2024
As the Southport inquiry resumes today, official figures reveal a dramatic fall in murder by knives in Scotland overall AND by young people, rubbishing the media reports here
Racist attacks and attacks on children are increasingly rare in Scotland much as our media may hate it to be so
Will Anas Sarwar back his home city Glasgow against Sir Keir Starmer and the Home Office as their failures force a refugee homelessness crisis onto it a whole year after they were warned by the SNP Council?
Why this Herald building collapse story is another scare, like Grenfell, extremely unlikely to happen here because of more rigorous standards
Drug deaths in Scotland, England, Wales and in the EU – SEVEN simple facts showing our days as the drug death ‘capital’ are numbered
When all drug deaths are counted Scotland’s rate is falling fast toward the increasing rate in England and Wales and is already lower for males than in the north-east of England
Nearly three times more behaviour support staff working in Scottish schools
After 18 years of plummeting crime figures, police recorded AND surveyed by academics, Scots themselves confirm it again – crime IS falling and is far lower than in England & Wales

That’s us back just to 4 September 2025.

13 thoughts on “How can a ‘rebuttal unit’ have nothing since November 2023 and then only two non-rebuttals? As for the Streisand Effect – Pure Barbara!”

  1. The SNP are beyond help John. My membership card will be tossed in the bin soon. I refuse to assist them financially because I can’t see what good it woud do. I know they’ve “got a lot on” just running the country and fighting of the lying aggressive unionists in Holyrood but I won’t give them money until they start fighting. If there actually is anyone working in The Rebuttals Unit they should be sacked and the money saved could be used on fighting for independence.

    The truth is, The SNP won’t fight for Scotland’s independence in any meaningful way. It’s up to us to do it. Once we’ve all accepted that stark fact we can get on with making it happen. John Lawson

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. It’s easy to be disheartened but who are you expecting to lead Scotland away from the dysfunctional so called union??

      A terrible ‘union’ of unequals, where you will be paying a ton for your prescriptions, have undrinkable water, no bus pass if over 60 or under 22, lots of new nuclear forced on Scotland, no SNHS that functions well, at all…and so so many ScotSNP policies in place to mitigate against England’s Govs’ terrible austerity imposed on the people of Scotland.
      Welcome to dystopian far right Scotland, unless we support all parties that are actually Scottish and fighting for our independence, including the SNP.

      Liked by 1 person

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    2. You say “The truth is, The SNP won’t fight for Scotland’s independence in any meaningful way. It’s up to us to do it”

      The SNP has stood year after year with the core aim of achieving independence and has had remarkable success in retaining power at Holyrood. The Labour party are beginning to see how hostile forces including the media can sway public opinion by sensationalising and magnifying any weaknesses, by refusing to report on successes and by chipping away at key figures

      Any political party’s performance is tied to its support. The divisions stoked by the Salmond/Sturgeon rift have succeeded in weakening the SNP through the loss of members, money and representatives – an absolute gift to the unionists. And, just as Labour are experiencing, a narrative has been established which casts doubt on their morals, their abilities and their intentions. Are we really so stupid that we will blindly follow the MAGA farmers (bsky.app/profile/mrsbettybowers.bsky.social/post/3lybaw5v6sc23) into voting against our own interests just because right wing forces use their money, power and influence to shape our thinking?

      As for the rebuttal unit it is possible that the loss of funds and subsequent reduction of HQ admin posts has meant the SNP couldn’t provide the resources for what all of us here know is a full time occupation. John’s fundraising attempts show us that while folk are interested in a rebuttal service many are not willing to pay for one. The SNP should in my view announce their unit has been closed and yes maybe give a shout out to this site as an excellent alternative, working alongside if not together another indy supporting group. Lets face it, if they formally endorsed the site John’s independence would be compromised and ToS would be seen as an SNP mouthpiece.

      Liked by 3 people

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  2. I think the SNP have chosen the right format for rebuttal. Instead of combating directly with facts and negative rebuttals that could be constructed as negative and shifting blame they are posting more positive responses.

    I feel this is a better way to manage responses and will have a greater impact. Folk are tired of the blame game and just want facts.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Not so, people read the BritNat propaganda and revel in blaming the SNP.
      The SNP needs to point out the Labour/Tory and other English parties operating at WM and in Scotland will take a wrecking ball to Scotland’s more progressive policies put in place since Scottish political parties have had a wee bit of control at Holyrood.

      The BritNat media controls the narrative so yes they will spin any Scottish parties’ rebuttals as grievance policy, so the SNP and others and those writing blogs etc have to be very clever to make sure the truth, yes truth, is getting into the heids of the people, not an easy task of course.

      It is however why we all read TUS, support and share other pro independence sites and channels as much as possible. It’s an uphill task to say the least but it needs doing, clever tactics, and support for TUS and others is crucial.

      Liked by 5 people

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  4. Thanks for the work you do. I have become increasingly aware of its
    value. I am not sure if I can reply without my reply being published
    online as happened last time. I don’t have time to read everything you
    publish daily in detail but now trust it enough to post unread.

    It is possible that working as a volunteer, as I think you do, and as
    someone with an established reputation and experience, it is easier for
    you both to do the research and to spend any time necessary defending
    it, than it would be for a paid person who also has to be responsible to
    the members of the SNP via CEO and National Secretary. Also SNP
    publications are more likely to be targetted by a hostile media, as well
    as being immediately discounted as partisan by many.

    If you are a member of the SNP, you now do have access to names and job
    titles of SNP staff via MySNP, so you can see how many staff there are
    and their responsibilities. There are fewer staff than there were,
    although more than when I was a member of the NEC in the 1990s

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. I agree about the lack of rebuttals coming form the SNP. I think it was Keith Brown who first announced it about 2 years ago. However with the illness and passing away of Christina McKelvie it may have slipped down his list of priorities. In that case the leadership could have given the job to someone else – such as you!

    Even a web page with answers to some of the most frequent lies of the MSM would help supporters to argue the case. A FAQs for voters.

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