Support Talking-up Scotland's work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method - Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421
Professor John Robertson OBA
BBC Scotland today:
No inspections were carried out at cruelty claim children’s unit – No official regulator had the power to inspect Scotland’s biggest children’s psychiatric hospital during a seven-year period in which staff were accused of cruelty to patients, it has emerged.
Skye House in Glasgow was visited between 2017 and 2024 by advisory body the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. However, it did not have any enforcement powers.
The report goes on to repeat the claims of three young women, at some length. There is no place for the staff at the unit to explain or to balance the reporting.
In February 2025, I wrote:
I’ve held back from commenting on the sad reports from the Skye House psychiatric unit for 11-18 year-olds, in Glasgow, but it’s clear that the media are in a sickening feeding frenzy on the reports by three teenagers, former patients, of abusive behaviour by staff there. No one else seems prepared to speak on behalf of the staff and the unit.
So, three teenagers reported abusive behaviour by nurses including mocking suicide attempts.
Skye House supports 24 patients and has been doing so for at least 12 years. I can see no opening date. In that time it will have treated hundreds of adolescents. I can see no statistics. In that time there seems to have been one suicide, in 2018.1
In 2019, the unit was inspected, unannounced, by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. They found:
Overall the feedback we received from young people was positive about their experience of care on the wards. Their feedback was that they felt safe and supported during their admission, and that staff were friendly and available to talk to when required. The atmosphere of the unit was welcoming and calm during our visit and staff were able to respond to our unannounced presence without evident difficulty.2
So, I’m not doubting the reports but I am doubting the extent to which they accurately or fairly represent the work of the unit.
Most of all, I am seriously questioning the ethical standards operating across journalism in Scotland.
Sources:
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
”Ethical standards ” of UK MSM journalists ?
I am reminded of Ghandi ‘s reply when asked what he thought of British Civilisation :
”It would be a very good idea ! ”
LikeLiked by 3 people
British=English.
LikeLike
It’s other news, but can someone have a look into this?
I thought rural communities were receiving support, article says that The Islands have suffered larger cuts than the mainland.
https://www.stornowaygazette.co.uk/news/people/communities-left-blind-sided-by-pool-closures-5311516
LikeLike
“BBC Scotland keeps a sickening media feeding frenzy going”
If they , the BBC, want to join in what should really be a “media feeding frenzy” then they should also report on, via their BBC website, the news that SKY News have been reporting upon……after what they, Sky News, say has been a “two year investigation”.
On what ?
On the Labour supporting Trade Union GMB.
For what ?
“Allegations of bullying and harassment inside one of the UK’s biggest trade unions“……..
Sky News report that they have been “listening to women with accounts of alleged bullying, misogyny, cronyism, and sexism, which they claim is rife within the GMB Union”
So did they seek out the Union Boss Gary Smith ?
(Remember him, Gary Smith, from 2014 prior to him being made the GMB UNion boss……telling us in Scotland to all vote NO).
Yes they did seek him out and guess what….the reporter from SKY News said:
“He (Gary Smith) seems annoyed by this scrutiny. He had left the TUC conference early through a side door in an apparent attempt to avoid me and had started running away from me as I approached him”.
Really ?
Women who work within the GMB Trade Union have made accusations and the Union boss of GMB seems to not want to face questions on this as in he does not want to answer these accusations…..so how about addressing them ?
Well the reporter then said:
“There are serious questions hanging over him over how he runs his unions and how that union treats the women who work for him, so I continue to follow him”
“GMB has always denied there is a culture of bullying, misogyny and sexism, in fact, much more staunchly than any other organisation I’ve covered before accused of the same thing, and today was no different“.
“Mr Smith told me there was “no problem at all” within the union, unwilling to admit there was any real work to do and essentially saying – there’s nothing to see here”
Wait a minute , if SKY News are reporting upon this story , then they see it as being very serious as a story…….. and so they must also see that there is clearly some foundation to these allegations….then surely it is a case of with ‘women’s rights being a subject that is very topical and seemingly contentious (for some) just now’ so then surely this matter just cannot be dismissed by this TRADE UNION BOSS ?
If it is being dismissed, then as a position, Gary Smith’s attitude is totally unacceptable …….where are all of those women’s groups who campaign so hard for women keeping certain rights that they say some men, via certain governments , want to take away those rights, which they, as women, say is an action being encouraged by certain politicians…..and also certain types of men.
Is a Trade Union exempt from their campaigning as Women’s groups…….. and also via their main raison d’etre in campaigning , which is in both trying to retain existing rights of women and also to promote these existing rights of women ?
Sky News website then wrote “lots of women have expressed concerns and say they feel harassed at the union, enough that the equalities watchdog is currently examining whether GMB is complying with the human rights act…..and previously GMB members have threatened to strike against their own union over allegations of sexism – a highly unusual move used only when members want to raise a serious issue”.
The reporter then asked whether Mr Smith takes this seriously.
He said : “We’re a good organisation, we’re a cleaned up organisation, and we think the culture is pretty positive.”
Sweep sweep ……under the carpet it goes is not the best attitude for a Trade Union boss to communicate ..surely?….
So does he, Gary Smith, a Trade Union boss really see this matter as being non negotiable (pun intended) ?
She then sked him “whether he believes the women who are bravely speaking out about their experience, whether he thinks there’s any harassment or bullying in his organisation at all or finally, if he wanted to apologise or wanted to say anything to the women who expressed concerns”
“He declined to speak to me any further, and I thanked him for his time”
Wrong subject Hen….you should have been investigating and so asking him about Scottish independence as a future possibility and then asked him, Gary Smith, his opinion on that….
He would have been only too happy to give you an in depth …as in a sit doon interview…..that is …..he would not have “declined” to answer that question from you Hen……. as to all of the reasons , according to him, on why Scotland cannae be independent as it is too poor, too wee and too stupid (though Scotland is really only “too stupid” in the sense of anyone here ever listening to him , Smith, on the subject of Scottish independence) ……..
Seems to me karma is catching up with a lot of the ‘NO Sayers’ from 2014…..I just hope some of the peeps in Scotland who voted NO in 2014…..and perhaps who saw people like Gary Smith (and others) as being credible and honest in 2014 now see how they are not what they were assumed to be back in 2014…..
As now it appears they are the ones in denial of the stark reality of their UK being dysfunctional, unfair and where certain organisations , like say some Trade Unions, are being accused as rife with “bullying, misogyny, cronyism, and sexism” towards women….that’s some mens…… wives, Girlfriends, daughters, sisters and mothers …….and friends too.
BTW Gary Smith is often seen to be too ready and too eager in his criticism of the SNP as a Scottish government…..is said to be supportive of Keir Starmer….in 2022 he urged the Labour party to back fracking ……called for the Labour Party to rethink its plans to ban new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea……what next….will he at some point in the future be promoting Reform UK ?????
GMB, as a Trade Union, is one in many Unions who are significant financial contributors to the Labour party’s national and local organisations……so then does that also make them exempt as those who should be listened to when they criticise any opposing political party….like say the SNP in Scotland ? (I think so…surely?).
Labour still accepts these political donations from the GMB Union with what is now an organisation that has had scandalous accusations made against it by women ………
If you want to read the 11 September 2025 SKY News full article on this matter it is headlined as “I wanted to ask this union boss some very serious questions – and he tried to run away from me”…on the SKY News website…..
Also perhaps Labour, as a party and also as the current UK government, should also read up on this Sky News article and then consider, that as a party, they should no longer accept political donations from the GMB , until this situation is properly addressed and fixed by the GMB (as in by their boss Gary Smith)…..
After all Starmer says that he supports “workers rights” and that he and his party are “For the workers”….well these women are workers in this Trade Union and they have rights , that they allege , are being abused by this Trade Union….and it seems from this SKY News article that this Trade Union boss does not want to recognise this as a alleged problem within the Union he is boss of…….that should be worrying to the Labour party (but I guess money, via political donations, takes more priority over workers rights allegedly being abused)……..
So it is now well past the time when Starmer should start to walk the walk instead of just constantly talking the talk……….as blah blah coupled with slogans is not working…..as in not working…..seemingly for anyone within his UK.
(So instead of Starmer trying to protect , support and defend people like Lord Mandelson perhaps it is (way past) the time that he , Starmer, began to protect , support and defend those people that he , Sir Keir Starmer, has said that he wanted to protect, support and defend ……like say women workers who work in organisations like this trade Union….who are being allegedly abused ).
Liz S
LikeLiked by 4 people
Also SKY News today….Labour peer Lord Falconer refused to talk about Lord Mandelson when asked….”I’m not going to go there”…………”I’m not going to comment at all” ………he, the Labour peer Lord Falconer , refused 8 times to answer any questions on his friend the Labour peer Lord Peter Mandelson…..yet again the wrong topic…..had they, SKY News, asked him about #SNPBAD and then just try to hold him back in ‘waxing lyrically’ on that as a preferred Labour party subject …………
Another unelected Labour peer….when asked a topical , very relevant and also quite reasonable question on a current Labour scandal then he refuses to answer.
Yet Dame Jackie Baillie accuses the SNP of being “secretive”……Hmm
Another example of Labour saying #WheeshtForLabour…..BAD.
Wake up Scotland……this is the low standard that Labour assumes it can continue to maintain as those who constantly assume that they, as a political party, can cast aspersions upon the SNP , while they themselves, as a party and as a current (bad) UK government, are actively trying to avoid all scrutiny, criticism and accountability from the media and also from the public……the same public who they, Labour, seem to be serving very badly as a UK government, based on the mounting evidence that exposes them as being just as bad as the Tories were when they previously were also (badly) in charge of the UK !!!!!!
Labour no actual “change” with them in charge…..just continuity……and also an aversion to be accountable to and responsible for anything……as blame is only for ‘others’ apparently…………
Way past the time where more people in Scotland concluded that they, as voters, need to ‘cease and desist’ from ever voting Labour again in any election…….as if they do not stop voting for Labour…. then they have no right to continue to criticise the SNP as being #BAD……and so they too , as voters, should ‘cease and desist’ in continually promoting both their and Labour’s hypocrisy……as in #BadPolitics
Liz S
LikeLiked by 1 person