Month: October 2025

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As BBC Scotland revisit the scandal the still untold story of how Labour failed to protect Scots from infected blood!

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland is broadcasting tragic stories today of those infected by blood transfusions: Between 1970 and the early 1990s, more than 30,000 NHS patients were given blood transfusions, or treatments made using blood products, which were contaminated with hep C or HIV. Some of the blood was from abroad, but in Scotland, the majority came from Scottish donors which included prisoners and drug users. Nowhere in the extended reporting is it made clear which political parties were in Government, thus responsible for the tragedy. Here is the necessary clarification: On May 17th, the head of the Scottish … Continue reading As BBC Scotland revisit the scandal the still untold story of how Labour failed to protect Scots from infected blood!

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New US ferries though simpler to cost twice CalMac’s MV Glen Rosa

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Washington State Standard in May 2025: Washington State Ferries said it would deploy its new electric ferries first on the Mukilteo-Clinton run. The short route is currently served by diesel ferries like the Tokitae, seen here approaching Whidbey Island. (Photo by Tom Banse) Ferry system managers and state budget writers in Washington took a cold wave over the bow Monday upon opening the bids to construct up to five new hybrid electric ferries. “I don’t see how you get to five. There’s money for three on a good day,” said state House Transportation Committee … Continue reading New US ferries though simpler to cost twice CalMac’s MV Glen Rosa

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Child poverty in ‘UK’ soars to almost 50% higher than in Scotland with gap only likely to widen and a resulting increase of dying young

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: Published in Nursing Practice of 29 September 2025, One-third of UK children grow up in poverty with higher risk of dying young: In 2023/24, nearly a third [31%] of children in the UK (4.5 million) were living in relative poverty after housing costs, with one million of these children based in the North of England. In some constituencies, such as Birmingham Ladywood, the figures are higher, with 62 per cent of children living in poverty [32%in Glasgow] . This report highlights how the situation is worsening, with researchers … Continue reading Child poverty in ‘UK’ soars to almost 50% higher than in Scotland with gap only likely to widen and a resulting increase of dying young

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How Jim Murphy has made millions in Starmer era from his ‘lobbying behemoth’

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By Liz S Long comment but really crucial as something that really exposes the sheer hypocrisy and blatant double standards applied by the Labour party…and also those individuals still connected to them. You know most people in Scotland, and elsewhere, may not realise that one of the biggest political losers in Scottish politics and also a very unpopular Labour leader in Scotland , Jim Murphy , has apparently now been ‘winning’ since ‘losing’ Labour a majority of their Labour MP’s in the 2015 UK GE………where he lost Labour 40 MP’s in Scotland out of total of 41….which included him losing in his own constituency. Yesterday , The Times newspaper did a piece on him … Continue reading How Jim Murphy has made millions in Starmer era from his ‘lobbying behemoth’

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Ferret factchecker’s toxic dialogue suggests dramatically ebbing tide of racially-aggravated hate crime in Scotland threatening to just about disappear here, along with their far-right groups

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Bob Lamont for alerting us to this. The Ferret is in the National today with the above and: At least 20 incidents linked to anti-migrant protests, racism and the far right in the last two months have exposed rising political tensions across Scotland. They included attacks on mosques and asylum hotels, alleged assaults – and the jailing of a neo-Nazi for slashing a student in the face with a knife. The Ferret found there were at least 17 arrests linked to anti-migrant protests, and police are investigating a number of alleged hate crimes. Anti-racism … Continue reading Ferret factchecker’s toxic dialogue suggests dramatically ebbing tide of racially-aggravated hate crime in Scotland threatening to just about disappear here, along with their far-right groups

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‘Gangs of sinister, feral young men’ from England fuelling Scotland’s drug deaths, targeting vulnerable women and causing small town violence surges

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Scotsman last week had: Gangs of sinister, feral young men show why Police Scotland needs extra £140 million – Police Scotland’s Chief Constable Jo Farrell has sounded an alarm that politicians must heed Just who these young men are where they come from is left out so that readers might think they’re Scots but they’re not. As far back as 2018, the Liverpool Echo began a run of reports telling exactly where they’re from, with: How Liverpool’s drug criminals are fuelling Scotland’s gang wars In 2022: Liverpool drug gangs target Scots towns and cities as … Continue reading ‘Gangs of sinister, feral young men’ from England fuelling Scotland’s drug deaths, targeting vulnerable women and causing small town violence surges

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SNP and Swinney more favourably viewed than anything else in Scot’s political world

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Ipsos Scotland Political Pulse survey, taken between 21st and 26th February 2025, these little-reported facts, at the time, in response to the question – To what extent, if at all, do you have a favourable or unfavourable opinion of the following politicians and political parties? Adding Very and Fairly Favourable scores: Source – https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/public-critical-scottish-governments-record-arent-convinced-labour-would-do-better-job#:~:text=A%20new%20Ipsos%20Scotland%20Political%20Pulse%20survey%2C%20taken,it%20has%20done%20a%20good%20job%20of%20this. This was some time ago but does anyone image any major improvements for any of the above apart from the SNP and Reform UK? Look at the recent polls: Talking-up Scotland’s special crowd funder has closed but you can support … Continue reading SNP and Swinney more favourably viewed than anything else in Scot’s political world

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Sexual attacks on hospital wards likely to be reducing since post-pandemic spike

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Sun today has the above, based on research by the Women’s Rights Network – HOW SAFE ARE OUR SCOTTISH HOSPITALS? THE CONCERNING EXTENT OF SEXUAL ASSAULTS AND RAPES IN SCOTTISH HOSPITALS 2019-2024 which carefully does not reveal what the trend is. From Grok AI: While, of course, not wishing to understate the appalling nature of such crime, it remains important to know what the trend is so that we may best consider how to tackle it. Source: https://www.womensrights.network/post/how-safe-are-our-scottish-hospitals#:~:text=Between%202019%20and%202024%2C%20288%20sexual%20assaults%20including,Boards%E2%80%99%20lack%20of%20systematic%20and%20coherent%20data%20gathering. Talking-up Scotland’s special crowd funder has closed but you can support at any time at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or … Continue reading Sexual attacks on hospital wards likely to be reducing since post-pandemic spike

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There may or may not have been a 1% cut in the mental health budget

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald is headlining today under yet another tasteless, clickbait image of someone holding their head in a darkened room: Exclusive: Charities question £16m gap in Scottish mental health budget Further down, they give us the background for scale of the alleged cut. 1.07%. Even further down we see: The Herald piece is an awesome attempt to confuse with Byzantine accounting procedures. I have no idea what they’re on about much of the time but I think it’s just about the level of detail being provided, as in this: I feel sure there is a TuS … Continue reading There may or may not have been a 1% cut in the mental health budget

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PM Starmer still confuses references to the place over which he governs

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stewartb Labour List published the transcript of Keir Starmer’s speech at the recent British Labour Party conference. (see https://labourlist.org/2025/09/labour-conference-2025-keir-starmer-speech-in-full/ ) Despite the best efforts (?) of his speech writers, PM Starmer still confuses references to the place over which he governs. Here are some extracts from the speech, with my comments. ‘It is a great country… It will always be a great country… ………… That’s the Britain I’m fighting for, conference… A nation of resolve… A land of respect… A Britain built for all.’ – we start here with ‘Britain’ being a single country AND a single nation. ‘That’s the most important aspect of … Continue reading PM Starmer still confuses references to the place over which he governs