Year: 2025

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Number on child protection register in Scotland falls by 30% in last eight years to nearly 20% lower per head than in England, as public services are protected from the worst of ConLab austerity by 18 years of SNP government

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By Professor John Robertson, OBA From Child protection statistics 2024: local authority benchmarking tool, published today, we can see that there were 5 653 children on the child protection register in Scotland, in 2017 but only 4 069 by 2024, a 28.6% reduction. https://www.gov.scot/publications/child-protection-statistics-2024-localauthority-benchmarking-tool/ All things being equal, you might expect the figure for England to be around 40 000 but was, in 2024 [latest data], 49 800 making the rate in Scotland 19.7% lower per head: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-in-need/2024 This is one of the ‘canary in the coalmine’ statistics for any society, like the abortion or stillbirth rates and shoplifting which, in … Continue reading Number on child protection register in Scotland falls by 30% in last eight years to nearly 20% lower per head than in England, as public services are protected from the worst of ConLab austerity by 18 years of SNP government

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Local community activists in a small US state remind us why we must oppose Labour’s nuclear plans for Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson, OBA Yesterday, in a report from the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, a grassroots environmentalist group with 7 000 members, in the US state of Iowa alone: Sierra Club Iowa Chapter urges legislators and the public to oppose the restart of the Duane Arnold nuclear plant and to support Iowa’s transition to safe, clean, and renewable energy sources. On September 29, 2025, the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club hosted a press conference to address NextEra Energy’s proposal to restart the Duane Arnold nuclear plant, which has been in decommissioning since 2020. Experts in nuclear energy, public health, … Continue reading Local community activists in a small US state remind us why we must oppose Labour’s nuclear plans for Scotland

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‘Scotland has lost no protected natural land in the last 5 years’ as ‘UK’ loses equivalent of 1 680 football pitches

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By Professor John Robertson, OBA In an all-too-typical Guardian report today, even four authors are unable to find or mention anything about Scotland, it seems, for their ‘UK’ report. So, I asked Grok AI: In summary, Scotland has lost no designated land area (0 hectares net) in the last 5 years, but ~13% of protected features have declined in condition, affecting the ecological value of up to 700,000 hectares. This underscores the need for intensified restoration to meet 2030 goals. For the latest data, check NatureScot’s 2025 update expected later this year. Did the four authors try that quick starter? Then, … Continue reading ‘Scotland has lost no protected natural land in the last 5 years’ as ‘UK’ loses equivalent of 1 680 football pitches

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As Reporting Scotland go looking for a ferry fiasco on Arran, nearly 80% are satisfied, dangerous weather is to blame for 96% of cancellations and the car deck was less than half full, to once again expose the media stories as whopping fibs

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By Professor John Robertson, OBA BBC Reporting Scotland tonight claiming the folk of Arran have been without a reliable regular ferry service for the past year when, in reality they only had to travel to Troon instead of Ardrossan. You have to wonder why they report no actual evidence of unhappiness with the service. Perhaps this is why? Regular large-scale surveys of CalMac ferry performance, published but ignored by MSM, as they pursue a different agenda regardless of the facts, are fully transparent. Any journalist can scrutinise these surveys, demand all information, and report on any debates within them. Notably none … Continue reading As Reporting Scotland go looking for a ferry fiasco on Arran, nearly 80% are satisfied, dangerous weather is to blame for 96% of cancellations and the car deck was less than half full, to once again expose the media stories as whopping fibs

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Arran ferry’s ‘faults’ started when the contract to build it was awarded by Scottish Conservatives to an inexperienced English yard on its last legs in a Conservative constituency

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have been without a reliable regular ferry service for the past year. By Professor John Robertson, OBA As BBC Reporting Scotland celebrate the return of the MV Caledonian Isles to the Arran service, they do not, of course, tell you why it has been a troubled vessel. Readers will already know that the MV Caledonian Isles had been in dock for repairs following botched work by Cammell Laird in Liverpool. Readers will also be aware of the regular and longstanding Scottish media reports describing the vessel as ‘troubled’ and ‘fault prone.’ While such accounts have been often exaggerated and ill-informed, it … Continue reading Arran ferry’s ‘faults’ started when the contract to build it was awarded by Scottish Conservatives to an inexperienced English yard on its last legs in a Conservative constituency

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As the authorities approve supposed reduced risk how many childhood cancers were caused by refuelling at this Ayrshire nuclear power station?

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As the authorities approve [15 September 2025] the progress in reducing hazard at the Hunterston B nuclear site in North Ayrshire, I’m deeply suspicious and reminded of the harm that was done over 45 years. By Professor John Robertson, OBA Thanks to JB for researching this. Hunterston B Nuclear power station, in North Ayrshire, Scotland, was in operation for nearly 45 years, from February 1976 until November 2021.1 In that time, there will have been around 30 re-fuelling instances2 and up to 300 inspections.3 During these events, there are spikes of radioactive emissions. Researchers in Germany, published this in 2011: According to the International … Continue reading As the authorities approve supposed reduced risk how many childhood cancers were caused by refuelling at this Ayrshire nuclear power station?

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Scotland is already energy secure but obviously England is not…. hence why these

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By Liz S Ed Milliband decided Zonal pricing was a big ……no go………as apparently it would have benefitted Scotland……..as this would have meant our energy prices in Scotland would have been lower than places in England……. and that, for Labour HQ, was a big no no. (However it was a big fat YES YES to Scotland supplying England with electricity via large sub sea cables…..which was promoted as “”electricity superhighways” to transport renewable energy from Scotland to England, (which was promoted as ) “increasing the UK’s energy security and helping to meet net-zero targets”…..) “UK’s energy security” ?………really ? (Scotland is already energy secure but obviously England is not…. hence why these … Continue reading Scotland is already energy secure but obviously England is not…. hence why these

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So, rent controls, second home tax hikes, the child payment, free prescriptions, free tuition…….why would anyone in their right mind ever want a Labour government in Scotland, never mind Reform UK. The SNP, with the support of the Greens, is the only large social democratic party in the UK that cares for the 99%. Get out and vote for it in 2026!

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Telegraph last week had: Scotland plots uncapped council tax rises for second home owners – Green Party’s ‘pile on the costs’ proposal will be ‘gold standard’ for tackling homelessness. Councils in Scotland are poised to be granted powers to penalise second home owners with uncapped council tax premiums. Today, the Herald has the above grudging headline and: Rent controls are set to be introduced in Scotland after the Scottish Government’s housing reform legislation passed at Holyrood. MSPs approved an amendment by the Scottish Greens allowing council tax on second and empty homes to be raised by unlimited amounts, potentially to the 300 per cent already … Continue reading So, rent controls, second home tax hikes, the child payment, free prescriptions, free tuition…….why would anyone in their right mind ever want a Labour government in Scotland, never mind Reform UK. The SNP, with the support of the Greens, is the only large social democratic party in the UK that cares for the 99%. Get out and vote for it in 2026!

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Different NHS Scotland rejects England’s hostile healthcare environment for vulnerable migrant women

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Guardian today, the above, and: The UK [sic] has been accused of a “stark injustice” for failing to provide health services and humanitarian support to citizens of British overseas territories after a woman from the Caribbean island of Montserrat was refused free NHS care and left homeless. Council officials found Cherry Brown, 69, sleeping rough in a park in Swanley, Kent, in April. Brown had been funded by the Montserratian government – whose budget is largely subsidised by the UK – to travel to England to receive treatment from the NHS that was not available at home. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/oct/01/uk-montserrat-british-overseas-territory-citizens-injustice-donaldson-romeo The situation … Continue reading Different NHS Scotland rejects England’s hostile healthcare environment for vulnerable migrant women

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Fuel poverty – in Scotland, it need not be this way.

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Will it be food in the house? Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland in their BBC Breakfast insert have the above story minus of course the hugely significant consideration that, in Scotland, it need not be this way. In August 2025, we had the information. As energy price rises loom, a reminder of why Michael Shanks will not protect us and why Scots would pay far less after independence As energy price rises loom, a reminder of why Scots would pay far less once independent. From stewartb in June 2025: I fear that a majority of the electorate in Scotland still have NO IDEA … Continue reading Fuel poverty – in Scotland, it need not be this way.