Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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UK Parliament to take at least three years longer than Scottish Parliament to see through ‘smokescreen for harm’ and begin to consult sometime on a ban for trail hunting

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC UK Breakfast above, the quick recognition that trail hunting is already banned in Scotland. It was January 2023. From the Independent today: The Government is set to ban trail hunting, for fear it is being used as a “smokescreen” for chasing and killing wild animals.Trail hunting mimics a traditional hunt, with dogs following a pre-laid, animal-based scent such as fox urine, while a group of hunters follows the pack on horseback. The activity has remained legal since the 2004 hunting ban came into force, as it did not explicitly involve killing animals such as foxes. But … Continue reading UK Parliament to take at least three years longer than Scottish Parliament to see through ‘smokescreen for harm’ and begin to consult sometime on a ban for trail hunting

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In the land with the best services for children the Herald’s sickening imagery and campaign to undermine the only party that does anything

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald today with another of their tasteless, exploitative images and demands from charities, the latter lead by folk often more interested in honours from Sir Keir, to demand more from the ‘SNP’ government and, of course, failing to inform their readers of just what that party has already done to radically reduce child poverty, only here, and with the clear commitment, only here, to push for its complete eradication! The Herald 18 October 2025 headlined their report on autism and ADHD waiting times with an apparently tragic image of tearful wee, Madeleine McCann-like, fair-haired girl of 3 to 4 … Continue reading In the land with the best services for children the Herald’s sickening imagery and campaign to undermine the only party that does anything

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In less than 4 years child poverty in England predicted to be 45% greater and in Wales’58% higher than in Scotland, affecting millions of them

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No disgusting images required here Professor John Robertson OBA What are the predictions for child poverty rates in the future in the 4 nations? Based on an AI search of 56 documents: Predictions for future child poverty rates in the four UK nations vary by source and depend on policy changes, economic growth, and devolved measures.The most recent official UK government projections (November 2025, from the Department for Work and Pensions) estimate 4.3 million children in relative low income after housing costs by FYE 2030 (the end of the current parliament), a reduction of about 400,000 from FYE 2025 under … Continue reading In less than 4 years child poverty in England predicted to be 45% greater and in Wales’58% higher than in Scotland, affecting millions of them

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Research confirms Labour are rubbish

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Professor John Robertson OBA The current refuse worker strike in Labour-run Birmingham is now 9 months long and thus outright winner of a competition going back to the Labour-run Glasgow Council’s 13 week strike of 1975. In 2022, the Labour-run Edinburgh Council had a 12 day strike during the Festival. In Glasgow, in the same year, the SNP took over the council on 18 May, after 40 years of Labour in charge, and refuse worker strikes began in August lasting 12 to 14 days. In the same year the Labour-run Coventry City Council had a 7 month refuse workers strike … Continue reading Research confirms Labour are rubbish

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Resident doctors split down the middle over strike action and Scottish Health Secretary to act like an adult by meeting with them on Monday, more than three weeks before

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland Unhealthy Correspondent, Lisa Summers, is off like a dog out of a trap this morning to report gleefully that Scotland’s resident doctors ‘will‘ but it’s still ‘may‘ Lisa, may go on strike. OMG Lisa! This week? No, it’s more than three weeks away. Will anyone in Government take this seriously and meet with them soon? Yes, on Monday. As always, the bias is more subtle than in the Daily Record. The headline – Resident doctors in Scotland to go on strike for first time – is inaccurate as pointed in their own 5th paragraph: … Continue reading Resident doctors split down the middle over strike action and Scottish Health Secretary to act like an adult by meeting with them on Monday, more than three weeks before

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No evidence that any SNP MSP was spied on by staff

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Professor John Robertson OBA In my post earlier, I pointed out that there were no confirmed reports, ever, of an employer being spied on by an employee in the UK but many of the opposite. The supposedly Scottish media and Jackie Baillie have loved the rumours and have made as much hay as they can with them but even this morning BBC Scotland has burst their balloon with: The Scottish Parliament says no “covert bugging devices” were involved in reports of MSPs being secretly recorded by members of staff. The Scotsman newspaper reported that a former worker had placed “listening … Continue reading No evidence that any SNP MSP was spied on by staff

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Media-driven hysteria – there is not one proven incident of an employee in the UK ever bugging their boss but a few the other way

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Professor John Robertson OBA I used to be a sociologist but I’m better now, though I still love a good moral panic. Remember the last one? Spiking women with date rape drugs by hypodermic needle, almost impossible, rather than spiking drinks, worryingly easy. Why has it stopped? Not one arrest. I asked AI – Have there been any reports of proven cases of an employee bugging their boss in Scotland? No publicly reported or documented cases in Scotland appear to involve an employee successfully planting a covert bugging device (such as a hidden microphone, audio recorder, or camera) on or … Continue reading Media-driven hysteria – there is not one proven incident of an employee in the UK ever bugging their boss but a few the other way

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There have now been 5 tower block fires in Scotland since 2000 and none have gone up like Grenfell – here’s why, for the 5th time

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON Notice anything about that tower block fire? No towering inferno, again From BBC Glasgow & West yesterday: A 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a fire in a flat at a tower block in Coatbridge. Two people were treated by ambulance crews following the blaze at Calder Court in Whifflet which was reported at about 06:45. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said crews in 11 fire engines and one height vehicle were working to extinguish … Continue reading There have now been 5 tower block fires in Scotland since 2000 and none have gone up like Grenfell – here’s why, for the 5th time

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Will Dame Jackie Baillie call for probe into her UK Labour government’s plans to spy on millions of the poor and hungry and Labour MSP putting cameras in toilets?

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Professor John Robertson OBA Leaping gleefully onto the allegations that 3 MSPs and ministers were spied on by SNP parliamentary staff, Dame Jackie Baillie has called for a probe. She shows little sign of wanting to probe Labour MSPs with paedophile pals or Labour councillors who are paedophiles. So that we don’t think she is being a bit of a hypocrite will she also call for a probe into her own party’s plans to spy on millions of poor folk to make sure they really are poor, ie little in their bank accounts, with this: The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) … Continue reading Will Dame Jackie Baillie call for probe into her UK Labour government’s plans to spy on millions of the poor and hungry and Labour MSP putting cameras in toilets?

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Top 1% US researchers find ‘significantly increased cancer incidence’ for those living near nuclear power plants at a level that would mean an additional 10 000 avoidable cancer cases 30km around Hunterston if Scottish Labour get their way

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the highly-rated Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health in the USA yesterday: In Massachusetts, residential proximity to a nuclear power plant (NPP) was associated with significantly increased cancer incidence, with risk declining by distance, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study was published Dec. 17 in Environmental Health. It was conducted by researchers in the Department of Environmental Health, including corresponding author Yazan Alwadi, PhD student, and senior author Petros Koutrakis, professor of environmental sciences. Despite widespread—and potentially expanding—reliance on nuclear power in the U.S., epidemiologic research investigating … Continue reading Top 1% US researchers find ‘significantly increased cancer incidence’ for those living near nuclear power plants at a level that would mean an additional 10 000 avoidable cancer cases 30km around Hunterston if Scottish Labour get their way