Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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In just 72 words, your perfect response to questions on the SNP’s use of the Scottish budget allocation from Westminster and the need for ‘full fiscal autonomy’

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Professor John Robertson OBA From First Minister correspondence including phrase “full fiscal autonomy”: FOI release published today: For the period 8th May 2024 – date, please provide all correspondence sent by, or to, John Swinney (or his private office) which includes the phrase “full fiscal autonomy”. The National (Scotland) 12 Budget is a reminder of who really controls our funding We could use Scotland’s vast renewable energy resources to lower costs and become a green energy leader. The UK is one of the worst-performing economies in Europe, so why should Scotland remain tied to it? With full fiscal autonomy, Scotland could … Continue reading In just 72 words, your perfect response to questions on the SNP’s use of the Scottish budget allocation from Westminster and the need for ‘full fiscal autonomy’

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SNP Government and councils praised for increasing essential road repairs despite lower traffic volumes

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Professor John Robertson OBA In a typically perverse piece of BBC Scotland reporting, Andrew Pickens opens with: Complaining about the amount of roadworks is something of a national pursuit – but it is one that appears to increasingly be justified. The number of recorded roadworks in Scotland is now 28% higher than it was before the Covid pandemic. The end result, a fixed pothole or faster broadband connection, is welcome – but roadworks can mean increased congestion which affects motorists, cyclists and bus users. before noting: In 2019/20 the watchdog got 129,713 notices of work starting before hitting a record … Continue reading SNP Government and councils praised for increasing essential road repairs despite lower traffic volumes

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Scottish Conservatives cost the taxpayer more than £300 on a failed attempt to ‘reveal’ that an increase of only 0.05% is ‘skyrocketing’

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Professor John Robertson OBA Today, the Herald has a one-year increase from 48 to 79 cases of police callouts for assaults and threats at bus stations, based on the latest opposition party freedom of information request response, presented as a ‘skyrocketing’ crisis, amid a ‘rise in youth violence‘, for John Swinney. Leaving aside the obvious limitations in a one-year change to identify a trend, the report does not mention that the percentage of 16-24 year-olds reporting having experienced violence has actually fallen from 12% in 2008 to 7.5% in 2024.1 Most important, we do not see that there were 59 … Continue reading Scottish Conservatives cost the taxpayer more than £300 on a failed attempt to ‘reveal’ that an increase of only 0.05% is ‘skyrocketing’

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The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on existing UK nuclear sites: ‘all land dedesignated or reused’ by 2380 – but sooner at Dounreay, by 2334!

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By stewartb It’s clear from statements made, if Anglo-British political parties gain power in Holyrood after the 2026 election, Scotland in Union will see a new generation of nuclear power plants (large ‘conventional’ and/or small modular reactors) built here. Ian Murray MP, Secretary of State for Scotland, July 4, 2025 stated: “In other parts of the UK, the UK Government is driving forward nuclear power, as are countries across Europe and indeed the world. But in Scotland the Scottish Government clings to its ideological objection to new nuclear sites. That means that Scotland is being left behind, missing out on … Continue reading The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on existing UK nuclear sites: ‘all land dedesignated or reused’ by 2380 – but sooner at Dounreay, by 2334!

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Hell springs to mind as an apt description of that unwelcome scenario….but I believe the ball is in the court of voters in Scotland

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By Liz S I am hopeful that somehow Reform UK will never emulate the same level of success in Scotland next year that they, as a (pretend) party, seem to have achieved in England. (and also via polls are anticipated as having even more success in the future via some subsequent UK elections). However they will, I am sure , gain some seats next year in the Scottish elections which I think will be both a disgrace and also very much a huge badge of shame for Scotland as a nation. Open Democracy wrote an article in June 2025 which … Continue reading Hell springs to mind as an apt description of that unwelcome scenario….but I believe the ball is in the court of voters in Scotland

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Local press reveals scale of ‘English drug dealers’ presence in NE Scotland but BBC Scotland maintain a suspicious silence for six years now

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Graham for these three alerts below and this comment: So that’s THREE more cases from the P&J over a couple of days, on top of the Scouse Jack case. July 11, two days ago and the Aberdeen-based P&J has the above explicit linking of the local drugs supply to England. Two days before that and the supply is clearly identified as being from large English cities. Does anyone believe the flow is going the other way? On the same day, the P&J illustrates how vulnerable locals are being ‘cuckooed’ and the judge clearly knows … Continue reading Local press reveals scale of ‘English drug dealers’ presence in NE Scotland but BBC Scotland maintain a suspicious silence for six years now

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Another ‘Scouse’ county lines gang keeping Scotland’s drug deaths artificially high

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to rtpscott for alerting me to the above. Scouse Jack is not the only Liverpool-based gang whose activities have been clearly identified as fuelling Scotland’s drug deaths. In March 2025, we had: From BBC England, the above and: Five members of a county lines drug gang known as the Scouse Dave Line have been jailed. A total of seven members of the organised crime group, which peddled crack cocaine and heroin between Liverpool, Gosport and Plymouth, were sentenced during the two-day hearing at Portsmouth Crown Court. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd92w0klwy8o When I saw the word ‘scouse‘, I was reminded of … Continue reading Another ‘Scouse’ county lines gang keeping Scotland’s drug deaths artificially high

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New US law to compensate radiation emission victims needs to be introduced by UK Government for Essex breast cancer and Scottish child cancer cases

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From Spectrum News yesterday: A Detroit-area woman is among those hailing a new law that expands a federal trust fund that makes payments to those who may have been sickened by nuclear contamination. Kim Visintine, a local ER nurse practitioner, was raised in the St. Louis area with a career in the automotive industry that ultimately brought her to Michigan. In 2000, her son was born in St. Louis with a rare brain cancer, underwent neurosurgeries at just days old and later went on chemotherapy. He died in 2006. In the years that followed, Visintine learned of others who grew … Continue reading New US law to compensate radiation emission victims needs to be introduced by UK Government for Essex breast cancer and Scottish child cancer cases

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As crime in Glasgow falls far below level in English cities, local media ‘name’ and shame it unfairly

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By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS  Glasgow Live, three days ago had the above and: On June 24, the Scottish Government released its annual Recorded Crime in Scotland report, and it was revealed Glasgow had the highest crime rate, with 829 crimes per 10,000 population recorded. https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/glasgow-named-most-dangerous-area-32022028 Who actually ‘named’ Glasgow? What significant person are they quoting? No one. Just those two wee corporate media hacks named in the credits. Comparative data for the rest of the UK is not yet published but we can easily compare with the 2023/2024 figures to reveal Glasgow to be the safest … Continue reading As crime in Glasgow falls far below level in English cities, local media ‘name’ and shame it unfairly

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Shock as some locals tell CNN they see fewer needles and drug paraphernalia on ground around ‘controversial’ SNP safe drug injection centre in Glasgow which has now saved lives after 2 500 supervised injections in only 6 months

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Professor John Robertson OBA From US-based international news agency CNN today, the above and: “We’ve had almost 2,500 injections inside the facility,” Dr. Saket Priyadarshi, the clinical lead of the Thistle, told a CNN team who visited the facility in early June. “That’s 2,500 less injections in the community, in parks, alleyways, car parks.” The Scottish government told CNN that the service has already delivered results in terms of public health. “Through the ability of staff to respond quickly in the event of an overdose, the Thistle service has already saved lives,” Scottish health secretary Neil Gray said. The service, … Continue reading Shock as some locals tell CNN they see fewer needles and drug paraphernalia on ground around ‘controversial’ SNP safe drug injection centre in Glasgow which has now saved lives after 2 500 supervised injections in only 6 months