Professor John Robertson OBA From Recorded crime statistics in relation to child sexual abuse: FOI release1, published today, we can see that the total number of people prosecuted and convicted in Scottish courts where the main charge was a child sexual offence was Total 2013/14 2022/23 Prosecuted 271 347 Convicted 202 285 Conviction rate 75% 82% These are at first worrying indicators of a significant increases in offenses but, at least an accompanying sign of a increased conviction rate. However there is strong evidence that this is an increase in reporting rarther than an increase in offending. See: Sources: https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202500479152/ … Continue reading More child sexual abuse offenders prosecuted and convicted

Professor John Robertson OBA In June 2025, the Express told us, delightfully: Scots foot the bill for the ever-increasing numbers of pen-pushers employed in the public sector. Remarkably, they also tell us this, don’t remind us it was a UK Government policy and thus try blame it on the SNP Recently, millions had to be filtered from elsewhere to pay for an increase in National Insurance employer contributions. For years the SNP has claimed that it would be making some reductions and savings but this has never came to fruition.  Versions of the story have been repeated widely, in the Scotsman, Telegraph … Continue reading SNP cut civil service by 5%

Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today, the above and: A review of England’s curriculum has recommended reducing the amount of content and emphasis on exams and instead focusing more on life skills and “enrichment”. The review, led by Prof Becky Francis, wants pupils to spend less time in exam halls and have more time “for all of those amazing other things that schools do”, such as plays, sport and work experience. It also urged the government to cut back on policies introduced by the former Tory education secretary Michael Gove, including an overhaul of controversial grammar tests in … Continue reading England to copy Scottish Curriculum for Excellence after 16 years as school leavers are “better prepared in soft skills” (teamwork, communication, adaptability)

Professor John Robertson OBA The Daily Record today has the above and: NHS Ayrshire & Arran owes nearly £130m and now tops the list of Scottish health boards with the largest amount of debt, says the Auditor General for Scotland. And the health board has been warned that its savings plan, aimed at reducing their crippling debt levels, is “overly optimistic” and they “may not be achievable.” Now South Scotland Conservative List MSP, Sharon Dowey, has waded into the issue and savaged the SNP Scottish Government for their handling of the unfolding financial crisis. Will a health board ever be allowed to … Continue reading NHS Ayrshire & Arran is not ‘on the brink of collapse.’ In England, some NHS trusts have entered special measures or been merged, but Scotland’s 14 territorial boards remain operational

Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie for alerting us to this. From BBC London on 23 October 2025, the above and: Rents across England continue to rise, external as the numbers of households in temporary accommodation across the country are at a record high [170 000]. Meanwhile, the amount of housing benefit private renters can claim – the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) – remains frozen – as it has been for most of the past decade. Housing sector organisations, including landlords and homeless charities, are urging the government to unfreeze LHA, fearful that it’s driving more renters into homelessness. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj41v8n1ydvo The equivalent figure in Scotland … Continue reading Child homelessness soars 67% higher in England than in Scotland after a year of Labour austerity