Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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London-based Albanians run a Manchester ‘county lines’ drug operation into Edinburgh and Inverness but BBC Scotland have no space for the story

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland, North-East and Inverness have no space for this Police Scotland release yesterday though I feel sure they have enough staff to monitor the site daily for a juicy news story like it: It’s typically restrained though clearly still too sensitive for BBC Scotland. Readers might twig that ‘cross-border’ means ‘from England.’ They might even know from reading the tabloids that the ‘Tommy Line‘ is based in Manchester and smuggles in new cheap but deadly drugs like fentanyl from South America via the Caribbean: https://www.pressreader.com/uk/manchester-evening-news/20250605/281702620656454 They might see the Inverness Courier report yesterday identifying Quashi … Continue reading London-based Albanians run a Manchester ‘county lines’ drug operation into Edinburgh and Inverness but BBC Scotland have no space for the story

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“Learner drivers currently having to wait months until they can sit their tests, so can Scotland [sic] fix it’s [sic] driving test system” ?

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Liz S BBC Scotland News tweet: “Learner drivers currently having to wait months until they can sit their tests, so can Scotland fix it’s Driving test System” ? Linked to this tweet was a video. Then there was another tweet from the BBC Scotland News twitter account correcting their original tweet and the linked video to that original tweet. “Correction: This video refers to the Scottish government and it should have said the UK government”. So……. Who identified the error or was it identified via a complaint to the BBC, who then as those called out for this lie then had to correct the misinformation they had communicated in their … Continue reading “Learner drivers currently having to wait months until they can sit their tests, so can Scotland [sic] fix it’s [sic] driving test system” ?

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Michael Shanks – ‘[Scottish] Oil and gas has played a critical role in our energy story for the past 60 years. It will continue to play a critical role for decades to come’

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stewartb The recent session of the Scottish Affairs Committee of the Commons gained quite a few ‘insights’ from oral evidence given by Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Energy) at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) See transcript of the oral evidence at https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/16235/pdf/ Shanks – ‘Oil and gas has played a critical role in our energy story for the past 60 years. It will continue to play a critical role for decades to come, …’ (my emphasis) Later, Committee Chair (Patricia Ferguson MP, Labour): ‘Do you think it is necessary to reduce North Sea oil and gas … Continue reading Michael Shanks – ‘[Scottish] Oil and gas has played a critical role in our energy story for the past 60 years. It will continue to play a critical role for decades to come’

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You’ll think I must be making this stuff up but English schools permanently excluded ONE THOUSAND times as many children, per head, as in Scotland but we’ll pay some of the price for that as they’re used as drug mules by the English County lines drug gangs plaguing Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie once again for alerting me to this: In the Guardian today: More than 10,000 children were permanently excluded from England’s state schools last year, alongside record numbers of suspensions involving pupils aged six or younger or with special needs, as teachers struggled to cope with worsening behaviour. The figures for the 2023-24 academic year revealed that the number of permanent exclusions leapt up by 16% compared with the year before, while the total number of suspension days rose by 21% to 955,000. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/jul/10/rise-in-school-exclusions-in-england-including-among-children-under-six There were 11 676 temporary and 1 permanent exclusion from Scotland’s schools in 2022/2023, … Continue reading You’ll think I must be making this stuff up but English schools permanently excluded ONE THOUSAND times as many children, per head, as in Scotland but we’ll pay some of the price for that as they’re used as drug mules by the English County lines drug gangs plaguing Scotland

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Supplying the UK with oil & gas from offshore Scotland or from imports? For the British Labour Party government there is “not a material difference” – apparently!

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By stewartb The head of trade body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) was moved to write (July 4) in the specialist news website, Energy Voice in order to rebut a Westminster government minister’s evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee of the Commons. The Committee was taking oral evidence from Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Energy) at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). Source: Energy Voice, ’Let’s be clear about the value of the North Sea – Offshore Energies UK boss responds to minister’s claims there’s no difference between oil and gas imports and domestic … Continue reading Supplying the UK with oil & gas from offshore Scotland or from imports? For the British Labour Party government there is “not a material difference” – apparently!

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25% decrease in serious crimes and offences involving firearms in Scotland over last nine years, to ONE THIRD only of the level in England & Wales

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Recorded Crimes and Offences Involving Firearms: FOI release published today, we see that the offence ‘to Possess a firearm with intent to endanger life, commit crime or cause serious injury to property’ has fallen from 23 offences in 2018/2019 to 17 last year, 25%, overall firearm offences are static at 189 cases and reckless conduct with a firearm has increased by only 1 case from 5 to 6, in the same period. https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202500463131/ The overall figure of 189 compares very well with the figure of 6 447 in England and Wales: https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/threats-2025/nsa-firearms-2025 All things being … Continue reading 25% decrease in serious crimes and offences involving firearms in Scotland over last nine years, to ONE THIRD only of the level in England & Wales

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Major safety improvements in Scottish section of A1 with zero deaths compared to nearly 20 in one English section

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Professor John Robertson OBA The above is from Reported collisions on the A1 between Edinburgh and Lamberton: FOI release published today: I suspect the response has been a disappointment to Border Tories and their local media pals. Zero deaths and collisions more than halved. Imagine if it had been the other way and the blame thrown at the SNP Government? What’s the rest of the A1 like? Britain’s deadliest road as drivers warned over motorway that needs ‘extra concentration’ – They explained: “Along its stretch, it passes through Rutland in the East Midlands, which is home to around 38,000 residents. … Continue reading Major safety improvements in Scottish section of A1 with zero deaths compared to nearly 20 in one English section

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A9 collisions plummet for second year as full FoI release reveals Tory/Herald dishonest complicity in deception at your expense

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Professor John Robertson OBA Two days ago, on receipt of the above Freedom of Information response, cost more than £300 from taxpayer funds, the Scottish Conservatives in the Herald had: and Note how they hid from readers the dramatic overall fall from 96 to 60 and the fall in deaths from 13 to 7, in the last two years, and the childish adding up to get a big number of little meaning compared to the falling trend. Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202500460198/ Continue reading A9 collisions plummet for second year as full FoI release reveals Tory/Herald dishonest complicity in deception at your expense

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Is the rot finally setting in on the Tory party ?

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Liz S Just how many current and previous politicians at different levels will the Tory party lose from their party to the Reform UK party. The latest two are a former Tory Welsh Secretary Sir David Jones and now we have Sir Jake Berry also announcing that he too has defected to the Reform UK party. We also had Anne Marie Morris a former Tory MP also defect to Rerform. Then in the recent English local elections we saw ……….. Former Tory MP (and Tory Minister) Andrea Jenkinson elected as the Reform UK Mayor of Lincolnshire. Also the former Tory Councillor Sarah … Continue reading Is the rot finally setting in on the Tory party ?

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SNP strength confirmed by second YouGov sub-poll putting them at 40%

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Professor John Robertson OBA From YouGov‘s most recent UK-wide poll, we see the SNP at 40%, the Conservatives dead in the water in Scotland, Labour weak and Reform UK at barely half the level of support in England and Wales. Only a sub-poll, I know, but this repeats their 16 June poll results, three weeks ago: YouGov can be trusted in these UK wide polls to reasonably accurately represent the actual SNP strength because , unlike in their Scotland-only polls, they have not adjusted the sample to reflect the 2014 referendum result and to repeatedly put SNP support in the … Continue reading SNP strength confirmed by second YouGov sub-poll putting them at 40%