Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Murder rate in Scotland falls to same level as in Denmark, one of the safest places in the World

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Professor John Robertson OBA Scotland’s media continue to utterly ignore the murder rate in Scotland falling to the lowest level ever in recorded history and 20% lower than in England and Wales. How does this compare with other European countries? Denmark’s population is 5.97 million, 9.7% greater than Scotland’s 5.44 million. In 2024/2025, there were 44 murders in Scotland and 48 in Denmark1, 9.07% more than in Scotland. The murder rate in Denmark, 0.0804 cases per 100K, is lower than in Scotland, 0.0808 cases per 100K, but not statistically significantly different. Sources: Continue reading Murder rate in Scotland falls to same level as in Denmark, one of the safest places in the World

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Do Scots have little or no awareness of the scale of value of offshore oil and gas assets in the recent past or now?

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By stewartb I fear that a majority of the electorate in Scotland still have NO IDEA of – (perhaps even conditioned to have no interest in?) – Scotland’s indigenous energy assets and their potential significance for their own lives and those of their children and grandchildren. Little or no awareness of the scale of value of offshore oil & gas assets in the recent past (and still remaining) – Scotland’s great missed opportunity of a generation – and the developing renewable electricity generation assets, their current and realisable potential value – the about to be great missed opportunity of another … Continue reading Do Scots have little or no awareness of the scale of value of offshore oil and gas assets in the recent past or now?

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The Herald’s Martin Williams campaigns both for and against nuclear energy on the same day as Scotland’s last nuclear plant is revealed to have 585 cracks in a reactor core

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Professor John Robertson OBA Only 3 hours ago, the Herald’s Martin Williams had the above damning, newsworthy, piece but it hadn’t been in time for the front page, where he had this campaigning on behalf of the nuclear industry: It’s by no means the first example of the Scottish corporate media acting on behalf of corporations. The facts get no hearing in this debate. Here they are again on Labour’s small modular reactors: On public opinion in Scotland: In the last few months, we’ve seen the MSM in Scotland support the Labour Party’s plans, across the UK and in Scotland, … Continue reading The Herald’s Martin Williams campaigns both for and against nuclear energy on the same day as Scotland’s last nuclear plant is revealed to have 585 cracks in a reactor core

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The morning after Fiona Bruce’s barefaced lie about NHS Scotland, BBC Health offer you the awful truth of how bad NHS England is on the key life-or-death 18 week wait

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performing so poorly? Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Question Time last night and Fiona Bruce was in fast with the above uninformed claim to bias proceedings. The following morning BBC Health has: How is your hospital doing as NHS battles to bring down waiting times? and the opportunity to just enter your postcode and get performance on the 18 week waiting list. This is the key waiting list, unlike the 2 year list, as it concerns treatment for ‘acute‘ life-threatening conditions such as heart disease, stroke and cancers, as opposed to ‘chronic‘ non-life-threatening’ (life-limiting I know), such as arthritis. A … Continue reading The morning after Fiona Bruce’s barefaced lie about NHS Scotland, BBC Health offer you the awful truth of how bad NHS England is on the key life-or-death 18 week wait

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John Swinney does the decent thing

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By Liz S John Swinney does a decent thing. He apologised for something that others did. (this is now an expected act that other political parties expect from the SNP as do the media). He did this in his capacity as the current FM of the Scottish government. For that he should be commended as sometimes for those who are wronged in the past all they really want is recognition of that fact and then someone to apologise to them on behalf of others. Some may argue and question why he did this. Well his apology as the current FM … Continue reading John Swinney does the decent thing

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More adults in Scotland feel safe walking home than under Labour and emergency admissions due to assault plummet

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: June 2025 published today: The SCJS found that three-quarters (75%) of adults said that they felt very or fairly safe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark in 2023-24. This is an increase from 66% in 2008-09 but has been stable since 2016-17. and: In 2023-24, there were 1,691 emergency hospital admissions due to assault, including 438 due to assault with a sharp object. These were, respectively, 33% and 18% lower than in 2014-15. https://www.gov.scot/publications/safer-communities-and-justice-statistics-monthly-data-report-june-2025/pages/statistics-on-community-safety/ Continue reading More adults in Scotland feel safe walking home than under Labour and emergency admissions due to assault plummet

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Scotland already produces 42% more electricity than it consumes, already has more battery storage than it consumes and could sell the surplus for billions

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Energy Statistics for Scotland – Q1 2025 published today, the above graph showing the enormous and growing renewable electricity generation in Scotland, and: Scotland’s capacity for electricity generation from renewable sources has increased substantially over the past 10 years and currently stands at 17.7 GW – a 13.9% increase compared to 15.5 GW at the end of the first quarter of 2024. As of the end of March 2025, there are 951 renewable energy projects, with an estimated capacity of 70.7 GW in the planning pipeline. The largest contributor to this potential increase in capacity is battery … Continue reading Scotland already produces 42% more electricity than it consumes, already has more battery storage than it consumes and could sell the surplus for billions

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Repeatedly ignoring national police force reports of English drug gangs operating in Scotland and so keeping it a ‘friendly environment’ for them

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Professor John Robertson OBA Just looking at reports from the Police Scotland news pages for 2024 and 2025 (there many before going back to 2019), these reports explicitly referring to England or to English cities, have been ignored by BBC Scotland, STV and the so-called ‘quality’ (don’t laugh) press: From February 2024: From June 2024: Hostile environment? You’d need media support for that wouldn’t you? From October 2024: County Lines operations will not be tolerated? The general public would to hear of them on the news for that. From February 2025: I can find no coverage of the above other … Continue reading Repeatedly ignoring national police force reports of English drug gangs operating in Scotland and so keeping it a ‘friendly environment’ for them

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Why are ‘Scottish media’ not reporting murder rate in Scotland as it falls to lowest ever level?

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Professor John Robertson OBA Think about that – 44 murders in Scotland last year, down from 58 the previous year, the lowest ever, ever, on record. There were more than twice as many, 95, in 2010/2011, only 3 years after Labour left government. It was 126 in 2002, nearly three times higher. Front page news surely? BBC Scotland only has this, from yesterday: Women arrested after alleged Inverness murder bid Trying searching? Surely some media are on this: That is some crazy algorithm operating there. The figures for England will not be released till February 2026 but in 2023/2024, there … Continue reading Why are ‘Scottish media’ not reporting murder rate in Scotland as it falls to lowest ever level?

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Social housing in Scotland factcheck – 40% more availability, no damaging right to buy, bigger grants and greater fire safety

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Professor John Robertson OBA Amongst all the current media frenzy about a one-year down-turn in new social media building, these important, positive, contextual facts, published in a review by the Wheatley Group in May 2024, are getting no attention: Social housing is more prevalent in Scotland than England, comprising 23% of all Scottish housing stock (11% RSLs / 12% Local Authorities), compared to 16.4% in England (10.1% RPs / 6.3% Local Authorities). Scotland has similar rate of owner-occupation than England, 63.7% compared to 64.1%. Statistics based on March 2022 returns One of the most important powers devolved to the Scottish … Continue reading Social housing in Scotland factcheck – 40% more availability, no damaging right to buy, bigger grants and greater fire safety