Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
9 Comments

Why Labour’s plans for nuclear in Scotland are both stupid and risk the lives of children and mature women

johnrobertson834

BBC Reporting Scotland last night offered a one-sided piece on nuclear power restarting in Scotland and, in particular – the new small modular reactors or SMRs. The piece opened and was dominated by, supporters of the idea with a token Scottish Government comment at the end but none of the real concerns. The stupid first, then the horrific risks Labour will accept on your behalf just in the hope of winning votes. All of these comments can be backed up by hard evidence at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=SMR https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=gas https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=electricity https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=cancer The stupid: We produce four times the natural gas we consume and … Continue reading Why Labour’s plans for nuclear in Scotland are both stupid and risk the lives of children and mature women

2 Comments

SNP policy HALVES alcohol-related hospital admission as 93% of abusers treated within three weeks

johnrobertson834

From Alcohol related hospital statistics Scotland financial year 2024 to 2025 published today: Alcohol-related hospital admissions in Scotland, above, peaked in 2007/2008 at 43 038, after decades of Labour power in Scotland. After the first SNP government in 2007/2008, they began to fall then after 2018 when the SNP minimum unit-pricing policy was implemented, they began to fall even more steeply, to 27 126 last year. This, almost a halving of demand, is a major benefit for the NHS in Scotland, attributable to a policy developed by the SNP in government, these last 19 years. What other factor may have … Continue reading SNP policy HALVES alcohol-related hospital admission as 93% of abusers treated within three weeks

1 Comment

Three quarters of a million children in poverty, in England or Wales would not be in poverty if they lived under a government following SNP policies like the Child Payment

johnrobertson834

From UK Poverty 2026, published today: Child poverty rates in Scotland (23%) remain much lower than those in England (31%) and Wales (31%), similar to levels in Northern Ireland (24%). This is likely to be due, at least in part, to the Scottish Child Payment (SCP). This highlights the effect benefits can have in reducing poverty. Another driver of lower child poverty rates in Scotland and Northern Ireland are lower housing costs. https://www.jrf.org.uk/uk-poverty-2026-the-essential-guide-to-understanding-poverty-in-the-uk 23% of children in poverty in Scotland is, of course, not good enough and campaigners should keep calling for its eradication but, equally, they should be careful … Continue reading Three quarters of a million children in poverty, in England or Wales would not be in poverty if they lived under a government following SNP policies like the Child Payment

Leave a comment

‘Only seven ‘countries’ meet World Health Organisation air quality standard, research finds’….plus Scotland of course

johnrobertson834

In the Guardian today: Air pollution kills thousands a year in the UK and abroad – why isn’t there a bigger uproar? by Prof Devi Sridhar who though based in Edinburgh makes no mention of Scotland. Why should she: ‘Only seven countries meet WHO air quality standard, research finds’….plus Scotland According to the Guardian in March 2024, Scotland is not a country and by implication falls with the UK into the failed group. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/19/air-pollution-health-report The latest WHO level for the deadly PM2.5 particles is 5 micrograms per cubic metre. Though no Scottish average seems available, you can, I find, go to … Continue reading ‘Only seven ‘countries’ meet World Health Organisation air quality standard, research finds’….plus Scotland of course

6 Comments

Is it insensitive to want a hard border when ‘UK’ loses WHO status as being measles-free after rise in deaths and fall in jab uptake?

johnrobertson834

The above shocking news [Sun] is all over the media but none are telling us this: Only Scotland and Wales meet WHO target for measles protection From Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland Quarter ending 30 September 2025, yesterday: The first dose of Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is offered between 12 and 13 months old and the second dose at 3 years 4 months old. 92.5% of children had the first dose of MMR vaccine by 24 months of age. This rose to 95.9% for children who had reached age 5. Uptake of the second dose of MMR vaccine by 5 years was 90.6%, rising … Continue reading Is it insensitive to want a hard border when ‘UK’ loses WHO status as being measles-free after rise in deaths and fall in jab uptake?

7 Comments

BBC put Labour first this morning to suggest a two-tier NHS in Scotland which this simple map and that only 4% were done privately completely ridicule

johnrobertson834

The above from September 2023, shows private healthcare providers (red) and MPs taking money from them to push their interests (blue £), notably then only one in Scotland – Ian Murray, Edinburgh South (Labour). https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1_vYkm4Yb_3r1SCl76qvgdR6zwqqB4u4&femb=1&ll=54.52217059297223%2C-2.3420011625000114&z=6 BBC Scotland this morning put the third-largest party first, to tell us that Scottish Labour are campaigning on the NHS and accusing the Scottish Government of creating a ‘two-tier’ system. You really want to see a two-tier system, first check out the distribution of private healthcare across the UK and of MPs being paid by them in the above map. Second, while the map shows … Continue reading BBC put Labour first this morning to suggest a two-tier NHS in Scotland which this simple map and that only 4% were done privately completely ridicule

4 Comments

Yet another BBC report on the Stonehaven rail deaths fails to tell you that responsibility does not lie with the Scottish Government but in Westminster

johnrobertson834

BBC Scotland today, has: Stonehaven train derailment inquiry told of ‘lives ripped apart’ – A fatal accident inquiry into a train derailment which killed three men in the north east of Scotland has been told lives were “ripped apart” in the crash. The Aberdeen to Glasgow train came off the rails at Carmont in Aberdeenshire on 12 August 2020 after it hit debris washed from a drain following heavy rain. Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died in the crash. Network Rail was later fined £6.7m in court for a series of failings. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98pl47ylgno There’s … Continue reading Yet another BBC report on the Stonehaven rail deaths fails to tell you that responsibility does not lie with the Scottish Government but in Westminster

6 Comments

The Herald – Untrustworthy for 20 years – the evidence

johnrobertson834

When I saw the above being punted by the Herald, I didn’t know whether to laugh or…………laugh. It’s Trump-like in its mix of self-delusion and deep cynicism. They’ll be giving themselves sound kind of Pulitzer prize, awarded at a ceremony hosted by Anas Sarwar. I’ve long lost track of how untrustworthy they have proved to be these last twenty years of anti-SNP propaganda though, before that, they were long champions of corporate interests against those of their own readers. I searched TuS for every post, these last 11 years, mentioning them and there are far too many to mention here. … Continue reading The Herald – Untrustworthy for 20 years – the evidence

3 Comments

Revealed – SNP only large party NOT taking thousands from lobbying groups in Scotland buying access to power

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland -In this election year in Scotland, the 90% pro-Union media and their sponsors in the opposition parties will do everything they can to undermine the pro-independence parties. Thought vastly outnumbered, we will do our very best to counter their lies and get you, every day, the true stories and the sources of evidence to prove them. Help us if you can at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-get-the-facts-for-you In the Ferret today, desperately trying to include the SNP in the above damning accusation, they manage to find one SNP MP (Richard Thomson) and one SNP MSP (Richard Lyle), two Dicks (?), who … Continue reading Revealed – SNP only large party NOT taking thousands from lobbying groups in Scotland buying access to power