Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Joani Reid MP was lucky not to be caught frolicking with a CalMac captain

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By Liz S Talking of Labour, or rather the now reinstated Labour MP Joani Reid. Well I saw this online via an account called ‘Hands around Scotland’ and I had to laugh: “Joani Reid can think herself lucky it was a Nuclear Submarine Captain she was allegedly frolicking with and not the Captain of a CalMac Ferry. Then it would have been all over the F****** news 24/7“. Indeed it would have been. Though we still await the conclusion of the investigation into her spouse on his alleged spying activities where she stated: “I have never seen anything to make me suspect my husband has broken any law”. Meanwhile … Continue reading Joani Reid MP was lucky not to be caught frolicking with a CalMac captain

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Far less crime, less than half the violence, half the rape and no mass rape grooming gangs but you’d never know

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Imagining Scotland and the UK, above, with the former so violent, the latter needs to borrow one of their crimes? In the Guardian today: Most crime figures have drastically fallen, but people don’t believe it. It’s no wonder when politicians whip up emotions and attempt to bend the law. An astounding change is happening to life in England and Wales that most people don’t know about, and when they are told they don’t believe it. Most crime, including violence, has fallen by a remarkable 90% over the past 30 years. But only 6% of people believe it, while 61% think crime is going up. This … Continue reading Far less crime, less than half the violence, half the rape and no mass rape grooming gangs but you’d never know

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Fires fall dramatically to lowest in 10 years and staffing climbs but the Scotsman….

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Above, the bigger picture for fire services in the UK, but the Scotsman today is platforming a trade union they used to habitually attack before they became useful for the Union: The Scotsman above pushing the ill-informed scare story about fire service cuts in an evidence vaccuum. Badly mixing my metaphors let me shine some light on that vacuum. From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: March 2026, the above and : Number of fires fell 5% in the last year. In 2024-25, there were 22,925 fires in Scotland, down 5% on 2023-24 and the lowest in the last ten years. There … Continue reading Fires fall dramatically to lowest in 10 years and staffing climbs but the Scotsman….

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The latest figures show attempted murders by under 18s have plummeted from 17 to 2 but BBC Scotland today say they’re ‘up’

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Published in December 2025, yet today BBC Scotland claim: and 17-year-olds is up, as is the number of weapons recovered from young people. Above, from BBC Scotland‘s insert in BBC Breakfast today. What is the basis for the above claim? The primary source is Police Scotland’s Quarter 1 Year-to-Date Performance Report (April–June 2025), presented to the SPA Policing Performance Committee around mid-September 2025. Data came from Police Scotland’s internal systems (extracted early July 2025) and is management information, which can be updated as investigations progress. https://www.spa.police.uk/spa-media/2rjhb1bf/item-2-2-ps-q1-ytd-performance-report.pdf The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) paper, external said there were 17 attempted murders involving 20 children in … Continue reading The latest figures show attempted murders by under 18s have plummeted from 17 to 2 but BBC Scotland today say they’re ‘up’

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Far more police officers and probation officers. Far lower crime levels and far less re-offending – that’s where you live, really.

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No images of the traumatised here, just the facts. BBC Scotland today, headlining: A woman who was raped by a stranger has asked politicians to think of victims and abandon plans for the early release of hundreds of criminals. Katie Johnston’s attacker Alasdair McDonald was branded a “faceless, violent and predatory rapist” by the judge who jailed him for 10 years. Under proposals from the Scottish government, long-term prisoners like McDonald would be freed automatically after completing two-thirds of their sentence. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgq5pd3pwdjo As always these last 12 or more years, BBC Scotland reports, gutter-low in informative value, telling viewers little … Continue reading Far more police officers and probation officers. Far lower crime levels and far less re-offending – that’s where you live, really.

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They are certainly better together

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By Liz S I also saw on the BBC website today under their ‘Scottish’ page , the front page headlines of the newspapers where it included: The most certainly not ‘Scottish’ Daily Mail front page: “We really are better together” “Being part of the Union worth record “2.7k to every Scot”. “Known as the Union dividend”. First of all this is not a Union that Scotland is a part of. Second of all , the English gutter press constantly promoting that the UK somehow benefits Scots more than other citizens living elsewhere within the UK, is completely and also conveniently ignoring what Scotland contributes to their UK State . For example the … Continue reading They are certainly better together

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Six existing examples of Chinese investment in the UK to reveal the Ardesier denial in Scotland is deliberate de-industrialisation and economic civil war

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By Liz S So the UK Labour government vetoed the wind turbine factory in the Highlands by the Chinese firm Ming Yang Smart Energy citing “national and cyber security risks”. Yet there is already existing Chinese investment within the UK: Heathrow Airport: The Chinese state-owned sovereign wealth fund, China Investment Corporation (CIC), holds a 10% stake. Utilities: Hong Kong-based tycoon Li Ka-shing’s group owns UK Power Networks and a 75% stake in Northumbrian Water Group. CIC also holds minor stakes in National Grid’s gas distribution and Thames Water. Nuclear Power: China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) has been involved in the Hinkley Point C project and planned … Continue reading Six existing examples of Chinese investment in the UK to reveal the Ardesier denial in Scotland is deliberate de-industrialisation and economic civil war

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97% of Scotland’s aviation fuel demand was met by Grangemouth so closing it was deliberately harmful

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By Capella From Google AI: Before ending crude oil processing in April 2025, the Grangemouth Refinery supplied about 65% of all petrol, diesel, and jet fuel used in Scotland. For aviation fuel specifically, it accounted for up to 97% of Scotland’s supply, fueling major airports like Edinburgh and Glasgow. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Note – the source numbers will cleverly, for TuS, take you right out of here, so maybe click on them after you’ve read the whole thing? Because of the war in the Middle east, in which Westminster participates through Akrotiri in Cyprus (home of bambi bucket bearing Chinooks which we can’t have), the price … Continue reading 97% of Scotland’s aviation fuel demand was met by Grangemouth so closing it was deliberately harmful

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The Hammer Of The Scots – Can Scotland afford to remain part of the Union?

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By Mark E. Saunders of “The Scottish Minuteman” https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197 Every August, a report drops like a hammer — GERS. The Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland report arrives with the same ritual timing, and the same ritual headlines. Scotland, we are told, is broke. Scotland, we are told, is subsidised. Scotland, we are told, cannot stand on its own two metaphorical feet. I must admit, it is an interesting annual event. But I really don’t want to talk about the methodology of GERS, or the fact that 25 of its 26 figures are more guesswork than estimates. Those arguments have been made many times before … Continue reading The Hammer Of The Scots – Can Scotland afford to remain part of the Union?

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Update – After two years UK Labour Government accused of betraying children as attainment gap there widens while narrowing in SNP Scotland

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Update at 16:40pm – Edited in the light of thoughts on the deliberately different targets adopted in Scotland and in rUK.vvv From tes 4 August 2026: The attainment gap between the most and least disadvantaged students – a key measure of success set by the Scottish government – narrowed slightly for each of the three qualifications: from 16.4 percentage points to 15.6 at National 5; from 16.8 percentage points to 15.9 at Higher; and from 13.3 percentage points to 12.1 at Advanced Higher. https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/secondary/qualifications-scotland-exam-results-2026-pass-improve Meanwhile in England, from FE week, avoiding the almost certainly catastrophic ‘class-based’ comparisons carefully, and based on the … Continue reading Update – After two years UK Labour Government accused of betraying children as attainment gap there widens while narrowing in SNP Scotland