Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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BBC Scotland plugging Labour’s empty dreams for GB Energy and a Green Grangemouth, but they’re not reporting the SNP Government’s £100 BILLION plans for offshore wind

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Reporting Scotland this morning have been plugging Labour’s empty plans for GB Energy and, on their website, headlining a ‘green energy hub‘ idea for Grangemouth as a sop for the loss of Scotland’s only oil refinery. Not being reported, this from yesterday: The expansion of offshore wind energy in Scotland creates substantial opportunities for investors. Scottish Government analysis has estimated that the potential total global capital expenditure value of ScotWind, INTOG, port and supply chain projects, assuming the full deployment of the potential pipeline and development of the relevant projects, could be around £100 billion. … Continue reading BBC Scotland plugging Labour’s empty dreams for GB Energy and a Green Grangemouth, but they’re not reporting the SNP Government’s £100 BILLION plans for offshore wind

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Before Sellafield and before the nuclear submarines on the Clyde, how the Union gave Scotland the benefit of the Anthrax and the Black Death tests in our ‘less populated’ parts

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by the Government in 1952. It was stored offshore on a ship that had been converted into a laboratory. It’s purpose? The top-secret development of biological weapons. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001gn60/plaigh-air-bord Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. BBC Alba this morning, re-broadcasting their 2023 documentary Plaigh air Bord (Plagues on Board), shocked Dottie and me. We all know about these less discussed benefits of the Union, such as Scotland’s highest cancer rates in the UK and in Europe, upwind and upstream of the Sellafield nuclear processing plant, the ‘most toxic site in Europe‘, carefully positioned as far … Continue reading Before Sellafield and before the nuclear submarines on the Clyde, how the Union gave Scotland the benefit of the Anthrax and the Black Death tests in our ‘less populated’ parts

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‘More misery for car ferry customers as cancellations continue’ in English ‘scandal’ ferry system

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Isle of Wight County Press today: Isle of Wight ferry firm Red Funnel has announced another raft of cancellations on its car ferry service. A dozen more sailings are off tomorrow (Monday) — six from East Cowes and six from Southampton. It follows an influx of cancellations over the last week, including today (Sunday), following technical problems with vessel Red Falcon. The ship remains out of action due to an “unexpected fault” with the propulsion system, meaning the route is currently operating with just one boat. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/more-misery-car-ferry-customers-120630177.html Yes, but are they reasonably priced compared to, say, CalMac? … Continue reading ‘More misery for car ferry customers as cancellations continue’ in English ‘scandal’ ferry system

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MV Glen Sannox – ‘Minor weld seam defects can occasionally appear… and are typically straightforward to address’

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stewartb Another viewpoint on the Glen Sannox ‘incident’: UK Defence Journal (March 15, 2025) ‘New Scottish ferry to resume service after minor repair’. (https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/new-scottish-ferry-to-resume-service-after-minor-repair/) ‘In Perspective: As we noted earlier, structural issues like this are not uncommon for newly commissioned vessels and are often identified during early inspections as ships settle into service. ‘Minor weld seam defects can occasionally appear, particularly in areas of high stress or flex, and are typically straightforward to address. ‘A marine engineer we spoke to reinforced this point, saying, “From the available information, this appears to be a minor weld defect rather than a serious structural failure. … Continue reading MV Glen Sannox – ‘Minor weld seam defects can occasionally appear… and are typically straightforward to address’

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How ferries under Labour from 1997 to 2007 were never bad news and never politicised

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Professor John Robertson OBA Today, try searching for Scotland and ferries and you’ll be flooded, unlike the MV Glen Sannox‘s slightly damp steering gear, with a surge of reports, several directly ‘accusing’ or ‘shaming’, the SNP for the kind of minor repair that is often required in the teething stages of new ship. Try narrowing your search to the period from 1 January 1997 to 1 January 2007, Labour and the Lib Dem’s time in power and you’ll find very little indeed. You will find one (only) story of delays, due to repairs lasting 6 months, on 22 April 2003, … Continue reading How ferries under Labour from 1997 to 2007 were never bad news and never politicised

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So, in other parts of the developed world, a ferry passenger pushed to his death by the crew, fishermen killed by crew who don’t speak English, car decks flooded, one ferry runs aground because the only man on the bridge pressed the button wrongly, really old ferries, high prices, endless cancellations but in Scotland a one-day delay to fix a wee weld crack is an ‘SNP ferry fiasco?’

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Professor John Robertson OBA The discovery of a small crack in the hull of the MV Glen Sannox, a common event in new ships, and the 24 hour period out of service, has triggered an unholy, slavering media feeding frenzy, wholly out of proportion to the event. These objectively far more serious incidents in other parts of the developed world, have attracted far less attention and virtually no blaming of political parties or governments. On March 9th 2025, Red Funnel [should be Red Face] ferries on the Isle of Wight cancel sailings and disrupt travel because they spend too much on shareholder dividends … Continue reading So, in other parts of the developed world, a ferry passenger pushed to his death by the crew, fishermen killed by crew who don’t speak English, car decks flooded, one ferry runs aground because the only man on the bridge pressed the button wrongly, really old ferries, high prices, endless cancellations but in Scotland a one-day delay to fix a wee weld crack is an ‘SNP ferry fiasco?’

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Former New Labour minister tries to hide the abolishing of the whole NHS England system, not just the ‘quango’ and the deaths that will follow

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to AR for alerting me to this. The word ‘Perspective’ there, is doing heavy lifting as former Blair Minister, Brian ‘Bad Vibrations’ Wilson, tries to tell us that Starmer is only getting rid of the NHS England top layer and freeing the trusts up, to get imaginative [spend the money in the private sector] and, of course leave NHS Scotland behind. It’s by no means just a perspective, a point of view, It’s a whopping lie. Here’s another ‘perspective‘ but a far more honest and clear-sighted one: The Starmer government’s announcement that it is abolishing … Continue reading Former New Labour minister tries to hide the abolishing of the whole NHS England system, not just the ‘quango’ and the deaths that will follow

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Dunoon to suffer 10% reduction in a subsidised ferry service of such generosity you’ll find it nowhere else on the plant other than maybe, in oil rich Norway

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In the CalMac Summer 2025 timetable there are 30 ferry sailings from Gourock to Dunoon [pop 7 600] and 28 coming the other way: https://www.calmac.co.uk/en-gb/route-information/gourock-dunoon/#/ The Herald claims Scottish Government to cut Gourock to Dunoon Ferry services. This will be like the time ‘the Scottish Government‘ cancelled my bus into Ayr town centre. In the Helensburgh Advertiser: Mr Fairlie [the Minister] said: “I have now approved a recommendation from Transport Scotland to remove three return sailings a day, of the 30 currently scheduled. This is necessary to address identified over-provision and ensure that the service complies with subsidy control requirements. … Continue reading Dunoon to suffer 10% reduction in a subsidised ferry service of such generosity you’ll find it nowhere else on the plant other than maybe, in oil rich Norway

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Research – The very small Glen Sannox welding crack, like the numerous new aircraft carrier flaws, is just normal teething troubles

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Professor John Robertson OBA Today’s news that the new MV Glen Sannox CalMac ferry has been taken out of service due to a small welding crack near the steering gear letting ‘a very small amount of water‘ in, has had many of out media hacks generating much larger amounts of fluid, in their pants. When I heard the news, I immediately thought ‘settling in cracks‘ like the ones you get in new houses. Clearly it’s a bit different in a ship but is it unusual and don’t you just fix it? From Crack assessment criteria for ship hull structure based … Continue reading Research – The very small Glen Sannox welding crack, like the numerous new aircraft carrier flaws, is just normal teething troubles

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“I Wish I Didn’t Know That” – A fun trivia game to keep Anas and Jackie amused when they are hiding from THEIR media

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FUN FUN FUN A fun trivia game to keep Anas and Jackie amused when they are hiding from THEIR media. Not just a HIT in The British Labour Party offices in Scotland but it is fantastic at keeping the kids quite in the back of the car while waiting for those ferries that always seem to turn up on time. You can also be the LIFE of the party when you invite friends around….you’re party will go off with a BANG!!! From Union of Concerned Scientists a spin the wheel game called “I Wish I Didn’t Know That”……. https://www.ucs.org/resources/i-wish-i-didnt-know Spinning “The … Continue reading “I Wish I Didn’t Know That” – A fun trivia game to keep Anas and Jackie amused when they are hiding from THEIR media