Author: johnrobertson834

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

From the World’s End Murders to Scotland today

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS  As I watched the above, excellent but deeply disturbing BBC documentary series (two parts), I was cast back 55 years to a night in September 1969. I was to attend Glasgow School of art, the next morning and I could not sleep for anxiety about the next day. I wasn’t worried about the course, I was worried about Glasgow. I’d never been and my head was full of images of knife and meat cleaver attacks, from TV news reports and my dad’s Daily Record. It was newspaper then. In the end, I … Continue reading From the World’s End Murders to Scotland today

1 Comment

Crimes of anti-social behaviour plummet by nearly 60% in Scotland as they surge elsewhere in UK

johnrobertson834

which has increased over the last ten years, while neighbourhood policing was heavily cut. The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser closing on Friday, primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS  The Home Secretary yesterday announcing new laws to curb anti-social crime in England & Wales. … Continue reading Crimes of anti-social behaviour plummet by nearly 60% in Scotland as they surge elsewhere in UK

8 Comments

As energy prices set to rise, the tragic irony of Scotland – 8% of the population but 48% of the UK’s wind energy and a massive transfer of 6.1 TWh electricity to the rest of the UK

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS  From the Guardian on January 3rd 2025: UK electricity cleanest ever in 2024, with record 58% from low-carbon sources – UK has more than halved amount of electricity generated from fossil fuels but gas still had largest share at 28% https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/02/uk-electricity-cleanest-ever-in-2024-with-record-58-from-low-carbon-sources There’s no mention of Scotland’s contribution to this: Scotland powers nearly half of UK’s wind energy milestone. Scotland’s wind farms are generating 48% of the UK’s 30GW wind power capacity, with new projects pushing this total higher. https://www.energylivenews.com/2024/08/30/scotland-powers-nearly-half-of-uks-wind-energy-milestone/ Net electricity transfers from Scotland to England [in 2023] increased 15 per cent to 6.0 TWh year-on-year, … Continue reading As energy prices set to rise, the tragic irony of Scotland – 8% of the population but 48% of the UK’s wind energy and a massive transfer of 6.1 TWh electricity to the rest of the UK

1 Comment

As energy prices loom thanks to Labour’s failure, how a Scottish Government call for closer energy links with Europe to cut bills was ignored by ‘Scottish’ media

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser closing on Friday, primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS  Posted just after midnight, on January 29th 2025, and so in plenty of time for consideration and publication, but there was none, the Scottish Government has called for closer … Continue reading As energy prices loom thanks to Labour’s failure, how a Scottish Government call for closer energy links with Europe to cut bills was ignored by ‘Scottish’ media

2 Comments

As energy bills are set to rise again English financiers says ‘Scotland ‘subsidises’ London energy bills’ and it’s ‘better for Scots to pay over the odds than those living in the English capital’

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser closing on Friday, primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS  From inkl in October 2024: Households in Scotland are paying higher energy bills than they ought to keep prices down south of the Border, according to experts at the … Continue reading As energy bills are set to rise again English financiers says ‘Scotland ‘subsidises’ London energy bills’ and it’s ‘better for Scots to pay over the odds than those living in the English capital’

5 Comments

No catamarans for Calmac – They create dangerous waves, additional pollution and would not cope in Western Isles storms

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS and Top Global Ferry Correspondent of the Year. In the Herald’s Letters today, from Peter Wright of West Kilbride: End this shambles: Get CMAL to order catamarans now We’ve been here before, … Continue reading No catamarans for Calmac – They create dangerous waves, additional pollution and would not cope in Western Isles storms

2 Comments

UK Labour government to cut funds for safety at Sellafield – the “bottomless pit of hell, money and despair” just upwind and upstream of millions of Scots

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS, former power station and dyeworks worker In the Guardian today, the above and this: Sellafield has said nearly £3bn in new funding is “not enough” and bosses are now examining swingeing cuts, prompting fears over jobs and safety at the vast nuclear waste dump. Sellafield’s chief executive, Euan Hutton, has told staff that the funding was “not enough” to carry out planned works, leaving bosses to make “difficult decisions” over spending, sources told the Guardian. The public spending watchdog has said the ultimate cost of cleaning up Sellafield is expected to rise … Continue reading UK Labour government to cut funds for safety at Sellafield – the “bottomless pit of hell, money and despair” just upwind and upstream of millions of Scots

6 Comments

Labour will trail even further if Sarwar keeps giving bad interviews with the media

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser, finishing in 5 days, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Liz S Labour will trail even further if Sarwar keeps giving bad interviews with the media. BBC The Sunday Show, saw a clip online from this programme. Martin Geissler interviewing Anas Sarwar this morning. MG: “Here’s … Continue reading Labour will trail even further if Sarwar keeps giving bad interviews with the media

4 Comments

Why is ‘English drug dealer’ paying off ‘drug debt from England’ in Fraserburgh not connected to wider plague?

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser, finishing in 4 days, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson Thanks to reader Anonymous and Liz S (same?) for the above link and this today, not being covered by BBC North East nor by STV North East: More English drug dealers pitching up in the North East: … Continue reading Why is ‘English drug dealer’ paying off ‘drug debt from England’ in Fraserburgh not connected to wider plague?

4 Comments

Someone is disappointed as another £328 tax-payer cost FoI request reveals anti-social behaviour in decline in Elgin

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser, finishing in 4 days, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS From a Freedom of Information request to Police Scotland, published today, we see: A total of 1639 incidents of anti-social behaviour in Elgin in 2024, down from 1828 the … Continue reading Someone is disappointed as another £328 tax-payer cost FoI request reveals anti-social behaviour in decline in Elgin