Author: johnrobertson834

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

US citizens living near nuclear waste dump, 100 times smaller and less hazardous than Sellafield, to get clear-up

johnrobertson834

From CBS News, yesterday: After decades of cancer cases and public outcry, the federal government this week will begin the long-awaited cleanup of a nuclear waste dump in Armstrong County.  The site in Apollo was a dumping ground for hundreds of 55-gallon drums containing radioactive nuclear waste. But come this week, a half-billion-dollar project to safely remove it will finally begin.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave KDKA an exclusive look at the painstaking, intensive and expensive process to rid the site of radioactive waste in Armstrong County.    https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/nuclear-waste-dump-apollo-armstrong-county-cleanup/ The Apollo plant is in Apollo Borough in the South West of … Continue reading US citizens living near nuclear waste dump, 100 times smaller and less hazardous than Sellafield, to get clear-up

Leave a comment

East Tennessee cancer victims living ‘in the shadow’ of nuclear sites to be compensated despite having far lower rates and deaths than Scots living ‘in the shadow’ of Sellafield only 43 miles away, upwind and upstream, across the border with England

johnrobertson834

From 6 News in Tennessee, USA, yesterday: For decades, communities in Anderson, Morgan, and Roane counties have lived in the shadow of nuclear sites, now, help is finally here for those impacted. A federal program has come to East Tennessee, offering compensation to people diagnosed with cancer linked to radiation exposure. Watch the video in full at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euLZm6uyPsQ Why this area? From the Tennessee Environmental Council: Most Tennesseans think of Oak Ridge when radioactive issues are mentioned, but Tennessee is actually a major player when it comes to disposing of radioactive waste, with processors across the state: Up to 75% … Continue reading East Tennessee cancer victims living ‘in the shadow’ of nuclear sites to be compensated despite having far lower rates and deaths than Scots living ‘in the shadow’ of Sellafield only 43 miles away, upwind and upstream, across the border with England

Leave a comment

How I predicted Scottish Labour’s willingness to work with anyone to remove the SNP, 8 years ago

johnrobertson834

You can just see that can’t you? Anas Sarwar ‘bouncing’ up to Lord Offal with a plan to get the SNP between them. Who thought Sarwar ever had a principle beyond ‘me first?’ Anyhow, in October 2018, I sensed the fit between the right-trending Labour Party then and that other extreme-right party, the DUP, and wrote: As the Scottish Labour Party in Scotland loses support to the Scottish Tories and to the SNP, attracted by unionist loyalty on the one wing and ‘The Real McKay’ progressive taxation on the other, its leader plans to abandon progressive politics to the SNP … Continue reading How I predicted Scottish Labour’s willingness to work with anyone to remove the SNP, 8 years ago

5 Comments

Anas Sarwar’s manifesto will lift NO kids out of poverty – short video

johnrobertson834

Full facts here at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/04/14/institute-for-fiscal-studies-shocking-revelation-scottish-labour-does-not-have-a-plan-to-reduce-child-poverty/ https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2025/11/17/child-poverty-in-labour-wales-predicted-to-be-nearly-60-higher-than-in-scotland-by-2029-placing-more-than-100-000-in-poverty-who-would-not-have-been-with-snp-policies/ Continue reading Anas Sarwar’s manifesto will lift NO kids out of poverty – short video

3 Comments

Herald champions interests of buy-to-rent industry accused of only increasing supply for high income renters and of abusing others

johnrobertson834

The Herald today platforms the buy-to-rent industry and blames the SNP Government for somehow not enabling it to thrive, with even greater exemptions from law designed to protect renters. BTR is not the same as traditional private renting. It is professionally managed, purpose-built stock funded by large institutions with expectations of high profit margins. Needless to say, the Herald report is not balanced and again in the interests of the industry rather than renters, gives little attention to The Private Housing Rent Control (Exempt Property) (Scotland) Regulations 2026 – business and regulatory impact assessment, evaluation published only 5 days ago. … Continue reading Herald champions interests of buy-to-rent industry accused of only increasing supply for high income renters and of abusing others

Leave a comment

A Labour Government agrees to compensate those infected by blood products from US prisons approved by another Labour Government in 1976, and despite warnings from their own Health Secretary. The Labour Scottish Secretary was there failing to protect us

johnrobertson834

Today, the Guardian has: Compensation payments will rise for people affected by the infected blood scandal, including an extra £35,000 each for former pupils who were experimented on at school without their knowledge, the paymaster general has announced. The government has allocated £1bn for the payments. The final report of the inquiry into what has been described as the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history was published in May 2024. The compensation scheme that followed has also been blighted by controversy. People who were infected, and their relatives, had complained about delays, qualifying criteria, the size of payments and the complex application process. Among … Continue reading A Labour Government agrees to compensate those infected by blood products from US prisons approved by another Labour Government in 1976, and despite warnings from their own Health Secretary. The Labour Scottish Secretary was there failing to protect us

Leave a comment

Water company customers in England to pay another £40m on top of already the highest prices and the worst quality in the UK but in Scotland…..?

johnrobertson834

Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: From the Financial Times today: Five of Britain’s water companies spent £32.4mn on an appeal to the competition regulator that resulted in the utilities being able to raise customer bills even higher. Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South East Water, Southern Water and Wessex Water argued that regulator Ofwat’s decision to allow them to increase consumer bills by an average of 24 per cent before inflation by 2030 was insufficient to cover their costs and attract investors to the industry. The appeal to the Competition and Markets Authority cost Anglian Water £9mn; South East Water £9mn; … Continue reading Water company customers in England to pay another £40m on top of already the highest prices and the worst quality in the UK but in Scotland…..?

3 Comments

Why is Crisis Scotland being so fulsome in its praise for a 2040 Scottish Labour aspiration 14 years after this election?

johnrobertson834

By stewartb Governing with devolved powers, how might Crisis Scotland and others judge the credentials of the British Labour Party in Scotland when (supposedly) setting ‘a new standard of aspiration’ and a pledge ‘to end homelessness by 2040′? What about the Party’s actual delivery in government rather than its aspiration for 14 years’ hence? From Crisis (10 April,, 2025): The Homelessness Monitor: Wales 2025. ‘This fifth Wales-focused Monitor report takes a look at where homelessness stands in Wales, focusing particularly on the implementation of the Ending Homelessness in Wales High Level Action Plan, including planned extensive legal reforms, as well as the ongoing impacts … Continue reading Why is Crisis Scotland being so fulsome in its praise for a 2040 Scottish Labour aspiration 14 years after this election?

3 Comments

Institute for Fiscal Studies’ shocking revelation – Scottish Labour does not have a plan to reduce child poverty

johnrobertson834

In the Daily Record, three days ago, the above claim but it’s all talk as the IFS has exposed. From Initial response to the Scottish Labour manifesto, published yesterday: Despite signalling that Scottish Labour wants to see falls in child poverty, the manifesto proposes little new cash support for families with children beyond additional support for childcare. The policy to increase the Scottish child payment to £40 a week for children under one is already planned by the outgoing government for 2027–28, as is the plan for breakfast clubs in primary schools. Whilst there is a plan to ‘review’ the … Continue reading Institute for Fiscal Studies’ shocking revelation – Scottish Labour does not have a plan to reduce child poverty