Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Drug possession offences drop by more than 10 000 cases, 34%

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From Recorded crime in Scotland statistics: FOI release published today: Information requested – An age breakdown for the figures presented within Table A9 of the Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2023-24 Accredited Official Statistics for the years 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24. Specifically, age breakdowns showing how many children of various age groups (under 16 and 16-18) were recorded as having committed EACH of the crimes in the table in EACH of the last four years (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24). Response: Age Group 2020-21 2021-22Under 16 200 90016-18 2,300 2,10019+ 29,400 21,400Total 31,900 24,400 From 31 900 to 21 400 in only … Continue reading Drug possession offences drop by more than 10 000 cases, 34%

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In which Scottish town did Buckinghamshire County Lines drug gang exploit a vulnerable woman – media silence on more than 300 cases

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Only from Yahoo! News today: A 20-year-old man [above] has been jailed for over a year after ferrying class-A drugs between Aylesbury and Scotland and ‘cuckooing’ a vulnerable woman at her home. Tyrees Kuba-Ngoma, of Friarscroft Way in Aylesbury, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin at Aylesbury Crown Court last Tuesday, October 1. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/man-20-jailed-cuckooing-vulnerable-170642139.html Police Scotland estimate more than 300 homes in Scotland have vulnerable adults being cuckooed by English County Lines gangs. BBC Scotland have twice, in 2021 and 2024, referred to this practice but on neither occasion did they indicate the English city from … Continue reading In which Scottish town did Buckinghamshire County Lines drug gang exploit a vulnerable woman – media silence on more than 300 cases

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Korean ferry fiasco as 7 out of 10 are not equipped to respond to electric vehicle fires

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It’s never-ending once you start looking abroad, as a Mull Tory councillor from Buckingham, once suggested we do, for ways to improve CalMac, the as he put it, ‘worst ferry service in the world.’ Turns out he was full of hot air. When you do look, you keep finding the opposite and with every investigation it becomes clear that thanks to 17 years of SNP subsidy, Scotland actually has the best – most frequent, most reliable, cheapest and safest – ferry service in the world. Only yesterday, I could write: You can now add Tasmania to New Zealand, Greece, Isle … Continue reading Korean ferry fiasco as 7 out of 10 are not equipped to respond to electric vehicle fires

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London Deputy Mayor comes up to repeat urban myth of job flight to south as 12 500 flee north to fairer Scotland in just last year

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The Scotsman tells us today: Exclusive: SNP must narrow Scotland-England income tax gap in Budget, says City of London. The City of London Corporation said there were ongoing concerns in the financial sector SNP ministers should act to narrow the income tax gap between Scotland and England when they set out their spending plans later this year, the governing body for London’s financial district has said. Chris Hayward, policy chairman at the City of London Corporation, said there were ongoing concerns within the financial sector over the tax regime. He is due to meet First Minister John Swinney today. RUBBISH … Continue reading London Deputy Mayor comes up to repeat urban myth of job flight to south as 12 500 flee north to fairer Scotland in just last year

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You can now add Tasmania to New Zealand, Greece, Isle of Wight, Washington State, British Columbia, Lake Ontario, Alaska, Channel Islands, Scilly Islands and Malta ferries for less-safe, less-reliable, less-frequent and more costly systems than we enjoy in Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson, International Ferry Correspondent From ABC News Australia, today: Spirit of Tasmania ferry and port saga escalates with claims of safety risks, ‘appalling’ support and strained relationships. The former chair of Spirit of Tasmania operator, TT-Line, has appeared at a parliamentary inquiry and slammed the Tasmanian government for its “appalling” level of support during the bungled rollout of two new vessels. Michael Grainger also described a “challenging” relationship with the state-owned operator of Tasmania’s ports infrastructure over delayed facility upgrades, safety issues with the government’s interim solution, and that he had kept minister Michael Ferguson informed at … Continue reading You can now add Tasmania to New Zealand, Greece, Isle of Wight, Washington State, British Columbia, Lake Ontario, Alaska, Channel Islands, Scilly Islands and Malta ferries for less-safe, less-reliable, less-frequent and more costly systems than we enjoy in Scotland

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Up to 80% of Scotland’s drug deaths were among those who became addicted before the SNP came to power, 93% of nearly 30 000 referrals per year are treated within 3 weeks and more than half within only 1 week!

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From Public Health Scotland’s National drug related death database (Scotland)Analysis of Deaths Registered in 2019 and 2020, published today, it’s clear that Scotland’s drug deaths are to a very large extent a legacy of the Labour and Tory governments that ruled the UK and devolved Scotland for decades before the SNP came into power, with limited powers over drug use, in 2007. Treatment for these users has been, for years, top notch, with above the 90% target seen within three weeks or less: Between 1 April and 30 June 2024, 7,361 referrals to community-based services started treatment. Of these referrals, … Continue reading Up to 80% of Scotland’s drug deaths were among those who became addicted before the SNP came to power, 93% of nearly 30 000 referrals per year are treated within 3 weeks and more than half within only 1 week!

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The first snows of winter only in Scotland – Why Scottish Labour’s shameless sitting on their hands during the Winter Fuel Allowance is such a betrayal

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In the ‘Scottish’ Daily Express, yesterday, a link to the above map and: Snow is forecast to fall over much of Scotland this week as temperatures take a tumble. And much of the country could be covered in a white blanket as polar air sweeps in from the north. Temperatures will take a tumble from Wednesday with weather maps turning an icy blue for 120 hours. The mercury will dip below freezing widely as things take a distinctly wintery turn. Still months away from the real Scottish winter, we see the first signs of how different Scotland is from the southern parts of … Continue reading The first snows of winter only in Scotland – Why Scottish Labour’s shameless sitting on their hands during the Winter Fuel Allowance is such a betrayal

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Not-for-profit water should be better but Welsh Labour mess that up too

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stewartb It’s useful to have comparisons of the performance of key public services in different parts of the Union – and for a number of reasons. I’ve become especially interested in getting much better informed about what can be achieved by electing the British Labour Party to govern with devolved powers. Fortunately, we have Wales with its longstanding British Labour Party government in Cardiff to use as a benchmark. After all, we need to know what we might expect from a British Labour Party government in Edinburgh after 2026! In this context, how with the British Labour Party in power in … Continue reading Not-for-profit water should be better but Welsh Labour mess that up too

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The SNP’s phantom decorators – A new sisterhood in Scotland’s mainstream media revealed – Daily Record/Sunday Mail and Scottish Daily Express!

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By stewartb Once upon a time not so long ago these ‘Scottish’ newspapers – the Daily Record/Sunday Mail and the Scottish Daily Express – would occupy quite different places on the political spectrum on most issues.  That was then and after all, we’ve been told we are in a time of ‘change’!  Of course they would be united for the Union and this is probably the key factor in this tale! On Sunday 6 October, the Sunday Mail on its front page and website had this ‘exclusive’: On the same day, the Scottish Daily Express had this: Note the journalists … Continue reading The SNP’s phantom decorators – A new sisterhood in Scotland’s mainstream media revealed – Daily Record/Sunday Mail and Scottish Daily Express!

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Is it still Ireland 44 Scotland 0? The other ferry fiasco story not being covered

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Thanks to Linda Graham of Broadcasting Scotland (Support them!) for alerting me to the above dramatic image that sums up just how bad it is to stay in the UK. Two years ago, I wrote: Post-Brexit, Ireland has become almost completely free of its former dependency on congested and expensive land routes, through England from Liverpool to the channel ferries at Calais. Thomas Byrne, Ireland’s Minister for European Affairs, told RTÉ News in 2021: “The whole port, the [Nord Pas de Calais] region, the [Dunkirk] chamber of commerce, is behind this, to get even more connections to Ireland. We only had 12 … Continue reading Is it still Ireland 44 Scotland 0? The other ferry fiasco story not being covered