Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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More news they don’t want you to hear – Boosting housing supply to tackle homelessness

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Already building more affordable housing in Scotland to help fight poverty, this new initiative is important. From the Scottish Government yesterday and covered nowhere as far as I can see: Efforts to boost affordable housing supply by acquiring properties to bring into use for affordable housing and help reduce homelessness will be given an £80 million uplift over the next two years. The funding, announced by First Minister Humza Yousaf on a visit to Hillcrest Housing Association’s Derby Street development in Dundee, will increase the Affordable Housing Supply Programme budget to nearly £600 million in 2024-2025. Investment will help reduce … Continue reading More news they don’t want you to hear – Boosting housing supply to tackle homelessness

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Far better staffing ratio means teaching assistants in Scotland not replacing teachers but Herald and Glasgow Times happy to deceive you

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By Professor John Robertson Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: In the Guardian today: Hundreds of thousands of pupils in England and Wales are being educated “on the cheap” by low-paid teaching assistants (TAs) covering lessons for teachers who are off sick or have quit, according to new research. A desperate teacher recruitment crisis, compounded by inadequate funding, means schools across the country are struggling to put a qualified teacher at the front of every class, unions say. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/26/teaching-assistants-deployed-to-routinely-cover-lessons-in-england-and-wales Is this happening in Scotland too? A quick search gets this: Wow! It seems like its a thing here too. Wait, … Continue reading Far better staffing ratio means teaching assistants in Scotland not replacing teachers but Herald and Glasgow Times happy to deceive you

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Bottle recycling – The BBC and Scotland – the news distortion is not even subtle!

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By stewartb The BBC News website this morning (27 April) had the above prominently displayed on its Scotland ‘business’ page – it’s the lead article. Note the reference to ‘devolved administrations’. And especially note the juxtaposition to a reference to a delayed Scottish scheme. If scanning the headlines on the Scotland ‘business’ page this morning, what message does the casual reader get – ‘Oh dear, not that SNP government ….again!’? If one clicks on the headline ‘Cash-for-bottle …’ it takes the reader to another BBC News website article. The screenshot below reveals what one finds: Magically, the headline has changed! … Continue reading Bottle recycling – The BBC and Scotland – the news distortion is not even subtle!

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How the Scottish Labour Lords cannot bear to hear of the SNP government’s actions to reduce child poverty in Scotland

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By stewartb The House of Commons Library and the House of Lords Library amongst other things publish ‘briefings’ in advance of debates. The purpose is to provide MPs and peers respectively – particularly backbench members of both houses – with information and insight on upcoming topics. After all, backbenchers may not have sufficient tacit knowledge on all subjects to make judgements on the content of debates, nor have sufficient research resource to make good their knowledge limitations. The Libraries’ briefings are designed to ensure backbenchers are better informed. The House of Lords Library (HoLL) published this briefing on 23 April … Continue reading How the Scottish Labour Lords cannot bear to hear of the SNP government’s actions to reduce child poverty in Scotland

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Supposedly top policing journal is just a one rich man’s show with a pet editor and FA standards

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How did we get to “know nothing?” Why the search for progressive policing insights must not go down the old postmodern ‘rabbit hole.’ Professor John Robertson I submitted this to Policing Insight: : Global progressive policing last week. It was rejected. I complained. The dark but comic response is after the piece I wrote below: Some weeks ago, I saw in Policing Insight: Global progressive policing, a piece suggesting that the Scottish Government’s new gender recognition reforms posed a serious threat to ‘biological’ women’s safety and would also present a new and significant challenge to policing. The research methodology upon … Continue reading Supposedly top policing journal is just a one rich man’s show with a pet editor and FA standards

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Desperate stalking and shoddy journalism to find the lost self-dentists of Scotland

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Professor John Robertson We’ve seen the above practice before, especially from the well-named Fiona Stalker of Revolting Scotland and Good Mourning Scotland. It’s a desperate ploy. When the statistical facts say things are better than you’d hoped for, creepily beg the street pundits to come forward with their own wee tales to contradict the facts and act as if these snippets were the real thing. Helen McCardle tries to conceal the same dirty tricks as she bottom feeds for stories of folk going to B&Q (bloody and quick?) for tools to extract their own teeth. Have you pulled your own … Continue reading Desperate stalking and shoddy journalism to find the lost self-dentists of Scotland

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Pupils feel far safer in Scottish schools than elsewhere in the UK but our media report England’s worries as ours

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By Professor John Robertson In the Guardian today: Only two in five children in England say they always feel safe at school, according to a government survey, and teachers from across Britain have told the Guardian they have seen pupils’ behaviour deteriorate over the last two years. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/apr/26/two-in-five-pupils-in-england-always-feel-safe-in-school-survey-behaviour So first, see that ‘in England?’ Today, the Herald, the Glasgow Times and even the National completely drop it from their headlines so as to clearly imply Scotland too is part of this crisis. The facts on Scotland below but briefly, near the bottom of the report, the Guardian has: A secondary school teacher … Continue reading Pupils feel far safer in Scottish schools than elsewhere in the UK but our media report England’s worries as ours

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CalMac currently operating at over 99% reliability with most destinations at 100%

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The Times, the Scotsman and many others are going with a ‘summer of chaos‘ narrative for Scotland’s ferries because of delays with two new boats and extended maintenance for the MV Caledonian Isles but surely those are current problems for the ferry service, affecting current performance? By Professor John Robertson, Talking-up Scotland’s International Ferries Correspondent Gee, I wonder how we could find out how reliable CalMac is? I know, unlike any other ferry service in the world, they have to publish daily figures. Let’s have a look. Yesterday – 502 sailings and 99% of them on time The day before? … Continue reading CalMac currently operating at over 99% reliability with most destinations at 100%

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If the Scottish Greens decide to become a Thorn in the SNP’s side then it will not end well for them

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By NMRN End of the SNP agreement with the Scottish Green party…. Cue Mr Harvie & Ms Slater …..when chased down by the media for their reactions. Mr Harvie was asked “whether the Scottish Greens would be as co-operative with the government over things like the budget, he replied: “Do you think the current government will still be in place for the next budget?”…. Ms Slater “described the ending of the Bute House agreement as an “act of political cowardice by the SNP” and accused the party of “selling out future generations”. The media’s reaction….glee.…the SNP voters reaction could be upon hearing both … Continue reading If the Scottish Greens decide to become a Thorn in the SNP’s side then it will not end well for them