Author: johnrobertson834

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

£80 million in illegal drugs trafficked into Scotland from English cities or grown here by Albanians but ssshhhh!!!! pretend it was us, our daft wee selves

johnrobertson834

Last post of 2025 and it looks a bit of a downer but not if you now decide to double your efforts for a border – Best wishes for the new year everyone! John Professor John Robertson OBA In the Edinburgh Reporter today: Police seized almost £80million worth of drugs across the country in 2025 as officers continue to act to tackle organised crime. The report makes no reference to how these drugs got into Scotland other than to attribute the cannabis share (£`15m) to ‘farms’ in Fife. While the Edinburgh Reporter and presumably Police Scotland do not tell us, … Continue reading £80 million in illegal drugs trafficked into Scotland from English cities or grown here by Albanians but ssshhhh!!!! pretend it was us, our daft wee selves

4 Comments

Did you know that ‘For Women Scotland’ are now far more angry with Sarwar’s boss and with Labour than with the SNP, as we approach Holyrood 2026 election?

johnrobertson834

On 16 April 2025, the Herald was delighted to report: The First Minister is facing increasing pressure from opposition parties and women’s groups to update guidance for public bodies following a landmark ruling on the legal definition of a woman.   The calls come after a long-running legal battle between For Women Scotland (FWS) [above] and the Scottish Government reached its conclusion on Wednesday morning, with the Supreme Court ruling in favour of the women’s group .  https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/25096078.women-scotland-calls-new-guidance-historic-ruling/ Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, who had of course voted with the SNP on the gender recognition act, quickly shifted to welcome the Supreme Court decision as providing clarity, … Continue reading Did you know that ‘For Women Scotland’ are now far more angry with Sarwar’s boss and with Labour than with the SNP, as we approach Holyrood 2026 election?

3 Comments

BBC Scotland conceals disability charity chief’s comment in letter rejecting MBE that ‘Scotland is doing better than UK’ – Here’s why it matters so much -suicide prevention – and why it CAN be afforded

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA The Guardian today has: Campaigner turned down MBE over ‘scapegoating’ of people with disabilities – Exclusive: In letter declining proposed award, Tressa Burke, CEO of Glasgow Disability Alliance, accused government of ‘fuelling hatred’ and While she argues that “Scotland is doing better than the UK for sure”, Burke says her members will be watching carefully for the practical implementation of the Scottish government’s new disability equality plan, as well as what manifesto commitments are made before May’s Holyrood elections. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/30/campaigner-turned-down-mbe-over-scapegoating-of-people-with-disabilities BBC Scotland’s report is careful to avoid her comments on Scotland: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gvdz4y6dgo What did she mean? … Continue reading BBC Scotland conceals disability charity chief’s comment in letter rejecting MBE that ‘Scotland is doing better than UK’ – Here’s why it matters so much -suicide prevention – and why it CAN be afforded

5 Comments

Why have NHS England A&E departments had to deal with 1 million sore throats but there are no comparable reports in Scotland? Scottish GPs have nearly 600 fewer patients to care for

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Breakfast this morning: Accident and emergency departments in England have dealt with more than 4 000 cases of hiccups in the past five years and well over a million sore throats. How do they explain the above and a tenfold increase in folk with minor ailments gong to A&E? They don’t, just leaving viewers with a plea to go elsewhere for treatment and confuse us with an only loosely connected Labour Government announcement that 500 new ambulances will be delivered three months early. Are folk calling for an ambulance with hiccups or a sore throat? … Continue reading Why have NHS England A&E departments had to deal with 1 million sore throats but there are no comparable reports in Scotland? Scottish GPs have nearly 600 fewer patients to care for

1 Comment

Absolutely no frightening surge in ketamine cases in Scotland unless you don’t understand percentages

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA The Guardian today has the above chart and: ‘Absolutely frightening’: surge in ketamine cases hits UK urology wards – Young adults and teenagers prevalent in ‘skyrocketing’ admissions linked to class B drug, say doctors in northern England. 252%? OMG! Lisa Summers will tell you it’s even more frightening in Scotland. In 2007, there was 1 death due to the abuse of ketamine and by 2024, there were 21.1 1 000%! OMG times 10! What is the Scottish Government doing about this? Here comes Jackie Baillie. Wait, on face value, a massive percentage increase but given that … Continue reading Absolutely no frightening surge in ketamine cases in Scotland unless you don’t understand percentages

7 Comments

The Nuclear Regulated Asset Base Levy means Scots will pay ‘nuclear tax’ for nuclear energy consumed in England

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA You’ll have seen headlines like – ‘SNP has slammed Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar for his silence on Westminster’s “nuclear tax”, which could see Scottish households paying out a total of £300 million over the next decade to fund nuclear projects in England.’ Labour MPs and MSPs are already programmed to deny it and to demonise any who suggest it is true. It is true. The UK Government explicitly plans to fund new nuclear power station building, such as Sizewell C in Suffolk, via the RAB levy.1 What is the RAB levy? It’s a UK-wide charge … Continue reading The Nuclear Regulated Asset Base Levy means Scots will pay ‘nuclear tax’ for nuclear energy consumed in England

4 Comments

As UK Labour begin to claim falling knife crime in England & Wales, why their headlines and their figures are less reliable than those in Scotland which are – ‘being on firmer ground in terms of official trustworthiness’

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA In the Mirror today, a deceitful headline suggesting a wider reduction in knife crime when the figures only relate to robberies where a knife was present. While applauding this, I suspect most readers were more interested to hear of a decline in violence where a knife was used. More generally, I’ve been wondering how reliable these new data are. You’ll remember, I hope, how various NHS England waiting time and drug death data have been exposed here. Lazily perhaps, I asked AI. Have a look a this and if you spot any weaknesses/flaws, let me know … Continue reading As UK Labour begin to claim falling knife crime in England & Wales, why their headlines and their figures are less reliable than those in Scotland which are – ‘being on firmer ground in terms of official trustworthiness’

6 Comments

22 years later the Herald has changed its tune on whether firefighters ‘deserve to have their cake and eat it too’ because it’s an SNP cake now

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald, once again yesterday, embracing one of the very same trade unions which their corporate-owners insisted that they regularly demonise and mis-represent in earlier times. Now, of course, those same unions are useful in undermining the SNP in government. In the days before the growth of the SNP and the independence movement, corporate media hacks would have been very quick to inform their readers that fewer firefighters are now needed as fires reduce in number and that taxpayers cannot be expected to pay for them to sit around all day. Here’s the kind of evidence they once … Continue reading 22 years later the Herald has changed its tune on whether firefighters ‘deserve to have their cake and eat it too’ because it’s an SNP cake now