Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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‘It’s Scotland’s Energy’: Energy Minister’s Speech completely ignored by most media

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Extract from Speech by Energy Minister Stephen Gethins in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 28 May 2026: Scotland is one of the most energy rich countries in Europe having won the natural lottery twice, once with hydrocarbons and again with abundant renewable resources. People in Scotland face increasing energy bills (with another increase just yesterday) and a cost of living crisis – in a country that produces far more energy than it consumes. Just for context hydrocarbons that have sent £400 billion to the Treasury in London with little in return and no long-term planning – a finite resource with … Continue reading ‘It’s Scotland’s Energy’: Energy Minister’s Speech completely ignored by most media

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How Glasgow’s child haemophiliacs were betrayed by the Scottish Labour Party

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The Scottish Government’s Infected Blood Inquiry Report Oversight and Assurance Group published its minutes today. This reminded me, as it will others, of a tragic story of Glasgow’s child haemophiliacs. According to the Guardian in April 2024, cheap infected blood products based on blood from Arkansas prisoners began to be used across the UK after the Labour Government, in 1976, signed the deal, despite warnings from experts. BBC Scotland pointed out: One area where Scotland differed from the rest of the UK is that the vast majority of infections came from its own blood donations. In the 1970s and 80s, … Continue reading How Glasgow’s child haemophiliacs were betrayed by the Scottish Labour Party

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Sturgeon has repeatedly championed women’s rights and women in both Scotland and the rest of the UK have a lot to thank her for

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By stewartb To the question: ‘Whatever happened to the heroes?‘ I’m strongly inclined to take the Stranglers’ advice when musing about the state of the world and those in leadership positions: ‘No more heroes anymore’! So why write the following? When evidence-free opinions are given in derogatory terms – ‘Wee Nippy’, ‘worst FM’, ‘disgrace to Scotland’ and Prof Robertson singled out as ‘coming across as a dafty’ – on a topic that is (surely) more nuanced, it’s hard not to be motivated to offer some balance, some perspective: seems to me that’s something TuS always strives to do! My humble opinion of … Continue reading Sturgeon has repeatedly championed women’s rights and women in both Scotland and the rest of the UK have a lot to thank her for

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Crime down 26% violent crime down 23% but SNP funds just as many police officers

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From Statistics on policing published yesterday: * New * There were 16,430 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 31 March 2026. This was 196 (+1.2%) more officers compared to the position on 31 March 2007. As staffing levels have been maintained how has the level of crime faced by these officers changed? So overall: Continue reading Crime down 26% violent crime down 23% but SNP funds just as many police officers

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Who will ever tell you this? Murder in Scotland now at the lowest level since 1976 and the lowest in the UK due to targeted interventions by Scottish Government

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From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: May 2026 published yesterday, the above graph and: Number of victims of homicide at the lowest level since 1976. There were 45 homicide victims recorded by the police in Scotland in 2024-25, a 21% decrease from 2023-24 and a 24% decrease from 2015-16. https://www.gov.scot/publications/safer-communities-and-justice-statistics-monthly-data-report-may-2026/pages/statistics-on-crime-in-general/ All things being equal with 11 times population you might expect England and Wales to have had 495 but the equivalent figure was 522, 27 more, 5.4% more. https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=dc22c4cd59914421eb573e9096017b41e7f889377ded8e03d5883c7f9beef0d2JmltdHM9MTc3OTkyNjQwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=040f0c0f-8f6f-69bb-36d4-18948ed46872&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub25zLmdvdi51ay9wZW9wbGVwb3B1bGF0aW9uYW5kY29tbXVuaXR5L2NyaW1lYW5kanVzdGljZS9hcnRpY2xlcy9ob21pY2lkZWluZW5nbGFuZGFuZHdhbGVzL2xhdGVzdA&ntb=1 Scotland’s homicide rate was, as recently as 2023/2025, higher than in England and Wales, but has since been lower … Continue reading Who will ever tell you this? Murder in Scotland now at the lowest level since 1976 and the lowest in the UK due to targeted interventions by Scottish Government

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Crime clear-up rates increase

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From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: May 2026 published yesterday: Increase in crime clear up rate. The clear up rate for all recorded crimes was 56.0% in 2024-25, up from 54.1% in 2023-24. Crimes against society (93.8%), non-sexual crimes of violence (68.4%) and sexual crimes (56.9%) continued to have higher clear up rates in 2024-25 than crimes of dishonesty (35.1%) and damage and reckless behaviour (31.0%). https://www.gov.scot/publications/safer-communities-and-justice-statistics-monthly-data-report-may-2026/pages/statistics-on-crime-in-general/ Scotland publishes an overall “clear up rate” (crimes solved/cleared), while in England & Wales the main official measure is usually the proportion of crimes resulting in a police “charge/summons” or another … Continue reading Crime clear-up rates increase

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Property and violent crime has fallen by 42% since 2008-09

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From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: May 2026 published yesterday: The above graph and: Property and violent crime has fallen by 42% since 2008-09.  Results from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) show that one-in-five (20.8%) adults were estimated to have experienced at least one crime in 2024-25. This included property crime (9.4% of adults), violent crime (2.5%) and for the second time fraud and computer misuse (11.5%). The latest findings show that the overall level of property and violent crime combined and the likelihood of being a victim of these crimes has fallen since 2008/09 but … Continue reading Property and violent crime has fallen by 42% since 2008-09

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Hate Crime – underlying trend is significantly down by 4.5% but hidden by new additional categories

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From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: May 2026 on Statistics on hate crime published yesterday: Small decrease in overall hate crime charges. There was a decrease of 1.2% between 2023-24 and 2024-25, in the total number of charges reported to COPFS containing at least one element of hate crime. The figures for 2024-25 are not directly comparable with earlier years because they include new categories of hate crime and new charges introduced by the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021.  https://www.gov.scot/publications/safer-communities-and-justice-statistics-monthly-data-report-may-2026/pages/statistics-on-hate-crime/ For reasons beyond me, the researchers do not subtract the new offences to reveal what … Continue reading Hate Crime – underlying trend is significantly down by 4.5% but hidden by new additional categories

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Scotland’s Oil and Gas Industry – Same Old Tory Hypocrisy

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By Jim Mennie That the Tories are posing as eternal champions of the oil and gas industry should come as a surprise to voters in Aberdeen South considering their history of husbanding this resource. Most brazenly hypocritical is their promise to abolish the Energy Profits Levy – a tax they introduced in 2022 and which Kemi Badenoch and Andrew Bowie voted for! And then we have this from sitting Tory MSP Alexander Burnett in a March 2017 edition of the P&J’s Energy Voice showing how they put being in government at Westminster before their own constituents: Tory MSP dismisses call … Continue reading Scotland’s Oil and Gas Industry – Same Old Tory Hypocrisy

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Scotland’s pharmacy scheme ‘the model for England’ – to hear about Scotland watch BBC UK

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for England’s Pharmacy First BBC Breakfast this morning telling us the Scottish Government has long put in place a better model for pharmacies, repeatedly covered here but never in the MSM operating in Scotland. What’s it all about? In the Chemist and Druggist of April 10th 2024 Pharmacists in hospital, and in community pharmacies in Scotland, already routinely alter prescriptions for the benefit of patients. https://www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/CD138095/One-slight-alteration-could-avert-a-crisis-as-medicine-shortages-deepen In the same journal in August that year: Scotland’s model for pharmacy offers lessons for England’s future As pharmacies in Scotland receive renewed government backing, Steve Anderson takes a look at the future of English pharmacy … Continue reading Scotland’s pharmacy scheme ‘the model for England’ – to hear about Scotland watch BBC UK