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Arrest and seizures from a joint operation between Merseyside Police’s Project Medusa and Police Scotland into county lines gang operating in Scotland but it’s a secret in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Merseyside Police yesterday: Three people have been arrested today, Tuesday 23 December, following two warrants executed to tackle suspected county lines drug supply operating between Prescot and Peterhead, Scotland. The arrests were made during a joint operation between Merseyside Police’s Project Medusa and Police Scotland, targeting addresses in Prescot and Huyton. Officers seized large quantities of suspected Class A controlled drugs, a significant amount of cash and drugs paraphernalia. Detective Inspector Andrew Machray from Police Scotland said: “Taking drugs off the streets and protecting vulnerable people in our communities who are all too often coerced, … Continue reading Arrest and seizures from a joint operation between Merseyside Police’s Project Medusa and Police Scotland into county lines gang operating in Scotland but it’s a secret in Scotland

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UK Labour’s new ‘loose, spineless’ post-Grenfell laws reject Scotland’s twenty-years-old 100% safety measures and will not prevent towering infernos but only give your gran 15 minutes to get out

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC UK this morning: Government plans to turn post-Grenfell fire safety guidance into law have been strongly criticised by a leading voice in the construction industry. David Jones, president of the Institute of Construction Management, says the guidance for multi-storey residential buildings is “loose”, “spineless” and “open to interpretation”. He argues it permits too many “tolerable” risks – for example, allowing flammable materials in window systems and between floors to remain even if they could let fire spread. “It’s allowing developers to game the system,” the veteran of more than 50 years says, adding that … Continue reading UK Labour’s new ‘loose, spineless’ post-Grenfell laws reject Scotland’s twenty-years-old 100% safety measures and will not prevent towering infernos but only give your gran 15 minutes to get out

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Why is one trans tribunal in Scotland 55 to 4 times more times newsworthy than another in England?

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No images of her here. I’m sure we all know what she looks like. Professor John Robertson OBA This is not about the substance of these trans tribunals at all but about the different level of media coverage of one Scottish case compared with two other cases in England. The above table shows the coverage of three trans tribunals in the UK in the last month. The case in Fife in Scotland was covered 55 times in the sample of 8 MSM outlets compared to only 4 times and twice in the other two cases. This is a shocking contrast … Continue reading Why is one trans tribunal in Scotland 55 to 4 times more times newsworthy than another in England?

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Manchester to Leeds more than TWICE Glasgow to Edinburgh at any time and overall cheapest rail fares in UK but BBC Scotland headline an advertising error

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Professor John Robertson OBA At lease some of the staff at Pacific Quay must be thinking, red-faced, this morning – ‘Is this all we’ve got for the top story?’ ScotRail has been ordered to withdraw claims that it offers the “cheapest tickets” on its website after a watchdog ruled this was misleading. In August, adverts on its journey planner claimed it was “unbeatable on price” and customers should “book direct for the best price”. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint finding that ScotRail had no evidence to back up those claims. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr7lkdzg3gzo Only in the third last paragraph, … Continue reading Manchester to Leeds more than TWICE Glasgow to Edinburgh at any time and overall cheapest rail fares in UK but BBC Scotland headline an advertising error

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As unfairly subsidised Polish yard reaches milestone on 7 ferries GMB should be reminded to stop supporting Labour if they want to keep jobs in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA Today we read: THE project to build seven new loch class ferries for the west of Scotland has reached another construction milestone. The first vessel has had its keel laid, the base upon which all units are assembled, while the steel has been cut for the second vessel. A ceremony to mark both events recently took place at Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. shipyard in Gdansk, Poland, where the boats are being built for Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL). The small vessel replacement programme will deliver seven fully electric ferries in the first phase, providing improved reliability and … Continue reading As unfairly subsidised Polish yard reaches milestone on 7 ferries GMB should be reminded to stop supporting Labour if they want to keep jobs in Scotland

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Isle of Wight Tory MP calls again for ferry pricing regulation introduced by SNP in 2008 to transform Scottish island economies and then be forgotten by the ungrateful among them

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Professor John Robertson OBA Four days ago, Joe Robertson, Tory MP for the Isle of Wight has called again for measures to end the ‘ferry rip-off punishing coastal Britain’ [sic].1 We’ve highlighted these disparities and the generosity of CalMac prices several times but just last month we had: In July 2025, a medium size car with four passengers, Portsmouth to Fishbourne with Wightlink Ferries, would cost you between £210 and £300, depending time of sailing. From Southampton to East Cowes with Red Funnel would be between £200 and £288. It’s a 12 mile, 45 minute journey.2, 3 The Oban to Mull crossing is similar at 15 miles and … Continue reading Isle of Wight Tory MP calls again for ferry pricing regulation introduced by SNP in 2008 to transform Scottish island economies and then be forgotten by the ungrateful among them

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CalMac, youngest ferries, best funding and most staff

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Scotsman today has – CalMac hit by ‘challenging’ year from increased severe weather and ageing fleet. The ‘ageing fleet‘ line is a well-worn suggestion that the SNP in government has not funded enough new ferry-building. It’s rubbish. The best comparisons are with Washington State Ferries and BC Ferries, on the North-West coast of North America. They each serve one big city as does CalMac – Seattle, Vancouver and Glasgow – and a large island archipelago of 30 to 50 destinations with 20 to 40 vessels. CalMac has the biggest fleet and largest set of destinations … Continue reading CalMac, youngest ferries, best funding and most staff

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Cancer waiting times shorten in Scotland and hundreds treated faster than if they lived in England

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland’s Cancer waiting times 1 July to 30 September 2025 published today: 70.7% of patients started treatment within 62 days, compared with 69.9% in the previous quarter. 95.1% of patients started treatment within 31 days, compared with 95.3% in the previous quarter.1 The comparable figures for NHS England were 68.8% and 91.4%. Remember these figures related to around ten thousand patients in Scotland and hundreds of thousands in England so a difference of say 4% means hundreds treated on time in Scotland and thousands not treated on time in England. Sources: Continue reading Cancer waiting times shorten in Scotland and hundreds treated faster than if they lived in England

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With 50% more registered nurses, no Scottish health board has scarily high mortality rates due to use of unqualified staff increasingly common in NHS England

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Times, three days ago, the above graph reveals that those health trusts in England which are increasingly using less qualified staff rather than fully registered nurses to care for patients, have been responsible for higher death rates than they should have, in clear contrast to those trusts which have not done so. Hospitals which have cut registered nurses or replaced them with lower-paid staff have seen a surge in death rates, a major study has revealed. The research, which analysed staffing at 122 NHS trusts over four years, revealed dangerous variations. Nicola Ranger, chief … Continue reading With 50% more registered nurses, no Scottish health board has scarily high mortality rates due to use of unqualified staff increasingly common in NHS England