Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland reporting om a fatal crash on the A96 yesterday noted that this was the 3rd fatal crash in less than 2 weeks. Tragic, I agree but, dear public service broadcaster taxpayer-funded, what is the trend on this road and across Scotland?. Tabloid media coverage suggests a worsening situation and the above BBC comment seems to reinforce that impression. In the above report, they note: Last year, a 2011 commitment to upgrade 86 miles (138km) of the route by 2030 was abandoned by the Scottish government. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c776xmk47gzo The actual data for the rising death toll is … Continue reading Road deaths – A falling trend and the lowest level in the UK but ‘your’ media won’t tell you that

Professor John Robertson OBA For some reason, the above 2022 survey does not include the recent data from the UK. For Scotland in 2023/2024: The estimated unemployment rate for 16 to 24 year olds was 10.4 per cent in October 2023 to September 2024. This was 0.7 percentage points (pp) higher than a year ago (9.7 per cent) 1 For the UK, in 2023: The unemployment rate for young people was 14.2%, up from 13.8% from the year before.2 These data would put Scotland in the second lowest category (8-12%) with Finland and the Baltic States, while the UK (England) would be … Continue reading UK youth unemployment 40% higher than in Scotland which has one of the lowest rates in Western Europe

From groaver: They want us to be part of “Great England”. It’s a shame that their nurses are planning to strike, their doctors already are and they let in foreign canines without licensing for rescue organizations as we do in Scotland: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpwq40vjw8lo Still, mustn’t grumble. We’ve won the European championship and we’ll let you know about it ad nauseum. In the above BBC England report today, This: Continue reading Never mind lionesses, only Scotland protects kindly dog-adopters from infectious diseases and aggressive behaviour

Professor John Robertson OBA The above map is getting a lot of traffic in social media but critics will pounce on the fact that the UK data is from 2017, 8 years ago. I’ve quickly accessed the 2024/2025 data. In Scotland: Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, recorded crimes of Robbery decreased by 7% from 1,922 to 1,782 crimes.1 That works out at 33 per 100 000, slightly up on 2017. In England & Wales: Police recorded 78,804 robbery offences in year ending (YE) March 2025. 2 That works out at 131 cases per 100 000, essentially the same as in 2017, … Continue reading After ten years, robbery in England & Wales still FOUR times as common than in Scotland

Professor John Robertson OBA The above predictions are apparently based on the latest YouGov poll for Holyrood voting intentions giving this: The predictions are better than I’d expect given the relatively low SNP figure of 32%. Notably the YouGov poll sample is weighted to include 533 who voted No in 2014 and only 423 who voted Yes then, inevitably reducing the SNP figure. The 32% figure contrasts markedly with the figures of 40% and 41% for the SNP in the recent YouGov Westminster polls based on small samples for Scotland but, importantly, not weighted for the 2014 poll. Further casting … Continue reading Is YouGov sampling concealing the prospect of an SNP tidal wave that sweeps Jackie Baillie into the radioactive waters of the Clyde in May 2026?

By stewartb For The Herald and its ilk that supposedly ‘serve’ Scotland, context and perspective MUST be kept from voters at all costs. The future of the Union depends on it! About the private company, Portsmouth Water, one of the smaller regional water supply/service companies in England: CEO’s remuneration: salary (for 2025) = £222,000; total remuneration (for 2025) including pension and bonuses = £754,000. Facts about Portsmouth Water: area supplied = 868 square kilometres; population supplied = 740,000. The ultimate parent company of Portsmouth Water Limited is Ancala Fornia Topco Pte Limited which is Singapore registered and resident in the UK for tax purposes. Source: https://www.portsmouthwater.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/PW_Annual_Reporting_Accounts_2025.pdf … Continue reading What the Herald won’t tell you about the obscene pay of English water bosses