Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to cuckooshoe for alerting me to this: From ITN on 1 May 2025: ITN Productions’ new 1 x 90’ documentary for 5, looks at the rise in murder convictions for 12-17-year-olds in the UK, from those affected by these harrowing crimes and experts offering insight and analysis. Stuart Stephens [pictured], father of Olly Stephens who was killed in 2021 aged 13, shares heart-wrenching memories of his son, whose attack was planned on social media. Stuart subsequently started to campaign for tougher online safety measures. Rohan Shand’s son, Rohan Shand jr who was known as Fred, … Continue reading Important facts for Scotland’s media and opposition leaders – As murder by minors increases four fold in England and Wales but it plummets to a quarter in Scotland after 18 years of SNP administration

I’ve been really please to see the recent upsurge here of extensive and well-written comments under my often quite short posts. There is a danger that these get less attention than they deserve due to the fact that only a few hundred of the thousands following and sharing TuS across X, FB and BlueSky actually come to the full post in the blog. So, I do not hesitate to repost them and have renamed the blog accordingly. However, there’s only me here and for that reason, I see no alternative to a dictatorial form of editing where I just decide … Continue reading The Talking-up Scotland (Collective) – how to cope within it

Professor John Robertson OBA You’ve seen the media reports of Scottish doctors and nurses fleeing Scotland for New Zealand and Australia (both of the above, one from Mull). It’s being going on for a few years now with no significant statistics suggesting an ‘exodus’ but, I’m still wondering now how good are the health services down under? How about A&E? According to The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) in January 2025, 31% are waiting more than 8 hours.1 and only 55% were treated within 4 hours.2 In New Zealand, the use a 6 hour wait as the target and … Continue reading Despite a supposed ‘exodus’ of Scottish doctors to Australia and New Zealand we still have have far better (20%) Emergency departments than them or, of course, England and Wales

Professor John Robertson OBA, Fact-based Ferry Correspondent of the Year The Herald’s Martin Williams today has the latest in his Fiasco Journalism Series: A new “fiasco” caused by a ferry breakdown has sparked a row over the delivery of vital supplies on an island on the eve of its world famous whisky festival. The key ferry for Islay, MV Finlaggan has been sidelined as problems have emerged during routine planned maintenance of main engines during an annual overhaul period. Under a picture of the MV Finlaggan (My daughter bought me a model of it for my shelves!) it’s described as ‘stricken!’ You … Continue reading Stricken!! The Herald and local haulier conspire to hide the deep satisfaction of Islay folk with their ferry service

Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland today with a drug gang killing in Scotland included. It would better read: Despite their ongoing refusal to headline these County Lines gangs, all based in English cities, causing devastation across Scotland and impeding the fall in drug deaths, with new, more powerful, cheaper, drugs backed up by extreme violence, as in this case, this is a breakthrough if you read the full text: A drug dealer and two accomplices who killed a woman and endangered the life of her boyfriend in a car attack in Falkirk have each been jailed for 11 years. … Continue reading A first as BBC Scotland tell us where the drug gangs terrorising Scotland and keeping deaths high come from – not in the headline mind you