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‘Britain’s most hazardous building’ positioned perfectly to contaminate Scotland and make it the ‘cancer capital of Europe’

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Frances McKie for alerting me to this. From BBC Cumbria, two days ago, the above and: A longstanding leak at “Britain’s most hazardous building” is a nuclear plant’s “single biggest environmental issue”, a select committee has heard. The leak in the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS) – built more than 50 years ago at Sellafield in Cumbria – started in 2019 after first occurring in the 1970s. Labour MP Luke Charters told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday that every three years the silo leaked enough material to fill an “Olympic-sized swimming pool”. A … Continue reading ‘Britain’s most hazardous building’ positioned perfectly to contaminate Scotland and make it the ‘cancer capital of Europe’

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Ripping-off the poor is a Sarwar family tradition in Scotland too

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Sunday National today, the above, and: The German Doner Kebab empire – which has family links to Anas Sarwar – has been advertising jobs at below the minimum wage, the Sunday National can reveal. In April 2024, before the full horror of Labour’s betrayal would be exposed, I wrote: I fear Labour in Scotland are going to campaign as if they’re kind of leftist. The media are going to cover the tracks between them and their London HQ and some voters are going to swallow it. I don’t think I’ve seen words so detached … Continue reading Ripping-off the poor is a Sarwar family tradition in Scotland too

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How badly maintained media reports casually and lazily damage CalMac’s reputation

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Professor John Robertson OBA, Master of Education As of 18:53 today, 22 March 2025, CalMac’s service status is clear above. All sailings, every 30 minutes, are running normally between Largs and Cumbrae. In excess of 20 sailings each way were planned today. Around 12 noon today, the Largs and Millport News had: They have not bothered to update as claimed, based on CalMac’s official information and have left the now inaccurate headline to irresponsibly deter travellers. ‘Briefly?’ From when to when? I guess it’s it not newsworthy. Continue reading How badly maintained media reports casually and lazily damage CalMac’s reputation

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A sustainable pharmacy network that increases patient access to essential NHS care – Now that is a news story that will never be touched

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By Liz S Brexit has had many negative impacts in the UK. Unfortunately the two main UK parties were and still are more focused on trying to out Brexit each other to care about it’s damaging consequences, hence why Reeves, Kendall, Starmer are currently punishing the “many” to protect the “few”. “Scotland’s model for pharmacy offers lessons for England’s future“ Now that is a news story that will never be touched by the BBC Reporting Scotland news team as they are way too consumed in trying to convince us that Scotland should follow England, in everything, especially all of the … Continue reading A sustainable pharmacy network that increases patient access to essential NHS care – Now that is a news story that will never be touched

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A Professor, 11 years after BBC Scotland told Deacon Blue his research was ‘poor quality’, supposed CalMac supporters say his work is ‘not to be taken seriously’ but when challenged cannot offer any evidence

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Professor John Robertson OBA, former teacher, education lecturer, Associate Dean for Quality Assurance and Faculty Research Ethics Chair – why the F would I lie about anything when I don’t need to? First They Ignore You, Then They Laugh at You, Then They Attack You, Then….. In 2014, BBC Scotland accused me of bringing my employer, the University of the West of Scotland, AND the BBC, into disrepute. They copied in my boss, the Principal and vice Chancellor. For two weeks I feared for my job and if I’d worked in an ‘ancient’ university, might well have been reprimanded, even … Continue reading A Professor, 11 years after BBC Scotland told Deacon Blue his research was ‘poor quality’, supposed CalMac supporters say his work is ‘not to be taken seriously’ but when challenged cannot offer any evidence

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A clear causal connection between Liverpool drug gangs, the flood of cheap, more powerful, drugs into Scotland and our still far too high drug deaths. Why are Scotland’s media ignoring that?

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC England yesterday, the above and: Five members of a county lines drug gang known as the Scouse Dave Line have been jailed. A total of seven members of the organised crime group, which peddled crack cocaine and heroin between Liverpool, Gosport and Plymouth, were sentenced during the two-day hearing at Portsmouth Crown Court. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd92w0klwy8o When I saw the word ‘scouse‘, I was reminded of this: My Google Alert on 14 February 2025, offered Operation Apollo continues crackdown on County Lines with over 300 years in jail time secured [by the above members] from Cheshire Constabulary. There’s no mention … Continue reading A clear causal connection between Liverpool drug gangs, the flood of cheap, more powerful, drugs into Scotland and our still far too high drug deaths. Why are Scotland’s media ignoring that?

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Medicine shortages after Brexit – Scotland’s model for pharmacy offers lessons for England’s future

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today, the above and: Drug companies notified the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) about disruptions to supply 1,938 times during last year – the highest number since the 1,967 seen in 2021. Medications to treat epilepsy and cystic fibrosis are among those that pharmacists are finding it hard or impossible to get hold of, creating risks for patients’ health. The figures have emerged in a new report by the Nuffield Trust health thinktank, which obtained them under freedom of information laws from the DHSC, which oversees the availability of drugs UK-wide. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/22/brexit-key-factor-worst-uk-drug-shortages-in-four-years The … Continue reading Medicine shortages after Brexit – Scotland’s model for pharmacy offers lessons for England’s future

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Canada buys two catamaran ferries from Romania which take another two years to make ready then quickly prove unsuitable for the conditions

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Professor John Robertson OBA From CBC Canada today: The Wolfe Islander IV (WI4) was off its regular course when it’s believed to have struck bottom, tearing a roughly 30-centimetre gash in its hull and causing the ferry to take on water, according to documents obtained by CBC. The collision happened just before noon on Dec. 4, when the long-awaited boat had only been carrying passengers for about three months. Now, after limping to dry dock in Hamilton with the help of tugboats, the ferry been out of commission for the same length of time. Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has yet to provide any information about what … Continue reading Canada buys two catamaran ferries from Romania which take another two years to make ready then quickly prove unsuitable for the conditions

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Latest Holyrood poll adjusted to minimise support for pro-independence parties

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Survation data based on 845 Scots, 16+, on 6-13 March 2025, the SNP lead on 34% but this may be a significant underestimate due to the continuing weighting of the sample to fit the 2014 referendum result more than 10 years. The electorate in 2025 compared with that in 2014 has lost around half a million older voters, two thirds of them No supporters and gained roughly the same number of younger voters, two thirds of them Yes supporters. While there will be some erosion of the Yes support as some age and become more … Continue reading Latest Holyrood poll adjusted to minimise support for pro-independence parties

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Many are glad of this:  the Scottish Government ‘directly boosting the incomes of parents claiming means-tested benefits’ and ‘pursuing a different social security agenda’ from Westminster

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By stewartb – a long read As the British Labour Party government in Westminster targets the Department for Work and Pensions for budget cuts, a London-based think-tank with a high media profile has acknowledged the positive impact on levels of child poverty of actions and financial commitments of the Scottish Government, by necessity through use of its devolved powers. The Resolution Foundation describes its mission as ‘improving the living standards of those on low-to-middle incomes.’ It claims to be ‘the leading UK authority on securing widely-shared economic growth.’ Its previous CEO, Torsten Bell  (2015-24) is now the Labour MP for … Continue reading Many are glad of this:  the Scottish Government ‘directly boosting the incomes of parents claiming means-tested benefits’ and ‘pursuing a different social security agenda’ from Westminster