Chief Inspector of Prisons – “Overcrowding places the public at greater risk than emergency release”

By Professor John Robertson An LBC report today either deliberately or stupidly misinterprets the words of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland Wendy Sinclair-Gieben. Their headline – ‘Crisis point’ prison conditions mean inmates released early ‘pose risk’ to public, watchdog warns She says: “Overcrowding is huge and it’s at crisis point. I’m glad we’ve decided on the emergency release but it is a short term fix and we need to do longer. “We need to recognise overcrowding places the public at greater risk than emergency release. It means people are locked in rooms 22, 23 hours a say. … Continue reading Chief Inspector of Prisons – “Overcrowding places the public at greater risk than emergency release”

Even Japan just dumps radioactive waste in the sea as will Starmer’s UK

Labour, contrary to all the evidence, plan new small modular reactors (SMRs), above, across the UK unless Scottish planning authorities stand firm. The new small plants actually generate more waste to be dealt with. Yesterday, we saw in Global Times: Chinese nuclear power industry insiders told the Global Times at an event in Beijing on Wednesday that China offered Japan a technology specifically for tritium wastewater treatment for their crippled Fukushima Daiichi complex, but due to the high costs, Japan eventually chose what was the simplest and cheapest method for them – to discharge it into the sea. At a … Continue reading Even Japan just dumps radioactive waste in the sea as will Starmer’s UK

Factcheck – 60% more Scots children do well at end of Primary School than in England

Image PA By Mr Robertson, P7, Room 14, Bainsford Primary School, Mungalhead Road, Falkirk, 1984 I’ll keep this very simple. Is one in four pupils failing better or worse than four in ten failing? Sad to say, I know adults who’d get a migraine with that but we know don’t we? One in four is 25% failing and four in ten is 40% failing. Easy now isn’t it? Where are 25% failing in basic reading, writing and maths by the age of 11? Scotland In December 2023, BBC Scotland had all the opposition parties confused but angry with the SNP … Continue reading Factcheck – 60% more Scots children do well at end of Primary School than in England

Scots Unison leader betrays her members, who benefit most from the SNP’s progressive policies, for political gain

Christine McAnea, UK Labour Party member and current General Secretary of UNISON, has just written to members to say: A new dawn for public services – Investing in public services is more than just a budgetary choice; it’s a moral duty. High-quality public services are the foundation of a fair and just society. With Labour in charge, we have the chance to build a more equitable and prosperous future for everyone in the UK. McAnea, former Communist Party Member, earns £119,513 with benefits of £12,756, plus pension contributions and employer’s national insurance contributions that are not publicly available. With Labour … Continue reading Scots Unison leader betrays her members, who benefit most from the SNP’s progressive policies, for political gain

New Zealand ferry runs aground after button is ‘inadvertently pressed’ by crew member denying he had left the bridge for coffee

From 1News today: Interislander ferry Aratere ran aground after a button was “inadvertently pressed”, sending the vessel off-course, according to an internal safety bulletin obtained by 1News. According to the bulletin, dated July 5, the bridge crew had switched the Aratere from hand steering to autopilot as it passed Mabel Island when an “execute button was inadvertently pressed” at 9.26pm. This led the vessel to “commence an alteration of course” by around 1 nautical mile earlier than planned. The bridge team attempted to switch back to hand steering mode but was unable to override the autopilot in time. Hewlett denied … Continue reading New Zealand ferry runs aground after button is ‘inadvertently pressed’ by crew member denying he had left the bridge for coffee

Police Chiefs launch three-year plan to disrupt violent English drug gangs operating in England, Scotland & Wales, to a media silence

The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) brings together and is funded by police forces in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as the armed services and some British Overseas Territories. Yesterday, the NPCC announced: The NPCC alongside the NCLCC have today (9 July) launched the Disrupting County Lines Policing Strategy. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) County Lines and Gangs alongside the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) have today (9 July) launched the Disrupting County Lines Policing Strategy 2024 to 2027. The strategy aims to: Prevent people engaging in County Lines, and the associated violence and exploitation. Proactively safeguard children and … Continue reading Police Chiefs launch three-year plan to disrupt violent English drug gangs operating in England, Scotland & Wales, to a media silence

CalMac ferries don’t drift toward rocks, hit harbour wall or run aground – what’s a senior news reporter to do?

By Professor John Robertson, International Ferry Correspondent of the Year In the Herald, above, yesterday. The same story by STV this morning: And the Business Insider had just – Ferry operator extends ‘invaluable’ vessel’s charter for six months How media with an agenda try to create a reality for you to suit their purpose. It’s not really a fiasco is it? Here’s a fiasco: Drifts nearly onto the rocks, hits the harbour wall and now runs aground – New Zealand’s real ferry crisis By our International Ferry Correspondent In January 2023: Stricken Cook Strait ferry the Kaitaki drifted more than a … Continue reading CalMac ferries don’t drift toward rocks, hit harbour wall or run aground – what’s a senior news reporter to do?

As political leaders in Wales and NI join Labour’s Chancellor in condemning 14 years of Tory damage, BBC Scotland reveals Labour’s plan to persuade voters here to blame the Scottish Government instead.

By stewartb It’s been instructive to compare and contrast the reporting of the Labour PM’s initial visits to Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff. Northern Ireland The BBC News website (July 8) on its NI page has this headline: ‘What does the Labour government mean for NI?’ The BBC’s NI economics and business editor provides context: ‘The single most important influence on Stormont’s budget is the spending policy of the Westminster government. Most of what Stormont spends is the ‘block grant’ which comes from Westminster.’ (my emphasis) And adds: ‘For years the Stormont parties have complained about the negative impacts of “Tory … Continue reading As political leaders in Wales and NI join Labour’s Chancellor in condemning 14 years of Tory damage, BBC Scotland reveals Labour’s plan to persuade voters here to blame the Scottish Government instead.

BBC Scotland maintain silence on English drug gangs feeding Scotland’s drug deaths problem

Today, in the Daily Record: A press operator who brought nearly 40 kilos of cannabis to Scotland has been jailed for 18 months. Lukas Losinski was responsible for bringing drugs worth nearly £400,000 north of the border during a series of runs from Blackburn in England. The Dundee Courier covered the story but BBC Scotland, BBC Edinburgh, Fife & East and BBC NE are ignoring it as they have done now for more than three years since their only mention in 2021, of this dark newsworthy tale of English ‘County Lines’ gangs bringing cheap drugs, extreme violence, child abuse and people-trafficking to an estimated … Continue reading BBC Scotland maintain silence on English drug gangs feeding Scotland’s drug deaths problem

The Letby baby deaths and the UK Conservative / Lib Dem Government cuts beginning 5 years earlier to nurse-staffing levels far below those in NHS Scotland

By Professor John Robertson In June 2024, researchers at The Kings Fund revealed the above collapse in funding for the NHS in England, after the last Labour Government in 2009. Above, from the House of Commons Library in March 2024, revealing the 100% plus increase in the waiting lists in the same period of suppressed funding. Above from the Kings Fund in May 2024, evidence of significant increases in some NHS England staffing but, crucially, not in nurses and those who support them – a 25% increase to deal with doubled waiting lists. In the Guardian‘s Lucy Letby: killer or … Continue reading The Letby baby deaths and the UK Conservative / Lib Dem Government cuts beginning 5 years earlier to nurse-staffing levels far below those in NHS Scotland