Justice secretary able to call for emergency prisoner release as released prisoners are now 27% less likely to re-offend than they were when Labour was in power
By Professor John Robertson, OBA From BBC Scotland today: Around 470 prisoners could be released early from Scottish prisons by the end of the year. Justice secretary Angela Constance has asked parliament to pass emergency legislation that would see short-term prisoners – within 180 days of their release date – to be freed in tranches in November and December. It is the third time early release has been used in this way in Scotland since last summer. Constance said the move was necessary to prevent overcrowding after the prison population “surged” in the last three months. In a statement to MSPs, … Continue reading Justice secretary able to call for emergency prisoner release as released prisoners are now 27% less likely to re-offend than they were when Labour was in power
After 18 years of building 40% more affordable homes than England and 70% more than Wales, SNP maintains level of starts at nearly TWICE that of last Labour government and exceeds 2032 target by a third
By Professor John Robertson, OBA The Herald today above. The facts: For 2025, the SNP Government has funded 5 313 new affordable home starts to a level down from a peak of 11 158 in 2021 but above the level before 2014 and still almost twice that of the last Labour government in Scotland, only 3 100. AND: According to the latest official statistics from the Scottish Government, as reported in the Quarterly Housing Statistics update to June 2025, Scotland has delivered a total of 140,346 affordable homes since 2007. This includes 100,064 homes for social rent, with the rest for … Continue reading After 18 years of building 40% more affordable homes than England and 70% more than Wales, SNP maintains level of starts at nearly TWICE that of last Labour government and exceeds 2032 target by a third
Number on child protection register in Scotland falls by 30% in last eight years to nearly 20% lower per head than in England, as public services are protected from the worst of ConLab austerity by 18 years of SNP government
By Professor John Robertson, OBA From Child protection statistics 2024: local authority benchmarking tool, published today, we can see that there were 5 653 children on the child protection register in Scotland, in 2017 but only 4 069 by 2024, a 28.6% reduction. https://www.gov.scot/publications/child-protection-statistics-2024-localauthority-benchmarking-tool/ All things being equal, you might expect the figure for England to be around 40 000 but was, in 2024 [latest data], 49 800 making the rate in Scotland 19.7% lower per head: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-in-need/2024 This is one of the ‘canary in the coalmine’ statistics for any society, like the abortion or stillbirth rates and shoplifting which, in … Continue reading Number on child protection register in Scotland falls by 30% in last eight years to nearly 20% lower per head than in England, as public services are protected from the worst of ConLab austerity by 18 years of SNP government
Local community activists in a small US state remind us why we must oppose Labour’s nuclear plans for Scotland
By Professor John Robertson, OBA Yesterday, in a report from the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, a grassroots environmentalist group with 7 000 members, in the US state of Iowa alone: Sierra Club Iowa Chapter urges legislators and the public to oppose the restart of the Duane Arnold nuclear plant and to support Iowa’s transition to safe, clean, and renewable energy sources. On September 29, 2025, the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club hosted a press conference to address NextEra Energy’s proposal to restart the Duane Arnold nuclear plant, which has been in decommissioning since 2020. Experts in nuclear energy, public health, … Continue reading Local community activists in a small US state remind us why we must oppose Labour’s nuclear plans for Scotland
‘Scotland has lost no protected natural land in the last 5 years’ as ‘UK’ loses equivalent of 1 680 football pitches
By Professor John Robertson, OBA In an all-too-typical Guardian report today, even four authors are unable to find or mention anything about Scotland, it seems, for their ‘UK’ report. So, I asked Grok AI: In summary, Scotland has lost no designated land area (0 hectares net) in the last 5 years, but ~13% of protected features have declined in condition, affecting the ecological value of up to 700,000 hectares. This underscores the need for intensified restoration to meet 2030 goals. For the latest data, check NatureScot’s 2025 update expected later this year. Did the four authors try that quick starter? Then, … Continue reading ‘Scotland has lost no protected natural land in the last 5 years’ as ‘UK’ loses equivalent of 1 680 football pitches
As Reporting Scotland go looking for a ferry fiasco on Arran, nearly 80% are satisfied, dangerous weather is to blame for 96% of cancellations and the car deck was less than half full, to once again expose the media stories as whopping fibs
By Professor John Robertson, OBA BBC Reporting Scotland tonight claiming the folk of Arran have been without a reliable regular ferry service for the past year when, in reality they only had to travel to Troon instead of Ardrossan. You have to wonder why they report no actual evidence of unhappiness with the service. Perhaps this is why? Regular large-scale surveys of CalMac ferry performance, published but ignored by MSM, as they pursue a different agenda regardless of the facts, are fully transparent. Any journalist can scrutinise these surveys, demand all information, and report on any debates within them. Notably none … Continue reading As Reporting Scotland go looking for a ferry fiasco on Arran, nearly 80% are satisfied, dangerous weather is to blame for 96% of cancellations and the car deck was less than half full, to once again expose the media stories as whopping fibs
Arran ferry’s ‘faults’ started when the contract to build it was awarded by Scottish Conservatives to an inexperienced English yard on its last legs in a Conservative constituency
have been without a reliable regular ferry service for the past year. By Professor John Robertson, OBA As BBC Reporting Scotland celebrate the return of the MV Caledonian Isles to the Arran service, they do not, of course, tell you why it has been a troubled vessel. Readers will already know that the MV Caledonian Isles had been in dock for repairs following botched work by Cammell Laird in Liverpool. Readers will also be aware of the regular and longstanding Scottish media reports describing the vessel as ‘troubled’ and ‘fault prone.’ While such accounts have been often exaggerated and ill-informed, it … Continue reading Arran ferry’s ‘faults’ started when the contract to build it was awarded by Scottish Conservatives to an inexperienced English yard on its last legs in a Conservative constituency
As the authorities approve supposed reduced risk how many childhood cancers were caused by refuelling at this Ayrshire nuclear power station?
As the authorities approve [15 September 2025] the progress in reducing hazard at the Hunterston B nuclear site in North Ayrshire, I’m deeply suspicious and reminded of the harm that was done over 45 years. By Professor John Robertson, OBA Thanks to JB for researching this. Hunterston B Nuclear power station, in North Ayrshire, Scotland, was in operation for nearly 45 years, from February 1976 until November 2021.1 In that time, there will have been around 30 re-fuelling instances2 and up to 300 inspections.3 During these events, there are spikes of radioactive emissions. Researchers in Germany, published this in 2011: According to the International … Continue reading As the authorities approve supposed reduced risk how many childhood cancers were caused by refuelling at this Ayrshire nuclear power station?
Scotland is already energy secure but obviously England is not…. hence why these
By Liz S Ed Milliband decided Zonal pricing was a big ……no go………as apparently it would have benefitted Scotland……..as this would have meant our energy prices in Scotland would have been lower than places in England……. and that, for Labour HQ, was a big no no. (However it was a big fat YES YES to Scotland supplying England with electricity via large sub sea cables…..which was promoted as “”electricity superhighways” to transport renewable energy from Scotland to England, (which was promoted as ) “increasing the UK’s energy security and helping to meet net-zero targets”…..) “UK’s energy security” ?………really ? (Scotland is already energy secure but obviously England is not…. hence why these … Continue reading Scotland is already energy secure but obviously England is not…. hence why these
So, rent controls, second home tax hikes, the child payment, free prescriptions, free tuition…….why would anyone in their right mind ever want a Labour government in Scotland, never mind Reform UK. The SNP, with the support of the Greens, is the only large social democratic party in the UK that cares for the 99%. Get out and vote for it in 2026!
Professor John Robertson OBA The Telegraph last week had: Scotland plots uncapped council tax rises for second home owners – Green Party’s ‘pile on the costs’ proposal will be ‘gold standard’ for tackling homelessness. Councils in Scotland are poised to be granted powers to penalise second home owners with uncapped council tax premiums. Today, the Herald has the above grudging headline and: Rent controls are set to be introduced in Scotland after the Scottish Government’s housing reform legislation passed at Holyrood. MSPs approved an amendment by the Scottish Greens allowing council tax on second and empty homes to be raised by unlimited amounts, potentially to the 300 per cent already … Continue reading So, rent controls, second home tax hikes, the child payment, free prescriptions, free tuition…….why would anyone in their right mind ever want a Labour government in Scotland, never mind Reform UK. The SNP, with the support of the Greens, is the only large social democratic party in the UK that cares for the 99%. Get out and vote for it in 2026!
Talking-up Scotland 