BBC Reporting Scotland celebrate their construction of reality actually overcoming the evidence and reducing trust in devolved government
Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland broadcasts this morning, but not their website, are celebrating their achievement in pushing down trust in the Scottish Government [only 47%] by years of lying about it. When I first taught about media effects, 30 years ago, there were few good examples that media could actually cause significant effects in people’s behaviour. The popular idea then that young people watching violent TV would then behave more violently had been blown out of the water by research studies showing that violent offenders watched little or no violent films/TV and far less than those whom did not offend! … Continue reading BBC Reporting Scotland celebrate their construction of reality actually overcoming the evidence and reducing trust in devolved government
Very little evidence of young children taking knives into schools in Scotland
Professor John Robertson OBA There’s not one reference to Scotland in this 1 500 word report yet the broadcast on BBC Breakfast this morning explicitly includes it in the problem and the call for ‘knife arches’ to be installed in every school: Incidents of very young children taking knives into primary schools have been revealed by a BBC investigation. Police in Kent recorded an assault involving a four-year-old pupil, while officers in the West Midlands reported that a six-year-old had taken a flick knife into class. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c77d06vde4po I am not aware of directly comparable figures for Scotland and neither are BBC UK‘s … Continue reading Very little evidence of young children taking knives into schools in Scotland
‘Teachers to vote on strike action over workload’ despite Scotland maintaining the lowest PTRs overall, reflecting higher per-pupil spending and policy priorities on smaller classes
Professor John Robertson OBA It’s impossible to escape the conclusion that if teacher workload is the issue in Scottish schools then there is a failure here of management in schools to apply the clearly superior funding made available by the Scottish Government and maintained over decades now. The facts from Grok AI with sources below are above and: Sources: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-and-training-statistics-for-the-uk/2024 https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-and-training-statistics-for-the-uk/2023 There’s more: By JB The headline above is from Teachers Education Supplement magazine 2019 in an article about a teacher from England who came to work in Scotland. “Teachers have a far better time of it north of the border, says … Continue reading ‘Teachers to vote on strike action over workload’ despite Scotland maintaining the lowest PTRs overall, reflecting higher per-pupil spending and policy priorities on smaller classes
SNP bill passed to help prevent domestic homicides and suicides
Professor John Robertson OBA Legislation to help reduce the number of domestic abuse-related homicides and suicides in Scotland has been passed unanimously by Parliament. The Criminal Justice Modernisation and Abusive Domestic Behaviour Reviews (Scotland) Bill will legally require a new robust review process following the death of a partner, ex-partner, or child where abuse is known or suspected. The reviews, which are expected to start next spring, will mean that where there has been a death of this nature, justice, health, social care, local government and third sector agencies must work together to identify and agree any areas for change and improvement … Continue reading SNP bill passed to help prevent domestic homicides and suicides
News you won’t hear – Support for struggling households from SNP Government
Professor John Robertson OBA From Scottish Government News today with only the Daily Record covering it: A record £99 million will be invested in Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) this financial year to help thousands of households struggling to afford housing costs in Scotland. During Challenge Poverty Week, Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan highlighted the payments as a ‘lifeline’ for thousands of families and individuals. Funded by the Scottish Government and paid out by local authorities, the DHP scheme is designed to provide financial support to low-income households, delivering vital action to reduce poverty, safeguard tenancies and prevent homelessness. The Scottish Government has budgeted … Continue reading News you won’t hear – Support for struggling households from SNP Government
63 years of regular and repeated nuclear incidents at Dounreay safely 509 miles downwind of London
By stewartb The public record of incidents at Dounreay from CHATGPT: ‘Here is a chronological timeline of known official / media‑reported pollution, health & safety, and regulatory incidents or concerns at the Dounreay nuclear site, from commissioning to the present, based on the sources I located. Some entries are major events; others are smaller leaks or findings. This is not guaranteed exhaustive, but covers all incidents I could verify. I include dates, description, and sources.’ (Sources have been omitted here for brevity. They could be found readily by asking CHATGPT again – for free. Otherwise what follows is as provided by CHATGPT.) 1963‑1975: … Continue reading 63 years of regular and repeated nuclear incidents at Dounreay safely 509 miles downwind of London
The one-way flow of drugs and XL Bully dogs from England into Scotland
Professor John Robertson OBA It’s probably best to check my facts first so, with Grok AI: Are there any media reports in 2025 of cocaine being smuggled from Scotland into England? Based on a review of news sources from 2025, there are no media reports of cocaine being smuggled from Scotland into England. Most cocaine smuggling incidents reported involve drugs entering the UK from abroad (e.g., South America or Europe) via ports, sea drops, or airports, often landing in England first before potential distribution northward. The other way? Yes, there are media reports from 2025 detailing incidents of cocaine smuggling … Continue reading The one-way flow of drugs and XL Bully dogs from England into Scotland
Inspectors raise Scottish nuclear plant with excess child leukaemia risk to an ‘enhanced level of regulatory attention for safety because of unsatisfactory site performance across numerous areas’ with 300 years to go until it’s ‘safe’
Professor John Robertson OBA From the Chief Nuclear Inspector’s annual report on Great Britain’s nuclear industry October 2025, page 28: In July 2024, we increased NRS Dounreay to an enhanced level of regulatory attention for safety because of unsatisfactory site performance across numerous areas: the current condition of a number of site assets (such as buildings, electrical systems, steam systems); management and compliance with various aspects of conventional health & safety legislation (such as COMAH and DSEAR); the level of management & organisational change affecting safety culture. https://www.onr.org.uk/publications/regulatory-reports/chief-nuclear-inspectors-annual-reports/202425 Decommissioning of Dounreay began in 2019 and the plan envisages 50-60 years … Continue reading Inspectors raise Scottish nuclear plant with excess child leukaemia risk to an ‘enhanced level of regulatory attention for safety because of unsatisfactory site performance across numerous areas’ with 300 years to go until it’s ‘safe’
Homeless deaths in Scotland fall as they climb in other parts due to lack of national leadership
Professor John Robertson OBA Once again, I’m grateful to Brenda Robb for finding this and researching it for us. From BBC UK today but ignored by BBC Scotland, the above and: The figures show that 1,142 deaths were in England, an increase of 16% on the year before. London had the highest total number of deaths, but the largest increases were in Nottingham, where the number of deaths doubled to 22, and in Exeter, where they more than doubled from eight to 21. In Northern Ireland, deaths increased by more than a third between 2023 and 2024, to 211. Wales saw a … Continue reading Homeless deaths in Scotland fall as they climb in other parts due to lack of national leadership
NHS England has to pay out more than twice as much as NHS Scotland for ‘maternity failings’
Professor John Robertson OBA Many thanks to Brian McGowan for alerting us to this. How are things in Scotland you ask? £1.3 billion was paid out in 2024/205: https://www.cwj.co.uk/site/newsandevents/legalnews/costs_of_NHS_maternity_care_claims_revealed.html Per head, that £1.3 billion becomes £13 billion, less than half the NHS England pay-outs of £27 billion. Why might this difference exist? See this from Stirling University researchers in the BMJ in 2019: We found few differences in maternity care experience for women based on their physical or socioeconomic characteristics. Our findings indicate that maternity care in Scotland is generally equitable. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/2/e023282 Further measures in Scotland: In January 2024, the Daily Mail reporting a drop … Continue reading NHS England has to pay out more than twice as much as NHS Scotland for ‘maternity failings’
Talking-up Scotland 