The other reason to favour Troon over Ardrossan for the Arran ferry crossing – corruption on grand scale
There is little to choose in overall travelling time from Brodick in Arran to Glasgow, via Ardrossan or Troon. For the detail worked out, See: There is however a bloody good reason to prefer Troon based on the nature of their owners compared with the owners of Ardrossan, currently trying to screw the Scottish taxpayer for improvements they should have carried out themselves. Ardrossan harbour is owned by Peel Group. They have a frankly sickening reputation. For example: Controversies Hunterston Parc Campaigners objected to an LNG terminal Peel proposed for Hunterston Parc, Largs. The scheme included a combined cycle gas turbine power station; deep … Continue reading The other reason to favour Troon over Ardrossan for the Arran ferry crossing – corruption on grand scale
I take it back – the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald has/had a real investigative reporter who exposed the rapacious nature of the English owner expecting us to pay to upgrade his harbour for the new bigger ferry, last year
Professor John Robertson OBA The Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald seems to be currently following the party line that the Scottish Government has failed to upgrade the Ardrossan harbour which they don’t own and is keeping quiet about the decades-long neglect of the harbour by the Manchester billionaire and tax evading owner of Peel Ports. Last year however, James Walker had a piece in the local paper which exposes the same company of outrageous plans to charge everyone sailing on the Clyde, including those with boats as small as 6 metres.. Source: https://www.ardrossanherald.com/news/24672077.outrage-firms-proposal-charge-scots-sail-clyde/ Footnote – I see Troon, sticking out on … Continue reading I take it back – the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald has/had a real investigative reporter who exposed the rapacious nature of the English owner expecting us to pay to upgrade his harbour for the new bigger ferry, last year
Protests erupt in beautiful Scottish ‘ghost town’ as Manchester billionaire harbour owner charges millions for decades of neglect and refuses to make it fit desperately needed bigger ferry
Professor John Robertson OBA, Sadly at 73 and weakening, ‘a better investigative reporter than any of the young toadies working in ‘Scotland’s’ MSM’ The rest of this first reported in February 2025 at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2025/02/11/why-should-we-the-scottish-taxpayer-pay-for-the-upgrade-to-ardrossan-dock-fully-owned-and-neglected-by-a-manchester-billionaire-tax-exile/ Front page in the Herald today, 18 paragraphs putting responsibility for the maintenance of the Ardrossan dock, one of the two hubs for Arran crossings, onto the First Minister, based on the prompting of Katy Clark, MSP and Baroness of Kilwinning: After reading those 18 paragraphs, would any reader wonder who owns the dock? CalMac? Scottish Government? North Ayrshire Council? Nope, it’s James Whittaker, a Manchester billionaire. Read … Continue reading Protests erupt in beautiful Scottish ‘ghost town’ as Manchester billionaire harbour owner charges millions for decades of neglect and refuses to make it fit desperately needed bigger ferry
Supposed Labour ‘rebel’ MP knows that his party betrayed his constituents in Grangemouth
By Liz S Alloa & Grangemouth Labour MP Brian Leishman is a Fraud ! This supposed Labour ‘rebel’ MP knows, and indeed has even said as much, that his party betrayed and lied to his constituents in Grangemouth , yet still today he campaigns on their , Labour’s , behalf. 5 Days ago on 7 April Brian Leishman tweeted this: “Both the Tory and SNP governments knew about the planned refinery closure 5 years ago. Both the Tory and SNP governments did nothing to save the refinery in that time. Both the Tory and SNP governments let Scotland down by choosing to do … Continue reading Supposed Labour ‘rebel’ MP knows that his party betrayed his constituents in Grangemouth
How BBC Scotland and BBC UK are coordinating their misrepresentation of Scotland’s nurses pay deal
By Bob Lamont BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers, Health Correspondent, sees all through the lens of Westminster, the usual anal aspect of her analysis, but she is far from alone in projecting that perspective. In their report for BBC Health, Graeme Ogston of BBC Scotland News and Hugh Pym BBC Health Editor introduce the UK pay offer by the 4th paragraph, the impact on Scottish Governments budget by the 5th, Wes Streeting by the 11th, the “The pay review body” absent the usual nonsense adjective of “independent” by the 12th, and so it goes on. Were a poll to be conducted … Continue reading How BBC Scotland and BBC UK are coordinating their misrepresentation of Scotland’s nurses pay deal
BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers exposes the sham – and the trap – of devolution
By stewartb Lisa Summers’ ‘Analysis’ of the Scottish Nurses 8% pay deal: The gamble here is that it doesn’t know what deal will be offered to NHS staff elsewhere in the UK as negotiations are ongoing. However, the UK government has so far said it would recommend a 2.8% increase, a move described as “offensive” by unions. If the pay deal is significantly higher for Scotland, the government will have to find the money to pay for it with no additional money coming from Westminster … Ms Summers exposes the sham – and the trap – of devolution. The NHS is the responsibility of the … Continue reading BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers exposes the sham – and the trap – of devolution
Another story you won’t hear on BBC Scotland – ‘Thousands of additional procedures’ for Highlands thanks to £2.6 million SNP Government boost
Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to rtpscott for alerting me to the above. Not a word on BBC Scotland nor on BBC Highland and Islands, on this story nor, of course, on one of the reasons such enhancement is desperately needed: Also, the UK Labour mistakes that have made life more difficult for Highland GPs: Continue reading Another story you won’t hear on BBC Scotland – ‘Thousands of additional procedures’ for Highlands thanks to £2.6 million SNP Government boost
SNP-run Glasgow City builds more than SIX times as many affordable homes as Labour-run Birmingham City thanks to £94 million from SNP Government
Professor John Robertson OBA In 2023/2024: Glasgow City Council’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) helped to build over 1,000 [1 011] additional affordable homes in the city in the past year. The original £78.687million grant from the Scottish Government was bolstered during the year by an additional £11.544million to focus on Strategic Acquisitions, and a further £3.825m from the Scottish Government to a final budget of £94.056million. https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/12891/Glasgow-s-Affordable-Housing-Supply-Programme-delivered-over-1000-new-affordable-homes-in-last-year Birmingham City has nearly twice the population [1.16m] , thus revenue, of Glasgow City [622k], so all things being equal, might be expected to have built at least 2 000 new affordable … Continue reading SNP-run Glasgow City builds more than SIX times as many affordable homes as Labour-run Birmingham City thanks to £94 million from SNP Government
Lisa Summers reporting NHS Scotland down as Unison talks it up
Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Brenda Robb for alerting me tot his. In Nursing Times yesterday: The latest NHS pay offer in Scotland “sends a really powerful message” to other UK countries about what can be achieved through direct pay negotiations, Unison Scotland’s co-lead for health has said. Speaking with Nursing Times, Matt McLaughlin said other UK countries were “hiding behind bureaucracy” when it comes to NHS pay and it was “no good” for the health service. “In the other parts of the UK, it seems that people are hiding behind bureaucracy” Matt McLaughlin Scotland is the first UK … Continue reading Lisa Summers reporting NHS Scotland down as Unison talks it up
Dysfunction, rats, rubbish is all that Labour offer you
Professor John Robertson OBA We’ve seen the chaos that is Labour-run Wales after decades of misrule, reported here, over and over. Labour-run UK will soon be revealed for the same. Today, in the Guardian, we see how 1.6 million people have now suffered from 40 years of Labour corruption and incompetence: Reform and the Tories are rubbing their hands with glee as residents once again pay the price for the disarray of the city’s Labour council. The failure of Birmingham’s leaders to get to grips with the situation is a symptom of the council’s deeper disarray. As far as dysfunctional … Continue reading Dysfunction, rats, rubbish is all that Labour offer you
