17 newspapers sense a damp squib tonight but BBC Scotland positively lust for ‘Bonfire Night Disorder – Reposted as BBC Scotland’s month-long scare campaign ends up with no injuries to emergency workers
Why have there been so many mistaken prisoner releases in England and none in Scotland? Twice as many staff per prisoner and only half the level of attacks on them?
From one Robertson to another – your Isle of Wight return crossing costs THREE TIMES as much as my same distance Isle of Mull one does and it’ll be on an older ferry
Professor John Robertson OBA In Isle of Wight County Press today, the above and: Isle of Wight East MP, Joe Robertson, has introduced a proposed new law in Parliament aimed at improving ferry services – including the Island’s vital cross-Solent routes. Mr Robertson today (Wednesday, November 5) tabled the Ferry Services (Integration and Regulation) Bill in the House of Commons, under the ’10-minute rule motion’, following Prime Minister’s Questions. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/politics/government/iw-east-mp-slams-rip-off-ferry-prices-and-proposes-new-law-in-parliament/ar-AA1PS2kI?ocid=BingNewsVerp Joe doesn’t quantify these ‘rip-off’ prices. I will: In July 2025, a medium size car with four passengers, Portsmouth to Fishbourne with Wightlink Ferries, would cost you between £210 and … Continue reading From one Robertson to another – your Isle of Wight return crossing costs THREE TIMES as much as my same distance Isle of Mull one does and it’ll be on an older ferry
More child sexual abuse offenders prosecuted and convicted
Professor John Robertson OBA From Recorded crime statistics in relation to child sexual abuse: FOI release1, published today, we can see that the total number of people prosecuted and convicted in Scottish courts where the main charge was a child sexual offence was Total 2013/14 2022/23 Prosecuted 271 347 Convicted 202 285 Conviction rate 75% 82% These are at first worrying indicators of a significant increases in offenses but, at least an accompanying sign of a increased conviction rate. However there is strong evidence that this is an increase in reporting rarther than an increase in offending. See: Sources: There … Continue reading More child sexual abuse offenders prosecuted and convicted
SNP cut civil service by 5%
Professor John Robertson OBA In June 2025, the Express told us, delightfully: Scots foot the bill for the ever-increasing numbers of pen-pushers employed in the public sector. Remarkably, they also tell us this, don’t remind us it was a UK Government policy and thus try blame it on the SNP Recently, millions had to be filtered from elsewhere to pay for an increase in National Insurance employer contributions. For years the SNP has claimed that it would be making some reductions and savings but this has never came to fruition. Versions of the story have been repeated widely, in the Scotsman, Telegraph … Continue reading SNP cut civil service by 5%
‘The scale of challenge facing the NHS [England] today and foreseeable in the years ahead is unprecedented.’
By stewartb The Scotland page of the BBC News website has this headline (November 4): ‘Health board facing ‘unprecedented’ financial challenges, auditors warn.’ The article – the same story as covered by the Daily Record – outlines Audit Scotland’s reporting of the financial problems being experienced by Grampian and by Ayrshire & Arran health boards. Never slow to provide quotable comments, we get the views of Scottish Tory health spokesman, Dr Sandesh Gulhane: ’.. the reports were symptomatic of problems facing the NHS across Scotland’. And a quote: “It’s appalling that health boards have been driven into crippling debt and are reliant on huge bailouts … Continue reading ‘The scale of challenge facing the NHS [England] today and foreseeable in the years ahead is unprecedented.’
Police investigate over 1 000 avoidable baby deaths in NHS England, none in Edinburgh and none in Scotland where ‘maternity failings’ pay-outs are half, per head, of those in England but Jackie Baillie calls for a national review in Scotland
Professor John Robertson OBA In the Herald today, the above and: Scottish Labour has called for a national investigation into maternity and neonatal services following a catalogue of safety concerns raised across Scotland. The party is set to use a debate in the Scottish Parliament today to push the Scottish Government to launch a nationwide review into what it describes as “dangerously overstretched” services that are failing mothers, babies, and staff. and: This is a purely political move underpinned by self-centred ambition and the evidence offered here but never by the ‘Scottish’ media, is clear and unambiguous. NHS England has to pay out more than twice … Continue reading Police investigate over 1 000 avoidable baby deaths in NHS England, none in Edinburgh and none in Scotland where ‘maternity failings’ pay-outs are half, per head, of those in England but Jackie Baillie calls for a national review in Scotland
England to copy Scottish Curriculum for Excellence after 16 years as school leavers are “better prepared in soft skills” (teamwork, communication, adaptability)
Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today, the above and: A review of England’s curriculum has recommended reducing the amount of content and emphasis on exams and instead focusing more on life skills and “enrichment”. The review, led by Prof Becky Francis, wants pupils to spend less time in exam halls and have more time “for all of those amazing other things that schools do”, such as plays, sport and work experience. It also urged the government to cut back on policies introduced by the former Tory education secretary Michael Gove, including an overhaul of controversial grammar tests in … Continue reading England to copy Scottish Curriculum for Excellence after 16 years as school leavers are “better prepared in soft skills” (teamwork, communication, adaptability)
SNP praised for being able to delay 100 trucks of Scottish waste going ‘South of the Border’ to a 100 leaking landfill sites in England having reduced landfill in Scotland to only ONE-THIRD of that under Labour
Professor John Robertson OBA Having just replaced ‘Bonfire Night Disorder’, the Bee Gees soundtrack that was never used, as the headline story, ‘A 100 trucks over the border’, rejected by Johnny Cash, seems also to be of no interest to the newspapers. As often before, a headline in the morning broadcast in BBC Breakfast, by a BBC Scotland reporter catches my eye. This morning, when she got to say ‘A HUNDRED TRUCKS’, she positively exploded like a demented infant teacher. I thought – ‘I’ve seen that number before!’ and I had. April 26th 2025: As toxic waste leaks from more … Continue reading SNP praised for being able to delay 100 trucks of Scottish waste going ‘South of the Border’ to a 100 leaking landfill sites in England having reduced landfill in Scotland to only ONE-THIRD of that under Labour
17 newspapers sense a damp squib tonight but BBC Scotland positively lust for ‘Bonfire Night Disorder
Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland‘s newspaper review – Scotland’s papers: Plea to probe killer Beggs and tax hike ‘fears’ – has 17 of them and not so much as one wee banger on their front pages, yet they have the above. Once a week, for a month, from 9 September raising fears based on the actual disorder two years ago but using the figures from the year before because in real last year offences had plummeted unhelpfully. How it started: It’s kind of predictable that they would operate in this way, trying to scare the vulnerable and elderly into … Continue reading 17 newspapers sense a damp squib tonight but BBC Scotland positively lust for ‘Bonfire Night Disorder
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 