Tag: books

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‘No area or community is immune to countty lines drug supply’ from England to ‘Small town Scotland’

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the P&J but not in the MSM and certainly not on BBC Scotland North-East, today: Detective Sergeant Peter Sloan of Merseyside Police’s Project Medusa added: “No area or community is immune to county lines drug supply, which is why intelligence‑led operations like this are essential to disrupt involved in the distribution of harmful drugs. “Today’s action, delivered alongside Police Scotland, resulted in three arrests and the seizure of significant quantities of illegal drugs. “This sends a clear message to those intent on exploiting vulnerable people and transporting drugs.” https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/6923496/three-arrested-joint-county-lines-operation-peterhead-merseyside/ What does the Liverpool detective mean when … Continue reading ‘No area or community is immune to countty lines drug supply’ from England to ‘Small town Scotland’

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In the land with the best services for children the Herald’s sickening imagery and campaign to undermine the only party that does anything

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald today with another of their tasteless, exploitative images and demands from charities, the latter lead by folk often more interested in honours from Sir Keir, to demand more from the ‘SNP’ government and, of course, failing to inform their readers of just what that party has already done to radically reduce child poverty, only here, and with the clear commitment, only here, to push for its complete eradication! The Herald 18 October 2025 headlined their report on autism and ADHD waiting times with an apparently tragic image of tearful wee, Madeleine McCann-like, fair-haired girl of 3 to 4 … Continue reading In the land with the best services for children the Herald’s sickening imagery and campaign to undermine the only party that does anything

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Social housing in Scotland factcheck – 40% more availability, no damaging right to buy, bigger grants and greater fire safety

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Professor John Robertson OBA Amongst all the current media frenzy about a one-year down-turn in new social media building, even in the National, above, these important, positive, contextual facts, published in a review by the Wheatley Group in May 2024, are getting no attention: Social housing is more prevalent in Scotland than England, comprising 23% of all Scottish housing stock (11% RSLs / 12% Local Authorities), compared to 16.4% in England (10.1% RPs / 6.3% Local Authorities). Scotland has similar rate of owner-occupation than England, 63.7% compared to 64.1%. Statistics based on March 2022 returns One of the most important powers devolved to the Scottish Government … Continue reading Social housing in Scotland factcheck – 40% more availability, no damaging right to buy, bigger grants and greater fire safety

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Our kids now hardly ever kill each other but BBC Scotland is killing our spirits with these distortions of reality

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BBC Scotland, careful to put the above as a quote but still hitting readers with the same message and one that does not inform us about the reality of our world. They know the scared and the anxious don’t vote for change. The family of a 16-year-old boy who was stabbed to death in Glasgow say police should be given more powers to search young people for knives. Kory McCrimmon’s family were speaking after BBC research showed that Police Scotland’s use of stop-and-search on under 18s increased by 38% last year. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0x4k2xyw2o Before I go any further, isn’t that sequence … Continue reading Our kids now hardly ever kill each other but BBC Scotland is killing our spirits with these distortions of reality

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Internationally acclaimed Scottish writer’s latest on Scotland’s Radicals will open your eyes and even surprise you

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Professor John Robertson OBA Ron Culley needs no introduction from me because AI can do it so much more fully it seems: Ron Culley is a Scottish author and former public sector executive, best known for his work as a novelist specializing in historical fiction, political thrillers, and biographical works with a focus on Scottish and Irish history.Literary CareerCulley has published over a dozen books, often blending fact and fiction to explore themes like Scottish independence, Irish republicanism, and social justice. His notable titles include: His writing has garnered international acclaim, with readers from all seven continents (including Antarctica) praising … Continue reading Internationally acclaimed Scottish writer’s latest on Scotland’s Radicals will open your eyes and even surprise you

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Let’s be sure we learn this lesson from history as global uranium demand and Labour’s nuclear plans threaten the lives of the people of the Orkney Islands

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Professor John Robertson OBA As Donald Trump‘s push for increased uranium production stirs up community media across the USA, a reminder of the risks in Scotland too. From In These Times, yesterday, the above and: When the uranium market dried up, companies simply abandoned the mines, a phenomenon so common there’s a term for it: AUM, or ​“abandoned uranium mine.” Now, the mines stand as toxic monuments to America’s nuclear weapons and energy programs. People are still dying, and the abandoned mines are still not remediated. Yet the United States is pushing ahead with a $1.7 trillion plan to expand and ​“modernize” nuclear weapons, and … Continue reading Let’s be sure we learn this lesson from history as global uranium demand and Labour’s nuclear plans threaten the lives of the people of the Orkney Islands

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The sacrifice of the 51st Highlanders – where I got the evidence for my lyrics

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Quickly, should the word ‘sacrifice’ seem to be prejudging what follows, I did not use the word in my questions of the AI. It did, five times in answers including: ‘The decision to leave the 51st (Highland) Division behind as a rearguard — effectively sacrificing it so the rest of the British Expeditionary Force could escape at Dunkirk.’ John Robertson, father in the KOSBs, all before that coalminers who stayed at ‘home’ in the pits I’ve had a bit of stick for: It was the winter of nineteen thirty-nine When we arrived at France’s Maginot Line We were more than … Continue reading The sacrifice of the 51st Highlanders – where I got the evidence for my lyrics

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Rape!!! Glasgow Herald works only to scare women with irresponsible, uninformative reporting – Reported rape and attempted rape is a staggering twice as common in England & Wales than it is in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Herald, this morning, the above. Two things. One, can it be called just ‘rape’, at this stage unless of course your aim is only to shock as opposed to inform. Second, would a bit of context be useful for readers? This kind of thing? On 25 June 2025, I wrote: The media in Scotland are headlining the increase in recorded cases of rape and attempted rape in Scotland. Though the increase may in part be a consequence of a greater confidence by victims to come forward and report these crimes, the figures remain disturbing. … Continue reading Rape!!! Glasgow Herald works only to scare women with irresponsible, uninformative reporting – Reported rape and attempted rape is a staggering twice as common in England & Wales than it is in Scotland

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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

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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

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‘The Home Office and policing do not have a shared understanding of the resource implications of changing demands’

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By stewartb The National Audit Office (NAO, November 3, 2025) published this report: ‘Police productivity – Home Office. Report HC 1380’. (https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/police-productivity.pdf) It is concerned with policing in England and Wales. The NAO notes that the Home Office allocates the majority of police funding for England and Wales. Why relevant to TuS and to Scotland? In common with other devolved public services, what the UK government decides on resources for policing in England and Wales impacts financial resources made available to the Scottish Government via the so-called Block Grant. And it is not only the size of the Block Grant that is impacted but … Continue reading ‘The Home Office and policing do not have a shared understanding of the resource implications of changing demands’