Tag: books

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That BBC Scotland journalists ‘did not cover the referendum in the way they would have liked because of commands coming from London’ is untrue. It was because of this guy and others like him

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In the often excellent analysis by Prof Happer in the Herald yesterday, because it correctly identifies the bias in BBC Scotland as, for most staff, ‘structural’, ‘cultural‘ I’d say, I’d have to disagree with this: Happer, who speaks extensively to BBC Scotland staff, said: “BBC Scotland journalists felt they couldn’t cover the referendum in the way they would have liked because of commands coming from London” That’s a clear excuse, rewriting history. In 2014, I was approached by two younger staff at BBC Scotland News and neither mentioned commands from London. They did both say that the then Head of … Continue reading That BBC Scotland journalists ‘did not cover the referendum in the way they would have liked because of commands coming from London’ is untrue. It was because of this guy and others like him

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On the 40th Anniversary of Chernobyl, how a Labour First Minister’s ‘day one’ plans for nuclear power will ‘present an existential challenge for local policing’ and expose our children to thyroid cancer

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On the 40th anniversary of Chernobyl, today, BBC Breakfast visit the site and remind us that while the official death toll was just 31, according to ‘studies’, the wider health impact was likely to be much wider. Studies? Well, here’s just one. According to the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation The most significant wider impact was a sharp rise in thyroid cancer among children and adolescents exposed in 1986 in Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. By 2005, more than 6,000 cases had been diagnosed in this age group. Later data (up to ~2015) put the total closer … Continue reading On the 40th Anniversary of Chernobyl, how a Labour First Minister’s ‘day one’ plans for nuclear power will ‘present an existential challenge for local policing’ and expose our children to thyroid cancer

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New research report – The Politicisation of BBC Reporting in the 100 days before the Scottish Election 2026 – Comparing BBC Wales and BBC Scotland

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On Friday 17th April 2026, only three weeks before the Scottish Parliament election on May 7th, 2026, a research team at Talking-up Scotland completed a 100-day survey of the BBC Wales and BBC Scotland’s inserts in BBC Breakfast, Monday to Friday 6 to 9am. Despite both operating within a dramatic political context with pro-independence parties, Plaid Cymru (PC) and SNP, for the first time likely to win in both countries, the coverage differed markedly in terms of the politicisation of reports and in the overall level of negativity know to influence voter behaviour. A 2023 study published by Talking-up Scotland, … Continue reading New research report – The Politicisation of BBC Reporting in the 100 days before the Scottish Election 2026 – Comparing BBC Wales and BBC Scotland

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Hell hath no fury like an MP scorned

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By Liz S Here’s something that the UK MSM will make a big thing about, indeed they have already started. It is a book , soon to be released , that will not be given such a negative and critical reception as Ms Sturgeon’s book was given, that’s for sure. Indeed, I anticipate a media and political feeding frenzy…..with Sarwar and others rubbing their hands in glee, so job done then Ms Cherry. Joanna Cherry’s new book is to be released next week. Already some anti independence newspapers have done some #SNPBAD articles based upon her book, that includes this … Continue reading Hell hath no fury like an MP scorned

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John Swinney helping those struggling with the cost of eating is not ‘communist’ but BBC Scotland’s Peter Smith is either thick or just another right-wing extremist – here’s why

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The essential MSM Monitor captured the above astonishing claim yesterday. This claim is nonsense. Communism requires the abolition of private property, elimination of the profit motive, central planning of the whole economy including actual ownership of the supermarkets. Swinney is merely telling the massively profitable supermarket chains to absorb some of the costs. In Imperial Rome, a slave based market economy, it often capped food prices.1 Medieval England, a feudal system identified by Karl Marx as utterly different from his ideas, often regulated bread and grain prices.2 During World War II, all of the allies, including the US and the … Continue reading John Swinney helping those struggling with the cost of eating is not ‘communist’ but BBC Scotland’s Peter Smith is either thick or just another right-wing extremist – here’s why

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Water company customers in England to pay another £40m on top of already the highest prices and the worst quality in the UK but in Scotland…..?

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Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: From the Financial Times today: Five of Britain’s water companies spent £32.4mn on an appeal to the competition regulator that resulted in the utilities being able to raise customer bills even higher. Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South East Water, Southern Water and Wessex Water argued that regulator Ofwat’s decision to allow them to increase consumer bills by an average of 24 per cent before inflation by 2030 was insufficient to cover their costs and attract investors to the industry. The appeal to the Competition and Markets Authority cost Anglian Water £9mn; South East Water £9mn; … Continue reading Water company customers in England to pay another £40m on top of already the highest prices and the worst quality in the UK but in Scotland…..?

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Why would there be an explosion at ‘a dockyard in Fife’ where the local Labour council recently agreed to just the storage of cut-up metal from a nuclear sub?

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From BBC Scotland: Edinburgh, Fife & East today: Firefighters tackling scrap metal blaze at Rosyth dockyard – Firefighters are tackling a scrap metal fire at a dockyard in Fife. The Scottish Fire Rescue service (SFRS) were called to the scene at the Port of Rosyth at about 03:00. Locals reported hearing an “explosion” and “loud bang” in the early hours of the morning on social media. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly7d4311v1o Why would scrap metal burn? From the Dunfermline Press 24 March 2026: Fife Council have given the green light to Babcock for a new warehouse between docks two and three for “decommissioning operations”. The large industrial building – … Continue reading Why would there be an explosion at ‘a dockyard in Fife’ where the local Labour council recently agreed to just the storage of cut-up metal from a nuclear sub?

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How Scotland’s schools have played the major role in keeping thousands of pupils safe and making sure County Lines gangs membership is an England-only phenomenon

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In the Sunday Times today, the above video, and: The UK’s county lines networks have evolved into a sophisticated business model that thrives on the exploitation of the young. David Collins, Northern Editor of The Sunday Times, and David Woode, Crime Editor of The Times, go inside a police disruption unit in North Yorkshire to witness high-stakes raids targeting the “line holders” who pull the strings from a single mobile phone. Beyond the arrests, they uncover a disturbing tactical shift where gangs use the Modern Slavery Act as a legal shield for their recruits. It is a portrait of a … Continue reading How Scotland’s schools have played the major role in keeping thousands of pupils safe and making sure County Lines gangs membership is an England-only phenomenon

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‘Liar, liar, pants on fire’ – Scottish Labour try to twist a fast professional and effective response by firefighters into failure

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Image – Scottish Fire Service Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON There have been no reports suggesting that the fire service response to the Glasgow city centre fire was slow or in anyway inadequate but, in the Scotsman today: Is there any topic, as they face a near extinction even in May, that Scottish Labour will not attempt to exploit? Here’s what you need to know: In the days before the growth of the SNP and the independence movement, corporate media hacks would have … Continue reading ‘Liar, liar, pants on fire’ – Scottish Labour try to twist a fast professional and effective response by firefighters into failure

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Scotland’s job market no doubt ‘challenging but not ‘floundering’ as in ‘Britain’

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON In the Guardian today: Britain’s job market ‘floundering’ as companies remain cautious about hiring. Data shows labour market is still in a fragile position due to economic uncertainty, with few signs of recovery There’s no mention of Scotland in the piece, leaving the thousands of Scottish readers to either think it must be just the same here or, maybe, look elsewhere for the facts. On hiring, there are signs of stabilization or modest improvements in permanent and temporary … Continue reading Scotland’s job market no doubt ‘challenging but not ‘floundering’ as in ‘Britain’