As 800 playgrounds close in England, SNP Government invests £50 million in only 3 years on new ones

By Brenda Robb A UK wide report heavily focused on what happens in England, why are we not surprised? Just  a brief scan of the further reading reports listed in the appendix backs up the notion that this is fundamentally an English document, somehow they fail to list Play Scotland and the range of documents published to promote play in Scotland. (see www.playscotland.org/resources/) Contrast this:   A freedom of information request to all local authorities in 2023 found that almost 800 playgrounds had closed across the UK over the ten years before (amongst those authorities that responded), over 400 of which were in … Continue reading As 800 playgrounds close in England, SNP Government invests £50 million in only 3 years on new ones

Not one Scottish town named as likely to be abandoned due to floods though one of my six home towns might be the only candidate

Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today, the above maps showing only two wee bits of Scotland with a 25% risk and the Highland and Borders moving up to 15%, of serious flooding by 2080. You’ll see that a huge part of England will be in deep water by then. Nevertheless, the Guardian manages to claim: Towns may have to be abandoned due to floods with millions more homes in Great Britain at risk Every constituency projected to be at greater risk, with many areas likely to be uninsurable, Guardian investigation finds Millions more homes in England, Scotland and … Continue reading Not one Scottish town named as likely to be abandoned due to floods though one of my six home towns might be the only candidate

Correcting the BBC – UK Government is not paying to build warships on the Clyde, Norway is

By Liz S MSM Monitor posted this on ‘X’ on 12/10/25 in respect to a Laura Kuenssberg interview with John Swinney on her Sunday Politics programme……. “Laura Kuenssberg twice claimed the UK Govt was supplying £10bn to build warships on the Clyde. This is false. The £10bn will come from Norway after it signed a deal with BAE systems. The UK Govt isn’t supplying any cash” . Meanwhile the same BBC in August 2025 on their website wrote…. “UK secures £10bn deal to supply Norway with warships” So let’s break that BBC website headline down. “UK secures £10bn” not as Kuenssberg was stating “ UK Govt was supplying £10bn”. Big difference is there not in both statements…….as in both cannot be … Continue reading Correcting the BBC – UK Government is not paying to build warships on the Clyde, Norway is

New SNP legislation to control irresponsible grouse moor management responsible for wildfires and flood damage

Professor John Robertson OBA From the Scottish Government today: Link – https://www.gov.scot/news/muirbuirn-licence-scheme/ This diplomatic account conceals, I feel sure, a determined policy by the SNP to reign in grouse moor owners and managers, even if delayed by one year, who are responsible for turning Scotland’s uplands into deserts amenable only to the interests of small affluent elites and responsible for events such as the Brechin Floods of 2023 wrongly attributed to Storm Babet and to Scottish Government ‘failures.’ How so? BBC Reporting Scotland 22 October 2024 were back on the October 2023 Storm Babet and the flood damage to Brechin, … Continue reading New SNP legislation to control irresponsible grouse moor management responsible for wildfires and flood damage

How Scottish Government support for business dwarves that of UK Government by a factor of 60!

By stewartb From the Scottish Business section of the BBC News website (October 1): ‘Tech projects to receive share of government fund’. We’re told: ‘ScotlandIS’ Future Ready programme, which provides business support and learning resources for tech businesses across the country, and Game Space in Dundee, who support those working in the country’s gaming industry, are among the recipients of funding from the UK government’s Department of Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT’s) Regional Tech programme.’ The BBC understands the two Scottish projects will each receive £30,000: the DSIT has told the BBC the money will support at least 30 businesses in Scotland. … Continue reading How Scottish Government support for business dwarves that of UK Government by a factor of 60!

Auditor General Stephen Boyle accuses Scottish Government of telling complete idiots not to build houses on land liable to flood as global warming increases the risks

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. What do you notice in the above SEPA map of flood risk in Ayr? There’s barely a house at risk. For centuries, Scots have not built on flood plains knowing how heavy rain can be and how big our rivers can get, but today, via BBC Scotland, Auditor General Stephen Boyle is at it again, this time trying to blame the Scottish Government for not putting in place protection for idiots who insist on building on flood plains. The Sepa website tells you where there is an increased risk due to … Continue reading Auditor General Stephen Boyle accuses Scottish Government of telling complete idiots not to build houses on land liable to flood as global warming increases the risks

As energy price rises loom, a reminder of why Michael Shanks will not protect us and why Scots would pay far less after independence

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details Professor John Robertson OBA As energy price rises loom, a reminder of why Scots would pay far less once independent. From stewartb in June 2025: I fear that a majority of the electorate in Scotland still have NO IDEA of – (perhaps even conditioned to have no interest in?) – Scotland’s indigenous energy assets and their potential significance for their own lives and those of their children and grandchildren. Little or no awareness of the scale of value of offshore oil & gas assets in the … Continue reading As energy price rises loom, a reminder of why Michael Shanks will not protect us and why Scots would pay far less after independence

Water restrictions have NOT been imposed on customers like you and me in Scotland

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details Professor John Robertson OBA I’ll be quick on this one. They, the MSM and politicians, would just love it if Scotland had the same water shortage problems as England does and they’ve pounced on these ‘restrictions‘ in only Aberdeenshire’s Ythan and the North Fife areas. So, are the folk there suffering a hosepipe ban, running out of water for a bath on these steamy days? No, ‘restrictions’ does not mean the general public. From STV, yesterday: The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency has now imposed restrictions in … Continue reading Water restrictions have NOT been imposed on customers like you and me in Scotland

James Cook’s reporting does not hold water in a country with 5.5 million litres per person, 40 times that in England

Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Scotland‘s James Cook, today: Rivers at critical level as Scotland’s water supplies feel the strain – Water levels are way below average after the driest spring since 1964 and a hot summer. The problem is especially acute in the east of the country, where the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) is now introducing curbs on some water use. It said two catchment areas – Ythan in Aberdeenshire and North Fife – had reached significant scarcity, the highest level of alert. but then 8 paras down when it’s safe for him to mention it, we see how … Continue reading James Cook’s reporting does not hold water in a country with 5.5 million litres per person, 40 times that in England

Michael Shanks – ‘[Scottish] Oil and gas has played a critical role in our energy story for the past 60 years. It will continue to play a critical role for decades to come’

stewartb The recent session of the Scottish Affairs Committee of the Commons gained quite a few ‘insights’ from oral evidence given by Michael Shanks MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Energy) at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) See transcript of the oral evidence at https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/16235/pdf/ Shanks – ‘Oil and gas has played a critical role in our energy story for the past 60 years. It will continue to play a critical role for decades to come, …’ (my emphasis) Later, Committee Chair (Patricia Ferguson MP, Labour): ‘Do you think it is necessary to reduce North Sea oil and gas … Continue reading Michael Shanks – ‘[Scottish] Oil and gas has played a critical role in our energy story for the past 60 years. It will continue to play a critical role for decades to come’