A clear causal connection between Liverpool drug gangs, the flood of cheap, more powerful, drugs into Scotland and our still far too high drug deaths. Why are Scotland’s media ignoring that?

Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC England yesterday, the above and: Five members of a county lines drug gang known as the Scouse Dave Line have been jailed. A total of seven members of the organised crime group, which peddled crack cocaine and heroin between Liverpool, Gosport and Plymouth, were sentenced during the two-day hearing at Portsmouth Crown Court. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd92w0klwy8o When I saw the word ‘scouse‘, I was reminded of this: My Google Alert on 14 February 2025, offered Operation Apollo continues crackdown on County Lines with over 300 years in jail time secured [by the above members] from Cheshire Constabulary. There’s no mention … Continue reading A clear causal connection between Liverpool drug gangs, the flood of cheap, more powerful, drugs into Scotland and our still far too high drug deaths. Why are Scotland’s media ignoring that?

There are no ‘UK rape conviction cases’ only ones for England and Wales OR for Scotland and though the latter are still not remotely good enough, I know, they are very different these days

Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Committee Chair In the Guardian today: Stacey Dooley on the UK’s shocking rape conviction statistics [sic] – Prosecuting rape is notoriously difficult in the UK [sic], with an estimated 5% of cases making it to trial, and only about 45% [of those so 2%?] resulting in a conviction. Amid such discouraging headlines, four young women have allowed Stacey Dooley to tell their difficult, complex stories about reporting being raped by someone they know, in the three-year run-up to trial. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/13/tv-tonight-stacey-dooley-on-the-uks-shocking-conviction-statistics There are no UK rape conviction statistics. There are statistics for England & Wales … Continue reading There are no ‘UK rape conviction cases’ only ones for England and Wales OR for Scotland and though the latter are still not remotely good enough, I know, they are very different these days

As the UK Ministry of Justice prepares for summer riots how only Scotland has the lower crime levels, the complete absence of riots previously, lower levels of background racism and the police staffing levels to be able to help other countries

By Professor John Robertson OBA From the Guardian today, the above and: Prisons are being prepared to cope with a sudden influx of offenders in case there is a repeat of last summer’s riots, the justice minister, James Timpson, has told the Guardian. The facts behind my headline: From BBC Scotland on 9 August 2024, in what must be an unauthorised ‘Scotland is the best‘ report by a junior reporter not yet ‘inducted‘: Police Scotland is considering a request to send 120 officers to Northern Ireland following several nights of anti-immigration riots in Belfast and other parts of the UK. Jon … Continue reading As the UK Ministry of Justice prepares for summer riots how only Scotland has the lower crime levels, the complete absence of riots previously, lower levels of background racism and the police staffing levels to be able to help other countries

It’s a first as the Secretary of State for Scotland does something useful – trying to punish exclusively English drug gangs ‘cuckooing’ hundreds of vulnerable adults in Scotland

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser closing on Friday, primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS  From STV yesterday: Cuckooing is to be made a specific criminal offence in Scotland in a package of new laws to make streets safer. The legislation, designed to better … Continue reading It’s a first as the Secretary of State for Scotland does something useful – trying to punish exclusively English drug gangs ‘cuckooing’ hundreds of vulnerable adults in Scotland

Why is BBC Scotland not reporting latest crime figures? Because they’re down and murder has plummeted 17% in last 5 years?

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser closing on Friday, primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS  From Recorded Crime in Scotland: year ending December 20241 published yesterday and from Homicide in Scotland 2020-2021: statistics2, published in October 2021, we can see: After peaking horribly in … Continue reading Why is BBC Scotland not reporting latest crime figures? Because they’re down and murder has plummeted 17% in last 5 years?

As BBC UK revisit Southport crime scene, why there were no riots ‘across the UK’

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser, finishing in 5 days, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS Today, BBC UK headlining and interviewing yoga teacher, Leanne Lucas, who almost died in the Southport attack, state: While Leanne recovered from life-saving surgery, rioting began, first in Southport, … Continue reading As BBC UK revisit Southport crime scene, why there were no riots ‘across the UK’

‘Cuckooing’ becomes new offence in England and Wales, ‘Gangland violence spilling over to Scotland from south of the Border’, ‘More than 100 children charged with supplying drugs’ and ‘Gangs flooding Scots city with ‘foot-soldiers’ but Scotland’s ‘quality’ media turn away – Why middle-class professionals are being shielded from the truth and are easily duped

By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS A day after BBC Scotland and other Scottish media fail to tell us the direction of flow between drug abuse in the West Midlands and Dundee and as a new offence of ‘Cuckooing’ comes into law today, in England and Wales, is this a problem in Scotland? What is cuckoooing? Cuckooing involves a criminal taking over the home of a vulnerable person in order to establish a base for illegal activity such as sex work or drug dealing, often as part of a county lines operation. This can also often involve financial, … Continue reading ‘Cuckooing’ becomes new offence in England and Wales, ‘Gangland violence spilling over to Scotland from south of the Border’, ‘More than 100 children charged with supplying drugs’ and ‘Gangs flooding Scots city with ‘foot-soldiers’ but Scotland’s ‘quality’ media turn away – Why middle-class professionals are being shielded from the truth and are easily duped

The most heinous if not criminal failure of the Scottish media in general and public broadcasters in particular to inform the public in Scotland of the dangers these English gangs represent

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily, finishing in 7 days, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS Today, BBC Scotland, Police Scotland and PA Scotland have mentioned West Midlands/Birmingham arrests on the same day as Dundee arrests but none have been prepared to inform their audience of the direction of flow. … Continue reading The most heinous if not criminal failure of the Scottish media in general and public broadcasters in particular to inform the public in Scotland of the dangers these English gangs represent

BBC Scotland’s James Cook wallows in one town’s drug deaths but does not tell you what is really happening there – the trend is down, the treatment is there and the new powerful drugs are pushed by English gangs

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily, finishing in 9 days, to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson Professor John Robertson OBA A cheap and sensationalist piece by James Cook, pushed up into UK news to shame us, claiming a lack of services for drug addicts in rural areas and repeating the endless ‘worst rate in … Continue reading BBC Scotland’s James Cook wallows in one town’s drug deaths but does not tell you what is really happening there – the trend is down, the treatment is there and the new powerful drugs are pushed by English gangs

School violence in Scotland – Fact Check

By Professor John Robertson OBA Such was the level of violence in Scottish schools last April that the same two boys had to travel the country to represent it visually. Kind of makes you wonder why, in the age of mobile phone cameras of awesome quality, why BBC Scotland and Wales only have the same Getty image of two lads play wrestling. Some facts, you won’t be hearing much today. School violence: A classic example of seeking to stoke moral panic All forms of bullying in decline and students feel safer than in other nations Youth violence plummets across society yet increases … Continue reading School violence in Scotland – Fact Check