Tag: edinburgh

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London’s Labour Mayor fails to remedy it’s all-too-real fears of towering infernos as Scotland’s sixth tower block fire is contained on one floor due to tighter regulations

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In the Guardian today: ‘We’re living in darkness’: six years of scaffolding, still no post-Grenfell cladding’ Building safety regulator delays leave London tower block beset by security and vandalism problems. The block’s residents are among thousands of people across the country bearing the cost of delays by the building safety regulator (BSR) to approve construction works required by post-Grenfell building safety rules. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/19/london-tower-residents-fear-disaster-post-grenfell-scaffolding Ironically, Scottish Labour have ‘blasted the SNP for ‘dragging their heels’ over dangerous cladding programme. https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-blasted-dragging-heels-over-29368512 Here’s why Scotland’s tower blocks do not require new cladding to avoid a Grenfell event. From BBC Scotland, 7 March 2026, … Continue reading London’s Labour Mayor fails to remedy it’s all-too-real fears of towering infernos as Scotland’s sixth tower block fire is contained on one floor due to tighter regulations

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‘I see tourists pee in front of my house?’ – the real campervan crisis was in 2021

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BBC Scotland this morning is going large on: ‘I see tourists pee in front of my house’: The campervan problem on the Isle of Skye. More than 30,000 trips by campervans and motorhomes are made to the Scottish Highlands every year – with many of them touring the Isle of Skye. For islanders, the tourists play an important part in the local economy. But some visitors bring significant challenges too – leaving litter and even toilet waste in the stunning landscape. Julia Dawber says people should be discreet when nature calls. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crlwj7z7481o As an aside, it is good to see … Continue reading ‘I see tourists pee in front of my house?’ – the real campervan crisis was in 2021

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Young Phineas fogs the truth but after two decades away from London party oversight, building standards and regulations in Scotland are generally more strict or demanding than those in England in several key areas

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In the Guardian today: Even multimillionaires can’t escape Britain’s cowboy builders, it seems. Last week, residents of One Hyde Park, the UK’s most expensive flats, won a £35m court case against the contractor that built their homes. The high court ordered the construction company Laing O’Rourke to fix defective pipework that was discovered to be causing problems in 2014, only three years after the luxury development was completed. At the other end of the economy, tens of thousands of families are facing damp and mould issues also caused by botched building works. A National Audit … Continue reading Young Phineas fogs the truth but after two decades away from London party oversight, building standards and regulations in Scotland are generally more strict or demanding than those in England in several key areas

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What kind of cereal crop harvest contrast between England and Scotland would interest Scottish media?

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Professor John Robertson OBA This morning, the Scottish Government announced: The Chief Statistician has released predictions for the 2025 Scottish harvest. These industry predictions anticipate overall cereal production could reach a high of over 3.2 million tonnes. This could bring total production in at well above the average over the past five years, despite dry spring and summer conditions. Winter crops, including winter barley, oilseed rape and wheat, are predicted to perform well, with some very good yields being reported. https://www.gov.scot/news/a-good-cereal-harvest-predicted-for-2025/ There are no MSM reports on this. Three days ago, the Scottish Farmer had: England has suffered its second … Continue reading What kind of cereal crop harvest contrast between England and Scotland would interest Scottish media?

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The new Wolf of Badenoch plans to plunder all our oil and gas

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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 Today in BBC Politics: Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said her party will remove all net zero requirements on oil and gas companies drilling in the North Sea if elected. Badenoch is to formally announce the plan to focus solely on “maximising extraction” and to get “all our [sic] oil and gas out of the North Sea” in a speech in Aberdeen on Tuesday. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp890n51684o I’ve often wondered if Badenoch knows of her ancestor through marriage, the Wolf of Badenoch (above), a … Continue reading The new Wolf of Badenoch plans to plunder all our oil and gas

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As the Peter Murrell case is extended beyond the next Holyrood election who was surprised and who do we think is making sure it is being well-milked for that purpose?

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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 we heard Peter Murrell may not return to court until after Holyrood election (Herald 22 August 2025), many would have been thinking they knew this would happen, as the case is further milked for political ends. Then we ponder who is making sure this happens, perhaps in pursuit of what they would call ‘national security?’ The Express in February 2025 had: Nicola Sturgeon was CIA agent who stoked gender wars to foil Scexit, claims top nationalist – Former diplomat Craig Murray suggests that … Continue reading As the Peter Murrell case is extended beyond the next Holyrood election who was surprised and who do we think is making sure it is being well-milked for that purpose?

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As they surge to 30% of all cars why SUVs are 8 times more likely to kill a child and the limits of devolution mean the Scottish Government can do little about it

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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 By Professor John Robertson OBA,In the Guardian today: The number of giant cars in England’s cities has increased tenfold in recent years, according to researchers, who warn the vehicles are taking up excessive public space and posing a threat to public safety. Analysis published by Clean Cities has found SUVs have gone from 3% to 30% of existing cars in the past two decades. In London, the number of SUVs has increased from about 80,000 in 2002 to about 800,000 in 2023. Campaigners are calling for Paris-style parking charges to … Continue reading As they surge to 30% of all cars why SUVs are 8 times more likely to kill a child and the limits of devolution mean the Scottish Government can do little about it

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A million more tourists in one year, outperforming the UK, as people head north away from the burning to make Scotland the new Monaco, but BBC Scotland miss this real trend too

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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 From the Observer, yesterday: It may not offer a reliable tan, but Scotland has become the place to be this summer – midges and all. The most recent figures on Scottish tourism are from 2023, when almost 4 million international visitors set a new record. And Jill Walker, director of marketing and digital at VisitScotland, says early 2024 figures surpassed this by almost half a million, with anecdotal reports from this summer suggesting no slowdown. https://observer.co.uk/news/national/article/manic-in-the-glen-why-the-world-has-gone-wild-for-scotland-this-year From Daily Business in October 2024: There were 1,975,000 … Continue reading A million more tourists in one year, outperforming the UK, as people head north away from the burning to make Scotland the new Monaco, but BBC Scotland miss this real trend too

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Scotland’s drinking water is the best in Europe and is ranked second in the world but not reported by ‘our’ media?

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By JB In February 2025 the Medical Travel Insurance specialists at AllClear released a report analyzing more than 2,000 Reddit comments identifying the most frequently mentioned destinations for the best-tasting tap water on Earth.  “After reviewing all the comments, the team found that Scotland was the most frequently mentioned destination in Europe and the second most mentioned location in the world. The report noted that travelers particularly praise the water from the Highlands and lochs, particularly Loch Katrine, for its “bottled-water taste.”  The Best Tap Water in the World, According to Reddit The best-tasting tap water in the world – AllClear Travel … Continue reading Scotland’s drinking water is the best in Europe and is ranked second in the world but not reported by ‘our’ media?

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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

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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