Tag: family

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TWICE as common in England and FOUR times as many children there face domestic abuse compared to Scotland yet only BBC Scotland seem concerned 

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BBC Radio Scotland above and BBC Scotland‘s website today on child experiences of rape and of increased rape reporting: Scotland’s top law officer has said it is “concerning for all of us” that the number of domestic abuse charges has increased. New figures show that 34,586 charges were reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) last year – an increase of 14% on the previous year. Court action was ordered in 91% of cases. Sources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live/bbc_radio_scotland_fm https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdx5lxdwyqzo Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Nowhere, this: Domestic abuse … Continue reading TWICE as common in England and FOUR times as many children there face domestic abuse compared to Scotland yet only BBC Scotland seem concerned 

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‘Scottish’ Daily Express today desperately tries to link it to Scotland but nothing in Scotland looks anything like the mass child grooming rape gangs in England

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The Daily Express ‘Scottish’ today, above with an English/Pakistani rape gang leader and one of his victims in England on the front page. Below in the UK, where is the story? Why is this unacceptable propaganda? From the First Minister 9 February 2026, responding to calls for a national review: However, in order for any action to be effective, we must appropriately consider the relevance of these recommendations for our specific legislative, statutory service and regulatory landscape, and the scale of this specific form of organised gang-related sexual abuse of children and young people in Scotland. I would firstly like … Continue reading ‘Scottish’ Daily Express today desperately tries to link it to Scotland but nothing in Scotland looks anything like the mass child grooming rape gangs in England

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The real news – The SNP era sees massive increases in attainment by looked after children with three times as many passing at National 5 and eight times as many at Higher

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In the Herald today, under a frankly creepy image: Scottish Labour has accused the SNP of “breaking The Promise” after new figures showed the attainment gap between looked-after children and their peers has widened in recent years. Looked-after children are young people in the care of their local authority, including those in foster care, residential care, kinship care or some children living at home under formal supervision. How many times have I pointed out that not one credible, peer-review published educational researcher, across the globe, cares about attainment gaps. They care about improvements within disadvantaged groups over time. They know that the middle … Continue reading The real news – The SNP era sees massive increases in attainment by looked after children with three times as many passing at National 5 and eight times as many at Higher

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Horrific, unregulated, and very profitable. The companies prevented from making cash from Scotland’s children in care because of Nicola Sturgeon’s ‘promise’ in 2016

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Before anyone accuses me of being duped, read my trenchant criticism of Nicola Sturgeon’s apparent views on Hilary Clinton and US foreign policy at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2026/03/04/sturgeon-and-clinton-does-being-a-woman-any-woman-trump-sic-her-war-crimes-her-murder-and-betrayal-of-the-poor/ That matters to me, a lot, but nothing can deny her massive achievements on the home front. In the Guardian today, from George Monbiot, quite an heroic figure for me and often well-tuned into to Scottish affairs: Bring your suitcase, your bin liner, your dumpy bag. They’re handing out money faster than you can stuff it in a sack. All you need do is join the market in what may now be England’s most lucrative … Continue reading Horrific, unregulated, and very profitable. The companies prevented from making cash from Scotland’s children in care because of Nicola Sturgeon’s ‘promise’ in 2016

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Contrary to England, vulnerable children in Scotland must be placed in regulated safe settings

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Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. In the Guardian today: Ministers must get to grips with the “national scandal” of England’s shadow child social care system, the children’s commissioner has warned, as a report reveals the number of children in unregulated settings has increased by more than 370% in five years. Some of the most vulnerable children in England are being temporarily placed in unregulated caravans, Airbnbs and holiday camps, which risk the “accumulation of increasing levels of harm for children who have already faced enough distress for several lifetimes”, according to the report. Analysis of Ofsted data has … Continue reading Contrary to England, vulnerable children in Scotland must be placed in regulated safe settings

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Barnardo’s find 7 in 10 ‘UK’ parents want the SNP Baby Box which may have stemmed a surge in infant mortality due to Tory austerity in Scotland

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In the Guardian today: Four in 10 UK [sic] parents struggle to afford essentials for newborns, study says – Exclusive: Survey of 2,000 people by Barnardo’s also finds almost half feel their child has missed opportunities due to cost and four paragraphs down well away from the ‘UK’ headline: In Scotland, all parents are eligible for a box of baby essentials that includes clothes, books, a changing mat and a bath towel. Since the scheme was launched by the Scottish government in 2017, more than 360,000 baby boxes have been distributed. However, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, provision is inconsistent. Barnardo’s … Continue reading Barnardo’s find 7 in 10 ‘UK’ parents want the SNP Baby Box which may have stemmed a surge in infant mortality due to Tory austerity in Scotland

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Shock as proportionally 4 times as many children in England & Wales face domestic abuse compared to Scotland but UK Labour have no real plan to deal with that

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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: A proposed law to restrict paedophiles’ parental rights in England and Wales is too weak because it does not protect children of theirs born after their conviction, parliament will hear this week. Under the victims and courts bill, a parent convicted of serious sexual offences against any child and who is sentenced to four or more years in prison will lose parental responsibility but they could come out of jail and have other children who would not … Continue reading Shock as proportionally 4 times as many children in England & Wales face domestic abuse compared to Scotland but UK Labour have no real plan to deal with that

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Why frailty among older people seems less common to GPs in Scotland – Stronger family cohesion and less family fragmentation

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Guardian yesterday: GPs failing older people living with frailty, National Audit Office finds Did the national audit report blame the Labour Government for any of this? Did it note that England had far fewer GPs per head than Scotland. No and no. I asked AI: Are there reports of GPs failing older people living with frailty in Scotland? While there are no explicit reports mirroring the recent National Audit Office (NAO) findings in England—where GPs were found to be failing in assessing and supporting older people living with frailty, with only 16-18% receiving key … Continue reading Why frailty among older people seems less common to GPs in Scotland – Stronger family cohesion and less family fragmentation

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The ‘creepy’ use of their own children to make political points is still with us

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Professor John Robertson OBA In October 2025, a Lib Dem EdinburghCity Councillor, Sanne Dijksta-Downie, used her 6-year-old daughter’s cancer diagnosis and recovery to suggest some sort of crisis in NHS Scotland under the heading ‘COST-CUTTING EVERYWHERE’. Bizarrely, her first example of cost-cutting was that there were never enough pillows for parents staying over on the ward! She went on then to bemoan the quality of pizzas given to patients and cups of tea and biscuits requiring to be provided by charities. She then complains about having to help with feeding, washing and toileting. Isn’t that a good thing for the … Continue reading The ‘creepy’ use of their own children to make political points is still with us

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Factcheck – Maternity services in NHS Scotland far far safer than in NHS England

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today: Pregnant women in England are at growing risk of suffering a serious injury while giving birth, NHS figures reveal. The number of mothers sustaining a third- or fourth-degree perineal tear while delivering their baby has risen from 25 in 1,000 in June 2020 to 29 in 1,000 in June this year – a 16% increase. Such injuries can have a “life-changing” impact on women’s physical and mental health, cause post-traumatic stress disorder and leave them afraid to have another child. Childbirth experts linked the rise in the most serious forms of tear to poor NHS care, … Continue reading Factcheck – Maternity services in NHS Scotland far far safer than in NHS England