BBC Debate Night host shamefully tries to suggest Scottish Child Payment is ‘just sticking plaster’ when it is ‘turning Scotland into a European pioneer in reducing child deprivation’

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 a Debate Night session in Ayr, after a deeply ill-informed debate on GP access, totally unaware of Scotland’s far better ratio with patients, the far better funding of GPs and lower workload of GPs in Scotland, we witnessed an even more infuriating discussion of poverty where charity reps once more seem prepared to shoot themselves in the foot by failing to recognise and applaud the SNP Government’s achievements. I was very close to chucking something at the … Continue reading BBC Debate Night host shamefully tries to suggest Scottish Child Payment is ‘just sticking plaster’ when it is ‘turning Scotland into a European pioneer in reducing child deprivation’

Murder cases fall again to 22% lower than pre-pandemic and well below half that under Labour in 2007

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 BBC Scotland yesterday respond to the latest crime statistics, with: Crimes reported to police in Scotland rose by 3% last year, according to new government data. The crimes that increased the most , include domestic abuse incidents (which rose by 25% between 2024-25), indecent communications (21%), indecent photos of children (20%) and shoplifting (15%). Reports of rape and attempted rape, fire-raising, supply of drugs and dangerous and careless driving also increased. Categories of crime which have decreased include housebreaking (down … Continue reading Murder cases fall again to 22% lower than pre-pandemic and well below half that under Labour in 2007

No Royal in the future will be heard “purring down the line” over Scotland

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 By Liz S A huge factor in the flawed part of Gordon Brown’s past ‘plot’ to encourage Prince William to help in persuading (gullible) Scots to stay within their UK, as in William the future heir to the English Throne (if , that is, it, as an English throne, still exists in the future) . Remember when it was reported in 2021 that Gordon Brown met with Prince William at Holyrood palace. The BBC reported that “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have held a private meeting … Continue reading No Royal in the future will be heard “purring down the line” over Scotland

Laughable – the Scotsman’s ‘top economist’ casting doubt on the SNP budget is not even vaguely one of those

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In the Scotsman, 4 days ago, and influencing other reports in Scotland’s media: SNP budget ‘looks increasingly detached from reality’, top economist warns – SNP ministers have not got the money to pay for doctor’s pay deals with next year’s budget looking ‘increasingly detached from reality,” atop economist has warned. and: David Phillips, an economist with IFS, said: “The Scottish Government’s funding allocations for health in 2026/27 look increasingly detached from reality. To get a job as a university lecturer in Economics, you’d need a PhD and one or two research-based papers … Continue reading Laughable – the Scotsman’s ‘top economist’ casting doubt on the SNP budget is not even vaguely one of those

Referral for terror concerns of 11 to 15 year-olds is SIX times more common in England & Wales than in Scotland

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. From 25-3990 – Prevent Data – age breakdown of under 15s + referral reason – 2016/17 TD, published yesterday: There were 33, 27, and 39, eleven to fifteen year-olds in Scotland, referred to Prevent who had their cases followed up, in the years 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24. Before the Pandemic-affected year of 202/21, the average was around 30 so there is no sign of an increasing trend. https://www.scotland.police.uk/access-to-information/freedom-of-information/disclosure-log/disclosure-log-2026/january/25-3990-prevent-data-age-breakdown-of-under-15s-referral-reason-2016-17-td/ If the level of the problem was similar in England & Wales, you might expect a figure of around 430. It was 2 729, … Continue reading Referral for terror concerns of 11 to 15 year-olds is SIX times more common in England & Wales than in Scotland

UK unemployment 40% higher, youth unemployment 40% higher than in Scotland, BBC Scotland ‘disappear’ the good news again

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. BBC Breakfast this morning with an extended piece on unemployment not being mirrored by BBC Scotland. The unemployment rate in Scotland at the end of 2025, was 3.7%, down from 3.8% in 2024.  In crude terms 5.1 is 1.4 greater than 3.7 but as a percentage, to take account of the millions of people being referred to, unemployment in England is 37.8% higher. There are about 1.8m unemployed in the UK so if the rate was the same in the UK as it is in Scotland, hundreds of thousands of those would be … Continue reading UK unemployment 40% higher, youth unemployment 40% higher than in Scotland, BBC Scotland ‘disappear’ the good news again

Murder by stabbing in Scotland has fallen in a steady trend to half of the level of 6 years ago but the Herald seeks to scare you

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. I am not, in any way, disputing the case for police officers confronted with a knife-wielding attacker to be able to protect themselves fully and quickly, and use a gun, if it’s deemed necessary. However, the above Herald front page, based on trade union data, like its even more melodramatic cousin in the Record yesterday, is in danger of unnecessarily panicking the wider population. Why? Murder by stabbing in Scotland has fallen in a steady trend to half of the level 6 years ago – From Knife crime statistics: FOI release, published today, … Continue reading Murder by stabbing in Scotland has fallen in a steady trend to half of the level of 6 years ago but the Herald seeks to scare you

Scottish Government report on ‘Five years of Scottish Child Payment’ totally ignored by ‘our’ media

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Scottish Child Payment has supported more than 241,000 parents and carers since its launch five years ago, helping put over £1.3 billion into the pockets of low-income families. An increase to the payment for children under one will be introduced during 2027/28, estimated to benefit around 12,000 children and could be worth an extra £500 a year for each eligible child. The payment, which is only available in Scotland, provides families with £27.15 a week, rising to £28.20 from April 2026, for every eligible child under 16.  Latest figures show more than 322,000 children are … Continue reading Scottish Government report on ‘Five years of Scottish Child Payment’ totally ignored by ‘our’ media

Scottish Labour – Not just friends of paedophiles but by far the most actual convicted sex offenders, including 5 paedophiles, convicted since 2007

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. To be fair, she’s in the top position, though we’ll soon see how long she lasts there and you’ll note they’ve kept the ‘sex offender‘ bit small and the ‘paedophile‘ bit invisible. In an extended piece by Andrew Kerr, there’s complete avoidance of the word ‘paedophile‘ and absolutely no historical context of the kind we always get with the SNP. Here it is: Two Scottish Labour MSP, Anas Sarwar and Pam Duncan Glancy, both long-term friends of known paedophiles, but the problems run far deeper at Scottish Labour. Based on extensive searches … Continue reading Scottish Labour – Not just friends of paedophiles but by far the most actual convicted sex offenders, including 5 paedophiles, convicted since 2007

95% of Scotland’s schools in good condition up from only 62% under Labour and they struggle to do anything about it in England after 19 months in government

and need refurbishing or even replacing, according to a group of MPs in a report that’s out this morning. Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. That’s the message on BBC Breakfast this morning. What’s the situation in Scotland? This but you won’t be hearing it elsewhere: By stewartb School estate statistics 2024 provides statistics for context and perspective. It follows a BBC Scotland article on the corporation’s News website on 12 October headlined: ‘Child safety fears as ‘repaired’ ceiling falls at neglected school’. Now don’t get me wrong, no one should have a piece of wood or plasterboard … Continue reading 95% of Scotland’s schools in good condition up from only 62% under Labour and they struggle to do anything about it in England after 19 months in government