Tag: history

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Isle of Wight ferry users have been paying far more than Scots for 75 years now!

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Professor John Robertson OBA, Honest Ferry Correspondent From Isle of Wight County Press, yesterday: 75 years ago, in May 1950: The cost of ferry fares were a source of grievance. Mr. H. Frohock, of St. Alban’s guest house, Shanklin, sent a letter to the County Press asking why it cost £3 to cross the Solent, when it only cost 5s (25p) to cross the Firth of Forth. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/island-ferries-a-source-of-grievance-50-years-ago/ar-AA1FRdHy?ocid=BingNewsVerp 12 times more expensive! Things have actually improved relatively for the folk travelling to the Isle of Wight. It’s only 4 times more expensive these days. See: ‘Ferry cost stopped us booking a holiday to … Continue reading Isle of Wight ferry users have been paying far more than Scots for 75 years now!

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Polish academic knows thsat Scotland is leading the way in East Asian boom but ‘Scottish’ media to busy with other trivia

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Professor John Robertson OBA In East Asia Forum, by Tomasz Kominski of the University of Lodz, in July 2024, but nowhere in the ‘Scottish’ media at the time, I feel sure, the above, and: As the epicentre of global business shifts decisively toward East Asia, small sub-national European governments are increasingly drawn to engage more robustly with this dynamic region. Scotland, stressing the importance of its links with Asian partners in its strategic documents, is at the forefront of this movement. The motivations are clear — economic opportuni , ambitions to tackle global problems and strategic positioning. Attracting foreign investors … Continue reading Polish academic knows thsat Scotland is leading the way in East Asian boom but ‘Scottish’ media to busy with other trivia

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If spend by Westminster/Whitehall on Scotland’s behalf is made in England, the economic benefit will accrue to England

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stewartb ‘The multiplier effect is one of the most important concepts you can use when applying, analysing and evaluating the effects of changes in government spending and taxation.’ It’s hard to understate this! A TuS blog post (May 19, 2025) entitled How the ‘Scottish’ media have singularly failed to investigate and fully report on the true state of the ferry services’ had this: ‘on the decision taken to procure two large CalMac ferries from Ferguson’s and then to nationalise the yard, the mainstream media studiously avoids any consideration of the economic benefits derived from sustaining employment in the yard and its domestic supply chain. … Continue reading If spend by Westminster/Whitehall on Scotland’s behalf is made in England, the economic benefit will accrue to England

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Stunning US study makes clear the enormous wider benefits of building the Glen Sannox and the Glen Rosa ferries on the Clyde

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Washington State, USA, based Lynwood Times yesterday: A new independent study by Pennsylvania-based Martin Associates confirms the economic value of building the new Washington State Ferries hybrid fleet in-state, showing that each ferry constructed in the state would generate 1,298 jobs and $31.9 million in state and local taxes. Washington State Ferries, which operates the largest ferry system in the nation, solicited bids this spring to build five new hybrid ferries over a six- to eight-year period with a budget of $1.3 billion. The new hybrid electric ferries have 160-car capacity to support growing … Continue reading Stunning US study makes clear the enormous wider benefits of building the Glen Sannox and the Glen Rosa ferries on the Clyde

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Crime confirmed as really continuing to fall, based on three sources, to remain at roughly 1 in 10 experiencing crime directly from 1 in 5 under Labour

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: May 2025, published today: Police recorded crime is down 1% since year ending December 2023, and remains below the position immediately prior to the pandemic. The total number of crimes recorded by the police in Scotland in the year ending December 2024 was 298,308. This was 3,768 crimes (or 1%) lower than the level recorded in the year ending December 2023. Crime has fallen by 53% since 2008-09. Results from the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) show that around one in ten adults were victims of crime in … Continue reading Crime confirmed as really continuing to fall, based on three sources, to remain at roughly 1 in 10 experiencing crime directly from 1 in 5 under Labour

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Better together with the largest bombing range in Western Europe and the rotting radioactive submarine hulks?

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stewartb ‘Why Scotland … Well “Scotland’s seas, lochs and coasts are apparently integral to the ‘British’ Royal Navy’s operations, training and trials”.’ – and the rest! From The Independent (May 31, 2018) Cape Wrath: What it’s like to go hiking on the largest bombing range in Western Europe. Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/cape-wrath-trail-walking-holidays-route-durness-bombing-range-uk-travel-a8376936.html ‘Cape Wrath sprawls over 50,000 acres and is home to the largest bombing range in Western Europe. UK and other European forces plus Nato jets and navy ships fire live shells (including, allegedly, uranium-tipped missiles) into the barren landscape as a way of fine-tuning their latest toys and gadgets. When they come out to play, they … Continue reading Better together with the largest bombing range in Western Europe and the rotting radioactive submarine hulks?

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Last word on Tom Hunter and Richard Tice of Reform UK – Why don’t we emulate Norway instead of dark and undemocratic Singapore

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By stewartb I agree. It seems appropriate to repeat here a btl post on an earlier thread about emulating Singapore. How far should we change to do so? From The Straits Times (May 11, 2024) ’20 years as PM – Singapore’s political system is rare and once lost there is no turning back, says PM Lee‘. It quotes Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who is also secretary-general of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and is the eldest son of Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew, who governed Singapore for c.31 years! “People ask how does politics work in Singapore? … Continue reading Last word on Tom Hunter and Richard Tice of Reform UK – Why don’t we emulate Norway instead of dark and undemocratic Singapore

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New US hybrid ferries look like costing much more than the new CalMac vessels

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From EUUSATODAY, today: Bids to build new plug-in Washington state ferries come in high It’s raising doubts about the state’s plans to construct up to five new hybrid-electric vessels with the $1.3 billion [£1 billion] lawmakers have set aside. Ferry system managers and state budget writers in Washington took a cold wave over the bow Monday upon opening the bids to construct up to five new hybrid electric ferries. “I don’t see how you get to five. There’s money for three [160 car vessels] on a good day,” said state House Transportation Committee Chair Jake Fey, D-Tacoma. The Washington Legislature … Continue reading New US hybrid ferries look like costing much more than the new CalMac vessels

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Reform UK can learn from low crime Scotland not Dubai or UAE

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The international drugs cartel made at home in Dubai. Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Politics, two days ago: Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has said the UK could learn from Dubai’s national pride and low crime levels. In a BBC interview, he said the UK should “aspire to” the kind of safety seen in the Emirati city – where he claimed people leave belongings unattended and return to find them untouched. Tice splits his time between Westminster, his Skegness constituency and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which he said he visits “once every six to eight weeks” to … Continue reading Reform UK can learn from low crime Scotland not Dubai or UAE

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Would Anas Sarwar prefer we gave that £1bn ferry spend to loan companies, for shareholder dividends and in exec bonuses instead of investing in state-of-the-art ferries built in Scotland?

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Professor John Robertson OBA In Tory Lord Ashcroft’s Holyrood Mag today and being spread over the other media: SNP has presided over ‘£1bn ferry fiasco’ says Anas Sarwar – The Scottish Labour leader said the SNP “cannot be trusted with the public’s money” at the weekly FMQs session. But First Minister John Swinney said there were “stringent controls over government finances”, as he pointed to the delivery of balanced budgets each year since his party took office.  He was under fire from both main opposition party leaders after it was revealed the cost of the two new ferries for the Clyde … Continue reading Would Anas Sarwar prefer we gave that £1bn ferry spend to loan companies, for shareholder dividends and in exec bonuses instead of investing in state-of-the-art ferries built in Scotland?