Tag: news

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‘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

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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

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Scottish Labour to announce plans to make more use of private sector despite major Oxford University research review proving it will lead to ‘higher rates of avoidable death’

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The Scottish leader Anas Sarwar will announce plans to reduce health waiting lists by making greater use of the private sector. Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS BBC Scotland this morning, on the Scottish Labour conference today, tell us the above astonishing news. It’s now a full year since the Lancet reported on large scale research review by Oxford University telling us that this strategy is extremely ill-advised. From Oxford University researchers, reported in The Lancet, on 29 February 2024: A new review has concluded that hospitals that are privatised typically deliver worse quality care after converting from public ownership. … Continue reading Scottish Labour to announce plans to make more use of private sector despite major Oxford University research review proving it will lead to ‘higher rates of avoidable death’

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While BBC UK reported Starmer claiming the meeting of more appointments than in a period with 23 days of strikes, so probably fewer, BBC Scotland completely ignores Swinney actually exceeding his promise

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The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily, finishing in 8 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 On February 17th 2025, BBC Health and BBC 1 reported: The government has met a key election pledge to deliver two million extra NHS appointments in England in its first year, the prime minister has said. The target … Continue reading While BBC UK reported Starmer claiming the meeting of more appointments than in a period with 23 days of strikes, so probably fewer, BBC Scotland completely ignores Swinney actually exceeding his promise

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Five years late, BBC Scotland utter the words ‘County Lines drug gangs’ and ‘people trafficking’ but still cannot tell you which way the flow goes even though they seized control of the drugs trade’ FIVE YEARS AGO

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Two people have been arrested in Dundee as a result of an investigation into County Lines drug dealing and human trafficking. A man has also been arrested by police in the West Midlands following simultaneous raids there. The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily, finishing in 8 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 … Continue reading Five years late, BBC Scotland utter the words ‘County Lines drug gangs’ and ‘people trafficking’ but still cannot tell you which way the flow goes even though they seized control of the drugs trade’ FIVE YEARS AGO

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Glasgow’s SNP council to increase council tax by far less than Birmingham Labour council AND increase staff and free school meals while they impose ‘devastating cuts’

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The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily, finishing in 8 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 The Herald today has: Biggest council tax rise in years for Glasgow as deal agreed – A Budget deal has been agreed between the SNP and Greens in Glasgow that will see a council … Continue reading Glasgow’s SNP council to increase council tax by far less than Birmingham Labour council AND increase staff and free school meals while they impose ‘devastating cuts’

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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

johnrobertson834

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

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Working-class Scottish voters beware – Reform UK is in the pocket of old Etonians, property moguls, the super-rich and will work to keep their taxes down

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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 We had thought Scotland immune to the charms of Nigel Farage and Reform UK but recent polling suggests otherwise. Scots are just as bothered by immigration and just as cynical about the old parties. … Continue reading Working-class Scottish voters beware – Reform UK is in the pocket of old Etonians, property moguls, the super-rich and will work to keep their taxes down

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Reform UK’s manifesto ‘the sums do not add up’ and ‘would require substantial cuts to the quantity or quality of public services’ in Scotland

johnrobertson834

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 In June 2024, the IFS had a look at the Reform UK manifesto. Even this rightist think tank was less than impressed and concluded: Even with the extremely optimistic assumptions about how much economic … Continue reading Reform UK’s manifesto ‘the sums do not add up’ and ‘would require substantial cuts to the quantity or quality of public services’ in Scotland

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Reform UK to offer 20% tax relief for school fees

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The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily, finishing in 11 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 Fettes College in Edinburgh with nine-hole golf course, an ice-skating rink used in winter for ice hockey and in summer as an outdoor swimming pool, a cross-country running track and a rifle shooting … Continue reading Reform UK to offer 20% tax relief for school fees

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Reform UK – A clear and present danger for the SNP

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The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily, finishing in 11 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 Mostly by Reader JB Yesterday, in the wake of the Norstat poll for the Times suggesting 77% of Scots are opposed to the SNP’s immigration policy and evidence from other polls of Reform UK moving into second … Continue reading Reform UK – A clear and present danger for the SNP