Tag: politics

1 Comment

Scotland’s state schools – in 2007, 37.6% of pupils in bad or poor condition buildings, in 2024 it’s just 5.1%.

johnrobertson834

East Dunbartonshire Council’s brand new £34.9m Additional Support Needs School – Woodland View – opened to pupils on Friday 18 August 2023. By stewartb This 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 fall on or near their head, anywhere. And especially no one wants children to be at risk from such an incident in a school. It’s a legitimate BBC local … Continue reading Scotland’s state schools – in 2007, 37.6% of pupils in bad or poor condition buildings, in 2024 it’s just 5.1%.

9 Comments

BBC double standards on the death of a politician – There was no mention of expenses cheat or cynical class betrayal when Alister ‘Serial Second Home Flipper’ Darling died and Alex Salmond had only praise for him, but when Alex Salmond died, he had a ‘less pleasant side’ it seems

johnrobertson834

There’s no mention of Darling’s move from the hard left to the Blair Cabinet. There’s no reference to his role in a divisive referendum campaign. There’s no mention of his 2007 mistake in the loss of 25 million British Citizens personal data or of his failure to protect 5 million low earners in 2008 from becoming worse off after a tax rate reduction that only benefited the better off or, most shocking, when he changed the designation of his second home four times in four years, allowing him to claim for the costs of his family home in Edinburgh, and … Continue reading BBC double standards on the death of a politician – There was no mention of expenses cheat or cynical class betrayal when Alister ‘Serial Second Home Flipper’ Darling died and Alex Salmond had only praise for him, but when Alex Salmond died, he had a ‘less pleasant side’ it seems

1 Comment

BBC Scotland develops ‘fishy’ sense of humour reporting on ‘charity’ headed up by former UK Government advisor

johnrobertson834

BBC Scotland this morning tell is that a ‘main sustainability charity’ (Open Seas) has a accused the Scottish Government of ‘floundering@ (really) because of a simple delay in getting a policy on sustainable fishing in plaice (my word) and properly developed to be effective. They’re just a Scottish charity so it’s not like Greenpeace accusing the Scottish Government. Hugh Raven, above, is the chair of the Open Seas board. Draw your own conclusions about his agenda. Draw your own conclusions as to why a simple delay like this is big news for BBC Scotland’s Reporting Scotland team when it’s not … Continue reading BBC Scotland develops ‘fishy’ sense of humour reporting on ‘charity’ headed up by former UK Government advisor

8 Comments

The Wolves of Badenoch?

johnrobertson834

I’ve been waiting for some English politician to connect Kemi Badenoch with that other infamous Badenoch: Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, called the Wolf of Badenoch (1343 – July 1394), was a Scottish royal prince, the third son of King Robert II of Scotland by his first wife Elizabeth Mure. He was Justiciar of Scotia and held large territories in the north of Scotland. He is best remembered for his destruction of the royal burgh of Elgin and its cathedral. His sobriquet was given due to his notorious cruelty and rapacity. There is a legend that Stewart—the “Wolf of Badenoch”—died after a chess game with the Devil. According to this legend, Stewart was visited … Continue reading The Wolves of Badenoch?

7 Comments

So the Envoy will not attend the first collective meeting of those towards whom she will be the Envoy?

johnrobertson834

By stewartb So the Envoy will not attend the first collective meeting of those towards whom she will be the Envoy! What a missed opportunity to forge relationships! This Council of Nations and Regions – which will have the Mayors of London and of England’s ‘combined authorities’ invited to attend – fails even in its own terms to be representative. The Institute for Government (IfG) on 24 June 2024 published this: ‘English devolution – What is the history of English devolution? How much of England has devolution? Which powers are devolved?’ It explains that there are currently 12 areas with mayoral … Continue reading So the Envoy will not attend the first collective meeting of those towards whom she will be the Envoy?

Leave a comment

Drug gangs from Aylesbury and Liverpool exploiting children and vulnerable adults in Scotland plead guilty to Modern Day Slavery but our media concentrate on ‘Scotland’s Tony Soprano’

johnrobertson834

From Merseyside Police yesterday: Three people who exploited children to sell drugs as part of a county lines network have been sentenced today (Thursday 10 October). James O’Keefe, 23, of no fixed address, Kerry Russell, 39, of Titherington Way, Liverpool and Ruby O’Keefe, 19, of Colby Close, Liverpool were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today (Thursday 10 October). Officers from Merseyside’s Project Medusa, the initiative to tackle county lines drug dealing and child criminal exploitation across the country, began an investigation into James O’Keefe in November 2023. Despite being in prison for previous offences, detectives established that James O’Keefe was … Continue reading Drug gangs from Aylesbury and Liverpool exploiting children and vulnerable adults in Scotland plead guilty to Modern Day Slavery but our media concentrate on ‘Scotland’s Tony Soprano’

5 Comments

Religious hate crime in England & Wales surges to the highest since 2012, TWICE that, per head, in Scotland where it falls to the lowest since 2004

johnrobertson834

From the Guardian today: Religious hate crimes in England and Wales have soared by 25% to record levels, coinciding with the Israel-Hamas conflict, government statistics show. The increase, from 8,370 to 10,484 offences reported to police forces in the year to March, was driven by a rise in offences against Jewish people and to a lesser extent Muslims, the Home Office said. According to the statistical bulletin, the total of 10,484 anti-religious offences was the highest annual tally of these offences since hate crime records began in the year ending March 2012. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/oct/10/religious-hate-crimes-at-record-levels-in-england-and-wales-official-figures-show In June 2024, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service … Continue reading Religious hate crime in England & Wales surges to the highest since 2012, TWICE that, per head, in Scotland where it falls to the lowest since 2004

10 Comments

In which Scottish town did Buckinghamshire County Lines drug gang exploit a vulnerable woman – media silence on more than 300 cases

johnrobertson834

Only from Yahoo! News today: A 20-year-old man [above] has been jailed for over a year after ferrying class-A drugs between Aylesbury and Scotland and ‘cuckooing’ a vulnerable woman at her home. Tyrees Kuba-Ngoma, of Friarscroft Way in Aylesbury, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin at Aylesbury Crown Court last Tuesday, October 1. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/man-20-jailed-cuckooing-vulnerable-170642139.html Police Scotland estimate more than 300 homes in Scotland have vulnerable adults being cuckooed by English County Lines gangs. BBC Scotland have twice, in 2021 and 2024, referred to this practice but on neither occasion did they indicate the English city from … Continue reading In which Scottish town did Buckinghamshire County Lines drug gang exploit a vulnerable woman – media silence on more than 300 cases

7 Comments

London Deputy Mayor comes up to repeat urban myth of job flight to south as 12 500 flee north to fairer Scotland in just last year

johnrobertson834

The Scotsman tells us today: Exclusive: SNP must narrow Scotland-England income tax gap in Budget, says City of London. The City of London Corporation said there were ongoing concerns in the financial sector SNP ministers should act to narrow the income tax gap between Scotland and England when they set out their spending plans later this year, the governing body for London’s financial district has said. Chris Hayward, policy chairman at the City of London Corporation, said there were ongoing concerns within the financial sector over the tax regime. He is due to meet First Minister John Swinney today. RUBBISH … Continue reading London Deputy Mayor comes up to repeat urban myth of job flight to south as 12 500 flee north to fairer Scotland in just last year

3 Comments

Not-for-profit water should be better but Welsh Labour mess that up too

johnrobertson834

stewartb It’s useful to have comparisons of the performance of key public services in different parts of the Union – and for a number of reasons. I’ve become especially interested in getting much better informed about what can be achieved by electing the British Labour Party to govern with devolved powers. Fortunately, we have Wales with its longstanding British Labour Party government in Cardiff to use as a benchmark. After all, we need to know what we might expect from a British Labour Party government in Edinburgh after 2026! In this context, how with the British Labour Party in power in … Continue reading Not-for-profit water should be better but Welsh Labour mess that up too