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

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

Labour government Bill on the ‘Lords Spiritual’ extends and applies to Scotland: should we be grateful, reassured … puzzled?

By stewartb On the website of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland we learn that of Labour Government Bills in the Kings Speech, 24 out of 40 are identified as applying in Scotland. Notable among them is this one: ‘Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill’ concerning representation in the House of Lords. Lords reform It’s hard to resist looking back to 5 December 2022 when the Scotland page of the BBC News website had this headline: ‘Gordon Brown: Labour plan would make UK work for Scotland’. Here we find a photograph of Brown and Keir Starmer … Continue reading Labour government Bill on the ‘Lords Spiritual’ extends and applies to Scotland: should we be grateful, reassured … puzzled?

Soap box serial objectors

Image PA JUSTIN TALLIS VIA GETTY IMAGES By NMRN the Hate crime and public order (Scotland) Act…. it is being reported that “Rishi Sunak backs JK Rowling in row over Scottish hate crime legislation”…..of course he does as do other like minded people who also oppose everything said and done by the SNP as the Scottish government…..which is a ‘serial’ event…..though considering some of the actions via his government I cannot see his consensus with JKR as being something many would regard as being worthy of noting…..as significant. Indeed I am sure some individuals see this new Act as an … Continue reading Soap box serial objectors

Labour candidate for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock could not support move to save one thousand seven hundred local children from poverty

Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock Labour candidate, Elaine Stewart, must do what Sir Keir Starmer tells her to do. Any suggestion of disloyalty and she’d be dumped quickly. Last year End Child Poverty made clear the role of the Two Child Benefit Cap in pushing 1.5 million UK children into poverty. There are 1 710 of them in the Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock constituency. What would Labour and a Scottish Labour MP do about this? Continue reading Labour candidate for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock could not support move to save one thousand seven hundred local children from poverty

Crime and Policing – How Scotland’s media hide our successes

On the Today programme, a BBC Radio 4 interviewer enthuses about the reduction in knife crime and homicide in Scotland over nearly two decades, as he interviews Will Linden Depute Head of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit You can hear the whole interview, around 53 mins in, at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001v3bj BBC R4’s interests comes against the background of high levels of knife-related deaths in England and, today, the actor Idris Elba’s call for a ban on sales which he says the Conservative Government has neglected: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67903124 BBC Scotland and the newspapers are not interested in this but, rather, focus on two … Continue reading Crime and Policing – How Scotland’s media hide our successes