Tag: scotland

2 Comments

YouGov’s naked bias still using the thousands who have passed since 2014 to make you think No could still win

johnrobertson834

The pollster YouGov above today still trying to tell us we don’t want independence. Below, telling with unerring regularity the same story in the face of a powerful trend telling us the opposite. It’s not just the last four or five YouGov polls, going back years they almost never get a Yes lead. YouGov is of course, Tory-owned. So how might they be doing this. Have a look at the way they have adjusted their initial sample to make a No result more likely. Typically, in June 2026: They have reduced the size of the declared SNP voters from 659 … Continue reading YouGov’s naked bias still using the thousands who have passed since 2014 to make you think No could still win

6 Comments

Scotland’s drug deaths crisis IS a human rights scandal but it is also a fundamental consequence of our subjection still within a dying, dysfunctional but still dominant and brutal empire

johnrobertson834

From Third Force yesterday, the above, and: The Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) chair has challenged ministers over their response to the continuing drugs’ death toll, insisting the loss of life is neither acceptable nor inevitable. Professor Angela O’Hagan’s intervention follows figures showing 1,133 people died from drugs in Scotland during 2025 – an increase of 116 on the previous year and the sixth-highest annual total on record. The figures expose a devastating divide between Scotland’s richest and poorest communities, with people living in the most deprived areas 15 times more likely to die from drugs than those in the … Continue reading Scotland’s drug deaths crisis IS a human rights scandal but it is also a fundamental consequence of our subjection still within a dying, dysfunctional but still dominant and brutal empire

2 Comments

‘England’s Atrocity’ hanging petty thieves and children – Scotland historically applied the death penalty far less often than England, pro rata half as many in the 20th Century, but Mark Smith of the Glasgow Herald knows SFA of that

johnrobertson834

Mark Smith, today, once more revealing his little knowledge of Scotland, tries to drag us into the wider world of state brutality, as the US plans a public execution by firing squad, with ill-researched work on the history of capital punishment in Scotland and in the wider UK. He quickly tells us of Scotland’s last hanging in 1963: but ignores this key information: Scotland historically applied the death penalty far less often than England, mainly because of differences in legal tradition after the 1707 Act of Union. Scotland kept its own courts, criminal procedure, and much of its substantive law … Continue reading ‘England’s Atrocity’ hanging petty thieves and children – Scotland historically applied the death penalty far less often than England, pro rata half as many in the 20th Century, but Mark Smith of the Glasgow Herald knows SFA of that

4 Comments

‘Troubled’, not so ‘ageing’ Arran ferry’s ‘faults’ started when the contract to build it was awarded by Scottish Conservatives to an inexperienced English yard on its last legs in a ‘troubled’ Conservative constituency

johnrobertson834

In the Scotsman, two days ago, the above and: A CalMac ferry which returned to service a year ago after 20 months of repairs that cost £11 million is to be retired, the operator has announced. Caledonian Isles, which sails on one of CalMac’s busiest routes, is due to end its 34-year career in February as part of the replacement of three of ageing large ferries with brand new vessels. The 1,000-passenger ship’s departure from the Ardrossan to Brodick in Arran service will follow 31-year-old Barra ferry Isle of Lewis’s retiral in December and that of 42-year-old spare vessel Isle … Continue reading ‘Troubled’, not so ‘ageing’ Arran ferry’s ‘faults’ started when the contract to build it was awarded by Scottish Conservatives to an inexperienced English yard on its last legs in a ‘troubled’ Conservative constituency

2 Comments

Glenn Campbell’s Podcast dare not question the Conservative plans to strip Holyrood of powers

johnrobertson834

By Liz S “Latest Tory proposal is to prevent the Scottish Parliament from pursuing its own vision, goals and objectives”! What Bowie stated in his speech, in that a future Tory government would overrule the Scottish government on Nuclear in Scotland , was of absolutely no interest to the BBC in Scotland on their website or in their news reports, as apparently that , as news, was not important. But wait what of BBC Scotland’s Scotcast ? Scotcast is supposedly a current affairs and news podcast produced by BBC Scotland that is on TV twice daily from Monday to Friday. … Continue reading Glenn Campbell’s Podcast dare not question the Conservative plans to strip Holyrood of powers

4 Comments

Latest Tory proposal is to prevent the Scottish Parliament from pursuing its own vision, goals and objectives!

johnrobertson834

By stewartb The Tories – that very same party which has failed, often by a long way, to win any national or UK election in Scotland since the mid 1950s – has the gall to threaten to downgrade the Scottish Parliament. They have certainly changed the political climate with their expressed intent, if elected to be the UK government, to remove further powers from the Scottish Parliament in order to impose nuclear power generation within Scotland and regardless of the policies of the latter’s elected government. It’s worth revisiting the foreword penned by Lord Smith of Kelvin to the Smith … Continue reading Latest Tory proposal is to prevent the Scottish Parliament from pursuing its own vision, goals and objectives!

1 Comment

The Shadowy Secretary of State Against Scotland

johnrobertson834

Harriet Cross was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and grew up in West Cork, Ireland where her mother was from. She attended Bandon Grammar School in Bandon, County Cork before the family moved to Aberdeenshire, owing to her father’s work, when she was sixteen. She attended Gordonstoun School, after which she studied zoology at Imperial College London before earning a master’s degree in Rural Land and Business Management and from the University of Reading. In 2018, she returned to Aberdeenshire to work as a rural surveyor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Cross By Liz S The Tory Secretary of State for (against) Scotland, Harriet Cross, … Continue reading The Shadowy Secretary of State Against Scotland

1 Comment

Comparisons only newsworthy when they can be framed as unfavourable to Scotland

johnrobertson834

By stewartb Are comparisons between the constituent parts of the UK only deemed newsworthy by the editors of public service broadcasters when they can be framed as unfavourable to Scotland? Beyond the news of health service delivery in Scotland – as reported by BBC Scotland and on the front pages of the Unionist press that are aggregated and amplified daily on the Scotland page of the BBC News website – what do we find is the reality? An NHS Scotland that on many performance metrics operates more effectively and more efficiently to the benefit of patients than its peers in … Continue reading Comparisons only newsworthy when they can be framed as unfavourable to Scotland

2 Comments

Punished and not rewarded because we voted to stay

johnrobertson834

Here is another story linked to another UK party that, so far, the BBC have avoided on their website, yet as a situation it is shocking for Scotland and devolution, but it’s not surprising it’s being neglected by the BBC, as let’s not forget this is the BBC we are talking about (or writing about) and it also relates to the Tories. So firstly there is this: On the 1 October JK Rowling responded to someone asking her about Nicola Sturgeon and her new role in giving a masterclass on women’s leadership. Rowling’s response “I learned not to ask why … Continue reading Punished and not rewarded because we voted to stay

1 Comment

BBC Scotland are yet again ‘gunning for Swinney’

johnrobertson834

By Liz S Clearly the BBC are yet again ‘gunning for Swinney” on behalf of a (pro) UK party (just as they also did , and still are doing, to former FM’s who were SNP leaders). That is their BBC 24/7 objective in Scotland. While surely the real issue here is the ending of the Triple lock Pension and why that decision was taken and so the possible potential consequences it may have for Scotland. (Also will it then benefit England and their National Care service , in it then freeing up money that was formerly allocated to sustain the … Continue reading BBC Scotland are yet again ‘gunning for Swinney’