Tag: scotland

5 Comments

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

johnrobertson834

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

2 Comments

Does the public not see it as unfair that Labour are punishing the weak and vulnerable in order to protect the financial interests of many millionaires?

johnrobertson834

Liz S I saw online today that in last night’s BBC QT that a Labour MP and Minister ,Nick Thomas-Symonds , said in response to a Q on the Labour PM’s partial and not full U-Turn on WFP: “I don’t think anyone thinks it is a good use of public money to be paying the winter fuel payment to millionaires”. Really ? Though surely then it is also correct to surmise that most ‘ordinary’ people would also think that with Labour, as a UK party, receiving substantial amounts as political financial donations from millionaires , that is then seen as something that is grossly unfair , distasteful … Continue reading Does the public not see it as unfair that Labour are punishing the weak and vulnerable in order to protect the financial interests of many millionaires?

1 Comment

The blatant hypocrisy of lecturing the Scottish FM on serious assaults in Scotland while serious assaults and knife crime have tragically led to far far more young people’s deaths in England

johnrobertson834

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/mapped-knife-crime-is-rising-how-many-attacks-in-your-area-and-why-is-it-increasing/ar-AA1EX0cG?ocid=BingNewsSerp Liz S Today’s Daily Record: “How many more kids have to die” Teenage Knife crime epidemic“ This is now apparently something the Daily Record (Paul Hutcheon) have taken up and they say that “John Swinney has pledged to act on youth violence in response to the Daily Record’s plea“. So basically someone, checks notes, Paul Hutcheon has ambushed the FM, after FMQ’s, and asked him what he is going to do about this and obviously he has responded in a positive manner. The Daily Record now see this as a political weapon to help Sarwar next year and so it is … Continue reading The blatant hypocrisy of lecturing the Scottish FM on serious assaults in Scotland while serious assaults and knife crime have tragically led to far far more young people’s deaths in England

9 Comments

The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election – That’s your answer as to why we see yet again the Daily Record’s sickening and repeated exploitation of knife crime tragedy

johnrobertson834

By Liz S The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election. That’s your answer as to why we see, yet again, the “Daily Record’s sickening and repeated exploitation of tragedy and failure to inform their readers as murder by knife and possession of knives plummet in Scotland, only”. “Failure of government” ? The Labour London Mayor Sadiq Khan , was Knighted in the 2025 New Years Honours list for political and public service. He is the first Mayor to be awarded a Knighthood. “London experiences a high incidence of knife crime, with nearly a third of all knife-related offenses in England and Wales occurring within the capital“. “In 2024, the … Continue reading The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election – That’s your answer as to why we see yet again the Daily Record’s sickening and repeated exploitation of knife crime tragedy

9 Comments

How the ‘Scottish’ media have singularly failed to investigate and fully report on the true state of the ferry services

johnrobertson834

By stewartb: The level of mainstream media ‘interest’ in CalMac ferry services has been ramped up and highly politicised over recent years. However, in sharp distinction to coverage by the highly resourced-constrained TuS, the highly resource-rich BBC Scotland and others in the mainstream media – those supposedly serving Scotland – have singularly failed to investigate and fully report on the true state of these ferry services. This failure is despite pointing out the economic and social importance of the ferries to the communities served. As best as I can recall (and do correct me if I’ve missed something substantive): And … Continue reading How the ‘Scottish’ media have singularly failed to investigate and fully report on the true state of the ferry services

2 Comments

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

johnrobertson834

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

10 Comments

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?

johnrobertson834

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?

7 Comments

‘I’d rather be a teacher in Scotland than England’ – research review confirms the sense in this

johnrobertson834

‘I’d rather be a teacher in Scotland than England’ By JB The headline above is from Teachers Education Supplement magazine 2019 in an article about a teacher from England who came to work in Scotland. “Teachers have a far better time of it north of the border, says this educator who has experienced school life in both countries”  He goes on to say that “On balance, I think teaching in the Scottish state- education system is better than in the English one. It seems foolish now that I never considered there would be differences; it’s just that my English-centric view had … Continue reading ‘I’d rather be a teacher in Scotland than England’ – research review confirms the sense in this

5 Comments

Man from Stewarton knows nothing at all about Scottish schools as he calls for Michael Gove’s ideas to be implemented here

johnrobertson834

Michael Gove’s bookshelf with David Irving’s holocaust denying The War Path on it. Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to reader Legerwood for alerting me to this: Published in Herald today, a letter by Graeme Arnott of Stewarton, claiming: Premier league of achievement? Stuck with a failing model? This thesis does not survive a collision with the evidence. From UK Poverty 2025 The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, today: There are differences between the statistics on attainment in schools in the four UK nations which limit comparisons but the size of the gap between … Continue reading Man from Stewarton knows nothing at all about Scottish schools as he calls for Michael Gove’s ideas to be implemented here

11 Comments

Scotland’s drinking water is the best in Europe and is ranked second in the world but not reported by ‘our’ media?

johnrobertson834

By JB In February 2025 the Medical Travel Insurance specialists at AllClear released a report analyzing more than 2,000 Reddit comments identifying the most frequently mentioned destinations for the best-tasting tap water on Earth.  “After reviewing all the comments, the team found that Scotland was the most frequently mentioned destination in Europe and the second most mentioned location in the world. The report noted that travelers particularly praise the water from the Highlands and lochs, particularly Loch Katrine, for its “bottled-water taste.”  The Best Tap Water in the World, According to Reddit The best-tasting tap water in the world – AllClear Travel … Continue reading Scotland’s drinking water is the best in Europe and is ranked second in the world but not reported by ‘our’ media?