Another reason to make us believe in ourselves – Research reveals all Scottish building standards are more rigorous than those in England, to protect all of us

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/detailsor, if you prefer, a bank transfer, at sort code 089300 account 1421 7339 Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to JB for alerting me to this: In response to our previous report on why there will be no Grenfell here, JB shared with us: “Scottish Building Standards vs English Building Regulations” written by Gregory Barclay, Architectural Technologist Nov 12 2024. You may wish to read the full text at the link below but one or two conclusions stand out: Building codes and standards are set … Continue reading Another reason to make us believe in ourselves – Research reveals all Scottish building standards are more rigorous than those in England, to protect all of us

Lib Dem Orkney Island council fails for the second time to run a proper ferry service

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/detailsor, if you prefer, a bank transfer, at sort code 089300 account 1421 7339 Professor John Robertson OBA Today, the Herald does have Orkney ferry workers to begin overtime ban amid industrial dispute makes little effort to remind that this not a CalMac story. Yahoo simply re-pastes the Herald story. FERRY services to Orkney will face disruption later this month, a union has warned after workers backed industrial action amid an escalating pay dispute. Unite the Union confirmed on Wednesday that its Orkney Ferries members will take part … Continue reading Lib Dem Orkney Island council fails for the second time to run a proper ferry service

There are no lives at risk from a Grenfell-like towering inferno in Scotland due to cavity fire barriers and higher building standards but tell that to the Herald

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/detailsor, if you prefer, a bank transfer, at sort code 089300 account 1421 7339 Professor John Robertson OBA In the Herald today: ‘Lives at risk’ as ministers spend just 11% of £97m Scots safety fund Ministers have come under fire as repairs on ‘dangerous’ cladding have reached a “scandalous” standstill with just 11% of a special safety fund spent so far – eight years after the Grenfell tragedy. Up to 1500 tower blocks across Scotland may need repairs, but as of June two are being made … Continue reading There are no lives at risk from a Grenfell-like towering inferno in Scotland due to cavity fire barriers and higher building standards but tell that to the Herald

Bus passes for under 22s – As UK Labour copy another SNP initiative BBC Scotland is instantly ready to undermine the very same in Scotland on behalf of Scottish Labour

sanctions against free travel card holders here. Professor John Robertson OBA Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/detailsor, if you prefer, a bank transfer, at sort code 089300 account 1421 7339 Only minutes after BBC Breakfast‘s report on the plans to introduce free bus passes for young folk in England, days after we heard they will copy Scotland drink driving limits, and their mention that since 2022, everyone (their emphasis) in Scotland from 5 to 22 is entitled to free bus travel, Reporting Scotland had an oven-ready piece to undermine it. … Continue reading Bus passes for under 22s – As UK Labour copy another SNP initiative BBC Scotland is instantly ready to undermine the very same in Scotland on behalf of Scottish Labour

News you won’t hear – Record numbers of hip and knee operations performed last year in Scotland

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/detailsor, if you prefer, a bank transfer, at sort code 089300 account 1421 7339 Professor John Robertson OBA I didn’t see this at the time of publication, 7 days ago, for the obvious reason the Scottish media didn’t report it. Today, the media across the UK do have the story of knee implants that are faulty and have been know to be faulty for ten years and recently the Herald, your supposedly trusted information source had a story about a Glasgow hospital praised for incredible … Continue reading News you won’t hear – Record numbers of hip and knee operations performed last year in Scotland

Did Annie Wells want Glasgow to spend less on needle bins so that local weans can get their hands in more easily?

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or, if you prefer, a bank transfer, at sort code 089300 account 1421 7339 Professor John Robertson OBA In little more than another Conservative Party release, the Herald has a report today from Annie Wells (Con) that Glasgow City Council has spent £5 000 on installing two public sharp bins for used injection needles. I’m sure Wells will know that these bins must be safe and that an ordinary wheelie bin is not on. Did the wee researcher for Wells check the going rate … Continue reading Did Annie Wells want Glasgow to spend less on needle bins so that local weans can get their hands in more easily?

On older drivers and road deaths, two new Labour Government initiatives, one ill-researched and the other copying the SNP 11 years too late

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or, if you prefer, a bank transfer, at sort code 089300 account 1421 7339 Professor John Robertson OBA First, on age, under 30 year-olds have the highest accident and fatality rates by some way: https://toptests.co.uk/driving-statistics/ Second, on alcohol and road traffic accidents, around 300 die in accidents where at least one driver was over the limit, around 3 300 since the SNP reduced the level and politicians in England prevented the same: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-involving-illegal-alcohol-levels-2022/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-involving-illegal-alcohol-levels-2022 Third, Scotland, not mentioned in the BBC UK reporting today and … Continue reading On older drivers and road deaths, two new Labour Government initiatives, one ill-researched and the other copying the SNP 11 years too late

Scotland does a better job of monitoring bathing water quality than England does

Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: In the Guardian today, the above map, and: England’s swimming waters five times more likely to be polluted than in EU, research finds Experts warn country is in danger of becoming ‘dirty man of Europe’ as it falls to bottom of bathing water leader board. The campaign group Best for Britain analysed the quality of bathing waters under UK and EU standards and found that across all four nations of the UK, holidaymakers are less likely to enjoy “excellent” quality waters than in the EU. Their research found … Continue reading Scotland does a better job of monitoring bathing water quality than England does

Which Scottish public service has the highest customer service rating? I’ll give you a clue – it has red and black funnels

Professor John Robertson OBA We’ve seen a steady stream of politicised propaganda based on CalMac for a few years now and as recently as the above Scotsman headline only 5 days ago, suggesting some kind of crisis in Scotland’s west coast ferry system. You’d think, given its frequency and intensity, it must be real and that, because of that, ferry-users would be making their views clear, on the day they were in some way disappointed, through the company’s own evaluation easily accessible to them. They have made their views clear, but not in the way media critics might have hoped … Continue reading Which Scottish public service has the highest customer service rating? I’ll give you a clue – it has red and black funnels

Scotland’s elite built their wealth on slavery and THEY can easily do something about it now – HMRC have it all on record

Professor John Robertson OBA The two pieces today on ‘Scotland’ and its role in slavery, the first accurately worded, the second not so, remind me of an earlier debate prompted Anas Sarwar, defended by Prof Tom Devine. Here’s how it went in August 2022: Sarwar’s support for Pakistan’s independence, considered hypocritical by many including me, was dismissed by Devine as ‘no comparison‘ because Scotland was not ‘subjected to imperial authority‘ and because ‘Scots‘ (sic) took part in the Empire with ‘relish and enthusiastic commitment.‘ He’s wrong. Like even the best of historians, he seems to have forgotten that ‘Scots‘ embraces … Continue reading Scotland’s elite built their wealth on slavery and THEY can easily do something about it now – HMRC have it all on record