Why is BBC Scotland news editor James Cook ignoring Police Scotland alerts to another English-based drug gang operating here?

From Police Scotland, last night, the above image and: Two men have been sentenced for their part in a County Lines drugs operation between the North East of Scotland and the West Midlands. Fleury Tsaty, aged 29, was jailed for three years and three months, at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Friday, 28 June, 2024. Wasem Sharif, aged 19, was issued an 18 month community payback order. They were arrested in September 2022 following the execution of warrants at a number of addresses in the Seaton area of Aberdeen and in Birmingham. Heroin, crack cocaine and herbal cannabis with an estimated … Continue reading Why is BBC Scotland news editor James Cook ignoring Police Scotland alerts to another English-based drug gang operating here?

Police Scotland Alerts – Why is BBC Scotland not looking as Scotland’s drug deaths are fuelled by English gangs

By Professor John Robertson From Police Scotland yesterday: Three people have been arrested in connection with drug offences in Aberdeen. Following a County Lines intelligence led operation, officers executed warrants at addresses on Esslemont Avenue and Granton Place, Aberdeen on Wednesday, 19 June, 2024. Class A drugs with an estimated value of £35,000 and a four-figure sum of cash were recovered. A 23-year-woman and a two men, aged 30 and 31, all from the London area were arrested and charged in connection with the recovery.  They are due to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Thursday, 20 June, 2024.  A … Continue reading Police Scotland Alerts – Why is BBC Scotland not looking as Scotland’s drug deaths are fuelled by English gangs

Sir Keir Starmer, The Man Without Qualities

By Professor John Robertson “For when we lie nowadays it is not so much out of weakness as out of a conviction that a man cannot prevail in life unless he is able to lie.” When you hear Sir Keir Starmer speak, the title of Robert Musol’s pre-war novel, the Man Without Qualities, forced on many 1960’s students, can pop into your head. He doesn’t excite. He doesn’t even interest but too often, he disappoints and it’s chilling. When he was asked after his big speech: Two weeks ago, some of Labour’s traditional voters abandoned the party because of issues … Continue reading Sir Keir Starmer, The Man Without Qualities

Under Labour, NHS Wales put responsibility on A&E patients to ‘choose most appropriate place’ and BBC Wales ignore it

By Professor John Robertson Thanks to AR for alerting me to this. From Wales Online yesterday but absent from BBC Wales reporting despite the drama and the relevance for their audience: Welsh health board issues ‘red alert’ over A&E pressures. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has issued a red alert as their emergency departments are currently under “extreme pressure”. The warning from the North Wales board makes clear that there are “extremely” long delays at A&E. People are being encouraged to choose the “most suitable place to access care”. Currently, waits of up to 10 hours are being reported at … Continue reading Under Labour, NHS Wales put responsibility on A&E patients to ‘choose most appropriate place’ and BBC Wales ignore it

Scotland to power millions of homes in England, for no return, for the moment

From the Yorkshire Post in February 2024: Landowners in East Yorkshire have complained of feeling “pressurised” over an undersea electricity “superhighway” from Scotland to England which will cross their land. The £2.1bn link between Peterhead in north east Scotland and Drax in north Yorkshire, is expected to provide enough “green” electricity from Scottish offshore wind farms to power 2m homes in England. England. https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/people/the-yorkshire-beach-where-ps21bn-cable-carrying-electricity-from-scottish-windfarms-will-come-onshore-4039515?s=03 Bloody Scots, comin’ down ere, powering our homes and blighting our landscapes with their pylons? 2 million homes eh? Based on average electricity bills, around £2 billion in revenue, taxed by the UK Treasury and kept there for … Continue reading Scotland to power millions of homes in England, for no return, for the moment

The Largs-Cumbrae ferry is 6 years YOUNGER than a Clyde-built equivalent still in service in Ireland

By Professor John Robertson The Herald is desperately try to make money off their ‘scoop’ on the Largs to Cumbrae ferry being 48 years old and ’23 years past its sell by date.’ Any idiot knows that sell by dates are not eat by dates. 48 years for a wee crossing ferry is not old. The aging ferry myth – Ireland has twice the GDP growth but is still using 7 of CalMac’s 50 year-old ferries Readers will know that the supposed failure of the SNP Government to invest in new ferries, despite the highest subsidies in the known world, … Continue reading The Largs-Cumbrae ferry is 6 years YOUNGER than a Clyde-built equivalent still in service in Ireland

Cannabis use by Scotland’s teens – Lisa Summer’s deliberate attempt at obfuscation or just clumsy?

By stewartb The availability of the cannabis use statistic for Scotland may be very ‘fortuitous’ for the headline writer of the BBC News website’s article on Scotland. The same website’s piece on its main UK page which focuses on England tells us: ‘NO DATA ON CANNABIS WAS PROVIDED FOR ENGLAND.’ (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68884005) The article on England now only has prominence on the BBC News website’s ‘health’ page. At the bottom of the article, the BBC provides links to ‘related topics’ which include ‘alcohol’ and ‘cannabis’. The BBC News website’s article on the same WHO data remains prominent on the main Scotland page (at … Continue reading Cannabis use by Scotland’s teens – Lisa Summer’s deliberate attempt at obfuscation or just clumsy?

BBC reporting of County Lines drug gangs getting closer as BBC Cumbria carries story – When will BBC Scotland face this dark shadow on the Union?

By Professor John Robertson BBC Cumbria becomes the latest of BBC regions to report on the devastating plague of County Lines gangs spreading drug death, extreme violence, people trafficking and child abuse, across the UK and now from Manchester to small towns in Cumbria. Imagine if these gangs were based in Scottish cities and crossing into England? BBC Scotland’s last and only report on County Lines gangs in Scotland, estimated at 55 groups, from Dumfries to Dingwall, more than three years ago. the report is careful not to mention the word ‘England’ nor even name the all-English cities where the … Continue reading BBC reporting of County Lines drug gangs getting closer as BBC Cumbria carries story – When will BBC Scotland face this dark shadow on the Union?

Violent Wolverhampton drugs gang arrests in Edinburgh not in public interest here apparently

From PA Scotland yesterday (the above is a Wolverhampton-based gang; perhaps the same one but there are several): Six men have been arrested as part of a day of action targeting “county lines” drug supplies into Edinburgh. Detectives said the men, aged 38, 30, 29, 24, 22 and 21, were arrested in Edinburgh and Wolverhampton on Wednesday and charged in connection with various drug offences. Police said small quantities of crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis, along with a four-figure sum of cash, were recovered during the operation. Detectives from Edinburgh have made a number of arrests in a day of action aimed … Continue reading Violent Wolverhampton drugs gang arrests in Edinburgh not in public interest here apparently

Shock – Welsh teachers union doesn’t sacrifice its members’ interests to help Labour

This site costs nothing to run so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ By stewartb In TuS yesterday: ‘the EIS union, whose leaders have regularly misrepresented their members interests to help Scottish Labour’ Given the reference to the EIS and given its general negativity towards the Scottish Government, it’s instructive to look at an example of how the equivalent of the EIS in Wales frames its ‘wants’ from the Welsh Government (with my emphasis). From the website of the National Education Union (NEU): ‘The crisis in funding for schools and colleges in Wales. Motion 22 – NEU Cymru members highlight … Continue reading Shock – Welsh teachers union doesn’t sacrifice its members’ interests to help Labour