UK Labour aim to halve violence against women in 10 years but to a level still far higher per head than in Scotland today – is that anywhere near good enough? Ask Anas!

and girls in ten years. Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Breakfast above, today, has been discussing at length, the Labour Government’s new strategy promising to halve violence against women and girls in ten years. What is the current level? In the year-ending June 2025, there were 72 804 cases of rape and attempted rape, 211 225 sexual offences and 797 530 cases of domestic abuse, in England and Wales.1 In Scotland in the same period, the figures were 2 897, 5 124 and 2 573.2, 3 England & Wales have roughly 11 times the population, so all things being equal … Continue reading UK Labour aim to halve violence against women in 10 years but to a level still far higher per head than in Scotland today – is that anywhere near good enough? Ask Anas!

UK Labour Government to copy SNP policy on specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams from 2013, 16 years too late, in a culture where these offences are between twice and three times as common!

Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Politics today: All police forces to get specialist sexual offence teams, Mahmood pledges – Specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams will be introduced to every police force in England and Wales by 2029, the government has pledged. It is part of a long-delayed plan aimed at halving violence against women and girls within a decade. In Scotland: Police Scotland’s specialist sexual offence teams, including the divisional Rape Investigation Units and the National Rape Task Force, were established following the creation of Police Scotland on 1 April 2013.This came from the merger of Scotland’s … Continue reading UK Labour Government to copy SNP policy on specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams from 2013, 16 years too late, in a culture where these offences are between twice and three times as common!

Scotland sees major falls in violent crime, housebreaking and drug possession but the Herald only sees the dark side

Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald has an agenda and it’s so clear above – Crime is rising and the SNP is to blame. I have an agenda too but unlike the MSM I’ve never sought to hide it – some things are improving and we need media balance so that people can correctly assess the quality of their lives under the SNP. They’re selective to paint a dark picture. I’m selective to try and balance that. They are correct about sexual crimes though there is research suggesting the increase is at least in part about a greater willingness to … Continue reading Scotland sees major falls in violent crime, housebreaking and drug possession but the Herald only sees the dark side

The Arthur’s Seat honour-based murder was imported from Leeds four years ago – there has never been one by a Scot yet media choose that as their only example for a change in law for England & Wales where there are as many as 15 every year

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 Professor John Robertson OBA The Guardian, today, has: UK to clarify definition of ‘honour’-based abuse in drive to cut violence against women and girls and, at the end, this: Yasmin Javed, whose daughter Fawziyah Javed was pushed off Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland by her husband after learning she was pregnant and had planned to leave the marriage, said she was “pleased” the government had listened to calls from campaigners. “I hope that this will help many more people affected by HBA and ensure that the multiple perpetrators … Continue reading The Arthur’s Seat honour-based murder was imported from Leeds four years ago – there has never been one by a Scot yet media choose that as their only example for a change in law for England & Wales where there are as many as 15 every year

There is no evidence that ‘mothers and babies came to harm in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary’ but Reporting Scotland want you to think so despite NHS Scotland’s lower maternity death rate and better staffing

Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland this morning claimed that mothers and babies came to harm in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary due to a toxic culture there, as they reported on an independent review. The review as reported by BBC Scotland on their website today, does not mention that claim at all: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj3x6vy3lkeo The claim comes from a December 2024 internal review by Lothian Health board which BBC Scotland reported as only having this evidence: But staff say they fear the risks to patients remain. “We are afraid we can’t provide safe patient care and that women and babies are being … Continue reading There is no evidence that ‘mothers and babies came to harm in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary’ but Reporting Scotland want you to think so despite NHS Scotland’s lower maternity death rate and better staffing

There are no ‘UK rape conviction cases’ only ones for England and Wales OR for Scotland and though the latter are still not remotely good enough, I know, they are very different these days

Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Committee Chair In the Guardian today: Stacey Dooley on the UK’s shocking rape conviction statistics [sic] – Prosecuting rape is notoriously difficult in the UK [sic], with an estimated 5% of cases making it to trial, and only about 45% [of those so 2%?] resulting in a conviction. Amid such discouraging headlines, four young women have allowed Stacey Dooley to tell their difficult, complex stories about reporting being raped by someone they know, in the three-year run-up to trial. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/13/tv-tonight-stacey-dooley-on-the-uks-shocking-conviction-statistics There are no UK rape conviction statistics. There are statistics for England & Wales … Continue reading There are no ‘UK rape conviction cases’ only ones for England and Wales OR for Scotland and though the latter are still not remotely good enough, I know, they are very different these days

5 times as many rape cases solved and 3 times as many violence cases solved in Scotland than in England & Wales

In the Guardian today: Victims are being “let down time and time again” by police, a minister has said, as almost every violent or sexual offence went unsolved in hundreds of Britain’s crime hotspots last year. Nearly 1.9m violent or sexual crimes in England and Wales were closed without a suspect being caught or charged in the year to June 2024 – about 89% of all offences given an outcome, official figures show. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/13/most-violent-or-sexual-offences-went-unsolved-in-uk-hotspots-last-year In the ‘Scottish’ Daily Express on 23 October 2024: Police only solve half of all crimes in SNP’s soft-touch justice Scotland – Police officers in Scotland are solving … Continue reading 5 times as many rape cases solved and 3 times as many violence cases solved in Scotland than in England & Wales

Labour letting the Waspi women die in poverty is just business for the BBC and, of course, BBC Scotland, as they shield Sarwar

BBC Business, minutes ago has: Campaigners have reacted with fury to what it calls the government’s “unjustified” rejection of compensation for women hit by changes to the state pension age. They say 3.6 million women born in the 1950s were not properly informed of the rise in state pension age to bring them into line with men. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall apologised for a 28-month delay in sending letters, but has rejected any kind of financial payouts. Nine months ago, a parliamentary ombudsman recommended compensation of between £1,000 and £2,950 to each of those affected. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czr36842nd6o Many WASPI … Continue reading Labour letting the Waspi women die in poverty is just business for the BBC and, of course, BBC Scotland, as they shield Sarwar

What the Scottish Government has achieved with the Scottish NHS is more than mere mitigation

By Legerwood What the Scottish Government has achieved with the Scottish NHS is more than mere mitigation. Just look at the number of new hospitals that have been built the length and breadth of Scotland and the upgrades to existing hospitals. For example, new Community hospitals in Kirkwall, Aviemore, Broadford, Haddington to name but a few. They provide a better work environment and often increased facilities which mean better outcomes for patients. The new community hospital in Kirkwall won a silver medal in an international competition. Haddington Community Hospital which has only been open for a few years won a … Continue reading What the Scottish Government has achieved with the Scottish NHS is more than mere mitigation

Increase in funding for already better-staffed midwifery services

In January 2024, the Daily Mail reporting a drop in the number of midwives, had: Women are dying during childbirth at the same rates as two decades ago, ‘alarming’ new data shows. An independent review into maternity deaths showed 293 women died during pregnancy and within six weeks of giving birth between 2020 and 2022. Experts said the upward trend is the most compelling evidence yet that failures now span ‘across the entire maternity system’ and is ‘not just one or two hospitals.’ The overall rate in 2020-2022, was 13.41 deaths per 100 000 births and based on the graph … Continue reading Increase in funding for already better-staffed midwifery services