Author: johnrobertson834
Retired Professor of Media Politics
Not-for-profit independent political analysis
Ambulance chasers at the Herald arrive just in time for the Election to mislead you on the UK’s fastest service
Scots visiting Canada this summer can expect to pay nearly three times comparable CalMac prices
As US/Israel/Iran war escalates out of control, new generations of terrorists are produced and US experts warn Washington, a former officer with UK Civil Nuclear Constabulary says Labour’s new mini reactors cannot be protected
Isle of Wight ferries – breakdowns, cancellations, rocketing prices, THREE times the cost of the Oban to Mull crossing and unfair taxation compared to Scotland
The Great Scottish Ferry Inconvenience Media War
Lesley Riddoch in her early April 2026 podcast said on the ferries crisis (literally) I’ve got to say personally, I’m sick of hearing people on the mainland ‘attack islanders’ for simply expecting that they can be connected. Just to remind you we all live on an island, and it would be a bit like saying Scotland’s a bit too expensive to include in UK national systems so let’s just charge them more. We wouldnae, would we?’ Who are those ‘people’ attacking islanders then? Turns out it’s me! ‘I’m probably gonna lose some friends on this because I am absolutely sick … Continue reading The Great Scottish Ferry Inconvenience Media War
‘The SNP’s childcare proposals build on a sustained, multi‑year expansion with measurable benefits for families’
From BBC Scotland yesterday, the above and: The SNP’s plans to expand free childcare have been criticised by Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives as a “gimmick” and lacking in detail. Is that true? Let’s ask an intelligent speedy independent source: Look at the actual proposals and the Scottish Government’s history of action on free childcare, including relative to England or Wales to assess whether this is just a gimmick or real plan with benefits for parents. From use.ai: Looking at the SNP’s actual proposals and track record on childcare, it would not be accurate to characterise the current plan as “just a gimmick.” … Continue reading ‘The SNP’s childcare proposals build on a sustained, multi‑year expansion with measurable benefits for families’
Not one Scottish Jew has been physically assaulted in an anti-semitic attack since records began but the Scotsman reports one non-Jew being ‘pushed and spat at’ to fuel a panic
So, a non-Jew on his way to a non-Jewish event is ‘pushed and spat at‘ by someone shouting ‘anti-semitic abuse’ in Edinburgh is a sign that Scotland’s Jews too must now fear events comparable to the actual stabbing, in London, of two men wearing Jewish headgear, by a man with a long history of mental health problems and who had earlier that day tried to murder a Muslim man? You’d think even the churnos at the Scotsman might realise ‘Hey we’re constructing a moral panic here.’ You know, where the media amplify a relatively rare form of crime to make … Continue reading Not one Scottish Jew has been physically assaulted in an anti-semitic attack since records began but the Scotsman reports one non-Jew being ‘pushed and spat at’ to fuel a panic
NHS Scotland has 46% more psychiatrists than NHS England, sees 82% on time, but their convener appears on Reporting Scotland Down with only 4 days to go to shout ‘CRISIS!’
mental state as physical health. Speaking ahead of Thursday’s Holyrood election, the Royal College say the current system is in crisis and that they’re prepared to work with all parties to improve services. I’ll spare you full detail of the supposed current failures. Here’s why this is just another trade union sharing the same interests as BBC Reporting Scotland, undermining the SNP Government at this, for them, perfect time, is not true. Crisis in performance? Nope, see: Crisis in staffing? Nope, see: From BBC Scotland in 2024 from the Royal College themselves: The cost of bringing in locum psychiatrists on emergency contracts … Continue reading NHS Scotland has 46% more psychiatrists than NHS England, sees 82% on time, but their convener appears on Reporting Scotland Down with only 4 days to go to shout ‘CRISIS!’
‘Scotland lacks powers to shut shops linked to organised crime gangs’ because it’s not independent – one more example for voters
In the Herald today, not the above but: Scotland lacks powers to shut shops linked to organised crime gangs – Scotland is being left exposed to organised crime on its high streets because authorities lack the legal powers to shut down rogue shops, ministers have been warned. Trading standards teams are concerned that criminal gangs are operating out of seemingly legitimate businesses — selling illegal tobacco, counterfeit goods and laundering cash — yet in Scotland enforcement officers cannot use the same closure powers available elsewhere in the UK to close them down. Within its limited powers, what is the Scottish … Continue reading ‘Scotland lacks powers to shut shops linked to organised crime gangs’ because it’s not independent – one more example for voters
Talking-up Scotland 