Robert Wedderburn came a long way to find out that his father was a bastard. Born in Jamaica, as a young man Robert made his way to London. He was press-ganged by the Royal Navy, forced to fight for the British in the American Revolution, in 1782. After the war ended a year later, he managed to escape from his ship in Barbados. He returned to London to his wife Elizabeth, who … [Read more...] about Two worlds collide or stories Geoff Palmer told
Ferreting out radioactive leaks from Trident
Last month, Scotland’s crowd-funded investigative journalism outfit The Ferret, in partnership with The Guardian, published documents showing that radioactive water from the Royal Navy’s Coulport armaments depot leaked into Loch Long after ageing pipes burst and flooded areas where nuclear warheads are handled. Loch Long is a 20-mile-long seawater loch that flows into the Firth … [Read more...] about Ferreting out radioactive leaks from Trident
Should the Scottish Government fund public interest journalism?
Scotland is in the middle of a long, slow media collapse. Newsrooms are shrinking, as is the audience. Social media is awash with influencers boosted by dark money. Public trust is eroding. And still, the Scottish Government hesitates. This week, Holyrood hosted a cross-party meeting on public interest journalism. It was part of a discussion that has been going on for a couple … [Read more...] about Should the Scottish Government fund public interest journalism?
Are Scotland’s ferries too cheap?
Judged against other countries with inhabited islands, Scotland’s ferry service is among the best in the world, something its critics rarely acknowledge. The fleet is younger, the service more frequent, and customer satisfaction is high at 88%. In one important measure, though, Scotland’s ferries are different: they are exceptionally cheap. Is that a good thing? Should we be … [Read more...] about Are Scotland’s ferries too cheap?
Trans in fiction – and in court
The UK Supreme Court said that their ruling on biological sex as a distinct category in equality provision should not be interpreted as a defeat for trans people. Trans people have the right to live in dignity, free from harassment and discrimination, they ruled. Most of those who welcomed the judgement also made a point of saying that they support the rights of trans people to … [Read more...] about Trans in fiction – and in court