While sections of the independence movement get on with the serious business of self-righteously and noisily condemning other sections of the independence movement for the terrible crime of having a different opinion about certain issues which are not directly related to independence. The Tories are quietly getting on with their far more serious business of hollowing out the devolution settlement from within and undermining the powers of the Scottish Parliament. And while we are on the topic of divisions within the independence movement, make no mistake at all, the Conservatives will leap at the opportunity to use the Salmond-Sturgeon dispute as an excuse to undermine the powers of the Scottish Parliament even further. We stoke the fires of division at our peril.
Today the Conservative government at Westminster has announced plans to spend millions of pounds across Scotland in direct partnership with local authorities, completely by-passing Holyrood. The funding will be allocated by Westminster and will not require the approval of Holyrood. The money is part of the £4 billion set aside by Chancellor Rishi Sunak for “levelling up the country.” This mone had until now been spent only in England, but today’s announcement from the British government confirms that the scheme is to be extended to Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland.
Westminster intends to grant the cash for use on capital projects such as transport and infrastructure, culture and heritage schemes despite the fact that these are competencies which come within the remit of the devolved Parliament. This has been enabled by a provision in the Conservatives’ controversial UK Internal Market Bill and represents confirmation that Gove, Johnson and the Tories intend to use Brexit as an excuse to undermine the devolution settlement and further centralise the already over-centralised British state.
You can be sure that SNP controlled local authorities will be put to the back of the queue and that the Conservatives will target the funding in a nakedly party political way in an attempt to undermine their opponents, which in Scotland means that they will spend it in ways which will by-pass SNP controlled local authorities. This is precisely how the Conservatives have already used the money in England. In Scotland it’s going to be used to weaken the independence movement and to bolster the anti- independence cause. This is a clear example of the Conservatives using public money for nakedly political purposes. Colour us all surprised eh?
In September 2019 the BBC reported that UK govt spending supposedly aimed at “levelling up so called left behind towns in England was disproportionately being spent in Conservative held constituencies and in Labour-Conservative marginals. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49883367
The English expenditure which was supposed to deliver an increase in school funding in “left-behind” towns was in fact used to boost the electoral prospects of local Conservatives. However an analysis of the expenditure carried out by the Education Policy Institute found that nine out of the top ten beneficiaries in terms of an increase per pupil in cash were in Tory held constituencies. Of the 36 constituencies which received no benefit at all from the scheme all but four were held by Labour despite the fact that they generally had a higher level of base funding due to greater pupil need and greater social deprivation. Quoted by the BBC, Natalie Perera of the Education Policy Institute said that “In this context, [the extra funding] means bringing generally more affluent schools up to the same level of funding as more disadvantaged schools.” She added that “it was “reasonable to say that the latest announcement targets more funding to more affluent and generally more Conservative areas”.
In Scotland there is the additional dimension of devolution and Conservative attempts to weaken and undermine the Scottish parliament and the devolution settlement. As is clear from their behaviour in England, the Conservatives treat this public money, not as a mechanism for improving public services, but rather as a tool for promoting a nakedly party political agenda.
This move comes after the UK governmen cut Scotland’s capital budget at the Spending Review by 5% . In other words the British government has slashed the funding which was under the control of the Scottish government and replaced it with a smaller block of funding which is directly under the control of Johnson and the Tories. This will then be presented to the Scottish public by our anti independence media as Scotland being done a favour by a munificent British state when in fact it represents both a power grab and a cash grab which has an immediate negative impact on Scotland’s ability to determine its own spending priorities. No doubt we can now look forward to a tranche of this British government money being spent on a feasibility study for Boris Johnson’s fantasy proposal for a fixed link between Scotland and Northern Ireland. Whatever capital projects it ends up being spent on, you can be quite certain that they will have British flags plastered all over them. This is all really just another exercise in Conservative flag fetishism. Because the real reason that more and more people in Scotland want independence is because we’re not subjected to enough union jackery. Or rather, union jack-offery.
It is the UK Government, and not the Scottish Government, which will decide where this money is to be spent and what it is to be spent on. So despite the fact that Scotland has repeatedly rejected the Conservatives at the ballot box, the Conservatives are still taking it upon themselves to dictate to Scotland how public money is to be spent on devolved competencies. The cash will then be loaded onto the expenditure column in the GERS statistics and will be used as yet more “evidence” that Scotland would be unable to fund itself.
It’s a signal warning that the independence movement must not take its eye off the ball. While we bicker amongst ourselves, the Conservatives are not letting up in their assault on the devolution settlement and on Scottish democracy itself. It is manifestly not the case that, as some supposedly pro-independence campaigners who focus all their attention and energy on attacking Nicola Sturgeon sniffily assert, that “We all know already that the Tories are vile”. We live in a country where the majority of the media continues to excuse and enable the Conservatives, and as the Holyrood elections approach, they are going to double down on their efforts to excuse and enable the Tories. That makes it all the more important that we do not cease in our efforts to talk about and explain the real threat to Scotland. The duplicitous and devious attempts of the Conservatives to grab power for themselves and to remove themselves from the ability of the people of Scotland to hold them to account.
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I’ve come to the conclusion these BritNat parties will sacrifice all Scottish institutions if that is what is required to save the union, it’s a bit unfortunate that Alex Salmond seems have been loading their guns for them.
The very first post Paul
“While sections of the independence movement get on with the serious business of self-righteously and noisily condemning other sections of the independence movement for the terrible crime of having a different opinion about certain issues which are not directly related to independence.”
jfngw , shut up about AS and NS the false internal war in SNP , enough is enough , move forward to scottish independence
Dont you get it ? Every time you say stuff about AS
Someone else says stuff about NS
And back and forth it goes
Waken up , Scottish indepndence is the important factor here
My comment is nothing to do directly with NS & AS dispute, it is about the Tories using AS’s comments of corruption against Scotland’s institutions. It relates to Paul’s comment in the first paragraph regarding the Tories trying to undermine Scotland’s parliament and how they will jump on anything to achieve this.
I’ll add as you don’t seem to grasp what I’ve written. Paul believes they want to undermine our parliament but I believe they have larger ambitions and want to undermine all our institutions with the aim to incorporate them into a British system.
So very true
Absolutely right again Paul and the wedge will be used in particular with flaky councils such as in the Isles that are easily seduced by the regular floating of the Orkney/Shetland breakaway fantasy that erupts at every electoral and indy turn. These councils are looking for money for big infrastructure projects relating to renewable energy and communications both of which are reserved matters. The protagenists of these largely independent councils lack political sophistication and will swallow the money form wherever it comes irrespective of whether it damages wider social needs and the clear benefits of the collective national need to gain autonomy over our political and financial future.
I agree Paul. I saw this coming two years ago. My worry is that our internal bickering and the assault on us by Westminster is working. Have you noticed that the last few opinion polls have a lower Yes percentage.
Scots have to decide whether Scotland is a country or not and if in agreement that it is,should we have the right to elect a government of our choice or accept that England’s Tories determine what happens here.
City funding is simply part of the divide and rule strategy deployed by the British state over many years in order to further their control over territories threatening to take back democratic control.
Too many so called independence supporters appear to have lost sight of the fact that the election to initiate that outcome is only a matter of weeks away.
Now is not the time to undermine the main political party which supports the restoration of Scotland’s statehood.
If funding of public services has now become a mainly political process,then everyone loses at the end of the day.
Today’s friendly government can become tomorrow’s hostile one with no long term planning being possible for those responsible for it’s delivery.
Independence supporters must now concentrate on reducing the numbers of Unionist MSPs at Holyrood in the May election.
In a voting system engineered to ensure one party does not win a majority, an SNP 1-2 vote IMHO is a waste of the 2nd vote.
An SNP 1 Green 2 vote however would increase the Indy majority and reduce the numbers of Unionist List MSPs at Holyrood.
This film promotes the ISP, but IMHO the Greens would be a safer option.
Aren’t the. Greens standing both in regional and constituencies in some areas ?
It will depend on the regional polling. If the SNP are getting sub-45% in a given region (e.g. South of Scotland or Highlands & Islands), there’s a good case for SNP 1-2. But broadly agree on SNP/Greens where SNP set to get all seats regionally (if consistent polling suggests this is all but certain).
There’s always exceptions though, and trying to shift an electorate that doesn’t listen to politics, pay attention to polls, or read blogs will not make much of a difference, short of said parties actually promoting themselves as such.
It’ll be interesting to see what the local activists for both parties are saying. If the Tories at Westminster want to make this a make or break Indy election, then it stands to reason that Indy folk should maximise their chances.
In the North East Region in 2016, the SNP won 9, the Tories 1, of the constituency seats,
This ensured that for 137,086 list votes the SNP won no seats, in fact the film says the SNP could have 170,000 list votes there, and still would have won no list seats.
So the final tally of MSPs for the NE was SNP 9 Unionists 8.
A 12 – 5 or a 13 – 4 would look so much better IMHO, and of course if this was replicated across the country,
In 2011 the SNP won 16 – 16 – seats on the Regional vote.
Without that there would have been no overall majority, and no Indy Ref.
65 seats are required for a majority at Holyrood, in 2011 the SNP won 69, hardly a thumping win.
In a parliament with a voting system set up specifically to prevent 1 party winning a majority, voting SNP 1 Green 2 would get round that inbuilt block in the system, and return a larger Indy majority.
“65 seats are required for a majority at Holyrood, in 2011 the SNP won 69, hardly a thumping win. ”
Exactly. It was close, but still an overall majority, thanks to those 16 list seats to add to their 53 constituency seats.
All the more reason not to rely on the SNP winning a majority, and wasting the list vote on other fringe parties. If the SNP get less than 65 MSPs, the Tories will use it to try to claim the SNP have no mandate for Indy Ref 2. And bye bye Independence.
Independence supporters must now concentrate on getting an overall majority of SNP MSPs at Holyrood in the May election.
If the SNP win a majority in May it will be a fantastic achievement, beating a system set up specifically to prevent it happening. However it would only be a slim majority, I would much prefer a larger Indy majority, say 30 seats, rather than 3 or 4. This can only be by using the system to gain such an advantage.
and that’s all, thank you.
“Independence supporters must now concentrate on reducing the numbers of Unionist MSPs”
Who cares as long as one single party has an overall majority?
Currenly the SNP are the only ones with any chance of doing that.
Of course every penny that the Tories hand directly to Tory councils in Scotland for their campaign of Toryness could be clawed back by Holyrood in the same amount by reducing those councils funding
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I see some calls for Baillie to stand down from the inquiry due to the fact she should be impartial but in fact is biased. Apparently she did not hide her bias today when questioning the FM.
Even Salmond had an impartial “jury”
Keep a very close eye on how much Aberdeen City Council gets and how it is used.
The Red and Blue Tory council of Aberdeen. I might be wrong, but haven’t the renegade Slab councillors barred from standing as Labour councillors in the next local elections?
The illegal coalition ACC has already wasted £200million.Building empty shops and offices. A concrete jungle. Cost repayments £7Million a year, for 30 years.
Instead of pedestrianisation of the city centre. Building high rises when people want pedestrianisation and open places. £1.2Billion in debt. They spent £300million on a conference centre with not enough parking places or meters. £10 a time to park there.
They refused a gift of £80Million to renovate the City centre at much less cost. The spent £30Million renovating an Art Gallery. Putting on another tier. It makes not much difference. The tearoom was the busiest.
They spend monies like there is no tomorrow. Il gotten gains. Then cutting essential services. They are a total disgrace. They spread the virus. Approving licences for donations. Resulting in another lockdown.
Kept in power by a two job Tory, a Tory offender. A LibDem reneged when elected and became an Independent to keep the illegal alliance in power. They are a disgrace.
Quote Paul. ” That makes it all the more important that we do not cease in our efforts to talk about and explain the real threat to Scotland. The duplicitous and devious attempts of the Conservatives to grab power for themselves . . . . “
The SNP and Yes movement can’t campaign, as normal, round the doors, street stalls, whilst the Media are unhindered. Then the full effects of Brexit are still to be felt. Isn’t there a case to postpone the election for some months.
No.. but keep trying, why don’t you?
We are going to the polls in May.
There is about to be a Mighty Reckoning.
Baillie Davidson and Rennie were a disgraceful Cabal today.
Baillie must surely be taken of the Committee.
NS was at her liveliest today. Baroness Davidson is toast.
I hope you are right Jack.
One other thing the AS Vs NS affair will be over and in tge ast . . . . Way things are shaping up it will be fresh in people’s minds.
I still hope you are right.
And in the past . . . Not . . . And in tge ast
And we can rely on Labour and the LibDems to give their Tory buddies a big round of applause. They’ll do anything for London and to reinforce the colonial/subsidised narrative that apparently applies to Scotland but nowhere else on the planet. Will this extra ‘cash’ be used as an excuse to increase the size of Scotland’s ‘big black hole’ for future Indybashing? Andrew Neil will be on it before you can wink, aided and abetted by the usual suspects.
The unique thing about such ‘divisions’ mentioned here is that it is between which independence parties to support. I have seen many SNP members decide to cancel their membership but they mostly qualify that by confirming their continued support for independence and intention to vote whether for the SNP, another Independence supporting Party or a mixture of both. That is not division, that is taking part.
If people don’t vote SNP (+ Green if that’s their inclination) they might as well vote Tory for all the good it will do for independence. When the alt-indy time-wasters start saying they’ll spoil their constituency ballot and the division-promoters keep popping up with their SNP-leaving propaganda, anyone with any sense can see voter-suppression at work.
Meanwhile, as Paul rightly points out, while all this insidious diversion is going on, the unelected Tories are in the basement busily sawing away at the floor supports of the little autonomy we still have, and which they have always hated. Aided and abetted – alas – by fools who don’t have a grain of political sense and whose fantastical hopes will crumble to dust in May.
You are avoiding the elephant in the room. There is now a clear majority in favour of independence. Those 1st votes will go to the SNP and the Greens. The second vote will go to parties who have committed to holding an independence referendum by way of a Manifesto commitment. The SNP do not deserve that second vote as it has NOT made a Manifesto commitment. Big mistake which no one has justified other than Wheesht for Indy which has now been discredited.
“There is now a clear majority in favour of independence. ”
We haven’t had the election yet, so it’s as clear as mud right now.
Less than 2% of the constituency vote will go to other supposed Indy supporting parties which then leaves space for Unionist parties by their higher % share to be selected on the list
Scot goes Pop’s James Kelly has done all the math and numbers on this
As far as the SNP members deciding to cancel their membership nobody knows whether any of these *members* are actually members or disinformation spreaders just like the Covid deniers or the microchip conspirators filling up the internet with stuff to deliberately confuse, remember Boris Johnson has chucked £5 million at the internet specifically to combat the Independence question
On the other hand the SNP are reporting new joining members every day, I have a pretty massive family every single one of whom is a SNP member and not one of them has given any of this a second glance, they know what’s going on
Westminster and its allies have to stop Scotland, they’ve admitted in their own campaign literature and PPB that if the SNP win the May election they can’t democratically prevent Scotland from choosing what we want so they’re doing what the British always do under pressure when they run out of threats, they use subversion, and they’ll pay good money to anyone who’ll help them in that endeavour,
Remember it’s how Scotland ended up being sold into this Union in the first place by “sic a parcel of rogues in a nation”
Dr Jim, i agree with what you say
I think a lot of the SNP membership cancellers on that other sIte are false flag. Paid for agitators. As others have said it’s a voter suppression operation.
Sorry about this WGD, it is kind of connected, but not about Devolution, for me it’s about Scots Law, and the Rule of Law in Scotland – that which makes us a Nation in our own right, but also one in which we have protection in the law as citizens, even if not always perfect. It’s a statement from the Faculty of Advocates, and unashamedly here it is in full:
————-
“Importance of maintaining confidence in judicial system and rule of law
25 Feb
THE Faculty has released the following statement, in the name of a Faculty spokesperson, in relation to public debate surrounding the work of the Scottish Parliament’s Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints:
“The Faculty of Advocates is becoming increasingly concerned at the debate, both in the media and in parliament, in relation to the parliamentary committee into the investigation of harassment allegations. The debate appears increasingly to be focussed on the courts and Crown Office.
“The Faculty wishes to remind all concerned of the importance of maintaining confidence in the judicial system and in the rule of law. Maintaining that confidence requires, amongst other things, recognition of the importance of the independent role of the Lord Advocate, the independent role of the courts and, perhaps most importantly, the vital place of the verdicts of impartial juries in criminal proceedings.
“No one in public life is beyond reproach, and healthy public debate surrounding the justice system is to be encouraged. However, when the public discourse fails to respect the basic tenets of the independence of the system, it is in danger of leading to irreparable harm. Such harm is something which might be to the detriment of Scotland as a whole in the long term.””
————
http://www.advocates.org.uk/news-and-responses/news/2021/feb/importance-of-maintaining-confidence-in-judicial-system-and-rule-of-law
Anyone who attacks the Rule of Law in Scotland attacks me, and will have to go through me, and if anyone doesn’t like the Rule of Law in Scotland, whether politician, journalist or blogger, by all means please move out of Scotland as fast as you can to whatever country you choose, and leave this country of Scotland to those of us who do respect the Rule of Law, and care about Scotland herself.
Yesindyref2 , i hear what you are saying , but isnt the Lord Advocate the one who sat in court judging a case when his son was lawyer for the defence , didnt this Lord Advocate fail in his duty to tell people that the defence lawyer in the case was his son.
Terence, the Lord Advocate is NOT a judge, he doesn’t judge any case and never has. He’s an Advocate. The COPFS is also NOT a judge, nor is any soliticitor or advocate, or solicitor advocate. Only judges are judges, or Sheriffs in a Sherriff’s Court.
Yesindyref2 …yes lord advocate doesnt do court cases as judge , NOW
But he did
Before becoming Lord Advocate
It is that time before he became Lord Advocate that i am referring to
When he was a judge
And he judged a case that his son was representing as defence
He didnt tell anyone it was his son
Sneeky
He’s NEVER been a judge. Never.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Wolffe
You may be getting mixed up with Mulholland who became a judge in 2016, not ever having been one before that:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Mulholland,_Lord_Mulholland
as for the judiciary you might want to read this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judiciary_of_Scotland
https://petercherbi.blogspot.com/2017/12/cry-wolffe-judicial-office-hit-with-new.html
No im not getting mixed up with another the Lord Advocate is not to be trusted
You completely mixed up the man, James Wolffe, the Lord Advocate, with the woman, Sarah Wolffe, a Judge, his wife, yet without even the slightest bit of justification now, instead of admitting you got mixed up, you continue to falsely assert “the Lord Advocate is not to be trusted”?
You do know James Wolffe, the Lord Advocate, is not his wife, a judge of the Court of Session?
Get your tanks off our lawn?
Sorry, don’t know what you mean.
Good news – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56193743
“The government is setting up a new cabinet committee to focus on the union, sources have told the BBC.
The Cabinet Union Strategy Committee will be chaired by Boris Johnson and “set the government’s strategic agenda” for keeping the UK together.”
Boris in charge of that. U-Turn within 28 days.
Well put indeed.
On your “…the Conservatives will leap at the opportunity to use the Salmond-Sturgeon dispute as an excuse to undermine the powers of the Scottish Parliament even further” they already are on it as exemplified by Liam Fox – https://mobile.twitter.com/nealrstewart/status/1364622757472911367 readying up to ride to the rescue of Scots from a tin-pot dictatorship which has ruined the UK’s international reputation.
Naturally MSM are all attempting to milk the AS/NS issue, the Glenn Campbell “stink” article (how appropriate) musing on how the public may be reassured misses the obvious solution of paying no attention to anything excreted by Mr Stinky or HMS Sarah Smith…
The combined forces of the State and the Tory machine are homed in on the May elections, perhaps it is time those arguing the toss realise that it probably will be a generation if heads are not knocked together very very soon.
Any talk of switching 2nd votes to ISP, Greens or anybody else is frankly playing westminsters game. I’m sure you read Paul’s post but did you understand it. If you cannot yet see or fail to understand that even a drop of just a few % in the SNP vote will be pounced on by the unionists, it will not get rid of murdo or any of the other high profile gobs for hire. They’ll have to wait till after indy.
As for westminster spending cash in Scotland on infrastructure or much else, not a chance. Not this side of Indy and not after even if we, God forbid, lost.
Paul’s right, money will go to feasability studies, it’ll go to consultants and think tanks who will do nothing more than talk about grand schemes they have no intention of delivering. Not one brick will go on top of the other because they have no intention of improving the lives of the people of Scotland. Like the frigate order it will used to threaten and cajole us into voting against our best interests, that money will disappear like snow of a dyke in a heat wave.
Golfnut, i agree , both votes SNP for me
Me too 😊
By a strange coincidence the RN boats that melted away like snow of a dyke. are exactly what was needed to assist in policing our territorial limits (the fishing grounds) The lack of which meant it was better for the wastemonster to do a deal than “take back control” and “defend the sovereignty”. And subsequently suffering the embarrassment of multiple uncontrolled, un-prosecuted, incursions writ large in the international press.
Remember when the Tories ran a campaign against Alex Salmond using billboards depicting him stealing the money out of English tax payers pockets, did anybody in Scotland believe that was true? of course we didn’t but the English did
Then the Tories ran the exact same billboard campaign against Nicola Sturgeon depicting her in league with Jeremy Corbyn to steal English tax payers money and in Scotland we didn’t believe that, but England did
Now we have a campaign bought and paid for by the Tories depicting Nicola Sturgeon as a democracy thief, a tyrant, a tinpot dictator, a teller of big giant lies
Y’see I just see the desperate panickings of the Tory Union cabal and its drones the Labour and Lib Dem parties throwing as much mud as they can and hoping around 10% of it sticks and Bazinga they prevent Independence and *TAKE BACK CONTROL* of Holyrood and the dream of Independence definitely dead forever
Make no mistake no promisey shenanigans by the conspirators about former politicians in whatever form coming back and saving the day will ever happen, they’re purely and simply lying their Arses off because they’re being paid to
This will be Scotland’s last ever chance, waiting for this nonsense about salvation to come in the shape of a saviour in x years to come can’t happen because Westminster and its allies will have done their work and Scotland will be officially the colony of the English Empire we all fully realise is how England wishes to contain their property
Are we going to fall for the *get a new manager* con because she won’t give Kenny Dalgliesh a game and we liked him more betterer even though he couldnae score a goal at the last Scotland England game because he was outplayed by a lumbering defender like Alistair Darling who was passed the ball to by BBCs Jackie Bird
This argument really isn’t worth having anymore, the Brits have shown their cards, the ending of Holyrood and any and all hopes of Scotland regaining its sovereignty
Why are the conspirators so desperate to make Scotland’s people not vote for the only party who can deliver Independence, why right now?, why this moment? what’s their urgency, why are they hammering the internet umpteen times a day trying to prevent something from taking place that they say they support but use the feeble excuse that the person doing it is not their favourite person because of unprovable assertions over her truthfulness regarding another past politician who failed at the job they don’t want to give the current one the chance to even try at succeeding
The last guy was a failure, the current woman is on course to be a winner, so if they say that Independence is the most important thing yet they don’t want it right now because because because is it not conceivably possible that they in fact are the ones doing all the lying
£££££££££
Aye
just read the article ‘Cocoa Thoughts’ on the ambassador’s blog [18/10/17}, and follow the direction of travel from that date. makes ya fink, dunnit?
‘raineach’, nice try, but no cigar.
.
ok, then try Russophobia goes Comic. Follow the timeline
Dr Jim , “ the last guy was a failure “
Honestly come on , no need
Lots of scottish independence supporters and voters like the last guy
Less and less by the day, I fear. The dog-in-manger way AS is proceeding is steadily becoming a futile act of self-harm, and – more importantly – causing ever more collateral damage that only benefits the BritNats.
Listening to NS in Parliament today, there’s not a shred of doubt that she has lost all respect for her former mentor, who plainly tried to ensnare her in a sordid cover-up and became embittered when she rightly refused and has done his very best to harm her ever since.
There plainly isn’t a “plague on all their houses” situation here, as that reactionary old dinosaur Alex Neil was vilely trying to assert. I’m really beginning to lose patience. Giving comfort to the enemy like this, at a time like this, is becoming ever more unforgiveable.
Eh the last guy was a failure, he didn’t win ergo he failed, it’s got nothing to do with like or dislike
People keep on saying they want Independence but if they’re basing that on who’s face they liked or who told the best jokes then they shouldn’t be voting at all, or if that’s the level of political engagement we’re at then maybe Scotland’s population are too weak minded to be Independent
If the defence of the last guy’s failure is “we liked him” Scotland’s in trouble
Are we going to see the former FM back at Christmas as the Pavilion theatre Panto Dame in between slots on Andrew Neill’s Spectator funded channel anti Scotland news amongst a host of anti Scottish guests but smile as we fondly remember the guy we quite liked but failed at Independence then perfectly timed an attack on the current FM leading to Scotland having no chance of ever having a referendum ever again, will folk be saying we quite liked him if that happens, my guess is Scotland will look at him the same way we look at the fake Donald Dewar and his statue the pretendy devolutionist who did a deal that cost Scotland 6.000 square miles of our ocean full of assets and handed them without challenge to England
Apologies if I come across as angry, but I really am
Many women didn’t like him before he resigned and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if many more don’t like him now. Nicola has way higher appeal to most sections of the electorate.
I hope the Councils in Scotland have heard the saying – ‘Looking a gift horse in the mouth’ especially so when the ‘gift’ is coming from the the Tories. The Tories have form when it comes to promising money. They quote headline figures then you read the small print and find it will be paid over a number of years rather than a lump sum. Then you get to the even smaller print and find out repayment schedule and interest rates.
Councils should be very careful about applying for or accepting money from the Tories.
What you describe is extremely frustrating Paul. Obviously the media will facilitate the process. The question is, what can the Scottish Government realistically do about it in the short term? Very little I think.
If a majority of Scots are going to be deceived by this kind of obvious scam then they wish to be deceived.
We are a short period of time away from a vital election and there has been a run of polls indicating a majority for the SNP. If that majority is unstable in the face of the worst efforts of the Brits and their lickspittles then its best we face up to it.
On the issue of bickering amongst ourselves:
Every country that has taken back its independence from the Brits has been up against native elements who have worked against it. Scotland is by no means unique in that respect – either in the fact or the scale of it. The ”bickering” that is apparently going on right now is fuelled by those elements. It isnt ‘bickering’ in truth, it is intrusion by people who wish to destroy our aspiration for independence. It is the deliberate muddying of the waters by people – some of whom have been enmeshing themselves on here for years – to undermine our purpose. So long as they spread their deceit it will be necessary for those who genuinely want independence to counter their pearls of wisdom. That is not bickering, it is setting the record straight.
I live in hope that a majority of Scotland’s population have already reached the point where they can see through the Brits and their sleekit ways. Who knows what shambles the Brits might blunder into before the election. Who knows what foolishness some Scots may expose us to. I think the time has come to focus on just one thing – promoting the SNP1&2 message.
Well done Arthur Thomson , i agree
I doubt that Salmond will turn up tomorrow.
The FM was in top form today.
Why is a Baroness allowed to lead the Blue Tories at Holyrood?
Because democracy doesn’t matter to the Linesman Dross and the Blue Branch Office Up Here.
NS rammed this dpwn Davidson’s gullet today.
Democracy, Baroness? You don’t know the meaning of the word.
Keep it up, Nikla.
Baillie is an absolute disgrace.
She’s a liability to the Red Tories. Good.
Jack Collatin.
It you keep on about AS you will just annoy his supporters
Of which there are many
They all support Scottish Independence
Why do this ?
We have lots else to talk about
For example Scottish independence
That’s me telt, Terence, although you may have noticed my rare but humble comments on matters independent..
I do , i do but we scottish independence supporters and voters need to end this AS v NS nonsense
There’s one man who can end it tonight; but he won’t. The man has lost it completely now.
There are 100k plus change SNP members. The other 2 million or so of us AUOB are not members, so not taking part in this #civil war’ fiction peddled by the Hacks and broadcasters.
We don’t care..
We are millions.
Salmond won’t attend tomorrow.
And you know, we don’t give a damn. The man is toast, holding his own feet to the fire, ironically.
See my earlier response:
With the personal takes becoming ever more starkly obvious, you are self-deluded in trying to maintain there’s no “here” here. If Salmond really has great influence in the party and must be pacified and accommodated somehow because of that, you’re living in faraway Trump land.
Come Nicola’s testimony next week, there will be no doubt as to what her view is about the baseless conspiracy-theory nonsense that is being peddled straight out of WaS, and I believe the party will stand solidly behind her over that.
As for Samond, he will be history, departing sadly not only under a cloud because of his past personal conduct but also because of the way he has in effect now collaborated with BritNattery against independence. His choice, and his trashed reputation.
Spot on, well said you.
Very true
Brian Taylor, formerly BBC, joining the Herald as a columnist.
Lesley Riddoch was announced as a new columnist on the Herald a few days ago.
Looks as if the Herald is trying to play to both sides.p
Legerwood:
Well Brian can draw upon his past experience as a BBC war correspondent during the “SNP Civil War”.
“It’s been downgraded to Turmoil”, said the veteran correspondent only 24 hours later. This was after most of Scotland pissed themselves laughing with tweets and images of the very civil war taking place on a Friday night.
One of Brian’s most famous moments..
This is absolutely illegal and disgusting. Misusing Scotland revenues and resources. Another attempt by the Tories to take even more monies out of Scotland and mis spend on malicious projects. Misusing Scotland resources and revenues to benefit London. S/E. An absolute disgrace of unaccountability.
People in Scotland will vote against this corrupt. Illegal intolerable manipulation. A Tory slush fund. The Tories will be voted out. The vote for SNP/Independence will increase. Unelected Tories will not cut it. They will be out in their ear if they try it.
The Tory illegal corruption will stall before they dare endorse it. No taxation without representation. They will be spending Scottish taxpayers monies without any authority. Ruining the UK economy.
Trying to buy favour for their sycophants and associates to line their pockets. It is illegal. They will be challenged in Court and not get away with it. Once again abusing Scottish revenues and resources.
F*** me, a tear in the e’e. From the Law Society of Scotland:
“25th February 2021
Law Society President Amanda Millar has called on all those with a public platform to consider the language they use carefully when discussing our independent legal system.
Amanda said: “The principle of an independent legal system and respect for the rule of law are pillars of our democracy of which Scots can be rightly proud. While emotions can run high, it is important that in the heat of debate this fundamental aspect of our society continues to be respected and held dear.
“Every person with a public platform, whether in our parliament or elsewhere, should reflect carefully on the language they use, and respect the rule of law and the role of the legal profession.””
https://www.lawscot.org.uk/news-and-events/law-society-news/maintaining-respect-for-the-rule-of-law-in-public-debate/
At last. Proud to be Scottish again. And THIS with the Faculty of Advocates one should be headline news all over Scotland tomorrow.
People are so fed up of the Inquiry they will vote SNP/Independence just to get rid of the unionist reps. People are so fed up of it. G’ies peace.
Get it over and get back to the real world. A pandemic, people dying, Brexit ruining the economy and the Tory-unionists mucking up everything. Incompetence, corruption and illegality. Westminster appalling mismanagement. Falsity and lies. They can’t count or read a balance sheet. Fiddling the books.
People in Scotland will vote to protect their Parliament against the Westminster vicious attacks. Vote accordingly. SNP/SNP. Vote for Independence.
Well said Ken.
You could well be right on all counts, Ken.
Wanton careless mud-slingers may forget to their disadvantage that plenty of the dirty stuff can stick to themselves. Not least when bystanders have far more pressing matters to concern themselves with, and they can easily see who’s actually working their butts off to help, and who has nothing positive to offer.
They are all trying to blame Nicola Sturgeon. She is the only one who did nothing wrong. She followed the Ministerial Code to the letter, as usual.
All the rest of them did something wrong. They are trying to deflect by blaming her. The electorate will come to her defence once again. Voting for her. The best leader the SNP/Scotland has had.
A higher turnout and higher vote for the SNP. People can totally see through what is going on. Another unionist own goal.
Is it just the one “side” that is guilty of missing the very real threat that you rightly expose – what of a Scottish Government that busies itself with marginal legislation, largely irrelevant to the concerns and threats most Scots are facing today, while the Tory vultures circle?
Yes, that’s a good reason to vote SNP or Green, rather than one of the marginal parties who have no chance of getting even one single seat.
That’s well said. There are significantly different degrees of irrelevance here.
I thought Nicola’s performance at FMQs was excellent. She put the Baroness and the Baillie firmly in their places. She will have her say next week and that will put an end to the conspiracy theories and smears. She also spoke up for the women concerned and for the independent legal system.
I wonder if AS will use the two letters from the Faculty of Advocates and the Law Society as a reason not to attend. They certainly won’t take kindly to High Court orders being ignored and the Lord Advocate smeared.
I thought her COVID briefing yesterday was a complete and utter disgrace
Actually I’m rather looking forward to Nicola’s appearance next week (unless these committee dodgers find another lame excuse for stringing her out yet again). I wouldn’t like to be anywhere near Murdo Frazzle, Alex Cold-Ham and Jackie Bailed when she finally gets her chance to let rip, but it will be fun to watch.
All the old socialists gathering to protect the union is quite a sight, the latest is of course Jim Sillars who’s writing letters now to legal folks to complain and stop the hated FM from regaining Scotland’s Independence, can it be done legally, can it, please can it,
The old guard are rallying round to make sure Nicola Sturgeon doesn’t do what they used to claim they all wanted when they joined the SNP
How will they prevent her from airing the true evidence next week? tune in for another thrilling installment of Unionist boredom to find out how they contrive to blame the FM for them conspiring to keep her out of testifying while campaigning in Holyrood that it’s all her fault that she isn’t
Fucksake Dr Jim.
If you really believe that then why is the entirety of Geoff Aberdeins evidence being withheld from the Inquiry when it does not identify a complainant in the criminal trial?
Malicious prosecutions aplenty and the Scottish Taxpayer picking up the tab, money better spend on Drs, Nurses, Police, Teachers, alleviating Westminster’s inhumane welfare policies!
By Christos, another one crawls out of the dung heap.
You’re a day late.
Geoff Aberdein’s evidence will inevitably identify one of the complainers. There’s no way round that. But I don’t want to spoil this blog by risking a contempt of court accusation.
Personally, I think it would good if some of the women complainers waived their right to anonymity and spelt out what they believe happened. But there’s such a howling mob of w*tchfinder generals being hyped up online that we can probably rule that out.
Re malicious prosecutions – they were conducted while Frank Mulholland was Lord Advocate and he was a Labour appointee AFAIK.
What, the malicious prosecution of Mark Hirst was Mulholland?
The undoubtedly malicious prosecution of Salmond, was that Mulholland as well?
Craig Murray is almost certainly a victim of malicious prosecution too, is this another one of Mulhollands?
I agree the truth will out (aka it’ll all come oot in the waash).
Aberdeins evidence shows the FM lied, it is the cover up of this evidence that will end her political career, no UN or International career follows her stint as FM and it is natural to be be sceptical but the evidence currently in the public domain points to that.
“Aberdeins evidence shows the FM lied”
Does it? Just exactly how did you work that out before you have heard what she has to say on the matter?
Prearranged meeting 3 weeks in advance not a just dropped in coincidence.
But hey, full cooperation, nothing to hide etc.
So OK Alex let’s wait a couple of weeks and if you are right and I am wrong I’ll come here and say so.
But if the committee doesn’t publish his evidence it can’t be discussed- in that case the FM won’t have to say anything on the matter as it can’t be discussed.
Have replied to you Alex but it’s in moderation.
Nothing contentious in it but Pauls site, Pauls rules.
Akismet captures posts for no obvious reason. I’ve lost several that way. It’s not necessarily Paul’s rules.
I saw Mark Hirst’s video and I would have complained to the police if I had been one of the women he told would “reap the whirlwind”.
I read Craig Murray’s “Yes Minister” sketch and thought it was probably contempt of court. I believe he was asked to remove it but refused. I guess he will get off with a fine.
Alex Salmond was accused of serious criminal offences. Prosecuting someone accused of that is not malicious. It’s the duty of the legal authorities to do so. He was found not guilty (and not proven).
BTW the majority of those offences are not successfully prosecuted
Only 1.7% of reported r*pes prosecuted in England and Wales, new figures show
https://archive.fo/kI7D7#selection-1265.0-1265.77
I don’t believe Geoff Aberdein’s evidence will show that the FM lied. But I haven’t read it so remain to be convinced.
When you mentioned malicious prosecutions I thought you meant the prosecutions of the Rangers board members. Those were recently admitted to be malicious. But that was Frank Mulholland who prosecuted AFAIK. Bloggers are currently eliding that with the perfectly legitimate prosecution of people believed to have committed offences. That’s what the legal system is for.
Anyone willing to call themselves Jock has my sympathy. To please the colonialists no doubt.
Eventually they’ll make a film about all of this, Dr.J., and it will be entitled “The last days of the dinosaurs”.
You are so right about the old socialists gathering. Misogynists to a man – actually afraid of women, not just dismissive of them. Old, simple minded dinosaurs.
Little wonder they are attracted to the union.
I’m relatively upbeat about the coming election. What we’re seeing now is the storm before the purdah (although I don’t expect much of the MSM or Boris to respect that). See the trend since 2016 (5-poll average, so it starts in 2017). The little circles on the left axis indicate the 2016 election results:
I notice the collective attack by the bloggers on this site from the other day appears to have stopped/ reduced.
It indicates to me that there is someone calling the tune. A malevolent mind at play.
Perhaps, like the MSM focus, timed to coincide with AS testimony at the Harassment Committee. Expect another wave tomorrow unless a) he bails out or b) the internet burns and crashes with DOS attacks.
Sorry, jock appears on Q.
2 Things, Paul.
1. It has been known for 18 Months the Tories would bypass Holyrood and directly fund Councils and yet the Scottish Government have planned absolutely hee-haw of a plan for this as they have been to busy with drafting legislation to criminalise “Wrong Think” and make biological science heretical.
2. “ While sections of the independence movement get on with the serious business of self-righteously and noisily condemning other sections of the independence movement for the terrible crime of having a different opinion about certain issues which are not directly related to independence.”
So you advise we just suck it up, accept corruption in Government and COPFS in silence hoping that it will deliver Independence!
Really?
An Independent Scotland should be built on foundations as strong as granite not on a swamp.
I take solace knowing that the strength of the Independence movement is that it is a broad church, and the weakness of the BritNats is believing that the SNP is the Independence Movement.
This :-
“1. It has been known for 18 Months the Tories would bypass Holyrood and directly fund Councils and yet the Scottish Government have planned absolutely hee-haw of a plan for this as they have been to busy with drafting legislation to criminalise “Wrong Think” and make biological science heretical.”
a – aside from hee-haw what precisely could they have planned for ?
b – presumably you refer to different legislation to the GRA legislation which was shelved thereby was missed somehow passed all us mere mortals, so do please enlighten us all what we all missed that they “have been to busy with drafting legislation to criminalise “Wrong Think” and make biological science heretical” ?
Mmm, green cheese. Where’s the crackers? Think I’ll have a slice of dark side moon.
So you advise we just suck it up, accept corruption in Government and COPFS in silence hoping that it will deliver Independence!
Where is the evidence of corruption ? is the poundshop Sid James gonnae show us the evidence tomorrow ?
Circa £40 Billion from the Johnson crew, which we should ignore in favour of made up stuff about the FM, I say made up because I’ve yet to see a shred of evidence that the FM was involved in a conspiracy. Is their a committee investigating Johnston or Give or Hancock. Mass murder obviously isn’t corruption, it’s a he’ll of a lot f***ing worse..
I think this counsel of perfection is doomed to fail JWT.
First, we have to hear the evidence before passing sentence.
Second, for examples of truly titanic corruption you have to turn to the Tories at Westminster. Don’t let us be doomed to stay in this union.
Third talking like Trumpeans; “drain the swamp”, “lock her up” etc is off putting to most sentient beings and
Finally, without the SNP winning a massive victory in 10 WEEKS TIME you can kiss goodbye to independence for the forseeable future.
Maybe I’m just too old and cynical, but expecting purity in a political party or leader is for young people who haven’t yet realised that the world’s a pretty nasty place unless we take control for ourselves. It’s not for the faint hearted.
Yes, the best one can say (and that may be generous in the case of some) is that they are immature naïfs playing in a real blood sport without quarter. This kind of amateurism has long passed its usefulness date, and everyone who really cares about independence needs to woman-up now. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
If there are any scores to settle, we can afford to set them aside for now, and any necessary reckoning can await the first election after independence.
Precisely. After independence vote for anyone you want. If you don’t like Nicola Sturgeon – don’t vote for her. 🙂
That’s the issue though isn’t it?
The who else are you going to vote for and Both votes SNP shit.
The SNP may well be insolvent in 10 weeks time for fuckssake?
Who will you vote for then?
I intend to vote SNP on the constituency (if they aren’t insolvent) and unless a big shock occurs between now and then ISP on the Regional List because where I live the SNP will not gain a list seat.
If it’s a Plebiscite Election I’ll vote for the Parties with that in their manifestos, Constituency and List to maximise voter share.
“Both votes SNP shit” was exactly what Wings was arguing for very strongly before the 2016 Holyrood election. I didn’t hear you objecting so much then, so what’s changed?
I voted SNP 1 & 2 in 2016, Alex (I remember you used to post as Thepnr?).
We got a Tory MSP on the constituency and zero SNP on the list.
5 years have passed, I have re-evaluated my choices.
I’ll still vote SNP on the constituency but the list will be ISP as <20k will return a pro Indy list MSP.
I refuse to vote for a Unionist and won’t vote Woke.
Have replied to you Alex but it’s in moderation.
Nothing contentious in it but Pauls site, Pauls rules.
Bored waiting and appears my comment stating “awaiting moderation” has now disappeared.
So here goes, Alex.
I voted SNP 1 & 2 in 2016 (remember you used to post as Thepnr back then).
We got a Tory on the constituency and zero SNP on the list.
5 years have passed and I have reviewed my choices.
I will still vote SNP on the Constituency and vote ISP on the list (failing any monumental news in the next 10 weeks) as >20K votes will return an ISP MSP.
I will still vote Yes to Independence and will vote for the best placed Constituency Parties if any available to me make this election a Plebiscite in their manifestos to maximise Independence vote share.
I will never vote for a Unionist and won’t vote woke.
My Votes, My choice.
That’s democracy, Alex. We are both headed in the same direction, we just appear to disagree about the best way to get there.
If you want independence you have to vote both votes SNP. That’s it.
Anything else is a dilution of votes which will be exploited by the unionists to say that the Scottish people don’t want independence.
If the SNP win the majority of votes AND the majority of seats AND over 50% of registered votes then we have a cast iron mandate for independence. Anything less will be exploited.
What do you want? Independence or remain in the union ruled by Tories headed by Boris Johnston, Michael Gove, Priti Patel, Rishi Sunak, Matt Hancock, Gavin Williamson ( and don’t think that Education and Health will not be privatised across the UK) and Gauleiter Alister Union Jack?
Your call.
“The SNP may well be insolvent in 10 weeks time for [Wingspeak]” Oh dear, you have evidently imbibed too much of the WaS Kool-Aid and now you’re
dribblingdrivelling.If you seriously think the SNP is going to vanish with a mere wave of the Bathman’s magic wand you really are not going to be taken seriously. This is propaganda so infantile it’s a joke.
A pathetic joke at that.
I am sick to death hearing about the Independence movement. To a common member of the electorate like myself and most of the rest of the Scottish public the Independence movement is totally and utterly irelevant to the people of Scotland. I have been an Snp voter of 40+ years never a member of any party. It is me and the rest of the electorate that will vote in May’s election and another Indy referendum. It is the electorate that will give the Snp victory in May and win the next Indy Ref for Yes.
In comparison the Independence movement does not have the power to change Scotland’s future but the electorate do. I appreciate there are lots of people in the movement who do their best to promote the cause of Independence but the movement is small in number compared to the Scottish population. It seems to me there are elements of the movement who only have their own self interest at heart and act like echo chambers re whatever/whoever they don’t like on blogs like this. To be brutally honest I think some of them have their heads so far up their own rear ends I seriously doubt they can see daylight and maybe it is time some of them grew up . Rant over 🥺
This is not the 2016 election, This is the 2021 elections with a much different outcome. Increased SNP support. Lower unionist support will result in an extremely different election result. No comparable D’houdt.
This money that Westminster is giving to certain Tory councils. Can the Scottish Government subtract it from the money they would be giving to these Councils to just balance it out. This would stymy the Tories.
I think they’d have to, as every £ from Westminster would presumably reduce the Barnett consequentials from Westminster for the England council spending, and therefore reduce the total sum the ScotGov had to give to the councils by that £. The only way of the Westminster spending not reducing the amount other councils received, would be to reduce it for that one council.
I don’t, for instance, see why South Ayrshire should get more money in the hope the Conservatives (largest party but not in control) should get more Tories and become Tory, and North Ayrshire where it’s between Labour and the SNP and the Tories have no chance, should get less.
Why after all should WGD get his bins collected when I don’t, just because of Westminster causing cuts by NAC?
I think that Westminster plan to remove this cash from Barnett at source drastically reducing the money given to Hollyrood annually.
Pork barrel politics, vote Tory get infrastructure projects, afford more teachers etc. Vote SNP get fuck all.
You got a swear box? Can you not express yourself without cursing? Asking for a guy from Bath. Lol
I think that Westminster plan to remove this cash from Barnett at source drastically reducing the money given to Hollyrood annually.
Pork barrel politics, vote Tory get infrastructure projects, afford more teachers etc. Vote SNP get nothing.
That better Ham?
No comment on whether this is right/wrong?
Default on here to attack commentators is it?
Are you moderating for sweaty comments on behalf of Paul or just a puritan?
Sweary world used in context to emphasise my take on this latest Tory Policy.
I apologise to your thin skin.
Vote SNP get rid of the Tories. Vote SNP get a referendum. Get rid of Westminster. Vote SNP Get a better place to live. Get better governance.
The Scottish Gov can take the Tories to Court. Everyone else has The Tories have had to back down and are losing support.
The DUP are taking the Tories to Court. Even after all the bungs. The Tories often need the DUP support at Westminster. The DUP supported the EU Ref. The Tories would not have got it through without the DUP and LibDems. Now look what has happened. The DUP is suing them.
The majority support EU membership. The Tories are swimming against the tide. They will be swept aside. Into oblivion. The parable of the fish, Not enough to feed them. People are dying because of the Tory incompetent imbeciles. They are a complete and utter disgrace.
I doubt this scheme of theirs intended to raise the profile of Westminster by plastering Union Flags over everything and calling it UK £’s spent in Scotland will do much for their popularity. Only Tory voters will welcome this the rest of us know it’s just more of the same abuse and them rough riding over devolution again.
They do tend to push things too far and then another No voter opens their eyes and sees that devolution is toast and gets behind a Yes vote. At least that’s my own optimistic view but there is some prior evidence behind my thinking. Many in Scotland are sick of being taken for mugs and the Tories in Westminster definitely take the general public for mugs.
I think we have their measure and see right through them, all we need to do is open others eyes.
And she’s doing deliberately, how dare she.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1081934212006008/permalink/1543202612545830/
It’s in a private group Golfnut and not available to view unless you join I presume.
Sorry Alex, if you don’t do FB you won’t get it, if you do click ‘ just once ‘ when it asks you how you want to open.
Anyhoo, it has Nicola’s popularity up to +91on the latest Ipso poll.
Cheers
Nicola Sturgeon is the only one who did not do anything wrong. All the rest of them did.
The total hypocrisy of Baillie writing to Lesley Evans to complain about Nicola and the lack of concern for the women. Baillie even implied that one of the names had come out.
Someone has been jailed for tweeting the names, That is far too harsh. If they were so offended why do they want secrecy. How long will that last on the internet?
This stuff could not be made up. It was Evans that started it all. Ignoring the women’s rights. Betraying them, dragging them through Court. Along with other people. Wasting £1/2Billion. Forcing the Crown agent to act.
Yet Baillie is writing to Evans about Nicola. What an incredible absolute cheek. Dragging it out. Till everyone is sick of it.
Blaming an innocent woman, Nicola, for what all the rest have done. Behaving badly. Evans, the women, the Police, the Crown agent all behaving badly. Yet they want to blame Nicola. The one who did nothing wrong. The damn and absolute cheek of the rest. Beyond belief.
Total misogynistic. Blame the woman who has done nothing wrong. To divert from what others have done. The sight of grown privilege people gloating and attacking a woman, Nicola. who has done nothing wrong. It is just disgusting. They should know better.
Get on with it. The ‘inquiry’. Everyone has had enough. They are sick of it. It is just a waste of time and money. Either put up or be quiet.
There are far more important things to worry about. A pandemic. People dying. Brexit shambles. The unelected Tory attack on Holyrood and people rights. They need to be sorted out. Many things to do. The ‘Inquiry’ is just for fools. Trying to make trouble, as usual. The usual suspects. The unionist cabal.
Leslie Evans has ‘previous’ when it comes to wasting public money . When a civil servant with an Ayrshire Council she was ”at fault” when a multi-million pound contract was allowed through without proper diligence – costing the public purse millions .
Then she was promoted – go figure !
There is a documentary on this on YouTube – sorry , can’t remember details .
This is an alternative “progressive” party you could vote for if you don’t want to vote for the SNP or Tories.
Labour to state ‘non-negotiable’ support for UK’s nuclear weapons
https://archive.vn/wip/XZZ3V
Heh, heh. Funny (not) how that’s most unequivocal no-doubt-about-it “yes” but their milque-toast federalism is “sometime eventually it depends (but don’t hold your breath)”.
Labour support illegal weapons and illegal wars.
SIr Starmer supports the Tories and instructed no Labour rep should talk about Brexit. The elephant in the room, Sir Starmer has a short memory. The majority support the EU. Sir Starmer has not got a clue.
Sir Keir Rodney Starmer. Guildhall academy of music and drama. Played the fiddle. Been fiddling ever since on the fence. Plonker. Lack of opposition.
Run of the mill in Scotland. Who wants the poison chalice. Everyone has to have a turn. Must be equality. Or uselessness.
Labour did not support MUP. Supports illegal wars and weaponry. Labour causes people to die. Another sorry mess. Supports austerity and cuts to essential services. Supports tax evading. Cuts to the NHS and education,
I spotted another blogger (not the Bath one) is getting very excited on twitter, ‘Something’s Coming’ he proclaims. Could be he has just discovered West Side Story on Netflix though you know how excited they get.
I can only assume he’s expecting the ‘return’ and possibly some defections.
Same guy who thinks the Referendums (Scotland) Act 2020 makes it a legal requirement to get a Section 30 order to hold a referendum, when the Act itself doesn’t even mention Section 30, or that it’s a reserved power, so makes no change at all for or against.
It does streamline the additional short Act needed for the actual referendum, which we should be seeing the draft of in 3 or 4 weeks.
Well said Paul.
Who is The Faculty of Advocates lecturing?
Nicola is too honest.
She has been betrayed by those she has trusted for decades.
She will put the record straight soon.
Let her remain healthy and safe until Monday.
Nothing can stop her from having her say.
How do you kill an idea? with another idea, except Westminster don’t have another idea, the conspirators don’t have another idea so what do they do, they cut the head off the figurehead of the first idea and the rest of the tribe will lose the will to fight because there will be no figurehead to rally behind
They talk about the independence movement as though it’s a single entity and combines and moves as one, it doesn’t, all a leaderless movement can do is demonstrate and if they do that without political leadership the name movement is removed and replaced with the word mob
No one can seriously say that’s not exactly what will happen, Westminster knows it, the conspirators know it and that’s why they’re trying to cut the head off the only person who can politically channel Scotland’s desires in a legitimate legal acceptable way
100 years ago they would have just arrested Nicola Sturgeon on charges of sedition against the British state, 200 years ago they’d have sent an army North and just killed her and her cabinet
So here we are today in modern times and the tool of the day is money and subversion, to fund internet bloggers, politicians and anything else they want to control, and of course there are always people willing to believe in bad because it’s much easier than having faith in good
If one finds it easy to believe that Nicola Sturgeon after over 30 years of her service and life in pursuit of one thing above all others is a bad person it’s probably because you’re a bad person yourself
That last astute observation: “Honi soit qui mal y pense”, eh? {laugh}
Except I’d like to wrap my garters round their necks
Love your Blog Paul, this is my first time commenting.
Scotland isn’t mentioned,but I think this is relevant to what is happening within certain groups on Social media and elsewhere within the YES movement. Eyes on the prize folks
Alex Salmond is now supporting the women who lied and accused him of sexual intent. Against Nicola who didn’t.
The prima donnas are briefing and feeding the Press. So no one will buy a paper. They are sick of it,
The lying hypocrites who behaved badly are writing to the unelected permanent secretary? to complain about Nicola. The absolute cheek and nerve if it.
Evans who caused it all. Despite being told time and time again to drop it. It would not stand up in Court. Wasting £1Billion. Evans lied and abused the women, who lied and complained of sexual intent.
The Advocate and the police behaved badly. They did not want it to go to Court.
Evans used privilege to pursue it, instructing the Crown Agent against legal advice. Abusing the women, their wishes and their rights. At the Court of public opinion people will decide what’s right.
Nicola behaved responsibly throughout. She followed the Ministerial Code to the letter. Yet the one’s who behaved badly and lied are trying to blame her as a diversion.
Get it over with. The absolute nonsense ‘Inquiry’. There are far more important things to worry about. A pandemic, people dying, Brexit shambles, an important election.
The attack on the Scottish Parliament. People’s rights, freedoms and sovereignty threatened. People in Scotland have a right to choose. Holyrood or Westminster corruption, duplicity and lies.
Westminster Treasury take £5Billion. Give £1Billion back. To corrupt councils to waste on any nonsense and rubbish with no accountability, Westminster corruption in action.
Instead of Holyrood choosing the budget responsibly and accurately. No taxation without representation. Unelected Tories deciding not what is best for Scotland. The people in Scotland should decide. It is their future. Democracy. People have the Democratic right to chose,
Terence Callachan says:
February 25, 2021 at 5:42 pm
Dr Jim , “ the last guy was a failure “
Honestly come on , no need
Lots of scottish independence supporters and voters like the last guy
TC. During the first debate with Darling , at one point Alex Salmond stood on the stage speechless i think it was regarding currency, . . . . The answer should have tripped of his tongue. Maybe it was exhaustion I don’t know, he made a come back during the 2nd debate, but he lost a lot during that 1st debate.
Will Alex step forward and be a Hero for Scotland today, a friend said emphatically no chance!
If he goes down The line he’s shaping up for, Imho he will have destroyed his (apparent) political career and all he worked for.
Clyde built,
He had lost it before that debate which merely finished what had started months before when he blurted out in a newspaper/magazine article that Scotland would keep the pound.
At that point early in the referendum no decision had been announced. There was a Committee set up to look at the currency options but it had not reported when he stated it would be the pound.
Up until that point the Unionist side was struggling to find an ‘in’ to the referendum and that declaration gave it to them. Osborne, the Chancellor, Darling, the former Chancellor, and Danny Alexander, chief secretary, all piled in and the pro-independence side never got in front of the currency issue even, as you pointed out, by the time of the debates.
The campaign increased support for independence but the sudden declaration about the pound and the lack of a convincing argument for keeping it finished any hope of eventual success.
As to the ending of his political career that was solely down to him. When he lost his seat in 2017 he could have gone off and written his biography. Then kept himself in the public eye promoting the book. His experience of Westminster surely told him that T. May would be departing soon -lost majority, woeful campaigner, in hawk to the DUP – and another election would be on the cards within a couple of years. But perhaps he had realised by that point that Ms Sturgeon was making a success of being FM and he would not be recalled to take over the leadership again.
Instead he authored his own end by working on Russia Today. No amount of sophist arguments could row his political career back from that gaff. Nor any need for a conspiracy to keep him out of politics.
Mr Salmond had many important achievements to his name and could have had an assured position in the party and in Scottish public life but he also had faults and they brought him down.
Clydebuilt “; Will Alex step forward and be a Hero for Scotland today, a friend said emphatically no chance!
If he goes down The line he’s shaping up for, Imho he will have destroyed his (apparent) political career and all he worked for.”
You might be right
I honestly do not think he is trying to make a comeback as First Minister but i do think he wants to be involved in politics and SNP in particular , nothing wrong with that in my opinion , he knows a lot and is a real asset to Scottish politics.
Theres always a lot said at committee enquiries lets see what the end result is.
I dont think there will be wrongdoing uncovered and proven by this committee the end result after lots of accusations bluff and bluster is likely to be lets form a committee to improve the way things are done in future.THE END.
That’s what the committee were actually supposed to be doing, that was their remit.
I’m not surprised to learn that the BBC are going big on Alex Salmond appearing at the committee today. The entire session will be shown live on the BBC news channel from 12:30, unheard of for this level of attention to be paid to Scottish affairs. They’re getting very excited already.
Aye, they don’t tend to want to show an Indy supporter live on telly with fanfare, do they?
Objective, my eye.
Russia and Iran have been found to have been using the internet to interfere in Scotland’s democracy, and we know this because Twitter and Facebook are furiously working to ban and delete accounts from these countries
Interestingly and coincidentally this same thing happened pre 2014 when Russia and Iran became very interested in Scotland’s politics and the people who ran them and what was happening here in our wee corner of the world that could have no bearing whatsoever on those very large countries on the other side of the planet
Pre 2014 was the lead up to the referendum on Scotland’s future, right now in 2021 the same thing is happening again and it seems to concern Russia and Iran very deeply that Scotland might choose Independence so much so the Russian and Iranian people have felt compelled in their thousands to take to social media and at the tops of their voices scream about how awful a thing this is for them and how they can’t contain their anger at the most awful woman on earth Nicola Sturgeon who’s driving this forward in her one party state controlled Scotland that she rules with an Iron fist, but the funny thing about all these angry Russians and Iranians is they don’t like using their own real names so they figure that using more Britishy sounding names their distress can be communicated more earnestly
Does that sound like a reasonable account of what’s happening? well of course it doesn’t unless you believe that in between Scottish referendums the Russians and Iranians are a little busy with their own lives in countries a bit more politically complicated than Scotland but then become immediately energised and afraid if Scotland is to consider divorcing itself from the treaty and precious Union we have with England
2014 David Cameron was in charge, 2021 Boris Johnson is in charge of England’s precious Union and neither of those people advocated or wanted devolution for Scotland or indeed Wales in the first place, they believe that Scotland is a territory a colony an asset belonging to England and if it means they break the law to keep hold of what they own then that’s what they’ll do, and if it means asking countries who have the technology to overwhelm the Scottish Internet in return for a favour, that’s not even up for question they’ll dive right in
What it means for us in little old Scotland, well if you believe that Barry from Paisley a lifelong SNP member is so angry at whichever FM is in post for something he doesn’t like so much that he takes to social media to inform us all of his resignation from his chosen political party and declare that he will never again vote for them, then go right ahead and believe that, of course if you take a little time and have the ingenuity you might find that Barry from Paisley is in fact Abdul or Andrei from Russia or Iran centres of political communications, or sometimes they could even be outraged Lisa from Aberdeen until you check and it turns out Lisa’s from somewhere called Sedgfield in England
That’s all separate from the one in Bath of course who owns up to being what he is every day but the folk who read his nonsense don’t seem to have noticed the mugs he’s making of them
I take it back. The might of the Brit Propaganda machine has been brought together today to showcase Salmond’s testimony.. BBC News Channel has been cleared to show live coverage from 12.30 onwards, a session which may last as long as 4 hourts.
No other person on the planet including the Queen, Presidents, or Prime Ministers would get this kind of TV time.
They really are out to get Nikla.
It is of course having the opposite effect to that intended.
Nick Eardley’s up here, outside the Parliament building, repeating the unfounded declarations from Salmond..Sturgeon is ‘guilty’, and must be hung drawn and quartered at Highgate, her entrails ripped from her body to the cheers of the gathered Brits, her head severed and carried aloft in a Saracen by Baroness Davidson of Rape Clause, to every corner of the Jock colony as a warning to the rebellious Nats that England will trample any uprising.
Salmond is a sad little old man…
It must be a matter of some concern to English viewers to watch this nonsense unfold.
Four hours of Alex Salmond L!ve ? Bliddy ‘ell. Lord luv a duck. Cor Blimey. ‘kin Jocks.
SNP 1&2…with more resolve than I have ever mustered for any previous election.
Her Royal Lizzieness got two minutes promoting the jag to waverers..
The Mighty Brit Empire has swung into action, those rebellious Scots to crush.
So, ladies, be prepared to lose the gains of the past 20 years. It is the white gay free ‘lads’ world of ‘Friends’ once more.
That is, if he turns up.
I won’t be watching it no matter where it is on. I will watch the Covid briefing vent ny frustration on pulling some dead foliage out of my garden and go for a nice long walk even if is pissing with rain. I am not remotely interested in what AS has to say as I am sure he will just reguratate the same conspiracy crap he has already said. I wonder if Nicola will be given so much tv airtime on a mainstream channel when she gives her evidence. I think not
How many will be bothered to watch it.
Get it over with and concentrate on what is important, All the privileged prima donna egos. Trying to blame others for their behaviour. To create a diversion. They are so self important. Looking fir publicity.
They have lost sight of their vain self awareness. Total hypocrites with their own agenda. People are sick of it. G’ies peace for goodness sake. Get over it. The lot of them. Wasting £Billion of taxpayers money.
Nicola Sturgeon did nothing wrong,
The rest of them broke the rules and regulations. Broke the Law and guidelines They do not know a decent responsible way to behave. Yet they are always complaining and self pitying.
Honest to goodness people are dying in a pandemic. Brexit is ruining the economy. The unelected Tories are trying to dismantle democracy. People’s lives are being made difficult. Then suffer the ‘Inquiry’ absolute nonsense.
“Nicola Sturgeon did nothing wrong” that is really what this has come down too, and can anyone here believe that she may have.
As was intimated further up the string (is that the right term?) “JIS’T GONNY NO”
The people responsible for this are the ones who keep stoking it, in order to damage Scotland, Independence, and Us as a people.
That would be You, Me, and all the rest o’ Jock Tamson’s Bairns. All of us who look at the headlines to see what’s the latest happening now with the weary story. Just like the people who risk being involved in an accident by slowing down to gape at what is happening on the other side of the road.
We have/are becoming like a pack of terrier dogs snapping at a bone dangled by those who wish to be our masters or their quisling game keepers. The ones snapping at the bone keep the pack agitated while never noticing the pen doors are wide open. The pack mentality takes over and dogs begin snapping at each other. Which leads to little skirmishes. Which accelerate into full on fights, now completely ignoring the dangling bone and the open door. Unless someone turns on the fire hose the pack will literally tear its self, limb from limb.
And the survivors will go back to being obedient caged dogs. Is this really what you want for your childern’s children’s children to be locked in at the wastemonsters beck and call?
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”
This person lied, that person was economical with the true. At this point it is all speculation none of the claimed “Truths” has been demonstrated with verifiable factual evidence to the satisfaction of all concerned, “yet” who knows what tomorrow holds. (let’s all snap at that bone again)
Here’s a pretty basic fact though, this is not the Eck and Nicky show.
It is an enquiry into badly structured policy and the complete bourach made of implementing it by government civil servants, the clue is in the title of the enquiry.
“COMMITTEE ON THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT HANDLING OF HARASSMENT COMPLAINTS”
However it has been permitted by us, to be turned in to a three ring circus by the unionists and their support. When they continually refer to it as “the Salmond enquiry”. Imbibing it with all the elements of a successful tabloid story, Sex, Money, Power, and Political Intrigue. All pushed relentlessly by the unionists and their MSM supporters. Not the committee’s remit as above.
Don’t know about the rest of you but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this type of development before somewhere, now what was that name …..Ma Carty or something?
If we all stopped buying into their window dressing. I am pretty sure it would disappear real quick, and on to the next whatever. Which would also be deserving of the accolade
“DID YE? AYE RIGHT” or “I SMELL …..” or “ENJOY YOUR NIGHT” or perhaps “GOOD GUY, GOOD GUY, Wa…..”
Y’think I’ve tain his to far noo…… is’at ma coat?… Ta
I wonder how all this will be viewed from abroad? Obviously the neo fascists and international socialists will be at one with their Brit counterparts. The decent people, on the other hand, will see it for the stitch up that it is and thankfully will understand even better what we are up against.
The Brits do us a big favour by making a public inquisition of this. Their wall to wall coverage will ensure international interest. Internationally they are exposing themselves for what they are – fraudsters.
I won’t tune in to any of it because I know what a bowel movement looks like; I have my own but would never televise it. Why would I watch theirs?
English politicians break the law constantly and their resignation is demanded regularly, the news from where we all are is outraged for about 5 minutes and then nobody resigns especially if it’s a considered *important Tory* the Prime Minister himself broke the most cardinal of laws when he attempted a coup of the British state by shutting down parliament and was found comprehensively guilty, what was his reply? Nah I don’t agree with the law so who cares (big laugh) the end
Scotland’s democracy is apparently far more important to England and its viewers than its own democracy, and they’re all very very anxious about everything being correct or the collapse of the civilised world could ensue
Who knew our little country carried such weight and concern by Russians and Iranians and all their people that they should feel so compelled to flood social media under the names of Barry from Paisley or Lisa from Sedgefield in England to express those concerns
It will be a very interesting contrast to see how much airtime Nicola Sturgeon is given live on the BBC to air her side of the story. Any chance that it will match that given to Alex Salmond?
Yes, a fat chance is my opinion.
AS is surrounded a bunch of nearly men, men who never quite made it, I admired most of them, especially AS, but there is nothing worse than jealousy and the biggest mistake AS made was retiring and replacing himself with somebody better NS.
I will watch the full televised enquiry today as I have done previously. I will watch it next week as well. I consider all such enquiries an important part of democracy. I may form a opinion on all those who present evidence but it is more likely that much will remain unclear.
What I will not do is close my eyes, stick my fingers in my ears, whistle and pretend it isn’t happening.
The scrutiny of the Democratic process cannot be selective. We cannot pick the cases we like and ignore those we don’t.
We have to go through the same process every time and allow open assessment.
I would say the same if it was a Tory, Labour, LibDem or SNP politician under scrutiny.
I would not support wheesht for the Union so why do it for Indy?
You really are that gullible, aren’t you, Julia?
Jim Sillars writing in the Scottish Daily Mail says that he’s a life-long supporter of the SNP. Even when he was a Labour MP?
Helluva guy eh, what a Prince among men, a shining light of honesty
Have I gone too far
And presumably when he set up his one party. A probably forerunner of ISP, SSP, and the others
He has previously set up his own party – The Scottish Labour Party, whose MPs consisted of Jim and a guy from Paisley. They got turfed out at the 1979 general election and after wrapping up the SLP, Jim joined the SNP.
In this one party state of Scotland the opposition keep claiming we are why am I a hundred times more worried about decisions taken in England that affect me and have no vote in and have never had a vote in for the last 65 years than I am about what’s going to happen to me in our terrible awful one party state
BTW when the Labour party were in total control of Scotland forever why did the media never call them a one party state or come to think of it why do the media not accuse the Tories in England of the same thing when they constantly draw new constituency lines in order to eliminate the prospects of opposition parties increasing their vote and presenting a challenge to them
Why is the media not asking the Tories in England why they are using Scottish tax payers money to bypass the elected Scottish parliament and handing out cash to Scottish councils who are asked to BID for cash that would normally be distributed by the Scottish government equally as of right to each council in a fair and accountable process
My English mother used to tell me growing up that the Scots are a very clever people but the English are born to rule something later confirmed by the beliefs of Labour MSP Johann Lamont when she said “It’s not in Scottish people’s DNA to run their own affairs” funnily enough all three of the *British English* political parties and the media agree with that but the party elected to govern Scotland by the people of Scotland in democratic elections damn well don’t
I’m not a medical doctor but I’m a clever enough Scottish person to know that DNA amongst humans is pretty much identical no matter your location colour creed or educational standard wherever you are in the world, but if you believe that somehow English DNA is better than everyone else’s then perhaps the Tory Labour Liberal political parties should be changing their names to an entirely different name
All well and good, but we all knew this was coming, yet nothing has been done to advance the Indy argument, too busy doing what? Fiddling while Rome burns it seems. So, yes we all need to focus, but waiting on the SNP SG to act is getting to be a lost cause. S30 anyone?
Apparently, a Mr Brown – to quote the Jeane Freeman I admire – has made a statement but Jeane has no idea what it’s based on.
It isn’t based on anything Jean, he’s just burped again and the media (lol) who hang on his every dribble, would like you to read the resultant puddle of phlegm for them. It could mean anything really or more likely nothing at all. That will be why Jeane passed it back to them to dabble in it themselves – or maybe pass it to those who are reputed to be a dab hand at reading entrails.
Ah, Mr Brown, how are we today?
Watching Alex Salmond giving evidence to the Harassment Committee. Ducking various questions. Lost count of the number of times he has used the word “abject” in reference to the policy. Says the policy is unlawful but of course it was the failure to follow procedure which was unlawful. Not impressed.
4 hours of:- ‘I refuse to answer that on the grounds that it may incriminate me’, but there is a conspiracy…..
The BBC is having a field day.
Roll on May, when we begin the process of taking back our country.
The crack up of Salmond, live and in colour.
Only another 16 hours of wall to wall Brit Nat Nicola Sturgeon smearing to go.
Meanwhile Ptrick Harvie and Iain Gray, along with the gathered hacks at today’s Covid briefing know more medicine than the experts?
A 26 year old shop worker should get the vaccination before a 65 year old?
Sad hackneyed little political tub thumpers.
People are dying yet these idiots still get air time to unsettle the people of Scotland, in the hope that we might vote for them.
What’s a few deaths when there are votes to be garnered out of lying and panic?
Utter pond life.
I won’t be watching today’s farce. Salmond will make a whole pile of assertions, ‘in his opinion’, avoiding perjury.
The gathered hacks and Brit propaganda machine wil deliver this junk as fact, outside the session of course.
Roll on May.
Maybe he thinks nobody will notice that half the time he’s asking and answering his own questions
and not the questions asked, but it passes the time, I’ve given up btw
Alex Salmond is not ducking questions he is ignoring obtuse statements.
Theres a difference if you look for it.
Alex Salmond was found not guilty by the court.
All those still giving their opinion that they think he is guilty do so against the grain of fairness the legal system recognises this but unfortunately not all persons do , i guess thats why we have a legal profession.
Nicola Sturgeon has nothing proven against her and yet she too is under attack also being accused of things she did not do.
So with Scottish Independence likely, 22 polls saying the majority of people in Scotland favour it and elections fast approaching we now have the two top Scottish politicians ever ,being accused of wrongdoing across all the british media including the BBC STV SKY the radio and newspapers and of course westminsters representation in Holyrood and Scottish civil service.
What a coincidence ?
No not really , this is what westminster have always done
If you believe that BBC STV SKY radio and newspapers are independent you are in a world of your own
I imagine any lawyer worth their salt would have advised Salmond not to speak at length publicly on the matter. And there’s a lot of salt to go round, it would seem.
No way back now for Mr. Salmond, yesterday’s man.
The best thing you can do when complaining about adverse treatment
Is keep saying you have been proven not guilty in court but want to find out how it came to pass
AS will take todays opportunity to say that over and over and over again
Then follow it up with how did all that followed the change in law come about so quickly and why did some people know about my court case before me
Having to read about accusations made against me in the newspapers is frightening and should not happen so i have every right to find out how and why it happened and who was involved
Seams fair to me
Och, Terence, you want ‘fairness’ from Monsieur Andrew Neil, Glenn Campbell, Kirsty Wark, and the BBC, do you?
Please.
We’ve had 9 and a half hours wall to wall Nikla must go so far today.
To my certain knowledge, she refused to help Salmond make this all go away.
I know what side most of the women in Scotland will be on when NS appears next Wednesday.
Terence, we don’t really care.
We comment on the barrage of Establishment coverage given to this sad man.
Not even the Queen would get this attention.
The gathered media and Brit Nat politician are akin to lager louts laughing at a disabled pedestrian.
They are laughing at him as he attempts to destroy the Independence Movement with this display of arrogant posturing.
No one is saying that he is guilty of the charges brought to court.
But he is bordering on paranoia when he declares that the ‘leaders’ of Scottish establishments are corrupt and Nikla is the ring leader.
He cuts a sad figure, and the Brits are loving it.
He comes across as a pathetic beaten old man.
He knows what he is doing. He genuinely believes that everybody is against him.
They must be pissing themselves laughing at this.
Alex’s supporters are quite a mottley crew, Neil and Fraser from the Spectator, WoS, ‘Effie Deans’ etc..
I fear poor Terence is still in the denial stage. But you can judge someone by the company they keep, right enough. Out of personal pique, Salmond is now pissing into the well he helped dig, and the opponents of independence are cheering him on. All in full HD on the BBC. That’s not a sight that can be easily forgiven or forgotten.
The man had some grounds for feeling aggrieved, but where is any sign of contrition or regret for what his own stupidity brought about in the first place? Or how he keeps trying to drag the good name of his successor into the dirt with him? It could all have been so different. Now he is toxic and his reputation is trash.
You are right. he has destroyed himself. Character is fate
MSN articles, which have been averaging 6 or so anti-SNP items, are oddly silent on today’s evidence. That has to be a good sign. Didn’t get what they hoped for
Aye, but the BBC radio news (for the little I bothered with this absurdist circus on such a beautiful sunny day), can still select a cute little soundbite of his about Scotland’s “failure of governance” and back it up by unchallenged assertions from the likes of Wee Willie. Just like Baroness Placemat’s many past effusions, that’s how they do it.
It may still work with the dwindling band of Tory voters here and in the English Home Counties, I suppose.
oh indeed, questions remain unanswered, First Minister opaque, party badly/deeply divided, remains to be seen, voters’ perception, lasting damage blah blah blah
Here’s how it works
Question: What can you tell us about x
Answer: That’s a very good question *and why?* because it goes to the heart of this blah blah blah
in other words answers his own question and not the one asked, it’s the oldest most pathetic journalistic avoidance of the negative by turning it into a positive, or if you don’t like the next question you reverse the procedure, it’s old and it’s tired, remember Toodle ooh the Noo he was never done reporting all his stories like this to avoid the studio presenter asking what they wanted to ask, then Bazinga time’s up and all you learned was what Toodle ooh the Noo wanted you to hear
Some of the committee might be a bit slow but they’re far from stupid
I’ll put 50 pence on them not requiring Nicola Sturgeon next week because if they want to keep the pot boiling they have to keep her mouth firmly shut or the numbers for the May election will hit an all time spiky high
Just a reminder of what the remit of this Holyrood committee actually is, it certainly isn’t what the media and of course the British state are trying to make it.
Hancock was found guilty of breaking the ministerial code, Johnson lies to parliament daily, not to mention lying to the queen when they provided parliameng. Have you noticed the media going apeshit about any of that.
That doesn’t mean we want to mirror westminster, we want accountability but not like this.
The real story here is how a Holyrood committee has be hijacked by a coterie of rabid unionists to try the First Minster of Scotland.
Never a truer word was said about this whole farrago, which has been abused from the get-go – with “get Nicola” written all over it – by a bunch of useless political cowards and their media collaborators, and now it’s all deflating on them whoopee-cushion style.
Jack, your description of ‘lager louts laughing at a disabled pedestrian’ is absolutely spot on.
The worst aspect of this situation, for me, is the absolute sadness of witnessing a lonely, frightened human being suffer because he knows that he should have behaved differently but he panicked. There but for the grace of god go I.
BUT like the lager louts, those who are so base as to enjoy this show trial, expose themselves as being undesirables. Normal, civilised people will look on and be appalled.
This will backfire on the Brits like everything they do. Normal, civilised people understand human frailty, take it into account and really don’t like it when bully boys gloat.
The BBC have become bored and thrown in the towel with the Alex Salmond evidence. The coverage continues on scot parliament tv.
https://www.scottishparliament.tv/
Looks to me like Alex Salmond in a reply to Murdo Fraser has just exonerated Nicola Sturgeon from any involvement and admits there is no evidence she was part of any conspiracy. 17:19
He also has just said he doesn’t believe she should resign for “breaking the ministerial code” 17:23
Hmmm, Terence will no doubt be pleased at this eleventh-hour revisionism (he is under oath, after all), but Bathman and Co. must be feeling just a little “high & dry” right now…
Hopefully, my interpretation of what he said is right. Anyone can check here.
https://www.scottishparliament.tv/
Perhaps he read our comments at the 16.30 hrs teabreak and had a good look at himself?
There must be a limit under HR Law in the length of time someone can be grilled?
SNP1&2
Well the BBC News at 6 has just said that he did say she should resign!!!
He most certainly didn’t say that.
Alex Clark,
Correct. He did not say that and now Sarah Smith has apologised via Twitter. Not good enough. The lie was broadcast and the correction and apology should be broadcast too.
I agree with this
AS said this
the most serious issue of all is the complete breakdown of the necessary barriers which should exist between Government, political party and indeed the prosecution authorities in any country which abides by the rule of law.
Spotlight on lesley evans please
Trumpian conspiracy-theory mud-slinging. Pathetic.
I agree with this
AS said this
the Lord Advocate is deeply compromised between his twin roles as head of prosecutions and chief government legal adviser.
Spotlight on Lord Advocate please
Straight feed from WaS, that (quelle surprise)..
‘I agree with this’. Well that makes three of you then.
Really, Terence?
If one of my employees had complained that a senior manager had tried to rape them, but was too distressed to press charges, would I, as manager, with a duty of care to all my employees, just ignore the very serious allegation, and hope it would all blow over and that would be the end of it?
Of course not.
The matter was too serious just to brush under the carpet, despite the trial and the Not guilty verdicts.
But that’s not what fits the agenda here.
Get Nikla.
Salmond is being played like a trout on the end of a Brit Nat line. They are gently reeling him in, mallet ready to bash his head in when they land him, exhausted and squirming his last political breath, his already damaged reputation in complete ruins..
Like the boiling frog, he doesn’t even realise that they will cast him aside like a used condom once they have extracted the maximum amount of damage from this fiasco.
His public life is over.
You are not quoting ‘evidence’, Terence. You are merely agreeing with Salmond’s unsubstantiated declarations.
I would say Jack Collatin that it is your claims that are unsubstantiated.
AS was found not guilty by the court.
You continue like some others to call him guilty.
It is your claims that are unsubstantiated.
If AS was guilty of the things you say he would have been found guilty in court , that Mr Collatin is how the law works , looks like you are one of those who like to ignore the law when it suits you.
AS said this too
I agree
the Committee has heard of the highly unusual route via the Crown Agent that the Permanent Secretary ordered her staff, against the wishes of the complainants, to present her report to the Chief Constable. Crown Agent David Harvie’s line manager at that time was Leslie Evans, the Permanent Secretary.
AS said this too
The procedure was devised when the Permanent Secretary, as decision maker, had knowledge of emerging complaints against me. From the outset the Permanent Secretary was compromised and should not have taken on that role.
The procedure was unsound not just in its implementation but in its genesis. It was devised “at pace”, probably with the purpose of progressing complaints against me and certainly without proper care or regard to its legality or effective consultation with the unions.
The documents disclosed to the Committee demonstrate further serious abuses of process by both the Investigating Officer and the Permanent Secretary.
In a further breach of the duty of candour the Government owed to the Court, those documents were not made available at Judicial Review.
The Investigating Officer had not just “prior involvement”, but subsequently regular contact with the complainants of a nature and level which was self-evidently inconsistent with that of an impartial official.
The Permanent Secretary who in her own words “established” the procedure met or spoke to both complainants on multiple occasions (including in mid process) and failed to disclose this in either the civil or criminal case.
Tweet from Andrew Neil :”The quality of questions to Alex Salmond from the Scottish Parliamentary Inquiry is lamentable. Some struggle even to put a coherent sentence together. Nicola Sturgeon is home and dry.”
Oh NO!
Are you saying that Andrew Neil of the “impartial” BBC is disappointed that Nicola Sturgeon hasn’t been nailed to the cross by the evidence of Alex Salmond?
Britnats must be feeling very downbeat at that revalation, so too many house Jocks.
Bit of a Freudian slip, that. This isn’t a trial of Nicola Sturgeon, however badly the servants of the British State might lust after it.
Zoot alors! exclaimed the well known |Frenchman M Andrew Neil.
Craig Murray says this
This website is offering a reward of £25,000 cash to help a public spirited whistleblower to come forward and reveal a copy of Geoff Aberdein’s evidence to the Sturgeon Inquiry, which the Committee of Crooks has refused to publish, accept or consider, because it categorically proves that Sturgeon lied to Parliament.
Nobody has taken up the reward
I thought the blighter was having to scrape together public-provided pennies to defend himself against the legal depredations of the deep state. So who exactly is funding him now then…?
Someone who felt they were “public spirited” wouldn’t need the carrot of a £25,000 reward. A public spirited person would do it for free but I’m not surprised there are no takers.
The elephant in the room, so to speak, or should that be double speak, with that assertion Terrence, which is in reality no more than deflection is that the committee is very much trying to get Nicola. Delays, leaks, slanderous accusations, feeding the media frenzy, all for the sole purpose of undermining the First minister. They have strayed so far from their remit with the exact intention of getting Nicola. If Craig Murray has seen it, has a copy, why doesn’t he publish it.
To my simple mind if this document condemned Nicola,it would have been published, leaked by the state, just as the accusations against Alex were made public.
This is pish.
I dont think Nicola Sturgeon has done anything wrong.
I think Lesley Evans and her helpers have.
The committee would love to get AS and NS
It’s not the “Sturgeon Inquiry”.
Precisely, doesn’t stop them though.
Well pointed-out. I’m sure TC didn’t intend to insinuate, but it does demonstrate just how powerfully insidious framing can be. (Though TC evidently realises intuitively what this circus has long since been hijacked to try to achieve, I suppose!)
Funny how he can offer that amount of money when he asks for public donations to fund his website and lifestyle to be paid into his band account in the Strand in London, so he claims he needs money while at the same time offering rewards of cash, so is Craig Murray joining the Spectator staff or Andrew Neill’s errand boys band of anti Scots
Maybe he’s planning a new online organisation, ‘Nikileaks’.
Yea, makes you wonder £25,000 reward from someone begging for money to fight his case ?
Maybe “Bathman” who claimed to have over £100,000 in the bank could sub him some dosh.
Let’s laser focus on independence for Scotland and what is required to accomplish that goal.
This fiasco is not the way to do it and those who continue to stir the pot have no interest in so doing.
I always had a very high regard for Alex Salmond and thought that the initial accusations were politically motivated and without any substance.
However,with HIS subsequent admissions of behaviour that fell short of what would normally be expected,I had to do a rethink.
He has been found not guilty/proven of criminal activities by the Scottish legal system,in which he claimed complete confidence at the time.
To now say that he has no confidence in those who lead those structures,is dissapointing to say the least.
Time is pressing and time to move on.
We have more important fish to fry.
Here is a clip from today’s evidence where Alex Salmond says there is no evidence that Nicola Sturgeon was part of any conspiracy and also where he says when asked by Murdo Fraser asked “Nicola Sturgeon has breached the ministerial code, should she resign?”
“Not for me” replies Alex Salmond. That exchange is at the end of the 5 minute clip.
https://www.scottishparliament.tv/meeting/committee-on-the-scottish-government-handling-of-harassment-complaints-february-26-2021?clip_start=17:18:05&clip_end=17:23:25
If there were any women watching this today Alex Salmond lost any support they might have thought they had for him when he was asked if he thought he should at least apologise to women for his inappropriate behaviour
And the answer came by way of even more deflection, everybody’s guilty bar me
Toast!
A clip of that lack of apology/acknowledgement of his behaviour has been shown on each of the news broadcasts I have watched this evening.
Graceless behaviour on his part.
In a way that’s the worst part of it all for him, and only him. He is so obsessed with how wronged he feels about himself that he has completely lost sight of the fact that others were wronged by him first. There’s not a trace of humility or contrition, and that’s fatal in the court of public opinion. Not least, I suspect, among the womenfolk who have warmed to Nicola since she took over the reins.
Frankly the question by Cole-Scuttle was bang out of order and beyond the remit of the committee, and the man is the last one who should be asking about apologies from anyone else.
I can only conclude the question was farmed to him as an opening question in full knowledge Salmond could not answer any way other than he did, and MSM could frame it as lack of contrition.
We must remember this inquiry is not yet another tiresome re-trial of Alex Salmond minus Kirsty Wark, but to establish what went awry in SG’s procedures, even if #10 and MSM as desperate for anything which sticks to independence, Salmond and or Sturgeon.
Doubtless too late for Nick Robinson to edit the 4 hours down to Cole-Scuttle’s question and “He said nothing…”
Unfortunately Bob Lamont what you are seeing is a retrial of AS by some on the committee and by many on here too , they just wont accept not guilty as the outcome and continue to say he did the things the court decided did not happen
I apologise for being found not guilty
Dr Jim ignoring the court decision makes you look silly
Sorry, Terence, your respect for the man and what he achieved is admirable in a way, but your evident blindness to the political realities of what his own conduct has brought down upon his head, not in any criminal court but in the court of public opinion, puts the boot on the other foot here.
You have to face up to the awkward reality that a person can be responsible for great political advancement, yet can demonstrate poor personal conduct which totally destroys their public support. History is full of such examples. No-one deserves unconditional adulation, and no-one should be offering it either.
Alex Clark many people on here do not want you to point this out, they are determined to construct a war between AS and NS
It is Lesley Evans and her helpers that AS is after
So, according to Alex Salmond, the reason the SG dragged their feet before conceding their case to the Judicial Review (which is one of the ways he claims NS broke the Ministerial code) was because they hoped the criminal proceedings would get underway and wipe the Harassment Policy off the headlines so they could quietly drop everything.
I think that’s rather thin. But all through this mess motivation has been the least convincing aspect. IMO the only people motivated to initiate this chain of events is the British State and its spooks.
BTW I thought Andy Wightman was excellent and caught out Alex a couple of times on claiming something in law was the case which it turns out isn’t. Andy had the legal text with him and read it out.
Alistair Allan was also pretty cool and objective and not buying the narrative.
Agreed, both those guys knew what the game was
Yes, and whose arrantly foolish behaviour gave them the very opening they needed…?
“IMO the only people motivated to initiate this chain of events is the British State and its spooks.”
Absolutely, there are no beneficiaries of this debacle other than those in Westminster and Whitehall who are utterly opposed to Independence. All other parties could only lose by being caught up in this.
That includes Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP, and the Independence movement.
I will read the transcript because that was along sitting and details are merging in the brain. I do feel Alex Salmond was fitted up (although his own behaviour provided the opportunity) but I don’t believe it was Nicola Sturgeon.
Let’s see what Nicola has to say next Wednesday.
I agree Capella
Everything has its amusing side, today we have WoS and Historywoman singing from the same hymn sheet.
Ach, when Wingnut against Scotland is so evidently in synchronicity with such diehard BritNat company, you wonder what it will take for the dwindling number of genuinely pro-indy followers to realise that they’ve been well-and-truly played.
If there is a joke, it is surely at their expense (both figurative and literal).
jfngw , a few on here singing from that same hymn sheet as wos and hwoman
BBC Scotland are beginning their campaign to save the Union next week so if you want to text or phone or write or just come and knock on their door you can take part in the campaign by joining Scotland’s unelected political party the BBC as they put the case for why you should vote anyone but SNP
Terms and conditions apply you must be over 18 and be a signed up member of the Orange Lodge or similar and provide concrete proof, (that’s concrete proof mind not the Alex Salmond kind) that you have a proven history of not voting SNP, experts in the hatred of the SNP will be on hand to offer advice and testimony on how the hating works
Excellent thread by Peat Worrier explaining the details of the legal reasons why the evidence Alex Salmond claims to have of a conspiracy cannot be made public. His suggestion to the committee that they contact his lawyers for copies of texts and emails is apparently futile since they are bound by the same law as AS: https://twitter.com/PeatWorrier/status/1365357909891309568?s=20
I’m no legal eagle, but I already made the same point upthread, if very superficially, in rebuttal of one too-fanciful news report. But it’s always satisfying to get the full chapter-and-verse from an expert. So Salmond is in event hoist by his own legal petard, eh? Maybe The National and others can finally get it straight now. (If only.)
Oh dear, the Salmond “stunning revelations” so lusted-after by Wingnut & Co and the BritNats for so long are all turning to dust, as expected.
Next week, the coup de grâce that will deliver the necessary mercy to this sorry farce, I expect.
Hope so grizebard
The BBC gave up today in their coverage of Alex Salmond’s evidence to the committee after more than 4v hours broadcast live. They were no doubt wishing for some explosive evidence that condemned the FM as a conspirator and enemy of the Scottish people.
Instead, they got a damp squib where the former FM admitted that he had no evidence that the current FM had been a part of any conspiracy against him. All balloons deflated and headlines were abandoned.
Now next Wednesday it will be the turn of Nicola Sturgeon to give her evidence to the committee where no doubt we will get her opening statement and another 15 minutes then back to the real UK news.
This parrot is dead.
Whether or not this is correct do you think this is satisfactory? Surely in any decent society an enquiry of this nature should have access to all relevant data, otherwise it is a farce. I would hope Capella that you would want any outcome to be judged on all the facts particularly including those that one side of the argument are going through hoops to suppress.
This comment is made in good faith. I hope you will respond in similar vein.
According to Alex Salmond himself today, the facts are that he has no evidence at all that Nicola Sturgeon was a part of any conspiracy against him.
That’s from his own mouth, do you have any evidence yourself that might contradict that?
He gave evidence on dates of meetings, and in particular her meeting with Aberdein prior to the meeting arranged with Salmond, his counsel, Aberdein and Sturgeon a few days later which disproves her evidence to the enquiry. Not major to my mind, and perhaps not warranting resignation, but very suspicious in the circumstances. Salmond is convinced Sturgeon was involved in a conspiracy to take him out of public life and that she was involved from the outset, many months before the Aberdein meeting, and that she may have been the instigator. He maintains he is sitting on a pile of evidence that he cannot produce to the enquiry for fear of contempt of court charges. You cannot say there is no evidence until all blocked evidence is eventually released to the public domain as I trust it will be before too long.
The information he has is in 2 sections. Firstly there are documents he holds which do not contravene any jigsaw identification concerns which Lady Dorian has outlined in the Spectator court case and which his own lawyers are happy for him to submit to the enquiry but which the enquiry are forbidden to see, let alone consider, due to restrictions imposed by Wolffe/COPFS. This information has been already published elsewhere by the Spectator and others without repercussions and is freely accessible on line. The only logical reason for barring this data to the enquiry is to ensure that they cannot refer to it in their deliberations and therefore an important part of the allegations against Sturgeon and others cannot be considered by them. I am not saying that their eventual decision would be any different but I fail to see how you can square this with the rule of law, morality and fairness.
The second tranche of debarred info he holds will mainly relate to the evidence produced at his trial. I presume that will involve references to the alphabet women on the grounds that their anonymity is sacrosanct. Whether you think that is reasonable or not, following a trial with 13 charges of which 12 were adjudged as Not Guilty and the other as Not Proven, it is rather incongruous that a man who has been declared innocent of serious charges is forbidden to refer to certain evidence or information from that trial in proceedings before a parliamentary enquiry. I understand the need to protect the identity of complainants of sexual harassment but surely it cannot be beyond the wit of Holyrood to hear that evidence in camera. I should add that the innocent party in all of this by a verdict of a jury comprising mainly women, has not had the luxury of anonymity and has been vilified in the MSN over the last three years. He has suffered great stress and financial pressure despite being proven innocent of the charges brought.
Many of us are convinced this was a stitch up to remove a political rival, many disagree. I hope we can all agree that it would be best for this to be put to bed for the sake of Scottish Independence. It will not go away, the only way to resolve it is to make all relevant information available. There are severe doubts over the independence of the current panel of the HR enquiry and, to me, the only sensible way to bring us all together on this is to have an independent judge led enquiry take over the current HR and Hamilton enquiries. Maybe then we can abide by the outcome and come together again. In the meantime the Yes movement is split and I fear for the future.
Alex. I used to read and appreciate your comments on WOS together with Dr Jim and others. I have followed Paul’s blog for many years and have always found his articles uplifting and encouraging. Unfortunately opinion seems to have polarised between the two sites and the btl comments have become rather unhealthy to say the least. Perhaps we can set a new tone and agree to differ without slagging each other off. Without decent considered debate we are all less informed.
“Salmond is convinced Sturgeon was involved in a conspiracy to take him out of public life and that she was involved from the outset..”
I listened to Mr Salmond’s evidence today from beginning to end and although what you have written in this extract is what I expected to hear from him, he most definitely did NOT claim this today.
He stated that the motivation – for something that he pointedly did NOT call a ‘conspiracy’ today, the term you use – was rather an attempt to avoid the fall-out of a negative judgment on the matter of the judicial review, not about himself and his role in public life. He went on to claim that the (in terms) alleged ‘malicious and concerted’ action against him began AFTER the police investigation began and then for the motivation I previously stated.
When the official transcript is published you may wish critically to review the text and reconsider the statement I quote from your post. Reading carefully what Mr Salmond ACTUALLY stated today will be instructive for us all.
What I said is common knowledge. Even if Salmond did not spell it out today he will at a later date. He doesn’t just believe Sturgeon was behind the plot to oust him, he knows, and I am confident he holds the evidence to prove it which the SG has very carefully blocked him releasing to the enquiry. As it stands he said enough today for any reasonable individual to conclude there was a plot. If Salmond makes an incorrect allegation Sturgeon or the SG can always sue him. Somehow I can’t see them doing that in this instance can you?
The bottom line is justice cannot be served until ALL of the relevant information is made available to the enquiry. You have to admit that the SG, Lord Advocate and COPFS have gone to extraordinary lengths to block information and some of their actions were legally questionable and will probably come back to bite them. How can any reasonable person suggest that decisions of this magnitude should be made without all of the facts? If the SG has nothing to hide just allow the enquiry to see the hidden documentation then they can arrive at a decision we can all accept. As I said above, I understand the need to protect the identity of complainants of sexual harassment, but surely it cannot be beyond the wit of Holyrood to hear sensitive evidence in camera.
These are the actions of a corrupt establishment with something to hide. The press are on to this like a rash and the once enviable record of Scotland for justice and fairness is being trashed. Unless this is addressed now It could well lead to the disbandment of Holyrood by Westminster just as they did to Stormont.
You obviously do not believe there has been a conspiracy to remove AS from public life and potentially jail him for the rest of his life on concocted charges by individuals granted anonymity whereas he has none. Then let all the evidence be available and if there was no conspiracy, fair enough. Based on what has emerged to date a few may lose their jobs and possibly be prosecuted for malfeasance in public office, but at least we can put an end to this, come together and get on with freeing our country. If, on the other hand, conspiracy is proved, then there will be well deserved jail time for a number of individuals.
Let’s not speculate. Give the Enquiry all the evidence they need to reach a fair decision, whether that be the items redacted from Salmond’s statement, other evidence from his trial, Geoff Aberdein’s statement or from any other relevant sources. To suggest anything else is just ridiculous.
You are blind and there is no hope for you ever to see beyond your bias.
Alex Salmond said today:
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF NICOLA STURGEON BEING PART OF ANY CONSPIRACY
Put the bottle down. you’ve had one too many.
Well Alex. That was good while it lasted. A very detailed rebuttal of what I said and so eloquently put. I did try to extend an olive branch and engage in a decent debate but I guess I will have to leave you to your own devices in the dwindling vestige of what used to be a good site.
Elmac you mention that evidence is being withheld that points to Nicola Sturgeon being involved in some sort of conspiracy against Alex Salmond and yet Alex Salmond himself is seemingly well aware of, totally conversant with, all of the evidence in the public domain AND MORE SO evidence that is being withheld and yet he stated yesterday that there is no evidence to suggest that Nicola Sturgeon was involved in a conspiracy against him. What he had to say may not suit the real conspirators, such as Campbell and Murray, who have been involved in a witch hunt against Nicola Sturgeon, nor people like yourself who seemingly have been taken in by them, but that is a fact now. A FACT stated by the man who is and has been 100% involved in this dreadful situation. People like Murray and Campbell have been leading you all down the garden path for quite some time now to in an attempt to achieve their own sinister agenda. Waken up and smell the coffee. Unite now and support the SNP in thrashing the Unionists in May, if for no other reason than that is what Alex would want to see happen, imo.
Elmac -you right things become polarised when many individuals with differing views( not foul mouthed or offensive ) , differing, are banned from a site.
Hi Hamish
Not sure what you mean but if you are saying you were banned from WOS and were not abusive to any other posters then I can understand you would be angry, I would too. I contribute there but not a lot compared with many of them. I have never had an issue, but I do cringe occasionally at some of the comments and get annoyed when they slag off someone because they support NS or post on WGD. We have got to be better than that and accept that there are some things we will never agree on . The important thing is we all want independence.
“…are going through hoops to suppress”? You mean upholding the law that protects the human rights of complainers of sexual harassment? (A law passed when Alex Salmond was FM, BTW.)
Not much sign of good faith in that phrase, alas. You can’t just pretend to uphold a law, you know.
But yes, it is a farce. And the principal reason it has become so is because participants and the media have wantonly used it for their own selfish purposes (personal and party political) instead of focussing on what it was actually set up to address. Not “The Trial of Nikla Sturgeon” or “Salmond’s Rant” or a sorry attempt at self-justification and a re-visitation of a real trial that cleared him of criminal behaviour but left an indelible seeping stain upon his character.
Och, look who it is.
What’s relevant Elmac is that this committee has strayed far from its remit and that should be the cause for concern. That the committee has been co opted into a political coup to unseat the elected FM of Scotland through the media and her political opponents.Their remit was examine the process, determine what went wrong and recommend how it could be improved. That’s it. Don’t be surprised if Nicola Sturgeon comes through this trial by fire, a formidable force to be reckoned with and made so by the very people who tried to destroy her.
The remit for the Committee is ” to consider and report on the actions of the First Minister, Scottish Government officials and special advisers in dealing with complaints about Alex Salmond, former First Minister, considered under the Scottish Government’s “Handling of harassment complaints involving current or former ministers” procedure and actions in relation to the Scottish Ministerial Code.” Would be interested if you would detail In what way have they strayed from that remit?
If the committee is allowed access to ALL relevant evidence and no serious charges result against Sturgeon I will certainly accept that and take it on board. The point is that until ALL of the relevant information is made available to the Enquiry they can not reach a definitive decision or a whitewash will result. Either way this will be unacceptable to a very large proportion of the Yes movement and the split in our ranks will fester and grow. Let’s cut the crap and give the Enquiry what they need, after all I take it you think they have nothing to hide.
But elmac your recent postings with your pals on the other side have already declared “ nickla”- how juvenile and rude is that, as guilty.
Yet Alex Salmond has not, though he claims she had breached the ministerial code which is not his decision. Sadly I did feel his unwillingness to say sorry to the women involved was a mistake.
The yes movement wing you refer to has some choices to make. Support snp for a majority in May or by default aid and abet the unionists. It us that stark.
Hamish100 , you want AS to say sorry to women for things he says he did not do , for things the court was satisfied he did not do , get real
“Either way this will be unacceptable to a very large proportion of the Yes movement and the split in our ranks will fester and grow.”/
Will it really? You appear to know far more than the rest of us do, care to share what makes t=you so positive that “the split in our ranks will fester and grow” or is that just wishful thinking on your part?
By the way, sorry to be a pedant but it is an inquiry and not an enquiry.
Thank you Alex – a reasonable reply. You are not being pedantic by correcting my spelling, I prefer to get it right.
I do not know any more than you but I think you would admit that currently there is a split in our ranks. Many people don’t know or don’t care about the stooshie over the inquiry but that will change rapidly as it is now receiving a lot of coverage in the media. Most people I think would equate NS with the SNP and will continue to do so but the current media headlines will make quite a few think and, if they take Salmond’s side, they may well not vote and/or opt for ISP on the list. This will drag on and on and the BBC, SKY and the unionist press will have a field day. The whole affair needs to be resolved now to limit the damage or the HR election should be postponed. If not the pro Indy vote is liable to be affected.
As matters stand I will vote against SNP on the constituency vote and for ISP on the list as I feel the SNP need a wake up call. If this affair is resolved, and NS is not guilty of what I think, I will eat humble pie and Vote SNP but the way things are going I don’t think there is time for that. For god’s sake why don’t they give the Inquiry what they promised at the start – full documentation and assistance. Then we can get this over and done with.
I agree Elmac
I agree with you that there is a split
Those who support NS and think AS guilty
Those who support AS and think NS guilty
Those like me who think neither AS nor NS guilty and think LE guilty
Elmac i dont agree with your decision or others to divert their vote away from SNP
I will vote SNP both votes
Scottish independence is bigger and more important than AS and NS
Elmac i agree
The law should be able to handle a situation where another law prevents evidence from being shown
All evidence should be available
Well it looks like Hon Sarah Smith BBC Ace Reporter has been telling porkies. What a surprise
https://www.thenational.scot/news/19122963.bbcs-sarah-smith-apologises-saying-alex-salmond-wants-fm-resig
Sarah Smith has form for this kind of thing, out loud in public with unsupported anti-SG allegations of her own devising then a mealy-mouthed wee follow-up apology on Twitter where none of the people who head/saw her will ever see it.
The only person who should be resigning is her.
Eilidh: Will we hear this correction on the BBC Six O’Clock news? Of course not, its via Twitter instead.
The smear is done, that’s after all what she is paid for.
Sarah Smith telling lies, nothing new there she’s made a career by it. BBC just can’t help them selves, they are now making basic mistakes in their pathetic efforts to try and discredit Nicola and those fighting for Scottish Independence. Notice Sky at it as well, must need to be a proven right wing supporter to get a job with their news team. James Mathews is a corker he almost wets himself each time he thinks he can stab the SNP, then boohoo he falls flat on his face when he fails time after time.
How many “explosive” “bombshell” revelations have turned out to be damp squibs so far? Always there’s another incendiary device to be revealed but for legal reasons can’t be revealed.
Apparently, according to twitterati, there’s something big coming which can’t be revealed just yet as the Salmondites are sworn to secrecy.
Perhaps he’s joined the ISP and is going to stand for election. Not the ISP probably the more manly AfI (is that its name I get mixed up). Surely not George Galloway’s party.
Off to bed. Can’t take any more excitement. 🥱
Oh, I just can’t wait. If he does “take the plunge” I could see him taking MacAskill and Alex Neil with him, maybe McEleny as well. All the “manly” old lefties, eh, to be palsy with the likes of Tommy Sheridan? Big deal. Once again history repeated as farce. (Remember the old SDP?) If any are foolish enough, after today (and next week) they will be writing off whatever is left of their political careers, and go down in the annals of infamy as spoilers and splitterists. But that’s their call. We’ll see soon enough, I suppose.
@Elmac
You have taken the time to write a long post spelling out what you believe to be the case as you see it. That’s fair enough as we can all take a view, I have issues though with much of what you say.
“Salmond is convinced Sturgeon was involved in a conspiracy to take him out of public life and that she was involved from the outset, many months before the Aberdein meeting, and that she may have been the instigator.”
That’s patently not the case, he said today that he had no evidence that Nicola Sturgeon was a part of any possible conspiracy against him. If you don’t believe me then look at the video evidence I posted earlier.
“You cannot say there is no evidence until all blocked evidence is eventually released to the public domain as I trust it will be before too long.”
I didn’t say there was no evidence against Nicola Sturgeon, it was Alex Salmond that said there was no evidence against Nicola Sturgeon of a conspiracy, see above.
“The second tranche of debarred info he holds will mainly relate to the evidence produced at his trial. I presume that will involve references to the alphabet women on the grounds that their anonymity is sacrosanct.”
I doubt very much that you would have any idea what some “second tranche” of evidence would hold and to presume anything on something that does not yet exist might be premature.
A by the way, I don’t look to pick arguments with you but you did not turn up here looking for alternative views, that much is clear as you were quick off the mark to post on Wings how you had put the lot of us posting here regularly under the hammer.
Perhaps we can set a new tone, you would need to be open to that too and I for one would welcome a more conciliatory discussion with you. It’s Independence that matters, not who is in charge or how it’s won. Only that it is won, there will not be a failure this time around.
Touch of delusion on Elmac’s part if he thinks he put us ‘ under the hammer’,
Elmac’s a she.
Let’s not start an argument over that lol
How did you know I self ID’d. Have you purloined my medical records?
Hahaha you’ve forgotten what you posted when you first became a pain on this site.
No I haven’t Alex – I can assure you I am male. After all Lesley Evans is female!
I’ll take your word for it then Lesley, so what have you self ID’d as?
I remain as I always was – male, but the name is not Lesley. That is my wife’s name which inadvertently went in by autofill a few weeks ago. I am more familiar with the WOS system as you might guess.
My reference to Lesley Evans was cobbled. I meant to say LESLIE Evans to make the point that names do not always comply to the norm. A bit like Francis and Frances I suppose.
Anyway that’s me for tonight before my other half goes bananas. Will look in on the next day or so.
Elmac no idea if you self id’d or not . My comment was towards one blogger saying you were a she then another saying you are he! Hence I said let’s not start an argument over that – tongue in cheek.
My disagreement is with your current position not you gender sex or whatever.
Enjoy a good political argument though.
I should say that Alex Salmond could have but didn’t attack the FM with all guns blazing. Personally ( my own interpretation) is that the FM tried to do her best to the women who complained, but WE were all failed by the Head of the Civil Service and Crown Office. Certain key civil servants should have been sacked / ‘ resigned/ relocated after the damages case.
The FM by absenting herself early on I believe will stay and if so we should all move towards May’s election.
The civil servants directly involved will be removed thereafter.
Hamish100 , i hipe you are right and those civil servants are removed from office but they are still here , after all that has been shown about their underhand behaviour none of them have been under investigation , that in itself is odd , i think NS has stood by them i suppose NS has accepted whatever reasons Lesley Evans etc have given for their underhand actions and that strikes me as a bit odd too, hopefully we will find out why next week.
Easy mistake to make these days.
Oh, a shiny new reasonable face for us and the usual combative one with his chums back on WaS. That’s the very definition of “two-faced”, isn’t it?
But still the same old Trumpian “nods and winks”, alas.
HI Alex
I missed this comment from you earlier. Its getting late and I need some shuteye so, I have copied and pasted a reply I made to StewartB above at 11.55pm which is in the same vein and I hope relevant to what you have said.
“What I said is common knowledge. Even if Salmond did not spell it out today he will at a later date. He doesn’t just believe Sturgeon was behind the plot to oust him, he knows, and I am confident he holds the evidence to prove it which the SG has very carefully blocked him releasing to the enquiry. As it stands he said enough today for any reasonable individual to conclude there was a plot. If Salmond makes an incorrect allegation Sturgeon or the SG can always sue him. Somehow I can’t see them doing that in this instance can you?
The bottom line is justice cannot be served until ALL of the relevant information is made available to the enquiry. You have to admit that the SG, Lord Advocate and COPFS have gone to extraordinary lengths to block information and some of their actions were legally questionable and will probably come back to bite them. How can any reasonable person suggest that decisions of this magnitude should be made without all of the facts? If the SG has nothing to hide just allow the enquiry to see the hidden documentation then they can arrive at a decision we can all accept. As I said above, I understand the need to protect the identity of complainants of sexual harassment, but surely it cannot be beyond the wit of Holyrood to hear sensitive evidence in camera.
These are the actions of a corrupt establishment with something to hide. The press are on to this like a rash and the once enviable record of Scotland for justice and fairness is being trashed. Unless this is addressed now It could well lead to the disbandment of Holyrood by Westminster just as they did to Stormont.
You obviously do not believe there has been a conspiracy to remove AS from public life and potentially jail him for the rest of his life on concocted charges by individuals granted anonymity whereas he has none. Then let all the evidence be available and if there was no conspiracy, fair enough. Based on what has emerged to date a few may lose their jobs and possibly be prosecuted for malfeasance in public office, but at least we can put an end to this, come together and get on with freeing our country. If, on the other hand, conspiracy is proved, then there will be well deserved jail time for a number of individuals.
Let’s not speculate. Give the Enquiry all the evidence they need to reach a fair decision, whether that be the items redacted from Salmond’s statement, other evidence from his trial, Geoff Aberdein’s statement or from any other relevant sources. To suggest anything else is just ridiculous.”
I know we can all get quite passionate about politics and the current Salmond/Sturgeon situation is very divisive. I feel strongly that there has been a conspiracy orchestrated, if not instigated, by NS. Probably not worth disagreeing any more on the Inquiry situation so I suggest we let it lie and see how it pans out. If I am wrong I will admit it as I am sure you will. I am very unhappy with other aspects of her administration – no doubt you can guess what some of these might be – and if you are up for it I’ll look in again on occasion and raise some of what bothers me with you so we can swap views without any slagging. Just tell the others to leave me alone when I do!
Same shite, different day. Are you aware ( do you even care ) that AS ,under oath in reply to a question, stated that he didn’t believe Nicola Sturgeon was part of the conspiracy. Does that sound like someone who has evidence squirrled away somewhere, yet you say that you he does. Your saying he’s lied under oath.
Golfnut , there is something missing in all that has been divulged in court and in committee ,we dont know exactly what is is but both sides agree there is something missing , someone has not been honest.
We must find out who.
Being rude to Elmac makes you look like an idiot.
I fear you are relentlessly beating a dead donkey today. And in defence here of this self-confessed “gamer”? {sigh}
Children, really?
Does anybody read the screeds which trolls churn out here in Paul’s absence?
It is designed to clog up this stellar blog. Nothing else.
Alex Salmond has made no friends over this, indeed more likely he has alienated more people than already were not in his camp by attempting to make this a personal contest between himself and the FM which today was worsened by a lack of the *explosive bombshell* evidence that he could not produce because his evidence is hearsay assertion and speculation without corroboration
The main thrust of his case is based on *I know she knew because somebody told me* and *I know she knew because how could she not* both statements are hearsay and supposition no matter how earnestly you stick these things together they don’t add up to facts supported by evidence
It’s a thin as I know the kid who scratched my car because I shouted at him so he’s got it in for me
The Scottish public court of opinion which when you’re a politician is the only court that counts will judge Alex Salmond mercilessly by increasing Nicola Sturgeons SNP vote at the May election so maybe in a way he’s helped the march towards Independence after all by trying to do the opposite
The next question will be how hard is the FM going to go on him, does she go easy on him for auld lang syne or does she deliver both barrels because she’s been fed up waiting and suffering these personal slants on her character for an incredibly long time considering she never put her hands on anybody, was never charged with anything yet stood accused and smeared of an unproven conspiracy the whole time she was working night and day doing her best to minimise and mitigate the most damaging health pandemic Scotland has ever seen with one hand tied behind her back over borders dealing with an English government who couldn’t care a jot about co operating with anyone because the most important thing to them was *Get Brexit done* and the herd immunity they had to be blackmailed out of or they would’ve killed many thousands more
Remember Scotland had the virus down last summer to almost non existent but our FM was forced into the position of waiting for the English chancellor to confirm cash transfers budget information not to mention early on how they tried to rob Scotland of PPE (we all saw the emails) thank goodness for our own SNP MSP Ivan McKee who created our own system of acquiring the stuff then fabricating it ourselves, and so well did we do that we even helped England by giving them some PPE unlike them who swanned up to Aberdeen and purloined ventilators form Scotland’s NHS because England did not have enough
Through all of this the FM had to remain calm and collected not losing her temper while the English parties were writing letters to the BBC demanding she be removed from the Covid briefings and sitting there in that committee room was Labour MSP Jackie Baillie who was one of those letter writers
I have no regard for any of the English parties or the people employed by them for the behaviour they’ve exhibited from day one of the worst health pandemic the whole of the British Isles has had to suffer while Tory Labour and Liberal Democrat played politics at every turn, bending and breaking every rule in an effort to discredit what should now be clear to everybody is not only the best FM we’ve ever had but the hardest working straight as a di loaded with character one we’ve ever had
Her Mum Dad and family must be relieved and so proud of her, if anybody deserves all the honours for taking Scotland to Independence it’s FM Nicola Sturgeon MSP
And yeah I know it’s gushy but I don’t care
I think we should be proud of her too, she’s earned my respect.
Gush away, Doc.,
Glad I didn’t see it, it’s a sad way out for Salmond. I read the submission he had on Wings, weeks ago, and any friends should have told him to withdraw it, all assertions and accusations and actully no real evidence. Similar to the Sillars letter by the way, which naturally misinterprets what Sturgeon said on the BBC, I did post two only one got through on that other blog, did reply to a question but it was deleted, made another comment about how a polite reply had been deleted, that was deleted too. Ho hum, an echo chamber. Sad, the guy used to be a good poster on the Herald I think, if it’s the same guy I’m thinking of. There’s a few good people got wrapped up in this and are falling by the wayside.
Touch wood it’s been clear for months how this is going to end up, and strangely enough it might actually give Indy and the SNP a boost, on the basis that if this is the worst that can be hurtled at them, then they must be pure as the driven snow.
Didn’t mean Wos by the way.
I think, your right about the potential boost for Indy its self Yesindyref2, but for reasons other than the kitchen sink has been flung (as you may have noticed I’m a bit biased on the Constitution ) .
If we as a movement step away from which version of the SNP we lean towards and actually do the much talked about “learning lessons stuff” , then it seems to me to be clear that change is needed so that nothing like this can happen again.
Not least because it’s cost the people of Scotland as a whole much time and treasure, but also because that’s what countries do.
That’s bringing independence back front and centre as the most obvious change needed.
Clearly what countries don’t do when there’s an issue sweeping through its politics is hand all power and control over to the Country next door, claming stupidity.
It’s the most ridiculous feeble thing I’ve heard of as a reason for Westminster to be in control of Scotland.
The real lesson to be learned from all of this is actually …. Scottish institutions just as much as Scottish people don’t thrive under the British imposed system either and it’s taken only one or two hight profile court cases to prove they need change.
Said change can only happen by changing the system away from the Westminster imposed one and over to a “made in Scotland ” one.
That more than anything is the urgent action Scotland needs and the obvious response to the issues besetting Scottish institutions at this point in time.
So we can and I think should get behind the notion that now more than ever we need a Scottish Constitution, by , and for, the people in which we can separate the powers and define the parameters for each of our institutions .
No more fudge and farce because we are working to a Westminster notion of rule …. sharp clear instructions from the people of Scotland .
That what the Yes movement should turn too, now.
Especially, because it’s now demonstrated that by no stretch of the imagination was any of this is evidence Scotland needs the dead hand of the Union round our necks, no matter how much the British media will try to punt that narrative.
But rather a more clear indication than ever we need to establish the absolute authority of our own Constitution with no body other than the Scottish people’s themselves above it, and we sure as shit need no input from the British in the doing of it.
No matter what any of civic Scotland have been or are getting up to …it is not the business of Westminster, we’re perfectly capable of addressing it ourselves, and keeping a Parliament with a Crown in it , is no the answer we’re looking for
And that I think is the ground I’d say we as a movement need to all move onto …
Hopefully soon ….
Well, there’s maybe 4 or more versions of prototype Constitutions flying around, and they all suffer from similar problems. The SNP one for instance iswas just from the SNP and doesn’t represent the other parties. Others by YES campaigners only represent YES views – and a very limited number of people. One that keeps getting space in the National had only 100 supporters a couple of weeks back – out of a voting population of 4.1 million.
And NO activists and voters, have no interest, nor do most of the people who will vote but not campaign. And even most YES campaigners are interested in getting a YES vote, but leaving till after that what is needed then.
As Aileen McHarg said back in 2014: “The adoption of a permanent written constitution is, however, a post-independence project. In the interim, Scotland will require a set of constitutional arrangements to enable it to function as an independent state.”
https://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/opinions/analysis-constitution-independent-scotland
Personally I won’t contribute till after a YES vote, and actually want a one page one.
Having a written constitution post-indy is an absolute must, no doubt about it, but like Thomas Jefferson it can wait until we have something to write about.
Oh, and it should be written by experts in constitutional law who know what they are about, not as an online shopping list by a bunch of well-meaning amateurs. (After all, who would like to have their home re-wired by just anyone who cared to walk in and start fiddling, eh…?)
Good post Liz and yes it’s critical that we cut the shackles to Westminster. Rid ourselves, as one example, of Civil Servants that are ultimately bound to their Westminster masters however to do that we require a majority of people to support the SNP in May and then of course to vote for Independence. It’s not rocket science.
Well said Dr.Jim
The EngGov have disgracefully politicised the pandemic from day one, and attempted to utterly undermine the ScotGov’s measured and responsible approach in dealing with such a terrible situation. Not many would wish to be in Nicola Sturgeon’s shoes, the job made more taxing by the massive anti FM, anti SNP and basically a witch hunt more recently. N.S and those doing a great job in the SNP deserve credit for
their work in managing the governance of Scotland, especially over the past year against massive odds. In May, both votes SNP.
Dr Jim i think you are wrong.
AS hasnt lost friends , all thats happened is that those who didnt like him still dont like him.
The britnats dont like him because he almost won the scottish independence referendum in 2014 and he still stands strong for Scottish independence.
A portion of NS fans dont like him because they have accepted in their mind that the westminster narrative of a war between AS and NS is true so one of them must be guilty and as AS is the only one that was taken to court , he must be the one who started the war.
I believe neither AS nor NS are guilty of wrongdoing the court found AS not guilty i will go with that decision.
NS has done a wonderful job as First Minister i dont think she set AS up i think Lesley Evans did.
…and in other news, the long drawn out Red Tory Branch Office Manager competition comes to a close at the strangely precise time of 11.05 am tomorrow, when son of a billionaire Anas Sarwar gets to take charge of the Tea Fund for about 9 weeks, at the very least/probably most.
Despite David Wallet Lockjaw’s coy estimate of the RedTory Jock membership, which he murmured ‘is understood to be about 18,000’, it seems odd that the New BBC Jock Politics Kid On The Block doesn’t have access to the exact membership tally.
Anyway, we’ll know the exact figure when the results of the 10th, or is it the 11th Branch Manager contest is announced.
I’m opening a book overnight; guess the number of Scots still mug enough to pay membership subs to this sad wee group.
I’m offering 1/1 that it is under 9000.
Any advance on 9000?
And finally, a wee squirrel nicknamed Elmac made a rare appearance today, foraging for nuts, any nut that will rise to Elmac’s bait/bate.
Did they not just publish the result last time as a %. of votes. Might just be misremembering, but that’s floating at the back of my mind.
I’ll be sitting on the edge of my seat in front of the telly at four minutes past eleven, as the world’s media gather to witness the most important event of the 2021 calendar, buttered digestive and mug (WGD mug) of steamy stewed tea in hand, in a spasm of heightened fervour as The New Leader and Saviour of the Red Tory Branch Office is announced.
I seem to remember that when Johnson rose to the top, we got exact figures; if memory serves Johnson is now PM of England because around 11,000 mainly elderly Blue Tory members voted for him.
Of course the Hacks will hide the numbers if they turn out to be truly appalling.
Can’t wait. Pls god make it Monica.
Well said Alex.
As regards the “Bathman” and his acolytes they are now in bed with rabid right wingers Baroness Davidson and Scotland in Union reps. Red Tories like Jackie Baillie all to push his long hate campaign against Nicola and the SNP. Even mentioned the vial Spectator and Andrew Neil to support his stance and argument.
Many of the “Bathman’s” beloved followers are openly admitting they will vote for the Red or Blue Tories to stop the SNP and Greens and this will get us Independence? or they will not vote or spoil their voting papers and this helps us get Independence ?
Forgive and forget, no chance Elmac you either want Independence or you don’t.
Infiltrate, disrupt then destroy the resistance of the local population has always been the way the English state gained then controlled its colonies.
Guess I’m the nut ☺
Still, nice weather forecast tomorrow in Prestwick which is excellent for a good walk to clear the air. Onwards and upwards for Scottish Independence.
Nah Old Pete I think you’re just fine. If you’re a nut I’m surely nuttier LOL
Well said Dr.Jim
The EngGov have disgracefully politicised the pandemic from day one, and attempted to utterly undermine the ScotGov’s measured and responsible approach in dealing with such a terrible situation. Not many would wish to be in Nicola Sturgeon’s shoes, the job made more taxing by the massive anti FM, anti SNP and basically a witch hunt more recently. N.S and those doing a great job in the SNP deserve credit for
their work in managing the governance of Scotland, especially over the past year against massive odds. In May, both votes SNP
For all the angst created over GRA and the AS/ Nikla inquiry(I know it’s not actually supposed to be that), for all the air time, for the spittalflecked commentary, all the lies and misinformation, the public don’t appear to give a toss. Ipso poll asked the question on both these issues, 0.5% responded.
The media in England same as the media in Scotland, except in England they avoid or are ignorant of the facts so barely pay any attention to them so replace them with speculation and ill informed statements
On Sky news press commentary on Scotland’s ongoing committee wrangle this morning we heard an English journalist report his facts and opinions on what transpired with the Alex Salmond interrogation in which he did what all ignorant journalists do when they haven’t a clue what they’re talking about they attack Scotland in the most self serving pretendy sympathetic tone and make
statements like this one
“Of course it’s always a problem when you have a one party monopoly”
Without a hint of irony that in England on a first past the post system both Tory and Labour parties refuse to govern unless and until they do have a one party monopoly, indeed if they don’t the press and people of England are treated to the terrifying prospect that the *country* will be ungovernable if the winning party does not have a monopoly, and we’ve just seen examples played out for all to see when Theresa May felt despite having a slim majority she needed a monopoly so called another election made it worse which led to her downfall so the next guy same as the previous woman had another election in which he succeeded in achieving the required humungous monopoly yet the English seem to suggest it’s Scotland with our proportional representation system making it well nigh impossible to gain a majority much less a monopoly that’s got it wrong
The irony of ironies is the SNP in Scotland do not have a monopoly they are a minority government
An example of how the English only ever listen to the sound coming out of their own mouths
Right on the button there Dr.J. from beginning to end.
But what that journo on Sky unintentionally reveals is that s/he implicitly recognises that independence now commands majority support among the people of Scotland, and consequently the SNP is very likely to form a majority government after May and put another indyref on the agenda as their mandate commands.
Basically what, in their ignorance, they inadvertently reveal is that they themselves are democrats only when people here happen to conform to their own self-regarding neo-colonial opinions of us.
A really interesting article on Newsnet covering, and clarifying, some of the legal issues surrounding the proceedings yesterday.
https://newsnet.scot/news-analysis/salmond-scottish-parliament-spcb-and-crown-office/
It includes material from Peat Warrior that was linked to earlier but in a more readable form perhaps
I only AS testimony from just aftet 5pm onwards on BBC Parliament Channel as decided to go for a nice walk rather than spend whole afternoon watching that.
From what I saw he did at times sound arrogant particularly when he was talking about Section 162 and that he was FM when that legislation came into being and it was not intended to stop Scottish Parliament committees getting info. Intent of legislation is irrelevant. What matters is what the legislation says, any legal precedent or subsequent case law ( where application of the legislation has been challenged in court and the court overruled how legislation had been applied previously).I also thought AS looked as if he had aged 20 years since last time I saw him on tv and in some ways he looked diminished.
It was notable that he said that he did not include NS in the list of folks out to get him as he did not have documentary against her. I do have my doubts as to whether a set of jigsaw WhatsApp messages or emails is evidence against anyone though. I thought Jackie Baillie baiting him to try to get him to say NS should resign if she has found to have breached ministerial code was pathetic.
I think if a way to protect anonymity of the alphabet women could be found it would be best to release all the required info as he is just going to say the proof is in what has not been made available to the committee. I doubt the proof is there it is likely to be just more heresay. As that committee has been leaking like a sieve I do not have confidence that identity of the women would be not be leaked. I may watch the rest of his testimony at some point. I too think he should have apologised for any offenced he caused to the women who had complained about him
Retrospective behaviour bleaching paving the way for some form of public life is Alex Salmond’s end game
and no amount of *I was dun wrong because the legal verdict said not guilty of a crime* will ever remove the overall judgement of his character and no matter how hard he rubs the bleach in that stain will stubbornly remain forever
Sometimes it is the smallest, almost overlooked act that gives the greatest insight into someone’s character as a whole.
Yesterday it was not just the lack of apology that was telling but it was AS referring to Ms Sturgeon as ‘Nicola’ in his responses.
In the Scottish Parliament, in the formal setting of a Parliamentary inquiry where evidence was given under oath he did not have the manners to give her the title she has most certainly earned. Instead by using her first name he sought to downgrade her status and at the same time that of the Scottish Parliament.
I’m the same Dr Jim, when I think of him now it’s a boozy, shmoozy git with his eyebrows performing a dance macabre as he lets what’s in his trousers rule what’s in his head. Finished for me.
I think a number of bloggers are blinded by their devotion to AS, his admitted behaviour is not going to play well with younger women (‘he’s a bit sleazy’, was my daughters conclusion), they have been trying to eradicate these minor workplace irritations for decades. The fact that he hasn’t really addressed these failings, ‘I could be a better man’ doesn’t really cut it as an apology, leads me to believe he can’t accept them in reality.
So the blogger who thinks he will regain his place as the towering presence in the Scottish political scene is sadly deluding himself I suspect.
And the other half of scotland says otherwise Dr Jim
Eilidh , you say that the intent of legislation is irrelevant, you are wrong Eilidh the intent of legislation is of paramount importance , regulations normally follow legislation which aim to explain the intent of the legislation but regulations are often misinterpreted too so appeals result and tribunals consider and determine what they think the legislation means and whether or not it has been interpreted and applied correctly.
Sometimes appeals go all the way to court and on to the house of lords when better interpretation is required until brexit the european courts were the highest court you could go to but now i suppose we are back with the house of lords.
Terence you are only partially right. I work in the advice sector and spend a lot of my life helping people fight Dwp decisions through appeals etc but often Dwp officials interpret legislation re benefits in the harshest way possible and in the case of Universal Credit this has lead to court cases and new case law that has forced them to decide certain things differently as previous decision making was found to be discrimatery for example.I doubt AS when FM ever thought this investigation into Harrasment procedures of a Scottish Govt. would ever happen let alone him be a victim of it. However as Andrew Tickell aka Peat Warrior who is a law lecturer (so I am pretty sure knows what he is talking about) has pointed out there is no evident mechanism in Section 162 that would allow a committee of the Scottish Govt to be exempt from a contempt of court order. If AS or the Committee think that is wrong then they should challenge it in court now!!!. It may be badly drafted legislation but as Andy Wightman read out yesterday currently there is no exemption for the committee re Section 162. Personally I would worry about such an exemption being given to the committee. There is a reason the Crown Office are for the most part seperate from Government and Parliament. Compared to USA the seperation of powers is not near as well defined in Scotland or Uk as we do not have a written constitution.Maybe it is time that the Lord Advocate is totally seperate from the Scottish Government though.I have to wonder why AS has not challenged how section 162 has been applied re the committee before now
As expected Anas Sarwar has been handed the poisoned chalice that is the job of leader of the Labour party in Scotland.
Monica breathing a sigh of relief??
Her followers will head for Edinburgh and storm Holyrood demanding a recount. All 402 of them
Golfnut called it correctly. We are given percentages of the votes cast, but no actual numbers of votes cast.
At last Social Order has been restored. The Brit Nats are now ‘together’ once more.
Blue Red and Yellow Tory Puppets dancing to their English Masters’ Free Trade Capitalist Carpetbaggers Little England tune.
Every child will now be offered a place at a fee paying skool, just like Anas’ kids enjoy. No more education attainment gap, at a stroke.
Will he visit Faslane to show solidarity with Keir, or is it Kier(?), now that the ‘Socialist’ Policy is to renew the system and sell arms to any dictator with money?
Neil Findlay will be pleased.
Salmond and Sarwar….the fall of the Old guard…
why am I not in the slightest bit sad?
Oh, maybe her turn will be next. {grin}
If not after the coming election, likely after the next.
Yeah what a shocker Anas Sarwar is crowned the next victim of the Labour branch office by King Sir Kier Hardie the actual decider of these things, and you know what’s nuts about it he actually wanted the position
Ironically if Labour were actually as democratic as they pretend to be and they’d selected Monica Lennon I’d have put money on their vote share increasing, as it is the Labour supporters in Scotland must’ve just gone *sigh* here we go again
Another thing I was considering was had all things been true that Alex Salmond said and our current FM was removed and replaced by him *Brrr shiver* that might have been Labour’s best chance ever of removing the SNP from government so it’s no wonder the opposition is jumping through all the hoops it can to make the public believe the FMs guilty of something she’s never been on trial for
Than goodness that’ll never happen, I don’t know what put that thought in my head and it’s horrible and I want it out now, Eugh!
The unionist parties would have a field day if AS became leader again, they have enough material from what he admitted to run a fairly comprehensive deconstruction campaign.
Not heard anyone wishing AS to be leader again jfngw, but he is and will always be a leading light in Scottish politics
If you think that ignoring AS court case not guilty result will erase it you are mistaken
Good Morning All. A bit o/t but can someone explain to me why oh why oh why has the National gone Torygraph? I am a subscriber to the on line National and I buy the Sat printed edition every week on the basis that it is supposed to promote Independence and therefore worth supporting.
Todays edition has “Yesterdays Man” front and centre of the front page. In my view this pish deserves to be reported on page 8 in tiny print. The front page should be raging that the BBC has Lied (Full Frontal picture of Sarah Smith with her gob open). Or they gave a tory member of the committee a full 3 minutes of bile spouting on R4. Not once did the Interviewer (Ha!) point out the irony that he represents a party whose leader Lies Daily in the HoC and has lied to the Head of State. Or that they have spent Licence fee money on televising 4 hours of I’m not sure what………
Gaining Independence is going to be a struggle if we have to battle the only Media Outlet that leans our way.
As ever Dr Jim is spot on with reference to NS. I have no idea how she maintains her cool. We should all be proud of her and of ourselves. Once Independence is achieved we can spend as much time as we like morphing the political landscape – Left, Right, Centre, Green, Liberal or even the new Yesterdays Man Party!
Morning Howard, the first job of newspapers is to exist and to do that they need to bring in the cash or they cease to exist so every now and again they indulge in clickbait to sell to a wider audience, whether that works or not I’m not so sure, but in the case of the National they have another pressure in that they’re owned by the Herald so if sales dip the Herald has the easy excuse of shutting them down for not selling papers, on the other hand the National has to satisfy us the Independence supporters because we’ll moan at them if they don’t cover everything how we would like to see it, a wee bit rock and a hard place
It’s just another demonstration of Scotland never being allowed a media of its own either TV or press because England has always had to make sure Scotland doesn’t have the power of licencing because we might put it to the same propaganda use that they do
When Fiona Hyslop argued for such powers over broadcasting to be devolved Westminster as part of their reason for refusing was that the SNP would use the powers for propaganda which is a flimsy excuse because the powers would go to the parliament not whichever party is in government at any given time, again looking like proof that the UK government does just that very thing and believes others would do as they do
More a reflection on the behaviour of Westminster than Scotland I think
Ah ok. Thanks for the explanation Dr Jim – that all makes sense now. I still want to set fire to this edition though!
The BBC Plantation Quay Stockade is now reduced to a skeleton staff in the news room over the week end; Through the wonder of i Player I’ve checked. Today’s 3 and 1/4 hrs of BBC Brexit TV does not include the 150 seconds of ‘news’ where we are, weather, and traffic reports, usually slotted in 2 or 3 times of English news sports and Morris Dancing.
On TV today, there is a Reporting Scotland bulletin of ten minutes, from 19.25 to 19.35 on BBC1, and, over on the channel designed to give Jocks their own Tartan TV, the Seven bulletin will be 15 minutes long.
And that’s Scottish television this Saturday
25 minutes.
Imagine the uproar if TV was banned in Sweden Norway Denmark Belgium the Netherlands, Ireland Finland, and German TV piped into their homes instead?
We are Big Brother’s Airforce One. The Colony that lays the Golden Eggs for England to have with its breakfast toast.
Imagine ahead, when, we shall no longer have to put up with English Politicians telling us what they’ll allow, when England has absolutely no control over our country.
There is a vast body of Hacks and broadcasters Up Here who will be out of work overnight.
The National and BBC Jockland were allowed out of necessity. Not to provide ‘balance’, but to stave off accusations of suppression of Freedom of Speech in England’s Last Colony.
IT is an affront to freedom that we are in the grip of a willing Pet Jocks MSM, taking the English siller to betray their fellow Scots.
The National is owned by a Right Wing US Press Giant.
The irony is that if it started to sell in the hundreds of thousands, it would transmogrify into a Right Wing Yoon Blah.
It is the soggy scraps fed to Jock Dogs under the table.
Jack Collatin , terrible isnt it ,the way our news on tv and radio is presented , we move ever closer to being treated like a county of england
Dr Jim dont defend the national for its poor journalism
A H Baxter , true true
Our charming visitor from Wingnutland rather gave the game away last night: “As matters stand I will vote against SNP on the constituency vote and for ISP on the list as I feel the SNP need a wake up call.” So this person who wishes us to entertain the notion that he is an actual supporter of independence, is like a passenger in a boat who can’t swim who intends to shoot a hole under the waterline because he has taken umbrage at the way the captain is dressed!
It’s worse than that, actually. I’m being too generous. There are as yet no other pro-independence parties standing in the constituencies (maybe a quixotic Green will eventually decide to stand somewhere, I suppose, and fail), so this character is effectively declaring he will vote BritNat in order {ahem} merely to teach the SNP a lesson?? I know that fuzzy-thinking amateurism is the bane of the independence movement, but this is well beyond self-harming foolishness and into something else entirely. And it doesn’t take too much thought to understand exactly what that is.
Remember his hero is a Liberal Democrat who are the past masters of the art of deception when it comes to politics, the party who are available to do deals with the devil if it gets them what they want, and who was it at the last election who kept banging on about how the SNP should do a deal with the Tories, why it was the glorious leader from Bath who btw has no vote in Scotland because he has lived half his life in England where the political situation must agree with him because he seems to have no complaints about who actually runs the UK
Like a messiah he’s promised his followers he’ll return to lead them once the Independence he’s trying to prevent happens, I bet they’re all agog and breathless waiting for that great day
He’s really just a big mouthed insulting sweary wee Willie Rennie
What is even funnier in their logic, if you swallow their pro-independence claims, is if they don’t vote SNP in the constituency then it is likely the SNP will take more list seats and their ISP vote becomes totally worthless, of course that may be the intention. One blogger (lives outside Scotland) even tweeted effectively removing NS is more important than independence and it may need to be delayed 30 years, I suspect Ruth Davidson would give his opinion 100% approval.
Sky news reporting that Anas Sarwar will seek to exploit the rift created in the SNP and its voters by Alex Salmond to reestablish the Labour party in Scotland and in so doing diminish the risk to the Union by preventing another Independence referendum
Now I bet there are some of you saying right now hold on a minute, Salmond, McAskill, Alec Neil, McEleny, Sillars, yesterday Henry Mcleish, and nice but dim Angus Brendan McNeill
Nah couldn’t be could it, surely not
No positive case for the Union then? Oh wow, and I was soooo looking forward to that. 😉
Dr Jim , its actually good news when the new leader of Labour in Scotland
says its best idea for getting SNP voters to vote Labour is
1) to talk about the difference of opinion some SNP voters have of AS
and
2) to try and stop a scottish independence referendum
Im happy with that , on you go Anas Sanwar , you will fail before youve started
Judging by the foul mouth ranting elsewhere maybe some who have used the Alex Salmond issue for their own purposes are less than happy that the ex FM basically gave the current FM a get out clause (in their mind),
Still we have the mysoginists still playing the sex card.
Xxxxxxxxx says:
27 February, 2021 at 2:56 pm
Someone suggested that NS as a brain tumour. How about being menopausal, that can do strange things to people
Hamish, please, please, I beg of you, master your occasional tendency to relay toxic opinions from elsewhere on here that clearly do not correspond to the ethos and stated purpose of this site.
Hamish100 , are you referring to wos ?
Has it not changed its name to wings over northern britain yet ?
To think i used to like their investigations , cant believe it , theyve gone mad
Must confess a degree of amusement at the multiple opinions flying on Salmondgate, precisely what those who orchestrated and continue to direct opinion hoped for, discord and misdirection.
AS, NS and and the general public have only suspicions (however well informed) over what has transpired, none can or ever will in reality know the full truth, that is the nature of conspiracies, and the Tory machine in the City have been playing this game for a very very long time indeed.
eg – Was Sarah Smith’s deliberate misinterpretation of what AS actually said yet another brainfart or a carefully choreographed set-piece ? I doubt many Scots suspect other than the latter – National news addressing millions with a twitter apology to defuse the stinging rebuke to a few thousand, most notably and glaringly the Nick Robinson incident.
Neither Nick Robinson nor Sarah Smith are journalists, they are propagandists with a principally English audience the Scots being secondary, their dilemma now is having convinced England that Scotland is a basket case how do they prevent England ejecting Scotland ?
For sure there is something very wrong in the Scottish Government system which stinks of corruption, but we will never be free to address and rectify it while London’s mafia continue to pull our strings.
THAT is why this May election is so vital, and why the assembled ranks of manipulators are trying so hard to promote their “Look, a squirrel” antics.
This is their endgame, they know it, now is not the time to play the games they dictate.
“Was Sarah Smith’s deliberate misinterpretation of what AS actually said yet another brainfart or a carefully choreographed set-piece ? I doubt many Scots suspect other than the latter – National news addressing millions with a twitter apology to defuse the stinging rebuke to a few thousand, most notably and glaringly the Nick Robinson incident.”
From Wiki:-
“Smith married Simon Conway, an author, former British Army officer and co-chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition, on the island of Iona, where her father is buried *John Smith, predecessor to Blair as Labour Leader), on 22 September 2007. The service was led by Rev. Douglas Alexander, father of former Scottish Labour Party leader Wendy Alexander.”
They are an incestuous Jock Brit Nat Elite.
The Hon Sarah Smith’s mother, the Baroness, heads the Be Polite to Politicians ‘Think Tank’, her sister is on the Board, and Kezia Dugdale, a previous spectacularly hopeless failure as Red Tory Branch Manager. is their CEO.
Money for nothing, and we pay for it.
Scotland is riven with wee cliques like this, a Fifth Column working for a foreign power.
In May, it is no more Mr and Mrs Nice Guy.
Well said Jack Collatin
Labour always believed themselves to be Scotland’s Royal family, it was their country, their fiefdom and why they remain so viciously angry because the SNP took it away from them, but there are still those of them who would bayonet every last one of us to get it back
If it wasn’t for Labour Scotland would be Independent now, they’d side with hell itself to take back what they feel is theirs, just as in history the biggest traitors to Scotland hung around together in Edinburgh where the English could be accessed
This is what Aberdein said in 2019, yet somehow this has conveniently, deliberately been sidelined to create the narrative of wrongdoing by the Fm.I
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1081934212006008/permalink/1544728762393215/
Can’t read it, it is a private group, can’t join group without facebook account.
Perhaps you could precis what he said because the Facebook page is for members of a private group which you have to join to see the posts.
Reports of a giant smoke screen appearing in Edinburgh.
Whilst the BBC, Murdoch and the entire UK MSM are investigating the cause of the Edinburgh smokescreen determined to find the fire an actual fire 600 odd Km to the south is being overlooked…on purpose. Watch.
Made similar observation earlier, much of Salmondgate is a media construct orchestrated to distract from #10’s their own corruption, and it is not just Hancock who is in the frame for it.
The outrage expressed by the London based media about the injustice suffered by Alex Salmond at the hands of the Scottish government is hypocrisy of the highest order.
They weren’t so interested in injustices inflicted on him by Westminster when he was our leader.
No,this was a Get Nicola campaign in order to inflict injustice on the SNP.
The SNP are spending £600.000 on the Indyref and the Unionists and conspirators claim the SNP don’t have it and it’s all a big lie because the focus of their ire and her husband have spent it on a holiday home in a foreign land or some such other made up nonsense
There’s a problem with this claim from the SNP haters and the Unionists, who I believe now are just the same people, and their problem is if the SNP were as they say broke and didn’t have this money wouldn’t the BBC and every news and press agency be reporting exactly that because let’s face it the media is no friend to the SNP so they’d be all up in its business if they believed for one nano second they could get something over on them
So the bloggers the Unionists the haters (we’ll need to come up with a collective name for this tin of fishbait) are quite obviously lying and mud slinging as big as they can and about as much as they can in a scattergun fill the airwaves approach to creating as much publicity for themselves to sell their lies
Now when was this last approach used to sell lies to the public, Brexit !! it was Brexit !! this is how they sold that shit to the English electorate and they bought and paid for it didn’t they, now they’ve bought and paid for the same tactic to be employed against Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP
Every day they fill the internet up with people telling us how they’ve cut up their SNP membership because because because, again if that were true the media would be taking pleasure in reporting that very thing but they’re not meaning it’s garbage and not true, I personally know of people actually joining the SNP in numbers
The conspirators have a work around for this though because they claim that Nicola Sturgeon controls the BBC, she controls the judges, she controls the lawyers, she controls the police, and fantastically she controls Boris Johnson too by using her Eva Petulengro mystical powers of magic and mind control, she controls the horizontal, she controls the vertical but they, the very clever sensible people who know what’s going on because some blogger who’s now as mental as David Icke tells them the truth fifty times a day
Even the National newspaper is having to alter its online comments forum because they’re invading the space like army ants on a mission of programmed destruction, if they’re blocked on Twitter they change their name and come right back as somebody else over and over
I’m reminded of the other day at FMQs when the FM said they’re employing a scorched earth policy
Has anybody told Ian Murray that Anas Sarwar is now his boss..according to Anas Sarwar?
His Red Tory Branch Office is, he declares without a hint of irony, independent of Sir Keir Starmer’s Big Grown Up Party in Merrie England.
Inside his muddled head Sarwar alone will dictate the policies and strategy on EVERYTHING in the Golden Goose Territory to the North.
He reiterates that ‘Scottish’ Labour has rejected Trident, so there.
Since, on reserved matters, which Sarwar supports as a good little Brit Imperialist, Ian Murray is the only ‘real’ Politian with real power Up Here, barring EVEL, which rather limits Union Jack Murray’s powers as a Jock at WM, The Red Tory Branch has no authority to ‘support’, or ‘reject’ spending £200 million on thermonuclear weapons of mass destruction, or their positioning on the Clyde in ‘the North’.
Murray is King of Scotland.
Sarawr has no power or authority over WM spending on welfare, foreign policy, and ultimately the strangling of Scotland’s economy by England’s Treasury.
He cannot take a dump without accounting for the loo roll usage to the Main Office in London.
Labour is dead in Scotland.
The man in the Crombie coat with velveteen collar and cuffs,his neck wrapped in a Cashmere (or should that be cashmore ) scarf, exudes the wealth and privilege that Starmer wants from his New New Labour Team, but insults the queues at food banks, the freezing starving half million Scots in poverty, and the memory of the founders of the Labour Movement.
Unlike the SNP, which is a grown up Party, with a manifesto embracing all aspects of civil economic and foreign policy, Sarwar is a potholes and piss stops parish councillor, with no maturity or experience.
Lennon has positioned herself for first place on the List for a regional berth.
Her reward for being tethered to a tree and devoured by the Labour vultures in this farce of a leadership ‘competition’.
Apart from Sarwar’s family and paid supporters , who else voted for him ?
Are there really ordinary people in the party that think that Labour’s fortunes will be revived by a millionaire , privately educated , man-of – the -people ?
A man who apart from his education , paid for by his dad , his dentistry degree , paid for by his dad , his large shareholding in his company , gifted by his dad , his nomination as the MP candidate for Glasgow Central paid for by his dad , his place on the Labour List for Holyrood …. is a self-made man . No one has any hold over him – apart from dad * !
*Sarwar’s dad , a former Labour MP ( maybe that’s how his son manages to get such useful positions in Scottish Labour , first as an MP then on the Holyrood List ) returned to Pakistan and promptly joined a right-of centre Conservative party , who promptly appointed him governor of Punjab.. He later resigned , joined another party and was again appointed Governor of Punjab .
( Imagine leaving your home country for a new life abroad then returning 40 years later and immediately being appointed Governor of one of the largest regions in that country . I wonder what the ”little” people had to say about that ?)
I wonder if the son will follow in his dad’s footsteps and be appointed Governor of Scotland when he sees that his ‘Labour’ career is up .
Mind you , he’ll need to join a right wing party to achieve that . Yes , I know , he is more than halfway there with the current Labour mob
You’ll notice that all the opposition to Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP want to talk about is legal or constitutional processes and how they are to be applied rigidly in order to draw attention to the FM so dismissing and bleaching out the facts of Alex Salmond’s original inappropriate behaviour as specially noted by a judge, which should be of a lot more concern to people than this faux argument over dotted I’s and crossed T’s, it’s all about look at her don’t look at him, she’s the baddie, not him
Remember before Trump got elected how everybody was mortified at the idea of such a man being involved in politics
The central tenet of criminal law in this country is that an accused is innocent until proved guilty.
Alex Salmond was innocent before his trial, during his trial and, since he was not found guilty of any charges laid against him, he is still innocent after his trial and beyond.
The court of public opinion which is always the final arbiter says different, the fact that Alex Salmond keeps quoting evidence that he knows can’t be accessed because in 2010 he made sure of it when he was FM, then using that inaccessible eloquent boxed evidence as a defence to make accusations of process wrong doing is disingenuous, short term he might get away with it but long term it might eventually out and he could be be retried on it
Alex Salmond’s fear is if Nicola Sturgeon retains her position she might do what he did and make a law which says evidence like this can be accessed, and she can do it anytime she likes leaving him in legal limbo and dependent on whether she will retain any good will towards him which is probably unlikely
In the meantime Alex Salmond and his supporters urgency is concentrated on image squirrel watching and creating the fake need for the public focus on process and away from themselves with the bleach and scrubbing brushes
The only reason Alex Salmond attended the committee at all was to make a speech which he did almost every time he answered a question with his own question then answered that instead of the question asked and he’s very accomplished at doing that but evidence it is not, what it is is the reliance of hope that his personality and genuine looking approach would win the public over to his cause because that’s what it’s all about, he made a sales pitch because he has nothing else so he uses the public because he’s a politician
He was rightly judged on facts in a Court of Law not on “public opinion” which is irrelevant in a criminal case.
I doubt he fears anything or anyone.
Ah but he wasn’t judged on the facts, he was judged on a botched presentation of the facts and got lucky, and now he’s pushing that luck, he might get away with it he might not but he’s certainly not doing it for the benefit of truth and justice, he’s doing it for political legacy and image, he doesn’t want to be the guy who goes down in history with that around his neck and a failure in 2014