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Wings Over Scotland


Beyond comedy

Posted on February 04, 2021 by

At a certain point you just have to laugh, even though it’s not really funny.

The submission being referred to is NOT the one Alex Salmond sent to the Holyrood committee this week, but the one he sent to the separate Hamilton inquiry almost a month ago, which had been cleared by his lawyers and was published in full by both Wings and The Spectator and read by tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people.

(For reasons we’re not allowed to tell you, the Wings version has been totally redacted and the Spectator’s has had one paragraph removed but is still mostly intact.)

Because the Fabiani inquiry won’t be publishing the document, that means Salmond isn’t allowed to discuss it when he gives oral evidence, and the inquiry isn’t permitted to consider any of its contents, just as with Geoff Aberdein’s submission.

(There’s very little Salmond actually WILL now be allowed to talk about if he appears before the committee. He might just about be able to confirm his name before the Lord Advocate has him arrested and charged with whatever the opposite of perjury is.)

In other words, the exact people who are supposed to be getting to the bottom of what happened are the only people in Scotland who have to pretend they haven’t read the evidence of the primary witness. (While also not being allowed to see the evidence of the other most important witness, or almost anything else.)

You really would struggle to make this stuff up, readers.

A spokesperson for Salmond issued the following response:

“This is a quite extraordinary development. It would be one thing to remove a sentence or so but to suppress the whole submission is simply farcical. It means that it can’t even be considered for inclusion in the Committee’s report.

In one letter the Convener seems to have wiped out the entire strand of her own Committee’s Inquiry into the Ministerial Code and dispatched the submission into a black hole.

Alex will consult with his advisers tomorrow afternoon as to where this leaves his evidence and what to do now. Obviously everything that Alex has submitted has conformed to all legal requirements and there is no possible justification whatsoever for this decision which makes a mockery of the Parliament’s commitment to openness and transparency.”

We admire their restraint, frankly.

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P

The Fabiani led inquiry is a joke – and she’s retiring with this as her legacy?
Presumably Alex is considering alternative legal routes.

ScottieDog

complete joke

ScottieDog

“ Presumably Alex is considering alternative legal routes.”
He will get my backing

Sarah

It is tragic. The idea of Sturgeon, her staff Liz Lloyd, Murrell, Leslie Evans etc getting away with it is unbearable.

There’s been a polling question on who to believe, Sturgeon or Salmond and Sturgeon comes out best!! Thank you, Scottish media. You are doing a grand job.

Captain Yossarian

A hand-picked inquiry team comprising those that can be bullied by Swinney and Sturgeon.

What has Jackie Baillie to say? Is she retiring in May too…or is it something else?

This is blatant corruption such as would be expected in Uganda.

Holyrood is not fit for purpose. The world is laughing at us.

Lenny Hartley

What a fecking joke, as soon as now Scotland is able to put tens of thousands on the streets the first stop should be Bute House. Enough is enough.

Socrates MacSporran

Dammit – the SNP has just proved “Scottish” Labour correct.

The People’s Party in Scotland has always maintained those nasty Nats are “Tartan Tories.”

The SNP’s behaviour over the two enquiries around the Salmond stitch-up is surely straight out of the Conservative Party handbook.

Therefore, they have turned into Tartan Tories.

Confused

Note for the connoisseur – having multiple enquiries to investigate shenanigans is better than one as they can basically “fuck with” each other, or not pursue lines as the other is doing it; then at the end can disagree with each other, plus disallow any read across or re-use of the results for say, criminal prosecutions.

Fiona Nelson

Total farce. But i am sure Alex and his lawyers will prevail one way or another….

Harry mcaye

Scotland – The Best Little Corrupt Country in the World.

Jockanese Wind Talker

So what’s the craic here?

1. Fabiani is fucking useless/compromised?

2. Committee is acting on Scottish Government Legal advice from the Lord of Malicious Prosecutions, sorry meant Lord Advocate?

3. One of the Wokists needs a fuck-off mahoosive squirrel launched into the media to deflect from whoever got lifted by Polis Scotland for threatening Joanna Cherry?

4. All of the above?

Lollysmum

Why oh why do they insist on doubling down all the time? Someone with some influence needs to tell them to stop digging. This decision clearly shows that a cover up exists & SNP/Scotgov will go to any lengths to hide the truth of the matter.

Alex was stitched up by SNP & Scotgov & there’s no denying it.

MaggieC

This has turned into a total whitewash from start to finish , it should have been a judge led inquiry from the very beginning .

Alex Salmond needs to take legal action against all the parties involved in this cover-up .

These Msps seem to have forgotten that they’re supposed to work on behalf of the people of Scotland and we expect better than this from them .

Effijy

This is terrifying.

You have found many of us in high office to have repeatedly
acted in a criminal manner in order to persecute and innocent man
regardless of the consequences or cost, but you are not allowed to
mention it?

Isn’t it interesting to that Westminster’s old right wing extremist rag
get a little redaction and Wings gets a total block out.

This is a declaration of there being no transparency, no justice, no accountability
to protect the sovereign people of Scotland.

Truth is declared an inconvenience that can be turned on and off to suit those in office.

This has to go global in hope that the real world can point at and humiliate what disguises
itself as government, as law, as order.

Rev, Alex, Anyone, we must have a fund raiser and pay our way through to the courts of the EU,
of Human Rights, of the UN.

People have taken up arms against these draconian impositions in all parts of the globe.
This will end in violence if justice is to be stripped from the people of Scotland.

We back Alex on this all the way or we are finished forever as a Nation.
th

Livionian

As horrified as I am to say it, The likelihood of Sturgeon clinging on until after the election just keeps gradually increasing. All the signs are starting to point towards a great escape for the first minister. I’m getting deflated, justice always loses to the establishment.

Do we still think it’s inevitable that she is going to have to resign before May? I’m more than happy to be proven wrong

Frank Gillougley

A cynical and calculated act of political damage limitation.

When the headlines are over and done with and the SG media narrative prevails, they know that the electorate will not care or remember about the legal ‘minutiae’ of what’s at stake here.

Fuck them absolutely. God, how I despise them.

Effijy

What chance justice?

Update on Peoples Action on Section 30

I can confirm that the decision of Lady Carmichael is imminent and will be published at 12 noon on the 5th of February 2021 (tomorrow) on the court’s website here: link to scotcourts.gov.uk
Whatever the judgement is (because we’ve not seen it), it’s important to know that it’s likely going to end up in the inner house appeals court next. Because if we win, the UK Government just love to waste taxpayers money trying to usurp their rights. If they win, well then, we just can’t allow that to stand.
Sincerely,
Martin Keatings

Sharny Dubs

A farce even python could not have dreamed up.

The SNP and the Scottish Government have become a joke.

I’ve seen better from kindergarten kids.

Dave Llewellyn

It wasn’t the burglary at Water gate brought down Nixon and sent his chief of staff to jail. It was the cover up.

Beaker

Well this does wonders for Scotland’s international reputation.

Mia

Is this the reason why the coward Murrell has now agreed to appear in front of the committee, because that information “cannot be discussed” so he cannot be asked about it?

Denise

I’m guessing Wightman is siding with the SNP here.
It might explains his move from Lothians list to Highland & Island list.
It’s easier to self Id as disabled rather than BAME

Sylvia

They are being protected by a corrupt element of UK&US Intelligence.

Ian McLean

It is coming close to the point where Alex should sue for malicious prosecution. Fire up the fundraiser.

PhilM

Just don’t go Alex…let the inquiry fall apart under the weight of its own absurdity.

What is the fucking point anymore?

James Horace

Why different redactions for Wings and The Spectator?

Mighty S

Effijy is right (4.47pm)

If the law is corrupted in Scotland and the same people keep losing out as a consequence…it’ll result in violence.

Denise

There is no way Alex will ever get justice unless he gets power. He should join ISP and so should Joanna and then become the opposition in May with a view to replacing the SNP in 2025

So list only this election.
Stand for councils in 2022
Stand for WM in 2024 (allow duplicate mandates and don’t bother turning up to WM. Take their seats so they get short money)
Win on independence manifesto in 2025
Negotiate independence

it’s the best I can come up with.

Jacqueline McMillan

FCKINGCNT

FOR MY SANITY AND MANY OTHER’S SANITY

FUCK OFF NICLA

WE’VE GOT JOANNA’S BACK

PhilM

To Craig Murray…
Get yourself fitted for that white suit a la Martin Bell and stand against Yon Auld Corruption.

David R

keep thinking about the indy ref when I’d be telling people that a vote for indy would bring about a new kind of politics far removed from the corrupt systems in Westminster. the All of us first nonsense.

This just shows that it was load of BS and that apart from what they call themselves and the colour of the rosette the parties and the ones that float to the surface to get elected positions are no different. These are the clowns and the system that would be in place if we’d got indy and before it happens people need to be sure that the current crop are prevented from any influence. It doesn’t matter who it is they’ve all played a part.

Captain Yossarian

Mr Galloway says: ‘Scotland is in trouble. A parliament which cannot hold government to account. Law Officers who break the law. A media struck deaf dumb and blind. An opposition which will not oppose. A mother-ship wandering like the Marie Celeste the captains asleep at the helm. Save Our Scotland’.

Alison Brown

Is Alex to get no justice for what they have done to him? Surely a massive crowdfund for him to sue the lot of them!

Stephen P

Looks like a vote of no confidence is the only avenue left

Samuel

Sturgeon knows she can depend on our “Thick as Shit” zombie like electorate to see her through this.

The exact same “Thick as Shit” mob who help Scottish Labour dominate Scotland for decades.

She is blocking off every legal route that is open to us.

The Covid Queen will hide behind this virus for as long as it takes.

Heaver

It’s the pantomime’s pantomime:
.
“It’s BEHIND you !”
.
No it fucking isn’t – it’s right there in front of your fucking face.

Alison Whiteford

Dark days for justice and democracy in Scotland.

Hamish Kirk

A close study of “Alice in Wonderland” and other works by Lewis Carroll might help. Watch out for The Red Queen. She is malevolent.

Jacqueline McMillan

Alex has had the shittiest mud thrown at him. Always a head shake.

I cannot see him coming back, much I would like that to be the case.

In my mind: Republic of Scotland, Alex President, Cherry FM until she becomes primus inter pares, etc, etc . We’ll see

Mist001

I wonder if they’re trying to drive him out of Scotland? If he was outwith the UK, he could publish all he knows without any fear of reprisal, so is that the masterplan?

Jacqueline McMillan

NO

orri

@David R,

I think the problem is that we need independence to change the system we’ve got and the ones entrusted to get us that are getting mighty comfy where they are.

1984 was meant as a warning and Animal Farm an allegory.

Robert Hughes

As others have remarked on previous threads ……whilst the immediate beneficiaries of this , quite incredible , affront to justice , are Sturgeon and her gang of bodge it n scarper accomplices the real question is whose arse is really being saved by this ?

What ( sorry , but the term fits in this case ) Deep State actors are being protected here ?

As more evidence of involvement by shady * Ex * M15 spooks is coming to light it’s looking more like this cover-up is for the benefit of the UK Security Services rather than the SNPG useless/useful idiot brigade

Astonished

If this stands Linda Fabiani, Alaisdair Allan , Stuart McMillan and Maureen Watt will become infamous SNP MSPs. The truthless tetrach. The cowardly quadruple.

I have no words for the anger I feel.

Dishonesty is being rewarded and encouraged.

Is it gulags next ?

Jacqueline McMillan

You know when someones dead before they tell you

Same, same. same

Morgatron

A truly awful and fucked up situation Alex finds himself in.
I really don’t know how he is managing to cope with all this.

DanDLion

So what’s their game? Salmons turns up and has nothing much he can talk about and looks a fool to the general public reading it in the MSM? Or he tells the truth and goes to jail?

orri

The problem with the inquiry is that as long as they can drag it out the unionist will be happy to do so. Timing is every thing. If Sturgeon is corrupt then they will go for a vote of no confidence in the hopes it’ll narrowly fail. Then they’ll campaign for all they’re worth to get rid of her. However if there’s even a hope of them getting rid they want to time that till close enough to the election that there’s no chance the dust will settle.
Given how manifestos are created their dream would be it’s written and published with no time for a rewrite. For extra credit if the SNP come to their senses they’d be stuck standing on a platform their rejected leader had written and thus.

Ian Mac

For the love of God, this is so farcical it makes a banana republic look like bastion of exemplary governance in comparison. Is there any depths to which they will not stoop, in order to prevent the truth coming out? What an insult, not just to a man found innocent after a malicious prosecution, but the entire Scottish nation. Clearly they take us for utter fools, chumps who must never question the glorious leader and her consigliere. Publicly available evidence must be pretended not to exist, and their former leader is muzzled, prevented from saying anything worthwhile, thus probably provoking an entirely justified no-show from him. They are obviously hoping the whole thing collapses, or is strung out so long it becomes redundant.
But it is the blatancy of their cover-up which is the worst thing. Like Johnson and Trump they couldn’t care less how obviously bent they are, how everybody knows. They have absolute power, like their mentors, and they are going to snub their noses at the poor saps who elected them and run off laughing. What an utter mockery of the entire judicial and civil systems of accountability they have made. And they will have the gall to continue smearing AS, while pretending they haven’t been found guilty of anything, as they have nobbled the process. They would make the Stasi blanche.

Ricky Gray

I wholly recommend archive.is if anyone wants to jump back in time or needs to refresh their memory. They have archives from all your favourite news sites and bloggers. This whole thing is a fucking farce, i’m done with scottish politics. At what point is voting tory to put a foot up the snp’s arse a viable option? Feel like we need to abandon them en masse before they will ever get the message that this shit doesn’t stand.

Cath

Are there any international observers out there looking in at this?

Samuel

Sturgeon has to come out and face us one day, she can’t hide forever.

And boy, what a shit storm of protest she is in for.

What a disgusting lowlife, evil, two faced, excuse she is for a human being.

Come out and fight you cowardly bastard.

Ian Brotherhood

Okay, so AS can’t discuss what was in his statements.

But what he can talk about, whether Fabiani likes it or not, is the supine behaviour of the committee.

Looks like they want him to just say ‘fuck it, what’s the point?’ but we all know that’s not how he deals with things. I hope he turns up and wipes the fuckin floor with them.

Craig Sheridan

If the Spectator redactions (there’s 2) are about jigsaw identification then given the whole submission has already been widely published, merely comparing redacted>unredacted versions is what CAUSES jigsaw identification ironically. The Crown Office should prosecute themselves.

Skip_NC

DanDLion, I suppose much depends on how AS answers questions put to him. He is a fine orator, highly literate and extremely intelligent. I hope i can find time amongst the hurly-burly of tax season to see his appearance.

Anonymoose

Stephen P says:
4 February, 2021 at 5:05 pm

“Looks like a vote of no confidence is the only avenue left”

Aye, except Humza Yousaf bought the SNP the Greens votes by rowing back the amendments to the Hate Crime Bill this week, so even if a VONC is called the SNP+Greens will strike it down.

You honestly couldn’t make this up.

Stranger

I doubt that there’s any legal route for Salmond other than expensive libel cases. It would be far better to pursue this with political means. That means fronting a list. MacAskill could also blow away Ms A & Ms H anonymity in the HoC.

At this stage fronting a list would be suitable penance for leaving us with Sturgeon.

Republicofscotland

So that’s basically it then, a whitewash from the inquiry, Sturgeon and her clique carry on as nothing ever happened and independence gets put to bed for god knows how many years, if indeed it ever sees the light of day again.

Graeme Hampton

The one thing to be happy about is that Mrs and Mr Murrell are obviously panicking.

His u turn on his his refusal to appear, leaning on Fabiani to reject the central evidence of the whole enquiry and the constant efforts to “get” Joanna Cherry all smack of desperation.

Nicola fears she is an imposter, she is and sooner or later that will be brought home to her.

Not fit to be left alone with the petty cash let alone lead a country.

Nicola's Merkin

Does the redacted paragraph in The Spectator contain a mysterious name? If so, I have no idea what it could be.

Elmac

Unless the dam breaks now and the Murrells are gone before the Holyrood election, I am more determined than ever to vote against SNP on the constituency ballot and for ISP on the list. My constituency vote will be for the person most likely to defeat the SNP. Unfortunately where I live that means voting Tory, something I have never done in my life before. However, we are facing a greater evil in our midst. We have to be rid of this stinking corrupt government whatever the cost and start again with an honest party focused on indepencence. My extended family have come to the same conclusion and I will use whatever influence I have with friends to encourage them to follow suit.

I joined the SNP the day after the 2014 referendum, determined to participate and do my bit to right the wrongs which had been done to my country. I left them the day after the Brexit deadline on 31 January 2020 when it became clear we were being treated as mugs by a bunch of charlatans. I deeply regret having contributed financially to this cesspit in the intervening years.

I realise that the average man/woman in the street is unaware of exactly what has been going on due to the suppression of facts by a corrupt media, but there comes a time when you have to say if they can be so blind and so stupid then let them get on with it. If this twisted menagerie we live in continues, and if I were I younger, you wouldn’t see me for dust. I would emigrate. If this is the kind of corrupt shithole my fellow Scots want to live in they are welcome to it.

Captain Yossarian

@Ian Mac – ‘glorious leader and her consigliere’ – Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) and Tom Hagan (Robert Duval). I’ve made that comparison myself Ian, several times.

Tom Hagan is of course James Wolffe, Holyrood’s faithful consigliere.

Also, I understood that The Spectator article was a direct copy of WoS. Why the difference in redactions then?

Bob Mack

Takes bibke in hand

“I promise to tell the truth, the bits of the redacted truth

as per paragraph 6 at subsection (4), and item 111 at paragraph 8, and nothing but the truth as defined in
Committee regulstions 1 through 20. So help me God”

Republicofscotland

Reading this is appears to me anyway that Murrell will get an easy ride from the inquiry, well he will from Wightman and the other SNP MSP’s, maybe that’s why he’s decided to show up.

Lenny Hartley

Elmac “ but there comes a time when you have to say if they can be so blind and so stupid then let them get on with it. I”
Yeah sure voting Tory is the way to promote Independence WTF

dodecostanza

He can still discuss the content of the submission to the Fabiani inquiry though, can’t he?

Apologies if I’m being dense Stu but it’s all coming thick and fast these days and keeping up with it all isna easy!

Derek Black

It’s just depressing that such manipulation will win and truth matters for nothing. It leaves a foul taste in the mouth. What future have we in such a corrupt society.

Elmac

Lenny Hartley @ 5.34pm

Have you got a better idea? If so I am all ears because voting Tory is difficult for me. The way I look at it is you sure as hell will not get independence under Sturgeon. Much better to get her out ASAP and rebuild. If the nearest local challenger to SNP was Labour or Fibdem or the Monster Raving Loony Party I would vote for them. Don’t give in to prejudice – we have to think tactically.

Nally Anders

Fk’n Whitewash
Fk’n Depressing

Jontoscots20

SNP and the Greens are the biggest threat to Liberty Scotland has ever seen.They are both revelling in lockdown. Sturgeon wants to stop Scotland and the greens want to stop the economy. The Greens are a reactionary force propping up a corrupt government. they both want to gift to a tiny sub minority obsessed that their own sexual journey becoming every woman’s destiny. A Parliament of blaggers and blowhards like Bailey won’t stop them. Alex should do a Navalny. tell the truth and shame the deils.

Stephen P

Anonymoose says:
4 February, 2021 at 5:26 pm

“Aye, except Humza Yousaf bought the SNP the Greens votes by rowing back the amendments to the Hate Crime Bill this week, so even if a VONC is called the SNP+Greens will strike it down.

You honestly couldn’t make this up.”

Time to find out if the SNP “good guys/gals” live up to their billing.

The only other avenue I see is a statement from an MP in WM under parliamentary privilege blowing the cover of the anonymous accusers.

holymacmoses

Surely everything can be published from Southern Irelend.
The ‘protection’ racket is hilarious given that Ms Cherry ‘s ‘attacker’ has yet to be named even though he’s and probably has a history of threatening Ms Cherry over his thirty years.
I think Mr Salmond has little to lose by writing a best seller

John Friel

I’ve just been having a conversation with my wife about the state of the body politic in Scotland and we’ve been
suddenly hit with the significance of what is happening here. Both the legal system and the government are corrupt and are conspiring to conceal the truth from the people- or worse, they know we know and do not care.
There are people in Russia,Thailand and Myanmar with more self respect than we have, it seems.

Jacqueline McMillan

Funeral

For us all

For GB

Hero xxxx

Captain Yossarian

One thing to remember: The Westminster expenses scandal resulted in a proper inquiry and MP’s went to jail. Will the same happen here?……..does it look like it to you?

Ian Brotherhood

‘There’s very little Salmond actually WILL now be allowed to talk about if he appears before the committee.’

Aye, which raises the obvious: what the fuck is left for the committee to ask him about? His tip for the 3.15 at Newbury?

Nicola's Merkin

Funnily enough the complete original document seems to be readable on at least two other websites. At least one is certainly outwith the UK. How can something very much in the public domain not be used in evidence? Is truth not a defence for publishing or using in testimony?

Gman1424

Rev,

I’d love to know on what grounds is the submission being thrown out?

If the submission has been cleared by lawyers to be printed in Wings and The Spectator, one assumes that the Hamilton enquiry will have authority to use AS’s submission as evidence into whether NS breached the ministerial code?

Although I am reminded of the line “the tyranny of should’s”

Feliks

Captain Yossarian

Also, I understood that The Spectator article was a direct copy of WoS. Why the difference in redactions then?

Perhaps they are trying not to piss off Andrew Neil.

holymacmoses

They won’t win.

Elmac

Message for Alex Salmond, Joanna Cherry, Kenny Macaskill, and all honest, decent, independence supporting MPs, MSPs, SNP officials and members. Unless you have some dynamite up your sleeves waiting to be deployed would you please urgently quit this farce en bloc for maximum effect and move to supporting the ISP or a new party provided it can stand candidates on the list for the Holyrood election.

With the right publicity that would really put the cat amongst the pigeons.

Steve davison

Education Education Education take the facts and cry them from the rooftops .Have the hard arguments people including the those on this site will find it hard to believe that they have been so let down for so.many years and luck to pick holes in your argument rather than feel they coul d my see they were been dupped
Please try to avoid deep state ,Mi5 ,2014 election fraud whilst doing this the evidence is not there even if it’s true and it will make the astounding revelations your telling them harder to follow
Do not vote SNP first ,second ,list ,the bookies or on a factor ever they don’t deserve a vote let’s find an alternative
If they get back in become the opposition restart a yes movement that’s not attached to.any party that sole purpose is to force the issue

Ottomanboi

The superstition that the Great Chieftainess is keeping the nation safe from the ravages of that « virus » is sustaining her support.
Similarly the English PM.
Two of a kind indeed.
Never underestimate the power of irrational fears in the service of such.

shug

well you can see the Better together camp enjoying this and saving the best bits for the election.

Nicola must be on drugs if she thinks the people under her are not weighing up when their revelations will holds the most value.

Whether it is to avoid prosecution, money of a peerage.

It is way beyond an internal argument and Ruth is pointedly avoiding opening it up just yet

JGedd

Well, it looks like the Peronists are in charge. What a pathetic, gimcrack little country Scotland looks now with mountebanks fully in charge of its institutions of government.

I don’t have anyone to vote for (since the ISP is not standing in my region.)

I had thought that the sacking of JC was a mistake for them and that it would be the beginning of the end but instead in every way, they are being cemented more firmly in place with the help of a a totally corrupt and cynical establishment. Hence their insolent arrogance and confidence.

Grousebeater had hinted that there were honest SNP representatives waiting in the wings. Well, I wish they would step forward as I despair now of us having a decent wee country to be proud of on the international stage. Anger just doesn’t cover it.

lumilumi

Wait, what?!!?

This reads like some kangaroo court where the accused isn’t allowed to present factual evidence that proves his innocence.

Is this justice?

Is this how low the Scottish Parliament stoops? Do they not see how they bring that very institution into disrepute? The whole Scottish justice system, even the whole country of Scotland?!?

Of course, that would suit the unionist parties just fine – shutting down Holyrood and direct control from Westminster must be a wet dream for them… But the SNP members of the committee? Are they so in thrall to the “dear leader” they’re ready to burn the house down just to protect her. Why???

Are they trying to hide their own collusion? Their incompetence???

The unionist MSM has been remarkably restrained in covering this whole debacle (except for their loud and prominent smearing of Alex Salmond, of course) but I have no doubt it will be fully exposed and covered and exploited at a more convenient date closer to the Holyrood election.

Scotspine

Fuck this. It’s the behaviour of a dictatorship.

The SNP has lost it’s way under Sturgeon.

I cant honestly vote for them in May.

Betsy

@Elmac
Humza Yousaf is standing in my constituency, the hate crime bill and his abysmal handling of it have killed any lingering urges to hold my nose and vote SNP.

The party most likely to take second place is Labour. I have thought long and hard about a tactical Labour vote but at present have decided against. I’d be here all year if I were to start listing my problems with Labour but the main one is that I’d in effect be registering a pro-union vote.

This left me with the problem of how to use my vote and I have decided to spoil my paper with a short message stating why I am not voting SNP. Candidates and agents can be shown spoiled papers during the count and the vote will also be viewed by the returning officer who decides whether the paper can be allocated to a candidate or counted as spoiled. I’m not under any illusion that will influence events but it’s the only way I can register my dissent and case an honest vote.

I’d far rather some pro-indy spoiler candidate stood to highlight the issues with the SNP but in the absence of that happening I’m spoiling my paper.

Graham

What are the consequences to someone who copied the evidence from Alex Salmond, published on this site & The Spectator & now redacted for legal reasons which you are not allowed to know because we obviously are living under the tyranny of a banana republic?

And what are the consequences if they were to be republished elsewhere, in full, of course?

twathater

I wrote to Solidarity the other night and received a reply today , their spokesman confirmed that they are ONLY standing candidates on the list, BUT they have a manifesto which has a PLEBISCITE for the election, are you LISTENING ISP , they also have opposing views on the GRA and HCB , I KNOW TOMMY SHERIDAN reads this blog, here’s an idea Tommy how about you as a saviour of Scotland’s independence and a fighter against this corruption of democracy stand as a constituency MSP in Sturgeon’s constituency , the MSM would salivate and the publicity you would engender would set off PANIC in the SNP gradualists , ARE YOU WILLING TO SAVE SCOTLAND TOMMY

Prasad

Craig Sheridan says:
4 February, 2021 at 5:26 pm
“If the Spectator redactions (there’s 2)”

Are you sure. I only see one, the missing point 26.

AYRSHIRE ROB

I agree Lenny Hartley

Absolute nonsense.Once a tory always a tory.Wants to encourage others to vote tory too. Lol

I right yar Elmac. You vote John Scott as you’ve always done.

Captain Yossarian

We have a house of cards. Take one card away and the whole edifice collapses. What to do? How long can we bluff the public? How long can we bluff Sky News?

The Rev gives it another 3-weeks. I’d say that’s about right.

wull

SNP: Stitchup (the) Nation Party.

NS (Wee Nic) and Blackheart (Fat Nic) and their cohorts must be delighted that Scotland is now out of the EU. Just to make sure that there can never again be any appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, or any similar body.

They were never pro-European in the first place. Just pretended to be so.

We now know what all that ranting about ‘Scotland will not be dragged out of the EU’ actually meant. They said ‘Scotland’ but they meant ‘the SNP’. What they meant was ‘the SNP will not be dragged out of the EU against their will’, because it was never against their will anyway.

In fact, it was just what they wanted all along. Suits them down to the ground. They waltzed out of the EU dancing and rejoicing, and beaming all over. Because now, they thought to themselves, we will be immune from prosecution of any kind.

For ever, moreover – because the UK does not do human rights.

So Wee Nic and Fat Nic and Skinny Swinney Nic, and all the rest of them who should be in the Nick, joined up with Auld Nick and stitched up Scotland. And now they are having a ball – what a Party / party that must be!

Well, let the Party-poppers pop away. And enjoy themselves popping their blinkety-blank-blink-blink ammunition at whoever they blinking want to pop it at.

Scotland used to have an auld Pretender and a young Pretender. Now it’s got a (pretend?) parliament, which is full of pretenders. And full of pretence. Running pretend inquiries.

The trouble with all that popping and pretending is that it eventually pops up in your own face. And it blows it up. Big style. Blows you up, and the whole house with you. Including all your fellow poppers and pretenders inside it.

Take a look at some of the faces (at least if you enjoy having nightmares). Occasionally the glowering ghouls might have plastered on a mud-pack veneer as camouflage … Just scrape a little bit, and see what’s underneath.

Meanwhile, only the honest will be left standing. And be able to bear the light. They’ll be gey few, by the looks of it!

Captain Yossarian

One last thing for tonight – I wonder what Jacob Rees Mogg thinks about this? Blackford is bound to find-out soon-enough.

MWS

This is corruption. Pure, unmitigated corruption. In plain sight. What the hell has happened to our Parliament and indeed our Country? This isn’t right. None of this is right. It’s an absolute charade.

Prasad

Has it got to the point where he can say
‘I refuse to testify with my hands tied’ an demand a judge led inquiry.
I am sure he knows what is best so if he continues he must see some benefit from appearing.

X_Sticks

These idiots aren’t really on the ball are they?

Have any of them ever heard of the Wayback Machine. Thought not. Just saying.

holymacmoses

23. On 1st June 2018 the First Minister sent me a message…… On 3rd June 2018 I sent her a message on the implications for the Government in losing a Judicial Review and pointing to her obligation (under the Ministerial Code) to ensure that her administration was acting lawfully and (under the Scotland Act) to ensure that their actions were compliant with the European Convention.

Nicola Sturgeon cannot bear the fact that Mr Salmond will win in the end. Every dirty trick in the book and so many weapons to fight with BUT Alex Salmond will ALWAYS be better than Nicola Sturgeon and ALWAYS has been better – and she hates him for it

Nicola's Merkin

Update: three websites with the redacted paragraph intact. How many more I wonder.

A Person

Is there nobody in the House of Commons who can raise this abuse of power under parliamentary privilege, without fear of prosecution? Here’s looking at you Joanna?

Bob Mack

I remembered today reading a Psychology Today article which gave the 7 steps of Dictatorship. You will not be surprised I suppose to find our FM and her government actually meet 6 out of 7 overtly. When I thought about the one they didnt seem to meet it dawned on me that they utilise an army of Woke misfits to berate and discipline and persecute,people on their behalf.

They meet all 7 criteria of Dictatorship

Livionian

Absolutely nobody is interested in anything Solidarity do or say

Livionian

The far left is absolutely not what the Independence movement should be rallying around

Fishy Wullie

lumilumi says:
4 February, 2021 at 6:05 pm

“Wait, what?!!?

This reads like some kangaroo court where the accused isn’t allowed to present factual evidence that proves his innocence.

Is this justice?”

—————————————————————

Alex doesn’t have to prove his innocence he is not the one on trial here we need to get out of this mindset, Alex had his time in court and was found innocent of all charges.

This is to protect the accusers

Jack

So basically, an inquiry to establish the facts about this whole sorry mess have decided not to hear any actual key evidence which must be considered in order to establish the facts. Clownworld.

wull

For myself it is now, sadly, totally impossible to vote for the SNP. But I do still want to cast both votes for independence. My hope therefore is that a non-SNP but unambiguously pro-Indy candidate will stand for the constituency vote in my constituency. Even if that person has (or seems to have) no hope of winning, I will still vote for him or her.

The number of votes such a candidate nevertheless acquires could make the difference, causing the SNP candidate to lose the seat. If that had the unfortunate consequence of allowing a Unionist candidate to squeeze through, I would regret that outcome. At the same time, since the SNP would be made aware that they cannot continue to act the way they are presently acting, this would at least put pressure on them to think again. Hopefully, they would see the need to reform themselves, if they are ever going to get their voters back in sufficient numbers to win next time.

Insofar as this pressurised them into reforming themselves, this would be a far better outcome than their retaining the seat and continuing to act in their current totalitarian, inherently unjust and lying ways.

I will not vote for a Unionist Party, for sure. If no non-SNP clearly pro-Indy candidate stands for the constituency, I would just have to spoil the constituency ballot paper. But, in fact, I would like to go further than that. I want to vote AGAINST the SNP. Somebody … please give me a pro-Indy candidate I can vote for.

For the List vote, it would be a pity if too many non-SNP pro-Indy candidates who belonged to different parties put themselves forward. It would be better to have just one such Party or grouping, so as not to split the non-SNP pro-Indy List vote. Or maybe two, if the Greens stand in my constituency – because I definitely don’t want them either.

Elmac

AYRSHIRE ROB 6.09 pm

Never voted for him or any tory before. This will be the first – unless of course the Murrell house of cards collapses between now and election day. You are not thinking. Vote as you see fit as I will do. Cutting of your nose to spite your face springs to mind.

As I said I would vote for the Monster Raving Loony Party if i thought it would deny Sturgeon a seat. Unfortunately they are not standing so the Tories will have to do unless I spoil my vote by going for Labour or Fibdem. I want these aholes out!

JSC

A few random points/thoughts/queries that have been in my head today…

Can the US Spectator publish what the UK Spectator can’t? Andrew Neil wouldn’t be reluctant to do this if it was possible

Who else (or where else) could potentially say “F**k it, here’s everything with all the names, how they’re related, and their dirty deeds”? I’m thinking along the lines of what happened with the Spycatcher book. Would Wikileaks be up for this? Not the full alphabet, just the main 2 that are neck deep and need to see the inside of a courthouse again, but who would also show everyone the core/nucleus of the conspiracy.

Will the “Streisand effect” now forever more be called the “Sturgeon effect” (insert “Guilty” jokes here)

Might the likes of George Galloway and Andrew Neil actually (& unexpectedly) be vital help in clearing out the SNP and it’s criminality (in addition to the great work by Stu, Craig, & others), i.e. perceived “opponents” might actually be everyone’s best chance of seeing a good resolution, so should be kept “on side”

I see a lot of comments about “MI5 plants” and Tories pulling the strings with this. Although it’s tempting to think this is a vast conspiracy imported to Scotland from London, I think the actual core problems have always been simpler, with SNP leadership dynamics and a current leader who is somehow compromised and backed into a corner.

Do we know who D.Clegg is *currently* in a relationship with?

Can Ruth Davidson invoke parliamentary priviledge and break the deadlock? (not sure how this works in Holyrood vs Westminster). Again, help can come from unexpected places.

Cath

Is there nobody in the House of Commons who can raise this abuse of power under parliamentary privilege, without fear of prosecution?

I wonder if that’s why Joanna Cherry was sacked so suddenly?

They meet all 7 criteria of Dictatorship

They, and in particular the trans element, also meet most of the academic definitions of a cult.

Mac

I must admit I am curious as to why the Spectator can publish it almost completely unredacted and wings cannot. And that you cannot explain why.

Tell me then if someone was reading the spectator and saw that Salmond deposition and posted a copy paste of it on here as part of their comment would that be a problem?

They are only sharing something already in the public domain and may not have even read the post above before posting their comment.

This is a bit odd.

Bob Mack

Msdidi makes a good observation on a previous post if you missed it. The SNP are pushing the postal vote ( covid), and are advocating SNP x2. The postal vote will have to be in before the manifesto is out.

Sneaky.

Brian Doonthetoon

I think one of Clark Kent’s female sidekicks must be $h!††!n’ ‘ersel’.

As X_Sticks pointed out, the Internet Archive’s ‘Wayback Machine’ is a handy tool.

At,
link to spectator.co.uk
(9 January 2021, 3:17pm)
You find,
26. (REDACTED)

However, if you paste the same url into the Wayback Machine at,

link to web.archive.org

and click on the first link at same date, I wonder what you will find?

Mac

Well I’ll just quote a wee bit just in case.

I am just reading through it again unredacted but so far this one really catches the eye…

“27. On 18th July 2018 the First Minister phoned me at 13.05 to say that arbitration had been rejected and suggested that this was on the advice of the Law Officers. She urged me to submit a substantive rebuttal of the specific complaints against me, suggested that the general complaints already answered were of little consequence and would be dismissed, and then assured me that my submission would be judged fairly.

She told me I would receive a letter from the Permanent Secretary offering me further time to submit such a rebuttal which duly arrived later that day. As it turned out the rebuttal once submitted was given only cursory examination by the Investigating Officer in the course of a single day and she had already submitted her final report to the Permanent Secretary.

My view is now that it was believed that my submission of a rebuttal would weaken the case for Judicial Review (my involvement in rebutting the substance of the complaints being seen to cure the procedural unfairness) and that the First Minister’s phone call of 18th July 2018 and the Permanent Secretary’s letter of the same date suggesting that it was in my “interests” to submit a substantive response was designed to achieve that.”

Wow, Sturgeon using her friendship with Salmond to try to mug him to doing something that would weaken his case. What a colossal piece of shit.

Craig Sheridan

Prasad says:

“Are you sure. I only see one, the missing point 26.”

Point 18 has a partial redaction.

100%Yes

See no evil hear no evil, this is how this inquiry has conducted its self with regards to Nicola Sturgeon.

John H.

Put your hand up if you still think you are living in a democracy.

Margaret Lindsay

A bigger pile of shite from these troughers every day. You know how bad it is when JRM can show them up in the humanity stakes, and make a complete shitshow of them. Imagine one of the most disingenuous swines in the Tory party looking compassionate in comparison with mammy Scotland and her acolytes. Yet, this is where we are. I hope Alex, Joanna, Joan, Angus, Chris and Kenny join forces and get these bastards tae eff!

Skip_NC

Mac, I have a PDF of the submission on my computer right now, obtained from a Scottish website. It has the same redaction as the Spectator at paragraph 18 but contains paragraph 26 in full, which the Spectator redacted.

It seems to me that the retail bankers (which may or may not be rhyming slang) that run Scottish politics are insuring that the truth does not get out. It remains to be seen if that insurance extends internationally.

It is worth noting that my computer and ISP are situated outside Scotland and, indeed, outside the UK.

Lenny Hartley

Rev, can you mention the football team you support in public these days?
What about the Turra Coo? And did the Turra Coo ever venture forty miles south to meet the city where your team is or at the fish market ? Maybe they met in the close season around the anniversary of the publication of Mein Kampf ? Asking for a friend.

carjamtic

A lockdown within a lockdown.

We hear their faint ramblings
“they turned the clann’s against us….they turned the clann’s against us…..”

#nawwedidny

Nicola's Merkin

Some might argue with this result.

link to ismympaprick.co.uk

Brian Doonthetoon

HAH!

Being curious, I pasted,

link to spectator.co.uk

into the url box at,

https://archive.is

“Someone” has updated the archive there today, therefore the original has gone. All you see at,

link to archive.is

is,

26. (REDACTED).

The Internet Archive is definitely worth the wee drap o’ shekels I donate to them annually.

El Mariachi

I see Wightman is now threatening to sue you as well Stu.

I feel his retweet of Garavelli’s recent hot take on the WhatsApp messages is rather indicative of you being correct, however.

AwakeNotWoke

These arseholes are gonnae get away with this, aren’t they? The country isn’t far away from banana republic comparisons.
Does anyone know if there are alternatives for AS, could he go after them for malicious prosecution?

Jim Bo

Is there any precedent for this kind of action anywhere in the world? I mean other than your already blatantly corrupt Governments. What an absolute farce our supposed justice has become. It was already laughable now this is just beyond the pale.

Andybhoy

Would Douglas ross use Parliamentary privilege at an unfortunate moment for the SNP?

Brian Doonthetoon

BTW: the partially redacted point 18, was done on the day of publication.

See ‘Internet Archive’ references above.

Mac

lol so I guess that is a no then. Sorry about that. What a strange situation.

Artur sweet

When are the next set of polls out on HR voting intentions? If it indicates no change in an SNP vote share, I really despair for the condition of democracy in Scotland. It’s like Putin, get your hands on the media levers, and you can do what you like.

Mac

Oh no wait sorry, it is still there.

Bob Mack

Having checked it, looks as if again the section causing most concern is about Aberdein and that meeting at Holyrood.

They did not want Aberdeins evidence as I remember nor his written statement at the Inquiry

Captain Yossarian

@Jim Bo – ‘Is there any precedent for this kind of action anywhere in the world? I mean other than your already blatantly corrupt Governments. What an absolute farce our supposed justice has become. It was already laughable now this is just beyond the pale’.

I don’t think there is. In Europe, certainly not. I’ve worked in Africa and the Middle East and it wouldn’t happen there either.

The Scots, I’m afraid, are having the piss taken out of them by their own elected government.

It’s time for a change.

shug

How long is it going to take before Nicola understands she has blown her career and if she does not go soon the indy movement

I wonder when the penny will drop she has been played by Westminster

Graham

In general terms it would appear that The Crown Office doesn’t want evidence presented to the Inquiry because it contains incontrovertible proof that Sturgeon’s Government was lying.

Further, that it willfully misled the High Court which could be interpreted as an unlawful act equivalent to the perversion of justice. The penalty for this unlawfulness which is contrary to common law and triable only on indictment is a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and/or a fine.

It should come as no surprise then, that neither Sturgeon, her kinky inner circle or her Lord Advocate wants this to be public knowledge or indeed come under the scrutiny of the Inquiry.

If presented, it would cause the committee to question the behaviour, not only of Sturgeon & her collaborators but that of the Lord Advocate himself, someone who already has a proven history of malicious prosecution.

If nothing else, the attempt to prevent the truth from being broadcast & studied reveals much about the relationship between Sturgeon & her Lord Advocate and it obviously isn’t an honourable one.

Alf Baird

twathater @ 6:08

“Solidarity.. spokesman confirmed that they are ONLY standing candidates on the list, BUT they have a manifesto which has a PLEBISCITE for the election”

Sounds good to me. There you are folks, give Solidarity your list vote and Tommy will take that Scottish national majority for independence straight to the UN for recognition.

As Fanon tells us, the pampered bourgeiosie elite (i.e the SNP) seeks its own accommodation with colonialism, and if you really want independence you will have to depend on the lumpen proletariat – i.e. us.

Tinto Chiel

Disgusting but not surprising: Kafka goes to Holyrood.

In normal times I think either Bute House or Holyrood would be the scene of mass demonstrations.

Covid regs sure comes in handy for the Mother of the Nation, innit?

What now, though?

Elmac

Re Shug 7.19 PM

I think you are being too kind. I have little doubt that Sturgeon intends to don ermine and follow in the footsteps of Ruth the Mooth. Would not be surprised if she has already been promised as much by a grateful UK establishment. Watch this space!

Mac

So Skip_NC if you posted paragraph 26 in your comment is that a problem I wonder. The whole thing seems nuts.

I thought my quote of paragraph 27 was quickly deleted but I see it is still there.

What does is say anyway, anything juicy?

AYRSHIRE ROB

Well Elmac. You do what you think your conscience can handle.

I think the lass Siobhain Brown should be given a chance. Local lass with kids and Indy in her heart not an auld trougher like JS who’s been raking it in for years and done basically nowt if it didn’t have a benefit for his farmer pals.

Remember NS will be away soon so why give JS more credence to his spunging aff the country and community eh?

AYRSHIRE ROB

To add she beat the woke candidate. Can even remember who that was.

iain mhor

What next, a vote of no consequence?
Because, if the committee findings are inept and inconsequential, on what grounds is a VONC called? It can hardly be based on what the Committee report “should” have found.

If the Committee sees nothing, and hears nothing, then like the tree falling in the woods – it can only conclude nothing ocurred – no breach of ministerial code, no basis to call a VONC.

They could report the scathing truth in their final report, but at this rate it will be the shortest ever and merely state:
“It is the Committee’s finding that Redacted… as a result Redacted…therefore, Redacted…Signed Redacted”

I’ll probably just scrawl VONC across every box on my ballot.
A vote of no confidence isn’t just the remit of the insidious MSP’s currently slithering around Holyrood.

Liz g

Alex Salmond should decline to go to the inquiry.Its already clear that there’s going to be no real justice here , so…
It seems to me the only outcome of his appreance is to garner footage of him looking evasive, refusing to answer questions and coming across as if he is under the protection of the chairwoman.
In other words a set piece worth of question time.
Obviously they can ultimately force him to appear ( which would highlight the double standard between him and Peter Muriel) but it would at the very least buy him time to have the other enquiry report first.

Pixywine

Flabbyfanny is retiring.She has nothing to lose politically.

Pixywine

Sorry I meant Fabiani of course. Stupid smell checker.

Skip_NC

Juicy? Well, on its own it sounds awfully bland. So, given that the entire paragraph has been redacted, I deduce that someone decided it was too dangerous to remain published. Either the Spectator was worried about legal action and decided it was too dangerous or someone leaned on them to remove the paragraph.

Stu has more important things to be doing than policing comments here. For that reason, I am reluctant to copy and paste. Presumably, Stu has the original, completely unredacted copy saved somewhere offline. When he feels able to re-publish it in the UK, I imagine he will do so.

I think I have guessed two of the accusers, possibly three. However, I am not confident enough to set up a website and offer my views. I may be totally wrong and that would be counter-productive. I think our last hope is that the Hamilton inquiry delivers justice.

Elmac

AYRSHIRE ROB @ 7.25 PM

I have met Siobhain before and talked to her on the telephone and have been impressed. In normal times, if she were standing, I would have no hesitation in voting for her. But these are not normal times and you have to think of the bigger picture. I need my vote to count in some way to the demise of Sturgeon. If she survives after May you can kiss goodbye to independence for many years to come.

I will happily vote for Siobhain in future elections if she is standing for a thoroughly cleansed SNP or another credible pro independence party.

Annie 621

There’s a series on sky which entails Eugenics, corruption, drug deaths, science denial, sex,and megalomania.
It’s called The Knick..
and surprisingly, it’s not about SNP’s Nic, who incidentally,
should BE in the Nick.

crazycat

@ Ayrshire Rob at 7.27

Gavin Lundy.

AYRSHIRE ROB

News flash Elmac

She is standing.She’s the local candidate elected to stand. I voted for her, so God knows who you voted for?

Liz g

D Thompson @ 7.43
Well it’s the Revs hoose so it’s the Revs rules , and he says tell him if there’s an idiot abroad…

AYRSHIRE ROB

Crazy cat .thanks

Oh aye that wid him. Plonk.

Liz

God Wightman is making a bit of a dick of himself.

Sounds like a nerve has been hit.

Elmac

AYRSHIRE ROB

If you had read my previous posts then you would know that I quit the SNP on 1 February last year so, to answer you, I did not vote for anybody.

Captain Yossarian

Alexei Navalny has recently been jailed for 2-years in Russia by Putin. He was a constant critic of corruption in that country and he poaid the price for that in the end.

Alex Salmond is fighting corruption just now in Sturgeon’s Scotland. Craig Murray was fighting it too, as were the Duff and Phelps administrators of Rangers FC.

If this is looked at from an international perspective, then that’s the way to start looking at it.

Putin in Russia = Sturgeon in Scotland. No difference.

Brian Doonthetoon

Hi Skip_NC at 7:37 pm.

You typed,
“Presumably, Stu has the original, completely unredacted copy saved somewhere offline. When he feels able to re-publish it in the UK, I imagine he will do so.”

It’s available on the web! See my comments above.

link to wingsoverscotland.com

link to wingsoverscotland.com

Ian Brotherhood

@Tinto Chiel (7.23) –

Aye, indeed, a splendid reason to keep ‘Stay At Home’ going as long as possible – as soon as there is freedom to associate with friends and gather/march/demonstrate, we’ll be outside NS’s front door(s).

She knows it, and knows we know she knows it.

D Thompson

Wee Ginger Dugger site must be empty at the moment.

All his arse licking disciples are on Wings.

Daisy Walker

Mac says:
4 February, 2021 at 6:51 pm

I must admit I am curious as to why the Spectator can publish it almost completely unredacted and wings cannot. And that you cannot explain why.

———————————–
I suspect because while a very sizable chunk of the yes movement read Wings, a similar sized chunk do not read the Spectator.

I suspect then it comes down to paying money for and Interdict to prevent publication, and chosing who to serve it upon – a one man outfit or and establishment mag with the legal resources to challenge it?

Feliks

Captain Yossarian

Alexei Navalny has recently been jailed for 2-years in Russia by Putin. He was a constant critic of corruption in that country and he poaid the price for that in the end.

Alex Salmond is fighting corruption just now in Sturgeon’s Scotland. Craig Murray was fighting it too, as were the Duff and Phelps administrators of Rangers FC.

If this is looked at from an international perspective, then that’s the way to start looking at it.

Putin in Russia = Sturgeon in Scotland. No difference.

Isn’t the difference that MI6 are funding the dissident in Russia and 5 are………..

stonefree

@ Socrates MacSporran at 4:34 pm

I see you too have sat in a branch meeting, thinking to yourself “this is not for me”

I content myself with the thought that Karma will bite each their arses severely

AYRSHIRE ROB

So you’ll be voting for her in May then, just like you said then.

AYRSHIRE ROB

Oops

For Elmac

Skip_NC

Brian Doonthetoon, so I see. It’s hard to keep up when I’m supposed to be cranking out tax returns.

Liz g

Daisy Walker @ 7.54
Is it not because the Law in Scotland ( that no name thing ) won’t apply to a publication mainly read in England.
Where as Wings is aimed specially at and mainly read in Scotland ?

msdidi

Elmac @ 5.43

I posted this earlier, at the end of the last thread, before I realised there was a new one. There is no way I will ever vote Tory but Independence supporters need to have a plan before the closing date for the postal votes.
The SNP have instigated a massive push for postal votes in the May election. I don’t know if it’s nationwide but I received the form in the post a few weeks ago. They are also holding meetings at branches advocating both votes SNP on top of all the usual advertising for 2xSNP. The SNP manifesto will not be published until April – almost definitely after the last date for posting (6th April). I don’t know yet what to do with my constituency vote. It depends on what is in the manifest so that rules out a postal vote. I decided ages ago that my 2nd vote will be ISP. However for the ISP to get a list seat the SNP probably need to win the constituency. Do I hold my nose and give 1st vote SNP or spoil my paper? It really depends on what’s in the manifesto. No way can I vote for the GRA reform or the Hate Crime Bill as they are proposing. My SNP membership is hanging on a thread – at the moment I plan to keep it till renewal time (June) so that I can take part in any votes that come up.

Tommy

Oh come out you Tartan Tans,
Come out and fight me like a man!

Izzie

Ok Rev you have convinced me I have been a member of the SNP since 1968 but I will vote Tory from now on thanks to you

Career: Politician

I actually will be voting for the Tories, because I live in a marginal SNP/Tory seat.

I will do all I democratically can to see the SNP out of power at this point.

David Wardrope

That will be that then. Short of someone going public with any information that may exist which damns the Scottish Government’s position, it will be as you were.

Those on the committee who are SNP will stay quiet, those not SNP will attack Nicola’s character and her reliability as they have always done so no change there. Nothing more will be issued on the side of Salmond’s position while anonymous complainers will be allowed airtime free of reprisal, and anyone who hasn’t heard Salmond’s side of events or has been persuaded by what they have heard by now is very unlikely to do so after the inquiry closes doors.

Actually, I said “as you were.” I think that will not be the case, I think the current power-holders will be mightily emboldened…

JSC

Woah, Pete Murrell is coming back to the enquiry…

link to heraldscotland.com

Jm

Have they all been got at?

Bob Mack

My MP is Wishy Pete. I will not vote for him ever.
I might even , in fact I will, campaign against him.

Saffron Robe

It really has gone beyond parody now. An inquiry that refuses to accept evidence in plain sight. There really is an elephant in the room which everyone else can clearly see except for those whose job it is to identify that there is an elephant in the room! Standing in front of the elephant, they swear blind that there isn’t an elephant!

Bob Mack

These people are only in Westminster because of Independence

not in spite of it. We elected them to do a specific job.

They failed us. We will find others who will not fail if we need to.

Margaret E

Earlier, someone said that WGD site must be empty. Sorry to disappoint. The revers is true. No comments from WGD but more than 1000 comments. And still unswerving loyalty to NS who is whiter than white and total hatred for WOS. It’s just as well that the most fsnatical left this site because it is almost impossible to read the ranting.

Cath

That will be that then.

Oh, I dunno. I kind of doubt that, when Salmond was standing outside the court saying ‘that evidence will see the light of day’, he was meaning it as a reliance on Linda Fabiani’s committee to reveal it and if she doesn’t that’s that.

Bob Mack

Keatings verdict to be announced 12 noon tomorrow.

Captain Yossarian

@Feliks – Please forget all of this MI5/MI6 skitter, please. We are not simpletons, you know. The Scottish Crown Office are the problem here.

If redactions are not carried-out and evidence is put before the inquiry that proves Alex Salmonds trial was unfair and biased, then James Wolffe (at least) be be appearing at Edinburgh High Court.

His sentance would stand to be even longer than Alex Salmond’s.

We need to disinfect our legal profession. That doesn’t require MI5 or MI6. That requires action from Scots who have had enough of this shite.

Daisy Walker

In a funny way the Inquiry have at least done us all a favour by redacting the entire submission.

If they had only redacted bits of it, it would have looked like they were being honest.

It also looks as if the MSP’s on the panel are fed up now and want to go home. They always knew they were there just to fanny about and get nowhere. Burn down the clock so that nothing of any use came out in time to be used in the May elections, (or in time for the SNP Conferences which might have lead to NS being ousted) then the ball can be kicked further down the road with calls for a Judge lead inquiry.

It used to be, at all times of the troubles in Ireland, and on either side of the tin flute, they found refuge in Scotland.

Ireland if your looking on, we really need your Investigative Reporters to blow the whistle on this big time.

I understand Alex has said no way he’s coming back to front line Politics. I am so, so sorry to ask, but right now your country needs you like never before. And as things stand it might be the last opportunity for Scotland to validate the clearing of your name.

On a more positive note. We do not stand where we did.

We know MI5 opertates at the heart of COPFS, at the heart of Scot Government and is openly admitting to instigating Malicious Prosecutions costing the Tax Payer millions.

We know we have Civil Servants attached to the First Minister – who even the Unionist press have described as so incredibly incompetent they should be sacked, and who have cost the tax payer millions.

We know we currently have a First Minister – unable or unwilling to address that.

We know who they are targeting, and by their silence, the MPs and MSP’s unable or unwilling to stand up and be counted.

We know how to win on the list seats, because the wonderful woke have been so desperately keen to show us the way, and given their average ability, nothing could have highlighted more how the list vote fascilitiates election of those who would otherwise struggle.

We know May has got to be a plebiscite indy election (even if only on the list) as long as their is a candidate on this platform in each area of Scotland for Indy voters to elect, it can become a defacto Indy vote and get it registered in the voters mind as a method for the GE.

All the things we know, and the one thing missing? We don’t know if we can do it.

Nicola's Merkin

The SNP have been pushing postal votes for a couple of years, going so far as to hand out forms on doorsteps. Their rationale is that people are more likely to actually vote if they have a postal vote and so boost turnout for the SNP. They claim to have research to back this up. This is pushed at their worthless campaigning training which seems designed to get doors closed in faces.

The fact that postal votes are collected and stored for some time before the count causes some concern. If anyone has read Spycatcher (mostly tedious office politics) they’ll know Peter Wright mentions that MI5 has cupboards full of keys to all the significant buildings in the UK. It is inconceivable that access has been abandoned, especially given the law change explicitly permitting illegal action by the security services.

Daisy Walker

@ Liz g says:
4 February, 2021 at 8:06 pm

Daisy Walker @ 7.54
Is it not because the Law in Scotland ( that no name thing ) won’t apply to a publication mainly read in England.
Where as Wings is aimed specially at and mainly read in Scotland ?’

Given comments made by Andrew Neil etc – I suspect Scottish Interdicts and English SuperInjunctions had been served re the no name thing.

The difference in the Spectator/Wings thing, makes me guess that in this instance only one has been served, and been served with an Interdict – so as to ensure maximum number of Scottish Indy supporters do not read the facts. And keep costs down by not serving it on a larger mag with bigger lawyers.

Captain Yossarian

Andrew Neil: ‘Scottish Parliament “inquiry” into Scot Gov’s unlawful investigation into complaints against Alex Salmond of sexual misconduct is refusing to publish Mr Salmond’s submission to the Inquiry accusing Nicola Sturgeon of misleading Parliament. Inquiry at risk of being farce/fiasco’.

Which do you prefer: farce or fiasco? I can’t make my mind-up either. Andrew Neil just called it both a farce and a fiasco. Quite right.

Astonished

” Izzie says:
4 February, 2021 at 8:11 pm
Ok Rev you have convinced me I have been a member of the SNP since 1968 but I will vote Tory from now on thanks to you ”

Dontcha think the murrells, humza useless and the (never discuss or back down) wokeratti are a tad more responsible for all the problems in the independence movement ?

Your vote is your own. Use it wisely but never shoot the messenger or the only news you will get will be filtered by the likes of sarah smith.

Scozzie

Not that we doubted it, but it’s now conclusive that the Inquiry it utterly corrupt just like the NS government, COPFS, and Police Scotland. How any of our sitting parliamentarians can have the brass neck to ask for people to vote for them come May is astonishing – but they will!
Vote for me, vote for corruption.
Fucking North Korea is probably more open, transparent and accountable to its people than Scotland.
Disgusted by the whole fucking lot of them.

Prasad

Craig Sheridan says:
4 February, 2021 at 6:59 pm

I may be wrong but when i compare with the Grousebeater article (link above) that was one of the three original redactions not a new one. If i remember rightly Wings said they made one redaction.

Republicofscotland

“Izzie says:
4 February, 2021 at 8:11 pm
Ok Rev you have convinced me I have been a member of the SNP since 1968 but I will vote Tory from now on thanks to you”

Oh right that’s really going to help (NOT) the indy cause, get a grip.

Liz g

Those saying they are voting Tory …. are you insane ?
If … and it’s a big if … yer genuine… then your seriously misguided.
Tory … fucking Tory …..the current lot ? Really?

Look… this election is being pushed everywhere as a statement on the Union.
The results of THIS election will determine whither or not Independence is the will of the Scottish electorate.
No one will care if you didn’t vote SNP because of the Gender nutters.
No one will care if you don’t vote SNP because of the Alex Salmond thing.
All the British will see and proclaim from every available platform is that Scotland has demonstrated again that we want to stay in this accursed Union .
That Boris Johnston and his minions are RIGHT and we have told the Scottish -Nationalists- Party to stop obsessing about Independence..

The SNP do indeed have us over a barrel this coming May and it seems that they actually want to temper the Indy vote just enough to actually not have to move on Independence.
Well …
We were the movement who allowed all our hope to be invested in the SNP
We do not have the time to do a thing about it all now.
Hopefully we’ll have learned and get things changed as quickly as possible but we are where we are !!

If the Yes movement want to send the message to the British that independence is very much on the table then we have to vote SNP and do it in huge numbers.
And
The bitter irony is that if we want to prevent the current SNP from getting their way….we Also have to vote for them in such huge numbers that we can’t be ignored either.

Obviously our focus should be on the lists and what we can do there to farther our interests but if we want to push Holyrood towards Indy we need a majority SNP Government.

Anything else is I’m afraid….advantage UK

holymacmoses

Astonished says:
4 February, 2021 at 8:44 pm
” Izzie says:
4 February, 2021 at 8:11 pm
Ok Rev you have convinced me I have been a member of the SN since 1968 but I will vote Tory from now on thanks to you ”

Look at the Tories and say that you’ll vote for them. Don’t be silly. Have faith. There are many, many good Scottish people and some of them are already in a position to take over the reins.

Daisy Walker

So, Holyrood elections.

It really not in the interests of the Britnats to have this postponed (unless they can postpone/close it for several years).

A May election puts the Indy movement on the back foot, due to getting new party, new candidates and Plebiscite policy out there to the electorate.

The widespread view that the SNP are going to take a landslide, seems incredibly cocky to me. D’Honte was designed to ensure the opposite.

In 2007 the SNP scraped their lead (by one seat) and won their most number of seats via the list.

This changed completely the next time, when they won nearly all their seats on the Constituency FPTP and precious few on the list.

For this election, it looks like the SNP are counting on the Constituency seats being in the bag in order to get them the bulk of their seats, and only need a few, + the greens to shore them up.

This is where the current ‘all things to promote woke candidates’ policy within the SNP gets even more stupid.

The first vote, for the candidate, absolutely means the voter is voting for the person, and that person has got to be ‘electable’.

The way out there, wild woke element, are in a pool and the party select them. But if they are too out there, they damage the credibility of their running party members on the Constituency vote – and its in their best interests to do so, as the less constituency seats won, the less the number of votes won on the list vote gets divided by the d’honte ratio.

Both votes SNP is policy designed to have the party eat itself from within.

MikeD

msdidi @ 8:07pm

April 6th is the last day for registering for a postal vote not for submitting one.

You can even take your postal vote along to your polling station on the day of the election to submit if you wish.

stonefree

@ msdidi at 8:07 pm
I have to question this part

” My SNP membership is hanging on a thread – at the moment I plan to keep it till renewal time (June) so that I can take part in any votes that come up.”

Can you be 100% that any vote or votes would be legitimate?

kapelmeister

We could draw a giant question mark ? on our constituency ballots. To signify us saying ‘what the he’ll is going on?’ If there’s a tsunami of spoiled ballots, that will be impossible to ignore. The foreign media would pick up on it. And it would be all the more effective if we spoiled our papers in exactly the same way. Any suggestions for what we should all put on the ballot?

Then vote ISP2. A couple dozen true Scots in HR will drown out the noise from the other 105 yoons and fakenats.

Andy Ellis

@Daisy 8.33pm

I’ve probably been pushing for #HR2021 elections to be plebiscitary for longer than most. I recall being roundly dismissed in the early days of bringing it up in fact. The trouble is now that we’re running out of runway. There are few options now for making the elections plebiscitary:

1) A “palace coup” within the SNP to replace the Sturgeonistas, gradualists and woke Wahhabis, and replacement with a leadership actually keen to promote independence sooner rather than later. Given recent and perhaps upcoming events that’s not an impossible scenario, but neither is it that likely. The poison within the structure, organisation and activist base is pretty deep. These zoomers aren’t just going to give up: their funding, sinecures and often jobs depend on retaining control of the party they have parasitised.

2) Cherry and some other big hitters (perhaps including Alex Salmond or at least with his support hopefully…?) leave the party and become a focus for a new party, or join/promote the ISP. They would hopefully stand on an explicitly plebiscitary mandate. Time now seems VERY short for that to be done for May.

I’d love to see some radical moves in the next few weeks. I’m a glass half empty man I’m afraid, but will happily eat my words if proven wrong. I was (just) too young to vote for devolution in 1979: ever since then our political system, and it has to be said our voters, have been a huge disappointment and frustration.

Our future is in our hands, but I’m afraid I can’t see any other alternative than giving the SNP up as utterly beyond salvation and building something new instead.

Captain Yossarian

@holymacmoses – ‘That’s what happens when you promote incompetent people to positions of authority’. You’re a well read man and so you will recognise this.

Sweep out the dross from Holyrood and there won’t be a man, woman or LGBT left standing…….agreed?

Shut the place down. It’s a feckin fandango.

Bob Mack

Infinitely preferable to spoil ykur ballot than vote Tory or even Labour. The vote share dropping will send a message loud and clear, especially if we promote ISP on the list.

Ian Brotherhood

@Daisy Walker (8.33) –

‘Ireland if your looking on, we really need your Investigative Reporters to blow the whistle on this big time.’

Hear hear.

I read somewhere that Alex Thomson of CH4 is also in Scotland for a few days, so perhaps he will be hearing some of the stuff we know about but hasn’t made the mainstream down there? It would be good to see him getting his teeth into it. We know he’s capable once he gets engaged – his reporting on the Rangers Tax Case reached a huge audience. Plus the fact that his train back from Scotland got stuck for hours (Oxenholme, perhaps?) and he got properly leathered, the whole process captured in a series of increasingly unintelligible tweets which were much appreciated and won him friends here.

And Fintan O’Toole would surely create something memorable from all this shenanigans.

Mind you, they’ll all have to just wait, like the rest of us!

In the meantime, batten down the hatches and gird yer proverbials – as the millionth-comment spot nears we’re sure to see some old favourites dropping in to ‘convey their warmest’ to Rev Stu and all us ‘acolytes’.

I, for one, am bowing out and leaving them to it – could get messy!

See ye’s on t’other side!

😉

Cath

Ok Rev you have convinced me I have been a member of the SNP since 1968 but I will vote Tory from now on thanks to you”

The one thing that’s really easy about this is voting SNP first vote if you want independence. Even if you’re holding your nose to do it. Basically: if the conspiracy theory that those in charge really don’t want independence is correct, *not* voting SNP is what they want you to do. Maybe that’s what all this crap is about. If your SNP candidate is truly fighting against independence, he/she isn’t going to care if they’re not elected as they’ll have other employment to go to, and you’ve given them what they want. If they genuinely do want it, great, you’ve elected a pro-indy MSP.

Either way, the only way Scotland can demonstrate a desire for independence is to vote in a pro-independence majority and as long as the SNP is saying that’s what they are, that counts. If they can be voted in along with a load of ISP people, all the better. If there is no pro-indy majority, the narrative for the next five years is that Scotland doesn’t want independence and absolutely nothing can be done as powers are ripped away by a legitimately elected government.

Liz g

Andy Ellis @ 8.55
Yes the SNP as we knew it ( or thought we did ) are beyond saving , I agree.
But they are not beyond using … we absolutely have to keep Independence as a current issue.
We can’t afford to walk away from them now and let the British Nationalists have the next 5 years.
We need to keep them as , at the very least Independence place holders .
We now know their agenda , but , they cannot admit to just wanting devolution and always have to operate in the shadows.
That ” Westminster can’t ignore the will of the people ” line they trot out works just as well for Holyrood too.
Put them in Holyrood with the ability to go for Independence and then concentrate on making sure they do….

Andy Ellis

@Cath

There won’t be any difference in terms of reaching the destination of independence though if the SNP are a minority, or if they have a super majority will there? The party has no plausible route to #indyref2, and no intention of making any election plebiscitary.

Either the SNP has to be changed before May (tick-tock!) or we have to accept we’ve got 5 years to change/reconstruct it or replace it.

Hugh Jarse

One more post should see the million tonight.
?

Elmac

Margaret E @ 8.28PM

When I checked a couple of minutes ago the number of posts on the last WGD thread was 1,195. Sounds a lot but the thread went up on 22 January which is 2 weeks ago. Within that time I counted 33 separate threads on Wings and 6,679 individual posts. I think that puts it into perspective.

There are now relatively few individuals posting on WGD compared with Wings. I realise that Paul K has been indisposed for much of the that time and wish him well as he is a valuable asset to the Yes movement, but his threads are more inspirational in nature than topical and I doubt more threads would have generated much more in the way of posts. I think he has been unfortunate in the calibre of those who have taken over btl on his blog and he may well have wished for more diversity of opinion and perhaps a little less myopia.

Aquarius

JGedd @ 6.05

My understanding is that the ISP intend to stand candidates in all of the list regions. The latest date for candidate registration is not for a while yet, so don’t despair.

twathater @ 6.08

ISP’s website says at the bottom of the home page in highlighted writing “Let’s make the May 2021 Scottish Election a Plebiscite on Independence” The manifesto has not, of course, as yet, been published.

Andy Ellis

@Liz g 9.08pm

If the gradualists survive the next few months, I reckon they’ll be intensely relaxed about sitting on their arses for the next five years.

They have no more incentive for “doing something” than Boris has. Five more years of tinkering round the edges, advancing woo-woo policies to placate the Twitler Youth who seem to have some sort of hold over them, whilst simultaneously promoting Charlotte Street Growth Commission milquetoast nationalism.

Bob Mack

A!yn Smith complaint invdstigated. No criminality involved say police. The fecker couldnae see green cheese without seeking for himself. Poor me syndrome.

wee monkey

msdidi says:
4 February, 2021 at 8:07 pm
Elmac @ 5.43

“I posted this earlier, at the end of the last thread, before I realised there was a new one. There is no way I will ever vote Tory but Independence supporters need to have a plan before the closing date for the postal votes.
The SNP have instigated a massive push for postal votes in the May election. I don’t know if it’s nationwide but I received the form in the post a few weeks ago. They are also holding meetings at branches advocating both votes SNP on top of all the usual advertising for 2xSNP. The SNP manifesto will not be published until April – almost definitely after the last date for posting (6th April). I don’t know yet what to do with my constituency vote. It depends on what is in the manifest so that rules out a postal vote. I decided ages ago that my 2nd vote will be ISP. However for the ISP to get a list seat the SNP probably need to win the constituency. Do I hold my nose and give 1st vote SNP or spoil my paper? It really depends on what’s in the manifesto. No way can I vote for the GRA reform or the Hate Crime Bill as they are proposing. My SNP membership is hanging on a thread – at the moment I plan to keep it till renewal time (June) so that I can take part in any votes that come up.”

Just wait for the announcement of Dominion electronic voting machines (trial) in picked constituencies…

kapelmeister

Does Andy Wightman not understand what a politician is? A politician is a public figure who can expect to receive public criticism. A politician can’t sue people who’ve said that they’re rubbish.

Mist001

The DUP in Ulster got £1 billion cash for propping up Mays Tory Government.

What are the Scottish Greens getting in return for propping up Sturgeons SNP Scottish government?

if there is a vote of no confidence in the First Minister, then what will the Greens get in return for opposing the vote?

I’ll bet this is where all the trouble stems from. The Greens.

Willie

A constituency vote for the SNP is a vote for corruption, it is a vote for the suspension of the Rule of Law. That is absolutely crystal clear as the continuing attempts to threaten, censor and restrain show.

The criminal no more than the leopard changes its spots. Having tasted blood, having killed, the leopard will do it again, and again.

So anything but SNP. Decent members can stand as independent candidates making clear exactly where they stand. Or where the shit remains and independent can come in to challenge. The electorate are more than capable of discerning. And a huge second ISP list vote sends the message untainted.

We can win this. The SNP can only lose. The people want independence. And you know what, the dark state know it.

TNS2019

There appear to be two distinct but sometimes overlapping themes from the posts above.
One centres on the fastest route to independence.
The other is on the need for reform of the current systems of governance because of the overwhelming evidence that is accruing of serious misfeasance and corruption.
If the former is to be achieved by voting SNP, how can the latter be taken forward if the same individuals are in charge?
I pose the question as someone facing the dilemna.
I do not have the answer.
It seems to me that hope must be placed in a radical reform of the SNY and that they thus get in with a minority in May. That would appear to be the healthiest option.
Better still, to have another pro-independence party that was committed to good governance.
(Fingers drumming on desk)

Bob Mack

Interesting development. Apparently an SNP spokesperson has admitted Cherry was removed for unacceptable behaviour rather than a re shuffle.

She must have asked a question.

kapelmeister

Bob Mack @9:50

Maybe they caught her singing Scots Wha Hae.

Dan

It’s becoming evermore embarrassing having to carry the burden of being Scottish.

The Claim of Right states:
The people of Scotland are sovereign and that they have the right to determine the best form of government for Scotland’s needs

Anybody that openly defends the current systems is probably at risk of being sectioned.

At this point I’d almost be up for Scotland “doing a Belgium” and having a try with no elected government at any level for a while, as it would relieve us of the humiliation and expense of having to endure the seemingly endless endevours of quite so many self-serving sacks of shit…

FFS, all the SNP had to do since the material change in circumstance of 2016 (EU vote) was to ca’ canny and let the electorate experience the reality of calamity in staying under London Rule, and Scots would move to supporting Indy. Westminster duly obliged and many Scots made that leap to accepting a return to self governance for Scotland would be the better choice.
The YES movement was also re-energised and setting up groups and shops to assist with this process.
While this was happening the SNP should have been preparing the necessary groundwork and processes to facilitate Scots having that mandated choice to democratically express and determine our futures.
But sadly no, those who hold the centralised power in SNP instead chose to embroil themselves and the Party in a range of distracting and destructive activities that have left the Party, their supporters, the Indy movement divided and hamstrung.

Whether this situation was created by direct infiltration of UK State actors or not is by the by, the SNP structures, procedures, and membership were clearly not robust enough to recognise and deal with what has occurred, and using the standard inquiry findings, lessons must be learned from this.

WhoRattledYourCage

O/T. What happens when a confused middle-aged Scotsman ends up living in a Chicago crack house? A true story.

link to whorattledyourcage.blogspot.com

(Sorry, this whole inquiry thing has gotten me depressed beyond words. fee out of hope now, can’t even think aboot it anymore)

Liz g

Andy Ellis @ 9.14
Yes Andy I’m in no doubt that’s what they intend.
But from the Yes movements point of view I’d say our least worst option is to stick them in as place holders to keep Independence on the table.
Then
It’s up to their membership to make any changes and up to the Yes voters to make the changes we need to , to not have all the Indy eggs in the SNP basket.
But above all else , we can’t just walk away or allow them too , and hand Holyrood to the British this coming May.
We can’t control what the SNP do.
We can’t control how the Alex Salmond thing will play out .
But we can put our vote anywhere necessary to farther our independence and that’s what I’m arguing we should do …
An actual plan if ye like!

I’m no /can’t vote for them full stop is no an Indy plan .
But I’ll stick them in Holyrood to keep Indy warm and then I’ll do this,this and this is making plans.
They may work or they may not
But we’ll certainly no get Indy by no even trying…. all we’ll get is a British Holyrood

WhoRattledYourCage

Erratum: ‘feel out of hope.’

oneliner

A cursory glance over the above has revealed three people (at least) stating their intention to vote for the monster raving tory party.

Reaction anyone? (I’m sure that’s what they or theit handlers hoping for)

Here’s mine – I’d sooner vote for a pile of dog doo

oneliner

PS. What’s a typo or two when talking about the Tories?

Bob Mack

@Oneliner,

Your aiming low with that example.

kapelmeister

onliner

Voting Tory is just another name for voting for dog doo.

Denise

Realistically there isn’t a prospect of Indy until after 2025 and maybe longer

If you vote for the SNP they won’t change. They are too intrenched They have money and staff and vested interests. They have the press, the police, the prosecution service and third sector organizations on their side. They can reward people with sinecures and use patronage.

They are authoritarian. Women’s rights will be gone and the right to free expression. Another 5 years of drift and complacency and loss of rights. WM will bleed powers from HR but the MSPs won’t care as they are still getting paid.

It is doom and we are stuck on this track because NS and her cabal are too powerful. And time is running out.

wee monkey

“The health minister Jeane Freemen OBE has not been sacked for failing to deliver on her promise that ONE MILLION Scots would get the vaccine by the end of January.

Joanna Cherry QC is sacked for questioning whether men in frocks can use the ladies.”

If you think the Salmond inquiry is what the May election is hanging on, you are about as delusional as Sturgeon.

Liz g

TNS2019 @’9.46
While I agree that our justice system seems to be completely corruptable and corrupted the question it seems to me then becomes,
Can we risk handing a system like that over to the British in May ?
Because it’s definitely no going to be fixed by then .

I’d argue we’ll not get much done with the flaws in the justice system before independence any way , and not at all with the British party’s in charge, but now we are awakened to just how a Government, any Government could use it against a Scottish citizens.
That cannot be allowed to continue to be imbedded in our system.
But we shouldn’t forget that the SNP haven’t just recently changed the justice system, the flaws that they made use of have been there for quite some time.
So we’d as well throw everything at making Holyrood leave the Union and be mindful of how we reform the separation of powers going forwards….

Craig

Betsy says:
4 February, 2021 at 6:06 pm
@Elmac
Humza Yousaf is standing in my constituency, the hate crime bill and his abysmal handling of it have killed any lingering urges to hold my nose and vote SNP.

The party most likely to take second place is Labour. I have thought long and hard about a tactical Labour vote but at present have decided against. I’d be here all year if I were to start listing my problems with Labour but the main one is that I’d in effect be registering a pro-union vote.

This left me with the problem of how to use my vote and I have decided to spoil my paper with a short message stating why I am not voting SNP. Candidates and agents can be shown spoiled papers during the count and the vote will also be viewed by the returning officer who decides whether the paper can be allocated to a candidate or counted as spoiled. I’m not under any illusion that will influence events but it’s the only way I can register my dissent and case an honest vote.

I’d far rather some pro-indy spoiler candidate stood to highlight the issues with the SNP but in the absence of that happening I’m spoiling my paper.

Betsy, Humza is my MSP as well and this is exactly what I am going to do, I am going to spoil my ballot paper and write a message expressing my disgust at the conduct of the SNP of today I even told Chris Stephens that I can no longer in good conscience vote for the SNP any more and I actually helped to drive people who would have walking difficulties or elderly to the Polling Booths on election night.

It might not have a major impact but I will feel good knowing I’ve done something.

Jockanese Wind Talker

Voting BritNat in May is fucking stupidity if you truly desire Scottish Independence.

Way to do it is:

1. SNP on Constituency (unless you really want rid of the candidate – I’m thinking Angus Robertson here)

2. ISP on the Regional List

That will deliver a pro-Indy Super Majority, get rid of BritNat seat warmers.

I fully expect a wipe out of the Greens and potentially the FibDems if enough of us vote this way.

ISP to hold the SNP minority Govt’s feet to the fire on Indy and oppose HCB, GRA etc.

Anything less than a pro Indy Party Majority in May will be used by the MSM/BBC/BawJaws etc. to say we don’t want Independence.

Christopher

Lez g

Who the fuck are you to tell anybody how to vote?

If somebody wants to Vote for a certain Party, then that’s their fuckin choice. It has fuck all to do with a fuckin non entity like you.

Robert Louis

Jeez, how pathetic is Alyn Smith. Joanna Cherry is actually threatened (and a man charged), and then guess who pops up? Alyn Smith to tell us he too has ‘threatened’ too – except the police found no criminality.

Seriously Alyn Smith, what a piece of work.

Mist 001 at 0937pm,

I think you are spot-on. The FM needs the greens onside, in case their is a no confidence vote. What are the greens getting in return? why, Patrick Harvie’s pet obsession – gender cult ideology and GRA, of course.

Mibbes the greens also know the details of the Scotgov corruption too.

Either way, it is clear the FM is throwing common sense and any shred of integrity into the bin, just to save her career.

I will not be voting for the SNP whilst she is in charge. Folks say, yes, but if the SNP don’t get re-elected then we won’t get independence. The truth however, is we will NEVER get independence with NS in charge, so their really is no point in having them re-elected. All this recent talk of indyref2, is EXACTLY what she has done at the last two elections – and then when elected she did nothing. She is a fraud, and has done absolutely nothing to progress independence for the last six years.

MaggieC

I see that the Crown Office are in trouble again over the cases brought against the Rangers Administrators ,

“ Scotland’s most senior law officer has said there was no criminal misconduct in the failed fraud probe relating to the sale of Rangers FC. Five men, including the Ibrox club’s former chief executive Charles Green, faced charges that were later dropped. Two of the men, administrators David Whitehouse and Paul Clark, won a Crown Office pay-out for wrongful arrest. Mr Whitehouse now wants to pass on details from the civil case to any future investigations into the saga. Along with Mr Clark, he was appointed when the company which ran Rangers went into administration in 2012. “

link to archive.vn

Louise Hogg

Thank you once again for your valuable contribution.

Liz g

Robert Louis @ 10.20
We’ll never get independence with the British Nationalists party’s in charge either?
And somebody has to be and will be in charge …

AYRSHIRE ROB

Seems like your wee unionists are on your case again liz g

Nae doubt it’s Samuel or Clyde or Ronald or Jacqueline or Jackie all doing the self identification of a indy supporter again trying to put the spanner in the works.Seen it all before haven’t we.

AYRSHIRE ROB

Oh Christopher that’s no nice.

Dan

@ Christopher at 10.24pm

FYI your post content follows a very similar modus to several other incarnations of posters that ended up being banned.
IIRC the site owner stated if this situation persisted then he may report all those posters’ details to the authorities for threatening behaviour and harassment.
Jist sayin like.

Night owl

Liz g….think Christopher has something against you..

James

How can we get a judge led enquiry?

Asking for a friend.

stonefree

@ Mist001 at 9:37 pm

“What are the Scottish Greens getting in return for propping up Sturgeons SNP Scottish government?”

I’d suggest some of the missing half million

“I’ll bet this is where all the trouble stems from. The Greens.”
Honestly I don’t think so,
I have no particular reasoning behind that

Lenny Hartley

Elmac, its a tough one, im in the same place, i really dont want to vote for my candidate and labour have a really good candidate although she took the ermine! However on reflection I will hold my nose or abstain. But more than likely hold my nose. The way i look at it is the games a bogie with Sturgeon but at least there is a small chance that something positive might happen re Indy and there is no chance of anything happening with the yoons. Also hopefully the ISP will be a success and they can hold her to account,

crisiscult

Re Humza, a number of my family and friends are in Humza’s constituency. Not flattering myself here but I have quite a lot of influence over them politically since they don’t read blogs etc. I’m thinking of encouraging them to not vote on constituency. I’m in Dornan’s constituency and I’m not too enamoured with him either.

I’d like to see all pro indy list parties with a statement that a vote for them is a vote for indy – to justify any later argument that a poor show from SNP doesn’t mean a lack of support for indy. Ideally, SNP need to be minority government with an indy party holding balance of power (and of course I don’t mean Greens)

AYRSHIRE ROB

Guys

Christopher is just the usual bawheid that we all know infests the site daily with names he/she has picked from baby names book.

Same auld nonsense.

Scot Finlayson

@Mist001,

If you read Green manifesto you can see they want to acheive the full Trans activist ideology in Scotland,

since the beginning i think Patrick Harvie has been steering the Scot Gov to acheive his aim of Trans activist dominance,

the SNP need the Green vote or there would be no majority which could mean westminster taking over,

what will SNP concede to Patrick Harvie to keep his votes,

the safety of all woman and girls in Scotland ?

TNS2019