Redaction is a tricky business, and comes with numerous pitfalls even if you’re being careful, which not everyone is. If you’re involved in creating a document you know will have to be redacted, there are a variety of safeguarding approaches you can adopt.
When I worked on a videogames magazine called Amiga Power in the 1990s, we ran a fun comedy feature about censorship. But because the company that published the magazine had had some unfortunate mishaps in the field, we took extra care by typing all the “offensive” words as random-length strings of Xs when we wrote the article.
And it was lucky that we did, because as you can see in the feature’s strapline, the art department misaligned the red redaction bar on some of them, and if there’d been a sweary in there it would have been easily identified.
Astonishingly, there isn’t a single word of apology anywhere in this statement.
There isn’t a scintilla of contrition, not the tiniest glimmer of admission of culpability or responsibility. There isn’t even a weasel-worded expression of “regret”.
Rape Crisis Scotland is unfit for purpose, and its CEO must resign.
The dogged persistence of alert Wings contributor Benjamin Harrop with regard to the Hamilton inquiry has been truly heroic, and today it has borne fruit in dramatic style.
The 10-page adjudication from the Scottish Information Commissioner that you can download by clicking that image is a somewhat labyrinthine (but fascinating) read, but the upshot of it is that the Commissioner has now ordered the Scottish Government to release all of the legal advice it was given with regard to its refusal to publish the written evidence submitted to James Hamilton for his inquiry into the events around the alleged conspiracy to falsely convict Alex Salmond of sexual assaults.
(See, even that one-sentence summary was quite hard going.)
We’ve just watched a hearing at the Court Of Session with regard to Alex Salmond’s civil claim against the Scottish Government. It was an ostensibly minor one, in which Salmond’s team were requesting a sist (pause) in the case for the fourth time, on the grounds of a number of ongoing police inquiries related to the events around the claim.
For most of the time Wings was the only journalist in a (virtual) room full of lawyers – although a couple of Scottish Daily Mail hacks turned up midway through – and we got to hear a dramatic surprise revelation.
James Hynd is a civil servant who was head of the Scottish Government’s cabinet, parliament and governance division during the inquiry.
But the hearing revealed for the first time that Hynd is currently subject to a criminal investigation by Police Scotland, with the name Operation Broadcroft, on suspicion of the serious crime of “wilfully making false statements on oath” to the inquiry.
And the ramifications of that extend much further than Mr Hynd himself.
David Davis may be the last of his kind – a libertarian Tory from a council-scheme and grammar-school background, and also one of the few remaining big beasts occupying the political jungle of the back benches.
(He could in fact have been Tory leader, and would have been if David Cameron and George Osborne hadn’t teamed up to defeat him in 2005 after he won the first ballot.)
So on the rare occasions when he leads a Commons adjournment debate, as he did last Thursday evening, those with an educated eye for politics sit up and take notice.
It’s both a comprehensive refresher of events surrounding the Scottish Government’s conspiracy to convict Alex Salmond on false charges, and a sharp reminder of why Scotland is, in truth, not yet a country in a fit administrative state for independence.
But one part in particular ought to be the headline news tonight.
Robert Matthews on The Wage Thief: “More like postcolonoscopy theory, for all the shite you talk.” Dec 10, 02:41
Peter McAvoy on The Wage Thief: “In my own view and agreeing with views of some other people who have posted comments on this article She…” Dec 10, 01:47
Graf Midgehunter on The Wage Thief: “Chas: “You probably like to read the same shit over and over and over again.” Sorry but no, which is…” Dec 10, 00:33
Wullie B on The Wage Thief: “There is only one person in the world with less views in public for the last year, and that’s Lavender…” Dec 9, 22:59
gregor on The Wage Thief: “Dubtazer: Deep State: The Only Way Out Is In: https://tinyurl.com/3zbv6azx #NoDeepStateEscape” Dec 9, 22:58
Confused on The Wage Thief: “(raised eyebrow) – are we back to talking about sturgeon?” Dec 9, 22:58
Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: “MSM reporting another colonialist apparatchik Orc blown to bits in occupied Ukr. I recall the usual suspects cheering on the…” Dec 9, 22:00
Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: ““chaffed arse that would look like one of those baboons’ butts” Ah c’mon now, Dan. Is that or is that…” Dec 9, 21:52
Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: “Shurely shome shpelling error in your penultimate word?” Dec 9, 21:49
Hatey McHateface on The Wage Thief: “Calm yourself, Zander, your OTT flattery won’t get you what you want. You’ve fundamentally misunderstood Dan’s beaver posts – sorry…” Dec 9, 21:46
Mac on The Wage Thief: “The blackness of Sturgeon’s eyes…” Dec 9, 21:41
gregor on The Wage Thief: “Five Finger Death Punch: American Capitalist: Under and Over It: “Yeah, go! I—I—I’m… I—I—I’m… Did you hear the one about me…” Dec 9, 21:41
sarah on The Wage Thief: “Says it all, doesn’t it? What an irresponsible, shifty bubble-head she is. And the MSM all know it but do…” Dec 9, 21:39
gregor on The Wage Thief: “Galahad: Year Zero: Belt Up: “Open your arms, embrace a new dawn It’s almost here Can you feel it creeping…” Dec 9, 21:24
gregor on The Wage Thief: “NIVIRO: The Return: “Oh hi, it’s me again I missed you You remember me, right? I’m not only there at…” Dec 9, 21:18
Zander Tait on The Wage Thief: “Ha ha ha, Dan. Brilliant. I am one of those who do not read Cokey McCokeHeids verbal diarrhoea. But I…” Dec 9, 21:01
agent X on The Wage Thief: “22/04/2024 “Nicola Sturgeon has cancelled her appearance in front of the Scottish Affairs Committee next week as she is no…” Dec 9, 20:59
Andy Anderson on The Wage Thief: “Chas why font’s you read Alf’s book Doun Hauden. At the back of it are references to tons of paper…” Dec 9, 20:49
Dan on The Wage Thief: “If I’m being honest, my practical business endeavors have not always been successful. A few years back I went large…” Dec 9, 20:30
John Moss on The Wage Thief: “Time to sack her. Why should we be paying her salary and contributing to her pension when she fails to…” Dec 9, 20:27
Dan on The Wage Thief: “Not very alert or bright are you. If I was one of those scroll on by persons then I wouldn’t…” Dec 9, 20:14
Confused on The Wage Thief: “at the board (interview panels for the civil service are called “boards”, you damn lower class window lickers) “are there…” Dec 9, 20:04
Confused on The Wage Thief: ““you’ve taken that too far …”” Dec 9, 20:03
Confused on The Wage Thief: “GPS shock collars, main – do I have to spell everything out? also, after a few months the stockholm syndrome…” Dec 9, 20:03
Confused on The Wage Thief: “your talent for practical problem solving does you proud in general we should get the rev to apply – he…” Dec 9, 20:02
Confused on The Wage Thief: “(criminal records) in case I die unexpectedly and people have to kick the door down, I have arranged by my…” Dec 9, 20:01
Michael Laing on The Wage Thief: “There’s no chance of an SNP resurrection. It’s been infiltrated and taken over by quizmasters and tractors. Even if the…” Dec 9, 19:47
Dan on The Wage Thief: “The job is based in London, and tbqh the inclusion of the cycle to work scheme bonus just isn’t enough…” Dec 9, 19:45
Sven on The Wage Thief: “Being a white, heterosexual, Scottish male I guess I’m probably not in their target demographic.” Dec 9, 19:32
sarah on The Wage Thief: “I’m afraid she would be bound to get the pleasant role of taking the trolley around. “She’s so lovely and…” Dec 9, 19:26