Because while pretty much every journalist, pundit and legal expert reporting the case agrees that the amendment made to the Section 11 order protecting the anonymity of the complainers in the Alex Salmond case is an important and significant one, it hasn’t impressed the only person whose opinion actually matters: Andy Wightwash.
Once again we’ve clipped the entire question and “answer” so you can see nothing’s been taken out of context, but the important bit is from 2m 30s to 2m 53s.
Davidson’s question was quite complex but boiled down to why Nicola Sturgeon hadn’t properly recorded details and minutes of meetings on Scottish Government business, in direct breach of the Ministerial Code.
That’s a valid question in itself, to which there was no meaningful response, but it was what Sturgeon said right at the end that raised our eyebrows.
First Minister’s Questions was very interesting today. Ruth Davidson had some tricky ones which Nicola Sturgeon simply didn’t even attempt to look like she was answering, and we might come back to one of them in particular a little later on.
But Jackie Baillie’s were even more pointed, especially this one:
With our trademark scrupulous fairness we’ve included the full question and answer, and they raise a whole series of issues, but if you’re in a hurry the key part we want to talk about right now is between 0.18 and 0.26.
Sorry, folks, we had a minor medical emergency today (veteran readers can probably guess in which category) and haven’t been quite as on top of events as we’d like.
So terrible was it that the SNP had a backup plan to distract from it – a nonsense of a press release from SNP chief operating officer Sue Ruddick in which she made an allegation about a supposed “act of physical aggression” by Alex Salmond.
The following statement has been issued in response. It’s an eye-opener.
Committee on the Scottish Govt Handling of Harassment Complaints
Dear Ms Fabiani and Committee Members,
We have now had the opportunity to consult on Friday evening and over the weekend with our client on your clerk’s latest emails of Friday afternoon. Those followed the convener’s letter informing us that you do not intend to publish our client’s submission on the Ministerial Code, a submission which was sent to you on December 31st and which was carefully considered by this firm, and by Counsel, prior to submission.
Your latest communications and the decision not to publish exemplify the confusion and legal difficulties created by the Committee and which now plainly undermine the capacity of the Committee to fulfil the remit set by Parliament.
The Scottish Government seems determined to pile insult upon injury to the Scottish people in relation to the inquiry into its botched stitch-up of Alex Salmond.
A shocking story in today’s Sunday Mail reveals that in addition to wasting in excess of £1 million on the initial unlawful investigation, untold millions on a criminal prosecution and trial, and £55,000 on coaching its inquiry witnesses (so badly that almost all of them were forced to return to the inquiry to subsequently “correct” their evidence), it’s also spent thousands of pounds of your money on lawyers to successfully prevent one of the key witnesses appearing at all.
Possibly because the witness in question doesn’t exist.
It’s hard to believe that it’s barely six months since grassroots SNP members rushed to the defence of Glasgow Cathcart MSP James Dornan when it looked like the party’s woke wing had pushed him out of his seat for electoral vampire Rhiannon Spear.
The loud uproar over a crooked NEC meeting that effectively deselected Dornan – the same one that stitched up Joanna Cherry – saw him reinstated as candidate, although the decision over Cherry wasn’t reversed. But the warning shot across Dornan’s bows clearly worked, because look at the state of him now.
Ever since the summer fiasco Dornan has been the most obsequiously loyal follower of the leadership in the entire party, but today’s tweet is a new low.
Angus on Strike One: “The judge who made this judgement has zero integrity and credibility and must be sacked.” Dec 12, 05:41
Peter McAvoy on The ginger stepchild: “It looks like the SNP support for Independence is Not Proven and will soon disappear like the legal safeguard they…” Dec 12, 02:09
Steve a on Strike One: “Poor poor judge keep. I’m reminded of something I read recently. The more eggs you put in your one basket……” Dec 12, 00:34
KITTYBEE on Spoiler Alert: “Well this judge holds the Supreme Court in Contempt. He has to go!!” Dec 12, 00:00
Sarah Walker on The Valley Of The Dolls: “Brilliant work: thank you. Interesting that paragraph 879 implies Upton has a protected belief that he’s a woman. Gender critical…” Dec 11, 23:42
PC Foster on Strike One: “Twathater- you could not be more right. lets ensure that Sandie Peggie can take this all the way up to…” Dec 11, 23:16
robertkknight on The ginger stepchild: “Frankly my dear, not a shit will be given either way. The SNP are charlatans in tartan suits selling snake…” Dec 11, 22:19
BLMac on Strike One: “This sort of judgement is reminiscent of what happened in Queensland a few decades ago. As it turned out the…” Dec 11, 22:13
Tommo on Strike One: “This is truly an amazing piece of forensic dissection (by the Editor and a few others) of a piece of…” Dec 11, 22:05
willie on The ginger stepchild: “Sixth on the list is crime. But what is crime and what is the perception of what crime actually is.…” Dec 11, 22:04
Bilbo on Strike One: “It could be the bias built into the AI Chatbot used. I’ve played about with a few of these AI…” Dec 11, 21:58
Andy Wiltshire on Strike One: “Quite right – it used to be English hats off to the Scottish legal and educational systems. No more.” Dec 11, 21:54
Andy Wiltshire on Strike One: “Don’t let them buy you off though, Rev.” Dec 11, 21:52
Bilbo on The ginger stepchild: “Hardly surprising that the SNP voters are not interested in independence because the support the SNP for a wide variety…” Dec 11, 21:51
Ex President Xiden on Strike One: “Jackasses are going to jackass.” Dec 11, 21:43
Iain More on The ginger stepchild: “SNP are just another Yoon Party now.” Dec 11, 21:12
Geoff Anderson on Strike One: “£400k spent on the KC by NHS Fife. https://x.com/_RebeccaMcCurdy/status/1999055522188943455?s=20” Dec 11, 21:07
Alf Baird on The ginger stepchild: “The only in-credible thing here is the vast GDP-per-capita gap between a much poorer yet resource-rich Scotland and near neighbour…” Dec 11, 20:48
Geoff Anderson on Strike One: “https://x.com/newsandpics/status/1999194291365683484?s=20” Dec 11, 20:21
Emma Brooker on Strike One: “Was the judge actually three chimps in a wig and gown bashing away on a typewriter?” Dec 11, 20:16
robertkknight on The ginger stepchild: “The SNP is NOT the party of Independence any more… Any member who cared about Indy is long gone, leaving…” Dec 11, 19:52
Geoff Anderson on Strike One: “Now we know why…… https://x.com/iwontwheesht/status/1999180012893929938?s=20” Dec 11, 19:41
Northcode on The ginger stepchild: “The problem, TH, is that if Liberate Scotland gets TOO much attention and – God forbid- gets the mass backing…” Dec 11, 19:39
Mark Beggan on Strike One: “Let’s play Judges and Lawyers. Unsuitable for under fives.” Dec 11, 19:28
Mark Beggan on The ginger stepchild: “We’ll cut aff oor noses to spite those English bastards faces. That’s them telt. Bastards. Soar Giro!” Dec 11, 19:27
David Holden on Strike One: “Sadly I am old enough to remember when Scottish law was given a level of respect even from South of…” Dec 11, 19:24
Lewis Moonie on Strike One: “Anyone ever seen a trans woman who didn’t stick out like a sore thumb? Me neither” Dec 11, 18:58
Hatey McHateface on The ginger stepchild: “Perhaps the pollsters were unaware women are allowed to vote. Perhaps when the pollsters asked people, the men refused to…” Dec 11, 18:48
Geoff Anderson on Strike One: “I think this one needs a detailed explanation from the judge https://x.com/anyabike/status/1999121983481536635?s=20” Dec 11, 18:45
Lorncal on Strike One: “It seems to me to be far too accurate in its misinterpretations and unsound quotes to be purely AI or…” Dec 11, 18:41
