Mike Russell, currently at the centre of controversy over his appointment as chair of the Scottish Land Commission, hit the political big stage during Scotland’s first ever SNP administration under Alex Salmond, whom, in turn, Mike had previously seen into office as Salmond’s campaign manager.
In 2007 he was appointed as Minister for Environment, then in 2009 he became the Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution, and his conventional ministerial career concluded when he went on to replace Fiona Hyslop as Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning until the end of 2014.
Following the 2014 independence vote, the pre-referendum era ended with Salmond’s dignified (albeit temporary) stage exit; Nicola Sturgeon took the helm and began to reform what had been left to her by her predecessor.
A core pillar of Sturgeon’s centrist reform was the construction of an almost entirely opaque ivory tower of power from which both SNP and the state would run their covert affairs with subversive, centralizing, strong-arm granularity, cleverly camouflaging its sinister implications from the public through cult-of-personality media management.
Instrumental in this, among a very few select others, was Mike Russell.
It’s rather apt that this happened on the last day of the calendar. Because it truly is the rock-bottom moment in the grotesquely sullied history of the Scottish National Party.
We’ve heard that line somewhere before, haven’t we?
The Herald has the barest skeleton of a report, while you have to turn to page 14 of the Daily Record for a similar piece that conveys the basic facts with nothing at all about the significance of the ruling, and STV News – embarrassingly – just runs an agency release despite having the estimable Colin Mackay and Bernard Ponsonby on its staff. (They also had nothing on air last night.) Maybe they were busy.
The Scottish Sun is by far the best of the print media on the subject. It first ran a extensive but very strangely-timed article that included reporting of actual events at the hearing but NOT the verdict, even though the court delivered its judgement mere moments after hearing the counsels’ submissions.
(The piece finishes “The appeal at the Court of Session is expected to last one day, with a written judgement taking weeks or months”.)
It followed up a couple of hours later with another substantial story including the reactions of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Information Commissioner (the opposing parties at the hearing). But the only actual analysis was done by the BBC.
To the surprise of most of those watching, including ourselves, the Court Of Session delivered its judgement immediately at the end of today’s hearing, after only the most cursory of conflabs between the three august panel members.
The short version is that the Scottish Government lost, and must now comply with Wings reader Benjamin Harrop‘s FOI request regarding evidence that was supplied to independent adviser James Hamilton during his inquiry into the unlawful investigation of false allegations against Alex Salmond.
The Scottish Government will make history tomorrow. For the first time ever since the advent of devolution 24 years ago, it will take the Scottish Information Commissioner to the Court Of Session to prevent disclosure of information.
On the bench will be the full firepower of the inner council of the Scottish judiciary. The Lord President himself, Lord Carloway, will be presiding (and presumably lording) over the hearing. Joining him on the bench will be a former Lord Advocate, Lord Boyd, and a former Solicitor General, Lord Pentland – pictured below, and of whom readers will last have heard here.
To use the legal parlance, that’s a big-boy lineup.
To present their case, the Government are fielding not one but two King’s Counsel – James Mure KC and Paul Reid KC.
This top legal talent does not come cheap and nor does a Court Of Session hearing. So what is this vital information that the Scottish Government – which as recently as May this year pledged to “ensure that we are the most transparent Government on these islands” – is trying so desperately to hide from the Scottish public, at the Scottish public’s very considerable expense?
The average prison term for rape in Scotland is just under seven years. So we really don’t want to think about what Andrew “Amy George” Miller did to the poor young girl he abducted to get 20. (Indeed, strictly speaking 28.)
Miller wasn’t charged with rape, the 11-year-old was described as “safe and well” when the police found her and she was missing for just over one day. Miller also entered a guilty plea. So our blood runs cold at the thought of what must have happened in those 27 hours to nevertheless attract such a huge sentence, and we hope never to know.
As alert readers will have noticed, Wings has been perusing the SNP’s Governance And Transparency Review over the last couple of days, a document which tentatively attempts to discern just how big a mess the party’s previous leadership has left it in.
The paper has now also reached the mainstream media.
Wings already touched on that particular aspect of the party’s mismanagement back in August, but in the light of the report now formally acknowledging the problem it’s worth taking a moment to establish just how astonishingly bad it is.
TURABDIN on The Empty Hearse: “WHAT’S THE GERMAN FOR HEARSE? https://archive.is/kP6OG” Aug 2, 14:49
Dan on The Empty Hearse: “I don’t think the sorting out and depositing household waste into several different wheelie bins is a good example of…” Aug 2, 13:53
James Cheyne on The Empty Hearse: “Big Jock, There are things that we can all do to make the changes, we do not have to be…” Aug 2, 12:47
James Cheyne on The Empty Hearse: “The average person pays Council tax for the Council to provide a service of picking up rubbish from your home,…” Aug 2, 12:35
TURABDIN on The Empty Hearse: “WITH THE ASSETS SOLD and the British state down to the fixtures and fittings why do so many Scots stick…” Aug 2, 12:09
James Cheyne on The Empty Hearse: “Another thing worth fighting for in Scotland is (Private rights, which are unalterable ) in the treaty of union. I…” Aug 2, 12:06
Alf Baird on The Empty Hearse: ““We do actually need a government behind the movement.” The ‘nationalist’ Scottish Government should be fully supporting the movement’s Liberation…” Aug 2, 09:23
Dan on The Empty Hearse: “@ George Hope you had a braw holiday break and your health is good. That Qualcast sounds like the original…” Aug 2, 08:38
Iain More on The Empty Hearse: “With Laura Mitchell standing as the Woke SNP Candidate in Moray I wont be voting on the Constituency vote for…” Aug 2, 03:05
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Empty Hearse: “Transition formatting garble: Title should be just TROD with no question marks.” Aug 2, 01:41
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Empty Hearse: “TROD?? bhuail glainne fìona an sinc TIFF glass of wine hit the sink” Aug 2, 01:37
Peter McAvoy on The Empty Hearse: “Earlier today I read that the one of Alexander Dennis sites in Scotland has been put up for sale. If…” Aug 2, 01:14
Northcode on The Empty Hearse: ““An optimist will tell you the glass is half-full; the pessimist, half-empty; and the engineer will tell you the glass…” Aug 2, 00:17
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Empty Hearse: “LOMAIRE-FEÒIR Chuala mi lomaire-feòir gu h-àrd anns an adhar a‘ gearradh tron ghuirme. Chunnaic mi air oidhche fhuair fras reòite…” Aug 1, 23:19
sarah on The Empty Hearse: “@ Big Jock: the lack of a political force is why we need to spread the word about the political…” Aug 1, 23:07
Big Jock on The Empty Hearse: “Dan ask yourself this. Are we closer to independence than September 2014? If you are honest the answer is an…” Aug 1, 22:45
George Ferguson on The Empty Hearse: “I was gifted a 1950s Qualcast mower. No engine. Made the lawn look like Wembley. It was heavy roller at…” Aug 1, 22:34
Dan on The Empty Hearse: “The Scottish Government Poundshop Administration of Devolved Powers wanting “a detailed seabird compensation plan”. FFS, I’m pretty sure most Scots…” Aug 1, 22:10
Northcode on The Empty Hearse: ““I disagree with NOT voting at all in the Scottish elections” I appreciate that each of us must form our…” Aug 1, 21:50
Dan on The Empty Hearse: “Sigh. “All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men (and women) to do nothing”… There’s plenty going…” Aug 1, 21:18
Lorn on The Empty Hearse: “I agree, Hatey. However, the independence parties might be hard hit as many people will mistake Corbyn for a socialist…” Aug 1, 21:13
Lorn on The Empty Hearse: “Yes, no votes SNP is the only possible answer. Angus Robertson’s book, ‘Vienna’ is quite brilliant, but, when it comes…” Aug 1, 21:04
George Ferguson on The Empty Hearse: “@Agent X Simply because their higher echelons don’t care for their welfare. My brother is an ex Police Fed guy…” Aug 1, 20:44
Willie on The Empty Hearse: “Just to move to the Sandie Peggie case reports are suggesting that NHS Fife’s legal bill is now nearing £700k…” Aug 1, 20:36
Big Jock on The Empty Hearse: “Like many in the movement. I feel numb with the morass we find ourselves in. I used to post on…” Aug 1, 20:36
agent x on The Empty Hearse: “A charity has been praised after serving more than 18,000 meals to police officers during US President Donald Trump’s visit…” Aug 1, 20:07
agent x on The Empty Hearse: ““If the negotiations aren’t successful, then we’ll move to dissolve the union. It’s perfectly legal to do so.” No explanation…” Aug 1, 18:52
Colin Alexander on The Empty Hearse: “Even simpler for me: No votes for any candidates / parties that will swear fealty to the English Crown /…” Aug 1, 17:48
100%Yes on The Empty Hearse: “It would appear the SNP branches are taking action on Independence. Have a read, not before time. https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2025/08/01/snp-branches-rebel/” Aug 1, 17:45
The Flying Iron of Doom on The Empty Hearse: “Meet the new carrot, same as the old carrot… 🙄” Aug 1, 17:45
