News reaches Wings this evening that Humza Yousaf has called an emergency meeting of the Scottish Cabinet at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning, just a couple of hours before FMQs. (This information has been confirmed directly to us by a source very close to a member of said Cabinet.)
An emergency Cabinet meeting is an extraordinarily rare event. As far as we’re able to establish there have only been two during the SNP’s time in power – when the budget failed to pass in 2009 and Alex Salmond’s administration had to decide whether or not to trigger a general election, and one the day after the Brexit vote to supposedly plan a second indyref (LOL). But in any case they’re extremely unusual.
The subject of the meeting has not been disclosed to us. It could, for example, concern imminent developments in Operation Branchform, or it could relate to the Bute House Agreement between the SNP and the Scottish Greens. The men in grey kilts may have come for the FM. Or Scotland could be about to declare war on Morocco or something. But we are told that the fact of the meeting taking place is a 100% certainty.
So no sleeping in tomorrow, readers. It’s probably going to be big.
More than three months have passed since Alex Salmond launched a lawsuit against the Scottish Government for its grotesquely botched handling of false allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
With Scottish politics currently in a completely moribund state, as the party of government disintegrates shambolically and the main opposition party keeps its mouth shut and its head down in an attempt to not destroy its newfound and extremely fragile status as a credible alternative, one might imagine that the political media would be desperate for the case to get under way and provide them with some juicy content.
So it’s slightly surprising that none of them has noticed the latest development.
But we’ve subsequently noticed a number of attempts by various people to muddy the story by talking about a “draft” warrant request, implying that there was no improper delay. So we checked up, and thought you might like to know how the process works.
The SNP has of course denied them, but they also denied our recent leak from the party’s draft manifesto and we know for sure that that was real. The trouble with lying all the time is that nobody believes you even if you occasionally tell the the truth.
Of course, there would be an easy way to prove the numbers were a fake – release the real ones, which is in any case the most fundamental element of transparency in a democratic election. And whatever they are could hardly be any more embarrassing than the rumours, which have candidates topping the list (and likely to get seats) on a shocking 2.4% of the vote.
We thought readers might like a look at the draft SNP manifesto introduction (written, we hear, by Mike Russell) that’s currently being passed around branches for comment.
Alert readers will undoubtedly have noticed a number of, to put it mildly, explosive-sounding developments this evening regarding the ongoing inquiries into the Scottish Government’s misconduct over false allegations against Alex Salmond.
Several reports have quoted extracts from the former First Minister’s submission to James Hamilton, who’s investigating the current First Minister over possible breaches of the Ministerial Code relating to the investigation of the allegations.
The submission – delivered on Mr Salmond’s birthday – has been widely leaked to the media but only selectively reported, and like others Wings has obtained a full copy.
We are advised that its contents do not contain anything which breaches or potentially breaches Lady Dorrian’s court order protecting the identities of the complainers against Mr Salmond, and as such there are no barriers to us publishing the entire document in the public interest, because its contents make some extremely grave and disturbing allegations against the current First Minister.
One of them, of course, is who leaked the story to Davie Clegg of the Daily Record in August of that year, when the whole thing should have been confidential and passing it to the press was an unambiguously malicious and criminal act.
Over the last year or so, this site’s commentary on matters surrounding the attempted imprisonment of Alex Salmond over false allegations of sexual abuse has attracted a considerable amount of ire from a section of the readership, demanding “proof” of the involvement of the current First Minister.
Such proof has been impossible to provide for legal reasons. But it’s always been the case that the truth could only be suppressed for so long, and events in recent days have brought the first chinks of light through the wall of smoke and mirrors the Scottish Government has been attempting to surround the matter with.
So in our very lightest and softest shoes, let’s tiptoe through what is both a labyrinth and a minefield and see if we can make some of it a little easier to understand.
James Cheyne on Points Into Prongs: “The politicians appear to be idealogical cult crazy,…not the people,” Jul 19, 10:28
James Cheyne on Points Into Prongs: “Indeed it was the opposite way around as it was the Scottish Stuart dynasty that inherited Englands throne, But were…” Jul 19, 10:23
agent x on Points Into Prongs: “I wonder if Peter Murrell’s court case will take place before the 2026 election? It has all gone very quiet.” Jul 19, 10:11
James Cheyne on Points Into Prongs: “Here is another excellent example of a published lie. Being taught to children. Quote from , Kids Britanica .Com. Scotland…” Jul 19, 09:55
James Cheyne on Points Into Prongs: “I watch as many or all posts, bloggers and government or approved governments information , and peoples opinion from around…” Jul 19, 09:47
James Cheyne on Points Into Prongs: “Perhaps the SNP, old version and new pretended they had never heard of the right to Self Determination and have…” Jul 19, 09:28
Northcode on According As We Need Them: ““… I am a lover of the Scots language, our culture and our history” Aye, TH… you and me baith.…” Jul 19, 09:25
Young Lochinvar on Points Into Prongs: “I read that Bill Clinton (allegedly) said that Hillary had “eaten more pussy than he had”. Sturgeon had her famous…” Jul 19, 07:32
DaveL on Points Into Prongs: “What is it about the above post that offends you? Maybe you’re just being abusive because you can, is that…” Jul 19, 07:00
Young Lochinvar on Points Into Prongs: “I suspect the whole thing was a sting/ set up and that he (Upton) was the chosen but willing stalking…” Jul 19, 04:57
Young Lochinvar on Points Into Prongs: “Begone Unionist foul sprite; your lot are just as bad, just trailing behind a little, but the rot and deviancy…” Jul 19, 01:56
Hatey McHateface on Points Into Prongs: “Did you press the button too soon, TH, or are the “assistance” boys on a really tight schedule?” Jul 19, 01:39
Hatey McHateface on Points Into Prongs: “That’s a touch mean spirited, x. You’re forgetting that for many years she held up half the sky (admittedly with…” Jul 19, 00:32
Hatey McHateface on Points Into Prongs: “Could you be more precise? There have been several useless other ones.” Jul 19, 00:25
Mark Beggan on Points Into Prongs: “Well put. Couldn’t agree more.” Jul 18, 20:57
Young Lochinvar on Points Into Prongs: “Meantime NHS Fifes DEI “expert”(sic) Ms Bumba replied when asked to comment on the £9m £6m new (non working) House…” Jul 18, 20:38
Frank Gillougley on Points Into Prongs: “Having just read all this political bollocks above, the simple thought occurred to me that to compare and contrast what…” Jul 18, 19:47
Andrew scott on Points Into Prongs: “O/T REV YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A FIELD DAY WITH THIS SHAMBLES IN FIFE” Jul 18, 18:45
Confused on Points Into Prongs: “Frankly: The revelatory memoir from Scotland’s first female and longest-serving First Minister the greatest living englishmen provides us with much…” Jul 18, 18:36
twathater on Points Into Prongs: “It just shows the level of contempt this arsehole Swinney and his fellow lying scum noncers have for the people…” Jul 18, 18:32
Dan on Points Into Prongs: “Sheesh… I only got halfway through the first paragraph and haz concerns Robin is morphing into Kelly Given… https://robinmcalpine.org/scotland-has-no-controlling-intellect/ https://wingsoverscotland.com/the-stupidity-of-vanity/…” Jul 18, 18:23
twathater on According As We Need Them: “NC I am not a dedicated lover of poetry but I am a lover of the Scots language, our culture…” Jul 18, 18:19
100%Yes on Points Into Prongs: “Alf Baird, I would have thought you would have been the best person placed to continue Iain Lawsons blog, Welcome…” Jul 18, 18:07
socratesmacsporran on Points Into Prongs: “Mark Beggan @ 4.33pm You posted: “Swinney isn’t useless. You are quite correct, Swinney isn’t even competent enough to pass…” Jul 18, 17:45
Alf Baird on Points Into Prongs: “Swinney and previous SNP leaders since 2015 have been very effective at delaying independence, which is clearly their main purpose,…” Jul 18, 17:38
joolz on Points Into Prongs: ““the way to deliver independence is only with an emphatic SNP win in 2026”. Goodbye indy. They never learn ?” Jul 18, 16:39
Mark Beggan on Points Into Prongs: “Swinney isn’t useless. Useless was the other one.” Jul 18, 16:33
agent x on Points Into Prongs: ““Nicola Sturgeon compared to Barack Obama in ‘sycophantic’ review of new book Nicola Sturgeon was mocked after she was compared…” Jul 18, 16:33
Hatey McHateface on Points Into Prongs: “It’s a valid point, x. The state of Britain today should be all the evidence a competent Indy movement needs…” Jul 18, 16:24