Wherever you find giants, you also find parasites, bottom-feeders and carrion. When a mighty lion dies in the jungle, tiny creeping crawling maggots and insects and bacteria feast gleefully on its corpse for many days.
Which naturally brings us to the Scottish media.
The above paragraphs of cowardly innuendo and baseless speculative smearing were penned by Severin Carrell and Libby Brooks in the Guardian on Monday. (They’re not from the ironically-headed “Appreciation” that the same two hacks wrote for Sunday’s Observer, in which they audaciously claimed that Salmond’s success was down to Nicola Sturgeon).
They sneakily imply that Salmond was guilty not only of the sexual assaults of which he was cleared in court, but also of an unspecified number of unnamed others, and make assertions of “disturbing evidence about his personal conduct” without specifying what that evidence or conduct might have been.
Everyone even remotely connected to Scottish politics has known for months that the below is the case. It’s an open secret.
But what’s playing out right now is something much bigger than the fate of one or two or three individuals. It’s the entire future of the credibility of Scotland’s justice system.
When times are quiet in Scottish politics, as they currently are, our favourite genre of story is “mainstream press belatedly catches up with Wings Over Scotland”. And so to this morning’s front page splash in the Sunday Mail.
The rumour mill has been grinding about Operation Branchform developments again in the last few days, although we’ve seen too many false dawns now to get overly excited about that. But the Mail’s story sounded awfully familiar.
While we get on with some tinkering behind the scenes in the absence of any Scottish political news – we have an exciting new comment system and the Contact form finally works again! – readers may wish to enjoy the full marathon three-and-a-quarter hours of last month’s fun indyref anniversary event at the Glasgow Science Centre.
I’m writing to implore you to stop doing press interviews.
Each time you do, it feels like yet another slap in the face from Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre and Rape Crisis Scotland.
To be honest, I didn’t even know who you were until a few weeks ago. When the report into ERCC came out and Mridul Wadhwa resigned, I thought I could put this whole experience behind me.
Last week however, I heard on BBC that you “unreservedly apologise” for the failing at ERCC. It is honestly laughable. I have had no such apology. In fact, quite the opposite.
Scotland’s energy rip-off continues unabated, and its impact on Scotland is merciless. GB Energy is to put up a plaque on an office in Aberdeen whilst Scottish pensioners can’t afford to put on the heating. Oil continues to boost the UK coffers as a senior British business figure calls Scottish renewables “a golden ticket for UK growth”.
But as Scottish pensioners freeze, Scottish industry’s being devastated, and workers are being made redundant.
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Once more around: “Thanks Sarah. The ‘Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order’ came into force on 13 April 1999. As I understand it, Neale…” Jan 2, 17:50
factchecker on Once more around: “Then we will have to question why is it that Scotland, despite having the largest coastline in of the UK…” Jan 2, 17:41
Campbell Clansman on Once more around: “Eliminate the SNP as a pro-Indy Party and that leaves Alba, which got 1.8% on the poll for constituency voting…” Jan 2, 17:35
Andy Ellis on Once more around: “You’re assuming (without any evidence I can see) that the poll was just some online poll in The National. From…” Jan 2, 17:35
Campbell Clansman on Once more around: “Andy, the actual numbers are findable on that website. You are citing their “summary”, not the actual numbers. BTW the…” Jan 2, 17:32
Mia on Once more around: “I appreciate and understand all what you say, but, currently, to comment in the National or to vote in some…” Jan 2, 17:29
Andy Ellis on Once more around: “Scotland has a lot more going for it than Slovakia in 1995. What most British nationalists refuse to engage with…” Jan 2, 17:22
Mia on Once more around: ““Is that the same as “giving a warning”?” No. Seeding fear is to deliberately present only one side of the…” Jan 2, 17:15
Andy Ellis on Once more around: “The company who carried out the polling (Find Out Now) say it was a representative sample and from their website…” Jan 2, 17:10
factchecker on Once more around: “I note that Slovakia applied to join in 1995 and achieved membership in 2004. Of course Scotland can establish a…” Jan 2, 17:06
Mia on Once more around: ““Pro-Indy parties (SNP and Alba)” The SNP ceased to be a pro-independence party on the 14 November 2014, the day…” Jan 2, 16:56
gregor on Once more around: “Keep down-voting if you hate the notion of unification/being as one – Keep showing Scotland/humanity the enemy…” Jan 2, 16:53
Andy Ellis on Once more around: “Doesn’t look like the detail is on the Find Out Now site yet: https://findoutnow.co.uk/blog/ I notice you (intentionally?) omitted the…” Jan 2, 16:52
factchecker on Once more around: “It depends how you define “seeding fear”. Is that the same as “giving a warning”? Of course transfusions/transplants etc would…” Jan 2, 16:51
Mia on Once more around: “How much is the debt England produces? How much is England’s expenditure? How much of the so called “UK” expenditure,…” Jan 2, 16:41
Dan on Once more around: “Aye, but you’re not really painting the whole picture with that obvious unionist trying to be a smart arse line…” Jan 2, 16:41
Geri on Once more around: “Yes & another would be to ask to see England’s GER report & why they don’t have one? & why…” Jan 2, 16:35
Campbell Clansman on Once more around: “The latest poll, released Dec. 31st, has the following for the next Holyrood election: Pro-Indy parties (SNP and Alba): 33.1%…” Jan 2, 16:26
sam on Once more around: “Mia, I doubt if anyone will ever face manslaughter charges for austerity policies “Social murder is a concept used to…” Jan 2, 16:17
Campbell Clansman on Once more around: ““thieves cannot legitimise their theft of something by outvoting its owner…” “Theft by Democracy” describes Socialism very accurately.” Jan 2, 16:06
Mia on Once more around: “Actually, how much oil and gas has been extracted from the fields located in the chunk of Scottish territorial waters…” Jan 2, 16:02
Andy Ellis on Once more around: “Neither would take long as the Slovaks demonstrated when their currency union with the Czechs was abandoned in a matter…” Jan 2, 16:02
Mia on Once more around: “You have not answered any of the questions. How do you get to the 8.1% figure and what does that…” Jan 2, 15:55
Mia on Once more around: ““Scotland would have had to wait years to join the EU” That is questionable to say the least. At that…” Jan 2, 15:44
Andy Ellis on Once more around: “It’s a total red herring of an issue though. It has no practical impact and will signify nothing at the…” Jan 2, 15:37
factchecker on Once more around: “One of the requirements is that an aspirant state has had its own currency and a stable economy for several…” Jan 2, 15:32
Mia on Once more around: “The problem was never the figures, but rather his bottom of the barrel attempt to use those one-sided figures to…” Jan 2, 15:30
Andy Ellis on Once more around: “Finland joined the EU from ground zero in 24 months. It’s vanishingly unlikely an independent Scotland would take longer and…” Jan 2, 15:27
James Gardner on Once more around: “A hard border between England and Scotland would help prevent viruses flooding into Auld Scotia likewise drugs traffic, aye an’…” Jan 2, 15:24
Geri on Once more around: “Bottom right corner. You have to click the small wheel & wait for edit to show.” Jan 2, 15:20
