In the end the four-hour session ran for almost exactly six hours, and Alex Salmond looked like he could have done another six standing on his head. Now, it would be only fair to acknowledge that this site was on his side before the start, but by any rational objective assessment the former First Minister delivered the performance of his life.
(We use “performance” there in the Lionel Messi sense, not the Laurence Olivier one.)
The contrast with every other witness who’s appeared before the committee was night and day. With Salmond there was no evasion, no hesitation, no forgetting, no “I’ll get back to you on that in writing”. (We recommend the Twitter feed of Scotland Speaks for some choice clips.)
Every question was answered fully, directly, fluently and immediately, without recourse to notes, and the content was never less than devastating from his opening statement to the final surprise bombshell. We were exhausted just watching it.
His words, tone and body language all absolutely radiated candour, solemnity and honesty. When the SNP members tried to trip him up on some arcane point or other, he was on them like an extremely calm hawk, methodically tearing their assertions to ribbons with the correct fact or quote at his fingertips, and ice in his veins.
Salmond came across like a man who’d been planning this day for almost a year and wasn’t going to mess it up. And he didn’t. Heavens, how he didn’t.
From 12.30 this afternoon, Alex Salmond will attempt to tell the people of Scotland the truth about what happened to him in the last two years – a grave injustice which saw an innocent man have his reputation dragged through the gutter, be placed under incredible personal stress, be left greatly impoverished by proving his innocence, and then have the jury’s verdict endlessly traduced by the media and a gang of criminal conspirators protected from the consequences of their lies by lifelong anonymity.
His job will be a difficult one. Every single person in the room will be bitterly hostile to him – the four Unionist committee members because he’s Alex Salmond, and the others because he represents a deadly threat to the First Minister.
The inquiry’s convener – a woman sacked by Salmond years ago – will attempt to prevent him from presenting large swathes of evidence, despite having made him swear to tell “the whole truth”. The SNP members will try to run down the four-hour session with questions designed to only deflect from the real issue – the actions and behaviour of the Scottish Government. Andy Wightman will probably just cry.
We’ll be extremely surprised if there aren’t some attempts to slyly re-try Mr Salmond and paint him as a guilty man who cheated justice, and to drag up salacious details of the allegations in an effort to smear him in front of the cameras.
We believe Alex Salmond will be more than equal to the task.
When the Faculty Of Advocates – the most senior body of lawyers/QCs in the country – is handing out barely-veiled smackdowns like this to the First Minister, then you know you’re in some pretty uncharted jungle.
Is the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service of Scotland institutionally corrupt? I don’t believe so, but it’s certainly a troubled organisation.
The cost and reputational damage to it from the Rangers FC case are of a magnitude never seen before, and the actions in the Alex Salmond case and related actions by the Lord Advocate and Crown Agent have called its independence into question.
There must be structural change and individuals must be held to account.
I had hoped that Stewart Stevenson, the new National Secretary and convener of the Conferences Committee, would be similarly inclined.
In summary, my endeavours have been ignored.
In the three months since our election (supposedly more than halfway towards a spring conference), and despite repeated emails, documents and requests for meetings, the Conferences Committee has never been convened.
As a result I have resigned from both the committee and the SNP, and the reasons for my doing so are outlined below.
For the record, we thought you should see what the Scottish Parliament considers to be the appropriate treatment of an “Urgent Question”.
For a little over eight minutes, the Lord Advocate was allowed to ignore and avoid a series of questions put to him regarding the abjectly corrupt Crown Office’s recent interference with the work of the Fabiani inquiry by redacting evidence which in no way identified anyone as a complainer in the trial of Alex Salmond.
By the committee’s rules, if it’s not on the committee website then it doesn’t exist, and the redacted parts are – belatedly – no longer on the website. (As far as we can make out the unredacted version was finally removed around midnight last night.)
Farcically, she also denied even knowing that this question from James Matthews of Sky News was about Geoff Aberdein, who is the subject of all the redacted sections, which are all about the meeting Matthews was asking her about.
The First Minister is a liar and has all but given up on even the most token pretence otherwise. She is a disgrace to Scotland.
If we can somehow find the time amid the relentless blizzard of current Scottish political activity, we’re going to put together a list of all the legitimate and important questions that Alex Salmond’s lawyers have asked the Fabiani inquiry which haven’t even had the courtesy of a reply, let alone a satisfactory one.
We fully anticipate that the contents of the letter below, sent today, will be on that list.
FOREWORD: SNP MPs writing for this website about anything, especially a Plan B for independence, shouldn’t be controversial. We as a party should welcome diversity and inclusion – as indeed we do by giving quotes to every daily UK newspaper and broadcaster, as well as occasionally providing articles and financial help for them.
I for one would prefer it if people would get over posturing about the messenger and deal with the more important message. So let’s get to it.
It really can’t be overstated what extraordinary tweets these are.
That’s the editor of the conservative, ultra-establishment Spectator openly linking to a document that the Crown Office – the agent of the Queen herself – has threatened to prosecute the Scottish Parliament for publishing, and which has officially been deleted but is for some reason actually still available on the Parliament’s website.
The Spectator is giving the Queen the finger. And that’s not even the mad bit.
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “A Civil disobedience I’m afraid is the only answer when the democratic process is so obviously blocked. Whether people have…” May 5, 00:17
Cynicus on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Hold your nose and LEND your vote to the party most likely to beat the SNP. #No Votes SNP” May 5, 00:13
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “BB “Nowt”.. Nowt? Nowt?? Hmmmm.. Eeee bah goom! Anyway, have you stopped to actually listen to so much of the…” May 5, 00:07
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Agreed Alf. That’s the gut change that’s needed. George, sorry brother but small as it’ll start, or if something else…” May 4, 23:50
Confused on Binfire Of The Vanities: “in every other place with Dhondt there emerges 2 sets of parties and people vote tactically; the shiteness of the…” May 4, 23:31
Angus on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Scotland will never achieve independence “democratically” as long as politicians are in charge. The SNP, still viewed as the independence…” May 4, 23:08
George Ferguson on Binfire Of The Vanities: “@Alf Baird I am well past the stage of voting for Alliance Scotland. Don’t you think I have done the…” May 4, 22:19
Aidan on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Well at least if they’re Sun readers they can read so that’s Sun 1 James 0” May 4, 22:13
Ian on Binfire Of The Vanities: “It’s all down to the SNP. With a competent party the support for independence would be higher. So for many…” May 4, 21:38
Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““I don’t see a vote against the SNP as a right wing vote.” I see it as an anti-woke vote,…” May 4, 21:07
BroughtyBoy on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Jeezo, you’ve really learnt nothing from last 10 years Iain have you? Shrieking “Nazi !” at folk you disagree with…” May 4, 21:03
Bilbo on Binfire Of The Vanities: “As always, the only poll that matters in the one on election day. There is a far too many reasons…” May 4, 20:47
Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: “That implies there are some 35% of voters with a non Scottish-only identity, which is significant. In addition, as the…” May 4, 20:42
George Ferguson on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I don’t see a vote against the SNP as a right wing vote. Based on their record. Still a 20%…” May 4, 20:04
Bilbo on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I’ve had the misfortune to have to sit through it many a time on YouTube until I figured out how…” May 4, 20:03
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Did you read past the first paragraph? FFS.” May 4, 19:55
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “The (notional) left is going to win the election, though.” May 4, 19:54
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Tory and Reform voters both think that, though.” May 4, 19:53
Dunter on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I’ve completed polls for both YouGov and Survation in the past week, both on voting intentions (Yes/HR intentions)/leaders’ performance/current issues.…” May 4, 19:39
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Yea see James is more like a drunk piss soaked homeless guy who keeps bothering people for change at a…” May 4, 19:09
100%Yes on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Reform will look after England its the SNP who ruined Scotland.” May 4, 19:07
100%Yes on Binfire Of The Vanities: “If the SNP and MFI hadn’t rigged humza to be leader of the SNP and Forbes had won and she…” May 4, 19:05
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Beggars Aye very good bumpkin.. It’s being so cheerie that keeps ye going eh Adolf..” May 4, 18:56
Dan on Seven Days Too Long: “I see Aidan’s channelling his inner Gavin Williamson now. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLr-jfbX0zM” May 4, 18:50
100%Yes on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I’ve no doubt Kelly’s eye will have a reason to debunk what’s being said.” May 4, 18:50
100%Yes on Binfire Of The Vanities: “The SNP has treated Scotland, its people and women with complete and utter contempt. Sturgeon was still banging on about…” May 4, 18:47
Captain Caveman on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Ah! What’s that Fatso, you looking down on the hardworking working classes again like McDonalds workers? Déjà vu! Brass neck…” May 4, 18:43
Ross on Binfire Of The Vanities: “The combined snp labour vote on the same basis plus Greens dwarves the point you’re making Plus some pro indy…” May 4, 18:37
