Four little words
Iain Macwhirter has a good column on the farcical Fabiani inquiry in the Herald today. But one piece of it really jumped out at us.
Wait, what?
The Crown Office is Scotland’s prosecutor service. It is in no sense an impartial body. It is also mired in the conspiracy against Alex Salmond up to its earlobes, selectively prosecuting only the former First Minister’s allies for contempt of court while allowing a whole raft of mainstream Scottish hacks to commit the same offence unpunished.
It’s recently admitted a malicious and wrongful prosecution of officials involved in the administration of Rangers Football Club (RIP), and paid them over £24m of taxpayers’ money in compensation. (Adding a deep layer of insult to the original injury of the tens of millions of pounds the cheating club effectively stole from taxpayers before it died.)
Staggeringly, nobody at the Crown Office has resigned or faced any sort of sanction over the issue, despite the current Lord Advocate admitting his personal responsibility and issuing a hollow, insincere apology to Parliament yesterday.
And it already faces another malicious prosecution lawsuit, this time relating directly to the Salmond affair, from journalist Mark Hirst, who was dragged to court over absurd charges which were thrown out by the judge in minutes as “no case to answer”.
(Remarkably Hirst still hasn’t had his confiscated equipment returned by the police. His fundraiser for the malicious-prosecution action is linked from the image below.)
And now it seems it’s being permitted to directly interfere in the inquiry which (at least in theory) threatens to reveal the conspiracy against Salmond in all its filth and stench. Your occasional reminder: the Lord Advocate, head of the Crown Office, is also a minister in Nicola Sturgeon’s government.
As we told you last night, the committee is already lying to voters.
(The SPCB is the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body – which comprises one MSP from each party in the Holyrood chamber plus the Presiding Officer – whose job it is to collectively represent the interests of the Parliament.)
We know that statement is a lie, because just a few paragraphs down it informs us that the committee in fact REFUSED to pass the decision to the SPCB.
Had it done so, it seems highly plausible that the SPCB would have reached a different decision – Unionist MSPs outnumber independence supporters on the SPCB by four to two, and are bound neither by loyalty to Nicola Sturgeon nor by the compromised “advice” of the Crown Office.
Tomorrow we’ll find out if that advice has any basis in law.
If the Spectator wins the ruling – and it seems to us that they have a very strong case – then four more little words will leap to mind:
Can open. Worms everywhere.
excellent piece, as always
We can only hope.
Why do I have the feeling, Westminster is simply playing-out the rope, safe int eh knowledge, Sturgeon & Co will hang themsleves.
In the end, there will be such a huge pile of steaming horse shite, Westminster will be forced to step in, close Holyrood and re-establish direct rule – since the Scottish Government has shown itself incapable of running Scotland without corruption.
One way to Brazil.
So to summarise: there are people in the Crown Office desperate to stop their bias and plotting against Salmond and his allies coming out. So they interfere at every level, including those where it has no jurisdiction and contrary to any democratic principle of holding the executive to account. Well, that would be an inquiry in itself, but of course they wouldn’t allow it, would they? Because they are above the law, they make the law where it suits them.
I wonder if Geoff Aberdein should just make a public statement of the truth.
Originally I thought that the Spectator’s legal action was about making public a number of documents that the Scottish Government were determined to withhold. But a story in The Times https://archive.is/r2dOn indicates that the action is also intended to vary the court’s anonymity order.
Where is police Scotland in all this ?
Or Mike Russell ?
Recuse. Oooh recuse. Great word.
So the all knowing Wightman is on the SPCB and the enquiry. Judge and Jury on himself. I presume he was appointed to the SPCB before the enquiry.
Should he not have recused (Oooh recused. Nicola loves it) himself from the committee as he already had a role in the process?
“Scottish Parliament’s Corporate Body, which had been advised by the Crown Office” ANDY WIGHTMAN is a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Corporate Body. Is it correct he should also be a member of the Harassment Committee?
https://www.parliament.scot/abouttheparliament/18343.aspx
The SPCB is made up of six members:
The Presiding Officer, Ken Macintosh MSP (Chair); Jackson Carlaw MSP; Liam McArthur MSP; David Stewart MSP; Sandra White MSP; and Andy Wightman MSP.
katherine hamilton @11:13
Great minds!
Dear God… The Spectator riding to the rescue??
How fking corrupt do you have to be before the rotten Tory UK media starts to look like the good guys?
What a shower. Are you proud of yourself Sturgeon? Best leader we’ve ever had eh? Pass me the sick bucket.
Not enough to squander Scotland’s open goal for Independence for 6 years, she’s now presenting the ‘enemy’ with an open goal against Scotland. How I utterly detest Sturgeon.
I’m neither an SNP nor, all things considered, an independence supporter. You’ve punched well above your weight for a cause you believe in for years. An incredible effort.
I disagree with you on just about everything, Wings, but I have to commend you on the fine job you’re doing covering this, something that the media big hitters seem very disinclined to do.
Not often I find myself in agreement or even sympathy with Murdo Fraser or Brillo, but if Brillo’s action is successful he will have advanced the cause of truth and justice.
Astonished says:
10 February, 2021 at 11:12 am
Where is police Scotland in all this ?
Or Mike Russell ?
Hahaha
steelewires says:
10 February, 2021 at 11:09 am
I wonder if Geoff Aberdein should just make a public statement of the truth.
Something I posted on twitter t’other day was to ponder at there being a joint Salmond/Aberdein press conference, they may well do that.
An inquiry into the inquiry’d flush the blockage from the pan; judge-led, of course (but not Mulholland)
Of course on Mullholland both Salmond and Sturgeon ae responsible for his appts’ Salmond for SG and LA. Sturgeon for the most recent elevation.
All this outrage, and they are laughing at you all.
They plaster it all over their buildings. They stand at a lectern, and feed you shit. Do you all ever read what is written on that lectern, on those buildings? “Dieu et mon droit”. That’s easy. But the interesting one is “Honi soit qui mal y pense”. Now if you get your analysis from Wikipedia you will get some fairy story about chivalric deeds and ladies garters during medieval times. That’s all shit.
The translation is “Shame on him who thinks ill of it”.
If I may further translate to the vernacular, it means “Fuck you if you don’t like it.”
And that is exactly what happens to whistleblowers, who by blowing the whistle have committed an “overt act or deed”. And do they get fucked in this fine democracy.
“In December 2013 the Ministry of Justice said that Section 3 of the Act….had been repealed in early 2013, without publicity.[11] However, the Government later stated that the announcement that it had been repealed was wrong, and that it was still on the statute book.[12]”
That IS wikipedia
The whole Scottish legal profession from High Street lawyers to the Lord Advocate is instructed what to do and what not to do by John Swinney.
It has been thus for years. He packs his spoof Inquiries, Edinburgh Treams and Child Abuse for example, with lawyers he wants to pay-off for whatever reason.
There will be calls to close Holyrood for a few years and I would add to that putting the Scottish legal profession under Special Measures.
There are undoubteldly a number of crooks in senior positions that need to be investigated and charged. This is criminal behaviour.
Good luck to The Spectator.
Nicola sturgeon, present day Scotlands very own duke of hamilton.
If the SPCB is supposed to comprise of the PO plus one rep from each party in parliament, then why is Wightman still on it if he is no longer an MSP for the Greens?
Until 2003 there had been inside The Crown Office, a division called the Quality and Practice Review Unit.
This division was (following recommendations in the Jandoo report) replaced by an independent “Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland.”
It is claimed here …
https://www.gov.scot/collections/inspectorate-of-prosecution-in-scotland/
that it is an independent scrutiny body whose role is to inspect the operation of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and seeks to (don’t laugh):
Improve the way COPFS serves the public
Make COPFS more accountable
Assure the public that COPFS is running effectively and to promote excellence in the prosecution service in Scotland through professional inspection and evaluation
The current HM Chief Inspector is Laura Paton. Her predecessor, Michelle Macleod, was in post until August 2019 and her own appointment took effect on 15 November 2019.
But it would seem that neither are, as far as the public seems to be aware, the slightest bit interested in making an example of The Lord Advocate as a result of his history of willful and malicious prosecutions.
So far, that challenge has been taken up by innocent members of the public who have found themselves at the receiving end of Wolffe’s personal vendettas.
What hope is there then for Scotland when the very people charged with deploying checks and balances inside the prosecutions service, just turn a blind eye?
Remember the Chilcot Inquiry? Where Tony Blair was going to go to prison for the rest of his life for taking the UK into an illegal war and causing illegal deaths.
I wonder how that one panned out?
Tony Blair’s company is now advising the Boris Johnson Tory Government.
Politicians and the Judiciary have a habit of “looking efter their ain”.
They even entered a new word into our vocabulary,,,a “Whitewash”.
And this is exactly what Sturgeon is depending on,,,a “Whitewash”.
Socrates MacSporran says:
10 February, 2021 at 11:01 am
Quote:-
“Why do I have the feeling, Westminster is simply playing-out the rope, safe int eh knowledge, Sturgeon & Co will hang themsleves.
In the end, there will be such a huge pile of steaming horse shite, Westminster will be forced to step in, close Holyrood and re-establish direct rule – since the Scottish Government has shown itself incapable of running Scotland without corruption.”
Why do you “blame” Westminster when the fault is 1000% home grown?
Seems a strangely blinkered view to hold on the circus surrounding a football club whilst also hoping to expose conspiracy in governance. Perhaps caring to look closer would reveal similarities. Pity, I was just started to warm to your work.
Will someone please insist that Westminster shuts down Holyrood until we get this mess sorted.
@wee monkey – I remember last year Nicola Sturgeon was asking why we needed a Secretary of State for Scotland, as Holyrood were taking care of everything; there was no need for him.
The Spectator and Alex Salmond are about to expose the depth of malfaisance at Holyrood and Victoria Quay and, as other have said, that’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as corrupotion is concerned. It’s been going-on for years.
The Secretary of State could and should have moved sooner. Why we are letting Andrew Neil and The Spectator do this for us is shameful.
When the movie of this sorry saga is made there will be an exchange along the lines of this:
Crown Office representative: “Look, we know we’re in serious trouble over malicious prosecutions that have cost the taxpayer tens of millions, and heads really should be rolling, but if you protect us over this we’ll protect you lot from any fall out from your handling of the Salmond fit up.”
ScotGov representative: “Aye, OK.”
From 21 January
..if you hand your enemy ammunition expect to get it fired back at you.
https://twitter.com/music_maman/status/1352575749153300480
Another damning indictment that Scotland doesn’t have a Scottish
Newspaper that doesn’t work to Westminster’s agenda.
The Spectator is a horrific right wing rag with the most
horrible people pretending to be journalists.
Remember French Gate where the First Minister, her support
Staff and all of the French diplomats declared it false that Nicola
has suggested she wanted a Tory PM.
When Liar Carmichael confessed to making it all up
most bodies like their wee runt reporter Cook at the BBC
reluctantly had to ascent it, but not the Spectator.
The Spectator wouldn’t do this for any justice but to throw yet
another spanner in the works of independence.
They don’t have the funds to do this without support from some very rich
and powerful people being behind them.
Shame on Scotland being bereft of one newspaper that seeks and reports on the truth.
oh man, don’t do this to me Rev, I’m like a wee wean in the run up to Christmas…..
Hi Stu, might want to look at Gerry Hassan’s twitter, he seems to claim you crowdfunded money to set up a political party. Can’t remember any fundraisers to be about setting up a pro-indy party?
This affair really is the gift that keeps on giving. It makes the old Monklands Labour affair look like high school politics.
It’s long past-time for time for people to start losing their jobs over this whole mess.
This articles shows why we must all get behind Mark Hirst’s fundraiser, in words that these charlatans like to use, the more fronts the Crown office is having to fight the better.
Effijy
Try not to let your marxist views get in the way of free speech.
‘mon the Spectator!
@Effijy – Just thank God for The Spectator. Wait until this is all over; they will have done Scotland a favour.
Entirely decent people are being induced, by their absolutely and everlastingly correct views that the identity of innocent complainers must be protected for ever (and at almost any price); and that those who have never even been charged with wrongdoing must be treated as if they were innocent — into becoming complicit in a programme of obfuscation and concealment of what is, at the very least, grotesquely bad government.
If the SNP won’t clean itself up when it commands a clear majority in a devolved administration, it is most unlikely ever to do so as the government of an independent country.
@Effigy,
Was just about to make an almost identical comment. Scotland barely has a media at all. It’s absolutely shameful.
Every new revelation, twist or turn reveals a new layer of legal or Parliamentarian groups writing rules to avoid scrutiny and protect themselves, not serve either the goals of justice, accountability or the electorate to whom they must surely ultimately answer.
These people are supposed to be Public Servants first and foremost.
With that in mind, it has become crystal clear over the last few days that the only way Nicolas Sturgeon can be removed from office is for her, and the SNP, to lose the election in May.
I understand that some voters were going to swallow the bitter pill of GRA and the Hate Crime Bill and still give the SNP their Constituency vote in the slim hope of some kind of movement on the Independence issue ( I have already decided not to cast a constituency vote ) – but how is that position sustainable with everything that is being revealed ?
It seems to me that the path ahead that is emerging from the fog of this shitshow is precisely that. For any real change, the SNP have to lose the election.
Reminded of the stench of the Levison Inquiry, and how that opened a huge can of worms that implicated orchestrated corruption throughout many institutions in Westminster.
Unfortunately I think we’re seeing something exposed that is conceptually similar at Holyrood now, and it’s only taken 7 years of the Murrell regime to embedd.
@Graham
Aye, good yin!
The Inspectorate was put on a statutory footing by the Criminal Proceedings etc (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007 Sections 78 and 79 which provide for the creation of an officer known as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prosecution in Scotland to be appointed by the Lord Advocate. The principal statutory functions are:
to secure the inspection of the operation of COPFS
to submit to the Lord Advocate a report on any particular matter connected with the operation of the service which the Lord Advocate refers to the Inspector
to submit to the Lord Advocate an Annual Report on the exercise of the Inspector’s functions which the Lord Advocate must lay before the Scottish Parliament
You want them to report to the Lord Advocate on an investigation into… The Lord Advocate?
That’ll work.
There is no desire for truth in this inquiry, only firefighting to continue anonymity at least until May. That is the entire reason this farce has developed the way it has. SNP drones are lining up to repeat the mantra, ‘think of the women’ or are struck dumb and unable to communicate. The official line is that a party divided is not an attractive election prospect but it hasn’t stopped the Tories.
So why might that anonymity need to be preserved until the election? One might surmise there are important players and participants whose chances would be damaged and who the public would look at very differently if the sordid truth came out? Apart from NS herself of course…
Perhaps if those who were promised all sorts don’t get what they want they might be more likely to break cover after then. For now, it just looks like everyone in the SNP machine is keeping schtum or parroting the party line to maximize their chances of election.
It really stinks.
“Hi Stu, might want to look at Gerry Hassan’s twitter, he seems to claim you crowdfunded money to set up a political party. Can’t remember any fundraisers to be about setting up a pro-indy party?”
That’s because we never did. We were very clear that if the party happened it would be funded separately.
SPCB is made up of six members:
The Presiding Officer, Ken Macintosh MSP (Chair); Jackson Carlaw MSP; Liam McArthur MSP; David Stewart MSP; Sandra White MSP;
and Andy Wightman MSP.
When voting not to allow Alex Salmonds testimony to be published for the Inquiry, each MSP on the inquiry had to disclose what party they represented… Andy Wightman insisted he was listed under SPCB.
“Seems a strangely blinkered view to hold on the circus surrounding a football club whilst also hoping to expose conspiracy in governance. Perhaps caring to look closer would reveal similarities. Pity, I was just started to warm to your work.”
What comment is it that you object to?
Former Boris Johnson edited magazine with form for printing racist articles and the home of Salmond hating scribe Alex Massie. They may appear to be championing anti-corruption in Scotland – and don’t get me wrong, I’m well pleased they’re taking the action – but don’t imagine that they’re not playing their own yoon game.
‘The Spectator magazine is taking action in the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday, seeking a ruling that would put the legality of publishing documents about the Salmond affair – which have been censored by the Holyrood inquiry – beyond doubt’.
The above from The Daily Telegraph. Note: ‘which have been censored by the Holyrood Inquiry’.
I think the Holyrood Inquiry is now dead. Linda Fabiani can get-on with her knitting now.
kapelmeister says:
10 February, 2021 at 11:34 am
If the SPCB is supposed to comprise of the PO plus one rep from each party in parliament, then why is Wightman still on it if he is no longer an MSP for the Greens?
The answer is very much in the question.
I am unaware of Patrick Harvie’s protests about this.
Though the seamless replacement by alison johnstone on the board of the incurious inquiry suggests he does try to keep on top of these things, when convenient.
I’m a proud Scot. I’m not a supporter of independence, nor am I a fan of jingoistic union nonsense. I am not however proud of the current goings on in Holyrood, with the SNP hierarchy appearing more corrupt and craven with the uncovering of each piece of the puzzle.
It strikes me, if the Spectator is welling to go to court over this, it’s clear they, and I presume other media have knowledge, that something is very rotten indeed in the state of Denmark.
Is it not therefore time that MSPs of ALL political hues stand up for what is right and show the world that the Scottish parliament is not the den of corruption and sleaze that it currently appears to be? I know it goes against the grain for some to stand shoulder to shoulder with those of differing political opinions, but on this, should all Scots not be united?
I think all opposition and right minded SNP MSPs should walk out of the chamber until all the goings on are exposed to the cold light of day.
The innocent should not fear the truth being exposed.
I’m may have to have to stop reading twitter. I’m being slated right left and centre (excuse the political connection) for a) reading WoS and b) for believing what I read. I’m getting accused of not wanting indy, of being gullable, being played, conned etc etc. What i find amusing is that after 45 years supporting the SNP both financially and by giving my time, including serving as a councillor for a decade, somehow I can’t see what’s happening? I just don’t know my SNP in the form it is now. I keep my minimum membership fee running so I can keep receiving my letters etc, but that’s it. I’m no longer politically active in Branch or Constituency level. My biggest bear bug on there at the moment is that keyboard player. He is banging on and on about Wings, and personally I’d rather he went away and kept quiet while forming a bloody plan for indy!! there are too many MPs and MSPs putting forward these horrid remarks to people, even as a councillor I wouldn’t have been allowed to make statements like that online, the code of conduct wouldn’t have allowed me to. Until the facts are in the public domain about the inqury into the SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT’S HANDLING OF THE AS CASE, then this row isn’t going anywhere. Why did the committee fail to publish? what are they afraid of? if there are facts missing from the inquiry then it cannot be deemed to be a full inquiry, they have created a bigger jigsaw than the original court trial! IMHO.
kapelmeister says:
10 February, 2021 at 12:05 pm
Of course they are – and that’s what makes me so bloody angry with the SNP – not only are they corrupt but they are making me agree with various right wing press hacks – particularly over the GRA agenda. Something I thought I would never do – although I’ll never wear an “I heart JK Rowling badge”.
This is a win win for Brillo on Thursday. Spectator wins and its feeding time on the carcass of this government. They lose and they can double down on their tartan North Korea notions of independence.
Re his portfolio on SPCB
Andy Wightman MSP – Business and Security: incorporating security; committee and chamber; Official Report; and SPICe. Member of the Advisory Audit Board.
What are the odds that Nicola won’t appear at the inquiry next week?
She could say ‘Well, if Alex can get away with not appearing, why should I? After all, it was his behaviour which sparked the whole thing?’
Anyone believe she doesn’t possess the chutzpah required?
The best wee shitey corrupt country in the world with knobs on, indeed.
Fiona says:
10 February, 2021 at 12:09 pm
Facebook is getting as bad. I’ve unfollowed lots of people that I have known as allies for independence but their inability to accept what is happening along with their blind faith that the SNP will deliver independence was causing friction.
It’s so bloody frustrating to see people, who I thought were intelligent, free thinkers, acting like cult members.
wee monkey @ 11.42am
Where am I blaming Westminster? As you say, this whole moger is a home-grown one, but, don’t expect Westminster to do a Sturgeon and fail to shoot at an open goal.
If they can use the present carry-on to hurt Scotland – they will.
Fed up with this all now next we will have to have photos in our own living room wtf is going on….https://t.co/brWCfqHw6R
Its hopeful. But I do have a feeling that the establishment will close ranks.
Media in collusion with the establishment will claim it’s in the women’s interests of anonymity not to publish.
The alphabet women should be on trial for perjury. Certainly some of them should if there was any justice .
Captain Yossarian says:
10 February, 2021 at 12:06 pm
‘The Spectator magazine is taking action in the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday, seeking a ruling that would put the legality of publishing documents about the Salmond affair – which have been censored by the Holyrood inquiry – beyond doubt’.
The above from The Daily Telegraph. Note: ‘which have been censored by the Holyrood Inquiry’.
For any document to have been censored by the inquiry, they would have to have already accepted it as evidence and published it in order to do so.
Given the headlines today I think the conclusion I came to myself yesterday wasnt too far off the mark, in that at the High Court on Thursday they are seeking to have a Judge give them legal clarity over the remit of the anonymity order and pending the outcome of that question to then give them the go ahead to publish uncesored documents, some of which are already published in a redacted form on the inquiry’s website.
In light of the outcome of Thursday, the committee may need to review all of their published evidence.
I have no doubts that another committe vote will take place over whether to do this and we all know how the last vote went.
If they vote on it and if it mimics the last vote then heads must roll and the inquiry needs to be replaced by a Judge-led inquiry as clearly some of those on the committee are wholly incompetent and unable to carry out their impartial duty to the Scottish Parliament.
Will someone please insist that Westminster shuts down Holyrood until we get this mess sorted.
Oh away you go. Scotland is still very much part of the UK – currently probably the most corrupt country on earth. There is no doubt whatsoever that whatever is going on in Scotland right now, they are playing a massive part in it. The last thing we need is Holyrood closed down and Scotland handed totally into the hands of those ultimately behind all this (regardless of whether Sturgeon is part of that, used by it or is just playing the best hand she can with a set up designed to take both her and Salmond down).
What Scotland needs is a far more robust parliament, which is independent from the UK and its machinations. We need rid of the corrupt, wherever it is they come from and whichever oragnisations they ultimately represent. Scotland needs to be a normal, independent country, with a robust parliament and legal system that isn’t infested with people who’s entire goal is to undermine them.
Hi Rev.
Sorry for O/T , but this tweet from Humza Justice Minister on 08/02/201
‘FM has been consistent that she is looking forward to appearing in front of commitee under oath (as Peter has done twice) as she has nothing to fear from their questioning. Time to put an end to the nonsense conspiracies being peddled’.
In reply to Nick Eardly?
Is this comment even allowed from the Justice Minister about a live enquiry?
Correct me if I’m wrong but it doesn’t seem correct somehow.
Re Socrates MacSporran@10 February, 2021 at 11:01 am: If whatever you say become true, it simply opens up another path. A) It clarifies and simplifies the option left to us because at this rate we all suspect that the next indyref if not going to come from SNP/Scottish Government’s doing and B) it removes SNP from the Yes movement and put it back into the grassroots. It has been this all along, that the people of Scotland will fight for and win Scotland its independence, with or without SNP. We must be prepared for all possible options.
Hopefully, in the near future, in an independent Scotland, we’ll look back on the exposure of the endemic corruption within Scottish public life today, assured in the knowledge that the maelstrom of explosive revelations we are currently witnessing, were an absolutely essential part in the of the founding of our new nation.
The invaluable and courageous role played by Wings over Scotland will also, hopefully, be the gold-standard aspired to and expected of our national media.
How does this system work at the beginning, for selecting someone for the position of lord advocates in Scotland,?
I am presuming that a few choice crown recommendations are put forward to be selected from, (say an A list,) by the crown, to the first ministers of Scotland, be that Donald Dewer, Jack McConnell, Alex Salmond or Nicola Sturgeon,
Is that how it’s done.? Or is there some other mechanisms.
Are the first ministers allowed to make a random selection from whomever they choose for the position of lord advocate or do they have to choose specifically from the names put forward on the list by the crown.?
LMAO at all this manure going about, its so bloody funny, not as good as little Lee Evans, but funny all the same lol
Hi Rev.
Sorry for O/T , but this tweet from Humza Justice Minister on 08/02/2021
‘FM has been consistent that she is looking forward to appearing in front of commitee under oath (as Peter has done twice) as she has nothing to fear from their questioning. Time to put an end to the nonsense conspiracies being peddled’.
In reply to Nick Eardly?
Is this comment even allowed from the Justice Minister about a live enquiry?
Correct me if I’m wrong but it doesn’t seem correct somehow.
Ian Brotherhood @12:15 “What are the odds that Nicola won’t appear at the inquiry next week?”
100% she will be there, an opportunity to discredit AS further.
Socrates MacSporran @11:01
Exposing the common name for covid-19 as one of the secrets that must never be told might help push such a cunning plan over the line.
They probably cant risk it until the steal in America is secure though which, even at this point, is by no means certain, thankfully.
The hand shakers and rock and rollers have all got their coats hanging on a shoogly peg, and that peg will fall out soon lol
“If they can use the present carry-on to hurt Scotland – they will.” – Socrates
I hope the Conservative government of the UK takes advantage of Sturgeon’s ‘difficulties’ but surely the hurt to Scotland is entirely by her and her supporters if these allegations of malpractice are true.
WallStreetBets says:
10 February, 2021 at 11:44 am
Will someone please insist that Westminster shuts down Holyrood until we get this mess sorted.
If you want that sorted, please let Scotland shut down westminster.
That’s who supplied our permanent secretary and responsible for contracted work done.
@ianbrotherhood I think that will depend on what happens over the next couple od days.
She was apparently in great form, making jokes with her health advisor about hair cuts, at her sermon on the mount re Covid the other day. I never watch it.
Two points from that, she knew ASs statement was going to be blocked by her pal Fabiani and the other sycophants on the inquiry, and how fucking dare she make jokes about haircuts.
Last time my hairdresser was allowed to open, he said he doubted his business would survive.
The reason she was happy IMO would be cos then she could waffle away to her hearts content, using the usual bingo card, the traumatised women, me too, doing the right thing, how upset she was, there was no conspiracy and no one apart from JB would dare to interrupt the monologue.
If, however the Spectator is allowed to publish then I believe she will have an emergency meeting set aside, she just has to attend.
Lastly, any Scottish Msm journalist with any integrity, reading WoS, grow a pair. Your name will go down in history along with Woodford and Bernstein for exposing the whole stinking corrupt mess
When this whole debacle is ended probably with a coverup finding not one of the participants in any way liable ,the final paragraph will read as every other Inquiry has ended changes should be made and lessons learned .
The End
But it’s only the beginning for Nicola Sturgeons management of this particular brand of the SNP , a SNP I dont recognise anymore this SNP has trashed all trust I once had in them it’s gone.
I agree with comments above about ROPE this whole mess has been facilitated by the English security services they have every single piece of damming evidence and are directing what Nicola Sturgeon does next.
Not only have we been trapped into only having one option thats vote SNP and attempt to get them to make some kind of effort on Independence and gain a majority in Holyrood to stop unionist parties , but she has been trapped by having all the rope given to her and nudged in the right direction then making a total fk up of the whole bloody fiasco .
It was all free choice and she and her associates make a total arse of it .
She could even at this late stage rescue some of her reputation but it would mean she is damaged , come clean stop the bullshit no one believes her this would mean she and her inner circle husband included go with the announcement that they were lured into a trap , or she goes on the brass it out and hope she is saved by her handlers the English Security Services
Those toerags at westmanipulater try to shut down our parliament and there will be trouble, just bloody try it
You did it in northern ireland, but just bloody well try it here and you will soon find out the scots are not as soft as the irish in these matters
Effijy
Just wondering if you’ve ever read the Spectator?
In recent times it has increased its sales massively and has a US and Australian edition.
I buy it occasionally and find it to be very middle of the road politically and has a line up of very diverse contributors.
The editor, Fraser Nelson Is a proud Scotsman and indeed attended the same school as myself.
Before blasting off, maybe you should buy a copy and try it out.
You might enjoy it.
Andy Wightman asked for it to be recorded in voting that he is a member of SPCB
This from a Scottish Parliament Press Release.
So, we have a Green MSP standing down from the Inquiry for health reasons, being replaced by an MSP who is no longer a member of the Green Party, and who should have recused himself from being on the Inquiry due to a potential conflict of interest because of his membership of SPCB, but went to particular lengths to publically highlight that he was a member of SPCB and was voting in accordance with that membership.
I wonder if he was forced onto the Inquiry, and this is his way of showing them up. ‘See, you made me do it and it was wrong, but I’ve told everyone, see, and now everyone knows, that’ll teach you.’
Iain Macwhirter writes that Sue Ruddick is one of the complainant. If that is true, do we know which one?
He also writes in a different article that Sturgeon has now confessed to misleading parliament. Is that a new confession, or what Stuart has already explained?
I must admit I struggle to follow the latest developments & could do with an updated summary – if there is one I double my donation to Mark Hirst’s fund – lol…
Ruth the moth digging up NS at FM’s question time. Right now. Quizzing her on dates.
Dhe is sticking to her written evidence and no, Peter Murell is not a liar.
By gawd she’s got some neck.
Ian Brotherhood@12.15
I think NS will be there with bells and whistles. It will be a tour de force that Janey Godley will be dining out on for years. ‘The Women’ will be there at the centre, add in the heartbreak, the handwringing, the sorrow and the sleepless nights. Then the ‘silliness’ of people plotting will be derided – ‘I don’t have time to plot’ she will say in that couthy West Coast accent she draws on for special occasions ‘I am saving Scotland from Covid’.
It will be scripted and rehearsed and her chance to show she has ‘nothing to hide’ will be played out in full because of course, they cannot ask her anything difficult. But she will blink an awful lot.
Liz says:
10 February, 2021 at 12:32 pm
@ianbrotherhood I think that will depend on what happens over the next couple od days.
She was apparently in great form, making jokes with her health advisor about hair cuts, at her sermon on the mount re Covid the other day. I never watch it.
Two points from that, she knew ASs statement was going to be blocked by her pal Fabiani and the other sycophants on the inquiry, and how fucking dare she make jokes about haircuts.
Last time my hairdresser was allowed to open, he said he doubted his business would survive.
The reason she was happy IMO would be cos then she could waffle away to her hearts content, using the usual bingo card, the traumatised women, me too, doing the right thing, how upset she was, there was no conspiracy and no one apart from JB would dare to interrupt the monologue.
If, however the Spectator is allowed to publish then I believe she will have an emergency meeting set aside, she just has to attend.
Lastly, any Scottish Msm journalist with any integrity, reading WoS, grow a pair. Your name will go down in history along with Woodford and Bernstein for exposing the whole stinking corrupt mess
It’s no wonder she is buoyant, she is about to be ‘confronted’ by people she has both indulged and dominated for the last six years.
Anything inconvenient has been ‘set aside’.
She will be looking forward to what Italy (a far more federal country than the UK) remembers as the ‘years of lead’.
0
Stu, have you heard anything about this answerphone thing from a couple of days ago?
https://twitter.com/bridgesforindy/status/1358526429898670080
“Done and gone, never seen this tweet until now. Have gone over it a few times, hard to get my head around the callousness, it just rolls of her tongue. It’s going to be a long prosecution case, and it will be dragged out!”
Bill Mackay says:
10 February, 2021 at 12:22 pm
You’re “smart TV” will be spying on you and reporting back to Stasi HQ. Camera and microphone on laptop now permanently disabled.
Jackie Baillie getting tore into Nicola Sturgeon at Fmqs re Ministerial Code .
This isnt an isxue of whether you are SNP or Unionist.
That is about one of the basic pillers of Democracy that affects us all. The law of the land and how it is applied to everybody. I will vote SNP again if Nicola steps down.
I dont share your desire to be part of thd Union but I xhare your desire that justice is seen to be done.
Just watched her getting on the high horse with Davidson and Jackie Baillie at FMQs.
‘Gallus’ doesn’t even start to cover it.
Can open, worms everywhere indeed. However, the Crown Office, Leslie Evans, SPCB, The TSHRS (Top Secret Holyrood Redaction Society) or the Unnamed Woman will just contrive to withold all worms from being mentioned at any Inquiry.
Had another side thought. We know Sturgeon is turning into a bit of stranger to the truth when it comes to addressing Holyrood. When she soooo earnestly pledged to cooperate fully with any Inquiry, surely a half decent trainee lawyer could now make a decent case that such statements are also lies and therefore resigning matters.
Rev you are invaluable.
There can be no doubt that the crown office/SG has had an agenda which was to destroy AS and his prominent supporters. It was blatant open and done with an arrogant confidence that sugests that all concerned would be protected. The problem arose when AS was aquitted on all charges which threw them into a panic and their desperation to come up with something else, hence the malicious attacks on Murray/ Hirst.
That there has been colusion between the crown office and the SG there can be no doubt and no matter how long it takes charges should be brought.
Given the corruption that has been exposed beyond doubt I am both bewildered and sickened by the vast majority of MP/MSP’s who have remained utterly silent.
Pete,
You blew that apart when you mentioned Fraser Nelson.
I absolutely detest the man.
He is as fake as that accent he puts on with his smarmy elitist snare.
The Spectator I’m sure is a wonderful read for the likes of Reese Mogg
and Bojo but I’m not for policies that add millions to a life of poverty while
the richest can increase their wealth by billions.
The rag has one interest in Scotland and that is to keep it in England’s pocket.
Effigy is right.
Scottish newspapers are an embarrassment to journalism.
They are not worth the hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money that Nicola used to keep them afloat/onside.
They should have been allowed to go bust; they do not fulfil their role.
We got a clue from the FM under questions from Jackie Baillie about her intentions re the Hamilton Inquiry. What if she is found to have broken the ministerial code?. Her response suggested to me it is not a foregone conclusion she will resign as the code requires. She will probably assess the risk/damage of not resigning at that time. Her career first, party second and Country third.
This is the trouble with not being independent. If you try to silence the ‘Scottish’ media you are really trying to silence the UK media. And parts of the English press can roll-out their ready-made populist ‘uppity Jocks’ line and will open up the abyss for Sturgeon via the courts, in a Grand and Gallant Pursuit of The Peoples’ Truth.
If she had just pursued Indie like she was elected to do, this would not have happened. It is Sturgeon’s trans-infused purity-spiral and her refusal to pursue indie that will ultimately be the causes of her downfall. The questions of how far will she fall and who she take with her remain to be answered.
Effijy says;
‘ I’m not for policies that add millions to a life of poverty while the richest can increase their wealth by billions.’
Aren’t you pro-lockdown?
Would seem to contradict your position somewhat. I know lots of family and friends who are out of jobs, many of whom will never return to their lifestyle pre-covid (and may even lose the roof over their heads when furlough ends) and I know one or two millionaires…..trust me, they’re getting richer.
That was quite the performance from Sturgeon at FMQs, no one can doubt her ability at talking the talk.
QUOTE “I’m a proud Scot..”
LOL.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/19079304.covid-update-scotland-nicola-sturgeon-says-another-50-people-die-virus/
I shall not rest until people in Scotland stop dying, said the FM taking her government sanctioned stroll on the Forth.
Robert Louis
It was my second coffee time when I read that…..nearly went all over the ‘meeting’ I was supposed to be paying attention to!
funny funny
Helen Yates says:
10 February, 2021 at 1:17 pm
That was quite the performance from Sturgeon at FMQs, no one can doubt her ability at talking the talk.
Yes it was, she even for once changed complection, there is a first time for everything, even for telling the truth.
McDuff @1:02 “Rev you are invaluable” I agree and want to voice my thanks.
As strange as this may sound, I am the victim of a “witch hunt” and without doubt coming from the upper echelons of the Justice agencies. I have approached a SNP MP & MSP for help – not only did they offer no help – one of them even denied meeting me! You will find it unbelievable when his position within the Cabinet becomes known. A caseworker (who is standing as a list) later told me, the office was too busy with people who had no money or food to help me! I have all my evidence of incidents and false accusations-which I will eventually make public. I am in the midst of writing to them both AGAIN to make them aware of how this coordinated and vindictive smearing has affected me. Last Satuday I was admitted to the QE with Heart Failure. I can compare my story to the AS case – as the prevarication and obfuscation is identical.If once again they take no action – I will give details to Rev Stu as this story is bigger than I can explain here and will reflect on what is happening within Scotland. By the way I don’t wear a tin foil hat!
I’ve often wondered why there are WHISTLE-BLOWERS in Scotland. You know, we have many professionals and each and every professional institution encourages its members to do the right thing and be a whistle-blower if and when they have to.
An honest government would go out of its way to support whistle-blowers and every western government does. The US government have been doing it since the 60’s.
Why do we not do it then, here in Scotland? I think everyone writing into these pages knows deep down that if a whistle-blower was to step forward now, whether that be an MSP or a lawyer, they would be finished.
This is truly the sign of a deeply rotten country; would’nt you agree? We’re all complaining about Holyrood and Victorai Quay and the COPFS but, in truth, we are practically uncivilized here in Scotland.
Am I exaggerating?
@sylvia, how are you feeling now?
Hope you are on the mend?
Re your substantive point aye my mid November 5 hours banged up in the shitty Govan Police cell, similarly has a very odd stench around it.
When I get flitted I’ll delve deeper.
‘An honest government would go out of its way to support whistle-blowers and every western government does. The US government have been doing it since the 60’s.’
Really ?
I’m sure Assange, Snowden, Binney, Manning and dozens of others would disagree.
Or in this country Murray or Gunn.
You are joking right ?
If Alex Salmond accidently broke wind in a lift with someone else in it Police Scotland would charge him with attempted murder and interview everyone he ever met all the way back to primary one looking for other examples of him fart-assaulting people.
Meanwhile the evidence of an obvious and blatant plot to frame an innocent man and former FM is lying everywhere around them in full view and Police Scotland and COPFS are actively covering it up for the plotters.
This is the state of the deeply bent judicial system in Scotland today.
Some people are allowed to commit foul crimes and the police and COPFS will not only will look the other way but they will actively help them to keep it a hidden from the public.
Other people who are innocent are charged for crimes they did not commit and the the COPFS and police will assist in the frame-up.
I did notice on twitter that Andy Whitewash was disputing that it was the Crown’s advice that led to the committee refusing to publish Salmond’s evidence. He has, of course, as of yet refused to disclose where this mysterious legal advice came from.
On another note, I see that Sturgeon has demanded that she be allowed to continue the Nicola Sturgeon Show up to the election despite purdah. Not one for the rules in any area it would seem.
enchos says:
10 February, 2021 at 1:11 pm
This is the trouble with not being independent. If you try to silence the ‘Scottish’ media you are really trying to silence the UK media. And parts of the English press can roll-out their ready-made populist ‘uppity Jocks’ line and will open up the abyss for Sturgeon via the courts, in a Grand and Gallant Pursuit of The Peoples’ Truth.
If she had just pursued Indie like she was elected to do, this would not have happened. It is Sturgeon’s trans-infused purity-spiral and her refusal to pursue indie that will ultimately be the causes of her downfall. The questions of how far will she fall and who she take with her remain to be answered.
That is is the only ‘if’.
A good ship and a star to lead you.
inds willing to fill
A majority when you campaigned on the issue .
A minority when you did not.
As for the remembrance, who refers back to giants such as j mcconnel , g brown?
Their ashes are are only held up by state media, not popular heart.
All of these actions, the entire obfuscation, is being hung on one thing alone – anonymity of the complainer(s) It has become something so sacrosanct, that it is above any other consideration.
Nothing can be said, heard, or done, which may compromise the complainer(s) identity, or lay question to their integrity, or the veracity of the claim(s)
I won’t attack the principle of affording genuine victim anonymity – however, the questions of ‘veracity’ and ‘integrity’ have been settled.
There is no uniqueness to workplace sexual harrassment and the processes; the fact that complainer(s) may have been in the employ of Scotgov should not have been an issue, if it had been genuine.
If a serious incident had ocurred in a workplace environment with a single employee, how exacty would it be reported on; how would any hearing, or tribunal operate, how would any Court rule? It is nigh impossible not to jigsaw identify a single employee.
Should that employee not be afforded the same protection as the complainer(s) in this case – if so where are the plethora of D-notices slapped on such similar and frequent incidents? If not, what is so unique to the complainer(s) in this particular instance?
The current proceedings are not merely about who used the wrong corporate pen, nor are they about who broke corporate canteen rules and microwaved tuna; they are to establish whether there was serious misconduct in public office and potentially establish whether a further, serious criminal act was perpetrated.
At what point does potential jigsaw identification, supercede such considerations? Apparently in this instance, from the very outset. It is not complicated by the integrity and veracity of related accuser(s) claim(s) in a seperate issue still to be resolved – so why the obfuscation.
This now speaks more and more, to the protection of not merely the accuser(s) nor those giving and hearing evidence at a tribunal, but to those giving the ‘legal advice’ to obfuscate and anonymise, or be damned.
Why all anything? Because it’s not about someone getting their kilt lifted, or arse skelped at the xmas party, or constructive dismissal of a janny – it is a battle for control of the government and judiciary of a country – little people look away.
On an unrelated note…Scotland used to have a Solicitor General – currently missing for some considerable time. It’s a pity, because all this would be right in the wheelhouse of that office, but the shutters are closed and the milk bottles and newspapers are piling up outside – anyone know why?
Never mind it’s irrelevant, sorry I asked really.
Has anyone at Holyrood heard of the concept of conflict of interest?
Someone who might be found by an inquiry to have acted improperly getting to decide on how the inquiry is run? Conflict of interest.
The committee members including individuals whose careers and livelihoods depend on the favour of the people whose conduct is being investigated? Conflict of interest.
et cetera
Why was any of this allowed and why did anyone expect that it might attribute blame to those in power?
It’s another symptom of the complete absence of any sense of justice or fairness or due process that afflicts the Scottish Government and sadly many in the SNP.
And the Justice Minister’s line manager needs to have a word with him about his training needs. Urgently.
@tartanfever – whistle-blowing is governed by what are termed as ‘protected disclosures’.
You’re not a whistle-blower just because you call yourself one. A protected disclosure, for example, usually cannot be in a military context, for obvious reasons.
However, in Alex Salmond’s case we are in the happy situation whereby much of what The Spectotor is requesting be published, may fall into that category. We’ll soon know.
My point is, we have reached this legal impasse because Andy Wightman is a shite-bag. Had he the confidence to do what was right, then I think Sturgeon and Swinney would already be gone.
If Andy Wightman is a shite-bag, then what does that make our legal profession? They know what a ‘protected disclosure’ is, don’t they? They’ve been teaching it in our university law schools for years.
‘I don’t believe I misled…’
‘I didn’t know about it because the procedure didn’t allow me to know about it…’
These are not the words of someone confident in their case.
Roll on Tuesday.
Pete says:
10 February, 2021 at 12:37 pm
“The editor, Fraser Nelson Is a proud Scotsman”
You missed the “but”. there is a big difference between a Proud Scot and a Proud Scot but…
I am pro lockdown as each time it is applied, given time to
gain traction the number of cases, hospital admissions and
deaths reduce.
I am again the rich man’s bought and paid media supporting
10 years of unnecessary austerity cuts, the bedroom tax, the
abomination that is universal Credit.
I met up with a real right winger who was disgusted at people not
having a job and getting his money.
I said it was very simple, do you want any support if you were made paraplegic
in a car crash tomorrow or should your life be ended?
If unemployment figures hit 10 million and there just were no jobs anywhere
for you as a 65 year old man who had worked for 50 years, should we eliminate you?
This is a wealthy country but the wealthy are too wealthy and they have too many loop holes
to avoid tax.
If they paid their dues 90% plus of the country would be better off.
No food banks no period poverty, no homeless, no beggers.
If we stopped all benefits these people still need heat, shelter and food at least.
They will need to go and get it one way or another.
For what £80 per week that I chip into I don’t get mugged on the street,
my wife and kids are safe to roam, I don’t have my home broken into repeatedly.
It’s good value for me all day long.
Sylvia says:
10 February, 2021 at 1:20 pm
I have a friend who once thought most talk of illegality from the govt/authorities etc was conspiracy theory – until she tried to complain to a local authority about the health care her mother was receiving in a local home. At one point she was asked to give evidence in one of the big cities, can’t remember which one, but she was a afraid to go as she genuinely felt that she was in danger from certain interested parties who didn’t want her to pursue her case of negligence. Most people seem to think that this sort of stuff only happens in movies and they cannot believe that the stories have basis in fact. Hope you are recovering well – keep safe.
I only figured out the identity of two of the alphabet sisters thanks to the media and without any help from Craig Murray. The two are woman A and H and if they were to lose their protection and their ID come out it will be game over for all who tried to stitch up Alex Salmond. God knows how bad it could be if all of the women were to be unmasked. The actions of A and H make the whole conspiracy stink to high heaven.
@Tannadice Boy
I agree I think she’ll apologise for any breach she’s found guilty of and when it inevitably goes to a vote of confidence the SNP and Greens will back her because Covid, exceptional circumstances etc.
Robert Louis says:
10 February, 2021 at 1:17 pm
QUOTE “I’m a proud Scot..”
LOL.
Is that aimed at me? It’s people just like me with no love of the union that need to be convinced of the case for independence, but instead you laugh at my pride in my country because I don’t share your fundamentalist views?
Your cause suffers because of attitudes like that and people like you.
@Betsy – I’d wait until tomorrow. Hold-fire until tomorrow. I think Alex Salmond and Andrew Neil might have other ideas on the future of Nicola Sturgeon.
The Greens are shite-bags and no-one in Scotland cares about them any more.
@david holden you can say the same of Ms C, I also did not get that from Craig Murray.
Sturgeon’s endorsement of the trans ideology that the difference between the sexes is only a social construct, means dairy farmers will now have to milk male cows. You’ll run the risk of having a gut full of bull spunk, but that’s the price we have to pay to combat gender bigotry.
David Holden says:
10 February, 2021 at 2:03 pm ”The two are woman A and H and if they were to lose their protection and their ID come out it will be game over for all who tried to stitch up Alex Salmond”
Précisément, off the bloody scale of credulity.
What a shitshow Sturgeon has presided over.
Horror of a person, she really is. Worked that out in 2014, would current SNP MPs/MSPs listen, nah they just went along for the salary and position.
What a craven bunch of people they are. Scotland deserves so much better but I fear we are years away from meaningful change.
Even if she goes who the hell replaces her. Eh wee free Forbes? And we’ve no meaningful opposition.
Fucked.
Who’d have thought we’d end up depending on The Spectator (I mean FFS the house journal of the Tory party) to keep the SNP honest. In fact more than “honest” – to stop them maliciously prosecuting people for political reasons.
You couldn’t make this shit up if you tried.
Wheest for Indy? Get to fuck with that!
Alison/Wee Chid – Thank you, I am ok-much better than I was
Alison re’ “Govan Police cell” I have no criminal record – However “they” have tried! I was served papers in the June alleging I had assaulted 2 Polish men in the Dec previous. Fast forward, I was preparing dinner one night when after answering a knock on the door I found 3 police (2 men/1 woman). They had come to arrest me for failure to appear in court. I had never been informed and explained this, I said it must be a mix up and I would go and explain it in the morning. They said no, it doesn’t work like that. You’re coming with us and will appear in Court in the morning. I was locked up in Aikenhead Rd. Fast forward again, the same thing happened again due to an “error” of a solicitor-this time Govan cells from 1pm lunch until next day. 2.5 years later and 9 courts dates -it was my time to give evidence-2 Police witnesses dismissed as unreliable. I had my evidence ready to prove the Police had wrongly arrested me. They dropped the charges of failure to appear as the PF said he’d lost the file!! – I was acquitted of all 5 charges. The charge of assault was supposed to have been me waving a broom at the 2 men and telling them to FO!! To add to this – after the 2nd arrest I was placed on bail – twice within 3 months I was called for Jury Service. I had to apply to be excused because of being on bail. I can say 100% the random selection for Jury Service was compromised-this was another attempt at humiliating me. Do I have a story to tell!!
Eh scratch my previous about Nicola Sturgeon coming clean it seems she’s doubling down and urging the committee to force Alex to attend just like her dear husband was eventually made to make a return appearance I don’t believe Mr Murrell was under any restraints or threatened with prosecution if he told the truth .
A well you had your choice right from the start Nicola now it’s all yours dear you have fun now .
@David Nemo, 12.07
The Harassment Committee is a committee of the Scottish Parliament. It is not serving the Scottish Parliament well because of the actions of the Scottish Government. The action which the Scottish Parliament needs to take is to bring Votes of No Confidence against the First Minister and the Depute First Minister for their failure to fulfil their undertakings to the Scottish Parliament.
David Nemo
The bottom line is some Unionists aren’t worth convincing.
It’s your choice. Oppose Scottish Independence all you want – bully for you – but you get to stand on the front door, in the cold, while your Masters dine inside, in luxury, like the house jock you choose to be.
Or, you can wake the fuck up and be a real Scot, not a ‘proud’ one and take your chances with us and every other medium sized, wealthy, educated Country out there.
Many on here seem to think the Unionists will close Holyrood. I doubt it. For the simple reason that it will not serve their interests to do so. Just imagine: if Holyrood is closed, then all we need (all we have available) for gaining independence is a majority of pro-independence MPs at Westminster.
In other words, closing Holyrood takes us back to the SNP’s original position. And. come to think of it, to Margaret Thatcher’s position as well. The position she confidently endorsed on the assumption that it would never happen.
Well, it has happened now – not in one, but in several General Elections. It is eminently achievable, yet another time, and much easier to gain than any other route. Having a theoretically pro-Indy majority at Holyrood does not produce independence, and quite probably never will. Having no Holyrood would make every General Election a plebiscite on Scottish independence.
The enormous Unionist majority at Westminster does not want that, at any costs. They would prefer to keep Holyrood going, all the time hollowing out its powers from within. It suits them to have a ‘pretend parliament’ in Scotland which cannot deliver independence even when mandated to do so. And which is in fact dominated and subverted by Westminster-appointed civil servants, as is very obviously the case in the present instance.
I am not worried if they shut down Holyrood. Almost certainly it would produce a backlash such that the pro-Indy votes for the Westminster elections would greatly increase. And, with these Westminster elections being the only democratic means through which the Scottish people is able to make its voice heard, the leader of the pro-Indy Party (or combined pro-Indy Parties) at Westminster would be able to declare independence and/or take Scotland’s case straight to the UN.
The UN, according to its own principles of self-determination, would be bound to support the Scots’ case. If England did not comply, it would be exposed as a rogue state (which is what, in fact, it always has been, but now that would become visible for all to see). Scotland would gain the international recognition she needs. The rogue state, meanwhile, would suffer the consequences / sanctions that would follow, if she obdurately refused to comply with the UN’s judgement of the matter.
If the Union-dominated Westminster, in a sudden rush of enthusiasm that goes to their head, do suppress Holyrood it will almost certainly backfire on them at the next GE. And their game will be up. Unfortunately, they are probably not daft enough to do that.
Or maybe they are. At the moment, it is pretty clear that they had it in their minds that if they could get rid of Alex Salmond the whole independence movement would die. As if it was all drummed up by one person. Which shows that they really do not understand what it is, and what drives it. It also shows a very superficial view of history. And they certainly know nothing about the history of Scotland – partly because the Unionist pretension is that Scotland has no history. Which is a way of telling us that we don’t exist.
When they do get rid of Alex Salmond and they find the independence movement is still not dying, they need another explanation. So, they then say we’ll have to get rid of Sturgeon too (even though they have managed to play her very easily), which they will. Then, when she has gone and independence is still not dying, they’ll say the problem must be the Holyrood parliament: bring it down. So, they get rid of Holyrood … and at that point, not only does the independence movement not die, it skyrockets into the 70% – 80% stratosphere. And they will have had it – the game’s a bogey.
Moreover, by then all the lies and deceit that have been employed to keep the Union going will be well and truly in the public domain. Unionism will be totally discredited, an dead in the water. Many Unionists already know or at least sense this, with a certain realisation that they are actually fighting a rearguard action. Against a force whose origin they really don’t know.
Maybe it’s just a matter of knowing or sensing that justice will eventually overcome their lying deceits. They are not really trying to ‘save’ the union in any permanent way – in their heart of hearts they know that they are just trying to delay its inevitable demise. One way or the other, it’s coming.
Capn yoyo
‘The Greens are shite-bags and no-one in Scotland cares about them any more.’
now, now, that would be to assume that at some point, someone somewhere, actually did give a fuck about them.
I remain unconvinced!
She’s going to need to be in close, public contact with someone who is going to test positive around the weekend soon.
Then hopefully, ‘off the ball’ will be spared the resident ‘guest’ patrician this Saturday.
😉
Sylvia says:
10 February, 2021 at 2:23 pm
Alison/Wee Chid – Thank you, I am ok-much better than I was
Bloody hell Sylvia, as you say a story to tell, me too.
Aged 58.5 have never had ANY police contact and they treated me like utter shit for no real reason in a ”democratic” country.
Other than in my view being a VERY public critic of Aamer Anwar, yes who I’ve had the misfortune to meet on 2 occasions on behalf of a client, the utterly odious ”Justice Minister” Humza Yousaf, he really is a piece of work, if only people knew the truth. My problem there is if I reveal what I know it gets another person in the shit, so I’m trying to work a way round that.
But be assured I will keep going.
Have been VERY reliably informed the Spectator case tomorrow will NOT be a challenge to allow them to name all the alphabet women, sadly. BUT on the other hand will be a shove in that direction.
Court lists case as HM Advocate v Salmond, why reported in press as Spectator?
But under the beards–and this was K.’s real discovery –badges of various sizes and colors gleamed on their coat collars. They all wore those badges as far he could see. They were all colleagues, these ostensible parties of the right and left, and as he turned round suddently he saw the same badges on the coat collar of the Examining Magistrate, who was sitting quietly watching the scene with his hands on his knees. “So!” cried K. flinging his arms in the air, his sudden enlightenment had to break out, “every man jack of you is an official, I see, you are yourselves the corrupt agents of whom I have been speaking, you’ve all come rushing here to listen and nose out what you can about me, making a pretense of party divisions, and half of you applauded merely to lead me on, you wanted some practice in fooling an innocent man.”
Vestas says:
10 February, 2021 at 2:23 pm
Who’d have thought we’d end up depending on The Spectator (I mean FFS the house journal of the Tory party) to keep the SNP honest.
Fucking exactly, it’s nuts that Brillo pad Neil and jeezo Fraser Nelson are to be relied upon to ensure we inch towards the truth of just how shit the Sturrell Medieval Court is.
Alison – It would appear we have something in common – one said he couldn’t represent me? the other is my MSP…more to follow over the days and weeks
David Nemo says:
10 February, 2021 at 2:07 pm
Robert Louis says:
10 February, 2021 at 1:17 pm
QUOTE “I’m a proud Scot..”
LOL.
Is that aimed at me? It’s people just like me with no love of the union that need to be convinced of the case for independence, but instead you laugh at my pride in my country because I don’t share your fundamentalist views?
Your cause suffers because of attitudes like that and people like you.
No it was a comment aimed at Fraser Nelson that the Proud Scot was aimed at, Nelson being an employee of the Spectator
Brilliant Journalism again Wings. Finally some hope this debacle will finally be brought into the public domain and if there is clear high level corruption it surely must result in prison sentences for some?
Thanks John Martini, and thanks The Internet. “The Trial” by Franz Kafka. Looks like worthwhile reading. Translated by Willa and Edwin Muir!
Sound familiar?
Sylvia nice to hear your feeling well again, and able to join in,
I have mention before here on this site how I went from having a lovely home and holding two jobs down to being made homeless within 24 hours by my local council whom wiped my existabnce of the face of the earth by not recording any of the facts, and when I complained about being homeless and whom was responsible it was ignored and went unrecorded many times,
I too turned to a high ranking snp member, who was very enthusiastic about helping me and making sure I was registered to vote as a homeless person,
I genuinely believed in this snp man until they drop me like a hot brick a few weeks later once the election was by with, after that the snp chap implied it was all in my imagination and that I had misunderstood, and obfuscated his way out of it.
There was no way it was possible for me to misunderstand the local councils or the snps position, as I continued to remain homeless for the next five years, totalling six altogether,
The council eventually housed me when they tried really really hard to extract council tax out of a homeless person, it’s amazing what council greed can do.
Thereafter I watched the snp Mannie sitting in Holyrude during question times, just up to the left and behind NS and I knew he was a slime ball and a fake, I also knew he often went to luncheons and big meetings with the very same councillors that made me homeless, as you would read it in the local papers,
Corruption is definitely rife within the snp, and has been for a long time, and Andy wightman with his, “in those days the poor didn’t have lawyers. Hymmph.
They don’t have lawyers nowadays either,
And if they did most of the corrupt lawyers would be sitting in a cell along side most of the politicians, we would make sure of that,
Makes you realise why they don’t allow normal people to have lawyers, and keep those prices so high, they have to save their own necks.
An old saying is you play with the crows, you’ll get shot with them.
Anything that comes out of this is self inflicted.
Sylvia nice to hear your feeling well again, and able to join in,
I have mention before here on this site how I went from having a lovely home and holding two jobs down to being made homeless within 24 hours by my local council whom wiped my existabnce of the face of the earth by not recording any of the facts, and when I complained about being homeless and whom was responsible it was ignored and went unrecorded many times,
I too turned to a high ranking snp member, who was very enthusiastic about helping me and making sure I was registered to vote as a homeless person,
I genuinely believed in this snp man until they drop me like a hot brick a few weeks later once the election was by with, after that the snp chap implied it was all in my imagination and that I had misunderstood, and obfuscated his way out of it.
There was no way it was possible for me to misunderstand the local councils or the snps position, as I continued to remain homeless for the next five years, totalling six altogether,
The council eventually housed me when they tried really really hard to extract council tax out of a homeless person, it’s amazing what council greed can do.
Thereafter I watched the snp Mannie sitting in Holyrude during question times, just up to the left and behind NS and I knew he was a slime ball and a fake, I also knew he often went to luncheons and big meetings with the very same councillors that made me homeless, as you would read it in the local papers,
Corruption is definitely rife within the snp, and has been for a long time, and Andy wightman with his, “in those days the poor didn’t have lawyers. Hymmph.
They don’t have lawyers nowadays either,
And if they did most of the corrupt lawyers would be sitting in a cell along side most of the politicians, we would make sure of that,
Makes you realise why they don’t allow normal people to have lawyers, and keep those prices so high, they have to save their own necks.
Not one person anywhere can ever claim I am blind to the ways of politics or the snp,
I am pretty sure that we are not the only ones,
We need change here in Scotland, we can only do that through Scotland being independent.
I was planning to go to court and get a court order overturning the anonymity of women A and C. I got a QC to draft a petition, and then approached the court authorities to ask how to do this in the covid situation.
The response? The Crown Office sent the polis round and charged me with contempt of court.
Humza Justice Minister on 08/02/2021
‘FM has been consistent that she is looking forward to appearing in front of commitee under oath (as Peter has done twice) as she has nothing to fear from their questioning. Time to put an end to the nonsense conspiracies being peddled’
Can’t wait till this dangerous clown gets his P45. This is the justice minister who gets done for driving with no insurance. Who gets caught travelling to an evening function in Oban with a woman, not his wife, but a woman who became his wife after he divorced his wife. And the same woman, now his wife who stood for selection as a candidate in a constituency near Fife using her maiden names as opposed to her husbands name.
A bit like the the husband’s cousin who stood against Kenny Gibson using the name Osama Bhutta as opposed to his previous title Osama Said who was involved as a director of an Islamic foundation that couldn’t account for hundreds of thousands of pounds of public grant.
Yep, Humza ‘s the boy to say allegation against his government are just nonsense.
They make me sick Craig.
Our justice system is rotten to the core and I hope you and others who have been badly treated will have your day.
I have just watched the debate in Holyrood regarding the malicious prosecutions by the Crown office involving the two administrators of Rangers and which to date has cost the Scottish tax payer over 24 million pounds and could potentially reach 100 million, add the mess of the Alex Salmond case, the upcoming case against the Crown office by the Spectator and Mark Hirst case only a fool could think that the SNP aren’t in serious trouble, the unionists rightly so will make a meal of this all the way to the election.
If Mays election isn’t a plebiscite and you would have to wonder at the party of independence not going for that especially seeing as they might very well be lucky to be the second party in May, not to mention that May might very well be the last chance we have to vote on Independence then my guess would be the game is over for us all.
Quite astonishing that this party could have scored so many own goals against themselves.
Stu, I tweeted Tricia Marwick & Andy Wightman earlier and both deny MacWhirter claim that the Crown gave legal advice to parliament?
Pete says:
10 February, 2021 at 12:37 pm
Effijy
Just wondering if you’ve ever read the Spectator?
In recent times it has increased its sales massively and has a US and Australian edition.
Good for them!
What’s the sales in Scotland?
I buy it occasionally and find it to be very middle of the road politically and has a line up of very diverse contributors.
Please list.
While I don’t share peter oborne’s high tory politics, there’s nothing wrong with his sense of smell.
The editor, Fraser Nelson Is a proud Scotsman and indeed attended the same school as myself.
Good for both of you!
Before blasting off, maybe you should buy a copy and try it out.
You might enjoy it.
Let’s try to be serious.
Goodness Craig Murray has turned up, hmmm curious.
How can we get past the legal injustices that are taken place in Scotland at the moment, if we managed to get past corrupt snp, Tory and labour, we are still left with corrupt legal lawyers, I wrote to Alex about the time his court case was ending, and explained some of my own experience with the justice system and how most people here in relatively modern Scotland still do not have access to legal help without a heavy financial burden, knowing he would understand, he seemed to be as confused and at a loss for an answer as I was,
I was toning to reply to his letter when I heard about this so called committee.
Injustices are far from being solved here in Scotland.
Shit, meet Fan.
Fan, this is Shit.
Make acquaintance.
It’ll be fun.
Holyrood a third rate tinpot sham of a Parliament.