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Friendly help for Kezia Dugdale

Posted on April 23, 2015 by

At today’s First Minister’s Questions, the Scottish Labour deputy leader Kezia Dugdale launched into an ill-advised attack over an SNP candidate who’d made some foolish (but not especially outrageous) comments on Twitter in 2012. Rather than simply issuing the standard generic condemnation of abusive remarks, Nicola Sturgeon did so but also drew Dugdale’s attention to the beam in her own eye.

iansmartnns3

Labour activist, blogger, lawyer and regular BBC pundit Ian Smart (he hasn’t been seen on STV since accusing them repeatedly, without any evidence, of letting the SNP pre-approve all interview questions some time ago) is well known to readers of this blog. Bizarrely, however, Dugdale feigned ignorance of his activity.

To help her, we’ve compiled some of Mr Smart’s greatest hits.

smartgh

smartgh18

smartgh1

smartgh2

smartgh3

smartgh4

smartgh5

smartgh6

smartgh7

smartgh14

smartgh8

smartgh10

smartgh11

smartgh12

smartgh13

smartgh15

smartgh9

smartgh22

smartgh16

smartgh20

It’s not all just fascists and Nazis, though.

smartgh24

smartglencoe1

smartgh23

smartblack

smartgh21

smartpoles

Above are just a fraction of the similar tweets Smart has posted over the last three years or so. Still, it would have been easy for Scottish Labour to miss all of those. It’s not like any of them were ever picked up by – oh.

smartrecord

huffsmart

smartexpress

And it’s not like Smart’s Twitter account is followed by numerous senior Scottish Labour MPs, MSPs, MEPs, councillors, Dugdale and Murphy staff members, former leaders like Johann Lamont and Iain Gray, the official @scottishlabour account and Kezia Dugdale and Jim Murphy themselves, because that would be – oh.

smartdugdale

smartmurphy

We’re sure Ms Dugdale and Jim Murphy will do the right thing. One day.

smartgh19

keztelt

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muttley79

@Rev Stu

Could you tell us if Kezia Dugdale follows Ian Smart on Twitter?

Marie clark

Jesus feckin wept. Pass the brain bleach.

Colin Macleod

If we are digging up the past I have screen shots of all Kezia’s blog posts/comments from 2009-2011 that she deleted after she became an MSP (had a gut feeling she would make it “big”). I’m sure I could find something she said that was controversial… Anyone want copies?

Richard Lucas

So many of his tweets made in the evening, at a time when many folk have relaxed with a drink.

Hamish10

Never realised how much bile he has produced.

Is he still a lawyer or has he be debarred?

Doug Daniel

The juxtaposition of the “Nazi is a different word altogether. I wouldn’t use that casually” tweet and the tweets which follow is quite superb.

Really, as long as Labour has Ian Smart under its wing, it has no moral high ground.

galamcennalath

Does this joker have the faintest notion of what Facism is?

Authoritarian, militaristic, ethnic, right wing, suppressing civil liberties, imperial aims, anti democratic, conservative values, male supremacy ….. Facism is the precise opposite of the democratic inclusive civic SNP.

Those words I just used to define Fascism ….. those apply much more readily to sections of the BritNat Establishment.

Grizzle McPuss

…and the award for Zoomer of the decade goes to-oo-oo…

bookie from hell

My guess is Kezia won’t make the smart move

manandboy

Ian Smart is a top lawyer.

‘Expertise in one field is no guarantee of even basic competence in any other’ – a saying particularly apt in Ian Smart’s case.

Richard Lucas

Is it true that Ian Smart is launching a new Unionist paper called ‘Der Zoomer’?

Murray McCallum

I reckon that little Ian Smart CV/portfolio will easily get him a full time job at BBC Scotland. They need respected, impartial, Nazi-spotting experts like Ian Smart.

BrianW

I think he’s got ‘Nazi’ tourettes.

Angus

He has mental problems and will have to see a specialist, just because he thinks in these terms, doesn’t mean everyone else does.

Giving Goose

I don’t use Twitter, so I’ve not been aware of the full level of abuse that Ian Smart has been putting out.
I have knowledge of him as someone who appears to be an unpleasant character but reading the above, I’m shocked.
And I’m not ignoring the tweets by the SNP candidate that were the subject of the exchanges during FMQs. They were stupid, but Ian Smart’s output is jaw dropping.

I can understand low information users being abusive, I can understand users with extreme views being abusive, I can also understand the “heat of the moment” resulting in a less than savoury tweet (or email, post etc), but Ian Smart is a professional person.

So what is going on with him?

I believe that working closely with the Labour machine isn’t healthy, especially in Scotland. Labour seems to either attract or produce individuals that display negative personality traits.

Murphy, Duggie Alexander, Davidson, Curran behave like Sociopaths.

Foulkes is Sycophant to the London Establishment.

Dugdale is at this time going through a process of corruption to something/someone else as we watch the cringingly embarrassing episode played out.

Dame Anne Begg campaigned with the National Front during the Indy Ref.

Davidson threatens female SNP politicians in the Westminster Parliament, when not making references to bayonetting voters.

The list is endless. What is wrong with these Labour people?

Macart

Just wow.

manandboy

Just testing – sometimes a graphics pen acts like a wayward wand.

Juteman

At least you never posted any of Labour Cooncilur Kellys stuff. That would be too much!

muttley79

Just been reading Wings Twitter, and it appears as though Kezia Dugdale has been following Ian Smart’s Tweets! 😀 😀

Joseph Robinson

|This guy and jim murphy, wow can you just imagine them having any semblance of control of scottish politics, we will become the laughing stock of the world.

joe kane

King Zoomer.

Big Jock

I would’t even bother with the guy. He has clearly got a screw lose, and venomously hates the idea of Scottish independence. Only mother England can prevent Scotland from turning into North Korea!

Brainless,clueless and ignorant about sums him up!

I laughed at his Celtic comment directed at Mhairi Black. Correct me if I am wrong but she is a catholic and all her relatives are Celtic fans. She chose Thistle like me to get away from sectarianism. Obviously Mr Smart wants sectarianism to continue!

Cal L

@muttley79

Just had a quick look and it seems like she does.

Brotyboy

Didn’t his brother, the Independence-supporting Citizen Smart, once pen an article entitled something like, ‘My brother Ian Smart is not a racist.’

The sub-heading was, ‘He’s much worse than that.’

stewart fae stoney

What a nasty gobshite, bet he wouldnt say those things to someone face to face, if you cant say thing straight to peoples faces then say nothing

Calgacus

Doesn’t Smart’s own brother disown him as a very unpleasant human being?

muttley79

I think SLAB have just shot themselves in the foot again! What a hapless bunch. 😀

gordoz

Kezia : Ah dinnae ken ? 🙂

[…] At today’s First Minister’s Questions, the Scottish Labour deputy leader Kezia Dugdale launched into an ill-advised attack over an SNP candidate who’d made some stupid and offensive comments on Twitter. Rather than simply issuing the standard generic condemnation of abusive remarks, Nicola Sturgeon did so but also drew Dugdale’s attention to the beam in her own eye.  […]

Iain

The man is obviously afflicted by a mental illness. I don’t mean that as a cheap jibe: there are signs of a deranged obsession and a desire to insult, which behaviour is not reconcilable with his education and the rational attitude which he would be required to adopt in his profession as a lawyer.

muttley79

@Calgacus

Yeah, Alan Smart is his brother, he supported the Yes campaign, and is a completely different type of character. I am not saying that just because he supports independence. Many good, decent people voted No. Ian Smart is not one of them.

Sinky

Candidate in one of the SNP’s less likely seats Neil Hay’s stupid comments are three years old but double standards from unionist media and broadcasters when someone who held high public office Ian smart past president law society makes very recent stupid twitter comments.

And I wonder what Kezia’s previous anonymous accounts will reveal.

ErinT

That went down like a lead balloon for Scottish Labour.

Ian

Did anyone ever get to the bottom of the whole Kezia Dugdale/Fifi la BonBon rumours?

Craig Macinnes

Is this maniac actually a practising lawyer???? I feel quite soiled trawling through his murky thoughts. Imagine being in his company for any length of time. You’d feel quite nauseated I’m sure. He certainly seems to have a very unhealthy obsession about fascism. Maybe he’s angry that his Labour lot aren’t moving quickly enough in that direction for him, although Blair, Brown and Mandelson certainly did their utmost to push Labour to the far right. Illegal wars, demonising immigrants, attacking the disabled and idolising the mega rich, big business and the banks are all supported by Labour.

David
proudscot

If ever a surname was inappropriate, “Smart” is it, in the case of this foul-mouthed individual. He almost makes Katie Hopkins seem almost moderate by comparison … almost!

pa_broon74

#HeSeemsNi-

Shit, wrong medium…

Sorry.

iheartScotland

What a small man he is.

Big Jock

Yes I believe his brother is the polar opposite. Smart should be sectioned for his own good.

Remember after May 8th he will be ancient history, representing some minority right wing party…we will have the last laugh!

Joemcg

Jeez…he would be the last person on earth I would get to represent me. A lawyer?? The guy is a grade A imbecile. You would be on death row if you were up for petty theft with this eejits input.

Martin

Muttley79. Yes, she does. As does Morph

John

@Colin Macleod

Anyone want copies?

Sure. Are you able to put them in an online album (e.g. Imgur)?

Stakhanovite

Not only a lawyer, but a former president of the Law Society of Scotland, FFS. I believe his father was a former Provost of Paisley too

Luigi

Dear Ms. Dugdale and Ms. Davidson, I appreciate that you are both trying very hard. However, if you are going to launch attacks on the FM, it’s better to cover all angles and not expose your flanks, lest you receive a painful beating as you both experienced today. It’s not nice to be made to look a pair of chumps, is it? For your own sakes, please try and anticipate a response, and act accordingly, instead going robot, and losing it completely in the first round.

Do your homework, girls!

R-type Grunt

“galamcennalath says:
23 April, 2015 at 1:45 pm

‘Does this joker have the faintest notion of what Facism is?

Authoritarian, militaristic, ethnic, right wing, suppressing civil liberties, imperial aims, anti democratic, conservative values, male supremacy ….. Facism is the precise opposite of the democratic inclusive civic SNP.

Those words I just used to define Fascism ….. those apply much more readily to sections of the BritNat Establishment”.

Excellent post sir. Nothing to add.

desimond

Never go a trip with Kezia at the wheel..she just loves driving herself up embarrasing dead ends

Joemcg

We need to see what Kezia said in the past after her sacking demands at Holyrood this morning.

[…] Friendly help for Kezia Dugdale […]

Ken500

Posting on the Internet under a pseudonym. The Scotsman. Kettle black. Some folk have short memories. Nasty racist comments.

Labour are just unbelievable.

easwald

I know these people but I just don’t get why they are so much in love with the UK. Why can they keep voting for a system that was “Better Together” but still produces poverty levels that are shameful, foodbanks and preference to buy nuclear weapons (largely imported) over health and education spending. My dad was Labour all his life because he was against all that Ed Miliband stands for.

I love Nicola. I know Alex Salmond and he is one of the most honest politicians of his generation (yes, I realise that isn’t a high hurdle). But why we wantto prop up a Labour government is beyond me.

Independence – Nothing less.

scunner

I live in Edinburgh South and I feel they’re going to try and run with the Neil Hay tweets. They also seem to be dredging up his old business dealings in Spain, insinuating dodginess.

Personally I didn’t vote for Neil in the selection process but will be voting for him come May 7th in an attempt to oust Ian Murray, who is trying, despite his Westminster voting record and massive expenses troughing, to pass himself off as having “worked his socks off” for the constituency.

This is a tough seat and it’s just got tougher 🙁

alastair

Murphy now having a pop at nationalism – yes the same guy that changed his twitter name to jimforscotland.

On a lighter note BBC News sports round up the is morning.
Cricket “good to see Trott’s got the runs” .

Joemcg

easwald-I agree. It has totally flummoxed me too why my fellow scots want to remain on the UK. Drives me crazy trying to understand the reasons.

RichMTB

Lets be honest “feigning ignorance” is Kezia Dugdale’s true gift

Ken500

Alcoholics make poor judgements. Counselling might help.

Martin

Smart ain’t so smart, me thinks. Are there any clever cookies in Scottish Labour these days? If there are, they’re keeping a very low profile.

John
james

Nazi means • derogatory a person who holds and acts brutally in accordance with extreme racist or authoritarian views.
So that would mean one Ian Smart is technically going by his spouting that vile crap on twitter NAZI.

Casper1066

Why has his twitter account not been closed

Hobbit

Unfortunately, Twitter has a general problem of encouraging people to tweet first and think later.

Ken500

Hypocrites

Dugdale will need to sack herself

jakedm

Too much hatred in this man’s head to be anything more useful than a bag of *ank!

I do feel sorry for those focussed on spreading lies and fear against the “other parties”, just think of the effort they have wasted split between all the other parties when they could have been focussed spreading a +ve message for their own. Not that this p*&ck would have been much help!

michael annis

How on earth is he allowed to get away with this bigoted bile. He does give himself away though. He has the narrow minded ignorance of the worst of unionist orange bitterness. Think he would be more at home with the DUP or BF.

Fred

“Smart Boy Wanted, but not too Smart”.

Paul

Well, this has got to be the first time I’ve read an article here and actually INCREASED my blood pressure!

manandboy

link to bbc.co.uk

SNP candidate, Ian hay, used the word ‘("Quizmaster" - Ed)’ in a tweet. He has since apologised and closed the account.

But Unionist stress showing clearly in the language of SNP opponents at FMQ’s today on the subject:-

Deputy Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Sir Malcolm Bruce said “This is the sort of dirty tricks which undermine faith in democracy. You would think he was referring to the paedophilia industry throughout the country among politicians.

A Scottish Conservative spokesman, added: “Voters across Edinburgh South will be shocked by the views expressed by SNP candidate Neil Hay (who called No voters ‘Quislings’) and questions clearly must be asked if he is fit to serve in public office.
Is ‘("Quizmaster" - Ed)’ any more or less ‘shocking’ than Nazi or Fascist, or any of the disgraceful descriptions used this week by Boris Johnston, Lord mayor of London. Has anyone questioned Alistair Darling’s suitability for Public Office after his use of the word Nazi?

When people are calm and rational, they tend to think first and then say nothing -‘cos it’s not worth talking about. But in these days when all the Unionist politicians are fighting for their careers and their paychecks and expenses gold-cards, the pressure to say and do something to salvage their jobs is overwhelming.

It’s panic stations.

Robert Louis

You know it does people like Dugdale and the Labour Party no good whatsoever, to indulge in this kind of nonsense, then pretend they have no knowledge of people like Ian Smart.

Firstly, most voters couldn’t care less, and secondly those that do, quickly come to realise that Labour just will not face up to the nutters in its own ranks.

The point is however, that voters do notice TRUST, or the lack of, and this kind of disingenuous carping by Labour and Dugdale tells voters one thing, Labour should not be trusted.

I keep hoping Dugdale will be better than all this, but she repeatedly lets herself down.

Macart

And commentators question why people switched off from politics for years? Well when you look at the naked tribal hatred on display by the chap pictured above, is it any wonder? THIS is why we’re here IMO, to change this attitude and these politics.

The attitude on display in those tweets spreads hatred, mistrust and pointless, pointless anger. He’s not worth the grief, that type of politics is not worth the grief and it badly needs to change. I’m sure we all just want politicians who work for our benefit, not their own. Politicians and parties that put people first and their party loyalties last. That they practice a type of politics in our name that is transparent, truthful and consensus driven and that isn’t compromised by corporate interest or corrupt practices. In short we just want politicians to treat us like human beings instead of electoral currency to be manipulated using naked hatred and fear and then traded on a parliamentary chamber floor.

Not much to ask given what they receive in return from the public.

This is why politics as viewed by that fella above is coming to an end in Scotland, because basically a growing majority of people are deeply sick of it. There’s a better way of doing the daily business of government and if politicians won’t change to suit our needs and wishes then we’ll simply replace them with people who will.

Pentland Firth

This Neil Hay story is just a manufactured storm in a tea cup. Politicians sometimes say unpleasant things and occasionally make downright offensive comments about their opponents (see, for example, Boris Johnson’s comparison of Nicola Sturgeon to Attila the Hun and King Herod, which BBC Scotland seems to regard as unremarkable and therefore not news worthy). If they take leave of their senses, they say really offensive things about people who don’t support their political party.

Hay was wrong to describe opponents of Scottish independence as Quislings, and take a cheap shot at elderly No voters as folk who can’t remember their names, but on a scale of offensiveness these gaffes probably rank as a three out of ten. He has apologised for his error, and, as the First Minister said, it’s now up to the voters of Edinburgh South to decide whether they want him to represent them at Westminster.

As for Ian Smart, he’s an angry and offensive little man, from whom Labour would be well advised to distance itself, but he’s not standing for Westminster.

manandboy

@ desimond
Never go a trip with Kezia at the wheel..she just loves driving herself up embarrasing dead ends, . . . and the rest of us round the bend

Alastair

Dugdale’s niavity is breathtaking.
The report on the SNP candidate was in this mornings paper.
Did she rally think Nicola would not be ready to rebute a cheap shot. Dugdale made a bullet and Nicola fired it straight at her.
So having laid down the gauntlet when will Kezia sack Smith form Scottish Labour. Or is he a member of the Labour Party. Can she remove his membership or is that a HO thing and above the Deputy Branch Manager’s pay grade.

Big Jock

It’s just project smear part 2. We can all see it’s the work of McTernan. If you can’t win the argument play the man.

Remember offensive things are printed about the SNP, us and Nicola on a daily basis in the press down south.

The difference this time is that people can see it for what it is. They are trying to re-run the hate campaign of the referendum. Look at Mhairi Black…but look at the vote share since they tried to smear her …it went up!

Remember as soon as you try and smear someone, you have to make sure Aggie and Kim have visited your own house!

Big Jock

Worth re-posting this link from his Smarter brother:

link to bellacaledonia.org.uk

Baxter Parp

It’s pretty clear he tweeted the title of and linked to this article on BBC Scotlandshire:

s.html" rel="nofollow ugc">link to bbc.scotlandshire.co.uk

He doesn’t seem to have called anyone a ("Quizmaster" - Ed).

terry

O/T – here in the North East the are gunning for Salmond in a re-run of the referendum

link to pressandjournal.co.uk

Brian Powell

Interesting how many retweets he got, particularly with the nazis and dictator tweets.

steveasaneilean

O/T (sorry) – but nice to see our friends at Deutsche Bank being called out:

link to bbc.co.uk

Vince

I want my SNP politician’s to be a cut above what has gone before.

I’m disappointed when the word ("Quizmaster" - Ed) is used in general about No voters and certainly disappointed at the accusation that elderly No voters can’t remember their names.

Guys, you have to be away above that or it will just come back and bite you.

I hope that the Edinburgh South Activists are able to make up for any potential kick back.

Walter Scott

Former first minister Jack McConnell defended Smart. Does this lunatic include all labour voters who voted yes? Does he think that all former labour voters are fascist scum? He seems like a very troubled person. Does the labour party not have an occupational wellbeing officer who could perhaps help this benighted soul. God help him

Dr Jim

The man obviously can’t put the Daily Telegraph down, in between reading the Daily Mail or The Express even

Tell me why this man is Labour again

I must be getting my parties mixed up
Torie Labour Lib Dem I just don’t know who’s who anymore

Ooh, and I am not an “IST” National Fasc or otherwise
I am a member of Scotlands National Party without the “IST”

John king

Anyone heard from Fiji le Bon Bon recently?

Angus

Problem here is the Brit media put any SNP followers under a microscope, while high profile fanatics like Ian Smart get off with it. British media always was the mouth piece of the British establishment

manandboy

Everyone on the Unionist side from David Cameron down, is flogging the phrase ‘the SNP are intent on destroying our country’.

See if you can think of any ways in which the past five Unionist Governments of Thatcher, Major, Blair, Brown and Cameron have made life better for the countries of the UK?

These five PM’s have all made life far better for the rich,
and far worse for ordinary people.

They have all transferred the wealth of the nation to the nation’s richest elite.

They have all made it very easy for the rich to avoid paying taxes while crushing millions with unemployment, zero hours contracts, minimum pay and part-time jobs with greatly reduced benefits. Right there – that’s how you destroy a country, Mr Cameron!!

Keeping secret, Scotland’s unpublicised revenues, which fund the London Lifestyle of extravagant luxury.

Bullying Scotland through fear, smear, and force into voting No, with a promise-cum-bribe of Home Rule, now since stripped to the bone of any meaningful benefits.

No, Mr Cameron, it’s not the SNP that’s destroying the country; it’s the SNP which is trying to save the country from the ravages of thievery, lies and austerity.
It is YOU and the Unionist establishment which is destroying the country, Mr Cameron, because you and your kind are sucking the country dry.

To all the ordinary people of these islands, I say do not let them away with this totally false accusation designed to distract the nation from the truth. Confront this LIE and tell the truth about who is really destroying not one, but FOUR countries.

Support Nicola, Natalie and Leanne and save this United Kingdom from the bloodsucking Establishment.

Chitterinlicht

i feel soiled

How did KD not know -doesn’t say much for her attention to detail

James Forrest

To those who wonder if the SNP really will have influence over a Labour government, I only have this to say … believe.

“You don’t need to remove a government from office to bring it to its knees. You can force it to stagger along, despised, and enfeebled, at war with itself and alienated from its own core support, dooming it to future electoral oblivion, which is a far worse fate.”

link to commentisntfree.com

Bob Mack

It is called transference.Putting on to others behaviours and qualities that you have,or indulge in yourself.Guy is La La Land.

Brian Doonthetoon

Hi muttley79.

The evidence that both Dugdale and Murphy follow Smart on Twitter is in the graphics third and fourth from the bottom, in the series the Rev posted up above with the story.

donald anderson

We could be here for ever quoting, “Nazi, Fascist, Racist, scum, etc from labourite, MPs, cooncillors, etc attacking the SNP.

Arthur Donaldson was falsely arrested on the word of an anonymous accuser, then released

No mention of Mosley and other Unionist Labour MPs and Labour Party members who formed the British Union of Fascists, BUF: or of the Royal and aristocratic Nazi scum. That’s alright then because they are “their” Nazi scum?

British Unionist Movement. BUM.

Luigi

manandboy says:
23 April, 2015 at 3:39 pm

‘the SNP are intent on destroying our country’.

The unionist parties are intent on destroying Scotland.

Andy-B

Ian Smart,is a nasty wee man,that shouldn’t be taken seriously.

handclapping

Ian Smart is a nasty.

Just don’t try saying it with drink taken.

manandboy

Aplogies to everyone.

“Quizmaster.-Ed” is what the word-complete software on my tablet does when you type in ‘Qui…

Valerie

Andy-B @ 3.48 completely disagree with your remark, which actually undermines his brother speaking out, and Wings identifying this lowlife habits.

It’s important because this is the kind of A’hole harboured by Labour all over the country. The man is allegedly a solicitor, absolutely unbelievable that he appears to support racist language, and incitement to hatred.

It’s important because the electorate deserve better, and SNP seem to be the only ones held to account for their members, and I’m sick of it.

Tattie-bogle

Poor Jeff his daughter is reading a script surely she is neither naive or lacking in IQ . Good grief what’s wrong Kezia ?

David Wardrope

*Pedant Alert*

Rev. if it’s yourself that’s adding the ‘quizmasters’ then you missed a couple (at 3:01pm and 3:03pm).

That is all.

Brian Powell

Someone reminded us of this:

“Ian Davidson MP, who is Chairman of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee, repeated his call that once the “conflict” of the independence campaign is over “all that will be required is mopping up and bayonetting of the wounded.”

He should resign or be sacked.

chris kilby

Careful now.

(Down with this sort of thing.)

chris kilby

Jesus H fucking Christ on a bike! What a complete mentalist. This creep’s such a troll he makes Katie Hopkins sound reasonable.

X_Sticks

@John King

Thin ice there John. Beware the hammers…..

One_Scot

Scottish Labour lying, it really is just par for the course.

The thought of anyone voting for these people beggars belief.

Wee Jonny

Loved Nicola’s answer to Depyoodee Dug’z condemning her party “Bare with me while I try to work my way through this diatribe of utter nonsense”.

It’s SNP for me.

you ok hun?

Slightly o/t but just going to deliver some SNP leaflets ,got the streets around my house to do

One of the houses to do just happens to belong to a certain Mr Murphy, just hope I don’t make the mistake of posting lots through that door

Wouldn’t be wanting him to be having nightmares …would we?

Luigi

Brian Powell says:
23 April, 2015 at 4:00 pm

Someone reminded us of this:

“Ian Davidson MP, who is Chairman of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee, repeated his call that once the “conflict” of the independence campaign is over “all that will be required is mopping up and bayonetting of the wounded.”

Is that the same committee that includes non-scottish members, from the Tory shires, influencing policy on Scotland? MPs from a party that has, for decades, been rejected by the Scottish electorate. How democratic is that?

Sauce for the goose.

Conan_the_Librarian

@John King

Better haud yer Tonga…

One_Scot

It feels almost criminal that Scottish Labour MSPs are taking jobs that decent people could have.

heraldnomore

Careful delivering leaflets chez Murphy – you might be caught in the middle of the After-Party from his Rally – place’ll be absolutely jumping…

Ken500

Unionists trolls? Every time there is a Westminster recess all the MSM trolls disappear.

heedtracker

Why is he on UKOK TV so much, one rule for SLabour unionists and so on. One more Vile git.

Or, just another red and blue Tory boy legal egal in the Proff AdamTomkins stable of braying nutters.

Colken

He really, really loves the word fascist doesn’t he?

manandboy

@ Luigi
manandboy says:‘the SNP are intent on destroying our country’.

The unionist parties are intent on destroying Scotland.

Luigi, behave yourself

iain taylor (not that one)

Smart has a chip on each shoulder.

He expected to be able to pick up a safe seat (MP or MSP) whenever convenient. SNP has put a spanner in the works with that plan.

As president of the LSoS he will have had dealings with Scot Gov on law & legal aid reforms. My recollection is he came off 2nd best by a country mile.

He has a legal aid practice. Legal aid reforms (cut backs by another name) required as a result of WM’s cuts to the Scot Gov budgets will have hit his back pocket.

For clarity, he is neither a “top’, a “prominent” or any other kind of solicitor worthy of note. He is/was a complete unknown, before and after his presidential year. That was achieved (as is always the case) on the “Buggins’ turn” principle. Much like getting a safe SLab seat in the old days…

He represented Lord McConnell when he took his elderly next door neighbour to court over a garden shed, or some such trivia.

Alan M

Smart by name, Smart by errrrr…… name?

Rosemary Meechan

Smart is currently living in a house we used to own. The first thing he did on moving in was to flog off a wonderful marble fireplace which had been there for over a hundred years. Nasty little money- grubber. Nae class, nae taste. Took off the garden gates – which made it easier for some toe rag to steal his car. Nae brains.

maureen

link to youtube.com

O/T If you copy & paste the link above ( dont know how to link videos )
it will take you to jim murphy downfall on youtube, for anyone who hasn’t already seen it!

Clootie

I need to take a shower!

Ken500

Mad Maddox on Sky

DerekM

Ah ma poor eyes ,is that even legal?

Jeez the depth of talent in the opposition benches in our parliament is appalling we will just have to do something about that in 2016 (shaking head in disapproval).

I hope Patrick`s team is ready i have this feeling 2016 is going to be a good year for them 😉

T222Deracha

Sadly the utterances of this numbskull could lead some folk to think the SNP really ARE an National Socialist party, i.e. Nazis. If they believe that, then they ignore all output from the SNP.

Smart and his cronies will repeat the same drivel from now till doomsday and hope that it stirs up trouble. Should that happen they will deny all responsibility for any sinister things that may happen.

It worked before, there is NO reason for them to think it will not work again.

Joemcg

Sounds like the ranting of a spotty teenager that bangs a big drum on yon satsuma marches wearing an over sized clown outfit than the musings of a late 50’s balding man. Immature barsteward.

Lochside

This is why drink and idiocy don’t mix. Unfortunately, because he’s a despicable piece of work even when sober he obviously doesn’t comprehend his cretinous burblings In the (relatively) sober light of day.

What I’d like to know is what do Law Society regulations have to say about his disgraceful piublic pronouncements? And him a former President …..

Edward

Ive just had a look at the Herald
and sure enough our friend OBE from Woking is in full spin mode on the Neil Hay article

One would think that OBE isnt his real name but is in fact a Labour shit stirrer like John McTernan, as its only at times like this that OBE vents his spleen when there is a smear story

crazycat

@ David Wardrope at 3.59

It’s probably an automatic substitution (of the kind that turns a well-known town in Lincolnshire into Seejithorpe), which can be circumvented, deliberately or otherwise, by including quotation marks, for instance.

All the missed instances that I have noticed have had a difference of that sort.

Joemcg

Interesting term on one of those tweets “wee Nazi” there was a world class zoomer on the proud scotchman threads that had a penchant for using that term and some of his comments were worse than above. Wish I could remember his pseudonym.

Mike

I’m just a bit gutted as this is my constituency and even though he is (or was) only 3% ahead in the polls (within error therefore) he has almost certainly blown any chance now and this will now be a comfortable HOLD for Labour. Edinburgh South has a large elderly & affluent population so it really couldn’t have happened in a worse constituency.

Calgacus

To all those who state that the SNP are trying to destroy “our”country – OUR COUNTRY IS SCOTLAND.

Joemcg

Yep, the biggest winner out of this will be the no mark Murray disastrously. Bet he’s quaffing the bubbly tonight in that moronic Union Flag outfit he likes wearing.

Almannysbunnet

What kind of demons does this man have rattling around in his head? The pure hatred and dripping bile is hard to fathom in an allegedly intelligent human being. Irrational doesn’t even come close. Ian Smart and Katy Hopkins clearly have something in common. It may be worthy of medical study. Perhaps some small area of their brain is throbbing away, little sparks flying across their synapses. Their dark side out of control. The overwhelming need to broadcast these thoughts to the twitterati, no feelings of remorse maybe orgasmic feelings? I wonder if they get the inspector Dreyfus* twitchy eye as they thrash away at the keyboard. Fascinating stuff.
*Pink Panther

Mark Strachan

Die Gewerkschaft ist unser Unglück!

Stoker

“There is a serious side to this. Just in the last few days, we have seen considerable light shed on the dark side of Twitter.”

Deputy Dug at her waxing lyrical hypocritical best.
(WOS article – January 2014)
link to wingsoverscotland.com
(WARNING – article contains photographs which may offend.)
🙂

sensibledave

Ive never heard of this Smart chap before. What a despicable man.

Albamac

Can anyone explain what this means.

The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 inserted Section 4A into the Public Order Act 1986. That part prohibits anyone from causing alarm or distress. Section 4A states:

(1) A person is guilty of an offence if, with intent to cause a person harassment, alarm or distress, he— (a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or (b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting, thereby causing that or another person harassment, alarm or distress.

Ian Smart?

Grant McWilliam

Nothing new, labour escaping proper scrutiny in Scotland, SNP misdemeanour laid bare before the public.

Lesson learned, individual SNP members must think before they act and display high behaviour standards that highlight the decency we and the public have coco me accustomed to and expect.

I expect nothing of substance from labour, leave Keza and her mates to scrape barrels, it’s all they are good for,

Amazing how you can make a point without having to call someone a facist!

Robert Louis

Mike at 456pm

Agreed, I feel the same. Still, to err is human, and I guess everybody has made a cock up in their life at some time. It does actually surprise me, as it’s really not what I expected of him. As silly twitter comments go, it was just dumb more than rabidly offensive.

I think as a candidate his heart is in the right place, he is very committed and works hard, so I think he would be a good MP for the constituency, and should be forgiven.

I just don’t want to see that Iain Murray win.

What is it with people and twitter eh??

shiregirl

Just read these vile opinions of someone who appears rather obsessed with the word Nazi?

I am a newbie to the site but have posted a few times. I have never heard of this guy….is he a lawyer?

If I needed legal advice and seen some of these tweets, I think it is fair to say my mind would be made up to look elsewhere. His opinions and remarks disgust me.

Is he being serious or taking the Farage/Katie Hopkins mode of drawing attention to himself?

jethro

O/T – BBC 1 o’clock news from London opened today with the IFS report on the economic policies of ‘the four main parties’, with the screen quartered to show Dave, Ed, Nick and Nicola as the headline was announced.

Don’t think BBC in London have acknowledged the status of the SNP as a ‘main party’ equal to Lab, Con and Lib Dems in quite this way before. Not a mention of Farage or UKIP either. The reporting itself was scrupulously neutral and balanced.

First signs of perceptions slowly but inexorably beginning to shift at the heart of the Establishment, as they adjust to the new reality?

Gary

Sadly he is not alone. You’d expect this kind of thing from some weirdo keyboard warrior type, sat alone in his bedroom pouring out his hate. But no, this comes from professionals, activists, candidates and…former chancellors.

I remember clearly during the referendum the trolls on Facebook and twitter crossing the line into hate speech and threats. I remember seeing many from a small cadre of friends, acquaintances and colleagues who were the patrolling attack dogs for Better Together.

I assumed they were zealots on the fringe of the campaign. Not at all, following the shares and retweets back you could see that the group were sharing these with and from Mrs Darling. The trolling and the hate was coming directly from Mr Darling. One day he makes a comment about North Korea, the next day a photoshopped tweet is shared from his house with said quote and pic!

That’s who they are. There’s no desire to treat the party, the people or the policies with respect. This is naked aggression.

Luigi

Mike says:
23 April, 2015 at 4:56 pm

I’m just a bit gutted as this is my constituency and even though he is (or was) only 3% ahead in the polls (within error therefore) he has almost certainly blown any chance now and this will now be a comfortable HOLD for Labour. Edinburgh South has a large elderly & affluent population so it really couldn’t have happened in a worse constituency.

Aye, you could be right there, Mike. The MSM will be gunning fo the SNP candidate tomorrow for sure. Having failed to smear NS, they will now go after individual SNP candidates, and try and pick them off one by one. I hope there are no other cheap comments made by other candidates (even years back) that the red tories manage to dig up in the next two weeks. Considerable resources will be spent trying to dig up some muck – you better believe it. They will go hell for leather after anyone who has the slightest blemish, because, apart from Gordzilla (who is about to re-surface) they have nothing left to use against the SNP.

galamcennalath

@Mike @Luigi

Perhaps SLab have realised they are beyond the point where the tide can be turned across the country. Their strategy now may be to target the closest seats by any means possible.

I doubt it is concidence that this muck raking is focused on Edinburgh South, which is probably SLab’s best chance in the capital.

If I am right, we can expect to see more targeted smear and muck slinging in other close seats.

Muttley

I could almost understand if there were a few isolated posts and the guy was a hotheaded young activist, quickly reeled in by his party but he’s a lawyer ! and 60+ years old ! judging by the pictures, incredible.

T222Deracha

O/T but relevant, John Reid, who was Broon’s attack dog, also told voters at the Referendum “If you are not sure, don’t vote.”

The man used to be chairman of Celtic football club and he told people not to vote for Scottish Independence.

Reid is the forgotten man in Project Fear.

TYRAN

The man with the unfortunate Twitter username, ian SS mart. 😀

Albamac

I’ve just contacted Police Scotland.

There’s little doubt in my mind that Smart’s remarks are an offence under the Public Order Act given that they are clearly abusive, insulting and designed to cause alarm and distress and, since they are regularly repeated, they must, surely, count as a form of harassment.

I think that satisfies all the grounds for complaint under the Act but, unlike Smart, I’m not a respected (???) member of the legal profession, so I’ll have to wait to find out what the polis make of it.

Katie

Just to cheer us all up! I love this video….. link to m.youtube.com

Robert Peffers

@galamcennalath says: 23 April, 2015 at 1:45 pm:

Does this joker have the faintest notion of what Facism is?

Having engaged with the man several times in the past I can only conclude he suffers severe mental problems and these are of long standing. One such occasion was about Smart’s main hobby horse, Arthur Donaldson. Here is, not word for word, what I told him and asked for his proofs – I’m still waiting for them to arrive.

Here is the truth about Arthur Donaldson’s arrest : –
Donaldson’s home was raided by police, In May 1941, under suspicion he, and other SNP figures were involved in, “subversive activities”. This was said to be due to their support for the Scottish Neutrality League., (They were actually Contentious Objectors). The arrest followed an anonymous informer’s report to MI5 desk officer Richard Brooman-White. The informer was reported to have claimed Donaldson intended to set up a puppet government like that of Vidkun Quisling if there was ever a Nazi invasion. As a result Donaldson was arrested and held on remand under Defence Regulation 18B. First to Kilmarnock Prison and then at Barlinnie. He was held for six weeks.

According to MI5, (who led raids against several other Scottish nationalists), “subversive literature” and a “large cache of weapons” were found in Donaldson’s house. The allegations in MI5 files, (released in 1994 after Donaldson died), were denied by Violet Donaldson, his wife. Donaldson was never charged with anything and no evidence was ever produced by MI5. In fact the truth may be due to Donaldson’s campaign against the conscription of Scottish women for work in factories in England, (My own mother being one of those conscripted women). Thus Donaldson has been described as a political prisoner by several of his former colleague.

So, considering it was wartime and the war’s winners not yet clear, if anyone is stupid to imagine Donaldson was guilty must explain why neither the claimed documentation, arms and ammunition were never produced and Donaldson released without charge. Now Mr Smart knows all this yet still persists in his vile lies and offensive diatribes.

Geoff Huijer

‘Top’ lawyer.

LOL!

Robert Peffers

@heraldnomore says: 23 April, 2015 at 4:14 pm:

“Careful delivering leaflets chez Murphy – you might be caught in the middle of the After-Party from his Rally – place’ll be absolutely jumping…”

You meant, “Loupin”, of course Heraldnomore?

There is, of course two Scottish meanings of that word.

Here’s another Scottish word with two meanings, “Knapdarloch”. The second meaning of which is – a contemptuous term for an undersized, dirty, cheeky person.
Now, what was the other definition again? … …. Naw! jist canna mind it. Summthin tae day we sheep Ah think!

Robert Peffers

@Colken says: 23 April, 2015 at 4:22 pm:

“He really, really loves the word fascist doesn’t he?”

“Speak roughly to your little boy
and beat him when he sneezes!
he only does it to annoy,
because he knows it teases!”

Lewis Carrol

Robert Peffers

@sensibledave says: 23 April, 2015 at 5:16 pm:

“I’ve never heard of this Smart chap before. What a despicable man.”

You may find him on Labourhame. He used to be a regular there.

donald anderson

Smart by name. Stupid by nature.

He has a brother who is the exact opposite and a socialist for Independence.

X_Sticks

scunner says:

“This is a tough seat and it’s just got tougher :-(”

Mike says:

“this will now be a comfortable HOLD for Labour. Edinburgh South has a large elderly & affluent population so it really couldn’t have happened in a worse constituency.”

The good folk of Edinburgh South could do worse than getting the three latest Wings articles collated and printed and delivered to every houshold in the constituency. It could redress the balance and keep Neil Hay in with a chance.

Dave the Fascist Squirrel

Think you should sticky this article Rev, if you have such a mechanism or similar.
Anyone who implies that I am Hitler, for having the slightest bit of compassion for my country of birth, shall be casually directed to this article with a smug grin.

And still a handful of Scots gaze up doe-eyed at their beloved Conservalabour. Totally beggars belief.

Dafydd Williams

Sad. We have some people in Wales who also have a fixation on smearing Plaid Cymru. So much so that a respected academic Professor Richard Wyn Jones has recently published a book comprehensively debunking allegations of fascism among Plaid leaders in the 1930s and 1940s. But brilliant to see Nicola Sturgeon’s rebuttal – as if she didn’t have other things to do.

col

Sorry if someone has already said this but they are doing our work for us!
Digging ones own grave comes to mind. It’s like they don’t know that alternative media exists in this day and age and that people actually talk to one another.
They have nothing left, it’s plain to see.

Andrew Morton

Fame at last!

Andrew Morton

Does anybody actually read the Evening News nowadays? Would any of these pensioners be voting SNP anyway? Will anyone remember this on polling day?

The answer to all three questions is probably not.

Shiprex

I have to say that I miss Scotland and this kind of thing. That INDYREF thing was brilliant.
When is the rematch?
I only hope the Scottish electorate don’t get jaded too much by all this WM style bollox and that the departure accompanies all these twats who can’t abide to be around us positive thinking, inclusive energised and open Scots who are prepared to give their all for there country and its people. I’d rather have a Pole (I do as it happens) or a Paki (no offence intended) as a neighbour than a twat like this (I know a few of them too).
He’s such a WM knob-jockey. I do feel some pity for Kezia Dugdale though she has brought it on herself I hope her pa has another wee whisper in her ear about preparing for things properly BEFORE going at them full on.
FMQs are also a whole lot more informative than the equivalent from WM, the Mother of Governments(?)I think the retirement home has called and has a vacancy for one 300 Year old obviously on another planet and dangerously unpredictable.

donald anderson

If you want a Tory for a neighbour Vote Labour.

[…] Ian Smart that we are Nazi’s via Twitter, which was covered on the Wings Over Scotland website, link to wingsoverscotland.com so why on earth would I want, as an SNP member, any sort of deal with […]

[…] wide through the politics of the UK. The prominent Labour blogger Ian Smart says that the SNP are ‘fascist scum’ – others put it more politely. In a recent Guardian comment piece, Rafael Behr bemoans what […]

j

Ian Smart always baffles me because his blog is pretty good, yet his twitter is utterly insane. Not in the way that any fool publishing his thoughts without reflection might be, but on a completely different level.

J Williams

The comments made by Ian Smart – activist, lawyer, blogger, TV pundit – are absolutely disgusting. If he feels that way about 45% of the electorate in this country then I genuinely fear for his mental health and hope he gets the help he desperately needs.


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