The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


The Biggest Lie Ever Told

Posted on March 03, 2021 by

We’re only two-thirds of the way through Nicola Sturgeon’s evidence to the Fabiani inquiry, and there’s probably not much point in expressing our opinion on it because you could almost certainly have guessed what it was going to be. The First Minister has been disingenuous, evasive, defensive and at times outright dishonest.

But although we were expecting all of that, this truly shocked us:

That’s the First Minister flatly stating, under oath, that even now she doesn’t know who all the complainers are. And readers can make their own minds up about how credible a claim that is. But I can tell you this:

I know who they all are.

Craig Murray knows who they all are.

Every journalist who covered the trial knows who they all are.

(And we can reasonably assume their editors also know who they all are.)

In fact pretty much everyone who’s in any way connected to Scottish politics knows the identity of every single one of these women. If you’re willing to believe that we all do but Nicola Sturgeon doesn’t, well, fair enough. But also, I’m a Nigerian prince and I’d like to pass several million pounds through your bank account. Please get in touch.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

571 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
TNS2019

Andy Ellis says:

“It seems to me we’re not working as if we live in the early days of a better nation, but in the early days of a deeply flawed and dysfunctional nation.”

The sound of a nail being hit on the head.

NS has brought international disrepute to our nation but, worse than that, destroyed the fundamental roots of our democracy.
It is very clear now that there is no plan for independence but rather a desperate attempt to hold onto power (which they will do).
From a WM perspective, I would be thinking seriously about granting indyref2 if NS and her stooges get a decent majority in May, but then lauch a fierce attack during the referendum campaign to ensure that it fails and then dooms the SNP to the dustbin.
The indy vote is much softer than polls might suggest. Much support coming through a hatred of Boris and a perception that NS had handled the PR side of covid reasonably well. But once the debate shifts to currency, Europe, pensions etc, that support is liekly to drift away. It is certainly NOT going to increase.
Aside from all of that, one depressing thing to emerged from the whole AS debacle is the sorry state of Holyrood and the absence of talent amongst the current crop of MSPs.
Maureen Watt was once a minister. Think on that.
It is no wonder that our public services are in such a sorry state: link to tns2019.org
Is this really the best that Scotland can do?

crisiscult

@Andy Ellis

I completely understand your perspective and I feel like I’m in purgatory here but maybe you or another reader can help me out. SNP – shit, and not gonna get us indy ref (we’re what, 99% sure?). British party? Will actively block chance of indy 100%. Now that takes us into territory that has been occupied by between 40 and 60% of the electorate for decades i.e. they’re all the same, they’re all shit, so I don’t vote. UK “democracy” has thrived on this Hobson’s choice and voter apathy (or even, I’ve heard called “inverted totalitarianism”).

I think many have observed that the vain hope is that list indy parties can somehow unite under high profile names.

100%Yes

What we have all seen in the last few years and witnessed yesterday from Nicola Sturgeon was shocking to anyone who believed Scottish politics was better than Westminster, we have our answer Scottish politics is in the gutter our institutions are corrupt and the current leader looks like she has got away with it all and is now calling for the Scottish people to judge her well Mrs Murrell I am judging you and your party and I would rather not vote than vote for your party with you as leader.

Lothianlad

The yes movement needs to get organised and take power back from the corrupt politicians.

Mark Boyle

Excellent article in today’s Spectator about the current goings on.

link to spectator.co.uk

The crucial part is:

“This leaves us with a First Minister whose government breaks the law; who apparently misleads parliament herself; who seemingly treats the ministerial code like a takeaway menu, its provisions being there to pick and choose from as the appetite strikes her.

When the Scottish parliament tries to hold her to account, her government obscures and omits, refuses and revises.

When the Scottish parliament tries harder, it receives a letter from state prosecutors warning it to disappear evidence already published on its website.

Holyrood’s powerlessness in the face of an overmighty government is a fundamental design flaw of devolution. It would be unthinkable for a Westminster inquiry to be treated in this contemptuous way.”

Mia

“Abstain on the first vote is a vote for the Union”

No, it is not. Abstaining/spoiling the constituency vote is a vote against the union. It is the only way we currently have to reject each and every available party in Scotland, which are all pro union.

Voting SNP in the first vote is, in the present circumstances, with Sturgeon or the bobby price at the helm is a vote to endorse the union, a vote to endorse corruption, a vote to endorse malicious prosecutions, a vote to endorse the denial of our democracy and self determination, a vote to endorse the silencing of dissenters and a vote to endorse the destruction of women’s rights.

I think it is pretty obvious from the truckloads of information Mr Campbell has been releasing through this site in recent months that there is a massive collusion of interests between Sturgeon’s government, the UK civil servants in Holyrood, the higher echelons of the SNP and the COPFS.

That collusion is clearly aiming to keep Sturgeon in control of an SNP that has been eviscerated and destroyed as a pro independence party, until the bobby price can take over. Ultimately, the goal is to derail independence or at least to delay it. And we all know who the beneficiary of that is: the british state.

Now, to think that such collusion can go ahead without the green light if not the encouragement of the British state is ridiculous. Sturgeon should have been given her marching orders back in January 2019 for breaching the ministerial code, those civil servants should have been sacked and subjected to disciplinary procedures for breaching the ministerial code, the Lord Advocate should have been ejected from his dual seat for seemingly blurring his impartiality and inability to keep the two seats separate from each other and brining the COPFS under his leadership to disrepute and the mI5 crown agents sent to pastures new for, apparently sending complaints to the police against the will of the complainants and seemingly initiating the most costly, unnecessary and overblown police investigation on the back of some of the most ridiculously flimsy and absurd charges that have ever reached a criminal court.

If the crown agent saw it pertinent to pass the complaints of the first two complainants to the police, then the higher echelons of the SNP, the Vietnam group, certain Civil Servants and the perjurers in the criminal case should have been prosecuted too. So why didn’t they? Because they are all being protected.

To think that it is only the SGov via COPFS and not the British state who is protecting all these actors is beyond absurd. The COPFS itself as an institution has nothing to win out of this. The British state does. It is the same for Holyrood: the parliament of Scotland has nothing to win out of giving Sturgeon an easy ride and allowing her to spout all those lies under questioning. The British state does.
An SNP government in its present state, when so many people is now aware of their blatant corruption and forced suppression of information, has nothing to win by remaining in power in its weakened and exposed state, reminding the voters of what not to vote for. But the British state does.
The SNP itself has nothing to win by keeping a fraud as a leader who has presided over the most disgusting corruption in Scotland since devolution started. But the British state does.

If Sturgeon had been given her marching orders and the above had happened back in January 2019 or soon after, which is what you expect in a democratic state where the rule of law still applies and the opposition parties are functional parties and not just puppets of another country’s parties, we would have either had an indyref by now or we would be on course to a plebiscitary election in May.

That is why the opposition parties and MSM are allowing this farce to carry on. That is why a parliamentary committee designed, allegedly, to scrutinise a deeply corrupt SNP government has been allowed to be hijacked by the same political party responsible for the corruption at the heart of government, by taking half of the seats of that toothless committee and having a completely useless chairwoman who jumps, bumps her gums and interrupts the questioning every time it gets a bit bumpy for Murrell, Sturgeon or any of the culprits. She is very quick to remind some of “the remit of the committee” but she appears incapable to actually enforce that remit on herself. That is why Sturgeon got away with not properly answering to questions, lying, obfuscating, smearing Mr Salmond and attempting to re-run the criminal court for hours. Sturgeon would have not been allowed to do so in a court of law nor before a proper parliamentary committee, but she was given free range in Fabiani’s Farce, because the committee was always designed as a propaganda tool to continue smearing Mr Salmond and keep whitewashing Sturgeon to maintain her in power and stop independence.

It is this toothless committee that refuses to use the parliamentary powers it has, that has allowed Sturgeon’s government to continue suppressing information for months, to stop civil servants with a hell of a lot of explaining to do to get away with not appearing before the committee and to be bullied by COPFS.

In a democracy COPFS is not above parliament, therefore any attempts by the COPFS to suppress information from parliament can only be interpreted either as a blatant abuse of power by COPFS that must be investigated and corrected as a matter of urgency, or the supine Fabiani’s Farce was eager to take on “their advice” and offered no resistance nor attempted to exercise their own powers.

All the while, the opposition parties have either kept silent or issued some flimsy complain every now or threats they never seem to be determined to pursue, in order to maintain the veneer of credibility that they are opposition parties and no part of a one-party state where ALL parties in parliament are fighting to stop our right to self determination and democracy.

Why did Fabiani and the opposition parties allowed Swinney to ignore two parliamentary votes and to continue suppressing information for months?
The inaction of Fabiani’s farce and the opposition parties for months to force the release of that information makes them accomplices of the suppression of information from the public.

Because what that did is to delay matters and decrease the likelihood of a plebiscitary election.

Why was Swinney allowed to deny some key civil servants to appear before the committee?

Because that would delay the truth reaching the public and the inevitable ejection of Sturgeon before the next British state puppet was ready to take over.

Why were the opposition parties complacent on this suppression of information and the tightening of the committee’s hands behind the back by the supine attitude of Fabiani to the COPFS?

Because it keeps Sturgeon in power, decreases the likelihood of a real pro independence leader to take over the SNP before May and more importantly, ties down Mr Salmond stopping him joining another political party.

Make no mistake: voting for the SNP in its present form is endorsing the british state. All what we have seen since November 2017 has been a plan to stop independence. They targeted Mr Salmond because they knew that if he remained in the picture, the yes movement would not put up with the fraud Sturgeon for 6 fckng years. They continue to smear him today and to prolong this farce for as long as possible because they are terrified of the prospect of Mr Salmond fronting another pro indy party bypassing the fraud Sturgeon.

Frankly, you have to give us a much better reason to not spoil our ballot than such a tired soundbite, because from where I am standing, unless a real pro independence party emerges in the constituency from now and May, the only option for a person who wants independence is to abstain or spoil their constituency vote.

StuartM

There is an answer to the question of “who can I vote for” – the answer is to get rid of Sturgeon and Murrell within the next 3 weeks. This can be done if the Party members revolt against the MSPs and make it clear to them that there will be no money and no campaign volunteers while the Sturrells are running the Party.

The SNP is now so broke that the Party Head Office is not only not paying branches their share of 2019’s subs (let alone 2020 & 2021) but they’re even begging members to renew their annual subscriptions 3 months early. This is the inevitable result of the Sturrells fiddling while the Party burns, continuing to spend money like drunken sailors while members are resigning in droves and income collapsing. The claim that they’re going to spend 1.5million on the May HR Election is just wishful thinking – they think that the mug members will just pony up with the money as usual. Yet from what we hear BTL from party members there is massive disquiet at branch level over the dictatorial way the Party is run, the GRA, the Thought Crime Act and the fit-up of Alex.

The members need to communicate their anger to the SNP politicians and the branch office-bearers. Without money or volunteers to campaign the SNP majority and each MSP will be facing electoral disaster. Individually and collectively the members need to tell their MSP that unless they vote to get rid of the Sturrells they’ll get no support in May.

Mia

” those civil servants should have been sacked and subjected to disciplinary procedures for breaching the ministerial code”

Apologies. I meant to write

those civil servants should have been sacked and subjected to disciplinary procedures for breaching the civil service code

James Caldwell

Is Leslie Evans a M!5 agent?

Clavie Cheil

I have decided I will be voting AFI on the list. They might not win a single seat but I will still be voting for them but only because Doug Thompson was from Lossiemouth. It is a better reason than any I can think of for voting SNP on the list or the constituency vote.

Mac

SC wrote on here a wee while ago that if NS was re-elected he was not going to waste any more time on all of this and would find some other occupation (I paraphrase badly but that was the gist of it).

I am not having a go at Craig Murray here, he is obviously a very intelligent and decent man and has to call it as he sees it, but after reading that tweet I very much now feel the same. If Sturgeon is comfortably re-elected in May after all of this then I am going to find something else to do.

I am fortunate in that I can apply for citizenship of an independent country who citizens never hesitated when given their chance. Sadly I increasingly think that will be the most realistic route for me to be living in an independent country.

You are not just endorsing another Sturgeon term you are potentially putting our last chance at independence in the hands of the people who tried to stitch-up Salmond and whose behaviour is wall-to-wall, off-the-chart, non-stop, abuse of power.

Doing that seems so insane to me I will just have to walk away at that point. Fuck that, I’ll get a dog or something, take up gardening, there must be a million more enjoyable and productive hobbies.

You know that definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result… well not me bud, you are own your own!

100%Yes

After yesterdays performance could anyone argue that Mrs Murrell has got Impostor syndrome, the answer to that would be NO. But what she is is a Impostor and has taken us all for mugs including Mr Salmond.

robertknight

Puzzled as to why CM would advocate Sturgeon’s Nasty Party 1 & 2.

All you’re doing is endorsing the Woke cancel culture and the erosion of women’s rights and free speech, while simultaneously condoning the intellectual and moral vacuum at the heart of the SNP leadership. Not to mention the endless kicking down the road of the Indy can and the cynical manoeuvres surrounding the 600k.

The Westminster Burns Society, featuring cozy feet Pete and Paper-Tiger Blackford, sum up the whole bunch nicely – promise everything, deliver nothing, keep on cashing the cheques.

As for Sturgeon herself – straight out of some Orwellian dystopia. Protected by the BritNat establishment in the form of the UK Civil Service, the MSM and spooks in the COPFS, how exactly does she constitute a threat to the Union? I’ll tell you – she doesn’t. Boris has her right where he wants her… No S30, no IndyRef2, bypass Holyrood at every opportunity whilst Sturgeon sits wringing her hands.

How anyone can vote for that after all that has been seen and heard of late escapes me, therefore…

Spoil 1 ISP 2

#NoVotesSNP

Mr Bonobo

Did anything new at all come out of yesterday’s evidence.

We heard for hours and hours how sad Nicola was about everything and how it could have clouded her memory, but I cannot think of a single fact or bit of actual information, never mind corroboration.

Lenny Hartley

Mac, presumably the same country i have recently found out im eligible to become a citizen off, i plan on doing the same thing, however there is an issue that many folk have the same idea that there is a 12 to 18 month waiting list and that new applications are not being accepted as the office dealing with applications is shut due to Covid.
So looks as if we have work tondo for a while yet ?

Daisy Walker

If I put my non political anorak filter on, and look at it from a normal persons perspective.

Anyone who caught a glimpse of AS’s testimony, will have sat down and been rivetted by it.

Anyone who caught a glimpse of NS’s, will have changed the channel after a few minutes.

But the damn needs to break. The evidence must come out, before May.

If NS and Co remain in power within the SNP after May then the SNP is the superbug / gangreen of the Indy movement.

Meanwhile in other news, Loyalists from NI are blaming the EU for the ‘border in the Irish Sea’ writing to Boris for help, and no longer supporting the Good Friday Agreement.

I wonder if that is because on the ground support for Irish reunification is gaining in NI post Brexit.

If so, they are about to get played by WM very, very royally. Somehow or other they will be utilised to keep Scotland attached.

Graham

A glossy but nevertheless accurate account of Sturgeon yesterday by Professor James Mitchell (Professor of Public Policy, Edinburgh University) in Holyrood Magazine.

Sturgeon’s performance was a masterclass in obfuscation and deflection

Source: link to holyrood.com

Big Jock

Unusual – Heard a guy from Inverness on Radio Scotland phone in. He was very articulate and went on to criticize the SNP leadership , the Civil Service and the Lord Advocate.

He closed by saying he was an independence supporter , but wanted Scotland to be run properly and not by Sturgeon’s secret cabal. Before that all I heard was how wonderful Sturgeon was from every caller.

Daisy Walker

James Caldwell says:
4 March, 2021 at 9:53 am

Is Leslie Evans a M!5 agent?

Alex Salmond disclosed that she is the Crown Agent – David Hardie’s line manager. Officially she is Civil Servant.

Make of that what you will, ultimately its clear what country she is serving (and its not Scotland). Quite probably she is not MI5, from reading Craig Murray’s blog, it appears there is quite a lot of ‘mututal aid’ between the departments.

WhoRattledYourCage

All day every day recently, with all this fucking madness going on:

link to youtube.com

Breeks

The Dissident says:
4 March, 2021 at 9:31 am

…On the one hand declaring the testimony of two people who were not present when the name was passed on as hearsay while believing her own second-hand testimony must be treated as gospel simply because it is her providing it.

Not just that, but while Murdo waffled on labouring the point about corroboration, he understated the significance that the ‘uncorroborated’ version of events reported by Sturgeons secretary were dancing around what would have been a sackable offence, thus giving compelling motive to lie.

I also agree that folks supporting Sturgeon must be pretty desperate if they’re drawing any succour from Sturgeon’s performance. At times it was on a par with Alistair Carmichael’s “Help me Rhona” moment, but with Fabiani charging to the rescue of a floundering Sturgeon.

Don’t forget, Sturgeon has been ducking out of questions for months, fobbing off questions on the grounds she’d explain all when she “finally” had the chance to speak at the inquiry. As far as I’m aware however, nobody was threatening her with imprisonment for speaking out, and much of the redacted legal advice actually could have been released as client privilege, so I’m baffled about whatever it was preventing Sturgeon from speaking out before.

But anyway, that was it? Worth the wait? The great opportunity she’s been waiting for to put the record straight. Revelations and new information? None. A full day of, “Boo-hoo-hoo, it wasni me, ah wusni there, but Alec Salmond is the bad guy”.

What a fkg yawn. Maybe Sturgeon’s also using her trademark gradualism to ‘clear her name’, (and slag off the bestest ever friend she’d ever knifed in the back).

In the meantime, poor auld Scotland withers beneath her cloud of acrimonious poison as Queen Nicola’s reign blots out every ray of Independence sunshine…

Boaby

Oh those ‘loyalists’ will very definitely be ‘utilised’ ie encouraged to move to Scotland, where there vote will ensure independence is dead and buried forever. Demographically and politically irish reunification is absolutely guaranteed within the next 10yrs. And westminster will gladly sacrifice NI to hold on to Scotland their cash cow.

Boaby

Their vote.

Cenchos

I think it’s really unfair that Linda Fabiani is the convenor of the inquiry.

It should really have been Nicola’s mother.

The Dissident

@Breeks,

Indeed.

When all is said and done and all the acolytes have exhausted their orgasmic delight at their dear leader’s performance, the cold light of day will show that no questions have been answered and the true character of Sturgeon has been revealed to even more.

Ruby

link to rt.com

Just watched the start of the Alex Salmond Show.

The first image is of Donald & Melanie Trump.

Is this a love match or is it the another side #MeToo?

Are rich powerful men being used by women?

Do women sleep their way to the top?

Nicola Sturgeon seems to believe (or would like us to believe) that women are perfect and they would never do anything wrong like having a ‘sleepy cuddle’ with a powerful man in order to get a job.

Brian Doonthetoon

Hi Big Jock.

There are TWO Hamiltons –

James Hamilton – Ministerial Code Inquiry

Duncan Hamilton – 2nd April meeting.

Big Jock

Someone said on Twitter : ” It’s possible to be loyal to Sturgeon without being disloyal to Salmond”

The problem is that Sturgeon smears Salmond at every opportunity. So those in the Salmond camp can’t support Sturgeon. I have yet to hear Salmond smear Sturgeon , yet she was allowed to do it time and again yesterday. The two tribes can only come together when she allows Salmond his not guilty verdict and moves on.

Sturgeon still tells the world Salmond is a criminal. So I can’t support her.

Gillies

One positive in this whole thing, is I think all the engagement in politics in scotland is incredible, i think ever since pre 2014 there has been an awakening of the scottish people, and they continue to awaken… this cannot go on forever, politics is more in the public consciousness than ever before.

Big Jock

Brian – Thanks for clarifying. Maybe my optimism is unfounded then!

Big Jock

Boaby – Correct N Eire is a drain on UK resources.

The only reason they might want to keep them is access to the EU through the Republic.

Boaby

Also when those ‘loyalists’ move to Scotland, any decent right thinking Scot wont be able to voice any opinions that those ‘loyalists’ disagree with, or they will soon find themselves at the sharp end of some harsh violence and intimidation from those para military thugs and their OO political wing.

Mia

“the cold light of day will show that no questions have been answered”

And that is an endorsement to either supreme incompetence and inability of a parliamentary committee to do the job they were tasked to do or the fact that there was never any real intention to actually scrutinise Sturgeon because the main goal was always to stop Mr Salmond rejoining the SNP or joining another political party.

Incompetence or bad faith, take your pick. Either option leads to the exact same outcome: the deliberate delaying of Scotland’s independence.

Socrates MacSporran

Big Jock @ 10.ssam

Excellent post Big Man. You hit the nail on the head.

What a pretty pass it has now come to in Scotland, that we are relying on Ruth Davidson, at FMQs today, to try to do what the Fabiani Committee did not do yesterday, and hold this lying, devious First Minister to account.

wull

A question for Big Jock @ 8.56 …

Does that mean that for her next command performance (she is good at commanding) our beloved Drama Queen Leader is going to give us a rendition of ‘Puppet on a String’? Sung from the heart – no lies this time. Because, after a wee redaction (good at that one too), she will be able to belt it out with all honesty and sincerity.

Not quite a tribute act to Sandie Shaw … Rather, ‘it’s all about ME’ … especially now that HE has gone!

Here goes (with appropriate redaction):

Every night on the telly from now till May 6, throughout the election campaign: SHAW-TIME: THE BIG SHAW (alias NS Sings For You – also known as ‘ME AGAIN!’)

NICOLA ST. SHAW SINGS TO ELECTORATE: Opening gambit, lights focused, microphone in hand:

“Sorry folks, no chorus tonight! Or any other night, for that matter. No space for you here, or anyone else for that matter: except ME. And my mirror-images, in the SNP.

“Just ME! What more does anyone need? Vote SNP – it’s ME! … And do NOT mention that SANDIE (SHAW) person. This is MY show – it’s ME. And ‘Sandie’ is just far too close to ‘Alex’ – Please forget that name, and everything associated with it. It has been ERASED from history! Don’t you dare mention it!

On to the Theme Song of THE BIG SHAW, transmitted to you live, all the way from Dreghorn … or Bute House (this is a success story) … or somewhere or other: ‘Puppet on a String’ now renamed as ‘Love Song to the Scottish Electorate’.

The ‘one day’ mentioned in the former chorus, which I will sing all by myself, without you, means May 6. So here I come. I Nicola, star of THE BIG SHAW, croons for YOU:

[Former Chorus: Now, Just Me]
I wonder if one day that You’ll say that you care
If you say you love me madly
I’ll gladly be there
Like a puppet on a string

[Verse 1]
Love is just like a merry-go-round
With all the fun of a fair
One day I’m feeling down on the ground
Then I’m up in the air
[REDACTED> ‘Are you leading me on?] AM I LEADING YOU ON?
Tomorrow will [REDACTED> ‘you’] I [POOR WEE ME] be gone?

[Former Chorus: Now, Just Me]
I wonder if one day that
You’ll say that you care
If you say you love me madly
I’ll gladly be there
Like a puppet on a string

[Verse 2]
I may win on the roundabout
Then I’ll lose on the swings
In or out, there is never a doubt
Just who’s pulling the strings
I’m all tied up in [REDACTED> you] ME, [NOT YOU]
But where’s it leading [REDACTED> me] YOU LOT [YOU YES-FOLK] to?

[Former Chorus: Now, Just Me]
I wonder if one day that You’ll say that you care
If you say you love me madly
I’ll gladly be there
Like a puppet on a string

Hopefully, on by or before May 6, she will indeed be gone. Scottish electorate – time to wake up! Before you get woked down, jailed up, harassed by a Hate Crime Bill that takes away your fundamental freedoms, and stitched into a British Union that is now hell bent on erasing Scotland from the map, the memory and any form whatever of real existence.

‘Don’t forget’, as the star of the Big Shaw can continually remind you, ‘we have our master weavers, who are good at interweaving everything we want to interweave with any other thing, and making disappear whatever – or whoever we want to disappear.’

Wake up, and watch out, Scottish electorate. This could be the last election in which you will have any real say. If certain people have their way. You are on the brink of erasure.

And if you are one of those tempted to rejoice at what they did to Alex Salmond – just remember, you will be next! What they did to him they can do even more easily – much more easily – to you, and to anyone at all.

How will it feel – being stitched up? And also being stitched in? … Stitched in, to a Union that will suffocate you in its loving embrace, and kill you!

Nicola’s SNP isn’t offering you freedom, but – instead – a straitjacket. As long as she and hers remain in charge, the show is only a pretence. It means the opposite of what it pretends to mean. As all lies do.

Big Jock

AKA – George Square 2014!

Effigy

Welsh independence support just under 40%.

Scotland over 50%

N Ireland Loyalist terrorist groups ready to break the Good Friday agreement.

Never, ever, can there be a better time for a plebiscite election.
Where is it?

Effigy

EU fury at 8 new English Free Ports.
This may lead to the EU blocking trade with England.

Mac

To those dreaming it was an accomplished performance ask yourself why if it was so accomplished did she require rescuing by a clown like Linda Fabiani on at least three occasions.

By the end Fabiani was gesticulating and rolling her eyes like a child and bickering and heckling her own Deputy Convener.

So you had that and you had 80% of the inquiry throwing softball questions that Sturgeon clearly knew of in advance.

And still she needed Fabiani to charge in like a raging heifer to shut down the line of questioning or run interference for her.

How many times did Alex Salmond need someone to come bail him out. How many softball questions did he get.

As said above, her performance yesterday will not stand the test of time. It played to her galleries with all the debased snide attacks on Salmond but that will not fool the people that matter.

It was a dreadful performance yesterday, in the fullest sense of the word.

I really did feel like I needed a shower by the end of her session yesterday.

John Jones

Just read Iain Lawson’s blog, Yours for Scotland.
Summed up the whole pantomime yesterday very precisely.
Is the story about Craig Murray saying both votes SNP correct?
If so that’s my wee monthly donation stopped.
Big notice in my window come election time

. SNP
No for me

Jack Murphy

Jackie Baillie MSP [on the Committee Labour] was on the Today programme about 10 to 8 today. I missed most of her…

SilverDarling

@Ruby

Yes, women use men just as men use women. Although the overt power dynamic is more often one way. Also, any large institution is rife with May-December relationships, Drs, Academics, Civil Servants. Look at Boris Johnston and Carrie Symonds.

Sometimes there is no fool like an old fool (Mike Russell) but sometimes both get something out of it and it isn’t always ‘love’.

Cuilean

One thing is now in no doubt after yesterday.

Mrs Peter (no ring-fenced fund for Indy2) Murrell, loves the sound of her own voice.

McDuff

There has obviously been crimes committed by Sturgeon and her inner circle, and the Crown Office and police have definately targeted Salmond supporters, so is the entire legal establishment corrupt.
There is no doubt there is strong evidence of perjury and of a conspiracy, the messages involving two complainers talking of a plan when there should have been strictly no contact between them prior to Salmond’s trial. In this whole stinking affair the law seems to have turned a blind eye in favour of certain parties.
Without doubt independence has been the target and Sturgeon is at the heart of it.

Sylvia

I posted on here a few weeks ago, I believed NS had been poisoned against AS-a few responses disagreed with me.

After yesterday’s performance, I am even more convinced, She could not hide her disdain for him and even referenced “what I have found out about him”. Who is to say it is true, what she has found out about him? He’s had no opportunity to deny or confirm “what’s she has found out about him”-as they have a big divide between them.

Nothing, nothing will change my mind “a closed controlling Machiavellian cabal” is managing NS et al. NS et al have all had the same level of coaching as how to “perform” when giving evidence.

When giving evidence AS was clear and concise. The same cannot be said for NS, she just used the time as an opportunity to discredit AS further. Her name-calling tactics showed her true colours. It also indicated the level of intellect that separates them.

Ruby

SilverDarling says:
4 March, 2021 at 10:33 am
@Ruby

Yes, women use men just as men use women. Although the overt power dynamic is more often one way. Also, any large institution is rife with May-December relationships, Drs, Academics, Civil Servants. Look at Boris Johnston and Carrie Symonds.

Sometimes there is no fool like an old fool (Mike Russell) but sometimes both get something out of it and it isn’t always ‘love’.

Reply

Is Mike Russell married to a much younger woman? I didn’t know that. I knew Angus Robertson was. I suppose he could potentially become a powerful man worthy of a “sleepy cuddle” in order to get a job.

I have been wondering what to do re Angus Robertson in May. I have gone from thinking I won’t vote for him to thinking that I will and then when the SNP are back in power thinking of ways to protest.

I’m imagining huge groups of protesters outside Holyrood chanting ‘Nicky! Nicky! Nicky! OUT! OUT! OUT!

This thinking is making it easier for me to vote for Angus Robertson.

I’m recommending this method to everyone. Vote SNP and start plotting ways to make their lives very uncomfortable when they are re-elected.

As yet I haven’t decided re 2nd vote.

T.C. Nu

Re CM’s apparent somewhat Damascene ‘both votes SNP’

A nasty little thought occurs….

(other explanations, however, may also be available)

PacMan

re: NI Loyalists moving to Scotland.

NI Loyalism is being based on being British, not Irish.

If a majority of those in Northern Ireland emigrated specifically to Scotland and were not now in Northern Ireland, do not have the threat of paramilitary Irish Republicanism or a united Ireland and where there is no significant geographical religious segregation, can this Loyalist identity be maintained while living in a country where Unionism is supported by Protestants and Catholics?

I wonder if these Loyalists really experienced what it is to be British where they are like everybody else and have no external enemy to define themselves, can it really exist?

Al Dossary

Well I sat thru the entire AS testimony last weekend. Greatly impressed by the man as always, and to me 100% truthful from start to finish.

NS’s testimony I started to watch, ended up fast forwarding to random parts to get a feel for it. To hear the immortal phrases “so far as I can remember” or “I have no recollection” etc, etc was enough for me and I just switched it off. I did not watch more than 30-60s of any segment yet I heard these comments multiple times.

That women has descended to the ranks of also ranks in my opinion. The sooner she is gone and replaced by someone who is not in awe to / controlled by the woke brigade the better.

Ruby

link to parliament.scot

Still no sign of the transcript.

Perhaps I’m looking in the wrong place?

Wee Chid

Mia says:
4 March, 2021 at 9:49 am

100% hear, bloody here.

Mac says:
4 March, 2021 at 9:55 am

“Doing that seems so insane to me I will just have to walk away at that point. Fuck that, I’ll get a dog or something, take up gardening, there must be a million more enjoyable and productive hobbies.”

Aye -back to the post Brexit garden plan of growing own veg, Definitely more productive than banging our heads against a brick wall.

I’ve manned stalls etc assuming that indy was still on the cards but always had the apprehension that I was maybe being manipulated and laughed at by the powers that be for being so gullible. No bloody more. My house and garden should be spotless this year if that woman is still at the helm of the SNP.

Wee Chid

Rev. Stuart Campbell says:
4 March, 2021 at 10:54 am

Agreed – there are many who now proclaim an interest but they know sod all, don’t care to find out and profess to know everything. They fall for soundbites.
I can’t believe that people watched Alex Salmond, armed with all his documented evidence then watched Sturgeon and listened to her “feelings” and still want to “#standwithnicola”. It’s the sort of blind faith that leads folk into religion – no evidence, just faith in the leader. No critical thinking, just belief that she is a good person and will do the right thing. F**k that.

Gillies

@rev

Absolutely in this particular case they are blind to the truth, but still, the engagement is greatly increased. You first need people to pay attention before you can convince them of anything. The attention is now there. We need someone to deploy a wildcard and expose this completely and powerfully.

Too many people couldn’t care less about the facts and would rather operate on feelings. Surely you have a hope that the huge readership on wings will somewhat permeate into the general public? Pre wings and pre 2014, my impression of politics was there was a minimum of political engagement in scotland, but maybe im just talking for myself.

Craig Murray

Re my voting advice, I am afraid there is no point in voting for a list party unless they stop playing silly buggers and unite to a single one that may get to 6%, OR unless a major figure leads a list party.

Otherwise we are stuck with the SNP. The Scottish Greens are a mirror of the SNP in being more focused on identity politics than on the climate crisis, while the SNP are more focused on identity politics than Independence.

Ruby

Wee Chid says:
My house and garden should be spotless this year if that woman is still at the helm of the SNP.

Reply
In the event of that woman still being at the helm
are you able to create these fancy flower beds that spell out messages?

What about dandelions spelling out
‘Nicky! Nicky! Nicky! OUT! OUT! OUT!

Did you know the official French for dandelions is ‘pissenlits’?

SilverDarling

@Ruby

Mike Russell had a very publicized fling with a young researcher. He left his wife for her and she dumped him a week or so later. ASFIK he is happily reconciled with his wife.

link to archive.is

rob

Was looking to some close up photo’s of Peter Murrel. He doesn’t seem to have much of an eye brow.

Cenchos

Many MSPs and Councillors are in no position whatsoever to be doling out morality and ethics when it comes to anything remotely to do with genitalia.

SilverDarling

The point being stuff happens and Mike Rusell was happily taken back into the bosom of the party. We don’t know the details of what happened between the two but had he been in office now would people have behaved the same way.

The fling was consensual as it was with AS.However the puritans of the New SNP simultaneously indulge and tolerate the kinks of, for example, autogynephilia, but baulk at 2 people having a drunken fling – only if it is AS, of course.

Ruby

SilverDarling says:
4 March, 2021 at 11:24 am
@Ruby

Mike Russell had a very publicized fling with a young researcher. He left his wife for her and she dumped him a week or so later. ASFIK he is happily reconciled with his wife.

link to archive.is

Reply

I probably missed that because this is the sort of headline I would look at and think ‘so what’

It’s not something that is that unusual in my experience.

I just wonder what sort of experience Nicola Sturgeon has had of the real world and where she gets her ideas about behaviour.

Wee Crabbit Bas

Not sure why my comments have been removed. Was it something offensive?

Wee Crabbit Bas

Of course if I was computer literate enough to view older comments maybe that would explain it. Doh!

SilverDarling

@Ruby

The SNP indulges in as much hedonistic ‘immorality’ as the rest of the world – the difference is they act like the Wee Free on steroids when it is pointed out.

I’ve heard the phrase from also many members past and present that ‘what happens at conference stays at the conference’. I don’t think they are any different from other organisations in that respect. It’s the hypocrisy that stinks.

I agree NS has had a strange life inside the party all of her adult years, subject to rules and conventions the rest of us would laugh at. The comfort for her is that latterly she and her husband have played an increasing role in setting those rules for others. It’s not healthy.

Effigy

Sums much of it up!

link to facebook.com

maxxmacc

If Mr & Mrs Murrell were the last two members of the SNP, having wrecked it from top to bottom, they would still be claiming 7000 new members each day! File under ‘Chemical Ali’ when it comes to believing her.

Incidentally, the reason more SNP politicians arent starting to distance themselves from NS might be simply that they arent receiving any negative messages from the public regarding the entire fiasco. I emailed my MSP last week (a chap ive known 30 years) and it didnt even register that i had been in contact with the parliament, which is de-rigueur for any organisation these days.

Thus, at risk of sounding paranoid, I wouldnt be surprised if all communication channels to the parliament were now stopped, thereby preventing any voter registering their contempt at our glorious leader. Thus many SNP MSPs carry on regardless unaware if the groundswell of anti-Nicola opinion out there.

After all, the Wings site mysteriously went offline last nite when traffic wouldve been red hot. This is a revolution we are part of, thus the state and its agents will do everything in their power to stay in control.

cirsium

What was on show yesterday was a giant squirrel (or should that be magpie?)with the goal of deflecting the Scottish Parliamentary Committee’s attention from the maladministration of the Scottish Government, maladministration which cost the Scottish taxpayer over £600k.

Thanks Mia (9:49) for a storming post. Just as the Labour Party has never recovered from Blair, the SNP will never recover from Sturgeon. The issue of independence, however, is not going to go away so on to the next stage.

Thanks Mark Boyle (9:47) and Graham (10:05) for the links to two articles with important points to make regarding the lack of accountability and transparency on display.

Dan

Craig Murray says: at 11:15 am

Re my voting advice, I am afraid there is no point in voting for a list party unless they stop playing silly buggers and unite to a single one that may get to 6%, OR unless a major figure leads a list party.

I understand you will have a lot on your mind at the moment so may not be able to involve yourself in a diplomacy exercise to assist resolving this situation.

Aye, silly buggers is right enough. Is it three or even four new Pro-Indy parties we have now.
All pretty much borne at the same time and for the same reason, namely to make better use of the voting system*, and due to the vacuum created by the SNP and Greens doggedly pursuing to push policies the Scots electorate don’t agree with.

How on earth is it not possible for these regional list parties to unify to achieve a common goal.
If politics is indeed the art of the possible, then this current multiple list party situation highlights just how shite at politics some of the folk involved in them are if they can’t get over themselves and reach a consensus that actually makes the strategy of using 2nd votes for a Pro-Indy Party viable.
They are just wasting so much of their time as they all mirror each other with member / volunteer time replicating the same basic work of setting up and running each individual Party when it would be much more efficient if it were one entity.

Time is short, campaigning restricted due to covid, so a simple straightforward nationwide message is required for activists to push if it is to have any legs at all.
I used to use the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) acronym when this was in its fruition a year or so back, but due to the squandering of critical time that now appears to need amended to KISSFFS!

* Re. questions on gaming the system. The UK uses First Past the Post and we have to put up with all that entails. Aye, a proportional systems for both the Scottish Parliament and Local Authorities are “fairer”, but we are in a supposedly equal Union which on the face should be fair, but for the matter of Scotland being outvoted by 10 to 1 due to the democratic deficit.
“Fairness” will only get us so far, so making best use of the tools we do have available to us is required.

Martin Morrison
Gordon Currie

The Guardian gets it right for once lol!

Just shows you how easy hiding your malfeasance is with the aid of The Crown

link to theguardian.com


  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)

    Stats: 6,651 Posts, 1,198,134 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

  • RSS Wings Over Scotland

  • A tall tale



↑ Top
84
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x