The eyes of governance
Readers will be aware that Wings has been experiencing some enormous amounts of traffic this year, and it’s not only among the general public. Someone just forwarded us a reply they got today to an FOI request, and it reveals the site’s popularity – well, maybe that’s not exactly the right word – in Scotland’s corridors of power.
The last time someone asked that question (last October) the figure for Scottish Government computers accessing Wings over a six-month period was just under 1100, so the latest numbers represent an increase of almost 30%.
(It should be noted that the two periods overlap, so the true like-for-like increase is probably considerably more. Unfortunately the two requesters didn’t ask about the same sites so we don’t have direct comparisons, but we’re sure Craig Murray will be pleased with the #2 slot even though his site is currently closed because the Scottish Government, in the shape of the Lord Advocate, is trying to put him in jail for it.)
So a big special wave tonight to all our readers in the Scottish Government. We’re sure it’s nice to know of at least one place that’ll tell you the truth about what’s going on.
Clap Clap Clap Clap! 😀
Hehehehehe
To all those silly wee nicolettes, slagging us off for reading Wings!
Hahahahahaha
I wonder why?
(sarcasm)
Touche Scotgov/SNP- can’t even keep your own staff & elected members from accessing Wings. These FOI figures just undermined NS entire argument.
Someone should maybe do same Foi thinghy for WM.
Probably find it 10 x that. Half of them will be Pete Wishart. Haha
Unlikely, I know, how much do they donate to crowdfunder ?
Number of visits from Pete Wishart’s computer – 1407
The increase may be from Fabiani inquiry MSPs seeking the information they needed?
sarah says:
24 March, 2021 at 10:38 pm
The increase may be from Fabiani inquiry MSPs seeking the information they needed?
____
Then it is a pity that they did not use it properly.
Well well. Surely they’re not defying their Dear leaders instructions. Oh dear! Just shows you Stu, you can reach the places other can’t or won’t tread. Without fear or favour. And you’re worth every penny and then some.
So they’re feeding on the forbidden fruit, they’ll be calling you a clipe now ?
Ha ha makes a great end of day story
dram sent – keep up the great work
Just as well they are just looking at the site, imagine what could happen if they started posting !
Rev…
“Know thyne enemy” comes to mind as being a likely explanation for such hits.
PS
Keep up the good work!
you would think they would use a VPN to hide their shame
I knew you would be top of the pops with all politicians.
I’d be very interested to know the Westminster Stats and their secret services.
Isn’t it appalling that SNP press on with so many policies that are overwhelmingly and
viciously attacked by the majority.
Can they really hope to win anything, let alone independence when the majority fear their
attempt to stop freedom of speech, transparency and accountability.
Can’t they see most women will run from them as fast as a man pretending to be a woman in their changing rooms.
Their devious mob handed attack on Alex Salmond has also chased their supporters in their thousands.
All too few in office are willing to stand for the will of the people in favour of their own job security.
For whom the bell tolls?
Alternatively, the Scottish Government hits on this site may be purely down to that guy who used to work for some newspaper, but who now runs the Department of Squirrels, located in a broom cupboard at Bute House.
He has to synchronise the release of Squirrels with the breaking of any bad news for his boss, so he must be a regular.
Well done, man.
Not that I would suggest Wings should mislead readers – let-alone the whole of the bloody country – but maybe it’s time you started giving the crooks a bum-steer? I mean, I wouldn’t want to divulge the possibility that a group of us intend spray-painting ‘STURGEON IS A LIAR’ on the pavement just outside the Parliament building later this evening, but if it has them scurrying around with two-bob torches then..
(No, of course we’d never deface property with spray paint [no matter the accuracy of the fact] any more than we’d tweet about such civic vandalism)
Of course if the Scots Gov would rather see Wings getting fewer readers there is a simple remedy: tell the truth, be honest and accountable, and make independence your top priority. simples.
Rather hilarious that even people in the Scots Gov have to read Wings to find out what is going on in the secretive SNP hierarchy as well as its cover ups and dissembling. Not to mention its corrupt links to its allies in the police, media and COPFS. What would they do without it?
While it is amusing at one level we should all be aware they will look for any reason to shut down this blog if they can. It is incumbent on us to bear this in mind.
Having said that – GIRFUY SNP staffers!
Can’t you do some sort of block on them?
Latter day Yes Minister and Westwing and Borgen scriptwriters trawling for new material is probably a fair percentage of your visitors, Stu.
I tell you, if you could bottle and trademark this shit it would be a nice little earner for a new wee nation.
Just like the clowns in La La Land who never visit ,where would they get information , if The dummies on WGD get their way and have their friends in Sturgeons government act like they have been recently and shut down this site out of sheer vindictive spite ,because uncomfortable questions are debated, unless you support princess Nicola yer no getting in
On the bright side they can all talk about knitting recipes .
I thought SNP staff were warned visiting was Verboten and a punishable offence
So much for Sturgeons Stasi administration Aye we’re with Nicola because we’re shit scared of being tagged as a person of interest .
So there’s probably some truth in the rumors that self flagellation is big in inner circles of the SNP?
Keek a boo Nicola and the gang!
That would be the big push they trumpeted a while back about fighting bad blogs who peddle ‘fake news’.
Another outstanding success of the Sturgeon era.
🙂
To paraphrase a certain advert – Rev. Stu gives you Wings.
FFS Who was on Seed Of The Gael, wonder if it was Weet Pishfart
I’m surprised they allow access. A lot of companies tend to restrict external websites, the obvious being porn / gambling. Relative of mine works in a private company and they are not allowed access to social media.
Sorry O/T,
Skip_NC due to the time difference from where you are, when you read this, please look at my reply to your post last night.
Thank you.
Hi Lesley!
(wavey hand thing)
The second request makes an interesting point:
Bella is visited half as often as Wings from ScotGov computers.
BUT
Bella is visited one tenth as often as Wings by the general public.
I’m sure this is just a reflection on the the lack of public appreciation for the genuis that is Mr Smalls and nothing to do with confirmation bias…
@Jim 12:47.
One of the great ongoing Scottish tragedies is that Scotland bafflingly continues to fail to see what a singular genius and fount of wisdom Mike Small really was.
Big shock in these figures is that someone still actually reads Bella Caledonia. This simply must be fake data. Surely BC is like the local pub with a basement venue full of bands going to see other bands, except in BC’s case, it’s the sub-politics degree witterings of the pseudo-Marxist dregs of the “third sector” and Creative Scotland funded Pro Managerial Class.
Whether its some exotic first-name and double-barrelled surnamed art school graduate with some deeply tedious opining on feminism in some obscure developing country or something and what it “means for the Yes movement”. Or Small’s Guardian “Comment Is Free”-reject prose keeping us all up to date on the latest trite buzzwords occupying his brain as he warns of the dangers of Salmond defenders as “the Scottish QAnon” or whatever it is this week. It’s just a clapped-out remnant of 2014.
Beaker, the key difference being “private company”, whereas the running joke with the public sector is this…..don’t look out the window in the morning, because you’ll have bugger all to do in the afternoon.
To quote from the classic 1980’s movie Ghostbusters…”I’ve worked in the private sector. They expect results”
I’ve been looking all day for a story Craig Murray did about Lismore in the last couple of days or so. His website is currently suspended pending trial outcomes but that was a story I was interested in. Not just because of the smelly pub on Dumbarton Road but because my no’ daft girlfriend suggested we go there, the actual island, when I turned fifty so I’d have a memorable occasion. Any links of that story whatever that have survived? To anyone that’s not been – go to Lismore. Wonderful views.
Rev. Stuart Campbell, they are reading every word you write and looking for an opportunity to do a Craig Murray or Mark Hirst on you.
Be careful, be very careful.
Is there any way of moving your servers to somewhere outside Scotland’s juridiction?
If Scottish and English justice systems are independent, how can the Lord Advocate threaten The Spectator, which I am sure would not be based in Scotland?
TBQH Stu i’d send a bill to Sturgeon for awe these wee looky inurs , If she can gae the MSM £3 million quid tae produce shite that naebody wants tae read she should be punting some of that dosh to WOS which they are reading
As Barrhead boy has repeated often enough they bastard bloggers kept independence supporters more informed of what was taking place with indy than ANY scabby newspaper and they had tae appeal for funding
I posted on WOS face book page a few weeks ago, saying something about Nicola & was surprised when her full name came up. So she even follows you Stu.
I had to laugh… even the Lib Dems get more readers than Bella! Thank you!
I wonder how many more readers would have been noted for https://gordondangerfield.com/, and whether it was the FOI request or the response that made the mistake in the address?
So what was going on with the Lib Dems? Does their website crash a lot, so you have to visit a lot to read one article? Or do they have an obsessed supporter, or critic? Or is it full of handy statistics or chocolate muffin recipes?
Bella is a sleep-deprived satellite fish that suffers from fin rot and somehow manages to survive in a pot of lukewarm unicorn piss without a host.
I won’t be investing. I’m out.
Well done. The truth will out.
A friendly reminder for polis Scotland : Where is the missing £600,000. The longer this takes the more corrupt you’ll look ( or possibly be).
I predict we will now see polls with a significant drop in SNP support.
I want the lord advocate jailed. ( I think any decent person should finish their posts with this statement)
A couple of commentators have referred to “SNP staffers”. To be clear, only SG employees can access SG computers. That means that those visiting this site were either civil servants or Ministers. SNP staffers have no access.
Oh, they can read!!
And that’s only the ones brave or foolhardy enough to use their work machines to access the the sites.
I see Charlie and Camila travelled to Greece to celebrate
their bi-centennial of independence from the Ottoman Empire?
200 years and they have never asked the Turks if they would like
to come back and suppress them and steal their resources.
Mum, Betty quite content to stop Scotland from being a nation in
control of its own future.
Tory commentator suggesting Charlie is there to build trade relations with the U.K.?
Did he miss the bit were we told the whole of Europe to piss off?
Remember we are all in it together other than Charlie bring Covid
up to Scotland and sunning himself in Greece during pleb lockdown.
@ Old Fogey: “only civil servants and Ministers..”
But aren’t SPADs “civil servants”? [They wouldn’t be in my ideal world.]
Quite surprised at the result. Surprised so many would risk visiting this site from a SNPG computer given the full-on hostility and with some arseholes (might have been that twat Humza) were talking about making quoting from wings grounds for expulsion from the SNP. I can imagine they would be very spiteful towards anyone they know reads the site.
In contrast it is equally surprising, considering how it spends most of its life deep, deep in the crawl spaces of Nicola Sturgeon’s rectum, that WGD is so pitiful. It seems that not even the people they spend all day sooking up to can stand them either. lol.
Jeezo why the heck did that go to moderation.
But aren’t SPADs “civil servants”? [They wouldn’t be in my ideal world.]
That’s one thing which has come out of Alex’s trial for me. SPADs should not be called civil servants and treated like them. They’re not. They’re an entirely different class of animal, entirely political and usually very ambitious. They’re also frequently the most hellish bullies. It also occurred to me over the trial, if a civil servant felt they were being bullied and harassed by a SPAD (and it would be fascinating to see the numbers who do feel that across the U.K. civil service) would they feel confident to put in a complaint about them?
@ Cath: SPADs are a dreadful insertion into the “civil service” and should be removed.
As you say, no real civil servant would dare complain about a SPAD.
Now doubt there’ll be a call to the IT dept this morning – a list of sites to be added to the block list.
sarah says:
25 March, 2021 at 7:40 am
@ Old Fogey: “only civil servants and Ministers..”
But aren’t SPADs “civil servants”? [They wouldn’t be in my ideal world.]
Yes, unfortunately. I agree.
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2021/03/25/jim-sillars-analysis/
@sarah Quite. Ministers and especially first ministers have very little access to junior civil servants. Those working closely with them tend to be high powered. They are also under a relatively high amount of scrutiny. SPADs have the ear of the most powerful, can be highly ambitious politically and are in amongst the more junior civil servants, able to make their lives hell and subvert the way the civil service should work, if they or their minister want to do that. There really needs to be more distinction between SPADs and civil servants made when reporting. Also, when a very senior SPAD becomes part of a story, the idea they should be able to hide behind “civil servant” and be entirely anonymous or redacted as such is plain wrong. If “a civil servant” makes allegations which are all over the media about being bullied, it’s a very big difference in the story whether that person is a 19 year old admin assistant or Dominic Cummings.
Astonished @6:00
“I want the lord advocate jailed”
Sorry, that post is now obsolete…
It’s been replaced by the ‘Cabinet Minister for Redactions’.
The individual appointed shall be responsible for the dispensing of summary justice via the ‘Redactions Department’, formerly COPFS.
The motto for the new department is taken from that much used phrase oft heard during Parliamentary Committee hearings…
“NON MEMINI”
Good luck Craig Murray!
« Nicola Sturgeon vows to hold indyref2 ‘if Scotland votes for it’ » proclaims The Nat.
Now that’s followship for you…
after you! no, after you! no, after you!….unto the last generation.
@ Dan 8:11
Brilliant thanks for a very informative link
Here’s a hypothetical that I’m willing to bet no one on here will give a straight, serious, non-abusive answer to even though it’s a genuine question:
If a Sturgeon-led SNP bring about a legal referendum in the course of the next two years, what would be your view on this, (considering what the general opinion of her and the current party is on here right now)?
As I said, don’t forget it’s a hypothetical question.
I wonder who it is with STV News that is blocking people from posting on their FB feeds if they post the truth about the FM, Alex Salmond and the conspiracy to jail an innocent man. A free press? I don`t think so.
From the Scot Courts website : –
Contempt of Court
Case: Advising – Petition and Complaint – HMA v Craig Murray
Date: 25 March 2021
Time: 10am
Dial (United Kingdom toll): +44-20-7660-8149
Access code: 183 416 6799
STARTS AT 10.00 AM. ( refer website for full details )
( refer Scot Courts web site for full details on access )
hatuey and trans gammon, 3.31 am and 1.08am
As others have said far more eloquently than i could, it is VERY worrying the amount of visits to Bella.
That is shocking, as it is literally the most unreadable, convoluted, endlessly rhetorical drek i have ever clapped me eyes on. And i’ve clapped my eyes on a lot.
Maybe that goes some way to explaining the sorry state of affairs we are in.
Hello Nicola, since you are reading.
I work as a special agent for a head-hunter consultancy -we’re looking for someone to take over the administration in Liverpool.Thought you might be interested.
Might be the graceful exit you and Mr Morell are (should be) looking for.
xxx
They’d love to ignore Wings. But they just can’t.
A big special wave from me to all those Scottish government readers on here whose jobs are now dependent on the votes of the people of Scotland.
You were intent on destroying everything that was good about the SNP into a party I no longer recognise. Your corruption, lies and cover ups have destroyed my trust and faith in government and institutions of our country. You engineered a situation that would allow political criminality, despotism masked as law and order.
What else are you covering up? We get daily stats on Covid. Where are the daily stats on drug deaths, domestic violence, child neglect and abuse, suicides, criminality, poverty, food banks etc? Your abuse of power and taxpayers money in trying to jail an innocent man you feared is truly disgusting and unforgivable.
What can dumb and fearful people always be counted on to do? To try to control and manipulate everyone in their environment. What is the tactic used by these same dumb people as they try to control others? They lie. People aren’t chattel. There’s nothing noble about controlling the lives of other people.
I wish Alex Salmond well in his fight for justice and will contribute to any crowdfunder.
“ Sapere aude “ Dare to be wise was the battle cry of the Enlightenment. No votes SNP is my battle cry for this election.
Wally Jumblatt @9:18
Aye, Sturgeon running Liverpool. She could be the Nightmayor.
And a big hoose for Murrell in the Wirral.
OT Apols. can’t find the O/T bit.
Dear Stuart, i am a harmless old duffer but i note that everytime i post i now go immediately into moderation. can this be sorted? Sorry to bother you as i know you are v busy being Scotland’s only investigative journalist.
off topic re: Craig Murray blog closure.
States, he will raise to ECHR European court of Human rights if needed. However due to Brexit isn’t that ultra vires or at least is not enforcable and can just be ignored?
So last legal resorts to me seems to be: Court –> Supreme court –> can be overturned by UK Gov via ‘order in court’ and finally stamped via House of lords and nod from Queen. As happened to people of Chagos/ Diego Garcia.
In other words people in UK do not have human rights that are formalised and enforcable any longer? It is just an escalation process decided by the Nobility which leads and controls it. This forms an overall system that is fully set around a Colonial and feudal organised and structured set of procedures.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56514501
Proud of the nations that they butchered and plundered under its blood Red Cross!
The Saltire has a Sky Blue background. Nothing Royal Blue connected with Scotland. They refuse Scotland the right to fly our Saltire on their buildings we pay for even on St Andrew’s day!
Remember Clunker Brown telling us the Saltire is their flag too?
He didn’t explain it was to be theirs in order to stop it flying.
Nicola Sturgeon as the new Wullie Shankly, taking over Liverpool and bringing back the good days.
Just one wee problem – as a manager, Nicola Sturgeon is no Wullie Shankly.
Ref ECHR
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement contains a number of provisions ‘locking-in’ the UK’s continued commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). As with many other areas, far from closing arguments about the ECHR and human rights after Brexit, the deal shifts them further down the road, writes Frederick Cowell (Birkbeck College).
So for the moment at least Craig Murray can if he fails at the Supreme court then go to ECHR.
What is the Gaelic site with one hit? How much government subsidy does it receive?
“On the bright side they can all talk about knitting recipes .”
Both subtle and apt Robert Graham (Salute, as Frankie Howard used to say):
https://unherd.com/2020/01/cast-out-how-knitting-fell-into-a-purity-spiral/
Though, given the record of these gangsters, the number of visits to this site is likely down to misusing some publicly paid staff to compile lists of BTL posters considered to be political enemies to be pursued at some future date by the Matthew Hopkins Appreciation Society (formally known as the SNP) and it’s cap doffing and forelock tugging useful idiots in the Cult.
We are Spartacus.
I am not surprised they look at this site, after all it is excellent journalism. There is certainly nothing like it in the mainstream.
To all the Government members reading – imagine where we could be now if you had put the same effort into independence as you did into framing an innocent man.
Is the Craig Murray case going to be on the web anywhere?
I get terrible phone coverage and would not be able to dial in and keep up.
Does anyone with more insider-type knowledge know if it’s at all possible that they might just hit Craig with a punitive fine?
I’m sure the last thing that establishment lot want is a martyr for independence.
Taking over Liverpool refers to the City Council which is found to have been corrupt. A number of senior councillors have been arrested by an honest Police force and prosecutor and the City placed under Special Measures by the UK Gov. Liverpool councillors (or those that are left) are still in charge of the city but they are being watched. Something along those lines is needed for those at Holyrood that treat Scots like they are dafties.
Actually maybe by the time of the next referendum i.e. in twenty years+ time, there’ll be a separate campaigning group ‘martyrs for independence’.
O/T I see that Kirsty Blackman has been giving us all another biology lesson – something about a board consisting of 50% men and 50% transwomen being gender balanced. I wonder whether she could answer some questions that have been intriguing me recently.
1. Could she adapt her famous Venn diagram (the one that shows that you don’t have to be a woman to menstruate) to show us the intersection between transwomen and people who get Mothers’ Day cards?
2. A Scot won a TV Drag competition recently. Uses she/her pronouns (so sections of the media obliged in their reporting) and appears to identify as a woman, which makes it official, according to Kirsty. How can you claim to be a female impersonator when you are actually female? isn’t that cheating?
They’re just waiting for you to mess up and make a mistake. Lurking and curtain twitching everyday. Obsessed they can’t bring you down.
Well it proves that people are reading what you and the commentors write, and that they must be coming back for more.
On another note James Hamilton QC, is to consider whether the Ministerial Code needs updated, and if it should EXCLUDE the FM’s Chief of Staff and other government advisors from being involved in harassment probes.
I’m not sure if this will be seen as a defensive mechanism to protect those close to the FM and in the know, or if its meant to stop those being to partisan to the FM from swaying the process and outcome in a certain way.
Other changes look likely to take place as well.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/19185353.james-hamilton-consider-changing-ministerial-code-follow-up-report/
I meant to say above that the one thing we are missing here in Scotland, they have it in Liverpool but not here in Scotland, is an honest police force and prosecutor.
@ephemeraldeception 9.29 am
The ECHR is connected to the Council of Europe, not the EU. The ECJ is the EU body which oversees compliance within the EU. The EU and Council of Europe systems are intertwined to a point: ECHR lies behind many general principles of EU law and its provisions were used as the basis for EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Council of Europe has 47 members including UK, Russia and all 27 EU members.
Mr Bonondo @9.54am.
Contempt of Court
Case: Advising – Petition and Complaint – HMA v Craig Murray
Date: 25 March 2021
Time: 10am
Dial (United Kingdom toll): +44-20-7660-8149
Access code: 183 416 6799
STARTS AT 10.00 AM.
@Graham 1.21
The background to the case is here https://archive.is/j4cej
The next bit of the story which was covered by the Oban times is behind a paywall. The essence of it is that a resident challenged his wife to “go home” rather than continue to stay in their second home under lockdown as was the official advice at the time.
She reported this to police as a racially aggravated crime because she is BAME. The man ended up in court courtesy of the crown office but was cleared after incurring hefty lawyer bills. By “going home” he had meant to their primary residence in Edinburgh not Africa.
Craig Murray guilty! Sentencing 7th May. I hope these other journalists are ashamed
What’s the latest on the Tories wanting to get out of the ECHR?
OT Crsig Murray hearing over. Contempt in respect of articles during trial, likely to identify four complainers. Adjourned to May 7th for social enquiry reports.
Under Her Eye. Blessed day, folks.
And spouse says:
25 March, 2021 at 10:11 am
Craig Murray guilty! Sentencing 7th May. I hope these other journalists are ashamed
Reply
7th May interesting date!
So now we know Craig Murray tended to identify four complainers, that will help the readers of his report to narrow down the suspects. Well done, judge.
I have a feeling that Salmond has just opened a huge can of worms. Let us hope for a proper police investigation into the actions of Ms Evans. The whole rotten edifice of the Government of Scotland could crumble as she goes down. I also suspect that the MSM has been waiting for this court case as it will shine a very powerful light on the corruption within the SNP. Bring it on.
So Boris Johnsons man in Scotland, Alister Jack has taken issue with parts of Holyroods bill that protects the rights of the child.
Jack says he’ll refer it to the supreme court in England, and have it altered. Its another attack from Westminster on our parliament from Westminster.
Of course the MoD regularly comes North of the Border to recruit young Scots as cannon fodder they’ve done so for centuries. They also go into Scottish Schools mainly in poor areas to put into the minds of young folk (children) that a life in the forces is a glamorous one, when its not.
This whole mess demonstrates in a nutshell just what a complete con the Devolution project was. An assembly comprising at a minimum half of the parties taking orders directly from Westminster and acting, always, in concert against Scottish interests. The other half, a nominal ‘nationalist’ mob farting at thunder over getting about 1/3 of our tax take back as a handout. All of them (with literally a few exceptions) milking the Scottish economy for their own benefit. A travesty of what we have demanded and expected as proper governance for our people.
The whole lot, a glorified version of the old Glesga Cooncil, corrupt, filled with 10th rate lazy duds, preening and primping themselves with the delusion of power.. power that is forever retained by their ‘betters’ in England. An accounting unit that soon will be taken over by the colonial Secretary of State ..as in days of yore over 20 x years ago…but now instead of as was one man and his dug, now an inflated English administrative cuckoo lodged in the Scottish nest consisting of thousands of redcoat levies. And not a peep out of the ‘parliament’ of intellectual paupers that we elected.
The English civil servants and the loyal judiciary, bewigged and behoven to her Majesty.. pathetic colonial placemen holding on to the melting ice cube of their ‘dominion’ of Scottish law. A Supreme Court instituted and an exit from the EU executed against the Act of Union’s basic premise of equal partners and against the Sovereign expressed will of the Scottish people..and what did we get?..craven surrender by Sturgeon’s servile minions, followed by malicious hounding of the former leader and of any pro Indy commentators who dared to question her incompetence and loyalty to our cause.
On the eve of what should have been our fightback to regain the ground we lost after 2014, our glorious Nicola the mean and nasty narcissist.. decided to collude in jailing the perceived threat to her throne,, and has further encouraged a civil war of terminal consequences for the SNP. One that by design or complete indifference will set us back another decade. A crime that history will condemn her for whatever plum role she escapes to when she finally abandons the complete mess created.
So now, we have David Davies spelling out for the hard of thinking our abject status.. that of colonial vassals being told that ‘they’ will meddle again with our laws.. because, let’s face it, we are too poor, too wee and too stupid to rule ourselves or at least according to them, our oldest and most pernicious enemies.
Holyrood always was a vanity project for SLAB..another wee theifdom for them to lord over and plunder more dough from the working people they claimed to represent. The Nats stymied that ..at first.. then got seduced. We need to move beyond the British Devolved mirage and establish a small and efficient truly Independent Scottish assembly with departments devolved to the towns and cities outside of Edinburgh and with a radical revised approach to separation of powers and a constitution that outlaws any political parties that are allied or taking orders to countries outside of Scotland.
Ruby @ 10.13am.
This is a disgraceful state of affairs when we know that other so called journalists have identified at least one of the complainers, yet no action has been taken against them in any way.
https://twitter.com/BBCPhilipSim/status/1375027473570746371
O/T DON’T KNOW IF THIS HAS BEEN POSTED ALREADY
13% PAY RISE FOR HMRC… Why were the Nurses not offerred this deal.
https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/maajid-nawaz/revelations-of-13pc-hmrc-pay-rise-shine-light-on-nhs-pay-dispute/
Sentencing on 7 May! The criminals who rule Scotland are totally taking the piss out of everyone.
Rob, read the article. Some in HMRC are going to get shafted by this and it won’t be the higher ups.
Lochside@10.22
Well expressed. You and Breeks should be our custodians when Pretendy is closed down.
Well, the plot against the truth continues unabated. What a cunning plan they have – find Craig guilty the same week as the inquiry reports, which they ignore and misrepresent, pretending it is ‘done. But the best part – drag out his sentence from today until May 7th, putting under him strain, or harassment as it has been all along, possibly shutting his blog for a while, and will it make him unable to stand as a candidate?
The whole thing stinks of political manipulation and censorship of a man too clever for them to debate openly with. Where is Garavelli, why is she not in the dock? The whole drive to only prosecute Alex Salmond supporters is deeply corrupt. I believe Craig – if you knew who the ‘complainers’ were, the scandal would be of a different dimension (and I don’t know, but Craig has a track record of absolute integrity).
Aye, they’re checking which of their “stories” has been exposed for what it truly is. Let’s face, there is not another site they’ll get accurate, honest analysis and info.
Most interesting date the 7th May 2021.
Unless I am wrong. is that not the day after the election. Well it is and we all know that. And quite how all of that could play out is absolutely fascinating.
Alex Salmond has said he trusts the integrity of the Courts and pays tribute to them. And so, if in finding Craig Murray guilty of contempt, how can the Crown Office and the Police sit quietly by ignoring breaches by other journalists – such as the widely reported Danni Gravelli.
I am sure that senior members of the judiciary will feel deeply uncomfortable having to apply their rigorous judgement on one individual brought before them whilst the Crown Office and the Police disregarded others.
In fact, one can only suspect that they will have an even dimmer view as to why the Police and the Crown Office did not investigate and bring criminal charges to Court in respect of that.
The reputation of the Scottish Courts is a good one and I cannot think that the judiciary will think well of the situation where cases are brought selectively, frivolously, or even vexatiously.
So yes, Craig Murray may have been found guilty but quite how things turn out may be very interesting.
Here’s a tune for the Scottish Government:
BANANA REPUBLIC –
by the Boomtown Rats
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igzet9z0hNE
Ian Mac – Even the date of sentencing! disgraceful…
Lady Dorrian’s decision itself fails the grounds of its own ostensible area of inquiry by itself aiding the jigsaw identification by verifying that what was previously merely alleged is, apparently, true.
Give me strength.
Skip_NC @ 10:11 am
“Crsig Murray hearing over. Contempt in respect of articles during trial, likely to identify four complainers.”
I read all of Craig’s articles on the trial and like most other readers I was unable to identify any complainers. How 3 judges can prove this identification beyond all reasonable doubt is beyond me. A jury would have been fairer for this case, to present any ‘evidence’ to them as representatives of the public and see if they could identify anyone from that. I also wonder how the prosecution could ever really prove such an abstract matter as this beyond all reasonable doubt, did they even demonstrate how ‘it was done’ in court? No. Simply a written submission and a brief hearing as I recall. A ‘paper-based’ trial.
Does Craig have to shut his blog completely?
Does he not just have to remove the articles with the jigsaw identification?
@Willie – The request for a Police investigation into the Daily Record leak is just as fascinating. I think the majority of readers will know who is chief suspect by now. That brought about this sorry mess for everyone. That then led-on to ‘I have a plan….’
Because Craig will not be sentenced until after the election can he still stand as a candidate?
ie Not being jailed for 12 months or more.
@Andy Ellis thanks for the precisions but EC is just a club for each state to decide on political directions and nominate members. Will be interesting to see if any new ECHR case post 2021 concerning UK Gov are really enforceable.
@Lochside 10:22 pretty much sums up my own conclusions. Such a sad state of affairs and I am now glad that I am in France and forced to now get French ID. Indy is far away now and getting further but I still think will come as long as the direction of travel is pressed but will be a.
contd. will be a very long road
Alf Baird says:
How 3 judges can prove this identification beyond all reasonable doubt is beyond me.
Reply
Might be easier if you knew the names before hand which the judges do.
As the two most senior judges in Scotland (Lord President and Lord Justice Clerk) sat on the Craig Murray case I fear Alex Salmond’s faith in the Scottish judicial system may be misplaced.
Lochside @ 10:22 am
“This whole mess”
You are right, as ever; its only a colonial picture and horizon we see.
There may be hope. The Bloc Quebecois lost all but 4 seats in the Canadian general election a decade ago, whilst in Catalonia, Equerra lost more than half its seats as ‘punishment’ for its ‘accommodation with colonialism’.
A 50%+ AFI vote on the list at this ‘independence’ election plus rejection of the daeless SNP leadership cabal in specific constituencies is the indy movements best/only short term hope to bring about an urgent refocus on the main aim.
ROB says:
25 March, 2021 at 10:26 am
Or use some of the money to mitigate the situation of some of the worst affected WASPI women.
They keep helping children, young families – even trying to keep the Erasmus scheme open for students but nothing for this group who are having in the region of £48,000 stolen form them and some of whom are now living below the poverty line.
They obviously don’t want the votes of us auld gits – the ones who have, in the past campaigned, leafleted, knocked doors for them. F***k ’em, happy to oblige – no more votes from me.
Is this idea that the complainers are anonymous totally false?
Everyone attending the trial knew their names public, journalists, jury all the lawyers & judges.
Where did the guy who was sentenced to six months for posting all the names and the alphabet letter on Twitter get the information?
I don’t think there is any law against people passing on the info by word of mouth.
Could it be that most people in Scotland know their names and they haven’t had to do some really cryptic puzzle to find out?
Sure spreading the info by word of mouth might have been a bit slower than normal due to lockdown. Once all the pubs are open & people are meeting up again the info will spread like wildfire.
“Because Craig will not be sentenced until after the election can he still stand as a candidate?”
I think that is the whole idea. To bar him from standing. The sentence was supposed to be straight after the verdict today. Now why do you think they changed it until the day after the election? What blatant corruption of the courts, not to mention any idea of democracy in which people can stand for election. Utterly disgusting how far these people will go. They have gone to the most extraordinary lengths to prevent the truth coming out, ruthlessly prepared to ruin people’s lives and putting them in jail if they so much as hint at it.
I expect that they will then slap him on the wrists, he will agree to remove some text, give him a fine, and they will have silenced him, censored the truth. If anyone thinks this has got anything to do with ‘identification’ they are the kind of fools that Sturgeon, Evans and co expect you to vote for these megalomaniac autocrat totalitarians.
Alf Baird @ 10:50
I have to agree, the fairest thing to do is put it to a jury.
Nicola Sturgeon harping on about conspiracy theories then a sentencing date for a trial which is politically sensitive is set for the day after the election.
Alex Salmond states he’s taking the Scottish Government to court again and has reported the leak of info to Police Scotland one day, the next day this happens.
Does the establishment think we’re all daft and can’t see whats going on?
6 weeks to go had a look on party websites, edging to a spoiled vote for the constituency vote. Last time I did that was the elections after the expenses scandal. Scunnered.
Re Alex Salmond ‘drawing a line’
There were allegations that one of the anonymous sorority had perjured herself. They must have been untrue – a potential crime of this nature is very serious.
Why on earth is my comment awaiting moderation?
How can one contact Craig Murray now to donate? Now that his blog has disappeared, the donation link has also gone. This is really serious.
Ruby @ 10:58 am
“Might be easier if you knew the names before hand which the judges do.”
That is true, but isn’t that then a process ‘tainted by apparent bias’?
Ruby @10.51am.
Ruby Craig Murray currently has this on his site when you visit it.
“Temporary Blog Closure
March 24, 2021 in Uncategorized by craig
In view of our understanding that the High Court has found some articles on this blog to be in contempt of court, and in view of the fact that the Crown Office had sought to censor such a large range of articles, this blog has no choice but to go dark from 15.00 today until some time after tomorrow’s court hearing, when it will be specified to us precisely how much of the truth we have to expunge before we can bring the blog back up.
This is a dark day for the entire team here. We will be looking to appeal this to the Supreme Court and if required (though we very much doubt it will be) to the European Court of Human Rights.”
Margaret E says:
25 March, 2021 at 11:21 am
How can one contact Craig Murray now to donate? Now that his blog has disappeared, the donation link has also gone. This is really serious.
Reply
Colin retrieved the following info:
“Paypal address for one-off donations:
craigmurray1710 [at] btinternet [dot] com
Alternatively by bank transfer or standing order:
Account name
MURRAY CJ
Account number 3 2 1 5 0 9 6 2
Sort code 6 0 – 4 0 – 0 5
IBAN GB98NWBK60400532150962
BIC NWBKGB2L
Bank address Natwest, PO Box 414, 38 Strand, London, WC2H 5JB
Well done Ruby, it is important that information is to hand.
Perhaps the Rev could post it somewhere until Craig’s blog is back.
“Why on earth is my comment awaiting moderation?”
Because you have a Hotmail account and you haven’t bothered reading the FOUR times I’ve now told people what’s happening with Hotmail accounts.
Something has been bothering me since our referendum.
Probably like many on here, I was bitterly disappointed with the result and, for a while, a wee bit angry. When I’d reached calmer water I reflected on events and my thoughts were as follows.
For me the dispute over currency came as a surprise and and some concern which has only grown.
If Scotland became independent with sterling it would be dancing to the tune of WM (bank of England), as now; similarly, if we became independent with the Euro we would be dancing to the tune of Brussels – does anyone honestly think the EU would allow a new member using anything but the Euro? I think WM and EU are as bad as each other, major difference being we are more familiar with WM.
So, for me, Scotland needs it’s own currency to be truly independent. I understand that establishing a currency is likely an expensive and difficult process so it is incumbent on Sturgeon and co to be specific about their plans (??) for Scotland’s currency whenever they talk referendum.
“Dear Stuart, i am a harmless old duffer but i note that everytime i post i now go immediately into moderation. can this be sorted? Sorry to bother you as i know you are v busy being Scotland’s only investigative journalist.”
Oh God.
@Alf Baird, 10:50
I read all of Craig’s articles on the trial and like most other readers I was unable to identify any complainers.
Same here Alf. Regarding the other charges, he was found not guilty of influencing the jury and not guilty of providing details about the removal of jurors. Regarding the last charge, the prosecution accepted that he had given his opinion not details. I am just a member of the public so it is not clear to me why this charge was brought in the first place.
Looks like Stu’s gonnae huv tae make a batch of Un-Alert Reader badges!
How’s that?
@Douglas 12:05L “does anyone honestly think the EU would allow a new member using anything but the Euro?”
This utter rot has been so comprehensively – and demonstrably – demolished by existing examples that it beggars belief that idiots are still spouting it.
Just because the election in on May 6th it does not mean Craig or anyone else on the List will know their fate on that day. Traditionally List votes are counted the day following.
So Craig could be barred before the final tally of List votes has been counted. So he can still be barred from taking a seat so it will go to the next ranked candidate, if there is one.
Also being elected and being allowed to take your seat are two separate things. So the sentencing is still critical.
All supposing the AFI get enough votes. The problem is, Craig aside, is that you do not know what you are getting with the AFI, their one and only policy is independence. So you could end up electing someone who will, except for independence vote with the Tories. Craig is a lifelong Liberal so he will tend to support LibDem style policies.
Most of his radicalism is in Foregin affairs. In terms of domestic issues he is a bit wet.
The ISP’s manifesto got finalised in last night’s meeting. Our Conference is on Easter Saturday so it will be out then. An unashamedly manifesto for independence so polices for after Independence as well as before.
If you vote ISP we will work towards independence by hook or crook.
Conspiracy theory #679
Where did AS go wrong with NS?
I used to think NS was the perfect successor to AS and thought she did a great job as Health minister and thought she could win over female voters who didnt like AS.
AS setup NS as the ‘Dauphin’, heir to the throne. So he thought she was best placed to carry on his years of effort. How could he have been so wrong?
Was NS always a closet Narcissit? IMO unlikely Narcissits show their colours early in their efforts to get recognised and promoted. Maybe that is part but could have been seen as a certain advantage to make progress. yes I seen NS backdown is so many contexts eg Question time comes to mind.
Secondly As is not going after NS directly even in his last statement. Though I think the Rev knows a lot more since his Face to Face with AS. Obviously AS thinks NS needs to go.
So what happened? IMO levers of the Uk state are at work and this goes via pressure or through influence via UK institutions such as Civil service. There are a few such people in key positions close to the Scottish parliament/ Gov. The permanent sec being one (Born in NI, grew up and studied in England and got into public sector in England before coming to Scotland).
Either NS wants to keep in her position at all costs and those around here have a reciprocal deal to protect each other but no blackmail and she just needs to keep Indy on the backburner.
Either there is some leverage being used and NS anyway wants to hold on regardless and to do so also needs her band of cronies.
Or somewhere in between.
Nobody has hinted at coercion though except the former chancellor. So did AS get NS all wrong, was he blind – I don’t think so.
One thing is certain: nobody in the SNP has been seriously planning and preparing for independence and that means even a change of leadership and even, if by a miracle, a changed leadership is actually focused on Indy it will have a lot to build and rebuild.
ephemeraldeception says:
“did a great job as Health minister” – through bullying and breaking good people. It was the efforts of others that gave this appearance.
“closet Narcissit?”- yes, the signs were always there.
This delay to Murray’s sentencing to the day after the Election requires explanation.
Is anyone up for a complaint?
https://www.mygov.scot/judge-sheriff-justice-of-peace/
Ian Mac @ 11:14
“They have gone to the most extraordinary lengths to prevent the truth coming out, ruthlessly prepared to ruin people’s lives and putting them in jail if they so much as hint at it.”
This should not be unexpected. Fanon tells us that the colonial oppressor “has only recourse to one thing: brute force; the native has only one choice, between servitude or supremacy”.
@Douglas re: reentry to EU
In addition to what Orlando Quarmby stated:
Scotland qualifies for EU renetry based on all criteria formalised and just needs to state it plans to join Euro when time is right.
However look at the big picture: English Gov is desperate to hold onto Scotland as a vassal because Scotland has many strengths, resources and Energy and is physically in a very strategic poition, in the N. Atlantic. EU has same interest.
Politically there will always be horse trading to get in.
Last but by no means least… listening to many European colleagues of mine, the chance for various EU States to stick 1 finger up to Perfidious Albion and reduce further rUK influence should not be underestimated when considering likelyhood of successful Scottish rentry.
Wow wings has more hits than the SNP’s own page. Extraordinary but welcome news. It now shows beyond any reasonable doubt that those attacking wings followers are a tiny minority.
Hard to believe this, the Lib Dem’s accessed over 700 times? Really?
@Rev Stu
Sorry – medicine taken.
Sometimes I’m passer-by.
So he can still be barred from taking a seat so it will go to the next ranked candidate, if there is one.
AFI should find the person who will be most irritating to the unionists and state and put them in the space below Murray. How about it, Rev Stu? Get yourself on the AFI list second to Murray so if he’s elected and jailed, they get Wings 😉
@Mark Boyle 3.48pm
You seem to have a wee thing about Bonnie Prince Bob: methinks he doth protest too much…?
The fact remains, BPB has raised £5.5K from 209 donors (so an average of £26 per donor) in a matter of days. Robertson has taken weeks to raise £4.2K from 95 donors (average of £45 per donor). It’s fairly obvious Angus is about as popular as a fart in a sauna. Many people in this constituency would have been thrilled to have Joanna Cherry as their MSP. Few of them will vote for Robertson. I’d be more likely to campaign against him in fact.
You still haven’t taken on board the concept of using a protest vote to decapitate a party and/or remove a candidate we don’t like from the equation. Your personal animus against him is neither here nor there, and has obviously clouded your judgment to such an extent that you can’t see the logic of stopping an odious carpetbagger and ultra loyal Sturgeonista being elected.
Lord preserve us from the type of Scotland low voltage wheesht for indy types like you would condemn us to!
@Andy Ellis
With respect, why are you bringing up that prick in the comments of a post he wasn’t mentioned once by me or anyone else?
So – like those AFI and ISP clowns who do the same – you could sneak in a wee free plug for your “hero” unanswered?
Fine – two can play at that game:
https://imgur.com/I68AoXZ
The same person who called Wings Over Scotland a ‘Snake Oil Selling Charatan Piss Artist’ three years ago now wants WoS readers and supporters to vote for him on May 6th 2021.
Stu has made it abundantly clear exactly what he thinks of this guy – and I quote: https://wingsoverscotland.com/scheming-on-a-mirage/#comment-2635850
Rev. Stuart Campbell says: 24 March, 2021 at 12:19 pm
“Bob is an absolute grade-A wanker who’s just shilling for beer money – not a fucking penny of it will be spent on campaigning – but hey, I just did a comedy fundraiser for gin so that’s not the problem here. The problem here is that if he takes enough votes to deprive Robertson of the seat, who do we get instead?
I’ll tell you who: Graham fucking Campbell.”
So how about having a wee bit more respect for the guy whose site this is and cease plugging that fatous prick a full 24 hours after Stu made it quite clear what he thinks of him and his candidature?
In short, stop pissing in Stu’s lagar and calling it tops.
groucho used to say, he would never join a club that would have him as a member.
I would never join a club that would have me and the present SNP as a member, one of us would have to decline and as they are already declining I hope it would be them
The question answered (and, I think, asked) is how many times the site(s) have been accessed, not how many individual accounts or devices accessed the site. It may be that there’s just 10 people accessing once a day for six months, possibly in the Perm Sec’s private office.