The First Minister is a liar
We’ve received information this afternoon with regard to Nicola Sturgeon’s statements at today’s FMQs, which appear to have been wholly and disturbingly dishonest.
The quote below is from an email sent today by SNP communications chief Murray Foote, briefing ministers and MSPs on the official Scottish Government line, which is what the First Minister told the chamber in response to a question from Ruth Davidson.
We pass the true facts on to you below.
————————————————————————————-
The evidence that civil servants DID in fact seek to obstruct the court process is found within the note of Senior Counsel to the Lord Advocate dated 17 December 2018 and finally published on Friday 5th March 2021. The First Minister’s account of this matter does not accord with the facts.
On Wednesday 12 December 2018, in the run up to a judicial-review hearing in front of Lord Pentland on Friday 14th December, counsel for the government discovered that a redaction of an email address – one belonging to a senior Police Scotland officer – had been wrongly made.
Counsel then instructed civil servants to include an unredacted copy of the document in the disclosure bundle. On the evening of Thursday 13th December, junior counsel discovered this had not been done, and the unredacted document had NOT been included in the disclosure bundle.
As a result of this omission – and faced with the exceptionally grave matter of the breaking of their assurances to the court and fellow counsel with regard to the duty of candour – government counsel withdrew their opposition to the Commission and Diligence process, which then went ahead in order to obtain further evidence which had been withheld from Lord Pentland by the Scottish Government.
The full significance of these events is described by Roddy Dunlop QC in his note, at paragraphs 6-20. It renders the First Minister’s account today simply extraordinary.
What was concealed from disclosure in the judicial review was the email address of Nicky Page of Police Scotland, and the subsequent email exchange between her and Judith Mackinnon withdrawing the documentation. This would have shown that the email exchange about potential reporting to police, against the wishes of complainants, and a draft of the policy itself, had been sent to Police Scotland (inadvertently) on 23 November 2017.
The detail of events is as follows:
WEDNESDAY 12TH DECEMBER 2018
The Scottish Government’s counsel, Roddy Dunlop QC and Christine O’Neill QC, ordered the unredacted document – including Nicky Page’s email address – to be in the disclosure bundle on Wednesday 12 December 2018 in advance of the hearing on 14 December. This was an “immediate and clear direction”.
THURSDAY 13TH DECEMBER 2018
However, on the evening of 13th December junior counsel Christine O’Neill found out that it had still not been disclosed. As Roddy Dunlop observes drily in his note to Lord Advocate James Wolffe and Paul Cackette (former head of the Scottish Government Legal Directorate), “we had not been told pro-actively about the non-disclosure”.
So it was the unredacted document that was withheld from Salmond’s team and the court, and it was the improperly redacted version that the First Minister referred to as having been submitted to the court for the judicial review on 21 November 2018.
The data-protection excuse offered by the civil servants for the redaction is fatuous. This was a court document. What they were trying to hide was the fact that it had gone to Police Scotland.
Thus David Davis was absolutely right to say in the Commons that the email had been pulled from the bundle of documents approved by counsel. Which means that the First Minister was categorically lying to Parliament this afternoon, by referring to an entirely different document. Unfortunately Ruth Davidson appeared not to have been adequately briefed to pick her up on it.
But it was an unarguable lie, because if she’d been telling the truth and the relevant document had in fact been submitted on 21 November 2018, why on Earth would the Scottish Government’s counsel be so angry about its non-disclosure a month later, on the 17th of December 2018? The notion is insultingly absurd.
FRIDAY 14 DECEMBER 2018
Counsel were angry because the non-disclosure resulted in the Scottish Government’s opposition to the motion for Commission and Diligence having to be dropped, as Roddy Dunlop explains in paragraph 14 of his note to the Lord Advocate and Paul Cackette of 17th December 2018.
The Commission then went ahead on 19-21 December, and discovered a further range of previously concealed documents, which then totally collapsed the Government’s case and led to Alex Salmond being awarded costs on the almost unprecedented agent-and-client scale due to the government’s conduct of its defence.
It in fact appears that the redacted email chain was received on 27th November 2018 (not the 21st as was claimed by the First Minister) and in any event did NOT at that stage include the subsequent email chain between Judith Mackinnon and Nicky Page of Police Scotland.
The unredacted documents along with these further emails were finally sent to Alex Salmond’s team on the 18th December 2018, although there may have been counsel-to-counsel discussions at the hearing on the 14th as well.
None of this has been disclosed to the Fabiani committee. Nor did the Lord Advocate choose to enlighten the committee in his three evidence sessions of the sequence of events which led to the Government’s opposition to the Commission on documents being dropped – a crucial moment in the Government losing the judicial review.
It was Government counsel who found out that this information, including the draft policy, had been sent to the police (inadvertently or not). It was then concealed not just once, but the unredacted document deliberately withheld after counsel instruction, at which point they quite understandably went ballistic.
“An extremely difficult position professionally” was how David Davis was well within his rights to describe in his explosive speech to the Commons on Tuesday the situation in which the Scottish Governments had placed its own counsel.
However, the Lord Advocate has not disclosed any of this to the inquiry committee despite three evidence sessions and despite his duties as a Minister on disclosure under 1.3 (c) and (d) of the Ministerial Code.
The First Minister, however, has gone a step further and directly lied about it. There is almost no time left for anyone to hold her accountable for that lie, except us.
It’s another one of those ‘he said, she lied’ situations. Never mind, the new proposals for non-jury rape trials will weed out such problems.
Great work Stu, grateful to have someone so diligently expose this disgraceful FM who is destroying Scotland.
A liar no doubt.
But a Scottish one.
If we must be lied to,let it be by someone who lives in Scotland.
Well done Stuart for your dogged pursuit of this. It’s a complex tale of deceit which is not easy to explain to the average voter.
Nicola Sturgeon is a liar. That should hit home with any voter.
But only if the MSM pick it up which will require the opposition to push a lot harder than they have in the past.
Journalism of the highest caliber.
lies, dammed lies, and even more lies, It’s time that this whole affair goes before a criminal judge and jury so that the general public gets to see just what’s been going on in their name.
The SNP view in the lead up to 1997 GE..
(Before devolution)
“ After the election of a majority of SNPs, the party would immediately begin negotiations with London…”
“ …SNP leaders believe talks between “two mature democracies” need only take between 6 and 12 months after which Scots would be asked to approve the “independence settlement” in a simple one question amendment.”
Now that the Rev. has pointed out, STurgeon has lied, repeatedly, to Holyrood, the pro-Unionist press will home in on this right at the start of the Holyrood campaign.
The SNP are now going into this election, with a proven liar – whose lies will be highlighted on a daily basis, throughout the election campaign.
This is a disaster unfolding for the SNP. I cannot see how, under the pressure of the Unionist politicians and media, on a daily basis, highlighting her lies and deceit, how Sturgeon can hope to survive as FM.
She has put Independence back, for perhaps a decade – Scotland will never forgive her.
Excellent journalism once again. One lawyer who comes-out of this relatively undamaged is Roddy Dunlop. Are you allowed to disclose that Stu? I’m sure you must be.
I’m involved just now in the investigation into the safety of a school building. The UK Health and Safety Executive are involved and they will not accept redacted documents. If you try that with them, you may end-up in serious trouble.
Interesting to see how the Scottish Government deal with that conundrum. My guess is they will just refuse to provide any documentation at-all.
It will be fascinating to see how that is received by the Authorities. You just have to say though, Scotland is a feckin mess nowadays, isn’t it?
I can hear Boris now. “Is there room on the gallows beside Stormont to suspend Holyrood as well”?
double down, triple down, quadruple down, 100…on and on she goes…
She’s acting with complete impunity now. She needs to be removed from power asap.
Ok, call me an idiot, but can someone help out: why was it such an important document to conceal (I mean the emails relating to Judith and the policy going to the Police)? Apologies for being dim but surely this website can cater to stupid indy supporters too 🙂
I suspect she will get back in, the push for postal votes makes sense now.
Socrates MacSporran says:
She has put Independence back, for perhaps a decade – Scotland will never forgive her.
Nationalists may never forgive her but us yoons thank her from the bottom of our heart for showing ahead of schedule what an independent Scottish Government would look like.
Don’t think the SNP will have to legislate for a curfew on men. If they’ve any sense they’ll remain in doors to prevent a false allegation getting them thrown in jail.
Proposal for special non-jury trails…I am properly scared living in Scotland now.
She’s just going to scream conspiracy theory to anyone who dares to question her as well as using every opportunity to smear Alex Salmond.
I can’t help but feel she is going to walk away from this and I’ll be very surprised if anyone loses their position over it.
The Fabiani inquiry will keep her safe and we can only hope that she doesn’t have James Hamilton in her pocket too. though even if proven to have broken the ministerial code I see her talking her way out of that also.
She has got to go.
It would appear the only people now with Nicola are few and far between. Sadly still plenty of cowards in the SNP MSPs and MPs ranks.
P.S. Where is the missing £600,000. Mike Russell ? Police Scotland ?
@ Scottie Dog at 2.23: what innocent, happy days they were in 1997 when a majority of SNP MPs meant independence negotiations would be done and dusted within 12 months.
Nowadays it takes that long just to get a question agreed by the Electoral Commission! Why did it get so complicated?
AwakeNotWoke says:
Can’t agree more. Anyone you pissed off previously like ex Wife, girlfriend, colleague etc can have you sent to the pokey easily with this new breach of rights.
Ms Sturgeon is digging an even deeper hole for herself and her acolytes but, ONLY if the mainstream media carry the story. So far, they have been reluctant to do so. Not sure why. Maybe they are keeping all their ammo until nearer election time or are waiting to see the results of the 2 enquiries.
Somebody once said ‘a week is a long time in politics’. Hope they do not miss the boat.
What is abundantly clear is that we dodged a bullet in 2014!
Astonished says:
18 March, 2021 at 2:32 pm
She has got to go.
It would appear the only people now with Nicola are few and far between.
That’s not what the polls are saying. She truly is Teflon-coated.
Sadly, I believe your last sentence is correct.
The moment is surely fast approaching when the remaining business for the Parliament to complete before the election becomes so pressing, that it will be tolerated for the question of the First Minister’s fitness for office to be held over ‘until after the election’.
The verdict in Craig Murray’s case might be held over until then, too.
Realistically, which one of them may go to prison, do you think?
@Al,
Postal ballots aren’t being issued for another month.
If she is going down, they won’t save her.
Chas says:
18 March, 2021 at 2:37 pm
What is abundantly clear is that we dodged a bullet in 2014!
I don’t understand this remark. If it had been YES in 2014 Alex Salmond would undoubtedly have remained leader of the SNP.
“alan scott says:
18 March, 2021 at 2:29 pm
Nationalists may never forgive her but us yoons thank her from the bottom of our heart for showing ahead of schedule what an independent Scottish Government would look like.”
Awayt and lie in your pish, Yoon.
Didn’t watch FMQs but it is being reported on BBC that NS said document was handed over on 21st December (rather than November). https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-56353805
The Sturgeonistas will continue to support her as St Nicola can do no wrong and, besides, “there is no evidence”…
Sturgeon is a liar. well done Stuart for persistently exposing her lies. the truth will come out and the people will see just how dishonest sturgeon and her comfy crew are.
I think it might be time to list all her lackeys and comfy crew supporters so that they can be identified as anti truth and independence!
Ms Sturgeon is digging an even deeper hole for herself and her acolytes but, ONLY if the mainstream media carry the story. So far, they have been reluctant to do so. Not sure why. Maybe they are keeping all their ammo until nearer election time or are waiting to see the results of the 2 enquiries.
The unionist MSM in Scotland will never run with it. They are pro-Sturgeon and anti-Salmond. Go figure from that what’s happened and why.
So, she’s misled parliament again?
Anyone keeping count?
I don’t pay much attention but even I reckon that’s, erm…three times at least?
Nicola Sturgeon must be ashamed of her malicious Me Too legacy. But there is light! If David Davis gets Tories to extend Parliamentary Privilege to Holyrood. Private citizen Alex Salmond will have done more to advance the sovereignty of the Scottish Parliament than she and the SNP have done in 7 years.
Question, is it alright legally for me to share this on Facebook? After the article in The Spectator today about contempt of court I am not sure. I believe this information should be shared to everyone in Scotland.
Scots Renewables
@ 2.37
Would Alex have ‘magicked’ out of thin air, people to replace Swinney, McKay, Freeman et al? Sadly I see very little real talent within the SNP at either Holyrood or Westminster. Mckay was replaced with a failed Banker with a history degree and she is looking after billions of pounds. The SNP may be able to count on 30% of the Scottish electorate who cannot think for themselves. Unfortunately, the remaining 70% can.
Look out now for the really heavy focus on “Trust”.
We had a PM down here who everyone knew was a filthy liar. It was generally accepted that he was gone because of that. His handlers diverted his next campaign away from “truth” to “Trust”.
At first it was hilarious: “Who can you TRUST to run the economy. Who can you TRUST to keep you safe, etc….”.
But then it quickly became clear that because there was no real opposition party and because the establishment media played along, people were probably going to be swayed enough by that BS to let the slimy little worm get back in.
And he did.
I am glad Stu highlighted this , I knew Nicola Sturgeon was Lying in her reply to Ruthless in Holyrood because having read the documents of the Scottish Governments own Council it’s made clear they were unhappy about presenting false evidence to the Court , it brought their Legal practice into disrepute and made them look fkn stupid and complicit in a attempt to cover up evidence that they were instructed to provide ,
The outside Legal advice and the partnership involved were not as stupid as the Scottish Government hoped they would be they saw through the deception and wanted no part in it
Everything leads back to Nicola Sturgeon and her office and all the bluster and indignation about questioning her integrity is a total smoke screen and as usual a diversion from her involvement in anything I know nothing ain’t fkn working dear we know you are lying , well the ones who have finally realised what kind of character you really are know it the Team Nicola lot are still in denial .
Do you think they are all just too think to realise. The FM. Was visibly rattled today….I think she knew.
What can now be done to get this out there…….
Wings over Scotland. ABOUT US:
“It’s not worth doing something unless someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren’t doing it.” – Terry Pratchett, author.
Thanks Stu for all your hard work.
Chas,
Firstly I can’t believe you are rejoicing that it was a NO vote in 2014. You seem to be saying that Scotland could not have mustered the talent to form a national government.
So, too poor, too wee, too stupid, eh?
Well, I think we can all see what you are now.
As for your criticism of Kate Forbes… Well, I have met her on Zoom, and sh strikes me as a very competent young woman, and not even slightly woke.
Those on here who are committed to the complete destruction of the SNP with nothing to put in its place, those powered only by hatred, we see you.
Kevin Cargill says:
18 March, 2021 at 2:26 pm
I can hear Boris now. “Is there room on the gallows beside Stormont to suspend Holyrood as well”?
——–
Boris has his own lies to worry about
Can this information be sent to Mr Hamilton?
Does his remit have a particular timeline to investigate? What I mean is if he is investigating any instances of breaches of the ministerial code or misleading parliament by the FM at any point in time with no restrictions, or if he is restricted to a particular timeline, so the FM can mislead and lie to parliament until she is blue in the face from now on that this will not be included in his report?
It is quite obvious Sturgeon, her corrupt government and civil service, the Lord advocate and the copfs are working together to stop any real pro indy leader taking over the SNP from Sturgeon or Mr Salmond endorsing another party and having the audacity to declare May’s election a plebiscite.
What we are seeing now is so crass, so unpolished, the lies so blatant and obvious and the abuse of power so overwhelmingly in your face that it is unthinkable the British state is not up to its eyebrows on this supporting her to stop that plebiscite. It is almost like now that everybody knows she lied to parliament and breached the code there is nothing stopping her doing it repeatedly. It is like all restriction is gone. She knows she is finished so the only think that matters is to continue run down the clock and stop the plebiscite.
Come on AFI and ISP, pull the rag from under this fraud’s feet and put a mandate to end the union in your manifestos. Go on, bypass her and her masters in london an make their entire poncey scheme to stop our plebiscite backfire on them. You know you want to!
Sturgeon is now in full demolition mode. determined to destroy independence on the instructions of her brit nat handlers!
Sturgeon has been turned. she supped from the poisoned chalice years ago and now the brit state is cashing in its most prised possession.
controlling the leader of the most dangerous political organisation to the british state is their biggest asset.
I could go on at length as to how this came about, being labelled a conspiracy theorist etc.. I don’t care a fig about that anymore. But, consider how the SNP under sturgeon has gone from phenomenal Independence support to near catastrophe on her watch?!
For those with an open mind to how dirty the british state operates, read up on their covert involvement in opposition movements, particularly in Ireland.
They infiltrated the highest levels of the IRA, The highest levels, and caused unreported bloodshed between the IRA and INLA.
Add in psychological warfare by the yoon media, a corrupt unionist education system and you have the perfect ingredients to stifle the move towards self government.
yep sturgeon and her ‘husband’ have a lot to answer for, add a corrupt crown office, and its easy to see how the truth can be suppressed and innocent people can be persecuted.
The enemies of Scottish independence are operating in full sabotage mode in the heart of the SNP Scottish government.
Also have a look at this week’s leading article in The Spectator about the lengths to which the Crown Office is going, under threat of unlimited fines, to expunge from the internet any trace of AS’s evidence and to bully The Spectator into not even telling readers of the instruction to do so! Whether or not you think The Spectator is good, bad or indifferent, they have been instrumental in disclosing much of this farce, at considerable financial cost, and doing the job the Scottish MSM should be doing. The fact the Crown Office is doing this and thinks it’s appropriate is truly terrifying for the rule of law in Scotland and rights of free speech and journalistic integrity. If Scotland ever becomes independent with this lot anywhere near the helm, may God have mercy on our souls
The position adopted by NS, amongst many others, represents an extension of the basic fundamentals which underpin the concept of ‘selfID.’
Fundamentals which both implitly as well as explicitly reject any and all notions pertaining to the existence of an objective reality which constrains the ability of those adopting such a position to force everyone else to accept their individual subjective version of reality. An approach which elevates the individual opinion of what reality is and should be to the level of a sacred unchallengeable dogma.
The ultimate expression of Thatcher’s ‘no such thing as society’ concept.
In Sturgeons reality, and those at every level who choose to inhabit it, there is no lie and no contradiction. Any alternative position is therefore by definition a ‘Hate Crime’ which, in the lexicon of this approach, represents the highest and ultimate Criminal Act. That of the existence of a different opinion or non conforming reality which must be eliminated.
Ultimately what you are dealing with here are probably most appropriately described as ‘Peter Pans.’ People who refuse point blank to grow up, to mature or accept the existence of objective social reality which challenges their ultra fragile egos in any way and to any degree.
I’m seeing a lot of posts on Facebook pages of the Church of Saint Nichola, emphasizing that “Tories lie all the time!”
They all emerged at the same time she was up to her neck in two inquiries into alleged corruption.
That works if the argument is for Independence. It doesn’t work if the argument is for lying about stitching up AS.
But let’s not forget – She’s OUR liar. Yes!
So we can trust her.
She’s lying for Scotland.
A whiselblower sends a senior Tory a statement. Why wait until now? The message is quite clear anything to stop independence and Westminster has now started to turn up the heat.
@Jim Bo says: 18 March, 2021 at 2:19 pm
“Journalism of the highest caliber.”
And yet tragic that it has to come from a games blogger who has become self taught as a political journalist by necessity, because those who ought to be doing the job properly won’t.
It reminds me of that old Harry Seacombe remark in response to the decline in quality standards of the entertainment’s business and its performers to suit the whims of advertisers and sponnsors when he quipped “Nowadays only the amateurs can afford to be professionals.”
what on earth has happened to scotland?nicola sturgen sounding off like a verbel bully,lashing out at anyone & everyone,the crown office turning the screws on the parliament & press,the hate crime law,propossed removal of a jury on rape trials.what next? i notice that alex has kept very quiet.i”m quite sure he will pick them off through the courts,one by one, when the dust has settled.
Stuart, I suppose I should have asked your permission but I posted in The National, as a quotation, the whole of this article from, “The evidence that civil servants DID in fact seek to obstruct the court process” to the end. I feel it’s urgent to get this out to the public.
See this is the clear issue for me now. The Scot Goes Pop, Wee Ginger Dug type position is to separate all this out, postpone it for a later ay (or ignore it entirely) and pretend this is solely about an indyref2 election for which the SNP needs both votes and a majority.
Which might be fine if the First Minister didn’t run about saying stuff like (as per the BBC)
“Nicola Sturgeon says in a few weeks’ time she will put herself in front of the verdict of the voters, something Ruth Davidson is “running away from”.”
So if the committee is not irrelevant and the Hamilton enquiry is irrelevant and only the verdict of the voters matters, then it will have to be no vote for the SNP. I cannot risk my vote for indyref2 being taken instead as endorsement of Sturgeon and the SG’s behaviour in the Alex Salmond case.
This is Blair all over again, isn’t it.
“This would have shown that the email exchange about potential reporting to police, against the wishes of complainants, and a draft of the policy itself, had been sent to Police Scotland (inadvertently) on 23 November 2017”
Other events happening around that time:
20 and 21 November 2017 – Sommers, Sturgeon’s Private Secretary, met with Mrs A who “made a disclosure” to Sommers on the first meeting.
22 November 2017 – Somers forwarded a letter from Sturgeon to Evans where Sturgeon asked Evans to confirm that the new procedure would include former ministers.
Inadvertently, they said? Yeah, and the moon is made of blue cheese.
O/T It seems that the Guido Fawkes website has had a letter from the COPFS asking them to pull the article.
Just when you think the pantomime in Holyrood can’t get more farcical.
I think nicola, peter and humza just want to be recognized as our imperial masters.
colin lees @3:14 “what on earth has happened to Scotland?”
It has turned into a type of Banana Republic run by the Mafia!
I never imagined my country could be silenced over me to allow Organised Crime to take place.
Part 1 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1372543815626674182.html
Part 2 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1372553857188913154.html
In part 2 read how an SNP “caseworker”-treated me
“10 The aide must have read my face-as they added-“EVEN IF IT WAS YOUR RIGHT”- but they didn’t stop there. They pointed to my papers “WE DON’T DEAL WITH THIS! OUR OFFICE IS TOO BUSY HELPING PEOPLE WITH NO FOOD/MONEY TO HELP YOU” stood up and walked out. *Now a List candidate SP21!”
Scots Renewables
@2.59
Yep-Stick your head in the sand and it will all go away. Until people like you see how it actually is, then set about sorting the mess, Independence is only in the minds of the diehard view. There are an awful lot of people that need convincing and that number is increasing by the day as the corruption unfolds.
Wake up!
@ Socrates MacSporran at 2:24 pm
“She has put Independence back, for perhaps a decade – Scotland will never forgive her.”
“I would put it differently Scotland SHOULD never forgive her”
Murray (bloody) Foote Deary deary me!!!
“At her conviction the former First Minister was banished to St.Kilda and may the lord have mercy on the puffins,they certainly don’t deserve her!!!”
Ah one can but hope
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-crown-office-the-spectator-and-a-fight-for-a-free-press/amp
Hot off the press so to speak. The Scottish Crown Office and Lord Advocate making the whole country out to be fools. The COPFS told The Spectator: ‘Just make the further redactions or we will shaft you for in excess of £50,000. Don’t tell your readers we have said that though.’
Fortunately for us, the COPFS is dealing with the UK press and they have sinificantly more gumption about them than the Scottish press now have.
So, now we all know what a crappy wee country we belong to.
Scotland needs external help to sort this mess out.
For obvious reasons, it should not come from the UK but from a respected democracy such as New Zealnd where the rule of law appears to prevail. That would be acceptable to both unionists and nationalists.
The institutions of government are now so corrupt that it would be impossible for reform to come from within.
Even if we lose the top echelon of the SNP, we would still be left with those who scaffolded them plus an incompetent parliament which has never had experience of holding the executive to account.
This has to happen before independence in my view but there will be those here who disagree.
Ultimately we want the same thing.
Well done to Guido Fawkes and the Order Order gang telling Sturgeon to ram it.
https://order-order.com/2021/03/18/we-wont-comply-with-sturgeons-crown-office-censors-because-when-truth-is-silenced-the-silence-is-a-lie/
This is how these tinpot little dictators are taken down, when they get ideas above their station and start thinking they can throw their weight around with everyone.
Considering Guido’s told Chinese, Saudi and North Korean government officials to f**k off in their time, Sturgeon and co must have been out of their tiny minds thinking they’d be so easily intimidated.
If you have a political reputation for attention to detail, you either do in fact have such a reputation or you don’t. There’s no middle position of having a reputation for having somewhat a good attention to detail…perhaps…mostly at the start of the week…or only if it’s really, really gripping detail.
I’m quite prepared to believe that NS does have this capability, therefore she IS as the headline above states.
Verily.
Chas says:
18 March, 2021 at 2:37 pm
Ms Sturgeon is digging an even deeper hole for herself and her acolytes but, ONLY if the mainstream media carry the story. So far, they have been reluctant to do so. Not sure why.
_______________________________
Ghas this could be why
https://archive.vn/h9eI4
I guess that the advice given to Nicola is in for a penny in for a pound or might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb or that she has passed the point of no return.
Probably getting a lot of advice just now but my advice is she may as well pass the lamb for a pound because the whole situation is farcical.
“Question, is it alright legally for me to share this on Facebook?”
It’s completely fine.
@Mark Boyle – Fabulous news; just read it 5-minutes ago: ‘Good luck extraditing Guido’s editor to Scotland…’
They’re not intimidated either by our vainglorious tool of a Lord Advocate.
@AwakeNotWoke (and anybody else that’s worried about non-jury courts) who said
“Proposal for special non-jury trails…I am properly scared living in Scotland now”
The jury’s still out on non-jury courts (Diplock courts) which have been held in NI since the 1970s.They were set up because of concerns about juror intimidation and partisan verdicts in terrorist trials. The judge plays the roles of judge, jury and exsecutioner.
You can read some FAQ about them here
https://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2014/05/30/diplock-courts/
06 Mar: Geoff Aberdein met Liz Lloyd, at her request, for “a catch up” in the course of which she advised him of two complaints of alleged misconduct against Alex Salmond, naming one of the complainants.
Afternote: At an Inquiry meeting on 03 March 2021, Nicola Sturgeon was questioned by Jackie Ballie. The exchange (paraphrased):
Baillie: “Were you aware that in early and late March 2018 one of your senior government officials attended precursor meetings with Goeff Aberdein?”
Sturgeon: “No, I was not”
Baillie: “You were not aware of meetings involving your Chief of Staff?”
Sturgeon: “That is not as unusual as you might think.”
Baillie: The 29 March 2018 meeting between yourself and Geoff Aberdein was a joint arrangement by both sides. Did you know it was about complaints?”
Sturgeon: “It depends what you mean by complaints. I knew he was coming to see me about a general concern about Alex”.
Afternote: Nicola Sturgeon’s assertion that she was not aware that her political gatekeeper, Liz Lloyd had arranged to meet with Geoff Aberdein in early March 2018 is hopelessly implausible and provokes disbelief.
See this is the clear issue for me now. The Scot Goes Pop, Wee Ginger Dug type position is to separate all this out, postpone it for a later ay (or ignore it entirely) and pretend this is solely about an indyref2 election for which the SNP needs both votes and a majority.
This is the issue for me too. I cannot trust that anyone who would stitch up Alex Salmond (not only to silence him but send him to jail) is pro independence. When you add to that silencing Joanna Cherry, especially in the constitutionally critical years since Brexit, splitting the party on gender woowoo nonsense (I call it that at best; at worst it’s a far more sinister agenda), attacking the independence movement, Wings, AOUB, marches etc, rolling back things like keeping the Lord Advocate independent of parliament and almost deliberately bringing Scotland and its institutions into disrepute…I cannot accept that is a pro Independence Party. We are now out of the EU, which we were promised wouldn’t happen; we’re no further towards a referendum which we’ve been told will happen for years.
I will likely give the SNP my first vote, purely because that is the only way to send a pro independence message. But I will do it with massive terror about what they’re actually going to do with the next five years because I suspect, despite that message, they’re only going to make things even tougher for the independence movement. They show no sign of having any love or even like for it. I would vote for them with more confidence if those in the top levels who did the stitching up were cleared out.
Surprisingly no Legal action from the First Minister about the assertion she is a Liar
I wonder why ?
As for Petrified and the other clowns who say they never ever visit this site
Nicola Sturgeon today in Holyrood told the chamber and everyone watching a bare faced Lie , we know she lied because her own Legal team have put it in writing and they threatened to withdraw because they could not approach a Judge with material provided by her government they knew was false and meant to deceive the Court , it’s all there in black and white.
Are you Team Sturgeon happy with this ? does this meet your expectations of a trusted and honest First Minister and party ? if it does it looks like you will tolerate anything any old tosh wrapped in a SNP banner well that’s just fine , principles who cares we have lots of them you choose .
TNS2019 – ‘Scotland needs external help to sort this mess out.
For obvious reasons, it should not come from the UK but from a respected democracy.’ – I understand what you are getting at but things are so bad just now that I think help should be sought from the UK.
I think Scottish law is essentially OK but it needs to be removed immediately from the grasping hands of Holyrood Ministers. Both you and I face the same problems just now and they are caused by by what Jim Sillars described as: ‘the toxic tentacles of the SNP poisoning our public bodies.’
Sturgeon doesn’t bother too much any more about being called out on her lies. She knows that she is protected by the Establishment both north and south of the border.
And she had the brass neck to say David Davis ‘moved the goalposts’! Projection at work.
Thought there was something suss about her answer, because Davis would never had mentioned the email to be missing in the first place. Thought she’d try the ‘we sent it later’. But just don’t have the information to hand to say this is wrong. Thanks for keeping us all up to date Stu.
I’ve just excepted not to believe a words she says, its a lot lees hassle. Who will Sturgeon blame on the 7th May one things for sure it won’t be the Murrell’s.
Latest from Gordon Dangerfield
https://gordondangerfield.com/2021/03/18/an-urgent-question/
@Fraser McIntosh
The whistleblower didn’t ‘wait until now’
David Davis said he received the papers six weeks ago but he had to be very careful after reading them, to write his speech without leaving himself open to the Court Order.
Boris Johnson used to be editor of The Spectator. Dominic Cummings wife, Mary Wakefield is currently commissioning editor of The Spectator. There’s likely plenty more links between The Spectator and the UK government.
My point is, these people won’t take kindly to bullying and threats from Scotland and I suspect that eventually, Holyrood will be suspended under the guise of being incompetent.
Which in my view as an independence supporter, is the best thing that could happen to Scotland right now.
Rev, i read earlier that ‘Parliamentary Privilege’ extends to other sources such as magazines etc. Firstly i don’t know if that’s true or not but if it is accurate then i need to ask, does that mean it applies to political blogs such as yours?
Mark Boyle; Guido Fawkes?
Another who’ll plagiarise all the very superb and robust work from the Wings site.
When all’s said and done, and Sturgeon’s been blootered right off her scabby pedestal, we’ll all know-fine who’s been on this case from the outset, bursting their arse for Scotland – Campbell.
Just dropped in on Guido for the first time since about 2014. What a stinking mess of Brit/Anglo exceptionalism, narcissism, nationalism. However, on this occasion, they’re quite right to ignore the threats of a Crown office that looks more and more like an SNP enforcer.
Could someone please clarify the following…
If the FM inadvertently misleads the Scottish Parliament and should therefore correct the record at the earliest opportunity, does the fact that today was effectively the last FMQs before May 6th (barring recall) mean that there is in fact no ‘earliest opportunity’ and so the record will remain uncorrected?
I’m very sleep-deprived at the moment (huge yawn with real added tears…) but is the above correct?
Is this about as Machiavellian (apologies to auld Niccolò) as it gets?
100%Yes says on 18 March, 2021 at 4:05 pm:
“I’ve just accepted not to believe a word she says, its a lot less hassle. Who will Sturgeon blame on the 7th May? One things for sure it won’t be the Murrell’s.”
Wings Over Scotland, WOS readers, Jo Cherry, Salmond, Tories, the Scottish weather, the scruffy looking fox that runs about Edinburgh City centre, redaction pens & Royal Mail for slow deliveries. In fact anyone but herself, her husband, her advisors & her Britnat Civil Service pals.
Various things.
1) Scotland is not a wee country. It is medium sized. Both in population and geographical size. We sit between 50-60% on both lists. Half the countries in the world are bigger by population and geographical size. 40% are smaller. Quite a few Scottish islands are individually bigger than the smallest independent countries in the world (both by size & population). We’ve spent our whole lives being told we’re too wee, too many just accept it. Its total bollocks. Any time anyone states we are a small country, they weaken whatever else they are saying.
2) Sturgeon is so deep in the conspiracy and the lies, she has no choice but to keep lying. No choice. Almost everything she says and gets people to say on her behalf, will make it easier to prove in the long term. She has to lie to Holyrood. She has to lie undrr oath. Its not a happy place to be. But when her bubble bursts, and it is inevitable it will, she’ll have to face up to it.
3) Like critics of Mr Campbell, those attacking Mr Davis attack the man, not what they have said. Listen to Davis’ speech. Pick it apart. Whats that, you cant, oh, attack the man then and you concede the argument. Just like this article. If Sturgeon is not lying today and has evidence to prove Wings is slandering, defaming etc, see you in court. Whats that, not taking Wings to court? Argument conceded.
4) Refute; PROVE to be wrong. When Sturgeon and her spokespeoples are so illiterate, its just embarassing for them. Deny, reject or repudiate if you must, but dont refute.
5) Some dinger upthread says ‘phew, we dodged a bullet in 2014’. Quite the opposite. Like every single aspect of the case for or against independence, when you consider it for 10 seconds you realise indy is the only sensible answer. Ive yet to hear 1 single sensible reasonable argument in favour of one country handing its resources and democratic decision making process away to another country. The reason the current Scottish administration are making such an almighty bourach is precisely because we are not independent. Devolution hamstrings proper governance. If we were independent, we would have the powers. But our next door neighbour says we can only have so much power and this mess ensues. David Davis made this as starkly clear as possible the other night. Indy first, all else second. Its no complicated.
I see the conspiracy theorists and cranks are still blaming the British state and trying to justify voting for this corrupt lying bastard.
I despair. No wonder she thinks we are a country of idiots. You will reap what you sow.
Can see why a Law Society investigation back in December 1998 identified three very serious malpractice complaints against Nicola Sturgeon whereafter week’s later she left the profession.
Having identified her of conduct unbecoming of a solicitor it is quite amazing how only a few months later, Nicola Surgeon became an MSP. Identified by the Law Society investigating officer Olga Pasportkinov who is now the Sheriff for Elgin, it seems the young Miss Sturgeon considered herself suitable to stand as a candidate to be an MSP.
Did she hide her unsuitability to pass the selection process. One wonders if she did because exposure of such a past history, would most very probably rendered her as an unsuitable candidate to go forward.
So when we consider now the lack of integrity that washes around this First Minister let us look back to the circumstances of her leaving the legal profession and the going on very shortly thereafter to be an MSP.
Maybe as Sturgeon repeatedly declares her innocence, knowledge of anything, she could clarify on the events leading up to Sheriff Olga Pasportkenov’s December 1998 five page Law Society report.
Time for comment. Over to the First Minister.
Helen Yates says:
The Fabiani inquiry will keep her safe and we can only hope that she doesn’t have James Hamilton in her pocket too.
Reply
What age is James Hamilton?
Is he a member of ‘the old boys club’
Feminazi’s might have to be careful who they piss off, call names and threaten to quarantine after dark.
Oh okay Nicola, so everyone is lying except you.
@willie
As someone with a legal background myself, sturgeon did the classic resign from the profession before I’m struck off sidestep.
From digging around I believe she was asked about this at the start of her political career and managed somehow to lie her way out of it.
Let’s also be clear that before sturgeon was was found guilty of misconduct her legal career was basically an unmitigated disaster. A below par trainee who ended up at backstreet firms who was never going to make it.
Of course the SNP spin team has concocted the myth of “Nicola Sturgeon the cool headed and able lawyer”. In the firms I’ve worked in she wouldn’t have even got a traineeship let alone got the chance to prove her incompetence and dishonesty.
But the thing is, success in politics is not about administrative ability (which is concerning because the Scottish FM is meant to be a head administrator that runs gov departments with budgets of billions) and in her case her career went well because she is a loudmouthed, psychopathic, bully who can lie without a care in the world. She is probably the most practiced and bare faced liar I have ever seen.
Psychopaths are very good at fake empathy to use people and that is another of her talents, but when the mask slips (ie. the misconduct charges, hushing up Bill Walker allegations, Alex Salmond conspiracy) they show their true colours. Nicola Sturgeon is a user and she has been using and abandoning people her whole life. I have to say that I think Alex Salmond is still struggling with just how effin evil Sturgeon is because he can’t quite bring himself to admit that she was never his friend and was always calculating how to use him.
Anyway that’s my take. Presumably someone will be along later to say we should just vote for her anyway because actually it’s the fault of the British state.
What really p*sses me off is the lack of preparation/understanding/knowledge that anyone, involved in questioning the FM or her ‘team’, has. FFS I could ask better questions and at least challenge the response because I would flipping have done my homework. Ruth Davidson needs to get real, asking a question without knowing what the correct answer is and then accepting the stroppy woffle delivered by the FM, geeze. These people are the people we are trusting to run our country and they are dim, dim on the inquiry and absolutely dim at Holyrood. I am fed up.
How can we hold her accountable when she simply lies about the next question?
She appears to possess a type of psychopathic behaviour pattern which allows her to destroy any perceived threat without pain, shame or conscience. People with such capacity are dangerous in a position of power.
I’m puzzled. Why is Sturgeon and her comfy crew so intent on destroying Salmond?
The attempts by the Crown Office to threaten and censor The Spectator and Guido Fawkes read like like one of Ionescu’s absurdist comedies; except they are in no way funny. Is Sturgeon copying Zuma?
I would not know a conspiracy if it turned up in my soup HOWEVER this all makes better sense if the British Security Services used her flaws and directed the scenario to the conclusion I fear but is their raison d ‘etre.
Much of the Commonwealth and those who never joined it have suffered from their attention.
They cling to Empire and increasing the nuclear bombs and setting sail for the South China Sea in half baked ships is further examples of their absurd megalomania.
So keep smiling as independence is normal!
I was under the impression that COPFS was subordinate to Parliament? Is that not so?
That being the case why did Parliament officials rollover and delete Alex Salmonds allegations?
@Lulu bells
The fault lies in the format of FMQs. The opposition don’t have enough questions and the presiding officer is so weak he never ever stands up to Sturgeon when she goes on a hate filled rant refusing to answer the question. Lindsay Hoyle would have her put in her place very quickly and would have pulled her up and asked her to correct the record if her lies were revealed but Ken Macintosh is an absolute failure who is going into retirement with his reputation in tatters.
‘I would not know a conspiracy if it turned up in my soup HOWEVER this all makes better sense if the British Security Services used her flaws and directed the scenario to the conclusion I fear but is their raison d ‘etre.’ Unfortunately, this is typical of the type of skitter that turns-up on this site too often.
UK law is the best in the world and always has been. Have a look at the Scottish COPFS and Lord Advocate is you want a vision of what an independent Scotland would be like underthe present Junta.
‘Independence is normal’ – Jesus wept.
Conspiracy, conschmiracy. Bada-bing bada-boom.
I watched the clip of her answering Ruth Davidson’s questions. She reminded me of that Stevie Smith poem – about drowning not waving in that she seemed to be gasping for breath between her faux outraged sentences. Conspiracy, conspiracy everywhere and none of it my own. This, under the circumstances, strikes me as Desperate Dan stuff. That, together with the old boys’ bollocks. Bada-bing bada-boom.
Official Police email addresses are not top secret, need to know things.
And particularly in this instance, the redacting of the Police Officers works email address served only one purpose – concealing the name of the officer so that they could not be called as a witness.
Giving evidence to legal procedings (even civil ones) is a core Police duty. They (and to be fair its not the Police trying to keep their names out of it) cannot request that their identity be kept out of any formal type of enquiry, or that they should not be called to give evidence.
I’m pretty sure it was in Nov 2017 that Police told Scot Gov in no uncertain terms to refer the women to appropriate support groups, they could not force them to complain to the Police, and that ScotGov were not qualified to guddle about and do their own enquiry.
Given the Judicial Review was – in part – about establishing that the procedures taken were unfair, unlawful and biased – no wonder a Police e-mail telling them they were unqualified to do their own enquiry got magic’d out of the system and delayed sending.
You have to wonder how many solicitors & judges are watching what’s going on here. I wonder how long Nicola can hang on before she herself is in front of a Judge.
oops petercherbi 10th March was new to me
An excellent and detailed exposure of a blatantly dishonest and duplicitous First Minister. One can only wonder, with some regret, why opposition leaders are so poorly briefed and badly prepared?
I dearly wish there were a Wings over England to expose the absolute hypocrisy in using Parlimentary Priveledge to talk about an inquiry in Scotland by a MP who should know better.
Not sure I have any back left to get up!
Daisy Walker says:
Given the Judicial Review was – in part – about establishing that the procedures taken were unfair, unlawful and biased – no wonder a Police e-mail telling them they were unqualified to do their own enquiry got magic’d out of the system and delayed sending.
Reply
It’s incredible that they thought they were qualified to investigate crime & that if they didn’t include the email nobody would notice that they weren’t qualified police officers.
Maybe they watched a lot of crime shows on telly.
Driving through Perth today, past the SNP office and on the one hand its good to see they have a full page poster up, for new candidate Jim Fairlie.
I like Jim, and I don’t think he’s woke.
But here’s the thing, his father was falsely accused – and subsequently won in court – false allegations of sexual abuse.
He wrote a book about it. And I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, and have every sympathy for his whole family on going through that.
So, Jim, your father at least had a legal system that was not corrupt to deal with his defense.
You are currently serving a party that threatens the integrity of our Police, our Prosecution, our Government staff, our politicians, woman and child safety, freedom of speech. And has colluded at the highest level to withold legally required documents and information in order to collude to try and jail an innocent man.
All of this should be deeply uncomfortable for you in particular.
First they came for Alex and I did nothing. SHAME.
Curiouser and curiouser..
https://www.spiked-online.com/2021/03/18/transgenderism-is-a-form-of-gay-conversion-therapy/
A line pursued in Iran and not uncommon elsewhere.
This is the sort of entanglement « liberals » holding political office find themselves in when they arrogantly snoop in places they ought not.
Glad to be gay?
Sturgeons lies just piling one on top of another now yet the Scottish media seem entirely uninterested. Absolutely useless media we have up here in Scotland. Well done Stu for this.
@papko erm…no…I dont care where you’re from. There is no place for liars and dishonesty in Scotlands democracy.
Fabulous work Stu, as normal
@Papko 18 March, 2021 at 2:15 pm
“A liar no doubt.
But a Scottish one.
If we must be lied to,let it be by someone who lives in Scotland.”
Wow Your Happy to be Lied to as long as its Scottish Lies ?
What the hell happened to “Better for Scotland” and the promises of “doing things differently” They are certainly doing that right enough and turning Scotland into a Banana Republic with what appears to be a lying Dictator with no morals as a leader.
Lothianlad says:
18 March, 2021 at 3:03 pm
“Sturgeon is now in full demolition mode. determined to destroy independence on the instructions of her brit nat handlers!”
This is the sort of tin foil hat comment that destroys the credibility of Scottish nationalism. Makes us sound like a bunch of flat earth conspiracy theorists.
More excellent research and exposition. If only some competent and fearless MSPs on the same side as the independence movement had the courage and integrity to hold the FM and others to account. Relying on unionist bastards does not sit comfortably with me and provides a convenient shield to those who deserve attack.
This cannot continue. The head of any government cannot be allowed to lie with impunity. Nor do I think an election can proceed when the ruling party is guilty of such serious misconduct.
We must have justice. We do not want Scotland ruled by the wicked.
You could not be more truthful Stuart when you say the First Minister is a liar.
Captain Yossarian you present a classic catch 22 one act play.
All the people you say would be part of an independent Scotland management team would actually NOT be!
Why?
All the current holders of these positions you mention are vetted by the British Ministry of Defence and therefore are approved by it. Of course you know why I know and I know why you mislead in this .
The Flat Earthers continue to deny to themselves the truth.
Having watched FMQ I was again struck by her vindictive vile assertions being endlessly repeated , the bile was visible and palpable, her taunts to everyone that she has admitted failures but she was focused on protecting the women complainers , yet no one has ever pointed out the outright hypocrisy of that statement when her court officers couldn’t even be bothered attending court on that day and it was down to AS and his legal officials to insist on anonymity for the women accusers , that aligned with ignoring the wishes of the complainants NOT to go to the police shows how wide her concern was and is
What is exceedingly frustrating and inexplicable is the FACT we have a legal profession and justiciary who were ONCE renowned and trusted around the world for their fairness and probity for centuries , and yet are standing by allowing that hard earned reputation to be TRASHED and DESTROYED by individuals who are determined that irrespective of the evidence that has been made available they will never concede wrongdoing , and are quite comfortable in manipulating lies and corruption irrespective of the damage to Scotland and the integrity and honesty of its institutions
Surely there is something in Scotland’s constitutional history that can address this criminality of the executive
Reading about these civil servants spending 9 months investigate alleged attempted rape, sexual assault etc reminded me of a First Aid class I attended many years back.
One of the men attending the course always came carrying loads of books, looking back I’m guessing they were medical books.
The course was what you would expect the first few days we were taught bandaging, CPR, recovery position, Heimlich manoeuver all that stuff. The last few days we were asked questions and had to demonstrate that we knew how to do all the various first-aid that we had been taught.
The man with the books was asked what he would do if someone was chocking his answer was that he would perform a tracheotomy before he got too far into how he would perform the tracheotomy he was stopped!
You can imagine what the First Aid instructors said to him. Like the civil servants who wanted to hide the email from the police he probably didn’t want to share what the First Aid instructor said to him.
I become more and more appalled-however, what’s worse to me is that I become less and less surprised. I think your First Minister may well carry it off. The other actors are bound to her with hoops of steel-if any one goes bandit then the whole shebang will blow; lose control of the levers of power (and therefore of information) and, again, its toilet time.
I listened to an audio book last night about that bit of unpleasantness towards the middle of the last century; that can be traced back to a few countries wherein the Leader became the Party; the Party was the Leader -and the legal system was in thrall to both. Luckily that couldn’t happen in the modern UK…..
Watched FMQ’s today and once again we were faced with a First Minister who is willing to lie through her teeth and in a very professional way. She takes a question, demolishes it and gets out quick. One thing I give her credit for is that she knows every nook and cranny of the case, God she has been hiding in plenty of them, only AS can match that knowledge, but it is the same as everything else that comes from her mouth, all talk no action. The other problem we still face is the poor quality of opposition which she is up against, Davidson as you pointed out had not been briefed properly, Sarwar was woeful, what can you say about the Lib Dems, and Patrick needs an operation to be extracted from Nicola’s arse. What’s the betting the results of both enquiries will come out as Holyrood goes into recess leaving no time for debate before the election, just more Nicola speak!
Can someone please publish the fabled whatsapp messages which, as I understand it, will put an end to this endless stream of lies once and for all?
Please.
Out of curiosity, and to make sure I’m not getting caught up in a conspiracy theory,
Did the Scottish Government ‘inadvertently’ do anything, anything at all, that aided Salmond’s lawyers or was everything that’s been flagged ‘inadvertently’ damaging to the Scottish Government case in the Judicial Review?
Mere incompetence would be expected to be displayed across the board.
Malice is something else altogether.
Sorry Stuart but you are clearly male and so your big bully boy’s club facts do not count against the need to protect the women.
As proven by the STV news reducing it to a 30 second spot about sixth place in the running order with two thirds of it being Nicola berating Ruth as a conspiracy theorist with an agenda against the wimmin.
AwakeNotWoke says:
Can’t agree more. Anyone you pissed off previously like ex Wife, girlfriend, colleague etc can have you sent to the pokey easily with this new breach of rights.
Reply
Is there any reason why men can’t accuse women of sexual assault?
You guys are being very quiet.
You might be stronger than women physically but ‘you don’t seem to be genetically programmed’ to be devious.
Please give us your opinion on who should lead Scotland to independence. I
I’m afraid the only way the MSM are going to get involved is if someone shines a light on the private lives of those in the upper echelons of the SNP……Dirty digging, but in may be the only way to shake the hard of thinking from their torpor.
Stu. As much as I have admired your work on behalf of the independence movement, and contributed to your finances over the years, I think you’ve now lost the plot.
Ruby says:
No idea why we wouldn’t accuse women of sexual assault, I would have never even thought about it. Have had my bum felt on a few occasions, the last one by a colleague half my age when she was drunk. To be honest I was flattered. Does slapping my bald head count as a sexual assult ?
given that this is all so open and in the public domain one must presume that the darker forces of Unionism must be keeping their powder dry to ‘deploy’ at the point of most destruction to the cause of independence.
“hell hath no fury…”goes the saying, but SNP may find out that a betrayed cybernat doth….
NS told RD today n FMQ’s. “ the verdict of accountability lies with the .scottish people”
So a good result for SNP will be to her credit.
Or the Indy supporters are ever hopeful SNP will at some time, maybe with a new leader, deliver?
Fraser MacKintosh says at 18 March, 2021 at 3:11 pm
A whiselblower sends a senior Tory a statement. Why wait until now? The message is quite clear anything to stop independence and Westminster has now started to turn up the heat.
This is not an “anything to stop independence” effort – far from it. As long as that lying witch Sturgeon is running things, there’s no chance of independence or IndyRef2. If anything, The intervention by David Davis is part of the effort to force her resignation and prosecution. Which has to happen to get independence back on track.
Remember too that the whistleblower is almost certainly Alex Salmond. He’s playing the long game by bringing information into the public domain gradually and carefully. If it all came out at once, it would be a lot easier to ignore or dismiss his complaints as the deranged rantings of a sex offender who got away with it. This is why he’s taken a calm and measured approach thoughout this sordid episode. He’s also said he has more information which will be made available when the time and place is right.
Emma Royd says:
Could also be that the whistleblower has had suspicions all along and has pieced everything together and basically has said enough is enough.
Nicola Sturgeon MISLED Holyrood Inquiry over Alex Salmond meeting, MSPs conclude
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-misled-holyrood-inquiry-23755659
As a Dundonian, I like this extract from The Spectator’s story:
“The Spectator opened its first editorial in 1828 with the credo written by its founding editor, a Dundonian named R.S. Rintoul:
‘The principal object of a newspaper is to convey intelligence.’
The principal object of the Crown Office has not only been to stop intelligence being conveyed, but to delete intelligence from the public domain.”
The complainant who spoke out against David Davis makes no sense either.
“She says she was approached in January 2018 by Scottish Government human resources regarding their Salmond investigation as she had been named “as someone who experienced such behaviour”, but had decided she did not want to “share with them my own personal experiences”
How did HR know about her and what allegedly happened to her – who informed them if it wasn’t herself?
Moreover, “Concerned about obstructing the investigation, however, she raised the matter with a “trusted senior person in government, Liz Lloyd” for advice. “I did not tell Liz who the complaint was from, who it was about or the nature of the complaint,” she says.
That makes even less sense.
Difficult to go along with the idea that NS is a Unionist plant.
More realistically I think power has just gone to her head, like many before.If enough people tell you you’re wonderful and infallible, maybe you start to believe it.
Independence or not, she has severely damaged Scottish democracy and our image in the world. We will need to recover our democratic standards, trustworthiness and accountability before we can begin again to answer the serious challenges of Independence.
Al says:
18 March, 2021 at 2:29 pm
I suspect she will get back in, the push for postal votes makes sense now.
Her Democrat handlers have taught her well.
committee finds FM Sturgeon misled Scottish parliament
https://news.sky.com/story/sturgeon-misled-parliament-over-role-in-salmond-investigation-committee-finds-12249817
@Ruby 18 March, 2021 at 6:21 pm
About 10 or so years ago I used to take more of a part in those kind of discussions.
At best you would be ignored, at worst you are mansplaining, got “what about the poor men” sarcasm, were a misogynist, or the ultimate put down you were a dreaded MRA.
To be seen to be doing anything towards helping men was seen to be taking away time and resources from helping women.
There were certainly parallels between the actions and tactics of some branches of feminism (usually american) back then and the TRA groups now.
It did catch my eye somewhat that the hate crime bill debates on adding sex as a protected characteristic seemed to only revolve around protecting women, though the addition would apply to everyone. After it wasn’t included though the formation of “a working group to discuss misogynistic hate/harassment” was brought up once again, something which at least in name is not about protecting everyone.
In gender reform discussions while the biggest issue is women’s safety probably followed by fairness in sporting competitions a number of the other issues apply just as equally to men. Mostly those which relate to unease or discomfort of having the opposite sex present in certain situations.
Aha, thank you, that explains the mystery email from Judith Mackinnon, sending out a copy of the procedure ‘inadvertently’ to the police on the 23rd Nov 2017
https://gordondangerfield.com/2021/03/11/what-the-scottish-government-knew-and-when-they-knew-it/#comment-2195
No one bothered to answer me about my bemusement, so it’s good to know – I hadn’t realised it was a main perpetrator of the controversy surrounding provision (or lack thereof) of evidence to the JR.
I still wonder why Police Scotland didn’t mention it in their evidence to the Harassment Committee.
Al says:
18 March, 2021 at 6:56 pm
Ruby says:
No idea why we wouldn’t accuse women of sexual assault, I would have never even thought about it. Have had my bum felt on a few occasions, the last one by a colleague half my age when she was drunk. To be honest I was flattered. Does slapping my bald head count as a sexual assault ?
Reply
You have been seriously sexually assaulted. Slapping your bald head is not just a sexual assault it is also a hate crime called ‘Bald Shaming’
No reason why you can’t enjoy being sexually assaulted and also taking note of the incident just incase!
Maybe when you’re forced to stay at home every night you might have a re-think and decide that it’s time to get your own back.
cat-sith says:
There were certainly parallels between the actions and tactics of some branches of feminism (usually american) back then and the TRA groups now
Reply
I haven’t been comfortable with ‘feminists’ for quite a long time now.
Being that Nicola Sturgeon is a feminist I think my gut feelings were correct.
try telling pointing any of this out to the Sturgeon sychophants on the pages of the National!
To the Supreme Leader-
Nicola, question,do you subscribe to the notion that the buck should stop with you?
(rhetorical of course)
Hi Ruby.
Specially for you…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU28GHMcYxM
8=)
Hi ben madigan.
Your linked archived (40 minutes ago).
https://archive.is/IkxOA
“Members have decided that Ms Sturgeon misled the committee itself and, as such, misled parliament and potentially breached the ministerial code of conduct.”
“Your linked archived” = Your link archived
SHAZBOT!
Budgie 5.52….
FUCK OFF!!!
Ruby says:
No, Women including my Grandmother, mother, sisters,female friends, wife(are we allowed to use that term now) have all had unwanted attention and worse from men. For a man to put up with some of the same, these days is no real price to pay for historical abuse.
I was brought up to talk to the face, respect all women, treat them as equals and to respect their space which I have always done.
I have never had a problem about the slap to the bald head or anything else with the girls I worked with as we all knew were the boundaries lie and treated each other with respect.
Recent events have made me concerned about being a male as, sometimes, I have given both males and females the short shrift at work. I have rejected advances from friends wife’s and have gone through a divorce.
Instead of teaching sex eductation and gender to the primary school kids, the focus should be on teaching equality, highlight the work of women during WW2, show them the work of the womens ATA, Rosie the riveter etc. break down the barriers.
Well. I never..
Ross Kilbride. Go to your room young man. You’re grounded
I hold the Rev in high Esteem but how damning is it that
a Holyrood Committee can’t work this out.
“The First Minister is a liar”
Not once, but countless times.
They are worse than that Romanian dictator couple.
Mia says,
“Inadvertently, they said? Yeah, and the moon is made of blue cheese.”
Do you still believe that it was the British state and not Sturgeon who was responsible for the criminal conspiracy to jail Alex Salmond?
Mia says (previously),
“So this is not just “a Scottish lash up”. The British state’s dirty fingers are all over this.”
Nicla Sturgeon doubles down
Ee-Aye-Ee-Aye-Oh!
Looking like an utter clown
Ee-Aye-Ee-Aye-Oh!
With a suborn here,
A withholding there –
Here a fib, there a con,
Every speech a pretext –
Nicla Sturgeon doubles down
Ee-Aye-Ee-Aye-Oh!
TOMMY SHERIDAN says,
“More excellent research and exposition. If only some competent and fearless MSPs on the same side as the independence movement had the courage and integrity to hold the FM and others to account. Relying on unionist bastards does not sit comfortably with me and provides a convenient shield to those who deserve attack.”
Stop being a total hypocrite Tommy.
Unlike the SNP stooges at Westminster, Tory MP David Davies has done us all an enormous favour by holding the FM and others to account.
You on the other hand are endorsing the FM and other criminals by advocating a constituency vote for the SNP.
The only way left to hold the FM to account is to unseat her in her parliamentary constituency.
But you are against that.
Sadly, I can no longer see any difference between you and George Galloway.
18 March, 2021 at 7:14 pm
Emma Royd says:
Could also be that the whistleblower has had suspicions all along and has pieced everything together and basically has said enough is enough.
_________________
I watched a clip of David Davis talking about his speech. I’m trying to find it again as I believe I heard him saying he got it from someone in the Civil Service It was from a female.
I really would like to find the clip to verify I heard right.
“Please give us your opinion on who should lead Scotland to independence.”
For the 5,000th time? Why would we assume you’d listen this time?
Kcor thinks Tory Brexiteer David Davis is great.
Kcor can’t see the difference between Tommy Sheridan and George Galloway
I smell shite.
A very simple question for you, ScotsRenewables:
Would you like Sturgeon to be re-elected as an MSP, either in the constituency or on the list?