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Wings Over Scotland


The Smell Of It

Posted on March 26, 2023 by

This is the second time Wings Over Scotland has asked Police Scotland a question through the proper official channels, only to read the response in the tabloid press before we’d heard it firsthand (which we still haven’t, incidentally, several days after the 28-day deadline expired).

But the sidebar piece in today’s Sunday Mail raises more questions than it answers.

Just one month ago, on 23 February this year, Sir Iain Livingstone announced that he was standing down from his role as Chief Constable of Police Scotland – two years before the end of his contract.

So the first thing we’re being expected to believe is that just two weeks earlier the Chief Constable was at the Scottish Parliament to speak to the Justice Secretary, along with his deputy, but didn’t take a couple of minutes to walk a few feet down the corridor to inform the First Minister in person that he was about to unexpectedly hand in his notice – rather a significant piece of news, one might expect.

The omission of such a basic courtesy seems, let’s say, out of character, particularly as the Mail piece doesn’t make any mention of his having told Keith Brown either.

Secondly, Wings knows for a fact that a number of Scottish journalists had asked Police Scotland about the visit (because it’s quite hard for a building full of hacks to miss such a senior pair of uniformed cops cutting around the Parliament – the Chief having turned up in his official chauffeured vehicle, although oddly the Deputy arrived in his own car) only to be given a flat denial.

We believe that this tweet by Conor Matchett of the Scotsman is also a reference to it, although we don’t know that for sure in his case.

Why would such a routine visit – nobody would find it remarkable or noteworthy for the Chief Constable to have a meeting with the Justice Secretary – be met with any evasion at all? Why not just admit it immediately, rather than having to look shifty by backtracking on your official denial some time later when you were about to have to admit the truth through an FOI?

(The very existence of the Mail piece is slightly peculiar, in that it says Police Scotland “has insisted” that the Chief Constable didn’t meet with Sturgeon, even though we’re not aware of any paper carrying a story claiming that he had. So the paper’s readers are being told that an allegation nobody has publicly made has been hotly denied.)

And the third suspicious aspect is why we’re still waiting for our FOI response. Quite aside from why it was leaked to the press first, we can think of no valid reason why such a straightforward question would not have been answered within the 20 working days (ie 28 calendar days) stipulated for FOIs in the first place.

It’s a very simple matter, after all, of checking the Chief Constable’s diary and screenshotting the relevant page. It requires no cross-referencing, no researching or compiling of statistics, no real work at all. Even under current staffing pressures it should take a matter of minutes at most – not more than a month – and would be an easy boost for the force’s compliance and transparency ratings.

We have the strangest premonition that the official response will miraculously arrive very shortly after the result of the SNP leadership election, though.

Let’s see if we’re right.

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0 to “The Smell Of It”

  1. SusanAHF
    Ignored
    says:

    Yes, saw the big splash on the front page of the Sunday Mail. Expensive gifts? Like money towards a mortgage perhaps?

  2. Ian McCubbin
    Ignored
    says:

    This whole corrupt case with falling domino’s will be revealed.
    Thank you Stu for all your investigative journalism.
    You are a rare breed in UK.

  3. Vivian O’Blivion
    Ignored
    says:

    Likely Livingstone was visiting Sturgeon to give the heads-up that The Herald on Sunday was looking for a statement / confirmation of a story they were about to run that weekend. The story being let another leak fae Polis Scotland’s Crime campus at Gartcosh that the COPFS were stymying Operation Branchform.
    The fact that the plods fae Gartcosh were showing resolute solidarity in protecting the source of the leak led to a lot of squeaky bums in the COPFS, the upper echelons of Polis Scotland and the Scottish Executive.
    The collapse of regime of the lavender Ceau?escus started with a few recalcitrant cops refusing to bow to whims of their entitled “superiors” at the corrupt COPFS.

  4. ClanDonald
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s certainly lòoking increasingly likely that the police investigation has, indeed, been postponed until the leadership election has been concluded. If so, who in Police Scotland made that decision? And who did they collude with in the Scottish Government/SNP as to the timing of this? The main beneficiary of all this appears to be Humza Yousaf, the Sturrell’s favoured candidate.

  5. twathater
    Ignored
    says:

    Come on the supposedly world renowned Scottish Justice system and ALL the REAL HONEST members of the LEGAL ESTABLISHMENT, EXPOSE this cancer that is permeating through your PROFESSION with scum manipulators defending and diverting even bigger scum politicians

  6. Kenny
    Ignored
    says:

    Ian McCubbin:

    “This whole corrupt case with falling domino’s will be revealed.
    Thank you Stu for all your investigative journalism.
    You are a rare breed in UK”..

    I don’t believe all will be revealed. As much as Rev Stu, and everyone else wishing a straight and clean country to live in, have attempted to expose the crooks behind Scot gov, I think the guilty will walk. I think they’ll walk because, regardless of the body responsible for enforcing the law, they always walk. Just as Boris Johnson, his bent dad, Stanley, Zahawi, this-one and that-one and all the way back to Ted Heath and beyond, all walked, so will Sturgeon and Murrell and the rest of them because they’re part of it.

    Big front-page headlines of SNP Finances being investigated give the illusion that impropriety is being ‘addressed’, but that’s only to assure the public that any wrongdoing is being noted, and that the Law is taking these allegations seriously – making the Law look upright. Bollocks. These headlines are also a way for the Establishment to remind the corrupt – Sturgeon et al – that they’re pawns, cannon-fodder and to remain on the side of Establishment or else.
    Disregard ‘Smitty’ and his ramblings of arrests; were the guilty to be arrested it would’ve happened by now, certainly last week when all hell was breaking-loose.

    There must be a helluva lot of deep corruption within Scot gov and Police Scotland for this to be continued to be covered-up so, and if you ever doubted that fact then read Stu Campbell.
    The lot of it stinks, all the way down to London.

  7. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    There are only limited possibilities.

    1. Genuine meeting.
    2. Forwarning of imminent action and the need for a leader
    remaining in situ till then for governance purposes.
    3. Colluding to surpress story.

    In view of resignations since visit I would think option 2 the most likely and that option 3 has failed.

  8. Ian Stewart
    Ignored
    says:

    They can’t give you any information because it’s subject to court action – that would be my conclusion.

  9. Antoine Bisset
    Ignored
    says:

    From Wikipedia: “The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is the independent public prosecution service for Scotland, and is a Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government.”
    Note the word “independent”. This means that the service is independent of the Scottish Government (although the Lord Advocate is a de jure member of the Scottish Government). This independence is in no way diminished by the fact that the Lord Advocate, and the Chief Constable Police Scotland are both selected by the First Minister. t
    We may rely on their strict impartiality and zealous enforcement of the Law. Who would dare suggest otherwise?

  10. Saffron Robe
    Ignored
    says:

    You’re very rarely wrong, Stuart. There’s something very rotten in the state of Scotland. I can see no reason for the police investigation to be halted unless there has been political interference.

  11. Shug
    Ignored
    says:

    Strange but I have never come across a police officer that was trying to do anything but the right thing. But again, and remembering the Salmond investigation, it seems very hard to find one with similar integrity in the higher ranks.

    Any officer with any level of integrity would take action on people giving false evidence, perjury and the rest.

    At what rank is integrity cast aside

  12. Wee Chid
    Ignored
    says:

    Kenny says:
    26 March, 2023 at 12:44 pm

    Completely agree – and Karma doesn’t exist. The barstewards always get away with it. They have the wealth and the power and we have sod all.

  13. Daisy Walker
    Ignored
    says:

    Ask for details of his meal allowance expence claims that day.

    ALL Senior Officers claim EVERY expence going. Current rules and regs mean they now have to produce meal receipts.

  14. Den
    Ignored
    says:

    The whole judicial system in Scotland is fucked. Who can you trust ? Malicious prosecutions by the LA of people who have committed no crimes whilst the real criminals are coached how to steal and commit perjury whilst holding public office with little or no recriminations by those who are supposed to be looking after justice. What a mess and it all started when she got everyone’s hands dirty when they tried to stitch up AS.

  15. Daisy Walker
    Ignored
    says:

    Interestingly, Police Scotland have a Police Inspector situated within Holyrood for Liaison and Security purposes.

    It would have been perfectly normal for the CC to visit them at their office.

    Doh! If only they had thought of it.

  16. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “This whole corrupt case with falling domino’s will be revealed.
    Thank you Stu for all your investigative journalism.
    You are a rare breed in UK.”

    Cheers Ian. By any chance have you ever been a cop yourself?

  17. Garrion
    Ignored
    says:

    If there were ever a strong indication that Sturgeon and the NuSNP had aligned themselves completely within the British state, it was the disturbing integration of and alignment with police and judicial bodies into SNP policymaking and procedure. I’m pretty sure that they were a whole lot more standoffish under previous SNP leadership.

  18. socratesmacsporran
    Ignored
    says:

    The indications are, the geyser is bubbling up nicely and the shite is about to hit the fan big style, sometime over the next few weeks.

    I wonder which of the useful idiots, who have done their bit to make Sturgeon look good, will be the first to break ranks and, for self-preservation, admit to “honest mistakes” (that all-purpose Scottish excuse).

    If they don’t, they could well find themselves going down alongside the MacCeausescus.

  19. Stuart MacKay
    Ignored
    says:

    I think Kenny, @12:44pm is right. They are running away now to put some distance between themselves and their crimes, with the idea that if enough time passes something else is going to come along as a distraction. It will need someone with a high degree of determination to ensure the guilty are brought to justice.

  20. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    If official visit it would be logged in Browns ministrial diary surely.

  21. robertkknight
    Ignored
    says:

    Best say nothing on the subject Rev, else you get banged up for jigsaw identification of the corrupt.

  22. Anonymoose
    Ignored
    says:

    I wouldnt be surprised of a cover up, the whole thing reeks of it as well as Bwitish State meddling.

    Besides, even if there is a cover-up the Bwitish Clown Estate already have their fix in place to deny it since September 2022 as they have swapped out Clown Agents, the new interim Clown Agent John Logue is an ex-pal and work-associate of the ex-Clown Agent, David Harvie, who both worked together on the prosecution team at the Lockerbie Trial at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands.

    If you need more details on our ex-Crown Agent David Harvie this site covered some of his most recent antics in this article – https://wingsoverscotland.com/you-mustnt-slip-up/

    I have serious doubts that the interim Crown Agent will be any more honest in the job than the last one.

    As for other people with interesting connections stemming from the Lockerbie trial within our judiciary, there were five Lord Advocates in position over the duration of the investigation and trial, many of whom were either existing members of the House of Lords or were made members of the House of Lords during or after the trials, another name of note is Alan Turnbull aka Lord Turnbull, now a Senator of the College of Justice (that’s a judge in the Scottish Supreme Court to you and me), who was also one of the many lead prosecutors during the Lockerbie trial, his name should be familiar to everyone as he is married to the current Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain.

    Dorothy Bain was of course appointed by Nicola Sturgeon, as was James Wolffe who is married to Lady Wolffe, another Scottish judge who stepped down as a Senator of the College of Justice a few months after her husband quit as Lord Advocate.

    It really is shocking how intertwined the Judicairy and prosecution service in Scotland is, every one of them will profess as to being able to separate their roles and act without bias or prejudice, some might manage that, others are more than questionable, however if you put all of their names on a board and map out lines for each of their connections to each other, it really is not that big of a world and if anything it should demonstrate that the Lord Advocate role, which is a Scottish Government Ministerial position needs to be completely amputated from the prosecution service.

    In addition all of our judges and the prosecution service should be required by law to publish and maintain an up to date register of interests – something they have been fighting tooth and nail against for years behind the scenes – because it might just shine a light on their many connections to each other, their financial connections & investments.

    If they have nothing to hide one would think they would be lining up to demonstrate their transparency and honesty to the Scottish people to rebuild a level of trust, trust which has been seriously eroded after all the events of the past 10-15 years involving impropriety in their profession which has cost the Scottish tax payer hundreds of millions of pounds.

  23. Thomas Box
    Ignored
    says:

    Does Portugal have an extradition treaty with the UK ?

  24. Andouilette
    Ignored
    says:

    Interesting. In my experience it is the Procurators Fiscal who are the problem. Two examples; a few years ago I had two very valuable items stolen from storage. Not self stotage, ‘proper’ storage for which I was paying through the nose. A police investigation (long story short) solved the mystery and thanks entirely to an excellent and very determined young PC I got one of the items back. The second was exported. We know who had stolen them, what had happened to them etc. The PF declined to prosecute on the grounds that the (alleged) thief was “A respectable businessman”. Call me Mrs. Mad but on my planet the genuinely respectable do not go around lifting peoples’ valuables!
    The second example is worse, a case of blatant, long term child abuse. Again PF refused to prosecute on grounds of ‘respectibility’. The abuser had already been convicted of an earlier, similar offence. Luckily he had committed the same crime against the same victim in England and was prosecuted there to great effect, he was sentenced to several years in prison. At this point the PF suddenly realised that respectability was out the window and he was prosecuted here as well resulting in another few years in the big hoose. An excellent result? Yes, for sure but why did it have to take so long? Why are these criminals seen as ‘respectable’? And what the hell can be done about it?

  25. sog
    Ignored
    says:

    Obviously no sane person would suggest the story was leaked to a compliant media, avoiding WoS, to deny Stuart a scoop. These things don’t happen, and to do so would be libel.

  26. George Ferguson
    Ignored
    says:

    Scottish Police have lost sight of their founding principle. Their organisation carries out policing only because of and with public consent. Never thought the centralisation of the regional police networks into Police Scotland was going to be an improvement. Another one of Nicola’s foul ups. I had confidence in Tayside Police they had a mandate from their community. Police Scotland would do well to remember their founding principles. Attachment to ‘here today gone tomorrow politicians’ is not wise.

  27. Gerry Robertson
    Ignored
    says:

    I realise my comments will unlikely see the light of day but this yet another reason I stopped following this website. Isn’t it entirely feasible that Sturgeon was not in her office on the day the CC visited or was otherwise in a meeting herself. Isn’t it also possible that the CC decided to retire afterwards and thirdly isn’t it conceivable that the answer to your FOI request is so trivial they have not given it any priority? Conspiracy theorist in full flow.

  28. Alex
    Ignored
    says:

    Why did the Chief have to tell Sturgeon in person on this date? They could have picked up the phone, already emailed it across, told them in an online meeting, met them in person elsewhere or even told them the next day etc.

    I’m all for calling our Sturgeon on her issues but this seems a bit of a stretch. Unless you know more than you’re admitting to it’s too needle in a haystack and trying to draw out conspiracy theories.

  29. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    This guy, was the chief of the 24 team task force that interviewed hundreds of would be conspirators, in the Alex Salmond conspiracy.

    He failed to find any conspirators for to join the inner circle of perjurers.

    One day with a regime change every one of these scumbags will meet their day of reconing in front of a Jury. I hope. In an Independent Scotland.

  30. Daisy Walker
    Ignored
    says:

    Was the CC under any form of enquiry for alleged misconduct and/or criminality in the year leading up to his retirement?

    In Scotland any misconduct enquiry would have been closed down on his retirement, as it is deemed, not to be in the public interest to continue to spend resources on it, when the officer is no longer in post.

  31. Sheepshagger
    Ignored
    says:

    It might end up sounding a bit like “Waffle, waffle…. We came to the conclusion that it would not be in the public interest to proceed.”

  32. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m sick ae it.

    Yousaf the cheat will be anointed tomorrow and the destruction of the SNP will complete. The lame Duck False Minister of Bute House will bring the Government down within a matter of weeks or months. While kissing King Charles toes.

    Therefore some 11th hour knight has to ride to the rescue and put at stop to the fake election. If the SNP is worth fighting for.

    So much Nicola Sturgeon wanting to step back from politics. Then immediately on the day of her successor being anointed, she has her own BBC talk show. All about Me Me Me. She’ll repeat her demented smears and innuendos for years to come.

    Not is the wheels of justice have anything to do with it. We must liberate Scotland from her corruption she’s left behind.

  33. Cynicus
    Ignored
    says:

    Whatever happened to Smitty?

  34. bobby McPherson
    Ignored
    says:

    Rev, Also worth noting the Chair of the Police Federation in Scotland resigned last month despite, in 2021, having his contract extended to 2025…AND, since 2019, 47 Police Scotland officers have resigned or retired from the force – allegedly to avoid issues of misconduct.

  35. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    @Cynicus,

    Posted the other day. “Down under” at present.

  36. Al-Stuart
    Ignored
    says:

    Well, well, well,

    Not much gets past you Stuart McTaggart Campbell 😉

    Please back-up all your files and computer drives Stuart. Not paranoia, just good practice at self-preservation. Make sure your back-ups are somewhere safe and not in your home or any of your known places of work. Any of your bent-police or sensitive investigative work should be kept away from nosy fishing visits at your gaff. For anyone thinking this is daft, think what Sturgeon and her cronies did to Alex Salmond and Craig Murray. For Heaven’s sake, Stuart already has had this sort of aggro.

    A rarely known problem with all police forces is the internecine wars and office politics that undermine a lot of the good that each police service does. The petty jealousies, the bitterness and skulduggery haunts every police service. It is very ugly. More to do with human nature than institutionalised corruption. Though Police Scotland has such an acquired aroma of rodent caught from SNP interference, that it raises eyebrows in all the wrong places.

    The Genesis is often linked to desire for promotion. Or alternatively part of professional frustration when one (usually senior (DCI or higher)) officer gets a case spectacularly wrong; whether through being inept (over-promotion, alcoholism, vice-squad perks etc), or just being plain, old fashioned, rotten bent. This then triggers something the public rarely see…

    There are a significant number of STRAIGHT COPS in every police force. The bent conduct really pi55es them off.

    The higher up the worse it can get.

    I believe this is Livingstone’s problem.

    You see, there is little more dangerous to a bent cop than a pissed-off straight cop.

    Stuart, the smell to which you refer is typical of someone covering their ‘erse. Livingstone appears to be cleaning house before he goes.

    Fatal to Livingstone’s retirement pension is CONTACT WITH THE ACCUSED OR A WITNESS where there is an ONGOING inquiry and one where he must recuse himself as he is likely to be a formal witness.

    As you allude, a lot within or out-with the answer to your FOISA will depend on who wins the FM race. But he way, you can expect judicial interest around that result.

    The worst thing of the many sub-par efforts John Swinney was involved in, was joining all of the Scottish police forces together.

    It hampers the ability for senior malfeasance to be investigated. At a certain rank any complaint has to, now go to the police force of another country other than Scotland. It does not require a high IQ to understand how that will be a problem to Police Scotland.

    On the “to do” list of cleaning-up Scotland and it’s disgusting political, establishment is splitting Police Scotland back to the regional, less incestuous police forces that existed before the SNP fucked up the police.

    Stuart, there is nest of old rodents permeating the can of worms you are poking around. In the words of the wonderful Roger Allam, Mind how you go.

  37. Skip_NC
    Ignored
    says:

    So I went back and looked at the link in the first sentence, which took me to Tom Gordon’s piece from 2021. This paragraph stood out:

    “However since Mr Campbell appeared on Mr Salmond’s show on the Kremlin-funded TV channel RT, it has swung increasingly behind the former first minister and against Mr Sturgeon.”

    Did Tom Gordon know of a much bigger story at the time and, if so, why on earth did he not reveal all to the world? I think we should be told.

    (Yes, it’s a Sunday morning here, I’ve just woken up and I’m still a bit giddy after Scotland keeping their unbeaten streak against Cyprus).

  38. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    @Gerry Robertson,

    Conspiracy theories? Try counless police hours investigating a man and passing the results on to qualified Advocates who must have seen the same evidence would never stand up in court.

    So it proved when the charges included touching someones hair and trying to molest someone who wasn’t even in the building.

    Conspiracy theories? Trying to sabotage a guys career.

    Job done.

  39. The language pedant
    Ignored
    says:

    “the Chief Constable didn’t meet with Sturgeon”

    FFS! He didn’t “meet with” anyone. He met them.

  40. PhilM
    Ignored
    says:

    @Andouilette
    You put ‘respectable businessman’ in quote marks…can you clarify why? i.e. is this something the PF said in your presence or did the PF say something similar and you’re paraphrasing here? Or are these you own ironic quote marks?
    Sorry to be pedantic but I’d be very interested personally in your response.
    If anyone watched Campbell Martin’s documentary you’ll remember he went to a local PF with evidence of wrong-doing and he had the evidence firmly pushed back across the table by the PF with the words (paraphrasing from memory) ‘it was more than his job was worth to investigate such allegations’.
    Lastly, we need to allow other forms of prosecution (and prosecutor) in Scotland rather than everything going through the Lord Advocate. It’s too much of a concentration of power. We also need to pilot certain types of private prosecution and remove the LA from the decision-making process altogether, leaving it up to the local sheriff to decide only whether the application is competent.
    I don’t know how the current private prosecution attempt (bill of criminal letters) is going but for there to be just two or three of these in over 100 years is ridiculous. What is the point in having a private prosecution route if it is next to impossible to proceed to a trial.
    There is so much wrong with Scotland’s justice system it’s difficult to know where to start. Pull at one dangling thread and before you know it the whole thing will fall apart.

  41. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    Thing that niggles me, I don’t get the feeling they’re about to be “caught” for doing anything.

    It “feels” like these resignations are the price to be paid for “ getting away with it”. As in, resign now, just go, and nothing more will be said.

    This isn’t a sign of imminent justice being delivered. This is the tidying up of loose ends.

    I mean Jesus H, this conspiracy, that’s apparently detailed in writing, tried to frame an innocent man as a sex offender and have him sent to jail, but yet the headline “crime” is maybe being sticky fingered with money which didn’t belong to them?

    Where are the interviews under caution? Where are the warrants? Where is there any pressure being applied anywhere? What evidence is there of ongoing investigation, nevermind crime?

    By all means, keep asking and stirring the pot, but when people are given the option to resign and they take it, that says to me it’s a matter being closed down, not opened up.

    I suspect James Wolffe’s American cousin Winston, has already entered the building…

  42. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    The Betrayer to plod chief, plod, I’m stepping down as the shit might be about to hit the fan, Plod to the Betrayer, is my back covered? the Betrayer Erm..No. Plod Oh shit I’m standing down also.

    Plod Chief to number two Plod, we were never here and we never met with the Betrayer, or the JS.

    Scotland is f*ckin corrupt, and from top to bottom.

  43. Lenny Hartley
    Ignored
    says:

    Gerry Robertson you wrote “ I realise my comments will unlikely see the light of day but this yet another reason I stopped following this website”
    If you stopped following this website, what are you doing reading articles and writing comments?
    I smell shite.

  44. Willie
    Ignored
    says:

    Shocking how intertwined the COPFS and the Judiciary is says an earlier commentator.

    You bet and the last week announcement of the departure of Crown Agent David Harvie and his appointment as a £147k a year sheriff in Inverness reinforces that circle.

    But it’s not just the COPFS and judiciary that’s corrupt bit Police Scotland and top civil servants too.

    The mechanisms of justice and government in Scotland are rotten to the core. And the current refusal by Police Scotland to confirm any detail about Scotland’s two top cops, one of which has just resigned, visiting the Parliament is just more evidence of the rottenness.

    The Rule of Law in Scotland is Tammany Hall corruption by the authorities. In fact to be accurate there is no proper rule of law.

    Great however that we have Stu Campbell exposing the malign hidden hands to subvert democracy and honesty

  45. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    On Operation Branchform.

    “The Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain – a member of the government – has stepped aside and Crown agent John Logue is understood to be overseeing the case.”

    Logue replaced Mi5 agent David Harvie who stood down at the Crown Office.

    Here is info on the COPFS and Logue.

    https://www.copfs.gov.uk/about-copfs/our-structure/#:~:text=The%20current%20Crown%20Agent%20is%20John%20Logue%20who,the%20COPFS%20in%201994.%20Crown%20Agent%20John%20Logue

  46. socratesmacsporran
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks @ 2.47pm

    That Winston Wolfe line is a cracker – chapeau Sir.

  47. Gerry Robertson
    Ignored
    says:

    @Lenny Hartley. I am 74 yo and have been an SNP member for many many years, have walked the streets canvassing for my Party and no one wants Independence more than me. I supported this website for much of that time and contributed to it so do not insult my intelligence by accusing me in the way you did. This the first occasion I have returned after a previous and perfectly civil disagreement years ago with what was being said at the time and the obsession with trans rights which was deleted. An issue that is being blown out of all proportion. So much for free speech. On this occasion I am merely pointing out there maybe many many legitmate reasons for this without resorting to innuendo and accusations that cannot be substantiated.

  48. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    Off topic, but I continue to be amazed by the timings expected next week.

    On the 27th, the result of the election for SNP leader will be announced.

    Shortly after NS will formally resign as FM.

    On the 28th, a rare alignment of 5 planets, plus the moon, will be visible soon after sunset.

    We all know astrology is BS, but there we are, it’s going to happen anyway.

    “When beggars die there are no comets seen,
    The heavens themselves foretell the death of princes.”

    Or, in these modern times, the destruction of a political career and reputation.

    Makes you think.

  49. Andouilette
    Ignored
    says:

    @PhilM
    First example was in a letter copied to me by the police.Second example is anecdotal, though it makes sense in context, for reasons I cannot go into.
    I thoroughly agree with your post.

  50. Alf Baird
    Ignored
    says:

    Lest we forget that covert ‘criminal conduct’ may be ‘authorised’ where this is deemed to be in the interest of ‘UK national security’ or ‘UK economy’. One assumes therefore that ‘operatives’ and ‘secondments’ are covered. No case to answer, it seems.

    https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/4/crossheading/criminal-conduct-authorisations/enacted

  51. James Che
    Ignored
    says:

    A bit of confusion going on here,
    Firstly We do not have a Scottish government in a Scottish parliament,
    Secondly The police are working within the context, for a First minister in partially devolved government that is under Westminster legislation,

    We have decide whom the police of Scotland are actually answerable to….and working for don’t we?

  52. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    Apologies for the oversight. It seems I have posted in the wrong thread. My last post (4:05) on the previous thread (Empty Space) was meant to appear on this one.

  53. Izzie
    Ignored
    says:

    I apologize but I fail to understand the significance of this. It can easily be ascertained whether the FM was in her office.

  54. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Has the British establishment turned Police Scotland into the Scottish version of the RUC?

    The lid needs blown off the whole stinking lot. We see what happens when things are allowed to just slide. Soon it’s accepted as the norm.

    What a fecking mess Sturgeon & her gimp have presided over.

  55. James Barr Gardner
    Ignored
    says:

    Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527) warned against times when corruption becomes so widespread, so pervasive, so publicly avowed that none seem able to extricate themselves from it.

  56. George Ferguson
    Ignored
    says:

    @John Main 4:00pm
    It’s not really off topic. Nicola and hubby have controlled all the levers of powers for years. I was driving home today listening to BBC Politics in the morning. What country has the BBC been living in for the last 8 years?. They backed the Woke agenda and are trying to sell her legacy. There is no legacy other than division and the deterioration of public services. And the propensity of the public taking back control.

  57. lumilumi
    Ignored
    says:

    What’s that last screengrab even supposed to mean?

    Total gobbledygook. So much for transparency and accountability. It’s all obfuscation and DARVO.

  58. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    “What a fecking mess Sturgeon & her gimp have presided over”

    This is not just Sturgeon, though. This corruption extends to the COPFS, lord Advocates, the police, the press, the SNP itself, elected SGov, unelected SGov (civil service and spads) and of course the UK civil service which is happily letting all this to continue while they turn a blind eye. They certainly turned a blind eye to the mess Evans caused. One also wonders if some judges are tainted by this too.

    The linch pin in all this appear to be the civil service/spads.

    This is corruption at a massive scale and it seems far more than just a conspiracy against Mr Salmond. It seems really a conspiracy against the public of Scotland with the deliberate purpose to hide crimes from public scrutiny. Because who on earth is deciding and in which capacity that evidence of a crime is not in the public interest? Shouldn’t that be FOR THE PUBLIC to decide and not for the criminals themselves? These corrupt wankers are abusing their positions of power covering each other up.

    Sturgeon is just an useful idiot. I am far more intriged by that LLoyd character. She seems to be everywhere, with fingers in every pie, crossing boundaries between party matters/government matters as if these boundaries did not exist for her, she leaves a massive mess behind her every move, but then she seems exempt of any accountability. She is teflon woman. Who is she? Is she really a SPAD or is she a handler? Is she an MI5 operative and that is why she gets away with it all?

  59. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    I agree Mia ( excellent post on the previous topic. Maybe move it to this one as it details a much clearer TL of where the rats have shuffled to.)

    Lloyd is far more than Sturgeons advisor. That’s obviously a cover. She’s shadowed Sturgeon since 2015. She’s not a bog standard lackey.

  60. Wee Chid
    Ignored
    says:

    Andouilette says:
    26 March, 2023 at 1:44 pm

    The police descriminate on the basis of class when it comes to checking out and arresting people and I suspect the PF is the same. I’ve had experience of them coming to my house looking for someone who they claimed had broken bail conditions (they hadn’t). Two men insisted on coming into my home, where I live alone, and were quite insulting whilst there.Even accused me of instructing my wee dog to bite them (I hadn’t and would put my dog at risk in that way).I made a formal complaint via the Police Scotland web based complaints form and heard nothing back.

    Next time they came to ask me about something was just after the murder of Sarah Everard and I told them I’d never let a policeman into my house again because of that murder. One of them got most upset and said that they were there to help people and that I shouldn’t tar them all with the same brush. Still didn’t let them into the house.

    I’ve never persoanlly been in trouble with the police but I wouldn’t trust any of them.

  61. Kcor
    Ignored
    says:

    Rev. Stuart Campbell, don’t let any of the corrupt criminals get away with any of their crimes.

  62. James Che
    Ignored
    says:

    Mia.

    The lynch pin in all this is the pretend partially devolved government from Westminster with their civil servants running Scotland,
    With many contributions and help from Msps bought and sold.

    In days gone by Scotland may have considered the Westminster partial half english/half Scottish parliament to be treasonous to the Sovereign Scots and their territory of Scotland,

    Most Scots do not even know that Scotland is still today a territorial Country with its own borders, and yet we see a Westminster parliament sitting in Scotland being run by civil servant who’s jobs are advertised south of our border to work in Scotland.
    Most do not realise that the supreme court is a English court and not in the treaty of the union.

  63. Antoine Roquentin
    Ignored
    says:

    The phenomenon that we observe is all, it possesses no metaphorical ‘beyond’ or noumenal core. If it looks like a corrupted wee energy-rich country, that’s well worth the holding on to, then that’s exactly what it is. It was only for the sake of Gerry Robertson’s health that I omitted “fascistic colonialist-dictatorship”.

  64. Debatable Lands
    Ignored
    says:

    As far I can see, the only tangible achievements of the independence movement to date are:

    1. The entryism of somewhat extreme left wing and woke groups who have hijacked the cause as a cover for other goals.

    2. The establishment of cronyism and nepotism as the basis for Scottish political power.

    3. A virtual one party state, with direct political control over the police, judiciary and all aspects of the state by appointing political puppets to exert control. Does Scotland actually have an independent police or judiciary today?

    4. A media moving towards ruling party control and no longer able or willing to hold party members to account.

    5. An economy in long term decline, thus reducing the potential for a successful separation from the UK that avoids harming individual families.

    6. A government that gets away with howlers that would have people on the streets.

    7. Societal division where in some areas people are afraid to express their views for fear of a threatening response from members of the ruling party.

    8. Leadership of the country is gifted by a clique, not open democracy.

    Missed anything?

  65. Etticus
    Ignored
    says:

    Reminds me of the time Geoff aberdein popped into Holyrood and just happened to see sturgeons door open and say hi. No one can remember who was there or what was said but hey, it’s not important.

    Or that time Alex salmond visited sturgeons house. In walks Peter murrell, he didn’t think anything of Alex being there, it was government business and Nicola and he never talked about it as Nicola thought it was party business. Pretty normal stuff.

    Or all those times Nicola sturgeon bumped into Lesley Evans and apparently they didn’t discuss much about the procedure being drawn up to set up Alex Salmond but curiously the document would be amended after they didn’t discuss it. Neither could remember much tbh and Lesley unfortunately burnt what notes she had. The fact she was legally required to keep notes of every discussion she had with Sturgeon isn’t really important after all. Nothing to see here.

  66. James Che
    Ignored
    says:

    The lynch pin is how little we Scots know about our own constitution.
    How little we work out for ourselves.
    Like if there are no longer the same burghs in Scotland as when the treaty of union was signed, ” the union is breached.

    Or that our laws were meant to be retained, but Westminster passed a reform Scotland bill. That deleted Scots laws they considered obsolete.
    Again breaching the treaty of the union.
    These are but a few.
    Our supposed Scottish political parties have enough political ammo to end the treaty yesterday, and yet everyone who sit in the English parliament branch office sent to Scotland, wether old snp or Nusnp works for Westminster by oath.
    You couldn’t make it up even in a story book.

  67. Debatable Lands
    Ignored
    says:

    @ James Che et al

    No need to blame Westminster. If anything all they are guilty of is standing back and watching the nightmare create itself. No need to evoke Civil Servants or MI5, Scotland’s own politicians and the loyal servants they appointed have created where we are now.

    Not a pleasant reality to swallow, but this all home grown.

  68. panda paws
    Ignored
    says:

    O/t

    I was sorry to hear of the death of Bugger Le Panda who posted here, amongst other blogs. Another patriot gone whilst Scotland remains in chains.

  69. James Che
    Ignored
    says:

    Debatablelands.

    A partially devolved government is not a Scottish government at all then is it.

    It partly or wholly belongs to Westminster.
    because they wrote and own the legislation for it and can withdraw it any time they like if the glove no longer fits their purpose. As BJ mentioned.
    The Devolved government in Scotland also breaches the treaty of the union articles.
    To draw ones attention away from the elephant in the room is not a solution to the corruption within that partially devolved parliament and second government sitting in Britain.
    Scotland gets two British governments ruling it for the price of one treaty, neat trick….but not in the treaty of the union.

    Why are you so willing and happy to sail under false flag

  70. Lenny Hartley
    Ignored
    says:

    Gerry Robertson , why write i dont read this blog and then comment?
    Sounds like a conspiracy between you and whoever is reading the blog for you to disrupt the btl comments.

  71. James Che
    Ignored
    says:

    We will miss bugger the panda, he made many contributions to Scotlands independence, condolences to his family from both of us.

  72. Saffron Robe
    Ignored
    says:

    From what I can make out the ordinary hard-working polis on the ground are intent on pursuing the investigation, but it is their superiors, in cahoots with the Scottish Government and COPFS, who are stymieing things. If that is indeed the case, then the political interference can only reasonably have come from those under investigation which would make the police hierarchy, aided and abetted by the Scottish Government and COPFS, complicit in defeating the ends of justice! The corruption could not run any deeper. Since COPFS is a ministerial department of the Scottish Government then it becomes clear how this corruption was allowed to take root in the first place: through this axis between the police hierarchy, the Scottish Government and COPFS. It also explains so much of what has happened – such as the attempt to jail Alex Salmond on false allegations – and why there has to be a separation of powers, something which David Davis highlighted over two years ago. Not to mention the small matter of justice!

  73. Izzie
    Ignored
    says:

    Just to let all those posters who abused me an doubted my commitment to the cause I finally cast my vote for Regan and Forbes. Not because I buy into the SNP conspiracy theories but I am thrawn and resent being manipulated by HQ

  74. twathater
    Ignored
    says:

    This post is one of multiple reasons why EVERYONE should NOT only be backing a CITIZEN’ ASSEMBLY but insisting politicians and the SG do so with urgency

    @ Mia I have been going on and on about this excuse of THINGS not being in the public’s interest , WTAF decides what we should be told and what is in OUR INTEREST , I am sick of spokespersons trotting out this pish , who are the ones who decide what and when we should be told about THINGS

    IMO this diversionary tactic is being used more and more to hide and obfuscate THINGS that are VERY MUCH in the public’s interest
    The redactions and refusals to produce evidence RELEVANT to sturgeon’s whitewashing committee was allowed by the courts because the truth would have buried her , THAT ability would not have been available if we had had a citizens assembly where the TRUTH would have been FORCED to come out and no amount of diversionary tactics or obfuscation from a crawling sycophantic arsewipe would have blocked it

    WE keep going on about ordinary Scottish citizens being sovereign WHY are we accepting the corrupt manipulation of our justice and legal systems where we are constantly lied to and misinformed of what constitutes our interests

    Politicians in general even Alex Salmond REFUSE to even consider a citizens assembly because it involves them losing their power over us citizens, THEY don’t want to be questioned, THEY don’t want their policies scrutinised and challenged, THEY don’t want to be held accountable by the ordinary people, THEY don’t want to be ANSWERABLE to the voters , THEY don’t want the voters to have a voice, THEY don’t want a dilution of their power

    And they certainly don’t want their secrets EXPOSED that is why the likes of sturgeon can instruct swinney to issue the grandiose NOT IN THE PUBLIC’S INTEREST coverall

  75. Debatable Lands
    Ignored
    says:

    @ James Che

    So you’re saying Holyrood is actually an English puppet government in disguise. Has anyone told them?

    Does it have no power then? Seems to me it has a fair amount of power. Maybe not all, but a lot.

    I see what you see. The idea that the SNP is a victim guided by nefarious Westminster influence is just a nonsense. They are useless, corrupt and entirely home made and voted in. You can’t keep blaming some big boy who did it and ran away.

    The Murrells are a product of Scottish politics raised up on the back of the movement. You may not like it because it doesn’t fit your idea of Scotland being less fallible or scheming than other places, but there it is.

  76. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    “No need to blame Westminster”

    Yes, there is a need for it becasue without Westminster/the crown’s interference none of this would have happened.

    The investigation for memogate, also affecting Scotland, was instructed by the highest standing UK civil servant. And this is precisely what you would expect to happen. INstead, the investigation on the leak to the newspaper from the guts of the civil service in the Sgov regarding Mr Salmond was left in the hands of the supreme incompetent Evans when it was known to everybody and their dogs that she was the main for the complaints procedure and investigation and therefore could not possibly be seen under any possible perspective or under any possible light as impartial. Yet, Evans’ boss turned a blind eye.

    The investigation into memogate took just a few weeks to bring results. The alleged culprit civil servant responsible for the leak and the politician who, allegedly, instructed him to do so were found in matter of weeks.

    As predicted, in the case of the leak about Mr Salmond, the incompetent and tainted Evans could not find anything at all. I mean, it is not like she had to investigate hundreds of people. The people who had access to that information should have been very limited and she, as the person in charge of the complaints procedure, should have known at all times who should have access to that information and who should not. It should have been very easy. But there was no interest in conducting an actual investigation, was there? The only interest was, of course to cover up the investigation to protect the culprit and that is why Evans, and not the highest Civil servant above her, instructed “the investigation. I wonder now if the UK highest civil servant, also in charge of MI5, already knew who the culprit was and for some reason or another, had no interest in that information to fall in the public domain.

    The crown prosecution service and the crown agent, ex MI5 (allegedly) do not work for Scotland. They work for the crown.

    The civil service do not work for Scotland either. They work for the UK and respond to the UK highest civil servant.

    When those elements are on this up to their eyeballs, the claim that Westminster was not involved on this is laughable.

    Westminter and I dare say the crown have to be on this up to their eyeballs. Because only that explains how so much evidence has been supressed from public view and how many criminals have got away with less than a slip on the wrist.

    On 16 March 2021, Mr David Davies, England MP, highlighted in the House of Commons the enormous discrepancy between England MPs (at all practical effects the equivalent of Scotland’s MSPs,), being able to speak freely in parliament when that privilege is being denied to Scotland’s MSPs.

    Mr Davis clearly stated in his speech that it is known to the Uk for centuries that for a democracy to function, the executive and the legislative power have to be kept separate from the judicial power and they are clearly separated at UK level.

    Yet, in Scotland those powers are not separated and we have a situation where the COPFS, a crown structure, is deliberately obstructing democracy by deterimining what laws pass or even get into parliament. The incestuous relationship between COPFS and the legislative power is such that we have the head of the COPFS sitting as an unelected person in the middle of the SGov Cabinet determining what laws can be brought to our effing parliament.

    This is an afront to democracy, and affront to democracy of which UK parliament has been aware of at least since 2021 and has done SFA to stop it.

    And not just that. The lord advocate and the crown agent actively and deliberately thwarted a parliamentary inquiry by gagging witnesses and members of the committee with the threat of prosecution. This is not typical of a democracy. This is what happens in a dictatorship.

    It has been TWO YEARS since Mr Davis highlighted this in the UK parliament, yet, the Scotland Act has not yet been modified to end this aberration, when it should have been modified immediately. Why? Becasue the crown has no interest in locking this back door which so conveniently is allowing it to steal power from the people of Scotland to allocate it to itself so it can continue acting as judge, jury and executioner.

    Any suggestion that Scotland in the UK is a democracy is absolute bollocks. Any suggestion the UK parliament was unaware of any of this is absolute bollocks, as they are responsible for keeping this door for interference wide open.

    For as long as that door that is allowing the crown to waltz in to our parliament and gag our parliamentary inquiries, Scotland is not a democracy and it is not a democracy because both the crown and the UK executive power want it to be that way.

    None of this would have happened if that backdoor had not been left deliberately open.

    Also, if you look at the evidence submitted to the parliamentary inquiry, there are clear signs of to and fro between the civil service in government and the COPFS. Again, those two powers (executive and judicial) should have been kept perfectly separated.

    COPFS and civil service are instruments from the UK state, not of Scotland and it seems that these two instruments are being used in Scotland to bring down any boundaries between the executive, legislative and judicial powers, allowing the crown to steal from the people of Scotland control of the legislative power to allocate it to itself. That is not what happens in a democracy. That is what happens in a colony where the crown exercises absolute rule.

  77. George Ferguson
    Ignored
    says:

    @Izzie 6:23pm
    I left the SNP in 2015 but just to let you know my first vote in the SNP leadership election was for Alex Salmond and my second vote was for Nelson Mandela. I hope my votes counted. We will see tomorrow when I fully expect Nicola Sturgeon to be declared the winner.

  78. keviano
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m not convinced.

    Whether to encourage/retain an audience addicted to conspiracy theories, this one is just too boring, too silly.

    So what if Police Scotland didn’t answer a journo’s need to know why two senior officers were at Holyrood on a certain date and time – what exactly does that prove other than PS most likely don’t routinely disclose every coming and going of senior officers to random journo’s or those posing as such.

    I’m sure PS are well aware of the Rev’s modus operandi and game playing style.
    If true, then he gets no special treatment…. which in this instance means an FOI will be “delayed”, as anyone familiar with such requests knows is not an uncommon experience, even if woefully unprofessional, disrespectful and irksome.

    Perhaps there is even some marginal glee in pondering how such a mundane delay will play out among adherent readers of the Rev’s more extremist and fanciful believers.

    None of that reveals anything more than some individuals extraordinary tendency to see a conspiracy in almost every event.

    The answer to the FOI, will doubtless be that there was no meeting and no discussion with the FM on the date and time.

    That will be the boring truth of it but it will not stop the conspiracy.

    Of course, if wrong-doing is there to be revealed, the Rev’s continual and random conspiracy deflections take us all a little further from the truth that is really worth knowing.

  79. Vestas
    Ignored
    says:

    panda paws says:
    26 March, 2023 at 5:45 pm

    O/t

    “I was sorry to hear of the death of Bugger Le Panda who posted here, amongst other blogs. Another patriot gone whilst Scotland remains in chains.”

    Munguin is running out of people for his Saturday post – John Macdonald died about 3 months ago too IIRC 🙁

  80. Izzie
    Ignored
    says:

    George Ferguson @ 6.45
    My you are confused the election was in 2004 and the candidates were Roseanna, Mike and Alec. I was at several of the hustings in and around Dundee and Angus. I don’t recall anyone called Mandela. Maybe you should check the facts my friend. For Scotland.

  81. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Wee child..
    I’ve had similar arrogance.

    My property, bought & paid for by my own hard graft, is in the unfortunate location of backing on to a public park & footpath. Obvious anti social behaviour comes part & parcel with underage lager louts vandalising property, using my garden as a public toilet & thinking it’s funny to lob empty bottles onto my roof..I’d had enough one evening & called them..
    Up turns PC plod who didn’t even get off his arse out the car to speak to around 15 yobs..rolls window down…
    PC plod to gang of yobs: We’ve had complaints. What you lot doin? What’s that yer drinking?
    Gang of yobs: nuffin. Who complained?
    PC plod: Her in there *points to me* lol!

    Needless to say the problems escalated over summer evenings.. Contacted my MSP who contacted the head of police in my area to come out to address my concerns..

    One arrogant barsteward arrived. Could he come in..
    He could assure me his officers didn’t say that at all. I must’ve misheard them. They don’t lie to him. I was stupid & must’ve heard wrong. What were my concerns anyway? *Rolling eyes through boredom*..
    Tells him..
    Ach young ones eh? Urinating in my garden was a *nothingness* really & damaged property? Immediate side swerve to: Who owns the property anyway? What do you do for a living? It’s a large property eh? How many bedrooms? How long have you lived here? WTAF?! It was the Spanish inquisition about me & my house rather than the fkn problem he was sent to address.

    Eyes everywhere like he was about to put in an offer to buy it FFS! I asked where he lived so I could tell everyone they could use his gaff as a public urinal for all the help he’d been. What a waste of space & a downright liar to boot. Him & his officers..

    I’ve never been in trouble with the police either but I know from experience they’d rather sit & eat thier free fish supper (next to the offy with young ones buying Buckie walking right past them) than do any actual policing & the arrogance they have at daring to be disturbed..

    Anyhoo..just my wee rant. They’re next to useless & if they can investigate the gimp & get a result then it’s orders from on high in WH rather than the dunces we have..

  82. Ron Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    Just wondering if the now Ex Chief Executive of the SNP, Peter Murrell, gets a police escort to Edinburgh Airport to meet a private jet to take him to his private pad in Portugal.

    Because for some strange reason, I can’t see him sitting in economy on an Easyjet flight to Faro in Portugal.

  83. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Debatable Lands says:

    “So you’re saying Holyrood is actually an English puppet government in disguise. Has anyone told them?”

    That’s exactly what they are. Under the Scotland Act.
    If Scotland had a parliament no Act or reserved matters would exist eh?
    Why do you think there’s over 5,000 civil servants & 3 English political paries sitting in it?

    It’s a branch office of WM.

  84. PacMan
    Ignored
    says:

    The clocks have gone forward and from now on, the days are going to get longer.

    I know it doesn’t look good at this present time where most likely Humza the Useless will be crowned King of the SNP and First Minster of Scotland for a couple of months at least. After that, the ministers daughter will take over who will try to win over No voters to independence.

    Rather than trying to meekly win persuade No voters to independence the dream that independence is the answer to the problems we face has to be sold to the Scottish public that they aren’t too wee, too poor and too stupid to make themselves and Scotland can be a success.

    After 8 years of Sturgeon, that does sound like a snake-oil fantasy and the detractors, including quite a few who post in this forum can rightly scoff and sneer at this. However, in the months to come, Sturgeon the Progressive as the media have built her up to be will soon come Sturgeon the who? in the public’s consciousness and she will fade into obscurity. As well as her falling into obscurity so will her Machiavellian, cynical manipulations will as well.

    They tried to bury Alex Salmond but he is still standing while all his enemies fade in obscurity. He will rise again and while his position in the independence movement may not be as before, he will play an important part in it in the months and years to come.

    In the months to come will seem even darker but there is light at the end of the tunnel. The SNP will not be the electoral juggernaut it used to be but with it’s decline, it is inevitable that the fortunes of Alba, particularly if Ash Regan joins, will rise because of this and be a force that can help shape the political landscape that will drive the dream of independence forward.

    I know that there will be those that will scoff at this as a pipe-dream but regardless of whether Labour or the Tories win the next UK election, it will become obvious that they won’t or are not willing to have the answers to Scotland and we will come back to the inevitable conclusion to the people who can truly have the answers to the Scotland’s problems is the Scottish people through an elected government that is only answerable to them.

  85. George Ferguson
    Ignored
    says:

    @Izzie 7:16pm
    The facts have not been checked for 8 years. One is entitled to make up stories in the vane of the SNP. You don’t own integrity, you don’t own honesty. As a lapsed former SNP member what’s has taking you so long to leave?. Maybes I should have voted for Kenny Dalglish?

  86. PacMan
    Ignored
    says:

    Ron Clark says:26 March, 2023 at 7:26 pm

    Just wondering if the now Ex Chief Executive of the SNP, Peter Murrell, gets a police escort to Edinburgh Airport to meet a private jet to take him to his private pad in Portugal.

    Because for some strange reason, I can’t see him sitting in economy on an Easyjet flight to Faro in Portugal.

    I see that Sturgeon is learning to drive a car. When she does pass her test and wins the freedom that it gives, she won’t be needing him any more.

  87. Shug
    Ignored
    says:

    What day do you think the SNP will be served with an interdict

  88. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Keviano

    They are public servants. Answerable to the public.
    If they want to skulk about in the shadows like some clandestine outfit, fk off & do it on thier own dime?
    They’re not the mafia..or are they?

  89. Izzie
    Ignored
    says:

    My word you are confused. Kenny Dalgleish was never in contention for an appointment with or for the SNP. He was the footballer who played for Glasgow Celtic Liverpool and Scotland. He followed Joe Fagan as manager of LFC I don’t believe that he ever was a candidate but prove me wrong. Albagubrath.

  90. George Ferguson
    Ignored
    says:

    @Izzie 8:29pm
    Satire or banter, the difference between AI and real people, especially in Scotland. You have a long way to go to engage reality, my reality has been living in a shite country for 8 years. And luckily, we have retained the real facts of Sturgeons tenure.

  91. Izzie
    Ignored
    says:

    George Ferguson what is AL

  92. Muscleguy
    Ignored
    says:

    @panda paws
    Oh no! what sad news. Another patriot passes without seeing an independent Scotland come to pass. That makes me angry. How many more of us won’t live to see it? A lot at current rates of progress.

  93. Kcor
    Ignored
    says:

    lumilumi says:
    26 March, 2023 at 4:41 pm

    “Total gobbledygook. So much for transparency and accountability. It’s all obfuscation and DARVO.”

    lumilumi, Scottish independence supporter from Finland, what do you think about Finland joining NATO without approval of the public through a referendum?

  94. Alf Baird
    Ignored
    says:

    Mia @ 6:43 pm

    “in a colony where the crown exercises absolute rule”

    Yes, and this is no doubt why independence is regarded as ‘decolonization’, according to the UN. Somebody should maybe tell those Scots who still believe they are in some kind of ‘union’ but are really just left holding a mankit violated treaty like any other colonised people.

    And much as we see: “The native…hardly ever seeks for justice in the colonial framework” (Frantz Fanon)

  95. Brian Doonthetoon
    Ignored
    says:

    I met Bugger le Panda at the Friends of WOS get-together in The Counting House in Glasgow, May 2014.
    I recall he had come from France for the meet.
    Sad to read of him being gone. We’re beginning to drop like flies…

  96. President Xiden
    Ignored
    says:

    I see that Sturgeon is learning to drive a car

    Baby you can drive my car, and MAYBE I’ll love you, beep beep, beep beep, yeah.

  97. dasBlimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Muscleguy says:
    26 March, 2023 at 9:24 pm
    @panda paws
    Oh no! what sad news. Another patriot passes without seeing an independent Scotland come to pass. That makes me angry. How many more of us won’t live to see it? A lot at current rates of progress.

    All of you and by the looks of it your grandkids too.

  98. Brian Doonthetoon
    Ignored
    says:

    A possible Wingers’ get-together after Glasgow Green on 6th May.

    https://wingsoverscotland.com/quarantine/comment-page-3/#comment-2748320

  99. ronald anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    President Xiden 9.48

    Why do you post irrelevant shite Sturgeon already drives a car .

  100. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    @Izzie,

    Artificial intelligence.

  101. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    @Ronnie anderson (10.27) –

    Is there such a car as an ‘Austin Sheridan’?

    Keep hearing that name for some reason…

  102. Allan Thomson
    Ignored
    says:

    I’d like to speak with the writer of a tweet today re Falkirk for Independence. I’m the admin on the FB page. The letter you were cursing about was written by a couple of SNP drones who were kicked out of FFI a couple of years ago. It certainly doesn’t relate to the position the group has.

    I’ve put the link to the real FFI page. It’s a private group but you’ll see from the posts we are on the same page as Wings. Check it out and If you agree I’d appreciate a wee update on your Tweet outing the people involved.

  103. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    Mick Lynch here, in fighting mode.

    Class struggle?

    It’s worth remembering that Humza Yousaf is, in a Scottish context, ‘posh’. He’s a Hutchy boy.

    To the English he sounds ‘Scottish’ which means he sounds rough, working-class etc.

    Even to some Scots he sounds ‘rough’ because he’s clearly a ‘Weegie’.

    But he is, in reality, one of Scotland’s ‘elite’.

    twitter.com/AngrySalmond/status/1640097132760760327

  104. PhilM
    Ignored
    says:

    Well the big result is almost upon us.
    I couldn’t wait until the day of decision, so I would just like to put on record, being one of the first (outside of SNP HQ that is) to allude to the ‘obvious’, anent tomorrow, my congratulations and felicitations to ‘oor Humza’ for securing 50.0000001% of first preferences whence he becomes our third SNP First Minister following on from ” ” and our late beloved, missing-you-already, Nicola.
    Good luck Humza. Stay true to all your promises and don’t rise to those endless veridical taunts of all those petty snipers who point out all the contradictory positions involved in those promises.
    In the words of the great poet Walt Whitman, “Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself. (I am large. I contain multitudes).”
    From Hutcbie to Holyrood to the ‘Sesh’ tomorrow. A great journey starts with one step and the people of Scotland would also like to thank the US State Dept for that initial ‘shove’ in the right direction.
    “Hail to the Chief!” and to “Oor Humza! Your Humza!
    A’body’s Humza!”

  105. Matt Quinn
    Ignored
    says:

    ronald anderson says:
    26 March, 2023 at 10:13 pm – Sturgeon already drives a car.

    She doesn’t have a full driving licence, only a provisional. And is widely reported to be in the early stages of learning to drive… to, ‘gain a degree of freedom’ she says.

    – One that she and her cronies have been working hard to make increasingly unattainable (unaffordable) for many ordinary, working class Scots. – Even if they need their cars to get to work etc.

  106. akenaton
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh it’s gettin’ boring in Wings, what are we gaunae dae till Independence noo wi’ aw the nasty buggers resigning or gettin’ liftit?

    Whit aboot resurrectin’ the Clan fueds? Macdonald v Campbells, Lamonts v Cambpells, Campbells v the Rest. an’ thats jist Argyll.
    Think o’ the terr wi could hae wi the East coasters, Borders and the Hi’landers. Place wid be rockin’ in nae time.

  107. Anton Decadent
    Ignored
    says:

    @geri 7.20pm

    Re the police, I have spent a total of a decade of my life living outside of Govanhill in three houses in a well known part of Glasgow close to GHill.

    First house, hassled outside of the house by a group of local neds and had an unopened bottle of Irn Bru smashed over my head. Police arrive, see a dozen and a half neds drinking and me and arrested me 🙂

    Second house, a living hell, top flat of a tenement, the bottom two landings were used by the younger gang members to smoke dpe, drink, pee etc whilst the top two landings were used as a shooting gallery. I could not have any visitors as they were being robbed on the stairs and I had to be armed to get up the stairs with my bags of shopping untouched. The local council informed that if I did not clean up all of the used needles, blood, urine, poop and general debris I would be evicted and classed as intentionally homeless and, to quote the housing officers, spend the rest of my life in the Hamish Allen Centre. I would have death threats shouted up the stairs at me whilst I was cleaning the stairs because they couldn’t sit on them. I eventually ended up the only one left in the close and eventually there was only one other guy left in the entire street. When I would ask the police for help re the stairs I would be literally laughed out of the station and despite the station being less than a mile away the call out time was six hours. Someone tried to break into the house when I was in the bath and when I chased him his friends came and smashed every pane of glass in the house and in response the council replaced it with perspex saying they weren’t going to risk any more glass. One day whilst I was in the house some people broke into the empty flats below me, dragged old sofas and beds onto the stairs and set them alight blocking my way out of the building then set alight other furniture in the empty flats and the whole place went up. I was trapped for forty five minutes until the fire brigade could get up the stairs with oxygen, I had to lie on the floor to breathe. The council said that I was in no danger and made me stay and thirteen days later my house was burgled for literally everything I owned down to my clothes, food, teabags, shampoo and water tank, I wasn’t insured, and the place torched again. The police said that I had done it myself for the insurance and closed the case with no prosecutions.

    After being homeless for a bit I moved across the road from the same police station and had five years of my windows being bricked in etc. When I went to the police to ask for help they told me that if I could not deal with the problem myself I should not be living in the area and when I would try to deal with the problem myself the police threatened to plant heroin and a knife on me for chasing the teenagers who had just thrown a bottle through my window.

    After being on the waiting list for fourteen and a half years I finally got a move to where I am from, Govanhill, and got to see that go down the cludgie 🙂

  108. North Chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    Another terrific post from “ Mia @ 0643 pm “ , illustrating how the long tentacles of the UK establishment envelop Scotland . Our only two genuine “ world class statesmen” were Alex Salmond & Kenny MacAskill a former Justice Secretary . What would he make of the current situation as alluded to by Mia ? Despite all attempts by Blair and his US cronies at the time to ensnare Kenny MacAskill he stuck to his guns and stood by his decisions . INTEGRITY is the HALLMARK of the man . We can only hope that Alba and our only 2 genuine world class statesmen have a future in the governance of our country . Kate Forbes ( if she wins tomorrow) , should put honesty & integrity at the heart of our government and take her lead not from NS but from AS & KM . Clear the decks Kate if you win today . The SNP requires major surgery starting with a “ heart transplant” . As a first step appoint Ash Regan as your deputy FM .

  109. Effijy
    Ignored
    says:

    U.K. media’s propaganda machine is so well oiled but just too obvious they want damp squib Hamza in post and pushing the agenda SNP supporters don’t have independence as a priority?

    Sky put up pictures of the 3 candidates for leader-
    Silly facial expressions on the pictures used for Forbes and Regan but nice Humza picture.

    Radio Clyde finds Englishman living in Pollock Council estate who just wants the economy fixed and not independence.
    How would the SNP do that without any fiscal levers or Westminster votes that mean anything?

  110. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Anton decadent

    Absolutely horrifying. Jeez – no one should be forced to live like that. It shouldn’t be a lawless warzone for god’s sake.

    My problem eventually cleared up. Helped greatly by my MSP being robbed at her surgery. Which just so happened to be next to the chippy, the off licence & the cash line lol

    I had a letter months later from the Scottish parliament. A shiny new *team* of officers, headed by a new head honcho, were now in my area & would have a zero tolerance on anti social behaviour & drug related crime. Look out for coppers on the beat..sure enough, coppers on push bikes were visible.

    CCTV was soon installed right outside the row of shops so that knocked the underage drinking on the nut with new posters that there were fines that’d be enforced for supplying young ppl with booze..a warning to the *Hey Mister, you gonna get me some..*

    The proper process (I was told) was this..

    Contact your councillor/ ward officer detailing your complaint.
    They will inform your MSP.
    Your MSP will start cracking skulls with Police Scotland.
    Police Scotland will then start cracking skulls on the street.
    MSP will write informing you of the steps they’ve taken & how great they’ve been for you in parliament & to keep voting for them cause they get shit done..

    Yrs of anti social yobs – gone. It’s a totally different place now. (Touch wood) outside lights & parked cars live longer lol. Just a few simple changes.

    Word on the street was the old crew were in tandem with the druggies. There was certain yobs who were untouchable cause of who thier family was etc & could run riot on the streets until 4am. They were feral & didn’t even live nearby. The park was thiers tho – turned into a den with strewn burnt out wheely bins everywhere – which btw, was £40. To replace for private home owners..

    I hope you get to live in peace. Nobody should be forced to live under siege. It’s brutal.

  111. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    Just making a couple of observations on their FOI reply:

    1) Was their reply composed by somebody on work experience?

    “We hope to have your response with you as soon as possible.”

    2a) Should that not be “our” response as opposed to your?

    Your response is almost ready to be sent to yourself.”

    2b) Should that not be “our” response as opposed to your and should they not be sending their reply to “you” instead of yourself?

    Summary: It’s as if they are taking no personal responsibility.



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