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Wings Over Scotland


Three choices

Posted on March 22, 2021 by

James Hamilton is either a crook, a coward or an idiot.

There is no other viable explanation for this:

There is NO DOUBT OR DISPUTE WHATSOEVER that the Scottish Parliament was misled when Nicola Sturgeon told it that the first she knew of allegations against Alex Salmond was on 2 April 2018. That is a material fact accepted by all sides, because everyone including the First Minister herself now accepts she was told on 29 March.

The question of whether Parliament was misled deliberately, or merely as the result of a vastly implausible slip of Nicola Sturgeon’s memory, is another matter entirely. But that it was misled – told something that was untrue – is not up for debate.

The Fabiani inquiry, which is stuffed with SNP stooges and has been starved of most key evidence, nevertheless still managed to observe that Parliament had been misled, although it made no judgement on whether it happened knowingly or inadvertently.

For James Hamilton, armed with far more evidence, to conclude not merely that the misleading had been accidental but that it didn’t happen at all, is a lie so barefaced as to be breathtaking, and so farcical as to defy any possibility of honest belief.

Especially as we’re not allowed to know how he arrived at that decision:

Much else in his report is bizarre. But that one paragraph alone destroys its credibility utterly and forever. And unfortunately that means that Scotland is lost. Independence is over. All is destroyed.

We had feared, as the very worst case, a fudge in which Hamilton would find, like the Holyrood committee, that Parliament had been misled but would bottle out of saying whether it had been deliberate or not. This conclusion is so utterly mad and ludicrous that it honestly never even entered our consideration as a possibility.

Readers can choose which of the three causes they find most believable, but at the end of the day it just doesn’t matter. Our country is a banana republic, a nation that North Koreans point at and laugh. To be honest, readers, if we were you we’d get out while we still could.

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Rose Ford

??????????

Rose Ford

Those were sad faces, not questions marks

John Mc

Judge Joseph Cantley memorial report…

Petra Wishart

Never thought I’d say this but, I hope the SNP lose in the May elections.

Grey Gull

I’m trying to read the report but there is so much redaction it isn’t easy. Also, in some parts they haven’t the courtesy to spell Alex’s name correctly. Alec this and Alec that….. FFS

David R

And yet our glorious leader’s acolytes will see this as proof that she has done no wrong and anyone that questions the “both votes SNP” mantra as [redacted] to the cause, although doubt any could say what that cause was.

Jeannie McCrimmon

Truly amazed at Hamilton’s conclusions. I’m highly suspicious of Sturgeon’s motives regarding indy now that the Union -BBC,Guardian & co – have all protected her.

Molly's Mum

Hamilton says himself the redactions make it difficult for the reader to make sense of his report, particularly the run-up to the meeting on 29th March. Given that this was the absolute key part of “whether the FM misled Parliament” isn’t it totally pointless publishing it then ?

AwakeNotWoke

Scotland is clearly now a dictatorship where all power has been suborned to The SNP. It’s fucking terrifying, and if you’re celebrating this, by all means enjoy your victory, but you should know that accountability and justice in Scotland is now whatever Nicola Sturgeon says it is. So you know what to expect if you should ever step out of line.
There’s no difference at all all between The SNP and The Tories now in terms of morality. The Tories are, for now, doing more to protect women and resist the Woke agenda, so you might want to think about which cunts you vote for in May.

Eileen Carson

I hope she loses big time in May. I’ll never vote SNP again.

Dorothy Devine

Well ,there’s a reputation and credibility shot to pieces.

Sarah

Totally confused. Very depressed. What will become of Scotland…

tartanfever

You keep letting people off, they’ll keep taking, and this current First Minister is the prime example.

Choice is simple,

No votes SNP on May 6th. Nothing else will stop this cancer

Ingwe

Why can’t all three options apply?

Did anyone REALLY believe that Hamilton’s report, with its absurdly narrow remit, would find anything else? What do you think Sturgeon appointed him? For his forensic skills? Hahahahah

Budgie

What a state Scotland is now in under this shower of lying incompetents. I wouldn’t trust this lot under Sturgeon to lead us to the local park let alone to lead us to independence. To be honest I’m not sure I woudl want to launch an independent Scotland whose direction and institutions woudl almost certainly be massively controlled and designed by this shower of liars. There isn’t a snowballs chance in hell now that I’ll give the SNP or their Green enablers a vote at this election. The whole lot need cleared out I’m sorry to say. What a complete mess Sturgeon and Murrell have made.

Big Chris

I utterly despair. This report is a complete whitewash and absurd. A judge led inquiry is now an absolute must and I hope the opposition parties push for it. Hamilton is clearly in her pocket.

Terry

So the colonial administrator continues in situ? Well we all knew there’s no chance of Indy in next five years anyway with her and the gang in charge. So we have five years to regroup and then do it properly?

What’s five years out of 300? Just so fucking annoying that we were so close and stabbed in the back by one of our own. Heh. Was she and her hubby ever one of our own in the first place?

Council elections next. Now Scotland off to a promising start. And what else could be occurring? Hmmm

AwakeNotWoke

I’m just gobsmacked…

Ian

I would now love to see NS beaten on the constituency vote and then ruled out of a list position due to the silly rules that have been implemented that mean she isn’t position 1 on the list.

Heaver

Returning Officers, vote counters, polling station monitors: You are about to get leaned on, very heavily, by a government that has established with complete clarity that it need pay no heed to any law.

Just a heads up.

Ian Brotherhood

Where is the justification for redaction of such an important report?

What was the point of the whole thing if someone can just take a big fat black permanent marker to the result?

kapelmeister

Didn’t realise Hamilton was appointed an advisor on the ministerial code to the SNP govt in 2013. Re-appointed by Sturgeon in 2015. And then appointed by her to conduct this inquiry. His findings ain’t worth chicken shit.

Kathryn Reid

This announcement on top of what is happening to Craig Murray is just the absolute pits. I have supported the SNP for over 40 years – no more! Craig Murray and his young family will gain financially. In tears 🙁

Tony Hay

Alas it will take the term of the next parliament for the lap dogs of the SNP to finally get it when no referendum is delivered.
Only the people can deliver now.
My list vote was already planned ISP but you can rest assured these bastards of the SNP have seen the last of my vote in the constituency too.

Cath

There is another possibility: that the evidence shows the fault lies elsewhere, eg with a special advisor. It’s not hard to imagine how a scenario might come about where the FM and FFM were meeting to discuss ancient and daft claims of sexual harassment and at that meeting were people they both fully trusted as they talked about how to deal with them. If one of those people later turned out to be not trustworthy, to perhaps have recorded the meeting for the purposes of later implicating Sturgeon in the cover up of “Scotland’s Harvey Weinstein” then suddenly that meeting would become a massive issue and Sturgeon would be utterly compromised. That scenario might explain a lot about what happened afterwards.

If this was a plot intended to take down both Salmond and Sturgeon, that is not impossible. I will await Alex’s statement. At this point I trust him way more than Sturgeon so my trust in her lies with what he says.

Andy Ellis

I suspect like many others I’m so scunnered by today’s events that the only rational response is to step back. I’ll always support and vote for independence, but I’ll never – under any circumstances – vote for the SNP.

Anyone who now does so is complicit in the party’s role destroying our chances of independence and demolishing the foundations of our civil society.

I no longer recognise Scotland and have lost my faith that we are working as if we live in the early days of a better nation.

I now hope the SNP lose in May.

If enough of those who are horrified at their behaviour withhold their support we can make it happen.

John Jones

For the first time in my 70 years of being on this earth I am embarrassed and ashamed to be Scottish. I will never vote again. We (citizens and the once proud country) deserve all that we will now get. Independence, honesty and integrity are now dead in Scotland.

Donald Birnie

As an Irish Tory I think it’s fair to say that he’s all three.

Given the information that, thankfully, made its way in to the public domain we can only conclude that this is the whitewash that Nixon would’ve given his right arm for.

Scotland truly has regressed in to a very dark period, I can only but hope that this is addressed at the election in May but I fear that the spine of my fellow Scots is made of marshmallow.

Artur sweet

Hamilton stated that Sturgeon gave “an incomplete narrative of events”, but this was down to a “genuine failure of recollection”. How the hell can you make a judgement whether someone deliberately lied or forgot!

Cynicus

Wait for her fan base to claim, “Sturgeon cleared.”

They are of course quite right.

She has been, Cleared“ in the same way that, on Iraq, Tony Blair was, “cleared“, three or four times in Mickey Mouse inquiries with rigged remits, before Chilcott came around and told us the truth.

While Sturgeon supporters are dancing in the streets of Raith, they should bear in mind that somewhere down the line there is a Scottish Chilcott ( possibly a judge) waiting to skewer them with a full and truthful account of this corrupt and rotten regime.

X_Sticks

Looks like the dictatorship in Holyrood have done a deal with the dictatorship in London. It’s the only answer that makes sense of all of this.

I don’t think I’ll bother voting at all now.

Los

Let’s see wait to see what Alex Salmond has up his sleeve on Wednesday, and what Craig Murray reveals in his Appeal to the Supreme Court should Thursday go against him.

highseastim

Oh dry your eyes, you whingeing faced, greeting eejits, away and have a hug wi yer tory pals!! ?

Russell

The intriguing question is why you didn’t see this coming. Most of what you wrote is not in question, but the obvious issues were not even considered – by this website, committee or any other commentator. You cannot reconcile these events until you understand what lies behind it all – and any attempt will have a deleterious effect on what most of these parties profess to uphold.

On the plus side, the squirrels are back from hibernation and hungry as ever. Chill, take a few weeks off and keep your head down. There’s a much bigger dog just around the corner and that’s something we really need you for.

kapelmeister

Now that it’s official that Sturgeon is plagued by chronic memory loss, she must do the decent thing and resign her post.

PhilM

The Rule of Law era is over in Scotland.
Welcome to the Rule of Lawyers.

TNS2019

Having been the subject of a so-called ‘independent’ review, I know excatly how AS feels just now.
There are three key things when trying to obscure malpractice:
1. Set the remit so narrow that it prevents scrutiny
2. Ignore anything that might constitute misfeasance even if it should be central to the review
3. Make sure that evidence contradicting your desired outcome is disputed (“he said, she said”).
It is gut-wrenching to read a whitewash not just because it will come at a personal costs to reputation etc, but because it undermines your faith in the country.

We are still fighting.

link to tns2019.org

meg

Think its back to a period of disengagement with politics for a while for me.

JSC

Right, that does it, under no circumstances am I now voting for the SNP, or supporting them in any way. I am actually voting anti-SNP forever more, Tory, Labour, it doesn’t matter (not the greens though), just whoever will keep this bunch of criminals, fuckwits, and wokesters out of power

Liz

Sad day, Rev.
Bet your glad you’re in Bath.
I know you will probably go back to gaming but I would miss your articles.

Still no point in banging your head off a brick wall.

That’s me done with politics, I will never vote SNP.
I can’t see anything improving anytime soon.

We’re stuck with devo and a giant parish cooncil

Ian Mac

So the criminals get away with it, having compromised every route to the truth and justice. Beyond deplorable and a very dark day for Scotland. One party rule, dissidents arrested and silenced.

Big Jock

Sturgeon seemed very confident this report would find in her favour. Against all logical evidence. So that tells you all you need to know.

Freeman has just been on the radio rubbishing the Holyrood enquiry. The journalist asked her if she didn’t like the committee because it went against them. She said no I just believe it was political decision. So we have an enquiry of Holyrood with 9 people on it 4 SNP msp’s and one independent plus 3 unionists. That sounds a lot more balanced than one man who technically works for the government. Who wouldn’t see an airoplane if it was heading for his windscreen.

Hoonose

I am devastated on more than one count. For Scotland, for Alex, who continues to be smeared daily and unjustly, for his wife Moira who is also mired in this unsavoury business and lastly but not less importantly for myself.
I have lived outside Scotland for more than 50 years and wished to relocate with the firm intention to give a hand wherever I could to help our new, inspiring, independent Scotland to find its feet and to set us on a path to success. This incomprehensible new outcome has rung the death knell of that idea. I will heed Stuart’s advice and stay put. La mort dans l’âme. Only an honest, ethical forward- looking Scotland merits fighting for.

Big Jock

We are relying on Salmond coming up with something now. Maybe this farce will push him to go nuclear on Sturgeon.

ALANM

This is just further proof – if further proof were needed – that once you’ve got your grubby hands on the levers of power anything is possible. Tony Blair knew this too.

Richard M

All is indeed lost. At the end of this week nobody has been forced to resign or as looks increasingly likely even appologise. Scotland can not hope to become independent under this SNP. We will instead be heading into a police state. The actions of the crown office have failed any test of independence, their supression of evidence and persecution of innocent people alone without any sign of any one taking responsibility demonstrate that this country is not capable of being independent.

Bob Mack

She was always very confident Hamilton would exonerate her. Now we know why.

This need a a judicial review.

James Caithness

In the last couple of weeks Sturgeon kept referring to waiting for the independent enquiry by James Hamilton etc etc etc.

To my thinking Sturgeon knew this was going to be the corrupt whitewash it is.

Bob Mack

Stu,

Three comments today in moderation. Unclear why.

100%Yes

Sturgeon come out of her house this morning with the biggest smile on her face to the media I knew then what the Hamilton report was going to say.

Kevin Cargill

I told you so. I’ve been saying for months that the Unionist establishment are assisting Sturgeon to go no further than the status quo, devolution. And to that end all they had to do was undermine our institutions to the extent where we’re seen as unable to sort out our own problems without recourse to WM and the UK Supreme Court. Once that’s ingrained in the New Scots’ brain in between Love Island and Instagram then the seed of doubt that Scotland can ever go it alone has been sown. We’ll never see Indy in our lifetimes now. And it’s all down to one wee lassie who I used to defend to the hilt. The childish Jimmy Jrankie and wee Nippy memes now pale in comparison to what I’d call her. I think I may now be finished with politics, Twitter, the news etc and concentrate on my model railway and caravanning.

NellG

Well this was no surprise and reclaiming the SNP before the election is now an impossibility. It’s clear to me this outcome was pre-determined with the findings delayed to coincide with the news of Craig Murray. Nicola is sending us all a message: “Do not rebel, I own the courts, the judges, the police and the media”.

At least now there is no excuse to not forming a peoples Independence Party with the next election in mind, the SNP cannot be saved now.

Over the next 5 years we can all look forward to Scotland becoming the trans capital of the universe. I for one welcome the arrival our strong jawed high-heeled slave masters and the statues of Nicola of Dreghhorn on every town square.

Cath

I would add one more thing to my last post. We are, many of us, just beginning to wake up to the reality of a seriously colonial Scotland, one where the threat of independence has suddenly become existential and imminent rather than theoretical as it was up until 2011 and even 2014. We are seeing it and only now starting to feel terrified by it. Imagine for a moment what it must be like being the First Minister – and an SNP, pro independence FM – of this place right now.

We may be being too hard on Sturgeon. Again, I don’t know, I’ll wait and see what Alex says. But it’s not beyond possible Sturgeon has been in a truly hellish place the past few years as well, or had to take offers too good to turn down when compared to the alternative. It may be that Hamilton is being as fair as he can be and other processes need to come into play to take it further.

All I know is justice needs to be done, and I never had high hopes this committee or Hamilton would do that. It’s going to need a judge led review and I can’t see either Scotland or the U.K. being able to deliver a fair one.

highseastim

Here’s hoping the liars of the “unionist cabal” pay the price at the ballot box.

AWhiteLife

So what’s the scoop, rent boys?, hoors? Weans?. They all have a very unsavoury Achilles heel. Photo/video evidence in abundance no doubt of him cutting about with gimp mask & leather hot pants on. More hundreds of thousands of our £s pissed up the wall.

JSC

All is not lost. Persons within & outwith SNP/Scotgov could still be reported to the police for perjury I believe. For a house of cards to fall, weakening or removing any card could be the first step

Dinny Vote SNP

we are awash, the world has turned white…nevertheless, a reckoning awaits…tick tock…

DundeeDancer

Maybe Alex Salmond will announce he is to run as a Real Independent on the consistency vote on Nicola’s home turf of Glasgow Southside. That would be entertaining!

John RL

Didn’t you say on 26/02 that “the real meat” would be delivered by James Hamilton’s inquiry!!? I had my whole family waiting for this day, now they won’t speak to me!!!!!!!!!!!

oneliner

So, dictatorship it is.

Do you vote for a Holyrood one or a Westminster one?

Patrick

At least the Union is safe. That’s independence off the table for a proper generation now.

Sarissa

Para 5.2 is dubious and self-serving – NS saying her suspicions were aroused by AS being worried that one accusation made public would lead to a flood of similar. All attributed to her (amazingly clear) recollection of AS’s shifty or guilty sounding comments, presented without any corroboration as fact.

Artur sweet

One crumb of comfort – Hamilton believes that the name of one of the complainer was leaked to Geoff Aberdein – look at 4.21

Clavie Cheil

So what does Sturgeons Stasi have on him. They obviously have something.

Famous15

Quo vadis?

I want Scotland to be independent,preferably in my lifetime.

So I will vote SNP 1 and ISP 2.. I have lost my sense of smell,cough,cough!

Craig Sheridan

Let’s face it, this outcome is not unexpected. The relationship between politicians, civil servants and the prosecution service we now know is toxic. My support of an independent country however was never predicated on the efficiency and honesty of the Scottish Government of the day.

Independence is certainly not over until we have it. Either this leadership deliver or they will be out. Let’s turn Now Scotland into the real fighting force of our movement, one not dragged down by the constant division the SNP leadership have caused.

Ian Rubie

I find myself echoing a recent comment of Ms Sturgeon. She may have been cleared, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

Confused

Heard the verdict on the car radio and just started laughing …

ah ha ha …
turned out nice again
nothing to see here, move along
Im shocked, shocked! (-casablanca meme)
yawn, its so tedious

Scotland – another world first – a country that became a banana republic, before it even became a republic, and all without bananas

I wonder what Sturgeon’s next innovation in regressive government will be – a reversion to BIGMAN-WARLORDISM, the african favourite – where she will keep body parts of political opponents in her fridge, serving them cooked at banquets

– and in another development of absolutely no surprise, for the ambassador, a begbie meme
link to youtube.com
… totally fuckin obvious that cunt was gonnae fuck some cunt …

“incomplete narrative of events” – like the time I went to the bank to make a withdrawal … (wearing a ski mask and shooting the manager who was “messin me abaht” with a sawnoff …)

Poor Nikki – she’s only the most successful politician of her generation – but SHE DISNAE KNOW WHITS GOIN OAN – she is only in charge; such a scatterbrain, and her acolytes – whit ur they like – they cannot keep a diary or notes of meetings either. Oh how we laffed.

– given the keystone cops nature of it all, it makes you wonder how this identity politics cabal managed to infiltrate, climb the ladder, hold the door open for their pals, then kick the ladder over once at top – all without having a clue what was going on. Just a series of cockups, but not a conspiracy.

Al

Clavie Cheil says:
As an advisersince 2013, I would expect he has been well paid and maybe got to comfortable with the FM.

Tom Kelly

“And unfortunately that means that Scotland is lost, Independence is over. All is destroyed.”

Sorry Stu, you are making the unforgivable mistake of equating Scotland’s right to independence with the behaviour of a small number of people. It may take a little more time, but like Alec Salmond, I believe that “The dream will never die”. We Scots are far more determined than you think.

RouterAl

It’s always simple you redact something because it’s criminal , you are hiding the truth , or it negates your lies.

John Digsby

As I predicted a few weeks ago BTL – whitewash.

If you agree, I don’t know how any of you can vote SNP in May.

Mia

What is the actual point of Hamilton being paid to write this whitewash if the public cannot even read it in full due to the ridiculous number of redactions that have been applied to it?

Who applied the redactions? Was that Hamilton himself or was some crown agent?

Who was this whitewash actually written for? Because it certainly is not for the taxpayers who paid for it if we can’t even fckng read it.

Has this Hamilton been taking us for complete fools? Because quite frankly it ?looks that way, doesn’t it?

What kind of collusion can be there among all these people to completely destroy in the eyes of the electorate the credibility of the SNP, of our parliament, our body of law, our government, our prosecution service, our police, or any expectation of justice, ethics, fairness and democracy? Who is pulling the strings of all these people including Hamilton and the crown agent?

Are they trying to force this clear miscarriage of justice on us so we let go of our parliament and body of law to be more willing to accept direct rule from London? Is this what these people are working towards?

For goodness sake, is there not a single lawyer, QC or judge in Scotland with some integrity and some balls left?

Natal XX and proud

Cath says:
22 March, 2021 at 5:19 pm
There is another possibility: that the evidence shows the fault lies elsewhere, eg with a special advisor.

Especially when that special adviser later comes up with allegations of her own which she did not disclose during the meeting.

oor Steve

It seems you only had some of the information, while James Hamilton had all of it. The conspiracy theory is dead and buried. You cannot hang on to trivia and make it believable. Maybe you could break the news to your new pal.

Louise Hogg

Clear from her smugness last week that she knew this was coming.

However, what is the current price of a length of rope from the Luckenbooths? Asking for a friend.

(For the avoidance of doubt I do not support capital punishment.)

shiregirl

Could literally cry with anger. Where do we go from here?
Have lived in Scotland all my life but thinking of looking for jobs elswhere. Difficult to see a positive future for us women (especially) in Scotland under the current regime.

Cheer me up, somebody.

AYRSHIRE ROB

Acht well that just about does it for me.

Espana here I come.

This country will be no country for young men, far less old men very soon.

Woke hell will be unleashed very soon.Well not in my name or with my vote.

Good luck everyone!

colin lees

it should come as no surprise,the remit given to hamilton was so narrow he could come to no other conclusion.the voters have a big say on all of this on the 6th may.if they by majority vote for nicola then it has to be accepted.(democratic vote).thats how it works.

John Moss

Now let’s not be nasty James Hamilton is just like Daz, he washes things whiter than white and he’s done a great job.

You need him on washdays if you want whites so bright they’ll dazzle.

Be the envy of your neighbours and get James to do your laundry now!

JSC

Whoever had the plan “so that we can remain anonymous but have maximum effect” is clearly aware how biased and spineless the Scottish political-legal (for they are the same) apparatus is

100%Yes

Sturgeon still has to get a majority In May and lets see if she holds a referendum, because if she does get a majority and doesn’t hold a referendum and makes all the excuses under the sun why it can’t be held she be toast for sure.

Robert Dickson

In the spirit of the age I will say:

‘Just because she’s been found not guilty….it doesn’t mean she’s innocent’

AYRSHIRE ROB

Shiregirl

Fancy Espana. Sunbathing by day and drinking cocktails by night singing a bit of karaoke? Lol

Clavie Cheil

What is the latest rules in relation to collecting oor Pensions? I think it is Catalonia, the Basque-lands or NZ for me now.

Lulu Bells

It has taken me years to convince my family to vote SNP, now I am left trying to explain to them what to do in May…once someone tells me what to do. It won’t be SNP as I cannot in all honesty vote for this shower knowing what I now know. Not unless there is a miracle between now and then.

I have always wanted to live in France.

Mosstrooper

I can do little more than quote Mr Bumble the Beadle in Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist ” If the law says that sir, the law is a ass….a idiot.

Captain Yossarian

@PhilM – “The Rule of Law era is over in Scotland. Welcome to the Rule of Lawyers.”

Quite true Phil. Never trust a Scottish lawyer to sort-out anything for you. They will shovel bank notes into the back of their Mercedes-Benz, they will not help you-out.

Another way of looking at it is: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. In Scotland, most of our lawyers are bent and so why should James Hamilton be any different. It just makes life difficult.

Andrew gordon

As many have already said, utterly lost for words, my country has been betrayed by a bunch of self serving lying bastards, who should at the very least be prosecuted.
They now want this decision to be final with no questioning of its varsity, that worked well for Mr Salmond who continues to be treated as guilty even though he was found innocent of all criminal charges.
Country is a fucking mess and an embarrassment, my fellow citizens who want nothing more than a free and fair nation with laws and institutions that reflect our real values have been disgustingly let down, shame on the whole fucking lot of them !

Wee Willie

Did anyone really believe that this report wouldn’t exonerate the Queen of Scotland?

John Jones

John Jones says @5.20
How many of us John Joneses are out there?
I am embarrassed to be Scottish, but I have never been ashamed, too much to be proud of.
We will rise above all this wee stramash and it will eventually be over when enough of us rise up and clear out the midden.
I might not be an Einstein but I certainly know the smell of shite when I smell it.

Colin Alexander

Independence was never going to be achieved by a Holyrood indyref anyway. That was just Alex Salmond / SNP bullshit.

Sarissa

Even more than Sturgeon, the real winner out of all this is [REDACTED] all their misdeeds omitted or anonymised.

Mia

“There is another possibility: that the evidence shows the fault lies elsewhere, eg with a special advisor”

The buck always stops with the boss. The boss is Nicola Sturgeon.

If she broke the code, she broke the code and this must be acknowledged, which I have no doubt she did. For instance, I still remember in a FMQ session how she denied categorically and using quite a rude and patronising tone, actually, that Aberdein had been given the name of a complainant by a Holyrood staff. This has now been confirmed to be the case by 3 witnesses. Besides of this, how could she possibly know this revelation did not take place if she was not even present at the meeting where this breach of confidentiality allegedly took place?

That day she misled parliament. The only reason why she stop lying about it is because Willy Rennie put her between a rock and a hard place by demanding from her to say then if she was stating that Alex Salmond and Aberdein were lying when they said that the name of the complainant was disclosed to Aberdein.

Like the untrustworthy and dishonest snake oil salesperson she is, she deflected like a coward out of answering the question. And that is just one example. There are quite a few when she has been attempting if not misleading parliament in a number of occasions. So frankly, this Hamilton report is nothing but an awful lot of whitewashing bllcs.

Lothianlad

Just like the yoons no campaigners were under confident of a no victory at 10pm on 18/09/2014, so sturgeon was uber confident of protection today from the brit state!

To those who wish to call me a flat rather, tin hat conspiracy theorist, it whatever, let me say a massive FUCK YOU!!!

let me explain why. The british secret service own murrel, sturgeon the influential civil servants and a take of other silent catterrist politicians I the SNP.

Being the biggest threat to the union, the SNP had to be neutralised. So salmond was set up. The conspirator liars were given protection and independence was wrecked. Even stu says independence is over.

So how could it come to this??

The brit secret service are hard at work on and in the snp. Blackmail, threats, coercion, psychological warfare by their media are all weapons.

You have to be a fucking niece ifiot to dismiss this as fanciful.
In Ireland they infiltrated the highest levels of the IRA.

Theve been doing the same ti the snp for years.

How can it be that such blatant infringements of free speech can be ignored by the media. How can a judicial system remain silent and brave journalists like stu and craig be persecuted?

Wake the fuck up!! The brit state establishment is all over this and their goal is reached. Sturgeon in power and indy sidelined.

I’m too fucking angry to even speak about this to anyone!!

The yes movement needs to get re organised and fast!!

cynicalHighlander

I think I’ll change name to Redacted Voter.

Lothianlad

Meant uber confident in last post! Still in moderation though

Bob Johnston

This, or some fudge like it, was inevitable. But don’t lose heart. The world has seen how the SNP ‘runs’ Scotland and it is a truly horrible picture.

Edward MacD

Scotland has just become the laughing stock of the World. We’ve got to get new Independence Parties off the ground. Wipe the smirk off Sturgeon’s face. She deceived the public quite clearly on many matters, and her Party is a total failure on too many fronts.

SilverDarling

No one kept notes except AS. No one kept a diary except AS. The lack of attention to detail should mean she resigns. To reach that level in public office and not be aware of how important detail is, reeks of incompetence.

NS reaction to being under scrutiny is illuminating. The defensive, it wisnae me, I canny remember, I wis shocked ah tell ye, shocked!

It just does not add up to be so incompetent. For Mr Hamilton to buy that nonsense. I was expecting to see, a la Mary Archer, “Remember Ms Sturgeon facing the committee. Your vision of her probably will never disappear. Has she elegance? Has she fragrance?”

Aye, there’s a smell all right.

Gary Dollard

Written more like a defence lawyer than an “independent” inquiry head.

How can someone employed by the SNP to write their ministerial code be paid to investigate a potential breach on a remit given by Sturgeon be classed as independent?

dakk

Brilliant.

Win for Scotland and the Scottish party.

Epic fail for you yoons, turncoats, and the english parties.

All those man hours of he said she said, oh and somebody dangerfield said blah blah blah.

What a pile of pish from start to finish.

Fly bastards alright, but quite not fly enough to carry it off.

Socrates MacSporran

The UK Establishment has a long and murky history of being able, at times of crisis, to call upon useful idiots to do their bidding.

The UK Establishment needs to if not stop, at least delay for as long as possible, the break-up of the UK via Scottish INdependence.

Given that Nicola Sturgeon has shown no desire to advance that cause, and that, at this time, there is no alternative within the devolved Holyrood Parliament to an SNP government, with or without a majority – Sturgeon had to be kept in situ, for the time being.

Expect James Hamilton QC to get his knighthood in one of the next two Honours Lists – for services rendered.

Gregory Beekman

Rev

I’m sorry but I don’t understand this part of your article:

to conclude not merely that the misleading had been accidental but that it didn’t happen at all

given he states in 7:10:

her explanation for why she did not recall this meeting

i.e. he says she never mentioned the meeting.

Nally Anders

Unbelievable.
All we’ve got left is our vote and I’ll never vote SNP again.
The corruption is root to branch.

Derek Lucas

So, Sturgeon’s selective dementia is her ‘get out of jail free’ card?

How can anyone have confidence in a politician with such a faulty memory, particularly if they don’t see the point of keeping a diary or minuting meetings?

In the long run, this may prove to be more damaging for Sturgeon as it makes her weak.

Mist001

There are actually significant parallels between 1930s Germany and the National Socialists who are running Scotland right now. Make no mistake, that’s EXACTLY what the SNP are.

So…

Given that Scotland has been used as a guinea pig/test bed for unpopular policies introduced by the Tories/Westminster in the past, doesn’t anyone think that Scotland today might be another test bed. In short, is Scotland an experiment?

Either way, I’m glad that I no longer live in Scotland and I have no intention of ever returning to live there. I am above corruption.

I won’t be voting for any party in May and I suggest that nobody votes for any of them either. Vote SNP and you’re condoning the corruption. That’s your choice. I’m better than that.

Helen Yates

Until this morning I thought James Hamilton would more or less give the same result as the Fabiani inquiry, that she broke the code but not knowingly, then I watched her being questioned outside her home this morning where she was even more buoyant than usual, laughing and confident and I knew then she was going to be cleared.

Of course it has to be remembered that she put herself forward to James Hamilton to hold this independent inquiry.
I do hope Alex doesn’t do this statement on Wednesday now, all it will do is give her and the media another excuse to vilify him.
As you say it is over, she’s won and she now has the parliament and all our institutions sewn up.
Between SNP and the Greens with their coalition the new independence parties won’t get a look in.
For the first time in my adult life I wont be going to vote at all in the upcoming election, I had intended to only vote on the list but even that is pointless in my opinion now.

Maybe in 5 yrs there will be something worth voting for again but hopefully I’ll be settled in another country by then.

gullaneno4

Great result, now let all of us who truly support Independence get the show on the road.

This was a load of ‘He said she said’ bollox from day one.

Hope Salmond now has the grace to find his level on the Russian TV show with 10’s of viewers.

BLMac

All the Sturgeonista cultists are going to be furious at the findings of this report. They will be so disappointed with Nicola.

That she has been cleared obviously means she is guilty as hell.

(I’m assuming they will apply the same logic as they did to Salmond, who was also cleared, and therefore in their eyes guilty)

Mr Bonobo

Without the benefit of a QC’s sharp mind, I can think of at least two reasons Nicola would pretend to parliament she knew nothing before 2 April, forgetting the 29th.

Firstly it justified that she could treat it informally, not take any notes and subsequently forget as many details as convenient.

Secondly, she had knowledge well before the 29th, just that evidence has not been provided.

Big Jock

Socrates. The SNP aren’t publishing their independence bill until after May. Yet more proof that another con is being carried out on the gullible.

Vote SNP and then we will put a bill through. Now where have I heard that before.

I usually pay for something when I have the goods.

Sturgeon is most useful idiot Westminster could ever have wished for.

Sarissa

16. The Ministerial Code: Special Advisers

16.1. Paragraphs 4.15 to 4.19 of the Ministerial Code deal with special advisers. Much of these provisions deal with appointment, distribution of posts, salaries and terms and conditions of appointment. Special Advisers are subject to a code of conduct which was last revised in March 2017. This may need some further revision in the light of the implementation of the Procedure. If the First Minister is to remain excluded from any involvement in the Procedure consideration might be given to whether this should also apply to the Chief of Staff and other special advisers. Consideration might also be given to whether some of the provisions of the Ministerial Code which apply to Ministers should also apply with appropriate modifications to special advisers, for example, the requirement to record external contacts.

We all know who this refers to…

ahundredthidiot

My view is that the governments that are in place have been briefed and are not going anywhere – that includes NS.

Remember dominic raab nearly greetin on telly? – my guess is he had the initial brief while BJ went for the full debrief under the cover of having covid – which would explain the dismissal of one Doctor for refusing to sign the official secrets act)

Anyone still thinking this is about a virus is wired to the moon.

tridentitycrisis

I still think the beneath-the-line comments on this site are being infested by false independistas. Some of the language mirrors that found on Rangers/Unionist twitter accounts and blogs(e.g. Billy 1690 Albertz). I never thought I’d see the day when Stu’s hammers didn’t come out to pummel comments openly calling for voting for the Tories and/or Labour. I thought the whole criticism against Sturgeon was to prevent delay to moving towards a referendum or other means of achieving independence. If a Unionist majority emerges in May, then it is likely the case that at least five years (probably a lot more) will elapse before we get another go.
Surely the end is more important than the means. Please let’s not forget our ultimate goal. Sometimes you need to tolerate unpalatable bedfellows to get what you want. Many of us think that the cause of independence is greater than the desire to exact retribution.

sarah

@ Helen Yates: “it’s over. She’s won.”

She hasn’t won the election yet.

And it would be wrong for Alex not to pursue the truth being exposed. If he can bear it [and I wouldn’t blame him if he couldn’t] I want him publicly involved with the election and bringing votes to decent Independent or similar candidates.

We cannot abandon our fellows to an unscrupulous bunch of self-seeking, very nasty and corrupt people.

Mr Bonobo

Very odd that Hamilton said he though Salmond was complaining that the case should have been dropped if there was less than a 50/50 chance of winning.

The advise was excoriating over behaviour of the process and the failures of disclosure.

Ross

I don’t think she’s been entirely truthful but feel like now snp is only game in town.

Did she mislead on when she knew? Can’t see how how didn’t.

Was there any evidence of maliciousness? None Ive seen.

We seemed to be hanging this on a fairly innocuous breach that wouldn’t have merited the long term consequences.

Solidarity with Craig murray. A disgrace.

ahundredthidiot

tridentitycrisis

I am sure the good folks around the table thought the end justified the means when they were considering their final solution.

Frank Gillougley

Just in from work so catching up.

1. I feel for Craig Murray. My reading of it is that the state considered him a threat to them and so found him guilty. The likes of Wark and Garavelli pose no threat to the state and so they are at liberty to do as they please. I will gladly donate to his appeal. What an honourable man.

2. I remember in the immediate aftermath of 2014, I thought Scotland was a cadaver. A corpse on a table. Nothing has changed since 6 years ago. Except that we are all a good deal more cynical about politics given the non pursuance of independence by the SNP, to the valid point of spoiling ballot papers. Here we are.

Ross

Big jock egg or chick though. They’re won’t be a bill unless people back and and greens to majority.

The other parties have left it all too late.

Republicofscotland

I’d say Hamilton is corrupt, radio news earlier said that he worked or had done work for the Scottish government and that he knows Nicola Ceausescu Sturgeon, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he’s a stooge, a independent inquiry my arse.

So we have five years of terror against free speech ahead of us, with a utterly corrupt Crown Office using their enforcers Police Scotland to shut up anyone who speaks out about injustice.

Meanwhile Craig Murray awaits his appearance in front of Roland Freisler for sentencing, his crime telling the truth.

Robert Graham

Aye well very interesting

The topic being three choices

I have only one choice when I come to put my wee X and that’s do I trust these fkrs and do I approve of what they have done ,

NO fkn way carry on without me .

End of Discussion

Argentocoxos

A battle lost but still a war to win, I don’t hear an overweight lady singing, it’s a long road without a bend in it.

John Martini

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.. Everything is subject to interpretation.

3.14159.. or 22/7?

link to everything2.com

Ross

Mislead is a verb that implies someone has deliberately hid something for a particular gain.

It hasn’t been proven she did it deliberately

It wasn’t proven what reason for knowing a few days earlier really made to the grand scheme.

Ergo mislead was difficult to prove. Saying something false is not the same as misleading

Republicofscotland

The champagne glasses will be clinking in the Murrell household tonight, laughter will be abound, with fist pumping and the joyous words of, we got away with it uttered throughout the house.

The vile Sturgeon clique will sleep easy tonight, knowing that they now won’t be sacrificed on the altar of Sturgeon to save their dear leader.

The losers in all of this are the people of Scotland.

Bob Johnston

Looked at positively it now points to clear incompetence. Up till now we have had two choices to debate – criminality or incompetence. Hamilton (due largely to the limitations of his brief) has disposed of the first, but the second should be thrown into the spotlight now. Does the Scottish electorate want a government run by such bumbling idiots?

Anonymous Person

Despite being what some people on here would call a “yoon” (and therefore not within the Reverend’s target market) I have been following this for quite a while and have been left shocked by what’s happened.

If there is a fundraiser to pursue a judicial review, I would seriously consider donating to it.

Cath

If she broke the code, she broke the code and this must be acknowledged, which I have no doubt she did. For instance, I still remember in a FMQ session how she denied categorically and using quite a rude and patronising tone, actually, that Aberdein had been given the name of a complainant by a Holyrood staff.

Aye, true. I remember that FMQs as well. We really do need justice to be done and I have no idea where that’s coming from now. I can only hope Alex Salmond’s lawyers have more of an idea.

Republicofscotland

WGD himself, laughing his socks off at us as are acolytes over on WGD.

Little do they know that along with us and the rest of Scotland they too are the losers, ignorance is truly blissful.

Margaret Lindsay

Spoiled constituency vote, ISP on the list. I don’t vote for known crooks and liars.

Tired for 40 years

Never again will I cross an X next to the SNP, nor support an independent Scotland under the divisive nature of the SNP. I am not surprised though with the report. I am saddened about Craig Murray.

Scots who don’t normally vote should get their backside into a polling station in May and vote for a better Scotland. I am supporting the union now after being a yes voter and a party member.

Scotland will need jobs and investment, not another referendum to feed her ego!

Nally Anders

Held on to my membership, hope against hope, I’d be voting for a new leader.
Membership now cancelled.
The SNP left me.
Now looking for a new Indy home. The fight
for Independence isn’t over yet. It is just gonny take a few more years than I’d imagined.

Mr Bonobo

Have another 10,000 joined the SNP yet, or is that not needed with the media swinging behind her?

The Dissident

Seems to me that the credibility of this report is falling apart quicker than a perfectly cooked fillet of fish.

Let’s remember folks that nobody ever expected this report to nail Sturgeon.

But, at one point, the report says ‘it is for parliament to decide whether it was misled’. Well, guess what? Tomorrow’s report will confirm that it has decided it was.

So even Hamilton’s whitewash confirms Sturgeon has misled Parliament.

Al-Stuart

.
For anyone thinking Scottish Independence was going to be easy, it was and is a fight of Empire proportions. Underestimate the British Establishment at your peril.

The lying bag of deceit that is Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon and the AUDITABLE TRAIL of criminality that is, or will be available to the entire nation of Scotland and international community is an object lesson in what will be summated and written on the tombstone of the disreputable law officer…

“Crook, Coward or an Idiot”.

I am scunnered with Scottish politicians. They will face justice, of that I am sure. My own life is now time-limited so it would be feckless to continue litigation when the clock will be run down as myself as a persuer. I want to spend the time remaining with my grandchildren.

But IF there is anyone out there who really wants some justice, I leave with them two items…

1/. Follow the money. The £600,000 that Murrell left his fat, greedy fingerprints all over has, in turn caused him and her to infract at least three pieces of criminal legislation. If someone on Wings is prepared to put in the legwork and ensure Murrell is rightfully questioned by the police, probably a force outside Scotland, this is the most efficient way of dealing with the liar Sturgeon. He goes, she goes. The McTitanic.

2/. Nicola Sturgeon made a politically lethal failure of hubris. She left EIGHT HOURS of incriminating evidence in the public domain. Forever.

The Hamilton crook/liar/idiot was able to let Sturgeon off Scot free because he is right. There is not a shred of evidence (unless you hire a private detective or are a former police officer).

Ignore Police Scotland: their leadership is either too corrupt or the lower ranks too cowed to do their duty. Much like the SNP politicians.

In Hamilton’s prosecutorial legacy (which he just trashed), he is technically correct: there is not a shred of evidence because Sturgeon and her cabal SHREDDED all of it.

IF anyone out there really wants to solve this mess, the solution is here…

link to m.youtube.com

Sorting out this mess and PROVING sufficient in order that the Met Police MUST investigate Police Scotland’s gross and chronic NEGLECT OF DUTY, you need to engage people of this calibre and this skill set…

link to m.youtube.com

This video is NOT referenced in relation to the Royal Family. These are CIA trained analysts in body language, Sturgeon twitched, blinked, smirked, fidgeted and micro messaged EIGHT hours of it for proper analysis. A competent middle ranking Met police anti corruption officer will glean sufficient leads in the Sturgeon interview to make a police inquiry effect fair justice.

Stuart Campbell, Craig Murray, Iain Lawson and Barrhead Boy et al., have made valiant and miraculous efforts.

But there are 8,000 VERY intelligent and highly motivated folk working out of Gloucestershire who far outrank anything Scotland’s TRUE INDY supporters have.

Alex Salmond is the real deal, but what happened to him SO FAR is just a warning.

In 2003 Dr David Kelly died in highly controversial circumstances. Whether it was the Coproxamol that killed him or exsanguination; whether it was “self-inflicted” or Establishment statecraft. Lord Hutton’s inquiry was another Hamilton job. Draw a blood red line. End of story.

But…

Occam’s razor. When Sturgeon and the Establishment state Wings et al., are conspiracy theorists why do they employ and deploy at least 22,800 “security service” personnel in the UK?

What do these 22,800 British Establishment people do at work every day? Yes many manage vital security operations to protect against attorcities. But what are the two biggest political issues facing the British Wstablishment today? Easy answer:-

A/. Northern Ireland.

B/. Scottish Independence.

The British Empire will not let it’s Scottish Colony go. In 2014 London got a huge fright when Alex Salmond propelled a 21% YES vote to 45% YES. This will NOT happen again without a fight, the likes Scotland has never seen before. Our country is valued more highly (for its assets and resources) than the six counties across the water, bless them.

What you are watching now is a VERY expensive and incredible sophisticated exsanguination of the SNP.

The metaphors are almost medieval. The Scottish Independence movement is being disembowelled before everyone’s eyes.

The Cheltenham set will read this so one message to you please…

I and hope, indeed pray you have gamed through the outcomes so that there is NO risk of the Belfasting of Scotland. Some of us will be gone soon enough. My worry is what sort of turgid defacated legacy your euthanising of the SNP and Holyrood and thereby my nation of birth will be left for my grandkids to live in?

P

Lesley Riddoch has updated her piece in the Herald after the Hamilton decision.
Riddoch tweeted,

“What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. Nicola Sturgeon has proven the worth of that old adage. Not only was talk of her political demise exaggerated, the FM’s credentials as a “bonnie fechter” have been greatly enhanced. Today’s Herald column updated.”

link to heraldscotland.com

Charlie Farlington

“Crook, coward or idiot” James Hamilton was appointed by Alex Salmond in 2013.

Los

Perhaps Alex Salmond might bring his Press Conference forward, ahead of the Vote of No Confidence, so that MSP’s can vote having taken note of what he might have to say?

Garrion

Achievements happen when good people get their back into the right fight. This fuckin sucks, but it’s not a surprise, really. Is it?

You can’t expect a country that has been colonized for 300 years not have the gears of the four estates filled with, as Alf Baird says, those who have made an accomodation with the colonizer.

What did we learn from this?

That as soon as a single independence supporting party reaches mainstream status, they will be compromised and assimilated. (pro tip; now we have to reconceptualise independence NOT as a party political issue, but a cross party civic one. As soon as it became SNP versus the rest, we were in trouble)

That we can’t rely (much as we love to as Scots) on some glorious leader to take us to independence. They will either fall or they will be pushed. It’s down to us. We are all Spartacus now.

We need to continue the work of internal decolonization. This is what the British establishment cannot fight. If we stop being our own worst enemy. If we create a general clear eyed view of the injustices, the economic oppression, the lack of respect and agency, the wrongs that have caused us as a nation for centuries to have poorer poor, worse health, more self destructive violence, more substance abuse than we should ever have had, with many of the best and brightest of us having to leave, then we will create a context where regardless of the dead hand of the colonizer, unstoppable change will come.

The British colonial genius has always been to identify the inherent characteristics of a people, turn strengths into weaknesses, and create a means of making these leverage points, and of course to create a commissar class to maintain status quo. So on the upside, we are all a lot more open eyed.

Nally Anders

Grateful thanks to you Stu. Whatever lies ahead, your forensic reporting has been awesome.
I hope you can continue but don’t blame you if you need a break.
Hope Alex has something big up his sleeve.
The guy must be shattered.

Gary Dollard

Do the SNP think if they say “independent” enough times, people will believe it?

Carol Neill

O well North Korea it is then ( Cowdenbeath really but same place without the haircut )

Skip_NC

It seems to me that the person who has come out best in this report is Geoff Aberdein. His testimony seems to have been honest and straightforward.

Skip_NC

Two things jump out at me.

Firstly, Geoff Aberdein comes out of this rather well – honest.

Secondly, I always thought it was Liz Lloyd who met with Geoff Aberdein on March 29th. Note from page 7 of the report that the name of the person is redacted. Yet Liz Lloyd is named on page 8. So one of the complainers must have met Geoff Aberdein on March 29th. Either that or there has been a redaction failure.

Arch Stanton

According to James Hamilton QC, Nicola Sturgeon had a “failure of recollection” on no less than seventeen occasions.

One can only conclude he is a crook, a coward and an idiot!

Cath

The plus side is watching the Tories implode and Sarah Smith looking like she’s sucking a lemon on reporting this. I’m taking that as a a win.

Morgatron

There are still some in the SNP who are good people , unfortunately they appear to be in the minority. I’m just scunnered with what my party has become. I feel its time to cash in my chips.

Big Jock

Los – Please make that so. Just heard Talking Heads ” Slippery people” on a tv show. Sturgeon is slippier than an eel. We need a big Salmond to catch her.

Tommo

A steaming pile of bat guano
I am for the Union but no-one and no country should be tucked up like this
Does anyone know WHO ‘Redacted’ the report? From what I have seen it makes it utterly pointless to ‘Publish’ it. Surely a man of the former Irish DPPs presumed calibre could present a comprehensible narrative in the sort of terms ‘as a result of evidence I heard from a witness I am unable to name/ in relation to a meeting the date and attendees of which I cannot set out for legal reasons I am persuaded etc’ (Or as the case may be)
OR did he -as I suspect- submit it to the Lord Advocate’s office in case-irony of ironies-he finished up getting prosecuted himself? Anything seems possible in the world the SNP create

Robert Graham

I guess it’s party time over in La La Land

The Princess is saved hip hip Hooray

Have fun Ladies

All the Perfume and lipstick on the planet wouldn’t cover this shit it stinks and if you’re honest you know it too ,So keep telling yourselves this Princess is the real deal she’s honest and truthful ,

Al

Alot of Sturgeonistas posting on Twitter, a new form of Sectarianism is born.

Big Jock

Arch . Yep. He is a lawyer and he thought forgetting things 17 times was normal. Maybe Sturgeon has early onset Alzheimer’s.

AYRSHIRE ROB

Am the same as you Robert Graham. Am done with voting until a new party is established. Thing is I’ll probably be in Spain so if I have to come back to vote there better be a country left worth salvaging.

If you’re reading ‘Old Pete’ ,no doubt you are.
Naw I’ll no be voting SNP in Ayrshire on may 6th so get it roon yi.

Cath

There are some fairly interesting bits in the report as well. For example:

2.14. As already referred to above Mr Salmond has made a number of very serious allegations about the manner in which the complaints were investigated and dealt with including accusations of serious impropriety. I make no findings about the truth of any of these allegations which are the subject of enquiries by the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Com- plaints of the Scottish Parliament. I accept the evidence of the First Minister that she had no involvement in these matters. I do not consider that at present the First Minister has any responsibility under the Ministerial Code for any shortcomings or wrongdoing in the behaviour of other persons, if there were any such shortcomings or wrongdoing, in relation to matters from which she has properly excluded herself from any involvement. Later in this report I raise the question whether Ministers should bear responsibility for the activities of their special advisers.

Redacted

His report was into NS only, and it is silly, but the included “Note on the publication of a redacted report” does seem to suggest, in lawyer speak, something along the lines of:

“What [redacted] did prior to 29th March should really be public knowledge but the court order prevents this.”

commenter

Nae luck, prick 🙂

Alan McHarg

The gloating has begun. There is a complete unwillingness to acknowledge any evidence or facts. It is very worrying. Scotland is being run by a corrupt colonial arm of the British State. Jeggit of Random Public Journal suggested that Nicola Sturgeon has been working hand in hand with “the unholy trinity” of the British State in Scotland – the CROWN, the British Civil Service and the British media in order to imprison independence supporters or threaten bloggers who dare to question her leadership on independence. That should worry not just “independestas” but every dissenting voice in Scotland. This stinks of fascism not democracy.

Dr Peter ISP

So Salmond’s submission to Hamilton detailing where he knows there were breaches of either the ministerial or civil service code has been utterly ignored by Hamilton.

So he has deliberately blinded himself after being made aware of manifest malfeasance. He has refused to even look there.

Hell mend the man.

highseastim

The pain on here is absolutely delicious to see!! Almost as much hurt as DRoss’s mob.

tolkein

James Hamilton is either a crook, a coward or an idiot.

Embrace the power of “and”

Yasmin

He’s all three. Frightening that he keeps being instructed on matters of such importance.
Hope she loses in the election, perhaps the Scottish peopke can deliver justice where others paid by us cannot.

John Martini

You got to fight for your right to party..

beflox

“Our country is a banana republic, a nation that North Koreans point at and laugh. To be honest, readers, if we were you we’d get out while we still could.”

Yeah I think someone needs to go and educate themselves on North Korea, then maybe have a wee lie down.

Robert

My take is different from most. I’ve read the report, and with the remit he was given, I can see where his conclusions come from. It’s a narrow tremit – he’s not answering whether there was a conspiracy. He’s carefully critical of the Lord Advocate and of SPADs. If he’s been running the Fabiani enquiry, I’d be happier.

Id does seem to me that teh Lord Advocate’s office is a root of many of the things which went wrong. Both on the advice to Government, and on the prosecution side.

Annie 621

Charlie Carrington..
Alex appointed Sturgeon,the worst thing to ever happen in Scotland,
No-one is infallible.

Btw, Hamilton was REappointed by Sturgeon in 2015.

Ken Haylock

I think the refusal to say the Scottish Parliament was misled is a lawyer thing. You cannot say somebody was murdered, without there being a murderer, & you cannot be misled without a misleader. But if NS was telling the truth as she remembered it, she is technically not guilty of misleading, she was just wrong. Without a misleader you can’t have anybody misled, you just have people ending up without the correct facts.

So he’s not mad, or bent, he’s just a lawyer.

As for the determination as to whether she was lying when she said she forgot… he’s right that it makes no sense to lie about that then tell the truth about everything else. What would the purpose been of such a lie? It strikes me as well that Aberdein is far more likely to remember approaching the FM on a mission from AS, than she is to remember somebody coming into her office when she’s thinking about the weekend & telling her a short angry retired scotsman she knows wants to talk to her about her about something.

PeakMullett

Rival independence party, go for list seats first, it’s the only way, Nicola is still comparatively young, she could run the party for 20 years more.

Dr Peter ISP

Millions of pounds of public funds have been spent on two abortive attempts to Get Salmond. Both of which failed utterly.

Now even more money has been wasted on two whitewashes.

Nobody has been held to account for this wast of public funds. Nobody has displayed sufficient integrity in public office to resign.

This means politics and public office in Scotland are utterly corrupt. When corruption and malfeasance are allowed to happen without sanction then all is corrupt and we are indeed living in a tyranny.

Tim42

Came here to see how butt-hurt the Tories on this site are and it’s surpassed by expectations.

Will be raising a wee dram to Nicola tonight.

Shocked

I suspected this was coming the way Sturgeon behaved on Friday when she was doorstepped by Sky. To answer the revs question I’d say he was a coward and crook.

We will have to see what Alex Salmond says on Wednesday, I suspect it will be a lot. One thing for certain is that Sturgeon will not be resigning and thanks to that little rat Patrick Harvie she will survive any vote of no confidence. To be honest, her remaining and continual drip drip of more and more scandal may seriously backfire, though the problem is your average voter only reads the headlines and the headlines tomorrow will say she did nothing wrong.

The victorious glaring if th sturgeonites on Twitter is vomit inducing, no doubt we all be standing with Nicola tonight and there will he thousands of new members.

I hope these bastards get their comeuppance.
.

true scot

Nicola has shown us time and time again how best to respect a not guilty verdict. Especially when it doesn’t suit your narrative.

So we’ve taken another step closer to a minority SNP government propped up by Patrick Harvie. Am I the only one who thinks he dresses more and more like a character in a WWII movie? “You can’t stay in London while the bombs are dropping children, you have to go and live with your uncle Pat” “Aw Mum no, he smells of cabbage..”

AYRSHIRE ROB

highseastim

So you think it’s delicious do you?
So in 6 years she’s managed to split a United independence movement down the middle and introduced woke hell on our country and you think that’s great?

Fucking clown. Away back to your rat infested shit life .

Michael

Who ever heard of a report being sent to the accused for redaction before publication.

From Hamiltons accompanying letter:

In particular, I have been advised by my own independent legal adviser that nothing may be published which could identify certain particular individuals, some of whom had a significant role in certain events. A redacted report that effectively erases the role of any such individual in the matters investigated in the report cannot be properly understood by those reading it, and presents an incomplete and even at times misleading version of what happened. In earlier drafts of the report I attempted to anonymise certain individuals in such cases but these attempts were not successful.
It is therefore impossible to give an accurate description of some of the relevant events dealt with in the report while at the same time complying with the court orders.
I am deeply frustrated that applicable court orders will have the effect of preventing the full publication of a report which fulfils my remit and which I believe it would be in the public interest to publish.

Tim42

Campbell is pure RAGING. ?

Allium

Surprised to see so much open gloating online. Does that kind of thing play well at elections? Maybe it does. They’ve gone full on New Labour now. Alyn Smith has become Foulkes, or maybe he always was. Sad.

Big Jock

Stu- I think this Hamilton chap needs your investigation skills.

Tweet from Dean M (@DeanMThomson)
Dean M Thomson (@DeanMThomson) Tweeted:
@Grouse_Beater I notice on his linked in page (I checked it on Saturday) it stated he was an ex-member of the SNP. Checking again today, the reference is gone. So…make of that what you will. link to twitter.com

Tim42

Tories utterly punch-drunk and comparing Scotland to North Korea. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Breeks


gullaneno4 says:
22 March, 2021 at 6:16 pm
Great result, now let all of us who truly support Independence get the show on the road.

This was a load of ‘He said she said’ bollox from day one.

Idiot.

Bob Johnston

The reason I don’t believe a word about all this ‘forgetting’ is that I have a shocking memory. I can’t remember who I was chatting with 15 minutes ago. But I have had several jobs that demand accurate recall so, guess what, I take detailed notes AND I KEEP THEM.

holymacmoses

Robert says:
22 March, 2021 at 7:00 pm
My take is different from most. I’ve read the report, and with the remit he was given

he was told that he could broaden his remit as much as he wanted.

Edward MacD

To those talking of voting Tory or Labour, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Look at the broader picture here. Rise up, oppose, band together. Have faith in yourselves, support or begin a Party to make the difference you want to see.

Tim42

Tonight… we are ALL Nicola Sturgeon. Raise a glass to that beautiful woman for she has sent them homewards to think again.

Vote SNP 1,2, vote Independence

AndyH

I knew this was going to happen and so did Sturgeon

You can tell by the way she was referring to the outcome of this ‘Hamilton inquiry’ when she was in front of the committee a couple of weeks ago. She was struggling to keep the smile of her coupon.

This change the SNP from within crap is never going to happen anytime soon. We need an alternative Indy part and we need it now.

It is the ONLY way to hold their feet to the fire.

IMO

Breeks

highseastim says:
22 March, 2021 at 6:56 pm
The pain on here is absolutely delicious to see!! Almost as much hurt as DRoss’s mob.

Another idiot.

Willie

Well this report, I will not call it a judgement has redoubled my effort to resist this rotten SNP and find another mechanism to secure independence.

This report by Hamilton in truth does not change my support for independence. The SNP are just another unionist party in the orbit of Westminster. Bought and paid for they will not deliver independence, and in many ways this utterly bewildering report will only resolve support for independence.

Sturgeon is still finished as are her coterie of control and with direct rule looming and the removal of power from the Parliament, the struggle re-engages..

Breeks


Tim42 says:
22 March, 2021 at 7:14 pm
Tonight… we are ALL Nicola Sturgeon. Raise a glass to that beautiful woman for she has sent them homewards to think again.

Vote SNP 1,2, vote Independence

Idiot No. 3

Cath

Michael 19:10

That’s a very interesting cover letter, especially if you know who/what he’s referring to. Hopefully this report does very much leave the door open (or even unlock it) for whatever legal action comes next. The very best outcome for the independence movement would be if Alex gets justice and is fully vindicated (he has been legally but not in the public mind yet), the corrupt U.K. arms in Scotland are shown up for what and where they are, and Sturgeon and the SNP are held to account but not too damaged in the process. Let’s not be too despondent yet.

true scot

@ Tim42 – which of her successes as First Minister would you point to help us understand the high regard that many hold her in?

Frequency Modulation

So Mr Hamilton has decided that Ms Sturgeon suffers from serious memory lapses. My heart goes out to her friends and family, as I can imagine the distress they must be feeling. I myself spent several years caring for a relative with dementia. I am sure her nearest and dearest will rally round and look after her in her declining years; let us hope they can afford carers to give them some respite.

Lothianlad

See the midlothian careerist cultists mp has been tweeting organically about innocent sturgeon.

These careerists are wrecking scotland whilst lining their pockets.

Sturgeon is a fraud!

Alex salmond, I salute you sir and stand by you. You are a true gentleman and hero of scotland.

Lothianlad

I take it every single post I do is now in moderation???
Whatever. I must be getting to someone

beflox

It’s a sad night for the unionists who’ve been trying the damnedest to take advantage of this situation.

Reminds me of the nights we used to all come onto Wings to celebrate the nights we’d get one over on the Tories etc down in Westminster, but … well … that seems like a long time ago now.

Tim42

@true scot

Not being a Tory mate. Unlike most on here.

To side with D. Ross is simply unforgivable. The Tartan Tories should hang their heads in shame.

holymacmoses

We have to ask why Nicola Sturgeon is asking Mike Russell to write up the SNP manifesto, given that he doesn’t have to be responsible for any of it does he

Betsy

@TrueScot,

1. She’s never shat herself or fallen over in public.
2. The worse she gets, the more her fan club rim her arse.
3. Baby boxes
4. She’s read a book
5. She’s managed to keep a straight face when claiming to be feminist.

Lynn

Floating voters opinion. Unconvinced! One man does not get to do my thinking for me .

Brian Doonthetoon

There has been much discussion here, btl, over the past weeks, about the possibility of NS losing her seat to whoever.

It has been suggested that if she loses her seat and the SNP gain one regional seat to compensate, she will get in “on the list”, because #1 on the Glasgow SNP list is a BAME candidate and she will find compelling reasons not to take her seat, allowing NS in as #2 on the list.

I had a telephonic blether with ‘Dundee Annie’ last night and we were talking about this. Annie doesn’t see that scenario panning out – because she knows more than I do about what’s been going on, SNP-wise.

She inspired me to go a-Googling today.

#1 on the SNP’s Glasgow list is Roza Salih. She’s got an amazing history and, tbh, I can’t see her just rolling over for NS if she is elected for the region. Check out these links:-

link to en.wikipedia.org

link to en.wikipedia.org

link to migrantvoice.org

A quote from that last link:

“Roza’s shift from activism to politics occurred when she realised that, despite all the good work by charities and activists, “we don’t get to make decisions, we’re not where power is. And I thought: I could be that person. I want to represent my community in Parliament.””

AYRSHIRE ROB

tim42 @7.08 pm

Did paul Kavanagh tell you to come and say that? He would know that term of speak I suppose in his world.

beflox

So far, scouting around the internet, the unhappy brigade seems to consist of Unionist parties and Wings readers/contributors.

Says it all.

holymacmoses

Breeks says:
22 March, 2021 at 7:15 pm

highseastim says:

Is it good to enjoy people’s pain jollyjacktar? Is that the sort of Scotland you wish for? Have a care and be aware of what you wish for. And I doubt it will happen anyway and if I’m right – I won’t be gloating because I was right I’ll be as heartbroken as I am now but this it will be because you are wrong. Wait and see .

tridentitycrisis

Don’t despair, independence really is closer than it has ever been, even if you hate Sturgeon. The polls have turned around again. It’s people who never look at this or other pro-independence blogs who are crucial. If they vote for the SNP, then they are voting for independence not for Sturgeon. I really believe that if the SNP win in May, then they know that this is their last chance to deliver, or else they will be deserted by more than just Wings followers.
Who else will give us the chance if the Unionists come out on top in May? Johnson will gleefully walk all over us, strip our Parliament of powers and treat us even more like a colony. Are you OK thinking of George Galloway oozing triumph? Or Michael Gove gloating in his superior manner? Or Jacob Rees-Mogg smirking and telling us we’re back in our box where we belong? Is Sturgeon really more evil that those swaggering shits?

true scot

Thanks Tim42. I was thinking more of succesful policies that have improved life in Scotland. She’s an extremely popular leader – and I understand that she has been a reassuring face to the Covid response – but beyond that, what accomplishments would you point to as the basis for voting her in again?

Juan

Where are awe the roasters who were getting tore into anybody who suggested they vote against Sturgeon in her Constituency, as in, vote for the candidate who has a credible chance of taking the Sturgeon seat.

Would you agree you made an utter arse of yourself?

Would you agree these guys were correct all along?

Billy Russell

I read all your articles Stu and I want to thank you for doing the right thing and seeking the facts.

My vote now goes to whoever keeps the SNP out of my constituency and I live in Aberdeenshire which probably means that will be a hellish self destructive vote to cast.

If we don’t have a lawful society, we can never have equality, justice, nor independence. I don’t know how we gain independence now but I do know the first step has to be removing the North British SNP from power.

Billy

Did we really believe this inquiry would end up any other way. I’m hitting 70 so I probably will not have to put up with them for long, really pity our youth who will have to pay the price of this bunch of us crooks running the country. Any chance of a new party with AS and JS at the helm because no way will I vote for the Snp again. I will use the next few weeks deciding how I can damage them most at the ballot box. God help Scotland.

Andybhoy

Patrick Harvey with all the class of a two bob nobody is busy telling the world what he thinks tonight. Aye Patrick. I saw that disgraceful video with your thoughts on Alex Salmond. Not only is SNP not getting number 1 vote, the Greens ain`t getting number 2 vote.

robertknight

The enemy of Indy and of Scotland is Sturgeon’s SNP.

Any enemy of my enemy is my friend.

I’ll be tactically voting to defeat the SNP.

Indy for Scotland!

Jail for Sturgeon!

Smash the SNP!

dropthevipers

AS has been extremely measured in how he has played his cards. My only hope to see NS get the beginning of her come uppance is a thermo nuclear bomb chucked into the mix about two or three days before the election. Otherwise, she gets away home free.

Juan

Scotland is Rubber Ducked.

N MacMillan

My voting plans have changed. I will spoil my constituency vote (despite good SNP candidate) and vote ISP on the list.

I cannot bring myself to vote for Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP. I cherish independence but I cherish my integrity higher.

If the SNP lose the election then she will I hope go and we can turn the Westminster election into a plebiscite for Independence

John Digsby

So, RevStu – what happens now? Do you carry on fighting the good fight, or are you hanging up your hat and calling it a day?

Allium

I don’t hate NS, I’m just puzzled by her and those who admire her, and why they think she’s going to deliver independence. I’m aghast at her cult of personality electioneering, I find it creepy and Trumpist and frankly odd, since as I said she’s of low appeal to me personally, and she has little charisma. She has made no secret that her priorities lie elsewhere. She isn’t interested in another referendum. The SNP is an identity politics collective now.

Carol Neill

Tim42 , we’re not tories ya tool , away an boil yer pish
Goats getting up am away to watch ru Paul ….

Annie 621

The Democratic Republic of Scotland..
only not a republic, nor a democracy.

Mitchell

You think the SNP can’t get any lower, and before you know it, they are hitting new depths.

Alf Baird

Terry @ 5:14

“What’s five years out of 300?”

The census tells us that Scotland’s demographics are rapidly changing with an inflow of approx. 50,000 mainly ‘No’ voters from rest-UK annually. That’s a quarter of a million ‘new’ voters in the next 5 years potentially adding 10% to the No vote.

We need to aim for independence this year, and the only opportunity likely is May’s ‘independence’ election and this commitment from AFI:

“AFI shall also campaign for a simple majority of the popular vote for pro-indy parties across both the constituencies and the regional lists, at the “Independence” election, and for such a majority to be understood to be a mandate for independence itself.”
link to afi.scot

Littleladylotte

It’s what I expected. Its ridiculous thinking that there’s anyone that SNP will account to. How can an esteemed law person have the full shebang laid out in front of him and come to the conclusion that he did. Well fk the snp, spoiled ballot from me

McRobbie

So it is clear from the number of redactions and the frequent memory lapses of Sturgeon that actually nothing happened at all during this saga … obviously we just dreamt it all.

John Brown

I’m not convinced that independence is now dead in the water.

I’m quite certain that this will not have damaged Ms. Sturgeon’s popularity with independence voters but rather have strengthened their resolve to run an independence referendum with or without the approval of the UK government.

They simply won’t care if Scotland looks like a banana republic as long as it’s an independent republic.

And the SNP will gain further votes from those who believe her divisive and adversarial style is the best way for Scotland to screw further benefits from the UK government even if they would not vote for independence.

Andybhoy

@robertknight.

Sadly that is a policy that I have resigned myself too as well.

Big Jock

In 5 years time. All these blowhard Sturgeon cultists. Will be back on here telling us all to vote SNP in 2026. Because it really is the independence election this time.

Stupid does,what stupid does.

Elmac

You know what Stu, you are correct. Time to get out. I came back to my home country in the 1980s after many years abroad, partly through nostalgia and partly because I wanted to be involved in a new vibrant Scotland. Now I have 3 kids and lots of grandkids outside Scotland and I can see absolutely no reason to want to stay here in this cesspit. Despite my advancing years I will probably up sticks and go elsewhere if Sturgeons survives. I will take my income and assets with me. Up yours Sturgeon.

Mr Bonobo

At least Nicola has matched her hero Hilary Clinton who illegally conspired by email through servers installed in her bedroom and bashed all the Blackberries she was demanded to hand over into pieces with hammers, but was determined it would not be appropriate to charge her with anything, all the while the little people were jailed any meagre security infraction.

Andybhoy

Big Jock

The latest BoJo can call a Westminster GE is December 2024. I am putting good money on the SNP leading with, vote SNP and get your freedom. Independence is just around the corner.

CMack

“Ms Sturgeon told reporters she was “delighted and relieved” to be cleared by the report, acknowledging “some pretty grim allegations have been levelled at me over the past months”.”

A mere bagatelle compared to the smears/allegations she has made against the former FM in that period!

Tim42

@carol Neill

Yeah, yeah. Sure you’re not.

A Tory friend referred to Wings as a group of “useful idiots”. Says it all really. He’s started donating to Stuart. Says it all really. Enjoy your Brexit.

Chris Downie

The American rock band Living Color had a great song “Cult of Personality” that sums up the insidious Murrell Mafia perfectly.

Elmac

John Brown @ 7.47 pm

Absolute codswallop. Are you totally bereft of a single brain cell? Listen very carefully…. Sturgeon has no intention of ever securing a second referendum – she loves the kudos and the money too much to risk losing them. Either grow up and pay attention or go back to your equally delusional pals on WGD.

Republicofscotland

Tim42 @7.08pm.

You don’t even realise that you too have lost, for if you think Sturgeon will bring independence to Scots, you’re in for a very big shock.

robertknight

Tim 42.5

“A Tory friend”

‘Nuff said.

Baxter1967

To really understand this we need to realise both sides are being played. Those coalescing behind Salmond ( for a variety of motives) are banging their heads against an institutional brick wall. Keep the flame of injustice burning in their bellies. Those from the Sturgeon sycophantic fan club are so impressionable they buy her Independence scam. Keep them obsessing on transgender rights.
An understanding of Scottish history and a working knowledge of Machiavellian politics and you stand back and laugh as you divide and rule.

beflox

John Digsby says:
22 March, 2021 at 7:42 pm
So, RevStu – what happens now? Do you carry on fighting the good fight, or are you hanging up your hat and calling it a day?

Probably time to keep the momentum going … whip the knuckle-draggers up into an ever-increasing frenzy then hit them with the crowdfunders. Seems like a good plan. You with us John?

AYRSHIRE ROB

Heavens almighty

Tim42 @ 7.42pm

If you haven’t realised ya clown we’re not in Europe – we’re out. What did your golden queen do?

Fuck all.

Tim42

@robertknight

Grow up… I’ll break bread with mostly anyone. No prejudices here.

Andy Ellis

@tridentitycrisis 7.29pm

Utter folly. The Sturgeonistas ARE as bad: in fact they are worse. We expect no better from British nationalists. You’re delusional if you think independence is close under the current SNP.

Anyone voting SNP now is complicit in their corruption.

Tim42

@AYRSHIRE ROB

A big angry man, a Rangers man, a staunch Unionist. Mon ra peeple. Sad.

robertknight

Tim42.5

“No prejudices here”

No intelligence either…

Carol Neill

@ Tim 42 o piss off , apologies mr c

Mike

Surely there’s more to come out in the wash here? No chance that someone may leak something closer to the election? It feels like there’s been way too much wrongdoing for this to