Top Tips For Tealeafs
Posted on
March 03, 2021 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Yesterday’s evidence session at the Fabiani inquiry had several standout moments, but by a narrow margin this was our favourite.
And just in case you were wondering, yes, that IS Scotland’s top prosecutor, the Lord Advocate, chief of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, James Wolffe QC, repeatedly refusing to tell an MSP whether or not it’s a criminal offence in Scotland to refuse to comply with a court-ordered search warrant.
So next time you’ve ramraided a load of iPads and the polis come knocking on your door asking if they can have a nosy around your attic for them, just tell them they can’t come in because it’s a matter of your motivations.
Let us know how that works out for you.
We are going to have to reanimate Lewis Carol to write more sequels of Alice’s adventures.
Has he a hearing problem?
Abysmal…
I wonder if the Faculty of Advocates collectively just spat out their cornflakes….
Expected but still so wrong.
He has got to go.
Is there no one with any integrity in COPFS ?
A sheep in wolf’s clothing
Right, get your clickers out and start counting the blinks.
Thumb screws required Murdo!!
This is gobsmacking behaviour. How on earth can a lord advocate get away with this behaviour? But more importantly and depressingly, how do we actually meaningfully hold him to account, we can’t, that’s the unfortunate answer. Hopefully a bigger fish (the FM) will fall in the next coming days, let’s wait and see what today brings.
Stu, in your 31st January 2020 post ‘the betrayal’ you said you had, off the record, been told of some extremely troubling allegations that had happened linked to the SNP leadership. You said then that you couldn’t publish them as you couldn’t corroborate them. Have those allegations been made public already, have you written about them or would you be willing to do so? If you have mentioned them in a wings article could you indicate which one?
Yes, gobsmacked me too. The times had an article yesterday on twitter link to archive.is
I replied:
“Scotland’s most senior law officer” Just let that actually sink in. link to twitter.com
I find it incomprehensible that any member of the legal profession, let alone the head of the prosecution service, cannot answer that question. Surely it shows he is totally compromised by this affair?
Holy shit!
When is a crime not a crime?
This email from the very same on December. 31 2018 intelligible to the lay person. In other words Bullshit the public
(ii) It may be unlikely that it will be possible to avoid the phrase “apparent bias” being used at all, in all communications (including with the court); however, the
use of that phrase should, in my view, be minimised, and should always be coupled with an appropriate explanation, intelligible to a lay person, of what that
means – ie that the process must be seen to be impartial as well as actually impartial – and what it does not mean (ie that the process was actually tainted by
bias).
Seconds out round 2
How long before a national emergency occurs that requires urgent suspension of this session ?
Stuttering corrupt b@$t@rd! Could only endure that to halfway.
He looked so very pleased with himself as well. Incredible.
Has the committee meeting started yet? I’m hooked into the TV site but nothing regarding the Burns room on there. Help!
link to scottishparliament.tv
Has Nicola started her 10 paragraph opener of “I think about those NHS covid heroes” yet
Eh am I hearing things
I thought I heard the committee chair say
Would the accused please raise their right hand
Surly not
AnneDon says:
3 March, 2021 at 9:01 am
I find it incomprehensible that any member of the legal profession, let alone the head of the prosecution service, cannot answer that question. Surely it shows he is totally compromised by this affair?
Totally Agree
There’s just no words any more. And worse, seemingly no recourse. How the actual fuck is this going to get resolved without taking the bulldozers to Holyrood and starting again?
Totally & irreparably broken system.
Guy laughs a lot while refusing to answer a simple question
Certainly A nipple
A staggering performance of ineptitude. Every answer peppered with umms and long pauses. Hard to believe that this is Scotland’s top lawyer. Inarticulate and incompetent. Farcical really.
@Kiwilassie
broadcastingscotland.scot
Don’t want to put like as tried on previous thread and has ended up in moderation (may have been because I put their youtube channel link too)
We’re underway
One of the reasons I wanted independence was that I thought it would be easier to hold out govt to account. Obviously not.
Chief Clown of the Clown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, more like.
He certainly filled that bill.
I just choked on my porridge. He has to go!!!!
She just glossed over the court and the jury “doing their jobs” in the context of the complaints. Absolutely ridiculous.
Hey Rev.
This man is an impostor, sent by the Russians to lay waste to Scotland.
Here he is during his previous incarnation – Wolfie Smith of the Tooting Popular Front.
link to en.wikipedia.org
That’s it. Onto smearing Alex yet again. That’s my mind made up on her place in all of this.
When is failing to comply with a search warrant not a criminal offence?
When the failure is on the part of the Scottish government, and the head of the prosecution service is also the government’s chief legal advisor.
Clearly no conflict of interest there…….
*uck you Nicola.
What a disgraceful finish to your opening statement.
For what it is worth, there is a very good reason that the police does not prosecute most perjury, because the vast majority is in self-defence, and esp. if it is obvious and you lost anyway there is little point.
But in this case, esp. given there is also clear independence evidence of an attempted stich-up (though I have no idea whether witness H was part of that), surely an investigation is 100% required…
On a serious note however; reading a scripted reply, head down, and denying reality.
Needed 20 second max to decide she’s lying.
She’s doing just what I expected, probably worse.
I hope Baillie and co are on their game today.
Here’s hoping that this tosser doesn’t get the usual “reward” of being elevated to the bench.
So opening statement done. Not resigning then.
@Desmond,
Hope she does not hide behind that ! I wrote to my SNP about covid , three weeks with no reply I told them to forget it ! I got a letter back saying covid was a bit like litter dropping ! We all know the rules and perhaps I am best to deal with things myself ! Written by an Aid as she was too busy to reply. But she sent a message of support to my husband wrestling away with covid patients in ICU !
Later that day I spied her in a wee car park meeting at a local golf club ! Too busy to reply right enough !
The electorate mean nothing to them sadly nor the NHS staff , some have been at this for a year .
One word missing fromNicola’s opening statement- ‘Innocent’ when talking about Alex’s Court Case.
In fact she goes further and says that she knows, as a result of a private conversation she had with Alex, that he behaved ‘inappropriately’(not criminally- my addition), therefore she justifies her actions.
Still saying that two women have been let down- well Nicola, it’s you who has let them down! Accept that fact.
Despicable. She accepts the verdict of the Jury, it cannot be questioned, BUT, Alex Salmond apparently confessed to her in their private meeting.
Did ye aye? So why didn’t you volunteer that information to the police and why weren’t you a witness for the prosecution?
I’m getting this message when I try to get into the harassment committee room?
I’m in New Zealand, Is it possible they aren’t allowing it to televised out of the UK?
Hello
You may have noticed that the search tool for the parliament website has changed recently. This is a temporary measure while we work on redeveloping our online channels, including a new search tool.
If you have any questions, or are experiencing difficulties finding information, please contact us.
OK / Don’t show again
“We gave you the legal advice”
Yes after 2 votes of parliament and a threatened VONC in Swinney…
The worst thing about all this, is that it has me agreeing with, nay, almost cheering on, cretins like Murdo, Ballie etc.
Please go now Nic. Take your cabal with with you, and let’s get the grown-ups back in charge again.
Hands up anyone who expected this to be an examination into the minutiae of a quasi-judicial process masquerading as a workplace complaints system? If the vocal tone of the committee chair gets any more greasy and unctuous, I’ll lose my porridge. She’ll have Sturgeon sitting up on her knee, next!
would love a body language expert to assess NS – COMPLETELY talking to her desk, eyes constantly downward – zero eye contact.
i’m no expert but not looking someone in the eye is suspect to me.
i will not be listening to today’s hearing as i am no well.I did however listen to the end of her opening statement.
Nicola: …….Ya de ya de yah, same as, same as, heard it all before, gets to the end then drum roll and she smiles as if to say- how’s about that then guys and gals….and cymbal….
The committee room …. silent dust bowl and forlorn wind.
Wow! reality meet confabulation, confabulation meet reality.
The convenor needs to tell her to keep her answers SHORT.
Just heard her say that there is no attempt by the Scottish gov to prevent information reaching this Committee. – Really?
Oh dear, just as expected having a go at Alex Salmond again.
Strange thing is, I don’t believe her. Gabling on from a written statement, hardly looking at anyone, not really inspiring is it. Alex sat there, with everything in his brain, relaxed, giving his side of the story.
Well, going by her opening, I know who I believe.
She ain’t going to go. There’s nothing in her starting demeanour to suggest she will resign
I cant watch that anymore..so many Salmond references it reminds me of the Tory Election leaflets that have 14 references to SNP and Independence yet nothing to offer in their own regard
Kiwilassie says:
3 March, 2021 at 9:28 am
I’m getting this message when I try to get into the harassment committee room?
I’m in New Zealand, Is it possible they aren’t allowing it to televised out of the UK?
I too am outside the UK but I can view it. If you go to the Parliament TV link it will take you straight there. Hope you manage to connect.
Can anyone clarify, the two women she is apologising to, were those the two accusing him of rape?
Kiwi lassie
Maybe some of the other links that worked for Alex last Friday might work todaySky 501 was one suggestion. Check back on Wings article 26th Feb – Good Luck
Did she just say the procedure was never unlawful – is that not exactly what Lord Pentland said in his summing up – unfair, unlawful and tainted by bias….can she even hear herself when she lies?????
“Wee Chid says:
3 March, 2021 at 9:10 am
One of the reasons I wanted independence was that I thought it would be easier to hold out govt to account. Obviously not.”
My assumption is that while things can be made right more quickly, they will also go wrong more quickly. In a way, Scotland is already behaving like an independent country.
Just read a really sick inducing post on FB about the terrible ordeal our FM is going through today. Hoe do you get through to folk like that?
Old Fogey
Sky news is doing a live link – that’s how I’m accessing it from overseas.
What the pompously titled Lord Advocate is saying is that there is no fixed law, no fixed legal system. He is saying, as you suggest Stu, you do as you please.
Someone comes bearing a search warrant. Tell em to fuck off. Ignore said warrant.
Someone makes a complaint about a crime. Ignore it, disregard it. On the other hand, in another case, if some asks for someone to be set up, taken out as they say, then proceed with all possible effort. That’s the message from this goon.
It’s an absolute outrage. It is jungle, an absolute jungle. No wonder critics are justifiably saying that Scotland is a failed state, because it is. There is no rule of law and when people realise this, as they now are realising, then they can take steps to resist the utter corruption that surrounds them.
The Italians worked that out with the Mafia and their bent Police, bent prosecutors and bent judges. We in Scotland need to do the same. A thug dressed in a gown, in a wig, in a police uniform or with a grand title is still a thug as we need to remember that.
Margaret Mitchell: This is a breakdown of events, we’ve not been given the information required and blocked.
Nicola Sturgeon: That’s not the reality.
Maybe not your reality Nicola, but it is for everyone who’s watching this.
If it was such a huge mistake/error why was nobody sacked?
Does she have anything here except trying to make Salmond look bad?
Corruption and collusion! The truth deniers are being found out.
my pride of place selfie with sturgeon now lies broken and smashed in my bin
Kiwilassie @ 9.28 am ,
You can follow the Committee session here ,
link to scotlandspeaks.com
Just as well she is not Pinocchio.
we need a new party for independence
Using the old “I’m contrite about everything but it’s their fault” technique.
Sky News incorrectly headlining it as “Salmond Inquiry”. BBC correctly going with “Holyrood Inquiry” .
Eh running a bit behind everybody internet taking the piss
From what I gather so far
Sorry gets you a £500.000 pass
Does that mean a really sorry gets you a 1 million pass
Or maybe be a really ,really, sorry gets you unlimited lifetime pass , the Golden Ticket
Well if that’s the case how do I get in on this wee scam it looks a win win game
How dare she? She said Mr Salmond thinks there shouldn’t have been a procedure written for him!
That little Watt set her up for the answer you could see the smile on her face as she asked
I’ve just googled ‘ sky news live’ on my android phone. But i can’t bear even to listen to sturgeons voice anymore.
This is just confirming my fears of how she’d handle this. Just about further smearing Alex. She really is cold, calculating and nasty.
fuck, who um a gonnae vote fur noo
I never thought I would see the day where I was eagerly waiting to hear from Murdo Fraser.
Sooner we get these patsy types out the way the better (Watt is almost as embarrassing as NS)….
Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister and SNP leader was not aware of people saying they were harassed by 5 Ministers of the Crown. (If so she needs to go on this alone, don’t know what going on in your team when its this serious)
But Cabinet (which she sits on) took decision to make a Fairness at Work Policy off the back of Me Too? Can’t believe this, you don’t make a policy if you don’t need one. And from her evidence above they didn’t need to because she wasn’t aware of it. Did she not question why they need this policy? Did people hoodwink her into bringing in the policy under the basis of Me Too?
I listened to Alex last Friday. I did not understand him to say that ‘he didn’t think there should have been a policy to investigate him’ and when he said a new policy would take about 18 months he was meaning that it was not best practice to rustle up something quickly.
Funny how words can be twisted
OMG BBC Radio Scotland has now brought Brian Taylor out of retirement to comment and so far he is putting one side across more clearly than the FM. Telling people what to think- half expecting Garavelli and Wark next.
If the Big Bad Wolffe enjoys so much being part of the machinery of an nation’s executive accountable to no-one but itself, he may wish to reflect in similar antediluvian times, he’d have found himself on a scaffold without warning once no longer of use to it.
When those who chose to become servants of the people are allowed to become its masters, democracy and justice die.
Did Sturgeon write Maureen Watts questions for her?? So shockingly staged!
Presumably if you refuse to comply with or obstruct a search warrant you are home and dry if you only do it in a “limited and specific way” – I would think that satisifies the tests of “motivation” and “convenience”?
Very articulate but she not answering. She always says “we will come on to that”
Keeps dropping wee snides
Why couldn’t we have had these two in charge instead of this bullshit
Alec is still on trial
Thinks he’s above the law
‘Power Hungry Like The Wolffe’
Salmond stuck to facts. Sturgeon appears to have very few facts in support, so let’s go the “feelz” route.
Jesus Christ!
She’s constantly sticking in snide wee comments and all these anecdotal references to Salmond she was apparently privy to.
Or to paraphrase “Alex was mean to people so he deserved to be fitted up”
She is despicable.turning a question from AS into a anti-Salmond rant. It’s the procedure you are discussing !
Whytemans question was a set up to allow to drop Alec salmond s name in to the question
Very feels agreeing with solarflare
metoo
metoo
metoo
me
me
me
Investigating former ministers and allegations is the job of Police Scotland. Independent and not tainted by bias. This is why we’re in this mess because SG took it upon themselves to investigate a private citizen.
I hadn’t realised that Sturgeon’s chief of staff was there on 3rd April.
Lost says This is why we’re in this mess because SG took it upon themselves to investigate a private citizen.
Absolutely
Miss H,
I’m guessing that Nicola Sturgeon would have full knowledge of what will be asked by the SNP members of the Committee, so about half of the questions, which contrasts with Alex Salmond having no idea about any of the questions being asked of him.
Eh a bit missing from Princess Nicolas statement ,
As leader of the SNP and the Fist Minister she first heard of the complaints against Alex Salmond was from Alex himself , ok that’s fine if you you disregard the internal submissions from people high up in the SNP that they would sit on these complaints until they could be usefully used , so that’s ammunition held in reserve .
We are being asked to believe that she being the leader of the SNP she was totally unaware of any complaints ok her husband is also in daily control of the day to day running of the party while his wife Nicola Sturgeon does her First Ministers job .
Sorry that doesn’t make sense , it might make sense to Nicola Sturgeon in her world but back on planet earth it won’t Fly .
So far Sturgeon has made about 4 off the cuff remarks about Salmond’s character. Then she sniggers. No class at all.
It’s like watching a replay of a job interview you went to , where you were out of your depth , and were just waffling to kill time. We have all been there and it’s painful to watch. She is just bullshitting!
If we listen and don’t believe her then we don’t have an open mind:-)
Lying, evil, little fraudster.
Hay if you can lie to parliament an enquiry is just another day at the office.
So why is Allan asking questions which all include Alec Salmonds words
I had to switch off. Can’t abide her sanctimonious whiney voice anymore. I’ll just pop in WoS now and then for the comments.
btw that wee dig at Salmond on her introductory speech was disgusting.
No plot obvious to NS maybe because it seems nobody told her anything all the way through her career.
She cannot speak for the motivations of others. Is she privy to the text messages AS was referring to? I doubt it, she cannot speak for the motivations of the main protagonists and if she can how does she know?
I thought the questions so far have actually not been bad. Until we got to Alasdair Allan.
Incredible.
The Lord Advocate has a murky aura of guilt surrounding him that he’s unable to deal with: this is what a crook looks like – and this crook is in league with the bent Nicola Sturgeon.
Loving his miserable discomfort.
In full lie mode now.
AS on trial all over again it seems and NS is the judge and jury.
He told her stuff that was shocking, it made her look at him in a wholly different way it seems. Biased in her actions towards him from then on?
Wee Wolffe, is it a crime to murder someone?
I can’t speak on the hypothetical, it depends on the motivation.
But your a lawyer… is it a crime to kill someone?
I can’t speak on the hypothetical. Aggghhhh.
Me thinks AS’s lawyers have not contacted the Crown Office, because they don’t want to give them the info to concoct some bullshit alibi… me thinks, they will take it directly to Lord Pentland and let him Judge.
Not sure I can face watching Nicla, fair idea already what her script will be.
Live feed here as well.
link to youtube.com
I’m interested that the clip and download for Mr Salmond was unavailable but is active for Sturgeon
‘were you out to get AS?’
She could’ve just said ‘no’.
Liars tend to embellish their answers – and damn, did she waffle on.
Not a day to day involvement in the new policy! And she stated earlier that it was not her recall that Alec was heavily involved in the previous policy. Same? Hypocrisy?
Marydoll 10.07am
“She is despicable.turning a question from AS into a anti-Salmond rant…”
She’s been doing that since 9am this morning Marydoll.
That’s an amazing memory she has. Only remembers the things that make her look good. Hopefully someone is going to challenge her on that. If she can’t remember the Aberdein meeting, how can she remember what was and wasn’t said?
Scottish Government HR department develop a policy based on events in a foreign country. Puts a clause in which affects private citizens and people who don’t work there, doesn’t put it to a vote in Parliament.
Says it’s lawful.
This is just wrong, you can’t do this to people.
Did you Hear her say she would have dealt with it differently if there had been any other “legitimate” way? A subconscious slip .
Her constant smearing of Salmond actually lets us see how this all came about and how they plotted and conspired to get Mr Salmond. Its really not that far fetched at all when you see how vindictive she is being. Bursts her own bubble. She’s really not as clever as she thinks she is being. What a horrible person.
Henry McLeish First Minister of Scotland from 2000 to 2001 resigned as First Minister and the Labour Party and not seek re-election over £36K.
Nicola Sturgeon cost Scotland £512K, plus more or less for the Scottish Government legal costs, costs relating the Police Investigation 20+ Officers over a year, Police investigation into illegal leaks, costs incurred by Met Police, £70K for coaching witnesses, expenses, additional legal costs.
Compared to £36K by Henry McLeish, Nicola’s Sturgeon cost to Scotland is approx 100 times that amount which renders her position untenable especially with the breaches of ministerial code, therefore resignation will be the last action in her political career, Get Thee Hence…
She is admitting she got carried away by the “me too” movement but not carried away enough because she has already said they underreacted to the me too movement.
‘Alex Salmond’s sexual behaviour’
‘
‘He was a tough guy to work for’
She is trying to make out that she tried to keep Mr Salmond straight in his behaviour
Global me too yada yada, global me too yada yada, global me too yada yada…. FFS
Watching the SNP’s Alisdair Allan launch soft ball questions to Sturgeon for her to easily bat away and give her opinion, really hits home at just what an accomplished liar Nicola sturgeon really is, and how easy it is for her to suddenly switch from the aggressor, to victim.
Sorry – being flippant now – but Nicola’s off centre microphone is annoying me. A visual representation of her ‘putting her slant on it’.
It strikes me that Alex’s ‘performance’ was very concise, factual and ‘business like’. objective. Personal attacks and snide remarks were very few and sparse if any.
Nicola’s is too personal, her feelings, her reactions and how that related to Alex. Too subjective. Making it too emotional, snide remarks and her opinions.
And too much about ‘me too’ – that was ages ago and a lot has happened since like, Brexit, Covid, GRA, Hate Crime etc.
————
Non SNP committee members have no questions – as they are wanting to question complaint handling (in other words – this has taken 90 minutes so far, can we get down to the real business please).
I’m not a ‘tealeaf’ at the moment, but after listening to the lordy, lordy, advocate yesterday, I’m seriously reconsidering my life choices and might become one.
Talk about easy money!
It isn’t necessarily a crime to ignore a search warrant, and if the LA witnesses someone perjuring themselves, (and he may be the only person who is aware f the fact this person is lying under oath) he wouldn’t take action or even speak to the perjurer!!!
Where’s the best place to buy gloves a crowbar and a swag-bag?
I don’t need advice about a face-mask although if anyone knows where I can get one that fits around my eyes rather than my mouth, that would be helpful thanks!
Mark Boyle @ 10:01 am
“When those who chose to become servants of the people are allowed to become its masters, democracy and justice die.”
The gravest mistake of a ‘nationalist’ SNP when ‘in power’ has been in allowing a unionist meritocratic elite to continue to run Scotland’s institutions.
In this regard the SNP elite chose to become colonial administrators instead of national liberators, ostensibly making decisions but in reality allowing a unionist elite to continue to run the country.
These fowk cannae ser twa maisters; thay aye luive ane an laithe the ither.
It is therefore no surprise that the unionist meritocratic elite still holding most positions of power in Scotland are now turning the screw on nationalists, their political enemy. And in this the SNP elite has sided with the unionists they refused to remove.
Post colonialism theory predicts all of this and more, as the pampered bourgeoisie elite of the dominant National Party makes its own “accommodation with colonialism” (Fanon). This is what we see with the SNP elite.
This is the reason we now have several new national parties who are and must be committed to a more certain and rapid route to national liberation.
Lord Advocates in the past may have been unionists and even Conservatives but they carried out their duties impartially and were non partisan. It is simply unimaginable, utterly inconceivable that, say, Lord Mackay of Clashfern (1979 to 1984) would allow his office to be used to cover up nefarious acts, mount selective malicious prosecutions or be a legal bootboy for Margaret Thatcher.
Head down, shoulders hunched, arms folded, her demeanour shows it all.
A wretch of a women – she’s ruined.women.
Lovely softball question from the SNP committee members.
So obvious that she has been tutored to turn everything into Salmond Bad.
Also, this “Metoo” shit was like a gift from God for her.
It was something she could use as an shield to really go after Salmond,,, under the gise of the MeToo Movement.
And what is that Faux Frown all about???
It’s a sure sign that you are an insincere person,,,in other words, you are a lying Bastard.
She really is a nasty bit of work.
All the repeated ham-fisted attempts to re-smear Salmond already and she has hardly started.
The beautiful thing is that Alex Salmond was meticulous in that he did not stoop to attacking Sturgeon personally. This will really contrast with what we are watching with Sturgeon. She is really snide.
Sturgeon is just making herself look like the political guttersnipe she very obviously is.
Delighted to learn from Wolffe that compliance with a search warrant, typically issued by the Procurator Fiscal Depute is apparently, now optional. No need to trouble the High Court with a Bill of Suspension.
Simply refuse.
Because, motives.
Just ask Sturgeon.
Is this going anywhere? It’s all rather tawdry. I detest NS but I’m feeling a touch of sympathy for her…….or is that the plan?
In her opening statement NS goes for AS – this says everything you need to know about her and her ego not his.
She also said in 6 hours of questioning he did not apologise – does she need reminded this enquiry is not about his actions – it is about her and her governments actions.
Jackie Baillie finally getting into some meatier stuff.
She’s just said that she doesn;t think that their policy was illegal because it was never tested in court.
yet AS says that the policy was described by the judicial review as biased and prejudiced – can’t remember the exact words but it pretty sure it included ‘unlawful’.
I wonder how many people will be staying home on polling day? If she does not go now independence will nevet happen.
Allan is obviously wanting a good retirement package.
I am firmly with Sturgeon here, if only for the reason that standing against her would validate the Scottish Tories, and I will NEVER validate these bloodsucking ******.
Additionally a dyed-in-the-wool Tory colleague of mine was telling me that he’s been donating to Wings. Let that sink in. This site has become everything that it once hated, a Tory propoganda machine.
I note the Committee has not asked about the advice from Westminster Civil Service (?) not to make that particular policy.
Sounding a bit rattled now…
I really hope (and like to think) that Salmond and his layers know exactly what they are doing and are playing the long and patient game, gathering evidence for later malicious prosecution, perjury and defamation cases. And that while Sturgeon basks in thinking she’ll brazen this out by just attacking him, they are meticulously gathering more evidence towards that with every word she speaks. Any remaining doubt I had that she was personally behind this have vanished this morning.
How can she say that she doesn’t know what Aberdeen has said?
Aberdein
Jackie Bailie questions have caused a big increase in the blinking.
As I said before I am running a bit behind the ones that are following it live.
I give her this she’s a brilliant actress , she continues to lie about the Judicial Revue the Judge said it was Unlawful , biased and doomed to failure , the Governments own Legal advisers said it was a total waste of time and money , she continues to say it was legal not just right it was Legal , listen dear the fkn Judge gave his unequivocal ruling that is final, yet she continues to say that she’s right.
Has Nicola just jigsaw identified complainant by saying AS looked and discovered that person
Well its like I suspected Sturgeon is refuting witnesses testimonies and flat out refusing to answer difficult questions from Jackie Baillie.
Sturgeon is hell bent on obfuscating, now she’s waffling nonsense.
The members of the committee should walk out now because Nicola is claiming she cannot answer crucial points about a name being told to Aberdein, raised by Jacquie Baillie and refuses to accept the premise of JB’s question.
Mow leading the ‘jury’ by stating that she assumes AS could have obtained that knowledge by his own investigations.Implying that it didn’t have to have come from a gov source.
Leaving it all to James Hamilton enquiry.
JB tightening the thumbscrews.
Good grief, she doesn’t know what Aberdein has said but he is lying anyway.
Jackie Baillie @ 10.38am
“ who authorised the meeting of the the 29th March 2018 ……you, permanent secretary, who ? “
And she descends into chaos as she declares she can’t say. Someone puts this piece of crap of a First Minister out of her political misery and remove her from office.
Jackie Baillie is doing a fine job. Very commendable.
Or at least she is trying very hard not to call him a liar but his account is inaccurate.
Against my better judgement had a look. As bad as I expected.
However, much as I don’t believe a word she says, for the faithful it is sufficiently polished.
Can’t watch anymore though.
We need a very big broom.
She’s all over the place.
“To the best of my knowledge”
I shouldn’t, I shouldn’t, I know I shouldn’t, but I am enjoying watching her squirm under JB
Kane McKenzie says:
This site has become everything that it once hated, a Tory propoganda machine.
Do you think that the desire for Independence rests with the fate of one woman who is constantly proving how good a communicator she is and how much of a liar that enables her to be?
The quest for independence has become separate from party politics and your statement here simply confirms that you have made connections where they don’t exist. Ms Sturgeon is the leader of a political party you support. The majority of people posting on here are only interested in achieving the goal of Scottish Independence.
One person may make a party BUT one person doesn’t make a national movement.
I only ever voted once and thst was for indy. I thought mistakenly it would lead to a better scotland. This lot and their toxic ted queen have shatteted my faith.
To tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth…unless I don’t accept the premise of the question, then I won’t answer, so that oath thing I said…to the best of my recollection, and others may take a different view, that was…I’ll get back to you on that one.
Hiding behind ‘legal constraints’ her government has created out of thin air to protect her and her husbands grubby little prints.
Now conflating the lurid accusations with what Salmond really said happened with Woman F. Not the same thing. Nasty snide shit from Sturgeon. “He admitted to the incident”. No he did not, he admitted to a consensual encounter.
All this is very rehearsed and crudely shoe-horned into answers from Sturgeon and it speaks volumes about her integrity and honesty.
Jackie Ballie going for the jugular. Bad day when we’re relying on Labour and the Tories to get to the bottom of things.
”
PhilM says:
3 March, 2021 at 10:52 am
To tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth…unless I don’t accept the premise of the question, then I won’t answer, so that oath thing I said…to the best of my recollection, and others may take a different view, that was…I’ll get back to you on that one.”
Oh and “ask someone else”
Whole lot of blinking going on !!!
And she keeps bringing the charges into the present as if AS never had been found not guilty.
Anything but total recall, open and honest.
Jackie Baillie just nailed the FM. Sturgeon lied at FMQs.
Daisy Walker
Ask nicola if you can borrow her very large broom. She might ask you to join het coven.
@Kane McKenzie,
No. It’s just honest and doesn’t fool itself over personality politics.
Kane McKenzie
Well I’m a Libertarian Communist and I donated too. So where does that leave us?
So if she was physically sick, why didn’t she arbitrate in the beginning and stall this
Has dhe said, ‘The people of scotland’, yet?
For the record I haven’t voted SNP for a good few years. Siding with the Tories however goes against everything I, my father and grandfather have stood for.
Some people need to reassess where their loyalties lie. I’ll say no more.
Ha Ha just noticed my first identifiable plant of the morning Aye that’s you Kane
FFS try and be a bit more inventive use a bit a of subtlety
A Tory site aye ok if you like pal
The question was why wasn’t it reported to the police.
Kane give it a rest You are taking shite
And that’s being polite
IMHO
Ruby says:
3 March, 2021 at 11:00 am
The question was why wasn’t it reported to the police.
Sturgeon does not need a police force.
I can think of one occasion when Nicola Sturgeon made a private conversation public against someone’s wishes. That person’s initials are KD and it immediately benefited someone with the initials RD. And it was on the telly anaw!
Or was that being public-spirited?
You decide!
Watching with the sound down. ‘He admitted he was a bad un and we are right to show the world’ is the essence of her testimony over and over again. No redemption allowed.
What is the point of pursuing former ministers if there is no criminal case? If it is criminal it becomes a matter for the courts, if not what sanctions do the parliament impose?
I refer to my statement above ‘He admitted he was a bad un and we are right to show the world…’
I notice when she gets a question that is really difficult, she starts to increase the blinking and gets very defensive by crossing her arms.
The contrast between the manner in which Alex Salmond gave his evidence to the committee and that which Nicola Sturgeon has chosen to give hers is quite remarkable.
I’m sure that N. Sturgeon’s merry band of supporters will be lapping it all up, but to an impartial observer (not me I hasten to add). it does her no credit. Vindictive is the adjective that comes to mind.
‘I’M DEEPLY TROUBLED ABOUT WHERE THE DAILY RECORD LEAK CAME FROM’….and yet she can’t bring herself to say it should be investigated by police. How comes the police are interviewing a bunch of people about the WhatApp leaks. Corrupt to the core.
Again, has she just not jigsaw IDd the second complainant
Well played Murdo Fraser.
Dilly Dolly should have started today with, once upon a time lol
This dance is a waltz!
Fraser and Baillie skewering Sturgeon. One hell of a lot of head wobbling and rapid blinking going on. Body language tells it all.
-Kane MacKenzie-
If lifelong supporters of independence, including some of its most eloquent supporters, are agreeing with the Tories you might want to ask why that is rather than dish out the slurs.
You pull out the old “my father and grandfather fought…” line, the same crap that was trotted out to order Scots to vote Labour for decades with hee-haw to show for it. Not everybody is as tribal and unthinking as that thank God.
People are criticising this one woman, Nicola Sturgeon- who was handed the SNP on a plate with the automatic support of 45% of the electorate, and has done sweet fa with it- for her involvement in some extremely suspicious goings-on. She also gets stick for empowering a bunch of toxic fanatics. Criticism of this one individual is not criticism of independence- indeed, as the site’s editor has made clear, quite the opposite.
Try thinking for yourself once in a while!
Going by the evidence given by Alex Salmond and Geoff Aberdein then the identity of the complainer was given by a member of the Government.
Nicola Sturgeon wasn’t in the room when it happened, she didn’t witness it.
The witness evidence stands, it was given out by a member of her staff.
Boom… drop the mike Murdo – Aberdien has corroboration who can corroborate the senior official who says that a name was not disclosed. NS answer is total flimflam.
Sturgeon must be exhausted from all this rambling, desperately trying not to trip herself up. Talk for long enough and the questioner will be unable to remember what they asked her.
The Lord Advocate declared that it is optional for the Scottish Government to obey the law.
He made clear also that committee members may be subject to punishment, by his prosecution team, for doing their job.
‘Any breach of that order – by this parliament, by its members or anyone else – would be punishable as a contempt of court.’
Nelson Fraser – ‘The Lord Advocate shows the ‘punishable’ Scottish parliament where power really lies.’
link to archive.is
Mr Salmond tried to make the Murrells aware that the Government Party and the Independent party should be recognised as two separate entities and should not be housed under the same roof – but the Murrells chose to ignore that advice.
The SNP is now a political party in Scotland and within that party are people who support independence. people are blurring party with principle and that is the way the Murrells have won people over.
This blurring of lines is part of the problem with the trans policy too and lack of definition as always going to lead to problems because it will end as Eliot in Prufrock says:
Would it have been worth while,
To have bitten off the matter with a smile,
To have squeezed the universe into a ball
To roll it towards some overwhelming question,
To say: “I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all”—
If one, settling a pillow by her head
Should say: “That is not what I meant at all;
That is not it, at all.”
Horrified by the idea of commenting in public about complaints by Alex Salmond yet she seems to be relishing it today.
Won’t report the leak to the Daily Record to the police.
Won’t report the leak of the complainant’s name to Geoff Aberdein to the police.
Damning.
I am trying to allow these processes to run their course.
So why was the original harassment policy not applied in the beginning
Anyway,
I watched a bit of the opening thing but it was too painful to watch, going to work soon.
So far she’s done exactly as I expected, just waiting for the crocodile tears bit where she says that she’s been working so hard for Scotland etc etc.
Odious woman.
If anyone refuses to comply with a search warrant they are normally arrested and charged with obstruction. They can argue their case in court.
Kane McKenzie, obvious plant is obvious! I am a Tory by inclination and this is most certainly not a Tory website. I am here because I admire Mr. Campbell’s ability and desire to get to the truth, he is head and shoulders above everyone else on that front. I will be most likely be donating because of that, nothing else. I take no pleasure in the current situation, the complete opposite in fact. Scotland (where I live, for the avoidance of doubt) needs decent, honest, intelligent leadership and right now I do not care what flavour that is as long as it works for the people of Scotland.
Did AW just allow for someone to be sacked, if everyone can agree who leaked to AS?
Shame there is not a new party to vote for
Serious question:
Is the whole of the Scottish Govt. on drugs?
X_Sticks
Thanks for that link. Glad I’m able to view the session in real time.
Not now President acuden because they can say that the lord advocate isn’t sure and it depends on the circumstances. They should use that in their court case
Sorry. Acuden is the correction fir Xiden
Maureen Watt
Questions nope yer not asking questions you are assisting the deflection that’s being used to run down the clock
A wee silver star for you dear , and I see you have managed to dislodge the Wasp you were chewing last week well done you eh ,
Morales and conscience left at the door as instructed you will go far Corton Vale hopefully
@Kane McKenzie
I will answer you seriously although you do not deserve it. For many here, NS is not the leader to take us to independence it does not make anyone here a Tory.
Tories have been the poison in our society with their cronyism, lack of empathy and concentration on personal ambition over the welfare of those at the bottom for as long as most of us remember.
We lived through the destruction they wrought at the hands of Thatcher. How dare you label us because we see corruption and want it acted on. We want to be a better country. The Tories see a political opportunity, we see a chance to rout out a cabal of corruption in the party that was supposed to lead us to independence.
I doubt you even know how to vote.
I’m finding it very difficult to follow her answers because there is so much waffle.
Another smear to imply Alex Salmond knew the identity of one of the complainants because he had apologised for the incident… That ‘incident’ had already been resolved under the existing complaints protocol, so clearly there is some dissemination of information in order to know that a resolved incident was featuring in a ‘new’ complaint against him.
‘If’ the First Minister and her Secretary both ‘presumed’ Alex Salmond would know the identity of a complainant, then how can they be sure they didn’t release the identity through some inadvertent or careless indiscretion on their part?
holymacmoses says:
“The majority of people posting on here are only interested in achieving the goal of Scottish Independence.
One person may make a party BUT one person doesn’t make a national movement”…
here here!
So long tricky nicky…I’m not buying!
Shameful episode!
So the person who told Mr Aberdien the name of a complainer should be charged by the police and also lose his job?
Just been confirmed by Sturgeon.
I think that she may well be telling us why she carried out certain actions, or why she arrived at certain decisions in full self belief that her logic is flawless – unfortunately, her reasoning is not actually logical in the readily understood meaning of the word. Double standards seem to appear.
Maybe, just maybe, she delegates so much – because the average day as FM has so much more important things to be dealt with – that, maybe she has lost internal control of her government.
There seems to be a lot concerning this investigation that she doesn’t know, wasn’t in attendance at, has never read/seen…
to take a comment from AS ‘s opening statement, the one thing that is lacking to date is that NO-ONE has accepted the Government is at fault and offered to resign over the whole clanjamfrae.
Sturgeon all over the shop.
I have just caught sight of a photograph on the Guardian website of NS taking the oath this morning. Jeez – has she had any sleep at all for the past week? Even a good makeup job cant hide those dark circles. No Rest for the wicked Aye. Cant bear to tune in as I don’t want to damage my TV. Waiting to read the reports/analysis later.
From Blair McDougal….staggering: ‘Maybe if Scotland wasn’t the sort of country where the Justice Secretary spends all day tweeting about the politics of evidence given under oath to a parliamentary inquiry, we might not be where we are today.’
I’m a bit late to wings today, but is sturgeon getting an easy time?
Tuned in earlier but couldn’t stand to look at her or the reptile.
Sturgeon and Wolffe,
Where do you start with these two???
They are destroying Scotland.
Robert Graham says:
3 March, 2021 at 11:00 am
Ha Ha just noticed my first identifiable plant of the morning
reply
Can you describe what you mean by an “identifiable plant”?
I don’t know. I wasn’t there. I don’t remember. Next question.
In my part of the world this “polished performance” would be described as articulate bullshit.
Break time to reflect on democracy. Although I detest Labour and the Tories, thank God they’re there asking questions. All we’d get from SNP is I didn’t know what my staff were doing, I wasn’t party to that information, its not a conspiracy.
As to the Crown Office and their 90 years of experience which we were told about several times, that combined experience does not appear to have served them well in the Rangers case.
Sturgeon trying to say Salmond told her loads of stuff in private to cover her position, which of course just becomes heresay.
Kane MacKenzie
This site is about seeking truth and good governance. Diametrically opposed to the Tories.
Oh aye, and it also genuinely wants independence.
FARCE
Nicla should have gone into the civil service. As a note taker.
Chalk and cheese. Alex dignified, truth sayer. Nicla at the other end of the spectrum.
Given a very easy ride by SNP including Fabiani who should have intervened on many occasions not just once.
My heart is low. I pray that she will fall.
Nicla is a narcissist, period. Going into politics and staying in politics takes a peculiar type of individual. I couldn’t do it. Too honest and soft shell.
Her laughing, smirking and arrogance in the face of the evidence contrary to her ‘facts’ is sickening.
Squirming in her seat etc., etc.
GRA, HCB : What does that tell us? We must not loose sight of these facts which she is pushing through, disregarding the rights of women and girls. Why is she doing that. as well as what she has done to Scotland and Alex????
Doesn’t fit guys. Freud would have a field day.
At the same time as saying sorry. BTW her language is dumbed down I noticed. Is that to appeal to the masses? Not being a fanny but the masses do believe her, have been conned by her. I’m one of the masses but when it suits she uses language that I can’t understand.
She knows exactually what she is doing 🙁
Who received the report…..the two complainant first on the list he read out
Why oh why can’t they bring the complainers in to hear from them their recollections of ALL
what happened from when they first made the complaint
She seems to be at great pains to distance herself from anything being contended.
I was not there.
I was not aware.
Where does the buck stop?
Aye well
Yes, Sturgeon is a “Hard Watch”.
Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
Did I miss the room getting ventilated every 2 hours last Friday? Even though they new he had a chest infection?
Scottish Parliament TV Committee on YouTube LIVE:
link to tinyurl.com
Will resume in a few mintes.
She should resign just on incompetence alone.
Considering she said she wanted to “set the record straight”, what has she actually straightened out?
All she has done is evade and admit she doesn’t know or wasn’t there.
Well that first session was a piss poor lesson on evasion and deflection.
Impressed that all 3 unionists declined to ask Q’s on the opening segment because it was nothing but slander of Alex Salmond perpetuated by the SNP committee members with Fabiani not shutting down what was in direct conflict with her own opening statement.
On to the second half now I wonder what this will bring.
ahundredthidiot @ 10:52 am
I shouldn’t, I shouldn’t, I know I shouldn’t, but I am enjoying watching her squirm under JB
Thanks. That’s an image I REALLY don’t need in my head! 🙁
To my knowledge has AS ever accused NS of being part of a plot to discredit him?
As far as I remember he named the people he felt were at the core of it yet NS keeps rubbishing his claims by referring to herself. A bit ironic as she says he sees himself at the centre of everything.
Why does NS and the committee constantly mention the complainants, it’s as if they want us to see them as victims with no consideration for AS.
As for Sturgeon’s pathetic performance it has all been “to the best of my memory but I could be wrong”.
I really don’t want this lying creep as FM of my country.
‘Senior Government Official’ now firmly in centre frame.
Has that ‘Senior Government Official’ appeared before the committee?
If ‘Yes’, then the individual must have been interviewed before this evidence and should be recalled as a matter of urgency.
If ‘No’, then why not?
Netflix commissioner says:
3 March, 2021 at 11:31 am
Who received the report…..the two complainant first on the list he read out
Why oh why can’t they bring the complainers in to hear from them their recollections of ALL
what happened from when they first made the complaint
Reply
Good question! The BBC were able to let us hear from a complainer.
I forgot the number of times Sturgeon avoided answering a question to instead crowbar in a clearly very rehearsed set of smears effectively trying to put AS back on trial. It was pretty distasteful performance to watch in stark contrast to Alex Salmond’s.
These are not the actions of an innocent person sincerely trying to help an inquiry get to the truth. She is so snide.
John Martini’s been on the Martini.
PhilM @ 11:15
‘Serious question:
Is the whole of the Scottish Govt. on drugs?’
Well, they’ve certainly drank the Kool-Aid – and it will damn the SNP come May. I know lads in their 20’s seriously thinking of switching from SNP to Tories. The danger they present is worse than the Union, in their eyes. Masculinity under attack from all angles, anti-free speech politicians determined on gender reform that will end womens sports. Young men dont want to watch men beating womens sports records – it rubs the wrong way with them.
There is a back-lash coming in May – it might even be bad enough to return a unionist coalition. These youngsters dont have the heavy manufacturing legacy/defeat of the Unions to persuade them away from the Tories, like us oldies. (I will just be spoiling my first vote)
oneliner
I don’t think I am permitted to answer your question which, hopefully does so.
Apologies for off topic here. Irish comedian tadhg hickey’s ‘ loyalism’ sketch on utube is spot on and a must watch.
Last week – She is relishing the opportunity to speak to the committee….
Right now – she is saying that this is incredibly personal and tough for her to talk about.
Anyone else think she answers questions exactly the same way Tony Blair would?
Been watching Sturgeon for a while now here and I have not found her remotely sincere. There is no depth to her at all.
Her answers in direct contrast to Salmond’s are highly evasive and instead she uses her answers for snide smears. Honest people don’t do that.
It is all a very empty wooden performance, very rehearsed.
A Master – sorry, Mistress at avoiding giving the answer.
So she did know through ‘awareness’ about the allegations before April.
She spoke to Alex Salmond in November 2017 after the Sky news query.
2018 her Cabinet talks about a Fairness At Work Policy, (which is off the back of Me Too) which takes action against former ministers.
Are we expected to believe this ISN’T a set up?
Anybody playing a drinking game and downing a shot every time she says “Alex Salmond… allegations” must be absolutely fkin rat-arsed by this time.
3 times now, she has wriggled away from accusations that a senior officer in her government disclosed the ID of one of the complainers to Geoff Aberdein which is a breach of procedure and counters it with the answer that Alex Salmond told her the name of one at least, possibly two of the accusers.
It wisnae me miss, he did it…
NS Bingo, her two most used intro’s:
To the best of my knowledge…
I cannot recollect…
I wasn’t aware…
Jeezo, what a difference from the forensic account from AS.
Dave Beveridge – Brilliant!!! ha ha ha ha ha! love it!
Salmonds lawyers didn’t try to stop the Daily record, says NS. There have now been at least two instances of the leak might have come from AS
Stu,
Any chance Chris Cairns is doodling a mid-week toon?
I kinda think a charicature of today would be apt and is in order.
Do the people in gov never talk.
“I received a letter”
“I never received that report”
Did you ever see the report or talk about it NS?
sturgeon is squirting ink
not a straight, direct answer to any question
word choice is caveated to hell by bullshit phrases
“to the best of my recollection”
“cant recall and need to check”
“from memory”
convoluted argumentology over minute details
emotional charged, pained
– someone needs to get a transcript of this, its a masterclass in obfuscation parading as revelation
ACH should make his questions short and direct; he is letting her “read little essays” and go into “honest nicola” mode
saying “no comment” 120 times in a row would be more honest
its amazing how you can get to lead a country despite being such a scatterbrain and flibbertigibbet; Ronald Reagans “i do not recall” comes to mind, as does his “Im only in charge, no one tells me anything”
NS wishes all this hadn’t happened – no desire for any of it.
Hindsight is a great thing.
Or maybe it is just REGRET that their little plan failed!
She just wants it all to go away now. Like most criminals.
It’s not.
Why was it right to take the complaints to the police when they did and not when the complaints were initially made?
Complaints of alleged attempted rape could have been taken to the police without any new procedure.
Criminal acts should be reported to the police against the wishes of the “victims” whereas criminal acts that are done by members of the government as in the leaking of information is completely ignored!
Really!?
So the govt has a duty to refer if they think criminality has taken place in some instances -even if the complainants do not want that – but not others.
Daily Record not in their interest to pursue, trivial and nonsensical incidents against AS in their interest to pursue.
Snap Sharny although you said it better!
I feel she is answering based on what she believes. That doesn’t make her a liar. She might be wrong. Her memory may not be perfect. But I really think she is answering as best she knows.
It would be very interesting to hear from the women who felt “pressured” and who were pushed into this. Is there any chance they might come forward to speak at some point?
Mediation! The complainer had already had a full apology? Were they satisfied? Were they not? Why was it brought again
@ SilverDarling
My thoughts precisely. A sharper mind would have caught her out there.
Alas…
BBC reporting Alex Salmond lodges official complaint regarding Senior Minister disclosing complainers name.
SilverDarling yeah but this is so embarrassing, is this really our first minister talking like a cheap second hand car salesman
any moment now the committee will buy
an extended warranty and
a timeshare in alicante
“I appreciate that Alec can’t be objective in this!” Wow
It is laughable really…
1. Scottish Government wants to issue press release smearing Salmond using a the results of a thoroughly unfair, illegal and biased investigation.
2. Salmond threatens interdict blocking that release.
3. A few hours later (before Salmond’s lawyers can get before a judge)) the same information is leaked all the same to the Daily Record.
They wanted a press release, Salmond blocked it, there was immediate illegal press release.
Jeeezo who could it be… better get Sherlock Holmes on the phone for this one… it is a huge mystery. No wonder Police Scotland can’t handle it. Clearly master criminals at work.
Let me get this straight, is Nicola saying she pre-judged the outcome of the complaints procedure and the trial which is why she pressed ahead with the defence of the judicial review and won’t accept the outcome of the trial?
Or is she saying she just hadn’t been told it was a failed stitch up and failed cover up and blames Salmond for not telling her.
My god NS says rushing to get a story to the Daily Record to comply with a FOI deadlines. I simply cannot stop laughing at that. Does she take us for fools?
She doesn’t know the identity of all of the complainers? I find that hard to believe.
I can not physically listen to her.
For anyone who wants to look into this further, of the 9 personality types in the Enneagram, Ms. Sturgeon is a classic no. 3. Known colloquially as ‘a juggler’ – tries to keep umpteen balls in the air at once and doesn’t mind dropping a few, is AMBITIOUS AS HELL and doesn’t give a shit whose face she has to trod on in order to further HER career. Yeh, its all me, me, me, waffle, waffle, waffle, rhetorical question, question, question. She is a disease!
I had a boss like her once, couldn’t listen to him either. – Tosser.
Check it out if you can be arsed, 9types.com
How are these texts twisted? How has she seen this evidence.
This is just absolutely shocking from Sturgeon – basically slags off Salmond and then says “but that’s not germane to the committee”.
she is not answering questions – she is telling stories, spinning a narrative
– and the committee are letting her off with it
– she could not do that in a court; almost all these twats are lawyers by training
Despite being referred to on more than one occasion A Retrospective Complaints Procedure in political terms is not generally in place anywhere in the world , Westminster has been discussing Retrospective Legislation , discussion is not implementing , it hasn’t been implemented because it’s thought to be a Legal mine field so to say the process put in place and later changed to specifically include former first ministers by Nicola Sturgeons government was Legal and the correct thing to do is misleading and as far from the truth as it could possibly be , again it’s Deflection .
I have children. There are grown up now.
Nicola reminds me of my children and other children telling lies. Too much speak
I wish Jacquie Baillie was my MSP – she would get my vote.
What’s scary about all this is how Social Media movements have effect on governments. Going by this evidence, policy was developed off the back of Me Too.
Its OK to support people if they have been harassed/attacked etc, BUT 23 different people knew about the allegations against AS, without it even getting near a court, then spilled out to the papers and this is all due to this policy.
Wheres the adults in room saying, stop, there’s possibly been a serious crime committed here, encourage the victim to phone 101, THEN investigate the allegations once its been found in court?
What happened to innocent until proven guilty?
Why is she allowed to assert what other people’s motives are? She can only give an opinion and what appears to be a biased opinion at that.
Alex Salmond had all the necessary information at his finger tips. He was concise in his answers.
Sturgeon is all over the place – she is not coming out of this looking well, she appears disorganised.
How can a procedure be used before it was published?
She is all over the place.
She doesn’t know the identity of all of the complainers?
Aye, right. It’s the fact she can lie so easily about so much which is utterly destroying her in my mind right now.
Nicola Sturgeon claiming to be the only person in Scotland who has no idea who leaked the information (containing a confidential letter from Alex Salmond to the Scottish Government) to The Daily Record.
Classy.
From the Guardian, Jackie Bailey states she had information that the Daily Record were going to do a story about Sturgeon, and the leak to them about Alex effectively ‘spiked’ it.
Now isn’t that interesting. Wonder if the story was anything to do about house buying in the Dunblane area, along with a former wife to an overseas Ambassador.
August 2018? Would that be about the right timing.
Nice of the Unionist media to give her a wee push right enough.
Not only wicked, but wickedly stupid and played like a fiddle.
“Nicola Sturgeon resignation ‘crucial’ to save Scottish politics reputation……. DRoss warns”
Pardon me one moment…. “ah hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah….” -draws breath-
“HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA…….” sorry this will take some time….
She’s beginning to not be aware quite a lot now.
Well at least she is now admitting she can’t answer questions satisfactorily.
This is just farce and evasion
Yes deputy convener this dance is called the squirm! Good line of questions
Police Scotland: Stop what your doing, you haven’t got experience in dealing with victims.
Government lawyers: Stop what your doing you’re going to lose this.
Scottish Government and civil service: Fuck up, we’ll do what we like.
Oh here we go Fabiani to the rescue… shocker.
Oh it’s kicking off between convener and deputy convener!
NS has been remiss in allowing her government to take substantial decisions and create policies without her input. Now we know how the GRA and other policies have crept in.
Mitchell landing a blow on NS about the policy but Fabiani the referee has just intervened and NS is allowed a breather and a chance to get off the ropes.
Mitchell had Sturgeon completely skewered there before Fabiani intervened.
Utter bullshit from Fabiani.
What I really don’t get in all of this why did she recuse herself in this procedure?
She doesn’t hesitate to jump in and suspend ministers on spurious claims aka Michelle Thomson and others.
And yet there is a formal procedure for ministers / former ministers and she wants to hand it over to a bean counter (civil service). Surely allegations of harassment of current or former ministers absolutely requires the head honcho to be involved if nothing else to ensure it’s handled correctly. The whole J’recuse ruse to me is the smoking gun.
Convenor and Deputy Convenor now having handbags – this is extraordinary!
After the last ten minutes – Sturgeon owes Fabiani – big time.
Surely a VONC will also be lodged against Humza after his tweets today?
I am sure fabiani is a nice person, but her manner comes over as childlike and simplistic, like her true level is
– explaining the alphabet to primary school kids
Unionist Enablers and Obsessive Sturgeon haters over Scotland
(please folk, please don’t let your all-consuming hatred of Sturgeon cost us a pro-indy majority and independence. Don’t give me whatabouttery and start going on about Sturgeon and all she’s allegedly done and all the bad apples in the SNP. I’m talking about YOU! None of that is an excuse for you to enable unionists)
Fabiani wants clarity? Maybe she stop stop Sturgeon from avoiding answering questions
This section appears to be laying the groundwork for who will be the scapegoat.
Wow- was Woman H ‘let down by the government’ How – she wasn’t even there. Deputy Convenor having a good go at NS.
Giesabrek
You’re on the wrong site. Fuck off back to Wee Ginger Dug, where morality is always subservient to expediency.
I think we’re seeing what tens of thousands of pounds of coaching buys you.
If complainers wishes were vital, why weren’t they allowed to say if they wished to proceed.
Handbags. Loving this!
@Giesabrek
Whatever collusion with the Unionists that has gone on appears to be being investigated today. You cant close that down.
I am no longer sure politicians should be committee members.
Perhaps a jury service type approach would be more appropriate – too many axes to grind/agendas to follow.
Andy Wightman
claims SG HR staff are not able to recognise what is or isn’t criminal.
Why not ask the police?
Christ if Betty Davis was still alive she would be really shittin herself watching this nominee for every Oscar under the Sun , best actress ,best screen play , best dramatic interpretation if that’s a category the only thing that’s missing is the dramatic background music ,
Based on what I have seen and heard Dear Dear I don’t know what other people think but you First Ministers account doesn’t convince me , if you were clear about the events and your personal involvement you would be giving clear answers , at what point are you going to give clear honest answers .
Clear and honest answers do not include the waffle you are using , we are constrained by legal restrictions ,my recollection is different from the other respondents , etc etc all fkn waffle that does not seem credible.
giesabreak would happily see an innocent man go to jail for heinous crimes he didn’t commit.
He probably hasn’t thought through that AS would more than likely ended himself rather than see the inside of a prison.
But, you know, cheer-leadering Sturgeon is more important.
giesabreak is a sheep.
When Nicola Sturgeon heard all these really upsetting complaints about Alex Salmond did she ever question that they were false?
Ruby, you can’t ask the police, these are “hypothetical” and there are circumstances ………………
Can’t watch, but enjoying reading the comments here – quite the snapshot. I hoped she might stand up and be counted but knew deep down she would smear, smear, smear, and thus show and tell the conspiracy and her complicity. No surprises then, so on to what next. I hope we have a decent alternative to vote for. Fingers crossed.
Geisabrek @ 12.37pm
This isn’t about hating NS – this is about accountability, openness, honesty, integrity, and the need for good governance.
Ultimately a blind eye to corruption, concealment of evidence, and obstruction to due process in government is not a good look whether it’s WM or HR.
When you assert that those of us who want sunlight on what looks like corruption as so called ‘enabling Unionists’ – all you’re doing is saying that our Scottish corruption is ok and should be swept under the carpet.
I firmly believe BTL commentators on this site absolutely want independence but we want it with honesty and integrity. How do you suggest you can convince no voters or soft no’s to independence when you want to suppress the absolute balls up of the Judicial Review, criminal case of AS and the aftermath.
And as a footnote, what exactly has the NS government done in the last 7 years to progress independence? We’ve let a 2016 mandate lapse and their only punt to the electorate is give us another mandate. What does that say to you?
@ Ruby, nope because as she got in there earlier her woman’s instinct had kicked in, she was already feeling uneasy.
Humza Yousuf, in other places, is doing an incredible turn at the “gaslighting”
– he is brazenly telling us “it look like what it is, but it ain’t” (- who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes)
at least he can get you wholesale
@Confused
I’ve become of the opinion in recent years that lawyers make the absolute worst politicians.
the few top ranked lawyers can make amazing politicians, sure, but the vast majority of lawyer-turned-politicians are third or fourth rate at best.
Why is she waffling on about minimum pricing?
At this stage I just want to see Sturgeon and a few others gone so I can vote SNP rather than vote against them. We don’t know the half of it yet, the level of plotting and scheming that went on to get rid of AS and who was involved. AS knows a bit more than us but I bet there are things he doesn’t know. The Parliamentary inquiry system is not appropriate for this type of case. Only a judge led inquiry would get to the bottom of this and be able to force the production of evidence and pursue perjury charges for any liars. If that were done a good number of these individuals would go to jail.
Giesabreak,
I would call a party that ignores mandate after mandate of the Scottish People a unionist party, what would you call it?
Lost says:
3 March, 2021 at 12:30 pm
Police Scotland: Stop what your doing, you haven’t got experience in dealing with victims.
Government lawyers: Stop what your doing you’re going to lose this.
Scottish Government and civil service: Fuck up, we’ll do what we like.
Quite extraordinary. Legal advice ignored, Police advice ignored, wishes of complainants ignored, Alex Salmond’s invitation to mediation snubbed, and Scottish Government bumbling amateurs charge on with their investigations with apparently no regard (or training) about corrupting a potential scene of crime, but no, it wasn’t a witch-hunt.
The Tories budget giving away money faster than
Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas morning.
As they are never act like this, I presume it’s to
rack up an ocean of debt to make less their sea
of corrupt billion pound payments to their own supporters.
No one alive today will see these debts paid off but the burden
will be on the working classes and not the richest 10%.
Rishi is a multi millionaire from a family of multi millionaires.
Why do you think this money driven man gave up a much better
paid job in the city to listen to Hooray Hendrys complain about
Pot holes in their constituency?
Money is God, Corruption is the son of God and the true path to heaven is in politics.
Her Tiger Woods tribute is a nice touch.
McWhirter sums it up neatly:” If Salmond was a barrage of cannon, this was a deft stiletto. A defensive masterclass. Yes we made mistakes, but Salmond was a bad man (whatever the jury found). We had to fast track him cos of Me Too. “The world had changed”. The rest is noise.”
1. Not admitted.
2. Not admitted.
3. Yer maw. Quoad ultra denied.
There’s an example of a stateable case.
Now keep shaking that money tree…
Does anyone know what the other story the Record were going to run about Sturgeon? The Salmond case was to Spike the story about her, according to JB.
Breeks,
Not to forget to differentiate between her own legal and Alex Salmond’s legal advice ignored as both sides agreed that the SG was on to a hiding if it ever went to court.
Sturgeon has little to no eye contact. Gets irked with gentle questioning . Hands flailing everywhere. Far from a good performance. This wouldn’t stand up in a court of law. Lots of evasion and body swerving on answers. Don’t believe a word that comes out her mouth frankly.
Big Jock, dunno, might have been the French Connection, or the house in Dunblane. Apparently there were/are interdicts flying about.
All advice ignored, legal and otherwise, why?
Not to get Alex Salmond of course, no siree, nope, never.
The Scottish Government blithely pushed on knowing the courts would consider it unlawful because it seemed like a jolly good wheeze at the time.
Farce and corruption.
Is it just me, or does she sound like she knows she is going down, and therefore wants to make sure that she takes Salmond with her, regardless of the cost.
Good point from Murdo Fraser
SG did not subject procedure to court.
How can a government and FM possibly argue that it’s OK to drag out a case about “whether our policy is OK in general to use with other people” through courts, even against your own legal advice, when the person on the other side is a private citizen who is also clocking up massive legal fees? One you are already using that policy against in a very personal way as well. That’s an absolutely staggering defence and excuse.
Oooh, first mention of the Solicitor General… and here’s me believing that office was shut and the Solicitor General MIA – given that there has been narey a peep from that direction – despite this being right in the SG’s wheelhouse.
Such opacity.
If the Lord Advocate maintains he comes from Barcelona (I know nothing) then it’s the office supporting the LA who knows what he does not. That is why I’ve been confused about the invisibility of the office of the SG.
We were absolutely right!
Right up to the moment we were proved wrong!
Aye right!
Oh oh! Suddenly streaming problems
Scozzie says:
3 March, 2021 at 12:57 pm
Geisabrek @ 12.37pm
“This isn’t about hating NS – this is about accountability, openness, honesty, integrity, and the need for good governance.
Ultimately a blind eye to corruption, concealment of evidence, and obstruction to due process in government is not a good look whether it’s WM or HR.”
Anything else is intrinsically anti English ie “We don’t mind being screwed by our own but not by WM”.
For party that tried to put up a front of being squeaky clean there must have been a lot going on behind the curtains. not having it – we want better.
Sharny Dubs
I also lost complete connection to the live feed.
@Breeks 1:06
It’s just crazy, the arrogance of it all.
Have to question who’s really running this country.
So I guess it is a tactic of evasion and denial just like the plan.
No.matter what she is determined es to sabotage the SNP. She is an utterly vile individual
Alan – I think the Sun ran the story about Dunblane and Sturgeons alleged other private life. I still think Evans has something on her.
A Observtion directed at this site and the people who contribute to it
I have been posting on this site and many many other Indy sites before the 2014 vote as have a lot of people here , these people including myself have personally had disagreements with friends family and acquaintances during that referendum a lot of people have paid personally in lost friendships and even family members friendships.
So don’t presume you are allowed to denigrate people here as being Unionists or useful tools for the Union these people have paid a price and not just in a monetary way , we trusted without question the SNP and management were pushing like them for Independence , most people have recognised their goal is not the same as a lot of the management of the SNP,and they are fkn well pissed off , I don’t support the Union and I believe most people here have the same view so your remarks are way off being even slightly close , not even near.now fk off .
Sheesh. If Sturgeon is in charge when the there is a Referendum campaign, notice I said when and not if, I am hopelessly optimistic that there will be one, I am not so optimistic with Sturgeon fronting it, we haven’t a scooby if she is fronting it. I think for the Indy cause she needs to go.
Too many times she has said I cant recall.
So far Sturgeon has exclaimed, when questioned on important matters, I can’t recall, I wasn’t there, I don’t know, I don’t think, and not to the best of my knowledge.
If she thinks she can squirm her way out of this , and then we are going to vote for her in May. Like good little soldiers. Then she really doesn’t understand the liability she is to the party and the movement.
Alternatively maybe she is quite happy to not get a majority in May , and run a scorched earth policy.
It seems to me she is becoming like Putin. No one knows how to remove her. Not the party, the parliament or the people.
NS Why did your Govt put a policy together at pace for a private citizen .?
This testimony is more of the same from NS all about the Complainers … repeatedly smearing AS ..
Some of the Committee members are asking soft questions and are raking AS responses out of context .
NS is not measured with her responses .. a complete lack of understanding of HR\Employment Law
She is not answering questions put to her and has significant issues with recall ..compare this testimony with AS .. ! Her complete denial of her Govt. incompetence is shocking .. I am more than sure that Levy & McRae on behalf of AS will submit further damaging evidence .
Substabtial difference in style between AS and NS.
By this time last week I had learned a lot about ministerial code, correct behaviour, points of law, and information backed up by documentation.
So far today, all I’ve learned is that NS wasn’t as that meeting, didn’t see that letter from the police, wasn’t involved in that policy creation, doesn’t recall that conversation and disagrees with the premise of that question.
She regularly mentions Alex Salmond in a derogatory context and frequently creates an explanation that exonerates her from any personal blame. Happy to admit that the Scot Gov may have got something wrong and she will accept the blame for that and apologise but you have to understand ‘it wisnae actually her fault’.
Getting a bit tired of the nervous one-liners now. They really do fall flat.
Smooth operator, could talk the hind legs aff a herd of donkeys.
Irrespective, the independence movement needs a party campaigning for a plebiscite election on independence.
So come on: ISP, AFI, Scotia-Future, and Solidarity.
Humza Yousaf was making lots of comments on twitter about how brilliantly NS was doing. He stopped a couple of hours ago after Andrew Neil and others pointed out that this isn’t really what a Justice Secretary is supposed to do.
What’s the back story to her, dinblane and her private life.?
I’ve no doubt she is being worked by the british state.
Objectively this far this morning we have established that Sturgeon did not claim full oversight of this process. She was unaware of police concerns about how the investigation was handled because those concerns were not passed to her
She was oblivious to the fact Senior Counsel stated the Review should be ‘re booted and started again with a new process and nvestigation.
She was not at several meetings of government lawyers where these issues were discussed.
She does not believe a sworn statement from Aberdein.
Who the fdc K is running the government.
If you believe her you must also acknowledge the Civil Service, the legal team, and her staff have gone rogue.
Is this a First Minister in charge?
Did Sturgeon honestly say that she didn’t know all the complainers in the Alex Salmond fit up? If she did that’s a remarkable statement to make under oath.
Is it a standard courtroom training device to say that you’ll come to that in a moment, and you’re not in any way going to imply such and such, (while implying it) and you’re not going to tell the Committee their job, and they may not agree with you . . . but blah blah blah?
Wonder how much the Scottish taxpayer had to pay for Sturgeon’s coaching sessions before today’s appearance. Rich isn’t it – we pay for her to lie to us.
Hearing Alex has lodged formal complaint against civil service following Nicola Statement
lothian – link to thescottishsun.co.uk
Even by her own standards this is a poor show by NS. At this stage there’s at least three heads on the block, and counting.
She is squirming out of it by denial and deciept.
She is a nasty piece of work.
Someone posted on another page once that she walked to the end of her street in dreghornn at the start of her political career and did a deal with the dark side.
They want payback for helping put her at the top. There is too much on her for her to now do the right thing, so she must comply.
Tragic really the lengths these careerist hunts will go to.
Bob ” I don’t recall is a classic defense , when you don’t want to perjure yourself”
You are right , it makes it sound like she hasn’t a clue what is going on in her government. Which is when the bullshit radar goes red!
The other story that the Record was going to run with will be about Sturgeon and her wee French bit in the side.
I’m sure this is the same French woman who worked at the French Embassy in Edinburgh.
Ask Evans and Clegg about it.
Those two have their own personal story to tell in all if this.
It’s all happening down Holyrood way.
Alex Salmond had been used as deflection to their activities.
@RepublicofScotland
“I tell you the truth, Nicola—this very day, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
As Iain Mhor notes above, first mention of Solicitor General. That is Alison Di Rollo. LA’s deputy in Copfs.
I’m sure I saw a link about her before here. I’m pretty sure she has stated she wants prosecutions done against complainants wishes and wants them as witnesses against their will.
Perhaps she plays a more important role here than has been acknowledged previously.
Lothian – She asked Jackie Baillie if she knew what the story the Record had on her. She looked really concerned when she asked. JB didn’t know!
I tell you again peeps, that Leslie Evans has something on her.
Hope there is nothing untoward behind the Ghana Tourism Authority stopping tweeting for the last couple of hours.
Big jock.. thanks. I’m sure her and murrel were turned like most influential politicians.
I think it’s worse than is reported. Politicians and the establishment are stepped in corruption. This is all planned to entrapment and own them.
Remember the saville dunblane connection?
Theres alot more behind dvwhats reported.
She’s squirming and will save herself.
Let the ‘people’ decide
The corruption in Scottish politics has been made ridiculously blatent.
Bob Mack @ 1.42pm
I agree. All she is doing is telling us that she’s not in command of her own government, her own SPADs, her civil service appointees. She’s is basically saying I know nothing! I wasn’t involved in the prickly stuff.
Well NS, if you know nothing you’ve lost control and need to resign out of sheer incompetence. The buck stops with you as FM – show some responsibility for your actions / or in-actions and do the decent thing – RESIGN.
By this time last week I had learned a lot about ministerial code, correct behaviour, points of law, and information backed up by documentation.
Yes, Salmond’s testimony was compelling for that reason. It was a masterclass in politics and procedure. After years of bluster, smears and lurid headlines, it shone a light on the real and major issues: governance, whether our institutions are fit for purpose; how those institutions all work together; how policy is made and/or should be made. He was totally on top of all the detail and you just knew he had evidence either at his fingertips or available if anyone wanted it.
Today has just been more gossip, smears and no light shone on anything at all. Sturgeon is very good at communication and there is no question she appeals to a different demographic to Salmond, and does that very well. But politically, she’s a lightweight compared to Salmond.
On the plus side for the indy movement, if she survives until May, and if by any chance there is time for a new list party/alliance to emerge with some top class list candidates, it’s likely that for every one of us going “I hate Sturgeon now, poor Alex” there is another person out there (maybe not a natural SNP or indy supporter) going “I can’t believe they’re attacking poor Nicola. I never realised the media was quite so biased against the SNP”. Both of which could bode very well for a supermajority in May.
Leave gossip out of this.
There is so many important issues at hand we can do without it.
If Nicola had a relationship with anyone of any nationality that would be
her right and her decision.
Whether they sit and discuss French Movies or are more intimate, it’s their life their choice.
Nothing to see on that front!
She is finally going to throw Wolff and Evans under the bus to save herself..”Sorry guys, I tried my best to protect you for a bit, but it was either me or you. Nothing personal.”
Lothian – Apparently there is a Super Injunction on reporting the story. All I can say is it involved a female foreign diplomat.
Is their a “dirty file” on Wolfie?
That’s a shifty looking streak of misery, if ever I saw one
Big jock.. yep I heard that story. There is no way that murrel and her were a match made in paradise.
It stinks of one big engineered set up.
The union was on life support. This really was there desperate ace card to sow division.
Sturgeon = the unions safest bet.
Big Jock says:
3 March, 2021 at 2:01 pm
Lothian – Apparently there is a Super Injunction on reporting the story. All I can say is it involved a female foreign diplomat.
Aye, I heard that too and I’m not even in Scotland
When a conspirator starts calling people conspiracy theorists – you know they’re guilty.
The brit secret service will.have dirt on all of them. Just look at brown, Blair and a whole ragtag of WM politicians.
They’ve done it here too. Sturgeon has been undone by her own selfish ambition!
Smearing Alex Salmond once again ffs
Giesabrek. Sturgeon is the Unionist you fucking idiot.
Sturgeon admitted she was quite happy to use hindsight in some of the questions asked of her but she certainly won’t use hindsight with Alex Salmond regarding sexual harassment allegations.
The thing that surprises me the least about this whole thing is how acceptable it is that a group of women have conspired to put a man in jail using claims of sexual assault. Even after the trial they are seen as the victims. The FM knows that by focusing on the poor women she’ll walk away from this and bugger all will be done about it.
Alex’s defense during the trial in relation to the woman he admitted being inappropriate with, was that although it shouldn’t have happened for a variety of reasons, it was between two consenting adults and went further than any of the two of them had ever intended. An apology was made because he was the senior member as far as the position of power between the two, and they both agreed to keep working together, so nothing illegal happened, and any suggestion it was, was only now (during the trial) being suggested.
If Nicola is claiming that Alex told her before the trial that he had indeed done something illegal (she said that she had lingering doubts in her head after the Edingburgh Airport ‘incident’ and AS confirmed it when he told her about what happened during this incident) so she would have been a witness at the trial, confirming that AS had admitted he was guilty, as far as the claims this woman made?
If she wasn’t a witness she must have been:
Covering up for a powerful man against a vulnerable woman?
Lying to the comittee today?
Ruby says:
3 March, 2021 at 2:23 pm
Confused says:
– someone needs to get a transcript of this, its a masterclass in obfuscation parading as revelation
Reply
A transcript becomes available after the end of the meeting & so does the video.
Video archive
link to scottishparliament.tv
if you scroll to page 5 you will see the archived recording of Alex Salmond at the top of the page.
Click on that & on that page click on official report & then select committee (its the top one) & date ie 26th Feb and click pdf symbol you get
link to parliament.scot
If you click on the + button and select file you get
link to parliament.scot
Confused Confused?
Might be an easier/more straight forward way to do this.
I have just newly discovered all of this.
Poor Me says NS Shocker.
There is a rumour that Sturgeon bought Judy Murray’s house for herself and a friend. Obviously don’t know if it’s true.
There she goes again, smearing Alex Salmond by saying he wanted her to stop this process against him as a friend and not as her duty as FM regarding the legal advice on all sides given to her.
Breastplate says @ 2.28
“There she goes again….”
Duncan Hamilton’s statement clearly says he heard her say she would intervene
Rumours about Lavender marriages etc in themselves add nothing to our discourse except if something were to have a bearing on current legislation or government business. In that case, it would be relevant.
However, in such a supposedly progressive government it would be hypocrisy to hide in a closet of rainbow or pastel colours of any kind.
thanks Ruby.
I was thinking of putting some of her answers thru the Gunning Fog Index algorithm
link to gunning-fog-index.com
this is a “bullshit detector”; it gives you a score
10 – simplistic writing
15 – clarity sweetspot
20 – becoming unclear
25 – academic writing in the social sciences
30+ meaningless nonsense
the world champion “bullshitter” is the queer studies professor, judith butler, who “WON” the first bad writing awards with a score in the 40s.
Salmond’s submissions scored around the 15 mark.
This lack of recall Sturgeon is experiencing I wonder if that’s early onset dementia?
@Effigy
On the other hand…abusing the privilege of the position of FM to engage in extra-martial chicanery is the only valid charge that could be levied at Salmond. If such gossip even had a modicum of truth to it, well… that would make things very interesting.
*marital
Stop spreading rumours and conjecture about Sturgeons love life. Let’s stick to what we know. Rumour mongering puts an edge on your enemies sword.
NS – ‘we’re four hours in and I am getting too tired to safely give personal answers’
a moment of honesty there then……
Ian Spruce,
Nicola Sturgeon was suggesting that Alex wanted her to intervene on his behalf for nefarious purposes whereas Alex Salmond says it was her duty as FM to make sure this process was fair and lawful and not to continue a process that legal advice said was a fucking shambles.
There’s no argument about Alex asking for an intervention but why he was asking for the intervention.
Nicola Sturgeon suggests it was underhand but Alex suggests it was a matter of the FM’s duty to intervene and the legal advice agreed with him.
Wow…the sympathy card just been played.”I’ve been in front of you for 4 hours”……yes and she is now becoming incoherent. JB now going for the jugular
So looks like Labour will now be joining Tories on VNOC on NS.
Ignore the above it’s confusing & I’ve missed a step:
Video archives:
link to scottishparliament.tv
Transcripts:
link to parliament.scot
Alain Mack says:
3 March, 2021 at 2:45 pm
Wow…the sympathy card just been played.”I’ve been in front of you for 4 hours”……yes and she is now becoming incoherent. JB now going for the jugular
——————————————————-
If she’d cut the woffle, repetition and just answered the questions like Salmond, it woulld barely be 2 hours
Agreed actually,
The personal business of an FM shoudn’t matter an iota as long as no crimes are committed while in office. If that was adhered to, perhaps we wouldn’t be in this debacle right now and the current FM would be in a strong position going into May.
Confused
I like the sound of the “bullshit detector”
She got quite a high readying on my ICD.
A real nasty piece of work Nicola Sturgeon is.
She could not give an answer about the delays and redactions to the evidence. My take on that. Hang off until the very last hour and then bombard the committee with the evidence , hoping they won’t have time to prepare.
That guy after Baillie is an actual MSP?
@ ‘Glenislay says:
3 March, 2021 at 2:55 pm
Agreed actually,
The personal business of an FM shoudn’t matter an iota as long as no crimes are committed while in office. If that was adhered to, perhaps we wouldn’t be in this debacle right now and the current FM would be in a strong position going into May.’
I agree with you Glenisla – up to a point – but if a person in high office, is living a lie, that could expose them to ‘undue influence’ then I would suggest National Interests have to come first.
For example – hypothetically – if a male Chief Constable was on the face of it happily married to a woman, but in private was putting it about in the Homosexual / Rent Boy scene? That the public purse would be used to invoke Super Injuntions would not necessarily be in the public good I would guess. All hypothetically speaking of course.
Luckily we have Mr Livingston as a CC and the boys have nothing to worry about from him.
Likewise – hypothetically speaking – if a member of the Privy Council were to form a romantic relationship with the wife of a foreign diplomat – from a national security point of view – the potential is there for conflict of interest. Mr Porfumo might shed light on it, if he were still around (and yes I know, it was not the shagging the saw him off, but the lieing about it after in Parliament, but hey).
Now it could be argued, but everyone is entitled to a private life, and this is true, its just sometimes a private life is not compatible with certain careers. For example a Police Officer shacks up with a member of serious and organised crime group. Really? Its just not do-able.
AS is Guilty – guilty of allowing this fucking cretin into a position of power.
why don’t they just check to CCTV cameras for the 29th March??
what the???!!!
Poor NS having to deal with non- binary issues.
Glenislay
I don’t get it.
If, and it is if, Nicola has some form of relationship with a French woman,
what that relationship might be has no relationship with their day jobs.
Neither has complained about any aspect of their relationship so it really can’t
be compared to Alex Salmond’s unfortunate circumstances.
With regards today’s admission that not all the requested documents have been
provided within yesterday’s latest release.
Is that now 63 times requested information has been delayed and or retained?
Some more documents will be released later, but who wouldn’t bet that there will
yet again be short of what is required?
Wearing gloves covers in washing up liquid and catching an eel covered in Vaseline
might be easier than capturing this open and transparent information?
Nicola is bobbing and weaving like a world champion but these are not the actions of the innocent.
Lothianlad says:
3 March, 2021 at 2:07 pm
Big jock.. yep I heard that story. There is no way that murrel and her were a match made in paradise.
Oh! they’ve kept it in the family though. It has been said that Peter & the French woman’s brother are very close.
It’s what one would call double dating. LOL
It’s funny how Sturgeon’s recollection of the meeting on the 29th March is so woolly, yet her recollection of meeting Salmond, and what was said and not said on the 2nd April is so vivid.
There seems to be a lot of detail she can’t recall, or claims not to have been party to. Yet there are other discussions she was not party to, but is adamant on what was said in those meetings.
“I don’t recall, I was not aware of, that was not my recollection, I will have to come back to you on that” seems to be the theme of the day.
In all seriousness. The consequences of her remaining , mean I can never vote SNP again. I can’t live in this alternate reality of Nicola’s minions.
There is a strange quietness on here tonight. A few other bloggers are the same. Is something afoot?
The law is paper thin. Between anarchy and governance is based on what the individual wants or accepts, They just admitted it’s all just bits of paper with crap printed on it, like currency. Wake the fuck up and take back what yours.
I listened to a fair bit of this morning’s and afternoon’s Q & A.
Did anyone else catch the First Minister’s swiftly-stifled slip:
“..the investigation agains-into Alex Salmond..” ?
After that, her repetitive avowals of Alex being her “friend, mentor, political associate” and of having “revered him since I was 20 or 21 and probably before” multiplied, and seemed especially grating to me.
Heard the news of former President Sarkozy’s light sentencing for corruption?
I find it surreal, this idea that Nicolas’ surgeon brought Murphy’s horse to Dunsinane in order to sequester therein some French diplomat’s wine!
Surely your average wifie in Bearsden, or Morningside matron, and kilted bearded trouser-wearing clean-shaven men up and down this land and across these islands, would mostly find all that just a bit too ‘foreign and exotic’ for their liking?
But – given that likely-prevalent distaste, currently – could that explain the potent tranqs dealings? and why Honest John has been peddling such strange literature to Scottish school-pupils?
.. peut-être, c’est a top-down scheme to normalize behaviour hitherto seen as assez bizarre.. to inculcate such values as standard among the populace.. so that un ‘allons-y’ très ‘progressif’ may ensue,
with goings-on comme-ci comme-ça thereafter safely able to be conducted in public, made open and transparent‘; fully-accepted, sans reproche.. to the far-greater comfortableness of those wishing to participate in affaires of that ilk?
As Monsieur le M&M Rouge à declaré, dans an advertisement populaire:
“NOW the biting makes sense!”
…and the WhatsApp group conversations – which Salmond alleges provides clear evidence of a possible crimes – cannot be released to the inquiry because they are private. The criminal classes are overjoyed: “Let’s rob a bank and bring guns to deal with anyone who gets in our way. Only reply to this message in WhatsApp so this private discussion cannot be used as evidence”.