Former SNP MSP Bill Walker returns to Holyrood, shunned by his SNP friends in the chamber, Walker cheers loudly and bangs desk at Alex Neil speech

Dear All

Bill Walker, a nationalist MSP yesterday returned to Holyrood to resume his duties.

The press pack duly turned up and spent the day following him about looking for a quote or a statement.

Murdo Fraser, the Tory MSP was nearly knocked over and felt so badly about it he tweeted.

Bill Walker is doing no comment at present, probably on the advice of legal counsel.

With a rape claim being investigated by Police he was shunned by his former SNP colleagues.

Previously he said that some SNP MSPs were appalled by the way he has been treated.

Walker sat alone up the back of the parliament which is the elephant’s graveyard in Holyrood usually reserved for ex party leaders and real non entities.

In an embarrassing 30 minutes in the chamber for the Scottish National Party, Walker clapped loudly, cheered and banged his desk when the SNP’s infrastructure cabinet secretary Alex Neil made a speech on the Scotland bill.

Alex Neil is a good speaker, however I think Walker could have had another agenda for his passion.

So, for the next four years the SNP will have a very vocal supporter in the chamber who has been accused of serial domestic abuse and rape!

Add to it, in the run up to the Scottish independence vote ‘battling Bill’ will use every opportunity to speak about his vision for independence.

By kicking out Walker, the SNP have no control over him in the chamber; that was a mistake, he should have been suspended and still subject to party discipline, then he could be told to shut up, sit quietly and play nice.

Strategically, you kick such problems in the very very long grass, citing no comment police investigation.

As ‘battling Bill’ cheers louder for independence at Holyrood, people will say, wasn’t that the former SNP MSP who was accused of rape?

What a gift for unionist parties because you know a penny to a pound, supporters of unionist parties will link him to the SNP at every opportunity.

As well as his SNP colleagues, senior MSPs entering the chamber such as former presiding officer Alex Fergusson and former Scottish Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott appeared to deliberately look away from him.

Brian Adam, the SNP’s chief whip at Holyrood was seen briefly speaking to Mr Walker, who was previously told he could no longer sit with SNP MSPs.

Bill Walker isn’t going anywhere and that is bad news for the SNP, his cheers, claps, foot banging and desk banging will no doubt be a problem for his former friends.

After all which other party has a man accused of rape supporting them in the chamber, right in the heart of Scotland’s democracy?

And getting £57k a year plus expenses, office, IT facilities, pension and a canteen!

And he even gets a free travel pass because of his age.

First Minister Alex Salmond has a real problem sitting behind him, a ticking timebomb, how does he solve a problem like Bill?

Especially when Bill talks about his SNP values!

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University