Scottish independence: the ‘slur’ on legal experts made by SNP Education Minister Mike Russell shows how panicked nationalists are becoming now!

Dear All

In Scottish politics smearing and the Scottish National Party go hand in hand, much like salt and vinegar or bread and butter.

The SNP Education Secretary Mike Russell has run into a spot of bother when he described the forum created by the Advocate General Lord Wallace as a “kangaroo” court.

Firstly, the panel isn’t a “kangaroo” court.

Which pretty much explains why education is such a shambles under the Scottish National Party, lack of thought before action, higher education is in need of major reform and all Mike Russell can do it tinker with edges like a child playing with his food.

An example of his window dressing is the new financial help that students can get, a bigger loan, which means they pay back a bigger loan.

This action means bursaries will decline alot in the region of £1,000.

And of course nothing of any real significance has been done in education but a lot of talk; meaningless talk without teeth.

To return to Wallace, he wasn’t a great Justice Minister by a long chalk, he was tossed the Advocate General’s job because Cameron was padding posts for the Lib Dems.

In probably recognising that his juridical credentials aren’t up to scratch, he went out and creating a forum of legal experts to advise him on the likely implications of independence.

The issues looked at are important and problematic to the Nationalists who are going about making assumptions backed up by nothing more than they want this and they want that, and they are entitled to this because…..

Independence does involve big major issues that the SNP appear not to have any answers for, and given the recent ‘Hell in the Pacific’ suffered by Nicola Sturgeon haven’t asked the questions.

Anyway Wallace has got his group of experts and is running with it, their remit and members has certainly rattled the nationalist camp to such an extent that Mike Russell, took to smearing it as a “kangaroo” court.

The SNP has form in smearing the UK judiciary as a long series of attacks shows, and in the major cases, it has been the SNP who have been slapped down hard, the Cadder Case is a prime example. The unwarranted attack on Lord Hope is another, that attacked was beyond the pale, and who can forget the Kenny MacAskill statement of ‘he who pays the piper calls the tune’.

I am a fan of the UK Supreme Court as many who regular read my blog know, they display the kind of flawless judgment that reminds me of Lord Denning, an icon of the UK judiciary.

In attacking the court when they didn’t get their own way, the SNP appeared petty, malicious and profoundly ignorant, having to have someone wipe their legal arse for them because they have shat themselves is however quite funny.

A stumbling block to be removed in the independence vote is devo max, or as many see it Alex Salmond’s political lifebelt, if the independence is lost and he gets nothing, people within the SNP will be questioning the strategy.

Five polls so far see independence support sinking, the latest is 27%.

A new low!

Independence is about one single issue, and the political manoeuvrings don’t display intelligence or skill, far from it, some see the independence campaign as a cronies campaign of Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon, their middle class clique and assorted hangers on.

The public are talking to Alex Salmond and their message is pretty clear, it's no to independence under your vision.

By whinging about devo max, the SNP appear to think if that is shot down the support will move across to voting independence, how out of touch is that!

Wallace did make an important point in the Newsnight Scotland interview he did on Tuesday with Gordon Brewer when he said, leaving a club is a matter for you alone. If, however, you want to remain in the club but change the rules, all the other members are entitled to a say.

And it is for the committee; in this case Westminster who changes the rules of membership; not Holyrood, the tail doesn’t wag the dog.

Alex Salmond can’t deliver more devolution if he could we would have seen it via Holyrood.

The panic has sent in with the Scottish Nationalists, Russell running off at the mouth is a symptom of a wider panic which will sweep through the SNP as the deadline of the referendum draws nearer.

The campaign started badly, it is now sinking, the Scottish Government is paralysed, bad decisions are getting made, Yes Scotland is loaded with cronies and poll after poll is dreadful and of course all the other crap too numerous to mention.

Alex Salmond should remember:

“The light that burns twice as bright burns for half as long”.

And it’s all downhill now, if a coalition is possible between Labour and Lib Dems in 2016, the Lib Dems won’t do as they did previously, they will form a government and shut the SNP out. The SNP will have to hope that the Lib Dems and others continue to sink. If other parties revive themselves then the SNP will shed many of their floating voters.

Expect more smearing from the Scottish National Party elite and their hangers on, as the pressure mounts they will start to crack and vent.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University