Scottish independence: Emergency crisis summit held at Scottish Government, SNP meltdown continues as Better Together has 20 point lead, panic stricken Alex Salmond sees the end of his political career looming, game, set and match people of Scotland!

Dear All

Do you like a good drama?

The important thing about a good drama is the characters which appear in it, in order for the drama to work, the public has to 'buy' into the characters and root for them. This is why 'soaps' are so popular with the public, they get to put their feet up and munch into their 'din dins' and act as voyeurs. The Scottish independence is a drama, unlike the 'soap' version the two lead characters are Scotland's 'jolly fat man' Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon, and the public don't like them. We don't give a shit if they are hit by a big truck and get wrapped round the back wheels of the axel.

In fact, the public so dislike them and distrust them that they are squarely set against the Nationalist dreams of an independent Scotland. The Yes Campaign is in crisis, it is in serious meltdown, it seems George Laird was right, there is no A Team running the campaign but a rather pathetic GAY Team.

Things have gotten so bad, that Alex Salmond’s top advisers have held their first emergency crisis summit on the doomed referendum campaign, won't be the last.

It doesn't matter what Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon do, who they seek help from within their clique, what bribes they offer, how many phoney little Yes Groups are set up, how much the Weirs part with their cash, Salmond and Sturgeon don't have radical thinking, neither does the character called Ewan Crawford, Salmond's senior special advisor, the 'emergency guru'.

Time for a quote:

"My problem is that I have too many talented people and not enough Cabinet positions".

Alex Salmond. 

If that was the case in reality, why does Alex Salmond have to rely on other people, surely the 'talented' could simply come up with ideas?

Real panic has swept through the Scottish Government.

The cold winds of defeat are building, and building and building, as Scottish civil servants have been ordered to use public money and launch an unprecedented advertising blitz. The hope is that such a measure will close the gap on the No campaign, it is a desperate bid as the implosion continues rapidly. The not so A Team hurriedly convened now features Salmond’s most senior political aides, the Scottish Government’s top mandarins and heads of the communications department.

They attended the emergency meeting on last Thursday, which was convened in less than 24 hours, I wonder if they laid on a buffet, no point in thinking on an empty stomach.

Cluck, cluck, cluck, did someone bring a chicken in here?

As the fear heightens for Salmond who incidentally reminds more and more of the failed SNP 'caretaker' leader Allison Hunter, you have got to laugh. Hunter drove the Glasgow SNP Council campaign into the deck in 2012, clueless and ineffectual. Hunter wasn't a leader of men, she didn't inspire anyone, she was just a Sturgeon crony of little ability and wit. In that respect, Salmond and Hunter are two people both equally unsuited to the task of leadership. 

The Better Together campaign has a massive 20-point lead over Yes Salmond, in truth the 'success' of their efforts is down to the Scottish people who were No voters even before the doomed campaign kicked off at the 'Declaration of Cineworld'.

One of the things which amused me about the current crisis is that several SNP politicians have been told they must curtail their summer holidays to focus on the battle to destroy the UK, what a novelty for them doing political campaigning. In most of the SNP election campaigns I took part in, these people wouldn't come out for love nor money. At the big by-elections they would do a few days usually when Salmond or Sturgeon were present, this was to kid on that they were 'activists' fighting for the cause. After they ticked that box, and ensured they had their picture taken and hung about the campaign rooms they would quietly disappear.   

After the emergency crisis summit of the not so A Team; the plan is to send a pro-independence document to every household in Scotland at a likely cost to taxpayers of more than £700,000. Well, that will be straight in the bin, anyone really waiting desperately to hear from unpopular Nicola Sturgeon about indy?

The problem in the Scottish National Party is and always has been, a genuine lack of talent. That being said, I wasn't referring to myself because the SNP pinched a lot of my ideas and ended up using them, of course, copying others without understanding the knowledge has only a limited effect. The untalented Nats are also set to follow the UK Government’s lead and bombard the Google internet search engine with adverts, boost their social media presence on sites such as Facebook and Twitter and engage more with businesses and organisations.

SNP Fail!

As to any attempts to win over the over the youth vote and women's vote who are among the most hostile to Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon, they can forget these people.

They are gone! 

Poll after poll after poll shows that their attitudes are hardening. 

Ewan Crawford who apparently is Salmond’s ‘senior special adviser’ on constitutional issues, was behind the panic crisis summit. Other 'key' players included special adviser Liz Lloyd, just a spinner out of her depth, some guy called Martin McDermott of the elections and constitution division, cannon fodder, and some donkey called Fiona Wilson, nobody!

After the meeting unpopular Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was urgently briefed on the outcome, as if that makes a difference. She did manage to rush out a press release announcing a ‘major public information campaign’ at 6.30pm that evening.

Who cares!

Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie said:

"This crisis summit shows the nationalist government knows its assertions and bluster isn't cutting the mustard in the face of the considered, factual case to remain in the UK. Alex Salmond's rushed PR strategy won't cover up the fundamental risks of independence that his White Paper failed to address. With only weeks left they are running around like headless chickens desperately grasping for the appropriate wheeze that will win then their long sought after dream. It shows how desperate they have become."

Anas Sarwar, deputy leader of Scottish Labour, said:

"The nationalists' campaign looks to be in meltdown because the majority of Scots are seeing through their bluster and assertions and deciding we are better together. The SNP are running out of time to persuade Scots to break up the country and no matter how much they spend on advertising, their message of division and grievance is being rejected."

Unpopular Nicola Sturgeon said:

"We want people to be armed with the facts before they vote, which is why we are stepping up our public information campaign in the coming weeks. This will match the efforts of the UK Government in every way. The Tory-led Westminster Government has been using public funds to push their anti-independence message, and it is important that that is directly countered".

Facts?

Is she having a laugh or is she simple minded, the white paper is a pathetic piece of rubbish which has been dubbed the 'white manifesto', the SNP failed to produce a white paper that was politically neutral, they utterly failed that task. They should have done the costs for setting up an independent state, they failed that task, they had control of the Scottish Government; they failed that task to properly provide for Scots.   

Shambles, shambles, shambles!

On the lighter side, I find it highly amusing that Nicola's cronies are going to have to sweat under a hot Scottish summer Sun delivering leaflets and all for nothing; a complete waste of time, money, energy and human resources.

Unpopular Nicola Sturgeon looks really desperate and out of her depth now, as she sinks in the political mud, her nasty vile little clique of cronies can't come up with goods to save her. Down, down and down she sinks, trying to put a brave face on that she is dynamic and going somewhere, she is just as much to blame for the failures as Alex Salmond in this campaign. His excuse is that he doesn't have an eye of detail, so what's her one?

Answers on a postcard, usual terms and conditions apply.

One thing is certain, you can't outrun destiny, something that Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon are about to find out. The latest poll published YouGov, found that 53 per cent of adults plan to vote No, while support for Yes has slipped from 37 per cent to 36 per cent.

Scottish independence is off!

The picture above tells the 'tale of the tape'; it is an utterly dejected Alex Salmond shaking hands with David Cameron at Armed Forces day in Stirling, head down, defeated, broken and isolated.

What's the matter Alex, couldn't you find someone with real talent, surely a 'master strategist' can find someone who can come up with something better than a leaflet after an emergency crisis summit!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence: Case for independence suffers another fatal blow as Professor Patrick Dunleavy of the London School of Economics (LSE) produces new figures that indy costs are 750% higher than he previously thought, Alex Salmond isolated using discredited £200 million figure

Dear All

Professor Patrick Dunleavy, of the London School of Economics (LSE) has been quoted repeatedly by Scotland's 'jolly fat man' Alex Salmond as saying the costs the creation an independent Scotland would be about £200 million.

As someone who doesn't have the vast expert experience of Professor Patrick Dunleavy, even I know that is entirely rubbish and worthy of derision and mockery.

£200 million is small potatoes.

You couldn't set up the embassy network which I understand has been mooted at 90 embassies through-out the world.

Although numbers vary, the number of departments needed to be setup is supposed to stretch to at least 60.

£3 million for the Scottish Home Office sound right?

£3 million to setup the Inland Revenue sound right?

£3 million for the Scottish Border Agency sound right?

£3 million for the Scottish Ministry of Defence sound right?

Unsurprisingly Professor Patrick Dunleavy, London School of Economics has been roundly mocked online, in fact he took such a pounding, anyone else would have dug a hole, jumped in and taken no further part in the Scottish independence referendum debate.

But the Professor has decided to come back with a revised figure, this time, he says the transition to independence could now cost Scottish taxpayers £1.5 billion.

That is seven and a half times his original figure.

Now, he says that Scottish voters could be “relatively sure” that moving to full independence it would cost between £600 million and £1.5 billion over a decade.

Well that's bullshit as well.

Do you remember the Scottish Parliament original cost?

£40 million!

Final bill came out as £440 million!

So, what is the George Laird view, not having been a Professor, not having been to the London School of Economics, not having been employed by Government?

£3.5 billion with an additional reserve of £1.5 billion!

I am going with £5 billion in all in.

In this country, you can hardly find anyone who can do their jobs properly and add to it, we have some majorly hopeless politicians who are so out of their depth, they literally have to be led by nose of the people who run departments. That is why this country is such a shambles, we don't have real leaders, they are just 'figureheads' as unpopular Nicola Sturgeon clearly demonstrated at Health.

Alex Salmond has threatened to default on Scotland's share of the UK debt because the Westminster Government have vetoed a currency union or Sterling zone as described by some. By doing so that means an independent Scotland wouldn't get any defence assets.

Not a warship, not a plane, not a bomb, not a grenade, or even a single bullet.

No fast jets, no air force, army or navy, nothing at all.

Soldiers wouldn't even have a pair of boots because the Scottish MoD wouldn't have any money to buy them!

Nordic welfare for the poor, you can forget that straight away, but for those interested in Borgen like unpopular Nicola Sturgeon, you can have instead Nordic taxes, 70% of your income. For Government and local government you can get ready for massive cuts to budgets.

In this situation, don't think small cuts think huge!

Prof Dunleavy did a revised figure because Iain McLean, professor of politics at Oxford University, argued that this was artificially low.

He says that Prof Dunleavy relied on making a false distinction between “set-up”, “transition” and “disentanglement” costs. And as we all know, you add it all up, not just the bits that you fancy, McLean argues that all three categories should be included in “set-up” costs as they represented one-off burdens.

I would say that Iain McLean seems to be more in tune than Dunleavy, on how much the taxpayer would have to spring for Salmond's reckless adventure. Although the £1.5 billion new figure matches the estimate produced by the by the Treasury, that figure is in my opinion still far too low.

Salmond having to swallow more bad news continues to insist that £200 million was the correct figure.

At First Minister’s Questions, he went to accuse the Treasury of “issuing misleading figures and misinformation”, more egg on his face instead of curry it seems.

Jackie Baillie, Labour MSP, said:

“This is a major embarrassment for Alex Salmond. He now appears to be the only person claiming we could leave the UK on the cheap. As always, the First Minister wants us to believe that he alone is right and everybody else is wrong. It is now clear beyond all doubt that setting up a separate Scottish state would be a costly business.”

A Treasury spokesman added:

“It is becoming clearer by the day that the Scottish Government has massively under estimated the cost of setting up a new state.”

Time for a quote:

"My problem is that I have too many talented people and not enough Cabinet positions"!

Alex Salmond.

Standing at First Minister’s Questions, Alex Salmond is clinging to a figure which has been totally discredited and which Professor Dunleavy won't stick what is left of his tattered reputation on, it is just mind boggling the lack of genuine talent that is now bubbling to the surface.

It maybe entirely possibly that if you give Alex Salmond a tenner, you may get back three £3 notes and two fifty pence pieces back.

Finally, some advice for Scotland's 'jolly fat man' Alex Salmond:

'One must act like a gentleman even if one is not a gentleman'.

That means learn to tell the truth.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence: George Galloway delivers by far the best speech on Scottish independence: his speech has all passion that both Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon lack, this is worth hearing no matter which side you support

Dear All

Whether you are for Scottish independence or against Scottish independence, you can’t have failed to recognise the debate has been poor.

The reason for this is that Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon are completely out of their depth, they did No work; they have no vision and no plans, on anything!

Then came along George Galloway to do a turn at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh!
His speech was so good; I found the transcript and audio for you to listen to, it is by far, the best speech made in this debate. The text has been slightly edited.

https://audioboo.fm/boos/2281076-george-galloway-argues-independence-is-the-greatest-threat-to-edinburgh 

Thursday, 26 June 2014

“If Scotland votes Yes in September you will be handing the prize for which 100 years the SNP has fought.
They have fought for it despite everything and anything that was happening. When London was burning under the Blitz, their poet laureate (Hugh) MacDiarmid said: “London is burning, I don’t care.” They said it was England’s war.

They want you to refight a battle 700 years ago between two French-speaking kings with Scottish people on both sides.

I prefer to remember a rather more recent battle when this small island of English-speaking people stood alone and if we had not stood but capitulated like others had done before us we would be having this meeting in German if we were going to have it at all.

And not one person asked in that summer and autumn of 1940 and into 1941 if the pilots who were spinning above us defending us from invasion from the barbaric horde were from Suffolk or Sutherland. We were people together on a small piece of rock with 300 years of common history. That’s what they want to break up and all the rest is balderdash. That’s the truth of it.

How come so few women are in favour of independence? Why are Scotland’s women the most resistant of all the demographics in this contest? And the reason is that women simply don’t like gambling.

And everything in their (the Yes campaign’s) project is about gambling – for your future, your pension, your children and their children’s future. And you are right not to like gambling.

But just a few hundred yards from here on the North Bridge, one of Scotland’s women, one of our highest achieving women in the history of our entire country, JK Rowling sat in a café and wrote books that people all over the world love.

And what happened when she dared to opine as to how people should vote in September? She was subjected to a torrent of abuse and hatred online and in the post.

And that is the second reason why women don’t like independence – because they can see that it has already generated and will generate a politics of grudge and division based on where one stood.
I am tired of being called a quisling or a traitor or – I was ordered last night from the rougher end of the trade - “get back to England”.

I’ll go wherever I like in these islands or anywhere else and speak my mind and you see that is the authentic voice of those that seek to break up this country.

I have been divorced more than once. Trust me it is never ever amicable, whatever anybody tells you. But you can make a deal. You can give the partner who is walking out on you all the CDs the DVDs, the dog, the car – you can give them everything, but the one thing you will never ever give them is the right to continue to use the joint credit card.

And that is what their plan A – and they have no plan B – amounts to.

They want to use a currency issued by the Bank of England – the clue being in the name; they want to continue to use it and they imagine that the people that issue it will allow them to do so; to use the joint credit card, even though and as they are walking out the door.

So this is the first time ever that people in a small country, where everyone speaks the same language, are being asked to break up and break up on the basis that they don’t have a currency to use.
There will be no pound. Trust me on that. I came yesterday from Parliament (where) the leaders of the mainstream parties have not changed their minds. An independent Scotland will not have the pound.

What will it have instead? The euro – how’s that going? Anybody fancy that or are we going to bring back the groat?

I see one or two pensioners here, or people close to pensionable age. How do you fancy your pension in groats? How do you fancy a pension that is based entirely on the absolutely unstable price of a commodity that will be finished in 2050?

And in my lifetime oil has been as low as $9 a barrel and as high as $156 a barrel. Who wants to mortgage their children and their children’s future on a finite resource that will soon be finished and the price of which is simply un-calculable? Un-calculable.

There will be havoc if you vote Yes in September. Havoc in Edinburgh and throughout the land and you will
break the hearts of many others too.

Because, as I look at my fellow debaters on my side, I was reminded of the Duke of Wellington reviewing his own troops before the battle of Waterloo: “I don’t know what they do to the enemy but they don’t half frighten me.” “The difference is we have come together but temporarily at a moment of national peril.
The nationalists on the other hand are permanently together for they have only one purpose – to persuade you that [Stagecoach Group transport firm founder and prominent Yes campaigner] Brian Souter, the gay-baiting billionaire, funder of their campaign is someone more worthy of looking up to than JK Rowling.

I know which side I’m on. I’m with JK Rowling. Just say No”.

This speech is the best speech delivered during  the Scottish independence campaign, it has all the passion that both Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon lack.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence: SNP MSP Christina McKelvie says British spies 'may have sent online abuse to JK Rowling', has she gone completely bonkers, wild allegations only make her and the Scottish National Party look like bunch of cranks, it is bad enough the party is led by two utter buffoons in Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon

Dear All

You can’t have failed to notice that Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond has lost the plot, his latest cackhanded attempt at being a ‘strategic mastermind’ which involved trying to ‘dick’ Alistair Darling about, as we saw that has blown up in his face.

Quite simply Alex Salmond is an embarrassment for Scotland.

As the madness at Bute House unfolds, SNP MSP Christina McKelvie now seems to be joining in; bizarrely she says that the recent torrent of online abuse directed at JK Rowling was the work of “secret service plants”.

This is a serious allegation, so does she has prove that the British Secret Service is involved in skullduggery?

No!

SNP MSP Christina McKelvie just made it and then decided to let us know that she plans to be Scotland’s Sherlock Holmes, the super sleuth.

In an article for the local newspaper she argued many of abusive tweets made to the Harry Potter author could not be traced back to the nationalist movement.

In the Hamilton Advertiser, McKelvie wrote:

“The attacks on JK Rowling for her donation to Better Together were, in fact, down to a very few people whose accounts no one could trace back to having anything to do with the Yes campaign.”

Given that the hate wing of the Nationalist movement called the Cybernats post anonymously her claim is simply ridiculous.

‘Soldiers of Salmond’ don’t reveal their identity by choice.

McKelvie added:

“Whoever made them – there are interesting conspiracy theorists who think it might all have been down to secret service plants – should be totally condemned. I have no time for this kind of small-minded viciousness.”

Jim Sillars, former SNP deputy leader, also suggested British spies may be actively working against the independence campaign.

Recently, he said in an open letter:

“Are you unaware of the role agent provocateurs, special branch and MI5 have played in undermining us?”

Sillars added:

“Are you so naive, that you never think that perhaps MI5 and special branch are taking a role in this campaign? As their function is protection of the British State, they would not be doing their jobs if they were not.”

So, to recap, ‘James Bond’ has stopped secret service work, jetting abroad, shagging beautiful women and drinking to come to Scotland to take on Alex Salmond.

And Christina McKelvie in Hamilton has found this all out.

Maybe Ms. McKelvie is positioning herself for Minister of Scottish Home Office or maybe she has joined the collective madness racing through the Scottish National Party.

A Number 10 source has since dismissed Ms McKelvie's claims as "preposterous and extraordinary" while Michael McMahon, a Labour MSP, said the remark "would be laughable if it wasn't so serious".

He added:

"The nationalists are really starting to lose touch with reality. First Jim Sillars said MI5 was out to get them, now Christina McKelvie blames the Secret Service for the awful abuse directed at JK Rowling by nationalists".

Previously I mentioned about the ‘Hunter Virus’ in the SNP, people who contract the virus say and do really stupid things, obviously the virus has spread beyond Glasgow now.

Someone should ask her publicly:

"have you gone bonkers"?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence: ‘She let them die’, Scotland’s unpopular Deputy First Minster Nicola Sturgeon finally gets brutally exposed for her failure as Health Minister, Scotland’s top doctor talks about “hopeless politicians”, why didn’t Nicola speak up for Mrs. June Rankin!

Dear All

You can't have failed to notice that I have continually highlighted that there is a genuine lack of talent in the Scottish National Party.

And yet again, George Laird has been proven right, this time by Scotland's top doctor, Dr. Brian Keighley.

Everyone eventually comes round to the George Laird view, as I say, some people take their time to get there, others just pop along to the blog, have a quick read, and then once the wheels start turning; they get it!

Scotland's unpopular Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was put in charge of the Scottish NHS; the idea was that health was supposed to be a flagship policy after a rather poor performance under the Labour controlled Scottish Executive.

Hopes were high for a new beginning; Nicola Sturgeon was supposed to be the new broom to set things back on track. On the surface, health was spun by the SNP as a success. What people didn't know was the success was based on covering up problems.  

Now, Dr. Brian Keighley has launched an astonishing tirade at the Scottish Government over swingeing cuts. He says that this has caused chaos on the wards and led to “unacceptable” standards of care.

Anyone still think that unpopular Nicola Sturgeon 'cares'?

Anyone think her act as a 'concerned citizen' still has any traction?

Nicola Sturgeon made much of saying the NHS was 'safe' in the hands of the SNP because they were the ones who were 'standing up for Scotland'.

Any Nationalists willing to believe that con trick now?

The SNP set much store by "experts"; Scotland's top doctor yesterday branded our crisis-hit NHS a “car crash” and blamed hopeless politicians for the disaster.

Hopeless politicians!

I said that we need both Scottish Government and local Government reform, that didn't happen because just as I rightly highlighted, the SNP has an ignorant activist base, its MSPs are pure utter pish, not all, because as Nicola Sturgeon knows, George Laird doesn't lie.

The SNP is run as a one man band, the 'cult of personality' exists in the Nationalist ranks were even the SNP MSPs just jog on behind him like sheep in a trance, when he says 'baa', they say 'baa'.

At this point, I would like to say, 'baa' 'baa' 'baa' 'baa' 'baa'.

But let's get back to health and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon, although not a sheep, Ms. Sturgeon is her own woman, self made, her climb through the ranks can be looked at as an angry wee Nat fizzing away at the 'injustices' done to Scots.

Maybe she was unhappy because it wasn't her doing the 'injustices'!

Keighley said A&E departments, cancer treatment and care for the elderly have all been devastated as the axe has been taken to budgets.

Where was 'social justice campaigner' Nicola Sturgeon when that was happening, why wasn't she defending the most vulnerable Scots when they needed help most? Where was the unique 'Scottish values' that the Nationalists said existed that proves Scots were in effect better people than the English?

Did Nicola have to attend a greater injustice than being available to help the sick despite raking over a £100,000 a year as Health Sec?

Dr Keighley said the situation at health is dire and will get even worse if politicians don’t act.

He said: 

“What I have seen over the past five years is the continuing crisis management of the longest car crash in my memory and it is time for our politicians to face up to some very hard questions. We have a crisis of out-of-hours health provision that sees huge and unacceptable queues at A&E departments. We see reports of geriatric provision coming under increasing criticism through inadequate care packages and increasing bed blocking and, at the same time GPs coping with a 20 per cent increase in workload. We see vital cancer treatments delayed because of unsustainable cost and we see cracks emerging in hospital food, cleanliness, staff shortages and vacancies within both the consultant body and GP trainees.”

Nicola ran away, left everyone in the shit, failed to do a good job and became the 'face of independence', because Scottish independence matters more to Nicola Sturgeon than Scots being left to die a painful death.

Oh how Nicola 'cares', do you know when she was younger she marched in CND marches before she was a 'Nationalist'. What kind of Nationalist leaves their countrymen and women to die and suffer, well, its called 'civic nationalism'! 

As far as I can tell 'civic nationalism' in the SNP is about helping certain minority groups and their agendas by using the Scottish Government and its cash, pretty much fuck everyone else who is working class.

Dr Keighley made his comments about SNP Government's failure at the BMA’s annual conference; this was his last speech before he steps down as chairman of the organisation. One of the things about leaving an organisation is that you can say pretty much anything you like as you head out the door. Perhaps the next chairman of the organisation will have the grit to start his tenure by saying what Keighley said on day one of their appointment.

Last month, opposition parties at Holyrood united to pass a motion of no confidence in the Health Secretary.

Alex Neil refused to step down and resign, Alex Salmond who is running out friends fast (if he had any at all) failed to fire him as Neil was accused of misleading Parliament. This set the tone for the rest of Salmond's tenure as First Minister, personal honour and dignity doesn't exist among SNP Ministers now, lying to Parliament is acceptable.  

Recently Health Sec Alex Neil said: 

“Satisfaction with our NHS has increased by 20 per cent over the last seven years".

Does he think the family of Mrs. June Rankin has that view?

What about the other Victims families?

How does unpopular Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon sleep at night?

“Unacceptable” standards of care Nicola, will madam be going to Wimbledon to watch the tennis this year, eat strawberries and cream in the Royal box or is there something more pressing to deal with?

I don't know, I am just asking the question!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence: Alex Salmond makes a complete fool of himself by refusing to face Alistair Darling, not a world leader after all, George Laird gets it right again; Better Together should entirely scrub the STV debate, 16th July or nothing, no negotiation, don't pander to a fool

Dear All

One of the things which the Scottish independence debate has thrown up is that Alex Salmond is an out and out buffoon.

The latest act of gross stupidity is that the first proposed Scottish independence TV debate between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling has collapsed.

Alex Salmond decided to play the fool saying instead of debating Alistair Darling, Better Together’s leader, he wanted to debate David Cameron.

Cameron isn’t coming, and STV didn’t send an invite to him but to Alistair Darling.

Because of the stupidity of the Nationalists, pro-UK Better Together campaign rightly withdrew from the contest.

And to make a point, what they should do now is send a clear message by cancelling any STV debate between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling.

Better Together accepted and was told the date of the broadcast was fixed, they agree to this, Salmond decided to change the terms and conditions of the deal.

That is not acceptable.

The pro-UK campaign said it was told by STV that the date was “firmly set” and it was “not willing to enter into negotiations with either campaign on the timing”.

Salmond hasn’t acted in good faith.

Seeing the broadcaster STV was under pressure by the Nat leadership they immediately bowed to Mr Salmond’s request to move it to a later date despite him being available on July 16.

As I said, there should now be no STV debate.

A Better Together insider said:

“This is astonishing stuff. STV told us that they would not negotiate on the date of this debate. They were emphatic that the date would not change. That hard line stance lasted until Salmond decided that, even although he was free on that date, he didn’t fancy debating Alistair. STV have simply rolled over. It is not on.”

Better Together need to stamp this nonsense out now; and that means a statement that the STV debate is cancelled completely.

Will Better Together do this?

If they have the stomach for it, they should go hardline, because it isn’t beyond the bounds of possibility that the SNP will act up regarding the BBC debate on August 12.

If I was in charge of Better Together, I would scrub the STV event entirely, in the event that Salmond tries to be a ‘cute little honey’ at the BBC, I would make it clear; I would scrap that as well.

Salmond needs the oxygen of publicity, and to frank, you don’t pander to a fool!

An STV spokesman said:

“STV is firmly committed to staging a live TV debate between the First Minister and Alistair Darling. We have not received agreement from both sides on the proposed date of July 16 and are reviewing the proposed date on that basis."

I would bin it without a second thought.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence, Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon will destroy 3,000 jobs on the Clyde, Govan Shipbuilders can only be protected within the UK system of defence contract procurement, 3,000 jobs means 3,000 families unprotected under the Nationalists

Dear All

Sitting in Ward 5 in Glasgow is Govan shipbuilders, the yard is responsible for churning out many of the UK Ministry of Defence warships currently in service with the armed forces.

Shipbuilding on the Clyde has military, economically and social history attached to it in a way that borders on urban myth.

When Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon decided to attempt their doomed independence many people thought that they had their act together. Everyday, we heard that everything would be so wonderful in the 'Land of milk and honey', new Nirvana was just around the corner.

In 'New Eckistan', the Eckistanis would have utopia, no one would be unhappy, and everyone would have a job because the SNP would have control of all the financial levers, except those they wanted to give away to Westminster and Brussels. The SNP based their concept on the idea that they were talking to simple minded bastards who would swallow anything.

What Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon weren't going to discuss was the 'bad things' which would happen if Scotland was independent.

Total closure of both Govan and Scotstoun shipbuilding yards.

3,000 jobs in the industry on the Clyde alone gone, Govan and surrounding areas badly affected, you see there are real consequences of a Yes vote in the independence referendum. Instead of offsetting this by having a plan, there was no plan. Recently a hard choice faced BAE. In the Scottish yards, 835 jobs had to be shed to save both yards, the Portsmouth yard was closed with the lost of over a thousand jobs. This was a political decision due to the referendum. In truth having Govan and Scotstoun so close made a compelling case, the yards have a fine record of achievement both in quality and bringing in vessels on time.

After Westminster saved the Scottish yards, Scotland's unpopular Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made a fool of herself by going to Govan to offer assistance and try and get credit for doing nothing. Sturgeon even took along John Swinney with her, two senior Government, numbers of jobs saved by them....... zero!

Yes, all their talk added up to not a single job saved.

Unpopular Nicola Sturgeon, the 'face of independence' lost 835 jobs in Govan.

And they must have known this prior to going to Govan, this was a deceitful attempt to be seen to be doing something which in reality added up to doing nothing, how many people at Govan shipbuilders need someone to point them towards the Govan jobcentre?

Nicola's going to Govan, Nicola's going to save the jobs, oh oh oh Nicola's coming!!!!    

The SNP has been in 'business' for 80 years, so this begs the question, if they are supposed to be a Nationalist party and if they are supposed to standing up for Scotland and Scots, where was the rolling blueprint of an independent Scotland?

It surely must have occurred to someone in 80 years that a plan for the entire country was needed?

Seeing a chance to highlight the lack of substance to the Nationalist case, Labour Leader Johann Lamont launched a new poster campaign focused on the impact of independence on the industry as met trade union leaders on the Clyde.

Lamont said shipbuilding industry in Scotland had “come through really tough times”, but she insisted:

“There is a danger that if we vote Yes in September we won’t have a shipbuilding industry any longer, because we’re reliant on these defence contracts. These jobs are at risk if we vote Yes, people need to understand that, but for the SNP clearly that’s a price worth paying.”

Englishman Angus Robertson, SNP MP and their Westminster leader and defence spokesman replied by demanding the “disgraceful anti-independence shipbuilding scare stories must end once and for all”.

He said:

“The No campaign is looking and sounding desperate as they cling on to Project Fear scare stories which have already been dismissed. It is beyond belief that anti-independence politicians claim that shipbuilding on the Clyde and at Rosyth is safe in Westminster’s hands. This is an industry that in the last 30 years has lost thousands of jobs and been decimated by Westminster government after Westminster government. The Clyde has been, is now, and will in the future be the best place to build the new generation of naval ships, and that is coming direct from senior directors at BAE Systems”.

So, lets look at this ditto by him objectively.

It isn't a scare story that Scotland would lose Ministry of Defence warship contracts, Britain for the last 50 years hasn't built a warship outside the UK. The SNP leaders tried to muddy the waters by claiming auxiliary vessels built elsewhere was the same as warships. In their mind a ship is a ship, totally military unaware, how can anyone trust them with the defence of Scotland with under developed thinking like that?

You won't!

Procurement placement is a political decision and will always remain so. SNP MP Angus Robertson highlights jobs have been lost in the past, that is true, but it is the same all over the world. As to his claim by default that an indy Scotland would build warships because it is the best place and that is coming direct from senior directors at BAE Systems. That is fact woven with fiction, yes, it is the best place, but BAE takes its orders from Westminster. Military shipbuilding contracts wouldn't be available.

And to imply it would be so, after firm assurances is totally disingenuous. 

Duncan McPhee, Unite union convener at the BAE Scotstoun yard on the Clyde, said the MoD was the yard’s “major customer”.

And given they foot the bill, they get to decide when and where their products get built and by whom.

Scotland is being earmarked to build the new type 26 combat ships for the Royal Navy.

McPhee said the contract could provide some years of work for the yard but he added as well:

“The Ministry of Defence will not build a complex warship outside of the UK. Unless the Scottish Government could replace that work, our industry would be decimated if Scotland became independent. We have 3,000 jobs on the Clyde at the moment that would be under immediate threat if there was a Yes vote. We’re here today because we want to help make the public aware of the implications.”

Over in Rosyth; Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael was also visiting Babcock Rosyth, where the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier is currently under construction.

After doing the tour, he spent time listening to workers’ concerns regarding Scottish independence.

After the meeting, Raymond Duguid, Unite convener at Babcock Rosyth, said:

“Our message to the minister was we need facts. We need to know what Yes means, what No means, and the workforce of Rosyth deserve those answers. We’re getting those answers, whether they are palatable or not, from the No side. Unfortunately we’re not getting them from the Yes side and that’s what we need now. Our members need to make an informed decision on September 18. We are under no illusion that the UK Navy will not come to Scotland to do refits. We are building the carrier at the moment but we are primarily a refit yard and that work will not come to Rosyth, we know that, and the Scottish navy in the white paper is not big enough to sustain Rosyth.  I would question whether he (Alex Salmond) knows where Rosyth is.”

So, the workers are not backing Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon, and why should they, they are being asked to risk their entire future, their jobs, their homes, their mortgages, their families future and Alex Salmond can't be bothered to even produce a plan.

Sheer utter contempt by Alex Salmond.

Carmichael added:

“The key messages that I heard today from the workforce and the shop stewards is that they are very concerned that with 86 days to go before decision day on September 18 they have still not been told what the future holds for them in an independent Scotland. We know that as part of the UK there is a future for the shipbuilding and defence industries in Scotland. It’s now for the nationalists to come forward with some certainty to the workforce here and elsewhere”.

Carmichael added:

“We are told that neither Alex Salmond nor Nicola Sturgeon is actually prepared to meet the unions or talk to the workforce. I have to say I find that very disappointing, if not massively surprising.”

So, there you have it, neither Alex Salmond nor Nicola Sturgeon will support the workers because they have nothing to say to them of any value whatsoever. Salmond and Sturgeon if they achieved their goals would oversee the closure of Scotland entire shipbuilding industry. A Scottish MoD couldn't sustain a healthy order book for the Scottish yards. Englishman Angus Robertson should obviously know this that given the time he has been the SNP defence spokesman.

Or maybe he is doesn't, he could be genuinely thick!

One also wonders as SNP defence spokesman, how many requests has he made to visit Scottish troops stationed in operational areas during his tenure in that post?

How many times has he actually visited Scottish troops when they have been placed in harm's way?

The case for Scottish independence has collapsed entirely, because the SNP leaders aren't fit for purpose, they have spent their time feathering their own nest and operating as a clique. When original thinking was needed, Salmond and Sturgeon hadn't a pool of talent to draw on, they created a 'rat ship', and now they are paying the price for it.

Time for a quote:

"My problem is that I have too many talented people and not enough Cabinet positions".

Alex Salmond.

Where are the plans then?

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Breaking News, Alex Salmond and Scottish Government plan to flee Scotland gears up, practice flights over Glasgow after Salmond gets defeated get go ahead, code name Operation Humiliation

Hacking trial: Andy Coulson found guilty, Tommy Sheridan gets the satisfaction that one of the people who brought him down in politics may face a term in prison, given there are allegedly 3,500 victims, prison seems to be a real possibility for David Cameron’s former director of communications

Dear All

Today is a red letter day for Tommy Sheridan.

The bubbly will pop and the cheers will ring out loud in Cardonald, Glasgow.

Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson who worked for David Cameron has been found guilty of conspiracy to hack phones.

What this also shows is that we live in a corrupt society where people close to the top of the political elite are very much tainted.

Some people think they are above the law.

Coulson was on trial along with others including ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks.

She was cleared of all charges in the phone-hacking trial.

But not Coulson!

The prime minister has apologised and said hiring him was "the wrong decision".

Many people flagged up Coulson but Cameron simply ignored than citing something along the lines of people getting a ‘second chance’.

Coulson wasn’t just any old spad; he went on to become director of communications for the prime minister.

David Cameron’s full sorry ran to:

"I am extremely sorry I employed him. It was the wrong decision and I am clear about that. I take full responsibility for employing Andy Coulson. I did so on the basis of undertakings I was given by him about phone hacking and those turn out not to be the case. I always said that if they turned out to be wrong I would make a full and frank apology and I do that today".

I suppose the next question is will Coulson face a prison sentence?

Given he was found guilty of a charge of conspiracy to intercept voicemails and given there are allegedly 3,500 victims.

A prison sentence cannot be ruled out, this case is a real pity, News International, and News of the World brought some great stories of corruption to the public domain and exposed many people, I suppose it is odd that their last great scoop should be themselves.

Royals, celebrities and victims of crime were among those whose phones were hacked by the News of the World.

News of the World was closed by its parent company, News International, in July 201, many innocent people lost their jobs; all they did was their job.

When it closed after something like 168 years, a great paper closed, ruined by scandal.

What made this story so toxic that it couldn’t be buried was the hacking of the mobile phone of murdered Surrey teenager Milly Dowler in 2002.

When her phone was hacked, her parents were given false hope that she was still alive, the public anger over this ensured that at some stage this would go to trial.

So, where does today leave Tommy Sheridan?

Well happy for a starter, Coulson maybe spending time behind bars, Sheridan may get compensation but on the important issue of him clearing his name, he isn’t out of the woods yet.

Coulson guilt doesn’t clear him.

And the argument; ‘I was exposed by ‘bad’ people; while I was doing ‘bad’, ergo I am innocent’ doesn’t hold water legally, morally or ethnically.

Sheridan confessed to a room full of people, there is video evidence, multiple witnesses in different location unconnected to each other. Even if you subtract the evidence of Coulson, Sheridan’s still stuck. Previously he was told his case is ‘unarguable’ by Appeal judges.

Sheridan’s case in my opinion rests on the fact he doesn’t like the verdict.

Finally, his situation reminds me of this:

Coordinator: Crucifixion?

Prisoner: Yes.

Coordinator: Good. Out of the door, line on the left, one cross each.

[Next prisoner]

Coordinator: Crucifixion?

Mr. Cheeky: Er, no, freedom actually.

Coordinator: What?

Mr. Cheeky: Yeah, they said I hadn't done anything and I could go and live on an island somewhere.

Coordinator: Oh I say, that's very nice. Well, off you go then.

Mr. Cheeky: No, I'm just pulling your leg, it's crucifixion really.

Coordinator: [laughing] Oh yes, very good. Well...

Mr. Cheeky: Yes I know, out of the door, one cross each, line on the left.

And who doesn’t like getting their leg pulled!

Yours sincerely

                          

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University 

Scottish independence: Sir Malcolm Rifkind gets it absolutely right, Alex Salmond isn’t a statesman, world leaders as far as America and China have rejected him as a future world leader, President Obama and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang won’t do business with an utter buffoon

Dear All

Isn't terribly uncanny that sooner or later everyone comes around to the George Laird view?

Sir Malcolm Rifkind said recently that Alex Salmond is not a “statesman”, not that I and Rifkind have anything in common more or less, but on this issue, we seem to be thinking along the same lines.

Alex Salmond is certainly not a statesman.

Salmond's whole approach to independence from the start was entirely wrong; everything which could go wrong was done wrong. Some people might think the rot started at the 'Declaration of Cineworld'.

It didn't!

Well before that event, the seeds of disaster were sown, 'Cineworld' was just a showcase that the Scottish National Party is run as a clique, okay I accept the Scottish Greens and the SSP were there, but they were just window dressing.

Just making up the numbers!  

The technical term is cannon fodder.

Both the Scottish Greens and the SSP probably see this as a vehicle to win support and increase their appeal. Although Patrick Harvie has done well for the Greens in interviews, TV, radio and various debates and panels, it is doubtful, we will be seeing many more Green MSPs anytime soon.

The SSP lead by Colin Fox, well, they are just fucked as a political party, you might as well scrap the entire organisation as being toxic as a political entity. Tommy Sheridan not only managed to wipe them out but also his own party called Solidarity as well. Sheridan at present is working on his resurrection using the independence referendum as a vehicle.

Jesus did a resurrection, Tommy Sheridan won't.

Time for a quote:

"Rather than the A Team, the party rather looked like the GAY Team in nature".

George Laird.

In the not too distant future, Scotland's 'jolly fat man' Alex Salmond will face off against Alistair Darling in a debate.

Rather than build up Alistair Darling as a worthy foe, the SNP MP Pete Wishart decided to tweet that Alistair Darling was only a back bench MP. Pete isn't one of life thinkers, a just a clumsy attempt at passive smearing; and how ungrateful considering Mr. Darling is attempting to save Mr. Wishart's job at Westminster.

On the serious issues of defence, the Scottish National Party has been woeful, although the SNP did a U turn on Nato, they couldn't get their heads round that Faslane needed to remain as a nuclear sub base.

President Obama said it would be better if Scotland remained part of the UK, previouly our American cousins were neutral, saying Faslane would remain a nuclear base would have probably kept the Americans neutral.

Salmond and his unpopular Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon don't do 'big politics' well, actually both are rather poor on the world stage, no one who is a credible world leader is backing them. Even the Chinese Government, the Chinese Government could bring themselves to back Salmond and Sturgeon. Mind you they have a rather big diplomatic branch so they would know that the SNP leaders are a joke.

To return to Nato, which I am a supporter of, even before I was a supporter of the EU, Malcolm Rifkind said SNP claims that Nato would need to accept Scotland as an independent country were unconvincing. The alliance has rules and protocols regarding nuclear weapons which the SNP think is open to debate. How Salmond and Sturgeon thought they could change the rules and still be allowed in is a mystery unto them. 

Sir Malcolm also cited that Nato does not appear to need Ireland, Sweden or Finland, all of whom are outside it. And the truth is that they don't, that said, Nato would be receptive if these countries needed help. And it is highly unlikely that Putin would blunder in there as he did in the Ukraine which has been a political public relations disaster for Russia.

Speaking to the Farmers Club in Edinburgh Sir Malcolm, who was a former Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary also went on to claim Scotland faces “several years” outside the EU.

Article 49, anyone wishing to be a new member must apply and be subject to the rules and regulations plus members have a veto. The matter is straight forward contract law, Scotland doesn't have a contract and leaving the UK means leaving the EU. the SNP leaders tried to mislead the Scottish public by saying automatic membership and some guff about fish off the Scottish coast as sweetener. 

Another disaster touched on by Rifkind was the failure to spell out his currency plan B in the face of Westminster opposition to a deal on sharing the pound; that was entirely Alex Salmond's fault. He and Sturgeon done no work at all to prepare Scotland for an independence bid, two buffoons who want to play at part time politics raking in ministerial salaries.

Sir Malcolm added:

“Scotland needs a statesman at its helm more than ever at this moment of great historic importance.”

Scots have a 'jolly fat man' who thinks he is popular when it was down to a five years council tax freeze!

In reply to be found out as a bunch of buffoons, a Scottish Government spokesman said:

“If Scotland were an ­independent country, EU rules mean that our farmers would have received a 1 billion euro (£800million) bonus in support".

That statement is only true if Scotland was a EU member and the same conditions existed if it was accepted.

This isn't a fact the Scottish Government is stating but it is just an opinion. 

Alex Salmond is not a statesman, this is more and more being brought to the fore As to unpopular Nicola Sturgeon, she decided to play the role of a 'concerned citizen', that like the 'jolly fat man' role used by Salmond is also an act.

How many Scottish people died of cancer because they couldn't get the same cancer drugs available in England Nicola?

Nicola 'cares', but not enough to do her job! Nicola Sturgeon isn't a 'statesman' either, she completely lacks class, vision and stature. As to her 'I'm a civic Nationalist', that is just pathetic, she doesn't support Scots have control of their own country, what kind of independence is that? What gets me is the mugs; that's right, mugs who follow behind her are stupid enough to think she is leading them to freedom.

If you want to see what Sturgeon thinks of democracy, then type in SNP Vote Rigging, then take their names and type in Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon to see if they are connected.

This to me is a clear example that Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon aren't statesmanlike in even the crudest description of the term.

Wouldn't say I am a fan of Sir Malcolm Rifkind but well done that man on getting it right, the George Laird view prevails, mind you it took him long enough.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University 

Scottish independence: Scotland says Naw, new video ad by George Laird, Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon driving too fast to their political death at ballot box, failing to read the signs!

Scottish Independence: Professor Jeremy Peat says that there is ‘No obvious currency choice’, open your eyes, it is staring you in the face, it is called the Scottish pound, SNP don’t want the pound, they want to join the Euro, and that is pretty obvious Professor!

Dear All

One of the fatal errors of the Alex Salmond independence referendum was not to back a Scottish currency which would be pegged to the value of Sterling.

It was a major blunder, in reality how could anyone think it was credible that the United Kingdom would set up a currency zone with Scotland and share the pound. It was a policy that was born out of stupidity and having done no work.

Paying the price now!

I have never believed the Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon that they were supporters of the pound, rather I saw this as a stepping stone into the Euro, they would justify this by means of constant grievance over ‘bad terms’ from Westminster.

Salmond would then step forward and say the Euro is the solution, and present himself as a ‘man of vision’ looking out for Scots.

As well all know, that isn’t the case by a long chalk.

The odd thing is that the ‘joke ‘of currency union which is dead, officially dead is still being touted as having value.

Professor Jeremy Peat, former chief economist for the Royal Bank of Scotland, ex-Treasury and Scottish Office economist, said the Scottish Government’s Plan A of a continuing currency union cannot yet be ruled out.

It has been, perhaps the Professor missed the UK agreement to underwrite all UK debt after Salmond’s threat. That single act, told the political community that No means No!

Professor Jeremy Peat does get it right when he says using sterling without a currency union is seen as “wholly implausible, dangerous and highly unlikely to be optimal”.

That leaves only one sensible option, a Scottish pound.

Or the basket case of ‘dollarisation’, using Sterling without a lender of last resort to bail out the banks in the event of a collapse.

And Peats also says what I said right at the start about the SNP’s future plans, that the euro “might appear desirable in the fullness of time” for Salmond and Sturgeon.

Although he says that there is nothing to stop Scotland establishing its own currency, he rather forgets that there isn’t the political will and there is now no time to float this as an alternative.

Alex Salmond’s time has run out!

As I said previously, all the work done in this Scottish independence campaign has been totally wasted.

Right across the board, everything is meaningless because there is no work done, no vision and no plan.

Peat added on the issue of currency union:

“It is presumably best not to rule this option out until the vote has taken place and some political dust has settled.”

What he fails to grasp is that every party going into the 2015 Westminster election currently having said no will reaffirm that pledge. If the new 2015 Westminster Government broke that pledge they would have made themselves a lame duck government in the eyes of the rest of the UK.

Next election, they would be out of public office.

Nick Clegg lied on tuition fees and sunk his whole party, what does the Professor think will happen to the first party to go against the wishes of the people of the UK who are firmly saying no?

Political meltdown!     

And less we forget, taking Scotland into the Euro would be a disaster of epic proportions, sadly the SNP don’t care what damage they do to achieve their aims.

Recently I read the Scottish Government had reneged on cancer drugs for vulnerable people, I guess we all know what that means!

Game over!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Ukip pull off forming a group at the European Parliament after allegations that David Cameron’s Conservatives had operated a dirty tricks operation to marginalise them, oddly a new Cameron ‘ally’ is a party that is the political enemy of Angela Merkel, how does that play for Cameron needing Merkel’s help on reforms!

Dear All

Ukip did very well in the European elections, even in Scotland, they managed to capture a seat which the Scottish National Party had banked on getting, in an attempt to kick start their failing and ultimately doomed independence campaign.

Face with the threat of being branded ‘racist’ by the SNP, the people of Scotland, and I include myself in that, decided Ukip represented the best possible chance to deny Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon's proxy, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh an MEP spot.

Ms. Ahmed-Sheikh didn't deserve to be an MEP.

And you don't play the race card politics when your candidate is from a minority, I guess some SNP people aren't the 'master strategists' that Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon would have you believe they are.

That is the George Laird view, which incidentally should be the Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh view as well. Ukip did her a favour by default; they afford her the opportunity to learn politics, not out of a book but as an activist.

Ukip went on to become the first party in 100 years to win an election as neither; the government or main opposition party!

It was and is a remarkable achievement by any stretch of the imagination, overall the European election campaign was rather poor I felt by the major parties; they just went through the motions, they had no vision either of a new Europe or a reform one.

At its core, the Ukip approach was to speak out on behalf of the British people over matters of concern that the major parties ignore or at best give lip service too.

Immigration!

The offshoots of that are jobs, schools, housing and social cohesion. 

To the winner go the spoils, sometime the spoils don't seem at first glance to be worth it, Ukip has been in negotiations to form a group in the European Parliament.

Why is this important, well an alliance with at least six other parties is essential in order to attain group status under the rules of Brussels! You might think, so what, Ukip and six other parties are in a group, big deal, well it is a big deal.

Being in a group comes with major political advantages such as membership of key committees. At some point in the EU there will be reform, the current setup with 28 members has had serious problems, even if you were not Eurosceptic, everyone in the club knows this coming, shaping the direction of that new future is important.

One of the changes I wish to see is the EU internal immigration policy.

My policy allows member states in conjunction with the EU to set criteria for an EU citizen to go and work in another member state. The policy would also allow for the removal of an EU citizen if there are breaches of the rules. Free movement of Labour is important, however, this principle is being abused and importantly nothing can be done about it under the current setup.

Other advantages of being in a group under the rules of the EU are priority of speaking rights in the parliament. Speaking time when the big players are in the chamber to present an alternative view point, and substantial grants to hire staff to support the group’s MEPs in the work. The value of research and think tanks cannot be overstated for what is needed to be done now.

If Nigel Farage hadn't managed to pull off setting up a group, Ukip and other parties with a similar view point would have been marginalised in Brussels. He has previously managed to pull off having a group called the Europe of Freedom & Democracy (EFD).

UKIP made great advances in the European elections, no one can dispute that, but politically in other countries so did several other Eurosceptic parties across the continent.

Interestingly, Nigel Farage says that by the Conservative Party has been involved in a 

‘dirty tricks’ operation to try and break up his group by courting its members. On the surface there is nothing wrong in making allies, even new allies. David Cameron keeps talking about reform and has done so for several years. Some of what he says doesn't quite gel together because he appears to be promising things he can't deliver without major help.

Farage says his allies from Finland and Denmark along with others were offered goodness knows what to go and sit with David Cameron’s much reduced band of Conservative MEPs. Oddly, Cameron accepted into his group MEPs from a new Eurosceptic German party, the AfD. I can't say I have heard of them but apparently they are the sworn political enemies of Angela Merkel. Given the influence of Germany in the EU, perhaps this decision may not be as wise as first envisaged. Cameron would need to get Merkel onboard for his platform of change in Europe. In truth, the Conservative Party rank and file has never been fully in love with Europe even although it was Ted Heath who led Britain into the EU in the early days of the 1970's.

Although things are going well for Ukip, and they deserve their success, they need to wake up and smell the coffee as well, they just cannot be a party of protest, they have to engage in the EU reform process and in a meaningful way. It is not enough to just complain because people get tired and drift away from listening to you. if played properly this could help strengthen Ukip as a political force not just in Europe but also domestically in the UK for both Westminster and Holyrood elections.

Politics in Europe could possibly be interesting again over the next few years, how Nigel Farage and Ukip play it will certainly be worth watching.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence: ‘Bought and sold for English Gold’, ‘bought and sold for Punjabi Gold’, Alex Salmond and unpopular Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s indy campaign is a massive political fraud, working class volunteers are being used as cheap labour so he and his cronies can live a life of luxury, get wise, get angry and get out!

Dear All

Alex Salmond, Scotland's 'jolly fat man' is in my opinion a con man.

If you look at the Scottish independence campaign, you can't have failed to notice that it has been sabotaged by the Alex Salmond Party leader who controls the Scottish National Party.

Anyone involved in the campaign who is working class is being used as a form of cheap labour, Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon have as I been saying for some time been running a massive political fraud.

The fraud is not just on the people of Scotland, no; these two are also doing it on their own SNP members.

The 'workies' have been conned stupid, they aren't working for independence, but that is what they think they are doing, they are working to secure Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon's positions in the party.

The members are there, not to support a political cause, they are there to be a cheap labour pool to serve a clique who benefit financially by playing at being Nationalists. Much in the same way that kids play 'cowboys and Indians' or 'pirates' or 'soldiers'.

All the work done; and I do mean all the work done has been a complete waste of time, money and energy.

What Alex Salmond really wants is devo max, with Westminster as a fall back position to come like the Calvary over the hill and do the 'thinking' for him while he toss scraps to the Scottish people and talks about 'destiny', 'self evident truth' and other meaningless bankrupt pish.

He then gets to 'play the blame game' of grudge, grievance and malcontent, shouting loudly about outrages from England. I read somewhere that Alex Salmond was supposed to being kept up all night because of things like nuclear weapons. I thought to myself at the time, what a load of shit that is, the vainest man in Scottish politics is worrying about nuclear weapons.

Notice him campaigning much around the World on that topic?

No?

Must be too busy parking his 'lard arse' in 5 star hotels while at home, people are dying because unpopular Nicola Sturgeon ruined the Scottish health service, pick a grievance, there a ton she left behind because Nicola's "too busy".

Not too busy enough to stop by the bank and unload from the ATM machine. 

Awhile ago, I saw a picture of unpopular Nicola Sturgeon sitting beside Jude Law at Wimbledon watching the tennis. Nothing unusual about that you might think, but it wasn't the fact she was sitting there which perked my interest, I thought to myself at the time, she keeps going on about "injustice" done against the Scots.

But there she is sitting happily with what the SNP says are our 'oppressors'. Yes, it seems that 'social justice campaigner' Nicola and 'our Alex' really like the trappings of wealth and privilege. I would be tempted to say at this point, 'bought and sold for English Gold', but that would be totally unfair!

Two tennis tickets probably each with a plus one I would say would do the trick.

It is now abundantly clear and getting clearer with every passing day that the SNP leadership has sold out, I am not saying they sold out their principles, I don't believe they have any. Pick your example, SNP Vote Rigging or maybe Campbell Gunn. Some people seem to think that the phrase 'bought and sold for Punjabi Gold' has currency in the SNP as hard working members are overlooked for people who appear to be of benefit to secure votes for unpopular Nicola Sturgeon in Glasgow Southside.

Why is it that so may non Scots around Nicola Sturgeon support Scottish independence when in a previous life they were firmly against it and the SNP leadership?

Money and position.

People like Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, ex Labour and ex Tory Westminster Candidate for sunny Govan and enthusiastic race card player, I wonder if she knows that an Asian man was abused by Pollok SNP Candidate selection by one of Nicola's 'pals', Shona McAlpine? So, who stood up for this Asian man when he was getting badly treated?

Was it Chris Stephens, the SNP's 'Mr Fail for the Westminster, Holyrood and European Parliaments', the 'go to guy' to lose an election. No, that night he must have been like Alex Salmond worried sick about nuclear weapons when McAlpine was shouting her lungs out.

No, it was George Laird, I tend to speak out when I see an injustice that actually is an injustice, it didn't matter if this guy wasn't the best candidate, he deserved an equal chance to make his pitch. He didn't get it; Shona McAlpine who works for Muslim List MSP Humza Yousaf poisoned the well for him.

Back to wee Eck, he looks to me to be the type of lower middle class guy who gets a taste of wealth and privilege and is then dazzled by people who have a few quid. I mean who could forget the sickening spectacle of Alex Salmond sucking up to Rupert Murdoch?

It was like watching Gollum out of Lord of the Rings, 'master wants the precious'. The precious in this case is an endorsement from Murdoch and the Sun Newspaper group.

What Salmond is doing at present and probably wanting is an enhanced form of devolution with the add on that the SNP pat themselves in the back and say the SNP leadership knew all along that it was going to be a no vote but they 'tricked' the unionists, after they get defeated.

Sheer pish which will be spun to the gullible!

Salmond and Sturgeon are interested in staying power, don't get sidetracked by all the rubbish they spout, bottom line, they aren't in it for the people of Scotland, just themselves and their nasty vile clique. Salmond may have pulled the wool over the eyes of Braveheart crowd by making the right noises but as Meg Ryan demonstrated in 'When Harry met Sally', it can be faked!

This campaign is all about Salmond maintaining his and his party’s grip on power in Bute House, St Andrew’s House and Holyrood.

Power without direction, the electorate bought off with a few quid off their council tax bills while the SNP clique pursues their own little personal agendas advancing their various causes that have nothing to do with Nationalism.

That is what is going on in the Scottish National Party.

It isn't about making people's lives better, it isn't about a better more tolerant Scotland, it isn't about righting injustices, it isn't about equality, or fairness or social justice, they're all just punch lines and buzzwords to get suckers to vote SNP under Salmond and Sturgeon's leadership.

Vote SNP and get an ignoramus or a dullard or an outright idiot.    

  

This is an independence campaign in name only, independence isn't on offer, keep the pound, keep the Queen, join the EU without consulting the people, destroy the BBC and have the UK Financial Services Authority to continue to oversee Scotland’s financial institutions, including the banks.

On the issue of Nato, the SNP did a U turn, Englishman Angus Robertson, who does an impression of a Scotsman complete with a tartan scarf, pushed through this sudden conversion. Although that policy needed changed because it was backward, the SNP leadership didn't go the full road and back a pro Nuclear Faslane to continue as a sub base. Angus Robertson presumably dreams of being a Defence Minister in an independent Scotland, if Salmond even got it and defaulted on the share of the UK debt because of no currency union, Robertson better cut down trees and start making spears, bows and arrows because there won't be any defence assets or an army to call on.

One well trained army that is in place, is the cybernats, when they wake up to the fact that Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon have conned them, treated them like mugs and failed to deliver, they will know that the Scottish National Party is nothing more than a sham and they should get out while the going is good. Some people need to learn the hard way!

Or some people just read the George Laird blog.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University