Tuesday, January 31, 2017

People are being manipulated over Trump immigration ban, the time to educate yourself on national and international issues is now, take back your power, take back your vote, President Donald Trump Will Stop H1-B Visa Abuse By Multinational Corporations

Swift and Presidential; Donald Trump sacks his acting attorney general Sally Yates, a relic of the Obama administration as she refuses to execute his executive order on for an immigration ban, as minority groups line up fight Trump, polling shows that 57% of Americans support his actions, upcoming Court action should rule in favour of his actions















Dear All

Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States of America; he is also a President who faces a rocky road from day one of assuming the Oval Office. America’s liberal elite want rid of him and are set to challenge him at every turn using the law and in one case ‘fake tears’.

The fake tears coming from Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer who started to get ‘upset’ by an immigration travel ban.

I wonder is there evidence of him crying or making a fuss when President Obama dropped 100,000 bombs on countries in the Middle East?

Here is the Youtube video of the ‘Crying Game’.


Feel free to virtue signal if you want to your family, close friends, work comrades and the public in the street.

As the Trump executive order came into force, their has been a fund raising drive by the American Civil Liberties Union which has raised $24 million since Saturday morning and added more than 150,000 new members.

Another group to join the bandwagon and go legal is American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), they have also filed their legal case against what it terms the "Muslim Exclusion Order".

The anti Trump brigade has decided to use to the Constitution to and cite that the ban is going against the First Amendment of the Constitution.


If that is the case that these people are basing their point and going to the Supreme Court then they will lose. They will lose because the Trump immigration ban is not about religion; it is about people from seven countries regardless of religion. US Government lawyers will also cite in evidence the executive order which makes no reference to religion and also cite precedents of the past.

Actions of the Obama Administration!

The actions of Trump mirror the actions of Obama, the American Civil Liberties Union nor anyone else it seemed ran to the Courts to complain when Obama pushed his Bill through Congress.

While it is true that the Trump immigration ban affects Muslims, it also affects Christians and people of other faiths and none.

In a show of disloyalty, acting attorney general Sally Yates refused to uphold the ban, she was appointed by Barack Obama; she ordered justice department lawyers not to enforce the president's executive order off her own bat.

After leading the ‘rebellion’, Ms. Yates was promptly fired by President Donald Trump which was the right thing to do, I would have done the same thing as Trump. The Trump administration was quick to condemn her in a White House statement they accused Ms Yates of "betraying" the justice department and being "weak on borders".

The Trump crowd need to get better PR people who recognise who to turn a mountain into a molehill.

Ms. Yates’ replacement is Dana Boente, US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia who steps up to the plate, he said he was "honoured to serve President Trump" and immediately directed his new department to enforce the controversial order.

One out and one in, it seems that Ms. Yates wasn’t the ‘indispensable man’ and tripped up over her ego going out the door.

What I find laughable was Ms. Yates had no problem when Barack Obama was doing the same thing but suddenly grew a conscience when Donald Trump followed the same lead as Obama.

Did Ms. Yates act the same when Obama was ruling the roost?

Or, is she a newly discovered activist?

So, what now?

The World will continue to turn, Ms. Yates will not be a news story, her gesture is meaningless and perhaps someone should keep an eye open how long it takes her to find another job.

Some people have a habit of shouting the odds and being ‘radical’ on the way out the door because they have something else lined up.

As Ms. Yates was an Obama Administration holdover, she was due for replacement anyway.

Also what seems to be a ‘campaign’ of sorts, 100 career state department officials has condemning the immigration action as un-American in a letter, no such letter exists of them protesting the Obama Administration for doing the exact same thing. In fact, the same 100 career state department officials were noticeably quiet when 100,000 US bombs were dropped on the Middle East by the Obama Administration.

Finally, the new U.S. attorney Dana Boente has a reputation for being tough but even-handed, it seems that Ms. Yates fell on her rubber sword to only find out that she had been replaced by the ‘better man’.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University  

Monday, January 30, 2017

The Truth About Trump's 'Muslim Ban', once you learn the truth, you can see how other people are manipulating you for their own ends, always check for yourself and make sure what you are told is factual

800,000 people petition to get the State visit of President Donald Trump cancelled after the US bring in their immigration ban, the regressive left plan to hold protests in London and several UK cities, do you know who selected the seven countries affected, President Barack Hussein Obama, the left call it a “Muslim” ban to manipulate public opinion


















Dear All

When Donald Trump got elected, there were a lot of angry people who didn’t want to see him as the 45th President of the United States of America. The American people had a choice to make between Trump and Clinton; Hillary Clinton in my opinion had too much baggage and doubts against her.

Donald Trump was the obvious choice and he won the election as me and other commentators went against the mainstream media, and political Elites choice to declare for Trump.

The Trump immigration ban was long trialled in his campaign, the exclusion of all people from 7 countries which are linked to terrorism is a blunt instrument but this isn’t the first time in US history were people from a majority Muslim country have been banned from entering the US.

Trump isn’t breaking new ground here.

Do you know who flagged up the seven countries selected?

President Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States of America.

The regressive left are calling this a 'Muslim ban', but it isn't, all people regardless of faith in the seven countries are seeing their applications suspended by the US.

Commentators have said that the people reacting to Trump’s "Muslim ban" are some of the same people who didn’t say a word when President Obama was bombing in the Middle East.

What is worse; an immigration ban or bombing in the Middle East which kills men, women and children?

I think the latter but having said that innocent people have been affected by the immigration ban which was rushed through without being proper thought-out to how this would work in practice.

The ban has seen innocent people being discriminated against purely because they are from one of the seven countries that have been singled out by the ban. The World is truly global and the US is a transit point which airlines use as they operate their services.

If the US administration chose to operate an immigration ban, that is their business and something for them to work out. One thing about Trump is that he isn’t paralysed by the dogma which affects European politicians who have destroyed the fabric of Europe by failing to deal with the migrant crisis and the subsequent terrorism which followed on the back of it.

In the stroke of a pen, Donald Trump also banned refugees from the seven countries.

Europe has seen politicians afraid to act in the national interest because they are all tied into the same political correctness stance which brands them a racist of they step out of the consensus political bubble.

Like it or not Donald Trump is getting things done, however, his methods are a bit crude and rushed.  

As the immigration ban came into force in the US, the regressive left has tried to whip up support against the US President calling for him to be sanctioned, this is gesture politics, the same people were silent when President Barack Hussein Obama was doing the same thing. Why, because in the eyes of the regressive left, Obama is okay, he is on their team.

The petition to ban Trump from a UK State visit has a certain kind of amusement value to it, because protests will have no affect whatsoever on the decision whether to allow a State visit.

I understand that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said the State visit should be cancelled but he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of changing UK Government’s mind. One thing that Jeremy Corbyn is bad at is foreign affairs, and this is an area that he needs to work on if he is to present himself as a credible leader to win the Office of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Some times quiet diplomacy can work better than meaningless ‘student politics’ stunts, personally I don’t do demos or the meaningless political gestures myself, I find them to be unproductive as history has shown. I would also hazard a guess that trying to tinker in US domestic politics will backfire but perhaps there might be room to manoeuvre on the immigration ban which is counterproductive in how it operates.

The Donald Trump petition and all the rallies planned in the UK, the collection of 500,000 signatures to stop UK state visit by Trump are meaningless but if people want to do it, then let them go ahead and protest.

The petition cites that ‘Donald Trump’s well documented misogyny and vulgarity’ is reason enough to disqualify him from being received by Her Majesty the Queen or the Prince of Wales.

It reads:

“Donald Trump should be allowed to enter the UK in his capacity as head of the US Government but he should not be invited to make an official State Visit because it would cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen”.

Having been in the Army during WW2, I think we can be fairly certain that her Majesty the Queen; and the rest of her family who have served in the military also have certainly heard vulgarity in their time.

Prime Minister Theresa May came under pressure to condemn Mr Trump’s immigration policy; personally I don’t think she will be making an issue of it, and I don’t think the policy will be getting stopped but there is a case for it being modified.

The case for the policy being modified is the battle ground that those concerned about the innocent affected by this should be fought on; sadly, it rather looks like there isn’t a lot of interest in trying to find solutions to what could be done.

Ironically, the people who condemn Donald Trump are the same people who hailed President Obama, his foreign policy endeavours saw a lot of innocent people dead, maimed or displaced in the Middle East.

I have kept repeating what President Obama did while in Office as it is important to understand the contrast between him and Trump.

Once you take the time to research what has been said and written to ascertain the facts on the immigration ban, you will be truly enlightened instead of others trying to use you for their own ends.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Friday, January 27, 2017

Star Wars, the Millennium Falcon travelling to the Hoth system - A George Laird Production

A true man of the people: former Labour MP Tam Dalyell dies at 84 years old after a short illness, he will be remembered for the "West Lothian Question" but his real legacy is his dedication to public service and making people’s lives better, he was one of the last of the Scottish political giants

















Dear All

There seems to be a decline in Scotland of what passes the benchmark of a great politician but one of the people who scored above the mark was Tam Dalyell.

Tam Dalyell was a former Labour MP who gained fame for posing what became known as the "West Lothian Question".


The "West Lothian Question" concerns what the role of Scottish MPs would be after the establishment of the Scottish parliament. This question maybe making a comeback as the question of should there be a federal UK, if that issue becomes live then the role of Scottish MPs would be further restricted to foreign affairs and defence. Toss in English votes for English laws and a Scottish MP in Westminster is nothing more than an interested spectator who gets to occasionally play.

Tam Dalyell died at the age of 84 after a short illness, we shouldn’t forget that he had made an enormous contribution and "devoted his life" to public service, something which is entirely lacking in much of the political class in Scotland at present. Public service effectively ended in Scotland decades ago as the Blair years started, it was the tipping point which brought in the ineffective political representatives which we know today and which people power has removed in part.

Scotland’s journey to get political representation isn’t over; there is a long way to go to get back to where we need to be …… public service.

Tam Dalyell family said:

"Tam Dalyell devoted his life to public service in Scotland, in the UK, and beyond. He made an enormous contribution in many spheres. He will be much missed both publicly, and more importantly personally, by his family and many friends."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mr Dalyell had been a "good friend and comrade".

He added:

"Tam was a titan of parliamentary scrutiny, fearless in pursuit of the truth. From Iraq to the miners' strike, he doggedly fought to expose official wrongdoing and cover-ups. "The title of his autobiography summed Tam up to a tee: 'The Importance of Being Awkward.' But he was much more than that: Tam was an outstanding parliamentarian, a socialist and internationalist, and a champion of the underdog, here and abroad."

Tam Dalyell was elected to the House of Commons in 1962, his career is a shining example a politician needs to challenge the status quo and not simply go along with it or put on an act that they are railing against it as some people do.  

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said:

"For four decades, Tam Dalyell was one of the truly great characters of Scottish political life.
"He was widely respected and admired for his insight, his integrity and his eloquence. My thoughts are with his family.”

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said:

"The Labour movement has lost a giant. Tam Dalyell was one of the most influential MPs, writers and thinkers of his generation. Tam served the people of West Lothian tirelessly for decades through periods of great change. He truly was their champion. As Father of the House his wisdom was passed on to countless MPs, serving as a parliamentarian while Britain had eight Prime Ministers”.

She added:

"A man of peace and a man of principle, his legacy will live on in the Commons for decades to come. Our thoughts are with his family and many friends at this time."

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson added:

"Tam Dalyell will be remembered as one of this country's greatest ever campaigning MPs.
"Throughout his long career, he championed a countless array of causes, giving voice to people who otherwise would not have been heard. He was unique - thoughtful, gracious, decent and utterly tenacious. All political parties today will mourn his loss while celebrating a great political life."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said:

"Tam Dalyell was one of those huge political characters who will leave an even bigger impression on public life well beyond his life."

When the history of Scotland’s politician class is written an updated Tam Dalyell will go down as a brilliant parliamentarian.

What made him brilliant was the ability to follow a simple concept, be first and foremost, a representative of people and ensure that the government is accountable to the people through parliament.

Scotland is poorer for the loss of Tam Dalyell and equally sad is that people of his calibre are few and far between.

For his family, this is a difficult time but they should take comfort that his work and life will be celebrated and remembered, he done a great job as a public servant because he wanted to make a difference.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University  

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

The Personal humiliation of Nicola Sturgeon: UK Supreme Court ruling means the SNP government are irrelevant in the process of Brexit, SNP Minister Mike Russell attempts to move the news agenda on by claiming and accusing UK Government of 'lying', yesterday was highly significant as Sturgeon shown to be impotent and a fantasist
















Dear All

Here is a laugh; Holyrood Brexit Minister Mike Russell has accused UK Government of 'lying', this is from a man who betrayed his wife, and is also accused of being a liar himself. The internet is the wonder of the modern age, if it makes it into the public domain, it is there forever online.


This story is above is par for the course with the SNP, a party which is unfit for government and morally bankrupt, Mike Russell told EU officials the party had discussed a separate Brexit deal for Scotland with officials in Madrid. After he made the claim it was quickly and vehemently denied by the Spanish Government. 

Due to the domestic political situation in Spain, there is no danger that the Spanish would back anything like this or indeed sit down and discuss it with the SNP.

The SNP like to claim that there is a great ground swell for a second independence referendum but the reality is that support is dropping; the high water mark has been reach and the tide of SNP incompetence and lies like sewage is rather putting people off.

People are sick of referendums in Scotland, a new vote if you go by the utterings of Alex Salmond could happen as early as 2019, however, the SNP might want to hedge their bets by trying to get a second question on the ballot paper which either will be a home rule or federalism option.

Stay tuned…… federalism is coming down the line but the wider population of Scots don’t know it yet. Have a think about this, David Cameron gets in 2010, he then starts to talk about trade being expanded with the Commonwealth, Brexit happens and in 2017, there is talk about …….  trade being expanded with the Commonwealth.

This is why you should pay attention to what is being said and who says it in politics, while Cameron talked about trade; the military was upgrading military bases along the trade routes. You might now have an idea that long term planning is involved to get the public onside for possible change.

So, as I mentioned, keep an ear to the ground bout federalism, and who is promoting it, a clue maybe the entry to Holyrood of Adam Tomkins, he is a Constitutional expert and Professor of Law.

Yesterday Nicola Sturgeon got well and truly spanked down at the UK Supreme Court as the court ruled that she had no business sticking her nose into reserved issues. The case yet again highlighted an age old Scottish problem, the SNP are ‘dafties’. The case will be reported on the international stage and once again, the SNP have lost a case at the highest court in the land.

Nicola Sturgeon is a serial embarrassment to Scotland.

Sturgeon’s Brexit sidekick fares no better in accusing the UK Government of lying, the integrity or the plain lack of it readily on show, the notion of building bridges is alien to the SNP because at their core they can rise above acting like……. little shits!

The lack of integrity just lowered relations between London and Edinburgh and is set to continue and further deteriorate because the SNP narrative is that this is Scots against the English under the term Westminster. The bottom line is to foster a racist hate of the English while at the same time saying the SNP welcome all.

It reminds me of a quote:

‘How noble the individual, how wretched the nation as a whole’.

In this case, 45% of the Scottish population who voted in 2014 have been made wretched by the SNP; they placed their faith in a party which is a vacuum.

When I hear calls mount for a second independence referendum, my immediate thought is what phoney little SNP run group acting as ‘civic’ Scotland is behind this rubbish.

And it is rubbish.

Scotland’s Brexit minister Michael Russell said the SNP government had already decided the turf on which a second referendum would be fought, the trouble with that statement is that the opposition don’t have to fight on the SNP chosen battlefield.

And let us be clear Nicola Sturgeon may ‘call’ for a second referendum but she has no authority to hold one, the SNP lie is that them calling for one equals authority, it doesn’t.

The SNP have no more authority to call one than your next door neighbour, think about that for a hot second!

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said:

“We need the Scottish Government to be engaging positively to help secure the best possible settlement for Scotland and the UK. Instead, we have a minister who would rather hurl insults from the sidelines. Mike Russell is lumbering from one unevidenced accusation to the next, and is only causing embarrassment to himself and his party in the process.”

Today’s story by Mike Russell is a sham, it is a fake news item to move the agenda on from the significance of what happened in the UK Supreme Court, to clarify that for you, the Court effectively ruled that Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP are irrelevant in the Brexit process, they hold no weight, no authority and a merely interested partners much like voyeurs peeking behind a curtain.

Yesterday was personal humiliation for Nicola Sturgeon.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University 

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Scotland dodges the SNP bullet; Nicola Sturgeon is fast becoming a ridiculous spectacle as she pushes for a separate immigration policy for Scotland, SNP want to foster an unworkable policy on Scots which will harm and limit their access to jobs, housing, health care and access to education
















Dear All

There is a saying in Court when you are the defence, never ask a question you don’t already know the answer to, if you do you risk sinking your client because at that point you no longer control the narrative.

Scotland’s unpopular SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is a lawyer, she also isn’t very bright, in her continual search for grievance; she and the SNP have floated the idea of a separate immigration policy for Scotland.

Basically she is asking for something which she cannot get and to ask in the first place is incredibly stupid.

When you keep asking for things you can’t get you become irrelevant in the eyes of the public, failure is no criteria for continuing as leader. To show that her failures are being noticed in the Nationalist circles, a former SNP leader Gordon Wilson says that the SNP need to stop the ‘pointless posturing’ on Brexit. Gordon Wilson has also said Scotland needed “a reality check” about how weak its negotiating hand with London had become since the 2014 referendum. By Scotland, he really is talking about the SNP leadership who he commented on as needing a ‘reality check’.

No one is to blame for the weakness of Scotland’s position in the UK except Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP. Her petty stupid games within Holyrood and Westminster has shown the party is just a protest group, who find themselves with the reins of power.

Power that they don’t understand and don’t know how to use.

So; why can’t there be a separate immigration policy for Scotland?

If you leave aside the reserve issue, the real problem is that a hard border would need to be established between Scotland and England, and it would cause division, and Westminster wouldn’t entry into playing grievance politics. Giving the SNP control of immigration would also cause security issues and open a highway for illegal immigration into England from Europe.

Regardless whether Scotland was independent or not, a unified controlled system of co-operation would be in the best interests of everyone. But, the SNP don’t see that or indeed do co-operation.

There is no trust between Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP and Westminster, never existed before and doesn’t exist now, forget the leaders posing for the cameras, it’s a front of false unity.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd ruling out a separate immigration policy for Scotland said introducing different rules “would complicate the immigration system, harming its integrity” and cause problems for businesses.

Harming its integrity is code for security concerns, un-vetted economic immigrants claiming to be asylum seekers who maybe ISIS terrorists seeking a foot hold in the UK.

To condemn the Westminster approach which is entirely sensible, SNP MP Tommy Sheppard said the move as foolhardy and accused Ms Rudd of showing both arrogance and complacency.

Sheppard is a comedian and his credentials to be an MP and see the big picture are in my opinion a tad weak.

Kezia Dugdale recently backed a separate immigration policy for Scotland when I read she had done so, my immediate thoughts were…. Not another disastrous appeasement move to attempt to win back the disillusioned working class Labour voters who left to vote for independence and thereafter vote for the SNP.

Here is a question for Kezia Dugdale, do unemployed Scots want more competition for jobs, housing, health care and access to education?

Are they willing to sacrifice all of the above for diversity?

If she thinks the answer is yes, she is deluded and will kill off the Labour Party in Scotland for decades, if she thinks the answer is no, then what the hell is she thinking proposing something as stupid as this in the first place?

Here is an interesting video which conveys a mood, it isn’t Scotland; it is from someone in Austria.


I put this on a previous post yesterday but I really want viewers to watch it and then make their own minds up.

Back to Sturgeon, and her dead duck thinking, to continue flogging a dead horse on immigration was a sham, there is no political mileage in it, especially when Scottish Secretary David Mundell, and Immigration Minister Robert Goodwill have already ruled out the Scottish Government having separate powers over immigration. It seems as other commentators have noticed the SNP record is stuck, and needs to move on.

The Home Secretary said:

“Immigration remains a reserved matter and we will consider the needs of the UK. Applying different immigration rules to different parts of the UK would complicate the immigration system, harming its integrity and cause difficulties for employers who need the flexibility to deploy their staff over the UK.”

To show how bad relations have become between the SNP and Westminster Government the Home Secretary suggested the Scottish Government would be able to attract more immigrants if it improved its health and education services.

This is a clear dig at the epic failures of the SNP in government over a decade where the standards under the Nationalists are falling, Scots kids being failed, our health service in crisis in multiple areas of expertise.

Rudd added:

“Immigrants will come to a place where they see an improving education system, an improving health system and perhaps the SNP should spend more time on applying itself to those important issues rather than constitutional ones.”

The SNP leadership of Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon have neglected the ‘day job’ since 2012.

2012 is when they abandoned their desks to chase Scottish independence and look how that turned out, they went on a series of other failures, most notably on Brexit and Trump getting both spectacularly wrong.

Failing to deliver a separate immigrations policy for Scotland is Scotland dodging a bullet, the only comfort is that Nicola Sturgeon is such a bad shot we have been saved from harm ……… this time might not be so lucky down the line unless we get rid of the SNP leadership from power.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University  

Monday, January 23, 2017

Elect George Laird for the Pollok Ward 2017, elect an indy councillor

Boring, boring, boring; Failed SNP Minister Mike Russell says Indy campaigners could make 'winning progress' in another vote, the tired old broken record and musings of a clapped out political party bereft of ideas and vision is ‘inevitable’ but unwelcome, Scotland has moved passed Nicola Sturgeon, didn't she get the memo?
















Dear All

Just recent Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond said that Scotland will split from the UK by the end of decade.

This is the same fool that said:

Scotland will be independent in 2014

Scotland would have a second Oil boom

Scotland would be the Saudi Arabia of renewables

The basis on his claim is hinged on a 50 page cobbled together piece of crap to keep Scotland in the single market.

The real reason for the document is to say ‘everything will be better with independence’. In other words, this is a gigantic con trick to try and salvage the careers of the SNP leadership, you see having marched his army up to the top of the hill; he had to march them down again.

The SNP single market document was always going to be rejected, and here is my take on how life will possibly unfold over the next few years. Nicola Sturgeon has to resign as First Minister in 2018, this creates a crisis and Holyrood has to hold elections. If the SNP cannot win a majority of the seats in their own right then they cannot get a mandate for a second independence vote. Think back to what David Cameron said in interviews for him granting a Section 30 order, the SNP had a majority, not that Holyrood had a majority of Yes.

If the SNP cannot create the perfect storm, they cannot get a majority in their own right in Holyrood, Theresa May will not grant a Section 30 order. This then leaves Nicola Sturgeon up a creek without a paddle, once the screaming dies down, the reality sets in.

A majority in their own right in Holyrood, nothing less is the benchmark, Patrick Harvie’s Scottish Greens jumping on the bandwagon is meaningless, claims of this being undemocratic are also meaningless, in this case precedence demands that Sturgeon means the criteria of the 2011 Holyrood win.

Support for the SNP is dropping, scandals and incompetent government are taking their toll, however, this doesn’t mean an exodus back to Scottish Labour; they are set to lose control of councils and seats in May’s election. Glasgow City Council is now under a serious threat, even within Labour’s ranks they seem resigned to defeat and the loss of the city.

As part of the drive to say that there will be a second independence vote, the SNP and others are using a word….. ‘inevitable’. The latest non SNP ally being former Labour First Minister Henry McLeish who pops up to mouth this off on TV and in the printed press like a jack in the box!

To keep the momentum going, we have failed ex Education Minister and current failed Brexit “Minister” Mike Russell saying that Independence campaigners could make 'winning progress' in another vote.

If he thinks that there will be a boost from Theresa May's plans for a so-called 'hard Brexit'; he is entirely wrong. Uncontrolled immigration has destroyed the social cohesion of Europe; the far right is making serious gains right across Europe. The SNP and others who have bought into the failed European project are basing their hope on a public being ignorant.

I found an interesting video, this is from the Austrian Identitarian Movement which tackles the dogma of diversity and why you are not allowed to question it. 


Europe is changing, the view of the political elite is out of step with the people just as the view of the political elite was out of step in America which ushered in Donald Trump as 45th President of the US. As Nicola Sturgeon tries to hitch her political star to the EU, their star is failing dramatically, if Marine Le Pen gets in as French President, you might find a vote for EU exit in France. A similar situation could also happen in the Netherlands if Geert Wilders gets into power, what then for Europe?

Scotland's Brexit minister Michael Russell is flogging a dead horse, like in the past, the SNP are trying to use other people’s grievance to rally support to them like they did in the past with CND, the republicans and others.

It didn’t work then; won’t work now!

Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP have been issuing threats of indyref 2 for sometime but their bluff has been called now which has led to some back pedalling by the SNP with Alex Salmond as the loose cannon mouthing off on the sidelines.

Michael Russell said that "clock is ticking" on the Brexit issue and accepting the SNP’s 50 page plan, it was already rejected before a single word was typed on a page, the entire premise was wrong.

Brexit is basically simple, either we are in or we are out, and out means all out, not part out, not a big bit down south out, not a special deal in Scotland in. The SNP know that they are trying to hoodwink Scots, this is about grievance, the tiresome grievance that will eventually lead to a breakaway centre right nationalist party being formed in Scotland which will not operate along the discredited ‘civic nationalism’ lines.

The only thing which is ‘inevitable’ about the SNP’s Brexit plans is that they will fail, fail to be enacted, failed to garner support and fail to stop the slide in the SNP vote no matter how many kids Nicola Sturgeon starts hugging.

It is getting near that time when Nicola Sturgeon will have kids put in her arms as part of the SNP PR stage managed routine that she is likeable and create an impression that she has the interests of families at heart.

Finally, please take the time to recognise that the SNP claims outlandish in nature are the equivalent of fake news to dominate the news agenda, as such they are just meaningless and hot air.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University  

Friday, January 20, 2017

Defying the leader, defying a three line whip; Labour MP Ian Murray says he is going to defy Jeremy Corbyn and vote against triggering Brexit countdown, the Labour Party need to stamp out the dissent by the PLP by making an example of some MPs, Ian Murray and Mike Gapes should have the whip removed for the rest of this parliament



















Dear All

Culls are useful political tool to reset a party where the elected MPs have gone rogue, although dissent is healthy in the political eco-system, there comes a point where effective management dictates a cull.

There are many Labour MPs who don’t like Jeremy Corbyn, the last leadership election solved nothing but some have jumped ship to the private sector. Those that have jumped ship are no loss to the party.

If you have spent anytime watching the ‘civil war’ in Labour you are aware how unhealthy this is for the party. At present there are two Labour Parties operating, the Blair version, a clone of the Conservatives and the momentum version which has Corbyn as the leader.

At some point things will come to ahead and that means momentum candidates challenging the Blair faction for seats.

It is said that some Labour MPs could vote against the leadership on Brexit, in effect defying Corbyn but also the public. The Labour Party is in dire straits, people want a Labour Party back which stands up for working class people. The vanguard of the working class people are the working class, this however has been taken over in the party by the middle class.

The result has led to the collapse of Labour as graphically seen in Scotland.

I hope that dozens of Labour MPs do go against the party's leadership if there is a vote on starting the Brexit process. Let these people show their true colours, let the people see them as they really are, out from the shadows and into the cold light of day.

Then people can understand why the Labour Party members must chose new MP candidates.

Jeremy Corbyn has said all his MPs will be told to approve the triggering of Article 50 because they should accept the result of last year's referendum. This is what leadership is all about, focus on a direction of travel, sadly the middle class ‘rebels’ don’t want this, they want a middle class clone of the Conservatives offering people no real choice.

In June's referendum, 51.9% of voters backed leaving the EU, while 48.1% supported remaining in the 28-nation group, it was a tough fight, a small band of people including myself fought the good fight with hardly any time, money or resources.

And we won!

The victory was very much a people’s victory, it was a statement that sovereignty must return to the British people from the unelected and anti democratic elite of the EU who are bring European countries to their knees in their drive to create a European Super state.

Corbyn has said:

"I have made it very clear that the Labour Party accepts and respects the decision of the British people. We will not block Article 50."

The problem with that statement is that although Corbyn has the backing of his part of the party, the other side don’t agree with between 60 and 80 of the party's MPs ready to defy the leadership if there is a vote in Parliament. If these Labour MPs defy a three-line whip then every one involved should be suspended and barred from standing again as a candidate at any level within the Labour Party.

This is the real test which Jeremy Corbyn must pass if the Labour Party is to go forward as a party.

Labour's Mike Gapes has been outspoken in his criticism of Corbyn in the past, told the Ilford Recorder he would not be toeing the party line.

I would have him suspended pending an investigation, if his comments are true, I would remove the whip from him for the rest of this parliament without a second thought.

There is a pain barrier which the Labour Party needs to go through, in Scotland; the sole Labour MP Ian Murray is said to going to Jeremy Corbyn and vote against triggering Brexit countdown. Murray is an ally of Kezia Dugdale, her leadership is looking less secure as momentum fully intend to get rid of her as soon as possible.

Ian Murray should be suspended pending investigation; the Labour Party cannot tolerate him defying a three-line whip. Once suspended this will send a clear message to the Blair faction, you are there to serve the party and the leader to ensure the return of a Labour Government. Clearly what Murray is doing is undermining the party and the leadership, Labour must get rid of him.

It is funny, when you start getting rid of people, other people start to ‘wise up’, they start asking themselves questions, questions like can I pay the mortgage, will I be able to get another job, will I be able to pay the bills and put food on the table.

As a justification, Labour MP Mike Gapes cites:

"I will show the same loyalty he did when he voted, 500 times, against the Labour whip under successive party leaders. The people of Britain did not vote to become poorer and I will not vote in favour of any deal that would see us leave the single market."

He has overstepped the mark, not on his comments about Corbyn defying the whip but him defying the national interest of the British people.

If he wants to be ‘principled’ he can go join the unemployment queue and take his chances on JSA.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Nicola Sturgeon’s ultimate shame: Iranian child sex offender uses human rights to circumvent justice and deportation, Sturgeon and Pollok SNP elected officials failed to stand up and speak out for the people of Glasgow, politicians need to be brave and speak out, the silence by the SNP is deafening yet again


















Dear All

One of the reasons for some people to vote for Brexit was the way that Human Rights Laws were perverted in order to circumvent justice taking place. Time and time again, the Court system was made a mockery of and the British public could do nothing as human rights were used as a shield to foster injustice.

Lawyers used the weak human rights legislation to run up massive bills using taxpayers’ money to feather their nest by using endless appeals. Human Rights are a good thing, the problem is how the law is used and twisted from its original concept, a tool for justice.

An Iranian sex offender called Amir Beroghani assaulting two teenage boys in a swimming pool and community centre. He was caught and convicted, spending seven months in prison in Barlinnie.

Currently he is staying in the Pollok Constituency, in the Penilee area, when he should be deported back to Iran.

Why is someone as dangerous as Beroghani allowed to walk Scotland’s streets and why aren’t SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon, SNP MP Chris Stephens and Pollok SNP MSP Humza Yousaf doing anything meaningful about it?

Why is the silence from the SNP so deafening on this issue?

The SNP want control of immigration but the reason isn’t for the protection of Scots it seems.

The saga of trying to deport this deranged pervert has been going on for about a decade, and he has had his case looked and refused ten times. Justice as we all know works slowly but a decade is beyond a joke.

The sickening thing about this case is that Amir Beroghani wants to argue that proof of his crime is a good reason for staying in Scotland.

He believes that his claim to be a homosexual is good enough to convince a Court that he risks persecution for his sexuality and criminal record in his home country.

I suppose if that fails he will try and appeal again using ‘right to a family life’ if he is deported as another gag if he hasn’t used that one already before.

According to a 2011 Court of Session judgement he was convicted of indecent behaviour towards two teenage boys in 2006. He then in 2008, he made a fresh claim for asylum on the basis "he would face persecution on return to Iran because he would be known as a sex offender and because he was a homosexual".

This begs the question did he commit his crimes as part of a plan to avoid deportation or is he just a pervert acting on his urges?

Previously when he claimed to be a homosexual, court papers stated:

"The immigration judge dismissed his appeal, holding that he had failed to prove to the lower standard of proof applicable in asylum cases that he was a practising homosexual."

Politicians must speak up when foreign criminals commit serious crimes, and when serious crimes such as those committed by Amir Beroghani are known, deportation should be automatically part of the sentence.

Beroghani's legal representatives said:

"He is still here, and we are seeking asylum on the basis that if he is returned to Iran he will be persecuted, firstly because he is gay, and secondly because he has previous convictions."

The scandal of Amir Beroghani must be brought to an end, he shouldn’t be allowed to allowed to walk the streets of Glasgow but held in detention as soon as possible and then deported with all speed.

It is well known that the Scottish National Party is weak on crime especially when it concerns minorities, but in this case the woefully inept Nicola Sturgeon, the Glasgow SNP MP Chris Stephens MP and the incompetent Transport Minister and Pollok MSP Humza Yousaf need to attempt to show leadership by calling publicly for deportation.

The SNP elected representatives are happy to stand behind a slogan saying that the SNP are ‘stronger for Scotland’ but that is far from the truth during the decade that they have been in power they have proven to be weak on substance and strong on spin.

Nicola Sturgeon has failed Scotland, failed to deliver justice, failed to deliver safety and failed to protect communities.

Amir Beroghani remains at large under Nicola Sturgeon’s watch in Glasgow, he is a danger to the children of the Pollok Constituency and the SNP as a Party remain oh so quiet!

You have to ask yourself………. why?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

‘Fake Scot’ SNP MP Angus Robertson accuses Theresa May of running a 'Little Britain Brexit' campaign which will hit jobs and pay, the grievance mode is deflection from the facts of life, Nicola Sturgeon has to go to the polls in 2018 for an outright SNP majority for a mandate for indyref 2, the Nationalists bluff has been called, put up or shut up!















Dear All

It looks like it is going to be what is described as ‘hard’ Brexit as it should be, there are many issues relating to why people voted to leave the EU but these are symptoms of what the main point was concerning the British people.

Sovereignty!

Sovereignty is the key reason of why 17 million people voted to leave the EU after over 40 years of membership.

I personally doubt we will be the last country to leave, but we have set what could be a trend. I was as many blog readers know a fan of the EU. The EU was set up for noble reasons to promote peace and trade in Europe, but the organisation didn’t develop as it should have done.

It became clearly anti worker and anti country, took over by politicians who put the interests of big corporations before European harmony.

People had put up with a lot but the tipping point came when people like Merkel and Juncker decided that they could threaten the UK and others into doing their will by using denial of finance as a weapon. On and off you will have read my stuff on how currency is a weapon of the modern age just as much as the bomb and the bullet.

Currency was used to destroy Greece so effectively that they have never recovered, it also allow the country to be asset stripped as well.

Yesterday was an interesting day in politics, for some people the significance of the day wasn’t realised as Theresa May made a speech on the EU and upcoming talks on Brexit.

Domestically the Prime Minister Theresa May called unpopular Nicola Sturgeon’s bluff on a second independence referendum by default. The by product sent the SNP into a meltdown as they have been called out to put up or shut up, down the line this leaves Nicola Sturgeon with a question.

The question isn’t whether she calls for a second independence referendum but whether she gambles on going to the polls in 2018.

Nicola Sturgeon needs another Scottish mandate to present to Westminster; the Conservatives may feel that they stand to gain North and South of the Scottish border because the Labour Party is in chaos, particularly in Scotland.

Can the Conservatives in Scotland do better than their 2016 Holyrood showing?

Now, that is a question, clearly between now and a possible 2018 election, I don’t see Scottish Labour making a recovery either within its ranks or with the public. The Scottish Labour Party has an upcoming civil war to fight between Kezia Dugdale’s centre right and Momentum. I expect that episode to dominate Labour’s thinking as everyone expects Labour to be crushed in 2017 at the Council elections.
The SNP are cooked on Brexit, overplayed their hand and nowhere to go, they are reduced yet again to sniping at the Tories. Englishman Angus Robertson who I describe as a ‘fake Scot’ is trying to muddy up the waters so that you the voter get distracted from the disaster that is unfolding before your eyes.

Robertson’s take is that Theresa May is steering the UK into a "Little Britain Brexit" that will hit jobs and pay.

The SNP leader in Westminster added that all political parties in Scotland are united in their opposition to plans to take the UK out of the single market.

This statement isn’t true!

Ukip Scotland isn’t supporting this, regardless how you personally feel about the party; they are a party legally recognised by the Electoral Commission. The Ukip position is to be out of the single market.

What Robertson is going is using language to de-legitimise the party in the eyes of the public; he is doing propaganda, simple and crude, and easily destroyed by simple research that doesn’t go beyond general knowledge.

Angus Robertson being a fool isn’t new by any means, however his demand to know if the Prime Minister will stick to her promise to treat Scotland as an "equal partner" is erroneous. Scotland has 59 MPs and England has 533 MPs, so when people talk about equal partnerships, they are talking about equality in the individual and not the countries that make up the Union.

Clearly 59 MPs cannot have the same influence as 533 MPs.  

During PMQs, he said:

"Shortly after the Prime Minister confirmed that she wants to take the UK out of the single European market, the Scottish Parliament voted by a large, cross-party majority to remain in the single European market, just as a large majority of people in Scotland voted to remain in the European Union. The Prime Minister has said that Scotland is an equal partner in the United Kingdom. Does she still believe this is true or is she just stringing the people of Scotland along?"

If you think back to my BBC appearance on the Big Debate, I said that all the devolved administrations should have some role in the Brexit talk;, something that Gordon Brewer said was ‘very noble’.

It may or may not be very noble but it was more to do with practical matters which needed to be taken into account, later on the Conservatives announced the same idea as me.

George Laird right again and ahead of the curve.

The Prime Minister has insisted she is committed to working with Scotland and all the devolved administrations as she severs ties with Brussels which is pretty standard fare, nothing much can be read into that at present.

According to her the biggest threat to Scotland and the Scottish economy was the nationalist threat of another independence referendum.

She said:

"I refer you to my speech yesterday, where I reiterated my commitment to be working with the devolved administrations to ensure that their voice is heard, that their interests are taken into account as we proceed along this path of negotiating our exit from the European Union. And, also, I specifically referenced the Scotland plan. I understand the Welsh Government will be producing a plan for Wales for us to look at too. That Scotland plan will be being considered by the JMC (Joint Ministerial Committee) on European negotiations tomorrow, I believe. We will be looking at it seriously and working with the Scottish Government on the proposals they bring forward."

Is there a possibility of another independence referendum?

Yes, there is that possibility but the SNP need to win another outright majority like they did in 2011 and given the list system that is a crap shoot. The second independence referendum won’t be given on the basis a majority in Holyrood, Sturgeon is effectively forced to get an outright majority by the SNP.

If there is a second campaign, I don’t see a Better Together 2 being formed, that project turned out to be a costly disaster that didn’t properly mesh together.

So, who could set in and be BT 2?


Scotland in Union, this is a group of various people; however you might want to check out who’s who in their team, some of whom I know in passing.

An interesting person to note is ex Labour MSP Graeme Pearson, he is the Chief Executive, he maybe in charge of a campaigning organisation but the reality is he doesn’t really know sweet FA about campaigning really. He stood for Labour and was selected as a candidate based on his past employment not on his history of political activism.

If I was a betting man, I would lay money that he isn’t going regular activism for the Labour Party week in week out.

The Scotland in Union organisation seems to be the only logical choice as the main vehicle for any indyref 2 that comes down the pipeline for the pro UK side, although they aren’t developed enough at present they are gearing up their ground operations.

Keep a weather eye on their future activities.
After being called out a panicked and hysterical is keen to shift the spotlight off Nicola Sturgeon’s failure, to that end, grievance mode is in full swing with Angus Robertson saying Scotland's leading economic forecaster has warned that "real wages will fall" as a result of Brexit.

He added:

"The forecast for people's income is that it is likely to drop by £2,000 and that 80,000 people may lose their jobs in Scotland as a result of the hard Tory Brexit plan of the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister believe that this is a price worth paying for her little Britain Brexit?"

If that is the case, the question then arises how many jobs would have been lost if Scotland had voted for independence.

The losses are estimated at 320,000 job losses and £32 billion in GDP; let that sink in for a moment. Think of it in these terms every public service body hit by savage cuts, every council shedding jobs, services and cutting budgets and critically the Health Service is a crisis you can fathom.

Change can be progressive if thought-out and planned, but in certain scenarios, there will not be goodwill on both sides and as the threats escalate from Europe; hard Brexit maybe a pain worth paying because it won’t be one sided.

The British market for cars is said to help employ about a million people in Germany, if there isn’t a tariff free trade agreement you might find down the line that there will be a lot of Germans facing unemployment, and when big business loses money they ‘lean’ on politicians.

Lots of things are happening at present so you have to look close to see if there is a pattern emerging, I think that a risk is taking place, a gamble, that gamble is whether the SNP risk going the polls in 2018.

Will unpopular Nicola Sturgeon have the bottle to risk her political future not on the win but getting an overall majority in her own right as proof of mandate for a second indyref 2?

In the mean time, watching the Nationalists squirm has a certain amusement value don’t you think?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

The Hardest Jail In Los Angeles, isn't it time that we have a serious debate about people in prison in the UK


Dear All

I like looking at lots of different stuff to get ideas, I found this prison video interesting, admittedly it is American but still worth a watch.

One of the things which I believe is long overdue is a good debate on prisons in the UK and who we lock up and why.

Is prison still functioning in the best interests of society?

Are prisoners getting released getting a fair chance of future?

Are there other ways to punish offenders which have better outcomes in rehabilitation?

I think these and other questions are worth hashing over, not in the interests of cash saved but in people being reclaimed for society.

Isn’t life to short to let anyone waste it.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University    

Monday, January 16, 2017

#Fakepolitics is just as bad as #fakenews: former Labour FM Jack McConnell says MSPs must put constituents above party loyalty; you have to ask why he believes that a culture needs to be created in the first place, Holyrood needs to remove the Holyrood list system and create 129 constituencies















Dear All

Holyrood is full of crap MSPs.

This revelation isn’t new, but it gets drowned out by the phoney politics exhibited in the place.

Just as people are waking up to the concept of #fakenews thrust on us by the media, the fakery also extends to politics.

A classic example of #fakepolitics is the campaign to save Glasgow Jobcentres from closure. The Labour Party for example knew 9 months ago that Anniesland Jobcentre was closing but kept quiet about it.

Any proof?

The application for turning the jobcentre into flats was submitted to Glasgow City Council, it had to be passed by Councillors.

9 months ago.

It is only now that that the political parties such as Scottish Labour, the SNP and the Scottish Greens are speaking up.

Why were they quiet in the past?

Are we to assume that that Glasgow Councillors didn’t pass this information onto MPs and MSPs? And if they did, why did they keep quiet?

The reason is simple; helping the poor is a low priority for Scotland’s political elite, unless there is mileage in running a campaign to dupe unemployed working class people into getting their votes.

I will not be ‘joining’ the campaign to stop Glasgow Jobcentre closures because the campaign is a con; its all ‘fake’ and nothing can be done about it.  If I was to campaign I would be just as big a fraud doing #fakepolitics as the rest of people promoting this farce.

If there is a campaign worth supporting it is the janitors’ campaign in Glasgow.

Janitors are fighting the Labour council ALEO Cordia which is effectively trying to screw them out of money and conditions. In the past I wasn’t a supporter of the ALEOs created by the Labour Council and I am still aren’t, councils should run public services and protect their staff. The reason they don’t is because of the poor state of Scottish politics and Holyrood in particular. The political elite always take the easy route to ‘save’ money and that is done by cutting staff and budgets under the lie of ‘savings’.

Holyrood is a major disappointment, it is as many people note full of third rate politicians who are little more than drones, they take the money and just sit there.

Jack McConnell was a former Labour First Minster, he lost the Scottish election in 2007, here is an interview which shows that Scottish Labour’s problems have existed for a rather long time, please watch both parts of the video.



And of course, the epic car crash of Jack McConnell interviewed by Bernard Ponsonby is also worth a watch.


The World spins on its axis and people get replaced but as we have seen not by better, Jack McConnell lost to the SNP rather badly, like many politicians; he didn’t keep an eye on the day job or a finger on the pulse of the people.

And paid the price!

Did Scottish Labour deserve to lose in 2007?

Yes; they did deserve to lose, and the trajectory of the party has kept declining downwards because the same type of people keep getting picked from the same group.

Jack McConnell says MSPs must put constituents above party loyalty.

For the avoidance of doubt, this will not happen in the SNP or in Scottish Labour; the Labour councillors aren’t going to support the workers against ALEO Cordia and neither the elected party members who are the Glasgow list Labour MSPs. If it is workers being treated badly by a Labour Council ALEO then elected representatives are all signed up to following group decisions whether they are right or wrong.

The Labour Councillors are wrong on the janitor situation just as they are wrong on the G51 Parking and the attempt to outsource IT facilities all of which is against the interests of the public.

If you want to speak out, you can in the Labour Group but you can’t do so publicly, it is the same in all parties. If I had been selected by Labour as a candidate, I wouldn’t be able to speak out about the Glasgow rail link project which is a turkey, I would have to keep my mouth shut and lump it.

As an independent, I don’t, I don’t support the attempt to get the failed Glasgow rail link project back on its feet, too costly and I don’t see a case to support it, other parts of the City plan for Glasgow I might support in the interests of jobs if the jobs are long term.

Jack McConnell says Holyrood needs radical reform to make sure the Scottish Government is held properly to account.

The important reform that is needed in Holyrood is an end to the list system which allows people not elected by the public to become a political representative; this is a disgrace that the general public cannot remove these people.

Jack McConnell always wants the committees to be given more power, you can argue the toss on the merits of that idea over the quality of the MSPs already there in place, more power to an idiot only makes a situation worse does it not?  

As to the idea of the parliamentary day should be more flexible, the current crop of MSPs fill their day up doing not an awful lot as it is.

The next point of backbenchers should be encouraged to give their first loyalty to the parliament and their constituents, not their parties.

This is bogus, it won’t happen and it cannot happen, MSPs sign up to follow group orders just as MPs and Councillors do.

Jack McConnell says he doesn’t support the idea of a second chamber at Holyrood or an increase in the number of MSPs. I would go along with those ideas at present, a second chamber would be filled with worse dross than currently sitting on the Holyrood benches, and there is no case to increase MSPs.

It seems that I do concur with Jack McConnell on the need for better MSPs when he stated:

“The solution is not more MSPs, its better MSPs, better procedures, hard work and proper scrutiny.”

Lord McConnell said: “There does need to be a check on the power of ministers and the government. I believed that as first minister and I proposed changes then.

“I believe, if anything, the evidence has grown and strengthened that case over the last 15 years. The immediate thing to do is to strengthen the role of the backbench MSP and create a culture where they know they are there to represent their constituents."

Finally, please watch the videos which I have listed because it shows a symptom of what Scottish Labour’s problems are, people proposing changes and when questioned don’t know what they are talking about because they electioneering not developing policy.

As Bernard Ponsonby said:

“The answer is you don’t know”!

If you asked Jack McConnell how his idea of how to create a culture where MSPs know they are there to represent their constituents, you have to ask why a culture needs to be created in the first place.

Isn’t that what they were supposed to be doing all along?

The most important reform to Holyrood is the removal of the list system and the creation of 129 constituencies.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Monday, January 9, 2017

UK Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell calls for 'radical federal UK', this policy could be another poisoned chalice for the Labour Party as it attempts to shift ground on union, Scotland isn’t in a position to embrace federalism due to the poor economic state of its finances, this could blow up in Jeremy Corbyn’s face and see Labour out of power for decades
















Dear All

Some time ago, I was talking about federalism coming down the pipeline, this is supposed to ‘cure’ Nationalism and save the Union.

If you think back to my post last written in Nov 2016, you will see how I touched on the Constitutional question.


A part of that post:

“Alex Rowley, her deputy believes Labour should back home rule rather than just opposing independence, the only game in town isn’t called ‘home rule’, it is called Federalism, and it maybe a bandwagon which Kezia Dugdale maybe forced to move onto in a highly public fashion. Federalism isn’t plain sailing, just as the Scottish football team isn’t geared up to win, neither is Scotland geared up to accept Federalism under its current financial position, we don’t pay our way, and the idea of cuts to an already failing system isn’t a vote winner”.

Kezia Dugdale as I predicted was forced to move onto Federalism as her speech in London later was to show.

One of the groups driving for a Federal Uk is the Constitutional Reform Group, if you have the time, you should have a look at their website.


So, how long did I know that the winds of change were blowing Federal?

Quite some time, in fact six months ago, I was making up a video for what I think is needed in Scotland. 


When you click on the youtube link, you see an intro for a party that doesn’t exist but might in the future, a centre right Federal Party of Scotland. In theory federalism could work if the country was setup right. 

In my post of Nov 2016, I highlighted also that there are dangers if the federal route is gone down, dangers for the Labour Party in Scotland but also for the SNP, Scotland isn’t geared up to be in a Federal UK. The nub is cash, we don’t pay our way, and the country isn’t as I mentioned above set up either and I don’t the public is on board with the concept either.

The Labour Party is in the UK is in a mess, Scotland has been lost; the leadership down South are facing an uphill struggle to connect with the people. Jeremy Corbyn hasn’t the support of his MPs and never will unless there is a big replacement, and even Labour voters think the Conservative PM would do a better job of governing the UK.
Lots and lots of problems!

I have to say that in the mist of chaos that Labour MP John McDonnell comes swanning along and calls for a 'radical federal UK' as Labour shifts ground. The surprise is that the ground under Labour is solid enough to go on adventures. The Constitutional settlement isn’t why Scots abandoned the Labour Party, the reason is quite simple, the Labour Party failed to protect and serve the working class people.

If there is a federal UK, you might to wait a rather long time before you see the Labour Party become the government of the UK again.

UK Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell said:

“I believe there is immense potential in developing a radical federal structure [for the UK].”

To be absolutely clear, the people of Scotland who voted Labour but switched to the SNP wouldn’t be coming back because the Labour Party stuck a federal carrot on the table; the problems of why they were rejected still exists. And another thing, the team at Holyrood isn’t seen as having the best or the brightest in the Labour Party in Scotland.

Third rate is how many describe some of them and that’s being kind about it.

If the Labour Party tries to ram through federalism, they would have to have a referendum, and there is no guarantee that they would win it, the Unionist vote that transcends party politics wouldn’t be up for it and the SNP are making noises like they aren’t keen either.

So, what is the problem for the SNP?

Lack of money and having to take responsibility for what might be a poisoned chalice whoever sups from it.

The big thing to note at present is that the people of Scotland aren’t calling for federalism.

Former London mayor Ken Livingstone said he was "certain" Labour under Corbyn would embrace federalism. Given that Labour need Scottish MPs to form a UK government, you have to wonder if this idea will turn the Labour Party into a candidate for political suicide, after all many English Conservatives see federalism as a way to rig the vote towards continuous Conservative government.

The Labour alternative to both Scottish independence and the status quo of the Union could see the party plunged into a cycle of defeat which could be incredibly hard to break away from in my opinion. In politics, certain things have a time and place; federalism isn’t the Golden Fleece for Labour.

The best know supporters of Federalism as a policy are the Lib Dems at UK level, they haven’t made any headway with the public on their quest.

When Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale backed federalism in a major speech in London last month, she said the UK needed “a new political settlement” to stop an erratic and uneven distribution of power between its regions and nations.

I doubt that Kezia Dugdale will be at the helm of Scottish Labour to deliver federalism because I doubt that Scottish Labour and the party in the rest of the UK are further away from power than they have ever been in their history.

Only the Conservatives are in a position to deliver federalism but this will not be happening anytime soon under Theresa May as Prime Minister.  UK Labour's national elections coordinator Jon Trickett is said to be examining a radical policy package for the party at Westminster to deliver a federal British state if it wins the 2020 General Election.

He need not bother, the Conservatives are going to win the next UK General Election provided that they deliver Brexit in full and don’t attempt to fudge the issue; but let’s be clear; the Labour Party in 2020 will not be the majority party at Westminster. Jeremy Corbyn has already lost that with his support for freedom of movement.

Some parties seem hell bent on destruction, the idea may or may not have merit but the timing is wrong, the policy is wrong and there are too many dangers. Clearly there needs to be more devolution on domestic matters such as a devolved Scottish DWP to address injustice but a country like Scotland would cope badly in a federal set up unless there was additional support such as a Barnett Formula in place.

Federalism poses real dangers for the Labour Party getting back Scottish seats at Westminster, the significance of a Scottish MP already shut out by English votes for English Laws would raise the question does having 59 Scottish MPs at Westminster justify the cost given their massive reduced work load?

MPs would be reduced to the status of MEPS, everyone know they exist but the question of what good are they doing at Westminster flags up when they are effectively reduced to only commenting on foreign affairs and defence.

Ken Livingstone said:

“I've advanced the devolution approach all my political career. If you'd had north east and north west regional parliaments or assemblies they would have got massive investment. So federalism absolutely. We need it as people in regions in all parts of the UK are being excluded by little elites."

Every journey has a start and a destination, however if the Labour Party set the Federal train rolling, they might not like the destination and it could end up a train wreck for them.

Now is not the time to consider federalism, and Labour should reframe from playing politics with the constitution, the people aren’t calling for this at all.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University