Is Labour Councillor Colin Smyth doing a 'Charlie Gordon' and hiding till the heat dies down?

Dear All

Recently, I wrote about Colin Smyth, a Labour Councillor who was kicked out a Council meeting at Dumfries and Galloway Council after being voted out the door by the rest of the Council.

As of this date he has not resigned as General Secretary of the British Labour Party (Scottish region).

His behaviour has been described as “boorish”.Boorish means;‘unrefined in speech or manners; loutish; ill-bred; uncivilized; coarse’ according to an online dictionary.

I find today that I have a visitor to my website;

IP address 212.240.123.213 from Dumfries and Galloway Council.

The time spent so far on my site by the person using a blackberry is 24 minutes and 5 seconds.

Here are the pages they were keen to view;

http://glasgowunihumanrights.blogspot.com/2009/11/verdict-on-colin-smyth-theres-kind-of.html

and;

http://glasgowunihumanrights.blogspot.com/2009/11/steven-bin-laden-purcell-unfit-to-lead.html

I hope Colin Smyth is managing the guilt of being ejected and is actively seeking help to combat what has been described as his “barracking, hectoring tone”.

Councillor Jane Maitland sums it up;

“There’s a kind of barracking, hectoring tone and I don’t think he realises how unpleasant it is for the rest of us.”

After Smyth was ordered out, the rest of the 14-strong Labour group left in solidarity.

Or to describe it better, left in the huff, the huff being more important than democracy and Council business!

Where was Smyth’s leadership in preventing that, where was the public service, where was the fighting for the people?

Nowhere!

The Labour Party fight for themselves like the rag bag collection they are; the blight on Scottish society, Scotland's shame.

So, what advice would I give my visitor?

24 minutes to read two pages, read faster.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

SNP Councillor Willie Sawers asks questions about Glasgow North East but is he ready to stomach the answers?

Dear All

Tom Gordon is a political reporter who writes for the Herald Group newspapers, he claims that a civil war has erupted within the SNP.

How wrong he is, but there is a lot to be said internally about the way the SNP conduct by-elections.

Willie Sawers is the SNP organisation convener who has attacked rank-and-file members for “a remarkable level of complacency” during the campaign.

Is that a fair criticism?

The SNP is a volunteer organisation and it is the job of the people who mange that organisation to ensure that all help, training and manpower is made available to rank and file activists on the ground.

So, if criticism is to be proportioned regarding Glasgow North East then everyone should have the opportunity to speak on this subject at a special meeting.

You can’t accuse rank-and-file members for “a remarkable level of complacency” during the campaign when they have effectively no input to the campaign.

The campaign whether Mr. Sawers likes it or not was run by the people of Dundee, the people of Glasgow had no say on anything, that issue needs to be addressed.

Willie Sawers says that a “huge opportunity” to engage with locals and build a database of voters over the summer had been squandered.

It sounds like a fair observation but where was the manpower to do it going to come from?

If you are going to engage the public then surely activists need to be taught presentation skills?

Where is that on the SNP website?

Where are the courses that the senior SNP figures should have put in place?

Mr. Sawers rightly says;

“If we wish to win by-elections then we simply must put in more work on the ground no election is won on polling day”.

That is true but rank and file activists don’t decide how to campaign or what work is undertaken, that is the responsibility of the branch officials.

Willie Sawers, it is said has wrote an extraordinarily blunt private report to be presented to the SNP’s National Council in Perth next weekend.

I would suggest that the SNP send this or make it available to their members, if people don’t know what the problem is, it can’t be fixed.

And they might not like some of the answers coming back either.

Mr Sawers says the Glasgow North East is a “disappointing result” which raises “a questions about how the SNP campaign in by-elections” and about the role of activists.

I would also say that the role of those in charge must be addressed as well.

For example why didn’t the senior SNP figures appoint a person to run the campaign full time in the constituency?

Another aspect of the campaign that Mr. Sawers rightly again highlights is negative campaigning which Labour used throughout the by-election.

Should the senior SNP figures not have learnt the lesson of Glenrothes?

Was there an impression that the Labour Party was going to run a positive campaign about the worst recession in living memory under them in Glasgow North East?

All William Bain said was that he was local, he campaigned on devolved issues and didn't support Labour policies at Westminister.

David Kerr is a good candidate but it was wrong to put him in Springburn, he had no history to speak of, not his fault.

What support did David Kerr really get from the top of the party?

Was he provided with a driver?

Was he provided with a minder?

And the lack of senior SNP office staff to help him?

Willie Sawers says;

“However, the place for such a debate is here at National Council not in the pages of the Sunday newspapers.”

No, the debate should be held with those people who attended Glasgow North East by-election and senior SNP members in Glasgow.

The SNP need to address the 'Glasgow problem' and understand exactly what it is, if not then they will suffer the same defeats again and again.

The SNP need to change the way that they campaign.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Tony Blair engages in damage limitation exercise to protect future reveune streams as more damaging evidence about Iraq emerges

Dear All

It seems that former Prime Minister Tony Blair is unhappy, hundreds of thousands of people are dead because of him in the Middle East but he is unhappy.

Does his unhappiness match that of the innocent victim’s families in the illegal Iraq war?

Hardly!

Tony Blair is currently engaged in a damage limitation exercise as reports say that his top legal adviser was gagged after expressing doubts about the legality of the 2003 Iraq invasion.

It has been reported that Attorney General Lord Goldsmith wrote the letter to Blair in July 2002, a full eight months before the war telling him that deposing Saddam Hussein was a blatant breach of international law.

It is then stated that Blair issued instructions to gag Lord Goldsmith.

So the questions for Chilcot are why was Goldsmith gagged?

Why was he banned him from attending Cabinet meetings?

Who ordered a cover-up to stop the public finding out?

Why did Blair conceal the bombshell letter from his own Cabinet?

And who were the people sworn to secrecy about the letter?

Blair curt reply to CNN during an interview about whether it was true that Goldsmith was being bullied was;

"No, it's not."

Then Blair closed down further questions and said he would respond in full when he gives evidence to the Iraq inquiry in the New Year.

So other pieces of damning evidence enters the public domain but still no criminal investigation and charges will be brought against Blair.

Blair is responsible for a lot of people dying needlessly and it is obscene that this war criminal is allowed to operate freely gathering as much wealth and power as he can.

The legacy of the Iraq War for the people of Britain is that the corrupt can openly operate in society at the highest levels beyond the reach of the law.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

It's time to bring the last vestige of the British Empire to an end and free Scotland

Dear All

Well the day has arrived the Scottish Government has published its white paper on Scotland's constitutional future.

Scotland like another nation in the western world should be free to be governed totally by its own people on its own soil.

The independence referendum will face stiff opposition as unionist parties seek to ensure that Scotland remains subservient to England.

The day of the Union is dead.

First Minister Alex Salmond said Scotland must be independent to meet its full economic potential but the economic argument isn’t the only issue why we should be free.

The people of Scotland have limited control of our own country, our citizens can be sent to die in illegal wars, we can be taxed heavily without our consent; we cannot control our own borders.

English politicians talk about how Scotland is in partnership with England, this is not true. English run organisations operate on Scottish soil which the Scottish Parliament cannot have any say on.

An excellent case is the UK Border Agency who doesn’t even recognise MSPs have the right to represent people such as Florence and Precious Mhango.

Effectively foreign run prisons operate on Scottish soil out with control of our Justice Minister.

The fact of the matter is that the minority SNP administration does not have enough support from opposition parties to stage a referendum in 2010.

It seems that the Unionist parties believe in democracy as long as that doesn’t mean giving the people of Scotland the right to become a free nation again.

Scotland was once a free country in the world, it has to be again.

The Referendum bill may not get through the Holyrood Parliament in 2010 or the Unionist parties will seek to water down the SNP question in the bill.

The white paper launched on St Andrew's Day, sets out independence as its favoured option.

Although there are other options on the table such as no change in the present set-up; more powers, as recommended by the Calman; transfer of responsibilities to Holyrood, such as full financial autonomy.

These options are not enough; the Scottish Government should have control of our borders, our own Foreign Minister and a Scottish Passport Service.

Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray says the British Labour Party (Scottish region) which is controlled from London England doesn’t fear a referendum.

Gray is calling on the Scottish Government to abandon it focus on the recession.

If the SNP Government was to do such a thing then the next words out of Gray’s mouth when things get better would be that, it is because of the 'benefit of the Union'.

Iain Gray seems to think that the people of Scotland are really stupid; he and the British Labour Party (Scottish region) might want to serve as Regional overseers for London Labour but he is clinging to a dead past.

Scotland and its people are under English controlled occupation and that is a fact.

It is time to bring to an end the last vestige of the British Empire and free Scotland.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Rem- Shiny Happy People

R.E.M - Man On The Moon

I despise everything Annabel Goldie stands for but she deserves loyalty from Scottish Tories

Dear All

The Tories are dead in Scotland.

The Scottish leader is currently Annabel Goldie who has made limited progress as the Cameron effect stops dead at the border.

So is Goldie, a bad leader, not really; her problem she is in a party despised by the people of Scotland.

To add to her tale of woe, there is Andrew Fulton, MI6 spy (retired) as Tory Party Chairman, except he is so low key as to be invisible.

Fulton works for Armor Group, a firm that provides security services to national governments.

Think UK Government approved Mercenary Army Contractors and you get the picture.

Now, there is pressure to set up an independent Scottish Tory Party out with control of David Cameron and the English Tories to hoodwink the voters.

Would that work?

No!

Tim Montgomerie is editor of the influential conservativehome.com website who thinks this radical move would make the Tories electable.

Please, grow up.

The Tories problem in Scotland cannot be solved by a rebranding exercising.

As well as this little episode in ‘blue sky thinking’, senior Scottish Tories don’t David Mundell as Secretary of State for Scotland.

The reason, a number of Tories believe that Mundell is no match for First Minister Alex Salmond.

Tory Plan B is ridiculous in conception, it is to take a Tory MSP make him a Lord then appoint him Scottish Secretary.

Give a person the right to claim three salaries!

Think of the greed, MSP, Scottish Secretary and House of Lords money, all legal and within the rules.

It is a triple whammy of the trough.

And Tories wonder why ordinary people hate them with a passion in Scotland!

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

If SNP Candidate Charles Brodie is ever caught drink driving again, it will be a bridge too far

Dear All

Charles Brodie is the prospective SNP Candidate for the Westminister seat in the Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock.

Last year; he was caught being over the limit while driving.

There is no excuse for drink driving at all, such things lead to death on the roads of Scotland every day.

He was fined £230 and disqualified for 14 months which I consider unduly lenient as £3,000 and 5 years would be have been better.

However, Brodie has had his sentence reduced after he completed a rehabilitation course; he now has to serve a 12 month ban.

So, should Charles Brodie be an SNP Candidate?

I would say yes, he has paid for his mistake but it should be made clear that this understanding wouldn’t be available if he was to be found guilty of drink driving again.

You want to drink, get a taxi.

It’s that simple.

On a lighter note which prompted me to blog on this, Charlie Gordon, Scottish Labour’s transport spokesperson said;

“Politicians have to set an example on road safety. His position is probably untenable. He would have no credibility on any road safety issues.”

Rather like him on illegal donations to politicians!

Maybe Brodie should adopt the Charles Gordon tactic of going into hiding till the heat dies down.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

The verdict on Colin Smyth, “There’s a kind of barracking, hectoring tone and I don’t think he realises how unpleasant it is for the rest of us.”

Dear All

Bad behaviour seems to be topical at the moment in the press.

Colin Smyth is the Scottish General Secretary of the British Labour Party (Scottish region).

Smyth is also a Labour Councillor who was ordered out of a meeting of Dumfries & Galloway Council.

His behaviour has been described as “boorish”.

Boorish means;

‘unrefined in speech or manners; loutish; ill-bred; uncivilized; coarse’ according to an online dictionary.

The reason, he was kicked out of a Council meeting was that he kept disrupting a debate on childcare; this prompted other councillors to vote to remove him.

As General Secretary of the British Labour Party (Scottish region), Smyth is tasked to control Labour MPs, MSPs and Councillors running off at the mouth.

Smyth has allegedly been found guilty under a rule designed to punish disrespect and “obstructive or offensive behaviour”.

So what was Smyth complaining about in what was described as a “barracking, hectoring tone”?

The closing of nurseries by the Tory Council so would he be equally disgusted by the antics of Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell and the Glasgow Labour Council of shame?

I would think not, I would opine that his ‘outrage’ stops when it is a Labour Council cutting vital services.

I haven’t read a word in print about him opposing the Labour Council of shame in Glasgow closing schools.

Independent Councillor Jane Maitland said;

“There’s a kind of barracking, hectoring tone and I don’t think he realises how unpleasant it is for the rest of us.”

Mrs Maitland went on to claim the atmosphere at the council had deteriorated and Smyth had contributed to an “atmosphere of disrespect”.

Labour Councillor Ronnie Nicholson said;

“This is a chilling attempt at political censorship”.

Exercising political censorship himself, Labour General Secretary Colin Smyth is refusing to comment.

Had so much to say earlier as well!

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Steven 'bin laden' Purcell unfit to lead Glasgow City Council, send complaints about uncollected rubbish directly to him

Dear All

The Evening Times which I would say is effectively a Labour Party mouthpiece has ran an anti Glasgow bin men story.

The purpose is to try and alienate the public from the bin men; but lets us not forget this tactic is nothing more than a PR stunt to generate hatred against people who only want to be treated fairly.

The “public” used in the Evening Times story is only complaining about how the bin men’s work to rule affects them.

So, let us be clear the bin men haven’t stop working; it is the fault of Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell and the Labour Council of shame who are the problem.

As the work to rule continues the one thing that should be clear to the public is that the Labour Council of shame running Glasgow is inept and incompetent!

It is the Labour Administration that has created this problem, not the bin men.

Uncollected rubbish bags are a health risk, we all know that but the solution lies with the intransigent Labour Council of shame.

To go back slightly, Purcell demanded that the Labour Councillors stick together on this to break the workers.

Across this city, people haven’t had their bins emptied for more than a month, so no plan B exists at present with Purcell.

What the bin men are refusing to do, they are.

1/ refusing to clear overflowing bags or empty bins without lids

2/ refusing to ring tenement buzzers to get access to back court areas

3/ Refusing to stop on yellow lines in their bin lorry

4/ double park their bin lorry

Some of the things being asked by Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell’s Council of shame are illegal.

If prosecuted it would be the individual bin man who would suffer the consequences not Purcell or the Labour Administration.

As well as trying to break the strikers, using newspapers to create anti bin men hostility, the Labour Council of shame has started issuing that they will not hesitate to bring in private contractors to clear the backlog of rubbish.

If public health is so much concern for Purcell why hasn’t this happened?

An entire month has passed and Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell has done nothing, the objective seems to try breaking the bin men’s spirit, who only wanted to be treated fairly.

So, by sheer incompetence, ineffective management and total disregard for people’s rights, fairness and health and safety the City of Glasgow has been plunged into a “Winter of Discontent” by a morally corrupt Labour Administration.

Got a complaint about rubbish; then send it to the man responsible;

steven.purcell@councillors.glasgow.gov.uk

Ask him to do his job and sort out his incompetence.

It's time Steven Purcell 'paid up for Glasgow' and resigned.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

The Labour Party's fear of Tory Brian Ashcroft's money boils over at House of Commons, they stink of fear!

Dear All

Denis MacShane is a former Labour minister of the corrupt and inept Labour Government currently sitting in Westminister.

Yesterday in the House of Commons he was urged to withdraw accusations of corruption against Lord Ashcroft, a deputy chairman of the Conservative Party.

Ashcroft is well known as a Tory backer.

Denis MacShane, the MP for Rotherham has called Ashcroft, a “monster from the Caribbean deep”.

But it was the word “corrupt” that caused the Speaker, John Bercow, to call for a withdrawal.

Commons exchanges can be lively affairs on occasion but when MacShane asked;

“Can we have an early debate on that monster from the Caribbean deep, namely Lord Ashcroft, and his influence on politics?”

Bercow the Speaker of the House urged for “moderation in the use of language”, adding: “Whatever you think of the noble lord, you shouldn’t call him a monster.”

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MacShane continued;

“It’s only in this House of Commons that this man’s corroding and ugly and corrupt influence of Caribbean and British politics can be debated ... ”

The Tories who need Ashcroft’s money at that point started shouting in protest from Conservative benches.

Ashcroft is funding seats in marginal areas which could shift the balance of power in Westminister bringing in a Tory Government.

To show that humour hasn’t left the House of Commons; Andrew Mackay, the Tory MP for Bracknell, later raised a point of order to complain about Mr MacShane’s remarks!

The same Andrew Mackay who is resigning about his “unacceptable” expenses claims.

Mackay chipped in;

“Not only was that wrong, but it was also unparliamentary.”

Worse than ripping the taxpayer off using the House of Commons expenses!

But leaving the fun out of this Ashcroft oversees the party’s marginal seats campaigns.

If you want to buy power and influence in Britain, then this is certainly the way to go about.

Another small point on the horizon is that the Labour Party fear Ashcroft’s money turning the tables at the General Election so they have a pop at him every chance they get, it is a running campaign.

The Labour Party has two words that generally appear in the same sentence, “Ashcroft” and “tax”.

So far they have scored a hit yet.

As I have said before Britain is a corrupt country and although Ashcroft can legally donate money, there isn’t such a thing as a free lunch.

So what’s Ashcroft’s return?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow university

Labour MSP Iain Gray fails the education test as Glasgow's Labour Council of shame sack one quarter of all teacher numbers in Scotland

Dear All

The total number of teachers in Scotland has fallen by 1,348 over the past year.

The drop in numbers according to Scottish government statistics has prompted opposition parties to attack Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop.

The British Labour Party has called for her to be sacked.

In fact regardless of the issue or situation, they would call for anyone to be sacked to get closer to the trough they were kicked out of by the public.

Labour MSPs miss their ministerial cars, salary and perks.

Fiona Hyslop has admitted the fall in numbers is "unacceptable" but the blame rests with councils because they are spending cash earmarked for teachers on "other purposes".

This has caused the councils to cry it would be "economic suicide" to maintain numbers.

Labour MSP Iain Gray said;

"Enough is enough. These figures today show the complete failure of Fiona Hyslop on teacher numbers. It's time now for Alex Salmond to do the right thing and turf her out of his cabinet”.

Iain Gray is trying to build for himself a reputation for being a leader, so far it hasn’t worked.

Too stupid to learn and to stupid to look at the wider picture, a little man struggling beyond his abilities to try and convince people he is a force.

What Iain Gray should address is that Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell and the Labour Council of shame in Glasgow are responsible for more than one quarter of the total fall in teacher numbers.

On top of that Purcell is looking to make more teachers unemployed in Glasgow as he has other schools in his sights.

Iain Gray, quick with his mouth is the East Lothian gunfighter who always shoots the pianist in the gunfight, the best and safest place is to be in front of him when he pops off.

Pity the people at the side, they always catch the flak, as his words highlights their incompetence; generally he shoots his own party in the back, in the foot or in the nuts.

Fiona Hyslop said;

"In our concordat with local government it was explicitly accepted that sufficient funding had been made available to maintain teacher numbers at 2007 levels. Council budgets are also rising, total education spending is up and nationally attainment is improving”.

It plain as the nose on people’s faces, the SNP Government is sticking to its commitments.

And the bad times just keep on coming for Iain Gray; Councillor Isabel Hutton, education spokeswoman for local authority umbrella body Cosla, said she was "surprised and disappointed" at the negative comments from opposition parties trying to score cheap political points.

She said class sizes had improved and local government had delivered year-on-year progress exactly as it had agreed in the concordat.

So another bad day for gormless Labour MSP Iain Gray perhaps he should try remedial classes but not in Glasgow; Purcell has probably already cut them and sacked the teacher!

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Harriet Dempster wants to restrict free personal care for the elderly but not the £25,000 taxpayer funded help to her

Dear All

Free personal care for the elderly is good thing, after years of paying into the state, all elderly people should be treated the same even although some many have paid more into the state than others.

Harriet Dempster wants to make those who paid the most during their lifetime to continually pay more during their retirement.

So, the question of fairness arises.

Harriet Dempster is the President of the Association of Directors of Social Work.

But lets us stop a moment and talk about her “free personal care” that allows her to be President of the association of directors.

£25,000 a year!

That is the price for her employer Highland Council to let her run about being President of the association.

The £25,000 is to provide cover while Dempster while disappears to do work elsewhere.

Inverness Central SNP councillor Donnie Kerr said;

“We already pay a substantial sum to our director of social work to do a job.”

To be clear, when she can be bothered to turn up at Highland Council’s most financially troubled department, the people pay her £105,450 a year.

Is it not time that Council leader Dr Michael Foxley of the Lib Dems issued an ultimatum to tell her to get back to her desk and sort out her department’s problems?

No, Spineless Dr. Foxley said;

“We need additional senior management support to deal with the serious issues surrounding the social work budget in the current financial year and also the challenges we face in the coming three years due to reduced funding from the UK and Scottish governments.”

This is ineffective management and leadership that allow Dempster to walk all over the Council.

One thing that is certain in my mind is that Dempster will move on to another authority when Highland Council’s department crashes down around her ears.

Before that she will probably say something along the lines of seeking ‘fresh challenges’ which is code for getting out before the blame is pinned on her.

In Britain, certain people move seamlessly from top job to top job regardless of their ability.

Harriet Dempster runs Highland Council’s most financially troubled department is it not time to talk about removing her “free personal care” and putting her out on the street?

If she spend more time doing her paid £105,450 a year job, could she turn the department around?

If not, why is she getting paid?

Why are we paying for her to be there?

Is it not time this "expert" was looked at more closely?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

SNP MP John Mason delivers a hat trick on Glasgow schools as Labour MSP Margaret Curran scores own goal

Dear All

Schools!

Under Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell and the Labour Council, 20 schools and nurseries have been voted by them to be closed and earmarked for destruction.

On top of that another 30 or so are being looked at by the Labour Council of shame for possible closure in future.

Purcell and his Labour cronies are systematically destroying the social fabric and infrastructure of this city.

On the schools closure to show much Labour Councillors are hypocrites, they won’t vote to close a school in their own area, just in neighbouring areas.

But good news is on the horizon as the SNP Government fighting for to rebuild Glasgow has announced the construction of a new-build Garrowhill Primary school.

This is part of the Scottish Government's £1.25 billion school building programme.

John Mason is the SNP MP for Glasgow East who lobbied the Scottish Government on behalf of the people of that area has warmly welcomed the news.

And it gets better for the people of the East end of Glasgow; Glendale Primary is also getting funded to be rebuilt.

And if it couldn’t get any better still, Glasgow gets to nominate a third primary school project.

While the Labour Council of shame asset strip the city, the SNP are rebuilding it, schools to provide children with a future.

Local MP, John Mason has previously written to the Scottish Government in support of the Garrowhill bid. His involvement and commitment to helping the people in his area on this issue goes back as far as 1998 when he was an SNP Councillor in Glasgow.

Unlike a Labour politician, John Mason doesn’t walk away from his commitments.

Once again as John Mason rightly points out, it is the SNP which has delivered for the East End and for Glasgow.

He said;

"Although this is a day for celebration, I am very aware of the fact that there are other schools in my area which also urgently require improvement. These include St Bridget's Primary School and Caledonia Primary in Baillieston, Thorntree Primary and St Timothy's Primary in Greenfield, as well as Wellshot Primary in Tollcross”.

So, John Mason’s campaign rather than being finished continues, stark contrast to Labour MSP Margaret Curran.

Before being nominated as the Labour Candidate for Glasgow East, she was tasked by Labour to produce policies to help ordinary people by Iain Gray. That commitment lasted four weeks before it was binned by her.

The contrast, John Mason fighting for 11 years to get improvements to people’s quality of life and Margaret Curran running out on even producing a document for the Labour Party after four weeks.

Who has the most integrity?

John Mason added;

"Keeping our school buildings in good condition is the responsibility of the Labour-led City Council, and it is a responsibility that they have been failing to meet for decades. The Scottish Government's school building fund is meant to provide additional support, but the Labour Council really needs to start pulling its weight on schools."

So I ask you, who is ripping of Glasgow?

It’s Labour, it’s Purcell, its Curran and they will keep doing so until they are voted out of public office.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

The case for criminal charges against Tony Blair as a war criminal seem to be gathering pace!

Dear All

Despite the Chilcot farce rolling on to its pointless end, we have been treated to a few tit bits which make the case of Tony Blair being a war criminal stronger.

Tony Blair and George W. Bush made an agreement to oust Saddam Hussein in secret talks almost a year before the start of the war in Iraq.

Britain was going to war regardless of the evidence because Bush had already decided to do so.

This is what the “special relationship” actually means in reality, when America decides Britain follows.

Despite the smokescreen of the Foreign Office issuing statements, it has to match the US version.

Sir Christopher Meyer has been giving evidence to Chilcot criticising the Labour Government.

In 2002, Blair after meeting Bush in Texas started to openly talk about Saddam being too dangerous to be ignored and mentioning 'regime change' as an option.

This is a strategy used to soften up the British public to the idea; the technique is widely used in movies to imprint something in the minds of the public before an actual event takes place.

The U.S had a timetable for war which forced Britain to scramble for the non existent 'smoking gun' on Saddam to justify invasion.

Although Blair was pressing for UN resolutions, I believe this was a smokescreen because the Americans hadn’t the logistics in place to start operations. So it was to the benefit of the Americans to allow Blair to take centre stage and provide false hope to the world that he was trying to find a peaceful solution.

It was a con.

The U.S. military timetable for an invasion in March 2003 was already in place before Hans Blix and his team returned to Iraq to find the weapons of mass destruction which didn’t exist.

Colin Powell the US Secretary of State produced photos of moblie biological and chemical labs, another lie used to deceive the public into backing the war.

Everything done had one objective, the invasion of Iraq.

It was lie, after lie after lie.

Hundreds of thousands of innocent people are dead because of Tony Blair.

And he isn’t even on trial!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Systematic corruption by the Catholic Church and state authorities denied child sex victims justice, sorry isn't enough

Dear All

One of themes I highlight continually is that Britain is a systematically corrupt country.

Now, it seems that just across the water in Ireland things aren’t much better.

A report into clerical child abuse in the Dublin archdiocese has criticised the Catholic Church for covering up the abuse.

In others words systematic corruption in order to protect the institution rather than deal with serial sex offenders.

The report investigated how the Catholic Church and state authorities handled allegations of child abuse against 46 priests.

These interweaving social networks ensured that the public were kept in the dark and the victims denied justice.

The Church caring little for the victims placed its own reputation above the protection of children in its care.

This may seem like a shocking revelation but it is how what is called the “establishment” works, not for the benefit of its citizens but a powerful minority of the elite who operate mostly unseen in the corridors of power.

The report also highlighted that state authorities actively facilitated the cover-up by allowing the Church to operate outside the law.

The Catholic Church isn’t the only network that the state allows to operate in this way but occasionally the public get to see small parts of the bigger picture.

Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said;

"no words of apology would ever be sufficient" and offered "to each and every survivor my apology, sorrow and shame".

Is the Archbishop’s public sorrow and shame enough?

So why did the state authorities help to cover up?

Quite simple, the authorities need the Catholic Church to be seen as a voice of reason, designated unelected speakers of the masses.

Another version of this type of control is seen in this country under the guise of Liberty run by Shami Chakrabarti et al. A middle class elite that is granted the privilege of talking up against the “establishment” on your behalf, also unelected.

Liberty stands up for things like free speech unless they don’t agree with what is being said and by whom, and then they remain silent.

What is most damning about the report in sexual abuse in the Catholic Church is how the Church systematically shuffled criminals from parish to parish where they could prey on new, unsuspecting victims.

It was more important it seems to maintain secrecy that it was to protect innocent victims.

As to the people in the Dublin archdiocese who were investigating the complaints of child sexual abuse, they were all very well educated people, qualified in Canon Law and civil law. These people have put forward claims of ignorance were the report states are "very difficult to accept".

Civic authorities in Ireland, especially the police, were also criticised for their cosy relationship with the Church.

The Irish Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern has vowed to bring those who had carried out the abuse to justice, regardless of the amount of time which had passed.

And what about those in state authorities who assisted in the cover up?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

In the corrupt Britain of today, status matters!

Dear All

Just recently Philip Laing was pictured urinating over a Sheffield war memorial after a boozy night out.

The picture of him doing so appeared in the Daily Mail which led to him being charged with outraging public decency.

At the time we were solemnly to this was a grave offence and that Laing was warned he could face jail.

Now, it turns out Laing is to do 250 hours’ of community service after District Judge Anthony Browne had a change of mind.

District Judge Anthony Browne said;

"I have never seen anyone more contrite for what has happened nor one who regrets more the hurt and distress he has caused”.

Or it could be that Philip is a wonderful actor for a spoilt little rich boy.

Browne added;

"You have understandably had the wrath and indignation of the public heaped upon you and your family."

Is this for Laing’s benefit, Browne or us?

I suspect Browne’s benefit to why he never put him in prison.

With British servicemen and women dying in illegal wars because of the Labour Government, the question might be asked who’s Britain are they fighting for?

On of the things that I noticed while at University of Glasgow was that rich middle class students who caused trouble were treated differently from poor working class students.

For example a student who exposed himself to females on campus was allowed to remain a student, able to go free about the campus after being caught.

He was from a rich background.

When Laing goes before the Sheffield Hallam University who are investigate him, he might find if he has lawyers representing him then a different deferential approach is taken, just like they do at Glasgow University.

In the corrupt Britain of today, status matters!

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Johnny Cash - Man Comes Around

Johnny Cash - Ring of fire

Tony Blair scoops up millions for himself, the down payment was hundred of thousands of dead in Iraq

Dear All

When Tony Blair came to office, people thought it was a new broom, a different kind of politics from Tory sleaze.

But Tony Blair turned out to be a big rat than any money grubbing Tory in the trough of public expenses ever was.

Tony Blair is a war criminal.

At present; he is packaging himself as a ‘Man of God’ type preaching do without to make you a better human being while parking his arse on millionaires’ yachts and luxury villas.

Tony Blair received intelligence from the Foreign Office that Saddam Hussein's nuclear programme had been dismantled just 10 days before Britain invaded Iraq.

Despite this information, Blair took this country to war and hundreds of thousands of people died; their bodies bloating in the heat of the sun in Iraq.

The Chilcot Inquiry has no powers to bring this war criminal to trial but they might run to a few harsh words, watered down of course.

The second day of the rigged Chilcot farce heard the Foreign Office had no evidence Saddam was trying to supply chemical or biological weapons to terrorists.

What this evidence shows is that Blair had another agenda and that agenda was paid for in British and Iraq lives.

And the millions keep rolling in Blair.

Tony Blair therefore lied to the Commons and the British public that Saddam did have chemical and biological weapons.

For Blair, there is an ace in the hole, the current Labour Government went along with the deception that got countless people killed, tortured and maimed; Blair will escape justice and never be brought to trial.

Blair will continue to rake in millions and live a life of luxury untouched.

Cold comfort for the families of British service personnel killed; they know who is responsible for the death of their relatives but the establishment will ensure Blair is fully protected.

The rigged Chilcot Inquiry is a sick farce on the British people.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Donald Trump wants to rob Michael Forbes of his heritage and land, it is time the SNP Government had a word.

Dear All

Before the SNP became the Government of Scotland, the Labour Party was bending over backwards to help Donald Trump, one of the world’s most powerful businessmen.

Trump wanted to build a golf course complete with housing in Scotland.

The planning application was called in by the SNP Government because of the issues involved.

Now the SNP Government should step in again because of the actions of Trump in wanting to extend what he was originally granted.

Trump wishes to take people’s homes forcibly off them by compulsory purchase to that end he has using bullying tactics to get his own way.

Now Trump has launched a personal attack against Micheal Forbes because his home, a seaside cottage stands between him and his dream of creating the world’s greatest golf course.

Mr. Forbes is the little guy in this dispute, a former salmon fisherman who has refused to sell his property at Balmedie, near Aberdeen to Trump.

The Trump scheme isn’t small potatoes costing about a £1 billion to build.

Such is Trump’s anger that he has called Forbes “the local village idiot”.

Imagine, one of the most powerful businessmen in the world beaten by an idiot and from a village no less, how embarrassing.

Trump’s attack goes on to describe Mr. Forbes in less than glowing terms but he does own his property.

Is Forbes, “a terrible representative for Scotland”?

I would say not, he is defending what is his home.

On top of the humiliation, Forbes’s 85 years old mother has lodged a legal challenge to the resort as the Court of Session seeking an interim interdict and she might get it based on Trump’s behaviour, after all she and her son have the right to Protection from Harassment, just like everyone else.

Trump stated;

“Over the years, my representatives and I have often seen Mr Forbes and he has always been dirty, sloppy and unkempt in his personal appearance and demeanour.”

Is that a viable reason to take his home off him?

Trump added;

“He is a loser who is seriously damaging the image of both Aberdeenshire and his great country. His property is a disgusting blight on the community and an environmental hazard, with leaking oil containers, rusted shacks and abandoned vehicles dumped everywhere. It is a very poor image and representation for the world to see of Scotland”.

I think that it is time that the SNP Government should intervene and set Trump straight on a range of issues.

One of them being that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated by him or his company.

The SNP have a slogan, ‘we have got what it takes’.

Do they have what it takes to defend Mr. Forbes and his family or should we just keel over and let Trump effectively rob Mr. Forbes of his heritage and land over money?

I don’t think such inaction helps our case for independence and our right to govern when we stand back and do nothing to help.

Someone needs to go and see Mr. Forbes and thrash out a deal then go see Trump.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Steven 'bin laden' Purcell and the Labour Council of shame plunge Glasgow into 'Winter of Discontent' as rubbish and filth pile up in Glasgow

Dear All

Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell and the Labour Council of shame can’t get the laden bins empty in Glasgow.

The situation at present under the inept and incompetent management is that there is a backlog of rubbish piling up in Glasgow.

To add insult to injury in a double whammy, Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell will find money to pay big business but has no problem taking hot food from the mouth of deprived Glasgow kids.

More evidence of how Purcell and the Labour Council of shame are star struck by big business?

When it comes to housing the old saying is location, location, location in Glasgow, there is a new twist.

If you want to stay in a clean street in Glasgow, find out where your local Councillor lives; otherwise be prepared to walk in filth up to your ankles.

Now, the Labour Council of shame is at the stage of issuing the veiled threat of private contractors rather than addressing their ineffective management.

In a statement by Robert Booth, director of land and environmental services, he has asked that employees break the road traffic laws of Scotland.

Booth said;

"They are refusing to double park collection vehicles”.

The binmen are employed to work, how can someone who has reached such a position think he can tell people to break the law?

Another flippant remark by Booth centres on the fact that if bin lids are not closed the binmen are refusing to lift them.

Has Booth ever heard of the manually handling regulations or does he even care?

In parts of Glasgow, the ‘Winter of Discontent’ has already started with some streets in the south-east, having no rubbish collected for three weeks.

Ordinary people who paid up for Glasgow living in filthy conditions because the Labour Council of shame knows only the heel on the neck of the workers!

Booth also to try and justify his position stated;

"Also, if they press the service button to access the rear court of a tenement and get no reply, they will walk away rather than press residents' buzzers. They are being awkward."

So, it the binmen’s fault not the Labour Council’s ineptness to contact the residents via GHA to ensure that buzzers are reset to accommodate the problem?

Yes, simple solutions can solve problems, but then there aren’t any blue sky thinkers in the ‘bin laden’ empire.

Perhaps Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell and the Labour Council of shame should put Robert Booth out with those he seeks to manage so that he can understand their problems better.

Or perhaps the Labour Council of shame should bin Robert Booth, director of land and environmental services and get in a better management.

Doesn't have the brains to get buzzers reset, some people are just too stupid to learn.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Steven 'bin laden' Purcell and the Labour Council of shame get backing from disgraced Labour MSP and cohorts to make children suffer.

Dear All

How do you know the Labour supporting organisations?

Because when the Labour Party speaks, they pipe up as well right behind them.

So why are the Labour supporting organisations calling for GARL to be reinstated?

Why is one mile of rail track costing about a couple of hundred million pounds so important?

It is important for them to try and undermine the SNP Scottish Government.

So who are these Labour Party supporting organisations who put big business first before people?

They are CBI Scotland, SCC, Federation of Small Businesses Scotland, Institute of Directors Scotland, Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI) and Scottish Financial Enterprise.

What is of interest is how quick after Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell made his statement; they got their joint letter together.

Almost like it was a planned strategy between them and the Labour Party, think about it, six organisations drawing up and approving a letter so quickly.

If the GARL goes ahead, people with families will suffer because money will have to be denied to them and others.

It is no surprise to me that Labour Council leader Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell doesn’t care about providing universal free school meals to poor children from deprived backgrounds, that’s par for the course I would say.

One funny aspect of the situation is the disgraced Labour MSP Charles Gordon has reappeared back on the scene as Labour’s transport spokesman.

Charles Gordon was forced to resign in disgrace from this position over the Wendy Alexander illegal donations scandal.

When you resign in disgrace that is supposed to be the end of your public life but for the Labour Party members it is a mechanism to go into hiding till the heat dies down.

The Scottish Government is committed to a range of vital capital projects across Scotland, the M74 completion, the M80 upgrade, Forth Replacement Crossing, AWPR, the A9 improvements, the schools programme, Glasgow’s National Indoor Sports Arena and the new Southern General Hospital.

It appears that the British Labour Party (Scottish region) and their cohorts want to deny the people, food, new health services and road safety improvements all for the sake of a mile of railtrack.

For people like Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell and the Labour Council of shame, the people are never a priority.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Gordon Brown rigs Iraq inquiry by hand picking the membership of it

Dear All

The UK Labour Government is setting up an enquiry into the Iraq War.

That means that it is a whitewash.

This sham is to con the electorate before the General Election that the Government is open and transparent.

Rather than the “independent” inquiry, there should be a criminal investigation rather than the toothless animal to deceive the public.

The star witness at this fiasco will be war criminal Tony Blair who will say that he acted in good faith.

That is his answer to the hundreds of thousands whose dead bodies littered Iraq, the torture of innocent civilians and the destruction of an entire country.

The inquiry chairman has said his report will be available in late 2010; that’s after the General Election.

Expect the committee made up of placemen to receive addition honours such as appointments to quangos and possibly to the House of Lords.

There will be a long list of witnesses who play a part in taking Britain into an illegal war but one thing they all have in common is that not one of them will be prosecuted and they will all go on their merry way.

This is the “Bankers; we are sorry routine”, we have seen it before and if it is worth doing once then it is worth doing it again.

Some of the public are awfully gullible.

In my opinion Blair took this country to war so he could get in tight with George W Bush. A lot of innocent people died in agony because Tony Blair wanted to get the same relationship with Bush that he had with Clinton.

That was Britain’s foreign policy for the invasion of Iraq, Tony Blair wanting to safeguard his position with the Americans.

Expect to hear ‘sorry’, ‘good faith’ and ‘lessons learned’ but don’t expect criminal charges.

No one is to be personally blamed or charged and the Cameron Government will be moving on and burying it as soon as.

Finally, all the members of the inquiry's committee were chosen by No 10 Downing Street.

This tells you all you need to know about it.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Beautiful South - A Little Time

Beautiful- you keep it all in

The Jam - That's Entertainment

NHS Grampian chief executive Richard Carey's career should be down the toilet if he can't do better

Dear All

The SNP Government has demanded "urgent improvements" at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after a damning report into the state of the hospital.

A Healthcare Environment Inspectorate report into the hospital highlighted serious issues including cleanliness and infection control which present a major problem.

Health Minister Nicola Sturgeon commented;

"This report makes difficult reading. I am disappointed that so much room for improvement has been identified."

The most damning aspect of the report I would suggest is a lack of communication between management and ward staff about controlling infections.

If the right kind of people is not in place at a management level then the SNP Government should insist that those not capable are removed from standing in the way of improvement, whoever they are.

Nicola Sturgeon added;

"It is very welcome news that a follow-up unannounced inspection found that urgent action is already being taken and many concerns have already been addressed. I now expect NHS Grampian to implement all the inspectorate's recommendations urgently and in full."

It may also be an idea that each hospital becomes more proactive by setting up their own mini healthcare environment inspectorate to ensure standards.

For NHS Grampian chief executive Richard Carey this should be a wake call to place him on notice.

If he can’t be an effective force then he should be out.

Royal College of Nursing Scotland director Theresa Fyffe said;

"It is important that the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate continues to work in a spirit of partnership and improvement with healthcare staff and that all health boards learn from the reports published so far."

A spirit of partnership that seems an odd statement to make to me!

I would say the opposite that the Inspectorate should distance themselves from being too cosy with the people they inspect in case it clouds their judgement.

There maybe a case for Healthcare Environment Inspectorate officers to be assigned to each hospital funded by the Scottish Government on a permanent basis.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Steven 'bin laden' Purcell and the Labour Council of shame want to deprive kids of hot food to pay for choo choo ride

Dear All

‘Time flies by when I am the driver of a train and I stand on the footplate there and back again’.

One of the songs of the happy days of childhood, except if you live in the Labour fiefdom ruled by Steven 'bin laden' Purcell

Just as Margaret Thatcher stole the milk off kids, a new fiend enters the scene to pick up her mantel and run with it.

Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell wants their hot lunches as well.

Why does Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell want to do this?

He wants the big white elephant that is GARL built even although it is not viable, will cost people money and jobs and will damage the environment.

Purcell and his Labour Council of shame have no problem in targeting the poorest children in society from the most deprived areas of Glasgow.

So what is the children’s crime, they come from families whose parents haven’t been fortunate enough to escape the poverty trap in Labour gerrymandered ghettos that ring the city of Glasgow.

While the affluent kids eat in the school canteen, the apartheid of rich and poor will be clearly drawn at the dinner bell.

SNP Opposition Leader James Dornan said;

"As Leader of Glasgow City Council Councillor Purcell has a responsibility to ensure that those children living in Glasgow are educated, safe and healthy. If you give pupils free school meals they are likely to be more aware in class, thus improving their educational chances, make them more likely to stay within the school boundaries during lunchtimes, ensuring their safety and of course you will have some say in their dietary intake, improving their health”.

This really shows the difference between the Scottish National Party and the Labour Party. Labour is the party of the rich businessman and the Scottish National Party is the party of the people.

It seems that Labour and Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell want to ensure that children are failing, denied life chances and improved health.

How much longer must the City of Glasgow have to put up with the Labour Council of shame?

If Purcell was gets his way and deprived kids were denied a hot healthy lunch would this mean the end of School Dinner Service in Glasgow?

How many people would have to suffer and lose their jobs for Purcell to get his white elephant?

It is time the ordinary people of Glasgow took a close look of what is happening around them.

It’s time the people of Glasgow stood up for their kids!

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Labour MSP Jack McConnell seeks return to Holyrood from local Motherwell 'pigsty'

Dear All

Remember Jack McConnell?

Famous for losing the Holyrood May 2007 Election!

Famous for getting a verbal kicking off Bernard Ponsonby!

Famous for getting a verbal kicking off Gordon Brewer!

Famous for calling Motherwell a pigsty!

Now with the prospect of a Tory Government, the nonentity needs to think of where his bread and butter is going to come from.

So, the former first minister, Jack McConnell is seeking re-selection as a candidate in the next Scottish Parliament election.

What no peerage from Gordon Brown?

So why does Jack McConnell want to represent his favourite “pigsty”?

I would suggest Loadsamoney!!!!!!

This must rank as the final humiliation for McConnell crawling back to the electorate to beg to keep his job.

Let’s hope they have a Michael Portillo moment and put him out on the street, people will cheer; children with cry and the party can begin.

Finally, how many trotters do you have to shake to become a Labour MSP?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Personal failure for Gordon Brown, he fails to get elected man responsible for littering the Middle East with dead bodies to position as EU President

Dear All

Let us all remember for a moment that the Labour Government and Gordon Brown failed to get Tony Blair chosen as the new president of the EU Council.

The Europeans know as does everyone else that Tony Blair is political poison outside his group of cronies.

He is personally responsible along with George W Bush for the destruction of Iraq and the morass that is Afghanistan.

On top of that there is the torture issue which Craig Murray has extensively outlined on his blog.

Downing Street has found out a universal truth and abandoned its campaign to put the ex-prime minister in the prestige job.

Having this war criminal chair the EU Council with all those dead bodies littering the Middle East is obscene.

In trying to claim some kind of win, the inept Prime Minister has attempted to say that the appointment of Labour Crony Baroness Ashton “reinforced" the UK's place "at the heart of Europe".

No, it doesn’t she was selected because she is a dud.

In attempting to talk up this loser Brown further stated that as EU's Trade Commissioner, she had been "highly effective".

So effectively she made no impact in the UK.

Although Blair had never publicly said he was in the running for the job of EU President, his people were taking soundings and travelling to gain support.

This is so he can have plausible denial but word is out of the war criminal Tony Blair, political poison.

The Conservatives in shadow foreign secretary William Hague said;
.
"Gordon Brown spent a great deal of energy and political capital trying to secure the presidency for Tony Blair. The summit's result is a defeat for him."

Aside from laughing behind Blair’s back, everyone is looking to the future when the Labour Party will be defeated at the General Election.

For some of us looking for our ‘Portillo’ moment with some Scottish Labour MPs at the election, it cannot come soon enough.

Time to throw out the trash, time to throw out Labour!

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Chuck the schmuck wants terminally ill man returned to prison

Dear All

Al Megrahi has prostate cancer; he is going to die painfully at some point.

In view of medical evidence on Megrahi’s condition, he applied for release on compassionate grounds to go home to his family.

The release was done under the regulations that govern prisoners.

Now a US senator has written to Prime Minister Gordon Brown calling for Al Megrahi to be returned to prison.

What this shows is contempt for the Scottish Government in Holyrood.

Megrahi was convicted under Scottish law not English.

If he should be writing letters to anyone, it should be to the Scottish Justice Minister, Kenny MacAskill.

Mr Schumer is questioned the severity of Megrahi's prostate cancer given that the three months have now elapsed.

Maybe Schumer put a complaint into God as well.

The question is what is Schumer’s hurry?

Does he have colleagues who want to do business in Libya?

As a noticeable sign of how dense Schumer is when he said;

"The bottom line is Megrahi should have never been released in the first place but it would be even more outrageous if he were to be able to live a long and free life after his release”.

Megrahi has terminal prostate cancer; he isn’t going to experience a long and free life.

Nat Hentoff, former of the Village Voice has criticised Schumer for his stance on the issue of torture.

He looks to me like the self serving opportunist he is painted as in the United States.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Is that a massive hole in my roof, I must be living in Steven 'bin laden' Purcell's Labour fiefdom of Glasgow

Dear All

Housing always attracts a lot of interest in people as people try to leapfrog up the housing ladder, those who can afford to do so.

There is another side to the housing bubble and that is the number of vacant properties in Scotland has soared to a four-year high of 103,000.

The highest number of vacant properties is out in the sticks in places such as the western Isles and Argyll and Bute.

It is no mystery that high vacancy levels go hand in hand with high deprivation.

In parts of Glasgow, some people effectively live in slums.

As a tenant, I have stayed in various properties, Council and GHA, the first one was pulled down so that the rich middle class didn’t have to overlook tenements, the second property which was a 3 apt had water coming through the living room, hall, toilet, spare bedroom and bathroom.

Despite repeatedly complaining to the Labour Council, they allowed me to live in what was a squat for years because they wouldn’t repair it.

It rains in Glasgow because the UK sits at the junction of five major air masses, not much comfort to know why it comes through my roof.

The third turn at the cease saw me given a property that took the GHA, 28 months to fix the roof.

Not days, not weeks but months.

As someone brought up in the Labour gerrymandered Pollok ghetto, I only know bad housing and the reasons why people don’t want to stay in them.

When Labour Controlled Glasgow City Council created the GHA, it was a mistake that denied the people effectively representation.

Here is a titbit when a tenant goes in person to make a complaint to GHA housing officers, they don’t record the visit or details of the complaint on file.

The political architect of the GHA was Wendy Alexander who pushed this white elephant through parliament at the same time living a life of luxury in the trendy west end of Glasgow.

In the Labour Fiefdom of Glasgow, the rich Labour so called elite live in luxury houses and flats.

The ordinary Glaswegian gets mostly their high crime ridden ghetto property.

Given the high number of unoccupied properties, the Government should act to pass more housing legislation so that these properties can come back into some kind of use.

Perhaps a scheme that benefits the country and the property owners could solve many a problem both in the sticks and urban areas.

It isn’t much fun living in a Labour slum you know.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University