Open Letter to Alex Salmond; Asian Candidate abused and smeared at Pollok SNP Nomination, smears allegations not investigated, is SNP fit for purpose?

Dear Alex Salmond

The Scottish National Party has for sometime had serious problems.

It appears from documents that people known to you and the senior leadership have been involved in smearing people out with and within the SNP.

Awhile ago I reported to Derek Mackay a complaint because I was sent an email that I and others were said to be the victims of an SNP smear campaign.

I was told by SNP Councillor Grant Thoms to report this to local government minister and local government election co-ordinator Derek Mackay MSP.

I duly did so.

To my disgust, he never replied despite being forwarded the email.

When it became clear I was as a working class member being ignored, I then sent my complaint to Ian McCann at SNP HQ.

At this point I would like to state that the SNP has always said it stands for fairness, equality and social justice.

I have never received that from the SNP.

When I attended the Pollok SNP selection meeting putting myself forward as a prospective candidate, I witnessed first hand as an SNP MSP staff member abused and smeared an Asian Candidate when he was sent out of the room.

When I inquired was it SNP policy to send candidates out of the room I was told by many people afterwards.

No!

I raised this issue why different systems of candidate selection were operating in Maryhill & Springburn Branch and the Pollok and Greater Craigton branch.

Ian McCann from SNP HQ ignored that too.

When the Asian Candidate was being abused and smeared, I was the only person to speak up and put an end to it as my other prospective candidates such as Councillors David McDonald and Iris Gibson, along with Jim Torrance and Shabbir Jaffri all sat there and did nothing and said nothing.

They all were nominated as candidates.

I on the other hand for standing up for the Asian Candidate was told by SNP Councillor Malik that he felt sorry for me afterwards.

When I inquired why, he told me that I received no votes and no one spoke up for me.

I then received an email from SNP NEC member and Pollok branch sec that it wasn’t true that no one had voted for me.

Someone lied to me.

As such and along with other allegations that I was a victim of an SNP smear campaign which was confirmed by email from a 3rd party source, I withdrew as an SNP Activist.

Until I entered the SNP selection process I never knew how vile and nasty certain elements within the Scottish National Party actually were.

Today on Twitter, I find that a senior Glasgow SNP Activist Tommy Ball has been smearing British soldiers on the day that six were tragically killed.

He calls British Soldiers ‘racists’ and ‘child killers’.

And it gets worse; recently I had to tell him to take down a sexual post on Twitter about dipping his penis in chocolate and then hundreds and thousands.

Children use Twitter Mr. Salmond.

ONLY, only when I informed him children use Twitter did he take it down.

He has now started being abusive to me, it is no wonder Mr. Salmond that SNP activists are unwilling to come out for the party.

This is all transpiring under your watch, in the party, you lead.

I am not willing to work for a party that spits in my face after I have helped it.

I remain an SNP member but I am unwilling to do anything until the SNP honours its pledge to fairness, equality and social justice.

The SNP isn’t the social justice generation when it should be, so much is wrong that could be fixed but it won't be, you cannot even defend democracy within your own party.

Finally, how much further must this party sink before you act?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University