Scottish independence: Alex Salmond accused of misleading parliament again over renewable jobs claim, trust and competence has long gone, that's the truth Salmond!

Dear All

Alex Salmond is facing fresh calls to apologise to Parliament for misleading MSPs again.

Not long ago, the First Minister had to return to the Holyrood Chamber and apologise for misleading parliament over college cuts.

After shouting the odds, Salmond and his deadbeat education minister Mike Russell were positively beaming as they left the chamber. Salmond couldn’t contain himself and was crowing for the nearest TV crew with Russell being flippant.

A few hours later with his tail between his legs Salmond returned to apologise, he then left the chamber head down, not so cocky.

Opposition MSPs have found the range. They are starting to take him apart on detail.

Didn’t George Laird say it was important to tell the truth and deal in facts?

Yes, George Laird right again.

We now have Salmond accused of misleading parliament over exaggerating claims of green jobs in Scotland.

He told MSPs last month that 18,000 jobs were created, a figure disputed by Scottish Renewables which claimed only 11,000 were generated.

That figure was exaggerated by 7,000.

This incident happened on October 25 when he said that there were 18,000 jobs created by industries such as windfarms etc. Unfortunately for him, this has been totally refuted by Scottish Renewables.

This body says only 11,000 jobs are supported.

A Scottish Government spokesman said:

“The First Minister has corrected the Parliament’s official report to make it clear there are 11,000 jobs supported by Scotland’s renewable energy sector.”

It is the second time in a week that the Scottish Government has confessed giving inaccurate answers to Parliament.

People will now be asking is anything SNP Ministers say the actual truth?

How would Oscar Wilde put it?

To tell one misleading answer is unfortunate, to tell two seems like carelessness.

Scottish Conservative Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Liz Smith said:

“This was clearly a misleading answer by the First Minister, who overestimated the number of jobs created by renewables considerably. It’s not the first time this month Alex Salmond has given inaccurate figures to Holyrood, and this has to stop. We know the SNP is obsessed with wind energy, but over-egging the benefits in such a spectacular way is not how to win the argument. He must now come to parliament and explain why he misled – is he just going to blame an inaccurate briefing again, or that he gave the figure in good faith?”

In case you don’t know how ‘good faith’ came in the fore of politics, it became popular when Tony Blair was outed for misleading parliament.

Labour’s Richard Baker said the latest episode shows that the First Minister “lies instinctively.”

“lies instinctively?”

The Labour Party of late are roasting Alex Salmond’s political arse, it is becoming a Labour Party training and proving ground for their MSPs to cut their teeth on.

They are getting the range and making precision hits.

Baker added:

“When asked about the number of jobs in renewable energy he tells the people of Scotland 18,000 but that’s simply not true”.

Not true!

Baker:

“He doesn’t even apologise, he just gets the Tipp-Ex out and changes the official record. When Alex Salmond is asked if he has legal advice on Europe he says yes – but that’s not true either”.

This is an effective theme by Labour, if they continue to call Alex Salmond a ‘liar’ it will take hold.

Didn’t George Laird say it was important to tell the truth and deal in facts?

George Laird right again, politics is so easy, sadly only the stupid seem to have difficulty steering a straight course.

Baker finished by mentioning:

“Just last week on college funding he boasted to parliament that he was giving the most exact answer ever given to any parliament – and then a couple of hours later he was dragged back to admit he had misled Parliament. Alex Salmond seems incapable of telling the truth and clearly thinks he can treat the people of Scotland for fools.”

Iain MacWhirter wrote on his blog on the 19^th November this quote:

“He apologised last week for inadvertently misleading parliament on college spending.  This could be habit forming”.

Hugh Henry mocked Salmond by quoting Burns:

““Facts are chiels that winna ding.”

And added:

"Ding ding."

I am not familiar with Burns..

So I would say to Salmond:

“Smart, I like, smart arse I don’t”.

In this blog I pointed out quite some time ago that Salmond should send SNP Ministers back to their desks, this is the result of not following George Laird's advice!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University