Scottish independence: Scottish Labour stand up to English ‘Bully’ Mike Russell getting more powers to ‘intimidate’ and ‘abuse’, why won't Alex Salmond protect Scots?

Dear All

It seems that there are plans that hand the SNP Minister who has been accused of ‘bullying’ and 'intimidation’ new powers to hire and fire college board members.

This has led to opposition parties saying the plans should be ditched immediately.

Given that the Chairman of Stow College has said he has effectively been bullied out of his job, it is hard not to agree that these new powers shouldn’t be handed to Mike Russell.

The failure of Alex Salmond not to sack Mike Russell was a watershed moment in the Scottish Government.

As well as Russell’s reputation lying in tatters, the reputation of Salmond himself is tainted. 

Hugh Henry, Scottish Labour’s education spokesman, said the SNP should curb Mr Russell’s powers to recruit and get rid of college staff at a time when he stands accused of bullying and intimidation.

And of course the debacle and spectacular incompetence as seen by Salmond being forced to apologise for misleading Parliament shows that Salmond’s judgement is warped.

What Salmond did by refusing to sack Russell was to put a member of his clique before the independence referendum.

That was a watershed moment and another nail in the political coffin of independence. 

Labour MSP Hugh Henry:

“If Alex Salmond couldn’t do the right thing and sack him, and Mike Russell won’t do the decent thing and resign, we need at least to make sure that the education secretary’s power to bully and intimidate is curbed.”

I suspect that Salmond is so far gone that he doesn’t care anymore, I also suspect he knows independence has been lost, all that remains his sordid clique siphoning off as much cash as possible from the Yes Salmond Campaign.

Although Ministers currently have powers to remove College Board members over mismanagement, new reforms of the sector will see this power extended to situations where a college or regional board appears at risk of failing.

Many will suspect that Russell will use this power to silence opposition and remove members if they dare to speak out.

Henry added:

“The SNP government has plans to give Mike Russell the power to hire and fire college chairs and board members. That is at the heart of his power to bully and intimidate college leaders and must not happen. The power must be dropped from the SNP’s legislative plans.”

It won’t, the SNP Government stopped listening along time ago, hence we see bad law being produced, situations like the Kirk Ramsay and arrogance which is backed up by stupidity, utter incompetence and a belief that the SNP populism will go on and on.

Larry Flanagan, general-secretary of the EIS has said that the main college grant for learning and teaching has been cut by 20 per cent and cost thousands of jobs in the past two years.

And 80,000 college places have gone under Mike Russell’s watch because he is such an incompetent that it literally beggars belief.

We now appear have a situation where Scottish Labour are at the forefront to protect Scots from an English ‘bully’ who allegedly preys on the weak using his position to abuse and intimidate.

And Alex Salmond says his first duty is to the people of Scotland …….. yeah right!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University