SNP Education Secretary Mike Russell accused of 'bullying' over college row, Alex Salmond’s pal refuses to do decent thing and issue full apology

Dear All

Englishman Mike Russell who is an SNP MSP and the current Education Secretary has been accused of attempting to ‘bully’ the Stow College chairman Kirk Ramsay out of his job.

Scots don’t like bullies!

The accusation of ‘bullying’ blew up over a row about the recording of a meeting that Russell attended.

Following the discovery that the contents of the meeting had been circulated to others Russell asked Stow College chairman Kirk Ramsay to consider his position and resign.

The row has now surfaced in Holyrood with Labour's education spokesman, Hugh Henry, calling on Russell to apologise.

Russell has wrongly decided to not accept the opportunity to apologise and declined the invitation made by Hugh Henry bringing the SNP Government into disrepute in the eyes of ordinary working class people.

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, Mr Henry said:

"I've been contacted by FE (further education) staff who believe that the cabinet secretary is behaving inappropriately and that he is attempting to bully and intimidate”.

"Many staff in education and further education have contacted me to say that they are frightened to speak out about the way that the cabinet secretary is treating them.

"Surely the way that he has behaved to Mr Ramsay reinforces their fears."

Mike Russell seems to think he has the right to call for Ramsay to stand down but has no power to remove him.

Ramsay says the way Russell has gone about it was ‘disturbing’.

Last week the education secretary issued a letter to others who were in attendance at the meeting expressing his concerns and informing them that their comments were recorded and has publicly said that he no longer had confidence in Mr Ramsay.

Mike Russell said:

“The Scottish government believes that the college sector, like any other, needs to be led and governed by people of the highest quality and standards.”

Well said Mr. Russell.

I found this on his wiki entry, relevant to the “people of the highest quality and standards.”

“Russell previously separated from his wife for a time after he lost his seat at Holyrood in 2003 and had an affair with his researcher Elidh Bateman. Bateman, who was 21 years his junior, later dumped Russell just 10 days after he publicly announced he was leaving his wife”.

21 years his junior and he ploughed into her?

It must have been true love!

Also in his book, Russell said of Glasgow:

"Pull over and stop the car (if you dare) and walk into the closes smelling of urine and rubbish, cluttered with dirt and debris. It is not uncommon to have to step over a comatose body, with or without a needle by its side."

I have never stepped over a body in a Glasgow close and I have lived in areas of severe deprivation, pretty much all my life, perhaps Russell got confused watching Rab C Nesbit and was taking artistic licence.

Russell was born Bromley, Kent.

And this isn’t the first time that SNP MSP has been accused of bullying, sadly no.

“Russell was further accused of "bullying" in his dealings with Shetland Islands Council where the council was asked to postpone cost-cutting school closures”.

And:

"Mr Russell was last night accused of "bullying" councils into agreeing to his moratorium". 

A senior local government source said:

"Russell is acting like a school bully on this and bullying councils into backing this delay."

It seems that Englishman Mike Russell has a lot to learn about Scots and Scotland.

Scots say ‘fuck you’ to bullies.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University