SNP Minister Mike Russell ‘should be sacked for misleading parliament over college cuts’ says Labour, his presence weakens SNP Government’s reputation

Dear All

The heat is on for inept SNP Minister Mike Russell with Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont calling on Alex Salmond to sack him.

Mike Russell is Alex Salmond’s pal, where as a government should be run on talent and merit, in the Salmond and Sturgeon clique, it is run as a rather squalid affair entirely.

Lamont’s beef with Russell aside from the allegedly bullying of an innocent man with a disability who was forced from his job is that Russell had “misled” parliament over cuts to colleges.

Education is a complete disaster under the stewardship of Mike Russell; although Russell is pressing Kenny MacAskill hard for the title of the worst run portfolio of the SNP Government he hasn’t managed wrestle that away just yet.   

Lamont senses blood in the water since the Ramsay incident and as Russell is close to Salmond, she wants a scalp.

Salmond should terminate Russell’s ministerial ship not because of ‘politics’ but because of the inept performances across a whole range of issues in education.

She claimed that Russell had previously told MSPs there would be no cuts to Scotland’s colleges, but that he had admitted yesterday there would be cutbacks by saying he never said there were going to be “no cuts”.

The tampering with the College budgets has been a disastrous policy decision, short term thinking to try and dig the SNP Government out of a hole of their own making.

Ms Lamont said:

“Not even Mike Russell believes Mike Russell anymore. Mike Russell misled parliament. That’s the kind of offence that should cost him his job.”

Will Salmond sack Mike Russell?

Probably not, Salmond as we are seeing the integrity of this government has gone along with the integrity of the man himself, and all that is left is grabbing as much money as possible.

Alex Salmond is a weak leader; the sooner he honours his pledge to step down as First Minister the better it will be for Scotland and the Scottish people. We have to endure two further years of nonsense from him, two years of hot air, two years of bluster and two years of the politics of fear.

But at the end of that time, his world will come crashing down around his ears as the Salmond referendum fails, the referendum of the self serving rich wanting control of Scotland will be over.

SNP Minister Mike Russell should have been sacked along time ago even before the Ramsay incident, he is clearly out of his depth and unable to cope or even fight for his brief effectively.

80,000 College places lost, cuts to budgets, allegations of bullying, no vision, no agenda for real change, crisis following crisis.

The Scottish people, particularly the working class are paying a high price for Salmond indulging his pal by boosting his pay packet; they are paying by being robbed of a future.

By the end of the week, Salmond should ask Russell to pack his bags and vacate the education brief.

Yours sincerely

 George Laird

 The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University