Alex Salmond takes his grudge, grievance and malcontent ‘roadshow’ to China, his brand of ‘sweet and sour’ won’t play well with the Chinese, Salmond accuses UKBA of sabotaging Chinese teacher visa scheme, not a statesman just a stupid little man shouting his mouth off

Dear All

Alex Salmond is just a stupid little man.

His agenda is grudge, grievance and malcontent; he has outlived his political sell-by date and is a fading star.

The First Minister is in China trying to promote himself, and let’s face it, the SNP Government is a one man band to the Chinese Government.

Alex Salmond is a man who the Chinese shouldn’t do business with; he is a short sighted politician who is devoid of ideas.

On his visit to China, he has accused the UK Border Agency of "sabotage" after two Chinese teachers were refused visas to return to Scotland under a partnership programme.

This is an old story where Salmond is concerned, spreading hate and bile; apparently he thinks that the rules shouldn’t apply where he disagrees with them.

Alex Salmond says the decision to refuse visas is an "offensive" decision.

Do you know about the complete silence when Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond and Scotland’s unpopular Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon left Scots women to die from cancer because they wouldn't ensure the same cancer drugs available in England were prescribed here?

Is that “offensive”?

In his attempt to cosy up to the Chinese Government, has said the decision to deny visas should be reversed, and the cases of further three teachers having their visas turned down reviewed.

Immigration is a reserved matter and out with his remit; add to it he can’t represent these people as an MSP either.

So Alex Salmond is standing up for China now?

Or is it he is standing up for pretty much anyone with money and power?

You judge!

Teachers from Tian Jin have come to Scotland under a teaching programme run by the Confucius Institute; the programme is also backed by Strathclyde University and the Scottish Government.

In Scotland there are many Chinese students at university, I met several over the years at Glasgow University, in the main; the Chinese students are friendly and hard working.

The First Minister has written to Home Secretary Theresa May to express his dismay, foster the usual SNP grudge, grievance and malcontent and do the ‘we are your pals” to the Chinese.

Chinese people I have met are highly educated, one of my former pupils from uni is now teaching at a prestigious university in Beijing.

Salmond’s propaganda piece to BBC Radio Scotland:

"It is an absolutely extraordinary situation you couldn't make it up. It is deeply offensive to the Chinese and it is a decision that has to be reversed as soon as possible. It amounts to sabotage of a programme that everyone thinks is absolutely fantastic and doing great work in Scotland. Basically what the Border Agency are applying is a rule which was drawn up last year for something entirely different. It wasn't designed for this at all. It's pretty obvious that somebody doing their second year is going to have certain skills which you wouldn't get in your first year and the Confuscious Institutes are well agreed that actually a second-year teacher is even more invaluable than a first-year teacher."

The correct route rather than flagging up grievance should have been to do this privately rather than make it a pissing contest, Salmond isn’t like down south because he is a bore.

Proof of the pudding, his public claim stating that the Border Agency is "deeply dysfunctional"!

That will win them over.

Salmond added:

"I'm accusing them of sabotaging a Scottish Government programme. The importance of this is quite fundamental. Our argument is that to have a successful economic relationship with China you must have it underpinned by a successful cultural relationship. That is the view of the Chinese, that is the view of the Scottish Government. If you undermine one, you undermine the other."

Tripe, a bad decision if that is what this is should be subject to review, so this half cocked nonsense doesn’t help!

A Home Office spokeswoman said:

"We have received the letter from the Scottish Government and we have been in contact with them over these cases. We are taking this matter seriously and will be looking into the decisions."

There is something slimy about Alex Salmond, and if he thinks his phoney statesman act will play in China, then he patently doesn’t understand international politics.

You don’t bring up his brand of grudge, grievance and malcontent and think it will somehow win over people.

It doesn’t, that is why Scotland’s population isn’t buying into him or the SNP any more.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University