SNP MSPs vote to bring back fascism to Scotland as they back bid to kill off criminal trial corroboration by three votes, if you aren’t a good story teller and innocent you could find yourself in prison under the National Socialist Party of Scotland, like many innocents under the National Socialist Party of Germany in the 1930’s

Dear All

Despite repeated attempts to shake off the stigma of releasing the worst convicted terrorist in Scottish modern history, Al Megrahi, SNP ‘justice’ Sec latest attempt will fail.

The stigma is too deep, the stain too severe.

His attempt using the ill judged ‘flagship’ legislation to remove the centuries old requirement for corroboration in criminal trials is another reason to vote No in September at the Scottish independence referendum.

Although he managed to scrap through by 3 votes, the fight against this damaging bill continues.

The SNP had a majority during the Stage One vote last night which means the proposal remains in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill.

In effect this means something which is broken and wrong continues through the Parliament.

People will be denied a fair trial; accusation without proof is the new standard the SNP want to bring in.

This has all the hallmarks of Germany in the 1930’s where the fascist Government used the law to pervert the course of justice.

MacAskill said:

"The corroboration reform must stay in the bill. Commencement must wait until Lord Bonomy reports, but there must be no further unnecessary delay. The reform must go forward now in this legislation."

We need a Justice Minister in the Scottish Parliament; we haven’t had one since 2007.

SNP Justice Convener Christine Grahame abstained in the vote because she knows this is wrong.

Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green MSPs all voted in favour of the Tory motion seeking to strike out that section of the bill.

Clearly the will of Parliament is now reduced to the will of the SNP.

And that party is just a front for the Alex Salmond party, a crony ridden clique who are illiberal.

Every SNP member present voted with the Government, this shows there is a real lack of talent in the SNP, the leadership selects drones who blindly follow Salmond.

This bill has been railroaded through the Parliament.

As part of his pitch to sell this, MacAskill is using rape as a vehicle arguing that Rape Crisis Scotland, Scottish Women's Aid and Victim Support Scotland backed police and prosecutors.

Does anyone think that if someone isn’t a good story teller that is enough to send them to prison if they are accused?

The supposed shift to an emphasis on quality of evidence rather than quantity is bogus.

SNP MSP Gil Paterson made an impassioned plea in favour of abolition.

One of the tactics used by the Nazi Party of Germany to justify acting in the way it did was to use people described as ‘victims’, then using that, they acted, because they said an injustice had occurred .

It seems that not a lot has changed in the political mindset of some people in politics.

Alison McInnes, of the LibDems, and Patrick Harvie, of the Greens made strong, principled speeches on why the case had not been made for jettisoning a key issue of civil liberties.

Elaine Murray, summing up for Labour, insisted Labour had "no desire to give the Scottish Government a kicking" but was acting because this aspect of the legislation was flawed.

Then MacAskill made a sweeping attack on Labour and the LibDems for backing a Conservative motion on this, likening this alliance to the parties in the Better Together campaign.

I am right to call for his removal as Justice Minister which I have done so for quite some time?

Yes!

Pretty much on the money there!

The SNP say they are an independent party, that isn’t true as we see from their current indy bid, they also claim they are a party for justice, that isn’t true either.

It is time to get rid of them, people extended them goodwill and they spat in the faces of the very people who helped them get into power.

Time to close the book!

Why isn't angry wee Nat and unpopular 'social justice' campaigner Nicola Sturgeon speaking out on this affront to justice?

She doesn't give a shit!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence: Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond says English people shouldn’t get vote on sharing sterling currency union if it's an indyref Yes despite the majority of English people saying No, England won’t dance to a Salmond jig, what a buffoon

Dear All

Isn’t democracy wonderful?

Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man Alex Salmond doesn’t think so, apparently he thinks that ordinary people aren’t entitled to have a voice.

He says that people living south of the border should not be given a formal say on whether Scotland enters a currency union with the rest of the UK.

And also just to highlight that ordinary Scots are held in equal contempt, Scots don’t get a say on whether we remain want EU membership.

Salmond says he is rejecting any suggestions that a second referendum should be held on sharing sterling.

He said:

"A referendum would not be required; it should be a negotiating position between the rest of the UK and the Scottish Government after a Yes vote."

I think there would be a lot of Tory, Labour and Lib Dem MPs who might consider otherwise on that point.

Salmond added:

"The task we have is to explain the benefits of the sterling zone, not just to the people of Scotland, where polls indicate very, very strong support, but also to the people of the rest of the United Kingdom."

It is a tail wagging the dog scenario which incidentally will not happen, the support for Scottish independence has completely collapse.

Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon are just going through the motions in order to hoodwink their own supporters into keep working for them; it’s very much a busted flush.

To home in on that fact, you only have to watch the Scotland Tonight debate between Sturgeon and the Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont.

Sturgeon was doing her angry wee Nat routine and even political commentators such as Bernard Ponsonby branded the debate a farce!

The angry wee Nat came across as very much the provincial Irvine Bam!

Presumably she thought coming across as an ‘arsehole’ which incidentally women of Govan told me several times during the Govan by-election plays well.

Was this ‘fighting for Scotland’?

No, it was just a loud mouth arsehole ranting and foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog.

To return to the ‘jolly fat man’, he says on currency:

"Our position is share and share alike”.

A poll published four days ago suggests 54% of people in Britain think the rest of the UK should not share the pound with an independent Scotland.

And with a Gneral election in 2015, no one is going to be changing their minds in the unionist camp, not if they are considering being the UK Government post 2015.

Salmond then said that if no currency union, then Scotland or to be more accurate the SNP Government would refuse a fair share of UK debt.

This means that Scotland would not have any military assets to defend the country in the event it is attacked.

No planes, warships, fast jets, military helicopters, bombs, bullets, guns or weapons.

Salmond and Sturgeon are clearly out of their depth.

Community councillors trapped in MSPs jobs that they are so unsuited to.

A Better Together spokesman said:

"Alex Salmond has a bad habit of telling people in the rest of the UK what's in their best interests without going to the bother of asking them. Recent polls have shown overwhelming opposition to a currency union if Scotland left the UK. There is a clear pattern emerging here. On one side you have the three UK parties saying a currency union won't happen and people in the rest of the UK supporting that. On the other side you have Alex Salmond saying they are all wrong and only he is right. It simply isn't credible”.

He added:

"Now that we know a currency union is off the table, Alex Salmond has to tell us what his Plan B is. Would we rush to adopt the euro or set up an unproven separate currency? Or would we use the pound in the way that Panama uses the dollar, with no control over interest rates or the financial back up of a lender of last resort if things go wrong? This would be a disaster for Scotland, as expert after expert has pointed out."

After the debacle of the Scotland Tonight debate, it clearly shows that the Nationalists are in meltdown and have decided to try and hang on to their core support which is deserting them as people realise that the SNP is just a joke.

It is for Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon to do a U turn on currency, they have already done so on many issues, why should currency be different.

One thing that is clear, when it comes, it will probably be done after they get ‘advice’ from someone that way they will try to deflect from their failures as leaders.   

But let’s get it straight, the entire failure of this campaign rests on Salmond and Sturgeon’s shoulders.

They are quite simply clowns!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Tories get ridiculed as their chairman Grant Shapps claims they are the ''workers’ party'' fighting for a ''classless society'', part of the idea is a “John Major apprenticeship programme”, first two placements, son of a Tory mayor and an intern working for a Conservative MP

Dear All

It seems that the Conservative Party down south have decided to run with an idea to rebrand themselves as the "workers' party."

I have to say that given the number of Tory millionaires in the Cabinet and the number of people also who come from privileged backgrounds, that maybe a tough sell.

Fronting the idea is Sir John Major, the former Prime Minister; he isn’t exactly short of a few quid.

In fact what does he have in common with ordinary workers?

I would have thought to make any sense, that the Conservatives should have taken someone off the scrapheap and put them forward as MP material.

It looks like they haven’t thought this through; in fact it looks odd and bizarre to me.

Also they haven’t fixed their social policies, so that remains a problem, a big problem, it still looks like ‘them and us’.

Anyway The Tories have gone accusing Labour of being rooted in class warfare and class division.

And they don’t do it?

Maybe they missed walking by people in the civil service who all for the most part come from very privileged backgrounds.

Labour's own rebranding exercise 18 months ago wasn’t effective at all, Ed Miliband labelled it the "one nation party."

What the fuck does that mean?

Is it anything like ‘we are all in this together’ which the Tories used?

Turns out that  ‘we aren’t all in this together’ as the number of people using food banks continues to climb.

Grant Shapps, the Tory Chairman, yesterday used a speech to activists in London to seek to grab the blue-collar vote.

His test comes at the European elections this spring.

He and the rest of the Conservatives are being pressed by Nigel Farage and UKIP, who did well in a recent by-election pushing them into 3^rd place.

And of course there is the General Election in 2015 which is wide open, Labour hasn’t found a narrative to put them in the driving seat and the Tories are in an argument among themselves to whether they should be more right wing.

In fact they should be more left wing and do away with the bedroom tax and other anti social measures.

Shapps said:

"We are the party on the side of the whole nation. We are the party on the side of working people. Our politics isn't about a list of statistics or numbers. There's a moral purpose to it; a mission."

I would say to him.... food banks!

And we should also remember that five Old Etonians are writing the party’s 2015 general election manifesto.

Doesn’t look good as the “workers’ party’ suggests, looks like a scam.

Mr Shapps used the example of Sir John, who rose to the highest office from humble beginnings, as a "symbol of our party".

Just because a few “poor” people make it doesn’t really cut it.

And Shapps also said that the Tories were "not here to defend privilege; we are here to spread it".

Check out the Cabinet for poor people!

The party chairman also unveiled a John Prescott-style pledge card.

Copying others, not exactly mind blowing.

The Conservatives are worried by the rise of UKIP so in that respect they say that they plan to reduce immigration to try and undermine their support in party.

I suspect a lot of Tory MPs are looking over their shoulders about possible re-election chances.

Grant Shapps also revealed the Tories were launching a “John Major apprenticeship programme” as part of its plans to widen the support base.

The first two placements on the scheme are the son of a Tory mayor and Parliamentary candidate and an intern working for a Conservative MP.

I think that this scheme will die a death in the eyes of the public, you just can’t take this ‘workers party’ idea serious when it comes under the microscope.

The first two placements rather put things in context.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Open letter to Hamish, Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond sees indy support in his own backyard collapse to 17%, I didn’t have a thing to do with it, the people of Scotland are waking up to the fact he cannot be trusted, so why are you upset by the messenger!

Dear Hamish

Do you object to me describing myself as "The real Glaswegian working class voice" in the independence debate?

If so why?

Who would fit the criteria better?

I am a popular Glaswegian blogger, working class, and keep getting it right on Scottish independence.

How about Scotland's unpopular Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon?

She is common, that I grant you, but without the 'common touch', a real problem for her as she is finding out during this independence campaign.

Defeat after defeat followed by impending defeat.

17% for independence in the North and North East, the supposed SNP heartland of Alex Salmond.

Total and utter collapse of support, how do you explain that one?

You still haven't answered the question why aren't you saving the Scottish independence campaign for the SNP?

No idea I take it where to start?

Well you would have to fight on two fronts, Unionist and Salmondism, one is kicking your ass and the other has its head up its own ass with its own self importance, which incidentally isn't much cop.

But to return to some of your points:

"So "The real Glaswegian working class voice" would rather have tuition fees and prescription charges imposed by a Westminster Government".

I never said that, and if you stick around you might find if tuition fees introduced by the Scottish Parliament and also prescription charges at some point.

Does the fact the SNP trotted a few bribes impress you since it is done to get votes?

And less we forget, at top universities the working class isn't there to reflect the make up of society by a long chalk.

What did the Salmond and Sturgeon do to fix this?

Not an awful lot.

"and sneers at the Scottish Cabinet meeting in a church hall, rather than being hosted by a global oil company".

I am pointing out that the supposed 'popularity' isn't as widespread as the SNP would have you believe.

Is that wrong?

Does telling the truth upset you when I say it?

Surely if you don't like reading my blog, then simply don't come back, there you are solutions to problems, it is fairly straight forward for me.

The reason they are meeting in a church hall is because they are trying to sell independence and this is their 'meet the people' routine. That is just as meaningless as meeting in a church hall to decide government issues.

Who are they trying to impress, holding Q&A sessions when you can't get the answers to questions you ask.

It is probably padded out with SNP activists to make up the numbers ..... the clique.

Incidentally as you know they don't give a shit about the people, just their votes.

If you are buying into their con, well good luck to you, who am I to stop you living in ignorance or the 'dream'.

Have you read the story about the Bellegrove doss house in the papers, the SNP keep talking about social justice problems, why have they sat on their arse since 2007?

If only they had the levers of power, .... they would still do fuck all.

Do you see what happens when the SNP cuts Glasgow City Council's budget?

Do you see what happens when Glasgow SNP sits on its arse?

The last leader was a Sturgeon crony devoid of original thought and the new one does it as a part time job.

Tell me in your unqualified opinion who is the people's champion of Glasgow SNP?

Give me a laugh!

Prior to 2012, the council election, the SNP engaged in doing fuck all, and that extended to some of their councillors not being very active, to the extent of not doing a single day for their branches.

"Yours for Scotland".

"Have you ever held down a full-time job, George?"

If the answer is yes, does that mean I have your approval to comment on independence?

If the answer is no, does that mean you don't approve?

Which is it?

I am not giving out any personal details other than what I have listed in the public domain.

"Or are you, as I suspect, a man of independent means?"

Hamish, you aren't a detective, and given you can't seem to get the hang of being Sherlock Holmes, give up while the going is good.

You must be terribly upset by the last few weeks which saw the rubbish spouted by Salmond completely torn apart and shown to be utterly incompetent. Is this sinking in yet, Salmond and Sturgeon are out of their depth.

Not creative enough.

Time for a quote:

"My problem is that I have too many talented people and not enough cabinet positions".

Meeting in a church hall to do a 'cabinet of the people' act, a bit lame when Salmond parks his arse in 5 star hotels.

Did you ever get around to wondering about that £50,000 of taxpayers' money that Salmond isn't prepared to state what it was specifically spent on?

Some hero of the people, do you accept lower middle class as "The real Glaswegian working class voice" in the independence debate?

There is a guy in Pollok SNP who pisses his trousers, IQ of a handball, could he give Nicola stiff competition as a champion of the people?

Finally, I taught at Glasgow University, you will be happy to know that I was considered brilliant and no one ever raised a question about my abilities as a fitness instructor.

In fact I was so good that the gym staff asked my trainees for advice regularly. 

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Air Force One, fighter veering off

Scottish independence: The Lost King of Scotland, Alex Salmond reverts to type by trying his ‘bullying tactics’ against Westminster by calling them “thieves”, if he thinks this will kick start his doomed Scottish independence campaign he is totally deranged and deluded now, not an A Team tactic!

Dear All

It seems that Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond has decided to drop his false act of the happy lower middle class peasant’ to return to acting like a village bam.

In the dying days of his political career, he has decided to up the referendum rhetoric by branding Westminster politicians "thieves".

A major error of judgment and plays straight into the hands of the Unionist camp!

How can you do business with a nut?

Sprinkle in a bit of reasonableness and hey presto, instant loony tunes!

Poor Salmond gasping for publicity like a man in the desert reaching for a water source, maybe ‘the heat’ of the campaign is getting too much for him.

Salmond says that Westminster has allegedly squandering the nation's oil and gas reserves over many years.

That money was used to prop up the economy in times of need.

You could research further in what it was spent on if you choose, but in the past the UK Government made bad choices, and Oil money bailed them out of a hole.

But it also bailed out many people in trouble, and it isn’t an ideal world.

In making the North Sea as the latest independence battleground between London and Edinburgh, it is a return to ‘its Scotland’s Oil’.

A failed campaign that doesn’t have any traction when the Nationalists ran with it 30 years ago, it didn’t work then and won’t work now!

As soon as the gaffe was out of Salmond’s mouth, Baroness Goldie, the former Scottish Conservative leader said such language "ill becomes a first minister".

But is becomes a village bam who stands on a street corner with a ‘cargo’.

Goldie added:

"playground yah-boo politics have no role to play" in the debate.

She has forgotten that Salmond has run out of ammo and fired his last bullet when he produced the inept White Paper in November.

A document that is a load of nonsense with some pledges that are outright bogus coupled with deception on the Scottish public.

There were two visions for the future of the multi-billion oil and gas industry on show, SNP producing ‘lightweight crude’ and Westminster doing a deep drilling of gravitas.

David Cameron says only the UK Government with its economic "broad shoulders" could keep afloat the industry in the future.

Salmond’s claimed the 'biggest is best' argument did not hold water and pointed to Norway, which as we know has a huge £450 billion oil fund, trouble is that Salmond can’t rewind history.

So his argument doesn’t hold water.

Two Cabinet meetings were held in Scotland, Westminster and Holyrood, just miles apart, Westminster in Shell's Aberdeen HQ.

Salmond in a church hall in Portlethen!

Couldn’t Salmond get an Oil company to host him and his Cabinet?

Outplayed again, how many times is this now for Salmond, no wonder the SNP are reverting to type as angry Nationalists of old.

In this independence debate, Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon are increasingly becoming irrelevant to the people of Scotland; life is going on without them in the minds of Scots.

The louder they scream and shout; the more like village idiots they seem.

Finally, they should reflect on the fact that anyone can talk shit, but that won’t win Scottish independence.

Time for a quote by George Laird:

“Rather than 'The A Team' it looked more like 'The GAY Team' in nature”

I guess the squealing coming from Alex Salmond is recognition of how utterly desperate he has become, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide and defeat draws ever near!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Air Force One escorted by two fighter jets, a George Laird movie production, filmed in wigglevision

Scottish independence: support for independence totally collapses to 17% in the SNP heartland of Alex Salmond, 65% of people are committed to voting No, the SNP record of failure in government played a significant part in Salmond’s downfall

Dear All

It is news almost so bad that Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond would wonder how the hell he got into this mess.

Two-thirds of voters in the north and north east of Scotland want the country to remain in the UK.

Oh shit!

Awhile ago, Alex Salmond said:

“My problem is that I have too many talented people and not enough Cabinet positions”.

That is another one of his delusions.

Law and order, health and education, the big three, are all a shambles.

In the recent poll conducted by the Press and Journal newspaper which incidentally have dropped by this very blog on occasion, they have dropped a bombshell on the Nats.

Only a miserable 17% of people agree that Scotland should be an independent country.

I guess Salmond will have to downgrade his “too many talented people” gag!

65% of Scots want to remain part of the UK.

The bad news just keeps on coming!

This has been caused because the Alex Salmond Party within the Scottish National Party has failed to put together an A Team.

Then there are the lies, doesn’t help matters, the bad law, the laziness, the lack of vision etc etc.

As the ‘face of independence’, Scotland’s unpopular Deputy First Minster Nicola Sturgeon is supposed to be increasing the vote, she is also supposed to be reaching out to the undecided to win all them over.

Sturgeon can’t win the men’s vote and she can’t win the women’s vote either and the youth vote comes back as a resounding No!

As in No, No, No!

18% of voters were undecided.

So what does it say that people in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Inverness and the Highlands and Islands, the SNP heartlands under Alex Salmond are rejecting independence?

I would suggest they know more about Salmond’s lack of abilities than most.

The good news /bad news scenario was published as both the UK and Scottish Cabinets were meeting in the north east of Scotland.

And more bad for unpopular Nicola Sturgeon, 80% of people surveyed said their voting intentions had not changed in the last six months

So, nothing that Sturgeon does have made any difference, not even using the infamous ‘angry wee Nat’ routine.

North East MSP and director of the pro-UK Better Together campaign Richard Baker claimed:

"This poll will be a huge source of embarrassment to the nationalists on the day their Cabinet is meeting in an area they would consider to be their heartland”.

He added:

"It should come as no surprise to anyone to see these results. People understand the massive impact going it alone would have on our vital oil and gas industry."

I guess, it is time to start working for Alex Salmond to start on that resignation speech, obviously he will want to hit the ground running when the massive No vote comes in as Better Together win a landslide victory.

No A Team; No independence!

Time for a quote from as far back as the ‘Declaration of Cineworld’ by George Laird:

 “Rather than 'The A Team' it looked more like 'The GAY Team' in nature”

George Laird right again!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University 

Alex Salmond is criticised and his office reported by Intern Aware to HMRC's Minimum Wage enforcement team for offering unpaid internship, is this another example of how there is no such thing as inclusiveness in the SNP for working class people under his leadership?

Dear All

It can’t have escaped your notice that Alex Salmond and his SNP Cabinet have effectively abandoned ship to chase the independence dream.

Currently that has turned into a nightmare.

As part of that process, people who should be helped have been left in the lurch.

So, what’s Plan B?

No plan B to get someone to do his job?

Salmond is looking for an unpaid intern for his constituency office.

A previous employee of Salmond was Alex McLeod who was caught doing election fraud.

Salmond wants a student to work for free on constituency casework.

So, you could ask why is he not willing to do the job he is paid for, why lump it on to someone else?

Independence.

The voluntary post advertised through Aberdeen University careers service, so this raises the question, was it advertised so that older people could apply?

If not does mean Alex Salmond practices discrimination?

Or if he didn’t do it does his staff practice discrimination?

The Scottish National Party has form on not being inclusive regarding offering opportunities.

Some time ago I took Humza Yousaf to task on why a post was only advertised for young people in the SNP.

His answer wasn’t good enough.

You may have also noticed that Alex Salmond likes to surround himself for the cameras with young people around.

This is to try and appear that he has a connection with the youth of today.

The reality is that the youth of today are rejecting him as indyref debate after debate at schools and universities comes back with a resounding No vote.

Alex Salmond is married to a woman old enough to be his mother, how dynamic and happening is that?

Anyway, the move to get cheap labour has been rightly condemned by political opponents and campaigners.

In an embarrassment for Salmond, the pressure group Intern Aware reported the advert to the taxman.

Hooray.

They have requested an inquiry into whether the role should pay the minimum wage.

It should and also travel expenses should be paid.

Intern Aware campaigns against "exploitative, exclusive and unfair" unpaid internships, they are doing a good job.

Under UK employment law, an intern would have to be paid if he or she is classed as a worker rather than a volunteer by the taxman.

In this case, given the person is doing caseworker; I would say they are clearly an employee and as such should be paid.

Chris Hares of Intern Aware said:

"Unpaid internships exclude the vast majority of young people who can't afford to work for free”.

That generally means working class kids.

Hares added:

"Senior politicians like Alex Salmond, who talk a good game on social mobility and young people, should know better than to ignore these principles in their own office. As well as being unfair, unpaid internships are often illegal. We will be reporting this advert for investigation by HMRC's Minimum Wage enforcement team."

Labour MSP Kez Dugdale said:

"We face a real challenge in ensuring we have equality of opportunity for young people trying to make their way in the world and I strongly believe unpaid internships undermine that because they give an advantage to people from well-off backgrounds."

Sir Malcolm Bruce, the deputy leader of the Lib Dems, said:

"If someone is doing the job of a paid worker then they need to be paid."

He added:

"It is hugely disappointing that the First Minister has failed to lead by example in his own constituency office."

What is hugely disappointing?

Alex Salmond is a rat; his party is run as a rat ship under his leadership, people just need to know exactly what he is.

An SNP spokesman said:

"We've simply responded to a request from Aberdeen University to provide a short-term flexible internship to one of their full-time students - to assist them with their course. No-one has been appointed, or even interviewed, and therefore there has been no discussion on expenses or hours for the internship."

If that was the case, then why was it advertised? 

If this was to “help” one of their full-time students as stated with their course; then why the advert at the careers service in the first place?

Where else was the ad placed?

Was it placed at the local job centre?

If not, why not?

Was it placed on any job vacancy sites?

If so which ones?

I think we can assume given passed Scottish National Party history that this vacancy probably wasn’t inclusively advertised to the widest possible audience.

The SNP isn’t a party of fairness, equality and social justice, if so Salmond wouldn't allow discrimination.

But Alex Salmond does!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence: ‘White collar flight’, after Alex Salmond says Scotland could reengage on paying its share of UK debt major companies plan to relocate headquarters to England, Salmond’s threat was a colossal mistake and major error of judgment

Dear All

You will no doubt have heard the phrase, 'wake up and smell the coffee'.

Well, Scotland's 'jolly fat man' Alex Salmond has been told to “wake up” to the economic damage his independence plan is causing Scotland.

Just recently Salmond threatened to not pay Scotland's fair share of the UK debt if it became independent.

The reason cited was that the Scottish National Party wants access to a Sterling zone which puts the rest of the UK at risk.

If a banking problem occurs in an independent Scotland, then the logic is that England would bail Scotland out, even if it was the fault of Scottish Government policies.

In other words a blank cheque!

So, how does that sound to you?

Also, the SNP would be able to continue its historic campaign of grudge, grievance and malcontent especially when  election draws near, 'it’s all Westminster's fault but the SNP are standing up for Scotland'.

Maybe it is because of the rather serious lack of talent that makes the leadership of the Alex Salmond party within the SNP view all Scots as dumb bastards incapable of independent thought.

Let's get something straight before we go further, the Scottish National Party isn't offering or wanting independence, it wants interdependence.

You may have also heard of 'white flight', well in Scotland it seems after Salmond ran his mouth off that Scotland maybe in the start of the grip of 'white collar flight'.

Companies are starting to think about transferring the Headquarters to England.

Salmond's fault, let's be clear on that point.   

The TSB is said to be considering shifting its tax base to England and why shouldn't they, will the SNP threatening default who wants to be leave in lurch by people who are so untrustworthy?

Not me!

Opposition parties said the shift was “very bad news for Scotland”.

It is and it also could have a knock on effect for future investment, at least until the SNP are defeated at the ballot box in September when a landslide No vote comes home to roost.

The TSB bank was founded in Scotland and previously domiciled for tax purposes, however they blamed Salmond's “bluff and bluster” strategy as reason for a rethink.

Also in line to speak out is Standard Life poised to warn that Scottish independence poses a risk to its business north of the Border.

At this point it is worth mentioning the SNP don't do radical thinking or consider other people’s problems in their bid to hold power, it's all stupid petty games.

Standard Life based in Edinburgh is a financial services giant, which six million customers and nearly £240bn of assets under their control.

Iain Gray, Scottish Labour’s finance spokesman, said the TSB move “is very bad news indeed for Scotland; and a wake-up call for the SNP.”

He added:

“For months now Alex Salmond has simply refused to listen to any suggestion that his referendum is creating uncertainty in the Scottish economy, or that important businesses fear the consequences of separation. Now we have a major player in the Scottish financial sector, which employs 95,000, choosing to register in England rather than Scotland, where it has always been based.”

Then Iain Gray said that Salmond should do is disclose his Plan B for the currency.

Plan B is entry into the Euro, all the talk about the Sterling zone is in my opinion a smokescreen.

I always believed that Sterling was a temporary measure to meet the criteria for a future European membership and acceptance of the Euro currency to access the European Central Bank.

It makes not a jot the damage that would be done to Scotland in the process.

Gavin Brown, the Scottish Tory finance spokesman, added:

“This move also means we have to watch very closely if other major businesses make similar decisions.”

Well, that looks likely from this side of the fence, as much as Better Together raise the questions to the lack of detail, it is the lack of vision and planning that will concern investors, especially since there isn't any on anything, it's all made up on the hoof as sound bytes.

And that isn't how to win an independence vote.

To return a familair theme which I have harked on about for some considerable time, ..... planning.

Planning is the bedrock of a successful foundation, it must include the truth, sadly the sham that this Yes Campaign has become also shows I was entirely correct regarding the genuine lack of talent in the Scottish National Party.

No A team!

But it does let Nationalists know that George Laird was right again.

The TSB is in the process of floating stock in order to attract investors, but because of uncertainty people would have too many issues which they could have to consider due to the rag tag nature and impact of this independence bid.

Trust is an issue for investors, something else I highlighted time and time through-out this debate.

Standard Life has concerns relate to its pensions business, which could lose UK tax exemption rights if Scotland votes for independence in September.

Isn't such a company with assets of nearly £240bn of assets worth being analysed and considered as part of the White Paper, I was expecting a library of Congress style production, all that was produced was a 670 page election manifesto for the Scottish National Party.

Talk about not know what you are doing!

And this isn't the only sector which is 'indy lite'; it spreads through the entire structure of Scotland and it businesses and sectors.

Analysts fear that the business could be severely harmed without the UK tax exemption, and there is concern a separate Scotland could struggle to afford to have the exemption.

This is because Scotland for its size has a relatively large financial sector.

A TSB spokesman said the bank’s tax domicile is moving from Scotland to England but added:

“Establishing new companies as part of a listing or IPO process is standard practice.”

A gloss on abandoning ship, how terribly nice and none boating rocking after the tsunami which this will undoubtedly cause.

A Scottish government spokesman said:

“We welcome the fact that TSB Bank plc is registered as a Scottish bank, retaining its traditional Scottish roots.”

In others words, can't put a positive spin on this blunder caused by Salmond so let's stick with meaningless pap to disguise the fact that the SNP is so utterly incapable.

Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.

P6.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Plane explodes

Scottish independence: Alex Salmond isn't islistening, new video ad on why all working class Scots should vote and vote No to independence

Liam O’Hare who was removed as a Youth Engagement Officer for Scottish indy gets support from Union leaders and reform groups, since when is “f*ck the Police” a political view, Glasgow City Council gets it right to remove him from the neutral post

Dear All

I have in the past given Glasgow City Council run by the Labour Party a bit of flak, and probably will in future if I think it is called for.

That being said, Glasgow City Council is right to pulling funding for its electoral registration youth engagement officer because of the political opinions of the post's holder!

Although Union leaders and reform groups have condemned the axing of a post encouraging teenagers to vote in the referendum, the person Liam O'Hare is not suited to the post.

If you hold a post such as this you can’t say 'F*** the cops' after you are appointed to the position.

A city council spokeswoman said:

"It is simply not appropriate for someone who is employed to engage with young people to say 'F*** the cops' on a publicly accessible forum and made after his appointment with Bite the Ballot. We would not accept this from our own employees and will not accept this from a consultant."

He is the person who caused his own downfall.

It is a bit like standing for elected public office, when you get in you have to moderate your language.

That’s the deal.

O’hare interestingly is part of a London-based organisation called ‘Bite the Ballot’.

Maybe he should have bit the bullet on his swearing.

So, do union leaders and reform groups have a case, in this instance, no, they don’t.

The referendum needs to be above reproach as do people playing an active role in whatever capacity.

Saying ‘f*ck the Police’ isn’t a political opinion.   

Details of Liam O'Hare's comments on social media sites were published last week.

He also took the time to include branding the Tories as "scum" and taking part in a an infamous demonstration against Ukip last year which was splattered all over the papers.

On Facebook page, O’hare’s was reported to have included comments about the Union flag as "that blood-stained imperialist flag".

When the storm broke, Glasgow City Council moved rather quickly to distance themselves from O'Hare.

I find the open letter signed by Unite's Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty, NUS Scotland president Gordon Maloney and Willie Sullivan, director of the Electoral Reform Society Scotland to be odd as they accused the council of discrimination.

They added:

"With the Scottish independence referendum approaching, and particularly with 16 and 17-year-olds being eligible to vote for the first time, it is essential that young people are provided with the correct information on the voting procedure. The Youth Engagement Officer was set to visit every school in Glasgow over the coming months as well as engaging with universities, colleges and youth groups. The fact that funding has been pulled due to a political campaign by a tabloid newspaper is frankly unacceptable”.

Actually, it was a news story and in the public interest, no one forced O’Hare once appointed to continue his diatribe against people he disliked.

He did that all by himself.

They also said:

"In a democratic society, everyone has a right to hold personal political opinions and unless there is evidence that these have affected the integrity of their work then action should not be taken. This simply amounts to discrimination."

Since when is saying, “f*ck the Police” a political view?

O’hare is a Yes campaigner and connected to Radical independence, although that doesn’t disqualify him from the post of Youth Engagement Officer, his views after taking up the post do.

In this case, Glasgow City Council got it right.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence: It is time that Alex Salmond resigned as leader of the Scottish National Party, he is going to lose indy vote, SNP incapable of winning as each day the reasons become clear as crystal

Scottish independence: Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond’s stupid remark on default on UK debt comes back to haunt him and the SNP, homeowners would face paying £5,200 extra on their mortgage, George Laird right again, real lack of talent in the Scottish National Party

Dear All

You must be now absolutely sick of being lied to by the SNP leadership of Alex Salmond and his unpopular Deputy Nicola Sturgeon.

In politics, there are times when politicians get it wrong, no one is perfect, it happens, however when getting it wrong turns into outright deception repeatedly, it is time to fold your tents.

So, before I continue, here is something at Nicola Sturgeon said December 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon:

"It is the clear view of the Scottish National Party and the Government that Scotland would automatically be a member of the European Union upon independence.  There is legal opinion to back that up. I don't think the legal opinion is in any doubt".

Irene Oldfather:

"The minister said that Scotland would automatically be a member of the European Union?"

Nicola Sturgeon:

"Indeed I did".

Irene Oldfather:

"You would not require to renegotiate?"

Nicola Sturgeon:

"No"!

We know now that the supposed 'legal advice' never existed heralded by Alex Salmond never existed and the SNP was prepared to use taxpayers' money to defend this information reaching the public.

Trust is still important in politics.

And add to that preparation as well, there has been no prep for independence, the SNP didn't do the required work needed in Government and local government reform. Too late now to start, the bid was all based on populism, but Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon aren't that popular as they would have you believe.

Alex Salmond recently came out and said if the Westminster Government didn't agree a currency union than they would renege of Scotland's share of the UK national debt.

It was a threat.

A stupid petty mindless threat which has blown up in the face of the SNP now, another ‘strategic move’ which wasn’t strategic and executed by buffoons.

Sterling is not an asset that Scotland is entitled to if it was ever to become independent.

It is a UK currency.

After the SNP committed to this stupid remark, the ripples of it are coming back now to haunt them.

Homeowners in Scotland could face average annual mortgage increases of almost £5,200 under independence.

This transpires if the Scottish Government walks away from its share of national debt'

Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon just put the homes of every Scots in jeopardy at some stage if they won, but they won't win. Scots have turned against them, business has turned against them and they have few allies to count on.

So, when Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said any threats by Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond to refuse to take a share of the debt as a result of the UK Government's rejection of a currency union could have a "huge effect on mortgages and businesses".

He has had someone do the number crunching.

Conservative Chancellor George Osborne has already stated that if a new Scottish state accepted its share of UK debt, it would still have to pay an ''independence premium'' to borrow from the markets.

This would mean an extra £1,700 a year for the average mortgage-payer.

You might have read my continual assertion on the importance of reforms to government, as being essential.

Somewhere down the line cash liquidity would be needed to ensure that a carry over period didn't leave Scotland vulnerable.

Salmond didn't bother to do the work; it was enough that a daft smile and a 'jolly fat man' routine would win the day in his eyes.

Stuffed now!

Alexander told a Holyrood committee:

"In the event of a default, of a refusal to accept debt, one bank, Jeffries investment bank, has done the only detailed estimate out there - they have suggested that under those circumstances there would be a premium of more like five percentage points in that default scenario."

Alexander added:

"If you run that through the calculator in terms of how that gets passed on to the real economy... it would have a huge effect on mortgages and businesses. Assuming a 75% pass through from bond rates to mortgage rates would be an extra cost of about £5,200 on an average mortgage cost in Scotland. None of these things are certain, but you see the range of financial risks that come with borrowing under an independence framework."

Alexander also said:

"The idea that you would start your life as a new nation state like that would be cutting off your nose to spite your face. The expectation within the markets is that part of the proper process of independence is taking on a fair share of the debt, and in the end market credibility and confidence is based on the perception that a country is willing to take on its financial obligations."

In layman terms, you opine that adds up to ‘fucked all roads’!

Unpopular Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon later dismissed Alexander's claims that mortgage costs would rise in an independent Scotland.

She told the committee there was "not a scrap of evidence that would be the case".

You will think that someone who exercises such poor judgment would first check that out before trotting it before anyone and his brother.

Sturgeon added:

"There are examples of other small European countries that have lower mortgage costs than people in Scotland as part of the UK right now."

Are they part of the UK?

No, so this is not applicable to this scenario, and they didn't threaten to fuck over anyone over debt repayment.

Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney whose reputation has been effectively trashed by the incompetence of the independence campaign said independence White Paper had set out for UK debt to be shared if there is a Yes vote in the referendum.

He added:

"Under the proposition we have put forward, an independent Scotland would be quite happy to pay, as part of negotiated arrangements which would include participation in a sterling zone."

A Sterling zone is going to happen, that is certain now, all the three main parties are committed to a unity pact to refuse Scotland a currency union.

Swinney told MSPs:

"If the UK Government wishes to have its cake, it cannot eat it as well."

He added:

"If one's position is to take all of the assets, one's position must be to take all of the liabilities."

Sterling isn't an asset; this has been explained to the SNP.

Finally, his parting shot:

"The Treasury has accepted all the debt will be legally theirs because of Westminster's argument that the rest of the UK will be the continuing state - so by definition it is impossible to default on a debt that is not legally yours."

Westminster had to guarantee the debt because of Salmond's stupidity, somewhere down the line post defeat, he will seriously regret being so gobby, because he used up goodwill without thinking matters to their logical conclusion.

And that could have a knock on effect of any additional powers as well to Holyrood.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University