The sinister side of the Yes Scotland campaign, pay particular attention to official Yes Scotland branches directing people towards locations where Labour MP Jim Murphy was speaking, intimidation was also widely used in the run up to the Nazis gaining power in 1930's Germany

Scottish independence: Labour MP Jim Murphy assaulted in Kirkcaldy, BT woman assaulted in Pollok, is this, the Nationalist’s ‘Day of Shame’, Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon fostered hate and now the Nat attack dogs are running wild

Dear All

Yesterday saw two incidents take place that I feel is worth mentioning to you but let me set you the scene first to get you up on events.

The Scottish National Party leadership has spent decades fostering grievance against the English using the subtext of Westminster. The ground work was done to stoke up hate, and in those terms only the Nationalist campaign has been a success. In the wider context of the Scottish referendum campaign, it is been a sheer embarrassment of epic proportions.

Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon are going to lose the Scottish referendum and they deserve to do so.

Awhile ago I wrote about getting harassed at the Better Together launch at the Mitchell Library, I wasn’t at the event, I was just using the library, that didn’t stop an idiot abusing me. Later on the same idiot was chucked out of the Better Together launch. I believe I wrote at the time he looked in need of an education, I think but I am not sure the ‘Braveheart’ needed liquid courage before gate crashing the event. An SNP Councillor David Turner was with the ‘happy band’ outside, Turner as I have stated before is just an idiot.

As the campaign has gone on, the hate and anger has escalated from the Nationalist side. If you access youtube you can see it posted by Nationalist supporters presumably as some sort of ‘badge of honour’.

Labour MP Jim Murphy has been doing a 100 Days tour for Better Together, the idea is pretty straight forward, old style politics, you get on your ‘soapbox’ and meet the people.

These events like Yes events should be safe and have non interference so that the public can make an informed choice, it is quite wrong to disrupt someone’s event regardless what their stance is on independence.

As I wrote above, if you check youtube you can see Nationalist hate in all its glory on display, type in ‘Jim Murphy Shawlands’ and ‘Jim Murphy Motherwell’ and sit and watch it. The Motherwell event is a particular eye opener for those people who believe in democracy.

So, having watched the hate escalate Labour MP Jim Murphy took his 100 Days tour for Better Together to Kirkcaldy. And yet again, he was greeted by a nationalist hate mob which reminds me of how things developed in Germany of the 1930’s. In politics, you can turn up and heckle at certain events, it generally can be good fun, especially at the counts when after a long campaign if you are success in getting your candidate in, you take the time to rub it in to the opposition.

What is going on now steps over a line!

Yesterday, Jim Murphy was assaulted, his ‘crime’ campaigning to keep Scotland part of the UK. He is an MP and has a vested interested in keeping his job which is understandable, however he is going well beyond what some of the other politicians are willing to do. I met him recently and we spoke at a BBC indy debate in Townhead, Glasgow. We chatted about how angry SNP MSP James Dornan appeared to be through-out the show. I informed him it was probably because I campaigned for him to get into public office and then nailed him on the bogus SNP childcare policy during the show.

James Dornan was cheeky to me, so I abided my time and when he presented an opportunity I then ripped him apart on air. James Dornan perhaps in future should remember that I wasn’t Glasgow SNP’s top activist for nothing.

Although I expected that Jim Murphy would get a hard time, it was a rather poor tactic and counter productive to the Yes Scotland campaign that he ended up assaulted on the streets of Kirkcaldy.

Police Scotland said it was investigating the incident.

As readers know, I have commented on the use of ‘bams’ by the Nationalist camp and the real genuine lack of talent in the SNP.

A spokesman for the Police confirmed:

"Police were informed of a gathering at the Mercat, Kirkcaldy, this afternoon, and around 15:30 received a report of a disturbance where a number of eggs were thrown”.

The incident was witnessed by Allan Crow, editor of the Fife Free Press newspaper, who went on Twiter to tweet that "Yes" supporters had chanted over Mr Murphy as he attempted to speak.

Mr Crow added that Mr Murphy was "totally drowned out by Yes heckler" and added:

"Some folk simply losing plot here!"

A short time later, Mr Crow tweeted:

"And now some idiot is throwing eggs at @jimmurphymp - even cracks one on his back. Truly pathetic."

A spokesman for Yes Scotland said:

"There is no place for attacks - be they abuse, graffiti, vandalism or physical assault - in this campaign and we have been at pains to impress on everyone, on both sides of the debate, to treat others with respect at all times."

Maybe someone at Yes Scotland can explain how these people appear to be wearing official Yes Scotland jackets?

The other incident which happened yesterday was to a woman called Angie, she is a carer for her young son. While out with the BT Team in Pollok, she also suffered an assault, this happened in Kempsthorn Crescent, an angry Yes Voter came after her after she put a leaflet through his door. After ripping it up he flung it in her face.

Angie is an unpaid volunteer who lives in the Pollok Ward.  

So, regardless what your position is in Better Together, you are a target. As I explained to some people I know, this type of behaviour is only going to get worse and worse. I stated this prior to yesterday’s events.

In the Jim Murphy Shawlands video, I noticed a young man who also appeared yesterday at the hotel where David Cameron was at.

Is all a coincidence or is the intimidation pre-planned and organised by the Yes Camp?

I also saw a ‘leading light’ of the Yes Govan mob at the Cameron protest, I think I would describe him as just a ned, he has appeared at some of the BBC indy debates. In the indy debate ‘Arabs and independence’, he famously said: I don’t know what Britishness is’. He went to say he had lived in England for 10 years, one wonders whether he was educated in Scotland being so blatantly ignorant. Basically he parrots crap that SNP MP Pete Wishart pumps out like a sewer.

For the avoidance of doubt, when I wrote ‘leading light’ of the Yes Govan mob that is sarcasm. There are no leading lights of the Yes Govan mob, some of these idiots where at Shawlands to heckle Jim Murphy …….. just bams!     

After the assault Jim Murphy tweeted:

 

"Now off to another #indyref debate in Glasgow. Might look scruffier than usual but the egg stains aren't mine #WishI'dBroughtASpareShirt".

The Scottish National Party is trapped in a vicious circle of hate, their own making; of course they have done the ‘condemnation’ in the past, now things have gotten so bad that they have to stamp it out.

I hold Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon directly responsible for this situation, they spent years building up grudge and grievance at SNP Conference after Conference; they feed this hate directly and then let it loose on the Scottish public while they then stood back and claimed it had nothing to do with them.

But it has everything to do with them.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence: Alex Salmond gets angry during SKY TV interview over his currency plans, political journalist Faisal Islam asks ‘would the Bank of England fund Scottish banks under his proposals without a currency union’, the answer is No

Dear All

It seems that Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond isn’t so jolly after all. Although he managed to achieve a better performance in the BBC debate against Alistair Darling, the SNP campaign is still nowhere near victory.

No Salmond bounce from the Scottish public.

This is possibly the saddest story I will probably write this week.

No matter how much gloss or spin Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon try and use, they can’t answer basic questions on fundamental issues such as currency.

What is Plan B?

The reason for so much interest is that The SNP’s Plan A; a currency union with the UK would be veto by any incoming government after the Westminster 2015 election.

Although ‘Sterlingisation’ has been mooted as an answer, the idea is a stopgap.

Plan A is the Euro for the Scottish National Party!

There are no other plans, it is all just talk, smoke and mirrors.

Currency Union and ‘Sterlingisation’ are ‘carrots’ for the ignorant to nibble on, but no matter who many ‘carrots’ the SNP try and use, their supporters are and will remain blind, blind and ignorant.

The rest of the population aren’t so trusting, hence we get Alex Salmond criticising leading political journalist Faisal Islam who is Sky’s political editor turning the heat up on Salmond.

A clearly upset and rattled Alex Salmond in an interview accused Sky's Faisal Islam of impersonating Alistair Darling after being repeatedly questioned on currency. SNP supporters think that people don’t have the right to ask questions.

We do!

The Monday night didn’t as Salmond claimed settle the issue.

Islam, the former economics editor of Channel 4 News had to ask an unhappy and angry Salmond three times if the Bank of England would fund Scottish banks under his proposal for a separate Scotland to continue using the pound without a currency union.

The answer to that is No!

No, means they will not fund Scottish banks, the upshot of this is, if a Scottish bank goes down, the savers will also lost their entire savings under whatever arrangement Salmond sets up. The banks would not have enough capital to fund having a greater reserve without contracting their businesses.

It is no surprise that Salmond refuses to answer because he then has to admit he is economically illiterate, he didn’t call the Better Together campaign’s bluff. He just continued the deception on the Scottish public. If you look and walk yourself through it, you will see the economic case doesn’t stack up in multiple areas.

On Monday night the First Minister’s attempted to close down the issue by saying he had three Plan B currencies if there was no deal to share the pound. It seems as well as being economically illiterate, he can’t use an Alphabet properly either.

Salmond shouted his way to “victory” on Monday, but the next day, the viewers got to have their say on a BBC Radio Scotland phone-in.

A series of callers said the morning after the debate said they were voting No. They cited continued uncertainty over the currency, at the start of the Scottish independence campaign; I said a Scottish currency had to be planned for as Plan A. You would have a range of options but you would have to spell out the pros and cons so people could make an informed choice.

Salmond argues the main UK parties are bluffing about rejecting his preference for a Eurozone-style currency union, the question is why they should issue Scotland with in effect a blank cheque? The UK takes all the risk and in return they get nothing for it, does that make sense?

I mean stop and think about it for a minute.

Scotland could use the pound unilaterally just like as countries such as Panama use the US dollar. What people need to understand is that the Bank of England would no longer acting as Scotland’s central bank or lender of last resort. The nonsense spun by the SNP leaders is deception, ‘it’s our pound’ is a retread of the failed 1970’s campaign ‘it’s our Oil’. As well as being economically illiterate, they are politically illiterate into the bargain.

Salmond even previously admitted he was willing to use a stopgap but the problem flagged up by one of his most senior economic advisers was it could last as little as six months. That is wishful thinking because it would be several years before an independent Scotland could even get into the EU if at all.

And remember Salmond threatened to not pay Scotland’s share of UK debt. If I was PM of the UK and Scotland’s membership came to vote, I would veto it until all monies and interest was paid up front and in full plus a penalty for each month of non payment.

Sky’s political editor questioned why the Bank of England would support Scottish banks if there was no currency union.

Salmond said:

“You can’t play at being Alistair Darling. He had his chance and he muffed it last night. The currency bluff has been called. The Scottish people are calling that bluff”.

Ignoring that rubbish Islam refused to be deterred, asking him again how Scotland could operate with no lender of last resort.

Salmonnd’s smartarse remark was:

“You cannot now impersonate the No campaign. The No campaign had their chance. People have, I think, overwhelmingly in Scotland now in poll after poll shown that we want to keep the pound. That is the decision that the Scottish people are being asked to make. We're fighting a campaign to get a mandate from the Scottish people on common sense for a common currency. That's what won the debate last night and that's the message that's going to resonate over the next three weeks.”

Salmond ‘won’ not by argument, not by reason but by shouting down Alistair Darling.

In Islam’s third attempt, he pressed him on how Scotland could unilaterally adopt the pound when the Bank of England would not support Scottish banks.

Presumably after having a ‘good night’, Salmond must have thought he was on a roll as he sarcastically asked Islam which channel he had been watching on Monday night when the debate was screened, adding:

“Have a look at what the people thought about it, the audience thought about it, everybody apart from Sky News apparently. Get with the debate, man. The people of Scotland are there; maybe Sky News will catch up.”

On the issue of the 3 B’s, Darling said he would continue to demand “basic answers” to questions on issues like the currency.

The former Chancellor said:

“You can’t have three Plan Bs. You have to make your mind up.”

He added the financial services industry could not “exist” in a separate Scotland without a central bank, something which Salmond doesn’t seem to think is a problem.

Salmond appealed to his hardcore vote on Monday night, he bought himself sometime and breathing space, but the fact remains his performance didn’t win the argument, he couldn’t lay out a plan because if he says ‘Euro’, even his own temporary ‘allies’ would demand his resignation.

Presumably there will be a lot of people in the SNP very pleased with themselves at present, to which I would say look at the polls. They are moving enough to secure victory, although some people are sitting on the fence, they will have to make their minds up.

Although the question is ‘should Scotland be an independent country’, the real question that should focus hearts and minds is:

‘Do you wish to place the entire country in jeopardy?’

The silent majority will Vote No!

You cannot in good conscience vote for Salmond’s proposal to the detriment of the sick, the poor and the vulnerable. I was asked by some friends, ‘was I worried by the outcome of the BBC Debate in Glasgow’?

Nope!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Lord McCluskey says Kenny MacAskill's conduct is 'unsuitable' for a Justice Minister, Former Solicitor General arrives at the same opinion as George Laird re MacAskill, he needs sacked, not given the easy way out of resigning to teach him and others a lesson

Dear All

Regular readers know that eventually everyone will come round to the George Laird view; some people however take a considerable amount of time to get there.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill is a disgrace, he should never have been appointed Justice Sec; he is stained by the Al Megrahi debacle and the Justice department is more or less rudderless.

Now, one of Scotland’s most senior former judges former Solicitor General Lord McCluskey has called on Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to resign.

The tipping point for McCluskey was the routine arming of the police.

McCluskey has accused Mr MacAskill of “unacceptable conduct” and said “he should not continue to hold office as Justice Secretary”.

I have repeatedly said on this blog that MacAskill needs to be sacked, he is utterly out of his depth and inept.

We have seen the increased use of armed officers on routine patrol at traffic stops and I have even witnessed the Police questioning street beggars in Glasgow.  Lord McCluskey fears “Americanisation” of Scottish policing. In 2010 when I was an SNP member, I proposed the Scottish National Police Force. This was at the SNP National Asesembly in Perth, under my idea, stage one was the National Force which would have a triple lock of accountability, local boards would be kept; there would be a national board and a new separate Justice 3 committee who would be tasked with oversight. The local boards would delegate two people to sit on the national board plus additional people.

That was stage one, it was an interim stage which reflected the challenges of

In my further idea, stage two, for an independent Scotland, the police would be armed and prior to starting Police training they would be required to complete and pass and basic soldiers test. An independent Scotland would have a small army; therefore it would be logical to have a Police Force who had weapons training. Additionally the Police would have other organizations such as customs and drugs enforcement and border agency staff folded into them.

No independence would mean No armed force.  

Chief Constable Sir Stephen House wasn’t my first choice for Chief Constable; that said he hasn’t been bad, however the decision to arm the Police without consultation was wrong, as was the manner they suddenly appeared on Scotland’s streets. The Firearm officers are highly trained, but they aren’t exempt for carrying out normal police duties. When House falls down is the “secretive decision-making” and sailing his own course, this is the fault of MacAskill.

McCluskey has written by MacAskill’s failure:

“Mr MacAskill says he knew about this decision from the time of the single force’s creation in April last year, but did not share that information and launched no public consultation. Here was a policy which could change the face of policing forever, taken behind closed doors, with Sir Stephen privately briefing the minister about a matter which clearly required public debate.”

Although McCluskey has cited the recent US riots in Missouri as evidence of “the dangers of police with guns”, when should remember that Scotland is not America.

He continued:

“Mr MacAskill has claimed – without any clear evidence and flying in the face of opinion polls – that the ‘vast majority’ of Scots support arming of police officers on routine duties. If this policy is to remain in place, urgent public debate is needed.”

I don’t think that the Scottish public does support the arming of police officers on routine duties on the basis that this measure hasn’t been explained and people tend to favour the status quo. The arming policy is not needed if Scotland remains part of the UK.

The programme that is needed is that all officers should be qualified to carry firearms prior to passing out of the Scottish Police College in Tulliallan, Fife. They should also have to pass a yearly test to retain that status.

An armed Police doesn’t mean Scotland is going to be like the Wild West; but recognition that the army doesn’t have enough personnel and would therefore needs a back up.

Lord McCluskey who was Scotland’s longest-serving judge before his retirement in 2004 also let rip off MacAskill’s blunder when he attacked English judges during a clash with the Supreme Court in London.

I blogged on that farce, MacAskill should have been carpeted on that one, utterly wrong.

Just like he is utterly wrong on the decision to abolish corroboration, the long-established principle of the Scottish legal system that there must be evidence from at least two sources for any conviction!

That leaves the justice system as the gateway to in effect a return to ‘Witchcraft Trials’, someone points the finger and just accuses you. If they tell a good story, better than you a person could get put in prison.

What kind of justice is that?

Farce!

The people of Scotland are stuck with Kenny MacAskill because Alex Salmond runs his party and government on cronyism.

Former Solicitor General Lord McCluskey took too long to come to his conclusions regarding MacAskill but he did get there in the end, which is something.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Boris Johnson calls for 'guilty until proven innocent' for suspected terrorists, he is one of the most dangerous men in British politics, playing the race card for a return to Westminster politics is rather crude and it is gesture politics to whip up the mob, we cannot allow our civil liberties to be destroyed

Dear All

Recently the US journalist James Foley was brutally murdered, beheaded by a ‘British’ jihadist who has been dubbed ‘jihadi John’. The killer isn’t a soldier; he is a recreational killer who has gone aboard to join the terrorist group Isis.

About a month ago, I was at a BBC indy debate in Paisley and was asked by Gordon Brewer my views on military action in Iraq and whether I would support airstrikes. Without hesitation I said that I would support targeted airstrikes but more than that the allies needed to return to Iraq to stablise the region.

A few days later Prime Minister David Cameron gave an interview saying Isis represented a threat to British National Security; about a week later President Obama was to announce 300 advisers to be sent to Iraq to assist the government. The current Iraqi government need more than advisers; the West pulled out of Iraq too soon without leave a society in which politics was properly established as the forum for settling grievances and disputes.

‘Jihadi John’ has done a despicable thing, if he returns to Britain; he could find himself shipped off to the United States of America to stand trial. The family of US journalist James Foley rightly deserve to see justice done. What happened to James Foley certainly should make people question why they oppose the return of death penalty. I don’t support the death penalty, I never will but as I write this, I think of what happened to James and it certainly tests my resolve.

I think of injustices of what could happen to someone innocent and it realise there must never be a retreat from our values.

The effect of the murder of James Foley has caused a debate with the mainstream political parties over what measures should be taken over ‘British’ jihadists who go to war zones, as I say, I view these people as recreational killers.

On Twitter, I had an exchange with Ukip supporters who seem keen to strip ‘British’ jihadists of their citizenship. Such a move is illegal; you cannot strip someone of their citizenship and make them stateless. If a law was passed in Britain, it is highly doubtful it could pass the test of legality at the UK Supreme Court or European Court of Human Rights.

Boris Johnson is currently the Mayor of London. Johnson has been in politics a rather long time; he is very clever but likes to hide behind a mask of being a jovial buffoon.

He is also one of the most dangerous politicians in Britain.

Johnson has called for the ‘British’ jihadist who killed James Foley to be killed in a ‘bunker busting’ bomb attack. It all sounds rather dramatic but is probably not practical unless you have a confirmed location, which is doubtful. As the terrorist ‘Jihadi John’ is in a warzone, he takes his chances and is a legitimate target, few will regret hearing of his death.

What is of concern to many people is that Boris Johnson wants Britons ‘fighting’ in Iraq and Syria to be stripped of their citizenship. In effect he wants a presumption of guilty until proven innocent.

Under his idea for new laws, a person is deemed to be a terrorist if they visit Iraq and Syria. The ‘get out of jail free’ option is to previously declare to authorities in advance. In Criminal trials, the burden of proof rightly rests on the State; this is to prevent injustices occurring. Under Johnson’s big idea, being the wrong place at the wrong time even although you are innocent makes you a terrorist. That is fundamentally wrong both morally and in law, it makes you to be deemed to be a legitimate target of war without due process and is probably a violation of the Geneva Convention. In war, civilians are designated as non combatants and therefore should be protected under the Convention. The rules are quite clear on this subject and not open to personal interpretation by UK armed forces personnel who operate to the highest standards.    

Boris Johnson who wants to return to Parliament said Britain must take on ISIS and ‘try to close it down now’, warning that doing nothing would mean a ‘tide of terror will eventually lap at our own front door’. In case Johnson missed it, it is already here, and has been for sometime.

The mainstream parties introduced multiculturalism without realising the impact that it would have. The Labour Party under Tony Blair went further by allowing uncontrolled immigration as a social engineering experiment. The lie sold to the British people was that this was done under the cover of economic development. Ed Miliband has since apologised as working class voters deserted the party in favour of parties such as Ukip and so did their votes permanently.

As well as Johnson’s call for Britons fighting for ISIS to lose their British citizenship, he has attracted support from the former shadow home secretary David Davis and former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey.

David Davis says the Government's response to the crisis in Iraq had been ‘tentative, uncertain; almost limp’! The political will isn’t there even before David Cameron lost the vote in the House of Commons, Tony Blair pretty much singlehandedly put British Foreign policy back several decades and importantly lost the will of the people in the process. Blair wanted to embed himself in the George W Bush camp after President Clinton’s term of Office came to an end, he did that successfully but the human cost or ‘Blood price’ as he described it was paid by many others, a lot of innocent people died in Iraq and the society was destroyed leaving it vulnerable.

Where Davis gets it wrong was when he wrote:

‘Since these young men are in effect swearing allegiance to a hostile state, they should all forfeit their British citizenship - not just those who are dual nationals.

‘Since this is an incredibly serious penalty, it should be done only after a proper public trial carrying all the public seriousness and opprobrium of a murder trial, because in many cases that is what it would be. As the Home Secretary reiterated yesterday, lawyers would say you cannot render someone stateless. Perhaps, perhaps not. Whitehall lawyers have been wrong before. Democracies have a right to defend themselves. IS is claiming to be a state. They can issue these young men with Islamic State passports if they so wish. It is not our problem that they would have trouble getting into any civilised country with them.’

So, David Davis has said a lot, firstly ‘hostile state’ he refers to isn’t a state at all, it is a declaration, a meaningless declaration with no legal basis and not recognised by anyone in the international community.

Losing or forfeit British citizenship would be illegal, so that doesn’t fly. As to any trial, the legality of that is suspect regardless of how much public seriousness and opprobrium is attached to it. Although he gets it right when he says democracies have a right to defend themselves, this is covered by Article 8.2 in the Convention on Human Rights that allows the State to remove people from society who represent a threat to national security after due process of law. Davis’ last bit about the IS recreational killers claiming to have founded a state is entirely meaningless, as is his idea that IS can issue passports.

Britain's ambassador to the United States Sir Peter Westmacott confirmed that intelligence agencies were on the brink of identifying the IS terrorist called ‘Jihadi John’.

He told CNN's State of the Union programme:

‘I do know from my colleagues at home that we are close. We're putting a lot into it. And there are some very sophisticated technologies, voice identification and so on, which people can use to check who these people are. But, of course, the problem goes beyond one horrendous criminal, if you like.’

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told The Sunday Times the killing was ‘an utter betrayal’ of everything Britain stands for.

He added:

‘It is horrifying to think that the perpetrator of this heinous act could have been brought up in Britain.’

I would like to see ‘Jihadi John’ captured and extradited to face charges in the US if possible, some senior UK politicians in this country are making some very dangerous comments regarding eroding human rights which is extremely unhelpful in a number of ways. There are already laws in place to deal with murder and terrorism, but there is a lack of political will to do what is necessary to safeguard the country.

And God helps us if people start seriously listening to Boris Johnson.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence, Dr Philippa Whitford, SNP member and WFI, fronting the Yes campaign on the NHS for votes is 'exposed' for spreading bogus claims about cancer treatment; you would think you could trust a qualified doctor to tell the truth in this day and age, apparently not if they hold SNP membership!

Dear All

People tend to think when you talk to a doctor; it is someone you can trust with reservation.

Dr Philippa Whitford became the public face of the SNP’s campaign to convince voters the NHS is under threat of privatisation; she also represents and is part of Women for independence group as well as allegedly being an SNP member.

Now it seems that the breast surgeon has rather come unstuck after being exposed for spreading bogus claims about cancer treatment.

Earlier today I blogged on how Elaine C Smith was unhappy that the women’s voice wasn’t getting heard enough in the Scottish independence debate.

You could say with Dr Philippa Whitford being exposed on bogus claims regarding such a serious issue as cancer, Smith probably wishes now that she had kept her own council.

The Nationalist side have lied, cheated and deceived through-out this entire campaign; whereas you expect the SNP leadership to be completely dishonest and without dignity, you don’t expect someone from a medical background to join them in the gutter.

After Dr Whitford put her bit of scaremongering in, the medical staff at one of the UK’s top cancer hospitals in Newcastle are really angry with her. Whitford wrongly claimed a privatisation agenda was forcing them to consider cancelling cancer operations.

The scale of what Dr Whitford said had senior staff condemned her claims as “codswallop” and “a load of crap”, that’s the for the public domain version, the private view maybe more robust and less pleasant.

One of the things I observed in the SNP was how people connected to Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon would lie, the SNP doesn’t represent working class people as I painfully found out.

SNP member Dr Whitford said:

“The guys who do the upper GI surgery, that is gullet cancer have been told that they are in danger of being told they cannot do gullet cancer because the fee they are being paid doesn’t cover how much it costs to do.”

She added:

“So this hospital, a big hospital in Gateshead, are thinking about unilaterally declaring ‘We don’t treat gullet cancer anymore’. What happens if every hospital in area does that?”

So; big sweeping statements, the problem with what has been said is that the content is baseless.

Maybe Dr Whitford should have done some research and found out that the only major hospital in Gateshead, the Queen Elizabeth I, does not offer gullet cancer operations.

Already many people are saying online that Dr Whitford is a “liar” and should be “sacked”.

All cancer operations in the North East of England are done at the specialist unit in the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

Sir Leonard Fenwick said:

“This is the biggest lot of crap I have ever heard.”

I am sure that Sir Leonard Fenwick may wish to revise that statement to put into a smaller timeframe but I think the punters will get the jist.

He added:

“It is just codswallop. Newcastle has referrals from all over the UK and beyond. We are one of the biggest providers of cancer treatments in Europe. We have a very strong relationship with Scotland which we would hope to maintain. Whatever happens in a referendum, that is up to the people of Scotland, but it is outrageous to mislead the public at large with these kinds of claims.”

In the spirit of honesty post deception; Dr Whitford has admitted she had no proof of her allegations and hadn’t checked them out before making them.

She pipes up:

“It is not something I have investigated.”

Tonight sees Round two of the faceoff between Alistair Darling and Alex Salmond, the SNP had banked on using health as a stick to try and restart their failed independence campaign.

The revelations are a pure embarrassment for Alex Salmond, he was going around the place previously praising SNP member Dr Whitford.

And quoted her to anybody who would listen, that support his claims the NHS could be in danger if there is a No vote in the referendum.

The Scottish NHS is in No danger of being privatised.  

Earlier this month Salmond said:

“One of Scotland’s prominent breast surgeons, Dr Philippa Whitford — someone who, as far as I know, has never previously been involved in politics — has spoken out so articulately on the issue precisely because she can see the danger to the NHS in Scotland, which is the consequence of privatisation.

I can vouch for Alex Salmond on Dr Philippa Whitford, I never saw her once when I was in the SNP and I was known for getting around more than anyone at else by-elections.

Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont said:

“This is the most shameful, blatant lie of the campaign”.

She added:

“Alex Salmond lied when he said he had EU legal advice when he hadn’t. John Swinney said he was in discussions with the Bank of England on a currency union when he wasn’t. Now the Yes campaign are trying to scare cancer patients, the sick and the vulnerable with stories which are simply untrue”

Lamont turned the knife in by saying:

“Alex Neil knows that the NHS in Scotland cannot be privatised – he said it himself. Nicola Sturgeon said the NHS in Scotland cannot be privatised. Alex Salmond’s decision to lie about the NHS being privatised is the most shameful thing I have seen in my time in Scottish politics. He must apologise to the people of Scotland immediately.”

You have to wonder about Dr Philippa Whitford using the sick and vulnerable for political advantage, only for it to then backfire on her.

In future I wonder if rather than ask for a second opinion, Scots women would say, ‘can I get someone else who I can have confidence in who doesn’t make bogus claims’.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence, the ‘Clowns of Wrath’, Elaine C Smith says women aren’t getting heard enough, unpopular Nicola Sturgeon and odious Natalie McGarry have talked enough, the hate evident in Scotland is proof enough of that self evident truth

Dear All

Yesterday, I was out and about and ended up talking to a female voter, I wasn’t on the campaign trail but despite that, it seems that politics seems to find me, even on a Sunday.

The woman was No Voter, you could say, she was a very strong No Voter and also a strong hater of Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond.

It seems in Pollok that Alex Salmond isn’t a ‘cute wee honey’.

This woman, I am finding is typical of the resentment that Alex Salmond has generated against him through-out the disgraceful independence campaign that he has run in conjunction with unpopular Nicola Sturgeon.

Actress Elaine C Smith who played Mary Doll in Rab C Nesbit has been a leading campaigner and cultural voice in the Scottish independence movement. She has also taken part in SNP activities such as ‘Ask Alex’.

No one is in any doubt where she stands on independence.

In the final weeks of Salmond’s dying career, we are seeing the hate, the bile and the Nationalist madness starting to reach fever pitch. If you take time, the Labour MP Jim Murphy’s 100 day tour is a good place to stop by to watch it. He found the ‘mob’ descend on him in Shawlands, and also in Motherwell. On Twitter, I made the comment that watching the Nationalist mob was like watching the ‘middle ages’ live!

Elaine C Smith has admitted the SNP campaign has failed to capture the imagination of women.

Smith sits on the board of Yes Scotland which is described as an SNP front even by a former employee.

How exactly are women to get excited by total rubbish?

The Scottish independence campaign by the SNP is pure vacuous, there is no plan, no vision, no hope and plenty of lies, petty gimmicks and deception.

You can expect two things by the SNP and their cohorts as they twist and turn to escape their destiny to lose, unbridled hate and deception.

Smith seems to believe that women are still ‘making their mind up’, but we should remember that only 27 per cent of women were in favour of independence, compared to 39 per cent of men.

Newsflash, they already have made their mind up and the answer is No!

As well as sitting on the board of Yes Scotland, she also sits on Women for Independence along with the odious Natalie McGarry.

Elaine C Smith says that women aren’t getting heard enough in this debate, so let’s hear from Natalie McGarry.

Time for her quote:

“I've made it! At last I've been designated non-Jedi by the great sage that is @georgemlaird Want a laugh? Here ya go: http://glasgowunihumanrights.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/scottish-independence-natalie-mcgarry.html?m=1 … ”

To explain what this means, Natalie McGarry linked my blog to the hate account @georgemlaird and tried to pass off this account as belonging to me. Unfortunately for her, computers have a facility called ‘save as’.

And I did.

That account was setup and run by someone McGarry knows well and has socialised with.

Among other things her “associate” branded me a paedophile.

McGarry’s name has been passed onto Police Scotland along with Shona McAlpine and Jonathan Mackie in a criminal investigation which is still waiting to go to trial.

Natalie McGarry, Shona McAlpine and Jonathan Mackie are all connected to Nicola Sturgeon.

Nicola Sturgeon is currently blocking me on twitter; it seems that the ‘social justice campaigner’ doesn’t want to speak about why the SNP Data Controller broke the law in regards to my data subject access request.

It appears Ms. Sturgeon is one woman who doesn’t want to speak which seems to be at odds with Elaine C Smith’s assessment of women can’t get heard enough.

Today, I saw the video of unpopular Nicola Sturgeon doing the icebucket challenge; she can make plenty of time to get try and get a vote cache. When it comes to saving Scots women who need cancer drugs, she just can’t spare the time to make sure the same cancer drugs available in England are available to Scots women.

Smith added:

“For me, in many ways a No vote is about saying to the couple of thousand people who hold all the power down in London, those elites from Westminster and the City, ‘There you are, you just keep the power, because we don’t really want it. We’re not good enough, bright enough and strong enough to deal with it’.

I wonder if Elaine C Smith after reading this blog post would say; that unpopular Nicola Sturgeon and odious Natalie McGarry were not good enough, bright enough and ethical enough?

My view is that unpopular Nicola Sturgeon and odious Natalie McGarry have talked enough! 

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Ukip’s Deputy leader Paul Nuttall needs to stop fuelling English resentment by using Scotland as a political football over how Scots spend their block grant, Scots don’t get ‘freebies’ we just spend our money differently

Dear All

Ukip needs to grow up from being a party of protest.

The name Ukip means United Kingdom Independence Party, so it is rather poor politics by them to engage in demands for an English parliament when one already exist and is called Westminster.

To fuel the grievance culture, Ukip has highlighted that there is widespread resentment south of the Border over Scottish-only “freebies”.

They are talking about things like prescription charges and tuition.

But lets us be clear, the “free prescriptions” aren’t free and neither is tuition, the cost is met by the taxpayers through taxation.

The policies adopted in Scotland are political choices made from the grant Scotland gets from Westminster.

Ukip wants into power in the UK beyond councilor level; they have had a very good Euro election result, their problem is that their network isn’t very well developed as the mainstream parties on the ground.

As to their notion that there needs to be a shift in the political balance of power after a referendum No vote, to appease English concerns.

That is a total no starter, there is no justification for another tier of government model on the Scottish Parliament in England.

Westminster will not allow it as it would weaken their authority.

Ukip deputy leader Paul Nuttall said:

“People are increasingly fed up with the Scots getting free prescriptions and university tuition fees and their MPs voting on laws that only apply to England.”

Nuttall added:

“The majority want a new English parliament dealing with English matters. It is plainly unfair that both Scottish and Welsh MPs can vote on English-only legislation but English MPs can have no say in Scotland and Wales. There clearly needs to a re-balancing of power – and sooner rather than later.”

It is absolute nonsense to spend the best part of a billion pounds because some people are unhappy that a few Scots have the same voting rights as English MPs.

Would an English Holyrood have the same problems of the Scottish one in terms of quality?

I believe it would, Holyrood is very much seen as a second class institution when compared with Westminster.

To be blunt, Holyrood as more than its fair share of cretins right across the chamber and political divide!

Eddie Bone, from the Campaign for an English Parliament, said

“English resentment” was being openly expressed across the country on issues such as higher public spending in Scotland.

The reason for higher public spending is an acknowledgment of the problems that Scotland faces but those problems also exist in the North East of England and Westminster also address that problem with higher cash allocations.

Eddie Bone added:

“If and when the Scots ‘bottle it’ on 18 September and vote no, they will see a stronger English voice because the people of England have had enough of Scottish self-indulgence.”

For a guy who wants an English Parliament, he expresses himself rather poorly and stupidly.

Canon Kenyon Wright warned last week that the Scottish Parliament could be “undermined” after a No vote and that cuts under the Barnett formula funding system, affecting the NHS and social security, could be undertaken as an act of “revenge”.

After a No Vote, there will be no acts of “revenge”, Westminster has had a wakeup call; they will be keen to let sleeping dogs lie.

And let’s face it only an idiot kicks over the hornets’ nest.

I don’t think David Cameron is that stupid!

Ukip need to stop doing student union politics, abandon grudge and grievance; sorted their party out; yes, identify problems and offer real solutions. Or just as 2014 was a good year, they might find 2015 will be a disaster of epic proportions.

Nigel Farge needs to tell his deputy to shut up and stop using the language of a crank!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence: Sir Ian Wood is coming out against independence, the number of people saying no and actively campaign for no grows, SNP have reached a tipping point by their continual lying and deception, trust is dead in Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon

Dear All

One the failed key messages in the SNP’s Westminster campaigns was running with a slogan that’ it’s Scotland’s Oil’.

That one along with other crackpot policies saw the SNP remain a fringe party in Westminster politics.

The trouble with oil is that although it is a great asset, there will come a point where it will run out or the price will be depressed by economic conditions.

A country therefore cannot base its success on that one key asset.

A new person to enter the independence is one of Scotland’s leading North Sea businessmen, Sir Ian Wood.

He is now speaking out to say that Alex Salmond’s government has exaggerated oil reserves by up to 60 per cent.

As with much of what the SNP say, you can’t believe a bloody word they say, it is now lying and outright deception, anything to get a vote.

Unsurprisingly Sir Ian Wood is now warning against independence because he, believes that dwindling oil reserves will “seriously hit” the economy.

Independence because there is no planning means massive austerity, job losses in the public sector and significant cuts to public services as somehow the books need to be balanced.

Many people in many walks of life like Sir Ian are now joining a growing queue of people who are angry and dismayed that the SNP are wildly inaccurate misquoting estimates and opportunities that would be available to Scots, the stench of lying and deception has characterised the independence debate as a sham, a massive political fraud on the public.

Sir Ian speaking out is damaging to the Yes campaign who like to give the impression that Scotland is like some sort of Saudi Arabia of the North.

It isn’t!

The real failure of the independence bid is lack of planning; lies and deception are just the symptoms of that particular disease to mask it.

 Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said:

“In common with other independent forecasts, Sir Ian’s analysis shows that the Scottish Government’s oil projections are over optimistic and wrong.”

Clearly the North Sea is and will continue to remain for the foreseeable future a highly valuable asset, no one would dispute that, but you have to plan for the downturn by developing a manufacturing based economy like Germany to remain competitive as a growing economy.

The SNP economy plans make wild assumptions of hundreds of thousands of jobs, all high paid that just suddenly appear from nowhere. The bogus childcare policy is a classic example of policy of the hoof, policy by soundbite, nothing of merit exists on paper.

Sir Ian said oil reserves would be down to “very low levels” by 2050 and warned that offshore oil and gas “cannot figure significantly” in Scotland’s medium-term economic calculations.

Finally, an economic think tank has come in favour of Scotland being a banana republic using sterlingisation.

It says that banking systems do better without central lenders of last resort and uses Panama, Ecuador and El Salvador as examples.

Scotland isn’t a third world country; the countries above aren’t developing industrial powerhouses in any real sense.

I wonder what supporter of Yes will come out with a paper referencing the benefits of returning to ‘the Stone Age’!

I don't trust Alex Salmond, I don't trust Nicola Sturgeon!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence: Guest post; Alex Salmond is now a desperate man who sits and waits the polls to open, he isn't going to win, he can lie, he can deceive, he can refuse to answer questions, but what he can't dodge is his day of judgment

The greatest propaganda is the truth.

So said Josef Goebbels on hearing of the German surrender at Stalingrad, and he had the Nazi radio announce the truth for once, with dignity. It steadied the German nation and made them resolve to fight total war.

We tell the truth do we not?

Day in and day out we read lies, misinformation, deception and tricks carried out by unscrupulous people intent on implementing their mis-shapen schemes. And we dislike them for it.

In 1942 Frank Capra, one of Hollywood’s greatest directors was called in to Washington by George Marshall, then Chief of the General Staff; he wanted Capra to make a series of propaganda films to be shown to service personnel before they went into action. They were to countermand the effects of Nazi propaganda and motivate the combat troops with the knowledge that they fought for the right. Capra undertook to examine the problem and report back.

In two weeks Capra watched every Nazi propaganda film he could get his hands on and was overwhelmed by the scale of the task. A mighty fear swamped his wish to do something- that the thing he was looking at was so big and so mighty that his feeble efforts could do nothing against it.

Then he went back and told Marshall.

Marshall looked at him, reached into his desk, pulled out a cigar and lit it. Then he puffed a cloud of smoke into the air.

‘Mr Capra – I have boys in foxholes all over the world. I have men in airplanes, landing craft, tanks and on battlefields in every theatre of war, wounded, captured and dying.

And you tell me you can’t make a film?’

There was a very very long pause. Then Capra said;

“General – I’ll make you the best god-damn propaganda films ever made’.

And he did.

As Frank Herbert said, Fear is the mind killer- and so it is.

They look big. Their obstinacy, their intransigence and their stubborn fanaticism make ordinary mortals fear that they cannot be stopped.

But they can be.

They have lost the economic argument.
They lie all the time now.
They scaremonger and twist things.
They trample over government procedures.
They peculate public monies.
Their mendacity knows no bounds.
And they say they are winning!

Why should I believe that any more than I believe their other lies?

All they have left is the stupid, the illogical, the unwillingness to accept evidence. Dull as lead, arrogant ignorance and false hopes drummed up by false oilfields, imagined grievance and conspiracy.

No person with half a brain would vote for the catalogue of lies and stupidity on stilts that they have set out in their prospectus for the future of Scotland.

And Scots, by and large, are NOT renowned for their stupidity.

Are they?

Don’t be scared of these people. Please.

You have won. They know you have won and they become desperate.

I do not advocate complacency, but I have not the slightest doubt of the outcome of this- and on the 19th September the depths of their defeat will be plain. Not more than 1/3 of Scots will vote Yes; I believe this as I believe in the fundamental decency of our campaign.

Sock it to them guys.

They are going down!

Scottish independence; Alex Salmond massively blunders on NHS scare tactics as it is revealed Scotland got an extra billion pounds, despite a ‘sea of cash’, unpopular Nicola Sturgeon’s inept stewardship of health created a crisis, another own goal

Dear All

You can’t have failed to have noticed that I have been quite adamant about saying there is a genuine lack of the talent in Scottish National Party under the leadership of Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon.

In a recent post I also highlighted a serious problem in the Nationalist campaign…. using the dregs of humanity and firing them off to be activists. If you watch the Jim Murphy video in Shawlands you can see the dregs of humanity and ponder why they decided to film themselves being clowns. I personally don’t get upset in general when I run across an idiot, what tends to annoy George Laird is when an idiot assumes I am as stupid as they are.

Yesterday on twitter, I was alerted to a video where an independence supporter talks about how we ‘don’t have the right to ask questions’ about what independence would mean. You can find the video by scrolling through yesterday’s tweets. You have got to watch this video a couple of times because you wouldn’t get the full impact on the first screening.

The person concerned appears to be ignorant and angry, the Human Rights Act and the European Convention on Human Rights makes it quite clear that free speech is allowed. By watching this video you will entirely understand what I mean by a genuine lack of talent on the Yes side, it starts at the top and runs straight down to the bottom.

Alex Salmond is a "desperate man" peddling a "desperate argument" according to David Cameron after the SNP leader decided to focus on the lie that Scotland’s NHS is in jeopardy.

Again, it is the wrong strategy!

Through-out this miserable and it is miserable campaign, both Salmond and Sturgeon have been shown to be completely out of their depth in more or less ever big issue of concern with voters. They boldly declared that they were running a ‘positive campaign; if anyone sees it could they drop it in at Yes Scotland, 136 Hope Street, Glasgow marked property of unpopular Nicola Sturgeon.  

On the issue of health which has been outed a botched flagship policy under unpopular Nicola Sturgeon, who ran it into the ground, we should remember that the NHS is already fully devolved to the Scottish Parliament. The SNP would dearly love to blame the English for their failures but the blame over the last 7 years rests on Sturgeon’s watch, she laid the bricks on that bunny!   

David Cameron has called Alex Salmond a "desperate man" peddling a "desperate argument" after the First Minister said he will focus the final month of his independence campaign on claims Scotland’s NHS is in jeopardy.

Speaking with a month to go until the referendum, the Prime Minister said the NHS is already fully devolved to the Scottish Parliament and Mr Salmond’s decision to raise it as an issue was a sign that he knew he was heading for defeat.

As the 30 day barrier has been breached, Alex Salmond is using scare tactics, clutching at straws to try and ring every vote he can out of those gullible enough to still trust him.

Alex Salmond and the SNP had 80 years to produce a rolling blue print for independence. No one could be arsed within the party to do so.

Time for a quote:

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

Alex Salmond.

The First Minister has “warned” that the English NHS is being privatised.

You may find his sudden “concern” rather strange because the SNP and in particular their 6 MPs at Westminster don’t give a shit, this was a policy that I disagreed while a member in the SNP, the ‘feeble six’ headed by Englishman Angus Robertson might as well not be there.

They offer no constructive help to other people in Britain to ease suffering as they don’t want to be involved in ‘English matters’. You could raise an argument that lot wouldn’t be able to contribute much anyway and that any learning would be a one way street but that is a post in itself on their failings as politicians. For the SNP MPs, it’s one big holiday at Westminster; of course there are many attractions in London worth a visit. If I was leader of the SNP, these people would be in for a very rude awakening and a workload that some people would not find funny.

In the Scottish independence referendum, David Cameron has had a ‘good’ referendum; this is based on having the sense to give it a ‘body swerve’ entirely leaving Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon to stew in their juices. Cameron pops in and out and doesn’t get involved in the fight. He has decided to pitch in on the phoney Scottish NHS row because Salmond has left himself exposed. The bizarre claim, he says does not stack up at all” as his Government has protected spending on the health service in England and this has resulted in Scotland receiving more than a billion pounds extra.

A billion pounds extra!

Salmond therefore doesn’t have an argument as Scotland has gained a benefit and not just a little one, you can be surprised that everyone is now derided the SNP tactic as scaremongering.

For the SNP to focus on health is a nonsense, there isn’t any traction or mileage in this, you can sell having been given an extra billion pounds as a cut, even if you use EU style accounting which hardly anyone can understand even those doing the books!

Apparently there is such a thing as Yes strategists!

Dismissing the claims Cameron said:

"Health is a devolved issue, so the only person who could, if they wanted to, introduce more private provision into the NHS in Scotland is Alex Salmond. So this is a desperate man, recognising the argument is going away from him, making a pretty desperate argument."

The Prime Minister added:

"Because of the protection on NHS spending that the UK Government has given – that we would not cut NHS spending while we have had to make difficult decisions elsewhere – that has made sure under the Barnett formula that money is available for Scotland as well, so that argument does not stack up at all."

To add petrol to the already flaming SNP house of cards, we find that Scotland’s NHS has spent more than £400 million on private health care since the SNP came to power in 2007.

So, the SNP’s scaremongering about privatisation is something they are already doing within the service.

Douglas Alexander, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary, said:

“Alex Salmond also destroyed his own argument on NHS funding by admitting that more money is coming to Scotland to spend on the NHS through the Barnett Formula. Everyone can now see his NHS scare stories for what they are.”

It looks the Allison Hunter Training School is going to have a lot of high profile pupils on the register for the autumn.

Alex Salmond

Unpopular Nicola Sturgeon

John Swinney

Alex Neil

Tasmina Ahmed Shiekh

Pete Wishart

Angus Robertson

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Scottish independence: Alex Salmond’s ‘Sterlingisation’ plan categorically proves he is an economic illiterate; Scotland is not a ‘banana republic’ and the "transition option" means only one thing, the SNP wants the Euro, Salmond and Sturgeon are toxic assets

Dear All

Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond famously said in an interview:

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

Looking at the utter shambles of what passes for an independence campaign you can be in no doubt that Alex Salmond has warped judgment.

In more or less every single issue, Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon are on the wrong side of the polls and on the wrong side of destiny.

Yesterday saw Alex Salmond trying an utterly crass stunt to get voters to compare with Robert the Bruce, Braveheart which was abandoned at the start of this independence bid was dusted off.

How Alex Salmond and his advisors thought there was any mileage in this tripe escapes me, this is the 21^st Century and Salmond is stuck in the 14^th Century trying to stir up anti English sentiment.

Scottish independence has nothing whatsoever to do with England.

On the key issue of currency, Alex Salmond decided to play a game of cat and mouse, a guessing game because he is so “smart”, and the rest of us Scots are such Neanderthals.

But like all his petty meaningless stunts and gestures, it has blown up in his face.   

Alex Salmond’s plan for a separate Scotland’s currency now a stop gap; this means he has left voters mired deep confusion. If you a regular reader you will know I have said on currency that there should have been a plan for a Scottish currency, there wasn’t, a key plank of independence was discarded without serious thought.

As well as that inept decision by the Alex Salmond Party within the SNP, I have always said their protestations regarding currency union with the UK are a complete smokescreen.

The SNP in my opinion have always wanted to take Scotland in to the Euro currency despite the fact it is a danger and it is unstable. You only to look at Greece to understand how the Euro has failed to work for them and is in fact a burden! It isn’t enough to be in the Euro while things are all hunky dory, not enough thought was placed in what was needed if a country needed to drop out.

Now, Alex Salmond is talking about a viable "transition option" which is code for living in a ‘banana republic’ like Panama where an independent Scotland would have no lender of last resort which means if a bank goes under you lose everything including your savings.   

There is about a month to go before the September 18 referendum, Salmond is refusing to say which of the two long-term options the euro or a new currency are option.

By going the way of Sterlingisation, this is a clear indication of Salmond wanting to join the Euro. Why start up a Scottish currency and have all the set up costs when you can have others do the work for you?

It’s the Euro!

The Better Together campaign said the SNP leader has “dug an even bigger hole for himself” on the currency.

Salmond has to commit to something, he simply can’t “run and hide” from providing answers from voters before polling day.

If some people of Scotland have believed the lie of Nordic welfare, I can offer a "transition option"; buy a boxset of Borgen because that is as close to it as you are ever going to get to it.

The Euro has torn apart countries in Southern Europe like Greece and to a certain extent Spain and Italy. Scotland has a sizeable public sector in relation to its size, this would have to be severely curtailed and budget cuts right across the board and services diminished. If you think you have seen austerity, you haven’t seen it Euro style. It would also require deep spending cuts to build up reserves of sterling and ensure there is enough money in circulation while ‘sterlingisation’ was in place.

Sometime ago I wrote two articles on ‘white collar flight’, part 1 & 2, now Economists have warned Salmond’s disastrous plan would lead to a “flight” of money from Scotland as it would have no central bank or lender of last resort. It won’t just be money that goes south; some businesses would also up sticks and relocate.

In business, you never invest in a collapsing market that is the same in politics, the Scottish National Party is in meltdown; Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon are toxic assets on the books for Nationalism.

Salmond says that there will be a Sterling Zone pact and the Chancellor, Shadow Chancellor and Chief Secretary to the Treasury are all bluffing about rejecting his plan for a formal currency union between a separate Scotland and the remainder of the UK.

They aren’t, this will be in everyone’s manifesto commitments going into the 2015 election.

There is no deal to be had!

Recently, John Swinney’s former chief of staff has vowed to vote No to independence after claiming the SNP have lost the economic argument. He also says that even among the elected SNP Councillors of his local authority, they are ready to reject the party’s core aim. Stuart Borrowman says he has gone through the ‘white paper’ and couldn’t find an economic argument that stacked up.

The vote against Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon will take place on the 18^th September.

Vote early because traffic is going to be busy, I will be right up the front of the queue to save Scotland and its people from the SNP’s gross stupidity and I suspect so will many SNP activists and politicians.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights a Glasgow University