Jingo bells, jingo bells, jingle all the way, SNP MP Natalie McGarry’s lawyer ‘demands’ audit report from Women for Independence citing ‘natural justice’, human rights allow for a fair trial, anyone know what ‘law’ requires WFI to hand over their audit report to McGarry’s lawyer, too late for natural justice, Police Scotland have been called in, jog on Anwar, you are entitled to nothing yet!

Dear All

If you think back to a few days ago, I was blogging on the SNP MP Natalie McGarry saga.

On Wednesday, November 25, 2015, I wrote the blog post:

“The Mad, the Sad and the Ugly, SNP MP Natalie McGarry resigns the SNP whip, her ‘pal’ Shona McAlpine throws accusations about that WFI are ‘bullies’, and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon refuses to suspend McGarry, instead of being ‘statesmanlike’ Sturgeon yet again decides to ‘play the tradesman’, is this the "talent" who think they will lead Scotland to independence”.

It proved to be quite a popular post with many people coming to the blog to read the George Laird view.

One of the things which interest me is Law, and especially Human Rights law, under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, a person is entitled to a fair trial.

What does a fair trial mean?

In a criminal trial, it means many things, for example, the Judge must not be bias, the defence is entitled to all the evidence, in advance, that is to be presented by the prosecution; and the jury has to be selected at random, and not have any association to either party in the dispute.

That is roughly the general jist as most people grasp it.

Women for Independence have called in Police Scotland to investigate alleged discrepancies in a pro-independence campaign group's finances. On twitter, I posed a question, given that ‘friends’ of McGarry have indicated that the financial arrangements at the Women for Independence were highly chaotic, my question was, was the return submitted to the Electoral Commission in order?

The reason, I ask McGarry’s pals claim this was the case particularly in the run-up to the independence referendum. Instead of closing down one can of worms, McGarry’s pals have opened up another important issue. Recently you may remember that Wings over Scotland aka Rev Stu was recently fined by the Electoral Commission.

When the WFI found alleged discrepancies, this apparently ran to the tune of circa £30,000, it quickly became known that McGarry was allegedly at the centre of the controversy, the paypal account was also allegedly controlled by Natalie McGarry.

Very quickly Women for Independence were quickly badmouthed by McGarry’s friends including Shona McAlpine. McAlpine was a follower of the hate account on twitter called @georgemlaird setup by Tommy Ball who pled guilty on the 29^th October, Natalie McGarry promoted this account and McAlpine along with Jonathan Mackie, who is the office manager of Chris Stephens both retweeted McGarry’s tweet linking the account to my blog. 

I don’t as I wrote on Wednesday put any weight to what McAlpine says on anything.

But, let’s get back to Natalie McGarry, at present her lawyer, Aamer Anwar (who is connected to Nicola Sturgeon) is demanding the release of an audit report by Women for Independence.

Is Natalie McGarry entitled to a copy of the audit report?

The answer to this is No!

McGarry isn’t entitled at present to anything, because although there is an investigation, she hasn’t been charged with any criminal offence. Her human rights therefore haven’t been violated and as much as her lawyer can scream, it is entirely hot air out of him.

And her lawyer knows it is hot air, no entitlement to nothing, so when Anwar said he wants to bring in forensic accountants to examine accounts, this was utter rubbish in my opinion, what exactly were they going to examine without authorisation from WFI?

Anwar says information held by Women for Independence should be released to his team to aid the investigation. What does he mean by ‘aid’ the investigation; when the Police were brought in to this affair; any chance of ‘aid’ by Natalie McGarry or anyone representing her went straight out the window. Women for Independence aren’t going to be dealing with McGarry or Aamer Anwar, they won’t be passing on the audit, and they won’t be having an exchange of views.

Anwar said:

“If Women for Independence want to get to the bottom of this shambles, it is essential that we are provided with full details of what they allege the financial discrepancies to be”.

If SNP MP Natalie McGarry is charged by Police, she will get full details!

“Nobody has been able to even provide definitive details of what went wrong. My firm will be approaching Women for Independence to request this. It would be very helpful to know what the discrepancies actually are and what accounting methods were used”.

If SNP MP Natalie McGarry is charged by Police, she will get full details of that as well.

“To date a copy of the so-called audit has not even been provided to Natalie. Surely natural justice means that she is entitled to such information and be allowed to answer the serious questions she faces. Cooperation by the Women for Independence would be helpful to everyone and stop the damaging wild speculation and trial by media.”

Natural Justice, is he having a laugh?

Apparently, it has been alleged that WFI tried on multiple occasions to have their concerns dealt by contacting McGarry regarding the financial situation, with no luck it appears.

Did Natalie McGarry deny the members of the WFI ‘natural justice’ by not providing them with enough information to satisfy their concerns?

This isn’t an issue of natural justice, once the Police turned up, it became a Police matter, and the Police operate to the law of the land.

It is in the public domain that the audit was carried out by two senior Women for Independence figures and a chartered accountant. Given a chartered accountant was involved, it must be assumed that WFI felt that a professional was needed to be brought into this matter in the interests of transparency to allow the board to make a decision how they should proceed.

Women for Independence have presumably handed the audit report into the hands of Police Scotland, and no doubt WFI will have kept a few copies for their files.

This ditto of the saga: did amuse me from a McGarry source:

“People were demanding travel expenses, hotel rooms and equipment and receipts weren't always provided. It seems everybody is jumping on the bandwagon and saying Natalie was the only person involved, but that's unfair. People like Carolyn Leckie, Jeane Freeman and Susan Stewart were all central in the organisation.”

Tut, tut, tut, trying to rope in other people, does this source have evidence of receipts weren't always provided? If they do, can they explain if they made this information available to the Electoral Commission?

Aamer Anwar demands for the report will be ignored; so far Natalie McGarry’s human rights haven’t been broken by anyone as far as I have read. The WFI should refer him to Police Scotland and not engage with him, his firm or Natalie McGarry.

The ‘Natural Justice’ argument is rubbish, and it really doesn’t look like Aamer Anwar will be directing the WFI or Police Scotland’s investigations. And as someone remarked to me at the weekend, no one will be getting 'coached' prior to possibly being interviewed by Police Scotland.

Finally, it has been reported that SNP MP Natalie McGarry paid £6,000 to Women for Independence after getting elected, £6,000 isn't £30,000, and apparently the SNP is refusing to disclose when Nicola Sturgeon first knew of financial allegations involving McGarry.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Chilling out with the cyber thugs, unpopular Nicola Sturgeon is linked to the vilest cybernat internet trolls; Sturgeon meets and chats online with an internet bully who makes threats of physical violence, Robert Dickson wrote ‘Ten minutes in a locked room with [former Scottish Labour Leader Jim] Murphy ... that’s all I ask’, adding: ‘I should like to state for the record that I am indeed a violent man.’

Dear All

Trouble is a bit like buses, you wait long enough and three come at the same time it seems! It also seems that unpopular Nicola Sturgeon has made the press, again for the wrong reasons but before I start, I would like to comment on the UN role for Sturgeon training up women peacemakers for Syria.

Apparently, it seems the details of this new role haven’t be ironed out yet, however, regardless what the role, what the training, and when or if it happens, there is only one way to describe this, short version, this is a load of dick!

This is the George Laird view.

Syria is in a state of war, the last thing they need is an ill prepared group of people getting in the way and then getting shot, or their heads cut off.

Awhile ago some warmer called Robert Dickson who calls himself Roy1Batty had a go at me on twitter while I was struggling to cope with my serious illness. Dickson uses foul language which is par for the course, but people have also noticed that he made violent threats against some Labour politicians.

So, just as one cybernat falls, another rises in the shape of Robert Dickson.

What is interesting about this story doing the rounds is that people are noting that Nicola Sturgeon is linked to the vilest of the internet trolls and more likely than not can be seen pictured with them as well. As well as following Dickson, Sturgeon also follows another cybernat who went out of their way to attack former chancellor Alistair Darling and ex-shadow Scottish secretary Margaret Curran.

What Sturgeon must have been thinking to follow another abuse-ridden Twitter feed called ‘YESthatcherDead’ is anyone’s guess. You might have thought that Sturgeon having read the name would have exercised good judgment and thought better of it.

But no, not Nicola, foot in mouth again!

I will be blunt, I have in the past called Nicola Sturgeon a rat; I say it openly, the SNP is a ‘rat ship’, but what makes my observations important is that I did spend time as an SNP member.

I know Nicola Sturgeon.

Because of the way I was treated in the Scottish national Party, I sent Nicola Sturgeon a tweet to tell her to get off my followers list. I did it publicly, of course I could just have blocked her, but I wanted to make a statement to her and her party. As far as I am aware, I think I am the only person who ever did this, told her to… ‘leave’.

Robert Dickson also likes to post threatening tweets, including the classic:

“Ten minutes in a locked room with [former Scottish Labour Leader Jim] Murphy ... that’s all I ask’.

He added:

“I should like to state for the record that I am indeed a violent man.”

I am glad he cleared that up because some people may have wondered how Dickson wanted to spend the ten minutes.

An interesting comment appeared on online re Nicola and the trolls:

“Nicola Sturgeon comes across and a school ground bully who loves herself and can intimidate people into following her. She reins in her aggressiveness to a socially acceptable level and seems to be running a vendetta against all the people who did vote yes in the Scottish referendum.”

Recently at Holyrood we had the infamous abuse of Dr. Richard Simpson, a Labour MSP by Nicola Sturgeon, I assume the Natalie McGarry scandal must be preying on her mind. She back McGarry personally which was another major error of judgment.

Another comment about Nicola Sturgeon expressed online worth mentioning is:

“Nicola Sturgeon, "You are the kind of person who, when someone first meets you, they don't like you. But when they get to know you better, they hate you.”

The fact of the matter is this, Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon spent decades whipping up hatred, the expression of this has now come out for everyone to see, some people have found a ‘cause’. The irony of these people who follow Sturgeon is that they don’t realise that they are getting used by her and the SNP.

The Scottish National Party doesn’t care about the people of Scotland, they have created division and hatred, Scotland is a divided country. And there is no going back from the hatred that got let out of the bottle, so the call by Sturgeon to respect opponents is bogus; her deeds speak louder than her words.

Nicola Sturgeon is a vile nasty shallow hollow inept and entirely vacuous woman devoid of principles and integrity lurching from scandal to scandal while at the same time claiming ‘nothing to do with me gov’. You can see the guilt in her eyes when she is confronted; apparently Sturgeon is to unfollow those cybernats identified by the press, onward to the next scandal, still 7 days in a week, 168 hours!!!!!!

Maybe Sturgeon can send a Syrian female peacemaker to Robert Dickson’s home as part of their training, after a suitable combat course can be prepared.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Bitter and twisted, nasty and vicious, spiteful and hateful, SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon makes unwarranted attack on Labour MSP at Holyrood as the Natalie McGarry financial scandal intensifies, Sturgeon personally endorsed McGarry, Sturgeon’s mask has slipped, she is still the hateful and spiteful hatemonger of old, this is SNP ‘civic Nationalism’

Dear All

Lots of people like reading this blog because it seems to get things ‘bang on the money’, for example, I have repeatedly said that SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is an angry wee Nat.

So, what happens?

Nicola Sturgeon goes out of her way to prove that…… George Laird right again.

At FMQ’s at Holyrood, Nicola Sturgeon resorted back to type; angry wee Nat of old, full of bile and bitterness, all twisted and spiteful, she decided to bad mouth Dr. Richard Simpson who is a Labour MSP, without realising she was speaking into an open mic.

It was a rather ugly affair which shows Sturgeon in her true light.

Has the Natalie McGarry scandal really rattled her that much?

Many people have listened to the now infamous audio several times and they have said to me that they thought that Nicola Sturgeon had called; Dr. Richard Simpson an ‘idiot’, the version that is coming from the SNP is that instead of ‘idiot’, Sturgeon said ‘ignorant’.

Listen to the audio online and judge for yourself.

I have several times; I haven’t heard once the word ‘ignorant’ said by Sturgeon. Like the Natalie McGarry scandal, we yet again have a mystery surrounding the ‘evidence’.

While looking at the video tape of the exchange, one thing stuck me, Ms. Sturgeon was looking rather ‘rough’ in my opinion, when looking at her clothes; I wondered did she buy her outfit straight out of a Caterers’ outfitters?

It was just horrible looking, no sense of style, no glamour, just hanging on her like a bag of spuds.

Has she decided that it is time to ‘let things go’ physically?

Do, you remember those recent dreadful TV interviews that Sturgeon did on the Natalie McGarry scandal, which just keeps going from bad to worse, as more revelations make it into the public domain. There was Sturgeon hopping about from one foot to the other, face screwed up and trying to defend herself for her inactions. If you stand back, you could see the Sturgeon mask slipping as the angry wee Nat fought to control her nasty wee temper. The fake insincerity act for the cameras was cracking wide open; the look of anger was plain to see in my opinion.

What a bitter woman she has become of late, people keep pointing out that she is a loser. We all make mistakes, we are only human, but for some of us, we don’t try to make a career out of it!

Refusing to act on McGarry was a major fail in terms of leadership and trying to hide behind due process; it was shallow and common, as Sturgeon attempted to save her protégé out of her nasty vile Southside clique.

Nicola Sturgeon just looked and sounded ridiculous; then came the revelation that the SNP had known for weeks about the WFI situation. Yet again, it was the standard SNP line; ‘Nicola knows nothing’, yet again making her, the most ignorant woman in Scottish politics.

£30,000 is the figure which appears to raise some concern.  

Does Dr. Richard Simpson deserve an apology?

I would say so.

Let’s look at a few things which have happened just recently.

Firstly Tommy Ball connected to her southside SNP gang pleds guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court, Natalie McGarry named in my criminal witness statement along with Shona McAlpine, office manager to Muslim list MSP Humza Yousaf, and Jonathan Mackie, office manager to Chris Stephens.

SNP MP Natalie McGarry promoted a twitter account which had the theme of sexual intercourse with children and filming of little girls in a state of dress. She might have deleted her tweets, but I kept a digital record, handy thing on a computer, ‘save as’.

Next we get the Natalie McGarry financial scandal which shines the spotlight directly on Nicola Sturgeon herself, not only did Sturgeon endorse McGarry, which was a mistake, she also said McGarry was a ‘good pal’ of hers.

Nicola Sturgeon among her other failings as a decent human being is a hypocrite, during the referendum, she constantly interrupted people speaking and talked over the top of them to get noticed and the camera to focus on her.

As we now know the entire white paper was a load of rubbish pushed by Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. I feel therefore that Sturgeon had no right to take exception to the behaviour of Dr Richard Simpson. His later intervention as she answered a query on abuse in care homes was also legitimate; he at least is a health professional unlike her.

After presiding officer Tricia Marwick (Natalie McGarry’s auntie) called an end to the session, Sturgeon was heard to say what sounded like "Richard Simpson is an idiot" before her microphone cut off.

If we accept her version of Simpson being ‘ignorant’, then she can only also conclude that she is an ignorant woman for her behaviour, not just at Holyrood but elsewhere. It seems the pressure is getting to her; the fairytale looks rather threadbare of the SNP being the answer to Scotland’s problems.

To add to her tale of woe, Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond deserted the key Commons debate on Syrian air strikes to unveiled a portrait of himself in Edinburgh. His ego and vanity got the better of him; is him standing next to a painting more important that representing his constituents?

Seems that way to me!

Clearly this is another example that Nicola Sturgeon isn’t really in charge of the SNP, but is looking more and more like a Salmond proxy. I wonder how much enjoyment Salmond is getting at Sturgeon struggling, some people in the SNP don’t believe that Sturgeon is capable of leadership.

So, expect more bile and bitterness from Nicola Sturgeon, she is losing control of the SNP and is looking remarkably like yesterday’s woman who is clinging on for the ‘pay packet’. If the Natalie McGarry scandal gets much worse, it could be that Sturgeon will drop the fake act of sincerity altogether, as the press pursue her and McGarry like hunted animals.

‘Community Justice’ Nicola?

When you hand someone power who is not capable of leadership, you have to expect these types of problems to happen. Sturgeon spent years building grudge, grievance and malcontent at the microphone at SNP Conferences blaming everyone but herself for her own failings.

It is ironic that a tool she used in the past seems to be her possible undoing; I suppose that the SNP will be getting a series of engagements hastily planned so Sturgeon can hug kids. I would suggest it is a bit too late for that now, someone said to me recently that the SNP is a house of cards, and that the pack will be falling shortly.

Nicola Sturgeon has absolutely no class, the shop soiled white hope from Dreghorn isn’t suited to leadership; she can’t make the right decisions. Her career is littered by failure to achieve, the health service was her flagship, what a disaster that is at present, ran into the ground, underfunded and understaffed.

We all heard Nicola Sturgeon say she didn’t have enough information to suspend Natalie McGarry from the SNP, now we find out that the SNP knew for weeks. As the McGarry financial scandal intensifies, it could be the defining moment for Nicola Sturgeon and the wider independence movement.

One thing we know for certain, the act of a ‘caring human being’ has been swept away, and instead we are seeing the real Nicola Sturgeon, bitter and twisted, full of bile and hatred.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

The Budget; UK Chancellor George Osborne pulls of a ‘good budget’ performance by his U –turn on tax credits and protecting police budgets, the Labour Party need slow down and not try too hard, John McDonnell doesn’t need the red book of Mao, his point about protecting UK assets stands on its own merit, learn to pick your spot

Dear All

Every now and then I get surprised in politics, I have been campaigning against the idea of Tax Credits Cuts, the idea would have saved money but the method was badly thought-out and to be fair it was too blunt.

Too many people would have suffered unfairly and it wasn’t I feel good politics.

We were told that everything would be okay re Tax Credits cuts and employers would be encouraged to pay more.

Please!!!!!

I didn’t think this would hold water; encouragement isn’t worth the paper it is written on as they say.

Chancellor George Osborne done the right thingt, although some call it a U-turn, I think it more it is more like understanding the impact at the ‘rockface’.

About 4.5 million people rely on Tax Credits depending on what figures you look at, we are talking billions of pounds, when people criticise the House of Lords, remember that they rejected the plan.

This unelected body that some people so despise as being out of date, today we see yet again, it has value and it is an essential part of our democracy.

The Chancellor surprised Westminster on Wednesday by ditching the bulk of the controversial cuts to the benefit, but the fight still goes on, good governance requires good opposition to act constructively.

Another interesting development was the announcement that Osborne was protecting police budgets, some say this is his pitch for PM when David Cameron steps down, maybe aye maybe naw. The Paris attacks make the case for protecting our police service, we are seeing trouble in Europe and we will see trouble here, which is why everyone in Britain should stand together to protect our communities.

When a bomb goes off, it doesn’t matter what religion you are.

I would say we need more listening by the Conservative Government not just on issues that make the national press or gain traction in the public domain, politics is supposed to be about listening to the people you represent.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell made a stir when he brandished a copy of Chairman Mao's Little Red Book in the Commons, I am sure that I wouldn't have went that way myself, but part of politics is theatre and a bit of drama at the budget adds spice, if done right.

The budget can be rather dry which is why I don’t tend to watch it, instead I do to the highlights and pick out the good bits.

In an interview with Good Morning Britain, the shadow chancellor said:

"I was trying to draw attention to the fact, with a bit of irony, that actually what George Osborne is doing is selling off British assets to the Chinese People's Republic. Now I find that deeply ironic."

He added:

"We are now debating one of the issues I wanted to raise. It worked."
Mr McDonnell said that producing the book, which he had from his days as a politics student, had been a "self-deprecating joke".

Although I don’t agree with his method, he does raise an interesting point; countries that continually sell off their assets leave themselves vulnerable. Greece is a case in point, assets sold off and their financial hole just keeps on getting deeper. We need our assets, we need to develop new ones in multiple fields, the more of a surplus we can run, the better the country can weather storms.

Apparently there is supposed to be a £27 billion windfall resulting from better-than-expected forecast tax receipts and rock-bottom debt interest rates, we should invest this wisely in paying down our debts and supporting businesses.

Certainly there is a debate to be had over welfare, but there is also a debate about not punishing people who are trapped, more needs to be done to address their needs in terms of prospects, social mobility and opportunities.

I favour a revamped DWP which gets people the training they need, along with my other ideas on welfare which I have floated in the past to help social mobility.

I would say George Osborne has made his pitch for PM, but he will have to deliver more to those at the bottom of society to win people over. It would be interesting to see a return to the old style of Conservatism which was prominent in the 1970’s, whose members were sometimes called the ‘wets’.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

The Mad, the Sad and the Ugly, SNP MP Natalie McGarry resigns the SNP whip, her ‘pal’ Shona McAlpine throws accusations about that WFI are ‘bullies’, and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon refuses to suspend McGarry, instead of being ‘statesmanlike’ Sturgeon yet again decides to ‘play the tradesman’, is this the "talent" who think they will lead Scotland to independence

Dear All

Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson famously said:

“A week is a long time in politics”.

He was right, especially when you are in the public spotlight and the reason isn’t a feel good story.

Yesterday, someone remarked to me that they didn’t like the way that I wrote my articles on the blog, while I was on twitter, which is fine; everyone is entitled to their opinion.

My blog isn’t to everyone’s taste, that being said, the BBC mob in London do stop by along with other news outlets to get a sense of what the public think regarding a situation or story of topical and possibility national interest, the George Laird view.

My mood tends to mirror the general public mood, sometimes even before they know what that mood should be themselves.

Other people however do like my blog, I do opinion, but the basis of my opinions is formed reading about fact. I keep saying that the most damaging thing in politics is the truth; the truth at its core remains pure.

In my last post, I said that Nicola Sturgeon wouldn’t suspend SNP MP Natalie McGarry.

George Laird right again.

Nicola Sturgeon didn’t suspend Natalie McGarry, but she should have done, her reason was that she didn’t have enough information in her possession.

Natalie McGarry resigned the party whip only hours after Nicola Sturgeon refused to suspend her, you see the SNP is run like a cult; her auntie is the Presiding Officer of Holyrood. The SNP is made up of various little family groups which along with some others control the party.

It’s a cult.

I wrote if Nicola Sturgeon wouldn’t do something about Natalie McGarry’s involvement in promoting a hate account on twitter whose theme was sexual intercourse with children, why should people think she would do anything regarding the present scandal?

Police are investigating allegations that £30,000 has gone missing from the accounts of prominent pro-independence group, Women for Independence. An internal audit showed that large sums raised by grass roots supporters were unaccounted for which is still a mystery at present.

Natalie McGarry has denied any wrongdoing, closed her twitter account to the public and isn’t answering any questions.

In the case of Tommy Ball, who recently pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court, I was told by Police that he stated that he had set up a parody account, he denied any wrongdoing; he has since closed his twitter account to the public and he isn’t answering any questions.

Here is another co-incidence regarding Natalie McGarry and Tommy Ball, both of whom had socialised together in the past, both removed themselves from the SNP in the ‘interests of the party’.

I am a firm believer in due process and justice, which is why on twitter; I have said that Natalie McGarry is innocent until proven guilty. I say this because despite the fact that I genuinely despise her with passion for what she did to me in the past, she is entitled to fairness and due process.

Even the worst in society deserve that in a democratic country, it is alleged that Women for Independence tried on several occasions to find out where the funds had gone by asking Natalie McGarry but she was unable to satisfy them with her answers. You would think if you were in such a position as her clearing this up would be a priority which supersedes all others.

You can't buy personal integrity like a tin of beans off the shelf at Asda!

Corporate governance is no laughing matter in any organisation regarding finance; people expect that records are kept and that those in charge dispense their responsibilities properly.

£30,000 isn’t a small sum of money, so where is the money?

McGarry was one of WFI’s Founding Members back in 2012 and was responsible for overseeing its finances it has been said. I read online that Shona McAlpine who was also named in my criminal witness statement regarding the Tommy Ball case has said the WFI are ‘bullies’.

During the night of the 18th September 2014 at the Scottish Referendum Count, I had occasion to report Shona McAlpine to Police Scotland, she marched up behind me screaming to get out of her way. The Police inspector said to me that they would take an incident report and keep an eye on her and Tommy Ball who was also in the hall.

I put no weight to anything Shona McAlpine says on any subject.  

Opposition parties, have rightly also focused on why Nicola Sturgeon refused to act, Sturgeon’s line was it was important to get a “balance” between expecting the highest standards of SNP parliamentarians and respecting “due process, fairness and a presumption of innocence.”

Okay, here is a question, if as Ms. Sturgeon says it was important to get a “balance” between expecting the highest standards of SNP parliamentarians and respecting “due process, fairness and a presumption of innocence”, why was Bill Walker suspended?

SNP MSP Bill Walker was facing a criminal investigation into smashing in women’s faces; did the SNP waive his right to presumption of innocence?

I would say that is a worthwhile question to put Sturgeon on the spot about, in the case of Walker, he was found guilty of 24 charges, at a time the SNP was trying to win the women’s vote during the independence referendum. Walker was as they say, ‘flung under the bus’; he was a liability to Nicola Sturgeon in her attempts to win women over to her cause.

Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s public services spokesman, said:

“Natalie McGarry is right to resign the SNP whip. It is disappointing that as the leader of the SNP Nicola Sturgeon didn’t act earlier. We now need to know who knew what, and when, in the SNP about these allegations. Nothing short of full transparency from the SNP will be accepted by the Scottish public.”

As to Jackie Baillie’s argument that the allegations may “cast genuine doubt” on McGarry’s election in May, having thought about it, sorry I can’t buy into that one. The intimidation tactics used by Nationalists against Margaret Curran in my mind do more to “cast genuine doubt” on Margaret Curran’s right to have a free and fair election as prescribed under the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights  Act 1998 than this event.

At present allegations are been made, but that is all they are allegations, I am sure that the Labour Party would dearly love a by-election, but that won’t be happening in the foreseeable future. I wouldn’t be calling for a by-election because there isn’t evidence in the public domain to justify it on this issue at present. What is available so far doesn’t look too good for McGarry, but what is interesting that her time at WFI is I would suggest in doubt now regardless of the outcome.

It has been stated that several of the WFI national committee members who demanded a police investigation are SNP candidates for the forthcoming Holyrood election. I was once told several in Glasgow SNP hoped during the Cowdenbeath by-election that Natalie McGarry would lose; apparently some people in the SNP don’t like her. I can’t say I blame them, I met others from Labour and Conservatives who feel the same way about her but they tend to keep their own counsel private.

Natalie McGarry has Aamer Anwar as her solicitor, he said that he has allegedly instructed “forensic accountants to obtain all the necessary information” for Police Scotland and WFI.

If that is true I find that hilarious because I don’t think Police Scotland and the WFI will be having their investigations led by anyone other than themselves. I would assume that the WFI accounts wouldn’t be open to McGarry or her representatives at present unless she is charged by Police Scotland. Then she would have a legal right to a copy of all evidence collected during the course of a criminal investigation. Since she isn’t charged with a crime, she doesn’t have a right to anything as far as my understanding of human rights goes, except her personal data held by WFI.

So, what does her solicitor mean when he allegedly says he instructed “forensic accountants to obtain all the necessary information”?

Isn’t Natalie McGarry under a legal duty not to allow a third party access to WFI accounts unless that is approved by the board of Women for Independence?

Isn’t that one of the principles of corporate governance?

Natalie McGarry can hand over her data presumably by a DSAR, if that channel exists, but surely that doesn’t entitle her to hand over data regarding the WFI without proper authorisation?

Does Natalie McGarry already have authorisation by WFI to allow forensic accountants to conduct an investigation into their financial accounts?

I don’t remember reading anything in the public domain from WFI saying that there is a joint investigation by McGarry’s representatives and the Police. As far as I have read the WFI board have alleged they made repeated attempts to ask McGarry to explain away their concerns, when they were not satisfied with information they received, they called in the Police.

Finally, to return to Ms. Sturgeon for a moment, she said it was important to get a “balance” between expecting the highest standards of SNP parliamentarians and respecting “due process, fairness and a presumption of innocence.”

Nicola Sturgeon is a vile nasty shallow hollow inept and entirely vacuous woman devoid of principles and integrity in my opinion, to see her clutching at straws during her TV interviews, hopping from one foot to the other, tight mouthed and then squealing like a pig, gave me a few moments of amusement yesterday as it may have done for others in watching this unfolding saga.

SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon failed the leadership test yesterday; she played the ‘tradesman’ instead of the ‘Statesman’, a common fault in people who are common with lots of money who fail to rise to the occasion.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Open Letter to Nicola Sturgeon; ‘as you sow so shall you reap’, SNP MP Natalie McGarry has crossed her rubicon, you and Alex Salmond created a ‘rat ship’, given information already in the public domain re Natalie McGarry, she should be suspended from the SNP, it’s now a question of your personal integrity Nicola Sturgeon, do you have any left?

Dear Nicola

Well here we are again, SNP scandal which involves another one of your Southside Gang in Glasgow. You have surrounded yourself with the most despicable scum in Scottish politics, I am sure there must be a reason.

Is it a case of like attracts like?

I am sure that many people in the SNP read this:

http://glasgowunihumanrights.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/cowdenbeath-by-election-special-snp.html

At present the Labour Party are demanding that you suspend the rat that is SNP MP Natalie McGarry.

Labour don’t really know you as I do, I know that you are a rat, and I know that you know I know, perhaps that is why on ‘white paper day’ at Holyrood when you saw me you put your eyes to the ground.

Was it guilt?

Natalie McGarry using her own twitter account promoted a hate account on twitter the theme was sexual intercourse with children. 

If you won’t suspend Natalie McGarry for promoting a hate account all about discrimination, smears, and defamation, why would people think you would suspend Natalie McGarry for the latest scandal to emerge?

McGarry apparently has described you, Nicola Sturgeon as a role model.

I think she is right, you are a role model, a model on how to be shallow hollow inept and entirely vacuous leader devoid of principles and integrity. 

You, Nicola Sturgeon did nothing about the abuse directed against me, but your Southside gang which includes Jonathan Mackie, Natalie McGarry and Shona McAlpine, all supported the hate account on Twitter, along with the official account of Anniesland SNP.

They loved Thomas Ball’s account, and more than that they continued to socialise with him while he was doing it. 

Thomas Ball pled guilty on the 29th October 2015, you do remember Thomas Ball, remember when I took his photo with you and SNP MP Chris Stephens just up from the Southern General as the SNP organiser was late?  

The allegations about missing donations to Women for Independence (WFI) are very concerning as Jackie Baillie stated. Apparently it is also reported in the press that Natalie McGarry allegedly had the only access to the paypal account.

You can read that here:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/nov/23/snp-mp-natalie-mcgarry-missing-donations-claim

As a commentator to my blog remarked:

“Awkward”.

Based on this, you have no option but to suspend Natalie McGarry from the Scottish National Party, you along with Alex Salmond created a ‘rat ship’, and instead of a crew charting a course to possible independence you allowed the ‘rats’ to run the ship.

Natalie McGarry is a rat.

During the Cowdenbeath by-election you described Natalie McGarry as a good pal, if you don’t suspend Natalie McGarry now; the dirt will also stick to you.

I personally don’t think you are capable of doing the right thing, you are a horrible nasty vile little woman who has clawed her way to the top using hate as a vehicle, you are no statesman, you have limited abilities; you are small, so small that Scotland will one day see you as you really are.

It doesn’t matter how many kids you hug, what acts of ‘kindness’ you do, it’s all an act, and it’s done to garner votes. 

Natalie McGarry is a rat and rats don’t deserve consideration, she got herself into this mess, and she should be abandoned until she gets herself out of it.

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie asks:

“Can you confirm when SNP officials, representatives or candidates at any level were first made aware of the allegations surrounding Natalie McGarry? Reports today confirm that seven of the WFI committee members who reported these allegations to the police are SNP candidates. Can you confirm when any of these people first became aware of the allegations? Can you confirm what discussions have taken place between SNP officials or senior elected members and these WFI national committee members about these allegations?”

I would also want to know the answers to these questions, and if anyone gave an answer I didn’t like, their ass would be removed as a candidate with immediate effect.

Natalie McGarry has crossed her rubicon, she is politically toxic, she should be gone by the end of the week, there is nothing to think about.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

‘Gie’s yer fucking money or else’, Financial scandals keeping popping up regarding the Yes Campaign, latest shit to hit the fan is ‘Women for Independence’ set up by the odious SNP MP Natalie McGarry, tens of thousands of pounds are unaccounted for, Police Scotland have been called in, and Nicola Sturgeon employed a WFI member Kate Higgins as a special adviser, aren’t you glad you didn’t put your future in the hands of these clowns?

Dear All

Never a dull moment in politics as they say; especially when it concerns members of the pro-independence campaign.

Recently questions were asked about the financial situation of Hope Over Fear which is Tommy Sheridan’s bandwagon used as a vehicle to try and rebuild his image with the public. That story about Lindsay Jarrett resigning over her concerns about their finances made the press.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14095341.Terminally_ill_mother_attacks__despicable_bullies__as_she_quits_Solidarity_candidacy/

Next, we have a mystery, Mark or Claire?

This involved an investigation by people concerned about the activities of the twitter account called @clairerobsc1

After doing a bit of spade work over months, the investigators published their exclusive which said that Claire Robertson is actually a man called Mark Roberston who lives in Easterhouse.

http://cybernatclairerobertson.blogspot.co.uk/

One of the things which were flagged up was that people were sending money and food to this person.

Some people who gave money felt conned but despite this, ‘Claire Robertson’ gave an interview to the National.

http://www.thenational.scot/news/angry-twitter-users-claim-to-be-duped-by-fake-account-for-claire-said-to-be-man-aged-40.10289

Still claiming to be a woman!

Apparently only one person is registered as living in the flat in Easterhouse, Mark Roberston, this would tend to suggest that there is more than enough third party evidence for an investigation by Glasgow City Council regarding council tax issues. If Claire Robertson exists then ‘she’ would be able to give the council a breakdown of where she was previously living and also Mark Roberston could give an explanation if the council hasn’t been informed of a change of circumstances.

That story opens up a whole host of possibilities.   

We all know about the Michelle Thomson scandal, elected to the House of Commons, and then it comes out that her property empire was built on the backs of the sick and vulnerable. She still sits with the SNP but is listed as an independent, mired in shit and still clinging onto power.

The latest scandal to hit the headlines is the financial scandal involving Women for Independence; they are being investigated because there is a missing five-figure sum which can’t be accounted for.

Women for independence was seen by many as an SNP/SSP front, their campaign attracted a lot of media attention and was given a huge amount of air time as people connected to the SNP passed themselves off  WFI.

That was bullshit.

The group were set up in 2012 by dreadful wretched and odious Natalie McGarry who is now an SNP MP. Two other people involved were former Socialist MSP Carolyn Leckie and Kate Higgins. Higgins has since gone on to become a special adviser in the Scottish Government.

SNP MP Natalie McGarry was recently named a criminal witness statement for her involvement in assisting Tommy Ball in his hate campaign by using her twitter account to promote the hate account setup by Ball and pass it off as mine. Tommy Ball has pled guilty and is waiting to be sentenced, deferred for background reports.

At present the figure which is missing is alleged to be running into tens of thousands of pounds hence we have Police Scotland involvement.

A statement from WFI said:

“We have identified an apparent discrepancy between our income (via donations) and the expenditure which we currently have evidence of. Because of the potential seriousness of this issue, the right thing to do was to pass this matter to the police.”

It seems that there is a spate of stories which tend to suggest that the ‘better’ Scotland which Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon promised us was heading up by people with their noses firmly in the troughs, pigging out on other people’s cash and goodwill.

Remember the big play by Nicola Sturgeon that SNP women will get things done?

Maybe the odious Natalie McGarry of the SNP can go find the money and who has got it.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Touchy touchy, angry Nationalist accuses George Laird of running an SNP Hate Blog after read my blood and soil post on Nicola Sturgeon’s attempt to go from ‘fanny pad’ campaigner to ‘war leader’, never had a complaint on the blog from a ‘fanny pad’ stormtrooper before, his shame must have got the better of him, grown man campaigning on ‘fanny pads’ get some self-respect!

Dear Anon

"You are nothing but a keyboard warrior time you gave all your SNP hate a rest".

Firstly, I would like to thank you for taking the time to post to the blog.

As to your allegation that I am a 'keyboard warrior', I find that to be totally incorrect.

Did you by chance read this story in the press?

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/cybernat-ran-online-campaign-accusing-6737578

I put my money where my mouth is, and took Tommy Ball all the way to the Sheriff Court and won, he has pled guilty, another coward who likes to hide behind an anonymous account.

This case shows I am not 'keyboard warrior' by my actions, been called a 'legend' don't you know!

I have also been as guest on BBC 5 live, 'keyboard warriors' don’t really do that, do they?

I have attended many BBC debates and spoken as a member of the audience.

I don’t hide behind a fake account, another hallmark of the 'keyboard warrior'.

And the press, in various guises including the BBC in London drop by regularly to read my blog and it speaks for Scotland.

I don’t run an SNP hate blog, you can also find articles of me criticising other parties for their short comings, why should the SNP be exempt?

Don’t they deserve the same examination of them in Government and as a party?

No one from any other party apparent from the SNP has stopped by to complain, and how can you complain about the truth anyway?

No, I will keep writing the truth, isn’t the real reason that you are one of those guys who got sucked into Nicola Sturgeon’s ‘tampax’ campaign and now feel less than a man?

A grown man campaigning on ‘fanny pads’ what happened to having self-respect?

I don’t campaign on ‘fanny pads’ like Nicola Sturgeon. 

Finally, trying having the personal courage to post under your real name when making complaints, you might find that empowering instead of sneaking about like secret squirrel.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

A message for the Paris attackers from Andrew Neil for BBC's This Week, Andrew nails it, our democracy will never fall because we are the light of world

Blood and Soil; ‘Tampax Campaigner’ Nicola Sturgeon has ‘serious questions’ about backing military airstrikes in Syria, as her Westminster chimps embarrass themselves again, France has declared a three month state of national emergency, now Sturgeon wants to play ‘War Leader’, sit down you shallow hollow inept and entirely vacuous attention seeker, this isn’t a photo op

Dear All

One thing which doesn’t really need saying is that SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is pathetic, in the past I have accused her of being a shallow hollow inept women devoid of principles.

U turn Sturgeon!

Sturgeon craves attention, and the SNP actively go out to seek it for her, the staged managed photographs are vomit-inducing, the most laughable pitch she makes, involves her use of hugging kids to appear likeable.

It is a joke that failed and wasn’t funny the first time when she did it.

If you caught her exchange at FMQs recently you would have seen the real Nicola Sturgeon, not the passionate campaigner, but the angry wee Nat, completely out of her depth and common with it.

Nicola Sturgeon has the look on her face of someone who knows she has been caught out as a fake, no way back for her tho.

When the migrant crisis was running at full steam, the SNP and in particular Sturgeon jumped on that bandwagon, free publicity all round as politicians vied with each other on who was the most caring. If you checked back to my posts, I didn’t join the bandwagon; I didn’t hold up any signs, I didn’t attend any events.

Why?

Because there was a wider picture to consider, namely national security, not just of Britain but also of our European neighbours. We are in a European Union, we have responsibilities and those responsibilities cannot be simply ignored for what is a substance lite campaign of #Refugeeswelcome.

People in politics aren’t social workers, they supposed to be working for the common good and the benefit of the country; we have social workers to do social work. So, Sturgeon hitched her star to the migrant crisis and the rest of the donkeys in the SNP duly followed suit, supporting the concept that they are ‘caring people’ and that their cult leader Nicola was possessed by a ‘special’ understanding of the situation.

Then cometh the Paris attacks!

The Paris attacks shocked the world, circa 130 people dead and nearly as many seriously injured. It was a horrific attack on innocent people, and that is the key word, innocent.

Through-out the migrant crisis, I made suggestions, some of those we are seeing coming to life in Europe, yesterday the Dutch pitched in with an inner Schengen area and two of my ideas, camps and no migrant processed can travel to other European countries. As I wrote yesterday, there isn’t the political will yet to do what is needed; however, Paris will not be the last attack. The Police have killed someone who was thought to be the mastermind of the attacks in a violent and fierce shoot out in Saint Denis in France. Across Europe there has been a backlash against Muslim people, even in Scotland, a Muslim cultural centre was damaged in an arson attack, a woman was attacked and injured by a man wielding a Stanley knife.

The French Government along with other Governments including the UK have decided to press ahead with military air strikes, something else I supported ages ago. The SNP in Westminster decided to call for a United Nations mandate, and fake Scot Angus Robertson and the Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond gave us their pearls of wisdom on the situation.

The wrong tact and the wrong decision, better to keep your ‘fat gub’ shut applies, subject to terms and conditions, poor Angus, another failure, trying to be a statesman and comes across as a roaster yet again. David Cameron shot down Angus Robertson who is clearly out of his depth by saying the safety of this country to protect itself will not be subject to a Russian veto.

Cameron 1 Fake Scot Robertson 0!

After hitching her star to #refugeeswelcome, we now have Nicola Sturgeon looking for the next bandwagon of free publicity, she says she is now 'prepared to listen' to the case for bombing ISIS in Syria in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.

So, what can Nicola Sturgeon do militarily?

Not a fucking thing!

Apparently David Cameron isn’t seeking her advice, but she says the SNP has serious questions about the 'efficacy' of airstrikes. One has to wonder if Sturgeon has accepted the offer of Peter Dow who threw his hat into the ring to offer his services as a ‘national security adviser’. I assume he would want a huge salary like the rest of Sturgeon’s ‘band of brothers’.

Oh. before I forget, there is an interesting cybernat story floating about regarding ‘Claire Robertson’ who after an investigation turns out allegedly to be one Mark Robertson who is parked in the East end of Glasgow. Given he wasn’t able to cover his tracks much like Tommy Ball who recently plead guilty in Glasgow Sheriff Court, these two people can be ruled out as ‘covert operatives’ if Sturgeon is setting up an ‘intelligence agency’.

David Cameron has decided to extending RAF missions from Iraq across the border into Syria, two years ago, I said this was wrong, if these missions now are to strike at Isis, I think this could get support.

I do not believe we should be using military strikes against the Assad regime, I reckon David Cameron can win support for this action, if he defines the objectives as purely Isis. It would and should require a future vote to strike at the Syrian Government, and let’s be clear, no one will be accepting collateral damage to the people of Syrian.

A new ComRes poll for the Mail shows six out of ten Britons want the RAF to bomb following the Paris massacres. These same people I feel will not back strikes out with the Isis group.

I would also say that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn needs to ensure that he and the Labour Party MPs are supporting the military campaign but put in the codicil regarding the scope of the mission, keep it limited, keep it focused.

Will the SNP decide this time not to be out of step?

Given the rubbish spouted by Angus Robertson who can tell, and to be honest who really cares, this is a matter which needs to see a united front by both Labour and Conservatives MPs, anyone else who wants to tag along so much the better. Should the SNP get behind these airstrikes, given their MPs are sheep, they will probably be whipped for this vote, but the simple answer is Yes!

In times like this, it is better to be on the right side of history instead of sniping at the sidelines and looking ridiculous.

If Nicola Sturgeon follows the George Laird view, then the shop soiled white hope of Dreghorn will still get her PR hit and the Nationalists will fall all over themselves as they cite this as evidence of Sturgeon’s ability of the world stage.

But the truth is, Nicola Sturgeon has to be led to the correct decision having had so little experience getting it right during her miserable and declining career. I assume the Scottish public will be treated to her inner conflict and angst regarding military airstrikes by a “source”; personally I wouldn’t give it a second thought, and neither should anyone else.

This isn’t about revenge, it’s about national security, but for some it’s about milking it for political gain for Holyrood 2016.

France has just declared a three month state of national emergency, I think all the ‘serious questions’ have been answered for Nicola Sturgeon; we are at a state of war, still a ‘tampax’ campaigner may come in handy!

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Europe at War, Dutch Government considers the idea of a mini Schengen area in Europe, they have arrived at the George Laird views camps need to be built and travel for migrant restricted, oh unpopular SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon heads towards the George Laird view on Syrian air strikes if a ‘case’ is made by David Cameron, too little too late Sturgeon!

Dear All

Over the last few days I wrote this post:

http://glasgowunihumanrights.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/civil-war-islamic-state-carry-out.html

The purpose of which was to put forward what I thought needed to be done to start the process to safeguard Europe.

The suggestions were:

1/ EU Border Force

2/ EU internal immigration policy for EU citizens

3/ intervention and mobilisation of the military in member states

4/ New EU wide ID card scheme

5/ No non EU economic migrant processed from this crisis and allowed to remain within an EU country which has accept them can travel to any other EU member state. Everyone should be completely documented, if a breach occurred; the person or group will be returned to the EU country they were settled and registered in.

I also stated that it was a matter of national security that there be detention camps built, when I made these suggestions online to a group I am connected with, the immediate reaction was to call me a racist and the usual rhetoric that goes with it.

Some people cannot see the wider picture and the damage that has been created in Europe by Angela Merkel among others.

So, people catch up with me yet again, the Dutch want to establish 'inner Schengen' area within Europe.

Now, what does that mean?

It means I would guess that my number 5, that no migrant can travel to any other EU member state would in effect come true.

When I made this post available to view online; I was also called a fascist, there is nothing fascist about securing the safety of EU nationals.

The Dutch government is considering bringing forward the creation of a mini-Schengen zone, already some people say this is the most extreme response yet to the migrant crisis, but it isn’t. It is in reality a matter of fact response to deal with a specific set of unusual circumstances that endanger us all.

The spate of terrorism to hit Paris wasn’t unexpected, it was always going to come to this, ISIS had gotten terrorists into Europe, Paris shows this; others that are not active yet are in sleeper cells.

There will be more attacks; this will create fear and anger, the incident where a Muslim woman was wounded with a box cutter in a race-hate attack in Marseille, in the south of France is the start of a backlash. An innocent woman was attacked, the person who did it, was wrong, angry and misguided.

Isis is everyone’s enemy regardless of religion.

Across Europe, as I said previously we needed to secure our borders, this is now happening, things I predict comes to pass it seems. The Dutch want to have an inner Schengen area of the following countries, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Austria. Other Europe countries would have border controls and act as a buffer and the migrant transit camps would be set outside inner Schengen.

Nothing official has worked its way through to the EU just yet but German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told a news conference in Berlin that his Dutch counterpart had raised the idea with him.

The Germans are said not to be enthusiastic, I would imagine that this raw proposal would need to be fleshed out more; however it is worth discussion even from a purely academic viewpoint.

I don’t think it will happen because of lack of political will, the Germans aren’t having a good migrant crisis, but then neither is anyone else, plus they are supposed to be taking in 850,000 people.

Thomas de Maiziere said:

"Our political goal must be that the Schengen area as a whole functions."

The reality is that things cannot go back to normal, to get Schengen to work again would take years and until the external border of the EU is secure, it is dead.

At present the Dutch plan have a plan, the French have a plan and everyone else will be drawing up measures and suggestions to kick about the place, we need a stable Europe, we don’t have it, we need a vision of a new Europe which looks rather divided and paralysed by fear and short term thinking.

News reports tell that Isil mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud was killed in the St-Denis raid after a fierce gun battle and explosions, he may be confirmed dead but the legacy of this attack will not be forgotten as the Marseille incident shows.

People are growing apart, countries are growing apart, Finland may exit the European Union in 2016, Britain may exit the Europe Union; things will not get better unless there is strong leadership to take the cause of Europe forward.

So far, it looks like our current politicians have no stomach for doing what needs to be done to safeguard our national security, if this isn’t addressed then don’t be surprised if the far right starts to get seats and power in elected institutions right across the continent.

We need leaders.

Finally, I see that Nicola Sturgeon has said:

"I'm prepared to listen to case for UK air strikes on Syria."

Too late Nicola, George Laird already backed air strikes on Syria, try to keep up instead of lagging behind like an old tried dog, you aren't a stateswoman, you are a shallow hollow inept woman.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

The ‘Big Lie’ of Scottish Nationalism, Alex Bell, Salmond’s top policy adviser says SNP case for independence is dead, John Swinney is ‘unfit’ to hold his post if he can’t grasp the situation, and Nicola Sturgeon is running a "morally dubious" government, there is a genuine lack of talent in the SNP ranks, there would be no milk and honey after indy, just pain and suffering for working class Scots

Dear All

Back in 2012, I wrote a post that Scottish independence was dead, as we near the end of 2015; Alex Salmond’s former head of policy has also said the SNP case for independence is dead.

Most of my regular readers know that eventually everyone more or less comes around to the George Laird view. In the migrant crisis, I said that border controls need to be put back into operation. Through-out Europe this is now happening with Belgium being the latest EU to do so. Just as Scottish independence is dead, so is the Schengen agreement within the EU. I would say given my previous suggestions on ‘fixes’ for the migrant crisis, that we also need a mechanism so that when one EU country by circumstance has to operate controls that neighbouring countries should also be required to do so.

This would act as a buffer to contain problems; this is my sixth suggestion for securing Europe and regulating movement so that citizens have some degree of peace of mind that countries are being pro-active rather than reactive.

Back to indy, Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond set great store in the wisdom of Alex Bell, his gig was to run a new social model for an independent Scotland; if you read the white paper which Joan McAlpine tried to give the same status as the American Declaration of Independence.

Scotland’s ‘Declaration of Independence’ was a load of utter rubbish that ran to about 650 pages. I pity the poor academics who read that pile of junk which was so lightweight in substance, that Alex Bell said it was based on wishful thinking is correct. He makes a valid point that it is deluded to continue to promote it because it is time has come and gone.

There is no land of milk and honey under the Scottish National Party, there is no nirvana, the dirty poor masses would woken up to cuts; cuts and more cuts. Scotland would have been devastated, Scotland would see capital flight and investment put on hold or nosedive, the markets would have taken the news of independence badly. If Scotland tried to sell bonds on the open market, they would have to offer a high return.

No second oil boom, no Saudi Arabia of renewables, we would be facing a situation much like Greece unable to function as we do now.

Why?

Because Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon thought that people would bet their future on the back of hot air and jolly fat man grin as Salmond tried to make out he was your best pal. The Scotland that you live in now would be gone, our council services already in trouble would be badly damaged, services would curtailed; some would even have to go to the wall.

If you think the health service is in trouble, try to imagine it without proper funding, waiting times would be through the roof, people would suffer and people would die. The story of the OAP who died on a trolley just recently which made the press shocked people, post indy, many more would be added to that growing list of problems.

When it’s your family, you don’t except excuses, so why should the Nationalists accept the leadership putting their relatives in danger. It’s because they don’t think, no true Scottish nationalist would accept the poison pill offered by Nicola Sturgeon, at present, they don’t think, they don’t ask questions, and they don’t care either.

If you do politics, you already know that the Scottish independence bid was totally bogus, all of it was crap; one of my favourite pieces of tripe was the fake guarantee that Soldiers could have jobs for life. Soldiers have a shelf life on the front line, how many 65 year olds do you see as front line soldiers?

Sheer nonsense!

One of the things which I also agree with Alex Bell on is that the SNP lead a “morally dubious” government which opposed Tory cuts without any credible alternative. Other than the infamous ‘tampax’ campaign to save pennies when Nicola Sturgeon should be saving pounds, what progress as Sturgeon made to make the lives of poor working class Scots better?

She had destroyed the chances of a poor working class Scots getting a fair crack of the whip regards further and higher education, the health services is falling apart because Sturgeon put her pal in charge, law and order needs overhauled, Police Scotland was set up wrong and has suffered ever since, the Police can’t even get their VAT back for FFS!

The SNP said its continuing case for “self-government for Scotland” is being backed by a growing number of Scots who are “angry” that the UK Government “has not delivered on their vow of more powers”.

Angry?

Those poor dears, can you imagine them all sitting in a room with a solitary candle, scarves warp round the necks silently weeping to be shafted by Nicola Sturgeon as she rams their taxes up and makes their lives worse. But taking comfort in the fact they are being screwed by someone in a big house with an equally big salary who stays down the road in an affluent Scottish area. Do you remember the clown who said she looks forward to the “wisdom” of Nicola Sturgeon when she feels down, that would be funny if it wasn’t so pathetic!

Everything that Nicola Sturgeon touches turns to shit!    

In what must be an eye opener even for the most jaded of the Nationalists, Mr. Bell trotted out this piece of advice:

“The SNP’s model of independence is broken beyond repair. The party should either build a new one or stop offering it as an alternative to Tory cuts. The campaign towards the 2014 vote, and the economic information since, has kicked the old model to death. The idea that you could have a Scotland with high public spending, low taxes, a stable economy and reasonable government debt was wishful a year ago - now it is deluded.”

In case some people on welfare don’t understand that information, allow me to explain, it means you were going to get your benefits cut, less money would be in the economy so those who rely on foodbanks might also find the local one has shut as cash dries up. Oh, and I have to say this, remember that mortgage you are struggling to pay?

That just got higher!

When the bubble bursts on the housing market, you might find the SNP elected MP Michelle Thomson at your door to buy your house at knock down prices before the bank sells it out from under you.

Freedom……… to live in a tent!!!!!!!

Bell added:

“The fact is a gap exists - Scotland does not earn enough to pay for its current level of spending. Once you accept that, you acknowledge that the SNP’s model is broken.”

And the bit which really sticks the boot was when Bell clearly stated Scotland’s long-serving Finance Secretary John Swinney would be “unfit for the job”.

Unfit for the job and he was supposed to be the SNP’s most prized asset, the man who was ‘competent’ with the nation’s finances. 

And to echo my comments about how the SNP had a genuine lack of talent and how they don’t give a toss about the poor, which I have repeated till I was blue in the face, he said:

“Posing as the defender of the poor against Tories when you have no credible alternative and don’t bother to research one is arguably immoral. More so when there is an explicit party policy not to reverse all cuts upon independence. The SNP’s ill-prepared version of independence does not plausibly offer any real alternative.”

Remember, I said that Nicola Sturgeon is a shallow hollow inept and entirely vacuous woman?

What do you think now; did I get it right as far back as 2012 on the blog?

Scottish Labour’s public services spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said:

“This is an extraordinary intervention from the man who was at the heart of the SNP’s campaign for separation. Alex Bell is absolutely right to say that it is wrong for the SNP to claim they oppose Tory cuts but offer no alternative.”

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Jackson Carlaw said:

“This is more confirmation that the SNP is merely a propaganda machine which hopes it can trick people into thinking it is a competent government. But looking at the failures in all the main devolved areas such as health, education and justice - it’s clear it is anything but that.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said:

“Immoral fools with no credible alternative is a powerful condemnation from someone who knows the SNP leadership well.”

Finally, as I keep saying, the truth hurts, and Nicola Sturgeon isn’t taking Scotland forward, she is dragging it into the gutter, this country isn’t united, that is another social model that is broken, but unlike any new indy plan, this is one task that Sturgeon can’t repair.

Would you trust her with you future, because she is already robbing you and your kids of it!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley needs to do a U turn and place himself as top of a Holyrood list, it isn’t in the interests of the Scottish Labour Party to have another election contest, the party needs stability over the next few years; he shouldn’t make promises that he might have to break, that isn’t good politics

Dear All

Politics in Scotland is in the midst of an upheaval, since the referendum, some parties have seen their fortunes plummet or stagnate. The biggest loser since the referendum has been the Scottish Labour Party. They suffered their worst result since 1918 at the General Election, many decent MPs found themselves out of office, swept away by a tsunami in a change of public opinion.

People had lost faith, especially in working class areas such as Pollok which has high unemployment and not enough of our young people making the jump and going to University. It is true that some areas of the constituency have improved, and there certainly has been a lot of private housing developments, especially towards Nitshill, Darnley and down towards Patterson Station.

In politics, if you say something you think before you commit yourself to a course of action, Alex Rowley is the Scottish deputy leader of Labour in Scotland, he has gotten himself into a bit of a pickle. He is thinking of doing a u-turn after promising not to take the automatic first place on the Mid-Scotland and Fife list for Holyrood 2016. One of the things which need to happen in Scottish Labour is a period of stability, you can’t make progress if you chop and change leaders, or they find themselves out of office because they lose their seat.

It is expected that Labour in Scotland will face a tough election in 2016 following on from their disastrous 2015 result. The scale of the result speaks for itself; it has many messages in it for Labour, the main one being change. Not superficial change, real change to win back the traditional Labour core vote. There are no safe Labour seats in Scotland anymore, that era has passed; now if you want to win public office, you have to put the work in, above and beyond the call of duty. You could do an entire year campaigning and still lose, people need to believe that their elected representative is standing up for them and looking out for their interests.

On Saturday, I was in Govan, I stay there, anyway, the Scottish Labour Party was handing out leaflets to garner support for their efforts to put pressure on Westminster to do a U turn on Tax Credits, so I handed out a few leaflets before I caught my subway to the trendy west end. I consider the Tax Credits cuts to be unfair, and badly thought out, I would like to see the Conservative Government ditch the policy.

As politics is up in the air at present, it is essential that Labour rebuild its brand, to that end, Alex Rowley needs to get a top slot on one of his party’s regional Lists for Holyrood. In an ideal world, he would fight his seat and win it, but, things for Labour aren’t ideal, far from it. When he stood for election as deputy, he made a promise, but it is a promise he shouldn’t have made, circumstances change and he should have considered what the political landscape of Scotland has evolved into, and it isn’t finished evolving yet.

Under a rule change pushed through when Jim Murphy was in charge of the party, the Labour leader and deputy are guaranteed the top places on a Holyrood List. In this case, I would say that Alex Rowley should follow the rules, and accept a top slot. There is nothing to mull over as he describes, the priorities of the party are before the priorities of the individual.

In his speech prior to being elected he said:

“I am also clear that whilst the Scottish Executive Committee has decided that whoever wins the contest will receive an automatic place at the top of the regional list for the Scottish General election; if I win the Deputy Leadership contest I would not accept this automatic placement. If the situation ever arose whereby I decided to apply for the list, I will stand as an ordinary member without any preferential treatment.”

Rowley’s change of heart; was apparently brought on by several reasons, he is unlikely to hold his Cowdenbeath seat, if the polling keeps going the way it is at present and there is no guarantee he would secure Labour’s top spot on the List if he goes through an open ranking process. So, it kinda looks like he is between a rock and a hard place, he needs to have a seat in order to continue as Scottish deputy leader or he gets bumped down to the bottom of the food chain for several years.

Although some in the Labour Party are now saying, the pledge wasn’t a big part of Alex Rowley’s campaign, it was, I remember it, clearly; he even had a press release made up announcing it to the world and his cousin.

Should he do a u turn?

Yes, he really has no choice, and yes, he will benefit from it, but the Labour Party needs stability, my take post Westminster 2015 was that Jim Murphy should have continued as leader, he didn’t have a long enough run at it, it was about 8 months. His problem post defeat was that Ken Macintosh who holds the MSP seat covering the same area didn’t want to stand down. I can’t blame him for that, he has represented the area for some considerable time, mind you, if Labour’s fortunes don’t improve, he could be wedged out of his seat as well.

I don’t go around making promises that I don’t intend to keep, too many people in politics do so, they are referred to as the ‘Hollow Men’, they don’t stand for anything except gaining power, and one of the things you have to except is that one day your time will be up with voters. Trust is still the most important thing in politics, or it should be, how can people believe in you if your word is effectively worthless? Sitting watching the 2015 election from the sidelines due to serious illness allowed me to see how the Labour Party was ‘doing south’ in their campaign, it was terrible, started off badly, full of tat about fitba, in my area people commented that they hadn’t seen Labour activists repeatedly.

It is up to Alex Rowley to make his own mind up, however, he may to do well in future to not make promises that he may not be able to keep to the public and his own members, that strategy didn’t pan out so well for Nick Clegg. One day Clegg had a political party riding high in the polls, next day when trust was broken, he condemned his party to electoral defeat. The Lib Dems now has about 8 MPs I think, it took 5 years for the voters to get their say at an election, but they didn’t forget about what Clegg done.

And payment for the Lib Dems was rather costly at the ballot box.

The Labour Party has about six months to mount a serious challenge, my advice to Alex Rowley, think quickly, you don’t have time to waste, and neither does the Labour Party.  

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University