The Long Walk of Shame; SNP MP Stewart Hosie steps down as SNP deputy leader after sex scandal rocks the Party, on the BBC Big Debate, the George Laird view was his position as head of the SNP summer indy drive was completely untenable, George Laird right again, the faith must be kept pure!

Dear All

Did you catch me on the BBC Big Debate radio show on last Friday?

If you didn’t, then please take the time to click on the BBC website, and scroll down to you find the link to the Gordon Brewer Big Debate radio show, which was held in Uddingston.

I am a regular member of the audience when the show is in the Greater Glasgow area, I have always considered Gordon Brewer to be a good interviewer and host which in part is one of the many reasons I like to attend the show.

The show on Friday could best be described as ‘all kicking off’; it was absolutely hilarious; this show was a belter, high drama, people freaking out, the Labour MEP Catherine Stihler flipping her lid.

A regular member of the Nationalist crowd called Alan was also vocally attacking the Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP for cronyism, nepotism and corruption.

The audience was giving anyone not supporting Brexit on the panel a very hard time; the SNP MP Angela Crawley was sinking and attempting to hold the ‘private matter’ line on Stewart Hosie…. and failing!

Conservative MSP Margaret Mitchell put in the best performance tearing in the Labour MEP, and the Leave EU spokesman must have wondered what he had stumbled into, as open warfare raged back and forth across in the room and the panel.

I was an official questioner, I asked, can Stewart Hosie continue to head the SNP summer indy drive given the media coverage surrounding his alleged affair. Gordon Brewer immediately asked me for the George Laird view, to which I said No!

In politics when you ‘become the story’ it is time to go or in the case of the SNP, go into hiding for a bit till the heat dies down.

Anyway, later on, I found out that on twitter some guy had tweeted something along the lines of ‘ffs don’t tell me the BBC don’t know who George Laird is, bloody setup’.

He wasn’t impressed by the broadcast, personally I had a great time; it was as I said hilarious, from start to finish, never enjoyed myself so much in ages!

I can officially confirm that there was no ‘bloody setup’, I applied to join the BBC audience using the same method as any other member of the public, and that goes also to the criteria for submitting questions.

I have on many occasions been the official questioner on the Big Debate, but not all the time, sometimes, I don’t even speak on the show, after the Holyrood count in Glasgow, I was at the Friday post election event, never submitted a question, never put my hand up to speak.

But I did have a nimble of a couple of sandwiches since the event was two hours long, bit of information for the many Nationalists who drop by the blog trawling for information to use against me in future when I stand for public office.

Tuna sandwiches on Brown bread…… very political correct!

So, let’s get to the ‘good bit’, after I delivered the George Laird view that Stewart Hosie was toast, he has now decided to step down as the SNP’s depute leader.

As I previously blogged, the faith must be kept pure!

Now that he has signalled his intention to go, people can read the exchange of letters between him and Nicola Sturgeon, apparently Sturgeon is coming to Westminster to address her party’s MPs. The ‘feeble 54’ I believe, it used to be the feeble 56, but two blotted their copy books so badly they lost the whip!

Presumably this visit must be to read the ‘riot act’ and put some people on notice about their possible lack of a future, hopefully Angus MacNeil. Pete Wishart can stay; he amuses me, who doesn’t love a bit of provincial madness out of Pete’s mouth?

In a letter of apology to Nicola Sturgeon Hosie says he is sorry for “any hurt and upset I have caused to friends, family and colleagues. That was never my intention”.

So, let me get this right, how exactly did he think that someone who parks their dick in someone other than their wife wouldn’t cause “any hurt and upset”, is he having a laugh?

Time for a classic line of utter disbelief…… ‘c’mon big man, its me you’re talking to’!

Hosie writes:

“As you know I have been admitted to hospital on three occasions in the past few years with very high blood pressure. In that regard, the stress of the intense scrutiny of my private life has been very difficult. I intend to concentrate on my constituents, my responsibilities at Westminster, and most importantly, my health.”

Oh lookee here, the mitigation defence ‘past few years with very high blood pressure’, what’s that got to do with cheating on your wife? Presumably a weight loss programme rather than adultery would have served him better, and caused less stress than ducking and diving……. and it’s cheaper!  

Hosie added:

“It has been a pleasure to serve under your leadership and I hope to do so for many years to come. I wish you, your Government and our party every success.”

Interesting, Hosie made no mention of his leading the summer drive to renew his party’s campaign for Scottish independence. To take you back to the George Laird view, he is toast for that role as well….. as said on the BBC!

You can’t stand on the soapbox and say ‘trust me’, when you leave yourself open to someone popping up and saying; ‘trust you, your own wife can’t even do that’.

Also it is highly unlikely that Shona Robison will be available for any happy family on the campaign trail photo shoots with her husband. If Shona Robison wasn’t prominent in Nationalist circles with her position as Health Sec, I doubt that Hosie would be resigning over the weekend. But regardless of his resignation, this is still a running sore in the Nationalist ranks!

In a letter of response, Sturgeon thanked Hosie for his service as the party’s deputy since November 2014.

What a rather short tenure as depute leader, why say thanks?

Sturgeon said:

“During your tenure in office, amongst your many other duties, you have authored two successful election manifestos; providing the policy platform for our victories in both the 2015 General Election and the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. These are achievements you should be very proud of.”

People are using the SNP as a protest vehicle to punish Labour, might as well stick that in just in case you think that Hosie and co are some kind of geniuses.

She added:

“As you step down as depute leader, I know you will continue to make a valuable contribution to the party in many ways and, in particular, through your work in your constituency and as part of the Westminster group. I have enjoyed working with you as Depute Leader - and I look forward to continuing to work with you in the future. I wish you well.”

So, there you have it, a staged managed letter, one wonders if the shop soiled great white hope of Dreghorn wrote it herself or one of the lackeys drew it up for her.

A few days ago when the ‘shit hit the fan’, Stewart Hosie was very keen to stress that his daughter was ‘the priority’ but I see he is now saying: “I intend to concentrate on my constituents, my responsibilities at Westminster, and most importantly, my health.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but when the ship is going down, the cry is ‘women and children first’.

I am wondering about his previously made statements, what about you?

Finally, I have noticed that some of the Nationalist cult ‘angry brigade’ are making comments about the events that I have attended recently, completely ignoring the organisers or anyone else involved, but singling me out.

The curse of ‘popularity’ wears heavily on me shoulders, and unlike unpopular Nicola Sturgeon, I haven’t had to stage manage any of this ‘popularity’.

Maybe I should start to cry in public, bare my soul and do the empathy bit, tell people my favourite football moment was the England goal in the 1966 World Cup. Who knows maybe I will make it all the way to Westminster and have tea on the Westminster terrace with Serena Cowdy!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University