SNP on Road to Oblivion; ‘troublemaker’ Nicola Sturgeon is to publish Holyrood Brexit Bill in a vain attempt to create dramatic clash with Westminster and fuel a constitution crisis, leaving the legal competent question aside, we are seeing her ‘last roll of the dice’ to save her career and party from destruction

Dear All

We are all know and you all know that the SNP is an incompetent government, in fact their record is so bad that Nicola Sturgeon will try anything to deflect how awful it is, hence the SNP want to have a running fight with Westminster.

To that end, we are seeing the next step not on the road to independence but on the road to the SNP as a viable government. Nicola Sturgeon is said to be going to publish a Holyrood Brexit Bill. The SNP think that by attempting to create a constitutional crisis with Westminster that somehow this will kick start support for another Scottish independence bid.

The SNP reached their high water mark in 2015, the tide has steady dropped for them, and despite twists and turns, and screams and shouts, the decline is irreversible under Nicola Sturgeon. Since Nicola Sturgeon took over the reins of the SNP, the support for the party has dropped in terms, of voters, money and public confidence.

The SNP Government is going to bring forward a Continuity Bill to transfer devolved areas of EU law into Scots law once the UK leaves the EU. Since all powers of the EU go back to the member state, the final decision rests with Westminster, so the Continuity Bill will certainly raise legal questions, the prime one being is it competent to go through Holyrood.

I would say the answer is no!

Why no?

Until the UK and the EU sign off and the membership ends, then technically this remains a reserved issue as it comes under ‘foreign affairs’ which is outside the scope of the Holyrood parliament.

Nicola Sturgeon’s first clash might not be with Westminster but with the Presiding Officer at Holyrood, Ken Macintosh, he may rule this legislation not competent! If that happens; then this whole sorry miserable episode engineered by Sturgeon and SNP ‘strategic thinkers’ will come to a shuddering halt and immediately the opposition win by default, by doing nothing.

And of course everyone will laugh at Nicola Sturgeon, the ‘trained’ lawyer; that would be a ‘low flying’ lawyer as her employment record shows. Nicola Sturgeon’s high-risk legislation won’t stop a Westminster “power grab” after Brexit because power rests with Westminster. Post Brexit, Westminster will as the vehicle which the powers have been returned to, set up a working group to ensure areas which are in the realm of devolved matters will go to Holyrood.

What the SNP won’t be able to do is……….. pick!

In case you have missed it, the SNP is about to get hit by a range of powers and responsibilities which they cannot ignore, this will further show up the SNP in a bad light as their lack of ability which has become and increasing problem will feel like a tsunami has hit them, completely overwhelming them.

Far from solving her problems, and there are many, Nicola Sturgeon is doing something which will backfire on her, such as money is important in government, the issue of time, time to effective governance and change threatens the SNP attempts to hold onto power.

Tick tock!

To show how stupid Nicola Sturgeon is, and that she lacks ‘statesmanship’, it is said that she is ready to introduce the Bill even if Holyrood’s Presiding Officer, Ken Macintosh, rules it is outwith the parliament’s competence. To justify this crap, the Lord Advocate, James Wolffe, is due to explain the government's belief the Bill is competent to MSPs tomorrow.

So, what does it mean if James Wolffe says one thing, and Holyrood’s Presiding Officer, Ken Macintosh says the opposite?

Holyrood’s Presiding Officer, Ken Macintosh opinion wins!

So, does Sturgeon want to start a long legal process against the Holyrood parliament’s Presiding Officer and body?

If she does, then that has to go the full road, and as all roads lead to Rome in the movies, this one leads to the UK Supreme Court, a body the SNP are familiar with having lost major court cases as judgments have been found against them, time and time again. The UK wants around 25 of the 111 devolved competencies to go to Westminster; the rationale is in order to create UK-wide common frameworks protecting the UK single market.

It is said that Scotland-only version of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill going through Westminster, the Continuity Bill is designed to maintain all devolved EU laws after Brexit. In principle this isn’t a big deal, how the SNP seek to use it, is the problem, as the Bill will also give Scottish Ministers the power to amend transferred EU law after Brexit. If the SNP decide to play games, then legal experts warn it could be challenged by the UK government in the Supreme Court as I mentioned.

How many times do the SNP want to go to the Supreme Court to hear a verdict against them?

In order to secure the UK single market, if the SNP will not cooperate, then the UK parliament could ignore the SNP games and pass its own legislation regardless in order to protect economic security. If the SNP haven’t grasped the significance of economic security, they are even bigger losers than people give them credit for!

Rather than garner support in Scotland, the mood will be that the SNP have done enough damage to this country and need to be removed as a party of government.

Finally, although the Welsh have jumped on this bandwagon, I suspect that this isn’t going to work out. If you have watched the news, the opposition to Brexit aren’t getting good news, they are getting called ‘rats’ and ‘scum’ and ‘traitors’, and this is from an angry British public. This spot of troublemaking by Nicola Sturgeon is her attempt to appear relevant but it seems that she still hasn’t grasped the point………. her is over!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Labour Party Chaos, if Jeremy Corbyn formally commits to customs union post-Brexit, he will be making a massive unrecoverable mistake, in Scotland, Richard Leonard, Scottish leader faces pressure by his political enemies, you would think being the ‘third party’ in Scotland would produce some kind of clarity for Labour especially when neither a Westminster or Holyrood election is imminent

Dear All

Remaining in a customs union or the single market would be a "deceit", on the 23^rd June 2016, the British people voted to leave the EU after over 40 years of membership. Since the historic vote people in political parties who don’t have the interests of the British at heart have tried as much as possible to sabotage. Tony Blair has called for a second vote on the ‘deal’, Blair sold out the United Kingdom years ago, 2018; he is still willing to do it for his personal benefit.

The Labour Party appears to want to make a rod for its own back by saying that Labour will back entering a customs union with the European Union after Brexit. Jeremy Corbyn is expected to announce a shift in policy that will put clear distance between his party and the Conservatives.

Now is not the time for petty party politics.

It is clear that there will be no General Election in 2019 nor will there be a second Scottish independence referendum anytime soon, and I would say that this term of the current UK parliament will run to its full term. There is no appetite for a new election so soon after we have had two others in such a short space of time. When Theresa May said ‘not now’ that means after 2021, which places the SNP in a tricky position, it is highly expected that the SNP will have no majority even with Scottish Greens support to get a Bill through Holyrood.

No majority really does mean no Bill which means the end of Nicola Sturgeon’s career.  

One reason as I can see for certain people to claim a new election is imminent is to galvanise their members into activism to pound the streets delivering leaflets and to try and garner support, in Scotland, the Labour Party is targeting seats which have low SNP majorities such as Glasgow South West and Glasgow East, I would also expect the party to put resources into Glasgow North East which was won by 242 votes.   

The Labour Party says that it wants to form a “new and strong relationship” with the single market, access to the single market means continual freedom of movement which is something which for some people was a prime reason for voting to leave the EU.

I started this piece by writing, “remaining in a customs union or the single market would be a "deceit", this is actually a quote by Labour MP Frank Field. He alongside Shadow International Trade Secretary Barry Gardiner appears to grasp something which the Labour Party need to take heed of if they ever want to set foot into Number 10. Last August in the opinion pages of The Guardian in an article headlined “Brexit means leaving the single market and the customs union”.

Barry Gardiner wrote:

“Other countries such as Turkey have a separate customs union agreement with the EU. If we were to have a similar agreement, several things would follow: the EU’s 27 members would set the common tariffs and Britain would have no say in how they were set. We would be unable to enter into any separate bilateral free trade agreement. We would be obliged to align our regulatory regime with the EU in all areas covered by the union, without any say in the rules we had to adopt. And we would be bound by the case law of the ECJ, even though we would have no power to bring a case to the court”.

Gardiner added

“As a transitional phase, a customs union agreement might be thought to have some merit. However, as an end point it is deeply unattractive. It would preclude us from making our own independent trade agreements with our five largest export markets outside the EU (the US, China, Japan, Australia and the Gulf states). More important, were, say, the EU to negotiate an agreement with the US that was in the union’s best interests but against our own, our markets would be obliged to accept American produce with no guarantee of reciprocal access for our own goods into the US.”

The key phrase here is ‘as an end point it is deeply unattractive’.

In Scotland, there are problems for Scottish leader Richard Leonard, he is under pressure as ten constituency Labour parties (CLPs) demanded he back remaining in the single market. If he does back the single market, he can forget any chance of being First Minister of Scotland.

In effect Richard Leonard will have sabotaged his own 2021 campaign!

The Scottish Conservatives are meeting in Aberdeen for a Conference as part of their attempt to win the next Holyrood election, they seemed buoyed up by recent success in elections for Westminster and Council, especially in Glasgow where they got 8 seats at the local council.

Richard Leonard might find himself still in the position of leading the third party in the Holyrood Parliament if he goes down the route of backing the single market, Kezia Dugdale backed the single market, history records what happened to her career.

Fucked all roads!

Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray, a Dugdale ally, said party members in his CLP were “making their voices heard”.

He added:

“Given the strength of feeling among ordinary members, it’s vital that we debate this at conference. If we are to leave the EU, the least-worst option for limiting the damage caused by Brexit is to remain as a participant in the single market and customs union.”

Finally, Eurosceptic Labour MP Frank Field said yesterday that remaining in a customs union or the single market  would go against what they said at the election, just as the Lib Dems never recovered for Nick Clegg breaking his word on tuition fees, how will an angry British public view a Labour Party which ‘changes’ its mind?

If you think back to the Blair era and unfettered immigration, the lie sold to the British people was this was done on economic grounds when in fact it was a disastrous social engineering experiment. The ripple of that ‘experiment’ was still present during the Brexit campaign, the same group of people who sabotaged the Labour Party then are still there, they call themselves the ‘progress’ mob or as some other people call them ‘Blairites’.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

It’s A Bomb : Disney's "Star Wars" Is A Financial Disaster, this is an exceptionally blunt analysis

The SNP Crying and Complaining Game: SNP MPs complain that no Unionist MPs attended ‘special session’ of the Commons immigration inquiry in Kirkcaldy, SNP need Unionist MPs in order to give Scottish Affairs Committee credibility, the painful truth of being irrelevant sinks in for Nationalists

Dear All

It seems the SNP still after losing the independence referendum, the Brexit referendum, becoming a minority government and losing 21 MPs at the last General Election still don’t get it.

The SNP is now irrelevant!

Isn’t rather sad that Nicola Sturgeon and her cohorts still think they are a force to be reckoned with, they are on a downward spiral of decline, people are abandoning ship, the jig is up, the game’s over, the party is over.

So, now we have down the line the SNP condemning the failure of every other party to attend Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee. At present the committee is holding an inquiry into immigration which is meaningless. The SNP want control of immigration in Scotland which they won’t get, the UK needs a unified policy in the UK, one policy, what is not need is a highway into England via an SNP open door immigration system.

During the Scottish independence debate, the SNP said that they would flood Scotland with immigrants to the tune of one million people. This would have seen the collapse of our public services, housing and medical provision under strain now would be in severe chaos.

Having not turned up in Kirkcaldy, the SNP decided to complain saying that “spoke volumes” about the priorities of Labour, the Conservatives and LibDems MPs after not one went to a special session in Kirkcaldy. Those absent were Tories David Duguid, John Lamont, Paul Masterton and Ross Thomson, Labour’s Hugh Gaffney, Ged Killen and Danielle Rowley, and LibDem Christine Jardine.

Kirkcaldy is on the east coast of Scotland, I have been there once, it was on a works bus run decades ago, there isn’t much to recommend in Kirkcaldy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkcaldy

There is a shopping centre called the Mercat which is next door to a swimming pool, if you are used to the ‘big city’, this place will be a culture shock! According to stats, Kirkcaldy is said to a high unemployment rate, so it is highly unlikely that they will welcome with open arms extra immigration into the town of low skilled people. It speaks volumes about why the SNP picked this place to visit, other than political hacks who would be interested in a Westminster’s Scottish Affairs Committee visit.

Even if they called it as ‘special session’!

Four Conservatives, a LibDem and three Labour members missed the event, leaving SNP chair Pete Wishart and SNP MPs Tommy Sheppard and Deidre Brock to question witnesses. Imagine the rather dull thud and lack of excitement for the witnesses being questioned by SNP ‘bangers’!

Deidre Brock said:

“This was an important meeting and the failure of MPs from the Scottish Tories, Labour and Lib Dems to even show up speaks volumes about their priorities. I appreciate MPs face diary constraints, but Brexit is the biggest issue facing Scotland, and poses a huge risk to the Scottish economy. We heard from people who have come to Scotland to work, live and contribute to our society, and the human impact the UK government’s Brexit chaos is having. These committee hearings are important to inform our work.”

Lib Dem Christine Jardine said:

“I was disappointed to miss the meeting which is one of a series I have attended around Scotland, but unfortunately I had other constituency and Westminster related issues.”

A Labour spokesperson said:

“The Scottish Labour members of the Scottish Affairs Committee were unable to attend a hearing in Kirkcaldy due to diary commitments and Parliamentary business. This is a long-running inquiry. There have been five previous sessions on immigration and Scottish Labour members have been fully engaged in the work of the committee. It is disappointing that once again the SNP has taken such a partisan approach by seeking to score political points, when the spirit of this committee is to work in partnership for the interests of the people of Scotland.”

The Scottish Affairs Committee is said to be gathering evidence on how Brexit would affect migrants, given that Brexit talks are still ongoing, the ‘expert’ evidence isn’t evidence at all, it is just opinion.  And having seen close up how political parties question experts, I doubt the capability of the SNP to extract any credible information.

Finally by accident, it seems that the SNP have been left hanging and having no one else to shield their stupidity have decided to scream long and loud, it seems that the SNP need Unionist MPs in order to have status. Imagine being questioned by three SNP MPs, you have to feel sorry for the Fife Migrant Forum, the National Farmers Union, Cosla, and Highlands & Islands Enterprise.

Mind you there is a ‘baguette express’ at 9 Whytecauseway, hopefully they got expenses, lunch on the beach and thinking happy thoughts!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University  

The horse has bolted, the genie is out of the bottle, new political party Renew Britain thinks they can turn back the clock on Brexit, they think they can frighten sitting Brexit MPs to change their minds, totally delusional thinking, there is no going back

Dear All

If you are going to start a political party then it is helpful if your number one policy, your USP, your selling point is actually relevant.

A new political party has been founded, it is called Renew Britain, before you start flocking to them for a membership pack; it is helpful to know that they are on the wrong side of history, politics and the public.

And to show the new party isn’t exactly firing on all cylinders, a leader of Renew Britain has described the new anti-Brexit party as the “military arm” of the Remain movement. They say that they will field candidates at the next General Election to “threaten” sitting MPs who back Brexit.

So, basically they aren’t happy with direct democracy, the people’s vote, and they aren’t happy with sitting MPs who backed Brexit either.

Those poor middle class lambs!

Apparently the party is French president Emmanuel Macron’s globalist-minded La République En Marche. One thing about the French is their economy is in trouble, which means they don’t contribute as much to the EU kitty as the UK. So, what will happen if Renew Britain fields candidates against Brexit, in effect they will get drowned out, when one trick pony parties stand for election, they rarely cross the credibility fresh hold!

To lead a community it is helpful to have a raft of policies.

One of the prime movers in the group James Clarke said:

“Some of the anti-Brexit pressure groups and movements are very, very much focused on asking people to pressure their local MP to have a second thought on Brexit.”

The House of Commons allowed the Brexit vote and agreed to abide by the result, the thought they might have lost wasn’t upper in their minds, but when you put the people to the test, you might not always like the answer.

Clarke added:

“What we are is almost the more military arm of that movement, whereas we are actually standing candidates in seats to threaten those MPs that are not changing their minds, or are not standing up for the views of their constituents.”

Renew Britain says they ensure that voters are “on the right side of history” which begs the question, why start on the wrong side? Clearly although some MPs don’t like the result, the parliament said they would abide by the result as did the UK Government.

There is no way back; no second thoughts, no get out of jail free card, the vote was held and the Remain side lost rather badly.

Someone clearly out of her depth is Co-founder Sandra Khadhouri, a former NATO and UN worker, she claims that her interest in working with Renew Britain stemmed from her feeling that post-referendum, the UK was a like war zone.

Do you see riots in the streets?

Do you see huge protests?

Do you see people occupying universities and government buildings?

This must be the quietest ‘war zone’ that Sandra Khadhouri has ever been in!

Here is her linkedin, what do you see?

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sandra-khadhouri-7277432b

Well, let me help you, she might have watched a lot from the sidelines, but she is about to have a rude awakening ‘playing on the pitch’.

Co-founder Sandra Khadhouri said:

“As I finished working in Georgia for NATO last year I looked at which conflict zone to go to next and I decided it had to be Britain.”

She wants to reach out to Brexit voters and let them know that their voting to leave the European Union was “not [their] fault” because they “did not have enough information going forward to make a decision in the referendum”.

The people of the UK knew exactly what they were voting for, they voted for the UK to be a completely sovereign country. Her view of ‘I know better’ is contempt, well, over 17 million people trumps Sandra Khadhouri.

Khadouri told Adam Boulton’s All Out Politics on Sky News that she did not believe the vote to leave the EU was about the EU.

This is a ridiculous comment; yes, there is inequality, unfairness, the rich/poor divide, the north/south divide, and anger at politicians but the real anger was the way that we were treated by Brussels.

To attempt to lump all grievance at the UK door, maybe Sandra Khadhouri needs to get out onto a doorstep.

So, what is Renew Britain, well this line up speaks volumes, candidates come in the form of Yuki, a junior doctor from London; Oliver, a design consultant from London; Nicky, a teacher from London; and Mr. Torrance himself who is an accountant from London.

Launching the party in Westminster, London, Renew Britain’s Head of Strategy James Torrance appeared on the BBC’s Daily Politics, which featured a video showcasing Renew Britain candidates such as Yuki, a junior doctor from London; Oliver, a design consultant from London; Nicky, a teacher from London; and Mr. Torrance himself who is an accountant from London.

Finally, the party is said to be going on a Listen to Britain” tour, too little too late, citizens voted in the majority to leave the EU in the greatest political mandate in British history. Although, they claim to have 200 candidates, I seriously doubt they will return anyone at the next General Election.

The game was well and truly over after 10 pm on the 23^rd June 2016! 

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Big Chief ‘Pot Belly’, Nicola Sturgeon tries to make out she is a ‘defence expert’ on national security, the SNP haven’t planned for Brexit, don’t know about national security, don’t know about economic security, another cynical blundering attempt to sabotage Brexit and garner support for single market and custom union status

Dear All

It seems rather odd but Big Chief ‘Pot Belly’ Nicola Sturgeon has decided to venture into the realm of what is betraying the national interest in post-Brexit security arrangements. What I find astonishing is that Sturgeon has accused Theresa May; one thing that the UK is very versatile at its security which can be seen by the lack of terrorist actions in the UK.

Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP on the hand have no expertise!

Theresa May as our Prime Minister has warned EU leaders not to block a deal on security after Brexit, but we shouldn’t forget that as we are in NATO, this is in everyone’s interest. The idea that the European agencies will be ordered to take the huff and not share information is rather silly. We will see a new treaty to ensure military, intelligence and counter-terrorism cooperation; we had cooperation prior to entering the EU in 1973.

Nicola Sturgeon is scaremongering, she thinks wrongly by trying to create uncertainty that people will get behind her and demand access to single market and customs which has nothing to do with security as it relates to military, intelligence and counter-terrorism cooperation.

Nicola Sturgeon knows nothing about the military, intelligence and counter-terrorism, in fact, I doubt she has ever played paintball, but here she is bold of ‘brass talking out her ass’ about something she is completely ignorant! The SNP defence spokesman at Westminster is Stewart McDonald like Sturgeon, he has no experience of the military, and I would doubt he has ever held a firearm, has he even shot a .22 air rifle?

The SNP have lost two referendums, one on Scottish independence and the other on Brexit, so with a track record of utter failure, and having no viable plan to defend Scotland in the unlikely event people vote for independence, we are subjected to claptrap.

Sturgeon wants people to get angry by saying that there isn’t a coherent post-Brexit vision, there is already a vision, the UK is leaving the EU, the rest is just details, has Sturgeon published any post Brexit plans?

Has Sturgeon published any post Brexit plans?

The answer is no, that’s right no, the SNP have done nothing, nothing on economic security, nothing on national security, in Scotland there is uncertainty right across the board relating to failed SNP Government. From childcare to rail transport, there is failure, uncertainty and malaise.

If you know how the military and intelligence works, it is incredible that the SNP attempting to say that the UK will lose cooperation on intelligence sharing, data exchanges and counter-terrorism activities with other EU nations.

That will never happen!

The military and intelligence networks of the West aren’t some backward looking agencies playing at intelligence, they are a billion dollar industry which uses the highest tech, and have whole departments which specialise. Another thing which you might be aware of, and Nicola Sturgeon isn’t, is that American academics are in Universities all over the world writing papers on the security of the host countries they are in, these people end up on the desks of the CIA.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/oct/10/the-science-of-spying-how-the-cia-secretly-recruits-academics

This has been going on for decades.

Although General ‘Pot Belly’ Nicola Sturgeon thinks she is onto a winner, we should remember that May’s speech came after the heads of the British, French and German intelligence agencies called for continued security co-operation after Brexit.

The reality is spelled out by Alex Younger of MI6, Bernard Emie of the French DGSE and Bruno Kahl of Germany's BND:

“The three Service Heads are united in the view that modern threats require a modern response, any failure to do so would lead to even greater risk. To have effect, our efforts must be combined in partnership.”

Oh dear, what happened to the uncertainty Nicola?

Theresa May is right that the EU attitude is a problem by allow their "political doctrine and ideology" but thankfully wise heads will prevail over dogma. One thing that Sturgeon has gotten totally wrong is that Theresa May had put the interests of the Tory party ahead of the nation. There is a bigger picture which Theresa May is aware of, and it has nothing to do with appeasement of hard right Brexiteers, the fact this is suggested shows a lack of political awareness on Sturgeon’s part. The SNP are a backward and inward looking party, they shouldn’t think because that is the way they operate that it applies to everyone else.

Sturgeon said:

“It is astonishing that fully 20 months on from the EU referendum, the UK Government is still struggling to spell out its plans for Brexit. That is a reflection of the infighting within the Tory party and of the weakness of the Prime Minister’s position – but it is inexcusable that party interest is being put ahead of the country’s interests."

How is this astonishing when talks haven’t been concluded?

Finally, this is a classic case of why politics in Scotland has ‘hit the wall’; we have elected some unbelievable ignorant people to public office who think spouting off about something they know nothing about is enough to fool the public that they have some expertise. Maybe Nicola Sturgeon might want to get some practice in playing ‘cowboys and indians’, of course she will have to play the role of the Big Chief ‘Pot Belly’.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

The Nicola Sturgeon dilemma, disgraced SNP sex-row minister receives 'golden goodbye', the scandal keeps on growing and Sturgeon refuses to show leadership, what does it say when even an SNP stooge like Humza Yousaf says “perhaps taking more time than it should”, is this a signal that the Sturgeon era is over?

Dear All

Sometime ago, I was blogging on #throbbergate, this is the story of disgraced former SNP minister Mark McDonald who had to quit his post over alleged sexual misconduct, the SNP investigation is still ongoing.

I wonder, and I am sure that others might, does ‘still ongoing’ mean the SNP want him to quit, if he does go, he would leave public office in disgrace to make way for Alex Salmond. The next election isn’t till 2021 so McDonald has a lot to lose in terms of money. It is doubtful he would be selected as an SNP candidate ever again, too much heat on Nicola Sturgeon, and sex and politics do make for odd bedfellows if there is any sort of suggestion someone has over stepped the mark.

After quitting as an SNP sex-row minister, Mark McDonald is to receive 'golden goodbye' in the shape of a “resettlement grant”. This is an automatic entitlement with in his case has provoked outrage. He walks away with £7,270 for quitting as the Scottish Government’s childcare minister after just18 months in post. Clearly the rules are wrong, then the public must speak out, no one who resigns in those circumstances should be entitled to a penny from the public purse.

He is effectively getting paid £7,270 after admitting he caused a woman “considerable distress”.

The opposition parties say that there should be an overhaul of the law, the Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act of 2009 to stop people receiving a benefit when leaving Ministerial office in disgrace.

And let’s be clear, Mark McDonald’s case is a sordid nasty little affair which Nicola Sturgeon tried to dismiss and move quickly on from, sadly for her, up pops more allegations which forced the SNP to suspend McDonald from the party.

Operation ‘hang on to a vote’ blew right up in Sturgeon’s face.

Conservative MSP Alexander Burnett said the payment to Mr McDonald was “clearly wrong”, and he is 100% right, although someone gets the cash regardless whether they lost at the ballot box, through ill-health or scandal, getting paid for causing someone distress is wrong.

Holyrood should consider rewriting the legislation at the earliest opportunity, however that will not help in McDonald’s case.

Alexander Burnett also said:

“It’s important we look at these processes again to ensure this isn’t repeated. The public view of the parliament as a whole would worsen otherwise.”

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant added:

“This is unacceptable. It cannot be right that a minister who has resigned in such circumstances has effectively received a bonus from the taxpayer. If Mark McDonald has received this money, he must immediately return it or donate it to a charity such as Women’s Aid. The Scottish Parliament must also urgently review the law which allows this money to be given and appropriately reform it to avoid such circumstances in the future.”

The SNP Government have a habit of rewarding failure, back in 2010, Stewart Stevenson received a similar-sized grant after quitting as SNP transport minister; the transport brief is widely regarded as a post for the really non talented. Following the travel chaos Stevenson returned it to the parliament.

Mark McDonald is someone who is living on parliamentary borrowed time, it isn’t a case of if he leaves but when, his career is over completely. Alex Salmond is breathing down his neck in the wings waiting for his seat, one wonders if Mark McDonald will be squirreling away as much cash as possible.

What does the future hold for Mark McDonald?

I would say call centre work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_McDonald_(politician)

If you read his bio, he has been a political hack since he left university working for various SNP politicians.

As an Independent MSP, he has been absent from Holyrood on his full MSP pay since resigning, since he isn’t in ill health, he is in hiding. Of course, one wonders what his staff must be thinking, if I was them I would be looking at situations vacant because he has put their livelihood in danger, they don’t have job security.

One thing which I haven’t seen is condemnation by Scottish Greens leader Patrick Harvie, Harvie has been strangely quiet about this scandal which is surprising giving his outspoken stance when the Bill Walker wife beating affair was ‘the thing’.

One wonders if he needs to consult Nicola Sturgeon before speaking out now given the Scottish Greens are seen as an SNP proxy vote cache.

In January, Nicola Sturgeon said the SNP’s probe, would “take as long as it takes”, when pressed this week SNP transport minister Humza Yousaf blurted out the inquiry was “perhaps taking more time than it should”.

Is this a dig at Nicola Sturgeon?

Finally, the SNP made a huge deal about protecting women in politics, at the first hurdle Nicola Sturgeon has been found wanting, why did Nicola Sturgeon not act more swiftly?

Why don’t you let that question occupy your thoughts for a wee while!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

SNP Woefully Incapable and Dreadful: Nicola Sturgeon’s flagship SNP childcare pledge going off the rails, Audit Scotland’s damning report highlights abject failure of the SNP to govern properly, they “should have started detailed planning earlier”, Sturgeon has lost the trust of the nation

Dear All

The SNP were pressing hard for the women’s vote during the Scottish independence vote, they reasoned if they could get the women’s vote onboard that this would be enough to carry them over the line. There was a whole pitch to women made around childcare, to tug the old heartstrings of how wonderful bouncing babies would have it in an SNP utopia. 

You can’t have failed to notice the dreadful Women for Independence demanding that their voice is heard, this was fronted by people like the odious Natalie McGarry. McGarry was someone I named in my Police complaint, she became an MP, that didn’t last long, in fact Nicola Sturgeon’s pal crashed and burned rather badly on the political runway.

And of course, there is this small item which I take a particular interest in:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-37487841

During the Scottish independence referendum, I was a regular on the BBC Big Debate as a member of the audience if the programme was in the Greater Glasgow area, on of the events was held in a community centre in Townhead. On the panel were Jim Murphy for Scottish Labour and James Dornan SNP. So, after getting a snide comment off James Dornan, I sat there and waited, when the issue of childcare was discussed, I then put my hand up.

The SNP had said that they would put 100,000 women into high paying jobs which would be around the £42,000 a year mark; and the tax from this would pay for their childcare proposals. When asked how long this would take to achieve, James Dornan went off point starting to talk about what the SNP had done in the past, so, I stopped him and said on radio, I didn’t ask you what the SNP had done in the past, I want to know how long the proposal would take to be put into effect.

An unhappy James Dornan blurted out 10 years; presumably that taught him a lesson, don’t be snide with me, and especially not on radio. Afterwards Jim Murphy commented to me how angry James Dornan was during the show after I had questioned him.

The SNP are a party of protest, not of government which is why they are so bad at government, they are good at complaining about the failures of others, but dreadful inadequate about their own shortcomings. Part of the problem is that they run the Scottish Government as a part time concern, a desire for power without the will or experience to exercise it properly. They are so stupid that they ‘marvel’ at their ability to under spend and stay within spending limits while services get degraded.

Now, among the catalogue of failures, we find the SNP childcare pledge going off the rails according to the watchdog Audit Scotland. Nicola Sturgeon who has used children to promote herself and the SNP as family friendly can now sit an read a scathing report which shows she is struggling to deliver her signature pledge to double free childcare hours.

So, what’s the problem?

It is what I suggested above, not a party of government, the failures in this case revolve around poor preparation and disputes over money. I found when I was in the SNP, the people who held leadership positions all had something in common; they expected other people to do the heavy lifting when it came to the work. Time and time again, I witnessed the leadership disappear leaving others to carry the can, only to pop up later if things turned out successfully.

Nicola Sturgeon’s promises are worthless!

Sturgeon used used her first legislative programme, in November 2014, to promise hours would rise from 600 to 1140 for all three-and four-year-olds and vulnerable two-year-olds. The deadline for success is August 2020 but with the SNP failing in other areas right across the board, the decline of their vote, the loss of seats and continually fighting a rearguard action to attempt to stop decline, the problems just keep on mounting up.

The SNP are good at sound bites, what they can’t cope with is problems and when you get problems such as how to make their plans operational in terms of staffing, infrastructure work, procurement of land and new buildings, and dialogue with stakeholders about how much it will all cost.

You get serious problems.

Audit Scotland is SNP Ministers for taking a year from announcing the policy to delivery, saying they “should have started detailed planning earlier”. This is a symptom of what is wrong with the Nationalists, planning takes time, and it isn’t a thing which can be left to others to carry the load. Years ago, I said the Scottish Government needed expanded because there weren’t enough ministers to do the job of running Scotland effectively, I said that deputies in key departments were crucial to solving problems. The SNP cult opted for a small cabal of ministers to insulate themselves from the rest of the party, that failure to develop is coming home to roost.

So, what questions should the SNP be solving on childcare?

Well you could start with where is the £690m of capital funding councils say they need?

Where is the 12,000 extra staff to deliver it?

In attempting to hamstring councils into providing a sub standard service, the SNP Ministers say the councils only need £400m capital, £840m revenue and 6000 to 8000 staff. One thing about the SNP is that they provide poor public services where employees face huge workloads, burdens and lack of resources.

Finally, this part of Audit Scotland’s report is the most damning as it states, the government had sunk £650m into the policy over four years without considering evidence about how it would work, The lack of proper governance also flagged that the SNP didn’t  set specific goals, didn’t consider alternatives, and acted without knowing how results would be measured. The conclusion of this is that it remains a mystery whether it was value for money.

This report is just an indication of how ‘hands off’ government works under Nicola Sturgeon, money isn’t being used wisely and there isn’t due care taken to understand process.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

SNP Roadmap to a Slum, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon allowed Govanhill to be a dirty filthy slum, stinking to high heaven, infested with crime, worthy of a third world slagheap, is her dereliction of duty a blueprint for what passes for listening when you elect an SNP politician?

Dear All

While on Twitter, I got sent a link to a blog:

https://athousandflowers.net/2018/02/11/govanhill-how-a-square-mile-of-glasgow-was-weaponised-by-the-right/comment-page-1/#comment-37194

Anyway I thought I would trot in and read being a curious sort of a guy, as I read the article, I was less than impressed, it seemed to be a ‘puff piece’ defending Nicola Sturgeon who is the Constituency MSP who covers the Govanhill area.

Govanhill is an area in Glasgow which has been turned into a ghetto, or as some people would call it a ‘shithole’. The author rightly points out the area has been politically weaponised, I would agree, Govanhill is an example of immigration gone badly wrong.

In politics, political parties weaponised migrants against the indigenous population by having the leaders do photo ops with educated migrant trying to sell the concept that they want immigration control to bring in doctor, dentists, engineers and other highly skilled people. Under the EU, the UK has little control of EU citizens who have streamed into the UK from poor countries to access our welfare system, set up crime networks, and take part in organised begging gangs which we see in our big cities.

Immigration became a reason for some to vote for Brexit.

Anyway here is the reply to the article I felt compelled to respond too.

"Colin Clark, a sociology professor at UWS, wrote several years ago that there is a “long list of speculative allegations, wild gossip and persistent, unproven rumours circulating with regard to the various Roma communities in Govanhill”."

Perhaps the dear Professor has missed the organised Roma Begging gangs that operate in the City of Glasgow. Clearly an easy thing to see when you open your eyes, and perhaps he doesn't want to see.

Govanhill is like a third world ghetto, the author perhaps forgets the online footage which is available on youtube, and as we all know the crime figures don't lie.

One thing, I would object to, is the quote:

"Much of this has been supplied ready made by locally divisive, self-styled activists “Let’s Save Govanhill".

Tell the truth doesn't make the local people who complain 'divisive' in my opinion, it just makes them willing to stand up for their community, something which both FM Nicola Sturgeon and her pal, Mhairi Hunter plainly are incapable of doing, but hey, they are still drawing the salary.

Unlike some people, I know Sturgeon and Hunter being formerly in the SNP as an activist, I know that you cannot count on them, and I am sure many in Govanhill do know this as well, experience can be rather bitter.

Finally, recently this story caught everyone's attention:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/network-in-1m-benefit-fraud-is-uncovered-hhgs90gl5

An organised crime network that fraudulently secured almost £1 million of public money has been broken up after an international police operation, run by Romanians.”

Finally, immigration is a good thing, so is water, one thing about water however is that if you drink too much, you can die. Here is another article to read to get the old brain cells churning.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-02-24/norway-warns-sweden-will-collapse-pm-will-defy-geneva-convention-protect-border

Politicians must always be held to account by the people, people can no longer be silent.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

SNP situation vacant: Man wanted as deputy leader to kiss Nicola Sturgeon on stage at Party Conferences, must have experience of kissing women with a ‘pot belly’ and willing to kiss a ‘face like a bulldog chewing a wasp’, people who wash especially welcome

Dear All

The SNP contest for deputy leader is hardly got started, so far one person has put himself forward as a candidate, James Dornan. In a recent poll in the National, I understand he did rather badly among the possible ‘runners and riders’. The job of deputy in the SNP is a made up meaningless title.

As to James Dornan’s chances, they don’t look good at all, in fact, they are minimal at best, he is next door to Sturgeon’s constituency, he is Glasgow based, he is in Holyrood, and he won’t stand up to Nicola Sturgeon.

As to his claim that we could have another referendum soon as part of his pitch, clearly he doesn’t understand politics or where the SNP are at in the electoral cycle. To refresh his memory, they are on a downward path, the tide is going out and so far, the SNP are a minority in Holyrood, and they have lost 21 MPs at the General Election. If anyone needs reminded, the SNP have lost the best part of half a million voters.

James Dornan’s rallying cry for indyref2 and he is the man to get behind is as effective as a ‘loud shout on a wet street’, it is entirely meaningless. The glory days of 2011 are gone, there is a new reality caused by Brexit, and in this world, the SNP have no place in the debate, everything is moving pass them.

I wasn’t surprised that failed Transport Minister Humza Yousaf isn’t putting himself forward, despite being touted as a ‘rising star’ and ‘future’ leader; he isn’t a leader of any kind. Plus the media attempting to make him a force is laughable, once Sturgeon goes from Holyrood, the SNP won’t have much use for Humza Yousaf.  

Somone who is taking soundings apparently is long-serving MP Pete Wishart, has in the past allegedly called people ‘wanks’ and ‘nawbags’, of course he is the joke candidate and my personal fav for deputy. His pitch for leader is the ‘softly softly’ approach to get Yes Leavers to vote SNP again, then stab them in the back as the SNP want to get EU membership if they ever get independence. Classic betrayal of the Scottish people, this boy is confused, and not the brightest tool in the box.

Down at Westminster, allegedly Livingston MP Hannah Bardell said there is a lot of talent in the SNP, she is considering standing, she is famed for wearing a Scotland top in the House of Commons….. arse!

As to the ‘educated’, we might see SNP frontbenchers Dr Philippa Whitford and Joanna Cherry as potential candidates alongside Tommy Sheppard. Whitford was out as a liar in the past and Joanna Cherry is an arse!

Can Sheppard pull off a win?

Well in a field of dross, the choice is limited, but he might come unstuck if Deputy Westminster leader Kirsty Blackman, the pitch for her could be her youth compared to the rest of the field.

One person who isn’t standing from Westminster is Ian Blackford, he is the current Westminster leader, he says taking on the post is “too much to ask” alongside his other commitments.

Here is a link to his register of interest;

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/25361/ian_blackford/ross,_skye_and_lochaber#register

It seems Scotland is playing second fiddle to money.

Blackford said:

“First and foremost for me it is an absolute privilege to be the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber. I think there is something special that comes from being a Highland MP. I am the Westminster leader and that is not something I anticipated. I am very much enjoying leading the group and I think there is an immense task over the coming period getting through the morass of Brexit. I take quite seriously the responsibilities I’ve got as leader in Westminster and supporting the government in Holyrood. If I was depute leader as well, something would have to give. I think it is maybe simply too much to ask.”

He said he remained “100 per cent” committed to leading the SNP’s group of MPs in Westminster.

Given there isn’t much to lead, and his other commitments, how much of his 100% actually worth?

The contest to decide who is the next depute leader is a contest as others have mentioned that no one cares about, it is an non event, whoever gets it down at Westminster will be a ‘leader’ in name only as the SNP remain purely Holyrood focussed.

After the votes have been counted, after all the dust has settled, we won’t be seeing James Dornan MSP emerge as leader. Realistically chances are that Tommy Sheppard MP might be seen as the ‘popular’ choice, whether him standing beside Nicola Sturgeon as the new ‘dream team’ to turn the SNP around, I think not.

Finally, another person not expected to throw his hat into the ring is disgraced SNP MSP Mark McDonald, he currently sits as an independent MSP consumed by scandal. In his case the pressure is on him to resign so that Alex Salmond can put himself forward as a candidate, seems no love lost in the SNP!

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15987603.Clarity_demanded_after_third_complaint_against_suspended_SNP_minister/?ref=mr&lp=9

Third complaint against disgraced SNP MSP Mark McDonald!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Dying of political cancer, SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon sees support for Scottish independence slump dramatically to 32%, with the old guard of the SNP drifting away and the new intake being 'political lightweights', Sturgeon leads a doomed party literally rotting from the inside

Dear All

The die is cast, support for Scottish independence has died, every among the SNP supporters, just after the referendum the result came in as a strong victory of 55% for keeping Scotland’s current constitutional arrangement with the UK. The losing side tried to make out that the 45% for Yes was a strong vote and it could be grown.

That 45% was in part based on emotion; now the cold light of day has dawned on the people of Scotland who voted ‘Yes’, the SNP aren’t the people who could ever lead Scotland to independence. If watch events, the old guard of the SNP are slowly but surely drifting away, the resignation of Angus Robertson, the defeat of Alex Salmond, and the sidelining of people like Alex Neil; don’t show rebirth, but a party in terminal decline.

Just as I said that Scottish independence is dead, so is the direction of the SNP, their record of government proves it, the SNP is a party in crisis, led by an ineffectual leader in Nicola Sturgeon. The SNP jumped on the bandwagon of identity politics, where they gave special treatment to minorities at the expense of all Scots, this created a vacuum. The same vacuum can also be found in other parties if you chose to look closely enough.

The SNP support was never sustainable for a simple reason, the SNP are awful in government, they don’t address the needs of the people, they are incapable of doing their job, and they don’t want to do their job.

That message has found its way down to the rest of the population, but as well as that the goodwill extended to the SNP by voters is deserting them. The recent elections under Nicola Sturgeon show this quite clearly, but as well as that; the support for independence has dropped significantly to 32%.

2014, the support was 45%, and now barely a little over 3 years later, the support has dropped to 32%, the question is why did the 13% abandon the cause? The answer is clear; the people of Scotland know that the current constitutional arrangements are developing.

Developing towards what?

Are we talking about an reinvention of the Union, I would say yes, the new powers coming to Scotland are a sign of this, Brexit leavers such as myself have done something which the SNP couldn’t do, delivered a stronger Scotland.

After Brexit is done and dusted, we will see a politically stronger Scotland in terms of powers, but there is something more powerful grown, the people’s voice, this uncomfortable fact is doing to breakthrough into the public domain as more people say to politicians, the word….. no!

Adam Tomkins, constitution spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives, said of the new poll:

“This poll shows that there is no mandate for any more constitutional wrangling.

 “Indeed, the highest quantity of respondents clearly endorsed the current constitutional settlement. What all voters want is for the SNP to stop banging on about independence and start improving health and education.”

This is pretty much a matter of fact statement; the problems in Scotland in health and education are ‘unacceptable’; yes the word for those services is really ‘unacceptable’, we have to prioritise our services for our people.

An example of gesture politics which impacts our services is the ridiculous nonsense that the SNP want to continue to fund rich European students by providing them with free tuition while Scottish working class youngsters are being squeezed out of higher education.

How can that be right that the SNP is denying Scottish working class youngsters opportunities? The answer is painfully simple, the SNP don’t care about Scottish working class youngsters, they don’t care about giving the working class opportunities; in fact the SNP are keen to introduce measures to further curtail life chances for the poor.

The people of Scotland are slowly but surely waking up to this nonsense which is why Scotland is in political flux, the voters are scunnered by what is going on.

The real challenge for the people of Scotland comes in the election for Holyrood in 2021.

At the moment, the situation is looking very bleak for Nicola Sturgeon, she goes into that election dreading two things, firstly not getting an overall majority, and secondly not getting a mandate for a second independence referendum. Public services and the SNP record will feature promptly in that campaign and the blame for service failures will rest firmly at her door!

Finally, have a read at this, is a variation of this model in the works?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederation

Is this the shape of a possible new United Kingdom?

One thing is certain, change is coming.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University 

Failing the test of leadership, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is angry over Theresa May talks snub, untrustworthy SNP leader isn’t a team player, unable or unwilling to adapt to the new political post Brexit landscape, who wants a cold and unattractive malcontent like Sturgeon in their midst?

Dear All

‘A rat is a rat for all that’, my adaptation of a line in a Robert Burns poem, and if anyone is a rat then unpopular SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon fits that description beautifully. Just recently, the SNP in the guise of failed ex Education Minister Mike Russell was threatening to publish a report on report on Brexit.

This is despite being told it wasn’t in the UK national interest.

Most people will find it incredible if the Prime Minister Theresa May was to take someone as untrustworthy and unprofessional as Nicola Sturgeon into her confidence. Nicola Sturgeon is seen by many as a ‘grass’, in case you don’t get the lingo, a ‘grass’ is someone who spills secrets usually to the harm of anyone individual or organisation.

The SNP leader is said to be angry and frustrated with Theresa May because she thinks that that the UK is freezing-out of Edinburgh in the UK Government’s decision on what “end state” relationship the country should have with the EU post-Brexit.

They are!

If Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP wanted trust and confidences, then, they should have accepted Brexit, they should have accepted the democratic right of the people and they should have accepted that there is a new post Brexit landscape; Nicola Sturgeon didn’t accept any of it.

You can’t be a team player if you are undermining the team and willing to pass secrets to the opposition while publicly supporting them. There are two crunch meeting with the Prime Minister’s “war Cabinet”. The purpose of which is to decide what they want to see as a transition period and in the future relationship with the EU27.

Back in 2016, I suggested on the Gordon Brewer BBC radio show that the devolved administrations should have a role in Brexit, sadly having seen how the SNP and others have acted this doesn’t seem possible.

There is no goodwill, no working together and no compromise because from the outset Nicola Sturgeon et al have been unable to be team players within the UK political framework. It wasn’t the UK Government that engineered these turn of events, it was the Nicola Sturgeon.

Mrs May and her senior colleagues in London would have adopted “meaningful engagement” with the devolved administrations regarding the UK-EU relationship, the fault doesn’t lie with them.

To give you an example of what I mean, while pleading for a place at the talks, Nicola Sturgeon said:

“We're seeing the Government yet again put the interests of the Conservative Party ahead of the interests of the country.”

This is untrue; the Prime Minister Theresa May is putting into effect the democratic vote of the people of the UK to leave the European Union. As we have seen in all parties, there are people who are on both sides of the debate on UK membership.

Are you clear now why such a wretched creature like Nicola Sturgeon is shut out of the talks, the woman is simply ghastly, or as former Government Minister David Laws put it, “a cold and unattractive” without the good grace to turn up on time for meetings.

Apparently it is over a year since the last plenary meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee. The Committee is chaired by the PM, but there is no date been set for a JMC to discuss the on-going talks with Brussels. There is no sign that the devolved administrations will get onboard with a UK approach so any meeting would be rather pointless.

Yesterday, Downing Street made clear that the UK would not be part of any customs union following withdrawal from the EU, unable or unwilling to adapt to the new political landscape, Nicola Sturgeon said on the BBC:

"It is overwhelmingly in the interests of the country, our economy, to remain within the customs union and the single market. It is a real frustration that there hasn’t been more discussion and engagement with not just with the Scottish Government but with all the devolved administrations. I’ll be writing in fact to the Prime Minister later today ahead of her discussions in her Cabinet sub-Committee, where, we are told, they will decide or at least make some decisions about what they are trying to achieve here.”

She added:

“It’s unacceptable that that is happening without meaningful engagement without the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish administrations.”

Too stupid to change, too slow to react to new information, when you mean people like virtual signalling Nicola Sturgeon, the word ‘dense’ comes to mind. Too dense to realise that she has to be part of the solutions and not part of the underlying problems.

Opposition for opposition’s sake!

Now, Nicola Sturgeon should be waking up to the fact that, a simple fact, that is she is not relevant, she isn’t at the centre of events, she is on the fringe, she isn’t making contributions, she is an outcast.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Plots, coups and plans, PM Theresa May nails her colours to the mast and declares No customs union with EU, Brexit is still moving forward, the sooner political parties realise that Brexit is an issue that we are all in it together the happier they will be, direct democracy of the people has won out

Dear All

Plots, coups and plans, the stuff of politics, at the sharp, politics can be a lot of fun, but it can be a lot of hard work, thankless hours knocking on doors trying to get someone elected you hope will do some good for the community.

Referendums are different, you aren’t electing anyone but committing yourself to an idea, in my case, I picked Brexit for the UK for a simple reason; the UK needed to regain its sovereignty for economic and national security reasons.

The European Union is a failed project!

I previously supported the EU because I like many hoped that the good things about the EU would outweigh the bad, that balance has now been tipped, what the EU is now is anti worker, anti country and anti democratic. Instead of uniting Europe, we are seeing countries who wish to pull away from it.

In the fight to keep the UK in the EU, some parties want ‘soft Brexit’, if you don’t know what that means, it means betrayal of direct democracy which was the vote in June 2016. The Remain side want access to the single market and the custom union, in effect EU membership, all of the negatives and none of the pluses for the UK.

What is clear from the vote of 2016 is that ‘out’ means ‘out’, not part out, not a toe hold, not a backdoor deal, as the clock ticks down to leaving, we are reminded that whether some like it or not, the rules say once you formally ask to leave the two year clock starts running.

Despite repeated attempts to sabotage Brexit, threats of court action, and some people being a nuisance, the UK Government is pressing on with the business of talks, one thing which is clearly stated by Downing Street is that there will be No customs union with EU.

The Conservatives took the UK into the EU back in 1973, Ted Heath, the then PM signed us in, and only a Conservative government would have the courage to sign us out. I back the UK Government to take us out of the UK, in this case, the country and everyone in it is historically all in this together. The scare stories we all heard pre vote and post verdict are still around, but the reality is the EU needs access to the UK market, so there will be a deal.

Since the PM has nailed her colours to the mast on no customs union, it may ease the internal party tensions in her party from placate Tory MPs and ministers, they are unhappy because customs union could have prevented the UK striking trade deals around the world.

Tory Brexit rebel Anna Soubry claims the "hard Brexit" European Research Group (ERG) of Tory MPs, led by Jacob Rees-Mogg, has a "deeply unattractive" plan which involved leaving the customs union "to chase unicorn trade deals" at the expense of existing relations with the EU. What Anna Soubry fails to recognise is that the UK had deals prior to joining in 1973, and I would expect that the UK would want to generate more deals with the Commonwealth Countries.

The Commonwealth comprises 52 countries, across all continents; that means its members have a combined population of 2.3 billion people, almost a third of the world population.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations

I don’t see this as a unicorn, do you?

One thing about Brexit is plots within the Conservative Party to unseat Theresa May and install someone else such as Boris Johnson or Jacob Rees-Mogg but the plotters may find themselves on shaky ground as the public back the PM, they want Theresa May to finish the job.

The public want Theresa May to finish the job and they will be very unhappy towards anyone who gets in the way of that basic truth. So, if anyone thinks that a leadership challenge is the way to go, they might find that when they look around for support there will be precious few in their corner.

Until the deal is done, the dust has settled and we see how things pan out, everyone should wind their necks in and bite the bullet, shouting the odds and then being seen as having made a fool of yourself; is not a good strategy for advancement in public office, it might in fact be an career ending moment.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University