Dear All
Before I get started, on my main thrust of today's post, Scotland has recorded 54 further coronavirus deaths. The dead and the virus however serve a political purpose, they are the shield that SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon currently hides behind. The virus and deaths cover up the Alex Salmond affair so that it is dampened down when it is an issue that deserves the full oxygen of publicity. Sturgeon, who has failed to save Scotland and her people announced the latest death figures at her daily Covid-19 briefing today. Despite repeated falsehoods that Scotland is doing well, the death toll in Scotland now sits at 5023.
5023, do you believe the SNP rubbish of Scottish exceptionalism now?
The virus is out of control, the SNP have been too slow to act, they have failed on the important issue of public health messaging, and they haven't got a vaccine programme up and running properly. Save yourself because Nicola Sturgeon is going to do that, government help is too late, too slow and such poorly organised, you might as well forget it.
Like everything that Nicola Sturgeon touches, gets involved with and/or runs, it's a shambles!
If you think 5023 is bad enough, the virus isn't tampering off, it has a trajectory still of upwards, ever upwards. In the last 24 hours, 1,717 people have tested positive for the virus, 607 were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. 280 in Lanarkshire and 214 in Lothian, basically the central belt of Scotland is the infected zone, in fact, it's something like a horror movie. But unlike a horror movie, far from saving the people, the incompetence of the Scottish Government means that SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon cannot be the 'pluckey' heroine. No Angelina Jolie or Milla Jovovich role for Sturgeon, maybe a female henchman role in a Bond movie, the Scottish Rosa Kelb. It's a perfect match which marries up the Kelb and Sturgeon personality, a bitter twisted and angry woman consummated by hate and rotting with evil.
Another issue of pressing importance is what many Scots believe was the attempted stitch up of Alex Salmond by people who work in her government, and are very close indeed to her. As the bombshell revelations ripple, the SNP leader as the picture above shows doesn't look at all comfortable in her alleged innocence. Many people now are opening called Nicola Sturgeon a liar, and looking at the compelling evidence that Alex Salmond has placed in the public domain, you can see there is an argument why the cross party investigation of the Scottish Government handling of the illegally compromised complaint against Salmond should be widen. The inquiry needs to be widen to investigate whether Nicola Sturgeon breached the Scottish Ministerial Code. Salmond has put into the public domain that he has evidence and he has witnesses.
The article on the Wings over Scotland site is damning, it makes uncomfortable reading for the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon. It now seems that Sturgeon's position as SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland is untenable. The first reaction of Sturgeon wasn't to address the allegations, it wasn't to refute it properly, it was to smear Salmond. Nicola Sturgeon tread the same road as countless Nationalists over decades before, smear the accuser. Alex Salmond won both cases brought against him, by the government in a rigged hearing, and by the criminal trial. The result is well known, but needs to be said again, Alex Salmond was found innocent by a jury of his peers, he left court with no stain on his career. It seems some people had an agenda, having lost the first fight, they decided to attempt to jail an innocent man. Given Salmond's age and health, that could have been a death sentence. Even now by smearing Salmond, and it is just Sturgeon, others in the SNP are doing it as well, the phrase 'there is something of a smell' comes to mind.
Some now say that the SNP have corrupt the organs of government, and this includes those who sit in high positions of administration in government and also our police and prosecution service.
With the new evidence in the public domain, opposition parties are calling for a wider remit into their inquiry as it relates to Nicola Sturgeon. This request has been refused by John Swinney, who is Nicola Sturgeon's deputy in government. Why won't John Swinney extend the remit into whether she breached the Scottish Ministerial Code? Innocent people as the SNP are quick to tell us have nothing to hide, nothing to fear, so what does Nicola Sturgeon fear?
The truth?
The evidence?
The witnesses?
John Swinney is a patsy, he has gone from a respected Finance Minister to become a man who hasn't a shred of decency, and hasn't the moral courage to stand up for what is right. He is unfit for public office, and when he leaves it, he leaves a tarnished man. A man whose reputation is now worthless in the eyes of many Scottish people. Swinney has been accused of “blatantly blocking” work which could establish whether Ms Sturgeon misled Holyrood. Why does he want to do this, simple, Sturgeon if found guilty of doing so knows as well as Swinney this is a potential resignation offence. But it isn't just Sturgeon who needs to resign, Swinney's conduct is such that calls must surely come for his resignation. Potentially there needs to be a cull of SNP elected politicians, party staffers and Scottish government personnel, that also includes the other arms of the state who have brought the country down.
Never again should there be corruption of the Scottish Civil Service.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats in hearing the Swinney decision was quick to get out what everyone thinks, this "stinks to high heaven". Former First Minister Alex Salmond has accused Sturgeon, not once but of repeatedly misleading the Scottish Parliament. As usual, Sturgeon told Holyrood she did not know anything about anything, until evidence was produced, then her memory as if by magic suddenly improves. We have two versions of what happened and only one can be the truth, Nicola Sturgeon said when she first saw Salmond at her home it was in her capacity as SNP leader concerning party business. Salmond directly contradicted this, saying Ms Sturgeon arranged the meeting four days earlier with one of his former aides in the full knowledge it was Government-related. Salmond's position now is that Sturgeon has breached the Scottish Ministerial Code, and urged the independent adviser on the Code, James Hamliton, to look into it. Hamilton is currently checking whether Ms Sturgeon broke the code, but on the basis of a much narrower remit set by Mr Swinney. By setting a much narrower remit, it is clear that every obstacle is being placed to provide Nicola Sturgeon with the means to not be held to account.
In ham fisting the inquiry, Sturgeon has the brass neck to state that the investigator into her is free to explore any issue, but it looks however he is not free to consider external evidence outside his remit. He can look at evidence but he can't use certain evidence in his conclusion because the SNP Deputy John Swinney has set the limits. Salmond claims the remit is a "straw man" designed to find Nicola Sturgeon innocent of a largely irrelevant issue related to civil servants. I would agree with his sttement, the remit is a "straw man" designed to find Nicola Sturgeon innocent. Should James Hamliton therefore continue when it is alleged he is playing with a rigged SNP deck? Is there any value in his investigation when he cannot do his job properly? I suppose the answer is ultimately no, so where does this leave his investigation, or the Salmond inquiry? When you have multiple parties, Labour, LibDem and Conservative Tory MSPs on the Holyrood inquiry urging Swinney to expand Mr Hamilton’s remit, and the deputy First Minister refuses, you wonder what the Scottish public will think.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said:
“The Deputy First Minister already confirmed to parliament in November, in response to a parliamentary question, that the James Hamilton inquiry could look at any breach of the ministerial code. We will not prejudge that process.”
But when evidence and lines of inquiry are blocked, evidence not to be considered, the false illusion can be seen through. What the SNP is really say is that the James Hamilton inquiry could look at any breach of the ministerial code but only use evidence approved by them. Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser, who currently sits on the Holyrood inquiry, has hit back and accused the Scottish Government of also trying to curb Mr Hamilton's work.
He said:
“The SNP are blatantly trying to block this investigation because they know it exposes the First Minister. Nicola Sturgeon said in Parliament, and Mr Swinney said on television this weekend, that James Hamilton can investigate what he wants but they are now doing everything in their power to prevent that happening by limiting the Ministerial Code investigation. These are the actions of a government that clearly has something to hide. If Nicola Sturgeon had done nothing wrong, she would welcome these investigations and make them as broad as necessary.Instead, they are shutting down scrutiny in an effort to let the First Minister get away with duping the Scottish public.”
Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton, who wanted the Code investigation to be formally widened, said:
"This stinks to high heaven, If I had nothing to hide and was being falsely accused of lying to parliament, I'd be jumping at the chance for the official exoneration that a live ministerial code investigation could offer."
Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said:
"The unwillingness of the SNP Government to have legitimate scrutiny is truly a dark development for Scottish democracy."
Finally, the pillars that make up a democracy have clearly been destroyed by the SNP, the Scottish Government is utterly corrupt and beyond help. Nicola Sturgeon and her cult have poisoned and destroyed the integrity of the Scottish civil service. The integrity of the Crown officials who work under SNP control and direction is also now suspect. In many ways, history teaches us many things, a comparison to the Sturgeon Government is 1930's Germany. The regime led by one, Adolf Hitler, were placemen were put into positions of power much like Kapos in a concentration camp. Their remit was observe and route out anyone who didn't show blind obedience to the new regime. Instead of the whip, the bullet or stick, the SNP use the current weapon of choice, financial removal of salary and exclusion. As many die hard Nationalists look at what is going on, many say that isn't a Scotland they want to be a part of. Nicola Sturgeon isn't offering Scots a dream, she isn't offering Scots a future, she is offering Scots a nightmare, a descent into hell.
As Conservative Leader Douglas Ross said on twitter, this isn't a fight between Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, this is a fight between the Truth and Nicola Sturgeon.
John Swinney The Nationalist Mike Pence.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent, balanced and well researched article. Well done, Sir.
ReplyDeleteThere is a possible way out of this though....when James Hamilton was appointed he was told that he would be provided with all relevant information to come to a conclusion and a set of recommendations.
It now transpires that this will not happen. Surely James Hamilton cannot therefore report? It he proceeds to report on the basis on the redacted information provided by Swinney, what is he going to say?
I have some confidence that James Hamilton is a serious guy with a reputation to protect. He can see what cozying-up to Sturgeon has done for Lesley Evans and the Scottish legal profession and he will not want that to happen to him.
In any case, the vote of no-confidence is Holyrood's ultimate sanction and there is every chance that one will go-ahead. Who knows what the Green Part will do but if they vote against her, then she ceases to be FM and that happens instantly.
It is ironic that the SNP first gained serious popularity due to the fall-out from the Westminster expenses scandal...remember? This is much worse than that and what is true in politics is that once you get a reputation for dishonesty, you are finished.
Difficult times ahead for Sturgeon and Swinney all-right.
2 things:
ReplyDeleteThe speed of vaccinations both north and south of the border will tell us who is really ahead of the game. So far, the English have vaccinated almost 3million and we have vaccinated 150,000.
I have personal experience of dealing with the Scottish civil-service. They don't minute meetings; they tell you 'don't worry; we'll sort this out'. They do feck-all. They do all they can to kill you.
We are living through a political Hell akin to the German Stasi. Get the three Grotesque Sisters from Hell....Sturgeon, Evans and Lloyd right to feck.
70m Americans voted for Trump and so 4-years of pretty disgraceful conduct in office didn't do his popularity, at election time, as much damage as one would have expected.
ReplyDeleteWhat if the vote was to be re-run tomorrow? Do you think Trump would get 70m votes? My guess is that he would get substantially less than that.
Once you shit the bed, you get kicked-out of the bed. What Swinney and Sturgeon have done is so against the norms of decency of any democracy, that they are effectively finished.
Don't forget that many, many countries in the world would convict and send them to a Covid-ridden jail for a few years. I'm talking about Swinney, Sturgeon and Evans....they were ready to do it to Alex Salmond, weren't they.
One minor point I wish to correct you on, George....You suggest that John Swinney was a hitherto honest politician with a good reputation.
ReplyDeleteI have dealt with John Swinney these past five years and let me tell you he is King-Rat amongst a nest of other rats.
He controls the Scottish legal profession nowadays; Swinney and smelly old tools like Professor Rat-Fart, formerly of Glasgow University.
He's had 22 police officers raking around for dirt on Alex Salmond for months. They self-self-evidently failed, but it was Swinney who was demanding these investigations.
He is a dangerous liar and he is deserving of all that is coming his way.
Jason Leitch said earlier today that our mass-vaccination centres would be open by mid-February. Pathetic. The English had theirs open days ago.
ReplyDeleteTake a look at Wings over Scotland just now, George. They have printed Alex Salmond's submission to the Holyrood Inquiry in full. Jackie Baillie was questioning the wonderfully grotesque Lesley Evans today about 'search warrants' for a reason.
ReplyDeleteI've worked in several overseas countries, including Africa and the Middle-East. If they were caught-out there the way they have been caught-out here, Sturgeon, Swinney and Evans would be doing some serious jail time.
It is possible that even plod-Alba will view this as criminal. They may have to.
I wonder at what point does the UK Government intervene?
'The more that comes out the more you realise how utterly broken the rule of law is in Scotland.
ReplyDeleteThe country is an absolute governmental cess-pit more akin to a third world developing country. Sovereignty, an ancient history, institutional writers, an enlightenment, an ancient legal system?
All these ancient universities teaching law. Scotland - a land to be proud of.
What a fucking joke. Its the law of the jungle. A load of fucking shite. A sordid dirty corrupt wee country headed up by a sordid wee hairy fae Dreghorn who hangs on like toilet paper hangs on to shite.
And for those who try to expose the stench that wafts around us, a torrent of media abuse.
But will the system try to resolve the corruption now that is has been exposed to the fresh air. Will action be taken against the rotten politicos, the rotten Police, the rotten prosecution service. That’s a question, a very good question.
And will the great Scottish legal system do anything about the abuse of power and corruption. Or is the modus operandi of Bonnie Scotland just to get some nig-nog native and hang him from a tree.
Seems so!'
An open and transparent government was promised, FAILED.
ReplyDeleteA different type of government was promised, you could say that they have fulfilled that promise. Unfortunately none of us thought for a moment that kind of ‘different’ could possibly be worse than what we already had!!
Scotland are being massively let down by these self serving charlatans, so bad that they make the Russians look like kindergarten leaders.
I just heard that Alex Salmond will not attend the Salmond Inquiry next week. I thought that might happen. The groundswell of public opinion is always hard to assess but in this case I think we all know it has moved firmly in his favor. He therefore doesn't need to attend; just sit back and let excellent web-sites like this one do the job for him.
ReplyDeleteSwinney was complaining on Twitter this morning (the communication medium of choice for despots everywhere) about the price of fish. It makes you wonder if that idiot has any conception of the trouble he is in.
Grotesque sister number-two (Lesley Evans) was awarded a pay rise and an extended contract by Sturgeon (Grotesque sister number-one). The deal was: Evans will take all the heat from the Salmond Inquiry. She is duly doing that.
What the legal profession get out of this, specifically Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC, is anyone's guess. He just looks like some poundshop mafia figure, doesn't he. The lawyers themselves?..... a load of fucking shite. We must now have the worst lawyers in the world.
Anyway, Lesley's time will come soon. She was involved in the financial scandal which engulfed Ayrshire schools. They are paying £1.0m per month for the next 30-odd years for schools which are worth a total of £80m. When I say she was involved, what I actually mean is she covered it up.
People see her as an unpleasant and self-important bitch on a par with Sturgeon and they want rid of them both.
They now have all the ammunition they need.
It's like the Calmac ferry contract which was handed to Fergusons in Port Glasgow. At the time, Fergusons didn't have the management, designers or labour required to take-on such a contract but they were given the work anyway.
ReplyDeleteJim McColl was handed the keys to Fergusons and told to get-on with it.
The ferry designs were over-specified and far too fancy for what is required for island routes. Look at Western Ferries Gourock to Dunoon routes which have used ferries designed for the Scandinavian fjords and they have been in constant service for 30 or 40 years.
Jim McColl hired the designers, management team, labour, plant and got started. It was cost/plus and so costs began to rocket and wee Derek Mackay (remember him) panicked and determined Jim McColl's contract. McColl was happy to walk away. He was dealing with amateurs.
Fergusons is now state owned and virtually NO work has been done on these ferries for the past 5-months,
There was a Holyrood Inquiry about it which concluded that the order shouldn't have been placed with Fergusons in the first place and that the specification of the ferries was far in excess of that required.
The conclusion....fuck-all. No-one's to blame. No-one's identified. Everyone can go back to the Holyrood trough.
Holyrood has turned into a self-serving racket of corruption. If Jackie Baillie, Alex Cole Hamilton and Murdo Frazer is the best they can do, then God help us all.
I notice that James Hamilton has said that he is free to examine every aspect of breaches of the ministerial code. We can only take him at his word. This story hasn't been aired in the press or TV but there are many, many people who understand all the complexities of it and will be looking for evidence that James Hamilton lives up to this statement. He has a reputation to lose; those around him at this inquiry lost their reputations months/years ago. He will not want to see the same thing happen to him and so I reckon he will put some clear distance between his approach and that of Sturgeon, Swinney and Evans.
ReplyDeleteI notice also that John (it wisny me) Swinney is still going-on about the price of fish, langoustines this time, and the difficulties of getting them to the European market post Brexit. Do something about it then - don't just post this tiresome shite up on your Twitter account. Any simpleton can do that.
Swinney doesn't do complexity. Anyone who knows him or who has dealt with him will tell you that. He's an arrogant and thick bastard. Scotland will do very well, will prosper in fact, without him, Sturgeon and Evans and I hope we will very soon get the chance to prove that.
I understand that Professor Rennie tragically died last week after a short illness.
ReplyDeleteBoth you and I had similar harrowing experiences when dealing with Professor Rennie.
Lorne Crerar of Harper Macleod (another Professor) said in the obituary that he never heard a bad word said about Professor Rennie.
I think that under the circumstances we should leave the last word to him.
Henry McLeish resigned for claiming expenses he shouldn't have. Ditto Wendy Alexander. Jack McConnell resigned due to an extra-marital affair.
ReplyDeleteNumerous Westminster MP's resigned and some went to jail over the Westminster expenses scandal.
That's when all at Holyrood were seen as Holly-Willies....much better and more honest than any other parliament in the whole world.
Look at us now.
One saving grace....there is little chance of Sturgeon, Swinney and Evans being involved in any extra-marital affairs. I cannot think for the life of me of three more unpleasant examples of humanity in existence anywhere in the world. Can you?
Dear Anon
ReplyDeleteThank you for the update on Rennie.
George