COVER UP BLOWN APART.

Posted byiainlawson27Posted inUncategorizedTags:

THE INQUIRY COVER UP BLOWN APART

We hoped it would happen with one of the MSP’s on the Inquiry getting by all the obstruction, delay and avoidance as the combined forces of the Scottish Government and the Crown Office as they sought to cover up the plot against Alex Salmond.

Alas the only thing we have learned is that the current powers under the Scotland Act ensures the Scottish Parliament lacks the power to hold the Scottish Government and the Crown Office to account when they are both acting in concert to block all routes off.

Last night, in the House of Commons, a Tory MP, DAVID DAVIS demonstrated how any MP can deal with such obstruction thanks to the use of Parliamentary Privilege, which can set aside, without any risk of prosecution, many of the legal constraints the Scottish Government have been delighted to accept and which the Parliamentary Inquiry lacked the power and probably will to oppose or overrule. He made a powerful speech calling on stronger powers for the Scottish Parliament, including the extension of Parliamentary privilege to ensure no possible future cover up, like the one we are currently witnessing at Holyrood will ever be possible again.

For a supporter of Independence it does not come easy to be grateful to the House of Commons or indeed to a Tory MP but I am certainly grateful to both this morning

So what happened. What did he do?

Well he comprehensively exposed and demonstrated the total deceit and dishonesty of both the Scottish Government and Crown Office highlighting that the redacting process was being used to defend the First Minister not the complainants.

He highlighted and reported, protected by Parliamentary Priviledge many of the contents of the police download of Sue Ruddick’s messages, messages which Peter Murrell had stated ,under oath , did not contain matters relevant to the Inquiry but which Davis made abundantly clearly did, including messages Peter Murrell denied existed stating there were no more messages than those already provided. David Davis revealed there were dozens of other messages which he had seen and had in his possession and which he had forwarded to Police Scotland.That lie alone should be enough for Peter Murrell’s employment with the SNP to be terminated. It should also be the end of the road for his fellow plotters Sue Ruddick and Ian McCann. If they are lucky it will be a taxi that will be called. It could as easily be the police. Peter Murrell will be extremely lucky to escape prosecution, he probably will because he will get some protection from the complicit Crown Office. They knew about these messages as well.

Using Parliamentary privilege Davis revealed Liz Lloyd, the First Minister’s Chief of Staff was interfering in the Salmond case as early as the 6th February 2018, not the date she volunteered as being in April in her statement to the Inquiry where she claims she first heard of it and which conveniently coincides with the date the First Minister first heard of the investigation. Once again the Government employees involved seem to be staggeringly forgetful, it seems like a widespread epidemic. 

It is impossible to believe two things about this. Firstly it is inconceivable the First Minister’s chief of staff would feel sufficiently empowered to interfere in the civil service investigation into the former First Minister, to the point where two senior civil servants were describing the interference as being a serious problem, without the First Minister knowing about it. Secondly it would be astonishing if the First Minister’s Chief of Staff was in full knowledge of the investigation into Alex Salmond and did not mention it to the First Minister for several months. We have already learned from Peter Murrell’s evidence that he did not discuss any of this with his wife, even though it appears he was talking with and organising a lot of others to become involved in trying to find fresh allegations to back up the pathetic ones supplied by the Alphabet women themselves. All this after the police investigation was well underway. Worse it was revealed in the text that there was a coach and pressures campaign underway. Improper for sure, but possibly, indeed probably, illegal. We are now expected to believe her own Chief of Staff never talked about it either, for several months, while at the same time putting pressure on and interfering in the investigation itself. The story has fallen apart.

The way I see things for the Civil Service is at the very least Leslie Evans should be gone. Liz Lloyd must surely be a casualty as well and if it is confirmed she mislead the Inquiry about the dates she first became aware of the investigation into Alex Salmond at the behest of, and to protect the First Minister,  then the First Minister should resign as well.

It is such a big story I think most readers will know the full story already and Wings have a full video and text of the entire speech for those who want to hear every word. I am taking part in the Through a Scottish Prism Special podcast which will be posted late morning today and where we discuss all the events in more detail.

Despite knowing a great deal more about this, including the names of the others involved, I am still stunned about three things. Firstly how and why was this plot hatched? Secondly how could they believe they could get away with taking out a figure so well liked, respected and capable as Alex Salmond with such flimsy and ridiculous allegations, and finally how did they build such a team of such shockingly incompetent plotters in the first place?

Being an optimist I hope it was inexperience and that they had never done anything like this ever before.

They must hope there is no judge led Inquiry because everything in David Davis’s speech and a lot more that has yet to come out would be in full public view. It would be the end for several more key figures.

This gives me no pleasure, despite taking a pile of abuse for months on end from those blind to the truth I knew this day was certain to come. Learn from this.

I am, as always

Yours for Scotland.

Free subscriptions are available for this site from the Home and Blog buttons on the top right of this page. You will be most welcome. My regular readers were amongst the least surprised in Scotland with what just happened. They knew it was coming, just like I did.

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63 thoughts on “COVER UP BLOWN APART.”

  1. I had a bad fall yesterday and hit my face on the edge of the kerb. I was out of action for the rest of the day. The first I knew of this revelation was when I was lying in my bed feeling a wee bit sorry for myself and the notification of your post popped up on my iPad screen. I read it quickly, jumped out of bed, washed, dressed and ready for the day! Thank God for decent people in the strangest of places. Thank goodness for the truth coming out at last. If only those involved had admitted to this way back, if only they hadn’t started the whole band wagon rolling in the first place. If only. . . I will never forgive them for what they have done, not least those decent MSPs in the SCOTTISH Parliament who sat on their hands and said nothing. Hell mend them.

    Liked by 13 people

  2. The Ides of March Iain ! I enjoyed reading this piece and had a smile on my face 👏👏👏👏

    DD a man of integrity . More to come judging by several comments he made.

    Nicola Sturgeon woke army already out with the usual anti Westminster and anti Tory rants ! Such denial .

    I watched and listened to DD and far from advocating to take any powers away from Scotland he made the case for strengthening them .

    I recently joined Wings over Scotland , Craig Murray and Gordon Dangerfield and the accuracy and forensic attention to detail is and has been impressive . Hopefully the MSM will pick up the pace .

    Alex Salmond made clear to the Committee that the Court Order was being used to SHIELD THE MIGHTY… hopefully very soon we will all be able to say how the mighty have fallen !

    I look forward to your next instalment .

    Best Wishes

    Claire

    Liked by 11 people

    1. If you are not already reading them, can I suggest Grouse Beater, Random Public Journal & Barrhead Boy as being well worth following for similar levels of commentary & analysis.

      Liked by 3 people

  3. David Davis’ statement in parliament was certainly a surprise, as was the accuracy of all his statements – and now it’s on public record and everything he said can now be reported openly. If the SNP and civil service, including the Crown Office, leadership had any integrity at all, they’d have already stood down / been fired long before now, it should have never come to this.

    It really is the best move to distance independence from party politics – Nicola Sturgeon, as I’ve said before, is a liability, but is also a security risk – her and her husband secretly running roughshod over every protocol, while STILL pretending to be squeaky clean, just shouts compromised, not people you want at the head of government.

    The main thing we should take away from Mr Davis speech, though, is that: IF Scotland had been ALREADY INDEPENDENT, then this would NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. It is BECAUSE OF the limitation of powers in the Scottish Parliament, because of the political overrule from Westminster, that we have no checks and balances to prevent and remedy corruption in high office.

    But we are left with the conundrum of how to get independence when the ‘only vehicle’ has been found to not want independence and to be corrupt in government. Not so squeaky clean then. I think ditch the SNP: they are more trouble than they’re worth.

    I just listened to John Swinney on radio Scotland say that Nicola Sturgeons 8 hours of oral evidence to the committee was clear and candid – hah, as though her word has any weight, and only in her own mind – if any of the evidence backed up anything she said, we might have thought she’d said something worthwhile in those 8 hours. I call 8 hours ‘inefficient’. But the point is here: they are doubling down and will NOT be quietly standing aside under any circumstances. Unbelievable.

    Liked by 10 people

  4. I’m afraid I am of an unforgiving nature when it comes to cheats ,liars and even more so , those who cover up for them.

    The fact that some in the SNP thought that writing Alex Salmond out of their history was a great wheeze merely serves to highlight that they are cerebrally challenged , since without him the SNP would not be where they are in Holyrood – perhaps I should write where they were as I fear they are now about to fall off a cliff edge of utter disenchantment.

    Cometh May , cometh payback.

    Liked by 9 people

    1. This was hardly a case of the SNP leadership acting alone. The British state also has a strong interest in preventing the main protagonist for independence returning, and in damaging the independence cause in any way it can.

      There is good reason why George Osborne referred to the tripartite of copfs, police and civil service as ‘the arms’ of the British state in Scotland, for it is they wha aye haud Scotlan doun. It is also they wha aye haud Scotlan ticht nae maiter wha bides in Bute Hoose nor Holyrood. An thay’re erms are aw ower this mankit stushie.

      The stushie has also revealed the most powerful people in Scotland not to be a politician, but rather a state official, the Lord Advocate, which has more or less been the case since the inception of the union. This should not be a surprise; the crown, which he and the crown agent heads, is ‘the legal embodiment’ of the British state in Scotland.

      Yes, the deceitful SNP leadership cabal may have given the British state’s hounds the scent, but the British state’s hounds (the three airms haudin Scotlan ticht) did the chasing an pit yon auld fox AS in a corner. Yon auld fox pruived tae bi tae smairt fer thaim!

      C’mon Alex, pit yersel on thon AFI List an feenish thaim aff.

      Liked by 5 people

  5. Liz Lloyd knew about the allegations long before February 2018, for very good reasons. Even the information produced by David D. is the tip of the iceberg.

    Liked by 5 people

  6. WOW

    and I thought cluster bombs were now illegal

    AWESOME

    We know from history that you cant hide ‘for long’ and its the cover up that gets you

    Hopefully this will mean that the Scottish Parliament ,Scottish Government (Civil Service) and the Crown Office and the Lord Advocate and his cosy relationship with the party in power get a total reorganization as explained by David Davis and some people will end up out of a job and of course in court.

    Poetic justice and Karma at work at last

    Liked by 8 people

  8. I saw a post on WOS this morning, and immediately turned to that guardian of the truth, BBC Scotland.
    It did mention that DD had spoken in parliament, but practically nothing on what he said.
    It was also the last item in the bulletin, the previous ones were about hairdressers possibly opening in a month’s time.

    Given their lack of curiosity over the chief whip and former justice minister down south, it is reasonable to conclude that the state broadcaster, while vehemently anti-autonomy, is foursquare behind the current,wretched caricature of a Scottish National Party.

    Liked by 10 people

    1. Did you see the response?

      “A spokesman for First Minister Ms Sturgeon said: “As with Mr Salmond’s previous claims and cherry picking of messages, the reality is very different to the picture being presented.

      “Every message involving SNP staff has been seen by the committee previously. Their views have been widely reported as dismissive of them.””

      They are still trying to deny it. I assume she is going to try to brazen it out and hope her popularity at the polls will see her through.

      Liked by 4 people

      2. Their views have been widely reported as dismissive of them

        The SNP/FM’s spokesthing is now speaking on behalf of the committee supposedly examining it’s activity in government?

        If this turned up in an episode of the sweeney, it would be called out as ‘a bit previous’.

        ‘Widely reported’ True

        ‘Widely reported’ = PR/Gossip/disinfo

        Liked by 2 people

  9. Each revelation continues to astonish in the most gob-smacking of ways.

    The irony of a Tory politician in the British parliament revealing the truth about top SNP executives, managers and administrators won’t be lost on readers and listeners.

    Liked by 8 people

    1. ..but did they get what they wanted?
      No matter how hamfisted, brain damaged their actions were; they derailed autonomy for a few years at least.
      If you were to regress from this point, it’s hard to see any other purpose.
      As we inch forward in our knowledge (providing a 100 year seal is not placed per Dunblane), it will be increasingly harder to see it any other way.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. If by ‘they’ you are referring to the leadership of the top brass they have certainly succeeded in dissing Alex Salmond’s reputation and legacy. For the time being, as he is still fighting to restore it and I cannot see him giving up on that.

        I don’t think the SNP top brass wanted to set back autonomy. I just think that they don’t care enough about it.

        If there is British establishment involvement then clearly this will undoubtedly have had the desired effect:

        Reputational damage to Salmond (undeserved) and Sturgeon (deserved). And to Scotland’s institutions – Government and Parliament. Also to COPFS given the shiftiness of the Lord Advocate and the shadyness of the Crown ‘Agent’.

        And most of all, by extension, to aspirations of Independence. And we will now have the charge of ‘too corrupt’ leveled at us in addition to the usual trio of insults.

        Liked by 4 people

      2. by they I mean the same as ‘these incompetent nasties’ your refer to.

        Basically the UK establishment and its supporters/subordinates here.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. No denial from those “accused”
    No resignations submitted.

    I have no doubt that an organised campaign took place against Alex Salmond. The Goverment, the Lord Advocate and the Civil Service failed all in their duty. It does not matter if it was through incompetence or malicious intent. It has also been established that a carefully executed pattern of obstruction of evidence has been actioned throughout and still continues.

    Almost every failing was highlighted in Westminster yesterday. Not all because an accuser lying under oath has been ignored, A leak to the Daily Record from the Goverment has been buried and other several matters have all been overlooked by the Crown a Office.

    Senior officials of the SNP, Senior Civil Servants, The Scottish Government and the FM of Scotland intend to continue in post regardless of the Tsunami of information being dragged into the public domain.

    I’m old enough to remember when people once did the “Right Thing”

    Liked by 7 people

    1. I don’t think the Civil Service failed in their duty. I think the opposite is true. They carried out their duty to their employers, the UK government, perfectly. They weaved this mess superbly from their point of view, and their masters down south will be very happy with their work.

      Liked by 2 people

      2. Aye Juteman, the airms o the British state in Scotland did its job fine. The so-called ‘Scottish Government’ is nothing of the sort; it is still merely a modest UK Government spending department run by Whitehall’s finest, in similar manner to any other British colony, with strings ultimately pulled in the mother country metropolitan center.

        And as we see in this case, the colonizer tends to enjoy immunity from prosecution, thus far anyway, while the more ‘radical’ native independence leaders (Salmond, Murray, Hirst, Singh etc) are persecuted with no mercy, and oppressive laws brought in to ‘deal with’ the wider independence movement (HCB).

        The daeless mankit SNP leadership cabal seems compromised or, as Frantz Fanon put it: the dominant national party’s pampered bourgeoisie elite makes its own “accommodation with colonialism”. This ‘accommodation’ explains why we are where we are and no further forward on independence since 2014.

        This whole episode therefore reflects colonialism at work and the collaboration between the colonizer and the native bourgeoisie, the latter ‘mimicking the colonizer’ in terms of language, culture and values and protecting their privileges and status under colonialism (Albert Memmi). The same process has been played out in more or less every colony. Scotland is no different. The remedies to overcome the ‘disease of colonialism’ (Aime Cesaire) are no different either.

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Iain,

        If that is the case, how do you explain the behaviour of Police Scotland? They went from a distinct lack of enthusiasm to absolute fanaticism – twenty two full time detectives undertaking more than four hundred interviews. Somebody gave them an enormous kick up the arse. Who might that body have been?

        Like

  12. I am glad this is all coming out at last, and I look forwards to the rest, albeit with no pleasure. We are so used to it now that sometimes the unbelievablity of what was done to try and bring Alex Salmond down hits you as a shock all over again. Leslie Evans, Liz Lloyd and Peter Murrell must surely be waiting on the arrival of the Police to charge them for their criminality in all of this.

    In addition, the SG HR needs an independent review. Without their corrupt behaviour and bad practices, to put it mildly, at all levels as be in no doubt there were staff at lower levels in the HR team involved in this, I could name them, then this could not have happened.

    Liked by 7 people

  13. So far what has definitely come out is incompetent and even malicious processes, and collusion over the cover up of these processes.

    What hasn’t come out is proof that it goes much deeper – the allegation that the complaints in Salmond’s criminal trial were false, and were a deliberate, co-ordinated attempt by a number of women to have Alex Salmond found guilty of sexual harassment.

    Typing that, it sounds completely astonishing that such a thing could happen, and more likely (because of historical precedent) that Salmond is just another man who ‘got away with it’.

    But if proof were shown of the truth of the allegation – *that* would be a real smoking gun. Is there any chance of that happening?

    Liked by 5 people

    1. With respect Craig that evidence is out there. Every charge was pathetic, some were patently false, and shown in court to be so. You also clearly don’t know the identity of his accusers. If you did you would be in no doubt.

      Liked by 6 people

      1. >>You also clearly don’t know the identity of his accusers

        That’s what everyone who knows the accusers says. Yet that is exactly what we are not allowed to know.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Craig P you say ” the allegation that the complaints in Salmonds trial were false, ….”

      you clearly need to pay more attention. It is not an allegation they were false.

      Liked by 3 people

  14. Technically David Davis spoke in the HoC last night, But lets be absolutely clear in this DD was a proxy, Alex Salmonds proxy ! These plotters must rue the day they tried to take down a Man of stature as is Alex Salmond, A very clever move by AS involving his old friend, I really do not know how I feel this morning relieved I suppose that the truth is now out there, But also very sad and indeed embarrassed, Embarrassed for my Country, Embarrassed for the party I was a member of till recently, And I also feel feckin angry !!! Angry for the whole Independence movement being let down so badly, Make no mistake this will set Independence back and for a few to play so fast and lose with a whole Nations future is utterly utterly unforgivable, Bastards !!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Liked by 8 people

    1. Agree completely Ian.
      Apart from being furious, it is truly embarrassing. The Fabiani Farce has been blown apart. All they had to do was the ‘right’ thing but demonstrated they were as incapable and inept as the original cover up.
      This should have been done and dusted by November last year and there may have been time to clean out and move on. BUT 7 weeks away from an election, no chance.
      We are not too wee and we are not too poor but the charge of being too stupid might just stick.
      The leadership of the SNP has let a whole nation down.

      Liked by 10 people

  15. Well said Ian. I fear the abuse will continue as we are all told we should “wheesht for Indy” and that this is just all a Tory plot.

    Liked by 3 people

  16. Hello Iain, You ask why? When I drew up the timeline I sent you, I formed the opinion that they always intended to use both the civil and then the criminal allegations, however, they staggered them, hoping to blackmail Alex into accepting the Civil verdict which would then have been used in much the same way as ‘Alex admits his conduct was improper’ is currently being used.

    The motive is simple, ensure Alex is neutralised in the push for Scottish Independence.

    Liked by 8 people

  17. Sociopaths have an IQ below the norm.
    They’re bound to make mistakes and get caught in the tangled web of their own lies.
    Sadly they’re also opportunists, chameleons and great a feigning interest, empathy and compassion, so they may appear benevolent.
    They often overdo, with excessive manifestations of affection.
    They hold on onto power as an end, a self-referential tool to obtain more of it, but then don’t know how to use it as a means to make other people’s lives better, because they completely lack empathy.
    Empathy is the mechanism humans can leverage to identify with other people in different situations and role-play what would be of help.
    Sociopaths don’t have any empathy and cannot do so, and also believe everyone else functions like they do.
    They’re deceitful and dangerous, and have infected all ganglia of power for decades.
    The rot we are swimming in now is exclusively their fault.
    Find them, expose them and expunge them. Now. Because it’s already too late.

    Liked by 2 people

  18. It would have been preferable for this to have happened 2-3 months ago as we might have had a chance to save the election but it looks like the SNP are going to have to fall to make any progress in the long term . The damage Sturgeon and her rotten science deniers have inflicted on the movement is and will be severe. Many soft Yes voters will be disgusted by the actions of the SNP and will turn back in support of the Union. Winning back trust won’t be easy.

    Wearing my conspiracy hat I wonder if the smear against Alec was not designed to jail him but throw enough mud to make a political comeback unlikely while exposing the inadequacies and criminality of the Scottish government, civil service and crown office and by extension the SNP, making the case for Holyrood to be neutered. They didn’t build that shiny new office in Edinburgh for nothing. That really would be a perfectly executed plan; just a theory.

    Liked by 6 people

      1. Absolutely it did but something doesn’t smell right to me. Other strange decisions such as pushing the HCB and GRA leading into Brexit when the Union was at it’s weakest and right before an election makes no sense other than to damage the reputation of the party and consolidate the Union. We’ll probably never know for sure.

        Liked by 4 people

      2. Well it was either the SNP or a Coup by the Civil Service. Each one is as bad as the other

        Also if you look at The First Minister’s Chief of Staff’s past history she has form for this sort of thing

        Why she was retained on I think an increase in salary after AS won the judicial review of the process and in due course this complaints procedure and process was judged by Lord Pentland in the highest civil court in Scotland to be ‘unlawful’, ‘unfair’, and ‘tainted by apparent bias’ Is quite astounding in itself.

        One does wonder why you would retain or promote or extend the contract of someone who admitted that they were in charge of that TFU unless you were also totally supportive and involved in this ‘unlawful’, ‘unfair’, and ‘tainted by apparent bias’ process.

        I suspect this is far from over, I need to stock up with more popcorn 🙂

        Liked by 4 people

      3. @ Roibert a Briuis

        It was Leslie Evans the Permanent Secretary and Head of the Civil Service in Scotland who got her contract extended and a pay rise, not Liz Lloyd who is Sturgeon’s Chief of Staff ie she runs the FM’s office. Otherwise I agree completely with what you’ve written, she should have been sacked.

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Niallgmusic I agree with your last paragraph – a ‘double whammy’, doubtless planned and orchestrated by Whitehall ‘black ops’ and probably operationalised by Lesley Evans and Judith MacKinnon. I suspect too that NS was faced with a bit of a fait accompli – as the Mafia say – ‘an offer she couldn’t refuse’; nicely topical via a weaponised Me Too, and perhaps irresistible on those grounds also. But of course the plotters completely miscalculated the character of their victim. And faced with that and a Judicial Review, instead of sensibly withdrawing, they upped the ante with a spurious criminal prosecution. (Incidentally, I’d love to know WHO instigated that move and surely charges of perjury are relevant here), But once again AS fought back and won. HE was the victim, and he is proved innocent.
      One is left wondering why he didn’t just walk away after the court case. He could so easily have done so having been completely vindicated. In my view the reason he is still in there fighting is emphatically NOT to do with ‘male egoism’ but because his whole life has been dedicated to Independence, AND STILL IS. In the story of Scotland he is HUGE, and recent events have enhanced, not diminished his stature.
      The kind of calm determination and evidence-based argument Alex Salmond has demonstrated so often, in the very teeth of opposition, are precisely the qualities which are needed in what Craig Murray recently described as ‘the ‘bumpy road to Independence’.
      Charles Edward Stuart was born on 31 December, 1720, His attempt to regain Independence failed. Exactly 234 years later Alex Salmond came into the world, on 31st December 1954,
      ‘Better loved ye canna be. Will ye no come back again?
      And this time, we shall PREVAIL !!

      Liked by 5 people

      1. By all accounts Alex Salmond should be our national liberator. There are a great many Scots willing him to return, hopefully in May’s ‘independence’ election in a few weeks time.

        Liked by 2 people

  19. The National has a really mealy-mouthed account of the David Davis statement and the rebuttal by John Swinney. I will be cancelling my subscription to the National because it seems to be a barely veiled mouthpiece for the SNP.

    David Davis’ statement was a breath of fresh air. It was clear and it named names and gave dates. In contrast the SNP is simply reguritating the ‘nothing to see here’ message. The evidence is piling up regardless of the lapses in memories and the apparent carefull shielding of the FM from what was going on around her. None of these people at the top of the SNP have a shred of credibility left yet they keep digging the hole deeper.

    I think we are stuck with the SNP leadership and the people supporting it until after the election in May. After that, I may rejoin the SNP and try to work to get rid of them.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. I formed the impression that The Nat sat on the David D story until they had the response by John Swinney. I saw no comment yesterday evening.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. The tories did not need to plot this. The whole debacle has been so badly handled that anyone with any common sense must have had doubts after the FM’s 8 hours of evasion and amnesia. There are many in the SNP in Holyrood who are complicit by their silence, when even the public began questioning the veracity of the different stories, they remained tight-lipped. They knew what was being done in Scotland’s name. These are the ones who will come out bleating that they could not be sure or they had to remain loyal or they were following orders not to speak on the subject. We know from history where ‘just following orders’ leads and it is never good to be in such thrall to a leader/party that misdeeds are silenced. People will talk, it is human nature and no matter the circumstances of David Davies’ having a copy of the evidence, the truth has come out and cannot be returned to the bottle. The report by the HR committee into the handling of the issue will satisfy no-one as they too appear to have been compromised by their inability to be allowed near the truth. All in all this is a very sad day for Scotland and the Scottish people.

    Liked by 4 people

  23. At the start of a new parliament they have to elect a presiding officer. the second election is a first minister, The SNP should consider it is time for the present FM to stand down and elect someone outwith the incompetent cabal.

    Liked by 2 people

  24. I’ve included a lengthy quotation from this post in a comment I made in Martin Hannan’s article in The National. Perhaps I should have asked your permission, but I felt that your exposition needs to be made available to a wide readership. I hope that’s OK!

    Liked by 2 people

  25. What a pity Assange is in jail, he or Wikileaks would have been a great place for any whistleblower to send any material, they went cowed by the US Government, so they would hardly have been bothered by the Scottish Government

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sadly it wouldn’t matter what detailed, verifiable data you put into the public domain. She would continue to bluster it out. The wheesht for Indy brigade will not listen to anyone but the Cult leader.

      Liked by 5 people

  26. This whole debacle has made me go back to the start, ie when Salmond was First Minister and Sturgeon his second in command. Call me Mrs Suspicious, but I have been thinking for a while now that Mr Murrell has used Ms Sturgeon as a catalyst for a while now. What were the chances he told Ms Sturgeon to encourage Salmond to hold an independence referendum, guessing it would end with the defeat it sorely deserved? Knowing that Ms Sturgeon would walk straight into the top job? As I said, call me Mrs Suspicious, but whenever I hear his name mentioned the first word that springs to mind is manipulative. I think there is only one person who knows exactly how much.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. What a great idea, let’s tell the electorate that judging who to vote for ignoring honesty, decency, justice is the way to go. Let’s elect the rogues. Winning message do you think?

      Liked by 4 people

      1. Iain – yes they’re rogues. If you want to conflate the actual Party itself with the rogues that’s up to you. The Party is riddled with rogues but is also our only vehicle to keep Westminster at bay. We need to find a way to get the rogues out of it but how do we do that before the election? If you can come up with something then let me know. I’ll happily follow your lead.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Jim, do you think the Britnats will just forget about it to keep you happy.

      What is the reply going to be Johnston is a lot more corrupt than Sturgeon.

      Liked by 2 people

    3. Let’s focus on the Election and deal with all “Unfinished Business” after it..

      You mean ably assist the corrupt in their cover-up? Do that now and you’ll be chanting the same mantra at the 2024 General Election.

      We need to rid ourselves, now, of all the rotten, ‘Indy last’ liabilities in that Party, flush them down the stank and see what we can salvage from the remnants – Joanna Cherry, for example – and only then we’ll have a better chance of a plebiscite election in May 2024. The current Party and its leadership have zero chance – or desire – of gaining anything in 2024.

      Good work, Iain, cheers.

      Liked by 2 people

  28. David Davis made a detailed speech to the House of Commons which is now recorded in Hansard

    Today the First Minister has called him a liar

    This has opened a new front The reputation of not just David Davis but the House of Commons is now under attack.

    Liked by 2 people

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