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The rise and fall of The SNP.


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53 minutes ago, manaliveits105 said:

National Audit Scotland say SG ignored warnings of 3 pandemic trials over previous few years over in particular PPE and Care Homes - probably too busy filling the biscuit tin for Indyref2 

John Swinney on BBC radio absolutely trying to waffle his way out of it and not succeeding

 

 

 

What else did audit Scotland say. Did they mention the reaction by the SG to covid? 

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34 minutes ago, Governor Tarkin said:

 

You cant decry 18th century democracy then cite 18th century borders as a legitimate method of defining the identity of a largely homogeneous group of people going forward. When does it end?

 

This is a baseline for the very identity politics (the other principle one being ethnicity), that maintains us in a perpetual fix; and by us I mean everyone.

Off course I can decry an antiquated democracy and want a separate country.  I don't see the link.  

Only on a perpetual fix if people fall for it.  

 

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The UK national debt is £2t yet Scotland is supposed to be better off in this. When exactly did Scotland borrow £180b?

 

 

 

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Governor Tarkin

 

 

11 minutes ago, Auldbenches said:

Off course I can decry an antiquated democracy and want a separate country.  I don't see the link.  

Only on a perpetual fix if people fall for it.  

 

 

Because you're not looking for a ink, and folk are falling over themselves to fall for it.

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15 minutes ago, ri Alban said:

The UK national debt is £2t yet Scotland is supposed to be better off in this. When exactly did Scotland borrow £180b?

 

 

 

Scotland doesn't have any debt. It is the UK's debt and Scotland is part of the UK. Borrowing is reserved to WM as are many areas of spending. If it were to leave the UK, it leaves with a blank sheet as it will be a new Country. 

 

If Scotland were to take its share of the UKs 2trillion debt, it also takes its share of the UKs 10.6 trillion of assets, surely? 

 

:greggy:

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1 hour ago, Cruyff said:

If Scotland were to take its share of the UKs 2trillion debt, it also takes its share of the UKs 10.6 trillion of assets, surely?

 

This is the widely accepted international legal position, yes.

 

A startlingly strong starting point in post-independence vote negotiations.

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1 hour ago, Governor Tarkin said:

 

 

 

Because you're not looking for a ink, and folk are falling over themselves to fall for it.

So you can't want away from the democracy of Westminster because we have a border with England? 

I think you need to elaborate on it as I'm baffled.  

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3 hours ago, Governor Tarkin said:

In an ideal world there wouldn't be a them and us.

It's a real pity there is no popular will to work towards this.

The current crop of political leaders are a disgrace.

 

John Lennon: Imagine was his most popular song

 

Ideally, sure. In the meantime, it seems to me that intermediate steps toward greater justice are pretty much all we've got: Set an example, and welcome all who wish to join us. Maybe that's mental, maybe I'm a bad comrade or an incrementalist for thinking so. My positions have evolved a lot over the past year.

 

Just now, Auldbenches said:

So you can't want away from the democracy of Westminster because we have a border with England? 

I think you need to elaborate on it as I'm baffled.  

 

If I'm understanding correctly, the Gov's point goes far beyond the concept of borders entirely.

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Just now, Justin Z said:

 

John Lennon: Imagine was his most popular song

 

Ideally, sure. In the meantime, it seems to me that intermediate steps toward greater justice are pretty much all we've got: Set an example, and welcome all who wish to join us. Maybe that's mental, maybe I'm a bad comrade or an incrementalist for thinking so. My positions have evolved a lot over the past year.

 

 

If I'm understanding correctly, the Gov's point goes far beyond the concept of borders entirely.

I understand that but it's different argument from wanting political independence.  

I'd get rid of shite like national anthems and flags etc.   It just fuels patriotic shite.  

 

 

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Governor Tarkin
1 hour ago, Justin Z said:

 

Ideally, sure. In the meantime, it seems to me that intermediate steps toward greater justice are pretty much all we've got: Set an example, and welcome all who wish to join us. Maybe that's mental, maybe I'm a bad comrade or an incrementalist for thinking so. My positions have evolved a lot over the past year.

 

 

No you're right, intermediate steps are always preferable to bloody revolution. ;)

 

I suppose my positions on such things have become much more fluid, and as a consequence more simplistic, since I no longer have the time to commit to thorough thought and research.

 

You'd have to admit though, in human terms at least, the border between Scotland and England is nonsensical.

 

My beef with nationalism/seperatism (two different animals which are often conflated, both by the confused, and in order to confuse), is that it can distort our view of our real enemies.

 

 

 

Edited by Governor Tarkin
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1 hour ago, Justin Z said:

 

This is the widely accepted international legal position, yes.

 

A startlingly strong starting point in post-independence vote negotiations.

Yep. 👍

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On 13/02/2021 at 11:02, Famous 1874 said:

SNP days are numbered in Scotland, 14 years of absolutely ****ing shite bar a couple of good things intertwined amongst the catastrophic shambles that they have created. Thankfully there is enough educated people in Scotland to see past their division creating ploy and numerous failures. Sturgeon has to go asap, an utter disgrace during this pandemic. 

You forgot the IMO at the end of your rant 🤔

The general view both North and South of the border is she has performed better than the other UK politicians. 

A few dozen 'traditional' Hearts fans on a social media site don't really count. 

 

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Governor Tarkin
6 minutes ago, luckydug said:

You forgot the IMO at the end of your rant 🤔

The general view both North and South of the border is she has performed better than the other UK politicians. 

A few dozen 'traditional' Hearts fans on a social media site don't really count. 

 

 

:rofl:

 

 

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1 hour ago, Governor Tarkin said:

 

No you're right, intermediate steps are always preferable to bloody revolution. ;)

 

I suppose my positions on such things have become much more fluid, and as a consequence more simplistic, since I no longer have the time to commit to thorough thought and research.

 

You'd have to admit though, in human terms at least, the border between Scotland and England is nonsensical.

 

My beef with nationalism/seperatism (two different animals which are often conflated, both by the confused, and in order to confuse), is that it can distort our view of our real enemies.

 

Spot on, Gov.

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I wonder if this statement from 2015  on education will come back to haunt the FM

 

Ms Sturgeon added: “Let me be clear – I want to be judged on this. If you are not, as First Minister, prepared to put your neck on the line on the education of our young people then what are you prepared to. It really matters.”

 
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Konrad von Carstein
14 minutes ago, weehammy said:

It’s unlikely to come back to haunt her as we have useless opposition parties and a compliant media, neither of which ask her difficult questions.

If it does become an issue (as it should) she’ll make sure it’s Swinney’s neck that’s on the line, unless Murrell can cook up a plan to blame Salmond.

 

 

:cornette:

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1 hour ago, weehammy said:

It’s unlikely to come back to haunt her as we have useless opposition parties and a compliant media, neither of which ask her difficult questions.

If it does become an issue (as it should) she’ll make sure it’s Swinney’s neck that’s on the line, unless Murrell can cook up a plan to blame Salmond.

 

So bitter 😂

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I think some people should actually read papers published for Scottish born eyes. Tho, I do wish they'd published the English eyes versions up here. 

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Governor Tarkin
4 hours ago, ri Alban said:

I think some people should actually read papers published for Scottish born eyes. Tho, I do wish they'd published the English eyes versions up here. 

 

I do look forward to the early morning racist ravings of our resident HooseBuddie.

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2 hours ago, Governor Tarkin said:

 

I do look forward to the early morning racist ravings of our resident HooseBuddie.


This. Seething there were no gifs this morning. 

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manaliveits105

Sturgeon said she would only do her talking at the inquiry but has now given an interview to stv to pre-empt Ecks appearance - just claiming innocence basically but she obviously didn’t think it would happen and now has the jitters.

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Speaking to the BBC and STV in broadcast interviews, Ms Sturgeon said it was time for her predecessor to “replace the insinuation and assertion” with evidence, something she believes he cannot do.

In a pre-emptive move before her former friend and ally’s evidence session, the First Minister said Mr Salmond had told her “in quite gory detail” the nature of the complaints against him during a meeting in her home on April 2, 2018.

 

Adding that the burden of proof was on Mr Salmond, Ms Sturgeon said she was “relieved” to be giving evidence next week.

Mr Salmond is set to appear in front of the inquiry on Wednesday following a decision by the Scottish Parliament’s Corporate Body to publish a revised evidence submission.

The decision followed a court challenge by The Spectator magazine on the scope of a court order around Mr Salmond’s trial and after two votes to block its publication by the committee.

Ms Sturgeon is set to give her evidence to the committee next week.

She said: “This week I hope Alex Salmond will turn up to the committee and bring the claims he has been making out into the open.

"He appears to be suggesting some kind of conspiracy or concerted campaign against him without a shred of evidence.

"This is his opportunity, because the burden of proof lies with him, to replace the insinuation and assertion that we’ve heard over several months now with evidence.

"Now I don’t believe he can do that because I know what he is claiming about a conspiracy is not true.

"But if he can’t substantiate it, it is time for him to stop making these claims because it is not fair to women first and foremost who came forward with complaints or the other people who have given loyal service to Alex Salmond who he also appears to be directing those claims to."

Asked about whether she stood by her assertion to Parliament that she first came to know about the complaints during the meeting with Mr Salmond in April, Ms Sturgeon said she stood by what she said.

Pressed on whether a meeting with Geoff Aberdein, the former chief of staff to Mr Salmond, included details of the complaints, the First Minister said the meeting “never held any significance”.

She said: “I stand by what I said to Parliament and I’ll set out the detail of this to the committee. 

"On April 2, 2018, Alex Salmond came to my house and told me in quite gory detail what he was accused of and also gave me his account of one of those incidents.

"There has since been an issue raised about a meeting I had with his former chief of staff three days earlier.

"That’s a meeting that’s never held any significance in my head. My recollection of that I will give to the committee, but it doesn’t change what I’ve said to Parliament.

"I will share all of that with the committee and I relish the opportunity to do that. Many claims have been made about me that are legitimate questions that I have to answer. I am rightly and properly subjected to scrutiny.”

Questioned on the suggestion her husband and SNP chief executive Peter Murrell did not know about the April 2 meeting, Ms Sturgeon said she did not share the details of the meeting.

She said: “He didn't know because he wasn't at the meeting and I didn't share the details with him. I'll get into all of this with the committee, that's for next week.

"I look forward to the opportunity. I'm not pretending it will be an enjoyable experience, but it's a welcome opportunity to set the record straight.”

Admitting the Scottish Government had made mistakes in its handling of the complaints, the First Minister said it was up to other people to “make up their own minds” on her conduct, but that she would “refute the allegations that have been made against me”.

Ms Sturgeon was also asked whether the development of the policy, which took place as senior civil servants were aware of potential complaints against Mr Salmond, was directed towards her predecessor. The First Minister said that was not the context of the policy.

She said: “I had a lingering suspicion because of the Sky query about Edinburgh Airport, but what I’ve set out to Parliament I stand by in terms of when I became aware of the specific Scottish Government complaints.

“The committee has already heard from the senior official who was charged with drawing up that policy that he actually looked at the pre-existing policies, decided there was a gap in terms of former ministers.

"The idea back then that this was about Alex Salmond rather than the global MeToo movement that everybody, organisations the world over were reviewing their policies, making sure that past deficiencies where women felt they couldn’t come forward, particularly about historic complaints, that we were trying to rectify that.

"That was the context of the development of this policy, not Alex Salmond.”

Asked whether Leslie Evans, the permanent secretary, still commanded her confidence, Ms Sturgeon said she expected the civil servant to remain in post until her term finishes.

She said: “Yes, I do and I think it is important that everybody involved in this has the ability to answer questions as she has done before the committee on a number of occasions.”

Ms Sturgeon added: "Leslie Evans is going to be permanent secretary. Her term of office comes to an end in about a year’s time or such like. My expectation is that Leslie Evans will continue until then to be permanent secretary.”


https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-accuses-alex-salmond-of-not-having-a-shred-of-evidence-to-back-up-conspiracy-allegations-3143091

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manaliveits105
2 hours ago, Seymour M Hersh said:

Preparations already being made across Scotland for Wednesday. 

 

 

th-4.jpeg

Gonna need a bigger box !!

Edited by manaliveits105
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On 17/02/2021 at 14:38, luckydug said:

You forgot the IMO at the end of your rant 🤔

The general view both North and South of the border is she has performed better than the other UK politicians. 

A few dozen 'traditional' Hearts fans on a social media site don't really count. 

 

 

 

Performed better on the telly? So, OK her PR is slick, but what has she actually achieved?

Edited by JDK2020
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“The evidence supports a deliberate, prolonged, malicious & concerted effort amongst a range of individuals in Scot Govt & SNP to damage my reputation, even to extent of having me imprisoned.” 

 

“Mr Murrell (SNP chief Exec & husband of Nicola Sturgeon) deployed his senior staff to recruit & persuade staff & ex-staff to submit police complaints... clear that any supporting evidence establishing this point was not shared with committee by Crown Office. Why?”

 

Resignations? Nah. Jail terms please.

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Not holding back. 

 

Needs to focus on the technical aspects like turning down mediation and failing to record meetings. That's usually what wins these sort of things. Harder to prove a conspiracy. Though not sure what 'winning'  means here. 

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If someone had set me up in the way Eck was set up, I'd be all fire and brimstone as well.

 

Sturgeon and Peter Murrell can feckin :bolt:

Edited by Cruyff
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43 minutes ago, manaliveits105 said:

looks like Crown Office may have been got at by the Murrells legal team to get Parliamentary Committee to remove and redact Alexs submission again :interehjrling:

 

That’s indeed what I suspect has happened 

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2 hours ago, manaliveits105 said:

looks like Crown Office may have been got at by the Murrells legal team to get Parliamentary Committee to remove and redact Alexs submission again :interehjrling:

 

 

Fine line in helping identify the women complainers.

 

Naming some people helps identify them.

 

But its right it's been published. 

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20 hours ago, Boy Daniel said:

 

Not any more.

 

Documents have been removed.

 

Edited version back on later. No one knows yet if Salmond will pull out. 

Edited by Mikey1874
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26 minutes ago, Mikey1874 said:

 

Not any more.

 

Documents have been removed.

 

Edited version back on later. No one knows yet if Salmond will pull out. 

I’m sure someone will have copied them before they were removed. 

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Not keen at all of Salmond

 

But surely after all the accusations fired at him and then being found not guilty of them all by a jury full of females, he should be allowed to give his side of the story?

 

 

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13 minutes ago, Boy Daniel said:

I’m sure someone will have copied them before they were removed. 

 

The point seems to be that the Committee can only use what has been published. And Salmond can only talk about what has been published.

 

Its censorship. 

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14 minutes ago, Mikey1874 said:

 

The point seems to be that the Committee can only use what has been published. And Salmond can only talk about what has been published.

 

Its censorship. 

If that’s the case then we can expect Salmond to refuse to appear again. 

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manaliveits105

The lord advocate is the chief legal officer of the Scottish government and  the crown

Walter James Wolffe QC is a senior Scottish lawyer who has served as Lord Advocate since 1st June 2016. He was appointed by the current First Minister.:cornette_dog:

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1 hour ago, manaliveits105 said:

For Sturgeons Scotland think Putins Russia - Alex better get his after shave bottles checked out

He's not appearing tomorrow.  The country is heading towards banana republic territory.  Thankfully, Alex Salmond is a lot smarter than Sturgeon and I do look forward to his press conference 😎

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The problem sturgeon has now is that the cat is out the bag as far as Salmond’s submissions are concerned. They are out there and there’s no point in trying to redact them now. 
Any journalist worth their salt will challenge the FM about her take on the “facts” at every opportunity

Edited by Boy Daniel
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From the Scotsman.

 

The former first minister confirmed tonight he would not give evidence to the committee in person tomorrow following their decision to delete, redact, and republish his revised submission on the potential ministerial code breach by Nicola Sturgeon.

It came as the Scottish Parliament was threatened with criminal proceedings by the Crown Office if it did not redact Mr Salmond’s key evidence.

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It is understood that Mr Salmond has offered this coming Friday as an alternative day to appear in front of the committee, with the refusal to attend tomorrow due to the legal difficulties arising from the decision to redact his evidence on the ministerial code.

This offer will be discussed at tomorrow’s private meeting of the committee.

In a letter from his legal team to the committee seen by The Scotsman, Mr Salmond’s team said the redactions to his evidence have “created a significant legal impediment to his oral evidence”.

The letter adds that the committee convener, Linda Fabiani, rejected the suggestion of a meeting to discuss the scenario, labelling it unproductive and promising written guidance instead.

Responding, Mr Salmond’s legal team state: “As it happens, no such written guidance has been sent to us in spite of the fact that we have been asking for this for months.

“Neither we nor our client can see how a meeting to discuss the parameters of his evidence could be anything other than productive or helpful.

"It is now clearly impossible for him to attend tomorrow in these circumstances, but he remains willing to attend on Friday. He accepts that is entirely in the hands of the committee to whom he has asked that we copy this correspondence.”

An Scottish Parliament spokesperson said: “Mr Salmond has informed the Committee that he will not be attending tomorrow’s meeting to give evidence. The Committee will instead meet in private to discuss the implications of Mr Salmond’s response and the next steps for its work.”

Non-publication of Mr Salmond’s evidence was previously understood to be the final hurdle stopping the former leader of the SNP from giving evidence.

The issue was thought to have been overcome when the Scottish Parliament’s Corporate Body (SPCB) overturned two votes by the harassment complaints committee to publish the evidence.

However, the Crown Office’s intervention and parliament’s resulting redactions led to an warning from Mr Salmond’s legal team that the move could lead to his withdrawal.

In a letter to the committee, David McKie of Levy and McRae warned convener Linda Fabiani that the redactions could “have a material bearing on whether he is able to attend tomorrow”.

It continued: “As matters stand, we have advised him that the apparent intervention from the Crown suggests that there has to be a material risk to him in speaking to his submission. He cannot be placed in legal jeopardy.”

In response, the Scottish Conservatives and Scottish Labour demanded the head of the Crown Office, James Wolffe QC, give an urgent statement to parliament on the fiasco on Wednesday.

Jackie Baillie, the interim leader of Scottish Labour, said he and Crown Agent David Harvie must appear in Holyrood and called for the publication of the letter from the Crown to the SPCB.

She said: “Too much time and money has been spent on this sordid tale. The committee must be able to get on with its work, unobstructed and without information being inappropriately withheld.”

The harassment complaints committee is examining the botched handling of harassment complaints against Mr Salmond by the Scottish Government, which led to a £500,000 legal bill after the Government conceded a judicial review challenge on the grounds of the process being “tainted by apparent bias”.

Mr Salmond was also acquitted of sexual offence charges in a trial last year.

Nicola Sturgeon is expected to give evidence next week.

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