Sturgeon claimed to be a progressive individual focussed on delivering good things for Scots through the outwardly appealing but internally dictatorial corporate lobby.
But in the wacky world of the Scottish National Party the interests and concerns of the many are subsumed by the financial rewards for those who are willingly supplicant to the demands of the party leadership.
Scotland’s National Investment Bank
Set up by Sturgeon to make strategic investments for the common good of the people of Scotland it morphed into a tool for corporate business to capitalise on.
Travelnest Ltd, received £3 million in start-up funding, with more finance promised. The company specialised in providing infrastructure for the rapidly growing number of holiday homeowners enabling them to list and rent their properties.
Comment: Encouraging the uncontrolled market expansion of 2nd and 3rd home purchases in Scotland’s rural areas by primarily English residents can be likened to providing billets for 20,000 English soldiers who through claim of residence are extended the privilege of a vote in Scottish elections. Kiss any successful independence referendum goodbye!!!
Take a look at some of the other corporate networks involved:
The Chair of SNIB is Willie Watt. Watt is an Advisory Board Member of Scottish Equity Partners, a private sector Glasgow-based investment consortia which is already investing in projects into which SNIB is investing.
Carolyn Jamieson is a Non Executive Director of the Scottish National Investment Bank and is also an Advisory Board Member of Scottish Equity Partners.
She is formerly Chief Legal Officer at Skyscanner. Interestingly the new “Chief Entrepreneur” is also formerly a top executive at Skyscanner. Small world.
In 2021 Kate Forbes set up something called the Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review.
It was outsourced and led by Mark Logan.
A contract valued at £100,000 went to a private business called Ipso Facto Ltd.
Mark Logan is the co-founder of Ipso Facto. He is also a director of, (drum roll) Travelnest Ltd.
https://www.gov.scot/news/accelerating-scotlands-tech-led-recovery/
All of the foregoing fits neatly into a climate of patronage set up around the leadership of the Scottish Government sprawling beyond the corporate sector and into wider parts of public life.
The Chair of the Economic Recovery Group, is also the Chair of Buccleuch Estates and is also Chair of the National Galleries of Scotland board, alongside Andrew Wilson of Charlotte Street Partners who is also the author of the Growth Commission, alongside Willie Watt who is also the inaugural chair of the Scottish National Investment bank.
The Sturgeon founded National Investment Bank is in deep financial trouble: Its closure will cost the Scottish taxpayer’s billion of pounds
The bank has struggled to make a profit despite having £2bn of public funding ring-fenced for it. It made a £14.6m pre-tax loss in 2023/24. Its latest accounts were published on Wednesday and showed that some of its investments had plummeted in value, meaning that they were worth less and led to the loss of £58.4m. The value of its portfolio slid by a hefty £77m as its decisions to plough money into some Scottish companies turned sour.
Scottish taxpayers stung again as Sturgeon’s founded investment bank faces a significant financial loss as a company it backed goes bust
The struggling bank founded by Nicola Sturgeon to fund up-and-coming entrepreneurs and businesses faces yet another huge taxpayer-funded loss as M Squared Lasers goes bust owing the public purse £34m.
The Glasgow technology company, founded by Graeme Malcolm and Gareth Maker has run out of cash and ceased trading in the latest embarrassment for the flagship SNP project. 28 staff are being made redundant.
The bank has written off financial losses by:
Krucial, a satellite and digital technology specialist which closed after netting £2.9m of public cash.
Circularity Scotland, formed by Green Party minister Lorna Slater to run the Scottish Government’s doomed deposit return scheme which folded in 2023, with a loss of £9m. The Scottish Government are facing a multi million pound lawsuit from suppliers to the now closed venture
caltonjock 
Typical Sturgeon everything she touches or is involved in turns to SHITE , how is it possible to invest £34million in a company that is exuding failure
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