Publishing Scotland Publishing Scotland is a registered charity, governed by a main Board of Trustees with responsibility for overall policy setting and financial matters. It is very generously supported by the Scottish Government, with finance released to it through Creative Scotland, (annual charitable distribution between £75-£100million) It is also part funded by annual subscriptions from […]

The first months In the Autumn of 2017, Nicola Sturgeon instructed Leslie Evans to complete a review of the harassment policy of the Government and to bring forward proposals for change drafting revised procedures in line with the Scottish Government’s transparency in government drive. The review was completed and the consensus was that they required […]

Keir Starmer Aided by The John Smith Foundation To Launch Their Assault on Scotland The Leader of the Labour party, Sir Keir Starmer intends to launch a new devolution deal for Holyrood as part of an attempt to revive Labour’s fortunes in Scotland. Pressure has been building within the Labour movement pushing it towards a […]

Sturgeon’s near 50 conversations with Alex between April and July 2018 are evidence of her inability to delegate to Evans the authority to investigate the allegations so she contented her ego and passed on the responsibility whilst retaining overall control. In her written submission to the Holyrood Inquiry Sturgeon finally admitted to the meeting on […]

The Alex Salmond Stitch-Up – Events on 06 June 2018: In her statement to the Holyrood Inquiry Sturgeon said: Alex Salmond sent me a message on 03 June 2018. Both the tone and content of this message led me to conclude that legal action by Alex Salmond against the Scottish Government was a serious prospect […]

Police investigations – Conduct obstructing or calculating to prejudice the due administration of justice. 21 August 2018: Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, and a Detective Chief Superintendent colleague met with Crown Agent Harvie at his request. He told them that the government had referred the complaints about Alex to the Crown Office “for Police investigation of […]

The First Minister’s ever expanding army of “Special Advisers” “Special Advisers” are political appointments and are exempt from impartiality requirements normally expected of civil servants in order to provide them with the freedom to give political advice to Ministers. Although never elected by the public nor subject to the normal rules of employee recruitment and […]

12 December 2017: Sturgeon’s “Get Salmond” team of civil servants was provided with guidance documentation from the UK Cabinet Secretary’s office so that they would be assured their new procedure for investigating retrospective allegations of harassment against former Ministers would incorporate best practice and be legally sound. They ignored all of it believing they knew […]

20 December 2017: Draft letter compiled, from the First Minister to all former Scottish Government Minsters advising that a new retrospective examination of allegations of harassment would be applied from the opening of Holyrood. There was no indication of any intention by the Government to conduct a “lookback” trawl of previously investigated and settled claims. […]

A Voice From the Political Wilderness 12 April 2023: Humza Yousaf, Leader of the SNP appointed the well known Independence activist and campaigner for Amnesty International Julie Hepburn to a new role of “Head of Strategic Delivery”. About Julie Hepburn Julie is a long-standing SNP activist and member of the National Executive Committee. On her […]