Category: Uncategorized

3 Sep 2003: Swinney’s leadership ambitions under the cosh after “stalking horse” candidate submitted nomination papers

Although Dr Bill Wilson stood little chance of winning, Swinney’s critics hoped that a “stalking horse” bid would provoke a serious challenge to a leader whose standing with Party members had been damaged further by the loss of 8 MSPs in the recent Scottish general election.

Critics had blamed the losses on Swinney’s style and his lack of charisma. His dictatorial style of leadership had alienated several MSP’s including former MSP, Dorothy-Grace Elder and legendary SNP, figure Margo McDonald both of whom had resigned from the Party. A senior party activist commented:

“This shows the widespread frustration among the grassroots. This was Labour’s worst election performance, but we could not capitalise on it. We lost eight seats and Swinney and others claimed it was a good campaign.”

10 Sep 2003: Swinney wins leadership battle

Marked by a low turnout and many abstentions an unhappy membership confirmed Swinney as Party Leader. Speaking just after the result was announced a relieved Swinney said:

“This has been an uncomfortable summer for the SNP. But we have emerged stronger. I have made it clear that I have listened to members’ concerns and will continue to listen. The row between the gradualist side of the party and those in favour of an independence referendum, and the fundamentalist wing, who want all or nothing, should now end. The door is shut on these arguments”.

MSP Campbell Martin, the most prominent of Dr Wilson’s supporters, said:

“Swinney will be pleased with the result. But he must now look over his shoulder. Bill took almost 20 per cent of the vote which means Swinney is effectively on probation until next year’s conference. Any danger to his leadership could now surface from people within his leadership clique, who could now see an opportunity for themselves.”

21 Sep 2003: Swinney talks to other Party leaders about an independence referendum

Swinney hoped the prospect of a referendum would quell rebellion in the Party after he discussed his proposals with the Green Party and other independence-supporting MSPs.

But Senior SNP figures, who believed victory at the ballot box was all that was required for independence, said that Swinney’s failure to grasp the nettle of independence by fudging the issue only confused voters. One senior fundamentalist said: “What we want is independence, not indecision”.

Swinney commented: “The choice for the SNP now is to follow a route into government and deliver independence through a referendum, or go into the political wilderness as we did in the 1980s, and that wasn’t a nice place for us. I’m prepared to talk to any political Party who supports independence”.

But a senior party figure questioned the wisdom of his plans to build such a coalition, saying: “This smacks of desperation. Swinney wants to reform the party believing an independence referendum is the way forward. But to announce a week before the leadership vote that he wants to do that along with the Greens and SSP makes us look like a fantasy party. If this is a ploy to silence the fundamentalists it won’t work. All it does is show that we don’t have full confidence in winning a majority in the Scottish Parliament”.

James Dornan – his Office Manager – Liz Lloyd and John Swinney participated in the political assassination of SNP Minister Mark McDonald

Swinney – A political numnut whose 25 year career is blotted by costly blunders and abject failure wasting many millions of Scottish taxpayers hard earned tax contributions

Swinney part 2 – Exposing the crap fed to the Scottish public by Sturgeon’s government

John Swinney – politician of conviction or opportunist chancer who clings to power on Sturgeons skirts

A core principle for the Smith Commission must be to ensure that devolved powers granted to Scotland are underwritten by a legal framework that ensures their durability and stability -Swinney did not insist on this and Scotland’s powers are being dismantled piecemeal

Swinney I decide the sex education curriculum so button up!!

John Swinney Tells the Salmond – Sturgeon Inquiry Where to Get Off

Swinney – Flying Without Wings Politician – Time to Step Down John

Is Alex Salmond a Pawn in the Devious Schemes of Svengali Swinney

The SNP weaponised the “Moorov Doctrine” against Mark McDonald and let Jamie Hepburn off the hook to protect their assault

Frau Sturgeon and her regime intend to impose the GRA on Scots who should have heeded the warning of the Supreme Court Judges- “The first thing that a totalitarian regime tries to do is to get at the children, to distance them from the influences of their families, and indoctrinate them in their rulers’ view of the world”

The SNP Has Morphed Into A Party Ruled By A Group Of Mushroom Demagogues

The Party nosedived after the GE of 2015 when Sturgeon turned her face away from the electorates’ instruction to notify the Unionists that the 1707 Treaty of Union was ending. Her decision to ignore the strongest mandate for independence ever handed to politicians in preference for retaining and indeed strengthening the Union was unforgivable but not unexpected since she did her best to scupper the 2014 independence campaign with her lacklustre leadership.

Her commitment to the SNP and the successful policies established under the leadership of Alex Salmond was always suspect and she confirmed this by dismantling the organisational structure of the Party replacing it with one reminiscent of the East German government with all power centred on herself and her trusted clique of similarly minded LGBTQ activists.

She then set about recruiting candidates for office in the 2015 GE personally restricting recruitment to those that fit the LGBTQ profile. Many who benefitted from her largess were wholly unfit for public office. She entertained her chums and presided over any modern electorate’s biggest financial rip-off.

Furthering her dream of taking LGBTQ ideals to the forefront of Scottish society she top-sliced many millions transferring to herself control of the allocation and distribution of large amounts of finance to recently formed LGBTQ organisations many of which claimed dubious charitable status

She further strengthened her position by adding Green MSPs supported by less than 2% of Scots to the Scottish Government, elevating some of them to ministerial office. Evidenced by their performance these Green champions were quite mad and damaged the SNP to the extent that the electorate questioned the fitness of the SNP for continued governance of the country.

The SNP is headed for oblivion in the 2024 GE and the 2026 Scottish elections but might yet be saved from oblivion with the wholesale abandonment of the Sturgeonista’s disastrous policies returning to the political agenda that persuaded Scots to support the Party when it was led by Alex Salmond.

The opportunistic posturing votes of no-confidence by the opposition parties at Holyrood will most likely fail and any fallout will be minor and temporary with Yousaf gaining confidence that his way is succeeding but this would be a false dawn to be fully exposed by the outcome of the 2024 GE in which the SNP might be decimated returning MPs in single figures.

Promotion of a political numpty

Swinney, a political numpty whose 25-year career (not yet at an end) has been blotted by blunders and abject failures wasting many millions of Scottish taxpayer’s hard-earned income tax contributions escapes the scrutiny of Scots.

A brief Introduction

Alex Salmond resigned from the SNP leadership in 2000 and Swinney was elected Leader.

The Party lost an MP in 2001 and 27 MSPs in 2003 despite having all the political advantages. His role as a leader was challenged but he stubbornly held on until he was forced to step down after a disappointing 2004 European Parliament election in which the Party lost further ground.

What went wrong?

Swinney lost the support of large swathes of SNP because he surrounded himself with a clique of MSPs and unelected advisers who shifted the party to the right. Their mantra: If you were not with them, then you were against them and fair game to be attacked and destroyed.

The return of Alex Salmond

2004: Alex Salmond returned as Party leader and reintroduced collegiate management. The Party went on to win the highest number of seats, (just short of a majority) in the Scottish Parliament in the 2007 election and he was appointed First Minister.

Swinney: The full story

Swinney – A political numnut whose 25 year career is blotted by costly blunders and abject failure wasting many millions of Scottish taxpayers hard earned tax contributions

November 12 2013: How the USA used Sir Jeremy Heywood and Sir John Scarlett to bring an EU drone strike capability on anyone in the UK

US influence in Europe and the UK aims to construct a Federal model as in the US and USSR. In this model, Parliament will become a weakened part of the constitution required only to pay lip service to democratic principles whilst permitting unelected bureaucrats to create and implement policies.

The UK plays an active role in European drone construction without the full knowledge of the general population. Policies are imposed by the Cabinet Secretary, on the basis that they contribute to the EU mission.

There is a growing chorus in the political press that the Civil Service, of which the Cabinet Office is the top and the Cabinet Secretary shares the lead Civil Service role, has become politicized and its neutrality compromised.

The notion of the “politicization” of the Civil Service remains vague not having reference to any particular political party. The Civil Service has not yet favoured the political aims of one or other Party at Westminster.

It has, however, confirmed the political aims of the EU Commission in Brussels and the implementation of its political European projects in the UK, and in that sense, the Civil Service has both lost its neutrality.

It has become politicized by the actions of the Cabinet Secretary, which is a significant point in constitutional terms because the checks and balances of the unwritten UK constitution are now unbalanced mirroring the European model which is being imposed in an underhand and secretive way.

The scenario is set for EU-controlled drone warfare. In September 2002 the infamous Dodgy Dossier was released by the UK Government which became the justification for the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Sir Jeremy Heywood was Principal Private Secretary to Tony Blair appointed in 1999. The dossier was flawed and made false allegations about the existence of WMD and nuclear programs in Iraq.

Sir John Scarlett was chair of JIC, the Joint Intelligence Committee and he wrote to Tony Blair’s foreign affairs adviser David Manning about, “the benefit of obscuring the fact that in terms of WMD Iraq is not that exceptional”.

In other words, the dossier was misleading about Iraq’s capabilities. Sir Richard Dearlove, as ‘C’ Head of MI6 said he was misquoted in the ‘Downing Street Memo’ of a meeting about Iraq on 23 July 2002 saying it was, ” a misquotation of what I said, and what I said is not in the public record.”

Sir Jeremy Heywood resigned from the Civil Service (and joined Morgan Stanley bank) in 2003. The Hutton Inquiry found that he had claimed not to minute meetings in the PM’s office concerning the scientist Dr David Kelly who died, (murder or suicide) on 17 July 2003 having been named as a source questioning the veracity of the Dodgy Dossier.

With so much confusion it is at least clear that the UK had been mobilized by the USA to justify George Bush’s desire to hit Saddam Hussein. Sir John Scarlett’s role in the Iraq affair emerged as being pro-US.

Sir Jeremy Heywood’s role was less clear until 2013. when reports surfaced that Sir Jeremy Heywood’s Cabinet Office was blocking the release of papers to the Iraq inquiry which were detailed conversations between Blair and Bush together with notes and cabinet meetings. This was assumed to be to protect UK-US relations.

Sir John Scarlett acting as consultant to Morgan Stanley Bank once again joined with Sir Jeremy Heywood (returned to the Civil Service from Morgan Stanley bank) in an attempt to sell the UK defence contractor BAE Systems to the European defence contractor EADS in November 2012. Morgan Stanley stood to profit from the sale and questions about Heywood’s conflict of interest were asked.

The deal fell through but it was a good indicator of Heywood’s position on UK defence. It is part of the European and USA strategy that the EU member states reduce their defence capabilities in favour of a federal EU force.

A direct consequence of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was the spread of the radicalization process controlled by Al Qaeda and sister Taliban groups which were originally CIA creations.

The CIA waged a drone war on its creations in Pakistan without any hindrance from other states. Drone strike technology was developed and refined in a theatre of war well away from Western shores.

In the summer of 2013, it was announced that the EU intended to operate its own drone air force as an intelligence gathering operation to counter the US activities.

Lady Ashton called for the use of military drones in Europe. So the war which Heywood helped to start in Iraq produced a drone nursery in Pakistan which technology the EU can use against its own citizens using, “threats” as an excuse.

Member states are weakened militarily and in intelligence terms resultant of policies implemented by the likes of Sir Jeremy Heywood and Sir John Scarlett that an EU drone-based air intelligence force is the only answer to, “threats”.  

31 October 2014: France’s security fears over mysterious drones seen flying above nuclear plants

France launched an investigation into unidentified drones that were spotted over nuclear plants operated by state-owned utility EDF.

The French interior minister said that seven nuclear plants across the country were overflown by drones without any impact on the plants’ safety or functioning. The drone sightings renewed concerns about the safety of nuclear plants in France, the world’s most nuclear-reliant country with 58 reactors on 19 sites operated by EDF.

The head of Greenpeace’s anti-nuclear campaign said in a statement. ‘What is happening is very worrying,’ adding that France’s nuclear research institute CEA near Paris had also been flown over, citing unspecified sources.

The unmanned aircraft were spotted late in the evening, at night or very early in the morning, EDF said. It is prohibited to fly less than 1,000 meters above nuclear plants and within a 5-kilometre radius.

New York Police to introduce drone technology

New York police said they were concerned drones could become tools for terrorists, and were investigating ways to stop potential attacks. The NYPD said the technology has advanced enough that someone could use them to carry out an air assault using chemical weapons and firearms and they intended to develop drone technology which will allow them to take control of drones and scan the skies for them before major events.

References:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2813902/France-investigates-mystery-drone-activity-nuclear-plants.html
http://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2013/oct/18/jeremy-heywood-pollyanna-whitehall-francis-maude
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/paul-flynn/politicising-the-civil-service_b_3110213.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2359126/Sir-Jeremy-Heywood-Lazy-civil-servants-hide.html
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/jul/10/ministers-new-powers-civil-servants
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/liberaldemocrats/10326146/Sir-Jeremy-Heywood-called-in-to-defuse-wind-farm-row.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/top-civil-servant-jeremy-heywood-met-cuadrilla-chief-straight-after-sussex-fracking-announcement-8827542.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2213626/SPECIAL-INVESTIGATION-Sir-Jeremy-Heywood-centre-incestuous-nexus-lobbying-end-independence-BAE.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2207611/BAE-deal-Conflict-fears-David-Camerons-right-hand-mandarin-Sir-Jeremy-Heywood.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/10429617/Shipbuilding-to-stop-at-Portsmouth-but-jobs-could-be-saved-if-Scotland-votes-for-independence.html
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/bruno-in-brussels-eu-unplugged/brusselsbruno/367/
http://rt.com/news/data-protection-rules-eu-491/
http://euobserver.com/defence/121854
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/10425418/Brussels-demands-EU-intelligence-service-to-spy-on-US.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24753920
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24776363

This is a story unlike any previously published. The product of some 18 months of reporting, it tells the story of the catastrophe that fractured the Arab world since the invasion of Iraq, leading to the rise of ISIS and the global refugee crisis.

The geography of this catastrophe is broad and its causes are many, but its consequences — war and uncertainty throughout the world — are familiar to us all.  The story gives the reader a visceral sense of how it all unfolded, through the eyes of six characters in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan.

Accompanying the text are 10 portfolios by the photographer Paolo Pellegrin, drawn from his extensive travels across the region, as well as a landmark virtual-reality experience that embeds the viewer with the Iraqi fighting forces during the 2016 battle to retake Falluja.

It is unprecedented to focus so much energy and attention on a single story,  but what follows is one of the most clear-eyed, powerful and human explanations of what went wrong in the region that you will ever read. 

The Unionist Party “Child Poverty Act” of 2010 committed the Westminster political elite to completely eliminate poverty amongst children in the UK, by 2020.

But the reality for millions of Scottish children is an upbringing in poverty due to low-paid work and continued high unemployment levels which, due to welfare cutbacks will not be supplemented by the State.

“Save the Children”, took up the cause and produced a report, critical of politicians and their false promises “A Fair Start for Every Child”, warned that child poverty levels in 2014 were the “highest ever recorded in the UK” due to the poor getting poorer, the imposition of harsh welfare cuts and the increasing cost of every day essentials needed in support of children (decent clothing, footwear, balanced diets, medicines, heating etc.) http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/sites/default/files/images/A_Fair_Start_for_Every_Child.pdf

The usual Unionist government blandishments were issued stating that every effort, forming part of a long-term strategy, would be made to identify and resolve the root causes of the problems. But unless poor wages and poor welfare formed part of the response the future for children in poor families remained bleak.

Now the split in the consensus: The Labour Party went on the hunt, making mischief, blaming the Tory government for all the ills that UK society suffered, without mentioning that the legislation bringing forward measures dealing with the problems of the increasing numbers of the “underclass and their feral children” was placed on the statute in 2004 by Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and New Labour.

The Tory and Lib/Dems simply picked up the cudgel created for them by the Labour government and wielded it with gusto.

Beyond the general election, the Tory Party committed to the implementation of an austerity programme ensuring the elimination of a £1.6 trillion financial deficit, created by the Labour government and added to by the Tory Party.

The Labour Party sang from the same song sheet as the Tories committed to a similar programme of massive cuts “but to be applied with a human face”.

So child poverty would be increasing unless the “austerity measures” were binned in favour of an expansion of the economy, favoured by many informed financial experts.

The SNP argument

“The exchequer gathered billions to its coffers over the last 5 years and this should be released to families improving their lifestyles and the welfare of their children. The benefits are obvious. A fair-minded society means healthy children and a contented electorate who will work hard to increase tax revenues affording a faster reduction of the deficit.”

I am a member of ALBA and am advancing views for the Party to consider incorporating as policy before the next election.

Introduction

The Scottish electorate should decide upon the standards of behaviour expected of individuals employed by the Government and those elected to office as MSPs and Ministers and the punitive measures to be applied in cases of misconduct.

The devolved Government should commit to rule as an interim body until independence is achieved and legislation introducing major changes to society is to be referred to the electorate for decision by referendum.

Legislation imposed on the country since the opening of the Scottish parliament at Holyrood should be reviewed and with consensus referred to the electorate for decision by referendum.

A provisional list of legislative matters to be so referred includes:

Reform of the Gender Recognition Act.

LGBTO+ inclusive education has been embedded by stealth within the curriculum children as young as four years old are now able to change their names and genders at schools without requiring parental consent and schools permit students who claim to be transgender to use whatever bathroom or locker room they prefer. Also under the new inclusivity guidelines teachers are urged not to question students if they indicate a wish to transition genders. Instead, teachers are urged to ask for the students’ new names and pronouns.

Government & the Crown – Bad law

The relationship between the Government and the Crown is a proven source of bad law. Reform is urgently required

Alcohol – Minimum Unit Price

In May 2018 the SNP government introduced a legally enforced minimum price for all alcoholic drinks to tackle chronic alcohol abuse by “hard to reach” people who drink alcohol at harmful levels, including those dependent on alcohol and those accessing treatment services. The policy has not encouraged problem drinkers to consume less but has resulted in a marked shift to cheaper sourced illegal drug use and associated crime.

Hate Crime Law

In 2018, MSPs voted to repeal a controversial law introduced by the SNP which criminalised the “stirring up of hatred” against certain people or groups about football matches, as well as outlawing certain “threatening communications”.

The following year, SNP ministers abandoned attempts to appoint a named person to safeguard the welfare of every child in the country, after the UK Supreme Court criticised the plan as a breach of privacy.

MSPs made significant amendments to the current hate crime legislation when they were scrutinising the bill in parliament after lawyers, journalists and comedians raised concerns that it impinged on free speech.

Roddy Dunlop KC said the actual law was much improved from its original draft, in particular, because freedom of expression was now “baked-in” to it.

However, he said, some “very understandable concerns” remained, and the Scottish state appeared to be more willing than it had been in previous times to interfere in people’s private lives.

Mr Dunlop also said there was a danger of “completely malicious” complaints being recorded and retained by police, and urged the Scottish government to clarify how such data would be handled.

Come April Fool’s Day, many eyes will be on Scotland to see if it has managed to strike the right balance between authoritarianism and liberalism – and between freedom and safety – as it attempts to slay the “hate monster”.

In a statement, it defended the use of third-party reporting centres but also promised to set up a “short-life working group” to “re-evaluate the criteria of a third-party reporting centre, recording and maintenance of the scheme and how to improve support for centres and victims.”

More generally, the looming introduction of the hate crime bill has reignited debate about the Scottish government’s approach to issues of personal freedom. (BBC)

National Police Force

In 2013 all eight of Scotland’s regional police forces were replaced with just one authority, Police Scotland a merger at odds with the long-established tradition of community-based policing and local accountability in Scotland with the potential for damaging conflict between the force’s leading officers and the unelected Scottish Police Authority Quango, which was given executive powers over finance, recruitment and personnel policy which by effect transferred oversight and control of 17,000 police and 6,000 civilian support staff to politicians in the Scottish Government.

The fears expressed by many opponents to the establishment of a single Authority have been realised and the changes should be abandoned and autonomy for local policing returned to the regions and local communities.

The National Specialist Crime Unit should be retained together with a national administration, headquarters and police training unit at Tulliannan headed by a National Director.

There should be a bonfire of the quangos

When the SNP came into power, they promised the ‘bonfire of the quangos’. Under their leadership, the amount of public money being used to support quangos and spin has swelled year upon year. At the same time as the local government has seen its budgets slashed, the SNP has elected to pour more and more money on arms-length bodies that fail to deliver value for money.

Scottish taxpayers are picking up a £22million annual bill for the salaries of chief executives and committee members of almost 100 public quangos, including many people don‘t even know exist.

A review is needed to decide how many of these organisations are required amid a cost-of-living crisis when the NHS, schools and thousands of Scots are living in poverty.

An example of the crazy world of the Scottish quangos

December 2023: A row broke out after it emerged the SNP-led Government appointments committee had contracted Michael Russell to be chair of the Scottish Land Commission SLC Quango on an annual salary of £400,000 plus financial incentives.

The best-qualified person for the post who wasn’t even considered, the land reform expert and former Green MSP Andy Wightman, tweeted:

“Depressing that the vote whether to recommend Mike Russell as Chair of Scottish Land Commission broke along party lines. Decisions like this should not be political, but, unsurprisingly, the SNP & Greens did not want any scrutiny.”

Scotland’s Other Government – The Unaccountable Quangos

Conclusion

The foregoing list of subjects is not exhaustive and I expect there are many other matters of concern which could be added. But Scottish electorate needs to know what ALBA stands for now. We must get the message out there and soon!!!

Extracted from: “Break-Up: How Alex Salmond And Nicola Sturgeon Went To War” written by former Daily Record political editor David Clegg and Times journalist Kieran Andrews.

“This was not the first occasion during my time as political editor of the Record that I had been given cause to suspect Salmond could be a potential subject of harassment complaints.

I’d been covering the Scottish Parliament for seven years when the #MeToo movement erupted in the autumn of 2017 and sparked a wave of intense scrutiny of the behaviour of powerful men.

I had a conversation with a Scottish Government official that would set the course for what followed. The well-placed figure said dramatically: “Everyone working in government knows that if a Harvey Weinstein scandal is going to emerge in Scotland, it will be about Alex Salmond.” Stunned by this comment from a normally level-headed contact, I immediately rang my editor, Murray Foote, to discuss what to do.

It was decided that I should drop all other stories and spend the next few weeks digging into Salmond.

I began contacting civil servants, SNP staffers and government employees I knew had worked closely with the former first minister in the previous two decades.

A pattern quickly emerged. Salmond was described as a ferocious boss and hard taskmaster who was prone to shouting and swearing at staff. The word “bully” cropped up again and again.

Several sources also claimed the Scottish Government had implemented a secret policy prior to the independence referendum to ensure the safety of female employees working at close quarters with Salmond.

Yet it was also evident the former first minister was an extremely talented and charismatic leader who inspired feelings of loyalty and devotion in subordinates – even those he mistreated.

The picture was of a powerful man with a quick temper who had presided over a toxic culture that saw his erratic behaviour indulged and covered up by the civil service.

On 31 October 2017, I submitted a series of questions to the Scottish Government asking if any complaints had been made about Salmond during his time as first minister.

In a separate media inquiry, I also asked if a policy had been put in place to stop women working alone late at night with him. The government insisted there had been no policy and no complaints.

Despite continuing whispers at Holyrood about Salmond having skeletons in his closet, none of the claims could be corroborated with sufficient certainty to allow publication.”

Comment: Clegg’s singular, persistent yet unfruitful pursuit over a number of weeks, seeking from Scottish government employees and civil servants, information that would be damaging to Alex Salmond was in direct contravention of the news editor’s “code of Practice”. Harassment: Journalists must not engage in intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit.

Clegg and his editors freely admitted blatantly contravening the code conducting a “harassment fishing trip” that revealed nothing of any verifiable substance.

Information, or allegations of wrong doing, from any source, gathered subsequent to 1 November 2017 should have been given over to officers of the government at their request.