A previous article outlined events from the introduction of the two crowns through to the period up to the imposition of the 1707 Treaty of Union by England, on Scotland.
In the latter part of the sixteenth and the first years of the seventeenth century, the English first tried to woo Scotland into entering an arrangement which would lead to an agreement to join the kingdoms in a union. But Scots who had endured many English invasions rejected the overtures.
The velvet glove approach being rejected England reverted to type and set about destroying the Scottish economy through the imposition of shipping blockades, the application of hefty import taxes on Scottish goods, destruction of Scottish commercial ventures in the Americas and Europe.
It was to be submission to English rule or destruction a process that took nearly 20 years to complete, but famine, English naval and land army blockades coupled with military and financial coercion of European countries into avoiding trade with Scotland brought hardship and death on Scots.
The final and most deplorable betrayal of Scotland was by its own King, aided greatly by the equally treacherous Spanish, who approved the destruction of the Darien community in the Panama Isthmus. This proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back and brought the Scots to the negotiating table.
The English, well chuffed with their conquest declined to negotiate but tabled take it or leave it conditions, the signing of which would bind Scotland to England in a treaty of union. Scots may have been on their knees but they were unbowed and told the English to get stuffed. But Scots were betrayed yet again, this time by an unelected cabal of Scottish lords who sold their country out on the promise of the settlement of their personal debts.
In part two I am highlighting events of significance in the early years after the signing of the Acts of Union. Would the English honour their vows?? Dream on !
1707 Acts of Union – The Early years
Queen Anne was succeeded by her second cousin Sophia in 1714, then Sophia’s son, George I, Elector of Hanover. German “Geordie”, did not speak English and was not actively involved in the government of his new United Kingdom preferring to exercise physical control over his German kingdoms.
This resulted in a shift of power away from the monarch to his council of ministers, the head of which was Sir Robert Walpole who promoted himself as the first-ever Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Scotland’s economy declined markedly as a direct result of the union which brought about a major change in the marketing of goods including the removal of tariffs on goods moving between the countries.
Scottish industries such as linen manufacturing suffered badly because they were no longer shielded from English competition.
The Westminster government’s decision to equalize taxation across the United Kingdom increased taxes in Scotland fivefold and was a hammer blow to Scots who had always enjoyed much lower rates of taxation.
The increased taxation impacted adversely on key Scottish industries. The key Scottish fishing industry was subjected to debilitating new salt taxes.
But the English needed the money to pay for their expansionist policies and wars against France, Spain and other European nations, many of whom had been allied to Scotland for centuries.
Westminster also introduced customs and excise control which brought with it the employment of a huge number of customs and excise officers who enforced many new bureaucratic procedures. The result was a further marked increase in poverty as finance was taken away from Scotland to feed the gluttony of the English parliament at Westminster.
Adding insult to injury the Westminster government blatantly abused the terms of the Acts of Union in reneging on a written commitment to make payment of a substantial manufacturing support payment to Scotland for seven years from 1707.
Westminster reluctantly agreed to make the payment, after nearly 20 years of political standoff. But only then when it was balanced against a removal of a number of tax exemptions. This type of behaviour added insult to injury and would be well-practiced in the years that followed.
In 1713 the Westminster Tory government decided, without consultation to flex it’s authority over the Scots and extend the English malt tax to Scotland provoking major public protests and noncompliance forcing the government to withdraw the tax.
The event was viewed as the culmination of many acts against the wellbeing of Scots and came very close to destroying already frosty relationships between Scotland and England. Indeed inter country relationships became so strained that a Scottish-led motion to commence proceedings to dissolve the Union came extremely close to passing in the House of Lords, failing by just four votes.
The Earl of Mar rebelled against the Westminster Abuse of Power
Although a Jacobite and against his better judgement he supported the signing of the Acts of Union and pledged his allegiance to German Geordie, but took umbrage when, on arrival in England, the king publicly snubbed him when he welcomed him to the United Kingdom on behalf of the Scottish nation.
The then “Third Secretary for Great Britain” responded to the insult to Scotland and proposed a resolution to have the Acts of Union repealed. When this failed he resigned and returned to Scotland where he continued to agitate for the repeal of the Union.
On 1 September 1715, he raised a standard for “King James VIII” at Braemar and gathered an army of around 10,000 men which gained some successes in the North and East of Scotland. But he made three strategic errors.
James, who was resident in France had not been advised about the planned uprising.
He failed to coordinate his challenge with similar uprisings occurring in England
He was, as events proved, a poor tactician. At the Battle of Sheriffmuir, North of Dunblane on 13 November 1715, a large part of his army advancing from Perth met a much smaller government force under John Campbell, the 2nd Duke of Argyll. The Jacobite’s won the ensuing short battle but Mar failed to march on Glasgow and Edinburgh, a move that would have consolidated his position. Instead, he returned to Perth to regroup and lost the initiative.
Meantime James Stuart was only able to reach Scotland from France on 22 December, when he landed at Peterhead: he was too late, the uprising was all but over. The Jacobite’s abandoned Perth on 31 January 1716, and on 4 February James Stuart and John Erskine, 23rd Earl of Mar, sailed out of Montrose, bound for France. Neither would ever return.
The Westminster government got lucky when it weathered the Jacobite uprising of 1715. A crisis generated by the avarice, greed and a flawed mindset of the victor basking in the glory of conquest. Its arrogant post-union behaviour towards Scotland inflicted extreme hardship on Scots’ through the imposition of hugely unfair taxes and many other oppressive acts.
The oath which is sworn by all judges as a statement of principles and ethics and is in place to protect the public from judicial bias. But is its safeguards sufficient to permit the introduction of Judge only trials in sexual assault and rape cases
Critics of Lady Dorrian’s proposal contend that the act of removing trial by jury introduces the probability of bias that a defendant accused of rape or sexual assault is guilty. So trial by a judge starts with the accused being considered guilty and the defending barrister needs to prove beyond doubt that their client is innocent. Rough justice indeed!!!
Recusal also needs to be considered but the is impossible to enforce since judges are not required to declare their outside interests.
Will the judge be female where the accuser is a female and the reverse if it is a male. ?
Where do transgender people fit? Is the defendant provided with a choice of judge?
Should judges be required to hear all the defendant’s evidence?
Will judges be compelled by law to declare their sexuality before a trial?
Behaviour traits are likely to be raised in the course of a trial and this could influence a judge’s decision eg: Should a judge guilty of enjoying a number of illicit sexual relationships with married lovers, (to the detriment of their marriage) preside over cases of accusations of marital assault?
There are many more questions that need to be asked and answered before any change in the existing procedures are contemplated
Conclusion
The conduct of the Scottish judiciary (see the article below) does not inspire confidence that the introduction of Judge only trials would improve the existing provisions which have been in place for many years. An adversarial trial in the presence of a jury should remain on statute.
The ‘Magic Circle’scandal that shook the Scottish legal profession.
Claims about a group of gay judges and lawyers allegedly involved in a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice promoted an inquiry that failed to substantiate any allegations, and no criminal wrongdoing by members of the bench was ever uncovered. Rumours about the sexuality of senior judges erupted into the public domain with Lord Dervaird’s abrupt resignation on 22 December, which followed a meeting with Mr Rifkind and the Lord President of the Court of Session, Lord Hope.
Allegations of a homosexual network within the Scottish legal establishment have been circulating for several years among lawyers, politicians and journalists.
Even the suspicion that such a network might exist and be interfering with the judicial process clouded the relationship between police, who assemble cases, and the Crown Office (the equivalent of the English Director of Public Prosecutions), which decides whom to prosecute.
The rumours were given substance when Scottish newspaper editors were called to the home of Lord Hope, Lord President of the Court of Session, Scotland’s senior judge, to be told, unattributably, that three judges had been questioned about homosexual activities. The number shocked the legal establishment.
All the judges involved were in the Court of Session, the supreme court of Scotland, where there are only 24 judges. One allegation involved two judges entertaining young homosexuals at a cottage in south-west Scotland. Another involved the appearance, briefly, of a judge at a homosexual disco.
The 11-page leaked report, by a senior detective from Lothian and Borders Police, details facts and speculation surrounding Crown Office decision not to prosecute in some cases and to abandon others. The five cases mentioned in the report are:
A fraud involving a six-figure sum and involving a Scottish- based building firm;
An investigation surrounding embezzlement in a collapsed solicitor’s firm, where the two partners involved were homosexual;
A three-year inquiry into an alleged mortgage fraud in which a leading advocate was a suspect;
The withdrawal of 47 of the 57 charges brought in a case concerning claims by a 16-year-old boy who ran away from a children’s home. His claims led to an inquiry into a network of homosexuals who used a male prostitute to procure young men for sex. Five of the 10 accused walked free, one went to trial and was found not proven and the remaining four pleaded guilty to reduced charges;
Calls for top judge to quit over Rangers malicious prosecution cases
It is feared the total bill for the disastrous decision to prosecute those involved in the administration of Rangers will cost the public more than £100million.
It is just over a century since women first gained the right to vote. Today their female descendents in Scotland continue to shape the evolving SNP.
Nicola Sturgeon is the first female First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party. On the importance of equality for women, she said:
“Celebrating a century of women’s suffrage is a great occasion. Not only does it remind us of women’s achievements – it provides the opportunity to inject new momentum into encouraging more women into politics and public life. While we’ve come a long way since 1918, much still needs to be done if we are to eradicate gender inequality and create a fairer and more prosperous country. Equality for women is at the heart of our vision for an equal Scotland. Our resolve is to use the powers we have – powers which in many ways we owe to the suffrage movement.
But Sturgeon’s rhetoric and the politics of her Party don’t match since her efforts and those she has gathered around her are evidenced by Scotland’s reputation as the fastest growing most unequal society in Western Europe.
Sturgeons Women
Mhairi Black:
MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South and the youngest MP in 350 years. Her message to young women who want to get involved in politics today is: “Have courage of conviction. Know your stuff inside and out and don’t be intimidated.”
Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “While I am leader, the administration of Glasgow City Government will be an unashamedly feminist one.
We will have women and women’s priorities and family priorities absolutely at the centre of our policies, in the political decision-making process.”
The Reality is Derelict libraries, shuttered museums and austerity max. Take a look at what the SNP administration has done to Glasgow, if you can stomach it.
Destitution, litter, fly-tipping, drug deaths, pothole-strewn roads, shuttered shops — and a city centre locked in a seemingly unstoppable downward spiral…
Of course Covid has contributed to these dire straits, but it only accelerated a process already well under way — and there’s even worse to come with a fresh round of swingeing cuts.
The city famously hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014, but now it’s emerged that 40 sports venues or pitches, five libraries, and 11 community centres or halls will stay shut following lockdown. Three museums are also listed as not due for re-opening, including the city’s historic Scotland Street School, though it will ultimately be turned into a nursery under plans approved as the second lockdown hit. (Graham-Grant)
Kirsten Oswald:
As Business Convener for the SNP she was responsible for overseeing operational matters and chairing the National Executive Committee and National Conference on female representation:
SNP Chair and East Renfrewshire MP Oswald was slammed for her party’s lack of co-operation with the Scottish Parliamentary inquiry into the Scottish Government’s botched handling of alleged harassment complaints against Alex Salmond. Asked repeatdly to clarify exactly when she became aware of the Peter Murrell, SNP Chief Executive texts advocating “pressure” be put on Police Scotland to investigate Mr Salmond and if she informed other party officials and what other action, if any, she, as chair, took. There has only ever been silence.
Oswld and SNP financial matters: Another scandal in which Oswald attacked long serving and loyal officers of the party for daring to expose potential fraud:
Question Time – Sturgeon lied and no amount of whataboutery from Oswald can save her
When challenged over the First Minister’s misleading of the Scottish Parliament, Kirsten Oswald MP did what the SNP have been getting away with doing for years — shifting the blame;
Changing the subject and making irrelevant comparisons with others. Oswald quickly pivoted to say it would be “inconceivable” to imagine the Prime Minister taking part in an eight hour committee session as Sturgeon had done.
Her clunky gear change caused Private Eye editor and fellow panellist Ian Hislop to pounce. With his trademark quizzical expression, he asked: “Do we have to change the subject, can we get back to Nicola Sturgeon please? I know it’s very impolite to interrupt but why are we talking about Boris?
Oswald repeated her wholly irrelevant comparison.
Hislop fired back: “He hasn’t lost £500,000 of public and given it to Alex Salmond. Can we never talk about Scotland, does it always have to be referred back down here? This tactic has got a name — whatabooutism (or whataboutery) — and has its roots in Soviet Russian propaganda. The SNP are its modern-day masters. The Nationalists came to power in Scotland in large part by relentlessly blaming everyone else, especially the UK government, for all of Scotland’s problems. For years under Sturgeon, the SNP have presided over a series of unmitigated scandals and incompetence. Our once world-leading education system has fallen down international rankings; infrastructure projects arrive late and massively over budget; the justice system is at breaking point. I could go on. But whenever anyone dares challenge their woeful record of misrule, whataboutery is deployed with a shameless zeal that would make the Politburo blush.
The sick kids’ hospital in Edinburgh late and over budget … what about English NHS waiting lists? An SNP MP travelled between England and Scotland knowing she was Covid-positive … what about Dominic Cummings? Sturgeon misled parliament … what about UK ministers? The difficulty is that after being in complete control of large swathes of devolved power for so long, the SNP’s finger pointing routine is wearing a bit thin. With power comes responsibility. (Lucia Gomez)
Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse and Minister for Older People and Equalities and Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Dunfermline and Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People rake in an extra £65k and 50K on top of their near £70k salaries as MSP’s yet neither woman has raised a single motion relating to the elderly or the scandal of 1,949 Covid-19 deaths in Scottish care homes. And adding insult to injury they refused to support calls for the appointment of a Commissioner for Older People in Scotland to safeguard human rights, despite the creation of a similar post in England and Northern Ireland.
Elderly rights campaigner Helen Biggins said: “What is the point of having these ministers if they are not going to do their jobs and stand up for old people? Both Shirley-Anne Somerville and Christina McKelvie have said very little that I have heard to stick up for the citizens they are being paid well to represent. They have been missing in action. It is as if they think the part of their job to represent older people is a thing tagged on the end that they would rather forget about. The past six months have seen horrific deaths in care homes and in the community, as well as thousands of people really struggling in isolation. Serious questions need to be answered, yet these ministers don’t want to appoint a Commissioner for Older People. I think they should at least have to explain why that is and also explain why they have failed to table motions relating to older people since the beginning of this pandemic.”
Serious concerns have been raised over the elderly being pressured to sign Do Not Resuscitate notices and the transfer of Covid-19 patients into care homes, and hundreds of families remain furious at restrictions on care home visiting rights.
Just for the record: McKelvie and Somerville have lodged a series of motions with the Scottish Parliament since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. But none of them relate to the plight of older people, despite their job titles and the loss of life in nursing homes and hospitals. Since March, none of Somerville’s nine motions or McKelvie’s two have related to the elderly. McKelvie’s ones were calling for Parliament to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and in support of new laws on female genital mutilation. Somerville, meanwhile, lodged a motion calling for Parliament to support human rights for ethnic minority groups through Covid-19, for better social security support for children and in support of civil partnerships. A no comment response was received in answer to a request for comment from the persons concerned. The Scottish Government confirmed that a Commissioner for Older People was not under consideration (Daily Record)
Councillor Mhairi Hunter, Convener for Health and Social Care Integration on Glasgow City Council and Carer for her dad: On why she’s involved in politics, she said: “I was brought up in a political household in London so it was quite normal to be involved in politics and be active. What makes me continue to be involved is just believing people together can achieve a fairer society and can improve the quality of life for people.”
So square that with this: Mhairi Hunter and Jennifer Layden are both senior councillors in Glasgow whose roles are regarded as a full-time commitment because of their additional responsibilities over a backbench councillor who is paid at two-thirds of the full time rate. The full-time rate can vary depending on the nature of the role and according to Glasgow’s Register of Interests Layden is paid a salary of £35,000 while Hunter receives £26,000.
Yet both SNP councillors have other paid jobs – Layden works in Humza Yousaf’s office having previously enjoyed a similar role in Margaret Ferrier’s, while Hunter has a role in none other than Nicola Sturgeon’s office and a separate paid commitment as a member of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board.
But of course councillors should be properly remunerated – The independent (SLARC) committee recommended a new salary structure for elected councillors in Scotland in 2006. But the committee is being systematically abused because no one has been scrutinising its work since the former SNP finance minister, Derek Mackay – who resigned in disgrace of course, decided that independent oversight was no longer necessary and that the SLARC committee should be disbanded. The upshot is that we have large sums of public money being used to pay Glasgow councillors decent salaries to perform a wide range of part-time and full-time jobs – yet these salaries are also being topped up by Holyrood and Westminster SNP MSPs and MPs employing councillors in their offices. The system is being ‘gamed’ when the public interest demands independent scrutiny, openness and transparency.
Kirsty Blackman MP for Aberdeen North – former Deputy Westminster Leader. On the importance of diversity in politics, she said: “I am so passionate about trying to improve parliament to make it better reflect the diversity of those who live in our country. Being a member of parliament should not be a job only for middle-aged men. I believe better laws and decisions are made if they’re proposed and scrutinised by folk from a wide variety of backgrounds. I first became an elected councillor in Aberdeen when I was 21. Politics isn’t about making speeches in parliament or in council chambers – it’s about the people we help every day and the positive impact we can make in our communities.”
But what about Scottish nationalism?
She is markedly less keen to talk about Scottish independence, the SNP’s founding principle. She says she is not in Westminster to pressure the government for a referendum. “I don’t think most folk in their daily lives give two hoots about whether Scotland is a member of the union. The constitutional issues are not the biggest concern for an awful lot of people and, in fact, I very rarely talk about Scottish independence in the chamber.”
One of the most disturbing group of exchanges between women and Blackman revealing just how dangerous Sturgeon, Blackman and her ilk are to the future of Scotland.
Blackman embodies everything that is wrong with the SNP. She gives the petulant children a voice and sees no consequences for using ‘Feelings as Facts’.They egg her on and she likes to liked by them. Expertise and ability are nothing compared to ‘likes’. No doubt she will retreat into her personal problems as so many of the OutforIndy crowd do when confronted and it dawns on her what she has done. She was not up to her job as deputy Leader and the difference in competence between her and Cherry is so wide as to be ridiculous when you think of the role she had. Perhaps she got a few home truths as to her abilities and productivity? Like so many of her ilk she sees clever troublesome women as a problem. Better to all support each other’s incompetence and say how nice they all are. After that is what matters apparently. ‘Be kind’ Kirsty, that is the mantra isn’t it? Except when you are setting the hounds on a colleague with your shrill dog whistle. I know who I would want in my corner in the existential battle for Scotland and its people and it isn’t a woman who speaks, dresses and behaves like a overwrought toddler.
Joan Sturgeon Mother of Nicola, a long-standing SNP activist and former Provost of North Ayrshire Council. On women leading the way, Joan said: “As the mother of a female political leader I have seen how difficult it can be to be taken as seriously as men in the political arena. Through history it was mainly women though who kept the home, saw to the children and dealt with the tasks thought to be beneath men….that takes strength and determination.
The North Ayrshire PPI Scandal
A contract was signed by North Ayrshire Council (NAC) for a PPP/PFI deal to build 4 schools. The council is now paying £1million a month to service the debt, and will be until about 2038.
At the time and leading up to its signature there were concerns amongst councillors about lack of transparency and procedures. A police investigation was launched in 2006 and “found no criminality”.
But the investigative skills of reporter Campbell Martin exposed clear evidence casting doubt as the probity of the bidding procedure (one of the two competitors was clearly a shell company created to give impression of multi-bidding. So there was no competition. Goddness and the police missed the obvious!!! Did they really investigate as they claimed they had?
Campbell Martin’s exposure rattled cages in the council and wiider afield and in February 2018, the Council, despite an amount of obfuscation and delaying tactics by senior Council officers asked the police to investigate the allegations again.
Feedback from the police revealed nothing new and reporter Campbell Martin submitted a number of Freedom of Information requests to the police whichlargely went unanswered. And despite a formal intervention from the Data protection ombudsman to release full details of their investigations not a lot was released
But the ever dogged Campbel Martin kept on digging and finally revealed a “can of worms” so rotten even Sturgeon would not take the bait.
A bitter pill for the taxpayer to swallow was the action of a senior civil servant who, as a member of the government’s PFI team responsible for the imposition of the then Coalition government’s PFI policies attended a meeting with North Ayrshire Council councillors armed with with a brief to practice “mushroom management” and reveal little information of any consquence. Best for all concerned if theu councilllors were to be stonewalled. Which they duly were. The civil sevant was Leslie Evans!!!
Fast forward a few years and a slap in the face for Nicola Sturgeon’s mother,(Provost of North Ayrshire Council) when her daughter chose the self same Leslie Evans to be her Permanent Secretary in the Scottish Government. A decision without logic!!
Councillor Rhiannon Spear represents Greater Pollok on Glasgow City Council and is an elected member of National Council. On her own personal experience in politics, Rhiannon said: “My experience of being a young woman in politics is the very reason why I will continue to campaign for change. My experiences of sexism has been frequent and at times severe. No party is immune but within the SNP I have found a space that allows my voice to be heard and allows me to encourage more young women to let their voices be heard, long may that continue.”
Personality
She is strikingly attractive, highly intelligent and gifted with a natural ability to attract attention, unfortunately not always to her benefit. She is feisty, strong willed and determined to succeed at any task she is minded to take on. She is media savvy and possesses first class skills including the production of excellent graphics for social media presentation and discussion. One of her many character weaknesses is her abject inability to accept criticism and her single-minded approach to her work. She needs to learn that political life is not a Religion and she is not the Pope.
WOKE
She is the driving force behind informal WOKE campaigning individuals, groups, charities and formal groups promoting and implementing WOKE agenda’s in all of the state schools in Scotland. The bulk of WOKE activities, including resources and staffing, (£3-5M) is funded by the Scottish taxpayer through the SNP government. The unhealthy influence of WOKE minded politicians is being planted across all aspects of Scottish society as each day passes.
Politics
Joined the SNP in 2011. Jointly founded Generation Yes, the national youth campaign for independence in the run up to the 2014 referendum. National Convenor of YSI for two years from 2015–17. Elected to the SNP’s NEC in 2016. Scottish Parliament Candidate for the Glasgow List in 2016. Elected Councillor for Greater Pollok in 2017. Successfully proposed motions at SNP Conference on all female lists, inclusive education and raising the age of military recruitment to 18. Chairs TIE an LBGTI government funded charity which is remitted to support Scottish Education bodies providing LGBT-inclusive education in Scottish Schools. Actively promoted the #Metoo movement denouncing sexual harassment on campus at University of Glasgow.
Charlotte Armitage is an SNP activist and National Equalities Officer for YSI. On her personal experience, Charlotte said: “As a young woman in politics, I know how it feels to be dismissed, or valued only for how I look rather than what I say. It is this reason why it is so important that we continue to campaign for gender equality and societal change, just like our suffrage sisters did before us. We have achieved hugely notable changes in the last 100 years and it is encouraging to see many strong female leaders in Scottish politics today. However, women remain underrepresented, harassed and in threat of violence. To me it is clear there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve absolute gender equality, but I am confident that the SNP is paving the way for an Independent Scotland that has gender equality at the forefront.”
Australian-born Deidre Brock is MP for Edinburgh North and Leith. On helping other women, Deidre said: “A century ago some women got the vote. It took ten more years to get the same terms as men. In 2018 politics is a better place, but still an unequal place, and the best tribute to the women who led the way is to keep the campaign rolling.
Reach out a hand to help another woman up; be a role model so girls growing up today know it’s normal to have women in politics; stretch the hand of sisterhood across political divides – you don’t have to agree with her to defend her right to speak; look to the future and work for a better and more equal tomorrow.”
WestminsterCareer politician: Front-bench MP in the SNP group with responsibility for Devolved Government and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Sits on the Scottish Affairs Committee and is a member of a number of cross-party groups. Not a great deal of evidence to support any claims that she is interested in campaigning for Scottish independence. Most likely leans towards federalism.
Lari Don Born in Chile, and travelled widely in South and Central America as a child, before her family settled in North East …is a children’s author and a local activist in Edinburgh North and Leith. On creating our future, Lari said: “As a writer, I spend a lot of time talking to kids about characters solving their own problems. I also tell lots of myths and legends where the girl doesn’t wait for a boy with a big sword to save her from the dragon. My feminism and my support for an independent Scotland come from the same determination not to wait for someone else to define and sort out our problems. Now, the ‘big boy with the sword’ next door is the one causing most of our problems. It’s time to use our votes to create our own future…”
Farah Farzana is an SNP activist and Women’s and Equalities Officer for her local branch. On her personal experiences in politics, Farah said: “As a local election candidate, I became aware of the lack of equal and proportionate representation in local authorities. The SNP have led in gender balance but more work needs to be done to create an ethnicity balance too. If we don’t speak up for justice and fairness, then we will only hinder our progress.”
But BAME is what drives her politics. A summary of her argument in support of centralised directed selection
The 2021 election saw the first use of an equality mechanism in candidate selection. Not all members agreed with the strategy, posing the question, should selection of candidates come down to the person most capable, or is there more to it? But there are a fair number of people within the Party from minority ethnic groups who are more than capable of becoming an elected member. So why so are there so few? This is evidenced through each election campaign; most recently the constituency selection process saw one new ethnic minority candidate come through from a possible 22, plus an incumbent. As branch members, office bearers and executives we must examine our internal structures and ask, why? Be prepared for uncomfortable truths.
Inclusion, diversity and equity for a truly representative Parliament, was my maxim for the campaign as it will be for the upcoming Council elections. In an ideal world, there would be no need for any sort of equalities mechanism because our governments would be populated with, at least, minimal proportional representation. So how to do we get there and what has this issue got to do with the Independence referendum? Voters considered ‘hard to reach’ may feel like outcasts due to negative schooling, neighbourhood, employment, benefits, police or local authority experiences. This leads to another question: why would an individual participate in societal matters when that same society has marginalised them? The simple solution would be to reach out and be inclusive. However, if this were the case we wouldn’t have the problem in the first place. So we must continue to address the issue. The strength of the SNP BAME Network lies within proposed strategies to maximise voter and membership engagement:
Actively involve identified branch members in discussions and encourage their participation. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Overcome communication barriers by using everyday English, and where possible, provide written and oral formats.
Provide alternatives to the pub to show respect to those who don’t drink or feel uncomfortable in an alcohol environment.
Encourage diverse members to come forward for office bearer positions or vice positions. This helps provide experience, confidence and guidance as they learn.
Listen to their perspectives with an open mind; these members have valuable lived experience, and chose the SNP to bring about political change. Let them know their opinion matters.
Being active within the Party helps activists communicate within their communities – a skill necessary to promote conversations around Independence and build rapport. If local people see a member of their own community elected then they are far more likely to engage in conversation, thereby encouraging trust and helping us gain support. We all have the same goal. Experiences from the BAME Network add quality to our efforts to spread our message of Independence, peace, respect and hope further than ever before.
Clare Adamson WOKE, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw and Convener of the Education and Skills Committee. On breaking down barriers in the workplace, Clare said: “Thanks to the tireless work of thousands of women over the last hundred years, we have achieved great progress. However, it is still obvious that today women from all women from all walks of life still face institutional bias and we have to continue to move forward towards true equality. “Prior to becoming involved in politics, I worked in the male-dominated IT industry and became all too aware of the issues women still face in the workplace every day. I’m really proud that the SNP remains committed to empowering young women and I am pleased to see more women represented in politics and in STEM than ever before. We must remain steadfast until we see true equality in representation, pay and in the boardroom.”
Erin Mwembo is a WOKE SNP activist in East Lothian and local branch office bearer. On getting involved in politics, Erin said: “Over the last 100 years, we have made huge progress in equality. I’m so lucky to live in a time where strong, inspiring women are in positions of power and challenging the status quo. These women have made me feel like I have a place in politics, a place to make my voice heard, a voice that is as valuable as any one else’s. I joined the SNP to make my voice heard, after feeling incredibly empowered by the likes of our first minister. Although we have made progress, there’s still more to be made. We are only going to near genuine gender equality by getting more and more women involved in the decision process and in male-dominated industries. To people interested in getting involved: Do it. For the now and for the future.”
Michelle Campbell, Councillor, represents Erskine and Inchinnan and is the Council Group Secretary. On her hopes for the next 100 years, Michelle said: “As a women in politics, I work hard to rid gender typical views when I am working with some who may be assumptive – that is the challenge and I will always push for progress. My hope for the next 100 years is this becomes a history lesson and is no longer a relevant issue. In Scotland, we are at the helm of this progress and I am proud to be a women in politics within the SNP.”
Kirsty Jarvis is an SNP activist in Fife and local branch office bearer. On the importance of this centenary, Kirsty said: “100 years ago women won the right to vote, today we can vote, stand in elections and become the First Minister of our country. Women have just as much of a platform and as much of a right as men to make a difference to our society and have their voices heard and to represent the voices of other woman.”
Eva Bolander is Lord Provost of Glasgow. On her personal experience, she said: “The experience of becoming a mother in Scotland made me more politically aware and later active. Having had the experience of growing up in Sweden, being young when the universal childcare reform and other equalities legislation were introduced there made me realise what a fundamental importance these political decisions had for creating a progressive, prosperous and inclusive society. And that is the Scotland I am working for now.
Councillor Michelle Campbell represents Erskine and Inchinnan and is the Council Group Secretary. On her hopes for the next 100 years, Michelle said: “As a women in politics, I work hard to rid gender typical views when I am working with some who may be assumptive – that is the challenge and I will always push for progress. My hope for the next 100 years is this becomes a history lesson and is no longer a relevant issue. In Scotland, we are at the helm of this progress and I am proud to be a women in politics within the SNP.”
Gillian Martin is MSP for Aberdeenshire East and Convener of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee. On improving the political environment to encourage women to get involved, Gillian said: “It’s getting slightly better but more female voices on television, radio, in newspapers and events panels talking about political issues is an absolute must – if we’re not seeing women represented in any of those arenas it needs challenged. The Holyrood press pack is overwhelmingly male and I think it has an effect on the discourse. I hope in a future independent Scotland we’ll be able to leave the adversarial patriarchal style of politics behind that despite efforts to be different we seem to have inherited from Westminster and have a more can-do collaborative progressive style like our Nordic friends seem to have and that will encourage more women to stand.”
Ruth Maguire is MSP for Cunninghame South and Convener of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee. On how it is ‘deeds not words’ that matter, Ruth said: “We’ve come so far since 1918 but we’re not there yet, amongst the myriad of inequalities girls and women are faced with we remain stubbornly underrepresented in politics and public life. If you are a women who cares about her community, her country, know that your voice, your ideas and your opinions matter and need to be heard.
“And for me and my colleagues in Parliament and Council chambers, it is not good enough for us to say, ‘Well, I’m here, so that’ll do.’ We need to do everything in our collective power to break down the structural barriers that are in the way of others, in particular BME women and women with disabilities. Deeds not words as our sister suffragettes would have said.”
Nicola Sturgeon has been asked to clarify the Scottish National party’s stance on transgender rights following the leak of private messages between three prominent female MSPs that claim the first minister is “out of step” with her party.
The conversation, which was tweeted as a screenshot on Tuesday evening but timestamped February, appears to have been prompted by Sturgeon’s comments in an interview that she recognised some women had concerns about the implications of her government’s proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA), such as allowing individuals to change their legal gender by means of self-declaration.
Cathie Johnston represents Cumbernauld South on North Lanarkshire Council. She said: “Women over 30 getting the vote in 1918 was a positive step. Since then, women have became more confident in their own abilities. However, I would like to see women being stronger in their own beliefs and acknowledge their own strengths more. Always believe in yourself, work hard and don’t forget your roots – or those without a voice.”
Ash Denham is the MSP for Edinburgh Eastern and Minister for Community Safety. On representation, Ash said: “It’s 2018 but still neither Holyrood nor Westminster Parliaments have 50/50 representation. Gender balancing measures work, so the political parties that haven’t introduced them should be compelled to.”
An SNP junior minister is facing deselection amid unrest among activists over her hotel bills and decision to school her children privately. Community safety minister Ash Denham is engaged in a bitter fight for the party’s nomination for Edinburgh Eastern in the face of a challenge from a high-profile city councillor. Holyrood figures show the MSP, who lives in the Borders, claimed nearly £16,000 from public funds for Edinburgh accommodation and meals between 2017-18 and 2019-20, even though the parliament is in her constituency. Opponents have claimed Denham gave an undertaking to transfer her children to a state school, although she denies this.
The Scottish National Party has backed changes to prostitution laws to criminalise those paying for sex, but not those who sell it. Delegates at the party’s conference in Aberdeen voted in favour of a motion proposing a “Scottish model” to handle prostitution, similar to the “Nordic model” used in Scandinavian countries. The resolution, proposed by MSP Ash Denham, stated that “commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and human trafficking, is a form of violence against women”.
Rona Mackay is MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden and Deputy Convener of the Justice Committee. On delivering a better Scotland for future generations, Rona said: “I have been very lucky to have had strong, inspirational female role models throughout my life, leading me to feel able to be involved in politics. I am particularly proud of our party and how many female representatives we have. To me, it is so important we all work together and have as many women as possible in leadership roles to achieve a better and fairer Scotland for future generations.”
Maree Todd is MSP for the Highlands and Islands region and Minister for Children and Young People. On how far we’ve come and how far we’ve got to go, Maree said: “We have come a very long way in 100 years. My grannies had only two choices for careers – domestic service or following the herring. Not only did I have the chance to get a science degree at university, I now serve in Government!
“We still have a long way to go though. I hope that my doing this job, inspires girls growing up in the Highlands and Islands to believe they can do anything – including politics. We might be a bit reluctant to put ourselves forward still, but when we do speak up, we speak well and make a difference.”
Julie Hepburn is a long-standing SNP activist and member of the National Executive Committee. On her motivation for political activism, Julie said: “I’ve been a member of the SNP for almost two decades, and while political activism can be tough at times, for me it’s been an overwhelmingly positive and empowering experience. “Politics is the vehicle through which we achieve change, and I am determined to help change our communities and our country for the better. Securing independence for Scotland is the single most important change we can make to deliver a fairer society and better life for everyone who lives here. That’s why I’ve dedicated my adult life to campaigning for independence.”
I vividly remember attending my first SNP Conference 20 years ago in Dundee. The whole conference was alive with debate, ideas and personalities, and there was some stooshie over housing policy. It was fantastic. Like a number of people, I was hesitant about joining a political party, but was immediately reassured by the vibrancy of debate and room to contribute to those positive discussions. I felt genuinely empowered as a new member, and excited about my involvement. One of the huge strengths of the SNP is our internal democracy. So that’s why I was surprised to read the suggestion that the party should take a “command and control” approach to the selection of our parliamentary candidates. (https://www.thenational.scot/news/18264156.julie-hepburn-not-snp-hq-decide-will-stand/)
I’m running to be the SNP’s depute leader for a number of reasons. I’ve made this choice because I was asked by so many activists across the country. They’ve asked me to stand because of my proven track record of service to the party, my previous commitment to driving forward internal reforms, and my work in supporting others across the SNP. However, most significantly for me, I want to use the skills, experience and networks I’ve built up over almost two decades in the SNP to help prepare us for another independence referendum and indeed future elections. (https://www.thenational.scot/news/16036107.julie-hepburn-use-experience-ready-snp-indyref2/)
The Women of the Scottish National Party
It is just over a century since women first gained the right to vote. Today their female descendents in Scotland continue to shape the evolving SNP.
Nicola Sturgeon is the first female First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party. On the importance of equality for women, she said:
“Celebrating a century of women’s suffrage is a great occasion. Not only does it remind us of women’s achievements – it provides the opportunity to inject new momentum into encouraging more women into politics and public life. While we’ve come a long way since 1918, much still needs to be done if we are to eradicate gender inequality and create a fairer and more prosperous country. Equality for women is at the heart of our vision for an equal Scotland. Our resolve is to use the powers we have – powers which in many ways we owe to the suffrage movement.
But Sturgeon’s rhetoric and the politics of her Party don’t match since her efforts and those she has gathered around her are evidenced by Scotland’s reputation as the fastest growing most unequal society in Western Europe.
Sturgeons Women
Mhairi Black:
MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South and the youngest MP in 350 years. Her message to young women who want to get involved in politics today is: “Have courage of conviction. Know your stuff inside and out and don’t be intimidated.”
Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “While I am leader, the administration of Glasgow City Government will be an unashamedly feminist one.
We will have women and women’s priorities and family priorities absolutely at the centre of our policies, in the political decision-making process.”
The Reality is Derelict libraries, shuttered museums and austerity max. Take a look at what the SNP administration has done to Glasgow, if you can stomach it.
Destitution, litter, fly-tipping, drug deaths, pothole-strewn roads, shuttered shops — and a city centre locked in a seemingly unstoppable downward spiral…
Of course Covid has contributed to these dire straits, but it only accelerated a process already well under way — and there’s even worse to come with a fresh round of swingeing cuts.
The city famously hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014, but now it’s emerged that 40 sports venues or pitches, five libraries, and 11 community centres or halls will stay shut following lockdown. Three museums are also listed as not due for re-opening, including the city’s historic Scotland Street School, though it will ultimately be turned into a nursery under plans approved as the second lockdown hit. (Graham-Grant)
Kirsten Oswald:
As Business Convener for the SNP she was responsible for overseeing operational matters and chairing the National Executive Committee and National Conference on female representation:
SNP Chair and East Renfrewshire MP Oswald was slammed for her party’s lack of co-operation with the Scottish Parliamentary inquiry into the Scottish Government’s botched handling of alleged harassment complaints against Alex Salmond. Asked repeatdly to clarify exactly when she became aware of the Peter Murrell, SNP Chief Executive texts advocating “pressure” be put on Police Scotland to investigate Mr Salmond and if she informed other party officials and what other action, if any, she, as chair, took. There has only ever been silence.
Oswld and SNP financial matters: Another scandal in which Oswald attacked long serving and loyal officers of the party for daring to expose potential fraud:
Question Time – Sturgeon lied and no amount of whataboutery from Oswald can save her
When challenged over the First Minister’s misleading of the Scottish Parliament, Kirsten Oswald MP did what the SNP have been getting away with doing for years — shifting the blame;
Changing the subject and making irrelevant comparisons with others. Oswald quickly pivoted to say it would be “inconceivable” to imagine the Prime Minister taking part in an eight hour committee session as Sturgeon had done.
Her clunky gear change caused Private Eye editor and fellow panellist Ian Hislop to pounce. With his trademark quizzical expression, he asked: “Do we have to change the subject, can we get back to Nicola Sturgeon please? I know it’s very impolite to interrupt but why are we talking about Boris?
Oswald repeated her wholly irrelevant comparison.
Hislop fired back: “He hasn’t lost £500,000 of public and given it to Alex Salmond. Can we never talk about Scotland, does it always have to be referred back down here? This tactic has got a name — whatabooutism (or whataboutery) — and has its roots in Soviet Russian propaganda. The SNP are its modern-day masters. The Nationalists came to power in Scotland in large part by relentlessly blaming everyone else, especially the UK government, for all of Scotland’s problems. For years under Sturgeon, the SNP have presided over a series of unmitigated scandals and incompetence. Our once world-leading education system has fallen down international rankings; infrastructure projects arrive late and massively over budget; the justice system is at breaking point. I could go on. But whenever anyone dares challenge their woeful record of misrule, whataboutery is deployed with a shameless zeal that would make the Politburo blush.
The sick kids’ hospital in Edinburgh late and over budget … what about English NHS waiting lists? An SNP MP travelled between England and Scotland knowing she was Covid-positive … what about Dominic Cummings? Sturgeon misled parliament … what about UK ministers? The difficulty is that after being in complete control of large swathes of devolved power for so long, the SNP’s finger pointing routine is wearing a bit thin. With power comes responsibility. (Lucia Gomez)
Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse and Minister for Older People and Equalities and Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Dunfermline and Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People rake in an extra £65k and 50K on top of their near £70k salaries as MSP’s yet neither woman has raised a single motion relating to the elderly or the scandal of 1,949 Covid-19 deaths in Scottish care homes. And adding insult to injury they refused to support calls for the appointment of a Commissioner for Older People in Scotland to safeguard human rights, despite the creation of a similar post in England and Northern Ireland.
Elderly rights campaigner Helen Biggins said: “What is the point of having these ministers if they are not going to do their jobs and stand up for old people? Both Shirley-Anne Somerville and Christina McKelvie have said very little that I have heard to stick up for the citizens they are being paid well to represent. They have been missing in action. It is as if they think the part of their job to represent older people is a thing tagged on the end that they would rather forget about. The past six months have seen horrific deaths in care homes and in the community, as well as thousands of people really struggling in isolation. Serious questions need to be answered, yet these ministers don’t want to appoint a Commissioner for Older People. I think they should at least have to explain why that is and also explain why they have failed to table motions relating to older people since the beginning of this pandemic.”
Serious concerns have been raised over the elderly being pressured to sign Do Not Resuscitate notices and the transfer of Covid-19 patients into care homes, and hundreds of families remain furious at restrictions on care home visiting rights.
Just for the record: McKelvie and Somerville have lodged a series of motions with the Scottish Parliament since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. But none of them relate to the plight of older people, despite their job titles and the loss of life in nursing homes and hospitals. Since March, none of Somerville’s nine motions or McKelvie’s two have related to the elderly. McKelvie’s ones were calling for Parliament to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and in support of new laws on female genital mutilation. Somerville, meanwhile, lodged a motion calling for Parliament to support human rights for ethnic minority groups through Covid-19, for better social security support for children and in support of civil partnerships. A no comment response was received in answer to a request for comment from the persons concerned. The Scottish Government confirmed that a Commissioner for Older People was not under consideration (Daily Record)
Councillor Mhairi Hunter, Convener for Health and Social Care Integration on Glasgow City Council and Carer for her dad: On why she’s involved in politics, she said: “I was brought up in a political household in London so it was quite normal to be involved in politics and be active. What makes me continue to be involved is just believing people together can achieve a fairer society and can improve the quality of life for people.”
So square that with this: Mhairi Hunter and Jennifer Layden are both senior councillors in Glasgow whose roles are regarded as a full-time commitment because of their additional responsibilities over a backbench councillor who is paid at two-thirds of the full time rate. The full-time rate can vary depending on the nature of the role and according to Glasgow’s Register of Interests Layden is paid a salary of £35,000 while Hunter receives £26,000.
Yet both SNP councillors have other paid jobs – Layden works in Humza Yousaf’s office having previously enjoyed a similar role in Margaret Ferrier’s, while Hunter has a role in none other than Nicola Sturgeon’s office and a separate paid commitment as a member of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board.
But of course councillors should be properly remunerated – The independent (SLARC) committee recommended a new salary structure for elected councillors in Scotland in 2006. But the committee is being systematically abused because no one has been scrutinising its work since the former SNP finance minister, Derek Mackay – who resigned in disgrace of course, decided that independent oversight was no longer necessary and that the SLARC committee should be disbanded. The upshot is that we have large sums of public money being used to pay Glasgow councillors decent salaries to perform a wide range of part-time and full-time jobs – yet these salaries are also being topped up by Holyrood and Westminster SNP MSPs and MPs employing councillors in their offices. The system is being ‘gamed’ when the public interest demands independent scrutiny, openness and transparency.
Kirsty Blackman MP for Aberdeen North – former Deputy Westminster Leader. On the importance of diversity in politics, she said: “I am so passionate about trying to improve parliament to make it better reflect the diversity of those who live in our country. Being a member of parliament should not be a job only for middle-aged men. I believe better laws and decisions are made if they’re proposed and scrutinised by folk from a wide variety of backgrounds. I first became an elected councillor in Aberdeen when I was 21. Politics isn’t about making speeches in parliament or in council chambers – it’s about the people we help every day and the positive impact we can make in our communities.”
But what about Scottish nationalism?
She is markedly less keen to talk about Scottish independence, the SNP’s founding principle. She says she is not in Westminster to pressure the government for a referendum. “I don’t think most folk in their daily lives give two hoots about whether Scotland is a member of the union. The constitutional issues are not the biggest concern for an awful lot of people and, in fact, I very rarely talk about Scottish independence in the chamber.”
One of the most disturbing group of exchanges between women and Blackman revealing just how dangerous Sturgeon, Blackman and her ilk are to the future of Scotland.
Blackman embodies everything that is wrong with the SNP. She gives the petulant children a voice and sees no consequences for using ‘Feelings as Facts’.They egg her on and she likes to liked by them. Expertise and ability are nothing compared to ‘likes’. No doubt she will retreat into her personal problems as so many of the OutforIndy crowd do when confronted and it dawns on her what she has done. She was not up to her job as deputy Leader and the difference in competence between her and Cherry is so wide as to be ridiculous when you think of the role she had. Perhaps she got a few home truths as to her abilities and productivity? Like so many of her ilk she sees clever troublesome women as a problem. Better to all support each other’s incompetence and say how nice they all are. After that is what matters apparently. ‘Be kind’ Kirsty, that is the mantra isn’t it? Except when you are setting the hounds on a colleague with your shrill dog whistle. I know who I would want in my corner in the existential battle for Scotland and its people and it isn’t a woman who speaks, dresses and behaves like a overwrought toddler.
Joan Sturgeon Mother of Nicola, a long-standing SNP activist and former Provost of North Ayrshire Council. On women leading the way, Joan said: “As the mother of a female political leader I have seen how difficult it can be to be taken as seriously as men in the political arena. Through history it was mainly women though who kept the home, saw to the children and dealt with the tasks thought to be beneath men….that takes strength and determination.
The North Ayrshire PPI Scandal
A contract was signed by North Ayrshire Council (NAC) for a PPP/PFI deal to build 4 schools. The council is now paying £1million a month to service the debt, and will be until about 2038.
At the time and leading up to its signature there were concerns amongst councillors about lack of transparency and procedures. A police investigation was launched in 2006 and “found no criminality”.
But the investigative skills of reporter Campbell Martin exposed clear evidence casting doubt as the probity of the bidding procedure (one of the two competitors was clearly a shell company created to give impression of multi-bidding. So there was no competition. Goddness and the police missed the obvious!!! Did they really investigate as they claimed they had?
Campbell Martin’s exposure rattled cages in the council and wiider afield and in February 2018, the Council, despite an amount of obfuscation and delaying tactics by senior Council officers asked the police to investigate the allegations again.
Feedback from the police revealed nothing new and reporter Campbell Martin submitted a number of Freedom of Information requests to the police whichlargely went unanswered. And despite a formal intervention from the Data protection ombudsman to release full details of their investigations not a lot was released
But the ever dogged Campbel Martin kept on digging and finally revealed a “can of worms” so rotten even Sturgeon would not take the bait.
A bitter pill for the taxpayer to swallow was the action of a senior civil servant who, as a member of the government’s PFI team responsible for the imposition of the then Coalition government’s PFI policies attended a meeting with North Ayrshire Council councillors armed with with a brief to practice “mushroom management” and reveal little information of any consquence. Best for all concerned if theu councilllors were to be stonewalled. Which they duly were. The civil sevant was Leslie Evans!!!
Fast forward a few years and a slap in the face for Nicola Sturgeon’s mother,(Provost of North Ayrshire Council) when her daughter chose the self same Leslie Evans to be her Permanent Secretary in the Scottish Government. A decision without logic!!
Councillor Rhiannon Spear represents Greater Pollok on Glasgow City Council and is an elected member of National Council. On her own personal experience in politics, Rhiannon said: “My experience of being a young woman in politics is the very reason why I will continue to campaign for change. My experiences of sexism has been frequent and at times severe. No party is immune but within the SNP I have found a space that allows my voice to be heard and allows me to encourage more young women to let their voices be heard, long may that continue.”
Personality
She is strikingly attractive, highly intelligent and gifted with a natural ability to attract attention, unfortunately not always to her benefit. She is feisty, strong willed and determined to succeed at any task she is minded to take on. She is media savvy and possesses first class skills including the production of excellent graphics for social media presentation and discussion. One of her many character weaknesses is her abject inability to accept criticism and her single-minded approach to her work. She needs to learn that political life is not a Religion and she is not the Pope.
WOKE
She is the driving force behind informal WOKE campaigning individuals, groups, charities and formal groups promoting and implementing WOKE agenda’s in all of the state schools in Scotland. The bulk of WOKE activities, including resources and staffing, (£3-5M) is funded by the Scottish taxpayer through the SNP government. The unhealthy influence of WOKE minded politicians is being planted across all aspects of Scottish society as each day passes.
Politics
Joined the SNP in 2011. Jointly founded Generation Yes, the national youth campaign for independence in the run up to the 2014 referendum. National Convenor of YSI for two years from 2015–17. Elected to the SNP’s NEC in 2016. Scottish Parliament Candidate for the Glasgow List in 2016. Elected Councillor for Greater Pollok in 2017. Successfully proposed motions at SNP Conference on all female lists, inclusive education and raising the age of military recruitment to 18. Chairs TIE an LBGTI government funded charity which is remitted to support Scottish Education bodies providing LGBT-inclusive education in Scottish Schools. Actively promoted the #Metoo movement denouncing sexual harassment on campus at University of Glasgow.
Charlotte Armitage is an SNP activist and National Equalities Officer for YSI. On her personal experience, Charlotte said: “As a young woman in politics, I know how it feels to be dismissed, or valued only for how I look rather than what I say. It is this reason why it is so important that we continue to campaign for gender equality and societal change, just like our suffrage sisters did before us. We have achieved hugely notable changes in the last 100 years and it is encouraging to see many strong female leaders in Scottish politics today. However, women remain underrepresented, harassed and in threat of violence. To me it is clear there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve absolute gender equality, but I am confident that the SNP is paving the way for an Independent Scotland that has gender equality at the forefront.”
Australian-born Deidre Brock is MP for Edinburgh North and Leith. On helping other women, Deidre said: “A century ago some women got the vote. It took ten more years to get the same terms as men. In 2018 politics is a better place, but still an unequal place, and the best tribute to the women who led the way is to keep the campaign rolling.
Reach out a hand to help another woman up; be a role model so girls growing up today know it’s normal to have women in politics; stretch the hand of sisterhood across political divides – you don’t have to agree with her to defend her right to speak; look to the future and work for a better and more equal tomorrow.”
WestminsterCareer politician: Front-bench MP in the SNP group with responsibility for Devolved Government and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Sits on the Scottish Affairs Committee and is a member of a number of cross-party groups. Not a great deal of evidence to support any claims that she is interested in campaigning for Scottish independence. Most likely leans towards federalism.
Lari Don Born in Chile, and travelled widely in South and Central America as a child, before her family settled in North East …is a children’s author and a local activist in Edinburgh North and Leith. On creating our future, Lari said: “As a writer, I spend a lot of time talking to kids about characters solving their own problems. I also tell lots of myths and legends where the girl doesn’t wait for a boy with a big sword to save her from the dragon. My feminism and my support for an independent Scotland come from the same determination not to wait for someone else to define and sort out our problems. Now, the ‘big boy with the sword’ next door is the one causing most of our problems. It’s time to use our votes to create our own future…”
Farah Farzana is an SNP activist and Women’s and Equalities Officer for her local branch. On her personal experiences in politics, Farah said: “As a local election candidate, I became aware of the lack of equal and proportionate representation in local authorities. The SNP have led in gender balance but more work needs to be done to create an ethnicity balance too. If we don’t speak up for justice and fairness, then we will only hinder our progress.”
But BAME is what drives her politics. A summary of her argument in support of centralised directed selection
The 2021 election saw the first use of an equality mechanism in candidate selection. Not all members agreed with the strategy, posing the question, should selection of candidates come down to the person most capable, or is there more to it? But there are a fair number of people within the Party from minority ethnic groups who are more than capable of becoming an elected member. So why so are there so few? This is evidenced through each election campaign; most recently the constituency selection process saw one new ethnic minority candidate come through from a possible 22, plus an incumbent. As branch members, office bearers and executives we must examine our internal structures and ask, why? Be prepared for uncomfortable truths.
Inclusion, diversity and equity for a truly representative Parliament, was my maxim for the campaign as it will be for the upcoming Council elections. In an ideal world, there would be no need for any sort of equalities mechanism because our governments would be populated with, at least, minimal proportional representation. So how to do we get there and what has this issue got to do with the Independence referendum? Voters considered ‘hard to reach’ may feel like outcasts due to negative schooling, neighbourhood, employment, benefits, police or local authority experiences. This leads to another question: why would an individual participate in societal matters when that same society has marginalised them? The simple solution would be to reach out and be inclusive. However, if this were the case we wouldn’t have the problem in the first place. So we must continue to address the issue. The strength of the SNP BAME Network lies within proposed strategies to maximise voter and membership engagement:
Actively involve identified branch members in discussions and encourage their participation. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Overcome communication barriers by using everyday English, and where possible, provide written and oral formats.
Provide alternatives to the pub to show respect to those who don’t drink or feel uncomfortable in an alcohol environment.
Encourage diverse members to come forward for office bearer positions or vice positions. This helps provide experience, confidence and guidance as they learn.
Listen to their perspectives with an open mind; these members have valuable lived experience, and chose the SNP to bring about political change. Let them know their opinion matters.
Being active within the Party helps activists communicate within their communities – a skill necessary to promote conversations around Independence and build rapport. If local people see a member of their own community elected then they are far more likely to engage in conversation, thereby encouraging trust and helping us gain support. We all have the same goal. Experiences from the BAME Network add quality to our efforts to spread our message of Independence, peace, respect and hope further than ever before.
Clare Adamson WOKE, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw and Convener of the Education and Skills Committee. On breaking down barriers in the workplace, Clare said: “Thanks to the tireless work of thousands of women over the last hundred years, we have achieved great progress. However, it is still obvious that today women from all women from all walks of life still face institutional bias and we have to continue to move forward towards true equality. “Prior to becoming involved in politics, I worked in the male-dominated IT industry and became all too aware of the issues women still face in the workplace every day. I’m really proud that the SNP remains committed to empowering young women and I am pleased to see more women represented in politics and in STEM than ever before. We must remain steadfast until we see true equality in representation, pay and in the boardroom.”
Erin Mwembo is a WOKE SNP activist in East Lothian and local branch office bearer. On getting involved in politics, Erin said: “Over the last 100 years, we have made huge progress in equality. I’m so lucky to live in a time where strong, inspiring women are in positions of power and challenging the status quo. These women have made me feel like I have a place in politics, a place to make my voice heard, a voice that is as valuable as any one else’s. I joined the SNP to make my voice heard, after feeling incredibly empowered by the likes of our first minister. Although we have made progress, there’s still more to be made. We are only going to near genuine gender equality by getting more and more women involved in the decision process and in male-dominated industries. To people interested in getting involved: Do it. For the now and for the future.”
Michelle Campbell, Councillor, represents Erskine and Inchinnan and is the Council Group Secretary. On her hopes for the next 100 years, Michelle said: “As a women in politics, I work hard to rid gender typical views when I am working with some who may be assumptive – that is the challenge and I will always push for progress. My hope for the next 100 years is this becomes a history lesson and is no longer a relevant issue. In Scotland, we are at the helm of this progress and I am proud to be a women in politics within the SNP.”
Kirsty Jarvis is an SNP activist in Fife and local branch office bearer. On the importance of this centenary, Kirsty said: “100 years ago women won the right to vote, today we can vote, stand in elections and become the First Minister of our country. Women have just as much of a platform and as much of a right as men to make a difference to our society and have their voices heard and to represent the voices of other woman.”
Eva Bolander is Lord Provost of Glasgow. On her personal experience, she said: “The experience of becoming a mother in Scotland made me more politically aware and later active. Having had the experience of growing up in Sweden, being young when the universal childcare reform and other equalities legislation were introduced there made me realise what a fundamental importance these political decisions had for creating a progressive, prosperous and inclusive society. And that is the Scotland I am working for now.
Councillor Michelle Campbell represents Erskine and Inchinnan and is the Council Group Secretary. On her hopes for the next 100 years, Michelle said: “As a women in politics, I work hard to rid gender typical views when I am working with some who may be assumptive – that is the challenge and I will always push for progress. My hope for the next 100 years is this becomes a history lesson and is no longer a relevant issue. In Scotland, we are at the helm of this progress and I am proud to be a women in politics within the SNP.”
Gillian Martin is MSP for Aberdeenshire East and Convener of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee. On improving the political environment to encourage women to get involved, Gillian said: “It’s getting slightly better but more female voices on television, radio, in newspapers and events panels talking about political issues is an absolute must – if we’re not seeing women represented in any of those arenas it needs challenged. The Holyrood press pack is overwhelmingly male and I think it has an effect on the discourse. I hope in a future independent Scotland we’ll be able to leave the adversarial patriarchal style of politics behind that despite efforts to be different we seem to have inherited from Westminster and have a more can-do collaborative progressive style like our Nordic friends seem to have and that will encourage more women to stand.”
Ruth Maguire is MSP for Cunninghame South and Convener of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee. On how it is ‘deeds not words’ that matter, Ruth said: “We’ve come so far since 1918 but we’re not there yet, amongst the myriad of inequalities girls and women are faced with we remain stubbornly underrepresented in politics and public life. If you are a women who cares about her community, her country, know that your voice, your ideas and your opinions matter and need to be heard.
“And for me and my colleagues in Parliament and Council chambers, it is not good enough for us to say, ‘Well, I’m here, so that’ll do.’ We need to do everything in our collective power to break down the structural barriers that are in the way of others, in particular BME women and women with disabilities. Deeds not words as our sister suffragettes would have said.”
Nicola Sturgeon has been asked to clarify the Scottish National party’s stance on transgender rights following the leak of private messages between three prominent female MSPs that claim the first minister is “out of step” with her party.
The conversation, which was tweeted as a screenshot on Tuesday evening but timestamped February, appears to have been prompted by Sturgeon’s comments in an interview that she recognised some women had concerns about the implications of her government’s proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA), such as allowing individuals to change their legal gender by means of self-declaration.
Cathie Johnston represents Cumbernauld South on North Lanarkshire Council. She said: “Women over 30 getting the vote in 1918 was a positive step. Since then, women have became more confident in their own abilities. However, I would like to see women being stronger in their own beliefs and acknowledge their own strengths more. Always believe in yourself, work hard and don’t forget your roots – or those without a voice.”
Ash Denham is the MSP for Edinburgh Eastern and Minister for Community Safety. On representation, Ash said: “It’s 2018 but still neither Holyrood nor Westminster Parliaments have 50/50 representation. Gender balancing measures work, so the political parties that haven’t introduced them should be compelled to.”
An SNP junior minister is facing deselection amid unrest among activists over her hotel bills and decision to school her children privately. Community safety minister Ash Denham is engaged in a bitter fight for the party’s nomination for Edinburgh Eastern in the face of a challenge from a high-profile city councillor. Holyrood figures show the MSP, who lives in the Borders, claimed nearly £16,000 from public funds for Edinburgh accommodation and meals between 2017-18 and 2019-20, even though the parliament is in her constituency. Opponents have claimed Denham gave an undertaking to transfer her children to a state school, although she denies this.
The Scottish National Party has backed changes to prostitution laws to criminalise those paying for sex, but not those who sell it. Delegates at the party’s conference in Aberdeen voted in favour of a motion proposing a “Scottish model” to handle prostitution, similar to the “Nordic model” used in Scandinavian countries. The resolution, proposed by MSP Ash Denham, stated that “commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and human trafficking, is a form of violence against women”.
Rona Mackay is MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden and Deputy Convener of the Justice Committee. On delivering a better Scotland for future generations, Rona said: “I have been very lucky to have had strong, inspirational female role models throughout my life, leading me to feel able to be involved in politics. I am particularly proud of our party and how many female representatives we have. To me, it is so important we all work together and have as many women as possible in leadership roles to achieve a better and fairer Scotland for future generations.”
Maree Todd is MSP for the Highlands and Islands region and Minister for Children and Young People. On how far we’ve come and how far we’ve got to go, Maree said: “We have come a very long way in 100 years. My grannies had only two choices for careers – domestic service or following the herring. Not only did I have the chance to get a science degree at university, I now serve in Government!
“We still have a long way to go though. I hope that my doing this job, inspires girls growing up in the Highlands and Islands to believe they can do anything – including politics. We might be a bit reluctant to put ourselves forward still, but when we do speak up, we speak well and make a difference.”
Julie Hepburn is a long-standing SNP activist and member of the National Executive Committee. On her motivation for political activism, Julie said: “I’ve been a member of the SNP for almost two decades, and while political activism can be tough at times, for me it’s been an overwhelmingly positive and empowering experience. “Politics is the vehicle through which we achieve change, and I am determined to help change our communities and our country for the better. Securing independence for Scotland is the single most important change we can make to deliver a fairer society and better life for everyone who lives here. That’s why I’ve dedicated my adult life to campaigning for independence.”
I vividly remember attending my first SNP Conference 20 years ago in Dundee. The whole conference was alive with debate, ideas and personalities, and there was some stooshie over housing policy. It was fantastic. Like a number of people, I was hesitant about joining a political party, but was immediately reassured by the vibrancy of debate and room to contribute to those positive discussions. I felt genuinely empowered as a new member, and excited about my involvement. One of the huge strengths of the SNP is our internal democracy. So that’s why I was surprised to read the suggestion that the party should take a “command and control” approach to the selection of our parliamentary candidates. (https://www.thenational.scot/news/18264156.julie-hepburn-not-snp-hq-decide-will-stand/)
I’m running to be the SNP’s depute leader for a number of reasons. I’ve made this choice because I was asked by so many activists across the country. They’ve asked me to stand because of my proven track record of service to the party, my previous commitment to driving forward internal reforms, and my work in supporting others across the SNP. However, most significantly for me, I want to use the skills, experience and networks I’ve built up over almost two decades in the SNP to help prepare us for another independence referendum and indeed future elections. (https://www.thenational.scot/news/16036107.julie-hepburn-use-experience-ready-snp-indyref2/)
The Women of the Scottish National Party
It is just over a century since women first gained the right to vote. Today their female descendents in Scotland continue to shape the evolving SNP.
Nicola Sturgeon is the first female First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party. On the importance of equality for women, she said:
“Celebrating a century of women’s suffrage is a great occasion. Not only does it remind us of women’s achievements – it provides the opportunity to inject new momentum into encouraging more women into politics and public life. While we’ve come a long way since 1918, much still needs to be done if we are to eradicate gender inequality and create a fairer and more prosperous country. Equality for women is at the heart of our vision for an equal Scotland. Our resolve is to use the powers we have – powers which in many ways we owe to the suffrage movement.
But Sturgeon’s rhetoric and the politics of her Party don’t match since her efforts and those she has gathered around her are evidenced by Scotland’s reputation as the fastest growing most unequal society in Western Europe.
Sturgeons Women
Mhairi Black:
MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South and the youngest MP in 350 years. Her message to young women who want to get involved in politics today is: “Have courage of conviction. Know your stuff inside and out and don’t be intimidated.”
Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “While I am leader, the administration of Glasgow City Government will be an unashamedly feminist one.
We will have women and women’s priorities and family priorities absolutely at the centre of our policies, in the political decision-making process.”
The Reality is Derelict libraries, shuttered museums and austerity max. Take a look at what the SNP administration has done to Glasgow, if you can stomach it.
Destitution, litter, fly-tipping, drug deaths, pothole-strewn roads, shuttered shops — and a city centre locked in a seemingly unstoppable downward spiral…
Of course Covid has contributed to these dire straits, but it only accelerated a process already well under way — and there’s even worse to come with a fresh round of swingeing cuts.
The city famously hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014, but now it’s emerged that 40 sports venues or pitches, five libraries, and 11 community centres or halls will stay shut following lockdown. Three museums are also listed as not due for re-opening, including the city’s historic Scotland Street School, though it will ultimately be turned into a nursery under plans approved as the second lockdown hit. (Graham-Grant)
Kirsten Oswald:
As Business Convener for the SNP she was responsible for overseeing operational matters and chairing the National Executive Committee and National Conference on female representation:
SNP Chair and East Renfrewshire MP Oswald was slammed for her party’s lack of co-operation with the Scottish Parliamentary inquiry into the Scottish Government’s botched handling of alleged harassment complaints against Alex Salmond. Asked repeatdly to clarify exactly when she became aware of the Peter Murrell, SNP Chief Executive texts advocating “pressure” be put on Police Scotland to investigate Mr Salmond and if she informed other party officials and what other action, if any, she, as chair, took. There has only ever been silence.
Oswld and SNP financial matters: Another scandal in which Oswald attacked long serving and loyal officers of the party for daring to expose potential fraud:
Question Time – Sturgeon lied and no amount of whataboutery from Oswald can save her
When challenged over the First Minister’s misleading of the Scottish Parliament, Kirsten Oswald MP did what the SNP have been getting away with doing for years — shifting the blame;
Changing the subject and making irrelevant comparisons with others. Oswald quickly pivoted to say it would be “inconceivable” to imagine the Prime Minister taking part in an eight hour committee session as Sturgeon had done.
Her clunky gear change caused Private Eye editor and fellow panellist Ian Hislop to pounce. With his trademark quizzical expression, he asked: “Do we have to change the subject, can we get back to Nicola Sturgeon please? I know it’s very impolite to interrupt but why are we talking about Boris?
Oswald repeated her wholly irrelevant comparison.
Hislop fired back: “He hasn’t lost £500,000 of public and given it to Alex Salmond. Can we never talk about Scotland, does it always have to be referred back down here? This tactic has got a name — whatabooutism (or whataboutery) — and has its roots in Soviet Russian propaganda. The SNP are its modern-day masters. The Nationalists came to power in Scotland in large part by relentlessly blaming everyone else, especially the UK government, for all of Scotland’s problems. For years under Sturgeon, the SNP have presided over a series of unmitigated scandals and incompetence. Our once world-leading education system has fallen down international rankings; infrastructure projects arrive late and massively over budget; the justice system is at breaking point. I could go on. But whenever anyone dares challenge their woeful record of misrule, whataboutery is deployed with a shameless zeal that would make the Politburo blush.
The sick kids’ hospital in Edinburgh late and over budget … what about English NHS waiting lists? An SNP MP travelled between England and Scotland knowing she was Covid-positive … what about Dominic Cummings? Sturgeon misled parliament … what about UK ministers? The difficulty is that after being in complete control of large swathes of devolved power for so long, the SNP’s finger pointing routine is wearing a bit thin. With power comes responsibility. (Lucia Gomez)
Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse and Minister for Older People and Equalities and Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Dunfermline and Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People rake in an extra £65k and 50K on top of their near £70k salaries as MSP’s yet neither woman has raised a single motion relating to the elderly or the scandal of 1,949 Covid-19 deaths in Scottish care homes. And adding insult to injury they refused to support calls for the appointment of a Commissioner for Older People in Scotland to safeguard human rights, despite the creation of a similar post in England and Northern Ireland.
Elderly rights campaigner Helen Biggins said: “What is the point of having these ministers if they are not going to do their jobs and stand up for old people? Both Shirley-Anne Somerville and Christina McKelvie have said very little that I have heard to stick up for the citizens they are being paid well to represent. They have been missing in action. It is as if they think the part of their job to represent older people is a thing tagged on the end that they would rather forget about. The past six months have seen horrific deaths in care homes and in the community, as well as thousands of people really struggling in isolation. Serious questions need to be answered, yet these ministers don’t want to appoint a Commissioner for Older People. I think they should at least have to explain why that is and also explain why they have failed to table motions relating to older people since the beginning of this pandemic.”
Serious concerns have been raised over the elderly being pressured to sign Do Not Resuscitate notices and the transfer of Covid-19 patients into care homes, and hundreds of families remain furious at restrictions on care home visiting rights.
Just for the record: McKelvie and Somerville have lodged a series of motions with the Scottish Parliament since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. But none of them relate to the plight of older people, despite their job titles and the loss of life in nursing homes and hospitals. Since March, none of Somerville’s nine motions or McKelvie’s two have related to the elderly. McKelvie’s ones were calling for Parliament to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and in support of new laws on female genital mutilation. Somerville, meanwhile, lodged a motion calling for Parliament to support human rights for ethnic minority groups through Covid-19, for better social security support for children and in support of civil partnerships. A no comment response was received in answer to a request for comment from the persons concerned. The Scottish Government confirmed that a Commissioner for Older People was not under consideration (Daily Record)
Councillor Mhairi Hunter, Convener for Health and Social Care Integration on Glasgow City Council and Carer for her dad: On why she’s involved in politics, she said: “I was brought up in a political household in London so it was quite normal to be involved in politics and be active. What makes me continue to be involved is just believing people together can achieve a fairer society and can improve the quality of life for people.”
So square that with this: Mhairi Hunter and Jennifer Layden are both senior councillors in Glasgow whose roles are regarded as a full-time commitment because of their additional responsibilities over a backbench councillor who is paid at two-thirds of the full time rate. The full-time rate can vary depending on the nature of the role and according to Glasgow’s Register of Interests Layden is paid a salary of £35,000 while Hunter receives £26,000.
Yet both SNP councillors have other paid jobs – Layden works in Humza Yousaf’s office having previously enjoyed a similar role in Margaret Ferrier’s, while Hunter has a role in none other than Nicola Sturgeon’s office and a separate paid commitment as a member of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board.
But of course councillors should be properly remunerated – The independent (SLARC) committee recommended a new salary structure for elected councillors in Scotland in 2006. But the committee is being systematically abused because no one has been scrutinising its work since the former SNP finance minister, Derek Mackay – who resigned in disgrace of course, decided that independent oversight was no longer necessary and that the SLARC committee should be disbanded. The upshot is that we have large sums of public money being used to pay Glasgow councillors decent salaries to perform a wide range of part-time and full-time jobs – yet these salaries are also being topped up by Holyrood and Westminster SNP MSPs and MPs employing councillors in their offices. The system is being ‘gamed’ when the public interest demands independent scrutiny, openness and transparency.
Kirsty Blackman MP for Aberdeen North – former Deputy Westminster Leader. On the importance of diversity in politics, she said: “I am so passionate about trying to improve parliament to make it better reflect the diversity of those who live in our country. Being a member of parliament should not be a job only for middle-aged men. I believe better laws and decisions are made if they’re proposed and scrutinised by folk from a wide variety of backgrounds. I first became an elected councillor in Aberdeen when I was 21. Politics isn’t about making speeches in parliament or in council chambers – it’s about the people we help every day and the positive impact we can make in our communities.”
But what about Scottish nationalism?
She is markedly less keen to talk about Scottish independence, the SNP’s founding principle. She says she is not in Westminster to pressure the government for a referendum. “I don’t think most folk in their daily lives give two hoots about whether Scotland is a member of the union. The constitutional issues are not the biggest concern for an awful lot of people and, in fact, I very rarely talk about Scottish independence in the chamber.”
One of the most disturbing group of exchanges between women and Blackman revealing just how dangerous Sturgeon, Blackman and her ilk are to the future of Scotland.
Blackman embodies everything that is wrong with the SNP. She gives the petulant children a voice and sees no consequences for using ‘Feelings as Facts’.They egg her on and she likes to liked by them. Expertise and ability are nothing compared to ‘likes’. No doubt she will retreat into her personal problems as so many of the OutforIndy crowd do when confronted and it dawns on her what she has done. She was not up to her job as deputy Leader and the difference in competence between her and Cherry is so wide as to be ridiculous when you think of the role she had. Perhaps she got a few home truths as to her abilities and productivity? Like so many of her ilk she sees clever troublesome women as a problem. Better to all support each other’s incompetence and say how nice they all are. After that is what matters apparently. ‘Be kind’ Kirsty, that is the mantra isn’t it? Except when you are setting the hounds on a colleague with your shrill dog whistle. I know who I would want in my corner in the existential battle for Scotland and its people and it isn’t a woman who speaks, dresses and behaves like a overwrought toddler.
Joan Sturgeon Mother of Nicola, a long-standing SNP activist and former Provost of North Ayrshire Council. On women leading the way, Joan said: “As the mother of a female political leader I have seen how difficult it can be to be taken as seriously as men in the political arena. Through history it was mainly women though who kept the home, saw to the children and dealt with the tasks thought to be beneath men….that takes strength and determination.
The North Ayrshire PPI Scandal
A contract was signed by North Ayrshire Council (NAC) for a PPP/PFI deal to build 4 schools. The council is now paying £1million a month to service the debt, and will be until about 2038.
At the time and leading up to its signature there were concerns amongst councillors about lack of transparency and procedures. A police investigation was launched in 2006 and “found no criminality”.
But the investigative skills of reporter Campbell Martin exposed clear evidence casting doubt as the probity of the bidding procedure (one of the two competitors was clearly a shell company created to give impression of multi-bidding. So there was no competition. Goddness and the police missed the obvious!!! Did they really investigate as they claimed they had?
Campbell Martin’s exposure rattled cages in the council and wiider afield and in February 2018, the Council, despite an amount of obfuscation and delaying tactics by senior Council officers asked the police to investigate the allegations again.
Feedback from the police revealed nothing new and reporter Campbell Martin submitted a number of Freedom of Information requests to the police whichlargely went unanswered. And despite a formal intervention from the Data protection ombudsman to release full details of their investigations not a lot was released
But the ever dogged Campbel Martin kept on digging and finally revealed a “can of worms” so rotten even Sturgeon would not take the bait.
A bitter pill for the taxpayer to swallow was the action of a senior civil servant who, as a member of the government’s PFI team responsible for the imposition of the then Coalition government’s PFI policies attended a meeting with North Ayrshire Council councillors armed with with a brief to practice “mushroom management” and reveal little information of any consquence. Best for all concerned if theu councilllors were to be stonewalled. Which they duly were. The civil sevant was Leslie Evans!!!
Fast forward a few years and a slap in the face for Nicola Sturgeon’s mother,(Provost of North Ayrshire Council) when her daughter chose the self same Leslie Evans to be her Permanent Secretary in the Scottish Government. A decision without logic!!
Councillor Rhiannon Spear represents Greater Pollok on Glasgow City Council and is an elected member of National Council. On her own personal experience in politics, Rhiannon said: “My experience of being a young woman in politics is the very reason why I will continue to campaign for change. My experiences of sexism has been frequent and at times severe. No party is immune but within the SNP I have found a space that allows my voice to be heard and allows me to encourage more young women to let their voices be heard, long may that continue.”
Personality
She is strikingly attractive, highly intelligent and gifted with a natural ability to attract attention, unfortunately not always to her benefit. She is feisty, strong willed and determined to succeed at any task she is minded to take on. She is media savvy and possesses first class skills including the production of excellent graphics for social media presentation and discussion. One of her many character weaknesses is her abject inability to accept criticism and her single-minded approach to her work. She needs to learn that political life is not a Religion and she is not the Pope.
WOKE
She is the driving force behind informal WOKE campaigning individuals, groups, charities and formal groups promoting and implementing WOKE agenda’s in all of the state schools in Scotland. The bulk of WOKE activities, including resources and staffing, (£3-5M) is funded by the Scottish taxpayer through the SNP government. The unhealthy influence of WOKE minded politicians is being planted across all aspects of Scottish society as each day passes.
Politics
Joined the SNP in 2011. Jointly founded Generation Yes, the national youth campaign for independence in the run up to the 2014 referendum. National Convenor of YSI for two years from 2015–17. Elected to the SNP’s NEC in 2016. Scottish Parliament Candidate for the Glasgow List in 2016. Elected Councillor for Greater Pollok in 2017. Successfully proposed motions at SNP Conference on all female lists, inclusive education and raising the age of military recruitment to 18. Chairs TIE an LBGTI government funded charity which is remitted to support Scottish Education bodies providing LGBT-inclusive education in Scottish Schools. Actively promoted the #Metoo movement denouncing sexual harassment on campus at University of Glasgow.
Charlotte Armitage is an SNP activist and National Equalities Officer for YSI. On her personal experience, Charlotte said: “As a young woman in politics, I know how it feels to be dismissed, or valued only for how I look rather than what I say. It is this reason why it is so important that we continue to campaign for gender equality and societal change, just like our suffrage sisters did before us. We have achieved hugely notable changes in the last 100 years and it is encouraging to see many strong female leaders in Scottish politics today. However, women remain underrepresented, harassed and in threat of violence. To me it is clear there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve absolute gender equality, but I am confident that the SNP is paving the way for an Independent Scotland that has gender equality at the forefront.”
Australian-born Deidre Brock is MP for Edinburgh North and Leith. On helping other women, Deidre said: “A century ago some women got the vote. It took ten more years to get the same terms as men. In 2018 politics is a better place, but still an unequal place, and the best tribute to the women who led the way is to keep the campaign rolling.
Reach out a hand to help another woman up; be a role model so girls growing up today know it’s normal to have women in politics; stretch the hand of sisterhood across political divides – you don’t have to agree with her to defend her right to speak; look to the future and work for a better and more equal tomorrow.”
WestminsterCareer politician: Front-bench MP in the SNP group with responsibility for Devolved Government and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Sits on the Scottish Affairs Committee and is a member of a number of cross-party groups. Not a great deal of evidence to support any claims that she is interested in campaigning for Scottish independence. Most likely leans towards federalism.
Lari Don Born in Chile, and travelled widely in South and Central America as a child, before her family settled in North East …is a children’s author and a local activist in Edinburgh North and Leith. On creating our future, Lari said: “As a writer, I spend a lot of time talking to kids about characters solving their own problems. I also tell lots of myths and legends where the girl doesn’t wait for a boy with a big sword to save her from the dragon. My feminism and my support for an independent Scotland come from the same determination not to wait for someone else to define and sort out our problems. Now, the ‘big boy with the sword’ next door is the one causing most of our problems. It’s time to use our votes to create our own future…”
Farah Farzana is an SNP activist and Women’s and Equalities Officer for her local branch. On her personal experiences in politics, Farah said: “As a local election candidate, I became aware of the lack of equal and proportionate representation in local authorities. The SNP have led in gender balance but more work needs to be done to create an ethnicity balance too. If we don’t speak up for justice and fairness, then we will only hinder our progress.”
But BAME is what drives her politics. A summary of her argument in support of centralised directed selection
The 2021 election saw the first use of an equality mechanism in candidate selection. Not all members agreed with the strategy, posing the question, should selection of candidates come down to the person most capable, or is there more to it? But there are a fair number of people within the Party from minority ethnic groups who are more than capable of becoming an elected member. So why so are there so few? This is evidenced through each election campaign; most recently the constituency selection process saw one new ethnic minority candidate come through from a possible 22, plus an incumbent. As branch members, office bearers and executives we must examine our internal structures and ask, why? Be prepared for uncomfortable truths.
Inclusion, diversity and equity for a truly representative Parliament, was my maxim for the campaign as it will be for the upcoming Council elections. In an ideal world, there would be no need for any sort of equalities mechanism because our governments would be populated with, at least, minimal proportional representation. So how to do we get there and what has this issue got to do with the Independence referendum? Voters considered ‘hard to reach’ may feel like outcasts due to negative schooling, neighbourhood, employment, benefits, police or local authority experiences. This leads to another question: why would an individual participate in societal matters when that same society has marginalised them? The simple solution would be to reach out and be inclusive. However, if this were the case we wouldn’t have the problem in the first place. So we must continue to address the issue. The strength of the SNP BAME Network lies within proposed strategies to maximise voter and membership engagement:
Actively involve identified branch members in discussions and encourage their participation. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Overcome communication barriers by using everyday English, and where possible, provide written and oral formats.
Provide alternatives to the pub to show respect to those who don’t drink or feel uncomfortable in an alcohol environment.
Encourage diverse members to come forward for office bearer positions or vice positions. This helps provide experience, confidence and guidance as they learn.
Listen to their perspectives with an open mind; these members have valuable lived experience, and chose the SNP to bring about political change. Let them know their opinion matters.
Being active within the Party helps activists communicate within their communities – a skill necessary to promote conversations around Independence and build rapport. If local people see a member of their own community elected then they are far more likely to engage in conversation, thereby encouraging trust and helping us gain support. We all have the same goal. Experiences from the BAME Network add quality to our efforts to spread our message of Independence, peace, respect and hope further than ever before.
Clare Adamson WOKE, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw and Convener of the Education and Skills Committee. On breaking down barriers in the workplace, Clare said: “Thanks to the tireless work of thousands of women over the last hundred years, we have achieved great progress. However, it is still obvious that today women from all women from all walks of life still face institutional bias and we have to continue to move forward towards true equality. “Prior to becoming involved in politics, I worked in the male-dominated IT industry and became all too aware of the issues women still face in the workplace every day. I’m really proud that the SNP remains committed to empowering young women and I am pleased to see more women represented in politics and in STEM than ever before. We must remain steadfast until we see true equality in representation, pay and in the boardroom.”
Erin Mwembo is a WOKE SNP activist in East Lothian and local branch office bearer. On getting involved in politics, Erin said: “Over the last 100 years, we have made huge progress in equality. I’m so lucky to live in a time where strong, inspiring women are in positions of power and challenging the status quo. These women have made me feel like I have a place in politics, a place to make my voice heard, a voice that is as valuable as any one else’s. I joined the SNP to make my voice heard, after feeling incredibly empowered by the likes of our first minister. Although we have made progress, there’s still more to be made. We are only going to near genuine gender equality by getting more and more women involved in the decision process and in male-dominated industries. To people interested in getting involved: Do it. For the now and for the future.”
Michelle Campbell, Councillor, represents Erskine and Inchinnan and is the Council Group Secretary. On her hopes for the next 100 years, Michelle said: “As a women in politics, I work hard to rid gender typical views when I am working with some who may be assumptive – that is the challenge and I will always push for progress. My hope for the next 100 years is this becomes a history lesson and is no longer a relevant issue. In Scotland, we are at the helm of this progress and I am proud to be a women in politics within the SNP.”
Kirsty Jarvis is an SNP activist in Fife and local branch office bearer. On the importance of this centenary, Kirsty said: “100 years ago women won the right to vote, today we can vote, stand in elections and become the First Minister of our country. Women have just as much of a platform and as much of a right as men to make a difference to our society and have their voices heard and to represent the voices of other woman.”
Eva Bolander is Lord Provost of Glasgow. On her personal experience, she said: “The experience of becoming a mother in Scotland made me more politically aware and later active. Having had the experience of growing up in Sweden, being young when the universal childcare reform and other equalities legislation were introduced there made me realise what a fundamental importance these political decisions had for creating a progressive, prosperous and inclusive society. And that is the Scotland I am working for now.
Councillor Michelle Campbell represents Erskine and Inchinnan and is the Council Group Secretary. On her hopes for the next 100 years, Michelle said: “As a women in politics, I work hard to rid gender typical views when I am working with some who may be assumptive – that is the challenge and I will always push for progress. My hope for the next 100 years is this becomes a history lesson and is no longer a relevant issue. In Scotland, we are at the helm of this progress and I am proud to be a women in politics within the SNP.”
Gillian Martin is MSP for Aberdeenshire East and Convener of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee. On improving the political environment to encourage women to get involved, Gillian said: “It’s getting slightly better but more female voices on television, radio, in newspapers and events panels talking about political issues is an absolute must – if we’re not seeing women represented in any of those arenas it needs challenged. The Holyrood press pack is overwhelmingly male and I think it has an effect on the discourse. I hope in a future independent Scotland we’ll be able to leave the adversarial patriarchal style of politics behind that despite efforts to be different we seem to have inherited from Westminster and have a more can-do collaborative progressive style like our Nordic friends seem to have and that will encourage more women to stand.”
Ruth Maguire is MSP for Cunninghame South and Convener of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee. On how it is ‘deeds not words’ that matter, Ruth said: “We’ve come so far since 1918 but we’re not there yet, amongst the myriad of inequalities girls and women are faced with we remain stubbornly underrepresented in politics and public life. If you are a women who cares about her community, her country, know that your voice, your ideas and your opinions matter and need to be heard.
“And for me and my colleagues in Parliament and Council chambers, it is not good enough for us to say, ‘Well, I’m here, so that’ll do.’ We need to do everything in our collective power to break down the structural barriers that are in the way of others, in particular BME women and women with disabilities. Deeds not words as our sister suffragettes would have said.”
Nicola Sturgeon has been asked to clarify the Scottish National party’s stance on transgender rights following the leak of private messages between three prominent female MSPs that claim the first minister is “out of step” with her party.
The conversation, which was tweeted as a screenshot on Tuesday evening but timestamped February, appears to have been prompted by Sturgeon’s comments in an interview that she recognised some women had concerns about the implications of her government’s proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA), such as allowing individuals to change their legal gender by means of self-declaration.
Cathie Johnston represents Cumbernauld South on North Lanarkshire Council. She said: “Women over 30 getting the vote in 1918 was a positive step. Since then, women have became more confident in their own abilities. However, I would like to see women being stronger in their own beliefs and acknowledge their own strengths more. Always believe in yourself, work hard and don’t forget your roots – or those without a voice.”
Ash Denham is the MSP for Edinburgh Eastern and Minister for Community Safety. On representation, Ash said: “It’s 2018 but still neither Holyrood nor Westminster Parliaments have 50/50 representation. Gender balancing measures work, so the political parties that haven’t introduced them should be compelled to.”
An SNP junior minister is facing deselection amid unrest among activists over her hotel bills and decision to school her children privately. Community safety minister Ash Denham is engaged in a bitter fight for the party’s nomination for Edinburgh Eastern in the face of a challenge from a high-profile city councillor. Holyrood figures show the MSP, who lives in the Borders, claimed nearly £16,000 from public funds for Edinburgh accommodation and meals between 2017-18 and 2019-20, even though the parliament is in her constituency. Opponents have claimed Denham gave an undertaking to transfer her children to a state school, although she denies this.
The Scottish National Party has backed changes to prostitution laws to criminalise those paying for sex, but not those who sell it. Delegates at the party’s conference in Aberdeen voted in favour of a motion proposing a “Scottish model” to handle prostitution, similar to the “Nordic model” used in Scandinavian countries. The resolution, proposed by MSP Ash Denham, stated that “commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and human trafficking, is a form of violence against women”.
Rona Mackay is MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden and Deputy Convener of the Justice Committee. On delivering a better Scotland for future generations, Rona said: “I have been very lucky to have had strong, inspirational female role models throughout my life, leading me to feel able to be involved in politics. I am particularly proud of our party and how many female representatives we have. To me, it is so important we all work together and have as many women as possible in leadership roles to achieve a better and fairer Scotland for future generations.”
Maree Todd is MSP for the Highlands and Islands region and Minister for Children and Young People. On how far we’ve come and how far we’ve got to go, Maree said: “We have come a very long way in 100 years. My grannies had only two choices for careers – domestic service or following the herring. Not only did I have the chance to get a science degree at university, I now serve in Government!
“We still have a long way to go though. I hope that my doing this job, inspires girls growing up in the Highlands and Islands to believe they can do anything – including politics. We might be a bit reluctant to put ourselves forward still, but when we do speak up, we speak well and make a difference.”
Julie Hepburn is a long-standing SNP activist and member of the National Executive Committee. On her motivation for political activism, Julie said: “I’ve been a member of the SNP for almost two decades, and while political activism can be tough at times, for me it’s been an overwhelmingly positive and empowering experience. “Politics is the vehicle through which we achieve change, and I am determined to help change our communities and our country for the better. Securing independence for Scotland is the single most important change we can make to deliver a fairer society and better life for everyone who lives here. That’s why I’ve dedicated my adult life to campaigning for independence.”
I vividly remember attending my first SNP Conference 20 years ago in Dundee. The whole conference was alive with debate, ideas and personalities, and there was some stooshie over housing policy. It was fantastic. Like a number of people, I was hesitant about joining a political party, but was immediately reassured by the vibrancy of debate and room to contribute to those positive discussions. I felt genuinely empowered as a new member, and excited about my involvement. One of the huge strengths of the SNP is our internal democracy. So that’s why I was surprised to read the suggestion that the party should take a “command and control” approach to the selection of our parliamentary candidates. (https://www.thenational.scot/news/18264156.julie-hepburn-not-snp-hq-decide-will-stand/)
I’m running to be the SNP’s depute leader for a number of reasons. I’ve made this choice because I was asked by so many activists across the country. They’ve asked me to stand because of my proven track record of service to the party, my previous commitment to driving forward internal reforms, and my work in supporting others across the SNP. However, most significantly for me, I want to use the skills, experience and networks I’ve built up over almost two decades in the SNP to help prepare us for another independence referendum and indeed future elections. (https://www.thenational.scot/news/16036107.julie-hepburn-use-experience-ready-snp-indyref2/)
Scotland’s Gaelic TV channel BBC Alba, attracts many more Scottish viewers than there are Gaelic speakers and the potential for growth is well recognized in the trade. Independent programme makers in Scotland produce quality television for the station but in insufficient quantity to fully support the channel. The channel broadcasts for around 7 hours daily and comprises a 70/30 split in favour of BBC content.
The BBC has a commitment to provide quality programmes and does this by raiding the extensive BBC archives searching for content from yesteryear which it broadcasts with increasing frequency. The tactic allows the BBC to claim it is supporting the channel at great cost since it applies the current charge out rate for the old repeats.
Funding
Lack of finance has always been a major factor preventing expansion, a historical consequence of the Westminster government’s resistance to the creation of the channel despite being a signatory to the (1998) European Declaration on Minority Languages which committed the Westminster government to supporting Gaelic, Doric and Scotch through funding and support of a broadcasting service.
At that time the Westminster government accepted a commitment to have a new channel, (fully funded by a Westminster government direct grant mirroring the Welsh SC4 model) up and running by 2003.
Alba first broadcast in 2008, soon after the minority SNP took up government at Holyrood. The years long delay was attributed to resistance from the UK Treasury which refused to provide a £100m plus budget similar to that already in place in support of the Welsh language channel.
A breakthrough of sorts was achieved by the SNP government who applied pressure forcing the Westminster government to increase the block grant by £10m. The BBC committed to supporting the new channel and formed a joint venture partnership with the Gaelic Broadcasting Agency. It also promised up to £4m of programming content.
Broadcasting on a shoestring the new channel proved to be a bit “hairy” in the first months, as it became evident it was hopelessly underfunded (SC4 the Welsh language channel had a Westminster financed operational budget of £110m).
The under-funding was partly corrected by the SNP government, which provided £10m, new money (without an increase in the block grant) and the BBC, responding to pressure from the SNP government increased its programming support to £8m. Again charging current charge out rates for old progammes. Real value probably nearer £2m.
Financing of the £110m SC4 Welsh channel was then transferred to the BBC by the Westminster government regularizing broadcasting finance. Nice one £110m to Wales and £4m to Scotland. Hardly fair to Scotland
Programming
Many more Scots non-Gaelic speakers than the targeted audience view the channel regularly, which is attributed to the creative programming of the Gaelic Broadcasting Agency and the broadcasting of “live” rugby, soccer and other niche sports.
The future
Scottish Government’s policy is:
“To encourage inward investment in film and television production in Scotland, and use our new overseas network to promote Scotland as a location for film and television production.
We plan to continue the existing fiscal incentives for such production, and, within the first term of an independent Scottish parliament, we propose to look at ways to encourage further development in the sector, through incentives, infrastructural investment and support for development, skills and training.”
The Westminster government can no longer claim to be supporting “Alba” and the BBC commitment to Scotland is pathetic in comparison with the £110m finance it provides to the SC4 channel.
The use of optional sub-titles is not yet a common feature, but increasing use of “streaming” programming coupled with additional funding, through the Scottish government should address the issue.
Programme content needs to be expanded and improved upon and can be achieved by the SNP government increasing financial support expanding the remit of the Gaelic Broadcasting Agency to include Scotch and Doric programming in compliance with the commitment to protect Scotland’s heritage from the dominance and current prevalence of the “Queens English” presentation of “live” news and current affairs programmes.
Phantom Power Films are one example. They produce excellent television standard films and these and others deserve to be viewed by a wider Scots audience.
The changes need to be put in place now to ensure Scots can be provided with information about their country free of the bias of the “Unionist” State media that has done so much harm to Scotland.
Nicola Sturgeon and her small group of advisors are to be commended for their honesty in declaring to the Scottish public their full suppport of the agenda of the WOKE campaigners.
The mission of the SNP government will, when complete, turn the Scottish way of life on its head so that it becomes a fully integrated society modelled to the thinking of the WOKE activists..
But a successful outcome can only be achieved if the public are fully informed of the nature of changes and any implications attaching to them and are fully supportive.
The entire electorate must be on-board or there will be unhappiness and strife and it is crucial that our political leaders give precedence to needs of the many and consideration to the needs of the few and in pursuance of this the breakdown of the electorate in Scotland is: Heterosexual:95%. LGBTQ/WOKE: 5% (0.5% of this group are transgender).
Political representation
Implementation of the WOKE agenda needs to bring with it full transparency in public life and it should be a legal obligation for any person seeking public office to declare their sexuality so the electorate are fully informed before committing to their choice of candidate.
SNP representation at Westminster
Approx. 30% of SNP MP’s are LGBTQ/WOKE whilst Approx. 5% of the Scottish electorate are LGBTQT and of this group just under 0.5% claim to be transgender. The imbalance is exceptional!!
All but two of the SNP MP’s have been appointed to posts within the SNP Westminster Leaders’s Shadow Cabinet.
But the SNP are not the official opposition at Westminster and the appointment of a Shadow Cabinet is at odds with the stated aims of the Party which would never take up such a role in the House of Commons.
The question of payment also raises its head. Shadow ministers are not normally remunerated for the duties additional to their MP commitments. But I am informed the the SNP group are provided with payments using £1.5m short money allocated to the party which if true would be a misuse of the finance and a motive explaining the methodology behind the group’s reluctance to fight for an independent Scotland.
The Westminster SNP group
Stuart McDonald: Shadow Home Secretary. Openly LGBTQ. Stewart McDonald: Shadow Defence Secretary. Openly LGBTQ. John Nicolson: Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Openly LGBTQ. Alyn Smith: Shadow Foreign Secretary. Openly LGBTQ. Martin Docherty-Hughes: Shadow Industries Future/Blockchain Spokesperson. Openly LGBTQ. Joanna Cherry: Openly LGBTQ. Angela Crawley: Shadow Attorney General. Openly LGBTQ. Hannah Bardell: Foreign Affairs Team. Openly LGBTQ. Mhairi Black: Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland. Openly LGBTQ.
Comment: Parallels to be drawn with the Alex Salmond vendetta. A rush to investigate a man no longer in politics. Needs to be compared against the failure to investigate similar claims against Grady who remained at work, for years after. So “me too” applied only where it suited the SNP leadership. And Sturgeon’s team gave the finger of fate to the electorate and by appointing him to high office within the Party only months after he was forced to resign.
Stephen Flynn: Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Dave Doogan: Defence Team and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Team. Brendan O’Hara: Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office. Allan Dorans: Foreign Affairs Team. Steven Bonnar: Agriculture and Rural Affairs Team. Stewart Hosie: Independence campaigning co-ordinator. Chris Law: Shadow Secretary for International Development. Douglas Chapman: Shadow Small Business & Innovation Spokesperson. Tommy Sheppard: Shadow Cabinet Office Minister. John McNally: Shadow Environment Spokesperson. David Linden: Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Chris Stephens: Shadow Fair Work & Employment Spokesperson. Peter Grant: Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Richard Thomson: Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Wales and Shadow Financial Secretary. Ronnie Cowan: Shadow Infrastructure & Manufacturing Spokesperson. Drew Hendry: Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade. Alan Brown: Shadow Minister for the Energy and Climate Change. Martyn Day: Shadow Public Health & Primary Care Spokesperson. Owen Thompson: Chief Whip. Angus MacNeil: Gavin Newlands: Shadow Secretary of State for Transport and Shadow Sport Spokesperson. Pete Wishart: Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. Ian Blackford: Westminster Leader. Dr P. Whitford: Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Shadow Minister for Europe. Amy Callaghan: Shadow Pensions & Intergenerational Spokesperson. Dr Lisa Cameron: Shadow Mental Health Spokesperson. Deidre Brock: Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Alison Thewliss: Shadow Chancellor. Carol Monaghan: Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Shadow Minister for Armed Forces and Veterans. Marion Fellows: Deputy Whip and Shadow Disabilities Spokesperson. Patricia Gibson: Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Shadow Consumer Affairs Spokesperson.
Scottish independence. The dream shall never die!! But the toxic atmosphere created by Nicola Sturgeon’s government over transgender rights is an unnecessary distraction.
Nicola Sturgeon appeared as the honorary “Grand Marshall” at Scotland’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) pride event. In her address she said: “I’m proud that Scotland is considered to be one of the most progressive countries in Europe regarding LGBTI equality and Pride Glasgow is a fantastic event that brings communities together and celebrates all that LGBTI people bring to Scottish life. As a society we must champion equality and fairness at all times and defend the progress that has been made. I am pleased to be named as the first ever honorary Grand Marshall of Pride Glasgow and I look forward to joining young LGBTI people in the parade”.
The progress she was alluding to was the badly drafted “Hate Crime Bill” which restricts “freedom of speech” and denies individuals the right to privacy and undermines family life and is by public consensus a controversial and flawed piece of legislation whivh should be withdrawn and referred to an all-party expert group for consideration and amendment.
One of a number of fears expressed by many when the proposed legislation first appeared in the public domain was that debate would be shut down, and the law would be used as a cosh against people guilty of nothing more than expressing a opinion. And that concern has manifest many times in the past year, with vexatious complaints being lodged with the police by persons determined to destroy or at the very least undermine the credibilty of others.
Patrick Harvey himself added fuel to the fires of intolerance in Scotland with his suggestion that the attempts by several women MSP’s to protect the rights of women was somehow Transphobic behaviour, calling the amendments to protect the characteristic of biological sex a vicious transphobic attack.
The bill as it is writ provides more protection to men who dress as women than to women themselves. A bill that should remain to be consultative until such time as it has the unanimous support of the public.
Scots are fed up with LGBGTI activists complaining that their rights are being infringed. Scotland is a tolerant nation and one of the most supportive of LGBTI people in the world.
Political representation at Westminster greatly exceeds their numbers, (around 4.5% of the adult population) with 20% of the nation’s MP’s declaring their sexuality LGBTI. The graphic attached provides evidence supporting the foregoing.
One of the key factors contributing to the decision of the court and Lady Dorrian to impose a previously unheard of draconian jail sentence on Craig Murray was that he was not, in the opinion of the court entitled to the same rights and privileges as a mainstream journalist.
Paragraph 4 of her judgement stated in disparaging terms: “The applicant describes himself as a “journalist in new media”. Whatever that may involve, it is relevant to distinguish his position from that of the mainstream press, which is regulated, and subject to codes of practice and ethics in a way in which those writing as the applicant does are not. To the extent that the submissions for the applicant make comparisons with other press contempt’s, and the role of mainstream journalists, this is a factor which should be recognised.”
But online activity is not a devolved matter. It is reserved to the Westminster government who publicly announced 3 week before the judgement and comments of Lady Dorrian that Craig Murray was fully entitled in Law to consider himself to be a bona fide journalist.
Lady Dorrian’s judgement was predicated on a misinterpretation of her powers and that of the court.
This is the position of the Westminster government, published three weeks before lady Dorrian’s sentencing of Craig Murray. Media minister John Whittingdale, speaking for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said; “citizen journalists will have the same protections for their work as professional news providers adding, “we don’t want the legislation to lead to a ‘woke web’ where legitimate journalism is censored. That’s why we’ve built in safeguards so that content from news publishers will not be in scope of new laws, including content shared on social media platforms, and media providers will need to factor in the crucial role of journalism as well as freedom of expression in their moderation decisions. A vibrant and free media is essential to our democracy and our Bill will make sure vital public interest journalism can reach its audience without interference.
Perhaps Lewis Carroll anticipated the creation of the Judge only courts in Scotland when he wrote his “Mouse’s Tale”:
“Let us both go to law and I will prosecute you. I’ll take no denial. We must have a trial. For really this morning I’ve nothing to do.” The cat said to the mouse that he met in the house.,
“Such a trial, dear Sir, With no jury or judge, would be wasting our breath” said the mouse to the cat.
“I’ll be judge, I’ll be jury,” said the cunning old cat “I’ll try the whole cause, and condemn you to death.”
The cunning old cat might have described Lady Dorrian’s proposals for trials in which a Judge would sit as prosecutor, judge, and jury. Certainly Carroll’s satirical doggerel starkly foreshadows a lack of procedural safeguards, including a probability of bias that a defendant accused of rape or sexual assault in the courts of Scotland should her proposals be implemented.
I am attaching a summary of a report published in the national press some years ago. It refers to England’s judiciary since comparable information is not available in Scotland. But it to be expected that there will be little variance. The incidence of misbehaviour is shocking. Thank goodness defendants are still entitled to be judged by a jury of their peers.
28 Aug 2011: Scandal of the judges who shame justice
A Record number of judges and magistrates were either fired for wrongdoing or resigned while under investigation in the last year.
A total of 29 members of the judiciary were sacked. Offences ranged from “inappropriate behaviour or comments” to professional misconduct or getting into trouble with the law themselves.
Another 25 resigned while under investigation, including two judges, and 18 magistrates.
The total of 54 who left under a cloud is up from 46 in 2009-10 and 43 in 2008-09.
There were almost 500 complaints to the Office of Judicial Complaints about inappropriate behaviour or comments, a rise of 40 per cent in two years. 28 members of the judiciary were also given reprimands by the OJC and another 24 were offered advice, warning or guidance.
Examples
Judge George Bathurst-Norman was censured after making anti-Israeli comments during a trial, including comparing the country’s actions to a Nazi regime. His comments came during the trial of defendants accused of sabotaging equipment at a factory which they claimed was making parts for Israeli warplanes. He was reprimanded after it was ruled his comments “could be seen as an expression of the judge’s personal views on a political question”.
Judge Gerald Price resigned during the disciplinary process into claims he had an affair with a male prostitute. The investigation found his actions brought the judiciary into disrepute. It had been alleged that the married QC had a nine-month affair with a £250-a-night rent boy, whom he set up in a flat. It was even said that Mr Price allowed him on the bench during trials.
Another judge was given formal advice after he criticised Britain’s “lax immigration policy” while sentencing a Jamaican drug dealer. Judge Ian Trigger had said: “People like you, and there are literally hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people like you, come to these shores to avail themselves of the generous welfare benefits that exist here.” He was disciplined for “intervening in the political process”.
Coroner Paul Forrest was fired from his position in Avon after being described as exhibiting “high-handed and aggressive” behaviour. Among the magistrates fired was William Stephenson, of Warley, West Midlands. He became the subject of a Police Community Resolution procedure following an allegation of assault on a member of the public. The OJC said he had “failed to display the maturity, sound temperament and judgment required of a magistrate”.
Nicola Sturgeon’s family has roots in the North East of England, highlighting the close-knit relationship the area has with its neighbours north of the border. But will the region benefit from the rise of Scotland’s first minister and the SNP or will it be overshadowed?
Arthur Street, Ryhope, Sunderland, was once home to Sturgeon’s great-grandfather, shipwright Joseph Mills. His daughter Margaret married Robert Sturgeon, a gardener from Ayr, in 1943. She went on to become the grandmother of the SNP leader and the family eventually moved back to the south west of Scotland, where the now-first minister was born in 1970.
Sunderland, like many parts of Scotland, is steeped in industrial heritage, and Nicola Sturgeon’s family roots in the north east of England simply reinforces the idea that these two parts of the UK share many cultural and historical ties.
But the rise of the Scottish National Party north of the border has left many in the North East and Cumbria questioning the region’s future relationship with Scotland. “The North East shares a lot in common with Scotland and there’s a common cause to be made with our neighbours,” says Jonathan Blackie, a visiting professor at Northumberland University. “But given the current political situation it’s difficult to see how we can thrive by working together, when there are so many things pulling us apart.” The new political situation that he refers to is to the SNP now having 56 MPs at Westminster.
David Cameron has also said he will devolve more powers to the Scottish Parliament as recommended by the Smith Commission, which makes those living on the border nervous. “Nicola Sturgeon has played a blinder, she’s put Scotland in a position where it can’t get loose,” says Rob Johnston, the chief executive of the Cumbria Chamber of Commerce. “It’s not the number of SNP MPs, it’s the fact that Scotland is now speaking with one voice. “They can attract money and investment north of the border and that presents a real challenge for Cumbria.”
In the Scottish Independence referendum 67% of people in the Scottish Borders constituency voted to maintain the Union, making it an area that many thought the SNP would find hard to break through in at the general election.
The Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency MSP, which sits North of Northumberland said: “I actually think there are many parallels between what I want for the South of Scotland to what people in the North of England want. They want their voices to be heard and they want powers to make a difference to their region. If I can build a distinctive voice for the South of Scotland, people in the North of England should support that, and in fact work with me because they will also feel the benefits.”
To the south of Calum Kerr’s constituency sits Northumberland, the English county with the highest number of castles, a lasting testament to the fractious historical relationship that the north of England has had with its Scottish neighbours. The differences on the border are no longer territorial, but the rise of the SNP is certainly creating new political and economic tensions. (BBC 2015)
Comment: Innuendo appears innocuous and the underlying intent needs only to be implied to be effective but for the life of me I cannot fathom the purpose of the article. Perhaps others can.
Sep 2014: The Independence referendum – Promises Promises
Alex Salmond’s diligence in the previous parliament had been rewarded with the Party gaining an overall majority in the 2011 election and in 2012 he signed an agreement with British Prime Minister Cameron to hold an independence referendum in 2014. In the weeks leading up to the poll he inspired the pro-independence cause, steadily eroding a significant lead held by the Unionist Party’s.
In August 2014 he emerged as the clear winner of a televised debate with Labour politician Alistair Darling, the leader of “Better Together,” the multiparty campaign committed to preserving Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom. In polls held shortly after the debate, 51% of those expressing an opinion favoured independence the first time since polling on the matter began that the pro-independence camp had registered a lead.
Cameron response was to promise Scottish “self rule” (published illegally in the Daily Record in the “purdah” perod as “the Vow”) which was then given major “air time” on the BBC over the final 3 days of the campaign and other news outlets’.
Purdah, which started on 21 August should have prevented the UK government from announcing the proposed new legislation as a means of gaining advantage over the “Yes” campaign. For those who might not be aware of the legislation the term means:
“Veil on government”, and refers to the pre-election campaign period and provides restrictions on how the government may act, how the Civil Service behaves and the use of government resources during that time. Like many aspects the UK’s unwritten constitution government, is a mix of convention, precedent, code of conduct and statutory requirement.
The unprecedented “pledge to the nation” brokered by former prime minister Gordon Brown and Scottish Labour, was signed by the three political leaders at Westminster offering their version of the future governance of Scotland, alternative to independence. It gave assurance to Scots wavering about complete separation confidence that, if the a “no” vote would still result in major changes and Scotland would be given a much more control over its future. It proved to be the deal of the century for the Unionists who won over many older voters who were worried sick that their would be massive reductions in their old age pensions which was only one of the many lies foisted on Scots and boasted about after the referendum by the “Better Together” campaign promises. And the delivery? Well that’s another story!!! “Not a lot” as Paul Daniels used to Quip
There were three guarantees
New powers for the Scottish Parliament. Holyrood will be strengthened with extensive new powers, on a timetable beginning on September 19, with legislation in 2015. The Scottish Parliament will be a permanent and irreversible part of the British constitution.
The guarantee of fairness to Scotland. The guarantee that the modern purpose of the Union is to ensure opportunity and security by pooling and sharing our resources equitably for our defence, prosperity and the social and economic welfare of every citizen, including through UK pensions and UK funding of healthcare.
The power to spend more on the NHS if that is Scottish people’s will. The guarantee that with the continued Barnett allocation, based on need and with the power to raise its own funds, the final decisions on spending on public services in Scotland, including on the NHS, will be made by the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Parliament will have the last word on how much is spent on health. It will have the power to keep the NHS in public hands and the capacity to protect it.
Nov 2014: Cheated of victory by the illegal treachery of the reincarnation of a few Daniel Defoe’s at the “Daily Record” the hurt was very painful for Alex Salmond and he stood down handing control of the Party to the ambitious but, untried Nicola Sturgeon anticipating there would be much for her to do to take Scotland forward equipped with the “self rule” powers assured by “the Vow”.
But, true to form as predicted by Scottish nationalists who had campaigned day and night for nearly a year, Westminster renaged on the promises made in “the Vow” an outcome of the consequence of inept negotiating by Sweeney, (who retained his job as Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth, adding the title Deputy First Minister to his CV) and his SNP team who allowed themselves to be set-up as the lesser particpants in a significant minority with Unionist political Partys’.
May 2015: In the General Election Unionist party’s were just about wiped out in Scotland. Voters were scunnered with the Westminster cabal who failed to deliver the undertakings contained in “The Vow”. Quite the reverse in a number of cases in some areas devolved powers had been taken back to Westminster.
It was expected that Nicola Sturgeon would announce that the Scottish electorate had given her Party a manadate to declare independence. But she and her close colleagues lacked the political courage or backbone to do so. This was the time Scotland badly needed a leader but Alex Salmond was out to pasture. Another opportuity for a declaration of independence missed. And the reason for accepting the status-qou became apparent early on in the new parliament when Sturgeon took her cohort of 56 MP’s to Westminster and posed with them for numerous photographs outside the House of Commonsbefore sending them into school for indoctrination to the ways and means of the Unionist political systems and etiquette, including, no clapping or name calling. By declaring her acceptance of a continuance of the Unionist political system she finally exposed herself as a “Gradualist”. Independence was placed on the “things to do when we are not busy” list. And she would be busy selling herself to the political mandarins of the USA.
31 May 2015: Sturgeon’ European and World tour
Sturgeon’s profile was greatly enhanced during the general election campaign due to her appearances on the UK wide televised leaders debates and burgeoned further with the election’s near complete destruction of the Unionist party’s in Scotland. Many media outlets hailed her as the new Angela Merkel.
A European tour was completed by Sturgeon in the first four weeks of the new parliament. Her programme included an address to the European Parliament in Brussels in which she emphasised the difference between the Scottish and UK governments’ positions on Europe. She went on to deliver a speech to the European Policy Centre, highlighting the benefits that EU membership brought to Scotland’s economy through trade and by the 171,000 people born elsewhere in the European Union but living and working in Scotland.
Her elevation to worldwide political stardom continued when she was invited to tour the USA and Canada. Her schedule in Canada included trade and cultural engagements in Ottawa and Toronto. In the USA it extended to include television appearances on talk shows and meetings in Washington DC, New York, New Jersey and other venues, with influential business leaders who had expressed interest in investing in an independent scotland as well as meetings with financial leaders of the the World Bank, IMF and an address to the Council for Foreign Relations.
9 May 2017: Sturgeon off to the USA on another jaunt
The visit was promoted as a bid to gain investment for Scotland but it transpired this was a smokescreen for other purposes since the investment claimed to have been achieved was brokered by a Scottish Quango well before the visit.
She confined her visit to meeting with representatives from America’s liberal heartlands, including, “the face of the anti-Trump movement in American State politics” California Governor Gerry Brown, with whom she signed a climate change agreement. While on the West coast she told journalists that if or when she met President Trump she would “bend his ear” and register her disagreement with his policies. A statement that endeared her to the Californians’ but alienated many Republicans’.
Her confidence boosted by success in the West she attended and addressed a meeting at the United Nations and followed this up with a speech at the “Women in the World” event in New York, The organisers billed Sturgeon as “The Queen of Scots”. The founder of the organisation went further and equated Sturgeon to former Secretary of State Mrs Clinton, the star attraction at the event. She also captioned a photograph of herself together with Sturgeon and Clinton “Backstage @womenintheworld with @HillaryClinton and First Minister @NicolaSturgeon two women I admire most anywhere”. A caption to a second photograph of Sturgeon and Clinton said “Snapshot of a real power couple.” The messiah had landed.!!!! WOKE agenda implementation on return to Scotland
20 May 2016: The Scottish General Elections returned yet another SNP minority government. Sturgeon decided to freshen-up her leadership team with the addition of new faces and Swinney, who publicly claimed he had asked for a new challenge, was removed from his comfort zone to the post of Education Secretary where he remained until 2021. In 2021 the Scottish Elections saw the SNP returned to power, again with a minority government. Sturgeon, unhappy with his performance in the Education brief, moved Swinney to the newly created post of Covid Recovery Secretary.
About Swinney and education
22 May 2016: Swinney says controversial named person legislation will be introduced
Swinney’s proposal was to appoint a “named person” who would monitor the wellbeing of each and every child in Scotland, from birth to the age of 18. The intention was for this person to be a single point of contact if a child or their parents wanted information, support or advice, and for other services if they had concerns about the child’s wellbeing. The named person would generally be a senior teacher, health visitor or midwife, depending on the age of the child. The government said this was “a good policy to support the wellbeing of children and young people”.
Swinney said the legislation making health visitors or senior teachers the point of contact for every child in Scotland was well-supported despite heavy criticism from political opponents. He said: “What I hear from teachers is that they are interested in the educational performance and the health and wellbeing of the young people. “The health and wellbeing of the children is at the heart of the named person discussion. What the named person is about is making sure whenever a child or young person need support and assistance, they have a very direct route on how to get that.
Opponents of the scheme argued that it was a “Big Brother” style “snooper’s charter”, which would undermine parents and breach privacy. And the protest came to a head in July 2016, when judges of the UK Supreme Court said the provisions breached rights to privacy and a family life under the European Convention on Human Rights, so were “not within the legislative competency of the Scottish Parliament”. Swinney and the SNP battled on for a time but eventually backed down and abandoned the legislation.
22 Sep 2016: Plans to bring in more secondary school tests scrapped.
Scots Education Secretary John Swinney was forced to axe his proposals for mandatory assessments to ease the workload on teachers. The EIS teaching union said it was a “victory for common sense”. Pupils’ grades will now be more focused on final exams and course work that is marked externally. EIS general secretary said the decision would be welcomed by pupils and teachers, who had been under increased pressure since the new National qualifications were introduced in 2014.
22 Nov 2018: Public opinion is that Education Secretary Swinney is the class dunce and should be made to wear a dunce’s cap with a large capital “D” on the front of it for the way he has treated teachers. Swinney was forced to bin his “flagship” Education Bill but pushed ahead with the hated P1 tests and the Named Person legislation meanwhile, Already overworked teachers are, underpaid and expected to do even more.
14 Dec 2018: Council scrap controversial primary one tests.
Fife Council became the first local authority in Scotland to end mandatory P1 national testing. Schools are expected to revert to the Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) system previously used. The move was welcomed by opposition MSP’s from all parties. Teachers claimed some P1 youngsters have been left crying and distressed by “unnecessary and cruel” national testing.
7 Aug 2019: Pass rates for Highers dip for 4th year in a row
Exam pass rates have fallen at every level except National 5, according to this year’s Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) results. Year-on-year pass rates are down at National 2 by 2.6%, National 3 by 3.6%, National 4 by 2.6%, highers by 2% and advanced higher by 1.1%. Highers attainment has fallen for four consecutive years but Education Secretary John Swinney defended the results, arguing if pass rates rose regularly “people would rightly question the robustness of our assessment system”.
8 Aug 2019: Exam changes ‘cost young Scots a million qualifications’.
A respected academic believes a million qualifications have been “lost” since the introduction of the new exams. Professor Jim Scott said studies suggest “complex curricular structures” slow the progress of S1 to S4 pupils and deprive them of opportunities. And he said middle ranking pupils are being inappropriately fitted into top-level classes, which contributes to the declining success rate at National 5. Swinney said: “Scotland enjoys a credible assessment system and like all high-performing education systems, year on year variation in results is expected. “Curriculum for Excellence gives pupils the broad skills and knowledge to succeed in life.”
10 Oct 2019: The National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS) conducted an online meeting to discuss matters arising from Swinney’s new curriculum for Scottish children.
Right from the start parents expressed anger at Swinney’s addition, of a new relationship, sexual health and parenthood programme to the curriculum, without discussion and agreement. The programme provides graphic descriptions of what is being taught to kids and a father said:
“Right from the beginning of primary school they are teaching that sex is assigned at birth and gender is a subjective factor. I think that is a very dangerous and confusing message for young people. Masturbation is being positively promoted in schools. Children as young as 6yo are getting compulsory sex education lessons on ‘self-stimulation’ and touching themselves.”
NPFS chair Joanna Murphy reminded the father that the session was being streamed online. To which the father replied:
“If what I am raising is not suitable for discussion among a group of adults how can it possibly be suitable to talk about in schools? The curriculum features links to video content directing older pupils to erogenous zones in the anus. And one lesson plan explains that in some cultures male masturbation is seen as a waste of semen, which is supposed to be about creating life. And transgender life is introduced between P5 and P7. One lesson plan encourages kids to be whatever kind of girl or boy they want to be, free from stereotypes and gender-biased expectations”.
Swinney interjected:
“A lot of care has been taken to ensure that the contents of the material are truly age appropriate. That involved extensive dialogue with a number of organisations eg “Stonewall” whose confidence I have wanted to make sure are in place around these materials. It is promoting nothing. It is equipping young people with a knowledge and an understanding of what they can make their judgments about as responsible citizens. It simply deals with the world as it is and makes sure that young people will be equipped to handle that. I understand that there will be parental opinion that will not like this, and that should be a source of dialogue with schools to resolve that issue. I repeat my commendation for the materials . . . I don’t think we should allow our young people to be able, without context, to see things and experience things in our society that we have not properly equipped them for.”
21 May 2020: Covid and the excess deaths of elderly people in care homes
12 Aug 2020: Swinney, forced to declare a massive U-turn over the recent SQA grading controversy.
After widespread public outrage at the “postcode lottery”, and a menagerie of rightly angry student protests and activism, Swinney was forced to announce that more than 120 000 students are to have their exam results reassessed, with downgradings overturned.
He said: “We now accept that the risk of undermining the value of qualifications is outweighed by a concern that young people, particularly from working-class backgrounds, may lose faith in education. Pupils whose teacher estimates were upgraded by the qualifications authorities are to retain their results”.
Swinney apologised to Scottish students for the failed system, insisting his u-turn was not an attempt to quell calls for resignation. But informed opinion voiced the view that the u-turn was driven by his regard to the 2021 General Election election in which young voters might well have exacted revenge had matters not been addressed.
13 Aug 2020 exams fiasco caused by Swinney’s spectacular mismanagement.
Swinney faced a vote of no confidence over his exams fiasco volteface which resulted in a markedly increased pass rate compared to previous years. Opposition MSP’s listed his shortcomings including teacher shortages, the scrapping of his flagship Education Bill, his failure to close the attainment gap and the current exams controversy.
5 Apr 2021: Education mismanagement and political catastrophe
The previous year’s exams chaos saw Swinney come close to losing his job. The epic fail meant pupils in more deprived areas of Scotland were unfairly marked down – a situation which was ultimately reversed with teachers given the job of deciding grades. Pupils and parents were assured lessons would be learned but it appears the new way of working just moved a problem. Pupils in 2021 are facing a postcode lottery when it comes to their final grade. Some schools are allowing continuous assessment via coursework to decide the mark while others are arranging what are effectively individual exams. Parents are rightly worried – again – that their children are being unfairly treated, discriminated against and not being given a fair chance. This is another scandal in the making. But it’s one that everyone can see coming. The Scottish Government needs to take heed of the warnings and concerns of those on the frontline and stop this impending train wreck. The future prospects of Scotland’s young people is at stake. They can’t go another year with the fear, uncertainty and worry about their grades.
14 May 2021: Education Secretary, Swinney under the cosh
Swinney faced questions about mounting concerns over reports of stress on pupils who had been told exams were cancelled, but who now faced weeks of daily assessments. An MSP wrote to Swinney saying:
“The alternative arrangements imposed by the SQA for this year’s exams are clearly and indisputably causing harm to young people and their teachers. Few would have thought it possible to see a system do more damage than last year. But reports from constituents make it clear that there is every likelihood this year’s arrangements could be worse, in terms of equality, fairness and mental health. Pupils who were told exams were off are now finding lots of them crammed into a short period of time, at short notice. One reported that a pupil has 40 assessments in eight weeks, which averages at one a day for eight weeks. A constituent described this as “the worst outcome that could ever possibly have happened”. Teachers and pupils are exhausted. I’m told many are unable to sleep because of stress, and that anxiety is on the increase”.
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