A Ballantyne up a tree!!!

 

 

The Ballantyne Family

Neil and Michelle should be proud of their achievements, raising four very physically fit, handsome young men and two beautiful young ladies and twinning this with developing a new business totally foreign to anything they had done before.

All of their children are now actively engaged in their own ventures well away from politics and doing very well.

It is sad therefore when the Ballantyne family, (perhaps other than mom and dad) get caught up in online attacks by trolls and other people with malicious intent.

These people should desist from spouting their venom against those who are entirely innocent of any political utterances their spurious approach to politics is to be deprecated.

 

 

 

Ballantynes of Walkerburn

In a sales pitch to voters and potential customers, she said;

“My husband and I set up a manufacturing company 25 years ago and we have experienced the real challenge of creating the wealth that drives our economy.

Since then, we’ve become the UK’s major figurine manufacturer.

We’ve expanded into new areas like crystal and glass engraving.

We’ve taken advantage of evolving technologies, becoming energy efficient through solar energy.

I am a director of the company working approximately 2 hours each month in this role for which I receive remuneration of between £5,001 and £10,000 a year.”

 

 

Pretty straight forward then!! Not quite!!!

The founding company, “Firm Relay” was in place from Dec 1990 – 20 Mar 1991.

The company name changed to “Classic Miniatures” (Scotland) in Jun 1991, finally changing in that same year to “Ballantynes of Walkerburn.”

Interesting sequence of events given that “Classic Miniatures Ltd” is an English based company based in London.  Conjecture but the first plan might have been to operate in Scotland as a subsidiary of the London company.

In any event, the input of Ballantyne’s father must have been greatly welcomed given his 30 plus years in the business.

In Sep 1995, Michael Ronald Cross (Michelle’s father) Owner and Chairman of “Classic Miniatures Ltd. was appointed to the Board of Directors of Ballantynes of Walkerburn remaining in post until Jun 1999 but retaining a significant shareholding in the company.

 

 

 

Classic Miniatures (London) Ltd.

Michael Ronald Cross, (Michelle’s father) founded Classic Miniatures Ltd. in 1976.

Initially a manufacturer of metal figurines, it now mainstreams medals, badges and awards.

Cross was the Chairman and controlling shareholder from 1964 until 2016 at which time he sold the company to “Distinctio” a French company and major player in Europe, specializing in the production and end-user sale of high-end tailor-made trophies. Cross was retained as company chairman.

It is a well-financed, reputable company, with a strong customer base in both the private and public sectors and is a major supplier to universities, schools, the Army, Navy and Air Force, Sports Associations and corporate bodies.

Whilst the company continues to expand its operational reach in the UK a no-deal Brexit might well be welcomed by a UK competitor.

 

 

Voluntary Sector Work (paraphrasing her words)

“I have spent 34 years working in the NHS and the voluntary sector including:

 

 

Voluntary Sector Work (paraphrasing her words)

“I have spent 34 years working in the NHS and the voluntary sector including:

The Haining Charitable Trust

I am a Director of this company which was incorporated in 2010. The Trust is tasked with the preservation of the heritage, cultural, archaeological & amenity of the Haining estate for the benefit of the community of Selkirk and for the wider public. Assets are approximately £3m. with an annual turnover around 110K.

 

 

 

Stable Life Ltd.

I was the Head of the service until 23 May 2017, at the charitable company “Stable Life Limited”.

The company supports disadvantaged young people and their families who live in the Scottish Borders and who are experiencing personal challenges.

I worked approximately 20 hours per week and received remuneration of between £15,001 and £20,000 each year.

 

 

 

 

Face to Face Borders Ltd.

A charitable company comprising around 80 Directors.

It operated from 1986 – 2015 then folded. Its aim is to provide drug and alcohol counselling and support services for children and young people in the Scottish borders.

 

 

 

Drug and Alcohol Abuse Policies

Ballantyne’s wide experience counselling drug and other substance abuse users clearly drive her thinking on what needs to be done by the UK government who have reserved policy decisions to Westminster.

But her unwarranted attacks on Scottish government drugs abuse policies (which are dictated and monitored by the Tory government in Westminster) are unjustified and mislead the public into believing that the problems will all go away if the government release significant amounts of new money to local councils so that they will be enabled to employ many thousands more counsellors who will persuade those at risk not to take drugs or consume over much alcohol. Repeating the failing of the past.

If she really wished to improve matters in Scotland she would support a transfer of policies away from the Tory government in Westminster to the Scottish government in Edinburgh.

This would provide the Scottish government with the authority to introduce new policies which have been successfully introduced in other countries driving down the number of deaths of drug users and many of the needlestick injuries to innocent persons, often children, caused by carelessly discarded needles.

The introduction of a harm reduction policy would change things for the better.

Harm Reduction would be aimed at reducing drug-related individual and societal harms and includes, needle exchange, methadone, heroin maintenance programmes, and drug education in Scottish schools and colleges.

Needle exchange services would be provided in drug consumption rooms.

In drug consumption rooms, drug users can use their pre-obtained drugs in a quiet and safe environment.

They can exchange their used needles for new ones, preventing needle littering on the street.

Moreover, each clean needle handed out to a user helps to prevent the spreading of infectious diseases, such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C.

Using in a public space is so stressful that it tends to push the user’s health concerns to the background.

Using in a protected environment rather than on the street reduces the risk of overdoses or abscesses.

 

 

 

 

But the Tory party in Westminster insists it knows best. Does it?

In 2012 Ballantyne was elected to Scottish Borders Council, where she served as Leader of the Conservative Group.

She was then successfully-re-elected in March 2017 and resumed her position as leader.

Scottish drug-related deaths hit a record high

This report surfaced in her time as leader of the  Tory-controlled council.

The number of deaths caused by the misuse of drugs in the Scottish Borders has increased seven-fold in the past ten years. The Scottish Borders Drugs and Alcohol Partnership plan to tackle the problem through ‘prevention and treatment’.

Voluntary Groups in the Borders such as Face2Face in Galashiels and Up2U in Peebles increase awareness of the dangers of drugs to young people and NHS Borders provides medical treatment and support both at home and in hospital.

A Tory spokesperson waded in with this:

“Almost 220,000 needles were handed out to drug users in Dumfries & Galloway and the Borders last year.

Over 4.5m syringes were distributed throughout Scotland, almost the same amount as the number of people who live there.

These numbers show there are almost as many needles handed out in Scotland as there are people living in this country.

People speak about the importance of reducing needle-sharing, but what about the importance of ridding our parks and playgrounds of dumped drug-using equipment?”

Jackson Carlow piped up with this gem: “Despite the number being down on the previous year, only 25% of the syringes handed out were through a replacement scheme, raising concerns over whether needles are being disposed of responsibly.

And yet the Tory Party refuses to give way and transfer control of drugs policy to the Scottish government in doing preventing the introduction of policies implementation of which would resolve the ever-increasing problem of discarded needles in a public place. So more of the same is the future more deaths and life-threatening injuries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ballantynes of Selkirk

Michelle Lorraine Ballantyne (nee Cross), b1960 in Surrey, England.

Her father, Michael Ronald Cross, b1938, owns property in Twickenham, value around £1.5m, where he lives with his wife Dr. Francis Maria Cross

She married Captain Neil Ballantyne, b1960, in 1983. Neil served with the KOSB and The Parachute Regiment.

The couple most likely occupied married quarters in Aldershot where they added 3 sons and a daughter to their family between 1983 and 1990.

Neil resigned his commission in 1990 and relocated the family to Ashiestiel Farm, Galashiels which is a traditional detached farmhouse in a fine rural setting.

The well-presented accommodation comprises entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, study, breakfasting kitchen, large pantry, utility room, 5 bedrooms, 1 with en-suite shower room and 2 bathrooms. Further benefits included: oil fired central heating, garden, large store, log store, hen house & parking.

They added 2 more children to the family.

In 1990 together with other persons, set up their manufacturing company, “Ballantynes of Walkerburn” (more on this in part 2)

 

 

 

 

Early Career in England

Completing her nurse training at The London Hospital, Whitechapel, (now part of St Barts Trust, more on this in part 2) she started her career working as a staff nurse in the Intensive Care Unit.

But realizing her bent was with administration and finance she made an early move into Health Service Management then went on to hold a number of posts within finance before taking up a post with South West Thames Regional Health Authority, as the Deputy Regional Finance Training Manager.

 

 

 

Career Progression in Scotland

After the move to Scotland Michelle continued to work as a nurse while also completing an Honours degree at Heriot-Watt University.

She then returned to Health Service Management in 2000, latterly managing Acute Medicine in Edinburgh before moving in 2005 to head up an independent charity providing specialist drug and alcohol support to children, families, and offenders.

She joined the Conservative Party in 2009 mindful of events in her early years that making promises was easy but delivering results was the real challenge and results can only be successfully achieved if promises are realistic and everyone works together sharing responsibility.

In 2012 Michelle was elected to Scottish Borders Council, where she served as Leader of the Conservative Group. Michelle was then successfully-re-elected in March 2017 and resumed her position as a leader at Newtown St Boswells.

In May 2017 Michelle became a list MSP for the South Scotland region, covering Midlothian South, Tweeddale, Lauderdale, and East Lothian while retaining her council seat. Michelle has since stood down from Scottish Borders Council to focus on her duties as an MSP.

During Summer 2017 Michelle was appointed as the party’s Spokesperson for Childcare and Early Years. During her first year in Holyrood, she sat on the Public Petitions Committee and was a substitute member of the Justice Committee.

In May 2018 Michelle was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Social Security.

Following this announcement, Michelle left the Public Petitions Committee to take up a seat on the Social Security Committee.

 

 

 

Political Ideology (in her own words)

The Economy

The truth is that private enterprise is the backbone of any promise that a government makes. We have to have a strong economy and that means getting rid of the deficit and clearing the debt that we are currently shackled with.  If we don’t do this the interest payments on the debt will rise steadily and that is money that should be used to deliver services. (But it has trebled over the past 10 years of the Tory government)

I am proud of the fact that over the last five years the coalition has in the face of a global recession formed a plan and stuck to it ensuring that Britain is now one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. This is no small feat and no one should underestimate how important it is. (What drivel she spouts)

 

 

 

General Taxation

The only money the government has to spend is the taxes it collects from both individuals and businesses. Individuals earn their money from business and public sector earnings are paid from the money government collects from the private sector and therefore it is clear that the only money government has come from the wealth generated within the private sector.

This is why it is so important to back and support businesses because without them we would not be able to have the universal education, health care, defense, security and welfare that we all value.

Without income from the private sector, the government would have no resources to help and all promises would be rendered false. Entrepreneurs and private industry are essential to our well-being and aspirations for the future.

 

 

 

 

Individual Taxation

Making ends meet is for many families the biggest worry that they face and without hope that things are going to improve life can be very hard.

As a Conservative I have always been committed to low taxes it is only right that you should keep the majority of the money that you earn. Raising the amount you can earn before you have to pay tax is a simple and effective way to deliver this.

The next Conservative Government will go even further in putting your money back in your pocket. For those who immediately think that being conservative is all about helping the rich let’s look at the facts – the richest 20% of households will contribute more to reducing the deficit then the remaining 80% put together.

The top 1% of earners contribute 25% of the tax and this is forecast to rise to 27%. The Independent Institute for Fiscal Studies (a tory funded think tank) has confirmed that ‘the very rich have lost the most under this government’.

Taxation is about raising money to provide the government with resources to provide services – it is not a punishment system for doing well and it is most effective in its aim when it encourages aspiration and operates at a level that people are happy to pay.

 

 

 

 

The Scottish National Health Service

The Conservative Party is and always has been committed to a health care service that is free at the point of use based on need and mot on the ability to pay.

My views and understanding of what is happening in the NHS are not based on political rhetoric and scaremongering they are based on thirty years of experience first as a Nurse and subsequently in operational and strategic management.

The NHS has had year on year increases in funding and the Barnet consequential means that Scotland has received our share of those increases however that money has not been passed on to our health boards and the rhetoric on privatization is designed to create fear in the hope of winning votes – it is a shameful way to mislead people and use a service which is the difference between life and death for many people.

There are many changes that could and should be made to the NHS to secure its future and provide the best outcomes for patients but using it as a political football is not one of them. (Oh dear!! howzat for a contradiction in terms?

I will work with our nurses, doctors and allied health professionals to ensure that we make the right decisions to provide an NHS that works for the people it cares for, an NHS that is about health outcomes not about targets and bureaucracy.

 

 

 

Public Spending

No one wants to be the one to have to make cuts in public spending, after all, it doesn’t necessarily help your popularity, but it does take courage and a clear head to make difficult decisions and see them through. That is why I joined the Conservative Party.

To improve life chances for everyone we have to have a strong economy and to do that businesses must be confident to invest in their future and provide employment and opportunity. Governments’ role is to provide constitutional stability and the infrastructure and environment that allows the business to flourish. Conservative-led governments do this.

 

 

 

 

Scottish Independence

Scotland voted to stay as part of the United Kingdom and that now needs to be respected to provide constitutional stability.

As a unionist I want to see Scotland with a strong voice in Westminster and Midlothian with a strong voice in Scotland, devolution should not stop at Holyrood.

(But Scotland has no voice in Westminster. The Tory government totally ignores any input from Scottish politicians, except their own toadies.)

 

 

 

Tax Evaders

For those large corporations who have no allegiance to our country and wish to evade our tax system, I will support further statutory measures to close the loopholes that allow tax dodging.

We have done more on this than any other government before us to prevent tax evaders and this has already raised £85 billion.

(Dream on. voicing a load of twaddle on this. More money has been moved offshore in the last ten years than the previous 200 hundred)

 

 

 

 

Other policies

The right to a good education where the quality of what you learn and achieve is more important than just teacher numbers.

Opportunities to learn, not just in university, but vocationally with access to colleges and work opportunities. (If you can afford to pay for it)

A job for everyone who wants one, and they help to get back to work for those who feel isolated from the opportunity. (Zero hours contracts count since the bulk of jobs fit this description)

The chance to own your home – Help to buy has been a huge success and has helped many people in Midlothian to get on the housing ladder.

We will continue to support and develop programmes that help people to have a home of their own.

(The scheme is discredited since it only assists those who are seeking huge mortgage loans)

A police force that works with our communities, not a one size fits all approach. ( We have this courtesy of the SNP government)

Protection for our environment recognizing that that is also about keeping our scenery beautiful and encouraging the land management that we have benefitted from for hundreds of years.

(Aha!! but fracking does not count does it? and wind and water energy generation is left unfunded so that Westminster can progress its extortionately expensive and dangerous nuclear power plant building agenda)

A strong voice in the world, getting a good deal in Europe and providing appropriate support and aid in areas of conflict and crisis. (No change there then gunboat diplomacy to be enhanced and expanded)

I hear a lot of politicians using expressions like Fairness and Justice – these are words that are used like weapons now to sell an ideology and detract from the facts.

(So true!! There is no fairness or justice in the policies enacted by the Tory government against the people of Scotland over the past 10 years.)

Statistics show that inequality has fallen under the Conservatives.

The income received by the lowest income groups has increased and for the highest income groups, it has fallen.

Wages are now rising faster than inflation and more jobs have been created in the UK than in the whole of Europe put together. (Dream on).

Whilst politics is not a meritocracy I believe that the success or failure of government is based on the quality of the people we elect to do the job and their understanding of the effect of the decisions they make on all sectors of society.

( so true but she needs to listen to her own voice since she is failing to understand the impact of the unfounded allegations she pronounces in the right-wing Scottish press and media.) More in Part 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Telegraph 19 Oct 2019    Letters to the editor

SIR – We represent businesses, large and small, across the United Kingdom.

We have one simple message for the Prime Minister on Brexit: no more delay.

This rank uncertainty is crippling British business and it cannot continue.

Britain must leave the EU on October 31 – no ifs, no buts. An extension will see the final breakdown of trust in our political system.

The Conservative brand will be tarnished forever, and a resurgent Brexit Party will fight every seat in the country.

The result will be a hung Parliament, with more delay and uncertainty.

Britain has compromised repeatedly for more than two years.

If the EU rejects Boris Johnson’s latest proposal, he must call off negotiations immediately and walk away.

Our businesses are prepared for no deal. With the Government and Britain’s entrepreneurs working hand in glove, we can create a hyper-competitive, business-friendly powerhouse of an economy – a true alternative to the sclerotic, backward-looking and lobbyist-riddled EU.

Britain is the centre of world finance and a leader in the industries of the future. We are an immense global power. It’s time to start acting like one.

 

 

 

 

List of signatories

Robert Hiscox: Founder, Hiscox Plc. A Bermuda-incorporated insurance provider

Ben Habib: Founder and CEO, First Property Group Plc. A commercial property investment and fund management company. Elected as a Brexit Party Member of the European Parliament (MEP)in the 2019 European parliamentary election.

Nikolai Hack: UK Managing Director and COO, Exo Investing and Nucoro. Launching in early 2018, it is a fully automated, AI-powered wealth management platform. It is basically a collaboration between the Spanish based, ETS Asset Management Factory, and the Rothschild banking family. Pretty much anyone will know about the Rothschild banking dynasty who bring a lot to the table, and their entrance into the automated investment market is something of an endorsement for space as a whole.

Timothy Congdon: Founder and ex-CEO, Lombard Street Research. Between 1993 and 1997 he was a member of the Treasury Panel that advised the Conservative government on economic policy, sometimes referred to as the “wise men”.

Tim Martin: Chairman, JD Wetherspoon. A staunch supporter of Brexit, representing these views for journalists and on political TV programmes

Julian Morgan: Managing Director and Owner, KPM-Marine Ltd. A marine-products manufacturer based in Birmingham. The Company works to a global standard, which is set by the International Maritime Organization and European standards make no difference to the manufacturing output.

Sir David Ord and Terence Mordant: Director and Chairman, The Bristol Port Company.

Simon Boyd: Managing Director, ReidSteel

Matt Taylor: Founder and CEO, Rockpool Investments LLP

Toby Baxendale: Director, Great Grimsby Seafood Village

Robert Law: Managing Director, AGD Equipment

Mark Pursey; Managing Partner, BTP Advisers

Brian Yeardley; Founder, Brian Yeardley Continental

Mark Wheatley; Businessman and Common Councilman, City of London Corporation

Dave Bentley; Owner, Dave Bentley Ecology Services

David Kirk; Director, David Kirk, and Co

Bill Good; CEO, Diverco Ltd

William Jones; Chairman, Global Village Ltd

Graham Hutton; Founder, Hutton Collins Partners LLP

Rupert Gather; Chairman, Invest UK

Edgar Miller; Managing Director, Palladian Limited

Ian Herbert; Chief Executive Officer, Vistair Ltd

Andrew Kitchen; Director, LK2 Architects Ltd

Lesley Hollingshead; Director, MPS Financials and Accountancy Ltd

Spencer Clarke; Director, 121prodata Ltd

Dr George Bowen; Director, Able Lyons Consulting Pty Ltd

Clive Underdown; Director, APT Ltd

Stephen Britt; Managing Director, Anchor Storage Solutions

Andrew Dixon; Owner, Andrew Dixon Photography

Angela Cook; Managing Director, Angies Transport Services Ltd

Colin and Annette Penny; Directors, APG Equine Limited

Philip Brooker; Managing Director, Arun Microelectronics Ltd

Andy Richards; Director, ASL Catering Agency Ltd

Neil Ballantyne; Managing Director, Ballantynes of Walkerburn. Manufacturer of hand-made sculptures and engravers of fine crystal, glass, and bottles. Co-Owned by Husband and wife team Neil and Michelle Tory list MSP) Holyrood

 

 

 

 

 

Danny Cox; Owner, Barcs Woodworks

Neville Wright; Director, Beeson Wright Ltd

Peter Bishop; Managing Director and Founder, William Bishop Engineering Ltd, Bishop Aeronautics Inc, Bishop GmbH, NATT GmbH, and Co KG, AFCS

Steve Smith; CEO, Buzz Networks Ltd

Adam Cleary; Director and Chief Executive, Cavenham Capital

Kevin Bell; Director, CDM 2014

Steve Ody; Owner, Citrus Travel

Steve Hardeman; Managing director and Co-Owner, Clevedon Fasteners Ltd

Chris Chatfield; Managing Director, Compass Travel

Lord Daresbury; Director, Daresbury Estates Ltd

Michael Bilewycz; Managing Director, Decisis Limited

Christopher Gower; CEO, Direct Nickel Holdings UK Ltd

Judith Donovan; Chairman, DIY Direct Marketing;

Professor Kevin Dowd; Consultant and Economist, Durham University

Nick Berry; Managing Director, Early Oak Reproductions Ltd

Ivor Chivers; Managing Director, Eco Solutions Limited

Julie Williams; Owner, EdgeC

Mick Kelly; Managing Director, Elmesthorpe Projects Ltd

Dr John Hart; CEO, Endocrine Pharmaceuticals Ltd

James Blott; Former CEO and Entrepreneur, Engineering and Defence Sectors

Flavius Fernandes; Director, ERPSirius Ltd

Nick Sellick; CEO & Founder, Estate Insurance Group

Dermot Glynn; Founder, Europe Economics Ltd

John Fifield; Chairman, Fifield Glyn Ltd

Glyn Johnson; Owner and Director, G.H Johnson Plant & Machinery Sales

Tim Trotter; Chairman, Glenfern

Simon Beart; CEO & Owner, Guardian Security & Fire Limited

Lance Forman; Owner, H Forman & Sons

Arabella Arkwright; Partner, Hatton Country World

Alex Bourne; Founder and Director, Hinpack Limited

Trevor Honeyman; Chairman, Honeyman Group Limited

William Bavin; Managing director, House of Marbles & Teign Valley Glass

David W Ford; Founder and Director, Ingenica Solutions Ltd

Charles Breese; Director, Larpent Newton

Richard Royden; Managing Director, Royden & Co

Richard Ayres; Managing Director, Maroon Analytics

Nigel Roberts; Managing Director, Megasteel Limited

Christopher Evans; Director, Ministry Developments Ltd

Ben Walker; Owner, MonkeyFist Construction and Precision Planning

Dr Tom Walker; Founder, MyLash

Ian Harris; Proprietor, N Bloom & Son

Danny Corrigan; Director, CISI Trustee;

Alan Graves; Director, Norcon Computers Ltd

Paul Jenkins; Director, North Cyber Security

James Bromley; Director, One Ten OneHundred Ltd

Karl Pearsall; Director, Original Thing Ltd

Allison Wild; Managing Director, Oxford Biosciences Limited

James Dean; Chairman, Patrick Dean Limited

Peter Harris; Managing Director, Peter James Group

Tim Price; Managing Director, Price Value Partners

Gareth Bott; Owner and Manager, Director R.E.P Air Services Ltd

David Furness; Director, Rapierstar Ltd

Colin Rennie; Principal, Rennie Park Associates

 

 

 

 

Debbie Flint; Founder, Retreats For You

Dr Ian Goodyer; Director, Reydoog Ltd

Dr Tom Brook; Managing Director, Santel Ltd

Neil Sawyer; Director, Sawyers Consulting Limited

Barbara Stratton; Director, Stratasys Ltd

Andrew Hamilton; Director & CEO, Syn2gen Ltd
Michael Webster
Director, Telum Media
Anthony Cornwall
Director, The Vastum Group Ltd
Ken Thomson
Owner, Thomson Harrower Fencing
Tina Bradley
CEO & Founder, Elan London Ltd
John Biggin
Managing Director, TruckEast Ltd
Tony Young
Creative Director, Urban Fires Limited
Dr Michael McGetrick
Founder & Managing Director, UtterSense Ltd
Simon Rowland
Co-Founder & CEO, Veritas International
Bruce Smith
Senior Partner, Westminster Consultants
Alistair Macmillan
Founder and Managing Director, White House Products Limited
Peter Thompson
Director, Woodpecker Inn (Estates) Ltd
Stuart Leasor
Managing Director, Woodstock Leasor Limited
Hunter DuBose
Managing Partner, Spitfire Capital Advisors
Sandra Dangoor
Roger Holehouse
Chairman, Fernwood Group
Adrian Fisher
Founder and Chairman, Adrian Fisher Design Ltd
Richard Wheeler
Director, Southernhay Financial Planning Ltd
Harry Iles
Founder, Lindenbaum Investments Ltd
Richard Heywood
Director, Malin Ltd
Tim Lucas
Director, Lucas Property Investments
Jonathan Blair
Director, TMCo Ltd & Blair Property Ltd
Daniel Goss-Custard
Owner, HMX Media & Stanlake Park Wine Estate
Clive Allen
Director, Bainesbury Holdings Limited
David McHutchon
CEO, Hubmaier Ltd

 

 

 

Angus Allan
Managing Director, Indulgence Patisserie Limited
Michael Lane
Founder and Director, Revival Books Ltd
Jonathan Taylor
Director, Silver Pacific Limited
David Franks
CEO, Franks Advances Ltd
Andy Butcher
Director, Alchemy Expo Ltd
David Hoey
Managing Director, Sandelford
Adrian Huston
Partner, Huston & Co
Keith Hancock
CEO/Chaiman (retired), KHS Group Ltd
Fran Barrett
Director, The Beeches Homecare Services
Alan Roberts
Director, The Dinner Club & Alan Roberts Law
Johnnie Arkwright
Director, Hatton Ltd
Clifford Bull
Director, Eco Energy and Environmental Ltd
Neil Penny
Director & Owner, Enarpee Services Ltd
Scott SD Collins
CEO, Hawtrey Dene Group
Ian Duncan
Ecospeed Marine Ltd
William Drake
Chairman, Pelican Family Investments
David Fell
CEO and founder, Linnmont Limited
David Steed
Owner, Spratling Court Farm
Zana Juppenlatz
Owner, The Bamburgh Gallery
Clive Gough
Managing Director and Owner, Clifford & Gough Limited
Christopher Billington
Director, Classic Mart Limited
Tim Pendry
Chairman, TPPR Limited
Michael Rollings
Director, Blagdon Appliances Ltd
Martyn O’Connor
Director, Heatshine Limited
Robert Turnbull
Owner, The Chatton Gallery
Laurence Worms
Owner, Ash Rare Books
Andy Bolstridge
Owner, Bolstridge Consulting Limited
Stephen Ash
Founder and Director, The Kitchen Facelift Company
Toby Baxendell
Managing Director and Owner, Lee Floorstok Limited
Paul Gray
Owner, Black and White Trading Ltd
Tony & Moya King
Directors, Inspired Acquisitions Ltd, Inspired Assets Ltd, Inspired Canterbury Ltd, Inspired Property Ltd
Jonathan Davis
Director, Jonathan Davis Wealth Management
Peter Harrison
Managing Director, Ocean Footprint Ltd
Alan Richard Morris
Director, Small Green Tree Ltd
Steve Bithell
Managing Director, Noisekiller Acoustics UK Ltd
Maria Sanderson
Director, A&H Pest Control Ltd
Jonathan Kingan
Director, JJK Associates
Mike Brewer
Director, SmithBrewer
Graeme Wingate
Director, Quick Loans Ltd
Karen Traviss
Donald M MacKenzie
Owner and Director, Drive Business Services Ltd
Kira Nicholls
Director, Starspun Media Ltd
Ifor Jones
Owner, IMEJ Windows
Marylyn Jones
Owner, Doleos Holiday Cottages
Adrian Read
Owner, A J Read Upholstery
Andy Chittenden
Director, Governance Health Ltd

 

 

 

 

Shaun Turner
Managing Director, St John Fox Limited
Sandra Robinson
Director, Boo Designs Ltd
Sam Hawkins
Director, Boo Designs Ltd
Robin Cook
Managing Director, FHE Technology Limited
Richard Merrin
Managing Director, Spreckley Partners Limited
Kerryanne Wilde
Founder & CEO, CERT (UK) Ltd – Community Emergency Response Team (UK)
Neil Hennessy
Director, Pyramid Power Ltd
Nicholas Dickinson
CEO, Congham Hotels
Charles Hancock
CEO, Anglo-Suisse Capital Limited
Anthony Smith
Managing Director, Aspect Contracts Ltd
Lilian Mains
Director, Mains Cottages & Northumberland Self Catering Cottages Ltd
Anthony Mowatt
Group Founder & CEO, Keystone Legal & Bastion Insurance Company
Dr Joanne Freeman and Richard Giden
Directors, Oral Design London (UK) Ltd
Les Stevenson
Director, Commsnet Solutions Limited
Peter Biggins
Director and Owner, Target Print (Leeds) Limited
Nick McKay
Founder and Managing Director, Grange Capital Investments Ltd
Marcus Gibson
Owner, Gibson Index Ltd
Ian Ross
Managing Director, Hallmark Security Ltd
Patrick Armstrong
Director, All English Distribution Ltd
Kevin Holdridge
Managing Director, Kent House Consulting Ltd
Steve Reed
Managing Director, Steve Reed Tourism Ltd
Dr Kishore Budha
Director, Tungsten Works Ltd
Christopher Lees
Owner, Invest In Spain
Heidi Kirwan
Owner, Groundroots Gardening and Landscapes
Sir Jeremy Bagge
Partner, Stradsett Estate
Roland Cornish
Chairman & CEO, Beaumont Cornish Limited
Edmund Truell
Executive Chairman, Disruptive Capital Finance LLP
Rhoddy Swire
Christopher HB Mills
CEO, Harwood Private Equity
David Potter
Chairman, Coeus Software
Damon de Laszlo
Chairman, Harwin plc
Rupert Lowe
Chairman, WHIreland

 

 

 

 

Chris Martin
Director, Annetech Ltd
Simon P. Wagstaff
Founder & Chairman/CEO, The ASA Group
John Hickman
Chairman, Kingston Estates Ltd
James McCague
Director, DN22 Technical Ltd
Paul Brewer
Managing Director, Shropshire 3D Print Ltd
Nick Simpson
Owner, Nick Simpson & Sons Ltd
James Neal
Managing Director, The Quad Group
Allan Bean
Owner & Director, Bean IT Ltd
Robert MacKay
Founder, The Online Clinic
Vicki Smith
CEO, Astara Training Ltd
Graham Beech
Owner, Town & Country Fitness
Richard Somerville
Owner, Rosemary Cattee
Tony Norton
CEO, Nortrak Ltd
Alisha Jackson
Owner, Alisha Jackson Copyrighting
Peter Stannett
Co-Founder, Gloop Agency
Andrew Gibson
Partner & Director, Sancroft Executive Services Limited
Rupert Lowe
Chairman, Proton Partners International trading as Rutherford Cancer Centres
Steve Fraser
Finance Director, Sinclair Goldberg Price Limited
Michael Perkin
Managing Director (retired), OASiS Group plc
King Lawa
CFO, Mega Nursing and Care
Dr Claire Bush
Director, Advanced Vetinary Services Ltd
Noel Tipton
Director, S N Products Limited
Antonio Esposito
Director, Vivdvapes Ltd
Mark Rogers
Director, Langstone Cliff Hotel
Tony Goodwin
Group CEO & Chairman, Antal International
Salvatore Murtas
Director, Vitruvian Comms
Shanti Doon-Pandit
Founder, Trine Oils Limited
Darren Selkus
CEO & Chairman, UV Group Plc
Austin Cox
Owner, AGC Fabrications limited
Charles Fazackerley
Director, Blaithwaite Developments Ltd
Stuart Elson
CEO, The Global Development Partnership Ltd
Damon Francis
CEO, Advenue Limited
Matt Slocombe
Owner, The Crown Inn
Zoe Tranter
Owner, Tranter Mills Solicitors
Craig Smith
Director, Stealth Blackbelt Academy LLP
James Carr
Owner, Ellamés Regent Road Bistro
Steve Pearson
Director, Appliance Care Ltd
David Wookey
Director, DJAW Ltd

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Sharp
Director, Sharp Images UK
Fraser McKenzie
Owner, Maple Advisors Ltd
Peter Mason
Director, Mason Consultants Limited
Geoff Pickering
Owner, Argham Grange Farm T/A A J Pickering
John Birchill
Director, Stourbridge Motorcycle Centre
Martin Baker
Director, Digital Heaven Ltd
Paul Mackenzie
Director, Aspidea Limited
Tom Bohills
Principal, Chronos Law Limited
Sam Bell
Managing Director, Victor Investments Ltd
Anthony Aburrow
Director & Co-Founder, Olive Modular Ltd
Frank Wilman
Director, Future-tech SCI Ltd
Graham Webb
Director, Professional Golf Europe Ltd
Jamie Wightman
Owner, Revel Outdoors
Steve Barson
Director, Burley Appliances Ltd
Philip Tipton
Chairman, Merton Group UK Ltd
Russell Allen
Founder, Crescendo
Peter Brady
Managing Director, Mutual Media Ltd
Anthony Fanshawe
Director, FPN Corporate Finance
Clarke Adams
Director, Ale Piling Ltd
Jimmy Campbell
Director, West of Scotland Heavy Haulage
Amanda Vigar
Director, V & A Vigar Group
Andy Saunders
Owner, ScotchCoulthard
Russ Taylor
Director, John Taylor Crane Services Ltd
Greg Hipkiss
Director, Hipkiss & Company (Insurance Brokers) Ltd
Catherine Françoise
Founder, VPA Productions
Andy Coughlan
Director, Manicgrin Media Ltd
John Lawson
Owner/MD, Ingeniocity Limited
Michael Gower
Owner, Gower Health & Fitness Solutions Limited
Alberto Orru
Founder & Managing Director, InvestArtOne
David Webster
Director, Cuando Limited
Professor David Blake
Chairman, Square Mile Consultants
Laurence Willis
Director, ER Longley Hydroworks LLP
Ian Dobbs
Director, IAD Associates Ltd
Manish Singh
Chief Investment Officer, Crossbridge Capital
Tim Coverdale
Owner, Smithpack Ltd
Paul Towlson
Owner, Progressive Property Network
Ajay Jagota
CEO, KIS Group & Dlighted
Arthur Jones
Founder, ANJ Executive
Tina de Souza
Director, Moskardo Limited
Tony Bell
Managing Director, Parrallel Flooring Accessories
John Elliott
Chairman, Ebac Ltd

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 Nov 2017: Swinson hiding in the corner during a meeting to form a common policy on tackling abuse following allegations of sexual harassment and abuse in British politics. Wonder why Lord Rennard wasn’t invited. Hard necked eh!!!  

 

 

 

 

 

July 2013: Anger as constituents pay Swinson’s Electricity Bill

While East Dunbartonshire working people, pensioners, job seekers, and families struggle to heat their homes and pay for food, local Tory/Liberal Democrat Westminster coalition Minister MP Swinson has been claiming from the taxpayer to pay her electricity bill.

Swinson who has, at the lowest estimation, not including the fact she has her food paid and subsidized, an income in excess of £100k a year – claimed £569.72.

This in the face of the calls from coalition members to end the £300 winter fuel allowance pensioners receive.

Politicians and their banker pals gamble and play with our money and caused the financial crisis, but seem to be the only ones not ‘in this together’, with the rest of us suffering wage cuts and hugely increased food and energy bills. (newsforscotland)

 

 

 

 

 

September 2013: Swinson votes for war against the wishes of her electorate

Before the Westminster general election,  MP. Jo Swinson, espoused fine, compassionate Liberal principles and was generally applauded for her attitudes.

It is very sad that thereafter, and particularly since her elevation to the Cabinet, she forgot those principles and her compassion.

She voted with Cameron and Clegg on all of the big ones.

Principle after principle has fallen as her career and salary has taken an upward trajectory.

From University fees, through the privatization of the NHS and the lowering of taxes for millionaires and billionaires, the further impoverishment of those in poverty through the heinous welfare bill and the imposition of the bedroom tax on poor people with nowhere to move… this woman is for the House of Lords if she can topple enough of her principles to do the Tories bidding.

She is doing very well out of her support for the Tories.

But of course, the only thing that could get in the way of this plan of a job for life (something a huge proportion of her constituents will never have thanks to her Govt. attacks on workers rights) would be Scottish Independence, so she is working hard making sure she is photographed at every White Elephant, bazaar and three-legged race in her constituency.

And now her voting for war.

Like Blair and Thatcher did and look at how they did!

Looked after by their rich sponsors and never wanting for anything… Every lower-middle-class persons dream…Cameron’s shockingly badly handled attempt at forcing us to war- his Maggie moment- Jo’s Maggie moment – failed.

Reason, principle, compassion and the will of the people won.

And this and all of the dreadful compromises she made that impact terribly on peoples lives will be hers and her Rose Garden chums downfall. (plotsplot)

 

 

 

 

April 2015: Lib dem Swinson walked through the lobby with the rest of her political cronies to cut Scotland’s budget by £12 billion.

 

 

 

 

 

January 2015: Swinson’s taxi use excessive!!!

Prudent Lib Dem MP, Swinson has been rather quick to defend her expenses over the past few years. And she has done well after the accusations of buying ludicrous things was batted off. And I quite understand, she can have a long commute to Westminster from Westerton.

So imagine my surprise to read she has needed something called “business class taxis?” Surely a mistake?

http://plotsplot.blogspot.co.uk/2015_01_01_archive.html

Parliament’s official record has Consumer minister Swinson revealing her department spent nearly £80,000 last year on “business class taxis”.

Surely a mistake. How many taxis do you know, Jo, which offer economy and business class? (The Mirror)

 

 

 

 

 

November 2014: All the lunatics are not locked up. Means Test the pensioners

The Business Minister has declared that wealthy pensioners should be stripped of their winter fuel allowance to fund cheaper bus fares for young people.

LibDem  Swinson said subsidizing rich pensioners’ energy bills with payments of up to “£300 [If you qualify by being over 80 and live alone]” each was hard to justify in times of austerity.

She said the cash should be used instead to help young people get to work or college with discounted bus tickets.

It didn’t occur to her that poor pensioners are dying at the rate of 200 a day in the winter because they are cold in their homes, whereas young people at work and in college are kept warm all day in their jobs or colleges because someone else is paying the heating bills there?

Perhaps even the wealthiest pensioners are more concerned about the 200 who die than is Swinson who, remarkably, is also kept warm at the House of Commons, is provided with subsidized meals and booze, and enjoys a huge salary and “Voted strongly for a reduction in spending on welfare benefits”.

No other section of our society is so vulnerable and treated so badly by Swinson and her ilk that they live in fuel poverty.

When these gas rings go off the lives of another 200 pensioners are at risk.

 

 

 

 

November 2013: Swinson urged to ‘show consistency’ on unpaid workers

Swinson is under fire for railing against the use of unpaid workers – despite her party offering non-paying internships.

Campaigners have called on her to show consistency on the issue – and have accused her of promoting unpaid work through her Get East Dunbartonshire Working campaign.

They also accuse her of criticizing non-paying internships while backing the governments’ workfare scheme which forces people into unpaid work.

Swinson backed a campaign against the exploitation of interns – even though it was recently shown that the LibDems are the only party offering unpaid work experience.

Ross Greer, from Bearsden, convener of Dunbartonshire Greens, said:

“Young people in Scotland are being hammered by her government’s policies and workfare is a perfect example of this. Instead of investing in the economy to create more jobs, Westminster forces our young people into unpaid work experience. This system allows companies to hold back from employing new, paid staff as they can take on these young people for no cost instead. This creates a vicious circle of lost opportunities for young people in need of real, paid employment.”

Neil Scott, also from Bearsden, spoke for the Campise SSP, saying:

“While  Swinson’s constituents pay hundreds of pounds for her heating bill we have to endure damaging policies, all coming from a Tory-led government that we did not elect. She cannot campaign against unpaid internships on one hand whilst advocating unpaid work placements on the other.” (Milngavie Herald)

 

 

 

 

 

November 2013: East Dunbartonshire MP Jo Swinson defends bedroom tax vote

A motion to scrap the controversial ‘bedroom tax’ fell short by 26 votes last week in the House of Commons.

East Dunbartonshire MP  Swinson was one of seven Lib Dem MPs who voted against the motion, helping to achieve the coalition majority.

The spare rooms subsidy has proved unpopular in East Dunbartonshire – with council chiefs and housing association bosses saying hundreds are being hit in the pocket.

The tax, introduced in April, means tenants have their benefits cut if they are deemed to have a spare bedroom.

However, a shortage of one-bedroom properties has meant many are unable to move and are forced to take the drop in income. (Kirkintilloch Herald)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swinson To Ask The Good People of East Dunbartonshire to Forgive Her Disgraceful Betrayal  of the Electorate When A Minister in The Con-Dem Government

In 2010 Swinson was returned to Westminster as the MP for East Dunbartonshire.

Her success almost entirely due to tactical voting witnessed by the support of the media, Tory and a number of Labour supporters denying the SNP candidate an expected victory.

The outcome of the election was a hung parliament but, with the backing of the Liberals the Tory Party took up office.

So yet again Scotland had a government that it had rejected outright (80%+ voted for parties other than the Tories.)

The support of Swinson and her Liberal colleagues ushered in a Government comprised of old Etonians, corrupt businessmen and unelected peers of the realm.

The infamous Con-Lib coalition government brought with it swingeing cuts and misery and the East Dunbartonshire electorate was subjected to five years of savage cuts destroying working-class families and many of the less fortunate in society.

The end result was that the poor got poorer and the rich much richer.

Given their chance in 2015 the people of East Dunbartonshire punished Jo Swinson’s betrayal, booting her, the Tories and the labour party firmly into touch.

The SNP took up the reins of office bringing confidence to the people of East Dunbartonshire that their welfare and political desires would be faithfully represented in Westminster.

Not dismayed and without apology (she is quoted as saying she had no regrets) for her actions and the misrule of the Con-Dem government (in which she held a ministerial appointment) she brazenly announced her candidacy for the East Dunbartonshire seat in the 2017 GE.

For the record, her main residence is in Peckham, London. But (planning ahead) she retained the flat, (in East Dunbartonshire) purchased for her by the obliging taxpayers of the constituency.

The Unionist media and BBC are already talking up Swinson for the seat

 

 

 

 

 

Swinson Comeback Confirmed – The People of East Dunbartonshire Must Be Nuts

Swinson was returned to Westminster as an MP in the June 2017 General Election and soon found her place in a much reduced Lib/Dem Party that had been firmly rejected by the wider electorate.

The Party is so short of talent that she was elected unchallenged to the post of Deputy Leader to the old pensioner Vince Cable, he of the fraudulent Post Office peanuts sell-off to Unionist supporting financiers in the City of London.

Mindful of her appalling record of failing to support female staff under attack from Lord Rennard she had the hard neck to attend  a meeting, on 7 Nov 2017, with Vince Cable in Downing Street, convened by the Prime Minister to thrash out an agreement designed to provide staff employed by politicians with a place of work, free from sexual innuendo and abuse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oct 2018: Protecting paedophiles in politics – a petition was submitted to Westminster calling for an amendment to the Official Secrets Act preventing its use in cases where child abuse was involved.

Swinson and her colleague MP’s voted against a proposed change to the Official Secrets Act so that public servants, including MP’s, will continue to be protected from any investigation of allegations about child abuse.

The Lib Dem votes would have sanctioned the change. Why on earth did Swinson et al vote to kill it?

It surely cannot have been part of the coalition agreement. (The London Economic)

 

Reader – Richard Harbury was incensed but unsurprised by the actions of politicians. He wrote:

“The can of political maggots cowering behind a misused act that hides the vile regime of controlled child abuse, blackmail, and extortion within, among other places, Westminster, are not a threat to national security.

The only threats are to their positions of freedom in society, their anonymity and the threat that they are to children.

They are criminals (pending) and any information on any person suspected of a criminal act is classed as evidence and should be made available for the prosecution of the accused and for the protection of the public in general.

Is it time to scrub the filth from parliament and the ‘establishment’? I say yes, yet successive prime ministers have disagreed.

In a perverse twist, those that should be punished for countless abuses of both power and people are actively encouraged and facilitated in child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation with the brushing of evidence under the carpet and the burying of the carpet in a concrete coffin at the bottom of the deepest ocean, after, of course, having the evidence used to blackmail the offenders. That, my friends, is my long and short of it.”

And a wee bit about Swinson’s attitude to sexual harassment within the Lib Dem party?

 

 

 

 

Sep 2019: Lib Dem, Lord Rennard who was supposedly banished from the Party is back campaigning after only a few short months

Bridget Harris, (former political aide to the worse than useless) Nick Clegg,  has accused the Liberal Democratic Party of ignoring women’s safety after one of the party’s peers, who was accused of sexual harassment, was allowed to campaign in a recent by-election.

Her criticism after the disgraced, Lord Rennard was photographed recently on the campaign trail for the party at a recent by-election.

What the hell!!!  So much for justice!!!

 

 

 

February 2013: Lord Rennard – allegations of sexual impropriety

Miss Smith, a senior female officer of the Party was being harrassed and went to Swinson, the Party’s spokesperson for women and equality, who was then also the Con/Dem coalition government, “minister for women”.

A powerful position of trust had been accepted by Swinson who offered that she would be stalwart in her defense of women.

Swinson agreed to investigate and to speak to other women within the Lib/Dem Party who had also alleged that Lord Rennard had behaved inappropriately. She uncovered a very serious pattern of misbehavior.

In a follow-up, interview Swinson told Ms. Smith the problem with taking it forward was that nobody wanted to make a formal complaint.

Ms. Smith said:

“It very quickly became quite Kafkaesque. They were saying, ‘No one wants to make a formal complaint’, and I was saying, ‘I’ll make a formal complaint,’ and they were saying, ‘That’s a shame because no one wants to make a formal complaint’.”

But who knows? There’s a quote in the Mail from an anonymous “Lib Dem insider” who also spoke to  Swinson, as long ago as 2004.

Although that was before Swinson, then just 24, was even an MP, she was already a rising star in the party, famous among other things for wearing a pink T-shirt with the slogan, “I am not a token woman”.

The source said:

“Swinson said to me that Rennard had an issue about women but you have to put up with it if you want to get on in the party.”

The following year she became the youngest MP in the House of Commons.

heresycorner)  (capitalbay)

Alison Suttie (Cleggs Niece) Now a Peer of the realm

 

 

 

August 2013: Liberal Democrat leaders failed female staff

The formal inquiry into the Lord Rennard sexual harassment scandal has found that Clegg, Danny Alexander, Paul Burstow, and Jo Swinson “could have done much more” to protect Rennard’s alleged victims and investigate the claims against him.

Rubbing salt into the wounds Rennard’s niece Alison Suttie, who was also accused of covering up the allegations, was awarded a peerage for her efforts.

The behavior of the Clegg and his executive lieutenants over the scandal shames their party and shames politics. (trendingcentral)

 

Lord Rennard

 

 

Sex scandal: Con/Dem Women’s minister Jo Swinson has disappeared?

Since the Lord Rennard scandal broke, Liberal Democrat MP, Jo Swinson, the women’s and equalities minister, has gone to ground.

Why won’t she answer the questions she so urgently needs to, asks Cathy Newman.  (The Telegraph)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unionist Party scandal  revealed – Tax Haven firms cashing in on East Dunbartonshire PFI contract

The charge to Scottish taxpayers for PFI projects driven by  Labour and Lib Dem Party administrations in Westminster and Holyrood will add up to £30billion over the coming decades.

The East Dunbartonshire Schools PFI project is currently owned 50% by Innisfree Nominees Ltd, which is owned by Innisfree Group Ltd.

The main shareholders in this firm are Coutts and Co Trustees (Jersey) Ltd, based in the Jersey tax haven and part of the taxpayer-owned Royal Bank of Scotland group Coutts.

Coutts, whose chairman is Tory peer Lord Waldegrave, was named recently in the leaked Panama papers for asking offshore law firm Mosack Fonseca to set up almost 500 offshore companies for its clients.

Semperian PPP Holdings, which has a parent company also registered in Jersey, holds the other 50% stake in this project, which built six new schools in East Dunbartonshire including Bearsden Academy, Douglas Academy, and Bishopbriggs Academy.

Vast profits are being made by selling on stakes in PFI projects in Scotland. It is reported that one project alone made the seller several million pounds. All tax-free.

51 companies were recorded as being involved in 33 Scottish PFI projects in 2012 – including eight based in the Channel Islands.

The financial return to investors ranges from 10%-95%. All of it tax-free courtesy of the Scottish taxpayer.

Jo Swinson’s Lib Dem Party formed part of the government that implemented the disgraceful sell-off of Scotlands heritage.

Yet the electorate insists on returning a Lib Dem to Westminster. But there could be an explanation. Some may be happy campers enjoying the fruits of their investment.  Remember this:

“East Dunbartonshire has been awarded the accolade of one of the top twenty places in a UK “quality of life” survey.  The owner-occupancy rate is well above average and constituents enjoy good health and high educational results.”

The survey tracks where living standards are highest in Great Britain by ranking local performance across key indicators of the labour market, the housing market, the environment, education, and health.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dangle 21: John Lamont – Tory MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk

Lamont has ambitions to lead the United Kingdom government in Edinburgh should the next general election bring about the demise of the Tory party in Scotland, (except for himself) but return yet another right-wing Tory party in England.

He is the last man standing from the select cabal that removed Annabel Goldie from office and replaced her with Ruth Davidson and David Mundell.

Maybe, just maybe he will get his comeuppance and be consigned to the political wilderness by canny Scots in his constituency, fed up with being lied to and abused by the people they placed their trust in.

A brief examination of the short political career of Lamont. Recently appointed to membership of the Tory 1922 committee. He is in the ascendency in the Tory party.

 

 

 

 

Political shenanigans within the Tory Party in Scotland

Ruth Davidson’s relationship with Mundell pre-dates even her election as an MSP.

In 2010, when she was on a hiding to nothing as the Tory candidate in Glasgow North East, ex-BBC journalist Davidson volunteered to help Mundell with TV debate prep as well as some general bag carrying.

This was not glamorous stuff: at one point, she found herself in the car park of a 24-hour Asda in Dumbarton, sewing kit in hand, after the shadow Scottish Secretary ripped his trousers en route to a campaign event.

It was here — the campaign trail, not the car park — where Davidson came to value Mundell’s skill as a strategist and an organiser.

When Davidson became leader she installed Mundell as interim chairman of the party in Scotland.

This was a front for Mundell to head up a small group of trusted allies tasked with steamrollering through a modernisation agenda.

Mundell and Davidson hired a hotel suite outside Edinburgh and gathered party director Lord McInnes, future Berwickshire MP John Lamont and long-time activist Kevin Ancell.

Over the next 48 hours, the quintet planned the resurrection of the Scottish Tory Party, which they assumed would take ten years rather than the five Davidson actually needed.

Mundell led the quintet behind the scenes for the next two years, on top of his duties as a Scotland Office minister.

A close ally of Davidson, says many of the ideas for which she has been given credit were actually the brainchild of the man she likes to call her ‘work husband’.

It was Mundell who thought up Conservative Friends of the Union, a group that allowed the party to reach 80,000 non-members, recruit Labour supporters and raise hard cash.

Davidson refers to him privately as a ‘co-architect’ of her rejuvenation of the Scottish Tories.

Their relationship is so close that a source tells me Davidson asked and Mundell agreed to officiate a civil wedding between her and partner Jen if the Church of Scotland was not conducting same-sex ceremonies when the time came.

An insider added:

‘Ruth and David are properly close… Ruth’s core team is actually a pretty small group of trusted individuals.

David has always been part of it. He was the one that persuaded Ruth to stand for the leadership when she thought she was too new and too green and he’s been part of the core team ever since.

You talk about people “in the room” when decisions get made, David has been in the room with Ruth for every important decision, every campaign plan, every polling report and every major change as she overhauled a creaking and failing party and turned it into one that could win seats and advance across Scotland.

They are very different people and often come at things from different angles but they never brief against each other, never allow any disagreement to go public and genuinely have each other’s backs both within the party and against the world.’

Given all this, it’s not surprising to learn that Davidson spoke directly to Boris after his victory and lobbied him to keep Mundell in place until any replacement could gain ministerial experience.

What is harder to reconcile is that a new Tory leader, who polls in Scotland somewhere south of Freddy Krueger, who has basically no working relationship with the Scottish Tory leader, would snub her first request to him as Prime Minister.

In sacking Mundell in the brutal way he did,  rather than the staged transition she is understood to have recommended, Boris has sent two troubling signals to Scottish Tories, including those who support him: He doesn’t understand how Scottish politics works, and he doesn’t care. (Stephen Daisley)

 

 

 

 

 

July 2009: Fresh expenses row as Lamont bills Holyrood £11,500 for single mailshot

The former lawyer also billed taxpayers £19,410 in office supplies in one year, including around £11,500 for sending a questionnaire and prepaid reply envelopes to his constituents.

The outrageous claim for a single mailshot prompted the Scottish parliament’s Corporate Body (SPCB) to limit spending to £5500 per MSP in the current financial year.

The full scale of Lamont’s spending was revealed following a freedom of information request.

In the first 10 months of 2007-08, he claimed an average £30.71 a month on headed stationery, £18.13 on white windowed envelopes, and £36 on prepaid envelopes.

But in March 2008, when he was finalising his questionnaire, costs soared to £738.50 on letterheads, £3267 on white windowed envelopes and £7200 on prepaid envelopes. From a monthly average of £84.84 on the three items, his bill in March climbed to £11,481.

The mailshot asked constituents their views on the new Borders Railway after the SNP government confirmed it would open in 2013 at a cost of up to £295 million. Such questionnaires and surveys also raise an MSP’s profile.

The cost of Lamont’s questionnaire was approved by the parliament’s allowances office, but it is understood the SPCB became concerned that the system could be used by some MSPs as a backdoor “communications allowance” of the kind available at Westminster.

This allows MPs to claim £10,000 a year “to communicate proactively” with constituents about their parliamentary duties – but also offers opportunities for self-promotion.

Last year it was revealed that Lamont was charging taxpayers to stay in hotels while in the capital, despite owning a flat less than two miles from Holyrood and renting it out for up to £10,000 a year.

An SNP spokesman said:

“I don’t know if Lamont was delivering his leaflets by taxi, but to spend this amount of public money on a single survey is mind-boggling. People in Roxburgh and Berwickshire will be staggered at Lamont’s spending spree.”

Lamont said:

“When you represent a rural constituency, by definition your postage is going to be higher than what it is when you represent an urban constituency. Yes, I did do a survey about the Borders Railway and that is a pressing concern. So it was legitimate for me to ask the views of my constituents.”

A parliament spokesman said:

“The SPCB introduced an annual limit on stationery to make it equitable to all members and to put in place further accountability arrangements for the use of public money. (The Herald)

 

 

 

 

 

Jul 2009: Lib Dem Michael Moore’s Tory opponent unexpectedly quits the contest

In a shock move, Tory candidate, hotelier, Chris Walker quit the battle to take the Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk Westminster seat from the Liberal Democrats.

The constituency, held for the Lib Dems by Michael Moore with a majority of 5,901 over the Tories, was targeted by the Scottish Conservative Leader Annabel Goldie as winnable.

Favourite to succeed Walker is current Tory MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire John Lamont, who contested and lost against Moore in 2005 then had to settle for a seat at Holyrood in 2007 in the Roxburgh and Berwickshire seat.

He made it clear he would, if elected, sit in both the Holyrood and Westminster parliaments. Yet, this is in direct contrast to the Tories’ attacks on SNP leader Alex Salmond for doing just that.

Lamont, an MSP also said that he thought (assuming he won) a by-election for his MSP seat would be “an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer” however, his boss in Holyrood, Annabel Goldie thinks the exact opposite of Alex Salmond in Banff & Buchan.

The only other Tory MP in the Borders is Mundell, who in February this year said, “Salmond has two jobs when many people in Scotland don’t have a single job at all. That is quite wrong.

Lamont failed to take the seat in 2010 and again in 2015 but finally won it in the snap 2017 General Election.

 

 

 

 

 

July 2010: David Mundell, Scotland’s only Conservative MP, stands accused of orchestrating a muck-raking campaign against his Liberal Democrat boss.

The former Tory Party Westminster candidate, well respected, hotelier Chris Walker alleged that Mundell gave him a copy of Moore’s expense claims and told him to “dig up as much dirt” as he could from the parliamentary expenses claimed by Scottish Secretary, Lib Dem Michael Moore.

At interview Walker said:

“It sickened me to the pit of my stomach, I thought, this isn’t what politics is about.” (He later withdrew from the fight for the Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency) and left the Tory Party.

Mundell dismissed Walker’s claim as “spurious” and denied any wrong-doing. However, it did lead to friction at the Scotland Office, where Mundell was Moore’s deputy.(highbeam) The real reason behind the demise of Walker and the rise of Lamont. The wee clique stick together.

 

 

 

 

2016 Scottish General Election

John Lamont Re-Elected to Holyrood– How in the hell did he manage it?

Given Lamont was the highest expense claimant in Holyrood by a significant margin I was surprised that he managed to get himself re-elected as a Tory Party MSP.

He cares nothing for the Tory Party in Scotland is simply using it as a vehicle to hitch a ride on until something more substantial (a seat at Westminster) comes along.

In his campaign literature, he took great care to ensure he would not be associated with the Tory Party by omitting any mention of it.

He actively promoted himself as being the only person capable of preventing the SNP from winning.

Garnering, Lib/Dem and labour supporters to his cause and emphasised his commitment to his constituents regardless of Tory Party policy.

Paul Wheelhouse, Lamont’s SNP opponent at the May elections was a list member for the South of Scotland last time round.

Like his Tory adversary, he has an office in Hawick.

The figures show Wheelhouse submitted 107 claims totalling £8,674 between April and December 2015. Office costs came to £3,878 and travel swallowed up just £210, a fraction of Lamont’s hefty £5,900. Yet the two men live a few miles apart in Coldstream (Lamont) and Ayton (Wheelhouse).

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale SNP MSP Christine Grahame, who is seeking re-election, submitted 122 itemised claims worth £12,196. Her office costs were £8,112 with travel claims amounting to £1,386.

The conclusion is that having Lamont as an MSP has cost more in expenses than Grahame and Wheelhouse combined.

 

 

 

 

2016: European Referendum

The Scottish Borders voted 58/42% remain in the Union.

Lamont, in his electioneering campaigns stressed:

“I will always put the Borders ahead of party politics. I’m not bound by any internal rules banning me for criticising my party. My number one priority is standing up for the interests of local communities in the Scottish Borders.”

A constituent commented:

“But the Conservative split over Europe is unedifying. The Conservatives are deeply divided into Euro unionists and Euro separatists. More party discipline is required, how could anyone vote Conservative when the party position on Europe is so unclear.”

 

 

 

Lamont’s Westminster voting record – Key votes about UK membership of the EU:

On 29 Mar 2019: Lamont voted to leave the EU with a [withdrawal] agreement as soon as possible and to approve the negotiated withdrawal agreement and associated documents.

On 27 Mar 2019: Lamont was absent for a vote on EU Withdrawal and Future Relationship Votes — Leave Without a Deal on 12 April 2019

On 17 Jan 2018: Lamont voted for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.

On 17 Jan 2018: Lamont voted for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.

On 11 Sep 2017: Lamont voted to end the supremacy of EU law in UK law; to convert EU law into domestic law on the UK’s exit from the European Union and to give ministers the power to correct deficiencies in retained EU law.

So much for his assertion that he would stand up for his constituents. They voted to remain in the EU by a substantial majority. He studiously follows the Tory party line and ignores their wishes.

 

 

 

Other reading

https://caltonjock.com/2016/04/25/the-most-expensive-msp-in-holyrood-john-lamont-re-elected-in-ettrick-roxburgh-berwickshire-how-the-hell-did-he-do-it/

https://caltonjock.com/2017/05/27/john-lamont-kirstene-hair-privileged-offspring-of-uber-rich-scottish-landowning-families-champions-of-the-tory-supporting-national-farmers-union-elected-to-westminster-in-error-surely/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luke Graham appointed Hammer of the Scots by Boris Johnson

Luke Graham, of the Conservatives, had only been MP for Ochil and South Perthshire since 2017 and faced a return to accountancy and business in Swindon or to somehow keep going with politics in the hope of an eventual return of fortune with the electorate.

He said: “I am still an accountant, I can still go back to that world but I don’t feel I’m finished with politics yet. I hope to be re-elected to be an MP. I haven’t lost my passion for politics and I think I have still got something to give. It is a setback and a gutting experience but it is what you decide to do with that next that’s important.”

That decision was not long in manifesting. Boris Johnson has employed him as a “Special Advisor” working out of the Policy Unit in 10 Downing Street.

His remit is the “Union” which vests him with a powerful yet unelected influence over Scottish affairs.

A hardline Unionist he will rapidly remove many powers from the Holyrood parliament making life very uncomfortable for Scots over the next few years.

Scots wishing to break free from the political stranglehold of Westminster will need to abandon any hope of another referendum and devise a new strategy framed around the constitutional right of Scots to decide their own government.

 

 

 

 

His Political dogma  regarding Scotland – in his own words

On 18 September 2014, the people of Scotland voted to reject independence from the United Kingdom. More than 2 million people voted to remain part of the UK, which is more than the number of people who voted to remain in the EU and more even than those who voted for the SNP in 2015 or, indeed, in any election since.

It is therefore clear that remaining part of the UK is the principal constitutional choice of people in Scotland. To be clear, Scotland is not just part of the UK—it is the UK. It was a Scottish king who united the crowns, who made the lion and the unicorn stand together and who commissioned the union flag. He recognised the value and opportunity of Britain, and so do the majority of our constituents.

The fact that a petition opposing a second referendum was signed by nearly 200,000, more people than signed the petition supporting a second referendum makes clear the true voice of people in Scotland.

Indeed, the petition in support did not even reach the 100,000 signatures that it needed to be considered for debate and had to piggyback the 220,000 signatures opposing a second referendum.

All polls indicate that a second referendum is not welcome. A recent (2017) poll showed that only 39% of Scots support another referendum, compared with 52% who now oppose one—not just now, but next year or even in five years. That is two of Nicola Sturgeon’s generations.

Supporters of Scottish independence may ask why that is.

First, there was the breaking of the promise that the referendum would be a once in a generation, once in a lifetime event.

Secondly, there is the benefit of the Union to Scotland. The most recent Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland figures—the SNP Administration’s own figures, I might add—revealed a Union dividend worth £1,750 per head in extra spending for Scotland. Meanwhile, as we know, Scotland exports four times as much to the UK as to the EU, making the UK single market the most valuable barrier-free single market to Scotland.

Thirdly, the threat of a second referendum is creating damaging uncertainty for the economy, and most people in Scotland do not want our country plunged into another divisive campaign. That is borne out in the statistics. Business investment is down 7.6% on the last year, and growth in quarter two of 2017 was just 0.1%, versus 0.3% for the UK as a whole.

I am an optimist, but unfortunately, I do not expect the SNP to give up its quest to separate Scotland and end the UK. However, the SNP can surely see that the uncertainty and division is not helping our constituents while the key devolved areas of education and healthcare need serious attention to return Scotland to No. 1 in the UK for education and to reverse the fact that Scotland has the lowest life expectancy of all the nations of the United Kingdom.

To put it simply, people want us to move on. They want politicians to offer positive solutions to the problems we face in education, transport, agriculture and international trade, and to move our country forward, not continually question its very existence.

The constitution stirs passions, but this divides our community and does not move forward our conversations.

We have heard talk of how fantastic the 2014 referendum was, and many of us were engaged in that campaign, but it was not entirely positive.

I know of one story from a now Conservative party member in my constituency, who is now a councillor but who at the time of the referendum was not. He went down to the polling station with his wife, actually undecided; he did not know whether he would vote yes or no. He was asked in the polling station, “Which way will you vote, sir?” He said, “I haven’t decided yet; I intend to keep this private.” His wife was asked the same question, and she repeated his answer—she was not sure. But when she said that with her English accent, the campaigner at the door of the polling station said, “When we win, we will take you back to the border and kick you back to England.” That was a real comment—it comes directly from one of my constituents who is now a Conservative councillor in Clackmannanshire. He had to endure that.

Although I am sure that SNP Members always encourage a positive tone of debate, they have to recognise that the referendum and the constant constitutional wrangling is divisive for our constituents and does not help unite us as a people.

We already have a major constitutional change on the horizon, and at this moment we need to focus on getting the best possible deal for us all across the United Kingdom.

In 2014, the Scottish people decided on a legal, fair and decisive referendum to remain a strong part of the UK.

The Edinburgh agreement in 2012 committed both the UK and Scottish Governments to respecting the outcome of the Scottish referendum, which is why people are clear that now is not the time for a second referendum.

If SNP Members stuck to their words, they would agree that it should not be the time any time soon, either—perhaps not even for a real generation.

 

 

 

 

My abiding memory of Luke Graham

Graham was branded a “cheapskate” after he charged £36.63 to his House of Commons expenses account to pay for him and two staff to attend a charity fundraising village fete in his constituency.

Commentators deplored his conduct saying his penny-pinching was “not the done thing” for a senior backbencher earning £79,000 a year. One said, “Shame on him. He has deep enough pockets on an MP’s wage to chuck a few quid towards a fundraiser for a local charity. Apparently, he is only serious about supporting good causes if the taxpayer is footing the bill. What a cheapskate.”

 

 

 

 

Luke Graham – Special Agent

He is a political carpetbagger who conned the constituents of Ochil and South Perthshire using them as a stepping stone to glory within the Tory party at Westminster. 

This guddle of a constituency, grouping traditional Labour voters in the old mining communities, farmers in Crieff and the rich people of Auchterarder often throws up weird election results from time to time. and the success of Graham surprised political pundits who considered the SNP candidate to be a shoo-in.

Graham, whose home was and still is in Swindon, had contested the seat at the 2015 General Election and although he had been swept aside together with the Labour and Lib/Dem candidates in the SNP tsunami (Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh won the seat taking around 19% votes from Labour and the Lib/Dems).   But the warning was there. He retained almost the same voting base as he had gained in the 2010 election. The Tory vote in the northern part of the constituency was solid but in the south, voting was volatile with three parties in the mix.

 

 

 

 

 

The EU Referendum – Britain Stronger In Europe Campaign

Graham, an avid supporter of Britain’s membership of the EU took on the duties of finance director of, “Britain Stronger In Europe”, dubbed “Project Fear” by sections of the media.

The group, launched in London on 12 October 2015 unsuccessfully campaigned in favour of the United Kingdom continuing membership of the European Union in the 2016 British referendum.

Ochil & South Perthshire voted to remain in the EU recording a strong 60% in favour.

 

 

 

 

03 May 2017: The 2017 General Election

Selected as the Tory candidate, he notified the Electoral Commission his place of residence was Stables Cottage, near Crieff. But his permanent home was in still in Swindon.

His candidacy was sponsored by Alistair Mair the multi-millionaire Tory whose son Hamish was the Chairman of the Tory party in Scotland.

Stables Cottage is owned by Mair who rents it to Tory MSP Elizabeth Smith, MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education. Graham was a lodger.

The Tory Party was on a high after a good showing in the Scottish local elections earlier that year and the fight for the hearts and minds of voters in South Perthshire was between the SNP and the Tory’s, the other parties were reduced to fringe voting status.

Tactical voting aided by a relentless and ultimately successful dirty tricks campaign was perpetrated against Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh by the Unionist supporting media and Graham soon after electioneering began and it worked. He gathered swithering Labour and Lib/Dem voters in the south of the constituency to the Tories.

 

 

 

 

His appalling record as an MP

Graham’s performance as an MP was vintage, unionist. His campaigning commitments to the voters was abandoned. His support of the Tory government in Westminster was absolute.

Together with the other Scottish unionist MP’s he voted:

Against an energy price cap.
Against a properly resourced industrial strategy.
Against maintaining the benefits of the European Single Market and Customs Union.
Against maintaining the existing rights of EU nationals living in the UK and EU nationals living in the EU.
Against increased funding of public services.
Against scrapping university tuition fees.
Against restoring Education Maintenance Allowance, maintenance grants and nurses’ bursaries.
Against ending the public sector pay cap.
Against increasing the minimum wage.

Brutal measures from a government determined to continue with the imposition of harsh austerity measures, rewarding the rich minority of society whilst destroying the will to live amongst the many.

 

 

 

 

Graham the turncoat europhile voted to remove all aspects of EU Integration from Statute

A formerly self-declared, “die-hard” europhile and ex-Finance Director of  “Britain Stronger In Europe” he became a hardline Brexiteer against the express will of his constituents who voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU.

His voting record exposed him and his lying rhetoric. Talk about a somersault. Ochil and South Perthshire voters were conned by a political charlatan.

• On 11 Sep 2017: He voted to end the supremacy of EU law over UK law; to convert EU law into domestic law on the UK’s exit from the European Union and to give ministers the power to correct deficiencies in retained EU law.
• On 14 Nov 2017: He voted to end the supremacy of EU law in domestic law and to remove the mechanism enabling the flow of new EU laws into UK law.
• On 14 Nov 2017: He voted not to require courts or tribunals to have regard to anything done on or after exit day by the European Court, another EU entity or the EU.
• On 21 Nov 2017: He voted against requiring the UK Government to report on changes to EU legislation which form part of UK law, and against requiring the Government to consider adopting such changes to ensure that the rights of workers and employees in the UK are no less favourable than they would have been had the UK remained a member of the EU or EEA.
• On 21 Nov 2017: He voted against the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights remaining part of UK law on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.
• On 21 Nov 2017: Luke Graham voted against retaining general principles of EU law derived from EU treaties, direct EU legislation and EU directives, as part of UK law after the UK leaves the EU, and voted to only retain those general principles deriving from European Court [of justice] case law.
• On 12 Dec 2017: He voted to allow laws which were required by the UK’s membership of the European single market to be weakened, removed or replaced by Ministers after the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. 
• On 13 Dec 2017: He voted to allow ministers to withdraw the UK from the European Economic Area, the European single market.
• On 20 Dec 2017: He voted against the UK retaining the EU’s common customs tariff and common commercial policy.
• On 13 Jun 2018: He voted against making the UK’s withdrawal from the EU conditional on seeking, as an objective for the UK’s negotiation of the withdrawal agreement, full access to the internal market of the EU rather than merely European Economic Area membership.
• On 13 Jun 2018: He voted against largely retaining the EU “Charter of Fundamental Rights” as part of UK law following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.
• On 13 Jun 2018: He voted against steps designed to ensure that the UK’s withdrawal from the EU does not result in the removal or diminution of any rights, powers, liabilities, obligations, restrictions, remedies and procedures that contribute to the protection and improvement of the environment.
• On 17 Jul 2018: He voted against making retaining membership of the European medicines regulatory network a government objective.

 

 

 

 

Promotion to the Tory Government Head Office in Downing Street 

Brown nosing has its rewards. His unqualified support of the Tory government at Westminster was recognized through his early promotion to the Cabinet Office as a parliamentary private secretary, (PPS).

His remit included responsibility for the constitution and civil service and he was also appointed leader of communications and relations between Westminster and Holyrood.

The latter role required him to focus on Brexit, concentrating on constitutional issues.

 

 

 

 

18 Mar 2018:  Graham to lead Young Conservatives Campaign to Win Over Millennial Voters

The campaign is yet another relaunch of the much-maligned Young Conservatives following nearly three years in mothballs after bullying, sex scandals, suicide and other scandalous behaviour.

It is being developed in conjunction with Tory activists of the recently formed and very well funded “rust-belt Tory” group operating in Scotland and the north of England and is aimed at appealing to a generation of young voters who the Tories claim are not as left-wing as portrayed.

Tory Party chairman Brandon Lewis said the youth arm of the party would seek to engage with “thousands of young people who keep being told they must be “Corbynistas” but aren’t.

His roles, leading the Young Conservatives while completing the heavy workload of a PPS in the Prime Minister’s cabinet office begged the question: “Where did he find the time for constituency matters?”

Clearly, the constituents of Ochil and South Perthshire were short-changed yet again by a carpetbagging special agent from England.

 

 

 

 

 

And in his own words – My home

Reflecting on his short time in Scotland he said:

  “I’m proud of Swindon. It is where I come from and I think people see that. I have always felt very strongly about being British and my parents still live in Swindon so when I go to see them, I feel like I’m going home.”

 

More here: “https://caltonjock.com/2017/12/15/luke-graham-mp-another-tory-carpetbagger-from-england-he-is-a-snake-in-the-grass-scots-need-to-waken-up-update-at-end-of-article”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So who was John Smith?

The public persona was that he was a genial, whisky-drinking Scots lawyer from the traditional Labour right. Not so.

John Smith and his close friend and political ally Denis Healey were senior figures, with others, of the influential right-wing, Bilderberg Group and were members of its Steering Committee.

It was Smith, the leader of the committee who arranged for his young protegee, Gordon Brown to be invited to the 1991 meeting of the group.

He also recruited Ed Balls, formerly a leader writer for the Financial Times as political advisor to his team. An ideologist for globalization, Balls had spent a year in America as a Kennedy Scholar at Harvard from where he adopted US economics ideology.

A trend embraced by other prominent Labour figures, such as, Yvette Cooper MP, (whom Balls later married). David Miliband, head of Blair’s policy unit and Gordon Brown, later to become the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Just about all of the “New Labour” people with influence had some connection to America and American money……Tony Blair took the US government’s free tour of the States and an extended stay in 1986 with Gordon Brown and assured his hosts that, while officially members of CND they and the Labour Party under their leadership supported the nuclear deterrent and retention of Trident by the UK. Blair, and his team in 1983, all joined the CIA front, Labour Friends of Israel.

https://caltonjock.com/2014/12/20/the-john-smith-centre-is-designed-to-undermine-the-integrity-and-authority-of-what-is-left-of-the-impartiality-of-the-uk-civil-service-through-the-expansion-and-influence-of-political-special-advisors/

 

 

 

The gathering of the Unionists under the guise of the John Smith Centre for Public Service

The Glasgow University supported John Smith Centre is an insidious development that will adversely impact upon Scottish politics.

This warning might possibly fall upon many deaf ears but it is my intention to post/repost articles that amplify and support of my concerns.

For information: amid many differences between “Old Labour” and “New Labour” is that “New Labour” is Fabian. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are Fabians.

The ultimate objective of the Fabians is to create a One World (‘Third Way’) government. This links to the “New World Order” project financed and controlled by the USA.

Fabian New Labour has developed and implemented the secretive “educational charity”, “Common Purpose”, which controls many aspects of local and mainstream politics and the media (BBC).

More on “Common Purpose” here: http://www.stopcp.com and here: http://www.cpexposed.com .

In Blair then Brown the NWO/Bilderberg movement enjoyed the guarantee that the UK government would manipulate the electorate and parliament to support their efforts without question. War and War and yet more War. All unjustified.

John Smith was a Bilderberger!!

It is feasible that this lot could be asked to form a government of National Unity should the SNP be proscribed following a unilateral declaration of independence by the SNP government should the Scottish public support it.

Indications are that the political scene is fast changing but something is in the air politically and it stinks.

 

 

 

 

Dangle 8: Kezia Dugdale:

In her first years with the Labour Party Dugdale was mentored by George Foulkes. Even in those early days of her venture into politics, she displayed a talent for intrigue which she finely honed over the years despite being thin-skinned and overly aggressive.

Her short time as Leader of the Scottish branch was an unmitigated disaster precipitated by her insistence on supporting “New Labour” philosophy much derided by many of her colleagues and regarded as a failed venture by the electorate.

Her transfer of employment to the recently formed “John Smith Centre for Public Service”, based at Glasgow University was not unexpected since the company she now enjoys is very much more politically acceptable to her.

 

 

 

 

Dangle 9: George Foulkes

Steven Dorril’s history of MI6 provides support to much-repeated allegations that Foulkes and a number of his Labour Party colleagues had been recruited to the Secret Services. He wrote:

“Politicians including Dewar, John Smith, Gordon Brown, George Robertson, and Robin Cook were precisely the types the intelligence services longed to see take control of the Labour party and he believed that contemporaries and acquaintances of these leading Scottish Labour figures took active roles in organisations sponsored and endorsed by MI6 and the CIA.

“Elizabeth Smith (John Smith’s widow) was approached. So was Margaret “Meta” Ramsay, president of the Scottish National Union of Students between 1959 and 1961, who worked at the Fund for International Student Cooperation (FISC) where the organiser was George Foulkes.”

“In 1969 the Radical Student Alliance published a pamphlet alleging that FISC was a CIA front,” says Dorril. “That was denied, but in 1969 Ramsay joined MI6. She was a specialist in the Scandinavian states.”

More on the foregoing here:

http://powerbase.info/index.php/Margaret_%27Meta%27_Ramsay

https://caltonjock.com/2015/12/05/george-zebedee-foulkes-to-serve-in-scotlands-upper-chamber-if-he-gets-his-amendment-through-persish-the-thought/

 

 

 

Dangle 10: George Robertson

Well known to all.

 

 

 

 

Dangle 11: Russell Gunson

Leader of  “Independent Public Policy Research” (IPPR) think tank which he formed and expanded over a number of years. Supposedly independent of any political influence which is a bit of a joke (in bad taste) on the public.

Read this, from 2007:

“Two parliamentary researchers, Kezia Dugdale, who works for the Labour MSP Lord Foulkes, and Russell Gunson, who works for fellow MSP Claire Baker, were seconded to Wendy Alexander’s office last night providing spin doctor cover until new staff would be appointed.”

Gunson clearly has a long association with the Labour Party, not mentioned on the IPPR site or anywhere else, and even spent some time in the jungle of Labour Party politics as stand-in spin doctor with Kezia. I smell a rat, like the ones we saw all over Kez’s face a year or two ago. Actually, it’s probably Lord Foulkes I smell.

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/labour-rushes-to-plug-gap-left-by-sudden-exit-of-wendy-alexander-s-second-top-spin-doctor-1-700634

 

 

 

 

Dangle 12: Sarah Smith

BBc News presenter is included through association, her mother is was head honcho in the Secret Service and leads the new John Smith centre at Glasgow University.

https://caltonjock.com/2015/04/01/people-of-influence-sarah-smith-bbc-presenter-arrived-in-scotland-quietly-grew-fast-and-strong-then-crowded-everyone-else-out-of-the-nest-is-there-nothing-we-can-do/

 

 

 

 

 

Dangle 13: Jackie Bird

BBC Presenter was married to the now-defunct News of the World which attacked Tommy Sheridan and brought about his political demise.

https://caltonjock.com/2016/01/12/jackie-bird-does-she-justify-a-200k-salary-for-delivering-biased-political-rhetoric-favouring-the-unionist-parties/

 

 

 

 

 

Dangle 14: Ed Balls:

John Smith Centre board member. And the aims and ambitions of the Centre include championing excellence in politicians to act as role models for public service.

Ian Dale wrote this about balls:

“Balls used Damian McBride, the disgraced spin doctor, to smear ministerial rivals and advance his own ambitions.

A No 10 insider revealed that Balls was the mastermind behind a “dark arts” operation by McBride to undermine colleagues. He claims he is running a destabilising “shadow operation” inside Downing Street to clear his path for the party leadership if Labour loses the next election.

The insider said: “There is now an operation within an operation at No 10 and it answers to Ed Balls.”

Full story here:

https://iaindale.blogspot.com/2009/04/ed-balls-ran-labour-dirty-tricks-unit.html

 

 

An assessment of his time at the Treasury was compiled by financial commentator  Alex Brummer who said this about Balls:

“it was a bit disconcerting to hear the former MP and Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls pronouncing on steps to curb the Bank of England. Balls rightly can claim some ownership of Bank independence.

As an economic guide to Gordon Brown at the Treasury, he was the architect of giving the Bank ‘operational control’ of monetary policy and interest rates in 1997.

This despite reservations by Treasury traditionalists and the refusal of previous reforming Chancellors to take such a step.

We tend to forget that Balls gave with one hand and took away with another. It was Brown and Balls who removed policing of the banking system from Threadneedle Street and gifted it to the now-defunct Financial Services Authority.

The result was catastrophic when the credit crunch and financial crisis blew up in 2007-08. The Bank of England lacked the intelligence network to see it coming and the FSA was useless.

Balls’ new idea, contained in a Harvard academic paper, talks of setting up a new systemic risk body, headed by the Chancellor, to take the political heat off the Bank.

This essentially is a rerun of the past when Balls and Brown drove Eddie George to the brink of resignation after they moved banking supervision to the FSA.

The Bank already has a Financial Policy Committee with outside members to take hard decisions on risk. Major policy changes such as the Bank’s right to curb loan-to-value ratios for mortgages require Treasury concurrence.

Politicians find the independent Bank an easy target but governor Mark Carney at the Bank has demonstrated the strength of character to defend his institution robustly and go about the business of central banking.

There is a case for increasing the political accountability of the Bank. One way of doing that would be to give the Treasury Select Committee and House of Commons a binding vote on approval or rejection of nominees for the governor-level jobs at the Bank and all the members of the policy committees.

Handing back powers to the Chancellor – even if the idea is to somehow strengthen the Bank – is not the answer. Balls should spend more time perfecting his footwork.

 

 

 

 

Dangle  15: Dr Matt Carter

John Smith Centre board member.  New Labour, Worked at the most senior level in politics as General Secretary of the Labour Party, overseeing political campaigns and organisation in the period running up to and including the 2005 General Election, which saw Tony Blair win a successful third term in office.

Involved in the “cash for peerages” scandal that almost brought down Blair’s New Labour government. Statement:

“Labour general secretary and registered treasurer at last election. Now managing director of a Washington political consultancy. Wrote to party supporters who agreed to lend the £14 million in the run-up to the election. The letters have been studied by the police. One of the few officials who knew about the loans, he signed off the nomination forms to the House of Lords Appointments Commission which omitted to mention that four of the nominees for peerages had made secret loans.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1549251/Scandal-that-will-bring-down-the-curtain.html

 

 

 

Dangle 16: Ruth Davidson

Privy Councillor, Ruth Davidson MSP the ex-leader of the Tory party Branch Office in Scotland needs no introduction. Possible First Minister in the event of a Whitehall directed coup??

 

 

 

 

 

Dangle 17: David Muir

Muir took on the role of Director of Political Strategy for Gordon Brown in 2008.  The former Glasgow University graduate cut his teeth in the USA political rat race and was instrumental in persuading Brown to adopt the failed tactic of attacking Tory manifesto policies in the 2010 General Election as opposed to defending New labour’s record in office.

 

 

 

Dangle 18: The Baroness Smith of Gilmorehill

John Smith’s widow awarded a peerage in 1995 in recognition of her long career with the British Secret Service.

As Elizabeth Margaret Bennett she attended Glasgow University with John Smith whom she later married.

A fluent Russian speaker she was recruited to the British Secret Services together with her friend Margaret Ramsey.

Her powerful role in the service was only revealed after the death of her husband when she was awarded the title of Baroness of Gilmorehill and elevated to the House of Lords.

She is a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee, which provides parliamentary oversight of the Secret Intelligence Services and is an advisory council member of the foreign-policy think-tank, the Foreign Policy Centre.

She is also the Lords Chair of The Labour Friends of Israel and leads the London based “intelligence” company, Hakluyt, allegedly started by MI6 officers to carry out “deniable” operations in support of government policies.

Her background and friends of the family does little to engender public confidence in her political impartiality

 

 

 

 

Dangle 19: Andrew Wilson

From 2003 He held a number of posts at the RBS Group from 2003 including Deputy Chief Economist and through the banking crisis as Head of Group Communications.  Founder of political media company, Charlotte Street Partners.

Ian Fraser, the political author wrote of him:

Classic over-reach as Goodwin boasted about RBS’s immensity

A FactSheet compiled by RBS’s senior communications executive and deputy chief economist Andrew Wilson in February 2007 pleased his master, the bank’s chief executive, Fred Goodwin, as it put RBS’s financial success in context. But it was also incredibly bombastic and dangerously hubristic

Royal Bank of Scotland issued an extraordinary flyer to journalists on the day it released its 2006 annual results – 1 March 2007.

Just 18 months before it collapsed and needed a £45.5 billion taxpayer-funded bailout, RBS proudly unveiled a 14 per cent rise in operating profits to £9.414 billion, on income that was up ten per cent, to £28 billion.

At the time – four months before the beginning of the subprime-related credit crisis that paralysed global financial markets and would ultimately torpedo RBS and many other banks worldwide – chief executive Fred Goodwin seemed to think he could walk on water.

Goodwin was already in covert talks for a €72 billion three-way, carve-up takeover of the near-worthless Amsterdam-based bank, ABN Amro.

Four years earlier Goodwin had hired Wilson, who had lost his Holyrood seat in the May 2003 Scottish parliamentary elections, as deputy chief economist and occasional spin-meister.

Goodwin, who had taken over as chief executive in March 2000, was unhappy with some of the negative headlines that had greeted the bank’s strong financial results in previous years.

He saw record profits as something to celebrate, but certain sections of the media and some politicians insisted on using them as a club to beat the bank, claiming they were evidence it was ripping off its customers.

So Fred was delighted when, a few days before the results were to be announced, Lanark-born Wilson came into Goodwin’s palatial office at RBS’s Gogarburn World Headquarters with what seemed like the perfect antidote.

Wilson, had written a four-page flyer that strongly conveyed RBS’s global reach and the good it was doing for society through a selection of carefully chosen nuggets on which it was hoped journalists would graze.

“It was one of the few times Fred ever congratulated anyone in media relations for anything,” said one ex-RBS insider. “He was delighted with that document. Andrew got a lot of kudos”.

The panegyric to RBS – discreetly titled “RBS Factsheet Scotland” underneath the banner “RBS Results 2006: Make it Happen” – was emailed to journalists by RBS press officer Nicola McGowan at 7:05am on results day, alongside the message: “Also to provide some context around RBS Group and these Results, I attach a factsheet for your information”.

With the benefit of hindsight, it is a most extraordinarily hubristic and bombastic document, that’s indicative of the proverb “pride before a fall”.

Among the more prominent boasts were that RBS was, by market capitalisation, “bigger than Sony and Apple combined; We make more profit from the US than McDonald’s do globally; our European profits are equivalent to the global profits of Volkswagen.”

The document bragged about the size and scale of RBS’s branch network:

“In the UK, we have more branches than there are Starbucks coffee shops – a larger branch network than any other UK bank.”

It stressed how much tax RBS was paying and how many people it employed: “We are the number 1 corporate taxpayer in the UK; We employ more people than the electricity, gas and water supply industries [more people than] Vodafone, Virgin and Rolls-Royce combined.”

In other words, the document stressed what an amazingly good corporate citizen RBS was.

There were also several bullet points about the numbers of people using RBS’s retail banking services in a single minute and how these were, ostensibly at least, free-of-charge:

• In one minute at RBS in 2006, 1,398 customers make a withdrawal from one of our ATMs…for FREE
• 2,073 cheques were processed….FREE for personal customers
• 136 customer telephone calls answered…for FREE
• 3,690 payments processed…FREE for personal customers
• 320 customers are served in one of our branches.

The document added that RBS was “one of only five FTSE 100 companies (and the only bank) to have grown profits in each of the last ten years’ and that it ‘serves 36 million personal customers worldwide”.

Complete article here:

(ianfraser.org/classic-over-reach-as-rbs-boasted-about-immense-scale)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The 2017 General Election and Whitehall Mandarins involvement in Scotland

The Unionist Party’s manifestos could have been written on a fag packet since they were almost entirely free of anything meaningful to the electorate in Scotland.

It comprised a single battle cry attacking the most progressive and universally admired politician in Scotland Nicola Sturgeon. Stating:

” Scots are fed up being persecuted by the SNP leader who is solely intent on getting independence at any cost. As a result, Scotland is suffering hugely. The majority of Scottish voters wish to remain in the British union, despite Nicola Sturgeon’s latest demands for a Scottish referendum.”

This was entered on the internet in the form of a petition requiring a simple yes/no answer.

The signed petition would be presented to the Westminster government, by the Scottish Home Secretary for debate in the House of Commons, dependent on the number of signatures gained.

The Unionists then embarked on a well planned and effectively coordinated campaign mutually supportive each of the other Unionist party’s including campaigning, canvassing and lowering of the profile of their candidate where an agreement was in place, effectively ganging up on the SNP.

It was a voting strategy, new to UK politics which, using predictive data models identified, engaged and persuaded voters to turnout.

This was achieved through the use of internet, phone and personal surveys combined with many other data sets, created by teams of contracted data scientists, psychologists and political consultants allowing the campaign to map the Scottish electorate based on ideology, demographics, religious beliefs, strongly held opinions on key issues e.g. independence, the Orange Lodge, Celtic, Rangers, the SNP and or political personalities.

The information gathered provided Whitehall and psy-ops” personnel with a predictive analysis based on thousands of data points on just about every voter in Scotland.

From that teams of Unionist political consultants and psychologists at Whitehall directed the campaign and candidates on what and how to say it to selected groups of voters.

Wider voter targeting, included use of Facebook adverts, one to one scripted phone calls and provision of the content of messages for door-to-door canvassers ensuring consistent communication with voters on any issue.

What won the day for the Unionists in 2017 was that they utilised “data mining” to gain a comprehensive understanding of the Scottish electorate and then used every communication aid available facilitating discussions with voters about matters important to them as individuals.

Throughout the campaign, the Unionist tactic was to constantly broadcast the “no new referendum” message stressing that this was an important major difference between the Unionists and any other candidates, firmly registering this in the minds of the electorate.

In contrast, the SNP campaign was old-style directed at the Scottish electorate as a group entity which failed to inspire voters in constuencies at risk. Information is power.

Their aim was achieved. The result of the election was a setback for the SNP and its ambitions for independence

The petition was subsequently revealed to be a “data mining ploy” prepared then entered up on the internet by military personnel of 77 Brigade recently formed “Psy ops” unit.

The tactic proved to be successful in raising the public profile of the possibility of another independence referendum, which (at the time) had not been given mention by anyone other than Unionist politicians.

Note: The term “psy-ops” new to the vast bulk of the Scottish electorate suggested an internet underworld of misinformation and mind-mapping.

In Nazi Party parlance, it is a reworking of the term “propaganda.” which is designed to condition the target audience to think and act in a way advantageous to the proponent.

 

 

Use of gathered data – analysis of the Petition outcome

Information was extracted providing total numbers by Scottish constituency. Electorate totals were included and a percentage signatory total was established for each constituency.

The mean figure of 3.75% was then used to forward project the outcome of another independence referendum, should one be held after Brexit.

The figures suggested that from an electorate of 4,021,203 the outcome of another referendum would result in a: 48.00% “Yes” vote in favour of independence with 52.00% preferring to remain with the Union.

The information was used to forward plan strategy.

Edinburgh, Aberdeen, East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire recorded much higher than average figures favouring remaining with the Union.

Others appeared to be less fixed.

 

 

The “psy-ops” 2017 General Election Forecast

The 2017 General Election in Scotland would be a re-run of the 2015 election referendum but the freakish landslide victory achieved by the SNP would not be repeated.

The analysis suggested 25 seats could change hands in favour of the Unionists.

SNP activists would need to be actively deployed campaigning in the under-noted constituencies otherwise they could be lost.

This group of seats were Unionist target marginals – Risk decreasing as the % number drops:

71749: Edinburgh W, Michelle Thomson MP : 4388-6.12%  Lib gain

69982: East Renfrew, Kirsten Oswald MP: 4241-6.06%  Tory gain

66966: East Dunbarton, John Nicolson MP: 3977-5.94% Lib gain

65846: Edinburgh S, Ian Murray MP: 3579-5.44% Labour hold

73445: W Aberdeen, Stuart Donaldson MP: 3961-5.40%  Tory gain

80978: Edinburgh N, Deidre Brock MP: 4280-5.29%  SNP hold

66208: Paisley N, Gavin Newlands MP: 3158-4.77%  SNP hold

68875: Argyll & Bute, Brendan O’Hara MP: 3277-4.75%  SNP hold

62003: North East Fife, Stephen Gethins MP: 2937-4.74% SNP hold

67236: Stirling, Steven Paterson MP: 3175-4.72%  Tory gain

77379: Ochil & S. Perth, Tasmina Sheikh MP: 3645-4.71%  Tory gain

79393: Gordon, Rt Hon Alex Salmond MP: 3711-4.68%  Tory gain

68056: Aberdeen South, Callum McCaig MP: 3618-4.65%  Tory gain

79481: East Lothian, George Kerevan MP: 3676-4.63%  Labour gain

72178: Edinburgh S W, Joanna Cherry QC: 3283-4.55%  SNP hold 

72447: Perth & N Perth, Pete Wishart MP: 3033-4.19% SNP hold

71685: Moray, Rt Hon Angus Robertson MP: 2995-4.18%  Tory gain

78037: Lanark & Hamilton E, Angela Crawley MP: 3272-4.19% SNP hold

68483: Dumfries, Clydesdale, David Mundell MP: 2816-4.11% Tory hold

74179: Berwick, Selkirk: Calum Kerr MP: 3026-4.08%  Tory gain

86955: Linlithgow, E Falkirk, Martyn Day MP: 3570-4.11%  SNP hold

68609: Banff & Buchan, Dr e Whiteford MP: 2772-4.04%   Tory gain

60% of the target seats were taken by the Unionist parties.

 

 

 

 

Psy-ops

Formal identification of an agent of the Secret Service is only possible if they have been formally exposed as such and the incidence of revelations is rare.

So it is a guessing game at best and requires a deal of thought and investigation before levelling an allegation and I make no claim against anyone in this blog. I will have to be content to flag up persons of interest as “dangles”

 

 

Dangle 1: Kate Watson:

She graduated with a postgraduate qualification in terrorism studies in 2013, was the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum, Better Together, Director of Operations and the Scottish Labour candidate for Glasgow East is believed to be a member of the Berkshire-based 77th Brigade.

After the 2014 referendum, she got a job working for Consequitur, a consultancy owned by former Labour shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander. Read what her own party rag alleges:

(theclarionmag.org/2018/06/02/glasgow-east-selection-the-inside-story-2)

 

 

 

 

Dangle 2: Douglas Alexander:

Dangle 3: Alistair Cameron:

Cameron excelled in the military, finishing top of a “staff training course” attended by 120 officers.

Captains are required to attend and pass the “staff training course” within a set period. Failure prevents promotion beyond the rank of Major. Many leave the service at this time.

But Cameron finished “top” of the course he attended and would be fast-tracked promoted through the ranks to command his regiment and then on to the position of General.

Cameron leaving the army makes no sense except that another, more satisfying career beckoned. EG Secret services.

His appointment deciding and guiding the activities of “Union in Scotland” is puzzling but these articles provide an explanation:

(https://www.sis.gov.uk/news/alex-younger-st-andrews-speech.html).

https://caltonjock.com/2018/12/12/exposing-yet-another-westminster-conspiracy-scotland-in-union-part-two-of-two-alastair-james-cameron-just-who-the-hell-is-he/

https://caltonjock.com/2018/12/11/exposing-yet-another-westminster-conspiracy-scotland-in-union-part-one-of-two/

 

 

 

Pamela Nash: Dangle 4:

Nash was a parliamentary officer for the Young Fabians and a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, where she served on the executive committee and was the convener of the External Affairs Committee.

She interned for John Reid MP, for one year as his constituency assistant and was subsequently employed as his SpAd for a period of three years.

Reid fixed it for her on his promotion to the House of Lords when the Monklands mafia ensured she would be elected as the Member of Parliament for Airdrie and Shotts in 2010.

Coatbridge; The labour legacy summarised:

“Coatbridge? Have you been there, I live there, after decades of the Labour Party doing no more than plan the after election celebrations Coatbridge is in what only can be described in the local Scottish saying, ” a midden”.

Coatbridge used to be a town, Labour put paid to that. They knocked all the shops down and spent a fortune planting trees, these were then knocked down by the local neds so we ended up in a town with spaces, then someone built Asda and Coatbridge became known as Asda town.

Then, with the help of Maggie Thatcher the last of Coatbridge’s industries were demolished a retail park was built and given the name the Faraday park but locally known as the FARAWAY park, since it is too far away from the Town Centre for those but the fittest or car owners to enjoy.

We’ve also got a pedestrian area where the only risk is getting knocked down by a car or small truck.

Coatbridge council who can’t believe that any party other than Labour have the right to join in the local elections is known as the Monklands Mafia mainly because most officials were related to local Councillors and many are still.

In the event of independence, the Monklands Mafia would set up a committee to consider a referendum on creating the Socialist State of Coatbridge, so as to protect the careers of Labour Party members.”

Nash lost her seat in Parliament in 2015 due to he abjectly poor performance but surfaced in 2016 as a leading figure in the newly formed “Scotland in Union”

More of Nash here:

https://caltonjock.com/2014/12/31/i-bet-you-had-forgotten-pamela-nash-labour-party-golden-child-useless-mp-now-leader-of-usury-financed-discredited-scotland-in-union-i-havent/

 

 

 

Dangle 5: John Reid:

 

While he was Secretary of State for Scotland, John Reid became the first senior cabinet member ever to be severely censured by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Elizabeth Filkin. Reid was accused of using parliamentary allowances, taxpayer’s money, to pay the salaries of his son and other staff working for Labour’s electoral campaign. In the course of the inquiry, it emerged that Reid had held, “discussions” with witnesses, “which in plain unparliamentary language sounded a lot like threats”.

In recent times he regularly Lobby’s fellow lords in the House of Lords and other movers and shakers in the corridors of power in Westminster seeking to use his influence, expanding counterintelligence and control over the UK citizenship mirroring the much detested, “Homeland Security” arrangements in place in the USA. He is committed to these, behind the scenes expensive measures through his employment with the Chertoff Group, (founding member of the company and Ex-Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2005 – 2009)

More on him here:

https://caltonjock.com/2014/09/15/john-wreck-it-and-run-reid-warts-plenty-of-them/

 

 

 

 

Andrew Skinner: Dangle 6:

Leading member of Scotland in Union he really is a nasty piece of work.

In the 2015 General Election, he and his supporters’ actively assisted Unionist strategy which included tactical voting in 30  constituencies aimed at defeating the SNP and stemming the nationalist tide.

A group of young Labour party activists, led by Skinner, spent a morning distributing Tory election campaign leaflets in the Labour stronghold of North Muirton, in Perth, trying to persuade people to vote Tory.

Victor Clements, Director of “Forward Together”, a local tactical voting campaign said, “they did really well and the Tory’s bought them lunch afterwards, it’s quite surreal when it comes down to it.”

Skinner said, “One of our main motto’s is country before party.” His group, “United Against Separation”, were also very busy in Gordon, delivering thousands of leaflets urging Labour and Tory voters to back the incumbent Liberal Democrat, Christine Jardine.

Skinner said, “We got Tory voters galore in Gordon. We hit the Tory areas pretty hard and we saw nothing of the SNP. They can try painting us as Tories or Lib Dems and we can show them the areas we’ve hit for Labour. We are at every party and no party.”

The blog on Skinner is well worth a read.

https://caltonjock.com/2018/12/19/all-you-need-to-know-about-unionist-rudeboy-andrew-skinner-the-guy-from-haghill-who-made-it-good-then-cocked-it-up-by-joining-scotland-in-union/

 

 

 

 

 

Jim Gallagher: Dangle 7:

Another Scotland in Union advisory-board member, Gallagher, a former Whitehall civil servant was Director Of Research for “Better Together” during the referendum, and appeared in numerous newspapers as author of a deranged fantasy piece about how wonderful life would be for Scotland inside a unicorns-and-kittens post-Brexit UK, with no mention made of his positions in either BT or SIU.

 

 

 

There are many many more dangles to name but I will do so only if there is interest