The Assassination of Colonel Khadaffi was ordained by President Obama and Hilary Clinton

Tony Blair urged Khadaffi to find “a safe place to go” as part of a managed process of political change before the situation reached “the point of no return”. Failure to accept the offer would result in his capture or death.

Hillary Clinton’s controversial private emails recently revealed that Tony Blair’s office fully advised her office of the details of his conversation with Khadaffi She was told that Blair had said to Khadaffi: “The absolute key thing is that the bloodshed and violence must stop. If you have a safe place to go then you should go there, because this will not end peacefully unless that happens and there has to be a process of change. That process of change can be managed and we have to find a way of managing it. I have talked to people and everyone wants a peaceful end to this.”

Blair later telephoned No 10 to say that he had been contacted by “a key individual close to Khadaffi (his son) and that the Libyan dictator wanted to “cut a deal” with Britain. Cameron, who ordered RAF air strikes against Khadaffi’s forces – did not take up the offer. http://news.sky.com/story/blair-urged-gaddafi-to-flee-libya-to-avoid-death-10344435

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
21 Oct 2011: Hillary Clinton arrived in Libya 2 days before the Assassination of Khadaffi and assumed operational control

In a meeting with the allied forces chiefs she said: “Washington wants to see Libyan leader Muammar Khadaffi captured or killed.” Behind the secret visit there was evidently an agenda in Washington ensuring American ‘fingerprints’ would be all over the so-called ‘success’ of NATO in Libya. But killing Khadaffi would be an illegal assassination and managing that was the real purpose of Clinton’s apparently spontaneous visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
23 October 2011: Agreement finalised between Khadaffi and the Allies that he and his supporters in Sirte would be granted a safe passage to another country – The convoy would fly white flags on all vehicles and weapons would be reduced to side arms only.

Khadaffi and 66 of his followers departed Sirte, in broad daylight so there would be little chance of mistaken identity, to be attacked with hellfire missiles launched from drones, controlled from the USA. The “white flag” convoy was incinerated. The destruction of the convoy was a war crime.

The actions of the allies after the event was yet more disgraceful since in accordance with Islamic Law Muslims are supposed to be buried not later than one day after death. But the bodies of Khadaffi and members of his family were held and a cold room and on public display for over a week without explanation.

Adding to the over driven hype, orchestrated by the allies shortly after, there is the weird press briefing that Khadaffi had been found cowering in and was forcibly dragged from a drainpipe. The subsequent filmed abuse of the former leader of the country was disgracefully distributed to television audiences world wide together with a filmed interview of the United States’ Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, laughing and expressing delight with Khadaffi’s death, stating, “We Came, We Saw, He Died.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgcd1ghag5Y

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Others relevant articles previously published on my blog

https://caltonjock.com/2015/07/24/libya-a-failed-state-and-festering-sore-obama-blames-cameron-and-sarkozy-for-the-shambles-they-will-need-to-sort-it-out-expect-uk-forces-will-be-deployed-to-libya-for-a-long-war/
https://caltonjock.com/2015/05/30/17-april-2011-washington-post-interview-with-saif-al-islam-gaddafi-son-and-heir-of-libyan-leader-moammar-gaddafi/
https://caltonjock.com/2015/05/30/libya-sledgehammers-and-nuts-gaddafis-airforce-was-grounded-on-day-one-on-receipt-of-a-warning-from-the-un/
https://caltonjock.com/2015/05/29/libya-ripped-apart-by-the-west-now-they-cannot-put-it-back-together-again-another-human-disaster-attributed-to-the-greed-of-the-west/
https://caltonjock.com/2015/01/09/libya-ghaddafi-blair-lockerbie-al-meghri-rothschild-ghaddfis-son-mandelson-the-true-story/
https://caltonjock.com/2015/05/30/libya-when-airstrikes-go-wrong-it-is-the-innocents-that-suffer/
https://caltonjock.com/2016/01/04/the-thin-red-line-to-be-painted-in-the-sands-of-libya-once-again-but-at-what-cost-how-many-more-of-our-young-men-and-women-are-to-be-sacrificed-on-the-alter-of-oil-worship-for-a-pittance-of-a-wage/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary: Can the USA be trusted to police the world fairly? I think not.!!! As an independent nation ( which I hope becomes a reality soon) Scotland should declare the much vaunted one sided “special relationship” to be at an end. Nuclear weaponry, lease loaned by the USA to the UK should be removed from the West of Scotland without delay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smearing Corbyn – with friends like his who needs enemies?

The Labour right and its “new Labour” MP’s, under the leadership of Mandelson et al is determined to smear their party leader, Jeremy Corbyn as being in league against Jews together with a myriad of unnamed anti-Semites in their defence of Palestinian human rights. The “roll-out” of the tried and tested tactic of, ” guilt by association.”

But a look back at the Labour Party’s record in office exposes its vicious racist policies and warmongering which led to the death and disability of many thousands of young British servicemen and women coupled with a similar fate in the case of many hundreds of thousands of innocents in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and other theatres of conflict generated by the “Allies”. War without end!!!!!

The right wing press (see below) attacks Jeremy Corbyn daily and it is evident there is not to be an honest debate about the future direction of the party. More it is about the all powerful Jewish lobby “The Labour Friends of Israel” which is insistent on retaining control over the party’s approach to the seemingly endless Israel/Palestine conflict and the vision of peace that will prevail. The politics of spin, jiggery pokery and attack dog politics is back on the agenda with a vengeance.

Will the lobby fight dirty? Yup!!! A very full smear bucket is handed to the press and supporters. Corbyn is charged with being unelectable, perhaps because he and his team avoid the politics of spin and little substance that caused so much damage to UK citizens over the last four decades. In truth he has learned from lessons handed down to him by Ed Milliband and his pathetic group of failures who had the election on a plate and “blew it” big time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How does the foregoing affect Scotland ?

The outcome of the battle for the hearts and minds of the Labour Party in England and Wales is important for Scotland and independence. A win for Corbyn would be to the advantage of Scotland since it would most likely lead to internecine warfare within the labour party in Scotland.

Dugdale might then resign passing the leadership of the Party “branch office” in Scotland to someone whose politics are more finely tuned with the politics of the party masters in London.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
The UK press acts in unison against Corbyn – Why?

23 April 2012: How the Jewish Chronicle is trying to smear Jeremy Corbyn MP http://liberalconspiracy.org/2012/04/23/how-the-jewish-chronicle-is-trying-to-smear-jeremy-corbyn-mp/

16 Aug 2015: U.K. Jewish Newspaper Sounds Alarm On Anti-Israel Opposition. http://matzav.com/u-k-jewish-newspaper-sounds-alarm-on-anti-israel-opposition-leader-contender

19 Sep 2015: Jeremy Corbyn Riles Jews With Staunch Criticism of Israel . http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/content/jeremy-corbyn-riles-jews-staunch-criticism-israel

30 Jun 2016: The Jewish Chronicle is trying to smear Jeremy Corbyn. http://www.totpi.com/uk-labour-leader-jeremy-corbyn-compare-israel-isis/

1 Jul 2016: Corbyn’s Labour Party ‘not safe for Jews’ blasts MP. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jeremy-corbyns-labour-party-not-8321784

11 Sep 2016: Why Jews in Labour place little trust in Corbyn. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/10/labour-left-antisemitism-jeremy-corbyn-israel

13 Sep 2016: The Left’s Jewish Problem: Corbyn, Israel and Anti‑Semitism. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/13/the-lefts-jewish-problem-corbyn-israel-and-antisemitism-dave-rich-review

13 Sep 2016: Corbyn purges top Jewish donor. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3783399/Jeremy-Corbyn-reignites-race-row-engulfing-Labour-launches-vicious-act-revenge-purges-Jewish-donor-criticised-regime.html

13 Sep 2016: Why Corbyn’s rise makes British Jews afraid. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/Jeremy_Corbyn/11879662/Why-Jeremy-Corbyns-rise-makes-British-Jews-afraid.html

13 Sep 2016: Why Jeremy Corbyn Scares British Jews So Much. http://forward.com/news/320934/why-jeremy-corbyn-scares-so-many-british-jews/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeremy Corbyn and the Momentum movement – Its Aims appear to be laudable

● Organise in every town, city and village to secure the election of a progressive left Labour Party at every level, and to create a mass movement for real transformative change to:

o Redistribute wealth and power from the few to the many;

o Put people and planet before profit and narrow corporate interests;

o End discrimination, advantage and privilege based on class;

o Target growth not austerity, invest to create tomorrow’s jobs and reverse privatisation of railways, the energy sector and public services.

o Provide protection at work and strong collective bargaining to stamp out workplace injustice.

o Ensure decent homes for all in public and private sectors through a big house­building programme and rent controls.

o Support workers and their trade unions defending the interests of their members, families and communities.

o End discrimination based on race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or age.

● Transform Labour into a more open, member-­led party, with socialist policies and the collective will to implement them in government.

http://www.peoplesmomentum.com/about

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Alex Rowley

Alex Rowley was born in Dunfermline and raised in Kelty. He attended Edinburgh University, graduating with an MA Honours in Sociology and Politics, and an MSc in continuing education. He was also a local councillor with Fife Regional Council between 1990 – 2012 and was elected to the post of first leader of the new Fife Council in 2012 and served the Council until his election to the Scottish Parliament in 2014.  He was close to Gordon Brown, acting as his agent within the constituency and was muted to be a strong contender for the office of First Minister of the recently formed Scottish parliament.

 

 

 

 

 

20 May 1999 – Rowley Sacked by Labour Party Bosses in London

First elected to the post of General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party (1 May 1998 – 31 May 1999).

Outlining his vision for the future growth of the party in Scotland he expressed a view that having modernised Scotland’s political institutions and introduced a Scottish Parliament, the party needed to change it’s structure including proposals giving the Labour Party in Scotland freedom from London control.

All hell broke loose and he was summoned to Millbank in London, where he was told the party had nowhere for him in its future planning.  He was then invited to resign from his post as General Secretary of the Scottish Labour party a decision which provoked anger in Scotland.  Senior Labour sources in London denied that the general secretary of the Scottish Labour Party had been sacked on the instructions of London-based officials. They said that Alex Rowley had left the post of his own volition saying his task of helping the party win the Scottish Parliamentary elections had been completed and he wanted to move on to new challenges.

At interview Alex Rowley stated:

“After the election there was a discussion about the future direction of the party.  The “discussion” continued for a couple of weeks and I decided it was best for me to leave. I am not getting into a debate about this now, but there is a discussion for the Labour Party in Scotland to hold. If you modernise the political institutions it is only natural to see how the party organisation has to change. You ask yourself if the party is still in line with the political institutions. All I have ever said is that there needs to be far greater discussion about that. It would be inappropriate to go into detail but a number of factors were involved in my departure after only a year in the job. I think the party has to change quite a lot. We have to have a good look at this and also at how policy is made. There must be a real partnership in power in Scotland. We have the Scottish Policy Forum and that can be seen as positive. But we also need to look at the membership and how it can have a greater say. I point to the fact that 30,000 members is not something to be proud of. We need to increase the membership. I flagged this up at the Scottish conference and said that there should be a root and branch rethink about the party organisation in Scotland.  But it became apparent in recent weeks and months that this was going to be difficult.  I won’t go into the reasons, but I decided it was in my best interests to leave. Now I have a number of things to consider and I have been having discussions with various people. There are several options for me to consider. But in the meantime I will be taking a well-earned rest.”

 

 

 

 

 

20 May 1999 – Parliament: Scotland: Labour’ London Bosses sack Scots party chief

The Labour Party in Scotland launched a month-long review of its structures yesterday after the dismissal of Alex Rowley, its general secretary.  The sacking, by the party’s London headquarters, provoked consternation in Scotland, where Labour is sensitive to claims that it is run from England. There were suggestions Mr Rowley had fallen foul of the continuing battle for power between Blair and Brown. The recent surprise appointment of “Bully-Boy” John Reid as Secretary of State for Scotland was also seen as confirmation of the party’s London headquarters strong grip on power in Scotland. (The Independent)

 

 

 

 

26 January 2001 – John Reid at centre of row over intimidation – new Northern Ireland minister “tried to frustrate standards inquiry”

Only four weeks ago John Reid, the new Northern Ireland secretary, was at the centre of a row for threatening and intimidating witnesses who gave evidence to an inquiry by Elizabeth Filkin, the parliamentary standards commissioner, into the illegal use of taxpayers’ cash for the benefit of the Labour party. She claimed that Mr Reid’s conduct amounted to “an attempt to frustrate my investigation”.

The report contained an extraordinary tape-recording showing an increasingly irascible Reid pressing witness Alex Rowley, the former general secretary of the Scottish Labour party, just before he was due to be interviewed by Ms Filkin on the scandal.

The inquiry began after a complaint by journalist Dean Nelson, then with the Observer. He reported that Reid, then Scottish secretary, and John Maxton, Labour MP for Glasgow Cathcart, had employed three researchers, paying their salaries from the MPs’ official allowances. He claimed that the three, contravening the rules governing publicly funded MPs’ researchers, were involved in Labour party campaigning. One was Reid’s son, Kevin.

The parliamentary commissioner upheld the complaint, but MPs on the standards and privileges committee overturned her findings. The money was about £16,000 to pay the salaries of the researchers; and not all their working time was spent on Labour party campaigning. There is no suggestion that Reid misused the money for any other purpose.

The main body of Ms Filkin’s report, however, concentrated on the way Reid and Maxton – who later apologised – had interfered with four witnesses to the inquiry. They were Alex Rowley, John Rafferty, former Scottish Labour party campaign co-ordinator, Paul McKinney, former Labour party director of communications in Scotland and Willie Sullivan, former Scottish development officer for the Scottish Labour party.

Ms Filkin said:

“the conduct of Reid caused serious and increasing concern” as my inquiries proceeded. I was left with the impression that many witnesses felt under considerable pressure as to what they should, or should not, say to me and how far, if at all, they should co-operate with my inquiry.”

In a strongly worded conclusion she found that loyal members of the Labour party had been put under enormous pressure not to provide her with evidence that could damage Reid’s explanation.

On Mr Rowley in particular, she said:

“It is clear that Mr Rowley felt, and continues to feel, under pressure from Reid to say things to me which he does not wish to say and which he regards as not wholly accurate or even misleading.  And so far as other witnesses are concerned, he has told me ‘I have to say to you that I find it quite astonishing that many young people such as Annmarie Whyte (Scottish Labour party office manager) are being put in the position by one of the most senior politicians in Scotland that they are having to give dishonest information to the parliamentary commissioner for standards. I have been told that others whom you have contacted have felt under immense pressure’.”

Ms Filkin commented in her report “I view this conduct by Reid as an attempt to frustrate my investigation. I have, for example, received evidence from Mr Rowley that, during two conversations shortly after my investigation began, Reid made threats of a particularly disturbing kind to Mr Rowley, the thrust of which was that if he “gave evidence which admitted doing wrong” he “could face criminal prosecution and risked not being adopted by the party as a parliamentary candidate.”

She reported:

“Mr Rowley was so concerned by Reid’s attitude that he decided, albeit reluctantly, to record their next conversation on tape. During these exchanges, which took place during a telephone call, it is clear, both from his choice of words and the tone he adopts, that Reid is seeking to agree a line with Mr Rowley which falls short of a full and comprehensive account of the events of which they both have knowledge. Thus, at one point Dr Reid says to Mr Rowley “You don’t have to tell any lies. Do you know what I mean?” And later he adds “They cannot prove anything, Alex.”  Towards the end of the conversation Reid strongly discourages Mr Rowley from giving evidence to my enquiry on oath.”

She further reported

“I would add that Mr Rowley’s protectiveness towards former colleagues and his continuing loyalty to the party made him initially unwilling to allow me to treat either his statement alleging threats to him by Reid or the transcript of his telephone conversation with Reid as evidence which I could quote in my report. But after it became clear to him that pressure was being applied both to him and other witnesses and that Reid had impugned his integrity as a witness, he decided reluctantly to change his mind.”

Maxton told Filkin that three of the witnesses had been dismissed by the Labour party and alleged that “they apparently bear a grudge against Reid as a result” and he had become “the unlucky and unwilling victim of that grudge.”

Reid accused Mr Rowley of only pursuing the case because he had talked to the Observer and that “he may feel he cannot back out from this serious attack on my probity.”

Filkin concluded:

“I have no reason to believe Reid’s explanation of Mr Rowley’s possible motives in giving evidence in support of the complaint. In any case, Reid’s theory begs the question as to why, if they are not true, Mr Rowley should have made the allegations to Mr Nelson in the first place.”

MP’s at Westminster later failed to uphold her complaint on the grounds that it was “not proven.” They said the tape contained no threats, and what Reid said could have had an innocent explanation. (The Guardian)

 

 

 

 

19 December 2014 – MSP Alex Rowley MSP writes off travel expenses

The Scottish Parliament has released figures for MSPs’ parliamentary expenses for 2014/15, which revealed that Cowdenbeath MSP Alex Rowley had not submitted any personal travel claims. Of his decision not to claim for travel expenses, he said:

“My place of work is in the constituency and in Edinburgh. I take the view that none of my constituents would be paid to get to their place of work. If people were travelling from Kelty to Glenrothes to work they wouldn’t get paid for that. I just take the view that many of my constituents work in the capital and have to pay the cost of getting there, so I will do likewise. I have no personal expenses that come to me direct. We do run up expenses because we’re there to provide a service for people. But, in terms of me personally gaining from expenses, I think that’s unacceptable.  Politicians are viewed as being at it all the time and that they are greedy but I think I have a responsibility to explain to people where the money is going. The key thing for me is that I can look any constituent in the eye and explain any costs I incur doing my job and be sure that I am not expecting anything more or less than any person I represent.  Most of all I think it is crucial that we bring about full transparency for all expenses claimed by politicians and that is why I am using the material published by the Scottish Parliament on expenses and giving more detail on this on my website.”

 

 

 

 

12 May 2015 – Alex Rowley and Elaine Smith warn – the Labour Party in Scotland is heading for “disappearance” in Scotland

Rowley, the MSP for Cowdenbeath, quit his role as Labour’s local government spokesman at Holyrood and urged Murphy to stand down. Another Labour MSP, Elaine Smith, backed his call saying the party needs “new direction.”  Scotland’s only Labour MP Ian Murray accused those criticising Mr Murphy of “digging knives into the party”.

Pressure has been growing on the Scottish Labour leader to step down following last week’s general election results. Labour lost all but one of its 40 Scottish seats to the SNP in last Thursday’s election.  Murphy’s once-safe majority in East Renfrewshire – a seat he had held for nearly 20 years – was eliminated by the SNP’s Kirsten Oswald.

Unison Scotland has also called for a “radical change in approach” from the Labour party in Scotland.  The union said it was not its place “to initiate a change in leadership” but said if there was a wider movement proposing change it would “not oppose it.”

The call comes after both the Unite union and the train drivers’ union, Aslef, also called on Murphy to resign.

 

 

 

 

22 May 2015 – Alex Rowley: Labour in Scotland must become the party of Home Rule or Labour will not survive

Alex Rowley addressed the outcome of the 2015 General Election with the undernoted statement:

“As I watched the General Election results come in on the television in the early hours of May 8, I was not shocked there was a move away from Labour and we were getting beaten, but shocked by the scale of the defeat. It is clear we need a fundamental review of both strategy and practice. To me, it was obvious this defeat was not just a question about leadership, although the strategy which had been followed by the leadership was an issue that did need to be reviewed. I questioned what had happened after the major review led by Jim Murphy in 2011. We could not say the strategy there was sound. We bounced from focus group to focus group making policies up as we went along with no real clarity of what Labour in Scotland actually stood for. We needed then, as we need now, a proper analysis of where we are and what went wrong. If the General Election result is to be applied to the 2016 Scottish election, the outcome could lead to Labour losing every constituency seat and seven MSPs and the return of a SNP Government with an overwhelming majority. Even with a disastrous low of 24 per cent of the vote, the PR system would be kinder to us than first past the post and we would get somewhere in the region of 31 list seats while the SNP would have around 74 seats. However, that does not take into account the fact the Greens and others may do better. Thirty-one seats for Labour may well be very ambitious. The prospect means many in Labour who have their sights set on Holyrood are keen to get onto Labour’s list. But this is a short-sighted strategy which will solve nothing in the longer term. If it is the case that by May 2016 we have been unable to progress from the current all-time low, my view is we will just sink even lower. Some may well save their careers for a wee bit longer, but the party will not survive. So what to do? Some were rather annoyed about Johann Lamont’s comment last year about the UK party leadership treating Scottish Labour as the branch office. I have heard many say this is not a description they recognise. However, I am afraid I do and believe it must be addressed in order for Labour in Scotland to move forward with a more progressive approach that sets the future agenda. We need to move beyond tinkering with party rules and learn the lessons from sister parties across Europe where there is a strong federal system. It is crucial we take a far greater degree of control of the policy and decision-making while remaining committed to being part of a wider UK party where appropriate. We need to become the party of Scottish Home Rule and our opening salvo to Westminster and the UK Labour Party must be that the current relationship between Scotland and the rest of the UK is untenable and will require radical change. Defining what Labour in Scotland stands for is key. Labour exists to advance the social and economic case of working people across the country through an agenda that puts fairness and equality at its heart. Labour must fundamentally move its approach to one that focuses on issues and solutions that we represent, as opposed to focusing on what other parties do. The party should exist not to oppose the SNP but to address the issues in our communities and bring about a more inclusive and prosperous country. The attack-style politics is not working. Where we can work with the SNP, such as finding a long-term solution to funding local government, then we should, and where we think their approach will be damaging, such as ending the Barnett formula, then we should make the case. Where we believe the SNP is not delivering, we must put forward our alternative, not simply attack their failure. On the constitution, we must move away from the politics of fear to the politics of hope and ambition through pressing the case for further devolution and setting out how we will use the powers, both in Edinburgh and in London, to deliver our vision. We must build a radical and progressive movement for change in Scotland that embraces devolution, progresses localism and delivers fairness. We must also encourage open debate, whether that is over the renewal of Trident or over the role of the welfare state. Labour in Scotland must reflect the views of members and the communities we seek to serve.”

 

 

 

 

7 June 2015 – Rowley backs Scottish Labour ‘autonomy’

A Senior Labour MSP has called yet again for the party in Scotland to become autonomous to help it to rebuild after last month’s SNP landslide. Speaking at a conference of Labour members in Fife,  Alex Rowley called for support for:

“a transformation of Labour and how it functions within the UK with the party in Scotland becoming an autonomous political party in its own right.”

Unsurprisingly the SNP welcomed Rowley’s comments, calling on Labour to have an “open discussion” about full fiscal autonomy. This followed last night’s votes on the Scotland Bill in the House of Commons where Labour twice failed to vote on full fiscal autonomy, abstaining on both votes,  despite attacking it week in and week out in the Scottish Parliament.

Commenting, Stewart Maxwell MSP, said:

“Alex Rowley’s comments on the merits of Scotland being in control of its own finances are to be welcomed – now the other candidates to form the next Labour leadership in Scotland should follow his lead.”

 

 

 

 

 

8 June 2015 – Kezia Dugdale rejects calls for a separate Scottish Labour party

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has dismissed calls for a separate Scottish party. Her comments were in response to Cowdenbeath Labour MSP Alex Rowley saying the best way to rebuild after May’s election defeat was to free the party from the “constraints” of UK Labour. Dugdale said:

“I’d like to see us on more regular occasions have a slightly different, a more nuanced position on the issues in Scotland, standing up for Scotland’s interests. We can do that with greater party autonomy, that doesn’t mean we are an independent party, that would mean completely separating ourselves off from our UK colleagues and I don’t want to do that, I don’t think that’s right.”

Dugdale, further said she believed a separate party would go against the logic of the result of the independence referendum. She accepted responsibility for her role in the general election debacle that saw Labour lose all but one Scottish seat, and admitted that Scottish Labour’s problems can not be fixed overnight. But said she believed herself to be the best qualified person to turn Scottish Labour’s fortunes around.

At the same hustings Jeremy Corbyn was the only leadership candidate not to dismiss the notion of a separate party, pointing out many Labour supporters had voted yes in the referendum and for the SNP in the general election.

(Common Space)

 

 

 

 

16 June 2015 – Labour Scotland’ should be open to full fiscal autonomy, says Alex Rowley

Scottish Labour deputy leader front runner threw down a challenge to his opponents that the party must fully embrace devolution and be open to discussions about full fiscal autonomy.

Alex Rowley, MSP for Cowdenbeath and former shadow spokesman for local government, said:

“Labour needs to turn the political debate around and focus on what powers should stay at Westminster, rather than on what powers should come to Holyrood. The powers that come with Smith need to be delivered to the letter and we need to make sure that happens, and post-Smith – as I don’t see Smith as the end of devolution – we need to take that agenda forward. Rather than arguing for what powers should come from Westminster to Scotland, we should instead be arguing what powers should be kept at Westminster.”

Rowley, former general secretary of the Scottish Labour party, sensationally quit his front-bench role last month following Murphy’s failure to stand down after the devastating General Election defeat.  He has since drawn up a strategy for the future of the party, arguing for it to become independent from UK Labour. He has also written a discussion paper on the subject, calling for a new “Labour Scotland” to become the party of Home Rule. He wrote:

“Labour Scotland needs to lead the agenda in terms of devolution and we can’t lead the agenda when we continually have to check with UK Labour about what we can or cannot say. An autonomous Scottish Labour party would be driving the agenda in Scotland. Our focus should be on what powers we need for success as a nation, and then argue for those based on that premise. We need to set that out in our 2016 manifesto agenda. We should not be talking Scotland down and telling Scotland what it can’t have. Post-Smith we need to have an open discussion, including about full fiscal autonomy.”

However, Rowley denied his position amounted to a split from the UK party. He said:

“I want to work in a devolved country in a strong Scottish Parliament but remain in the UK and have an autonomous Scottish Labour party which is setting the agenda in Scotland for Scotland. There is a big difference in that and breaking away from the Labour party in the UK. I am not arguing for a breakaway party and I think people who interpret my position in that way are trying to muddy the waters.”

Rowley’s views are likely to be popular among grass roots Labour members – many of whom were opposed to the party standing alongside the Conservatives in the “Better Together” alliance.

Last night party members welcomed Rowley’s stance. “Alex is a serious politician and deep thinker who recognises the serious trouble the party is in and is giving some clear answers about how it should move forward,” said one.

Another added “I like what Alex Rowley is saying. His views may alienate some, but get the support of others. He is also the only politician who appears to be coming up with something fresh, something apart from we need to listen to what people are saying.”

Meanwhile, in the party’s leadership contest almost three-quarters of Scottish Labour’s parliamentarians have backed Kezia Dugdale to be their next leader.  Dugdale, now has the support of 27 MSPs as well as Labour’s only Scottish MP Ian Murray and the party’s two MEPs David Martin and Catherine Stihler.  Rowley is among a group of MSPs throwing their weight behind Dugdale.

Dugdale said:

“Politics in Scotland has changed fundamentally and the Scottish Labour Party have only one chance to get it right. But this leadership election isn’t just about transforming Scottish Labour, it is about stepping up and regaining the trust of the people of Scotland.”

It was recently revealed that the party had only around 13,000 members north of the Border, about a tenth the size of the SNP membership.

(The National)

 

 

 

 

13 July 2015 – Alex Rowley – Scottish Labour deputy leadership candidate condemned Labour leadership for abandoning commitment to tax credits.

The announcement by Harriet Harman that Labour will not oppose the Tory attack on Tax Credits left many Labour members confused and angry. Alex Rowley said:

“We must unite in our condemnation of her stance which as so many are now saying “notinmyname.” For many, being in work is not a safeguard against poverty.”  Today in Scotland, 350,000 people receive tax credits, 71 per cent of whom – 250,000 – are in work. So make no mistake, the majority of those who receive tax credits are on low paid work. When the financial crash came, tax credits were what enabled families to get by, and now they persist at a time when the working poor outnumber, for the first time, those out of work who are living in poverty.  So we must recognise the importance of tax credits in supporting low paid workers and whilst I agree that our ultimate goal must be to end poverty low pay, that will not happen immediately but removing tax credits or elements of the entitlement will hurt children and drive people out of work.”

 

 

 

 

 

18 August 2015 – Alex Rowley will push for more “devolution” for Scottish Labour to set own agenda

Alex Rowley will continue to fight for a more autonomous Scottish Labour in his new role as deputy leader of the party north of the Border.

Rowley, (who significantly has no role in Keiza Dugdale’s newly appointed front bench team), believes shaking off the perception of the party in Scotland being ‘‘branch office’’ of the UK Labour Party is necessary after its disastrous General Election. That would mean the party’s MP Ian Murray and any future MPs would take direction from north of the Border, even if this contradicted stances taken on those issues at the UK level.

Launching his deputy leadership campaign message in The National in June, Rowley said:

“We must build a radical and progressive movement for change in Scotland that embraces devolutions, progresses localism and delivers fairness. We must also encourage open debate and discussion, whether that is the renewal of Trident, the role of the welfare state and how to build a fairer more equal society. Labour in Scotland must reflect the views of members and the communities we seek to serve and we will do that by engaging in an open and transparent approach rebuilding the trust that once made Labour the workers’ party and put us at the heart of every community.”

Last night a source close to Rowley said in his new role he would be pushing for a more autonomous Scottish party. “He believes that policy for Scotland has to come from Scotland and the party needs to be completely run by the leadership in Scotland.  In terms of MPs, he is of the view that they should be taking their direction from the party in Scotland. It might take time, but he knows that is the direction the party has to move in and there is no going back from that. The branch office label will not be acceptable any-more.

Alex will be saying ‘yes, we are united with our Labour comrades across the UK, but if the party members in Scotland are thinking a certain way that is the approach MSPs and MPs should take’.”

Rowley, MSP for Cowdenbeath, defeated fellow MSP Richard Baker and Glasgow city council leader Gordon Matheson to win the deputy leadership race on Saturday, while Dugdale beat Eastwood MSP Ken Macintosh to become leader. The contest followed former leader Jim Murphy’s resignation in June, following the loss of 40 of the party’s 41 MPs at the General Election.

Rowley quit Murphy’s front-bench team in protest at the leader continuing in his post for several weeks after the defeat. Murphy’s predecessor Johann Lamont resigned following last September’s referendum, accusing her London bosses of treating the party in Scotland like a “branch office”.

Rowley said:

“Some were rather annoyed about Johann Lamont’s comment last year about UK party leadership treating Scottish Labour as the branch office. I have heard many say this is not a description they recognise.” However, I recognise it and believe it must be addressed in order for Labour in Scotland to move forward with a more progressive approach. We need to become the party of Scottish home rule and our opening salvo to Westminster and the UK Labour Party must be that the current relationship between Scotland and the rest of the UK is untenable and will require radical change.”

(The National)

 

 

 

 

30 June 2016: Dugdale off to the USA attending an indoctrination course – But her deputy Alex Rowley is not fit to lead the party in her absence

Dugdale’s attendance on the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program this month may also create a headache for her party, with relations between the two at a low ebb insiders are speculating about who will lead the party when she is abroad.

It is understood Dugdale will remain in charge while she is away and a rota for Shadow Cabinet members will be in place to provide day-to-day cover.

A senior Scottish Tory source said: “It’s no surprise Scottish Labour is responding to the upheaval at Westminster with added chaos of its own. Scottish Labour needs to get a grip, not descend into further turmoil over its internal splits.”

An SNP spokesperson said: “At a time of national crisis, with the UK economy in turmoil following the EU referendum result, political parties have a duty and a responsibility to step up to the mark, show some leadership, and work to find a way forward. It is shameful that both the Tory UK government and the Labour opposition have instead chosen to abdicate their responsibilities. They have no plan and rather than uniting to come up with one they are indulging in infighting and naval gazing at the expense of the country.” (The Herald)

 

 

 

 

19 August 2015 – Kezia Dugdale unveils new Scottish Labour front bench

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has unveiled her new “Blairite” gender-balanced team – but there are no front bench seats for any of the party’s MSPs who are backing Jeremy Corbyn in the race to be UK party leader.

Prior to choosing her cabinet, Ms Dugdale said: “I want a Scotland where power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many, not the few. I want a country where a young person’s ability to get on in life is determined by their potential, work rate and ambition, not by their background.

The idea of simply shadowing government ministers is outdated. Of course we must hold the SNP government to account for its failings on schools, our NHS and policing – and we will do that. But I want to shake things up and have a fresh start. We need to be out and about across Scotland. The key focus of every single member of my front bench team will be setting out a positive Labour vision of transforming Scotland.”

(edinburghnews.scotsman)

 

 

 

 

 

22 August 2015 – Scottish Labour deputy backs Trident referendum and says Corbyn would make “first class” leader

Scottish Labour’s new deputy leader, Alex Rowley has called for a referendum to decide whether Britain renews the Trident nuclear deterrent and said left winger Jeremy Corbyn would make a “first class” boss of the UK party.  In his first major interview since winning the deputy contest, the former Fife Council leader warned that it was “obvious” that his party must change and regain trust or face annihilation in Scotland. On Trident, he said he did not believe the case had been made for renewal, potentially signalling a split at the top of the party.

Party leader Kezia Dugdale has said a debate over Trident at October’s party conference is “not impossible”, but is known to favour multilateral disarmament meaning international agreements would be struck before Britain’s nuclear arsenal is reduced or eliminated.

While Labour has not supported unilateral disarmament since 1987, Rowley said party members should have their say over renewal of the Clyde-based weapons system, believing the decision is so significant it should be put to a national vote. “It’s a massive issue, and there’s been no debate within Labour, or within the country. It is a military issue, with serious question marks over whether it is the best way to defend the country, but it’s also a moral issue. On such a massive issue, there should be debate across the party, the country, and a referendum. I have not seen the case made as to why we would renew, but the most striking thing is a complete lack of debate.”

Mr Rowley is to push ahead with plans to create a far more autonomous party north of the border, saying he recognised the stinging criticisms of former leader Johann Lamont when she described Scottish Labour as being run like a “branch office” from London, with previous attempts by Jim Murphy to emphasise Scottish Labour’s independence seen as “a gimmick”. He will move to give members a greater say over policy, in line with a pledge from Ms Dugdale, saying one of the “tragedies” of the New Labour era was that internal debate had been “shut down.”

He would not publicly reveal who he is backing for the UK leadership, saying he would work with whoever won. However, he strongly hinted that he supported Mr Corbyn, despite Ms Dugdale warning that a victory for the MP risked leaving the party “carping on the sidelines”. He added “All I would say is that I’m very encouraged by the type of debate taking place within the Labour Party at grass-roots level… I want to see a progressive Labour Party, and we need change. On the question of Jeremy Corbyn and attacks that have come his way in terms of electability, I have no fears whatsoever that if the Labour membership elect him, he [wouldn’t be] be a first class leader. I have read his policy agenda and there is not a lot in there I would disagree with.”

Mr Rowley added that he was unconcerned at reports that Ms Dugdale privately backed Richard Baker for the deputy leadership, saying she had his complete support. The 51-year-old dismissed suggestions that a poor performance next year would lead to pressure for her to resign, saying Ms Dugdale would remain leader for “many, many years” meaning he would be too old to stand for the leadership when she eventually stood down. On the issue of further devolution, he said measures set out in the Scotland Bill would not be “the end of the journey”, and called for a “friendlier, open discussion” about what should remain under Westminster control.

He added: “I campaigned for a No vote because I believed it was in Scotland’s best interest to have significant devolved power. Whether it’s full fiscal autonomy or other powers, if it can be demonstrated it’s in Scotland’s best interest to go down that road then that’s what I’ll support. We can’t keep closing the debate down, and end up with a country divided.”

(The Herald)

 

 

 

 

22 August 2015 – Scottish Labour deputy leader calls for referendum on Trident renewal

On Friday, the First Minister became the latest high-profile figure to sign a statement calling for plans to replace Trident to be cancelled. Nicola Sturgeon added her name to the “Rethink Trident” statement, which is organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Compass. The statement says the country can “ill-afford to be spending in excess of £100 billion on replacing Trident with a new generation of nuclear weapons.”

Labour leadership front runner Jeremy Corbyn and Deputy Leader of the labour Party in Scotland Alex Rowley also supported the aims of the “Rethink Trident” statement. Rowley also said the veteran left winger would make a “first class” boss of the UK party. He said “I have no fears whatsoever that if the Labour membership elect him, he wouldn’t be a first class leader.”

SNP MSP Bill Kidd, co-president of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, said:

“I very much welcome Alex’s rethink on Trident. He joins a coalition of voices from across politics, civic Scotland and military experts calling on the UK Government to abandon its plan to waste £100 billion replacing these morally abhorrent nuclear weapons. I hope now that Alex will join the First Minister in signing CND’s “Rethink Trident” statement. With Labour’s support, Scotland could speak with one voice on this issue and form a powerful collective voice against spending billions on obscene weapons of mass destruction.”

(The Courier)

 

 

 

 

 

 

25 August 2015 – Dugdale’s cringe-worthy interview. Clearly Alex Rowley has hit a nerve

It’s beyond belief that she’s the party leader in Holyrood, another startling selection. It’s so disheartening that in the UK system we have a party that has completely abandoned the people they continuously lie about representing.  It’s shameful. I want full nuclear disarmament, I want jobs, I want investment into the NHS, not a new class of nuclear submarines.

Jim Murphy’s pro renewal answer was insulting, Labour want ‘unilateral disarmament of nuclear weapons around the world’ but seek the renewal of our own weapons of mass destruction. Kezia Dudale’s going to ‘create more space’ for a debate around the issue. It sounds like, ‘she’s buying time’, because our better together, red Tory labour branch office is in disarray about the idea of Jeremy Corbyn becoming the new leader.

Dugdale has no credibility left, she’s a career politician, she says only plans to stay in politics for 10 years. She’s already passively vilified the campaign of Jeremy Corbyn. I hope he’s elected and gets shot of her right away. Dudgale is a Red Tory, shamelessly discrediting her own father. Ultimately, she’s leading labour to another wipe-out in Holyrood next year, a split party with the Tory’s being elected again in 5 years time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6USg9mxfdQ

 

 

 

 

Alex Rowley – The Elephant in the Room

It is entirely possible there will be civil war in the Labour party in England if Corbyn is elected leader. The fallout will most likely spread rapidly to it’s branch office in Scotland where the newly appointed Scottish Labour front-bench team is predominately comprised of “Blairite” members including the leader Kezia Dugdale.

The 2016 Scottish elections are just a few months distant and it is likely Dugdale will insist (without much argument from London) on taking her party forward with a manifesto limited in vision, that will be firmly rejected by the Scottish electorate. In the event this scenario is enacted Dugdale will most likely resign together with many of her supporters.

Alex Rowley is an obvious choice in this case, to take up the reins of power. He is an astute politician of conviction who has argued for many years for a fully autonomous Scottish Labour Party. He is, as her unwanted Deputy leader a very serious rival to Dugdale’s leadership. It is of note he is not a member of her Front-Bench team.

 

 

 

 

1 July 2016: Alex Rowley calls for Labour to ‘stand united’ and back Jeremy Corbyn

Alex Rowley, who broke ranks on Thursday to publicly back the UK leader despite his boss Kezia Dugdale being in favour of him quitting, said the party’s focus should be on uniting against the Conservatives in the wake of Brexit rather than turning on themselves.

But he was attacked by senior colleagues for alleged double standards over his passion about the EU referendum, including a claim that he did not attend Scottish shadow cabinet to discuss the Leave vote.

Mr Rowley wrote: “Following the Brexit vote Labour had a duty to show leadership in a time of great upheaval. Our MPs should have put the blame squarely on those who called for this referendum and ran campaigns of mis-truths and hate. The Tories have divided our country, jeopardised our economy and allowed far-right extremists to feel justified in attacking people on our streets. Regardless of their opinion of Jeremy Corbyn, there was a responsibility on every Labour MP to be a collective strong UK opposition offering leadership and direction. We are witnessing the Tories at their weakest, in turmoil over a leadership election whilst the UK is leaderless, and now we sadly find ourselves in the same situation.”

(The Courier)

 

 

 

 

 

3 July 2016: Scottish Labour at war: Relations between Dugdale and her deputy have “completely broken down”

The relationship between Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale and her deputy has completely broken down, according to a senior party source. Her friend’s claim that Alex Rowley has been undisciplined and cannot be relied on to support her. But her deputy hit back robustly, saying: “I think it’s absolutely shocking. I am not going to get into the gutter. That’s where these people want to be. They are destroying the Labour party.”

The tensions may get worse this month when Dugdale flies to the US for a leadership programme, creating a potential power vacuum.

Labour at Westminster has undergone a traumatic week after dozens of Corbyn’s colleagues quit their ministerial posts and called on the left-winger to quit. Dugdale and Rowley, who were elected leader and deputy leader of Scottish Labour last year, clashed on Corbyn’s future. The split became evident last week when the party’s sole MP, Ian Murray, quit as Corbyn’s shadow Scotland secretary. Despite Murray being a close ally of Dugdale, Rowley accused the MP of putting “self-interest before the needs of the country”.

Dugdale later said it would be “difficult” for Corbyn to continue in post – a clear indication she wants him to resign – but Rowley signed a letter backing the embattled left-wing leader. One senior Scottish Labour source said: “Their relationship has completely broken down.”

(The Herald)

 

 

 

 

21 July 2016: Deputy leader Alex Rowley calls for Labour to debate the independence option

Scottish Labour’s deputy leader wants independence to be included in a new national conversation on Scotland’s future following the Brexit vote and said he would not oppose a second referendum.

Alex Rowley also said he would continue to support Jeremy Corbyn and revealed he had voted for him in the UK party leadership contest. “The issue is now in the hands of our membership. I voted for Jeremy Corbyn and I will be voting for him again.”

Rowley, who is at odds with his boss Kezia Dugdale over Corbyn continuing as leader, said he wanted to open up a national discussion about what would be the best way forward for Scotland.

“The First Minister has made clear that independence is on the table, and if you are going to have an open, informed and honest discussion about the options available, then that must include every option,” said the Mid Scotland and Fife MSP. It’s my intention to have discussion forums across the area I represent but we need to have these discussions across Scotland. The Tories have got us into this mess and the implications of Brexit are massive. It’s about our children’s and our grand-children’s future and we need to consider what is best for Scotland.”

Rowley also said:

“I have lost count of the number of people who have asked whether I support a second referendum on independence. My response is that I would not oppose such a referendum. I accept the SNP were clear in their manifesto that the Scottish Parliament would have the right to hold another one if there was a ‘significant and material change’ in the circumstances that prevailed in 2014 – such as Scotland being taken out of the EU against our will.”

He added that it remained “an unknown quantity” what the UK will look like outside of the EU, meaning that another referendum would be “a very different proposition” from the 2014 vote.

Rowley said:

“It is difficult to assess what will be in the best interests of the people of Scotland but we can set some guiding principles. These should include what is best in terms of our economy and jobs, pensions and dignity in retirement, free high quality education, health and public services and the security of our nation.”

(The National)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ryanair – Brexit – Air Passenger Duty

The National reported today that Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary anticipates lower growth in airline traffic resulting in financial loss to his business over the next few years, whilst Brexit is being negotiated at Westminster.

Referring to the Scottish Government’s intention to reduce or remove “air passenger duty” he said ” you scrap it and we will begin the process of doubling our traffic the following day and I think we would go from 5 million to 10 million passengers within about 2 years. Scotland will benefit through a massive increase in traffic,tourism and jobs.

Independence would bring further benefits to Scotland since remaining with the EEC will ensure retention of the “status quo” which would not be the case for England & Wales.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Air Transport explained

Currently, the single aviation market allows UK airlines certain freedoms not enjoyed by countries outside the EEC. These freedoms are:

1. The right to fly between EU countries;

2. The right to fly within an EU country (known as ‘cabotage’).

The restriction in the first freedom would have an immediate impact on UK airlines using EU airspace. Furthermore, it would not be possible to fly between the UK and a member state if the airline is based in a third member state. In other words, a German airline would not be able to service the routes between the UK and any EU country besides Germany (see rows 3 and 4 in Table 1 below). This in turn would significantly restrict competition and air traffic from the UK.

For the same reason, the restriction of cabotage would mean that fewer airlines could serve the UK domestic market (see row 6 of the table below). While the impact on domestic flights might be relatively small, the restrictions on the UK–EU market could be significant, restricting competition and driving up airfares.

Market liberalisation reform such as that put in place in the EU has had major impacts on the aviation sector. Estimates suggest that traffic growth following market liberalisation averages between 12% and 25%.[2] For the single market in the EU, traffic growth doubled in the four years after liberalisation compared with the four years before it, and a report on the post-liberalisation market by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) suggested that there were significant competitive benefits, such as declines in the market share of national carriers in both international and domestic flights.

These flight restrictions would also affect UK airports. Under the EU–US Open Skies agreement, a US airline can operate flights between two points in the EU. Absent such an agreement with the UK, traffic from US airlines could be diverted to other hub airports such as Dublin.

More broadly, the UK would need to renegotiate airline services agreements with the EU and other partners in order to allow market access. Any such agreement could take several years to implement, however. Indicatively, the Open Skies deal took four years of negotiation to finalise. If there were a gap in these agreements in the interim period, the reduction in capacity would push airfares up.

Most immediately, there would be a reduction in operators able to fly from the UK to EU member states, as described above. This could be partially offset by UK airlines switching operations away from Europe. Estimates are that if all flights operated by third-country airlines were removed, airfares for UK passengers would rise by 15–30% depending on the amount of capacity reallocation.

These restrictions cannot simply be overcome by airlines setting up subsidiaries in Europe, because ownership restrictions do not allow non-EU investors to own a controlling interest in an EU airline.

High-value freight is also transported in bellyhold on passenger flights. This type of freight would be affected by the changes to passenger services described in the section above.

The impacts of Brexit under different scenarios and possible ways to mitigate them are summarised in the table below.

http://www.oxera.com/Latest-Thinking/Agenda/2016/Brexit-implications-for-the-transport-sector.aspx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 July 2016: The United Kingdom and its exit from the European Union.
Road Transport

Trade agreements will have to be renegotiated and UK legislation decoupled from EU regulations. Depending on negotiations, a full Brexit – which includes an exit from the European Economic Area – seems likely, to be followed by the re-imposition of a ‘hard border’ between Britain and the countries remaining in the EU. Where will that border be?

Between the continent and England, certainly; between Northern Ireland and the Republic, possibly; but also, potentially, between England and a Scotland that somehow manages to persuade the rest of the EU that it is still part of it. If Brexit were comprehensive, trucks crossing those borders may again require the paperwork that drivers had to deal with prior to 1993 and the opening of the single European market. Carnets to cross borders, finite in number, may have to be applied for. http://transportoperator.co.uk/2016/07/04/how-brexit-could-affect-road-transport/

 

 

 

 

 

 
Maritime Transport

The maritime industry would be the most directly affected, given the importance of freight to the sector. Any changes in trading patterns would be especially relevant for UK ports, which themselves are responsible for handling around 90% of the UK’s trade.

Under Brexit, the UK would lose the ability to trade freely with EU member states, at least until and unless a free trade agreement is put in place, which would have the following implications. (Delays in negotiations could mean a significant period trading under World Trade Organization, WTO, agreements.)

1. UK trade would be subject to tariffs and import duties. In the WTO scenario, trade between the UK and EU member states would take place under most-favoured nation tariffs. In 2014 the EU’s average tariff rate was 5.3%.

2. UK trade would be subject to customs clearance. There would also be an increase in administrative costs. According to the WTO, around 8% of the financial cost of importing goods by sea comes from customs clearance. The World Bank estimates that the customs clearance process adds around a day to the import process for a single freight container. However, for multi-stop journeys through Europe, separate customs checks would be needed for each country a lorry had travelled through. Instead of a seamless journey off a ferry and onto a motorway, a lorry would have to wait while each separate pallet is checked, requiring extensive investment in parking facilities at UK ports and/or extensive queues in France (if customs clearance were moved there) or UK port towns.

Overall, World Bank estimates suggest that the additional customs requirements could add costs to trade. However, the scope of the impact is potentially more important. The EU is the UK’s largest trading partner. Some 49% of the UK’s trade in goods is with EU members. There is also evidence of a large increase in trade under EU membership. HM Treasury estimates show that EU membership increases trade with EU members by between 68% and 85% relative to a baseline position of WTO membership.

http://www.oxera.com/Latest-Thinking/Agenda/2016/Brexit-implications-for-the-transport-sector.aspx#_ftn8

 

 

 

 

 

 
Impact on Scotland.

Remaining part of the UK is not an option since Scotland would be further removed from the EEC with resultant adverse effects experienced by being at the end of an expensive supply chain.

An independent Scotland would, (assuming operational systems for the movement of goods and services to and from Scotland through England remain in place largely unchanged) still be severely disadvantaged.

The way forward is to significantly further develop the Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off) container port at Rosyth which would bring much welcomed business to Scotland. Facilities would also be expanded so that free movement of members of the EEC ( avoiding the channel ports and English customs) could be guaranteed through the re-introduction of passenger traffic.

A brief history of the Rosyth-Zeebrugge service follows so that the reader will be able to gain an understanding of events to date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
1999: Rosyth – Zeebrugge ferry service

The European Commission backed a feasibility studies, costing £100,000 looking into the viability of a North Sea ferry service linking Rosyth in Fife with Zeebrugge. It is expected that a new ferry service would bring greater prosperity and could create 1500 jobs.

A Scottish Enterprise spokesman said: “We are all aware that the roads are getting very congested in England and the east coast seaports in England are getting extremely congested as well. We are now also seeing engineering advances which mean you can get from the east coast of Scotland to continental Europe by ship in something like 15 or 16 hours. The service, will depend on a new breed of fast ferry not yet seen in Britain, covering the 400 mile crossing at speeds of up to 30 knots.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2001: Euro ferry docks on the Forth

A feasibility study by Scottish Enterprise concluded that a new service between Scotland and Europe to be commercially viable. The study showed that most Scots would prefer to travel from a home port rather than the English port of Hull. A steering group was then set up to evaluate business plans from interested operators.

The aim is to have a daily ferry link for freight and passengers with a crossing time of around 16 hours to a port in Belgium, the Netherlands or France. It is estimated that such a service could boost the long-term survival prospects of the Rosyth yard.

 

 

 

 

 

 
2002: New ferry link makes waves

Scotland’s first passenger and freight ferry to continental Europe has set sail from Rosyth in Fife. The crossing to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge takes more than 17 hours, but will save passengers and truckers having to drive via Hull or the English Channel ports. Each ferry can carry more than 1,000 passengers, 120 cars and 100 commercial vehicles. The development brings Scotland closer to Europe.

A representatives of the Road Haulage Association said: “There is a lot of potential for people using the service. There is new drivers’ hours regulations coming into effect in the next two years in the working times directives that is going to seriously restrict what hauliers can do. So this ferry gives them great advantages from Scotland and I just hope they give it a chance. We will be encouraging them use the service.

 

 

 

 

 

 
2003: Ferry service needs more freight

Operators of Scotland’s continental ferry service have said it needs to attract more freight traffic to ensure its survival. But Superfast Ferries said the route has been a huge success, attracting 100,000 passengers so far, many of whom were new tourists to Scotland. The figure is more than double the number expected.

Tourism body VisitScotland said: “It’s a fantastic, direct access from the continent, right into the heart of Scotland and it is bringing new visitors who tend to drive and stay for longer than those arriving by air.

But there are concerns the service cannot survive without increased freight traffic, which is slowly growing at about 4% a month.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) commented: “A number of major players are now using the ferry. Upcoming regulations restricting driver hours, could see increased freight only business. At present the way that this ferry is working, especially with just the trailers going, it’s saving on driver time, it’s just the goods that are on the ferry being met at both ends.”

Forth Ports, Chief Executive Charles Hammond said: “the it was still early days for the route. We’re still in a start-up period, but we’re building on that and we’re very confident that Superfast and the ferry service are here to stay,”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
2008: Ferry firm to axe Rosyth service

A ferry firm running services from Scotland to continental Europe is to stop operating out of Rosyth blaming fuel costs and lower than projected passenger numbers for the decision. The Scottish Government said it was “disappointed” as it was “a commercially successful service”.

The crossing to the Belgian port takes about 18 hours. and saves passengers and truckers having to drive via Hull or the English Channel ports. Each ferry can carry more than 1,000 passengers, 120 cars and 100 commercial vehicles. A statement from the company’s board of directors said: “We regret to announce the discontinuation of the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry service.”

The Scottish Transport Minister said: “Scottish Ministers are strongly committed to the continuation of this route, and will pursue all viable options to achieve continuity of a commercially operated service. The government will seek to identify an alternative commercial operator for the service.

A representative of the South East Scotland Transport Partnership (Sestran) said: ” the decision is difficult to understand on commercial grounds”. The ferry is currently operating at capacity and actually turning away potential business. The loss of the ferry link will inevitably impact upon the economy of the region, and that of Scotland as a whole, as travellers and freight companies seek access to ferry services elsewhere.”

A spokesman for Forth Ports said: “This is disappointing news as the ferry link is an important part of Scotland’s access to European markets. Our own analysis shows that the route could easily attract 60,000 freight units, within a potential marketplace of 200,000 freight units, making this a viable, profitable route for an operator with the right mix of vessels and frequency of sailings.”

A CBI Scotland’ spokesman said: “As a nation on the periphery of major export markets in Europe it is crucial that Scotland maintains excellent transport links to the continent. The Superfast ferry has made a significant contribution to this over recent years, and it would be a great loss if that service was to cease, as it would reduce the range of affordable, practical and reliable transport options open to freight operators and manufacturers.”

 

 

 

 

 

 
2008: Optimism over Rosyth ferry talks

Negotiations to find a new operator for the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry are “ongoing”. Forth Ports said it was “optimistic” that negotiations could be concluded in “a short space of time” and it would be keeping the terminal operational.

The Scottish Government said the route was still “economically viable”. A spokeswoman added: “We will continue to work closely with our partners in Forth Ports and Fife Council to do everything possible to secure a successful outcome.”

The chief executive of Forth Ports PLC, described the ferry as of “vital strategic importance to Scotland”. He added: “I can confirm that negotiations with a new operator are ongoing. Since commencing in 2002, the Rosyth – Zeebrugge ferry has been successful, carrying almost one million passengers and 200,000 freight units. We look forward to building on this success, especially on the freight side where we see significant expansion opportunities.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

2008: Dutch ferry operator for Rosyth

Dutch ferry company Norfolkline is to revive the Rosyth to Zeebrugge route, with the service starting up again in the spring, it has been confirmed. Part of the Danish Maersk group, it will operate a passenger and freight service using a new vessel.

Unveiling the new operator for the route Mr Salmond said: “Securing the continuation of this service is a real success story and hugely important to Scotland’s economy. We have worked closely with Forth Ports to ensure Scotland maintains a direct ferry link to Europe and I am delighted to announce today that Norfolkline will now operate the Rosyth-Zeebrugge route adding maintaining connections with major European markets is vital for Scotland at a time of global economic challenges. In the six years this route has been operating, it has carried nearly one million passengers, 4.2 million tonnes of freight and in 2005 generated around £3.4m of tourism expenditure in Scotland. And of course by removing 1.38 million lorry miles from Scotland’s roads it is an important contribution to the fight against climate change.”

The managing director of Norfolkline, said: “I am very happy to announce that Norfolkline will revive the Rosyth-Zeebrugge service starting next Spring. Norfolkline will run a passenger and freight service with three departures from each port every week. With the introduction of a brand new ferry, we hope to provide a comfortable and environmentally friendly crossing to our customers.”

The South East of Scotland Transport Partnership (Sestran) chairman, said: “Sestran believes that a direct ferry link between Rosyth and Zeebrugge is vital to the future development of the south east of Scotland. We are very relieved that a new operator has been found to run this important route. If the service had ended it would have had serious consequences for the region’s economy, as travellers and freight companies sought access to ferry services elsewhere.”

Under the waterborne freight grant, a Scottish Government-administered scheme, up to two million euros would be available to Norfolkline, subject to the criteria for the grant being fulfilled. However, Norfolkline has not made a request for funding at the moment, and said it was running the service from “a robust commercial base”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2010: Passenger ferry service from Rosyth to Zeebrugge to end

Scotland’s only direct passenger ferry service to mainland Europe is to cease, it has been announced. The route operator, has blamed insufficient passenger demand for the move. The passenger service will continue the end of December.

Andreas Teschl, from the DFDS Group, said: “We are aware that the ferry service has provided an important link between Scotland and the continent so it is a matter of deep regret that we have had to take the decision to no longer operate passenger services on the Rosyth to Zeebrugge route in the future. “We know this decision will be disappointing to many people and we would like to thank all those who have supported us, particularly the Scottish government, the travel and transport industry, as well as those passengers who have used the service.”
2011: A new freight service from Scotland to mainland Europe has launched.

DFDS Seaways is running the service from Rosyth to Zeebrugge with two ships, and four departures a week sailing from each port. Route director Allan Hull said: “The freight service between Rosyth and Zeebrugge has been very popular with the haulage industry which has recognised the benefits of the route providing the only direct Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off) link between Scotland and the continent. While it was a matter of deep regret that the passenger service had to be withdrawn, we saw potential in enhancing the freight service to meet increased demand from the sector. Our new schedule will see two Ro-Ro ships operate on the route with the number of sailings increasing from three to four departures a week. This will increase overall weekly capacity by 25%.”

The Scottish Transport Minister said: “The Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry route is an important link between Scotland and the continent. Although we are disappointed by the decision to withdraw the passenger service, we have requested that DFDS keep this under review. The current weather conditions certainly highlight the benefit of having a direct route to Europe, not to mention the significant positive impact it delivers in relation to climate change by removing a significant number of lorry miles from our roads.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
2014: Fresh fears over Scottish European ferry link

Fresh doubts have been raised about the future of the freight ferry service between Rosyth and Zeebrugge. Forth Ports chief executive Charles Hammond has written to the Scottish government voicing his concerns about European environmental legislation. He said rules coming into force at the start of 2015 will increase costs disproportionately. The Scottish government said it has already provided “significant support” to the service. It added that it would look at any further proposals brought forward by the industry.

The new concerns have been prompted by the EU Sulphur Directive. It will force shipping operators to switch from high-sulphur marine fuel oil to more expensive marine gas oil. North Sea and English Channel operators are allowed to fit exhaust scrubber systems as an alternative, although these are expensive and not suitable for all existing vessels.

Mr Hammond believes the cost on the longer Scottish route will be much greater than its rivals suggesting that the additional cost for the Rosyth service will be twice as great as that for Teeside. He wrote: “This has the potential to severely impact on the financial viability of existing freight ferry service into and out of Rosyth. Indications are that the disproportionate costs increases for the Scottish ferry service will not be acceptable to the current users of the service and that alternative freight routes will be used, utilising southern UK port and transferring the traffic to road.”

A Scottish government spokesman said: “We understand DFDS has been consulting customers on the options to deal with the impacts of the EU Sulphur Directive, which comes into effect next year. The Scottish government has provided significant support to the service, within EU State Aid rules, and will continue to support any proposals for EU funding brought forward from the industry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
2014: Three bodies agree ‘safe’ future of Scottish European ferry link

DFDS Seaways, the Scottish government and Forth Ports have agreed to continue the freight ferry service between Rosyth and Zeebrugge. The three bodies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to continue direct freight ferry services from Scotland to continental Europe.

In August, doubts were raised about the service’s future due to European environmental legislation. Capacity on the route will be increased following customer requests. MoUs are formalised decisions between two or more parties. The organisations agreed to continue the service under the management of DFDS Seaways.

Previous concerns over the route were prompted by the EU Sulphur Directive, which will force shipping operators to switch from high-sulphur marine fuel oil to more expensive marine gas oil. North Sea and English Channel operators are allowed to fit exhaust scrubber systems as an alternative, although these are expensive and not suitable for all existing vessels.

DFDS Seaways and Forth Ports have also announced that infrastructure improvements at Rosyth terminal mean that containers can be double-stacked, therefore increasing freight capacity.

Mr Smedegaard CEO of DFS Seaways said: “We have always been very committed to this route and we are very satisfied that with good dialogue with the Scottish government and Forth Ports we were able to find a solution to maintain the service in light of the forthcoming sulphur requirements, which will pose enormous challenges for the transport industry.”

Senior Vice President Kell Robdrup commented: “We would like to thank all stakeholders involved for their continued support for this environmentally-friendly mode of transport and we look forward to welcoming additional customers making use of the only ferry service directly linking the continent and Scotland”.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-29896285 http://www.dfds.com/freight-shipping/routes-and-schedules/rosyth-zeebrugge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aberdeen – Enlightened Electorate or a City of Luddites?

Aberdeen is a lively, cosmopolitan city located in North East Scotland, famous for its beautiful architecture and as a gateway to Scotland’s spectacular castle and whisky country. The city has been the hub of the UK’s energy industry for nearly 50 years and has enjoyed a high quality of life and low unemployment.

The city offers a wide range of activities and opportunities through its vibrant sports and social scene, its cultural events calendar and its world renowned research and education institutes, to its network of business and employment support services.

Politically Aberdeen was a labour stronghold until 2003 when the Liberal Democratic and Conservatives parties formed a governing coalition.

The 2007 election saw the demise of the Conservative and the rise of the Scottish Nationalist Party. There was no overall control and the largest party, the Liberal Democrats formed a governing coalition with the Scottish Nationalist party.

The newly formed local government instructed completion of a full financial review. This revealed a financial black hole of massive proportions and the matter was referred to Holyrood and the police for investigation (reports below).

The 2012 election brought more change. The Scottish Nationalist Party gained more seats but not enough to take control. Labour, the largest party formed a coalition with the Conservatives.

The Council’s political leaders have been obstructive, at times offensive (almost to the point of misrule) to any initiative muted by the Scottish government in Holyrood, often by-passing it airing issues through a compliant press and the office of the Scottish Secretary, David Mundell (most likely the conduit for the Conservatives on the Council).

The level of undemocratic actions and misguided decisions of the administration alienated it from many Aberdonians, but local government elections were held on 4 May 2017 and the electorate returned  a Tory/Labour council. The logic of  many voters is beyond understanding

What follows is a number of historical events applicable to Aberdeen many of which are indicative of incompetence, misrule and activities bordering on criminality. Quite why they failed to persuade the good people of Aberdeen to dump Labour and Torys defeats me.

 

New look Aberdeen – Hated by the public but approved by the council

 

9 October 2014: Aberdeen City Council has reinforced the belief that it is surely one of the most distasteful and sleekit of local authorities.

It has played a dirty game over the development that it once boasted would be Marischal Square – a great opportunity for a civic space it once promised – an idea that captured the mood of the city’s citizens browned off by a recent diet of lacklustre plans lacking in ambition and confidence.

Did they say square? They did. Did. Not any more. Because square there aint. Unless you follow the logic of Cllr Boulton who, in reply to being challenged on the great disappearing square, muttered something along the lines of – the whole area is a kind of square.

It is clear the Labour- led coalition which includes a Tory and Independents while happy to provide a blank sheet for the developers eager to build shops, offices and a hotel were less interested in what the people of the city wanted. Did I say less interested? Not interested.

Of course councils ignoring the wishes of the people is not a new phenomenon but disappointing nevertheless whenever it occurs and when it doesn’t even try to modify the commercial aspects of the design as a sop to public opinion.

The final decision was taken away from the Planning Committee and put to full council to ensure the commercial proposal went through, as councillors would be more or less voting along party lines. This was nothing short of politicising the scheme and a scandalous manipulation of power on a project that is so controversial.

Cllr Willie Young is reported to have indicated on July 17th this year that the decision had already been taken to go ahead with the Muse development causing consternation among opposition councillors opposed to the deal.

https://lenathehyena.wordpress.com/tag/aberdeen-city-council/

 

After-note:

1.The projected and budgeted cost of relocating the Council Headquarters to the Marischal College was around £30m. The final bill will be around £140m.

This gives rise to the public view that the approved new builds have been put in place as income generators. The finance raised from Aberdonian’s to be used to help offset the massive overspend. So it is “sod the public and the park” and the Aberdeen taxpayer can be used to clear the overspend.

2. The demolition of Aberdeen City Council’s former headquarters (St Nicholas House) was delayed following the discovery of asbestos which had to be cleared from the site by the council before any sale could be processed. The work costing many £ million was not included in the forecast costs. No matter the Aberdeen taxpayer absorbed the overspend through their rates.

 

 

 

28 August 2008 : Aberdeen is Europe’s oil capital, but its council suffered a financial crisis, so what went wrong? Behind the granite facade lies a city in municipal ruin.

This year the city council decided to close many welfare facilities in a round of cuts alleged to be as high as £50 million – a vast amount for a council with an annual budget of £417 million.

“How could this happen in Europe’s oil capital, a city full of millionaires?”

Bewilderment that was reflected around the country that a city, home to an industry worth an estimated £15 billion annually, could not afford to pay for its services.

The council was hauled before the auditors at the Accounts Commission.

The Accounts Commission said previous coalition councils had spent £10 million over limit for at least the previous five years and “did appear to have the capacity for change”. The impression of poor management was further reinforced during the commission’s inquiry, when the council leader appeared unable to answer questions on policy.

No-one resigned or even accepted blame – Len Ironside, retained the role of leader of the opposition. Only chief executive Douglas Paterson took early retirement from his £127,000 a year post after a scandal involving a £10 million under-sale of properties.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/aberdeen-city-council-special-report-behind-the-granite-fa-231-ade-lies-a-city-in-municipal-ruin-1-1088387

 

 

 

 

 

February 1997: Aberdeen City Council – Demand for Labour councillor Ramsay Milne to quit

A political row blew up yesterday when the Liberal Democrats on Aberdeen City Council called for the resignation of Labour councillor Ramsay Milne following criticism of him in a report by the Local Government Ombudsman. The report, censured the former Aberdeen District Council for maladministration and criticised Mr Milne for breaching the national code of local government conduct.

The Ombudsman’s report followed a complaint relating to a controversial land deal under which the council paid £400,000 to Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust for land in Cornhill Hospital on which the Castlehill Housing Association was to develop property, including homes for dementia sufferers.

The development proposals drew several protests from nearby residents but were eventually approved. Councillor Milne was involved in the deal in his capacity as estates planning officer of the trust. When it was discussed in committee and at council he did not declare an interest because, he explained, he stood to make no personal gain out of the land disposal.

The complaint to the Ombudsman was about the lack of an environmental assessment and although he expressed sympathy he did not uphold it. However, commissioner Frederick Marks said that while Councillor Milne’s conduct did not give rise to the complaint he viewed his conduct as a breach of the national code of conduct on a number of occasions.

 

After-note:

At 2016 Mr Milne is the Chairman of:The Planning Development Management Committee charged with primary responsibility for ensuring the effective and proper disposal of the Development Management and Building Standards responsibilities of the Council.

This is the same person who as a senior manager in a similar position with Grampian Healthcare authorised the sale of Health Service property for a sum of £2!!! (See below)

May 29 2006: Brother-in-law of the former First Minister, Jack McConnell, McLuckie is the millionaire owner of property company Camvo 37.

In 2007, retired detective sergeant, Alistair Watson – the officer behind the ‘cash for honours’ enquiry that dogged Tony Blair – sparked an investigation into McLuckie’s dealings with the Scottish Executive by writing to the Metropolitan Police.

Apparently, five houses and a plot of prime building land had been sold to Camvo 37 by the Executive for just £2 in 2004 on the site of the former Ladysbridge Hospital, near Banff, Aberdeenshire, is now worth upwards of £1million. Mr. Watson is quoted as saying:

There is something which appears not quite above board about this deal. It raises a number of serious questions about the relationships between all those involved and the Labour Party.

What I want to know is why was this sale of what had been a public asset not put out to tender? Like any other public asset it should have been put up for sale in public. Also why is it that property worth supposedly only £2 is now worth one million just three years after-wards?

And the NHS Grampian official responsible for the sale to Mr McLuckie’s company was at one time a prospective Labour Party MSP. He is now a Labour councillor. It would appear to the average man in the street that spending £2 and making a million from it is quite a bit of luck no matter how expert the property speculator behind it. It smells and not just a little.

It was also reported that ‘six months before negotiations over the Ladysbridge deal opened, another company he owned, Choices Community Care, donated more than £2,000 to Mr McConnell’s election funds

Follow-up:

Apparently, ‘The Inland Revenue tried to stall the sale after discovering Camvo 37 was benefiting from public cash being used to develop the site.

But it was pushed through by NHS Grampian property transaction manager * Ramsay Milne, who was on a list of prospective MSP candidates selected by Labour in 1998. He is also a Labour councillor in Aberdeen.

This refers to the fact that ‘Inland Revenue district valuer (DV) Jim Campbell tried to halt the deal in 2004 when he discovered Camvo 37, the firm run by the First Minister’s brother-in- law Robert McLuckie, was to receive £120,000 from an Executive quango, Communities Scotland, to help build new homes on the land.

Another £230,000 of NHS and council cash was spent renovating the existing houses even though the DV said the company should pay. Paperwork relating to the deal had explicitly stated that Camvo 37 should cover all costs associated with the development rather than relying on grants.

Further, ‘Camvo agreed to use its new acquisitions solely to care for adults with learning difficulties for the subsequent 20 years. It built four homes on the site, and rented them out to ‘Choices, a Livingston-based firm which provides care facilities for people with learning disabilities. Mr McLuckie was on the board of Choices until February this year when he sold his stake as part of a £10 million management buyout.

Records for the 2004/05 financial year show that Camvo 37 had debts of £1.4 million. It made a loss of £2,044 from a turnover of £141,239, making the grant Camvo gained from Communities Scotland three-quarters of its annual turnover. The strictest penalty the company faced was £255,000 for paying less than the market value of the site and failing to keep its promise.

At one point, Jack McConnell was questioned about his brother-in-law’s financial dealings but refused to be drawn in to the argument. As it turned out, in June 2007, the deal was given the all-clear by Health Minister Andy Kerr.

Earlier, in 2002, Choices Community Care, which largely provides community care services in Motherwell and Wishaw, secured £337,000 worth of business in Mr McConnell’s constituency, which was brought to the public’s attention by SNP council leader Richard Lyle.

http://powerbase.info/index.php/Robert_McLuckie

 

 

 

 

17 February 2009: Grampian Police in probe on council land sale – Officers pass internal report to fiscal

Fraud squad police have investigated the sale of millions of pounds of Aberdeen City Council properties and prosecutors were today examining a police report into the controversial council property sell-offs, which spending

watchdog Audit Scotland said were almost “bordering on neglect”. Property was sold off by Aberdeen City Council for £5.5 million less than its potential value on the open market and one senior council official was sacked.

A Grampian Police spokeswoman said: “We have made inquiries, assisted by Aberdeen City Council, and the information obtained was the subject of an internal report to the procurator fiscal.

http://www.afc-chat.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=19819

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2009: Audit Scotland Report on the sale of properties in Aberdeen 2000-2004

There is a lack of evidence to support the valuation at which properties were sold and there are cases where the Council may have achieved a better price

Of the 26 disposals considered, internal audit concluded in eleven cases that there was a lack of evidence to support the valuation at which the property was sold. Such a high proportion indicates weaknesses in procedures and in senior management supervision and control.

In particular, internal audit found:

• Cases where no valuation report was prepared or where valuation reports were not signed off by the Principal Surveyor.

• Evidence that valuations were prepared after property deals were agreed with purchasers or where there is no evidence to support valuations.

• The potential loss of more than £5 million in proceeds from disposals, based on a comparison of valuations by Asset Management with those obtained by internal audit from independent surveyors.

As part of the investigation, internal audit commissioned independent chartered surveyors to value properties and the District Valuer to provide additional advice on Carden House. The following table summarises the information contained in the internal audit report on the main transactions showing a potential loss:

 

                                                                                                                                        Property/site                              Potential value (£)                Proceeds

College Street Car Park                     3,630,000                     1,800,000

Land at Carnie                                   1,065,000                        365,000

Seafield Club and Allotments            2,930,000                         685,000

Site at Earnsheugh                               20,000                                 100

Land at Powis Terrace                         372,000                         275,000

Carden House                                1,250,000                          590,000

Total                                               £9,267,000                     £3,715,100                                                                                                                                                                                                                       There is of course a degree of subjectivity in such valuations and in some cases the maximum potential value would have been dependent on planning approvals. However, based on these figures, it is clear that the Council may have achieved more across these six properties. In total, this could have exceeded the amount achieved by more than £5.5 million (£9,267,000 less £3,715,100).

While the independent valuations are important in quantifying the financial consequences, the valuers’ comments provide useful additional insight on the deficiencies in the Council’s processes. The importance of option appraisal is highlighted as a key recurring point. In the case of Seafield, for example, where there is a potential loss of £2.2 million, the valuers note that investigations of alternative uses for the site would have resulted in
substantial additional capital receipts.

The most serious comment by independent valuers relates to the College Street car park where they concluded that the proceeds may have been double the £1.8 million achieved. Based on the information available and their opinion on open market value, they concluded that the deal struck by the Council was ‘extremely poor and almost bordering on negligent’

 

 

 

 

Monday, 31 March 2008: Aberdeen Council Sex Case Manager Wins Case

A council manager forced to quit his job after complaining about senior colleagues having sex in the office has won his case for unfair dismissal. Former leisure manager Tom McNeil, 52, was accused of breaching the confidentiality of a report by his employers at Aberdeen City Council. He was also claimed to have made defamatory remarks about a woman he claimed to have seen engaged in a sexual act in the office. Mr McNeil had lodged a complaint about the senior manager cavorting with another manager behind a partition.

He also complained that on another occasion, later that year in 2004, the female senior manager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was seen by Mr McNeil performing oral sex on then manager Brian Woodcock. And he claimed Mr Woodcock then asked him “would you like a cup of tea and a piece of cake?” when he spotted him.

Mr McNeil reported both incidents to his bosses, including the chief executive of Aberdeen City Council – Douglas Paterson, but claimed he was then the victim of a witch hunt. Mr McNeil, who worked with the council for 32 years, has been awarded £26,028 after taking the council to an employment tribunal in Aberdeen.

Today he described his win as “absolutely brilliant”. He said: “The council has caused themselves damage yet again and the tax payers will be left to foot the bill for this 20-day tribunal. I was asked to run Garthdee Ski Slope and was then bullied into getting the centre to make a profit. But it was in financial difficulties, I told them but they wouldn’t listen. There’s a bullying culture at the council from the top down, if you don’t believe their point of view you get kicked out. The staff are not to blame, they work really hard – this comes right from the top. This woman went to all costs to protect her lover, and she is still there when she should have been investigated. I had no choice but to leave. The allegations against me were scandalous. This has never been about the money, I just wanted to clear my name.”

The tribunal found that the relationship between the two managers, who were married to other partners at the time, was “well-known” to every senior manager and “probably to more than 90 per cent of their employees”. And it was described by one witness as being “the talk of the steamie”.

Mr Woodcock, who was in charge of the Garthdee Ski Centre, was later suspended and investigated after allegations relating to financial matters but the other senior manager remains in employment at the council. Woodcock was then sacked from his post after allegedly sending “inappropriate” emails to the owner of the Garthdee Sports and Alpine Adventure centre in the city. He later sued Aberdeen City Council and was awarded more than £100,000 in a settlement.

When Mr McNeil was given his role, he advised the council chief executive the £2.3 million ski centre would always run at a loss but was told to make it work.

The tribunal ruled that evidence given by chief executive Douglas Paterson was truthful but criticised him for his lack of recollection of crucial matters that he might have been expected to remember.

The tribunal heard how the council was involved in a “sex for favours” scandal and council solicitor, Mary Kearns, claimed Mr McNeil was one of the managers involved. But Mr McNeil, now a business development manager, said he was subjected to a witch hunt because the chief executive wanted to get rid of him.

It was alleged he had breached the confidentiality of an investigation and had made “defamatory” remarks against the woman while expressing his concerns about the conduct of her relationship with Brian Woodcock in the workplace. The female manager had also alleged that Mr McNeil was a “sexual harasser”.

The tribunal found that Mr McNeil should not have discussed a confidential report but held that his remarks were not defamatory due to the council not having investigated his claims the woman and Woodcock engaged in a sexual act in the council office. It held that Mr McNeil was unfairly constructively dismissed by the council but awarded him half the compensation he was entitled to because he had contributed 50 per cent to his dismissal because of his conduct.

http://www.careappointments.co.uk/care-news/scotland/item/19758-Aberdeen/Council/Sex/Case/Manager/Wins/Case

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2006-2008: Aberdeen City Council – Performance Inspection of Social Work Services by the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA)

A performance Inspection of Aberdeen City Council’s social work service was commissioned early and completed late 2007 and published in a report in June 2008.

Main findings were;

1. The Council’s performance failed to rate above ‘adequate’ against any of ten areas for evaluation. ‘Resources and capacity building’ and ‘leadership and direction’ were both evaluated as ‘unsatisfactory’.

2. The report also contained findings from a follow-up inspection of criminal justice social work in the city, following an earlier inspection in 2006. There was a lack of progress in improving service performance and scrutiny of the service by senior operational, strategic and corporate managers was rated unsatisfactory.

3. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) published a report of a joint inspection of services to protect children and young people in the Aberdeen City Council area in November 2008. The reports were critical of the performance of Aberdeen City Council, across the range of services inspected. Each inspection was due to be followed up during 2009. Because the findings were so serious, the audit and inspection agencies agreed to co-ordinate timetables and activities.

http://www.scie-socialcareonline.org.uk/performance-inspection-of-social-work-services-aberdeen-city-council-follow-up-report/r/a11G00000017xYSIAY

 

 

 

 

August 2013: Aberdeen City Council gets £100,000 penalty for IT security failings

The ICO said information included details relating to the care of vulnerable children by social services. The information was released after a council employee accessed council documents, including meeting minutes and detailed reports, from a home computer. A file transfer program on the machine automatically uploaded the documents to a website, publishing sensitive information about several vulnerable children and their families.

The council was informed and the original documents were removed, before the incident was reported to the ICO. The ICO’s investigation found that the council had no relevant home working policy in place for staff and did not have sufficient measures to restrict the downloading of sensitive information from the council’s network.

Ken Macdonald, assistant commissioner for Scotland at the ICO, said: “In this case Aberdeen City Council failed to monitor how personal information was being used and had no guidance to help home workers look after the information. The council also had no checks in place to see whether existing data protection guidance was being followed. The result was a serious data breach that left the sensitive information of a vulnerable young child freely available online for three months. We would urge all social work departments to sit up and take notice of this case by taking the time to check their home working setup is up to scratch.”

The council is currently in the processes of agreeing an undertaking with the ICO, which commits the organisation to improving its compliance with the Data Protection Act.

http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240204497/Aberdeen-City-Council-gets-100000-penalty-for-IT-security-failings

 

 

Council cutbacks

 

 

2014: Capital Allocation underspend

Aberdeen City Council reported that they had underspent by 45% against their 2013/14 capital budgets.

Reasons offered for the underspend included unexpected withdrawal of, or delays caused by, external partners in projects to develop new waste management facilities, build a new bypass (the Western Peripheral Route) and introduce hydrogen-powered buses.

Ongoing underspending will result in the council not having the most appropriate assets in place to deliver services effectively.

 

 

Aberdeen city council’s finance convenor Willie Young

 

 

 

2016: 38degrees have placed a petition on line castigating the Councils performance

If you think that the current Labour Conservative administration at Aberdeen City Council is not fit for purpose can I ask that you sign this petition please? The intention is to confront them with a vote of No Confidence and to have them removed from office.

Why is this important?

The current Labour and Conservative administration at Aberdeen City Council took office in May 2012. Almost immediately they awarded senior council executives (themselves) a 5% pay increase while most other council staff were given nothing. Up until then the Labour Party had been opposed to pay increases for management at the council.

http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-politics/5005-labour-group-in-aberdeen-council-accused-of-hypocrisy-over-pay-award

In February 2014, Willie Young offered the First Minister of Scotland a train ticket to visit him, claiming Aberdeen wasn’t getting it’s fair share of public money and wanted to discuss it.

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/local/councillor-makes-fare-offer-to-salmond-1.235340

Later that month Willie Young voted NOT to accept £7.3 million boost in funding for Aberdeen City Council, why? Was it to make the Scottish Government, First Minister and the SNP look bad? Wouldn’t this extra funding have given Aberdeen it’s fair share as Mr Young wanted? Unsurprisingly the First Minister accused the ruling Labour Party of incompetence and in response to that on the 3rd March 2014 Willie Young and Aberdeen City Council proposed to ban Scotland’s democratically elected First Minister from all Council Buildings. The administration are having a vote on this on Wednesday 5th March.

http://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/scottish-news/council-votes-on-salmond-city-ban-1-3326999

What is clear is that these officials, Willie Young in particular, spend more time, energy and money (public money at that) hating our First Minister and the SNP than they do doing their jobs.

What the Labour Party fail to realise is that the money they awarded themselves is public money. All property owned by Aberdeen City Council is public property and owned by the people of Aberdeen and NOT the administration or the Labour Party so they have no right to ban anyone because of their politics. The £7.3 million Willie Young should have accepted would, if used properly, have benefited the City.

The Labour Conservative admin in Aberdeen seem more interested in playing politics with attempts to discredit and oppose the First Minister and the SNP at every opportunity regardless of the cost to the city and as a result are neglecting their duties to serve the people of Aberdeen.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/vote-of-no-confidence-in-aberdeen-city-council

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lord Jack and Lady Bridget McConnell

 

 

 

29 May 2006: Scotland’s First Minister Jack McConnell  was facing demands last night to set up an inquiry into a controversial land deal involving his brother-in-law.

A company part-owned by Robert McLuckie, the brother of Jack McConnell’s wife, Bridget, bought three quarters of an acre of land for £1 as well as five houses on the site of a former hospital in Banff, also for £1. Details of the sale have been met with widespread local anger.

Councillor John Cox, from Banff, said that news of the deal had come as a complete shock and added that the community had been devastated by the closure of the hospital. “How could this ever happen? A full public investigation needs to be launched to find out why the land was allowed to be sold for that price,” he said.

Ladysbridge Hospital in Banff, which cared for people with learning difficulties, closed its doors in 2003. A local developer bought most of the grounds at market value so that the site could be transformed into a village.

But Camvo 37, the property development firm of which Mr McLuckie is co-owner, was able to buy part of the site for the token price of £1 in August 2004. It also acquired four semi-detached houses and one detached house, all former nurses’ homes, for the same sum.

The sale, which was not made on the open market, came after lawyers acting for the Scottish Executive took over negotiations from the owners of the hospital, NHS Grampian. It was decided to sell it for the peppercorn sum because the buyer was said to be a community care provider and part of the contract demanded that the site be used only for the care of people with learning disabilities.

After 20 years the contract allows the company to do what it likes with the property. If the company decides to break the contract before then, it will have to pay £255,000 to the Scottish Executive, a figure said to be well below the market value for the houses and land.

Stewart Stevenson, the Scottish National Party MSP for Banff and Buchan, said that he planned to look into the sale. “It’s very important that matters like this are dealt with in an open and transparent way,” he said. “I certainly want to know more about this deal and intend to talk to the health authority.”

Murdo Fraser, the Scottish Conservative deputy leader, challenged Mr McConnell to confirm that the transaction was conducted within the rules. “We need assurances from the Executive that the proper procedures were followed. If they were and this is the market value for this property, then there’s not any problem with the fact that Jack McConnell’s relative is the buyer. But if there is a discrepancy, then it is a matter for serious concern and it may be appropriate for the Auditor-General to investigate.”

A spokesman for Mr McConnell said: “He has no interest whatsoever in his brother-in-law’s trading arrangements or in decisions that NHS Grampian makes — it is a matter for them.”

A spokesman for Camvo 37 said: “The purchase of Ladysbridge was done in a proper manner.”

An NHS Grampian spokesman commented: “The sale fully complied with national transaction guidelines and external professional advice was used throughout the negotiations. We are satisfied that the terms of the sale benefited both the ex-patients and the NHS, which had the substantial burden removed of upkeep and maintenance of an unused site.”

Until recently Mr McLuckie was involved in the care industry as owner of Choices Community Care, a company based in Livingston. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,170-2201390,00.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 2006: What the Press wrote:

1. Paul Gilbride, ‘McConnell’s relative faces probe into £2 property deal,’ The Express, 26 March 2007.

2. Mark Howarth, ‘Police probe into £2 land deal by McConnell in-law,’ Mail on Sunday, 25 March 2007.

3. Maggie Barry, ‘New Quiz over £1m Hospital Land Deal: Minister under fire after Holyrood answer,’ The Mirror, 5 March 2007.

4. Mark Howarth, ‘Probe call over £1m land Jack’s brother-in-law was given for £2: Demand for Auditor General to investigate sale to McConnell’s millionaire relative,’ Mail on Sunday, 4 March 2007.

5. Mark Howarth, ‘Revealed, the cash handout to Jack’s millionaire in-law: Property company was given £100,000,’ Mail on Sunday, 4 June2006.

6. ‘McConnell grilled after in-law buys £1m land for £2,’ The Express, 29 May 2006.

7. Tim Pauling, ‘Ladysbridge sale process gets all-clear,’ AberdeenPress and Journal, 13 June 2006.

8. Patricia Kane, ‘The First Minister’s brother-in-law, the infamous Red Rose dinner and the contracts worth £337,000 in McConnell’s own constituency,’ Daily Mail, 22 November 2002.

 

 

 

 

 

 
29 May 2006: Brother-in-law of the former First Minister, Jack McConnell, McLuckie is the millionaire owner of property company Camvo 37.

In 2007, retired detective sergeant, Alistair Watson – the officer behind the ‘cash for honours’ enquiry that dogged Tony Blair – sparked an investigation into McLuckie’s dealings with the Scottish Executive by writing to the Metropolitan Police.

Apparently, five houses and a plot of prime building land had been sold to Camvo 37 by the Executive for just £2 in 2004 on the site of the former Ladysbridge Hospital, near Banff, Aberdeenshire, is now worth upwards of £1million. Mr. Watson is quoted as saying:

There is something which appears not quite above board about this deal. It raises a number of serious questions about the relationships between all those involved and the Labour Party.

What I want to know is why was this sale of what had been a public asset not put out to tender? Like any other public asset it should have been put up for sale in public. Also why is it that property worth supposedly only £2 is now worth one million just three years after-wards?

And the NHS Grampian official responsible for the sale to Mr McLuckie’s company was at one time a prospective Labour Party MSP. He is now a Labour councillor. It would appear to the average man in the street that spending £2 and making a million from it is quite a bit of luck no matter how expert the property speculator behind it. It smells and not just a little.

It was also reported that ‘six months before negotiations over the Ladysbridge deal opened, another company he owned, Choices Community Care, donated more than £2,000 to Mr McConnell’s election funds

 

Ladysbridge Hospital Building

 

 

 

 
Follow-up:

The Inland Revenue tried to stall the sale after discovering Camvo 37 was benefiting from public cash being used to develop the site.

But it was pushed through by NHS Grampian property transaction manager * Ramsay Milne, who was on a list of prospective MSP candidates selected by Labour in 1998. He is also a Labour councillor in Aberdeen.

This refers to the fact that ‘Inland Revenue district valuer (DV) Jim Campbell tried to halt the deal in 2004 when he discovered Camvo 37, the firm run by the First Minister’s brother-in- law Robert McLuckie, was to receive £120,000 from an Executive quango, Communities Scotland, to help build new homes on the land.

Another £230,000 of NHS and council cash was spent renovating the existing houses even though the DV said the company should pay. Paperwork relating to the deal had explicitly stated that Camvo 37 should cover all costs associated with the development rather than relying on grants.

Further, ‘Camvo agreed to use its new acquisitions solely to care for adults with learning difficulties for the subsequent 20 years. It built four homes on the site, and rented them out to ‘Choices, a Livingston-based firm which provides care facilities for people with learning disabilities. Mr McLuckie was on the board of Choices until February this year when he sold his stake as part of a £10 million management buyout.

Records for the 2004/05 financial year show that Camvo 37 had debts of £1.4 million. It made a loss of £2,044 from a turnover of £141,239, making the grant Camvo gained from Communities Scotland three-quarters of its annual turnover. The strictest penalty the company faced was £255,000 for paying less than the market value of the site and failing to keep its promise.

At one point, Jack McConnell was questioned about his brother-in-law’s financial dealings but refused to be drawn in to the argument. As it turned out, in June 2007, the deal was given the all-clear by Health Minister Andy Kerr.

Earlier, in 2002, Choices Community Care, which largely provides community care services in Motherwell and Wishaw, secured £337,000 worth of business in Mr McConnell’s constituency, which was brought to the public’s attention by SNP council leader Richard Lyle. http://powerbase.info/index.php/Robert_McLuckie
* At August 2016 Ramsey Milne is the convener of the Aberdeen City Council Planning and Development Management Committee. The Aberdeen Council blog (to follow) makes further mention of him.

 

 

 

 

 
22 August 2016: Ladysbridge Hospital – The ugly duckling now a very lucrative swan

The hospital, which once cared for people with learning disabilities, closed in 2003. A local building company (Ladysbridge Village Limited) bought part of the site at market rates,thought to be around £1.5m. Hospital buildings and associated land was sold to Choices Community Care for a peppercorn cost of £2.

This peaceful rural haven has since been turned into a small rural village. The site offers various housing options. The original substantial stone building has been lovingly restored, with character and original period features, providing spacious townhouses and a series of traditionally built customised houses are available set in ample plots in the surrounding woodland. Approximate value of land and property £30M!!!!!!!! http://www.ladysbridgevillage.co.uk/siteplan.html

 

 

 

 

 

Robert McLuckie

 

 

 

 

17 June 2008: Millionaires airport rage – Jack McConnell’s brother-in-law in flight delay bust-up.

The boozed-up brother-in-law of former first minister Jack McConnell spent the night in cells after an airport bust-up. Millionaire businessman Robert McLuckie hurled abuse at airline staff and police after guzzling white wine as he waited for a Globespan flight at Edinburgh airport.

Yesterday, he was fined £200 at the city’s sheriff court after he admitted breach of the peace.  The court heard McLuckie had snapped after a delay of more than six hours and launched into a foul – mouthed tirade as other passengers looked on.

The brother of McConnell’s wife Bridget bellowed: “I’ll never fly Globespan again” and told airport staff to “get to f***” and “f*** off”. They called police and McLuckie was arrested when he told officers: “F*** off. I am leaving.”

The aircraft eventually took off at 1.20am yesterday – but without the care home millionaire who was on his way to a cell at Drylaw police station in Edinburgh. McLuckie – who has no previous convictions – lost it on Sunday after the 16.30 Globespan flight from Edinburgh to Barcelona was delayed until yesterday morning.

The court heard McLuckie, 47, of Livingston, West Lothian, is the director of a company who provide care homes for the elderly and deals in property. He does not pick up a salary but receives share dividends.

Sheriff Elizabeth Jarvie asked what McLuckie’s annual income was and he replied: “£100,000 in a bad year and pounds 1million in a good year”. The sheriff asked if it had been a good year or a bad year and McLuckie replied: “A bad year.”

McLuckie’s lawyer said the businessman regretted the incident, which had upset his wife and children and other passengers. He said his client planned to write to Globespan staff to say sorry. McLuckie denied a charge of struggling with police, which was accepted by the Crown.

McLuckie hit the headlines last December after causing a disturbance at a posh charity bash.  The property millionaire also hurled sectarian abuse at two singers after booing their tribute to soldiers killed in Iraq.  http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/businessman-arrested-after-ediburgh-airport-2633604

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New York Times Magazine featured the under-noted must read story. In print, it occupies an entire issue. It is a very  long article and is perhaps best saved and perused over a few days

 

 

Fractured Lands: How the Arab World Came Apart

This is a story unlike any previously published. The product of some 18 months of reporting, it tells the story of the catastrophe that has fractured the Arab world since the invasion of Iraq 13 years ago, leading to the rise of ISIS and the global refugee crisis.

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

Accompanying the text are 10 portfolios by the photographer Paolo Pellegrin, drawn from his extensive travels across the region over the last 14 years, as well as a landmark virtual-reality experience that embeds the viewer with the Iraqi fighting forces during the 2016 battle to retake Falluja.

It is unprecedented to focus so much energy and attention on a single story,  but what follows is one of the most clear-eyed, powerful and human explanations of what has gone wrong in this region that you will ever read.  By Scott Anderson.  Photographs by Paolo Pellegrin.

“http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/08/11/magazine/isis-middle-east-arab-spring-fractured-lands.html”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The labour Party in Scotland and its links to an impartial BBC Scotland

The under-noted persons are given mention in this advisory note which questions yet again the oft stated impartiality of the BBC in Scotland.

Former BBC officials: Big Boab Wylie, John Boothman, Michael McGlinchey, Michelle Watt, John Morrison

Frank McAveety: Glasgow City Council

 

 

Bob Wylie

 

 

 

 

 
22 March 1990: Bob Wylie and five other militants face Labour inquiry

Six Glasgow Militant Tendency members face expulsion when they appear before the Labour Party’s constitutional committee in Glasgow on disciplinary charges. They face a variety of charges, including being members of the Trotskyite group, and bringing the party into disrepute.

Those appearing include Bob Wylie, once listed as a member of Militant’s central committee and its Scottish spokesman. Militant newspaper’s former West of Scotland correspondent, he is now a freelance journalist and a member of the Glasgow Central CLP branch.

The others, all members of the Glasgow Pollok branch, are:

Lynn Sheridan, sister of Tommy Sheridan, chairman of the British Anti-Poll Tax Federation.

Kirsteen Walker, former Young Socialist Scottish Labour executive member;

Margaret Dick, Strathclyde regional councillor Margaret Dick (Pollokshields/ Shawlands).

Bill Bill and George McNeillage, activists.

It is believed that another six members of the Pollok branch could face similar charges in coming weeks. Last autumn the NCC expelled six Militants from the Cathcart branch, and a month earlier expelled Mr Sheridan. If all the Glasgow expulsion go through it will be the biggest

purge of Militant Tendency supporters from Labour since Liverpool. While Militant supporters label it a ”witch-hunt,” there are claims that Militant is about to set up a separate political party. Several expelled members are believed to be preparing to stand in the forthcoming regional elections.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/11936687.Militant_six_face_Labour_inquiry/

Additional information is to be found in: Militant: 2016 edition: Written by Michael Crick (Updated and expanded), Crick explores the origins, organisation and aims of Militant, the secret Trotskyite organisation that operated clandestinely within the Labour Party, edging out adversaries at grass-roots level and recruiting people to its own ranks, which, at its peak in the mid-1980s, swelled to around 8,000 members. Whilst eventually most of its leaders were expelled, it caused damaging rifts within the party and closed the door to Downing Street for almost a generation.

 

 

 

Michael Crick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
19 May 2003: Indefatigably yours George Galloway and his close friends

George pens a weekly column for the Scottish Mail on Sunday and “two or three” of his five closest friends are journalists. He has spoken to John Boothman, editor of BBC Scotland’s Holyrood Live, every day for 20 years or more. BBC news correspondent Bob Wylie is another

close friend. They, not his fellow MPs, are his political sounding boards. http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/indefatigably-yours-1-648573

 

George Galloway

 

 

 
20 May 2016: Ex-BBC Scotland news head John Boothman jumps ship to lobbying firm

The former head of news at BBC Scotland, John Boothman, has taken up a media training role with lobbying firm Charlotte Street Partners.

Boothman, who moved out of his role over an upheld bullying case against him at the BBC, will lead a new media training group at the corporate partnership.

The news division of BBC Scotland had numerous bust-ups during his tenure, including threats of industrial action from staff on the eve of the Scottish independence referendum.

Head Scottish organiser for the National Union of Journalists, Paul Holleran, said there would be “palpable relief” that Boothman had moved on at the time of his departure.

Boothman, a former Labour party student chair, also faced accusations of bias from pro-independence campaigners due to his personal and family links to the Labour party. Investigative group.

https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/8428/ex-bbc-scotland-news-head-jumps-ship-lobbying-firm

 

 

John Boothman

 

 

 

 

 

19 May 2005: George Galloway off to the US Senate’s sub-committee to defend his support of Saddam Hussain – So why did the BBC feel the need to send Wylie with Galloway?

From a Scottish point of view, the most puzzling aspect of George Galloway’s appearance in Washington this week was Bob Wylie. The gangling BBC Scotland reporter was first sighted at Galloway’s side at Dulles airport. Then, after the MP’s performance in front of the US

Senate’s sub-committee, there was Wylie again, popping up to tell us how, in his considered opinion, he thought it had all gone. Which was pretty well, actually. Oh, there may be a few people yet to be impressed by Galloway’s bluster, but on the whole, Wylie gave assurance

Washington was knocked out. The MP for Bethnal Green and Bow had faced down American accusations that he’d profited from Saddam Hussein’s illegal oil deals and, what’s more, he’d denounced the US invasion of Iraq.

Galloway, reported Wylie, was the “Braveheart” on Capitol Hill. Braveheart? Come off it. Even Gorgeous George’s most ardent supporters in Britain would shrink from romanticising him in this way. But not the gushing Wylie. His presence in Washington begs two questions:

1. why did BBC Scotland feel it needed to send its own man when (a) it is currently implementing drastic cost cuts and (b) the BBC’s Washington correspondent, Clive Myrie, was already there and more than up to the job?

2. If BBC Scotland really, really had to send someone, why did it have to be Wylie, whose friendship with Galloway goes back years and who, received an acknowledgement in Galloway’s autobiography? and co-authored with Galloway the book “Downfall:Fall Of Ceaucescus: Ceausescus and the Roumanian Revolution. 23 May 1991. Wylie is not an expert on Iraq or on American politics. And in this case, he was clearly not impartial, and neither was BBC Scotland. Shame on them.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/so-why-did-the-bbc-send-wylie-with-galloway-1-712840

 

 

Frank McAveety

 

 

 

 

24 May 2005: Impartiality in doubt

I was puzzled at the appearance of tjhe BBC Scotland reporter, Bob Wylie, in his role as side-kick to George Galloway in Washington. This latest display of blatant cheer-leading for the Left while masquerading as an impartial commentator comes swiftly in the wake of

accusations concerning “institutional leftism” in the corporation. In a new book, Robin Aitken, a former BBC correspondent, has claimed that systematic political bias “undermines” the BBC’s “solemn pact with the public to present the news impartially”.

When Bob Wylie started reporting for the BBC I knew I had met him before somewhere, but the memory only recently clicked into place. At the height of the miners’ strike, when I was a Labour Party member, he addressed a meeting of the party’s Cumnock branch in a futile

attempt to gather new converts to the bosom of the Militant tendency. James Macmillan, Glasgow.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/impartiality-in-doubt-1-713473

 

Robin Aitken

 

 

 

 

 

 
20 November 2007: BBC Pair (Michael McGlinchey and Michelle Watt) departing for Strathclyde Partnership for Transport Group

BBC Scotland is losing two key members of staff to Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, whose director of communications is himself a former BBC Scotland investigations correspondent.

Communications manager, Michelle Watt, along with assistant editor (online), Michael McGlinchey, have both been recruited by Bob Wylie.

Watt has been appointed media and public affairs at SPT, while McGlinchey becomes SPT’s web manager.

Michelle has worked as the communications manager for BBC Scotland for the last five years. Before that, she worked at a senior level for the BBC in London and in Belfast.

Meanwhile, McGlinchey has been assistant editor at BBC Scotland online for the last eight years. Previously, he was a senior editor in newspapers in London, particularly the Daily Mirror.

http://www.allmediascotland.com/uncategorized/14727/bbc-pair-departing-for-transport-group/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
14 May 2010: SPT director Bob Wylie goes amid shake-up

The man in charge of communications at Scotland’s largest transport authority has left his post before it was due to be cut in a management shake-up.

Mr Wylie had been communications director at SPT since 2006. He joined the organisation from BBC Scotland, where he had worked for 12 years, latterly as investigations correspondent.

His role at SPT was thrust into the headlines after the organisation was engulfed in an expenses scandal earlier this year. (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/quangos-footie-junket-expenses-branded-1076802) The body’s three most senior staff – chairman, vice chair and chief executive – quit after it emerged officials had run up more than £100,000 in expenses and gone on foreign fact-finding trips. There were also questions about expense claims from officials – including Mr Wylie – in Manchester on the day of the Uefa Cup final in 2008 between Rangers and Zenit St Petersburg.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8682963.stm

 

 

 

 

 

 
14 October 2015: Glasgow City Council leader Frank McAveety hands former BBC and SPT communications director Bob Wylie ‘special adviser’ role

Glasgow City Council leader Frank McAveety has handed a key role in his administration to former Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) communications director Bob Wylie.

Wylie was in charge of the transport quango’s public relations during an expenses scandal in 2010.. He left the post during a subsequent restructuring which also saw SPT’s three most senior staff – chairman, vice chair and chief executive – leave their roles.  It later emerged, in 2010 that officials had run up more than £100,000 in expenses and gone on foreign fact-finding trips.

After leaving SPT, Wylie worked for social enterprise The Wise Group before setting up his own PR firm, Communication Strategies Ltd. The former BBC journalist still has an office at The Wise Group’s premises in Glasgow’s east end and lists the social enterprise’s phone number as the contact on his company’s website.

Speaking this morning, Wylie confirmed that he has been taken on as a “special advisor” to McAveety. He added: “It’s signed, sealed and delivered – I’m just about to walk into the leader’s office now.”

McAveety recently won a vote to succeed Gordon Matheson as head of Glasgow City Council by 24 votes to 19 during a meeting of Labour colleagues in September.

He was previously leader of the council from 1997 to 1999, when he was elected as an MSP for Glasgow Shettleston. He lost the seat to the SNP in 2011 but was again elected a city councillor in 2012.

An SNP source said: “I can’t imagine what Wylie offers McAveety other than controversy and links to past scandals.” A source close to McAveety said: “Everyone has a past. Bob is an operator and I’m sure he’d do a good job.”

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13846416.Glasgow_City_Council_leader_Frank_McAveety_hands_former_SPT_communications_director_Bob_Wylie__special_adviser__role/

 

 

Gordon Matheson

 

 

 

 

 

 

15 April 2016: Glasgow City Council ‘shoring up’ public relations operation as ex-BBC journalist John Morrison bids for contract

Cash-strapped Glasgow City Council could be about to bolster its public relations operation by handing a lucrative contract to an ex-BBC journalist.

Former political correspondent John Morrison is among the consultants contending for the chance to provide “independent analysis” of the local authority’s digital presence.

Last year council leader Frank McAveety handed a well-paid senior special adviser job to another ex-BBC reporter, Bob Wylie, who was previously in charge of public relations at Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) during an expenses scandal.

It emerged in 2010 that officials had clawed back more than £100,000 and gone on foreign fact-finding trips. Mr Wylie later handed back expenses racked up during a junket to Manchester on the day Rangers played in the 2008 UEFA Cup final.

Sources claim the council’s public relations programme has been “floundering” recently and Mr McAveety is thought to be keen to “shore up” the operation.

A council spokesman confirmed that the local authority is “conducting a review of council communications, with special reference to developing digital communications”.

Mr Morrison, who runs a Glasgow-based public relations company, said: “They’ve spoken to me but there is nothing agreed.” He later issued a statement which said: “Morrison Media Strategies is a communications and media training company. We have discussions with  companies and organisations every day. We don’t talk about them.”

http://www.barrheadnews.com/news/14430793.Glasgow_City_Council__shoring_up__public_relations_operation_as_ex_BBC_journalist_bids_for_contract/

 

 

 

Morrison Media Strategies

John Morrison is the owner of Morrison Media Strategies a leading PR, Public Affairs and Media Training company. Previously John was Chief Political Correspondent, Europe Correspondent and BBC Network News Scotland correspondent. Morrison Media Strategies is a PR and lobbying company based in Glasgow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30 June 2016: Dugdale off to the USA attending an indoctrination course – But her deputy Alex Rowley is not fit to lead the party in her absence

Dugdale’s attendance on the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program this month may also create a headache for her party, with relations between the two at a low ebb insiders are speculating about who will lead the party when she is abroad.

It is understood Dugdale will remain in charge while she is away and a rota for Shadow Cabinet members will be in place to provide day-to-day cover.

A senior Scottish Tory source said: “It’s no surprise Scottish Labour is responding to the upheaval at Westminster with added chaos of its own. Scottish Labour needs to get a grip, not descend into further turmoil over its internal splits.”

An SNP spokesperson said: “At a time of national crisis, with the UK economy in turmoil following the EU referendum result, political parties have a duty and a responsibility to step up to the mark, show some leadership, and work to find a way forward. It is shameful that both the Tory UK government and the Labour opposition have instead chosen to abdicate their responsibilities. They have no plan and rather than uniting to come up with one they are indulging in infighting and naval gazing at the expense of the country.”

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14594955.Scottish_Labour_at_war__Relations_between_Dugdale_and_her_deputy_have__completely_broken_down_/?ref=ar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Usa’s indoctrination programme

The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country first-hand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. Professional meetings reflect the participants’ professional interests and support the foreign policy goals of the United States.

This is the same direction taken by Blair, Brown and others in New Labour before taking up the reins of government. Blair, etc. left the UK unilateral anti-nuclear and returned pro-nuclear. Howzat!!!

https://eca.state.gov/ivlp