Following the 2005 General Election he enjoyed the confidence of Tony Blair and in 2006 he was promoted to the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Transport and Scotland.
At the time of the upcoming 2007 Holyrood Elections the Labour Government was in crisis. The Iraq invasion and the aftermath. Afghanistan a military and political disaster and Westminster scandals, (cash for honours) requiring Tony Blair to be formally interviewed by the police, gave warning of a humiliating SNP victory in Scotland.
Alex Salmond lobbied Westminster seeking that the election process, in all respects be transferred to the authority of the Scottish Parliament. This was refused and the duty was subsequently delegated to, “Wee Douglas” who would also run Labour’s electoral campaign in Scotland.
Elections to Holyrood, in 1999 and 2003 had, (preventing voter confusion) used two separate ballot papers for the constituency and regional lists.
Alexander and Scottish (Labour) government ministers decided that Local Council Elections would be held at the same time as the parliamentary election and both election selections would be printed on one ballot paper.
Civil servants and an independent marketing firm warned that the ballot forms would lead to confusion and a higher-than-average number of rejected votes.
The advice was ignored, Alexander and the governing, (Labour) party claimed their changes would prove to be extremely popular.
Civil servants and the, “Electoral Commission” were silenced.
In the election the SNP won by a single vote.
Alexander was hugely praised by Labour Party mandarins since he had just about “saved the day” for Labour.
The elections, were however badly tainted by a chaotic voting process, blamed on the Scottish Office’s design of ballot papers.
In excess of 146,000 votes were declared void. The largest in electoral history.
Seventeen MSP’s were elected to Parliament with majorities lower than the number of spoiled ballots in their constituency.
There was a public outcry and, “Returning Officers” voiced their discontent about the election process.
Wee Alexander, “Scottish Secretary”, the accountable person that organized the elections, stated there would be a statutory review of the election under the auspices of the Labour Party loaded Electoral Commission.
Scots were outraged and demanded an independent inquiry. Tony Blair was forced to concede and an inquiry was commissioned.
Following an extensive, lengthy inquiry, an official report submitted by, Ron Gould, (a senior Canadian election official), heavily censured Alexander and the Labour Party stating that ministers in the Labour Scottish Government and at Westminster together with Mr Alexander’s political, “self-interested” moves, (as the Labour Party in Scotland’s election supremo), had abused their, “offices of state” making decisions about the election on “party political interest grounds”, with voters treated as an “after-thought.”
So be warned. Alexander and the Labour Party are akin to “snakes in the grass”. They care only for the Party. The voter is a means to an end.
This article contains information about the emergence from the political shadows of Natalie Don a local councillor and admin assistant to MSP Derek MacKay who left office under a cloud in 2020.
She was selected as the SNP’s candidate for the Renfrewshire North and West constituency in November 2020 and elected to office in the May 2021 Scottish Parliament election. Salary £66,000 +pension+expenses+ office staff.
A councillor for Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank ward from 2017 she retained that office until the 2022 local council election. Assumed annual cost to taxpayerss £20,000.
She was also an admin assistant in the office of Derek Mackay MSP from 2017 to 2020. Salary between £25,000 – £45,000
Total income and on-costs between 2017-2022: £55,000 -£74,000
Mhari Black and Natalie Don
The nomination of Natalie Don was not universally approved within the constituency.
Press publicity attracted comments from a number of Renfrewshire readers. Namely:
12 Aug 2020: Comment from C.B.:
I just don’t agree with this “all-female” instruction. It’s MSPs of merit we need, not people thrust upon the electorate because of their sex.
12 Aug 2020: Comment from S.A.:
Ahhhh, an ideal candidate who meets the No.1 criteria in the SNP book of selection? Can we ask what Natalie Don’s life experiences are? What unique skills she is bringing to the Scottish Parliament & indeed the probable SG?
She has a degree in history, & to be fair one of my long time friends is a History Professor? I have an interest in this subject too. That aside, what commercial or business experience does this SNP Scottish parliamentary hopeful have to offer the already chocked chamber? Am I right to be concerned, that Ms Don, perhaps is yet another ‘Professional Politician’?
The political strata are already awash with ‘careerist’ politicians. You know the type? Went to uni, decided that hang working for a living, let’s get the public purse to fund my lifestyle? Remote from the proletariat, & their daily struggles to keep a roof over their head, feed, clothe, & bring up their children in a society that just doesn’t give a rats? Not that Ms Don will ever need to worry herself about things like that once she’s got Decko the sext pests, still warm seat, at Holyrood?..
12 Aug 2020: Comment from J.C.:
Sadly the SNP as a party ask their potential candidates to agree, before selection to being gagged from revealing any misconduct they may witness or encounter as a political appointee whilst in post. To me, the first thing to be sacrificed before climbing the greasy pole of politics is personal integrity?
I know I’m perhaps being unrealistic, in the forlorn hope of seeing an open & honest politician? Nevertheless, wouldn’t it be refreshing to hear a potential candidate actually tell it as it is, without reverting to meaningless slogans, or party ideology? I want my MSP to serve me, not a political party? After all, I, along with the rest of the electorate are their employers? We pay them that very comfortable salary, not the party they hold membership with?
I certainly will want to hear what my SNP sitting MSP has to tell me, other than an SNP rosette? I’ve already voted for over 1/4 of a century on that stance before changing to SNP? Up till now, after voting for them, their performance in Holyrood has been totally underwhelming?
I want to see the timeline for a vote for independence? I want the FM, to now hand the Covid crisis management over to one of her ministers! I want her to revalidate her commitment to independence, & what she intends to do when, her pleading with the lump of shaped lard, currently pretending to be the UK PM, tells her again & again NO?…. That approach isn’t, doesn’t, & will never work? Scotland is a nation not a county of England!
12 Aug 2020: Comment from KJ:
A friend of Marie Black, enough said.
S.A.: Commented:
But is Natalie Don the best, most experienced, multi-skilled, ideal candidate? She said she was working class! Well almost everyone in the district can claim to be working class? Brought up in a Council house? So was I? It was a nice Council house, in a good neighbourhood? But I do agree there is a dearth of working-class MSPs? Miss Don might have been able at one time to claim a working-class upbringing but that is very much in the past. Her education was completed at an excellent school, she has moved up in class and is now a middle class, white-collar worker. Indeed she is part of the upwardly mobile middle class. But the fact she is a close friend of Mhari Black shouldn’t even come into it? If the SNP, are relying on cronyism to punt candidates through the selection process (again), then they are entering the same dangerous place as SLAB found itself in? The electors should vote for a candidate they trust to do good works for them not someone who wears an SNP rosette.
Update: Lots of readers and many also wanted answers but nothing was forthcoming which prompted me to enquire further.
Robert Innes right
Natalie Don is resident in Bridge of Weir. This event occurred in the town in July 2010. Is this the same Robert Innes?
A resident of Bridge of Weir harassed at home by a group of yobs
Kenneth Horn of the Bridge of Weir snapped after months of harassment when yobs armed with weapons laid siege to his home. In the ensuing melee, he was hit over the head with a baseball bat. Paisley Sheriff Court heard how Horn and his family had been forced to endure a relentless campaign of terror and torment. He had previously reported numerous incidents to police and was “at the end of his tether” when a group armed with weapons appeared outside his home in Bridge of Weir’s Mimosa Road at 3.50am on March 28.
The stabbed man, Robert Innes had been socialising with friends in a neighbouring house and when Horn left his home at around 0400 hours to confront his attackers he joined the disturbance later claiming it was with the purpose of taking on a self-appointed role as “peacemaker”. But 22-year-old Innes ended up in a face to face confrontation with Horn, who was observed standing on a path holding a knife. As the pair drew close Horn prodded him on the left side of his chest with the knife and then fled. He ran to another house in the street where he asked the householder to hide the knife.
An ambulance was summoned and Innes was taken to Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital with a one-centimetre puncture wound. The injury was dressed but did not require further treatment and he was kept overnight under observation.
Horn’s lawyer told Sheriff Susan Sinclair that he hoped to put the episode in perspective and revealed that his client’s house had been
“laid siege to and there had been numerous reports to the police of harassment and efforts were being made to have his family re-housed when the flashpoint occurred. He was acting under extreme provocation where armed youths had been hammering at his door and sincerely believed that his life was in danger that night and that the complainer was part of the attacking group.”
The lawyer further stressed that Horn had not gone out into the street armed but had been hit with the knife in question and had then been struck on the head with a baseball bat. The knife ended up on the ground after it had been discarded by one of the attackers, and he had retrieved it.
Horn was found guilty of assault and locked up for eight months after stabbing a man he thought was one of his tormentors.
From Innes Twitter posts:
In education: I didn’t get any standard grades at school (an ‘affluent’ school). I worked in retail and call centres for years after school and gained some great experiences. Decided to go back to college and then uni and graduated at the age of 28. Schools are not for everybody. As a youth, I joined the army at 16. I personally hated it and left. It’s not for everyone and the other guys I was in with loved it. It shouldn’t be forced on anyone. This talk of forcing national service on young people should be nipped in the bud now.
Comment: His LinkedIn profile only states he attended college. No mention of any qualification.Even providing that he did gain a qualification of sorts it is difficult to accept he would be experienced enough politically to provide advice and assistance to Mhari Black the holder of a distinction in politics from a grade 1 university.
On illegal drug-taking:
17 Jun 2019: RossThomson tweeted: I’ve visited a drug consumption room to see it in operation for myself. Opening them in the UK will be the thin end of the wedge. We need to ensure people end their addiction not simply manage it. Consumption rooms won’t cut heroin abuse and deaths.
Innes commented: Meanwhile back in reality. Like many people, I had a family member who used heroin outside of a DCR in front of me as a child. I have kept edgy in alleys and sat in drug dens while people o.d. These safe spaces would mean other youngsters wouldn’t have this kind of experiences.
On nepotism
Innes tweeted: You know you can be pro independence and also be against transphobia, homophobia, racism and bigotry while at the same time be against blatant careerism taking over your party. Comment: Ironic surely!!
Robert Innes has worked as one of Mhari Black’s Research Assistants at Westminster since around the beginning of 2016.
He is standing for election as a councillor for Houston, Crosslee and Linwood and his campaign was heavily promoted on Twitter and other media over the weekend and on other days by Miss Black and Natalie Don, the local MSP who gushingly declared him to be a local based stalwart and potentially wonderful servant of the people.
But there are questions I need to ask and have answers to before I am able to advise those who read my blog whether to support his candidacy.
The blurb states he has been employed at Westminster and has resided in London, not Renfrewshire, from 2016, nearly 6 years, Is this correct?
Prior to his appointment, he was a student studying politics and psychology at the University of the West of Scotland between 2011 and 2016 meaning that he has never been in paid employment from the time of his birth until selected by Mhari Black and appointed by herself to the post of Research Assistant at Westminster on a salary between £35-£55 plus expenses. Is this assertion correct?
His profile lists him as the father of two children. Nicola Sturgeon enjoyed an extensive photo opportunity with a child Alisa Innes. It is evident from the publicity that Sturgeon was promoting the Renfrew MSP candidacy of Natalie Don who the accompanying article said was the child’s mother.
Is Robert Innes, Alisa’s father? I think the public has a right to know. since their combined financial income from the state, courtesy of the SNP probably exceeds £130,000 per annum.
Not a lot of people know it but five billionaires and their corporations own and control around 80 per cent of the UK media providing them with the means and opportunity to maliciously influence and control political and cultural agendas shaping the knowledge, behavior and beliefs of the population effectively destroying free thinking.
Founded by Welshman, Ron Jones, in 1989, Tinoplis (PLC), based in Llanelli, Wales was established to make programmes for the Welsh language channel SC4.
It went public in 2005 and a year later it launched and won a hostile takeover of the much larger “Television Corporation”.
The acquisition of the company and its production teams at Mentorn and Sunset + Vine, (producers of Question Time and other BBC programmes) transformed the fortunes of the company overnight and 15 short years later it is one of the five aforementioned conglomerates.
The extraordinary expansion of the company from that time, was also made possible with the financial support of the BBC and the offshore registered global equity fund, Vitruvian Partners.
Jones has increased his influence and control of the media market in the UK growing his company to be a world leader serving the BBC and other media networks, broadcasters in the United Kingdom, United States and other countries worldwide producing reality shows, documentaries, infotainment, films, dramas, factual, lifestyle, comedy, game-shows, sports, education, skills, multi-lingual, marketing and communication, e-learning, and mobile-learning courses.
Its portfolio of programming is delivered to customers through its “Mediajet” platform, a cloud based digital media delivery network for distributing broadcast video and media files to multiple locations.
An address to the city of London financial market stated:
“The Tinopolis Group is one of the largest television content suppliers in the UK and a producer of programmes for many of the top networks in the US. The group’s portfolio of production companies includes global sports producer Sunset+Vine, Mentorn Media, Firecracker, Pioneer, Tinopolis Cymru, the recently launched Thunderclap Media, drama producers Daybreak Pictures and Fiction Factory, as well as A.Smith & Co and Magical Elves in the US. Tinopolis also has its own distribution arm, Passion.”
Ron Jones adding:
“Our success has been founded on the talent of our people, their creativity and their leadership. With Vitruvian’s investment and support over the past 9 years, we have made Tinopolis a leading player in our industry. Sunset+Vine has achieved remarkable growth to become, in its own right, a global company. To our original UK base we added two of the finest production companies in the US and with them some of the most creative people in US television. We are a private company owned by its management in both countries, optimistic for the future and determined to provide our people with new challenges and opportunities.”
The BBC – Tax Avoidance Links
The Canary revealed that BBC Question Time was linked to companies named in the Paradise Papers for offshore tax avoidance.
The programme’s production company, Mentorn Media, created in 2005, is a subsidiary company of the Tinopolis group.
Tinopolis had a majority shareholder called Vitruvian in place until 23 October 2017.
The private equity firm had purchased a 48% stake in Tinopolis in 2008 and was the ultimate controlling company named in the Paradise Papers – all while having been the ultimate owner of the Question Time producers.
Offshore Registration and Tax Avoidance – Vitruvian Equity
Forming part of its large portfolio of companies Vitruvian owned “OpenBet”, an online gambling software company through which it operates the “employee benefit trust”, a tax reduction scheme. The scheme is/was designed to provide employee benefits, such as shares and “cash payments”, through a tax jurisdiction such as Jersey much reducing the employee’s tax bill.
Comment:
“Smoke and mirrors”, a hefty wedge of Scottish licence fee revenue is routinely transferred to a Welsh and international commercial enterprise which pervasively influences viewers through the retention and exercising of editorial control over production.
Many thousands of viewer complaints about a lack of a code of practice regarding selection criteria for participation in and the conduct of the “Question Time”, audience, have been advanced as examples of shoddy editorial work and programme management!!!
In each and every case complaints have been dismissed by the commissioning agent, the BBC, as unfounded. So much for impartiality!!!
Scottish production companies, wholly registered in Scotland, should be awarded contracts from BBC (Scotland) so that Scottish licence fee payers can be assured their financial contribution is being spent wisely retaining and developing Scottish workers and enterprises.
That was the commitment to Scotland by the BBC only a few years ago. But Scotland continues to be ripped off by franchise commitments entered into by the Westminster government and the BBC Trust.
An Anti-Scots Bias report was discussed in committee at Holyrood in 2014. It is worthy of study since many of the negative observations contained in it are still relevant 6 years later. So much for progress!!!
The John Smith Centre Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) is located in Glasgow University .
Operating under the University of Glasgow’s charitable status it is exempt from formally accounting to the public for the source of any finance raised or any expenditure although details are held secure by the University of Glasgow.
The centre’s management board oversees the conduct, leadership and management of the Centre and includes members of the Smith family, University of Glasgow alumni, public service practitioners and academic staff.
Its sales pitch states its purpose is to set the priorities, benchmarks best practice; and to review performance to enable the Centre to achieve its aim to promote trust in politics and public service and to empower and attract more people to contribute to public life.
But in reality the Centre provides training opportunities for young politically inspired unionist leaning students designed to undermine the integrity and authority and what is left of the impartiality policies of the UK civil service through the expansion and influence of political special advisors (Spads) whose unfettered growth lumbers the already austerity punished taxpayer with an additional massive and ever expanding expense of £billions supporting many hundreds of privileged party animals who are guaranteed public purse employment, from the time they leave university until retirement age.
The board:
Catherine Smith KC, Chair
Catherine Smith studied History and Law at the University of Glasgow.
She is an ad hoc Advocate Depute for the Advocate General.
Prior to becoming an advocate she worked at home and internationally on conflict resolution and democracy building for the London based NGO LINKS, particularly in the countries of the former Soviet Union.
She is also on the board of the John Smith Trust and is the youngest daughter. o the late labour Party leader John Smith.
Hon Ed Balls
Balls was a Spad for Gordon Brown before being elected as an MP following which he gained rapid promotion within the government.
He was appointed first to the post of UK Minister for Financial Services (2006-2007) then Chief Economic Adviser to the UK Treasury (1997-2004) thereafter retaining a number of senior positions within the Party.
He was a major figure in the right wing Fabian Society rising to the post of Chairman in 2007 and attended the 2006, 2014, and 2015 Bilderberg meetings.
He was an active member of the Labour Party Friends of Israel organisation in Parliament.
Dr Matt Carter
Former Labour Party General Secretary (2004-2005) was responsible for overseeing political campaigns and organisation in the period running up to and including the 2005 General Election, which saw Tony Blair win a successful third term in office.
He left politics to enjoy a successful career focusing on corporate communications, reputation management, politics and polling.
Professor Sara Carter
Vice-Principal and Head of the college of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow as Professor of Entrepreneurship.
Rt Hon Ruth Davidson
Former leader of the Scottish Conservatives she was placed in post by the Party Chairman, Andrew Fulton, from the Tory Central Office.
Fulton was exposed as an MI6 agent inappropriately monitoring the work of the Lockerbie Commission whilst supposedly employed by Glasgow University. He was sent packing soon after.
Resham Kotechaand
She is a strategy and policy specialist who stood, without success as a candidate for the Tory Party in the 2015 and 2017 GE.
She is a Trustee of the Fawcett Society, one of the UK’s leading charities which campaigns for gender equality and women’s rights.
The organisation is trans inclusion supporting and pronounced that GRA reform and Self-ID was not an issue for women to be concerned about.
But charities and the foundations that fund them play a key role as “civil society” building platforms so that people can advocate for their interests and rights, discuss and test ideas, feed them into policy makers, mobilise support for them, and hold governments to account.
They are not exactly democratic, but they are a part of democracy. They act as gatekeepers and filters to what is respectable thought.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown headhunted the marketing guru and in 2008 employed him as an expensive Spad as his Director of Strategy.
He advised on a range of issues most noticeably the response to the global financial crisis and worked closely with Peter Mandelson and Philip Gould on the Labour Party’s 2010 failed general election campaign.
He left Downing Street when Gordon Brown resigned in May 2010.
He delivers public service practitioner speakers to the University of Glasgow through his David Muir Speaker Series.
Baroness Smith Of Gilmorehill
Elizabeth Smith is very influential politically a result of her very long career near the top of the British secret services.
She was created a peer in 1995 following the death of her husband, Rt Hon John Smith M.P. who was the Leader of the Labour Party at the time of his early death at the age of 55.
She is a member of the board of several organisations with interests in Russia and FSU countries.
Her other positions include being an Advisory Council Member of the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce; Vice Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Russia; Governor of the English Speaking Union; Board Member of the Centre for European Reform.
Andrew Wilson
Founding Partner of Charlotte Street Partners, the strategic communications firm based in London and Edinburgh.
He began his career in the civil service in the Government Economic Service and went on to work as a researcher and economist for the SNP and as a business economist at Royal Bank of Scotland.
He was elected as a member of the first Scottish Parliament in 1999.
There, he served as Shadow Minister for, variously: Finance, Economy, Transport and Lifelong Learning.
In 2003, he re-joined RBS working in a number of roles including as Deputy Chief Economist.
During the banking crisis, he served as Head of Group Communications and was intimately involved in the bank’s high-profile engagement with the City, UK Government and media.
In 2012, prior to the launch of Charlotte Street Partners, he joined global marcomms group WPP Group in a client strategy role working with agencies and group across the full range of services including media and advertising.
In March 2020 he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
In September 2016 he was appointed by Nicola Sturgeon to chair the Sustainable Growth Commission.
He was also a member of the Independent Commission on Referendums based at UCL’s Constitution Unit, which reported in July 2018.
Centre Director – Formerly a Spad for then MSP Lord George Foukes she went on to become a controversial short term leader of the Labour Party in Scotland before leaving politics.
She leads and oversees the Centre, and is responsible for all aspects of strategic development. She plans and drives the work of the Centre, encompassing all its activities and programmes.
Centre Development Manager – project manages all the Centre’s activities and oversees the day-to-day running of the Centre and its staff.
Carole Stimpson
Research & External Engagement Officer – oversees the research capacity of the centre and is also responsible for expanding the public profile of work programmes.
Julie Cooper
Centre Administrator – focuses on supporting the delivery of development programmes and events and research activities. Previously held positions within the School of Education and Policy Scotland at Glasgow University.
Englishman Angus was born in Wimbledon, London, in 1969. Educated at Broughton High School, Edinburgh, he completed his education at the University of Aberdeen, from where he graduated in 1991 with an MA Honours degree in politics and international relations. After university, bilingual thanks to his German mother and Scottish father, he moved to Vienna (1991-2000) and took up employment as a journalist first with the Austrian public broadcaster, ORF, and later with the BBC World Service as the foreign and diplomatic correspondent for Central Europe.
he was awarded the Grand Decoration of Honour, in Gold by the Austrian President in recognition of his support to the Austrian government, from the time he entered UK politics in 2001, as chairman and secretary of the Austrian Parliamentary Group at Westminster. In his acceptance speech Robertson said:
“It is a huge honour to be granted this award by the Austrian president and to receive it in the Austrian Parliament. I have a huge affection for the Alpine republic and am fortunate enough to have lived and worked there for a decade. Cooperation between European nations is really important to me and I have worked to foster relations between Austria and the UK in the Westminster Parliament since 2001. This award is recognition of the value of European co-operation which I will continue to support into the future.”
Responding the Austrian leader said:
“Angus Robertson is a good friend of Austria and Europe. We are hugely indebted to him for his efforts to foster relations between Austria and the UK at Westminster. This award is rarely bestowed on non-Austrians and it is a valued token of our appreciation for his work as chairman and secretary of the Austrian Parliamentary Group as well as his promotion of Austria at home and abroad.”
Comment: Not a mention of his responsibilities to the SNP over the same period.
His time at Westminster
Robertson was first elected to the UK House of Commons in June 2001, representing the Moray constituency. He volunteered as a member of the European Scrutiny Committee from 2001 to 2010 and served as the SNP’s spokesman on Defence and International Relations.
In May 2007, he was promoted by Alex Salmond, to the post of SNP Leader in the House of Commons a post he retained until he lost his seat in Moray in 2016.
In 2007 Robertson surprisingly argued for a UK-wide referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, contrary to SNP policy because its introduction would entrench EU control over Scottish affairs.
The 2015 landslide election
The election returned an unprecedented 56 SNP MP’s to Westminster. Addressing the group outside the Commons, First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said she was “bursting with pride” adding “people voted for an SNP manifesto that had ending austerity as its number one priority. That is the priority these men and women will now take to the very heart of the Westminster agenda. It cannot and will not be business as usual when it comes to Westminster’s dealing with Scotland. Scotland’s voice will be heard in Westminster now more loudly than it has ever been before. David Cameron said his priorities will be implementing the powers in the Smith Commission in good faith – and I said to him that those proposals had to be looked at again because they are not strong enough. These are conversations we will go into in more detail in the weeks and months to come.”
Note: So much for her bluster. In the year that followed the SNP group tabled in excess of 100 proposals for changes further strengthening the weak Smith recommendations. Not one was accepted by the Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, who filibustered his party’s legislation through the Commons with the support of labour and liberal Democrats.
Leadership roles in the SNP
Robertson was confirmed as the Leader of the SNP group at Westminster and Deputy Leader of the SNP.
One of his first acts was to change the Party’s code of conduct to include the statement that: “accept that no member shall within or outwith the parliament publicly criticise a group decision, policy or another member of the group”.
Other political parties labelled it a “Stalinist” crackdown on free speech and independent thought.
Committee membership
The SNP was entitled to a place on all of the Commons’ influential select committees, including the Intelligence and Security Committee members of which are by convention also Privy Councillors. Alex Salmond was the only member of the prestigious body of advisers to the Queen in the SNP’s ranks and as he had already ruled himself out of other top jobs, including SNP Westminster leader and chief whip it was widely anticipated he would be appointed to the Committee as a top spy chief, a real-life James Bond. But Akex hopes were dashed and his place on the back benches and political oblivian was confirmed in a statement from the Queen that she was pleased to give her approval to the appointment of Robertson as a Member of the Privy Council following his appointment to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.
Robertson was duly sworn into the Privy Council becoming the first SNP MP for nearly 40 years to be appointed to it by MP’s, although First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, former presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament, Sir George Reid, and ex-first minister Alex Salmond are also members of the body courtesy of their positions in government in Scotland.
Reversal of fortunes
Robertson lost his seat in Moray in the 2016 General election but was appointed Deputy Leader of the SNP a post which he retained until February 2018 when he resigned and established “Progress Scotland” a pro-independence think-tank.
In February 2020, with the full support of party leader Sturgeon over other qualified candidates, he announced his intention to return to politics to contest the safe Edinburgh Central constituency in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.
He won the seat and was appointed by Sturgeon as cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.
Summary: His 16 years at an MP at Westminster provided Robertson with a privileged and financially well rewarded pensionable lifestyle. In return he formed and chaired an Austrian All-Party Group in the British Parliament and graced by his presence a number of influential Unionist dominated House of Commons committees including his controversial appointment to the Intelligence and Security Committee which required his acquiescence of matters of UK security including oversight of the work of the British Secret Services. Activities which promoted the interest of other bodies but added nothing to the fight for Scottish independence.
The Trust is an active company incorporated on 15 June 2010 with the registered office located at Office 4, 219 Kensington High Street, London, the charity’s purpose is to:
Maintain an active worldwide network of alumni, sharing experience and learning across borders and to advance education in relation to democratic systems of government, social justice and the rule of law in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan by running fellowship programmes giving young present and future leaders in these countries the opportunity to explore issues of governance, rule of law and social justice.
Two four week fellowship programmes are run each year. Fellows spend one week in Scotland and three weeks in London. They discover first hand how UK institutions function and what challenges are faced by a mature democracy. The programmes are unique and life-changing opportunities, offering exceptional individuals the chance to explore issues around: governance and justice; climate and sustainability; and equality, diversity and inclusion.
What is really happening
The political psychology programmes delivered by the Trust are designed to influence the thought processes of individuals confronted with a wide range of political situations so that they select options that most reflect the political system chosen by the Trust. Achieving success means that it has imprinted on the minds of course participants that the ideal is the western-style democracy, with its human rights legislation protecting individual and minority rights and good governance. Shades of “The Manchurian Candidate”.
Trustees:
Alexander David Just: Transitioned from law to high-level strategic communications.
Jeremy Craig Oliphant: Former diplomat and head of the head of the UK’s, Eastern Research Group and Senior member of the Integrity Initiative/Cluster/UK/Inner Core.[1]
Andrew Wilson: Founding Partner of Charlotte Street Partners, the strategic communications firm based in London and Edinburgh. Began his career in the civil service in the Government Economic Service then worked as researcher and economist for the SNP and as a business economist at Royal Bank of Scotland. Elected to the first Scottish Parliament in 1999 he served as Shadow Minister for, variously: Finance, Economy, Transport and Lifelong Learning. In 2003, he re-joined the RBS working in a number of roles including as Deputy Chief Economist. During the banking crisis, he served as Head of Group Communications and was intimately involved in the bank’s high-profile engagement with the City, UK Government and media during those tumultuous times. In 2012, prior to launching Charlotte Street Partners, he joined global marcomms group WPP Group in a client strategy role working with agencies and group across the full range of services including media and advertising. In September 2016 he was appointed to chair the Sustainable Growth Commission, which reported to the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, in May 2018.
Lord John Alderdice: Liberal Democrat member of the Lords since 1996. Currently Director of the Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict at Harris Manchester College, Oxford.
Stephen Gethins: Former SNP Member of Parliament for North East Fife. Worked with Craig Oliphant in Eastern Europe before entering politics for the SNP.
David Charters: Former diplomat. Personal interests include cyber security and evolving forms of conflict.
Catherine Smith: An Advocate. Daughter of Baroness Smith. Vice Chair of JUSTICE Scotland, the Scottish arm of the London NGO. Involved in work promoting the rule of law and human rights in developing democracies and sustainable development in societies in transition.
Elizabeth Smith, Baroness Smith Of Gilmorehill: Board member of a number of organisations with interests in Russia and FSU countries. Very influential politically has had a very long career near the top of the British secret services. Widow of the late John Smith, Labour Party Leader.
Income / Expenditure:
30/09/2018 30/09/2019 30/09/2020 30/09/2021
Total gross income: £1.11m £968.24k £424.67k £234.94k
Total expenditure: £992.62k £897.22k £506.93k £249.81k
gov income: £1.04m £968.24k £403.64k £234.94k
Donations: £72.53k £0 N/A N/A
Charitable: £992.62k £897.22k N/A N/A
Governance: £4.68k £4.66k N/A N/A
1) : The MI6/CIA sponsored Integrity Initiative:
The Integrity Initiative is described by the British government as a counter-Russia-disinformation campaign, which, in typically Orwellian language, means that it is a U.S.-British disinformation campaign. It was first founded in 2006 by then NATO Special Advisor Chris Donnelly, who co-founded a charity, the “Institute for Statecraft and Governance” (IfS) together with Daniel Lafayeedney.
It was then re-registered as a charity with its base being the Gateside Mill, a semi-derelict pemises near Auchtermuchty, in the Fife constituency of the then SNP, MP Stephen Gethins, a close friend and political associate of Craig Oliphant.
It was funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, initially to the tune of many millions. Its agents authored and published articles on threats to NATO imperialism alleging the biggest to be Russia.
Craig Oliphant, fellow SNP, MPs, Douglas Chapman and Chris Law and SNP senior political advisor (Spad) Neal Stewart, enjoyed a fully funded all expenses paid trip to Ukraine in May 2018, which included a visit to Avdiivka, one of the “hotspots” in the ongoing war in Donbass. Who funded the trip is not known and Stewart refused to explain the nature of his relationship with Integrity Initiative the secret UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office military intelligence operation.
It appears perverse that the SNP under Sturgeons leadership would authorise the trip given the Initiative’s apparent hostility to Scottish nationalism. In March 2018 the organisation solicited from a prominent Scottish journalist, an extensive briefing on the SNP’s internal dynamics and key figures and groups within the wider independence movement which dubbed the independence movement supporters as “separatist loons”.
Another person closely associated with Gethins is: SNP, MP, Stewart McDonald, who became the SNP’s defence spokesperson soon after he was elected to office and went on to establish himself as Westminsters most voluble and zealous advocate for Kiev and in turn also cementing his position as a prominent and pugnacious critic of the Kremlin.
McDonald is also worryingly hostile to the very movement he purports to represent. At a time of rising support for Scottish independence, he publicly argued against holding a second referendum on the question at any point in the near future, claiming doing so before the SNP “[renewed] its case” for seceding from the UK would be “the height of irresponsibility”. Fittingly, Conservative MSP Adam Tomkins was quoted heartily endorsing McDonald’s stance, and attacking “the rest of his party” for not sharing his views. Moreover he launched an extraordinarily vicious broadside against ‘cybernats’ – Scottish independence supporters on social media – accusing a “hardcore fringe” of being “creepy” and “vile”, “spreading poison and cynicism”, and behaving like “obnoxious thugs”.
A casual analysis of Gethins close political relationships identifies him with: Alyn Smith, Jenny Gilruth, Nicola Sturgeon, Peter Murrell, Liz Lloyd, David Clegg and Kezia Dugdale.
The John Smith Centre is a different organisation and is not covered in this article.
The Scottish Charity Regulator report
This is what the Scottish Charity Regulator thought of the organisation: The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator opened an inquiry into the Institute for Statecraft the 13 December 2018, which after 10 months found that “one of its most significant activities, a project known as the Integrity Initiative did not provide public benefit in furtherance of the charity’s purposes”. It also found that trustees had “breached their trustee duties to act with care and diligence in the interest of the charity, some of them to a serious extent”.
23 Jun 2019: Harvie stirs the sh*t at the Edinburgh Pride march
I met up with around a dozen like minded friends aged between 20-60. Some were wearing t-shirts proudly proclaiming “we are Lesbians”. We wanted to ensure lesbians would be visibile yet despite an outward display of confidence we were alerted to an undercurrent of nervousness between the marchers and ourselves. Our apprehension was based on the negative attitude of other groups who did not approve of relationships that excluded men in our choice of partners. Acceptable? Yes!! but only if we conducted our chosen lifestyle in secret.
But we displayed our banners and sang our songs. Other lesbians came up to us and said they wished they had known we were marching and bemoaned the lack of Lesbian spaces and community in Scotland. They waved their hand-made purple and black placards, courageously yet quietly proclaiming their Lesbian existence and relieved to have support and solidarity of like minded people. There was an act of physical aggression against our group when an angry young person grabbed a placard and destroyed it screaming “TERF” but the stewards soon restored order.
But what was chilling and caused fear in our group was the content of speeches from MSPs who addressed the crowd at a pre-march rally, from the top of an open top bus. In particular the words of Patrick Harvie, Green MSP, where he said “I am sorry that this parliament very recently was used as a platform for transphobic hatred and bigotry”. And went on to say he felt compelled to apologise for the undemocratic workings of Parliament, and its decision to put a hold on GRA reform until it had been fully considered and deliberated by a broad range of groups who might be affected and, importantly, the conflation of sex and gender that has infested policy making in Scotland. His speech whipped the crowd into a frenzy, since they had already been warmed up by previous similar speeches. And whilst the promoted theme of the “Pride” was “Be Yourself”, the real focus was not about the right to be loved and to express love without prejudice, it was about “transrights” and only that.
Thanks to the spittle infused rhetoric espoused by Harvie our group’s situation was upscaled from hostile to dangerous. We feared for our safety and attack from the mob, since immediately after, a number of people started shouting “get the TERF’s out” They meant us and we had already been blocked in by some very large people with “Trans” and “Non-Binary” flags draped over their shoulders cancelling out our groups “lesbian visibility” banners.
It later transpired that lesbians had abandoned the march after they had been harassed by “transrights” activists who accused them of being bigots for standing up for female rights and forcing politicians to add their support. Lesbians were no longer welcomed at “Pride” marches.
The views of the vast majority of Scots have been bypassed by politicians at Holyrood who are determined to impose gender neutralism on the nation.
It appears other governments in the UK are ready to embrace and legislate in the same way.
The portents for the future health and wellbeing of our nation are unhealthy.
But there is a better solution. Ask the people to decide the way forward in a referendum.
You have to admire the Australians-use of distorted gender neutral language banned in Australia
The Australian Senate passed a motion banning the use of “distorted” gender-neutral language in official government materials. It stated:
“Fundamental biology and relationships are represented through the following descriptors – mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, boy, girl, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, female, male, man, woman, lady, gentleman, Mr, Mrs, Ms, sir, madam, dad, mum, husband, wife broad scale genuine inclusion cannot be achieved through distortions of biological and relational descriptors.
An individual’s right to choose their descriptors and pronouns for personal use must not dehumanise the human race and undermine gender.
The use of distorted language such as gestational/non-gestational parent, chest-feeding, human milk, lactating parent, menstruators, birthing/non-birthing parent is deprecated and all federal government and federal government funded agencies are not to include these terms in their material, including legislation, websites, employee documentation and training materials”.
The motion was debated in Parliament following a furore over the 2020 publication by the “Gender Institute” of the “Australian National University”, of its “Gender-Inclusive Handbook”, which said that the terms “mother” and “father” should be replaced with “gestational” and “non-gestational” parent.
31 March 1997: Gay mafia buries Scottish Tories – Homosexual links lead to downfall of Scots party.
A gay mafia of young Tory blades has all but buried the party in Scotland. The homosexual links stretch from the party’s grass-roots through to the highest ranks. Scots Secretary Michael Forsyth’s agent Simon Turner – the man running his election campaign – is openly gay. And it was two other ambitious young gays who brought about the downfall of Scots Tory chairman Sir Michael Hirst. They are his former researcher Andrew Barnett and campaign worker Paul Martin.
Barnett yesterday tried to deny any close relationship with Hirst – but a Tory insider said: “The affair was well-known.” The relationship between Hirst and Barnett ended in tears two years ago. Devastated that the affair was over, Barnett poured his heart out to Tory grandees at the Brighton conference in 1995. One Tory source said: “Andrew was made a fool. He was very upset. He is a decent man and I felt sorry for him.” Another Tory close to the debacle at the time said: “Andrew doted on Mickey. But when it was time for him to move on he, understandably, felt spurned.”
Despite the sleaze that has engulfed the party in recent years, there are still some old- fashioned Tories determined to stick to their tradition of family values. It was they who blew the whistle on Hirst because they were sickened by his double standards. The complaint arrived at the desk of Ian Lang, Scots Secretary at the time. Another party insider said: “The matter was referred to Ian Lang, but Hirst denied the affair.”
Barnett’s affair with Hirst began in the early 1990s. The former chairman of the Tory Association at St. Andrews University, was working as a researcher in Hirst’s office. It was the second time Hirst, the promoter of family values, had been embroiled in a homosexual affair with a young Tory hopeful.
He struck up a relationship with Paul Martin who worked in the campaign team in 1987 when Hirst lost the Bearsden and Strathkelvin seat to Labour’s Sam Galbraith. Martin was given the elbow when word spread that he had been talking openly about his fling with father-of-three Hirst.
Concern was growing within the constituency association and Hirst was advised that Martin had to go to avert a scandal. Instead of taking action against Hirst, they moved swiftly to ensure that he was protected and Martin was sent packing.
One source close to the situation at the time said: “The Association was alarmed at all this loose talk and Michael was told he had to get rid of Martin. “He did, but gave him a very good reference to help him get a job. Soon after he stood down he got a top post in the CBI.”
Martin, now 40, had been a Tory councillor in Edinburgh at the age of 21. Three years ago, while employed by the Ministry of Defence, he was at the centre of allegations that he was part of a gay love triangle with English Tory whip Michael Brown and 20-year-old student Adam Morris. He was quite open about his fling with Hirst and boasted about it at a Tory conference. One insider said: “Martin is trouble. He is a vindictive old queen.”
It has been revealed that the gay links with the Tory party stretch from grass-roots wannabes to the very top of the tree. Top Tories have always been uncomfortable with Forsyth’s choice of an open homosexual like Turner for such a high-profile job.
They were also critical of other gay appointments made at the Scottish Tory HQ when Forsyth was party chairman. One source told the Record: “There is always the worry that even a whiff of scandal attached to these people would reflect badly on Forsyth.”
As events unfolded in the Eastwood constituency last week, a small band of high- ranking Tories gathered to make sure Hirst didn’t try to replace Allan Stewart. It was they who tried to get Hirst sidelined two years ago when the Barnett affair broke.
One senior Tory said: “We thought if we didn’t get rid of him he would get rid of us. “No-one listened to us although we tried hard to get him moved to a more junior post. The powers that be are now reaping the inevitable result. “It would not surprise me if someone in our own party shopped Michael to the press because of his own open arrogance.”
The EEC Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) provided £4 billion to the UK.
Scotland’s share was approximately £850 million.
In addition EEC Rural Development and Social Funds provided around £160 million.
Total £1.10 Billion annually.
The entire budget was transferred to Westminster at the time the UK left the EEC and there it sits today.
Square the foregoing with today’s Westminster announcement of £177miliion levelling up” finance. Projects sharing £177m in Scotland are:
£27m for a new ferry between Shetland and the Fair Isle.
£20m to help turn Arbuthnot House in Aberdeenshire into a museum and library as well as modernising Macduff Aquarium.
Refurbishment of the Palace Theatre in Kilmarnock, costing £20m.
Re-routing of the A78 dual-carriageway to improve Greenock – £20m.
Regeneration of Riverside Park in Fife (£19.4m) and the Forthside area of Stirling (£19m).
£14m multi-storey car park redevelopment in Dundee.
More than £9m for regeneration work in Cumbernauld.
Nearly £11.3m to free up land at a former coal-fired power station.
Almost £18m to help Dumfries and Galloway turn redundant spaces and buildings into new cultural and leisure opportunities.
The Tory government in Scotland trumpets that direct financing of projects from Westminster is wonderful but Scotland is being short changed by around £823 million.
caltonjock 
