With German “Geordie”, preferring to remain in Germany the newly created United Kingdom was governed by proxy.
The shift of power transferred from the monarch to a council of ministers comprised of Conservatives and Whigs.
The Whigs proved to be the most dominant of the groups and very quickly grew their powerbase at Westminster then extended it to include Scotland, with the active assistance of sycophantic Scottish lords and landowners.
Sir Robert Walpole, The Lord Chancellor, (who later promoted himself as the first-ever Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) took charge of the government in England and quickly extended his powers to include Scotland by roping into the Westminster government a number of Scottish lords who sycophantically toadied to Walpole and to England.
The Scots were pacified by those they thought would defend their rights.
The political establishment continued to exercise control over policy in Scotland through the patronage of the Whigs, but the appearance of freedom was “smoke and mirrors” since it was Walpole and his Westminster government that dictated political events in the United Kingdom.
The servile deference of Scots to the Whig government at Westminster brought with it the contempt of an English Westminster political elite, who viewed them as being open to corrupt influence and especially bribery.
By 1725, the Whigs hold over Scotland and Scottish politics was absolute. The Scottish Secretary, (The Earl of Newcastle) was so confident of his governments’ power he publically stated Scotland to be a nation with, “the reputation of so much complaisance for the powers in being”.
But the complaisance of the Scots was sorely tried in the period 1720-1730 by a Walpole government that destroyed Scottish goodwill through the imposition of a series of financial and legal policies favouring privileged English landholders over Scottish consumers.
Walpole transfers taxation From Landowners to the masses
The Whig agenda under the leadership of Walpole, Lord Chamberlin, was a redistribution of the United Kingdoms tax burden.
The first part of this revenue restructuring programme involved replacing land taxes (helping the rich get richer) with commodities taxes (making the poor even poorer).
The shift to commodities taxes was purely political and through it Walpole greatly reduced the tax burden on landholders, gaining their allegiance to his Whig Party, and followed this up by transferring the tax burden away from England to Scotland.
Walpole’s supporters argued that the treaty of the union “supposed and required equality of taxes between England and Scotland” and it would be unconstitutional for Scots, despite their comparative poverty, to pay a penny less than their wealthy southern neighbours. The imposition of many regressive forms of taxation resulted in a significant increase in the tax burden of Scots balanced, with a massive decrease in taxation on the English rich. Insidious forms of repression that have never been reversed.
The Malt Tax Crisis, 1724–5
The English government first attempted to introduce a levy on Scottish malt in 1713, but this failed. But Scots anticipated that Westminster would seek to impose its will at some future date. And it did.
In December 1724 Walpole introduced a proposal to impose a 6d. excise in Scotland on every barrel of ale, (Subsequently reduced to 3d after intense lobbying).
The Scottish response was fast and furious. Scots took to the streets in protest and freeholders in all of the Scottish cities refused to collect the tax, preferring to close their establishments. Petitions were sent to the Westminster government fully supported by all Scottish politicians including those of a Whig persuasion.
Scottish concern about the malt tax was equally about principle and poverty. They believed that Scotland’s poverty made it unable to bear the same share of public burdens as its rich neighbour to the south and if they backed off from the issue the Whig government would introduce more punitive taxes in the future. Enough was enough!! But the legislation was introduced in the face of all of Scotlands opposition
Riots protesting the malt tax swept across Scotland’s cities over the summer of 1725. There were consequences. In June 1725, about 100 people gathered in Glasgow and marched on the City’s town house and destroyed it. The morning after, a company of English soldiers was deployed to the city to take control of a number of buildings important to the revenue office. The crowd beat them back, and they retreated to barracks.
In July 1725, the brewers of Edinburgh joined together and agreed to stop brewing beer until the malt tax was lifted. Whig politicians worried that it would drive an already unhappy city into outright rebellion and arrested four or five leading Edinburgh brewers, a tactic which scared forty of their fellow brewers into breaking the strike within the week.
In August Logie, the Whig MP for Dundee, was attacked and might have killed but for his rescue by English soldiers.
The Westminster government responded by deploying a large English military force, under General Wade, to “march into the City of Glasgow and strike terror into the mutineers in the west”. This he did with great gusto, by first attacking, then firing upon protestors, killing several people, following this up with the imposition of “Martial Law” and strict curfews and movement of the civilian population.
The Whigs then exacted retribution against the City of Glasgow by arresting a number of City Magistrates and trying them for the crime of “malversation”. The humiliating public trial of Glasgow’s elected officials was both a warning of the costs of challenging Whig power and a reminder to a colony unwilling to accept its subservience to the whims of the Westminster government.
By arresting elected city officials on trumped-up charges and putting a major Scottish city under military occupation, the Whig ministry displayed a criminal lack of regard for Scotland’s sense of political autonomy and proved yet again that they viewed Scotland as a subordinate colony whose sovereignty and institutions meant nothing to them.
Summary
Commodities taxes like the malt tax disproportionately affected poorer Scots, raising the price of malted barley, which was used not only to make ale but also bread. And beer production which was an important industry in economically downtrodden Scotland.
The malt tax crisis of 1724–5, was an attack on the survival of many Scots and it exposed the Whigs’ financial agenda and disregard for Scottish autonomy and convinced many Whig supporting Scottish politicians that the party did not have Scotlands best interests at heart.
Their protests resulted in them losing the patronage of Walpole and his Westminster government, and they were forced to resign from office. But many Scottish Whig ministers elected to support the actions of their government against Scotland and retained their positions of authority.
The Westminster government “shot itself in the foot” with the imposition of the malt tax, since in doing so it alienated Scotland’s Lowland cities that had been had thought to be bastions of Hanoverian Whig support. The loyalties of many Glasgow inhabitants shifted away from the Whigs.
At Westminster, efforts by Scottish representatives to repeal the tax proved futile, though the Whig ministry, in an effort to appease their Whig allies, agreed to apply any tax revenue over £20,000 to a new Board of Trustees for Improving Fisheries and Manufactures, which came into operation in 1727.
The provision, though better than nothing, was hardly a capitulation since England had already promised—and failed—to provide these funds several decades earlier upon passage of the act of union.
The malt tax crisis drew to a close with the Whig ministry completely victorious, though that victory would come with certain political costs. Although these events never turned into an insurrection the incident had a significant impact on the course of Anglo-Scottish party politics.
Women are facing delays of more than a year in getting support at some rape crisis centres, and one hub has had to close its waiting list. Ten of 16 regional services reported waiting times getting longer over the past 12 months, according to information released by the Scottish Government. Victims are waiting too long for help, and Edinburgh’s centre has stopped offering new appointments.
Rape Crisis Scotland slammed the “agonizing waits” women face, and called for all parties to commit to proper funding for services in their manifestos ahead of the Holyrood election in May.
The group’s chief executive Sandy Brindley said: “Rape crisis services should be available at the point of need but far too many survivors of sexual violence face agonising waits for support due to inadequate funding. We are asking all political parties going into the election to commit to sustainable funding for essential services like ours. Access to support when you need it should be the very least we can offer to anyone who has been raped or sexually abused.”
Central Scotland MSP Ms Lennon, whose parliamentary question uncovered the figures, added: “It beggars belief that Nicola Sturgeon’s own constituents in Glasgow are having to wait up to 12 months and in Edinburgh the year-long waiting list is currently closed. Rape survivors deserve better than these shocking delays. The SNP has had 14 years to deliver sustainable funding for rape crisis centres and has failed. We need bold action to fix this.”
Comment: The financial support to Rape Crisis Scotland and its sister organisations is hopelessly inadequate. Many “very real” incidents of rape and sexual assault on women in Scotland are not being investigated which galls many who regarded the unwarranted Alex Salmond debacle a travesty. (The Sun)
The blatant abuse of power by the SNP Government
Alex Salmond retired from the Scottish political scene in 2014 and was enjoying a new career as a political commentator with his own very succesful weekly show when, early in 2018, he was notified by an ex-colleague that he was under investigation by the Civil Service who were following up historical (2013) complaints against him from two former work associates. The sequence of events from that time until very recently caused great distress for Alex, his family and friends.
Alex was hounded from pillar to post, day-after-day, week-after-week, month-after-month, year-after-year, by “establishment” figures including those from the civil service, former colleagues, (many of whom owed their political careers to Alex) solicitors, law officers, the police, unscrupulous journalists, government funded Rape Crisis organisations, whose persistent warped press announcements on events as they unravelled caused the complainers great distress.
The attacks on his integrity and behaviour were aired in the highest court of the land and anyone who wished to be heard was given the opportunity to state their case against him to a judge and jury (primarily female). Every charge levelled against Alex was dismissed, a number scathingly commented upon by the judge as being far fetched and short on truth.
The court case and high profile inquiry’s all fully vindicated Alex and should have seen an end to the snide comments and the political and personal smears and innuendo’s but they persist, primarily fanned by persons whom Alex counted as friends.
Cost estimates to the taxpayer attributed to the vindictive and shambolic government pursuit of Alex Salmond vary between £5-£7m. Money which would have been better spent by Rape Crisis Scotland clearing up a massive backlog of genuine sexual assaults on women in Scotland
02 Mar 2018: Sex scandals in Scottish parliament under Nicola Sturgeon’s watch
The publication date, early March 2018, is very relevant. This was a Scottish Government survey conducted right at the start of the efforts to destroy the reputation of Alex Salmond.
The report was a political bombshell, and yet it never appeared in any of the copious senior management texting correspondence. Nicola Sturgeon maintained she knew nothing about anything, which is impossible to believe since she read and commented on the document.
The October 2017, “Me2” campaign and the Westminster sex scandal arising from it prompted the completion of a confidential survey of people employed at Holyrood, including MSPs, their staff, parliamentary workers, and news reporters. Over 1000 individuals responded and the results were shocking.
The Holyrood sexual harassment report was sent to Nicola Sturgeon at the beginning of March 2018. It listed more than 200 allegations of harassment, most dating from 2016. Of the 137 women who said they had been sexually harassed, 67 reported that the perpetrator was an MSP.The report was quickly buried, and only Alex Salmond was put through the ringer. Why?
The findings showed that Holyrood perpetrators were nearly always male, regardless of the gender of the victim and in the majority of cases, the alleged perpetrator was in a position of authority.
Reports included 5 instances where the perpetrator had attempted to pinch or grope the victim’s bottom, and 10 where they had tried to kiss their victim. There was even 1 attempt to grope the breast of a woman, and another attempt to grab at a victim’s crotch.
The report also indicated that victims and their perpetrators were “most likely” to come from the same group of people. Nine of the 13 MSPs who had reported sexual harassment said their abuser had been another MSP.
Some 40 percent of respondents said they had been targeted by a parliamentary worker, and a further 20 percent by a member of MSPs’ staff. The total percentage exceeds 100 percent, as some respondents reported more than one case of harassment.
A total of 29 percent of respondents – which is approximately 300 people – said they had witnessed sexual harassment. One-in-five women said they had received sexist comments, 16 percent reported unwanted looks or leers, and another nine percent reported unwanted physical contact.
Of concern was that 11 people who had reported harassment said their cases were not taken seriously or acted on by their managers, while four said their complaints had caused problems for them at work. Most had taken no action at all, and a quarter of respondents said they didn’t feel confident that they knew how to report such incidents. (Sputnik)
The Scottish National party (SNP) is the only party in Scotland that cannot provide evidence of overhauling its sexual harassment policy following the #MeToo revelations of November 2017. This after a confidential survey conducted on 01 March 2018 found that one in 10 staff had experienced sexual harassment, 45% of whom said that the perpetrator was an MSP.
After note: All political parties, apart from the SNP, introduced revised procedures after 2017. Asked for comment, the SNP said it “continually looks to improve [its] policies and processes” and planned to introduce, in time, trained sexual harassment advisers.
The SNP is the only party which did not at the time display a code of conduct and relevant harassment policy on its website, or offer an easily searchable contact phone numbers or email to make a complaint. Indeed, the SNP code of conduct made no mention of sexual harassment specifically. (Guardian)
A previous article outlined events from the introduction of the two crowns through to the period up to the imposition of the 1707 Treaty of Union by England, on Scotland.
In the latter part of the sixteenth and the first years of the seventeenth century, the English first tried to woo Scotland into entering an arrangement which would lead to an agreement to join the kingdoms in a union. But Scots who had endured many English invasions rejected the overtures.
The velvet glove approach being rejected England reverted to type and set about destroying the Scottish economy through the imposition of shipping blockades, the application of hefty import taxes on Scottish goods, destruction of Scottish commercial ventures in the Americas and Europe.
It was to be submission to English rule or destruction a process that took nearly 20 years to complete, but famine, English naval and land army blockades coupled with military and financial coercion of European countries into avoiding trade with Scotland brought hardship and death on Scots.
The final and most deplorable betrayal of Scotland was by its own King, aided greatly by the equally treacherous Spanish, who approved the destruction of the Darien community in the Panama Isthmus. This proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back and brought the Scots to the negotiating table.
The English, well chuffed with their conquest declined to negotiate but tabled take it or leave it conditions, the signing of which would bind Scotland to England in a treaty of union. Scots may have been on their knees but they were unbowed and told the English to get stuffed. But Scots were betrayed yet again, this time by an unelected cabal of Scottish lords who sold their country out on the promise of the settlement of their personal debts.
In part two I am highlighting events of significance in the early years after the signing of the Acts of Union. Would the English honour their vows?? Dream on !
1707 Acts of Union – The Early years
Queen Anne was succeeded by her second cousin Sophia in 1714, then Sophia’s son, George I, Elector of Hanover. German “Geordie”, did not speak English and was not actively involved in the government of his new United Kingdom preferring to exercise physical control over his German kingdoms.
This resulted in a shift of power away from the monarch to his council of ministers, the head of which was Sir Robert Walpole who promoted himself as the first-ever Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Scotland’s economy declined markedly as a direct result of the union which brought about a major change in the marketing of goods including the removal of tariffs on goods moving between the countries.
Scottish industries such as linen manufacturing suffered badly because they were no longer shielded from English competition.
The Westminster government’s decision to equalize taxation across the United Kingdom increased taxes in Scotland fivefold and was a hammer blow to Scots who had always enjoyed much lower rates of taxation.
The increased taxation impacted adversely on key Scottish industries. The key Scottish fishing industry was subjected to debilitating new salt taxes.
But the English needed the money to pay for their expansionist policies and wars against France, Spain and other European nations, many of whom had been allied to Scotland for centuries.
Westminster also introduced customs and excise control which brought with it the employment of a huge number of customs and excise officers who enforced many new bureaucratic procedures. The result was a further marked increase in poverty as finance was taken away from Scotland to feed the gluttony of the English parliament at Westminster.
Adding insult to injury the Westminster government blatantly abused the terms of the Acts of Union in reneging on a written commitment to make payment of a substantial manufacturing support payment to Scotland for seven years from 1707.
Westminster reluctantly agreed to make the payment, after nearly 20 years of political standoff. But only then when it was balanced against a removal of a number of tax exemptions. This type of behaviour added insult to injury and would be well-practiced in the years that followed.
In 1713 the Westminster Tory government decided, without consultation to flex it’s authority over the Scots and extend the English malt tax to Scotland provoking major public protests and noncompliance forcing the government to withdraw the tax.
The event was viewed as the culmination of many acts against the wellbeing of Scots and came very close to destroying already frosty relationships between Scotland and England. Indeed inter country relationships became so strained that a Scottish-led motion to commence proceedings to dissolve the Union came extremely close to passing in the House of Lords, failing by just four votes.
The Earl of Mar rebelled against the Westminster Abuse of Power
Although a Jacobite and against his better judgement he supported the signing of the Acts of Union and pledged his allegiance to German Geordie, but took umbrage when, on arrival in England, the king publicly snubbed him when he welcomed him to the United Kingdom on behalf of the Scottish nation.
The then “Third Secretary for Great Britain” responded to the insult to Scotland and proposed a resolution to have the Acts of Union repealed. When this failed he resigned and returned to Scotland where he continued to agitate for the repeal of the Union.
On 1 September 1715, he raised a standard for “King James VIII” at Braemar and gathered an army of around 10,000 men which gained some successes in the North and East of Scotland. But he made three strategic errors.
James, who was resident in France had not been advised about the planned uprising.
He failed to coordinate his challenge with similar uprisings occurring in England
He was, as events proved, a poor tactician. At the Battle of Sheriffmuir, North of Dunblane on 13 November 1715, a large part of his army advancing from Perth met a much smaller government force under John Campbell, the 2nd Duke of Argyll. The Jacobite’s won the ensuing short battle but Mar failed to march on Glasgow and Edinburgh, a move that would have consolidated his position. Instead, he returned to Perth to regroup and lost the initiative.
Meantime James Stuart was only able to reach Scotland from France on 22 December, when he landed at Peterhead: he was too late, the uprising was all but over. The Jacobite’s abandoned Perth on 31 January 1716, and on 4 February James Stuart and John Erskine, 23rd Earl of Mar, sailed out of Montrose, bound for France. Neither would ever return.
The Westminster government got lucky when it weathered the Jacobite uprising of 1715. A crisis generated by the avarice, greed and a flawed mindset of the victor basking in the glory of conquest. Its arrogant post-union behaviour towards Scotland inflicted extreme hardship on Scots’ through the imposition of hugely unfair taxes and many other oppressive acts.
The oath which is sworn by all judges as a statement of principles and ethics and is in place to protect the public from judicial bias. But is its safeguards sufficient to permit the introduction of Judge only trials in sexual assault and rape cases
Critics of Lady Dorrian’s proposal contend that the act of removing trial by jury introduces the probability of bias that a defendant accused of rape or sexual assault is guilty. So trial by a judge starts with the accused being considered guilty and the defending barrister needs to prove beyond doubt that their client is innocent. Rough justice indeed!!!
Recusal also needs to be considered but the is impossible to enforce since judges are not required to declare their outside interests.
Will the judge be female where the accuser is a female and the reverse if it is a male. ?
Where do transgender people fit? Is the defendant provided with a choice of judge?
Should judges be required to hear all the defendant’s evidence?
Will judges be compelled by law to declare their sexuality before a trial?
Behaviour traits are likely to be raised in the course of a trial and this could influence a judge’s decision eg: Should a judge guilty of enjoying a number of illicit sexual relationships with married lovers, (to the detriment of their marriage) preside over cases of accusations of marital assault?
There are many more questions that need to be asked and answered before any change in the existing procedures are contemplated
Conclusion
The conduct of the Scottish judiciary (see the article below) does not inspire confidence that the introduction of Judge only trials would improve the existing provisions which have been in place for many years. An adversarial trial in the presence of a jury should remain on statute.
The ‘Magic Circle’scandal that shook the Scottish legal profession.
Claims about a group of gay judges and lawyers allegedly involved in a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice promoted an inquiry that failed to substantiate any allegations, and no criminal wrongdoing by members of the bench was ever uncovered. Rumours about the sexuality of senior judges erupted into the public domain with Lord Dervaird’s abrupt resignation on 22 December, which followed a meeting with Mr Rifkind and the Lord President of the Court of Session, Lord Hope.
Allegations of a homosexual network within the Scottish legal establishment have been circulating for several years among lawyers, politicians and journalists.
Even the suspicion that such a network might exist and be interfering with the judicial process clouded the relationship between police, who assemble cases, and the Crown Office (the equivalent of the English Director of Public Prosecutions), which decides whom to prosecute.
The rumours were given substance when Scottish newspaper editors were called to the home of Lord Hope, Lord President of the Court of Session, Scotland’s senior judge, to be told, unattributably, that three judges had been questioned about homosexual activities. The number shocked the legal establishment.
All the judges involved were in the Court of Session, the supreme court of Scotland, where there are only 24 judges. One allegation involved two judges entertaining young homosexuals at a cottage in south-west Scotland. Another involved the appearance, briefly, of a judge at a homosexual disco.
The 11-page leaked report, by a senior detective from Lothian and Borders Police, details facts and speculation surrounding Crown Office decision not to prosecute in some cases and to abandon others. The five cases mentioned in the report are:
A fraud involving a six-figure sum and involving a Scottish- based building firm;
An investigation surrounding embezzlement in a collapsed solicitor’s firm, where the two partners involved were homosexual;
A three-year inquiry into an alleged mortgage fraud in which a leading advocate was a suspect;
The withdrawal of 47 of the 57 charges brought in a case concerning claims by a 16-year-old boy who ran away from a children’s home. His claims led to an inquiry into a network of homosexuals who used a male prostitute to procure young men for sex. Five of the 10 accused walked free, one went to trial and was found not proven and the remaining four pleaded guilty to reduced charges;
Calls for top judge to quit over Rangers malicious prosecution cases
It is feared the total bill for the disastrous decision to prosecute those involved in the administration of Rangers will cost the public more than £100million.
It is just over a century since women first gained the right to vote. Today their female descendents in Scotland continue to shape the evolving SNP.
Nicola Sturgeon is the first female First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party. On the importance of equality for women, she said:
“Celebrating a century of women’s suffrage is a great occasion. Not only does it remind us of women’s achievements – it provides the opportunity to inject new momentum into encouraging more women into politics and public life. While we’ve come a long way since 1918, much still needs to be done if we are to eradicate gender inequality and create a fairer and more prosperous country. Equality for women is at the heart of our vision for an equal Scotland. Our resolve is to use the powers we have – powers which in many ways we owe to the suffrage movement.
But Sturgeon’s rhetoric and the politics of her Party don’t match since her efforts and those she has gathered around her are evidenced by Scotland’s reputation as the fastest growing most unequal society in Western Europe.
Sturgeons Women
Mhairi Black:
MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South and the youngest MP in 350 years. Her message to young women who want to get involved in politics today is: “Have courage of conviction. Know your stuff inside and out and don’t be intimidated.”
Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “While I am leader, the administration of Glasgow City Government will be an unashamedly feminist one.
We will have women and women’s priorities and family priorities absolutely at the centre of our policies, in the political decision-making process.”
The Reality is Derelict libraries, shuttered museums and austerity max. Take a look at what the SNP administration has done to Glasgow, if you can stomach it.
Destitution, litter, fly-tipping, drug deaths, pothole-strewn roads, shuttered shops — and a city centre locked in a seemingly unstoppable downward spiral…
Of course Covid has contributed to these dire straits, but it only accelerated a process already well under way — and there’s even worse to come with a fresh round of swingeing cuts.
The city famously hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014, but now it’s emerged that 40 sports venues or pitches, five libraries, and 11 community centres or halls will stay shut following lockdown. Three museums are also listed as not due for re-opening, including the city’s historic Scotland Street School, though it will ultimately be turned into a nursery under plans approved as the second lockdown hit. (Graham-Grant)
Kirsten Oswald:
As Business Convener for the SNP she was responsible for overseeing operational matters and chairing the National Executive Committee and National Conference on female representation:
SNP Chair and East Renfrewshire MP Oswald was slammed for her party’s lack of co-operation with the Scottish Parliamentary inquiry into the Scottish Government’s botched handling of alleged harassment complaints against Alex Salmond. Asked repeatdly to clarify exactly when she became aware of the Peter Murrell, SNP Chief Executive texts advocating “pressure” be put on Police Scotland to investigate Mr Salmond and if she informed other party officials and what other action, if any, she, as chair, took. There has only ever been silence.
Oswld and SNP financial matters: Another scandal in which Oswald attacked long serving and loyal officers of the party for daring to expose potential fraud:
Question Time – Sturgeon lied and no amount of whataboutery from Oswald can save her
When challenged over the First Minister’s misleading of the Scottish Parliament, Kirsten Oswald MP did what the SNP have been getting away with doing for years — shifting the blame;
Changing the subject and making irrelevant comparisons with others. Oswald quickly pivoted to say it would be “inconceivable” to imagine the Prime Minister taking part in an eight hour committee session as Sturgeon had done.
Her clunky gear change caused Private Eye editor and fellow panellist Ian Hislop to pounce. With his trademark quizzical expression, he asked: “Do we have to change the subject, can we get back to Nicola Sturgeon please? I know it’s very impolite to interrupt but why are we talking about Boris?
Oswald repeated her wholly irrelevant comparison.
Hislop fired back: “He hasn’t lost £500,000 of public and given it to Alex Salmond. Can we never talk about Scotland, does it always have to be referred back down here? This tactic has got a name — whatabooutism (or whataboutery) — and has its roots in Soviet Russian propaganda. The SNP are its modern-day masters. The Nationalists came to power in Scotland in large part by relentlessly blaming everyone else, especially the UK government, for all of Scotland’s problems. For years under Sturgeon, the SNP have presided over a series of unmitigated scandals and incompetence. Our once world-leading education system has fallen down international rankings; infrastructure projects arrive late and massively over budget; the justice system is at breaking point. I could go on. But whenever anyone dares challenge their woeful record of misrule, whataboutery is deployed with a shameless zeal that would make the Politburo blush.
The sick kids’ hospital in Edinburgh late and over budget … what about English NHS waiting lists? An SNP MP travelled between England and Scotland knowing she was Covid-positive … what about Dominic Cummings? Sturgeon misled parliament … what about UK ministers? The difficulty is that after being in complete control of large swathes of devolved power for so long, the SNP’s finger pointing routine is wearing a bit thin. With power comes responsibility. (Lucia Gomez)
Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse and Minister for Older People and Equalities and Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Dunfermline and Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People rake in an extra £65k and 50K on top of their near £70k salaries as MSP’s yet neither woman has raised a single motion relating to the elderly or the scandal of 1,949 Covid-19 deaths in Scottish care homes. And adding insult to injury they refused to support calls for the appointment of a Commissioner for Older People in Scotland to safeguard human rights, despite the creation of a similar post in England and Northern Ireland.
Elderly rights campaigner Helen Biggins said: “What is the point of having these ministers if they are not going to do their jobs and stand up for old people? Both Shirley-Anne Somerville and Christina McKelvie have said very little that I have heard to stick up for the citizens they are being paid well to represent. They have been missing in action. It is as if they think the part of their job to represent older people is a thing tagged on the end that they would rather forget about. The past six months have seen horrific deaths in care homes and in the community, as well as thousands of people really struggling in isolation. Serious questions need to be answered, yet these ministers don’t want to appoint a Commissioner for Older People. I think they should at least have to explain why that is and also explain why they have failed to table motions relating to older people since the beginning of this pandemic.”
Serious concerns have been raised over the elderly being pressured to sign Do Not Resuscitate notices and the transfer of Covid-19 patients into care homes, and hundreds of families remain furious at restrictions on care home visiting rights.
Just for the record: McKelvie and Somerville have lodged a series of motions with the Scottish Parliament since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. But none of them relate to the plight of older people, despite their job titles and the loss of life in nursing homes and hospitals. Since March, none of Somerville’s nine motions or McKelvie’s two have related to the elderly. McKelvie’s ones were calling for Parliament to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and in support of new laws on female genital mutilation. Somerville, meanwhile, lodged a motion calling for Parliament to support human rights for ethnic minority groups through Covid-19, for better social security support for children and in support of civil partnerships. A no comment response was received in answer to a request for comment from the persons concerned. The Scottish Government confirmed that a Commissioner for Older People was not under consideration (Daily Record)
Councillor Mhairi Hunter, Convener for Health and Social Care Integration on Glasgow City Council and Carer for her dad: On why she’s involved in politics, she said: “I was brought up in a political household in London so it was quite normal to be involved in politics and be active. What makes me continue to be involved is just believing people together can achieve a fairer society and can improve the quality of life for people.”
So square that with this: Mhairi Hunter and Jennifer Layden are both senior councillors in Glasgow whose roles are regarded as a full-time commitment because of their additional responsibilities over a backbench councillor who is paid at two-thirds of the full time rate. The full-time rate can vary depending on the nature of the role and according to Glasgow’s Register of Interests Layden is paid a salary of £35,000 while Hunter receives £26,000.
Yet both SNP councillors have other paid jobs – Layden works in Humza Yousaf’s office having previously enjoyed a similar role in Margaret Ferrier’s, while Hunter has a role in none other than Nicola Sturgeon’s office and a separate paid commitment as a member of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board.
But of course councillors should be properly remunerated – The independent (SLARC) committee recommended a new salary structure for elected councillors in Scotland in 2006. But the committee is being systematically abused because no one has been scrutinising its work since the former SNP finance minister, Derek Mackay – who resigned in disgrace of course, decided that independent oversight was no longer necessary and that the SLARC committee should be disbanded. The upshot is that we have large sums of public money being used to pay Glasgow councillors decent salaries to perform a wide range of part-time and full-time jobs – yet these salaries are also being topped up by Holyrood and Westminster SNP MSPs and MPs employing councillors in their offices. The system is being ‘gamed’ when the public interest demands independent scrutiny, openness and transparency.
Kirsty Blackman MP for Aberdeen North – former Deputy Westminster Leader. On the importance of diversity in politics, she said: “I am so passionate about trying to improve parliament to make it better reflect the diversity of those who live in our country. Being a member of parliament should not be a job only for middle-aged men. I believe better laws and decisions are made if they’re proposed and scrutinised by folk from a wide variety of backgrounds. I first became an elected councillor in Aberdeen when I was 21. Politics isn’t about making speeches in parliament or in council chambers – it’s about the people we help every day and the positive impact we can make in our communities.”
But what about Scottish nationalism?
She is markedly less keen to talk about Scottish independence, the SNP’s founding principle. She says she is not in Westminster to pressure the government for a referendum. “I don’t think most folk in their daily lives give two hoots about whether Scotland is a member of the union. The constitutional issues are not the biggest concern for an awful lot of people and, in fact, I very rarely talk about Scottish independence in the chamber.”
One of the most disturbing group of exchanges between women and Blackman revealing just how dangerous Sturgeon, Blackman and her ilk are to the future of Scotland.
Blackman embodies everything that is wrong with the SNP. She gives the petulant children a voice and sees no consequences for using ‘Feelings as Facts’.They egg her on and she likes to liked by them. Expertise and ability are nothing compared to ‘likes’. No doubt she will retreat into her personal problems as so many of the OutforIndy crowd do when confronted and it dawns on her what she has done. She was not up to her job as deputy Leader and the difference in competence between her and Cherry is so wide as to be ridiculous when you think of the role she had. Perhaps she got a few home truths as to her abilities and productivity? Like so many of her ilk she sees clever troublesome women as a problem. Better to all support each other’s incompetence and say how nice they all are. After that is what matters apparently. ‘Be kind’ Kirsty, that is the mantra isn’t it? Except when you are setting the hounds on a colleague with your shrill dog whistle. I know who I would want in my corner in the existential battle for Scotland and its people and it isn’t a woman who speaks, dresses and behaves like a overwrought toddler.
Joan Sturgeon Mother of Nicola, a long-standing SNP activist and former Provost of North Ayrshire Council. On women leading the way, Joan said: “As the mother of a female political leader I have seen how difficult it can be to be taken as seriously as men in the political arena. Through history it was mainly women though who kept the home, saw to the children and dealt with the tasks thought to be beneath men….that takes strength and determination.
The North Ayrshire PPI Scandal
A contract was signed by North Ayrshire Council (NAC) for a PPP/PFI deal to build 4 schools. The council is now paying £1million a month to service the debt, and will be until about 2038.
At the time and leading up to its signature there were concerns amongst councillors about lack of transparency and procedures. A police investigation was launched in 2006 and “found no criminality”.
But the investigative skills of reporter Campbell Martin exposed clear evidence casting doubt as the probity of the bidding procedure (one of the two competitors was clearly a shell company created to give impression of multi-bidding. So there was no competition. Goddness and the police missed the obvious!!! Did they really investigate as they claimed they had?
Campbell Martin’s exposure rattled cages in the council and wiider afield and in February 2018, the Council, despite an amount of obfuscation and delaying tactics by senior Council officers asked the police to investigate the allegations again.
Feedback from the police revealed nothing new and reporter Campbell Martin submitted a number of Freedom of Information requests to the police whichlargely went unanswered. And despite a formal intervention from the Data protection ombudsman to release full details of their investigations not a lot was released
But the ever dogged Campbel Martin kept on digging and finally revealed a “can of worms” so rotten even Sturgeon would not take the bait.
A bitter pill for the taxpayer to swallow was the action of a senior civil servant who, as a member of the government’s PFI team responsible for the imposition of the then Coalition government’s PFI policies attended a meeting with North Ayrshire Council councillors armed with with a brief to practice “mushroom management” and reveal little information of any consquence. Best for all concerned if theu councilllors were to be stonewalled. Which they duly were. The civil sevant was Leslie Evans!!!
Fast forward a few years and a slap in the face for Nicola Sturgeon’s mother,(Provost of North Ayrshire Council) when her daughter chose the self same Leslie Evans to be her Permanent Secretary in the Scottish Government. A decision without logic!!
Councillor Rhiannon Spear represents Greater Pollok on Glasgow City Council and is an elected member of National Council. On her own personal experience in politics, Rhiannon said: “My experience of being a young woman in politics is the very reason why I will continue to campaign for change. My experiences of sexism has been frequent and at times severe. No party is immune but within the SNP I have found a space that allows my voice to be heard and allows me to encourage more young women to let their voices be heard, long may that continue.”
Personality
She is strikingly attractive, highly intelligent and gifted with a natural ability to attract attention, unfortunately not always to her benefit. She is feisty, strong willed and determined to succeed at any task she is minded to take on. She is media savvy and possesses first class skills including the production of excellent graphics for social media presentation and discussion. One of her many character weaknesses is her abject inability to accept criticism and her single-minded approach to her work. She needs to learn that political life is not a Religion and she is not the Pope.
WOKE
She is the driving force behind informal WOKE campaigning individuals, groups, charities and formal groups promoting and implementing WOKE agenda’s in all of the state schools in Scotland. The bulk of WOKE activities, including resources and staffing, (£3-5M) is funded by the Scottish taxpayer through the SNP government. The unhealthy influence of WOKE minded politicians is being planted across all aspects of Scottish society as each day passes.
Politics
Joined the SNP in 2011. Jointly founded Generation Yes, the national youth campaign for independence in the run up to the 2014 referendum. National Convenor of YSI for two years from 2015–17. Elected to the SNP’s NEC in 2016. Scottish Parliament Candidate for the Glasgow List in 2016. Elected Councillor for Greater Pollok in 2017. Successfully proposed motions at SNP Conference on all female lists, inclusive education and raising the age of military recruitment to 18. Chairs TIE an LBGTI government funded charity which is remitted to support Scottish Education bodies providing LGBT-inclusive education in Scottish Schools. Actively promoted the #Metoo movement denouncing sexual harassment on campus at University of Glasgow.
Charlotte Armitage is an SNP activist and National Equalities Officer for YSI. On her personal experience, Charlotte said: “As a young woman in politics, I know how it feels to be dismissed, or valued only for how I look rather than what I say. It is this reason why it is so important that we continue to campaign for gender equality and societal change, just like our suffrage sisters did before us. We have achieved hugely notable changes in the last 100 years and it is encouraging to see many strong female leaders in Scottish politics today. However, women remain underrepresented, harassed and in threat of violence. To me it is clear there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve absolute gender equality, but I am confident that the SNP is paving the way for an Independent Scotland that has gender equality at the forefront.”
Australian-born Deidre Brock is MP for Edinburgh North and Leith. On helping other women, Deidre said: “A century ago some women got the vote. It took ten more years to get the same terms as men. In 2018 politics is a better place, but still an unequal place, and the best tribute to the women who led the way is to keep the campaign rolling.
Reach out a hand to help another woman up; be a role model so girls growing up today know it’s normal to have women in politics; stretch the hand of sisterhood across political divides – you don’t have to agree with her to defend her right to speak; look to the future and work for a better and more equal tomorrow.”
WestminsterCareer politician: Front-bench MP in the SNP group with responsibility for Devolved Government and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Sits on the Scottish Affairs Committee and is a member of a number of cross-party groups. Not a great deal of evidence to support any claims that she is interested in campaigning for Scottish independence. Most likely leans towards federalism.
Lari Don Born in Chile, and travelled widely in South and Central America as a child, before her family settled in North East …is a children’s author and a local activist in Edinburgh North and Leith. On creating our future, Lari said: “As a writer, I spend a lot of time talking to kids about characters solving their own problems. I also tell lots of myths and legends where the girl doesn’t wait for a boy with a big sword to save her from the dragon. My feminism and my support for an independent Scotland come from the same determination not to wait for someone else to define and sort out our problems. Now, the ‘big boy with the sword’ next door is the one causing most of our problems. It’s time to use our votes to create our own future…”
Farah Farzana is an SNP activist and Women’s and Equalities Officer for her local branch. On her personal experiences in politics, Farah said: “As a local election candidate, I became aware of the lack of equal and proportionate representation in local authorities. The SNP have led in gender balance but more work needs to be done to create an ethnicity balance too. If we don’t speak up for justice and fairness, then we will only hinder our progress.”
But BAME is what drives her politics. A summary of her argument in support of centralised directed selection
The 2021 election saw the first use of an equality mechanism in candidate selection. Not all members agreed with the strategy, posing the question, should selection of candidates come down to the person most capable, or is there more to it? But there are a fair number of people within the Party from minority ethnic groups who are more than capable of becoming an elected member. So why so are there so few? This is evidenced through each election campaign; most recently the constituency selection process saw one new ethnic minority candidate come through from a possible 22, plus an incumbent. As branch members, office bearers and executives we must examine our internal structures and ask, why? Be prepared for uncomfortable truths.
Inclusion, diversity and equity for a truly representative Parliament, was my maxim for the campaign as it will be for the upcoming Council elections. In an ideal world, there would be no need for any sort of equalities mechanism because our governments would be populated with, at least, minimal proportional representation. So how to do we get there and what has this issue got to do with the Independence referendum? Voters considered ‘hard to reach’ may feel like outcasts due to negative schooling, neighbourhood, employment, benefits, police or local authority experiences. This leads to another question: why would an individual participate in societal matters when that same society has marginalised them? The simple solution would be to reach out and be inclusive. However, if this were the case we wouldn’t have the problem in the first place. So we must continue to address the issue. The strength of the SNP BAME Network lies within proposed strategies to maximise voter and membership engagement:
Actively involve identified branch members in discussions and encourage their participation. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Overcome communication barriers by using everyday English, and where possible, provide written and oral formats.
Provide alternatives to the pub to show respect to those who don’t drink or feel uncomfortable in an alcohol environment.
Encourage diverse members to come forward for office bearer positions or vice positions. This helps provide experience, confidence and guidance as they learn.
Listen to their perspectives with an open mind; these members have valuable lived experience, and chose the SNP to bring about political change. Let them know their opinion matters.
Being active within the Party helps activists communicate within their communities – a skill necessary to promote conversations around Independence and build rapport. If local people see a member of their own community elected then they are far more likely to engage in conversation, thereby encouraging trust and helping us gain support. We all have the same goal. Experiences from the BAME Network add quality to our efforts to spread our message of Independence, peace, respect and hope further than ever before.
Clare Adamson WOKE, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw and Convener of the Education and Skills Committee. On breaking down barriers in the workplace, Clare said: “Thanks to the tireless work of thousands of women over the last hundred years, we have achieved great progress. However, it is still obvious that today women from all women from all walks of life still face institutional bias and we have to continue to move forward towards true equality. “Prior to becoming involved in politics, I worked in the male-dominated IT industry and became all too aware of the issues women still face in the workplace every day. I’m really proud that the SNP remains committed to empowering young women and I am pleased to see more women represented in politics and in STEM than ever before. We must remain steadfast until we see true equality in representation, pay and in the boardroom.”
Erin Mwembo is a WOKE SNP activist in East Lothian and local branch office bearer. On getting involved in politics, Erin said: “Over the last 100 years, we have made huge progress in equality. I’m so lucky to live in a time where strong, inspiring women are in positions of power and challenging the status quo. These women have made me feel like I have a place in politics, a place to make my voice heard, a voice that is as valuable as any one else’s. I joined the SNP to make my voice heard, after feeling incredibly empowered by the likes of our first minister. Although we have made progress, there’s still more to be made. We are only going to near genuine gender equality by getting more and more women involved in the decision process and in male-dominated industries. To people interested in getting involved: Do it. For the now and for the future.”
Michelle Campbell, Councillor, represents Erskine and Inchinnan and is the Council Group Secretary. On her hopes for the next 100 years, Michelle said: “As a women in politics, I work hard to rid gender typical views when I am working with some who may be assumptive – that is the challenge and I will always push for progress. My hope for the next 100 years is this becomes a history lesson and is no longer a relevant issue. In Scotland, we are at the helm of this progress and I am proud to be a women in politics within the SNP.”
Kirsty Jarvis is an SNP activist in Fife and local branch office bearer. On the importance of this centenary, Kirsty said: “100 years ago women won the right to vote, today we can vote, stand in elections and become the First Minister of our country. Women have just as much of a platform and as much of a right as men to make a difference to our society and have their voices heard and to represent the voices of other woman.”
Eva Bolander is Lord Provost of Glasgow. On her personal experience, she said: “The experience of becoming a mother in Scotland made me more politically aware and later active. Having had the experience of growing up in Sweden, being young when the universal childcare reform and other equalities legislation were introduced there made me realise what a fundamental importance these political decisions had for creating a progressive, prosperous and inclusive society. And that is the Scotland I am working for now.
Councillor Michelle Campbell represents Erskine and Inchinnan and is the Council Group Secretary. On her hopes for the next 100 years, Michelle said: “As a women in politics, I work hard to rid gender typical views when I am working with some who may be assumptive – that is the challenge and I will always push for progress. My hope for the next 100 years is this becomes a history lesson and is no longer a relevant issue. In Scotland, we are at the helm of this progress and I am proud to be a women in politics within the SNP.”
Gillian Martin is MSP for Aberdeenshire East and Convener of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee. On improving the political environment to encourage women to get involved, Gillian said: “It’s getting slightly better but more female voices on television, radio, in newspapers and events panels talking about political issues is an absolute must – if we’re not seeing women represented in any of those arenas it needs challenged. The Holyrood press pack is overwhelmingly male and I think it has an effect on the discourse. I hope in a future independent Scotland we’ll be able to leave the adversarial patriarchal style of politics behind that despite efforts to be different we seem to have inherited from Westminster and have a more can-do collaborative progressive style like our Nordic friends seem to have and that will encourage more women to stand.”
Ruth Maguire is MSP for Cunninghame South and Convener of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee. On how it is ‘deeds not words’ that matter, Ruth said: “We’ve come so far since 1918 but we’re not there yet, amongst the myriad of inequalities girls and women are faced with we remain stubbornly underrepresented in politics and public life. If you are a women who cares about her community, her country, know that your voice, your ideas and your opinions matter and need to be heard.
“And for me and my colleagues in Parliament and Council chambers, it is not good enough for us to say, ‘Well, I’m here, so that’ll do.’ We need to do everything in our collective power to break down the structural barriers that are in the way of others, in particular BME women and women with disabilities. Deeds not words as our sister suffragettes would have said.”
Nicola Sturgeon has been asked to clarify the Scottish National party’s stance on transgender rights following the leak of private messages between three prominent female MSPs that claim the first minister is “out of step” with her party.
The conversation, which was tweeted as a screenshot on Tuesday evening but timestamped February, appears to have been prompted by Sturgeon’s comments in an interview that she recognised some women had concerns about the implications of her government’s proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA), such as allowing individuals to change their legal gender by means of self-declaration.
Cathie Johnston represents Cumbernauld South on North Lanarkshire Council. She said: “Women over 30 getting the vote in 1918 was a positive step. Since then, women have became more confident in their own abilities. However, I would like to see women being stronger in their own beliefs and acknowledge their own strengths more. Always believe in yourself, work hard and don’t forget your roots – or those without a voice.”
Ash Denham is the MSP for Edinburgh Eastern and Minister for Community Safety. On representation, Ash said: “It’s 2018 but still neither Holyrood nor Westminster Parliaments have 50/50 representation. Gender balancing measures work, so the political parties that haven’t introduced them should be compelled to.”
An SNP junior minister is facing deselection amid unrest among activists over her hotel bills and decision to school her children privately. Community safety minister Ash Denham is engaged in a bitter fight for the party’s nomination for Edinburgh Eastern in the face of a challenge from a high-profile city councillor. Holyrood figures show the MSP, who lives in the Borders, claimed nearly £16,000 from public funds for Edinburgh accommodation and meals between 2017-18 and 2019-20, even though the parliament is in her constituency. Opponents have claimed Denham gave an undertaking to transfer her children to a state school, although she denies this.
The Scottish National Party has backed changes to prostitution laws to criminalise those paying for sex, but not those who sell it. Delegates at the party’s conference in Aberdeen voted in favour of a motion proposing a “Scottish model” to handle prostitution, similar to the “Nordic model” used in Scandinavian countries. The resolution, proposed by MSP Ash Denham, stated that “commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and human trafficking, is a form of violence against women”.
Rona Mackay is MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden and Deputy Convener of the Justice Committee. On delivering a better Scotland for future generations, Rona said: “I have been very lucky to have had strong, inspirational female role models throughout my life, leading me to feel able to be involved in politics. I am particularly proud of our party and how many female representatives we have. To me, it is so important we all work together and have as many women as possible in leadership roles to achieve a better and fairer Scotland for future generations.”
Maree Todd is MSP for the Highlands and Islands region and Minister for Children and Young People. On how far we’ve come and how far we’ve got to go, Maree said: “We have come a very long way in 100 years. My grannies had only two choices for careers – domestic service or following the herring. Not only did I have the chance to get a science degree at university, I now serve in Government!
“We still have a long way to go though. I hope that my doing this job, inspires girls growing up in the Highlands and Islands to believe they can do anything – including politics. We might be a bit reluctant to put ourselves forward still, but when we do speak up, we speak well and make a difference.”
Julie Hepburn is a long-standing SNP activist and member of the National Executive Committee. On her motivation for political activism, Julie said: “I’ve been a member of the SNP for almost two decades, and while political activism can be tough at times, for me it’s been an overwhelmingly positive and empowering experience. “Politics is the vehicle through which we achieve change, and I am determined to help change our communities and our country for the better. Securing independence for Scotland is the single most important change we can make to deliver a fairer society and better life for everyone who lives here. That’s why I’ve dedicated my adult life to campaigning for independence.”
I vividly remember attending my first SNP Conference 20 years ago in Dundee. The whole conference was alive with debate, ideas and personalities, and there was some stooshie over housing policy. It was fantastic. Like a number of people, I was hesitant about joining a political party, but was immediately reassured by the vibrancy of debate and room to contribute to those positive discussions. I felt genuinely empowered as a new member, and excited about my involvement. One of the huge strengths of the SNP is our internal democracy. So that’s why I was surprised to read the suggestion that the party should take a “command and control” approach to the selection of our parliamentary candidates. (https://www.thenational.scot/news/18264156.julie-hepburn-not-snp-hq-decide-will-stand/)
I’m running to be the SNP’s depute leader for a number of reasons. I’ve made this choice because I was asked by so many activists across the country. They’ve asked me to stand because of my proven track record of service to the party, my previous commitment to driving forward internal reforms, and my work in supporting others across the SNP. However, most significantly for me, I want to use the skills, experience and networks I’ve built up over almost two decades in the SNP to help prepare us for another independence referendum and indeed future elections. (https://www.thenational.scot/news/16036107.julie-hepburn-use-experience-ready-snp-indyref2/)
The Women of the Scottish National Party
It is just over a century since women first gained the right to vote. Today their female descendents in Scotland continue to shape the evolving SNP.
Nicola Sturgeon is the first female First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party. On the importance of equality for women, she said:
“Celebrating a century of women’s suffrage is a great occasion. Not only does it remind us of women’s achievements – it provides the opportunity to inject new momentum into encouraging more women into politics and public life. While we’ve come a long way since 1918, much still needs to be done if we are to eradicate gender inequality and create a fairer and more prosperous country. Equality for women is at the heart of our vision for an equal Scotland. Our resolve is to use the powers we have – powers which in many ways we owe to the suffrage movement.
But Sturgeon’s rhetoric and the politics of her Party don’t match since her efforts and those she has gathered around her are evidenced by Scotland’s reputation as the fastest growing most unequal society in Western Europe.
Sturgeons Women
Mhairi Black:
MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South and the youngest MP in 350 years. Her message to young women who want to get involved in politics today is: “Have courage of conviction. Know your stuff inside and out and don’t be intimidated.”
Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “While I am leader, the administration of Glasgow City Government will be an unashamedly feminist one.
We will have women and women’s priorities and family priorities absolutely at the centre of our policies, in the political decision-making process.”
The Reality is Derelict libraries, shuttered museums and austerity max. Take a look at what the SNP administration has done to Glasgow, if you can stomach it.
Destitution, litter, fly-tipping, drug deaths, pothole-strewn roads, shuttered shops — and a city centre locked in a seemingly unstoppable downward spiral…
Of course Covid has contributed to these dire straits, but it only accelerated a process already well under way — and there’s even worse to come with a fresh round of swingeing cuts.
The city famously hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014, but now it’s emerged that 40 sports venues or pitches, five libraries, and 11 community centres or halls will stay shut following lockdown. Three museums are also listed as not due for re-opening, including the city’s historic Scotland Street School, though it will ultimately be turned into a nursery under plans approved as the second lockdown hit. (Graham-Grant)
Kirsten Oswald:
As Business Convener for the SNP she was responsible for overseeing operational matters and chairing the National Executive Committee and National Conference on female representation:
SNP Chair and East Renfrewshire MP Oswald was slammed for her party’s lack of co-operation with the Scottish Parliamentary inquiry into the Scottish Government’s botched handling of alleged harassment complaints against Alex Salmond. Asked repeatdly to clarify exactly when she became aware of the Peter Murrell, SNP Chief Executive texts advocating “pressure” be put on Police Scotland to investigate Mr Salmond and if she informed other party officials and what other action, if any, she, as chair, took. There has only ever been silence.
Oswld and SNP financial matters: Another scandal in which Oswald attacked long serving and loyal officers of the party for daring to expose potential fraud:
Question Time – Sturgeon lied and no amount of whataboutery from Oswald can save her
When challenged over the First Minister’s misleading of the Scottish Parliament, Kirsten Oswald MP did what the SNP have been getting away with doing for years — shifting the blame;
Changing the subject and making irrelevant comparisons with others. Oswald quickly pivoted to say it would be “inconceivable” to imagine the Prime Minister taking part in an eight hour committee session as Sturgeon had done.
Her clunky gear change caused Private Eye editor and fellow panellist Ian Hislop to pounce. With his trademark quizzical expression, he asked: “Do we have to change the subject, can we get back to Nicola Sturgeon please? I know it’s very impolite to interrupt but why are we talking about Boris?
Oswald repeated her wholly irrelevant comparison.
Hislop fired back: “He hasn’t lost £500,000 of public and given it to Alex Salmond. Can we never talk about Scotland, does it always have to be referred back down here? This tactic has got a name — whatabooutism (or whataboutery) — and has its roots in Soviet Russian propaganda. The SNP are its modern-day masters. The Nationalists came to power in Scotland in large part by relentlessly blaming everyone else, especially the UK government, for all of Scotland’s problems. For years under Sturgeon, the SNP have presided over a series of unmitigated scandals and incompetence. Our once world-leading education system has fallen down international rankings; infrastructure projects arrive late and massively over budget; the justice system is at breaking point. I could go on. But whenever anyone dares challenge their woeful record of misrule, whataboutery is deployed with a shameless zeal that would make the Politburo blush.
The sick kids’ hospital in Edinburgh late and over budget … what about English NHS waiting lists? An SNP MP travelled between England and Scotland knowing she was Covid-positive … what about Dominic Cummings? Sturgeon misled parliament … what about UK ministers? The difficulty is that after being in complete control of large swathes of devolved power for so long, the SNP’s finger pointing routine is wearing a bit thin. With power comes responsibility. (Lucia Gomez)
Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse and Minister for Older People and Equalities and Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Dunfermline and Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People rake in an extra £65k and 50K on top of their near £70k salaries as MSP’s yet neither woman has raised a single motion relating to the elderly or the scandal of 1,949 Covid-19 deaths in Scottish care homes. And adding insult to injury they refused to support calls for the appointment of a Commissioner for Older People in Scotland to safeguard human rights, despite the creation of a similar post in England and Northern Ireland.
Elderly rights campaigner Helen Biggins said: “What is the point of having these ministers if they are not going to do their jobs and stand up for old people? Both Shirley-Anne Somerville and Christina McKelvie have said very little that I have heard to stick up for the citizens they are being paid well to represent. They have been missing in action. It is as if they think the part of their job to represent older people is a thing tagged on the end that they would rather forget about. The past six months have seen horrific deaths in care homes and in the community, as well as thousands of people really struggling in isolation. Serious questions need to be answered, yet these ministers don’t want to appoint a Commissioner for Older People. I think they should at least have to explain why that is and also explain why they have failed to table motions relating to older people since the beginning of this pandemic.”
Serious concerns have been raised over the elderly being pressured to sign Do Not Resuscitate notices and the transfer of Covid-19 patients into care homes, and hundreds of families remain furious at restrictions on care home visiting rights.
Just for the record: McKelvie and Somerville have lodged a series of motions with the Scottish Parliament since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. But none of them relate to the plight of older people, despite their job titles and the loss of life in nursing homes and hospitals. Since March, none of Somerville’s nine motions or McKelvie’s two have related to the elderly. McKelvie’s ones were calling for Parliament to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and in support of new laws on female genital mutilation. Somerville, meanwhile, lodged a motion calling for Parliament to support human rights for ethnic minority groups through Covid-19, for better social security support for children and in support of civil partnerships. A no comment response was received in answer to a request for comment from the persons concerned. The Scottish Government confirmed that a Commissioner for Older People was not under consideration (Daily Record)
Councillor Mhairi Hunter, Convener for Health and Social Care Integration on Glasgow City Council and Carer for her dad: On why she’s involved in politics, she said: “I was brought up in a political household in London so it was quite normal to be involved in politics and be active. What makes me continue to be involved is just believing people together can achieve a fairer society and can improve the quality of life for people.”
So square that with this: Mhairi Hunter and Jennifer Layden are both senior councillors in Glasgow whose roles are regarded as a full-time commitment because of their additional responsibilities over a backbench councillor who is paid at two-thirds of the full time rate. The full-time rate can vary depending on the nature of the role and according to Glasgow’s Register of Interests Layden is paid a salary of £35,000 while Hunter receives £26,000.
Yet both SNP councillors have other paid jobs – Layden works in Humza Yousaf’s office having previously enjoyed a similar role in Margaret Ferrier’s, while Hunter has a role in none other than Nicola Sturgeon’s office and a separate paid commitment as a member of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board.
But of course councillors should be properly remunerated – The independent (SLARC) committee recommended a new salary structure for elected councillors in Scotland in 2006. But the committee is being systematically abused because no one has been scrutinising its work since the former SNP finance minister, Derek Mackay – who resigned in disgrace of course, decided that independent oversight was no longer necessary and that the SLARC committee should be disbanded. The upshot is that we have large sums of public money being used to pay Glasgow councillors decent salaries to perform a wide range of part-time and full-time jobs – yet these salaries are also being topped up by Holyrood and Westminster SNP MSPs and MPs employing councillors in their offices. The system is being ‘gamed’ when the public interest demands independent scrutiny, openness and transparency.
Kirsty Blackman MP for Aberdeen North – former Deputy Westminster Leader. On the importance of diversity in politics, she said: “I am so passionate about trying to improve parliament to make it better reflect the diversity of those who live in our country. Being a member of parliament should not be a job only for middle-aged men. I believe better laws and decisions are made if they’re proposed and scrutinised by folk from a wide variety of backgrounds. I first became an elected councillor in Aberdeen when I was 21. Politics isn’t about making speeches in parliament or in council chambers – it’s about the people we help every day and the positive impact we can make in our communities.”
But what about Scottish nationalism?
She is markedly less keen to talk about Scottish independence, the SNP’s founding principle. She says she is not in Westminster to pressure the government for a referendum. “I don’t think most folk in their daily lives give two hoots about whether Scotland is a member of the union. The constitutional issues are not the biggest concern for an awful lot of people and, in fact, I very rarely talk about Scottish independence in the chamber.”
One of the most disturbing group of exchanges between women and Blackman revealing just how dangerous Sturgeon, Blackman and her ilk are to the future of Scotland.
Blackman embodies everything that is wrong with the SNP. She gives the petulant children a voice and sees no consequences for using ‘Feelings as Facts’.They egg her on and she likes to liked by them. Expertise and ability are nothing compared to ‘likes’. No doubt she will retreat into her personal problems as so many of the OutforIndy crowd do when confronted and it dawns on her what she has done. She was not up to her job as deputy Leader and the difference in competence between her and Cherry is so wide as to be ridiculous when you think of the role she had. Perhaps she got a few home truths as to her abilities and productivity? Like so many of her ilk she sees clever troublesome women as a problem. Better to all support each other’s incompetence and say how nice they all are. After that is what matters apparently. ‘Be kind’ Kirsty, that is the mantra isn’t it? Except when you are setting the hounds on a colleague with your shrill dog whistle. I know who I would want in my corner in the existential battle for Scotland and its people and it isn’t a woman who speaks, dresses and behaves like a overwrought toddler.
Joan Sturgeon Mother of Nicola, a long-standing SNP activist and former Provost of North Ayrshire Council. On women leading the way, Joan said: “As the mother of a female political leader I have seen how difficult it can be to be taken as seriously as men in the political arena. Through history it was mainly women though who kept the home, saw to the children and dealt with the tasks thought to be beneath men….that takes strength and determination.
The North Ayrshire PPI Scandal
A contract was signed by North Ayrshire Council (NAC) for a PPP/PFI deal to build 4 schools. The council is now paying £1million a month to service the debt, and will be until about 2038.
At the time and leading up to its signature there were concerns amongst councillors about lack of transparency and procedures. A police investigation was launched in 2006 and “found no criminality”.
But the investigative skills of reporter Campbell Martin exposed clear evidence casting doubt as the probity of the bidding procedure (one of the two competitors was clearly a shell company created to give impression of multi-bidding. So there was no competition. Goddness and the police missed the obvious!!! Did they really investigate as they claimed they had?
Campbell Martin’s exposure rattled cages in the council and wiider afield and in February 2018, the Council, despite an amount of obfuscation and delaying tactics by senior Council officers asked the police to investigate the allegations again.
Feedback from the police revealed nothing new and reporter Campbell Martin submitted a number of Freedom of Information requests to the police whichlargely went unanswered. And despite a formal intervention from the Data protection ombudsman to release full details of their investigations not a lot was released
But the ever dogged Campbel Martin kept on digging and finally revealed a “can of worms” so rotten even Sturgeon would not take the bait.
A bitter pill for the taxpayer to swallow was the action of a senior civil servant who, as a member of the government’s PFI team responsible for the imposition of the then Coalition government’s PFI policies attended a meeting with North Ayrshire Council councillors armed with with a brief to practice “mushroom management” and reveal little information of any consquence. Best for all concerned if theu councilllors were to be stonewalled. Which they duly were. The civil sevant was Leslie Evans!!!
Fast forward a few years and a slap in the face for Nicola Sturgeon’s mother,(Provost of North Ayrshire Council) when her daughter chose the self same Leslie Evans to be her Permanent Secretary in the Scottish Government. A decision without logic!!
Councillor Rhiannon Spear represents Greater Pollok on Glasgow City Council and is an elected member of National Council. On her own personal experience in politics, Rhiannon said: “My experience of being a young woman in politics is the very reason why I will continue to campaign for change. My experiences of sexism has been frequent and at times severe. No party is immune but within the SNP I have found a space that allows my voice to be heard and allows me to encourage more young women to let their voices be heard, long may that continue.”
Personality
She is strikingly attractive, highly intelligent and gifted with a natural ability to attract attention, unfortunately not always to her benefit. She is feisty, strong willed and determined to succeed at any task she is minded to take on. She is media savvy and possesses first class skills including the production of excellent graphics for social media presentation and discussion. One of her many character weaknesses is her abject inability to accept criticism and her single-minded approach to her work. She needs to learn that political life is not a Religion and she is not the Pope.
WOKE
She is the driving force behind informal WOKE campaigning individuals, groups, charities and formal groups promoting and implementing WOKE agenda’s in all of the state schools in Scotland. The bulk of WOKE activities, including resources and staffing, (£3-5M) is funded by the Scottish taxpayer through the SNP government. The unhealthy influence of WOKE minded politicians is being planted across all aspects of Scottish society as each day passes.
Politics
Joined the SNP in 2011. Jointly founded Generation Yes, the national youth campaign for independence in the run up to the 2014 referendum. National Convenor of YSI for two years from 2015–17. Elected to the SNP’s NEC in 2016. Scottish Parliament Candidate for the Glasgow List in 2016. Elected Councillor for Greater Pollok in 2017. Successfully proposed motions at SNP Conference on all female lists, inclusive education and raising the age of military recruitment to 18. Chairs TIE an LBGTI government funded charity which is remitted to support Scottish Education bodies providing LGBT-inclusive education in Scottish Schools. Actively promoted the #Metoo movement denouncing sexual harassment on campus at University of Glasgow.
Charlotte Armitage is an SNP activist and National Equalities Officer for YSI. On her personal experience, Charlotte said: “As a young woman in politics, I know how it feels to be dismissed, or valued only for how I look rather than what I say. It is this reason why it is so important that we continue to campaign for gender equality and societal change, just like our suffrage sisters did before us. We have achieved hugely notable changes in the last 100 years and it is encouraging to see many strong female leaders in Scottish politics today. However, women remain underrepresented, harassed and in threat of violence. To me it is clear there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve absolute gender equality, but I am confident that the SNP is paving the way for an Independent Scotland that has gender equality at the forefront.”
Australian-born Deidre Brock is MP for Edinburgh North and Leith. On helping other women, Deidre said: “A century ago some women got the vote. It took ten more years to get the same terms as men. In 2018 politics is a better place, but still an unequal place, and the best tribute to the women who led the way is to keep the campaign rolling.
Reach out a hand to help another woman up; be a role model so girls growing up today know it’s normal to have women in politics; stretch the hand of sisterhood across political divides – you don’t have to agree with her to defend her right to speak; look to the future and work for a better and more equal tomorrow.”
WestminsterCareer politician: Front-bench MP in the SNP group with responsibility for Devolved Government and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Sits on the Scottish Affairs Committee and is a member of a number of cross-party groups. Not a great deal of evidence to support any claims that she is interested in campaigning for Scottish independence. Most likely leans towards federalism.
Lari Don Born in Chile, and travelled widely in South and Central America as a child, before her family settled in North East …is a children’s author and a local activist in Edinburgh North and Leith. On creating our future, Lari said: “As a writer, I spend a lot of time talking to kids about characters solving their own problems. I also tell lots of myths and legends where the girl doesn’t wait for a boy with a big sword to save her from the dragon. My feminism and my support for an independent Scotland come from the same determination not to wait for someone else to define and sort out our problems. Now, the ‘big boy with the sword’ next door is the one causing most of our problems. It’s time to use our votes to create our own future…”
Farah Farzana is an SNP activist and Women’s and Equalities Officer for her local branch. On her personal experiences in politics, Farah said: “As a local election candidate, I became aware of the lack of equal and proportionate representation in local authorities. The SNP have led in gender balance but more work needs to be done to create an ethnicity balance too. If we don’t speak up for justice and fairness, then we will only hinder our progress.”
But BAME is what drives her politics. A summary of her argument in support of centralised directed selection
The 2021 election saw the first use of an equality mechanism in candidate selection. Not all members agreed with the strategy, posing the question, should selection of candidates come down to the person most capable, or is there more to it? But there are a fair number of people within the Party from minority ethnic groups who are more than capable of becoming an elected member. So why so are there so few? This is evidenced through each election campaign; most recently the constituency selection process saw one new ethnic minority candidate come through from a possible 22, plus an incumbent. As branch members, office bearers and executives we must examine our internal structures and ask, why? Be prepared for uncomfortable truths.
Inclusion, diversity and equity for a truly representative Parliament, was my maxim for the campaign as it will be for the upcoming Council elections. In an ideal world, there would be no need for any sort of equalities mechanism because our governments would be populated with, at least, minimal proportional representation. So how to do we get there and what has this issue got to do with the Independence referendum? Voters considered ‘hard to reach’ may feel like outcasts due to negative schooling, neighbourhood, employment, benefits, police or local authority experiences. This leads to another question: why would an individual participate in societal matters when that same society has marginalised them? The simple solution would be to reach out and be inclusive. However, if this were the case we wouldn’t have the problem in the first place. So we must continue to address the issue. The strength of the SNP BAME Network lies within proposed strategies to maximise voter and membership engagement:
Actively involve identified branch members in discussions and encourage their participation. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Overcome communication barriers by using everyday English, and where possible, provide written and oral formats.
Provide alternatives to the pub to show respect to those who don’t drink or feel uncomfortable in an alcohol environment.
Encourage diverse members to come forward for office bearer positions or vice positions. This helps provide experience, confidence and guidance as they learn.
Listen to their perspectives with an open mind; these members have valuable lived experience, and chose the SNP to bring about political change. Let them know their opinion matters.
Being active within the Party helps activists communicate within their communities – a skill necessary to promote conversations around Independence and build rapport. If local people see a member of their own community elected then they are far more likely to engage in conversation, thereby encouraging trust and helping us gain support. We all have the same goal. Experiences from the BAME Network add quality to our efforts to spread our message of Independence, peace, respect and hope further than ever before.
Clare Adamson WOKE, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw and Convener of the Education and Skills Committee. On breaking down barriers in the workplace, Clare said: “Thanks to the tireless work of thousands of women over the last hundred years, we have achieved great progress. However, it is still obvious that today women from all women from all walks of life still face institutional bias and we have to continue to move forward towards true equality. “Prior to becoming involved in politics, I worked in the male-dominated IT industry and became all too aware of the issues women still face in the workplace every day. I’m really proud that the SNP remains committed to empowering young women and I am pleased to see more women represented in politics and in STEM than ever before. We must remain steadfast until we see true equality in representation, pay and in the boardroom.”
Erin Mwembo is a WOKE SNP activist in East Lothian and local branch office bearer. On getting involved in politics, Erin said: “Over the last 100 years, we have made huge progress in equality. I’m so lucky to live in a time where strong, inspiring women are in positions of power and challenging the status quo. These women have made me feel like I have a place in politics, a place to make my voice heard, a voice that is as valuable as any one else’s. I joined the SNP to make my voice heard, after feeling incredibly empowered by the likes of our first minister. Although we have made progress, there’s still more to be made. We are only going to near genuine gender equality by getting more and more women involved in the decision process and in male-dominated industries. To people interested in getting involved: Do it. For the now and for the future.”
Michelle Campbell, Councillor, represents Erskine and Inchinnan and is the Council Group Secretary. On her hopes for the next 100 years, Michelle said: “As a women in politics, I work hard to rid gender typical views when I am working with some who may be assumptive – that is the challenge and I will always push for progress. My hope for the next 100 years is this becomes a history lesson and is no longer a relevant issue. In Scotland, we are at the helm of this progress and I am proud to be a women in politics within the SNP.”
Kirsty Jarvis is an SNP activist in Fife and local branch office bearer. On the importance of this centenary, Kirsty said: “100 years ago women won the right to vote, today we can vote, stand in elections and become the First Minister of our country. Women have just as much of a platform and as much of a right as men to make a difference to our society and have their voices heard and to represent the voices of other woman.”
Eva Bolander is Lord Provost of Glasgow. On her personal experience, she said: “The experience of becoming a mother in Scotland made me more politically aware and later active. Having had the experience of growing up in Sweden, being young when the universal childcare reform and other equalities legislation were introduced there made me realise what a fundamental importance these political decisions had for creating a progressive, prosperous and inclusive society. And that is the Scotland I am working for now.
Councillor Michelle Campbell represents Erskine and Inchinnan and is the Council Group Secretary. On her hopes for the next 100 years, Michelle said: “As a women in politics, I work hard to rid gender typical views when I am working with some who may be assumptive – that is the challenge and I will always push for progress. My hope for the next 100 years is this becomes a history lesson and is no longer a relevant issue. In Scotland, we are at the helm of this progress and I am proud to be a women in politics within the SNP.”
Gillian Martin is MSP for Aberdeenshire East and Convener of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee. On improving the political environment to encourage women to get involved, Gillian said: “It’s getting slightly better but more female voices on television, radio, in newspapers and events panels talking about political issues is an absolute must – if we’re not seeing women represented in any of those arenas it needs challenged. The Holyrood press pack is overwhelmingly male and I think it has an effect on the discourse. I hope in a future independent Scotland we’ll be able to leave the adversarial patriarchal style of politics behind that despite efforts to be different we seem to have inherited from Westminster and have a more can-do collaborative progressive style like our Nordic friends seem to have and that will encourage more women to stand.”
Ruth Maguire is MSP for Cunninghame South and Convener of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee. On how it is ‘deeds not words’ that matter, Ruth said: “We’ve come so far since 1918 but we’re not there yet, amongst the myriad of inequalities girls and women are faced with we remain stubbornly underrepresented in politics and public life. If you are a women who cares about her community, her country, know that your voice, your ideas and your opinions matter and need to be heard.
“And for me and my colleagues in Parliament and Council chambers, it is not good enough for us to say, ‘Well, I’m here, so that’ll do.’ We need to do everything in our collective power to break down the structural barriers that are in the way of others, in particular BME women and women with disabilities. Deeds not words as our sister suffragettes would have said.”
Nicola Sturgeon has been asked to clarify the Scottish National party’s stance on transgender rights following the leak of private messages between three prominent female MSPs that claim the first minister is “out of step” with her party.
The conversation, which was tweeted as a screenshot on Tuesday evening but timestamped February, appears to have been prompted by Sturgeon’s comments in an interview that she recognised some women had concerns about the implications of her government’s proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA), such as allowing individuals to change their legal gender by means of self-declaration.
Cathie Johnston represents Cumbernauld South on North Lanarkshire Council. She said: “Women over 30 getting the vote in 1918 was a positive step. Since then, women have became more confident in their own abilities. However, I would like to see women being stronger in their own beliefs and acknowledge their own strengths more. Always believe in yourself, work hard and don’t forget your roots – or those without a voice.”
Ash Denham is the MSP for Edinburgh Eastern and Minister for Community Safety. On representation, Ash said: “It’s 2018 but still neither Holyrood nor Westminster Parliaments have 50/50 representation. Gender balancing measures work, so the political parties that haven’t introduced them should be compelled to.”
An SNP junior minister is facing deselection amid unrest among activists over her hotel bills and decision to school her children privately. Community safety minister Ash Denham is engaged in a bitter fight for the party’s nomination for Edinburgh Eastern in the face of a challenge from a high-profile city councillor. Holyrood figures show the MSP, who lives in the Borders, claimed nearly £16,000 from public funds for Edinburgh accommodation and meals between 2017-18 and 2019-20, even though the parliament is in her constituency. Opponents have claimed Denham gave an undertaking to transfer her children to a state school, although she denies this.
The Scottish National Party has backed changes to prostitution laws to criminalise those paying for sex, but not those who sell it. Delegates at the party’s conference in Aberdeen voted in favour of a motion proposing a “Scottish model” to handle prostitution, similar to the “Nordic model” used in Scandinavian countries. The resolution, proposed by MSP Ash Denham, stated that “commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and human trafficking, is a form of violence against women”.
Rona Mackay is MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden and Deputy Convener of the Justice Committee. On delivering a better Scotland for future generations, Rona said: “I have been very lucky to have had strong, inspirational female role models throughout my life, leading me to feel able to be involved in politics. I am particularly proud of our party and how many female representatives we have. To me, it is so important we all work together and have as many women as possible in leadership roles to achieve a better and fairer Scotland for future generations.”
Maree Todd is MSP for the Highlands and Islands region and Minister for Children and Young People. On how far we’ve come and how far we’ve got to go, Maree said: “We have come a very long way in 100 years. My grannies had only two choices for careers – domestic service or following the herring. Not only did I have the chance to get a science degree at university, I now serve in Government!
“We still have a long way to go though. I hope that my doing this job, inspires girls growing up in the Highlands and Islands to believe they can do anything – including politics. We might be a bit reluctant to put ourselves forward still, but when we do speak up, we speak well and make a difference.”
Julie Hepburn is a long-standing SNP activist and member of the National Executive Committee. On her motivation for political activism, Julie said: “I’ve been a member of the SNP for almost two decades, and while political activism can be tough at times, for me it’s been an overwhelmingly positive and empowering experience. “Politics is the vehicle through which we achieve change, and I am determined to help change our communities and our country for the better. Securing independence for Scotland is the single most important change we can make to deliver a fairer society and better life for everyone who lives here. That’s why I’ve dedicated my adult life to campaigning for independence.”
I vividly remember attending my first SNP Conference 20 years ago in Dundee. The whole conference was alive with debate, ideas and personalities, and there was some stooshie over housing policy. It was fantastic. Like a number of people, I was hesitant about joining a political party, but was immediately reassured by the vibrancy of debate and room to contribute to those positive discussions. I felt genuinely empowered as a new member, and excited about my involvement. One of the huge strengths of the SNP is our internal democracy. So that’s why I was surprised to read the suggestion that the party should take a “command and control” approach to the selection of our parliamentary candidates. (https://www.thenational.scot/news/18264156.julie-hepburn-not-snp-hq-decide-will-stand/)
I’m running to be the SNP’s depute leader for a number of reasons. I’ve made this choice because I was asked by so many activists across the country. They’ve asked me to stand because of my proven track record of service to the party, my previous commitment to driving forward internal reforms, and my work in supporting others across the SNP. However, most significantly for me, I want to use the skills, experience and networks I’ve built up over almost two decades in the SNP to help prepare us for another independence referendum and indeed future elections. (https://www.thenational.scot/news/16036107.julie-hepburn-use-experience-ready-snp-indyref2/)
The Women of the Scottish National Party
It is just over a century since women first gained the right to vote. Today their female descendents in Scotland continue to shape the evolving SNP.
Nicola Sturgeon is the first female First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party. On the importance of equality for women, she said:
“Celebrating a century of women’s suffrage is a great occasion. Not only does it remind us of women’s achievements – it provides the opportunity to inject new momentum into encouraging more women into politics and public life. While we’ve come a long way since 1918, much still needs to be done if we are to eradicate gender inequality and create a fairer and more prosperous country. Equality for women is at the heart of our vision for an equal Scotland. Our resolve is to use the powers we have – powers which in many ways we owe to the suffrage movement.
But Sturgeon’s rhetoric and the politics of her Party don’t match since her efforts and those she has gathered around her are evidenced by Scotland’s reputation as the fastest growing most unequal society in Western Europe.
Sturgeons Women
Mhairi Black:
MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South and the youngest MP in 350 years. Her message to young women who want to get involved in politics today is: “Have courage of conviction. Know your stuff inside and out and don’t be intimidated.”
Leader of Glasgow City Council said: “While I am leader, the administration of Glasgow City Government will be an unashamedly feminist one.
We will have women and women’s priorities and family priorities absolutely at the centre of our policies, in the political decision-making process.”
The Reality is Derelict libraries, shuttered museums and austerity max. Take a look at what the SNP administration has done to Glasgow, if you can stomach it.
Destitution, litter, fly-tipping, drug deaths, pothole-strewn roads, shuttered shops — and a city centre locked in a seemingly unstoppable downward spiral…
Of course Covid has contributed to these dire straits, but it only accelerated a process already well under way — and there’s even worse to come with a fresh round of swingeing cuts.
The city famously hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014, but now it’s emerged that 40 sports venues or pitches, five libraries, and 11 community centres or halls will stay shut following lockdown. Three museums are also listed as not due for re-opening, including the city’s historic Scotland Street School, though it will ultimately be turned into a nursery under plans approved as the second lockdown hit. (Graham-Grant)
Kirsten Oswald:
As Business Convener for the SNP she was responsible for overseeing operational matters and chairing the National Executive Committee and National Conference on female representation:
SNP Chair and East Renfrewshire MP Oswald was slammed for her party’s lack of co-operation with the Scottish Parliamentary inquiry into the Scottish Government’s botched handling of alleged harassment complaints against Alex Salmond. Asked repeatdly to clarify exactly when she became aware of the Peter Murrell, SNP Chief Executive texts advocating “pressure” be put on Police Scotland to investigate Mr Salmond and if she informed other party officials and what other action, if any, she, as chair, took. There has only ever been silence.
Oswld and SNP financial matters: Another scandal in which Oswald attacked long serving and loyal officers of the party for daring to expose potential fraud:
Question Time – Sturgeon lied and no amount of whataboutery from Oswald can save her
When challenged over the First Minister’s misleading of the Scottish Parliament, Kirsten Oswald MP did what the SNP have been getting away with doing for years — shifting the blame;
Changing the subject and making irrelevant comparisons with others. Oswald quickly pivoted to say it would be “inconceivable” to imagine the Prime Minister taking part in an eight hour committee session as Sturgeon had done.
Her clunky gear change caused Private Eye editor and fellow panellist Ian Hislop to pounce. With his trademark quizzical expression, he asked: “Do we have to change the subject, can we get back to Nicola Sturgeon please? I know it’s very impolite to interrupt but why are we talking about Boris?
Oswald repeated her wholly irrelevant comparison.
Hislop fired back: “He hasn’t lost £500,000 of public and given it to Alex Salmond. Can we never talk about Scotland, does it always have to be referred back down here? This tactic has got a name — whatabooutism (or whataboutery) — and has its roots in Soviet Russian propaganda. The SNP are its modern-day masters. The Nationalists came to power in Scotland in large part by relentlessly blaming everyone else, especially the UK government, for all of Scotland’s problems. For years under Sturgeon, the SNP have presided over a series of unmitigated scandals and incompetence. Our once world-leading education system has fallen down international rankings; infrastructure projects arrive late and massively over budget; the justice system is at breaking point. I could go on. But whenever anyone dares challenge their woeful record of misrule, whataboutery is deployed with a shameless zeal that would make the Politburo blush.
The sick kids’ hospital in Edinburgh late and over budget … what about English NHS waiting lists? An SNP MP travelled between England and Scotland knowing she was Covid-positive … what about Dominic Cummings? Sturgeon misled parliament … what about UK ministers? The difficulty is that after being in complete control of large swathes of devolved power for so long, the SNP’s finger pointing routine is wearing a bit thin. With power comes responsibility. (Lucia Gomez)
Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse and Minister for Older People and Equalities and Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Dunfermline and Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People rake in an extra £65k and 50K on top of their near £70k salaries as MSP’s yet neither woman has raised a single motion relating to the elderly or the scandal of 1,949 Covid-19 deaths in Scottish care homes. And adding insult to injury they refused to support calls for the appointment of a Commissioner for Older People in Scotland to safeguard human rights, despite the creation of a similar post in England and Northern Ireland.
Elderly rights campaigner Helen Biggins said: “What is the point of having these ministers if they are not going to do their jobs and stand up for old people? Both Shirley-Anne Somerville and Christina McKelvie have said very little that I have heard to stick up for the citizens they are being paid well to represent. They have been missing in action. It is as if they think the part of their job to represent older people is a thing tagged on the end that they would rather forget about. The past six months have seen horrific deaths in care homes and in the community, as well as thousands of people really struggling in isolation. Serious questions need to be answered, yet these ministers don’t want to appoint a Commissioner for Older People. I think they should at least have to explain why that is and also explain why they have failed to table motions relating to older people since the beginning of this pandemic.”
Serious concerns have been raised over the elderly being pressured to sign Do Not Resuscitate notices and the transfer of Covid-19 patients into care homes, and hundreds of families remain furious at restrictions on care home visiting rights.
Just for the record: McKelvie and Somerville have lodged a series of motions with the Scottish Parliament since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. But none of them relate to the plight of older people, despite their job titles and the loss of life in nursing homes and hospitals. Since March, none of Somerville’s nine motions or McKelvie’s two have related to the elderly. McKelvie’s ones were calling for Parliament to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and in support of new laws on female genital mutilation. Somerville, meanwhile, lodged a motion calling for Parliament to support human rights for ethnic minority groups through Covid-19, for better social security support for children and in support of civil partnerships. A no comment response was received in answer to a request for comment from the persons concerned. The Scottish Government confirmed that a Commissioner for Older People was not under consideration (Daily Record)
Councillor Mhairi Hunter, Convener for Health and Social Care Integration on Glasgow City Council and Carer for her dad: On why she’s involved in politics, she said: “I was brought up in a political household in London so it was quite normal to be involved in politics and be active. What makes me continue to be involved is just believing people together can achieve a fairer society and can improve the quality of life for people.”
So square that with this: Mhairi Hunter and Jennifer Layden are both senior councillors in Glasgow whose roles are regarded as a full-time commitment because of their additional responsibilities over a backbench councillor who is paid at two-thirds of the full time rate. The full-time rate can vary depending on the nature of the role and according to Glasgow’s Register of Interests Layden is paid a salary of £35,000 while Hunter receives £26,000.
Yet both SNP councillors have other paid jobs – Layden works in Humza Yousaf’s office having previously enjoyed a similar role in Margaret Ferrier’s, while Hunter has a role in none other than Nicola Sturgeon’s office and a separate paid commitment as a member of Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board.
But of course councillors should be properly remunerated – The independent (SLARC) committee recommended a new salary structure for elected councillors in Scotland in 2006. But the committee is being systematically abused because no one has been scrutinising its work since the former SNP finance minister, Derek Mackay – who resigned in disgrace of course, decided that independent oversight was no longer necessary and that the SLARC committee should be disbanded. The upshot is that we have large sums of public money being used to pay Glasgow councillors decent salaries to perform a wide range of part-time and full-time jobs – yet these salaries are also being topped up by Holyrood and Westminster SNP MSPs and MPs employing councillors in their offices. The system is being ‘gamed’ when the public interest demands independent scrutiny, openness and transparency.
Kirsty Blackman MP for Aberdeen North – former Deputy Westminster Leader. On the importance of diversity in politics, she said: “I am so passionate about trying to improve parliament to make it better reflect the diversity of those who live in our country. Being a member of parliament should not be a job only for middle-aged men. I believe better laws and decisions are made if they’re proposed and scrutinised by folk from a wide variety of backgrounds. I first became an elected councillor in Aberdeen when I was 21. Politics isn’t about making speeches in parliament or in council chambers – it’s about the people we help every day and the positive impact we can make in our communities.”
But what about Scottish nationalism?
She is markedly less keen to talk about Scottish independence, the SNP’s founding principle. She says she is not in Westminster to pressure the government for a referendum. “I don’t think most folk in their daily lives give two hoots about whether Scotland is a member of the union. The constitutional issues are not the biggest concern for an awful lot of people and, in fact, I very rarely talk about Scottish independence in the chamber.”
One of the most disturbing group of exchanges between women and Blackman revealing just how dangerous Sturgeon, Blackman and her ilk are to the future of Scotland.
Blackman embodies everything that is wrong with the SNP. She gives the petulant children a voice and sees no consequences for using ‘Feelings as Facts’.They egg her on and she likes to liked by them. Expertise and ability are nothing compared to ‘likes’. No doubt she will retreat into her personal problems as so many of the OutforIndy crowd do when confronted and it dawns on her what she has done. She was not up to her job as deputy Leader and the difference in competence between her and Cherry is so wide as to be ridiculous when you think of the role she had. Perhaps she got a few home truths as to her abilities and productivity? Like so many of her ilk she sees clever troublesome women as a problem. Better to all support each other’s incompetence and say how nice they all are. After that is what matters apparently. ‘Be kind’ Kirsty, that is the mantra isn’t it? Except when you are setting the hounds on a colleague with your shrill dog whistle. I know who I would want in my corner in the existential battle for Scotland and its people and it isn’t a woman who speaks, dresses and behaves like a overwrought toddler.
Joan Sturgeon Mother of Nicola, a long-standing SNP activist and former Provost of North Ayrshire Council. On women leading the way, Joan said: “As the mother of a female political leader I have seen how difficult it can be to be taken as seriously as men in the political arena. Through history it was mainly women though who kept the home, saw to the children and dealt with the tasks thought to be beneath men….that takes strength and determination.
The North Ayrshire PPI Scandal
A contract was signed by North Ayrshire Council (NAC) for a PPP/PFI deal to build 4 schools. The council is now paying £1million a month to service the debt, and will be until about 2038.
At the time and leading up to its signature there were concerns amongst councillors about lack of transparency and procedures. A police investigation was launched in 2006 and “found no criminality”.
But the investigative skills of reporter Campbell Martin exposed clear evidence casting doubt as the probity of the bidding procedure (one of the two competitors was clearly a shell company created to give impression of multi-bidding. So there was no competition. Goddness and the police missed the obvious!!! Did they really investigate as they claimed they had?
Campbell Martin’s exposure rattled cages in the council and wiider afield and in February 2018, the Council, despite an amount of obfuscation and delaying tactics by senior Council officers asked the police to investigate the allegations again.
Feedback from the police revealed nothing new and reporter Campbell Martin submitted a number of Freedom of Information requests to the police whichlargely went unanswered. And despite a formal intervention from the Data protection ombudsman to release full details of their investigations not a lot was released
But the ever dogged Campbel Martin kept on digging and finally revealed a “can of worms” so rotten even Sturgeon would not take the bait.
A bitter pill for the taxpayer to swallow was the action of a senior civil servant who, as a member of the government’s PFI team responsible for the imposition of the then Coalition government’s PFI policies attended a meeting with North Ayrshire Council councillors armed with with a brief to practice “mushroom management” and reveal little information of any consquence. Best for all concerned if theu councilllors were to be stonewalled. Which they duly were. The civil sevant was Leslie Evans!!!
Fast forward a few years and a slap in the face for Nicola Sturgeon’s mother,(Provost of North Ayrshire Council) when her daughter chose the self same Leslie Evans to be her Permanent Secretary in the Scottish Government. A decision without logic!!
Councillor Rhiannon Spear represents Greater Pollok on Glasgow City Council and is an elected member of National Council. On her own personal experience in politics, Rhiannon said: “My experience of being a young woman in politics is the very reason why I will continue to campaign for change. My experiences of sexism has been frequent and at times severe. No party is immune but within the SNP I have found a space that allows my voice to be heard and allows me to encourage more young women to let their voices be heard, long may that continue.”
Personality
She is strikingly attractive, highly intelligent and gifted with a natural ability to attract attention, unfortunately not always to her benefit. She is feisty, strong willed and determined to succeed at any task she is minded to take on. She is media savvy and possesses first class skills including the production of excellent graphics for social media presentation and discussion. One of her many character weaknesses is her abject inability to accept criticism and her single-minded approach to her work. She needs to learn that political life is not a Religion and she is not the Pope.
WOKE
She is the driving force behind informal WOKE campaigning individuals, groups, charities and formal groups promoting and implementing WOKE agenda’s in all of the state schools in Scotland. The bulk of WOKE activities, including resources and staffing, (£3-5M) is funded by the Scottish taxpayer through the SNP government. The unhealthy influence of WOKE minded politicians is being planted across all aspects of Scottish society as each day passes.
Politics
Joined the SNP in 2011. Jointly founded Generation Yes, the national youth campaign for independence in the run up to the 2014 referendum. National Convenor of YSI for two years from 2015–17. Elected to the SNP’s NEC in 2016. Scottish Parliament Candidate for the Glasgow List in 2016. Elected Councillor for Greater Pollok in 2017. Successfully proposed motions at SNP Conference on all female lists, inclusive education and raising the age of military recruitment to 18. Chairs TIE an LBGTI government funded charity which is remitted to support Scottish Education bodies providing LGBT-inclusive education in Scottish Schools. Actively promoted the #Metoo movement denouncing sexual harassment on campus at University of Glasgow.
Charlotte Armitage is an SNP activist and National Equalities Officer for YSI. On her personal experience, Charlotte said: “As a young woman in politics, I know how it feels to be dismissed, or valued only for how I look rather than what I say. It is this reason why it is so important that we continue to campaign for gender equality and societal change, just like our suffrage sisters did before us. We have achieved hugely notable changes in the last 100 years and it is encouraging to see many strong female leaders in Scottish politics today. However, women remain underrepresented, harassed and in threat of violence. To me it is clear there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve absolute gender equality, but I am confident that the SNP is paving the way for an Independent Scotland that has gender equality at the forefront.”
Australian-born Deidre Brock is MP for Edinburgh North and Leith. On helping other women, Deidre said: “A century ago some women got the vote. It took ten more years to get the same terms as men. In 2018 politics is a better place, but still an unequal place, and the best tribute to the women who led the way is to keep the campaign rolling.
Reach out a hand to help another woman up; be a role model so girls growing up today know it’s normal to have women in politics; stretch the hand of sisterhood across political divides – you don’t have to agree with her to defend her right to speak; look to the future and work for a better and more equal tomorrow.”
WestminsterCareer politician: Front-bench MP in the SNP group with responsibility for Devolved Government and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Sits on the Scottish Affairs Committee and is a member of a number of cross-party groups. Not a great deal of evidence to support any claims that she is interested in campaigning for Scottish independence. Most likely leans towards federalism.
Lari Don Born in Chile, and travelled widely in South and Central America as a child, before her family settled in North East …is a children’s author and a local activist in Edinburgh North and Leith. On creating our future, Lari said: “As a writer, I spend a lot of time talking to kids about characters solving their own problems. I also tell lots of myths and legends where the girl doesn’t wait for a boy with a big sword to save her from the dragon. My feminism and my support for an independent Scotland come from the same determination not to wait for someone else to define and sort out our problems. Now, the ‘big boy with the sword’ next door is the one causing most of our problems. It’s time to use our votes to create our own future…”
Farah Farzana is an SNP activist and Women’s and Equalities Officer for her local branch. On her personal experiences in politics, Farah said: “As a local election candidate, I became aware of the lack of equal and proportionate representation in local authorities. The SNP have led in gender balance but more work needs to be done to create an ethnicity balance too. If we don’t speak up for justice and fairness, then we will only hinder our progress.”
But BAME is what drives her politics. A summary of her argument in support of centralised directed selection
The 2021 election saw the first use of an equality mechanism in candidate selection. Not all members agreed with the strategy, posing the question, should selection of candidates come down to the person most capable, or is there more to it? But there are a fair number of people within the Party from minority ethnic groups who are more than capable of becoming an elected member. So why so are there so few? This is evidenced through each election campaign; most recently the constituency selection process saw one new ethnic minority candidate come through from a possible 22, plus an incumbent. As branch members, office bearers and executives we must examine our internal structures and ask, why? Be prepared for uncomfortable truths.
Inclusion, diversity and equity for a truly representative Parliament, was my maxim for the campaign as it will be for the upcoming Council elections. In an ideal world, there would be no need for any sort of equalities mechanism because our governments would be populated with, at least, minimal proportional representation. So how to do we get there and what has this issue got to do with the Independence referendum? Voters considered ‘hard to reach’ may feel like outcasts due to negative schooling, neighbourhood, employment, benefits, police or local authority experiences. This leads to another question: why would an individual participate in societal matters when that same society has marginalised them? The simple solution would be to reach out and be inclusive. However, if this were the case we wouldn’t have the problem in the first place. So we must continue to address the issue. The strength of the SNP BAME Network lies within proposed strategies to maximise voter and membership engagement:
Actively involve identified branch members in discussions and encourage their participation. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
Overcome communication barriers by using everyday English, and where possible, provide written and oral formats.
Provide alternatives to the pub to show respect to those who don’t drink or feel uncomfortable in an alcohol environment.
Encourage diverse members to come forward for office bearer positions or vice positions. This helps provide experience, confidence and guidance as they learn.
Listen to their perspectives with an open mind; these members have valuable lived experience, and chose the SNP to bring about political change. Let them know their opinion matters.
Being active within the Party helps activists communicate within their communities – a skill necessary to promote conversations around Independence and build rapport. If local people see a member of their own community elected then they are far more likely to engage in conversation, thereby encouraging trust and helping us gain support. We all have the same goal. Experiences from the BAME Network add quality to our efforts to spread our message of Independence, peace, respect and hope further than ever before.
Clare Adamson WOKE, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw and Convener of the Education and Skills Committee. On breaking down barriers in the workplace, Clare said: “Thanks to the tireless work of thousands of women over the last hundred years, we have achieved great progress. However, it is still obvious that today women from all women from all walks of life still face institutional bias and we have to continue to move forward towards true equality. “Prior to becoming involved in politics, I worked in the male-dominated IT industry and became all too aware of the issues women still face in the workplace every day. I’m really proud that the SNP remains committed to empowering young women and I am pleased to see more women represented in politics and in STEM than ever before. We must remain steadfast until we see true equality in representation, pay and in the boardroom.”
Erin Mwembo is a WOKE SNP activist in East Lothian and local branch office bearer. On getting involved in politics, Erin said: “Over the last 100 years, we have made huge progress in equality. I’m so lucky to live in a time where strong, inspiring women are in positions of power and challenging the status quo. These women have made me feel like I have a place in politics, a place to make my voice heard, a voice that is as valuable as any one else’s. I joined the SNP to make my voice heard, after feeling incredibly empowered by the likes of our first minister. Although we have made progress, there’s still more to be made. We are only going to near genuine gender equality by getting more and more women involved in the decision process and in male-dominated industries. To people interested in getting involved: Do it. For the now and for the future.”
Michelle Campbell, Councillor, represents Erskine and Inchinnan and is the Council Group Secretary. On her hopes for the next 100 years, Michelle said: “As a women in politics, I work hard to rid gender typical views when I am working with some who may be assumptive – that is the challenge and I will always push for progress. My hope for the next 100 years is this becomes a history lesson and is no longer a relevant issue. In Scotland, we are at the helm of this progress and I am proud to be a women in politics within the SNP.”
Kirsty Jarvis is an SNP activist in Fife and local branch office bearer. On the importance of this centenary, Kirsty said: “100 years ago women won the right to vote, today we can vote, stand in elections and become the First Minister of our country. Women have just as much of a platform and as much of a right as men to make a difference to our society and have their voices heard and to represent the voices of other woman.”
Eva Bolander is Lord Provost of Glasgow. On her personal experience, she said: “The experience of becoming a mother in Scotland made me more politically aware and later active. Having had the experience of growing up in Sweden, being young when the universal childcare reform and other equalities legislation were introduced there made me realise what a fundamental importance these political decisions had for creating a progressive, prosperous and inclusive society. And that is the Scotland I am working for now.
Councillor Michelle Campbell represents Erskine and Inchinnan and is the Council Group Secretary. On her hopes for the next 100 years, Michelle said: “As a women in politics, I work hard to rid gender typical views when I am working with some who may be assumptive – that is the challenge and I will always push for progress. My hope for the next 100 years is this becomes a history lesson and is no longer a relevant issue. In Scotland, we are at the helm of this progress and I am proud to be a women in politics within the SNP.”
Gillian Martin is MSP for Aberdeenshire East and Convener of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee. On improving the political environment to encourage women to get involved, Gillian said: “It’s getting slightly better but more female voices on television, radio, in newspapers and events panels talking about political issues is an absolute must – if we’re not seeing women represented in any of those arenas it needs challenged. The Holyrood press pack is overwhelmingly male and I think it has an effect on the discourse. I hope in a future independent Scotland we’ll be able to leave the adversarial patriarchal style of politics behind that despite efforts to be different we seem to have inherited from Westminster and have a more can-do collaborative progressive style like our Nordic friends seem to have and that will encourage more women to stand.”
Ruth Maguire is MSP for Cunninghame South and Convener of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee. On how it is ‘deeds not words’ that matter, Ruth said: “We’ve come so far since 1918 but we’re not there yet, amongst the myriad of inequalities girls and women are faced with we remain stubbornly underrepresented in politics and public life. If you are a women who cares about her community, her country, know that your voice, your ideas and your opinions matter and need to be heard.
“And for me and my colleagues in Parliament and Council chambers, it is not good enough for us to say, ‘Well, I’m here, so that’ll do.’ We need to do everything in our collective power to break down the structural barriers that are in the way of others, in particular BME women and women with disabilities. Deeds not words as our sister suffragettes would have said.”
Nicola Sturgeon has been asked to clarify the Scottish National party’s stance on transgender rights following the leak of private messages between three prominent female MSPs that claim the first minister is “out of step” with her party.
The conversation, which was tweeted as a screenshot on Tuesday evening but timestamped February, appears to have been prompted by Sturgeon’s comments in an interview that she recognised some women had concerns about the implications of her government’s proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 (GRA), such as allowing individuals to change their legal gender by means of self-declaration.
Cathie Johnston represents Cumbernauld South on North Lanarkshire Council. She said: “Women over 30 getting the vote in 1918 was a positive step. Since then, women have became more confident in their own abilities. However, I would like to see women being stronger in their own beliefs and acknowledge their own strengths more. Always believe in yourself, work hard and don’t forget your roots – or those without a voice.”
Ash Denham is the MSP for Edinburgh Eastern and Minister for Community Safety. On representation, Ash said: “It’s 2018 but still neither Holyrood nor Westminster Parliaments have 50/50 representation. Gender balancing measures work, so the political parties that haven’t introduced them should be compelled to.”
An SNP junior minister is facing deselection amid unrest among activists over her hotel bills and decision to school her children privately. Community safety minister Ash Denham is engaged in a bitter fight for the party’s nomination for Edinburgh Eastern in the face of a challenge from a high-profile city councillor. Holyrood figures show the MSP, who lives in the Borders, claimed nearly £16,000 from public funds for Edinburgh accommodation and meals between 2017-18 and 2019-20, even though the parliament is in her constituency. Opponents have claimed Denham gave an undertaking to transfer her children to a state school, although she denies this.
The Scottish National Party has backed changes to prostitution laws to criminalise those paying for sex, but not those who sell it. Delegates at the party’s conference in Aberdeen voted in favour of a motion proposing a “Scottish model” to handle prostitution, similar to the “Nordic model” used in Scandinavian countries. The resolution, proposed by MSP Ash Denham, stated that “commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and human trafficking, is a form of violence against women”.
Rona Mackay is MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden and Deputy Convener of the Justice Committee. On delivering a better Scotland for future generations, Rona said: “I have been very lucky to have had strong, inspirational female role models throughout my life, leading me to feel able to be involved in politics. I am particularly proud of our party and how many female representatives we have. To me, it is so important we all work together and have as many women as possible in leadership roles to achieve a better and fairer Scotland for future generations.”
Maree Todd is MSP for the Highlands and Islands region and Minister for Children and Young People. On how far we’ve come and how far we’ve got to go, Maree said: “We have come a very long way in 100 years. My grannies had only two choices for careers – domestic service or following the herring. Not only did I have the chance to get a science degree at university, I now serve in Government!
“We still have a long way to go though. I hope that my doing this job, inspires girls growing up in the Highlands and Islands to believe they can do anything – including politics. We might be a bit reluctant to put ourselves forward still, but when we do speak up, we speak well and make a difference.”
Julie Hepburn is a long-standing SNP activist and member of the National Executive Committee. On her motivation for political activism, Julie said: “I’ve been a member of the SNP for almost two decades, and while political activism can be tough at times, for me it’s been an overwhelmingly positive and empowering experience. “Politics is the vehicle through which we achieve change, and I am determined to help change our communities and our country for the better. Securing independence for Scotland is the single most important change we can make to deliver a fairer society and better life for everyone who lives here. That’s why I’ve dedicated my adult life to campaigning for independence.”
I vividly remember attending my first SNP Conference 20 years ago in Dundee. The whole conference was alive with debate, ideas and personalities, and there was some stooshie over housing policy. It was fantastic. Like a number of people, I was hesitant about joining a political party, but was immediately reassured by the vibrancy of debate and room to contribute to those positive discussions. I felt genuinely empowered as a new member, and excited about my involvement. One of the huge strengths of the SNP is our internal democracy. So that’s why I was surprised to read the suggestion that the party should take a “command and control” approach to the selection of our parliamentary candidates. (https://www.thenational.scot/news/18264156.julie-hepburn-not-snp-hq-decide-will-stand/)
I’m running to be the SNP’s depute leader for a number of reasons. I’ve made this choice because I was asked by so many activists across the country. They’ve asked me to stand because of my proven track record of service to the party, my previous commitment to driving forward internal reforms, and my work in supporting others across the SNP. However, most significantly for me, I want to use the skills, experience and networks I’ve built up over almost two decades in the SNP to help prepare us for another independence referendum and indeed future elections. (https://www.thenational.scot/news/16036107.julie-hepburn-use-experience-ready-snp-indyref2/)
Scotland’s Gaelic TV channel BBC Alba, attracts many more Scottish viewers than there are Gaelic speakers and the potential for growth is well recognized in the trade. Independent programme makers in Scotland produce quality television for the station but in insufficient quantity to fully support the channel. The channel broadcasts for around 7 hours daily and comprises a 70/30 split in favour of BBC content.
The BBC has a commitment to provide quality programmes and does this by raiding the extensive BBC archives searching for content from yesteryear which it broadcasts with increasing frequency. The tactic allows the BBC to claim it is supporting the channel at great cost since it applies the current charge out rate for the old repeats.
Funding
Lack of finance has always been a major factor preventing expansion, a historical consequence of the Westminster government’s resistance to the creation of the channel despite being a signatory to the (1998) European Declaration on Minority Languages which committed the Westminster government to supporting Gaelic, Doric and Scotch through funding and support of a broadcasting service.
At that time the Westminster government accepted a commitment to have a new channel, (fully funded by a Westminster government direct grant mirroring the Welsh SC4 model) up and running by 2003.
Alba first broadcast in 2008, soon after the minority SNP took up government at Holyrood. The years long delay was attributed to resistance from the UK Treasury which refused to provide a £100m plus budget similar to that already in place in support of the Welsh language channel.
A breakthrough of sorts was achieved by the SNP government who applied pressure forcing the Westminster government to increase the block grant by £10m. The BBC committed to supporting the new channel and formed a joint venture partnership with the Gaelic Broadcasting Agency. It also promised up to £4m of programming content.
Broadcasting on a shoestring the new channel proved to be a bit “hairy” in the first months, as it became evident it was hopelessly underfunded (SC4 the Welsh language channel had a Westminster financed operational budget of £110m).
The under-funding was partly corrected by the SNP government, which provided £10m, new money (without an increase in the block grant) and the BBC, responding to pressure from the SNP government increased its programming support to £8m. Again charging current charge out rates for old progammes. Real value probably nearer £2m.
Financing of the £110m SC4 Welsh channel was then transferred to the BBC by the Westminster government regularizing broadcasting finance. Nice one £110m to Wales and £4m to Scotland. Hardly fair to Scotland
Programming
Many more Scots non-Gaelic speakers than the targeted audience view the channel regularly, which is attributed to the creative programming of the Gaelic Broadcasting Agency and the broadcasting of “live” rugby, soccer and other niche sports.
The future
Scottish Government’s policy is:
“To encourage inward investment in film and television production in Scotland, and use our new overseas network to promote Scotland as a location for film and television production.
We plan to continue the existing fiscal incentives for such production, and, within the first term of an independent Scottish parliament, we propose to look at ways to encourage further development in the sector, through incentives, infrastructural investment and support for development, skills and training.”
The Westminster government can no longer claim to be supporting “Alba” and the BBC commitment to Scotland is pathetic in comparison with the £110m finance it provides to the SC4 channel.
The use of optional sub-titles is not yet a common feature, but increasing use of “streaming” programming coupled with additional funding, through the Scottish government should address the issue.
Programme content needs to be expanded and improved upon and can be achieved by the SNP government increasing financial support expanding the remit of the Gaelic Broadcasting Agency to include Scotch and Doric programming in compliance with the commitment to protect Scotland’s heritage from the dominance and current prevalence of the “Queens English” presentation of “live” news and current affairs programmes.
Phantom Power Films are one example. They produce excellent television standard films and these and others deserve to be viewed by a wider Scots audience.
The changes need to be put in place now to ensure Scots can be provided with information about their country free of the bias of the “Unionist” State media that has done so much harm to Scotland.
Nicola Sturgeon and her small group of advisors are to be commended for their honesty in declaring to the Scottish public their full suppport of the agenda of the WOKE campaigners.
The mission of the SNP government will, when complete, turn the Scottish way of life on its head so that it becomes a fully integrated society modelled to the thinking of the WOKE activists..
But a successful outcome can only be achieved if the public are fully informed of the nature of changes and any implications attaching to them and are fully supportive.
The entire electorate must be on-board or there will be unhappiness and strife and it is crucial that our political leaders give precedence to needs of the many and consideration to the needs of the few and in pursuance of this the breakdown of the electorate in Scotland is: Heterosexual:95%. LGBTQ/WOKE: 5% (0.5% of this group are transgender).
Political representation
Implementation of the WOKE agenda needs to bring with it full transparency in public life and it should be a legal obligation for any person seeking public office to declare their sexuality so the electorate are fully informed before committing to their choice of candidate.
SNP representation at Westminster
Approx. 30% of SNP MP’s are LGBTQ/WOKE whilst Approx. 5% of the Scottish electorate are LGBTQT and of this group just under 0.5% claim to be transgender. The imbalance is exceptional!!
All but two of the SNP MP’s have been appointed to posts within the SNP Westminster Leaders’s Shadow Cabinet.
But the SNP are not the official opposition at Westminster and the appointment of a Shadow Cabinet is at odds with the stated aims of the Party which would never take up such a role in the House of Commons.
The question of payment also raises its head. Shadow ministers are not normally remunerated for the duties additional to their MP commitments. But I am informed the the SNP group are provided with payments using £1.5m short money allocated to the party which if true would be a misuse of the finance and a motive explaining the methodology behind the group’s reluctance to fight for an independent Scotland.
The Westminster SNP group
Stuart McDonald: Shadow Home Secretary. Openly LGBTQ. Stewart McDonald: Shadow Defence Secretary. Openly LGBTQ. John Nicolson: Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Openly LGBTQ. Alyn Smith: Shadow Foreign Secretary. Openly LGBTQ. Martin Docherty-Hughes: Shadow Industries Future/Blockchain Spokesperson. Openly LGBTQ. Joanna Cherry: Openly LGBTQ. Angela Crawley: Shadow Attorney General. Openly LGBTQ. Hannah Bardell: Foreign Affairs Team. Openly LGBTQ. Mhairi Black: Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland. Openly LGBTQ.
Comment: Parallels to be drawn with the Alex Salmond vendetta. A rush to investigate a man no longer in politics. Needs to be compared against the failure to investigate similar claims against Grady who remained at work, for years after. So “me too” applied only where it suited the SNP leadership. And Sturgeon’s team gave the finger of fate to the electorate and by appointing him to high office within the Party only months after he was forced to resign.
Stephen Flynn: Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Dave Doogan: Defence Team and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Team. Brendan O’Hara: Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office. Allan Dorans: Foreign Affairs Team. Steven Bonnar: Agriculture and Rural Affairs Team. Stewart Hosie: Independence campaigning co-ordinator. Chris Law: Shadow Secretary for International Development. Douglas Chapman: Shadow Small Business & Innovation Spokesperson. Tommy Sheppard: Shadow Cabinet Office Minister. John McNally: Shadow Environment Spokesperson. David Linden: Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. Chris Stephens: Shadow Fair Work & Employment Spokesperson. Peter Grant: Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Richard Thomson: Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Wales and Shadow Financial Secretary. Ronnie Cowan: Shadow Infrastructure & Manufacturing Spokesperson. Drew Hendry: Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade. Alan Brown: Shadow Minister for the Energy and Climate Change. Martyn Day: Shadow Public Health & Primary Care Spokesperson. Owen Thompson: Chief Whip. Angus MacNeil: Gavin Newlands: Shadow Secretary of State for Transport and Shadow Sport Spokesperson. Pete Wishart: Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. Ian Blackford: Westminster Leader. Dr P. Whitford: Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Shadow Minister for Europe. Amy Callaghan: Shadow Pensions & Intergenerational Spokesperson. Dr Lisa Cameron: Shadow Mental Health Spokesperson. Deidre Brock: Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Alison Thewliss: Shadow Chancellor. Carol Monaghan: Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Shadow Minister for Armed Forces and Veterans. Marion Fellows: Deputy Whip and Shadow Disabilities Spokesperson. Patricia Gibson: Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Shadow Consumer Affairs Spokesperson.
Scottish independence. The dream shall never die!! But the toxic atmosphere created by Nicola Sturgeon’s government over transgender rights is an unnecessary distraction.
Nicola Sturgeon appeared as the honorary “Grand Marshall” at Scotland’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) pride event. In her address she said: “I’m proud that Scotland is considered to be one of the most progressive countries in Europe regarding LGBTI equality and Pride Glasgow is a fantastic event that brings communities together and celebrates all that LGBTI people bring to Scottish life. As a society we must champion equality and fairness at all times and defend the progress that has been made. I am pleased to be named as the first ever honorary Grand Marshall of Pride Glasgow and I look forward to joining young LGBTI people in the parade”.
The progress she was alluding to was the badly drafted “Hate Crime Bill” which restricts “freedom of speech” and denies individuals the right to privacy and undermines family life and is by public consensus a controversial and flawed piece of legislation whivh should be withdrawn and referred to an all-party expert group for consideration and amendment.
One of a number of fears expressed by many when the proposed legislation first appeared in the public domain was that debate would be shut down, and the law would be used as a cosh against people guilty of nothing more than expressing a opinion. And that concern has manifest many times in the past year, with vexatious complaints being lodged with the police by persons determined to destroy or at the very least undermine the credibilty of others.
Patrick Harvey himself added fuel to the fires of intolerance in Scotland with his suggestion that the attempts by several women MSP’s to protect the rights of women was somehow Transphobic behaviour, calling the amendments to protect the characteristic of biological sex a vicious transphobic attack.
The bill as it is writ provides more protection to men who dress as women than to women themselves. A bill that should remain to be consultative until such time as it has the unanimous support of the public.
Scots are fed up with LGBGTI activists complaining that their rights are being infringed. Scotland is a tolerant nation and one of the most supportive of LGBTI people in the world.
Political representation at Westminster greatly exceeds their numbers, (around 4.5% of the adult population) with 20% of the nation’s MP’s declaring their sexuality LGBTI. The graphic attached provides evidence supporting the foregoing.
One of the key factors contributing to the decision of the court and Lady Dorrian to impose a previously unheard of draconian jail sentence on Craig Murray was that he was not, in the opinion of the court entitled to the same rights and privileges as a mainstream journalist.
Paragraph 4 of her judgement stated in disparaging terms: “The applicant describes himself as a “journalist in new media”. Whatever that may involve, it is relevant to distinguish his position from that of the mainstream press, which is regulated, and subject to codes of practice and ethics in a way in which those writing as the applicant does are not. To the extent that the submissions for the applicant make comparisons with other press contempt’s, and the role of mainstream journalists, this is a factor which should be recognised.”
But online activity is not a devolved matter. It is reserved to the Westminster government who publicly announced 3 week before the judgement and comments of Lady Dorrian that Craig Murray was fully entitled in Law to consider himself to be a bona fide journalist.
Lady Dorrian’s judgement was predicated on a misinterpretation of her powers and that of the court.
This is the position of the Westminster government, published three weeks before lady Dorrian’s sentencing of Craig Murray. Media minister John Whittingdale, speaking for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said; “citizen journalists will have the same protections for their work as professional news providers adding, “we don’t want the legislation to lead to a ‘woke web’ where legitimate journalism is censored. That’s why we’ve built in safeguards so that content from news publishers will not be in scope of new laws, including content shared on social media platforms, and media providers will need to factor in the crucial role of journalism as well as freedom of expression in their moderation decisions. A vibrant and free media is essential to our democracy and our Bill will make sure vital public interest journalism can reach its audience without interference.
Perhaps Lewis Carroll anticipated the creation of the Judge only courts in Scotland when he wrote his “Mouse’s Tale”:
“Let us both go to law and I will prosecute you. I’ll take no denial. We must have a trial. For really this morning I’ve nothing to do.” The cat said to the mouse that he met in the house.,
“Such a trial, dear Sir, With no jury or judge, would be wasting our breath” said the mouse to the cat.
“I’ll be judge, I’ll be jury,” said the cunning old cat “I’ll try the whole cause, and condemn you to death.”
The cunning old cat might have described Lady Dorrian’s proposals for trials in which a Judge would sit as prosecutor, judge, and jury. Certainly Carroll’s satirical doggerel starkly foreshadows a lack of procedural safeguards, including a probability of bias that a defendant accused of rape or sexual assault in the courts of Scotland should her proposals be implemented.
I am attaching a summary of a report published in the national press some years ago. It refers to England’s judiciary since comparable information is not available in Scotland. But it to be expected that there will be little variance. The incidence of misbehaviour is shocking. Thank goodness defendants are still entitled to be judged by a jury of their peers.
28 Aug 2011: Scandal of the judges who shame justice
A Record number of judges and magistrates were either fired for wrongdoing or resigned while under investigation in the last year.
A total of 29 members of the judiciary were sacked. Offences ranged from “inappropriate behaviour or comments” to professional misconduct or getting into trouble with the law themselves.
Another 25 resigned while under investigation, including two judges, and 18 magistrates.
The total of 54 who left under a cloud is up from 46 in 2009-10 and 43 in 2008-09.
There were almost 500 complaints to the Office of Judicial Complaints about inappropriate behaviour or comments, a rise of 40 per cent in two years. 28 members of the judiciary were also given reprimands by the OJC and another 24 were offered advice, warning or guidance.
Examples
Judge George Bathurst-Norman was censured after making anti-Israeli comments during a trial, including comparing the country’s actions to a Nazi regime. His comments came during the trial of defendants accused of sabotaging equipment at a factory which they claimed was making parts for Israeli warplanes. He was reprimanded after it was ruled his comments “could be seen as an expression of the judge’s personal views on a political question”.
Judge Gerald Price resigned during the disciplinary process into claims he had an affair with a male prostitute. The investigation found his actions brought the judiciary into disrepute. It had been alleged that the married QC had a nine-month affair with a £250-a-night rent boy, whom he set up in a flat. It was even said that Mr Price allowed him on the bench during trials.
Another judge was given formal advice after he criticised Britain’s “lax immigration policy” while sentencing a Jamaican drug dealer. Judge Ian Trigger had said: “People like you, and there are literally hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people like you, come to these shores to avail themselves of the generous welfare benefits that exist here.” He was disciplined for “intervening in the political process”.
Coroner Paul Forrest was fired from his position in Avon after being described as exhibiting “high-handed and aggressive” behaviour. Among the magistrates fired was William Stephenson, of Warley, West Midlands. He became the subject of a Police Community Resolution procedure following an allegation of assault on a member of the public. The OJC said he had “failed to display the maturity, sound temperament and judgment required of a magistrate”.
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