I gather the Scottish newspapers are going big on the story tomorrow. The Independence Live interview recording is available here and gives the opportunity for a much more reasoned and expansive view of developments.
[it has since been put up on Youtube and I have been able to embed here]
http://new.livestream.com/IndependenceLive/CraigMurray
But it is worth reiterating the point that I only went public on this issue after I was phoned at 8am Saturday morning by The Scotsman (or their sister paper Scotland on Sunday). The Scotsman had already been alerted to the story and been briefed in some detail from within the SNP, in a manner plainly hostile to me. Exactly the same had happened, with the same Scotsman journalist, when I first started to pursue my candidacy a few weeks ago. I therefore decided to get out what had happened from my perspective, using social media.
I had written on 26 December an email to the SNP suggesting we develop an agreed media line to get out the fact I had been rejected as a candidate in a way that did as little mutual harm as possible. I had contacted Derek Bateman with a view to breaking this through his programme. I never received a reply to that email to the SNP. Instead someone in the SNP briefed The Scotsman against me.
That the corporate media would use this episode to damage both me and the SNP was entirely predictable. But it was not me who called the media in, and it is not in my nature to kow-tow humbly when I am being attacked.
UPDATE
I am adding into the text a comment I made below in response to people who refuse to take on board simple facts which they do not like.
1) I did not talk to the Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday. They phoned me at 8am and they had already been briefed and recounted to me a great many facts down the phone that could only have come from within the SNP. They did not say “Oh, Hi Craig, any news?”.
2) I said nothing to the Scotsman other than to confirm it was true I had been refused at assessment, and that I was very disappointed. I said nothing else.
3) It was not the first time someone had briefed the Scotsman on this and they had contacted me. It happened a few weeks ago too. The motive was very plain – to get the Scotsman to print disobliging things about me being a vicious cybernat (which worked- eejits keep happily quoting the same out of context phrase the Scotsman used in these comment threads, and throughout the blogosphere).
45% were bigger and braver, with truth on their side than 55% who shrank away and cowered under a threadbare cover of lies.
Yesindyref2 wrote
‘I think the timetable for this might be very tight, and if they are denied this by Westminster, and seen openly and obviously to have been denied, then in November the second referendum will be put into the 2016 manifesto, perhaps with the proviso that if FFA is delivered then a referendum may not be necessary (apart from the EU issue).
And that is probably why Craig Murray was – correctly – rejected as a candidate. Of all the times, this is the time for tight discipline, focus on the objective, and tight team work.’
So the SNP is hoping for devo max, Independence has totally disappeared of their agenda, has it not?
Why are they fooling people with the idea of an Independent Scotland when they are really making electoral arrangements with Jim Murphy and people such as Mohammed Sarwar, Jack Straws best mate.
Westminster politics and the needs of an Independent Scotland do not mix at all.
“For me democracy is the meaningful input into the organisation of society being spread equally among the people.”
So you re-defined the meaning of democracy to suit yourself, sort of like how Bush re-defined the word “torture”.
“You a complete dick, obviousley. What a waste of space.”
All I am doing is stating the facts, the simple, indisputable, facts.
Why are you calling me names? It isn’t my fault that reality contradicts what you want to believe.
How come you can’t debate without resorting to name calling? Is that your idea of democracy? Just call anybody who tells the truth names?
“45% were bigger and braver, with truth on their side than 55% who shrank away and cowered under a threadbare cover of lies.”
What they said about oil going to be $110 a barrel wasn’t exactly true though.
“And you are not confused?”
“You had better apologise to Craig and thank Habba for explaining — both”
———————-
Villager.
The only confusion is how similar a commenting technique you have to Habb.
The proof will be in the pudding Fred, as yet not even the cutlery has arrived.
What was that again Brown said, ‘within 48hrs. of voting NO, we will deliver rah rah rah’, typical Westminster lies and innuendo with nothing behind it, not even good will.
But this is about rumination to the SNP’s decision to brief the unionist MSM, not about your daily oily rags news.
Nevermind
Fred is right, 55 is greater than 45. Even though the polls currently show eliminating DKs, 51.6% would vote YES now, if there was another referendum now out would come Project Fear, some other Vow, and the actual vote would be less than the majority needed. It’s back to playing the long game, for a while, but it’s near certain it won’t actually be a long game.
If Devo-Max is achieved, it will make the transition to Independence easier, and as most powers will already be with Scotland, it will make the doubts and uncertainties less. No more Danny Boy’s 12 times reality £3 billion to set up the Ministries, the Departments of Indy Scotland. Most would be there already. But more than that, a lot of the objectives of Indy can be achieved with Devo-Max, and that can result in a fairer, more just and more prosperous Scotland. Next step Independence.
As for the SNP, there would have been no Referendum without them, and practically speaking there won’t be one without them next time. I’d say most if not all of the new members, of which I’m one, realised that and that’s why they joined, to keep the Dream alive.
Compared to the final objective of achieving Independence, the SNP itself, Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon, Craig Murray, me – and you – are of no importance. I think most of us realise that, with many, like me, having supported Independence for 40 years and more, but I think the newcomers to Indy feel the same.
But make no mistake, the SNP’s most fundamental objective was, is, and will remain, Independence for Scotland. Only with Indy can Scotland really achieve what we all want to achieve – the best for Scotland and us.
” Even though the polls currently show eliminating DKs, 51.6% would vote YES now,”
The proof, as someone said, was in the pudding.
“Proof, by the way, meant “test”, as in proving bread or the strength of alcohol rather than the meaning usually assigned to the word today. The test was in the referendum, everything else is mere speculation.
Fred
That loaf was baked on the 18th September, well over 3 months ago. It’s well past its sell by date now, and is almost certainly a pile of dusty blue mould. Don’t create any wind near it, or you’ll be breathing it in!
“That loaf was baked on the 18th September, well over 3 months ago. It’s well past its sell by date now, and is almost certainly a pile of dusty blue mould. Don’t create any wind near it, or you’ll be breathing it in!”
It wasn’t even close, the Yes vote got the majority in just four of the thirty two council areas, it was a whitewash.
I think you were a bit quick off the mark Craig, condemning the SNP at the mere word of a scotsman journalist……..I doubt that the scotsman gets any ‘briefing’ from the Scottish Government when all they do is invent stories about them and you have given these charlatan pseudo journalists a leg up.
I have a great deal of respect for your blog and what you did over rendition and torture, but still think handing these daily record, scotsman types anything on a plate was a tad foolish and naive.
I haven’t read every comment but there is a person who has claimed he gave the negative response to the austerity question and still got selected so what does that mean, he is either making it up or there was some other aspects to the reasons.
The NO vote.
“it was a whitewash.”
That’s right, Fred.
Well done!
@Yesindyref2
29 Dec, 2014 – 8:22 am
I tend to agree with you.