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).
The SNP certainly have unionist agents within it who would want to prevent you from being accepted as an SNP candidate.
And there would be careerists within the SNP as well who want electoral gain at any cost.
But the common enemy is the unionists. Defeating them in 2015 and beyond is our top priority.
I am disappointed that you have not been selected but live to fight another day.
Craig, I feel for you. Your criticism of No voters has been played like an old 78. We can’t take back what we have said in the past so we have to live with it. You deserve better than this shower of politicians. This will cheer you up!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSIUf2hD6Io
Dear Craig,
Consider yourself saved. I have it reliably that “these highly taxpayer paid professional politicians” salaries have now been included under the heading of ‘Prostitution’ in the UK’s new estimates and recent methodology of compiling its GNP.
If I am not wrong, you had been warned by some over here that while you were being refreshingly naive (as in ‘unaffected’), you were at some risk of having your rose-tinted glasses stripped off. Better sooner than later.
Good fortune but bad luck, friend!
Yours truly,
V
PS As for your career, you are too creative to be hobnobbing with these jackasses. Life will reveal its hand as you stay true to yourself.
Some things can be done politically and others can’t. People power and principles was too much for the SNP. “I didn’t get where I am today” + ” by kow-towing humbly when I am attacked.” No , but some people do and they really believe in it, like Margaret Kau @ Live Interview.
There is also a desparate need within the establishment to re-establish credibility in the political process, with a proper investigation into the practise of rendition torture long overdue. The US has admiotted mea culpa and the UK will follow eventually. It requires an individual who does not kow-tow to corrupt power, but who does pursue the truth indefatigably.
Hang on , by your toe-nails if necessary, for the right outlet for your immense talents, and let the blow-back blow on the hypocrites in the flow of their own bigotry. You have acted at all times with learned and high principles. Hold your ground. Let’s see what the Burnes book will expose metaphysically about the neo-cons. The pen is mightier than the sword.
Odd that the chosen platform was ‘The Scotsman’. Not exactly a friend to the SNP. I think you would have, and still will, make an excellent member of parliament. If you and the SNP have not seen eye to eye yet then your day WILL come. Your too good an opportunity for them to waste. Still, this story may actually help in revealing the source of its story. I could understand that they may not select you on this occasion but don’t believe the party would wish to reject you permanently. Good luck in your endeavours, you have been good for democracy and openness and SNP would be foolish not to take up your offer to serve.
You’re not naive Craig.
The Hootsmon?
What did you expect?
In a changing world it seems difficult to know what’s for the best and what’s not. But Note, people always fall back on those who are able to actually have good strong actions reflecting a confident core.
Of course, these structures are meant to emulate a similar picture, and i’m sure people within them like to think they are full of “the right material”. But they’re headless chickens.
“And thus I clothe my naked villany
With odd old ends stol’n out of holy writ,
And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.”
Perhaps the fact that Craig referred to half the voting population of Scotland in undiplomatic terms, publicly, repeatedly, could be the real reason that a political party won’t touch him with a barge pole now? The aim of a political party is to achieve broadest possible appeal, it’s the definition of party politics isn’t it? Offending half the electorate would constitute a bad start, maybe?
On a more general note, Craig is observing something I have pointed out in the past (call it Evgueni’s law) – a corruptible system (party politics) rapidly becoming corrupted, on account of people in the main being very receptive to the corrupting effects of such a system. The only glimmer of hope is in changing the system to be less corruptible – introducing genuine elements of democracy to counteract the destructive dynamics of party politics and ‘representative’ politics. A yet another political party is just more of the same, unless its main stated aim is to change the party politics system itself in the direction of more democracy – be it PR, media reform, recall, mandatory referendum or the most democratic device of all – initiative & referendum.
Craig, when I first read of your intention to stand for the SNP my immediate reaction was that either you’d be rejected or you’d be accepted and would be a focus for attacks on the SNP from the media.
I think the SNP made the only sensible choice available – although I’m disappointed that they leaked a story to the media.
I would certainly vote for you if you stood in my constituency, but I think you made a poor judgement by applying to the SNP due to your various outspoken views in the past. Your best option is, and always was, to stand as an independent, and perhaps you could have struck a deal with the SNP to stand unopposed by them in an ageeed constituency.
As others have said, the SNP is a means to an end (and will certainly be disbanded in their current form in the event of independence).
Lastly, anyone who has joined the SNP and now threatens to revoke their membership only plays into the establishment anti-independence propaganda.
The SNP are what they are. I’ll continue to support them as the best means-to-an-end, and in the knowledge that they will have no option but to disband (or certainly split) in the event of independence.
“in the event of independence.”
Something tells me that’s going to be a long event.
Why would the SNP have ‘leaked’ this? What would be their motive? Do you have evidence? Far more likely that Scotland on Sunday went on a little fishing trip and hooked you. No doubt they said ‘we have heard that the SNP….’ – and maybe you fell for it.
The SNP have not leaked this to the Scotsman. One particular individual official in SNP, or small group, at most have leaked this. It is an error to imagine that the whole leadership is behind any leak to the Scotsman.
Someone in leadership though needs to contact Craig urgently and get this mess sorted. Craig’s acceptability as a candidate for Westminster MP in some Scottish consttuency should not be in serious dispute!
The underlying problem is clear: SNP cannot run Craig Murray because SNP cannot renounce impunity for British torture. SNP is committed to undermining the Rome Statute and minimal standards of the civilized world. They are indigenous colonizers for the British torture state.
The Labour Party/Unionists/The MSM will be very grateful Craig!
For us who worked hard for Independence and still do…thank a million!
There’s the angle! In Craig Murray, the SNP would be saddled with a man who won’t shut up about the big turd bobbing in the punchbowl: the uncontainable excitement of the British pedophile establishment at the spectacle of ferocious CIA Alsatians humping shackled Afghan youths. Why, it was as splendid as the old Elm Guest House, and that boorish breeder Murray is apt to spoil the fun of passing videos around. Clearly an impossible situation for the SNP, which after all, cooked up some ridiculous travesty of independence where you all tug your forelocks for the queen.
Take the long view, Mr. Murray. Which would make you prouder in the twilight of your life: Scottish independence, or bringing down the British torture vermin? They’re inextricably linked in any case. Disgracing the torturers can precipitate self-determination of all the oppressed peoples of the UK: English, Welsh, Scottish, Manx, and Five-Eyes satellite states.
‘Why not jump, kings of Scotland, see…..Weee, Beautiful sea, coastline, sailing past birds, what a lovely beach, fresh air rushing past. Is that a dog I see rushing tow”, Splat….
………“The underlying problem is clear: SNP cannot run Craig Murray because SNP cannot renounce impunity for British torture.”
Maybe that’s lot to do with it. And this blog, Openness. Honesty. You just don’t do that sort of thing.
I’v lost count of the times institutions/jobs/people in this country shat on me in just the same way. Exact or good reasons rarely divined. I figure it’s simply the dominance of cooperate totalitarian structures and the culture those things breed.
“We must join with him, Gandalf. We must join with Sauron. It would be wise, my friend”
James Connolly: National Liberation and Socialism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aokW9TXsaOk
Something I remember from the occupy movement. Graeber noted how the right wing embrace their radicals, where as the ‘left’ shun theirs.
SNP block Craig Murray general election candidacy
by ANDREW WHITAKER
28 December 2014
00:00
17 comments
A FORMER UK ambassador who was sacked by Tony Blair’s government a decade ago has been blocked from standing as an SNP candidate at the next general election because of a “lack of a commitment to group discipline”.
SNP members in the party’s branch in the Airdrie and Shotts constituency, held by Labour’s Pamela Nash, had nominated Craig Murray to fight the key target seat for the Nationalists at the 2015 general election.
/..
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/snp-block-craig-murray-general-election-candidacy-1-3645014
Dumped SNP hopeful complains about procedure
Saturday, 27 December 2014 12:50
34 Comments
By Derek Bateman
The former diplomat Craig Murray has claimed the SNP is authoritarian after being rejected as a prospective candidate.
The Yes blogger, who was interviewed on Bateman Broadcasting two weeks ago, was rejected from the approved list of candidates after taking part in hustings for the Falkirk seat where he was seen as a frontrunner. He has been approached by other constituencies to stand for the SNP.
/..
http://www.newsnetscotland.scot/index.php/component/content/article/7-politics/9882-dumped-snp-hopeful-complains-about-procedure
!!
Craig Murray rejected by SNP as parliamentary candidate for saying he would defy whip to vote against Bedroom Tax
By Caron Lindsay | Sat 27th December 2014 – 8:02 pm
http://www.libdemvoice.org/craig-murray-rejected-by-snp-as-parliamentary-candidate-for-saying-he-would-defy-whip-to-vote-against-bedroom-tax-43942.html
The SNP changed it’s policy to join NATO and it’s leaders are nervous of whistle-blowers and even degrade ‘culpable’ Julian Assange. Is that a fraternity for you Craig?
http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/scottish-politics/torture-whistle-blowers-anger-at-snp-stitch-up-after-election-block.26155630
Watched you last night after having read your post re debarring.
I was looking forward to you being a thorn in the Govt- side at Westminster….shame.
This row does no favours to you and causes the SNP to let off a nasty odour.
The Scotsman squeezed it for what it’s worth as expected today.
This should never have been publicised,and I suppose the nearest thing to a scandal the enemy within could find.Isn’t being a whistleblower similar to infidelity? If you do it once you’re liable to repeat it.
Perhaps that is what the SNP are scared of.
Its not the end of your story Craig or your chances of becoming an MP.People in the vetting commitee are probably just envious and wary of your celebrity status- Don’t let it dampen your enthusiasm.
Craig Sheridan
Maverick Murray Rejected for SNP candidacy
http://scottishstatesman.com/maverick-murray-rejected-to-stand-for-snp/
Scottish Statesman – Scottish News, Opinion & Comment-nice link Mary Thank-you & Happy New Year.
Craig Murray is undoubtedly a man of courage and talent. Whether he can focus this talent within a party political structure without feeling shackled rather than operating as an unaffiliated activist is yet to be seen.
…I wish Craig Murray well in his endeavours to alert society to the injustices suffered at the hands of a corrupt system.
Bravo!
Craig-put simply, it is a huge loss. Not to the blinkered functionaries of the SNP, but to ordinary members of the Party and its cause.
Some of you are very dense. There is something worrying about a party where its loyalty requirement is such that people cannot take in simple facts they don’t 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 cold 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).
There is a renegade faction within the SNP, I don’t think they even hide themselves well, who are even less team players than they accuse you of potentially being, and why should they care if you – lightning-conductor – were to become a focal point for the malicious wittering of the unionist press, if they’re talking about you, obsessing over trivia and titivation, over non-issues, to which you’re nonchalantly inured, surely they’re leaving others and an unfazed Craig Murry to get on with more important matters. Their ‘grounds’ and the weak, unconvincing airing of them here, by party ‘loyalists’ simply don’t ring true.