Today the prosecution concluded its case against Alex Salmond. The most important point was that, now the final prosecution witness has been called, we can conclusively say that the Crown did not produce a single eye witness to any of the 13 alleged incidents. This is even though many of them occurred in public; at a photo opportunity in Stirling Castle, in restaurants, in a vehicle with other occupants. It is strange that a behaviour allegedly so continuous and so compulsive was simultaneously so invisible – that is invisible to anybody who was not either a member of Nicola Sturgeon’s very closed inner circle – which describes six of the nine accusers – or a senior Scottish government civil servant, which describes the other three. It is the very narrow and connected milieu of the accusers which distinguishes this case from the comparisons the media had everywhere drawn with the monstrous Weinstein.
The nearest thing the crown had to an eye witness was Mr Donald Cameron, head of the private office of Leslie Evans, Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government. Mr Cameron testified on Friday that he had witnessed Alex Salmond attempt to brush the hair from the cheek of a civil servant in a lift (which is not one of the charges). Mr Cameron also agreed under questioning that there was not, to his knowledge, any policy against female civil servants working alongside Mr Salmond in Bute House, which claim had been the major trial media headline on Friday morning.
The other main point of interest since my last report has been the acknowledgement by accuser Ms J that she had been in messaging contact with Ms H – before making her allegations. The Crown did not after all call one of its listed witnesses, Ian McCann, the SNP official who had been in the WhatsApp group discussing (ahem) the accusations and who had been involved in the strategy to “sit on them” until they were “needed”. The cross-examination of McCann would have been very interesting; I am rather unsurprised the Crown have pulled him.
I had a conversation on the last AUOB march with a lady who used to be a senior British Airways air hostess. British Airways used to host promotional events such as conferences and dinners at venues such as Turnberry or Gleneagles. Air hostesses would be present for hospitality duties, in their uniforms in the day and then changing into evening wear for the evening function. Social mores change, and this would be viewed as pretty tacky now, but it was perfectly normal twenty or thirty years ago.
The lady told me that she very frequently had problems with guests becoming over familiar and trying it on with the hostesses, particularly after drinking at dinner. The guests were generally very senior executives and politicians. The hostesses would frequently discuss among themselves who was and who was not “handsy”, who to avoid and who was nice company. She told me that Alex Salmond had been very frequently, over many years, a guest of BA at these functions, in a variety of capacities. She had never once heard a single word of complaint about him. In the starkest contrast to many other public figures.
The media have had over a week of lurid headlines. Tomorrow will see the start of the defence case – and the good news is that means the court will be open to the public. If I can wake up and queue up early enough, I hope that I shall be able to bring you detailed reporting.
Shortly after Alex Salmond left the Scottish parliament, Robin Mcalpine told me that he had been entering the parliament with Alex Salmond for a meeting. The security guard had been rather embarrassed to tell the former First Minister that he would require to be signed in as he was no longer a member. Salmond replied “of course, call the First Minister’s office”. The guard did so, and the First Minister’s office refused to sign him in. That was when I first knew something was badly wrong.
Under Alex Salmond, Scottish nationalism was radical and challenged the imperialist English nationalist narrative that so dominates UK politics and media. Since his departure, there has been a radical change of emphasis. On Syria, on Ukraine, on Huawei, the SNP has decided to join in with Britnat union jack patriotism and indeed be still more militaristic than the Tory government. Rather than explain, let me present some contrasts which you should easily understand.
Last week the SNP at Westminster sided with the most right wing Tory rebels in voting against Huawei’s involvement in constructing the UK’s 5G network. On Syria the SNP is actively calling for regime change and criticising the UK government for not adopting a policy of regime change.
On Ukraine also the SNP is actively more hawkish and anti-Russian than the Tory government and criticises from the extreme NATO hawk position. The SNP defence spokesman, Stewart MacDonald, posted a twitter stream of the books he read in 2019 which was an astonishing collection of Russophobia, both Russophobic “research” and Russophobic spy fantasy fiction. MacDonald was actually awarded a medal by the President of Ukraine for his services to Russophobia – sorry, services to Ukraine’s image abroad. (This is true, not a joke).
With Salmond out of the picture, the SNP has been captured to become a political party with an absolutely safe, dependable neo-con worldview. The SNP leadership unquestioningly now accepts and actively promotes the Britnat framing of China and Russia as the enemy. Salmond never did. The SNP has been successfully neutered by the British Establishment both from challenging the Britnat worldview and from any genuine intention to break free of the UK state. This has been a major success for the security services in neutralising what the UK state saw as its biggest single danger. It explains absolutely why Alex Salmond needs, from a UK security service point of view, to be permanently put out of the picture.
Neither China nor Russia is the enemy of Scotland. Quite the opposite. I am going to say that again so it sinks in. Neither China nor Russia is the enemy of Scotland. The acceptance by the SNP hierarchy of this Britnat imperialist framing is a betrayal of the Independence movement.
On Huawei, it seems to me extremely improbable that the Chinese state – which has enjoyed phenomenal success through peaceful economic expansion – has any intention of spying aimed at harming the interests of Scotland. What I do know for certain is that the UK government will use 5G, exactly as it has used every other communications technology, for mass spying on its own citizens. What I know for certain is that the UK government’s mass spying on its own citizens includes those it views as being a danger to the UK state through their support for Scottish Independence.
I should have been a great deal more impressed by the SNP’s vast coterie of Westminster MP’s, all of whose arses are becoming increasingly well padded from their long and comfortable sojourn on the green benches in Westminster, if they had taken the opportunity of the Huawei debate to speak, not in Churchillian terms about the Chinese Red threat to the United Kingdom, but to speak about GCHQ and MI5 spying on Scottish people. That is what the SNP should be about, not British patriotism.
Consider the above change in the SNP’s geopolitical stance. Consider that the majority of accusers are senior SNP figures close to the current leadership. Consider the role of SNP Party HQ in (ahem) discussing the accusations. I hope you now understand that is why I shall be in court every day from tomorrow.
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I’ve been an SNP member for some 30 years. Alex Salmond has done so much good for the SNP and I admire and respect him, and since his departure, the administration manages the domestic shop well, but SNP political independence activity?
Nicola Sturgeon’s lack of political combativeness has frustrated me no end, teasing Willie Rennie at Thursday FMQ sessions doesn’t cut it. She has had several opportunities to make a political, demonstrative stand over Scotland’s wish for independence and has bottled it., AUOB marches ignored.
“Scotland will not be taken out of the EU against her will” declares Ian Blackford, week after week at Westminster., like the Mouse That Roared. Progress report Ian?
And then the GRA fiasco.No one, neither woman nor man whom I know, family and friends, nor passing acquaintances, support the GRA proposals.
To me these are significant.
Theresa May says Alex Salmond ‘risks being Russian propaganda tool’
https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/theresa-may-says-alex-salmond-risks-being-russian-propaganda-tool-1-4798645
“Nicola Sturgeon distances herself from Alex Salmond’s RT show
https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-distances-herself-from-alex-salmond-s-rt-show-1-4610054
CM – “The SNP has been successfully neutered by the British Establishment both from challenging the Britnat worldview and from any genuine intention to break free of the UK state.”
In a Guardian article, in the lead up to the 2019 election, Sturgeon wrote re Trident:-
“We should lead the way by scrapping nuclear weapons and investing that money in our communities and our public services.”
Which seems pretty unequivocal to me and challenges the Bitnat worldview.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/24/nuclear-weapon-kill-millions-cold-war-mentality-nicola-sturgeon
The thing is though, she is no leader.
Her dress sense has improved considerably though since she became leader. Very haute couture these days..
Better funded, perhaps?
Excellent post Craig! Thank you! Their pro-Brit phobic policies on especially China, Russia, and the endless WM propaganda events has many people among independence supporters seriously worried. The dragging of heels over the independence issue is especially worrying. Definitely the SNP’s policies and political stance have changed drastically since Alex Salmond stepped down. I don’t like where they are heading and truly fear for the whole cause.
In addition, the SNP calling Assad’s government (and various others) a dictatorial regime or similar words represents extreme irony and almost satire when you look at WM and the Tories. Do they not read or research outside of WM/US propaganda bulletins?
I (among many others) have suspected infiltration of the SNP by MI5/6 for a long time and can think of a few characters who stand out. MacDonald being a major flag, partly for his behaviour against people who question these policies. (Ridicule and block.). The way he actively promotes and rubs shoulders with Atlantic Council and Bellingcrap/Integrity Init etc. is extremely worrying.
I hope you are able to get in there from tomorrow!
“I (among many others) have suspected infiltration of the SNP by MI5/6 for a long time and can think of a few characters who stand out”
It is their job description to infiltrate everything.
another excellent briefing. I have long been concerned about the SNP emerging echo of UK FCO narratives and ambitions. Where is the core belief in self-determination in someone who will condemn the right to others around the world? MPs in particular are affected and there is little dissent in the interest of independence focused unity, but we cannot establish independence with those who would continue to tie us to the UK’s core colonialist mentality.
What about Joanna Cherry, is she part of the Sturgeon clique? Or maybe she isn’t a indication of that might be the NEC atrempting to block her return to Holyrood.
As for Alex Salmond, I dearly hope he clears his name and returns to the political fold, we have not forgotten him.
Looks like we’ve all been duped by the SNP hierarchy.
“It is an act of dubious legality, but above all one of unpardonable folly.” Alex Salmond, 29 March 1999, on the NATO illegal bombing of Serbia. The depleted uranium used in the bombs still poisons the soil and water and kills not only Serbs with cancer but also the Italian NATO soldiers who were stationed in the areas contaminated with the radioactive dust. I remember Alex Salmond calling them out even though the truth was not popular. Thanks for reminding us.
“The acceptance by the SNP hierarchy of this Britnat imperialist framing is a betrayal of the Independence movement.” Strongly agree.
Hmmm… a clear echo of Talleyrand. “It was worse than a crime. It was a blunder”.
Jeezo.. Some of that is Very revealing Stuff, And unsettling.. I had a conversation with my daughter this morning and we were both in agreement of a list of SNP squandered Tory Bad opportunities.. ( including Julian Assange Torture )
The SNP Pandering to the UK elite’s geopolitical Evils left me shocked ..The Skripal Poisoning nonsense, Russia Bad, the west’s Syria Lies. ect.
I read a comment on an Indy page this afternoon, ( went back looking for it but forget which indy page it was …Anyway..A commenter was saying that 22 police officers were working the Alex Salmond case full time for ( I think two years ) He said a lady he new was approached and questioned about Alex – her friend – pecking her on the cheek at a charity event Years ago.
Thanks for these insights Craig..I hope you get into the Chamber Tomorrow
I thought that if the devolved Scottish government spoke a different narrative from Westminster about defence issues…Westminster would have the right to shut it down…any truth in this?
Paul
Can’t see it. SNP policy has always been anti Trident weapons of mass destruction.
Been pointing out Sturgeons arse licking to the British establishment for quite some time now. Great piece Craig and I look forward to your reporting on the defence case
Why do you need subscriptions?
Anyway, back to your article. Why are you blaming the Westminster government for the change in SNP policy? You should cast your mind to the real benefactors. The USA has much more reason to change SNP policy than Westminster. Anti Russia and China? Come now, Craig, you aren’t an idiot.
3 dumb questions Michael,
But im sure you knew that.
As I recall, the UK government – like that of the USA although as usual on a far smaller scale – pays members of the armed forces to sit as computers all day and, essentially, troll.
I sometimes wonder why I don’t notice their activities.
” Why do you need subscriptions?”
Because Craig Aint a part of the establishment MSM… Like the war criminals at the BBC, Sky, NYT , CNN ect
Why do you need to comment and smudge this excellent article by spitting on the blog Michael?
And keep washing your hands, and your substantual, wide open mouth, Michael.
Just as the SNP, your balls seem to squezed something rotten by the WM hobnail cabinet.
Re Mr Salmonds trial.
I have always liked and admired AS.
Re prosecution case and apparent lack of witnesses could I refer you to the case of MOOROV V HM ADVOCATE 1930 .This case significant as it is now accepted in cases such as this where only the suspect and victim are present and where there are multiple victims as there is here their evidence can corroborate that of another victim.
I think Moorov has been well explained within these pages. Suggest you actually read the articles by Craig before commenting.
I would also think that the judge, in her summing up, will refer to Moorov, but should also point out the degree of pre trial “discussion” of their evidence between some of the witnesses to balance this out.
We await the defence case, but I wonder if some of the complainants’ testimony about alleged assaults at events attended by others will be refuted by defence witnesses who attended the same events. One PROSECUTION witness has already refuted testimony by one of the complainants that AS was pie eyed at one of the dinners where an alleged assault took place.
This should be a much needed distraction from everything else that’s going on. It doesn’t feel like it though. It feels like another reason to give up completely.
Why has she taken the SNP in this direction?
Hatuey,
Maybe she hasn’t a choice?
Yes. She comes across as a conduit.
‘My Ph.D. dissertation chairman, who became a high Pentagon official assigned to wind down the Vietnam war, in answer to my question about how Washington gets Europeans to always do what Washington wants replied: “Money, we give them money.” “Foreign aid?” I asked. “No, we give the European political leaders bagfuls of money. They are for sale. We bought them. They report to us.” Perhaps this explains Tony Blair’s $50 million fortune one year out of office’.
– Paul Craig Roberts https://www.globalresearch.ca/americas-conquest-of-western-europe-is-europe-doomed-by-vassalage-to-washington/5538471
Interesting article – thanks for reporting on the AS case.
Shall be considering my SNP membership termination.
ISA
Stay and change things.
I am not considering mine. Leaders come, leaders go – the cause remains the same.
If Joanna Cheery stands for the nomination in Edinburgh Central, she’s got my vote.
I guess I’m only a kinda uneducated guy of 75, mainly a building site education but I can’t help admire your post. I been saying something similar for a couple o years to some playground abuse from the ” OOR Nicola” brigade or maybe to young to realise the value of Alex Salmond.
That man has always been my hero…i once said on FB about 5/6 years ago that if I needed any politician to fight my corner on any subject that Politician would be Alex…I can only pray he comes back into Scottish politics with an explosion…….
Alex Mackie
If the trial isn’t postponed then the explosion may be this week.
I find it a bit gross when some Scottish, or in this case very English bloggers wish to regard Alexander Salmond like an ex-Pope who is next to God. Scottish politics can do without that blind adulation shit.
Like the blind adulation of Nicola Sturgeon, d’you think? And d’you think before you post?
These updates I am reading on a daily basis are now giving me serious doubts as to the current SNP hierarchy!
I look forward to when this can be published without the fear of a contempt of court charge!
The more I read the more I fear that Alex Salmond will be our only hope of independence as I see nothing so far in the SNP that will push as hard as he would for it!
The establishment had to to something to be rid off him permanently as he carried too much force with the independence movement!
However when all is revealed to the YES movement that’s the problem the SNP will have!
I strongly believe in the rule if law and say whoever’s accused should be tried fairly but so far this imo has not been the case!
I sincerely hope that this jury have the sense to do the right thing and not what the establishment want if them.
That would completely destroy a legal system that has been our backbone in our society long before WM had a legal system.
I await with bated breath on what the defence has to say as imo it has been very biased reporting so far from the MSM.
I am grateful for a voice without prejudice Craig and look forward to reading your posts re the defence now.
I mean, the blind adulation of a political God seems to be the whole point of this blog innuendo tirade. Complete with the mad idea that a dozen people are going to be willingly thrust into a criminal court case about rape and sexual assault because they like the Nicola Sturgeon a bit,or something, and they are all making it up, in concert, honest.
Nelson
Not big on getting the facts correct are you? Related to Donald Trump are you?
There are 9 accusers not a dozen as you say. There are no rape charges as you say.
Not big on much really are you?
Salmond co-operated with the cabal owned Bank of England prior to the independence vote. “Keep the English pound”.
Nicola Sturgeon posts an image of a Kabbala / Mason pyramid, of top Bilderberger’s work? Mmmmm. Is she another puppet?
My favorite bit is that Alex Salmond is claiming to to be a sexual Lothario, and shagging a couple of the women despite looking like a late middle-aged hippopotamus.
Nelson
If you are going to post a nasty comment at least get your facts correct. No “shagging” as you put it took place.
I think it’s time to remind you “Don’t feed the troll”. Although admittedly I did, a couple of times.
In real life, Alex Salmond undoubtedly can’t see his own penis unless he looks in a mirror.
You’ve put an overwhelming amount of research into your opinion. Well done you.
The medical term is ‘mirror disease’.
Anyway, I found Salmond, whatever this politics are, as just creepy for a long time.
If it is of any interest, my wife seriously hates him to a degree I disagree about.
You do sound like a charming couple. Well matched, at least.
Cheers!
Watt
Brilliant work bringing forth what has been omitted through MSM manipulation and saluting you on your courage and integrity to do so, with the potential to be pulled up on it.
Everything points to Alex being set up and in amidst the intensity of everything else that’s playing out in society, most folk are focused elsewhere.
In amidst the toilet roll mania, a few trolley loads are needed in this court to mop up the shit being conjured up, and thrown at him.
May Truth prevail.
[ Mod: Off-topic. Please keep this thread focused on the Alex Salmond trial. The Coronavirus thread is still active, and you’re welcome to post your comment there: https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2020/03/momento-mori-unpopular-thoughts-on-corona-virus/
Regards. ]
—
With apologies for wandering off topic, I feel the urge to share Dmitry Orlov’s take on the toilet paper issue.
“Oh, and in case you are wondering, running out and stocking up on toilet paper in response to a coronavirus threat is a symptom of an entirely different disease which can very well turn out to be fatal. Most curiously, it seems to affect the cerebral cortex via the rectum”.
https://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2020/03/covid-19.html
I find it ridiculous that accusations of unwanted touching are routinely equated with sexual assault and rape and tried in a court of law while, simultaneously, the biased media agitates against the accused in the court of public opinion.
These supposedly strong and independent women are so precious and meek they can’t tell an overly frisky bloke to keep his hands to himself? If this is indeed the case, then liberal feminism has utterly failed.
I know for a fact that previous generations of women, particularly working class women, were quite capable of putting ‘gropey’ men in their place on the spot. They did not wait several years and then go running to the media complaining about how traumatized they were by a hand on the knee.
Interesting how these cases seem to very often involve aspirational women seeking positions of power or the accused is someone the establishment wants sidelined.
I can understand the frustration with Sturgeon, but what would be gained by constantly swimming against such a powerful tide? Going to war with the British ‘deep state’ and their media like that would be insane. Sturgeon would become enemy no.1 and be hounded out of office; labelled a ‘crank’, a ‘conspiracy theorist’, and the current western demonisation favourite: a pawn of Putin or useful idiot… and It’d make her physically ill with stress. She’d have no access to her own intel sources either, to dispute anything. Plus no idea what’s going to drop next in terms of developments. It’s not a group any lone politician would want to go up against. Were I in her situation I wouldn’t rock the boat either. There are fights you ultimately can’t win so why pick ’em? The only real question is, is she still committed to independence? Because post-independence she or her successor can take any position they want to, backed up by their own intel services.
As for Alex Salmond, joining RT, providing the station with an authoritative, respected UK political figure and thereby credibility, then heightened tensions over the Skripals and his refusal to quit, made him new powerful enemies. Whether this whole thing is the result of that though, I’ve no idea, it seems a stretch. I like the man and he seems far too intelligent to have put himself in these risky situations. But that said, it’s an awfully large group saying similar things.
“But that said, it’s an awfully large group saying similar things.”
Far, far, far fewer than told us WMD were in Iraq, but no smoke without fire, eh?
Goose
“It’s an awfully large group saying similar things”
Perhaps if you know the names of the accusers you might change your mind.
He’s clearly at least been unfaithful, with his ‘consensual’ defence arguments for some of the incidents. Given the media hostility the SNP face daily, that was pretty reckless behaviour imho. I’m not judging or being excessively puritanical by trying to say they should take a vow of celibacy or anything, but my, when the media sharks(incl. BBC) are circling is that a position anyone in such a senior position should put themselves in?
I assume this is a British intelligence operation which Sturgeon is more than happy to go along with. I also assume that there is a lot of truth in the allegations which were clearly covered up at the time. Hardly a unique thing for powerful men.
This is payback for ignoring advice on working with RT.
I look back, to the late eighties, early nineties, when in my naivete I still believed that if something was just plain Wrong, if a grave injustice was occuring of some arm of the state, local government, some ministry or department or other the health service, whoever it was, as a last resort then a short consultation with some councillor, District, Regional, National, a letter a plea outlining what had occurred then I could expect said miscreants to quake and then be hung out to dry. Now I realise the biggest miscreants of them all are those in politics, and a successful resolution by that method far from sorting the matter out and equilibrium restored pie-in-the-sky. Establishment historians are seasoned liars, politicians crooks in the pocket of big pharma/arms/whatever. And then there was the courts, those be-wigged judges, they’d look over or under their glasses, and rain thunder and lightning down on the varmints, the clouds would roll on, the sun shine again. Today I watch locks and doors smashed down and family abducted, extortion demanded, bogus charges laid, born innocents locked up and drugged stupid, chemically lobotomised and realise, the law (not the police) are above the law, law not worth the paper it’s printed on, it’s not applicable, used, adhered to only to crush the little fish, never the bloodied sharks. Give anyone from Prime Minister to the lowliest council drone worker even a sniff of power and they’re off on some demented wicked exercise of that power to maximise the damage and injury they can do to all unfortunate enough to encounter them, and that those behind the twitching curtains even, wet themselves at the prospect of screwing up everyone within their orbit, only need to kick off the witchunt by lifting the phone and an eager army of state-sanctioned torturers descend and proceed to chew up, and spit out the bones of some unfortunate enough deserving of their ire simply for trying to exist in a world where not only are there too many people most of them are not much more than savage animals, and psychopathic.. The world I thought existed never did, everything is rotten to the core. Writing to a politician as a last resort, simply the crowning height of futility. The better of them eventually brought down and the scum rises and rises. We’ll never rise above our rodent limbic brains, those who can and do, the altruistic or just trying to live their lives harming and bothering no-one, become prey. I’m not even going to proof-read this for grammar, spelling, or even coherence.
There’s a lot to what you say, Tony M. Our brains and endocrine systems evolved, slowly and painfully, to survive in a world of savage wild beasts, hostile weather, and frequent shortage of food or even starvation. In the world of hunter-gatherers, one grows up trusting other members of the group – maybe a dozen or two – and distrusting all other human beings. Moreover, stress is sometimes extreme (as in being chased by a lion or wolves) and always imminent.
Consequently, many or most modern humans have an ambiguous relationship with stress. The constant low-level stress caused by “civilized” life and office work probably causes a host of diseases; but the lack of excitement forces many of us to seek out the stress we instinctively feel is lacking in our lives.
Tony M. You write what I have experienced and are absolutely coherent. The majority simply don’t care about the suffering of others or want to change their own life styles. I have found great association in reading Craig’s articles and fellow commenters. Something Lee Camp said on George Gallows show on Suday evening really said it all for me. It was on the lines of others in the world are in constant danger of the next bomb about to fall on them while we, till now……if someone could post that link please
Yep, Sturgeon is a wrong ‘un, the whole of the Scottish Ministers are. Some have got out to the safety (hah) of Westminster.
That photo of Sturgeon and Campbell sickened me at the time, and it sickens me even more now. At the time some independence supporters tried to defend her. I wonder if their feelings have changed?
I came to the independence debate quite late in my life. I had always been a Labour supporter and felt that the SNP were, for want of a better word “off”.
Over the last 30 years I slowly began to change my ideas. Political views are much like tectonic plates: they move slowly at first and then there is a sudden jolt and all hell breaks loose. The catalyst for my conversion was the rise to power of that odious creep, Tony Blair. I couldn’t believe how my friends and political allies were taken in by this second-rate used car salesman.
Then, with the political rise of Alex Salmond I slowly gravitated towards the SNP. Here was a leader who wasn’t afraid to speak truth to power. In the end, my journey from unionist to fervent nationalist was all down to Alex Salmond. I realised early on that the Establishment were afraid of him. I said at the time to a friend, “They’ll do everything in their power to bring him down,”
And so here we are, in March 2020 at the crossroads. I don’t think it’s any exaggeration to say that if Salmond falls we all fall.
Sturgeon seemed to be a capable leader at first. But I am afraid she is the proverbial wolf (a unionist wolf at that) in sheep’s clothing. The final straw for me is their so-called consultation on transgenderism. I’m quite liberal, in the classic sense of that word, on matters of private preferences. If a man wants to put on a frock and call himself a woman, that’s fine by me. Just don’t expect me to call him Shirley. If a woman thinks she’s a man, what the heck? All I ask is that she/he doesn’t get in my face and insist that I think of her as a man. How intolerant is that?
So I’m afraid that in the next general or Scottish election I won’t be voting for anyone. I’ll be breaking a lifetime’s tradition in not voting, but I’m afraid, for me, there is no one who deserves my vote.
John Welch
“If Salmond falls we all fall”. – sorry – I disagree the freedom of a country is much more than any one person.
“There is no one who deserves my vote” – that is how the Britnats want you to feel and react. Does your country not deserve your vote?
“Does your country not deserve your vote?”
Unquestionably. But one is never allowed to vote for Scotland. Only for one of a variety of politicians of dubious morals and loyalty.
That’s the system. If you vote, you implicitly support it. And if you don’t vote, you disempower yourself. There is a third alternative, but it is not for the faint-hearted.
“A man’s rights rest in three boxes. The ballot box, jury box and the cartridge box”.
– Frederick Douglass (speech, November 15, 1867)
Frederick Douglass.
A man who all may look to, whatever their colour.
Persecuted, as Mr. S. is today, for telling truth to power.
Tom Welsh
If the SNP have one policy Scottish independence in its manifesto then I think I have fixed that for you. Just do it in 2021 Scot parliament election.
Now that Boris Johnson has filled his drawers over Coronavirus (and declared lockdown) – will the public be allowed into the gallery for the A.S. trial?
Why am I not surprised by any thing you have written here.
However I have faith many more see a’ this than did a year ago, like I did.
The movement won’t die, it will be in hold till late summer then revive and switch the challenge to the top SNP.