The day after I publish my article accusing the corporate media of being an active part of the conspiracy against Alex Salmond, and of giving disgracefully selective, slanted and biased coverage of the evidence of his trial, the Daily Record has decided to investigate my home and personal finances. Is not life full of little coincidences?
I received this email from the Daily Record’s political editor.
I replied to him politely. This was probably a mistake – I should have just told him where to go.
But I cannot get over the idea that this is absolutely illegitimate. It is a plain attempt to bully and harass me for having published the truth about what really lay behind the Alex Salmond case. Who put up the Daily Record up to launching an investigation into my personal circumstances? It is of course the paper to which was leaked the very detailed and most salacious of the false accusations against Salmond. Who trawled the land register to find my home purchase?
The key point is not one mainstream media journalist has even attempted to refute the facts of my article J’accuse. It is packed with facts. Might not the political editor of the Daily Record better spend his time researching the conspiracy against Alex Salmond, rather than threatening an independent journalist for the crime of doing journalism?
I greatly dislike bullies. I do hope you feel the same. Mr Hutcheon’s contact details are there. If any of you feel like phoning, texting or emailing Mr Hutcheon to suggest he might be better employed investigating the facts of my article about the Salmond fit-up, rather than pursuing a journalist, you would earn my eternal gratitude.
It goes without saying that this blog is free to read. I have always stated that I do not wish anybody to support my work if it costs them the slightest personal hardship. If anybody wishes to cancel their subscription because I am doing up a house to run as a b & b, I shall not be in the slightest upset.
UPDATE the Daily Record have now published their stunning investigative article, together with a large picture of my house. My wife and family are very upset by this.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/alex-salmond-blogger-trial-high-21789285
What I am now waiting for is all these people to step in and condemn the publishing of my home and the subsequent risk to the security of my wife and family, with as much vigour as they today defended the privacy of the Edinburgh third house of the Head of MI6.
Tumbleweed rolls by.
With grateful thanks to those who donated or subscribed to make this reporting possible.
This article is entirely free to reproduce and publish, including in translation, and I very much hope people will do so actively. Truth shall set us free.
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Subscriptions are still preferred to donations as I can’t run the blog without some certainty of future income, but I understand why some people prefer not to commit to that.
This is exactly the sort of article that you would publish about one of your political opponents, namely drawing attention to how one might afford such a house with no visible means of income.
What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Hear, hear!
Well Craig, this prompted me to finally send you a donation. Don’t let the bastards grind you down.
Craig,
I’ve just been furloughed and am struggling a bit at present. I’ve sent money in the past mainly to help your ‘libel’ case. I’ll contribute when I can.
Your coverage of AS and Julian Assange has been amazing and I remember Murder in Samarkand when you bravely sat in courtrooms.
You’re becoming an official National (Scottish branch) Treasure!
PS Do let us know when you open. I imagine you’ll be booked solid immediately. B&B is fine but a bar with you serving would be amazing!
“B&B is fine but a bar with you serving would be amazing!”
Worth the price of any stay. I have difficulty imagining such a thing would ever run dry, of potential clientele.
So the article is here;
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/alex-salmond-blogger-trial-high-21789285
However, there’s a new one with more insinuations on my news feed.
I’ll see if I can copy the text here.
Craig you are not alone in our wee nation an attack on you is an attack on us all. I fail to understand people like Hutchison who can sell his soul. Then belittle himself and his own country for 30 pieces of silver. His mother would be shamed.
The news feed is even worse. It reads;
Blogger who believes state tried to frame Alex Salmond asking for donations after buying £600k mansion
Craig Murray, a former UK diplomat, splashed out on the nine-bedroom pad in Edinburgh two years ago.
BY PAUL HUTCHEON
19:35, 31 MAR 2020UPDATED19:37, 31 MAR 2020
A notorious blogger who is asking punters for donations bought a £600,000 gated mansion without needing a mortgage.
Craig Murray, who believes the state tried to frame Alex Salmond, splashed out on the nine-bedroom pad in Edinburgh two years ago.
However, the 61-year-old is now asking readers for £100 a month to keep his “conspiracy” blog going.
Labour MSP Neil Findlay said: “There are people in the wackier reaches of the Nationalist movement who see the footsoldiers as folk who can fund their hare-brained conspiracy theories.
0_CMP_SDR_310320(address if the house)jpg. A house purchased by Craig Murray in Edinburgh two years ago(Image: Daily Record)
“It appears Mr Murray is a wealthy individual and he needs to be transparent with potential donors about his wealth.”
Murray was the UK ambassador for Uzbekistan between 2002 and 2004 before being removed from post after a fall out with the Foreign Office.
As a blogger, he tried to dispute Russia’s involvement in the Salisbury poisonings and has written about Salmond’s acquittal on sexual offences charges.
Murray has claimed “corrupt” institutions conspired against the former First Minister and insists the former First Minister’s female accusers lied.
He also wrote about having “definite good source information” about MI5’s involvement in the Salmond allegations – a claim that led to him being mocked.
On his website, he flagged up a “change of policy” for his blog which involves seeking donations.
He explained: “I am no longer in a position to devote my time to it without income – the need to earn a living caused the blog to go dark for almost five months last year, and the last six weeks this journalism has stopped me doing anything else to pay the rent.”
Readers have the option of subscribing to his blog, with contributions of between £2 and £100 a month accepted.
However, despite Murray’s cash plea, official documents confirm he is asset rich.
Official documents show he bought a huge house in the south of Edinburgh in 2018. No mortgage is on the property, which was purchased for £607,500.
It was described online in 2018 as an “impressive 8/9 bedroom detached house”, which has been the subject of a “substantial extension”.
Four of the bedrooms were listed as en-suite and the property also boasted a gym, “gated driveway” and an “integral double garage”.
After being contacted by this newspaper, Murray said he bought the “uninhabitable” property in Edinburgh after selling a home in England.
He said his blog is his only source of current income.
He added: “I have continually stressed that I do not want anybody to subscribe if it causes them the slightest financial difficulty.
“You do not have to subscribe – the site is free to read.”
© 2020 Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd
Better to smear than to even acknowledge the argument. This dude has plainly absorbed the Conservative – rightwing Labour textbook.
“Notorious”, eh?
There’s nothing like leading off with a rhetorical and semantic “tell” that informs any discerning reader that what follows will be scurrilous innuendo.
Or, to borrow an English colloquialism I learned from Ringo Starr: “a load of old cobblers”.
Personally, I’ve always considered Craig more “uproarious” than “notorious”.
“As a blogger, he tried to dispute Russia’s involvement in the Salisbury poisonings”
That was pretty shameful of Craig. Such an attempt defies basic rules of logic: “Once you eliminate the claims disapproved by HMG”, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.” Craig did a decent job collecting all improbable aspects of the Russian plot, starting of unheard of method that begged the question how it could possible work, on top of that, the method did not work, or sort of worked with the strangest of symptoms, including absolutely simultaneous and rapid onset after many asymptomatic hours, good health of everybody touched and fed by the victims (young children and ducks), and perhaps most puzzling, the recovery owed to valiant efforts of NHS, assisted by other agencies of HMG, followed by total invisibility. But the rule is clear: “however improbable, must be the truth”.
We’ll, you expose the sewer and they retaliate by trying to smear crap all over you. The Daily Record used to be called the “Tuppenny liar” when I was a lad.
I’m surprised the McCarthyists at the Herald haven’t accused you of working for the Russians yet. They’re a bit slow off the mark.
I spoke too soon. They’re *all* getting their “people who accept Salmond’s innocence are actually vile Russia-backed conspiracy theorists” articles out now. Stewart got his in the Times. Presumably Jennifer and Ben are writing their “indy supporters are actually evil Russian cybernats using the pandemic to sow discord” articles for David as we speak.
And then when they get the obvious backlash from Yessers who object to being vilified in the press as part of a McCarthy-style witchhunt, presumably they can flounce off Twitter and get Severin to write his “lovely person hounded off Twitter by Putin’s cyber lapdogs, we won’t show you what the said, but it was terribly vile, honest” article again. At least that’s what usually happens.
p.s. I have zero interest in knowing who Salmond’s accusers are. I couldn’t care less. And yet, if you read Dani Garavelli’s article, and you follow politics closely and you don’t have the memory of a goldfish, then it’s pretty clear who one of them is. Why hand out such a whopping great clue?
‘Trial without jury in Scottish courts shelved after backlash to emergency plan’:
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/trial-without-jury-scottish-courts-21791921
‘The Scottish Government had planned to rush through the major change today to keep courts running through the coronavirus crisis.
But opposition parties and some legal experts were furious.
Announcing the change of plan this morning, SNP Government minister Michael Russell admitted there “are still areas which need further work”.
He said the emergency measure will be removed from legislation but brought back for discussion later this month….’
Happy to subscribe. What you do is up to you..we are paying for the content of your blog. There’s a B&B in Pitlochry with an honesty bar, oh its fantastic!
I’ve been reading free for ages. Have subscribed now.
You have my full support, Craig. Thank you for your clarity and courage and rational thought, your fight for truth and justice.
Craig,
Like many who have commented here, I have today written to Paul Hutcheon expressing my dismay at his disgraceful conduct. I have also, like many another here, been tipped over the edge into making a donation to express my thanks for all you do. I sent enough in a one time payment to cover a year’s worth of subscription. I would subscribe monthly but will not do so via PayPal.
You have my continuing thanks for all of the work that you do.
After reading this post I will certainly double my subscription to this blog. Good luck with the house !
Given the fate of my retirement investments, I will keep subscription steady at the second-lowest level, but I am surely not disappointed that Craig could actually afford a fixable property in the city that he loves. Hopefully, in the future, we will see some plants and flowers in front too, but even now, I think Mrs. Murray should not worry.
Sent an email thanking him for printing your address. Now i know where to stay when visiting Auld Reekie.
Also…the eejit will have directed more people to your website. Giving more people the chance to see why AS was acquitted. Spectacular own goal really
Actually I think the Daily Record has done a public service by exposing you as being “asset-rich”. £600,000 should be easily enough to provide a house plus a sufficient pension for a small family. If you want people to finance your private enterprises as well (developing B&B plus blog) the Daily Record is only doing its job by giving everyone a fuller picture. Since I have nothing like £600,000 worth of assets, the next time you shoot off your mouth at someone and end up in the libel courts, I think you should finance yourself. That, I fear, is on the cards to happen, even for someone as undoubtedly brilliant as you are, given your personality. I hope I’m wrong – but good luck if it happens.