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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Polite but pointed text sent to Mr Hutcheon.
Thank you.
let the guy crawl back under a rock craig…. he is hopeless and this is all he has when confronted with the details in your posts… he is a perfect example of the pathetic state of journalism today… keep up the good work..
Mr Hutcheon appears to be claiming that his prostitution commands better fees than your chastity. Alas, I’m sure he is correct.
Nailed it !
I thought your email reply was very good – abuse is tempting, but it is good to rise above it if you can.
This story is a good reminder – the donations page could do with featuring the bank account details. Could someone do an update?
Done, with thanks to Site Admin.
Hello and good evening Clark, good to see you here! Thank you for sending the request on. I trust you are keeping well?
I’m OK thanks Jon. I don’t seem to have caught the covid yet, but I’m getting bored with not going out. How are you?
They’re scum Craig, just blank them. Let them do their worst, give them enough rope etc. They’re all economically unviable, they’re greedily hanging on to the teats of the state, scroungers, when not rooting around in the sewers and bins. The ‘Scottish’ press is only worth reading to identify their advertisers and then effect a personal, then given the size of the independence movement, soon enough a mass boycott of them and all who have truck with them, a knockout blow.
He throws shite around for a living. Occasionally some sticks. Now it seems he has graduated into a position where he gets to know what he is actually involved in. Amoral isn’t the right word to describe characters like this. A low rank arsehole. The truth will out and fannies like Hutcheon will get paid until they or the papers they work for are no longer worth the losses they accrue.
English/British nationalist “journalists”, and their cronies in English/British nationalist politics, live to intimidate.
“Workin’ 9 till 5” does not mean I share a workspace with Dolly Parton.
A Once in a Generation epic fail from Hutcheon.
Can we do some investigating into Paul Hutcheon’s finances? Anyone know anything? Fight fire with fire.
Craig,
Couldn’t care less if your house was worth £2 million. I’ll keep subscribing.
But I learned in 2007 when I was falsely accused of causing massive fatalities in an industrial accident in the USA, my attorney was quite adamant; NEVER talk to ANYONE in the media, EVER. I was badgered many times for material so the hacks could get their agenda published & for the publication of a book. They got not one word from me beyond my public testimony in front of the USA Senate Sub Committee hearing in 2008 & my sworn testimony which lasted a grueling 8 hours over many sessions.
This rule has served me well & I would kindly recommend you do the same; never engage, never divulge, never respond. The “media” will fabricate what they don’t know anyway which is when you go after them.
So feel free to tell the Record or any other “newspaper” to politely piss off.
Well said!
That reply would have put Hutcheson’s high tail tight between his legs! It begs the question again though — why is the anti-independence press still gunning for Alex Salmond and his allies rather than the humiliated leadership of the independence movement? What does that say about the putative leadership of the independence movement?
Indeed, a powerful observation.
And what does it say about Alex Salmond?
That he was one of the, if not the, most accomplished politicians of his generation and that as a strong analyst and speaker of truth he remains a powerful presence, causing fear amongst the powerful who lie, cheat and deceive.
That’s what it says about Alex Salmond.
Take this libelous post down, penguin or face the consequencies.
Craig, will you be ready to receive guests later this year? When the current problems are over I would love to visit Edinburgh
We would have been but for the virus lockdown! Builders merchants are all shut.
Many builders merchant are allowing orders online that can be collected.
But have a bizarre list of products that they deem essential and those they do not. My neighbour was trying to buy sand to repair a wall. But found this was not considered an essential item.
Nobody listened to me about Stottie, and nobody listened to me about Starmer.
Is it too late now?
Too late Tony, the Horse has bolted.
“Pay the rent” could he seen as figurative, a restatement of the blog being your only source of income. Maybe change it to “bills”. It may be galling for this vindictive individual to accept that you managed to accumulate 600k through honest means. Personally, though, I am glad you own your home, as it is only those with some security, like Roger Waters, Lionel Shriver, Pamela Anderson, etc., who can speak out freely without fear of the Twitter hate mobs launching campaigns to get them fired/render them destitute. You’ve already been blacklisted by the MSM, so it’s doubtful you’ll ever score another big pay day anyway.
Doubt you are too concerned. Please keep up the good work.
i have sent him an email pointing out that I support and will continue to support your blog because I believe good journalism should be paid for. I also told him that I would not be buying his newspaper any time soon. Good luck and keep fighting. Might well come and stay in the b n b when you open. Always fancied a visit to Edinburgh!
If Craig were to hold court at the dinner table, he’d be block booked for years to come! C’way the Jocks!
Journalist against journalists, at what point did news storys become a weapon against journalism. The actions of the Record goes to prove that main steam jornalism is not free (as in thought) but is controlled by a hierachy for political gain. Free journalism is important in a democracy it is the way governments and truth is held to account. I have always held your work in high regards but held back to committing to a subscription due to other commitments. Today I want to help protect free journalism further, therefore I have now taken out a subscription to your excellant blog.
The Daily Record and the oik who enquired of the status of YOUR personal matters should, to use the vernacular, ‘do one’.
You are, as always, far too polite.
I wish both the organisation and its minion would crawl back under the rock from whence they came. They are such a waste of oxygen.
I and many others have your back and you will have my support and input when a new force is created in the Independence movement, when we can drive out those oiks from our Country.
Keep safe.
Ian
Disgusted by the underhand vile dirty behaviour.
Have sent email expressing my disgust.
Craig , at this time It Is very important you take good care of yourself.
Ohhh FFS talking about scraping the barrel!!
I don’t give a shit how fancy your home is or not . You provide a service and should be paid. You at least allow people to view your work for free and don’t hide behind a paywall such as the newspapers.
This is like Play School now…am sure Paul Hutcheon of the Daily Record isn’t sleeping under a bridge!
Tell him to GTF!
Craig,
After reading the pathetic attempt by Hutcheon to intimidate you, I shall be taking out a subscription to your excellent blog. I shall do this at the weekend when I have terminated my Labour Party Membership.
It’s never been more important to support Journalists like you. If we want to have impartial and truthful reporting we are going to have to pay for it ourselves and support folk like you. The MSM, with the BBC the worst, are sliding into the Cess Pit of irrelevance. Let them rot there.
Keep up the good work.
Craig, it’s a bit confusing saying it’s the Sunday Herald on your link
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2020/03/sunday-herald-investigates-my-home-and-finances/comment-page-1/#comment-933009
Yes I can’t change that. It was my first draft as he used to be with the Sunday Herald. Once you set the url in wordpress you can’t change it (at least I can’t).
Mr. Murray,
You are too kind. I suggest your answer should have been less explanatory.
Despite the fact that English is not my native language, I’m nevertheless familiar with an exclamation, that starts and ends with the letter ‘F’. Being a well-mannered person, you would probably have considered replacing the exclamation with “not your f*cking business.” But more probable, as a person with diplomatic experience, you would have used the more polite option without the word ‘”f*cking”. It’s quite good too.
Gosh, I wouldn’t allow my husband to ask me such questions, and this person didn’t even buy you a drink!
I think what all of this illustrates though, is that this is not simply internecine warfare. Alex Salmond has clearly infuriated someone bigger than the SNP and they are determined to finish him off and anyone who aids him. Be careful out there, Craig.
Why should Craig’s personal finances be of any interest to the Daily Record’s political editor? The only political connection would appear to be Craig’s reporting.
The headline they chose to run the story under makes that quite clear, does it not?
It’s an embarrassingly amateurish job, maybe the worst I’ve ever seen–and I mean that from a purely pragmatic standpoint, never mind the ethics of it all. They should have run the smear as a gossip column without any political references, then referred to it subtly on the political pages without referring to Craig by name. But running the smear as their lead political headline, with names and pictures? They might as well have taken out a couple of million worth of Facebook ads directing people to Craig’s site.
Craig, you have a new paying subscriber thanks to Mr Hutcheon.
There is an organisation, First Post in Fife, who have a search team for stuff like that, seeing as proper journalists like yourself are few and far between.
I think George Matthewson was involved in setting it up.
It’s the sort of thing that searches for dirt on lottery winners, so the toilet paper substitutes can publish something salacious.
I doubt Hutcheon would have the nous to find stuff himself.
Keep up the great work, and stay well, we need you more than ever!
AS is found not guilty and acquitted. A couple of days later Nicola Sturgeon’s administration suggests that because of C19, Jury trials should come to an end and Diplock type courts introduced. You could not make this up. What the hell is going on in Scotland?
If I was Salmond, I would be bracing myself for more charges….
… without a Jury ?
After that, I just increased my subscription
Hutcheon, an anagram of ‘ oh, he cnut’
Every time I see Hutcheon (” I do not work for the British secret service “) on Politics Scotland it reminds me of the weasel I saw on another BBC nature programme. I guess the heads of MI 5 and MI 6 being located in Scotland must be very handy for him.