The party hierarchy decided members should not be allowed to vote on routes to Independence that do not depend on the permission of Boris Johnson. To give party members a chance to register their concern, I have decided to go forward as a candidate for President. I do so not in the hope of winning (I won’t beat longstanding party servant Mike Russell), but because the ordinary members need to be able to show that they are not happy with the lack of focus on Independence and the closed nature of the party establishment – which two things are related.
Every vote for me is a vote for early Independence and no veto for Boris Johnson. Independence must be obtained within two years. It will not be given, we must take it.
The party appears to have no plan that could deliver Independence before 2026 at the earliest. Instead of conference being allowed to debate Plan B, there will be a “discussion” on “Independence in the Future”. It is plain that for many of the party’s very well paid elected officials and functionaries, that future is some far off optional destination, not an immediate arrival.
Obviously I shall be writing more on this in the next month. My opening shot is here, as an advert in the National newspaper.
My announcement has brought a great deal of twitter vituperation from the pillars of the political class – mainstream media journalists and SNP paid staff and leadership acolytes. Plainly democratic choice is not high on their agenda. Some are absolutely astonished that a candidate not approved by the leadership should have the temerity to stand, and not only that, but actually have the nerve to ask people to vote for them.
Mostly though it is just intellect free vituperation, on quite a wide scale:
That was just the first little period. There are huge amounts more of this stuff, much of it from paid SNP staffers. For those of a morbid mind with plenty of free time, the linkages between SNP staffers and unionist journos on twitter are really quite interesting to trace.
I should point out that I have said nothing in the least critical of Mike Russell or Corri Wilson. This is all entirely unprovoked.
A party where the Chief Executive is married to the leader and has a secret salary kept from members is not a healthy party. Particularly when he is then seeking to pressurise police into taking action against the last leader. This is not good.
I leave you with a last thought. Only rebels from the Establishment have ever won Independence, anywhere. We will never be given Independence, we will have to take it. Who is the most likely to play a useful role in that?
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Please direct me to the derogatory comments cited by you in this post. Here is The National link at 2330 on 31 Oct https://www.thenational.scot/news/18835690.advertisement-craig-murray-snp-president/
I am a paid supporter
Those are from Twitter.
Craig, I like to think of myself as a political GP. And I’m afraid to tell you that your party has a terminal case of the Blairites.
All the signs are their, social media goading, toadying up to journalists, skullduggery. And smugness. Insulting rude, childish and malevolent
It seems to me that The type of Scottish toadies who historically joined the Labour Party as staffers have, since labour lost sway in Scotland all joined the SNP and turned it into New New New Labour
Oh dear.
Shatnersrug
A case of the Blairites yes but Terminal. Some doctor you – no ideas for saving your patient!
Good luck Craig.
My vote for Craig would be a vote for Scotland and the Palestinians.
But hundreds of miles away – I still dont know the names of those bloody women!
Comedy gold!
Why does anyone take idiots on twitter seriously?
Or any other platform.
Nice one Craig.
Get right into the corrupt bastards at the top and their woke fascisti mentalist cheerleaders.
I do hope you’re not in contempt of trial by Scottish newspaper, copying these tweets.
I hope you win ??
first they ignore you…
Good luck Craig and all the strength to ignore the vitriol and name calling that will yet come your way.
These are interesting and uncomfortable times.
Superb Craig. Go for it. I`ll be doing anything and everything that I can to support and promote you.
Craig should keep a close eye on how the votes are counted.
I’ve never been a fan of Twitter, which sounds to me very like “Witter” and goes further down when I see that it’s Donald Trump’s first weapon of choice.
We’re not allowed to know the names of the conspiring Alphabet Sisters, but surely we can be told the names of SNP staffers who have jumped in to attack Craig’s candidacy? The very least they should receive is a verbal warning from their employer but, sadly, the people running their employer seem to see nothing wrong with the chief officer being married to the party leader. That is madness, and should have been stopped long ago by those two people themselves.
We shouldn’t doubt that a party which seeks to destroy the British state is likely to have been infiltrated by servants of that state, with instructions to undermine the enemy. I think that has always been the way of the world. On top of that problem, we have our share of idiots who will pile-on when they see a chance for some mindless, childish fun. It’s probably an unfortunate coincidence that we are currently suffering a plague of Wokerati (Wokies?) who remind me of some Scientology cultists I once knew.
If only we were soon to have a real conference, where slow-handclaps and some silences would send a message. At least, thanks to social media, we can learn who not to vote for when given the chance.
Indeed Bill, as of yesterday it is forbidden to use twitter for electoral purposes and supporting statements, these ‘dependents’ who smear for free should be told that twitter is not for twats.
Wishing you all the nous you need to win this internal election/selection.
Be sure to know of all the rules that governs this process or find a buddy who does. I suppose luck does come into it as well, but reading the regs. is far better.
My best to all who now have to decide whether they really want Independence, or just write and chat about it.
Get Craig elected and the SNP reformed to a party that is more transparent and cooperating with the people of Scotland.
Somehow I feel that this is the only chance you have got.
James Kelly of Scot goes Pop has come in support of Craig. Should be worth a few delegates.
Is Alex Salmond still a member? would it not be very ‘interesting’ and brutally appropriate if he stood for this honorary role.
According to the SNP constitution the role of President is an honorary position so how much, if any, power to dictate policy does the President have?
When Craig Murray came to talk here, the reaction of those on the SNP payroll, including our MSP, was to question his sanity. When I left the SNP I n the Spring of 2020 similar remarks were made about me. Dissent, doubt and debate are not welcome in the Blairite SNP, now run by careerists and agents of the Murrells.
Some time ago I was involved with an issue at another organisation; as long-standing as the SNP, though smaller. The organisation had been captured by a clique of self-perpetuating directors.
To make a point on an issue, one of the dissenters stood for a director position, in a clearly disruptive manner. Single-issue directors are a pain.
Nevertheless, his candidacy was welcomed by the existing Board (maybe through gritted teeth), and he was thanked for standing.
Any official of the SNP being abusive or trying to affect the selection process should be considering their position, or having their position considered for them. Abusing members of the organisation isn’t on.
A hive mind that genuflects before corporate hacks and thin lipped technocrats. As Henry Hill would say, these people have no balls. Good luck to you, sire.
Congratulations Sir! This indeed is the spirit: no more words, time for action! Let’s see what happens when someone actually starts doing something and calls for independence NOW. Even though I am not Scottish at all, I wish with every cell in my body for it to happen within 2 years!
It is really heartwarming to see that with or without my spiritual blabber, we seem to have the same goals: a society based on making as many people as possible as happy as possible instead of as few people as possible as rich as possible.
The comments on your announcement are an indictment of our present society and its lack of mental health. If there is one label that certainly does not make any sense to apply to you, it’s “conspiracy theorist”. Apparently it doesn’t mean anything anymore these days. I have never seen you post anything that comes anywhere near what is generally labelled conspiracies. You write about politics and facts, and how the political establishment is doing whatever it can to remain in power. I always thought that is the subject of most history books, but apparently it is now conspiracy theory that needs to be discarded and ridiculed off-hand as the possibility of such a thing happening on this planet in the 21st century is clearly an absurd idea.
Is it a conspiracy theory that Alex Salmond was acquitted? Maybe that’s what they want the people to believe: the acquittal was simply a glitch in the reporting and in reality he’s safely locked up?
Seriously, it is not possible to live with MSM and sanity at the same time. One has to choose.
“I have never seen you post anything that comes anywhere near what is generally labelled conspiracies.”
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2018/09/the-impossible-photo/amp/
A conspiracy theorist is immune to evidence. Thanks, Kev, for providing the link that proves Craig is not that.
Why do you say that conspiracy theorists are immune to evidence? Many of the books that I have read written by conspiracy theorists about such things as the JFK assassination and 9/11 have contained vigorous discussion of the evidence.
lysias, I was being elliptical: for “evidence” read “evidence against their theory”. Unfalsifiability is a feature of the crackpot theories peddled by “truthers” and suchlike. Craig is not one such from what I can tell.
The supporters of the orthodox accounts of the JFK assassination and 9/11 certainly act as if their beliefs are unfalsifiable.
My original academic training was in ancient history. I got a First in Greats at Oxford and a Harvard Ph.D. I later got a law degree. My military experience was in intelligence. All of these involve the evaluation of evidence. And my belief is that conspiracy theories all too often are supported by the evidence.
They hate the oxygen you provide because it limits the pollution they force us to breathe.
Strange tweets. True, Craig has entertained a few outlandish theories about Skipral but on matters important to the British establishment and the Americans, such as 9-11, Brexit and the coronavirus, he usually faithfully toes the line.
Tom74
As opposed to levitating a few inches above the line like the commissariat of the SNP
The anger, bordering on fury, his questioning of the Skripal narrative engenders in some is revealing in and of itself.
If all true, why would they give a fcuk about someone pointing out the inconsistencies? No one would get nervous and upset if they knew they were telling the truth.
Craig has entertained a few outlandish theories about Skipral
Has there been any account of the Skripal affair that isn’t outlandish?
(Double take.) Had I waited to read the rest of that gobsmacking sentence …
“on matters important to the British establishment and the Americans […] he usually faithfully toes the line”
… I wouldn’t have bothered replying.
Good Luck !
The similarity between the knocking tweeters, and those who have lost out due to the Trump Presidency, combined with the rising tide of discontent with political place folk that’s becoming apparent in many parts, means I’d have to say that you just might win.
Having read this, I suspect that you would considerably broaden your appeal were you to campaign from now on under the name of Craig Murray Holy Fuck.
Hoping this meets with your approval.
Yours etc
Prole
Why has there been no discussion on this forum of the SNP’s proposed Hate Crime and Public Order Bill, which Humza Yousaf has declared would criminalize dinner table conversation deemed to promote hate?
Lysias
Who he? One of the failed conspirators in the Alex Salmond fit-up trial? I think they must have realised that nasty piece of legislation might rebound onto themselves. Probably been popped into the SNPHQ office shredding machine before Alex Salmond ask for it, to be implemented on them.
My dear giyane
Do you really believe any ruling junta makes rules that make them accountable, especially if you also establish your right as ruler to selectively prosecute?
SA
The joint spectacles of Sturgeon slithering on the self inflicted banana skin of AS’ acquittal and Bono trying to play strip poker with the EU while ignoring the medical advice on covid2 doesn’t make either of them look like juntas.
Jelly, junket, creme caramel, botticelli or Turkish baths maybe, but juntas no.
I think this is relevant if we can identify who the independent journalist who was doing the Assange case reporting was:
“Numerous other episodes were also contributing causes to my decision to leave: the Reality Winner cover-up; the decision to hang Lee Fang out to dry and even force him to apologize when a colleague tried to destroy his reputation by publicly, baselessly and repeatedly branding him a racist; its refusal to report on the daily proceedings of the Assange extradition hearing because the freelance reporter doing an outstanding job was politically distasteful;… “
From Greenwald’s explanation of why he resigned from the Intercept.
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/my-resignation-from-the-intercept
Interesting list to look at.
https://twitter.com/richimedhurst/status/1312411847258185732
I would imagine it’s Kevin Gosztola.
To vote, log-in http://snp.org. Click: My Account>Elections>Nominations
Click “Nominate” for your candidates. I had to click up to 4 times before some of them registered. “Nominate” becomes “Remove Nomination” when you successfully nominate. Craig Murray for President!
Just tried to nominate Craig – didn’t look like it was working so checked with snp.org – seems they have an IT problem (?!), and have lost early Nominations – so best check
From SNP email:
“…
That email, if you got it, links to a page where members can nominate people for posts to be elected at Conference. It now appears that the page wasn’t working properly and early nominations have been lost (for example some of mine were and again I’m hearing reports from elsewhere). So you might also encourage your members to go back and check that their nominations are correct. They have until Friday, 13th November at 9am to do that…. “
—
Good luck Craig. No longer a Member, but wish you well. More than 20% will be a victory
WANT>NEED=FAILURE, Mr Murray!
Full marks for brevity. But not sure how that argument applies to Jeff Bezos, for example?
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”