I was down in London last week for discussions around my appeal to the Supreme Court, and staying in a hotel close to Leicester Square, I wandered along to see the fans during their game with Ukraine and its very noisy aftermath. I was hoping to write a piece about disgusting uncouth yobs of racist English nationalists and their stupid and perhaps violent excesses.
With the exception of the most hardline of unionists and the politically correct automatons of the “new” SNP, it is ingrained in most Scots to support two teams: Scotland, and whoever is playing England. This is generally expressed lightly, but the centuries of oppression and cultural and economic dominance that led to these attitudes are very real. I have been amusing myself greatly on twitter throughout the tournament by supporting the Czech Republic, Germany, Ukraine, any opponent of England, I confess largely because it creases me up to see unionists so easily triggered and unable to cope with teasing.
I know, I should get out more.
Well, I have to say I was wrong. I found it impossible to dislike the crowds of England supporters. They were joyous, and there was no sign I could find around Leicester or Trafalgar Squares of the kind of racist Brexit backers who had booed the England team for taking the knee. Indeed, the most striking thing about the crowd was its extreme multiculturalism, the most joyous and unified representation of most of the ethnic groupings on this earth, all with their arms around each other and sharing beer, wine, tequila, a variety of smokable substances, and anything else to hand.
There was also a far greater gender mix than I expected, and the women were by no means passive or in girlfriend mode. In fact some of the more aggressively uninhibited groups of celebrating young women were distinctly intimidating to an old fogey like me and had me scuttling to cover (they meant no harm but might have hugged me to death).
Yes, I know London is not Grimsby or the ex-red wall constituencies, I know English nationalism is a real problem and will split up the UK (about which I am intensely happy). But I was wrong to dismiss the Gareth Southgate phenomenon of an essentially decent Englishness and its reach. My loyalties for Euro 2020 (sic) now lie with the nation of my Italian grandmother. But I feel somewhat less revolted by the continuing success of the English team.
I should make my confession; I liked the English fans I was around that night.
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I should be very grateful if you read this excellent article by Alexander Mercouris on my appeal to the Supreme Court. Alexander is a lawyer and it is an explanation of the detail, but it absolutely captures everything I have been lying awake at nights and thinking about the case.
I was chatting to Vivienne Westwood at a rally for Julian Assange and she is very taken with the climate crisis. We are heading for the edge of an abyss, and a few people in power are considering how to slow down a bit, while almost nobody is suggesting we turn round. Vivienne reminded me of her website Climate Revolution, which is very stimulating and worth checking for updates.
Vivienne often chooses to express her thought through her art and allegorical representation, and also writes cogently and pithily. The breadth and depth of her knowledge and quality of her thinking are impressive. For those not with a natural artistic bent, it is worth taking the time to understand. For example, she chose to celebrate Julian’s fiftieth birthday not by eating birthday cake but by smearing it on herself. It is a great piece of agitprop, and invites you to work out why.
Finally, here is a lovely picture of John Pilger, who was on great form, and me showing off my bald spot.
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Craig, I’m so terribly sorry that you must suffer so for your high principles. What you have done for Alex and Julian and many others shows you have a heart and a soul. We will be with you always.
I seem to recollect that you expected this, and that you anticipated the need to go to Strasbourg. If that is the case PLEASE dump ALL of your UK lawyers and replace them with others from Continental European republics. As I’m sure you have suspected, your enemy here is none other than Queen Elizabeth herself and her Garter Knights.
It may be that you have made the mistake of relying on tradesmen who swear fealty to your enemy, who uphold their trade union above their clients, and who charge 750 pounds per hour to betray you. Or perhaps there was no alternative to get to this point. What about Nils Meltzer as a point of departure?
I have no doubt that had this (CM’s Jigsaw trial) been before a Jury of his peers, there would have been no guilty verdict, and probably the case laughed out of court by a jury of soild citizens.
I hope the rump of the Scottish Legal system who appear to be hiding in their attics at the moment, wake up soon,
If this is the world the Fishwife and the Dory wish to live in, I don’t think it is very stable or friendly
I don’t think it meets with the support of the great unwashed.
You have to carry the great unwashed, that’s who allows anyone to keep power.
I trust that Alex Salmond is preparing a strongly worded statement on Craig’s behalf as we speak.
After all, it was for the sake of justice for Alex that Craig put his neck on the line.
J Galt
What is the purpose of your comment? Is there anything there for Craig’s benefit? Is there anything there that is positive?
So what is your point?
Purpose of my comment?
Well, I suppose to encourage Alex Salmond if he happens to be looking at these comments.
You appear to assume some antagonism on my behalf which really isn’t there.
I think Alex Salmond is an honest man and he will do what he can for Craig.
I think J Galt makes a good suggestion. There has to be widespread protest.
However I still have no idea what Craig is accused of.
Could someone email me with the text of what Craig said and is accused of. Surely if justice is seen to be done we have to know the full story. My email [email protected]
Thank you.
It’s so sad that a nation once known for having some decent journalists now has a press that silently accepts this highly selective, political persecution of a truth telling reporter. They are quite content apparently for Scotland to join the ranks of countries that jail people for honest reportage that embarrasses and exposes the powerful. They are a cowardly disgrace, but Alex Salmond must rank below even them.
Speech in the House of Commons by Kenny MacAskill MP. Watch him mention Craig’s case and demand Separation of Powers on YouTube ” Alba Party’s Kenny MacAskill MP calls for the Lord Advocate’s role to be split.” Meanwhile The Times openly lies in reporting Craig’s jailing with headline saying ” for revealing names “. It is our Lady Judge who strikes at the heart of British Justice, while projecting on and blaming Craig. The decline and fall hastened by unpatriotic Cretins.
Salmond selected Craig Murray to spread the message that he was being fitted up by the Murrells. He also knows Craig Murray was the only person to accurately report the defence case when his freedom was on the line.
But even if he wasn’t greatly personally indebted to Craig Salmond has always represented himself as the political conscience of Scotland and its noblest statesman. During the last elections, with Craig declared guilty and facing prison, Salmond was ostentatiously cloaking himself in Braveheart mystique. You really couldn’t make him up.
So Scotland’s colonial government ran by Sturgeon finally gets her man, Craig pulled the curtain back on the Alex Salmond trial (without breaking the law I might add) and what we saw shocked most of us I think. The actions of the Scottish government and its hammer of injustice the COPFS continues to shake us to the core.
I’m lost for words. Heartbroken. I just watched Time with Sean Bean and Stephen Graham. It made me fear for Craig, I hope he’s in a Scottish prison. Scottish prisoners at least know what it is to be persecuted by the Empire and so hopefully will see Craig as a hero and support him
The Empire Strikes Back!
They always underestimate the Wookiee’s. The SC has shown itself to be full of SITH.
We’re all going on a summer holiday, for a week or two, to the Continent. Actually Strasbourg. In search of the fabled Human Rights.
Join the queue Freedom bus rolling up / got my wallet loaded open / Blind the Justices who peekaboo’d / slyly winked & bowed to their Masters whistle/ White Feathers lining nests.
Stand with Craig Murray and cry freedom for the greatest political prisoners of our age, in the whole world today. In the U.K.!! Hey hey. Free JA. Free CM. Let’s get the summer heat going. I don’t want to see you students sitting this out, especially in Edinburgh, I don’t want to see you comics playing court jesters especially in Edinburgh… it just takes a spark!
An absolutely fucking shocking and utterly despicable travesty of real justice.
I’m so so disgusted and angry.
Dorrian,et al,hang your heads in deep deep shame.
Any time you need donations for the Strasbourg appeal just say the word Craig.
Nadira’s words are spiralling in my mind. She said, “I have been living with Craig for almost two decades now, and I know him as a gentle soul, a helpful human being, a kind partner and a loving dad to his four children.”
So who are the cunts that have upset and interrupted their lives? Shame on you.
In the immortal words of Obi Wan Kenobi: ‘If you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
The immediate response of a friend was that it was, surely? a case for the European Court of Human Rights.
Anyone know if this avenue will be pursued?
First a crowd funder needs setting up, don’t know if this has yet happened, if anyone knows please publish details.
The Lugano Convention which Delta Boris ditched via Brexit, regulates cases in each others courts between countries, it could have some application here, best explained by a lawyer.
The latest is that Delta Johnson wants to re apply for the convention, but the EU is not playing ball anymore, which will make it hard for all UK citizens to get justice abroad and visa versa here for EU citizens. It could mean that kangaroo justice will soon apply to all.
I hope Craig is able to get all his medication he needs and is able to write a book about this complicity to revenge.
Lastly….RISE UP AND BE LOUD!
Is there anywhere we can see the Supreme Court’s reasoning for refusing appeal?
I think the title of this post ‘On Being a Bit Wrong’ might need amended in light of the Supreme Court ruling. But you were right, of course, to take it as far as you could, Craig, even if only to raise public consciousness about the state we’re in. Now, as you pay the sadly inevitable price for doing so, it falls upon the rest of us to carry on the struggle for Scotland in the blogosphere, as I am certainly endeavouring to do:
https://jaggy.blog/2021/07/30/the-re-occupation-of-scotland/
This is shocking.
In practice will he only serve 4 months?
4 hours would be wrong as much as 4 days, weeks or months.
Disappointing that no one willing to come out and say what exactly Craig is accused of.
So doing a quick google search I find the following written in the Evening Express.
“The women who made the allegations against Mr Salmond included an SNP politician, a party worker and several current and former Scottish government civil servants and officials.”
Now surely that is quite clearly a path to identify the women. I doubt Craig’s reporting would have been any more precise. So why is it OK for the Evening Express to attempt jigsaw id but then accuse Craig of something he never intended.
Further down in the article I read this…
“Lady Dorrian said: “I was surprised to see a list of witnesses at all and then I was quite surprised by the length of it and the first thing that came to mind was can it all be relevant?” “
Now I find that shocking for any judge to say about any intended case. If that doesn’t show a closed and biased mind I don’t know what does.
Still hoping someone can reply with more detail on Craig’s “horrendous crimes”.