In their urgency to foist Sturgeon’s nominated devolutionist successor on Scotland, the media are going all out against Kate Forbes for saying she could never vote for gay marriage. But they have not noted that Humza Yousaf also did not vote for gay marriage, he absented himself.
It is absolutely plain that he did this on a totally false pretext. He claims he had an urgent meeting with the Pakistani Consul General to discuss the case of a man on death row in Pakistan for blasphemy.
How can anybody argue with such a crucial mercy dash?
Except that the appointment was arranged, deliberately to coincide with the gay marriage vote, almost three weeks in advance. The chap could have been executed in the intervening period, if that was genuinely the concern.
The evidence that it was a deliberate ruse is cast iron solid.
The Equal Marriage vote took place on 4 February 2014. On 14 January 2014, three weeks in advance, the Minister for Parliamentary Business had entered it into Humza Yousaf’s ministerial diary (as all other ministers).
Just two days later, on 16 January 2014, Humza arranged his “urgent” meeting with the Pakistani Consul General for 19 days later, to miss the gay marriage vote.
This could not be an accident. The conflict would instantly have been highlighted in the ministerial diary – that is what they are for.
At 19 days’ notice it plainly was not an urgent dash to save somebody’s life. The awful cynicism of using such an excuse and sheltering behind the suffering is breathtaking.
Everybody at the time knew that Humza had deliberately dodged the vote, after criticism from the Muslim community in Glasgow (on which he depended electorally) for supporting the earlier stage of the Bill.
That is why this parliamentary question was asked, establishing beyond doubt these inconvenient facts.
All the Scottish media at the time knew that Humza had dodged the vote. Now he is the anointed one, they have conveniently forgotten it.
I might add something from my perspective as a former senior diplomat. The Pakistani Consulate in Glasgow deals with assisting the interests of Pakistani nationals in Scotland, and with visas. You might as well discuss a death row case with a Pakistani train driver as the Pakistani consul.
Consuls are low status diplomats. The Pakistani Consul General’s diary would not need 19 days’ notice to see the Scottish Justice Minister: he would be delighted to get the meeting.
Here is a photo from the Facebook page of the mighty Pakistani Consul General in Glasgow this month, showcasing his important meeting with… a Scot who shoots goats.
The notion that a meeting with the Pakistani Consul General needed 19 days’ notice and could only be scheduled to coincide with the gay marriage vote – is such obvious nonsense it insults our intelligence and damages the moral stature of all those who parrot the lie.
Humza bottled the gay marriage vote and came up with a really unpleasant ruse to justify it, profiting from the suffering of someone on death row.
For him then to attack Kate Forbes for her views on gay marriage – which are at least honest – is sickening.
I fully support equal marriage and I was very saddened at the time to have a slightly bitter disagreement with my old friend and mentor, Gordon Wilson, over it. Scotland has a legacy of social conservatism. Moving on from that is painful for some people.
I support Ash Regan. A breath of fresh air. Left wing economics and urgent on Independence.
————————————————
Forgive me for pointing out that my ability to provide this coverage is entirely dependent on your kind voluntary subscriptions which keep this blog going. This post is free for anybody to reproduce or republish, including in translation. You are still very welcome to read without subscribing.
Unlike our adversaries including the Integrity Initiative, the 77th Brigade, Bellingcat, the Atlantic Council and hundreds of other warmongering propaganda operations, this blog has no source of state, corporate or institutional finance whatsoever. It runs entirely on voluntary subscriptions from its readers – many of whom do not necessarily agree with the every article, but welcome the alternative voice, insider information and debate.
Subscriptions to keep this blog going are gratefully received.
Choose subscription amount from dropdown box:
Paypal address for one-off donations: [email protected]
Alternatively by bank transfer or standing order:
Account name
MURRAY CJ
Account number 3 2 1 5 0 9 6 2
Sort code 6 0 – 4 0 – 0 5
IBAN GB98NWBK60400532150962
BIC NWBKGB2L
Bank address Natwest, PO Box 414, 38 Strand, London, WC2H 5JB
Bitcoin: bc1q3sdm60rshynxtvfnkhhqjn83vk3e3nyw78cjx9
Ethereum/ERC-20: 0x764a6054783e86C321Cb8208442477d24834861a
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.
Even the Torygraph is exposing Kate Forbes’s dodgy dealings with Gupta.
Craig, sometimes your pish pisses me off. I know in my heart you are not in the pocket of wankers. I admire and trust your Scottish nationalism. Now is the time. We need it.
Gay marriage is one of the biggest flags waved by western liberals these days but their greatest icons Hillary and Obama both staunchly opposed it until they saw it had extremely wide acceptance and was harmless cover for all their other antics. The media is using it in this Scottish election as the great indicator of a politician’s decency and morality. But have Scots forgotten how eagerly the king of austerity David Cameron rushed to embrace gay marriage? It’s the reason why Cameron is still highly regarded by the commentariat and Our Values liberals today even despite Brexit. It proved he is a good person like them.
The ghost of Mary Whitehouse
Not sure what that means. Are you saying establishment politicians, the commentariat and centrist liberals should be viewed as good people because they claim to support gay marriage? You do not have to retreat very far back into history to see how recently these people adopted gay rights.
I’ve always believed that if we want to truly manage the amount of waste we generate in the UK then we need to outlaw the exporting of our waste overseas – it’s ours, we need to deal with it.
On this topic, I note that: “Shamima Begum has lost her latest legal battle to reverse the decision that stripped her of her British citizenship. Her treatment at the hands of a hostile government and a craven media says absolutely everything about what kind of country the UK is. It doesn’t matter who you are, who you know, how integrated you become, or anything like that. If you’re a person of colour, and Muslim on top of that, your citizenship can and will be stripped away from you.” [Ref. The Canary]
Regardless of what you think of her, and I’m no fan, she is ‘ours’ to be dealt with by us, and IMO should not to be exported abroad like some embarrassing, inconvenient waste product.
However, If this is the approach the government intends to take with unpleasant Asians, can I nominate the following for immediate export overseas:
Humza Yousaf; Sajid Javid; Rishi Sunak; Sadiq Khan; Priti Patel; Suella Braverman; Gina Miller.
She wasn’t “exported abroad” by the government.
She travelled abroad on her own initiative to join Isis which was then at war with Allied forces.
Thought she was groomed and trafficked by “Allied” intelligence.
Supposedly groomed by someone from Canadian SIS (CSIS),undercover operative Mohammed al Rasheed, who allegedly was also in contact with UK SIS people in Bethnal Green.
The whole Islamic State (IS) thing is pretty sketchy tbf, with then Senator John McCain pictured mixing with key figures, militants, as if this was some western sponsored group – possibly established solely to take down the Assad regime? That could be why she’s stuck there, not because she associated with undoubtedly bad people – but because the conspiracy is much bigger than one naive girl, now woman.
The punishment seems extraordinarily harsh though. And it risks making lots of UK citizens of mixed-nationality, especially Asian and Black, feel they are second-class citizens and almost on probation, with the citizenship removal threat hanging over them. That ministers of Asian ancestry have pursued this approach must be hurtful and seem quite bizarre too. Can only think the intel community, protecting themselves, are behind this.
Goose yes, Shamima Begum was a child when she was groomed by Canadian intelligence and trafficked to Syria. And Canadian intelligence doesn’t draw a breath without an okay from MI6.
You mention old Red hands McCain. Lest we forget was a major influence on Nicola Sturgeon, along with Albright, Kissinger, folk of that nature. He would have been delighted by her demand for a no fly zone over Ukraine. He’d have recognised himself in that.
Reminds one of the Manchester Bomber, Salman Abedi. Nurtured, Groomed, Supported and Funded by MI6.
Interesting information Goose. I know nothing of her connection to covert grooming etc. or Mccain’s connections to IS and it is clear that Shamima Begum made a dreadful error, but I think I made some monstrously bad judgements when I was 15yo and I am pretty sure I was attracted to the ‘romance’ of certain movements such as CND and various political movements. I went on protest marches and shouted anti American slogans about the Vietnam war. I am sure I operated at the fringes of what are now regarded as ‘extreme’ . I attended rallies addressed by people like Tariq Ali and if an attractive young woman had proposed we go off to S./central America and become freedom fighters I would have followed slavishly and without hesitation. Of course, regretfully, no such opportunity arose and I had to content myself with weekly meetings of the YCL in a pal’s parental council house sitting room where the participants were entirely acne troubled males. I find the treatment of SB appalling and actually a matter of great concern that this country is sunk to such depths that it throws a young infatuated woman to the dogs.
It is very close to the behaviour of Saudi Arabia. Extrapolating I think the current UK administration/judiciary has descended into the depths of depravity and will soon be advocating for public executions and a return to the barbarisms of the 16th century.
dgp
Al Rashed’s planned return after being released from a Turkish prison proved controversial in Canada.
It’s been reported in the UK’s Telegraph and Canada’s National, here : https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/spy-who-smuggled-teens-to-join-islamic-state-while-working-for-canada-could-be-returning-here
All Justin Trudeau had to say was this : CSIS must ‘be flexible and be creative’ in the war against terrorists.
Between 25,000-30,000 foreign jihadis are estimated to have traveled to Syria, from Europe and the ME – a ‘regime change’ proxy army? But don’t expect the guardian, Times or BBC to investigate.
Washington has stayed on in Syria in a limited capacity too, ostensibly to ‘fight’ ISIL (ISIS) and limit Iran’s influence in the country. Are they really just there defending their protégés from Assad’s and Russian forces?
From the article. The CSIS spokesman said :
“CSIS is committed to protecting Canada’s national security in an ethical and transparent manner.”
Yeah, luring impressionable young girls out to Syria, using propaganda that featured handsome Che Guevara-esque fighters and the prospect of romance. Only for them to be ‘eliminated’ by western drone strikes, or if lucky, stripped of their citizenship. Well it sounds like really ethical behaviour doesn’t it.
dgp
Yes. Associations with bad countries (Gulf monarchies) have dragged us down. Political corruption, vote rigging (postal vote fraud and gerrymandering), nepotism, judicial interference are on the rise in the UK. We should build a system in which these maladies are eliminated.
Whether Scotland stays or goes, we need a complete democratic & constitutional overhaul in the UK. We could transfer power from the political elite in London to the people à la the best practices of Switzerland’s referenda-based, direct democracy, and implement Scandinavian levels of transparency. A zero trust system in which corruption among elites is a thing of the past. Those that say that it’s impossible to build in such oversight are wrong. The UK has a system largely still based on gentlemen’s agreements, secrecy, ancient protocols and above all, assumptions of fair play and honesty by those with power. These assumptions are hopelessly outdated in this era.
Feel like a 2nd class citizen on probation ?
POP !
Now you know what it is like to be Scottish or Irish. Welcome to the semi United kingdoms lower class system, you are now a fully integrated Brit !
Keep in mind that when you do something wrong, no matter how minor an offence, you will be prosecuted for a “crime” but, when State massa commits the same offence it is just a meer “scandal” to forget about.
How did you think this was going to play out in a nation that hates its own countrymen ?
Cont-
You’ve also got to consider all those already convicted of terror offences. If (big if) terror group IS were shown to be a sham outfit, created to destabilize Assad. All those convictions would be in doubt – many dangerous people would be released, and possibly seek compensation.
This goes back to why we need better democratic oversight; so such tangled messes aren’t created in the first place. I was reading about the eighties and the Iran-Contra affair and these barely believable decisions/scenarios, are reoccurring problem. People like John Bolton, Dick Cheney and Bill Barr have been arguing since back then, that Presidential executive power should be unfettered, and almost unlimited as far as initiating covert ops go. While Congress has tried, at certain times, to push back. That’s why the likes of Craig Murray, Seymour Hersh et al will always have plenty of new conspiratorial material to cast light on and write about.
Finally.
I’ll just say that I find Starmer’s U-turn over Shamima Begum’s return, voiced in the last few days, reprehensible.
The idea she’s become ‘more dangerous,’ while stateless and in limbo, stuck in that awful camp for four years, since he supported her return, is preposterous.
Starmer seems to think he can U-turn on any issue, break any pledge, and just continue as if he hasn’t. He’s an incredibly weird individual, like someone with no conscience or empathy, a robot turned politician. The press, who claim he offers honesty and integrity, over a man like Corbyn, must be living in an alternate reality. Are they talking about the same person who lies and U-turns all the time?
“like someone with no conscience or empathy, a robot turned politician.”
More like a lawyer turned politician.
Bayard
Have you seen the pictures of his grim-faced shadow frontbench team at his big ‘mission’ (marketing speak), launch event yesterday? Here’s just one:
https://twitter.com/damian_from/status/1628756993543491584/photo/1
According to rumours, they think he’s a duplicitous twat too. And most of his colleagues privately despise him. But no one knows how to, or has the guts, to make a move.
Goose.
Bernie Sanders speaks, telling us to save our NHS, we know Starmer won’t save England’s if elected to Downing street.
https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenational.scot%2Fnews%2F23344870.bernie-sanders-issues-stark-warning-nhs-privatisation-uk-visit%2F
Bernie can still make one helluva speech, agreed.
He and the Squad have ruined their reputations however, by being so gung-ho in support of Biden’s costly proxy war. What is it with these once pacifist, now pro-war leftist converts?
One way or another Russia is going to grind out some sort of victory, and sending more and more arms, as Ukraine throws younger and younger men and women novices into the path of things like TOS-1A & 2 fire. Just seems like an obnoxious as a thing to encourage, over say ,an urgent ceasefire, negotiations and a lasting diplomatic solution.
The propaganda and heavy censorship, is, I believe, aimed at shielding people, especially those on the left, from the brutal realities of this war that they’re supporting. War is horrific and the left should always oppose war as a solution. How many of the Ukrainian generation who survive this war will be left psychologically damaged by it? Zelensky, today declared “Ukraine is invincible,” easy to say when you can head back to a bunker only coming out to speak to grinning western backers.
If it is a free-for all, can I nominate Gizlan Maxwell? Since she has citizenship in four countries Israel ,France, UK, and US (I FUKUS), surely she won’t miss one of them and to honest who would want her living near their teenage daughters school?
Don’t believe everything you are told. The ‘outing’ of Maxwell and Epstein was more to do with the risk they posed to the establishment than any ‘real’ risk to ‘minors’.
Security services were well aware of what was going on and were happy for it to continue while the sexual services provided were for the benefit of the establishment’s puppets: Blair, Clinton, Trump, Obama, HRH Andrew, Gates, Branson, et al. As soon as the shenanigans came into the public domain then patsies had to be found to blame. Epstein (a Mossad shill) paid the ultimate price, Maxwell will probably be Skripaled.
Stevie Boy, take a look at the Miami Herald articles concerning the conviction in Florida in 2006. I read at least two articles from about 2006 -2007. The investigating office had found the victims in the city and its wider environs (say about 50 miles ) but speculated, there well may be more further afield. Some of the recruitment chains were started by Gizlan Maxwell, driving around in a swanky sportser waving a fistful of dollars. She then set up pyramid pimp schemes, paying bounties of $200 or so for fresh flesh using the first wave recruited. The age range 13-17. Mainly school friends, if remember rightly.
I don’t believe everything I’m told, but I did believe that. Upon believing that, I didn’t need to believe anything else. I heard enough.
“Shamima Begum has lost her latest legal battle to reverse the decision that stripped her of her British citizenship.”
A ‘citizenship’ that can be legally removed is a contradiction in terms and only amounts to a residence permit. That’s the situation for everybody now.
Her UK citizenship wouldn’t have been taken away if she wasn’t a dual Bangladeshi national with a father in Bangladesh. Sorry the facts don’t work for you.
Goodwin is correct.
However, she was born in the UK, and as I understand things, she doesn’t speak Bengali and the Bangladeshi authorities want nothing to do with her. Understandably so, given authorities here are claiming she’s too dangerous to return home to the UK.
The UK is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Convention was signed in Rome in 1950, ratified by the UK in 1951 and came into force in 1953.
Article 15 states:
• Everyone has the right to a nationality.
• No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
“Arbitrary deprivation of nationality”, deliberately moving to make a citizen stateless, is prohibited under these instruments.
“Arbitrary deprivation of nationality”, deliberately moving to make a citizen stateless, is prohibited under these instruments.”
Which just goes to show what a lot of hot air and pious hopes the UDHR is. Did anyone really think that the State, any state, would give up its ancient ability to kick out anyone they thought was undesirable?
The U.K. is much like the US, they only sign up to some human rights. Just look at the removal of the human rights to privacy or, the shenanigans of the “lockdowns” and psychological abuse they pumped into society 24/7, meanwhile politicians did as they pleased.
Underaged Begum was traffic by the State (Canada & UK) to the mercenaries they claim are “terrorists”, also several violations of human rights and other statute laws.
The State has no problem abusing people’s “human rights” or any other international laws. Just look at what they got up to with Sadam (when he was our secret buddy), Pinochet (a war criminal but he paid the UK & US well), Ireland (countless crimes by the State), Falklands (a bogus false flag war), the evil murderous Congo (all for wealthy mining corporations and minerals for consumerland), keeping Nelson Mandela in prison, The State knew all about Maxwell for decades, she even ran a brothel in London.
Controversially, what is a citizen?
A State ownership claim over an individual… aka “property”… sound like a familiar term from recent history ?
You may have the right to nationality on paper but, you are by no means free.
Begum is a brainwashed victim for sure but, I’m amazed they let her live given what she must know about the phoney terrorist facade. They openly killed journalists for the same reason. Just look at the abuse they are subjecting Assange to, or Manning, for reporting the truth, where is that guys rights?
Rights are only for massa and his cronies up in the high castle, not fer us common bootlicker serfs in their mud.
She does not have, nor ever had, Bangladeshi citizenship.
The Bangladeshi government has made clear that she will never be awarded Bangladeshi citizenship.
Ebenezer Scroggie
On the UK govt travel advice page it says: If you’re a dual British-Bangladeshi national you will be considered by the Bangladesh government to be a Bangladeshi citizen, even if you don’t hold, or have never held, a Bangladeshi passport and were born outside Bangladesh.
booked my journey this Sat. meeting with like minded somewhere in central London. I’m leaving my phone at home.
Stevie have you forgotten our Ex-Tory party chairman travelling in first class?
and add Liz Truss to that.
Good on You Nevermind
Give em Hell.
And stay Safe.
It’s worse [for him] than you report:
“…records show that the Scottish citizen Mohammad Ashgar was not sentenced to death in Pakistan until a week after Mr Yousaf set up the meeting on 16 January 2014.”
So he wasn’t on death row at that point.
Thanks for pointing this out Goose. I really think Craig should update his article with this information. Oh and the video I’m getting that accompanies this story on The Independent is of a giant binfire…
I’m still impressed that his hands grew back.
I read a Twitter post yesterday but can’t find it today. The post was using guarded language but the sense of it was clear to followers of the developing imbroglio of the SNP leadership contest.
Essentially: a certain SNP politician was enjoying a more than businesslike connection with an Aide/spad assistant. The connection was extra-marital. At some point the father of the assistant made a hefty donation to the SNP. Later the aide/assistant was selected as the SNP candidate for Airdrie WM seat and was duly elected.
I recently watched a video of the MP performing at WM. She was being ‘used’ (metaphorically speaking) as a dishrag by a rather sharper Tory. She was taken to the cleaners by her Tory opposite number. My impression was of someone entirely out of their depth, unprepared, and unbriefed. (I mean she was left knickerless with her arse hanging out). My question is: Is this democracy?
Yes, Western Democracy Jim, but not as we know it !
not| Jim but dgp
Democracy:
De = The (Latin)
Mockery = Ridicule
See = ?
Politics :
Poly, polyamory = Many (ancient Greek)
Ticks = blood sucking disease carrying arachnid Parasite
It’s like the story of Epaminondas where the child does the right thing at the wrong time, here, continuing the “knickerless” behavior when no longer helpful.
I heard Alex Neil on the telly tonight and he’s quite unequivocal about who is telling the truth here and it ain’t Humza.
https://twitter.com/AlexNeilSNP/status/1629152662460502018?cxt=HHwWhMC4reDt9JstAAAA
Aye. A pity Alex didn’t use the L word but it’s good enough.
Humza’s ‘the dog ate my homework’ moment.
When he scheduled the meeting that overlapped with the date of the controversial vote, the bloke hadn’t even been sentenced to death. If the report in the Independent is accurate.
Humza
Has Seen the Yes Movement Voice.. Will Pull Out.. WON’T HE
“Scotland has a legacy of social conservatism. Moving on from that is painful for some people”. I think, Craig, you have just inadvertently explained why Scotland hasn’t a hope of securing independence under the present indy movement, and I’m not just talking about the SNP here.
Athanasius
No Disrespect at all to Craig But He Aint a Warrior. In Arms …But You have to read His Books HE is Brave as Real Warrior ..Bettet than you or I.. Brave as Fk .. AS for Warriors I Am.. And Many of us So
The people controlling the SNP are just shills buying time, their independence show is a facade and diversion. Like most politicians, they don’t care about what the people want. When they have given all the resources away for free to America (gold, gas, oil etc.), then we get our broken, zero resource, nation back. The SNP are no different to Starmer, Blair, Brown, Cameron, Boris or Thatcher. Now the dubious Greens are coming sniffing too.
Interesting that the Americans and Canada are buying up much of Scotland’s industries and property. They asset strip while avoid paying taxes but the SNP are ok with that. Too many national traitors and criminals in the British political system. Unlike the rest of us they are not subjected to drug tests at work, they can even drink on the job ! They all embezzle, insider trading, taking bribes, fiddling expenses etc.
How much more bs will the public put up with, or are they too busy enjoying bullying each other to even care ?
At first I put it down to imported culture.
1. Only orthodox relations are allowed in his Islam which has a political birch waiting to be used if such rules are broken. Breaking this rule even in thought is considered harmful to all.
2. A little incentive goes a long way, hence the timely appointment.
What raises eyebrows is that he believed he could get away with this level of naiveté in a ‘first world’ country. It indicates that this type of culture could be rife in circles connected with government and civil service and could be spreading virulently.
The man was in a fix with this long ago. He was already in the pot fashioned by his own hand and you have switched on the fire. He can’t win without protection and, if he does, surely he’ll truly be in a pickle as, at some point, he’ll be compelled to declare his position?
I’m not shocked.
What is going on here ?
When King Robert de Bruce died, his heart was put in a box for transport to the “holy land”. The convoy taking the box was attacked by Muslims in Spain. With that attack Scotland lost some of its most potent knights and national heroes that fought well against the English King.
That was the beginning of the end for Scotland, and the Stuart’s did not help.
How bizarre that, we are now looking at a Muslim for first minister, don’t we have any native Scots left to take a job in Scotland ?
Even the pantomime theatre at Holyrood (aka the “Scottish Parliament”) was designed by a Spanish architect (who needs Rennie macKintosh?). Does Scotland not have any architectural universities?
Odd choice given that Spain publicly stated that it does not support Scottish independence or EU membership.
I voted for the SNP once in the 1990’s, I owed that to my ancestors who fought against England, but the SNP failed to deliver the promised referendum then. It became obvious that the upper members of the SNP have no intention to deliver independence, it was just another election scam. Tell the herd what they want to hear to get the votes, then back to ignoring the herd.
What a strange set of circumstances we are in. The SNP are on the same self destructive path as Labour and the Tories. The Greens are no better. This is why most eligible voters don’t show up at elections, there is no point with the current “party” options. The State is corrupt to the core. It won’t end well for anybody at this rate.