This morning, lawyers are acting on my request to prepare a counsel’s opinion on the legality of publishing those of Stewart McDonald’s emails which are in the public interest to be revealed.
This may take a day or two.
Emails of dubious provenance are published all the time. Emails about Partygate brought down Boris Johnson. Nobody got imprisoned for the Paul Mason, Richard Dearlove or Integrity Initiative troves. Nobody argued the Guardian could not publish their (tendentious) selection from the Panama Papers. The law did not stop publication of the stolen UEA emails on climate change.
But this is Scotland, where a politician can phone the chief constable at 6pm and by 9pm they are in the home of a journalist on an intimidation mission.
(NB I have no complaint at all about the behaviour of the individual officers last Saturday, they were very friendly).
If you get burgled Police Scotland will be with you within 48 hours, if at all. But threaten exposure of the political establishment and senior plain clothes officers can be mobilised straight away.
Sturgeon’s repeated use of both police and prosecutors to pursue private vendettas cannot be safely ignored, so forgive me if I proceed soberly. Kindly be patient.
I was not involved in obtaining the emails and of course it follows I am not the only one with access to them. Others are safely outside the UK. So they may get published elsewhere.
I have set out the very restrained way I intended to judge which are in the public interest. If the Sturgeon goon squad succeeds in removing me from the process, that may well not be the win they think it is.
Finally, legality and morality are not the same. There is a great deal of outrage toward me from the do nothing wing of the SNP about “publishing private emails”.
Well, post Snowden nobody has an excuse for not understanding that the British security services look continually at the private emails of hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens, myself included.
Stewart McDonald is not only an MP, he is one of the biggest fanboys and cheerleaders for the British security services. I have never seen anything from him remotely critical on the security services’ mass surveillance.
Amazing how these establishment figures squeal when the boot is on the other foot and citizens push back a little.
Secondly, to anybody who has paid attention, it is simply extraordinary that an ardent British nationalist like Stewart McDonald is in the SNP at all, let alone in a senior position.
McDonald is an enthusiastic proponent of British neo-imperialist foreign policy and also of the Israeli Defence Force and the Zionist state.
McDonald, even after Independence, wants Scotland to keep hosting British nuclear weapons at Faslane and allow Scottish regiments in the British Armed Forces.
McDonald has always supported every blockage to Independence. He is currently proposing there should be no plebiscite election at all, and the Scottish Government should do nothing except continue to ask Westminster for permission to hold a referendum. That is the amendment McDonald is proposing to the SNP “special conference” on the way forward.
I am not sure that those who obtained the emails specifically targeted McDonald. I think it more probable McDonald self-selected as the only MP stupid enough to enter his email login details and password in reply to a phishing email.
But I am delighted it is him.
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Lovely to have this on the back burner, Craig. A well made point about the shoe finally being on the other foot.
As things stand, no details of the emails are in the public domain. So apart from you saying you have McDonalds emails there is virtually nobody who knows what they reveal.
Now you say there is a delay in publishing until you have received legal advice.
As far as I can see, I am just as wise about what’s in the emails whilst knowing the emails exist, than if I didn’t know they existed.
Which begs the question, why didn’t you get your ducks in line before revealing what you have access to. It smacks of braggety bragging…_
Yawn. Do you have anything remotely interesting to add?
Digger, I represent one of Scotland’s most widely-read bloggers, and it just so happens that he needs advice on his media strategy from some anonymous keyboard nonentity. We thought you might fit the bill.
Could you please go to this site and enter your email login details so we can discuss this opportunity in detail with you:
https://www.sillyweeboyinshorts.co.sco
Bloggers are widely read – by other bloggers
I’d imagine every MP in the HoC & every Peer in the HoL; senior civil servants, people in defence,tech and university research depts have been sent these types of emails. The term ‘phishing’ relates to fishing or angling i.e., who will take the bait. First usage of the term was recorded in 1995 in the cracking toolkit AOHell.
Most of us have seen Paypal ‘urgent confirm login details’ type scams or emails from any or all of the major UK banks. Most MPs will have in all likelihood been compromised at some point. But they simply aren’t interesting enough. Unfortunately scammers are part of the online world ecosystem.
—
Does the SNP even need a Defence spokesperson? Defence isn’t devolved along with constitutional relations, national security and international relations. The heavy involvement with Ukraine is bizarre. McDonald was given the Order of Merit – which is the highest state order in Ukraine. What expertise can the SNP offer Ukraine:
– Peter Murrell advising his Ukrainian counterpart on tackling corruption and auditing political party accounts?
– Stuart McDonald advising Ukrainian govt officials on cybersecurity best practices?
– Nicola Sturgeon advising Zelensky on gender recognition reforms and prison policy?
Bizarrely, Zelensky and McDonald do share something in common, albeit at vastly different levels.
Two utter nonentities, cozened by US intelligence into believing that they’re really important figures, in exchange for selling out their country to CIA interests.
Oh yeah, a president of a 40-million country would never think he’s an important person if not told by these secret bastards from Umrika…
Besides, you certainly prefer selling countries out to KGB, don’t you?
You obviously have a very low opinion of most MPs’ intelligence.
… the sad thing is that you’re probably right.
It’s been suggested much of recent security overreach is on sketchy legal standing (though maybe England and Wales and may/may not apply in Scotland)?
The question arises under terms of 1688 William 1 and Mary Act; 1688 Bill of Rights, and Act of Settlement 1700, each uphold English Law and right of citizen to appeal directly to the King for Laws passed without due process as referenced in 1974 case law (Lord Diplock).
Can those with better legal knowledge advise?
I don’t want to overthink this, but if a parliamentarian keen on the information-warfare side of things publicly announces that their email has been hacked, could one simple explanation be that they are (involved in) setting a trap for opponents/enemies, who will then be approached by anonymous ‘benefactors’ offering access to the ‘appropriated cache’?
No, they are trying desperately to get their ‘narrative’ in first. Should the emails be published, as were Paul Mason’s, they then claim how they were faked, and the whole thing was a Russian plot etc. And so Craig will be the ‘willing dupe/ in the employ of Putin’ etc etc, while they puff themselves up as important enough to be ‘targeted’. They will have the willing collaboration of most of the gullible, disinterested media who will close ranks to protect their interests.
@Ian, surely it would be easier to claim the emails were faked if you never claimed they were accessed in the first place? I keep feeling that I have seen this plot very recently, but I forget where.
The proprietary, closed source, centralised private messaging apps used by SOC that the FBI pwned?
@Honey Pot, I’m guessing we are talking about different kinds of plot. For example, in Agatha Christie’s Sleeping Murder, Miss Marple says something like:
I suppose the temptation increases proportionally to the wish to believe.
As you say Craig, I’m also delighted it’s him. It couldn’t have happened to a more obnoxious, repulsive creep. In a Salmond led govt. he wouldn’t even get a position as a toilet cleaner.
Alex’s biggest blunder was to allow the cuckoo that is Sturgeon anywhere near the reins of power.
She would do well as a stand-in for Walter Ulbricht of the erstwhile DDR, who also elevated his wife to a position of power, was an unscrupulous opportunist who got rid of critics with no hesitation, and would have the Stasi around to your door in a jiffy. Wee nippy has smelled power and she’s not going to give that up easily. I hope that what you’ve got puts a chink in her armour.
Now that the emails are ‘out there’, is there any reason why they can’t be published overseas? There are plenty of mirrored sites which can do this.
Publishing them from within SNP-controlled Scotland seems to me to be a bit silly.
I think Craig should be asking himself – why him, and why indeed has nobody else published them?
Didn’t know who this guy was, but curious to check his background as he was an SNP MP and Spokesperson for Defence for 5 years.
From Wikipedia;
“left…School aged eighteen, and worked in a variety of jobs including as a retail manager and a holiday rep in Tenerife before becoming a parliamentary case worker…” Career politician thereafter.
I’m embarrassed to admit that I used to be a paid up SNP member!
I must admit that I didn’t know who he is either.
He seems to me to be nothing more than a wankstain on the blanket of politics.
I was a member of the SNP for a year. I don’t support separatism or any of that self-amputation stuff, but I did want to vote for somebody here to become the President. Then I cut my membership card in half because the rest of the hierarchy of our country are such arseholes.
No other party is any better. There is only one qualification required to become an MP of any party, and that is to have (or make) friends in the party’s hierarchy.
At least this guy had a real job for a few years. That puts him ahead of many others.
Yes, McDonald is in the vanguard with the very worst when it comes to trying to smear and silence dissent to things like Israeli apartheid and the US wardrive against Beijing & Moscow. His few defenders under the previous article are just the sort of people you would expect. Hope you’ve got some really damaging stuff. Respect as ever, Jules.
Can I recommend, with others, that you preserve your freedom and make arrangements with others who are not likely to be subject to the scrutiny of the Polis to publish the appropriate documents in the Dcotyish publuc domain? Someone else may already have had this idea. How about your Danish tour buddy, for example?
Once burned, twice shy. No one can blame you for your abundance of caution.
Just a word about authenticating those emails: many mail servers embed something called a DKIM signature for anti-spam purposes, but it can also be used to verify an email hasn’t been altered or otherwise tampered with. Your technically savvy friends like Niels Ladefoged can help you with that.
Yes, but that authenticates on the receiving end (McDonald) via checksums, though presumably not in the supposed staff member’s case, it doesn’t mean a whole wodge of copied emails are authentic.
I could be wrong, but I’ve a feeling it’s webmail in this case not email, and two factor authentication is still largely optional as it comes in voluntarily.
Anyways, my knowledge is getting out of date, I packed in my dedicated server as it was taking more and more time to be secure running Bind, Apache, Sendmail, etc., even with unused ports explicitly closed.
I’m sure Stewart McDonald had a lovely weekend trying to remember which email indiscretions were the worst.
Let him sweat a bit.
He needs to show a bit of British Bulldog spirit!
Or is that poodle?
At least four outright and blatant lies in this post. Plus evidence of a rather unhealthy and vindictive obsession.
It’s like the Twilight Zone where fantasy becomes one person’s reality.
It is rather stupid to make such a claim without explaining the alleged lies.
Perhaps those solicitors might tell you about this:
Reasonable grounds for prosecution? Tick
Previous conviction? Tick
No remorse shown? Tick
Won’t promise credibly to be on good behaviour? Tick
Flight risk? Tick (self-admitted last night)
Remanded to prison for 11 months before any trial? Tick
While the poolroom armchair warriors egg you on with no risk to themselves. Think Jodie Foster as Sarah Tobias.
I won’t be reading any actual article on this by the way, and I’ll ignore the usual foam-flecked replies
Denial is such a comfort blanket, like a pacifier for a baby.
yesindyref2
No surprise there then from the person who has sympathy for McDonald, it been quite revealing reading the likes of your comments and GolfNut’s comments of late both of you profess to “want” Scottish independence.
You mean this one for instance, 8th February 2023:
https://weegingerdug.wordpress.com/2023/02/08/the-conservatives-are-gunning-for-our-human-rights/#comment-184446
starting “OT. This is amateur hour stuff.
(McDonald): ““Unfortunately the hackers managed to breach the private email address of one of my staff team as well” ”
and ending: “Parliamentarians should be using certificates.”
and this one I agree with from Golfnut:
“Former Defence spokesperson, thankfully.”
Yes, we really adore the numbskull.
But he’s now a minor backbencher with, now, very little prospects of going further, hardly an earth-shattering target like, in this article, BoJo who was the PM and like Liability Truss who would like to make a comeback.
I forgot this one from me:
“ February 11, 2023 at 2:52 am
It ended up at a blank page. Any state hacker would have had some sort of sensible landing page.
I wonder if he’s “hacked” anyone off …“
Narrator: “He did read it and it enraged him more than he’d even feared”
?
Flight risk? You do know the Hebrides are in Scotland?
“Flight risk? You do know the Hebrides are in Scotland?”.
***************
Lol.
Probably not. Quite far from Cheltenham.
Says “Merkin Scot”, who is very unlikely to have driven way more than a half million miles around Scotland with no need of a map, and spent, well, at an estimate, over £15,000 to calmac plus Western and Argyll & Bute councils.
But what do you have to say about my actual posting? Anything sensible?
Well, and I quote someone or other on twitter:
“I am now happily in the Outer Hebrides. This makes it much harder to send the police to intimidate me because
a) they will have to find me
b) I shall be too drunk to notice”
Anyways, on the one hand you write:
“where a politician can phone the chief constable at 6pm and by 9pm they are in the home of a journalist on an intimidation mission”
which would be illegal and clearly would involve a conspiracy against YOU, but on the other hand you totally believe hi-de-hi McDonald, with all his talk about cybersecurity, allowed himself to be totally pwned like it’s amateur hour all over again, rather than considering that perhaps you’re so important to the state and security forces of 7 continents, 5 oceans and 7 seas, that they put together an elementary sting operation on you – and you fell for it, hook line and sinker.
But hey, that would be a double double conspiracy theory worthy of le Carré.
Just keep clenching on that rusty nail.
yesindyref2
McDonald already stated he’d fallen victim to an email hack, which the BBC reported and immediately attributed to Russia- without fact checking presumably? McDonald even gave details of how he thinks it happened: phishing.
This is Craig’s own blog site. I know some people think they own the whole internet, but I think everyone should respect our host’s good sense on these things.
Unlike most people Goose, I genuinely don’t want to see Craig in prison for the rest of his life. Or even 11 months on remand as one of his other articles says happens to youngsters.
Wanting to be a martyr for a cause is maybe an ambition, but the reality is self-inflicted suffering for most people trying it.
Anyways I’m off, things to do, and as you say it’s enough from me on what is mostly a voyeur echo chamber (not including yourself).
yesindyref2
I genuinely don’t want to see Craig in prison
Nor do I, that’s why I trust his judgement.
It didn’t work the last time Goose, he did time, and like this time I futilely posted back then to suggest he puts himself and his family first. You’d have thunk I’d know better by now! Anyways, this is a story of two victims and no deserving winners.
@yesindyref2: 100/100.
Risk that’s worth taking is one that’d make the world a better place.
You’ve got me there kashmiri.
But it goes back to the old Hitler question. If you had a time machine and could go back to 1919, would you quietly kill Hitler? With one possible argument against being that since there was the need in Germany, someone more competent would have just taken his place. Another being of course that if you did, you might not even be born to do such a thing.
“McDonald is an enthusiastic proponent … of the Israeli Defence Force and the Zionist state.”
Not always apparently (to the extent that this carpetbagging parasite ever held any true, political convictions).
As a young tyro in 2014, attempting to secure a first candidacy (and a permanent, comfy seat on that big, yellow, gravy bus) McDonald went as far as to extol the “ .. need to get Netanyahu in front of a war crimes trial.”.
Of course that was pre-Sturgeon when the SNP was (to some extent) a radical party. Imagine a prospective Parliamentary candidate (from any party) using such language today. The anti-Semite finder General would have conniptions.
Oh, British American Project marionette, Douglas Alexander has secured the Labour Party candidacy for East Lothian. Why don’t we abandon this independence malarkey and just accept our natural fate as the 51st State. Our politicians are already bought and paid for by the State Department.
It occurred to me recently, that if Jeremy Corbyn had actually made it to PM and formed a government then the USA and its puppets would probably have supported Scottish independence and actively undermined the UK Government, as it is the reverse has happened.
What was the overwhelming need to send them to MacDonald?
They are going to try to link you to this e-mail scam.
Take care FFS
I see from Twitter you are out on the Islands..Vatersay Is My Fave..The Callanish Monument is ether real at sunset
Take care
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132108640@N08/51794779268/in/dateposted-friend/
Julian Assange’s predicament illustrates that the law means nothing when it comes to the establishment protecting its backside. Not that I can imagine a non entity like McDonald would have access to anything of real importance.
Hit the nail on head there but there may be interesting insights into their mental functioning or limits thereof.
Nobody got imprisoned for the Paul Mason, Richard Dearlove or Integrity Initiative troves.
I’d guess they were all conscious of the so-called ‘Streisand effect,’ whereby the likely widespread publication of the contents, would’ve be worse than simply letting a story with a limited audience, fizzle out. Mason has continued as if nothing has changed, writing articles for various publications from a ‘leftist’ perspective.
Whether the SNP would want such publicity, who knows?
It’s really not their decision whether anyone gets prosecuted. Common misconception.
I’m being too cynical I guess. These decisions are made independently, and there is no political interference -no channels of communication.
The fact two police arrived at your door so quickly shows everyone is equal in the eyes of the law.
I don’t really know the political comment scene in France/Germany/Italy/Spain but I’d be very surprised if there was not some kind of ‘Private Eye’ type of comment outlet in each and every one of the European countries. Is there anyone out there with experience/knowledge of publication in any of these countries that would publish without risk. My sister, whose attitude to politics is more ‘meh’ than anything else, asked me if I had heard any gossip about our SNP gov leadership. I said ‘yes but I was very unwilling to give it any credence as it was something that one notices occasionally in certain blogs but was unreliable.
My sister had been talking to a pretty low level local journalist who reckoned there was inhibition of discussion/reporting by some legal means. The information was possibly malicious gossip, but if true would likely have a significant impact on political credibility and electability. I immediately thought that it was the kind of item that might appeal to a French audience.
I also noticed a Guardian item about Mr Yelensky’s appeal to the assembled legislative might of the UK. Apparently he was asking for about 200 modern fighter jets i.e. the typhoon which has a price tag of £75M. Notably the UK has far fewer typhoons than the number he was suggesting, so that seems slightly unreasonable from the outset but the issue is further complicated by the design of the Typhoon which is intended for high altitude delivery of missiles. According to the report they are less useful in the kind of ground based warfare typical of the current Ukraine conflict.
According to the report, Sunak is giving the request his ‘consideration’. The thought then struck me – if the Typhoon is not very versatile, it would appear that our defence system is rather limited, and quite poorly equipped for all the dreadful possibilities that we are led to believe might befall us as we face our enemies from the east. I suppose what I am trying to get at is: we are persuaded to allow our government carte blanche to spend fortunes on sophisticated equipment which is not actually fit for purpose (since it is not much use to the Ukrainians fighting their ‘ground’ war). The situation is further complicated by the fact the Typhoon is not actually ours to give to Ukraine without the permission of the the other national partners in the Typhoon project.
At £75m a pop it makes me wonder how much of our eye-watering defence costs are intended to operate on the same intellectual level as Jeremy Clarkson or one of the rapacious numpty Tate brethren, driving round an airfield, very noisily with genitals flapping in the wind, shouting “look at me’ and my very large bollocks, in my very fast car that can’t actually be used for going anywhere”.
If Yelensky and our government are to be taken at all seriously, surely our much be-ribboned defence wallahs would have advised the Ukraine air force and Mr. Presidente Yelensky that Typhoons are no use to them, which surely means that Mr Yellensky is actually just willie-waving when he asks for Typhoons; and if he is actually just willie-waving, what is he actually ‘for’ and why was our much self-esteemed defence whizz MSP Mr MacDonald awarded the Order of Merit of Ukraine?
Yours, as ever, mystified by our exalted genius Oxbridge leaders. I am now returning to my burrow to contemplate these deep matters with my tiny rabbit sized brain.
BTW – I am taking my information from a Guardian article. I will not be surprised if there are gaping technical flaws in the report. I know nothing about military strategy other than what I pick up second hand.
Some simple arithmetic Yelensky asked for (indicated a requirement for) 200 modern fighter jets in order to win the war.
200x£75M=£15Billion. Considering the current cost of living crisis, that is a pretty big ask. In my mind it brings the thought that the greatly lauded Presidente is off his tiny little mind. So too our mighty deep thinking supporters of war.
A tad less than the cost of the Elizabeth Line, and much less than Bo Jo’s famed Thames Estuary Airport would cost the taxpayer.
Politics doesn’t have to be about getting stuff. Sometimes just the fact that certain things are being talked about is what matters.
“A tad less than the cost of the Elizabeth Line, and much less than Bo Jo’s famed Thames Estuary Airport would cost the taxpayer.”
For that, the taxpayer gains an underground railway line, or an airport. Sending jets to Ukraine means that the country loses 200 military aircraft and gains nothing. When you last contemplated spending a few grand on something like a car, did you seriously consider giving all that money to charity instead and if not, why not?
The purpose of all those requests for Western weapons is, by my reckoning, to make it sound as if Ukraine has a snowball’s chance in hell of winning this war and to put off the day when Zelenskiy has to flee to his bolt hole in California or wherever. Whether the weapons exist, can be delivered, can reach the front lines, can be operated by Ukrainian forces or can make a difference doesn’t really come in to it. It’s politically easy for the West to send weapons but politically impossible to send troops. The manufacturers will doubtless show their gratitude in the traditional ways. The Russians will have taken all of this into account before launching their invasion.
Well said Craig, Scotland under Sturgeon’s tenure has become some sort authoritarian banana republic.
You’ll know fine well after what happened to you that Sturgeon, Bain, and Livingstone will be watching with bated breath to see what e-mails are released.
I loathe that shit McDonald I hope he goes down when the info comes out.
What’s happened in the SNP over the last decade, is a mirror image of that what’s occured in the UK Labour Party. A group, or cabal, of like-minded, authoritarian centre-right, neoliberal careerist grifters, have hijacked the party and robbed it of all hope and radicalism. They live in a bubble of confirmation bias. Arrogant and smug as all hell, these morons sneer at their memberships.
Alex Salmond is a giant compared to these people.
Agreed, in my opinion the SNP are now a busted flush, there’s been talk of maneuvering Kate Forbes into position to challenge Sturgeon for the leadership, however this has been said about her from a supposed inside source. Looking at the state the SNP’s in now, I find it hard to question it.
“Before you get excited about Sturgeon being ousted I was told of many MSPs concerns about Forbes. She appeared from nowhere in 2015 and her only political experience was a summer admin job with family friend & MSP Dave Thomson. Apparently she had not even voted in the 2014 referendum 9 months before, had never campaigned or had any involvement with the Yes or SNP. Never put a leaflet through a door, never canvassed, never been on a march let alone owned a Yes badge. Questions are being asked of how she ever got through vetting without any campaign experience or SNP/Yes involvement.
Another parly friend says that she has been making moves for years. Her political nous is solely concerned with self promotion and not furthering Indy. She takes credit for what she has had little involvement with like the Freeports, but distances herself from catastrophies which has her fingerprints all over like the Scotwind debacle who has seen £60 billion loss to the Scots economy.
Also she is a right wing Christian who believes in creationism (dinasaurs did not exist!), is against abortion, gay marriage and working on Sundays. There is no issue with her believing what she wants but once in charge there are many concerns how this will influence policy. Under Forbes, policy would move from Sturgeon’s left wing, science-denying idiology to a right-wing, science-denying idiology. This is not progress but the gaslighting of an electorate. This is not progressive and we will not see independence under Forbes.”
The SNP has a moribund feel about it, akin to that of Labour, when Blair went after ~13 years as leader (1994-2007), leaving the Labour party a hollowed-out shell. A leadership cult, especially for a leader who seemingly will tolerate no dissent and debate, and likes to be surrounded by ‘yes’ men and women, invariably ends in disaster.
If any of the current scandals engulfing the party result in Sturgeon standing down. In any future leadership contest, the SNP membership will need to be on guard to the risks of being ‘Starmered’ by the establishment. Unlike in trading law, in politics, there is no protection against those willing to tell brazen lies, as with Starmer’s ’10 Pledges’ and his ‘continuity Corbynism’ leftist campaign pitch to the membership.
“There is no issue with her believing what she wants .”
No? You appear to have plenty of issues with her in general, leading to you slagging her off on here by repeating stuff you’ve heard second hand. Vicious stuff at that. Nasty.
No way to treat a leader about to be imposed on the nation. Disrespectful. I share your sadness sadscot.
RoS
Dinosaurs dinnae exist!
Ready-made leadership campaign slogan… for her rivals. lol
Had to laugh at the secret, cross-party summit held to confront the failings of Brexit : Intellectual heavyweights in attendance included David Lammy – the man who thought Marie Antoinette won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903, and Henry VII succeeded Henry VIII.
Then some wonder why today’s politicians are held in such low regard.
I think it’s weird how so many people write off the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon because the police have got involved in this. Look, the idiocy of this guy revealing his password etc. is a big issue but so is the content of the emails and other information that will become available. There could be a risk to who knows who so the police have to get involved. If they didn’t and someone was harmed. they would have been blamed for inaction.
One thing that should happen is he should be removed from his post and kept away from any involvement in security in future.
As for the emails? Yes, get them published … by someone else … . I say that because you have seen how COPFS behave in Scotland; I have more trust in Nicola Sturgeon and SNP than I do in the legal system in Scotland. I think the top of the legal system in Scotland is highly influenced by Westminster and not by Holyrood, SNP or Nicola Sturgeon.
One day it will undoubtedly all come out in the wash and we will find out who were the devils.
The proof supplied by both sides is often believable and often unbelievable, so it is not possible to say with absolute certainty who the devils are.
Looking forward to seeing what this particular senior SNP politician gets up to when we are paying him.
I think this is a lose/lose. I agree with every word you say but I’m mindful of how Westminster and the unionist press will use this against the cause of independence. It’s a shame. Sometimes I feel that even deserved criticism and debate are weaponised by the unionists against us. They have all the levers of state and press they can bring to bear..
All the indications are that the biggest hindrance to independence is, paradoxically, the SNP itself. Or at least, certain people within the SNP.
Everyone knows Sturgeon is a gifted politician, that’s why many feel the SNP could and should – after all the Tory Brexit turmoil and Labour’s enduring unpopularity – be far closer to independence than they are. The latest polls show ‘No’ pulling away.
Yes Goose, and Fanon’s ‘Manichaeism’ theory of colonialism helps explain events, in that, much as we see: “inside the nationalist parties the will to break colonialism is linked with another quite different will: that of coming to a friendly agreement with it.” The party elites’ deceit delays independence and leads to the “rupture in the independence movement”. In this situation the national party leadership “behaves like a gang” and works only to protect itself and the interest of the colonizer, even attacking independence campaigners, ably supported by the colonizers “solid justice system”. A similar process was played out in numerous former colonies, including Ireland.
According to The National britnats are putting up billboards demanding Sturgeon’s resignation. I still think this could be a win/win for the independence movement: Sturgeon gets replaced by someone who really wants independence and is not afraid to show it and britnats get the blame for getting Sturgeon removed.
Also, no sympathy for Stewart McDonald. He’s no true supporter of independence. He puts party [and Stewart McDonald] before country.
Sensible way to go Craig.
Were you in England then you’d likely be fine, sadly in Scotland the “justice system” is as much in the control of the executive as it is in Russia or China.
Don’t take any chances, not worth getting banged up again for a scroat like MacDonald when others outside Scotland will publish and not be damned.
There is a poster above who is getting desperate. Panic appears to have struck into someone’s heart, why should the payroll worry? I wonder why. Maybe just maybe there is something illuminating in these emails after all. I agree there must be a risk to Craig here but hopefully the legals will do their job. Craig has proved over the last 30 years he can put up with a bit of hassle.
The “legals” did their job last time & he still got banged up for political reasons. Same applies now.
Scots legal system (Court of Session) has been dubious for decades, its completely politicised now.
No reason for Craig to take the hit when others outside Scotland can & will publish.
Not sure what the rest of your dribbling post is about. I’m not anything to do with the SNP – I worked out what was going on 4+ years ago when Sturgeon lined up the alphabetties to try to send Salmond to jail.
It was pretty obvious what my post was about (those posting above who are desperate for Craig not to publish) and I wasn’t accusing you of anything. I want Craig to be the one to break this story because CM is a Scottish Nationalist and so am I. For Scotland’s sake, it is important the dross is cleared out and the people who have been at the forefront of trying to expose this corruption have been genuine independence supporters. The press have been 3 years late into some of the scandals. If 2023 is the year where the guilty get their dues in Scotland I will settle for that. If those at the heart of defeating the injustice and corruption are genuine Scottish nationalists it defeats the tactics at play here. You can be in the SNP or be a public figure and claim to support Independence and at the same time salute the union flag, grovel in front of the monarchy, parrot the British line, support foreign wars, blow apart long held principles like the assets and resources of the country belonging to the people, etc etc. Things are being remodelled (among other things) to suit. Acceptable Scottish nationalism (unionism in everything but name) and bad Scottish nationalism (those who are serious about Scottish nationhood). It’s a plan to knock us back 20 years: 1979 to 1997 for example. What kind of nick will the nation be in then?
If the lawyers say aye I hope Craig goes for it.
“I think it more probable McDonald self-selected as the only MP stupid enough to enter his email login details and password in reply to a phishing email.”
Given that you managed to lose two laptops in the course of a few weeks in Germany, you are not the one to be getting on your high horse about IT security.
“publishing those of Stewart MacDonald’s emails”
“like Stuart McDonald”
Careful – they’re two totally different people, only one of them an SNP MP. You’re actually looking for a third person who IS an MP – one who is an advocate of unilateral nuclear disarmament.
Nuclear disarmament.
You Talk as if that is a bad thing. I Pity you.
THE MAN WHO SAVED THE WORLD (Stanislav Petrov) – Official movie trailer – YouTube, 3m 11s
From the article:
“McDonald, even after Independence, wants Scotland to keep hosting British nuclear weapons at Faslane“.
Doesn’t really fit with being “an advocate of unilateral nuclear disarmament”, now does it, son?
I think you would find the emails most enlightening as to whether McDonald is an advocate of unilateral nuclear disarmament.
Except of course you will refuse to read them.
But perhaps you might give us an example of McDonald advocating it?
I’m not the one writing a blog article which doesn’t even spell his name right, and makes this claim:
“McDonald, even after Independence, wants Scotland to keep hosting British nuclear weapons at Faslane and allow Scottish regiments in the British Armed Forces.”
whereas a few seconds actual research using his name spelt right would give you this:
“The SNP Defence spokesperson Stewart McDonald MP made it clear in interviews with the BBC and The National that Scotland would look to join on similar terms as the likes of Norway and Denmark with Scotland not being a “permanent host” for nuclear weapons.
He added: “There is absolutely no connection between nuclear weapon possession and Nato membership… Scotland could obviously get rid of its nuclear weapons and join Nato.””
And no, I won’t be peeping tom on the alleged personal correspondence of a minor backbench politician, and you shouldn’t be publishing it.
You are a very courageous man Craig in many more dimensions than just the Independence one as this latest article proves.
I know from ‘reading you in action’ over the years that you don’t need me to tell you, but stick it to him/them every way you can
As you say more eloquently, what in the fuck is a UK establishment creep like this even doing in the SNP.
Polis at your door in three hours… wow.
I live outside of Alex Prentice’s reach and given a bottle of Redbreast I can get very indignant on Twitter.
I’m not a lawyer, but handling stolen property is still a crime, even if you didn’t help steal it or know it was going to be stolen, and even if the person it was stolen from is a despicable toad.
And “public interest” is not just what the public will be interested in.
Unless there’s evidence of some clear crimes in those emails that’s definite public interest, I’d tread very carefully.
If you’ve reached the point where it’s guerilla warfare, personal risk is of no concern, then go right ahead…
Theft is when someone gets deprived of their property against their will.
Whereas McDonald hasn’t lost access to a single email of his. He lost nothing in fact.
To call unauthorised access theft is a manipulation.
Again, I’m not a lawyer. But if someone copies and publishes my photos, art, written work, documents, I’d certainly consider it theft. I don’t have to justify whether I’ve been deprived of anything – that’s my stuff and I don’t want it published without my consent.
Craig has an interesting point that the security services already routinely collect much personal data from citizens as they spy on emails and other digital communication. Even our movements from phones and from number plate recognition along roads. It’s light years away from the old concept of privacy where they had to have warrants to tap phones or open mail, and devote on-the-ground surveillance resources to follow people. I’m constantly amazed the general public don’t push back more on this. But I’m not ready to accept that means we have no right of privacy from each other for anything we’re “stupid” enough to keep in digital format and not tech-savvy enough to keep protected.
David, it’s of no consequence what you personally consider theft – e.g. people “stealing” your limelight, your air, a little bit of your soul, whatever. If they haven’t stolen it under the law, it’s not genuine theft. Anyway, this isn’t a case of intellectual property or copyright law. It’s about data protection, intrusion and privacy.
People have a reasonable expectation of privacy, as codified in the GDPR – and that applies to their personal data, not duties performed in public office. Craig Murray has already indicated that he fully intends to respect that constraint and only share what he believes to be in the public interest.
Contrary to what many people think, an email disclaimer doesn’t establish a contract of confidentiality; it just states a preference. Its only legal significance regards explicit consent to publish information – i.e. it disclaims the author’s responsibility in the event of publication. It doesn’t bind the recipient.
There are many reasons to share information, and in the public sphere there’s a legal obligation. Sharing information without explicit permission is subject to the public interest defence – for which there is a specific exemption in data protection law. That would seem applicable wrt Mr McDonald’s email archives. There’s no litmus test for public interest; it would have to be debated and established in court. The ICO describes the consideration process here, and cites the substantial public interest conditions here.