Chaos in Scotland.

[Undried Plum]

He said Ms Sturgeon failed to understand the law and that it was “worrying” that she didn’t have a proper understanding of the legislation.

The wee bitchcunt had a very short career as a solicitor. She was censured by The Law Society of Scotland on three counts of professional misconduct and was 'let go' by her employers. She never practiced law again, instead getting a job with the SNP as a publicity manager in the Salmond Jugend.

She really is a piece of shite.

[Undried Plum]

I remember during the campaigning for/against the (re-)establshment of the Pygmy Parliament Sean Connery visited Scotland to lobby us to vote Yes.

I very clearly remember him being interviewed in South Queensferry with the Forth Bridge in the background. An interviewer asked him if he would return to live in Scotland in the wee Parliament were to be voted for. His answer was emphatic and unambiguous: "YES".

Well, we did vote yes. Of course he had no intention of living in Scotland or becoming a normal UK taxpayer here. He never did honour his pledge.

What we proles didn't know then was that at the time he was lobbying Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson and Jonathan Powell to be given personal exemption from being a normal UK taxpayer if he were to spend more than 90 days in a tax year in the UK.

The revolting Americans, who were actually British at the time, had a popular slogan of "No Taxation without Representation". Shouldn't that notion be commutative?

[Magnus]

Today's fun comes courtesy of cross-border railways who plan to ignore Krankie's diktat on distancing/masks on trains. It is, after all, fekn stupid to expect people who have been sitting together from KX to move seats once departing Berwick-upon-Tweed. This part, at least, of the world's gone mad.....

[Undried Plum]

LNER have told Wee Jimmie to get **** if she expects them to enforce her local rules on their trains.

British Transport Police are not devolved to Scotland, and anyway they do not enforce Rules of Carriage on trains. They never board trains in a law enforcement role unless at the request of the train company. LNER have made clear that this will not happen in her enforcement policy of a law which they do not recognise.

She's ****; - and if she tries to pick a fight with LNER she will simply show how idiotic the notion of a 'border' is in the face of a mini-microscopic hingwe like a virus.

Actually, what it shows is the idiocy of devolution. In the mainland of Britain anyway, what we need to do is co-operate and unite to fight the damned disease.

[FD2]

https://www.scotsman.com/health/coronav ... e=hs_email

Former Scottish health secretary intervened in delayed Covid care home deaths data release
Scotland’s health secretary was central to an intervention in delaying the release of Covid-19 death rates in individual care homes, it can be revealed.

Earlier this month, The Scotsman revealed a last-gasp intervention from the Scottish Government involving former economy secretary Fiona Hyslop led to the delay of the publication of the number of Covid-19 deaths in each of Scotland’s care homes for more than three-and-a-half months and until after the Holyrood election in May.

Now further disclosures show Ms Hyslop was not the only minister involved in the intervention.

Former health secretary Jeane Freeman also directed officials on how to respond to the impending data publication.

The Scottish Conservatives said the revelations showed the intervention appeared to be a “cynical attempt” to avoid scrutiny, while Labour called for full transparency around the issue.

Correspondence released by the Scottish Government shows Ms Freeman, who stepped away from frontline politics at the Scottish Parliamentary election earlier this year, led the intervention from the government’s side.

Emails state that she was concerned “individual care homes … were not aware that this data was being published”.

They continue, stating Ms Freeman asked National Records of Scotland (NRS) to “facilitate discussions with the relevant stakeholders in order to discuss the data that they are publishing with a view to minimising the distress caused to families and care home staff by this information becoming public”.

Confusion within the NRS around ministerial involvement in the decision to publish is also clear.

In one email, the chief executive of the NRS, Paul Lowe, writes: “Can I ask where Ms Freeman is on issue now, following her earlier message to Ms Hyslop i.e. is [redacted] still wishing to seek routes (presumably advice from you and your team) to prevent publication of this information or are we now in the territory of managing how the information is released and engagement with key stakeholders in advance of this?”

It is not clear who the redacted individual refers to, but it is likely to be either a government official working on behalf of Ms Freeman or the health secretary herself.

As previously revealed, this intervention led the NRS to delay publishing the data until after care sector and local council representatives were informed and could submit objections to the information commissioner.

This led directly to a U-turn from the NRS, which chose to continue to fight the release of the data despite being told by legal advisers it was “highly unlikely” it would win.

The records agency was told it had to publish the mortality data by the Scottish Information Commissioner in late May, three-and-a-half months after its initial publication date of February

However, it is clear the health secretary did not intend to block the release of the information in perpetuity, even if her actions led to the delay in publication until after the election.

One email states: “The Cab Sec has asked me to reiterate that it was never, at any stage, her intention to prevent publication of this data.”

The disclosures from the NRS and the Scottish Government in response to identical requests are also notable in their differences.

References to the issue of NRS independence from ministerial interference being raised by agency officials is redacted from the Scottish Government’s disclosure.

Government officials also deemed that a section of an email from an NRS official to a government counterpart, released by the NRS, should be omitted entirely from its own disclosure.

It stated: “Obviously if ministers are still looking at options as to how such a release of data should be avoided it would impact on the nature of the conversations with stakeholders?”

Meanwhile, the NRS failed to disclose the fact Ms Freeman was involved in discussions around the release of the data and failed to disclose a key email in which a government official stated the reasons why the then-health secretary was involved in discussions, both details released by the Scottish Government.

Responding to the revelations, Scottish Conservative social care spokesperson Craig Hoy said the revelation “reinforces” calls for a public inquiry into Covid-19 in Scotland.

He said: “These new revelations involving Jeane Freeman only raise further questions about what ministers were hoping to achieve by intervening with NRS at this critical point.

“This important report was all set to be published, but it appears that SNP politicians sought to use their influence to ensure it remained hidden from voters until after the Holyrood election.

“We know that the SNP Government will go to extreme lengths to try and avoid scrutiny when things go wrong and this appears to be just another cynical attempt to do so.

“The delay in this report meant that grieving families had to wait much longer for answers to key questions about what really happened in our care homes.”

Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “These revelations raise fresh questions about the delays to this report and the former health secretary’s role in this.

“Whether intentional or not, this last-minute intervention resulted in this crucial report being kept from the public until after the election.

“The government has form for being secretive and obstructive when it comes to releasing information and this has muddied the waters on this further.

“The public deserve clear answers on what happened here, and how we can ensure reports of this nature are always published quickly and without any opportunity for political interference.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Publication was a matter for NRS and the Scottish Information Commissioner agreed to allow additional representations from the care sector.

"As is clear from the material released, the health secretary was not trying to prevent release of the report, but rightly making sure Scottish Government and NRS officials made care homes and their staff aware of its impending publication given the distress it could cause to recently bereaved families.”

It wisnae me, it was that other lot...

What a shower of shits.

[Undried Plum]

Labour called for full transparency

Something you will never ever get from SNP is transparency. Even their own Party Treasurer resigned because he was not allowed access to the Party accounts. The most senior member of their National Executive also resigned for exactly the same reason.

Mrs and Mister Murrel run der Partei in exactly the same way that Mr and Mrs Ceasescu did. One is Chief Executive of the Pairty; the other is Leader of the Pairty. The government is run like a one-party state and that party is run as a family business. Total opacity.

There is, nominally, a police investigation into the murky goings-on, but Politzei Schottland is answerable directly to the First Minister in person and the Chief Prosecutor is a Cabinet member of the Snumptie Gumment, so we should not expect much "transparency" there.

[FD2]

WTF?

Scottish government wants its 8,000 civil servants to add pronouns to their email sign offs despite nearly 60 per cent saying they are against the move

Employees would be encouraged to include terms that reflect gender identity
This would include she/her, he/him, they/them as well as 'non standard' terms
Proposal has sparked fierce debate with 60 per cent not backing the proposal

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -offs.html

My preferred one would be MYOFB.

[om15]

Our favourite commentator informs us of a change in attitudes within the Scottish media

[OFSO]

I think following my name with the letters NST for 'non standard term' is an excellent sporran-lifting idea. Remember those initials we'd put on envelopes? SIAM or BURMA?

[barkingmad]

om15 +1 for your posting!

You beat me to it but look out for the incoming fire. But he looks more like a taxi driver and less like an undertaker but it's the content which matters?!

[FD2]

Scottish drug deaths hit a new record of 1,339 - the worst in Europe - after rising for a SEVENTH year running as Nicola Sturgeon is accused of presiding over 'national shame' https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... urope.html

Nicola Sturgeon accused of 'national shame' after Scottish drug deaths up again
Some 1,339 drug deaths last year up by 5 per cent and the worst rate in Europe
The rate is more than three-and-a-half times that across the rest of the UK

Nicola Sturgeon was accused of presiding over 'national shame' today as Scotland's drugs deaths hit a new record of 1,339.

The grim toll went up 5 per cent last year, the seventh annual rise in a row, as the country continued to have the worst fatality rate in Europe.

With 21.2 deaths per 1,000 people, the level is more than three-and-a-half times higher than the rest of the UK.

Some 291 lost their lives in Glasgow alone - the worst hit area. Of the overall figure, 1,192 deaths were related in some way to opioids.

Amid outrage at the scale of the tragedy, Ms Sturgeon said it was 'unacceptable' and each was a 'human tragedy'.

She insisted the Scottish Government 'does not shirk the responsibility & we are determined to make changes that will save lives'.

She's had a few years to do something about it but spent most of her time whining about Westminster, the 'Toaries' and showboating on telly with the Covid news. She's determined to keep on spouting platitudes and ignoring the issue until the next lot of statistics are released and hope that people have forgotten the previous ones in the meantime. I expect it's all the fault o' they Anglish basturds onyway. What a shower of sh*ts are governing Scotland.

[AtomKraft]

I've lived in the West of Scotland most of my life. I also spent a few years looking after disadvantaged teenagers in Greenock (a dreadful shithole).

Frankly, given the terrible mix of dreariness, poverty, **** weather and poor opportunities, particularly for the underclass (that'll be one step below the working class) I don't blame anyone who turns to drink- as so many do, or eventually to drugs. It's a good fit with the environment.

First Labour, and now the SNP have presided over the status quo for decades, and done nothing. I don't think it'll ever improve.

Don't get me wrong, for the middle classes, Scotland can be great- apart from the weather..

But for the poor- and Scotland has many of the most deprived areas in Europe- its fcuking dreadful.

I only wish the SNP would spend a little less time on LGBTQ issues or trendy green stuff and actually try to sort out the deprived areas of Scotland.

Fat chance.

[Undried Plum]

As a Brit; and as a Scot; and as a human being: I am deeply sorry, and ashamed, to bring this matter to a civilised forum such as this.

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives ... oing-dark/

The cavitation of Justice into which Craig Murray tumbled is very deeply disturbing.

It should not happen.

[AtomKraft]

Agreed.
A damn disgrace.
Still, there won't be a murmer from the Scots.

[om15]

I think that he fought the law and the law won.

At first I tried to come to terms of him being jailed in the hope he would be granted dignified conditions in jail but I am saddened and shocked to learn he could be placed among criminals, with no ability to bring books or enable him to write, with no entertainment allowed. He is being treated like a criminal.

Rather a naive observation from his missus.

Lady Dorrian said

Murray “understood the risk inherent in the action he was taking, deliberately decided to run that risk knowing that jigsaw identification of the complainers might result, and did so repeatedly. It appears from the posts and articles that he was in fact relishing the task he set himself.”

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

[Undried Plum]

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

Craig Murray has NOT committed a crime. He is not a criminal.

If he had been charged with a criminal offence he'd have had a trial by jury. I've no doubt that a jury would have acquitted him of the political charge brought against him.

As of 10:30 tomorrow, when he turns himself in to the St Leonards police station in Edinburgh, he will become a political prisoner.

I never thought I'd see the day when we'd have political prisoners on the mainland of Great Britain. Now England and Scotland have one each: Assange and tomorrow Murray

[om15]

He was charged with contempt of court, then sentenced to 8 months in prison, it was his choice all along.

I totally agree that this stinks and the onward progression to tyranny in Scotland is apace, but he decided to tilt the windmill and now he will be in a stinking violent drug hell for 4 (or 8) months. It will give him something to write about.

One of his blogs was about the English and the illegal immigration problems that we face, he was critical of our Government and made some rather inflamortary remarks about us , so perhaps a period of time in a small cell with one of Glasgow's finest will give him time to reflect, and when (if) he emerges he might think about keeping his opinions to himself.

[Undried Plum]

His offence against the State was blowing the whistle on HMG complicity with American and Uzbek torture of opposition politicians and their supporter.

You really should read his book Murder in Samarkand. It's an eye-opener.

As for his prosecution for Contempt of Court, which by the way is a civil offence not a criminal one it, was Lady Dorrian who raised the prosecution against him. She was his prosecutor and his judge and his jury and the judge who heard his Appeal against her own verdict and her own sentence - all rolled into one. I don't think any other country in the world has such an absurd system, not even Nazi Germany went that far.

She is campaigning for jury trials to be abolished for trials of some offences. It was a jury which acquitted Alex Salmond of all thirteen charges. If she had been the jury substitute, she quite certainly would have found him guilty on all counts.

I'm seriously considering going to Edinburgh tomorrow morning to show a bit of moral support for him as he goes to the cop shop with his suitcase to start eight months in Saughton Prison. If I had Alex Salmond's email address I'd ask him to come along too. Murray was the only journalist to publish the Defence case in Salmond's trial. The mainstream media used every utterance and ***** claim by the Prosecutor as banner headlines, but when the Defence side started to make its case the MSM journos closed their notebooks and folded their arms and stared at the ceiling.

A society which imprisons journalists for telling the truth is a society which has gone badly wrong. That's us.

[barkingmad]

Plum, please monitor your BP in case you have not seen this one;

https://www.unz.com/jcook/craig-murrays ... ournalism/

The Soviets are here and in charge despite all we did during the Cold War. Revolution by stealth and the takeover of the edukayshun system is my bet as to how we ended up in the Gulag.

[om15]

I note the moral dilemma faced by the Guardian, they naturally wish to side with their left leaning anti British Independence seeking journalist colleague, but in doing so will condemn their left leaning anti British Independence seeking First Minister, what to do?
Sturgeon has Scotland completely stitched up, Salmond, missing £600,000, ferries, smelters, stolen covid funds and now this, she is completely untouchable