Apologies, was off on an impromtu (on my account) trip.
Hope the board is still up and not drifted off again.
https://youtu.be/tkUd6vvY__s
10 years on, we choose UNITY
Mercurius
10.8K subscribers
3,959 views Sep 18, 2024 #NotGoingBack
10 years on, We are #NotGoingBack
https://youtu.be/fKFQYv7kPNs
DRUG DEATHS UP in 2024 - what on earth caused this year after year?
Mercurius
10.8K subscribers
3,234 views Aug 21, 2024
New drug deaths figures are out for 2024.
Story here: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/po…
https://youtu.be/IUTeya-7Rvg
SNP SHYSTERS: Where are they now?
Mercurius
10.8K subscribers
12,168 views Aug 31, 2024
The SNP: Signing on for Scotland
Signing on….claiming social security….ie unemployed. And unemployable. :)
https://youtu.be/pF-Ij1bDAbM
They LOST (Again)
Good to be back.
https://youtu.be/qmUSGMb2UGQ
A Judicial Monstering: Acknowledgements
John Halley
7 subscribers
9 views Sep 19, 2024 SCOTLAND
Acknowledgements. Audiobook Chapter from A Judicial Monstering, by John Halley.
The whole book here minus "the note" running to 17,500 words. Perhaps someone can ask him on twitter or his website to add the note to the free audiobook on his website and here on youtube?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czj9dxl833do
Police Scotland accused of failing to act on 'whistleblowing' complaints
Katie Hunter
BBC Scotland News
Published
8 hours ago
Police Scotland is facing claims that it failed to take appropriate action after a female detective raised “serious allegations” about fellow officers.
A solicitor for the detective inspector has written to the justice secretary and four MSPs on the justice committee, saying her client alleges that Police Scotland failed to treat her concerns as whistleblowing.
She is taking legal action against Police Scotland on the grounds of sex discrimination and unfair treatment after whistleblowing.
Police Scotland said there was an ongoing employment tribunal and it would not be appropriate to comment.
In 2021 the detective inspector was moved to a base in the central belt working in both the Child Abuse Investigation Unit and Rape Unit.
BBC Scotland News is aware of the contents of the letter to the justice secretary and MSPs, which claims the officer openly complained about a culture of misogyny and sexism.
The letter says this resulted in anonymous complaints against her to Police Scotland’s professional standards department (PSD).
During the PSD investigation into her, it is alleged she made “very serious allegations”.
The letter says she told PSD officers she was "scared" of a senior detective and he "made inappropriate comments about her appearance".
The same officer was later arrested and charged in connection with domestic abuse allegations that were unrelated to the female detective inspector.
Police Scotland said criminal complaints against officers and staff were fully and professionally investigated and reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
The Crown Office said after careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the available admissible evidence, there should be no proceedings against the officer at this time.
He remains suspended and Police Scotland says the matter will now be considered under its misconduct regulations.
In the letter to the justice secretary and MSPs, the female detective's solicitor said that Police Scotland’s "failure to properly categorise" her client’s concerns camouflaged the true extent of whistleblowing within the force.
In a statement to BBC Scotland News, Margaret Gribbon, of Bridge Employment Solicitors, said: “Last year, my client provided information to Police Scotland’s professional standards department which included allegations of criminality and other unlawful conduct against fellow officers.
"Police Scotland has confirmed that it will not take any action in response to my client’s gravely serious disclosures, which inexplicably were not investigated by them as whistleblowing concerns."
She said her client had instructed her to make the same disclosures to the justice secretary and other MSPs on the justice committee in their capacities as "prescribed persons" under whistleblowing legislation.
A prescribed person is an individual or organisation that a worker may approach outside their workplace to report suspected or known wrongdoing.
'Broken complaints system'
Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay, one of the MSPs who received the letter, said: "It is concerning to hear of another female whistleblower stating that Police Scotland has failed to properly investigate her serious allegations.
"This case yet again confirms the need to fix Scotland’s broken police complaints system which fails many good officers and the public."
BBC Scotland News understands that no officers are suspended in relation to the complaints raised by the female detective inspector.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "There is an ongoing employment tribunal and it would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time."
A Scottish government spokeswoman said it would be inappropriate to comment on individual cases, particularly in circumstances where it was not the employer.
She added: "We know that ensuring public trust in the police service is vital, which is why proposals in the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) Scotland Bill will further improve the police complaints and police misconduct systems."
https://www.tomminogue.com/tom/?page_id=633
Sir Fixed it for Jim
How did Jim fix it so that his child abuse was never examined?
As was the case with Thomas Hamilton after the Dunblane tragedy, many people seem to have known about Savile’s abuse, but why was nothing done about it at the time it was taking place?
Did whistleblowers try to get the authorities to act? Or were they put off by his obvious power and influence?
The initial rumours suggested that only one police force, the Surrey Constabulary had investigated an allegation of abuse against Savile in the 1970s, which could not be substantiated.
But then other tales began to emerge about victims of Savile’s abuse being interviewed, but nothing further happening because of who the allegations were against. There are also accounts of victims not complaining because of the prospect of not being believed, due to the power of the alleged abuser.
I find these stories credible. Sir James Winston Vincent Savile, OBE, KCSG was a powerful and influential man, a friend of royalty, world and religious leaders, whereas his victims were mainly children of the opposite sex who were poles apart from Savile in terms of status within the establishment. To me this would explain how hundreds could be criminally assaulted without any action being taken by the forces of law and order.
Although we are all supposed to be equal under the law my experience is that the great and good, titled and influential people, will be treated deferentially by most people including the police and politicians.
I believe most people know this and an ordinary Jane or Joe would be loath to make allegations against the great and good due to the knowledge that those who would assess their complaints would be (either consciously or sub-consciously) biased against a commoner.
In addition to the class/power differential between accuser and accused there is another aspect that prevents complainants coming forward: The fear that a victim of abuse might not be believed can be compounded if/when that victim, damaged by such abuse, goes on to become involved in self-harm, drug abuse, or other crimes. As an addict/criminal, the damaged child could then be portrayed as being unreliable as a truthful witness.
Parallels between Savile & Thomas Hamilton?
The fear of not being believed as described by the victims of Savile’s abuse may have echoes in the Dunblane tragedy and the charmed life led by Thomas Hamilton.
At the Dunblane Public Inquiry that followed the mass murder of children at Dunblane Primary School the evidence of one anonymous victim of Thomas Hamilton’s sexual abuse on board his cabin cruiser, (Hamilton had two boats the large cabin cruiser, Tropical Linda and the smaller speed boat Lady Sheila, both said to have been bought from the police at unrealistically low prices), at Loch Lomond was traduced by the Lord Advocate’s representative LINK to such an extent that Lord Cullen in his Report concluded that he “ did not find this allegation to have been proved” LINK and in effect allowed Thomas Hamilton to be considered to have been a decent man, with no proven history of sexual abuse!
=There's a lot here on this webpage, far more than I've time to post.
Apologies, didn't see the middleton ones coming up there.
https://youtu.be/jIC9UyDG2_A
SNP Holyrood gets FIRED!
Mercurius
10.8K subscribers
3,910 views Sep 22, 2024
https://youtu.be/aOG7vKK_t9U
Labour taking FREEBIES?… Hold my beer
Mercurius
10.8K subscribers
Sep 24, 2024
Amid all this furore about Labour freebies let's not forget the original Sultans of Sleaze and the ongoing SNP and and Scottish Greens troughocracy.
>Seems to me there are those that want this hidden
Yes.
By continually ignoring the issue all it does is increase negative speculation or is it just me?
Why else? Genuine query? Is there some greater purpuse? Part of the Plan? I don't know?
It does seem odd that Halley's free audiobook version provided by himself, narrated by himself, is missing key parts?
I'm still hopeful that nothing is real…merely realistic. That there are no acts of parliament…merely actors in parliament in a real time play.
The thing is some of this stuff is true, not necessarily any particular allegations regarding this book or those mentioned in it, but of state sanctioned abuse. Chemical/drug trials, ECT use in minors or anybody really, what is it about us that we tolerate these things? We give too much power to civil servants who often are not very civil. In fact often they are cunts, and often they seem to be the sorts of cunts who'd destroy young lives and even delight in it.
Thanks for keeping the board up and all the bakering accomplishments. God bless. 🙏
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce81zlj4y2go
King marks Scottish Parliament's 25th anniversary
Jonathan Geddes
BBC Scotland News
Published
28 September 2024
King Charles has warned there is "much more to be done" to combat climate change as he marked the "important" 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament.
The monarch fondly recalled his late mother's love for Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire - where she spent her final days - in his speech, and said Scotland held a "uniquely special" place in his heart.
After his speech the King - who has been undergoing treatment for cancer since February - met a number of "local heroes", who were recognised for the impact they have made in their communities.
MSPs also heard speeches from party leaders and musical performances from a variety of acts.
'The most Scottish of values'
During his speech the King, who was joined by the Queen on his visit, told the Parliament that when it reconvened in 1999 it marked a "new dawn" for the country.
He said that the values inscribed on the mace his mother had given the Parliament 25 years ago - wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity - were the "most Scottish of values".
He added: "We are often told that we live in an era of polarisation and division.
"If that is so, then it is perhaps even more important, not less, that in the vital areas of representation, of political debate, of policymaking and of discourse, these values - together with hope, civility, and generosity of spirit - are never far from the heart of even the most difficult of issues."
However, the King later added action would be needed to handle the challenge of climate change.
He said: "Today is an important milestone. As we look ahead to the next quarter of a century and beyond, there remains much more to be done, for Scotland, for the United Kingdom and, equally, in addressing the challenges we all share as inhabitants of a planet whose climate is changing dangerously and whose biodiversity is being seriously depleted."
The King attended the Scottish Parliament opening in 1999 - when he was Prince Charles, and has attended several times since then.
He recalled that it was an "extraordinary occasion" 25 years ago and it was a "great, somewhat daunting" responsibility for MSPs to take on.
However, he said that everyone there was "united by our love of Scotland" and praised the nation's "extraordinary diversity".
He said: "From the central belt, to the North Highlands, across the islands, in Ayrshire, in the Borders, the cities, towns, and villages, or the coastal communities, who, I wonder, could not fail to be moved by this complex Caledonian kaleidoscope?
"Speaking from a personal perspective, Scotland has always had a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself.
"My beloved grandmother was proudly Scottish, my late mother especially treasured the time spent at Balmoral, and it was there in the most beloved of places, where she chose to spend her final days."
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Sistema Scotland, Gaelic song chorus Còisir Alba and mandolin and guitarist Calum McIlroy - who won the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician prize this year - all performed.
Following the King's speech the leaders of Scotland's political parties all spoke.
First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney said the event celebrated "25 years in which the Scottish Parliament has changed lives for the better" and that it had been "at the heart of the nation" since 1999.
He cited several achievements, such as marriage equality, as having helped make Scotland a fairer society.
He said: "I hope Scotland will continue to shine as a beacon of enlightenment across stormy seas, a refuge for reason in the world, a wellspring of modern thought and creativity."
In his first speech since becoming Scottish Tory leader on Friday, Russell Findlay called on the Parliament to "realign" with the public and said that too many people felt "detached" from the chamber.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said he believed "Scotland's best days lie ahead of us" and Alex Cole-Hamilton of the Scottish Liberal Democrats described the Parliament as a "cathedral of ideas" which had shown it could be "transformative" for people's lives.
However, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie warned that the Parliament's "journey is far from complete".
Outside, a group of republicans peacefully demonstrated against the monarchy, chanting "Not My King” and waving yellow and black “Down with the Crown” placards as the royals were driven to the Scottish Parliament.
https://youtu.be/EVcF7TjkxYw
Escort to the Crown The Royal Mile | King Charles in Edinburgh, Scotland | 25th Scottish Parliament
Haizhen's Hut
19.9K subscribers
5,915 views Sep 29, 2024 SCOTLAND
The Scottish Parliament's 25th anniversary celebration at Holyrood on 28/09/2024.
00:00:00 Army of the Nile
00:00:12 Glendrual highlander / Atholl highlanders
00:02:45 Pentland Hills
https://youtu.be/hvXMzbszUa0
King Charles Opening of the 25th Scottish Parliament
Haizhen's Hut
19.9K subscribers
5,178 views Sep 29, 2024 SCOTLAND
The Scottish Parliament's 25th anniversary celebration at Holyrood on 28/09/2024.
Tune played by 2 Scots Pipes and Drums:
Scotland the brave
Highland laddie
Even considering the high numbers of tourists in Edinburgh the "KING" isn't very popular. No thronging of the streets of Edinburgh for Charlie. These people have destroyed Scotland. Scotland's cities are highly taxed shitholes.
https://youtu.be/X1kPK-zcC5c
King Charles Expresses His Love For Scotland in Touching (hopefully not touching kids) Speech
The Royal Family Channel
3.53M subscribers
56,237 views Sep 28, 2024 #queencamilla #kingcharles #scotland
“Scotland has always had a uniquely special place in the hearts of my family and myself.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla marked the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament today.
During their visit, the King gave a heartwarming speech where he reflected on his love for the country.
I agree. His mother wasn't the lawful Queen. She signed her corronation oath at the top of the page and underlined it…effectively agreeing to nothing. You can't bequeath a title that you didn't have.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-ferry-curse-turkish-built-33794879
SNP ferry curse as Turkish-built boats delayed by another two months - and could go up in price
Scotland's struggling islanders have been hit with a double whammy of bad news with four ferries being built in Turkey delayed further and the return of Arran's main ferry being pushed back
David Walker
1 OCT 2024
Scotland's beleaguered islanders have been dealt a double blow as ferries being built in Turkey to replace ones in the current ageing fleet have been delayed by two months. And CalMac announced that the return of Arran's main ferry will also be pushed by another 10 days, leading to a swathe of service cancellations.
Scottish Government-owned ferry procurement body CMAL awarded a contract to build four new boats to Turkish shipyard Cemre Marin Endustri. These vessels will serve Islay and the Little Minch routes between Skye, Harris and North Uist, usurping the older ships already being used there.
However, there will be a further delay in delivering the first of these ferries, with the MV Isle of Islay now being completed four months behind schedule. And bosses warned that the cost of the project could also rise amid concerns about inflation and construction works.
The setback has been attributed to hold-ups receiving parts for the vessel and a shortage of specialist workers at the shipyard. It means that the boat is not expected to be finished until between January and March compared to its original completion date of mid-October this year.
CMAL also confirmed that this delay would also put back the completion of the other three ferries, with loch Indaal now ready between April and June, Lochmor July and September and Claymore next October and December. A previous two-month delay to December was announced in August.
Chief Executive Kevin Hobbs told MSPs in a letter: “The further assessment of the impacts of the supply chain issues outwith the shipyard’s control, related specialist contractor availability, and review of required approvals processes indicates delivery of the first vessel, Isle of Islay, beyond the end of December.
“Comparison of the original programme and the current completion estimates suggest that the delivery date will be extended by four months from the original scheduled date of mid-October. There are risks and uncertainties, particularly with specialist equipment supply chains, which may shorten or extend this timeframe by a matter of weeks.
“Many of the same factors will also lead to a change in the delivery dates to the later vessels, but these are not expected to be as significant as on the first vessel. We continue to monitor closely global events that may give rise to further challenges beyond those already reported regarding the supply chain issues.”
Meanwhile, the return of the Arran ferry has been delayed again after further issues were discovered with the vessel during an eight-month refit. It has already been out of action for almost a year but will now need its port gearbox fixed, putting it back in the dock for a further two weeks.
The two ships five years delayed at Ferguson Marine were meant to serve customers on that route back in 2019 but remain incomplete after years of delays. CalMac confirmed that there will be cancellations between Craignure and Mull due to the MV Caledonian Isles needing to be fixed again.
Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Greene said: “This latest delay is yet another in a seemingly endless series of technical problems. The people of Arran have been let down again and again, and there will be knock-on effects for other islanders as vessels are shuffled around to cover routes.
“These endless maintenance issues are a direct consequence of the SNP government’s failure to maintain and renew an entire ageing fleet, and a continued betrayal of our island communities by this incompetent government.”
Scottish Lib Dem Economy spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP said: "Islanders are sick of being told to just suck it up. Every delay and cancellation risks businesses suffering, medical treatments disrupted and life plans on hold. It's time for the government to demonstrate some accountability. Not a single nationalist minister has ever carried the can for years of failings."
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/delayed-glen-sannox-sets-sail-33716488
Delayed Glen Sannox sets sail using 'green' fuel imported from Qatar and transported in diesel lorries
One of the two ferries languishing at Ferguson Marine finally set sail using its LNG fuel for the first time after numerous delays due to the complexity of the system.
David Walker
20 SEP 2024
The long-delayed Glen Sannox has finally set sail using its much-lauded "green" fuel as final preparations are made for it to finally take on passengers. The CalMac ferry has been marooned in Ferguson Marine for almost a decade, and was meant to be finished in 2018 but has been beset by issues.
A contract for two vessels was awarded to the Port Glasgow shipyard in 2015 at a cost of £97m but this has sky-rocketed to about £450m with the business needing to be nationalised after plunging into administration. Most of the delays were due to the use of "world first" liquefied natural gas (LNG) to power them.
The Glen Sannox has started some of its final sea trials before being handed over to CalMac, with the LNG being utilised to power its engines for the first time. The installation of this system has been blamed for the construction issues, with a further two-week delay announced recently due to problems storing the fuel at minus 162C.
One of the main benefits of the LNG fuel is that it seen as cleaner burning, releasing fewer pollutants such as nitrous and sulphur oxides. The engines also emit up to 25% less carbon dioxide but there is a risk of "methane slip" which is the release of unburnt gas during certain operations.
And for the next few years at least the LNG fuel will need to be imported from Qatar and driven to Scotland from Kent in south east England using diesel road tankers. The plan is to eventually have dedicated refuelling facilities at the ship's main harbour at Ardrossan but plans to upgrade the port have stalled.
It was meant to be ready in 2018 to initially store the ferries but work hasn't even started on redeveloping it so it is big enough to receive them. The Glen Sannox and its sister ship Glen Rosa will instead sail to Arran from Troon and be refuelled directly from road tankers.
The Glen Sannox underwent its first successful sea trials earlier this year but completed this running on conventional fuel because the LNG systems had yet to be commissioned. The latest tests will last two or three days to evaluate manoeuvrability, acceleration and speed, with it set to finally serve customers in mid-October.
It will then undergo "owner's trial" with CMAL and then several weeks of crew familiarisation trials by CalMac. It is the first ship ever built in the UK capable of running on LNG as well as conventional marine gas oil, but the technology has been slated due to the struggles in constructing it.
Sacked former Ferguson Marine boss David Tydeman described the challenges of packing the equipment into the tight spaces as more complex than designing a Navy warship. Andrew Milligan, head of engineering at Ferguson Marine, said: "The successful LNG bunkering is a highly significant milestone as it’s the first time it has ever been done in the UK.
"It was a complicated process which required significant safety protocols to be put in place. We experienced some unexpected challenges around this process and, unfortunately it has had a knock-on effect to the handover schedule."
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-ferry-shambles-long-delayed-33596929
SNP ferry shambles as long-delayed Ferguson Marine ship to be taken out of service days after it starts serving islanders
The Glen Sannox is still scheduled to finally serve islanders six years late in December but it will be removed from service almost instantly in order to undergo a ship MOT.
David Walker
4 SEP 2024
SNP Ministers are facing up to a new ferry humiliation following news that the long-delayed Glen Sannox will be taken out of service days after it starts carrying passengers for the first time. The Ferguson Marine boat is scheduled to finally serve islanders in December.
The vessel, alongside its sister boat the Glen Rosa, were meant to set sail in 2018 but have been beset with problems and delays, including the Port Glasgow shipyard going bust. The cost of the pair has also sky-rocketed to a huge £450m from an initial contract signed at £97m.
There have been a number of false dawns for the Glen Sannox which was set to be ready to serve customers this summer before issues with its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) fuel, said to be a UK-first, were blamed for the delays. It is because there is a lack of expertise and equipment to install them.
Ferry bosses expect it to finally be active in December, but have already scheduled for it to undergo its annual service just days after it takes on customers. And sea trials to push the vessel to its limit have also been delayed by two weeks, although Ferguson Marine have insisted that it remains on track to be completed by the end of September.
Islanders on the Arran to Ardrossan route have been left without a proper service in recent weeks due to two boats being out of service. Glen Sannox is expected to start operating on that route in December after two months of separate CalMac sea and crew familiarisation trials.
The ferry operator has decided to schedule the new boat's MOT-style annual maintenance in December to best fit in with similar work on the rest of its west coast fleet. This will last two weeks and allow it to operate for a year, but comes just days into it being in service.
As part of the work, there will be an inspection of the underwater section of the hull, which is required by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The main vessel on the busy Arran to Ardrossan route, the MV Caledonian Isles, has been out of service since January meaning a reduced service to islanders.
It is due to return around September 12 after £6.5m of steelwork repairs which have kept it in the dock. A CalMac spokesperson said: “Glen Sannox is scheduled to enter annual maintenance on 3 December. Whilst it may seem less than ideal to bring the vessel into service, then dock it shortly after, December represents the best time of year for her overhaul in the context of the schedule for the wider fleet.
“All of our major vessels enter annual overhaul throughout winter due to service demands across all routes in the summer. Glen Sannox will serve Arran, and the other major vessel for this route, Caledonian Isles, is scheduled to be in dock for most of January.
“Then, February and March are the most congested time of year for major vessel overhaul. Service demand begins to increase towards the end of March, when the summer timetable recommences. We consulted with Isle of Arran Ferry Committee on the timing of the new vessel's overhaul and December was their preference."
"So, despite the fact that this year the vessel may only have just entered service, December is the most sensible time of year for annual maintenance in the long term as it helps to maintain service levels and minimise disruption during the wider winter timetable period.”
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/calmac-should-fined-says-raging-33420451
CalMac should be FINED says raging councillor as ailing ferry operator axes two routes during height of summer season
The ailing ferry operator has cancelled two of its routes following a fire on-board an ageing ship and technical issues, leading to calls for CalMac to suffer consequences, as Mallaig, South Uist and Argyll and Bute residents are affected.
David Walker
8 AUG 2024
Calls have been made for CalMac to be fined after fed-up islanders were told two more services have been completely axed due to ferry issues. The nationalised operator is forced to rely on ageing ships which regularly suffer mechanical problems due to being utilised past their expected usage age.
Passengers are facing days of chaos during the peak summer season as two lifeline routes were cancelled, with one not expected to be restored until the middle of next week. An onboard fire on the MV Lord of the Isles led to engine problems while it was sailing between Mallaig on the mainland and Lochboisdale on South Uist.
The 35-year-old ship is now out of action until the issue is fixed, with CalMac confessing that the route would not be operated until Saturday. Finlay MacRae, head of operations, said: "The fire was quickly extinguished using the vessel's fire suppression system and there were no injuries, but it led to the loss of power in the starboard engine. This was a long night for our customers, and I apologise for the disruption caused to them."
Commuters were taken to Armadale on the Isle of Skye, which is a four hour detour. Another crucial route - across Loch Fyne between Tarbert and Portavadie in Argyll and Bute - has also been suspended until August due to technical issues meaning boats have to be redeployed elsewhere.
This means passengers need to go on a two-hour diversion in order to get between the two villages. Local councillor Alastair Redman called on CalMac to be fined as he insisted that local have had enough of the unreliable services.
He said: "This is simply unacceptable. To take this ferry away from my constituents at the busiest time of the year is unthinkable. 6 days without a ferry will do huge damage to our local economy, and CalMac should be fined and have all of their contracts reviewed.
"The front line CalMac crew and port men do a great job, but they can only work with the tools their management give them. My constituents are getting tired of this mistreatment from CalMac's management and inaction from the SNP lead Scottish Assembly."
Scottish Tory Transport spokesman Graham Simpson said that CalMac's fleet "simply cannot be relied upon." He added: "It is a hammer blow at the height of the summer for the struggling island economy and will hugely impact those who use it. The blame lies firmly with the SNP who have failed to deliver the new lifeline ferries our islands urgently require and have left them with services that are not fit for the modern age."
A CalMac spokeswoman said: “Due to technical issues elsewhere on the network, we have had to relocate the service vessel from the Tarbert-Portavadie route. Unfortunately, because there are no other vessels available in the fleet which can quickly be redeployed, this service has been cancelled between 8 and 15 August.
“We are very sorry for the disruption and inconvenience that this will cause to our customers, but with a lack of vessels available to support, we have to make these difficult decisions if an island is being left without alternative transport connections.”
Transport Scotland said: "We recognise the impact delays and disruption have regrettably had. We continue to work with operators to improve resilience across our networks."
https://youtu.be/yJDF-1_zlic
15,000 Claims made to UK Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme
Freedom Podcast
3.8K subscribers
230 views Sep 30, 2024 #VDPS
Latest update from Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme #VDPS
COVID-19 Vaccine
🚨 14,999 claims submitted
🚨 442 fatality claims
🚨 184 successful claims
🚨 65 deaths confirmed
🚨 372 claimants deemed
not injured enough*
*60% disability required to be eligible for £120k compensation payment
Link to UK Government VDPS:
https://www.gov.uk/vaccine-damage-payment/…
Link to NHS Freedom of Information:
https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/theme/freedom-…
https://youtu.be/TWBEnVYxWJ0
NHS Spiking Man's Drink To Force COVID Vaccination | Mike Graham
TalkTV
1.1M subscribers
127,287 views Sep 30, 2024 LONDON
A mother is taking legal action to stop her Down’s syndrome son from being sedated and covertly vaccinated against Covid-19.
The man, in his thirties, has had sedatives secretly added to his tea and orange juice so he could receive the vaccine and booster shots. His mother, however, plans to sue the local NHS care board for "forced vaccination," calling it "tantamount to assault" and a violation of his human rights.
Known as Adam (a pseudonym), he is under Court of Protection orders because he cannot make decisions for himself. In 2021, the care board obtained a court order allowing the sedative method, deemed necessary due to Adam’s risk factors, including Down’s syndrome, autism, and obesity.
Mike Graham speaks with the solicitor of Adam and his mother, Stephen Jackson.
https://youtu.be/iLRHdeGbfKU
Goosebumps Scotland the Brave | 2024 The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo March Out
Haizhen's Hut
20.1K subscribers
1,767,751 views Aug 6, 2024 EDINBURGH CASTLE
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2024 third March Out on 5 August.
The crowd enjoy the sharp drills from The Royal Marines and The United States Navy Ceremonial Guard. Goosebumps all over when the massed pipes and drums march out to The Black Bear and The Scotland the Brave! The leading Drum Major for the Massed Pipes and Drums is Kenny Park from the Scottish Northern Irish Yeomanry (SNIY).
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The Massed Bands of His Majesty’s Royal Marines;
Majesticks Drum Corps (Switzerland);
The Citadel Regimental Band and Pipes (USA);
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Dancers;
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Pipes & Drums;
The United States Navy Ceremonial Guard;
U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa Band;
Teamwork Arts India;
United States Sea Service Band;
Pipes and Drums of 1st Battalion Scots Guards,
1st Battalion Irish Guards Drums and Pipes,
Pipes and Drums of the Royal Gurkha Rifles,
Combined Pipes and Drums of The Royal Tank Regiment,
Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry,
Australian Federal Police Pipes and Drums,
Brisbane Boys’ College Pipes and Drums,
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pipes and Drums,
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Fiddlers,
#military #royalmarines #navy #kilts #tartan #militaryband #edinburgh #edinburghfestival #scotland #edinburghscotland #armedforces #scotlandthebrave #british #britishband #unitedkingdom.
#pipesanddrums #bagpipes
Where's the fucking bravery Scotland? Take it all back!
https://youtu.be/yPWcXOxgGEE
Templars Awaken - Chant of the Holy Mission
Eternal Spirit
79.2K subscribers
268,234 views Jun 24, 2024 #knightstemplar #crusader #deus
Templars Awaken - Chant of the Holy Mission
The awakening of the Templars represents a moment of profound renewal and resurgence for the storied order. Emerging from their solemn rest, the Knights Templar rise with renewed purpose, donning their iconic white mantles adorned with red crosses. This awakening is both a spiritual revival and a call to arms, rekindling their ancient vows of faith and protection. As they prepare to confront new challenges, their resolve is fortified by the legacy of their sacred mission, blending martial prowess with deep spiritual devotion in their ongoing quest to defend the principles they hold dear.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-blamed-ferry-summer-chaos-33593253
SNP blamed for ferry 'summer of chaos' as Fiona Hyslop warns of 'difficult decisions' for long-suffering islanders
The Scottish Government's Transport Secretary was lambasted for hinting at 'difficult' decisions for Scotland's ferry service but failing to expand on this.
David Walker
3 SEP 2024
The Scottish Government has been slated for presiding over another "summer of chaos" on the ferries as Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop warned about "difficult decisions" ahead for the west coast service. Long-suffering islanders have been forced to live through yet more disruption and delays with the lifeline CalMac vessels.
Two overdue and overbudget ships remain incomplete at Ferguson Marine shipyard, with the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa beset with prices rises and construction issues. They were both meant to be in service in 2019 but will probably not be ready until 2025 at the earliest.
And the port which they are meant to sail to and from, Ardrossan, has yet to undergo the upgrade it will need for the large ferries to be able to berth. Work on this was meant to be finished before the two boats were originally meant to set sail, but work has yet to start and there has been no announcement of when it will.
Ms Hyslop was unable to update MSPs about this or about the current schedule for completing the four ferries they have boasted about bringing into service to help modernise the ageing fleet of ferries. Her statement was described as nothing the public "did not know already."
She highlighted that there were two main vessels out of service on the Arran and Cumbrae services meaning that there were communities cut off for days. She thanked "communities on those islands for their patience and flexibility throughout the period of disruption" and said that the MV Caledonian Isles would return this month after repairs.
The MV Isle of Arran remains out of action and the MV Loch Shira only returned to serving customers at the start of August. She pointed out that there was a new procurement process for seven fully electric vessels which will allow some of CalMac's ageing ships to retire, as well as the four boats being built in Turkey and the two at Ferguson Marine.
To conclude, she warned: "It would be remiss of me not to highlight the stark financial backdrop against which those plans I have outlined are set, we will continue to take forward our ambitious programme, but difficult decisions will be needed around all aspects of ferry services."
Scottish Tory Shadow Transport Minister Graham Simpson labelled this warning a "doom laden ending that would give Keir Starmer a run for his money." He added: "We warned the SNP that we were heading into a summer of chaos with our ferries and that is exactly what we’ve seen
“The isle of Arran has been without a ferry and cut off from the rest of Scotland for five days now, and yet Fiona Hyslop shamefully refuses to offer any assurances to the communities who rely on this lifeline ferry about when they can expect service to resume.
“Meanwhile, our taxpayers continue to fork out millions of pounds for the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa which are £300 million overbudget, and despite supposedly going into service at the end of the month, we have had again no assurance from the Minister on that today. All she can promise is more ‘difficult decisions’ in the future, which will no doubt mean more cuts and less reliability from these ferries. Our islanders deserve clear guarantees from the SNP, rather than more broken promises.”
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/two-women-charged-human-trafficking-33764720
Two women charged with human trafficking after brothels found in Scots town
An intelligence-led operation was carried out alongside the Home Office Immigration Enforcement team with officers attending the addresses in Scotland’s largest town on September 26
Mark Connor
27 SEP 2024
Two women have been charged with human trafficking and brothel keeping after three properties were raided by police in Paisley on Thursday.
The intelligence-led operation was carried out alongside the Home Office Immigration Enforcement team with officers attending the addresses in the area on September 26.
Police apprehended and charged two women, aged 38 and 44, in connection with human trafficking, brothel keeping and serious and organised crime offences.
READ MORE: George Murdoch murder: Same DNA technique was used to catch Golden State Killer
The arrests follow an extensive investigation into the alleged illicit activity taking place at premises in the Abercorn Street area of Paisley.
Detective sergeant Jason Buxton, of the Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Public Protection Pro Active Unit, said: “We are committed to working with our partners to pursue those involved in this type of criminality, with strong focus on safeguarding individuals who may be at risk of exploitation.
“This type of criminality can have long lasting and detrimental effects on people who are exploited whilst those who orchestrate this activity often benefit from the proceeds of this this exploitative abuse.
“Information from people within our communities is key to helping us identify those involved.
“I would urge anyone with information or concerns about exploitation of any kind, to contact Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/third-woman-charged-brothel-keeping-33792362
Third woman charged with brothel keeping and serious organised crime in Scots town
An intelligence-led operation was carried out alongside the Home Office Immigration Enforcement team with officers attending addresses in Scotland’s largest town on September 26
Mark Connor
1 OCT 2024
A third woman has been charged in a human trafficking and brothel keeping investigation after properties were raided by police in Paisley. The intelligence-led operation was carried out alongside the Home Office Immigration Enforcement team with officers attending addresses in Scotland’s largest town on September 26.
Police apprehended and charged two women, aged 38 and 44, in connection with human trafficking, brothel keeping and serious and organised crime offences. Officers confirmed that on Monday, a 37-year-old woman was also arrested and charged at Abercorn Street, Paisley, over the same alleged offences.
She is due to appear at Paisley Sheriff Court on Thursday, October 24. The arrests follow an extensive investigation into the alleged illicit activity taking place at premises in the Abercorn Street area of Paisley.
Detective sergeant Jason Buxton, of the Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Public Protection Pro Active Unit, said: “We will use all means available to apprehend and bring to justice individuals responsible for these types of crimes.
“Our main priority is to ensure the safeguarding and wellbeing of vulnerable people affected and at risk by this type of exploitation. Those who benefit from this type of criminality will have nowhere to hide. With our partners, we will endeavour to make Renfrewshire and Inverclyde a hostile environment for any criminal activity and continue to strive to ensure it’s a safe place for all.
“Information from people within our communities remains key to helping us identify those involved. I would urge anyone with information or concerns about exploitation of any kind, to contact Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/soaring-cancer-waiting-times-should-33740703
Soaring cancer waiting times should be 'source of shame' for nationalists
SNP Health Secretary Neil Gray is told that cutting cancer waiting times should be his 'top priority' as shock figures show one patient was not seen for 419 days… or almost 14 months
Richard Elias
24 SEP 2024
Cancer treatment waiting time statistics should be a "source of shame" for the SNP, the party has been told. It comes as latest figures revealed that one patient was not seen for 419 days.
Meanwhile, one-in-20 patients waited 130 days or longer. In the second quarter of this year just 73.2% of patients began their treatment within 62 days of urgent referral with suspicion of cancer. This is 0.5% worse than for the same time last year.
According to the Scottish Government’s own targets, this proportion should be 95%. However, this has not been met since 2012. Of the 4,450 referrals eligible for consideration under this target, only 3,256 saw treatment within 62 days. The health boards with the worst compliance to this target during this period were NHS Shetland, NHS Orkney, NHS Tayside and NHS Grampian.
The Scottish Conservatives said the issue should be the top priority for Health Secretary, Neil Gray. The party's shadow health secretary Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said: "Everyone knows how crucial it is that cancer treatment is started as quickly as possible to increase survival chances.
"Successive SNP health secretaries have failed to prioritise cancer care and now far too many Scots are not being seen in time – with one-in-20 alarmingly waiting over 130 days before starting treatment."
He added: "It should be a source of shame for SNP ministers that over 1,100 patients had to wait more than the 62 days before starting treatment, especially as Scotland lags behind comparable countries for cancer survival rates and that this target has not been met in over a decade.
"Cutting cancer waiting times should be Neil Gray's top priority. He should start by adopting our bold plans to speed up the delivery of Early Cancer Diagnostic Centres."
One of the country's leading cancer charities also urged the Scottish Government to take action to improve waiting times. Dr Sorcha Hume, the public affairs manager for Scotland at Cancer Research UK, said issues were caused by "years of chronic workforce shortages and a lack of specialist equipment".
She added: "It's an unacceptable situation for patients left worrying that they have a disease that could progress if left untreated. It's crucial the Scottish Government takes urgent action with the implementation of its cancer strategy. Steps must be taken to ensure services are fit for now and the future."
The comments by the Scottish Conservatives were echoed by their political opponents. Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman Dame Jackie Baillie said "long waits are putting lives on the line" and added: "Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial so it is nothing short of a national scandal that the SNP has not met its 62-day cancer treatment standard in over a decade."
Meanwhile, the Scottish Lib Dem leader urged Mr Gray to "wake up to the crisis in our NHS". Alex Cole-Hamilton went on: "He may be content to bury his head in the sand but that is not good enough for the thousands of patients being failed by this Government's mismanagement of our health service."
However, the latest figures showed there have been some improvements. As well as the target of 95% to start treatment within 62 days of urgent referral, it is stated that the same proportion should not wait any longer than 31 days from the decision to treat. During the second quarter of this year, the 31-day standard was met for the first time since the same period last year with 95.5% receiving treatment in the target time, up from 94.1% the previous quarter.
'We recognise that more needs to be done'
Mr Gray welcomed the improvement but recognised more was needed. He said: "It is positive that we have met the 31-day standard, ensuring that patients receive prompt treatment when they need it most. This is a testament to the hard work of our NHS staff, who continue to deliver high-quality care under increasing pressure."
The Health Secretary continued: "However, we recognise that more needs to be done to improve performance against the 62-day standard, particularly in high-volume cancer pathways like urology and colorectal. We are tackling these challenges head-on by investing in our cancer services and working with NHS boards to drive improvements."
And he added: "We're treating more patients with cancer on time within both standards compared to ten years ago. Despite this, there will always be instances where some patients wait longer depending on their health, complexity of disease and agreed treatment plan."
They want to sell you a vaccine for the increased cancer caused by vaccines! We are in new levels of fuckwittery.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/lifestyle/health/cancer-vaccine-showing-early-signs-33661190
Cancer vaccine showing early signs of being able to recognise and fight disease
The jab, known as mRNA-4359 and developed by Moderna, is aimed at people with advanced melanoma, lung cancer and other solid tumour cancers.
Mark Connor
13 SEP 2024
A vaccine designed to recognise and fight cancer cells has shown it could stimulate the immune system to help treat the disease more effectively, according to the results of an early trial. Researchers described the results as “an important first step” in potentially developing a new treatment for people with advanced cancers.
The jab, known as mRNA-4359 and developed by Moderna, is aimed at people with advanced melanoma, lung cancer and other solid tumour cancers. It uses mRNA technology, similar to Covid-19 vaccines, which teaches the immune system how cancer cells differ to healthy cells and mobilises it to destroy them.
For the first in-human study of the treatment, 19 patients with advanced solid tumours were given between one and nine doses of mRNA-4359. Researchers found tumours did not grow and no new tumours appeared in eight of the 16 patients who were evaluated.
They also said the treatment was “well tolerated without serious side effects”. The results will be presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology conference in Barcelona by UK chief investigator Dr Debashis Sarker, a clinical reader in experimental oncology at King’s College London and a consultant in medical oncology at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation trust.
He said: “This study evaluating an mRNA cancer immunotherapy is an important first step in hopefully developing a new treatment for patients with advanced cancers. We have shown that the therapy is well tolerated without serious side effects and can stimulate the body’s immune system in a way that could help to treat cancer more effectively.
“However, as this study has only involved a small number of patients to date, it’s too early to say how effective this could be for people with advanced stage cancer.”
An 81-year-old man was the first person in the UK to receive the mRNA-4359 jab at Hammersmith Hospital in late October. The patient – who wished to remain anonymous – has malignant melanoma skin cancer which is not responding to treatment.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-mismanagement-risking-lives-data-33668886
SNP mismanagement 'risking lives' as data shows ambulance equipment regularly fails
Figures released under freedom of information laws showed that at least five pieces of vital apparatus fail to work each day
Mark Connor
14 SEP 2024
The SNP’s mismanagement of Scotland’s healthcare system is risking lives as it was revealed life-saving ambulance equipment has been reported to fail every day amid fears that lives may be lost, according to new data.
Figures released under freedom of information laws showed that at least five pieces of vital apparatus fail to work each day. Ambulances carry defibrillators, air and gas, and a suction unit to aid choking incidents.
Failures in any one of these pieces could be lethal. Last year, the Scottish Ambulance Service revealed that equipment failed to work 1,826 times, three times as many as in 2018.
Incidents are recorded on a web-based software system used by healthcare organisations to manage risks and report incidents called Datix. The computer program gathers information about processes and errors to alert the healthcare system to risks that lead to harm or death.
The data was shared following a Freedom of Information request by Scottish Labour. It found that the number of incidents has slowly increased from 2018, which was 553 recorded failures.
The incidents increased to 690 in 2019, and again to 747 in 2020. However, in 2021 the number of failures doubled to 1463 before gradually increasing again in 2022 with 1681 failures.
An ambulance insider told the Daily Record: “We took over new defibrillators at that time, and staff are starting to notice bits aren’t working. We are supposed to get time to check over equipment at the start of a shift, but we don’t get nearly enough time now.
“If we had able to carry out checks at the start we could fix them before we left but once we are out on the road and it fails, it becomes a patient issue and has to be recorded on the Datix.”
Pat McIlvogue, Unite’s industrial officer, said: “The fact that there has been a 230 per cent reporting increase over five years in faulty and substandard medical equipment onboard ambulances is shocking and deeply alarming.
Labour’s health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “Ambulances race through streets to rescue us at our time of greatest need. It’s tragic to think this incredible effort could be put in doubt by something as simple as an equipment failure, but these figures show that such incidents are becoming all too frequent.
“The SNP Government must deal with this ambulance equipment meltdown – it’s a matter of life or death.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service claimed the statistics were “misleading”. A spokesperson said: “There has been no reduction in any vehicle or vehicle-based equipment maintenance arrangements.
“Frequency, scope, training and funding have all remained consistent or have been enhanced through learning opportunities. We continually encourage staff to report events and issues, irrelevant of how small, and this has resulted in an increase in issues being reported.”
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/shocking-amount-ambulance-service-pays-33728912
The 'shocking' amount ambulance service pays taxi drivers to take patients to hospital
Ambulance chiefs began to send patients to hospital by taxi after the Covid pandemic as waiting times rocketed due to long waits at A&E departments
Mark Connor
23 SEP 2024
Thousands of patients who dial 999 for an ambulance are being sent to hospital by taxi - with cab costs soaring from just £88 to £166,000 a year. Ambulance chiefs began to send patients to hospital by taxi after the Covid pandemic as waiting times rocketed due to long waits at A&E departments.
Now the shocking rise in the use of taxis by the Scottish Ambulance Service can be revealed in figures given to the Daily Record. A total of 6961 patients have been taken to A&E departments by taxi in the last three years, sparking demands for more investment so that professional 999 crews are used.
In 2019, just £88 was spent on taxis for patients. The bill rose to £1054 in 2020 but by 2022 the bill shot up to £51,868 before more than trebling again last year to £165,999. In 2022, just 253 taxis were called for patients, in 2023 the number rose to 2365 and last year it increased to 4720.
Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said: “It is appalling that anyone who dials 999 for an ambulance in their hour of need should be taken to hospital by a taxi rather than an ambulance – yet that is the reality for thousands of patients, due to SNP mismanagement.
“Our ambulance service is completely overwhelmed and the staggering increase in the costs of transporting patients to hospitals by taxi is a damning indictment of SNP cuts.
“Despite the best efforts of nurses and triage staff, we are seeing wholly unacceptable scenarios where cabbies without medical training are being thrust into a potentially life-or-death scenario. For them and patients alike it’s terrifying and dangerous.
“Neil Gray needs to get a grip on this crisis immediately. That means finally tackling delayed discharge, so that paramedics are not delayed for hours outside hospitals waiting for beds to become available for patients stuck in the back of their ambulances.”
The ambulance service insists patients are assessed to see if they are fit enough to travel by taxi - but cabbies say their conditions can worsen during the trip. One driver told recently how he had to take a patient from Hamilton to Wishaw A&E who fell unconscious in the back of his vehicle.
He said: “His head was all swollen but when he got into the back of my car, he said to me, ‘I am going to have another seizure’. He then had a seizure and conked out in the back of the car as I drove to the hospital.
“We are getting calls to take patients to A&E because they don’t have ambulances to take them. We are not medically trained to transport patients. They say they are spoken to first by a medical professional but mistakes can be made. I have had at least two in my taxi who should have been in an ambulance and I have spoken to other drivers who have had similar things happen.
“It’s worse when A&E is chokka. I feel sorry for the patients. It is heartbreaking to see the older ones looking so helpless getting into your taxi. If it was my family, the steam would have been coming out my ears. The whole health service is in a mess.”
Labour’s health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie called for a review of ambulance services to reduce reliance on taxis. She said: “These figures demonstrate the increasing reliance on taxis to transfer patients to hospital because the ambulance service is completely overwhelmed. This is not acceptable, this is not appropriate and this is not safe for patients.”
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman said they would always dispatch an ambulance for patients who “require an ambulance intervention and/or monitoring on route to hospital”.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13619466/brazilian-journalist-dead-body-pulled-water-edinburgh/
REPORTER TRAGEDY Brazilian journalist dies after being pulled from water below Forth Road Bridge
Her colleagues at Brazil 247 have paid tribute to the journalist
Sarah Peddie
30 Sep 2024
A TOP Brazilian journalist has died days after she was pulled from the water below the Forth Road Bridge.
Nathalia Urban, who was a presenter for online news channel Brazil 247, sadly passed away at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh on Friday, September 27.
Emergency crews raced to South Queensferry at around 6.10pm on Monday, September 23 following reports of a woman in the water below the Forth Road Bridge.
A major search and rescue operation was launched to find Nathalia.
The 36-year-old was later recovered from the water and rushed to hospital.
She was sadly pronounced dead five days later.
Police confirmed her death is not being treated as suspicious, but enquiries into the circumstances leading up to her death are ongoing.
It comes after the journalist shared worrying posts on X before her tragic passing.
She wrote: "I need to reorganise myself financially ASAP or I will end up homeless.
"Please, if anyone is hiring in Scotland just give me a shout. Anything, I am desperate!"
Nathalia added: "I am really desperate, this whole situation is too much."
The reporter had been living in Scotland for around 10 years.
Her colleagues at Brazil 247 have been left "deeply saddened" following the news of her death and paid tribute to the journalist.
They said: "Nathalia leaves a legacy of combativeness, empathy, and fighting for all oppressed people of the world.
"We are extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to enjoy her company and knowledge over all these years.
"Thank you very much, dear friend! We are in mourning and deeply saddened."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 6.10pm on Monday, 23 September, 2024, we were made aware of a woman in the water below the Forth Road Bridge in South Queensferry.
“Emergency services attended, and a search and rescue operation was carried out.
“A 36-year-old woman was recovered from the water and taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. She was pronounced dead on Friday, 27 September, 2024.
“Her death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
“Enquiries are ongoing into the circumstances leading up to her death.”
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13614661/arran-islander-allan-attkins-calmac-gofundme/
FERRY FRUSTRATING I’m fed-up with Scotland’s ferry crisis – so I’m raising £10 MILLION to buy one instead
He's launched the ambitious campaign online
Lisa Hodge
29 Sep 2024
A fed up Scots islander has launched an ambitious fundraiser to buy a ferry in a bid to outdo current provider CalMac.
Allan Attkins has set up a £10million fundraising campaign so he can "gift CalMac a reliable ferry" to run to and from the Isle of Arran.
The Ayrshire man has become so disillusioned with the haphazard ferry service between Ardrossan the island he says he needs people to "give the cost of a coffee" and fix the issue.
Allan launched the GoFundMe page on Saturday, but only managed to raise £195 in 24 hours.
The page says: "We on the Isle of Arran and other islands are reliant on CalMac ferries and are really in need of a ferry that can manage the journey back and forth.
"Failings have been ongoing and people need change and the Government ain’t holding anyone accountable or solving this.
"You want it to change, get off moaning about it, do something about it."Arran to you all is a very special place consisting of wonderful friendly people, awesome treks walks adventures.
"Arran is Special. CalMac is vital so give the cost of a wanky coffee and make it even more awesome."
It comes after years of problems with the Arran ferry service.The main ferry, MV Caledonian Isles, was due to return this week after eight months of repairs, but plans were scrapped after a fault as found in the gearbox.
The MV Hebridean ferry will start sailing to the island this week, in the meantime, but will retire in November after 39 years because of the amount of work needed to extend its life further.
Frustrated islanders are currently sailing from Troon on chartered catamaran, or on a small ferry to Claonaig on the Kintyre peninsula.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13594227/male-rapists-self-id-women-police-scotland-u-turn/
ID U-TURN Male rapists will NOT be able to self-ID as women in major Police Scotland U-turn
Ms Farrell said that had always been the policy of the force
Lewis Mckenzie
25 Sep 2024
POLICE Scotland chiefs have been accused of “gaslighting” after U-turning on their policy in dealing with male rapists who self-ID as women.
Chief Constable Jo Farrell said those accused of serious sexual offences will be recorded as men, even if they declare as female.
It is despite cops in 2021 having stated those accused of committing rape or attempted rape who self-ID as women would be “recorded as a female on relevant police systems”.
However, in an apparent backtracking on the policy, Ms Farrell told Sky News: “If the sex is relevant to the crime, and is pertinent to the crime, it will be investigated as that person being a man because you can only commit that crime as a man.”
Ms Farrell suggested that in the case of a different offence being committed, such as shoplifting, the sex of the offender would not be relevant.
But, she explained it would be in instances where violent crimes had been perpetrated against women.
She said: “If there’s relevance between that crime and your sex, then you will be recorded on the crime system as a man, and the public can be absolutely confident of that.”
Ms Farrell said that had always been the policy of the force, despite an FOI response from three years ago appearing to contradict that position.
Last year, we revealed how trans rapist Isla Bryson was convicted of attacking two women following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow, and in February 2023 was sentenced to eight years in prison.
A decision to remand Bryson in all-female prison Cornton Vale sparked an outcry, and they were later moved to HMP Edinburgh.
The attacks were committed while Bryson was living as Adam Graham, and was arrested and charged as a man - but transitioned while awaiting trial.
Bryson first appeared in court as Adam Graham in 2019, but in 2020 was named in court papers as Isla Annie Bryson, formerly known as Adam Graham.
The FOI response, provided in 2021 to Dr Kath Murray from policy research firm Hunter, Blackburn, McKenzie, aimed to clarify the position of the force in relation to a query on a hypothetical situation where a crime had been committed by a man choosing to self-ID.
The police response said: “If the male who self-identifies as a woman were to attempt to, or to, penetrate the vagina, anus or mouth of a victim with their penis, Police Scotland would record this as attempted rape or rape and the male who self-identifies as a woman would be expected to be recorded as a female on relevant police systems.”
MSPs were also given a written assurance by Police Scotland that rapists will not be allowed to self-ID.
In a letter to Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee, deputy chief constable Alan Speirs said: “The committee should be absolutely assured that a man who commits rape or serious sexual assaults will be recorded as a male.
“There is no instance or record on police systems of a male having been arrested and charged with rape whose gender has been recorded as female. This has not happened.”
Mr Speirs went on to explain that cops obtain DNA samples from those accused of serious sexual assaults and that from that, the person’s biological sex will be determined.
The DNA profile is then kept on record and is made available to be searched against crime scene samples to aid historic and future investigations, he said.
Dr Lucy Hunter Blackburn, a former senior Scottish Government civil servant, said: “This is a major U-turn by Police Scotland. We welcome that Police Scotland has at last recognised that allowing sex offenders to self-identify their sex is indefensible.
“It is, however, an extraordinary act of institutional gaslighting to pretend that this is not a significant policy change from their position over almost five years.
She added: “We now need urgent reassurance that this major change has been written clearly into operational policies and communicated right across the service.
“We also need clarification about what sort of offenders Police Scotland still believes do not need their sex to be accurately recorded, and why.”
Susan Smith, from campaign group For Women Scotland, said: “We welcome this shift, although it is maddening that such a ridiculous situation ever arose.
“Police Scotland needs to stop messing around with crucial crime stats to appease gender-addled criminals.
“They need to go back to reporting all offences by sex, for their own sanity and the protection of the public.”
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/snp-government-accused-dodgy-data-33782806
SNP Government accused of 'dodgy data' after dumping high profile poverty claim
EXCLUSIVE: The Government instead says their policies are estimated to keep children out of poverty
Paul Hutcheon
1 OCT 2024
The SNP Government has been accused of peddling “dodgy data” by dumping claims they had “lifted” 100,000 children out of poverty.
First Minister John Swinney is now saying policies like the Scottish Child Payment will “keep” more kids from falling into the trap.
Labour MSP Paul O’Kane said: “The SNP has a history of relying on dubious stats, but it is shameful that the government appears to have been fudging the numbers on something as important as child poverty. Accurate data is paramount in understanding how policies are having an impact.”
The 100,000 figure can be traced to modelling published by Humza Yousaf’s Government in February. The Scottish Government and the SNP then claimed their policies had lifted, or could lift, this specific number of kids out of poverty.
Yousaf said in May: “I can hear the Conservatives saying that those anti-poverty measures are not working, but it is estimated that they will lift 100,000 children out of poverty this year, in stark contrast to what the Conservatives are doing.”
In a variation of the theme, Swinney said days later that a policy such as the SCP is “taking 100,000 children out of poverty today.” Social Justice Cabinet Secretary Shirley Anne-Somerville said in June: “We have been able to demonstrate that we have lifted 100,000 children out of poverty through the Scottish Government’s actions.”
The SNP went further in September by linking the figure to the SCP alone: “The SNP introduced the Scottish Child Payment - which has already lifted more than 100,000 kids out of poverty.”
However, official figures show that relative child poverty rates have remained broadly unchanged since the SNP swept to power in 2007.
Labour raised the alarm as Swinney now talks about how his policies have kept kids from going into poverty, rather than lifting them out of it.
He said during a speech last month: "We already have a strong track record of improving the lives of children across Scotland, including through our game-changing Scottish Child Payment and expansion of early learning and childcare.
“This government's policies are estimated to keep 100,000 children out of relative poverty this year."
His finance cabinet secretary, Shona Robison, also said recently that the SCP and other initiatives keep 100,000 kids out of poverty. But she corrected the parliamentary record recently to say this is an estimate for “this year.”
O’Kane said: “The fact is there are 30,000 more children in poverty than when the SNP came to government, and no amount of spin can change that. Instead of manufacturing dodgy data to mask its record of failure, the SNP should focus on using the powers it has to tackle the scourge of poverty in Scotland and give every child a fair start in life.”
Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie said: "This stat has always seemed to be on shaky ground. Ministers must not simply make things up. Far too many Scottish kids are still in poverty."
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "We are extremely proud that SNP policies, including the Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grants, are keeping 100,000 children in Scotland out of poverty.
"We continue to call on the Labour UK Government to get rid of damaging welfare cuts brought in by the Tories like the two child benefit cap and rape clause.
"New research has shown that abolishing the two child benefit cap immediately and matching the Scottish Child Payment UK-wide would lift more than half a million children out of poverty across the UK - including more than 40,000 children in communities across Scotland.”
They couldn't name one child taken out of poverty…other than their own, courtesy of their parents' avarice.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/john-swinney-no-intention-launching-33787248
John Swinney has ‘no intention’ of launching probe into Humza Yousaf’s conduct over in-laws in Gaza
Yousaf strongly denied claims he had asked the UK Government for preferential treatment to help Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla escape from Gaza.
Andrew Quinn
30 SEP 2024
John Swinney will not order an investigation into Humza Yousaf's conduct when his parents-in-law were trapped in Gaza.
Senior Tory MSP Stephen Kerr called for the probe on Monday after reports claimed Yousaf lobbied the UK Government to help Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla – his wife’s parents – escape from the territory.
The couple had been visiting family in the region when Hamas launched their attack on Israel on October 7, which prompted Israel to invade Gaza.
But the First Minister said he would not order an investigation into Yousaf, describing the former first minister’s actions as the “normal routine business of government”.
“I think what’s important is to focus on the central point in this whole story, which is about the fact that we had citizens from this country who were trapped in Gaza, in an awful conflict and they had to be supported to be brought home,” he said.
Asked specifically if he would order a probe under the ministerial code, Swinney said: “I have no intention of doing so.”
The First Minister likened the actions of Yousaf to that of his own government in response to the ongoing hostilities in Lebanon.
“We have been in touch with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on that question about Lebanon, as members of the public would expect me to be, as they would expect my predecessor to be in touch on the Gaza situation,” he said.
“So this is the normal routine business of government, where your citizens are held in a difficult situation of conflict that you do your best to get them out.”
The former first minister has also tersely rejected the accusations of wrongdoing, saying on X, formerly Twitter: “They can try all the smears they want, but they won’t stop me from talking about the atrocities facing the people of Gaza & Lebanon.
“As the FOIs show, not a single request was ever made by me for preferential treatment for my in-laws. They left alongside other British nationals.”
Kerr told the Times said “there are questions to answer”.
No mention of the drug dealing in-laws then?
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/police-scotland-officers-treated-contempt-33786243
Police Scotland officers 'treated with contempt' by SNP Government after waiting months for pay offer
The Scottish Police Federation warned it was now considering its next course of action in the row over pay.
Chris McCall
1 OCT 2024
Police officers are are being "treated with contempt" by the Scottish Government after being left waiting months for a formal pay offer.
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents rank-and-file cops, submitted in May a claim for a 5.7 per cent increase for 2024/25.
But officers are still waiting for a response five months later. Police pay is set by SNP ministers in collaboration with Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority.
David Kennedy, SPF general secretary, said today he was now looking at the "next course of action" in its campaign to ensure members receive the rise they have asked for.
"The Chief Constable, the SPA and the Scottish Government have let the service down," Kennedy told 1919 magazine.
"We are the backbone of the public sector. We pick up everything else that others don’t do, and we continue to do so.
"What is keeping the police service afloat isn’t policy or procedure. What’s keeping it afloat are the people who work for the service – the cops – yet they’re being treated with total contempt.
"We demand to be treated fairly, and to be treated with the respect that our members who are hard-working police officers deserve. We will now be looking at what we can legally do within the regulations and that will be the next course of action that we will take.”
Police officers are legally prevented from going on strike but can choose to withdraw "goodwill" - which could mean refusing to work late shifts or take on extra responsibilities.
Cops secured a seven per cent wage rise last year following a lengthy dispute after an initial claim of 8.5 per cent was repeatedly rejected.
The two sides also agreed to commission an independent review into police officer pay and benefits to “identify mechanisms to ensure appropriate wage growth within policing going forward from 2025/26”.
The Fraser of Allander Institute was awarded that contract earlier this year by the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland, the body that negotiates the pay, terms and conditions for officers.
The first element of this research relates to wage growth from 2025/26 onwards, while the second relates to current pay and benefits and will look at the “unique nature” of the role of a police officer in society.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The pay claim for police officers is being progressed through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland, as is normal practice. We note that Mr Kennedy said [in September] that the claim is progressing in a positive manner.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Police Authority said: “The authority and Police Scotland are working hard, through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland, to agree an affordable pay award for Scotland’s officers. Discussions remain ongoing.”
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/p-diddys-alleged-accomplices-named-33799564
P Diddy's alleged accomplices will be named in lawsuit - and they're household names
The names of those claimed to be accomplices of Sean 'Diddy' Combs will 'shock' people, according to Tony Buzbee, who is representing 120 alleged victims.
Daniel Bird & Gemma Ryder
2 OCT 2024
A lawyer has revealed that some of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' alleged accomplices will be named in an upcoming lawsuit, and they are "household names."
Tony Buzbee, who now represents 120 alleged victims of P Diddy's crimes, stated: "The names will shock you. There will come a time when we name others besides Sean Combs, and it's a long list. But because of the seriousness of this case, we are going to ensure, absolutely ensure, that we are right before we do that."
Buzbee further announced plans to file lawsuits across multiple states in the coming month, with the intention of naming those involved at a later stage, reports the Mirror. He also mentioned that the claimants are male, and the majority of the alleged assaults took place in New York, Florida, Georgia, and California.
The allegations stretch back to 1991, with the youngest alleged victim just egregious behaviour According to Buzbee, 25 of the accusers were minors at the time of the alleged incidents. Many of the allegations are linked to Diddy's famous White Parties and incidents at hotels, which allegedly involved drugs.
Buzbee added: "This is an important matter that we intend to aggressively pursue. We will leave no stone unturned to find all potentially liable parties, to include any individual or entity who participated in or benefitted from this victims.
"As we do this important work, we ask that the public understand it is very difficult and takes an incredible amount of courage for alleged behavior to come forward.
"I ask that we treat these brave individuals with the dignity and compassion that they deserve as they go through this trying time. Further, I'm also asking that if you have been victimised, or are a witness to the allegations, please come forward. Your identity will remain confidential at this time."
When asked about the new minors, a spokesperson for Combs told The Mirror of the allegations: "As Mr. Combs' legal team has emphasised, he cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus.
"That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including coerced women. He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation."
Prosecutors allege that Combs "abused, threatened, and coerced women and others in his circle to satisfy his sexual desires, safeguard his reputation, and hide his actions." The embattled musician is currently being held at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits trial, following the denial of two prior bail requests by a judge.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/over-fifty-criminals-released-early-33801503
Over fifty criminals released early under SNP Government scheme have offended again
The Government backed an emergency release scheme to help address a crisis in overcrowding in prisons
Paul Hutcheon
2 OCT 2024
Over fifty criminals freed early under the SNP Government’s emergency release scheme have offended again. The inmates were returned to jail after committing offences including violence and crimes of dishonesty.
A total of 477 prisoners were released early over the summer to tackle a crisis in overcrowding. Individuals serving short sentences of less than four years who had 180 days or less left to serve qualified for release.Over fifty criminals freed early under the SNP Government’s emergency release scheme have offended again. The inmates were returned to jail after committing offences including violence and crimes of dishonesty.
A total of 477 prisoners were released early over the summer to tackle a crisis in overcrowding. Individuals serving short sentences of less than four years who had 180 days or less left to serve qualified for release.
Lifers or those serving time for sexual, domestic abuse or terror-based offences were automatically excluded.
According to new figures reported by Sky News, 57 of the inmates are back in prison after reoffending. Twenty cases involved non-sexual crimes of violence and seventeen related to dishonesty. Damage and reckless behaviour accounted for fewer than five cases while there were eight crimes against society and the same number of antisocial offences.
A Scottish Prison Service (SPS) spokesperson said: "We have been open and transparent throughout, publishing the number of individuals released at each stage, followed by a series of breakdowns. The latest publication on returns to custody continues this approach."
It comes as new figures show the prison population is projected to be over capacity by more than 1,000 inmates within weeks.
The number of prisoners has increased despite the emergency early release programme.
Figures released by the SNO Government show the overall prison population has “increased rapidly” since July and is projected to rise even further.
The report predicts the population could exceed 9,000 by December, but the capacity of the Scottish Prison Service is around 8,000.
First Minister John Swinney said recently the early release of prisoners had not solved overcrowding.
He told MSPs: "We still face a serious situation and I fully expect the justice secretary to have to come back to parliament to brief parliament about the current situation. Because although the release of 477 prisoners during June and July as part of the early release scheme has helped, it has not solved the situation. I suspect that will come back to parliament in due course and we are considering the options that are available there."
Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said: "We warned that the SNP’s decision to set free hundreds of prisoners before they’d done their time would result in more crime on Scotland’s streets - and that’s exactly what has happened.
“Despite knowing this to be inevitable, ministers still decided to recklessly open the prison gates.
“This mass reoffending comes after it emerged that the vast majority of victims were not even told about early release and represents yet another example of SNP soft-touch justice.
“Worryingly, the SNP Government’s botched prison-building programme, coupled with the projected rise in the prison population, means we’re likely to see even more offenders freed early by ministers.”
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/kemi-badenoch-launches-attack-nicola-33802753
Kemi Badenoch launches attack on Nicola Sturgeon over trans rapist placed in women's prison
Kemi Badenoch claimked "the SNP put a sex offender in a women’s prison" during her speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.
Andrew Quinn
2 OCT 2024
A Tory leadership contender has taken a dig at Nicola Sturgeon over a trans rapist being held in a women's prison. Kemi Badenoch claimed "the SNP put a sex offender in a women’s prison" during her speech at the Conservative party conference in Birmingham.
She also gloated that "Nicola Sturgeon has gone". Isla Bryson was initially sent to a women's prison after being convicted of two counts of rape under the name Adam Graham, before they were diverted to a male prison following a public outcry.
The decision was taken by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) but Sturgeon was blamed for the row by opposition parties, as well as being criticised for using female pronouns to describe Bryson.
It came soon after Tory Scottish Secretary Alister Jack blocked the SNP Government's gender recognition reform bill, which would have made it easier for people to switch genders.
Badenoch, who recently had a spat with actor David Tennant over trans women using women's toilets, criticised former first minister Sturgeon on Wednesday afternoon.
She said: "For too long, government stayed silent as women were sacked for saying that a man cannot be a woman. I fought for them while Labour called them bigots.
"It wasn’t until the SNP put a sex offender in a women’s prison that they understood the fight I was leading. We won that battle. Nicola Sturgeon has gone. And Labour now accept our argument."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4373dp4ego
Chris Clements
Social affairs correspondent, BBC Scotland
4 October 2024
Ten new arrests have been made in connection with allegations of historical abuse at a residential school in North Ayrshire, BBC Scotland News has learned.
Police Scotland confirmed the seven men and three women, aged between 52 and 77, were questioned about the treatment of children at Kerelaw in Stevenston.
Two years ago a former teacher and a care worker were jailed for sexually and physically abusing 28 children at the site, which closed in 2006.
The police investigation is looking at allegations against other individuals dating as far back to the 1970s.
Kerelaw opened in 1970, initially as a council-run residential unit for boys but later became co-educational, with a mixed sex secure unit added in 1983.
It catered for young people with behavioural or psychological challenges - many of whom had been involved in alcohol or drug use, or petty crime.
The site was the largest council-run establishment of its kind in Scotland.
In 2022, the trial of former art and PE teacher Matthew George and care worker John Muldoon heard that violence and sexual abuse were "rife", with vulnerable children too scared to report their ordeals.
The trial heard evidence that boys were lined up in the gym hall and hit with golf balls, and one child was beaten with a mop and forced to eat soap.
George was jailed for 16 years, while Muldoon was given a 12-year-sentence for crimes including rape.
It was the second time the pair had been convicted of abuse at Kerelaw.
The Crown and Procurator Fiscal Service said reports from police relating to 10 individuals had been received.
It is understood a case is also being prepared against another person, aged in their 70s, who was arrested separately. A court hearing is expected in the near future.
The school at Kerelaw closed in 2004, but the secure unit stayed open until 2006.
A 2009 investigation by Glasgow City Council - which had taken over running the school from the old Strathclyde Regional Council - found Kerelaw had been badly managed.
Evidence about Kerelaw has also been heard by the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry which has yet to publish its findings.
https://youtu.be/YB4Ckho3SPw
FERRY FIASCO: Anger as Ardrossan harbour work STILL not started meaning new ferries CAN'T use it
The Scottish Sun
366K subscribers
6,888 views Oct 5, 2024 #scotland #ferryfiasco #politics
AT Holyrood this week MSPs across all parties voiced anger at the lack of work with Ardrossan harbour redevelopment.
The work is needed so the new ferry MV Glen Sannox can use the port, as at the moment the new boat is unable to dock at the harbour as it is too big.
Locals are worried that the nearby harbour Troon, will be permanently used instead.
Freedom Podcast must have been muzzled?
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/cash-strapped-snp-government-splash-33795369
Cash-strapped SNP Government splash out 'eye-watering' £28m on hated care bill which Neil Gray refuses to axe
SNP Ministers are refusing to axe Nicola Sturgeon's flagship National Care Service bill despite most stakeholders walking out and blasting the 'botched' design and plans.
David Walker
1 OCT 2024
The cash-strapped Scottish Government has splashed out an "eye-watering" £28m in attempting to force through its hated National Care Service bill. The doomed policy has been torn apart by every stakeholder involved, with councils, who are meant to be co-creating it, pulling out last week.
Despite all this, the proposals are limping on as SNP Ministers refuse to kill off Nicola Sturgeon's brainchild. It would centralise social care and put it under the control of the government, with councils overseeing it. The former First Minister previously described it as the most significant reforms since the NHS.
But the framework bill has been slated for writing a blank cheque on behalf of the taxpayer, with costs estimated to sky-rocket to billions of pounds. Unions and council umbrella body Cosla were meant to be involved but pulled out citing concerns about the centralisation of powers.
Health Secretary Neil Gray has pleaded with stakeholders to get back around the table but is facing growing pressure to finally axe it. The Scottish Tories pointed out that creating the plans has already cost the public purse £28m, with this expected to grow before the policy is meant to go live in 2028/29, when the Nats could be already kicked out of office.
Scottish Tory Deputy Health spokeswoman Tess White questioned Mr Gray as she called on the government to finally drop their "doomed" plans, which is predicted to cost about £2bn in total. She said: "Taxpayers will be astonished that over £28 million has already been squandered on the SNP’s doomed National Care Service.
“Enough is enough, the nationalists need to pull the plug on their unaffordable, centralised power grab which no one supports, before a further penny of scarce resources is wasted. It’s just common sense that every penny allocated to this flawed bill should be given to cash-strapped councils, who understand local care needs far better than SNP bureaucrats in Edinburgh.
“Council chiefs, trade unions, and NHS bosses are united in their opposition to this fatally flawed scheme but, in typical SNP fashion, Neil Gray is ploughing ahead regardless.”
NHS bosses have aired their concerns about the impact of the plans but have yet to pull out officially, with a decision on this expected next week. If this happens, then it could be the death knell for the policy, with the Nats being forced to go back to the drawing board.
Scottish Labour Health Spokeswoman Jackie Baillie also blasted the National Care Service as she urged Mr Gray to spend the money elsewhere on bolstering the social care sector. She labelled the legislation "botched" and added that it will "not make a difference to social care now."
Asked by SNP MSP Jackie Dunbar if Mr Gray agreed that everyone should get back round the table, he said: “Yes, I do.”He added that the policy is not about “party politics” and said it is “crucial” people who use social care are at the heart of reform: “We will continue to work with individual councils. The door is open, should COSLA wish to engage too.”
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/more-100-sex-offenders-freed-33824050
More than 100 sex offenders freed from jail without finishing rehab in SNP's soft-touch Scotland
The Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service have been blasted after more than 100 beasts were freed from jail without completely court mandated programmes to stop them re-offending.
David Walker
4 OCT 2024
More than 100 moderate to high risk sex offenders failed to complete a mandatory rehab programme before being released from jail, according to shock new figures. Concerns have been raised that women and children are being put at risk if the criminals decide to re-offend.
It is the latest example of SNP soft-touch justice after nearly 500 cons were let out of prisons early in a failed bid to quell overcrowding. Dozens of them went onto commit more crimes after the Nats failed to heed warnings from victims groups and opposition parties.
Freedom of information data showed that 158 prisoners were released from jails before they completed the court mandated Moving Forward to Change (MF2C) programme between March 2021 and June 2024. It is aimed at reducing the risk of reoffending among males convicted of sex crimes.
A judge usually sentences offenders to complete it as part of their prison sentence with medium to high risk males the main targets. The main excuses given were that some did not have sufficient time to complete it, while others were refused places on it and then released.
Campaign group For Women Scotland told the Herald that it was "wilfully reckless" to let potentially dangerous men off the hook. A spokeswoman said: “While rehabilitation programmes are not a silver bullet, they have been shown to reduce rates of recidivism for this category of offender.
“Sex offenders should not have the option of refusing places on such programmes, and those released before completion should be bound to continue in the community as a condition of parole. Anything less is wilfully reckless and will put women and children and risk.
“We also know that the number of registered sex offenders in Scotland has risen by 50% over the past decade and that hundreds breach their notification requirements every year. Watering down the mechanisms currently in place to rehabilitate these men will only make the situation worse.”
HMP Glenochil, near Alloa, HMP Edinburgh and HMP Barlinnie had the most registered beasts who were released before completing the course. Figures show that as of August 2024, there were 7,120 registered sex offenders in Scotland, a 22% increase since December 2020.
Scottish Tory Deputy Justice Spokeswoman Sharon Dowey blasted the figures. She said: "Victims will be alarmed that scores of sex offenders are being released without carrying out this compulsory programme. The SNP’s failure to fully fund our prisons means there is a continued lack of focus on prisoner rehabilitation.
"That means many inmates are totally ill-equipped to integrate positively back into our communities. SNP ministers must show some common sense and prioritise the needs of victims over criminals and ensure every sexual offender completes this programme before leaving prison.”
A Scottish Prison Service spokesman said: “The rehabilitation of individuals in our care, supporting their personal journey, reducing their risk of reoffending, and helping to build safer communities, are all key priorities. Restrictions imposed to keep people safe during the Covid pandemic, challenges with staff resourcing and our prisoner transport contract, and the high and complex population we are currently managing, have all impacting on access to offender behaviour programmes in recent years.
“However, they remain a key priority and work is well underway on increasing access to these courses, which are just one of the ways in our staff support those in our care and prepare them for release.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The re-designed national programme for sexual offending, Moving Forward 2 Change (MF2C), is delivered in custody and in the community. The independent Parole Board make decisions about whether an individual is ready to be released based on risk to the public.”
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/call-probe-police-scotlands-orwellian-33828030
Call for probe into Police Scotland's 'Orwellian' plan to use AI and facial recognition technology
Chief Constable Jo Farrell is pushing ahead with a six-year plan to bring in the controversial new biometric technology, which has led to legal challenges south of the border along with multiple errors and 'false alerts'
Ben Borland
5 OCT 2024
Police Scotland’s proposal to use live facial recognition technology has been criticised by the Scottish Lib Dems, who are asking why the SNP Government don't appear to be concerned.
The use of similar technology by police forces south of the border has led to legal challenges, with South Wales Police recording 2,883 false alerts and making only 72 arrests.
Campaigners have highlighted a series of problems, from the possibility of misuse by crooked cops to the propensity for errors, particularly in misidentifying ethnic minorities and women.
Last month, Chief Constable Jo Farrell vowed to utilise Artificial Intelligence and live facial recognition technology as part of a six-year strategy. She compared the move to medical breakthroughs in detecting cancer, insisting it would be an “abdication” of her duties if she failed to “keep pushing” on the use of AI biometric tech.
But the Lib Dems are now asking the Scottish Government if legal advice had been sought and whether ministers had engaged with the force to discuss the plans. Justice spokesman Liam McArthur has submitted 40 parliamentary questions into the policy, including whether it is compatible with “equalities and civil liberties”.
On Thursday, 65 cross-party politicians, including David Davis, Joanna Cherry KC and former Shadow Attorney General Shami Chakrabarti, called for an “immediate stop” to live facial recognition surveillance across the UK. They were backed by 31 organisations including Amnesty International, citing “discriminatory impacts”.
Professor Angela Daly, from the University of Dundee’s Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science has described live facial recognition as “not fit for purpose”. And a report by Holyrood’s justice subcommittee criticised the “lack of accuracy” and concluded the technology was “currently not fit for use by Police Scotland”.
Mr McArthur said: “I am concerned that decisions that dramatically reframe the relationship between the police and the public are being treated as an inevitable consequence of the march of technology. There needs to be a compelling need, an appropriate legal basis and a proper public debate before the police can consider moving forward with measures like this. That simply has not happened.
“If the Scottish Government share these concerns, then they have been awfully quiet about it. Certainly they are concerns that the Justice Committee heard loudly and clearly in the previous session of parliament. Ministers and senior officers need to set out why these decisions are being taken and answer for the consequences.
“The police need to be provided with the resources they need to do their jobs. At the same time, the public should have confidence that their rights will be protected. These proposals should not simply be waved through. I look forward to a comprehensive response from the Scottish Government to my concerns.”
Mr McArthur also cited reports over “19% accuracy” with facial recognition technology experienced by the Met Police. His questions included whether “a reliable estimate of the false negative rate”, and false positive rate had been provided; whether legal advice had been sought; and “view of the overall accuracy”, as well as around data retention.
Jake Hurfurt, head of research and investigations at Big Brother Watch, has previously said live facial recognition technology is “incompatible with a democratic society and should be banned“.
He said: “Britain needs to have a proper conversation about the role big data and AI [artificial intelligence] plays in our policing, rather than allowing the government and the police to cobble together patchwork legal justifications to experiment on the public with intrusive and Orwellian technology. We’re sleepwalking into a high-tech police state.“
The Scottish Government said: “The lawful, effective and proportionate use of any technology with facial recognition capability is an operational matter for Police Scotland, who must abide by the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner’s statutory code of practice.”
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/scottish-news/13651175/barlinnie-scotland-criminals-jobs-secret-drug-mules/
INSIDE JOB Fears Scots criminals are applying for jobs as screws to serve as secret drug mules
Prison boss says "drugs will get into prison" despite a battle to keep them out
Prison boss says "drugs will get into prison" despite a battle to keep them out
Colan Lamont
5 Oct 2024
THE governor of Scotland’s biggest jail fears criminals are applying for jobs as screws to serve as secret drug mules.
THE governor of Scotland’s biggest jail fears criminals are applying for jobs as screws to serve as secret drug mules.
Barlinnie boss Mick Stoney admits the Glasgow nick is fighting a losing battle against illicit substances.
And he said he could not rule out the possibility that underworld figures were recruiting staff to break the law themselves.
He told BBC documentary Inside Barlinnie: “When people get corrupted, we’re not quite sure of the route.
“We don’t know.
"But are there people taking up employment in the prison service for that sole purpose?
“There could be because there is money to be made.
"We fight the battle as best we can but drugs will get into prison because they will go to any extreme.”
Barlinnie, opened in 1882, has been ruled no longer fit for purpose.
It will be replaced in 2027 by £100million HMP Glasgow.
With in excess of 1,400 inmates, it is more than 40 per cent over capacity.
And drugs and violence are rife.
The three-part BBC series includes shocking scenes where inmates threaten staff on camera.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/disgraceful-john-swinney-humza-yousafs-33831992
'Disgraceful' John Swinney and Humza Yousaf's drug deaths shame as pair snub meetings about 'national disgrace'
The two SNP First Ministers have failed to take any meetings about the 'national disgrace' despite over 1,000 Scots dying every year due to drug misuse.
David Walker
6 OCT 2024
John Swinney and Humza Yousaf have been branded "disgraceful" after a new publication suggested that they have not held any meetings about drug deaths while being First Minister. This is despite Nicola Sturgeon declaring the issue a "national disgrace" when she was in Bute House.
The number of people who died due to drug misuse in Scotland rose sharply again in 2023, with 1,172 deaths recorded, 12% up on 2022. It means that the country remains the drug death capital of Europe and has a higher rate than every other part of the UK, despite having the same laws as them.
They are 2.7 times as high as the 2022 rates for England and Northern Ireland, and 2.1 times as high as the 2022 rate in Wales. Scotland averaged 277 deaths per million people aged 15-64 in 2023. In comparison, the next highest countries were Estonia with 95 deaths per million people and Norway with 86 deaths per million.
Despite this "national disgrace" a freedom of information request revealed that the two most recent First Ministers have not had any meetings about drug fatalities during their time in office. The question said: "Since John Swinney became First Minister, how many meetings has he had which focused on drug deaths?
"During Humza Yousaf's time as First Minister, how many meetings did he attend which focused on drug deaths?" In response, the Scottish Government said "nil" with this dating between March 2023 and August 20 2024.
Critics blasted the fact that the issue was not important enough to be discussed by the leader of the country. Scottish Tory MSP Sue Webber told the Scottish Daily Express: "Under the SNP, drug deaths are Scotland’s national shame and it is frankly disgraceful that neither Humza Yousaf nor John Swinney held any meetings about this at Bute House during their time in office.
“Scotland is the drug deaths capital of Europe and clearly the nationalists’ approach isn’t working, with over a thousand Scots losing their lives to drugs last year. SNP ministers, who are stuck in the Holyrood bubble, have ran out of ideas to tackle this epidemic. That is why I would urge them to back the Right to Recovery bill, which would take a common-sense approach to this crisis, by enshrining in law a right to treatment.”
The SNP have long been accused of not dealing with the national emergency properly, with Ms Sturgeon confessing herself that she "took her eye" off the ball. She even sacked her Drugs Minister at the time, Joe Fitzpatrick, after drug death figures rose to their highest ever level in 2020, hitting 1,339.
There is currently no active Drugs Minister, with Christina McKelvie taking a break from government due to cancer treatment. The previous incumbent, Elena Whitham, quit the role due to personal issues.
The Scottish Government have called on more powers from the UK Government to combat drug deaths, including legalising the possession of illegal substances. They have sanctioned the opening of a drug taking room in Glasgow which is set to open before the end of the year.
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
The military guarded the opium fields in Afghanistan for the Crown. They are all complicit in the poisoning of our youth. Humzy's brother is a dealer for fuck sake. They didn't attend because they simply don't give a fuck about the youth of Scotland.
Disgraceful John Swinney and Humza Yousafs drug deaths shame as pair snub meetings about national disgrace
SNP's low emission zones lead to £1m in fines A MONTH for long-suffering motorists
Hard-pressed Scots drivers are forking out more than £1m a month to councils in Dundee, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh if they drive in the city centre in an old vehicle.
David Walker
6 OCT 2024
The SNP's low emission zones (LEZ) are bringing in £1m worth of fines a month as long-suffering motorists are forced to fork out to help keep cash-strapped councils afloat. Four of Scotland's biggest cities have introduced areas where high-polluting vehicles are banned, with fines sent out to those who breach the rules.
Glasgow was the first to bring in a LEZ last year with this being plagued with issues, including dozens of council-owned vehicles being outlawed from working within the city centre. Punitive notices were also sent out illegally, leading to appeals overturning hundreds of them, as they weren't sent through signed-for mail.
Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen launched the zones this summer and have already raked in thousands of pounds to boost their coffers. According to the Sunday Post, a huge 75,011 penalties have been handed out so far, with this bringing in about £6.8m.
Local authorities are meant to be utilising this cash for green projects, with Glasgow City Council confirming that they will be creating inner city havens for bees as well as planting more trees throughout the city. Bus stop roofs will also be covered in grasses and wildflowers to encourage bees and butterflies.
The severity of the fines handed out depends on how often a driver infringes in a LEZ with the same vehicle, with these being on a scale from £60 for the first breach to £960 if they drive into the zone five or more times. The statistics show that 1,346 maximum penalties have been handed out, totalling £1.3m.
Monthly data is published by Glasgow, Dundee and Edinburgh, with Aberdeen refusing to follow suit. Figures for the three cities from August show that 9,948 fines were recorded worth about £964,800. It means only 587 drivers would need to breach the rules in Aberdeen for this to total over £1m.
Critics have hit out at the lack of public transport options which may be forcing Scots into getting penalised as they can't afford to buy a newer vehicle. Scottish Tory Transport spokesman Graham Simpson said: "Hard-pressed motorists are continuing to bear the brunt of the SNP's savage and sustained cuts to councils.
"With fines hitting £1m in a single month, it is clear many simply have no option but to enter low emission zones to get to work or to visit family and friends. If ministers want to encourage people out of their cars, they should finally deliver reliable public transport services."
Glasgow holds the record for dishing out the most fines in a month, with this happening in July 2023, a month after the zone started and after the relaxed period in June where motorists were given a chance to get used to the new rules. A total of 6,139 fines were issued, totalling £426,180.
Edinburgh had the highest number of penalties given out in a month in August when 5,682 were recorded, bringing in £541,740. Dundee has the lowest number and value at 1,520 in August, raking in £130,140.
Transport Scotland said: "LEZs are key to improving air quality, protecting public health and encouraging more sustainable transport options. Scotland enjoys good air quality compared to much of Europe but further continued improvement is necessary to protect human health."
>>>21231256 Updated Operation Branchform Bun
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/police-probing-claims-fake-company-33829181
Police probing claims fake company received payments for SNP office refurbishment
SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: Receipts allegedly made out to a non-existent firm totalling more than £100,000 for work to create a media suite are being considered by Crown prosecutors.
John Ferguson
6 OCT 2024
Prosecutors investigating SNP fraud allegations are examining evidence that a fake company received payments for refurbishment work carried out on the party’s headquarters.
Costs of over £100,000 were said to be detailed on receipts for work on a “media suite” at their Edinburgh office.
But investigators have been probing information which suggests the company which received the payments never existed.
The Sunday Mail understands that almost £500,000 of potential embezzlement is now being considered in total by police with one of the biggest items relating to the work on the HQ on the capital’s Jackson’s Entry.
We can also reveal how:
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A major high street bank flagged suspicious transactions on accounts connected with the SNP last year and;
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Crown prosecutors have stepped up their investigation with movement on the case expected in the coming weeks.
A source said: “A bank flagged up large transactions on SNP related accounts to the police in 2023 which they wanted to query.
“The bank was acting in line with its legal duty. Often these things turn out to be perfectly innocent, someone is buying a house for example, but there is a process that has to be gone through.
“Contacting the police was a precursor to contacting the account holders to ask them to explain the transactions. However the police made it clear they were aware and no further action would be required from the bank.”
A second source said: “One of the biggest items being looked at is a six figure sum which on paper appears to have been spent creating a media suite at the Edinburgh offices.
“There are receipts but it is unclear whether the company named on receipts really existed.
“As things stand the total amount of potential embezzlement is around half a million pounds so this is very serious stuff.
“The police have handed over their findings to prosecutors and it is in their hands now. It is unlikely to be too much longer before we see movement on this, it is very much live, things are beginning to move quickly behind the scenes.
“Teams are up and running and independent counsel are reviewing all of the police findings.”
Accounts for 2020 show the SNP paid £615,000 on an office refurbishment of its rented premises.
Figures showed £615,270 of “tangible assets” were purchased in 2020, with £385,520 spent on additional furniture, fixtures and fittings, and £229,750 on office and computer equipment.
The Operation Branchform probe was initially focused on how cash raised in 2017 and 2019 as part of a referendum appeal has been spent.
Concerns were raised when SNP accounts showed there was less than £100,000 in the bank at the end of 2019, despite £600,000 being donated.
That sparked at least 19 criminal complaints. After the probe began, Murrell loaned the SNP £107,620 to help with “cash flow”.
The Sunday Mail revealed the accounts were under scrutiny in early 2021.
Police Scotland’s chief constable admitted in 2023 the investigation had “moved beyond” the initial inquiries of alleged fraud.
This wider probe is related to evidence of embezzlement.
Murrell and Sturgeon’s home was searched and police are investigating purchases believed to have been made with party cash.
Sturgeon, her husband and former SNP CEO Peter Murrell, and former treasurer Colin Beattie were all arrested and questioned as suspects.
Murrell, 59, was charged with the embezzlement of funds in April and Sturgeon and Beattie remain under investigation.
>>>21231256 Updated Operation Branchform Bun
…………………………………………………………………………………….continued…………………………………………………………………………..
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s Deputy Leader, said: “These allegations are deeply concerning and it’s right that the police have investigated. The Crown Office need to determine the question of dishonesty and who should be charged.
“For too long, a culture of secrecy has flourished on the SNP’s watch - the public deserve transparency about how they have operated when Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell were in charge.”
Scottish Conservative deputy chairwoman Pam Gosal MSP said: “This is just the latest shocking revelation in what has been a long-running case and murkiness surrounding the SNP’s finances is only continuing to grow.
“It is crucial that all figures within the SNP continue to co-operate with this investigation and are fully transparent at all times.”
In February last year, Sturgeon announced she would quit as first minister in February last year - the week before police started interviewing senior party officials.
Murrell stepped down from his position the following month after it emerged he had lied over a Sunday Mail story revealing 30,000 people had left the party.
Witnesses have been interviewed multiple times, including about whether a video uncovered by the Sunday Mail links Nicola Sturgeon to fraud claims.
On the tape, the ex-first minister raged that the SNP finances have “never been stronger”.
She said: “There are no reasons for people to be concerned about the party’s finances and all of us need to be careful about not suggesting that there is.”
We told in December how the purchase of a £95,000 Jaguar I-Pace SUV is also part of the investigation.
A car fitting the description of the Jaguar was pictured on Murrell and Sturgeon’s driveway in March 2021 but has since been sold.
A £110,000 camper van was seized from Murrell’s mum’s drive in Dunfermline last year as part of the investigation.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “On 9 August, 2024, we presented the findings of the investigation so far to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and we await their direction on what further action should be taken.”
The most recent accounts for last year came with a health warning from independent auditors, who offered a qualified opinion due to some financial paperwork being missing.
The accounts state that some “cash and cheques received, relating to membership, donations and raffle income were not kept by the Party prior to July 2023”.
The auditor added: “We have been unable to satisfy ourselves by alternative means regarding the completeness of income for the current and prior year in respect of the above limitation in scope.”
Leading Scottish criminal defence lawyer Thomas Leonard Ross KC insisted yesterday the Branchform investigation “cannot go on indefinitely”.
He said: “Once somebody is charged then they have the right to a trial within a reasonable time”.
An SNP spokeswoman said: “While the police investigation has reportedly been completed and passed over to the Crown Office, the case remains active and it would be inappropriate to comment on anonymised speculation, or about the party’s legal position.”
A spokesman for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service explained the process around their investigation: “Before deciding what action to take, if any, in the public interest, prosecutors will consider if there is enough evidence. There must be evidence from at least two separate sources to establish that a crime was committed and that the person under investigation was the perpetrator.
“This evaluation will involve a thorough examination of the numerous witness statements and extensive evidence collected by police. Prosecutors may instruct the police to conduct further investigations before taking a decision.
“Decisions on how to proceed are taken by prosecutors acting independently, and are based upon available evidence, legal principles, and the merits of each case. They are not influenced by political events.”
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/prisoner-transfer-firm-geoamey-paid-33828264
Prisoner transfer firm GeoAmey paid out £5m to shareholders despite massive fines over failures
The Sunday Mail can reveal the huge dividends being paid by the company which has been responsible for a catalogue of more than 14,000 delays in criminal hearings.
Jennifer Hyland
6 OCT 2024
Prisoner transfer firm GeoAmey handed out £5 million to shareholders despite wreaking havoc in the Scottish justice system with inmates being late to court.
The Sunday Mail can reveal the huge dividends being paid by the company which has been responsible for a catalogue of more than 14,000 delays in criminal hearings.
GeoAmey, which has a £238 million contract to escort prisoners, has already been fined £4 million over performance issues and was handed money by the Scottish Government to try to prop up its failing service
A total of £1.8 million of taxpayers’ cash has been granted to the firm this year with a £2.2 million top-up due next year.
But newly published accounts reveal the Manchester-based business, which also has a prisoner escort contract with the Ministry of Justice in England, paid dividends of £5 million to shareholders during 2023.
And six members of senior management earned a total income of £846,000 - an average of £140,000 each.
Last night Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP called on the Justice Secretary to hold GeoAmey to account.
He said: “It seems that GEOAmey is being rewarded for providing a woefully sub-standard service. Court time has been wasted and victims, defendants and court staff have been put through the mill.
“It’s no wonder that the firm has repeatedly failed to shape up. It knows that all it will get is an ineffectual slap on the wrist from the Scottish Government.
“The Justice Secretary must put a halt to this. She has a responsibility to ensure that Scotland’s justice system is safe, effective and well-resourced. That should include kicking GEOAmey to the curb unless they start to deliver.”
The accounts also revealed the firm’s total revenue for the year (2023) was £108.2million and it made a profit after tax of £3.7 million - an increase of more than £1.1 million on the previous year.
In 2021, the firm reported that profitability was “adversely affected” by the SCCPES (Scottish Court Custody and Prisoner Escorting Services) contract, “which was loss-making during the year”. In 2022, it added, there was a larger loss.
The report blamed labour market issues leading to reduced staff availability, “and the impact of performance penalty regime within the contract against increasing and uncapped customer demand”.
An Audit Scotland report last year revealed the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) had taken action to support improvement in GeoAmey’s performance but were described as having limited impact.
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GeoAmey was the sole bidder for its eight-year £238million deal awarded in 2018 after Serco and previous holder G4S pulled out.
Staff shortages have since led to delays in criminal trials and hearings with the Law Society of Scotland describing the problem as “disgraceful” in July 2023.
GeoAmey has also struggled to recruit or retain guards due to low wages.
The latest available figures show that between April and last September there were 14,236 late prisoner arrivals.
There were 1516 delays to court proceedings due to the late arrival of a prisoner or failure to bring that prisoner to a courtroom and 18,730 undue delays in the departure of a prisoner from court.
In October 2023, GEOAmey’s staffing levels had dropped to around 520 full-time equivalents, a decrease of between 20 and 25 per cent on required levels to deliver the service.
Asked about the accounts, GeoAmey said: “GEOAmey is dedicated to providing reliable and secure services to the UK’s Criminal Justice Systems, while endeavouring to ensure we offer good value for public money.
“Our annual accounts cover all the services we offer across the UK, not just those under the Scottish Court Custody and Prisoner Escort Service (SCCPES) contract in Scotland.
“As is widely understood, the post-COVID period and other external factors have significantly changed the operating environment of the SCCPES contract. This was confirmed by the Auditor General for Scotland in his December 2023 report.
In late 2023 we worked with the Scottish Government to recalibrate the contract, to reflect the revised operating environment.
"Since then, we have seen continuing improvements in service performance, increased investment in attracting and retaining employees and a significant increase in staffing levels. We know there is more to do, and we are committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure we play our role in delivering a high quality and reliable service to the Criminal Justice Partners in Scotland.
A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: “We continue to be focused on delivering a prisoner transport contract that meets the needs of those in our care, the Scottish justice system, and the country as a whole, both now and in the future.
“Following the recalibration of our contract with GEOAmey, with support from Scottish Government, we have seen improved staffing levels, with reduced attrition, and continuous improvement in performance, including for journeys to court and hospitals.
“However, we are not complacent and will continue to work with our partners and monitor its performance to ensure it meets the needs of all.”
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “The additional funding the Scottish Government provided to support the Scottish Prison Service and other partners in delivering an improvement in the GEOAmey contract was provided strictly on the condition it directly benefited staff through their pay.
“It has led to improved staff numbers and a significant reduction in the number of failed, cancelled or late journeys by GEOAmey to court and hospitals.
“SPS is continuing to monitor the performance of the contract carefully to ensure we see a level of service which meets the needs we expect.”
Shareholders making plenty out of the misery of others. At least 1/4 of prisoners in prisoners are on remand…no guilt yet established and can be on remand for up to 2 years without trial. It's the same with the courts and the police too, all are corporations and all with shareholders.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/covid-doctor-warns-xec-variant-33831390
Covid doctor warns XEC variant could see return of masks and social distancing
The XEC variant of Covid-19, which is currently surging across the UK, has the potential to fuel a tripledemic this winter.
Christopher Sharp
6 OCT 2024
A doctor has issued a warning that the XEC variant of Covid-19 could see the return of face masks and social distancing, three years after the end of the final pandemic lockdown.
Dr Joseph Ambani warned of "significant potential" for the new strain to trigger a crippling tripledemic this winter, where influenza, RSV, and Covid-19 could simultaneously skyrocket.
The healthcare expert from Glowbar LDN warned about the risks: "Unlike previous variants, XEC's immune-evasive properties could increase the risk of co-infections, posing a serious threat, particularly to individuals whose immunity has already been weakened post-Covid."
He said: "This could lead to not just overlapping infections but more severe illness in vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions."
Dr Ambani didn't stop there; he also raised the alarm that the XEC variant might push the NHS to its limits and escalate demand for ICUs (intensive care units) while possibly heralding a return to familiar Covid-era restrictions. His words spell out concern: "The strain on the NHS could be severe. With hospital resources already stretched to their limits, a tripledemic could bring services to the brink."
He added: "What is particularly concerning is the increased demand for ICU care, as patients with compounded respiratory illnesses would require more intensive and prolonged treatment," reports the Express, reports the Mirror.
"This may disrupt not only routine care but also delay elective procedures and non-emergency treatments, creating a ripple effect throughout the healthcare system."
"Mask mandates and social distancing in high-risk settings, such as hospitals, public transport, and care homes, could be reinstated to protect the most vulnerable. Bubbling may once again be considered for at-risk individuals to minimise their exposure to multiple infections."
In response to the threat of XEC, Dr Ambani called for government action: "Increased vaccination efforts, especially for flu and Covid, will be essential, and the public may need to renew their commitment to protective measures to prevent overwhelming the system."
Other health experts are sounding the alarm about XEC, with the Manchester Evening News sharing insights from Dr Hellen Wall: "At the moment, it seems to be a bit more flu-like than previous iterations of Covid, with a high temperature, a cough, aching body, headache. Generally, if you've got true flu, you're bed-bound.With Covid, you might actually be quite well."
Dr Wall warned that the similarities between the XEC variant and seasonal flu could lead to unintentional transmission, saying: "You might be coughing and having other symptoms, but able to go about your business – and you might be unintentionally spreading it to people who are vulnerable."
He highlighted that only the most severe cases are picked up through hospital testing and implored those eligible toget vaccinated to safeguard others, saying: "If you've been deemed eligible for these vaccines, it's because we think you're going to be very ill if you get these and end up in hospital."
He further cautioned: "It's about keeping that in perspective, you don't want to look back and wish you'd had the jabs."
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/frontline-scots-cops-missed-out-33829091
Frontline Scots cops have missed out on vital training due to budget cuts
SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: Some officers are going out onto the streets without up to date training on how to use handcuffs.
Norman Silvester
6 OCT 2024
Thousands of frontline police are being sent out on to the streets without proper training, according to new figures.
A quarter haven’t taken part in vital refresher safety courses to help protect themselves and the public.
Each year, officers are required to take the two-day sessions – featuring updates on the use of handcuffs, batons and equipment.
The programmes were put on hold for two months in January and December due to a budget overspend and recruitment freeze. Staff due to be trained had to be deployed to other duties creating a backlog.
Currently, 3401 of 14,267 Police Scotland officers have missed out on safety training. Representative body the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) says training cutbacks and delays have put cops at increased risk of assault, resulting in a corresponding rise in sick leave.
There were 1431 reports of attacks on officers between April and June, up from 1299 for the same period last year.
The SPF believes the rise is linked to the missed training. Chair David Threadgold said the force has never recovered from the training freeze.
He added: “The annual two-day training gives officers a chance to update their skills and equipment, including body armour.
“There is clear evidence if you don’t have the most up-to-date training, you are more likely to be assaulted. At the moment, almost 3500 in Scotland are not officer safety trained.”
In June 1994, constable Lewis Fulton, 28, was stabbed to death by schizophrenic Philip McFadden in Glasgow’s Gorbals. His widow Christine – who attended a National Police Memorial tribute in Glasgow last week to the 5000 officers killed on duty over 180 years – said: “There should never ever be cuts to the budget for officer safety. You can’t put a price on somebody’s life and say we will save money by not fully training them.”
The number of officers dropped to 16,207 at the end of June, the lowest since records began in 2007 and fewer than the 17,496 when Police Scotland was created in 2013.
A roll-out of 10,500 body cameras which would increase protection has been postponed until next year due to technical issues. Scottish Tory deputy justice spokesperson Sharon Dowey MSP said: “It is common sense that every officer should be able to carry out this safety training, so it is deeply alarming that thousands of them have missed out.”
Superintendent Jackie Dunbar, from learning, training and development, said: “The safety of our people is a top priority and we are committed to ensuring that all officers and staff eligible for this renewal of their training have completed the course by the end of the year.”
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/over-one-million-scots-languishing-33830389
Over one million Scots living in poverty as Governments blasted for lack of action
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation criticised the Scottish and UK Governments in the wake of the figures.
Paul Hutcheon
7 OCT 2024
A damning state-of-the nation report has revealed over one million Scots are living in poverty. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation also found a huge rise in “very deep” poverty and have called for a national consensus to tackle this scourge.
They blasted: “Both the Scottish and UK governments are failing to use their powers.”
Citizens Advice Scotland chief executive Derek Mitchell said: “Poverty is a scar on Scotland, it destroys lives, families and communities and it needs to be eliminated."
The heartbreaking figures coincide with Challenge Poverty Week starting today. Despite commitments by politicians to tackle deprivation, the JRF report shows the limited progress in cutting poverty rates.
Of the one million people in Scotland experiencing poverty, one quarter are children. The think tank also says Holyrood’s interim child poverty reduction targets are “almost certainly missed”.
Chris Birt of the JRF in Scotland said social security is key to tackling poverty: "Our report shows that a new consensus is needed to tackle stubborn rates of hardship. The law describes social security as an "investment in the people of Scotland" but people struggling to get by are being short-changed by a lack of political courage. Poverty comes down when social security is enhanced.
"The new UK Government provides a key opportunity for politicians in both of Scotland's governments to seize their powers, and responsibilities, to deliver compassionate support for people in Scotland. Far too many people experience daily struggles to get by and deserve better than platitudes about waiting for growth or tough decisions. People all over Scotland have tougher lives than our wealthy nation should tolerate, it is high time that changed."
Most of the powers over social security rest with the UK Government, but significant levers in this area have been devolved. The outgoing Tory Government was blasted for its welfare policies and Keir Starmer is also under pressure to axe the two child benefit cap.
The SNP Government, despite introducing the Scottish Child Payment, has also been criticised for failing to make a dent in the figures.
The authors of the report found that the basic rate of Universal Credit has fallen in real-terms and is well below the poverty line. They concluded that the UK Government's "work first" approach has failed to reduce poverty and families with a heightened risk of poverty are often reliant on social security.
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JRF also said 38% of families with three or more kids, who are hit by the two child cap, are in poverty. They said the number of people living in very deep poverty has been increasing since the mid-90s and they want both Governments to fix social security.
Poverty Alliance chief executive Peter Kelly reacted to the report: "People in Scotland believe in justice and compassion. They don't want to live in a country where more and more of their fellow citizens are being pushed towards deep poverty.
"During Challenge Poverty Week, hundreds of organisations are coming together to call for a wellbeing economy with good work that pays people a real Living Wage. They want strong public systems that we can all rely on - like health, education, transport, and social security - so that everyone has a solid foundation to build a life free from the threat of poverty, debt, and destitution. And they want political leaders to take responsibility for investing in a better society, with better taxes creating better budgets."
SNP Social Justice Cabinet Secretary Shirley Anne-Somerville said: “Ending child poverty is the top priority of this Government and we are determined to do all we can to deliver action at the pace and scale required to meet our targets. We have allocated £3 billion a year since 2022-23 to polices which tackle poverty and the ongoing cost of living crisis. This includes providing free bus travel for around two million people, free school meals for all children in primaries one to five, and social security benefits and payments which are only available in Scotland.
“Modelling published in February estimated Scottish Government policies will keep 100,000 children out of relative poverty this year, with the Scottish Child Payment alone keeping 60,000 children out of poverty. The Scottish Government stands ready to work with the UK government however this must be matched with action in the budget this month. That includes immediately abolishing the two-child limit, and following this government’s lead by matching the Scottish Child Payment.”
Labour Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: “Too many children in Scotland and across the UK are growing up in poverty. This is unacceptable, and that’s why the UK Government has set up the Child Poverty Taskforce. Our ambitious strategy will use all available levers to address the problems we face – through work, housing, education, heath, childcare and the social security system.
“As part of this, we’re resetting our relationship with the Scottish Government and engaging with them on our shared goal – to ensure that every child in Scotland has the opportunity they deserve without poverty damaging their future prospects. Taking action to reduce poverty is absolutely central to our mission to drive economic growth. We’re making work pay, ensuring the national minimum wage is a true living wage, planning JobCentre reform, and ending exploitative zero-hours contracts so workers have increased job security.
"At next week’s International Investment Summit, we will forge stronger links with our global business partners working together to achieve the growth that’s vital to raise living standards.”
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/operation-branchform-cops-frustrated-crown-33834279
Operation Branchform cops 'frustrated' as Crown Office 'drags its heels' on SNP probe
The probe into SNP finances has been ongoing since 2021 and has so far seen Peter Murrell charged and Nicola Sturgeon arrested
Douglas Dickie
7 OCT 2024
Police officers investigating claims of embezzlement of SNP funds are said to have become "frustrated" at the length of the probe. Operation Branchform was launched over three years ago after complaints were made about how around £600,000 of funds to fight a second independence referendum was spent.
Police Scotland handed a report to the Crown Office two months ago but there has been no further movement on the investigation. Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, who is married to Nicola Sturgeon, has been arrested and charged with embezzlement as part of the probe.
Ms Sturgeon has also been arrested and interviewed by detectives, as has former Nat treasurer Colin Beattie MSP. Neither has been charged but they remain under investigation.
Reports at the weekend suggested officers were probing whether a phantom company received significant cash from the SNP for refurbishment work allegedly carried out at the party's Edinburgh HQ. Now, Calum Steel, the ex-general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation which represents rank-and-file officers, has spoken out about the time it is taking to bring the probe to a conclusion.
He told The Sun: "The police service will be delighted attention is finally on the as they felt frustrated that the COPFS (Crown Office and Prosecution Service) was trying to drag the inquiry out by asking the police to do more and more. Now only they can answer why the delay."
Branchform has already cost the public purse well over £1 million since it was launched in the summer of 2021. Scottish Conservative party chairman Craig Hoy said: "This is clearly a long and complex investigation, and that’s why it’s important the police and crown office are as transparent as possible. It’s understandable that people are asking why this case is taking so long to progress.
"There may well be good reasons for that but many following it are wanting the authorities to get on with it. As the probe continues the SNP must continue to fully cooperate."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "On August 9, 2024, we presented the findings of the investigation so far to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and we await their direction on what further action should be taken.”
The Crown Office previously said it had received a 'standard prosecution report' about Mr Murrell’s case. It referred to its statement from May this year, saying: "Decisions on how to proceed are taken by prosecutors acting independently, and are based upon available evidence, legal principles, and the merits of each case. They are not influenced by political events."
An SNP spokeswoman said: "As this case remains active, it would be inappropriate to comment."
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/john-swinney-still-consulting-scottish-33814487
John Swinney STILL consulting the Scottish Greens on Scottish Government policy as SNP rebel rages
The First Minister has been blasted by Fergus Ewing for continuing to consult the Scottish Greens on climate issues despite the Bute House Agreement ending earlier this year.
David Walker
3 OCT 2024
John Swinney is STILL consulting the Scottish Greens on Scottish Government policy as he has been urged to stop "sucking up" to the "extremist" party. It was revealed that the former coalition partners are continuing to collaborate on major net zero proposals despite the Bute House Agreement ending.
Fears have been raised that the SNP will capitulate to Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater in the budget negotiations which the First Minister will have to undertake to get it passed. The pair have already demanded that works to upgrade the A9 and A96 be paused for a climate test.
They would also like more money to be spent on active travel schemes, like cycle paths, after the budget for these projects was ripped apart by Shona Robison during her emergency spending review. The scrapping of peak fares on ScotRail was also allegedly a brainchild of the Scottish Greens.
Mr Swinney has attempted to distance himself from the Scottish Greens in recent months, including going for a more nuanced approach to North Sea oil and gas and scrapping some unpopular policies spearheaded by them, including the conversion therapy ban.
But the Scottish Government's Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin revealed that she was consulting with the Greens on policy such as the delayed climate change plan (CCP). In a letter to Holyrood's Net Zero, Energy and Transport committee she said that her officials “have also considered proposals from environmental NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and the Scottish Green party” to “further strengthen the policy package presented in the upcoming CCP”.
The Greens stance on the SNP has also softened in recent weeks, with the party's MSPs abstaining from a vote on Wednesday which would have seen another humiliating parliamentary defeat for Mr Swinney. Rebel Nat MSP Fergus Ewing hit out at the close working relationship between the two parties.
He told the Scotsman that this admission "proves that even now, after the Bute House Agreement is history, the green tail is still wagging the big yellow dog”. He added: "The SNP group’s association with the Greens has seen the SNP lose support falling to single figures MPs, but has cost Scotland hundreds of millions in failed dud policies such as the DRS bottle scheme, the hated HPMAs, gender identity obsession and ludicrous log fire bans.
“The Greens are an extremist party who aim to dismantle our economy and destroy hundreds of thousands of jobs. The attempts by the SNP leadership, even now, to suck up to these extremists are futile, tactically inept, and deeply damaging to the party and the country. Instead the SNP should reach out to all the major mainstream parties to work out sensible policies.”
Scottish Tory Shadow Net Zero Secretary Douglas Lumsden joined in with this criticism as he pointed to it as proof "the SNP are clearly still in the pocket of the Greens despite kicking them out of the government”. He added: "Patrick Harvie has already demanded a climate test on future dualling of the A9 and knows that he can pull the strings of SNP ministers on these issues.
“SNP ministers must take a common sense and pragmatic approach to delivering net zero, rather than bowing to the demands of the extremist Greens, who would happily chuck thousands of workers under a bus in pursuit of doing so.”
Mr Harvie told The Scotsman there is a need for “bold and far-reaching climate action” as he called on the money being utilised for major road building projects to "invest in public transport."
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/operation-branchform-cannot-go-indefinitely-33826649
Operation Branchform 'cannot go on indefinitely' warns top lawyer as Peter Murrell awaits fate
The police probe into the SNP's finances has been ongoing since 2021, with Peter Murrell charged and his wife Nicola Sturgeon arrested but the Crown Office is at an impasse over where the case will go next.
David Walker
5 OCT 2024
A top lawyer has warned that Operation Branchform "cannot go on indefinitely" as Peter Murrell awaits a decision from the Crown Office. The former SNP Chief Executive was officially charged with embezzling funds from the party in April but prosecutors have yet to decide to progress with the case.
Nicola Sturgeon and ex-party treasurer Colin Beattie are also still active police suspects in the case, with detectives yet to rule them out of the inquiry. The probe was sparked in 2021 when a number of frustrated independence campaigners complained to police about whether £600k of ring-fenced funds for a second independence referendum had been spent elsewhere.
This investigation was then expanded to look at misuse of funds and potential fraud, with the marital home of Mr Murrell and Ms Sturgeon raided in April 2023. It took a whole year before the ex-Chief Executive was charged in relation to this but he remains in limbo.
Leading Scottish criminal defence lawyer Thomas Leonard Ross KC has warned that the police probe "cannot go on indefinitely" now that someone had been charged. He told Sky News: "Once somebody is charged then they have the right to a trial within a reasonable time.
"Before a person is formally charged, there might be an argument as to whether the clock is efficiently running. There is absolutely no doubt that it is running in relation to Mr Murrell, so certainly the police and Crown Office have to be alive to that. The police inquiry cannot go on indefinitely."
The Crown Office is currently examining a report from the police and will then need to decide whether to continue with the case. A spokesman said: "Before deciding what action to take, if any, in the public interest, prosecutors will consider if there is enough evidence.
"There must be evidence from at least two separate sources to establish that a crime was committed and that the person under investigation was the perpetrator."
The long-running saga has had an impact on support for the SNP as the party was trounced at the General Election, and have struggled in polling. It has also affected the Scottish independence movement which relies on the party being as strong as possible.
Scexit campaigner Sean Clerkin, who was one of the people who triggered the probe back in 2021, has hit out at "delays" which he believes is affecting the campaign to break up the UK. He has also received death threats for reporting the party to the cops over fundraising concerns.
He told Sky News that he has been "persecuted" and been threatened for being a high profile complainer. He said: "All these years down the line I have been persecuted by nationalists who have persecuted me on social media and at rallies. Threatening to do me in, threatened to take me out and I have had death threats.
"This case has to be wound up by the end of this year. In terms of the investigation for us to have free and fair elections in 2026 without this hanging over any of the pro-independence parties."
An SNP spokesperson said: "While the police investigation has reportedly been completed and passed over to the Crown Office, the case remains active and it would be inappropriate to comment."
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/cursed-snp-ferry-glen-sannox-33813942
'Cursed' SNP ferry Glen Sannox dragged to port by tugs after 'blackout' and could be delayed again
The already delayed Ferguson Marine boat has suffered new issues while undergoing sea trials, as its engines cut out due to a fire detector going off and one of its anchors didn't work.
David Walker
3 OCT 2024
The SNP's hugely delayed Glen Sannox ferry has suffered yet another set back and could be delayed once again after issues were found during its sea trial. The boat is meant to be handed over to CalMac in 11 days but this could be pushed back further, leaving islanders stranded once again.
It is undergoing sea trials this week but these have been halted after a fire detector false alarm shut down its engines and led to tugs being called to assist it back to port, although it did manage to make it back under its own power. It suffered a complete blackout meaning that the engines had to be restarted.
This incident on Wednesday followed a concerning one on Monday when one of the ships anchors failed, with work now needed to fix this ahead of handover. Ferguson Marine Interim Chief Executive John Petticrew revealed to MSPs that it was too soon to know whether it will lead to a further delay.
The Glen Sannox and its sister ship the Glen Rosa were meant to serve islanders on the Ardrossan to Arran route back in 2018. But six years on and it is likely that this won't happen until 2025, with the construction of the vessels being disrupted by a series of issues, mostly to do with their complicated design and using environmentally-friendly fuel.
In a letter to MSPs, Mr Petticrew explained the latest issues with the Glen Sannox. He wrote: "Yesterday, during day three of owner’s trials, MV Glen Sannox experienced a blackout. This was a result of inadvertently triggering a fire detector on board; although a false alarm, it ultimately resulted in the shutdown of the ship’s main propulsion. The ship was operating on marine gas oil at the time.
"Checks of the main engines were undertaken, and a soft restart followed. All systems were safely restarted without any adverse effects. However, trials were temporarily halted. As a precaution, tugs were called to assist. The vessel returned to Inchgreen under her own power with a view to assessing the event and the operation of the fire detection system.
"FMPG, CMAL and CalMac together have agreed that trials should remain suspended today (03/10/24) with an aim to resume tomorrow. A solution to the fire detection system is now in place with the agreement of MCA and Lloyds."
He also confirmed that they need to find a solution to the anchor issue but "cannot give a timeframe" for when this will happen. He added: "After completion of sea trials, we will give a further update next week on any impact on the handover date."
The ferry is meant to be delivered by Ferguson Marine on October 14 before undergoing six-and-a-half weeks of further trials. It is then meant to be entering passenger service on the operator's busiest route. The Scottish Tories called on the SNP to come clean about whether there will be more delays.
Scottish Conservative shadow transport minister Graham Simpson MSP said: “This latest issue with the Glen Sannox will have many islanders wondering if this ferry is cursed following so many disasters and delays. Problems with the liquefied natural gas system already pushed back the initial August delivery date and our island communities will understandably be frustrated if this suspension means they have to wait even longer for it to be delivered.
“Our islanders will be disheartened that the Glen Sannox has fallen at one of the final hurdles after how long it took to get it ready for sea trials. The SNP must urgently let them know if this blackout will delay the delivery of the Glen Sannox even further, especially if it could mean traveling over Christmas will be difficult.”
https://youtu.be/cxeSouXES9k
The Post Office's Evil Robot?
The papers say
2.37K subscribers
22,925 views Oct 3, 2024
Post Office Inquiry. Sam Stein asks Mandy Talbot if she's the Post Office's Evil Robot.
Sam Stein referred to Mandy Talbot, an in-house lawyer, as the ‘Post Office’s very own ”evil robot”, saying that she was supposed to be responsible for civil actions but ‘deliberately inserted herself in the wider dealings with Horizon cases’.
Well she certainly sounds like some sort of Automaton in her precise and deliberate answers to the Inquiry KC's and seems to have forgotten a lot of the information she was asked about.
Strange how so called "educated" people like her suffer amnesia on a regular basis. Selective amnesia of course.
Reuse of this video is licenced as below.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
https://youtu.be/X8lO6OT4Hks
Post Office Inquiry. Horizon was Utterly Unreliable. Henry Stauntons first impression of Horizon
The papers say
2.37K subscribers
247 views Oct 2, 2024
Post Office Inquiry. Horizon was Utterly Unreliable.
Henry Staunton giving evidence to the Post office Inquiry, said that Horizon was utterly unreliable.
He also had some scathing the remarks about the PO Investigations teams and especially Steve Bradshaw, who as we know, was the iron fist of the Post Offices plans to lock up Subpostmasters yet still operates as an Investigator for the Post Office today.
Seems some people are beyond reproach and able to do as they please regardless of any consequences.
Reuse of this video is licenced as below.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
https://youtu.be/3XR5Q4WzT2c
Post Office Scandal - shifty Tim Parker
Dr Paul Duckett
5.87K subscribers
44,257 views Sep 6, 2024
This is my analysis of the testimony to the Post Office Horizon Inquiry of Post Office Limited Chair Tim Parker.
00:00:00 - Start
00:03:45 - Misplaced confidence
00:15:32 - Tim and the law
00:26:01 - Rearranging things for his comfort
00:26:17 - Shifting context
00:38:34 - Shifting time
00:50:32 - Tim's scale of justice
01:01:29 - Timothy's apology
01:05:14 - Conclusion
https://youtu.be/gAYgR2TuchY
Post Office Horizon Inquiry Roderick Williams & Jason Beer PART 5 SHREDDING
Charlie Fleming
14.7K subscribers
5,359 views Sep 6, 2024
Roderick Williams is a form of torture to listen to, he has a talent for lengthening out drivel that he speaks as he wastes time.
00:00 Intro
00:06 Additional evidence 14000 KELS letters
01:40 SHREDDING
12:46 THUMBNAIL BIT
13:33 SHREDDING continued
18:47 Brian Altman review
35:54 Remote Access
https://youtu.be/PS13R-8WWsU
Post Office Horizon Inquiry Roderick Williams & Jason Beer PART 6 Discredited Gareth Jenkins At GLO
Charlie Fleming
14.7K subscribers
2,372 views Sep 7, 2024
The last of the questions from Mr Beer but if Roderick thought the tough bit was over he thought wrong.
00:00 Intro
00:09 More on remote Access
18:52 Discredited Gareth used for GLO
25:33 The solicitors to question Rodrick
https://youtu.be/DuI_zF3cy60
Post Office Horizon Inquiry Roderick Williams & Mr Henry PART 7 BRILLIANT
Charlie Fleming
14.7K subscribers
9,174 views Sep 10, 2024
This bit is unmissable as Mr Henry exposes the ridiculous Roderick.
00:00 Intro
00:28 Mr Henry starts
02:00 CCRC Mr Henry suggests Roderick is lying!
23:21 2013 he knew of Gareth Jenkins involvement in Seema Misra trial
30:00 HE BRINGS SNACK TO THE INQUIRY
30:17 Back to Seema Misra case (now he has had a snack)
37:21 He did NOTHING
39:24 Naff apology faux regret
40:40 Roderick Failed to win Sir Wyn
https://youtu.be/tIMKxJWVD38
Post Office Horizon Inquiry Roderick Wiliams PART 8 Mr Jacobs & Sir Wyn
Charlie Fleming
14.7K subscribers
7,629 views Sep 30, 2024
Mr Jacobs asking questions and Roderick Williams faffing and filibustering.
00:00 Intro
00:15 Mr Jacobs
06:20 Sir Hooper and the suspense accounts
09:49 He is ridiculous
10:00 Suspense accounts continued
12:03 Mr Jacobs puts it in plain English
14:00 GLO and outspending the SPMs
21:29 Attrition wearing down the SPMs defence cash
30:20 Jenkins and the judge
35:53 POL witnesses to the GLO
39:19 Sir Wyn steps in on Roderick rubbish
https://youtu.be/Uxoq5wdxt_Q
Post Office Horizon Inquiry Roderick Williams PART 9 & 10 My Maloney
Charlie Fleming
14.7K subscribers
3,806 views Oct 2, 2024
*Roderick is the wrong spelling now on purpose as the bloke irritates me so much I enjoy spelling it that way as I know how much it annoys nearly everyone so it is very likely it will annoy him, well it annoys me anyway, my last name is often written wrong. Pronouncing an unusual name is one thing but repeatedly misspelling is REALLY annoying.
00:00 Intro
00:46 Shredding
09:04 Shredding Advice and document advice
12:19 Emily Springford advice emails
20:38 Back to shredding
24:12 Crown Offices
28:39 Remote access and project zebra
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-ministers-invest-20m-more-33827591
SNP Ministers invest £20m more public cash in crisis-hit Ferguson Marine amid ferry turmoil
The Port Glasgow shipyard was allocated an extra £20m thanks to Shona Robison's huge £500m of budget cuts, with this going towards the construction of the much-delayed Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa.
David Walker
5 OCT 2024
Crisis-hit Ferguson Marine will be handed another £20m cash injection by the Scottish Government to cover the rising costs of the two much-delayed ferries being built there. It means that the nationalised shipyard has now been supplied almost £500m in public cash to keep the doors open and the ships in construction.
It was confirmed this week that SNP Ministers are using budget revisions to invest more cash into Ferguson Marine to help secure its future. It was a beneficiary of the £500m of spending cuts recently announced by Shona Robison, with mental health and active travel projects slashed.
The document confirming the changes said that the cash is to be used to "fund additional costs" related to the building of the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa. The boats were originally meant to set sail in 2018 and serve the Ardrossan and Arran communities but may not even take on customers this year, meaning a seven-year delay.
An initial contract signed with Ferguson Marine was for £97m but the budget now exceeds £300m, with about £150m also invested into the shipyard to keep it open. But the issues with the ferries are continuing with a new setback being reported this week with the Glen Sannox.
The vessel, which is meant to be handed over to CalMac this month for final trials, suffered anchor problems during sea trials and then had a complete electrical blackout after a fire detector was triggered by mistake. Tugs had to aid it back into the port with more delays likely.
Construction work on Glen Rosa is still taking place at the Port Glasgow shipyard with the boat scheduled to be ready next year. The Scottish Government's autumn budget revision confirmed an extra £20.2 million of capital funding would go to Ferguson. It brings the total amount of public cash allocated to the Inverclyde yard in 2024-25 to just short of £62.1 million.
The money was included in costings outlined to Holyrood's net zero, energy and transport committee in February, with costs to the boats rising by between 2 and 4%. Glen Sannox will cost between £145.5 million and £149.1 million and the Glen Rosa a maximum of £150m.
Issues with the liquefied natural gas fuel system has led to significant delays with the construction as the environmentally-friendly fuel needs expertise which is hard to come by. The Scottish Government said that the funding aligned with the already announced costs of the ferries.
A spokesman said: "It does not represent any further increase in the total estimated cost for completing the vessels, which remains as outlined by the Ferguson Marine CEO's letter to the net zero, energy and transport committee in February 2024." Interim Chief John Petticrew confirmed to MSPs this week that only one of two anchors had passed a trial held on Monday.
Scottish Tory Transport Spokesman Graham Simpson said on Thursday: "This latest issue with the Glen Sannox will have many islanders wondering if this ferry is cursed following so many disasters and delays. Our islanders will be disheartened that the Glen Sannox has fallen at one of the final hurdles after how long it took to get it ready for sea trials. The SNP must urgently let them know if this blackout will delay the delivery of the Glen Sannox even further, especially if it could mean travelling over Christmas will be difficult."
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/scottish-greens-lost-plot-over-33856615
Scottish Greens 'lost the plot' over plans to fund free bus travel for asylum seekers when Scots pensioners could freeze
The Scottish Tories hit out at the debate over spending £2m on free bus travel for asylum seekers when almost a million pensioners are missing out on cash to heat their freezing homes.
David Walker
9 OCT 2024
Scottish Greens proposals to spend millions of taxpayer cash on free bus travel for asylum seekers were lambasted by the Scottish Tories, who insisted it was a sign that the Scottish Parliament had "lost the plot." The party pointed out that Winter Fuel Payments were being cut at the same time as these plans were being put forward.
MSPs debated the issue at Holyrood on Wednesday, with Greens MSP Maggie Chapman calling on a u-turn from the Scottish Government which axed the freebie earlier this summer. Former First Minister Humza Yousaf announced that £2m had been set aside for the scheme last November.
However, Finance Secretary Shona Robison confirmed that this would be axed as she made £500m of cuts in order to balance the budget last month. She highlighted that tough decisions had to be made to cover for bumper public sector pay deals.
Scottish Government Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop insisted that the policy had not been axed completely but that the money could not be found to fund the pilot at this time. She called on extra funding from the UK Government so they could make the lives of asylum seekers better.
She pointed to the current freebies offered by the SNP, with refugees under the age of 22 and over the age of 60 able to access free bus services already. But Scottish Tory Transport Spokesman Sue Webber hit out at the fact the issue was even being discussed when the SNP Executive were cutting winter fuel payments for almost one million pensioners.
The Scottish Government is following Westminster in mean testing the vital benefit, meaning that thousands of Scots will end up freezing over the winter. Ms Robison confessed on Tuesday that the money needed to run this could still be found but would not reverse this cut.
Ms Webber described it as "scandalous" that MSPs from all of the other parties supported the £2m transport subsidy at the same time as that support was being slashed. She said: "We all want to do right by asylum seekers and help people in need – but it’s on every politician in this building to spend public money on the biggest challenges facing our country.
“The proposal is to spend millions of pounds giving asylum seekers free travel at the very same time the SNP and Labour are taking away the winter fuel payment from pensioners.
“People who have worked hard all their days are getting their winter fuel payment cut, forcing some to choose between heating and eating this winter. It’s scandalous and, to people across Scotland, it looks like the Scottish Parliament has lost the plot.
“No wonder so many people feel that this parliament doesn’t stand up for them or represent their interests. The Scottish Conservatives will oppose these plans because we believe every penny of taxpayers’ money must be spent carefully to address the real concerns and needs of people – especially at a time when the SNP Government are imposing swingeing cuts across the board.”
The Scottish Greens accused the Tories of using "divisive" language, with Gillian Mackay saying they were pitting two vulnerable groups against each other as she called this "extremely dangerous." She added: "There is no suggestion in front of us that this money should be taken from those having the winter fuel payment cut to give to asylum seekers, we should be doing both and to pit those communities against each other is extremely disingenuous."
The SNP and the Scottish Greens voted for asylum seekers to get free bus travel, even though money has not been found in the budget to pay for the pilot scheme.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/hypocrite-stephen-flynn-embroiled-lobbying-33827186
'Hypocrite' Stephen Flynn embroiled in lobbying scandal as he netted £30k donation from renewables boss
The SNP's Westminster leader has been accused of 'hypocrisy' after becoming involved in his very own cash for access scandal involving the brother of former Scottish Government Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.
David Walker
5 OCT 2024
Stephen Flynn has been engulfed in a lobbying scandal as he netted a £30k donation from a renewables boss after he spoke to the Scottish Government on their behalf. The SNP's Westminster leader was branded a "hypocrite" after his party led an outcry against Sir Keir Starmer's donations.
The Aberdeen South MP was handed the cool sum by Allan MacAskill, co-chief technical officer of Flotation Energy, on May 27 2024 ahead of the General Election campaign. But new correspondence showed that Mr Flynn lobbied the Nat Executive about planning consent in the months leading up to this.
He contacted SNP Ministers on behalf of representatives of Flotation Energy about an offshore wind project which was stuck in a "consent logjam." The Green Volt floating wind farm, off the Aberdeenshire coast, was then granted planning consent by the Scottish Government just months later.
According to the Scottish Daily Mail, correspondence released by the government in response to a freedom of information request showed that Mr Flynn emailed Energy Minister Gillian Martin on October 6, 2023, and forwarded correspondence he had received from Flotation Energy seeking "a ministerial meeting to break consent logjam."
In his email, he said: "I'd be grateful if Scottish Government officials could review the information below and, if appropriate, arrange contact with those involved to discuss these matters further." Ms Martin's Assistant Private Secretary then forwarded the email to officials in the government's correspondence unit, and copied in the Minister, with the message: "Fast track MR please."
It was then announced on April 22 that the project had received planning consent from the government. Just a month later, on May 27, Mr Flynn was handed a £30,000 donation from Mr MacAskill with this being registered on August 2. He is the brother of former Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill and is understood to be a supporter of the SNP.
The Scottish Tories criticised the hypocrisy within the SNP as they called on him to come clean about the donation. Douglas Lumsden, North East MSP, said: "The timing of this donation raises serious questions about what exactly Stephen Flynn may have done.
"Mr Flynn should clarify why he received a £30,000 donation just one month after this decision was made. If it involved anyone else, Mr Flynn would be among the first to shout about this. It looks like shameless hypocrisy."
The SNP have spent weeks criticising Labour for the donations being accepted by prominent members of the UK Government, including the Prime Minister receiving £100,000 worth of freebies including spectacles and suits. The party's Cabinet Office spokesman Brendan O'Hara has even written to the Cabinet Secretary to ask for a probe into a "cash for access" scandal.
He warned of a "growing stench of sleaze from this Labour government and public anger on this issue is not going away. People expect transparency and accountability - and that is why a full inquiry into the Labour government's cash for access scandal is required."
An SNP spokesman said: "Any local MP worth their salt would do everything they could to ensure vital renewable projects are delivered." Flotation Energy said it had "very regular discussions about the [Green Volt] project with key organisations including the Scottish and UK governments."
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/stephen-flynn-urged-come-clean-33846302
Stephen Flynn urged to come clean over 'cash-for-access lobbying scandal' as pressure grows on SNP leader
The SNP's Westminster leader has been told he still has questions to answer about whether he was paid to lobby the Scottish Government to help give planning permission to a renewables company.
David Walker
8 OCT 2024
Stephen Flynn has been urged to come clean over his involvement in a "cash-for-access lobbying scandal" which has engulfed the SNP Westminster leader. The MP was handed a cool £30,000 donation from an energy firm boss after he contacted Scottish Government ministers on their behalf.
This revelation came out weeks after Mr Flynn blasted the freebie culture within the UK Labour Government in a scathing Daily Record column. He hit out at Sir Keir Starmer and his top team receiving lavish gifts from donor Lord Alli as he said: "Of course, it's important to say that such clothing gifts come with no attachments.
"No none at all. They are all just from the kindness of a filthy-rich donor's heart." He has been called out for his "hypocrisy" after netting£30,000 from Allan MacAskill, co-chief technical officer of Flotation Energy after he contacted SNP ministers for help with their ongoing planning application.
Mr Flynn lobbied the Scottish Government about a "consent logjam" for its key offshore project last year. He emailed Energy Minister Gillian Martin on October 6 about the Green Volt scheme and forwarded correspondence he had received from the company seeking "a ministerial meeting to break consent logjam."
In April, the company received the green light for the floating wind farm off the Aberdeenshire coast, with a month later the SNP Westminster leader receiving the donation. The cash went towards the General Election campaign, withMr MacAskill the brother of former SNP Justice Secretary and now Alba Party politician Kenny MacAskill.
First Minister John Swinney was forced to defend his colleague on Monday as he told BBC Scotland News that the donation had "properly been declared." However, North East Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden has insisted that Mr Flynn still has questions to answer about the scandal and should publish all correspondence between him, the government and Flotation Energy.
He has written to the Aberdeen South MP to ask him whether he was promised the donation for his General Election campaign if he lobbied his colleagues in the Scottish Government over the project. He has also called for the Aberdeen South MP to publish all correspondence, including texts and WhatsApp messages, he had with SNP ministers, government officials and Mr MacAskill during the application process."
Announcing this on social media, Mr Lumsden wrote: "Stephen Flynn lobbied for a renewables boss – then received a £30k donation one month after SNP ministers approved their project. Did he lobby for the money? If he has nothing to hide, he should be able to provide answers. Otherwise, it will stink of more SNP secrecy."
In the letter he suggested that Mr Flynn has "many unanswered questions following what looks like a cash-for-access lobbying scandal. He added to the Daily Mail: "If it involved anyone else, Mr Flynn would be among the first to shout about this. It looks like shameless hypocrisy."
The Scottish Government said that Ms Martin wrote to the Nat MP confirming officials reviewed the information in his inquiry and were in regular contact with the Green Volt project team about the matter.
A spokesman for Mr Flynn previously said: “Stephen Flynn MP is a proud and vocal champion of Scotland’s journey to renewable energy, and he will always support important projects that bring jobs and investment to Aberdeen and communities across Scotland. Any local MP worth their salt would do everything they could to ensure vital renewable projects are delivered – and Stephen has a strong record in championing investment.”
Kenny and Allan are brothers you say? Nothing to see here and they're probably "sorry" anyway…just move on.
🤷♀🤷♀🤷♀🤷♀
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/world-news/bid-prove-innocence-prince-andrews-33861458
Bid to 'prove innocence' of Prince Andrew's 'dear friend' Ghislaine Maxwell rocked by murder
Lady Victoria Hervey is producing a television documentary to try and clear the name of Jeffrey Epstein's ex but has been forced to put it on hold after a violent crime amid concerns she herself could be in danger
Douglas Dickie
10 OCT 2024
A bold bid to 'prove the innocence' of Ghislaine Maxwell has been rocked by a murder. Maxwell, 62, is currently serving a 20-year sentence after being found guilty in the USA of child sex trafficking and other crimes related to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
She was allegedly friends with Prince Andrew and appears in an infamous photo of the disgraced Duke with Virginia Giuffre, who accused the royal of sexual assault, something he denies. Giuffre claimed the picture was taken at Maxwell's home in Belgravia, where the alleged assault is said to have taken place.
Maxwell, 62, once referred to him as a "dear friend" although Andrew's lawyers denied the pair were ever close. But one person who is willing to be known as a pal of the socialite is Lady Victoria Hervey.
She has launched a quest to clear Maxwell's name and is creating a documentary to support the case, insisting she is also in touch with Andrew and that Buckingham Palace is aware of her work. However, she has been rocked by the news someone she was set to interview has been murdered, reports the Daily Mail.
The Marquess of Bristol's sister, 48, said: "There was a hiccup - my witness was murdered in July in Chicago. It was listed as a violent crime. I'm taking a bit of time off, a little breather. I was talking to people with evidence, and one of them has been murdered."I wonder if Hervey might have shared details of the witness to have them "offed"?
Hervey, who also considers Andrew a friend, revealed she has had to move back to the UK from the US after getting involved in the documentary. She lived for two decades in LA but said: "It all started getting scary when I got involved with a new documentary about Ghislaine.
"A whistle-blower close to the girls for the past three years reached out to me, and I have been gathering evidence to support Ghislaine and Prince Andrew. I have been working undercover and it's dangerous.
"The powers that be over there know all about me. I even thought I was being followed. I've been writing to Ghislaine in prison and am in touch with Prince Andrew, but I can't discuss him, although the Palace is fully aware of what's going on."
Maxwell was in a relationship with Epstein in the early 90s and remained close with him until his death in 2019. Speaking about her apparent friendship with Andrew, she previously said: "I feel so bad for him. I follow what is happening to him."
"I accept that this friendship could not survive my conviction. He is paying such a price for the association. I consider him a dear friend. I care about him."
……………………………………………………continued……………………………………………
Still not a bad looking old tart. Pity she's working to cover up for child abuse.
https://youtu.be/IMRWD8AfxdA
Post Office inquiry: CEO Nick Read says he doesn't need to clear his name after criticism
Sky News
8.05M subscribers
5,031 views Oct 9, 2024 #postoffice #uknews #politics
The outgoing boss of the Post Office has said he does not need to clear his name following criticism of his leadership over the Horizon IT scandal.
Nick Read made the comments as he arrived for the first of three days of evidence to the inquiry into the scandal, in which more than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted for stealing cash because of faulty computer software.
https://youtu.be/MZTbv1zs1xQ
POST OFFICE SCANDAL: Were prosecutors paid BONUSES on number of sub-postmasters prosecuted?
The Scottish Sun
368K subscribers
25,548 views Oct 9, 2024 #postoffice #horizon #nickRead
Post Office Horizon IT inquiry continues with evidence from Nick Read, the chief executive of the Post Office
The chief executive of the Post Office has said he was not made aware of the “scale and enormity” of the Horizon IT scandal before he took the top job in 2019.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/glasgows-24m-heroin-shooting-gallery-33862226
Glasgow's £2.4m heroin 'shooting gallery' opening delayed as drug addicts face new wait
The UK's first ever Safer Drugs Consumption Facility was meant to open in Glasgow's Gallowgate on October 21, but this date has been pushed back.
David Walker
10 OCT 2024
The opening date of the UK's first ever state-of-the-art heroin "shooting gallery" has been delayed. Glasgow is set to open the £2.4m premises where drug addicts will be able to take illegal substances under the watchful eye of health workers and not be arrested.
It means they will be able to consume the likes of heroin and cocaine without fear of being detained by cops, and is seen as the "golden bullet" to stop rising numbers of drug deaths north of the border. But the effectiveness of the project has been questioned by some experts.
The Safer Drugs Consumption Facility on Hunter Street in Glasgow was due to open in a couple weeks time on October 21 but this date has been pushed back while checks are carried out on the building. It is situated in the east end, near the Barrowlands market and beside a pram shop.
It will allow people to consume illegal drugs under the supervision of clinicians 365 days a year from 9am to 9pm. It is hoped that this will make it safer for them to inject themselves, and for easier access to medical help.
Plans for a cannabis smoking area were axed by the council due to cost and red tape, but the opening has been delayed anyway. A local authority spokesperson said: “We are close to opening the UK’s first Safe Consumption Drug Facility and like any project of this scale, there are complexities which need to be worked out.
“Whilst we haven’t been able to meet our estimated opening date, all partners continue to work at pace to ensure that we get this service open as soon as possible. This will happen once the building passes the stringent NHS Assure process which has been put in place to ensure public safety.”
Concerns have been raised by the police about the impact of anti-social behaviour in the neighbouring area if addicts flock to the premises to take drugs. Drug dealing could become rife, although cops will have the power to arrest and charge those suspected of committing crimes.
A lengthy political battle ensued between the SNP and the Home Office to open the facility, with Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain announcing last year that heroin users won't be prosecuted. Plans are in the pipeline for more of the facilities to be opened in the likes of Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.
The safe consumption room in Glasgow will act as a pilot project to see if it helps reduce the number of deaths from drug misuse, with Scotland the drugs deaths capital of Europe. Figures for 2023 revealed that 1,172 people died from drug misuse - up 121 on the previous 12 months, representing a 12% increase.
It has booths for up to eight people to safely inject heroin or other drugs at any one time. The Scottish Government has agreed to make up to £2.3m a year available for the pilot.
Critics have urged other solutions to also be found to the crisis. Scottish Tory MSP Sue Webber previously said: "While a variety of solutions must be looked at to tackle Scotland’s drug deaths crisis, SNP ministers cannot keep acting like drug consumption rooms are a silver bullet.
"Scotland has the worst drugs deaths rate in Europe by far, and once again on the SNP’s watch they are heading in the wrong direction. Ministers must prioritise getting those suffering with addiction access to treatment wherever they need it." Campaigner Annemarie Ward described the facility as "palliative care" for addicts.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/dangerous-criminals-released-early-again-33864899
'Dangerous' criminals to be released early AGAIN under new SNP soft-touch justice plans
Scottish Government Justice Secretary Angela Constance confirmed that they want to release convicts serving less than a four-year sentence early, even if they have been convicted of a violent offence.
David Walker
10 OCT 2024
The Scottish Government confirmed that it would be releasing even more dangerous criminals early in a bid to combat prison overcrowding. Already, almost 500 offenders were let out of jail early this summer, with dozens of them reoffending and almost instantly being sent back behind bars.
But now Justice Secretary Angela Constance has revealed that prisoners serving a less than four-year sentence in Scotland will be let out early. It means people convicted of the likes of assault, drug dealing and drink driving will be allowed their freedom earlier than planned.
She told MSPs that cons will be released after 40% of their sentence as opposed to the current 50%, a move similar to a recent UK Government change. This will be done using emergency legislation which MSPs will have to vote on after recess, and could be done in a week.
Up to 390 prisoners could be released as those serving sentences under four years will now be eligible for release after serving just two-fifths of their sentence, rather than half.
Ms Constance said: "I intend to pursue a similar policy to change the point at which most short-term prisoners are released from the current 50% to after 40% of their sentence has been served. This proposal would come with statutory exclusions in relation to domestic abuse and sexual offences, recognising the particular concerns which will arise in relation to such offences.
"My intention is that any change of release point would apply to those already in custody to allow for both an immediate and sustained impact on the prison population. We estimate that the new release point, after being implemented, could result in the population being between 260 and 390 lower than it would be without any change."
She warned that she may have to ask Parliament to authorise the use of emergency early release again and that they will "begin contingency planning on this option." This summer, almost 477 people were let out of Scotland’s prisons, with 57 of them having since returned, due to the increasing population.
Critics blasted the government for once again "panicking" and for spending years not fixing the overcrowding issue in Scotland's prisons. There are 8322 people in custody, well over the target of 8,007.
Scottish Tory Justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: "When I last in this brief between 2017 and 2021 I recall frequently discussing the ballooning prison population and what to do about it. Yet today, it is at record highs, and as the Cabinet Secretary concedes, it's projected to continue to rise.
"Now what strikes me coming back is that despite promises several years ago, there is still no long-term holistic strategy and route map to address the prison system within the principles of justice and due regard for victims that will avoid panicked measures from this government.
"I find it extraordinary that 17 years of SNP Justice Secretaries have failed to strategise a proper plan." He pointed out that Ms Constance was bringing back automatic early releases "undermining our justice system, undermining sentencing and throwing victims under a bus.
"Rather than continually failing Scotland’s victims, the SNP should apply some common sense and focus on delivering the long overdue new prisons in Glasgow and the Highlands to alleviate the prison population crisis. Resorting to failed early-release schemes shows how disconnected the SNP are from the public, who expect offenders to serve meaningful sentences. Rather than burying their heads in the sand, nationalist ministers must tackle this crisis and stop keeping victims in the dark.”
Ms Constance was asked by Scottish Labour Justice spokeswoman Katy Clark to block violent offenders from being let out early but failed to confirm that this would happen.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/john-swinney-rattled-fmqs-accused-33862354
John Swinney rattled at FMQs as he is accused of being 'softer on crime than even Nicola Sturgeon'
The First Minister was forced to defend the Scottish Government's record on crime amid claims that dangerous criminals are set to be released early from prisons.
David Walker
10 OCT 2024
John Swinney was noticeably rattled at First Minister Questions on Thursday as he was accused of being "even softer on crime than Nicola Sturgeon" as the SNP is set to release "the most dangerous" prisoners early from jail. Russell Findlay described how victims groups were concerned that rapists and child abusers could be let out of prison.
The Scottish Government is set to make an announcement later on which will allegedly see the automatic early release of long-term prisoners, something which the Nationalist Executive axed back in 2015. But overcrowding in the prison estate means that cells are full and officers are concerned for their safety.
Almost 500 offenders were already let out early from their sentences, with dozens of these already re-offending and being sent back behind bars. Despite this, the SNP's soft-touch approach to justice will mean that even more convicts will be allowed to roam the street despite committing heinous crimes like rape.
Scottish Tory leader Mr Findlay confronted Mr Swinney about this as he compared him unfavourably to his predecessor who was also known for being soft on crime. He said: "Weeks ago, the SNP released almost 500 prisoners early, before they had served their sentences, and in 98% of those cases, victims were not even told.
"The government is now considering the early release of some of the most dangerous criminals in Scotland…In 2015, John Swinney's government ended automatic early release of prisoners serving sentences of more than four years. My party voted against it because we believe it should have gone further by apply to both short and long-term prisoners, and so did the SNP at least at one stage.
"Nicola Sturgeon even said, and I quote, 'our objective remains to end the policy of automatic early release completely.' John Swinney might be even softer on crime than Nicola Sturgeon. Victims groups believe that killers, rapists, domestic abusers, drug dealers and child rapists could be freed early."
Mr Findlay went on to list some sentences of criminals who could be released early, including seven years for raping a 10-year-old girl, nine years for stabbing a man to death, five years for sexually abusing four young boys. He added: "All of those criminals and many, many others like them could be let out early."
He went on: "Over the past 17 years, the SNP have relentlessly weakened justice in Scotland. Criminals already get away with inflicting pain and misery on innocent people due to the SNP's failure to tackle crime. Victims and the law-abiding majority are paying the price.
"For far too long the SNP's justice system has sided with criminals and not victims. Police issuing a slap on the wrist for serious crimes, the Crown Office diverting criminals from prosecution and prisoners not serving sentences imposed by the independent justiciary. There is a stunning lack of common sense that is leaving people feeling that this parliament does not represent them. Why has the government stacked the entire justice system against crime victims?"
In response, Mr Swinney said there were currently 8,322 people behind bars, well over the safe limits. He said: "Our prisons are absolutely bursting at the seams. Scotland imprisons more offenders per head of population than most other European countries."
He then accused his Tory rival of "putting complete nonsense to him" over his accusations that the SNP were in favour of soft-touch justice. He said: "That is patently untrue. Over the last decade, the average length of prison sentences has increased by 32%. That statistic alone proves Russell Findlay is putting complete nonsense to me at First Minister’s Questions.”
https://youtu.be/g27HNuS3rQo
SNP considering early release of 'killers, domestic abusers, drug dealers' says Tory Russell Findlay
The Scottish Sun
369K subscribers
Oct 10, 2024 #scotland #russellFindlay #johnSwinney
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay raised fears about the kind of prisoners who could be granted their freedom if ministers opt for a repeat of the early release scheme.
Pressing Mr Swinney during First Minister’s Questions at the Scottish Parliament, Mr Findlay said: “The Government is now considering the early release of some of the most dangerous criminals in Scotland.”
He added that victims’ groups fear “killers, rapists, domestic abusers, drug dealers and child abusers could be freed early”.
Mr Findlay added: “Let’s take a look at the kind of criminals we could be talking about if a new form of SNP early release is announced today.
“Here’s some examples of recent sentences imposed by Scottish courts – seven years for raping a 10-year-old girl, nine years for stabbing a man to death, five years for sexually abusing four young boys.
“All of these criminals, and many, many others like them, could be let out early.”
https://youtu.be/kxfKfshvEoM
POST OFFICE SCANDAL: Huge amount of police requests for Horizon-based evidence 'surprised' boss
The Scottish Sun
369K subscribers
Oct 10, 2024 #postoffice #horizon #nickRead
Post Office Horizon IT inquiry continues with evidence from Nick Read, chief executive of the Post Office.
In the inquiry on Thursday, Mr Read said he was “surprised” at the “scale” of interest from the police, after learning that 33 investigations into branches were being carried out in June this year.
The current boss was asked about the organisation’s response to the fact that 22 police forces were investigating Post Office branches.
Mr Nick Read said: “I think there was some surprise at the scale of requests in terms of the 22 law enforcement agencies and the 33 requests.
“I think we were of the opinion that it was in the ones and twos in terms of requests for information… the primary discomfort was the size and the number of the requests that were coming forward.”
The inquiry heard that the police were “requesting or awaiting Horizon-based evidence” for their investigations.
Mr Read told the inquiry that its internal investigations team was “massively stretched” at the time that the police were engaging with the business.
https://youtu.be/-vqzKIDnjTI
Scottish Green Party Debate: Free Bus Travel for Asylum Seekers - 9 October 2024
The Scottish Parliament
22.9K subscribers
151 views Oct 9, 2024
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/tv/prince-philip-profumo-affair-just-33843602
Prince Philip and the Profumo Affair: Just who WAS the naked man in the mask at swinging sex parties?
After FBI cables revealed more evidence that Prince Philip was 'involved' with Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies, will the famous scandal from the Swinging Sixties be the next royal story to be televised?
Ben Borland
8 OCT 2024
The success of the Prince Andrew dramas on Netflix and Amazon Prime has left TV executives scrambling for other royal scandals to turn into streaming mini-series.
One topic which must be under consideration is the Profumo Affair, which blew up in 1963 involving Russian spies, Government ministers, members of the British aristocracy and an array of nubile young women led by Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies.
For many, the scandal kicked off the Swinging Sixties and the new era of sexual freedom that would sweep through London and other towns and cities in the previously buttoned-up British Isles – even reaching Buckingham Palace.
The affair is given extra spice by the rumours of royal involvement, which are still being talked about more than 60 years later. In July, historic FBI files were uncovered claiming that Prince Philip was "involved" with Keeler and Rice-Davies, who were both models and 'showgirls'.
The bombshell documents were obtained by the Mail on Sunday after a five-year freedom of information battle with the US Department of Justice. They reveal that an American businessman in London named Thomas Corbally was passing scandalous gossip to the FBI.
Former Director of the FBI, J Edgar Hoover, wrote in a cable to the US embassy in London on June 20, 1963: "Corbally also stated there was a rumour Prince Philip may have been involved with these two girls."
The files also suggest the Duke of Edinburgh was introduced to Keeler and Rice-Davies by Stephen Ward, the high-society osteopath and socialite who was later tried for "living off immoral earnings" – essentially, acting as a 'pimp'.
It was Ward who introduced Keeler, then 19, to the 46-year-old Secretary of War John Profumo. When it later emerged she was also sharing a bed with Captain Yevgeny Ivanov, a Soviet naval attaché, a huge scandal blew up that almost brought down Harold Macmillan's Tory government.
The scandal featured in The Crown, when Philip – played by Matt Smith – visits Ward for help with his neck pain. They bond and Ward invites the playboy Duke, who turned 42 in 1963, to one of his infamous weekend parties. When he sees a picture of Keeler, who will be attending the party along with Rice-Davies, he quips: "Do you know, my neck's feeling better already."
At the time, the Daily Mirror printed a story under the headline 'Prince Philip and the Profumo Scandal' before insisting the "foul rumour" was entirely false (without making it clear what the rumour was). Ward himself claimed Philip had attended at least one of his parties at Cavendish Square accompanied by "a very attractive girl called Mitzi Taylor".
In a tragic twist, the osteopath took a fatal overdose of sleeping tablets at the end of his trial and slipped into a coma before the jury could find him guilty. This was far from the end of the scandal – in fact, the rumour mill went even further into overdrive, especially across the Atlantic.
The Washington Star quoted Rice-Davies (who famously replied "Well, he would say that wouldn't he?" when questioned under oath about Lord Astor denying they had an affair) saying "there was a dinner party where a naked man wearing a mask waited on table like a slave".
And the US columnist Dorothy Kilgallen wrote: "The authorities searching the apartment of one of the principals in the case came upon a photograph showing a key figure disporting with a bevy of ladies. All were nude except for the gentleman in the picture who was wearing an apron. And this is a man who has been on extremely friendly terms with the very proper Queen and members of her immediate family!"
His identify has never been revealed, although Private Eye magazine went so far as to label the Duke 'the Naked Waiter'. The Profumo Affair has featured in many TV shows and films over the years, but will the appetite for royal scandal be enough to see it brought to life once again?
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/uk-news/kate-middleton-makes-unexpected-first-33865630
Kate Middleton makes unexpected first public appearance since cancer treatment for special reason
Royal sources say she decided to join Prince William to show her 'support, empathy and compassion to the local community'
Mark Connor
10 OCT 2024
Kate Middleton has made an unexpected appearance alongside the Prince of Wales on a visit to Southport, where they held a private meeting with the bereaved families of three children killed in a knife attack in July.
This was the Princess of Wales’ first official public engagement since she finished her chemotherapy treatment. Royal sources say she decided to join Prince William to show her “support, empathy and compassion to the local community”, reports the BBC.
The couple spoke to emergency responders who helped at the scene of the devastating knife attack in the north-west seaside town. The royal visit to Southport had been planned as a low key event, to allow time to be spent in private with families of the three children who died and with the dance teacher who was present during the attack.
But Catherine was a surprise addition as she made one of only a handful of public appearances this year, since revealing her cancer diagnosis. With her chemotherapy having ended, she has started a gradual return to work, including meetings about her early years campaign last month.
However, this is the biggest moment so far in returning to royal duties. Catherine has spoken of having “good days and bad days” and Kensington Palace has cautioned that her appearances might have to be flexible and be subject to last minute changes.
The visit to Southport was intended by Prince William and Catherine to show the community that it had “not been forgotten”. The prince and princess heard about efforts to bring the community together after the knife attack.
Three children were killed on 29 July, 2024, in the attack on a children’s dance group. Ten other people – eight of whom were children – were injured. Axel Rudakubana, 17, was arrested at the scene and has been charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.
The royal couple also met emergency workers from police and the health services who were called out to the attack.
Prince William and Catherine have campaigned about the importance of being open about mental health problems and their visit included talking to mental health practitioners who supported emergency responders who had faced such disturbing scenes.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13672178/prosecutors-drop-human-trafficking-probe/
NO FURTHER ACTION Prosecutors drop human trafficking probe after Stagecoach founder Dame Ann Gloag & three others charged
Dame Ann has strongly denied the charges since the beginning
Ryan McDougall
9 Oct 2024
A HUMAN trafficking probe centred around Scotland's richest woman and three family members has been dropped.
In January 2023, Dame Ann Gloag, co-founder of Stagecoach, was charged alongside three family members by Police Scotland over alleged human trafficking and immigration offences.
Dame Ann has strongly denied the charges since the beginning and, today, COPFS said it would take no further proceedings against her or the three others - understood to be husband David McCleary, her stepdaughter Sarah Gloag and her son-in-law Paul McNeil.
The service said they would only continue with proceedings in future if further evidence became available.
A spokesperson for COPFS said: “The procurator fiscal received a report relating to two females then aged 81 and 48 and two males then aged 73 and 54, and incidents alleged to have occurred between 2007 and 2022.
“After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the available admissible evidence, independent Crown Counsel instructed that there should be no proceedings taken at this time.
“The Crown reserves the right to proceed in the future should further evidence become available, and it is in the public interest to do so.”
A spokesperson for Dame Ann said: “Dame Ann Gloag welcomes the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s decision not to pursue the charges against her and her family members.
“The threat that these malicious allegations have posed to Dame Ann’s legacy has been devastating and acute.
“The resulting waste of public funds and police time is deeply concerning and raises serious questions."
“Dame Ann looks forward to moving forward with her life and will take time to reflect on the future focus of her charitable giving.”
Dame Ann co-founded the Stagecoach bus company in 1980, with her brother Sir Brian Souter, and was made a dame for her business and charity work.
The company is the UK’s biggest bus and coach operator, and is now managed by DWS Infrastructure.
Dame Ann also founded the Gloag Foundation, a charitable trust which works to support projects that “prevent or relieve poverty and encourage the advancement of education, health and religion in the UK and overseas”, according to its website.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13652251/cops-frustrated-by-slow-progress-of-snp-police-probe/
WAITING GAME Police Scotland ‘frustrated’ by slow progress of SNP probe amid concerns Crown Office ‘dragging inquiry out’
A former top police official has raised major concerns over the delays to the SNP embezzlement probe
Conor Matchett
6 Oct 2024
COPS are “frustrated” about the slow progress of the probe into alleged embezzlement from the SNP it has been claimed - two months after officers passed the case to prosecutors.
It comes amid reports that £100,000 of spending by the Nats on a “media suite” for their Edinburgh HQ is part of the investigation.
But Calum Steele, the ex-general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation which represents rank-and-file officers, said cops felt the Crown Office was “trying to drag the inquiry out”.
He said: “The police service will be delighted attention is finally on the Crown as they felt frustrated that the COPFS was trying to drag the inquiry out by asking the police to do more and more.
“Now only they can answer why the delay."
Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the SNP and husband of Nicola Sturgeon, was charged in April in connection with alleged embezzlement from the party.
The ex-First Minister and ex-SNP treasurer Colin Beattie also remain under investigation over allegations linked to the spending of around £600,000 of crowdfunded donations to Nats for an indy push, first launched in 2021.
And in May this year the Crown Office confirmed they had received a “standard prosecution report” about Mr Murrell’s case, adding “professional prosecutors” would “review this report”.
But it was revealed last month that Police Scotland had handed over a full investigation report to the Crown and that they would “await their direction on what further action should be taken”.
Last night, Scottish Tory party chairman Craig Hoy said it was “understandable” questions were now being asked about why the probe is taking so long.
He said: “This is clearly a long and complex investigation, and that’s why it’s important the police and crown office are as transparent as possible.
“It’s understandable that people are asking why this case is taking so long to progress. There may well be good reasons for that but many following it are wanting the authorities to get on with it.
“As the probe continues the SNP must continue to fully cooperate.”
It comes after top defence lawyer Thomas Leonard Ross said the “clock is running” on the charges against Mr Murrell.
He added: “Once somebody is charged then they have the right to a trial within a reasonable time.
“The police inquiry cannot go on indefinitely."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "On 9 August, 2024, we presented the findings of the investigation so far to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and we await their direction on what further action should be taken.”
The Crown Office referred back to their statement on May 23, in which they said: "Decisions on how to proceed are taken by prosecutors acting independently, and are based upon available evidence, legal principles, and the merits of each case.
"They are not influenced by political events."
An SNP spokeswoman said: “As this case remains active, it would be inappropriate to comment.”
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13641828/labour-companies-breakfast-cash-business-secretary/
CASH FOR CROISSANTS Labour faces fresh row after offering companies breakfast with Business Secretary for £30,000
Shadow minister Andrew Griffith warned: 'This is a clear offer to bend the Business Secretary’s ear over government policy'
Harry Cole
3 Oct 2024
LABOUR is facing a fresh row after offering companies breakfast with the Business Secretary in return for £30,000.
The party invited bosses to a plush restaurant for the “rare chance” to “gain insight” from Jonathan Reynolds in return for sponsorship of the meal.
Those willing to cough up for their croissants are offered “distinct benefits” at the exclusive event — limited to just ten tickets.
For £15,000 they were offered a photo with the minister, but for the full £30,000 they got to choose who can come to the “dynamic meeting of business minds”.
Our exposé comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer battles cash for access allegations over his top freebie donor Lord Alli, who he handed a Downing Street pass.
In a pitch prepared by the Labour Party’s commercial team and emailed yesterday, invitees to The Ivy restaurant in Manchester are promised “a rare chance to gain insights, network and exchange ideas amongst peers and a Government minister”.
It adds: “We have carefully curated a package that offer [sic] distinct benefits, ensuring your brand receives optimal exposure and engagement during the event.”
The invitation was circulated to businesses by Liam Didsbury, who until recently was the Labour Party’s North West director.
'Clumsily worded' claim
After working for the party for more than 12 years he set up lobbying firm IEI Group, but yesterday insisted the business event had been organised by the party rather than his company.
His CV boasts numerous by-election wins and organising Sir Keir’s manifesto launch in June, as well as a “well established network” in the government.
Labour sources confirmed the invitation was genuine but said that while it was part of engaging with business, it was clumsily worded.
When quizzed by The Sun, allies of Mr Reynolds said he would no longer be taking part.
A Labour spokesman said: “He was completely unaware, and isn’t attending.”
Shadow minister Andrew Griffiths warned: “This is a clear offer to bend the Business Secretary’s ear over government policy.”
He added: “There are proper channels through which businesses can engage with the government on policy matters but this is something completely different and won’t appear in any public record.
“Labour has been in office for less than 100 days but we can already add ‘cash for croissants’ to ‘passes for glasses’ in the growing list of scandals engulfing this government.”
Labour has faced weeks of cash for access allegations after Sir Keir received freebies worth tens of thousands from his pal Lord Alli.
In the so-called “passes for glasses” row, the Labour peer was forced to return a Downing Street access card given to him after he donated suits and expensive eye-wear to the Prime Minister.
Sir Keir also stayed in the businessman’s luxury London penthouse during the general election — and questions remain over exactly what role Lord Alli played in Labour’s election campaign.
To try to quell the growing row, Sir Keir this week agreed to hand back more than £6,000 of donations and said he was tightening the rules over ministers’ gifts.
But the Tories have been quick to highlight the hypocrisy of his freeloading after repeated vows to clean up politics ahead of July’s election.
Labour was also forced to return donations in the early days of the Tony Blair government in 1997 after it was revealed the then boss of F1 Bernie Ecclestone handed the party £1million before the sport was made exempt from a tobacco ads ban.
……………………………………………………………………………..continued…………………………………………………………………………….
'ACCESS CHARGE' STORM
By Harry Cole
FIRST it was civil service jobs for cronies, then it was “Passes for Glasses”.
Next it was dresses for the missus and a Swift u-turn on tickets for Taylor.
Now the self-appointed sleaze-buster Sir Keir Starmer has been hit by “Cash for Croissants.”
I’m sure it’s expensive to have breakfast at The Ivy, but £30,000 to sit down with a Cabinet minister stinks.
And what are these “distinct benefits” those with such deep pockets are promised in return for their early morning lucre?
I feel a little sorry for Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds - he has clearly been stitched up like a fresh kipper here.
There is no suggestion that he was aware he was being pimped out to the highest business bidder and he has been badly let down by his greedy party apparatchiks.
The speed in which he ditched attending this event adds an authenticity to his insistence he was unaware of this tawdry pitch from Labour’s tin-shakers.
But such quarter would never have been afforded to a Tory minister under the last Government.
I don’t make the rules.
Sir Keir Starmer set them when he promised to be whiter than whiter and do things differently.
Selling access to ministers is unethical at best, but also poses massive Ministerial Code problems: how many other similar events have already taken place?
No doubt Labour will scream in response that this is no different from the sort of ruse pulled by those evil Tories, but that misses the point.
Starmer promised a new era, he promised to be different.
He promised the days of sleaze are gone.
But I’ve said it before, and I will say it again… Here we have the man who stood on the steps of Downing Street promising that trust in politics could only be “healed by actions not words”, speaking with a forked tongue.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13655091/chris-musson-hope-holyrood-actually-improves-lot/
Comment - News/Politics
CHRIS MUSSON Scotland’s big problems have got worse since devolution & there’s a lack of meaningful activity at Holyrood
Devolution is undoubtedly a good thing. But some of the veneration has gone beyond unjustified to cringeworthy.
Chris Musson
6 Oct 2024
THERE has been much fawning over the Scottish Parliament this year due to its 25th anniversary.
Celebrations peaked with the King’s visit last weekend, during which the self-congratulation and unquestioning reverence of Holyrood was off the scale.
Devolution is undoubtedly a good thing. But some of the veneration has gone beyond unjustified to cringeworthy.
On the day of the King’s trip, John Swinney declared the Scottish Parliament to be “a vessel of enlightenment, invention and creativity”.
People who have trotted out such drivel, including the First Minister, need to give themselves a good shake.
This silly obsequiousness distracts from the parliament’s obvious shortcomings — chiefly, the lack of meaningful activity.
Anyone who has sat through even half an hour of the scripted debates, planted ministerial questions and incessant mediocrity at Holyrood would find Mr Swinney’s description laughable.
This is a parliament which costs £140million a year to run, with a chamber which sits three afternoons a week — and not once in July and August.
It’s about to clock off for a fortnight’s break, six weeks after returning.
It’s a parliament ripe for being gamed by the governing party — enabled by rigid debating rules — to stifle open discussion and the proper holding to account of ministers.
In his speech at the Scottish Parliament’s opening in 1999, Donald Dewar said it must be “a means to greater ends” for the Scottish people, to “better their lot”.
Decisions are best made closer to home. But it is a matter of fact that Scotland’s big problems have not merely remained unresolved since devolution, but have got worse. Look at education and declining school standards.
Look at the NHS — getting worse before Covid, and still is despite the strategies emerging from this supposed vessel of ingenuity.
Where are the big discussions on solutions about health and education? That must be all they talk about in the chamber given they are key devolved policies? Right? Wrong.
On one day last month, just half an hour was set aside during a chamber session on NHS winter preparedness.
Grievance-stoking
The same afternoon, SNP ministers allocated more than two hours for a debate on the Westminster Budget, which MSPs have no say on.
It was designed as a damage limitation and grievance-stoking exercise, and to soak up parliamentary time.
Last week, a statement on Holyrood’s self-declared housing crisis was a carefully choreographed exercise involving ministers effectively putting their fingers in their ears while shouting that it’s Westminster’s fault.
This is the opposite of “enlightenment”.
On many days it’s a genuine struggle to connect the words and actions of MSPs to ordinary people’s everyday lives.
………………………………………………………………………………………continued……………………………………………………………………………….
To understand how infuriating a place Holyrood can be, it’s worth understanding the environment.
The building is like a concrete maze with swathes of it like the Mary Celeste.
It’s easy to get trapped in stairwells — where exit points are security doors — if your pass is on the blink or you leave it on your desk.
There’s little or no mobile reception in the building, fuelling a sense of claustrophobia.
And it is eerily silent. Feeling nervous and like an imposter in my early days there, that silence fuelled a kind of paranoia — maybe nobody speaks, as they’re all in the know, unlike me?
It is sterile, uninspiring. The chamber is like an exam hall, apparently designed with social distancing in mind, decades before Covid.
Recent years have seen oppressive additions like the sexual harassment signs plastered around the building, placed at points where people may linger — in lifts, or at tea and coffee points.
I‘m no fan of sex pests but I do wonder if those who cannot control their urges would self-moderate due to a sign saying ‘Sexual harassment has no place at the Parliament’.
The parliamentary authorities are obsessed with control — the kind of folk who make journalists stand in pens, making it easier for politicians to simply walk past.
Expect an officious email if you stray into the wrong corridor or try to ask a politician a question in the “wrong” area of the maze.
Someone among the legions of staff quietly going about their business, avoiding eye contact, is doubtless responsible for signs and rules. To be frank, I haven’t a clue what many of these people do, but I do know it hasn’t fixed the NHS or schools.
More than 12 years after I first walked in as a politics reporter, I think I’ve worked out what is going on in Holyrood most of the time: Not very much. Perhaps that’s why it’s so quiet.
There’s a great many people busying themselves with daily drudgery in a building which cost £414million to build, and costs an arm and a leg to run.
But “a vessel of enlightenment, invention and creativity”? Come on.
Devolution maybe 25 years old, but you’re lucky there’s 25 minutes well spent each week on issues affecting people’s daily lives.
Accountability was one of the founding principles of the parliament.
But the sad reality is that due to failings of its incumbents, Holyrood has become an institution whose main role is to blame another institution — Westminster — for its own shortcomings.
For the next 25 years, a whole new outlook is required — one of seeking solutions, not finding problems.
Otherwise, 2024’s year of backslapping is going to look a bit daft when the history books are written.
Knock it down. Start again.>>21747660
Might as well, with inflation they could probably scam us out of over a billion this time round.Win win for the parasites.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13676143/scotland-dangerous-criminals-released-early/
FREEDOM BID Almost 400 more criminals to be released early from Scotland’s prisons
It comes after dozens of inmates who were released in the summer ended back up in jail just weeks later
Chris Musson
10 Oct 2024
HUNDREDS more cons are to be freed early by SNP ministers in the coming weeks despite violent re-offending by many released in a similar scheme this summer.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said those serving sentences of under four years would have their automatic release point from half of their sentence to 40 per cent.
It means sentences are to be cut for thousands of inmates currently behind bars - starting with up to 390 cons who will walk free early, as soon as emergency legislation is passed at Holyrood.
The early-release scheme, echoing a move by UK Government ministers, comes as authorities desperately try to ease the pressure on Scottish jails.
But amid public outcry over dangerous cons being freed early, Ms Constance rowed back from plans for longer-term prisoners' sentences being cut, citing to “significant practical difficulties”.
Ahead of Ms Constance's address, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay told First Minister's Questions that people in the “real world” could not get their heads around cons not serving full sentences.
However, it emerged last week that 57 - one in nine - had already reoffended and ended up back in jail before the end of their original sentence.
But last week Nats ministers predicted that despite the mass release of prisoners Scotland’s prison population could swell to as high as 9,250 by the start of next year, up by 1,300.
It already sits at just over 8,300, well above the target population of 8,007.
Ms Constance told MSPs: "I intend to pursue a similar policy (to the UK Government) to change the point at which most short-term prisoners are released from the current 50 per cent to after 40 per cent of their sentence has been served.
"This proposal would come with statutory exclusions in relation to domestic abuse and sexual offences, recognising the particular concerns which will arise in relation to such offences."
A new Bill will be required in Holyrood to make the changes, which Ms Constance said would be taken forward on an emergency basis, which could allow it to be passed in just three days by MSPs.
…………………………………………………………………………………continued……………………………………………………………………………..
The Scottish Government launched a consultation on the earlier release of long-term prisoners earlier this year, but Ms Constance said she'd decided against such a move.
The consultation could have resulted in the automatic release date for longer term offenders to be brought forward, but she said: "There was notable support for increasing the time some long-term prisoners spend in the community under supervision as part of their sentence, and recognition of the benefits this can bring.
"However, there were also concerns that changing the long-term prisoner release point at pace would present significant practical difficulties.
"Given the need for any changes to take effect quickly, this prompted an exploration of alternative approaches."
Earlier at Holyrood, Tory boss Mr Findlay warned against freeing prisoners - especially long-term inmates - early.
He asked Mr Swinney if he'd ever find it acceptable to release criminals guilty of crimes like sex offences against children, before their minimum time behind bars.
Mr Swinney responded by saying sentencing policy was for the courts and the judiciary must be independent, adding that prisons are “bursting at the seams”.
But Mr Findlay said Mr Swinney was “trashing judicial independence” by ordering early release of prisoners before they had served the sentences imposed by judges.
It comes just months after 477 prisoners were released early in June and July with the aim of freeing up space in jails.
Ms Constance said she could not rule this out - again - alongside the wider policy of cutting all short-term sentences.
She said: "It is not my intention to ask Parliament to authorise the use of emergency early release again at this stage.
"However, I am aware that if it is necessary and there is no alternative, it may be needed."
At FMQs, Mr Swinney insisted the Scottish Government would "take a responsible approach" to the issue, adding that ministers will "always take into account the perspectives and the views of victims".
But Mr Findlay condemned the SNP Government for the "catastrophic state" of Scotland's prisons.
He said: "Over the past 17 years the SNP have relentlessly weakened justice in Scotland, criminals already get away with inflicting pain and misery on innocent people due to the SNP's failure to tackle crime. Victims and the law abiding majority are paying the price.
"For far too long the SNP's justice system has sided with criminals and not victims."
But Mr Swinney insisted those claims were "patently untrue" and "complete nonsense".
Mr Swinney added: "Fundamentally there is a difficulty about the rise in the prison population, the prison population this morning is sitting at 8,322, it's a very high level.
"Ministers are concerned for the wellbeing of prison officer staff and for prisoners as a consequence of the level of congestion there is in our prisons."
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13666666/labour-taylor-swift-escort-wembley-tickets/
TAYLOR-MADE EXIT Top Labour politicians ‘pressed’ cops to give Taylor Swift royal-style escort to Wembley gig – then landed free tickets
Scroll down to see a list of Labour MPs who have received THOUSANDS in gifts
Mike Sullivan
8 Oct 2024
TOP Labour politicians have been accused of pressing police to give Taylor Swift a royalty-style blue-light escort to Wembley.
Cops were reluctant to grant her the VVIP service — which comes at a huge expense to the taxpayer.
Swift’s mum and manager, Andrea, is said to have threatened to axe the August shows unless a police convoy was provided.
It followed a foiled suicide bomb plot in Austria the previous week.
Senior cops agreed to it after personal interventions by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
VVIP protection is usually for senior royalty and politicians.
Even Prince Harry would not get the same treatment after losing a court case over the downgrading of his security.
The Special Escort Group of motorcyclists has a strict policy of not being used for private individuals.
It is understood that chiefs opposed providing protection for billionaire Swift, 34, and her entourage.
Revelations over the security wrangle come after Labour politicians have been criticised for devouring freebies.
PM Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Khan were among those who received free tickets for the Wembley gigs.
Ex-Met commander John O’Connor insisted: “Police should be left alone to make operational decisions.
“This interference creates a perception there is no such thing as a free lunch or concert tickets. The Met is unable to provide security for Prince Harry but he must be in at least as much danger as Taylor Swift.
Terror fears
“The SEG is dedicated to the very serious business of protecting the Royal Family, senior government ministers and foreign heads of state. This is an abuse of an elite service.”
Three of Swift’s shows were axed in Vienna over fears of terrorism.
An intelligence assessment was then carried out by UK police and MI5 but there was no information of a threat to the US star’s Wembley shows.
But sources said her mum demanded a police escort for the journey to and from Wembley from a hotel.
…………………………………………………………………………………………….continued………………………………………………………………………………………………
"The SEG has a specific role and do not provide security cover for any private individuals, no matter how important"
– A source
One source said: “There was a great deal of concern about security in the Swift camp and they were threatening to call off the shows unless there was a police escort.
“The SEG has a specific role and do not provide security cover for any private individuals, no matter how important.”
After the SEG’s initial refusal, it's understood the office of Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley intervened.
Sources say Ms Cooper stressed to the Met that any cancellation would be economically damaging and embarrassing.
But SEG controllers are said to have remained steadfast.
A source said: “At this point, Mayor Khan stepped in and contacted the Met.
“The Mayor had apparently been contacted by the Home Secretary’s office and Swift’s management.
“The involvement of the Home Secretary and Mayor effectively amounts to applying pressure.
“The SEG finally agreed to make an exception to their policy and the Vienna terrorist arrests were used to justify the decision.
But there was no specific threat to Swift and the SEG were not happy about being used as her private bodyguards. They feel their position and role has been undermined.”
None of the SEG officers was armed as they normally are for official State duties.
Ordinary police motorcyclists were used at Swift’s Edinburgh and Cardiff gigs.
She thanked the police for helping her Wembley gigs to go ahead.
She said: “We commend the police for their work to ensure these events went off smoothly and safely.”
'Operationally independent'
The Met said: “The Met is operationally independent. Our decision-making is based on a thorough assessment of threat, risk and harm and circumstances of each case.”
A Home Office source said: “This was an operational decision for the police. Of course, when events of this scale take place you would expect the Government, the Mayor’s office and the Met Police to work together to ensure they can be held safely and securely.”
A spokesman for the Mayor said: “We don’t comment on the Met’s security arrangements.”
PM Sir Keir has offered to refund free tickets worth £4,000 that he received for Swift’s August concerts.
He is not paying back the cost of four tickets for a show in June he attended with his wife Victoria.
……………………………………………………………………………………………continued………………………………………………………………………………………….
Plus 4 more Labour MPs.
---------------------------------------—
Escort will divide opinion
By Mike Sullivan
THE special police escort provided for Taylor Swift will divide opinion.
On the one hand, the Home Secretary and London Mayor deserve congratulations for helping to ensure the US singer’s concerts went ahead in August.
But the flip side of the coin entailed sacrificing the principles and protocols of the Met’s elite Special Escort Group.
Their role is to serve the state and provide professional - and often armed - mobile protection for Royalty and senior Government ministers.
Using them as traffic assistants for a pop star denigrates their purpose.
It was understandable that Taylor Swift and her mother should have been alarmed by the events in Vienna and the cancellation of three shows there.
However, the concerts could easily have gone ahead there and I strongly suspect they would have done so in this country.
The Vienna suspects had all been rounded up and the bomb-making material found was crude and unviable.
There was no intelligence of any threat to Swift’s London concerts.
So at the risk of inflaming Swifties, it feels to me like a pop princess, or her mother, believed they were too important to be caught up in traffic like mere commoners.
The politicians did well to pamper the Swifts - but at what cost?
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/lord-advocate-refuses-comment-operation-33865843
Lord Advocate refuses to comment on Operation Branchform as investigation into SNP finances drags on
Dorothy Bain was tight-lipped when asked questions by reporters in the Scottish Parliament.
Chris McCall
10 OCT 2024
Scotland's top law officer has blanked questions on why the investigation into SNP finances has taken so long.
Dorothy Bain, the Lord Advocate, remained tight-lipped when quizzed by reporters in the Scottish Parliament today.
The King's Counsel, who is the head of Scotland's prosecution service, was in Holyrood to make a statement to MSPs on measures aimed at reducing the remand population in prisons.
After she exited the Parliament chamber, Bain faced several questions from waiting journalists on Operation Branchform but offered no comment.
The Lord Advocate, who is a member of the Scottish Government, has no involvement in the direction of the investigation after being required to recuse herself.
Branchform was launched by Police Scotland in July 2021 following several complaints from members of the public on how the SNP had spent donations supposedly ring-fenced for independence campaigning.
The police probe was initially focused on how cash raised in 2017 and 2019 as part of a referendum appeal was spent.
Police Scotland’s chief constable admitted in 2023 the investigation had “moved beyond” the initial inquiries of alleged fraud. This wider probe is related to evidence of embezzlement.
Murrell and Sturgeon’s home was searched in April last year and police are investigating purchases believed to have been made with party cash.
Sturgeon, her husband and former SNP CEO Peter Murrell, and former treasurer Colin Beattie were all arrested and questioned as suspects last year before released without charge
Murrell, 59, was charged with the embezzlement of funds in April. Crown Office prosecutors have yet to issue information on if any further action will be taken.
It was revealed in August that police had sent prosecutors an "advice and guidance report" on the overall investigation, looking for formal advice on what they should do next.
A spokesperson said at the time: "On August 9, we presented the findings of the investigation so far to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and we await their direction on what further action should be taken."
And Chief Constable Jo Farrell said earlier this month the force hadn’t heard back and "was still awaiting direction".
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-links-sanjeev-gupta-criticised-33866118
SNP links to Sanjeev Gupta criticised as he is prosecuted over failure to file accounts
Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney agreed a deal to sell Lochaber smelter to Sanjeev Gupta for just £5, while also putting £586m of taxpayer cash on the line in a 25-year guarantee.
David Walker
10 OCT 2024
An entrepreneur who owes the Scottish Government millions of pounds is being prosecuted by Companies House for failing to file accounts for more than 70 companies listed in Britain. Sanjeev Gupta owns the Dalzell steel plant in Motherwell and the Lochaber aluminium smelter, with concerns raised about jobs at those two sites.
The businessman purchased the Lochaber aluminium plant and two adjacent hydro power plants for just £5 in December 2016, with taxpayers financing the rest of the £330million deal. The Scottish Government provided a taxpayer-backed 25-year guarantee of £586m.
But Mr Gupta has been mired in controversy in recent years over failed business deals and has failed to live up to promises he made to Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney at the time. He vowed to create 2,000 jobs and create a new billet plant but between 2016 and 2022, just 40 new jobs had been created
He is now facing enforcement action from the UK's business register for the late filing, which could result in a fine or him being disqualified as a director. The latest prosecutions comes as the Gupta Family Group Alliance (GFG) remains the subject of a criminal investigation by the Serious Fraud Office into suspected fraud linked to the collapse of its main lender Greensill Capital in 2021.
Companies House confirmed it was taking enforcement action but did not comment further. Mr Gupta has pleaded not guilty. The Scottish Lib Dems have long called for an inquiry to be held into the Scottish Government's dealings with the entrepreneur due to the amount of taxpayer cash on the line.
But the secretive SNP have been quiet on the contract, with the Executive receiving a yearly payment due to the guarantee. Scottish Lib Dem Economy spokesman Willie Rennie said: “I am concerned for the fate of Gupta’s business empire and the workers in Motherwell and Lochaber.
“For years his businesses have juggled unfiled accounts, questionable Scottish Government deals and Serious Fraud Office probes. Now I have been told that employees at the Motherwell steel plant are at home on 80% wages with no work due to issues with cash flow and input prices.
“Every time I ask ministers questions on this, they insist they have had no contact and see no problem so let me spell this out for them: A man who owes you millions of pounds in loans and could cost you tens of millions in clean up costs is being prosecuted for his alleged failure to file accounts. What are you doing to secure the future of these businesses and ensure taxpayers are not left picking up the tab?”
A GFG Alliance spokesperson said on behalf of the four directors and Gupta: “There are no underlying issues with our accounts and directors have taken all reasonable steps to resolve the situation. We have finalised unaudited accounts for our UK businesses and have been in regular communication with Companies House. This legal process has no effect on any of our operations.”
The next hearing for the Companies House case is scheduled for January 2025, with no date set for a trial.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Scottish Government acted quickly in 2016 to support a transaction involving Tata Steel and Liberty House to sustain 133 jobs in Scotland and in the same year provided the Lochaber Guarantee to protect jobs and promote investment in the long term sustainability of the site in Fort William. The Scottish Government maintains regular engagement with the GFG Alliance on the operations at both Dalzell and Lochaber.”
https://youtu.be/XdKdDD5l_0g
STURGEON is controlling the SNP. Why?
Mercurius
10.8K subscribers
2,526 views Oct 11, 2024
Full details here: https://robinmcalpine.org/the-snp-mus…
>Full details here: https://robinmcalpine.org/the-snp-mus…
https://robinmcalpine.org/the-snp-must-get-rid-of-sturgeon/
The SNP must get rid of Sturgeon
At the weekend we got a taste of the terrible headlines that will emerge from a Branchform trial, yet Sturgeon still has undue influence over the SNP. For the party's sake, this needs to end.
Sturgeon is going to bring the SNP to its knees if the party does not take the threat she poses more seriously. I am desperate to move on from the Sturgeon era but she’s still seeking to exert undue influence over the party and the government even as she is drawn closer and closer to her very last stand. The party must wake up.
I really do want to move on. I don’t want to waste more time on her. When Nicola Sturgeon resigned I begged everyone to observe the time-honoured playground rule of ‘keys!’ – ceasefire, amnesty, peace. I’m not interested in personal vendettas which have no useful function in strategic terms.
But one person simply won’t move on – Nicola Sturgeon herself. Over the summer I gathered what is really a rather alarming picture of a disgraced politician who is nevertheless still seeking to control key aspects of the SNP and its future direction. I genuinely thought the party had more sense than to let her and that she had bigger worries. I was wrong.
I will quickly explain why Sturgeon is such a threat to the party, how she’s still trying to exert control and why this is so dangerous for many of us. But first I just want to emphasise that I’m trying to be restrained here because this is still subject to significant legal restrictions and god knows Scotland’s judiciary are jail-commentators-happy. There is a lot more to this than you yet know.
First, the threat. The facts are as follows: Peter Murrell has been charged and there is a very, very high likelihood of a trial. In fact (I think I can write this without losing my freedom) the reason things are not moving faster is because the police are continuing to run a public relations campaign to force the Crown Prosecution Service to take action which the police believe is necessary but which the prosecutors are resisting.
This case has not been about ‘the missing £600,000’ for a long time. That is a simple matter. Branchform is a wide-ranging investigation into a multi-faceted series of financial transactions which may amount to significant amounts of money which may have been embezzled from the SNP. Sturgeon was recorded urging the National Executive Committee of the SNP not to look into this matter any further.
Meanwhile the Information Commissioner is at his wits end with the most secretive and obstructive government I’ve ever come across. When he eventually prevails (he will eventually prevail) it will reveal more damaging information. That in turn is highly likely to set off another domino topple of more damaging information which could be really, really dangerous for people well beyond Nicola Sturgeon herself.
Red line three is that only people Sturgeon approves can ever be allowed to run the SNP
………………………………………………………………………………………………continued……………………………………………………………………………………………..
That is before Salmond kicks off his court case, a court case which is actively designed to surface the maximum amount of damaging information about Nicola Sturgeon and her cronies. I don’t believe there is any way Sturgeon can extricate herself from this web of scandal. There remains a (pauses, thinks about life in Barlinnie) ‘not zero chance’ she is going to be charged and tried.
You ought to know this stuff. What you may not know (I didn’t) is the extent to which Sturgeon still tries to shape the SNP to her own ends. To protect my unimpeachable sources I won’t go int detail here but she retains a network of hyper-loyalists in key positions in the party and in government and she is continuing to use them to pursue her own interests.
She has a set of red lines. Red line number one is that whatever she considers to be her ‘legacy’ must be preserved. If you have to means test something it would be better to means test baby boxes than winter fuel payments, but that leaves Sturgeon with even less for her CV.
Red line two is that nothing but nothing must be blamed on her. If a current Cabinet Secretary must be humiliated on TV because of decisions she made, the only unacceptable act is to pass the blame onto her.
Red line three is that only people Sturgeon approves can ever be allowed to run the SNP. That is primarily an extension of red line two because any sane leader would find a very big bus and vigorously deposit Sturgeon’s political corpse under it at the first available opportunity.
She phones Patrick Harvie to (unsuccessfully) beg him not to force Humza Youaf to do a deal with Alba so she persuades his Chief of Staff to stab him in the back on her behalf. These are acts of weakness, not strength, but they still do real damage to the party. After all, it was her people who rigged the election to get Yousaf the job in the first place.
I’m told reliably that this stuff is happening continually. No doubt pressure will be being placed on HQ staff to control who gets selected as a candidate for the 2026 election with the same criteria as above. That is literally the worst thing the SNP could do.
Yet despite the fact that there is a significant chance of jail time for at least one of the team who ran the party for a decade, despite the reality that the material that will do the biggest damage will trickle out in day after day of prosecution evidence to court and in comments from witnesses grilled about this, still she remains a party member and still she retains the whip like absolutely no other person in the SNP ever has in a similar position.
The ongoing presence of Nicola Sturgeon on our political scene is enduringly damaging to the reputation of Scotland generally but particularly to the SNP and the cause of independence
So let’s have a look at how this drags us all down. I bet some of you are rushing through defences in your head, reverting back to legal fig leafs like ‘innocent until proven guilty’. Some may even think they can get away with deploying those defences.
Of course that’s what Starmer thought – if I just fill in the right forms how could anyone object to me taking tens of thousands of money in personal gifts? There is no way the public could possibly object and see me as grubby, grasping and corrupt.
…………………………………………………………………………………………continued……………………………………………………………………………………….
For the sake of argument to demonstrate the risk and not seeking to preempt the trial in any way, picture Peter Murrell being found guilty and carted off to prison for a long jail sentence, and then picture John Swinney on the early evening news.
“Mr Swinney, the Treasurer of your party and half of the members of the Finance and Audit Committee resigned and reported red flags over what was happening with the party accounts. Despite their legal right to see all the information they needed to carry out their responsibilities, this information was withheld. Now someone is in prison. You were the second most senior member of the party and of government for much of this time. What did you do?”
Obviously we know he did nothing. So its an easy follow up with “Well aren’t you morally culpable for what has happened here? Why should the public ever trust someone so willing to look the other way when allegations of corruption are made? If you won’t act on warnings of corruption from your own colleagues, what makes you fit to be First Minister?” I can go on like this for hours if you want.
Oh, and Branchform still isn’t the most dangerous or damaging thing for the SNP or the Scottish Government. If/when what I guess we must call ‘the Salmond Business’ starts to unravel, it is very much more damaging again.
Nicola Sturgeon is using the SNP as a kind of human shield to protect her from a faster reckoning with her actions. It is doing great damage to the SNP and it is going to do more. I repeat, if reading about £100,000 payments to shell companies that don’t seem to exist is making you uncomfortable as an SNP member or independence supporter, try and picture what the trial will be like.
The ongoing presence of Nicola Sturgeon on our political scene is enduringly damaging to the reputation of Scotland generally but particularly to the SNP and the cause of independence. She should be suspended forthwith and have the whip removed and it is way past time that the others who facilitated her should have been removed from office as well.
I don’t want to write about any of this any more. If this was just the downfall of one woman it wouldn’t interest me. But if she is bringing important things down with her, her fingers must be prized from those things or an even greater price will be paid.
https://youtu.be/CiP6i_rat4M
POST OFFICE SCANDAL: Boss admits NEW Subpostmasters contract is NOT appropriate
The Scottish Sun
370K subscribers
7,309 views Oct 11, 2024 #horizon #postoffice #nickRead
Post Office Horizon IT inquiry continues with evidence from Nick Read, chief executive of the Post Office.
The Post Offfice scandal saw more than 900 subpostmasters prosecuted for stealing, based on incorrect information from an IT system known as Horizon.
A long-running inquiry into the issue has been gathering evidence of the failings of the system at the Post Office, after the convictions of hundreds of postmasters were quashed earlier this year.
The Post Office continues to use the system despite heavy criticism over the issues.
Thousands of Post Office subpostmasters said they have still witnessed unexplained problems with Horizon over the past four years, according to a recent survey.
https://youtu.be/Zzll2tOQi_k
Post Office Horizon Inquiry Sir Wyn Mr Beer Miss Page and more DESERVE more
Charlie Fleming
14.8K subscribers
2,704 views Oct 11, 2024
Please help the official inquiry channel get more circulation. With less than 60K subscribers I would like to get it over 100K.
To this very day the government and Post Office are making it as hard and as lengthy as possible (maybe on purpose) for the victims to get what the DESERVE. The governments (all) and Post Office saying they want to give wht is fair to the SPMs…. AND the tax payer! To me that is them using the public as a mallet against the victims to make them take LESS than not only what the deserve but entitled to.
https://youtu.be/TZeu55IXF-A
Post Office boss admits being 'surprised' at 'scale' of interest from police over Horizon cases
Daily Record
83.7K subscribers
4,867 views Oct 11, 2024 #DailyRecord #postoffice #police
The chief executive of the Post Office has said he was “surprised” at the “scale” of interest from the police, after learning that 33 investigations into branches were being carried out in June this year.
Nick Read was asked about the organisation’s response to the fact that 22 police forces were investigating Post Office branches.
The current boss said: “I think there was some surprise at the scale of requests in terms of the 22 law enforcement agencies and the 33 requests.
“I think we were of the opinion that it was in the ones and twos in terms of requests for information… the primary discomfort was the size and the number of the requests that were coming forward.”
The inquiry heard that the police were “requesting or awaiting Horizon-based evidence” for their investigations.
Mr Read told the inquiry that its internal investigations team was “massively stretched” at the time that the police were engaging with the business.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/king-charles-announces-great-sadness-33881455
King Charles announces his 'great sadness' following the death of Alex Salmond
The King paid tribute to Alex Salmond following his death on Saturday afternoon while at an international forum in North Macedonia
Mark Connor
13 OCT 2024
King Charles has said he is “greatly saddened” to hear of the sudden death of Alex Salmond, Scotland’s first SNP first minister, at the age of 69.
The Alba leader died on Saturday afternoon from a suspected heart attack during a trip to North Macedonia.
King Charles said in a message issued by Buckingham Palace: “My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the sudden death of Alex Salmond. His devotion to Scotland drove his decades of public service.
“We extend our deep condolences to his family and loved ones at this time.”
Former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond died on Saturday aged 69. Salmond had made a speech at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy Forum and is understood to have collapsed at lunch in a crowded room.
The Alba party said it understood he had suffered a heart attack, although there will be a post-mortem examination to confirm the cause of death.
“Unfortunately, Alex Salmond, the former first minister of Scotland who was one of the panellists at yesterday’s cultural diplomacy forum that was held in Ohrid, died suddenly today,” the office of former North Macedonia President Gjorgje Ivanov said.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/double-dose-misery-john-swinney-33868242
Double dose of misery for John Swinney as SNP slump to THIRD in 'Yes' heartland by-election
The SNP failed to pick up a single victory in two North Lanarkshire votes this week despite the area being one of the few to back independence in 2014
Douglas Dickie
OCT 2024
John Swinney suffered a double dose of misery on Thursday as the SNP lost two by-elections in a 'Yes' heartland. And in one damaging poll, the Nats actually slumped to third place as their vote share collapsed.
Labour successfully defended both seats in North Lanarkshire - one of the few areas of Scotland to back independence in 2014 - with voters in the Fortissat and Mossend and Holytown wards giving a damning verdict on the Nats. The party was beaten in Fortissat by both Labour and the new 'Progressive Change' outfit, formed by a group of former SNP councillors who had become dissatisfied with the way the group was run.
The split was triggered amid allegations of sexual offences being made against former SNP council leader Jordan Linden. The SNP vote dropped by over 10% as they mustered barely more than 20% of first preference votes.
There was also a reminder of the issues facing new Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay as his party was beaten by British Unionist. Labour won the seat after picking up 36.6% of first preference votes, a meagre 0.1% increase.
In Mossend and Holytown, the Nats fared slightly better, finishing second, but their 34.8% of first preference votes was still nearly 8% down than 2022. Labour clung on despite evidence that Scottish voters are already tiring of Sir Keir Starmer.
The party's 36.5% was 2.9% down on 2022. Reform edged the Tories into fourth with Nigel Farage's party winning 15.6% of first preference votes. It will boost the party's hopes of winning seats at Holyrood in 2026.
The two by-elections were called after Kenneth Stevenson and Frank McNally were elected to Westminster. Councillors are elected using a single transferable vote system.
https://youtu.be/cLczANKoHGg
Alex Salmond speaks at North Macedonia conference hours before his death
The Independent
874K subscribers
99,607 views Oct 13, 2024
Watch as Scotland’s former first minister Alex Salmond speaks at a North Macedonia conference just hours before his death.
Mr Salmond, who for decades championed Scotland’s independence from the UK and nearly accomplished it, gave a speech on Friday (11 October).
During the speech, he said that one of the great successes of the Scottish referendum campaign for independence was that it involved no violence.
Mr Salmond died suddenly on Saturday (12 October).
Tributes have poured in from across the political spectrum, led by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13692509/john-mason-expelled-snp-israel-comments/
KICKED OUT SNP’s John Mason EXPELLED from party over ‘utterly abhorrent’ comments
Nick Forbes
14 Oct 2024
An MSP has been expelled from the SNP over comments about the Israel-Hamas conflict that his party described as "utterly abhorrent".
Glasgow Shettleston MSP John Mason attracted fury from members of his own party in August when he posted on social media: "If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed ten times as many."
He was reacting to former SNP MSP Sandra White, who had said: "We know what Israelis hope to achieve they are already committing genocide in Gaza," adding that "innocent children are being massacred".
Former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford was among those who criticised the comments, saying: "You are not fit for public office. You are an embarrassment and not fit to represent anyone."
In a post on X on Sunday Mr Mason revealed he had been expelled by the party over his comments.
He said in the post: "Very disappointed to be expelled from @theSNP over my comments on Israel, Gaza, and whether or not there has been genocide.
"I continue to believe that we should be able to tolerate a variety of views within the party as long as we are all committed to Scottish independence."
After the decision to remove the whip in August, a party spokesperson said: "To flippantly dismiss the death of more than 40,000 Palestinians is completely unacceptable. There can be no room in the SNP for this kind of intolerance.
"The chief whip has today withdrawn the whip from John Mason MSP with immediate effect, pending internal parliamentary group due process.
"The SNP group will now meet to discuss the matter, with a recommendation that the whip be suspended from John Mason for a fixed period of time because of this utterly abhorrent comment."
The veteran MSP stood by his comments after the decision to remove the whip, saying in a radio interview: "I completely stand by the tweet."
He also wrote in a Facebook post that his "primary desire in relation to Israel and Gaza is that there should be peace talks, negotiations, and eventually peace".
He added: "Too many lives have already been lost in Israel, Gaza, and beyond and, as I said when I spoke in Parliament, many people feel that Israel has moved from a position of self-defence to seeking revenge.
"However, I personally do not believe that Israel has tried to commit, has committed, or is committing genocide.
"They certainly have the ability to kill many more Palestinians than they have done. That is not to say that the loss of life already is not too many."
An SNP spokesperson said: "As the disciplinary process includes the right to appeal, the issue remains live and we cannot comment prior to its conclusion."
Good, another useless pro-vax bigot prick bites the dust.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13686632/keir-starmer-john-swinney-alex-salmond/
'LASTING LEGACY' Alex Salmond dead at 69: King Charles, Sir Keir Starmer & John Swinney lead tributes to ex-First Minister after death
Mr Swinney said he is 'deeply shocked and saddened'
Zoe Phillips
12 Oct 2024
FIRST Minister of Scotland John Swinney has led tributes to Alex Salmond following his death aged 69.
The Alba leader passed away after delivering a speech in North Macedonia.
The King said in a message issued by Buckingham Palace: "My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the sudden death of Alex Salmond.
"His devotion to Scotland drove his decades of public service.
"We extend our deep condolences to his family and loved ones at this time."
First Minister John Swinney said Mr Salmond fought "tirelessly and fearlessly" for Scotlandto cover up for child abuse
.He added: "I am deeply shocked and saddened at the untimely death of the former First Minister Alex Salmond, and I extend my deepest condolences to Alex’s wife Moira and to his family.
"Over many years, Alex made an enormous contribution to political life - not just within Scotland, but across the UK and beyond.
"Alex worked tirelessly and fought fearlessly for the country that he loved and for her Independence. He took the Scottish National Party from the fringes of Scottish politics into Government and led Scotland so close to becoming an Independent country.
"There will be much more opportunity to reflect in the coming days, but today all of our thoughts are with Alex’s family and his many friends right across the political spectrum."
Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to the "monumental figure" of Scottish and UK politics.
He added: "For more than 30 years, Alex Salmond was a monumental figure of Scottish and UK politics. He leaves behind a lasting legacy.
"As First Minister of Scotland he cared deeply about Scotland's heritage, history and culture, as well as the communities he represented as MP and MSP over many years of service.
"My thoughts are with those who knew him, his family, and his loved ones. On behalf of the UK government, I offer them our condolences."
Kenny MacAskill, who was close to Mr Salmond for decades and serves as Alba Party deputy leader, said that Alex Salmond "was the outstanding Scottish politician not just of his generation but for generations far before. Recognised at home and respected abroad".
He added: "He was not just a master political tactician but strategist. Yet also a politician who was a superb debater and orator. But one who equally possessed extraordinary charm and a common touch which endeared him to so many in Scotland.
"His record speaks for itself in moulding the modern SNP, forming the first independence administration and delivering both an unprecedented Holyrood majority and a referendum on independence. His legacy lives on and has benefited Scotland immensely with infrastructure and other social and economic gains testifying to that.
"But he had yet again risen to the challenges he had faced. Forging a media career and establishing the Alba Party, laying the groundwork for ensuring independence remained on the agenda and that a route to achieve it could once again be found.
"The party grieves the loss of their founder and leader. Our thoughts are with Moira and his family.
"But the dream he cherished so closely and came so close to delivering will never die."
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson also hailed the impact of Mr Salmond.
He said: "Alex Salmond was one of the great political disruptors of the age, the father of modern Scottish nationalism. He was charismatic, clever, caustic and fearsome in debate. I am glad that he never succeeded in breaking up the Union but very sad that he is gone."
Former First Minister Lord Jack McConnell said: "Alex Salmond was one of the most significant UK politicians of the last 30 years.
"He transformed the SNP from a fringe movement to a party of government and by doing so, changed British politics.
"He was a formidable opponent, and while he was often controversial there was never any doubt that he loved his country. Scotland has lost a consequential figure.
"My thoughts tonight are with his wife Moira and his many friends."
3 scumbags mourn the loss of a 4th scumbag…all of them either child abusers or protectors of child abusers!
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/ferry-fares-across-scotland-set-33887475
Ferry fares across Scotland set to rise by 10% as system continues to deal with breakdowns
The rise, which will take effect from January 1 on the Northern Isles network and March 28 on the west coast, comes as Scotland's ferry system continues to face disruption caused by breakdowns.
Press Association
14 OCT 2024
Ferry fares across Scotland will increase by 10 per cent from next year, the Scottish Government has said. In a letter to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee at Holyrood, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said a fare freeze which had been in place this year - at a cost of about £10 million - would be "too challenging to continue" given the financial outlook facing the Government.
The rise, which will take effect from January 1 on the Northern Isles network and March 28 on the west coast, comes as Scotland's ferry system continues to face disruption caused by breakdowns.
"We froze ferry fares for 2023-24 instead of a 9.1 per cent inflationary increase in order to help people, businesses and communities at the height of the cost-of-living crisis, and to continue to recover from the impact of the pandemic," Ms Hyslop wrote. "However, doing so meant that Government effectively bore the loss of revenue in the longer term. In the current fiscal climate that loss, at £10 million a year, is too challenging to continue.
"Reluctantly, we are having to raise ferry fares in the coming year by 10 per cent, bringing fare levels back to around what they would have been had fares not been frozen in 2023-24. This means, in real terms, fares have broadly increased in line with inflation over time.
"That will help to partially recover the previous freeze, address some of the significant budget pressures and allow the continued support of the ferry network in future years."
But the Scottish Tories said island communities will be "astonished and angry" with the news. "Those reliant on CalMac for lifeline ferries have endured a sub-standard service for years due to the SNP's incompetent procurement of new vessels," the party's transport spokeswoman, Sue Webber, said.
"So the announcement of a 10 per cent hike in ticket prices will feel like another slap in the face to them. The Transport Secretary says these rises are necessary - but they wouldn't have been had the SNP not wasted hundreds of millions of pounds on two new vessels which have still to carry a single passenger several years after they were due to come into service."
The route between Brodick in Ayrshire and the Isle of Arran has faced consistent disruption in recent months, with the usual ferry out of service for most of the year due to maintenance and the replacement also being pulled for its usual repairs.
This has had a knock-on effect across the CalMac network, along with the delays to the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa being built at Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow which have gone vastly over budget.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/john-swinney-urges-investment-scotland-33888554
John Swinney urges investment in Scotland to help tackle child poverty
The First Minister is eager to encourage further private investment in the Scottish economy.
Chris McCall
14 OCT 2024
Growing investment in Scotland would help to tackle child poverty, John Swinney has said as he attended a summit in London.
The First Minister will seek to boost Scotland’s private investment at the event convened by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, where more than 300 industry leaders are expected.
Bringing companies to Scotland and continuing the transition to renewables would help to sustain public services and fight child poverty, the SNP leader added.
Since taking over as First Minister from Humza Yousaf in April, Swinney has pledged to tackle the country’s stubborn child poverty rates, but has been met with one of the most perilous financial situations since devolution.
“Scotland has tremendous economic potential between our abundant renewable energy resources, and the skills, knowledge and expertise of the people and companies that work here,” he said.
“Events such as this are pivotal to securing the necessary investment to unlock the benefits of that potential, such as the creation of new jobs and business opportunities for people right across the country.
“It is this kind of growth, backed by the investment certainty that our green industrial strategy provides, which will help power progress on the Scottish Government’s priorities.
“Growing our economy and achieving a just transition to net zero will, in turn, enable us to invest more in Scotland’s public services, and take further action to end child poverty.
“While Scotland is already the top UK destination for foreign direct investment outside London, there remains much more to do to achieve our aims, and I look forward to making the case for that continued investment later today.”
Scotland's children need protection from child abusing CUNTS like you and those you protect Swinney, you parasitic streak of piss.
……………………………………………………………………………………………….continued…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Forgot to add images.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/public-sector-staff-levels-reach-33873334
Public sector staff levels reach highest figure EVER under SNP as government 'rich list' revealed
The number of people being paid by the taxpayer has skyrocketed under the Nationalists with the figure soaring in the past decade
Douglas Dickie
11 OCT 2024
The SNP has been accused of being out of touch as it emerged public sector staffing levels had reached their highest ever level in Scotland. According to the Scottish Government's consolidated accounts, the executive is now responsible for paying almost 190,000 employees - a rise of over 30,000 in the past decade.
The Nats have now been told to get a grip of public sector reform as Scots are told to brace for damaging cuts in next year's budget. According to the accounts, the public purse was responsible for the equivalent of 188,568 full time employees in 2023/24 - almost 3,000 higher than the previous year.
By far the highest portion of that was the NHS, which employed 166,718 people. A further 4,806 were employed in 'social justice' while 4,690 worked in justice and home affairs.
The number of permanent staff stood at 180,597. In total, government workers cost the public purse £11.4 billion, up from £10.4bn the year before.
Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for business and economy Murdo Fraser said: "This is a glaring example of the SNP government’s abject failure to implement public sector reform or keep a grasp on its own expenditure. While the nationalists are making savage cuts to essential services and putting jobs at risk by hiking taxes, their own staff has ballooned by tens of thousands to the highest level ever.
"No wonder the public feels so disconnected from Holyrood when the SNP government is telling everyone else to cut their cloth while refusing to do so themselves. The SNP should be focusing scarce resources on common-sense priorities like protecting pensioners’ winter fuel payments."
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "A range of factors, including significant new devolved responsibilities such as delivering new Social Security entitlements, and our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, are behind the recent growth in the public sector workforce. Around 88% of the total workforce figure quoted are delivering key health and social care services."
The accounts also revealed which ministers took the most cash from the public purse in the last year. Humza Yousaf leads the way, picking up £138,900 of which £99,971 was his first minister's salary and £38,929 was in pension benefits.
The figures don't include his £72,196 MSP's salary which means Mr Yousaf trousered over £211,000 of public money during his year in charge of the Executive. Health Secretary Neil Gray was next with a remuneration of £73,205 from the government.
Jenny Gilruth and Mhairi McAllan both received £70,663, the third-highest amount. Despite stepping down as first minister in March 2023, Nicola Sturgeon still walked away with £64,378.
The highest paid member of the senior management team was Caroline Lamb, chief executive of NHS Scotland. Her salary was between £200,000 and £205,000 while Permanent Secretary John-Paul Marks received a minimum of £180,000. Dorothy Bain received £134,000 for her role as Lord Advocate.
Scottish cabinet minister 'rich list' for financial year 2023/24
Humza Yousaf - £138,900
Neil Gray - £73,205
Jenny Gilruth, Mairi McAllan - £70,663
Angela Constance - £68,124
Mairi Gougeon, Angus Robertson, Shona Robison - £66,730
Nicola Sturgeon - £64,378
Michael Matheson - £42,162
John Swinney, Kate Forbes, Keith Brown - £12,524
Fiona Hyslop - £10,255
Figures are for remuneration for government roles only. Includes salary and pension benefits.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/uk-news/grim-reason-king-charles-going-33871578
Grim reason King Charles is going to Australia emerges as staff fear huge gamble could backfire
The monarch is defying doctor's orders to take part in an 11-day trip Down Under with Queen Camilla also worried about the impact on his health as he battles cancer
Douglas Dickie
11 OCT 2024
King Charles is preparing to halt his cancer treatment for 11 days to embark on a trip to Australia, much to the frustration of his doctors and Queen Camilla. The monarch's devotion to duty will see him fly to the other side of the world to take part in a series of engagements, including one in Samoa.
It is bound to have a huge impact on Charles's health amid his battle with cancer. And sources have now claimed the tour is actually to prove he is still capable of taking on such exhausting duties.
But staff fear the whole operation could backfire if something happens to Charles, such as a fall or he appears unsteady, while abroad. An insider told the Daily Beast: "It’s all about proving he isn’t dying, to be blunt.
"The problem is that if anything goes wrong, people will leap to the opposite conclusion. It’s make-or-break for Charles, I think."
The source said while British reporters travelling as part of the official party "aren’t going to say anything controversial about Charles’ health unless he literally falls down dead in the street" their Australian counterparts "aren’t operating under the same kind of restrictions". They added: "If anything goes wrong on the tour—from a bad trip or fall to a canceled engagement or God forbid, an early exit—they will go to town on it, and the British omertà will probably then evaporate in its wake."
Charles has already agreed to scrap any plans to attend the Cop29 summit in Azerbaijan next month after his physicians and Camilla raised concerns. Despite their fears, the Palace is said to be confident the trip, his first to a Commonwealth realm as King, will go well.
But Duncan Larcombe, a former royal editor of The Sun, believes if a "wobbly moment did happen, then the tour could backfire spectacularly". He added: "It is of course a risk that applies to his general diary, but that is exactly why, when it comes to domestic engagements, nothing is being announced until the last minute. You can’t do that on a foreign tour.
"My personal opinion is that having said he has cancer, they have made a rod for their own back by not telling us exactly what kind of cancer he has and how serious it is. Wrapping everything up in mystery creates a vacuum that can all too easily get filled with conspiracy theories, as we saw with Kate earlier this year."
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/red-faced-snp-transport-bosses-33866435
Red-faced SNP transport bosses scaled back Ferguson Marine boat launch after Nicola Sturgeon's Glen Sannox shambles
Exclusive: Transport Scotland organised a slimmed down launch for the second delayed Ferguson Marine ferry, Glen Rosa, after the Glen Sannox launch was blighted by painted-on windows and the former First Minister's involvement.
David Walker
13 OCT 2024
Red-faced Transport Scotland bosses scaled back the launch of Ferguson Marine's second much-delayed boat after the shambles surrounding Nicola Sturgeon launching the Glen Sannox. The Glen Rosa took to water for the first time in April 2024, six years after it was due to serve customers.
Family and friends of shipyard workers, alongside Scottish Government officials, gathered in Port Glasgow to celebrate the momentous event. Net Zero and Transport Secretary Mairi McAllan made a speech before the boat was officially named and blessed by a priest.
The launch was much more lowkey than the one in November 2017 when the Glen Sannox was launched by the then-First Minister and joined by hundreds of Saltire-waving supporters. She was also accompanied by then-shipyard owner Jim McColl in happier times before it all went downhill.
Ferguson Marine and the construction of the two boats have been embroiled in scandals since then, with both ferries delayed from being ready in 2018 to 2024/25. The yard plunged into administration, was saved by the Scottish Government has had over £450m spent on it since then, even though the initial bill was £97m.
The Glen Sannox may have been launched in 2017 but is still not ready to take on passengers. At the time it needed its windows painted on so it looked more complete than it was, with a piper hired for the occasion and drone footage and interviews shot for a PR video.
Officials planning the launch of the Glen Rosa discussed this controversy as they unveiled a slimmed down launch, and recommended than a non-politician was used to formally announce the name of the vessel due to the "significant subsequent criticism of the first event.
Planning documents, received by the Scottish Daily Express through freedom of information legislation, read: "In keeping with tradition, the yard will be partially opened to the public so that the ceremony provides a celebration for the workers at the yard, their families and the local community.
"In shipbuilding tradition, it's customary to select a woman as the sponsor, as it's believed to bring good luck. The yard would recommend that one of their promising new female apprentices be selected for this role. This would fit with the aim of positioning the ceremony as an opportunity to honour the yard workers, their families, and the local community.
"An alternative option would be to invite a senior political or community representative to undertake this role. The then First Minister, Ms Sturgeon was the lady sponsor for the launch of Glen Sannox in November 2017, but whilst the event was successful at the time, it has been the subject of significant subsequent criticism and the inclusion of a similarly high profile figure as lady sponsor might carry communication risks."
The official also warned that "media interest is likely to be significant given the controversies around Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, media interest in future workstreams including the potential opportunity offered by the Small Vessel Replacement Programme and way in which the launch of Glen Sannox in November 2017 has come to be portrayed.
They add that "the proposal that the ceremony be designed as a celebration for the workforce, their families and community reflects these sensitivities." The event took place months before the government confirmed it would not be awarding a contract to build smaller ferries to the struggling shipyard.
A further email from sacked Ferguson Marine Chief Executive David Tydeman makes a similar demand due to low morale at the yard: "We will run it as a low key community event, that’s the yard/exec mgmt. decision, absolutely essential for staff/workforce morale."
Opposition critics lambasted the ferry fiasco and pointed out that the SNP should be embarrassed about their past mistakes. Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for transport Sue Webber MSP told the Scottish Daily Express: “The SNP are right to be embarrassed over the Glen Sannox launch, which only proved how out of touch they were with our island communities.
………………………………………………………………………………………………..continued……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
“It was completely tone deaf to congratulate themselves on a ferry launch when it wasn’t close to being finished. In fact, seven years on, and hundreds of millions of pounds later, our islanders are still waiting for this lifeline ferry to join the depleted CalMac fleet. It does seem, thankfully, that they have learned lessons with the Glen Rosa and are rightly hanging their heads in shame that it still hasn’t been delivered, rather than trying to sell this to our taxpayers as a success.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie MSP added: “The SNP’s first fake boat launch was a complete embarrassment. The government obviously put a lot of thought into the next launch- if only the same kind of thought was given to sorting things out for islanders. But yet again, the SNP were too busy thinking about how to cover their own backs.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The naming ceremony in April was an important milestone for the shipyard and it was entirely fitting that Glen Rosa was launched by Beth Atkinson, a highly skilled welder who trained at Ferguson Marine and who represents the future of Scottish shipbuilding.
“Wellbeing Economy Secretary Mairi McAllan took part in the ceremony, which was attended by hundreds of members of the local community, and recognised the contributions of all those involved in building the vessel, which will provide vital lifeline services for our island communities.”
https://youtu.be/pp8GmMXa400
King Charles' Popularity in Australia Rises, New Poll Suggests
The Royal Family Channel
3.53M subscribers
Oct 14, 2024 #kingcharles #australia #royalfamily
King Charles is set to make his first visit to Australia as its head of state this week.
The King and Queen will arrive on Friday for their six-day tour of the country.
Ahead of Their Majesties’ visit, a new poll has been released suggesting King Charles’ popularity has risen in the country.
One in four respondents had a more favourable view of the monarch now than they did before he was crowned in 2023.
Aye right
>I read that as "support more migrants"
Sounds about right.
If migrants can be shipped in to "boost" the population at taxpayer cost, and given double the cash of pensioners who paid tax their whole lives…why can't British or even other European people be paid to have more children?
Why do people tolerate government?
The solution is still the same as it ever was. Stop paying taxes. Paying for your own extinction?
Even looking extinction in the face they have not yet reached the precipice.
Maybe it's a harsh lesson to learn but surely now Europeans must understand the folly of colonisation, now that they are the ones being colonised? No, or low taxes means no colonisation in either direction. People wouldn't be flocking to Scotland or anywhere else in Europe if not for the financial incentives picked from our pockets by our governments and provided to them.
https://youtu.be/JjFJjvkmaS4
POST OFFICE SCANDAL: Ex-tech chief outfoxed by prosecutor
The Scottish Sun
372K subscribers
Oct 15, 2024 #postoffice #horizon #news
Post Office Horizon IT inquiry continues with evidence from Mike Young, former chief of technology and operations services director
Mr Young was pushed on why he didn't inform the board of the glitches with the Horizon software, when it was his job to do so.
The Post Offfice scandal saw more than 900 subpostmasters prosecuted for stealing, based on incorrect information from an IT system known as Horizon.
A long-running inquiry into the issue has been gathering evidence of the failings of the system at the Post Office, after the convictions of hundreds of postmasters were quashed earlier this year.
The Post Office continues to use the system despite heavy criticism over the issues.
Thousands of Post Office subpostmasters said they have still witnessed unexplained problems with Horizon over the past four years, according to a recent survey.
https://youtu.be/d-EogtuHWC8
Australian politicians refuse to meet King Charles | The News Agenda
The Mirror
197K subscribers
https://youtu.be/vxwYbAbmewY
Where has the money gone Mr Read? Post Office inquiry and Sam Stein KC asks Nick Read the question.
The papers say
2.5K subscribers
31,384 views Oct 11, 2024
Where has the money gone Mr Read? Post Office inquiry and Sam Stein KC asks Nick Read the question.
If you listen to the answer Read gives, he has no clue and sounds like he has no real care either.
There will be no resolution to this dreadful and disgusting debacle if something as simple as this question stumps the top types in the Post Office.
https://youtu.be/Uz_X-fSzIr4
King and Queen to be snubbed by senior politicians during Australia visit, reports say
Sky News
8.06M subscribers
19,769 views Oct 14, 2024 #skynews #royalfamily #uk
King Charles and Queen Camilla are heading on a tour of Australia. This will be the King's 17th official trip to the country and the first Commonwealth realm he has visited as monarch.
It has been reported that no State Premier will be attending a planned reception to welcome the royals.
https://youtu.be/2ZgPsEGcZsU
Is King Charles being snubbed on his next Royal visit to Australia?
5 News
168K subscribers
12,968 views Oct 14, 2024 #Royal #RoyalFamily #KingCharles
► King Charles will land in Australia on Friday, where he's still head of state, but six state government leaders will be missing from a reception for him…
5 News' Royal Correspondent Simon Vigar has the latest.
https://youtu.be/XXWtZ5ImuII
Confusion over the legal status of King Charles’ Australian title
Sky News Australia
4.77M subscribers
2,934 views Oct 15, 2024
The Australians for Constitutional Monarchy’s David Flint discusses the “slight error” regarding the legal status of King Charles’ title in Australia.
With just days until King Charles and Queen Camilla touch down in Australia, there's confusion over the legal status of the monarch's Australian title.
There's also controversy with almost all of Australia’s state and territory leaders declining an audience with the royal couple.
https://youtu.be/7vLYwfE5NvY
Anti - racist education update
ResistingTheLies
2.95K subscribers
139 views
Oct 15, 2024
https://youtu.be/oXJ-Dty6GJQ
Post Office boss told not to ‘dig into the past’ by top company lawyer, inquiry hears
Daily Record
84.5K subscribers
6,601 views Oct 10, 2024 #DailyRecord #postoffice #postofficeinquiry
Post Office chief executive Nick Read has said he was told not to “dig into the details of the past” by its leading lawyer when stepping into the role in 2019.
Giving evidence at the long-running Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, he said he was not made aware of the “scale and enormity” of the Horizon IT scandal before taking the top job.
Mr Read joined long after the events which sparked the Horizon scandal, whereby more than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted for stealing, based on incorrect information from an IT system known as Horizon.
But when he became chief executive in 2019, litigation between a group of 555 subpostmasters and the Post Office was just coming to a head, in which the company agreed to pay £58 million in compensation.
Mr Read said in a witness statement discussed at the inquiry: “Private prosecutions were presented to me as a historic issue that had ceased before 2015 and that I did not need to dig into the details of what had happened at Post Office in the past as this conduct had ended.”
He confirmed that it was the Post Office’s general counsel Ben Foat, who is temporarily away from the business, who had told him that.
https://youtu.be/dpqsMb2LDUc
If you don’t believe Jesus is real, just watch 😭
jesus-lord-king_
542 subscribers
264,320 views Sep 23, 2024
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/uk-news/king-charless-six-word-statement-33885287
King Charles's six-word statement that could cost Britain £200 BILLION during Australia tour
The monarch has previously spoken of the evils of slavery and that could give Caribbean nations a foothold in claims for reparations from the UK
Douglas Dickie
14 OCT 2024
A six-word statement made by King Charles two years ago could end up costing the UK £200 billion this month as he heads off for a trip to Australia. The monarch will spend 11 days Down Under and has even paused his cancer treatment to ensure his full focus is on his duties.
But he is expected to face demands that the UK pay the monumental sum in compensation to some Commonwealth nations for its role in the Transatlantic slave trade. And they will likely point to previous statements made by Charles on the subject.
The King will attend a Commonwealth summit alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in Samoa during the trip to Australia. Fifteen Caribbean governments want to put slavery reperations on the table, with Barbados, which ditched the Queen as head of state in 2021, leading the calls.
The island nation's Prime Minister Mia Mottley will likely point to comments made by Charles in 2022, just weeks before he ascended to the throne. In particular, she was impressed with his statement that slavery is "a conversation whose time has come," according to reports in the Daily Mail.
In a hugely significant speech, given on behalf of the late Queen Elizabeth, Charles said he was trying to "deepen my own understanding of slavery's enduring impact", adding: "I cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow at the suffering of so many."
He has continued to comment on the issue and in April 2023 backed research into his own family's links with slavery. The meeting will take place amid an increase in republican sentiment in the Caribbean.
The £200 billion figure on the table may be just the start with some suggesting Britain should fork out an astonishing £19 trillion. It is estimated the UK transported over three million slaves from Africa to the Americas and by the start of the 18th century, the UK was the biggest trader of slaves in the world. The trading of slaves was outlawed in 1807 while the practice was scrapped in the colonies in 1833.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/uk-news/australian-politicians-branded-offensive-embarrassing-33895513
Australian politicians branded 'offensive and embarrassing' for King Charles behaviour
In his first trip as monarch, the King announced he is pausing his ongoing cancer treatment to embark on the 11-day tour but it has already been hit with controversy
Mark Connor
15 OCT 2024
Australian politicians have been branded “embarrassing” for snubbing King Charles and Queen Camilla ahead of their anticipated tour of the nation. In his first trip as monarch, the King announced he is pausing his ongoing cancer treatment to embark on the 11-day tour.
However, all state premiers have declined invitations to attend Charles and Camilla’s welcome event in Canberra on October 21, citing other engagements as their reason. With tensions still remaining as to whether Australia will depart from the Commonwealth and become a republic, the move has been dubbed a “slap in the face” for the King by the Australian Monarchists League Victorian spokesman, Bev McArthur.
Delivering her verdict on the move, Australian Journalist Sophie Elsworth said it is “not a good look” for the country, given the trip by the King has been “planned for months”.
Elsworth explained: “The leaders of our six states here have got other commitments and won’t be meeting with King Charles on Monday. And it’s really quite embarrassing because the King’s visit has been in the works for some months now. They should have cleared their schedules, because I think it’s highly appropriate that they do meet with him. He is our head of state.”
Highlighting the importance of the visit, given the King’s health and his ongoing treatment for cancer, Elsworth noted that it is “the right thing” for the delegates to attend, as the monarch has risked his own health to make the trip happen.
Elsworth told GB News: “This is an important visit Down Under. He has not been here with Queen Camilla since 2018 and particularly with his health issues that he is battling. It is the right thing to do to represent our states and visit and meet with him, but they all seem to come up with excuses.”
Weighing in on the snub, host Patrick Christys claimed it was “offensive” of the state premiers to make such a move against the King and Queen. He added: “I actually do think it’s quite offensive for a man who is taking a break from cancer treatment to go and press the flesh of the Aussies, which I think remain a tremendous ally with us on the world stage.”
Discussing the monarch’s upcoming trip, Elsworth also claimed the itinerary of the tour is “secretive”, with not many details being revealed to Australian press.
She said: “He’s arriving here Australian time on Friday night. He may even show up at the Royal Randwick Racecourse on Saturday. His schedules are pretty secretive, we only have minimal details on some of the things he will attend, but I think there are people very seriously questioning why the premiers are not making the time to meet with King Charles.”
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/survivor-scots-magic-circle-paedophiles-30642625
Survivor of Scots 'Magic Circle' paedophiles excluded from child abuse inquiry
Susie Henderson, who was abused by her father and others within the legal profession, has hit out.
Marcello Mega
7 AUG 2023
A survivor of sexual abuse by members of the legal establishment in Scotland claims she has been excluded from the child abuse inquiry.
Susie Henderson, 56, suffered years of abuse at the hands of her father, Robert Henderson QC, and many of his friends in legal circles.
But she says she has been made to feel like her abuse didn’t matter as it is not being examined in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), set up to examine “institutional” sex cases.
Henderson was the key player in the “Magic Circle” scandal of the early 90s, where it was claimed that senior lawyers, including judges, who were secretly gay, were conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
It has emerged in recent months that the circle was little more than a smokescreen for the paedophile ring Henderson orchestrated. Victims who were sexually abused at home are excluded from the SCAI, which has been running for seven years. Susie says her abusers were among the most powerful people in Scotland and that it should investigate.
She added: “I knew it was primarily about children in care but where do people go that have been abused by the Faculty of Advocates, one of Scotland’s most powerful institutions? Do we pursue a separate inquiry?
"Or are our voices not worth hearing? It makes me feel as though I’m somehow less important or that my suffering is not as bad because my abusers were my father and his friends.
“Members of the Faculty of Advocates clearly knew because several were involved. Some of them worked as prosecutors in the Crown Office. Is that not a matter of national significance that should be investigated by the inquiry?”
The SCAI was set up to investigate the abuse of children in care, and has also devoted significant time to abuse in private schools where children were sent to board and were not in the care of their parents or guardians.
The Scottish Government and the inquiry agreed that Susie’s case, and similar ones, can’t be considered. But they disagree on who is responsible for the terms of reference.
In reply to a request for a comment on the matter from the Record, a spokesman for the inquiry replied: “The inquiry’s terms of reference are set by Scottish ministers and specify the areas the inquiry has the power to investigate. The inquiry cannot look at anything outside its terms of reference.”
But when questioned in the Scottish Parliament in February about whether the inquiry could consider cases like Susie’s, then first minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The remit and conduct of a public inquiry is entirely for the inquiry, and the chair of the inquiry, and ministers cannot intervene in that.”
A letter to inquiry chair Lady Smith, on Susie’s behalf, by MSP Russell Findlay, who had posed the question to Sturgeon, made the case for extending the inquiry’s remit.
He wrote: “Susie believes the SCAI represents a last chance for her and that it should deploy its powers to investigate the scale of these allegations.”
Findlay, the Scottish Tories’ justice spokesperson, said: “There seems to be two classes of child abuse victims in Scotland – those whose voices are now rightly being heard by the inquiry and those who are met with a closed door.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “While survivors of all historical abuse have our deepest sympathies, any widening of the inquiry’s remit would risk delaying publication of its findings by a matter of years, impeding the Scottish Government’s work to prevent people in care from experiencing abuse in any form.”
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/uk-news/king-charles-tells-australia-not-33877697
King Charles tells Australia he will not stand in the way if they want to remove him
The monarch is set to visit Oceania next week, for his eight-day royal tour, which will also see him travel to the island of Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Mark Connor
12 OCT 2024
King Charles has said he will not interfere if Australia decides to axe the monarchy and replace him as head of state. Speaking to republican campaigners, he said that he has a “deep love” for the country but would stand aside if the people of Australia decided to remove him.
The monarch is set to visit Oceania next week, for his eight-day royal tour, which will also see him travel to the island of Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Australia Republic Movement (ARM) had written to Buckingham Palace prior to the landmark trip, requesting a meeting with the monarch.
In a letter in response to the request, Charles’ private secretary said that His Majesty had a “deep love and affection” for the Commonwealth country. Dr Nathan Ross said: “Please be assured that your views on this matter have been noted very carefully.
“His Majesty, as a constitutional monarch, acts on the advice of his ministers and whether Australia becomes a republic is, therefore, a matter for the Australian public to decide.”
The anti-monarchists said that whilst they valued the “important contribution” of the Royal Family, they wished to “stand on an equal footing with other nations”. However, they said they hoped that the two countries would remain “the closest of friends and allies” if a split was to occur.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently announced that he will not be holding a referendum for Australia to become independent from the crown. The last referendum on the issue was held in 1999 and saw almost 45 per cent vote to ditch the monarchy.
The Australian PM has scrapped the republican ministerial role, which he created following his 2022 election. He justified his decision by stating that when elected, the “only thing [I] committed to” was to have one specific referendum - which he achieved in 2023 with the Australian Indigenous Voice referendum.
Albanese is a “lifelong republican” and has repeatedly made his feelings clear on the matter - he has previously said: “I think that Australia should have an Australian as our head of state, I don’t shy away from that.” However, earlier this year, he told local media that a referendum on such a vote is “not a priority” and there is “no timeline” for it.
The last referendum on the issue was held in 1999 and saw almost 55 per cent vote no to ditching the head of state. Albanese swore allegiance to Charles at his Coronation last year and insisted that despite his political views, he still has a “great deal of respect” for the King.