now
Burn Before Reading
When two of Murrell’s messages were leaked recently it was front-page news in the Scottish press, and generated a huge amount of subsequent coverage.
Commentators as diverse as Mandy Rhodes of Holyrood magazine - https://archive.is/B09xc
and Alex Massie of the Times and Spectator - https://archive.is/pfFIR
have noted that while they’d initially disbelieved talk of a conspiracy, the Scottish Government’s actions have given them the opposite impression.
The message log is absolutely central to Salmond’s claim of a conspiracy against him, so the last thing that either COPFS or the leadership of the SNP wants is for it to become public knowledge. Indeed, COPFS has denied that the messages exist at all, which makes it a bit weird that the police are currently conducting a serious criminal investigation into who leaked some apparently entirely imaginary documents.
So it would be quite astonishing if they suddenly disappeared, wouldn’t it?
Scottish law requires that in any trial involving crimes of a sexual nature, no evidence can be destroyed for a minimum of 10 years. (We can’t find a link for this but have confirmed it with two very senior legal sources.)
Alex Salmond wanted to use the messages as part of his defence, but the trial judge ruled them inadmissible and they were not entered into court.
This means they’re NOT protected by the 10-year rule, and COPFS can destroy them at any time it wishes
The only thing preventing them from doing so at the moment is that they’ve also been requested by Craig Murray, made in 2020, for the defence in his trial for contempt of court, and no documents which are currently the subject of a live case can be destroyed.
a man and wife team in power
and as some here will know
i'm not a fan of Salmond either
The committee set up to lead the inquiry last week issued an unprecedented Section 23 order to the Crown Office to secure the release of documentation, including text or WhatApp messages between SNP chief operating officer Sue Ruddick and anyone in the Scottish Government about the sexual harassment complaints procedure.
In a letter to high court Procurator Fiscal Kenny Donnelly, Baillie said an “urgent” investigation into Mr Murrell’s statements should be launched.
What is clear is that Peter Murrell’s story simply does not add up and he has serious questions to answer.
from aug 2020
https://counter.social/@ecksmc/104614875127645167
from today
https://counter.social/@ecksmc/105661350241597321
>> END <<
The latest twist would deny Mr Salmond the right to give his full evidence and, if it cannot be given, it cannot be taken account of in the committee’s report
This Catch-22 has been determined by the chair, Ms Fabiani, and other SNP members
This week, we had the kind of spin-doctoring exercise which heightens distrust of the process.
This is now long past being about Salmond versus Sturgeon, neither my cup of tea.
It is about protecting basic principles of justice and shedding light on how Scotland is run
*sigh*
"a blow to the credibility of the committee, and by extension to the parliament itself"
Holyrood inquiry to continue without Alex Salmond session
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-55994971
the plot always thickens
Salmond and Sturgeon: What is the controversy all about?
Two of Scotland's best known politicians are involved in a bitter row. Some people believe it could force Nicola Sturgeon to quit as first minister.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-55996021
no shock, horror, surprise here then
The SNP has attacked the “bewildering” decision to allow the publication of Alex Salmond’s claims about first minister Nicola Sturgeon ahead of his expected appearance at a Holyrood inquiry next week
The party claimed the inquiry’s decision to publish Mr Salmond’s dossier could “jeopardise” the anonymity of women who were involved in the legal case against the former first minister
However, the committee of MSPs investigating the Scottish government’s botched handling of claims against Mr Salmond has made clear anonymity would still be protected.
“Their clear overreaction only confirms in people’s minds that they must have something to hide,” said Ms Davidson. “Nobody is suggesting for a second that information would ever be published jeopardising a complainant’s anonymity.”
The decision clears the way for Mr Salmond to give further details about his meetings with Ms Sturgeon in 2018
we wait with baited breath 😜
The Scottish parliament is redacting one of Alex Salmond’s submissions about “malicious” attempts by former colleagues to banish him from public life after legal warnings from the Crown Office.
Parliament officials said it was taking the document down from its website and would republish an edited version later on Tuesday after the Crown Office warned it had “grave concerns” it could be in contempt of court.
Why would the Crown Office have ‘grave concerns’ over the parts of Alex Salmond’s evidence that detail Nicola Sturgeons’ misleading of Parliament?
I wonder 🤷🏻♂️
things can only ge......wait wut
Salmond confirmed tonight he would not give evidence to the committee in person on Wednesday following the decision to delete, redact and republish his revised submission on the potential ministerial code breach by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
His decision came as the Parliament was threatened with criminal proceedings by the Crown Office if it did not redact Mr Salmond’s key evidence.
Nicola tells us not to forget “Alex Salmond is innocent of criminality but that doesn’t mean the behaviour they claimed of didn’t happen...”
Im no Sturgeon fan but she is actually correct.
The fact that they could not prove the case against AS does not mean the allegations never happened.
Not be the first time anyone has walked free despite being guilty as sin.
Whether she should have said this is a different matter.
sidenote
there is no evidence for a conspiracy and the remit of the inquiry is to find out why the process went wrong, not for Salmond to air his phony grievances and name his accusers
in case anyone cares 🤪
Salmond Vrs Sturgeon
and while the shit show gets deeper in shite
good to see the Alex Salmond show still going
https://www.rt.com/shows/alex-salmond-show/516454-scottish-independence-economic-scenarios/
😂😂
and great to see the Salmond diehard crew pushing his show around SM
As Scots, I assume we prefer truth and honesty and put this pretty high on our list of requirements from a government, no?
Why then are so many willing to ignore the dishonesty and corruption that we currently see at the heart of our government? By none other than our own
thread
https://twitter.com/scotmacscotbot/status/1364121243440590851
have to say that the coverage of the 'Salmond inquiry' by James Matthews and Sky News knocks the BBC into a cocked hat
https://twitter.com/jamesmatthewsky/status/1364572904734793731
NEW: Scotland’s First Mjnister Nicola Sturgeon addresses a key question on whether she misled parliament - the 1st hand account that says she discussed complaints against Alex Salmond before she told MSP’s she knew about them. She denies misleading Parliament
Anyone involved in a conspiracy against Alex Salmond will be “getting their jotters” (sacked)
Alex Neil MSP told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think there’s a real problem now because this is starting to dominate the airwaves at a time when we’re still dealing with the pandemic and also, in four weeks’ time, we go into the initial start of the election campaign.
“I think the SNP leadership has got to try and put a lid on this.”
Neil added: “If it was proven there was a conspiracy – everybody involved in the conspiracy I think would be getting their jotters.”
Alistair Bonnington, Sturgeon’s old lecturer and a former honorary professor of law at the University of Glasgow, labelled the Crown Office the “lickspittle arm of the current SNP Government”
update:
The Hamilton inquiry
An Independent Investigation currently being led by James Hamilton QC is investigating possible breaches of the ministerial code by the First Ministe
FOI < #JusSayin
the Hamilton inquiry might not get published
FOI freedom of information act gives Scots the right by law to see the report if your request is legit
James Hamilton QC independent investigation: FOI release
https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202100161129/
(can and contact say if this was my effort to get the FOI on this)
all FOI applications have to bt published by scottish gov
all found here
https://www.gov.scot/publications/
while the Hamilton report is not finished as of yet it will be interesting to see what is in this independent report
The spotlight is firmly on Nicola Sturgeon. With just days to go before the Holyrood election campaign, Scotland's first minister will learn on Monday whether an independent review has found she broke the rules of her office.
Toast. Fudge. Cleared.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-56478884
and lets not forget the "hate bill" SNP want
https://counter.social/@ecksmc/105758776281010880
i mean, tell me their agenda ain't a "granny state" if they get independence
the Hamilton reoort inquary was held behind closed doors
so, that means it may or may not be published in full to the public
t will be delivered first to the Scottish government because Mr Hamilton has been commissioned by them as the first minister's independent adviser on the ministerial code.
As the publisher, the Scottish government needs to check the text for any legal and data protection issues and redact it if necessary
expect plenty of ████████
so, don't take the redacted report version that will be published on the Scottish gov website as anything than them hiding the full FACTS
imo
An investigation by James Hamilton has been examining whether Scotland’s First Minister misled Parliament.
He is also examining if she should have recorded meetings with Alex Salmond and whether she prolonged the Scottish Government’s defence of a judicial review brought by her predecessor contrary to the legal advice
The Scottish Government has now confirmed it has received the report from Mr Hamilton and will publish the document later today.
with some parts ████████ apparently *sigh*
Ms Sturgeon, who denies breaching the ministerial code, has previously promised the report would be published on the day the government received it.
so, why the waiting to publish it unless you intend redact some of the full report
i mean, it;s 2021 upload the fucking thing
In short, the damage to Ms Strurgeon is not the crime (there wasn't one, at least not according to Hamilton) but the cover-up.
How her allies, the Crown Office and others behaved to stop the application of scrutiny
a glimpse of how the SNP wields power. The use of court orders to try to intimidate journalists and politicians scrutinising her was an appalling look.
Even Hamilton says he is 'deeply frustrated that applicable court orders will have the effect of preventing the full publication of a report which fulfils my remit and which I believe it would be in the public interest to publish.'
nothing to hide then why get a court order to stop the full report published
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
people get dates and get days wrong that's being human
there is more in this report than just misleading gov by giving wrong dates
Sturgeon will claim full vindication after this, but the question remains as to whether the SNP just has too much power.
more here
Hamilton report finds Nicola Sturgeon ‘did not breach the ministerial code’
Holyrood’s concurrent inquiry into the Scottish Government’s handling of harassment complaints is understood to have concluded that the First Minister misled parliament around a commitment she allegedly made to Mr Salmond that she would intervene in the process.
Sturgeon fights on – but at what cost?
Polling for the think tank Onward shows that more voters want a referendum after 2027 — or never — than in the next two years.
Whether the SNP will have the votes for its referendum bill depends on May’s Holyrood elections, which are particularly unpredictable. Covid has made it far harder for politicians to read the public’s mood in the ways they normally do
https://www.spectator.co.uk./article/sturgeon-fights-on-%C2%ADbut-at-what-cost