Nicola Sturgeon - whither the SNP

[bob231]

The only way she will go and the crock of shit will collapse is with a criminal investigation. Police Service Scotland and the Crown Prosecution Service won’t do it, so we will see classic public sector behaviour which is ‘oh well never mind, nothing to see here, move along’

I’d be amazed if the Scottish Government and the SNP will fall, and even if it did, who do you think will get elected to replace them?

the SNP

Further compounding what I believe* is a longstanding problem, that the SNP won more seats early on than they expected, and got lumbered with some very average MSPs and MPs as a result.

Losing Nicola Sturgeon would hardly be good for the governance of Scotland, much though the unionist in me is cheered by the prospect.

*this is my perception and I am keen to be corrected.

 

[jagman2]

I cant wait to see all the blinking, eye rolling, head wobbling glory when she's questioned. She wont be able to help herself. She's got to the stage now where she thinks she's above everyone else and untouchable. I'm not a praying man, but I've started saying a few in the hope that we'll see her go down.

Got to be honest, I think she's visibly coming apart at the seams.

Her television performances are increasingly showing her creaking under pressure and her error in questioning a jury result during a "Coronavirus briefing" is a clear sign she's not holding the line very well.

Yesterday's lengthy appearance from Salmond was pretty welll polished and I don't think Sturgeon will be able to hold her own when she appears.
She only does well when she controls the questions and is able to refuse to answer uncomfortable ones. Next week she will not be able to refuse to answer. If she tries she exposes herself as a liar.

Not even her most fervent supporter now believes she has been honest about the Salmond debacle. Her most vigourous belivers are now reduced to dismissing the allegations against her as less important than independence rather than trying to prove her innocence

I sincerely hope this finishes her. The real question no is whether the devolved Parliament survives the SNP's looming fall from grace.
Lets be honest, if Stormont was behaving the way Holyrood is then it would have been shut down again.

Personally I am of th eopinion that Scotland is now dangerously close to showing itself to the world as having an immensely corrupt tinpot little government who are about to be exposed as such. That isn't good for Scotland and it isn't good for the UK.
And thats before we get in to ScotGov's small issue of missing money and electoral spending irregularities.

Sturgeon is on the verge of bringing down her own government and quite possibly jepordising the future of devolved government.
Forget independence. Scotland doesn't produce enough bananna's to be financially self sustaining.

 

[muzzleflash]

The only way she will go and the crock of shit will collapse is with a criminal investigation. Police Service Scotland and the Crown Prosecution Service won’t do it, so we will see classic public sector behaviour which is ‘oh well never mind, nothing to see here, move along’

I’d be amazed if the Scottish Government and the SNP will fall, and even if it did, who do you think will get elected to replace them?

the SNP

What's with all the negative vibes sweetcheeks, all to play for yet.

 

[jagman2]

The only way she will go and the crock of shit will collapse is with a criminal investigation. Police Service Scotland and the Crown Prosecution Service won’t do it, so we will see classic public sector behaviour which is ‘oh well never mind, nothing to see here, move along’

I’d be amazed if the Scottish Government and the SNP will fall, and even if it did, who do you think will get elected to replace them?

the SNP

Police Scotland are already visibly distancing themselves from the SNP administration.
Even ScotPlod can see the writing on the wall for Sturgeon

 

[AfghanAndy]

Hopefully she's soon going to be the wing queen bean at SPS Cornton Vale

Is it possible for a concerned member of the public to raise a public prosecution?

 

[dogmeat]

EU: We understand you would want to join us if you gain independence. What do you feel you could offer the rest of the member states should we accept you?

Scotland: Haud ma buckie an' wash thish, pal...

 

[exbluejob]

Got to be honest, I think she's visibly coming apart at the seams.

She only does well when she controls the questions and is able to refuse to answer uncomfortable ones. Next week she will not be able to refuse to answer. If she tries she exposes herself as a liar.

I would expect to hear lots of:
Not to the best of my recollection,
That's not how I remember it,
Nothing in my diary about that.

 

[tazmanian_clogdancer]

The only way she will go and the crock of shit will collapse is with a criminal investigation. Police Service Scotland and the Crown Prosecution Service won’t do it, so we will see classic public sector behaviour which is ‘oh well never mind, nothing to see here, move along’

I’d be amazed if the Scottish Government and the SNP will fall, and even if it did, who do you think will get elected to replace them?

the SNP

That’s how I see it as well. The SNP will just weather the storm it may cost them a few votes but who’s actually able or interested enough to nail wee nippy down. Did think Salmonds I’m just an ordinary guy and it could happen to us all ploy was rather good though.

 

[Auld-Yin]

Yesterday we saw a performance from a master politician and a wronged man. He played it brilliantly, especially at the end when offering to supply evidence that NS has worked hard to suppress.

Wednesday will see another epic performance from a woman who will spend the whole time protecting women who can't be named. NS will project herself as the protector and Salmond had not proven any wrongdoing on her behalf. It should be an interesting afternoon and I expect NS to stand up to sustained questioning just as well as her mentor.

Literally, the jury will be out after that. The committee is SNP heavy (incl Wightman former Green/SNP but now nominal Independent) so the chances of NS being censured are very small.

 

[Old and Grumpy]

That’s how I see it as well. The SNP will just weather the storm it may cost them a few votes but who’s actually able or interested enough to nail wee nippy down. Did think Salmonds I’m just an ordinary guy and it could happen to us all ploy was rather good though.

The intellectual, moral and political corruption (and although hard to prove, financial as well I suspect) at all levels of government in Scotland does, as Salmond said, affect us all. It is amazing how easy it is to get things through different central government and local government bodies if you are a card carrying nationalist.

If you are known to support the Union - you are fecked and its a constant battle to get them to even stick to their own rules never mind the guidance (that they make up and change more often than their underwear to suit themselves (or just to bugger you about)).

When a senior lawyer tells me that it isn't public policy to hold to account public bodies for failure to comply with an Act of Parliament then I really do have to despair.

As someone said earlier - a banana republic but without the bananas

 

[Dafty duck]

Yesterday we saw a performance from a master politician and a wronged man. He played it brilliantly, especially at the end when offering to supply evidence that NS has worked hard to suppress.

Wednesday will see another epic performance from a woman who will spend the whole time protecting women who can't be named. NS will project herself as the protector and Salmond had not proven any wrongdoing on her behalf. It should be an interesting afternoon and I expect NS to stand up to sustained questioning just as well as her mentor.

Literally, the jury will be out after that. The committee is SNP heavy (incl Wightman former Green/SNP but now nominal Independent) so the chances of NS being censured are very small.

He played an absolute blinder with that. If the evidence is requested and, IF, it corroborates what he has said so far it could well be the inside of a jail cell for some of the SNP.

If they dont request it then any shred of credibility the committee has will go up in smoke and it'll be screams of a whitewash.

 

[samain11]

Losing Nicola Sturgeon would hardly be good for the governance of Scotland,

Wtf?

 

[Truxx]

Unfortunately the vast majority of the electorate no longer read the papers nor partake of TV news but rely on social media for their news.

Underestimate the second order effect at your peril. Companies do not pay many millions for advertising via a medium that no one accesses, catches a glimpse of or sees repeated via their twitter or facebook feed.

And if I may, this is not a first order issue regarding the electorate per se, it is about the mood amongst the general public in all 4 corners of the UK. Public consciousness, in this case, gives decision makers freedom of movement, or it constrains it. I would say that currently scotgov in general, and the SNP in particular are much more constrained by "what the market will bear" than are others.

Who in their right mind, would conclude the electorate, would allow even an independent scotland, to be governed in such a way?

Sordid Edinburgh tales hitting front pages of national mainstream newspapers, is a big issue, even now.

 

[tgo]

The intellectual, moral and political corruption (and although hard to prove, financial as well I suspect) at all levels of government in Scotland does, as Salmond said, affect us all. It is amazing how easy it is to get things through different central government and local government bodies if you are a card carrying nationalist.

If you are known to support the Union - you are fecked and its a constant battle to get them to even stick to their own rules never mind the guidance (that they make up and change more often than their underwear to suit themselves (or just to bugger you about)).

When a senior lawyer tells me that it isn't public policy to hold to account public bodies for failure to comply with an Act of Parliament then I really do have to despair.

As someone said earlier - a banana republic but without the bananas

A republic fitted for, but not with bananas

 

[wrinklyone]

Any chance those daily EU flags may be changed to French (white) ones?

 

[Banker]

Is it possible for a concerned member of the public to raise a public prosecution?

Rare under Scottish law. The hurdles are legion.

 

[dun_n_dusted]

What do you propose to swop them or it with then?

TBH that's a bit of a non-sensical question if you'd read what I posted.

I maintain that the system is fine, in a general sense, the problem is with those that abused it, they should face prosection if they committed criminal acts and if not, they should be banned from the Scottish parliament for life for bringing it into disrepute.

 

[AfghanAndy]

Rare under Scottish law. The hurdles are legion.

I thought they were rare under English common law as well, but a certain Ms Millar funded by a certain American Bikionaire philanthropist who also funded an awful lot of independent think tanks that Ms Millar would quite die the same thing.

I have to say though, that this is another one of Blair's legacies that hasn’t quite worked out to plan.

I think we’ll see increased grief whoring, increase division but the SNP fall shortly. It’s a bit like the radical Labour Party in the 80s going rouge.

All HMG has to do is hold a steady course. I don’t know whether having gurning loons from middle England safe Tory seats being interviewed is a help or a hindrance.

is everybody aware that Gove is an orphan from Aberdeen?

 

[brettarider]

A republic fitted for, but not with bananas

 

[Portree Kid]

Yesterday we saw a performance from a master politician and a wronged man. He played it brilliantly, especially at the end when offering to supply evidence that NS has worked hard to suppress.

Literally, the jury will be out after that. The committee is SNP heavy (incl Wightman former Green/SNP but now nominal Independent) so the chances of NS being censured are very small.

If they dont request it then any shred of credibility the committee has will go up in smoke and it'll be screams of a whitewash.

According to the Times

Alex Salmond’s lawyers will be asked to provide “suppressed” evidence to a Holyrood inquiry after the former first minister said it would prove leading figures in the Scottish government were behind a “malicious” attempt to destroy him.

MSPs will use parliament’s powers to request key documents including text messages between SNP officials, statements by police officers and court records obtained during Salmond’s successful judicial review that have not yet been publicly disclosed.

Alex Salmond inquiry: MSPs seek ‘suppressed’ documents

Alex Salmond’s lawyers will be asked to provide “suppressed” evidence to a Holyrood inquiry after the former first minister said it would prove leading figures in the Scottish government were behind a

www.thetimes.co.uk

The Crown Office is just about to get it's ARRSE skelped.

The Lord Advocate will develop severe Covid before Mon / Tue.

Sturgeon will do a Lord Lucan before Wednesday.