Sturgeon -v- Salmond. This is going to be very interesting. Is the SNP finished? And what impact on the Scots regarding Indy2? ?

I know that Johnson isn't standing Alegrias, I meant the WM tories. I hope that whoever does get in does have some backbone to stand up against Johnson and his corrupt cronies, we didn't all vote for him you know and it is very irritating when it is implied as such. I disagree with your anti-Nicola comment being like the anti-Meghan ones, I do not believe what I read in the papers, I believe what I hear from my family who live in Scotland, people with first hand experience of the political situation there. Let's try and keep it factual, we are all entitled to an opinion.

I am touched that the shenanigans in the Scottish Government has merited a thread. Perhaps the UK is more united than I thought.
Don’t feel sorry for us though, we do have our own versions of the WM parties to choose from.

I know that not everybody in Scotland supports Nicola GillT57. Not everybody in my house supports Nicola ?

I’m touched that the shenanigans in the Scottish Government has merited a thread. Perhaps the UK is more united than I thought.

Your welcome Parsley3 and as far as I’m concerned, we are.
?

Your last comment made me laugh Alegrias!
??

Alegrias1

I know that not everybody in Scotland supports Nicola GillT57. Not everybody in my house supports Nicola ?

So much nonsense on this thread,NICOLA didn't just decide to keep the EU flag flying it was a Holyrood VOTE ,you know when people are elected and they make decisions? They decided ,thats ALL of them (almost) that as we had voted to stay IN the EU they would keep the flag flying .The decision to only fly the Union flag on Remembrance day was made in 2011 so a long time ago (in politics) not connected.
As to the current media circus over Nic and Alex...it will have no efffect whatsoever on an Independence vote .
Ask yourselves would you as a life long Conservative vote Labour if Boris stepped down from the conservative party ?
I cant see it ,Independence is too important to us to make it a personality contest,we've had a fair few leaders in tha past 80 years some you might even have heard of including Robert Bontine Cunningham -Graham ...of this parish who was a deputy leader of the original Labour Party and an MP ,before leading the National Party of Scotland .Labour in those days had Scottish home rule as one of their core policies ,Don Roberto ,as he became known thought the cause merited its own party ,
Gret life story if you like biographies,he led an amazing life

I've just read the sections that the Crown office said had to be redacted. They are exactly the sections that show Salmond's story is accurate. It's desperately suspicious that it's had to be removed. What does Nicola have to hide? What are they so scared of? It really stinks.
Salmond's full statement was released last evening btw. Its only today that it's been removed and had to have sections redacted - I don't have secret access to it!
What next? Surely corruption all round.

I'm not being obtuse here, I really don't follow this....

The Parliament released a document, and then the Crown office said they had to redact parts of it, is that right?

Where does Nicola/the SNP/The Government fit into this? Is the suggestion that they are leaning on the Crown Office?

The sections that were redacted were to protect the identity of the accusers ..that was clarified weeks ago .Its really just a he said she said situation as far as I can see ,Im really sorry Alex has gone down this route ,we all had such respect for him leading up to the referendum in 2014 ,now he looks like a man throwing his dummy and its not a good look .
If your looking for CORRUPTION look no firther than your own dear leader and his government ,it been seen in large and varied forms in all levels including the man himself .....taking cash from backers and then giving them billion pound contracts .I dont believe Nicola is HIDING anything ,but f she is there are many waiting to take her place all talented politicians so the SNP will be fine

paddyann, obviously, you've not read the statement and the redacted sections. There is no reason for the redactions as was proven in court. The meetings took place on the dates stated. There are sworn witnesses. Nicola has lied and is desperately trying to cover up. The blindly faithful will swallow this but the more thoughtful will be very concerned and rightly so.

So Aveline, do you have the answer to the question I asked? If its the Crown Office who have asked for the bits to be redacted, does that mean that Nicola et al are leaning on the Crown Office?

I'm not blindly faithful, I'm trying to understand.

look no firther than your own dear leader and his government ,it been seen in large and varied forms in all levels including the man himself

Ooh, look - a squirrel...

Anyway, I'm off. Before the anti-Nicola chorus becomes as loud as the anti-Meghan chorus on another thread. There's a parallel, actually. People believe what they see in the papers about Meghan, and they believe what they see in the papers about Sturgeon. Hmmmm....

So if I am anti-Nicola it is because I believe what I read in the papers, so if I am not, then I have made my own mind up!! I really can't see what the MSM would gain out of running down Nicola. If she is really capable of running an independent Scotland without running to the EU or China to back her financial decisions, then lets see the evidence. Turn down the extra money from the Barnett Formula and prove she can balance the books. Then I will be her loudest supporter.

Urmstongran

^look no firther than your own dear leader and his government ,it been seen in large and varied forms in all levels including the man himself^

Ooh, look - a squirrel...

Exactly Urmonstongran. Why do you have to take it so personally Paddyanne? A few people have asked questions, given opinions, that is all. There is certainly something rotten in the state of Denmark Scotland at the moment, and shouting out about Johnson, who is not universally popular is a silly distraction. As many on here will know, I am no fan of his, or of his rotten, corrupt administration, so please do help me to understand what is going on in Scotland, without blethering on about the WM administration that I did not vote for.

Disclaimer: I did.
?
Sorry everyone!
But he was the only runner promising to Get Brexit Done.

What a Mexican soap opera Scottish politics has become. Shameful.

My guess is Salmond has calculated this would happen and is prepping for a full and unredacted release of evidence via a press conference.

Alegrias it seems like the Crown Office has been leaned on. The Lord Advocate has become a political appointment which is not right. Its supposed to be an independent position. It's this intertwining of Scottish govt, Crown office, civil servants and SNP hierarchy that's so worrying and makes the centre seem so rotten. What's to hide and why hide it?

Aveline

*paddyann*, obviously, you've not read the statement and the redacted sections. There is no reason for the redactions as was proven in court. The meetings took place on the dates stated. There are sworn witnesses. Nicola has lied and is desperately trying to cover up. The blindly faithful will swallow this but the more thoughtful will be very concerned and rightly so.

If it’s proved that she lied to the Scottish Parliament will she be able to keep her position?
Alex Salmond is not going down without a fight, as he thinks that NS threw him to the wolves in the first place.
Am sure NS will manage to get out of it somehow though.

The rise and fall of Queen Nicola ?

Aveline

Alegrias it seems like the Crown Office has been leaned on. The Lord Advocate has become a political appointment which is not right. Its supposed to be an independent position. It's this intertwining of Scottish govt, Crown office, civil servants and SNP hierarchy that's so worrying and makes the centre seem so rotten. What's to hide and why hide it?

Evidence of the CO being leaned on?

Petera yes. See this.

That's not evidence. Its an opinion given by a retired lasw professor who writes for the Spectator.

And while we are at it, who is doing Sturgeon's hair? I don't believe she is doing it herself.

Peter.

Have you seen the grey bits?

Urmstongran

^look no firther than your own dear leader and his government ,it been seen in large and varied forms in all levels including the man himself^

Ooh, look - a squirrel...

That's just a misunderstanding of how whataboutery works.

If people were bring up completely different issues then yes ’look a squirrel’. But in this case, it’s pointing out a level of hypocrisy in the people talking about the issue. The Westminster government has a long line of court judgements against it, for Johnson’s illegal proroguing (which also involved lying to the Queen) to Hancock’s current handling of PP contracts.

There is problem at the moment in Scotland, which is being handled and talked about openly. A court case has taken place and nothing was hidden from the court – and we are now getting worked up about a committee meeting. The is a problem at the moment in Westminster and none of the government supporters will address it.

When I eventually see the same people who bring up these Holyrood issues also be open about the problems of the parliament in Westminster – and remember this is the parliament they think should control Scotland so it’s hardly irrelevant – then I will give them more respect.

This is more a case of look at the beam in your own eye before helping me with the speck in mine.