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

Jim Sillars, bastion of righteousness.

www.holyrood.com/news/view,jim-sillars-should-quit-snp-and-join-rise-says-edinburgh-councillor_6752.htm

I just dont know what will happen. Nicola's also in bother due to answering questions about the Salmond situation in her 'covid briefing' and casting doubt on the jury's findings. These are all, apparently, breaches of the ministerial code according to Jim Sillers, a previous SNP grandee.
If she falls on her sword she'll be a martyr but if she doesn't she'll always be tainted and viewed with suspicion. I dont know what I think will or should happen but remain horrified at the shadow its all cast on the Scottish government, civil service and the crown office.

When Salmond publicly stated that he may have been inappropriate, that was me done with him as a statesman, he is old enough and wise enough to know better.
As, for his accusation of a stitch up, I suspect those who are still around in 50 years will, I hope, know the truth.
Having sat many times in a Court of law and enquiries of various descriptions, getting to the truth is rare, in my view. It is a game based on competitiveness and the glory is in winning so I am not holding my breath.
As for Sturgeon, she is already splitting the SNP party with her lack of support for women SNP party members. They have written an open letter to her and I have started a new discussion as I am interested in the views of our generation on the content.
She is also splitting those who vote for Independence and many now look to the newly formed party, Independence for Scotland party.
I am, as a Scot, non the less, following the debacle with interest as it has major implications for our judicial future.

I wonder if Salmond will just throw caution to the wind a blurt out all the background stuff that he knows? It would be good if he did. They need to clear the air and get on with it.

I'm one of the confused Scottish electorate.
I don't see why any parts of evidence that could identify someone can't be given & considered in private, rather than completely excluded.
Leaving out bits of evidence seems, to me, to make the whole process worthless.

Urms, when I look at him, I still see a spotty teenager. DH, who lived round the corner, feels the same!

Ha! I love that Marydoll.
I like him actually - well I don’t know him but I like his interview style. He listens, once he’s asked a question which some interviewers don’t do! (Adam Booulton for one is always butting in, A’s is (or was) Ms Hurley Burley.

I wonder if Alex Salmond is practising in front of his mirror tonight?
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Andrew Neil lived three doors along from us when he was growing up. I find it very difficult to take him seriously.

Well, tomorrow should be interesting.

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-9297015/ANDREW-NEIL-Nicola-Sturgeons-storm-troops-turned-Scotland-banana-republic.html

I certainly don't think the dislike of her is due to her being a wee woman who doesn't know her place. There are plenty of women in politics in all parties and in many countries. Some generate a great deal of respect eg Angela Merkel. However, even she has detractors. This is due to perception of their politics or actual efficacy of their governments. Nicola does not have a good record despite constant public reminders by her ubiquitous presence.
Sexism isn't the problem here.

Alegrias, I am stunned at your affirmation, I'm am not politically astute enough to be able to hold my own on politics threads, I would have to get DH to do that for me, but I do know how I feel about this whole mess!

Thank you and I agree with you!

Great post Marydoll

As for the hatred dislike of NS, I believe its because she is seen as a wee woman who doesn't know her place. A Scots woman at that, who poses a threat to the status quo that many seem to be dependent on. There is misogyny as well, although I'm sure that will be denied vociferously. Its convenient to blame the whole independence movement on one person, so when that person gets something wrong, (if she has) there can be jubilation.

Floradora9 - no way. NS loves the limelight and she is on every day to keep her profile up and she is in it to take Scotland to independence - no matter what. Her body language even all these years ago with Salmond tells a lot, not that I'm an expert in body language but you don't have to be. She looks exceedingly uncomfortable when you see her with him when he was her mentor.

Very witty, Lemsip, I never noticed that before.
Salmon is an oily fish, how appropriate.

My DH, was a Scottish, local government, personnel officer in a former life and said that a lot of work goes on in the background, counselling people who make complaints of sexual harassment. They are given impartial advice on how
difficult it may be, once the process is formalised. He also stressed that both parties are supported until the final outcome.
For those women to continue their complaint took a lot of courage. If it had only been one complainer, I would have thought it was perhaps malicious, but more than one makes me wonder.
The Scottish Office handled it very badly and Salmond had a good defense team.
He was indeed found innocent of all charges, but I still have doubts about Salmond. A family member used to worked very closely with him, he is was is a very powerful man.

Neither Sturgeon, nor Salmond are lily white in this. What I do find difficult to understand is why some of our English friends have such hatred dislike of NS, when what she does does not affect them.

Both Sturgeon and Salmond have done the Scottish people and Government a great disservice.

Urmstongran

Nicola Sturgeon has been warned a "guided missile" is heading towards Holyrood ahead of Alex Salmond's appearance at the inquiry, by former MP George Galloway.

More a misguided missile...

Galloway is deplorable, but by chance he was once our MP and one of the reasons he gets support is that he was a fabulous constituency MP - if you went to him with a problem he took it seriously and sorted it out.

This is no plaice for jokes lemsip.
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sturgeon v salmon d all sounding a bit fishy to me.

I would have thought that Johnson appearing on TV every day would be something his advisors would advise against. I would have thought poll ratings would go down in line with every appearance.

Sturgeon has absolutely not needed to appear every day to read out the Covid deaths. She's a politician taking full advantage of as much of the limelight she can get especially with an election coming up.
In England Boris or Matt only appear if there's something new to say. They say it then hand over to the real experts. They politely listen to the journalist's questions (without making faces like NS does) and also allows them to come back with further questions.
NS has a quite unwarranted amount of TV time and uses it to make political points. It's hard to believe how it's allowed to happen but anything goes in Scotland these days it seems. (Apart from sound governance!)

Oh how I hope Alex Salmond comes out of this with egg on his face . I think Miss Sturgeon has had a thankless task week after week day after day having to present the latest covid deaths . I am sure she is not looking for glory for herself and might be quite relieved if she had to step down .

Yes I was about to say David Cameron left a trail of damage so perhaps his understanding of dangerous was flawed.

Thinking on UG, but dismissing as rubbish. Latitude given to the SNP? Or power because nearly half of the populace voted for them last time?

The Scottish Parliament operates on a unicameral model which is modulated by the form of PR used to ensure no party has a huge majority. We don't need a HoL full of unelected people.

Whereas David Cameron covered himself in glory (not) if I remember correctly Urmstongran? This is an issue for the Scottish political system itself to resolve.

Sorry.
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However, think on this.

Regarding how her government continues to get away with its poor performance, (drug abuse scandal as an example, there are others) I think its all down to the rubbish devolution settlement and subsequent latitude given to the SNP.

It acts now like it is a full blown government, which it is not, but also one with no checks or balances of a second chamber in its parliament.

We may criticise the HOL, but at least nearly everything that goes through the Commons gets an appraisal and unless the parliament Act is enforced, is modified and/or poor policy is publicly called out.

Perhaps, in the event of a Sturgeon led independent Scotland, (almost a foregone conclusion unless this debacle gives the SNP a bloody nose) Tony Blair could be deported there to live out his penance for setting up such a diabolical system!

His only interest was setting in stone a permanent Labour ran Scotland with a near guaranteed Scottish Labour bloc in Westminster - didn't turn out quite what you expected, eh, Mr Blair? How the man still has the nerve to inflict his 'wisdom' on us all is beyond belief.

UG your schadenfreude is showing.

It's not a good look.