What will I vote for on Thursday 8th June 2017?

I strongly believe in independence for Scotland as this is the normal status for any country.

I have campaigned throughout most of my life for this end. In 2014 I campaigned and voted Yes to Independence because my head said so. I don't want Scotland to continue to be a political backwater hidden behind London.

I would have thought it would therefore be a given that I would be happily going out to vote SNP on Thursday 8th June 2017 in the UK General Election which is largely an irrelevance to Scotland. The result matters immensely to Scotland but that is largely down to Scotland still being in the UK.

There is actually no need for Scotland to have another vote. We voted to stay in the EU. We voted to stay in the UK one of the main reasons being that we were told that to leave the UK would mean leaving the EU. To an old jaded independence supporter I could have told any voter that asked that this was a lie but many seem to have gone out and voted No to independence based on this.

On Thursday I would encourage most of Scotland to go out and vote SNP as whilst we are in the UK that is the best way to protect Scotland from whatever Westminster decides to do to us. This was also one of the reasons I became so Pro Remain as the EU has protected us from some of the worst excesses of the Westminster agenda where Scotland is an afterthought if indeed it is thought about at all. Without the protection of the EU voting SNP in a UK General Election therefore becomes more important as we go into the Brexit process.

In my own constituency however I have a major problem. Please see my previous posts on the goings on in Glasgow Provan SNP which is the personal fiefdom of Anne McLaughlin MP and her cronies. Anne McLaughlin is currently the MP for the Glasgow North East Westminster constituency and is standing for re-election.

A Scottish political fable: Animal Farm seems alive and well in today's political climate, at least according to this facebook reviewer whose name I have not used as I have no desire to get them into even more trouble. 

A Scottish Political Fable continues : Animal Farm 2 - Its not what you know, but who you know.

SHOULD HAVE BEEN TEA AND SYMPATHY - Its not what you know but who you know, who you are pals with and who you are employed by! 

SNP MSP gives official warning to aide who posted pro-IRA messages

Shut the f**k up! Are these the words of a local ned? No they are the words of the recently elected Provan MSP Ivan McKee

SNP Provan - Its not what you know or what your experience is - it is who you know or who you have been employed by

The Glasgow Provan SNP branch was previously run by Anne McLaughlin personally up until the AGM last year when she safely installed one of her best pals to run it on her behalf. Her partner/ fiancee (Graham Campbell) was previously a member of Solidarity but joined the SNP and was less than a month later selected to stand for Glasgow City Council as a councillor (and was elected to GCC in May!). And the list goes on of the nepotism which is rife in this branch.

The cabal of Anne's acolytes who are in general self serving careerists have used harassment, lies, bullying and many more underhanded methods to consolidate their dominance in this area. They are now in full old Labour party entitlement mode.

So what do I do on Thursday?

I can vote SNP but this re-elects Anne McLaughlin who is an embarassment is to the cause of Scottish independence and in many ways undermines it. She is a poor MP who is lazy, noticeable largely by her absence and has proved a largely non existent presence in the House of Commons. She is in charge of a corrupt branch through her pal Joe Brady, and makes sure that her pals are elected to all important positions. She is therefore the epitome of a bad politician alienating activists. She therefore is in many ways worse than what preceeded her as at least then you had the hope an SNP MP would actually be better. She is definitely not what Glasgow North East needs as long as it continues to be part of the UK.

However I can't vote for any candidate who does not believe in self determination for Scotland. So the other 3 candidates are not suitable. And even if the Tories were in favour of independence I still could never vote for them.

So I have 4 candidates to choose from and all are unsuitable! I never thought it would come to this.

Most likely I shall just have to hold my nose and reluctantly vote for Anne McLaughlin. I never thought me voting for the SNP would be so difficult.

LEAVE VOTERS COMPLAIN OF BEING CALLED RACIST OR XENOPHOBIC AFTER EUROPEAN REFERENDUM BREXIT VOTE BY REMAINERS

During the European referendum campaign and after ‘Leave’ voters have complained about being called racist and xenophobic whether they actually are or not.

At the beginning of the campaign I didn’t start as an active remainer. I started as someone who was going to vote ‘Remain’ or not vote at all, as I felt the entire referendum wasn’t really relevant to Scotland. In my arrogance I thought any fool could see Scotland was better off in the European Union at least as long as we were in that other ‘union’ the UK.  At that time it was not so much what the EU has done for us recently, it was more what it protected us from with a constant Conservative Government in London. 

The actual European Referendum campaigns were in my opinion awful from both sides. 

We had a second Project Fear from the UK Remain side. I assume the thoughts on that one were that Project Fear had worked for the Scots during their independence referendum campaign in 2014 so it would work on the UK as a whole. The anti-independence side won (but only just) validating that type of campaign. In Scotland we had a rather lack lustre Remain campaign which was different. It was a campaign based on the benefits of being in the European Union. Despite the UK being in the EU almost all of my adult life at that stage I had no real idea of what it did for us, and indeed until the EU referendum campaign came up it was an extremely rare occurrence to actually see or here anything that was happening in the European Parliament except when it was portrayed in a very negative way by the English tabloid press. 

It was only as the campaign went on that I became an active Remainer, despite my discomfort at several sections of EU policies which I believe were not in the interests of people but just of big business. 

My activity on the Remain side was due to the Leave campaign which I found morally repugnant. It seemed to be based on two premises. It had its own version of Project Fear which hardly enamoured me to it, but that also applied to the other side. What it contained was a Project Hate campaign of encouraging the fears of the unknown, of being over-run by foreigners from the other EU member countries, of the EU being opened up to Turkey a Muslim country, of being opened to vast numbers of migrants – in other words the classic far right reactionary xenophobia angle. Neither campaign was based on fact which made this type of campaign all the easier to employ. 

 

And so we got to the counting of the votes. In general this resulted in a strong Leave vote in the areas of the UK (outside Scotland) that received most in assistance from the UK’s membership of the EU. The Leave areas tend to be the poorest, those most left behind in the new non-manufacturing economy created by the Conservatives and continued by Labour Governments since the 1980s. This is why they receive the most assistance from the EU. It can therefore be credibly argued that the EU was being blamed for the ills which were actually created or exacerbated by the UK the Government. 

The Leave areas also tend to be those areas which are least cosmopolitan and have had the least immigration meaning that immigrants from Europe are more unusual and therefore more strange or foreign. And therefore more scary making the xenophobic  type of campaign more effective.

Following on from it can be deduced that these areas are also in for a rude of awakening when #Brexit actually occurs, as they have actually made their situation even worse. 

Since the vote the Conservative Government in London has taken the vote to be a vote as being a vote against uncontrolled immigration from the European Union. And this is the plank of their policy over Brexit above everything else despite what harm it may do to the economy. It has been shown time and time again that European migration has actually helped the UK economy (particularly in Scotland). 

The reason therefore why Leave voters are being called ‘racists’ or ‘xenophobic’ is quite simple. Just like the success of the Better Together or NO campaign validated the Project Fear campaign employed by the Remainers on this occasion, the success of the Leave campaign which was mainly based on racist and xenophobic language and images has validated that language and behaviour. And this is what Leave voters are perceived whether rightly or wrongly to have voted for.

SNP Provan - Its not what you know or what your experience is - it is who you know or who you have been employed by

There now follows a party political broadcast on behalf of SNP Glasgow Provan...

#SortOutProvan

#EU60

60 years ago this Saturday the Treaty of Rome was signed meaning the European Union is 60 years old this weekend.

For the last 60 years, European nations have worked together to create our continent’s longest ever period of peace, freedom, stability and prosperity. The UK is also the only country to have turned down its invitation to the special events to celebrate this momentous anniversary and will therefore not be represented.

On Sunday our clocks go forward an hour as it is spring. On the day Article 50 is triggered by the UK Government to leave the European Union the clocks will go back 60 years.

Scotland voted to Remain in the EU in June 2016. I believe we did this because it makes us safer, our country wealthier through access to the EU single market of more than 500 million people, it makes our country fairer with EU directives that have provided us with the fundamental right not to be discriminated against, as well as the right to be paid holidays, parental leave other benefits and very importantly the reconvened Scottish Parliament. It has also protected us from the worst excesses of Tory Governments in Westminster. We also have the EU to thank for funding for projects across Scotland – for example the University of Saint Andrews receives a quarter of its funding from the EU, and as a result of free movement is able to attract talent from across the Union.

At this time Scotland faces being removed from our European family against out clearly expressed democratic will, without even a token gesture to indicate that our country’s collective opinion has counted for anything. Can the UK therefore be credibly considered a state made up of 4 equal nations when 2 of those nations are being effectively ignored? The future of Scotland should not be imposed upon us. It should be the choice of the people of Scotland.

After all in Scotland sovereignty lies with the people, a fundamentally different concept to that in England and Wales where sovereignty lies in parliament. This is why for example Mary was Queen of Scots and not Scotland, whilst Queen Elizabeth the 1^st was the Queen of England.

Alyn Smith, SNP MEP states “Make no mistake, Europe is interested in Scotland. We are a good news story for Europe, and our First Minister really made our European neighbours take notice when she used her first speech after the UK wide Brexit result to reassure EU nationals living in Scotland: ‘This is your home: you remain welcome here and your contribution is valued’”.

He also says “It’s time for Scotland to roll up its sleeves and make its own moves on the global stage. Last week, I addressed the European Parliament, President Tusk and President Juncker and told them that, just as the EU will not be intimidated by threats from the London government, neither will Scotland. It is only right that our national parliament in Edinburgh debate, and decide, on Scotland’s interests. What self respecting parliament or government would not? We will not be bystanders as the Tories steer the ship towards the rocks.”

This is why the Scottish Government is seeking a mandate to ask the UK Government to hold a further independence referendum as a means to allow the Scottish people the right to choose their future in very different times from only 2 and half years ago. This looks very likely to be granted as the Scottish Greens are in favour and will be able to carry the vote with the SNP who had a very clear mandate for it their manifesto….

‘The Scottish Parliament should have the right to hold another independence referendum if there is a significant and material change in the circumstances that prevailed in 2014 such as Scotland being taken out of the European Union against our will’.

That manifesto commitment combined with the result of the Scottish election in 2016 which returned a pro-independence majority, and then the outcome of the EU referendum gives the Scottish Government an unquestionable democratic mandate for an independence referendum.

The UK Government’s reaction has been to state categorically that ‘Now is not the time’. The Scottish Government agrees with this as it never wanted a referendum before the terms of the UK’s exit are agreed.

The sensible time to have a referendum will be when agreement (or not) has been reached with the EU as to the terms of separation but before the UK actually leaves the EU. This would allow the Scottish people to make an informed choice between these 2 futures, both of which involve change. The referendum could be held while the other parliaments in the other EU countries are ratifying the agreement. This window of time corresponds exactly to that stated by the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Another reason for the timing of the independence referendum before Brexit is to allow EU nationals who did not have the opportunity to vote in the EU referendum a vote. It is important that they should, as in the last independence referendum, have the right to vote on something that will affect them more than most other sections of the community. Thanks to the Brexit vote this group of people feel less welcome and some have started to leave all ready. Scotland needs EU migration to reduce the impact of the impending demographic time bomb caused by an ageing population and shrinking tax base. Without them Scotland may not be able to preserve many of the essential services that it presently provides for its population as it will not have the money. Presently however the UK Government is in charge of immigration and looks set on Brexit to make it much more difficult for people from the EU to come and work here. This I believe is one of the most fundamental problems with Brexit. It will compound problems that all ready exist.

Scotland’s people should have the right to decide their future. We cannot avoid change, but we can choose the change we want.

ALEX SALMOND CONDEMNS THERESA MAY'S INTOLERANT, BACKWARD LOOKING, DEPRESSING LITTLE ENGLAND

In a fine speech at the SNP Conference in Glasgow's SECC on Friday 15th October 2016 Alex Salmond former Scottish First Minister and former SNP Leader condemned Theresa MNay's intolerant, backward looking depressing little England, which given the NO vote in September 2014 Scotland remains attached to.

Mr Salmond, now SNP Foreign Affairs Spokesperson said the following...

They say that people who choose to live and work here in our country are a problem and need to be kicked out. We say they are an asset and must stay with us.

They say that other Europeans among us are cards to be played or bargaining chips to be staked. We say they are our fellow citizens.

We should be grateful to the Tory Party. In their Birmingham conference they lifted the lid on the true intent and the emptiness of their programme.

If we stick to London rule then we know exactly what lies in store; a closed, intolerant, backward-looking society. Theresa May's little England - has there ever been a more miserable, depressing, backward-looking notion ever offered to the people of this nation?

There is a better way for Scotland. Let us proclaim our vision of a new Scotland - open, tolerant, prosperous, growing and above all free to choose our own way forward.

Shut the f**k up! Are these the words of a local ned? No they are the words of the recently elected Provan MSP Ivan McKee

I cannot believe what I heard back from an SNP meeting tonight!! (This has now been corroborated from multiple sources).

Newly elected MSP Ivan McKee (Provan branch), who as you'll recall hired a person who had made inappropriate references to the IRA on his Facebook page, (see this post regarding Allan Casey) told a group of concerned branch members that they could "shut the fuck up" instead of discussing it on social media. It must be stressed that the only reason it was being discussed on social media is that a newspaper link to the IRA story had been posted on a Scottish independence site.

Firstly Ivan McKee should not have hired the person without proper background checks. He seems to have hired him just because he was a best friend or crony of the MP Anne McLaughlin.

Secondly, the people the MSP Ivan McKee told to "shut the fuck up" worked very hard to get him elected and have every right to raise and talk about their concerns. 

The incident reflects badly on the SNP and also on the people who helped get you elected. Nobody has any right to talk to people like that, and swearing at members (especially from a member of government) is inappropriate and unprofessional.

Furthermore, another elected representative Anne McLaughlin who hired all her pals and partner after becoming elected put on the waterworks when accused of nepotism.

nepotism : the practice among those in power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.

The irony!

What's worse is that said partner then told those concerned to "watch their backs". So we now have personal threats in addition to the rest. Shocking!

The things coming out about Provan branch SNP just seem to be getting more and more outrageous. 

Who is running this branch? 

Why would anyone, least of all the Secretary of Provan SNP Ruari Kelly think of putting a pic holding a crossbow is suitable as a profile pic when he is going for office high up in the SNP? Notice he is going for the Disciplinary Committee. Does this mean he is going to use the crossbow on anyone found to have committed anything he deems an infraction? 

Ruari Kelly SNP, Secretary for SNP Provan

Not only do we have allegedcronyism/nepotism (please also see this post), we have alleged bullying incidents at meetings please see myblog (now that I know that this is the branch that was discussed), we have people enthused by the indyref supposedly leaving in disgust after a single or a few meetings, and now we have a person as secretary whose judgement should be called into question at the very least. 

Are we not now getting to resignation territory?

Why is something not being done about this by the SNP? Do they want to attract disrepute and lose the next election and possibly the next independence referendum as a result? They seem to be actively courting bad publicity and for what ends? 

I am strongly pro-independence and pro-SNP (although less so now that I have been hearing regarding this branch, even although at the beginning I didn't know these stories were to do with this specific branch as the information was sent to me anonymously) but I have becoming increasingly worried by the responses to these stories. Why do pro-indy people in general (although not all) react as if this is to do with the messenger being a hostile enemy rather than a concerned but critical friend? It is exactly because this sort of behaviour needs to be nipped in the bud (look at what happened to the Labour Party in Scotland) that it is being raised at this time. Do we want these people being in Government of an independent Scotland? I think the answer to that is, most definitely not!

It seems SNP Provan is starting to attract the attention of the main stream media now after my post a few weeks ago regarding their AGM. Interestingly at that very same AGM the person in the story mentioned below was elected Vice Convenor.

http://thefreescott.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/should-have-been-tea-and-sympathy.html

This is the danger of employing mates without proper background checks and when you don't go through a proper advertising/interview process.

So much for being a left winger and bringing jobs to the community. This new MSP has already taken three people out of well paid jobs to give them jobs in his office. Cronyism at it's worst.

And what's worse is he's not the only one of our elected reps to have appointed their mates to jobs since winning elections. Aye, best mates, partners, the lot - all's fair game AFTER they've seen REAL hard working, passionate campaigners do the donkey-work for them. It's a joke, and a slap in the face to those who genuinely wanted something different.

I still believe in an independent Scotland and the SNP will need to really get the finger out now if this is to happen. No more of stuff like this please!!!

This story appeared in the Herald/ Sunday Herald a few days ago...

SNP MSP gives official warning to aide who posted pro-IRA messages

Ivan McKee: Recently elected MSP for Glasgow Provan

An SNP MSP has given one his aides an official warning after being alerted to a raft of pro-IRA messages on the staff member’s social media account.

Allan Casey, who works for MSP Ivan McKee, repeatedly wrote “Up the Provos” and praised former members of the terrorist organisation.

He is also linked to a flute band that honours former IRA volunteer Martin ‘Doco’ Doherty.

In a statement released yesterday, an SNP spokesperson said: “The posts in question are from several years before Mr Casey joined the SNP or worked for any parliamentarians.

“Mr Casey acknowledges that these posts were in extremely poor taste and has deleted them. His employer has reminded him of the high standards expected of staff. Mr Casey has been warned about his behaviour and understands that any repeat would be unacceptable."

McKee was elected as the Nationalist MSP for Glasgow Provan in May, while colleague Anne McLaughlin represents a similar seat at Westminster.

Casey, who was a Yes campaigner in Glasgow during the referendum, used to work for McLaughlin and is currently employed as McKee’s “parliamentary assistant”.

He has uncompromising views on Northern Ireland and his Facebook account contains a range of pro-Republican messages.

Allan Casey: Tweet from 14.04.2012

In April 2012, he flagged up the “Annual Volunteer Martin Doherty Commemoration Weekend Events”, which included a set by the Republican Flute Band (RFB) he is linked to.

In the same month, he wrote: “volunteer martin Doherty rfb no1 real pride of govan, up the provos – sinn fein abu [sic].”

Doherty was an IRA volunteer shot dead in 1994 by the loyalist terror group the Ulster Volunteer Force.

Allan Casey: Tweet from 29.01.2012

Casey also posted comments reminding people of “band practice” for the pro-Doherty group and asked for help in raising the organisation’s social media profile.

In February 2012, he paid tribute to IRA volunteers Declan Martin and Henry Hogan: “Killed on active service 28 years ago today while engaging in a gun battle with undercover SAS scum.”

Allan Casey: Tweet from 25.02.2012

Earlier that year, he again wrote “up the provos!” and posted: “Your deeds would shame all the devils in hell – f**k the brits, remember bloody Sunday 30th January 1972.”

In another posting, Casey remembered “Vol [volunteer] Pearse Jordan”, who was killed by a Royal Ulster Constabulary officer in 1992: “A brave son of Ireland We Will Not Forget You.”

All the messages were on Casey’s public Facebook site, which includes pictures of him with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her predecessor Alex Salmond.

A YouTube account in the name of “Allan Casey” also features videos of the flute band.

A minute of a meeting of the Dennistoun Community Council in June stated that Casey attended on behalf of McKee and McLaughlin.

The SNP has long avoided commenting on Northern Ireland and has not taken a position on whether it should be part of Britain.

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: "It is not acceptable for MSPs to employ people who support terrorists. This is highly embarrassing for the SNP - a party which is never slow to complain about standards in opponents. People who voted for the SNP in this area will expect swift action to be taken."