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."

Working Class #Brexiters in #England are in for a rude of awakening

It has been an astonishing 48 hours in the UK. I like many others thought there would be a very narrow #RemaIN vote. The ideal result I thought would have been the UK voting narrowly IN but only thanks to Scottish votes.

Both campaigns were appalling. Did you pick the #ProjectFear of the #RemaINers or did you pick the #ProjectFear with the addition of #ProjectHate of the #VoteLeavers? Thanks it seems to the poor and more marginalised in England outside London the UK voted for #Brexit.

This opens a pandora's box of turmoil and possible constitutional change for the UK with its external neighbours in Europe and the EU, but also inside the UK as it now opens constitutional problems with Scotland once again as that UK constituent country voted heavily to #RemaIN.

One of the major planks of the Scottish Independence Referendum campaign in 2014 was that to vote NO in that referendum would mean Scotland would be ejected from the EU. So therefore the only way to preserve that membership was to Vote NO.

By any measure therefore a second Scottish Independence Referendum must be seen as very likely, most probably within the next 2 years.

I for one will be working very strongly in any future Scottish Independence Referendum for a Yes vote once again. This time I believe the campaign will be easier as many of the things used to scare the Scots into voting against independence by the UK Government and the heavily biased media, including most obviously the BBC have now been proved to be lies. Many are listed in 'The Wee Black' book recently released.

http://wingsoverscotland.com/wp-content/uploads/WeeBlackBookWebEdition.pdf

So, the poorer sections of the community in ‪#‎England‬ have voted ‪#‎Leave‬ in order to kick the UK Government in ‪#‎London‬ and undermine the ‪#‎UK‬ elite. But a ‪#‎Brexit‬ effectively gives that UK Government in #London and the UK elite even more power.

This means a significant proportion of the English population are in for a rude of awakening as Brexit will actually mean a further deterioration in their fortunes.

I don't doubt that they have been marginalised, seen their wages drop, their working conditions deteriorate, their rights undermined, are finding it hard to access services like the NHS,

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!

Not tea and popcorn at Provan SNP's AGM where recently appointed friends of their MP tried to organise a coup.

Anne McLaughlin failed to have her fiancee Graham Campbell elected Political Education Officer. Mary McCabe got it with a resounding vote.

Joe Brady was elected Convener with Allan Casey Vice - Convener. Both are employed by the MP.

This is the ugly face of politics where foot soldiers who chapped doors and held open-air stalls to elect three MP's and three MSP's are forced to take a back seat.

The picture clearly shows the MP with her fiancee snapping their supporters.

I am reassured however the activists have not gone away, despite the problems in this branch, having resurrected Yes Provan to push for Scottish Independence.

Farage in European Parliament - Don't Mention the War

Yesterday when Alyn Smith one of the ‪#‎SNP MEPs representing ‪#‎Scotlandthe country within the ‪#‎UK that voted 62% to remain within the ‪#‎EU, got a standing ovation he was pre-ceeded by Nigel Farage one of the ‪#‎UKIPMEPs representing an area of ‪#‎England. 

When watching Mr ‪#‎Farage I was reminded of ‪#‎JohnCleese as ‪#‎BasilFawlty and the ‪#‎FawltyTowers episode 'The Germans'. He was so rude and offensive to our European partners. I thought he was going to say 'Don't mention the war. Oops!'.

https://youtu.be/yfl6Lu3xQW0

How can people across the UK have voted for something which had no plan of action?

http://news.sky.com/v…/1717859/islam-there-is-no-brexit-plan

 I still find the irresponsibility of the ‪#‎Leave ‪#‎EU campaign breathtaking in its extreme almost a week later.

In Scotland during the ‪#‎indyref one of the constant jibes against‪#‎independence was there were just too many unanswered questions. How then can the Leave campaign not have a plan after it has won the European referendum. How can people across the UK have voted for something which had no plan of action?

I compare it to an incident shortly after I came back to Glasgow. My Mum and I were coming down the steps at Bellgrove rail station to find a lady seated waiting for a train laughing her head off. We got talking as you do in Glasgow asked her why she was having a good giggle. She replied 'I got to the top of the steps just outside the station when a train came in. I therefore rushed down and got on the train so I wouldn't miss it but realised I did not know where it was going. I therefore asked the not unreasonable question "Haw yous, do yous know where this train is going?" I then received the answer which was a resounding "Naw". I then quickly got off.'

The UK is now like the passengers on that train that didn't know where they were going. It is all the worse for ‪#‎Scotland as we don't even want to leave the EU but because of the NO vote to independence in 2014 we are stuck on the same train.

Little Brexita

 I found this online and thought it very apt for now...

A #Brexit is such a misguided move for England. I predict Scotland will now leave the UK and join the EU in its own right.

So, the poorer sections of the community in ‪#‎England‬ have voted ‪#‎Leave‬ in order to kick the UK Government in ‪#‎London‬ and undermine the ‪#‎UK‬ elite. But a ‪#‎Brexit‬ effectively gives that UK Government in #London and the UK elite even more power. Is that not a bit ‪#‎daft‬? ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 It would seem ‪#‎England‬ is motivated by the almost xenophobic campaign of the ‪#‎Brexit‬ ers. ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 #‎ProjectHate‬ ‪#‎trump‬ s ‪#‎ProjectFear‬. ‪#‎Brexit‬ ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 #‎Scotland‬ votes ‪#‎RemaIN‬ but will be dragged out of the ‪#‎EU‬ against its will if it stays in the ‪#‎UK‬. Roll on ‪#‎indyref2‬. ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎ImAScotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 The main problem of ‪#‎Farage‬ running on an ‪#‎antiestablishment‬ ticket is he is part of the ‪#‎Establishment‬. He is just ‪#‎pretending‬. So many ‪#‎English‬ voters taken in. ‪#‎sad‬ ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎Euroref‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 The ‪#‎Leave‬ result in ‪#‎England‬ and the ‪#‎RemaIN‬ result in ‪#‎Scotland‬ shows the 2 countries are going in opposite directions wanting opposing things. However whilst in the ‪#‎UK‬ England always ‪#‎trump‬ s Scoptland. How long will it take for Scotland to realise this? What will it take for ‪#‎Scots‬ to have enough ‪#‎confidence‬ in themselves to upgrade their status in the UK from sub-nation to full nation status just like every other nation in the world? Roll on ‪#‎indyref2‬. ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKGetMeOuttaHere‬

 I suddenly feel even more ‪#‎disconnected‬ from ‪#‎England‬ and the ‪#‎UK‬ than I ever have. ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKGetMeOuttaHere‬

 'It was a ‪#‎referendum‬ on ‪#‎immigration‬' so said an ‪#‎English‬ political commentator on ‪#‎SkyNews‬. ‪#‎Chilling‬. ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKGetMeOuttaHere‬

 It seems the ‪#‎UKnats‬ have voted strongly for ‪#‎Leave‬ as they still have that British Empire mentality and still believe in Fortress Britain. Meanwhile the ‪#‎ScotNats‬ and ‪#‎NInats‬ have voted ‪#‎RemaIN‬ as they believe in cooperating with the world and therefore the future. ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 'Let the 23rd June go down in our history as our ‪#‎independence‬ day' said ‪#‎Farage‬. Did I miss something? Was the ‪#‎UK‬ not an independent nation beforehand? ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 #‎Farage‬ claims ‪#‎victory‬. ‪#‎Xenophobia‬ and ‪#‎hate‬ win over ‪#‎friendship‬ and ‪#‎cooperation‬ in ‪#‎England‬. Roll on ‪#‎indyref2‬ for ‪#‎Scotland‬. ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKGetMeOuttaHere‬

 #‎Farage‬ says 'The dawn in breaking over an ‪#‎independent‬ ‪#‎UK‬. Explain to me how exactly is this so called United Kingdom ‪#‎united‬? ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 'There are too many unanswered questions' was a common jibe to ‪#‎YesScotland‬ during the first ‪#‎Scottish‬ ‪#‎indyref‬ campaign. ‪#‎VoteLeave‬ answered no questions about what the ‪#‎UK‬'s future would be after ‪#‎Brexit‬. ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 The only global figures who wanted ‪#‎Brexit‬ were ‪#‎Putin‬ as it destablises the ‪#‎EU‬ further, ‪#‎Trump‬ a particularly benign reasonable figure (not!!!!), and the global terrorist organisations unfortunately. I am becoming fearful for the future. Let ‪#‎Scotland‬ embrace this and roll on ‪#‎indyref2‬ so at least we are not so directly attached to the ‪#‎UK‬. ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 There was a right win ‪#‎coup‬ in the ‪#‎UK‬ last night. ‪#‎Farage‬ ‪#‎BorisJohnson‬ ‪#‎Brexit‬ ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 'A victory for decent people' said ‪#‎Farage‬. If he's decent then we are ‪#‎doomed‬ if we stay in the ‪#‎UK‬. Roll on ‪#‎indyref2‬ for ‪#‎Scotland‬. ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 We're having ‪#‎Sexit‬ as we're on ‪#‎Brexit‬ s coat-tails. Roll on ‪#‎indyref2‬ for ‪#‎Scotland‬. Might as well enjoy it. ‪#‎WhosForAbeer‬ ? ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 '‪#‎Brexit‬ would be like ‪#‎dynamite‬' German Finance Minister compares Brexit to walking into a room full of dynamite with lots of lit candles. Sounds interesting. Here goes! ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 #‎Scotland‬ has a positive view of ‪#‎Europe‬ and the ‪#‎EU‬. How is that the politics of grievance indicated by several English politicians last night? Does ‪#‎Brexit‬ not indicate that ‪#‎England‬ has more a politics of grievance than Scotland? ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 #‎Scotland‬ and ‪#‎NI‬ voted to be outward looking nations wanting to cooperate and be friendly with their neighbours in ‪#‎Europe‬ and the ‪#‎EU‬. ‪#‎England‬ and ‪#‎Wales‬ voted for the opposite. Roll on ‪#‎indyref2‬. ‪#‎DisunitedKingdom‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 #‎NicolaSturgeon‬ 'It is clear the people of ‪#‎Scotland‬ see their future as part of the ‪#‎EU‬'. ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎DisunitedKingdom‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 I'm so glad I am ‪#‎Scottish‬ and not ‪#‎English‬ this morning Friday 24th June 2016. Disappointed once again that ‪#‎Scotland‬ voted to continue to run on ‪#‎England‬'s coat tails in 2014. If the country hadn't circumstances would be so much easier for those living in Scotland. ‪#‎DisunitedKingdom‬ ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬

 I am proud to be ‪#‎Scottish‬ today but I am even more embarassed to be ‪#‎British‬ after ‪#‎Brexit‬. ‪#‎EUref‬ ‪#‎EuroRef‬ ‪#‎EuropeRef‬ ‪#‎ImAscotInTheUKgetMeOuttaHere‬