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

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."

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.

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

This post follows from my previous one on the same subject which can be accessed using this link...
 http://thefreescott.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/a-scottish-political-fable-animal-farm.html

The story continues in my ex political party branch. I do wish I had never joined this party, or at least this branch, as it has made my opinion of politicians even lower than they were ever before.

Fred, the one filled with bile and hatred for anyone who says something which he doesn't like, who I mentioned in my previous post is a good friend of the Branch Leader who also happens to be the MP. Therefore Fred has considerable support for high quarters for his antics which have in effect ruined the branch. So many activists have now resigned and left that I can't count them. Some who have not yet left are actively considering this. And I can't say I am surprised.

The person I called Seamus has now resigned his position on the branch committee. Having been hounded and bullied for a facebook thread which was far more innocent than many that were doing the accusing had written themselves. He in my opinion was the best head this branch never had and will never get the chance to have now ever again.

Fred's cohort Arthur who was far more vitriolic at the meeting in question, has been promoted and now works for the MP/ Branch Leader and also the new MSP. This is his reward for being a thug, a bully and a yes man. He has no experience or qualifications for these posts apart from being a good friend of the MP/ Branch Leader.

Had the minutes of the meeting where the bullying actually took place actually reflected what occured it would have been impossible for Arthur to get these positions. Indeed in my opinion Seamus could have made it a police matter as if it had happened in a public place outside in full view there is no way they would have not been involved.

Arthur all ready had a job. Therefore both the MP/ Branch Leader, and the MSP (no doubt on the MPs instruction) have placed Arthur in jobs which could be more effectively done by another far more qualified person with relevant experience on the basis of his friendship with the MP/ Branch Leader.

This is called cronyism or nepotism. The definition of these terms is below.

'the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.'

This also means fully qualified people who are currently unemployed in the branch area who would better at the jobs that Arthur is now being paid for have not had the chance to even apply for them.

I am disgusted and enraged, but can do nothing but take my bile and anger out in this blog.

It is pointless saying anything at meetings even if I now went to them, as the minutes reflect what the Branch Leader/ MP wants them to reflect and not what actually happens. Therefore I shall save my breath.

Supplied by a contributor who wishes to remain anonymous. I have no idea which party or which branch is talked about in this post. In Scotland however if there is an MP involved the party involved is unlikely to be only 1, and the contributor is aware that this page is for those that believe in Scottish Independence.

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.

I am reminded as I write this of the famous book by George Orwell called ‘Animal Farm’.

Having gotten rid of their human masters the animals of Manor Farm look forward to a life of freedom and plenty. But as a clever ruthless elite amongst them takes control, the other animals find themselves hopelessly ensnared in the old ways.

Now this book may be fable but it has proved hopelessly prophetic with me recently.

I have been a member of a political party who shall remain nameless, as will the name of my branch who are the problem.  The political party itself is not the issue, although some more or indeed any assistance from central office would have been very helpful.

I strongly believe in independence for Scotland and therefore after the referendum campaign I decided to join a political party. However I wish I had never bothered as it has almost demolished all the positivity and optimism that was instilled by the Yes campaign.

  

Details and names have been changed to protect those involved for good or ill. However getting this information out in to the public domain has become increasingly important as the future of a country is at stake and the goings on I describe are undermining that very aim. If by sheer fluke someone from the branch in question of the political party in question actually see themselves in this blog post then if they are one of the wrongdoers, of which there are unfortunately plenty, perhaps they will see the light and change their behaviour. It has become impossible to change it from within so it seems it must come from outside. So here goes...

In Yes referendum campaign in our rural area we cooperated as a team where none of us were in particular charge. We had a large rural area to cover - therefore had better and more important things to do than squabble and try to get one up on each other. We were volunteering and doing so selflessly. We wanted to bring people in, not exclude them, as the more people we had the more we could achieve, as we believed the more democratic involvement the better. We were fighting to bring Government closer to the people. True, we ultimately may have had an improvement in our circumstances through the achievement of Scottish independence. But it was never about the people involved or their promotion and was never personal, and importantly was not seen as a career move. It was about a belief that things could get better and we were going to do everything possible to achieve that aim.

I have been involved in party politics before in another party but had ultimately left as I found it difficult to promote a number of policies with which I disagreed whilst still agreeing with the general stated aims of the organisation in question. In branch members comments and suggestions were respected and reasonable discussions ensued. I can never recall a raised voice. So I returned to party politics with a little hesitation as the problems with particular policies still persist but I did not expect what I got.

Initially my branch appeared to continue the high standards exhibited during the Yes campaign but very quickly by late 2014 the first signs of jostling for positions reared their head. Who was going to stand for Westminster? Who was going to be on the branch committee? Who was going to stand for Holyrood? Then the blatant self promoters reared their heads and very quickly multiplied as they saw that they might get power and influence. Then the people who were not elected to the positions they wanted started sniping at those who had been elected and the whole thing just deteriorated.

We have had new members leaving in disgust after only a few meetings.Rather than getting welcomed some were mentioned by the sniping committee members and felt extremely uncomfortable and therefore understandably didn’t want to be a part of this. At least up here there were other members to care for these people, understand their upset, and commiserate even if they could not directly help. If this goes on in other places then I hope there will be similar caring people around.

One person in my branch takes the biscuit for sniping as he has made it almost an art form. We shall call him Fred (no disrespect to any real Freds out there). How I thought this Fred was ever on the same planet as me I don’t know. I wish he wasn’t on mine.  Fred was on the committee but resigned in a strop over something and nothing (the exact details of why or what are a mystery are are unimportant). Obviously deciding he had made a mistake (he has form for resigning in a strop having done so several times already) each meeting Fred now makes a point of sitting amongst his clique and snipes at everything the person who got his previous position is doing and a few other people besides (basically anybody he doesn’t like). People like Fred are the gift that keeps giving for those whom politics is an anathema. He makes our branch an anathema. I cannot believe I respected this person at one stage. Many times the things being queried are actually because the new person in the position is unaware of what to do. However of course Fred relished this opportunity for promoting how good he was and how rubbish the new person was. It is all sickening and his behaviour is appalling but is symptomatic of the way the branch conducts itself.

So we move on to a typical branch meeting.

I went along and what I witnessed will live long in my memory unfortunately. It was a particularly lousy evening for the time of year which unfortunately translated to what was about to pass. Once again Fred and his clique were going to disrupt yet another meeting and they had quite clearly planned what was to happen in advance. The storm clouds gathered in the hall. This was to be a vulgar/desperate attempt to oust a member of the committee who we shall call Seamus. Fred argued that Seamus should apologise for a facebook thread which he said was very critical of the convenor, although the convenor was not mentioned by name. The fellow conniver, who we shall call Arthur, continued to verbally attack Seamus and received a warning from the chair to calm down. The chair asked if a complaint had already been submitted to HQ to which Fred agreed and said he had sent a complaint to HQ already. Fred then walked to the chair to hand over a brown envelope. The chair put his hand out to collect it but Fred instead threw the envelope onto another committee member’s desk! It was a letter containing a proposal for a special meeting to discuss the facebook thread in question with a view to deselecting Seamus. The discussion moved from the floor to office bearers and one person from the floor said the chair had to take control of the meeting. It was agreed that the facebook thread would be read out in its entirety – forget foodbanks, destitution, welfare cuts – this was what mattered to this branch more than anything as it involved them and their positions as opposed to folk who actually need assistance and desperately so. One minor committee member (in a relationship with another one in pivotal position) tried desperately to argue that the facebook thread was mysogynist! This view didn’t wash with the membership and real anger started to develop. The minor committee member and another committee member were very angry and animated and mumbled various comments. Arthur was again becoming very agitated and received another warning to calm down. At this stage the microphone was being passed around by those against Seamus. Eventually Seamus (who had his hand up for a long time and understandably wished to speak) received the microphone and under the circumstances skilfully kept his cool whilst under serious pressure. He acknowledged what had been said but challenged his accusers and stood his ground in a civil way. At this point Arthur was off his seat and his face bright red with fury whilst being very animated and pointing his fingers. He was standing only a few yards from the treasurer, who had indicated felt intimidated at a previous branch meeting, although she did throw a few angry mumbles out herself exactly the opposite to what she was arguing in the last meeting. At this point the Chair gave Arthur a third and final warning that if he did not calm down he would have to leave the building!The minutes of this meeting do not illustrate the Arthur episode, as after argument at a subsequent meeting they were voted through even although they were incomplete or wrong. Seamus being vilified was unsurprisingly fully included.

Seamus by any measure was subjected to a bitter vile bullying/abusive and intimidation ordeal backed up by some office bearers who have themselves lost the plot! This was ugly and vulgar to observe and if it was to occur in a public place would probably have resulted in a law suit or prosecution for intimidation. Seamus was persecuted that evening and humiliated by both branch members and members of the executive and regardless of what the facebook page was about this was totally unacceptable! 

With regards to the subject of facebook messages, I can say quite easily that the thread read out was nothing in comparison to what I have read, many from whom were doing the accussing on that particular evening. The very fact that members of the branch are lurking around looking for negatives is quite disgraceful and would shame any organisation least of all one which is voluntary by its nature and is meant to be force for good.

And then we come to our most recent branch meeting and my last. A reasonable proposal was put forward to discuss politics in our meetings. Never at any stage is there a platform for discussing real issues like poverty, redistribution of wealth, independence or indeed anything else worthwhile discussing. Given that this is actually the reason that we are all meant to be there you would have thought that this plan would be given immense support. It would also be an infinitely more positive thing to spend time on, rather than constant tiny internal branch matters, and Fred’s continual sniping. Well the democratic answer was a big fat NO. Presumably due to the fact that the person who proposed this reasonable measure is not a member of the ruling elite of the branch, it was voted down. Plus it was also dressed up to be something entirely different in the agenda i.e. additional time at these meetings which have become so burdensome given their content. So it has been officially decided that in a political party branch, politics is not actually to be discussed. Or at least until one of the in crowd suggest it perhaps?

In order to sort out the contention regarding the minutes another reasonable proposal was put forward to make an audio recording of the proceedings. This too was voted down, as to quote Arthur 'he wants to be able to say things in the meetings which he does not necessarily want recorded'. Tell us something we don't know Arthur. Never a truer word?You would never have gotten away with what you did in conjunction with Fred and co if things had been recorded.

Self promotion is all very well if it is for the good of the organisation and you need to have some degree of this to stand for election. However when that detracts from the operation of the organisation, is in direct conflict with it as has quite clearly been the case on a few occasions, or there are witch hunts against certain people who are perfectly able, but just not liked by certain people all ready in positions of power, then your organisation is ultimately doomed. Gone is inclusion. Now my branches actions show they consider it good to exclude and make a misery of those that don’t agree that you should be allowed to promote yourself or your clique, or indeed if you say anything out of line at all.

The pomposity, stupidity and arrogance of the ruling elite in our branch are achieving what they want which is what makes it so sad. They will indeed get all the positions as there will be nobody else left. The people who attended branch meetings, who were the selfless activists are drifting away demoralised and humiliated. The people who are being lost are those who were not in it for selfish means – they actually still believe in the original aim and still want to achieve it.

I am reminded how ‘Animal Farm’ ends.

“Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

I want Scottish independence for the same reasons I did before. Our distance from Westminster means we are ignored except if there is something of advantage to be gained by those in power in London by making a pretence of listening. Now however the fact that the politicians that the people elect will be within closer kicking distance is something which I consider high on the list of priorities, particularly if the people elected are of the stature of those self promoters and sniping miseries in my own branch (whose members have been compared to a nest of vipers more than once) of which I am ashamed to say I remain tentatively but most definitely not an active member. However I shall continue to chunter away with blogging and facebook in the hope that independence will come around one day. 

I want these meanderings to be a reminder to the people now active in politics in Scotland and in other countries around the world. Don't forget who you are meant to be serving. Now let me get back outside in the farmyard where I belong.

Written by a disgruntled political party member in rural Scotland who wishes to remain anonymous.

The story continues...
 http://thefreescott.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/a-scottish-political-fable-continues.html