The National have published a letter today from the women who accused Alex Salmond of a variety of sexual assaults.
Are they trying to re-write the verdict? Many will think they are and it will split opinion I suspect. The verdict was that Alex Salmond was innocent of all charges, the jury who heard all the evidence said that Alex Salmond was innocent.
I was certainly glad AS was found innocent from what we were allowed to hear of the trial. The simple fact is the accusers came across as calculated, their evidence was not believed and it looked like a vendetta against Alex Salmond for political reasons. No one forced these accusers to collude, no one forced them not to go to the Police straight away, no one forced the SNP and the civil service in Scotland to look like they were involved in a political vendetta but we can’t and should not re write the verdict.
There are a lot of questions to be answered of the leadership of the SNP, something stinks at the very top and it needs removed. There needs to be a serious look at certain people at the top of the Scottish Civil Service and esp Leslie Evans the head of the service. She has cost the public purse a fortune and doesn’t appear to be fit to lead the service. Her text to a colleague saying the battle was lost but not the war in relation to Alex Salmond for me was enough to expect her to go, she has made this personal and her judgement must come into question.
More will come out in the future, Alex Salmond will have his say and it will be interesting to see who knew what, how much was the First Minister involved, heads I would imagine will roll and from what we know so far should.
Women should be protected in the work place from sexual advances and misogyny there is no question of that in any way but when you collude, when you have a WhatsApp groups to discuss your plans, when you choose your moment to go public looks bad, it makes you calculated and it makes it political.
If the accusers were so offended by anything that Alex Salmond allegedly did then they should have went to the Police as soon as the SNP leadership didn’t act, by waiting, for years in some cases, doesn’t look good, that’s maybe not fair but it is how it is.
grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com 
Its my opinion and is only my opinion that Alex is to be found guilty even though he been cleared and is a innocent man the British state want the only person who can bring us Independence to be removed from politics entirely, why hasn’t Alex been aloud back into the SNP with open arms? Mr Johnston turned down a section 30 request in January and its now the end of March I know we have this virus on at the moment but if we hadn’t nothing would have changed the FM would still would not be looking to bringing forward a vote on Independence and the quicker she is gone before the damage of waiting has caused the better for all concerned, The Joanna Cherry and Mr Salmond will be a force the British state will not be able to handel and I know for a fact that Alex has always put country before individuality unlike Sturgeon who is a little dictator and if I didn’t know better I would say has been bought and sold with English gold.
100%YES
Alex Salmond is certainly marmite for many, you either like him or you don’t. I have always preferred his approach of being right in Westminster’s face and I didn’t think he should have resigned when we lost the referendum. Nicola Sturgeon is all process and I totally agree, even without the horrific coronavirus, NS would never have gotten a referendum this year in any shape or form and I still don’t believe she wants one anytime soon. She is in the Pete Wishart nonsense of 60% in the polls which we know just won’t happen without a referendum. I don’t think AS will go back to the SNP, I can’t see how he can with certain people still being at the top of the party but it is a party that needs a bit of a clear out at the top and the members can do that if they have the will. The court case looked like a huge stitch up, how it even got to court given how weak the case was is a bit of mystery and does stink a little. However, trying to re-write the verdict to imply he is guilty is just as wrong, you are spot on it’s what the unionists and Westminster have and they will keep at it forever to try to keep AS down. There will be more to come out of this and I hope it does. I think the SNP have done ok in government overall but recently they have started to look entitled and similar to old Labour, they need to wake up soon before it’s all lost.
Thanks for commenting and stay safe. Bruce
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
So regardless of the verdict, the case has succeeded in sowing discention within the SNP? In a case of this nature there will always be the “no smoke without fire” argument, and all of that on top of legitimate doubts as to the best strategy to achieve independence. Let’s face it, the SNP and the wider Indy movement are being played, probably quite skilfully. So who do we have with sufficient statesmanship to address the situation and confound the opposition?
Marconatrix
I think the SNP have made it easy for the no smoke without fire brigade by not having robust procedures in place that should have both been fair and identified things like the WhatsApp group. The role of Leslie Evans is also something that does now require to be looked at as noted by the likes of Wings and Craig Murray. I don’t think the SNP is infected badly but there are obviously some in the higher end of the party who could be accused of having a different agenda. Everyone who has read the blog knows I’ve never been convinced about NS as leader of the party and the person to lead the independence movement as a whole. I’ve always thought she was an excellent FM but she is all process and has surrounded herself by others like herself. I can’t see AS ever being allowed back in the party but there will come a point when it needs someone with the attitude of Joanna Cherry and Angus MacNeil to move us forward because right now we are not moving forward and the SNP are starting To look like the old Labour Party in my opinion.
Thanks for commenting and stay safe.
Bruce
Sent from my iPhone
There has been neither smoke nor fire for 99.9% of Alex Salmond’s political career and then all of a sudden…
Folk need to consider their subscriptions to The National as well. It’s long been my opinion that its publishers have been playing the “foot in both camps” game and to allow The Coven carte blanche to continue trying to besmirch his name defies belief.
Hopefully he’ll bring a few publications down when he gets round to suing them all.
Dave
I must admit I only get the National a couple of times a week at best. It started very well but has become a bit politically correct as it’s went on and I get that people see it as just being a foot in both camps. It will be interesting though when Alex Salmond speaks his mind and we may get a bit more information on who and why.
Thanks for commenting and stay safe.
Bruce
Sent from my iPhone
So you see NS as essentially a skilful administrator? What’s the point of her writing a fine letter if at the end of the day she’s not willing to push the envelope … 😉
Marconatrix
I think she is all process surrounded pretty much by people who are all process. It’s a good fit for a FM but not for someone fighting for our independence because I think it makes her predictable, Westminster know what’s coming a mile off and don’t care because they know she won’t push too hard, she won’t disrupt Westminster, she won’t make legislation that forced Westminster to challenge in court. Sad but true in my opinion.
Thanks for commenting and stay safe.
Bruce
Sent from my iPhone
Aye, an yersel, and all here. Stay Safe!
I think NS is an excellent First Minister but she is not a revolutionary which is what we need to to gain independence. I firmly believe that had AS advertised his intention to resign a week before the Indy vote, we would have won. I said this at the time and say it now as a friend and ardent support of AS, although we haven’t met or spoken for very many years. Back to the specifics of your article though, I can’t believe how Leslie Evans has retained her position. Acting as she has would get any other civil servant into disciplinary procedures at the very least.Does she have anything on NS in order to avoid this fate? On the SNP, we are sort of stuck with NS at the moment until AS or JC run in the next Holyrood election and become MSPs. Neither can become FM and leader of the party until then and I can’t see anyone else I’d prefer as FM. They are the only ones revolutionary enough to lead us to independence.
Alan
Don’t disagree with anything you said. Evans should be gone and NS is all process and procedure, Westminster know that at the end of the day the SNP might be a pain but they are not radical, they won’t disrupt Westminster, they won’t push the boundaries, they are easy to control because the FM is not Alex Salmond, or Jonna Cheery, or Angus MacNeil. If they were running things I think we would see a far more challenging approach and Westminster at a point where they would be seriously thinking about trying to get rid
Of Holyrood therefor pushing the whole UDI issue right up to the front.
Thanks for commenting and please stay safe.
Bruce
Sent from my iPhone