FOI reference: FOI/202100222993
Date received: 13 Jul 2021
Date responded: 11 Aug 2021
Information requested
Gender Recognition Act Reform consultation which closed in March 2020.Please provide a copy of any summary or description provided to the Minister by Scottish Government civil servants of the responses to the above consultation, including any summary of the content of the report from the external analysis of responses, and any summary of the issues raised by consultees and any assessment made of these.
This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption.
Publication of Crown Office discussions with Police Scotland around SNP investigation ‘not in public interest’
Discussions between Scotland’s prosecution service and police force around the ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities within the SNP will remain secret following claims their disclosure is not in the public interest.
So we still have no idea, yet, of what the public view of Gender Recognition is in Scotland and we are to receive no update on the state of play in the SNP missing £600,000 pounds scandal and Police investigation in to the SNP. Apparently neither are in the public interest, or is that Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP’s interests. It is not good enough anymore in any shape or form for any of this information to be either delayed or hidden from view. This all smacks of having something to hide.
Allegedly we will get some form of information regarding GRA when the SNP will “publish the final version of that information within 12 weeks”, their version of the information. Transparency and honesty is not at the heart of our Government, our Police, and certainly not the Crown Persecution Office. This year alone the SNP have been accused of covering up information on the Alex Salmond case, cancer, the ferry scandal, last year it was the Derek MacKay case, the conference for the sports brand Nike in late February where our first real Covid-19 outbreak happened. We could add Peter Murrell, the now invisible man of the SNP, putting pressure on the Police to keep the pressure on Alex Salmond that we only found out about after text messages had to be forced out, the Royal family influencing policy and this not being disclosed in Holyrood. This is an SNP Government and First Minister who are knee deep in cover ups now while in office yet too many remain unquestioning and devoted.
“Nicola Sturgeon once said ‘Labour lost because they took voters for granted. They became arrogant on power. They thought they were invincible. And they rightly paid the price.’ Governments cover up and I have seen many over the years, from affairs, the eggs scandal in the 80’s, MPs expenses, cash for questions, the Iraq War and weapons of mass destruction, the Royal Family, the SNP have now joined the Brit Nat ranks of the Tories, Labour, and the Lib Dems as being as brazen as they are and as good at it as they are when we expected better when we first elected them in 2007.
IT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH END OF. I have already said I will never vote for the SNP again, no matter what. I will vote Alba or ISP, I’ll even spoil my ballot paper if I have to. The SNP have become drunk on power and minority interests, and we have got to get them gone no matter the damage this does in the short term to the cause of independence because the damage in the longer term is that indepdence will be over for good. People can say all they want about new media bloggers, Alex Salmond and the Alba Party, they can call us all the names in the world but when the time comes to be judged I know who will be judged harshly and who won’t.
Ruth Wishart has an excellent article here about pandering to the trans minority.
The latest Prism Show can be found here please be kind to me as I appeared on it and I was a bit nervous, Roddy and Iain were very kind though.
If you are as sick of Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP as many many people are now you can join the Alba Party here if you want to give independence one more go then please consider joining if you can, we need to start the fight back against the cover ups, we need to start fighting for our rights and our independence before it is too late.
grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com 
Couldn’t agree more re the GRA and Police coverups. And one day, hopefully soon, that quote of Nikla’s re Labour will come true for her newSNP.
Re Scottish Prism, I thought that man doesn’t look like he needs to lose 3 stone only to find out you did it in 12 weeks! What is it you do in the community work? Scottish Slimmers 🙂 Seriously well done, now you have to keep it off!
Panda
Thanks. I am a Community Education Worker and currently work with young people but have worked in homelessness, survivors of sexual abuse, Scottish Youth Parliament/Dundee Youth Council, a music and arts venue and I am a qualified gardener and green keeper. I was well over weight at the end of May, over 15 stone and I am not tall so needed to do something about it as have high blood pressure. Been following a programme of walking and calorie counting, I still have a ways to go as still officially over weight, target is 11.5 stones according to GP and I will keep it off as not going back to that weight again, GP reckons that weight maintenance is easier than loss, time will tell but I am determined. I agree about the SNP, I have had enough of them now as they are just as bad as the unionists since Sturgeon took over, all the high hopes we had for her just to find out that she is no better than the likes of Sommerville, it is all so depressing and sad that we just don;t have all that many decent and honest politicians anymore but I so think they are trying to hide things more and more now.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
I thought that man doesn’t look like a “grumpy scottishman” but a rather pleasant individual!
Ben
Thanks, that is very kind.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
It sure does look like a over up, one of many it would seem. The SNP leadership really are quite a bunch of scumbags these days. They know what’s in the public interest i.e. shut up, we know what’s good for you. And if you disagree we also know that some time at her majesty’s pleasure will be good for you.
I’ll say no more for fear of entering into a written rant for which there I may not be able to locate a full stop.
By the way it was an excellent Prism show yesterday and, as ever, you made some pertinent points (as, of course, did BB and the Paisley Mohawk). I was quite impressed hearing about with your 5.30am walks and the loss of 3 stones in as many months. Keep it up … and also the writing!
Duncanio
Thanks and I totally agree that the SNP are a bunch these days. I mean what do they think that people forget everything and can’t put things together over a few years to build a picture of things that don’t look good when you join the dots. I would just be happy for them to be gone now before they really do destroy any chance at independence.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Aye, the show was good.
Yes, they are doing what they have been doing for years now. Hiding information from the public.
Obair
The Prism is well worth a watch each week that is for sure.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Aye, I watch it every week. The pro Independence bloggers and the odd jaunt to the hills wi my pals is keeping me from losing it at the moment. Frustrating, bewildering times.
Obair
The prism is excellent, I enjoy watching it a great deal also. I think the new media bloggers do really well and I actually don’t include myself in that to be honest. The reasons why I blog have never changed over the years https://grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com/2017/03/22/why/ it has always been about expressing m opinion so I don’t go postal, the fact that people read the blog and comment remains very flattering indeed.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
There appears to be a main contender reason of how to explain the likes of Sturgeon and her stranglehold on the SNP – someone that takes over an organisation from within to suit their personal objectives. The documentary ‘Planet of the Humans’ does a good job in highlighting just how the various environmental groups in the US were weakened and diverted from their stated purpose – it’s leadership either sold out or they were never serious about the issues that they said they were and they used their chosen organisation solely for their own selfish ends of power and money. Al Gore is shown for what he does and gains, not for what he says and projects. A similarity with Sturgeon seems obvious. The documentary could easily have had the sub title of either : The Enemy Within or Friends In High Places. It’s on Youtube and well worth watching.
“It’s easier to fool the masses than to convince them that they are being fooled” – Mark Twain
Ian
I will check that out but I do think the SNP believe that most of us are buttoned up the back and can’t join the dots.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
you did fine on the prism, gayle miller was great as well
Paul
I have done an audio recording before but that was my first prism and I was a little nervous, Roddy and Iain are really on the ball but they were very kind.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
You speak well on these things, no doubt about it. I hate praising folk but you are doing a necessary job for us. Dinnae let it go tae yer heid!
Obair
I would hope that never happens, the blog remains a personal opinion on the things that interest or annoy me and that will always be the case. I have been offered money in the past to turn the blog into a website, to crowd fund to make it more professional and I have always politely refused as it is not what it is about. If I wanted to turn the blog into a website I don’t even think it costs a lot but either way it is a platform to express my opinion, that is as true today as it was when I started around the beginning of 2012 or there about. Here is that very early post when I moved to word press https://grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com/2014/05/21/why-do-i-blog/.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Excellent.
Poor Ruth Wishart was getting pelters on Twitter for her article. Thank you for the link as I don’t have access to The National. Anyone who thinks it is bigoted is talking through a hole in his/her (definitely not ‘their’) head.
Peeliewallie
From being Sturgeon’s best pal to be reviled after one article, amazing how shallow the loyalists are in the SNP now. I thought her article was very fair to be honest even though I have also questioned her loyalty to Sturgeon which for me is undeserved. The SNP think we are all buttoned up the back now.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
I wrote this on Wings over Scotland earlier today Monday
Re Ruth Wishart’s article in the fanzine , it is a good article but Ruth has to remember that Sturgeon and her twittler youth are the ones FORCING these various abominable policies and rules on the good citizens of Scotland and their INNOCENT children , the same Sturgeon that Ruth was so effusive in her support of her
The same Sturgeon that Ruth was encouraging people to vote for , the same Sturgeon that was insisting SNP 1 and 2 ,the same Sturgeon that was DELIBERATELY SABOTAGING our chances of a supermajority , the same Sturgeon who by her deliberate actions of continuously refusing to work or be in the same room as Alex Salmond enabled the unionists to take more seats in HR when they could have been reduced to the pitiful rump they deserve
So Ruth I for one will hold you in much contempt for your obvious stupidity and wanton shortsightedness in supporting and promoting this charlatan and deviant when all the time her perverted policies and actions have been obvious to ANYONE with a functioning brain , so your article is MUCH TOO LITTLE MUCH TOO LATE
the 600 grand will be there to help the Afghan refugees that sturgeon wants to bring to Scotland.
One third of the Scottish population living on or under the poverty line and she wants to bring in refugees. She just does not give a shit about Scotland or Scots. I am fkn beelin.
I get so outraged at this condescension of ” It is NOT in the public interest ” YES it fkn well is , It is in our interest when FRAUD has taken place , It is in our interest when we are DELIBERATELY lied to , It is in our interest when the leader of a political party is behaving like a despot , It is in our interest when that same leader is proposing and implementing policies which are dangerous and perverted to NORMAL people and our children , I could go on but this display of arrogance is something else which will have to be addressed when we are independent
If the public PAY for it we should know ALL about it
TH
I agree, they are in the public interest and delaying or staying silent is just not an option but they will drag it out as long as they can I suspect if the answers make Sturgeon and the SNP look out of touch.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce