Please Cancel Your Subscriptions 276


The large majority of the financial support for this blog comes from supporters of Scottish Independence, and I have been extremely, extremely grateful for your support this past year.

But everybody who is OK with this particular gesture by Nicola Sturgeon, I should thank you now to cancel your subscriptions because I really don’t want your money.

For me, the death of millions of people in the Middle East, and Alastair Campbell’s role in the deliberate manufacture of a dossier of lies to cause an aggressive war that led to those deaths, were life-changing events. It led me to pursue the end of the imperialist British state.

If you think that the Iraq war was just a forgivable policy error I do not want your money. If you think that consorting gleefully with war criminals is a sensible bit of realpolitik I do not want your money.

Nicola spoke at the pro-EU rally today. It has been explained to me by countless people these five years that Nicola cannot speak at pro-Indy rallies – and she has not done so since 2013 – because as First Minister she has to maintain dignity and not take controversial political stances. If you think it is fine for Nicola to show zero interest to speak at pro-Indy rallies, yet show huge enthusiasm to join the Blairites at this event, I do not want your money.

Thank you.

Refunds are available on application.

The Independent Scotland which I want is not just for a continuation of UK neo-con defence and foreign policy. If you support that, stick with me. But not if you believe Nicola shares those goals. I have no desire to rob the deluded.


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276 thoughts on “Please Cancel Your Subscriptions

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  • Sharp Ears

    The troughers at Westminster, cont’d.

    Ten years on from the Parliamentary expenses scandal which rocked Westminster to the core, Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis explores the profound impact it had on public trust in the political class. Taking us through every twist and turn in that dramatic period, with new revelations from the key players, this documentary also explores how the public anger surfaced by the expenses scandal anticipated the Brexit referendum and beyond.
    Tonight at 9. BBC2
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0003mtg

    Irony alert – Ms Maitlis is paid in the range of £220k-£229,999 by the taxpayers.

    Her Maj was in conversation with the ‘expenses editor’ of the Torygraph which inspired him to ‘act’ more resolutely. Her Maj is not a trougher in any way, shape or form of course. I drove through Windsor and the park yesterday. A staggering acreage and just a tiny part of the whole estate.

    MPs’ expenses editor ‘more resolute’ after Queen talk
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47669586

    The latest abuse of the system – Tory MP, Christopher Davies, charged with forgery over furniture expenses claim
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/02/21/tory-mp-christopher-davies-charged-forgery-furniture-expenses/

  • Republicofscotland

    With a vital Israeli general election due next month in which the current incumbent Netanyahu is hoping to become the first person to be Israels PM for a record breaking fifth time, one has to wonder if the rocket fired into Israel, which killed no one was fired for an alternative reason, and whom.

    Netanyahu is to head home to Israel, and has promised a hardline stance against those who fired the rocket, namely Hamas. My cynical old mind tells me that Hamas couldve been infiltrated, and that the firing of the rocket (and its timing) is very beneficial to Netanyahu’s campaign. A strong retaliation by Netanyahu might well see him sail comfortably into another tenure as Israeli PM.

    • michael norton

      RoS, that is possible.
      On a side plate, Mr.Donald Trump is likely to win a second term now he has been exonerated, The Donald claimed that fifty years is enough time to have elapsed for Israel to claim The Golan as Israeli land, thus in his mind, no longer Syrian.
      When, in 2017 during the height of The Syrian War, Priti Sushil Patel, visited The Golan, I wonder if she considered she was in Syria or in Israel?

      • Republicofscotland

        I doubt there’s been a recent POTUS that hasn’t bowed to very influential lobbying groups funded by very wealthy and well connected businessmen and women who have Israels, and corporate interests at heart.

        The sheer cost of running a POTUS campaign means that all the potential candidates to become POTUS have turned to the corporate powers to fund them. In return the winning candidate is obliged to payback the funding in whatever form that takes.

        We now see such events in Britain, UKIP and the Tories especially, are now funded mainly by wealthy individuals and corporations, in return for whatever is required.

    • Sharp Ears

      12 Israeli hits on Gaza in response.

      There are Fatah inserts operating in Gaza.

      Who knows who sent the ‘rocket’ into Israel that has injured seven people. The BBC are sure though.
      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-47698428 Note it was ‘sent’ from the far south near Rafah. A mighty powerful rocket to go all that distance! A FF?

      In their video report on the news channel, they mentioned the ongoing protests at the Gaza border but did NOT mention one word of the number of Palestinians killed and injured by the IDF snipers
      ‘It investigated the deaths of 189 Palestinians at the sites on official protest days and found that Israeli forces had killed 183 with live ammunition. Thirty-five of the fatalities were children, while three were clearly marked paramedics, and two were clearly marked journalists, the commission found.’
      ‘Israeli forces also injured 6,106 Palestinians with live ammunition during the same period, according to the commission’s data analysis. Another 3,098 were injured by bullet fragmentation, rubber-coated metal bullets or by tear-gas canisters.’ UNHCR. Statistics over nine months.

    • Vivian O'Blivion

      Creepy Mike Pence attacks Democrats that choose not to attend AIPAC. Harris, Sanders, Warren and O’Rourke (not sure about him, all style and no substance?) will not attend. Plenty of Democrats will however including 2020 candidate de Blasio, Pelosi and Schumer. Pense would have his country transformed into Gilead where devotion to the site of the coming rapture is compulsory.

        • Vivian O'Blivion

          Doubt it. When questioned regards AIPAC, she talks of “foreign influence and foreign money” coming in to impact American policy. That with her admirably staunch position on the Syrian government, I don’t think AIPAC would let her through the door.

    • Sharp Ears

      France and Germany (and others) oppose this grab.

      ‘French opposition to the Tel Aviv’s illegal land grab was immediately backed by Germany, as well as expected vocal opposition from Russia, Turkey, and Iran, and even the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regional group of six Arab monarchies.

      Turkish President Erdogan reiterated his country’s position in a speech at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, where he said:

      “We cannot allow the legitimisation of the occupation of the Golan Heights.”

      Watch the following Golan Heights summary from France 24.’

      https://21stcenturywire.com/2019/03/24/france-censures-israels-claim-of-sovereignty-over-golan-heights-cites-intl-law/

  • Mike Lothian

    She probably just thought it was some old grandad wanting a selfie with her 😉

  • Sharp Ears

    What is this about? Keeping the lawyers in the style to which they have become accustomed.

    ‘A blogger who has taken former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale to court said it was “absurd” to interpret one of his tweets as homophobic.
    Stuart Campbell, who runs the blog Wings Over Scotland, is suing the MSP for £25,000 after she criticised him in a newspaper column.’
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-47693895

    • Vivian O'Blivion

      Good gracious, some seriously uncouth language to bandy about in an Edinburgh courthouse. Dugdale’s QC pursued the line that Campbell’s other obsession with biology defying trans, self identification was evidence of homophobia. Sheriff Ross sensibly tired of that line of questioning fairly quickly. “… is this line of questioning really worth pursuing?”. Amen to that.

  • Dennis Revell

    :

    Before I found out about this literal tete-a-tete with Campbell, I was already feeling somewhat miffed at Sturgeon’s almost universally acclaimed speech at the ‘PutItToThePeople’ rally – though critical of it I thought it a reasonable good speech – if she were campaigning to be the UK Prime Minister that is.

    In response I posted the following at Sturgeon’s, the SNP’s and a couple or so Indy facebook pages, under the relevant video of her speech:-

    [BEGIN FBOOK POST]
    I’m confused. I thought Nicola Sturgeon yearned to be FM of an INDEPENDENT Scotland, not the PM of the UK.

    A hard fact of life is that if ‘remain’ happens then that scuppers the chances for Scottish Independence in anything like the near future.

    Swings & roundabouts.

    The worse & more catastrophic Brexit is looking like it is going to be, or actually turns out to be, the BETTER chances for Scottish Independence (& Irish Unification for that matter).

    VERY few independence efforts around this World have been peaceful – the best chance for Scotland to achieve independence peacefully was in 2014 – tragically that didn’t happen.

    The second best chance of a peaceful ‘Scexit’ – Scotland exits the UK – is if Nicola Sturgeon calls the 2nd Indyref NOW – irrespective of any bleatings from Westminster that they ‘have to approve it’. In international law independence efforts NEVER depend on the desires of the entity from which independence is sought (de-colonisation having been seen as a desirable trend by the UN and probably other bodies).

    IF Nicola Sturgeon’s courage fails her – and lots of others – and it looks like it has – and she does not call Indyref2 NOW, then the chances of a peaceful Scexit diminish considerably – and we’re possibly talking about Tianamen Sq. like scenarios at Hadrian’s Wall and elsewhere.

    HOWEVER, as said, the MORE catastrophic Brexit turns out to be, the GREATER the impetus will be for Scexit – peaceful or not.

    MOREOVER, such Brexit induced catastrophic conditions give not just another “one shot” of a 2nd Indyref chance at independence – but an unending continuum of chances – a constant and increasing demand amongst those in Scotland for a severance of legal connection with leeeetle inGRRRRland.

    That’s the position as I see it. As much as I also think that Brexit is the batshit craziest mentally deranged national suicide attempt in history, I will NOT be voting for any petition to cancel it or re-vote on it. I’m hoping indeed that the suicide attempt proves successful: the suicide of the United Kingdom via Scottish Independence (& also a bit further down the road may be, Irish Unification).
    [END FBOOK POST]

    I’ll just give one link to the comment on facebook, the one which so far has seemed to elicit the most negativeresponses – which to me seem to illustrate a reluctance by some Indy supporters to depart from Nicola worship even in light of the facts – as others here have pointed out, some of which have been building for some time: eg: Sturgeon’s response to Skripal and the Russian collusion delusion, etc:

    https://www.facebook.com/ayescotland.sco/posts/1300480863423535?comment_id=1300492160089072

    A Michael Stimson, responding positively to the same post on a different Indy fbook page (just checked it’s the ‘OurReferendum’ facebook page), mentioned in that response something about a “selfie with a war criminal” – so I had to check myself to find out who that was, and when I did, my ‘miffedness’ became closer to apoplexy. I posted the following graphic in response to a different comment by Mr. Stimson in which he included the above instagram pic:

    https://tinyurl.com/yyglqcod
    One of many graphics I concocted and widely distributed at the time of the atrocity against Iraq.
    (hope it works – the target URL is an extremely long fbook concoction – I don’t think I have the image anywhere else on the Internet).

    .

  • Republicofscotland

    This is a turn up for the books, maybe Sturgeon had method in her snapshot with Campbell. Campbell may well be an odious individual, but getting such individuals onside for independence must surely add weight to the yes side, though I doubt Craig would want him as a neighbour.

    “Tony Blair’s former spin doctor has claimed Nicola Sturgeon would be “justified” in calling a second independence referendum in the wake of a Brexit vote.”

    “Alastair Campbell said he is now contemplating moving to Scotland after the Leave campaign victory – and suggested the country could break away from the rest of the UK.”

    https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/holyrood/959688/alastair-campbell-says-sturgeon-justified-calling-second-independence-referendum/

    • Hatuey

      How much weight do you attribute to the opinion and support of Campbell, then? The whole point, it seems, is that he is tainted with the innocent blood of countless millions.

      Who next for a selfie, the devil himself?

      • Republicofscotland

        You might not like it Hatuey, but independence will not be won by being prim and proper and seeing things in black and white. Campbell is not my cup of tea as they say, however independence won’t be won without getting our hands dirty.

        After we’ve obtained independence it won’t matter what Campbell thinks.

        Lets not forget the Labour MP’s that voted to kill innocent folk in Iraq, the likes of Barry Gardner, and Tom Watson. Yet here they are lauded as the savours of Britain under Corbyn, as I said, it’s not black and white.

        • iain

          You seem to believe this war criminal can help achieve Scottish independence. Please explain how.

          • Republicofscotland

            I couldn’t care less about Campbell, I hope though he can persuade others in and around Westminster, the media etc, who are strongly against allowing a second indyref to change their minds.

            Sure it leaves a bitter taste in ones mouth having Campbell say that a second indyref should be allowed. But Sturgeon will have a long spoon to sup with the devils if they’re needed.

            Get independence first by hook or by crook, then if you want go on a morality trip.

          • Hatuey

            “The animals, watching through the window, realize with a start that, as they look around the room of the farmhouse, they can no longer distinguish which of the cardplayers are pigs and which are human beings…”

          • iain

            You’re away in the clouds if you think Campbell retains any credibility or influence. As for ‘morality trip’, that is a painfully revealing remark from an individual who spends their time spamming this site with anti war posturing.

          • Republicofscotland

            Oh please Hautey spare me the Orwellian speel. Politics is a dirty game, the goal is independence the tactics are open, and attaining independence is what matters.

          • Republicofscotland

            Of course you would know who has clout and who doesn’t. The morality comment, is meant in the fashion, that we do what it takes to become independent, and believe me it will get a hell of a lot dirtier, once Sturgeon triggers the mandate.

            After independence is achieved then the people can vote, on the moralistic direction of the nation.

          • J Galt

            Hatuey.

            I’ve no idea if we’ve ever agreed on here before but very, very prescient!

          • Hatuey

            Republic, it’s not for you to be cavalier with my virtue or the collective morality of Scotland.

            I’ve seen all these sort of tricks a million times. It’s a slippery slope. And this sort of Machiavellian stuff always blows back in your face.

            Morality aside, I really don’t see what value there is in courting a tainted and spent force like Campbell. He’s probably wondering about that himself. It stinks of desperation.

        • Jo1

          RoS
          Can’t agree with you on this. We know who Campbell is, we know what he is. There’s getting your hands dirty and then there’s recognising something as so toxic that it’s not safe to touch. That’s what Campbell is, RoS.

          The man is a liar. He’s worse things too. And don’t believe for a minute that he’s suddenly on the side of Independence. He’s still a fully committed New-Labour nut awaiting the fall of Corbyn and the return of a suitable heir. (Probably David Miliband in due course).

          Campbell regrets nothing he did, RoS. He doesn’t care what it led to back then. He doesn’t care we’re still seeing the fallout today.

          Don’t be taken in by him. I hope Nicola has thrown out that coat. It’s a shame. It was a lovely coat but it’s contaminated now.

        • Dennis Revell

          :

          Well, I think up to this point I’ve pretty much agreed with RoS on everything.

          Regrettably on this “getting hands dirty thing”, excusing the too too close literal tete-a-tete between Sturgeon and the Blairite Mass-Murdering serial War-Criminal Campbell – who were there justice in the World would have been hung by the neck until in a far more satisfactory condition years ago, he veritably is full of crap.

          Sorry to see that.

          .

        • Piotr Berman

          Dear RoS, you may think that people like Alistair Campbell wreck havoc only far away. And then they help in tinkering “We need to show that we, Labour Party, are not only new but vastly improved. How about breaking our railroads into small non-sensical pieces thus unleashing entrepreneurship and creativity, e.g. how to make it utterly confusing to make a trip using one change of trains when they belong to two different companies, e.g. from Gatwick to Heathrow” (I must admit that moron as I am, I could not figure it out.)

    • Dennis Revell

      :

      Guess you’re just all hunky-dory with the carousing with mass-murdering serial war-criminal thing then.

      Oh but as you won’ t be “reading this blog again”, you won’t see this reply, so I may even get away with telling you to go fuck yourself without Craig ‘nuking’ the comment; but, on the other hand, I won’t bother doing such a thing.
      😉

      .

  • SA

    OT
    Peter Sackur hardtack BBC with Stollenberg talking about NATO at 70. He seemed so bloodthirsty aggressive that Stollenberg seemed like a dove. No insight at all that NATO has no business interfering In Ukraine and Afghanistan and Syria and so on. It reflects how Britain has now become the attack dog for belligerent interventions.

    • Sharp Ears

      Here it is.

      ‘HARDtalk
      Jens Stoltenberg – Secretary General, NATO
      Stephen Sackur speaks to NATO’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is 70 years old, but despite its achievements and longevity, celebrations are muted. That is because NATO’s cohesion and long-term viability are being questioned as never before. Is the secretary general simply papering over the organisation’s widening cracks?’. 24 mins.
      https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0003qh1/hardtalk-jens-stoltenberg-secretary-general-nato

      You see that it’s not NATO’s crimes that matter, it’s the cracks in the edifice.

      PS. Sackur – the warmongers’ amplifier.

    • Olaf S

      He is only a journalist, what can you expect? Of course, it is extra depressing when the discrepancy between self-assurance and insight becomes as big as in this case…

      And still worse when the theme is the Cold War II, since mr.Sackur has done paid work for one side in the civil war in the Ukraine, (for the post-Majdan regime, that is), and the lack of objectivity has become screamingly noticeable (even for a BBC journalist)..

  • Tony_0pmoc

    Blimey, Craig. You will be coming out as a Truther next. Have you warned your fan club what to expect?

    I did mention a few years ago, how she was intensely disliked, amongst what I perceived was her most natural supporters.

    It was like dropping the name Margaret Thatcher at the annual reunion of the Yorkshire Branch of The National Union of Mineworkers.

    Her name did not go down too well.

    Tony

  • J Galt

    I have heard the figure of 36% being the proportion of SNP members voting leave – anybody with any better information?

    I wasn’t one of them, I toe’d the line and voted remain.

    Not any more, the more I see of the remainer mob the more my stomach turns.

    I suspect I’m not the only one to have had this reaction, which despite the “Waitrose march” and the Petition, is why they’re shying away from the second referendum – if leaving on WTO/No Deal was one of the options I suspect it would win by a landslide.

    • Hatuey

      The polls suggest you are wrong and that remain would win with around 57% support — assuming the same question was asked again.

      I’m not sure what you mean by the “remainer mob” and what relevance it has to the SNP and independence movement. I assume the SNP want a second EU vote primarily because it negates the argument that Scotland cannot have a second Indy vote.

      The big problem for Sturgeon, the SNP, and independence movement is that a second EU vote that results in remain basically torpedoes the argument and basis for a second Scottish independence referendum. SNP politicians and loyalists will deny that but it’s true.

      If Brexit was cancelled after another Brexit referendum, what sort of response do you think the SNP could expect from the electorate when they say they want another Indy vote? Just at the moment normality and stability is within our grasp, the SNP want to destabilise everything again? That’s how the media will pitch it.

      The SNP strategy over the last 3 years on this has been a disaster.

      • Republicofscotland

        There’s a flip side to that coin, what if we leave without a deal, white papers from Westminster and Holyrood have stated it will be chaotic, a disaster, untold job losses etc.

        Sturgeon would be powerless if the Tories decided to roll back devolution, what then, do you want to wait and see what happens, or would expect Sturgeon to use her position to try and persuade as many folk as possible that independence is needed before we fall of the cliff edge.

        In my opinion it’s a sensible stance trying to protect the Scottish economy by pushing for remain, whilst also seeking ways for consent to hold a second indyref. Sturgeon’s appearance and speech to the London masses, did her credibility no harm in my opinion.

        • Ian

          She’s doing her job, which is to look after the interests of Scotland, and protect it as far as possible from the ravages of brexit and particularly no deal. The Scottish government, as Mhairi Black pointed out the other day in an impassioned speech in the HoC, put forward the only sensible compromises and strategy available two long years ago. And they have been ignored since. Until this week, when it may well be too late.
          The snipes at the march are the usual pathetic sneers. The demographic was substantially the same as for the infamous Iraq anti war march – a huge coalition of people from all walks of life and ages – though young people were notably a large majority – war veterans, trades unions, nurses, doctors, families, gay groups, church groups etc etc. It was certainly more representative of the British population than either major party, the HoC, the media or all the vainglorious keyboard warriors with their usual cynical posturing.

          • Republicofscotland

            Sounds reasonable Ian, so what would you do if you were Sturgeon? What I mean by that is, how would you suggest she moves forward, bearing in mind she needs to protect the Scottish economy, and find a way of holding a second indyref before the mandate expires.

          • Ian

            A confirmatory referendum is a perfectly logical and democratic proposition. Of course you’d rather whine about Blair and Mandelson, who are irrelevant to the justice of the case. Following your playground logic means you approve, and are on the side of Farage, Mogg and Murdoch. Easy, sitting in your armchair, pontificating about things and like all social keyboard warriors, can’t wait to mention the Blair word, as if it is proof of anything, but imagine it gives you some sort of moral high ground. Stick to your tired old script though, if it keeps you happy.

        • Hatuey

          The decision to “wait and see” what Brexit amounts to was a terrible decision made by Sturgeon around 2 years ago. The problem, from an Scottish Indy standpoint, predictable and predicted by me on here, is that Brexit may well end up in the long grass forever or be cancelled completely.

          There’s a very good chance we come out of this shambles with nothing. And we seem to be left in the awkward position of not only hoping that Brexit goes ahead but hoping that it is cataclysmic. That’s the fun place you end up in, if you want Scottish independence before anything else, which I do.

          But here we are so far down Sturgeons yellow brick road and we have little choice now but to wait and see. As we go we will moan and complain because there’s nothing else to do. Waiting for McGodot.

          Consider for a moment by comparison how say Sinn Fein would have handled the position Scotland finds itself in. Their MPs are not in the Privy Council, have teeth (and bite), and stick to their principles. The U.K. government would have no choice but to negotiate a settlement.

          Sturgeon has made several huge errors, from the Smith Commission, her election strategy, right through to this. I suspect she is basing everything on opinion polls.

  • Chemical Britain

    What is wrong with Sturgeon standing shoulder to shoulder with a cogenital liar?

    Did she not stand shoulder to shoulder with another cogenital liar following the Russian chemical attack on England?

  • Stonky

    I don’t think there is even a debate to be had here.

    If Nicola Sturgeon thinks that going on marches and making speeches to keep the UK in the EU is somehow advancing the cause of independence, then fair enough. You can agree with her or disagree. If that means sharing a platform with some very unpleasant people, fair enough.

    But sharing a platform is one thing. Out of all the thousands of people at the event, there is absolutely no justification for having her photo taken in a smirking embrace with that loathsome blood-stained reptile Campbell.

    • Hatuey

      Stonky, Sturgeon is famous for doing about 4 million selfies per day with random people. I think that’s to her credit that she takes the time to do that and engage with people.

  • michael norton

    Too little, too late? Merkel comes to Chemnitz to ease ethnic tensions, but faces mass protest
    https://www.rt.com/news/444217-merkel-visits-chemnitz-protests/

    this from six months ago.

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel finally visited the eastern German city of Chemnitz, more than two months after massive right-wing protests there. However, twenty times as many people came to protest against her than to see her.
    In late August, the city of Chemnitz witnessed a surge of anti-immigrant sentiment after the fatal stabbing of a German man, allegedly by a group of migrants. The incident provoked a wave of right-wing rallies and far-right marches, as well as counter-protests, some of which escalated into skirmishes between riot police and protesters, resulting in multiple arrests and injuries.

  • Piotr Berman

    It seems that Alastair Campbell is a talented and dangerous individual. His contributions against welfare of humanity are many, Craig merely cited his top nefarious achievement. His skills at manipulative propaganda contributed to the rise of New Labour with its increasingly dark aspects that to me are clear in retrospect. To cite one of his earlier achievements from Wiki “He was seconded to overhaul the communications of NATO during the Kosovo crisis, when US President Bill Clinton feared NATO was losing the propaganda war with the Slobodan Milošević regime. The general in charge of the military operation, Wesley Clark, credited Campbell with bringing order and discipline to NATO communications, and freeing the military to do its job.” In other words, when the eve of Iraq war approached, Campbell had plenty of practice in the black propaganda.

    As SNP had some electoral troubles, would Campbell lend a hand to Sturgeon to create “New SNP”? (Where is unpainted wood when I need it?!)

    • Sharp Ears

      There is no holding Mandelson’s master down. He has been speaking in Dubai to the ‘Global Education and Skills Forum’. Meeting up with some of his followers no doubt. It’s an annual event.

      Tony Blair: Britain faces a painful Brexit…or a pointless one
      The former British PM speaks to The National about the importance of leadership in challenging times
      https://www.thenational.ae/world/europe/tony-blair-britain-faces-a-painful-brexit-or-a-pointless-one-1.841249

      Amazing that people still pay to listen to the war criminal.

      I forget the name of the wealthy American with whom he had a tie up in providing ‘global education’ which turns a pretty penny for them.

      • Piotr Berman

        If you were planning a series of lectures “How to enslave contract laborers and slaughters Yemenis with aplomb, panache and esprit de corp”, first hand experience like A.L.’s would be exactly what you would need.

  • Terence callachan

    What an odd time to make something of a photo with a devil.Not a policy or a law but a selfie,I’m sure Craig has had his photo taken with some real Devils in his career as all politicians have.
    The oddity I refer to is Craig a professed Scottish independence supporter choosing this and enlarging its importance to the detriment of the Scottish independence movement when it is known that every day of every week every newspaper radio station and tv station lies about Scottish independence.
    Craig, use your experience here, find a story about the wrongdoings of the other side, there are so many that are never mentioned ,we don’t need more in the news for this side.
    Honestly, you are a politician but you are not applying your political prowess well at all.

    • Hatuey

      The selfie with Campbell in itself is trivial. But as a symbol of what has gone wrong at the top of the SNP, it is important.

      Instead of grandstanding in London at a people’s vote demo, why not grandstand in Glasgow at a Pro independence demo?

      It would be all too easy to develop this argument further.

  • Antiwar7

    I subscribed because of Craig’s info and research re: the Skripal story and his past work with Wikileaks. Regarding Scottish independence, I wish him well, but it’s not a pressing issue to me.

  • Sharp Ears

    Does this legislation affect blogs like this one?

    ‘Julia Reda, a German MEP with the Pirate Party, described it as a “dark day for internet freedom.”
    Article 13 or ‘The Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market’ makes all platforms legally responsible for the content hosted and shared on their platforms.
    The process of updating the bloc’s copyright laws began in the European Commission two years ago, ostensibly to protect Europe’s publishers, broadcasters and artists and guarantee fair compensation from big tech companies.’

    ‘Dark day for internet freedom’: EU lawmakers approve controversial copyright reform
    https://www.rt.com/news/454782-eu-lawmakers-approve-controversial-copyright/
    26th March 2019

  • Graham Ennis

    Saddened, but not surprised. The SNP has now moved so far into the mainstream, and to conformist middle ground politics, that this is not unexpected. The First Minister is clearly involving herself with parties and people who would crush her and the entire SNP, the first chance they get. It is fatal folly to be so “Nice” and extend some middle-class politeness to these people. Its foolishness. The SNP is now following a political and historical track that will end up in the same place as that of the legally elected Irish 1918 government. Crushed. By the British State. We all know what happened after that tragic event. The horrible reality, and the inexorable march of history, and its repetition is going to do things to the SNP that would mean the end of constitutional independence politics. Scotland is now moving towards a very serious crisis, one driven by BREXIT and the “Normalisation and co-opting” of the SNP by the main UK power structure. Craig, you are utterly right. The first rule od political struggle is to NEVER cooperate with the enemy. Nicola is being far to nice and polite. But as the irish learned, the hard way, being polite to the Unionist hegemony is usually fatal.

  • Terence callachan

    Graham Ennis you may be right but I reckon it’s worth continuing dialogue with the worst offenders in the world so that you get a clearer picture of what they are doing.Sometimes you have to dance with the devil all politicians know this and that’s what makes Craig’s outburst about N sturgeon so strange, I think perhaps his temper got the better of him on this one.

  • Kieron

    Craig – some of your observations and reports are very interesting but have a look at your own record. You worked for the UK in an official capacity since 1984 to promote British interests. Get real – to gain independence stuff like this and worse will be required. Bottom line what did she do? Spoke and had a selfie – get a sense of perspective here. And bottom line – how does this article assist the independence movement?

    • craig Post author

      Time will tell, Kieron. I predict that in a year’s time it will be obvious to all that Nicola is deliberately delaying any decisive moves towards Indy, and your opinion will differ. I think it would be better to get a leader more interested in Indy now. If she proves me very wrong, that will be good news for all of us and nobody will be happier than me.

  • Bob

    I am so disappointed in seeing this photo. Consorting with New Labour… I understand that Nicola went to support revoking Article 50, but there was no need for this.

  • qjay

    if Campbell comes to live in an independenr Scotland can he be tried for war crimes here?

  • Allan Reid

    Perhaps in order to achieve a higher goal one has to occasionally sup with the devil. For example, left wing groups perennially refuse to cooperate with each other, on often rather obtuse ideological grounds, therefore ruining any hope of their ideas being enacted. If Scotland is to be independent it will be via the SNP, there will be endless time for debate once the primary goal is achieved.

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