tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36311954149201864772024-03-20T20:07:52.079+00:00Campbell MartinUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631195414920186477.post-30496184647336370632024-03-08T09:22:00.001+00:002024-03-08T09:22:39.423+00:00WOMEN - ONE MAN'S PERSPECTIVE<p><b><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYLFvKAr6NxqjYVUv7Yx5UCYSFDxoVRhMYzGR0DaU0Evwn0y4oiTocn9rKT8Jmi8fbHsuygkajyGNAnRzrzFR_HoCWMpCh5JXn3juXdQRPvUuyigA6Td2UZWUdmyEt9_HylAKO74NhShlUlIBwU3cNOsDWgc7cSPM9hLy14VwynZtVZ-rjVnRz2gXkN7-/s365/women%20graphic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="365" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYLFvKAr6NxqjYVUv7Yx5UCYSFDxoVRhMYzGR0DaU0Evwn0y4oiTocn9rKT8Jmi8fbHsuygkajyGNAnRzrzFR_HoCWMpCh5JXn3juXdQRPvUuyigA6Td2UZWUdmyEt9_HylAKO74NhShlUlIBwU3cNOsDWgc7cSPM9hLy14VwynZtVZ-rjVnRz2gXkN7-/s320/women%20graphic.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> </span></span></b><p></p><p><b><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">[This
is an extract from my book '<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/OUTSPOKEN-Part-One-Campbell-Martin/dp/B0BLM5TFZ6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36UAAMH4MDN8T&keywords=outspoken+part+one+campbell+martin&qid=1701705615&s=books&sprefix=outspoken+part+one+campbell+martin%2Cstripbooks%2C89&sr=1-1" target="_blank">OUTSPOKEN – Part One</a>' (available by
clicking the link in the title). It is posted to mark International
Women's Day.]</span></span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: small;">As
I have got older, my respect for women has continued to grow, and I
decided to write this after seeing statistics that shocked me.</span></span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I've
never understood why some men assault women, particularly women they
claim to love. In just 12 months, there were 51,926 incidents of
domestic abuse recorded by police in Scotland. Of course, some women
don't report being physically or psychologically abused by their
partner. On average, women are on the receiving end of domestic abuse
35 times before they report it to police or social services.</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">North
Ayrshire, my local area, has one of the highest rates of domestic
abuse in Scotland: a report by the local council put the annual cost
of dealing with the problem at around £2.9million.</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Over
just one-year the rate of domestic abuse incidents responded to by
the police in North Ayrshire increased by 90.5% - from 996 to 1,897.
Worryingly, the Council recorded that the high rate of domestic abuse
has not translated into increased 'homeless' applications for
housing, indicating that, in many cases, women are remaining in the
home where abuse has occurred.</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For
the same period, North Ayrshire Women's Aid figures show 95 women and
60 children stayed in local refuges operated by the charity. In
addition, 588 women were provided with counselling support.</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Alcohol
plays a part in men assaulting their partners, but it is no excuse.
No-one forces men to get drunk and then take out their frustrations
by physically assaulting women. One formidable woman I worked with in
the past, former SNP Chief Whip Kay Ullrich, summed-up the paucity of
the “But I was drunk” excuse, by asking, “So why did he wait to
get home before he decided to punch someone's face in? Why didn't he
have a go at the guy standing next to him in the pub?”</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In
my life there have always been strong women. My maternal granny was a
socialist activist in the Independent
Labour Party in the Saltcoats area. My paternal granny was
undoubtedly the boss in a household that included a husband and six
sons.</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When
I was a politician, my mother was my staunchest defender and
supporter – she could also criticise me, but no-one else was
allowed to do it. She was physically small, but would have faced a
lion to defend her two sons (albeit one needed more defending than
the other).</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm
delighted that my daughter is following in the tradition: she is
beautiful, intelligent, articulate and funny. She is more than a
match for any man.</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The
human race would have expired centuries ago if child-bearing was not
something done by women. Men could never endure the physical pain and
stress of giving birth.</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Women
raise families, run households and have careers. Amazingly, they also
find time to 'look good' because men expect that of them, even while
our beer-bellies swell and forests of hair emerge from our ears and
nose.</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">During
my time as an MSP, I served alongside women who were there entirely
on merit and proved themselves to be amongst the best politicians in
the country.</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Then
there was my pal, Margo. Despite suffering from a terrible
debilitating illness, Margo MacDonald was the brightest star in the
parliament. She was so intelligent, so articulate and so funny.</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">All
the women I served alongside were there through ability and
determination, and they proved their sex was an asset, not a
hindrance.</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It
is a misconceived belief of superiority that leads some men to think
women are less than their equal. From my experience, in work, in
politics, in life in general, women constantly prove themselves to be
more than equal to men. When a problem arises, men will form a
committee to look at setting-up a focus group that could examine
possible options for inclusion in a brainstorming session to set-out
ideas that might feed into a matrix of potential solutions. Women
will identify the problem and sort it out.</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There
is no doubt in my mind that women are the stronger sex. Of course,
physically, men are generally bigger and stronger, which is a major
factor in the appalling statistics relating to domestic abuse. On
that point, one final thought: as a young man, my late dad served in
the Royal Marines. He was trained to kill with his bare hands, but
when I was a wee boy he told me that real men never hit women. That
message has stayed with me to this day.</span></b></p><p style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So,
to any men who might, in the future, find themselves feeling they
want to hurt a woman they claim to love – or any woman – please
pause, take a step back and be a real man. Real men don't hit women.</span></b></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631195414920186477.post-43008153025147389672023-11-28T14:57:00.001+00:002023-11-28T14:57:47.126+00:00INDEPENDENCE: PAST and FUTURE<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfIloXEtf0bqcLoEJAY8jDh0kqT4z68FEEb7ijqdaXeljmQCPq1zQbm8iGYxnGrYzs2K_mho-vvvWb3wRZtdPz5xpgABbse4rWHxGEdwMI1HFFOkTzV8UVG3M2ffg-RP4x_S97pe_zedYeNgAfCDATzYwt-68lBcj4Tom4LM2lloerRUUXQ5wNwaVlK8v/s278/men%20in%20rain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="278" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfIloXEtf0bqcLoEJAY8jDh0kqT4z68FEEb7ijqdaXeljmQCPq1zQbm8iGYxnGrYzs2K_mho-vvvWb3wRZtdPz5xpgABbse4rWHxGEdwMI1HFFOkTzV8UVG3M2ffg-RP4x_S97pe_zedYeNgAfCDATzYwt-68lBcj4Tom4LM2lloerRUUXQ5wNwaVlK8v/s1600/men%20in%20rain.JPG" width="278" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #fcff01;">Article originally published by</span> <a href="https://www.offtopicscotland.com/" target="_blank">Off Topic Scotland</a>. <br /></span></b><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">I
recently had the privilege of speaking with members of the Alba
Party's International Branch, via Zoom. It was great to speak with
people so committed to Scotland's independence, and determined to
deliver.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Those
Alba activists were, like me, former members and activists in the
Scottish National Party (SNP). In fact, many of today's Alba
activists are the people who built the SNP from a talking-shop on the
fringes of Scottish politics to a party of government. The fact they
now find themselves, not only outside the SNP but building a new
pro-independence party, represents just how massively the
SNP has lost the trust of its activists and the voting public. </span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">This
fact was brought home to me a few days ago when I bumped into a man I
knew from my SNP days. For the record, I was expelled by the party in
2004 – the story is covered in my autobiography, 'Was It Something
I Said?'. The conversation I had with the man I met in the car-park
of a Largs supermarket was brief – it was raining at the time –
but he wanted to tell me that he had recently left the SNP.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
Largs man had been one of the hardest workers for the party in the
Cunninghame North constituency. He told me, “The final straw was
the appointment of Murray Foote as chief-executive of the party”.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">In
the rain, I quickly explained what happened the last time the SNP
appointed a Labour defector to a senior position within the party.
This is one of the subjects covered in my book 'OUTSPOKEN – Part
Two'. The book – and 'OUTSPOKEN – Part One' – tells the story
of the eventful
last ten-years in Scottish and UK politics, from the campaign for the
Independence Referendum, to the outcome of the referendum, to the SNP
2015 landslide and right up to 2023. In articles written at the time,
I give my view on what has happened to our country. As the opinions
are mine, the books also reflect my journey from a position where I
still voted SNP, and asked others to vote SNP, to the present day,
where I make clear I can no longer vote for the party.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">When
I recently spoke with members of the Alba Party, I suggested that
'Scotland United' was the way forward for the independence movement –
one pro-independence candidate in each constituency, around whom the
pro-independence electorate could unite. This tactic could result in
a large pro-independence majority, and could deliver what should be
an undeniable mandate for Scotland to retake its political
independence.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Since
I spoke to the Alba Party meeting, events have shifted and my opinion
has changed.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">I
still think 'Scotland United' is a good idea but, in reality, it
won't work. To be honest, I should have known it wouldn't work. I was
a member of the Scottish National Party for 27-years before being
expelled. From my experience in the party, I know the SNP is precious
about independence. Back then it wasn't prepared to share it with
anyone and, today, that remains the case.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
first time I encountered the SNP's refusal to countenance sharing the
cause of independence was when the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP)
began to emerge on the political scene in the late 1990s. Within the
SNP at that time, people angrily argued that the SSP was 'just using
independence to steal SNP votes'. I tried to point out that there
were socialists in Scotland who would never dream of voting for the
SNP, adding that if those socialists could be persuaded to support
independence through voting for the SSP, then surely that was a good
thing and a positive contribution to the independence movement. The
SNP would have none of it. Independence belonged to the SNP and they
were not prepared to share it. Sadly, the same applies today.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">We
have all seen social media posts from some senior members of the SNP,
attacking the Alba Party in general and Alex Salmond in particular.
There have also been Alba members attacking the SNP, but there is a
significant difference between the motivation for the respective
posts.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
Alba attacks are because today's SNP has sold-out on the cause of
independence. Today's SNP is a 'devolutionist' party, content to
manage the devolved Scottish Government within the so-called United
Kingdom. Today's SNP is not going to deliver independence. The
attacks from members of the Alba Party are largely motivated by
trying to save the SNP from itself and return it to fighting for
independence. The 'Scotland United' initiative emerged from the Alba
Party: it was an attempt, once again, to bring the SNP back to the
independence cause and to unite disparate strands
of the independence movement.</span></b></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">In
contrast, SNP attacks on the Alba Party show the SNP still retains
its arrogant position from when the SSP first emerged –
independence belongs to the SNP and the party is not prepared to
share it. How dare the Alba Party seek independence votes, those
belong to the SNP, even though today's SNP doesn't any longer
actually seek to deliver independence.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">When
I spoke with the International Branch of the Alba Party, I did
suggest 'Scotland United' should be given a chance, but I also argued
that it is my belief there would come a time when the Alba Party had
to take-off the gloves and actually challenge the SNP. Alba Party
members largely built the SNP, and if, in order to deliver
independence for Scotland, we have to go back to square-one and start
all over again, then those Alba Party members are the people to do
it.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">I
realise that starting again means I, personally, might not see
independence. It could be a longer journey than we would like.
Starting again means having to persuade the public that independence
does not belong to the SNP. Starting again means showing why
independence is the best option for Scotland, and that the SNP's
failure to deliver for Scotland resulted from the failure of that
particular party. Independence was never the problem, what has failed
Scotland is an SNP that abandoned the cause.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">To
put it bluntly, as far as independence is concerned, the SNP is the
past; Alba is the future.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">I
should make clear that I am not a member of any political party. I am
an individual who has always believed in independence, nothing less.
I will vote for candidates who actually believe in delivering
independence for Scotland, and that is no longer the SNP.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">NOTES</span></b></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Links to books:</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-Something-Said-Campbell-Martin/dp/B09KN7YX32/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QNJ0XG5VJU09&keywords=was+it+something+i+said+campbell+martin&qid=1700651652&s=books&sprefix=was+it+something+i+said+campbell+martin%2Cstripbooks%2C92&sr=1-1" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID?</a></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/OUTSPOKEN-Part-One-Campbell-Martin/dp/B0BLM5TFZ6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1B619ZCZHH4P9&keywords=outspoken+part+one+campbell+martin&qid=1700651723&s=books&sprefix=outspoken+part+one+campbell+martin%2Cstripbooks%2C84&sr=1-1" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">OUTSPOKEN - Part One</a></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/OUTSPOKEN-Part-Two-Campbell-Martin/dp/B0BLKWD49W/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3B1VUJZHFBWGW&keywords=outspoken+part+two+campbell+martin&qid=1700651787&s=books&sprefix=outspoken+part+two+campbell+martin%2Cstripbooks%2C92&sr=1-1" target="_blank">OUTSPOKEN - Part Two</a></span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> <br /></span></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631195414920186477.post-59943912311246732912023-11-14T15:46:00.001+00:002023-11-14T15:46:35.408+00:00SCOTLAND WITHIN THE SO-CALLED UNITED KINGDOM<p><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="color: #ffd966;"></span></i></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XrxiyjqqpOl1QLCnfpQ1BzDZnFshv7DXT-zKy-6ga4pnaDy3ldQwIhjJ0_c5AYQYkWFgP0rwO1EzEuqhCkuHeflHmYM7Nj2uAja0XrxOTDWi40PS6AFp8JvMo7iqwOJ4QBnBRW2bmsh2GehyphenhyphenCrTa4ZZxxjhQTPoN7bBllpqFPfS1bNMt1RJjorD3Q1nR/s447/scotland-america.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="242" data-original-width="447" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XrxiyjqqpOl1QLCnfpQ1BzDZnFshv7DXT-zKy-6ga4pnaDy3ldQwIhjJ0_c5AYQYkWFgP0rwO1EzEuqhCkuHeflHmYM7Nj2uAja0XrxOTDWi40PS6AFp8JvMo7iqwOJ4QBnBRW2bmsh2GehyphenhyphenCrTa4ZZxxjhQTPoN7bBllpqFPfS1bNMt1RJjorD3Q1nR/s320/scotland-america.JPG" width="320" /></a></i></b></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span></i></span></b><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="color: #ffd966;"><br /></span></i></span></b><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span style="color: #ffd966;"> This article was recently published in the United States. It seeks to explain contemporary Scotland for Americans of Scottish descent. </span></i> <br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">As
citizens of the United States of America, how would you feel if the
American Revolutionary War – the
American War of Independence (1775-1783) – had not taken place, or
had resulted in victory for British forces?</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">How
would you feel if, right now, America was still governed directly
from the English parliament in London, with a devolved American
parliament only allowed to legislate in very limited areas of
government? How would you feel if the English parliament in London
retained powers over major areas of government, such as taxation,
macro-economic policy, national defence and security, foreign
affairs, and even what the American parliament was allowed to discuss
or vote on? How would you feel if it was made clear to Americans that
the English parliament was the sovereign, ultimate power, and could
overturn any decision taken by the devolved American parliament?</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Obviously,
those questions are entirely hypothetical because the 18<sup>th</sup>
Century American revolutionaries were successful, securing victory
and America's independence from England. So, why am I asking you
those questions? I want to explain the political relationship
Scotland currently has with England.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">If
you substitute Scotland and Scottish for America and American in the
questions, you might begin to understand why some of us in Scotland
continue to fight for our national independence. I say 'fight', but
unlike the American revolutionaries or our Celtic cousins in Ireland,
Scots have never actually taken-up arms to free our country from
English control. We have pursued a democratic path - through the
ballot box - and, to be honest, it hasn't got us all that far.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">If
you follow Scottish politics, you might question why I say we haven't
got too far towards re-taking
our independence. We do have a Scottish Parliament, established in
1999, but that parliament is as described in the questions posed at
the start of this article: the limited powers it has are devolved
from the English Parliament in London. Known as the UK Parliament,
but effectively being the parliament of England, Westminster is the
sovereign power.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Since
2007, we have had a pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP)
government in Scotland. In 2014, then First Minister Alex Salmond
actually managed to deliver an Independence Referendum. Even then,
though, this was only possible because the English government in
London agreed to let Scotland hold a referendum. The English were
positive they would win, which was why they agreed to the referendum.
The result saw a 10% majority for Scotland remaining in the so-called
UK. For London, the result was too close for comfort, and since then
the English parliament has refused to allow Scotland another
referendum, despite the SNP being re-elected in Scotland on a mandate
to hold such a referendum in 2011, 2016 and 2021.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">It's
worth mentioning at this point the control exerted over Scotland
through the English media. All-but one newspaper sold in Scotland
opposes Scottish independence. So called 'national' news is broadcast
from studios in London and reflects an English perspective on the
stories of the day. Throughout the 2014 Independence Referendum
campaign, newspapers and the broadcast media continued with
wall-to-wall coverage opposing Scottish independence. Against that
background, it is remarkable the referendum result was so close.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Every
night in Scotland, television channels broadcast English programmes:
news, entertainment shows, dramas, comedies – all featuring English
people, speaking in English accents, set in English towns and cities,
relating to English issues. Going back to the questions posed at the
start of this piece, how would you feel, as Americans, if the only
programmes you could watch on your televisions were broadcast for an
English audience? Having said that, I should make clear that
satellite and streaming-systems now mean Scots can enjoy some
excellent American dramas. It would be nice to hear Scottish accents
and watch Scottish dramas, though.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">I
should also clarify that there are two Scottish TV channels, which
broadcast Scottish news-bulletins, but those are normally aired after the
English news, telling Scots where we rank in the scheme of things.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Since
the departure of Alex Salmond in 2014 following the referendum
result, the SNP Scottish Government has, sadly, adopted a
'devolutionist' agenda, rather than taking us forward to
independence. The current SNP is more focussed on managing devolution
within the so-called United Kingdom, but there is hope of progress.
Alex Salmond has now formed the Alba Party, which puts independence
front-and-centre, and looks to challenge the SNP for the independence
vote.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
last paragraph is my opinion: SNP supporters would dispute it, but
the political reality of Scotland today would seem to back my
position.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Today,
Scotland remains a devolved 'region' of the so-called United Kingdom,
with our parliament subservient to the 'sovereign' English parliament
in London. However, under Scots law, the people of Scotland are the
sovereign power, not any parliament or King.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Some
of us are determined that, one day, Scotland will re-establish itself
as a normal, independent nation, and we will take our place alongside
our American friends as a country that has secured our independence
from England.</span></b></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631195414920186477.post-8012894809571513362023-10-27T10:43:00.000+01:002023-10-27T10:43:12.312+01:00BRITISH STATE INFILTRATION OF THE SNP - THE REACTION<p><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiteJ-TEI2jaEYh6C73dLROANqhai6QAas1reoh_amMly-636XW0mUCK6wIDODk0blN5fmqIWuOgCM8idFaM9xktqXMDbXaGjgJLPglt79C52DIczTG9kMGxsUEsZfkdn9ZHxCY5FB5q5SHoFiAABYUUBfyNY_vhLK25_ionJgxpZKozmSecxZn1eNp6FbG/s663/MI5-SNP-Special%20Branch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="663" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiteJ-TEI2jaEYh6C73dLROANqhai6QAas1reoh_amMly-636XW0mUCK6wIDODk0blN5fmqIWuOgCM8idFaM9xktqXMDbXaGjgJLPglt79C52DIczTG9kMGxsUEsZfkdn9ZHxCY5FB5q5SHoFiAABYUUBfyNY_vhLK25_ionJgxpZKozmSecxZn1eNp6FbG/s320/MI5-SNP-Special%20Branch.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><b>Most
people with any knowledge of the independence movement in Scotland
accept that the Scottish National Party (SNP) has been infiltrated by
agents of the British State. It would be insane to think that the
British State's security services would not have infiltrated a
political party that still cites breaking-up the British State as its
raison d'etre.</b><p></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">In
books and in articles, I have written that the SNP has been
infiltrated by MI5 and Special Branch, and that this infiltration has
been a fact since the party was little more than a talking-shop on
the fringes of Scottish politics. I have argued that British State
infiltration of the SNP stepped-up significantly from 1999, when the
party went from having just six MPs at Westminster to forming the
official opposition in the newly-created Scottish Parliament, with 35
MSPs.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">With
its massive increase in elected representatives, and associated
staff-members, the SNP was suddenly seen as a potential future
government of Scotland, which would mean it could be in a position to
actually break-up the British State. Far from a talking-shop fringe
party, the SNP was now seen as a real threat. Accordingly, British
State security services stepped-up their infiltration of the party.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Prior
to 1999, MI5 and Special Branch assets in the SNP were relatively
low-level members. Their roles were to listen to party conversations
and pass anything of interest to their British State contacts.
However, with the advancement of the SNP at the '99 election, greater
emphasis was placed by British State forces into placing actual
agents into the party. The difference between an asset and an agent
is that the latter is placed into an organisation with clear
instructions on what they should seek to achieve on behalf of the
British State. Assets continued to simply listen to conversations and
pass information to their contacts.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">In
an article I wrote in August 2023, I argued that the difference
between British State infiltrators of the SNP in 1999 and today, is
that MI5 and Special Branch agents have, over the intervening years,
advanced within the party. They are no longer relatively low-level
members. Some have reached such elevated positions within the SNP
that they are able to influence party policy and direction. For the
avoidance of doubt, some British State agents have held, and some
still hold, positions within the leadership of the SNP, both elected
members and unelected advisors.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">I
have argued that influence of British State agents within the SNP can
be seen in the party's reluctance to actually deliver on the series
of mandates for independence provided by the people of Scotland at
election-after-election. Promoting policies that are hugely unpopular
with the public, such as Gender Self-Identification and allowing male
sex-offenders into female prisons and safe spaces, has resulted in
huge swathes of the public finding the SNP to be out-of-touch and
unelectable. These are not the actions of a political party that
actually seeks to garner public support and deliver independence for
Scotland.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">My
article in August 2023 was carried by two pro-independence websites:
'Barrhead Boy', run by Roddy MacLeod who hosts the excellent 'Through
A Scottish Prism' show, broadcast weekly on YouTube; and the 'Grouse
Beater' site, run by one of Scotland's most thoughtful and articulate
writers, Gareth Wardell.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Within
days of the article appearing it had been picked-up by almost every
British nationalist newspaper, and a far-right English broadcaster.
All attacked the content of the article, and some attempted to
rubbish me personally. One 'Tame Jock', writing for the right-wing,
Tory-supporting Times, used his opinion column to add to what
certainly appeared to be a co-ordinated attack. What I found
significant about the articles carried by the British nationalist
newspapers, was that they were virtually identical, some almost
word-for-word. I can remember the days when plagiarism was a sackable
offence in journalism, but, apparently, not any more. Different
journalists, apparently working independently, had remarkably managed
to write virtually the same story. I saw five newspapers carrying the
story, and I was told there were more. It was almost as if a 'central
organisation' had provided the British nationalist media-outlets with
a story to use, and instructed them to use it. Now, which 'central
organisation' could co-ordinate and pull-off such media manipulation,
and which 'central organisation' would want to rubbish an article
discussing the extent of British State infiltration of the SNP?</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">With
stories attacking my article being carried extensively in the British
nationalist media, it was inevitable that my social media also went a
bit crazy. On Twitter/X, a series of posters – most with bios
bedecked in British Union flags - took their lead from the British
State's paid propagandists in the so-called 'mainstream media'. I
found blocking them was immensely cathartic.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">There
were, though, a number of Twitter posters who posed the same
question, which, on the face of it, might seem reasonable. It went
along the lines of: 'So, who are the British spies in the SNP? Name
names'.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">I
say the question might seem reasonable, but there is a major problem
in directly answering it. I know several members of the SNP who work
for the British State. I could name them. However, as I said in
response to one of the Twitter posters who posed the question, “I
quite like being alive,” and suggested they check-out Willie McRae.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">I
wasn't being entirely serious. For the record, I don't believe I am
important enough for the British State to 'take me out'. Having said
that, Willie McRae was killed, almost certainly by agents of the
British State, in 1985. McRae, a prominent member of the SNP, had
information that could have exposed more than one issue the British
State did not want to be made public. Rather than go into more detail
here, I suggest anyone interested in what actually happened to Willie
McRae should read the book 'Firebrand' by Ron Culley (available from
Amazon Books). The point I was making is that the British State does
have a history of 'dealing with' anyone who makes public information
they would rather you didn't know.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">It
is also the case that revealing the names of British State agents
within the SNP would serve little purpose at this time. As I have
previously said, the British State has played a blinder: the SNP is
now so compromised and controlled by agents of MI5 and Special Branch
that the party no longer represents a threat to the British State.
The SNP has been destroyed as an electoral threat. It faces a
significant reverse of fortunes at next year's UK Election. It could
be that the British State will consider its job is done with regards
to the SNP.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Finally,
to those SNP loyalists who have argued that the party is not
infiltrated and controlled by the British State: you do realise that
your argument means the SNP has turned itself into an unelectable,
non-threat to the British State through nothing more than colossal
incompetence? Does that make you feel better about those in
leadership roles within the party?</span></b></p><p class="western"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">NOTES</span></b></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><em style="font-family: arial;">My
life-story is told in my first book - <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-Something-Said-Campbell-Martin/dp/B09KN7YX32/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XKGN8LSXY5ZJ&keywords=was+it+something+i+said+campbell+martin&qid=1698399486&sprefix=was+it+something+i+said+campbell+martin%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Was It Something I Said?</a> - including my time in politics and what
actually happened during my time in the SNP Whips Office, and as a
Member of the Scottish Parliament. My two other books, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/OUTSPOKEN-Part-One-Campbell-Martin/dp/B0BLM5TFZ6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=28D9CX6DWL1RL&keywords=outspoken+part+one+campbell+martin&qid=1698399520&s=books&sprefix=outspoken+part+one+campbell+martin%2Cstripbooks%2C113&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Outspoken - Part One</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/OUTSPOKEN-Part-Two-Campbell-Martin/dp/B0BLKWD49W/ref=sr_1_1?crid=222VMSYVSC7SB&keywords=outspoken+part+two+campbell+martin&qid=1698399559&s=books&sprefix=outspoken+part+two+campbell+martin%2Cstripbooks%2C92&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Outspoken - Part Two</a>, take us through the eventful last ten-years of Scottish
and UK politics, from the Independence Referendum to the present day
and the British State capture of the SNP. All three are available
from Amazon Books. If you don’t want to buy from Amazon, they are
also available from Lulu Publishing.</em></b></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631195414920186477.post-21111288036110480282023-10-26T10:59:00.000+01:002023-10-26T10:59:01.469+01:00BRITISH STATE INFILTRATION OF THE SNP<p><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxJ9MrDoP7rgXm0_zjJeFaoahWxnK-sSx7RR_WI58gR7BQATF1Xo9b7qw0H8Y-ieu_q5_peFKO-FF49BmkbjVgPj2jhXCiVY9jH2wA5vw_NZ0zUTazvP0wob04Sik4-J04oSWMXm7D1mJXUa2XIB41mznREV8lpEwuinGvexa6HSobn3V9Wn7xnQUhRpU/s254/snp-capture-headline.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="254" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxJ9MrDoP7rgXm0_zjJeFaoahWxnK-sSx7RR_WI58gR7BQATF1Xo9b7qw0H8Y-ieu_q5_peFKO-FF49BmkbjVgPj2jhXCiVY9jH2wA5vw_NZ0zUTazvP0wob04Sik4-J04oSWMXm7D1mJXUa2XIB41mznREV8lpEwuinGvexa6HSobn3V9Wn7xnQUhRpU/s1600/snp-capture-headline.JPG" width="254" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">I
recently had a conversation with Roddy MacLeod, Barrhead Boy of
Through A Scottish Prism. Roddy reminded me of a time when some
people considered me to be a rising star of the Scottish National
Party, which, in turn, reminded me of an article in a newspaper from
when I was an MSP. The article stated: “Martin is spoken of as a
possible future leader of the SNP,” but it concluded with a quote
from an unnamed SNP parliamentary colleague, which said: “Yeah, but
there are a number of us who will do whatever it takes to make sure
that never happens” – and they did.</span></b><p></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">I
was elected as an SNP MSP in 2003…and expelled by the party in
2004. That has to be some sort of a record. It only took them a year
to decide they had to get rid of me. I was the first SNP
parliamentarian to be expelled by the party and the first MSP of any
party to be expelled. My ‘offence’ that led to my expulsion was
to have publicly criticised the ‘leadership’ of John Swinney –
the Doyen of Devolution – and to have argued that the SNP should be
demanding ‘independence, nothing less’, rather than seeking to
manage the devolved Scottish Parliament within the United Kingdom.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">My
time at the Scottish Parliament actually started in its first days,
in 1999. I was employed as the Parliamentary Assistant to the
legendary Kay Ullrich. In addition to constituency work, I helped Kay
in her role as the SNP Shadow Minister for Health and Community Care.
In 2000, when Kay became the SNP Chief Whip, I moved with her to the
Whips Office and took on the role of SNP Whips Administrator. This
position meant I was privy to a lot of sensitive information about
SNP MSPs. In my autobiography – <em>Was It Something I Said?</em> –
I set-out some of the issues we had to deal with in the Whips Office.
I’ll refer to all three of my books at the end of this piece.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Back
in those very early days of the Scottish Parliament, I remember
having a conversation with a few SNP MSPs about how many people on
the SNP floor of the parliamentary offices would</span></b></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">actually
be working for the other side, for the British State. It seemed to us
to be a certainty that there would be British State assets amongst
us, both MSPs and staffers. It was, and remains, insane to think that
the British State would not have infiltrated the SNP, a political
party that claimed to have as its raison d’etre the break-up of the
British State.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
difference between those early days of the Scottish Parliament and
today, is that the British State assets in the SNP have, over the
intervening years, risen-through the ranks and now hold senior
positions that have allowed them to influence party policies and
direction, such as adopting a lack of urgency in delivering
independence…and that’s putting it mildly.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">John
Swinney has always been a devolutionist. He once told me he admired
what Tony Blair had done with the Labour Party, and his ambition was
to re-create that transformation with the SNP, to create New SNP. His
plan was for the SNP to copy New Labour by moving the party from its
traditional, moderate left-of-centre position to adopting a moderate,
right-of-centre position. As happened with New Labour, Swinney’s
vision was for New SNP to become a Tory-lite party, and that is what
happened when he succeeded Alex Salmond as party leader in 2000.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Swinney
almost killed the SNP, which was why I spoke-out publicly, calling
for him to resign and for Alex
Salmond to return as party leader.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">I
was expelled in 2004, just before Swinney resigned as leader. He
orchestrated my expulsion, which he demanded should happen before he
tendered his resignation. Within a couple of weeks, Alex Salmond
returned and saved the SNP.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">I
was approached about re-joining the party, but I asked why I would
want to be a member of a political party that had broken its own
constitution and rules in order to expel me, and I declined the
invitation. I served the remaining three-years of the parliamentary
term as an Independent MSP, sitting beside a legend of the
independence movement who also found herself outside of the SNP, a
woman who became a great friend of mine, Margo MacDonald.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Having
saved the SNP, Alex Salmond turned around the party’s fortunes and
took Scotland to the brink of independence in the 2014 referendum.
Sadly, the immediate aftermath of the referendum saw what I believe
was a rare error on Alex’s part: he decided he should stand down as
leader. I don’t think he had to stand down, but as a man of
integrity he probably felt he failed to deliver for the independence
movement. I think that judgement was too harsh. If Alex had remained
leader of the SNP in 2014, I firmly believe Scotland would be an
independent country today.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">What
we got when Alex stood down, though, was a return to devolutionist
leadership of the SNP.</span></b></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Nicola
Sturgeon was the new leader, but Devo-John (Swinney) was back in a
very influential position. This also brings us back to British State
infiltration of the SNP.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Within
espionage circles there are four accepted reasons for why people
betray a cause. The acronym for those reasons is MICE, which stands
for: M – money; I – ideology; C- compromise; and E – ego.
Compromise is, essentially, blackmail. I’ll leave it to others to
decide who within the SNP might fall into each category.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s
also worth mentioning that there are different types of traitors. Not
everyone is an agent of MI5 or Special Branch: some are known as
‘assets’. Their job is simply to listen to what they hear from
colleagues or party members, and pass-back anything they think would
be of interest to the British State. Agents are different: they have
been placed within an organisation, such as the SNP, and have been
given specific tasks to carry out. Tasks such as undermining the
organisation and neutralising its effectiveness in challenging the
control of the British State.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">How
many British State agents and assets are there within the SNP? Who
knows? Well, obviously, the British State knows. I will say, though,
that I remember reading a statement made by a former Special Branch
agent who had infiltrated the Socialist Workers Party. The SWP was a
tiny left-wing political party, but it had been so heavily
infiltrated that the agent recorded in his statement that he felt
when he attended some meetings most people there were either MI5 or
Special Branch. Agents and Assets didn’t know each other, they were
all carrying out their roles independently.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">If
the British State had so heavily infiltrated a tiny socialist party,
how much attention would it have directed to a Scottish political
party that had risen to the brink of power? Today, after all that has
happened, I still see SNP loyalists claim the party has<em>
not </em>been infiltrated.
That assertion is just insane.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">During
‘the troubles’ in the north of Ireland, the British State had
infiltrated the IRA to such an extent that one its agents was a man
called Freddie Scapiticci, codenamed ‘Steaknife’. Scapiticci was
the IRA’s Head of Internal Security, and he was an MI5 agent.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">In
the 1970s, when British governments feared powerful trade unions,
particularly the National Union of Mineworkers, a Special Branch
agent was a man called Joe Gormley: he was the National President of
the Mineworkers Union. You can’t get higher than National
President, and he was a Special Branch asset. In the bitter,
year-long Miners’ Strike of 1984-85, papers prepared for then Tory
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher showed MI5 were receiving reports
from one of their agents called Roger Windsor. Windsor was the Chief
Executive of the NUM. Still, though, SNP loyalists argue the British
State has not infiltrated the party.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">In
1984, a woman called Cathy Massiter went public about her former work
as an MI5 officer. One of the reasons Cathy Massiter gave for leaving
MI5 was that the job had changed, she said it had become more
political. She added that the role of MI5 had changed from
counter-espionage to domestic surveillance.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Recently,
I spoke with a senior serving-officer of Police Scotland. They spoke
on condition of anonymity and stated there were some questions they
would not answer. I started the interview with the core question: has
Police Scotland infiltrated the SNP? The officer replied that they
could not answer that question. Before I said anything more, the
officer added, ‘Although, by giving that answer, I have probably
told you what you want to know’.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Police
Scotland does not actually have a Special Branch, but if you press
them on the matter, they do admit to having officers who carry out
duties that are normally associated with the work of a Special
Branch. One other thing the Police Scotland officer said chimed with
what Cathy Massiter said when she left MI5. The officer said that
since the creation of Police Scotland, the job had become much more
political. They felt that the most senior officers in the force were
taking direction from politicians and Civil Servants. They also
offered the opinion that the same relationships existed in the Crown
Office Procurator Fiscal Service.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">If
that is the case, it certainly explains some recent prosecutions in
Scotland. It would also throw light onto the comment by outgoing
Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, when he told The
Times newspaper that, “our close relationship with Nicola Sturgeon
complicated the criminal investigation into the SNP’s finances”.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">I
used to know Nicola well. We are both from North Ayrshire and cut our
political-teeth fighting a dominant Labour Party in our local area.
We also later served together as SNP MSPs, albeit for only a year,
before the party expelled me. Nicola’s leadership of the SNP –
with the input of Devo-John Swinney and Angus ‘BBC World Service’
Robertson – has returned the party to the brink of disaster. Back
in the mists of time, I once suggested that Swinney and his clique
were not interested in independence. They would take it if it fell
into their laps, but they were never going to fight for it. All they
wanted was to get their backsides onto the back-seats of Ministerial
Mondeos and to be ‘important’ Government Ministers in a devolved
Scottish government within the British Union.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">How
captured the SNP has become was encapsulated for me in the final
letter Nicola Sturgeon wrote as First Minister of Scotland. It was a
letter of resignation to the English King, Charles III. The final
sentence of the letter, just above Nicola Sturgeon’s signature,
read: ‘I have the honour to be, Sir, Your Majesty’s humble and
obedient servant’. No-one who sees Scotland as a progressive,
potentially independent country, could have signed their name to such
a grovelling letter to the pinnacle of the English/British
establishment. To also see Nicola and then Humza Yousaf bow their
heads to the English King confirmed the total capture of the SNP by
the British State.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">When
I saw Nicola’s letter and the bowing and scraping to the English
King, I was reminded of an incident that took place in Ireland in
1916, shortly after the Easter Rising by Irish freedom-fighters.
Edinburgh-born James Connolly was the Commander of the Irish Citizens
Army at the rising. He had been so badly wounded during the fighting
that the British had to strap him to a chair in order to execute him
by firing squad. A few days later, Lillie Connolly, James’ widow,
went to the British headquarters to retrieve her husband’s effects.
She was met by the man who had ordered James’ execution, Major
General Sir John Maxwell, who held out his hand as Lillie approached
him. Lillie held his gaze and her hands remained firmly behind her
back.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">One
of the many messages Scots need to learn from Ireland is the actions
of Lillie Connolly. Some things do not deserve civility or respect or
obedience. She faced-down the authority and power of the English.
While Scotland has leaders who bow to the English King, and who sign
letters as the King’s ‘humble and obedient servant’, Scotland
will never be an independent country.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
SNP is completely compromised, it has been captured and controlled by
the British State. I’m now in my sixties and for the first time in
my life I am thinking that I might not see independence. In the last
two years, four of my best friends have died. They all supported
independence and voted SNP. They never lived to see the sun rise on
the morning of Independence Day. I know all of us have lost such
friends who fought so hard over the years for independence, but never
lived to see it.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
reality we face means we may have to go back to square-one and start
all over again, build the independence movement all over again,
through the Alba Party led by Alex Salmond. There are so many of us
who built the SNP from a party on the fringes of the political
spectrum to a party the people of Scotland trusted sufficiently to
put them into government. If we have to do it all over again, we can.
This time, though, we need to look-out for those whose loyalties lie
not with the interests of Scotland, but in maintaining British State
control of our people and assets.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">You
have to hand it to the British State, it has played a blinder:
today’s SNP is so corrupted by British agents that it has sidelined
independence and embraced gender policies that make the party
unelectable. For the British State that is job done.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
people of Scotland are the sovereign power, not the SNP. In terms of
the Independence Movement, the SNP is the past. The future is
Scotland United for Independence. One pro-independence candidate in
each constituency that the people can unite behind. Despite the SNP,
independence is still achievable.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">NOTES</span></b></p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><em style="font-family: arial;">My
life-story is told in my first book – <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-Something-Said-Campbell-Martin/dp/B09KN7YX32/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32ZNUVWI0IBR4&keywords=was+it+something+i+said+campbell+martin&qid=1698314089&s=books&sprefix=was+it+something+i+said+campbell+martin%2Cstripbooks%2C117&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Was It Something I Said?</a> –
including my time in politics and what actually happened during my
time in the SNP Whips Office, and as a Member of the Scottish
Parliament. My two other books, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/OUTSPOKEN-Part-One-Campbell-Martin/dp/B0BLM5TFZ6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=CEUNLJEEBOLK&keywords=outspoken+part+one+campbell+martin&qid=1698314124&s=books&sprefix=outspoken+part+one+campbell+martin%2Cstripbooks%2C119&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Outspoken – Part One</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/OUTSPOKEN-Part-Two-Campbell-Martin/dp/B0BLKWD49W/ref=sr_1_1?crid=CVMXATV18OQX&keywords=outspoken+part+two+campbell+martin&qid=1698314160&s=books&sprefix=outspoken+part+two+campbell+martin%2Cstripbooks%2C99&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Outspoken– Part Two</a>, take us through the eventful last ten-years of Scottish
and UK politics, from the Independence Referendum to the present day
and the British State capture of the SNP. All three are available
from Amazon Books. If you don’t want to buy from Amazon, they are
also available from Lulu Publishing.</em></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><em>This article was first published in August 2023 by barrheadboy.com and grousebeater.wordpress.com. </em></span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span>
</p>
<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631195414920186477.post-24763971946821198882023-07-09T17:53:00.001+01:002023-10-07T15:31:30.275+01:00BOOKS BY CAMPBELL MARTIN<p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-kz9c9WhHBuNi9iSPlKGgdiXVdCAsWS3_TNp4_aq0UZdGZxsRS4AlJtLx8pfXKJ1y_QZDVunH-IStBrTyVqSTY5XpHaafUbAGHxg8euzy-cdZPxnLvGjv3z6YrbEyBgP3Wo7EXTtK4a8ncScrcZCbzxrkvAC-57CYGjdZSkFBATXgI1R6s9ecxF4fbSb/s522/books-ad-23-2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="452" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-kz9c9WhHBuNi9iSPlKGgdiXVdCAsWS3_TNp4_aq0UZdGZxsRS4AlJtLx8pfXKJ1y_QZDVunH-IStBrTyVqSTY5XpHaafUbAGHxg8euzy-cdZPxnLvGjv3z6YrbEyBgP3Wo7EXTtK4a8ncScrcZCbzxrkvAC-57CYGjdZSkFBATXgI1R6s9ecxF4fbSb/s320/books-ad-23-2.JPG" width="277" /></a></span></div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><p></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Campbell
Martin is the author of three books.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
first, 'Was It Something I Said?', is his autobiography and tells the
story of what has been described as “an often troubled life”.
Campbell was raised in a working-class family in the west of Scotland
and went on to become a Member of the Scottish Parliament. His story
recalls his time in the Whips Office of the Scottish National Party,
his time as an MSP, and his expulsion from the SNP. Away from
politics, Campbell describes issues that have impacted on his life
from childhood to the present day.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Campbell's
two other books – 'OUTSPOKEN – Part One' and 'OUTSPOKEN – Part
Two' – are contemporary accounts of the eventful past ten-years
(2013-2023) in Scottish and UK politics, issues affecting society and
international affairs. Part One includes the build-up to Scotland's
referendum on independence, the vote and the aftermath. Part Two
takes us from the SNP's landslide victory at the 2015 UK Election,
through subsequent headline-grabbing issues and concludes in July
2023.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
content of the OUTSPOKEN books has been described as “writing that
never strays far from controversial”. </span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09KN7YX32/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tu00_p1_i2" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">Was It Something I Said?</a></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BLM5TFZ6/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tu00_p1_i1" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">OUTSPOKEN - Part One </a></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BLKWD49W/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tu00_p1_i0" target="_blank">OUTSPOKEN - Part Two</a></span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> <br /></span></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span>
</p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631195414920186477.post-47252544641214622792023-03-22T11:42:00.004+00:002023-05-12T14:30:17.301+01:00SCOTLAND WITHIN THE UNITED KINGDOM (2007)
<div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;"> </b></div><div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oGszjp4U6oVwToR2Gx0lhAn0f3xwlBdOWJhn0son9zhOza7OGOSVqdy_rq7OeULW___zOW31uV10Pq2bqlQf91g615CKeYVXAVAnppf0Vk5SCKKV_OflvGTK_yd3zK30d9f1FiEovPb7wthDQWxlA5qmLnPj2MuNKLddlo_oZYFB54b4Icx0fic8VQ/s519/cm-mmcd.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="519" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oGszjp4U6oVwToR2Gx0lhAn0f3xwlBdOWJhn0son9zhOza7OGOSVqdy_rq7OeULW___zOW31uV10Pq2bqlQf91g615CKeYVXAVAnppf0Vk5SCKKV_OflvGTK_yd3zK30d9f1FiEovPb7wthDQWxlA5qmLnPj2MuNKLddlo_oZYFB54b4Icx0fic8VQ/s320/cm-mmcd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Sixteen-years-ago
today – March 22, 2007 - this was my final contribution to the
Scottish Parliament. It came in a Labour-LibDem Scottish Executive
(government) debate on a motion titled 'Scotland in the United
Kingdom'. It was supposed to be a platform for Labour and the other
British unionist parties to promote Scotland the devolved region of
the UK ahead of the 2007 Scottish Parliament Election to be held a
few weeks later.</b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;"> </b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;">My
speech features a short intervention from my old pal Margo MacDonald.
It should be noted that Margo and I were sitting as Independents: I
had been expelled by the SNP and Margo was forced-out of the party
under the disastrous 'leadership' of devolutionist John Swinney.</b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;"> </b></div><div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;">Regarding my comment in the last sentence, I never for one moment thought we
would still be waiting 16-years-later.</b></div><div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;"> </b></div><div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><b>-----------------------------</b></span></div><div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><b> <br /></b></span></div><div class="western" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Scottish
Parliament Official Report</span></b></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">March
22 2007</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Debate
on Scottish Executive Motion 'Scotland in the United Kingdom'</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;">Campbell
Martin (Ind):</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
Minister for Parliamentary Business said that she - I think she meant
the Labour Party - came to the Parliament to manage devolution. Well,
I did not come here to manage devolution, which partly explains why I
now sit as an Independent.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Personally,
I came here to do my best for the people of Scotland. I do not think
we can achieve the best for the people of Scotland in a devolved,
constrained, limited Parliament.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;">Margaret
Curran (Minister for Parliamentary Business):</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Will
the member take an intervention?</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;">Campbell
Martin:</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">No
thanks. We have had three-hundred years of apologists for the British
Union. We don't need to hear any more.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
people of Scotland have always known their place within the Union,
because we have always been told our place within the Union. The
Scots' role has been as a labour-force and, in times of war,
cannon-fodder.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">It
is not just British political parties or the British establishment
that have kept Scotland in its place within the Union; the
north-British subsections of the British Labour Party and the other
Unionist parties, members of which have spoken in this debate, have
conspired to tell the people of Scotland that we are too wee, too
poor and too stupid to govern ourselves. That is the reality of
Scotland within the United Kingdom.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">It
is not normal for one nation to be governed by another. However, that
is the situation we have today. This is only a devolved Parliament,
which is answerable to the Westminster Parliament. This Parliament is
totally subservient to the Parliament in London.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">We
need independence because only with independence can we deal with the
bread-and-butter issues that affect Scots every day of their lives.
The Unionist parties have told us they want the election to be about
the bread-and-butter issues, not about constitutional change. I argue
that we need constitutional change to give us the full powers and
full resources we require to deal with the problems - the
bread-and-butter issues - affecting Scots today. Without the powers
that come only with independence, we will continue to target
initiatives at symptoms, rather than at the actual problems.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">We
know that Unionist political parties do not always tell the truth
when they are talking about the constitution and independence. Back
when the constitutional reality was a Scotland governed directly from
London, we were told that devolution would be a leap in the dark and
probably would be the end of civilisation as we knew it. That,
clearly, was not true. Now we are told that, if we move to
independence, it will be a leap in the dark and probably the end of
civilisation as we know it. That, too, is untrue. Then again, as I
said, Unionist parties have a history of not telling the truth.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Charlie
Gordon referred to the sweeping-to-power of the Wilson Government in
the mid-1970s and how great that was. I remember that, too. I was a
teenager in the mid-1970s, and I remember being told by the then
Labour Government that Scotland was an economic basket-case and that
we couldn't stand on our own two feet and govern ourselves.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;">Margo
MacDonald (Ind):</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Will
Campbell give way?</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;">Campbell
Martin:</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Of
course.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;">Margo
MacDonald:</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">I
was not at school in the mid-1970s; I was in Westminster. I was told,
privately, by the Chancellor of the Exchequer a few years later that
Scotland was not, in fact, an economic basket-case; that my case was
watertight, but that he would oppose me every inch of the way. That
was Denis Healey.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: arial;">Campbell
Martin:</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Yet
Denis Healey was the very man who said, publicly, that we were an
economic basket-case and could not stand on our own two feet. As I
said, unionist politicians and political parties do not always tell
the truth when they are talking about the constitution.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Dr
Gavin McCrone supplied a report to the Labour Government at that
time. The Labour Government had told us that Scotland was an economic
basket-case and that we were too wee, too poor and too stupid, but,
at the same time, McCrone was telling them that Scotland could
quickly become one of Europe's strongest economies with
embarrassingly large surpluses. McCrone told the Labour Government
that oil revenue would: "transform Scotland into a country with
a substantial and chronic surplus." I imagine, from a Unionist
perspective, such Scottish wealth would result from a 'plague' of
oil.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">So,
British Unionist parties have a track record of not telling the
truth. The people of Scotland would vote for independence if Unionist
politicians did not lie to them. Those politicians know they are
lying because they are intelligent people; well, relatively
intelligent people.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Why
is Scotland - alone among all the nations in the world - unable to
stand on its own two feet or to manage its affairs better in its
people's interests? Why do Unionist political parties have to do
Scotland down and scare the people of Scotland away from their
democratic right to retake their independence?</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Roll
on the day - it is coming, and members know it - when the people of
Scotland retake their independence for the benefit of all the people
of Scotland.</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">----------------------</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Books by Campbell Martin:</span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/campbell-martin/was-it-something-i-said/paperback/product-jk78v7.html?q=was+it+something+i+said+campbell+martin&page=1&pageSize=4" target="_blank">Was It Something I Said?</a> <br /></span></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631195414920186477.post-8867375454947102402023-02-19T17:37:00.001+00:002023-02-19T17:51:13.190+00:00ANYONE FANCY A BY-ELECTION IN GLASGOW SOUTHSIDE?<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57cX7FfBsIqMOPVOhzlbQN2yEsc0i4i7uXwhPyX0oe0viN1A50eR4nVwgUyA-kq2qOXW4o1RYJLFw9VCqrQZlT2vaF34yJkamWDfrILtwrHpPRkwacf2CQo95SyHX70uMJ91bthZnP2kJX0vT6gARlu2UrVatBG-clbBSzHDLSDkUHlMqpWTMYonpDg/s506/sturgeon-sarwar.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="506" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57cX7FfBsIqMOPVOhzlbQN2yEsc0i4i7uXwhPyX0oe0viN1A50eR4nVwgUyA-kq2qOXW4o1RYJLFw9VCqrQZlT2vaF34yJkamWDfrILtwrHpPRkwacf2CQo95SyHX70uMJ91bthZnP2kJX0vT6gARlu2UrVatBG-clbBSzHDLSDkUHlMqpWTMYonpDg/w320-h134/sturgeon-sarwar.JPG" width="320" /></a></b></div><b>Just
a thought: what if Nicola Sturgeon didn't put her feet up and settle
into the back-benches at Holyrood until the next Scottish Parliament
Election in three-years time? What if, instead, Nicola Sturgeon
stood-down as MSP for the Glasgow Southside constituency?</b><p></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">If
the outgoing First Minister took that course of action, there would
be a by-election to select a new MSP for the Glasgow constituency. At
the 2021 Scottish Parliament Election, the Labour candidate in
Glasgow Southside was Anas Sarwar. A candidate cannot contest an
election to the Scottish Parliament if they already hold a seat at
Holyrood [Scotland Act 1998: Section 9]. So, if Sarwar was to contest
a by-election in Glasgow Southside, he would first have to stand-down
as a Regional List MSP for Glasgow.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Of
course, Sarwar might choose not to be the Labour candidate at such a
by-election, but what would that say about how he thinks his party is
likely to perform in Scotland? Would the leader of the Labour Party
in Scotland really allow the country to see that he, personally, was feart
to fight the SNP in a one-off by-election?</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">So,
if Nicola Sturgeon stood down as an MSP, creating a by-election in
Glasgow Southside, the pressure would be on Anas Sarwar to lead from
the front for Labour and to contest the seat. Would Sarwar have the
courage to do that, given he would have to stand-down from his
current position as a List MSP for Glasgow and, if he didn't win the
by-election, he would be out of the Scottish Parliament until 2026?
On the plus side for Anas Sarwar, though, is the chance he could be
the Labour candidate who took the seat of the former SNP First
Minister.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Just
for background: the first Scottish Parliament constituency
by-election was in March 2000, just 10-months after the first full
elections in 1999. Labour MSP Ian Welsh stood-down in the Ayr
constituency. At the 1999 Election, the Tory candidate was Phil
Gallie, who had previously been the MP for Ayr. Labour's majority was
just 25. Despite this, Gallie chose not to fight the by-election,
which would have required him to stand-down as a List MSP for South
of Scotland. In the 2000 by-election, the Tories took Ayr with Labour
falling to third behind the SNP.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">In
2006, on the death of SNP MSP Margaret Ewing, there was a by-election
in the Moray constituency. Richard Lochhead for the SNP and Mary
Scanlon for the Tories were both sitting List MSPs representing the
North East Scotland Region. Both stood-down to contest the
constituency by-election. Richard Lochhead won for the SNP, while
Mary Scanlon finished second and was out of parliament until the 2007
Scottish Parliament Election when she was again returned as a
Regional List MSP for North East Scotland.</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">So,
if Nicola Sturgeon stood-down as an MSP and created a by-election in
the Glasgow Southside constituency, would Anas Sarwar be prepared to
stand-down as a Regional List MSP for Glasgow to contest the
constituency seat, or would he bottle-it, remain as a List MSP and
send the message that he doesn't think Labour would win with him as
the candidate?</span></b></p><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Ultimately,
a decision on whether or not to call a by-election in Glasgow
Southside lies with Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP. If they haven't
considered the position a by-election would place Anas Sarwar, they
should have. Of course the SNP would have to consider that they might
lose a by-election. However, given that the SNP majority in Glasgow
Southside at the 2021 Scottish Parliament Election was 9,465, surely
the party could not throw away such a massive electoral advantage.
Actually, given the state of today's gender-obsessed SNP, they might
want to sit tight, even if that lets Anas Sarwar off the by-election
hook.</span></b></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3631195414920186477.post-62208363923229359722021-06-24T13:34:00.001+01:002021-06-24T13:34:38.506+01:00COUNCILLORS IGNORE WARNINGS OVER PROPOSED SCHOOL SITE<p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmC1TqHzJ6bJrKjbgrN-qRyyYoOsmbLeBiLPqlu6JhmfeC1g6WotICde_mDbfhuK5H8ZRY2n21HVsKN7_5ZcI5bUvy6cpTMx7xXpDNxTNXNnkyHostwD27j1l0ZgSjxYZYfguqAKdbJr2/s652/Former+Shell+Site.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="652" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmC1TqHzJ6bJrKjbgrN-qRyyYoOsmbLeBiLPqlu6JhmfeC1g6WotICde_mDbfhuK5H8ZRY2n21HVsKN7_5ZcI5bUvy6cpTMx7xXpDNxTNXNnkyHostwD27j1l0ZgSjxYZYfguqAKdbJr2/w400-h179/Former+Shell+Site.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Labour,
SNP and Tory councillors joined together at Wednesday's meeting of
North Ayrshire Council (June 23) to throw-out a proposal from
Saltcoats Independent councillor Ronnie McNicol, which called for the
local authority to stop plans for new schools and a leisure centre to
be built on the former Shell-Mex oil and bitumen refinery in
Ardrossan.</span></span></b><p></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">A
report compiled by Council officers, and which included the opinions
of Envirocentre, the local authority's contractor for the 'North
Shore' site in Ardrossan, was presented, with councillors asked to
“note” the findings. However, in an amendment, Cllr McNicol moved
that officers be instructed “not to proceed with the plan to build
new schools and leisure facilities on toxic, contaminated land at the
former Shell-Mex site in Ardrossan”.</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">In
addition, Ronnie McNicol asked councillors to support his call that
officers also should examine if the land at the 'North Shore' site
could ever be safely used “for any purpose”, such as an
environmental beach-park and walkway. The Saltcoats councillor
further argued that officers should “investigate why Shell was
allowed to walk away from Ardrossan, leaving behind a large area of
highly toxic, contaminated land”.</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
Council report supported the opinion of Envirocentre that the toxic
land could be cleaned sufficiently to allow for schools and a leisure
facility to be built on it and used by local people, including school
pupils aged 5-to-18.</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">However,
speaking to his amendment, Cllr McNicol pointed out that
Envirocentre, themselves, said their proposals to clean the land
would only “limit risk to human health”. The Independent
councillor said, “Note it does not say it will remove risk to human
health. Why not build schools on a site that does not present a risk
to human health? Even a limited risk to human health presents the
chance that, in the future, young people, teachers and other facility
users could become unwell, possibly seriously unwell. Why take that
chance when there are numerous other, and safe, sites that could be
used?”</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Reading
from the Council/Envirocentre report, Cllr McNicol referred to a
long-list of contaminants in the soil of the 'North Shore' site,
including: heavy metals, asbestos, arsenic, cadmium, chromium,
copper, lead, mercury, selenium and zinc.</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Addressing
councillors, Ronnie McNicol said, “On Arsenic, the World Health
Organisation states: 'Early childhood exposure to Arsenic has been
linked to negative impacts on cognitive development and increased
deaths in young adults'.</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">“Of
Asbestos, the Health & Safety Executive says: 'When materials
that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres are released
into the air. When these fibres are inhaled they can cause serious
diseases. These diseases will not affect you immediately; they often
take a long time to develop, but once diagnosed, it is often too late
to do anything'.</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">“NHS
Inform says of Lead: 'Exposure to Lead can be harmful especially to
unborn babies and young children. Children absorb more lead than
adults due to their growing bones and other organs', with a prominent
symptom of Lead poisoning in children being 'developmental delay and
learning difficulties'.</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">“Of
Mercury, the World Health Organisation says: 'Exposure to mercury –
even small amounts – may cause serious health problems, and is a
threat to the development of children'.”</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The
long-serving councillor continued, “Membranes are to be laid across
the site, in the hope that this will stop contaminants from reaching
the surface. Then, environmental capping will be applied to certain
areas. Environmental capping is laying down topsoil to a general
depth of 60cm or just 2ft of safe soil.</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">“Again,
despite claims that contaminants will be removed, the report states
that the footprint of all buildings will have hydrocarbon and ground
gas resistant membranes installed, while water supply pipes and
utility service connections will require additional protection –
all to try and minimise the impact of 'residual contaminants'. So,
all contaminants are not expected to be removed, and yet the Council
proposes to build schools on this land.”</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Cllr
McNicol concluded, “There are numerous other sites – safe sites –
in the local area that could be used for new schools and leisure
facilities. This proposal for the former Shell Mex site should not go
ahead. It is madness.</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">“All
I can say to councillors who might be minded to support building
schools on a toxic, contaminated site is: I hope you are right that
the site can be cleaned. I hope you are right, because if you are not
right, and in the future young people and teachers become ill, then
responsibility for that will be on your heads.”</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Despite
Cllr McNicol's chilling warnings of the contaminants at the proposed
school site, and how they present specific dangers to young people,
all Labour and SNP councillors present at the meeting voted against
the amendment and for the report to continue with proposals to build
new schools and a leisure centre. All-but-one of the Tory Group also
voted to ignore Ronnie McNicol's warnings.</span></b></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></span><p class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Cllr
McNicol's amendment received support from his fellow Independent
councillors, Robert Barr, Ian Murdoch, Donald L Reid, and one Tory,
John Glover.</span></b></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0