HAVING watched and listened to the activities – or should I say shenanigans – of the Holyrood committee investigating the handling of harassment within the Scottish Government over a period of months, I say ENOUGH is ENOUGH!
The recent leak many days before the report is due is the last straw. This leak identified intentionally an item in the report which directly attacked the integrity of the First Minister. Its alleged that the five opposition MSPs demanded that the section concerned be added almost at the end of their report deliberations and used their majority to do so. The Tories in particular are clearly on a witch hunt demanding the head of the FM.
What was an inquiry has become a kangaroo court with the FM on trial. Even the word GUILTY has been seen in many headlines. Throughout this whole sorry mess, members of this committee – and we know who they are – have at every opportunity politicised the work, outcomes and decisions of a committee whose terms of reference were totally unambiguous and related to investigating a harassment process which was clearly defective and required the committee to identify improvements.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon did not breach ministerial code, James Hamilton finds
Instead we have been subjected on a daily basis in the press, media and in the Holyrood parliament to members of this committee and others attacking ruthlessly and mercilessly Nicola Sturgeon to the point they are demanding her immediate resignation. Even a Panorama programme gave committee members the opportunity to “have their say” before the committee has reported. Supported by their leadership, the Tories – even using parliamentary privilege in Westminster – have turned this investigation into a witch hunt which those in Salem would have been proud of and that started well before Nicola Sturgeon gave her “under oath” eight-hour marathon evidence session.
These actions totally undermine due process and the credibility of the committee investigation. Absolutely NO action has been taken by the Presiding Officer or parliament to bring those committee members to book for breaking the MSP code of practice Section 13 and 14. The number of breaches of the MSP protocol have been numerous, and it has to be said those responsible have revelled in doing so!
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon cleared - but these UK ministers had to quit over conduct
There now needs to be a full investigation into the work of this committee and the way in which its remit was allowed to be hijacked by certain members who from the start had a clear political agenda uppermost in their minds. Any investigation will have available to it more than ample prima facie evidence of the actions and words of those MSPs responsible for undermining the committee and its credibility and making any decisions it makes suspect. The Presiding Officer or whatever watchdog is responsible for ensuring Scottish parliamentary standards must as a matter of urgency look into they way certain members in this committee have conducted themselves and take appropriate action.
Dan Wood
Kirriemuir
MR James Hamilton, the man who has led the independent inquiry into whether our First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, had misled parliament over what she knew and when, relating to the Alex Salmond saga, has cleared Ms Sturgeon on all counts. He said she “had not breached any of the provisions of the code”.
I wonder if all the Unionist politicians and the right-wing media will be as vocal in their apologies as they have been in attacking Ms Sturgeon, and by association, the SNP. I suspect that their silence will be deafening.
How long will it be before the Scottish Tories, Westminster mafia, the Scottish Labour party and the LibDems come up with some other dirty tricks to attack our elected Scottish Government? They perhaps don’t meet behind closed doors to plan their disgusting tactics, but they are all certainly happy to join forces to attack our First Minister and the Scottish Government.
Harry Key
Largoward, Fife
SO the English nationalist cousins, the Scottish Unionists, are attempting to intimidate little old ladies (National writer Ruth Wishart alerts police after receiving vile Unionist threat, thenational.scot, March 22). I’ve not met Ms Ruth Wishart so I am unable with any certainty to gauge her height but she is undoubtedly of my generation and is without question a lady, so two out of three ain’t bad.
READ MORE: Ruth Wishart: Women are still being denied protection in Scotland
The threat to target her left in her letterbox was handed over to the police, and hopefully forensics will bring the cowardly person to public shame and prosecution. Scottish Unionism shares the ideology of right-wing English nationalism; the only tools in their boxes are fear and intimidation. They have lost the argument that Scotland could ever be better off being administered by a Britannia that waives the rules and rules with waves of corruption and criminal maladministration. So plucky Ms Wishart fires up her computer, sticks two fingers up to the perpetrator and thanks the Lord she has something with a bit of street brawling bite to get her teeth into for her next column.
Mike Herd
Highland
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