QResear.ch

#21231294 at 2024-07-18 00:52:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research Scotland #10: Humza In Hot Water Edition

Updated Nicola Sturgeon & SNP Bun Part Two
>>21004294 'Beggars belief' that SNP still owe Peter Murrell ?60k as party suffers financial woes
>>21004332 Scottish Government launch new probe into Ferguson Marine's 'missing' ?128m of public cash
>>21010398, >>21010406 Nicola Sturgeon and the 'sleekit' SNP in new email secrecy scandal over Derek Mackay 'grooming' case
>>21015808, >>21015840 SNP minister claims government wants 'value for money' amid huge ?3.5m spend to install heat pumps in office worth just ?275k (video)
>>21015891 Skint SNP Government splash out almost ?10k on lavish Eid celebration at Edinburgh Castle
>>21016845 'Unacceptable' SNP water quango splashed out ?280k of public cash on sending staff to Argentina and New York
>>21026577, >>21026592 Ex-SNP activist who 'wanted to beat feminists' jailed for sexually assaulting young adults
>>21036650 A referendum within 5 years if the SNP win the general election (video)
>>21036708 John Swinney suffers 'embarrassing' by-election defeat as SNP battered in one of its 'safest' seats
>>21038951 Nicola thin lips is accused of dishonesty over A9 dualling (video)
>>21062781 Kate Forbes says higher income taxes for middle Scotland are here to stay under the SNP
>>21067510 Traces of Nicola Sturgeon are still all over the SNP led by her 'slithering acolyte' John Swinney
>>21079903 SNP 'grifter' who's claimed ?1.6m in expenses blames Rishi Sunak for missing the Scotland match
>>21079960 Has skint SNP been using public money to fund General Election campaign?
>>21101011 Douglas Ross blasts SNP 'clapping seals' over broken promises, drug deaths & NHS waiting times (video)
>>21104274 SNP 11 were the original 'Tartan Tories'
>>21111992 SNP Government confess 'doomed' plans for National Care Service could cost 'eye-watering' ?5bn (video)
>>21117475 Ex-SNP candidate & Church of Scotland minister kicked out of Kirk over sexual misconduct claims
>>21144153 SNP story shattered after collapse leaves them with seats in single digits (video)
>>21144215 'Not a good night for the SNP': Nicola Sturgeon reacts to predicted losses in Scotland (video)
>>21144356 Rage at Holyrood as SNP 'sneak out' Cass Review response on General Election results day
>>21144417 Mystery surrounds Nicola Sturgeon's Covid phone as it was never wiped officially despite being used for government business
>>21144431 Nicola Sturgeon refuses to take blame for SNP General Election massacre (video)
>>21144450 Nicola Sturgeon Blamed For SNP 'Bloodbath' In Scotland By Alex Salmond x Julia Hartley-Brewer (video)
>>21144655 General election 2024: George Galloway loses seat to Labour in Rochdale (video)
>>21144671 The Real Reason Voters Left The SNP (video)
>>21144734 JK Rowling revels in defeats for Kirsten Oswald and John Nicolson as he tears up at losing seat
>>21144767 Slippery Stephen Flynn "It's been a bleak night for the SNP" (video)
>>21154098 Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross loses seat to SNP
>>21144880 Nicola Sturgeon deflects blame from herself & sticks the boot into SNP election campaign (video)
>>21144995 George Galloway branded a 'repulsive chancer' as he loses his seat after just months as MP
>>21154098 Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross loses seat to SNP
>>21169405 Nicola Sturgeon should apologise to the SNP says Joanna Cherry (video)
>>21169513 Nicola Sturgeon deflects blame from herself & sticks the boot into SNP election campaign
>>21185214 Departing Nats to share a ?1m 'golden goodbye' windfall thanks to new winding-up rules
>>21192118 SNP SPLIT | Jim Sillars destroys Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP Leadership
>>21192183 "Sturgeon's Face Was Pure Comedy GOLD!" Kevin O'Sullivan Slams Former SNP Leader (video)
>>21227598, >>21227606 SNP activist pictured with Nicola Sturgeon and who claimed he wanted to batter 'Terfs' jailed for sexual assault and blackmail
>>21230261 'Child poverty should be a priority,' says SNP who are calling on govt to scrap child benefit cap
>>21230429 Nearly 3,000 homeless children in Glasgow as figures rise again on SNP watch

#21056467 at 2024-06-20 19:47:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research Scotland #10: Humza In Hot Water Edition

Nicola Sturgeon & SNP Bun Part Two
>>21004294 'Beggars belief' that SNP still owe Peter Murrell ?60k as party suffers financial woes
>>21004332 Scottish Government launch new probe into Ferguson Marine's 'missing' ?128m of public cash
>>21010398, >>21010406 Nicola Sturgeon and the 'sleekit' SNP in new email secrecy scandal over Derek Mackay 'grooming' case
>>21015808, >>21015840 SNP minister claims government wants 'value for money' amid huge ?3.5m spend to install heat pumps in office worth just ?275k (video)
>>21015891 Skint SNP Government splash out almost ?10k on lavish Eid celebration at Edinburgh Castle
>>21016845 'Unacceptable' SNP water quango splashed out ?280k of public cash on sending staff to Argentina and New York
>>21026577, >>21026592 Ex-SNP activist who 'wanted to beat feminists' jailed for sexually assaulting young adults
>>21036650 A referendum within 5 years if the SNP win the general election (video)
>>21036708 John Swinney suffers 'embarrassing' by-election defeat as SNP battered in one of its 'safest' seats
>>21038951 Nicola thin lips is accused of dishonesty over A9 dualling (video)

#21010406 at 2024-06-12 15:20:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research Scotland #10: Humza In Hot Water Edition

>>21010398





…………………………………………………………………………………………..continued………………………………………………………………….


"On the surface, it appears Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government are complicit in a cover up with regards what really went on in a grooming case."

He added that he had not had any further response yet but said this was "just another example in a long line of FOI mishandling and dodgy correspondence/records management".
'Murky goings on when Mackay was a minister'

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy MSP said: "This damning response from the information commissioner underlines the SNP's sleekit secrecy over scandals gripping their party. There would need to have been a huge amount of correspondence between the Scottish Government and the SNP for it to have exceeded the cost threshold.

"Derek Mackay resigned in disgrace and people have every right to obtain correspondence relating to the murky goings on when he was a government minister. This reluctance to be fully transparent threatens to further blur the lines between the SNP and the machinery of government, which will concern the public."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Scotland has the most open and far-reaching Freedom of Information legislation in the UK and the Scottish Government remains committed to our obligations under the Freedom of Information Act to ensure openness and transparency."

#21010398 at 2024-06-12 15:19:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research Scotland #10: Humza In Hot Water Edition

>>20905037
>>20905034
>>20905029


https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-sleekit-snp-new-32974002

Nicola Sturgeon and the 'sleekit' SNP in new email secrecy scandal over Derek Mackay 'grooming' case

Exclusive: The Scottish Information Commissioner has slammed the SNP Government in a damning ruling, after officials failed to respond to a request for the former FM's emails and correspondence on the day her administration nearly collapsed

Ben Borland
12 JUN 2024

The SNP Government has been warned that it faces court unless it complies with a request to release all of Nicola Sturgeon's emails on the day the Derek Mackay 'grooming' scandal broke.

The damning decision by David Hamilton, the Scottish Information Commissioner (SIC), follows a long-running secrecy battle between ministers and civil servants and a dogged member of the public.

It relates to the infamous events of February 5, 2020, when a newspaper revealed the SNP Finance Secretary had sent hundreds of social media messages to a teenage boy. Mr Mackay quit in disgrace - just hours before the annual Budget - and Kate Forbes was drafted in as a last-minute replacement.

Asked whether his behaviour amounted to "grooming, Mr Mackay refused to respond. He said he had "behaved foolishly" and apologised to the 16-year-old boy and his family, while Ms Sturgeon said his behaviour fell "seriously below the standard required of a minister".

Two years after the scandal, the campaigner - who has asked to remain anonymous - submitted a Freedom of Information request asking for emails/communications sent to, or sent by, the First Minister or her private office on February 5.

The SNP Government at first said it did not hold the information, before admitting that it DID hold around 5,000 emails that could fall under the scope of the request. However, it said that searching through them all would cost more than the ?600 cost limit for FOIs. The campaigner submitted a second, narrower request for emails from specific email addresses but once again the administration said it would be too costly to search through around 2,700 messages.

At this stage, he appealed to the SIC's office, saying the total number of emails appeared to be "excessive for a single day". He accused the government of "going out of its way to inflate the estimated time" involved and said that if if had "lied in its initial response to his request then it was entirely feasible that it had lied again".

During the investigation, the Scottish Government admitted that "after sifting… around 600 emails would fall within the scope of the request". In his findings, the Commissioner described its approach - switching between 'we do not hold the information' and 'we do hold the information but retrieving it would be too costly' - as "plainly unsatisfactory".

Mr Hamilton urged the government "to ensure that its cost calculations are robust" and also raised concerns about "poor operational awareness of… record-keeping… resulting in inadequate and inaccurate calculations being provided. This is clearly unacceptable."

He also noted that despite the campaigner asking for "all emails/communications", the Scottish Government did not search for WhatsApp or SMS messages sent by, or sent to, Ms Sturgeon on the day in question. The Commissioner said the government could no longer claim that responding to either request would breach the FOI cost limit and ordered it to provide a new response by June 20.

His ruling adds: "If the Authority fails to comply with this decision, the Commissioner has the right to certify to the Court of Session that the Authority has failed to comply. The Court has the right to inquire into the matter and may deal with the Authority as if it had committed a contempt of court."
'Complicit in a cover up in relation to a grooming case'

Speaking to the Scottish Daily Express, the campaigner said: "It appears that the Scottish Government has sought to cover up any involvement by Nicola Sturgeon or her staff in relation to the issue by refusing to release any of her correspondence from this time. It was widely reported at the time that the government tried to stop the publication of the story, and Sturgeon and her office must have been aware of this.

"Similarly, what steps did they take with regards the welfare of the youth involved? Did they attempt to downplay the issue or dig into the personal details of the boy in question? There MUST have been comms between Sturgeon's office and SPADS regarding the issue, yet none have come to light, in fragrant disregard for the FOI process.

#16256851 at 2022-05-11 22:52:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research Scotland #5: Humanity Rising Edition

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/8851449/john-swinney-cabinet-minister-agreed-ferries-contract/

FERRY FIASCO John Swinney revealed as cabinet minister who agreed to doomed ?97m ferries contract

Rachel Watson

19:57, 11 May 2022

DEPUTY First Minister John Swinney has been revealed as the cabinet minister who gave the final nod to a doomed ?97 million ferries contract against expert advice.

The SNP chief agreed to the deal after then Transport Minister Derek Mackay backed it in 2015, new documents show.

Ministers faced further questions over the saga - which has now cost taxpayers at least ?250m - after they suggested the release of "missing" paperwork had drawn a line under the matter.

Opposition parties claimed the emails apparently found by the government did not answer questions from public auditors about why the deal was handed to Ferguson shipyard against the advice of the taxpayer-owned ferries body, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited.

Ministers approved the deal with Ferguson Marine for two new ferries to be delivered in 2017. However, neither vessel is finished and the price has continued to soar.

A report by Auditor General Stephen Boyle said there was "no documented evidence to confirm why Scottish ministers were willing to accept the risks of awarding the contract to FMEL, despite CMAL's concerns".

But, yesterday during a debate at Holyrood Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth brandished papers claiming the "missing" documents had been found.

She said an email chain had been discovered because it had been "retained by someone" in government "by chance".

Ms Gilruth claimed the documents contained "irrefutable documentary evidence" that Mr Mackay had signed off the contract.

However, the newly published emails show it was Mr Swinney, then Finance Secretary, who officials went to after Mr Mackay backed the deal.

In the exchanges in October 2015, it states a call was due to take place with Mr Swinney and in the "absence of banana skins" the contract would go-ahead.

Follow up emails said: "Just finished by call with DFM. He now understands the background and that Mr Mackay has cleared the proposal. So the way is clear to award."

A statement from the government said Mr Swinney was "briefed" about Mr Mackay's decision.

Scottish Labour transport spokesman Neil Bibby, accused the SNP of being in a "quagmire of spin and cover up".

He said: "It is a disgrace that this document was not given to Audit Scotland originally. It begs the question what other information has been kept from them and the public.

"We still don't have a shred of information about why this decision was made, and now these documents show that it was cleared by John Swinney."

Ms Gilruth said the email was discovered at noon yesterday adding: "This email destroys the opposition's ridiculous conspiracy theories that another minister made this decision and it destroys their unfolded speculation that there was a ministerial direction."

Scottish Tory transport spokesman Graham Simpson said: "The missing document we and the Scottish public are seeking is one that tells us why the SNP awarded it to Ferguson, given they were expressly advised not to."

Scottish Lib Dem economy spokesman Willie Rennie said a public inquiry is "now urgent".

He added: "It's difficult to believe that the SNP happened to find this apparently critical document just before the debate on ferries. The document makes matters worse as it still doesn't explain why the decision was made to ignore CMAL."

Sources last night claimed Mr Mackay's emails show that the contract was signed off because he was happy with the mitigations put in place - which were previously seen by Audit Scotland.

The spending watchdog Audit Scotland said: "The email confirms that ministers approved the award of the FMEL contract.

"But htere remains insufficient documentary evidence to explain wht the decision was made to proceed with the contract, given the significant risks and concerns raised by CMAL."

#15547259 at 2022-02-04 23:18:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research Scotland #5: Humanity Rising Edition

>>15547254

part 2…….

Environment campaigner Jamie McIntyre said: "There are lots of ways that the Scottish Government could have invested in rewilding and community forestry projects, so it is odd they have chosen to do it this way.

"They claim they want to encourage others to invest in forestry through the Gresham House deal but this is not for ordinary people - it is for very wealthy people.

"There are issues with public money being invested in a sector already supported by public grants, generous tax arrangements and the murky world of carbon offsets - the environmental credentials of which are highly debatable."

Townsend was on the board of Rea Brothers (Isle of Man) Ltd and Companies House records show he is also a director of Hansa Capital, which is based in Guernsey.

A spokeswoman for Gresham House insisted the banker was no longer a director of Rea Brothers and confirmed Gresham's offshore subsidiary.

She said: "Regarding Anthony Townsend's Isle of Man connection, this is historical and relates to a period dating back to the 1970s when Mr Townsend served on the board of Rea Brothers Group and was a non-executive director of various of their companies including Rea Brothers (Isle of Man) Ltd until the sale of the whole group to Close Brothers Plc in 1999."

She added: "Gresham House Investment Management (Guernsey) Limited ("GHIM") is a wholly owned subsidiary.

"A range of investors including local authority and corporate pension schemes and private clients invest in Gresham House forestry funds."

The SNIB was formally launched in November 2020.

Chairman Willie Watt said: "Our investment assessment and approval process is in line with peers, both commercial investors and other development banks.

"In relation to Gresham, the bank invested alongside two public sector pension funds, whose underlying members share our commitment to a low-carbon future. Together, we represent the majority of the funds."

Last year Watt claimed the ?2billion of public cash promised to the SNIB over 10 years was "insufficient".

He said he wanted to be able to earn the right to "borrow on our own balance sheet".

The Sunday Mail revealed in February 2020 how shamed former finance minister Derek Mackay allowed Watt to be appointed without the oversight of ethics watchdogs.

He approved an "unregulated" selection process despite the firm Watt previously led being fined ?8.6million in the UK and America over a conflict of interests scandal.

Meanwhile, Benny Higgins - the Government's chief adviser to help set up the taxpayer-funded bank - was eviscerated in 2015 for spending ?18,000 on taxis in eight months while CEO of Tesco Bank at a time the supermarket was firing frontline staff.

Scotland's public appointment ombudsman had to stand aside from overseeing Watt's appointment after Mackay - who was forced to resign after sending hundreds of inappropriate texts to a schoolboy - let Higgins head an unregulated interview panel.

MSPs passed legislation to set up the SNIB in January 2020 and ministers have committed to putting ?2billion of public funding into it over the next decade.

The Scottish Government said: "The bank makes independent investment decisions and its pay framework and levels of pay of the bank are in agreement with public sector pay policy.

"Some grades and roles are adapted to enable the bank to recruit effectively within a highly paid sector."

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