8chan/8kun QResearch SCOTLAND Posts (7)
#21348102 at 2024-08-04 10:48:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research Scotland #10: Humza In Hot Water Edition
>>21231267
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-government-preside-over-huge-33383338
SNP Government preside over huge ?3.6m rise in special adviser and civil servant cost to 'gloss' over failures
In just 20 years, the amount of taxpayer-funded political appointments and civil servants has sky-rocketed, with the SNP accused of using public money to defend their 'farce and failures.'
David Walker
2 AUG 2024
The Scottish Government has been accused of wasting millions of taxpayer cash to defend "farce and failures" after it was revealed that the bill for special advisers and civil servants working in Minister's Private Offices has sky-rocketed by ?3.6m in the last 20 years.
Scotland's public sector has become bloated in recent years as the number of staff employed by the Executive and its quangos has exploded to record levels. The civil service has reached the highest number on record, with 8,757 bureaucrats employed, a rise of over 87% on 10 years ago.
Finance Secretary Shona Robison has promised to lower this level amid creaking public finances, with the operating costs of the Scottish Government reaching ?696.1m. But this has not been undertaken yet, with policy documents delayed until the end of the year.
And now a new freedom of information request showed that the number of special advisers, who are hired directly by SNP ministers and are party political, and the number of civil servants working exclusively for ministers, has ballooned in the last 20 years.
In 2003, when Scotland was governed by a Labour/Lib Dem coalition there was distinctively less ministers than in current years. There were 17 ministers serving under Jack McConnell, with this including his Cabinet and their junior counterparts, while John Swinney's government has 24, with this including 10 Cabinet Secretaries.
This means there are more civil servants working in their Private Offices, as in December 2003 there were 67 bureaucrats doing so, at a salary cost of ?1,327,229. This increased to 79 and ?2,244,036 in 2013 before exploding to 95 and ?3,536,368 in 2023 under Humza Yousaf.
The cost of special advisers has also sky-rocketed by more than 100% in 20 years, going from 11 being in post at a cost of ?596,555 in 2003 to 18 being employed in 2022-23 with a bill of ?1,909,843. Outlay on the aides rose by nearly ?500,000 between 2021-22 and 2022-23, and doubled during Nicola Sturgeon's reign to the highest level under devolution.
She surrounded herself with the likes of Liz Lloyd with the pair coming under fire during the UK Covid Inquiry for discussing government policy during the pandemic through WhatsApp messages, before insisting that they were not making any decisions.
Rivals pointed out that this huge spend on civil servants and special advisers could have went elsewhere, and that the money was used to hide SNP failures during the time in charge.
Scottish Conservative deputy spokesman for the constitution, external affairs and culture Alexander Stewart told the Scottish Daily Express: "Hard-pressed Scots will be appalled to learn that at the same time as they impose swingeing cuts to key public services, the SNP Government are allowing the cost of their army of spin doctors to skyrocket.
"While glossing over the nationalists' litany of failures is undoubtedly demanding, there is no justification for growing their PR team to this size. This is money that could, and should, have been used to tackle the real problems that Scotland is currently facing, such as our cash-starved councils and overstretched NHS."
Scottish Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie MSP added: "The SNP are obsessed with defending their farces and failures. These eye-watering sums would be far better spent on tackling the crisis in our NHS, cleaning up the sewage in our rivers and beaches and getting islanders ferries that have never arrived. This government is bloated with desperation and no amount of spin can save it."
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "In 2023, the UK Conservative Government spent eight times that amount on Special Advisers at a total of almost ?16 million. Since 2003 the Scottish Government has taken on further responsibility for Scotland's railways, planning, management of the Crown Estate, a number of important social security measures and full control over income tax."
#21298512 at 2024-07-26 20:56:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research Scotland #10: Humza In Hot Water Edition
>>21231294
>>21298453
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/secretive-snp-government-refuse-publish-33327685
Secretive SNP Government refuse to publish legal advice behind block on releasing hidden Nicola Sturgeon report
Exclusive: The Scottish Government suffered a humiliating court defeat last year in an attempt to keep James Hamilton's report on the former First Minister private, and now refused to publish the legal advice behind more attempts to stonewall the publication.
David Walker
26 JUL 2024
The secretive Scottish Government has refused to publish the legal advice it got to once again fail to publish the full report into Nicola Sturgeon's behaviour during the investigation into sexual misconduct allegations about Alex Salmond. James Hamilton garnered witness evidence to help him decide whether she breached the ministerial code.
A special Holyrood committee probed the mishandling of the SNP Executive's investigation into the former First Minister which was later found to be biased. During Ms Sturgeon's appearance, she failed to tell MSPs about a meeting she had with his adviser Geoff Aberdein in her office.
It led to a vote of no confidence in the long-serving SNP leader, as well as her referring herself to the independent ministerial code adviser, Irish lawyer Mr Hamilton. He concluded that she did not breach the code but said she had given an "incomplete narrative of events", adding that it was up to MSPs to decide if she had misled parliament.
The committee found that she had "unknowingly" broken the rules but she survived a key Holyrood vote to remain First Minister. Ever since the dramatic events in 2021, a secrecy battle has been fought over the full version of Mr Hamilton's report with the Scottish Government refusing to publish it.
This culminated in an embarrassing court defeat for the SNP Executive after the Scottish Information Commissioner took them to court after ruling that officials did hold the information asked for. It took the judges a matter of second to rule in the favour of the watchdog, at a cost of ?30,000 to the taxpayer.
But the government once again withheld the data asked for following numerous more freedom of information requests, relying on a loophole which states "disclosure of the evidence" would likely "deter individuals from providing free and frank evidence in such investigations in future".
The Scottish Daily Express used the same FOI laws to ask for all advice and internal correspondence about the decision to block the release, and were handed a number of emails which showed that Shona Robison and chief special adviser Colin McAllister were both asked to approve the refusal.
But the juicy aspects of the correspondence, i.e the legal advice about whether the government were allowed to once again not publish the information, were completely redacted. Officials wrote: "An exemption under section 36(1) of FOISA applies to some of the information requested because it is covered by the Scottish Ministers' legal professional privilege.
"We recognise that there is some public interest in release as part of open and transparent government, and to inform public debate. However, this is outweighed by the strong public interest in maintaining the right to confidentiality of communications between legal advisers and clients, to ensure that Ministers and officials are able to seek and receive legal advice in confidence, like any other public or private organisation."
SNP rebel Fergus Ewing was leading the charge for the government to fully publish this document, and has also called for parliamentary privilege to be extended to Holyrood to allow details about the Salmond scandal to be said without fear of legal action. Tory MP David Davis used Westminster's privilege to name Ms Sturgeon's former chief of staff Liz Lloyd as the person who allegedly leaked the details of Salmond's alleged sexual misconduct to the press.
#21252046 at 2024-07-20 14:12:57 (UTC+1)
Q Research Scotland #10: Humza In Hot Water Edition
>>21231263
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/senior-snp-government-official-claimed-33268088
Senior SNP Government official claimed Covid message retention system was 'adequate' despite deletion scandal
Exclusive: Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney were lambasted by the UK Covid Inquiry for deleting all their messages during the pandemic despite being warned not to do so, with one senior Scottish Government official proclaiming that this policy was 'adequate.'
David Walker
18 JUL 2024
The Scottish Government have been blasted as "grossly insensitive" after a senior official proclaimed that their records management system was "adequate" amid the Covid messages deletion scandal. Former First Minister Humza Yousaf ordered a review into how they handle WhatsApp correspondence in January.
It came after it was revealed that a number of senior figures within the Executive had wiped their messages during the pandemic. This included Nicola Sturgeon and her Deputy John Swinney, as well as medical leaders Gregor Smith and Jason Leitch.
UK Covid Inquiry lead counsel Jamie Dawson lambasted the secretive Scottish Government for failing to hand over scores of documents and correspondence, and had to get a legal order to do this. It led to accusations that Mr Yousaf and Shona Robison had broken ministerial code by claiming they had handed over everything asked for.
An independent external review of the records management system is understood to be ongoing at the moment, but in a preliminary review undertaken by senior civil servant Geoff Huggins in January, and acquired by the Scottish Daily Express using freedom of information legislation, he labelled the current process as "adequate."
This is despite confusion reigning about whether it was government policy to delete or retain informal messages surrounding policy decision-making. Former Finance Secretary Kate Forbes and Mr Yousaf both kept their correspondence, while Mr Swinney and Ms Sturgeon deleted theirs, claiming that this was the guidance at the time.
Mr Huggins wrote that following his analysis he recommended "that we do not make any immediate changes to the Record Management Plan, Record Management Policy or Mobile Messaging Policy on the basis they are adequate in respect of their primary purpose and give clear direction to officials in respect of the requirements to create and retain records."
He does go on to add that they should "take forward a review looking at the wider issues in relation to information retention, including the interaction with the technologies we use, the governance, guidance and training to ensure the set of policies and practices we have in place operate in a coherent manner and meet the full range of business and legal requirements."
Opposition parties blasted this choice of words from the senior civil servant, especially due to the hurt caused by deleting messages to Covid Bereaved families. Scottish Tory Chairman Craig Hoy told the Scottish Daily Express: "Covid bereaved families will find this assessment grossly insensitive and insulting.
#20944791 at 2024-05-31 12:14:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research Scotland #10: Humza In Hot Water Edition
>>20905029
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/12747845/scottish-government-debts-tripled/
DEBT HEADACHE Scottish Government debts have more than tripled to ?2.2billion
The figure for 2024-25 is already three times more than 2017-18
Conor Matchett
25 May 2024
SCOTTISH Government debt has more than tripled in just seven years to ?2.2billion.
Now John Swinney's ministers are set to borrow almost ?350million this year to balance the books.
And their debt pile is set to soar to ?2.9billion by 2030-31, according to a report on dev?olved fiscal powers.
The figure for 2024-25 is already more than three times 2017-18's ?600million while ministers have used up three quarters of their credit limit.
They are set to spend more than ?230million on interest payments this year, rising to more than ?300million by the decade's end.
Labour finance spokesman Michael Marra accused Nats of "flashing credit cards on an empty bank balance."
With the next Holyrood election due in 2026, Lib Dem Willie Rennie agreed: "Ministers are spending like they know they'll not be in power long enough to have to deal with the bill."
We told how Holyrood chiefs face a ?1billion budget black hole due to welfare spending and public sector pay rises - rising to ?1.9billion by 2027/28.
And Scots Tories' Liz Smith cautioned Nats against more tax hikes to try to plug the gap.
She argued: "This ballooning debt will stymie economic growth.
"John Swinney must listen to business and get rid of the tax gap with the rest of the UK."
Ministers insist their borrowing is "fiscally sustainable", while Finance Secretary Shona Robison is set to outline tax and spending plans next month.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The Medium Term Financial Strategy will provide a further update in the context of revised fiscal framework limits."
#20888794 at 2024-05-19 23:30:20 (UTC+1)
Q Research Scotland #10: Humza In Hot Water Edition
>>20849318
>>20849322
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/political-meddling-snp-special-adviser-32836575
'Political meddling' SNP special adviser demanded Scottish Government civil servant blame Westminster for huge funding cut
Exclusive: The SNP have been blasted for 'political meddling' and of attempting to stoke more 'constitutional grievance' after a special adviser demanded that the UK Government be blamed for Shona Robison's decision to cut funding for Clyde Gateway.
David Walker
18 MAY 2024
The SNP have been blasted for "political meddling" after a taxpayer-funded special adviser demanded a Scottish Government civil servant blame Westminster for a brutal funding cut. The media officer was told to include a line pointing the finger at the UK Government instead of admitting fault.
Critics have claimed that the nationalists attempt to "stoke constitutional grievance" was an attempt to distract from its own major financial failings. The row revolves around the removal of funding to Clyde Gateway, when a printing error was blamed for getting the organisation's hopes up.
The Sunday Mail reported that Clyde Gateway expected to get ?5m in the government's 2024/25 budget, but were actually scheduled to get ?500,000 with an error in the document blamed. It led to officials being lambasted by the Finance Secretary Shona Robison who demanded to know how this happened, with it eventually being put down to human error.
Numerous media organisations asked the government to comment on the situation, with the press officers outlining a draft response to send to them. But they were ordered to add in a line blaming the UK Government for the removal of funding.
The initial line which was sent to special advisers, who are brought in by the First Minister and utilised to advise on policy, at the cost to the public purse, said: "As a result of the extremely challenging financial context, there is currently no capital budget allocated to Clyde Gateway for the coming year.
"However we are working with Clyde Gateway and other partners to mitigate the impact of this as far as possible. We are also continuing to support place-based community-led regeneration in our most disadvantaged communities with ?45.8m capital investment in 2024-25."
But an unnamed special adviser rebutted this, and ordered an extra line to be added: "Can we explicitly mention the 10% cut to our capital budget from UKG please?" The fact they meddled in the situation has been blasted by the Scottish Tories.
Party chairman Craig Hoy MSP told the Scottish Daily Express: "This further exposes the SNP's political meddling in the civil service. It is wholly unacceptable that a nationalist spin doctor ordered a government press officer to include a line in response to a media inquiry that was designed to deliberately stoke constitutional grievance.
"It is typical that the SNP were looking to deflect blame elsewhere for these cuts, rather than accept they have completely mismanaged the record funding they have at their disposal from the UK Government." The SNP Executive were forced to apologise for the "printing error" to Clyde Gateway which is an urban regeneration organisation that promotes inbound investment and improvements for people in several towns, including Rutherglen.
Ms Robison's spending plans were published on December 20 and included the line about ?5m to the project, when it should have been ?0.5m, with then-Local Government Minister Joe FitzPatrick forced to apologise in person to Clyde Gateway Chief Executive Martin McKay who had outlined his disappointment at the original decision. Following a public outcry, the organisation did net ?1m in capital funding a few months later.
#20849886 at 2024-05-11 01:04:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research Scotland #10: Humza In Hot Water Edition
>>20849812
>>20847333
>>20847460
>>20849812
So much of this stuff crosses over.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/comment/dorothy-bains-place-john-swinneys-32783549
Dorothy Bain's place at John Swinney's first Cabinet meeting shows why Scotland needs reform NOW
The conflict of interest created by the Lord Advocate's dual role as government minister AND the country's chief prosecutor has to stop - and this cheesy Bute House photo op is just rubbing our faces in it
Comment
opinion
Ben Borland Editor(I like this guy Borland, he was writing about the SCAI when few were/would. Scottish Express is the better and still free online paper, which is why I post their articles so much.)
10 MAY 2024
The first Cabinet meeting of the Swinney era looked very much like the last one, thanks to the bold decision by 'Continuity John' to keep all of his predecessor's picks in place.
The only substantial change - and it is one that has infuriated the freedom of speech-hating misogynists in the Scottish Greens - is the addition of Kate Forbes as Economy and Gaelic Secretary. The 'Presbyterianism Pin-up' also inherits the job of Deputy First Minister from Shona Robison.
Bizarrely, Robison will continue as Finance Secretary despite her having all the fiscal know-how of a Speak and Spell machine - and the fact that both Swinney and Forbes would have a far greater degree of competence in the role. Perhaps the next budget will simply be given to Shona to read out, with all the big words written phonetically.
There was also another new face in the shape of grinning loon Jamie Hepburn, whose previous 'job' as independence minister has been axed. He replaces George Adam as parliamentary business minister, meaning he gets to attend Cabinet and presumably fetch tea and biscuits for the others.
But who's this, sandwiched between Hepburn and Permanent Secretary John-Paul Marks? Why, it's none other than Dorothy Bain KC, whose dual role as Lord Advocate involves being both the head of Scottish prosecution service AND the chief legal adviser to the Scottish Government.
This means she faces allegations of conflict of interest, as have all her predecessors in the role since the start of devolution when this crucial bit of any modern democracy (ie separation of powers) was somehow overlooked. However, none of the previous Lord Advocates have had quite as much carnage to deal with as Ms Bain, who had to sit in Cabinet alongside Nicola Sturgeon when the police were investigating the SNP's finances.
Previous issues over conflict of interest include the Covid investigation into avoidable deaths; the Rangers malicious prosecution scandal; the cover-up of evidence for the Salmond Inquiry…. a long list that goes all the way back to the Lockerbie bombing trial. Indeed, whenever political and potentially criminal issues collide, there is a problem for the Lord Advocate.
Even relatively minor matters such as the decision not to charge Sturgeon with a breach of Scotland's face mask rules during the pandemic can end up looking like a fix, when in most cases they are no such thing.
Even today, Bain was hit with a new demand to come to Holyrood to explain her position on the Post Office Horizon IT scandal; as Lord Advocate, she has spoken against a blanket quashing of all fraud convictions while at the same time the government (of which she is a senior minister) is legislating for that very outcome.
It's enough to make anyone head spin, even if you are a top lawyer with the brain the size of a small planet. The Scottish Government has promised to look at the role of Lord Advocate during this parliament, but they seem in no great hurry to do so with just a couple of years left.
Meanwhile, the SNP MP Joanna Cherry has brought forward a Members' Bill that would amend the Scotland Act 1998 to create two new roles - one as head of the Crown Office and another as minister and chief legal adviser to the government. She has cross-party support but again there seems to be no urgency at Westminster to fix the mess they created.
Hopefully, this will be the last Cabinet she is part of
Indeed, some experts even believe the entire Scottish Government is both unconstitutional and unlawful as a result of the failure to ensure separation of powers, creating a "major constitutional and legal problem for Scotland and the UK".
#20839902 at 2024-05-09 00:46:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research Scotland #10: Humza In Hot Water Edition
>>20826329
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/john-swinney-keeps-humza-yousafs-32765139
John Swinney keeps Humza Yousaf's 'continuity' and 'chaotic' cabinet - and adds extra ?112k-a-year role for Kate Forbes
The new First Minister has acted like the old First Minister by keeping in place the majority of his predecessor's Cabinet, only adding an extra role in Gaelic and Economy for Kate Forbes.
David Walker
8 MAY 2024
John Swinney has been slated as "uninspiring" after announcing a "continuity" Cabinet which will remain almost exactly the same as Humza Yousaf's, except for an extra taxpayer-funded ?112k role for Kate Forbes. The former SNP leadership contender has been appointed Deputy First Minister with responsibility for the economy and Gaelic.
But otherwise the "continuity" First Minister has stuck by the nine figures who led Scotland under Mr Yousaf, the second shortest-serving First Minister of all time. It means that Shona Robison remains Finance Secretary, but now with responsibility for local government.
Mr Swinney claimed that the "new" Scottish Cabinet will "help drive real and urgent progress in eradicating child poverty, driving economic growth, and tackling the climate emergency." He has already angered the Scottish Greens through his promotion of Ms Forbes to a senior role.
Jenny Gilruth remains on Education, Angela Constance keeps her Justice brief, Mairi McAllan has a shortened role of Net Zero and Energy, Fiona Hyslop is still Transport Secretary, Neil Gray is on Health, Shirley-Anne Somerville remains Social Justice Secretary, "Air Miles" Angus Robertson can continue to enjoy his trips abroad as Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and Mairi Gougeon keeps the Rural Affairs brief.
It means the number of Cabinet members has increased to 11, the largest of all time. Critics have blasted the failure of Mr Swinney to show any initiative by going with new blood, with the rest of his ministers set to be confirmed "in due course."
And former coalition partner Patrick Harvie also outlined his distaste for the new Deputy First Minister, posting a tweet showing a sigh which said "no right turn" at jibe at Ms Forbes centre right views. He added: "There will be many people across our country who will be very concerned and who will want to know that this Scottish Government remains committed to a greener and more equal future for Scotland.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross mocked Mr Swinney as he said: "John Swinney doesn't want to be labelled the continuity First Minister but he has just spent hours reappointing the entire cabinet he inherited Humza Yousaf to the same posts they failed in before."
Scottish Tory chairman Craig Hoy called it "Humza Yousaf's cabinet with a different figurehead." He added: "The return of Kate Forbes is a desperate attempt by both John Swinney and his new deputy to gloss over the huge splits in the SNP and fixate on independence."
He also pointed out that the First Minister and Ms Forbes traded barbs last year during the leadership election, as he questioned whether she was an "appropriate individual" to lead the party, and that the former Finance Secretary claimed that "continuity won't cut it."
Mr Hoy added: "This uninspiring cabinet is further evidence that John Swinney as First Minister will just mean more of the same. His fingerprints are all over the failed SNP policies that have damaged Scotland, while he's already doubled down on the SNP's independence obsession, instead of focusing on the public's real priorities such as fixing our ailing public services and growing the economy."
Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie dubbed it a "continuity cabinet that cannot be trusted to fix the chaos and instability they have created." She added: "With two of the former Finance Secretaries responsible for trashing public finances now in the top jobs, more SNP chaos lies ahead. Scotland needs change and the people of Scotland know continuity won't cut it - we need an election."
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ""We need ministers that won't make empty promises but will get the basics right. Relying on all the same ingredients is a recipe for disappointment. This parade of familiar faces proves that nobody in the SNP ever pays the price despite 1 in 7 Scots being stuck on NHS waiting lists, sewage dumping in our rivers reaching record levels, and islanders waiting forever for ferries.
Mr Swinney claimed that he had selected a team that "blends experience and energy, with a strong focus on the priorities my government will pursue - eradicating child poverty, driving economic growth, meeting climate obligations and investing in our vital public services."