/qnotables/ - ===Q Notables===

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21287360 (250149ZJUL24) Notable: Final Covid and other Pestilence Bun Part Two / Covid Inquiry accused of blocking criticism of the SNP Government by cherrypicking witnesses

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>>>/qresearch/21231263

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/covid-inquiry-accused-blocking-criticism-33301069

Covid Inquiry accused of blocking criticism of the SNP Government by cherrypicking witnesses

Exclusive: At least three Covid campaigners say their written statements have been effectively sealed by the Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry after they were not invited to give evidence in person

Ben Borland

23 JUL 2024

The Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry has been accused of using a legal loophole to block critics of the SNP Government from speaking out about their evidence of failures during the pandemic.

At least three people have submitted written statements to the inquiry which are now effectively sealed. In addition, some witnesses say they have been invited to give evidence in person before being removed from the schedule, while others say they are simply being ignored.

Under the Inquiries Act 2005, inquiry chair Lord Brailsford has imposed a General Restriction Order which states that submitted evidence is restricted from wider publication until after it has been published by the inquiry itself.

The issue first came to a head in May when the Scottish Daily Express ran a story relating to whistleblowing nurse, Lesley Roberts. Although everything she told us was already in the public domain, we accepted the report may have breached the restriction order and removed it from the website.

Ms Roberts was frustrated and posted on her personal Facebook page that she no longer wanted to give evidence. However, she never communicated this directly to the inquiry team... and was then stunned to find that her social media comments had been taken as an official withdrawal.

After failing to get the decision reversed, she has since called on the inquiry to publish the two written statements she has submitted – backed by politicians including Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie.

Now Ms Roberts has learned of at least two other people in Scotland who are in a similar position, and whose stories are told here for the first time.

Brenda Eadie was a Band 5 Registered Nurse working in Low Moss Prison in East Dunbartonshire who contracted Covid 19 in March 2020 just days before the first national lockdown, suffering a number of setbacks before eventually leaving her post in November 2022.

She joined the Scottish Healthcare Workers Coalition group and began to prepare herself to give evidence at the inquiry. She also submitted a written statement before being told she was no longer required to appear in person.

Ms Eadie, from Glasgow, said: "I don't believe this inquiry is getting to the truth. They appear to be selecting specific people to give evidence and dropping others. I think the Government are hiding the truth from the general population. I personally blame Nicola Sturgeon. I don't think she listened to anyone during the pandemic and acted like a narcissist.

"Where are her Covid WhatsApp messages and why have they simply been deleted. Humza Yousaf then admitted that they did not look at health and safety within the prisons until mid to late March 2020 and by that time it was too late for many of us who were put at risk.

"The inquiry appears to be running under the radar. The public don't seem to know what is going on and the information coming out is very limited. Who exactly does this benefit and why is no one really covering these appalling stories and is this how the public purse should be used?"

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21287365 (250150ZJUL24) Notable: Final Covid and other Pestilence Bun Part Two / Covid Inquiry accused of blocking criticism of the SNP Government by cherrypicking witnesses

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>>201599

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Willie Thomson: 'Those decisions cost me dear'

Willie Thomson was on a ventilator for around nine days in Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in September 2021 and he was left with memory problems, fatigue, and mobility issues. Keen to raise concerns about what he saw as the complete lack of aftercare for Covid survivors, he contacted the inquiry and asked if he could give evidence.

The Glaswegian was told that he wasn't eligible because he wasn't part of a group, so he started his own organisation and named it Survivors of Intubation. Despite this, Willie was still not invited to give evidence – despite submitting a written statement.

Mr Thomson said: "Everything that happened to me should be deemed to be wrong on all levels. There are no terms of reference within the inquiry to allow survivors to speak. Whilst I understand that the views of others, such as politicians are important, who better to tell the story than a support group of survivors?

"I believe that the government are being protected and I am shocked at the levels as to which those within the public sector are protected. Surely, the people of this country have some say or are we to simply stand by in silence whilst the government are deleting their messages and not being truthful with anyone about the decisions they took.

"Those decisions cost me dear and yet it seems as though I have to simply accept all of this without having a voice. I have tried and tried to get my story out and yet no one is authority is listening. Is that how an inquiry should act? Is that how public money should be spent? Or are they simply using public money disingenuously."

'Protecting those at the very top'

Ms Roberts, from Greenock, gave two statements to the inquiry. She has previously spoken out about the death of her mother, Letitia, in 2020. She told how she found a DNACPR (Do Not Attempt CPR) form in a laundry bag containing her mum's soiled clothing after she was discharged from Inverclyde Royal Hospital.

She has also spoken many times about her campaign to highlight failures by the Scottish Government and the NHS in Scotland, relating to the safety and efficacy of masks given to frontline health and social care workers; the widespread and allegedly increased use of DNACPR forms; and the infamous decision to discharge elderly patients untested into care homes in order to free up hospital beds.

As we have reported previously, the former NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde infection control nurse and trade union rep has reported Ms Sturgeon and former healthy secretary Jeane Freeman to Police Scotland for corporate manslaughter, with her complaint now part of the sprawling Operation Koper inquiry into avoidable pandemic deaths.

She said: "We believe the Scottish Covid Inquiry is protecting those at the very top. It doesn't seem to be about looking to find the truth and getting answers, it's about what they can do to shut down those with legitimate complaints. Surely, at the very least, if I cannot give evidence in person then my statement should be in the public domain."

'Active consideration'

In a statement to the Scottish Express, the Inquiry said: "The Inquiry is grateful to everyone who has provided evidence to date, including those who have provided oral evidence in public hearings, and those who have provided written statements.

"The Chair has a legal duty to avoid unnecessary cost, therefore it is not possible to call all those who have provided written statements to also give oral evidence. All written statements are read and analysed by the Inquiry and form part of its bank of evidence. The matter of publication of all statements is under active consideration by the Inquiry."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21298453 (262043ZJUL24) Notable: Final Nicola Sturgeon & SNP Bun Part Three / Alex Salmond's sensational day of evidence when he tore down Nicola Sturgeon's reputation

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>>201568

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/alex-salmonds-sensational-day-evidence-33328272

Alex Salmond's sensational day of evidence when he tore down Nicola Sturgeon's reputation

ARCHIVES SPECIAL: A blast from the past as we look back at the Scottish Daily Express coverage of Alex Salmond's astonishing testimony to the Scottish Parliament inquiry in February 2021

Ben Borland

26 JUL 2024

With the Scottish Government still refusing to publish James Hamilton's report in full, and Tory MP David Davis using parliamentary privilege to throw a spotlight on the affair, the Alex Salmond scandal is refusing to go away.

Here, we take a look back at how the Scottish Daily Express print edition covered the dramatic events of Friday, February 26, 2021, when the former First Minister gave evidence to the Holyrood committee set up to examine the government's handling of harassment complaints made against him.

We have republished our five-page special report in full, along with the additional Q&A and information panels and the pages from the newspaper. This is the first time this report has been published online in full, while many people may not have seen the print edition due to the Covid restrictions in place at the time.

Alex Salmond has admitted Scotland is not fit to be independent because the leadership of the country, civil service and Crown Office have failed. The former SNP leader – whose referendum campaign almost broke up the UK in 2014 – said he fears people in a seceded Scotland could be persecuted by "arbitrary authority".

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21298512 (262056ZJUL24) Notable: Final Nicola Sturgeon & SNP Bun Part Three / Secretive SNP Government refuse to publish legal advice behind block on releasing hidden Nicola Sturgeon report

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>>201568

>>201605

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.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21299544 (262333ZJUL24) Notable: Historic Abuse Bun / Paedo motorsports monster used wealth and power to prey on children for over 20 years

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https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13213451/paedo-motorsports-colin-bandeen-kirriemuir-children/

MOTOR MONSTER Paedo motorsports monster used wealth and power to prey on children for over 20 years

Colin Bandeen, 63, targeted eleven children, one aged just eight

Tim Buglar & Graham Mann

24 Jul 2024

A PAEDO motorsports monster who used his wealth and influence to prey on kids for over 20 years is facing jail.

Bike nut Colin Bandeen, 63, who ran Bandeen Motorsport in Kirriemuir, Angus from 2017, targeted eleven children, one aged just eight.

The sicko, of Forfar, would win the trust of parents by showering them with money and gifts during a sickening campaign dating back to 2001.

He denied the allegations during a trial at the High Court in Stirling but jurors found him guilty of rape, sex assaults and even stalking the parents of five kids at Knockhill Racing Circuit.

Prosecutor David Logan told the court: “Bandeen ingratiates himself with families of young children by generous gifts, invited himself into their houses and their lives, taking them on trips and holidays, all with the intention of using and abusing children for his own sexual gratification.”

During he four day trial, the court heard Bandeen worked in the oil industry in the Far East before setting up a motorcycle business in Scotland.

But he used the position of trust and respect he gained through his firm as a front sexually abuse four children, behave indecently towards a fifth and sixth, and tried to worm his way into the confidence of the parents of five more.

Jurors also heard how he got access to several of his victims through a contact involved in the Church of Scotland.

He supplied a dad with food and alcohol and abused two boys from the ages of eight and nine, climbing naked into a sleeping bag with them.

Three times he took the boys to England, abusing them in hotel rooms.

The abuse of the boys continued until they were teenagers.

Bandeen bought motorcycle leathers for their sister - getting her to change into them in front of him.

He got her to rub cream on his back, and tried unsuccessfully to coerce her and a male schoolfriend of hers to have sex with each other when they were only 13.

The girl, now in her twenties, giving evidence behind a screen, said: “I was terrified. I curled up in Mr Bandeen’s mother’s bed and cried myself to sleep.”

Bandeen continued to sexually abuse the girl’s schoolfriend, exploiting his interest in 4x4s and motorbikes, taking him on shopping trips.

He also bought him expensive clothes and motorcycle gear, opening a bank account for him and paying in £300 a month, and plying him with alcohol.

Jurors found him guilty of six charges of sexually assaulting or abusing three boys at ages between eight and 16, including the rape of a 14-year-old.

He was also found guilty of using lewd and libidinous behaviour towards a girl and boy and two charges of stalking the parents of five children at addresses in Kirriemuir, Forfar, and at Knockhill Racing Circuit.

Mr Logan told jurors: “These were horrible and traumatic events for these children that had a huge impact on their lives.

“He showered money and gifts to try and get families and children to trust him.

“The desire to have children under his control was a constant theme, to manipulate and persuade them to get involved in things they should not have been anywhere near at their age.

“He made persistent attempts to get unsupervised access to boys.

“There was very much a theme of corruption of innocence – the corruption of innocent young children.”

Judge Lord Cubie remanded him in custody for reports ahead of sentencing next month.

Paul Nelson KC, defending, said Bandeen faced “years” jail.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21299955 (270033ZJUL24) Notable: Final Government Bloat, Waste, and Abuse Bun / BBC Scotland channel should shut 'immediately' claims critic amid low viewing figures and £40m taxpayer cost

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/bbc-scotland-channel-should-shut-33322887

BBC Scotland channel should shut 'immediately' claims critic amid low viewing figures and £40m taxpayer cost

One critic has called for BBC to completely scrap its BBC Scotland channel as it is costing £40m a year to run and has not managed to win viewers.

David Walker

25 JUL 2024

Calls have been made for the BBC Scotland channel to immediately be closed down due to its huge £40m cost to taxpayers and lack of viewers. We previously told how fewer than one in eight adults watched the BBC Scotland channel each week last year, with some shows getting less than 100 live viewers.

Since launching in 2019, it has cost the public purse more than £160m and is undergoing an emergency revamp this year due to plummeting viewing figures. Two flagship current affairs shows have been axed, with hour-long news show The Nine and The Seven both going.

It comes as the channel only reached 13% of Scots and was only watched for an hour and 34 minutes a week by the average viewer. The cost of running it rose from £35m a year to £40m, meaning the cost per user hour for the channel and its content on iPlayer was 43p.

Media commentator and former BBC Editor Professor Tim Luckhurst called for BBC Scotland to be scrapped as it was not offering value for money. He told the Daily Mail: "The number paying the licence fee has declined and the BBC faces financial challenges that can only be met by making staff redundant.

"For BBC Scotland to spend millions of pounds on a channel that attracts a tiny minority of the population in these circumstances is unreasonable. The BBC Scotland channel should close immediately - it costs money the BBC cannot afford."

The Beeb's annual report revealed that £162m had been spent on programming since the channel's launch in 2019. The accounts also revealed that 44,000 fewer licences fees were paid north of the border in 2023/24 than in the previous year, meaning a loss of £7m in estimated income from Scotland, a drop from £304m to £297m.

Back in January, the broadcaster faced more heavy criticism for a "deplorable waste of money" after it emerged that only 200 people watched The Seven, which is a 15-minute news programme on BBC Scotland on January 7. Three days later only 1,700 viewers, which is about 0.1% of those watching TV at the time, tuned into The Nine, its flagship news show.

This has now been axed, alongside entertainment news show The Edit and news review Seven Days. Ofcom indicated a decline in the average audience from approximately 17,000 viewers in 2020 to 10,000 last year.

Reflecting this, the broadcaster regulator approved plans in May which halved peak time news programming on the BBC Scotland channel from 250 hours to 124 hours annually. These changes include regularly extending Reporting Scotland on BBC1 and boosting investment in online news, with the BBC saying these proposals would affect costs or jobs, with any savings redirected into news and current affairs output.

Scottish Tory culture spokeswoman Meghan Gallacher said: "When Scots are continuing to grapple with a cost of living crisis, BBC Scotland bosses need to ensure output delivers value for money. With concerns around viewing figures for the BBC Scotland channel in particular, we need to know the corporation remains responsive to the quality programming its audience deserves."

A BBC Scotland spokesman said: "The BBC remains the most used brand for media in Scotland, used by 84 per cent of adults in Scotland on average per week. With a move towards watching on demand rather than 'live', viewing of Scottish content on BBC iPlayer has more than doubled since the launch of the BBC Scotland channel, and iPlayer views are not reported in the channel's live reach figure."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21309966 (281617ZJUL24) Notable: Islamic hate preacher's audacious bid to turn Scottish island into 'Sharia' state raises £3m

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/islamic-hate-preachers-audacious-bid-33342565

Islamic hate preacher's audacious bid to turn Scottish island into 'Sharia' state raises £3m

Sheikh Yasser al-Habib wants to purchase the isle of Torsa off Scotland's west coast - but he'll need to get past the Women's Institute first!

Douglas Dickie

28 JUL 2024

An Islamic hate preacher said to have his own 'army' has launched an audacious bid to buy a Scottish island and turn it into his own state based on Sharia law. Sheikh Yasser al-Habib has raised £3 million to purchase the isle of Torsa, located off the west coast of Argyll and Bute.

He is said to be in 'advanced talks' to buy the land. The 45-year-old claimed asylum in the UK 20 years ago and runs military-style training camps for an 'army' group called Al-Shurta Al-Khamis.

He plans to build a school, hospital and mosque on the island which will be run on strict Muslim laws. A video sent to supporters shows the cleric saying he will negotiate with the UK Government and invite Muslims from "all over the world" to Torsa which will become their "homeland".

Torsa is one of the Slate Islands just off Scotland's west coast. Inhabited until the 1960s, there is one house which is used as a holiday let. It is a tidal island and can be reached by land from neighboring Luing at low tide as well as by a short ferry ride.

The news has worried residents on Luing, according to the Mail on Sunday. One resident said: "I've spent much of my life working in Muslim countries so have no issues whatsoever with that community, but this group does seem alarming from what I've just seen now."

Al-Habib, who preaches only in Arabic, has been accused of stirring up sectarian tensions between Shias and Sunni Muslims and has called for the death of Wahhabis. He spreads hate on his own satellite TV channel Fadak TV from his base in South Buckinghamshire.

He wants to turn Torsa, which is just over a mile long, into an Islamic state for a group called the Mahdi [Messiah] Servants Union (MSU), which has already sent representatives to the island. In his video, which also includes footage of his training camps, Al-Habib tells followers: "If you want to live free under the banner of the imam in a special homeland where you feel everything in it reminds you of the awaited mahdi, everything is the Shia homeland, support this project."

In one clip from Torsa, another man states: "Here, my brothers, God willing, we want to build a large mosque, a school and a hawza [Shia seminary]. We want this place to be a homeland to the Shias and the believers."

Sarah Zaaimi, a deputy director for communications at the American think tank Atlantic Council, said it was "puzzling" that UK authorities had allowed Al-Habib to make bold claims about the island. She said: "They will have their own army, their own justice system, they will manage their own schools and hospitals, and people from around the world will be able to migrate to this homeland.

"It does challenge the notion of sovereignty. It's puzzling to me how the UK authorities are allowing such a discourse. You are fundraising for the creation of a sovereign country on the margins of another country."

Al-Habib spent three months in jail in Kuwait for insulting Sunnis and celebrated the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, calling Suella Braverman an "animal" for vowing to crack down on pro-Palestinian marches when she was Home Secretary. He wrote a film called Lady Of Heaven that was pulled from cinemas after protests from Sunnis.

One Luing resident joked: "I'm not sure the Women's Institute are going to stand for this. We'd welcome just about anyone, but this doesn't seem appropriate."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21310063 (281643ZJUL24) Notable: Harry and Meghan cling on to ancient Scottish title despite ditching royal life

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>>>/qresearch/21310003

>>>/qresearch/21309920

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/celebrity-news/harry-meghan-cling-ancient-scottish-33334223

Harry and Meghan cling on to ancient Scottish title despite ditching royal life

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a different title in Scotland and so far have clung onto it despite their aversion to royal life

Douglas Dickie

26 JUL 2024

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have become a thorn in the side of the royal family since they quit the institution. The pair left the UK behind and, along with son Prince Archie, decamped for the USA to start a new life four years ago.

They have been there ever since, welcoming another child, Princess Lilibet who has never seen her dad's home country. Announcing their decision in January 2020 to step down as working royals, the couple claimed they wanted to "work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen".

They also said they would "balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages". But, in reality, they quit completely in 2021 and have returned only briefly from the US, attending the Platinum Jubilee celebrations and the Queen's funeral while Harry returned for his father's coronation and briefly when the King received a cancer diagnosis.

Their controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey and the publication of Harry's memoir, Spare, look to have destroyed any hopes of a reconciliation. But despite their apparent distaste for monarchy, they have clung onto the Duke and Duchess of Sussex title bestowed on them by the late Queen Elizabeth when they married in 2018.

They have also never renounced the ancient Scottish title handed down to them. When they married, Harry and Meghan also became the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton.

Harry became just the third person to hold the Earldom but the title actually dates from 1675 when it was created during the reign of Charles II for Lord George Douglas, who went on to become a trusted lieutenant Charles's brother James II in his attempt to thwart the Glorious Revolution. It was passed to his son, also George Douglas, on Douglas's death in 1692 but when he died childless, the title died with him.

It was resurrected by Queen Elizabeth for Harry and Meghan in 2018 when she also created the titles of Baron and Baroness Kilkeel for use when they were in Northern Ireland. Prince Archie will become Earl of Dumbarton on his father's death despite him being brought up in California. King Charles is seemingly reluctant to strip his son of the titles given to him although that could change when Prince William ascends to the throne.

Neither Douglas or Harry have any particular connection to Dumbarton, once the capital of the Kingdom of Strathclyde. The town has strong royal links. Dumbarton Castle was a royal residence where Mary Queen of Scots stayed for a period in her youth. It was also a royal burgh from 1222 until 1975.

It comes as Meghan is warned that her political ambitions could be a "nightmare" for the royals if she keeps her titles. The former actress has long been rumoured to be eyeing up a political career and is a committed Democrat.

Commentator Natasha Livingstone said on the Daily Mail's Palace Confidential: "If she was to keep her title, Duchess of Sussex, that would just be a real headache for the Royal Family who are notoriously non-political. And then to have a royal title associated with any political office would just be a nightmare for them, frankly."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21311668 (282234ZJUL24) Notable: Final Law and Disorder Bun / ‘Underworld kill threat’ made against Scots Tory leadership hopeful Russell Findlay - decade after doorstep acid attack

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https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13228776/new-underworld-threat-russell-findlay-acid-attack/

GANG ATTACK FEARS ‘Underworld kill threat’ made against Scots Tory leadership hopeful Russell Findlay – decade after doorstep acid attack

It is feared the threat is linked to a caged gangster

Chris Musson

27 Jul 2024

THE former crime reporter tipped as the next Scottish Tory leader has been warned of a new underworld threat to kill him, it emerged today.

Police visited MSP and ex-Scottish Sun investigations editor Russell Findlay this month and disclosed intelligence about a possible attack on him by a serial violent criminal.

The details emerged just days before a parole hearing where gangster William "Basil" Burns could be freed early from his jail term for a notorious acid attack on Mr Findlay in 2015.

It's feared the new threat may be linked to Burns, 63, who was jailed for ten years in 2017 after being found guilty of assault to the danger of life after the vicious assault on Mr Findlay's doorstep in Glasgow.

Last night, Mr Findlay thanked police for flagging the new threat and called for intimidation tactics to be met with a "robust response".

He told the Scottish Sun on Sunday: "I am grateful to Police Scotland for sharing this information with me, which I am taking seriously.

“Thuggish organised crime gangs in Scotland increasingly appear to think they can intimidate and attack those in mainstream society but this should not be tolerated and cannot be allowed to become normal.

“These cowardly tactics must be met with a defiant and robust response.”

Mr Findlay, 51, became an MSP in 2021 after a 27-year career in journalism, during which he specialised in investigative and crime journalism, and penned books exposing gangland figures.

Last week, he became the first person to declare they would stand to replace Douglas Ross, who announced his resignation as Scottish Conservative leader in the early stages of the General Election campaign.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21311690 (282237ZJUL24) Notable: Final Law and Disorder Bun / ‘Underworld kill threat’ made against Scots Tory leadership hopeful Russell Findlay - decade after doorstep acid attack

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>>201616

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A timetable for the election is expected to be set in the coming days.

Several prominent Tory MSPs have come out to back Mr Findlay, but the Tory Holyrood group has also been dogged by infighting over who should be their next leader.

Meanwhile, Burns is due to appear before the secretive parole board on Tuesday, July 30, after a previous hearing last month did not reach a conclusion on his release.

Mr Findlay fears the new threat may be connected to the possible imminent release of Burns, although it is said to be from a different individual.

Burns had disguised himself as a postman for the attack on Mr Findlay at his Glasgow home in December 2015.

At the time of the incident, Burns was on early release after being given a 15-year term in 2001 for shooting a woman during a post office robbery in Linwood, Renfrewshire.

And in 1996, he was locked up for six years for threatening a security guard with a gun after the man challenged him for stealing a cake from Marks & Spencer in Paisley.

Burns also has previous convictions for assault, firearms and carrying offensive weapons.

In July 1994, Burns was cleared of the murder of 23-year-old Raymond McCafferty, of Glasgow. The victim was shot dead in a car park, but Burns and a co-defendant both blamed another man for the shooting and walked free.

After Burns was sentenced in 2017 for the acid attack, police said he was a "career criminal" with "links to serious organised crime in Glasgow".

Burns's co-accused Alexander Porter, 48, faced the same charge over the attack on Mr Findlay. He was said to be a getaway driver - but had a not proven verdict returned.

"These cowardly tactics must be met with a defiant and robust response."

Russell Findlay MSP

A jury heard how Mr Findlay answered his door around 8.30am on December 23, 2015, and was told he had a parcel to sign for.

He was handed a card to sign – but, as he did so, acid was flung in his face. He wrestled Burns out of the house, held onto him and yelled for help

A knife was found in the doorway along with a set of broken dentures nearby.

In 2018, Mr Findlay wrote a book - Acid Attack - about his ordeal and flaws in the justice system.

He has penned non-fiction books including Caught in the Crossfire: Scotland's Deadliest Drugs War, about the west of Scotland gangland feud between members of the Daniel and Lyons families.

'Threat being thoroughly probed'

Assistant Chief Constable Andy Freeburn said: “While we don’t discuss

individual security details, we take every threat seriously.

“We have well-established relationships with elected representatives

and regularly discuss security arrangements further with them.

“In addition, we work closely with UK policing colleagues to ensure

all MSPs and MPs are aware of relevant personal safety advice.

“We thoroughly investigate any reports of threats made and take

appropriate action where any offences are identified.”

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21311705 (282240ZJUL24) Notable: Final Law and Disorder Bun / ‘Underworld kill threat’ made against Scots Tory leadership hopeful Russell Findlay - decade after doorstep acid attack

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>>201616

>>201617

.............................................................................................continued............................................................................

RUSSELL Findlay was the first Tory MSP to officially throw his hat into the ring to be the next party boss.

Launching his leadership bid, he said: "The next Scottish Parliament elections in 2026 will be a defining moment which sets Scotland on a new course.

"Change is coming in Scotland. I want us to lead it - and to do so as proud and passionate Conservatives.

"We must refocus our efforts from predominantly battling against independence to instead leading a patriotic conservative movement that stands for aspiration and ambition.

"We've got to set out a positive conservative vision that appeals to the interests, hopes and needs of ordinary people the length and breadth of Scotland.

"We need to provide tangible, practical and pragmatic ideas and solutions that will change everyday lives for the better.

"Our policies must demolish the barriers which stand in the way of ordinary Scots and the fulfilment of their full potential.

"I hear regularly that 'politicians are all the same'. I believe the Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party, under my leadership, can be different.

"I'm standing as a candidate for the leadership of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party because I believe we have the chance to change Scotland for the better.

"I want to appeal to anyone who is fed up with the stifling left-wing consensus at Holyrood to join me as we build the positive, modern conservative movement that Scotland needs."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21318121 (300028ZJUL24) Notable: Final Covid and other Pestilence Bun Part Two / Nicola Sturgeon held secret Covid meeting with John Swinney and Catherine Calderwood ahead of Covid Inquiry

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>>>/qresearch/21231263

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-held-secret-covid-33344511

Nicola Sturgeon held secret Covid meeting with John Swinney and Catherine Calderwood ahead of Covid Inquiry

Exclusive: The former First Minister and three of her closest confidantes during the early stages of the pandemic met with senior Scottish Government officials last summer ahead of giving evidence to the Covid Inquiry.

David Walker & Douglas Dickie

28 JUL 2024

Nicola Sturgeon held a secret meeting about the UK Covid Inquiry with senior Scottish Government officials, as well as two of her closest confidantes ahead of giving evidence, the Scottish Daily Express can reveal. The former First Minister, John Swinney, and former chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood are understood to have attended the summit last summer.

The details of the secretive meeting have been kept under wraps by the SNP Executive, but bombshell emails seen by the Scottish Express show that Ms Sturgeon was keen to discuss pressing issues about the Inquiry with senior civil servants. It came about after all three had given evidence to the probe in London but before their appearances when the Inquiry arrived in Edinburgh earlier this year.

It was during these hearings that Ms Sturgeon and Mr Swinney admitted deleting WhatsApp messages relating to the government’s handling of the pandemic. Ms Calderwood, who resigned from her role as CMO in disgrace, was due to give evidence but pulled out due to illness.

According to the correspondence, on July 24 the former First Minister sent a letter co-signed by four witnesses, including former health secretary Jeane Freeman, to the Scottish Government’s Permanent Secretary John Paul Marks which is understood to have included "feedback" to how the Inquiry process had gone so far. A meeting was then organised between the group and two senior government officials, Lesley Fraser, Director-General Corporate and Claire Tynte-Irvine, Director of Covid Inquiries for August 10 at the Scottish Parliament.

At Ms Sturgeon’s insistence, a short paper was prepared with issues raised by the former First Minister that allowed them to "properly respond to the latest Inquiry request". Both Ms Sturgeon and Mr Swinney were backbench MSPs at the time.

Ms Calderwood infamously quit as CMO after being caught visiting her second home while the country was locked down in April 2020. The Scottish Government earlier this year denied accusations it had ‘coached’ Inquiry witnesses before giving evidence.

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: "John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon would be advised to explain what the purpose of this meeting was – and what was discussed at it. We know from the UK Covid inquiry that both the current and former First Ministers, along with senior SNP Government officials, were complicit in an orchestrated mass deletion of WhatsApp messages, so it’s only natural that the public will be suspicious about this meeting prior to them giving evidence."

The correspondence shows Ms Calderwood was in touch with the Scottish Government about the Covid Inquiry as early as January 2023 - six months before the first public evidence hearings. In one message, a civil servant thanks her for attending a meeting to “ensure that a full and well account is given to the covid inquiries” is recorded.

In another email, staff discuss what support they can offer Ms Calderwood in creating her statement while another communication suggests Ms Calderwood, who went on to work for the Golden Jubilee Hospital near Glasgow, had asked for a government laptop, a request that was denied. The meeting, which the Express understands was not attended by Mr Freeman, came just weeks after Ms Sturgeon was grilled by lawyers during the first module of the Inquiry which looked at preparedness for a pandemic in June 2023.

She was quizzed about her fractured relationship with the UK Government, and was rebuked by counsel Hugo Keith KC after launching an attack on Brexit. Asked if putting some elements of pandemic planning on hold to prepare for a no-deal Brexit was a “false economy”, she replied: “I think every aspect of Brexit has been a false economy, if I can put it mildly but that’s another issue altogether”.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21318130 (300029ZJUL24) Notable: Final Covid and other Pestilence Bun Part Two / Nicola Sturgeon held secret Covid meeting with John Swinney and Catherine Calderwood ahead of Covid Inquiry

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>>>/qresearch/21231263

>>201619

..................................................................................................continued..................................................................................

But Ms Sturgeon was cut off by Mr Keith who told her: "Ms Sturgeon, I’m so sorry, that is a witness box not a soapbox and we cannot allow the political debate of Brexit to be ventilated here."

Mr Swinney, Ms Freeman and Ms Calderwood all played key roles during the early stages of the pandemic and gave evidence down in London. Ms Sturgeon has been accused of presiding over a government shrouded in secrecy after confirming that she deleted her Covid messages when grilled by the Inquiry.

She said that this was in line with the government policy at the time, with Mr Swinney confirming similar. However, the likes of Kate Forbes and Humza Yousaf kept their correspondence at the time, insisting they were unaware that this policy existed.

Asked what the meeting was about, the Scottish Government said: “In common with other public inquiries, the UK Government and other devolved administrations, the Scottish Government has a responsibility to offer appropriate support to those asked to present evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry in relation to their role in the Scottish Government’s response to the pandemic.”

The SNP said it was not going to comment.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21332386 (011117ZAUG24) Notable: Final Nicola Sturgeon & SNP Bun Part Three / SNP's 'privatise NHS' hypocrisy as thousands of Scots go private due to huge waiting lists

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>>>/qresearch/21231267

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snps-privatise-nhs-hypocrisy-thousands-33348375

SNP's 'privatise NHS' hypocrisy as thousands of Scots go private due to huge waiting lists

The SNP based its entire General Election campaign on accusing Labour of planning to privatise the NHS in the UK, but have basically done this in Scotland as thousands of Scots have 'emptied their savings' to pay for operations privately.

David Walker

29 JUL 2024

The SNP have been accused of forcing thousands of Scots into debt and "emptying their savings" as they access private healthcare due to huge NHS waiting lists. The Scottish Government have presided over record backlogs in Scotland's health service.

It comes after the Nats accused Labour of wanting to privatise the NHS in England during the General Election campaign, while at the same time desperate patients north of the border are forced to fork out huge sums for operations they would have to wait for years to get for free.

New figures showed that at least 14,383 patients were removed from waiting lists after opting for private treatment between 2019 and 2024, while a further 1,564 have paid medical bills this year alone. Seven health boards recorded a surge in the number of Scots being removed from waiting lists due to them going private instead.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, one of the country's busiest health boards, does not record who opts to pay for treatment but recorded a 77.7% increase in patients being treated at private healthcare clinics. The SNP surprisingly based their General Election campaign around accusing Sir Keir Starmer and his Health Secretary Wes Streeting of attempting to privatise the NHS by allowing private companies to help out.

But this has came back to bite them as Scottish Labour exposed their hypocrisy while urging them not to squander an expected injection of cash from the new UK Government. Health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: "This new data shows that thousands of Scots have been forced into the arms of private healthcare due to SNP failure to support our NHS.

"With nearly one in six Scots now on an NHS waiting list, it’s no surprise that individual patients are emptying their savings accounts or going into debt because they just want the pain to stop. But it’s also clear that the NHS in Scotland is struggling to deliver the services it used to just a few years ago and is forced to rely on referrals to private health services as a result.

"The UK Labour government is providing the funding for 160,000 additional appointments to reduce waiting lists but it’s up to the SNP not to fritter that money away on sticking plaster approaches. The SNP must act now to tackle waiting lists and get the NHS back to full strength so that everyone gets the healthcare they need."

Opting for private treatment is often a last resort for desperate patients due to how much they cost. The average price for knee and hip replacements is about £15,000.

NHS waiting lists in Scotland reached a record high earlier this year, with Public Health Scotland recording more than 690,000 waits for appointments or treatments for non-urgent care as of March 31. It also reported more than 8,000 waits over two years and 85,000 waits of over a year for either an outpatient appointment or to start treatment.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “On Thursday the Health Secretary confirmed initial investment of £30 million to target reductions to national backlogs that built up through the pandemic, targeted at specialty areas where it can have the greatest impact against the longest waits, including cancer, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, dermatology and diagnostics.

“NHS Scotland makes limited use of the independent sector. In 2022/23, total spend represented just 0.7% (£116 million) of the total frontline health budget, and has been consistently below 1% since 2006/07. This compares to NHS England who spent 10.4 per cent of their £159.6 billion total outturn in 2022 - 23 on the purchase of healthcare from non-NHS bodies.

“The use of the independent sector to provide additional capacity is not a new development. As is the case across the UK, in certain circumstances limited use of alternative providers, within or without the local area, including independent sector providers, may be required in response to capacity constraints.”

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21332550 (011147ZAUG24) Notable: Historic Abuse Bun / SNP 'ignored sex attacker Cameron Downing red flags' as Fergus Ewing calls for probe

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>>201428

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-ignored-sex-attacker-cameron-33342098

SNP 'ignored sex attacker Cameron Downing red flags' as Fergus Ewing calls for probe

The veteran Nat wants an investigation into why the sex offender, pictured with an array of party figures including Nicola Sturgeon, was made an equalities officer

Douglas Dickie & Jennifer Hyland

28 JUL 2024

Fergus Ewing has called on the SNP to launch a probe into sex beast Cameron Downing, a former equalities officer within the party. The 24-year-old carried out a series of sexual assaults across Scotland in a course of conduct that started when he was just 16.

He was jailed earlier this month for six years for the attacks. Downing, who was once pictured with Nicola Sturgeon, was also openly threatening to women at the same time he was carrying out his sex attacks and domestic abuse.

He once tweeted he wanted to "beat the f**k" out of feminist campaigners. But despite that, he held a key position within the party's London branch and was pictured with the likes of former MP Alyn Smith and MSP Karen Adam.

Ex-minister Mr Ewing now wants an investigation launched as he accused the party of ignoring red flags relating to Downing, who 'identifies' as nonbinary, reports the Sunday Mail. Complaints were raised as far back as November 2021, before the SNP's London branch elected him to his role.

It was also before Adam and Smyth had their photos taken with Downing at Pride events in the summer of 2022. Mr Ewing said the threats to women "raises vital questions about this person...and the support he appears to have enjoyed from the SNP top command".

He added: "These questions must not be swept under the carpet: a carpet already bulging with numerous other unanswered questions - like 'Where's all the referendum money gone?' and 'What did we need a campervan for?'

"Reality doesn't go away by ignoring it. The people get that. It's long overdue time that the SNP party leadership does too."

Mr Smith, who lost his seat at this month's General Election, claimed to not "know much about it" and insisted he only met Downing once. The claims against him emerged on the same day he was pictured with Mr Sturgeon at an SNP conference.

He also tweeted: "I f**** hate terfs and transphobes with such a passion," a message that prompted a backlash from JK Rowling. Downing had already carried out sex attacks on five victims when he took on his role with the SNP.

His campaign of abuse, violence and harassment continued for eight months after he was elected. He falsely accused a man of rape and threatened to tell the police and his family of the false accusations and blackmailed the then 20-year-old victim into having a sexual relationship and forcing him to send intimate sexual videos of himself.

A police probe into his behaviour was launched in February 2023. Susan Smith from For Women Scotland backed calls for an investigation and said it was "not the first time the SNP has provided cover for dangerous men".

She added: "The red flags were waving wildly in the case of Downing." Downing was jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh after being found guilty of 10 charges, including sexual and physical assault and domestic abuse, on four women and two men between 2016 and 2021. He was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and had a further three years added to his sentence on licence.

The SNP said: "Cameron has not been a member of the party for some time since his social media views came to light. We hope this conviction g ves some closure to Cameron's victims."

The SNP 's London branch did not respond to the Sunday Mail.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21333150 (011426ZAUG24) Notable: Final Law and Disorder Bun / SNP soft-touch justice as rapists set to be handed more lenient sentences

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>>>/qresearch/21231288

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-soft-touch-justice-rapists-33364900

SNP soft-touch justice as rapists set to be handed more lenient sentences

The Scottish Sentencing Council (SSC) has outlined new guidance which recommended a four to six year sentence for rapists in some cases where there is 'psychological harm or trauma or physical harm' but no other factors which would make it more serious.

David Walker

31 JUL 2024

The SNP's soft touch approach to justice has been blamed for proposals to potentially hand rapists prison sentence as short as four years. Currently, the average jail time for rape is six years and eight months but this could come down if the new guidelines are passed by a justice quango.

The Scottish Sentencing Council (SSC), which was set up by the SNP Executive, is consulting on plans for jail terms of four to 13 years for rapists, with a life sentence only being utilised for the most dangerous offenders. Those who carry out attacks judged to be less severe could face only four years behind bars.

Calls have previously been made by the Scottish Tories to reform the SSC and give victims a bigger say when sentencing guidelines are devised. The quango was mired in controversy after introducing guidelines that urged leniency for criminals under the of 25 as it claimed that their brains are still not mature enough to be dealt with as an adult.

This has led to a number of disputed sentences handed to younger cons, including rapists dodging jail and violent assaults leading to just community service. A senior detective warned that organised gangs were taking advantage of this guidance and using youngsters to commit crimes, knowing they would probably avoid prison.

The SSC document outlined proposed guidelines for rape sentences and stated that courts should use a table to "identify the appropriate sentencing range." Sentences of four to six years are recommended for rapists in cases where there was "psychological harm or trauma" or 'physical harm" but no other factors which would make it more serious.

Factors that would bring about more serious sentences included a "significant degree of planning" by the perpetrator. Jail terms ranging from 10 to 13 years are suggested for violent cases where there is judged to be "extreme impact" on the victim.

For the cases deemed to be the worst, the court can impose an Order for Lifelong Restriction. Judges can depart from the guidelines, but they have to explain any decision to do so.

Opposition rivals blasted the new guidance, with Scottish Tory deputy justice spokesman Sharon Dowey saying: "Rape survivors, and the vast majority of the public, will be dismayed that the SSC has opted to recommend such a short minimum sentence."

Thomas Ross KC, a leading criminal lawyer, wrote on LinkedIn: "It probably comes as a surprise to non-lawyers that the usual sentence for rape in Scotland is around five years - less if the accused is under 25. Last year, I had a client who got more than five years for a cannabis farm."

An SSC spokesman said: "The appropriate sentence imposed in a particular case will depend upon the specific circumstances of the offence, and the guidelines make clear that culpability, or level of blame, of the offender and harm caused to the victim are key considerations."

Scottish Government Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: "I would encourage anyone with a view on the independent SSC's draft guidelines to take part in the consultations."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21333303 (011516ZAUG24) Notable: Huw Edwards Bun / Paedo Alex Williams’ neighbours share horror as it’s revealed HE was sicko who sent child sex images to Huw Edwards

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>>201626

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/13266337/alex-williams-paedophile-neighbours-huw-edwards/

'WE'RE DISGUSTED' Paedo Alex Williams’ neighbours share horror as it’s revealed HE was sicko who sent child sex images to Huw Edwards

Families say they can't believe their children have been playing with a paedophile living nearby

Jane Matthews

1 Aug 2024

THE neighbours of Alex Williams have told of their horror after finding out he was the sicko sending child sex images to Huw Edwards.

The paedophile, 25, was today unmasked for the first time after he sent the newsreader 41 images - including two videos of a boy as young as seven - in a sick WhatsApp chat.

He previously pleaded guilty to a string of child sex offences and was handed a suspended sentence.

When police launched a probe into the convicted paedo, they seized a phone that exposed Edwards' crimes.

The former BBC presenter yesterday admitted three counts of making indecent images of children.

And now Williams' neighbours have opened up about the "disgust" they felt hearing the news they lived next to a vile criminal - in an estate with their children.

Mum-of-two Megan Haines, 26, said: "It's disgusting, this is an estate with lots of young children playing in the street every day.

"Why weren't we told that he was convcited for paedophile offences four months ago?

"He was able to keep it quiet from everyone, even his parents didn't know.

"There should be a change in the law so families are told where paedos are living."

The mum says she lives four doors away from the home Williams gave in the Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.

Megan said: "I knew Alex more when I was growing up, we're about the same age so we used to play together.

"He still lives in the street with his mum and dad so I would see him driving past.

"A couple of years ago my little girl had a fall and he drove us to hospital. It's mental that he's been doing this and got involved with Huw Edwards.

"A lot of kids play in this street, it's a very close-knit community. As far as I know he's still living here, I saw him just a couple of days ago."

Another mum, who wished to remain anonymous, mirrored her neighbour's concerns.

She said: "I'm furious, my kids play at the end of the street where he lives because it's quieter.

"Why weren't we told a convicted paedo is living there?"

Another added: One said: "It is bloody appalling. Just tell him never to come back here."

Edwards yesterday admitted three counts of making indecent images of children.

Westminster Magistrates' Court was told seven of the 41 images fall under Category A - the most serious classification.

This included two moving images of a young boy, possibly aged between seven and nine years old.

He also had photos of other children aged between 13 and 15 stored on his phone that were classed as Category A.

A further 12 images were grouped as Category B and 19 as Category C.

"It's disgusting, this is an estate with lots of young children playing in the street every day."

Megan Haines,

Neighbour

Edwards had engaged in an online chat with Williams on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021.

During this time, the paedo sent Edwards 377 sexual images, of which 41 were indecent images of children.

It has now emerged Williams pleaded guilty in March to seven offences relating to possessing and distributing indecent images.

Edwards is now facing a maximum 10 year sentence when he is sentenced on September 16.

Westminster Magistrates' Court heard Edwards had not created any of the images himself.

In February 2021, Williams asked Edwards whether the pictures he was sending were too young - causing the broadcaster to ask not to send anything illegal.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21333328 (011521ZAUG24) Notable: Huw Edwards Bun / Paedo Alex Williams’ neighbours share horror as it’s revealed HE was sicko who sent child sex images to Huw Edwards

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>>201626

>>201627

.............................................................................................continued.....................................................................................

Then in August 2021, Edwards was sent a video featuring a boy who was "of younger age than virtually all of the other indecent images".

Williams told Edwards the boy was quite young looking, and that he had more images which were illegal.

The court heard Edwards told him not to send any illegal images.

No more of these pictures or video were sent and the pair continued to exchange legal pornographic images until April 2022.

The veteran broadcaster was arrested in November and charged on June 26 - although the information was only released on Monday.

The BBC yesterday confirmed it knew in November their star newsreader had been arrested but kept paying him for another five months.

"It is bloody appalling. Just tell him never to come back here."

Neighbour

Corporation chiefs, who revealed they found out that one of their highest-profile newsreaders had been questioned over child sex images in November, condemned his “abhorrent behaviour”.

The BBC continued to pay Edwards, who had been suspended in relation to different allegations but remained employed on a full salary of nearly £480,000, until he quit the broadcaster on “medical advice” in April.

It was revealed in the BBC’s annual report, presented last week by Director-General Tim Davie, that Edwards was the third highest-paid star from April 2023 to March this year.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is now hauling in Mr Davie to explain why the BBC carried on paying Edwards after his arrest.

And Tory shadow culture minister Julia Lopez said: “Licence fee-payers have a right to know why Mr Edwards was awarded such a high salary given the timing and nature of the allegations.”

Staff have described Edwards still being paid as a “disgrace”.

Last week Edwards was charged with three counts of making indecent images but that stayed a secret until we broke the news on Monday.

Questions have also been raised about the secrecy surrounding the case.

Media lawyer Mark Stephens said: “It needs to be abundantly clear that he wasn’t getting any form of special treatment.”

........................................................................

How are indecent images defined and categorised?

Under section 1 of Protection of Children Act 1978, it is an offence to possess indecent photographs of children.

The images are categorised under three groups ranging from A - the most serious - to C.

Category A: Explicit material involving penetration, sexual activity with an animal or sadism (deemed the most severe).

Category B: Explicit material that is non-penetrative sexual activity (the mid-range in terms of seriousness).

Category C: Explicit material involving erotic posing (the least severe).

Source: The CPS

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21333340 (011523ZAUG24) Notable: Huw Edwards Bun / BBC's statement in full

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>>201628

>>201627

>>201626

BBC's statement in full

“The BBC is shocked to hear the details which have emerged in court today.

“There can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour and our thoughts are with all those affected. The police have confirmed that the charges are not connected to the original complaint raised with the BBC in the summer of 2023.

“Nevertheless in the interests of transparency we think it important to set out some points about events of the last year.

“In November 2023, whilst Mr Edwards was suspended, the BBC as his employer was made aware in confidence that he had been arrested on suspicion of serious offences and released on bail whilst the police continued their investigation.

“At the time, no charges had been brought and the BBC had also been made aware of significant risk to his health.

"Today we have learnt of the conclusion of the police process in the details as presented to the court.

“If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him. In the end, at the point of charge he was no longer an employee of the BBC.

“During this period, in the usual way, the BBC has kept its corporate management of these issues separate from its independent editorial functions. We want to reiterate our shock at Mr Edwards’ actions and our thoughts remain with all those affected.”

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21341639 (030008ZAUG24) Notable: Historic Abuse Bun / Nicola Sturgeon 'didn't tell truth' on inclusion of Scottish football in historic child abuse inquiry

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>>>/qresearch/20771576

>>>154437 Final Histo>>>/qresearch/21276519

ric Abuse Bun

> Updated John Halley Advocate Bun

>>201593

>>>/qresearch/21277723

>>201616

>>>/qresearch/21276519

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-didnt-tell-truth-33352347

Nicola Sturgeon 'didn't tell truth' on inclusion of Scottish football in historic child abuse inquiry

The ex-SNP leader insisted that 'ministers cannot intervene' to add the legal establishment and Scottish football to the inquiry's remit ... but that has now been confirmed to be completely inaccurate

Ben Borland

31 JUL 2024

Nicola Sturgeon's claim that ministers could not widen the remit of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry to include football and the legal establishment was "not true".

The blistering claim comes from Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay – the frontrunner to be the next party leader and a long-time supporter of survivors of historic child abuse.

He wants to see the inquiry expanded to include "industrial-scale abuse in Scottish football", including the crimes of top-flight referee Hugh Stevenson. The widespread abuse at Celtic Boys Club would also fall into this category.

Another new module would examine the "legal establishment paedophile ring" whose victims included Susie Henderson. She suffered years of abuse at the hands of her father, Robert Henderson, and his associates in legal circles – dubbed the Magic Circle.

At Holyrood last month, Mr Findlay was informed by children's minister Natalie Don that there were no plans to revise the inquiry's terms of reference to include abuse that took place outwith residential settings.

He said: "There are two classes of child abuse victims in Scotland—those who are heard by the inquiry and those who are not. That includes victims such as Susie Henderson, whose childhood was destroyed by a legal establishment paedophile ring, and Peter Haynes and Stuart McMillan, whose childhoods were destroyed by industrial-scale abuse in Scottish football. They and many others simply do not understand why the inquiry is closed to them.

"They have also been fed misinformation from the Government. Last year, Nicola Sturgeon told me that the inquiry's remit is a matter for the inquiry. That is not true. I have asked ministers to widen the inquiry's remit, but they have continually refused. I again urge the minister to do the right thing by those victims. Will her Government please think again?"

On February 9, 2023, Ms Sturgeon – who announced her resignation as First Minister less than a week later – told Mr Findlay: "On the Scottish child abuse inquiry, I absolutely hear the points that the member is making, but as he is aware, under the Inquiries Act 2005, the remit and conduct of a public inquiry is entirely for the inquiry, and the chair of the inquiry, and ministers cannot intervene in that."

In fact, that isn't the case at all and Ms Don appeared to admit as much in her most recent reply. She said: "Although Scottish ministers set the terms of reference for the inquiry, it is the responsibility of Lady Smith, the chair of the inquiry, to decide what is considered as part of the inquiry."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21341641 (030009ZAUG24) Notable: Historic Abuse Bun / Nicola Sturgeon 'didn't tell truth' on inclusion of Scottish football in historic child abuse inquiry

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>>201630

......................................................................................continued.............................................................................

'Two classes of historic abuse victim in Scotland'

Speaking to the Scottish Daily Express, Mr Findlay said: "Contrary to Nicola Sturgeon's inaccurate claim in response to my question, SNP ministers do have the power to extend the remit of the SCAI, and that's what should happen.

"There are two classes of historic abuse victim - those we are rightly given a platform to be heard and those who have the door closed in their faces. Industrial-scale sexual abuse of children in Scottish football cannot be suppressed. The limited SFA review does not have the confidence of survivors or the families of those who are no longer alive, often because of the harm inflicted upon them as children."

In her response to the Tory MSP, Ms Don said: "I want to make it very clear that our sympathies are with all victims of historical abuse. However, as Russell Findlay knows and as I have reiterated, the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry was set up under the Inquiries Act 2005 to investigate abuse of children in care in Scotland following a call, over many years, from survivors of in-care abuse.

"Ministers have made clear the need for the inquiry to focus on its current and wide-ranging terms. Although Scottish ministers set the terms of reference for the inquiry, it is the responsibility of Lady Smith, the chair of the inquiry, to decide what is considered as part of the inquiry. We are fully committed to maintaining the inquiry’s independence from the Government, while the investigation into and prosecution of those who are guilty of abuse remains a matter for Police Scotland and the courts."

She added: "Widening the remit of the inquiry to include abuse in non-residential settings would result in it taking much longer to respond to the survivors of abuse in care."

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry has been running since 2015 and the total cost is now more than £85million. It has announced 116 separate investigations including religious orders, boarding schools, councils and the NHS. The Inquiry confirmed to the Scottish Daily Express that the Terms of Reference are a matter for Scottish Government.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21350399 (042028ZAUG24) Notable: Historic Abuse Bun / Edinburgh paedophile ring led by Tam Paton and 'the magician' exposed at historic abuse inquiry

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>>201630

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/edinburgh-paedophile-ring-led-tam-33371136#source=breaking-news

Edinburgh paedophile ring led by Tam Paton and 'the magician' exposed at historic abuse inquiry

EXCLUSIVE: Bombshell claims that social workers and police turned a blind eye to the crimes of 'Scotland's Jimmy Savile' and his twisted accomplices, including one sinister character said to be 'a member of the magic circle'

Ben Borland

4 AUG 2024

Shocking new details about the paedophile ring involving Bay City Rollers manager Tam Paton and other high-profile figures have emerged at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.

The evidence comes 10 years after the Scottish Sunday Express first revealed the full extent of the bombshell claims relating to the decades-long cover-up surrounding Paton's crimes and asked 'Why was the Scottish Savile ignored?'

We reported on how Paton's activities were an open secret in Edinburgh, where many believed he and his accomplices had protection from the authorities to prey on vulnerable boys and young men – many of whom were in the care of local authorities. Now, according to evidence published by the inquiry, many of those claims have been justified.

Witnesses have told how police officers and social workers failed to take action against members of the ring; they have even described how some social workers were actively involved in it. Sinister links have also been exposed between Paton and Edinburgh Academy, where former teachers are accused of abusing pupils.

One witness, Olly, told the inquiry he was sexually assaulted by a man – described as a "magician, a member of the magic circle" – while he was on home leave in Edinburgh from Rossie Farm School, a 'List D school' in Angus, in 1983 or 1984. However, he said the police "swept it under the carpet".

Olly said 'the magician' was linked to a convenience shop owner who "was a part of Tam Paton's paedophile ring". At the time, Paton was just out of jail after a conviction for gross indecency. Olly described witnessing the shop owner engaged in a sexual act with a boy of around 11 years old.

In his statement, he goes on: "Two or three months later, [another person] and I were at Tam Paton's house. Tam Paton had a house a Gogarbank. He had 10 to 12 young lads aged from nine to 16 or 17. He used to call them his chickens. I seen the lad again from the shop, the one that [the shop owner had been sexually abusing]. There were also social workers that I saw at Tam Paton's house. I recognised them from Springwell House Social Work centre. I saw [the magician] and [the shop owner] there too.

"There was another time with Tam Paton. I was at a flat at [address redacted] across from the university. He got a couple of his lads to hold me down. I managed to fight my way out the door. It was two of his goons."

Olly's account of the sexual assault in 'the magician's shop' states that he "woke up with my trousers round my ankles and my arse feeling really sore". He said he "smacked him in the eye" and ran out, only for the man to report him to the police for robbery.

He was 15 at the time so his mother accompanied him to the police station. He told the inquiry: "I told the police what I could remember. It was two senior officers at Torpichen Street. They already had [the magician] down as some kind of paedophile. They said if I dropped the charge against him, he would drop the charge against me. I had a lot more to lose as I could've gone to Saughton prison. The police just swept it under the carpet."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/21350421 (042033ZAUG24) Notable: Historic Abuse Bun / Edinburgh paedophile ring led by Tam Paton and 'the magician' exposed at historic abuse inquiry

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>>201630

>>201632

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Another witness, a former Edinburgh Academy pupil called Andrew, also describes the activities of Paton and the paedophile ring. He said Paton was known as "Tam the paedo" and he would "regularly" come to a bus stop on Ferry Road outside the school to "chat to the boys". He adds: "There was so much that all became normalised. It was just part of your daily routine."

Andrew goes on: "I got pulled into the edges of a paedophile ring in Edinburgh. I ended up working with [name redacted] the hypnotist. His manager [name redacted] was someone I met at a party and the circumstances leading to that show how vulnerable I was at the time."

He describes how 'the manager' had "sussed me out at a bus stop in my school uniform" and promised him a summer job at a record shop he claimed to own in Amsterdam. "I had been completely suckered," he says, after being informed that the man was a convicted paedophile.

'All evidence will be considered'

A third witness, Monty, describes how he lived at Paton's house at Gogarburn "for over a year" after he got out of care, adding: "Tam owned flats in Palmerston Place and we would go and decorate them." Several pages of Monty's statement relating to Danderhall Hostel in Edinburgh are redacted.

One of Paton's flats in Palmerston Place would later play a role in the Operation Planet scandal in 1990, when police found a 16-year-old boy in the property who had been drugged and repeatedly raped over a period of 10 days by a number of men – said to include a number of high-profile figures.

The investigation initially resulted in 57 charges against 10 men, later reduced to 10 charges against five men whose not guilty pleas were accepted by a court in February 1991.

A spokesman for the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry said: “All relevant evidence gathered by SCAI will be taken into consideration.”

Hopefully this is the opening of the floodgates on all this stuff.....won't see any meaningful change before the Scottish Government/Judiciary's crimes are public knowledge.