/qresearch/ -  Q Research

>>20669787

>>20669773

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-government-spend-45m-bonkers-32592734

SNP Government to spend £45m on 'bonkers' 20mph speed limits as Scots face gridlock on majority of roads in Scotland

Exclusive: The Scottish Government has outlined a huge spend on restricting speeds on the majority of Scotland's roads to just 20mph, despite fears of traffic jams as Humza Yousaf and the Scottish Greens were accused of a 'war on motorists.

David Walker

16 APR 2024

The Scottish Government has been blasted after it was revealed that it plans to spend £45m of taxpayer cash on implementing 20 mile per hour zones on thousands of roads across the country. Scots will face gridlock and traffic jams on a daily basis as the majority of routes will be converted to become slower.

As part of the Bute House Agreement, the Scottish Greens demanded a blanket change to all 30mph areas, the current average speed limit, in the country. SNP ministers have reduced this down to areas in built-up parts of the country, including beside schools and in town or city centres.

But the restrictions will be put in place on 35,929 sections of roads, the majority of the network across the country (excluding trunk roads and motorways). The current deadline for this is to have it done by 2025, but the SNP Executive will need to release significant funding to councils.

The Scottish Daily Express can reveal that two options were discussed by government officials, with the first involving the creation of secondary legislation to push through the 20mph speed limits. This was rejected in favour of doing it council by council, but this will need approximately £45.6m as there needs to be an agreement signed by local authorities and ministers to implement them.

A similar policy has already been rolled out in Wales but has been subjected to criticism as it has caused traffic jams in some places. The devolved Labour government brought it in, but it has even been slated by a party MP, with Chris Bryant calling it "bonkers" in some areas, and said it was causing difficulty for buses and care workers.

In Wales, the 20mph limit applies on all restricted roads which are defined as roads with lampposts placed not more than 200 yards (about 180m) apart. These are typically located in residential and built-up areas of high pedestrian activity.

A similar plan is being adopted in Scotland, except councils will need to decide which routes are suitable and which are not. But the proposals have been labelled another example of the SNP/Greens "war on motorists" joining low emission zones and plans for congestion zones.

Scottish Conservative shadow transport minister Graham Simpson MSP told the Scottish Daily Express: “We warned the Greens that this blanket roll-out of 20mph zones was an utterly flawed proposition, and the exorbitant cost of doing so should make it a complete non-starter.

“To hammer Scots with a £45million bill to enforce their latest anti-car policy would be ridiculous, when they are already reeling from the SNP-Greens’ savage tax-and-axe budget. It should be for each council to decide where these 20mph zones are required, not Nationalist ministers, who clearly have not fully considered the full implications of a blanket roll-out, such as the possibility of greater emissions.

“Rather than furthering their war on our motorists, the SNP-Greens’ focus should be on ensuring our cash-strapped councils have the funds they need to repair our roads and impose the safety measures they see fit as we head towards Net Zero.”

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: "It’s important to remember that if you hit someone at 30mph then they are 7 times more likely to die than at 20mph. We are committed to implement 20mph speed limits on those roads, where it is appropriate to do so, by the end of 2025.

"More 20mph speed limits will improve road safety – keeping people safe, while at the same time making it easier for people to choose walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday journeys. The 20mph task group explored the most effective way of achieving that commitment in Scotland, which included local authorities identifying the number of roads on their own network which would be suitable for a speed limit of 20mph through a road assessment.

"A delivery sub group made up of local authorities and Transport Scotland will oversee the implementation of 20mph speed limits, this will include actual costs to deliver as well as a detailed programme to meet the 2025 deadline.” It is understood that the £46m is an estimate, but that more discussions are needed on how much it will cost in the end.

I see the British press are now reporting on Fauci and co using private email accounts to avoid the scrutiny of FOI's.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13298587/anthony-fauci-aide-covid-19-origins-emails-whistleblower.html

Bombshell emails show a top Fauci aide used his personal Gmail to 'intentionally' HIDE discussions about COVID origins… and would delete anything 'incriminating'

*Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, revealed new documents from a whistleblower Thursday regarding federal official's communications on the origins of COVID-19

*They show that a senior advisor to Dr. Anthony Fauci tried to hide correspondence by using a Gmail account

*'I will delete anything I don’t want to see in the New York Times,' the Fauci advisor previously told Republicans

*READ MORE: Sen. Rand Paul says Fauci had secret 'off the books' trips to the CIA before COVID-19

Michael Raasch, Political Reporter On Capitol Hill, For Dailymail.Com

11 April 2024

New documents show that Dr. Anthony Fauci's top U.S. health aide intentionally tried to hide his discussions about the origins of COIVD-19 by using his personal email.

Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, claimed a whistleblower provided him new bombshell materials obtained by DailyMail.com.

The unnamed whistleblower revealed emails showing that Dr. David Morens - Fauci's top aide at the National Institutes of Health - allegedly used his personal Gmail account to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to skirt federal transparency laws.

At the time, Morens' official government work email would have been subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests that could have publicized his day-to-day communications.

Wenstrup says that Morens used Gmail to 'intentionally [subvert] federal transparency laws to shield discussions related to the origins of COVID-19.'

The whistleblower-provided emails show Morens using an '@gmail.com' account to correspond with Dr. Peter Daszak, head of EcoHealth Alliance, a research nonprofit, apparently regarding a government research grant.

Republicans previously revealed that EcoHealth and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), submitted a proposal to federal officials seeking funding to create a novel coronavirus in 2018.

And Wenstrup has accused EcoHealth of using taxpayer dollars 'to fund dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.'

'These emails raise serious concerns about federal health officials potentially covering up the pandemic’s origin,' Wenstrup stated Thursday.

The subject line of one of the messages between Morens' personal email and EcoHealth's Daszak includes a reference to a National Institute of Health (NIH) grant proposal that provided $661,980 for a 2019 project titled 'Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence.'

Another subject line from his personal email reads 'COVID-19 update (312): China, SARS-CoV2 origin, animal reservoir, WHO mission,' indicating the two were discussing the origins of the disease.

A third email from Morens had a subject line that referenced 'our suspended R01,' possibly indicating that funding for the bat coronavirus research project was stopped at some point.

However, during his transcribed interview with the Select Subcommittee in January, Morens 'denied deleting any federal COVID-19 origins records,' according to the lawmaker.

Morens also admitted previously to the committee in a closed interview that 'I will delete anything I don’t want to see in the New York Times.'

'I always try to communicate over gmail because my NIH email is FOIA’d constantly,' Morens told the committee at the time.

Morens' admission that he intentionally hides his communications prompted Wenstrup to send a letter to Boston University Professor Dr. Gerald Keusch, who was mentioned in the emails.

Wenstrup is requesting the production of any documents and communication related to Keusch's correspondence with Dr. Morens, the committee stated.

That includes any emails with 'other individuals and entities with knowledge of and access to COVID-19 origins material.'

'This letter continues our investigation into the potential cover-up of COVID-19 origins information by America’s public health authorities,' Wenstrup writes.

The Republican requested Keusch turn over his communications with a number of federal officials by April 25.

>>20730312

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Earlier this week, Sen. Rand Paul announced that at least 15 government agencies, including NIAID and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), had information regarding the Wuhan Institute of Virology's proposal.

And despite these officials knowing that EcoHealth, the Wuhan Institute and NIAID wanted to create a disease similar COVID-19, they did not reveal to the public the labs intentions.

Further muddying the waters are allegations from Paul that Fauci could have been involved in influencing decisions made surrounding the origins of COVID-19, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still says likely came from bats and not a Chinese lab.

'We also have stories, rumors and innuendo that Fauci was a frequent visitor off the books to the CIA.'

Paul says Fauci's secretive trips are important because 'the CIA officially still says [COVID-19 is] probably from animals.'

Paul pointed to how the CIA disagrees with findings from the Department of Energy and FBI that have said the the pandemic likely originated from a leak at a Wuhan, China, lab.

And that though an initial CIA assessment found the lab leak theory was likely, senior officials in the agency overruled their findings.

That means, according to Paul, Fauci almost certainly knew about the Chinese labs' desire to create a novel coronavirus, as NIAID was a partner on the proposal.

'So in January and February of 2020, instead of Anthony Fauci piping up and saying 'Oh, wow, they briefed us on this. It looks like they ended up doing what they briefed us on' instead of saying that, he commissioned people to say the opposite,' Paul told DailyMail.com.

'It makes me think there's really something there that they're hiding.'

Dr. Peter Daszak, meanwhile, is set to testify publicly before the House on May 1.

EcoHealth and Dr. Morens did not return a request for comment.

>>20717508

>>20717512

>>20669773

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/humza-yousafs-chilling-hate-crime-32610865

Humza Yousaf's 'chilling' hate crime law to continue as MSPs vote against repealing 'clype's charter'

The Scottish Tories urged fellow MSPs to call for the hate crime act to be axed as it has transformed Scotland into 'a place of sinister police billboards instructing people to snitch on those who hurt their feelings, where contentious discussions and disagreements in your home can result in a knock on the door from police.'

David Walker

17 APR 2024

Humza Yousaf's "chilling" hate crime law is set to continue in Scotland, unchanged, after SNP and Scottish Greens MSPs voted against repealing it. The Scottish Tories secured a debate at Holyrood to urge politicians to axe the legislation after its shambolic launch on April 1.

Police Scotland has been inundated with anonymous complaints about alleged hate crimes, with more than 9,000 reports being made out. Out of these, only about 450 actually got investigated, with a number of them being described as "vexatious."

It has meant already overworked officers need to chase every single complaint, with a huge overtime bill being racked up in order to do so. Confusion has also reigned due to the legislation, with even SNP ministers misquoting what the actual law is, despite a huge £400k advertising campaign.

Scottish Tory shadow justice secretary Russell Findlay opened the debate on the bill, as he stated that "Humza Yousaf’s hate crime law chills free speech and has turned Scotland into a place of international mockery. It must be scrapped." He said: "Three years ago, Humza Yousaf was standing over there, lapping up the applause, basking in the adulation having delivered the hate crime act.

"What he described it at the time was it being 'truly transformative' and Humza Yousaf was indeed right, it was transformative, just not in the way he thinks it was. From April Fools Day it has transformed Scotland into a place of international mockery.

"It has transformed the birthplace of the Enlightenment into a place where free speech has been debased and devalued. A place of sinister police billboards instructing people to snitch on those who hurt their feelings, where contentious discussions and disagreements in your home can result in a knock on the door from police.

"Where every single complaint, no matter how groundless or absurd, is subjected to police investigation while despairing officers are being told not to pursue real crimes. Welcome to Scotland, home of Humza Yousaf's hate crime law, aka the clype's charter.

"The Scottish Conservatives and many others warned this disastrous legislation would be weaponised, yet Labour and the Lib Dems blindly backed the SNP."

But the motion ultimately failed, with an SNP amendment removing the word "repeal" passing with 64 MSPs voting yes, 29 voting no and 25 abstentions from Labour, the Lib Dems and SNP rebel Fergus Ewing.

Mr Ewing criticised the hate crime law but confirmed he would not be voting to repeal it. He said he regretted voting for it back in 2021, when he was bound by collective responsibility, and called for it to be reformed, criticising the non-crime hate incidents.

He said that he didn't remember this being voted on, and added: "Is it not even more insidious, actually, that you can have a black mark in your name without even knowing about it? I mean, in what sort of democracy are we living in here?

"I used to read serious novels – I don’t any longer – but I remember reading Franz Kafka, and that’s the name that springs to mind here, because this is not a feature of western democracy where the right to a free trial is a cornerstone, a pillar, of our system. It’s an abnegation of that. And why are we tolerating it?”

Community safety minister Siobhian Brown accused her opposition MSPs of "regularly regurgitating misinformation" but failed to give any examples of this when grilled about it by Mr Findlay. Fellow Nat Alasdair Allan also made similar accusations but again did not provide evidence of this.

She also insisted that the act "does not prevent people expressing controversial, challenging or offensive views, as this has clearly been demonstrated, nor does it seek to stifle criticism or rigorous debate in any way." She added that "the right to freedom of expression has specifically been built into this act."

Scotland's Secretary of State Alister Jack also blasted the act as he said: "It is a truly awful piece of legislation. It will place unnecessary pressure on our already overstretched police force and it will have a chilling effect on freedom of speech. Scotland is famous for an irreverent sense of humour and a love of robust debate. I fear these great traits of ours will be crushed by this authoritarian Nationalist administration."

>>20669764

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/timeline-snp-finance-investigation-led-30208024

Timeline of SNP finance investigation that has led to re-arrest of Peter Murrell

All the twists and turns of Operation Branchform, from the start of the investigation to the present day

Ben Borland

18 APR 2024

The events leading up to the re-arrest of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell began in the summer of 2017. At time time, the SNP were flying high in the polls in the wake of the vote to leave the EU.

In this febrile atmosphere, many people thought it likely that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon – then at the peak of her political powers – would be successful in her demands for a second independence referendum. Indeed, many commentators thought it likely that Brexit would lead to the break-up of the United Kingdom.

As it has turned out, the reality has been somewhat different. Here is a summary of how we got from there… to here:

March 2017 - Sturgeon launches Indyref2 campaign: the First Minister urged supporters to sign a pledge "to support Scotland's referendum" and to make a donation to the SNP's independence fighting fund. Monthly sums of £5, £10, £25, £50 and £100 were suggested next to the message: "Your contribution will greatly benefit the campaign."

June 2017 - General Election: unable to get her Brexit deal through the Commons (thanks in part to the efforts of the SNP), Prime Minister Theresa May calls a snap election. It went badly for the Tories and Ms May, who lost her working majority, but it was a complete disaster for Ms Sturgeon and the SNP, as Scots sent a clear message that they were not ready for yet another constitutional vote as the Nats lost 21 seats.

June 2017 - SNP deny cash claims: almost immediately, claims emerged that some of the referendum money had been used to pay for the election campaign. Labour strategist James Kelly called it a "a major scandal engulfing the Nationalists, which could have lasting consequences". An SNP spokesman said: "Money raised on ref.scot is ringfenced for the purpose stated on the website - and we haven’t been actively raising money on that website since the election was called in April."

January 2020 - Wings Over Scotland sounds alarm: the pro-Scexit blogger claimed that the SNP's published accounts for 2018 did not contain enough money to cover the ring-fenced sums that were said to have been raised, around £660,000.

October 2020 - SNP has £97k in the bank: the Electoral Commission published the SNP's 2019 accounts. These did not list the referendum campaign funds separately and showed the SNP had around £97,000 to hand. Treasurer Colin Beattie says £593,501 was held in a separate 'referendum fighting fund'. He is later replaced by Dunfermline MP Douglas Chapman.

>>20744724

>>20669764

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March 2021 - Complaint to the police: the pro-independence activist Sean Clerkin makes a complaint to the police about the allegedly missing money. In the same month, three members of the SNP's Finance and Audit Committee resign over lack of access to the accounts.

May/June 2021 - More resignations: Mr Chapman quits his role after just six months, followed by fellow MP Joanna Cherry. Both claim they are being kept in the dark over the SNP's books.

July 2021 - Investigation launched: Police Scotland launch an investigation into potential criminality in the SNP's fundraising into after several complaints. It is later named Operation Branchform.

December 2022 - Murrell loan: it emerges that Ms Sturgeon's husband, the then SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, had made a loan of £107,620 made to the SNP in June 2021. The Electoral Commission were informed of the loan in August 2022. The SNP said the loan was to assist with cash-flow.

February 2023 - Sturgeon stands down: Nicola Sturgeon stuns the political world by announcing her decision to stand down as First Minister, just weeks after saying she had "plenty left in the tank". Also this month, it was reported that Police Scotland were planning to speak to central figures in the case.

March 2023 - Yousaf elected SNP leader: Humza Yousaf comes out on top of a bitter leadership contest ahead of Kate Forbes and Ash Regan, who later quit to join the Alba Party. He is portrayed as the 'continuity candidate' to Ms Sturgeon, with the full backing of the party machine. During the contest, Mr Murrell is forced to quit as chief executive after it emerged he had lied to the media over membership numbers.

April 2023 - Murrell and Beattie arrested: Peter Murrell was arrested and questioned for 12 hours, before being released without charge. Officers searched the Glasgow home he shares with Ms Sturgeon, along with SNP HQ in Edinburgh. A motorhome was seized from his mother's house in Fife. Two weeks later, Colin Beattie was also arrested, questioned and released without charge.

June 2023 - Sturgeon arrested: Nicola Sturgeon is arrested and questioned for around seven hours at Falkirk Police Station, before being released without charge. She says: "To find myself in the situation I did when I am certain I have committed no offence is both a shock and deeply distressing."

June 2023 - Yousaf refuses to suspend Sturgeon: following Ms Sturgeon's arrest, Ms Regan and SNP MSP Michelle Thomson both called for the 52-year-old to resign the party whip. However, the First Minister said there was no pressure for his predecessor to resign. The SNP group later buy her a bunch of flowers.

August 2023 - Livingstone steps down: Police Scotland chief constable Iain Livingstone retired, to be replaced by the force's first female chief, Jo Farrell. She assumed the role in October 2023.

October/November 2023 - Mr Yousaf's tenure is rocked by a succession of policy disasters, political U-turns and plummeting poll ratings, with the SNP trounced by Labour in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election and the revelation that Health Secretary Michael Matheson had falsely claimed an £11k data roaming bill on his parliamentary expenses.

January/February 2023 - the misery goes on for the SNP, with the UK Covid Inquiry's Edinburgh hearings proving particularly devastating for Ms Sturgeon who was forced to admit deleting all her WhatsApp messages despite promising to hand them over. Mr Matheson is eventually forced to resign.

>>20669764

>>20744724

>>20744777

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/peter-murrell-re-arrested-part-32620355

Peter Murrell re-arrested as part of Operation Branchform: All you need to know

The former chief executive of the SNP, and husband of ex-first minister Nicola Sturgeon, was taken into police custody by cops investigating the party's funding and finances.

David Walker

18 APR 2024

Peter Murrell, the SNP former chief executive, has been re-arrested by cops investigating the finances of the nationalist party. The husband of ex-first minister Nicola Sturgeon was taken into custody on Thursday morning to grilled as part of Police Scotland's Operation Branchform.

The force confirmed that a 59-year-old man had been taken to a police station to answer questions about the funding and finances of Scotland's governing party. He was previously arrested as a suspect over a year ago on April 5, and now on April 18 he was lifted at 9.13am.

Police Scotland said in a statement: “A 59-year-old man has today, Thursday, April 18, 2024, been re-arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party. The man, who was previously arrested as a suspect on April 5, 2023, was taken into custody at 9.13am and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives.

“The matter remains active for the purposes of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and the public are therefore advised to exercise caution if discussing it on social media. As the investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further at this time.”

What happened in April 2023?

Scotland was rocked on April 5 2023 when police raided the marital home Mr Murrell shares with Ms Sturgeon, and took him into custody. Detectives searched the house, near Glasgow, for almost two days and seized a number of objects, with a blue tent erected in the garden to give them privacy.

This has been a long-running probe into an allegedly missing £600k of funding raised by the SNP which was meant to be ring-fenced for campaigning for a second independence referendum. However, the money was not in the accounts in 2021, leading to a number of complaints to the cops.

On the same day last April, detectives raided the SNP HQ in Edinburgh and also took away a number of items. Police also seized a camper van from outside the Fife home of Mr Murrell’s mother. Former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie was later arrested before being released without charge.

Ms Sturgeon was also taken into custody in June 2023 before being released, and she has repeatedly stated her innocence, but failed to speak for her husband when she did this. Calls have been made for an update to Operation Branchform due to a lack of action in a year until today.

>>20669764

>>20747503

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

Peter Murrell's success and downfall

Mr Murrell was the driving force behind the success of the SNP for a number of years, and served as chief executive since 2001. He helped the party to a number of key electoral successes, including his wife Ms Sturgeon's record reign as first minister.

However, he was forced to resign from the role in March 2023 after being collared for lying to the press about a huge drop in membership figures. The party claimed that reports that 30,000 supporters had abandoned the SNP in a year were false, but were forced to publish the real statistics during the race to replace his wife. He was then arrested the next month and has barely been seen in public since.

Operation Branchform so far

Sir Iain Livingston, former chief constable of Police Scotland, confirmed last year that the probe had been upgraded from looking at the £600k to potential embezzlement, fraud and misuse of public funds. He also defended the nature of the raid following complaints by SNP figures about the blue tent being over the top.

He said it was there to "protect rights of individuals”. He later called suggestions that Sturgeon or other senior members of the SNP had been tipped off about the initial arrests as “outrageous” as he railed against any question marks over the integrity of the investigation.

It also emerged that cops had submitted a draft warrant to search the Murrell/Sturgeon home and SNP HQ during the party's leadership election last year but this was only granted after the contest finished. Officer made the request on March 20, but it was only signed off on April 3.

It separately emerged that police had submitted a draft warrant to search Sturgeon and Murrell’s home and SNP headquarters during the party’s leadership election last year, but it was granted by prosecutors only when the bruising contest had finished.

Officers from the National Crime Agency, which leads the UK’s fight against serious and organised crime, were commissioned to help with the inquiry and they assessed it between October and December last year.

Reaction

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: “This is an extremely serious development and it’s essential that all SNP staff and politicians, past and present, cooperate fully with Police Scotland. This complex investigation has been going on for three years and it’s vital that the SNP are fully open and transparent so that the police can finally conclude their probe into the party’s murky finances.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “This is another incredibly concerning development in this long-running investigation. It is essential that Police Scotland is able to proceed with this investigation without interference.”

>>20747503

>>20669764

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/nicola-sturgeon-having-incredibly-difficult-32626106

Nicola Sturgeon having 'incredibly difficult time' after husband Peter Murrell charged in SNP finance probe

The former First Minister was seen leaving her house near Glasgow just hours the former Chief Executive of the SNP was arrested and charged by Police Scotland.

Ruth Suter

19 APR 2024

Nicola Sturgeon has admitted it has been 'incredibly difficult' after her husband Peter Murrell was charged by police over the SNP's finances.

The former First Minister was seen leaving her house near Glasgow just hours the former Chief Executive of the SNP was arrested and charged by Police Scotland.

Sturgeon left her marital property on Friday and got into a car saying: "It's an incredibly difficult time for me, but that's not the main issue here. So I can't say anything more. I won't say any more if you don't mind.

"I'm now going for a quick walk if that's alright with you. I know you've a job to do but I ask you maybe to give my neighbours peace. There's nothing going to be happening here."

Last night Murrell was charged in connection the with embezzlement of funds from the party.

It comes as part of Operation Branchform, which is investigating possible fundraising fraud within the SNP.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "A 59 year old man has today, Thursday, 18 April, 2024, been charged in connection with the embezzlement of funds from the Scottish National Party.

"The man, who was arrested at 9.13am today and had previously been arrested as a suspect on 5 April, 2023, was charged at 6.35pm after further questioning by Police Scotland detectives investigating the funding and finances of the party.

"A report will be sent to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in due course. The man is no longer in police custody.

"As this investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further.”

>>20716586

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/12477714/polly-carmichael-clinic-boss-gender-young-kids/

GENDER SCANDAL Shock as former head of discredited NHS clinic claims kids as young as four choosing their gender was ‘step forward’

Under Dr Carmichael’s tenure, the Tavistock clinic in London was rated as 'inadequate' and shut up shop

Julia Atherley

13 Apr 2024

A SHOCK video shows the depths of gender ideology at a now-discredited NHS clinic that happily handed out hormone drugs to children.

Its former head is seen claiming kids as young as four choosing their gender was a “step forward”.

Dr Polly Carmichael also said she “totally” supported using the drugs despite admitting there was “very little data” on their long-term impact.

This week, a landmark report at last struck a blow for common sense when it warned that youngsters questioning their gender should be steered away from medical treatment.

It added the “rationale was unclear” for controversial puberty blockers.

But in 2016 Dr Carmichael — director of the NHS’s Gender Identity Development Service at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, which has now closed its doors — sang the praises of the controversial policy at an Amsterdam conference on transgender health.

A clip now posted on YouTube shows her discussing coverage of trans issues in the British Press, including a Sun front page story from that April.

She said: “So the theme now is shock and horror that we are teaching four-year-olds about gender.

“And then ‘kids, aged four, told to choose gender’.

“But I mean, you know, I think this is a step forward and actually perhaps is quite positive because maybe four-year-olds ought to be taught about gender.”

She added: “You know, many of the young people we meet talk about how they’ve always known they’re different, but it takes a TV character or something in the Press where they put it all together and say, ‘That explains my feelings’.

“So I think perhaps if we start earlier, if there are people who are missing out on earlier treatment, if that’s appropriate, they’ll be more able to express that.”

Under Dr Carmichael’s tenure, the Tavistock clinic in London was rated as “inadequate” by inspectors in 2020 and shut up shop in March after initially being told to close in 2022.

Critics have claimed its treatment for children was little more than experimental.

And in the 2016 speech, five years after joining the Tavistock, Dr Carmichael confessed to being unsure if the hormone blockers her team were prescribing to kids were completely reversible.

Yet, shockingly, she backed their use anyway.

She insisted: “I think we all feel the blocker and physical treatments are crucial and have been the biggest step forward for young people.

“And certainly their use, which was pioneered in Holland, has been incredibly successful.

“But actually the Dutch are the only team really who have published long-term perspective studies about this. So there is very little data available.

“And also, the data we have is on very wide age ranges.

“I guess I was surprised to see, but it makes sense, that very recently in 2015 an excellent paper looking at the views of young people aged between 13 and 18 was concluding that there is yet no consensus.

“So I think around the world we are practising very differently.”

She went on: “In terms of our service, we’ve had 44 young people in our early intervention project who were part of a research project, but we’ve now had 162 young people go forward for early hypothalamic blockers.”

At the time, only two kids had stopped taking the blockers since starting the treatment.

>>20757714

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Dr Carmichael said: “I totally support this treatment. But I think it is about how we conceptualise it and the framework in which it is offered.”

She said that all young people who were put on the hormone blockers by her team were “resoundingly thrilled” and had not wanted to stop.

In a separate interview in 2016, Dr Carmichael said she prescribed puberty blockers to children as early as 2011.

It is understood she is in line for a payout of at least £80,000 following the clinic’s closure.

"I think this is a step forward and actually perhaps is quite positive because maybe four-year-olds ought to be taught about gender"

Dr Polly Carmichael

It is not known where she is currently working.

Sir John Hayes, chairman of the Conservatives Common Sense Group, said: “You can’t have four-year-old children, who are clearly not capable of taking decisions themselves, being put in positions where things could be said on their behalf by people like this.

“It’s more than irresponsible. It’s deeply disturbing and sinister.”

Puberty blockers are no longer routinely available as part of the NHS children and young people’s gender service following recommendations in a four-year review by consultant Dr Hilary Cass.

But concerns were raised after Tavistock staff were thought to have been given key roles in the new programme.

Dr Cass concluded doctors should exercise extreme caution when giving children hormones to help with their desire to transition.

And she warned the debate around trans issues had become toxic, leading to health professionals being unable to speak their minds.

She had been commissioned by ministers in 2020 to look into how the NHS should deal with the rapid rise in gender-questioning children.

Dr Cass said: “For most young people, a medical pathway will not be best to manage their gender-related distress.”

PM Rishi Sunak welcomed her review, saying: “We simply do not know the long-term impacts of medical treatment or social transitioning.”

>>20669764

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/10472747/who-is-peter-murrell-sturgeon-snp-chief-exec/

LEADING MAN Who is Peter Murrell? Nicola Sturgeon’s husband and former SNP Chief Exec

The ex-Nats chief is being investigated over the party's finances

Lynn Kernan

19 Apr 2024

PETER Murrell is former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's husband.

But he was also a leading figure in the SNP in his own right.

And before he stepped down earlier this year, he was a stalwart of the party for more than 20 years.

How old is Peter Murrell?

Murrell was born in Edinburgh in 1964 and attended Craigmount High School in the city before studying at the University of Glasgow. He is now 58 years old.

He worked his way through the ranks in politics and at one point worked for the office of Alex Salmond, the former party leader and Sturgeon's predecessor, in the Banff and Buchan area.

Eventually he replaced Michael Russell as Chief Executive of the SNP in 1999.

During his stint the party rose to prominence and he was partly credited with the success at the 2007 elections.

When did he meet Nicola Sturgeon?

Peter Murrell married his long-term partner Nicola Sturgeon in Oran Mor in Glasgow in summer 2010.

He had been at the helm of the SNP for more than a decade while she was Deputy First Minister to Salmond at the time.

The pair had first met in 1988 at an SNP youth weekend but didn't become a couple officially in 2003.

They didn't have any children and Sturgeon recently said she thought she would have been taken less seriously as a politician if she'd had kids.

She also previously spoke out about suffering a miscarriage when she was 40, shortly before the 2011 Scottish parliamentary election campaign.

Why did he step down as Chief Executive?

He was forced to dramatically resign as SNP chief executive amid claims of lies and vote-rigging in the leadership contest.

After Sturgeon stepped down, the race was on to find her replacement.

The public and press called for the SNP to reveal its membership figures.

The party’s national executive committee agreed to publish the figure, which was 72,186 as of February 2023, down from 104,000 members in 2021.

Murrell quit in disgrace after the Nats HQ - which he ran for 24 years - fibbed about the plummeting membership numbers, with the party losing 30,000 members in a matter of months.

Has Murrell been arrested?

Yesterday, Peter Murrell was charged with embezzlement in connection with an investigation into the handling of Scottish National Party finances.

Mr Murrel was previously arrested last year and quizzed as officers searched a property belonging to the couple — even checking inside a barbecue.

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/comment/children-been-failed-snps-ignorance-32628420

Our children have been failed by the SNP's ignorance and obfuscation on gender services

Scottish Conservative deputy leader MEGHAN GALLACHER says this issue is too important for the SNP to continue to bury their heads in the sand or play cross-border constitutional politics with

Comment/opinion

By Meghan Gallacher

20 APR 2024

I have been raising concerns about puberty blockers for quite some time. Last month, I asked the First Minister if the Scottish Government would follow NHS England's lead and stop them from being prescribed to children. And, back in 2022, I raised the issue with his predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon.

But instead of offering their unequivocal support for protecting our young people, the SNP Government ducked, weaved and insisted it was solely a matter for clinicians. Essentially, their message has been: “Nothing to do with us, guv”.

It’s simply not good enough for Humza Yousaf to pass the buck to the Sandyford clinic in Glasgow, when the methods and practices it has followed on gender issues have been condemned by the Cass Review.

According to Dr Hilary, the long-term effects of the treatments being administered by these clinics are unknown. In fact, prescribing puberty blockers to children could change the complete course of their sexual and gender identity development and wreak havoc on their mental health.

Alongside increasing their risk of anxiety and depression, we are forcing confusing and complex discussions on young people before their minds and bodies have fully developed. This is completely wrong, and the SNP Government should acknowledge it as such.

While the UK Government conducted this review and have responded positively to it, the SNP have dithered and obfuscated by suggesting that, because the report was for NHS England, it had limited relevance in Scotland. This is totally disingenuous, given Sandyford adheres to many of the same policies and practices as the now-shut Tavistock in London.

This week, I have been thwarted at every turn by the Scottish Parliament and the SNP Government in my attempts to get answers, via ministerial statements and Urgent and Topical Questions. On Thursday we learned – via the Sandyford website – that puberty blockers are no longer to be prescribed to new patients under the age of 18. This is a welcome development, but still no one from the SNP Government has fronted up to explain the sudden change of heart.

We still have dither and delay over their response to the other Cass recommendations. The cynic in me suspects this is down to Humza Yousaf’s coalition partners, the Scottish Greens, pushing back against Cass because it exposes the failings of the gender ideology to which they are wedded.

The Scottish Government have allowed transgender activists to influence official NHS policy, while preventing leading medical experts such as neuropsychologist Sallie Baxendale from providing much-needed experienced advice. Children accessing our gender services have been failed by their ignorance.

That’s why the SNP should urgently implement the Cass recommendations, rather than continuing to bury their heads in the sand. Our young people should not be failed by a lack of evidence or research when something as important as their health and wellbeing is concerned.

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>>>17830154

>Scotland will let pupils change gender aged FOUR without their parents' consent - and tells teachers not to question a child's request to choose a new name or use a different toilet

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/alison-thewliss-refuses-say-accepts-32649028

Alison Thewliss refuses to say if she accepts Cass report and defends deal with 'science denying' Greens

The SNP's home affairs spokeswoman at Westminster struggled when put on the spot during an interview with Good Morning Scotland

Douglas Dickie

23 APR 2024

Alison Thewliss has refused to say whether she accepts the findings of the Cass review which has questioned the use of puberty blockers in children. The SNP's Westminster home affairs spokeswoman also said it was for others to decide if the Scottish Greens were "science deniers".

It follows the SNP's coalition partners co-leader Patrick Harvie questioning the Cass review. The report was commissioned by NHS England in 2020 with Dr Hilary Cass publishing her findings earlier this month.

Its recommendations were endorsed by the NHS down south with two health boards in Scotland also pausing the use of puberty blockers in the aftermath. The SNP government has been criticised for dodging the issue and refusing to say if it backs the findings of the review.

However, Mr Harvie, a government minister, has had no such qualms, claiming it was not a "valid scientific document". And Ms Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, squirmed when put on the spot during an interview with Good Morning Scotland on Tuesday.

Asked outright by host Laura Maxwell if she accepted the findings of the Cass report, Ms Thewliss said: "I think the Cass report covers the healthcare service in England. I think the Scottish Government wants to look and see if there is any relevance for services in Scotland and that's for them to do."

She added: "What I have had in my inbox is people who are deeply concerned about the implications of this review for trans health care and I think that those people who are in the system, who use the system and desperately need it, their rights and needs should be considered."

Her refusal to back the report was described as "shocking" by Scottish Conservative Deputy Leader Meghan Gallacher MSP. She added: "Alison Thewliss’ defence of claiming that time is needed to decide whether the report is relevant to Scotland won’t wash with people living here.

"Her party have had to be dragged kicking and screaming into giving a statement to Parliament, after repeatedly kicking the issue into the long grass. While we know the gender zealots in the Greens are wedded to their ideological position on this issue, it should have been simple for this SNP MP to give a straightforward answer and reassure people she supports Dr Cass’s findings.

"The fact that she could not will be deeply alarming for those worried about the future wellbeing of our young people." Ms Thewliss was speaking against a backdrop of the Scottish Greens considering their position in the Scottish Government.

As well as the trans issue, the SNP ditching key climate targets has also driven a wedge between the partners. Mr Harvie's comments about the Cass review have led to accusations he is a science denier. Asked what she thought of that, Ms Thewliss took a long pause before saying it was "for everybody to make up their own minds".

She added: "I don't believe this is a part of the Bute House Agreement. The Greens have their opinion on that, other people have their opinion on that. We need to look at the evidence, we need to support people within the system.

"I think it's deeply regrettable some of the discourse that has emerged which has made a vulnerable group in society feel even more vulnerable. And I think trans people should be supported as best possible within the healthcare system."

Asked if SNP should also have their say on the Bute House Agreement, the MP said that was for party members to decide. She also said she had not felt a "huge groundswell" for a vote and claimed the partnership had been a "positive thing".

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/shameful-patrick-harvie-doubles-down-32642297

'Shameful' Patrick Harvie doubles down on Cass Review criticism as Lorna Slater also 'dismisses' evidence

The Scottish Greens co-leaders both appeared on BBC radio to dispute the findings of the report on transgender healthcare for children as they were accused of being 'wedded to dogma.'

David Walker

22 APR 2024

"Shameful" Patrick Harvie has doubled down on his criticism of the Cass Review as he refused five times to say whether he accepted the findings of the damning publication. And his Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater also failed to back the recommendations in the report.

Both Scottish Government ministers were accused of being "so wedded to dogma" that they are refusing to listen to "evidence-based findings of an expert clinician." We previously told how Mr Harvie was told he was not suitable for being in a decision-making role in Scotland due to his outright denial of the report into transgender healthcare for children.

Dr Hilary Cass published her long-awaited review into this issue two weeks ago, with the SNP Executive being urged to consider some of her recommendations. NHS Scotland did pause puberty blockers for those under the age of 18 after the clinician found that there was little evidence to support their use.

Otherwise, the government have refused to comment publicly on this, rebuffing requests for topical questions and ministerial statements, however one is expected to take place this week. But they are under pressure to reveal if they back the opinion of the Scottish Greens.

Mr Harvie told BBC Scotland's Sunday Show that he did not believe the Cass Review was a "valid scientific document" as he has "seen far too many criticisms of it so far to be able to say that." This led to accusations he believed trans activists over Dr Cass.

And he doubled down on these comments during an appearance on the Today Show as he refused five times to say whether he accepted her findings, instead hitting out at people allegedly "politicising and weaponising" it. He said: "That report, whether its intended that way or not, has been politicised and weaponised by those who are trying to attack and undermine transgender people's very existence in our society.

"Even the report itself says that puberty blockers should be available for young people and in fact that the general age at which they're prescribed, 15, is too old to get the benefit for those patients who need them. The report is being politicised and weaponised by those with an agenda to attack transgender people in the most horrific way."

On Good Morning Scotland, Ms Slater hit out at people "cherry-picking" from the report, before doing exactly this by saying she agreed with some of it, like the conversion therapy aspect, and also refused to say if she agreed with it.

The Scottish Tories blasted both Scottish Greens ministers for their "deflection and evasiveness" calling it "shameful." Deputy leader Meghan Gallacher added: “It is extraordinary that they continue to refuse to accept the findings of the Cass report and instead hit out at anyone who dares to disagree with their viewpoint.

“Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater are so wedded to dogma that they are dismissing the evidence-based findings of an expert clinician. The Cass report was damning on how vulnerable young people have been let down. Last week I was blocked at every turn in the Scottish Parliament to get answers from SNP-Green ministers. The promised ministerial statement this week must deliver those answers– not only for MSPs – but most importantly for the wellbeing of our young people.”

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-cancels-appearance-front-32646049

Nicola Sturgeon cancels appearance in front of MPs next week as she is 'no longer available'

The former first minister was due to appear in front of Westminster's Scottish Affairs Committee next Monday but cancelled this at the end of last week after her husband Peter Murrell was charged with embezzlement.

David Walker

22 APR 2024

Nicola Sturgeon has cancelled her appearance in front of the Scottish Affairs Committee next week as she is no longer "available." The former first minister was meant to head down to London next Monday to be grilled by MPs about the relationship between the devolved governments since the Scotland Act.

But she has informed Westminster that she is unable to do this as she is unavailable. This snub comes just a few days after her husband Peter Murrell was charged with embezzling funds from the SNP.

She is the only former first minister yet to set a date for giving evidence to the inquiry but will now need to do this on a rescheduled date. This was announced during a session on Monday, with Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross being rebuked for revealing this publicly.

As he was about to quiz former Scottish Secretary David Mundell, Mr Ross segued from discussing personalities to confirming that his old rival had pulled out of proceedings next week. He said: "This committee was informed just before we moved into the public session that one of those personalities involved, Nicola Sturgeon, had been in contact with the committee late last week to postpone her appearance next Monday.

"She is someone we will definitely want to hear from but due to reasons, certainly outwith our control, she won't be attending next Monday." He was interrupted by SNP committee chairman Pete Wishart who insisted that this was something they had discussed in "our private session" which he had hoped "confidence in our conversion would have been maintained."

He said that his former boss had "agreed that she will come to the committee when she becomes available." Mr Ross responded by saying that it would have become public next Monday "when there was an empty chair" so he didn't think he was breaking "any confidences by saying that."

Her date for her appearance has yet to be announced. A statement from the committee read: "Nicola Sturgeon’s appearance in front of the Scottish Affairs Committee, originally planned for Monday 29 April, has been postponed due to a change in witness availability.

"Ms Sturgeon has committed to give evidence to the Committee as part of the inquiry entitled Intergovernmental relations: 25 years since the Scotland Act 1998. A new date for the session will be announced in due course."

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Speaking afterwards, Mr Ross said: “Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly snubbed chances to appear before the Scottish Affairs Committee, so I hope this session can be rescheduled as quickly as possible. It is perhaps not surprising she has not been keen to give evidence to this committee, as rather than blame Westminster, she’ll have nowhere to hide on defending her party’s appalling record over the last 17 years.

“Her time as First Minister was defined by stoking grievances and avoiding scrutiny, rather than working closely with the UK Government for the people of Scotland. Committee members of all parties – including SNP MPs on the committee – are keen to hear what Nicola Sturgeon has to say as part of this inquiry and what occurred during her tenure as First Minister.”

Also at Monday’s hearing, former Scottish secretary David Mundell said Ms Sturgeon became “much more difficult to deal with” after Brexit. The former cabinet minister - who served from 2015 to 2019 in the Scotland Office - said the Scottish Government were “unhelpful and disruptive” in the years following the vote to leave the EU.

“There is no doubt that over the period of time that Nicola Sturgeon was first minister of Scotland she became much more difficult to deal with,” Mr Mundell said. However, a spokeswoman for the SNP said the Conservatives had “nobody to blame but themselves” for issues caused by leaving the EU.

'It's difficult… but there's absolutely nothing I can say'

On Thursday, the former first minister saw her husband charged with embezzling funds from the SNP as part of Operation Branchform. Police Scotland also confirmed that she was still a suspect in the probe looking at whether £600k of ring-fenced funds donated for independence referendum campaigning had been spent elsewhere illegally.

She has insisted repeatedly that she is innocent of any wrongdoing and has only spoken briefly to journalists outside her marital home in Uddingston. She said: "There is absolutely nothing I can say given the circumstances. I'm now going to go a walk if that's alright with you. I know you’ve got jobs to do but can I ask you to maybe give my neighbours some peace.

“There is nothing going to be happening here. It’s incredibly difficult, but that’s not the main issue. I can’t say anymore, I’m not going to say any more. I hope you can appreciate I’m quite a new driver, try not to distract me while I’m driving away.”

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……………………………………………………continued……………………………………………………

She has insisted repeatedly that she is innocent of any wrongdoing and has only spoken briefly to journalists outside her marital home in Uddingston. She said: "There is absolutely nothing I can say given the circumstances. I'm now going to go a walk if that's alright with you. I know you’ve got jobs to do but can I ask you to maybe give my neighbours some peace.

“There is nothing going to be happening here. It’s incredibly difficult, but that’s not the main issue. I can’t say anymore, I’m not going to say any more. I hope you can appreciate I’m quite a new driver, try not to distract me while I’m driving away.”

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snps-long-awaited-cass-review-32653159

SNP's long-awaited Cass Review statement flops as party accused of appeasing Greens rather than helping kids

The Scottish Government finally gave a ministerial statement about gender care for children but Jenni Minto failed to announce anything except another working group as the SNP were accused of placating the angry Scottish Greens through inaction.

David Walker

23 APR 2024

The Scottish Government's long-awaited statement on the Cass Review flopped after public health minister Jenni Minto failed to announce anything except another working group to deal with the report. She was accused of appeasing the Scottish Greens to keep the Bute House Agreement in place rather than helping gender confused children.

Instead, she said that the SNP Executive need more time to read the 400-page report and discuss the 32 recommendations in it. Puberty blockers prescribed to those under the age of 18 has already been paused in line with the review, which provoked anger within the Greens grassroots members.

This provoked anger within the chamber, especially from Scottish Tory deputy leader Meghan Gallacher who repeatedly requested a ministerial statement last week but this was rejected. She said: “This sorry excuse for a ministerial statement will offer no comfort to families who have been failed by gender care services in Scotland – because the Scottish Government’s direction of travel on this vital issue remains as clear as mud.

“As well as passing the buck to the health board for the decision to pause puberty blockers to new patients, this statement does not confirm whether the government will implement any of the 32 Cass review recommendations, nor does it address the cut to gender care services.

“This nationalist coalition claims that it supports young people experiencing gender distress, yet members of its own government have publicly dismissed the findings of an evidence-based, expert report. Today’s exercise in kicking the can down the road and stalling for more time, shows that the SNP are more concerned with holding together their fragile pact with the dogmatic Greens, than the healthcare of vulnerable young people.

“Parents and young people need a meaningful response to Cass, and an assurance that ministers will follow the science, rather than ideology.” Scottish Labour MSP Carol Mochan also blasted the statement, pointing out that "sitting on the fence to protect the stability of the Bute House Agreement is a terrible position."

Deputy leader of the party Jackie Baillie was equally as scathing as she said: "The Cass report is a four-year long piece of work that is evidence-based, informed by expert clinicians and those with lived experience so it deserves to be treated seriously. Yet this statement feels more like a sop to the Greens to keep the Bute House Agreement alive."

Ms Minto was asked repeatedly if her government agreed with Patrick Harvie who disputed the results of the review, claiming there was "too much criticism" of it, but refused to answer the questions. She instead outlined plans for senior medical officers to consider the clinical recommendations in the report.

She said: "A multi-disciplinary clinical team within the Office of the Chief Medical Officer in the Scottish Government, including paediatric, pharmacy and scientific expertise, will assess the clinical recommendations and engage with the relevant clinical community and leadership in Health Boards in relation to those recommendations. The CMO will provide a written update to Parliament on the outcome of that clinical consideration process before the Summer Recess.

"It’s important to note that in Scotland, we are already making progress in a number of aspects of gender identity healthcare highlighted in the Cass Review. So let me be clear – work has already begun, and I will remain engaged throughout.

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/humiliation-humza-yousaf-post-office-32657520

Humiliation for Humza Yousaf as Post Office 'fib' earns him TWO community notes on X

The SNP leader claimed he was 'utterly furious' about a UK Government decision not to extend legislation clearing subpostmasters to Scotland - despite the different legal system

Douglas Dickie

24 APR 2024

Humza Yousaf faced the indignity of earning TWO community notes on social media as users looked to correct his claims about the Post Office Horizon scandal. The SNP leader tried to stoke another grievance with Westminster when it emerged the UK Government would not extend legislation exonerating subpostmasters to Scotland.

The First Minister described it as "outrageous". But critics have been quick to point out the legal differences between Scotland and England - and the fact the Scottish Government's top legal advisor Dorothy Bain previously warned against a blanket exoneration.

In an interview with LBC, Mr Yousaf said he was "utterly furious" about the decision. But X users were unimpressed with his grandstanding as they looked to clarify the situation.

The clip was shared by LBC's Alan Zycinski but a community note was added reading: "A Freedom of Information Request (FOI) from Sam Taylor revealed that Humza Yusaf knew of the Horizon scandal in 2020 and he also knew that the prosecutions were under Scotland's separate legal system. So any legal redress would be conducted separately from rUK."

As if that wasn't embarrassing enough for the Nat leader, a second note then appeared on one of Mr Yousaf's own tweets in which he seemed to confuse Post Office with Royal Mail and called on a re-think. It read: "Humza Yousaf is confused between The Royal Mail and The Post Office which caused the scandal. Scots law has always been separate and is a devolved matter in Scotland. This is his responsibility as he is aware as former Justice secretary and now FM of Scotland."

Kemi Badenoch was among those to critice Mr Yousaf. The UK Government's Secretary of State for Business and Trade urged the Scottish Government to get a move on with clearing subpostmaster who were wrongly convicted due to a glitch in the Horizon system.

She said: "Scotland has a different legal system to the rest of GB. The SNP want independence but are too lazy to do the work. They have powers to get justice for the postmasters. They should stop whining and get on with it! Mr Yousaf has also confused Royal Mail with the Post Office".

Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr pointed out Mr Yousaf had previously displayed anger when he felt Westminster was involving itself in devolved affairs. And he added: "How big a fib do you need to tell to get Community Noted TWICE in one go?"

The Scottish Government is to bring forward its own legislation to exonerate subpostmasters who were wrongly convicted because of the faulty Horizon software. But Holyrood ministers have claimed it would be simpler if the UK Government’s legislation could instead be expanded to also cover Scotland.

But Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake said Scotland was a "historically separate legal jurisdiction", noting prosecutions had not been carried out by the Post Office, but by the Lord Advocate. He added: "It remains the UK Government’s view that it is more appropriate for the Scottish Government to bring forward proposals to address prosecutions on this matter in Scotland, and for these to be scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament."

Fresh Bread

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Q Research Scotland #10: Humza In Hot Water Edition