/qresearch/ -  Q Research

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>>23499061

>Initial Abuse Bun

>Initial Covid and Other Pestilence Bun

>>23499066

>Initial NHS Bun

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15140157/Scots-patients-forced-electric-shock-treatment-1000-times.html

EXLUSIVEScots patients forced to have electric shock treatment more than 1000 times.

ANDY BEAVEN

27 September 2025

Patients in Scotland were forced to receive electric shock treatment against their will almost 1,100 times last year – prompting calls for the NHS to stop using the ‘ethically unacceptable’ procedure.

In each case, people suffering from mental illness were compelled to undergo electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) even though they objected to the treatment or actively struggled to resist it.

The World Health Organisation and United Nations recently warned that involuntary or forced ECT risked breaching patients’ human rights – and could be regarded as a form of torture.

The procedure, which sees electric currents passed through the brain to induce a brief seizure, has been used since the 1930s but remains deeply controversial.

A new report shows that ECT was carried out in the Scottish NHS more than 4,000 times last year.

Women in their 60s were most likely to receive the treatment – while the most commonly treated condition was severe depression.

In around 2,000 cases, ECT was performed on people who, because of their mental state, were deemed incapable of giving consent.

In 1,081 cases, treatment was given to patients who said they didn’t want it or fought against it – but who were over-ruled by doctors.

While health chiefs in Scotland acknowledge ECT can produce ‘adverse’ side-effects, they insist it is safe and effective.

First developed in the 1930s, the procedure was infamously portrayed in the 1975 film One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, in which Jack Nicholson plays a convicted criminal who feigns mental illness

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However, some experts last night claimed the NHS should immediately suspend use of ECT.

Dr John Read is a professor of clinical psychology at the University of East London and author of several studies into the effects of ECT, which he criticised as ‘unethical’ and ‘unscientific’.

He said: ‘No other branch of medicine sees treatment administered when a patient is actively resisting it. However well-intentioned the doctor might be, it is ethically unacceptable.

‘ECT was developed decades before we had proper ethical standards. If it was introduced today as a new treatment, there’s no way it would be approved.’

He added: ‘For a percentage of patients, ECT can produce a temporary lift in mood – but there’s simply no evidence it has any benefit beyond the end of treatment. The use of ECT should be immediately suspended until proper research is completed to prove whether it actually works.’

The report by the official Scottish ECT Audit Network stated that 4,135 treatments were carried out on 264 patients during 2024.

Half were aged 60 or older, while 60 per cent were women.

In 1,081 cases, ECT was authorised under the Mental Health Act even though ‘the patient resisted or objected’.

The report noted that ‘adverse incidents’ occurred 31 times – including ‘prolonged seizure, dental damage, cardiovascular events and prolonged confusion’.

Overall 24.9 per cent of patients reported memory problems as a side effect.

But the report said 88.8 per cent of patients showed improvement after treatment and concluded: ‘These findings reinforce that ECT is a safe and effective treatment for individuals with severe, treatment-resistant mental health conditions including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and psychosis.’

However, Dr Read warned the report was ‘horribly misleading’.

He said: ‘All the measures of safety and effectiveness are based only on the opinion of the psychiatrists who gave the ECT.

‘When you ask the patients you get completely different results.’ Earlier this month, in a survey of 858 ECT patients, 80 per cent said their ability to recall memories had been affected, while 70 per cent said their ability to retain new information had been harmed.

For more than two-thirds of those affected, the impact lasted more than three years.

Separately, a study of more than 1,000 ECT patients published in the journal Circulation found 58.5 per cent believed it wasn’t at all helpful, while 62 per cent said it made their quality of life worse.

In 2023, a report by the World Health Organisation and the UN concluded: ‘International human rights standards clarify that ECT without consent violates the right to physical and mental integrity and may constitute torture.’

The Scottish Government said every ECT prescription is overseen by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland and Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland.

A spokesperson said: ‘Electroconvulsive therapy is a safe and effective treatment for some of the most unwell patients, and in some cases has been lifesaving.

‘Patient safety is paramount, and for patients unable to consent due to the severity of the mental illness that the ECT is treating, appropriate legal safeguards are in place.’

>>23499061

>Initial Abuse Bun

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2d2me0eljo

Paedophile singer Ian Watkins dies in prison attack as two men arrested

Holly Harrison

11 October 2025

Updated 12 October 2025

Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has died after being attacked in jail, prison sources have confirmed.

West Yorkshire Police said two men aged 25 and 43 had been arrested on suspicion of murder.

The disgraced rock star from Pontypridd was serving a 29-year sentence at HMP Wakefield for child sex offences.

Watkins, 48, was jailed in December 2013 for a string of child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.

Police said they were called to the prison on Saturday morning to reports of a serious assault on a prisoner, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Prison Service spokesperson said it was aware of an incident at the prison but was "unable to comment further while the police investigate".

Watkins was sentenced to 29 years in prison with a further six years on licence, and his two co-defendants, the mothers of children he abused, were jailed for 14 and 17 years.

He was previously attacked in prison in August 2023, but his injuries were not life threatening.

The attack at Wakefield Prison comes less than two weeks after a report into the facility was published that found violence there had "increased markedly".

The report from the chief inspector of prisons said: "Many prisoners told us they felt unsafe, particularly older men convicted of sexual offences who increasingly shared the prison with a growing cohort of younger prisoners."

Watkins admitted the attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 13 but pleaded not guilty to rape.

He also admitted conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven involving taking, making or possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a sex act on an animal.

Judges rejected an appeal by Watkins in 2014 to reduce the length of his jail term.

During sentencing, Mr Justice Royce said the case broke "new ground" and "plunged into new depths of depravity".

"Any decent person… will experience shock, revulsion and incredulity."

The judge said Watkins had a "corrupting influence", and had shown a "complete lack of remorse".

Who was Ian Watkins?

Watkins was once one of Wales' most recognisable musicians - the frontman of the rock band Lostprophets.

Formed in Pontypridd in 1997, Lostprophets sold millions of albums around the world.

But the group disbanded immediately after Watkins was convicted in 2013.

Prosecutors described Watkins as a man corrupted by fame, drugs, and power - one who committed crimes "beyond imagination."

His trial heard Watkins had used his fame to manipulate and control others, often under the influence of hard drugs, including crystal meth.

After Watkins was sentenced, Des Mannion, NSPCC national head of service for Wales, said: "Watkins used his status and global fame as a means to manipulate people and sexually abuse children.

"But we must nevertheless remember that this case isn't about celebrity, it's about victims. And those victims are children."

Unknown if Anons found their way in here

Baker is still having extreme difficulties posting

Ghost Protocol In Effect

Remember the Bunker

https://endchan.gg/qrbunker/catalog.html

>>23743738

>>23743733

>>23743738

>https://endchan.gg/qrbunker/catalog.html

The link you supplied redirects and if like me you click to confirm it will download malware onto your device (pc in my case). I think the issue is resolved,

Thanks baker anon. >>23743738

Not sure if I can post yet…fingers crossed

>>23743707

>>23673015

https://www.noticer.news/scottish-protester-aberdeen-hate-crime-charge/

Scottish protester charged with ‘hate crime’ for saying Whites have right to exist

October 27, 2025

The Noticer

A Scottish activist has been charged with a “hate crime” over a small banner displayed at a peaceful protest in Aberdeen saying that White people have a right to exist.

Richard McFarlane, 59, a member of community and activist group Patriotic Alternative, was arrested at his home on October 15 and charged with “stirring up hatred” under Scotland’s controversial new Hate Crime and Public Order Act, which came into effect in April last year.

The charges were laid over the hand-painted banner, which was briefly tied to a fence during the demonstration outside a hotel against illegal immigration three weeks earlier, saying: “Because Humza thinks Scotland is too White, we must secure the existence of our people and a future for White children.”

The first part of the phrase is a reference to an infamous speech given by former first minister Humza Yousaf in 2020 where he complained about White people holding too many positions of power in Scotland, while the remainder is a popular White nationalist slogan.

Mr McFarlane, who was released on bail under conditions including a ban from the site of the protest, told Noticer News he intended to plead not guilty, and described the charge as “obviously malicious and vexatious, showing that the judicial process is in fact the punishment”.

“People of any race are allowed to advocate for their own race’s protection, and it’s not a hate crime,” he said.

“My actions at Aberdeen were based on love. In no part of this banner were expressed any anti-Asian sentiment or any notions that White people are superior to any other race or that they must harm or eliminate in any way any other racial group.

“This point is backed up by the other banners paraded at Aberdeen, as well as the conduct of myself at various protests. When the police asked me to take the banner down, I took it down immediately, and complied with their polite request.”

Mr McFarlane said the charge exposed a “clear racial double standard”, and showed that simply defending White people was considered “inherently hostile to other races” by police, while the opposite was allowed at Black Lives Matter protests.

“The message is simple self defence of my people. Those who oppose that banner message are in fact racially prejudiced against White people,” he said.

Patriotic Alternative leader Mark Collett described the charge as “political persecution”.

“This is an example of political policing and two-tier justice and another perfect example of Britain’s repressive anti-free speech laws that are being used to silence political dissidents who oppose White-replacement and antiwhite policy making,” he said.

“We will support Richard, and if his case goes to trial, we will support him in any way we can.”

Mr McFarlane will appear in Aberdeen Sheriff Court on November 13.

Header image: Left, the banner. Right, two other protesters at the event (supplied).

>>23795804

This, led to this……..

https://sashalatypova.substack.com/p/operation-talla-scotlands-police

Operation Talla - Scotland's Police Force were used to enforce and track the democide, aka "covid response".

Sasha Latypova

Oct 20, 2025

This post is a follow on to my previous articles about police enforcement ops during the “covid response” in the UK:

Operation Talla was Police Scotland’s national command/operational structure for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Police Scotland stood the Op down in mid-2022 and carried out a formal, organization-wide debrief (March–June 2022) that collected staff input and produced a Formal Debrief Report (the “Op Talla Formal Debrief”) containing 15+ recommendations and 6 practice observations and an action plan for implementing learning.

“Operation Talla” was activated in March 2020 as its pandemic response and command architecture; the name was later used by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) for the UK national operation. The operation covered pandemic planning, PPE and testing provision, governance and the policing of COVID regulations.

The CVI recording system and enforcement data (what was recorded)

Police Scotland created a specialized Coronavirus Intervention (CVI) recording system to log every COVID-related police encounter. The CVI dataset records interventions (engage/explain/encourage/enforce) and was the basis for analyses of policing activity during the pandemic. Aggregate enforcement figures across Scotland show over 20,000 COVID-related Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) were issued (March 2020–mid-2021), and enforcement (FPN/arrest) represented a minority of recorded interventions — enforcement accounted for roughly ~11–12% of CVI interventions and arrests about 0.7% of interventions in published breakdowns. (Different public summaries use slightly different date windows but this scale and profile are consistent.)

The Debrief

Method and scale: the Op Talla debrief was led by Police Scotland’s SMARTEU unit; it used a short questionnaire and invited contributions from all staff. It received 294 online responses representing the views of >5,300 people (individual and team submissions were consolidated), which were analyzed into findings, 15 recommendations and 6 practice observations.

Below are the most operationally important themes and sample recommendations:

• Operational planning & governance: create an overarching governance structure early in future major events; keep planning-team size under regular review; define job descriptions/role responsibilities for Silver/Gold roles and planners.

• Mass mobilization & logistics: develop a formal mass mobilization plan, identify logistic support and staging, create a dedicated C3 mass-mobilization cell, and future-proof Police estate for multi-agency operations.

• Communications & ICT: continue to use and harden MS Teams (or an equivalent multi-agency accessible platform), review/upgrade text alert systems, co-locate partner comms functions with Police Scotland comms where possible.

• People & welfare: retain enhanced cleaning regimes and PPE provision as appropriate; review business-continuity for staff welfare and absence management; put workforce agreements / overtime guidance in place for major mobilizations.

• Training & accreditation: build national training pathways so Inspectors/Chief Inspectors gain experience across events; manage “loggist” roles/cohorts centrally to retain competence and CPD.

I listed these just so you can see that none of these debriefings and discussions touched on anything other administrative processes around enforcing nonsensical, deliberately harmful policies that violated human rights, law and resulted in severe harm to communities, children, the elderly, leading to deaths and injury. No one in Police Scotland bat an eye or gave any of this even a brief consideration. All they were concerned with is how to commit the next militarized op better.

There were some external analyses published, such as a report by the Law School of the University of Edinburgh. This report pointed out that there was no impact identifiable from the police wielding extraordinary powers and issuing fines to those who violated the nonsensical pandemic “rules” (not law).

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Trends in enforcement during the pandemic demonstrate surges during periods when death rates were particularly high or increasing. Nevertheless, it would be very difficult to tease out the effect, if any, that enforcement had on preventing the spread of the disease or saving lives. As a principal reason for introducing new policing powers during the pandemic[1], this does raise questions about testing the efficacy of an enforcement-based model to reduce the spread and impact of contagion.

Footnote 1: According to the Home Office and The Rt Hon Priti Patel MP (26 March 2020), police enforcement powers were strengthened by the government in order to ‘reduce the spread of coronavirus, protect the NHS and save lives’: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/police-given-new-powers-and-support-to-respond-to-coronavirus.

In other words, it is clear that the “measures” did not slow or prevent the spread of disease, i.e. failed at what they were justified with, but Scotland Police fully intends to continue using their newly obtained extra powers to do the same non-sensical enforcement of another psyop, whenever the PTB announce it. I am quite certain that the same activities have gone on in all police organizations world wide.

Sources of data:

Police Scotland / SPA — Organisational Learning: Operation Unicorn & Operation Talla (Formal Debrief PDF, presented 21 June 2023). This is the primary source for the debrief, recommendations, practices and next steps. Spa Police

Public Health Scotland / Journal summary (linked study): “Investigating the association between health vulnerabilities and police enforcement…” — includes discussion of the CVI dataset and notes >20,000 COVID FPNs in Scotland. Public Health Scotland

University of Edinburgh / Independent data report on Police Use of FPNs (data reports used by the Independent Advisory Group). Edinburgh Law School

HMICS thematic inspection of organisational culture (Dec 2023) — references Op Talla as an example and discusses organisational learning gaps. HMICS

NPCC / Operation Talla publication strategy (Mar 2020) — explains national coordination, the “4Es” approach, and guidance to forces on COVID response. NPCC

Police Scotland disclosure / FOI pages (FPN stats, disclosure logs). Scotland Police

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>>23795869

https://sashalatypova.substack.com/p/police-were-instructed-to-ignore

Police were instructed to ignore people trying to bring complaints of vaccine/hospital injuries and deaths

FOIAed document from Scottish Police confirms what we have figured out from experience.

Sasha Latypova

Sep 26, 2025

Lois Bayliss is a solicitor, practicing in England, with a 17-year unblemished record as a medical negligence lawyer. I met her in late 2021 through a colleague, and helped as much as I could pulling together early data evidence on deaths and injuries from mRNA injections and lot-to-lot variability. I assisted her and another attorney as part of the group of professionals who reported various crimes relating to the Covid 19 control measures to the Metropolitan Police on 20th December 2021. The Met police initially took the evidence, issued the crime investigation number, then pretended to investigate for two months, and then stated that there was no investigation. This was a loud and clear answer from the criminal cartel masquerading as the British government that it was not going to prosecute itself for crimes.

Louis was subsequently subjected to lawfare from the British authorities, who prosecuted her for ostensibly violating rules of professional conduct. If you are not aware of this case, here is my discussion with Louis:

Similar cases were recounted to me by numerous lawyers and activists who tried to get local police and sheriffs to investigate hospital murders or vaccine deaths. All in vain. In one mass effort, attorney Todd Calendar and his colleagues tried to send notices to thousands of sheriffs’ offices in the US and meet in person. This resulted in no investigations. In one example, a sheriff closed his station and ran out the back door in order not to meet with Todd and colleagues.

It was clear to anyone who tried this approach that the law enforcement offices received direct instructions to ignore these cases and shut out anyone who tried to bring them. We now have proof. The FOIA document obtained from the Scottish Police states this explicitly. They refer to our submission of evidence on Dec 20, 2021, which contained 1000+ pages of evidence, including my affidavit on vaccine batch variability and lack of cGMP compliance, and then state that all such inquiries should be rejected:

Similar cases were recounted to me by numerous lawyers and activists who tried to get local police and sheriffs to investigate hospital murders or vaccine deaths. All in vain. In one mass effort, attorney Todd Calendar and his colleagues tried to send notices to thousands of sheriffs’ offices in the US and meet in person. This resulted in no investigations. In one example, a sheriff closed his station and ran out the back door in order not to meet with Todd and colleagues.

It was clear to anyone who tried this approach that the law enforcement offices received direct instructions to ignore these cases and shut out anyone who tried to bring them. We now have proof. The FOIA document obtained from the Scottish Police states this explicitly. They refer to our submission of evidence on Dec 20, 2021, which contained 1000+ pages of evidence, including my affidavit on vaccine batch variability and lack of cGMP compliance, and then state that all such inquiries should be rejected:

Color me shocked.

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>>23795869

>>23795900

>>23795950

https://ethicalapproach.co.uk/open_email_to_cc_police_scotland_20092025.pdf

From:

Ian Clayton (Ethical Approach UK)

To:

Chief Constable - Police Scotland

cc:

(1) Scottish Police Authority

(2) Criminal Justice Committee (Scottish Parliament)

(3) COPFS

Date: 20/09/2025, 22:09

Dear Chief Constable

Open Email Re: Operation Talla/Speirs Directive:

Public Interest Fact-Finding under Scottish Law

Context and purpose

This is an open email sent in the public interest. It seeks

clarity, not via FOI procedure, but in fulfilment of Police

Scotland’s statutory commitments to transparency,

accountability and public confidence under the Police and

Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012.

On 25 January 2022, an instruction (the “Speirs Directive”)

was issued within Police Scotland telling staff to reject

public reports relating to COVID-19 vaccination as crimes

and to record them as SID (Operation Norden) and CVI

(Operation Talla) entries instead. In correspondence

disclosed by Police Scotland, the directive is described as

having been published “on the advice of the National

Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and UK Gold Command.”

In September 2025, however, the NPCC has asserted that

there was no blanket national instruction and suggested

that forces retained local discretion.

Two mutually exclusive accounts now exist. Either Police

Scotland acted on genuine NPCC/UK Gold advice (in which

case the NPCC’s present position is inaccurate), or Police

Scotland staff were misdirected internally (in which case

the Scottish public was denied proper access to criminal

investigation. Either outcome is constitutionally serious.

Why Scottish law is engaged

Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012: imposes

duties on the Police Service of Scotland to improve the

safety and wellbeing of persons, maintain order and

secure public confidence; the Scottish Police Authority

must hold the Chief Constable to account for the policing

of Scotland.

Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (and common

law): where allegations of crime are made, investigative

steps must be taken according to law; operational policies

cannot fetter officers’ discretion to consider the merits of

reports on a case-by-case basis.

Human Rights Act 1998 / ECHR: Article 6 (effective access

to justice) and, where allegations touch on risks to life,

Article 2 procedural duties.

Administrative law (Scotland): blanket rules that pre-

decide outcomes unlawfully fetter discretion.

A directive instructing officers to reject whole categories

of public complaint on sight is prima facie incompatible

with these duties. If the NPCC now says “no blanket policy

existed,” then Police Scotland officers may have been

misled, with nationwide consequences for the people of

Scotland.

Public-interest questions (non-FOI; for immediate

clarification)

1. Provenance

Did Police Scotland issue the 25 January 2022 instruction

on the basis of authentic, written advice from NPCC/UK

Gold Command?

If so, please identify the advice (date, author, document

title/identifier) and confirm whether Police Scotland still

holds it.

2. Legal basis

What legal analysis under Scottish policing statute, ECHR

and administrative law supported an instruction to reject

vaccine-related reports as crimes rather than assess them

on their merits?

Was the Scottish Police Authority consulted or informed?

>>23795978

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

3. Scope and dissemination

To which divisions/units was the instruction

promulgated? Was any exemption allowed where credible

criminal complaints were presented?

Were officers informed that their discretion remained

unfettered notwithstanding the directive?

4. Review and remedy

Has Police Scotland conducted an internal review to

ascertain whether legitimate criminal reports were

filtered out by the instruction?

If so, what outcomes and remedial steps (e.g., re-

assessment, victim re-contact, referral to COPFS) have

followed?

If not, will you now commission a review (with

SPA/HMICS oversight) and publish terms of reference?

5. Record keeping and preservation

Have all relevant policy emails, command logs, briefings

and intelligence submissions (SID/CVI/Op Talla) been

preserved for oversight scrutiny and any future judicial

proceedings?

6. Public communication

Given the potential nationwide impact, will Police Scotland

publish a public statement explaining (a) whether

NPCC/UK Gold advice existed and (b) what corrective

measures are being taken to restore public confidence and

access to justice?

Why a reply matters

If the NPCC’s current position is accurate, Police Scotland

officers were misdirected and the people of Scotland

suffered a wholesale denial of proper assessment of

criminal complaints. If the NPCC’s current position is

inaccurate, then national leadership outside Scotland is

rewriting history and undermining accountability.

Either way, public confidence in policing by consent is at

stake. The SPA and HMICS have clear roles in safeguarding

that confidence; COPFS must be aware of any systemic

impediment that affected the flow of criminal reports and

evidence.

I respectfully request your substantive response within 14

days, addressing the numbered questions above. This is

not an FOI request; it is an exercise in public-interest

oversight and a good-faith opportunity for Police Scotland

to clarify the position, protect the public and uphold the

law.

Yours faithfully

Ian Clayton

Lead Investigator

Ethical Approach UK

cc:

(1) Scottish Police Authority

(2) Criminal Justice Committee (Scottish Parliament)

(3) COPFS

>>23743707

>>23743718

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-demand-money-uk-government-36159923

SNP demand money from the UK Government to house hundreds of migrants in Scotland

The Scottish Government stopped short of condemning Home Office plans to house 300 asylum seekers in Inverness, but have demanded payment from Westminster to take in more migrants.

David Walker

30 OCT 2025

SNP Ministers have demanded that the UK Government hand over money so that the Home Office can house hundreds of migrants in Scotland. Plans to locate 300 male migrants in an Inverness barracks caused widespread local anger in the Highlands after no consultation was held with the council.

Cross-party politicians representing the area have made representations to the Home Office, conveying concerns about public safety and community cohesion. According to the latest immigration figures, there are no asylum seekers currently living in the Highlands, with Inverness not set up for the influx which may arrive at the start of December.

Despite boasting about being massively pro-immigration, the Scottish Government have also complained about the fact they were blindsided by the announcement made on Tuesday. It was in discussions about the potential use of Cameron Barracks but allegedly weren't told the full extent of the plan.

The premises have been used before to house Afghan refugees who were fleeing the country following the Taliban takeover. Military people and their families stayed there before being dispersed across the UK, with SNP Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville admitting that the new proposals includes a "different cohort" i.e its just undocumented men.

She has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood with a list of demands, and one of those is extra cash so that Scotland can house more asylum seekers. She requested "additional information" on a number of "specific issues" including "What financial support will be made available to cover the increased costs that will fall on local public services as a result of this decision."

In the letter she writes that "Scotland has a long history of welcoming refugees and people in need of protection, and this is down to the hard work of the local authorities who welcome people from around the world into their communities." And that Scotland "stands ready to work constructively with the UK Government to provide safety and sanctuary for people seeking asylum and newly recognised refugees and support integration into our communities.

"Such collaborative working is the only way to ensure a coherent approach to asylum accommodation is achieved - one which works for both local communities and people seeking asylum." While just one premises has been announced, there could be more sites across Scotland utilised to house asylum seekers.

While the Cameron Barracks scandal has engulfed both governments, SNP Ministers also formally confirmed that it is no longer demanding control of the immigration system. It is a contentious topic, with public opinion turning against John Swinney and immigration increasing.

The Nats can use the out of highlighting that it is devolved to the UK Government to avoid difficult discussions surrounding this issue. So while it was a previous demand of the SNP administration to have immigration powers devolved to Holyrood, that has now been dropped.

In an answer to a written question from independent MSP Ash Regan about whether the SNP administration continues to demand devolution of the powers to the Scottish parliament, Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart only said that she wanted Westminster to provide a "tailored approach" for Scotland.

She wrote: "The Scottish Government's position remains that the current UK immigration system is not working for Scotland. We continue to call on the UK Government for urgent changes to ensure that the immigration system reflects Scotland's distinct demographic and economic needs.

"Our tailored migration proposals, including a Scottish visa, a rural visa pilot and a Scottish graduate visa, are designed to operate within the existing UK immigration framework. They have, however, unfortunately been repeatedly dismissed by the UK Government."

>>23743721

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/desperate-snp-flog-tickets-meet-36183349

'Desperate' SNP flog tickets to meet John Swinney to young Nats for under a tenner

The First Minister is headlining an SNP event for younger members where they will be taught how to write manifestos and create content for the SNP.

David Walker

3 NOV 2025

The SNP have been branded "desperate" for flogging tickets to meet and greet John Swinney to party members for under a tenner. Ahead of the Holyrood Election, parties have switched into fundraising mode to pay for what will be an expensive campaign to get MSPs elected next year.

During the General Election, the Nats struggled to attract big donations and a number of hopefuls were forced to launch crowdfunding campaigns. It ended in a humiliating defeat for the party, losing almost 40 MPs ending up with a depleted group of just nine.

It also hit the SNP finances as nearly £1m of Short money, cash given to parties to help with research and staffing, also stopped due to the amount of MPs who lost their jobs. According to the latest donation figures, Mr Swinney is still having trouble wooing big donors, instead relying on wills and bequests.

Later on this month, two of the younger MSP candidates for next year are hosting an event for members of the SNP who are under-35. The summit is titled "No Future Scotland Without Us" and is billed as a "politics event for young people" giving supporters a chance to "chat to Scotland's First Minister and two of our new SNP candidates Sally Donald & Lloyd Melville."

Tickets are on sale for £8, although members can apply for free ones as well if they can't afford this. The Scottish Tories mocked the fact that briefs to meet Mr Swinney were being sold at a bargain price, especially when former leader Nicola Sturgeon's book tour had tickets on sale for up to £75.

A Scottish Conservative spokesperson told the Scottish Daily Express: “The SNP must be desperate if they’re having to flog tickets to a John Swinney meet-and-greet for under a tenner. It’s hardly a good look for the First Minister when his discredited old boss Nicola Sturgeon can charge far more for her self-promotional tours.”

During the SNP Conference in Aberdeen, Ms Sturgeon showed up on the second day to sign copies of her book Frankly. There was a slight queue at the stall, and she got more attention than the current party leader who did a walkabout in the main area at the same time.

The description of the SNP event claims it will be an "intimate" one "designed for voters under 35 who want a future independent Scotland. There is no future Scotland without us, but politics is overwhelming made up of older generations.

It will "engage more young people in political decisions, manifesto writing, and SNP content creation." It also hits out at the "spin and appeal of far right social media is misleading other young people to vote for a future in which the most vulnerable people will suffer most."

There is enough space for 80 attendees who will enjoy short talks from all three SNP representatives, as well as "interactive, quiet activities for you to draw or write what matters to you most as a young person living in Scotland." There will also be "time for a relaxed chat with the FM, Sally and Lloyd (they're all very friendly and easy to chat to)"

The SNP didn't describe the event as a meet and greet. A spokeswoman said: “The SNP is proud to be taking steps to put young people’s voices front and centre in politics - the Tories might like to try it.”

Why so much time spent on the kiddies John and not the electorate? This could give a whole new slant to the expression "pay to play".

>>23806399

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/john-swinney-running-scared-school-36181198

John Swinney 'running scared of school kids' as he dodges grilling by pupils

The First Minister was invited to take questions from secondary school pupils but declined and has been accused of being scared to defend the SNP's poor record on education.

David Walker

3 NOV 2025

John Swinney has been accused of "running scared" of school kids as he chose to dodge an event where he would be grilled by Scotland's young people. Instead the First Minister is announcing more funding for the NHS at a press call at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

All Scottish party leaders were invited to the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Young People's Signature Event: Making Sense of Politics which is taking place on Monday. But Mr Swinney has decided to not attend this flagship summit, instead sending along Mairi McAllan.

He is not the only party leader allegedly skipping the event, with Scottish Labour sending Pam Duncan-Glancy and Craig Hoy representing the Scottish Tories, according to a press release. Scottish Lib Dems leader Alex Cole-Hamilton and Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer will be there, alongside Alba Party leader Kenny MacAskill.

The event is taking place in Dumfries with school kids from S4 to S6 invited to question the politicians ahead of the Scottish Parliament Elections next year. It offers pupils the opportunity to engage directly with politicians, explore the issues that matter to them, and hear from inspiring youth voices.

Mr Cole-Hamilton slated the First Minister for declining the invite, pointing out that the SNP have failed in education during its reign running the Scottish Executive. This was admitted by Nicola Sturgeon who wrote in her book that falling performance in international education league tables was “undeniable” and that she “did not succeed in all that I set out to do on school education”.

The Scottish Lib Dem leader said: “I think it is so important to encourage young people to engage with politics and I am sure they will ask me plenty of tough question. I would happily debate John Swinney anywhere, anytime on any topic because his record over the last 18 years has been so dire. Even Nicola Sturgeon admits that the SNP have not succeeded on education.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats want to offer hope for Scotland’s young people. We’re focused on cutting mental health waits, delivering more pupil support assistants to tackle violence and upheaval in schools and tackling Scotland’s climate emergency. No matter where you live, you can get a Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP who believes in change with fairness at its heart, if you back us on the peach regional vote. That’s as true in the South of Scotland as it is across the country. C’mon John, why are you running scared of school kids?”

In her book Mss Sturgeon wrote: “Of course, none of this alters the fact that I did not succeed in all that I set out to do on school education- and that is on me.” The Scottish education system is not the failure that many claim. And yet, it was undeniable that our performance in international league tables was falling.

“I established a Council of Education Advisers, made up of internationally renowned experts, to help shape the answers to these questions, and the work it did was extremely helpful. Even so, it often felt that I was grasping at ‘solutions’ that I hoped, rather than knew, would make a difference.”

Mr Swinney is instead in Glasgow to announce further cash in a bid to cut waiting times in Scotland’s NHS. The Scottish Government will provide health boards with an extra £25.5 million this year, allowing them to provide more appointments and reduce waits for patients.

Well, who'd have thunk it? Honest john "dodging" kids?