/qresearch/ -  Q Research

>>23743738 (me)

>Baker is still having extreme difficulties posting

I'll try to post the updated notables buns for the 450 mark but can't guarantee they will go through

>>23743710

>>23743705

>Updated Government Bloat, Waste, and Abuse Bun

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/12/judges-set-to-decide-fate-of-police-chief-constable-guilty-of-contempt-of-court

Judges set to decide fate of police chief constable guilty of contempt of court

Exclusive: Ivan Balhatchet, Northamptonshire’s chief constable, could face up to two years in jail or a fine for repeated failure to obey rulings

A police chief constable has been found guilty of contempt of court with judges set to consider whether he should be punished by imprisonment or a fine.

The court of appeal ruled on Tuesday that Northamptonshire police were in contempt and had been “willfully disobedient” for repeatedly failing to obey rulings to hand over video to a woman who complained she had been wrongly arrested by three officers.

Nadine Buzzard-Quashie was arrested by Northamptonshire police in September 2021, triggering a four-year saga.

She was taken into custody but prosecutors soon dropped the case.

The judgment said: “Her account of her arrest … was that she was physically assaulted by the officers who arrested her, she was physically thrown to the ground and had her face pushed into stinging nettles.”

She wanted video footage of her arrest, including from police body-worn cameras, which the force did not provide.

She complained to the Information Commissioner’s Office which made an order that all video should be handed over, which the force ignored, then a county court judge made another order, which the force failed to obey again.

The force told courts it did not have any more video to hand over, then reversed its position at a hearing in October. The court of appeal judgment said: “This means that all the statements made to the court on behalf of the police force prior to mid-October 2025 were false.”

On Tuesday three appeal court judges issued a blistering and unanimous ruling.

Lady Justice Asplin, Lord Justice Coulson, and Lord Justice Fraser said “misleading and untrue statements … have been made to the court on behalf of the chief constable, both to the county court … and also to the court of appeal in relation to the application for permission to appeal and the appeal itself. To list every single statement made on behalf of the chief constable that has proved to be inaccurate over this lengthy period would lengthen this judgment considerably.”

Ivan Balhatchet has been Northamptonshire’s chief constable since October 2023 and could face up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine. The previous chief constable was Nick Adderley, who now faces wholly separate criminal charges.

Buzzard-Quashie represented herself initially, battling single-handedly against the force and its taxpayer-funded legal department.

The three senior judges said: “What has occurred in this case concerning the retention, production, refusal to produce and possible deletion of such video footage is a matter of significant concern.”

Buzzard-Quashie had asked a lower court to find the chief constable in contempt, but it refused. On Tuesday she won on appeal, with the three judges saying the law allowed the chief constable to be found personally liable with the punishment being up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine.

After her victory, Buzzard-Quashie said:“Northamptonshire police acted in an arrogant and high-handed manner by ignoring my requests for documents, as well as the findings of the Information Commissioner’s Office and a county court order.

“It is astonishing that after four years I am still battling to get a frank, open and honest response about what they did to the evidence around my wrongful arrest and why. I am elated that justice has finally prevailed within the lordships judgment, not just for me, but for all of the other little people that have been silenced or obstructed by institutional power.

>>23854737

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

“I hope that this judgment, and whatever sanction may follow for the chief constable, serve as an important demonstration that no authority is above the law.”

Her lawyer for the appeal, Marc Livingston, from Janes Solicitors, said: “It is a matter of deep regret that throughout the history of this matter, Northamptonshire police did not appear to have appreciated the position they were in and the duties they owed to the court and my client. It is absolutely astonishing that the scale of their non-compliance only became clear in the two weeks before the appeal hearing, over four years after the incident.”

In a statement Northamptonshire police said: “An apology for the issues has already been given in the shape of the chief constable’s witness statement which has been entered as evidence. We acknowledge we fell short in terms of providing the body-worn footage in a timely fashion and our failure to locate further missing footage when asked.

“The matter has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).”

The hearing to decide punishment will be held on 20 November.

>>23743702

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdegpepg6n7o

Detention centre guard a 'prolific sex offender'

Peter Harris

12 November 2025

An officer at a notorious detention centre for young offenders was "possibly the most prolific sex offender in British history", an inquiry has concluded.

Neville Husband was jailed in 2003 for abusing five teenagers at Medomsley in County Durham, with a further 338 sexual offences attributed to him in the inquiry's report.

Hundreds of young men were physically and sexually attacked by prison staff from 1961 to 1987. A Prisons and Probation Ombudsman report lists a string of missed opportunities by the Home Office, police and prison managers to stop the abuse.

Durham Police has apologised to the victims. The Ministry of Justice also apologised on "behalf of all governments, past and present".

The report said inmates who had complained were not believed and were effectively left to report abuse to the people who had assaulted them.

It warned what had happened was a "cautionary tale" and the mistreatment of the vulnerable was "still an issue" throughout the youth custody estate.

Medomsley housed young men aged 17-21 for periods of three or six months for often low-level offending.

It was intended to give inmates a "short, sharp, shock" but the investigation found physical violence and summary punishments were endemic.

Sexual assaults often centred on the institution's kitchen, where guard Husband is said to have raped young inmates. He was later convicted of sex offences and died in 2010.

Chief Constable Rachel Bacon said the report made for "extremely difficult reading" and exposed "shameful failings by police at that time".

"On behalf of Durham Constabulary I wish to publicly offer my sincerest apologies to those victims and their families for those failures," she said.

"Thousands of young men were let down by the system and are continuing to live with the wounds left by that abuse. Those victims were, and remain, our primary concern."

'Extent of the horrors'

In the report, ombudsman Adrian Usher said: "I have chosen to omit many of the most heinous details of… abuse but I believe it is necessary to include enough to make clear the extent of the horrors that some of those young men endured."

The report said

police dismissed allegations of abuse without even recording them and would threaten inmates with being sent back to Medomsley if they persisted

leadership staff were either aware of abuse and therefore complicit, or lacked curiosity and were therefore incompetent

victims had never had a public apology – and all bodies should "examine their organisational consciences"

the deaths of two young inmates, within a few months of each other in 1981-2, were "arguably avoidable"

>>23854927

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

Some of those who served time at Medomsley said the experience haunted them to this day.

Peter Toole, from Newcastle, was sent there in 1985.

"You weren't even in for a minute and the abuse started," he said. "I just thought 'this is it, this is Medomsley, just get on with it and take it on the chin'."

Jimmy Coffey went to Medomsley when he was 18 in 1979.

"For that first week I was there, I was just continually seeing violence and cruelty and spitefulness," he said. "I still have problems now with flashbacks."

Mr Usher said that in "all likelihood" Husband was sexually abusing vulnerable young men for his "entire professional life".

He said there were allegations against him at Portland prison before he was posted to Medomsley, but those were "not investigated properly".

"They weren't dealt with, and had they been, the hundreds of victims that he subjected to appalling sexual violence at Medomsley would never have happened," Mr Usher said.

He added there were further allegations against Husband when he went to work at HMP Deerbolt and HMP Frankland.

"He was prolific and in the entirety of that time he became confident that he would never be caught," Mr Usher said.

"He was an arch manipulator, a powerfully-built man, who bullied not only the detainees, but also the staff. "

Mr Usher said that Husband remaining undetected for that long "required the silence of many", including members of staff, who were "aware that there was something very seriously wrong in the kitchens".

"Jokes were made about it amongst staff and is some cases detainees were warned by members of staff not to apply for jobs in the kitchens," he said.

Mr Usher also said the regional management of Medomsley and the board of visitors were "entirely ineffective", with evidence showing visits were more "social", rather than "trying to dig behind the regime that was being delivered and find out what's actually going on".

The inquiry, which was ordered by the Ministry of Justice, said Medomsley had existed for 26 years "effectively beyond the reach of the law".

As well as Husband's later convictions, storeman Leslie Johnson was jailed in 2005 for sex attacks on inmates, while other guards were jailed for physical assaults and misconduct in a public office.

In an open letter Labour Under-Secretary for Justice Jake Richards apologised on behalf of the government and said he would create a panel of experts to identify where changes were needed in youth custody safeguarding.

"I want to recognise that none of this would have come to light without those who bravely came forward to report the abuse," he said.

"Please be assured that ministers and government officials are taking this extremely seriously and we will put the voice of victims at the centre of our work moving forward.

"I know these words cannot change what has happened in the past, but I hope they demonstrate this government's determination to take proper action."

>>23845762

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c891jp9j79do

Trump says he will take legal action against BBC over Panorama edit

Helen Sullivan

15 November 2025

Updated 13 minutes ago

US President Donald Trump has said he will take legal action against the BBC next week over how his speech was edited by Panorama, after the corporation apologised but refused to compensate him.

Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Friday evening, Trump said: "We'll sue them for anywhere between a billion and $5bn probably sometime next week."

On Friday, the BBC said the edit of the 6 January 2021 speech had unintentionally given "the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action".

The BBC apologised but said it would not pay financial compensation.

Trump said he would discuss it with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the weekend.

Earlier this week Trump's lawyers threatened to sue the BBC for $1bn in damages unless the corporation issued a retraction, apologised and compensated him.

Trump's lawyers had given the BBC a deadline of 22:00 GMT (17:00 EST) on Friday 14 November to respond, which it did.

The controversy led to the resignations of BBC director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness on Sunday.

Searches of public court record databases earlier showed no legal action had been filed so far.

Federal and state courts in Florida, where a case would likely be filed, are now closed for the weekend.

Based on Pacer searches for federal cases related to the BBC, no case filed by the Trump administration has been filed.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated shortly.

Related topics

Donald Trump

>>23743702

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgkxvjj054o

Man admits sex offences against boys at summer camp

Caroline Lowbridge

14 November 2025

A man who laced sweets with tranquilliser and gave them to children at a summer camp in Leicestershire has admitted sexual offences against two boys under 13.

Jon Ruben was arrested after eight children and one adult fell ill at Stathern Lodge in July.

The 76-year-old, from Ruddington in Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.

However, he denied one of the sexual offences he was charged with, which was against a boy under 13.

Prosecutors have been given two weeks to consider if they will proceed with this charge, meaning Ruben could still stand trial.

He was remanded in custody ahead of a further hearing on 28 November.

'Sweet game'

Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, outlined Ruben's offending to the court.

She said his victims were under-privileged children who were staying at a summer camp that he ran.

"The defendant, for at least 27 years, has run a holiday camp," she said.

"There is a long history of children feeling sick at the camp over many years."

Ruben played a "sweet game" with the children, Mrs Prior KC said, in which he would go into the boys' rooms when they were getting ready for bed and ask them to eat sweets "as quickly as they can".

She told the court Ruben had played this game with the boys "for many years", and children had previously fallen ill the following morning.

She said Ruben had been able to explain this away as the children being "overwrought by enjoyment", until his stepson had concerns in July 2025.

Mrs Prior KC added: "This year his stepson had concerns about what was going on, for good reason.

"They decided to have a look in the defendant's belongings."

Mrs Prior KC said items including baby oil, Vaseline and syringes were found, and his stepson notified the police about his concerns.

She said Ruben went on to play the "sweet game" with six boys that night - Saturday 26 July - and they were all ill the following morning.

"The police had not gone out by that stage," she added.

The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), previously told the BBC it was investigating Leicestershire Police's handling of the incident.

Mrs Prior KC said the children were having difficulty walking due to being ill, so Ruben's stepson called the police again.

She said Ruben then played the "sweet game" in a room of five children.

Mrs Prior KC said police did then attend, and Ruben was arrested at a nearby pub, where he was having a meal with some of the children.

She said eight of the children were taken to hospital, with five of them being "very ill".

Devices belonging to Ruben were later analysed and were found to contain more than 50 category A indecent videos of children, which are the most serious kind.

Category B and C videos were also found.

The 17 charges admitted by Ruben were:

One count of sexual assault of a child under 13

One count of assault of a child under 13 by penetration

Eight counts of cruelty to a person under 16 years, in relation to eight separate victims

One count of acquiring or possession of dutiable goods, namely temazepam, by fraudulent intent

Three counts of possession of a class C drug, namely flubromazolam, diazepam and temazepam

Three counts of making indecent photographs of children

Temporary Det Ch Insp Neil Holden said: "This has been a horrific, complex and emotional investigation involving multiple young, innocent, vulnerable victims and a man who committed the vilest crimes.

"Our focus today must of course remain on the young victims and with the support of partners and dedicated family liaison officers, we have and continue to support their welfare and to ensure their safeguarding going forward."

>>23743710

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crklvg0z85jo

Judges say Scottish courts are risking right to fair trial in sex cases

David Cowan

12 November 2025

A landmark ruling by the UK Supreme Court could trigger multiple legal challenges by men convicted of sexual offences in Scotland.

Five judges have ruled that Scotland's courts have taken an approach to evidence which risks depriving a defendant of their right to a fair trial.

The Supreme Court had been considering the case of two men, David Daly and Andrew Keir, who were appealing against convictions for rape.

The court dismissed their appeals and said they had received fair trials – but ruled that Scotland's courts should change their approach to the admission of evidence in such cases.

That is expected to result in claims that some cases dating back to 2017 were miscarriages of justice, although it's impossible to say exactly how many will reach the appeal court or whether they will be successful.

Daly and Keir had argued that their right to a fair trial was infringed because they were unable to lead evidence or question the complainers about their credibility or previous sexual behaviour.

While rejecting their appeals, the Supreme Court said the courts had a duty to modify their approach to be compatible with Article 6, external of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Law Society of Scotland welcomed the judgement but Rape Crisis Scotland described the ruling as "a real step backwards".

There have been attempts in recent years to tackle long-standing concerns over the low conviction rate in rape and sexual offence cases.

The Supreme Court said evidence about a complainer's credibility or previous or subsequent sexual behaviour was almost always excluded from trials for sexual offences in Scotland.

It said this approach "is liable to result in violations of defendants' rights to a fair trial under article 6 of the Convention", which guarantees that a defendant can present a full defence to the charges they face.

"To do this, the defendant needs to be able to call evidence to establish his defence and to challenge the evidence called by the prosecution," said the Supreme Court.

"Excessive restrictions on the evidence or questioning which may be led at trial can therefore be incompatible with the right to a fair trial."

Intrusive questions 'inevitable'

The judges said that to enable a fair trial to take place, it may be "inevitable" that a complainer would have to be asked some intrusive questions.

"In our adversarial criminal justice system, by pleading not guilty, the defendant is necessarily challenging the complainer's version of events," said the ruling.

"The defence should consequently be able to seek to undermine the credibility of the complainer's testimony, and to rely on evidence of her behaviour, sexual or non-sexual, before or after the events in question if it is relevant to the question of consent."

The judges also said that the interests of complainers were "important and must be given proper weight".

"The law must therefore ensure that any intrusion into a complainer's privacy is no more than is necessary to ensure that the defendant receives a fair trial," they said.

"The courts should not allow the jury's fact-finding process to be distorted by the admission of evidence whose probative value to the defence is outweighed by the risk which its admission presents to the proper carrying out of that process."

A Scottish government spokesperson said they noted the ruling and were working with criminal justice partners to understand the impact of the judgement.

The spokesperson said: "The law, rightly, has provisions in place to protect complainers in sexual offences cases from irrelevant, intrusive questioning about their sexual history or character within the context of ensuring a fair trial to the accused."

Tony Lenehan KC, vice dean of the Faculty of Advocates, said: "I don't think it's a seismic change.

"Juries were not being trusted to use their common sense.

"The judgement today allows judges greater freedom to say to the jury, you are trusted now to look at these facts but we'll give you guidance on how you can use them, and how you must not abuse those facts."

>>23861826

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

The Law Society of Scotland's president, Patricia Thom, said Scotland had worked hard to ensure complainers in sex offence cases were protected "from unjustified intrusive questioning" while also upholding the accused's right to present a full and proper defence.

But she said that in recent years, many in the legal profession had "become concerned that the approach in some cases did not reflect that intended by parliament, resulting in accused persons being denied the right to present potentially relevant evidence at trial.

"It is now clear that Scottish courts will need to revise their approach in these cases and return to the system agreed by the UK and Scottish Parliaments, giving trial judges greater discretion to decide what questions may or may not be asked."

Sandy Brindley, chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, said it was a "real relief" that the appeal cases had been rejected - but voiced concerns over the comments in the judgement.

She said: "There is a real worry that this could lead to more appeals happening, and that can be really frightening and anxiety-provoking for survivors.

"The possibly of having your sexual history dragged up in court really could put women off reporting.

"I think there is a real worry about what does this mean for future cases and women's confidence in the justice process in Scotland."

She said the move was a "real step backwards" and that a complainer's right to privacy must be considered as well as the right to a fair trial.

>>23743704

>>23743716

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-john-swinney-face-36273699

Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney face Covid Inquiry D-Day as they are accused of 'deliberate cover up'

The UK Covid Inquiry will publish its second module on Thursday - with this expected to include scrutiny of the SNP Government's decision-making during the pandemic.

David Walker

19 NOV 2025

Scrutiny of Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney's actions during the coronavirus pandemic will finally be published on Thursday - with the Covid Inquiry Module 2 ‘Core UK decision-making and political governance’ coming out at 4pm. The Inquiry sat in Edinburgh for three weeks in January 2024, with the former First Minister driven to tears by questioning by lawyers and Baroness Hallett.

She was forced to deny that she attempted to use the pandemic to further the case for breaking up the UK - even though this was discussed by her Cabinet. And she was slated for deleting all of her informal correspondence relating to how she made decisions about restrictions and public health.

Scotland differed from England when it came to some rules and restrictions, including the former First Minister locking down the country during the festive period in 2021 and Hogmanay 2022 when the UK Government had barely any restrictions, with this being an overreaction to the Omicron variant.

Ms Sturgeon also promised to keep all of her messages and to hand them over to an Inquiry but had already deleted them when she vowed this on live TV. It meant that the Inquiry had to rely on correspondence kept by others to find out why decisions were made north of the border.

Another major scandal which befell the SNP Government was when it allowed hospital patients to be sent back to care homes without testing them for Covid. The deadly disease ran rampant through care homes and Scotland's most vulnerable people during the early months of the pandemic.

Scottish Lib. Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton highlighted some of the more bizarre rules put in place by Ms Sturgeon in a column for the Edinburgh Evening News as he wrote: "I want to believe that there was a scientific rationale as to why it was OK to sit in a hospitality venue with your mask off, but you had to put it on when you got to your feet, but I don’t think there ever was.

"In private messages discussed at the Inquiry, the First Minister and her chief of staff even admitted that decisions over whether there should be a curfew for hospitality of 6pm or 8pm were 'so random.' That hardly feels as if decisions were being guided by a solid grounding in clinical evidence.

"That matters, because the Scottish Parliament had bestowed unprecedented levels of power on ministers Any suggestion they were making it up as they went along, risks undermining public confidence in the measures we are asked to adopt in a future crisis."

SNP Ministers at the time also held clandestine "Gold Command" meetings which were never minuted and included discussions about Covid restrictions. But even Mr Swinney admitted to deleted his messages, as did former National Clinical Director Jason Leitch.

Mr Cole-Hamilton added: "Under Nicola Sturgeon and her deputy John Swinney decisions over the restrictions under which we all lived and sadly too many of us died were taken at high level ‘Gold Command’ meetings that were not minuted or in WhatsApp groups that were routinely and deliberately deleted.

"For me that opacity, that deliberate covering up of life and death decisions represents perhaps the biggest scandal in the history of Scottish devolution. I am sure the inquiry will do their best to get to the bottom of how decisions were taken but I fear the erasure of those messages will forever rob bereaved families of the answers that even now they are still searching for. That is unforgivable."

A spokesman for the First Minister refused to comment due the report being published on Thursday, with Kate Forbes scheduled to make a statement at Holyrood on the same day.

>>>23743720

>

>>Updated Royals Bun

https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/2136648/queen-elizabeth-epstein-client-files

Queen Elizabeth II was a 'client' of Jeffrey Epstein, bombshell document claims

The late Queen Elizabeth II was one of Jeffrey Epstein's "clients", according to the newly released Epstein files.

Emily Wright

Nov 22, 2025

The late Queen Elizabeth II was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s “clients”, it's been claimed in the newly-released Epstein emails. According to one of the roughly 23,000 documents from the Epstein estate released by the House Oversight Committee last week, Nobel Prize-winning scientist Murray Gell-Mann said that he was “under the impression that Epstein's clients include the Queen of England”.

“Both [Martin] Nowak and [Alan Morton] Dershowitz were thrilled to find themselves shaking the hand of a man named ‘Andrew’ in Epstein's house,” the file reads, referring to the Austrian-born professor of maths and biology at Harvard University and the American lawyer and law professor, respectively. “‘Andrew’ turned out to be Prince Andrew, who subsequently arranged to sit in the back of Dershowitz's law class.”

The files also include claims that Epstein provided financial advice to the late Queen. According to another one of the documents from the Epstein estate, released by the House Oversight Committee last week, Mr Gell-Mann said he

“understood that Epstein had given the Queen financial advice”.

Murray Gell-Mann, who died in May 2019, received the 1969 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions and discoveries regarding the classification of elementary particles and their interactions. In his 1994 book, "The Quark and the Jaguar: Adventures in the Simple and the Complex," Gell-Mann acknowledged financial support from Jeffrey Epstein, who contributed through the Santa Fe Institute.

In 2003, he contributed to The First Fifty Years, a collection of birthday greetings for Epstein. Then, in 2011, he reportedly attended the “Mindshift Conference” on Epstein's private island. His name also appeared in Epstein’s so-called “black book” of personal addresses listing his close contacts.

The same Epstein file reveals that at the turn of the millennium, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Ghislaine Maxwell - who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking and other offences in connection with Epstein - “were hardly ever apart, enjoying eight different jaunts together in the space of a year”. According to the document, they holidayed together in Palm Beach, visited a New York fashion show and attended a fundraiser for the London Symphony Orchestra in the city a month later.

“In the autumn, Andrew flew to New York, where he and Ghislaine were spotted together,” the file said, adding that just before Christmas, “Andrew gave a house party at Sandringham to mark Ghislaine's 39th birthday”.

They then holidayed together again in Phuket, Thailand, in January 2001.

>>23889831

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

“What was going on? Was it a romance? No, said informed sources. Because on at least five of the eight occasions when Andrew and Ghislaine were together, Jeffrey Epstein was there as well.”

Several documents also revealed that Andrew invited both Epstein and Maxwell to the late Queen’s birthday party in 2000. According to one document, in 2000, “Epstein had been invited to Windsor Castle to celebrate the queen's birthday.

“Six months later, Epstein flew to Sandringham, the queen's estate in Norfolk, England, for a party Prince Andrew threw for Ghislaine's thirty-ninth birthday.”

The Express contacted Buckingham Palace and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s press teams for comment. Buckingham Palace declined to comment and the Express received no reply from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

This revelation comes as US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday (November 20) that he had signed a bill ordering the release of files relating to Epstein by the US Justice Department.

“I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” he said in a Truth Social post on Thursday, before claiming that the Democrats had “used” the issue to distract from his party’s “AMAZING Victories”.

It comes after the Senate sent the proposed legislation to the president’s desk, after it cleared the House of Representatives on Tuesday in a vote of 427 in favour and one against, by a strong Trump supporter, Republican Representative Clay Higgins of Louisiana. He argued that the release could reveal and threaten “thousands of innocent people” who may have talked to investigators about allegations against Epstein.

The Justice Department now has 30 days to publicly share all information from federal investigations into Epstein. However, it can withhold files that relate to active criminal investigations or those that are deemed to invade personal privacy.

>>23881675

>>23743704

>>23743716

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-slated-impeding-uk-36281135

Nicola Sturgeon slated for 'impeding' UK Covid Inquiry through deleting WhatsApps - and secretive Gold Command meetings reduced government 'transparency'

The former First Minister was criticised in the UK Covid Inquiry report for sidelining her advisers and Ministers and instead taking important decisions with just a small group, including John Swinney.

David Walker

20 NOV 2025

Nicola Sturgeon was slated in the UK Covid Inquiry report for using private phones and WhatsApp for government business - with this "impeding" the probe into the Scottish Government. The former First Minister's secretive "Gold Command" meetings were also criticised for reducing "transparency."

Baroness Hallett did find that there was no evidence that either government "allowed political considerations to affect their pandemic-related decision-making". SNP Ministers were accused at the time of using the pandemic to push for Scottish independence.

On care homes, with Ms Sturgeon allowing residents to leave hospitals and back into care homes without being tested, leading to thousands of deaths, the Inquiry found that "limited choices were available in the spring of 2020, given the risk of hospitals being overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients, the risk of those remaining in hospital being infected by Covid-19 and the testing capacity that existed at that time. However, there was inadequate testing capacity because there had been inadequate planning."

The former First Minister, her Deputy John Swinney and leading medical figures like Jason Leitch and Sir Gregor Smith, all admitted deleting their informal correspondence during the pandemic. Their use of personal phones and messaging apps, like WhatsApp, was criticised.

Hallett's report stated: "Key decision-makers such as Ms Sturgeon and Mr Swinney used private phones for official business throughout the pandemic and to discuss aspects of the response…The use of instant communication channels as part of decision-making processes can compromise that decision-making. It risks decisions being made without decision-makers being properly sighted on all relevant matters and in the absence of sufficient advice.”

She added: “The use of private channels also makes official record-keeping of decision-making more difficult and less reliable, which is likely to undermine external scrutiny of decision-making, transparency and, ultimately, public accountability. The ability of government to comply with its legal obligations (including those under the Public Records Act 1958) in response to freedom of information requests, during court processes and in the work of public inquiries may also be impeded.”

Ms Sturgeon's use of a "Gold Command" top team also reduced the transparency of the Scottish Government's decision making. These meetings were not minuted, with her insisting that they were not "decision-making meetings" - but the report rejects this, saying the use of this informal group "diminished the role of the Scottish cabinet and reduced the transparency of decision-making".

It said: "It also deprived decision-makers of a wide range of views. The Scottish Cabinet frequently became a decision-ratifying body, not the ultimate decision-making body.” It impacted the "important decision" to close schools, with this being decided by Ms Sturgeon and Mr Swinney.

Lady Hallett wrote: "Although the situation was rapidly deteriorating, the Cabinet should have been sufficiently agile and engaged to play its central role in decision-making and not be sidelined in this way.” It also looks at the fact that Ms Sturgeon front 98% of the government briefings broadcast to the public, suggesting that sharing the burden of communications would "reduce the risk of polarisation among members of the public".

The report also blasted the poor relationship between Ms Sturgeon and Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It said: “The perception on the part of both the UK government and Scottish Government that the pandemic response was being used for political ends hindered intergovernmental relations between them at a time when trust between the administrations was paramount.

“In a future emergency, leaders of each of the four nations should seek to minimise political division and prioritise collective working in the public interest….There was a particular, constant tension and degree of lack of trust between the UK and the Scottish governments at the highest level.

>>23893847

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

“This was due largely to the personal and political antipathy between Mr Johnson and Ms Sturgeon, which influenced, in part, Mr Johnson’s decision not to chair the four-nations meetings. This was also not conducive to effective intergovernmental relations or to good decision-making, and therefore it was not in the interests of the people of the UK. It is self-evident that, in any future pandemic, political antipathies or discord need to be set aside to better address the exigencies of the emergency."

More criticism of Ms Sturgeon revolved around her aim of eliminating the virus from Scotland. It was described as "inappropriate and destined to fail in the light of an open border with England and there being no agreement with the UK government to close it. The references by Ms Sturgeon and others to elimination of the virus from Scotland might have created the impression for the public that life could return to normal."

Reaction

Critics highlighted the secretive nature of the SNP during the pandemic. Scottish Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: "The then-First Minister told journalists in 2021 that nothing would be off limits in providing evidence to a public inquiry. But we now know that both her and the current First Minister, John Swinney, deliberately deleted WhatsApp messages, seemingly under official guidance to dodge freedom of information requests in the future, and they have taken no responsibility for those actions.

"Moreover, no minutes were kept of the Gold Command meetings between Ministers and senior advisers. The Scottish Inquiry counsel said 'it made it difficult to understand what precisely the ultimate decision-making process is when there's no record of how those decision were ultimately taken."

Scottish Labour Deputy leader Jackie Baillie added: "We know that the Scottish Government were not prepared and failed to take action quickly enough. We know that hospitals were emptied of older people who were sent to care homes untested when they were Covid positive which led to a devastating 4,000 deaths.

"We know that the impact on vulnerable and disadvantaged groups was simply not considered. And we know that John Swinney downgraded the results of working class kids based on their postcode but what we know today is that most of the Cabinet was sidelined.

"They weren't included in decision-making, there were no minutes taken, and there was wholesale deletion of WhatsApp messages by Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney." She urged Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes to apologise to the families who lost loved ones.

She responded: "Mistakes were made and lessons must be learned. Our decisions were entirely focused on fighting the pandemic." She highlighted that the government has brought in new rules banning the use of WhatsApps on government phones, and defended Gold Command meetings as not being decision making bodies.

>>23893847

>>23893848

>>23881675

>>23743704

>>23743716

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/secretive-snp-government-waste-nearly-36223047

Secretive SNP Government 'waste' nearly £100k of taxpayer cash fighting to withhold documents in Nicola Sturgeon scandal

Exclusive: The Scottish Government has taken the Scottish Information Commissioner to court repeatedly to block the release of potentially damning documents regarding the botched probe into Alex Salmond, and what Nicola Sturgeon knew.

David Walker

11 NOV 2025

The Scottish Government has been blasted for "wasting" nearly £100k of taxpayers cash on battling to withhold vital documents, and ignoring freedom of information legislation. John Swinney has repeatedly insisted his SNP administration will be beacons of "transparency" but words have not been followed up by actions.

Instead, SNP Ministers have been embroiled in numerous secrecy scandals in recent years, including deleting Covid correspondence after promising not to, and refusing to publish details about the Alex Salmond misconduct inquiry, even though it was ordered to by the Scottish Information Commissioner.

The Scottish Daily Express can reveal that the government has spent £85k on court cases contesting Scotland's transparency watchdog in the last five years. The majority of costs come from cases involving Benjamin Harrop who is seeking documentation regarding the probe into whether Nicola Sturgeon breached the ministerial code.

A bill of about £75k has been spent on this lengthy court battle which remains unfinished as it is due to be heard by judges again next year. The applicant wants all the communications surrounding the decision to contest the Commissioner in court to block the release of James Hamilton's evidence he gathered about about Ms Sturgeon.

SNP Ministers were already soundly beaten in December 2023 after insisting it didn't hold Mr Hamilton's report into whether the former First Minister breached the ministerial code. It took the Court of Session mere seconds to decide this was not the case, but the government have continued to withhold the document by relying on other loopholes within freedom of information legislation.

It was already forced into publishing the legal advice it took before it lodged its previous appeal about the James Hamilton evidence. The damning publication revealed that lawyers warned them that they would probably lose the case but £75k of taxpayer cash was spent on going ahead with it anyway.

Mr Hamilton found that it was up to MSPs to decide whether Ms Sturgeon had breached the ministerial code when she failed to tell the Salmond Inquiry when she first found out about sexual misconduct allegations against her predecessor as she claimed she had forgotten about a meeting with his chief aide Geoff Aberdein.

Some of those close to this probe believe that Mr Swinney is purposely blocking the release of this report because it paints him in a bad light as well. He survived a vote of no confidence in March 2021 after being accused of failing to publish all the legal advice the government had received on the matter.

The other £9k spend was from the government battling the Commissioner and James W Hunter who demanded the release of correspondence between the SNP Executive and the Royal Family on independence. It can't be released due to rules surrounding the private matters of Buckingham Palace.

But the government's lack of transparency was blasted by rivals. Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser told the Scottish Daily Express: “This is another example of how the secretive SNP love squandering taxpayers’ cash while trying to protect their own reputation.

“They appeared hellbent on trying to defend Nicola Sturgeon’s actions during the Alex Salmond inquiry to the point the commissioner had to force them into agreeing for documents to be released. SNP ministers shouldn’t have to be dragged kicking and screaming into being transparent. The public deserve answers before their money is wasted time and time again.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Given the range and importance of its responsibilities, the Scottish Government becomes involved in legal cases from time to time. Legal costs, like all other costs, are subject to rules about public finance decision-making and accountability.”

>>23743704

>>23743716

>>23743718

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/covid-inquiry-saw-no-evidence-36289778

Covid Inquiry 'saw no evidence' of the SNP's Scexit push… because Sturgeon and Swinney deleted it all

Special report: Baroness Heather Hallett noted that the SNP Cabinet agreed to restart the independence campaign 'as early as 30 June 2020' … but any evidence not included in Cabinet minutes or a handful of WhatsApps has been lost

Ben Borland

22 NOV 2025

A careful use of language by Baroness Heather Hallett means the devastating claim that Nicola Sturgeon used the pandemic to push for Scottish independence still cannot be ruled out.

The UK Covid Inquiry published the minutes of an SNP Cabinet meeting held at St Andrew's House in Edinburgh at the end of June 2020, where ministers agreed to consider restarting the push for Scexit and indyref2.

Baroness Hallett noted that "as early as 30 June 2020, the Scottish Cabinet had agreed that: 'Consideration should be given to restarting work on independence and a referendum, with the arguments reflecting the experience of the coronavirus crisis and developments on EU Exit.'"

Despite this, the Chair concluded in her report: "The Inquiry saw no evidence that either the UK government or the Scottish Government allowed political considerations to affect their pandemic-related decision-making."

The phrase "saw no evidence" has been highlighted, as it does not rule out the possibility that such evidence exists but was not seen by the Inquiry – or previously existed, before it was deleted by Ms Sturgeon and other ministers such as John Swinney.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: "I strongly suspect that the missing messages were deliberately deleted because they would have been utterly damning."

The Inquiry ruled that much decision-making was done outside Cabinet in the so-called 'Gold Command' meetings, which were unminuted, or even in private phone calls between Ms Sturgeon and Mr Swinney.

They both deleted all of their WhatsApp messages, insisting it was done in line with official policy, although other ministers – such as Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes – did not.

Mr Findlay also pointed out that Liz Lloyd, Ms Sturgeon's close friend and special adviser sought to create a "good old fashioned rammy with the UK Government".

In one of the few WhatsApp exchanges to have survived the cull, Ms Sturgeon replied to Ms Lloyd on November 1, 2020: "Yeah, I get it. And it might be worth doing."

In her report, Baroness Hallett said "some individuals in the UK government undoubtedly perceived that the Scottish Government response was, at least in part, motivated by political considerations".

They included Michael Gove, who said "the Scottish Government… sometimes have an incentive to accentuate the negative in the relationship, because the overall political aim of the SNP is to present the United Kingdom as a dysfunctional state."

'More political than data-driven'

However, the Chair said the former Tory minister acknowledged this as a "minor issue" and overall he believed the "devolved administrations had the public interest first and foremost in mind".

Lord Udny-Lister, who was Downing Street's chief of staff during the pandemic, told the Inquiry the SNP executive "was keen to announce measures either before or after the rest of the UK for reasons which appeared more political than data-driven".

The lack of trust worked the other way too, with Ms Sturgeon describing Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit to Scotland in July 2020 as "some kind of political campaigning tool" to promote the merits of the Union.

However, without any hard evidence, the Inquiry was unable to say that either side had used the pandemic for political gain. Baroness Hallett said: "Plainly, the relationship between Ms Sturgeon and the UK government was poor, and the approach adopted by Ms Sturgeon and Mr Johnson did nothing to improve it.

"The perception on the part of both the UK government and Scottish Government that the pandemic response was being used for political ends hindered intergovernmental relations between them at a time when trust between the administrations was paramount.

"In a future emergency, leaders of each of the four nations should seek to minimise political division and prioritise collective working in the public interest."

Speaking to reporters on a rare visit to the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, Ms Sturgeon said she would deny claims that she acted "in a political way" during the Covid pandemic "to her dying breath."

>>23896762

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

Cabinet of Shame

Scottish Cabinet meeting in St Andrew's House, Edinburgh at 9.30am on, Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Present

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon *

Deputy First Minister John Swinney

Local Government Secretary Aileen Campbell

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman *

Transport Secretary Michael Russell

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf

In attendance

Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans *

Lord Advocate James Wolffe

Parliamentary business minister Graeme Dey

Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith *

Performance director Jennie Barugh

Exit strategy director Dominic Munro

Constitution director David Rogers

Organisational readiness director Shirley Rogers

FM's Principal Private Secretary John Somers *

Head of performance and outcomes Tim Ellis

Head of Cabinet Secretariat James Hynd *

Deputy director of positive futures Mairi Macpherson

Special adviser Ewan Crawford

Special adviser Liz Lloyd

Special adviser Colin McAllister

Special adviser Stuart Nicolson

FM's official spokesperson Aileen Easton

UNCRC Bill team leader, unnamed

PS/special advisers, unnamed

FM Covid briefing unit, Chris Mackie

Economy Covid hub, unnamed

Heaed of intelligence and analysis for negotiations Kieran Watson

Cabinet Secretariat, unnamed

Cabinet Secretariat, unnamed

Those marked with * were present in the room. The others attended by tele-conference

Mr Russell introduced a paper on preparations for the end of the EU Exit transition period on December 31, 2020. At the end of the meeting, Cabinet agreed to a number of points including: "Agreed that consideration should be given to restarting work on independence and a referendum, with the arguments reflecting the experience of the coronavirus crisis and developments on EU Exit."

>>23896762

>>23743704

>>23743716

>>23743718

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clygy5z0zyzo

Sturgeon excluded ministers from Covid decisions, inquiry says

Phil Sim

20 November 2025

Nicola Sturgeon has been criticised for making decisions among a small group of advisers and ministers during the coronavirus pandemic.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry praised the former first minister as a "serious and diligent leader", but said she "often excluded" some government ministers and advisers from key discussions.

Sturgeon said she acted in "good faith" and defended her decision to "lead from the front and make clear that the buck stopped with me".

A report by inquiry chairwoman Baroness Hallett said the Scottish government was too reliant on UK ministers to lead the response to the Covid-19 pandemic and was "significantly under-prepared" for what was to come.

It concluded that the response of all four governments in the UK to the virus "repeatedly amounted to a case of 'too little, too late'".

Baroness Hallett was damning of a "toxic and chaotic culture" at the heart of the UK government and said there was a "lack of trust" between ministers in Edinburgh and London, which she said coloured the approach to decision-making.

She added that strict lockdowns could have been avoided had voluntary restrictions and social distancing been introduced earlier – and that thousands of lives could have been saved by faster action.

No formal minutes

The report, which runs to more than 760 pages, works its way through the events of the pandemic in turn, examining political decision-making.

While it praised Sturgeon's approach to taking responsibility, it identified that ministers and advisers "were often excluded from decision-making", with important choices often made "outside the formal structures" of government.

A "Gold Command" group made up of Sturgeon and senior ministers and advisors - such as her deputy John Swinney - regularly met in advance of Scottish cabinet meetings, without any formal minutes being taken.

Sturgeon told the inquiry that these were "not decision-making meetings" - but the report rejects this, saying the use of this informal group "diminished the role of the Scottish cabinet and reduced the transparency of decision-making".

It highlighted that the decision to close schools in Scotland was taken by Sturgeon and Swinney alone - and that cabinet "should not have been sidelined" in this.

The report said the Scottish cabinet ended up ratifying decisions made elsewhere rather than being the "ultimate decision-making body" - in contrast to the Welsh government approach, where cabinet was "fully engaged throughout the pandemic" and decisions were made by consensus.

It also nods to the fact Sturgeon fronted 98% of Scottish government briefings broadcast to the public, suggesting that sharing the burden of communications would "reduce the risk of polarisation among members of the public".

The report was critical of Boris Johnson's leadership, talking about a "toxic and chaotic culture" at the centre of the UK government.

There were frequent political spats between the Scottish and UK administrations during the pandemic, with both sides claiming the other was trying to further political arguments.

Former Chancellor to the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove claimed that Scottish ministers occasionally viewed decisions "through a political lens" as to whether divergence from the UK approach would further the case for independence.

Missing WhatsApp messages

Meanwhile Sturgeon repeatedly clashed with Johnson, claiming that a visit he made to Scotland in July 2020 was used "as a political campaigning tool" for the Union.

The inquiry said it had found no evidence that either government "allowed political considerations to affect their pandemic-related decision-making".

However it said the relationship between Sturgeon and her UK counterparts was "poor", and that neither side had done anything to improve it.

It said the perception of political manoeuvring "hindered intergovernmental relations at a time when trust between the administrations was paramount".

There was little in the report about the use of WhatsApp by government ministers, despite criticism during the inquiry of the fact messages were routinely deleted.

It noted that Sturgeon would exchange direct messages on X, formerly Twitter, with health expert Prof Devi Sridhar to discuss the pandemic response, and was critical of the use of private channels for such talks.

However, it acknowledged that the Scottish government had since banned the use of mobile messaging apps by ministers, with corporate devices to be used for all official business.

>>23897636

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

Responding to the report, Sturgeon said it was "inevitable" that mistakes would be made due to the "unprecedented and uncertain" nature of the crisis.

"I have no doubt that I made my share of those," she told journalists in the Scottish Parliament.

"And that's a burden I will carry for the rest of my life."

The former first minister said that she made decisions on the "best advice and information" available at the time.

She insisted all ministers played a full part in decision-making, but that she made a "conscious decision" at the start of the pandemic to "lead from the front and to make very clear that the buck stopped with me".

Sturgeon said: "I stand by that decision and if time could be turned back I would make that decision again."

She also stood by her decision to front almost all of the daily briefings as part of her strategy to provide "visible and consistent leadership".

How many deaths could have been avoided?

The report said all four nations failed to take more immediate emergency steps in early 2020, when Covid-19 was beginning to spread worldwide.

The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were described as being "too reliant on the UK government to lead the response", having "failed to adequately conduct their own planning".

It said the Scottish government had "no real strategy" between January and March other than monitoring the spread of the virus.

The report found that by the time the possibility of lockdown was first considered across the UK, it was already too late and had become unavoidable.

It said 23,000 deaths could have been avoided in England alone had sweeping restrictions come in a week earlier.

The report acknowledged that leaders "were presented with unenviable choices" and "had to make decisions in conditions of extreme pressure".

And it said that "in a future emergency, leaders of each of the four nations should seek to minimise political division and prioritise collective working in the public interest".

Baroness Hallett ultimately backed the decisions that governments took to impose a mandatory lockdown - but said this "only became inevitable because of the acts and omissions of the four governments".

And she said the fact these mistakes were repeated later in 2020 was "inexcusable".

Once mandatory restrictions had been imposed at the end of March that year, the report says "none of the four governments had a strategy for when or how they would exit the lockdown".

It says the UK government took a "high-risk" approach to easing restrictions in England that summer, and that the more gradual approach in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had reduced the chances of further lockdowns.

The report also praised the Scottish government for "the quick introduction of stringent, locally targeted measures" in the autumn of 2020.

Ultimately a further lockdown was imposed due to the spread of a new variant of the virus, and the report said "all four governments failed to recognise this threat and did not take action until infection levels were critical".

'Policy of secrecy and cover-up'

Responding to the report, Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser accused the Scottish government of "secrecy and cover-up".

"Nicola Sturgeon promised in 2021 that nothing would be off limits in providing evidence to a public inquiry – yet we know now that both she and John Swinney shamefully deleted their WhatsApp messages in an orchestrated effort to evade scrutiny," he said.

"That's on top of the fact that no minutes were kept of the Gold Command meetings between senior ministers and advisers where the key pandemic decisions were taken."

Scottish Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baillie said it was "clearer than ever" that the Scottish government was not prepared for a pandemic and "failed to take action quickly enough".

She added: "This report cements the central role John Swinney played in the SNP government's pandemic response and it is disappointing that he failed to come to the Parliament to make a statement and take questions on the report himself.

"The first minister owes the people of Scotland a real apology for the decisions he took at this time."

Following publication of the report, John Swinney posted on X: "My thoughts and heartfelt sympathies continue to be with everyone who lost a loved one to Covid-19 and who suffered so much disruption to their lives.

"It is vital we learn lessons and @scotgov will give the inquiry's findings and recommendations full and thorough consideration."

>>23743702

>>23743705

>Updated Government Bloat, Waste, and Abuse Bun

>>23743710

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15322505/Grooming-gang-victims-face-losing-SNPs-failure-act-thats-good-news-predators-inflicted-pain.html

GRAHAM GRANT: Grooming gang victims face losing out because of SNP's failure to act… and that's only good news to the predators who inflicted so much pain

GRAHAM GRANT

24 November 2025

There has been no shortage of inquiries under the SNP – indeed they’ve become the country’s only growth industry.

Endless incompetence has necessitated a steady stream of official probes into any number of controversies – though at the end of them we’re normally none the wiser.

The Covid inquiry is a good example of an exercise that cost many millions and told us what we already knew – that governments made a botched job of handling the pandemic.

Yet when there’s a pressing and inarguable case for an inquiry into a genuine scandal, ministers drag their feet and wheel out the excuses.

This is illustrated by the SNP government’s stubborn refusal to order a probe into grooming gangs which preyed on young girls, subjecting them to horrific sexual abuse.

After much prevarication, a national inquiry has been announced – but the UK Labour government has said it won’t extend to Scotland.

But it’s plain from victims’ accounts in recent weeks that the problem wasn’t confined to England and Wales.

The SNP is under mounting pressure to set up a probe of its own – but it’s seemingly desperate to dodge one.

As the Mail revealed on Saturday, the ongoing Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI) has the ability to investigate allegations of grooming of children in care in living memory.

A nod to formidable chairman Lady Smith could lead to grooming gangs being added to its workload, and that could have happened many months ago.

Its remit could be extended to look at the targeting of victims who were not in care, but again this has yet to be done. We’re told the reason is that it would hold up the work of the inquiry, set up a decade ago, and of course it would increase the bill for taxpayers (we revealed yesterday that the current price-tag for the SCAI is more than £100million).

Stung by criticism of the sheer number and sky-high costs of statutory probes on its watch, the SNP is loath to create another, even if it would be relatively straightforward – as the means to investigate already exists.

This raises some uncomfortable questions for the Nationalists, as it creates the impression that certain scandals are worthy of examination and others are not.

Yet there’s no denying the extent of the victims’ suffering – children as young as ten were plied with drugs, raped, tortured and passed around by men, mostly of Pakistani heritage.

>>23903261

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

There’s more than a suspicion that in England, and perhaps in Scotland, the fear of being branded racist has proved to be a block to setting up police probes and public inquiries.

It was seen as simply too sensitive, so the problem was swept under the carpet and it took many years to get justice in the courts for many of the victims.

In June, Baroness Louise Casey, who produced an audit on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse in England and Wales, said the ethnicity of people involved in grooming gangs had been ‘shied away from’ by authorities.

There was an apparent institutional aversion to an inquiry south of the Border – which held firm until ministers were forced to order one after intensive lobbying by survivors and their MPs.

You might recall that John Swinney and the SNP government spent a lot of time (and our money) on the failed Named Person initiative, which aimed to appoint a state guardian for every child in Scotland – even those yet to be born.

Humza Yousaf even alleged that opponents of the Named Person plan were actually putting children’s lives at risk.

Yet when it comes to an inquiry into the predators who targeted vulnerable young girls, the SNP appears to be turning a blind eye.

Last week Justice Secretary Angela Constance was accused of misrepresenting an expert’s opinion, in an apparent bid to stick to the SNP line that no grooming gangs inquiry is needed.

Ms Constance said Professor Alexis Jay – who wrote the report on the Rotherham grooming scandal – had said she didn’t back a Scottish inquiry, but it has since emerged she was misquoted.

Spin and distortion are to be expected from Ms Constance, the minister in charge when the SCAI was set up to ‘shine a light in the dark corners of the past’ (she was Education Secretary at the time).

You’d think she might have been fully aware that its remit would have allowed it to look at grooming – and if she wasn’t, why not?

If she was, and has sat on her hands, then why didn’t she or her colleagues act long before now?

Their inaction has compounded the pain and distress of victims who feel – understandably – that government has badly let them down.

Harrowing testimony from one of them was reported in the Scottish Mail on Sunday at the weekend.

Speaking for the first time about her ordeal, a 35-year-old woman said she was targeted while in various children’s homes in Edinburgh from the age of 13 and only escaped her tormentors after moving away at 18.

She is the third woman to speak out in a month about abuse suffered at the hands of Scottish grooming gangs.

Also this month, Fiona Goddard, from Bradford, told how she was trafficked to Scotland by Asian men, travelling by taxi and carrying class A drugs.

She was plied with alcohol and drugs and taken to houses in Glasgow and Edinburgh where she was raped.

Figures published earlier this year suggest that 650 cases of ‘child sexual exploitation’ have been recorded in Scotland since 2016, when the category was created on the Child Protection Register after the Rotherham scandal.

Three major police investigations have taken place in Glasgow in the past 15 years.

Officers identified multiple victims, many of them young girls in care, and multiple perpetrators, often described as being from ethnic minority communities.

The reality is that inquiries needn’t be as expensive, or as long-running, as those which have taken place under the SNP. No one in government kept an eye on rapidly escalating costs and timescales, while ministers kept ordering fresh probes.

The overall cost for ongoing public inquiries has topped a quarter of a billion – and it continues to rise. Proper scrutiny would have prevented costs spiralling out of control.

This didn’t happen and now there’s a political row about why we’re having so many inquiries. MSPs have even conducted their own into whether inquiries are worthwhile – which could have been a Yes Minister plot.

The net result is ministers are keen to avoid further criticism on this front, hence the refusal to order a grooming gangs investigation.

So, victims face losing out because of the SNP’s incompetence and mismanagement – an outcome that can only be good news for the child abusers who caused so much pain to countless young women and girls.

>>23743702

>>23743705

>Updated Government Bloat, Waste, and Abuse Bun

>>23743710

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/paedophile-lawyer-allowed-keep-working-36299073

Paedophile lawyer allowed to keep working months after admitting vile crimes

One “disgusted” legal insider called for an urgent probe yesterday after Alan Eccles, from Giffnock, near Glasgow, had his practising certificate renewed despite being sentenced for a string of “despicable” offences in June.

Sally Hind

25 Nov 2025

A paedophile lawyer who engaged in child abuse chat and shared sick images of kids has been allowed to keep working months after admitting his vile crimes.

One “disgusted” legal insider called for an urgent probe yesterday after Alan Eccles, from Giffnock, near Glasgow, had his practising certificate renewed despite being sentenced for a string of “despicable” offences in June.

Eccles, a former lawyer for the Scottish Youth Parliament, was spared jail and sentenced to 300 hours of community service after admitting to engaging in online conversations about the sexual abuse of children.

He also pled guilty to sharing indecent photos of children and an intimate picture of a woman in 2023.

But Law Society of Scotland procedures mean a sentence of less than a year in prison does not trigger a suspension - and he has now had his application to renew his license to operate granted, giving him the right to continue working as a lawyer.

The 44-year-old has an active business website describing him as “caring” and a “consummate professional”.

The procedure allowing Eccles to continue practicing was branded “shameful” by an opposition MSP.

Scottish Conservative shadow minister for victims and community safety Sharon Dowey MSP said: “The public will be appalled to learn that this predatory offender has not only escaped jail but, as a result of his lenient sentence, is able to continue practising law.

“The failure to properly punish him and uphold public safety is shameful.”

In June, Eccles was tagged for eight months as he was handed his community-based sentence at Paisley Sheriff Court, which included a three-year supervision order. He was also added to the sex offenders’ register for three years.

His lawyer John Scullion KC told the court the offences took place when his mental health was poor, saying: “He accepts full responsibility.”

Sheriff Bruce Erroch told first offender Eccles his behaviour was “despicable”.

Eccles’ profile was removed from the Law Society’s pages following his conviction but later reinstated.

Lawyers are charged a fee to renew their practising certificate with the Law Society every year.

The society’s new practise year started this month, with details of Eccles’ Hillington-based business remaining on the register.

>>23905917

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Eccles’ webpage features references from legal professionals, describing him as a “consummate professional”.

Another said: “Alan is caring, empathetic and is dedicated to providing the best outcomes for clients. He has the technical knowledge and professionalism to meet client needs.”

One outraged lawyer said: “The Law Society of Scotland have, this month, renewed Alan Eccles’ practising certificate for the year 2025-2026, just months after you reported that he plead guilty to child sex offences.

“I believe this warrants an investigation. As a practicing solicitor, I will be raising this with Law Society of Scotland myself.

“You can imagine my disgust and dismay.”

Scottish Labour Justice spokesperson Pauline McNeill added: “It is worrying that Alan Eccles is still freely practising law given the appalling crimes he committed.

“It is vital that appropriate safeguards are in place while any appropriate checks and procedures are carried out.”

The Law Society of Scotland’s Executive Director of Regulation, Rachel Wood, said: “Where we have reason to believe that one of our members has not met the high professional standards expected of them we will take action.

“By law, we have powers to suspend a solicitor from practice in limited circumstances, which include where a solicitor has been convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 12 months or more. Other disciplinary measures are available where that threshold is not met but a solicitor is still able to practice pending the conclusion and outcome of the disciplinary process.

“Due to our successful lobbying…we will have enhanced powers to suspend solicitors in the future.

“All complaints against solicitors must be raised with the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission in the first instance. In exceptional cases, we can initiate that process ourselves.

“If the SLCC deems a complaint to be eligible, cases concerning the conduct of a solicitor are passed to us to investigate and we can make a finding of unsatisfactory professional conduct or if appropriate, we will prosecute the solicitor before the independent Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal (SSDT).

“The SSDT decides whether they are guilty of professional misconduct and on any sanction. It can censure, fine or restrict solicitors’ practice. In the most serious cases the SSDT can strike a solicitor off the roll.”

When approached by the Record, Eccles said there was “nothing unusual” that he has a practising certificate.

He added: “I am not aware of any such complaint as you have outlined having been made.”

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/barry-george-appears-court-charged-36311096

Barry George appears in court charged with historic rape from 1987

Barry George, 65, who was cleared of murdering Jill Dando, is charged with rape and indecent assault of a 14-year-old girl

Emma O'Neill & Emily Pennink and Margaret Davis

26 Nov 2025

Barry George, the man previously acquitted of murdering TV presenter Jill Dando, has been brought before the Old Bailey, accused of raping a 14 year old girl 38 years ago.

George, 65, hailing from County Cork in the Republic of Ireland, faces charges of rape and two counts of indecent assault against the same child, who remains anonymous for legal reasons.

The alleged incidents are said to have occurred in the Hammersmith and Fulham area of west London between 6th and 12th September 1987.

On Wednesday, George made an appearance at the Old Bailey via video-link from Dublin for a plea and case management hearing.

Dressed in a black jumper over a white shirt, George only spoke to confirm his name and date of birth.

Judge Mark Lucraft KC agreed to postpone the plea hearing by 12 weeks to Friday, 13th February.

The judge permitted George to attend the upcoming hearing via video link again and granted him continued unconditional bail.

Prosecutor Kate Bex KC proposed adding an additional charge of attempted rape as an alternative to the rape charge.

George was initially arrested on suspicion of murder in 2000, a year after Ms Dando's tragic death.

He was found guilty in 2001, but this conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal in November 2007, and he was subsequently cleared by a jury in August 2008 following a retrial.

Former Crimewatch presenter Ms Dando, aged 37, was one of the BBC's most prominent stars when she was fatally shot outside her home in Fulham, west London, on 26th April 1999.

To date, no one has been convicted of her murder.

>>23725051

https://web.archive.org/web/20250928053723/https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15140157/Scots-patients-forced-electric-shock-treatment-1000-times.html

EXCLUSIVEScots 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.

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’.

>>23906301

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

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.’

>>23906310

"Patient safety is paramount…"

"safe and effective…"

>>23743710

https://news.sky.com/story/man-guilty-of-chasing-police-scotland-officer-with-chainsaw-in-murder-attempt-13475323

Man guilty of chasing Police Scotland officer with chainsaw in murder attempt

PC Gary Cowan said he was "terrified" when he found himself being chased by Liridon Kastrati, 32, in Paisley last year.

25 November 2025

An Albanian man has been found guilty of chasing a police officer with a chainsaw in an attempt to murder him.

Liridon Kastrati, 32, had been accused of attempting to kill four officers, but on Tuesday was convicted of an amended charge of attempted murder in relation to one victim, PC Gary Cowan.

Kastrati additionally faced charges of breach of the peace, stealing a car and motoring offences, however those were withdrawn by the prosecution during a trial at the High Court in Paisley.

Judge Gallacher told Kastrati to expect a "significant penalty" when he is sentenced on 19 December.

PC Cowan, 35, told the court last week that he was "terrified" when he found himself being chased by the defendant in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on 6 May 2024.

Although the amended charge removed reference to a car crash, prosecutors earlier claimed Kastrati rammed a car into a marked police vehicle in the town.

Following the collision, which caused the police car's airbags to inflate, PC Cowan said Kastrati "began to run away".

The officer said he approached the accused with the intention of arresting him, but when he was about 10m away, Kastrati returned to his vehicle and retrieved a chainsaw.

Kastrati was then said to have pursued PC Cowan while shouting "f*** the police".

PC Cowan said: "He was chasing after me with the chainsaw, holding the chainsaw up, running after me."

He added: "I thought if I don't create distance, he is going to kill me."

The officer said he believed Kastrati would "saw my arms off, chop my head off," and that he was "terrified".

During proceedings, the court heard how Kastrati was questioned on the day of the incident without either a solicitor or an Albanian interpreter present, and made reference repeatedly to the collision being a "car accident" when charges were read to him.

Kastrati has been remanded in custody for 18 months since the incident.

Defence lawyer John Scullion KC told the jury on Tuesday: "Mr Kastrati accepts he removes a chainsaw from the car, he swore, he injured PC Cowan, he brandished the chainsaw at other officers during this frightening and distressing incident. You must convict him of those parts."

However, Mr Scullion claimed the police investigation was "flawed" and "lacked neutrality and objectivity".

Following Kastrati's conviction, Judge Gallacher told him: "You have been convicted of a charge which is subject to a number of deletions but remains a very serious charge.

"The law requires I obtain more information upon you, but you may take it the court will in due course impose a significant penalty in relation to this very dangerous incident.

"I cannot do that until I get more information and will in due course get more information from Mr Scullion."

Police Scotland Chief Superintendent Rhona Fraser said: "I want to express my deepest thanks and gratitude to those involved for their bravery and professionalism when faced with such danger and hatred from Kastrati who clearly intended to harm.

"Every officer has the fundamental right to come home from each shift unharmed. No-one should face this deplorable level of criminality and it will not be tolerated."