The sex scandal unfolding at the very top of the Scottish National Party will surely do untold damage to their already frail hopes of another referendum. Indeed, it's almost certainly the final nail in the coffin of an independent Scotland.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics...d-alex-salmond
He is now being affectionately referred to as Alex Wankstain.
arsenal (August 28th, 2018)
As I have Arsenal blocked I've no idea what he's said (and I've no interest in finding out) so forgive me if I repeat anything he's said already.
Commentators (and moderators) would be best advised to note that no police investigation, arrest, charges, or conviction has taken place. The allegations at this stage emanate from an internal investigation only.
These are two complaints by 2 different women whose anonymity has been (rightly) protected whilst the identity of the accused (as well as the alleged details of ONE of the complaints) has been (I would say unfairly) fed to the media. Fair game you might think, but I personally don't - I believe the accused should have the same right to anonymity as the accusers, up to the point of any conviction. In fact wasn't this recently ruled on in the Cliff Richard case?
The accused person (Alex Salmond) has been under a Civil Service investigation conducted in secret, within which he has been allowed to know only that an investigation has been underway.
He has been unable to see the allegations, challenge the allegations, unable to submit any statement or denial whatsoever, unable to contact any of his Civil Servants at the time to provide witnesses in his defence or to aid a rebuttal or an alibi, and unable even to have access to his diaries to see where he was at a particular time of a particular day.
When the (8 month and secret) investigation was concluded, the Permanent Secretary intimated her intention to publish her findings. We do not know what the findings are, but since the investigation was supposed to be internal and since he'd has no opportunity to contribute, rebut, or deny - Alex Salmond sought an injunction but before that was either granted or denied, he withdrew it and applied for a Judicial Review of the process instead. Instead of then publishing her findings (which would be a Govt document) they were fed to the media instead. Note: the Permanent Secretary has still not published her findings and we have the Kafka-esque situation of Nicola Sturgeon insisting the investigation has "remained confidential" whilst e.g. the Daily Mail on Sunday devoted ELEVEN pages of reportage and character assassination to it. Can't get my head round that one.
The substance of the single allegation which has been published by the media is that (at his residence) he allegedly invited a woman (not a young person by any means) up to his bedroom late at night after a party and that once there he touched her tits and bum. No one else is alleged to have been present.
We are led to believe that this person was so traumatised that she then waited for 5 years before complaining - and then did so just 2 months after a new Civil Service investigation procedure was introduced by the Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Goverment who, it is has been astonishingly revealed, reports not to the First Minister who is the head of that Government, but to the UK Govt (which, in the current constitutional debate is of course their opposition)
Nothing has been said of the second complainer's allegations - but it's fair to observe that it is very convenient to have a second complainant where there can be no corroboration of the first complaint (as Scots law requires) when the alleged incident took place in private with no witnesses. This is the Moorov principle - establishing a pattern of behaviour so that 2 (or more) separate complaints can corroborate each other.
Personally I think the entire thing smells fishier than a box of rotten fish.
We are not living in the 1960's when office secretaries (unacceptably) almost expected to have their bum pinched by the boss - we are in the age when women are well aware of their rights and of what is and is not acceptable behaviour in the workplace.
One has to ask why a mature woman would voluntarily accompany an (intoxicated, we are told) guy to his bedroom after a party had ended and what she might expect to happen when they got there (if anything did).
One also has to question why she kept quiet for 5 years - again, this was not some immature teenager who might be scared into silence - they don't get invited to parties at the First Minister's residence - this must have been either a civil servant, one of his staff, or a guest - who would be someone of some substance.
To date, we know nothing of the "back up" allegation. The media have reported only the first and it's fair to conclude they've gone with the strongest and juiciest as if the reverse was the case then the second would have followed the next day.
It's very tempting to revel in the discomfort of politicians (especially when you're biased against them) - but we do not yet know how this will play out.
I strongly suspect that this case is set to collapse under scrutiny - but not before the required damage has been done. It has all the hallmarks of a set-up.
Whilst the inevitable pile-on ensues, one of the most cogent commentaries has come from an implacable opponent of Alex Salmond and the SNP.
https://www.effiedeans.com/2018/08/w...ents-from.html
I neglected to mention that this alleged happened through her clothes.Originally Posted by scottish-guy
Perhaps he can join his fellow pervert in the Ecuadoran Embassy?
StevieWonders (August 28th, 2018)
You'd be wise to re-read the second sentence of post#3
Sort of my point - the case against Julian Assange is pretty flimsy too
Then neither can fairly be deemed a "pervert" - sort of my point.
Apposite - but then you should know by now I post with my tongue firmly in my cheek - pervert in the ironical sense
In the case of certain members it's easy to tell where the individual keeps his tongue firmly planted, but with others it's sometimes a little more difficult.
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