Alba's Kenny MacAskill calls for Alex Salmond public inquiry
"There can be no cover up in Holyrood or in St Andrew's House. We require to know who did what, what was done, if that impacts upon Alex so be it, but I don't believe it does. I believe it will vindicate him because a manifest injustice was done towards him."
Mr MacAskill was among the mourners for the former First Minister after his death last autumn. (Image: PA) In an exclusive interview published earlier today, Mr MacAskill had told The Herald on Sunday:
"I will not forgive the behaviour of Nicola Sturgeon towards Alex Salmond. And indeed, the lies told by others.
'I've been involved with the independence movement for a long time. Even people in the SNP know that there are individuals who have taken actions that are currently under investigation by the authorities relating to Alex.
'Our position is that we will fully support the authorities in doing their job. That is what it has to be. It doesn't mean you give the SNP a blank cheque. I mean, we rightly criticise."
Read more:
Alba's Kenny MacAskill on party infighting, independence, and Scotland's energy
'I will never forgive Nicola Sturgeon', former Justice Secretary says
'A 1970s tribute act': Alba faces electoral ruin, former party boss warns
Speaking to Mr Ponsonby, Mr MacAskill went on to say that he believed the Scottish Government's stance toward Mr Salmond may have contributed to his untimely death.
He said: "There was a political conspiracy to do down Alex Salmond. I have no doubt that was a factor in his early death.
"He wasn't even 70 but what he had to endure. But he was vindicated in the civil courts with the Scottish Government chastised in the highest court in our land and in the criminal court a jury of his peers exculpated him."
Mr Salmond, 69, died last October while at a conference in North Macedonia.
He had bitterly fallen with former SNP colleagues, including former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, after allegations of sexual misconduct were levelled in 2018.
Mr Salmond was later cleared of 13 charges in a High Court criminal case in March 2020.
A bitter leadership contest between Mr MacAskill and Alba's only MSP Ash Regan resulted in the former being selected for the top spot in March.
Speaking to the Herald on Sunday. Mr MacAskill said: 'It's been a testing occasion for us all. Alex's death was tragic back in October, and now we have had to stabilise the ship.
'It was obviously not simply a loss in terms of the political leadership and the inspiration he gave, but he was a personal friend.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
42 minutes ago
- Scotsman
How Keir Starmer has just signed up to UN 'commitment' that goes against everything Brexit was about
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It is often the small things, the details, that trip politicians up and turn the people against them. Few understood and probably fewer cared about Nicola Sturgeon's zeal for relaxing the process of changing gender in Scotland. Then, once the reality of what it actually meant was illustrated by the ability of a male charged with two rapes to then decide 'he' should become the 'she' called Isla Bryson and thereby be located in a female prison, the public appreciated what the changes could mean. Sturgeon's deputy, John Swinney, and her replacement, Humza Yousaf, both carried on defending the policy even after it became clear the UK Government would stand in their way. Thank you to the then Scottish Secretary of State, Alister Jack, for having the cojones to stand up to the SNP government, and indeed the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, who had also backed the policy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It was telling to see how those advocating gender recognition reform pointed to some similar laws in a few other countries. It is a common enough approach, to say a certain country does something without harm or even to its benefit, as a reason to advocate our country doing the same. Another country's experience can be used as an evidence base – but when the evidence is misrepresented or actually ignored it weakens the case for the change being advocated and for the practice of looking abroad for answers. Keir Starmer, with Foreign Secretary David Lammy sitting behind him, addresses the United Nations Security Council in September last year (Picture: Leon Neal/WPA pool) | Getty Images Higher taxes loom? More worrying than misrepresenting overseas experience is when policies are manufactured not from the ground up but from the gatherings of international political leaders taking top-down decisions in unison. We now learn our Prime Minister has signed up to an agreement formulated by the United Nations that supports further personal and corporate tax rises and the introduction of particular taxes on alcohol, tobacco, vapes and sugar, amongst other things. As if this contracting out of policy to people we did not elect was not bad enough, the UK encouraged and agreed to various 'side-deals' that introduce a commitment to advocate additional or higher taxes in specific areas not covered by the broader agreement. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It all happened in Seville, Spain, last week and is known as the Sevilla Commitment – the result of 192 countries attending a five-day summit, where there would be much arm-twisting and self-serving deals – all out of reach of public accountability. The final text of the deal contains 42 references to taxation. When questioned about the UK's support, a government spokesperson sought to play the matter down by saying that the Sevilla Commitment was not legally binding but simply a general consensus. What utter disingenuous cowardice. Brexit an act of democratic pushback It's a commitment, made with our money but without any consultation or our consent. Surely if politicians are not accountable to the public then their tax rises become legalised theft? If it did not matter to our political elite who attend these summits and conclaves, why agree to the outcome? If there was no intention to act upon the declarations, why even attend? It is having politicians who love the limelight and self-importance of summits and who commit to policies never once considered in the domestic debate that explains how Brexit came about and also the rise of so-called populist parties around the world. Such reactions are democratic pushback against our own political class that seeks solace and support at junkets and jollies then wrapping up objectionable policies in candy floss. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What we are witnessing in parliamentary elections across Europe (and beyond) is a rejection of the patrician disdain and arrogance of our elected betters who have shown time and again they are unfit to take decisions on our behalf. Having worked as an advisor in the field of international development, the idea we should continue with the unfiltered use of development aid – to quote the late Anglo-Hungarian economist Peter Bauer, 'the process by which the poor in rich countries subsidise the rich in poor countries' – is flawed and no amount of special pleading can alter the fact that this well-intentioned but naïve policy has repeatedly failed. Globalisation of democracy This is how globalisation of political action – as opposed to meaning the free trade of goods and services – has taken its grip on democratic parliaments the world over. Take a step back and what we find is there is a concerted effort by a caste of politicians across Europe and around the world who believe our lives should be decided not by accountable democratic processes that work from the bottom up, but from impossibly accountable decisions taken at summits and 'expert' gatherings of multilateral bureaucracies that work top down. The World Health Organisation – a China-influenced multinational body that has a great deal to answer for during the Covid pandemic – is one such example. Not only did it invent new policy that directly contradicted its earlier pronouncements on the efficacy of public health approaches (such its stance on masks) – it influenced directly the actions of governments that felt they had to be seen to be taking the WHO policies seriously. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If we want to understand why Keir Starmer makes easy concessions to Mauritius on Chagos without the consent of Chagossians, never mind UK citizens – and does the same over Gibraltar and Spain – it is his love of international law that is free of any accountability to the people it purports to serve that provides the answer. The solution is to bring back domestic accountability so politicians are responsible for the consequences of their actions. Fortunately there is hope that we can repatriate our political control from the politicians who willingly work to give away our personal and national sovereignty, but it first requires recognising what we are dealing with the loss of sovereign decision making. Ensuring our politicians become fully accountable is the only disinfectant that will remove this poison from our system.
Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
East Kilbride MP blasted for 'leaving disabled in limbo' following Commons welfare vote
Collette Stevenson MSP has said Labour must now apologise to the disabled but Joani Reid MP insists Labour is turning the economy around. Joani Reid MP has again come under fire for voting in favour of Labour's Welfare Bill which her opposers say will leave her disabled constituents in limbo. The Bill had initially proposed to slash eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - a move which the government's own analysis showed would remove support from 800,000 people by the end of the decade – but now promises a 'review' of PIP at the end of 2026. In Scotland, the SNP Government had committed to protect disabled people from these cuts by protecting the Adult Disability Payment, Scotland's equivalent of PIP, from any reductions – though Labour's cut would have had a knock-on impact on Scotland's budget. After months of backlash from disability and anti-poverty groups, an eleventh-hour change to the bill threw the vote into 'chaos and confusion', and resulted in The UK Government promising a review of PIP to be concluded by autumn 2026, which East Kilbride SNP MSP Collette Stevenson says is leaving disabled people in limbo. A revolt by Labour MPs led to 49 of them voting against the motion but that number would have been far higher but for the government making a number of eleventh-hour adjustments to gain support for the Bill. East Kilbride SNP claimed the Labour cuts would push hundreds of thousands of disabled people into poverty, hitting the most vulnerable hardest. Collette Stevenson has said Labour must now apologise to disabled people for keeping them in limbo. The MSP said: "This Welfare Bill has been a disaster from the start – Labour have gone from ignoring disabled people to changing the Bill minutes before the vote – that is a total joke, and no way to run a country. 'But by voting for this bill in its amended form, Ms Reid is only making that uncertainty for disabled people worse, by delaying any clarity on PIP until the end of 2026. "Labour have shown their true colours here - any cut to PIP will be devastating for disabled people who rely on these payments to live and work – which is why the SNP pledged to protect these payments here in Scotland. 'With the limited powers of the Scottish Parliament, we can step in to protect disabled people here in East Kilbride and across Scotland – just imagine what we could do with the full powers of independence.' In response, Joani Reid said that reforming welfare to help people "who can and should work" into jobs while protecting those who need help is all part of turning the economy around. 'With Labour the minimum wage is rising, the economy is growing and families can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel on the cost of living crisis as energy costs come down", she said. "Reforming welfare to help people who can and should work into jobs while protecting those who need help is all part of turning the economy around and I am proud of the work Labour is doing. 'But under the SNP government, slavishly supported by Collette Stevenson, the NHS is getting worse, schools are falling behind and promise after promise is being abandoned. 'Now she wants to plunge Scotland back into the chaos and division of another referendum on independence, as though that answers any of the problems our country faces. Nobody outside the SNP wants or needs that. What a colossal waste of time, energy and money that would be.' In a scathing open letter to the MP, East Kilbride South SNP Councillor Geri Gray spoke of her "disgust" at the decision by the granddaughter of veteran trade unionist and socialist Jimmy Reid who led the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders' work-ins during the 1970s. She wrote: "I am disgusted that the granddaughter of the late and legendary Jimmy Reid could vote for the welfare cuts to the sickest and most vulnerable in our society. I have worked in Welfare Rights since before you left high school, and have seen the attacks on disabled people first by the Tories and now by your government. "Have you spoken to any disabled charities or Welfare Rights organisations before you took this decision? Having recently attended a Welfare Rights Conference where Sir Stephen Timms was in attendance via video link, appears there was no discussion at all. "No one is saying that people who are disabled shouldn't be assisted to work, and many do. However where are all these dream jobs? How many employers are going to realistically take on a disabled person who wakes up that morning in pain or with poor mental health and is unable to attend work that day? Employers are running a business, they need their staff. They can only be sympathetic to a point. "So in conclusion Joani Reid, you are using disabled people as an easy source to save money. There are many other sources of income you could have looked at. "Labour were always the party of the 'working class', no longer is this true. And why my previous Labour voting family turned to the SNP over 20 years ago. How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity." A Labour source said: 'Councillor Gray does herself and her party no favours with her bad tempered and inaccurate and personal attack on Joani Reid. "Spending to assist disabled people is rising substantially, something you would expect someone who claims to be an expert on the subject to know, but instead Councillor Gray claims it is being cut. She can do better. 'Nor are the measures she attacks in the Bill.'
Scotsman
4 hours ago
- Scotsman
Scottish ministers accused of 'taking a wrecking ball' to North Sea oil and gas
Opposition parties say the Scottish Government has 'squandered' its just transition fund. Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scottish ministers are being accused of 'taking a wrecking ball' to the North Sea oil and gas industry after a new report shows the government's energy fund has only saved 120 jobs. The just transition fund, created by former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, has spent £43 million in its first two years on 24 projects. However, this has only saved 120 jobs and created a further 110. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Scottish Conservatives say this 'paltry' return on investment will not allay fears within the sector and shows the Scottish Government has 'squandered' this fund. The just transition fund aims to move Scotland away from fossil fuels. | Andrew Milligan/Press Association The report, published by the Scottish Government, said: '[The fund] had supported job creation and reskilling, empowered communities, catalysed private investment, and initiated innovation in green technologies and land restoration.' It added: 'Many of the projects are still in their early phases, and long-term impacts - particularly around carbon reduction, employment retention and supply chain transformation - will take time to materialise. 'Nonetheless, the fund has provided the foundations for economic and environmental change.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The report also notes the fund has helped to leverage £30m in private sector investment and £4.7m from the public sector and charities. The fund aims to spend £500m over 10 years to help Scotland move away from fossil fuels to green renewable energy. However, Douglas Lumsden MSP, the Scottish Conservatives' net zero spokesman, said: 'This paltry return will do nothing to allay the fears of tens of thousands of highly-skilled workers in Scotland's oil and gas sector. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Douglas Lumsden MSP, the Scottish Conservatives' net zero spokesman | supplied 'They know the SNP and Labour are taking a wrecking ball to their industry and this report confirms they have not got a clue how to properly protect jobs for the future. 'Taxpayers will be rightly thinking their money has typically been squandered by the SNP who must urgently shift from their current reckless approach if we are to achieve an affordable transition.'
