/qnotables/ - ===Q Notables===

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23025651 (121802ZMAY25) Notable: Final John Swinney Bun / Cutting immigration will 'damage' Scottish economy and hit NHS recruitment, warns John Swinney

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https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/cutting-immigration-damage-scottish-economy-35211814

Cutting immigration will 'damage' Scottish economy and hit NHS recruitment, warns John Swinney

The SNP leader criticised the Prime Minister's choice of language as he announced a plan to restrict immigration - and claimed Starmer was "terrified" of Nigel Farage.

Chris McCall

12 May 2025

John Swinney has warned Keir Starmer's plans to clamp down on immigration will damage Scotland's economy and restrict recruitment to the NHS.

The First Minister spoke out against UK Government plans to "take back control" of UK borders and claimed it ignored the need to increase the working age population north of the Border.

In a major speech, Starmer said he wanted to reduce the number of care workers recruited from overseas and tighten English language requirements for immigrants.

The Prime Minister said: "This plan means migration will fall – that’s a promise."

And he claimed the UK risks becoming an "island of strangers" unless private companies and public institutions end their reliance on cheap labour recruited from abroad.

Starmer continued: "When you have an immigration system that seems almost designed to permit abuse, that encourages some businesses to bring in lower paid workers rather than invest in our young people, or simply one that is sold by politicians to the British people on an entirely false premise, then you are not championing growth.

"You are not championing justice or however else people defend the status quo. You’re actually contributing to the forces that are slowly pulling our country apart."

Under the White Paper proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship, but so-called “high-contributing” individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Echoing the slogan used by Brexit campaigners during the 2016 EU referendum, Starmer said: “We will deliver what you’ve asked for time and again, and we will take back control of our borders.”

The Labour leader's comments were strongly condemned by the SNP, who accused Starmer of adopting language previously used by Nigel Farage.

In a statement shared on social media, Swinney said: "The Prime Minister’s statement on immigration today will damage our economy, the NHS, social care and our universities.

"It ignores the need to boost Scotland’s working age population. This sort of divisive language only plays into Nigel Farage’s hands. Not in Scotland’s name."

Speaking to reporters later, the First Minister added: “I think Keir Starmer walked right into the arms of Nigel Farage.

“I can’t believe that Keir Starmer found himself able to deliver that speech which just totally contradicts everything he’s ever said in the past. He’s obviously terrified of Nigel Farage.”

Swinney added: “There will be a huge impact on employment in the National Health Service and on social care. We struggle in Scotland to have a large enough working-age population.

“The announcements today from the UK Government are going to make that even more difficult and there’s going to be some significant opportunities lost for the Scottish economy by the implications of these announcements.

Immigration is a matter reserved to Westminster meaning the Scottish Government has formal role in setting UK-wide policies on the matter.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23025659 (121805ZMAY25) Notable: Final John Swinney Bun / Cutting immigration will 'damage' Scottish economy and hit NHS recruitment, warns John Swinney

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>>282790

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The Nationalists have repeatedly argued that Scotland needs a tailored approach to attracting migrants due to the country's ageing population.

Robert Kilgour, chairman of Scottish care home group Renaissance Care, said limiting overseas visas would be a "killer blow" for the industry.

The businessman said a third of the 1,500 members of staff his company employs across 19 care homes come from overseas.

He told the BBC: "We couldn't run our homes without these amazing staff.

"More care homes are going to close because of this. It'll lead to more bed-blocking, more cancellations of operations and longer waiting lists, so they are shooting themselves in both feet."

Chris Murray, the Scottish Labour MP for Edinburgh East, welcomed the Prime Minister for taking "important steps to get a grip on legal migration"

He added: "he system is dysfunctional - for communities, for the economy, and for migrants themselves. The public have been crying out for this for decades, and finally we’re seeing action."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23025741 (121830ZMAY25) Notable: Final Nicola Sturgeon & SNP Bun Part Two / Keir Starmer pledges crackdown on immigration to UK but faces fierce opposition from SNP

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>>282790

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/keir-starmer-pledges-crackdown-immigration-35209264

Keir Starmer pledges crackdown on immigration to UK but faces fierce opposition from SNP

Immigration is a reserved matter meaning MSPs at Holyrood have no formal say in deciding UK policy.

Chris McCall

12 May 2025

Keir Starmer has warned the UK risks becoming an "island of strangers" unless private companies and public institutions end their reliance on cheap labour recruited from overseas.

Announcing a crackdown on immigration, the Prime Minister said today his Government would cut visas for care workers and tighten English language requirements for those arriving looking for work.

The plans will be firmly opposed by the SNP Government at Holyrood with senior Nationalists already warning Starmer was "following Nigel Farage's agenda".

Immigration is a reserved matter meaning MSPs have no formal say in deciding UK policy.

Scotland has an ageing population and has become increasingly reliant on people moving to the country from elsewhere to fill jobs in the NHS and care sectors.

But Starmer insisted tougher restrictions were needed, warning that Britain risked becoming “an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together”.

He said: “So when you have an immigration system that seems almost designed to permit abuse, that encourages some businesses to bring in lower paid workers rather than invest in our young people, or simply one that is sold by politicians to the British people on an entirely false premise, then you are not championing growth.

“You are not championing justice or however else people defend the status quo. You’re actually contributing to the forces that are slowly pulling our country apart.”

Under the White Paper proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship, but so-called “high-contributing” individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning that they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

Meanwhile, skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

Echoing the slogan used by Brexit campaigners during the 2016 EU referendum, Starmer said: “We will deliver what you’ve asked for time and again, and we will take back control of our borders.”

The Prime Minister has promised to “tighten up” all elements of the system but is facing pushback against plans to stop foreign recruitment of care workers from figures within the sector.

Kate Forbes said she listened with “absolute astonishment” to reports the UK Government is set to tighten immigration rules, including ending the recruitment of care workers from overseas.

The Deputy First Minister said Scotland faced “demographic challenges”, and that “one of the most pressing issues that investors, developers, public services tell us right now is being able to recruit a workforce.”

She added: “With a small population of about five million people, Scotland needs a distinct immigration system, a distinct approach to the immigration system, we have shared that with the UK Government.

“But you talk about restrictions to care workers, which I think is absolutely baffling to anybody currently working in the care sector, talking about restrictions for university students being able to stay on after their degrees, when we know so much of Scotland’s economic growth has come from international students that have chosen to be based in Scotland.

“So our approach remains that if the UK Government is not going to do it, then Scotland needs a distinct approach to an immigration system, Scottish visa or otherwise.”

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23026754 (130019ZMAY25) Notable: Final Law and Disorder Bun Part Three / Two of Britain's most notorious paedophiles 'walking the streets of Edinburgh' despite 'risk to public'

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/two-britains-most-notorious-paedophiles-35210262

Two of Britain's most notorious paedophiles 'walking the streets of Edinburgh' despite 'risk to public'

James Rennie and Neil Strachan have served 16 years in prison for their vile child sex crimes and have been branded a 'risk to public safety'

John Glover

12 MAY 2025

The ringleaders of one of Britain's largest paedophile networks are preparing for possible release from prison despite being branded a "risk to public safety".

James Rennie, 54, sexually assaulted a three-month old boy, and Neil Strachan, 57, who tried to rape a toddler, have been spotted walking the streets during leave from an open prison.

Rennie is former chief executive of controversial gay and trans rights charity LGBT Youth Scotland which is largely funded by the SNP-run Scottish Government.

He spends a week in the Crane Hostel in the city's New Town at different times to Strachan.

The pair were locked up in 2009 following a case that involved a haul of 125,000 child abuse images and videos.

Tory deputy spokeswoman on victims and community safety, Sharon Dowey, said: "Victims will be disgusted that these predatory criminals are freely walking about in Edinburgh.

"This decision clearly poses a risk to public safety and sums up the contempt the SNP's justice system has for brave victims."

The beasts were being held at open prison Castle Huntly, near Dundee. The men who hail from Edinburgh are serving reduced sentences following an appeal to nine years and eight and a half years.

Scottish Labour justice spokesman Pauline McNeill told the Daily Mail: "Given the horrific nature of these crimes, it is concerning that these men are being given the chance to fraternise."

A Scottish Prison Service spokesman said: "We do not comment on individuals."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23028776 (131547ZMAY25) Notable: Final Law and Disorder Bun Part Three / Nicola Sturgeon's 'staggering' Operation Branchform costs revealed for cash-strapped Crown Office

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeons-staggering-operation-branchform-35206622

Nicola Sturgeon's 'staggering' Operation Branchform costs revealed for cash-strapped Crown Office

Scotland's prosecutors are under 'intolerable strain' due to a decade of underfunding from the SNP Government, and the 'staggering' bill 'will have a real impact on justice budgets'

Ben Borland

11 MAY 2025

Lawyers at the cash-strapped Crown Office spent more than £350k in a year mulling over whether to charge Nicola Sturgeon as part of the SNP finance probe.

Police Scotland handed a file to prosecutors in April 2024, at the same time as Ms Sturgeon's estranged husband and former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell was charged with embezzlement of party funds.

The case remained under consideration until March 2025, when the former First Minister was told she was no longer under investigation. Former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie was also cleared of any wrongdoing.

In February, the Scottish Daily Express revealed that Crown Office costs in relation to Operation Branchform for the 2024/25 financial year stood at £200,000. Now figures obtained by the Scottish Sun show that shot up to £353,397 by the end of March.

Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Craig Hoy said: "This is a staggering rise in costs in such a short space of time. It will have had a real impact on justice budgets."

In February, FDA National Officer Allan Sampson warned that increased Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) funding in recent years "hasn't been enough to tackle the long-term impact of a decade of underfunding dating back to 2010".

Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Craig Hoy said: "This is a staggering rise in costs in such a short space of time. It will have had a real impact on justice budgets."

In February, FDA National Officer Allan Sampson warned that increased Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) funding in recent years "hasn't been enough to tackle the long-term impact of a decade of underfunding dating back to 2010".

The spokeswoman added: "The extensive resourcing of this inquiry demonstrates that it has been taken seriously and that decisions have been based upon evidence not assumptions or external pressure. Prosecutors take decisions independently, free from political influence or external interference, relying on evidence and the law."

Speaking to reporters in March, Ms Sturgeon said she was "completely in the clear", adding: "That is the outcome I would always have expected. As I have said to all of you many times, I have done nothing wrong. So, I was confident of reaching this point and getting to this outcome, but obviously it is a relief now to have that confirmed."

The long-running case relates to the whereabouts of around £600,000 of 'ring-fenced' funding that was donated to the SNP to pay for a Yes campaign in any second independence referendum.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23029891 (132202ZMAY25) Notable: Final Royals Bun / King Charles is a 'lame duck' monarch as Prince William calls the shots amid Harry row

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/uk-news/king-charles-lame-duck-monarch-35208920

King Charles is a 'lame duck' monarch as Prince William calls the shots amid Harry row

Sources suggest the Prince of Wales is the main obstacle to a reconciliation with Prince Harry, whose absence 'reflects exceptionally poorly' on the King

Douglas Dickie

12 MAY 2025

King Charles has been branded a "lame-duck" monarch by a royal expert over his failure to bring Prince Harry back within the royal fold. And Prince William is now effectively calling the shots when it comes to his outcast brother, it has been claimed.

Harry's absence was highlighted again last week when he was not at the VE Day celebrations in London. The 40-year-old has started a new life in the USA and indicated earlier this month that he does not see a situation where he can bring his family to the UK after failing in a court battle for taxpayer-funded security.

The move deepened the rift with his family. Harry told the BBC his father no longer speaks to him because of his legal appeal and also questioned how long the King, 76, has to live, however, he insisted he wants to reconcile with them.

Charles has been battling cancer for over a year and while the Palace insists he remains in good health overall, the diagnosis has sharpened minds in terms of his succession. Despite everything, Harry and Charles still want to reconnect.

But according to Tom Sykes, the Daily Beast's European editor, Prince William is blocking any move to end the feud. Sykes believes that while Harry has "behaved unwisely in litigating his grievances with the royal family in public, youthful idiocy in princes is usually forgiven".

He says the King is "expected to be wiser," and "the failure to get Harry back inside the royal tent reflects exceptionally poorly on Charles". He claims Harry's absence "represents a painful indictment of King Charles’ authority, not to mention his oft-vaunted alleged convening power".

Instead, he claims sources have confirmed William, 42, is the "principal block to reconciliation". Sykes adds: "Why is William able to thwart the king? Again, it’s all connected to Charles’ decision to announce he had cancer.

"William‘s team has argued that Charles cannot bequeath his heir a settlement with Harry that William cannot live with. With the cat out of the bag, Charles increasingly looks like a lame duck monarch to many."

William is widely expected to be willing to strip Harry of his royal titles when he becomes king. Charles has so far refused to remove his younger son's right to use the HRH title, but the heir to the throne his no such qualms.

It comes as Harry was caught trying to find old friends in London during his last trip to the UK. Doorbell cam footage showed him in Chelsea, trying random doors in a bid to locate pals John and Georgina Vaughan.

Residents said those Harry was looking for were "long gone". There was a more positive experience for Harry last week when he and wife Meghan Markle enjoyed a date night at a Beyonce concert.

Meghan uploaded a selection of videos and photos to Instagram of the gig, one of which showed her with the Duke of Sussex, who wore a hat that was inscribed with the words "Archie, Lili, My Love". She wrote: "About last night…. Thank you @beyonce and team for an amazing concert (and a very fun date night)! All love."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23029950 (132217ZMAY25) Notable: Final Royals Bun / Prince George faces heartbreaking change within weeks as William 'prepares him for throne'

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/uk-news/prince-george-faces-heartbreaking-change-35197663

Prince George faces heartbreaking change within weeks as William 'prepares him for throne'

The heir to the throne turns 12 on July 22 and while that will be a cause for celebration, it will be tinged with sadness and the realisation of the different future he faces compared with Charlotte and Louis

Douglas Dickie

11 MAY 2025

From the moment he was born, Prince George's destiny has seemingly been lain out before him. The young royal, as the oldest child of Prince William, is second in line to the throne and will almost certainly become king one day.

William and Princess Kate have been keen to give their children as normal and private an upbringing as possible. But there was always a moment when George, 11, was going to become more visible.

And there was an indication of that this week when he joined his mother and father, as well as the King and Queen, in meeting veterans at Buckingham Palace to mark the VE Day celebrations. George used the opportunity to speak with 101-year-old Alfred Littlefield, who was part of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

He even asked Alfred what it was like to land on the beaches that day, with the hero telling the youngster how important it was that the younger generation remembered the sacrifices made. There will be many more moments like this for George, who turns 12 on July 22.

That will be a day of celebration for the family, but it will also be tinged with sadness as it will trigger an important change. Royal protocol dictates that the heir apparent and next in line to the throne cannot travel together, especially by plane, in order to protect the royal line.

While the rule has been relaxed in recent years, the Daily Mail reports that it will be adhered to once George turns 12. It is bound to be a heartbreaking realisation for the youngster that he can no longer travel with his beloved father, and will be the surest sign yet that he is being groomed for a very different future compared to his sister Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.

It is unclear exactly when William broke the news to George that he would become king, but according to the Mail, royal author Robert Lacey believes it happened something around 2020, when he was six or seven years old.

In his book Battle of Brothers, Lacey wrote: "It is thought that his parents went into more detail about what the little prince’s life of future royal 'service and duty' would particularly involve." He claimed William had been upset about the "haphazard fashion in which the whole business of his royal destiny had bussed around his head from the start" and was keen to approach the subject differently.

William had given a hint as to how he would approach the subject when speaking to the BBC's Nicholas Witchell in 2016, when George was just three years old. He said: "As far as I'm concerned, within my family unit, we are a normal family. There will be a time and a place to bring George up and understand how he fits in the world but right now it's just a case of showing a secure stable environment around him."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23051426 (182106ZMAY25) Notable: Final Royals Bun / Prince William trying to shed 'work shy' image as he prepares for 'job he doesn't want'

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/uk-news/prince-william-trying-shed-work-35217569

Prince William trying to shed 'work shy' image as he prepares for 'job he doesn't want'

The Prince of Wales and heir to the throne has emerged as a world figure in the past few months despite concerns behind the scenes at his commitment to duty

Douglas Dickie

13 MAY 2025

Prince William is regularly cited as one of the most popular members of the royal family. He has carefully crafted an image of a modern man, juggling being a father and husband with his public life.

He and Princess Kate are now the most powerful royal couple and they have been widely praised for the way they have brought up their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, away from the spotlight. But behind the scenes, William has faced accusations of not being as committed to his duties as he might be.

Even before Kate's cancer diagnosis, the royal league tables of engagements raised eyebrows with both regularly lagging behind older members of The Firm. While the likes of Princess Anne and the King rarely have a day off, William has irked Palace staff with his aversion to official engagements, especially outside of the UK.

While 2024 was an incredibly difficult year for the Prince, courtiers noted he was still able to enjoy trips to Germany for the European Championships, and South Africa for his Earthshot prize despite refusing to take on board royal visits. We reported that King Charles had to pull rank last month and order a reluctant William to attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome.

William's seemingly work-shy attitude was raised in a recent New York Times piece on the family's rift with Prince Harry. And experts believe he is trying to shed the image - by creating a new one.

Historian Ed Owens told the publication that William was "burnishing his reputation as a statesman". He said: "William has sometimes been seen as work-shy, but we see him gravitating toward bigger, more media-friendly events."

While William's appearances are relatively rare compared with his father, they have tended to be important over the past few months. In December last year, he attended the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, an event that allowed him to spend time with US President Donald Trump.

And while his trip to the Vatican was under duress, according to sources, it was another substantial world event that William was visible at. King Charles's cancer diagnosis has meant attention has turned to the future of the monarchy.

The NYT's London bureau chief Mark Landler notes that the "job that William does not want, at least for now, is his father’s" But he notes that "fears over the king’s health have made talk of succession inescapable".

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23051714 (182214ZMAY25) Notable: Final Government Bloat, Waste, and Abuse Bun / Cash-strapped Glasgow City Council cost taxpayers £1.5million renting fleet for LEZ

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/cash-strapped-glasgow-city-council-35210891

Cash-strapped Glasgow City Council cost taxpayers £1.5million renting fleet for LEZ

Councils have spent thousands renting out LEZ compliant vehicles because their own fleet is out of date

John Glover

12 MAY 2025

Cash-strapped Glasgow City Council has spent almost £1.5 million hiring a replacement fleet because its own vehicles do not comply with its low emission zone it brought in two years ago.

The SNP run administration spent the huge sum on minibuses, vans, trucks, people carriers, and cars to comply with the LEZ rules that came into force in June 2023.

It was charged £138,000 in hiring fees for the first three months of this year, with the current monthly sum estimated to be more than £40,000 and increasing.

Meanwhile, Labour run City of Edinburgh Council forked out more than £350,000 on vehicles hires since it introduced its LEZ enforcement last June.

It has been estimated that the cities have a combined spending average of around £1,900 a day of taxpayers' cash to ensure their vehicles are compliant.

Motoring expert Scott Dixon told the Daily Mail: "This hypocrisy lays bare the double standards at the heart of the LEZ scheme. How can councils justify preaching environmental responsibility while failing to meet their standards and justify burning through taxpayer cash to cover their non-compliance?"

Aberdeen and Dundee have also introduced LEZ measures aimed at cutting down levels of harmful polluntatns such as nitrogen dioxide.

Drivers were forced to pay out £221,000 in fines to Glasgow City Council in the first three months of its scheme. Fines are charged at £60 for a non-compliant vehicle, which can rise with non-payment.

Scottish Tory transport spokesman Sue Webber said: "It defies belief that Glasgow and Edinburgh councils are still spending huge sums to hire vehicles because their fleet doesn't comply with their law."

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said acquiring new cleaner vehicles was an "ongoing process," adding: "Vehicle leasing is a routine feature of how we manage our fleet and can help us reduce costs while ensuring we meet our low emissions obligations. Shorter-term leases, for example, can help us manage the transition between decommissioning older vehicles and bringing in a new fleet.

City of Edinburgh Council transport convener Stephen Jenkinson said: "Since last year, out of the 41 non-compliant vehicles, 29 replacements are in service and only 12 hire vehicles remain in place. These are expected to be replaced this financial year, so our entire fleet will be fully compliant."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23061105 (202219ZMAY25) Notable: Far-right hate group founded by Nazi sympathiser hijack Holyrood by-election with racist banners in support of Reform

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https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/far-right-group-founded-nazi-35251022

Far-right hate group founded by Nazi sympathiser hijack Holyrood by-election with racist banners in support of Reform

Patriotic Alternative have been criticised over racist banners in Stonehouse last week.

Paul Hutcheon

20 May 2025

Fascist supporters of Reform UK have hijacked a Holyrood by-election with vile racist banners.

The far-right Patriotic Alternative were in Stonehouse on Friday backing Nigel Farage’s party and mocking attempts at combating racism.

They subjected the village to offensive slogans like “Anti racist just means anti white".

A spokesperson for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who was targeted in the banners, said: “People will see through this pathetic and shameful attempt to sew division and hatred. Racism and conspiracy theory has no place in our society.

"Reform should be ashamed of these tactics by some of their supporters. Anas Sarwar is a proud Scot that worked in our NHS. He is making the case every day for a better Scotland for all. Regardless of our politics, his love and loyalty to our great country should be unquestionable.”

Voters in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse will go to the polls on June 5th to choose their new MSP in a by-election.

The contest was believed to be a two-horse race between the SNP and Labour, but the right wing Reform party are tipped to come second as part of a UK surge.

As revealed by the Record last week, Mark Collett of the extremist Patriotic Alternative is part of a plot to infiltrate Reform.

A Nazi sympathiser who was in the BNP, Collett has joined forces with far right influencer David Clews in a bid to take Reform even further to the Right.

During a visit to Stonehouse on Friday, Patriotic Alternative unleashed their hateful propaganda. One banner tried to bait anti-racism campaigner Sarwar: “Scotland too white Anas?”

Other slogans from the white nationalists included “2 teir [sic] justice = Anti white justice”, “Anti racist just means anti white” and “They don’t hate racism they just hate white people”.

A leaflet handed out to passers-by stated: “This flyer is brought to you by Patriotic Alternative (PA), a proud nationalist community group. We champion the rights of the native British - the English, Scottish and Welsh - stewards of our homeland, the British Isles.”

They added: “We have concerns about the future of our nation and do not believe that successive governments have prioritised the interests of the native British.”

A section marked “advocating for our own ethnic group” also said PA wanted to ensure “indigenous Brits” are not treated as “second class citizens”.

The address listed for the fascist group was a PO Box in Pudsey, near Leeds, 190 miles from Stonehouse.

Patriotic Alternative are not part of Reform, but critics fear Reform is attracting racists.

The address listed for the fascist group was a PO Box in Pudsey, near Leeds, 190 miles from Stonehouse.

Patriotic Alternative are not part of Reform, but critics fear Reform is attracting racists.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23061118 (202222ZMAY25) Notable: Far-right hate group founded by Nazi sympathiser hijack Holyrood by-election with racist banners in support of Reform

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>>282806

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An SNP spokesperson said: “These reports raise serious questions for Nigel Farage’s party. Groups like Patriotic Alternative and their racist rhetoric should be called out and condemned and not involved in any candidate’s campaign. Farage must respond to these concerns immediately.“There is absolutely no place for that harmful language in Scotland, and the SNP will call it out and confront it at every turn. As this campaign continues it is becoming clearer that Labour are falling behind Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. On 5th June, only a vote for the SNP can stop Farage.”

Patrick Harvie, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, said: “Nigel Farage has spent years promoting far-right hatred - so it’s absolutely no surprise that we’re seeing some of the most extreme groups rallying behind Reform.

“People across Scotland deserve so much better than the dangerous politics of hate and division. And the more voters see the danger that Reform truly represents, and the kind of people who are getting involved, the more they will reject it.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Tories said: “Reform must come clean over whether they support such extremist views.”

A Reform UK spokesman said: “These banners are nothing to do with Reform UK, we have no connection whatsoever with this group.”

In a recent joint statement, Clews and Collett laid out their mass infiltration plan: “Our combined support will be able to exert a significant level of influence on the direction of Reform and eventually within the corridors of power in this nation.

“We already know many ­thousands of our supporters are members of Reform and we would like this to be in the tens of thousands. Many supporters and those sympathetic to our aims also occupy positions of power within the Reform Party. These influencers are positioned so that they can embed the foundations for a strong future for this nation and its people.”

Collett also said separately: "We won't be dropping our demands for a super majority of white Britons in Britain. So we're not selling anything out. All we're doing is using Reform as a wrecking ball."

Patriotic Alternative were contacted.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23065247 (212138ZMAY25) Notable: Final Law and Disorder Bun Part Three / SNP Government forcing Police Scotland to 'cannibalise' itself as top cop issues urgent warning

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-government-forcing-police-scotland-35259445

SNP Government forcing Police Scotland to 'cannibalise' itself as top cop issues urgent warning

The Association of Scottish Police Superintendents have warned the Scottish Government that services will need to be cut in order to pay for pay rises for hard-pressed cops unless extra funding is found.

David Walker

21 MAY 2025

A lack of funding from the Scottish Government will force Police Scotland to "cannibalise" police services, a top cop has warned. The President of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPC) Rob Hay insisted that Chief Constable Jo Farrell will need to choose between a pay rise and employing more cops due to a poor funding package.

And critics have warned that this could have a significant impact on public safety with officers already cutting down on the number of crimes they investigate. The amount of bobbies on the beat dropped to a record low under Police Scotland last year, with the numbers slowly rising.

But Mr Hay warned that this uptick won't last as cash will need to be diverted to pay rises as inflationary pressures mean cops are actually being paid less than what they were a decade ago. He will ask for greater investment from SNP Ministers when he addresses the organisation’s conference on Wednesday.

Ms Farrell and Scottish Government Justice Secretary Angela Constance will attend the conference in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, on Wednesday. They will be told that the number of officers at superintendent and chief superintendent rank has reduced by a third since Police Scotland was formed in 2013.

Mr Hay will also highlight that ASPS members are suffering from an "alarming rise" in mental health issues due to increasing workloads and scrutiny. There has been an 85% increase in four years in sickness absence for psychological illness and injury as he called for technology to keep track of rest, such as introducing an app to record duty hours.

Mr Hay said: “Given the over-reliance on on-call to provide essential functions, and the uncomfortable reality that it is a voluntary duty, not covered by the Police Regulations, this is a clear message and a challenge to the police service and Government. Colleagues have already spoken to me of superintendents voting with their feet and deselecting themselves from on-call duties.”

Mr Hay said superintendents must be given “the time, the tools and the support to ensure we are creating a positive working environment that lets people deliver their absolute best”.

He added: “Technology could help in this space; it could tell line managers when compensatory rest is due, when rest day banks start to exceed limits and, at workforce planning level, give an indication as to how far away resourcing is from actually having enough people to do the work.

“Talks of a record policing budget don’t account for inflationary pressures, and the policing budget has not kept pace with the demands on the service. The chief constable has spoken about the dilemma she faces in this year’s pay negotiation. Without assistance from the Scottish Government, the chief faces the stark choice of cannibalising the service to afford to offer a pay rise that is above inflation.

“Simply put: reduce police numbers or reduce pay. This is a choice no chief constable should have to make. We look back at 2013, at the birth of Police Scotland, almost every pay point, at every rank is worth less now in real terms. And we look at professions in the public sector, whose pay growth has outstripped policing by 13% and even higher in some cases.”

The Scottish Tories claimed that this was a "damning warning" from senior police officers and that it "exposes the SNP’s systemic failure to properly support the force." Justice Spokesman Liam Kerr added: "It is shameful that it has reached a stage where cannibalising police services is now being openly talked about just so there is any possibility of rewarding dedicated officers.

“The SNP’s savage and sustained cuts to the police budget mean officers can no longer investigate every crime and our communities feel less safe. Instead of robbing Peter to pay Paul, SNP ministers must act on these concerns urgently. They cannot continue to treat them with contempt if they are serious about protecting the public and recruiting and retaining officers.”

The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23066091 (220115ZMAY25) Notable: Final Law and Disorder Bun Part Three / Sex worker 'terrified' by plans for new prostitution law

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2xw1xrq4lo

Sex worker 'terrified' by plans for new prostitution law

David Wallace Lockhart

19 May 2025

At 17 years old, Alice was sacked from her job in a call centre.

Her home environment was difficult. She had no CV and few employment options.

A friend had been involved in sex work and had made "a lot of money". Alice decided to go down a similar road.

Now in her 30s, she's still involved in sex work, though she balances it with other job opportunities.

But Alice (not her real name) believes a potential change in the law in Scotland will make her "terrifyingly" unsafe.

Alba MSP Ash Regan is introducing a bill that would make it an offence to pay for sexual services. It's an approach often referred to as the "Nordic Model".

The former SNP leadership candidate argues that challenging men's demand for prostitution will help to protect women.

I left prostitution - it's paid rape, not work

Scotland's prostitution laws 'outdated and unjust'

Regan says that "buying sexual access to a human being is a form of male violence", and she's determined to see the law reformed.

As things currently stand paying for sex is not illegal in Scotland.

But some activities which are sometimes connected– such as running a brothel, loitering in a public place to buy or sell sex or persuading someone to take up prostitution – are against the law.

Regan also wants to see women involved in selling sex offered "exit alternatives" and a legal right to support. And she wants to see any previous convictions for soliciting repealed.

But these proposals have split those who want to keep sex workers safe.

Alice explains that the internet has changed the landscape for what she calls "full-service sex workers" (people who exchange sex for money).

She says there are now more opportunities for those selling sex to "screen" potential clients.

This can involve asking to see photo ID before meeting a client, asking for a link to their social media or even requesting references from other sex workers.

It's not a failsafe process, but it can help to check whether people are who they claim to be.

But she is concerned about the potential change in the law in Scotland.

Most of Alice's unease around the bill revolves around safety. She insists "there's a difference between good clients and bad clients".

If buying sex is criminalised, then she fears that the "good clients" will disappear and "you'll just be left with people who don't care about you as they don't care about breaking the law".

"I would assume that anyone who doesn't care about breaking the law is more likely to be dangerous", she says.

She worries that a change in the law would make screening clients harder, as anyone who's still willing to buy sex illegally won't be willing to share their details.

Alice argues that all these factors combine to mean that Ash Regan's proposals would make her "terrifyingly" less safe.

"My body would become a crime scene, wouldn't it? So why would I go to the police? I wouldn't even go to the police now," she says.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23066098 (220116ZMAY25) Notable: Final Law and Disorder Bun Part Three / Sex worker 'terrified' by plans for new prostitution law

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>>282809

......................................................................................................continued......................................................................................................

Alice believes that further decriminalisation is what would ultimately make her safer, providing her with more protections and enabling a better relationship with the police.

But Regan's proposal is to offer a route out of sex work for someone like Alice. Is that a prospect that appeals to her?

Alice is sceptical.

She thinks this sounds like swapping sex work for a minimum wage job, which she says "doesn't really change why people end up choosing to do sex work in the first place".

Ash Regan is unwilling to tolerate the status quo.

She argues that it's fundamentally "a system of exploitation and violence" that affects the most vulnerable women in society.

The Alba MSP describes her bill as "a departure from the failed approach of decriminalising the sex trade without addressing the root cause and consequences of commodifying human beings: demand."

The most effective way to do this, she argues, is to criminalise those who are paying for sex.

Regan told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We need to shift the balance of criminality onto those that are perpetuating this system of inequality and violence, and that is the buyers and the buyers are almost always male.

"The data shows that if you implement and enforce this law it will reduce the market of prostitution which means less women will be harmed."

The MSP said the data from other European countries is "very clear".

In Sweden, where the Nordic model was implemented 25 years ago, no women working in prostitution have been killed, she said.

She compared this to Germany where, since 2002, a decriminalisation approach has been adopted. She said this has led to the murder of 99 and attempted murder of 60 sex workers.

She has promised to "confront the injustice of commercial sexual exploitation head-on" and has the backing of a number of women's groups.

However, there is also a campaign that has been specifically set up to oppose her proposals, with sex workers stressing safety concerns.

The debate about how to legislate with regards to selling sex is a contentious one.

Even the term "sex worker" is rejected by some, including Regan.

And every person involved in this world will have their own unique story and set of circumstances.

It's rare to have someone like Alice willing to do an interview and speak so frankly – but she does not speak on behalf of every sex worker in Scotland.

Regan has the support of other individuals who have previously been involved in sex work.

This all highlights how sensitive this debate could become, with different camps passionately believing that their own approach is the right one.

If her bill was to become law, Scotland would not be the first place in the UK to criminalise the buying of sex.

It has been a crime to pay for sex in Northern Ireland since 2015.

A 2019 independent review by Queen's University Belfast, external found that the law did not appear to have the desired effect.

Despite a tightening up of the law, sex workers reported increased demand for their services and it found that more sex workers were advertising online.

Researchers added that sex workers felt "further marginalised and stigmatised".

The report concluded that the change in the Northern Irish law had "minimal effect on the demand for sexual services."

But there are those – like Ash Regan – who believe that reform can quash demand, make women safer, and provide alternative employment opportunities.

This debate could ultimately go nowhere in the foreseeable future.

With a Scottish election due in 2026, bills that don't complete their parliamentary journey in that timeframe will fall by the wayside.

Opposition towards this bill remains. And MSPs will now have to think about where they stand on this issue, if they haven't done so already.

Its biggest obstacle could yet be time.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23066154 (220127ZMAY25) Notable: Final Law and Disorder Bun Part Three / Drug gang trio jailed for killing woman in car attack

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0711ydkglpo

Drug gang trio jailed for killing woman in car attack

21 May 2025

A drug dealer and two accomplices who killed a woman and endangered the life of her boyfriend in a car attack in Falkirk have each been jailed for 11 years.

Arslan Sajid, 24, drove a Mercedes which hit the back of a car driven by Amy Rose Wilson, 27, in New Carron Road in July 2023.

Sajid and associates Andrew Gregoire, 29, and Anthony Davidson, 32, were originally charged with murder, but found guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide.

Sentencing the men, Judge Lady Drummond said Ms Wilson had been "much loved" and her death was overwhelming to her family.

The trial at the High Court in Edinburgh heard that Sajid pursued the car with Ms Wilson and her partner Ryan Paterson following a row over a drug deal.

Sajid and his accomplices, all from London, had travelled from Essex with 10kg (22lb) of cannabis to sell to a Glasgow dealer.

But Sajid claimed that Ms Wilson and Mr Paterson had stolen five kilos of cannabis which belonged to him.

Jurors were told that there was a confrontation in a car park in Cumbernauld, where Sajid, Gregoire and Davidson smashed the windows of Ms Wilson's car and threatened to kill them.

Sajid pursued Ms Wilson's car and hit it, causing it to spin onto the other side of the road where it collided with another vehicle.

Ms Wilson was killed in the smash, but Mr Paterson survived.

The men were accused of his attempted murder, but were instead found guilty of severely assaulting him to the danger of his life.

Jurors heard that Sajid "didn't appreciate how serious the incident was".

He told prosecutor Alan Cameron KC: "It was not my intention for her to die. It was not meant to be like that."

Devastating loss

Judge Lady Drummond said Ms Wilson's mother and step-dad described her as much loved and described her loss as overwhelming.

She added: "Amy Rose Wilson's father has said he has supreme difficulty putting into words the immense and devastating loss of his only child has had on his life.

"It is said not having her any longer has left a vast and hollow emptiness."

Sajid, Gregoire and Davidson will also be monitored for a further three years on their release.

The jury also convicted the trio and a fourth man, Steven Hornsby, 55, of conspiring to steal drugs and money at locations across the UK in the days before Ms Wilson's death.

Hornsby was jailed for four years by Lady Drummond.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23075047 (240103ZMAY25) Notable: Final Nicola Sturgeon & SNP Bun Part Two / Secretive SNP Government lose ANOTHER battle with Scotland's information watchdog and ordered to publish hidden documents

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/secretive-snp-government-lose-another-35263690

Secretive SNP Government lose ANOTHER battle with Scotland's information watchdog and ordered to publish hidden documents

The Scottish Information Commissioner has ordered SNP Ministers to release correspondence surrounding Angus Robertson's controversial meeting with an Israeli Ambassador after they claimed that if they did, it would be 'anti-semitic.'

David Walker

21 MAY 2025

The secretive Scottish Government has lost yet another battle with Scotland's Information Commissioner after refusing to publish documents. The SNP Executive have become infamous for blocking the release of certain publications despite being legally obliged to do so.

And now they have been rebuked once again and ordered to release information about Angus Robertson's secret meeting with an Israeli ambassador. The External Affairs Secretary provoked anger within his own party after meeting Daniela Grudsky, Israel's Deputy Ambassador to the UK, last year.

The SNP have prided themselves on their support for Palestine and this summit led to calls for him to resign, and led to the Scottish Government announcing it would no longer meet with Israeli diplomats. The move was criticised by the Jewish community in Scotland which already faces hostility due to the conflict in Gaza.

Numerous news publications applied for correspondence relating to the meeting with Ms Grudsky but this resulted in mounds of redacted documents and a refusal to disclose any information. The Ferret appealed to the Information Commissioner David Hamilton who has now ordered the release of the information requested.

Mr Hamilton was actually told by the government that it could be antisemitic to release logistical information about the meeting. According to the Ferret, the government "stated that it had to be mindful of the need to treat Israel as it would ‘any other democratic nation’, in line with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of Antisemitism”.

He said in a report: "They argued that ignoring Israel’s wishes in circumstances where other countries’ wishes have been respected, could be considered as an antisemitic action under the IHRA definition.” But he went on to explain that "the withheld information is mostly concerning the logistical arrangements” of the meeting and that “the majority of information withheld by the [Scottish Government has no inherent sensitivity”.

Mr Hamilton ordered that the withheld information be released within six weeks and that the government had breached transparency laws “by failing to identify, locate, retrieve and properly consider all of the information that fell within scope of the request and incorrectly withheld information.”

Carole Ewart, director of the Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland, said: “Scotland’s 20 years old FOI Act is only powerful because people can enforce their right to access information for free. However, it is outdated and needs reformed to introduce a presumption in favour of disclosure, increase pro-active publication and tighten enforcement provisions.

“As the commissioner’s office received its highest number of FOI appeals ever in April, with 81 appeals from people who were unhappy with a public authority’s FOI response, there is a danger that failure to update FOI law and fund the commissioner’s office adequately will weaken the architecture of transparency so carefully constructed over the last twenty years.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "We have received the Information Commissioner’s decision and are considering its terms. Freedom of Information legislation permits us to consider whether disclosure of information would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially relations between the UK and any other state. This applies to all countries.”

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23081515 (252043ZMAY25) Notable: Final John Swinney Bun / >>2382429 FM TAUNT Moment John Swinney heckled by Reform UK campaigner as FM dodges warring activists ahead of Hamilton by-election (video)

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https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/14840177/john-swinney-heckled-reform-uk-hamilton-by-election/

FM TAUNT Moment John Swinney heckled by Reform UK campaigner as FM dodges warring activists ahead of Hamilton by-election

Elsewhere the FM sparked up a conversation about Greggs(Scottish bakery)

Jordan Tennant

24 May 2025

JOHN Swinney today breezed past two sets of warring activists hurling abuse at each other ahead of a hotly contested by-election.

The First Minister was met with heckles of “Swinney the swine” by Reform UK campaigners who were locked in a bitter stand-off, on Hamilton's Quarry Street, with rivals from the Scottish Socialist Party.

An anti-immigration canvasser, puffing on a cigarette, was heard telling voters: “Take a leaflet and put it in your sky rocket.”

He displayed homemade signs reading “Just stop immigration” and “Stop the boats”.

Across the street, three left-wingers set up shop with posters urging for a workers’ wage and “reject corruption”.

However, Mr Swinney - accompanied by two protection officers - ignored the screaming match and stopped outside a nearby Greggs.

He quizzed SNP candidate Katy Loudon on her least favourite pastry from the high street bakery to which she replied: “The Festive Bake.”

It comes ahead of a by-election on Thursday 5 June, following the sad death, aged 57, of former Nats MP Christina McKelvie.

Meanwhile Labour chiefs fear Reform’s surge will hand the SNP victory in the Hamilton by-election.

Insiders in Anas Sarwar’s camp admitted they now face a struggle in what looked an easily winnable seat.

The mood has shifted as angry voters ditch Labour after last July’s landslide Westminster victory over Sir Keir Starmer’s policies like slashing winter fuel payments.

Sources now worry Nigel Farage’s Reform are set to split the anti-SNP vote in the June 5 contest and next year’s Holyrood election.

One Labour insider said: “To win we’ll need to convince every single anti-Nat voter to back us, and for them all to turn out. I just don’t think that is going to happen.”

Polls show Reform on course to become Holyrood’s second party after big gains in council elections down south.

It has scuppered Scottish Labour chiefs’ bid to bill themselves as “the best way to stop the SNP” — as Reform also eat into the Tory base.

Another Labour source said: “If we can’t win Hamilton, the writing is on the wall for 2026. There is a lot of pessimism at the top of Scottish Labour.”

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23086088 (270039ZMAY25) Notable: Final Covid and Other Pestilence Bun / 'NOT TRUE' I never told Michelle Mone to lie over PPE scandal, says bra tycoon’s ex lawyer

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https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/14844095/michelle-mone-ex-lawyer-denies-lies-ppe-scandal/

'NOT TRUE' I never told Michelle Mone to lie over PPE scandal, says bra tycoon’s ex lawyer

Mr Coad was speaking to The Scottish Sun’s new documentary, Michelle Mone: Lingerie, Lies and the PPE Scandal

Chris Taylor

25 May 2025

MICHELLE Mone’s ex-lawyer has denied telling her to lie about links to a scandal-hit firm.

Jonathan Coad insisted the Scots bra tycoon’s allegation that he did was “not true”.

Baroness Mone, 53, blamed him for her three-year refusal to confirm her connection to PPE Medpro — given £200million for Covid protection kit and now being probed by cops.

Mr Coad, 67, said: “I did not advise her she should keep her involvement secret.

"The suggestion she did so by taking the advice of her lawyers is just not true.

"To have Baroness Mone make allegations against me of serious impropriety was potentially very damaging."

He added: "I apologised to the media for unintentionally misleading them.

"I explained all that I said was based on instructions I received.

"I got a shirty letter from her current lawyers complaining that by my apology, I had disclosed confidential information.

"I don’t think that I did."

Mr Coad was speaking to The Scottish Sun’s new documentary, Michelle Mone: Lingerie, Lies and the PPE Scandal.

The Tory peer and hubby Doug Barrowman, 60, both born in Glasgow, deny wrongdoing.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23086335 (270122ZMAY25) Notable: Final Covid and Other Pestilence Bun / BBC host can’t forget moment Baroness Bra Michelle Mone confessed to being a liar

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>>282814

>>282815

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/scottish-news/14834977/bbc-host-cant-forget-michelle-mone-liar/

LADY MOAN BBC host can’t forget moment Baroness Bra Michelle Mone confessed to being a liar

'I can’t see what we’ve done wrong - lying to the press is not a crime'

Matt Bendoris

25 May 2025

BBC host Laura Kuenssberg has revealed the interview that “sticks” with her the most is when Michelle Mone confessed to being a liar.

Scots bra tycoon Mone spent two years fiercely denying through an army of lawyers any involvement with the firm PPE Medro, which had earned over £200million worth of Government contracts to supply face masks and surgical gowns during the Covid pandemic.

But in 2023 it was revealed that the Tory life peer and her three adult children had received £29million from the company via her second husband Doug Barrowman.

That led to a “Prince Andrew-style” TV showdown with the politics presenter on her weekly show Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.

Appearing alongside Barrowman, 60, Baroness Mone, 53, made the jaw-dropping confession: “I can’t see what we’ve done wrong. Lying to the press is not a crime.”

Now in a two-part BBC documentary The Rise and Fall of Michelle Mone to be shown next week, Laura, 48, said: “In the end they were bizarrely quite honest about not having told the truth. Which is quite a strange experience.

“Then as she so memorably said, ‘But Laura, it’s not a crime to lie’ That’s a phrase that will always stick with me.”

The controversy started when Lady Mone had used her government links to access a VIP Lane for fast track PPE procurement.

But the former owner of bra company Ultimo then aggressively denied for three years that she and Barrowman had any connections to the company PPE Medro.

When it was revealed that Mone and her family had personally benefitted from the contracts she announced she was stepping down from the House of Lords.

Questions were then asked in parliament by the then leader of the opposition Sir Keir Starmer about how nearly £30million had ended up in the bank account of the Scottish businesswoman.

Recalling before the build-up to the car-crash interview, Laura said: “They obviously knew they had been lying at the beginning of it. So they felt they were in this trap.

“On the day (of the interview) the whole experience was eerily calm. There’s no question Michelle Mone and Doug Barrowman became the pantomime villains in the story of the huge shambles of what went wrong with PPE.

“For Michelle, being able to grab public attention was always something she had in spades during her business career but things went wrong for her and you can’t turn that attention off.”

Mone and Barrowman are currently being investigated by the National Crime Agency.

The couple continue to deny any wrongdoing.

*The Rise and Fall of Michelle Mone begins on BBC Scotland on Monday May 26 at 10pm and BBC Two on May 28 at 9pm. Both episodes are available on BBC iPlayer from Monday.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23087997 (271642ZMAY25) Notable: Final Law and Disorder Bun Part Three / Paedo Scots DJ branded ‘every parent’s nightmare’ jailed

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LOCKED UP Paedo Scots DJ branded ‘every parent’s nightmare’ jailed

Valdez, 25, also sent the child several videos of him masturbating during the sordid contact on the popular chat sites Emerald and Skype

Alexander Lawrie

26 May 2025

A PERVERT DJ has been described by a sheriff as “every parent’s nightmare” after he recorded a young schoolgirl while forcing her carry out vile sex acts during a live video call.

Dave Angelo Valdez convinced the 14-year-old victim to perform solo sex acts for him while secretly recording the images displayed on his laptop screen on his mobile phone.

Valdez, 25, also sent the child several videos of him masturbating during the sordid contact on the popular chat sites Emerald and Skype.

The shocking footage of the teenage girl was said to have ran to around 20 hours and was discovered when police raided Valdez’s home in relation to child abuse images being downloaded in November 2021.

Valdez, from Edinburgh, is a popular dance DJ and has been a regular on the city’s club scene for the past three years and has played headline sets at several of the capital’s main venues.

He pleaded guilty to four child sex abuse offences at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month and returned to the dock for sentencing today.

Sheriff Matthew Auchincloss said the victim targeted by Valdez was “particularly vulnerable” and his explanation for the offending was “self-serving and lacking in any remorse”.

The sheriff said: “You possessed a significant quantity of the most vile kind of indecent images and videos of children.

“Worse, you had nearly 20 hours of indecent videos of the complainer in charge three.

“That was a charge of where you groomed and manipulated her performing sexual acts that you recorded. You caused her significant and persistent

harm.

“You are every parent’s nightmare.

“You used the internet to take advantage of children in their own homes in secret. We may never know the full extent of the harm you caused.”

Valdez was caged for a total of 40 months across all charges and was placed on the sex offenders' register for life.

Solicitor Matthew Nicholson said his client had been working in the hospitality trade and though he “fully accepts his involvement” he found it difficult to explain “how and why he committed these offences”.

Previously the court was told the DJ contacted the child, who lives in England, on the Emerald chat app and soon began asking her to send him indecent images of herself.

The chats moved to Skype and Valdez began filming the live footage of the girl “touching herself” on his mobile phone without her knowledge.

The court was also told Valdez had sent the youngster between five and 10 videos of him carrying out a solo sex act.

During the police raid on his home officers discovered around 2,000 images and videos of children being sexually abused, including several hundred rated as Category A - the worst end of the spectrum.

The police investigation also found Valdez had made “43 first generation” videos of the teenage victim during their online video contact.

Valdez pleaded guilty to possessing, and to taking, or permitting to be taken, indecent images of children between April 23, 2019, and November 10, 2021.

He also admitted to two offences of causing children to engage in sexual activity and causing them to look at sexual images, all between January 1 and March 31, 2021.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23088600 (271916ZMAY25) Notable: Final Law and Disorder Bun Part Three / FIENDS WING 'BURSTING' Scots sex beasts at Barlinnie Prison moved to cushy landing for low risk cons

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FIENDS WING 'BURSTING' Scots sex beasts at Barlinnie Prison moved to cushy landing for low risk cons

FIENDS WING 'BURSTING' Scots sex beasts at Barlinnie Prison moved to cushy landing for low risk cons

Some cons on the wing have their own cell keys while others have 24-hour phone access and PlayStations

Jordan Tennant

25 May 2025

SEX beasts at Barlinnie Prison are being moved to a cushy landing housing low risk cons who are set for early release.

Jail sources say bosses have been forced into making the switch because the nick’s fiends wing is “bursting at the seams”.

It comes as the notorious Glasgow prison is currently accommodating a host of sickos — including the “Beastie House” paedophile ring and its depraved ringleader Iain Owens, 46.

A series of sex offenders are now in the jail’s comfortable Letham Hall due to the overcrowding issue.

A source said: “Nobody wants to be banged up alongside a filthy beast.

“Some of these prisoners set for early release would jump at the chance to attack a paedo.

“However, they know that one wrong step could jeopardise their freedom. The only light at the end of the tunnel is the thought of getting out, and they wouldn’t risk that.

“But there are a few unhappy faces on the landings, even the screws are fed-up of it.”

Letham Hall is more relaxed and boasts a nice garden, games area and welcoming spots where lags can socialise.

Some cons on the wing have their own cell keys while others have 24-hour phone access and PlayStations.

The sex offender overcrowding issue was last night branded “alarming”.

Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said: “This is a direct consequence of the SNP’s mismanagement of our prison estate. SNP ministers have been missing in action rather than delivering the prison capacity Scotland requires.

“This is a problem entirely of the SNP’s making — they’ve had 18 years to create sufficient capacity and have failed miserably.”

A Scottish Prison Service spokesperson said: "We have been managing an extremely high and complex population for more than a year, with nine prisons now at red risk status.

"Our staff have worked exceptionally hard to maximise all possible space and ensure we continue to meet the risks and needs of those in our care.

"However, this has an increasingly destabilising effect on our establishments, with staff unable to do the critical work of building relationships and supporting rehabilitation, and prisoners frustrated by the impact on their daily lives and opportunities."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23089268 (272255ZMAY25) Notable: Final Law and Disorder Bun Part Three / BEAST SNARED Scots paedo caught by undercover cops trying to pay for schoolgirl escort

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https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/scottish-news/14851684/scots-paedo-undercover-cops-schoolgirl-escort/

BEAST SNARED Scots paedo caught by undercover cops trying to pay for schoolgirl escort

He wanted to pay for half an hour with the 'girl' and was given an address to attend

David Meikle

27 May 2025

A MAN who was caught in a sting operation after police placed bogus adverts for underage escort services is facing jail.

Jason Neil, 53, replied to a post for female escorts on a website which promised the sexual services of teenage girls.

He messaged a woman who told him she was in charge of the escort business and arranged a fee of £70 and was told the girls available were aged 14 and 15.

But he was unaware she was an undercover police officer working as part of a probe dubbed Operation Overview.

Neil said he wanted to pay for half-an-hour with the girl and was given an address to attend.

He failed to appear but was later traced and arrested.

When questioned by officers he told them: "I seen an advert and when I found out it was teenagers 14 or 15 I was really worried.

"I was worried how to contact the police as it was escorts but I didn't know how to go about it. I text from two phones but I was never actually at the premises.

"I didn't arrange, I didn't phone to ask the postcode, I was trying to obtain information and there is no history of underage searches or chats or anything on my device history."

Neil, of Law, Lanarkshire, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted attempting to obtain the sexual services of a child under the age of 18 between April and May last year.

Depute fiscal Sinead Corrigan said: "This relates to Operation Overview which is part of the police response to online child sexual abuse exploitation and the operation has been ongoing since October 2022.

"An advert was posted online for the services of escorts in the Glasgow area for sexual purposes.

"The advert contained reference to the escorts being natural teenage girls along with a list of services along with a telephone number and anyone who responded would subsequently be advised the girls were 14 or 15.

"The undercover officer received a call from the number now attributed to the accused and was told they were based in Motherwell."

The court heard Neil terminated the call but repeatedly rang back again.

The prosecutor added: "The accused contacted the undercover officer and asked 'do you have any older girls available today?' but was told it was the same girl who was available and he replied 'ok, just really worried about their age'."

Sheriff Louise Gallacher deferred sentence on Law until July for reports and continued bail.

She added: "Given the serious nature of the offence you have pled guilty to, and given that you have never had a custodial sentence before, I will be calling for reports."

Neil was placed on the sex offenders' register.

Operation Overview has so far led to the arrest of dozens of 'high-harm' threats to children in Scotland.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23089424 (272343ZMAY25) Notable: Final Ferry Failures Bun / Delayed Ferguson Marine ferry rose in price as work was done incorrectly in latest shambles

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/delayed-ferguson-marine-ferry-rose-35265471

Delayed Ferguson Marine ferry rose in price as work was done incorrectly in latest shambles

The Scottish Government-owned shipyard admitted last week that the Glen Rosa was delayed again by nine months and needed £35m extra from the public purse

David Walker

21 MAY 2025

The Scottish Government admitted that the price of a much-delayed ferry being built at Ferguson Marine rose in price due to incorrect work being undertaken on it. Last week Ferguson Marine confirmed a further delay and cost increase in the construction of the Glen Rosa.

It is the latest shambolic chapter of the ferry fiasco which has been described as the "biggest procurement scandal" since devolution. Up to £500m of public cash has been spent on building two new ships to serve the Arran and Ardrossan communities who have been stuck using unreliable and ageing boats.

They were meant to have been completed in 2018 but the Glen Sannox only took on customers for the first time in January this year. In order to finish its construction, parts were cannibalised from its sister ship the Glen Rosa which has been further delayed until next year.

Officials from the Scottish Government's strategic commercial assets division were grilled about this scandal at Holyrood on Wednesday where they admitted that the "huge overrun" in costs was due to work on the ferry being done in the wrong way, as it had been on the Glen Sannox.

Last week, Ferguson Marine's new Chief Executive Graeme Thomson admitted the Glen Rosa would not be completed until between April and June next year - a nine month delay and eight years after it should have been finished. And he said that an additional £35m required will push the boat's cost to £185 which is nearly four times its original price of just under £50m, with this extra slab of cash almost as much as this original cost.

Dermot Rhatigan, the division’s deputy director, said that part of that bill was because the yard "worked through lessons learned on Glen Sannox and realised some things that were done in the wrong way on Glen Sannox were also done in the wrong way on Glen Rosa, so there is an element of re-work”.

Major sections of the Glen Sannox had to be rebuilt because parts such as piping were installed in the wrong order. It was being built under the watchful eye of chief executives installed by Ferguson Marine which is owned by the Scottish Government and has had millions of pounds of public cash ploughed into it.

The shipyard has bid for other projects commissioned by the government's ferry operator but failed in these attempts, with the contracts instead going abroad to Turkey and Poland. The future of the organisation is under threat if it fails to gain any more work.

Extra funding of £35m has yet to be released by the Scottish Government, with Gregor Irwin, director-general economy for the Scottish Government, confirming this need will be "scrutinised very carefully." If it was not judged to be value for money, he would need to ask Ministers to confirm their previous instruction to continue with the project still applied.

In 2023, then-Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray decreed that work should continue on building the Glen Rosa despite a report finding that it would be cheaper to build another one from scratch, with this saving the taxpayers cash. Despite this, it was greenlit to continue as it would have cost jobs and allegedly delayed completion further.

Mr Irwin said that the new checks would involve consultants being drafted in at a cost of about £100,000, and risked “distracting management attention” from focusing on finishing Glen Rosa. He also said that approving the extra money for the yard would “require difficult trade-offs and decisions to be made” as it had not been allocated from the Scottish Government budget.

Mr Rhatigan said: “I don’t think anybody is in any doubt there are some fundamental underlying weaknesses with this organisation that we still need to address."

Scottish Conservative shadow transport secretary Sue Webber MSP said: “The latest delay to the Glen Rosa is a hammer blow for islanders who will find it astonishing that past mistakes were again being repeated. On the SNP’s watch nationalised Ferguson Marine allowed parts of the Glen Rosa to be cannibalised to prevent even greater delays to the Glen Sannox. That was a shameful example of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Islanders have had enough of this chaos. It is time ministerial heads rolled for the SNP’s never-ending ferries fiasco.”

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23089503 (280004ZMAY25) Notable: Desperate John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon claim Reform want to abolish Holyrood

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/desperate-john-swinney-nicola-sturgeon-35295402

Desperate John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon claim Reform want to abolish Holyrood

The First Minister and his predecessor warned Scots that Nigel Farage wants to get rid of the Scottish Parliament as they urged voters not to back Reform.

David Walker

27 MAY 2025

John Swinney was branded "unhinged" after claiming that Reform want to abolish Holyrood as he warned Scots not to vote for them. His comments came just days after his good friend and predecessor Nicola Sturgeon made a similar claim as she appeared in Wales for an independence discussion.

There is a growing grassroots movement on social media which is calling for the Scottish Parliament to be scrapped after nearly two decades of SNP misrule. Nigel Farage's party have not advocated for this, although former member Rupert Lowe did suggest that devolution should be scrapped.

Mr Swinney warned that Reform would attempt to scrap Holyrood if they manage to get MSPs elected there next year. Polling suggests that the right-wing party could win up to 15 seats in 2026 in what would be a major breakthrough for them.

But first there is a by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse which the First Minister admitted was now a three-horse race between the SNP, Labour and Reform. The Nats are defending the seat after the tragic death of long-time MSP for the area Christina McKelvie.

Voters in the constituency will go to the polls on June 5 to elect a new MSP for the region. Sources in both Labour and the SNP believe that Reform could come second as they have the momentum.

Mr Swinney claimed in our sister paper the Daily Record that Reform could threaten devolution if a large contingent were elected to the Scottish Parliament. He said: “What it would do is that it would bring right into the heart of the parliament opponents of devolution. We would have active opponents of devolution who want to dismantle it.

“It’s crystal clear from the Farage rhetoric that they despise devolution.” He was asked directly if he believed Reform MSPs would try to abolish devolution and he responded: “I think that’s exactly what would happen and I think they would use it to undermine the credibility of the Scottish Parliament."

He was asked about who he thought would rival the SNP most in the by-election and said: “We are seeing and identifying support for Labour and identifying some support for Reform. Thankfully we are also identifying and seeing a lot of support for the SNP, so it is difficult to tell what is the balance of that at this stage.”

His comments echoed those of Ms Sturgeon who insisted that Mr Farage would look to abolish both the Welsh and Scottish Parliaments if he had his way. Speaking at a Yes Cymru event on Friday, she said: "Do you know what – now, would I sit here and say 100% that the existence of the Scottish Parliament will not come under threat?

"The Tories, I think, are very hostile now to devolution. And that’s before you factor in the possibility – and I’m not going to put it any stronger than that, although I think it potentially is stronger than that – that Nigel Farage will be in Number 10 after the next general election. Does anybody really believe that Farage wouldn’t come after the Scottish Parliament or the Senedd here? Because these are creatures of Westminster statutes: they can be abolished."

Reform councillor Thomas Kerr said: "John Swinney’s getting more and more unhinged as each day goes on - but given our canvass data, we aren't surprised. He and SNP MSPs have broken Scotland after 18 years of abject failure. It's not devolution that Reform opposes, it's nasty nationalism and incompetent politicians - that's what Reform MSPs will bring to Holyrood, a real dose of straight-talking common sense."

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23089607 (280030ZMAY25) Notable: Final Nicola Sturgeon & SNP Bun Part Two / Immigration now a key issue for Scots despite SNP claims that Scotland's 'values' are different

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/immigration-now-key-issue-scots-35292475

Immigration now a key issue for Scots despite SNP claims that Scotland's 'values' are different

John Swinney has often claimed that Scotland 'values' are different from England where immigration is a major concern, but this sentiment is growing north of the border amid a rise in Reform support.

David Walker

27 MAY 2025

Immigration has now become a key concern for Scots for the first time in a shattering blow to the SNP's boast about Scotland having different "values" to the rest of the UK. John Swinney and the Nats also want their own tailored migration service which could see migrants flood in to the country.

Around one in six Scots (16%) highlighted it as a top issue in the latest Understanding Scotland Economy Tracker which shows the change in voter priorities. It is the first time since the survey launched in 2021 that immigration featured in the top five, and comes with Reform soaring in popularity both sides of the border with an anti-immigration stance.

The proportion of people noting it as a key issue increased by 6% since last May. Healthcare remains the top priority, selected by 49%, while the cost of living crisis was second on 36%, poverty was next on 17% followed by both immigration and the economy on 16%.

There was also a big rise in the number of people who think Scotland is heading in the wrong direction, with this hitting 59%, up six percentage points from February. Despite this, the SNP are still on track to win the Holyrood Election next year and secure another five years leading the Scottish Government, thanks to a split Unionist vote.

And some 70% of respondents said that economic conditions had worsened compared with a year ago, 49% said their finances had deteriorated, and 50% said they had reduced non-essential spending to cut back on leisure activities. In addition, 48% had reduced heating or energy use, 46% were saving less, 36% had dipped into their savings and 28% said money worries had impacted their mental health.

The survey is produced by Diffley Partnership and the David Hume Institute to show the change in voter priorities. Scott Edgar, a senior research manager at the Diffley Partnership, said: "Over the last 12 months we have been seeing a shift in public concerns as economic anxiety continues to grow across Scotland. For the first time in four years immigration has joined healthcare and the cost of living as one of the key issues for Scots."

The SNP have long claimed that Scotland's "values" differ from their English counterparts when it comes to the likes of immigration, a point which has never been proven by polls or surveys. Earlier this month, Mr Swinney even insisted that Reform voters had "alien values" compared to ordinary Scots.

But 77% of voters have said that they want immigration to fall or stay at present levels, a Norstat poll for the Times found, with only 23% wanting immigration to increase and 34% seeking a decrease. The First Minister wants Scotland to have its own bespoke migration policy which would bring in more migrants but the Scottish Government has so far refused to put a number on this.

Earlier this year, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville insisted that "the SNP will always stand up for Scotland's values and flatly reject Reform's damaging agenda." When asked to expand on these "values" she said: "Democracy and fairness and the fact the NHS should be in public hands and we should be a welcoming country. Nigel Farage doesn't have the same values as the vast majority of people in Scotland and I think people will recognise that."