You can watch via the embedded player below, or at the direct YouTube link, or you can listen to an audio-only version on Soundcloud.
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
I still believe what Alex Salmond told me in 2020 about the leaker to the Daily Record - but the independence movement desperately needs to move on
Nicola Sturgeon's new allegations about Alex Salmond are unwelcome, because as Gerry Hassan has pointed out, the Salmond-Sturgeon war is completely toxic and the independence movement desperately needs to just move on from it. In today's YouTube commentary I recall the lengthy conversation I had with Mr Salmond in 2020 just after his acquittal, and explain why - in spite of everything that has happened since - I'm still inclined to believe what he told me about the leaker to the Daily Record, and how that is very hard to square with Ms Sturgeon's claims to honestly believe it's conceivable that Mr Salmond himself was the leaker. I also give my reaction to Ms Sturgeon's suggestion that in 20 years' time there will be a new "British Isles confederation" involving an independent Scotland.
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I feel there’s still a lot of information out there that’s never seen the light of day. Salmond was pursuing further legal action before his passing for a reason.
ReplyDeleteImo, for the independence movement to ever truly move on from the Salmond/Sturgeon saga, the full truth needs to come out, those responsible held accountable, and only then can we begin to heal. Otherwise, there will always be a sense that something significant has been swept under the rug, and resentment will linger as a result.
held accountable to whom? McEleny? Joe public moves on. Can I sit on judgement on the albanists.
DeleteAnon @5.42pm. You can sit on judgement of whoever you want. It won't change the fact that Sturgeon conspired to send Salmond to jail. A real judge - unlike you - told you all you need to know about Sturgeon and her pals. Unfair, unlawful
Deleteand tainted by apparent bias.
Anon at 9.21. Yet you cannot and have not produced a shred of evidence for your allegation. Silly billy. There is plenty to give Sturgeon a hard time about. The consequences of A S’s alcoholism and sexual misdemeanours is not one of them.
DeleteHey dickhead at 5.59pm.
DeleteI provided evidence. Pay attention you walloper. I’ll say it again - unfair, unlawful and tainted by apparent bias. That was Sturgeon trying to get Salmond by unlawful
and unfair means.
Now where is your evidence that Salmond was an alcoholic with sexual misdemeanours.
Only a lowlife scumbag makes up stuff about dead people. That’s you anon at 5.59pm.
Anon @9.21pm provided evidence in the post. The judge said it all about Sturgeon.
DeleteThe Herald were having a field day yesterday:
ReplyDelete‘Fenian B****’: Nicola Sturgeon tells of sectarian abuse campaigning in Govan**
Nicola Sturgeon has told of her surprise at the level of sectarian abuse she encountered while campaigning in Glasgow.
‘Nicola Sturgeon tells of "shame" at racism tactics in campaign team’
Nicola Sturgeon said she felt 'ashamed' that some people in her team were happy to manipulate racist sentiment in a Glasgow election campaign.
‘Nicola Sturgeon on Isla Bryson: "I lost the dressing room"’
Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has admitted she still finds it difficult to define the double rapist Isla Bryson, as she acknowledged she 'should have been much more straightforward' about the offender’s gender.
‘Nicola Sturgeon: MSPs "took direction" from Alex Salmond or his allies’
Nicola Sturgeon has said she believes MSPs who sat on the Scottish Parliament committee investigating the handling of complaints against Alex Salmond were ‘taking direction’ from him or his allies.
‘Nicola Sturgeon still friends with Derek Mackay after scandal’
Nicola Sturgeon says she is still friends with a former SNP finance secretary who was forced to resign after sending 'unacceptable' messages to a schoolboy.
Anon at 4.39. There is so much in your post that is distortion. A great example of how far we have to go to heal and unite.
DeleteISP is the way !
DeleteUnfortunately Alex isn't around to challenge what's been said by Nicola, so who knows who did the leaking. Although I had clashes with Alex in relation to policy and strategy issues back in the early and mid 1990's I always revered his political abilities. I stuck with the SNP after he left for Alba and I have always considered it very interesting that so many people whom I considered to be Alex's most trusted lieutenants (I was hever in that camp) inside the SNP also stuck with the party. I have often wondered why that was the case as many if them would have had a handle on what was going on.
ReplyDeleteStill feel it was unforgivable that they essentially airbrushed Salmond from the Parties history. Every mention of the man was removed from the website and he essentially became 'He who shan't be named'.
DeleteLike or loath him Salmond is largely responsible for taking the SNP from the fringes of Scottish politics to a Party of Government, and many to this day still see the 2007-2011 administration as being the most constructive/effective in the history of Devolution.
James the person you are referring to whom Alex told you was the leaker, and your commented that Clegg would know because of his - um um - with the leaker - if Clegg is now publicly saying he knows exactly who the leaker was - then Clegg has been an utter liar in the book Break=UP. I had assumed as the book had been legalled, that Clegg told the truth in the beginning of that book - ie that he did not know who sent the copy document to the Record.
ReplyDeleteHowever, on Alex - he knew he was going to need a huge amount of support and people on his side - he's never been an idiot. It would have been a genius move had he or someone connected to him, leaked the report to the Record - because, this is the independence movement, not a sophisticated audience, where Alex was and still is regarded as the Messiah. Alex was culling in new chums who he knew he was going to need. He seems to have been on the phone every day to about every journo there ever was - telling them what to look into and who to look into. Methinks he protested too much in reality.
And let's face it - the media, mostly male - Alex made them a lot of bucks with stories over the years, their boozie chum Alex, get down with the journos Alex, many bottles of wine and six hour lunches Alex. He knew how to convince anybody of anything. Highly skilled master strategist - you think he didn't know how to curry favour and get people on his side when he needed them - for the period of time he needed them? You know what he did when he wanted people out of the way James.
I don't have a particular bias against Salmond - but, he had a lot of babysitters who smoothed the way for him - and didn't display any thank you's when he dropped the ball and landed them in it. A man who never owned his own behaviour - it was always somebody else's fault - always. In order to get that £3m - it will have to be proved there was a conspiracy and intended stitch-up. So - naturally, Sturgeon has to again be the scapegoat and has to consistently be referred to as a liar - so that the smell is well on her before she wrote her book. Salmond was no fool. He had all the human resources to reach any goal he wanted and instead of the feeding of the conspiracy poison in his ear - he would likely have lived longer if the pressure hadn't been on him to continue that undignified pursuit.
However, £3m is a big lure and no doubt there are people needing paid back - so Sturgeon can continue to be a lone voice - because now that Salmond is pretty much declared the Saint of all things - whatever his chums want to get they will get. But there will always be doubts - no matter how good a lawyer they have to tilt his posthumous windmills and how many male journos in particular want to see their old buddy smash Nicola Sturgeon. There will always be doubts of tales from within the Salmond Camelot and his close close chums who would fib for him because he was a chum. Scotland behaves in the same very British - it's not what you know it's who you know manner - within the A and B-lister social sphere. The wee sma folk like the commoner non clubbable Sturgeon - never fit in did she.
5.24pm. Come on Nicola post under your name instead of hiding as anonymous.
Delete@5.24pm
DeleteGreat post, thought provoking. In itself it probably justifies Sturgeon's memoirs, to put her side of the story. I was against what she was going on about, but you've reset the balance.
I'd say Salmond was no fool, but also that Sturgeon was/is naive.
5.24pm can’t say I have read or heard anyone say
Delete“Salmond is the saint of all things”
The big point about Sturgeon is she conspired to send Salmond to jail on
false allegations. In anyone’s book that is a criminal act. Nothing naive about that.
What a load of crap. I don't have a particular bias against Salmond - naw that phrase sums it up, just straight out bias
ReplyDeleteSturgeon lies with the ease of a duck swimming in a pond. She is a narcissistic passive aggressive.
ReplyDeleteHe’s clearly a friend, indeed THE CHAMPION of independence. She will not sleep until we are free. Absolutely not a plant, nor a hideously destructive person at the heart of government, nor indeed an utterly shameless self publicist and destroyer of every life she touched.
DeleteWhat a face for the all time half of greats in Scottish history. Her and Isla Bryson.
/s
Failed O level sociology student?
Delete“ who knows who did the leaking” get real. It was Sturgeon’s pal.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I think it's highly unlikely Wales will achieve (or ever vote on) independence. England and Wales are much more politically aligned than any of the other UK nations and the economic case for an iWales is rather thin to put it mildly.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do believe the UK will seek to rejoin the EU in some capacity in the next 20 years (basically, after the Farage project has fallen flat on its face). Scotland must be independent before that or our case will be much weaker.
A lot of what NS is saying recently is both bonkers and insulting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your video, which covers the ground well, James. Some additional comments etc.:
1. Whilst it is true the Rep of Ireland has never been part of the Commonwealth nor, I agree, ever seriously considered joining it, under previous names (Irish Free State and then Eire) independent Ireland was part of the Commonwealth i.e. to 1949 and the establishment of the Republic.
2. Wales: unlike Scotland, the Indy movement there is very closely tied to Celtic language, such that it's seen in decent part as not the Party of Wales (literal translation) but the Party of Welsh Speakers (excluding those with only some basic Welsh picked up at school etc.). In that sense, it is akin to Basque nationalism too. Whereas there are plenty of Welsh speakers in Wales, there are many folk who aren't comfortable in the language, limiting Plaid's appeal there until they can get over the perceived language barrier amongst non-speakers of Welsh.
3 Wales: also unlike Scotland, the good transport links in Wales direct you to England rather than other parts of Wales. We have the extensive Uplands between us and England (with just one motorway over them) and great transport links across the Central Belt, and reasonable ones up to Perth and then Dundee and Aberdeen. South Wales is well connected to southern England and North Wales is likewise to northern England. South and North Wales are extremely poorly connected by transport, and Mid Wales is poorly connected to everywhere. The result is to tie most of Wales to corresponding north or south parts of England.
I could go on to repeat the valid points you make eloquently in your video, but that would be redundancy so I won't bother.
Lastly: please no-one buy her awful book, even when it is remaindered down to a few quid to try and shift unwanted copies of the tripe.
Your point 3 is true enough but those routes were developed and upgraded with EU funding to connect the ports across the UK and hence freight transport from Rep. Ireland to the rest of Europe.
DeleteThe A55 is part of the route from Holyhead to Felixstowe and the M4 connects Swansea with the M25 and on to Dover.
Much reduced freight transport on these routes these days of course as goods are ferried direct to mainland EU from Dublin and Cork.
Most of Sturgeon's fans are young people and they don't buy books (or read much).
DeleteWas there a fit up attempt on Salmond - pretty much certainly yes. Was Sturgeon involved in it - highly likely yes. Salmond is gone. Should Sturgeon ever be trusted as a political leader again - hopefully, no.
ReplyDeleteCan anything be gained by banging on about it farther - not without new evidence.
Conclusion - note what is known and move on !
Anon at 5.24pm yesterday :
ReplyDeleteYou make so many good points in your post.
Alex Salmond was, if nothing else, a truly brilliant and very gregarious networker and shmoozer, with a very sizeable collection of friends and buddies within the old boys clubs in both politics and the press in not only Scotland, but the UK.
He had decades of that at his back, if and when he needed a little help in pusuing his own ends.
Political journos and politicians of his era tended to swim in the same pond, drink at the same waterholes and were very much part of the same male-dominated club.
Nicola Sturgeon was completely outside that incestuous bubble and was a very easy target for those within, if and when they decided to do just that, hence the rumour mill on her sexuality and related associations, in stark contrast to Salmond's numerous dalliances over the years which were well known to those same journos but were kept well away from public gaze.
Misogyny in action.
Only gibbering idiots like Campbell and his creed believe the ridiculous conspiracy theories which seem to involve just about everybody against poor wee Alex.
Also interesting that even Clegg and his press cohort found that particular nonsense a bridge too far to fully cross.
Sturgeon will be remembered as an excellent public communicator and leader during the once in a century pandemic where her government's actions, as verified by the UK's own chief statistician in his evidence to the Covid Inquiry, saved many more lives in Scotland compared to other parts of the UK.
It is very doubtful if Salmond, with his notorious lack of interest in detail, could have done the same.
I think Sturgeon's book will sell well.
8.21am. Works of fiction are often best sellers.
DeleteGosh, the Alba remnant are out in force.
ReplyDeleteShe continues to damage the Indy movement. If she genuinely cared about the desperate state of this country, she would have remained silent and not given the unionist press more anti Salmond / Indy headlines. She is also incredibly cowardly making allegations against a dead man who can not defend himself. Salmond done more to further the cause of independence in 7 years and brought us to the brink of independence, than Sturgeon managed in nearly 10 years even the political ground couldn't not have been any better, and this is clearly evident in her sour words and body language. Also, no one should have to justify their sexuality, but her evasive waffle about being gay was disgraceful. She has stood at countless LGBT rallies crying freedom, and now scampers behind vague language to avoid answering the question. She simply deserves to be forgotten about.
ReplyDelete"if you're enjoying this content" is not the way I'd have put an invitation to subscribe. Your content, James, is accurate on most things, but enjoyable is not the best descriptor. If I want enjoyment rather than excellent political posts, I go elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteThe Frankly media bandwagon will go on, and on, and be revived next year. She must know she's exacerbating the Indy divisions, and causing harm to the cause.
The only thing I'd take issue with is that Scotland must join the EU. There are sound economic reasons for a newly independent country not to join, but to seek a mutually beneficial relationship. In the light of the EU's recent 'mistakes' re the Gaza situation, and their gung-ho warmongering elsewhere, I'm not even sure that's the case. I want nothing to do with an EU that has warmongers as president and vice-president of the EU Commission - especially the latter (Kaja Kallas) who is promoting a foreign policy that could lead to WW3. And don't even mention Germany.
A brexiter, part of a minority in Scotland.
DeleteI voted for the UK to remain because I knew they'd sign up for a very bad deal - which has turned out to be true. We could do better but, as I said, all bets are off due to the EU's recent behaviour.
DeleteI liked the SNP better when it was anti-Nato.
Someone somewhere believes you George. You seem very needy. And a bit sad. Silly billy.
DeleteIf Sturgeon is lying take her to court, it's simple, because you can bet your house on the fact she's backed up by evidence or she wouldn't have said half of what she said
ReplyDeleteWho is going to step up and be the brave soldier of truth and justice for the Salmond cause?
Not a damn soul because she'll win
If you knew the law you would not have this view. The dead cannot be protected from libel. She can say what she wants and there's little any of her family can do. Rather than thinking of Alex, spare a thought for Moira.
Delete2.49pm just has to be an idiot from the WGD site where most btl commentators are utterly clueless.
DeleteSo she is not lying? I think she is making claims that stretch credibility beyond breaking point. Her explanation of the Bryson case beggars belief. Remember she was responsible for a govt that imposed unlawful codes of practice on a wide range of public bodies on the issue of women only spaces and the definition of man and woman. Have I missed her apology? It should have coincided with the recently passed legislation which is clearing up some of her complete fuck ups.
DeleteWT. if you knew the law you would not be talking about libel in Scotland. Ooops!
DeleteSo?
DeleteSturgeon had a far better electoral performance as SNP leader than Salmond, the party never having lost an election of any sort during her tenure.
ReplyDeleteShe consistently had personal ratings with the Scottish public which outstripped anything Salmond achieved, or any other Scottish politician of modern times.
She was also acknowledged as one of the most eloquent and able politicians of her era, not only in Scotland and the UK, but internationally as well.
She was easily as proficient as Salmond at taking on and bettering whatever unionist politician was put in front of her, but really shone in her daily Covid briefings during the pandemic, so much so that very many folk South of the border openly stated that they relied on her rather than their PM for factual updates and she was also lauded across Europe for her performance in that regard.
She also suffered the routine misogyny dished out to far too many female politicians particularly from the British MSM.
Both Salmond are Sturgeon were in childless marriages, but only Sturgeon suffered any critical comment on that.
Salmond's various betrayals of his long suffering wife with other women were routinely ignored, whilst questions about Sturgeon's sexuality were regularly pursued.
Blatant double standards.
Salmond and Sturgeon were head and shoulders above their contemporaries and both had flaws and errors of judgement in their careers, but Sturgeon was the more consistently popular with her electorate and the more consumate politician of the two.
9.08am Sturgeon betrayed Scotland. Funny how you forgot to mention that but you mentioned all sorts of other stuff that are irrelevant in the big picture of Scotland being independent.
DeleteTony Blair won elections too, is he your kind of guy? Is that the mark of a great politician for you? She did absolutely nothing for independence not one thing, and your happy? I voted for her time and again because she said - and not just once - " I will lead Scotland to independence" and she didn't and to me that's a lie. So she lied to us and in effect stole our votes, and for what? I do not understand how anyone can still rate her as anything but a failure.
DeleteSalmond did not lead us to independence.
DeleteHe said time after time he would.
He failed.
Anon at 6.16
DeleteSalmond betrayed his wife and Scotland.
6.16pm Just how did Salmond betray Scotland?
Delete7.30pm Salmond failed but at least he tried. Sturgeon did not even try but she tried to tell us any man can be a woman if and when they want to. She failed at that as well.
7.30pm but but but the SNP history said that Nicola Sturgeon was in charge of the referendum. Salmond did not exist according to the SNP. So
Deletehow could he fail if he didn’t exist? Or was the SNP under Sturgeon just lying?
Anon 7:30 he didn't fail. If you recall there was a referendum and the people chose No. That's a bit different. Anon 7.30 I understand your remark about his wife but how on earth you can say he betrayed Scotland is insane. The guy did more to increase SNP credibility than anyone else. His period in charge of government saw great infrastructure projects, and competent government. Sturgeon gave us a baby box (several NHS trusts in England do the same), incompetent government, (unable to take control of more social security benefits as she wasn't ready, A9 dialing fiasco) poorly thought out gender policies, loss of SNP credibility and no movement forward on independence. Remember, when we were all told to put the date of the referendum in our diary? Remember when she said we'd have a referendum if there was a material change then Brexit happened and nothing from her? Don't you remember any of this? Even, COVID, the one they always say she handled well was a whisker better than down south - internationally we were just about as crummy as England. Good quality grandstanding though as she should have deferred to the health minister like other countries. You might not like Salmond but if you make a real comparison between the two (not a partisan fan type of thing) it's easy to see Salmond delivered on most Sturgeon gave us a baby box and a book that reveals she lived in a parallel universe
DeleteWT at 6.30pm
ReplyDeleteDid Alex spare a thought for Moira when he was having a bit of "how's your father" and "sleepy cuddles" with other women?
Ach it’s Mr Mary Whitehouse at 12.16pm.
DeleteSo, what he did was OK with you?
Delete7.33pm What did he do that is getting you so exercised? Are you some sort of religious zealot? Or just someone who isn’t getting any.
DeleteYou cant believe anything that MI5 plant Sturgeons says.
ReplyDeleteMI5 only recruit the clubbable networkers who mingle, booze and dine with the movers and shakers and establishment worthies, especially in Londinium circles. Sturgeon went home at the end of the day and read books, didn't go boozing and lunching, wasn't a darling of the media networks, didn't have access to Westminster and environs and didn't have influential business, banking, oil corporate and Lordies and overseas networks. She would have been no good to M15. Had no access, no M15 journo pals, wasn't an establishment luncher, didn't have the required social life and didn't have any Westminster worthy chums, didn't have decades long chums in any of the 'right' circles and wasn't a social climber sitting round the dinner tables of the A and B lister establishment and legal fraternity. She had none of the requisite beneficial connections! She had nothing of value for M15.
DeleteThe fake Rev has just confirmed that he is the only person interested in Scottish politics who does not understand there is a difference between a not guilty and a not proven. He claims they are “identical”. That has to go down as stupidity on steroids. Well down Rev. The Frotherati lap it up. Kerching!!!
ReplyDeleteThey are identical. Not guilty means not proven and not proven means not guilty. I’m guessing you are the same WGD idiot who has already proved in a previous post your ignorance of the law.
DeleteNot proven has the same effect, in Scots law, as not guilty.
DeleteThat is certainly true.
What is also true is that the availability of the not proven verdict in Scotland has a direct and pronounced effect on conviction rates.
From a 2022 peer-reviewed meta study on the subject -
'Conclusion;
The highly significant effect of verdict system on conviction rates does not simply confirm earlier findings from single studies but establishes for the first time a reliable estimate and statistical test of the verdict effect across mock trials. Thus, the main result from the present meta-analysis is that, across studies and trial types, the Scottish three-verdict system reduces the odds of a conviction by 40.7% and the probability of a conviction by 10.5% compared to an Anglo-American two-verdict system.'
If we're currently outside the "Anglo-American" world, let's keep it that way. It may well be that the existence of the not proven verdict plays a vital role in reminding jurors of the true meaning of "beyond reasonable doubt", ie. if you think there's an 80% chance that someone is guilty and a 20% chance that they are innocent, you are supposed to acquit, not convict.
DeleteThe 3 verdict system in Scotland is a bit of an outlier and you can legitimately take the view that it perhaps allows more guilty accused to go free compared to the other type if system quoted.
DeleteMore realistically, you can take the view that too many people are convicted on the "non-outlier" systems because jurors effectively convict on the balance of probabilities - which is not the correct standard.
DeleteAnon at 8.01. How are things on WOS . How much has he got out of you? The Rev has an equally stupid pal in you. That’s nice. Go away and get an education thicko. Not guilty and not proven cannot possibly be “identical”. Here is a wee hint. Try raising a civil court action against someone for damages off the back of that person getting a not guilty verdict. Now try doing the same following a not proven. Are you starting to understand?? And look up the word identical. That might also help. Somehow I doubt it. The Rev isn’t eligible for Idiot of the month awards on SGP but you are and even although this is only the 15th , we are already awarding it to you. Congrats you cretin.
DeleteA lot of abusive shit from the silly billy guy who posts in the middle of the morning.
DeleteThe system in Scotland should have stayed with proven and not proven but due to the union influence trying change us to be like England we currently have the three verdicts. Eventually it will change to be guilty and not guilty and the mad man at 5.58am will be happy as we will be like England and another Scottish difference is gone.
The verdicts are both acquittals in criminal cases and are identical.
Anon at 9.13. Idiots need called out. You are another one. Your ignorance matches your stupidity. Where do I call for Not Proven to be removed from our legal system. Pointless trying to explain any further to you. Toddle off cretin.
Delete“Pointless trying to explain any further” that’s because he has no explanation. Just a shouty guy. A big mouth full of wind.
DeleteAnon at 8.01 is left looking like a complete tit. Off back to WOS with you. And pop into your village en route, they’re missing you.
ReplyDeleteThis madman calls anyone he disagrees with a contributor to WOS. That is the level of his contribution. Rock bottom in terms of intellect.
DeleteAww diddums. Trying to divert attention from the utter stupidity of your initial comment about two different verdicts being identical? Stop digging you cretin. Feel free to tell us you haven’t contributed to WOS. In your own time. No? Oh dear. Just how much egg can you have on your face. Off you go. And remember and pop in to your village. Don’t want them wasting police time looking for you. Byeee.
DeleteYou are a madman. I have never contributed to WOS.
DeleteI have been on jury duty twice and it is the same.
You are like your idol Sturgeon a bloody liar.
Anon at 11.22. Within the four walls of the prosecution in question the immediate consequences for the accused of the two verdicts are the same. That does not mean the actual verdicts are identical. That is self evident. Idiot anon at 8.01 had to be corrected for his display of abject ignorance and stupidity. He is a WOS muppet, so it’s only to be expected.
ReplyDeleteNot guilty and not proven are the same. In your bonkers mind do you think not guilty means a bit more guilty than not proven. What a total dumpling you are. The prosecution case is either proven or it’s not. A jury can call it not guilty or not proven in Scotland. Same thing.
DeleteHow many of you cretins are there? Alba’s best. Dearly me.
DeleteHow dispiriting that despite my initial response calling out the simpleton at 8.01 and the subsequent contributions from myself and others clearly explaining the substantive and consequential differences between not proven and not guilty, he and a few others still do not understand. Or, as is more likely, they cannot accept they are wrong. The shambles within Alba becomes more understandable when you see the stupidity of these people. Deary me.
ReplyDeleteI take then that everyone who has commented on her book have actually read it or are you all just going by the unionist media comments. I think I will just get it out of the library and make my own mind up……don’t need amateur critics or any sort of critic to tell me what to read, listen or watch!
ReplyDelete