Embarrassing figures released by the SNP Government today show Scotland’s “union dividend” – extra cash the Scottish Government receives from the national coffers – has hit almost £2,000 per person. Nicola will have been hoping no one spotted this latest data…
The new figures represent a massive 30% rise from the £1,500 calculation seen at the time of the 2014 independence referendum. The total dividend is a combination of the extra £1,633 public spending Scots receive per person, and the average lower tax revenue of £308 than their UK counterparts. In an era of heart over head politics, however, will this dent the 10 point lead independence currently enjoys?
A jaw-dropping video published by the Sunday Times yesterday shows Alex Salmond’s QC, Gordon Jackson, talking openly on a train about his client’s high-profile court case, including calling the former First Minister a “sex pest”, “inappropriate”, “an arse hole”, “a bully” and “stupid”, as well as risking contempt of court by naming two of the women involved in the trial. QCs do get to know their clients well during a trial…
Salmond’s QC has done the old trick of referring himself to the legal watchdog, and denied he regards Salmond as a “sex pest” – despite saying the exact phrase in the video. After Salmond’s acquittal, SNP politicians called for resignations – Guido suspects they didn’t have Salmond’s own lawyer in mind…
Turns out there is something that can put a stop to the SNP…
The Scottish Sun‘s revelations of SNP Finance Minister Derek Mackay ‘creepy’ texts with a 16-year-old have thrown a grenade into Scottish politics. Scrolling through his social media, with hindsight he did have a track record of taking an interest in young people…
Scottish Finance Secretary Derek Mackay, 42, has resigned Scottish Finance Minister after it was revealed he had been ‘pestering’ a sixteen-year-old boy over social media for the last six months. Mackay contacted the boy out of the blue last summer, continuing to send messages and suggest meeting the boy for six months.
In one late-night exchange, the senior SNP politician asked boy “Are our chats between us?”, going onto say “Cool, to be honest, I think you are really cute… Just as long as you know, but you can delete that message lol.”
Mackay’s resignation comes just hours before he was set to deliver the budget in Holyrood. Mackay has apologised “unreservedly” to the boy and his family.
Read Mackay’s statement in full below…
“I take full responsibility for my actions. I have behaved foolishly and I am truly sorry.
“I apologise unreservedly to the individual involved and his family.
“I spoke last night with the First Minister and tendered my resignation with immediate effect.
“Serving in government has been a huge privilege and I am sorry to have let colleagues and supporters down.”
