Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Open Letter to Alex Salmond; Asian Candidate abused and smeared at Pollok SNP Nomination, smears allegations not investigated, is SNP fit for purpose?













Dear Alex Salmond

The Scottish National Party has for sometime had serious problems.

It appears from documents that people known to you and the senior leadership have been involved in smearing people out with and within the SNP.

Awhile ago I reported to Derek Mackay a complaint because I was sent an email that I and others were said to be the victims of an SNP smear campaign.

I was told by SNP Councillor Grant Thoms to report this to local government minister and local government election co-ordinator Derek Mackay MSP.

I duly did so.

To my disgust, he never replied despite being forwarded the email.

When it became clear I was as a working class member being ignored, I then sent my complaint to Ian McCann at SNP HQ.

At this point I would like to state that the SNP has always said it stands for fairness, equality and social justice.

I have never received that from the SNP.

When I attended the Pollok SNP selection meeting putting myself forward as a prospective candidate, I witnessed first hand as an SNP MSP staff member abused and smeared an Asian Candidate when he was sent out of the room.

When I inquired was it SNP policy to send candidates out of the room I was told by many people afterwards.

No!

I raised this issue why different systems of candidate selection were operating in Maryhill & Springburn Branch and the Pollok and Greater Craigton branch.

Ian McCann from SNP HQ ignored that too.

When the Asian Candidate was being abused and smeared, I was the only person to speak up and put an end to it as my other prospective candidates such as Councillors David McDonald and Iris Gibson, along with Jim Torrance and Shabbir Jaffri all sat there and did nothing and said nothing.

They all were nominated as candidates.

I on the other hand for standing up for the Asian Candidate was told by SNP Councillor Malik that he felt sorry for me afterwards.

When I inquired why, he told me that I received no votes and no one spoke up for me.

I then received an email from SNP NEC member and Pollok branch sec that it wasn’t true that no one had voted for me.

Someone lied to me.

As such and along with other allegations that I was a victim of an SNP smear campaign which was confirmed by email from a 3rd party source, I withdrew as an SNP Activist.

Until I entered the SNP selection process I never knew how vile and nasty certain elements within the Scottish National Party actually were.

Today on Twitter, I find that a senior Glasgow SNP Activist Tommy Ball has been smearing British soldiers on the day that six were tragically killed.

He calls British Soldiers ‘racists’ and ‘child killers’.

And it gets worse; recently I had to tell him to take down a sexual post on Twitter about dipping his penis in chocolate and then hundreds and thousands.

Children use Twitter Mr. Salmond.

ONLY, only when I informed him children use Twitter did he take it down.

He has now started being abusive to me, it is no wonder Mr. Salmond that SNP activists are unwilling to come out for the party.

This is all transpiring under your watch, in the party, you lead.

I am not willing to work for a party that spits in my face after I have helped it.

I remain an SNP member but I am unwilling to do anything until the SNP honours its pledge to fairness, equality and social justice.

The SNP isn’t the social justice generation when it should be, so much is wrong that could be fixed but it won't be, you cannot even defend democracy within your own party.

Finally, how much further must this party sink before you act?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

George, you are betraying your own. Think what you are doing before you regret it. Why are you still a member of the SNP? You can always resign if you are so unhappy.

G Laird said...

Dear Anon

"George, you are betraying your own".

'My own', how do you work that out?

Can I understand it that you think being abused is acceptable?

If Alex Salmond received the same disgusting treatment I have would he laughing?

I think not.

"Think what you are doing before you regret it".

That sounds like a threat.

"Why are you still a member of the SNP?"

Because I believe in independence.

Why am I not walking away, quite simple, I always stand up to bullies.

So, the SNP can make a choice, do the right thing and investigate my complaint which has been sat on for 6 months or side with these people who have treated me unfairly.

But don't piss on my back and call it rain.

I am not walking away because until this matter is dealt with the SNP isn't a united party.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Hamish said...

George, the comment earlier from Anonymous is fair. I do not detect any threat in it.
You come across as a sore loser.

Anonymous said...

A political party can have snakes. Maybe with the Labour party in dissary in the city it made sense to infiltrate our own party and make it look similar. If you are a nationalist, fair enough. You can be a nationalist without being a member. If your a member and dont agree with the parties discipline procedure then take it up within it, dont try to publically smear the SNP. The party you strongly support.

G Laird said...

Dear Hamish

I have never complained about not get selected by Pollok SNP after I stuck up for an Asian Candidate who was abused and smeared during the nomination meeting.

Never!

I accept the verdict of the branch members.

My complaint is about the SNP smear campaign against me which is backed up by 3rd party evidence.

Also my complaint is that my complaint to SNP HQ has been ignored for 6 months, when Dr. Whiteford MP got help in hours and full backing of leadership, on unsubstantiated allegations

I also brought up how candidates were sent out of the room allowing others to smear and defame them. I asked why different systems of candidate selection appear to be operating in SNP. I also checked and was told repeatedly that sending people out of room was unacceptable.

Patently this has nothing to do with ‘sore losers’ and everything to do with the integrity of the SNP.

But I am sure that you cannot see these problems, because you can’t grasp that as an SNP member and working class I should have been treated the same as any other member of the party.

I see smear of people at nomination meeting as akin to attempted vote rigging.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University