Mark Irvine - Blogger, Campaigner, Organiser

  Dr Sandesh Gulhane is the first Glasgow MSP to respond to my letter sent earlier today about Police Scotland, Complaints Handling and Freedom of Speech. I've thanked Sandesh for his speedy response and asked him to keep me posted on any developments at Holyrood - here's what he had to say: Dear Mr Irvine Thank you for your email. I understand that one of my parliamentary colleagues has submitted a question on this topic for Topical Questions tomorrow afternoon.  There is no guarantee that the question will be selected, but I will be happy to share the response of the Scottish Government minister to the question, if indeed it is raised tomorrow. Kind regards, Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP Glasgow Region   Police Scotland, Complaint Handling and Freedom of Speech ( January 31, 2022 )   I have just written to the 8 MSPs who represent my part of Glasgow - let's hope I receive 8 considered replies along with some decisive action in the Scottish Parliament. Dear MSP Police Scotland, C

The position of Nicola Sturgeon's administration is that how Scottish ministers behave on social media has nothing to do with her or the Scottish Government. Which is absurd, of course, because Scottish ministers are not free to behave as they like and if they overstep the mark in their private lives, for example, they face the sack, as we found out when Derek Mackay, the SNP's finance minister, was forced to resign after sending inappropriate texts to a 16-year-old schoolboy. My original complaint about Humza Yousaf related to his 'live' Twitter attacks on fellow MSPs while the Holyrood Inquiry was in session, taking evidence and questioning witnesses in a committee room at the Scottish Parliament. So it's just a lie to say that the private behaviour of MSPs and minister is a not a matter for the First Minister or the Scottish Government - on social media or anywhere else.

Why does Nicola Sturgeon keep using her personal Twitter account to get across important public messages - instead of using the First Minister's official ScotGov account? Is STV Turning Into The News Wing of the SNP? ( January 30, 2022 ) For some reason Nicola Sturgeon has been tweeting about the weather from her personal Twitter account instead of using the First Minister's official 'Scottish Government' account. Even more remarkably STV seems to regard these personal tweets as news!       Is STV Turning Into The News Wing of the SNP? ( January 26, 2022 ) Reads more like political campaigning rather than news reporting - the Scottish Government is free to make different spending decisions than the rest of the UK - that's what devolution is about Reads more like political campaigning rather than news reporting - the Scottish Government is free to make different spending decisions than the rest of the UK - that's what devolution is about Reads more like political