Alba MP Neale Hanvey brands former SNP Westminster colleagues ‘toxic, aggressive and hostile’ – The Scotsman

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Neale Hanvey has spoken of the “toxic, aggressive and hostile” SNP group at Westminster – and how it damaged his health.

The Kirkcaldy MP, who quit to join Alex Salmond’s Alba Party and stood unsuccessfully on the regional list in last week’s Scottish election, said he was heartbroken to leave the party, but he “detested” what it had become.

Mr Hanvey said: “You are not allowed to have a critical mind. There is no place for debate. It is policy by diktat. It is a really uncomfortable place.”

Mr Hanvey added: “It was frustrating to see how many of the SNP cohort were far too comfy with Westminster life – that really galled me.

“What motivates me is seeing too many people in poverty – not a fancy flat in London.”

Mr Hanvey was the second SNP MP to defect to Alex Salmond’s new party, in late March, following in the footsteps of Kenny McAskill.

He said the decision to leave was “unfortunately, not that difficult.” and added: “I could not continue in a Westminster parliamentary group that was so aggressive and hostile I did not think it was good for my physical and mental health.

“It was really getting incredibly difficult to even go to work even virtually. You have to watch everything you say. If you are not loyal – and by that, they mean obedient – then you are targeted.”

Mr Hanvey’s trajectory to Westminster was far from smooth.

He was adopted as the candidate for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath in 2019, and then dumped just weeks before the December election after it emerged he had used anti-Semitic language on a social media post three years earlier.,

With his name already on the ballot paper, he stood as an independent, and won.

After a period of suspension he was brought back into the SNP fold, and, in February, was made the party’s vaccine spokesman – only to be sacked within days.

By then, he said, the atmosphere was impacting on his health.

“After being sacked, I was being targeted through the media again quite purposely by the SNP – that was their choice,” he said.

“I developed a pain in my head, woke up and lost part of the visual field of my eight eye. I had damaged an optic nerve through stress.”

Mr Hanvey said matters deteriorated after the First Minister was cleared of breaching the ministerial code over her involvement in the Alex Salmond saga.

“The hostility within the group amplified to screech level,” he said.

“That was my first meeting back and I thought I can’t deal with this. It was depressing.”

Mr Hanvey said he would “absolutely not” trigger a by-election after joining Alba.

“People will judge me at the next election, but if they are expecting me to remain in the SNP, they are asking me to stay in a toxic environment that was actively damaging my health”

And Mr Hanvey believes Alba still has a key role to play in Scottish politics.

“We have active members coming across, and the energy and enthusiasm from them has been really inspirational.

“I do not think Nicola Sturgeon will secure an independence referendum, and, if she does, she has not done the groundwork to win.”

The SNP declined to comment when contacted by The Scotsman

Covid in Scotland: Inspectors highly critical of Covid-hit care home – BBC News

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Residents in a Scottish care home at the centre of Covid outbreak experienced “unnecessary harm and suffering”, according to inspectors.

They found people who were dying were among those whose “health needs were neglected” at Thornlea nursing home in Loanhead, Midlothian.

Concerns were also raised about the competency of nursing staff and the cleanliness of the home following the inspection in December 2020.

Fifteen residents died with Covid.

Within days of the Care Inspectorate’s visit to the home on 14 December, it had its registration suspended.

Operator Thornlea Nursing Homes Ltd has since gone into liquidation and the care home has been permanently closed.

It is one of at least 474 care homes in Scotland being investigated by a special Crown Office unit set up to probe Covid-linked deaths in care homes.

The report, published on the Care Inspectorate’s website, judged Thornlea Nursing Home “unsatisfactory” following an unannounced inspection.

Inspectors found that some of the 27 people who were using the service at the time were not receiving good care.

“We were very concerned that people who were unwell and nearing the end of their life were not being given appropriate palliative care,” they said.

“The nurses had not ensured that end of life medication to help people stay comfortable was available.

“People were not being checked for signs of changing needs that would then help other professionals such as a GP to be called quickly.”

There was a lack of checks on residents’ temperature, pulse rate and oxygen saturation levels, and their medication was not reviewed regularly.

It meant the need for end-of-life care was not being recognised and “people’s experiences of care at the end of their life may have been compromised as a result”, inspectors added.

Cleanliness was also a concern of inspectors who concluded the home was “not a safe environment to live and work in”.

They had enough PPE but it was not stored properly. In one instance it was found on a trolley next to an open bag of clinical waste – something which risked further spread of infection.

Staff did not clean their hands at every opportunity, following each episode of care or removing PPE.

And clinical waste was not managed properly, with bags left in overfull and unsecured waste bins, and in a bath in a room which was not secure.

Inspectors said enhanced Covid guidance had not been implemented, presenting “a serious risk to people” in the home.

They said there was a lack of management support, with no clear direction being provided.

“This had resulted in people experiencing unnecessary harm and suffering due to their health needs being neglected, including at the end of life,” they said.

The Care Inspectorate made an application to the courts to have Thornlea Nursing Home’s registration suspended following the inspection.

During a hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 22 December, its registration was suspended from 18 January 2021.

The operator went into liquidation in March.

 

Holyrood power balance may force SNP into answering indyref currency questions – The Scotsman

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Parliamentary arithmetic allowed the party to deliver on a series of key pledges in recent years, with its endorsement of the SNP government ensuring extra money for public sector workers and public transport. The numbers game is in play yet again. This time, the rules have changed.

The SNP can expect to come under even greater pressure over its climate targets, oil and gas economics, NATO, and other areas where a centrist orthodoxy prevails. The most intriguing biting point, however, will be the impact the Greens have on the push for independence.

A great deal has been made about the similarities between the party and SNP when it comes to the conditions for seeking a new referendum – after all, together, they form a decisive pro-independence majority.

But they are united only in their opposition to Westminster’s intransigence. Look closer, and familiar differences remain when it comes to the nuts and bolts of Scotland’s constitutional future. If they can resolve them while waging a common fight against Boris Johnson’s administration, the groundwork will be laid for a revitalised Yes campaign. Allow them to fester, however, and the independence movement will be caught in a familiar rut.

Nowhere is this tension more evident than the question of an independent Scotland’s currency, an issue which reared its head during a BBC Scotland leaders’ debate in the run up to the election.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that an independent Scotland would continue to use the pound “for as long as necessary,” with a new currency adopted “when the economic conditions, the fiscal conditions, the issues around trading and stability, were right to do that.” Asked how long that process would take, she stressed it was “not absolutely fixed.”

To put it charitably, this is not an entirely representative summary of her own party’s stance. One of the most significant decisions taken by the SNP since the 2014 referendum was its decision two years ago to endorse a separate Scottish currency.

This was, in part, a recognition that the Yes campaign’s arguments on currency were central to its loss. Having long maintained that a formal currency union with the rest of the UK was viable, it had little room for manoeuvre when the Treasury said otherwise.

But the SNP’s about face was also sparked by grassroots discontent with the sustainable growth commission’s 2018 report, which proposed that Scotland would retain the pound for a lengthy transition period after independence.

The SNP has tried to ride both horses ever since, and while it backs a Scottish currency, the party’s leadership suffered a painful defeat over its tentative approach at its 2019 conference, with delegates backing a fast-track plan to adopt a new currency “as soon as practicable” after independence.

Six stringent fiscal tests set out by the growth commission remain in place, which include establishing the international and market credibility of a new central bank. But these are not conditions which will be met overnight, and the party’s footsoldiers have let Ms Sturgeon know that her patience is not contagious.

The language employed since then is sufficiently ambiguous to muddy the message on when Scotland would transition from the pound. It could best be summarised as ‘Take your time and hurry up’.

Whichever way you cut it, that is damaging, and it throws up some fundamental problems for the Yes camp: how, for example, could an independent Scotland join the EU if it is still in a currency union with the rest of the post-Brexit UK?

If it is irksome for the SNP’s leadership that many on the left of the party regard a lengthy transition period of a decade or more as unconscionable, the fact the Scottish Greens share that view is even more problematic.

It believes the move to a new currency should form part of the transition process immediately after a Yes vote, warning that any lengthy delay would inhibit Scotland’s prospects of joining the EU and hinder plans for a fairer, net zero economy.

The Greens’ position on this was largely similar in the lead up to the 2014 referendum. The key difference now, the SNP is reliant on the Greens’ support in Holyrood. With that comes the need for compromise.

With the pandemic recovery at the forefront of everyone’s minds, the Greens will not push on the currency issue any time soon. Be in no doubt, however, that when the government seeks – and gains – Holyrood’s approval for its referendum bill, tough questions will be asked.

There is an optimistic line of thought that this could work in the SNP’s favour by forcing it to bring some much needed clarity to the currency issue. If, and it is a big if, the Greens can force the SNP to commit to a definitive timeframe for the adoption of a new currency, it would make for a more digestible campaign line.

The reality, though, is that Ms Sturgeon would never make such a concrete commitment in the knowledge that no one can predict the future of the economy. That indefinite wait would be seized upon by the Greens as a barrier to an independent Scotland’s progress.

Both parties know they need to tread carefully around currency. If disagreement hardens into dissent, a new Yes campaign would be hamstrung by one of the central issues in the independence debate from the get go.

Equally, that risk ought to force the SNP’s hand so that it provides some long overdue answers. Some in the party think it is now on firmer footing when it comes to the currency question. Before long, they may find themselves disabused of such notions by critical friends.

Professional-union tactical voting frustrates Scotland’s nationalists – POLITICO

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Professional-union tactical voting frustrates Scotland’s nationalists – POLITICO

EDINBURGH — In Scotland’s parliamentary election, tactical voting by pro-union supporters is proving a powerful force that could well deprive Nicola Sturgeon’s pro-independence Scottish National Party of an overall majority.

With counting ongoing following Thursday’s election, Sturgeon is seeking a mandate to hold a second independence referendum. An overall majority of seats for her party in the Scottish Parliament would pile pressure on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to grant one, though nationalists argue a simple majority of pro-independence MSPs from multiple parties should be enough.

Cracks found on ScotRail trains after urgent safety checks – The Scotsman

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ScotRail said a “small number” of its class 385 electric trains – which run on routes such as the main Edinburgh-Glasgow line – were affected.

It said a “handful of services” would run with half the normal carriages on Monday as a result.

Some of the fleet of 70 Hitachi-built trains, which are less than three years old, are undergoing further checks.

The cracks have been found in the chassis under the carriages, which, in a worst-case scenario is thought could cause a derailment.

Indyref2: Poll finds just 12 per cent of Scots want focus on new vote – The Scotsman

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A poll conducted on the eve of the Holyrood election has found that 50 per cent of voters want the next Scottish Government to focus on the NHS and social care, with the economy and jobs being the next priority – and a second independence referendum coming eighth on the list.

The poll by Survation, for the Scotland in Union campaign organisation, found that just one in eight people believe independence is one of the most important issues for the new SNP government.

It also found that only 37 per cent of Scots believe there should be a referendum before the end of 2023, which has been suggested by Nicola Sturgeon as the right time for a second vote on the constitution.

The survey, of over 1000 adults, also asked how people would vote in a referendum – using the option of leaving or remaining in the UK rather than the usual question of whether Scotland should be independent or not with a yes or no choice – and found 58 per cent would choose to “remain part of the United Kingdom”.

Asked to select up to three of the most important issues the new Scottish Government should prioritise, 50 per cent chose the NHS and social care, 46 per cent economy and jobs, 45 per cent Covid-19 recovery, 30 per cent education – and only 12 per cent opted for independence.

On the possibility of another referendum, 51 per cent agreed it would make “Scottish society more divided” – and only 34 per cent disagreed.

Scotland in Union said it would promote the findings on billboards and on social media “as a reminder to the SNP that it must listen to the people of Scotland and focus on people’s priorities – and not treat every vote it received as support for a referendum.”

Pamela Nash, chief executive of the organisation, said: “The new SNP government must listen to the people of Scotland, who are clear that independence is not a priority. The very last thing we need right now is more division in our society.

Redact, redact, redact: Ministers refuse to reveal junior doctors’ shifts report – The Sunday Post

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Redact, redact, redact: Ministers refuse to reveal junior doctors’ shifts report

The father of a junior doctor who died following exhausting shifts has accused ministers of obsessive secrecy after he appealed against the decision to make 37 redactions to a 21-page report – and was sent a revised version with 29 redactions.

Brian Connelly’s daughter Lauren died after a car crash while driving home from Inverclyde Royal Infirmary where she had been working long shifts. Since her death in 2011 her father has campaigned tirelessly to protect other overworked junior doctors from dangerous fatigue.

In 2018 the Scottish Government commissioned an Expert Working Group to examine how it could implement a 48-hour working week for hospital doctors.

Connelly says the report was completed in January last year and, since then, he has written to Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman four times asking to see a copy.

When that failed, he submitted a Freedom of Information request for a copy. But, when he was finally received the report, its executive summary and conclusions had been redacted. In total the 21-page report contained 37 redactions.

Connelly appealed and has been sent a new report – this time with 29 redactions – again deleting its executive summary and recommendations.

The report contains passages describing how working hours and rotas impact doctors’ fatigue and safety, and how they also affect patient safety and medical outcomes.

The Scottish Government ­originally justified the redactions, saying it was not in the public interest to publish the information.

After Connelly appealed, Scottish Government business manager Susan Curran agreed this ruling did not apply to all the redacted material. However, she also decided a second reason for denying a full FoI release – that doing so might deter medical and other professionals from giving evidence to future studies – did apply.

Connelly, of East Kilbride, said Lauren started her job at Inverclyde Royal in the summer of 2011 with a roster of 90 hours over just 10 days.

He is calling for junior doctors to work a maximum 48 hours in any given week – and health boards should not be able to circumvent this by averaging out the number of hours a doctor works per week over a six-month period. Junior doctors in some Scottish hospitals revealed they worked more than 87 hours in a week.

He said: “We are being forbidden to see in full a report that examines junior doctors’ dangerously long hours and provides a potential remedy and time scales for its implementation. I have been sent another copy of the report but all the useful information still does not appear. The Scottish government seems determined to not publish the report. I have appealed to the Information Commissioner by letter and await his decision.”

Medical campaigners Doctors for the NHS also criticised the ongoing secrecy over the report, saying: “Why is the truth about doctors’ hours not being disclosed? No workforce can be expected to tolerate these conditions indefinitely and not be expected to make mistakes or suffer directly. Open and honest explanations should be the minimum expectation. This pervasive culture of hide or stay silent has to stop.”

The Scottish Government said: “We handle FOI requests in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2002. We only apply redactions to information where these are appropriate and are in line with the law.”

Boris Johnson invites Nicola Sturgeon to ‘Union summit’ following election win – The Scotsman

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