archiemcall

@HolyroodDaily Ok I’ll help you … the internal controls were inadequate, the auditors were not rigorous enough and mgt was too trusting. There saved you an inquiry.

Peter Murrell sentencing leaves questions unanswered for SNP holyrood.com/comment/view,p…

@Frencheconomics Spain built 1800km of high speed rail for the cost of HS1 yes just HS1…..watch the new runway at Heathrow become a joke

Such an important point. A debate on the quantity of spend (within the fiscal rules) risks obscuring the opportunity to increase the productivity of existing spending. And I’d go a step further, I’d say increasing quality of spend has a positive feedback loop as would reduce the inflation premium on UK debt finance and throw off more headroom for a given set of rules. Yes, this is fewer fish discos and bat tunnels, but also shorter planning approval timescales, pared back judicial review. Actually Starmer’s government (in pockets) has showed admirable effort in this space since 2024, but Manchesterism could have a real impact if it can materially accelerate those efforts - and show that part of those frictions has been the lack of control to coordinate agencies, regulators, statutory consultees, private providers and central government to work together and accelerate project timelines.

@MerrynSW Works for me

Perfect temperature in Scotland. Probably down to the extra tax we pay.

@spectator The concern here for the snp is touching….yes touching incredulity

Peter Murrell has been jailed for five years and three months for embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP. The judge called it a "calculated crime of dishonesty" and a serious breach of trust. However, Michael Simmons, The Spectator's economics editor, says there are questions for Murrell's former wife Nicola Sturgeon, and John Swinney, First Minister of Scotland, that won't go away. @Simmons__

@AngelaHaggerty Yes like what were the auditors doing …

A serious, mature independence movement must realise that blind trust in the name of a cause is a huge risk and a big mistake. There must be space to address questions and concerns without fear or threat of repercussions. open.substack.com/pub/angelahagg…

@Frencheconomics @Johnmcternan It didn’t save much money though. On a wider point if the treasury is so good why has our economy been poor since 2008?

@Johnmcternan What was the advice? That it is a particularly poorly targeted benefit for addressing fuel poverty - with universality creating a huge deadweight loss. I think you’d go a long way before a non-HMT economist would disagree….

I see the “challenge Treasury orthodoxy” bingo card is doing the rounds again. In my experience Treasury officials know precisely the policy trade offs necessary to improve economic governance. But advisers advise, ministers…..

@MerrynSW It’s a one party state which is part of the problem.

To repeat. The UK is not ungovernable. It is badly governed. These are different things.

@TorstenBell It’s a real puzzle why he was the most unpopular prime minister in history ….ffs

3/3 Now we owe the whole country a redoubling of our efforts to build a better Britain. More of this Parliament lies ahead of us than has passed and there is much more of the change that we promised to deliver

1/3 Keir turned around our party and has given huge service to our country, both as our Prime Minister and a reforming public prosecutor.

@RealStephenKerr Jesus misery loves comfort

Craig Ferguson's achievement is extraordinary. The SNP should stop trying to piggyback on it. If this £400,000 was already earmarked for mental health spending, ministers have no business presenting it as a donation linked to Craig's fundraising effort. The question is simple: is this genuinely new money or money that was going to be spent anyway? Craig deserves the credit. The SNP deserves scrutiny. news.stv.tv/scotland/gover…

@simonmontefiore Except Lenin actually achieved something

Echoes of Lenin and Finland Station 2026

@JamesMelville Man commits embezzlement, the woman is guilty.

It doesn’t matter what scandal our politicians get caught up in, they always end up coming up smelling of roses.

@lawrencedonegan Im not sure you appreciate how unpopular he actually is. His current level is below luz truss…..labour can’t win with him.

This is bonkers. A prime minister sacrificed at the altar of Andy Burnham's ego. Absolutely mad.

@MishalHusain @lewis_goodall Yep tells you everything

Very little attention in UK media thus far to this story - low prominence, few details of injuries, who the victims are, where they were when the attacks took place, community reaction bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

@sweirz Really sad to see that Tory part of the rangers support hate Scotland more than just about anything else … strange people

BUT remember, no-one enjoyed a World Cup without the Tartan Army* *bollocks perpetrated by those last seen in 1998

@KennyMacAskill It really isn’t ..just a more sophisticated version of ‘she knew’ like you did with the fraud in Alba? Hypocrite

A very astute piece

@holyroodmandy So did boris Johnson ….just an observation

If Andy Burnham does become the next prime minister he would come into that role with a great deal of experience of time in government in various portfolios unlike many before him. Just an observation.

@100glitterstars Doesn’t matter…nobody likes him….its that simple

Keir Starmer has had an excellent year, achieved much, with much more in the pipeline. He's outshone Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss, and Sunak with pragmatism & dedication. We'll puzzle about those responsible for the current coup as the party spends many more yrs in the wilderness

@holyroodmandy Yep every victim of fraud is responsible for that fraud because even though the criminal went to great lengths to cover it up, they should have known. Indeed , they may well have allowed it to happen. What a bizarre argument, totally nuts.

“This is not about Sturgeon being held responsible for her husband’s crimes; it’s about her responsibility as a party leader & first minister to have had proper oversight of the financial dealings of her party.” My column on the Murrell scandal. holyrood.com/editors-column…

@MarioNawfal She didn’t … that’s not her … he’s delusional

🇺🇸🇮🇹 Trump adds fuel to the Meloni fire: You're no friend of mine Always known for his restraint and skilful diplomacy, Trump torched the Italian PM, claiming she begged him for a photo to boost her flagging popularity in Italy. She denies it. For context, her approval rating in Italy is 40-47%, Trump's in the U.S is 36-39% Source: Truth Social / Writer: Ian

@GrahamSpiers Yep…..8 games at major tournaments with Clark and not one good performance

This is becoming worryingly true. I’ll love and support Scotland as much as anyone but, just like the last Euros, they are a grim, tough watch. In trying to keep superior opponents at bay, Scotland’s football is a type of trench warfare. Few neutrals, having partied joyously with the Tartan Army, will find happiness in actually watching the team. But it appears to be Scotland’s only way.