POLLING DAY AS IT HAPPENS: TELEGRAPH TV LINK

The longer report:

https://wikileaks.org/trident-safety/

It's worth ploughing through, because of the picture it paints....

It appeared most people had breaking points at some point on patrol. There was one guy who presented a prime example of how someone could go from saying things like “back to back patrols won't bother me” and “patrols aren't that bad.” Till completely losing it over a missed placed pair of flip flops. This guy smoked electric cigarettes which are banned onboard. His supply ran low and that's when he became aggressive. After losing his flip flops he went berserk, he was throwing things everywhere, looking for them. He shouted “everyone on this boat is a bunch of f**king re***ds.” he punched lockers and went on shouting and banging for over ten minutes. Not once did the CAMP watch keeper come over to see what the banging on his compartment was. When someone trying to sleep said “what's your problem?” he responded by verbally assaulting him. He told him “get back in your f**king bed now you...” If this is how people react to a lost flip flop after a tiny adjustment to their nicotine intake, then what else are people capable of doing once the electric cigarette ban is properly enforced. If the Captain was to catch anyone with electrical cigarettes he would have most likely enforced the ban.

I heard the Launcher and Fire-control Supervisors whispering to each other in the MCC. The Fire- control supervisor spilled coffee on the missiles Data entry subsystem keyboard. It set of an alarm. That's all the information I gathered on that incident because they were trying to cover it up so the Weapons Engineering Officer (WEO) wouldn't find out what happened.

One of the BSQ's told me he was contemplating leaving after his first patrol. He went to see the coxswain; the coxswain took him into his office. The coxswain recommended he should leave; he said “it doesn't get any better. You might as well leave now before you waste your life here.” A hydraulic leak was found on a missile's valve.

During a battery clean the BSQ's were sent down to help out. Afterwards One of them was complaining about how his fingers went numb, but little sympathy was felt by everyone because he nearly blinded someone by throwing a rag at his face. The rag just missed his eye, but that was enough to irritate it enough for him to require medical assistance from the doctor. This incident highlights the lack of concern for safety. There was no safety brief, the appropriate PPE wasn't worn and a careless action was performed.

A lot of it is like that; incidents which may be minor in themselves, but add up to a picture of corner-cutting, etc.

He is undeniably a bit exciteable, but I would personally reckon he is 70% - 80% correct in what he has reported.

And as anyone that watches shows like Air Crash Investigation knows, it's rarely just one thing that leads to disaster, it is always a string of incidents, of sloppy maintenance, bad behaviour, etc.

Best typo ever from the Washington Post:

Landowners could be forced to sell if the Scottish government decides their ownership is a ‘barrier to local economic and social development’.
Shooting estates will also lose vital tax breaks. David Cameron has shot stag at the Astors’ 20,000-acre Tarbert estate on the Hebridean island of Jura.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3090022/SamCam-s-stepfather-says-Sturgeon-acting-like-Robert-Mugabe-Lord-Astor-accuses-SNP-land-grab-country-estates.html#ixzz3am35p0Ar
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So, the Astors are gettin subsidies from the taxpayer to enable them to kill animals for fun and profit? And to add insult to injury:


The Tarbert estate is officially run by a company registered in the Bahamas. The Astor family bought the estate between the wars, and it was used as a bolthole in the Second World War by Lord Astor’s grandmother, Nancy Astor, the first woman to sit as an MP in the Commons.

Pardon me if I don't give a flying one about the bloody Astors - Cameron's in-laws, let us not forget.

What awful problems they have.......

Yes. All that money must be a real headache. I could do with one of those. I've just got arm ache from hacking ivy off the wall of my palatial mansion.

It's a tough life, Sabot.  

Got a few birds in the garden though. I might bag a couple of pigeons later. If the neighbours don't get them first.

What what....

As Astor, Cameron and co like killing animals for fun (do any of them look the slightest bit hungry?) I reckon it's time wolves were re-introduced to the Highlands, to even things up a bit.

Let the wolves hunt Astors and Camerons, see how THEY like it.

Good! Things like this can't get swept under the carpet any more.

Now they've got a big problem.

http://www.thenational.scot/politics/snp-win-commons-debate-over-claims-made-by-trident-whistleblower.3245

SNP win Commons debate over claims made by Trident whistleblower
MAY 22ND, 2015 - 12:01 AM ANDREW LEARMONTH 10 COMMENTS
THE Government will be forced to come to the House of Commons to “explain themselves” after SNP MPs secured a debate in Parliament to discuss whistleblower William McNeilly’s dossier of security failings around the Trident nuclear programme.

SNP defence spokesperson Brendan O’Hara, who is also the MP for Faslane where Trident is based, said: “We have already demanded that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) instigate a full and transparent enquiry into Mr McNeilly’s claims and we can pursue answers when Parliament reconvenes next week.

“We insist the MoD make a formal statement on this matter at the earliest opportunity as there are serious questions over the safety and security procedures operating at HMNB Clyde, Faslane and on the submarines that carry these nuclear missiles.”

Alex Salmond, the party’s foreign affairs spokesperson, was critical of how the MoD had conducted themselves in the wake of McNeilly’s report, published in the Sunday Herald.

McNeilly’s dossier catalogued a series of Trident safety failings, including a collision with a French submarine that was so alarming, his senior officer reportedly warned the crew that they were, “all going to die”.

McNeilly also alleged that it was easier to get into a nuclear base than it was to get into a nightclub. In the full 18-page document he warns: “It’s just a matter of time before we’re infiltrated by a psychopath or a terrorist”

Salmond said: “It’s quite clear that Michael Fallon’s approach to the issue was to try and erect a wall of silence in a totally complacent and unsatisfactory manner, to dismiss the dossier, and to obviously go for the man”.

Salmond continued: “There’s an element of trying to diss Mr McNeilly in terms of suggesting he didn’t know what he was talking about.

“The problem with that, is that the dossier – and of course there are points that could be refuted, but nonetheless – the dossier is comprehensive. It can only be written by somebody with great inside knowledge, and certain aspects of it seem to be beyond argument.

“The access allowed, the security preparedness, and a whole variety of things in the dossier require urgent attention.

“Therefore for the Ministry of Defence to try and brush it all under the carpet and say, ‘oh well this is just a junior rating who doesn’t know what he’s talking about’ it is totally, profoundly unsatisfactory”.

On Tuesday, the MoD was accused of trying to close down any discussion of McNeilly’s dossier after they decided to discipline McNeilly, rather than charge him under the Official Secrets Act.

John Ainlie from CND said: “Had it gone [to criminal prosecution under the Official Secrets Act] then the navy gets a second round of publicity and the details surface again. From their point of view, this is a way to close it down”.

Salmond said that it was imperative for the MoD to answer McNeilly’s allegations.

He said: “The object of SNP looking for the debate and succeeding and winning it and the whole variety of initiatives that Brendan O’Hara has set in train is to force the government to the despatch box to explain themselves and in that we’ve been spectacularly successful. Therefore it’s an early example of the difference between having a fighting 56 MPs working for Scotland as opposed to the enfeebled 41 Labour MPs who we’ve replaced”.

The debate, entitled Safety at HM Naval Base Clyde, will take place on Thursday, 28 May.

Earlier in the day First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had called on the MoD to conduct a top-level inquiry into McNeilly’s allegations.

Speaking at First Minister’s Questions, Sturgeon said: “People across Scotland, and indeed the UK, not least those who live and work around the naval base on the Clyde, must have answers to the very serious allegations that have been raised.

“Any potential safety or security failings of the Trident nuclear weapons system are an extremely grave matter.

“The government has long opposed the existence of these weapons, but we have also raised operational and safety concerns in the past as well. She added: “Allegations that were raised over the last few days are all the more troubling because they were raised by a member of defence personnel, and therefore they have got to be treated with the seriousness they deserve.

“I think only the fullest possible assurance from the UK Government of the safety of its arrangements is acceptable.”

A Royal Navy spokeswoman said: “The Royal Navy would like to reiterate, we take the operation of our submarines and the safety of our personnel extremely seriously. We continue to fully investigate the circumstances of this issue and ministers will update parliament at the earliest opportunity.”

McNeilly handed himself into police at the start of the week and is now in Royal Naval Police custody. His location is unknown.

=============


On Tuesday, the MoD was accused of trying to close down any discussion of McNeilly’s dossier after they decided to discipline McNeilly, rather than charge him under the Official Secrets Act.

What is really scarey is that, a year ago, the MoD would have almost certainly got away with it - it's only in the last year that we have got a pro-independence Sunday paper, the Herald, and a daily one, the National.

A year ago, the London-based MSM would never have printed any of this, IMO, and the story would have languished forever in the depths of the internet, with the whistleblower written off as a 'nutter'.

I've read the whole thing a few times, and while McNeilly's language is undeniably a bit OTT and clumsy, his reports of the series of incidents caused by sheer laziness, corner-cutting, etc., ring true.

I've seen a few comments from ex-submariners stating that he is broadly correct, too.

Submarines and Sub Mariners weren't like this in my day. And I've been inside a couple.

In your day, they wouldn't have been hanging around Scottish waters for years on end doing naff all except pretending Brittannia still ruled the waves, with the only thing to look forward to being the next no-nukes demo, Sabot.

It's a myth that there are thousands of jobs associated with Trident. Maybe when they were being built, but not now - there are only a few hundred linked to it at Faslane, and most of them are Navy, anyway.

Also, a lot of people have the rather bizarre idea that there are still a lot of American subs there, when in reality they left a couple of decades ago. All in all, while the damned things make us a target, and can wipe out millions of people, there isn't really a lot going on with them...

Which is, obviously, good, but complacency and boredom creep into even the best of organisations in the right, or rather, wrong, circumstances.

More bad news for the London establishment:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/snp-secures-control-of-two-key-westminster-committees.1432294181

SNP secures control of two key Westminster committees

Michael Settle
UK Political Editor
Friday 22 May 2015
THE SNP has secured the chairmanships of two important House of Commons Committees - Scottish Affairs and Energy and Climate Change, the party has said.

It is thought Pete Wishart, the MP for Perth and North Perthshire, who is the party's Shadow Commons Leader, will become the new chairman of the Scottish Affairs Committee.

While the membership of all committees reflects the size of each party, thus meaning that David Cameron's Conservatives will have a majority on all of them, The Herald understands that the

Nationalists are confident they can get an "anti-Tory majority" on the Scottish Affairs Committee.

The SNP revealed its committee chairmanships - secured because of its increased strength at Westminster as the new third party - as well as the securing of a Commons debate next Thursday on Trident before any apparent official announcements by the Commons authorities.

Commenting on its committee chairmanships, SNP Chief Whip Mike Weir MP said: "I'm delighted that the SNP has secured the convener-ships of these two very important committees following our record-win of 56 seats in the general election.

"Both the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee and Scottish Affairs Select Committee are especially important to Scotland in this parliament.

"We will be seeing one of the major bills coming forward in the Scotland Bill on more powers for Scotland and, of course, the Energy and Climate Change Committee is of particular importance with our oil and gas sector and renewables industry."

The MP for Angus added: "The SNP chairing these committees will allow us to make progress on these important issues and will help us get the best deal for Scotland."


This means that they can call THEIR witnesses, and get to see the real reports and books, and generally make it near impossible to sweep things under the carpet.

Former Lib Dem minister admits leaking bombshell election memo which claimed Nicola Sturgeon wanted the TORIES to win
Former Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael admitted leaking the memo
Secret document claimed Ms Sturgeon privately admitted backing Cameron
Scottish First Minister allegedly made remarks to the French ambassador
Mr Carmichael today apologised to Ms Sturgeon and the ambassador
He said he would turn down £16,000 owed for losing ministerial post


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3092992/Top-Lib-Dem-former-minister-admits-leaking-bombshell-election-memo-claimed-Nicola-Sturgeon-wanted-TORIES-win.html#ixzz3atSioU9x
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So, the nasty cynics were right all along - it was Carmichael and the LibDems that were behind Frenchgate. Galling to think that that lying toad kept his seat.

In his letter to the Scottish First Minister, Mr Carmichael said: 'I wish to inform you that I am taking full responsibility for the publication of that document when I was Secretary of State.

'I accept that its publication was a serious breach of protocol and that the details of that account are not correct.'
He added: 'I am clear that this was an error of judgment on my part and wish to offer you my sincere apologies for the embarrassment caused to you and the French ambassador.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3092992/Top-Lib-Dem-former-minister-admits-leaking-bombshell-election-memo-claimed-Nicola-Sturgeon-wanted-TORIES-win.html#ixzz3atTEAQds
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

He should resign his seat, frankly. He concocted an outright lie involving the French Ambassador and the First Minister of Scotland, and told a pack of lies throughout the election period.

16,000 Pounds for losing his Ministerial Post? What is this? Another Gravy Train?

He only held his seat by 800 votes, Sabot. He stood for election KNOWING he was responsible for that smear, that leak, that pack of lies.

Think he would have been re-elected if he had owned up? No, me neither.

Good riddance seems to be in order?

My son will be very angry, I know he voted for him as LibDem MP for Orkney and Shetland. LL

I wouldn't blame your son, LL. As betrayals and lying go, it's about as bad as it gets.

http://www.snp.org/blog/post/2015/may/first-minister-carmichael-inquiry-findings

First Minister on Carmichael inquiry findings
I accept his apology, but the real issue is that he should be apologising to the people of Orkney and Shetland, because he clearly contested the election on false pretences.

More at link.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/alistair-carmichael-admits-leaking-sturgeon-memo-1-3780998



IMO, he has to resign - before he's forced to.