Don't worry Operation Branchform is going to drag on for another year or so.
Sturgeon and Beattie totally cleared. One charge remaining against Murrell.
There wasn't enough evidence to reach the threshold of "beyond reasonable doubt". They are entitled to a presumption of innocence
Following direction from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, criminal enquiries into two people arrested as part of the investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party have now concluded.
The 73 year-old man arrested on 18 April, 2023, and the 54 year-old woman arrested on 11 June, 2023, have not been charged and are no longer under investigation.
https://www.scotland.police.uk/what-s-happening/news/2025/march/operation-branchform-update/
Bye election coming up for Holyrood.
Should be interesting. Farage says he isco.ing up to campaign. I'll bet a significant anti racist counter demo. Remember what happened last time hecame north of the border
My bet? Low turn out and an easy SNP win.
For those who don't know the seat should be fertile ground for reform Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse is a mainly left behind former industrial area with a big sectarian area although some reports suggest that has changed.
Labours popularity has plummeted in Scotland but a lot of folk are scunnered with the SNP
Tories are in the doldrums and have shifted to a hard right culture wars position
Its a bellwether seat
There are still plenty of old gullible racists in the Central Belt, they'll be out in force for Farage.
reform might do better than expected, but McKelvie seems to be have been reasonably liked and a death rather than a by-election for embarrassing reasons probably means less of a less dramatic kick back against the incumbent. The second place at the last election was Labour, who suffer here by being the Westminster incumbent and the local authority ruling party. The SNP will be bound to (probably unfairly - but its politics!) play the S****horpe v Grangemouth card, which is not in the constituency but close enough to feel the ripples and one central belt heavy industry area always resonates with another. Reform didn’t even field a candidate in the seat last time round, and did abysmally in the regional constituency. Unless they come up with a candidate who is local, likeable and seems politically credible I think they’ll struggle to get 3rd. Meanwhile Labour will be unclear which front to fight on and box themselves into second.There are still plenty of old gullible racists in the Central Belt, they'll be out in force for Farage.
