ALISON IRVINE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, TRANSPORT SCOTLAND

Alison Irvine is a Civil Servant and Chief Executive of Transport Scotland.   Alison has been much in the news lately and entirely because of her two left feet colliding with a brain she clearly does not possess.  But,  back to the beginning.

Transport Scotland is,  at the time of writing,  what is known as an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government.  It is staffed by Civil Servants and reports directly to the Scottish Government.  There are no placemen,  or placewomen,  about the place but,  no doubt,  should the Nationalists continue in office,  sooner or later they will find ways to circumvent that.  The Agency states that 'we are the national transport agency for Scotland delivering the Scottish Government's vision for transport'.  That,  of course,  is no vision at all but let's move on and back to Alison.

Alison is top dog of the organisation of which there are nine of those things they call 'Directorates'. Nothing as simple as 'Departments' of course,  only 'Directorates'.  Our interest at present is in  the Ports and Ferries Directorate.  Currently,  the Scottish Transport Secretary is skinhead Stephen 'Tesco Boy' Flynn who is Alison's immediate political boss and a wrong un in his own right and on whom we should keep a very close eye.

Sadly,  CMAL (Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd),  the firm that,  ultimately,  controls CalMac,  comes under the jurisdiction of this Ports and Ferries Directorate of the Scottish Government and that may explain an awful lot of the problems CMAL have experienced over the years - not that CMAL itself has ever had a very clean pair of hands in its own standalone operations. Be that as it may,  Alison recently insulted Scottish Islanders to a previously unparalled extent and with an unheard-of degree of stupidity all while giving evidence before a Scottish Parliamentary Committee.

While giving her evidence on the subject of appointments to Quangos,  Alison told the Committee that appointments to those ubiquitous Quangos were 'so complex that islanders would need mentoring and training to make them board-ready'.  The Committee,  along with everyone listening,  was aghast to hear such evidence coming from a senior Civil Servant.  Alison was stating directly and publicly that Scottish Islanders were  stupid, very, very thick and,  basically,  couldn't be trusted to keep to a brief prepared by Alison and her people ........ Islanders simply couldn't be trusted to keep to the Civil Servants' way of seeing things.

We here in the Western Isles have known for many generations that we are treated with contempt by Edinburgh's Civil Servants.  Here is the incontrovertible proof.  We take it effortlessly in our stride and we can assure the world at large that the feeling is entirely mutual.

You've done us a great favour,  Alison,  now that there is no official secret about it.  You should tender your resignation in disgrace.

BURNHAMSPEAK WAFFLE - THE RUSSIANS (3)

Well,  were the Russians involved in recent British elections, or not?  

Simple question.

One minute Andy says yes,  definitely,  the Russians were involved;  next minute Andy says No,  the Russians  weren't involved at all.

Which one is it,  Andy?

STEPHEN (TESCO BOY) FLYNN - LYING AGAIN (5)

This is our FIFTH blog about Stephen 'Tesco Boy' Flynn in the space of two years or so.  Sadly,  it won't be our last.

Flynn is the skin-headed embarrassment that is Transport Secretary in Swinney's bizarre government.  A few weeks ago,  he was quizzed by the Scottish Parliament Transport Committee about a dangerous leakage of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) from the CalMac ferry MV Glen Sannox last year.  He denied knowing anything about the event so that he could neither assist the Committee nor make any other comment thereon.

It has now been revealed that Flynn knew everything about it having been advised by Scottish Government officials of the situation.  He is now in deep trouble for lying.  Flynn is the sort of parliamentarian who would reduce any Parliament into the gutter with him.  No integrity whatsoever.

A wrong 'un through and through.

THE STORNOWAY GAZETTE (2)

We first wrote about the ownership of the Stornoway Gazette in 2022.  The paper has come a long way from the ownership of the founder and original editor, William Grant,  in 1917.  We'll try and piece together the history to get to where we are today.

William Grant transferred the paper to his wife and to his son,  James Shaw Grant,  on his death in 1932.  James was to follow down the line  as both owner and editor.  The paper was  subsequently transferred to the ownership of the company known as Stornoway Gazette Ltd on 18 January 1954 with James Shaw Grant becoming the founding director of the new company.  Major Sam Longbotham played a major part in both the running of the company and serving a long stint as editor.

James kept up his assocation with both the paper and the company for many years but the Gazette was sold to those controlling The Galloway Gazette in 1979. Eventually, the Gazette found its way to being owned by Johnston Press plc in 2004. 

Johnston Press plc became a financial basket case and ownership of the Stornoway Gazette was then acquired by JPI Media Publications Ltd,  a company that was,  essentially, a restructuring of Johnston Press plc.   Subsequently, ownership of JPI Media Publications Ltd  transferred to National World Publishing Ltd but that didn't last long and the paper was  acquired by Iconic Media Group Ltd in May 2025.  Iconic Media Group Ltd is owned by Media Concierge (Holdings) Ltd,  a private limited company registered at 22 Victoria Street,  London.  

So,  all in all,  it's been a bit of an eventful journey for the Gazette in its latter years compared with the stability of the first 60 years.

Melinda Gillen was editor of the Gazette from 2004 until 2020.  Her period as editor was marred by her being cheerleader for sometime Scottish Nationalist MP for the Western Isles,  Angus Brendan MacNeil,  together with her publishing all sorts of crazy writings from Lewis SNP  Press Officer 'Dr' David 'Dave' Wilson. There was no news as such in the paper and sales plummeted.

The current duo of The Rt Hon Brian Wilson CBE and Murray MacLeod took control of the paper in 2021,  Murray as editor with Mr Wilson as editor-in-chief,  or editor-at-large, or whatever the designation may be. The turnaround has been remarkable. Wilson (currently Interim Chairman of Celtic,  no less) was known universally as a man with strong political views on virtually everything under the sun and who had never been afraid to very loudly express those views.  He was,  after all,  the founder of the West Highland Free Press.

These guys have really put their backs into the paper but, sadly,  they are terrified of both the Free Church itself and local Free Church-supporting SNP voters so that the paper takes no political stance at all.  Wilson and Murray never forget the power of the Free Church in Lewis - look how the theologians  catapulted Free Church elder, the late Donald Stewart MP,  into Westminster in 1970 - albeit that was a long time ago. For Wilson and Murray, though, the Grey Lubianka on Kenneth Street remains far too close for comfort.

In other words, we don't really know where the Gazette stands on anything of consequence.  It's a pity.

THE CELTIC ALLIANCE CONVENTION

Yesterday,  a bizarre political meeting convened in the Welsh capital city of Cardiff.  We wish we had been a fly on the wall  to witness it for oursleves.  We're sure we wouldn't have stopped smirking and wondering what medication the attendees had been taking.

Present were John Swinney representing Scotland;  the man with the  unpronounceable name of Rhun ap Iorwerth representing Wales;  Michelle O'Neill representing Northern Ireland;  and Mary Lou (Loopy Lou) McDonald representing Sinn Fein.  We have no idea who arranged the event which they declared to be The Celtic Alliance and with the avowed intention of breaking up the United Kingdom.  Enemies hiding in plain sight.

Now,  we have long known Mary Lou who's as daft as a brush and,  like ourselves,  getting even dafter the older she gets. Rhun looked as if he hadn't a clue as to why he was there in the first place but was enjoying the beer and the cameras anyway while Michelle kept mostly, and wisely,  schtum and looking as if she would far rather have been on a Sinn Fein route march along the (Orange) Shankhill Road in Belfast parading the Tricolour. 

Michelle's not daft and saw it all as pointless posturing.  Michelle knows also that she is in a vastly different position from that of either the Scotsman or the Welshman.  She was keeping her cards very close to her chest.  She knows that both Swinney and the Rhun guy are just playing at politics in schoolboy fashion. 

John Sweeney looked more stupid and gormless than ever and like a man utterly devoid of all intellectual capacity.  His sole contribution was to repeat yet again his mantra that 'Burnham is the last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom'.  And here was John just back from stopping off overnight with the monarch King Charles at Balmoral where he was bowing and grovelling and scraping and taking the knee and all of that royal nonsense!!!!!  

Brilliant stuff!!!!!

What an absolute bloody fraud.  He'd shaft his granny for a tiny little gulp of press oxygen.

STEPHEN (TESCO BOY) FLYNN and MV GLEN SANNOX (4)

Sadly,  the controversy over the CalMac ferry MV Glen Sannox continues unabated.  

We have followed the Glen Sannox story closely given what we consider to have been criminal failings over the ferry ever since it was first contemplated for construction.  The First Minister for most of that time was Nicola Sturgeon,  easily the most ghastly politician ever to have tarnished Scotland's soil.

The latest difficulty with the dual-fuel Glen Sannox was the release of LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) on a trip in June 2025 - some 16 months ago - on the Troon to Brodick route.  We have now been told that the vessel released 700kg of LNG which was quite a significant amount of danger for the 82 passengers and the crew aboard.  Why this incident has come to public light only now remains a mystery but then this Scottish Nationalist Government has long mastered the black arts of lying to all and sundry.

The matter called a few days ago before the Transport Committee of the Scottish Parliament.  There,  the skin-headed embarrassment that is Transport  Secretary,  Stephen Flynn, said he knew nothing at all about the incident so that he couldn't comment.  Believe that if you will.  Flynn treated the Committee,  as always,  with contempt.  He is utterly unfit to be a parliamentarian,  let alone a Government Minister.

We maintain our interest in the Glen Sannox not just for the past but also for the present.  Indeed, as we write,  she is berthed at Lochmaddy Pier awaiting her next run on the Uig - Lochmaddy - Tarbert triangular route.

Controversy apart,  the Glen Sannox remains the finest-looking ferry in CalMac's fleet.

BURNHAMSPEAK WAFFLE - DEFENCE OF THE REALM (2)

A few days ago,  in a debate on Defence in the House of Commons,   Prime Minister Burnham told his audience that 'National Security cannot come at the expense of Social Security'.   Of course,  Andy,  of course, laddie,  you have the unemployable voters of Manchester and your own survival to think about first.

So,  there we have it.  A Prime Minister who is prepared in no uncertain way to leave the country undefended against our foes.  Roll in Vladimir,  just roll in, no opposition,  do your stuff,  easy peasy.

This is exactly why we loathe the Labour Party and its treacherous and traitorous brand of Socialism. As ever with Socialism,  our enemies come first and foremost - and the present collection of Socialists is more treacherous than ever before.  Just like our other avowed enemy,  the traitors of the Scottish National Party.

Some idiot thought this was a great soundbite but Burnham is going to regret ever making those remarks.  Those words will come back to haunt him.