NEWS UPDATE CALLS FOR STATEMENT ON CHILCOT DELAY
SCOTTISH MPs called for an urgent parliamentary statement to address fears that the long- awaited Chilcot Inquiry report into the Iraq war may never be released.
In the wake of reports that the results of the £10 million investigation has been delayed for at least a year, and could even be abandoned, Angus Robertson, leader of the SNP’s 56 MPs in Westminster, described any further delay in publication as an affront to democracy and the process of Parliamentary scrutiny.
As detailed in iScot (March 2015) it is now six years since the Inquiry led by Sir John Chilcot started to take evidence from witnesses involved in the period leading up to the illegal invasion of Iraq.
“Aſter six years and at a cost of £10 million we must have a parliamentary statement on the status of the Chilcot inquiry,” said Mr Robertson. “For the Chilcot report to be subject to yet more delays is completely unacceptable, and will be greeted with dismay by the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives were affected by the Iraq war.
“This inquiry needs to be published in full - and as a mater of urgency. Abandoning it as suggested by Lord Morris would be wholly unacceptable. There is clear cross-party support both the Scotish Parliament and Westminster for the publication of this vital report.”
“The Iraq war was a foreign policy disaster whose ramifications are still being felt today. Answers are long overdue, and the continued delays to the publication of this report are a democratic outrage.”
Earlier this year, the Scotish Parliament unanimously backed a motion calling for the
report to be published before the election.
DEMAND FOR NEW MACRAE INQUIRY MORE than 15,000 people have signed a petition calling for new a Fatal Accident Inquiry into the mysterious death of firebrand politician Willie MacRae.
As reported in iScot (May 2015) the nationalist campaigner was found dying in his car 30 years ago. He had been shot in the head. There are numerous theories around
why MacRae died. He is alleged to have been investigating the nuclear industry and NATO in Scotland, the illegal drugs trade and is said to have compiled a dossier on senior establishment figures involved in paedophilia.
Some of the last people to see MacRae alive claim to have spoted a mystery vehicle following the colourful lawyer as he leſt Glasgow to go to his remote holiday cotage in the Highlands the day before he was found unconscious.
The 61-year-old activist was discovered in his car some distance from the road. It was initially thought he had been involved in an accident but aſter being taken to hospital in Aberdeen, where he was pronounced dead, he was found to have a bullet wound to the head. MacRae’s own handgun was discovered later some 60ſt from where his car was reportedly recovered.
Despite the conclusion of the authorities that he had killed himself thousands of people are unconvinced by the official version of events. Playwright Mark McNicol, who has been spearheading the petition which has been presented to the Lord Advocate’s office, said :”It definitely was not a suicide. The circumstances leading up to his death are highly suspicious and aſter his death the initial police investigation was neither thorough nor satisfactory.”
Mr McNicol said it was time to end 30 years of resistance from the Crown office to have a Fatal Accident Inquiry and finally address some of the
very serious public concerns about the case.
TOP ACCOLADE FROM FILM FANS Scotland has been voted the Best Cinematic Destination in the world. As reported in iScot (June 2015) USA Today ran an online poll to find the top movie locations.
Scotland came out top, beating Petra in Jordan, as seen in the climactic scenes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and New Zealand, which features in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said: “This is a fantastic accolade for Scotland, which has beaten some of the world’s most iconic film locations to take this award.
“Set-jeting, where people visit their favourite filming locations, is hugely popular. This poll shows our growing reputation as one of the world’s
greatest film sets.” July 2015 91
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