Free speech upheld in Inverness

An attempt to convict a street evangelist of behaving in an abusive manner in spreading the gospel in Inverness city centre has failed.

Sheriff Ian Abercrombie said that Kenneth Macdonald had no case to answer and acquitted Macdonald of all charges.

He was accused of causing alarm to a woman and her children by saying that they are going to hell.  Kenneth Macdonald says that he would never say that to anyone; rather, he tells them: “Don’t go to hell!”

It was not clear during court proceedings who was the original complainant.  It is a feature of the persecution of Christians that complainers go to the police and leave the Procurator Fiscal to promote their accusation on their behalf.  In this case, the Fiscal was hung out to dry by lack of corroborating evidence.evidence

Hopefully the police will begin to realise that they are being used as pawns in the humanist campaign against Christianity.  The humanists cannot win the argument with words, so they use the force of law.

The public gallery in the court room was well filled with supportive Christians.

Danny in the thick of it again

Danny Alexander finds himself at the centre of another fiasco, involving tax avoidance by a senior civil servant.

Ed Lester, the head of the Student Loans Company, had been allowed to be paid through a private firm instead of being added to the Student Loans Company payroll, on which he would have had tax and National Insurance payments deducted at source from his £182,000 pay.

Mr Alexander was forced to the House of Commons to make a statement, where he gave an assurance that Ed Lester’s salary would in future be taxed at source.  The chief secretary, who signs off civil service salaries above £142,500, said he was “not aware… of any tax benefit to the individual concerned” when approving the salary level.  He said official guidance says public sector organisations should “avoid using tax advisers and avoidance schemes”.

The media is still investigating who approved the tax deal, while government departments have been put on alert to ensure that they do not support tax avoidance schemes.

Road development between Nairn and Inverness

Transport Scotland has begun a public consultation on a number of options for improving the A96 between the A9 at Inshes and Auldearn including a bypass of Nairn. 

A96 Improvements and the Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan is available for consultation in Nairn on 6th February and Balloch on 7th February.  The details are here.